Republican state lawmakers who head committees charged with overseeing education policy in Wisconsin disagree on who should be the next state superintendent.

Two challengers to Superintendent Tony Evers have garnered support from conservatives as they try to unseat Evers, who is backed by Democrats and teacher unions. The race is officially nonpartisan, but support in Evers past two runs has largely broken down along party lines.

That makes it all the more surprising that Republican Sen. Luther Olsen, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, is backing Evers and not challengers John Humphries or Lowell Holtz.

I just am not sure we need a change, Olsen told The Associated Press in an interview this week. I dont see a need.

Thats in stark contrast to Assembly Education Committee chairman Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, a Republican who not only backs Humphries but also is co-chair of the campaign and appeared with Humphries when he launched his candidacy.

Humphries said he disagreed with Olsens belief that no change was needed in leadership at the state Department of Public Instruction, or DPI.

Tony Evers has been at DPI for 16 years as No. 1 or No. 2, Humphries said at a Milwaukee news conference where he proposed revamping school report cards. He hasnt helped schools improve like other states have. Thats the critical role that DPI can play in leadership and support for schools and unfortunately if Sen. Olsen doesnt see that, I think we have to disagree. Wisconsin can do better.

Evers welcomed Olsens support, calling him a state and national education leader.

Sen. Olsen has been a great advocate for our kids, Evers said in an emailed statement. He listens to parents, teachers and students.

Olsen was particularly dismissive of Humphries call to create a state school board. Wisconsin is one of only three states that does not have one.

The Legislature is a state school board, Olsen said. How many cooks in the kitchen do you want?

Evers and other critics have said the same thing, and even Thiesfeldt, who said he was open to creating a state board, said he wouldnt propose the required constitutional amendment to make the change.

Humphries is a former consultant for DPI, which he would run as state superintendent. He recently resigned from an administrator position with the Dodgeville school district but continues working there as a consultant.

Humphries and Holtz are both vocal backers of the school choice program, including using taxpayer money for vouchers for students to attend private schools. Evers opposes expansion of the program, which has been a priority for Republicans in recent years.

Olsen has been more critical than some Republicans about the voucher program, but did vote to expand it statewide and increase the amount of payments to participating families. Thiesfeldt has been an outspoken advocate for the choice program.

Many officeholders have been reluctant in past races to endorse candidates given that the race is nonpartisan. Humphries has tried to garner bipartisan support for his campaign, for which Democratic state Rep. Jason Fields, a voucher supporter, is a co-chair. And Humphries, like Evers, signed the petition to recall Gov. Scott Walker from office in 2011.

Walker, a voucher supporter who has also worked closely with Evers on a variety of initiatives, did not endorse anyone in 2013 when Evers defeated then-state Rep. Don Pridemore, a Republican. Pridemore now backs Holtz, the former superintendent at the Beloit and Whitnall school districts.

Racine high school teacher Rick Melcher is also running as a write-in candidate. The top two vote-getters in the Feb. 21 primary will advance to the April 4 general election.

Associated Press writer Ivan Moreno contributed to this report.
Shorewood Hills Elementary School has been nominated for a national award for academic excellence.

The Madison School District school at 1105 Shorewood Blvd. is one of eight in Wisconsin nominated by State Superintendent Tony Evers for the national Blue Ribbon Schools program.

The award is given to schools for overall academic excellence or for improving student achievement.

"The Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in striving for solid student academic achievement," Evers said in announcing the nominees on Friday.

"Our public school nominees provide a safe and supportive learning environment, where young people can build a foundation for future academic and life success," Evers said.

The other seven schools, all elementary, are in the D.C. Everest, Laona, Mequon-Thiensville, New Berlin, Phillips, West Salem and Whitewater school districts.

Award winners will be announced in the fall. Over 8,500 schools have been honored as Blue Ribbon schools since the program started in 1982.
A Dane County committee postponed its vote on a proposal to forgive a $124,000 debt from a loan given to the National Mustard Museum in Middleton.

Barry Levenson, the majority owner and curator of the cash-strapped museum, asked the county's Community Development Block Grant Commission to OK a cheap sale of the business -- which would be used to repay some of the $200,000 loan -- and forgive the remainder of the loan.

The commission was scheduled to vote on the proposal Thursday, but it moved the vote to February 16 in order for the staff to draw up more information and add some contingencies to the motion, including approval from legal counsel and a stipulation that the business remain in Dane County for at least 5 years.

Levenson said the museum will close in May if the loan is not forgiven.
Republican state lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban local governments from requiring contractors to use organized labor on public works projects.

The legislation would have a mixed impact, depending on if or how much municipalities and counties require so-called project labor agreements. Madison doesnt require such agreements but Dane County sometimes does.

State Rep. Rob Hutton and Sen. Leah Vukmir, both Republicans from Brookfield, and 43 GOP co-sponsors offered the bill on Wednesday to promote government neutrality on the labor agreements.

Current law prevents firms that are otherwise qualified to compete from bidding on many public projects, thereby inflating the overall cost, sponsors say.

By preventing government entities from requiring a project labor agreement, we are opening up the process to allow more contractors to bid on taxpayer-funded projects, Hutton said in a statement. When competition increases, costs go down and quality improves, creating a win for the taxpayers who fund these projects.

Organized labor opposes the bill. Were definitely against it, said Dave Branson, executive director of the Building Trades Council of South Central Wisconsin. We think communities should have the right to decide if they want PLAs on jobs. I think its a strike against labor.

The proposal would have little impact on Madison, which does not have a practice of requiring such labor agreements on public works projects, city attorney Michael May said.

Curt Witynski, assistant director of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities, said the law would have little, if any, effect because very few municipalities have policies requiring project labor agreements.

Dane County occasionally does use such agreements and the legislation could affect future projects, said Stephanie Miller, spokesperson for County Executive Joe Parisi.

Branson said requiring labor agreements is a tool to save money, ensure quality and provide a safe working environment. But he acknowledged the agreements are not widely used.

In an interview, Hutton said research on the proposals impact is continuing but listed the cities of Superior and Pittsville and villages of Nashotah and Fontana as examples of municipalities that use the agreements.

Hutton said Dane County recently required a project labor agreement that may have significantly increased costs for an improvement project at the Vilas Zoo.

Carlos Pabellon, Dane Countys director of administration, said the county judiciously uses the agreements in significant projects when there is heightened interest in securing quality work that will be done on time, such as for the total $18 million investment for new buildings for the medical examiners and Highway Department near the county landfill.

A recent county request for proposals required a labor agreement for an $800,000 restroom project at the zoo, but a single bid came back at about $1.6 million and the project has been put on hold until more funding is secured, Pabellon said. The lack of bids seemed to relate to scheduling, he said.

Twenty-one states have enacted legislation to significantly change or completely eliminate government imposed project labor agreement laws, the sponsors said.
A mysterious Skittles spill on a Dodge County highway is taking another twist, with Mars Inc. saying it doesn't know why the discarded candy might have been headed to become cattle feed.

The case began when Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt posted on Facebook this week that "hundreds of thousands of Skittles" had been found spilled on a highway south of Beaver Dam.

A deputy made the unusual discovery Tuesday night on Highway S near Blackbird Road. A later update from the Sheriff's Office said the candy had been in a large cardboard box on a flatbed truck, which got soaked by rain and split open.

Only red Skittles had spilled out, and Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt joked in the post that it would be difficult to "Taste the Rainbow" in its entirety. Dodge County Highway Commissioner Brian Field told WKOW-TV that the candy worked pretty well as a salt substitute on the slick road.

A variety of food byproducts are commonly used for animal feed, and Skittles maker Mars Inc. says it has procedures for discarding foods for that purpose. However, the company says the Skittles in question came from a northern Illinois factory that doesn't sell unused products for animal feed.

"We don't know how it ended up as it did and we are investigating," Mars said.

Company spokeswoman Denise Young said the Skittles were supposed to be destroyed because a power outage prevented the signature "S'' from being placed on the candies. She said Mars planned to contact the sheriff's office and the farmer to find out more.

Schmidt said one of his deputies had come across the spill and sent him photos, which he posted on Facebook. The Skittles on the ground did not have the standard letter "S'' on them, he said.

The sheriff said he has spoken to the farmer, but did not have his phone number. Schmidt did not respond when asked by email for the farmer's name.

Linda Kurtz, a corporate environmental manager at Mars, said the company sells unused candies and ingredients to processors that incorporate them with other materials to make animal feed. She said Mars does not sell directly to farmers, and its procedures follow Food and Drug Administration regulations.

Kurtz said Mars determined the spilled Skittles came from its plant west of Chicago in Yorkville, Illinois, which does not sell products for animal feed. The other U.S. plant that makes Skittles, in Waco, Texas, sells rejected candies to a local processor that melts them down into syrup.

Josh Cribbs, a cattle nutritionist and director of commercial development for the American Maine-Anjou Association, which promotes that cattle breed, said that the food byproducts that get used for cattle feed vary depending on what's available in the region and particular time of year. In places like Texas, for instance, Cribbs said citrus rinds are common.

Cribbs said a specific product would not be used alone, but be mixed with other ingredients to achieve a particular nutritional profile.

"You might think, 'Oh my gosh, they might be eating a Skittle.' In reality, that piece of candy is being broken down," he said.
Most people who leave a job don't leave a note to a replacement. But that's the tradition when it comes to presidents.

When he became the nation's 44th president, among the things greeting Barack Obama at the White House was a note from his predecessor, George W. Bush. On Thursday, eight years after Obama took the oath of office, ABC News and other media outlets revealed what that special note said.
Traffic in Downtown Madison could be disrupted Saturday, when police expect some 10,000 people to join in a Womens March at the state Capitol.

The march, coinciding with a planned march in Washington, D.C., and dozens of other marches around the country, is set to start at noon at the Library Mall and then travel up State Street to Capitol Square.

Traffic delays are anticipated for Downtown drivers between noon and 3 p.m., especially on Gorham and Johnson streets.

According to a Facebook page created by organizers of the march, some 15,000 people indicated they planned to attend.

In solidarity with the Womens March taking place in Washington, D.C., we will march peacefully in Madison, organizers said on the Facebook page.

Madison police are preparing for at least 10,000 marchers. That would put it on a par with some of the larger protests in 2011 over Gov. Scott Walkers proposal to effectively do away with public-sector collective bargaining, which would become known as Act. 10.

Tom Mohr of Madison Traffic Engineering said marchers are supposed to stay on sidewalks and follow traffic laws, but police might have to close cross streets to State Street if safety becomes an issue.

The Capitol Square streets may also need to be closed to traffic due to the size of the crowd, Mohr said.

Metro Transit also said on Friday that buses could be detoured or delayed Downtown because of the march.
Dear Mr. Newly Inaugurated President Trump,

Today is a pivotal moment for our country. In fact, the world is watching  some with incredulousness, some with anticipation of newly restored greatness, and still others watch with fear and trembling.

I, like many others, feel Americas greatness lies in its future. As an African-American professional, I have enjoyed a sense of newfound hope in our countrys future for the past eight years. America cannot afford to lose hope that its greatness includes all of us.

Eight years ago this week, I was in Germany on a long layover as I traveled to South Africa. I watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama with international strangers who initiated high-fives with me and flashed thumbs-up and smiles. Our waiter slapped me on the arm, pointed at the television and through broken English called me Obama. Many others as well as newsstands continued to greet me with smiles and affirmation of what America had just done. It was a sign to the world that in America, dreams really can come true.

Please, surprise us all. Use your position to enhance the decades of advances of civil rights rather than taking us backward. America is already great, in part, due to the heroic patriotic, entrepreneurial, civil and enterprising contributions of marginalize people of color like my ancestors. (Since today is an official day, I decided not to include the fact that 400 years of free labor certainly contributed to our greatness as well.)

It is indeed a new day. You, sir, will determine what kind of day this will be. Americas greatness will be questioned if your thoughtless comments, immature tweets, lewd advances and unpresidential antics continue. Were already proud to be American. Dont embarrass us in the international community. Stop tweeting and start leading.

Rev. Dr. Alex Gee

P.S. Mr. President, about your
SAO PAULO  Authorities on Friday were investigating a plane crash that killed the Supreme Court justice in charge of a major corruption case just weeks before he was scheduled to issue a ruling that could have revealed accusations against politicians in several Latin American countries.

The death of Justice Teori Zavascki in Thursdays crash is likely to delay, though not derail, the Car Wash investigation, the largest corruption probe in Brazils history. Investigators allege inflated contracts with state oil giant Petrobras and other state-run companies to pay for bribes and election campaigns.
BANJUL, Gambia  Gambias defeated leader Yahya Jammeh announced Saturday he has decided to relinquish power, after hours of last-ditch talks with regional leaders and the threat by a regional military force to make him leave.

I believe it is not necessary that a single drop of blood be shed, Jammeh said in a brief statement on state television. He promised that all the issues we currently face will be resolved peacefully.

He did not give details on any deal that was struck, and it was not immediately clear when Adama Barrow, who beat Jammeh in last months election, would return from neighboring Senegal to take power.

But the speech signaled an end to the political crisis that has seen this tiny West African nation caught between two men claiming to be in charge. Late Friday, Barrow declared that the rule of fear in Gambia had ended.

Shortly before Jammehs address, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz told reporters that a deal had been reached and that Jammeh would leave the country. He and Guinean President Alpha Conde had handled the talks.

A State House official close to the situation said Jammeh would leave within three days, possibly on Saturday with Conde, who was spending the night in Gambias capital, Banjul. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak about the situation to press.

The famously mercurial Jammeh at first shocked Gambians by conceding his election loss to Barrow, but with the possibility of prosecution hanging over him for human rights abuses alleged during his 22 years in power, he decided to change his mind. Barrow was inaugurated Thursday at Gambias embassy in Senegal because of concerns for his safety.

The defeated Gambian leader, who first seized power in a 1994 coup, has been holed up this week in his official residence in Banjul, increasingly isolated as his security forces abandoned him and he dissolved his Cabinet.

Defense forces chief Ousmane Badjie on Friday said Gambias security services now support Barrow and would not oppose the regional force that was ready to move against Jammeh if he refused to step down.

You cannot push us to war for an issue we can solve politically, Badjie said. We dont see any reason to fight.

The force, including tanks, had rolled into Gambia without facing any resistance, said Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS.

Carley Petesch is an Associated Press writer.
MEXICO CITY  Isidro Baldenegro, an indigenous activist whose struggle to protect the pine-oak forests of Mexicos Sierra Madre range won him the prestigious San Francisco-based Goldman Environmental Prize in 2005, has been killed by a gunman, authorities said this week.

A leader of the Tarahumara people who live among the jagged peaks of the western Sierra Madre, Baldenegro defended the areas old-growth forests against powerful local strongmen allied with drug traffickers and loggers.

Susan Gelman, president of the Goldman Environmental Foundation, called on the Mexican authorities to find Baldenegros killers and bring them to trial. Unfortunately, too many governments are failing to create safe spaces where people can voice their dissent and organize movements free of persecution and violent attacks, she said in a statement.

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 Sunday, her family said that the Honduran government had yet to investigate who had ordered it.

The death of Baldenegro, coming so soon after Caceres murder, highlights the danger faced by environmental defenders in Latin America, where mining, energy, agribusiness and logging interests have generated violent conflict with local communities.

His fight to protect his communitys ancestral lands went back decades, and his father, Julio Baldenegro, was assassinated in 1986 for his opposition to logging.

Threats had forced the younger Baldenegro, 51, to leave his community in the remote southern part of Chihuahua state, said Isela Gonzalez, the director of Alianza Sierra Madre, an organization that works with the Tarahumara to defend their land rights.

He returned recently to visit an uncle in the village, Colorados de la Virgen. On Sunday afternoon, Romero Rubio, who was present at the uncles house, pulled a gun, fired six shots and fled, according to the Chihuahua prosecutors office. Baldenegro died a few hours later, Gonzalez said. The motive was unclear, according to the prosecutors statement.

Baldenegro won the Goldman Prize in 2005, the year after he was released from prison, where he had spent 15 months on weapons and drug charges that were eventually thrown out. In 1993, Baldenegro formed an advocacy group and began organizing sit-ins and marches to force the government to suspend logging licenses, according to the Goldman Prize. But despite early victories, the government continues to grant concessions, Gonzalez said. Legal cases filed by the Tarahumara to assert their rights over their ancestral lands have been stuck in court for decades, she said.

The violence in the region has intensified since the governments campaign against drug cartels began at the end of 2006. Local bosses known as caciques formed alliances with drug traffickers, which provided them with hit men, she said.

Many of the Tarahumara, including Baldenegro and his family, were forced to leave their communities before the threat of armed men who arrived to clear the forest and plant marijuana on the deforested mountainsides.

Over the past six years, he had been working with a very low profile, Gonzalez said. In the last year alone, four other activists in the same municipality, Guadalupe y Calvo, have been killed, she said.

Almost three-quarters of the known deaths of environmental activists worldwide occurred in Central and South America, according to a report by the organization Global Witness, which analyzed 116 killings in 2014.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, the Americas director at Amnesty International, called the killing of Baldenegro 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.

Elisabeth Malkin is a New York Times writer.
NEW YORK  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.

Guzman, the convicted leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the worlds 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, said the official, who wasnt authorized to publicly discuss Guzmans case and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Mexicos 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 Obamas administration and a day before Republican Donald Trumps 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.

Guzman, whos 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 Guzmans appeal and found his extradition was constitutional, the Mexican Department of Foreign Relations said.

Guzmans 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 didnt even notify us, lawyer Andres Granados said. They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike. Its 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.

Tom Hays, Peter Orsi and Bradley Klapper are Associated Press writers.
PENNE, Italy  Rescue crews who reached the four-star mountain resort on skis found only eerie silence Thursday after a huge avalanche flattened the hotel, trapping more than 30 people inside.

Two bodies were recovered, but the search for survivors was hampered by heavy snowfall and fears the buildings would collapse.

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 verify their claims and arrive at the remote earthquake-stricken zone.

They worked through the night, but hopes were dimming of finding survivors.

Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, and the hotel phones went down early Wednesday, just as the first of four powerful earthquakes struck the region.

It wasnt clear if the quakes triggered the avalanche. But emergency responders said the force of the massive snow slide collapsed a wing of the hotel that faced the mountain and rotated another off its foundation, pushing it downhill.

The situation is catastrophic, said Marshall Lorenzo Gagliardi of the alpine rescue service, who was among the first at the scene. The mountain-facing side is completely destroyed and buried by snow: the kitchen, hotel rooms, hall.

The hotel in the mountain town of Farindola in Italys Abruzzo region is about 30 miles from the coastal city of Pescara, at an altitude of about 3,940 feet.

The area, which has been buried under as much as 9 feet of snowfall for days, is located in the broad swath of central Italy that was jolted by Wednesdays quakes, one of which had a 5.7 magnitude.

Farindola Mayor Ilario Lacchetta estimated that more than 30 people were unaccounted for: The hotel had 24 guests, four of them children, and 12 employees on site.

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.

Rescue teams had tried to reach the scene in a snowplow but were blocked by fallen trees and rocks. They used cross-country skis for the final 4-mile two-hour journey and found two people  a guest and a hotel maintenance worker, in a car in the resorts parking lot.

There were no other signs of life.

Colleen Barry, Nicole Winfield and Paolo Santalucia are Associated Press writers.
SEOUL  In a landmark ruling, a South Korean court said Friday that the government had broken the law during the 1960s and 70s by detaining prostitutes who catered to U.S. soldiers and by forcing them to undergo treatment for venereal diseases.

Dozens of former prostitutes brought a lawsuit to press the government to admit that it had a role in creating a vast network of prostitution in camp towns, called gijichon, where poor Korean women worked in bars and brothels frequented by U.S. troops.

In the ruling by a three-judge panel of the Central District Court in Seoul, the women did not win that admission or the apology they sought. Yet the ruling was still a victory: For the first time, the court said the government had illegally detained gijichon prostitutes for forced treatment for sexually transmitted disease, and ordered it to pay 57 plaintiffs the equivalent of $4,240 each in compensation for physical and psychological damage.

This was a serious human rights violation that should never have happened and should never be repeated, said Judge Jeon Ji-won.

Jeon said the prostitutes had been comfort women for the United States military, touching on one of the countrys most delicate historical issues by using the same euphemism for prostitutes the Japanese have applied to Korean and other women who were forced into sexual servitude by its soldiers during World War II.

The plaintiffs had encouraged that comparison, arguing that it was hypocritical for South Korea to condemn Japan for its historical wrongdoings while not acknowledging its own role in ensuring that foreign soldiers had access to Korean prostitutes.

They say we walked into gijichon on our own, but we were cheated by job-placement agencies and were held in debt to pimps, Park Young-ja, 62, one of the plaintiffs, said after the ruling Friday.

Scholars who have studied the issue have said the U.S. military became involved in attempts to regulate the sex trade to minimize the spread of disease among soldiers. The U.S. military command in Seoul has said that it did not condone or support prostitution or human trafficking.

Choe Sang-Hun is a New York Times writer.
BEIRUT  The Islamic State has killed 12 people it held captive in Syrias ancient Palmyra by shooting and beheading them, with some of the slayings carried out in the citys second-century Roman amphitheater, activists said Thursday.

The extremist group had recaptured the city in December from government troops  nine months after the 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 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 Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in Britain 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 Syrias 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 retaking 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 States most aggressive onslaught on the government area and a nearby military air base in a year.

Sarah El Deeb is an Associated Press writer.
I am Kerry Burgess. This is what I think.
The High Court judge in the Low family trust case will let the family substitute in two trustees who will fight the US Department of Justice's attempts to confiscate US$265 million in assets.

The family of Malaysian businessman Jho Low - his parents Low Hock Peng and Goh Gaik Ewe, and siblings Low May Lin and Low Taek Szen - are, alongside Jho Low, beneficiaries of New Zealand trusts which own assets the US Department of Justice alleges to be proceeds of a multi-billion dollar money laundering scheme, including a Bombardier jet, the Viceroy LErmitage Hotel in Beverley Hills and property in New York and Los Angeles. The US government alleges the trusts assets can be traced to an international conspiracy to launder money from Malaysian wealth fund 1MDB.

At the High Court in Auckland today, Justice Kit Toogood's ruling was expected, after he said this morning that, having read submissions from both parties, he understood there was no real opposition to making orders for substituting the trustees. Justice Toogood opted to give an oral verdict with a written copy provided to counsel and media shortly afterwards, as he said he wanted to be clear about "the true nature of the proceedings".

"I'm aware of considerable news media interest in this case generated by allegations made by the United States government," the judge said. "I make it clear at the outset that the case in this court does not concern the merits of the allegations made by the US government."

The judge referred to a recent ruling from the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, which allowed the replacement of trustees in similar circumstances.

"The forfeiture assets are not the only assets which the beneficiaries perceive to be under threat of forfeiture proceedings," the judge said, noting the family are also worried about property in Singapore.

Justice Toogood said he did not have an opinion on "what others might consider to be an overly cautious approach" by the defendants, who have refused to oppose the DOJ's forfeiture claims and have refused to resign as they are concerned they could be pursued by the US government.

"In this case, it is neither necessary nor appropriate for the court to question the trustees' decisions in that regard," the judge said. "It is sufficient that I'm satisfied assets located in the US are likely to be forfeited to the US government by default unless parties properly authorised to do so take sufficient steps available to them by law to prevent seizure."

The judge said the trustee replacement was not intended to frustrate the US government's legal action, but to ensure the asset forfeiture was fairly fought.

After an extended lunch break from 12:05pm until 2:45pm, the defendants told the court they had given up their application for an ancillary order for costs, with the plaintiff's QC Noel Ingram saying the issue had been dealt with on a treaty basis. The hearing began at 11:45am, having been delayed with the two parties working towards an ancillary costs agreement.

The trustees had asked the court to make an order for their spending on the trust and for future legal costs they might incur, but the parties reached an agreement outside court. However, not all signatories could sign in the time period so Ingram asked the judge to make an order that there be no order as to costs, and the issue "lie in court" until a joint memorandum advising all the parties had signed has been filed.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings

PFI - Q3 Dividend, Development and Divestment Update

November 4th Morning Report

FPH to announce half year results on 29 November 2022

ATM - FDA approval to supply infant milk formula to United States

Steel & Tube - Adopts ESG World Platform

BGP - 3rd Quarter Sales to 30 October 2022

GEO - Quarterly Operating Update


Standard & Poor's affirmed New Zealand's credit rating, saying the economy's solid growth looks set to continue and the Crown's fiscal management remains prudent. The kiwi dollar gained.

The global rating agency kept the sovereign foreign currency credit rating at 'AA', local currency rating at 'AA+', and short-term rating at 'A-1', with a stable outlook, saying the nation benefitted from strong institutions, an effective government and credible Reserve Bank. The kiwi rose to 72.18 US cents from 71.84 cents immediately before the release.

"New Zealand benefits from a high-income and resilient economy, which we believe draws from decades of structural reforms and wage restraint," S&P analysts Craig Michaels and Anthony Walker said in a note. "We expect strong net migration to continue to support growth, through strong residential investment and solid consumption growth, while business investment is also likely to remain firm."

ASB Bank economists predict New Zealand's economy will grow 3.5 percent in 2017 as the nation's construction and tourism booms continue, and as a recovery in dairy prices revitalises a moribund rural sector.

S&P expects New Zealand's gross domestic product will continue to grow near the 2.7 percent pace in the year ended June 30, 2016. The rating agency predicts that expansion and currency appreciation over the past year will likely lift GDP per capita to US$39,000 in the 2017 fiscal year from US$34,000 in 2016.

Increased spending on residential property is seen as alleviating rapid house price appreciation in Auckland, which has seeped into other parts of the country, and while a correction in the housing market is still deemed to be an elevated risk, it's unlikely to heighten in the next two years.

"We believe the recent trend of higher repricing of home loans, in response to margin pressures and rising global yields, is likely to remove some cyclical demand from New Zealand's housing market, though we expect a number of structural challenges will ensure risks remain elevated," S&P said.

However, the threat posed by a downturn in the dairy sector had eased, reducing pressure on bank loans to those farmers. "Nevertheless, we expect that many dairy farmers will remain reliant on the extraordinary support of their lenders, given the surge in dairy sector debt in recent years," the analysts said.

S&P affirmed its 'stable' outlook on the prospect of the government's books either getting better or maintaining the status quo in coming years, having "made substantial headway" since the 2008 global recession and 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes.

The current account deficit is seen to remain in a range of 3-to-4.5 percent of GDP over the next few years due to cheaper imports, while external debt is seen to be stable at about 190 percent of current account receipts.

S&P said New Zealand's current account deficit is traditionally linked to funding for the nation's four major banks, which are Australian owned. The parent banks' ratings face downward pressure due to the negative outlook hanging over Australia's sovereign rating "and the increasing likelihood that we will revise downward our assessment of the government's supportiveness toward Australia's banking sector to supportive from highly supportive."

That could have a flow-on effect on the New Zealand subsidiaries and their cost of funding, although S&P said it expected local lenders "will retain ready access to external markets".

BusinessDesk.co.nz

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings

PFI - Q3 Dividend, Development and Divestment Update

November 4th Morning Report

FPH to announce half year results on 29 November 2022

ATM - FDA approval to supply infant milk formula to United States

Steel & Tube - Adopts ESG World Platform

BGP - 3rd Quarter Sales to 30 October 2022

GEO - Quarterly Operating Update


The judge in the High Court hearing involving family members of Malaysian businessman Jho Low has indicated he will rule in favour of the plaintiffs, allowing the family members to have trustees replaced so they can fight attempts by the US Department of Justice to confiscate US$265 million in assets.

The relatives - Low Hock Peng, Goh Gaik Ewe, Low May Lin and Low Taek Szen - are beneficiaries of New Zealand trusts which own assets which the US Department of Justice alleges to be proceeds of a multi-billion dollar money laundering scheme, including a Bombardier jet, the Viceroy LErmitage Hotel in Beverley Hills and property in New York and Los Angeles.

The US government alleges the trusts assets can be traced to an international conspiracy to launder money from Malaysian wealth fund 1MDB. The DOJ is trying to recover more than US$1billion, of which some US$265 million of assets are involved in today's dispute.

The trustees want the court to make an ancillary order to reimburse them for costs they have incurred to preserve and enhance the trusts assets, which they say are considerable, along with future costs from transferring the assets to the new trustees and any future legal costs.

In the High Court in Auckland today, Noel Ingram, the QC for the plaintiffs, said this morning's 1 hour-and-45 minute delay had been due to the parties attempting to sort out the ancillary orders which the defendants had requested. Substantial progress had been made and an agreement reached in principle, Ingram said, with finer details in the process of being resolved by lunchtime or early afternoon.

Justice Kit Toogood said he understood from the submissions made by Ingram and by the trusts' QC, David Bigio, that there was no real opposition to making orders for substituting the trustees and he would be satisfied to order that substitution at this stage and has begun drafting a judgment.

"Given the true nature of this proceeding, the background and extensive news media interest," Justice Toogood said it would be necessary for him to give a judgment which contains background "and perhaps emphasises what this proceeding does not involve".

"The central issue here is whether or not the beneficiaries are entitled to seek replacement of the trustees so they can resist the US proceedings, without this court needing to express any view about the merits" of the US allegations, Justice Toogood said. "The judgment would simply reflect the general nature of the allegations."

"When I do give my judgment, it will take a little while - I want to do justice to the position of the parties, that might be half an hour for me to read. The transcript will be available very shortly thereafter. I think it's best to do that because there are some complexity to these things."

The court will reconvene at 2.15pm, the judge said, which could be extended or shortened if needed.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED

Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022

Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings

PFI - Q3 Dividend, Development and Divestment Update

November 4th Morning Report

FPH to announce half year results on 29 November 2022

ATM - FDA approval to supply infant milk formula to United States

Steel & Tube - Adopts ESG World Platform

BGP - 3rd Quarter Sales to 30 October 2022

GEO - Quarterly Operating Update


MUMBAI: Paytm-funded Little, a marketplace for deals in the Online to Offline space (O2O), has acquired Stylofie, a curated online marketplace for Salons and Spas for an undisclosed amount.



The acquisition will drive growth for Little and enable them to further penetrate the beauty and wellness segment, the company said in a statement.



"We are always looking to increase market share by adding new customers and merchants to our Little app platform. Stylofie had a great marketplace model that will be a perfect fit for us...," Manish Chopra, CEO and co-founder of Little said in a statement.



Further, Little will get access to more than 50,000 registered visitors and over 1000 merchants on the Stylofie platform. This is the second company acquired by Little, after Trideal, a curated deals marketplace in Chandigarh, in October 2015.



Stylofie provides consumers with the opportunity to book, compare and rate their favourite salons and spas in Bangalore, Delhi and Gurgaon.



At the same time, they also provide merchants with insights and data into their daily operations.



The start-up was founded by Saurav Dey, who will be joining the Little team whilst the other two founders Prateek Agarwal and Balaji Srinivasan will be exiting to explore other opportunities, the statement added.



The rest of the Stylofie team will be joining Little and will be based out of Little's office in Gurgaon.



Little is funded to the tune of USD 50 million by Paytm, SAIF Partners, GIC Singapore and others.



The company has witnessed growth of 200 pct after the demonetisation initiative, it claims, and now has over 25,000 merchants present in 15 cities offering 50,000+ live deals across food, movies, last minute hotels, health and wellness as well as unique experiences.

Read Also:

Coca-Cola India Announces New Organisation Structure

Ola Expands 'Play' To Prime Users
DAVOS: 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.

Read Also:

AIIMS Inks MoUs With PSUs For Health Infrastructure Expansion

Indo-U.S. 'Strategic Convergence' At Highest Point: Obama Administration

Reservation For Girls In IITs Soon; Number Of Seats For Boys Won't Be Affected
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Today's archive page is from Jan. 15, 1952.

Dr. Walter C. Langsam, the president of Wagner College since 1945, will leave July 1 to become president of Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

The Rev. Dr. Frederic Sutter, president of the Wagner trustees, says he will call a special meeting of the board to accept the resignation and take steps for securing a successor.

During Langsam's presidency, the enrollment at Wagner has increased from 416 in 1945 to 1,278 in the current semester.

"We've had seven full and happy years at Wagner, but I feel that this is a further step in my own academic development. I leave with a feeling that Wagner is in good shape," Langsam says.
Melania Trump wore a Ralph Lauren pale blue cashmere dress and cropped jacket for the presidential inauguration ceremony of her husband Donald Trump, on Friday morning. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Nothing gets fashionistas going more than what the new First Lady wears to the inaugural ball.

Historians point out that the inaugural ball is traditionally the first formal public appearance of the First Lady, and what she wears plays an important role in shaping her public image to Americans and the world.

Her choice of dress sets a model of style and fashion for the nation.

The honor of dressing the First Lady can also make a designer's career; at the least it's a prestigious a feather in his or her cap.

Take the example of designer Jason Wu.

Wu was a relative unknown in the fashion universe until he designed the stunning white gown worn by Michelle Obama to the inaugural ball in 2009. Wu has since gone on to major worldwide success.

First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush also made careers of two unknown local designers whom they chose for their first inaugural balls.

In 1993 Mrs. Clinton wore a purple, long-sleeved gown by Arkansas designer Sarah Phillips. (Ironically she chose the color purple again to deliver her address to supporters in November, after losing the election to Donald Trump.)

In 2001, Mrs. Bush wore a bright red gown designed by fellow Texan Michael Faircloth. In a nod to her mother-in-law, Barbara Bush, she wore a simple set of pearls with it as well.

Mrs. Clinton and Laura Bush both chose Oscar de la Renta gowns for their second inaugural ball. Mrs. Bush wore a silver long-sleeved de la Renta gown, while Mrs. Clinton wore a gold long sleeve gown paired with a gold cape. De la Renta later said the cape was a nod to former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

Mrs. Kennedy favored Italian designer Oleg Cassini, who designed her ivory double-faced silk satin twill inaugural ball gown she wore in 1961. Recognizing that she would be one of the first First Ladies to be photographed for a television audience, she deliberately chose pale colors to give her presence on the black and white TV screen.

Fashionistas point out that new First Lady Melania Trump favors formal wear by Ralph Lauren. He dressed Nancy Reagan, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama, as well as Hillary Clinton, who chose Lauren's pantsuits to wear throughout her campaign.

The new First Lady wore a Ralph Lauren pale blue cashmere dress and cropped jacket for the presidential inauguration ceremony Friday morning of her husband Donald Trump.

Mrs. Trump, a former model, has also worn dresses and gowns by classic high-fashion European designers Christian Dior, Valentino, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and Chanel.

It is tradition for the First Lady to donate her inaugural gown to the Smithsonian. Americans can see an exhibit of the original gowns at the Smithsonian's National Museum of History in Washington.

To learn more about the history and tradition behind the inaugural gowns, and details of what each First Lady wore, check out the National Museum of History website.

Also check out SILive's gallery of photos of First Ladies at the inaugural ball above.
garner.jpeg

NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo wasn't indicted Thursday.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- Amid reports that the federal government was seeking to secure an indictment in the Eric Garner case this week, there were no charges announced Thursday, the final day of Barack Obama's administration.

Prosecutors from Washington, D.C., were presenting the case to the grand jury, and seeking civil rights charges against NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo before Donald Trump takes office, according to published reports.

Pantaleo's attorney, Stuart London, said there would be no indictment before Friday.

Pantaleo, the lawyer added, hadn't been subpoenaed to testify.

On Thursday, London told the Advance he would reserve comment until he understands what the Department of Justice intends to do.

Garner, 43, died July 17, 2014, while officers were arresting him for allegedly selling untaxed, loose cigarettes in Tompkinsville.

The federal government launched an investigation after his death to determine if Pantaleo, the officer seen in the video bringing Garner down from behind, violated Garner's civil rights.

A state grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo in December 2014.
gavelpromo.jpg

(File photo)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A man was charged in Richmond County Criminal Court Wednesday after he allegedly rushed an environmental cleanup in Grasmere, according to a media release.

Vincent Nantista, lead engineer and vice president of Soil Mechanics Drilling Corp., allegedly altered data while monitoring gasoline levels in wells near 900 Hylan Blvd., a former gas station, according to the release.

The site caused significant gasoline contamination in the past, and Nantista's organization was tasked with cleaning it up. Authorities allege that Nantista grew impatient and began altering the data.

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) began their investigation in July, 2015, when they noticed possible false report filings.

"When companies put profits above safety, it jeopardizes the health of our environment and communities," DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said.

Nantista allegedly submitted reports that indicated the site was clean, but surveillance, set up by the DEC, found that hours before a final inspection several employees were observed removing gasoline from the wells so they would pass.

He is charged with with 11 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree and eight counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, all Class E felony charges, according to the release.

"These actions are both a betrayal of public trust and potentially harmful to the environment and the people of Staten Island," District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said.

The charges carry fines of up to $95,000 and imprisonment of up to four years.

Nantista is scheduled to appear in Richmond County Court on March 8 to face the charges.

Nanista's lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
The way of the empty hands The Simi Valley Shotokan Karate Dojo recently hosted a two-day seminar at Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District headquarters featuring a trio of karate experts. The Oct. 22 seminar was...

Slide into winter fun at SnowFest The Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District is bringing snow to Simi Valley. SnowFest will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun., Nov. 6 at Rancho Madera Community...
Page Content

College or University 101: The United States System workshop to be held on Jan. 26





What is the difference between college and university? Why do students have to take the SATs? What are credits? What is Grade Point Average or GPA?





These are a few questions aspiring U.S. college students and their parents may have, coming from St. Maarten where the education system is somewhat different. Consequently, Student Support Services Division (SSSD) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Affairs is aiming to put students and parents at ease in regards to such questions in a comprehensive manner.





SSSD is organizing a free workshop entitled College or University 101: The United States System on Thursday, January 26, 2016 at SSSDs office from 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. SSSDs office is located in the Amigo Building, across from the Police Station and next to the Windward Island Bank (WIB) in Philipsburg.





Students in their last two years of secondary school or recent graduates who are interested in studying in the United States of America (USA), and their parents, are invited to attend this free and interactive workshop.





The aim of the workshop is to ensure that students and parents walk away with a better understanding of the U.S. college and university educational system. The workshop will be covering aspects from the first year, where key differences in comparison to our own educational system need to be addressed, to the last year of college or university. Some social aspects will also be addressed.





Anyone can research the questions about college and university and get answers but putting these answers in perspective in a comprehensive manner can make the world of difference, SSSD officials said.





Persons interested in attending this workshop on January 26, 2017 are urged to contact SSSD at Tel: 543-1235 to reserve a spot as space is limited. Persons are also urged to be on time since this will minimize interruptions.





A similar workshop for students aiming to study in Canada is scheduled to be held on February 28, 2017.




Page Content

Minister of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor Emil Lee recently returned from a work visit to Curacao, where he met with the new incoming Minister of Health, Environment and Nature, Ms. Zita Jesus-Leito. Since taking office in 2015, the Minister of Health from Aruba, Curacao, and myself have developed a good working relationship. Therefore, while Minister Jesus-Leito was busy planning for her term in office, I wanted to ensure that cooperation with St. Maarten remained a priority, stated Minister Lee at Wednesdays press briefing.





During the courtesy visit, Minister Jesus-Leito expressed her willingness to continue cooperation particularly when it comes to sharing resources for vector control in terms of how we are dealing with Zika; purchasing abroad  for examples, when it comes to medical referrals, trying to lump our purchases together to get better prices; national health insurance in terms sharing lessons learnt; and containing costs in relation to prescription drugs.





In addition, the Ministers discussed the new hospital developments in Curacao. Interestingly, even with the cost overruns which was caused by moving their location multiple times and the delays, the preliminary numbers for Curacaos new hospital are still showing that the price we have received for St. Maartens proposed hospital is very competitive. As the appeal process is still ongoing, I want the citizens to rest assure that the winning bid was indeed the right project for the right price and to illustrate this additional regional research is being done, stated Minister Lee.




01:12 Parts of New South Wales remain on high alert as floodwaters rise Parts of the Central West region of New South Wales remain on high alert this morning - with more than a thousand residents evacuated from the...

01:21 Government has not handled this well: Repatriated ISIS brides PR Counsel Managing Director Kristy McSweeney says the government's handling of the repatriated ISIS brides back into Australia is a clear...

06:20 Unbelievable: The Guardian running a protection racket for Labor The protection racket The Guardian is running for Labor is unbelievable as some in the media still refuse to hold power to account,...

06:36 Disgraceful: ABC journalist allegedly brings female lawyers to tears Sky News Digital Editor Jack Houghton says ABC journalist Louise Milligan has been accused of bringing female lawyers to tears during a speech...

03:15 Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews agrees to debate Matt Guy in Sky News Peoples Forum Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has agreed to appear with Opposition Leader Matthew Guy at a Sky News/Herald Sun Peoples Forum in the last...

Daniel Andrews under fourth IBAC investigation The states anti-corruption watchdog is investigating Premier Daniel Andrews over the awarding of grants worth $3.4 million to a Labor-linked union.

02:34 Cyber attacks are on the rise A report by Australias cyber spy agency has shown cyber and ransomware attacks are increasing.

04:52 Research finds NSW authorities failed Lismore flood victims Researcher and Human Rights Watch Sophie McNeill says New South Wales authorities "failed" to provide adequate support during the Lismore...

01:13 No easy solution to energy crisis Australian Public Affairs Director Matt Doman says the simple solution to the energy crisis is to provide more renewable energy and gas to support...

00:30 Virgin Australia returns to New Zealand Virgin Australia has resumed flights to New Zealand after almost 1000 days without a flight during the pandemic.

00:58 NSW Premier announces flood grants New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet says primary producer grants of up to 25 thousand will be given to farmers affected by flood waters....

01:00 Experts warn of new COVID-19 wave Experts are warning of a new wave of COVID-19 after a rapid surge of cases were recorded.

01:27 Queensland casinos could soon lose their licence The Queensland government is requesting The Star's two Queensland casinos prove why they should retain their licences.

09:04 Darwin Harbour precinct based on sustainable principles A sustainable development precinct in Darwin Harbour has received criticism after environmentalist claim a petrochemical plant will be built...

Why you could soon be paying to use Instagram Meta announced the trial will rollout to select creators and give followers the option to pay a monthly subscription fee to access that influencer's exclusive content.

04:54 Businesses thrive over four-day working week CEO of Unilever Australia and New Zealand Nicole Sparshott says there are positive results leading towards a four-day week as work results were...

00:51 Albanese is funding the Dan Andrews re-election fund Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ripped money from the regions and handed it to Daniel Andrews re-election fund, Nationals MP Matt...

Rather something Australian: Treasurer snubs King Charles III Treasurer Jim Chalmers has snubbed King Charles III as the Reserve Bank considers whether the new monarch should take his late-mothers spot on the Australian $5 note.

05:42 Daniel Andrews dodges questions on 2013 car crash Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews has again shut down questions about a crash he and his wife were involved in back in 2013 that left a young...
By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent.

Agree
Holocaust Memorial Day will be marked with a special screening of a film chronicling the efforts of the man known as the British Schindler.

Sir Nicholas Winton, who lived in Pinkneys Green until his death aged 106 in July 2015, helped save the lives of 669 mostly Jewish children on the eve of the Second World War in 1939.

As part of the Kinder-transport initiative, he and others took the youngsters from Prague, in what was then Czechoslovakia, back to Britain, shortly before it was occupied by the Nazis.

The Power of Good, which won an International Emmy Award in 2002, was created by Matej Minac.

The Slovak film director was inspired to create the film while adapting All My Loved Ones, the memoirs of Vera Gissing, one of the children saved by Sir Nicholas, for the screen.

Despite his efforts, he told almost no one of his deeds for almost 50 years, until in 1987 his wife, Grete, discovered papers in the attic of their home which detailed the remarkable story.

When it became public knowledge he was featured on an episode of the BBC programme Thats Life in 1988, hosted by Esther Rantzen, in which he was reunited with many of the children he rescued.

After that he collected a series of public honours, including a knighthood in 2003; the Czech Republics highest honour, the Order of the White Lion in 2014, and the Freedom of the City of London in 2015.

There are also statues of him at Maidenhead Railway Station; at Liverpool Street Station in London (where the kinder-transports arrived in the UK) and at Pragues main railway station.
Bye, bye citizen Obama.

As many of you know, I wasn't a Trump fan. I didn't believe he could defeat Clinton. I had great doubts. I lacked understanding. I still have concerns about his presidency, primarily because I am a western Canadian. I am a believer in trade and I think some of the promises that President Trump has made will impact my region and my country. C'est la vie. Mea culpa to those who knew better, I didn't.

Having said all that, were I an American citizen, had I a vote, I would have crawled over broken glass, volunteered to clip the wire at the Somme, been on Utah on the 6th of June to vote against Hillary Clinton.

I would have voted Trump.

She who lied over the caskets of fallen diplomats. She who instigated the entire Libyan folly. She of the "Russian reset". She with such disregard and disrespect of American, Canadian, and the other 'Five Eyes' confidentiality that she decided it was okay to send it in the clear. That beast had to be kept from the Presidency. Regardless of what happens, regardless of my doubts, regardless of the whiny D's in the States, this is the best day this year.

She had to lose and I am grateful to the American people who, with their vote, with their franchise, are always right and in my opinion, made the correct choice.

I'm happy for you. Drink ALL THE BEER because I am.

*Note, posting after this will be light to non-existent from me today, mainly because I'm drinking all the beer....Happy Inauguration Day!
ACT police are renewing calls for information about an aggravated robbery in Narrabundah at the Friendly Grocers Store in early January.

Police have released an image of the man, who entered the store on Iluka Street at 7.30pm on Tuesday 3 January 2017.

ACT Policing have released this image of a man involved in an aggravated robbery at the Friendly Grocers Store on Iluka Street, Narrabundah on Tuesday 3 January 2017.

The man threatened staff with a knife, jumped the counter and removed cash from the register before he fled on a pushbike.

He was wearing a black jacket, black pants, grey/black gloves, dark sunglasses, a black hat with a black cloth covering his face and was holding a purple bag.
Only one in six of the Fluffy houses is receiving the planned four Work Safe inspections during demolition, an audit has found.

Auditor-General Maxine Cooper has pointed to poor record-keeping and inconsistencies in how Worksafe ACT is monitoring the mass demolition of asbestos-contaminated houses.

Asbestos workers prepare to remove Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos from a home in Kambah in April: Auditor Maxine Cooper has questioned Work Safe's monitoring of the program. Credit:Rohan Thomson

"Nearly all sites received an inspection on demolition day. However, only 16 per cent of sites received all four inspections (at smoketesting, removal of asbestos, predemolition and demolition) as specified in the draft Workflow processes document (July 2015)," she found in an audit released on Friday.

"If the four inspections identified in that document are accepted as the basic requirements for WorkSafe ACT's regulation of the demolition of loosefill asbestos contaminated houses, then inspection activity has fallen far short of meeting that requirement."
Scott Wyatt, the man who handed himself into police last week saying he had lit fireworks in two Canberra nightclubs more than six years ago, was refused bail on Friday.

More details have emerged in the ACT Magistrates Court surrounding the circumstances of both the alleged offences and how the 31-year-old came to hand himself into police.

Early in the morning on February 13, 2011 police got reports of an explosion at Meche nightclub followed by an explosion at ICBM, another nightclub on Northbourne Avenue.

One eyewitness, who suffered pain to his ears and a bleeding face, told police that while in the cubicle at Meche he had seen a large white ball with a lit fuse coming from it thrown from another cubicle, court documents say.

Police interviewed Wyatt - whose most recent address is listed on court documents as Penrith, NSW - on the morning of the explosions, but he denied involvement. He was released without charge. CCTV footage from both nightclubs were not available and the witness evidence could not be corroborated, police say.
A 60-minute mix of local, state, national and international news is how Channel Nine is pitching its new nightly news offering for the Canberra market.

Launching at 6pm on Monday 6 February, Nine's new Canberra bulletin will be broadcast from Sydney, with former ABC national weather presenter Vanessa O'Hanlon at the news desk.

Channel Nine's new Canberra news team - Harry Frost, Vanessa OHanlon, Rosanna Kingsun and Emma Larouche. Credit:Developing Agents

Three Canberra journalists will file stories daily from the Channel Nine office in Watson, which will feature throughout the entire bulletin, rather than being concentrated into one specific Canberra segment.

It's a model that has been successful for Nine in Newcastle for a number of years. The same model will be rolled out in Wagga, Wollongong and the Central West in late February, with Ms O'Hanlon also reading the news for those regions from her desk in Sydney.
Sydney tailor-made suit company InStitchu has launched in Canberra with a showroom that's old world meets new technology.

The company was launched in 2011 by childhood friends James Wakefield and Robin McGowan who went to school and then university together, before entering the corporate world.

Institchu co-founder James Wakefield in the new Canberra showroom. Credit:Rohan Thomson

"We faced the same challenge that all young guys face which is you've gotta have this whole corporate wardrobe with at least two suits and six or seven shirts, and it's an expensive process. You buy the suit that you like, you've gotta go get it altered," said Wakefield.

"So we thought why don't we use the internet to bridge the gap between consumers here in Australia or anywhere in the world to these high quality tailors in Asia."
A new hard-left splinter group of the Greens that rejects capitalism is meeting in Canberra next week.

The Left Renewal faction formed in NSW last month, releasing a statement of principles describing capitalism as "a violent and antagonistic relation between workers, and those who exploit them".

Federal leader Richard Di Natale has described the group's manifesto as 'ridiculous' and 'ill-thought through'. Credit:Andrew Meares

Members have been embroiled in controversy over calls to burn the flag as a different sort of Australia Day barbecue.

Federal leader Richard Di Natale has described the group's manifesto as "ridiculous" and "ill-thought through" and suggested its members consider joining another party.
When this parking meter first came online, parking cost 20 cents per hour and the cars were a lot different.

But like many of the vehicles that once parked in front of it, it's been superseded by a newer model.

The last of the ACT's old parking meters. Credit:Rohan Thomson

The last of Canberra's single-space car parking meters was 'farewelled' at an ACT government ceremony in Braddon on Friday.

The battered Lonsdale Street meter was the final of 868 meters the ACT government removed from Braddon, Civic and Woden over the past few years.
ACT police have found missing man Paul Williams after he was last seen by a member of the public in November 2016.

Mr Williams was reported missing on January 7 and police said they held concerns for the 52-year-old's welfare.

A photo of missing Canberra man, Paul Williams released by ACT Policing.

He was last seen by a family member in Oxley on Tuesday November 1 2016 but there was another sighting of him by a member of the public in Civic later that month.

Paul was described as Caucasian in appearance, approximately 170cm (5'7") tall, of medium build with brown hair
The strong surge in the share price of Bega Cheese on news of the purchase of Vegemite, along with the spreads business of Kraft in Australia, may encourage the board to tap investors for fresh funds.

Bega is yet to clarify how it will finance the $460 million acquisition, beyond tapping Westpac and Rabobank to borrow the initial funds to pay for the purchase as it concludes parallel negotiations involving other group assets.

Bega may be tempted to part-fund its Vegemite buy via a share issue. Credit:Eddie Jim

Bega told analysts on Thursday it is finalising a corporate transaction to part fund the purchase, although until those negotiations are finalised, it refused to give more information.

"There may be the opportunity for a capital raising," Bega's executive chairman Barry Irwin told analysts, "but at this stage we've not concluded on that."
The other night my plane landed safely at Singapore's Changi airport, all thanks to Xerxes, the Singaporean pilot of Parsi background. I now had five hours to kill and needed something to eat. Like all dinkum Aussies, I headed straight for Maccas. It was great to enjoy a halal Big Mac, especially as I was seated within earshot of other people with my accent. The lady who served us wore a Malay-style hijab, and the Indian-looking bloke next to her has a red dot on his forehead signifying his Hindu faith.

After the meal, I gingerly headed for the gate. On my way I noticed an airport security guard sporting a black Sikh turban matching with his uniform. A lady in a headscarf was working at the nearby counter of an international bank.

The billboard featuring two Muslim Australian girls was removed following complaints from some constituents. Credit:Victorian Government

I eventually found somewhere to sit and use my laptop. My Facebook wall was abuzz with animated comment about some interview on the Sunrise program. Sadly, trashy Australian breakfast TV is never too far away, even at midnight Singapore time.

"Check out what this idiot had to say about the Australia Day billboard." OK, I admit the language was a bit more colourful than that.
"Endless bouts of introspection and navel gazing are unhealthy," John Howard declared 21 years ago. Credit:Fairfax Media Somewhere, in the midst of Australia's longest run of economic growth, and some time after Howard's decision to join the invasion of Iraq, the plucky country lost its mojo. Without even realising it, we became the No We Can't nation. Like the drinker who leaves the bar to avoid his or her shout, we opted out. One reflection of this is the lists of countries that have bills of rights; or one of their own as their head of state; or a treaty or compact with their First Peoples; or laws that allow people of the same sex to marry. Australia is conspicuously absent on all of them. Another is the growing gap between the rich and the poor and the rising number of people living on the street. Another is the retreat from any aspiration to show global leadership on climate change, replaced as it is with a grudging willingness to follow if others are prepared to lead.

Then there is the treatment of those who fled persecution, but arrived without an invitation. Our peculiar achievement has been to make vulnerable people even more vulnerable: banish them to remote foreign islands or impose unique hardships on those on the mainland. The indefinite detention of those on bridging visas who are accused of minor offences after these issues are resolved is but one example. "We've retreated into a delusionary mental bubble where self-interest is a prime motivator," says Tim Costello, the chief advocate of World Vision Australia, who cites the slashing of Australia's foreign aid budget as one manifestation. "We like to think of Australia as an egalitarian nation, but it is clearly less so in 2017 than it was a couple of decades ago," he tells me. "We are still hamstrung to some extent by the fortress state of mind that states we are safer if we are cut off from the rest of the world  from refugees, asylum seekers and migrants  and from those suffering in our own nation from inequalities, like the homeless and the Indigenous." Gareth Evans, the architect of the Cambodian peace plan when he was foreign minister in the Hawke and Keating years, expresses it this way. "The spirit of creative adventure does seem to be dead in the water.

"There is very little underlying optimism about the possibility of Australia doing great things, both internationally and domestically, which sustained it throughout the Hawke-Keating years." Social researcher Hugh Mackay, who has been monitoring the national mood for decades, suggests three reasons for this troubling transformation. "One reason is that economic prosperity, courtesy of the mining boom, made us complacent. Another is that we allowed our insecurities in the face of social change and the global threat of terror to make us more timid, more prejudiced and more conservative," he says. "A third, and deeper, reason is that modern politics has become a tediously predictable game of 'marketing', leaders have been reduced to 'brands', courage has been replaced by an over-scripted cautiousness, and democracy has become confused with populism." Populism is, of course, a global phenomenon and Donald Trump is not the only example of a leader who has prospered by exploiting fear and prejudice. He is just the most striking example.

The antidote is visionary leadership, and our problem is that we don't have it. The Prime Minister says his top priority is to provide national and economic security but, as Mackay points out, that is not nearly enough. "Australians complain, loudly and often, about the quality of contemporary leadership, and their basic complaint is always the same: where is the vision? Where is the story?" he says. "Our 'lifestyle'  or even our fundamentally sound economy  are hardly a sufficient cause for national pride, let alone celebration. Such things neither define nor inspire us. What inspires us are the imaginative ideas, the bold proposals that bring out the best in us, and give us a glimpse of a better society  fairer, more just, more compassionate, more humane." Furthering the cause of Indigenous reconciliation through the process of constitutional recognition looms as one opportunity, and the appointment of Ken Wyatt as the country's first Aboriginal federal minister is an important milestone. But bold ideas won't be enough to restore the nation's sense of self, even if political leaders have the courage and imagination to advance them. If the most basic, and most enduring, of Australian values is the notion a fair go, it simply has to apply to all of us.
The Aussie tourists strolled into the Balinese temple looking like they were dressed for a session in a tanning salon. She was wearing shorts so tiny it appeared they were being swallowed by her crotch, worked back with a microscopic bikini top. Her beau had opted for a similar sartorial stance  as little as possible. His Bintang singlet was open at its sides, revealing an unruly thatch of underarm air that had migrated to his back. His mate was no better, opting to wear no shirt at all although he did have one, albeit tied around his waist.

Had they taken any real cultural interest in their surrounds, they would have noted the signs asking for visitors to respect the Hindu site's cultural significance by covering shoulders and upper arms. Not a big ask but, on this day, one that was widely ignored. It appears Aussies don't like being told how to dress.

This Australia Day billboard featuring two young girls in hijab was removed after a backlash.

This memory came back to me today as I read yet another news story quoting Pauline Hanson's plan to ban the burqa and promises she will make it her mandate in the next Queensland election. And, yet again, I was left with an uneasy feeling that as a nation, respect and tolerance for other cultures and religions is becoming a rarity rather than a rule.

But let's deal with the burqa first, as it appears to be the most polarising garment in the world today (and hey, a Kardashian isn't even sporting it!) A religious veil that covers the entire body or face of a woman with a mesh panel across the eyes to enable vision, Muslims contend it is a woman's choice to wear such a garment and not a religious edict.
As we all wait in fear and trepidation to see what the new US President Donald Trump will do, to his country and to the world, including our region, it is utterly dispiriting to realise how ill-equipped our own political leaders are.

They are not providing us with guidance or reassurance and so we can have little confidence about how they will handle the perils that lie ahead.

Our political leaders are ill-equipped to help us deal with the frightening world about to be unleashed by Donald Trump. Credit:AP

And while it is surely a coincidence that revelations of excessive travel claims made by so many of our leaders has coincided with the lead-up to the Trump inauguration, these disclosures reveal so much about their values and priorities.

It is sobering, but also quite scary, to understand how these people operate.
He shocked the staid art world with his painting Aborigines Chained To A Tree, an image he had seen in The Sydney Morning Herald and then painted in oil on masonite  canvas being too expensive in an Australia still recovering from the Great Depression.

Unlike the Australian painters, at 17 Yosl was a fully developed painter of the German Expressionist tradition heading into Social Realism, which he preferred to call Social Humanism.

He arrived from Warsaw in 1937 on the same boat as this writer's father and shared a house in Carlton with his sister, the dancer Ruth Bergner, and quickly found the "Heide" gang of Arthur Boyd, Albert Tucker, Noel Counihan, Sid Nolan and Vic O'Connor.

While news pictures of such horrific events were acceptable, the idea that they could be reproduced as art was beyond contemporary belief. Even the young artists he met, who would go on to become our greatest artists, were still painting flowers in vases and pretty landscapes.

Yosl said that with all the trauma in the world he couldn't paint pretty pictures, so he painted the human condition  and is believed to be the first Australian painter to do so. He and his contemporaries believed that art could change the world.

The late University of Melbourne art historian, Professor Bernard Smith, coined the term "post-modernism" to describe the work from a 1944 Contemporary Art Society exhibition of Yosl Bergner with Noel Counihan and Vic O'Connor, depicting European Jewish refugees as well as scenes from Melbourne's poverty-stricken inner suburbs, primarily Fitzroy.

Yosl was born on October 13, 1920 in Vienna, but his family moved to Warsaw when he was an infant and he grew up in the Jewish neighborhood around Novolipki Street. It was a vibrant community, but the rise of anti-Semitism was clear and many families were attempting to emigrate.

His father, known as Melech Ravitch, was a writer and intellectual who translated Franz Kafka into Yiddish. In 1934 Ravitch undertook an expedition to the Kimberleys in Western Australia to see if the region would be suitable for the yet-to-be-formed Jewish homeland. The fruitless journey laid the groundwork for other members of the Bergner family to migrate to Australia, just before the Holocaust.
One of the most disturbing symptoms of the malaise of the West is the readiness of leading conservatives to make common cause with Vladimir Putin's dictatorship. Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, Marine Le Pen and Francois Fillon are only the most prominent representatives of a growing current in right-wing politics that blames the West for Russian aggression and extols Vladimir Putin as an effective leader.

Australia's most outspoken representative of this tendency is Tom Switzer, a commentator of impeccable conservative credentials. Since Putin's invasion of Crimea, Switzer has argued incessantly that NATO expansion and Western democracy promotion is the cause of Russia's conflict with the West. His latest rendition of this argument ("The prowling bear may be well worth a cuddle", January 9) is predictably enthusiastic about the prospect of an entente between Trump and Putin.

Like other pro-Russia conservatives, Switzer denies that he is a Putin apologist. As evidence, he offers criticisms of such hollowness that they would not be out of place in Kremlin propaganda. Certainly Russian censors would be unlikely to object to his declaration that he "does not defend the Russian-backed rebels who badly mishandled the MH17 Ukraine plane-crash controversy in 2014".

To describe the killing of 298 innocent civilians as "mishandling a controversy", as if it were merely a matter of poor PR, is surely one of the most grotesque euphemisms put forward to describe this atrocity. Of course, Switzer offers no hint of Putin's own culpability in making a sophisticated missile launcher available to the reckless and incompetent band of Kremlin proxies and ultranationalists in the Donbass.
The key problem with Turnbull's plan arises when he says that politicians' expenses are no different from business expenses in the private sector. There are several important reasons why this is not true, and it is these differences that undermine the current system and will bedevil Turnbull's committee.

While this may result in fewer egregious transgressions  such as chartering a helicopter for an 80-kilometre flight to a party function  it is unlikely to address the broader issue of politicians' entitlements at all.

Turnbull has proposed an independent committee to handle compliance, reporting and transparency. The committee will be comprised of an audit expert, the president of the Remuneration Tribunal, a formal judicial officer, and a former member of parliament, and will be accompanied by monthly disclosure of expenses in a searchable database.

Malcolm Turnbull has promised his new system for managing parliamentary entitlements is the "most significant reform to the management of parliamentarians' expenses in many, many years". While his motives may put him alongside the angels, he is dealing with the devils of politicians' natures  and many of the problems may well prove insoluble.

The differences start at the most basic level. There is no checklist of what makes a good minister: no real KPIs or targets that can be set or measured. In the private sector, yardsticks are typically obvious: a salesperson is measured against their sales targets, a lawyer against their billing, inventory managers are measured against the efficiency of their supply network. Their success, and that of the organisation as a whole, is measurable.

Businesses routinely compare the cost of expenses against the level and likelihood of the benefits they would generate. But how do we assess the performance of the Minister for Health for example? Basically it comes down to whether the stakeholders in the industry, the general public and your colleagues in parliament think you are doing a good job.

In practice, this means ministers who are regularly in the media, gladhanding around the country, and spending money are successful. However it also means, should a politician want to be in a particular location for personal reasons, they can essentially manufacture legitimate business anywhere in the country.

In private businesses, issues over expenses can be resolved by clear lines of authority: staff report to bosses, who report to the CEO, who reports to the board, who are ultimately responsible to shareholders. These are people with the authority to make judgments on the merits of expenses with set budgets  and clear incentives to watch out for waste.

In politics, none of these things apply. The Prime Minister cannot personally oversee all expenses, and the people he delegates authority to are those causing the problems. Far from having the incentive to reduce costs, ministers are rewarded and promoted for maximising their visibility, which means maximising entitlements. There is a reason why all sides of politics are plagued by entitlement scandals.
A severe thunderstorm warning issued on Friday for Canberra has been cancelled, with damaging winds now expected to pass the capital by.

The Bureau of Meteorology put out the warning on Friday morning for Canberra, Goulburn and Nowra, as well as other parts of New South Wales, but revised its forecast about 1:30 pm.

Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, which may lead to flash flooding, were now expected to hit further across the border, with Tamworth, Gunnedah, Moree, Narrabri, Walgett and Dubbo all expected to be affected.

Loading

Last Friday, a freak windstorm took Canberrans by surprise, leaving homes damaged, trees felled and thousands without power.
We shouldn't panic but nor can we relax.

In this uncertain and unpredictable new age of President Trump Australian policymakers and diplomats will have to work harder than ever before to maintain the US alliance, analysts at the Australian National University say.

Politicians must also intensify their efforts to champion the importance of the US-Australia relationship to a sceptical public, according to a new policy paper from Rory Medcalf and the National Security College.

While Australia is well-regarded in Washington - and has already forged important connections with major figures in the new administration - the country will need to find new and creative ways to reach and influence decision-makers in the Trump era, moving beyond the usual diplomatic and defence channels.
The costs and sustainability of the National Disability Insurance Scheme will come under scrutiny after the Turnbull government announced the shape of a major review into its future.

Treasurer Scott Morrison said the Productivity Commission inquiry would help shape the final design of the $22 billion scheme - Australia's biggest social policy program since Medicare - which is due to be fully operational and available to nearly 500,000 people by 2019.

Under an original agreement between the federal and state governments the review was always scheduled to occur in 2017 but the release of its terms of reference come amid warnings the cost of the scheme could blow out by billions of dollars a year.

"This review is intended to inform the final design of the full scheme prior to its commencement by focussing on updating initial cost projections estimated by the Productivity Commission and by providing advice on longer-term projections and overall sustainability issues," Mr Morrison said in a joint statement with Social Services Minister Christian Porter released late Friday afternoon.
Britain's Prince William is to give up his job as an air ambulance helicopter pilot to focus on carrying out official duties on behalf of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth full-time, his office said on Friday.

William, 34, the second-in-line to the throne, will also base his family in London rather than their current home in Norfolk, eastern England.

Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive to attend the morning Christmas Day service at St Mark's Church in Englefield, England, Sunday December 25, 2016. Credit:Andrew Matthews

"Following on from my time in the military, I have had experiences in this job I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and that will add a valuable perspective to my royal work for decades to come," William said in a statement.

William served in Britain's armed forces from 2006 until 2013, working latterly as a search and rescue helicopter pilot. He then launched a new career as an air ambulance helicopter pilot with the East Anglia Air Ambulance near his home.
Kelly Landry vowed to her closest girlfriends that she would not see in 2017 remaining in an unhappy marriage, despite her now estranged husband, one of Sydney's richest men, businessman Anthony Bell, warning her of the "dire consequences" that would follow.

"He warned her exactly how it would play out if she went ahead with it, and everything he said has come true," PS was told on Thursday.

Kelly Landry and celebrity accountant Anthony Bell in happier times. Credit:Belinda Rolland

As for any jealousy Landry was accused of harbouring over her husband's friendship with Channel Nine personality and Sydney to Hobart crewmate Erin Molan, PS has confirmed that Landry did confront Bell about the friendship, though Bell and Molan have flatly rejected any impropriety and PS is not suggesting otherwise.

In fact, it was Landry who encouraged Bell to include Molan on his supermaxi crew when she first competed in the Sydney to Hobart the year before. In December it was Landry who took a make-up kit to Hobart for Molan to prepare herself before she fronted the media following their win.
Hillary Clinton has tweeted a message to her followers explaining her attendance at the Inauguration of US President Donald Trump.

The former US secretary of state, who lost the presidential election to Trump last year, took to her Twitter account to explain why she decided to attend the ceremony, in her capacity as the wife of a former president.

"I'm here today to honour our democracy & its enduring values," Clinton tweeted. "I will never stop believing in our country & its future."
When Malia Obama took a secret trip to Bolivia and Peru late last year, her trek guides knew there was a VIP in the group. But they didn't know who it was.

Gregorio Mamani, one of the guides told the New York Times that they had been convinced a blonde teenager in the group must have been the reason for American bodyguard accompaniment.

Malia Obama, center, travelled with a group on an educational trip to the Cordillera Real mountain range in Bolivia. Credit Bolivian Mountain Guides, via European Pressphoto Agency Credit:Bolivian Mountain Guides, via European Pressphoto Agency

"There was a blond girl and we assumed she was the important one," Mamani said in a phone interview on Wednesday.

Obama, 18, took part in an educational trip organised for students on a gap year before college to "examine current political trends, social movements and environmental conservation efforts in the mountains and jungles of Bolivia and Peru" according to the company who ran the trip.
For the women set to speak at Saturday's Women's March on Sydney, the demonstration is about much more than protesting the incoming US President.

The event is one of several taking place in cities around the world to coincide with the Women's March on Washington  which will protest the leadership of Donald Trump the day after his inauguration.

Organisers in Sydney are expecting more than a thousand marchers to walk from Hyde Park to the US consulate at roughly the same time that Trump's inaugural balls will get underway in Washington.

It will be among the first to kick-off a series of solidarity marches across 30 countries over the inauguration weekend.
Life Framer is a relative newcomer in the photography awards world, but it's already become one to watch.

Launched in 2013, Life Framer holds monthly competitions with renowned photographers and judges  including Ed Kashi, Mona Kuhn and Bruce Gilden  and attracts strong entries from around the globe.

'Corey and Towel', 2015. Colours - 2nd Prize. Credit:Luis Alberto Rodriguez

"Right from the start our intention was to create something that was artistically valuable and had a level of prestige, but that was accessible to amateur and early-career photographers as well as those who were more established," Ralph Wilson, Life Framer's co-founder told Fairfax Media.

"We've managed to grow to the point where at the end of this edition we'll exhibit our winning photographers in London, Rome, New York and Tokyo." Wilson said.
WestConnex, light rail, the Bays precinct, Green Square, Badgerys Creek, a population that is expected to push past 5.5 million over the next decade, and a city that is rapidly building infrastructure to keep up with it.

Sydney, by most measures, is going through a planning boom, and students are taking notice.

This year the demand for UNSW's Bachelor of City Planning surged by 115 per cent, while Western Sydney University and Macquarie have also seen demand strengthen for their planning degrees, according to university offers data.

"Affordable housing, access to jobs, equity of services, these are the fundamental questions," said Simon Pinnegar, the director of the built environment program at UNSW.
A former public servant who says a workplace counselling session with her boss left her psychologically damaged has lost her bid for workers' compensation.

Ex-ACT Director of Public Prosecutions employee Janine Hoskins alleged that her boss, Director Jon White, subjected her to an expletive-laden "barrage" of abuse during the counselling session on August 7 2014.

Public service managers say they fear false bullying claims. Credit:Andrew Quilty

But the Administrative Appeals Tribunal did not accept Ms Haskins' version of events, finding that Mr White did not raise his voice, swear or behave inappropriately when he and two other colleagues sat down to discuss a complaint from a member of the public about Ms Haskins's conduct.

The Tribunal found Mr White and his colleagues behaved professionally and reasonably during the session and therefore Ms Haskins was not entitled to workers' compensation for any injuries or illness suffered from her employers' action.
The man acquitted of a shooting murder in a western Sydney smash repair shop will remain behind bars on charges that he smuggled drugs concealed in shower heads in to Australia.

Fadi El Jamal, 40, who was acquitted by a jury of the shooting murder of Mark Nicholls in Condell Park in 2004, was denied bail in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday.

El Jamal was arrested at Sydney's international international airport last year as he was about to board a flight out of the country booked under a false name.

The court heard that the arrest followed a long investigation involving police from Australia and Thailand into a drug importation syndicate with players in both countries.

Thai police allegedly seized five kilograms of methamphetamine set to be smuggled into Australia concealed in goods that were being imported, including shower heads.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance has pulled out of contention for the leadership of the Liberal party, all but handing the premiership to Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian.

Mr Constance, who had been canvassing his numbers after Mike Baird announced his intention to resign on Thursday, released a statement on Friday afternoon that gave his support to Ms Berejiklian and indicated he would be happy to keep his portfolio.

"Gladys will make an excellent Premier and she has my full support," Mr Constance said.

"NSW should be glad to have her at the helm. Having spoken to my family and colleagues it is my intention to continue to serve NSW in whatever way is possible. We have one of the biggest transport and infrastructure renewal programs ever seen in Australia and I'd be honoured to see that through."
"Instead of running herself, she put the interests of the party and the state first," a source close to Berejiklian on that day told Fairfax Media. There was no such wavering on Thursday when within hours of Baird's announcement that he was retiring from politics, Berejiklian, 46, was first out of the blocks to announce her candidacy. She is set to be elected Liberal leader and therefore Premier at a party meeting on Monday, thanks to a deal between the left and right factions, cut with lightning speed. The deal will see the right's Dominic Perrottet  currently finance minister  elected deputy Liberal leader. As such he is able to choose his own portfolio and at 33 is set to become NSW's next Treasurer. Supporters of Berejiklian say the efficiency with which the deal was struck reflected her approach in 2014.

"How she played it last time has effective how the right [faction] played it this time," one said. Those who know her well believe the episode says a lot about Berejiklian's approach to politics: pragmatic, cautious and intensely loyal to the Liberal party. "She's highly intelligent, absolutely thorough, approaches everything having done her homework," says her close friend Patricia Forsythe, a former NSW Liberal MLC and now executive director of the Sydney Business Chamber. "Whether it's her electorate or her portfolios she's absolutely focused on the task at hand." The task facing Berejiklian once she is elected, as expected, at Monday's party room meeting and then sworn in as Premier, is significant.

She inherits leadership of a government slipping in the polls after six years in power desperate to rebrand itself before the next state election in March 2019. She will need to preside over a complex reshuffle that was already causing headaches for Baird. And  as evidenced by early sniping by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and an attack from broadcaster Alan Jones  she will need to navigate the increasingly dangerous shoals of NSW Liberal party internal politics. One obvious question facing Berejiklian is whether to continue the frenetic pace her predecessor set or to embark on efforts to pacify sections of the community put offside by the pace of change. Baird was feeling battered by criticism of the impact of forced council amalgamations, the WestConnex motorway and light rail projects, his controversial overhaul of the ICAC and lingering anger of his botched attempt to ban greyhound racing.

Announcing his resignation, he tied it to the need for the government to "refresh" before 2019 and pitch a new agenda to voters. The reset strategy would seem to sit comfortably with Berejiklian as leader who is regarded as a cautious but astute politician more in the O'Farrell mould. "She's a cautious person but always open to ideas and to some extent will be her own person," suggests one close friend. "She's capable of reform, but she's not a risk taker." Perhaps reflecting this caution, during a media conference on Friday Berejiklian would not be drawn on her vision for NSW before her election is confirmed.

There are already demands from community groups for her to jettison some of Baird's more unpopular policies such as WestConnex and council reform. In a possible signal of movement on amalgamations, Nationals leader John Barilaro announced he would push to halt any more mergers in regional NSW. Apart from possibly provoking tension within the Coalition, the move also backed up Barilaro's assertion shortly after Baird's resignation that the Nationals will be newly assertive under his leadership. Some who know her suggest Berejiklian's natural caution may be well-matched to Perrottet's reformist zeal. Perrottet, a leading conservative voice within the NSW Liberals, is an avowed libertarian and a passionate believer in small government.

In contrast to Berejiklian's belief in human-induced climate change and support for same sex marriage, Perrottet  who attended Redfield College in Dural, a Catholic boys school established by teachers and parents who belong to the conservative Opus Dei organisation  has questioned the level of Australia's spending on climate change relative to the results and opposes amending the Marriage Act. That said, it is also being noted that Perrottet and Berejiklian have worked well together as finance minister and Treasurer and enjoy a close relationship. One view is that Perrottet could be good for Berejiklian by driving her reform ideas, as well as his own. Late last year Perrottet advocated axing stamp duty in favour of a broad based land tax on all property  a policy Berejiklian has baulked at as Treasurer. When she comes to reshuffle her cabinet, Berejiklian will be faced with similar challenges as Baird: the need for renewal and the difficult decisions that entails.

The deal with the right faction further complicates the delicate balance she will need to strike in order to avoid additional byelections should the likes of health minister Jillian Skinner or community services minister Brad Hazzard be dumped. Berejiklian has also made a point of being a champion for the advancement of women within the NSW Liberal party. Any move to axe women from the ministry or failure to increase their numbers could be viewed as inconsistent with that. Despite the factional deal that will see her elected leader, Berejiklian remains a key target of hard right elements of the Liberal party as a leading left winger. In particular, Berejiklian is regarded as an opponent of the simmering issue that threatens to provoke all-out war in the NSW division  moving to a plebiscite or model for state and federal candidate selections where all local branch members vote. Baird was a supporter of the model and cut a deal with prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and elements of the party executive to hold a convention to decide the issue this year.

Abbott and Jones  both conservative Liberals  have railed against the influence on the party of the dominant left and centre right factions and their key powerbrokers, lobbyist Michael Photios and federal MP Alex Hawke, who oppose the reform. According to The Australian, following Baird's resignation and amid anticipation of Berejiklian's election Abbott said the pathway to plebiscite reform would be further at risk if Photios strengthened his grip on the NSW Liberals. Jones  phoning in from holidays to his own 2GB breakfast program  attacked Berejiklian as "a bad choice" and accused her of not being across the issues of local government mergers and lockout laws "in a million light years". "Before [Mr Baird's] announcement was made, the Gladys Berejiklian forces were already ringing up and doing deals so that this would all be a fait accompli," Jones said. "It's all being stitched up. The public won't cop it. There is no democracy."

Last year, shortly before the NSW Liberal state council meeting at which the plebiscite issue was to be debated, former federal MP Ross Cameron launched a very public broadside at Berejiklian. Somewhat presciently, Cameron accused her of sabotaging the prospects of reform because she was either committed to "authoritarian rule" inside the Liberals or manoeuvring to replace Baird as premier. Cameron faces having his Liberal party membership suspended for up to five years for breaching party rules forbidden comment on party issues in the media. She might win that skirmish, but the signs have already emerged that Berejiklian can expect to be further accused of being the servant of factional warlords within her party. On Friday Labor leader Luke Foley took aim at what he called "the fix" that will deliver her the leadership.
A Brisbane photographer allegedly raped a girl repeatedly over as many as three years after using his studio to "procure and abuse" children.

One other child was allegedly indecently dealt with while police alleged he drugged a third person with the intent to commit an offence.

The 38-year-old, who can't be named for legal reasons, was remanded in custody after his case was heard in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday morning.

Specialist child sex crimes police from Taskforce Argos arrested the man on Thursday, charging him with dozens of child sex charges.
Just as Meitu, the insanely popular mobile app that 'anime-fies' your face, has gone viral in the Western world, so has security and privacy concerns over the amount of data it collects on its users. Some security researchers have noted that, for a frivolous photo editing app, it's asking for way too many permissions to access information on a user's phone. The app is also apparently collecting information about a user's phone and sending it to remote servers in China. Here's what you need to know.

Meitu was created back in 2008 and has now become a viral app in English-speaking countries. Your Facebook feed may have been bombarded with posts of your friends' faces being transformed into anime-looking characters.

Some famous faces, transformed by the Meitu app. Credit:Gizmodo

A ton of people are using Meitu and it has been downloaded more than a billion times. But something seems a bit fishy, particularly when you look at the permissions the app requests before you install it.
A long-running battle over whether or not telcos should have to provide stored metadata to customers on request  which evolved over numerous appeals into a battle over which data should be considered personal  appears to have come to an unsatisfying end this week in Australia's Federal Court.

The case between the Privacy Commissioner and Telstra was sparked two years ago when the former ordered the telco to supply metadata on request, on the grounds that it was the personal data of the customer. With this latest decision, Telstra will not be obliged to obey that order.

The case between the Privacy Commissioner and Telstra was sparked two years ago when the former ordered the telco to supply metadata on request. Credit:Craig Sillitoe

As the government was preparing to introduce new rules in 2013 that would oblige telcos to store the data generated when customers used their services (for example not your voice or articles you read online, but information on your calls, location and IP addresses of sites you visit), Ben Grubb, then a journalist at Fairfax Media, asked his telco Telstra for a copy of the data.

Telstra provided some information, but not the complete set it would be required to give to law enforcement if asked under the retention laws.
Underbelly and Wog Boy star Vince Colosimo has pleaded guilty to possession of the drug ice, but has escaped conviction and instead been put on a good behaviour bond.

Mr Colosimo, 50, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday after he was caught with methampehtamine during a police pullover in Fitzroy North last year.

In a summary read out in court, police said Mr Colosimo's car was stopped on Barkly Street in Fitzroy North at 4.10am on September 26.

Police said they searched Mr Colosimo's car after observing him try to conceal something near his feet.
"No," said June Gill, "I never could have imagined something like this when I was living on the old mission.

"They blew up our church, you know, and our old houses. They kicked my grandfather, James Lovett, off the mission some time around World War I because he wasn't black enough."

Remains of an ancient Indigenous stone house at Lake Condah, part of the Budj Bim landscape. Credit:Tyson Lovett-Murray

Mrs Gill and her cousin of the Lovett clan, Laura Bell, elders of the Gunditjmara people, gazed across Lake Condah, its water finally returned after white settlers drained it in the late 1800s, robbing its Indigenous owners of bird life and the eels that had sustained them for thousands of years.

And there, on the lake's bank, came Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg, the Veterans Affairs Minister and local member for Wannon, Dan Tehan, and assorted VIPs.
Lord mayor Robert Doyle is willing to introduce a new bylaw giving police stronger powers to prevent people bedding down on the streets. Credit:Eddie Jim Brenda Nguyen, 45, tries to keep peace and stop any violence at the camp. She has been living on Flinders Street for a few months, having been homeless for six years. Homeless people at the Flinders Street Station camp. Credit:Joe Armao Ms Nguyen said she stayed at the Flinders Street camp because there was safety in numbers.

She moved there from Bourke Street. "I move all the time, " she said. "Sometimes every night." She said that if the police moved her on, she would simply go to another street. Ms Nguyen said the government should talk to the homeless and address their many needs, not just accommodation. Meanwhile, a legal service for homeless people has said the plan to ban rough sleeping in the CBD will fail, with similar crackdowns overseas proving disastrous.

Justice Connect raised fears that homelessness could become worse for people sleeping on the street and the justice system could become overburdened if Melbourne City Council went ahead with a bylaw clamping down on rough sleeping. Justice Connect principal lawyer Lucy Adams said a ban in Los Angeles had failed to solve the problem there. Ms Adams, who has researched overseas bans on street sleeping, said she was aware of one woman in Los Angeles who had been charged 60 times for sleeping on the same street corner. She said banning rough sleeping would result in homeless people becoming "entrenched" in the legal system. "It's an attempt at a quick fix and it isn't going to present a long-term solution," she said.

On Friday, Premier Daniel Andrews said the government would support the council and police, and would continue to look at ways to find accommodation for those on the streets. "The most important thing is getting these people a roof over their heads," Mr Andrews said. "It is a problem. It is unsettling and it is not a great look, but let's not get lost on what it is about. You have to address both issues. We are happy to support Melbourne city and Victoria Police." At last year's Labor state conference, Mr Andrews announced a major package to tackle homelessness. Cr Doyle has confirmed he is willing to introduce a new bylaw giving police stronger powers to prevent people bedding down on the 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," he said. Cr Doyle said police already had powers to arrest people for obstruction, drug use and begging. "I would like to see them make full use of those powers as well," he said. "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." Cr Doyle told 3AW that large encampments such as that seen this week outside Flinders Street Station were "just beyond the pale".

But he said the council was currently "hamstrung" because while it could remove camping equipment other items including mattresses were a "grey area". Cr Doyle flagged drafting a law that states people "can't simply doss down on the streets". "If we can do that with clarity and the police are prepared to stand behind us then maybe that's the lever we're going to have to use," he told 3AW. On Thursday Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said police were powerless to move on rough sleepers and called for bylaws banning camping in the CBD. However, his comments were at odds with Victoria Police Superintendent David Clayton who earlier this week rejected suggestions that police should use move-on powers to disperse homeless camps.

Mr Ashton also claimed people sleeping rough in the CBD were pretending to be homeless so they could "shake down" tourists for money. Council to Homeless Persons chief executive Jenny Smith said moving rough sleepers on would not solve the entrenched problem of homelessness. She said it would be disappointing if the council introduced the proposed bylaw. "It's blaming the victim," she said. "It's just moving them somewhere else [where] we can't see them and that shouldn't make us feel better."
Melbourne's key city hospitals were on Friday night caring for dozens of people battered by the car that careered through the CBD, and one had a witness so traumatised by the event they were suffering chest pains.

Both the Royal Melbourne and St Vincent's called external disaster codes around 2.30pm when they learnt of the possibility of mass casualties. The codes meant their emergency departments were cleared of patients who did not need to be there, so staff were ready to care for all incoming patients from the CBD.

On Friday afternoon, spokespeople for the Royal Melbourne, St Vincent's and the Alfred hospitals said they were caring for 23 people between them. Injuries included fractured hips, legs, and facial bones.
More young offenders could end up being sentenced to adult jails, even after the Parkville rioters return from Barwon's maximum security prison.

Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos has confirmed the Andrews government may soon overhaul a sentencing option that allows some young adults aged up to 21 to be sent to juvenile detention in order to help their rehabilitation prospects.

Youth Affairs Minister Jenny Mikakos. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Advocates fear such a move could result in the dismantling of Victoria's unique "dual-track" system, which has been in place for decades.

But Ms Mikakos said: "We have seen increasingly in recent years magistrates sending young offenders who have been engaged in very violent offences to a youth justice facility. So we need to examine the suitability of those types of offenders being eligible for the dual-track system."
Suspect wanted over stabbing On of the injured gets help. Credit:Justin McManus The suspect has been identified as Dimitrious "Jimmy" Gargasoulas, 26. He was bailed by a bail justice on the weekend after he was arrested in St Kilda for a number of alleged offences, including family violence and stealing another car, sources said. More than 35 people were hospitalised following Friday's tragic event. Credit:Leigh Henningham

He was wanted over a stabbing that left a man in his 20s, believed to be the suspect's brother Angelo, in a critical condition in Melbourne's south in the early hours of Friday. Police were called to an address in Raleigh Street, Windsor, shortly after 2am after reports of two men fighting. A 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. Following this incident, police say the suspect took a woman known to him hostage in his car. She managed to escape from the car on the Bolte Bridge earlier today.

After police called off the pursuit of the maroon-coloured car, was later seen doing "burnouts" in the middle of the intersection outside Flinders Street Station, then speeding north towards Bourke Street Mall. 'People were flying everywhere' Witness Rebecca Russo told Fairfax Media she saw three people hit by the car as it sped through the mall with police in pursuit. "We were just standing on Bourke Street, and we heard a bit of a crash coming from the mall. I saw a maroon car driving up the pedestrian path on the Flinders Street side. "People were running out of the way, they were going very, very fast. I saw him hit a few people. I saw bodies flying into the air."

Emergency services reported they treated at least 15 people at multiple incident scenes. "All we could see is just the car and carnage, people were flying everywhere," witness Hank Kerr said in a video posted to Twitter: "Every few metres there's someone badly injured." The vehicle crossed over Elizabeth Street, heading west along Bourke Street near the corner of William Street. Sharn Baylis from Adelaide said she gave CPR to a young man in his 20s who appeared to have suffered severe head injuries.

She said onlookers tried to save the man but he died on the footpath outside Bardot on Bourke Street after being run over by the car before paramedics could help him. "There were massive internal injuries, he was bleeding heavily but the head injury alone probably would have killed him," she said. She ran over to help the man after watching the car drive down Bourke Street Mall moving in a straight line as it slammed into pedestrians. "There was no hesitation when he got to the crowd, he just mowed them down," she said. "He was going around 60km/h but it seemed faster. "People were literally just flying like skittles, bouncing off the bonnet and smashing into the shops"

The immediate emotional reaction to the incident was disbelief, she said. "There were a few gaps and then you started hearing yelling and a few people scream." Children were also screaming and appeared to have injuries, she said. Former Victoria Police commissioner Christine Nixon was on the scene, where she helped direct traffic. She saw an injured child, she told ABC radio. "[The toddler's mother] kept asking me 'where's the baby?' and I said 'I don't know'."

Like many others, Ms Nixon said she barely escaped with her life. "I was standing on the corner of Bourke and William waiting to cross the road, and people were calling out. "I turned around and saw the car. He was probably about a metre from me, I stepped back [from the road] and he continued down Bourke Street on the footpath, with people chasing him." Dozens of shaken witnesses have gathered at Melbourne West police station to provide statements. One woman, who did not want to be named, said she saw a mother who was pushing her baby in pram struck by the car on the Bourke Street footpath, near William Street. "The baby flew into the air," she said. "The mother was lying on the ground covered in blood."

Police asked the woman and her colleague to get first aid materials and a defibrillator, and she returned to the scene with the equipment. She was told that the mother and her daughter were alive one hour after the incident. "It was just horrible." Chase ends with shots fired, suspect arrested The suspect's car was stopped near the intersection of Bourke and William Street after police shot the driver.
Exercisers will continue to have unrestricted access to Jacob's Ladder after calls from nearby residents to close the stairs during certain hours due to disruption failed.

Nationals leader Brendon Grylls acted as lands minister for the decision, as minister Terry Redman used the Kings Park stairs and and therefore had a conflict of interest.

Exercisers will continue to have unrestricted access to Jacob's Ladder.

Following a review, Mr Grylls elected not to the restrict times when fitness fanatics could use the 242-step staircase, a move the City of Perth welcomed on Friday.
"The state should support councils that make plans for a higher density of housing close to transport and employment," he said. City of Gosnells chief executive Ian Cowie said councils were progressing well towards the 2050 density target and accused the Property Council of having a long history of disliking local government. "As far as I'm aware we're only in 2017," he said. "It's a bit rich of the Property Council holding local governments to account. They represent developers and builders. "Certainly many of us local governments have rezoned areas around train stations. Yes, some might not be rezoning land in not quite the way developers want, but there are lot of opportunities.

"If people wanted to develop 10,000 houses tomorrow we would be very happy for them to do so." The City of Gosnells has been lobbying the state government for years to replace ageing water pipes in Maddington so it can proceed with high density redevelopment. Credit:Emma Young As part of Maddington town centre upgrade plans the City had rezoned to allow for 3500 new dwellings around the train station, but this would require expansion of state infrastructure. The CBD upgrade could not proceed until ageing water pipes under Albany Highway were replaced, work the Water Corporation would not commence. An extra 3000 houses would all need power and it was still unclear whether this would require a new substation or power lines, which could cost tens of millions.

"So where is Western Power rolling its sleeve up? Where is the Water Corp?" Mr Cowie said. Then there was amenity. "In a place like Gosnells which isn't close to the beach, it's important we provide quality lifestyles," he said. The City of Gosnells, frustrated by developer inactivity in the so-called activity zone around the train station, has begun buying up private land to demolish derelict buildings itself. Credit:Emma Young "You need to think about parklands and open space to make a city liveable. You need new roads, and people want housing fronting roads, and that all costs a lot of money."

The City also has a plan to revitalise its town centre around Gosnells train station but private developers have proved unwilling to redevelop derelict buildings. The City stepped out of its traditional role by committing $10 million in infrastructure support and buying up this land to demolish the buildings but it would cost $50 million for the roads and parks to complete the plan. "And the state government only seems to back such projects through huge deals with LandCorp and the like." He also mentioned extended waiting times for the WA Planning Commission to undertake planning assessments, which Planning Minister Donna Faragher recently acknowledged at the launch of the damning Property Council report. The City has been waiting for two and a half years for the WAPC to take action on a scheme amendment to rezone public open space.

Planning laws have struggled to provide for greater density and protect amenity at the same time. WA Local Government Association president Lynne Craigie also pointed to problems in state agencies, with many delays occurring as infrastructure was either delayed or unavailable. But she believed recent changes to regulations at the WAPC and Department of Planning should help improve this. "Current market conditions aren't helping, however, with low interest in residential developments across the board," she said. Planning Minister Donna Faragher said the net infill rate had historically 'hovered' around 32 per cent.

Local government areas of Stirling, Cockburn, Perth and Bayswater had done heavy lifting recently and the state was promoting new infill housing around activity centres and corridors close to employment, amenity and public transport routes while maintaining character. But many councils still did not have contemporary planning schemes that identified and zoned the best infill locations. Land around Canning Bridge is also set for some major density increases. Credit:Emma Young She had met with all councils to discuss these issues since taking the portfolio. She also recently announced changes to the controversial system of Development Assessment Panels, which decide the majority of development proposals in Perth, changes that take effect on February 1.

They involve more advance notice to be given for to public to attend meetings, and clearer communication of decisions to the public. Opposition planning and infrastructure spokeswoman Rita Safiotti said reforms did not go far enough and Labor would announce its platform regarding DAPs closer to the election. Labor had in 2015 committed to creating Infrastructure WA, a committee for private and public sector leaders similar to those in New South Wales and Victoria, to develop state infrastructure plans. This had been called for by industry bodies who wanted a transparent and apolitical system of determining infrastructure priorities. South Perth has been another contested site as developers rush to take advantage of new zonings. Credit:Emma Young
"The establishment protected itself. But not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been yours. President Donald Trump waves as he walks with first lady Melania Trump during the inauguration parade on Pennsylvania Avenue. Credit:AP "That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment. "We citizens of America are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all our people. Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come." Donald Trump delivers his first address after being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday. Credit:AP

Mr Trump said "we will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining but never doing anything about. He went on to pledge to keep America's borders secure and to protect American industry and jobs. New US President Donald Trump after being sworn in. Credit:Daniel Acker "From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, it's going to be America First," he said. He said he would make Americans "winners" again. Mr Trump also vowed to defeat Islamic State.

President-elect Donald Trump and US President Barack Obama prior to the inauguration. Credit:Bloomberg "We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first," he said. Moments earlier Mike Pence, a former congressman and governor from Indiana, was sworn in as Vice-President by Justice Clarence Thomas. The motorcade carrying President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump down Pennsylvania Avenue. Credit:AP Waving to crowds

During their escorted trip from the Capitol to the White House, after the swearing-in ceremony, Mr Trump and first lady Melania Trump twice got out of their vehicles to walk and wave to the crowd. Former President Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, former President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Former President George W. Bush. Credit:Andrew Harnik/AP They first walked for about a block before reaching the Trump International Hotel, where the crowds on both sides of the street were at their loudest. As the Trumps neared the hotel, agents urged the couple to get back into their sedan. A large crowd of protesters had gathered on the opposite side of the street, while supporters and employees of the hotel cheered on the hotel side of the street. President Donald Trump's daughters, Tiffany (left) and Ivanka. Credit:AP

Later, the Trumps exited their sedan with their children and grandchildren in tow. An announcer roared, "Welcome home, Mr. President." Violent protests, arrests Hundreds of protesters with varying agendas marched through downtown streets, and some groups clashed with police, throwing rocks and bottles which police responded to with tear gas and concussion grenades. A helicopter hovered low overhead. At one flash point, a protester hurled an object through the passenger window of a police van, which quickly sped away in reverse as demonstrators cheered. Earlier, activists wearing masks used chunks of pavement and baseball bats to shatter the windows of a Bank of America branch and a McDonald's outlet, all symbols of American capitalism. Multiple vehicles were set on fire, including a black limousine and a television truck. A knot of people dragged garbage cans into a street a few blocks from the White House and set them ablaze, later throwing a red cap bearing Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan into the flames.

Police said that at least 95 people were arrested and two officers injured in scuffles with activists. The protests played out just blocks from Pennsylvania Avenue, where Trump proceeded in the traditional parade a newly sworn in president takes from the US Capitol to the White House. The various protest groups scattered around the city chanted anti-Trump slogans and carried signs with slogans including "Trump is not president" and "Make Racists Afraid Again." "Trump is not going to be stopped at the top, he's going to be stopped from the bottom, from people rising up," said Ben Allen, a 69-year-old retired teacher from San Francisco. "We support the right of everybody in this country, no matter what nationality, what religion, the color of their skin, to be respected as a human being, and this guy doesn't respect anybody." On Twitter

Mr Trump  or a member of his staff acting on his behalf  took to Twitter shortly after his swearing-in to reinforce the key messages in his address. The tweets came from his personal account and not the official @POTUS account, which now bears his name. Also online, the official White House website was transformed moments after the oath of allegiance was taken, with Mr Obama's climate change policy deleted. "President Trump is committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the US rule," the White House website now reads. "Lifting these restrictions will greatly help American workers, increasing wages by more than $30 billion over the next 7 years."

Mr Obama's climate plan proposed cuts to US carbon dioxide emissions, in part by preserving forests and encouraging increased use of cleaner renewable fuels. Mr Trump instead plans to boost the oil and gas industry to raise revenues for new infrastructure. The website was also updated to showcase key Trump policy pledges that offered the broad contours of the new administration's priorities  a list that notably did not include mention of Mr Obama's Affordable Care Act. Two presidents: the past and the future Mr Trump and Mr Obama had ridden in the presidential limousine to Capitol Hill in keeping with tradition on a day filled with familiar rituals designed to ease the transfer of power. Mr Obama and his wife, Michelle, hosted the Trumps for morning tea at the White House before the motorcade, another custom of the day.

Mr Trump, 70, the nation's first billionaire president and a former reality-TV star, comes to power presenting himself as the champion of working-class, white Americans who rejected Mr Obama and his ally Hillary Clinton. Tens of thousands of people began assembling on the National Mall in the early morning hours, though crowds appeared to be notably smaller than for Mr Obama's two inaugurations. Trains on Washington's subway system, Metro, were largely uncrowded and traffic in the city was light. Inauguration Day is a holiday for most federal workers. There was a heavy security presence in the Capitol, with parked buses, dump trucks and humvees blocking intersections downtown. Police and soldiers patrolled Metro stations in the vicinity of the Mall. There were scattered protests around the city by activists for the Black Lives Matter movement, gay rights and women's rights, and others. Television networks broadcast footage of protesters dressed in black overturning garbage cans and smashing the windows of businesses about three blocks from the White House. Prayer service

Like past presidents-elect, Mr Trump spent the night before his inauguration at the historic Blair House, a quick walk from the White House. He attended a morning prayer service at St John's church, known as the President's Church, across Lafayette Square from the White House. The Trumps are to attend three inaugural balls in the evening. Minutes before the Trumps arrived for tea with the Obamas, painters walked in to the White House West Wing carrying gray buckets, as workers rushed through a carefully orchestrated rapid turnover of the presidential residence from one tenant to the next. Mr Obama walked from the West Wing along a colonnade connecting to the residence, followed by Vice President Joe Biden. Asked if he felt nostalgic, Mr Obama replied, "Of course." The president left a letter for Mr Trump in the desk of the Oval Office, as is tradition for the outgoing chief executive, Mr Obama spokesman Eric Schultz said. He declined to provide a copy of the letter. Mr Trump invited Christian and Jewish clergy to speak at the inauguration: Reverend Franklin Graham, the Southern evangelical and son of Billy Graham; Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Los Angeles; and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson, an African-American pastor from Detroit.
As the US goes to sleep with a new president and the inauguration celebrations go into the night, here is a wrap up of our coverage so far.

That is it from us for now, thanks for reading along throughout the day.

Be sure to follow the Fairfax Foreign Desk for regular updates from the US.
Moscow: Champagne corks popped in Moscow as Russians celebrated the start of Donald Trump's presidency, while there were guarded congratulations from Mexico and fears of a trade war in Berlin.

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto said on Twitter that while the sovereignty, national interest and protection of Mexicans was paramount, he was hopeful that ties between the two countries would strengthen.

He said he would seek "respectful" dialogue with Mr Trump, who angered many Mexicans on the campaign trail by deriding them as rapists and murderers, and vowing to build a massive wall along the US border to keep them out.

Germany's Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel warned of a "rough ride" after President Donald Trump was sworn in.
Washington: Just moments after President Donald Trump took the oath of office on Friday, the official White House website was transformed to remove all traces of former president Barack Obama's climate change initiatives and to reinforce border protection policies.

The new-look website carried a set of policy pledges that offered the broad contours of the Trump administration's top priorities. It's a list that includes fierce support for law enforcement bordering on vigilantism, an immediate elimination of the White House's policy page on climate change and the notable absence of any directives involving President Obama's Affordable Care Act.

"Our job is not to make life more comfortable for the rioter, the looter, or the violent disrupter," reads the law and order section, which calls for "more law enforcement" and "more effective policing."

"Our job is to make life more comfortable for parents who want their kids to be able to walk the streets safely. Or the senior citizen waiting for a bus. Or the young child walking home from school."
A year ago, at the height of winter, officials in Helsinki were baffled to find scores of Asian and Middle Eastern asylum seekers suddenly crossing the sleepy Russian-Finnish border in Lapland, an Arctic region where reindeer outnumber people.

The incident prompted Finland to break from EU practices and sign an immigration-curbing deal with Vladimir Putin. Finnish officials eventually concluded that the crossings were probably part of a hybrid attack masterminded in Moscow.

As it prepares to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its independence from the Russian Empire, Finland is now setting up an international centre designed to help governments deal with a rapidly-evolving form of modern warfare readily associated with the West's Cold War foe.

"Warfare today is manifold," Finnish Defense Minister Jussi Niinisto said in an interview in Helsinki, and there are different ways of influencing operations in other countries. Finland's hybrid warfare centre would "analyse these kinds of operations, so that we can understand them and improve our crisis resilience."
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, "we're 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.
Beirut: Islamic State militants have partially destroyed a Roman amphitheatre that they were using for their macabre executions in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, state officials said Friday.

The extremist group seized control of the area last month for the second time, reversing one of Russia's largest military victories in Syria, and raising fears that the jihadists would destroy what remained of one of the most famous Roman sites in the Middle East.

The Roman Theatre in Palmyra, Syria, on Friday, April 2, 2016. Credit:AP

A major stop for the cross-desert caravans, this 3rd century Roman city was once ruled over by the legendary Queen Zenobia and one of the best preserved cities of the classical era.

During their previous control of the town, the Islamic State destroyed two of its temples and the huge triumphal arch honouring Roman Emperor Septimius Severus.
Penne, Italy: Ten people were miraculously found alive on Friday in the wreckage of an avalanche-hit mountain hotel after surviving two nights of sub-zero temperatures because the snow insulated them "like an igloo", Italian rescuers said.

The survivors, including three children, were found after tendrils of smoke emerged from the small attic space in which they had taken refuge when the 300-metre-wide avalanche all but swept away the four-star Rigopiano Hotel in the Apennine mountains of the Abruzzo region on Wednesday.

Among those pulled from the hotel alive were the wife and son of Giampiero Parete, who was one of two survivors who raised the alarm on Wednesday night after leaving the hotel to fetch medication from his car moments before the avalanche hit.
Banjul: Gambia's longtime leader Yahya Jammeh has asked the West African bloc ECOWAS to extend a midday deadline until 4 pm local time for him to leave power, government sources said.

Guinea's President Alpha Conde and Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz arrived in the Gambian capital of Banjul on Friday for last-ditch talks with Jammeh, witnesses said.

Defiant: Gambian President Yahya Jammeh on election day, December 1, 2016, in the Gambian capital Banjul. Credit:AP

It was not clear whether Jammeh intended to step down.

Earlier on Friday West African armies have given Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup, until noon on Friday to quit before they continue their advance across the country to the capital, Banjul.
Abuja: A group of Nigerian writers, intellectuals and media figures called on President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday to stop the persecution of journalists, after an online publication's news staff was briefly detained.

Nigerian police late on Thursday arrested the editor and a reporter for the Premium Times, the rights group Amnesty International said, in a dispute raising concern about press freedom in Africa's biggest democracy. The two were released later that evening without being charged.

A group of Nigerian writers, intellectuals and media figures called on President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday to stop the persecution of journalists, after an online publication's news staff was briefly detained. Credit:Getty Images

"What we see is a disturbing trend that suggests not just an attempt to criminalise the important work that journalists in Nigeria do, but also a drive to frighten and cower and stop this critical constitutionally mandated work through the aggressive use of the state security apparatus," said a joint letter to Buhari signed by 10 Nigerian public figures.

The letter called on the president to instruct security services to stop harassing and arresting journalists and insist that police follow the law in arresting and charging suspects "in a timely and transparent manner".
Beirut: Russia signed a long-term agreement on Friday to greatly enlarge its military presence in Syria, more than doubling the space for warships in Russia's only Mediterranean port and securing rights to an airbase that may already be adding a second runway.

The agreement covers the port in Tartus and an airbase near Latakia, which have been pivotal in Russian assistance to President Bashar al-Assad in fighting an array of insurgents. It ensures Russia's ability to deploy forces in Syria for the next half-century and perhaps beyond.

News of the agreement came as Assad received what appeared to be another positive development - a Turkish official suggested publicly for the first time that Turkey would accept a peace deal in Syria's six-year war that would allow Assad to stay in power.

The remarks by the official, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek, at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, indicated that Turkey - Syria's northern neighbour and one of Assad's most implacable foes - had softened its position in the interest of finding a solution.
London: Trying to reassure bankers and multinational companies that Britain will be open for business even as it plans a sharp break with the European Union, British Prime Minister Theresa May braved the elitist chill of the World Economic Forum on Thursday to argue that Britain is committed to free trade and globalisation.

But she also scolded the business and government leaders at the gathering in Davos, Switzerland, for being complacent about inequality and helping to feed a populist reaction from those left behind.

"Mainstream political and business leaders have failed to comprehend their legitimate concerns for too long," Mrs May said. And she urged businesses to play by the same rules as everyone else, especially on paying taxes.

"If we are to make the case for free markets, free trade and globalisation, as we must, those of us who believe in them must face up to and respond to the concerns people have," Mrs May said.
London: Groups of demonstrators took to the streets in cities around the world on Friday to both lament and celebrate the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president.

About 200 members of activist groups gathered at nine different bridges along the River Thames in London in the morning to drop banners with messages including "Build bridges not walls," and "United against Islamophobia".

In Manila, hundreds of protesters led by left-wing activists marched to the US embassy to urge President Rodrigo Duterte to be wary of Trump and to maintain an independent foreign policy in relation to the US.

Chanting "Dump Trump," the protesters burned a US flag near the embassy and also demanded the pull-out of US troops and facilities in the Philippines.
Less than 24 hours after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, a couple of women in America, fearful and angry about what that would portend, put out the call on social media for a women's protest, and soon began planning what will soon be the first major demonstration of his presidency.

Among those who saw the rapidly spreading call-out was Claire Fitzsimmons, who describes the new president as a sexist and a con-man. She was sad, frustrated and helpless in the wake of his victory, but was also feeling ready to take action.

"There's only so many online petitions I can sign and reposts I can do until you just have to get out there and do something about it," Fitzsimmons, who is originally from Byron Bay but now lives in New York, told Fairfax Media this week. "This is a small way I feel like I can do it."

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend what has since been named the Women's March on Washington, a demonstration that will take place on the same hallowed ground in the US Capitol where hundreds of thousands of others will celebrate Trump's inauguration on Friday.
The district of Probolinggo in East Java, one of the centres of black magic in Indonesia. Credit:Jewel Topsfield Orthodox Islam disapproves of magic both as an idea and practice but many Javanese adhere to a religious tradition that syncretises animistic, Islamic, Buddhist and Hindu beliefs. "The killings of sorcerers and subsequent ninja killings in 1998 Indonesia far eclipsed the number of victims in the Salem witch trials," La Trobe University anthropologist Nicholas Herriman writes in his 2016 book Witch-hunt and Conspiracy. Syaiful, right, the son of murder victim and suspected sorcerer Enja, with his father, Atmadin. Credit:Jewel Topsfield The so-called ninjas Herriman refers to were the black-masked assassins who killed suspected sorcerers in 1998 and then were in turn murdered by villagers.

"In the [East Javan] district of Banyuwangi alone, around 100 sorcerers were killed and many more suffered [in 1998]," Herriman writes. The bamboo gate leading to the area where Enja was killed. Credit:Jewel Topsfield The following year up to 150 more were killed in West Java. And yet, Herriman muses, the Indonesian events did not attract a fraction of the academic attention devoted to Salem. The febrile Reformasi [Reform Movement] period following the collapse of the authoritarian Suharto regime in Indonesia in May 1998, provided a ripe climate for an outbreak of lawless attacks on sorcerers. The identity card of murdered woman Enja. She was accused of being a sorceress by her brother-in-law. Credit:Jewel Topsfield

What is less known is that sporadic killings of suspected dukun santet continue to this day. On January 10, just a couple of weeks after Enja's death, a religious teacher accused of being a dukun santet was reportedly attacked and killed by seven men in Sukabumi, West Java. Reports such as these are not uncommon. Early in the new year we travel to Probolinggo, one of the centres of black magic in East Java and the home of Atmo and his haunted dreams. The woodpile in the home of Enja who was murdered by her brother-in-law Atmos for allegedly being a sorceress. Credit:Jewel Topsfield It is somehow easier to believe in sorcery in this verdant landscape, where the trees are mottled with lichen and there is darkness behind the giant piles of bananas and giant palm fronds that fringe the road. We walk through mountainous villages, where children with powdered faces wearing tiny peci (Muslim caps) scatter, shrieking in fright at the sight of a white woman.

Tiris police chief Wijaya wonders whether the fish bombs that killed a 24-year-old local labourer were actually intended for his neighbour, a suspected sorcerer. Credit:Jewel Topsfield At a village in Tiris, we sit on the floor of a home where a 24-year-old labourer called Lawe Susanto had died under mysterious circumstances just days earlier. Lawe was ripped apart by two exploding bombs, usually used for fishing, in his own living room. There are still blood stains on the door frame and under the rugs we sit on. Police are investigating whether Lawe was murdered or if he had bought the notoriously unstable fish bombs and they had accidentally exploded in his breast pocket. The police chief, Wijaya, wonders if the fish bombs were intended for Lawe's neighbour, known only as K, whom Lawe suspected of being a dukun santet. Tiris in Probolinggo. Credit:Jewel Topsfield

Lawe's wife, a slight 19-year-old, tells us her husband's little brother had died last August. "My husband told me that when my brother-in-law was sick, he kept dreaming about the neighbour," Feni Sintawati says. "Why would he dream about him if it was nothing? I am sure there is something more to it." Another view of Tiris in Probolinggo. Credit:Jewel Topsfield It's hard to imagine a place where a sick person's dreams are taken more seriously than the eastern part of East Java, known as the Horseshoe region. For police, these dreams are a red flag that santet or black magic strife is brewing in the community. "It's the culture, something their ancestors believed strongly, something that they still believe," says Probolinggo police chief Arman Asmara Syarifudin. Police have adopted an emergency response involving "three pillars"  police, religious scholars and the health department  to handle santet cases. Doctors provide a diagnosis and try to persuade the sick person their illness has a physical cause and is not a result of black magic.

The religious scholar is called upon to reinforce this message. "We try to get them to sign a statement that clears the situation up," says Arman. If all else fails, the alleged sorcerer may participate in a ritual death known as a shrouded oath or sumpah pocong. They are wrapped in a white cloth, usually in a mosque, and asked to swear their innocence with a Koran raised above their head. "It rarely goes that far because often the accuser backs down," Arman says. "This is because with sumpah pocong it is believed that if the accused was telling the truth [and was not a sorcerer] there would be repercussions suffered by the accuser." In 2016 there were six santet cases in the district of Probolinggo alone. Of these, three resulted in death and another two of the suspected sorcerers were forced into exile. Arman says santet allegations are often used as a ploy to expel a villager who has an opposing view, or in some instances, to buy the property of the accused below market price. "People living in rural areas with lower education levels are very susceptible," he laments. "We have banners up, we have lectures, but it is deep rooted in the mindset of the people."

Herriman spent a year living in the East Javanese district of Banyuwangi, sometimes referred to as the "Warehouse of Sorcery". "Local residents reconcile Islam, the predominant religion, with the existence of magic by reasoning that magic and sorcery occur only by God's leave," he writes in Witch-hunt and Conspiracy. "In every village I researched, the inhabitants I spoke to reported that several other local residents were sorcerers." However, as Herriman points out, a belief in black magic is by no means restricted to simple, illiterate villagers. Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also native to East Java, complained that witchcraft was deployed against him during the 2009 election campaign. In his book There is Always a Choice he wrote of how he and his wife had to fight a "thick dark cloud" that was trying to enter the bedroom of their home in Bogor, West Java. "Alhamdulillah. Praise the Lord. My family was safe. The incident was like footage in a typical horror movie. But this really was happening. It was real."

It is already illegal in Indonesia to teach black magic or sell items that have dark powers. However a House of Representatives team tasked with deliberating on the criminal code wants to see a heavier punishment than the current three-month jail sentence and 450,000 rupiah ($A45) fine. An amended article would criminalise anyone who said they had the ability to perform black magic that could cause sickness or death. The maximum penalty would be five years' jail and a 300 million rupiah fine. The agreed provisions were aimed at preventing violent witch-hunts and ensuring public order, Taufiqulhadi, a Nasdem Party lawmaker, told the Jakarta Post in November. More than 800 kilometres and a world away from the House of Parliament in South Jakarta, the son of the alleged sorcerer Enja sits in a green-walled shack in Jambangan in Probolinggo. Syaiful smokes a cigarette and the darkness gathers around him. It is impossible, he tells us, for his mother Enja to have studied to acquire the dark and mystical powers of a dukun santet. "She worked on the farm, that's all she could do. She couldn't even write her own name."
For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser
Carty said he did not travel to Austria but met with VAMED overseas and several times locally.

PHILIPSBURG: --- In an exclusive interview with SMN News the Director of USZV Glen Carty and his adjunct director, Elton Felisie clarified a number of things that is taking place at USZV that SMN News wrote about in 2016.

Carty said that he did not travel to Austria to meet with the VAMED group, but admitted that he met with them in Miami and also met with VAMED officials several times on St. Maarten. Carty also admitted he did meet with Member of Parliament and leader of the UPP on the boardwalk, he claimed that meeting was a casual meeting and that even former Minister Cornelius de Weever was present. Carty insisted that meeting was not a business meeting but instead it was a casual so-called gathering which happened by coincidence.

Carty said he traveled to Miami with Dr. Felix Holiday, and Dr. Rombley from USZV to further discuss the construction of a new hospital on St. Maarten. He said that meeting was called to discuss the need for a new hospital on St. Maarten. He said at that time several of the stakeholders were not getting along and for that reason, they met at Westin Resort where the stakeholders all agreed that St. Maarten does need a new hospital and that a business plan is needed for VAMED to proceed. He said at that point a tripartite committee was formed with the stakeholders which are VSA, USZV and SMMC in order for them to develop a business plan since they all agreed that healthcare on St. Maarten has to be reformed. According to Carty the Inspectorate was also invited to the stakeholders meeting held at Westin but when asked to participate in the tripartite the inspectorate denied the offer.

Carty said over the years USZV has been operating as an insurance company and airline in order to execute referrals which according to him could be a nightmare for him and the USZV team. It should be noted that USZV is not an insurance company but instead they are an administrative body that has to follow the guidelines laid down by the law.

Asked if he realized that VAMED invested monies and time when they were asked to work with the intention that they would have been given the project without a bidding process. Carty explained that VAMED saw that SMMC wanted to expand the hospital and as such they contacted SMMC and after said they wanted to meet with USZV since the USZV is the main financier for SMMC. He also said that everyone including the tripartite, USZV and VAMED put time into the project and all parties spent monies. Carty said when someone wants to go fishing then they must throw a line in the water. Asked if St. Maarten provided the business plan to VAMED for them to provide the necessary financing. Carty said they did not complete the process and by then the government changed and as such the new Minister (Emil Lee) when he took office said he wanted the process stopped and he wanted a more transparent process whereby a bidding must take place. Carty said the Minister of VSA is responsible for healthcare, SMMC and USZV and he is the one that decides how the process must take place. He said in order for the bidding to take place they had to make a terms of reference. Carty said USZV did not use VAMEDs information for the terms of reference but instead gathered information from all the players involved. Asked about the photograph that was taken at the notary where the representative of INSO was present for the photo opportunity, Carty said that everyone was invited to be at the notary, however, VAMED and its representatives did not show up even though they were invited. Asked if he has anything to show that VAMED was invited there Carty said he was not the one that sent out the invitations, he did say that the other contractor BAM Philips was there. The bidders had to submit at certain time of the day and the bidders were asked to be present at the notary office when the envelopes were going to be open. Carty said everyone else was there except VAMED. Carty said in his view the bidding process was very intense, and open since all the envelopes were opened at the same time. However, VAMED told the court that they were not invited to be at the notarys office and that they were given a time frame in which their bid had to be submitted.

Backdated Landsbesluit

The Supervisory Board of USZV approved a policy on July 4th 2016 where it clearly states that the director of USZV has to report to them of any secondary function and or conflict of interest. SMN News presented Carty with the policy and he said that the Supervisory Board was well aware that he was working for UTS and yet they recommended him for the position. Indeed the supervisory board was well aware that Carty had another full-time job, thus is the reason they approved a policy which clearly stated that Carty had to go back to them for approval and the other reason why they made him the interim director of USZV.

Carty said that there is nothing like interim director instead he is the director of USZV for an unlimited period of time. Carty said his LB stated that he was appointed director until a replacement is found. However, since August 2016 Carty was signing all documents as the interim director of USZV which according to the rules and regulation of the country were done illegally.

Asked if he informed the Supervisory Board based on the policy they approved in July 4th 2016. Carty said that the Minister of VSA gave him the permission to hold both positions after having a discussion with UTS. Carty further stated that the Minister and UTS agreed to have him assist USZV until June 2017 but if he is needed for a longer period then the Minister will discuss that with UTS board of directors again. However, so far no recruitment drive to find an appropriate director has not yet begun while the board of directors of UTS already indicated to Carty that he has to make a choice at some point. However, Carty said that UTS did not ask him to take any decision on his position, he said that he is a change manager and his future will be decided by the Minister of VSA St. Maarten and the board of directors of UTS.

Based on article 5 of the national ordinance of USZV it states that the management and staff of USZV are obliged to provide the SBOD with any information that they requested in order to execute their task within a given timeframe. The director must consult with the SBOD on the establishment of rules and regulation for the management board of directors and the labor conditions for USZV staff that has to be in a labor regulation for USZV. The SBOD supervises the general operations of USZV while they have to monitor how the management board is managing the funds and other properties of USZV, while they are also tasked with providing advice to the CEO and Minister in matters relating to the operations of USZV and are also accountable to the Minister of VSA.

Asked why the governor backdated his LB while he was not screened for the position when he was appointed the interim director. Carty said that the backdating on his LB was done in order to protect him and USZV for decisions he took prior to his appointment. Clearly, the interim made some questionable decisions especially when he chose to use the AVO funds for investment purposes which are clearly laid down in the AOV law.

Carty also made clear that he does not have to report to the Supervisory Board of Directors of USZV because the Minister of VSA is his boss and what he does have to do is inform the SBOD. He said if the SBOD does not agree with the decisions he took then they have the rights to submit their grievances by letter to the Minister of VSA. Carty also said that the SBOD is an advisory body and he does not always have to take their advice. However, the SBOD is a statutory body that can be held responsible for any wrongdoing under their watch.

Carty said that everyone wants to know how he could manage two large organizations, for him that is a simple task because he is a leader and he does have a management team in each of the organizations.

Investing AOV Funds --- the law is not clear

Asked by SMN News if USZV used the AOV funds to invest in real estate, both Carty and Felisie said that SVB has been investing from the AOV funds since 1960 because the law did not state that they could not use the funds for investments. He also said that USZV has an investment committee in place who also gave them an advice on investments. Felisie said that the former supervisory board which he was part of put that policy in place and they also conducted an ALM study. Asked if there are any reserves in the AOV funds in the event of calamities. Both the director and adjunct director said the investments they made overseas are liquid and they could ask for their monies anytime and they will get it immediately. While the two main managers of USZV claims that the AVO funds can be invested the law clearly forbids it. Article 25 of the AOV national ordinance states that there needs to be a national decree containing general measures, with regulations regarding investments with monies from the AOV funds.

Referral committee will be established at SMMC and agreement signed with French Side.

Without divulging much information Carty said that they recently signed an agreement with the French side whereby SMMC can use specialists on the French side in cases of emergencies. He also said that they are busy with SMMC to establish a referral committee that will have medical professionals on board. However, this also seems to be a myth since SMMC does not have the staff and financing in place for such.

Consultants working for USZV

The directors said that USZV has four consultants working for them and that KPMG will not be consulting for USZV for the year 2017. They said that all expenses incurred by KPMG for the new hospital have to be paid by SMMC. Asked how SMMC could pay KMPG when they are bankrupt and did not even pay their taxes. Carty said that USZV pays SMMC often and when they are paid they have to pay KPMG. Adjunct director Felisie said that they inherited a number of legacies when they got on the management team. Asked if they the members of the current management team have members that were part of the former supervisory board. They are Glen Carty, Elton Felisie and Jeroen Veen (legal advisor) and if they were put in place to clean up the mess at USZV that occurred under their noses. Both directors said that when they were on the Supervisory Board they were not getting the kind of information from the former management of USZV. While USZV managers said that SMMC has to pay KPMG it leaves an open question as to whether KPMG was ever paid or if SMMC has to reimburse USZV.

ATS --- BAP contracts.

While USZV claim that ATS is doing an excellent job by collecting monies owed to USZV SMN News asked Carty and Felisie who really has the contract for the collection of outstanding debts since the BAP also have a contract with USZV. Carty said that BAP does have a contract with USZV to train the ATS workers. He said ATS is a foundation created by USZV since the intention is to employ locals. Asked why ATS workers are being housed at USZV and why are they using USZV vehicles, Carty and Felisie said that ATS is a foundation by USZV and that house them in order to cut cost.

Besides that, the USZV managers said that the only thing that will solve some of the problems the country is facing in healthcare is to be able to put the National Health Insurance (NHI) in place. They said St. Maarten will not re-invent the wheel but they are in consultation with Aruba to have this develop the legislations before the NHI can be put into action.

It should be noted that the two-hour interview with USZV director Glen Carty and Elton Felisie was recorded but USZV director Glen Carty requested that the audio of the interview remain unpublished which SMN News chose to respect.
Pond Island:--- The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Ms. Silveria Jacobs met with the management and staff of the Leonald Conner School on Wednesday, January 28th, 2017 to disseminate information on the way forward. The management and staff of LCS have been dispersed at Dr. Martin Luther King School, Marie Genevieve de Weever School, Ruby Labega School and the Prins Willem Alexander School since November 2016, and the former Charles Leopold Bell School as of December 2016. The move was intended to last approximately 4-6 weeks, however, the independent studies and financial assistance for the repairs at LCS is taking longer than expected. The management and staff of the LCS voiced their opinions on the current situation as well as came up with some short term solutions to assist with the situation. Minister Jacobs sympathized with the management and staff as she understands the current struggles they are faced with and guaranteed them that things will improve.

Minister Jacobs informed the management and staff that during the Council of Ministers meeting with the various industrial companies situated in the Cay Bay area, that all companies pledged to assist financially with regards to the electrical updates and A/C installations at the LCS.

NV GEBE, one of the companies which pledged to finance the emergency repairs and has included it in their 2017 budget. The project is expected to commence shortly and is projected to take approximately 4-6 weeks for completion. The Ministry of VSA has also enlisted the services of PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) to conduct an in-depth independent study in the Cay Bay area to ascertain the possible health risks. NV GEBE has also conducted a study as to the air quality and is awaiting the final report, while the Ministry of VROMI has also pledged to conduct an independent study to this effect.

Minister Jacobs further expressed that the situation at the LCS and the Cay Bay area has the full attention of government and specifically is a priority for the Ministry ECYS as well as the Ministries VSA and VROMI.

The Minister ECYS will also visit the CLB school to get a first-hand view of the challenges the management and staff are faced with at that location.
GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The St. Maarten Tourist Bureau (STB) in collaboration with the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) hosted the annual FCCA Holiday Gift program at the Marie Genevieve De Weever Primary School recently.

All the students received gifts, kind compliments of the member lines of the FCCA. They were also treated to pizza/refreshments and entertained by several characters, such as, Sponge Bob, Ben 10, Patrick and Diego.

The aforementioned was sponsored by the STB. On hand to address the students was Michael Granger of the Cabinet of Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Recently, the Council of Ministers hosted a New Years breakfast meeting to introduce key staff members to all ministers. The staff of the cabinets of the ministers, Secretaries General of the 7 Ministries, their replacement and their secretaries as well as the support unit of the Council of Ministers, the Secretariat of the Council, were invited and were introduced by the respective ministers. All Ministers, including the Minister Plenipotentiary, were present at the breakfast.

Ms. Cassandra Janssen, Secretary General to the Council of Ministers welcomed the staff to the event. Ms. Janssen explained that the Council of Ministers deemed it necessary to organize such a special session for these introductions as teamwork is essential in order to execute the vision and goals of the ministers. Knowing who is who within and across ministries are therefore key for the proper functioning of Government.

In general, the persons present welcomed the initiative and thanked the Council of Ministers for the gesture. In addition to the formal introductions, Prime Minister William Marlin took the opportunity to briefly provide basic information on the Governing Program to ensure that key players have a shared vision. In the near future, additional information sessions throughout the organization in relation to the Governing Program will be organized.

NIPA students under the leadership of Ms. Renata de Weever and Mr. Alexander Adoptie displayed their skills and catered for the breakfast. The staff present was served a healthy and hearty breakfast which included a mobile omelet station. The New Years breakfast meeting was conducted in the future area designated as the cafeteria of the new Government Administration Building.
Patrick Fa Si Oen sent on mandatory vacation to travel to Belgium to see if he could get registered, Fa Si Oen has two weeks to get registered.

WILLEMSTAD/ PHILIPSBURG: --- The medical director of the SEHOS, namely Dr. Franke Scheper has decided to send the unregistered surgeon Patrick Fa Si Oen on mandatory vacation for a period of two weeks in order for him to travel to Belgium to see if he could get registered there since that is where he studied as a medical doctor and not a specialist (surgeon). Sentiments are that Fa Si Oen cannot get this done in Belgium and if that turns out to be the case then he will not be able to practice at SEHOS as a surgeon.

SMN News understands that Fa Si Oen has his diplomas but does not have the MB which would declare him as a fully certified medical surgeon, thus on Thursday when Fa Si Oen met with the medical director of SEHOS he was handed a memo which clearly outlined that he is being sent on mandatory vacation for a period of two weeks to fix his documents in order for him to continue working at SEHOS as a surgeon. SMN News wrote in its first article that Patrick Fa Si Oen is not registered in the Netherlands and Belgium as a medical surgeon. On Thursday Fa Si Oen told a newspaper in Curacao that the information is incorrect and that he is registered in Curacao, but nowhere did he say if he is registered in the Netherlands or Belgium. Clearly, Dr. Fa Si Oen lied to the Curacao media who bought his story and tried to discredit SMN News. It is clear that the board of directors of SEHOS has some kind of axe to grind by sending Dr. Michel Berry on non-active duty for a communication failure while they are giving another quack the opportunity to get his paperwork in order rather than taking appropriate actions. The surgical board at SEHOS had intended to meet on Friday morning in order to make their position clear but that meeting did not take place.

The Inspector of health care Dr. Gersji Pereira told SMN News in an invited comment two days ago he was not involved in the investigation against Dr. Michel Berry but it turned out that the inspector is the one who supported the Board of Directors of SEHOS to send Berry on non-active duty and he is also supporting SEHOS with the decisions they have taken on how to handle the case that involves Dr. Patrick Fa Si Oen, whereby sending him on vacation to see if he could get registered in Belgium instead of using the same measures they used against Dr. Michel Berry and send Fa Si Oen on non-active duty and have him do the necessary courses in order for him to become a certified surgeon.

SMN News tried reaching Dr. Scheper for further comments on the ongoing saga at SEHOS but he has been ducking the calls. As for the Inspector Dr. Gersji Pereira he is upset that SMN News stated in its first article that he referred us to SEHOS since he claimed that he was looking in from the outside --- a blatant lie from someone who is supposed to ensure that proper healthcare is provided to all patients on Curacao and those from St. Maarten that are being sent to SEHOS. The Inspector Gersji Pereira told SMN News that he made an arrangement with the medical director of SEHOS that they would be the ones to communicate with the media for now.

It should be noted that SMN News will not cover up for anyone including the Inspector on Curacao who refused to take his responsibilities seriously and intervene when he has to in order to safeguard patients safety. When SMN News contacted the Inspector of Health Gersji Pereira said that the only thing the Inspectorate has to say at this moment is that Quality Care can be assured. However, he refused to comment on the unequal treatment and the silence of the medical director of SEHOS with regards to the investigation that led them to find out that they have an unregistered surgeon working at SEHOS for over a decade.
AdColony Appoints Jeff Hackett as Senior Vice President of U.S. Brand Sales

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 Owens promotion from EVP Brand Sales, North America to CRO, Global Brand. Both executive moves support the companys global mission to deliver the highest quality advertising experiences for todays mobile world. Hackett will be based in AdColonys 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. Im looking forward to Jeff and Mikes 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 AdColonys 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 companys partnerships across marketer, agency, publisher and platform customers and partners. Hackett also pioneered efforts that introduced greater accountability to mobile advertising in bringing comScores mobile audience and advertising effectiveness solutions to market. Hacketts 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 cant 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 todays 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 , Mike Owen is stepping into a global focused role guiding the companys brand sales efforts on a worldwide, unified scale. Owen formerly served as EVP Brand Sales, North America, helping drive Opera Mediaworks/AdColonys 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 Jeffs leadership to show what Todays Primetime has to offer for brands.

AdColony continues to focus globally on delivering Todays 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 Owens moves are immediately effective. To learn more about this news, please visit .

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 todays primetime apps and sites, AdColony is trusted by Fortune 500 brands and more than 85% of the worlds 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.

Hollis Guerra

Blast PR for AdColony
SEB Announces Increase to Private Placement Offering

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO  (Marketwired)  01/19/17  Smart Employee Benefits Inc. (SEB or the Company) (TSX VENTURE: SEB) announces that further to its press release dated January 6, 2017 regarding a $5 million unit offering (the Offering), the TSX Venture Exchange has granted the Company approval to increase the maximum size of the Offering from $5 million to $6 million. The increased size of the Offering is in response to the Companys objective of raising additional capital to take advantage of Benefits Division opportunities and indications of interest from investors.

Aggregate proceeds of $3,204,445 have been raised in the Offering to date. Insiders have contributed approximately $1.3 million of this amount. A subsequent third tranche of the Offering is expected to close on or around January 31, 2017. Insiders have committed approximately $600,000 to the third tranche. Other investors have committed over $300,000 to the third tranche.

About SEB

Smart Employee Benefits Inc.s global infrastructure is comprised of two operating divisions: Technology and Benefits. The Technology Division currently serves corporate and government clients across Canada and internationally. The Benefits Division focuses on offering SAAS and BPO solutions in the Health Benefits Sector to corporate and government clientele. The Benefits Division operates as a client of the Technology Division. The Technology Division is a critical competitive advantage in supporting the implementation of SEBs benefits processing solutions into client environments. Benefits Processing is a high-growth specialty practice area.

The core expertise of both divisions is data processing. Emphasis is on automating business processes utilizing SEB proprietary software solutions combined with solutions of third parties through joint ventures and partnerships.

Acquisitions, joint ventures, and RFP wins will continue to be dominant influences in driving growth in both divisions. Growth emphasis for fiscal 2017 is in the Benefits Division.

For further information about SEB, please visit .

The statements made in this release that are not historical facts contain forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties. All statements, including statements regarding the Companys areas of focus, other than statements of historical facts, which address the Companys expectations, should be considered as forward-looking statements and therefore subject to various risks and uncertainties. The words may, will, could, should, would, suspect, outlook, believe, plan, anticipate, estimate, expect, intend, forecast, objective, hope and continue (or the negative thereof), and words and expressions of similar import, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Such forward-looking statements are based on knowledge of the environment in which the Company currently operates, but because of the factors listed herein, as well as other factors beyond the Companys control, actual results may differ materially from the expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation, and does not intend, to update, revise or otherwise publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, or to reflect the occurrence of any unanticipated events, other than as required by applicable law.

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:

Smart Employee Benefits Inc.

John McKimm

President/CEO/CIO

Office: (888) 939-8885 x 354

Cell: (416) 460-2817
MOBI724 Global Solutions (CSE: MOS) Invites Current and Future Investors to a Webinar for a Material Management Update

MONTREAL, QUEBEC  (Marketwired)  01/19/17  MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. (MOBI724 or the Company) (CSE: MOS)(CSE: MOS.CN), a FinTech leader offering integrated EMV payment, Card-Linked Offers and Digital Marketing, hereby invites its current shareholders as well as the public to assist a webinar presided by Marcel Vienneau, CEO of MOBI724 to provide a material management update and to answer questions. In compliance with Canadian Securities Regulations, the Company advises that management has requested, on a voluntary basis, that the trading on the MOBI724 shares be halted temporarily due to the dissemination of material news and the presentation the management update webinar.

Interested parties may log in at the following web address:

Please register for Management update on Jan 19, 2017 1:00 PM EST

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Brought to you by GoToWebinar

Webinars Made Easy

About MOBI724 Global Solutions

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. (CSE: MOS)(CSE: MOS.CN), a leader in the FinTech industry, offers a unique and fully integrated suite of Card-Link Offers, Digital Marketing and EMV Payment solutions.

MOBI724 is innovating the market with a combined EMV payment, Card-Linked Offers and Digital Marketing Platform that works on any payment card and any mobile device. MOBI724 pioneered the addition of intelligence to all types of transactions benefiting banks, retailers and cardholders. MOBI724 succeeds in leveraging all available user and purchasing data to increase transaction volumes and spend.

MOBI724 provides a turnkey solution to clients to capture payment card transactions on any mobile device, at any POS or from any payment card. Our easy-to-adapt gateway switch is designed for simple integration with all payment protocols.

Within the same suite, MOBI724 combined its Card-Linked Offers solution and provided payment card issuers, banks and retailers with the ability to add offers and/or coupons, which can be redeemed directly at the POS in a seamless user experience for all the parties in the ecosystem.

MOBI724 provides its customers with full and comprehensive traceability and enriched consumer data through its offering. Its solutions enable card associations, payment card issuers, banks and retailers to create, manage, deliver and track and measure incentive campaigns worldwide to any payment card, to any mobile device and allow redemption at any POS.

MOBI724 s credit and debit EMV payment solutions allow banks to process end-to-end EMV transactions, focusing on authentication, PCI security and quick merchant adoption, which allows to process payments with a wide range of devices.

MOBI724 Global Solutions unleashes the true potential of both Card-Link Offers and smart payment transactions.

Certain statements in this document, including those which express managements expectations or estimations with regard to the Companys future performance, constitute forward-looking statements as understood by applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are, of necessity, based on a certain number of estimates and hypotheses; while management considers these to be accurate at the time they are expressed, they are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and risks on the commercial, economic and competitive levels. We advise readers that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other known and unknown factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Investors are advised to not rely unduly on the forward-looking statements. This advisory applies to all forward-looking statements, whether expressed orally or in writing, attributed to the Company or to any individual expressing them in the name of the Company. Unless required by law, the Company is under no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events, or other circumstances.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed this news release and does not accept responsibility for its adequacy or accuracy. This news release does not constitute a solicitation to buy or sell any securities in the United States.

Contacts:

MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc.

Marcel Vienneau

1-514-394-5200 x 413
Tarpon Caye Lodge Excites Fly Fishers at the Fly Fishing Show

MARLBOROUGH, MA Anglers will be attending the Fly Fishing Show in Marlbourgh, MA by the thousands. Fly fishers come to attend fly-tying demos, seminars, casting demonstrations and aisles full of exhibits featuring the latest in fly fishing gear and destinations for travel.

Among the exhibitors will be [Tarpon Caye Lodge](http://www.tarponcaye.com/) a fly fishing destination lodge in Placencia, Belize. The lodge is located right in the middle of the Victoria Channel, known as Permit Alley for the amazing permit habitat it contains. There are literally miles and miles of pristine flats in this area.

Tarpon Caye Lodge ([http://www.tarponcaye.com](http://www.tarponcaye.com/)) is unique because its on an island right in the middle of some of the best flats fishing in Belize for permit, tarpon and bonefish.

Our guides know that your best shot at a Permit will be during the four hour period surrounding a high tide said Kevin McDevitt. At Tarpon Caye Lodge fly fishers plan their fishing day around these peak windows of opportunity. If high tide is at 6:00 am, set the alarm for 5:00, grab a cup of coffee and a muffin, and jump in the boat with the guide, (who is also staying at the lodge) and be on a flat in five minutes for the best opportunity on a permit!

This year the show is at the Best Western Royal Plaza Trade Center and is the start for many to the angling season.

Over 150 exhibitors will be at the Fly Fishing Show showing off the latest rods, reels, clothing, flies, resorts and lodges and well be right in the middle of it all said McDevitt.

Gary Borger, Bob Clouser, Jeff Currier, and Sheila Hassen will be demonstrating to visitors how to sharpen their casting skills and for those interested in fly tying there will be demonstrations by some of the best including Alan Caolo, Joe Cordeiro, Ed Engle and Bob Popovics.

The International Fly Fishing Film Festival gets started on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available for $15.

Everyone has a chance to win more than $60,000 in door prizes. These, include trips to incredible fly fishing destinations in Bolivia, Mexico, Alaska and Canada.

Attendees can purchase a one-day pass for the [Fly Fishing Show](http://flyfishingshow.com/) at the door for $15 or multi-day passes as well.
Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Want to receive the latest top stories from around Bath straight to your inbox?

An award-winning headteacher who resigned from a Somerset school has had an apology from a former member of her staff for comments she made online.

Former headteacher of the Academy of Trinity Primary in Radstock, Pepe Hart, 47, won a defamation claim against former employee teacher Kate Mimnagh, who said her working with children could be a "massive safeguarding issue".

A statement read by Ms Mimnagh's barrister at Bristol County Court said she "withdraws the allegation and hereby publicly and unequivocally apologises".

Ms Hart was teacher of the year at the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain awards in 2008 and recruitment agency Reed's manager of the year in 2014.

But she left Trinity Primary on December 2015, citing bullying on social media as her reason for leaving, according to the Daily Mirror .

She told the newspaper: "This is a landmark victory for heads and others subjected to similar abuse online."

Following the case a spokesman from the National Union of Teachers said: "A settlement was reached whereby both sides agreed to conclude the case without any payment of damages to Pepe Hart. We did however make some contribution to the claimant's costs and offered an apology."
Offshore wind power: Expansion forges steadily ahead federal government inhibiting further momentum.

New offshore wind turbines with a total capacity of 818 megawatts went online in 2016. The industry views this expansion as positive and expects that, combined with optimised turbine technology and operating concepts, this will also lead to cost reduction in the forthcoming tendering processes in Germany. This momentum will however be upset by the reduced expansion targets after 2020 that are part of the 2017 Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). These reduced expansion targets will also lead to a number of missed opportunities for the industry.

Last year, 156 new offshore wind turbines with an overall capacity of 818 megawatts fed their power into the German grid for the first time. This brought the total number of turbines on grid by the end of 2016 to 947, with a total capacity of 4,108 megawatts. In all positive figures according to the Working Group for Offshore Wind Energy (AGOW), the German Wind Energy Association (BWE), the Offshore Wind Energy Foundation, VDMA Power Systems and the WAB Wind Energy Agency. The amount of power generated by offshore wind turbines was around 13 terawatt-hours in 2016. This represents an increase of almost 57 per cent compared to the 8.3 terawatt-hours generated in 2015. This consolidates offshore wind powers position in the German power mix, supplying around 3 million households with electricity. This roughly corresponds to the combined number of households in Berlin and the state of Brandenburg. Another 21 turbines with a total capacity of 123 megawatts were fully erected in the previous year, and are currently being connected to the grid. Offshore expansion will continue with about 1,400 megawatts in 2017 followed by a steady average of around 1,000 megawatts a year until 2019.

Cost reduction is also coming to Germany

The latest tendering results in Denmark and the Netherlands have shown that the greater the project volumes the more significant the cost reductions. This is also to be expected here in Germany, even if the conditions in the aforementioned countries are not exactly the same as in Germany: wind farm lifetimes and output volumes vary, and this has an appropriate effect on the calculation of the project costs. Unlike in Germany, operators in Denmark and the  2  Netherlands do not have to bear the costs for the transformer platforms. The projects there are also significantly nearer the coast, leading to additional cost reductions.

2020 and 2021: Reduced expansion volume burdens the industry

The number of jobs, currently at 20,000, in the industry is anticipated to initially remain stable, whereby there will be a shift of focus towards maintenance and operation of existing wind farms. The industrys situation looks to be critical in 2021/2022, for when federal government has limited expansion to 500 megawatts a year. The reduction of the expansion volume and the rigid setting of annual volumes are a strain on value creation for the offshore wind industry in Germany. This overshadows the positive changes of the EEG 2017 in December such as the extension of the permissible service life of the turbines beyond the EEG funding period to 25 years.

Security of grid connection necessary for planning and investment security

A reliable political framework and substantial expansion volumes are needed if the offshore wind industry is to be able to achieve further cost reductions in Germany. This includes swifter grid expansion both offshore and on land. The industry supports the efforts of federal and state governments, and the grid operators in this respect.

Source

WAB e.V. 2017
Justin Omans of Roseville said he was devastated to learn his mothers' body was discovered in the covered bed of a truck.
Mex Express Grill blends authenticity, value and speed

Mex Express Grill recently opened in the spot that was occupied by a long-time neighborhood tavern in South Bend.
Five young ladies will compete in the fifth Blue Revue Finer Young Lady Pageant in Georgetown on Saturday, Jan. 26. Pictured, from left, are Tamyra Valentine, India Fairley, Teemonnie Reid, Destiny Grate and Aaleiya Winns.
Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 66F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.
Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city.

Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea
UrtheCast's high-resolution camera, Iris, is mounted on the exterior of the Russian segment of the International Space Station on a platform that allows it to point at specific targets on the ground.

The company said this week that "a confidential government customer" has purchased the first two satellites of its OptiSAR system, an agreement valued at $180 million that includes shared operation of the entire constellation.

UrtheCast is developing a constellation of 16 satellites that will provide high-resolution optical and synthetic aperture radar images.

The company plans to launch the first eight satellites in late 2021. [UrtheCast]

More News

The European Space Agency is investigating problems with the atomic clocks on its Galileo navigation satellites. The clock failures are spread across several satellites, and involve both traditional rubidium clocks and a more precise hydrogen maser version. All the Galileo spacecraft launched to date remain in service, but one has only two its original four atomic clocks still operating. It's unclear yet if the problems will delay the next launch of four Galileo satellites planned for later this year. [BBC]

Mobile satellite operator Thuraya said it has not had any contact with the Chinese company that wants to acquire it. In a statement, Thuraya said that it has not had "any discussion of any kind" with China Trend Holding Ltd. of Hong Kong. China Trend said in filings with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that it was raising $195 million to acquire Thuraya, which operates two satellites in GEO and is planning a next-generation constellation called Futura. [SpaceNews]

Bigelow Aerospace is in discussions with NASA about potential extended use of the company's experimental ISS module. The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) was installed on the station last year for a two-year test of its key technologies. Bigelow, in a tweet Wednesday, said the company and NASA "are in agreement to evolve BEAM into becoming an everyday asset aboard the ISS," although both NASA and Bigelow said later no agreement has been reached yet. Bigelow, which has proposed installing a larger commercial module on the station as a step towards a standalone commercial station, previously indicated there were groups interested in flying experiments in BEAM. [SpaceNews]

An Atlas 5 is set to launch a missile warning satellite tonight. The Atlas 5, carrying the SBIRS GEO-3 satellite, is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 7:46 p.m. Eastern. The rocket rolled out to the pad Wednesday, and forecasts project an 80 percent chance of acceptable weather for the launch. The launch was delayed from October to investigate a potential issue with the satellite's propulsion system, but engineers found no problems with the engine. [Florida Today]

NASA and NOAA announced Wednesday that 2016 was the hottest year on Earth since records were kept more than a century ago. The agencies performed independent analysis of data collected on Earth and from space to reach that finding, beating a record set in 2015. Scientists said they don't expect 2017 to be another record-breaking year as the El Nino pattern fades, but that those global records will be broken again within a few years as a long-term warming trend continues. [Reuters]

The incoming Trump administration is considering a controversial computer scientist as science adviser. David Gelernter met with President-elect Trump earlier this week in New York, and those involved in the transition say he is being considered for the science adviser post held in the Obama administration by John Holdren. Gelernter, a professor of computer science at Yale University, is described as a "vehement critic of modern academia." Gelernter would be the first computer scientist to hold the position of science adviser, but also the first not to be a member of the National Academy of Sciences. [Washington Post]

A Chinese satellite has started tests of "unhackable" quantum communications.The Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS) satellite, launched in August, has completed its in-orbit tests and has been handed over to scientists. The satellite is designed to test a concept known as quantum entanglement that could enable the transmission of messages that cannot be decrypted by conventional techniques. [gbtimes]

India has delayed the next launch of its GSLV rocket. The Indian space agency ISRO says it is now planning the launch of its GSLV Mark 3 rocket, carrying the GSAT-19 communications satellite, for March or April, depending on the outcome of ongoing tests and the availability of a launch pad. The launch will be the first orbital flight of the Mark 3 version of the GSLV, which features an Indian-developed cryogenic engine with improved performance over earlier versions. [Deccan Chronicle]

A former astronaut has been selected to run a Texas A&M University campus.The university said Wednesday that Mike Fossum will be the chief operating officer of its Galveston campus, as well as a university vice president and executive professor. Fossum left the agency this month after a career that included flying on two shuttle missions and an ISS expedition. [Texas A&M]

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
The globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces for 2016 was the highest among all years since record keeping began in 1880.

Updated at 3:02 p.m. ET.

2016 was the hottest year on Earth since record keeping began more than 130 years ago, and humans are mostly to blame, scientists reported today (Jan. 18).

Last year's average temperatures over land and sea surfaces were the highest ever seen since 1880, and were 1.69 degrees Fahrenheit (0.94 degrees Celsius) above the 20th-century average, according to scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Across the planet, there was not a single land area that experienced lower-than-average temperatures for the year, they said.

In fact, 2016 marks the third consecutive record-warm year for the globe. Every month from January through August became the warmest such month on record, according to NOAA. Moreover, the 16 successive months from May 2015 to August 2016 either broke or tied the previous record for that month, the researchers said.

"This was the third year in a row in our analysis to set a new record," Deke Arndt, chief of the global monitoring branch at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina, told reporters today. "That happened only once before in our record, and that was in the years 1939 through 1941, which now don't even fit in the top 30 [hottest years] of the record." [The Year in Climate Change: 2016's Most Depressing Stories]

The poles are also feeling the heat. An estimate of the average annual sea-ice extent in 2016 in the Arctic was the lowest annual average on record: 3.92 million square miles (10.1 million square kilometers), according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

"You can see 2016 certainly scraped the bottom of this record, and at times, especially during the Northern Hemisphere's spring months and in the last two-and-a-half months of the year, set new records for small sea-ice extent," Arndt said.

The annual temperature cycle from 1880 to 2016. (Image credit: NASA/Joshua Stevens, Earth Observatory)

Meanwhile, the Arctic was almost 7.2 degrees F (4 degrees C) warmer in 2016 than it was in preindustrial times, said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. "That's really a very large change," he said.

The El Nino (a climate cycle characterized by unusually warm temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean) that spanned 2015 and 2016 contributed to the warmer temperatures, but the vast majority of the warming  90 percent  was due to human activity, mainly through the emission of greenhouse gases, Schmidt said.

The researchers noted that they used global climate models to determine how different factors  including the natural impacts of volcanoes, solar changes and variations in Earth's orbit, as well as human-related impacts, such as greenhouse gases  contributed to climate change.

"We find the individual fingerprints for all of those different things," Schmidt said. "And then we look at all of the data sets  not just the surface air temperatures, but the data sets from the upper atmosphere and stratosphere and the deep ocean."

These models show that over time, the natural-component contribution to the record warmth "is very close to zero," Schmidt said. "Pretty much all of the long-term trend that you're seeing is the result of human activity, and the dominant part of that is the increase in greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide."

In addition to looking at NASA and NOAA data, the researchers analyzed global temperature data sets from three other sources: the United Kingdom's Met Office; an adaptation of the Met Office's data set from researchers Kevin Cowtan, a chemist at the University of York, and Robert Way, a doctoral student of geography at the University of Ottawa; and temperature data from the California-based independent nonprofit organization Berkeley Earth. [Earth in the Balance: 7 Crucial Tipping Points]

The analyses have slight differences from year to year, but "they are capturing the same long-term signal" that the planet is warming rapidly, Arndt said. "I like to say that these data sets are all singing the same song, even if they're hitting different notes along the way," Arndt noted. "The pattern is very clear."

Six different datasets showing the climate change warming trend over time. (Image credit: NASA/NOAA)

The researchers declined to say whether the newly released data had a takeaway for the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office this Friday (Jan. 20).

"We provide these assessments and these analyses for the benefit of the American people," Arndt said. "Our mission is strictly to describe the state of the climate and our methods on how we got there."

Original article on Live Science.
Ahead of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration today (Jan. 20), here are six things to know about the soon-to-be-president's actions and projected plans relating to NASA.

Trump likely will have to make big decisions about NASA's plans for Mars.

The incoming president likely will have to make decisions regarding a few key NASA programs, according to space policy experts who spoke with Space.com prior to the Nov. 8 election. [Top Space Issues Facing President-Elect Donald Trump]

Currently, NASA is planning to send humans to Mars as early as the 2030s using a heavy-lift rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS) that the agency is building in-house. NASA also will use the Orion spacecraft to carry humans atop the SLS. The Orion spacecraft has undergone one test flight; the SLS has yet to complete a test launch. The SLS will have the boost necessary to propel humans to the moon, Mars or other deep-space destinations, and there is currently no other operating rocket with that kind of power.

"The next president is inheriting a space program that has this nascent ambition to go to Mars but doesn't have hardware actually flying yet," Casey Dreier, director of space policy at The Planetary Society, told Space.com in November. "So there's a lot of opportunity for the next administration to say, 'Should we continue these [programs]? What will the direction be? Do we want to commit to supporting these programs as is? Do we change them? Do we cancel them?'  So it's a big question mark."

In his 2011 budget request, President Barack Obama effectively canceled NASA's Constellation Program, which would have returned humans to the moon, although pieces of the Constellation Program were folded into the SLS and Orion programs. There is debate among human-spaceflight experts about whether building a more permanent human presence on the moon is a necessary step on the way to sending humans to Mars.

As president, Trump may not cancel NASA's Mars mission entirely, but it's possible that the next administration will tell the agency to cancel the SLS program and instead utilize the heavy-lift rocket being developed by the private spaceflight company SpaceX, Brian Berger, managing editor of SpaceNews, said during a webinar shortly after Trump's election. The Falcon Heavy rocket will also have the ability to send a spacecraft all the way to Mars. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has laid out his long-term goals for colonizing Mars; in the near term, the company plans to send its own uncrewed spacecraft to Mars as early as 2018. Supporters of the SLS program have argued that two transportation systems to the Red Planet would be safer for astronauts (so if either rocket system failed during a supply delivery, for example, there would be a backup).

Beyond NASA's Mars program, Trump could have to make decisions regarding NASA's commitment to the International Space Station. The agency is committed to its current level of funding for the station through 2024. Agency representatives have said they hope private industry will take up a bigger role in low-Earth-orbit activities. Right now, the station serves as a national laboratory, where scientists and private companies can conduct research in microgravity. Members of private industry have spoken about the possibility of shifting microgravity research into private space stations.

Trump sent an "experience landing team" to NASA.

President-elect Trump has sent "landing teams" to some of the major federal agencies in order to assist in the transition to the new administration. The NASA landing team consists mainly of people who have experience working for or with NASA.

Leading the team is Chris Shank, who worked as NASA's director of strategic investments from 2005 to 2009. Until recently, Shank served as policy director for the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, and prior to that, he was deputy chief of staff for Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the committee.

Other members of the transition team include former NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus, who flew to space three times and has been executive director of The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics since 2012; and Steve Cook, who was in charge of the Ares 1 and Ares 5 rocket programs at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and has also worked in the industry since leaving NASA.

The benefit of an experienced landing team is that the current NASA employees "can skip the 'NASA 101' lesson and dive right into a lot of the details" of various programs, according to Jeff Foust, a senior writer at SpaceNews. (SpaceNews is a Space.com syndication partner.) Foust spoke during a session focused on the presidential transition at the 229th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Grapevine, Texas, earlier this month.

Foust also noted that the transition team members' opinions do not necessarily reflect the stances that the Trump administration will take on issues pertaining to NASA.

Recently, Robert Lightfoot, NASA's associate administrator, announced that some of the transition team members will remain at the agency past Jan. 20. (Typically, transition teams depart once the president-elect is sworn into office.)

Trump has not yet appointed the top leaders who will influence space policy.

Trump has nominated candidates for a number of federal leadership positions, including for the head of the Department of Energy, but he has not chosen nominees for the positions of NASA administrator, NASA deputy administrator or head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. (The latter is often referred to as the "White House science adviser.")

It's not atypical for a new NASA administrator to be nominated weeks or months after a president is inaugurated. Obama did not nominate former astronaut Charles Bolden to the position until May 2009, and Bolden wasn't approved by Congress until July of that year. A few names have been floated by industry insiders for potential NASA administrator candidates, according to an article by SpaceNews. Until a NASA administrator is appointed, Lightfoot will serve as acting administrator.

The panel of speakers at the AAS presidential session seemed more concerned that a nominee had not been selected for the position of White House science adviser. Rick Mertens, associate director of the Office of Federal Relations for the Texas A&M University System, said he had heard rumors that the president might not appoint anyone to that position.

"That remains to be seen," Mertens said. "But it can be a very critical position, not only in helping set policy in the science area for the next president, but [also in having]  someone that is a point person to explain [to the president] how they're handling science within the administration."

Trump may try to reduce or eliminate NASA's Earth Science department.

It's possible that Trump will side with some members of Congress in a push to reduce or eliminate NASA's Earth Science program. In an op-ed for SpaceNews published on Oct. 19, 2016, Robert S. Walker and Peter Navarro, who acted as advisers to the Trump campaign, said "NASA should be focused primarily on deep-space activities rather than Earth-centric work that is better handled by other agencies."

This stance is not new, however. Members of Congress  including Smith and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness  have said that Earth science falls outside NASA's mission and should be handled by another agency (most likely the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA). NASA officials have pushed back against that characterization and have emphasized that Earth science is an important aspect of the agency's mission.

Recently, Michael Freilich, head of NASA's Earth Science division, said he anticipates a stable budget for the program for the remainder of the fiscal year (which ends Sept. 30).Freilich has also encouraged scientists in the Earth Science division to remain calm in the face of an uncertain future.

Trump may reinstate a National Space Council.

Trump may have plans to reinstate the National Space Council (NSC), an advisory body within the Executive Office that would make recommendations to the president regarding space policy. President George H.W. Bush maintained a National Space Council from 1988 to 1993.

An Oct. 19 op-ed written by Walker and Navarro announced the possibility of reinstating the NSC. The authors wrote that incoming Vice President Mike Pence would chair the space council.

Experts have noted, however, that reinstating a national space policy council doesn't guarantee that the president will make space a priority, and it doesn't provide any insight into the specific policies or programs that the president might support.

"It's utterly up to [the] president how much he or she listens to [the council]," Dreier told Space.com prior to the Nov. 8 election. Appointing a space council is "not a bad thing, but it's not a slam dunk, either," Dreier said. "It is an encouraging sign that [space] will be taken seriously, but it's not a requirement."

Experts interviewed by Space.com have also expressed concerns about the potential downsides of reinstating the council.

Trump will likely support NASA partnerships with private spaceflight companies.

Trump hasn't offered many details about his plans for science or space policy, according to the speakers in the presidential session at the AAS meeting. Trump's lack of details on space policy is not surprising, however, because space isn't a major campaign issue, so candidates aren't pushed to make strong commitments regarding space, according to the panelists.

But prior to the Nov. 8 election, the Trump campaign did express its support for public-private partnerships in spaceflight, which very likely means that under Trump's administration, NASA will continue to offer contracts to private companies such as SpaceX and Boeing for certain tasks, like sending supplies to the International Space Station.

"Public-private partnerships should be the foundation of our space efforts," Walker and Navarro wrote in the Oct. 19 SpaceNews op-ed. "Such partnerships offer not only the benefit of reduced costs, but the benefit of partners capable of thinking outside of bureaucratic structures and regulations."

That stance is essentially in line with what NASA is already doing. The agency has a long history of working with private companies to fulfill various needs within its spaceflight and science programs. NASA relies on companies such as Orbital ATK, Cygnus, SpaceX and Boeing to provide rockets and spacecraft that the agency uses to send nonhuman payloads into space. NASA is now entering new territory as it prepares to send humans to space aboard commercially built spacecraft.

Late last month, the Trump transition team added Charles Miller to the NASA landing team. Miller served as NASA's senior adviser for commercial space from 2009 to 2012, but he's spent most of his career with commercial spaceflight companies. Miller also founded a lobbying group focused on commercial spaceflight issues, according to SpaceNews. The move to add Miller to the landing team seems to signal the administration's interest in fostering private partnerships with the agency.

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Some speculate that incoming President Donald Trump is considering supporting a revamped humans-to-Mars program.

Trump reportedly talked about Mars exploration and public-private partnerships with Elon Musk during a meeting.

Trump also talked with historian Douglas Brinkley about the Apollo program and how it brought the country together in the 1960s. [Washington Post]

More News

Technical and range issues scrubbed Thursday night's scheduled launch of a missile warning satellite on an Atlas 5. The launch was first delayed by sensor problems with the rocket, and later when an aircraft entered restricted airspace. The launch has been rescheduled for 7:42 p.m. Eastern tonight, with a 40-minute launch window. The Atlas is carrying the SBIRS GEO-3 satellite, designed to detect launches of ballistic missiles. [SpaceNews]

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee is criticizing the Defense Department for cuts in space-related R&D. A report issued this week by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) noted that while threats to space assets are growing "with alarming speed," the Defense Department has cut research and development spending on space systems from $5 billion a year to less than $1 billion from 2009 to 2016. McCain, in a report that broadly addressed requirements for defense spending, said that "space must be a priority for additional funding" in the years to come to counter those emerging threats. [SpaceNews]

OHB System is working to speed up production of its line of small geostationary satellites. The first SmallGEO satellite, Hispasat 36W-1, is scheduled to launch next week, seven years after it was ordered. OHB said technical challenges stretched out the production time of that satellite, and expects to build future satellites in about three years. [SpaceNews]

Atomic clock problems are casting doubts on launch plans for future Galileo spacecraft. While ESA had previously planned to launch four more Galileo satellites on an Ariane 5 in August, the agency will only commit now to launching them before the end of the year. ESA Director General Jan Woerner said at a briefing this week that no decision has been made yet on delaying the launch. [SpaceNews]

The Trump administration is reportedly planning significant budget cuts. Plans being developed by his adviers call for "dramatic" cuts to non-defense programs, including major changes in various cabinet-level agencies. The report did not specifically address potential cuts to NASA programs, or space-related programs at other agencies, like NOAA. [The Hill]

Sen. Deb Fischer is the new head of the Senate subcommittee responsible for military space issues. The Nebraska Republican was named this week the chair of the strategic forces subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee. That subcommittee was previously chaired by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who has been nominated to become Attorney General. The subcommittee's responsibilities include oversight of U.S. Strategic Command, headquartered in Fischer's home state. [SpaceNews]

Terrestrial microbes could survive in the tenuous atmosphere of Mars, according to a new study. Scientists studied several types of microbes known as methanogens, which do not require oxygen and could live just below the surface of Mars. They tested the microbes by exposing them to atmospheric conditions like those found on Mars. The microbes survived in that environment during experiments lasting up to three weeks. Future tests plan to study how the microbes handle both Martian atmospheric conditions and low temperatures. [Space.com]

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
President Donald Trump waves on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C. He became the 45th president of the United States during the inauguration ceremony.

President Donald Trump took the oath of office in Washington, D.C., today (Jan. 20) and mentioned space exploration  if for one fleeting moment  as one of the paths forward to make America great again.

"No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again," Trump said in his inaugural address. "We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions." [50 Years of Presidential Visions for Space Exploration]

It was a brief space reference for sure, but a reference nonetheless, and it got me thinking about when space has appeared in the inaugural speeches of presidents of old. Here's a look back at how space exploration popped up in past presidents' inaugural addresses, dating back to nearly the dawn of the space age:

President Lyndon Johnson

President Lyndon Johnson mentioned space exploration during his inaugural speech on Jan. 20, 1965. Johnson had become president on Nov. 22, 1963, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. At the time, the United States and Soviet Union were locked in a space race to the moon and Kennedy had challenged NASA to achieve a crewed lunar landing by the end of the decade. It was a challenge that NASA, and the country, would ultimately meet.

You can see video of Johnson's full inaugural address here via C-SPAN. At the time of his address, NASA's Mariner 4 mission was en route to Mars. Johnson would refer to Mars as a theme of change and unity during his speech, starting with:

"Even now, a rocket moves toward Mars," Johnson said (it's at the 1:40-minute mark in the video). "It reminds us that the world will not be the same for our children, or even for ourselves, in a short span of years."

According to a transcript of Johnson's speech, he wrote that seeing Earth from a Mars-bound rocket would inspire a sense of unity.

"Think of our world as it looks from the rocket that is heading toward Mars. It is like a child's globe, hanging in space, the continents stuck to its side like colored maps. We are all fellow passengers on a dot of Earth. And each of us, in the span of time, has really only a moment among our companions. How incredible it is that in this fragile existence, we should hate and destroy one another. There are possibilities enough for all who will abandon mastery over others to pursue mastery over nature. There is world enough for all to seek their happiness in their own way."

Mariner 4 successfully flew by Mars later that year, on July 15, 1965. It was NASA's first successful Mars flight and returned 21 pictures of the Red Planet. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is named in honor of President Johnson, who hailed from Texas.

Richard Nixon

On Jan. 20, 1969, President Richard Nixon cited space exploration and its promise for the future several times during his first inaugural speech. The speech occurred just weeks after NASA's Apollo 8 mission, which sent three astronauts around the moon and captured the iconic photo of Earth rising over the lunar surface. You can watch the full speech on C-SPAN.

"In throwing wide the horizons of space, we have discovered new horizons on Earth," Nixon said in his speech.

Later, Nixon cited the peaceful exploration of space as a path forward for international competition:

"Those who would be our adversaries, we invite to a peaceful competition  not in conquering territory or extending dominion, but in enriching the life of man," he said. "As we explore the reaches of space, let us go to the new worlds together, not as new worlds to be conquered, but as a new adventure to be shared."

With the Apollo 8 mission by astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders so fresh in the public's memory, Nixon returned to the mission and its Earth photo in a reference to the pursuit of peace:

"Only a few short weeks ago, we shared the glory of man's first sight of the world as God sees it, as a single sphere reflecting light in the darkness. As the Apollo astronauts flew over the moon's gray surface on Christmas Eve, they spoke to us of the beauty of Earth, and in that voice so clear across the lunar distance, we heard them invoke God's blessing on its goodness.

"In that moment, their view from the moon moved poet Archibald MacLeish to write, 'To see the Earth as it truly is, small and blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the Earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold  brothers who know now they are truly brothers.'

"In that moment of surpassing technological triumph, men turned their thoughts toward home and humanity, seeing in that far perspective that man's destiny on Earth is not divisible, telling us that however far we reach into the cosmos, our destiny lies not in the stars but on Earth itself, in our own hands, in our own hearts."

Just seven months after Nixon's speech, on July 20, 1969, NASA's Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon, marking the first-ever crewed lunar landing.

Ronald Reagan

On Jan. 21, 1985, President Ronald Reagan referenced space in his second inaugural address. Early on, he mentioned NASA's Apollo moon landings. You can see the video here, courtesy of the Reagan Foundation.

"We have lighted the world with our inventions, gone to the aid of mankind wherever in the world there was a cry for help, journeyed to the moon and safely returned. So much has changed. And yet we stand together as we did two centuries ago."

Later, Reagan mentioned space as it could be used in missile defense to protect the United States against the threat of nuclear missiles during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. It was a reference to Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, a missile-defense program that earned the nicknamed "Star Wars." The mention comes at the 18:55-minute mark of the Reagan Foundation video:

"I have approved a research program to find, if we can, a security shield that would destroy nuclear missiles before they reach their target. It wouldn't kill people. It would destroy weapons. It wouldn't militarize space. It would help demilitarize the arsenals of Earth. It would render nuclear weapons obsolete. We will meet with the Soviets, hoping that we can agree on a way to rid the world of the threat of nuclear destruction."

New era for NASA begins

So that's a short look back on mentions of space exploration in the inaugural speeches of American presidents. A hat tip to collectSPACE.com Editor Robert Pearlman for his help in compiling this retrospective.

With Trump's administration now in full swing, the next major milestone will be the naming of a new NASA administrator to lead the agency over the next four years. Charles Bolden, NASA's chief during the Obama administration, is stepping down, with the agency set to be led by Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot until Trump selects a new agency head.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
SpaceX has modified the historic Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches. The company is scheduled to launch from the pad for the first time on Jan. 30, 2017.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.  SpaceX plans to break in its new launchpad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) just after midnight on Jan. 30 with a Falcon 9 rocket ride for EchoStar Corp.

The launch will be SpaceX's first from NASA's historic Launch Complex 39, previously used by Saturn V moon rockets and the space shuttles.

In 2014, SpaceX signed a 20-year lease with NASA to use the pad for Falcon 9 and planned Falcon Heavy rockets. The company has not said how much it has spent on refurbishments.

Getting launchpad 39A ready for use took on fresh urgency after a Falcon 9 rocket went up in flames on what had been the company's primary launchpad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, located just south of KSC here on Florida's Space Coast.

The Sept. 1 accident destroyed the rocket and a $200 million Israeli communications satellite and heavily damaged the launchpad. SpaceX has not disclosed repair costs.

The accident also grounded the Falcon 9 fleet while investigators pieced together why the rocket exploded as it was being fueled for a routine, prelaunch engine test.

The company successfully returned to flight on Jan. 14, when a Falcon 9 blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with 10 satellites for Iridium Communications Inc. During that mission, the rocket's first stage also came back down for a successful landing on a robotic "drone ship" stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees U.S. commercial launches, has not yet issued a license for the EchoStar flight and a possible landing of the Falcon 9s first stage.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
When One launch is not enough: SpaceX Return To Flight







New York NY (SPX) Jan 19, 2017





SpaceX celebrated the first flight of its Falcon 9 rocket in over four and a half months on Saturday, with a remarkably smooth launch of the vehicle from California. The Falcon 9 had previously been grounded since September, after one of the rockets exploded on a launchpad in Florida during a routine fueling procedure. Though the stakes were high for Saturday's launch, the mission's success doesn't relieve the pressure on SpaceX. Questions about the accident's cause have been circling the company ... read more
Pentagon prepares new military options for Trump







Washington (AFP) Jan 18, 2017





He wants to frantically bomb the Islamic State group and has slammed White House micromanagement of America's warfighting generals, but President-elect Donald Trump has offered few specifics about what his Pentagon will look like. While Obama administration officials, who cede control of US foreign policy at noon Friday, say they did everything possible to destroy IS, senior military commanders are now drawing up fresh plans. These could potentially see more US troops being sent to the Middle Ea ... read more
SPIEGEL: What do you think?

Applebaum: My biggest fear is that Europe won't respond. Particularly Germany: You don't really want to use your military, you don't want to pay for it, you aren't comfortable with military leadership. But European security may now depend on Germany, France, Britain and one or two others, and it's better to start planning now for the possibility of European-only cyber-defense, counter-terrorism, and conventional defense too.

SPIEGEL: Europe is preoccupied with multiple crises -- with high unemployment in many regions, with refugees and Brexit. Then there's Trump, Putin and the rise of right-wing populism. Given this, how should the continent organize a common defense policy?

Applebaum: You can save time by understanding that the surge in right-wing populism and the phenomenon of Trump are related. You can think of them together as the same problem.

SPIEGEL: Isn't that a little bit simplistic? France has a serious terrorism problem which fuels the populists. Germany faces the challenge of migration. In the US, it's the growing divide between the parties, and an unequal economy.

Applebaum: But the language populists use is similar. What is the appeal of Trump, really? As I said, it's nostalgic: "Make America great again." Like European nationalists, he has a vision of a "real" America, one which predates globalization, immigration, feminism, the civil rights movement and technological change, an imaginary 1950s to which we can now return. That is actually not very different from the kind of language that Marine Le Pen uses, or parts of the Brexit movement.

SPIEGEL: How can you argue against this nostalgia?

Applebaum: We can't keep repeating the mantra that "everything is fine." The answer has to lie instead in a new appeal to younger people that stresses the virtues of the current era and offers an imaginative appeal to the future as well. Some European politicians are now trying to do that -- think of the French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, Ciudadanos in Spain, Nowoczesna in Poland. These are early efforts to reimagine a liberalism which is neither right-wing nor left-wing in the traditional sense.

SPIEGEL: Are parties becoming unnecessary?

Applebaum: No, but we have the wrong parties. The old battle between Christian Democrats and Social Democrats is now meaningless, not least because the social structures that underlay those parties, the church and the unions, have faded away. Nationalists and populists understood this change earlier; now the rest of the political world needs to understand that the political lines have been redrawn and it's time to change.

SPIEGEL: In London, Theresa May is hoping to find a partner in Trump -- is she right?

Applebaum: I have been told by people close to Trump that "Brexit Britain" is the only foreign policy issue that interests him, because he thinks the UK referendum paved the way for him. He hopes to help Britain leave the EU, and possibly to damage the EU, by offering a trade deal. I worry that May, who is desperate for allies and for "success" will fall into this trap, that the UK will lose its (much larger) trade with Europe in order to gain a trade deal with the US which will not be advantageous for Britain.

SPIEGEL: Are alliances between newly nationalist governments a model for the future?

Applebaum: Ironically, yes: Steve Bannon, the White House chief strategist, appears to imagine an alliance between Trump, Le Pen, Geert Wilders and Nigel Farage. Call it the populist international, a fraternal association of the nationalist right, binding people who want borders, across borders.

SPIEGEL: Even though these populists are hostile towards internationalism.

Applebaum: They have common views. They hate the EU, they hate NATO, they dislike trade, they admire Russia. Many of them are funded by Putin.

SPIEGEL: Are we witnessing a breakup of the West?

Applebaum: I wrote an article a year and a half ago arguing that we may be reaching the end of the liberal world order. At that time that idea seemed to many people a little hysterical. It seems less hysterical now. We should be worried.

SPIEGEL: Do we risk stumbling into a war?

Applebaum: As I've said, there are plenty of possible worst-case scenarios: Trump is extremely bellicose, as we know, and the Russians have made no bones about the fact that they have nuclear weapons. They talk about them now all the time.

SPIEGEL: Do you think the risk of a nuclear confrontation is growing?

Applebaum: The Soviet Union was, by the 1970s and 1980s, relatively stable and predictable. Putin's Russia is much more volatile. Nuclear policy is really in the hands of one person, or a small group of people, instead of a huge party-state apparatus. The possibility of a mistake is greater now.

SPIEGEL: Russia's defiance of international norms is not unique. China, Turkey and some European states are also beginning to act in ways that are increasingly authoritarian and capricious. Is democracy a failing model?

Applebaum: I believe democracy can survive. But it's certainly true that the euphoria of the 1990s -- an era when democracy was spreading and more and more people found it attractive -- has ended. Trump is not a cause but rather a symptom of this change. Globalization has genuinely drained power away from national politicians and people feel it. People in our fast digital age are also frustrated with the comparably slow democratic processes. Many young people -- and some old people -- want to know, Why does everything take so long? Why can't someone just decide and then move forward?

SPIEGEL: What can we do against this anger and frustration?

Applebaum: We can't continue assuming that politics is something which is decided elsewhere by distant leaders in a distant capital. Protest is insufficient too. If people who are willing to put time into demonstrations also prove willing to work on behalf of candidates in local elections -- or to become candidates themselves -- they will achieve far more. If all of this upheaval provokes more involvement, then we have a slim chance of ending up with more vibrant democracies eventually. The alternative, as you've hinted, is that democracy fails altogether.
Algiers, January 19, 2016 (SPS) - Countries wishing to join the African Union (AU) must comply with its Constitutive Act and "respect the sovereignty of Member States," said Thursday Kenya's Ambassador to Algeria Moi Lemoshira.

"Kenya complies with the AU Constitutive Act and we support any call to comply with the Act on countries wishing to accede to the Pan-African organization," the Kenyan ambassador told the press.

Lemoshira added that "Morocco requested to join the AU, a process that must be carried out in full compliance with the AU Constitutive and with the respect for the sovereignty of AU Member States."

"In the AU, there are no small or big countries, new of old states, because the sovereignty of all States must be respected," he said.

As regards Western Sahara conflict, the Kenyan ambassador recalled AU declarations and the United Nations resolutions, since 1975, calling or the holding of a referendum on self-determination of this territory, occupied by Morocco.

He added that the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) is a full member of the AU, which includes sovereign, independent and equal states."

In this regard, he reiterated his country's support to the Sahrawi cause.SPS

125/090/700
Ruperts Vice Chairman will be Alastair Martin, from Horseholm, Bankend, Dumfries. The pair were elected at the Regions AGM, held in Castle Douglas on 16 February.

Farming at Gledpark since 2012, Rupert runs a Red Deer enterprise and was the first in the UK to become an Assured Park Venison producer. Gledpark was a Scottish Government Deer Farm Demonstration unit in 2015, allowing those interested in venison production to view the bespoke deer handling system Rupert has installed.

As a smaller farmer with a growing suckler herd of Galloways and Whitebred Shorthorns, Rupert has taken on seasonal grass lets to allow his enterprise to expand.

The power at Gledpark is provided by wind and solar systems which were showcased as part of the Unions Renewables Development Initiative in 2014.

Rupert, who has been awarded an MBE, completed 24 years service in The Rifles Regiment in 2012. In his Army role, he operated in Longtown, Cumbria during the height of the Foot and Mouth Crisis of 2001. He has also completed a dissertation on the UKs Food Security to gain a Masters Degree and in his final Army appointment had oversight of the MoDs only farm, securing its future through the last round of defence cuts.

He has been the Regions representative on the Unions Legal and Technical Committee since 2014 and is also a Trustee Director of The Solway Firth Partnership.
Speaking at the Rothamsted Open Innovation Forum on Thursday 19 January, Mr Freeman said the UK now had a chance to create a legislatory framework which could pave the way for a new Victorian age of applied science with global impact. We need global inward investment to our science base to drive out exports of food and technology, he explained.

The rise of radical lobbyists in Europe threatened to legislate the EU back into the dark ages, warned Mr Freeman. But by opening its doors to global innovators, the UK could once more nurture beneficial technologies and roll them out across the world to help developed and developing countries alike. We wont build a 21st Century economy unless were open to the science that we need, and we cant build a global Britain on a narrow, isolationist platform.

Mr Freeman said the government had invested heavily in the new Agri-tech strategy, and would be unveiling its Industrial strategy shortly. In addition to sponsoring key sectors it was committed to a broader programme, opening up new models of innovation, finance and infrastructure, he added. It is my passionate belief that this country needs to produce more for less: Globally we need to double food production on the same land area using half as much water. Thats a big challenge, but its perfectly do-able. This (forum) has exactly the expertise and cluster of talent we need to be convening.
This is due to the likely combination of disruption to existing trade structures, the reliance of the meat processing sector on migrant labour, and competition from free trade deals.

Phil Stocker, NSA Chief Executive, says:

It was inevitable the EU referendum result would mean our existing trade structures would face disruption, but NSA has consistently been of the view that ongoing tariff-free access to the EU market was essential to avoid disruption and price volatility. We made it clear we wanted to remain in the single market, in the knowledge too that our industry relies heavily on migrant labour.

Tuesdays announcement by Prime Minister Theresa May presents a huge risk to the UK sheep industry when she talks of the freest possible trade but very clearly outside of the single market. This suggests the acceptance of a level of tariffs, the result of which will be industry paying for any market access it can get to work economically. This is a continuation of passing costs back to industry within a free market economy and is an approach that clashes with our current policy of the provision of plentiful food on shop shelves at competitively low prices.

NSA highlights the sheep sector as one at particular risk, as up to 40% of UK lamb production is exported each year, with 96% of that going into the EU single market.

Mr Stocker continues:

NSA would like to once again remind Ministers and policy makers that sheep farming is an essential primary industry that contributes positively to food production, environmental and landscape management, provides the foundation for much of our farmland ecology, and supports many rural communities and economies.
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
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

STAMFORD  A lifelong burglar already jailed for breaking into a Washington Boulevard office was slapped with eight more burglary counts on Thursday, police said.

Robert Butler, 58, was brought to the Stamford courthouse from the Bridgeport Correctional Center and was charged with breaking into several downtown offices in late November and early December.

Judge Auden Grogins ordered Butler, who has dozens of convictions on his long criminal record that began in 1974, be held on an additional $105,000 court appearance bond.

Supervisory Assistant States Attorney Steven Weiss called Butler a professional burglar.

Butler, whose address on his court records shows him residing at the homeless shelter on Pacific Street, has been in jail since early December unable to post a $150,000 bond.

Police in December said he was a suspect in several other burglaries.

His latest arrests involve three counts of burglary for breaking into offices at 1100 Summer St. early on Nov. 18, police said.

Police said he returned to the same building the following night when a man fitting his description was seen wandering the halls with a screwdriver in his hand.

Police said a lock had been pried out of a door, which was jimmied open and desk drawers were rummaged through for petty valuables.

Police responded Saturday, Dec. 3 to 1055 Washington Blvd., where they found a side door pried open with either a knife or screwdriver.

The security guard confronted a man, who fit Butlers description, running down a ramp outside the building. Officers saw pry marks on the door frame leading to another interior office.

A police officer then spotted Butler who was identified by the security guard as the man who was outside the building, police said.

A burglary was discovered Monday when employees returned to work that an office inside the building had been burglarized.

jnickerson@scni.com;
B e careful what you wish for.

Speaking to senior bankers and insurers before heading off to interview Sam Woods, boss of the Prudential Regulation Authority, a sizeable minority urged me to warn him against the creep of regulation.

The pendulum has swung too far from pre-crisis light touch to strangulation of finance, they said. Time to push it back.

According to their worldview, a combination of The Donald and Brexit represents the biggest threat to the Citys supremacy since the First World War. London firms focus will be weakened by dealing with the EU, while the US today inaugurates the most anti-regulation, pro-Wall Street president for generations.

If America has any sense, they say, it will attack Londons dominance of global finance.

It will strip back the Dodd-Frank rules restricting US banks risk-taking, gear up Wall Street and blow the City out of the water, grabbing our share of the global insurance and banking markets once and for all.

Just look at all the Goldman Sachs characters in Trumps inner circle, they say. Dont think for a moment theyre not whispering in the presidents ear: Now, my lord. Now must we strike and steal Londons crown.

They are overly paranoid. Rolling back Dodd-Frank would take a herculean effort on Capitol Hill, and its not actually all that clear the big banks want it to happen. Goldmans Lloyd Blankfein and JPMorgans Jamie Dimon have specifically said as much recently.

Though Trump may trim the more extreme elements of the Volcker rule, which restricts Wall Street banks trading activities, he and his advisers show surprisingly little appetite for refilling the barrels of TNT under Wall Street.

Treasury secretary nominee Steve Mnuchin (ex-Goldman) made that clear in his senate grilling last night.

You wouldnt bet on new red tape being imposed on Trumps side of the Atlantic but most of the existing post-crisis regulatory fixes will remain.

At the PRA, Woods takes this view, and rightly rejects the idea of launching a regulatory, race-to-the-bottom, red-tape bonfire.

It may, of course, turn out that Trump does gear up Americas banks to 2006 levels. He may believe that this time  this time  bankers can be trusted not to do dumb things if theyre given the leeway. But I doubt it. And I certainly hope not.

History shows us that, when freed of the regulatory burdens on their shoulders, markets and their participants behave like dangerous lunatics, burning their own houses down as well as everyone elses.

The new world of regulation will inevitably need tweaks, but wholesale reform would send us back to the madhouse. That suits absolutely nobody.
T he house broker to the AA pulled the handbrake on its clients shares today, which had investors wondering whether the breakdown firms imminent update would contain a note of caution about trading.

Analysts at Liberum, the FTSE 250 firms joint broker alongside Morgan Stanley and Cenkos, cut its profit forecasts for 2018 by 6% and its target price from 375p to 340p as it predicted that the AAs recovery over the next couple of years would not be as pronounced as expected.

The broker said increased use of the roadside assistance service validates the business model but means higher operating costs as it trimmed its underlying profit forecasts for the division for next year by 10 million.

The insurance arm does not fare much better. The joint venture with the Bank of Ireland increases revenues but not profits, as the products take 2-3 years to pay back, Liberum said.

Shares in the AA, which is expected to issue a trading update at the start of February when its financial year ends, reversed 14.14p or 5.2% to 256.76p.

The market was in risk-off mode as buyers sat on the sidelines ahead of Donald Trumps inauguration, with the FTSE 100 down 8.23 points to 7200.21.

Royal Mail, 11.9p cheaper at 410.6p, was on the back foot again as analysts slashed their target prices after yesterdays sharp decline in letter volumes.

AstraZeneca was off-colour, down 64.5p at 4404p after rival cancer drug firm Bristol-Myers Squibb decided not to seek fast-track approval in the US for its lung cancer combination therapy, similar to the one being developed by Astra.

GKN, down 3p to 339p, and Meggitt, off 4.6p at 437.4p, lost altitude as Liberum downgraded the aerospace engineers to Sell amid tough industry conditions.

Upbeat trading from over-50s womenswear retailer Bonmarche lifted the shares 5p to 84p, while on AIM, MySale, the online fashion company backed by Sir Philip Green and Mike Ashley which operates mainly in Australia and South-east Asia, said underlying earnings doubled to A$3 million (1.8 million) in the first half. Its shares were up 3p at 128.5p.

Finally, Jimmy Waless The Peoples Operator dived 2.25p, or 41%, to 3.25p as sellers managed to find willing buyers for the mobile operators thinly traded shares, but only at a big discount.
T ime was when preparing to dine with top brass at the Bank of England meant scouring etiquette books on which fork to use for swan.

Things have changed.

When I asked Sam Woods, chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority, where hed like to eat for our interview, he responded: Nandos, Vauxhall station.

Phew. The only dining protocol there is how spicy to have your peri peri sauce. But more of that later.

So it was that I found myself in a noisy chicken joint, a couple of railway arches along from Chariots sauna emporium (whatever that may be) awaiting the arrival of a deputy governor of the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street.

Hes a touch late. Chauffeurs probably got him stuck in traffic, I muse. I bet hell arrive cursing the gridlock caused by the new Embankment Cycle Superhighway like so many City bosses do.

But then, a gangly chap in waterproofs with a cycle helmet under his arm comes through the door and catches my eye with a mixture of recognition and apology on his face. Blimey, its him! Hes not been moaning about the bike lanes, hes been riding on them.

He thrusts out a long-fingered, paper-white hand to shake while taking off a cagoule and tired blue sweater before sitting down, settling his tarnished specs back over the bridge of his nose. Its the look of a young prof, perhaps from his former Oxford college.

Introductions over, he sits back: Ah! he says in chirpy tones polished at Winchester. I love Nandos. Welcome to my local!

Woods is one of the new generation of City regulators who cut their teeth in the financial crisis. Theyve undergone such events of catastrophe and drama in the last decade that professionally theyve aged in dog years.

Just 43, with the young family youd expect at his time of life, Woods had already held at least three of the biggest jobs fixing Britains crippled financial sector before he was elevated to deputy Bank governor.

As his choice of restaurant is surely intended to indicate, hes also very much a young, international, liberal type. The family holiday last year was a train journey to Split via Bavaria and Zagreb partly for eco reasons, partly to show the kids some of Europe. Childhood summers were spent wherever his diplomat father was stationed at the time. Apparently Tehrans lovely in August.

When not commuting into town by pedalpower, he says he takes the Number 88 bus (it sounds childish, but I love going on the top deck). A New Zealander educated in England, he clearly adores London, the polyglot city, with such a huge variety of people, and chooses to live in Vauxhall, where poverty and wealth rub cheek by jowl.

His wife Mary Starks is a senior City regulator too, serving as director of competition at the Financial Conduct Authority.

Tucking into a bottle of Sagres, he tells of how, after a time selling whisky in Japan for Diageo probably not very well, he joined the Treasury for a more intellectual challenge. Woods clearly impressed the departments permanent secretary John Kingman. Shortly after the taxpayer bank bailout, Kingman handpicked him to set up UKFI, the Treasury body that would look after the newly acquired taxpayer-owned bank assets - notably Lloyds and RBS.

As one senior Treasury official at the time puts it: There was no pattern. Nobody had been in this situation before. They just had to make up a plan themselves.

That plan was to restructure the two stricken banks and nurse them back to a position where the states shares could be sold again. Among Woods many tasks was dealing with then-Sir Fred Goodwins outrageous 700,000-a-year RBS pension. Woods managed to wrestle 200,000 of it back amid huge pressure from ministers and a baying public.

There was also the issue of City bonuses. Before the crisis, RBSs were paid 100% in cash at the end of the year. Woods decided that just couldnt be right. Even fairly reasonable people with quite good intentions will probably do quite extraordinary things to be given a million quid in cash. Thats a dangerous incentive.

So his team created the systems of deferred bonuses and clawbacks for Lloyds and RBS which have since become obligatory across the sector.

Another headline-grabber was the bonuses earned by RBS chief executive Stephen Hester. Labour leader Ed Miliband launched a campaign in parliament to deny Hester the 1 million bonus he had earned for hitting his performance targets. Woods and Hester had worked closely on restructuring RBS, building up a rapport. As one involved in the talks recalls: You had the government demanding he get nothing on one side, and Hester asking for his contract to be honoured on the other. Woods had to act as a shock absorber, or a bridge, between the two. Hester gave up his bonus, but remains on good terms with Woods.

Former RBS boss Stephen Hester / Getty Images

Woods seems proud that UKFI helped nurse Lloyds back to health and is close to selling the last of the taxpayers stake, but his face drops slightly when asked about its ugly giant sister, mired in crisis a decade on with the taxpayer still owning a majority. In the case of RBS, the strategy didnt prove to be right. The decision was: lets float this thing quickly as a big universal bank, but it didnt work. I dont think it was a stupid plan, it just proved impossible to deliver.

He then moved to a much more fun job, running the banking commission for John Vickers and his band of experts tasked with answering the question: how to make sure banks never again need a bailout by the taxpayer? The commissions solution is now being implemented: ringfence banks retail arms from their risk-taking investment divisions; structure them so if they do die, their funeral can be orderly, without bringing other banks down with them.

Woods is pleased and satisfied in equal measure at the outcome, particularly when you look at the indebtedness of our banks. For me, a nice metric is that the 5 trillion banking sector is now 20 times levered. Before the crisis, it was 40 or 50 times. This is a system that has got much safer. But it is still levered  its not 100% safe  were not trying to crush all life out of the financial system. You know, banks and insurance companies are meant to be there to take on risk for people. The debate about how much  thats going to go on long after you and I are both dead, right? But Im OK with where we are.

Banks grumbled a lot about the Vickers proposals throughout the process. They are now pretty much resigned to the current solution, which was watered down from where some panel members wanted it to be. But they still complain about the costs and organisational difficulties of splitting themselves up. Barclays has put the potential cost for itself at 1 billion. Woods is sceptical: A billion? Really? Nah.

Yet again for Woods, his job was bridging the gaps between entrenched views  the kind of challenge he says he relishes. Gnawing on his corn on the cob, he tells a story that suggests it could be in his genes even further back than his diplomat dad.

While at the Treasury, he took a secondment to New Zealand where he was asked to be the governments lead on negotiations with local Maoris over land rights. The Maoris, with justification, argued that the Brits had not lived up to guarantees granted them in the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi. The wrongs needed righting. Talks were held in a modern Auckland skyscraper, but the two sides first had to rub noses in greeting and sing a song before sitting down to haggle.

The main points of difference turned on the translations of the original treaty between English and the Maori language. It seems the translator in the 1840s, trying to find common ground between the two sides, had slightly tweaked the language of each side to get them to agree a deal. The translation clearly did the trick, as it brought a historic peace.

And heres the spooky bit. The man who did that bridge-building translation was none other than Woods own great, great, great, great grandfather.

After Vickers came jobs at the newly established PRA, set up by the Bank of England under Andrew Bailey to promote the safety and soundness of banks and insurers.

Woods was happy running the insurance division until Bailey moved over to replace the fired Financial Conduct Authority chief, Martin Wheatley. With Bailey on his way, the Chancellor at the time, George Osborne, wanted a continuity candidate to take his place. Despite his young age, which concerned some, Woods was the obvious choice.

On his age  he was actually only 42 when offered the deputy governorship  he says: Ive done 10 years of this stuff and since the financial crisis, I think there has been an accelerated learning aspect to it. So, yeah, I approach the job confidently but with a degree of humility because I recognise its a fantastic opportunity to be getting at the age that I am.

One banker described him as ambitious. He doesnt like the word  it can be rather loaded, after all. People think Im more ambitious than I am because of what Ive done. Look, I like to work hard. I like to think Im doing something worthwhile, but Im not one of those people who looks ahead and thinks: I want to be x miles and miles away. I just dont tick like that.

Hes now six months into the job. He has publically said he has no plans to make significant changes to the Bailey regime he inherited, and, as he says, having been one of Baileys lieutenants throughout the organisations creation, it would be weird if he hadnt said that. But there are many serious issues ahead.

Brexit is clearly the biggest. While Theresa May put some flesh on the bones of her negotiating strategy this week, uncertainties are legion. It is a worry, frankly, he says. Although he was relieved at Mays speech this week promising a transition period for banks to bed in the new rules, he frets about the material changes London market insurers and investment banks are likely to face.

Relief: Theresa May said banks may be allowed a transition period to adjust to Brexit / Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool/AP

Im paid to look at things and worry about what might go wrong, and I want to be certain firms will be able to get through this without major hiccups. This is the first time a major economy has extricated itself from the EU and its a complicated process. Could there be roadbumps along the way both for the UK and the continent? Yeah I think there could be. We have to make sure were across firms plans as they restructure themselves to derisk it.

Some in the banking and insurance world worry Woods generation of regulators are so steeped in caution that, as one puts it the pendulum has swung too far towards being scared of risk. Too much aversion to risk simply stops banks from lending and kills the economy. Were getting stability, but is it the stability of the grave? asks one senior expert on bank regulation.

He points to issues like the senior managers regime, which makes bank bosses personally liable if their subordinates misbehave. Bankers say this puts talented executives off taking the top jobs, leaving less qualified youngsters to fill the positions. Woods is scathing of the criticism: If people want to rise to the top of firms  with all the rewards that brings  while ducking proper accountability, then they are in the wrong sector.

Others complain about the overly extreme nature of the stress tests banks were forced to go through last autumn. They were forced to report how theyd fare if we had another financial crisis like 2008 but with additional multi-billion dollar fines from regulators plus a crisis in China and a rout in house prices. RBS failed, and Standard Chartered and Barclays looked wobbly. But critics called the tests pointless as the events were so extreme.

So whats the next scenario, earthquakes? Plagues of frogs?

Woods laughs. No, no, no. No earthquakes. But he is planning a new test called a biennial exploratory scenario which will explore some other kinds of risks that are not so obvious. Hes boyishly enthusiastic about such things, but I suspect the bank chief executives may be less so.

Even fans of Woods like Mark Wilson, chief executive of Aviva, urge caution on overzealous restrictions: The challenge for the PRA will be to balance competitiveness and caution in a post-Brexit world.

The point is, after Brexit, and with Donald Trump promising to deregulate Wall Street, should Britain not be releasing its banks to take more risks in order to defend itself against international competition? Should the UKs regulatory authorities not be taking a more holistic view of Britains future in the financial world rather than focus on avoiding a repeat of the last crisis by being overly cautious?

Donald Trump's inauguration: What actually happens?

Woods insists the current Bank structure is fine. He is glad the PRA is confined to ensuring and enforcing safety standards, not promoting the City or deregulating to compete with rival financial centres. The alternative is a very dangerous direction. You cant have your prudential regulator worrying about a race to the bottom with other jurisdictions. That would be a really bad system.

One senior insurer who thinks our regulators are far too risk averse made a prediction when he heard of our Nandos summit. I bet he goes for the tamest chilli sauce you can get. Cautious, cautious, cautious, just like the PRA.

His prediction had weighed on my mind so much in the days before the interview that, as while we waited to order, the suspense was killing me. Finally the waitress arrived. Imaginary drumroll. First off, he ordered a half-chicken. Chips  even better. And finally, the waitress asked: Mild, medium or hot?

He paused, as if deliberately trying to string out my tension further. Erm. Medium, please."

Not too hot, not too mild. Sounds about right for a regulator, dont you think?


P ressure mounted on Pearson chief executive John Fallon today as the American teachers union rounded on the education groups boss for failing to grasp the changing education market.

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the union made up of more than a million members, claimed the textbook publisher and exam providers business model was broken.

It follows Wednesdays disastrous profit warning as it said it would cut the dividend and put its stake in publisher Penguin Random House up for sale.

Shares in Pearson, which sold the Financial Times and its stake in The Economist in 2015 to focus on education, collapsed 29%, sparking calls for Fallons departure from investors.

The AFT led a protest by teachers unions at last years AGM. Their calls for a review into Pearsons exam factory testing in the US and privatisation of schools in developing countries were rejected.

The AFTs president Randi Weingarten said today: Pearson has failed to fully understand the changing education market, in America and around the globe. The worlds education unions warned John Fallon at last years AGM that his business model was broken.

"If Pearson wants to change course, it needs to hold itself accountable to the people who were supposed to be the end users of its products  the educators and students  rather than riding roughshod over them.
T he maker of Peppa Pig and Teletubbies gifts issued a warning to parents earlier that the price of toys will be going up this year, triggering a sell-off in its shares.

Character Group said the weaker pound since the Brexit referendum vote has made it more expensive to import goods from Asia, as a significant proportion of the firms purchases are made in US dollars.

Shares in the company plunged 75p, more than 14%, to 445p as it warned that first-half results will not match up to last years.

Joint managing director Jon Diver said: We are doing a number of things to lessen the blow, including reducing packaging sizes to reduce freight costs, and prices on some goods will be going up in the second half of 2017.

Sales in the four months to December were marginally lower than in the same period in 2015.

However, the company said it was confident its new toy ranges will be popular.

The 26-year-old firm, which is also behind the Stretch Armstrong brand, has offices in Hong Kong and China, as well as London and Manchester.
D onald Trumps inauguration today as the 45th President of the United States is marked by his call for national unity. It is a call that Americas friends, the UK foremost among them, will heartily endorse. The start of a new presidency is the occasion for friends to wish the new administration well, to wish the US well. And for the democratic world, the flourishing of the United States is a matter of the utmost importance.

This being so, we must be open in our approach to the Trump presidency, prepared to welcome its most positive aspects and act as a critical friend when it seems to be taking the wrong path. Today marks a radical departure from the Obama administration. The huge crowds today in Washington testify to the fact that President Trump has both enormous support and many critics. His enthusiastic supporters on the streets include many people who felt alienated by the old way of doing politics  those Mr Trump calls the forgotten Americans  and today is their day. But the significantly large crowds, representing many diverse groups, demonstrating against the President in Washington and elsewhere, including London, are also articulating important concerns. We must hope the debate and protests are conducted in a civilised fashion.

There are some aspects of the Trump presidency that augur well for Britain. Crucially, Mr Trump seems very willing to negotiate a favourable bilateral trade deal with us. He is a friend of this country and knows it well. This positive approach is what Britain needs in the post-Brexit era. If we can forge an early deal with the US, it sets an excellent precedent for negotiations with other partners. The Prime Minister is said to be planning an early visit to the new President; she is right. This relationship matters.

The aspect of the new administrations agenda that should undoubtedly trouble us deeply, however, is its approach to climate change; an early casualty is likely to be Americas acceptance of the Paris climate accord, which even China supports. This should be among the issues that the PM raises with President Trump.

On foreign policy there are positive elements of the Trump programme as well as those which cause profound unease. It is a good thing, not a bad one, for the new administration to attempt a more positive relationship with Russia. A hostile and combative policy has yielded few real results; if a more co-operative approach results in, for instance, a significant reduction in the nuclear arsenal of both countries, this would be real progress. And if a more coherent approach to the conflict in Syria and Iraq were to result in a proper focus on the fight against Islamic State, that too would be a real gain.

Donald Trump supporters attend concert to celebrate upcoming inauguration

Undeniably there are other policies that are cause for concern, the willingness to scrap the Obama policy of peaceful engagement with Iran being one. We must keep an open mind on Mr Trumps appointment of his son-in-law to supervise the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, but it does not help that he is so squarely identified with Israel and its interests. America, like it or not, is the great player in the Middle East; we can only hope that Mr Trumps reputation as a deal-maker is borne out there.

More than anything, let us hope that the new Presidents rhetoric and demeanour in office is less divisive than it has been to date. Clear and punchy rhetoric helped him on the campaign trail  but as President and commander-in-chief, Mr Trump must be mindful that he now speaks for all Americans, not just one part of the nation. His job now is to unite the country, not to divide it. And it is in turn now for Mr Trumps critics, here and in the US, to engage positively with his administration rather than to wish it to fail. Demonstrations and protests have an important place in democracy but dialogue matters even more.

This is the beginning of a new era for the United States and for the world. Lets hope for the best. The new order will need critical friends: the UK should be just that.
T he late Christopher Hitchens used to refer to the gravitational pull of the American planet. It is a phrase with which every Atlanticist can identify. For all its flaws and historical errors, the United States enshrines an idea that has resonance far beyond its shores: the idea of hope powered by freedom. It is the imperilment of this core concept that makes todays inauguration of Donald Trump so compelling  and so alarming.

In his inaugural speech in 1993, Bill Clinton declared that such ceremonies celebrate the mystery of American renewal. Though the transition of power is held in the depths of winter, by the words we speak and the faces we show the world, we force the spring.

Yet for all the hoopla and pageantry already engulfing Washington, the replacement of Barack Obama by Trump hardly feels vernal, a moment of national replenishment full of enthralling possibility. Rather, a cloud of dread looms over this ancestral ritual. Ronald Reagan took office with a net approval rating of plus 40 per cent, Obama reaching even higher to plus 60 per cent. Trump will enter the Oval Office with a historically dismal rating of minus 14 per cent. His election looks less like a celebration of national opportunity than something between a cry for help and a collective act of self-harm.

The swamp of confusion, disenchantment and division from which the 45th President arose is reflected in the boycott of todays ceremony by more than 50 members of Congress, the dismal line-up of performers willing to participate, and protests across the US and around the world. The orderly transition of power in a great democracy is an awe-inspiring spectacle. But on this occasion it is tainted by the boorish bigotry that propelled Trump to the White House, by a fear of systemic malfunction and by a deep spirit of anxiety that his promise to Make America Great Again may yield precisely the opposite outcome.

It was always inevitable that the new President would pay lip service in his address to the principle of national unity  a principle he did so much to tarnish during the long campaign. By taking the oath of office, every commander-in-chief implicitly pledges to govern on behalf of all Americans (especially when, as in this case, he lost the popular vote). Many will say Trumps ironic language marks the start of his transformation from aggressive populist to reflective leader of the free world  the normalisation predicted since his astonishing victory.

Like all deal-makers, the new President knows when to play nice, as he did on election night, in his subsequent meeting with Obama, and in his description of the Clintons as good people. Intermittent emollience is part of the hucksters trade.

Donald Trump - In pictures 1 /112 Donald Trump - In pictures President Donald Trump takes the oath of office as his wife Melania Trump holds the bible and his son Barron Trump looks on, on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC Getty Images Acceptance speech Republican president-elect Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd during his acceptance speech at his election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of 9 November 2016 in New York Getty Images Little Trump Donald Trump pictured when he was 4 years old Donald J Trump/Instagram The Trump Princess Donald Trump waves to reporters in 1988 with his first wife Ivana as they board their yacht 'The Trump Princess' in New York AP Donald Trump stands next to one of his three Sikorsky helicopters at New York Port Authority's West 30 Street Heliport in 1988 Out on the town Trump and his first wife Ivana arrive at a social engagement in New York in December 1989 AFP/Getty Images Surviving at the top Trump followed up his successful book The Art of the Deal with Surviving At The Top in 1990 Random House Meeting the King of Pop With Michael Jackson in 1990 FilmMagic Taking a break with Miss Universe contestants Donald Trump meets Miss Universe contestants during a break in rehearsals in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas in 1990 Miss Universe Organization via AP Genie of the lamp Donald Trump stands next to a genie lamp in 1990 as the lights of his Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort mark its grand opening in Atlantic City AP Marla's wedding day Donald and Marla Trump at their wedding in 1993 AP Donald Trump with daughter Ivanka at a Harley Davidson Cafe Event, New York City on 9 October 1993 Rex Features New arival Marla and Donald Trump leave St. Mary's Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida with their newborn baby girl, Tiffany on 14 October 1993 AP Behind the lens Donald Trump takes a picture of Bridget Marks in 1993 after interviewing her for Playboy magazine's 40th anniversary playmate in New York AFP/Getty Images Top Trump New York real estate giant Donald Trump poses in his Trump Tower office on a giant letter "T" on 08 May 1996 AFP/Getty Images New love interest Donald Trump and Melania arrive for VH1's Divas Live concert at the Beacon Theater in New York City on 13 April 1999 Getty Images Toasting in the New Year Donald Trump and Melania toast the new year during Trump's gala bash in 2000 The Sun-Sentinel/AP Wax work A wax replica of Donald Trump stands ready to be put on display at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, New York City in 2000 Madame Tussaud's/Getty Images Rebuild call Donald Trump talks in 2005 to reporters where he presented a proposal that the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center be rebuilt in New York Reuters Cracking prformance Amy Poehler, Tracy Morgan, Donald Trump, Seth Myers, Maya Rudolph perform on Saturday Night Live in 2002 Rex Features 'How To Get Rich' Donald Trump poses with a copy of his new book 'How To Get Rich' during a book signing on 24 March 2004 at Barnes and Noble in Lincoln Center in New York Getty Images Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka (left) and girlfriend Melania Knauss (right) attend the "Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century" Costume Institute benefit gala on April 26, 2004 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City Getty Images Fired up figure Donald Trump poses with the new Donald Trump 12-inch talking doll 29 September 2004 at the Toys "R" Us store in New York City Getty Images Olympic flame Donald Trump carries the Olympic flame during Day 15 of the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay on 19 June 19, 2004 in New York Getty Images Donald Trump on The Celebrity Apprentice (2005) Rex Features Anyone for golf? Donald Trump gestures as he arrives at the Old Course in St Andrews where he was meeting with the media to answer questions regarding Trump International Golf Links on 28 April 2005 in St Andrews, Scotland Getty Images Hollywod star Donald Trump, billionaire developer and producer of NBC's "The Apprentice," with his wife, Melania, and their son, Barron, pose for a photo after he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles in 2007 AP In the Highlands U.S. property mogul Donald Trump gestures 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 on 27 May 2010 Reuters Donald Trump plays a round of golf after the opening of the The Trump International Golf Links Course in Scotland in 2012 Getty Images Family time Donald Trump, Barron Trump and Melania Trump attends Trump Invitational Grand Prix Mar-a-Lago Club at The Mar-a-Largo Club on 04 January 2015 in Palm Beach, Florida Getty Images Officially in the running U.S. Republican presidential candidate, real estate mogul and TV personality Donald Trump poses with his family after formally announcing his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during an event at Trump Tower in New York on 16 June 2015 Reuters Love, life and laughter Donald Trump sits with his wife Melania Trump while appearing at an NBC Town Hall at the Today Show on 21 April 2016 in New York City. Getty Images Thumbs up Donald Trump speaks on the last day of the Republican National Convention on 21 July 2016, in Cleveland, AFP/Getty Images Don't cry for me ... Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds babies at a campaign rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado on 29 July 2016 Reuters Donald Trump eating KFC on his private jet in August 2016 Is this really the Oval Office? Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump views a replica of the Oval Office on a tour of the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 30 September 2016 Reuters Women for Trump Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump kisses a "Women for Trump" placard during a rally at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida on 12 October 2016 AFP/Getty Images In debate Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speak during the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, America on 09 October 2016 AP Love your country The future is orange: Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump hugs a U.S. flag on 24 October 2016 Reuters U.S. President-elect U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at his election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S. on 09 November 2016 Reuters 60 Minutes Donald Trump and wife Melania being interviewed on 13 November 2016 by Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes 60 Minutes/CBS At The Whiie House US President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump meet in the Oval Office of the White House on 10 November 2016 EPA Kiss-story Republican president-elect Donald Trump embraces his wife Melania Trump during his election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of 09 November 2016 in New York Getty Images Person of the Year U.S. President-elect Donald Trump poses on the cover of Time Magazine after being named its person of the year, in a picture provided by the publication in New York on 7 December 2016 Time Magazine Meeting Kanye U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and musician Kanye West pose for media at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York on 13 December 2016 Reuters First Press Conference President-elect Donald Trump stands with his son Eric Trump (left) daughter Ivanka and son Donald Trump Jr. (right) on 11 January 2017 Reuters US President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington,Virginia 19 on January 2017 AFP/Getty Images Big shoes to fill: US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive to attend an inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on 19 January 2017 AFP/Getty Images President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive for a VIP reception and dinner with donors in Washington on 19 January 2017 AP British Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump walk along The Colonnade of the West Wing at The White House on January 27, 2017 in Washington, DC Getty Images Pope Francis walks along with US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump during a private audience at the Vatican in May 2017 AFP/Getty Images US President Donald Trump inspects border wall prototypes in March 2018 AFP/Getty Images Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump walk to a joint news conference at Chequers in July 2018 Reuters US President Donald Trump takes the hand of Prime Minister Theresa May as they enter Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire in July 2018 PA A six-meter high cartoon baby blimp of US President Donald Trump is set to fly as a protest against his visit July 2018 AP Activists inflate a giant balloon depicting US President Donald Trump as an orange baby during a demonstration against Trump's visit to the UK in Parliament Square, London July 2018 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump with The Queen in July 2018 AP German Chancellor Angela Merkel deliberates with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the official agenda on the second day of the G7 summit on June 9, 2018 in Charlevoix, Canada Getty Images President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island in Singapore on 12 June 2018 Evan Vucci/AP U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland in July 2018 Reuters US President Donald Trump meets with rapper Kanye West in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on 18th October 2018 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian posed for a photograph together at the White House meeting Donald Trump/Twitter A White House staff member reaches for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference in November 2018 Reuters President Donald Trump looks over tables of fast food for the the college football playoff champion Clemson Tigers in the State Dining Room of the White House in January 2019 Reuters US President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un following a meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi on February 27, 2019 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump (left) with Nigel Farage when they met met face-to-face on 2nd March 2019 PA/White House President Donald Trump smiles at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, after signing a proclamation in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, March 25, 2019 AP US President Donald Trump (L) First Lady Melania Trump (C) and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe' Akie Abe (R) watch a sumo battle during the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on May 26, 2019 AFP/Getty Images President Donald Trump gestures after receiving a prayer at McLean Bible Church on 2nd June 2019 AP US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump make their way to board Air Force One on 2nd June 2019 AFP/Getty Images Donald and Melania Trump arrive at Stansted Airport on 3rd June 2019 AP President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are pictured ahead a meeting in Helsinki on July 16, 2018 AFP/Getty Images Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg watches as Donald Trump enters the United Nations to speak with reporters on September 23, 2019 Reuters Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump during a welcoming ceremony at the NATO leaders summit in Watford on December 4, 2019 Reuters President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, in Milwauke AP US president Donald Trump delivers a speech at the Congres center during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, on January 21, 2020 AFP via Getty Images US President Donald Trump speaks during the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio AFP via Getty Images A car with US President Trump drives past supporters in a motorcade outside of Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland AFP via Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump works in the Presidential Suite while receiving treatment after testing positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland via Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a phone call with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley October 4, 2020, in his conference room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Not shown in the photo also in the room on the call is Chief of Staff Mark Meadows Reuters Donald Trump walks out of hospital after receiving treatment for Covid-19 AP Mr Trump boards Marine One to return to the White House after receiving treatment for coronavirus AP Donald Trump stands on the Truman Balcony after returning to the White House from hospital Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump removes his mask upon return to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on October 05, 2020 in Washington Getty Images

But Trumps rhetoric today cannot simply wipe the slate clean. To feel the true fibre of the new presidency, do not look at the bunting, the cheers and the inaugural balls. Wait instead for the executive orders that he has promised to sign in his first few days, to launch his own term of office and to purge as much of Obamas legacy as he can with a series of signatures.

It is true that the US constitutions separation of powers embodies an intricate scheme of checks and balances designed to stop in its tracks a creep towards authoritarianism. No president can act entirely as he pleases. That said, the increasing use of executive orders  not least by George W Bush and Obama  has bequeathed to Trump an enhanced ability to take unilateral action in many areas without congressional oversight.

Anti-Trump protesters gather in downtown Washington

It is all but certain that he will immediately begin the deportation of illegal immigrants. He may scrap the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme established by Obama in 2012 to allow undocumented migrants who have come to the US as children to remain there. This will please those who believe Americas greatest problem in 2017 is immigration. But they would do well to recall the horrific precedent of Eisenhowers Operation Wetback in 1954, in which thousands of Mexicans were herded like cattle across the border or packed like slaves on cargo ships, a strategy that led to many deaths from sunstroke.

Do not be surprised if the new President withdraws at once from the Paris Agreement on climate change, or from the Iranian peace deal. He may renounce carefully constructed trade arrangements in his first week, begin work on his beautiful border wall with Mexico, restrict travel to the US from certain nations in the Middle East, announce a review of Americas Nato commitments and of sanctions against Russia.

One cannot fault the new President for wanting to hit the ground running. But his direction of travel is what matters. By the time Theresa May meets him he will almost certainly have set the US on a protectionist, anti-Nato, pro-Putin path that is scarcely in Britains interests, or the worlds. No diplomatic protocol can conceal the rockiness of the road ahead.

Todays inauguration launches a great and possibly historic test of Americas true nature. Trump has declared himself too busy to read books, but if he were to change his mind he might start with Saul Bellows greatest novel, The Adventures of Augie March.

Its hero, an irredeemable chancer, never gives up, always searching for the right thing to do, for a fate good enough. Like every American he is a traveller, determined to seek a better life in the face of setbacks. Columbus himself, Augie reflects, may have considered himself a flop, probably, when they sent him back in chains. But so what? That personal failure didnt prove there was no America, or that his optimism was misplaced.

At this bleak hour, it is for Americans other than the new President to hold on to, nurture and, in time, restore the spirit of hope that now stands in such jeopardy.
As a former model, it was only to be expected that Melania Trump's ascension to the White House would be a decidedly fashion-focussed affair.

But, as the FLOTUS turns fifty, it only takes one glance at her style evolution to see that her sartorial prowess was visible many years before she became the POTUS's spouse.

She appeared on the covers of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Allure and GQ magazine before her time as a political spouse, but Melania Trump's position as the First Lady of the United States has seen her assume a sharper and sleeker look.

Trump, who was Melania Knauss before marrying Donald Trump in 2005, has never been one to shy away from colour, sporting an array of pink, red and green ensembles in the nineties. And indeed, to this day, many of her formal outfits are prime examples of how to colour-block, one only has to look at the yellow Valentino cape she wore in December for proof.

Attending the Sex and the City 2 premiere in New York City in 2010 / Getty Images

Her trademark tan and glossy locks have remained her beauty signatures throughout her time in the White House, but they were also visible in her pre-White House years.

In fact, it was her husband's appointment as President of the United States which truly enabled her to make her stylish mark on the fashion world. Despite Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs refusing to dress her, Trump didn't let the naysayers stand in her way and continued to carve her way into the American style lexicon, a legacy paved by the FLOTUS's before her.

Her designers of choice have ranged from Ralph Lauren, which she wore for her husband's inauguration, to Roksanda and Dolce & Gabbana.

Melania wearing Ralph Lauren on the day of Donald Trump's Inauguration / AP

She has even shown a penchant for British designers; she has sported both Erdem, which is one of the Duchess of Cambridge's favourite brands and Alexander McQueen, another of the Duchesses' favourites.

From her devotion to Dior to her love of Louboutins, Trump is one fashion-forward FLOTUS and, while her fiftieth birthday may not be the glitziest affair owing to the ongoing pandemic, we're sure she'll celebrate in style.
Review at a glance









N o release could be more timely. Today a new President of the United States is inaugurated. Do we implicitly honour him? Do we know what is true about him and whats an image?

Most political biopics, tracing stories we already know, offering impersonation, fail to come alive in the most basic way. Jackie, however, is unlike any previous film in the way it presents extremely well-known public events: the assassination of John F Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963, and his state funeral at Arlington cemetery three days later, through the eyes of his widow Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, played by Natalie Portman.

Such a clunker could have been made of this story. Jackie, however, is the most radical re-envisioning of it  all from the point of view of Jackie herself  imaginable. It is in every respect remarkable: so original, enveloping and moving. Seeing it the first time at the Toronto Film Festival I was simply stunned by it, overwhelmed primarily by Jackies grief; seeing it again this week I was just as moved but realised more how much political edge it has as well, in the way it examines how, in these few days, she moulded the myth and legacy of her husband, moving the whole political process towards the predominance of image that we know now.

Initially, the film, scripted by Noah Oppenheim (a journalist who oversaw the Today show on NBC News but whose screenplay credits have been more modest) seems to adopt a fairly conventional format.

Jackie, in pictures 1 /12 Jackie, in pictures

One week after the assassination Jackie gave a famous interview at the Kennedy compound at Hyannis Port, to a journalist from Life called Theodore H White (here, named just the journalist, excellently played by Billy Crudup, initially over-confident in his approach to her but soon realising she is a formidable manipulator herself). Here she first created the myth that Kennedys presidency had been like King Arthurs Camelot as per the musical (Dont let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot).

Oppenheim and the director Pablo Lorrain (Chilean, 40, previously known for No, about the resistance to Pinochet, and Neruda, about the last days of the Chilean poet, both made with Gael Garcia Bernal, this is his first English-language film) use this interview as a framing device but within it they have given themselves almost kaleidoscopic freedom to move back and forth in Jackies story, so that movement feels as dreamlike and as phantasmagoric as those days must have been for Jackie herself. (Larrain evidently told Portman each scene stood alone and they could be edited together in any order.)

Woman in black: Natalie Portman gives a stars turn as Jackie Kennedy

Early in the interview the journalist tells Jackie that history is all we have and she swiftly corrects him: Had. We have television now. We return to her own famous television show of 1962, in which she nervously presented her restoration of the White House, the archive footage being invisibly joined with the new. Objects and artefacts last far longer than people, she says.

She knows exactly what the newsman wants: a moment-by-moment account, the sound the bullet made when it collided with my husbands skull. And she gives it to him graphically: I see a piece of his skull come off  it was flesh-coloured, not white  and I see his brains in my lap. Then sharply she takes it away again: Dont think for one second that Im going to let you publish that.

And then we are into the moment in the film: Jackie, wiping her bloodied face in a mirror in the presidential plane, coming out to witness the swearing-in of Lyndon Johnson, stepping away from it. Sitting next to the casket, she insists on knowing everything, what exactly an autopsy entails: I want all the details, Im his wife  or whatever I am now.

Jackie Featurette - Crafting The World Of Jackie

Back in the White House she eventually drags off that iconic candy-pink, blood-spattered Chanel suit and showers  and more blood runs out of her hair in a moment that belongs to a horror film. We see her arranging the funeral, modelling it on Lincolns. We see her telling her daughter Caroline, you can be brave, you can be a soldier  a very bad man hurt daddy, and seeking understanding from a priest (John Hurt, marvellously craggy and unimpressed). When he says that God is everywhere and she asks if He was in the bullet that killed Jack, he replies: Absolutely.

And above all, we see her on her own, stricken and lost, wandering through the White House she shaped, drinking, smoking, swallowing pills, trying on one dress and piece of jewellery after another, no longer knowing who she can be, a ghost in her own life. This is a phenomenally powerful sequence: the woman who had composed such a powerful public image now stripped back to who she can be when nobody is there to see her.

Nothing is ever mine, not to keep anyway, she tells the journalist. Nor is the truth about her marriage to the famously unfaithful JFK elided. He was always coming back to us, his beloved family  and I dont smoke, she says, smoking, staring him down. Again: I lost Jack somewhere  what was real, what was performance.

Jackie - Trailer

The secondary actors here are excellent, notably Peter Sarsgaard as Robert Kennedy, tough yet seeming in his pallor already somehow foredoomed to the assassination that awaited him, and Greta Gerwig as Jackies tender assistant and friend, Nancy. Yet this film is made by the most astounding performance by Portman, who simply disappears into Jackie, so that you never think of her as acting but are just swallowed up into her grief, her confusion and anger, her determination and intelligence.

The paradox about such particularity is that it universalises such grief too: this is a film not just about this historic event but about what the shock of sudden and violent bereavement and total loss of position might be like for any of us.

Portman has perfected Jackies strange crisp, twangy accent and she is, of course, grippingly beautiful  but it is the look in her eyes that rules, sometimes allowing us to glimpse exactly what is going on within her and sometimes staring us too out completely. She should surely take a second Oscar for this tour de force.

What lets us see it so well is the brilliant cinematography by Stephane Fontane (whose work includes Audiards A Prophet, Rust and Bone and The Beat That My Heart Skipped, as well as Paul Verhoevens upcoming Elle). His camera is on constant close-up on Jackie throughout, moving with her and around her, as if itself emotionally involved, almost part of her, rather than an onlooker. The editing together of this non-chronological narrative by Sebastian Sepulveda, jumping around but always coherently and with its own emotional logic, is exemplary too.

Add to that the incredible score by the young British composer Mica Levi, which is nothing like what you would expect from a political biopic, perhaps more from some kind of body-horror film like her previous work for Under the Skin. Strangely warped and unsettled chords, sometimes plangent, sometimes almost aghast, constantly suggest slippage and uncertainty. Its a separate voice to what we see on the screen  which was cut to it, rather than the reverse  and it adds immensely to the impact. This is film as total creation, not illustration and anecdote.

So: a great and apt movie. If youre dithering about going to La La Land and would take my advice, please see this instead.

Cert 15, 100 mins

Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESGoingOut
Review at a glance









T oday at 2am, Woody Harrelson successfully directed and starred in a feature-length movie, shot on the streets of London in a single take and broadcast live by satellite to 550 US cinemas and to Picturehouse Central here. A daft idea, the kind of mad, experimental challenge dreamed up by stoned film nerds after a Hitchcock all-nighter, but one he pulled off with considerable wit and brio.

Lost In London is not a great film. How could it be when character and plot are slaves to the concept, when all we have is the frame of a single camera? But it is a brilliant technical and logistical achievement, especially from a first-time director previously known for comedy and character roles, and a hippyish devotion to marijuana. Laced with self-mockery, its very funny, and far better than we had any right to expect.

In this heavily fictionalised account of his real-life rampage through the West End in 2002, Woody, played by Woody, rows with his wife after his sex romp is exposed in a tabloid. He goes to a club with some Iranians, slightly damages a black cab, gets arrested and is bailed by Owen Wilson (played by Owen Wilson) the next morning. So he still gets to take his kids to the set of a Harry Potter movie.

The early moments  you cant call them scenes, because its effectively all one scene  are dreadfully awkward. The tabloid plot plods out. Woody burbles amateurishly and is out-acted by Eleanor Matsuura as his wife, Laura. In the club episode, things pick up. Woody the actor relaxes. And no one respects Woody the character. Owen Wilson, trying to cheer him up, ends up arguing and then fighting with him. He tells Woody he hasnt had sex appeal since the Eighties. I had it WELL INTO THE NINETIES, says Woody. A girl talks spiritual waffle to him, the start of a running gag about Harrelsons supposed belief in mysticism, but he vomits on her. Shortly after that, he assaults a beggar in a row over change.

LOST IN LONDON LIVE

Woody keeps doing terrible things. We learn that he has turned Bono  who contributes a cameo over the phone  into a dope-addled wannabe Rastafarian. The strangers he meets either spout eastern wisdom or mock his movies, his hairline or his veganism. Supposed friends, including Willie Nelson, just insult him. The period setting is unclear. Is it the present day or 2002? It doesnt matter. You get carried away by the rackety, rollercoaster sense of fun. I mean it as a compliment when I say I sometimes forgot I was watching a single shot and that it was happening live. Cleverly and necessarily, the camera strays from Woody to other characters, allowing for costume changes and make-up effects.

After the denouement on Waterloo Bridge, Daniel Radcliffe appears in a pre-recorded postscript, to say that Woody did indeed bring his kids to the Harry Potter set after the 2002 fracas, possibly using it as a safe house. Which, he adds, is kind of cool. Its kind of naff that Woody Harrelson was arrested for damaging a taxi ashtray in London. But it is kind of cool that he has wittily, shamelessly reinvented that event here for a ground-breaking, live cinematic event.

Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout
A ctress Gemma Chan today hit out at a London theatre which cast white actors in Chinese roles, saying: Any kind of yellowface in this day and age is not OK.

The star of hit TV series Humans said she was shocked that producers of In The Depths Of Dead Love, which opened this week at The Print Room, chose an all-white cast for the play, which is set in ancient China.

Chan joined Hollywood actor Benedict Wong in a demonstration outside the Notting Hill theatre at the shows press launch last night.

They claim yellowface  a term for the exclusion of east Asian actors  is an unacceptable practice.

A protester holding a sign at last nights protest outside the Print Room theatre in Notting Hill

The actress, 34  who has a Chinese-Scottish mother and a father from Hong Kong  told the Standard: Im here at this peaceful protest to show solidarity with my fellow British east Asian artists and other artists in the wider community.

Im shocked this happened. You would think that artists in the theatre community would be more aware.

The Print Room rejected claims of racial discrimination and yellowface saying author Howard Barkers characters were allusions not intended to be taken literally.

But Chan, also a star of JK Rowlings Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, hit back: They said this is a very English play, dealing with very English mores. The implication there is that an English play needs white actors, which is problematic.

They are saying this play is not meant to be set anywhere and thats fine. But China is a real place and Chinese people are real. I think the whole thing has to be seen in the context of an ethnic group that has been stereotyped and marginalised.

About 100 protesters brandished placards with slogans such as Narnia is imaginary, China is real, Make love not yellowface and This production was made by racists.

Wong, 45, who starred in Dr Strange, said: This is erasure. We have to stand up and say we exist.

The Print Room said it was sorry for clearly misjudging the offence some would take but denied any ethnic disparagement or discrimination. It pledged to meet actors union Equity to discuss the controversy.

Visit standard.co.uk/theatre for the latest news and reviews from Londons theatre scene.

Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout
H olocaust Memorial Day is on January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, marked across Europe since 1950. Supported by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, this new overall history is presented by its publisher as the first authoritative and accessible account of the Holocaust in three decades, featuring 25 years worth of previously unpublished eyewitness testimony.

The second half of this claim is certainly true. Laurence Rees, a former director of BBC history programmes, has spent a lifetime researching the Nazis, in person, on the ground, for such landmark programmes as The Nazis: A Warning from History (1997) and many accompanying books. He has an extraordinary wealth of eyewitness testimony to draw upon, having met hundreds of people who experienced this history personally and been privileged to be one of the last generation that could access the history of this period in this way.

When he first started interviewing former Nazis, many had just retired from their careers so they no longer felt constrained by their employers from speaking freely, while the fall of the Berlin Wall meant that many eyewitnesses in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union were able to speak about their experiences for the first time too.

Into a general history of the Holocaust that draws also upon recent scholarship and contemporary documentation, Rees has woven the most searing first-person accounts, again and again footnoted as previously unpublished testimony.

In July 1942, 17-year-old Eva Votavova arrived at Auschwitz with her family. Her mother contracted typhoid and was sent to hospital, meaning death. Shortly afterwards, Eva was assigned to the corpse commando and collected bodies from all over the camp. Among the pile of human remains Eva found a pair of glasses: I knew they were my mothers  the left glass was broken after my mum had been slapped by a German Kapo. She kept the glasses as the last memory of my mother until stomach typhoid fever infected me. Then they had to burn the pillow I had used to hide them in. That is how I lost the last memory of my mother.

A 16-year-old Lithuanian girl remembers seeing a large number of Jews beaten to death in Kaunas, while civilians as well as German troops applauded. One man even lifted up his child so he could see better. What kind of person would he be when he grew up? asks Vera Once all the Jews had been killed the man who had smashed their heads open climbed on top of their bodies and played the Lithuanian national anthem on an accordion.

Eva Spater, then 29, was one of the Jews who escaped from Hungary to Switzerland in 1944 on Kasztners train, a cynical move by Adolf Eichmann to show good faith to the Allies, as defeat loomed. She says: Everybody tried for himself to stay alive If you have to save your life youll try it in every way, even in a criminal way if it comes to that, but you have to save yourself. Your life is the first, you are nearest to yourself, whatever people try to say.

More book reviews 1 /24 More book reviews Recovery by Russell Brand Will Russells brand of self-help prove quite so addictive? By Nicholas Lezard. Read review A Life in Questions by Jeremy Paxman Paxo refuses to answer all the really good questions, says David Sexton. Read review Politics: Between: The Extremes by Nick Clegg The basis of this book makes it impossible not to warm to Clegg, says Melanie McDonagh. Read review Serious Sweet by A L Kennedy Thank heavens for London in this tale of self-obsessed lovers. Read review The Last Royal Rebel: The Life and Death of James, Duke of Monmouth by Anna Keay Born a kings b****** and destined for a traitors death. Read review Man Up: Boys, Men and Breaking the Male Rules by Rebecca Asher Getting to the bottom of why boys will be boys. Read review The Course of Love by Alain de Botton A philosophical novel that does run smooth, says Johanna Thomas-Corr. Read review The Tree Climbers Guide: Adventures in the Urban Canopy by Jack Cooke How I gave this book a proper test and ended up with a broken ankle. Read review Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre Brontes classic tale in the imaginations of other writers, says Claire Harman. Read review Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran Caitlin comes clean about politics  the world according to our funniest feminist. By Rosamund Urwin. Read review Spark Joy An Illustrated Guide to the Japanese Art of Tidying by Marie Kondo Theres no messing wih Marie, says Katie Law. Read review Cockfosters Stories by Helen Simpson After 50, a womans life gets better not worse. By Katie Law. Read review Stalins Englishman: The Lives of Guy Burgess by Andrew Lownie Joker in the spying pack. By Richard Bassett. Read review Even Dogs in the Wild by Ian Rankin The darkness that lies at the heart of the novel is offset by a lightness of touch, says Mark Sanderson. Read review Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello Elvis proves not quite so lyrical on the page, says Nick Curtis. Read review The Importance of Elsewhere: Philip Larkins Photographs by Richard Bradford His poetry paints better pictures than any camera, says David Sexton. Read review Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith Morality wins out over macabre murders, says Melanie McDonagh. Read review The Grownup by Gillian Flynn Calling all Flynnies: the con girl whos like gone girl. Read review

Morris Kesselman, an 18-year-old member of the Sonderkommando at Birkenau, always stood at the selections next to someone who looked weak. If it wouldnt be him it would be me. Did I feel sorry? Sure I felt sorry, but I couldnt help him. But at that point I only watched out for myself. When he marched out of the camp in January 1945 he had access to the clothes of the murdered Jews and so was very well dressed. I had a Russian hat, a fur hat, with a heavy coat, and good shoes. He filled his pockets with sugar. I survived because of that.

Kalman Taigman, a Jew from the Warsaw ghetto sent to Treblinka, who also survived as a Sonderkommando, concluded from observing the SS: Each person has the instincts of an animal, but since we live in a normal way we dont show it  it doesnt come out. But there are times when a person turns into something else and what comes out of him is what was hidden all along.

Rees has included these testimonies within a flowing narrative history, written indeed with almost voiceover facility, producing the disturbing phenomenon of an extremely readable book about the Holocaust. He is well aware that foregrounding survivor testimony can be a distortion, because so few survived. The normal experience was to be murdered. So we cannot, of course, speak to anyone who suffered the fate of the majority. Nonetheless his approach gives his book great power. I read it over the quiet days between Christmas and New Year and found that it stole into my dreams.

When Rees began his work on the subject, opinion was divided between intentionalists, who believed that Hitler had clearly decided long before to kill the Jews, and functionalists, who saw it as a complex interaction between Hitler and as multitude of outside forces. He now believes, as do most historians of the subject, that the journey to the Holocaust was a gradual one, full of twists and turns, until it found final expression in the Nazi killing factories. He traces its complex and occasionally counter-intuitive evolution  its improvisation  in a way fully in accord with most recent scholarship.

What is not true is that this is the first authoritative and accessible account in 30 years, as Rees would surely acknowledge himself. Out in paperback this month is the masterpiece of his friend, the late David Cesarani, Final Solution: The Fate of the Jews 1933-1949 (Pan, 14.99), first published last year, which firmly adopts this approach, contesting that Nazi anti-Jewish policy was systematic, consistent or even premeditated. Cesarani also explains both authoritatively and accessibly how it was that the fate of the Jews was bound up in German military success and failure.

Why should anyone study the Holocaust? The answer is not self-evident, says US academic Peter Hayes in Why? Explaining the Holocaust (Norton, 22.75), a helpful stocktaking of current opinion on eight key questions. To enter in to the Holocaust is to risk enormous disillusionment with human beings and to awaken deep anxiety about how badly things can go wrong in this world.

Yet he also insists at the end of his book that the Shoah is comprehensible in the same way that any other catastrophic human or life experience is: with difficulty, patience and application to the task. To say that the subject is incomprehensible is to despair, to give up, to admit to being too lazy to make the long effort and, worst of all, to duck the challenge to our most cherished illusions about ourselves and each other that looking into the abyss of this subject entails.
I t is a hackneyed myth that youth is wasted on the young. For every obstreperous Kevin the Teenager, there will be another charged with entrepreneurial spirit and the sort of idealism that withers on the vine after 25. Moreover, this cohort has the technological acumen (not to mention the energy) to turn their ideas into success.

This is the spirit of Young Progress Makers, an event presented by the Evening Standard and the Roundhouse on January 25. The day will feature micro-talks, panel discussions and performances designed to give a voice to young Londoners. Meet seven of the young grassroots campaigners, entrepreneurs and artists speaking, debating and performing on the day who think theres more to youth than lolling about in front of Netflix.

Bejay Mulenga

Supa Academy

George Muncy

Bejay Mulengas entrepreneurialism started in the tuck shop. However this was not your typical black market trader of contraband sugars, but in fact the start of SupaTuck, a franchise that extended to 100 student-run shops by the time he was 18.

At this point, he decided it was time for Supa Tuck to pivot into something more ambitious. He stuck with the scholastic theme and launched Supa Academy, a training academy for young people for people in the early stages of their career. We make, hack, do and sell, Mulenga, 21, explains. He calls it a human network.

SupaAcademy provides access to opportunities with brands including Facebook, Barclays, Pepsi Max and EE, and runs workshops and training for people looking to run their own projects.

In 2014 Mulenga spoke at the Tory Party conference. Afterwards, George Osborne wrote to him calling him and inspiration and a better advertiser for our start-up loans scheme than any boring government publication. Last year he was awarded a prize for Enterprise Promotion at Buckingham Palace  the youngest person to ever be recognised in this way.

Above all, Mulenga champions teamwork. It takes a tribe to build a village, he says. You could build alone  but you should connect with other entrepreneurs. Youll make fewer mistakes.

Ione Wells

#NotGuilty campaign

Matt Writtle

Like many modern campaigns, 22-year-old Ione Wellss began as a hashtag. #NotGuilty was a way for people to write about their experiences of sexual assault, explains the 22-year-old north Londoner.

Wells was assaulted on a street in Camden and waived her anonymity to write a defiant letter to her attacker. After she received supportive messages, many from those who had similar experiences, and Wells launched the campaign officially with a website.

I realised I was getting a lot of stories and wanted to record them, she explains on the phone from Oxford University, where she is in her final year of study reading English.

She knows writing can be cathartic when you might struggle to speak about something in person. Now #NotGuilty is also intended to push for change: Wells has written for newspapers, spoken on radio and television, and presented workshops for survivors of assault and to other young people in schools. She is animated about the importance of grassroots movements. I think we underestimate how supportive some movements can be can be  especially in terms of taking things to a higher, government level. Often, there, you are relying on people with no experience of the issue to tackle it.

Activists like her must continue to be ambitious and campaigners should use technology and the arts to find new audiences, she says. Campaigns are often preaching to people who are already on board.Giving a talk at a feminist festival might not make the biggest impact  its about finding where you can make a significant change.

Kitty Wordsworth and Hannah Hauer-King

Damsel Productions

Damsel Productions

Id much rather people felt angry or passionate than bored, says Hannah Hauer-King, 25. Its an approach

that informs all the work she and co-founder Kitty Wordsworth, 23, do with Damsel Productions, their theatre company that presents theatre written by women and produced with an all-female creative team. The pair met in 2015, when Hauer-King  now Damsels artistic director  was developing a play that had been picked up by Jermyn Street Theatre.

She needed a producer, met Wordsworth, and the pair unintentionally commissioned an almost exclusively creative female team. They realised they were onto something. We were telling stories of young women  fallible female characters, who were interesting and flawed, explains Wordsworth. Thats our manifesto, adds Hauer-King.

Damsel is good-natured and radical. Hauer-King says their productions have been judged provocative. Not in a kind of, Im going to talk about menstrual blood so you feel uncomfortable,  she laughs. Just that we are talking about things that have either titillated or angered people. Or, in one case, knocked people out: in the summer, a man fainted during Damsels abortion play, Dry Land.

What have they learned so far? The pair admit that theres can be a dissonance in the industry between plays that make a difference and plays that sell, and that theatre programming needs to be more acute and character-led.

But mostly theyre excited, about the exhilaration of making our own work, and asking, how am I changing things? even in a very small way, says Hannah.

Ella Grace Denton

Instagram entrepreneur

The 2014 film Cowspiracy was a turning point for 22-year-old Ella Grace Denton. She had already been using Instagram to address mental wellbeing  amassing a respectable audience  but it was after she watched the zeitgeist sustainability documentary and began to post more about the impact of the meat and dairy industry on our planet that she started to amass a real following.

Thats really when I started to experience the positive effect I could have through Instagram, she explains. Now, she has 214,000 followers on her personal account  and almost 10,000 more combined across @SageMeBaby, an online Seventies vintage boutique she runs, and @StoriesBehindThings, an account she set up with friend Jemma Finch to champion sustainability in the fashion industry. Together, the pair runs the UKs biggest clothes swapping events. Like every hyperactive success story of her generation, her work doesnt stop there: Denton is also working on a single, and creating a jewellery line with Made.

Social media allows us to find other people who feel similarly, she explains, and I really believe that if you want to start something, you have strength in numbers and multiple brains.

She concedes that Instagram can be used superficially, but is similarly passionate that it could be used as an emphatic force for change.

There is so much power in social media and having the ability to build communities around messages, she says. Power has been given to the people via technology and I think with the state that our planet is currently it would be amazing to see people taking personal responsibility for their role in it.

Elspeth Hoskins

#WeAreUndivided

Elspeth Hopkins, 25, was at Glastonbury when she heard that the UK had voted to leave the EU. I felt quite confused, she recalls. All my friends were Remainers.

Its a familiar young, liberal account of that morning  but instead of drowning herself in a barrel of cider near the Other Stage, she mobilised. I had to break through the echo chamber and understand, she says seriously. The result was #WeAreUndivided, a grassroots, non-partisan group that champions a youth agenda during the ongoing Brexit negotiations. Its a group from different political backgrounds who came together after the referendum, she says. Were a diverse group, but a broader goal unites us all.

Hoskins thinks that young people are regularly overlooked by parties across the political spectrum and wants #WeAreUndivided to apply some pressure. She has used Facebook and Twitter to get power off the ground: Its all about using the tools you know, she says.

And its working  the group has been recognised officially by the Department for Exiting the European Union, and its 30 volunteers regularly visit schools to deliver education about democracy and politics. It does matter how you voted  young people should come together, she says.

Awate

Rapper

Cesare De Giglio

Awate thinks that his generation gets a bad reputation. I think that young people are politically astute, argues the 25-year-old rapper. But they often feel unwanted and worthless. Its something Awate (rhymes with a latte) addresses implicitly in his lyrics, which are informed by a childhood of feeling just that way.

An Eritrean born in Saudi Arabia, Awate moved to London when he was two years old. I am a refugee who grew up on a council estate  I was excluded from school a lot, arrested a lot.

Now, alongside music, he works in a unit with children who have been excluded from school. Young people who dont have a platform and are never going to be given a platform but who understand the issues.

Awate has a residency at the Roundhouse and has been going there for workshops since 2006. Practically, it means he gets support  PR, studio time, gigs. Stuff labels do, basically.

He has also watched it transform the fortunes of many young people. Theres mentoring, teaching, you meet people. You can make a band just walking down the corridor.

At Young Progress Makers hell be performing his song Displaced. I try to make stuff about my stories and the stories of people I know. Doing what we do is such a revolutionary act.

Follow Phoebe Luckhurst on Twitter: @phoebeluckhurst

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

The Office Group are proud supporters of Young Progress Makers. The event is also partnered by the Gates Foundation and Citi.
P eter is a lucky man. Not so long ago he inherited 3000 acres or so of the remote Ardnish peninsula on the west coast of Scotland along with a house (Laggan) from which to enjoy it. It's an amazing place, as remote a spot as you'll find in the British Isles  and, as Peter says himself, not for everyone.

But its drawbacks may just be the things that draw you here. You can only get here by boat, and even then only when the tides allow; it has no electricity; there's a very limited mobile reception and of course no broadband or phone; and you're a half-day's walk from your nearest neighbour.

In short, a visit here has to be well planned. If this sort of thing appeals to you, however, you can be sure that there are few other such places available for rent in Britain, and almost none that deliver quite so much peace, space and solitude.

It's also not quite as primitive as you might expect: having no electricity simply means that you have to use the oil lamps for light; it has heating, there is a fridge, cooker, hot water  heated by a very efficient wood-burning stove  a radio for listening to the shipping forecast and two comfy bedrooms plus a box room that between them can sleep 5 people.

You obviously have to be very organised about provisions  no popping out for a pint of milk here, and it's a three-hour hike to borrow a cup of sugar  but the boat (with outboard) is there for your own private use and it's only a ten-minute journey across to the mainland.

As for the hinterland of Ardnish, it's pretty much yours to discover  almost entirely deserted, and populated mainly by herds of deer, who roam a landscape that's made up of bare hills, patches of forest, several lochs, a fabulous coastline and your own pure white sand beach.

A long day's walking (or just pottering about) without seeing a soul, before returning to your own cosy cottage is sometimes just what the soul needs.

coolplaces.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @ESLifeandStyle
A drama teacher at an independent London college is being investigated for allegedly plying students with alcohol, discussing their sex lives and developing an inappropriate relationship with one pupil.

Andrew Fielding-Day, 43, asked another girl inappropriate sexual questions during a rehearsal, including whether she was a virgin, and tried to dance with her, it was claimed.

He also sexually flirted with a third pupil and hurt two of the girls by grabbing them in sexually motivated actions, it was alleged.

Fielding-Day quit as head of drama at DLD College London, Lambeth, in October 2014 after complaints of allegedly unacceptable conduct, which sparked an investigation by the college.

He is now being investigated by the Governments schools watchdog and could be struck off if found guilty. The incidents are said to have occurred between June 2011 and April 2012 at the prestigious sixth form college, where fees reach 28,000 a year. The professional conduct panel of the National College for Teaching and Leadership last week carried out an inquiry and its decision is expected later this month.

In a dossier of accusations, seen by the Standard, Fielding-Day  who worked at the college for 13 years  allegedly attended a rehearsal in April 2012 and behaved in an inappropriate manner by being drunk and offering under-age pupils alcohol.

He told one girl to act as if she was begging to perform a sexual act on him, or words to that effect, it was alleged. He is accused of dragging her by the hair, causing her injury.

Then he allegedly engaged in physical play fighting with another student, known as Pupil E, pinning her to the ground and hurting her. The reported behaviour is alleged to have been sexually motivated.

The teacher, from Borough, is said to have previously exchanged flirtatious text messages with Pupil E, and to have been drunk and consumed alcohol with other pupils.

He allegedly met and tried to meet pupils socially, discussed his sex life with them and quizzed them about their sexual activities, it was claimed.

He allegedly contacted pupils through social media and emails, developing an inappropriate relationship with Pupil E while she was at DLD.

The college said Fielding-Day was suspended in August 2014 after it was made aware of the allegations. A full inquiry was carried out but he resigned before the conclusion of that process in October, a spokesman said, adding that the college co-operated fully with the investigation by the NCTL.

Fielding-Day, an ex-actor and theatre director, now runs a production firm making corporate films and wedding videos. He is also a creative consultant for Anderson Education, a boarding schools advisory service. His lawyer did not reply to requests for comment.
A young woman cheered and punched the air after being cleared of pouring a kettle of boiling water over her partner's friend during a Valentine's Day row.

Konstancija Tairova, 26, wept through her two-day Old Bailey trial, in which she was accused of burning the man in the early hours of February 14 last year.

But after being cleared by a jury of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, the bar worker smiled, waved her arms and shouted out "not guilty" as she left the courtroom.

The prosecution had claimed she doused Edas Juozenas in scalding water in an unprovoked attack at her bedsit in Emerald Close.

Mr Juozenas had told the court that he had tried to stop her from arguing with her boyfriend - and his close childhood friend - Adomas Marengolas.

The young men had been out poker-playing and drinking at Aspers Casino in the Olympic Park in Stratford, and returned to the flat at 5am, the court heard.

Mr Juozenas told jurors: "I saw her come in with a kettle and then she poured the water on me.

"She poured the water and all the room was covered in steam. It was boiling water on my face, neck and my right arm."

Afterwards, he said Mr Marengolas "got rid" of her and locked the door to the flat behind her before calling for an ambulance.

He was taken to Newham General Hospital where he was treated for partial thickness burns to his right wrist and a blistered nose.

Meanwhile, Miss Tairova asked her neighbour to call police, and when they arrived said to an officer: "My boyfriend and his friend have been beating me. They're inside."

Asked if she knew what had happened, she said: "No, I don't know. I don't know how he got like that."

Defence lawyer Peter Fallen suggested both men were drunk and high on cocaine, although the accusation was denied.

He also claimed that the alleged victim had told his friend that Miss Tairova had text messages from another man on her mobile phone.

Cross examining Mr Juozenas, the lawyer said: "I suggest you came back from the casino, decided to use the cocaine, then there is an argument that takes place, more between you and her, in the kitchen.

"You slapped her face didn't you? You tried to grab her? She pulled away from you didn't she?

"Didn't you rip her clothing while you were trying to struggle and fight with her? She ran because she was scared of you.

"The truth is you were drunk and high on drugs - and so was Adomas."

The witness denied it, saying: "She didn't like the fact that Adomas and I were going out.

"She never liked it when he was going out anywhere."

The defendant sobbed in court as her former boyfriend told jurors he saw her pouring hot water from the kettle on his friend.

Mr Marengolas said their relationship had broken down, saying: "You have to respect each another, you know?"

On their current status, he said they had "split up" and he had moved out of the rented studio flat.

Miss Tairova, of Hounslow, was assisted by a Lithuanian translator.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.
T wo masked attackers forced their way into a mans house in east London before carrying out a "frightening" assault, police said.

Detectives in Redbridge are now hunting the pair, as well as an Asian woman who was with them, following the incident on January 5.

The trio are said to have arrived at the victims home in Ewellhurst Road, Ilford, at around 3pm before ringing the doorbell.

When the door was opened the males pushed their way into the house and began punching and kicking a man in his early 50s.

Both men, who are described as white, then fled the scene along with the woman. Their victim was left bruised and shaken.

Detective Constable Richard Hardy from Redbridge CID said: "It would appear that this was a planned attack on the victim and although his injuries were not serious, this was a frightening ordeal.

We are trying to locate any witnesses to this assault and are appealing for any information that could assist in identifying the suspects."

Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives from Redbridge CID on 101 or via Twitter @MetCC.

Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A single mother today urged the NHS rationing body not to withdraw an expensive wonder drug that can prolong the lives of breast cancer patients.

Thirty-three-year-old Rosalie has incurable breast cancer and fears her children, who are six and three, will grow up alone if she cannot receive the medicine Kadcyla.

She was diagnosed with stage four of the disease two years ago after it spread to her liver, spine and pelvis. Doctors gave her three to five years.

A combination of Herceptin and pertuzumab have seen her cancer disappear - for now. She planned to move on to Kadcyla when it returns.

The drug is highly prized because of its absence of side effects. It extends life by nine months longer than alternatives, and some women have survived on it for years.

It costs up to 90,000 for 14 months treatment. Last month the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) made a draft decision not to routinely provide Kadcyla on the NHS because it does not work well enough to justify its high cost.

Rosalie, from Barnet, said: Im working full-time. Im contributing to the economy.

"Im a single mum but Im not on a single benefit. What is going to happen to my kids if Im not around for them? What is going to be the cost of that?

Every day counts when they can come home and tell me what happened at school. I can teach them about the world, how to deal with problems. You cant replace a mum.

I kept it [the cancer] a secret from my work as long as possible and didnt want anyone to know. I hate talking about it.

I hate feeling like a victim. But I have to fight for my kids. They are more important than me feeling vulnerable about going public. I have to fight for life for them.

Consultation on NICEs draft decision closes today. A committee will meet on February 1 to review the responses and check for any price reduction from manufacturer Roche.

Almost 100,000 people have signed a Breast Cancer Now petition and a parliamentary debate is due to be held next Thursday.

Kadcyla is currently available as an exception via the Cancer Drugs Fund, but new rules were introduced last year requiring medicines under the fund to have NICE approval.

Rosalie accused NICE of ruining lives by seeking a quick-fix solution to the NHS cash crisis.

She has travelled to Germany to receive a trial vaccine called GP2 after friends raised 60,000 in four months.

The next step was going to be Kadcyla, she said. If you have three lines of treatment, maybe you can last 10 years.

I think its just so shortsighted of them to remove drugs that can buy people time  time to stay alive while more research is carried out.

Baroness Morgan, chief executive of Breast Cancer Now, accused NICE of using the wrong drug comparisons to calculate the benefit of Kadcyla.

She said reckless brinkmanship between the organisation and Roche threatened to rip away one of the best breast cancer drugs in years.

Dr Anna Rigg, an expert in the disease, said Kadcyla could benefit 1,200 women with HER2-positive breast cancer each year:

We see NICEs side of the argument but what we really want is for NICE and Roche to go back to the table and reconsider.

NICE declined to respond to the claims about its assessment of Kadcy-las benefits.

A spokesman indicated an independent appraisal committee had conducted a thorough review. Roche declined to comment.

The petition is at breastcancernow.org/kadcyla.
A record number of NHS hospitals declared a major alert due to winter pressures last week, it was revealed today.

A total of 68 trusts - 45 per cent of the 152 with A&E departments - were on level three or four alert on at least one day between January 9 and 13, NHS England reported.

These included Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, which runs Lewisham hospital and Queen Elizabeth hospital in Woolwich. It declared level three alerts on January 9 and 10.

A total of 27 trusts - none in London - declared a level four black alert during the week.

Croydon, Epsom & St Helier, Kings College Healthcare, North Middlesex and Hillingdon all ran out of general and acute beds on at least one day.

The figures show the problems have worsened since the start of the year. There were a total of 243 high alerts, compared to 226 the week before, when 66 trusts were affected.

Jon Ashworth, Labours shadow health secretary, said the figures showed that the NHS crisis deepens, with one in five trusts having average bed occupancy of 99 per cent or above.

He pointed to an increase in the number of trusts being so full that ambulances had to be diverted - up from 39 the previous week to 52 last week.

This was despite 29,000 fewer people attending A&E - a total of 347,000 people, compared to 376,000 a week earlier. Of the attendances, 88,000 people had to be admitted to a ward.

One London emergency doctor, Chidi Ejimofo, told the Standard that the official figures excluded frequent unofficial informal ambulance diverts that allow many Trusts to avoid declaring pressure.

NHS England said that it had changed the rules on when hospitals were to declare alerts, including periods that only last for a matter of hours.

It said there was an increase in flu, with 82 serious cases and 11 deaths during the second week of the year. Further problems are expected to be reported next week due to the colder weather.

Kings, which runs Kings College hospital in Denmark Hill and the Princess Royal in Orpington, was forced to close more than 40 beds a day due to norovirus, the winter vomiting bug. St Georges, in Tooting, had similar problems. An average of 755 beds a day across the NHS are unavailable due to the bug - more than 300 more than last year.

An NHS England spokesman said: Demand moderated somewhat last week, but A&E departments remain under pressure, with flu cases set to increase and norovirus still higher than last year.

As flu increases we would remind the public that if youre otherwise healthy, usually you can manage flu symptoms yourself at home and theres no need to see a GP. Most people feel better within a week.
A nti-Donald Trump banners have been unveiled across London as the United States prepares to inaugurate its 45th President.

The banners, which criticised Mr Trump's immigration policies, appeared in iconic London locations early on Friday morning.

One banner draped across Tower Bridge read in big pink letters: Act now! Build bridges not walls.

Another dropped over Westminster Bridge read: "Migration is older then language."

Pre-inauguration: Anti-Trump banners appear on Tower Bridge / Jeremy Selwyn

While one outside the Houses of Parliament said: "Migrants welcome here".

The slogans make reference to Mr Trumps campaign pledge to build a wall between the US and Mexico and appeared hours before he is due to be sworn in as the 45th US President.

Scores of Londoners joined the protests organised by campaign groups Bridges Not Walls and Citizens UK.

More took to social media to praise the protests tweeting with the hashtag #BridgesNotWalls.

One commuter tweeted at her colleague that she would be late because she had joined the protest.

Jenna Hyde wrote: "Sorry @Its_Tarara might be late. Just joing this anti-trump rally on #towerbridge #Trumpinaguration #builbridgesnotwalls"

One user Kit Dorey wrote: "Ready for the banner drop on Westminster bridge this morning. No one is illegal! #bridgesnotwalls."

Another user tweeting as Allie posted: "Amazing scenes on tower bridge on my walk to work..#bridgesnotwalls."

Lindsay Joney, tweeted a picture of the banner saying: "Sadly the world is against you right now America."

Jessica Gray tweeted: "#bridgesnotwalls demo on Tower Bridge #lovetrumpshate."

It comes as Londons mayor Sadiq Khan urged Mr Trump to recognise the contribution of immigrants to US society.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday Mr Khan 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.

Mr Trumps swearing-in ceremony will commence at the Capitol at 12 noon local time (5pm GMT).
S outh London estate agents are the latest to face on-the-spot fines for leaving for sale signs up too long.

Southwark council has warned agents they could be fined 100 a time if the boards are still up within two weeks of a property being sold. It said the aim was to reduce clutter in streets, after complaints from residents.

From February 1, the council will hand out fixed penalty notices to agents who do not comply. Councils have powers to target unauthorised boards under planning laws but the FNPs are quicker to enforce.

The move was backed today by the National Association of Estate Agents. Mark Hayward, the associations managing director, said: Its bad practice for estate agents to use for sale signs as advertising tools once a property has been sold. Currently, agents can leave them up for up to 14 days once a property has been sold.

Those agents who leave them up for longer and choose to ignore these planning regulations are in danger of prosecution.

A report last month indicated a 10 per cent increase in estate agents setting up shop in Southwark. Separate figures from Foxtons showed a 13 per cent rise in property prices in the borough last year, with the average home selling for just under 730,000.

The council said agents breaching the rules would be given a warning and a fixed time to remove the signs. Failure to comply would result in a fine.

Mark Williams, cabinet member for regeneration and new homes, said: Residents have told us they dont want to see their streets and estates cluttered with these signs.

An investigation by Trading Standards in the borough more than two years ago showed that a quarter of estate agents boards were unauthorised.

Camden council introduced similar FPN fines last year and Wandsworth has banned boards around Lavender Hill, Clapham Junction, Balham and Putney town centres after complaints from residents.
H undreds were trapped in the Shard after lifts at Britains tallest building broke down.

Visitors were stranded on the 32nd floor of the skyscraper for more than an hour as staff allegedly prevented them from using the fire escape.

Witnesses claimed staff kept restaurant customers in the lobby despite complaints, including from a sobbing pregnant woman.

Guests were apparently allowed to leave only after a man called the fire brigade. One diner said: Hundreds of people were trapped. There was unbelievably clueless behaviour from staff wandering around with walkie talkies, who effectively incarcerated people in the lobby of the bar area  nobody in charge that anyone could see.

The sun rises at the Shard 1 /13 The sun rises at the Shard Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn Jeremy Selwyn

Eventually one punter grabbed the red phone connecting to the emergency services and summoned the fire brigade. This prompted dozy staff to allow an exodus down 64 flights of stairs. I dread to think what would happen if there was a fire.

A spokesman for London Fire Brigade confirmed it was called to the Shard at 9.20pm to reports of persons locked in on level 32.

She said it was unclear what action crews had taken and they left the scene at 9.44pm.

The Shard is co-owned by property developer Irvine Sellar and the Qatari government and comprises the View from the Shard gallery, offices, shops, apartments and a hotel, as well as three restaurants, Aqua Shard, Oblix and Hutong.

A spokesman from Real Estate Management, which operates The Shard, said: Last night lifts serving the restaurants and The View from The Shard suffered a minor technical fault.

Alternative lifts were brought into use to allow business to continue as usual. There was a short period of queuing while this was brought into effect. There was no need to evacuate the building and emergency procedures were not invoked.

The Shard has an onsite 24-hour lift maintenance team which resolved the issue during the evening and all lifts are now operating normally.
A snug kebab house on a side road in Angel is the latest hidden gem to beat Londons Michelin-starred venues by being crowned the capitals best restaurant on TripAdvisor.

Liman Restaurant, which sells shish kebabs from 9.80, is currently ranked higher than sites such as the Ritz, Barrafina and Petrus on the travel website.

Located behind Islingtons fortress-like police HQ in Penton Road, it was only opened by Kurdish couple Niyazi and Berivan Tezik, both 33, in June but has won hundreds of five-star reviews.

Mrs Tezik is a pastry chef and Mr Tezik has worked at the Royal Albert Hall and Turkish restaurant Sofra in Mayfair. Mrs Tezik, who moved with her husband from her home in Turkey seven years ago, said he was the secret to their success.

Grill king: Owner and chef Niyazi Tezik / NIGEL HOWARD

She added: It has been a lot more responsibility because of TripAdvisor but we love it.

Liman is managed by their friend Murat Bicmli, 37, and his wife Joelma Bicmli, 36, who works front of house.

Mr Bicmli said: Its a lot of pressure  we explain to people that we are not fine-dining, we are not five-star but people search the best restaurant in London and book us without checking anything.

Formidable team: (left to right) Murat and Joelma Bicmli and Niyazi Tezik (owner and chef) with his wife Berivan Tezik / NIGEL HOWARD

Finest dining in the capital 1. Liman Restaurant, Angel 2. The Golden Chippy, Greenwich 3. Bar 61 Restaurant, Streatham 4. Tangia, Tooting 5. The Five Fields, Chelsea 6. Zeret Kitchen, Camberwell 7. Holy Smoke, Wimbledon 8. The Clink Restaurant, HMP Brixton 9. Gastronhome, Battersea 10. The Ledbury, Notting Hill

"We can have a hard time with some guests, but its good because we have regulars as well  its split about half-and-half. Weve had guests from around the world.

We call them guests not customers. The moment you call them customers you expect something from them  this is our house and they are our guests. This is very important. Our main duty is to make sure people are happy.

The menu is mostly Turkish and Middle Eastern fare, with prices starting at 3.90 for a lentil soup. The most expensive dish at 15.50 is the karisik izgara, an array of kebabs, ribs and lamb chops.

Liman took the top slot from The Golden Chippy in Greenwich High Road, which is now at number two out of Londons 17,680 restaurants.

Where are they now? some of travel websites past top tips Trattoria Raffaele, Sydenham Ranked No 1 in February 2016 (now #110) Raffaele Giannandrea, 45, said he had taken on extra staff to cope with the surge in customers: Its been crazy. People out of the area want a table and have to keep trying. We had one man trying to book a table for eight months. He lives in Fulham. Eventually when he came down we gave him the meal on the house. Meze Mangal, Lewisham Ranked No 1 in August 2012 (now #1,422) Co-owner Sahin Gok, 48, said he had expanded into the shop next door and raised the cover from 45 to 120. We had to close for refurbishment for four months. Weve got a lot more staff. We still get in the regular customers. We are quite happy with what we have. Its still hard work but its always busy. New London Cafe, Highbury Ranked No 1 in July 2015 (now #518) Owners Ilker Bafra and his Ines Gutierrez got married and moved to Spain. The restaurant is still called the New London Cafe. Onur Dogan, 27, took it over five months ago with his wife. He said: We kept it as they did as it was so successful.

Venue may not be the Ritz but it has speciality all wrapped up

Taste test: Sophia Sleigh tucks in to a meal at Liman / NIGEL HOWARD

When I think of kebabs I think of sweaty grey meat being hacked off a rotisserie at some time after 2am. But Liman Restaurant could not be further from your typical shish cliche.

Nestled in a backstreet five minutes from Angel station, it has a snug atmosphere with candles and fresh flowers. Free warm bread and hummus was quickly placed on our table.

I tried Mediterranean starters including mixed meze (5.50), feta cheese pastry (4.80), grilled Turkish sausage (5), aubergines (5) and courgette fritters (5.90). For the main I went for the 15.50 karisik izgara, the mixed grill. You get your moneys worth  the Adana kebab oozed with flavour. To finish I had a sarma baklava (4.50), sheets of filo pastry filled with cream and nuts.

Its no wonder the place is crammed. It may not be the Ritz but I ate the best kebab I have ever tasted.

Sophia Sleigh
L ily Allen joined hundreds of protesters outside the US Embassy in London on Friday evening to voice their opposition to Donald Trump.

Vast crowds gathered in Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, for the demonstration, holding placards and chanting slogans against the new President.

Among them was Lily Allen, who took to the stage to perform a protest song to wild applause.

Afterwards, she posted a picture of her performance on Instagram, her face just visible through a sea of heads and banners.

US Embassy protest

She wrote: "I went and sang a song in Grosvenor Square. It was very peaceful."

Earlier, the star had shared a tongue-in-cheek inauguration playlist on Spotify, including Rihannas Russian Roulette and REMs End of the World As We Know It.

The event was organised by Stand Up To Racism in response to some of Mr Trumps incendiary rhetoric during the election campaign.

Protesters slammed the business mogul for everything from his views on Muslims entering the country to climate change.

They held up placards saying No to racism, no to Trump while another warned Trump: climate disaster.

Weyman Bennett, who attended the event, told London Live: We have to stand up for all those people and give them voices. We have to give voices to the women, to the LGBT but also particularly to the racism that I think hes unleashed within the US.

Rosa Parks sat down so people could stand up. We have to stand up within that tradition.

In a statement on the events Facebook page, organisers wrote: 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.

Progress on C02 emissions targets [will be] dashed as one of the world's largest emitters refuses to accept there is a problem.

Earlier on Friday, anti-Trump banners were unveiled around the capital, criticising his immigration policies.

The stunt was branded pointless and pathetic by some supporters of the Republican.
A charity has called on Londoners to open their homes to Syrian refugees after declaring its first placements a success.

Homes for Syrians has placed 25 refugees with hosts in the capital since it was founded just over a year ago.

Now it is launching a major expansion and is seeking thousands more hosts to provide short-term accommodation while their guests find their own home.

The Government pledged to accept 20,000 Syrian refugees by May 2020 under the Syrian Vulnerable Person Relocation Scheme.

But although under this scheme around 4,000 are guaranteed accommodation by councils each year, many more extra asylum seekers granted refugee status by the Home Office are not.

Family: Ghassan and Jessica jokingly call each other 'Mum' and 'son' / Lucy Young

And after leaving asylum seeker housing there can be a gap where many end up homeless  which is where Homes for Syrians steps in.

Ghassan and Jessica's story Ghassan Al-Badawi, 31, lived with Jessica and Jens Lerche and their three children in Crouch End for eight months. He and Jessica half-jokingly call each other mum and son now. Mr al-Badawi, an accountant from just outside Damascus, now works in a restaurant in Westbourne Grove and saved for a deposit with his wages while waiting for his wife and two daughters - one of whom he had never seen - to arrive in the UK. He told the Standard: In Syria I had my own flat, a job at an international business and a life. I lived in Algeria after everything started but had to leave as they didnt want Syrians there. I came here in 2014 and was sent to Stockton-on-Tees while seeking asylum. I was depressed. But Jessica and the family helped me improve my English and [sort] the legal documents to get my family here  now we have a new life. I soon felt comfortable. There are not many cultural differences, but it is amazing to see how differently their two daughters are treated here  I like it and it will help with my own. I feel I have gained a second family. I hope to some day go back to Syria. Freelance copy editor Ms Lerche, 51, said: My mum took in Eastern European refugees during World War Two and I wanted to look back at this crisis and know I didnt ignore it. It was easier than anyone expected. Through having Ghassan my kids have become more open-minded.

Founder Richard Moore said: We launched properly at the end of 2015 and now have around 420 hosts registered across the UK.

"But most refugees want to be in London because it is multi-cultural and has good job prospects and we can only help as many people as we have accommodation for, so we need more hosts.

There are more than eight million people in Greater London and we just need a few thousand to make this possible. I think there are enough people and families in London who care enough to make this happen.

If you have space in your home and heart you can help. You dont have to be well off or even provide food, just need to provide free accommodation, as the Syrian guests are entitled to benefits and search for jobs.

Among those who have partnered with a host is Adnan, a 28-year-old dentist from Damascus, who arrived in London in April last year and couchsurfed for months.

Through the charity, he was welcomed at the home of employment lawyer Katherine OLeary and husband Andy Dixon, a commercial director, and children Maia, 16, and Isaac, 14.

Adnan left Aleppo for Turkey in 2015 after being imprisoned for protesting against the Assad regime. After imprisonment again in Turkey and trying seven times to reach Greece, he made the freezing journey by boat to Athens. He finally claimed asylum on arriving in London from Dublin via Belfast.

He said it had been a difficult time and was hard starting again but I have no other choice. Even with refugee status it was hard to find anywhere to stay.

"Being given somewhere to live reminds me how kind people can be. The couple have already hosted two other Syrians and said they signed up to the charity because it was something real we could do to help.

Mr Dixon, 50, said: I didnt think our government was doing enough to help with events in Syria. We were apprehensive at first to have a stranger in the house, but its amazing how easy it was and how pleasant it has been.

The guests are screened by the charity before they are placed, with checks on their status with the Home Office and other reference checks. Guests and hosts meet before moving in and there is also a break clause in the charitys contract between host and guest.

To sign up as a host, or to donate to the charity, go to: Homesforsyrians.uk.
A bar popular with City workers and celebrities faces a ban on late-night drinking after police complaints of an unacceptable level of violence.

The Madison, which has terraces looking out onto St Pauls Cathedral, has been the scene of 21 violent incidents in 16 months  including glassings, assaults and affray  according to officers who are demanding a review of its licence.

Police say the venue, which can play music and serve alcohol to up to 960 customers until 2am every day, should become a 260-seater restaurant with drink only served to those dining, and should shut at midnight.

Inspector Simon Douglas, of the City of London Police licensing team, said: The level of violent incidents is wholly disproportionate to what we would expect of a safe and well-run venue. The number of incidents is unacceptable.

The panoramic rooftop bar, above the One New Change shopping complex, is marketed as a Manhattan-style haven for City workers and has counted Im A Celebrity winner Vicky Pattison and model Oliver Cheshire as guests.

Oliver Cheshire is among those who have frequented the bar / Ian West/PA

It is run by D&D London, which bought it for 4.5 million in 2014 and has London venues including Quaglinos. Mr Douglas said: A significant factor in most of the incidents is the level of alcohol and sometimes also illegal intoxicants consumed by those involved while inside.

He said officers had tried for more than a year to cut violence and had triggered a licence review as a last resort. Police records showed officers had been called to nine violent crimes in the summer of 2015, after which the venue agreed to bring its closing time forward to 1am. However, there were a further six alleged attacks between last February and July, including one particularly unpleasant incident which police say senior general manager Simon Hands admitted had sickened him.

Police reports of a fight last October describe how a man was punched and kicked on the floor outside the lift after leaving the bar. Officers found a man unconscious with blood coming out of his ears. When he came to he was so aggressive paramedics sedated him.

Soon after, a 20-strong crowd watched two men fighting, one of whom appeared to be holding a knife. When challenged, the man walked off and appeared to throw something away, which was found to be a five-inch knife. The man, who had been drinking in Madison, tested positive for cocaine.

Garry Seal, of the Citys environmental health department, said his team had also been called repeatedly to the venue after complaints of loud music.

Mr Douglas said: A real change to the style and nature of Madisons operation is required to ensure it focuses on a lower-risk restaurant offering.

D&D said: The terms of Madisons premises licence are being reviewed by the local licensing authority following a number of incidents reported to the police and allegedly involving the premises. The restaurant is committed to co-operating with the police and the licensing authority and has put together extensive new measures to avoid such incidents. City of Londons licensing committee is set to rule on Tuesday.
A woman has been rushed to hospital after a vintage Porsche smashed into the cafe where she was sitting.

Fire crews were called out to West End Lane in West Hampstead after the car ploughed into Lenas Cafe 2 at around 2.50pm.

A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade said two women had been sitting at a table inside the eatery when the crash happened.

One was left pinned between the car and the table, with a pane of glass collapsed on top of her.

Emergency: Two women sitting in the cafe were injured / Philip Rosenberg

Fire crews managed to free her from the wreckage before she was taken out via a stretcher.

She was rushed to hospital but her condition is not thought to be life-threatening.

The woman she was sitting with managed to free herself before the brigade arrived and was treated at the scene.

West Hampstead: The road was closed off / Philip Rosenberg

Local councillor Philip Rosenberg posted pictures of the aftermath, showing the car still embedded in the front of the cafe.

He wrote: Shocking incident. Thoughts and prayers with all affected.

Huge thanks to emergency services for their speed and professionalism.

The road was cordoned off as police, paramedics and fire crews dealt with the incident.

A spokesman for the Met Police said: Police were called at 2.53pm on Friday, January 20, to reports that a Porsche car had collided with a shop.

Officers, the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade attended the scene.

Two women were reported injured. Neither had life-changing or life-threatening injuries.
A man who was fed up with being ripped off by letting agents has released an online chatbot that gives free legal advice and can write a strongly worded letter to your landlord.

Faisal Khalid created RentersUnion after he had problems with utility firms and rows with his landlord over the plumbing at his flat in Colliers Wood.

The start-up entrepreneur, 36, pictured, said he wanted to help renters dissect legal jargon and empower those who cannot afford a lawyer.

The program, written in collaboration with two London lawyers, can analyse renters rights if they upload their tenancy contract, answer questions and compose legal letters, with the option of making the wording stronger.

The web-based artificial intelligence is already getting up to 100 queries a day after being released this month. About a third of questions are about contract fees and deductions, while others include pest control and insurance.

Mr Khalid said: I had to write these letters, so I thought, Why dont I create something that does it for me? I built the technology to make my own life easier. Landlords have letting agents to represent them but renters dont have anyone, yet there are lots of regulations clearly laying out what their rights are.

There are well-structured laws but people dont know how to enforce them.

RentersUnion is free, with the suggestion of a donation to help fund it. For more information, visit rentersunionlondon.com.
P rotesters marching on Britains streets over the inauguration of Donald Trump as 45th US President have been branded pointless and pathetic.

As Mr Trump replaced Barack Obama as leader, campaigners took to the streets across the country to express their dismay.

Crowds prepared to gather at Londons US Embassy as anti-Trump banners were unveiled on bridges across the capital.

The banners, which criticised Mr Trumps immigration policies, appeared in iconic London locations early on Friday morning.

One banner draped across Tower Bridge read in big pink letters: Act now! Build bridges not walls.

Pre-inauguration: Anti-Trump banners appear on Tower Bridge / Jeremy Selwyn

Another dropped over Westminster Bridge read: "Migration is older than language."

Demonstrators hang a banner that reads "We Will Not Be Trumped" from the Millennium Bridge in Salford / REUTERS

While one outside the Houses of Parliament said: "Migrants welcome here.

The slogans make reference to Mr Trumps campaign pledge to build a wall between the US and Mexico and appeared hours before he is due to be sworn in as the 45th US President.

However, others took to Twitter to brand the demos pointless and pathetic.

Luke Hall wrote: These Trump protests in the UK are as pointless as they are pathetic.

Another user added: In U.S there was Anti-Trump protests & here in UK they'll be protests later, it's pointless, Trump is President. Get over it! #Inauguration

Scott Webster said: Anti-Trump protests in the UK are pathetic. About Time people started to accept you can't always have your own way. What a sorry generation.

Others questioned the necessity of the marches.

President Trump Inauguration protesters 1 /30 President Trump Inauguration protesters Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Protesters in New York hold placards saying 'No' to Trump at a rally hosted by film maker Michael Moore Kathy Willen/AP photo Michael Moore addresses thousands of people at an anti-Trump rally in New York Kathy Willens/AP An anti-Trump protester holds an 'alt-Reich' banner in New York Photo/Kathy Willen/AP Photo People look at an effigy of Trump outside his New York hotel Kathy Willens/AP Photo Thousands of people protested in New York and Washington Kathy Willens/AP Photo Protesters in Washington ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration Mario Tama/Getty Images A protester holds a cartoon of Trump kissing Putin Mario Tama/Getty Images Protesters gathered before dawn in Washington DC Spencer Platt/Getty Images A protester shouts into a megaphone hours before the inauguration of President-elect Trump Spencer Platt/Getty Images A man holds aloft a banner reading No to Racism and Facism Spencer Platt/Getty Images Protesters at the US embassy in the Philippines Romeo Ranoco/ Reuters A woman holds a Dump Trump banner in Tokyo Toru Hanai /Reuters This child was also present at the anti-Trump rally in Tokyo Toru Hanai/Reuters Activists set off flares at a demonstration in Washington John Minchillo/AP Photo/ Anti Trump activists clash with police in Washington DC Mark Wilson/Getty Images A Stand up to Trump protest at the US embassy in London Lucy Young Campaign group Stand Up To Racism protested in Grosvenor Square, London Lucy Young Protestors from the 'Bridges Not Walls' on a bridge in Bristol Matt Cardy/Getty Images Another bridge protest against Trump in York Danny Lawson/PA Wire These people held a demonstration in Berlin telling Trump to build bridges Michael Sohn/AP Photo

Jason Bartholemew wrote: If I have to see Trump's ugly face again I might leap off of a bridge. The best protest would be the silent treatment. Stop feeding the ego.

And, Ben Hatrick said: The Trump administration will be in tatters after word gets out about the big millennium bridge protest.
T he Duke of Cambridge today announced he is quitting his job as an air ambulance pilot to focus on royal duties and supporting the Queen.

He is also moving his young family back to their London base, Kensington Palace, where his children will go to school, his spokesman also confirmed.

Kensington Palace said that Princess Charlotte will attend a nursery school in London and eventually school too.

Neither school has been confirmed yet.

The Prince is quitting his job with the East Anglia Air Ambulance (Flight Sergeant Andy Carnall/MoD Crown Copyright/PA ) / Flight Sergeant Andy Carnall/MoD Crown Copyright/PA

Prince George, who currently attends a school near Sandringham, will start school in London in September.

Prince William today thanked the East Anglia Air Ambulance service.

In a statement he said, "It has been a huge privilege to fly with the East Anglia Air Ambulance.

Royal children: It is not yet known which schools Princess Charlotte and Prince George will attend / REUTERS/Chris Wattie

"Following on from my time in the military, I have had experiences in the job I will carry with me for the rest of my life and that will add a valuable perspective to my Royal work for decades to come.

"I would like to thank the people of East Anglia for being so supportive of my role and for letting me get on with my job when they have seen me in the community or at our regions hospitals.

"I would especially like to thank all of my colleagues at EAAA, Babcock, and Cambridge Airport for friendship and support.

"I have loved being part of a team of professional, talented people that save lives every day.

"My admiration for our country's medical and emergency services community could not be stronger."
S ky News presenter Stephen Dixon has faced a major backlash after he questioned whether drunk women wearing short skirts should take partial responsibility for sexual assault.

The host was speaking on air during a debate on a new sexism study which found that two in five men believe a drunk woman wearing a short skirt is to blame if they are sexually assaulted.

Speaking on Sunrise, Skys breakfast news show, on Friday morning Mr Dixon asked a female guest: Is it a dreadful thing to say if women are out in short skirts and drunk that they dont need to take any personal responsibility?

The woman responded: Yes. Let me ask you a question. If youre walking down the street and you get punched in the face are you responsible for having left your house?

Mr Dixon replied: Id be responsible if I was out provoking someone.

The guest then retorted: It is not provocative to drink and it is not provocative to wear what women chose to wear. Its not about provoking behaviour.

Mr Dixon's comments sparked criticism from anti-sexual violence campaigners and women's rights activists who described them as "outdated" and "depressing".

But a spokesperson from Sky News said Mr Dixon was playing "devil's advocate" and said "he was not reflecting a personal view."

Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, which published the sexism report said: It seems that Stephen Dixon has a lot to learn about personal responsibility.

The only person responsible if a woman is attacked is her attacker.

She added: We need a media that reports violence against women and girls responsibly not one where they just reinforce these hostile attitudes.

It is this kind of thing that can deter women from reporting attacks and can let men feel they can act with impunity.

Katie Russell for Rape Crisis UK said: It is deeply depressing that people are still expressing views like this in 2017 and apparently considering them perfectly acceptable.

It is a completely outdated, sexist myth, as offensive to men as it is to women, that what a woman wears or how she behaves is provocation for sexual violence, as if men have no free will, self-control or personal responsibility.

A spokeswoman for womens campaign group End Violence Against Women UK added: This reporter should set a tone much higher than the victim-blaming attitudes which support and perpetuate violence against women.

Campaigners and politicians also took to social media to express their distaste.

Carolien Lucas, co-leader of the Green Party, wrote on Twitter: As if further evidence was needed in support of #PSHEBill which is being debated today. Heres @skystephens appalling views.

A spokesperson for Sky News said: In his capacity as presenter, Stephen was playing devils advocate during a discussion of the controversial findings of the Fawcett report. He was not reflecting a personal view.
D onald Trump talked big, promised big and now will have to deliver big or risk a backlash from millions of Americans.

Creating 25 million jobs over ten years, including many in Americas Rust Belt states where he won key votes to sweep him into the White House, is the challenge set to define his presidency.

He has promised to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement, threatened big companies including Ford if they refuse to locate more jobs back in the US, and is pledging to slash taxes including the coporation levy to 15 per cent.

Billions of dollars will be pumped into job-creating projects to rebuild ageing infrastructure including bridges and roads.

Top of his in-tray is also swiftly replacing Barack Obamas signature health care law, as promised.

However, senior Republicans believe the complexity of the current system makes a fast overhaul nearly impossible.

Mr Trumps new system will have to address anger at growing insurance premiums under Obamacare, while balancing Republican calls to completely scrap it against the risk of leaving even more Americans without healthcare.

Loading....

Another major challenge facing the Republican billionaire is how he seeks to heal racial divisions in the country following a series of police shootings of black men which have sparked social unrest.

Having pledged to build a wall with Mexico, he will anger supporters if he backtracks on it.

Many of them are also waiting to learn more about his plans for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the US.

Donald Trump's five key pledges

The appointment of new chiefs to Americas intelligence agencies will open the way to patch up deeply-damaged relations.

Mr Trump has accused elements within them of leaking unsubstantiated claims that he hired prostitutes at a Moscow hotel in 2013.

He also has some stark decisions to make on China, Russia, the Middle East and the EU.

But perhaps his biggest challenge will be not to lose the trust of even more American people.

More than half of Americans are not behind him as he takes office, according to a recent poll.

Just 44 per cent approved of the way the incoming president has handled his transition, compared with 83 per cent for Mr Obama eight years ago.


A s Donald J Trump takes the oath of office, millions of people will be watching on TV and pinching themselves. Is this really happening? How on earth did Trump become the leader of the free world?

Trump has the lowest approval rating of any incoming President. Just 40 per cent of Americans think he has done a good job during this tumultuous and contentious transition.

But we have misjudged Trump before and if we learned anything from the election campaign it was the need to escape the tiresome echo chamber of Washington and to listen to his voters in the heartland.

How much patience will they have if the new President fails to deliver on his outlandish promises to bring back millions of jobs and revive dying industries?

To try and find out some answers, I have been travelling across America, talking to those who are wildly enthusiastic about his presidency and to those who are his fiercest critics.

Loading....

If Donald Trump has a core constituency that he can rely on it is in Appalachia. This is the region that runs from Pennsylvania, through West Virginia, and on to Kentucky and Tennessee. It is the spine of America; better known as coal country.

People here embraced the Trump candidacy from the beginning with the fervor of true believers. And today, they still have his back.

In the town of Williamson in deepest West Virginia, where unemployment is high and drug addition is still higher, I sat with a group of out-of-work miners over breakfast. They told me that Trump had done something no national politician had ever done before - made them feel empowered and relevant.

Even if Trumps policies failed to revive Williamson, the President would still have the miners support, one of the men told me. These are working-class Americans who want their jobs back, but more importantly they want their pride back.

But if the workers of Appalachia are his greatest supporters, I also met with Americans who are in despair. To say they are distressed understates the emotional impact this election has had.

In Florida I spent an afternoon chatting to Anne Goldberg and Laura Guy, two women who compare their emotional condition to one of grief.

Despite the open wound of the election, the organiser of the Inauguration insisted he wanted today ceremony to have a soft sensuality, a poetic cadence. When asked about the boycott of the event by celebrities and performers, Tom Barrack said that did not trouble him. He had, after all, the best known and most controversial celebrity in the world attending. In fact, not just attending, but being sworn in.

Robert Moore is ITV News Washington Correspondent. Watch President Trump: The Inauguration from 4pm on ITV
T uesday night saw a milestone in the British governments race to get close to the worlds most powerful man.

It was at the most exclusive of Donald Trumps pre-inauguration events, a black tie dinner where 200 foreign diplomats were among guests permitted to meet the new President and his team.

In the melee, the UKs ambassador Sir Kim Darroch finally had his first face-to-face chat with the man who was elected in November, bagging that all-important handshake just two days before the swearing-in ceremony.

Ever the professional, Sir Kim did not leave without grabbing chats with Mike Pence, the VP and several cabinet nominees. The diplomatic service has been playing catch-up since Nigel Farage cheekily outflanked it by jetting over to Trump Tower to bask as the President-elects preferred choice of ambassador. In the nick of time, the vital relationships are getting into place.

Loading....

In mid-December, the PMs two closest aides Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy travelled secretly to New York and Washington to meet members of Trumps incoming team, including son-in-law Jared Kushner, chief strategist, Steve Bannon, and national security adviser Michael Flynn, a retired Lieutenant General.

Boris Johnson, who has had warm conversations with Mike Pence, nipped over two weeks ago to meet the administration-in-waiting, though he did not get to meet the President-elect. That honour fell to former leadership rival Michael Gove, who pulled off the coup of an interview for the Times.

As Trump celebrates his inauguration - the new President insists his first day of actual work will be on Monday after a weekend of partying - there is just one meeting left to secure before No 10 can relax and feel it has succeeded in becoming the closest foreign ally of the new tenant of the White House.

Theresa Mays face-to-face meeting will take place in the spring, says Downing Street, but diplomats think it will happen sooner rather than later.

Loading....

The Prime Minister sought to charm him with a Christmas gift of a text of Churchills 1941 wartime radio address to Americans from the White House in which he spoke of a sense of unity and fraternal association between Britain and America. As a lure for an early meeting, she has dangled the prospect of a State Visit that would see Trump stay as guest of the Queen, whom his Scottish-born mother adored.

For his part, Trump has promised a quick trade deal for the UK after it leaves the EU, and predicted Brexit will end up being a great thing - both hugely helpful to Mrs Mays brinkmanship in the coming EU negotiations. And he has indicated he will restore the Churchill that Barack Obama had removed from the Oval Office.

Donald Trump's inauguration: What actually happens?

Not everyone is joining the race to hug Trump. Angela Merkel has no visit lined up. The German chancellor greeted his victory cooly, offering close co-operation but on the basis of respecting the dignity of each and every person, regardless of their origin, skin colour, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or political views, values that Mr Trump does not obviously share.

Donald Trump - In pictures 1 /112 Donald Trump - In pictures President Donald Trump takes the oath of office as his wife Melania Trump holds the bible and his son Barron Trump looks on, on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC Getty Images Acceptance speech Republican president-elect Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd during his acceptance speech at his election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of 9 November 2016 in New York Getty Images Little Trump Donald Trump pictured when he was 4 years old Donald J Trump/Instagram The Trump Princess Donald Trump waves to reporters in 1988 with his first wife Ivana as they board their yacht 'The Trump Princess' in New York AP Donald Trump stands next to one of his three Sikorsky helicopters at New York Port Authority's West 30 Street Heliport in 1988 Out on the town Trump and his first wife Ivana arrive at a social engagement in New York in December 1989 AFP/Getty Images Surviving at the top Trump followed up his successful book The Art of the Deal with Surviving At The Top in 1990 Random House Meeting the King of Pop With Michael Jackson in 1990 FilmMagic Taking a break with Miss Universe contestants Donald Trump meets Miss Universe contestants during a break in rehearsals in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas in 1990 Miss Universe Organization via AP Genie of the lamp Donald Trump stands next to a genie lamp in 1990 as the lights of his Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort mark its grand opening in Atlantic City AP Marla's wedding day Donald and Marla Trump at their wedding in 1993 AP Donald Trump with daughter Ivanka at a Harley Davidson Cafe Event, New York City on 9 October 1993 Rex Features New arival Marla and Donald Trump leave St. Mary's Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida with their newborn baby girl, Tiffany on 14 October 1993 AP Behind the lens Donald Trump takes a picture of Bridget Marks in 1993 after interviewing her for Playboy magazine's 40th anniversary playmate in New York AFP/Getty Images Top Trump New York real estate giant Donald Trump poses in his Trump Tower office on a giant letter "T" on 08 May 1996 AFP/Getty Images New love interest Donald Trump and Melania arrive for VH1's Divas Live concert at the Beacon Theater in New York City on 13 April 1999 Getty Images Toasting in the New Year Donald Trump and Melania toast the new year during Trump's gala bash in 2000 The Sun-Sentinel/AP Wax work A wax replica of Donald Trump stands ready to be put on display at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, New York City in 2000 Madame Tussaud's/Getty Images Rebuild call Donald Trump talks in 2005 to reporters where he presented a proposal that the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center be rebuilt in New York Reuters Cracking prformance Amy Poehler, Tracy Morgan, Donald Trump, Seth Myers, Maya Rudolph perform on Saturday Night Live in 2002 Rex Features 'How To Get Rich' Donald Trump poses with a copy of his new book 'How To Get Rich' during a book signing on 24 March 2004 at Barnes and Noble in Lincoln Center in New York Getty Images Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka (left) and girlfriend Melania Knauss (right) attend the "Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century" Costume Institute benefit gala on April 26, 2004 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City Getty Images Fired up figure Donald Trump poses with the new Donald Trump 12-inch talking doll 29 September 2004 at the Toys "R" Us store in New York City Getty Images Olympic flame Donald Trump carries the Olympic flame during Day 15 of the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay on 19 June 19, 2004 in New York Getty Images Donald Trump on The Celebrity Apprentice (2005) Rex Features Anyone for golf? Donald Trump gestures as he arrives at the Old Course in St Andrews where he was meeting with the media to answer questions regarding Trump International Golf Links on 28 April 2005 in St Andrews, Scotland Getty Images Hollywod star Donald Trump, billionaire developer and producer of NBC's "The Apprentice," with his wife, Melania, and their son, Barron, pose for a photo after he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles in 2007 AP In the Highlands U.S. property mogul Donald Trump gestures 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 on 27 May 2010 Reuters Donald Trump plays a round of golf after the opening of the The Trump International Golf Links Course in Scotland in 2012 Getty Images Family time Donald Trump, Barron Trump and Melania Trump attends Trump Invitational Grand Prix Mar-a-Lago Club at The Mar-a-Largo Club on 04 January 2015 in Palm Beach, Florida Getty Images Officially in the running U.S. Republican presidential candidate, real estate mogul and TV personality Donald Trump poses with his family after formally announcing his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during an event at Trump Tower in New York on 16 June 2015 Reuters Love, life and laughter Donald Trump sits with his wife Melania Trump while appearing at an NBC Town Hall at the Today Show on 21 April 2016 in New York City. Getty Images Thumbs up Donald Trump speaks on the last day of the Republican National Convention on 21 July 2016, in Cleveland, AFP/Getty Images Don't cry for me ... Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds babies at a campaign rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado on 29 July 2016 Reuters Donald Trump eating KFC on his private jet in August 2016 Is this really the Oval Office? Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump views a replica of the Oval Office on a tour of the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 30 September 2016 Reuters Women for Trump Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump kisses a "Women for Trump" placard during a rally at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida on 12 October 2016 AFP/Getty Images In debate Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speak during the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, America on 09 October 2016 AP Love your country The future is orange: Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump hugs a U.S. flag on 24 October 2016 Reuters U.S. President-elect U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at his election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S. on 09 November 2016 Reuters 60 Minutes Donald Trump and wife Melania being interviewed on 13 November 2016 by Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes 60 Minutes/CBS At The Whiie House US President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump meet in the Oval Office of the White House on 10 November 2016 EPA Kiss-story Republican president-elect Donald Trump embraces his wife Melania Trump during his election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of 09 November 2016 in New York Getty Images Person of the Year U.S. President-elect Donald Trump poses on the cover of Time Magazine after being named its person of the year, in a picture provided by the publication in New York on 7 December 2016 Time Magazine Meeting Kanye U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and musician Kanye West pose for media at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York on 13 December 2016 Reuters First Press Conference President-elect Donald Trump stands with his son Eric Trump (left) daughter Ivanka and son Donald Trump Jr. (right) on 11 January 2017 Reuters US President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington,Virginia 19 on January 2017 AFP/Getty Images Big shoes to fill: US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive to attend an inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on 19 January 2017 AFP/Getty Images President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive for a VIP reception and dinner with donors in Washington on 19 January 2017 AP British Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump walk along The Colonnade of the West Wing at The White House on January 27, 2017 in Washington, DC Getty Images Pope Francis walks along with US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump during a private audience at the Vatican in May 2017 AFP/Getty Images US President Donald Trump inspects border wall prototypes in March 2018 AFP/Getty Images Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump walk to a joint news conference at Chequers in July 2018 Reuters US President Donald Trump takes the hand of Prime Minister Theresa May as they enter Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire in July 2018 PA A six-meter high cartoon baby blimp of US President Donald Trump is set to fly as a protest against his visit July 2018 AP Activists inflate a giant balloon depicting US President Donald Trump as an orange baby during a demonstration against Trump's visit to the UK in Parliament Square, London July 2018 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump with The Queen in July 2018 AP German Chancellor Angela Merkel deliberates with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the official agenda on the second day of the G7 summit on June 9, 2018 in Charlevoix, Canada Getty Images President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island in Singapore on 12 June 2018 Evan Vucci/AP U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland in July 2018 Reuters US President Donald Trump meets with rapper Kanye West in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on 18th October 2018 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian posed for a photograph together at the White House meeting Donald Trump/Twitter A White House staff member reaches for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference in November 2018 Reuters President Donald Trump looks over tables of fast food for the the college football playoff champion Clemson Tigers in the State Dining Room of the White House in January 2019 Reuters US President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un following a meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi on February 27, 2019 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump (left) with Nigel Farage when they met met face-to-face on 2nd March 2019 PA/White House President Donald Trump smiles at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, after signing a proclamation in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, March 25, 2019 AP US President Donald Trump (L) First Lady Melania Trump (C) and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe' Akie Abe (R) watch a sumo battle during the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on May 26, 2019 AFP/Getty Images President Donald Trump gestures after receiving a prayer at McLean Bible Church on 2nd June 2019 AP US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump make their way to board Air Force One on 2nd June 2019 AFP/Getty Images Donald and Melania Trump arrive at Stansted Airport on 3rd June 2019 AP President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are pictured ahead a meeting in Helsinki on July 16, 2018 AFP/Getty Images Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg watches as Donald Trump enters the United Nations to speak with reporters on September 23, 2019 Reuters Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump during a welcoming ceremony at the NATO leaders summit in Watford on December 4, 2019 Reuters President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, in Milwauke AP US president Donald Trump delivers a speech at the Congres center during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, on January 21, 2020 AFP via Getty Images US President Donald Trump speaks during the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio AFP via Getty Images A car with US President Trump drives past supporters in a motorcade outside of Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland AFP via Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump works in the Presidential Suite while receiving treatment after testing positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland via Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a phone call with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley October 4, 2020, in his conference room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Not shown in the photo also in the room on the call is Chief of Staff Mark Meadows Reuters Donald Trump walks out of hospital after receiving treatment for Covid-19 AP Mr Trump boards Marine One to return to the White House after receiving treatment for coronavirus AP Donald Trump stands on the Truman Balcony after returning to the White House from hospital Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump removes his mask upon return to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on October 05, 2020 in Washington Getty Images

The President bared his fangs at her this week when he attacked her refugee policy as catastrophic, threatened 35 per cent tariffs on BMW cars made in Mexico, and sniped at obsolete Nato. But Germany, unlike Britain, is playing it cool. We will see what policy really is after the inauguration, said foreign ministry official Martin Schaefer.

Britain, leaving the security of the EU in two years, cannot afford to display such sang-froid. But Mrs May has plenty in common with Trump to make up for their contrasting styles. They are both believers in free trade, and when it comes to security the UK co-operates far more with America than it does with Europe. On the world stage, they agree on many key questions, a glaring exception being how to handle Vladimir Putin.

If Trump is a success as US President, Mrs Mays charm offensive will look like a triumph of diplomacy. But with the billionaire beginning his first term as the first to have lower popularity rating than when elected, the question haunting UK diplomats is whether our new friend in Washington will actually last the course.
A ustrian police have arrested a man suspected of planning a bomb attack in Vienna, following "growing indications" that the Austrian capital would be targeted.

The man was arrested in a Vienna apartment by special forces at around 5pm on Friday, a police spokesman said.

He added that foreign intelligence services had warned Austrian authorities about a possible attack.

He said: "There were growing indications of a planned attack in the capital in the past few days."

Austrian newspaper Krone reported that a group of radical Islamists of Albanian descent had planned an attack in Vienna between January 15 and 30.

The arrested man had been monitored by special forces since he entered Austria earlier on Friday, Krone said.

He had built an explosive device in Germany and planned to use it in Vienna, according to the paper.

An attack at a Berlin Christmas market killed 12 people in December.

The attacker, a rejected asylum seeker from Tunisia, was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later.
P rotesters clashed with police outside a pro-Donald Trump rally in Washington on the eve of his inauguration.

The demonstrators gathered outside the National Press Club last night to oppose a group of Trump supporters staging a DeploraBall, named after Hillary Clinton who branded them a basket of deplorables during the election campaign.

Footage posted on social media appeared to show police using pepper spray to disperse protesters and smoke was also seen filling the street. Police said that a man had been charged with conspiracy to commit an assault.

In New York, celebrities and Hollywood stars led an anti-Trump rally and a march outside Trump Tower, including Robert De Niro, Sally Field, Mark Ruffalo and Alec Baldwin, who gave a brief performance of the Trump parody he does on Saturday Night Live.

A protester has her eyes doused with water after allegedly being pepper sprayed / Patrick Smith/Getty Images

In London, protest groups unfurled banners from Thames bridges. One hung from Tower Bridge said Build bridges not walls, referring to Mr Trumps Mexican border pledge.

Loading....

Westminster University lecturer Sam Raphael, 39, who demonstrated on Tower Bridge with his daughter Maggie, 12, said: We are not just against Trump, but the agenda which seems to be normalising the idea that peoples rights can be trampled upon.

At least 63 protest groups were due in Washington today and US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said: Some of these groups are pro-Trump, some of them are con-Trump, and they may not play well together in the same space.

Coalition protest group DisruptJ20 has vowed to disrupt the inauguration and interfere with security checkpoints. Film-maker Michael Moore was due to speak at a rally in Washingtons McPherson Square this afternoon.

The largest demonstration will be in Washington tomorrow, when 200,000 are expected to join a womens march attended by celebrities including Scarlett Johansson and Amy Schumer, while similar events are planned in Los Angeles and Park City, Utah.
D onald Trumps term as US President will usher in the most strained relations between the US and UK for decades, experts have warned.

Professors said Britain should brace itself for a bumpy-ride in transatlantic relations under a Trump presidency, with one describing him as the most difficult and erratic president we may ever meet.

Mr Trumps apparent equivocal stance toward European collective security through NATO, his protectionist economic policies and his calls for closer relations between the US and Russia have left British professors unnerved.

Professor Adam Quinn, an expert in American foreign policy at Birmingham University, said Mr Trumps inauguration on Friday represented a potential turning point in the US relationship with the liberal world order and by consequence for the US-UK special relationship.

Donald Trump's inauguration: What actually happens?

He told the Standard: If the US plays a less important role in European security it might lead to instability and possibly even conflict in Europe and place a burden on Britain it may not want or be able to bear.

Tim Oliver, an expert in transatlantic relations at the London School of Economics (LSE), said Britain had to navigate a relationship with a president whose worldview is closer to China and Russias than it is to Britains and who constantly changes his mind.

Mr Oliver told the Standard: Trump has no consistent opinions. I dont think he knows what he wants to do or where the UK fits into it.

For Mr Oliver this unpredictability, combined with Theresa May and Mr Trumps clash of personalities, means a Trump presidency could easily see the most strained relations between the US and UK for a long time.

Xenia Wickett, head of the US programme at Chatham House, agreed that Trump is going to be much harder for the UK to manage.

She told the Standard: Firstly the international norms and systems such as NATO and the World Trade Organisation, which the US have been a part of and led for many decades, are no longer inviolated by Trump.

Donald Trump - In pictures 1 /112 Donald Trump - In pictures President Donald Trump takes the oath of office as his wife Melania Trump holds the bible and his son Barron Trump looks on, on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC Getty Images Acceptance speech Republican president-elect Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd during his acceptance speech at his election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of 9 November 2016 in New York Getty Images Little Trump Donald Trump pictured when he was 4 years old Donald J Trump/Instagram The Trump Princess Donald Trump waves to reporters in 1988 with his first wife Ivana as they board their yacht 'The Trump Princess' in New York AP Donald Trump stands next to one of his three Sikorsky helicopters at New York Port Authority's West 30 Street Heliport in 1988 Out on the town Trump and his first wife Ivana arrive at a social engagement in New York in December 1989 AFP/Getty Images Surviving at the top Trump followed up his successful book The Art of the Deal with Surviving At The Top in 1990 Random House Meeting the King of Pop With Michael Jackson in 1990 FilmMagic Taking a break with Miss Universe contestants Donald Trump meets Miss Universe contestants during a break in rehearsals in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas in 1990 Miss Universe Organization via AP Genie of the lamp Donald Trump stands next to a genie lamp in 1990 as the lights of his Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort mark its grand opening in Atlantic City AP Marla's wedding day Donald and Marla Trump at their wedding in 1993 AP Donald Trump with daughter Ivanka at a Harley Davidson Cafe Event, New York City on 9 October 1993 Rex Features New arival Marla and Donald Trump leave St. Mary's Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida with their newborn baby girl, Tiffany on 14 October 1993 AP Behind the lens Donald Trump takes a picture of Bridget Marks in 1993 after interviewing her for Playboy magazine's 40th anniversary playmate in New York AFP/Getty Images Top Trump New York real estate giant Donald Trump poses in his Trump Tower office on a giant letter "T" on 08 May 1996 AFP/Getty Images New love interest Donald Trump and Melania arrive for VH1's Divas Live concert at the Beacon Theater in New York City on 13 April 1999 Getty Images Toasting in the New Year Donald Trump and Melania toast the new year during Trump's gala bash in 2000 The Sun-Sentinel/AP Wax work A wax replica of Donald Trump stands ready to be put on display at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, New York City in 2000 Madame Tussaud's/Getty Images Rebuild call Donald Trump talks in 2005 to reporters where he presented a proposal that the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center be rebuilt in New York Reuters Cracking prformance Amy Poehler, Tracy Morgan, Donald Trump, Seth Myers, Maya Rudolph perform on Saturday Night Live in 2002 Rex Features 'How To Get Rich' Donald Trump poses with a copy of his new book 'How To Get Rich' during a book signing on 24 March 2004 at Barnes and Noble in Lincoln Center in New York Getty Images Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka (left) and girlfriend Melania Knauss (right) attend the "Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century" Costume Institute benefit gala on April 26, 2004 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City Getty Images Fired up figure Donald Trump poses with the new Donald Trump 12-inch talking doll 29 September 2004 at the Toys "R" Us store in New York City Getty Images Olympic flame Donald Trump carries the Olympic flame during Day 15 of the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay on 19 June 19, 2004 in New York Getty Images Donald Trump on The Celebrity Apprentice (2005) Rex Features Anyone for golf? Donald Trump gestures as he arrives at the Old Course in St Andrews where he was meeting with the media to answer questions regarding Trump International Golf Links on 28 April 2005 in St Andrews, Scotland Getty Images Hollywod star Donald Trump, billionaire developer and producer of NBC's "The Apprentice," with his wife, Melania, and their son, Barron, pose for a photo after he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles in 2007 AP In the Highlands U.S. property mogul Donald Trump gestures 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 on 27 May 2010 Reuters Donald Trump plays a round of golf after the opening of the The Trump International Golf Links Course in Scotland in 2012 Getty Images Family time Donald Trump, Barron Trump and Melania Trump attends Trump Invitational Grand Prix Mar-a-Lago Club at The Mar-a-Largo Club on 04 January 2015 in Palm Beach, Florida Getty Images Officially in the running U.S. Republican presidential candidate, real estate mogul and TV personality Donald Trump poses with his family after formally announcing his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during an event at Trump Tower in New York on 16 June 2015 Reuters Love, life and laughter Donald Trump sits with his wife Melania Trump while appearing at an NBC Town Hall at the Today Show on 21 April 2016 in New York City. Getty Images Thumbs up Donald Trump speaks on the last day of the Republican National Convention on 21 July 2016, in Cleveland, AFP/Getty Images Don't cry for me ... Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds babies at a campaign rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado on 29 July 2016 Reuters Donald Trump eating KFC on his private jet in August 2016 Is this really the Oval Office? Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump views a replica of the Oval Office on a tour of the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 30 September 2016 Reuters Women for Trump Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump kisses a "Women for Trump" placard during a rally at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida on 12 October 2016 AFP/Getty Images In debate Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speak during the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, America on 09 October 2016 AP Love your country The future is orange: Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump hugs a U.S. flag on 24 October 2016 Reuters U.S. President-elect U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at his election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S. on 09 November 2016 Reuters 60 Minutes Donald Trump and wife Melania being interviewed on 13 November 2016 by Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes 60 Minutes/CBS At The Whiie House US President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump meet in the Oval Office of the White House on 10 November 2016 EPA Kiss-story Republican president-elect Donald Trump embraces his wife Melania Trump during his election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of 09 November 2016 in New York Getty Images Person of the Year U.S. President-elect Donald Trump poses on the cover of Time Magazine after being named its person of the year, in a picture provided by the publication in New York on 7 December 2016 Time Magazine Meeting Kanye U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and musician Kanye West pose for media at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York on 13 December 2016 Reuters First Press Conference President-elect Donald Trump stands with his son Eric Trump (left) daughter Ivanka and son Donald Trump Jr. (right) on 11 January 2017 Reuters US President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington,Virginia 19 on January 2017 AFP/Getty Images Big shoes to fill: US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive to attend an inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on 19 January 2017 AFP/Getty Images President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive for a VIP reception and dinner with donors in Washington on 19 January 2017 AP British Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump walk along The Colonnade of the West Wing at The White House on January 27, 2017 in Washington, DC Getty Images Pope Francis walks along with US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump during a private audience at the Vatican in May 2017 AFP/Getty Images US President Donald Trump inspects border wall prototypes in March 2018 AFP/Getty Images Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump walk to a joint news conference at Chequers in July 2018 Reuters US President Donald Trump takes the hand of Prime Minister Theresa May as they enter Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire in July 2018 PA A six-meter high cartoon baby blimp of US President Donald Trump is set to fly as a protest against his visit July 2018 AP Activists inflate a giant balloon depicting US President Donald Trump as an orange baby during a demonstration against Trump's visit to the UK in Parliament Square, London July 2018 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump with The Queen in July 2018 AP German Chancellor Angela Merkel deliberates with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the official agenda on the second day of the G7 summit on June 9, 2018 in Charlevoix, Canada Getty Images President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island in Singapore on 12 June 2018 Evan Vucci/AP U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland in July 2018 Reuters US President Donald Trump meets with rapper Kanye West in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on 18th October 2018 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian posed for a photograph together at the White House meeting Donald Trump/Twitter A White House staff member reaches for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference in November 2018 Reuters President Donald Trump looks over tables of fast food for the the college football playoff champion Clemson Tigers in the State Dining Room of the White House in January 2019 Reuters US President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un following a meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi on February 27, 2019 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump (left) with Nigel Farage when they met met face-to-face on 2nd March 2019 PA/White House President Donald Trump smiles at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, after signing a proclamation in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, March 25, 2019 AP US President Donald Trump (L) First Lady Melania Trump (C) and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe' Akie Abe (R) watch a sumo battle during the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on May 26, 2019 AFP/Getty Images President Donald Trump gestures after receiving a prayer at McLean Bible Church on 2nd June 2019 AP US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump make their way to board Air Force One on 2nd June 2019 AFP/Getty Images Donald and Melania Trump arrive at Stansted Airport on 3rd June 2019 AP President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are pictured ahead a meeting in Helsinki on July 16, 2018 AFP/Getty Images Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg watches as Donald Trump enters the United Nations to speak with reporters on September 23, 2019 Reuters Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump during a welcoming ceremony at the NATO leaders summit in Watford on December 4, 2019 Reuters President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, in Milwauke AP US president Donald Trump delivers a speech at the Congres center during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, on January 21, 2020 AFP via Getty Images US President Donald Trump speaks during the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio AFP via Getty Images A car with US President Trump drives past supporters in a motorcade outside of Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland AFP via Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump works in the Presidential Suite while receiving treatment after testing positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland via Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a phone call with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley October 4, 2020, in his conference room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Not shown in the photo also in the room on the call is Chief of Staff Mark Meadows Reuters Donald Trump walks out of hospital after receiving treatment for Covid-19 AP Mr Trump boards Marine One to return to the White House after receiving treatment for coronavirus AP Donald Trump stands on the Truman Balcony after returning to the White House from hospital Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump removes his mask upon return to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on October 05, 2020 in Washington Getty Images

Secondly he expects other nations to step up more (for example contribute more to NATO) which will also be true for the UK.

Thirdly he values unpredictability, which makes diplomatic relations hard for any ally.

And finally Trump has a personality which is less amenable for the British people.

She added: The UK is very much between a rock and a hard place in a world where the EU is less amenable and the US is tougher.

But Ryan Bourne, an economist at the Cato Institute in Washington DC, disagreed saying a Trump presidency should be seen as a big opportunity to strengthen ties with the worlds largest economy.

While he argued Mr Trumps protectionist policies might damage the global economy he said by backing a US-UK trade deal the future president was offering an olive branch to the UK that should be taken.

He told the Standard: I think this trade deal should be seen as a huge opportunity for Britain in this post Brexit environment and Britain should look to capitalise on the fact that Trump appears to admire Britain very highly.

Loading....



Kathleen Burk, an expert in Anglo-American relations at University College London, agreed that Mr Trumps pro-British stance might strengthen the so-called UK-US special relationship.

She said the special-relationship was based on military, intelligence and financial cooperation; established partnerships which are in many cases fully-entwined and would be there once Trump and May have gone.

She told the Standard: On top of this Trump sees Britain as a safe ally. A lot of Trumps people are anglophiles and the American public like Great Britain.

This means the unpredictability of the USs approach to all of its relationships under President Trump is not the case with Britain.

As for the UK, sticking with the US means continuing to be an ally of the most powerful country in the world, so its in both their interests.

As far as fundamental relationships go I think the Anglo-American one is pretty safe.
H undreds of protesters clashed with police in Washington DC as Donald Trump prepared to take office.

Activists from several left-wing groups held demonstrations against the president-elect. Shop windows were smashed and police reportedly had to use pepper spray and water cannon to disperse protesters.

There were some reports of looting as protesters made their way through the city.

At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in US detention at Guantanamo Bay. Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also joined protests.

They held aloft placards which read "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now", "Let Freedom Ring" and "Free Palestine".

Police officers clash in protests in Washington / AP

Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organise a 'Disrupt J20' protest, said they wanted to show Mr Trump and his "misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous" supporters that they will not be silent.

The Disrupt J20 coalition has pledged to shut down the celebrations.

Further protests are expected later today.

Pictures emerged online of smashed shops in Washington

The route for the march, which organisers called a "Festival of Resistance", runs about 1.5 miles to McPherson Square, a park about three blocks from the White House, where a rally featuring film-maker and liberal activist Michael Moore is planned.

"We're going to throw a party in the streets for our side," organiser David Thurston told reporters last week, adding that drummers, musicians and a float of dancers were planned for the march.

"Our goals are to have to have massive protests and to shut down the inauguration if at all possible, and if not possible - if we can't shut the inauguration down - then make it as difficult as possible for Trump to act as if he has a mandate," he said.

President Trump Inauguration protesters 1 /30 President Trump Inauguration protesters Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Protesters in New York hold placards saying 'No' to Trump at a rally hosted by film maker Michael Moore Kathy Willen/AP photo Michael Moore addresses thousands of people at an anti-Trump rally in New York Kathy Willens/AP An anti-Trump protester holds an 'alt-Reich' banner in New York Photo/Kathy Willen/AP Photo People look at an effigy of Trump outside his New York hotel Kathy Willens/AP Photo Thousands of people protested in New York and Washington Kathy Willens/AP Photo Protesters in Washington ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration Mario Tama/Getty Images A protester holds a cartoon of Trump kissing Putin Mario Tama/Getty Images Protesters gathered before dawn in Washington DC Spencer Platt/Getty Images A protester shouts into a megaphone hours before the inauguration of President-elect Trump Spencer Platt/Getty Images A man holds aloft a banner reading No to Racism and Facism Spencer Platt/Getty Images Protesters at the US embassy in the Philippines Romeo Ranoco/ Reuters A woman holds a Dump Trump banner in Tokyo Toru Hanai /Reuters This child was also present at the anti-Trump rally in Tokyo Toru Hanai/Reuters Activists set off flares at a demonstration in Washington John Minchillo/AP Photo/ Anti Trump activists clash with police in Washington DC Mark Wilson/Getty Images A Stand up to Trump protest at the US embassy in London Lucy Young Campaign group Stand Up To Racism protested in Grosvenor Square, London Lucy Young Protestors from the 'Bridges Not Walls' on a bridge in Bristol Matt Cardy/Getty Images Another bridge protest against Trump in York Danny Lawson/PA Wire These people held a demonstration in Berlin telling Trump to build bridges Michael Sohn/AP Photo

Along the parade route, the ANSWER Coalition anti-war group plans demonstrations at two locations.

Protesters and supporters of Mr Trump clashed on Thursday evening outside a pro-Trump event in Washington. Police used chemical spray on some protesters in an effort to control the unruly crowd.

Hundreds gathered outside the National Press Club in central Washington, where the "DeploraBall" was being held. The name is a play on a campaign remark by Hillary Clinton, who once referred to many of Mr Trump's supporters as a "basket of deplorables".

The demonstrations will not end when Mr Trump takes up residence in the White House. A massive Women's March on Washington is planned for Saturday.

Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbia's homeland security director, said 1,800 buses have registered to park in the city on Saturday, which could mean nearly 100,000 people coming by bus alone.
T he former "Grand Wizard" of the Ku Klux Klan has congratulated Donald Trump on being sworn in as US President and said: We did it.

White nationalist David Duke, ex-leader of the notorious racist movement, publicly backed the business man during the race to the White House.

In a tweet posted just moments after President Trump finished his inauguration speech, Mr Duke wrote: We did it! Congratulation Donald J. Trump President of the United States of America!

Trump was sworn in as 45th President of the US on Friday replacing outgoing Barack Obama.

Following the closest fought battle to the White House in a decade, Mr Duke tweeted in November: This is one of the most exciting nights of my life -> make no mistake about it, our people have played a HUGE role in electing Trump!

In other messages sent out on the social media site, Mr Duke said the new President now has the chance to become one of the greatest Americans to have ever lived.

Watch the moment Donald Trump is sworn in as President

Mr Duke is also the author of books called Jewish Supremacism and My Awakening: A Path to Racial Understanding.

'God bless Trump': Former KKK leader and Trump supporter David Duke. / AP

In 2000 he famously met with the British National Partys then-leader Nick Griffin.

The official newspaper of the KKK, the Crusader, had previously embraced Mr Trumps fierce campaign and used his slogan, make America great again.
F ollowing a tumultuous election campaign and shock victory, Donald Trump will today be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

In a rallying speech on the eve of his swearing-in the tycoon pledged to unify his country and make America great for all our people.

And as the world watches on, the multi-millionaire is now preparing to take the Oath of Office to preserve, protect and defend the US.

Not sure where or when you can watch the 58th US inauguration ceremony? Here is all the information you need:

Donald Trump - In pictures 1 /112 Donald Trump - In pictures President Donald Trump takes the oath of office as his wife Melania Trump holds the bible and his son Barron Trump looks on, on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC Getty Images Acceptance speech Republican president-elect Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to the crowd during his acceptance speech at his election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of 9 November 2016 in New York Getty Images Little Trump Donald Trump pictured when he was 4 years old Donald J Trump/Instagram The Trump Princess Donald Trump waves to reporters in 1988 with his first wife Ivana as they board their yacht 'The Trump Princess' in New York AP Donald Trump stands next to one of his three Sikorsky helicopters at New York Port Authority's West 30 Street Heliport in 1988 Out on the town Trump and his first wife Ivana arrive at a social engagement in New York in December 1989 AFP/Getty Images Surviving at the top Trump followed up his successful book The Art of the Deal with Surviving At The Top in 1990 Random House Meeting the King of Pop With Michael Jackson in 1990 FilmMagic Taking a break with Miss Universe contestants Donald Trump meets Miss Universe contestants during a break in rehearsals in the Imperial Ballroom at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas in 1990 Miss Universe Organization via AP Genie of the lamp Donald Trump stands next to a genie lamp in 1990 as the lights of his Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort mark its grand opening in Atlantic City AP Marla's wedding day Donald and Marla Trump at their wedding in 1993 AP Donald Trump with daughter Ivanka at a Harley Davidson Cafe Event, New York City on 9 October 1993 Rex Features New arival Marla and Donald Trump leave St. Mary's Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida with their newborn baby girl, Tiffany on 14 October 1993 AP Behind the lens Donald Trump takes a picture of Bridget Marks in 1993 after interviewing her for Playboy magazine's 40th anniversary playmate in New York AFP/Getty Images Top Trump New York real estate giant Donald Trump poses in his Trump Tower office on a giant letter "T" on 08 May 1996 AFP/Getty Images New love interest Donald Trump and Melania arrive for VH1's Divas Live concert at the Beacon Theater in New York City on 13 April 1999 Getty Images Toasting in the New Year Donald Trump and Melania toast the new year during Trump's gala bash in 2000 The Sun-Sentinel/AP Wax work A wax replica of Donald Trump stands ready to be put on display at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, New York City in 2000 Madame Tussaud's/Getty Images Rebuild call Donald Trump talks in 2005 to reporters where he presented a proposal that the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center be rebuilt in New York Reuters Cracking prformance Amy Poehler, Tracy Morgan, Donald Trump, Seth Myers, Maya Rudolph perform on Saturday Night Live in 2002 Rex Features 'How To Get Rich' Donald Trump poses with a copy of his new book 'How To Get Rich' during a book signing on 24 March 2004 at Barnes and Noble in Lincoln Center in New York Getty Images Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka (left) and girlfriend Melania Knauss (right) attend the "Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century" Costume Institute benefit gala on April 26, 2004 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York City Getty Images Fired up figure Donald Trump poses with the new Donald Trump 12-inch talking doll 29 September 2004 at the Toys "R" Us store in New York City Getty Images Olympic flame Donald Trump carries the Olympic flame during Day 15 of the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay on 19 June 19, 2004 in New York Getty Images Donald Trump on The Celebrity Apprentice (2005) Rex Features Anyone for golf? Donald Trump gestures as he arrives at the Old Course in St Andrews where he was meeting with the media to answer questions regarding Trump International Golf Links on 28 April 2005 in St Andrews, Scotland Getty Images Hollywod star Donald Trump, billionaire developer and producer of NBC's "The Apprentice," with his wife, Melania, and their son, Barron, pose for a photo after he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles in 2007 AP In the Highlands U.S. property mogul Donald Trump gestures 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 on 27 May 2010 Reuters Donald Trump plays a round of golf after the opening of the The Trump International Golf Links Course in Scotland in 2012 Getty Images Family time Donald Trump, Barron Trump and Melania Trump attends Trump Invitational Grand Prix Mar-a-Lago Club at The Mar-a-Largo Club on 04 January 2015 in Palm Beach, Florida Getty Images Officially in the running U.S. Republican presidential candidate, real estate mogul and TV personality Donald Trump poses with his family after formally announcing his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during an event at Trump Tower in New York on 16 June 2015 Reuters Love, life and laughter Donald Trump sits with his wife Melania Trump while appearing at an NBC Town Hall at the Today Show on 21 April 2016 in New York City. Getty Images Thumbs up Donald Trump speaks on the last day of the Republican National Convention on 21 July 2016, in Cleveland, AFP/Getty Images Don't cry for me ... Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds babies at a campaign rally in Colorado Springs, Colorado on 29 July 2016 Reuters Donald Trump eating KFC on his private jet in August 2016 Is this really the Oval Office? Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump views a replica of the Oval Office on a tour of the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 30 September 2016 Reuters Women for Trump Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump kisses a "Women for Trump" placard during a rally at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Florida on 12 October 2016 AFP/Getty Images In debate Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speak during the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, America on 09 October 2016 AP Love your country The future is orange: Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump hugs a U.S. flag on 24 October 2016 Reuters U.S. President-elect U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at his election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S. on 09 November 2016 Reuters 60 Minutes Donald Trump and wife Melania being interviewed on 13 November 2016 by Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes 60 Minutes/CBS At The Whiie House US President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump meet in the Oval Office of the White House on 10 November 2016 EPA Kiss-story Republican president-elect Donald Trump embraces his wife Melania Trump during his election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of 09 November 2016 in New York Getty Images Person of the Year U.S. President-elect Donald Trump poses on the cover of Time Magazine after being named its person of the year, in a picture provided by the publication in New York on 7 December 2016 Time Magazine Meeting Kanye U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and musician Kanye West pose for media at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York on 13 December 2016 Reuters First Press Conference President-elect Donald Trump stands with his son Eric Trump (left) daughter Ivanka and son Donald Trump Jr. (right) on 11 January 2017 Reuters US President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington,Virginia 19 on January 2017 AFP/Getty Images Big shoes to fill: US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive to attend an inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on 19 January 2017 AFP/Getty Images President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive for a VIP reception and dinner with donors in Washington on 19 January 2017 AP British Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump walk along The Colonnade of the West Wing at The White House on January 27, 2017 in Washington, DC Getty Images Pope Francis walks along with US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump during a private audience at the Vatican in May 2017 AFP/Getty Images US President Donald Trump inspects border wall prototypes in March 2018 AFP/Getty Images Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump walk to a joint news conference at Chequers in July 2018 Reuters US President Donald Trump takes the hand of Prime Minister Theresa May as they enter Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire in July 2018 PA A six-meter high cartoon baby blimp of US President Donald Trump is set to fly as a protest against his visit July 2018 AP Activists inflate a giant balloon depicting US President Donald Trump as an orange baby during a demonstration against Trump's visit to the UK in Parliament Square, London July 2018 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump with The Queen in July 2018 AP German Chancellor Angela Merkel deliberates with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the official agenda on the second day of the G7 summit on June 9, 2018 in Charlevoix, Canada Getty Images President Donald Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Sentosa Island in Singapore on 12 June 2018 Evan Vucci/AP U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland in July 2018 Reuters US President Donald Trump meets with rapper Kanye West in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on 18th October 2018 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump and Kim Kardashian posed for a photograph together at the White House meeting Donald Trump/Twitter A White House staff member reaches for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference in November 2018 Reuters President Donald Trump looks over tables of fast food for the the college football playoff champion Clemson Tigers in the State Dining Room of the White House in January 2019 Reuters US President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un following a meeting at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi on February 27, 2019 AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump (left) with Nigel Farage when they met met face-to-face on 2nd March 2019 PA/White House President Donald Trump smiles at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, after signing a proclamation in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, March 25, 2019 AP US President Donald Trump (L) First Lady Melania Trump (C) and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe' Akie Abe (R) watch a sumo battle during the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on May 26, 2019 AFP/Getty Images President Donald Trump gestures after receiving a prayer at McLean Bible Church on 2nd June 2019 AP US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump make their way to board Air Force One on 2nd June 2019 AFP/Getty Images Donald and Melania Trump arrive at Stansted Airport on 3rd June 2019 AP President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are pictured ahead a meeting in Helsinki on July 16, 2018 AFP/Getty Images Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg watches as Donald Trump enters the United Nations to speak with reporters on September 23, 2019 Reuters Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump during a welcoming ceremony at the NATO leaders summit in Watford on December 4, 2019 Reuters President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, in Milwauke AP US president Donald Trump delivers a speech at the Congres center during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, on January 21, 2020 AFP via Getty Images US President Donald Trump speaks during the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio AFP via Getty Images A car with US President Trump drives past supporters in a motorcade outside of Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland AFP via Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump works in the Presidential Suite while receiving treatment after testing positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland via Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a phone call with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley October 4, 2020, in his conference room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Not shown in the photo also in the room on the call is Chief of Staff Mark Meadows Reuters Donald Trump walks out of hospital after receiving treatment for Covid-19 AP Mr Trump boards Marine One to return to the White House after receiving treatment for coronavirus AP Donald Trump stands on the Truman Balcony after returning to the White House from hospital Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump removes his mask upon return to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on October 05, 2020 in Washington Getty Images

The actual ceremony:

The Inauguration event begins at 9:30am (2.30pm UK time).

It is 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.

Swearing-in: The newly elected President will take the Oath of Office / AP

The swearing-in will commence at the Capitol at 12 noon (5pm UK time) where President Trump will be sworn in on a specially-built 10,000 square foot platform.

Following the ceremony, speeches and prayers will be read before performances by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and 'America's Got Talent' alumni Jackie Evancho.

The Obama Family Album - In pictures 1 /64 The Obama Family Album - In pictures Michelle, Sasha, Barack and Malia Obama Michelle Obama/Instagram @BarackObama via Twitter Michelle Obama tweets out a photo on 18 January 2017 'Being your First Lady has been the honor of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. -mo @FLOTUS Michelle Obama tweets out an old family photo 'So proud of @POTUS and all that we've accomplished together. An incredible journey filled with remarkable people. I love you Barack. -mo @FLOTUS Michelle Obama tweets out a photo on 19 January 2017 'Thank you for the birthday wishes and for the greatest gift of all: the opportunity to serve as your First Lady. @FLOTUS 10 Jan 2017: US First Lady Michelle Obama (C) and US President Barack Obama greet supporters as daughter Malia looks on after the President delivered his farewell address in Chicago, Illinois Joshua Lott/AFP/Getty Images 10 Jan 2017: President Barack Obama wipes his tears as he speaks at McCormick Place in Chicago Charles Rex Arbogast/AP 21 August 2016: Barack, First Lady Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha walk to board Air Force One at Cape Cod Air Force Station in Massachusetts on as they depart for Washington after a two-week holiday at nearby Martha's Vineyard Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images 4 July 2016: US President Barack Obama hugs his daughter Malia on her birthday during an Independence Day Celebration for military members and administration staff in the White House Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images 22 April 2016: Prince George meets the President of the United States and the First Lady Michelle at Kensington Palace, as the Duke of Cambridge looks on Kensington Palace/Pete Souza/The White House 22 April 2016: Prince George talks to his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge after meeting the Obamas Pete Souza/Kensington Palace via AP 12 May 2015: "The First Lady demonstrates her boxing skills during a #GimmeFive video taping" Amanda Lucidon/The White House 27 March 2015: "The First Lady snuggles against the President during a video taping for the World Expo in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House" Amanda Lucidon/The White House 26 Nov 2015: President Barack Obama makes Thanksgiving Day phone calls from the Oval Office to U.S. troops stationed around the world Pete Souza/The White House 23 March 2014: "A great moment captured by Amanda Lucidon of the First Lady and daughters Sasha and Malia during their visit to the Great Wall of China" Amanda Lucidon/The White House 14 April 2014: A spontaneous moment is captured between the First Lady as she hugs the family dogs Sunny and Bo Amanda Lucidon/The White House 16 June 2014: Barack and Michelle walk across the South Lawn from Marine One following a trip to California Pete Souza/The White House 21 Jan 2013: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama ride in the inaugural parade in Washington Pete Souza/The White House 4 Sept 2012: Obama with his daughters Malia and Sasha, watch on television as first lady Michelle Obama takes the stage to deliver her speech at the Democratic National Convention Pete Souza/The White House 9 July 2012: President Barack Obama plays with Sarah Froman, daughter of Nancy Goodman and Mike Froman, Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics, in the Oval Office Pete Souza/The White House June 2012: Bo and Sunny, the Obama family dogs, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. Sunny arrived on this day from Michigan. Pete Souza/The White House 26 Oct 2012: "The President to be caught in Spider-Man's web as he greets the Nicholas Tamarin, 3, just outside the Oval Office. Spider-Man had been trick-or-treating for an early Halloween with his father, White House aide Nate Tamarin in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. I can never commit to calling any picture my favorite, but the President told me that this was HIS favorite picture of the year when he saw it hanging in the West Wing a couple of weeks later." Pete Souza/The White House 18 June 2012: "The First Lady reacts as she watches Laura Jarrett and Tony Balkissoon take their vows during their wedding at Valerie Jarrett's home in Chicago" Pete Souza/The White House 20 May 2012: "'How cool is this,' the President said after he threw a football at Soldier Field following the NATO working dinner in Chicago. I think he was especially excited to be on the home turf of his beloved Chicago Bears." Pete Souza/The White House 1 Feb 2012: The President holding Arianna Holmes, 3, before taking a departure photo with members of her family in the Oval Office Lawrence Jackson/The White House 1 Jan 2012: US President Barack Obama swims in the ocean in his native state of Hawaii Pete Souza/The White House 15 Dec 2011: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama descend the Grand Staircase to greet guests at a holiday reception in the Grand Foyer of the White House Pete Souza/The White House 11 Dec 2011: The Obamas sit for a family portrait in the Oval Office in Washington Pete Souza/The White House 9 Dec 2010: President Barack Obama, with mother-in-law Marian Robinson, daughters Sasha and Malia, and First Lady Michelle Obama, push the button to light the National Christmas Tree during a ceremony on the Ellipse in Washington Chuck Kennedy/The White House 21 Sep 2010; President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama walk along the Colonnade of the White House Pete Souza/The White House 8 Aug 2010: President Barack Obama sits with daughter Sasha during a barbecue with family and friends in celebration of his 49th birthday on the South Lawn of the White House Pete Souza/The White House 30 Oct 2009: Barack Obama Playing peek-aboo with the daughter of one of his staff Pete Souza/The White House 13 Oct 2009: The President starts dancing to the music at the Fiesta Latina event on the South Lawn of the White House. Sasha is by his side. Pete Souza/The White House 26 Aug 2009: President Barack Obama plays basketball with White House staffers while on vacation on Martha's Vineyard Pete Souza/The White House 14 Aug 2009: Local fishing guide Dan Vermillion reacts as President Obama hooks a trout on the East Gallatin River near Belgrade. The President hooked about 6 fish, but did not land any during his first fly fishing outing. Pete Souza/The White House 29 July 2009: President Barack Obama eats a nectarine following a town hall meeting at Kroger's Supermarket in Bristol, Vancouver Pete Souza/The White House 7 July 2009: "Family dinner is usually private time. But I heard they were having dinner a the top their hotel in Moscow, which overlooked the Kremlin. When they first sat down, Sasha was just having some fun with her dad" Pete Souza/The White House 12 May 2009: Obama plays football with the family dog Bo on the South Lawn of the White House Pete Souza/The White House 3 May 2009: President Barack Obama walks down the Colonnade with his arms around daughters, Malia and Sasha Pete Souza/The White House 19 May 2009: "The President was leaving the State Floor after an event and found Sasha in the elevator ready to head upstairs to the private residence. He decided to ride upstairs with her before returning to the Oval Office." Pete Souza/The White House 4 April 2009: President Barack Obama plays with a football in the Oval Office Pete Souza/The White House 2 March 2009: "Washington had its first big snowstorm and I knew the girls were home from school. I suspected the girls might try to sled or make a snowman, so I asked the Usher's Office to call me if the girls headed outside. I got there just in time to catch the First Lady helping the girls sled down a hill on the South Lawn. This picture now hangs on the wall of the President's study" Pete Souza/The White House 20 Jan 2009: US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, with staff and secret service, ride a freight elevator to get to one of the 10 inaugural balls in Washington, D.C Pete Souza/The White House Sep 2009: President Barack Obama runs down the East Colonnade with family dog 'Bo' Pete Souza/The White House 20 Jan 2009: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama ride in a golf cart at an Inaugural Ball Pete Souza/The White House 20 Jan 2009: Barack and Michelle dance Mark Wilson/Getty Images 20 Jan 2009: A close embrace from the Obamas as they dance Carolyn Kaster/AP 28 Oct 1992: Barack Obama and his bride Michelle Robinson, a fellow Harvard Law School graduate on their wedding day in Chicago, Illinois Obama for America/AP

Hillary Clinton is listed to attend the inauguration ceremony with her husband, former president Bill Clinton, despite her bitterly fought election loss.

President Barack Obama and former president George W Bush will also attend.

Donald Trump: The President-elect pledged to 'unify' the country / AP

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who was the first British politician to meet Mr Trump after his election victory, has travelled to Washington for the ceremony.

Post swearing-in celebrations:

As the President, Vice President and their families are escorted from the Capitol Building to the White House, more than 8,000 people expected to march down Pennsylvania Avenue as part of the Inaugural parade.

Donald Trump supporters attend concert to celebrate upcoming inauguration

The newly-elected President will then visit the Inaugural balls taking place across Washington from 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.

Melania Trump: Best fashion moments - In pictures 1 /66 Melania Trump: Best fashion moments - In pictures September 22, 2017 At the Boys and Girls Club event Getty Images 1990s At an event in New York Diane Freed/Getty Images 1990s With her then-boyfriend Donald Trump Getty Images November 13, 2003 At the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York Getty Images June 7, 2004 At the CFDA Fashion Awards Getty Images December 13, 2004 At a gala to honour leaders in tourism Getty Images February 27, 2005 At the Vanity Fair Oscars Party Getty Images January 22, 2005 On the way to her wedding with Donald Trump Jeffrey Langlois/PB Daily News/Palm Beach Daily News/Rex April 20, 2005 At the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Annual Hot Pink Party Getty Images June 23, 2005 At the premiere of "War Of The Worlds" in New York Getty Images September 18, 2005 At the Emmy Awards Getty Images February 6, 2008 At a reception to benefit UNICEF hosted by Gucci Getty Images May 24, 2010 At the "Sex And The City 2" premiere in New York Getty Images May 2, 2011 At the Met Gala Getty Images May 7, 2012 At the Met Gala Getty Images October 9, 2016 At the second presidential debate at Washington University AFP/Getty Images November 9, 2016 On stage during Donald Trump's election night event Getty Images January 19, 2017 At the Candlelight Dinner one day before her husband Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President EPA January 20, 2017 With Michelle Obama at the White House AP March 17, 2017 At their Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach Getty Images April 27, 2017 At the White House AFP/Getty Images April 5, 2017 The Trump's welcomes King Abdullah II of Jordan and his wife Queen Rania of Jordan Getty Images May 25, 2017 At the arrival of the French President AFP/Getty Images May 26, 2017 At the Chierici Palace City Hall of Catania AFP/Getty Images May 26, 2017 At the ancient Greek Theatre of Taormina AFP/Getty Images June 29, 2017 Awaiting the arrival of the Korean President and his wife AFP/Getty Images June 26, 2017 Bidding farewell to Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi AFP/Getty Images June 24, 2017 At the wedding of US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin Getty Images July 6, 2017 On route to the Hamburg G20 economic summit Getty Images July 7, 2017 At the G20 economic summit Getty Images July 8, 2017 At the second day of the G20 summit Getty Images July 25, 2017 At the Make America Great Again rally AFP/Getty Images July 13, 2017 On a visit to Paris Getty Images September 23, 2017 Ahead of the Invictus Games 2017 Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation September 20, 2017 At the United States Mission in New York AFP/Getty Images September 14, 2017 At the White House Historical Association Getty Images October 3, 2017 Preparing to board Marine One AFP/Getty Images October 11, 2017 With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau Getty Images October 20, 2017 At the Smithsonian National Museum of American History AFP/Getty Images November 3, 2017 On a trip to Asia Getty Images November 7, 2017 On a visit to Seoul Getty Images November 9, 2017 In the Great Hall of the People AFP/Getty Images November 9, 2017 At the Great Hall of the People in Beijing AFP/Getty Images November 21, 2017 At the pardoning ceremony of the National Thanksgiving Turkey Getty Images December 31, 2017 At Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort New Year's Eve party AFP/Getty Images April 23, 2018 US first lady Melania Trump walks outside the White House AFP/Getty Images April 24, 2018 U.S President Donald Trump, and U.S. first lady Melania Trump arrive at first State Dinner Getty Images April 24, 2018 Melania stands with French first lady Brigitte Macron Getty Images 24 April 2019. US President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington EPA January 13, 2020 Melania Trump and Donald Trump put their hands over their hearts for the anthem Getty Images

There will also be a national prayer service on Saturday from 10 to 11 am (3 to 4pm UK time) where participants pray for the President, his cabinet and the country.

How can I watch the ceremony?

BBC One will be reporting live from the Capitol from 4pm to 6pm UK time.

Celebrities attend anti-Trump protest instead of inaugural concert

When will President Trump begin official duties?

Mr Trump has announced that he wont begin his work as President until Monday.
If you want to meet a lot of people from all over the world, consider volunteering at the Scotts Bluff National Monument.

Doug Kent and Doug Keszler are just two of the volunteers at the monument who help manage the summer crowds.

Kent was the previous owner of Kent News Agency in Scottsbluff.

I stayed on and managed accounts receivable for him until I completely retired at age 71, he said. I saw a story in the paper about cleaning up trash at the monument, and I decided to help because I visited there often. I thought that I would just come out and help clean up. Justin Cawiezel said that I could be a volunteer. That was four years ago, and I have been doing it for three complete years now.

Kent has found volunteering to be rewarding.

I enjoy it very much, he said. I love all of the people that you meet from all over the world. I tell my friends and family that I am Volunteer Ranger Doug, Scotts Bluff National Monument, National Park Service, enriching lives of others, one life at a time. Even when I am texting my daughters, I always finish the email or text with that.

Kent enjoys sharing the valley with visitors.

I love to have people come into the valley for whatever reason, whether it is the National Park Service or something else, he said. I try to get them to stay here one more night. They get on top of the monument, and they love the view from up there. It is indescribable. I walk with them on the trails up there. I make sure that they go to Legacy of the Plains, Wildcat Hills Nature Center, Chimney Rock, Fort Robinson, and the Fur Trade Museum. This is often not their destination  they are on their way to the Black Hills or Colorado  but I try to get them to stay here one more night.

Kents wife, Louise, is an artist. Kent told a story about a couple from Switzerland.

They were looking for a nice place to eat, so I recommended The Emporium. They saw that there were paintings on the wall by Louise Kent. They came back the next day and asked if Louise was my wife. I told them she was and asked if they wanted to talk to her. They did, so I called Louise up and they were able to talk to her. They loved Scottsbluff, and they stayed an extra night.

Doug Keszler has been a volunteer at the monument for four years.

I retired and did not have anything to do. I was tired of sitting at home, and I needed to get out and meet some people, he said. My wife and I have our financial needs taken care of, so I did not need to be paid. I wanted to give back to the community, and I decided to volunteer at the monument.

Keszler enjoys meeting people from all over the world.

There was one time that we had three couples from Germany at the visitor center at the same time, he said. They were not traveling together and did not know each other before. I got them all to meet under a tree, and they visited for about a half an hour. It was neat to hear them talk in German to each other.

Keszler often drives the shuttle bus to the top of the monument.

I like telling them about the history of the monument on the way up. I also like working at the front counter or even just roaming the grounds and guiding people. I intend to keep volunteering for as long as I can, he said.

Justin Cawiezel is the chief ranger and current volunteer coordinator at Scotts Bluff National Monument. Cawiezel said that the process to become a monument volunteer is simple.

You fill out an application. That gets submitted to the volunteer coordinator for review, he explained. If we have a need and the person meets the qualifications for that need, then we accept that application and follow up with a volunteer service agreement. The agreement lasts indefinitely until they decide to leave or if we no longer need their services. The process is pretty painless. The application is two pages, the agreement is one page, and if they are going to drive a government vehicle there are a couple of more pages for a drivers license status check. They will go through an interview with the division heads to determine where they could be best used in the park.

The volunteers are used for many jobs in the park, Cawiezel said.

A lot of the volunteers are used for visitor services, history interpretation, give tours and programs, he said. We have a couple of people that actually operate the shuttle bus that goes to the summit. Some volunteers hike the trails and check on visitors. We have had some that work in maintenance as a handyman. If you can imagine it needing to be done in a national park, you can volunteer except for law enforcement.

Many people end up working longer than they intended.

Cawiezel said, There are retired volunteers that come out here planning on doing a few hours a week, and they end up staying for a long time because they love it here. The people you meet are so interesting. They travel here from all over the world on the way to the Black Hills, Badlands, and Yellowstone. It is interesting to see where they come from and why they chose to stop here.

Cawiezel said that there are currently 10 volunteers.

There are ten total, but about five to seven are really active on a regular basis, he said. Most of them work during the summer, which is our busiest time. They work at the desk or dress up as an immigrant for living history and talk to visitors about life on the trail.

Cawiezel got his start with the national parks as a volunteer.

I started in 1990 at 14 years old as a park service volunteer in Fort Laramie, he said. What attracted me was that I loved military history. There was an Indian wars post just down the road, and I learned that they took volunteers. I was signed up by the lead interpreter and within a week I knew that this was what I wanted to do as a career.

Anyone interested in volunteering at the Scotts Bluff National Monument should pick up an application at the front desk.
By MARK EVANS STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD Scott Schmieder, county road and bridge foreman, reported to the county commission last Thursday that temperatures are getting too cold at night for much more asphalt work to be done. He said potholes had all been patched. His crews were working on Bodine Road and made call-ins to locate
The Loop Trolley is among 10 U.S. streetcar systems mentioned in a story posted Thursday on Curbed.com, a website about cities, housing, design and other issues.

Curbed reporter Patrick Sisson's story is a series of snapshots of streetcar lines new, under development or proposed.

Construction of the Loop Trolley line between the University City Loop and Forest Park is complete but passenger service won't begin until late spring.

From Sisson's story:

"A small replacement of sorts for a system that stopped running in 1966, the Loop Trolley, which will run through a 2.2-mile route through the University City neighborhood and Forest Park, just finished construction, and will begin running after final testing over the next few months. Even more exciting, the renovated cars will have a decidedly old-school look."

Among other lines mentioned is the Kansas City streetcar that began service last year in downtown KC. Ridership is a bit of an issue on the streetcar that, for now, is fare free.

The Kansas City Star reported last month that the streetcar line, which runs between River Market and Union Station, has experienced a ridership decline. The number of daily riders plunged in November, the seventh month of operation, but remained above the figure planners projected before the system started, The Star reported.

Other streetcar lines mentioned by Curbed.com are in Cincinnati, Charlotte, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Milwaukee, Seattle, New York and Tempe, Ariz.

In New York, the proposed Brooklyn Queens Connector streetcar is in the don't-hold-your-breath category. Skeptics point to the project's high cost$2.5 billion to build and $30 million each year to operateand effect on traffic. They suggest better bus service as a suitable alternative.
SEATTLE  I will not recommend for membership in this union any other than members of the white race.

That may sound like some old declaration from the Deep South. But until after World War II, that was part of the oath sworn by members of the International Association of Machinists union, which represented Boeing workers in the Puget Sound region of Washington State.

The union, which organized the Boeing workforce in the region in 1935, was hardly the sole barrier to racial integration at Boeing. From the companys founding in 1916, management had not hired a single black person.

Prewar, such employment bans were pervasive throughout U.S. industry, even in the greater Seattle region  now one of the countrys most politically liberal.

Boeing hired its first two black Rosie the Riveter-types in 1942 to build bombers for the war effort  more than nine months after a presidential order banning discrimination at defense companies  and afterward progressed only slowly toward equality.

Interviews with current and former employees trace a difficult journey spanning 75 years from the reluctant hiring of those black Rosies through today  when young African-Americans can take advantage of Boeings official policy encouraging diversity and equal opportunity. (Boeing declined to share the racial demographics of its current workforce.)

In recent years a handful of African-Americans have risen to prominent positions in the company.

Joan Robinson-Berry held various engineering and supplier management roles at Boeing and now heads the companys growing Charleston, S.C., complex.

The highly regarded former chief financial officer James Bell in 2005 served for four months as Boeings interim chief executive after a scandal ousted his boss. Marc Allen, president of Boeing International, is widely viewed as a possible future chief executive.

Yet even now, with race remaining a divisive issue in America, some black employees find the workplace reality at Boeing still falls short of the colorblind ideal.

_________

Even as World War II approached and the nation began a rapid buildup of defense workers, Boeing management resisted a federal edict to cease discrimination, according to Battle at Boeing, a Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History project at the University of Washington.

In the fall of 1940, Thurgood Marshall, then a lawyer for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and later a Supreme Court justice, wrote to the Seattle branch of the organization noting that Boeing had just been granted a $7 million government bomber contract.

Marshall encouraged the local branch to push for the hiring of blacks.

After black leaders threatened to bring thousands of protesters to the White House in April 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order requiring companies with government contracts to cease racial discrimination.

Local activists in Seattle mounted an intense public campaign to have Boeing comply with the order.

Yet in the following months, although Boeing was hiring 1,000 people a week, none of them were African-Americans.

That July, in a letter to the NAACPs Washington state branch, Boeing personnel manager Paul Fredrickson conveniently ignored the companys pre-International Association of Machinists history of never hiring African-Americans and put the blame entirely on the union, often called the IAM.

He cited the closed-shop bargaining agreement with the IAMs Local 751 and pointed out that only those of the Caucasian race are acceptable to the union.

By 1942, the needs of the war effort finally forced a management reversal and African-Americans, mostly women at first, were hired.

The union only reluctantly acceded, according to Seattles African-American newspaper at the time, Northwest Enterprise.

We rather resent that the war situation has been used to alter an old established custom, IAM representative James Duncan said.

The African-Americans that Boeing hired were required to pay for special temporary work permits that cost more than union dues, allowing them to work even though they were still barred from the union.

By 1944, about 1,600 blacks worked at Boeing locally, in a workforce of nearly 43,000 that was churning out B-17 bombers at phenomenal rates.

Defense hiring at Boeing and at Puget Sound shipyards brought an influx of African-Americans to the region, mostly from the South. According to a history of Seattle race relations by Howard Droker, Seattles black population doubled between 1940 and 1944 to about 8,000.

The racist clause in the IAM oath was removed in 1946, after the war. Only then did Boeing truly begin to open up to African-Americans.

_______

Lou Annie Charles, now 94, was one of those early black Rosies. She still lives in her Seattle home, paid for, in large part, by her long career at Boeing.

Born in Muskogee, Okla., she was raised on a farm where she picked cotton and grew vegetables. Charles trained as a riveter in the early 1940s under a New Deal program and was hired in 1943 to work for 60 cents an hour at Boeings airplane plant in Wichita, Kan., where she assembled B-29 Superfortress bombers.

It gave me an opportunity to help my parents, Charles said. I sent money home. That was a good feeling, to have money to help them.

After the war, when Charles and many other Wichita workers were laid off, she moved to Seattle, where the company rehired her in 1950.

At the old Plant 2 in Seattle and later in the nearby cities of Renton and Everett, Charles worked at Boeing for another 38 years until her retirement in 1988.

I did nothing but rivet, she said. I enjoyed it.

The Boeing job allowed her to buy her home in 1956  a time when Seattles Central District was the only neighborhood open to black people for homeownership  and to put her two children through college. Her daughter became an airline flight attendant, her son a police officer and later an attorney.

Recalling her early days working at Boeing, Charles said she met very little racial bias.

Most of the time, Id be the only black woman in the shop, she said. I never had any problem with anyone not wanting to work with me. She got on well with her workmates, though she said some of her supervisors were prejudiced and not too nice.

Charles recalls her working life at Boeing fondly and still sends Christmas cards to the remaining members of her old crew.

________

Omar Abdul-Alim, 50, joined Boeing in 1989 after leaving the Army. He works as a mechanic in Renton, pressurizing 737 fuel tanks to test the seals before the planes roll out.

Abdul-Alim is a double minority: An African-American, he grew up Baptist, then converted to Islam at age 30.

In 2000, he married a Somali immigrant and is active today at a mosque popular with the Somali community.

Hes grateful that the job at Boeing has given him what it gave generations of local workers without a college degree: the chance to earn good money and create a comfortable middle-class life.

Some of the African-American males he hung around with as a youngster sank into lives of drugs and prison. A few of us were able to escape, Abdul-Alim said. I and a few of my friends, weve been the blessed ones.

Yet management actions have recently soured his view of Boeing.

Its not the same company we hired into, Abdul-Alim said, a common lament among Boeing veterans of every skin color since the last contract froze their pensions.

A forceful personality, he said he wont put up with disrespect on matters of race or religion, whether it comes from a Somali immigrant treating him as an outsider or from a prejudiced white American.

There are people who are ignorant, Abdul-Alim said. But I have a thick skin. I have no problem defending myself.

_________

For LaDonna Perkins, 25, who next month will complete two years as an engineer at Boeing, the experience so far has been entirely positive, full of openness, encouragement and possibility.

She grew up in the small city of Wetumpka, Ala., The daughter of a clothing-factory worker and a carpenter, shes the first in her immediate family to go to college.

Perkins did two summer internships at Boeing before being hired full time. She now works in Renton in the cabin-interiors unit, as a project manager working on an airplane lavatory-lighting system.

Of about 50 engineers who graduated with her from the University of Alabama, six were black and three were women.

Although shes the only woman in her five-person work group at Boeing, the larger organization of some 120 people that shes part of has about 10 percent African-Americans, she estimates.

I was very surprised. On my first day at work, I saw three African-American women in my first group, Perkins said. In the interiors organization we do have a really diverse group, different people of color and from different countries.

She hasnt come across any bias.

I grew up in Alabama. Ive seen prejudice, she said. I havent experienced that at Boeing.

The encouragement of her manager pushed me to think of all the things I can do at Boeing, she said, and shes taken advantage of Boeing-sponsored courses in professional development and technical matters. She also attended a company diversity conference in California with about 900 employees from all over the country, where she met chief executive Dennis Muilenburg and several vice presidents.

The culture at Boeing is very inclusive, Perkins said.

Shes become an evangelist for engineering and for Boeing to people back home in Wetumpka.

Ive had a couple of people Facebook message me asking what are the steps to become an engineer, Perkins said.

In 10 years, she said, her goal is to be a Boeing vice president herself.
AWARDS

Scott Credit Union won first place in four categories of the Illinois Credit Union Leagues annual statewide competition. The categories focused on youth and adult financial education, social responsibility and credit union philosophy in action.

HELPING OUT

GCS Credit Union donated 7,500 pounds of food to the Granite City Community Care Center and the OFallon Community Food Pantry in 2016 to mark the companys 75th anniversary.

As part of their Homes4Wounded Heroes program, Wells Fargo and Military Warriors Support Foundation donated a mortgage-free home in Swansea, Ill., to Army Staff Sgt. Jason Beisner, who served three tours in Iraq.

First Bank employees donated 188 new electric blankets worth $5,617 to EnergyCare.

The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis received a $25,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund to support arts programs in rural communities.

EXPANDING

Dr. Mason Bias and Dr. Michael Stock of Visionary Eyecare & Surgery are now performing cataract surgery at the Belleville Surgical Center in Belleville, Ill.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

The Clayton Sleep Institute acquired the Midwest Health Group sleep lab in Farmington, Mo.

OPENING

Plaza Tire Service opened a new store:  1000 North Main Street, OFallon, Mo.

The Palm Trees, a Saudi Arabian restaurant, opened:  2837 Cherokee Street, St. Louis

Total Access Urgent Care opened a new facility:  3802 South Lindbergh Boulevard, Sunset Hills

Barre3 opened a new location:  12509 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur

PROJECTS

Western Specialty Contractors completed the repair of the limestone base of the landmark Illinois National Bank in Springfield, Ill.
The corporate parent of the Shop 'n Save grocery chain said Thursday it will close its store on North Florissant Road in Ferguson by late next month.

A spokesman for Supervalu Inc., which owns Kirkwood-based Shop 'n Save, said the store's 90 employees will be offered jobs at other Shop 'n Save locations.

The decision to close the store at 49 North Florissant was difficult, said Supervalu spokesman Jeff Swanson. Declining business was a factor in the decision, he said.

A store manager said employees were told the store will close late next month. Swanson said the anticipated closing date is Feb. 21.

A closure notice posted at the store Thursday thanked customers for 18 years of support.

Supervalu, based in Eden Prairie, Minn., is among the nation's biggest food wholesalers and retailers. In addition to Shop 'n Save, Supervalu brands include Cub Foods, Hornbacher's, Farm Fresh and Shoppers.

Swanson said three other Shop 'n Save stores are within five miles of the North Florissant Road outlet that will close. They are at 10805 Old Halls Ferry Road, also in Ferguson, 9521 Lewis and Clark Boulevard in Moline Acres and 196 Mayfair Plaza in Florissant.

Shop 'n Save has 43 stores in Missouri and Illinois, according to the company's website. Most of the stores are in metro St. Louis.

In October, Supervalu said it will sell its Earth City-based Save-A-Lot business to Canadian private equity firm Onex Corp. for $1.37 billion rather than spinning off the discount grocery chain as previously planned.
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.'s plan to win U.S. antitrust clearance for its acquisition of Rite Aid Corp. hasn't satisfied officials at the Federal Trade Commission, according to people familiar with the matter.

With just a week left before the companies' deadline to complete the deal, FTC lawyers aren't sold on Walgreen's proposal to sell 865 drugstores to Fred's Inc. to get approval to take over Rite Aid, said two people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are confidential.

That runs counter to the sentiment of investors, who have grown optimistic that the deal will get done. The spread between Walgreen's offer price of $9 a share and Rite Aid's current price has fallen to less than 50 cents from a high of $2.57 reached on Nov. 3.

The $9.4 billion transaction would merge the No. 2 and No. 3 pharmacy chains in the U.S., vaulting the combined company past CVS Health to become the leading drugstore chain by number of stores. It would also expand its prescriptions business. FTC officials are concerned the sale doesn't go far enough to preserve competition that would be lost in the tie-up, one of the people said. It isn't clear whether the staff has made a formal recommendation, that person said.

The commission is unlikely to complete its review by the companies' Jan. 27 deadline to close the deal, the second person said. If the deal doesn't win antitrust clearance, Walgreens would have to pay Rite Aid a termination fee of $325 million or $650 million "in certain circumstances," according to a company filing.

In October, Walgreens said it was "confident" it would close the deal early this year as it postponed the merger deadline from Oct. 27 because its discussions with regulators were taking longer than anticipated.

Spokesmen for Walgreens, Rite Aid and the FTC declined to comment. Fred's chief financial officer Rick Hans, reached by phone, declined to comment.

The FTC has been scrutinizing the proposed tie-up for more than a year. The review continues as the agency is poised to be reshaped under the Trump administration. Trump will have three empty seats on the commission, including the chairman's post, to fill after Chairwoman Edith Ramirez steps down on Feb. 10.

Trump's adviser for the transition is Joshua Wright, a conservative law professor with a laissez-faire approach to antitrust enforcement who says mergers rarely harm consumers and can often generate benefits for consumers  including lower prices and higher quality.

Under the Obama administration, the FTC has paid particular attention to competition in the health-care sector to protect consumers, targeting hospital mergers and deals that postpone the market entry of generic drugs.

The FTC carefully assesses buyers of assets to determine whether the acquirer can restore competition. It hasn't always made the right call. Divestitures ordered by the FTC in Albertsons takeover of Safeway and Hertz Global Holdings's acquisition of Dollar Thrifty both failed.

In 2014, the FTC ordered Hertz to spin off its Advantage Rent A Car business to a company owned by an industry veteran and Macquarie Capital. Four months after the commission closed its investigation and signed off on the acquisition, Advantage filed for bankruptcy.

The buyer of divested supermarkets in Albertsons' takeover of Safeway collapsed after acquiring those stores.

CVS Chief Financial Officer David Denton said at a conference earlier this month that Fred's won't be a viable competitor over time.
WASHINGTON  Western Union Co., the worlds biggest money-transfer company, agreed to pay $586 million and admitted to turning a blind eye as criminals used its service for money laundering and fraud, U.S. authorities said on Thursday.

Western Union, with more than half a million locations in more than 200 countries, admitted to aiding and abetting wire fraud by allowing scammers to process transactions, even when the company realized its agents were helping scammers avoid detection, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission said.

With the help of Western Union agents, Chinese immigrants used the service to send hundreds of millions to pay human smugglers, wiring the money in small increments to avoid federal reporting requirements, U.S. authorities said. Fraudsters offering fake prizes and job opportunities also swindled tens of thousands of U.S. consumers, giving Western Union agents a cut in return for processing the payments, authorities said.

Between 2004 and 2012, the Colorado-based company knew of fraudulent transactions but failed to discipline 2,000 agents, authorities said.

Western Union is now paying the price for placing profits ahead of its own customers, said Acting Assistant Attorney General David Bitkower.

A Western Union spokesman said the company didnt do as much as it should have to oversee its agents between 2004 and 2012 but is committed to improving its procedures.
On Thursday night, police were searching for the stolen Honda Civic and two men armed with a handgun.

By Friday morning, police said the car had been recovered. Police declined to release any additional information about the crime, but they did confirm that the car was recovered and that two people were in custody.
KANSAS CITY  Ferguson officials are appealing a federal jury's $3 million award to the family of an unarmed, naked man who died in 2011 after being repeatedly shocked with an officer's stun gun.

Attorneys for the city and former officer Brian Kaminski called November's verdict "a miscarriage of justice" and argue in recent court filings that the case warrants a new trial, given alleged errors by the trial judge and the lack of proof that Kaminski acted excessively against Jason Moore. Kaminski was never charged.

Attorneys for Moore's family counter that the verdict should stand, accusing Kaminski of concocting a version of the confrontation to justify lethal use of force on the 31-year-old Moore.

The lawsuit by Moore's mother, wife and son was filed in the wake of the 2014 Ferguson police shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who also was black and unarmed  an incident that thrust Ferguson into the spotlight over police treatment of minorities.

A St. Louis County grand jury declined to indict Darren Wilson in Brown's death, which along with Wilson's exoneration led to sometimes-violent protests in Ferguson and helped propel the Black Lives Matter movement. The U.S. Department of Justice also cleared Wilson, concluding he acted in self-defense.

The Moore family's lawsuit insisted Moore was suffering from a psychological disorder when police confronted him in September 2011 as he ran nude down a street yelling "God is good" and "I am Jesus" at passing vehicles. While labeling Kaminski's actions unjustified, the lawsuit cast Ferguson police as frequently wrong in deploying stun guns on people with medical issues.

On appeal, Ferguson city attorneys called the verdict "improper, invalid and against the weight of the evidence," insisting Kaminski's actions were "reasonably necessary" and that Moore charged at the officer "while displaying erratic behavior."

The defense also faults the trial judge for not ordering separate trials on the claims against Kaminski and those accusing Ferguson of allowing a supposed pattern of inappropriate, abusive use of stun guns by its police.

Attorneys for Moore's family reject that Moore "charged" Kaminski and say Kaminski's testimony was contradicted by another officer who responded.

"The evidence presented to the jury overwhelmingly demonstrated that Mr. Moore did not act aggressively, actively resist or pose a threat" as he repeatedly was shot with the stun gun, "ultimately to death," the family's court filings submit.

"Substantial evidence" also shows Ferguson's police department "habitually turned a blind eye to use of force through its custom of failing to perform an adequate investigation and its failure to discipline officers who used excessive force," the family's filings added.
University City Police are investigating the shooting of a man found dead Thursday in his home in the 1300 block of Sheridan Drive.

Police went to the home to check on the welfare of a resident at 1:30 p.m. and found the home unlocked, said Lt. Fredrick Lemons. They went inside and found a 34-year-old man shot multiple times in the living room. He was pronounced dead by paramedics.

Detectives are following leads in the case.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477 or University City Police Department at 314-725-2211 ext. 8010.
ST. LOUIS  A man admitted in court Friday that he fatally shot two people at a West End apartment complex in 2014.

Adrian M. Houston, 39, of the 7700 block of Delmar Boulevard in University City, pleaded guilty to two reduced counts of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, burglary and domestic assault. St. Louis Circuit Judge Thomas Frawley sentenced him to 20 years in prison as stipulated in the plea deal with Assistant Circuit Attorney Tanja Engelhardt.

Houstons attorney, Nick Zotos, said it was a good deal.

Houston killed his girlfriend and a groundskeeper about 1:30 a.m. July 9, 2014, at her apartment in the 5800 block of Cabanne Avenue. The crime drew extra public attention because of allegations that the victims might have been saved had a St. Louis police dispatcher not sent officers to the wrong address.

Houston stood trial in February for first-degree murder and the other charges, but a jury could not reach a verdict.

Police said Houston attacked Jessica Thompson, 25, in her apartment, left for a while and returned to shoot her and Tony Jordan, 32, who lived and worked in the complex.

Thompson had called 911 when Houston showed up the first time, but a dispatcher, Patricia Sticken, sent police to an address about a block west on Cabanne, officials said. Officers didnt arrive at Thompsons apartment until after the shootings.

A civil suit is pending in St. Louis Circuit Court over the dispatchers error, which resulted in her suspension and leaving the department.

In the lawsuit, the victims relatives claimed their deaths could have been prevented had officers gone to the correct address.

Sticken was allowed to retire under an agreement that she can never be rehired, the suit claims.
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.
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.
[Editors Note: The following was written by Mark McGinty, author of The Cigar Maker. His work has appeared in Cigar City Magazine, Maybourne Magazine, and La Gaceta. You can contact him at mmcginty_32@yahoo.com.]

Cubas one and only cigar company, known in the industry as Habanos, was created in 1994 to oversee the distribution of all Cuban cigar brands. Cohiba, Partagas, Montecristo, and H. Upmann all belong to Habanos. And due to strong brand names that are synonymous with Cuban cigars, Habanos did not suffer the same degree of economic setbacks that other industries faced during the recession of 2008. Cigar sales declined but remained a relatively affordable product that consumers continued to purchase. While the market for $25,000 watches or $200,000 automobiles fell considerably, folks still felt comfortable spending $20 on a stick, even if they were a bit stressed economically.

The biggest question facing the Cuban cigar industry is the future of the U.S. embargo. What happens if and when the embargo is lifted?

Cuba is already preparing for that day. Knowing that the U.S. is the largest cigar market in the world, Habanos has been working behind the scenes to position itself for entry into the market. It is a very complicated process, and one that is riddled with legal challenges over trademarks and brand names. Frank Herrera, an intellectual property attorney out of South Florida and an expert on trademark issues in the cigar industry, has been defending American cigar interests against Habanos for nearly a decade. Habanos has been opposing all trademarks for any U.S. brands that may smell like a Cuban brand. Why? Because they plan to operate in the U.S. and they want their brands protected, he said.

Take Cohiba, a popular Cuban label that started in 1968 as a private brand exclusively supplied to Fidel Castro and top members of his party. In 1978, General Cigar registered the name in the U.S. and has been selling a Dominican version of the cigar ever since. There are now two versions of Cohiba: the original Cuban version, and the Dominican version, which is available in the U.S. Cuba retains the rights to the name in Cuba and in all other countries, but the question of who owns Cohiba in America was disputed for years. Most recently, in July of 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in General Cigars favor, upholding a previous ruling that they are the rightful owner of the Cohiba name in the U.S.

A current legal battle that Herrera feels will be hotly contested, and one that is a bit unique in that it involves a brand that started in the U.S., not Cuba, is the name Guantanamera. Both countries produce a cigar by that name, but the U.S. version predates the Cuban. The Cuban version, a machine-rolled cigar, is a huge seller with over 40,000,000 units produced per year. Easy to see why Habanos would want to sell Guantanamera in the U.S. If the embargo were lifted, it would be one of their best sellers. But does Habanos have a right to the name? Herrera says no, and feels that Habanos may either have to purchase the brand name from the American company, or else not sell the Cuban Guantanamera in the U.S. market, at least not under that name.

At the heart of the issue, from the American perspective, is the question of whether Cuba has a standing to pick these legal fights in the first place. How can Cuba oppose or seek to cancel a U.S. trademark application, when Cuba is not allowed to offer goods and service in the U.S. because of the embargo? asks Herrera, outlining the argument with a simple rhetorical question.

Courts have already decided that Habanos does have the right to fight these trademark wars. But can they file infringement action against an American company, even though they have no product for sale in the U.S. market? That issue is still pending, along with many others.

Like the case against Havana International, a Tampa-based company. Are they infringing on Habanos for using the phrase made from Cuban-seed tobacco on their packaging? Is a Michigan cigar shop called La Casa de La Habana illegally using a name that Habanos feels is too similar to their worldwide franchised shops, which are called La Casa del Habano? What about the word Havana, which Missouri-based Xikar used on one of their cigar lighters called the Havana Collection and ended up being sued by Habanos?

Then there was that case against Tatuaje, an American boutique cigar company that used the fleur-de-lis design on their labels (a design that dates back to the year 493 AD, has been used in countless design motifs, and was used as an emblem of French mobility as far back as the 12th Century). Was Tatuaje infringing by using this symbol? Altadis USA thought so, and sued them for infringement.

When asked about the strategy and logic behind these trademarks lawsuits, Simon Evans, group press officer of Imperial Tobacco, the parent company that owns half of Habanos, said, Quite simply, Habanos has a duty to manage and defend the Habanos and Havana denomination of origin.

But Herrera has litigated these cased more than anyone else and feels he knows exactly what Habanos is doing. They pick fights, and have obtained a lot of default judgments from firms who dont have the means to defend themselves.

Some say so what? This big business, a highly competitive industry, and the Cuban-Spanish tobacco conglomerate is merely using shrewd corporate tactics to satisfy their bottom line. Dont they have every right to protect their brands? Theres good irony here, in that a communist state-run monopoly relies on free market forces to excel. The legal battles are capitalism at its best, or at its worst, depending on how you look at it.

Not all Cuban brand names are in dispute. H. Upmann and Montecristo live entirely under Imperial Tobaccos corporate umbrella, which includes Altadis USA, so ownership of those brands is relatively uncomplicated. If the Cuban Upmann were to be sold in the U.S., its parent company already owns the rights to the name. Its safe, though not technically in Cuban hands.

Theres no doubt that if the trade embargo is lifted, millions of Cuban cigars will be purchased in the U.S. by the most seasoned smoker to every Tom and Jerry curious about this newly available, once-forbidden, and exotic product.

But it will take a significant political tide for the embargo to disappear. At this point, no U.S. president has been willing to cede the powerful South Florida Cuban-American voting bloc to the other party. But as new generations of Cuban-Americans reach voting age, with 21st century concerns and no firsthand experience of the struggles their parents and grandparents faced in Cuba, will they be more willing to open relations with Cuba?

The Hispanic population of Florida is already showing signs of moving beyond their staunch closed-door stance against the island, and as the Cuban exile population ages and eventually evolves into a younger generation of Cuban-Americans who simply see things differently, this trend could continue.

How these branding and legal battles will be decided, no one can predict. But when Habanos begins to compete officially in the U.S. market, the cigar industry will become even more interesting, and more complicated than it already is.

Mark McGinty

photo credit: Stogie Guys
As we have since July 2006, each Friday well post our sampling of cigar news and other items of interest from the week. Below is our latest, which is the 514th in the series.

1) The Obama Administration has executed a bevy of agreements with Cuba in its final month of power. 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, reports the Washington Post. That process sped up considerably this month as President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration approached. While these most recent agreements are not cigar-relatedthey concern maritime boundaries, joint responses on oil spills, law enforcement cooperation, and search and rescue operationsthey underscore Obamas desire to strengthen relations in a lasting way that would be more difficult to unwind. 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, says the Post. Obama has repeatedly argued that more U.S.-Cuba contact will force the governments hand.

2) 60 Minutes recently aired an interesting feature on Havana Club rum and the legal battle between the Cuban government and the French beverage giant Pernod Ricarda 50-50 joint venture that claims to be the one true Havana Cluband the Havana Club made by Bacardi in Puerto Rico. Bacardi claims legitimacy since it bought the original Havana Club name and recipe from the family that had been producing the rum prior to the companys nationalization via Fidel Castros Cuban Revolution. If this story sounds familiar, it should. Its very similar to the legal war being waged by Cuban cigar brands and non-Cuban brands that carry Cuban names (i.e., Cohiba). You can watch the feature in its entirety here.

3) Looking for something different to drink? Consider Allens Coffee Brandy, also known as the Champagne of Maine. For more than 20 years, Allens Coffee Brandy has been the top-selling spirit in the state of Maine, besting the number two competitor by a margin of two to one. And thats just the 1.75-liter size. Annual sales reports for the state routinely place all four sizes of Allens among the top ten best sellers It is the stuff of legend. And why not? Its inexpensive, its sweet, and it packs a buzz and a punch.

4) Inside the Industry: Camacho announced new box-pressed extensions to its three core lines that feature Connecticut, Corojo, and Ecuador wrappers. Coming in three new box-pressed formats (Robusto, Toro, and Gordo), the tweaked blends of the box-pressed offerings are designed to be fuller-bodied due to the addition of Pennsylvanian Broadleaf tobaccos. Suggested retail on the three sizes are $8 to $9.25.

5) From the Archives: Its chilly out, so warm up with one of our five warm drinks for cold days. This article lays out the recipes for such classic cocktails as the hot toddy, Stonewall Jackson, hot buttered Rum, and Mexican hot chocolate. Or, if you prefer, a good cup of coffee. Read it all here.

6) Deal of the Week: Heres a sampler worth checking out. Just $45 gets you a Warped Maestro del Tiempo, Davidoff Yamasa Short Churchill, Caldwell Signature Dos Firmas, Bellas Artes by A.J. Fernandez, and The Tabernacle by Foundation Cigar Co. Pick up two (or add other products to get to $75) and use the code StogieDeal to land a free triple-flame butane lighter.

The Stogie Guys

photo credit: Flickr
Air Products (NYSE: APD) disclosed in an SEC filing:

On January 20, 2017, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (Air Products) made an announcement pursuant to Rule 3.7 of the Hong Kong Code on Takeovers and Mergers, at the request of the Executive of the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong, and published on the website of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, confirming, among other things, the submission by Air Products of a letter of interest to the Board of Directors of Yingde Gases Group Company Limited (Yingde Gases) setting forth the terms of a preliminary, non-binding indication of interest to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Yingde Gases, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions described therein. A copy of the announcement is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

ANNOUNCEMENT PURSUANT TO RULE 3.7

OF THE TAKEOVERS CODE IN RESPECT

OF A POSSIBLE OFFER BY AIR PRODUCTS FOR

YINGDE GASES GROUP COMPANY LIMITED

Shareholders and potential investors should be aware that Air Products may or may not proceed with the possible offer outlined in the Proposal Letter and Subsequent Letter (each as defined below). The possible offer is subject to a number of conditions and, if Air Products proceeds with making an offer, it will be subject to the satisfaction or waiver of a number of conditions. There can therefore be no assurance that any such offer will proceed.

Reference is made to the announcement of Yingde Gases Group Company Limited (Yingde Gases) dated 9 January 2017 with respect to, among other things, the letter of interest from Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (Air Products) to acquire all the issued shares of Yingde Gases (the Proposal), and the press release of Air Products dated 8 January 2017 (released 9 January 2017 in Hong Kong) confirming, among other things, the submission of such letter by Air Products to Yingde Gases.

At the request of the Executive of the Securities and Futures Commission and in light of a leak of certain terms of the Proposal, Air Products hereby provides the following additional information in respect of the Proposal.

Air Products confirms that the letter referenced in the 9 January 2017 announcement of Yingde Gases and the 8 January 2017 press release of Air Products was submitted by Air Products to the Board of Directors (the Board) of Yingde Gases on 29 December 2016, and set forth the terms of a preliminary, non-binding indication of interest to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Yingde Gases at a price of HK$5.50 per share in cash (the Proposal Letter), subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions described in the Proposal Letter. In subsequent communications with Yingde Gases, including a meeting held on 7 January 2017 between Mr. Zhao Xiangti, the Chairman of the Board of Yingde Gases, and Mr. Seifollah Ghasemi, the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Products, and a letter sent by Air Products to the Board of Yingde Gases on 8 January 2017 following such meeting (the Subsequent Letter), Air Products also indicated to Yingde Gases that if permitted to conduct customary due diligence on Yingde Gases, it could potentially increase the offer price to HK$6.00 per share.

1

The potential transaction, if consummated, would provide the shareholders of Yingde Gases with full, immediate and certain value, in cash, for their shares. The proposed offer price represents premiums of approximately 92% to Yingde Gasess closing price on 23 December 2016 (the last day of trading before delivery of the Proposal Letter), 49% to the 52-week high, and 78% to the 20-day trading day volume weighted average share price, before the delivery of the Proposal Letter. Air Products believes the proposed transaction would be strategically and financially compelling, as it would enable Air Products to better serve customers of both companies in the increasingly competitive Chinese industrial gases segment. Additionally, the growth prospects and global scope of Air Products would lead to increased opportunities for the employees and managers of Yingde Gases following the proposed transaction.

The full text of each of the Proposal Letter and Subsequent Letter is extracted and provided below.

Proposal Letter:

Gentlemen:

Thank you for taking the time to arrange for your senior management to meet with me in Beijing last Friday. I enjoyed the discussion, and I appreciate the time your team made available to me. I understand from the press release that you issued on that date that you have received an offer from a third party to acquire Yingde Gases Group Company Limited (the Company or Yingde). With this development in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to submit this non-binding indication of interest (the Proposal) for an acquisition by Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (Air Products) of all of the outstanding shares of Yingde. As I mentioned at our meeting, we have long had a strong interest in a strategic transaction with Yingde. We have great admiration for Yingde, its leadership and its employees, and we respect all that the Company has accomplished to date.

We believe that our Proposal (described in more detail below) is highly compelling to Yingde and its shareholders. A combination of our two great companies makes significant strategic and financial sense as it would enable us to better serve our customers in the increasingly competitive Chinese industrial gases segment. We believe that the growth prospects and global scope of the combined company would lead to increased opportunities for talented employees and managers of both companies. Moreover, this transaction accelerates your ability to reward your shareholders with a very attractive premium purchase price.

Air Products is a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of over US$30 billion. It is a leading global industrial gas business with over 17,000 employees and operations in more than 50 countries.

We have undertaken a preliminary analysis using publicly available information, and based on this analysis, we are pleased to propose, subject to the terms of this letter including the preconditions described below, the acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of Yingde, on a fully-diluted basis, at a price of HK$5.50 per share in cash. A transaction at this price would value the Yingdes fully diluted share capital at approximately HK$10,419,233,000, assuming a total of 1,890,573,500 ordinary shares in issue and 3,832,500 ordinary shares subject to share options. Our Proposal would deliver Yingdes shareholders substantial premiums of approximately 92% to the closing price on December 23, 2016, the last day of trading, 49% to the 52-week high, and 78% to the 20 trading-day volume weighted average share price. Our Proposal would provide Yingdes shareholders with a compelling valuation that will enable them to realize full, immediate and certain value, in cash, for all their shares.

2

We intend to finance the transaction with our existing cash and internal financial resources. We are familiar with the requirement under the Hong Kong Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the Code) for the formal announcement of any firm offer for the Company to include confirmation from Air Products financial adviser that sufficient resources are available to Air Products to satisfy full acceptance of the offer. Hence, our offer, if made, would not be subject to any financing condition.

Consistent with the requirements of the Code, our Proposal is subject to certain pre-conditions that must be satisfied before we can make a firm offer. Those include, among others:

 Completion of due diligence with results that are satisfactory to Air Products;

 Confirmation being received that the Companys directors consider the offer to be fair and reasonable and in the interests of the Companys shareholders as a whole;

 Agreement on the terms of transaction documentation (including an agreement making provision for the implementation of our acquisition of the Company by way of a scheme of arrangement) in a mutually acceptable form;

 No changes being made to any of the Targets share option schemes (either formally or as a result of the exercise by the remuneration committee of its discretion);

 No dividends being declared or paid and no new indebtedness being incurred;

 Approval of Air Products Board of Directors of a transaction and definitive transaction documentation; and

 No material adverse change in the Companys business, trading or financial position, results of operations or prospects.

The consummation of any offer would also be subject to antitrust approval from the Ministry of Commerce of the Peoples Republic of China and any other required regulatory approvals.

The submission of our Proposal has the full support of Air Products Board of Directors. No vote of Air Products shareholders would be required to consummate an acquisition of Yingde.

We and our advisors have spent significant time evaluating the business and operations of Yingde based on publicly available information and our knowledge of the industrial gases sector. We stand ready to begin working with you and your advisors immediately and are prepared to commit all necessary resources to proceed as quickly as possible. We have engaged Citi and Lazard as our financial advisors and Skadden Arps as our legal advisor to assist in consummating this transaction.

3

Air Products will be required to commit considerable resources to this potential transaction, with a view to proceeding to the announcement of a recommended offer in due course. In return for this commitment, and in order to facilitate an expedited and confidential process, Air Products would look to the Company to enter into a 30-day period of exclusive negotiations with us, during which time we will undertake our due diligence investigation of the Company while simultaneously negotiating definitive transaction documentation. We would expect to enter into an exclusivity agreement promptly following your decision to enter into discussions with us regarding our Proposal.

We are submitting this letter based on your understanding and agreement that this letter and our Proposal are a non-binding indication of interest. This letter and our Proposal do not constitute an offer (or impose any obligation to make an offer) by Air Products, do not evidence a firm intention to make an offer within the meaning of the Code, and are not binding or impose any commitment on Air Products save for this paragraph and the preceding paragraph. We would not, therefore, regard it as forming the basis for any announcement pursuant to Rule 3.2 of the Code or otherwise. We reserve the right to discontinue discussions regarding, and withdraw, our Proposal and terminate discussions with the Company at any time. This letter is to be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China.

Following your review of the Proposal with your Board of Directors and advisors, we believe that the best way to proceed would be to engage in non-public, confidential negotiations to seek to reach an agreement for review and approval by our Boards.

We firmly believe our Proposal is an extraordinary opportunity for Yingdes shareholders and its employees, customers and the communities it serves. We look forward to hearing from you after your Board has considered the proposal. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

Subsequent Letter

Dear Sirs,

Thank you for your letter of 31 December 2016 (the Letter) in response to our proposal letter dated 29 December 2016 (the Preliminary Offer Letter) to acquire Yingde Gases Group Company Limited (the Company). We also appreciate the opportunity to have met with Mr. He Yuangping on 23 December 2016 as well as Mr. Zhao Xiangti on 7 January 2017, during which we expressed our interest in a possible transaction. As I communicated with Mr. Zhao during our meeting, in light of the interest expressed by StellarS Capital (Hong Kong) Limited (as further described in the Companys announcement dated 23 December 2016), as well as the outstanding offer to place new shares at a materially lower value than we have proposed, we felt that it was an appropriate time for us to ensure that our own interest in the Company was communicated to the Board of the Company (the Board). We have long had an interest in a strategic transaction between our companies, and we look forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue with you regarding the potential transaction described in our Preliminary Offer Letter and this letter (the Proposed Transaction), which we firmly believe represents a compelling opportunity for the Company and all of its shareholders and its other constituencies.

4

We believe that the proposed purchase price in our Preliminary Offer Letter of HK$5.5 per share would be a compelling opportunity for your shareholders, representing premiums of approximately 92% to the Companys closing price on 23 December 2016, the last day of trading before delivery of the Preliminary Offer Letter, 49% to the 52-week high, and 78% to the 20-day trading day volume weighted average share price. Our Proposed Transaction also would offer your shareholders certainty of maximizing value for their shares today, as opposed to the uncertain prospects for the Company, its shareholders, employees, customers, communities and other constituencies if you were to pursue your own independent turnaround plan. Furthermore, we believe that the combination of our two companies would be strategically and financially advantageous for the businesses both our companies have built in China, as it would enable us to better serve customers in the increasingly competitive Chinese industrial gases segment. The growth prospects and global scope of the combined company would lead to increased opportunities for and would benefit employees of both companies. As I mentioned to Mr. Zhao at our meeting, since our proposal is based on publically available information, if we were permitted to conduct a customary due diligence on the Company we could potentially offer a price as high as HK$6.0 per share.

We have retained Citigroup Global Markets Asia Limited (Citigroup) and Lazard Asia (Hong Kong) Limited (Lazard) as our financial advisers, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom as our legal advisers as to Hong Kong and U.S. laws, Broad & Bright as our legal advisers as to Chinese laws and Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP as our legal advisers as to Cayman Islands law, with respect to the Proposed Transaction. The contact details of the principal contacts of these professional advisers are set out in Appendix A. In addition to myself, you should also feel free to contact our professional advisers to discuss any aspect of the Proposed Transaction.

Rather than responding to each of the specific requests in your Letter, we would like to provide you with the following information, which we believe demonstrates that our interest in pursuing the Proposed Transaction is genuine and bona fide:

 The Preliminary Offer Letter was issued by us on our own behalf. We are not acting in concert with any other parties with respect to the Proposed Transaction, save for those parties who we are deemed to be acting in concert with by virtue of the Hong Kong Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the Code), namely our subsidiaries and associated companies, directors and professional advisers. We are not, to the best of our knowledge, a connected person of the Company as defined in the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the Listing Rules). As at the date of this letter, we do not hold any interest in the share capital of the Company.

 We are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (with the stock ticker APD) and have a market capitalization of over US$30 billion. There is a considerable amount of publicly available information about us, our operations, our Board and senior management, and our shareholders. Our corporate website is www.airproducts.com and our regulatory filings can also be found on www.sec.gov. In particular, a general description of our business can be found in Item 1 of our annual report on Form 10-K for the 12 months ended 30 September 2016 filed on 21 November 2016 (the Annual Report). A summary of that description, along with biographical information on the members of our senior management, are set out in Appendix B to this letter, and the Annual Report can be obtained via the following website link https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2969/000119312516773346/d271291d10k.htm. As of 30 September 2016, Air Products had approximately 18,600 employees, of whom approximately 18,300 were full-time employees and of whom approximately 11,800 were located outside the United States.

5

 As stated in the Preliminary Offer Letter, our offer, if made, would not be subject to any financing conditions, and we are aware of the requirement in the Notes to Rule 3.5 of the Code that the announcement of a firm offer must be accompanied by a confirmation from a financial adviser that resources are available to satisfy full acceptance of an offer. In this regard, we would highlight that as set out in the Annual Report, as at 30 September 2016 we had cash and cash items of US$1,501.3 million (approximately HK$11.64 billion). Furthermore, on 3 January 2017, we received approximately US$3.8 billion for the sale of our performance materials business to Evonik Industries AG. As noted above, we have also retained Citigroup and Lazard as our financial advisers with respect to the Proposed Transaction so that we are in a position to meet the Code requirement.

 As noted in the Preliminary Offer Letter, our preference is to pursue a friendly, recommended transaction, which would involve a delisting of the Company. However, as we have a long term and strategic interest in the Company, if you are unwilling to engage in discussions and/or circumstances make a negotiated transaction unavailable, we will have no choice but to consider, and reserve the right to pursue, alternative transaction structures including a voluntary general offer.

 We are aware of the Companys recent announcements concerning financing to repay certain indebtedness of the Company. To the extent that the Company still requires additional financing, we would be pleased to explore ways to provide bridge financing to the Company in the context of discussing the Proposed Transaction, including bridge financing potentially from Air Products.

 We wish to confirm that we are familiar with, and fully intend to abide by, our obligations under the Code and other applicable laws and regulations, including the confidentiality obligations set out in Rule 1.4 of the Code and the obligation on an offeror or potential offeror to make an announcement prior to an approach being made to the Board of an offeree in Rule 3.1 of the Code. To this end, and as a matter of courtesy, we have informed the Executive of the Securities and Futures Commission (the Executive) of our interest in the Company and have informed them of the contents of the Preliminary Offer Letter. We will continue to maintain a close dialogue with the Executive to ensure that they are kept informed of developments with respect to our proposed offer.

We fully expect our Preliminary Offer Letter to be considered by an independent committee comprised of all non-executive directors of the Company pursuant to Rules 2.1 and 2.8 of the Code. We trust that such a committee will be convened in the upcoming Board meeting and we look forward to hearing from you on the make-up of the committee.

It is our strong desire to proceed with the Proposed Transaction on a recommended basis, and we look forward to the opportunity to engage in a confidential, constructive and mutually beneficial dialogue with you and move forward with the due diligence process. In this regard, we attach to this letter a proposed revised version of the confidentiality agreement that you sent us on 31 December 2016. If the Company is prepared to engage in good faith discussions with us, we would consider a more enhanced confidentiality agreement regarding the confidentiality of those discussions.

6

We look forward to continuing our dialogue with the Board and the independent board committee to ensure that the Proposed Transaction is fully considered and appreciated by all stakeholders.

Neither the Proposal Letter nor the Subsequent Letter constitutes a firm intention to make an offer under Rule 3.5 of the Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the Takeovers Code) and no agreement between Air Products and Yingde Gases has been reached with respect to the Proposal. In connection with the Proposal, Air Products has urged the Board of Yingde Gases to promptly form an independent Board committee, and to retain an independent financial adviser, to consider the terms of the Proposal in accordance with the Takeovers Code. The Proposal is subject to the satisfaction of a number of pre-conditions, which may be waived at the sole discretion of Air Products, including but not limited to, the completion of satisfactory due diligence, transaction documentation in a form satisfactory to Air Products being agreed and entered into by relevant parties, the approval of the Board of Directors of Air Products, no dividends being declared or paid by Yingde Gases, no new indebtedness being incurred, no material adverse change in Yingde Gasess business, trading or financial position, results of operations or prospects having occurred, as well as regulatory and other customary conditions. Furthermore, Air Products would like to state that the above remarks do not constitute a no increase statement pursuant to Rule 18.3 of the Takeovers Code and it reserves the right to revise the terms of the Proposal.

Accordingly, there can be no assurance that any agreement with respect to the Proposal or its terms, including but not limited to price, will be reached or that a transaction will materialise or eventually be consummated. Shareholders of Yingde Gases and potential investors are advised to exercise caution in dealing in the shares of Yingde Gases.

By order of the board

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

Seifollah Ghasemi

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

20 January 2017

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on managements reasonable expectations and assumptions as of the date of this announcement. Actual results may differ materially from the expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors not anticipated by management, including, without limitation, the risk factors described in Air Products Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended 30 September 2016 filed pursuant to the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Air Products disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this document to reflect any change in assumptions, beliefs or expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances upon which any such forward-looking statements are based.

The directors of Air Products jointly and severally accept full responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained in this announcement and confirm, having made all reasonable enquires, that to the best of their knowledge, opinions expressed in this announcement have been arrived at after due and careful consideration and there are no other facts not contained in this announcement, the omission of which would make any statements in this announcement misleading.
People line up at an Apple store shortly before it opens in Beijing, China, January 3, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

By Diane Bartz and Stephen Nellis

(Reuters) - Apple Inc filed a $1 billion lawsuit against supplier Qualcomm Inc on Friday, days after the U.S. government accused the chip maker of resorting to anticompetitive tactics to maintain a monopoly over key semiconductors in mobile phones.

Qualcomm is a major supplier to both Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd for "modem" chips that connect phones to wireless networks. The two companies together accounted for 40 percent of Qualcomm's $23.5 billion in revenue in its most recent fiscal year.

In the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Apple accused Qualcomm of overcharging for chips and refusing to pay some $1 billion in promised rebates. Apple said in its complaint that Qualcomm withheld the rebates because of Apple's discussions with South Korea's antitrust regulator, the Korea Fair Trade Commission.

"If that were not enough, Qualcomm then attempted to extort Apple into changing its responses and providing false information to the KFTC in exchange for Qualcomm's release of those payments to Apple. Apple refused," Apple said in its lawsuit.

In a statement, Qualcomm General Counsel Don Rosenberg called Apple's claims "baseless."

"Apple has been actively encouraging regulatory attacks on Qualcomms business in various jurisdictions around the world, as reflected in the recent KFTC decision and FTC complaint, by misrepresenting facts and withholding information," Rosenberg said in the statement.

"We welcome the opportunity to have these meritless claims heard in court where we will be entitled to full discovery of Apples practices and a robust examination of the merits.

Qualcomm's stock closed 2.4 percent lower at $62.88 on the news.

Qualcomm has patents for chips which include standard essential patents, a term used to describe technology that is required to be licensed broadly and on "reasonable" terms.

In its lawsuit, Apple accused Qualcomm of refusing to license the technology to other manufacturers to prevent them from making the chips.

It also accused Qualcomm of selling chips while requiring Apple to pay a separate licensing fee for the same chips, in a "no license, no chip" policy.

In addition, Qualcomm pressured network carriers to not sell or support Apple devices made with Intel chipsets Apple said.

The KFTC fined Qualcomm $854 million in December for what it called unfair patent licensing practices.

In February 2015, Qualcomm paid a $975 million fine in China, while the European Union in December 2015 accused it of abusing its market power to thwart rivals.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm, saying the San Diego-based company used its dominant position as a supplier of certain phone chips to impose "onerous" supply and licensing terms on cellphone manufacturers. Qualcomm said it would contest the FTC complaint.

Qualcomm was the sole supplier of modem chips for Apples phones until the release of the iPhone 7 in September. Intel Corp supplied about half of the modem chips for the newest models, said Stacy Rasgon, a senior analyst at Bernstein Research. Intel's shares closed up 1 percent at $36.94 after the Qualcomm suit was announced.

Apple made the move around the same time that Samsung, which had switched to using its own internal chips for its Galaxy S6 phones, returned to Qualcomm for the Galaxy S7.

Qualcomm "has been able to manage through (the Apple contract loss) pretty well because they got back Samsung at the same time," Rasgon said.

Apple is known for seeking multiple suppliers to keep prices down, said Jim Morrison, vice president of technical intelligence for TechInsights, which tears down devices to analyze their parts.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington and Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Cynthia Osterman)
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) announced today that it has decided not to pursue an accelerated regulatory pathway for the combination of Opdivo plus Yervoy in first-line lung cancer in the U.S. based on a review of data available at this time. In order to protect the integrity of ongoing registrational studies, the company will not be providing additional details.
PharmAthene, Inc. (NYSE: 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 MergerThe 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 PipelineThe 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.
By Julian Cardona and Jonathan Allen

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mexico extradited its drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to New York on Thursday, likely ending a decades-long criminal 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.

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.

Guzman, 59, arrived in a small jet at Long Island's MacArthur Airport after nightfall and left in a column of vehicles. Later a police convoy believed to be carrying the kingpin arrived at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center, a maximum-security federal prison, with helicopters swooping overhead.

At least three female inmates chanted "Chapo! Chapo!" at the top of their voices from their barred cell window.

One of the world's most wanted drug kingpins until he was captured a year ago, Guzman busted out of a high-security penitentiary in central Mexico six months earlier through a mile-long tunnel, his second dramatic prison escape.

After Guzman slipped out of his cell through a tunnel fitted with a motorbike on rails in July 2015, Trump said on Twitter he "would kick his ass" as president.

The extradition of El Chapo, or Shorty, followed a federal court decision on Thursday rejecting a legal challenge by his lawyers against extradition. It came 16 years to the day after the first jail break, removing the lingering fear he would again outsmart the Mexican government.

Alberto Elias Beltran, Mexico's assistant attorney general for international affairs, denied the extradition had anything to do with Trump's inauguration and said one day Guzman would face justice at home.

"When he finishes his sentence in the United States he will return to Mexico," where he has 10 pending cases, Beltran said.

Guzman's stays in Mexico's corrupt prisons did little to crimp the power of his Sinaloa Cartel that U.S. anti-drug officials consider responsible for much of the narcotic distribution in the United States. It is expected he will have less access to his network from a U.S. jail.

The man who Forbes in 2012 included on its world's billionaires list was widely believed to exert influence from his cell during his previous incarcerations. In the past year, however, he had complained of harsh treatment and solitary confinement.

Guzman is charged in six separate indictments throughout the United States. The accusations range 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 reaching Europe and Asia.

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 scarred but mostly victorious.

He was being held in a prison just across the border from El Paso, Texas in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, where his Sinaloa cartel beat the rival Juarez cartel into submission with such violence than tens of thousands fled the city.

TRANSFER CHALLENGED

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 Guzman'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 showed goodwill 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 (the extradition) 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 Guzmans extradition," Vigil said.

The Mexican court system said in a statement Guzman would be tried in Texas and California, as he faces charges in El Paso and San Diego.

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 tougher 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.

(Additional reporting by Jose Luis Gonzalez in CIUDAD JUAREZ, Gabriel Stargardter, Dave Graham, Natalie Schachar, Alexandra Alper and Anahi Rama in MEXICO CITY,; Julia Harte in WASHINGTON; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Randy Fabi)
TAINAN, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) is currently hosting a special international conference organized by a group of medical students in Taiwan. 2017 Taiwan World Health Organization (WHO) Simulation, the first conference in Asia modeling the WHA (World Health Assembly), kicked off on January 18 with 240 students from over 20 countries including America, Finland, Japan, Korea, Sudan, India, and Indonesia.

A grand opening was held on the morning of January 18 at NCKU. Tainan City Mayor Ching-Te Lai and NCKU President Huey-Jen Jenny Su welcomed students from around the world on behalf of their respective institutes.

Lai gave his remark and said, Through this simulation conference that Taiwanese medical students could cultivate the global perspective and train talents in international medical diplomacy.

President Su, a public health expert, gave an overview of how the university is able to interact and make social contributions, going from education to practice.

Su also highlighted the value of social justice when she talked to the students. She said, Whats carrying in our heart is every human being is equal so whatever we can do would bring this world to a better peace.

Wherever you go, we are all the part of the network and the community, we are all part of the public health people, she said when encouraging the students to care about the disparity of social economy status in medical care.

Yang, a student from the College of Medicine in NCKU, said that this is a great honor for him to organize such a great event with his fellow students.

Yang claimed, Interacting across cultures peacefully through mutual respect is our dream, and I am sure that we will realize this dream in the following days.

Janki Chaudhary, a medical student from Mumbai, India, said that this is her first time to join the event and she is looking forward to the discussion is happening here.

Chaudhary, who is representing Bermuda in the simulation, said, I will do anything I can do to change the system of public health and I see this is a very good opportunity to do that.

I would like to see the problem happening in Bermuda is addressed in the simulation, she added.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119006358/en/

National Cheng Kung University

Sonia Chuang, +886-6-275-7575 Ext. 50042

NCKU News Center

[email protected]

Source: National Cheng Kung University
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- A.M. Best does not anticipate taking any rating actions as a direct result of plans for the United Kingdom to exit the European Union (EU), although the cost implications of continuing to access EU business and any resultant downturn in the U.K. economy are likely to weigh on insurers.

In a new Bests Special Report, titled Brexit Uncertainties Weigh on U.K. Insurers but Rated Entities Able to Withstand Pressure, A.M. Best states its opinion that there are three key issues that could impact the U.K. insurance industry in the wake of Brexit  the ability to continue to access EU business following a loss of passporting rights, the economic fall-out and regulatory developments.

As Prime Minister Theresa Mays speech on 17 January 2017 was a broader political statement, there was unsurprisingly no mention of the passporting rights, which have significant implications for the financial sector. Catherine Thomas, senior director, analytics, said: The ability to continue to conduct cross-border business throughout the EU is principally a concern for Lloyds, the London market and other commercial insurers. To continue to underwrite EU business, these companies are likely to need to establish an EU-domiciled subsidiary, if they do not already have one. This would have associated costs, operational requirements and resourcing implications.

The United Kingdoms vote to leave the EU has resulted in considerable uncertainty regarding the U.K.s economy, which could have a negative impact on domestic insurers premium volumes. There are concerns that an economic downturn could impact capital adequacy if widespread corporate downgrades affect the credit quality of U.K. insurers investment portfolios. However, A.M. Best does not expect there to be a deterioration in the quality of investment portfolios in the near term.

As a consequence of the U.K.'s exit from the Single Market, insurers domiciled in the United Kingdom would no longer be directly subject to Solvency II regulation. Yvette Essen, director, research & communications  Europe & emerging markets, said: Equivalence is likely to be granted. The Prudential Regulation Authority has established itself as a strong regulator, and has been strict with its application of Solvency II. Without equivalence, reinsurers may have to post collateral to support EU-sourced business.

Catherine Thomas added: A.M. Best does not expect to take rating actions as a direct consequence of Brexit. However, increased economic and regulatory uncertainty, as well as the potential for higher barriers to trade, overall, is a credit negative for the U.K. insurance industry. As the terms of the exit are negotiated, A.M. Best will continue to discuss with rated companies what prospective changes will mean for their competitive positions and ability to continue to access business in the United Kingdom and the EU. Any impact on revenue or profitability will be taken into account in our assessment of a companys profile and operating performance.

To access a complimentary copy of this special report, please visit http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?record_code=257869.

A.M. Best is the worlds 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/20170120005063/en/

A.M. Best

Catherine Thomas, +44 20 7397 0281

Senior Director, Analytics

[email protected]

or

Yvette Essen, +44 20 7397 0322

Director, Research & Communications - Europe & Emerging Markets

[email protected]

or

Edem Kuenyehia, +44 20 7397 0280

Associate Director, Market Development & Communications

[email protected]

or

Jim Peavy, +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644

Director, Public Relations

[email protected]

Source: A.M. Best
HONG KONG (PRWEB) January 20, 2017

Exotic and hard-to-reach destinations, such as Cuba, Madagascar and Tahiti, are among the top 10 holiday destinations recommended for Asia's well-heeled private jet travelers in 2017. The L'VOYAGE Top 10 Exotic Jet Destinations List released today bypasses ubiquitous hotspots such as Maldives and the Seychelles, and includes some unexpected locations such as Monte Carlo and Brazil.

"The idea of an exotic destination has long been defined from a western mindset. What is exotic and exciting to someone in Asia is quite different from the western viewpoint. Locations such as Cuba and Monte Carlo made the L'VOYAGE 2017 Top 10 Exotic Jet Destinations List because they offer cultural experiences that Asian travelers consider special and unique, and are difficult for them to fly directly to on commercial airlines. On the other hand, typical shortlists such as the Maldives and the Seychelles did not make the List because there is already a choice of competing high-end beach resort destinations closer to home in the Asia Pacific. This in turn, affected their selection," said Diana Chou, founder and chairman of L'VOYAGE, a Hong Kong-based private jet chartering company. "Because flying to such locations can take over 24 hours on commercial airlines, Asia's ultra high net worth travelers are more likely to charter private jets to visit such destinations. In some cases, travel times will be cut by as much as 16 hours."

"Asian ultra high net worth travelers want to experience something that money can't buy at home. Each of these 10 destinations offers something unique. There's a bit of a snob factor in dining at one of the world's most exciting Michelin-starred restaurants or taking a selfie against amazing natural backdrops. The more exclusive the experience, the less money is a factor for private jet travelers. Of course, safety is also another consideration and we avoided terrorist hot spots in the L'VOYAGE Top 10 Exotic Jet Destinations List," added Chou.

L'OYAGE 2017 Top 10 Exotic Jet Destinations List

1. Brazil

2. Croatia

3. Cuba

4. Ecuador

5. Fiji

6. Madagascar

7. Monte Carlo

8. Palau

9. Peru

10. Tahiti

The L'VOYAGE Top 10 Exotic Jet Destinations List was compiled by reviewing growing interest by ultra high net worth travelers for private flights to certain destinations and feedback from specialist high-end tour agencies. L'VOYAGE then shortlisted 10 destinations based on its recommendations on the locations' "exotic" factor for Asian travelers.

Note: More information and complete fight time tables are available upon request.

About L'VOYAGE

http://www.lvoyage.aero

L'VOYAGE is a bespoke private jet chartering company based in Hong Kong with a long heritage in serving discerning corporate travelers and jet-setters. Part of a specialist business aviation group that began in 1998, L'VOYAGE offers unrivalled access to aircraft options and landing destinations, coupled with highly personalised hospitality. L'VOYAGE is also the first Wyvern approved broker in Asia, making its safety intelligence of the highest accredited standards within the region.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/01/prweb13996482.htm
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- eShippers Management Ltd. ("eShippers" or the "Company") (NEX: EPX.H) announces that Mr. Michael Curtis has resigned as a director of the Company to focus on his other business interests. The board of directors expects to appoint a new director in the near future to fill the vacancy. The Company wishes to thank Mr. Curtis for his years of service and wishes him the best in his future endeavors.

The board of directors of eShippers is now comprised of Leo Berezan, Edward Leung, Gerald Shields, and Virginia Olnick.

Neither the NEX nor the 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: eShippers Management Ltd. Leo Berezan President (604) 882-5995 [email protected]

Source: eShippers Management Ltd.
HOUSTON, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As the big game quickly approaches in Houston, hometown of Luby's, Inc., two of the company's unique, family-friendly restaurant brands are celebrating with a national fundraising initiative leading up to the February 5 kickoff. Beginning immediately, fast casual favorite Fuddruckers and landmark cafeteria chain Luby's will each be donating 15% of sales from select menu items to support Souper Bowl of Caring, which works to empower young people, as well as mobilize those looking to fight hunger, poverty and homelessness. Started by a youth group in 1990, the non-profit has since gone global, collecting more than $100-million for a myriad of causes.

According to Peter Tropoli, Chief Operating Officer of Luby's, Inc., "We are committed to ending hunger in our communities. Our from-scratch and made daily soup at Luby's warms the soul, and we are pleased to donate 15% of our soup sales to this important cause. Souper Bowl of Caring is an incredibly deserving non-profit that turns this exciting time of the year into a massive fundraising initiative to unite and better our world."

Visit any one of Luby's 91 neighborhood-centric locations  known for their made-from-scratch comfort food and focus on quality, value and convenience  through game day, and the purchase of a cup or bowl of any delicious soup will impact those in need. Lunch or dinner options range from Home-Style Chicken Noodle to Seafood Gumbo.

Since 1980, Fuddruckers has been obsessed with making the world happier, one great hamburger at a time, and Souper Bowl of Caring is no exception. In the Lone Star State, including the NRG Stadium location,15% of each signature Texans burger  a BBQ seasoned, half-pound 100% USDA premium-cut beef patty topped with cheddar cheese, chopped brisket, fried jalapenos and BBQ sauce  will buoy the cause. The remaining 129 Fuddruckers restaurants through the U.S. will spotlight the moist, tender and flavorful American Kobe burger with add on options including smokehouse bacon, fried egg, grilled mushrooms and chili.

About Luby's, Inc.Luby's, Inc. (NYSE: LUB) operates 173 restaurants nationally: 91 Luby's Cafeterias, 73 Fuddruckers, 8 Cheeseburger in Paradise and one Bob Luby's Seafood Grill. The Company is the franchisor for 113 Fuddruckers franchise locations across the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, Mexico, Italy, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Poland, Chile, and Colombia. Additionally, a licensee operates 34 restaurants with the exclusive right to use the Fuddruckers proprietary marks, trade dress, and system in certain countries in the Middle East. The Company does not receive revenue or royalties from these Middle East restaurants. Luby's Culinary Contract Services provides food service management to 23 sites consisting of healthcare higher and corporate dining locations.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lubys-inc-helps-tackle-hunger-through-souper-bowl-of-caring-partnership-300394275.html

SOURCE Luby's, Inc.
ATLANTA, GA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Luvu Brands, Inc., (OTCQB: LUVU), a manufacturer and marketer of premium consumer brands in the categories of sexual wellness, comfort top-of-bed accessories and lifestyle fashion furniture, today announced preliminary, unaudited, net sales for the three and six months ended December 31, 2016.

Preliminary net sales for the three months ended December 31, 2016 were a record $5.1 million, an increase of 5% from the comparable prior year quarter. This is on top of a 14% increase last year.

Preliminary net sales for the six months ended December 31, 2016 were a record $9.2 million, an increase of 7% from the comparable prior year period and on top of a 9% increase last year.

These preliminary net sales results represent the most current information available to management and are subject to change as the company completes its quarterly close process, including review procedures of its independent external auditor.

Louis Friedman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased with the growth in net sales for the three and six months ended December, 31, 2016. To further accelerate the sales growth we are making several changes to our business model that we believe will position the business for further growth in the second half of 2017 and beyond."

Mr. Friedman added, "Effective third quarter 2017, we will concentrate our focus on the manufacturing and marketing of our own unique brands of "vacuum and roll compressed" consumer products and phase out the distribution of certain lower margin adult toys. The Liberator brand has developed a unique category in the sexual wellness space, allowing access into many new countries and markets where adult products are generally prohibited, including India and the Middle East."

As part of this plan, and in an effort to reduce staff, shipping expense, inventory, and rationalize our SKU count, Mr. Friedman added, "By the end of January, 2017 we will phase-out and no longer distribute products from Tenga Japan, including their male pleasure products and personal massagers. For the three months ended December 31, 2016, sales of Tenga products resulted in $838,000 of revenues, a gross margin of $153,000 with an estimated net contribution of $86,000, after expenses. The termination of the Tenga relationship enables us to reallocate warehouse space, sales personnel and employees to focus on expanding the Liberator, Jaxx and Avana brands, which are sold at significantly higher gross margins than Tenga products."

About Luvu Brands

Luvu Brands, Inc. designs, manufactures, licenses, and markets a portfolio of premium consumer lifestyle brands including products for intimacy enhancement, fashion seating and furniture, and top-of-bed comfort products. The Company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia in a 140,000 square foot vertically-integrated manufacturing facility that employs over 160 people. Bringing manufacturing back to the USA, sustainable manufacturing practices, and decreasing the overall impact on the environment are core to the Company's operating principles. Luvu Brands promotes its products in a variety of consumer categories to retailers, wholesalers, and distributors in the United States and globally. The Company's brand sites include: liberator.com, jaxxliving.com, avanacomfort.com plus other global e-commerce sites. For more information about Luvu Brands, please visit luvubrands.com.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Words or expressions such as "anticipate," "plan," "will," "intend," "believe" or "expect'" or variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements made with respect to possible changes in the unaudited financial information contained herein, the focus on manufacturing and marketing our own brands, expectations of our ability to increase our margins, satisfy our obligations as they become due, report profitable operations and other risks and uncertainties, all as set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2016, our most recent Form 10-Q and our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Social Reality and are difficult to predict. Social Reality undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Luvu Brands, Inc. Ronald Scott Chief Financial Officer 770-246-6426 [email protected]

Source: Luvu Brands, Inc.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Department of Justice Canada

To continue to improve upon Canada's tradition of judicial excellence, the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, introduced an open and transparent process to appoint justices of the highest calibre who are representative of the diversity of our great country.

Today, Minister Wilson-Raybould announces the appointments to the Judicial Advisory Committees (JACs) for the following jurisdictions:

-- British Columbia -- Alberta -- Ontario - East and North -- Ontario - Greater Toronto Area -- Quebec - West -- Prince Edward Island -- Newfoundland and Labrador

Women make up a strong majority of the new JACs and minority groups have unprecedented representation.

These are the first JACs to be reconstituted in accordance with the new process, announced by the Minister in October 2016. Changes included:

-- committees that fully reflect the diversity of our great country; -- revised committee mandates to increase the independence of their work; and -- an open selection process for the three public representatives on each committee - a measure which aims to ensure that all Canadians are properly represented in the appointment process.

JACs are independent bodies mandated to provide non-binding, merit-based recommendations to the Minister of Justice on federal judicial appointments. All individuals seeking appointment to the bench must apply under the new judicial appointment process. The JACs will immediately begin reviewing judicial applications. They will then create a shortlist of candidates from which the Minister can select.

Appointments to JACs in other jurisdictions will be announced in the coming weeks.

Quote

"The diversity on the Judicial Advisory Committees is unprecedented and better reflects the make-up of this great country. These Committees have a heavy responsibility to ensure that only the most meritorious candidates are recommended for appointment to the bench. By fulfilling their mandate, they are meeting not only the expectations of Canadians but also the needs of our justice system."

"Today's announcement is an important step towards ensuring that our judiciary reflects Canada's diversity."

The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Quick Facts

-- There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented. -- The committee members are appointed by the federal government by Order in Council for a two-year term. -- Sixteen of the committees have seven members each, while the Tax Court Judicial Advisory Committee has five members. Each committee is made up of members representing the bench, the bar, and the general public. For the first time, the members representing the general public were selected through an open application process. The following criteria were considered: commitment to public service, knowledge of the judicial system and/or public decision-making processes, subject matter expertise, geographic representation, gender, language abilities, and diversity. -- The JACs have been given a revised mandate, which will serve to strengthen their independence. They will immediately be provided on-line training on unconscious bias as well as training on the importance of diversity in the judiciary by the Chief Justice of Canada, the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, P.C. -- The Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs, established in 1978, provides administrative support to the Judicial Advisory Committees. The Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs reports directly to the Minister of Justice. The role of the Office is to safeguard the independence of the judiciary and assess the qualification of lawyers and provincial court judges applying for federal judicial appointment. -- Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor in Council, acting on the recommendations of the Minister of Justice.

This process is separate from the Supreme Court of Canada judicial appointments process announced on August 2, 2016. Nominees to the Supreme Court of Canada are selected by the Prime Minister from a recommended list, provided by the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments.

Related Products

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for British Columbia

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Alberta

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Ontario - East and North

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Ontario - Greater Toronto Area

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Quebec - West

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Prince Edward Island

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Newfoundland and Labrador

Associated Links

- Government of Canada announces judicial appointments and reforms the appointments process to increase openness and transparency

- Application process for Minister's Judicial Advisory Committee

- Changes to the Appointments Process for Federal Judges

- Canada's Court System

- Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs

- Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982

- Judges Act

Stay Connected

- Follow the Department of Justice Canada on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

- Follow Minister Wilson-Raybould on Twitter: @MinJusticeEn.

- Subscribe to receive our news releases and more via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/rss.html

Contacts: For more information, media may contact: Valerie Gervais Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Justice 613-992-4621 Media Relations Department of Justice 613-957-4207 [email protected]

Source: Department of Justice Canada
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Mundoro Capital Inc. (TSX VENTURE: MUN) (www.mundoro.com) ("Mundoro" or the "Company"), is pleased to provide an overview of the Company's goals and growth plans for the coming year. Mundoro enters 2017 with approximately C$5,000,000 in cash and no debt. The Company will aim to build on the successes achieved during 2016. The list below outlines some of the key catalysts and corporate growth plans for 2017:

-- Drill results expected in January from the Skorusa porphyry target located in the Sumrakovac license in Mundoro's South Timok Properties; -- Exploration work from the ongoing approx. C$400,000 (US$300,000) exploration program at the Borsko Jezero license located in the North Timok Properties, funded by partner JOGMEC, has generated targets where a drilling program is anticipated to commence in Q1/2017; -- Approx. C$2,000,000 (US$1,500,000) in exploration expenditures is anticipated over the four North Timok Properties (Zeleznik, Borsko, Dubrava and Padina), funded by partner JOGMEC, from April 2017 to March 2018 as per the Amended Option Agreement announced August, 2016; -- C$2,000,000 in exploration expenditures has been budgeted for calendar 2017 to advance the exploration of the Company's 100% owned projects in Serbia and Bulgaria; -- Mundoro will continue quality project generation and/or acquisition efforts using its mineral occurrence database to secure key ground in Serbia and Bulgaria. The Company has applied for two additional license areas in Bulgaria in 2016 and will continue this effort into 2017; and -- At the same time the Company is continuing discussions with groups regarding their interest to earn-in to Mundoro's existing projects in Serbia and Bulgaria.

Mundoro's President and CEO, Teo Dechev, stated: "We completed 2016 on budget, advanced our portfolio of targets and brought a partner to our North Timok Properties in Serbia. We enter 2017 with a steady flow of catalysts, for advancing existing discoveries and generating new ones in both (i) the North Timok Properties, with our partner JOGMEC, and (ii) the South Timok Properties as well as the Bulgarian properties which are Mundoro's 100% owned projects. The Company is well-positioned to deliver upside exposure to its shareholders while reducing exploration risk with partners funding exploration work on a part of the project portfolio."

Please visit www.mundoro.com to sign up to receive press releases and corporate updates directly to your inbox and to view the Company's latest corporate presentation, project pages, analyst coverage and more.

Stock Option Grant

The Company issued 938,000 stock options to its directors, officers, employees and contractors on January 18, 2017. The stock options were issued in accordance with Mundoro's Stock Option Plan and are exercisable into common shares of Mundoro at $0.13 (being the closing price on the TSX Venture Exchange on January 17, 2015) over a five-year term.

On behalf of the Company,

Teo Dechev, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

About Mundoro Capital Inc.

Mundoro is a Canadian mineral exploration and development public company focused on building value and generating investment return for its shareholders through directly investing in mineral projects that have the potential for mineral resource discovery or development. The Company has a diverse portfolio of exploration projects primarily focused on gold and base metals in two European countries, Serbia and Bulgaria, as well as Mexico and potentially North America. Mundoro (TSX VENTURE: MUN) is funded to pursue it strategy, has a technical team with proven exploration success, a corporate team with established capital markets relationships and a board of directors with a breadth of corporate governance knowledge.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe" or "continue" or similar words or the negative thereof. The material assumptions that were applied in making the forward looking statements in this News Release include expectations as to the mineral potential of the North Timok Properties, South Timok Properties, projects, properties, licenses, the Company's future strategy, goals and business plan and execution of the Company's existing plans. We caution readers of this News Release not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements contained in this News Release, as there can be no assurance that they will occur and they are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include general economic and market conditions, exploration results, commodity prices, changes in law, regulatory processes, the status of Mundoro's assets and financial condition, actions of competitors and the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities. The forward-looking statements contained in this News Release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this News Release are made as of the date of this News Release and the Board undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and for a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts: Mundoro Capital Inc. Teo Dechev CEO, President and Director +1-604-669-8055 www.mundoro.com

Source: Mundoro Capital Inc.
New Orleans, LA (PRWEB) January 20, 2017

Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG), a leading provider of insurance and financial services throughout the Americas, unveiled its new group critical illness and cancer insurance plans at a meeting of the Dallas Association of Health Underwriters. The plans provide employees of companies in the U.S. and their dependents a lump sum cash benefit upon first diagnosis of cancer or any of the ten covered critical illnesses.

"When faced with life changing illnesses, patients suffer physical, emotional and financial stress," said John Foley, President of U.S. Group Business. "With the new critical illness and cancer plans, we hope to provide a helpful balance of protection and support for employees and their families."

The lump sum cash benefit of both the critical illness and cancer plans can be used for expenses that are not typically covered by other health insurance plans, such as lost income while the employee is unable to work, household expenses, medical bills, alternative treatments and drugs, home health care, child care services and travel related to treatments.

Employees will receive 100 percent of the face amount for the following covered critical illnesses and 25 percent for partial cancer and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG):



Benign brain tumor

Blindness

Full cancer

Heart attack

Kidney failure

Major organ failure

Permanent paralysis

Stroke

In addition to the full cancer benefit included in both policies, Pan-American Life also pays an additional benefit amount when a covered person is diagnosed with breast cancer.

"As out-of-pocket health costs continue to rise, we know how much of an impact illnesses can have on personal finances," added Carlo Mulvenna, Vice-President, U.S. Group Business. "Both of these lump sum plans help employees complement their company's medical insurance, thus enhancing their entire benefits package."

To learn more about Pan-American Life Insurance Group's health insurance plans call 1 800-694-9888. You can also visit http://www.palig.com or send an email to sales(at)palig(dot)com.

About Pan-American Life Insurance Group

Pan-American Life Insurance Group is a leading provider of insurance and financial services throughout the Americas that has been delivering trusted financial services since 1911. The New Orleans-based Group is comprised of more than twenty member companies, employs more than 1,650 worldwide and offers top-rated individual and/or group life, accident and health insurance, employee benefits and financial services in 49 states, the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The Group has branches and affiliates in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and 13 Caribbean markets, including Barbados, Cayman Islands, Curacao and Trinidad and Tobago. For more information, visit the Pan-American Life Web site at palig.com, follow us on Twitter @PanAmericanLife, and connect with us on LinkedIn at Pan-American Life Insurance Group.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/01/prweb13998105.htm
IRVINE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Talonvest Capital, Inc., a boutique self storage and commercial real estate advisor, recently structured and negotiated over $36 million of construction loans for various self storage owners. The financing assignments included a $13.35 million ground up construction loan for the development of a 101,000 square foot self-storage facility on a 2.39 acre site in the greater Los Angeles area; a $10.15 million construction loan for the development of a 100,000 square foot self storage facility in the San Diego area; $6.8 million of construction financing for the conversion of a former grocery store into a two story, Class A self storage facility in Carrollton, Texas; and a $6.4 million construction loan to convert a former warehouse into a 72,700 square foot climate controlled self storage facility in Denver, Colorado.

The $13.4 million financing was negotiated with a Midwest based bank on behalf of World Class Capital Group. The four-year loan included an extension option, as well as a structured recourse burn down schedule. Nate Paul, President and CEO of World Class Capital Group, shared that "Talonvest's expertise in construction lending and their national lender relationships were instrumental in us getting the best loan for our project." Talonvest Capital Principal Jim Davies noted, "We were pleased to work with such an innovative sponsor and more importantly, to deliver the combination of leverage with attractive pricing for the development of Santa Clarita Self Storage."

A national banking firm provided the $10.15 million San Diego area construction loan to William Warren Group on a four year, interest only basis with two one-year extension options. The Texas and Colorado conversion loans were structured with an Asian based financial services group on behalf of Los Robles Capital Management. Keith Greengrove, a Managing Principal of Los Robles, stated that "the Talonvest team was a pleasure to work with and their efforts were critical to our successful closings." Talonvest negotiated the two individual loans on a non-recourse basis, each with a three-year term and two, one-year extension options. Partial release options were structured into the Carrollton, TX property loan since it has existing retail pads. The Talonvest team involved in the financings included Davies, Eric Snyder, Tom Sherlock, Kim Leslie, and Erich Pryor.

About Talonvest Capital, Inc.

Talonvest Capital is a boutique real estate firm providing advisory services to self storage and commercial real estate investors, owners and developers nationally. The principals of the firm have over 80 years of combined experience structuring loans and equity investments for office, industrial, retail, and apartment properties throughout the United States. In addition, they have established a dominant niche position in financing self-storage properties across the country.

Contact: Amanda WaiteTalonvest Capital, Inc.Email contact

Source: Talonvest Capital, Inc.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

CEASE FIRE IN REVOLUTION

Profile America  Friday, January 20th. It's purely coincidence, but nonetheless symbolic, that this date, presidential inauguration day, also happens to be the 234th anniversary of the end of hostilities in the American Revolution. This 1783 cease-fire, while throwing off a monarch, started us on the way to electing our head of state. Along with creating the office of president, the ensuing constitution of the new republic was unique in world history for requiring a regular, periodic census. The latest census estimates show over 25-million U.S. citizens are of English ancestry. Letting bygones be bygones, our breakaway government welcomed more than 143,000 Britons and other United Kingdom subjects as legal permanent residents in the decade ending in 2014. You can find more facts about America's people, places and economy, from the American Community Survey, at www.census.gov.

Sources: Sources:Cease fire/accessed 11/2/2016: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/arms1783.asp English ancestry/American Community Survey: http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/14_5YR/B04006http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0050.xls Permanent residents/accessed 10/28/2016:https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/2014_table3d.xls

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotion of the U.S. Census Bureau. Statistics and accounts drawn from cited non-Census sources are employed for illustrative or narrative purposes, and are not attested to by the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Audio" in the "Library" pull-down menu).

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-census-bureau-daily-feature-for-january-20-cease-fire-in-revolution-300387037.html

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau
ATHENS (Reuters) - 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.

(Reporting by Michele Kambas; Editing by Alison Williams)
By Karolina Tagaris

ATHENS (Reuters) - 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 (HRW) 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.

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.

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."

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 twenties 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.

(Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Women make purchases at the serecunda market moments before the president declared a State of Emergency in Banjul, Gambia January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

By Tim Cocks

BANJUL (Reuters) - Senegal's army spokesman said on Wednesday that its forces are at the Gambian border and will enter at midnight if the veteran president, Yahya Jammeh, refuses to relinquish power.

Jammeh, who lost a Dec. 1 election to opposition leader Adama Barrow, said he would not step down, citing irregularities in the vote. His mandate ends at midnight (midnight GMT).

"We are ready and are awaiting the deadline at midnight. If no political solution is found, we will step in," said Colonel Abdou Ndiaye, speaking for the Senegalese army.

The Nigerian Air Force said it had deployed to Senegal in case it was needed. Nigeria is part of the West African bloc ECOWAS, which has threatened Jammeh with sanctions or military intervention if he does not step down.

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a statement Ghana would send 205 combat troops to Gambia as part of a regional mission to enable President-elect Barrow to be sworn in.

Senegal's statement raised the prospect of armed confrontation between forces loyal to the president, who has ruled Gambia for 22 years, and Senegal, which surrounds the tiny riverside country on three sides.

Senegal circulated a draft resolution to the 15-member U.N. Security Council that would give "full support to the ECOWAS in its commitment to take all necessary measures to ensure the respect of the will of the people of The Gambia".

Halifa Sallah, spokesman for Barrow, told a news conference at a Banjul beachside hotel surrounded by palm trees that the coalition "did not want to go to power stepping over dead bodies."

Addressing Jammeh, he said: "The end has come. Accept it."

BARROW TO TAKE OATH

Sallah said Barrow, who is in Senegal, could not be sworn in at the national stadium, as originally planned, but that he would take the oath of office at an undisclosed place.

Diplomats said Barrow could be sworn in at the Gambian embassy in Senegal.

Jammeh declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, while on Wednesday the National Assembly passed a resolution to enable him to remain in office for three months.

Gambia has had only two rulers since independence in 1965. Jammeh seized power in a coup and his government has gained a reputation among ordinary Gambians and human rights activists for torturing and killing opponents.

The draft, seen by Reuters, would endorse the decision of ECOWAS and the African Union to recognize Barrow. It also called on Gambia's security forces to protect lives and property and serve the elected authorities.

It was not immediately clear when Senegal planned to put the draft resolution to a vote. Some diplomats said U.N. Security Council approval was not needed for an ECOWAS military intervention if Barrow requested help.

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz arrived in Gambia late on Wednesday for last-minute talks ahead of the deadline, Gambian state television said.

THOUSANDS FLEE

Few people expected Jammeh to lose the election, and the result was greeted with joy by many in his country, and by democracy advocates across the continent, particularly when Jammeh initially said he would accept the result and step down.

Barrow was examining the implications of the assembly's resolution and the state of emergency, given the constitutional requirement for a handover and the need to maintain peace, Sallah told Reuters.

At least 26,000 people have fled from Gambia to Senegal fearing unrest, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Wednesday, citing Senegalese government figures. The UNHCR said up to 80 percent were children accompanied by women.

Tour operator Thomas Cook started flying nearly 1,000 holidaymakers home on Wednesday. It said on its website it was laying on extra flights in the next 48 hours to remove 985 package tour customers.

It was also trying to contact a further 2,500 "flight only" tourists in Gambia to arrange for their departure on the earliest available flight, it said in a statement.

Gambia's economy relies on one main crop, peanuts, and tourism. Its beaches are popular with European holidaymakers seeking a winter break.

(Additional reporting by Emma Farge in Ziguinchor, Senegal, Diadie Ba in Dakar, Kissima Diagana in Nouakchott, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Grant McCool)
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras delivers a speech at the launching of an equity fund in cooperation with the European Investment Bank, in Athens, Greece, December 22, 2016. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Wednesday progress had been made in ending a decades-old stalemate over the division of Cyprus, but urged Turkey to drop 'aggressive rhetoric' to reach a deal.

"We are optimistic but with prudence and responsibility, as this situation merits, we will continue to work hard...and hope that we have positive results in the near future," Tsipras said in a speech in the Greek parliament.

"A precondition to that is that the other side... particularly Turkey, come to negotiations in similar spirit, putting aside aggressive rhetoric, and work seriously and responsibly."

Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974, triggered by a brief Greek-inspired coup. The conflict is a key source of tension between Greece and Turkey, which are fiercely defensive of their respective ethnic kin on the east Mediterranean island.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has accused Greece of "fleeing" efforts to reunite Cyprus and said Turkey will retain troops there for ever to protect minority ethnic Turks.

Talks in Geneva last week failed to produce a breakthrough over the former British colony, though Britain, Greece and Turkey - its 'guarantor powers' under a 1960 independence treaty - agreed to continue consultations on security arrangements which could govern Cyprus after a settlement.

Officials from the three countries were due to meet at a Swiss resort later on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

At issue is a dispute primarily between the Turkish and the Greek sides on whether the system of guarantee should stay in place, allowing Greek and Turkish forces to remain stationed on the island, and the right of intervention in the event of a breakdown of constitutional order.

(Reporting by Michele Kambas, editing by Renee Maltezou and Mark Trevelyan)
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani shakes hands with Syrian Prime Minister Emad Khamis in Tehran, Iran January 18, 2017. Picture taken January 18, 2017. President.ir/Handout via REUTERS

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 license 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 program.

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 kilometers (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)
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)
Senator Alejandro Guillier is seen inside the Chilean congress in Valparaiso, Chile January 10, 2017 REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

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)
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 STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended December 31, 2016

Commission file number 33-37809-NY

CASTLE HOLDING CORP. (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Nevada 77-0121957 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

111 West Sunrise Highway, Second Floor East

Freeport, NY 11520

(516)-378-1000

(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Zip Code & Telephone Number)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

None

Securities registered pursuant to section 15(d) of the Act:

Common Stock, $0.0025 par value

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes o No x

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes o No x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (ss.232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes o No x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer o Accelerated filer o Non-accelerated filer o Smaller reporting company x (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No x

As of January 13, 2017, the registrant had 47,003,510 shares of common stock issued and 46,414,710 shares of common stock outstanding, as well as 522,250 Class A Convertible preferred shares issued and outstanding and 100,000 Class B Preferred shares issued and outstanding.

Castle Holding Corp.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Quarterly Period Ended December 31, 2016

2

PART I

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CASTLE HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition (Unaudited and Unreviewed)

December 31, 2016 September 30, 2016 Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 36,104 $ 41,643 Marketable securities, at market value 102,200 140,362 Inventory 3,405 3,405 Investment in Emergent Health Corporation common stock 60,000 60,000 License agreement with Emergent Health Corporation 30,000 30,000 Other assets 5,164 2 Total assets $ 236,873 $ 275,412 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Liabilities: Margin liability to broker $ 19,495 $ 19,751 Accounts payable and accrued expenses 925 785 Deferred revenue 3,211 - Loans payable to affiliates 18,081 18,081 Total liabilities 41,712 38,617 Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock, $.01 par value; authorized 8,900,000 and 8,900,000 shares, respectively; none issued and outstanding - - Class A Convertible Preferred stock, $.01 par value; authorized 1,000,000 shares, issued and outstanding 522,250 and 522,250 shares, respectively 5,223 5,223 Class B Preferred stock, $.01 par value; authorized 100,000 shares, issued and outstanding 100,000 and 100,000 shares, respectively 1,000 1,000 Common stock, $.0025 par value; authorized 200,000,000 shares, issued 47,003,510 and 47,003,510 shares, respectively (net of 261,000 shares "stopped" and requested to be cancelled) 117,509 117,509 Treasury common stock - 588,800 and 588,800 shares, respectively - at cost (32,620 ) (32,620 ) Additional paid-in capital 1,883,177 1,883,177 Accumulated deficit (1,779,128 ) (1,737,494 ) Total stockholders' equity 195,161 236,795 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 236,873 $ 275,412

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

3 Table of Contents

CASTLE HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited and Unreviewed)

Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 2015 Sales $ - $ 4,779 Cost of sales - 761 Gross profit - 4,018 Selling expenses 1,105 1,717 General and administrative expenses 4,124 31,623 Total operating expenses 5,229 33,340 Income (loss) from operations (5,229 ) (29,322 ) Other income (expense): Interest and dividends revenues 1,600 7,250 Royalties revenues 1,500 572 Net gain (loss) on marketable securities (39,059 ) 11,020 Impairment of investment in Emergent Health Corporation common stock - (40,000 ) Interest expense (446 ) - Total other income (expense) - net (36,405 ) (21,158 ) Income (loss) before income taxes (41,634 ) (50,480 ) Provision for income taxes - - Net income (loss) $ (41,634 ) $ (50,480 ) Net income (loss) per common share: Basic $ (0.00 ) $ (0.00 ) Diluted $ (0.00 ) $ (0.00 ) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding: Basic 46,414,710 44,394,710 Diluted 46,936,960 44,916,960

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

4 Table of Contents

CASTLE HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity For the Period October 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016 (Unaudited and Unreviewed)

Class A Convertible Preferred Stock, $.01 Par Value Class B Preferred Stock, $.01 Par Value Common Stock, $.0025 Par Value Treasury Common Stock, $.0025 Par Value Additional Paid-in Accumulated Total Stock- holders' Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Amount Capital Deficit Equity Balances, September 30, 2015 522,250 $ 5,223 100,000 $ 1,000 44,983,510 $ 112,459 (588,800 ) $ (32,620 ) $ 1,833,527 $ (1,458,943 ) $ 460,646 Issuance of common shares on April 1, 2016 for 1,500,000 free trading shares of Gold Mining USA Inc. ("GMUI") common stock - - - - 2,000,000 5,000 - - 47,500 - 52,500 Issuance of common shares on May 5, 2016 for legal services rendered - - - - 20,000 50 - - 2,500 - 2,200 Net loss - - - - - - - - - (278,551 ) (278,551 ) Balances, September 30, 2016 522,250 5,223 100,000 1,000 47,003,510 117,509 (588,800 ) (32,620 ) 1,883,177 (1,737,494 ) 236,795 Net loss for the three months ended December 31, 2016 - - - - - - - - - (41,634 ) (41,634 ) Balances, December 31, 2016 522,250 $ 5,223 100,000 $ 1,000 47,003,510 $ 117,509 (588,800 ) $ (32,620 ) $ 1,883,177 $ (1,779,128 ) $ 195,161

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

5 Table of Contents

CASTLE HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited and Unreviewed)

Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 2015 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income (loss) $ (41,634 ) $ (50,480 ) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Impairment of investment in Emergent Health Corporation common stock - 40,000 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Marketable securities 38,162 (11,020 ) Inventory - 761 Other assets (5,162 ) - Margin liability to broker (256 ) - Accounts payable and accrued expenses 140 (6 ) Deferred revenue 3,211 - Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (5,539 ) (20,745 ) Cash flows from investing activities - - Cash flows from financing activities - - Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (5,539 ) (20,745 ) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 41,643 65,969 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 36,104 $ 45,224 Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: Interest paid $ 446 $ - Income taxes paid $ - $ -

See notes to consolidated financial statements.





6 Table of Contents

CASTLE HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

(Unaudited and Unreviewed)

1. ORGANIZATION

Castle Holding Corp. (CHOD) is a holding company which was incorporated in Nevada on June 13, 1986. The subsidiaries of CHOD are as follows:

1. Castle Royalties Corp. (incorporated in New York April 11, 1991)  name changed from Church Street Securities Corp. on March 16, 2015; assignee of License Agreement with Emergent Health Corporation effective March 16, 2015 (see Note 5). 2. SAS Health and Beauty Corp. (incorporated in New York May 27, 1994)  name changed from Wall Street Indians, Ltd. on March 31, 2015; manufactures and markets a skin care product (commencing July 2015) and vitamin supplements (commencing November 2016). 3. The Unlisted Stock Market Corporation (incorporated in New York December 9, 1999)  no operations from inception. 4. Shark Venture Capital Inc. (incorporated in Nevada December 22, 2014)  plans to engage in venture capital activities.

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Interim financial statements  The accompanying unaudited interim financial statements have been prepared by management in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and pursuant to rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Accordingly, they do not include all information and footnotes required by generally accepted accounting principles for annual audited financial statements. In the opinion of management, the unaudited financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the annual financial statements and reflect all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation.

The results of operations for the three months ended December 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending September 30, 2017. The accompanying unaudited interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Companys financial statements and notes related thereto for the years ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 included in our Form 10-K filed with the SEC.

Principles of consolidation  The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of CHOD and its subsidiaries (collectively, the Company). All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of estimates  The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and cash equivalents The Company considers highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents.

Marketable securities Marketable securities consist of trading securities valued at market. All fair value measurements are based on Level 1 inputs (i.e., closing trading prices of respective marketable securities). Unrealized gains and losses are reflected in income (($38,162) and ($11,020) for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively).

7 Table of Contents

CASTLE HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

(Unaudited and Unreviewed)

Inventory  Inventory is stated at the lower of cost (firstin, firstout method) or market (net realizable value). At December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, inventory consists of bottles of a skin care product called SAS Flower of Youth Facial Lift Spray and point of sales displays.

Revenue recognition  Revenues are recognized upon delivery of the products, at which time title passes to the customer, provided that: there are no uncertainties regarding customer acceptance; persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; the sales price is fixed or determinable; and collectibility is deemed probable.

Income taxes  Income taxes are accounted for under the assets and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.

Net income (loss) per common share  Basic net income (loss) per common share is calculated based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted net income (loss) per common share is calculated based upon the weighted average number of common shares outstanding and dilutive convertible preferred shares outstanding.

Recent accounting pronouncements  Certain accounting pronouncements have been issued by the FASB and other standard setting organizations which are not yet effective and therefore have not yet been adopted by the Company. The impact on the Companys financial position and results of operations from adoption of these standards is not expected to be material.

3. MARKETABLE SECURITIES, AT MARKET VALUE

At December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, marketable securities consist of:

December 31, 2016 September 30, 2016 32,000 and 32,000 shares, respectively, Medallion Financial Group (MFIN) $ 96,640 $ 135,040 1,400,000 and 1,400,000 shares, respectively, Gold Mining USA Inc. (GMUI) 5,460 5,222 Various 100 100 Total $ 102,200 $ 140,362

8 Table of Contents

CASTLE HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

(Unaudited and Unreviewed)

4. INVESTMENT IN EMERGENT HEALTH CORPORATION COMMON STOCK

On November 20. 2014, pursuant to a Stock Purchase Agreement involving a change in control of CHOH, CHOD acquired 2,000,000 restricted shares of Emergent Health Corporation (EMGE) common stock in exchange for the issuance of 2,000,000 restricted shares of CHOD common stock. The EMGE investment was initially valued at an estimated fair value of $250,000. The closing trading price of EMGE free trading common stock at November 20, 2014 was $0.49 per share.

At September 30, 2015, the Company recognized an impairment loss on the investment in EMGE common stock of $90,000 and reduced the carrying value from $250,000 to $160,000. At December 31, 2015, the Company recognized an additional impairment loss on the investment in EMGE common stock of $40,000 and reduced the carrying value from $160,000 to $120,000. At March 31, 2016, the Company recognized an additional impairment loss on the investment in EMGE common stock of $40,000 and reduced the carrying value from $120,000 to $80,000. At September 30, 2016, the Company recognized an additional impairment loss on the investment in EMGE common stock of $20,000 and reduced the carrying value from $80,000 to $60,000. The closing trading price of EMGE free trading common stock at September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2016 was $0.0326 per share and $0.085 per share, respectively.

5. LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH EMERGENT HEALTH CORPORATION

On November 20, 2014, pursuant to the Stock Purchase Agreement involving a change in control of CHC, CHC was assigned effective January 1, 2015 the License Agreement between Cappellos, Inc, (Licensor) and EMGE (Licensee) dated August 26, 2014 (the EMGE License Agreement) in exchange for the issuance of 2,000,000 restricted shares of CHC common stock. The EMGE License Agreement was valued at its estimated fair value of $30,000 based upon 2014 royalties.

The EMGE License Agreement provided for Licensees payment of quarterly royalty payments to Licensor equal to 5% of the first $1,000,000 of annual net sales of the Licensed Products, 4% of the next $1,000,000 of annual net sales, 3% of the next $1,000,000 of annual net sales, 2% of the next $2,000,000 of annual net sales, and 1% of all additional annual net sales. The term of the EMGE License Agreement was to upon the expiration of the last to expire of the Patent Rights. In the event the Base Sales of any one or more of the Licensed Products did not increase by 15% per year over each prior calendar year (Underperforming Licensed Products) and the Licensee did not pay royalties based on 15% annual increases in Base Sales for the Underperforming Licensed Product(s), Licensor could terminate the license for such Underperforming Licensed Product(s) or convert the license from an exclusive license to a non-exclusive license for such Underperforming Licensed Product(s). During the term, Licensor was to keep Licensee informed of the progress of the Patent Rights in the U.S. Patent Office and was to direct and control all aspects of the prosecution and maintenance of the Patent Rights using patent counsel of its choice; Licensee was to pay all reasonable costs and fees attributable to the Patent Rights including patent maintenance fees, government fees and attorney fees.

On June 17, 2015, pursuant to a Swenson-Emergent Loan and Security Agreement, the Company consented to EMGEs grant of a security interest in the License Agreement to a lender.

9 Table of Contents

CASTLE HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

(Unaudited and Unreviewed)

Based on the calendar year 2015 sales of the licensed products reported to CHOD by EMGE, the Company was entitled to royalties of $18,528. However, the Company collected royalties of only $572 from EMGE in 2015. Due to the uncertainty of future collections from EMGE, the Company has not recognized the remaining $17,956 royalties due at December 31, 2015.

EMGE did not report sales of the Licensed Products to CHOD in the first quarter 2016 or the second quarter 2016 and did not remit any royalties to CHOD. On April 28, 2016, CHOD notified EMGE that the EMGE License Agreement was terminated. The Company plans to pursue the manufacturing and marketing of the Licensed Products through its subsidiary SAS Health and Beauty Corp.

In November 2016, the Company collected $1,500 of current royalties from EMGE.

6. LOANS PAYABLE TO AFFILIATES

Loan payable to affiliates consist of:

December 31, 2016 September 30, 2016 SAS Health and Beauty Corp. Promissory Note due John V. Cappello, chief executive officer of the Company, non-interest bearing, due December 1, 2016 $ 15,000 $ 15,000 Loans payable to entities affiliated with president and treasurer of the Company, non-interest bearing, due on demand 3,081 3,081 Total $ 18,081 $ 18,081

7. STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY

Class A Convertible Preferred Stock

From March 2001 to September 2001, CHC sold a total of 706,750 shares of Class A Convertible Preferred Stock for gross proceeds of $706,750.

Each share of Class A Convertible Preferred Stock is convertible at any time into one share of the Companys Common Stock at the election of the Class A Convertible Preferred Stockholder. At any time, CHOD may require conversion of the Class A Convertible Preferred Shares provided that CHOD Common Stock closes at a price of $1.50 per share or higher for more than 20 consecutive business days. At any time after one year from the issue date of the Class A Convertible Preferred Shares, CHOD may require conversion of the Class A Convertible Preferred Shares provided that CHOD pay the Class A Convertible Preferred Stockholder $0.50 per Class A Convertible Preferred Share.

The Class A Convertible Preferred Shares are non-voting and have a first priority, up to $1.00 per Class A Convertible Preferred Share, in the event of liquidation of CHOD.

10 Table of Contents

CASTLE HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

(Unaudited and Unreviewed)

Class B Preferred Stock

Effective June 1, 2015, CHOD issued 100,000 shares of Class B Preferred Stock (valued at $10,000) to John V. Cappello, chief executive officer of the Company, in connection with a $15,000 loan made to SAS Health and Beauty Corp., subsidiary of CHOD (see Note 6). Each share of Class B Preferred Stock is entitled to 100 votes per share but has no conversion, liquidation, or dividend rights.

Common Stock

Effective April 1, 2016, CHOD issued a total of 2,000,000 restricted shares of CHOD common stock to a corporate investor in exchange for 1,500,000 free trading shares of Gold Mining USA Inc. ("GMUI") common stock. The transaction was valued at $0.035 per GMUI share or $52,500 total.

On May 5, 2016, CHOD issued 20,000 restricted shares of CHOD common stock to an attorney for legal services. The transaction was valued at $0.11 per CHOD share or $2,200 total.

8. INCOME TAXES

CHOD files a consolidated income tax return with its subsidiaries for federal reporting purposes. CHOD and its subsidiaries file separate income tax returns for state reporting purposes.

The provisions for (benefit from) income taxes consisted of:

Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 2015 Current: Federal $ - $ - State - - Total - - Deferred: Federal (13,536 ) (3,332 ) State (2,706 ) (681 ) Change in valuation allowance 15,942 4,013 Total - - Provision for income taxes $ - $ -

11 Table of Contents

CASTLE HOLDING CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 and 2015

(Unaudited and Unreviewed)

The Companys effective tax rate differed from the United States Federal income tax rate for the following reasons:

Three Months Ended December 31, 2016 2015 Computed Federal income tax at 34% $ (14,156 ) $ (17,163 ) Computed state income tax, net of Federal tax effect (1,786 ) (2,166 ) Non-deductible impairment of investment in Emergent Health Corporation common stock - 15,316 Change in valuation allowance 15,942 4,013 Provision for income taxes $ - $ -

Based on management's present assessment, the Company has not yet determined it to be more likely than not that a deferred tax asset of $405,884 attributable to the future utilization of $1,142,747 of prior year net operating loss carryforwards and $51,030 of capital loss carryforwards will be realized. Accordingly, the Company has maintained a 100% allowance against the deferred tax asset in the financial statements at December 31, 2016. The Company will continue to review this valuation allowance and make adjustments as appropriate. The net operating loss carryforwards expire as follows: $180,132 in year 2021, $694,345 in year 2022, $135,943 in year 2023, $66,021 in year 2024, $39,208 in year 2025, and $27,098 in year 2036. The capital loss carryforward of $51,030 expires $49,175 in year 2018 and $1,855 in year 2021.

Current United States income tax laws limit the amount of loss available to be offset against future taxable income when a substantial change in ownership occurs. Therefore, the amount available to offset future taxable income may be limited.

9. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Since December 2005, the Company has been using space in Freeport New York provided by a public accounting firm owned by the Companys treasurer at no cost to the Company.

From September 2015 to August 2016, the Company also occupied office space in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania under a lease at a rent of $950 per month. Since September 2016, the Company has been using other space in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania provided by EMGE at no cost to the Company. Management of the Company is currently working with EMGE to revive its business model and become viable.

10. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

On January 5, 2017 to January 17, 2017, the Company sold a total of 32,000 shares, Medallion Financial Group (see Note 3) for a total of $97,820.

On January 6, 2017, the bylaws of the Company were amended by unanimous consent of two stockholders holding a majority of the voting rights of the Companys stockholders. Among other things, the amended bylaws provide that the Companys present chief executive officer John V. Cappello be permitted 10 votes on any matter presented to the Board of Directors and that Cappello is to hold this voting right in perpetuity and may pass this voting right on or relinquish it at his discretion in the future.

12 Table of Contents

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

GENERAL

Castle Holding Corp. (CHC) is a holding company which was incorporated in Nevada on June 13, 1986. On September 30, 1987, CHC acquired Castle Securities Corp., a New York corporation which operated as a securities broker dealer from November 1, 1985 to October 31, 2003. On April 11, 1991, CHC formed Church Street Securities Corp., a New York corporation which operated as a securities broker dealer from October 26, 1995 to January 6, 2005. Since January 2005, CHC and its subsidiaries have had minimal business operations and operating revenues.

Commencing July 2015, CHCs subsidiary SAS Health and Beauty Corp. (SAS) has engaged in the production and sales of a skin care product called SAS Flower of Youth Facial Lift Spray. In November 2016, SAS started marketing two vitamin supplement products called JDI MultiVitamin/MultiMineral with NeuStem and NeuStem; prepaid orders received in November and December 2016 were delivered to customers in January 2017.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS  Three Months ended December 31, 2016 compared to Three Months ended December 31, 2015.

Sales decreased $4,779 from $4,779 in 2015 to $0 in 2016. The sales in 2015 were all from sales of the SAS Flower of Youth Facial Lift Spray product. In August 2016, we disabled our order processing software which was not working properly. In November 2016, we launched a test marketing program with new software offering the spray product and two new vitamin supplement products. Orders totaling $3,211 were received in November and December 2016 but will not be recognized as revenue until 2017 when delivery of the related products was made.

Cost of sales decreased $761 from $761 in 2015 to $0 in 2016.

Gross profit decreased $4,018 from $4,018 in 2015 to $0 in 2016 as a result of the sales suspension in 2016 discussed above. The gross profit percentage of sales in 2015 was approximately 84%.

Total operating expenses decreased $28,111 from $33,340 in 2015 to $5,229 in 2016. The decrease was primarily due to $20,000 of consulting fees incurred in 2015 relating to a Financial Public Relations Agreement executed in November 2015.

Other expense  net increased $15,247 from $21,158 in 2015 to $36,405 in 2016. The increase was due primarily to the $50,079 negative comparison in net gain (loss) on marketable securities from a gain of $11,020 in 2015 to a loss of $39,059 in 2016, offset by a $40,000 decrease in impairment expense of our investment in Emergent Health Corporation common stock. For both periods, substantially all of the marketable securities were invested in MFIN common stock which price per share decreased from $4.22 at September 30, 2016 to $3.02 at December 31, 2016.

Net loss decreased $8,846 from $50,480 in 2015 to $41,634 in 2016. The decrease was due to the $28,111 decrease in operating expenses, offset partially by the $4,018 decrease in gross profit and the $15,247 increase in other expense  net.

13 Table of Contents

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

At December 31, 2016, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $36,104, total assets of $236,873, total liabilities of $41,712, and total stockholders equity of $195,161. Of the $236,873 total assets at December 31, 2016, $96,640 represents the quoted value of 32,000 shares MFIN common stock and $60,000 represents the carrying value of 2,000,000 restricted shares of Emergent Health Corporation (EMGE) common stock.

Cash and cash equivalents decreased $5,539 from $41,643 at September 30, 2016 to $36,104 at December 31, 2016. The $5,539 decrease was due primarily to the $41,634 net loss, offset partially by the $38,162 decrease in marketable securities.

The Company currently has no other agreements, arrangements or understandings with any person to obtain funds through bank loans, lines of credit or any other sources.

We currently have no commitments with any person for any capital expenditures.

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements.

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

Since year ended September 30, 2002, Castle Holding Corp. has had no principal accountant. Accordingly, there has been no disagreements with accountants on accounting and financial disclosure.

ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

As a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 229.10(f)(1), we are not required to provide the information required by this Item 3.

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

EVALUATION OF DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and the principal financial officer, we have conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded as of the evaluation date that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective such that the material information required to be included in our Securities and Exchange Commission reports is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive and financial officer, recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms relating to our company, particularly during the period when this report was being prepared.

CHANGES IN INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2016 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

14 Table of Contents

PART II  OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

There are no pending legal proceedings to which the Company is a party or in which any director, officer or affiliate of the Company, any owner of record or beneficially of more than 5% of any class of voting securities of the Company, or security holder is a party adverse to the Company or has a material interest adverse to the Company. The Companys property is not the subject of any pending legal proceedings.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

As a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 229.10(f)(1), we are not required to provide the information required by this Item 1A.

ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

(a) Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities  In the three months ended December 31, 2016, we did not sell any of our common stock or Class A Convertible Preferred Stock.

(b) Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities: In the three months ended December 31, 2016, we did not purchase any of our common stock or Class A Convertible Preferred Stock.

ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES

None.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION

None.

15 Table of Contents

ITEM 6. EXHIBITS

The following exhibits are including with this filing:

___________

* Previously filed and incorporated by reference.

16 Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) 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.

Castle Holding Corp. Date: January 19, 2017 By: /s/ John V. Cappello John V. Cappello Chief Executive Officer Castle Holding Corp. Date: January 19, 2017 By: /s/ Michael T. Studer Michael T. Studer Secretary, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer

17

EXHIBIT 31.1

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SARBANES-OXLEY SECTION 302

CERTIFICATION FOR QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q

I, John V. Cappello, certify that:

1) I have reviewed this quarterly report for the quarterly period ended December 31, 2016 on Form 10-Q of Castle Holding Corp.; 2) Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 3) Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; 4) The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the registrants fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting; and

5) The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's board of directors:

a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: January 19, 2017 By: /s/ John V. Cappello John V. Cappello Chief Executive Officer

EXHIBIT 31.2

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER SARBANES-OXLEY SECTION 302

CERTIFICATION FOR QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q

I, Michael T. Studer, certify that:

1) I have reviewed this quarterly report for the quarterly period ended December 31, 2016 on Form 10-Q of Castle Holding Corp.; 2) Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 3) Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; 4) The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the registrants fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting; and

5) The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's board of directors:

a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: January 19, 2017 By: /s/ Michael T. Studer Michael T. Studer Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT 32.1

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER SARBANES-OXLEY SECTION 906

CERTIFICATION FOR QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q

In connection with the quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Castle Holding Corp. (the Company) for the quarterly period ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the Report), the undersigned certifies pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that, to my knowledge:

(1) except for the inclusion of unreviewed financial statements, the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and (2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Dated: January 19, 2017 By: /s/ John V. Cappello John V. Cappello Chief Executive Officer

EXHIBIT 32.2

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER SARBANES-OXLEY SECTION 906

CERTIFICATION FOR QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q

In connection with the quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Castle Holding Corp. (the Company) for the quarterly period ended December 31, 2016, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the Report), the undersigned certifies pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that, to my knowledge:

(1) except for the inclusion of unreviewed financial statements, the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and (2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
Intelligent automation can help combat the human biases that can lead to discriminatory hiring practices. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell takes on this topic with Jacob Goldstein, host of Whats Your Problem, and guest Angela Hood, founder and CEO of ThisWay Global. They discuss how intelligent automation can accelerate inclusive hiring practices, why machines can mitigate bias but not remove it, and why d...
The State Minister for Information said a case in the Supreme Court cannot be won by leveling mere allegations.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said no petitioner has so far presented any evidence before the court to prove their allegations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Panama Papers Case.

Talking to media persons outside Supreme Court in Islamabad today, she said Jamaat-e-Islami and PTI are accusing Nawaz Sharif for money laundering and tax evasion, but they have not yet produced any evidence in this regard.

The State Minister said a case in the Supreme Court cannot be won by leveling mere allegations and wishes of some individuals.

She said Nawaz Sharif has always demonstrated dignity and nobility in politics, but PTI is pursuing the politics of indecency and allegations.
Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the drug lord who staged two spectacular escapes from maximum-security prisons in Mexico, has arrived in New York to face trial, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Mr. Guzman was extradited Thursday, arriving on a U.S. government plane in the custody of federal agents at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y., officials said. The Justice Department plans to put the former boss of the notorious Sinaloa cartel on trial in Brooklyn federal court, which is one of the most secure courthouses in the country, according to people familiar with the discussions. These people said the talks to finally get Mr. Guzman on U.S. soil had accelerated in recent weeks.

Mr. Guzmans extradition on the last day of the Obama administration came as a surprise, as his lawyers were still fighting extradition.

If that is true, it was done illegally because he had not exhausted his legal recourses, Silvia Delgado, one of Mr. Guzmans lawyers, said in an interview with local broadcaster Milenio Television.

Mexican officials didnt immediately respond for a request for comment.

Ms. Delgado said she had met with her client earlier in the day. His lawyers had appealed against the governments decision to grant extradition. But the Foreign Ministry said Thursday that a Mexico City court denied the injunction on grounds that the extradition agreements complied with constitutional norms, requirements established in the bilateral treaty, and other legal provisions.

Mr. Guzman faces six indictments throughout the U.S. for crimes including drug trafficking, homicide and money laundering.

The U.S. Justice Department extended its gratitude to Mexicos government for its extensive cooperation and assistance in securing the extradition of Mr. Guzman to the U.S., it said in a statement.

Mr. Guzman, who rose from a background as an almost illiterate farm boy to running a billion-dollar drug empire, cemented his status as the worlds most notorious drug trafficker since Colombias Pablo Escobar after his second escape from a maximum-security prison through a tunnel dug under his cell in 2015. His previous escape, in 2001, was done by hiding in a laundry cart.

After being recaptured early last year, Mr. Guzman was moved in May to a prison in Ciudad Juarez, across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas. The move was seen as a precursor to extradition.

At a time when U.S.-Mexico relations are fraught due to the incoming U.S. administration of Donald Trump, who has attacked Mexicos free-trade treaty with the U.S. and Canada and pledged to build a wall between the two countries, the extradition shows Mexico continues to be a good friend and ally, said Raul Benitez, a national security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

But given Mr. Guzmans alleged ties to Mexicos establishment, a lot of businessmen and politicians will be trembling in their boots because of the information Mr. Guzman may be able to provide about them, Mr. Benitez said.

If history is a guide, Mr. Guzmans extradition could lead to a spike in Mexicos drug violence. In 2007, Osiel Cardenas, the head of the Gulf Cartel, a bitter rival of Mr. Guzmans Sinaloa cartel, was extradited to the U.S. Mr. Cardenas, who cooperated with U.S. authorities, eventually received a 25-year sentence. But information he gave about criminal associates helped spark a bitter war between the Gulf Cartel and another group known as the Zetas, claiming thousands of lives, according to analysts and officials.

Mr. Guzman, once the worlds most wanted drug lord, led the meteoric rise of the Sinaloa cartel, which at one point accounted for as much as a fourth of illicit drugs smuggled from Mexico to the U.S. Chicago, a top market for the Sinaloa Cartel, had declared him Public Enemy No. 1.

For decades, Mr. Guzman developed smuggling routes from Tijuana in the Pacific to Nuevo Laredo in the Gulf State of Tamaulipas. He fought for routes and territory with other cartel rivals, sparking bloody turf wars in cities such as Ciudad Juarez, which at one point was the worlds most violent city. Those gang wars are blamed for a great part of the violence that killed more than 100,000 people and left about 28,000 missing during the last decade.

Mr. Guzman was first captured in Guatemala in 1993, where he fled to after surviving a rival cartels attempt to kill him at an airport in Guadalajara, Mexicos second-biggest city. The shooting instead took the life of Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas, triggering an extensive manhunt for drug traffickers who may have been involved.

His prison escape in July 2015 shocked even the most cynical Mexicans. Surveillance video later leaked to the press revealed loud banging as his rescuers broke through the shower floor in his cell. Video also showed that federal police tasked with monitoring Mr. Guzmans cell didnt raise the alarm for more than 20 minutes after Mr. Guzman disappeared from view.

The escape forced the administration of President Enrique Pena Nieto to reconsider its strategy of convicting and jailing notorious criminals in local prisons, rather than extraditing them to the U.S., as previous administrations had.

While on the run after the second escape, Mr. Guzman, who had a reputation as a romantic ladys man, broke the cartels own security procedures to meet with Mexican actress Kate del Castillo, who along with Hollywood star Sean Penn traveled to the wilds of the Sierra Madre to meet with the fugitive.

Ms. del Castillo had hopes of making a film about the drug lords life. But three months afterward, Mr. Guzman was recaptured. At the time, Mexican officials said they had tailed the two actors and had intercepted communications between Ms. del Castillo and Mr. Guzman. The intelligence garnered from their surveillance was helpful in capturing the drug lord, Mexican officials said at the time.
A United Nations independent expert says the Saudi government should end its ban on women driving, urging the kingdom to do more to reform its male guardianship system.

Philip Alston, an Australian legal expert who reports to the UN Human Rights Council, said after a 12-day visit to Saudi Arabia that the government in Riyadh was urgently required to cast aside rules and regulations that have hampered social life in the kingdom.

"So, I feel very strongly that the kingdom should move to enable women to drive cars," Alston said on Thursday.

The expert also called on Riyadh to make efforts to change the countrys guardianship system, which effectively hinders women's ability to work and travel. Alston said some features of the system, requiring that women obtain the consent of a male member of their family to study, travel and other activities, need to be reformed.

"My concern is that the government is in fact deferring to a relatively small portion of conservative voices," Alston told a news conference, adding, The role of the government is to work out how it can change the policy and how it can change attitudes.

The UN expert also lamented that people in some parts of Saudi Arabia, the worlds largest oil producer, are living in extreme poverty without the kingdom having any concrete plan to help them.

Alston said most of the people living in the southern Jizan region were in extraordinarily poor conditions, adding that the situation in the countrys east, where a Shia minority group lives, was quite the same.

There needs to be a plan to more systematically address their situation, said the UN expert, regretting the fact that Riyadh had failed to admit that poverty existed in the country and officials were still in the habit of hiding information on the issue.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
Eighteen fifth-year University of Auckland medical students will soon be working at Whakatane Hospital and in local GP rooms.

Their placements are part of a new Regional-Rural Programme jointly run by the university and Bay of Plenty District Health Board and will be officially launched in Whakatane next Monday.

In total, 58 medical students from the university will work in the Bay this year, with the group consisting of 24 fourth year, 18 fifth year and 16 sixth year students.

Its the first time BOPDHB has had medical students from all three clinical training years for the full academic year.

The Auckland students will spend nearly three months at Whakatane Hospital and the balance of the year at Tauranga Hospitals Bay of Plenty clinical school.

BOPDHB Clinical School head professor Peter Gilling says the new programme will be significant, as it will be the first year that Whakatane Hospital will have a group of fifth year medical students present as part of their academic year.

The clinical teaching staff at Whakatane Hospital are excited at the prospect of having a group of fifth year medical students. This enables the students to have a stronger bond with the workforce, the community and patients.

Experience suggests that some of the students will return to the area and other rural regions later on as graduate doctors and this will enhance the medical workforce in the Bay of Plenty and rural New Zealand.

In recent years, University of Auckland students have taken part in a six-week rural health immersion programme based at Whakatane Hospital.

This is the second Regional-Rural Programme jointly operated by the university, with the first based at the Northland DHB and includes training for medical students at Whangarei Hospital and rural hospitals around that region.

The expansion of our Regional-Rural programme into the Bay of Plenty demonstrates our commitment to giving our medical students training in the regions and rural areas with many returning to those areas later on, says the University of Auckland dean Professor John Fraser.

Guests at the powhiri include East Coast MP Anne Tolley, the universitys vice-chancellor Professor Stuart McCutcheon, and Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences dean Professor John Fraser.

Theyll join BOPDHB Board chair Sally Webb and CEO Helen Mason, plus members of local iwi Ngati Awa and other dignitaries to welcome the first group of 18 students to Whakatane.
A member of the public was stopped by gang members in the Bay of Plenty and had a shotgun held to his head.

Police are investigating the January 17 incident after the man was stopped by gang members on the corner of on the corner of Churchill Street and Lord Cobham Avenue, in Whakatane, about 8.30pm.

The 33-year-old local man was stopped by a silver four-door sedan which pulled in front of his vehicle as he approached the intersection, cutting him off and forcing him to stop.

The man had just picked his child up from a care giver after finishing work when this incident occurred.

Three men, all of them wearing bandannas over their faces, got out of their car and confronted him, demanding to know what he was doing in that neighbourhood.

During this, one of the men produced a double barrelled shotgun which he held to the victims head, before they returned to their vehicle and left.

Police are investigating whether this incident is linked to the events from earlier in the day and are looking to identify those involved.

This sort of behaviour is simply unacceptable, and the actions of these people put the whole community at risk, says Detective Senior Sergeant John Wilson.

Police are seeking the help of the Whakatane community to identify those concerned as this type of behaviour is not acceptable.

For a completely innocent man and his child to be the subject of threats and intimidation by gang members, especially when the threats involved a gun being held to his head, is unacceptable and Police are determined to find those responsible, says John.

Likewise, those involved in the earlier incidents in Valley and Arawa Roads where shots were fired and the lives of innocent bystanders put at risk need to be identified.

Anyone with information relevant to this investigation is asked to contact the Whakatane Police on 07 308 5255.

Alternatively information can also be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Since its inception in 1982, Gulf Craft has evolved into a leading global player within the yacht industry, and is now one of the top ten superyacht builders worldwide. Among its other brands, the shipyard constructs luxury motor-yachts ranging from 48 foot (15m) to 200 foot (60m) mega yachts.

At last years Cannes Yachting Festival, Gulf Craft presented two of its latest superyachts, the award-winning Majesty 155, and the luxurious tri-deck Majesty 110. Gulf Craft continued its impressive showcase at the Monaco Yacht Show, where the pioneering shipyard announced its intentions to enter the world of megayachts through its two projects - the Majesty 200 (60m) and the Majesty 175 (53m).

We want to bring our experience gained over several years into the sector, and we enthusiastically look to Gulf Craft because we are impressed by its quality of craftsmanship, as well as the shipyards capacity to redefine yachting and elevate the standards of onboard luxury, said Albert Drettmann, CEO of Drettmann International GmbH

Erwin Bamps, CEO of Gulf Craft, said: Gulf Craft has a growing international presence. We believe that our partnership with an industry established name like Drettmann will enable us to better connect with clients in the European market enhancing our ability to deliver our world-class vessels and exceptional service. We are very excited about this new collaboration, and we look forward to seeing more of our Majesty Yachts and Nomad Yachts on the shores of Europe, Russia, and Ukraine.

At boot Dusseldorf 2017, German family brokerage firm Drettmann will for the first time participate as Gulf Crafts exclusive sales partner for Europe, Russia, and Ukraine for the builders flagship brand, Majesty Yachts and the long-range Nomad Yachts series.
Jennie Rhodes

Redactor

England (1977), BA (Hons) in European Politics and French from the University of Derby (2001). Before coming to Spain, Jennie worked for the late Phillip Whitehead MEP in the UK and Brussels, Arts Council England as a Local Government Liaison Officer and for the DCLG (Dept. for Communities and Local Government) as a project manager. She has been in Spain since 2009 where she combines journalism with her work as a qualified English teacher and examiner. She has been with SUR in English since May 2015 and in January 2016 she became the correspondent for the Axarquia region.
Jose Maria Roman, the mayor of Chiclana, paid an official visit to chief minister Fabian Picardo on Wednesday, to discuss the possibilities of cooperation between Gibraltar and his municipality. Roman is reportedly most interested in the prospects for collaboration in the areas of tourism and air communications.

Following a private meeting, the two men appeared at a press conference before going on to a working lunch.

At the press conference, Picardo stressed that it is essential for Gibraltar to shape and cultivate relationships such as this during the Brexit process, and that as well as a meeting between industry representatives in the near future, he will be paying a reciprocal visit to Chiclana.
January 20th is St Sebastian's Day, the patron saint of athletes and archers. This early Christian saint and martyr is often depicted in art and literature as a handsome young man, tied to a tree or bound to a stake, with numerous arrows piercing his body.

Sebastian is said to have joined the army in Rome in the year 283. He converted numerous people there to Christianity while successfully hiding his own faith from his leaders. He became a captain of the Praetorian guard, but in 286 it was discovered that he was a Christian and the emperor Diocletian saw this as a betrayal and ordered him to be led to a field and tied to a stake, where archers would fire arrows at him.

Sebastian was left for dead, but when a widow known as Irene of Rome went to collect his body she discovered that he was still alive, took him back to her home and nursed him back to health.

Later, he stood in a place where he knew Diocletian would pass, and when the emperor appeared he harangued him about his cruelty towards Christians.

Astonished, because he believed Sebastian had died, Diocletian ordered him to be seized and clubbed to death, and his body was thrown into a common sewer. From there it was retrieved privately by a Christian woman named Lucina, and buried in the catacombs at the Calixtus cemetery in Rome.

Unsurprisingly, January 20th is a very important day in the town of San Sebastian, in the Basque Country, where the Patron Saint's Day celebrations include the 'tamborrada' drum parade and the drumming continues for 24 hours.

Elsewhere, the festivities are quieter but no less strange: in the village of Piornal, in Extremadura, for example, local people very enthusiastically throw more than 20,000 kilos of turnips at a character known as the 'Jarramplas', a devil-like creature who steals cows, before pursuing him out of town. The person portraying the Jarramplas has to wear protective clothing beneath his costume, to avoid being injured. This tradition is said to symbolise the expulsion of everything that is bad.

In Acehuche, which is also in Extremadura, people wear animal skins and painted masks to dress up as the 'carantonas', a type of monster animal, and parade through the streets.
To make Malaga a benchmark for cancer research: that is the objective of a project which is being carried out by the Spanish government, Junta de Andalucia, Malaga provincial authority and the University of Malaga, and which will turn the Hospital Civil into a major international centre for research into prostate and breast cancer.

The initiative, which started life in 2015 at the Institute of Biomedical Research in Malaga (Ibima), has now taken a step further: it will be expanding its sphere of activity and moving into new premises.

The president of the Diputacion, Malaga's provincial authority, Elias Bendodo, announced this week that this organisation will cede the nursing college building, which was built only five years ago on land at the hospital and has never been used, for the project.

The CNIO, the Ibima and oncologist Emilio Alba are behind this project, which is expected to start this year

"This centre will place Malaga at the forefront of the fight against cancer," said Elias Bendodo

In November 2015 it was announced that the National Centre for Oncological Research (CNIO), which is a Spanish government body, had reached an agreement with Ibima, which is run by the Junta de Andalucia, to set up a specialist unit for research into prostate cancer. This would be the first time the CNIO had a branch outside Madrid.

One of those behind this initiative is Emilio Alba, the head of Oncology at the Clinico and Carlos Haya hospitals. He explained this week that the prostate unit is currently in Ibima's premises in the Clinico hospital but it needs more space. For that reason, the provisional government was asked whether it would be possible for the unit to move into the nursing school, "because it is a modern, well-equipped building which would meet the needs of a major cancer research unit," he said.

Now all that remains to be done is for the Junta de Andalucia's Ministry of Health and the Diputacion to sign an agreement for the building to be handed over. Once finalised, the present research team of eight doctors and the laboratory staff can move in. Emilio Alba explained that public and private funding will be sought to finance the expansion.

In addition to the prostate cancer research unit, which is headed by well-known specialist David Olmos, the new centre will also include a research unit for breast cancer.

"One out of every four cancers detected in Malaga is prostate or breast cancer. This unit will be a huge step forward for two reasons: it will be better for the patients because we are going to be able to offer them a new treatment and detect cancer earlier, and secondly it is good for the city because it will attract research projects from European and Spanish institutions as well as the pharmaceutical companies. It will be a source of wealth for Malaga," Dr Olmos explained at the launch of the project.

Due to open this year

When asked about the timescale, Emilio Alba was cautious, because there are still some administrative processes to complete, but he is sure that some time this year the major centre for research into prostate and breast cancer will be operative in its new location.

During his participation at an informative breakfast organised by Europa Press and the Cajasol Foundation, at which he was introduced by the Minister for Justice, Rafael Catala, Elias Bendodo stressed the importance of a centre of this type for Malaga and the need for support by institutions such as the Diputacion.

"We have been working on this centre for months; it will place Malaga at the forefront of the fight against cancer and I am confident that it will soon be a reality in the premises we own at the Hospital Civil. Malaga will become a national and international benchmark in clinical research and in training scientists in the battle against these types of cancer, which are so common and aggressive," he said. He also pointed out that every year about 1,200 cases of prostate cancer and 1,100 cases of breast cancer are detected in Malaga province.

Bendodo also stressed that Malaga has "one of the best oncologists in Spain and Europe" in Emilio Alba, and highlighted the important role played by Itziar Ochotorena, the manager of Ibima, in this project.

The building

The disused nursing school building was built when the PSOE ran the Diputacion and Salvador Pendon was president but was never put into service.

In 2011, when the Partido Popular took over, the works, which had cost about 700,000 euros, were already complete but it was decided not to go ahead with the nursing school because this was classified as an educational project and did not therefore come under the provincial government's jurisdiction.

The University of Malaga then took over responsibility for the 75 places which had been offered by the provincial government each year.

This meant that the nursing school building was available at the right time and it is now considered ideal as the home of the new research centre.
Siblings Manuel and Adelina Diaz Mora confess that they have rediscovered the joys of living after the latter, aged 46, donated one of her kidneys to her brother, aged 44. Adelina, an outgoing and likeable woman, not only saved her brother from being hooked up to a haemodialysis machine but also instilled in him a new lease of life: "When I wake up, I feel as if I am 20 years old again."

While Andalucia has seen a record number of organ transplants performed, with 814 in 2016, the one that took place on 27 September in the Carlos Haya hospital in Malaga was unique in that it was the first kidney transplant to take place in Andalucia with a live donor of an incompatible blood group. After a nervous three weeks, the operation was declared a success, with Manuel stating that it had changed his life for the better and that he would forever be indebted to his sister.

Until recently, there was a firm contraindication against donation among people of different blood type owing to the fact that the transplanted kidney would be rejected immediately and would cease to work. Four months after the operation, Manuel and Adelina "are in perfect health and the transplanted kidney is working," explained Jorge Soler, urologist and the doctor responsible for kidney transplants at the Malaga hospital.

Manuel suffers from a congenital illness that deteriorated his kidney function. He and his sister were included on a programme designed to find donors for organ transplants called Donacion Cruzada. However, a compatible donor could not be found and Manuel started haemodialysis. He was hooked up to the machine for three months.

However, Manuel was offered a lifeline as it was discovered that he and his sister shared the same HLA (human leokocyte antigen) typing, something that only occurs in every one out of four siblings, meaning that a direct transplant was possible. After taking into account other factors, such as the good health of the siblings, the operation went ahead and proved to be a success.
Scams of all kinds are becoming more common in the wine business, and there are rich pickings for the fraudster. The most famous of them all, Rudy Kurniawan, is serving a 10-year prison term in a US penitentiary for selling fake wines to super-rich collectors.

In one auction alone he offloaded $40 million-worth of rare bottles. His regular customers included the likes of former Vornado Realty Trust chief, Michael Facitelli (lost $3.6 million); Quest software founder David Doyle ($15.1 million); film producer Brian Devine ($5.3 million), and Andrew Hobson, former chief financial officer at Univision ($3.1 million). A bottle of grand-cru imitation Bordeaux sold for $10,000 will have cost Kurniawan about $20 to knock up in his kitchen, where police found a veritable 'old' wine factory.

It may be hard to feel much sympathy for victims who could easily afford the money they lost, while for Ginafranco Soldera, the day he opened his winery doors and found five entire vintages, 62,000 litres, swilling about on the floor, was bitter indeed. Whoever committed this vandalism had waited four years to get his revenge for Gianfranco's public revelation that his fellow Brunello-makers were illegally mixing wine from other regions with what should have been 100% Sangiovese.

Wine faking goes back centuries, and even Rome's Pliny wrote that what was described on the label was often not a correct description of the bottle's contents.

For many years it was normal to dilute sherry and port with water and fruit juice, and the Austrian wine scandal of the 1980s, exposing the use of antifreeze to bulk up wine volumes, hit the trade hard. Even big names are not scandal-free. Georges DuBoeuf, Burgundy's best-known producer, was fined in 2006 for mixing top Beaujolais wines with cheaper blends, and the winery boss was jailed.

Unsurprisingly the real victim was the region, taking a decade to recover from this blow to its credibility.

And while fakers like Kurniawan make the headlines, the man-in-the-street wine buyer will hand over his eight euros without really being sure whether he is getting what he thinks he is paying for.
The President of the Junta de Andalucia, Susana Diaz, officially opened the huge Andalucia stand at the Fitur travel show in Madrid on Wednesday amid official forecasts that 2017 is set to be another record year for tourism in southern Spain.

Touring the space dedicated to Andalucia that takes up one entire exhibition hall at the trade fair, Diaz said that an extra 1.5 million tourists are expected to visit the region this year, an increase of 5%. This would mean a new record tourist count of 30 million for Andalucia.

Visitors gather around the Marbella stand at Fitur. / Salvador Salas

Diaz added that tourism brought in 19 billion euros annually to the local economy and that Andalucia alone had 40 per cent more international visitors in 2017 than all of Brazil in an Olympic year.

Head of Turismo Costa del Sol, Elias Bendodo, also attending Fitur, predicted 2.6 per cent more visits to Malaga province and the coast this year. Everything points to an increase in 2017 on the record numbers last year, he said.

International travel show

The Fitur exhibition in Madrid is Spains flagship event for the world travel trade, bringing together exhibitors and professionals from 165 countries. Now in its thirty-seventh year, the fair provides an important networking opportunity for this key sector of the Spanish economy.

Organisers expect to exceed last years figure of 231,000 attendees over the events five days. This Saturday and Sunday, the final two days, the fair is open to the general public.
She wakes up in a strange bed, and she is naked. "How did I get here?" she asks. She hadn't drunk much the evening before, only a couple of drinks, but she can't remember much about it. Just an occasional flash of memory. Yes, she remembers, there had been sex - but she hadn't agreed to it.

SEXUAL ASSAULTS Crimes against sexual freedom handled by the IML in Malaga: 2016. 135 2015. 100 2014. 105 2013. 100 2012. 95 2011. 90 ADVICE Drinks: Don't lose sight of them by leaving them on the bar, and never accept an invitation from someone you don't know. Company:Try not to go outside alone. If you're leaving because you don't feel well, ask someone you trust to go with you. Route:Before leaving, tell your friends which way you are going so somebody always knows where you should be Symptoms:If you suspect you have been drugged, throw yourself onto the ground straight away and make exaggerated gestures, as if you were having a fit. This could help ensure that the rapist goes away and someone comes to help you. Report it:If you believe you have suffered a sexual assault through the use of narcotics, ask the police for help and go quickly to a medical centre. Drugs which cause chemical submission don't remain in the bloodstream for more than six to eight hours.

"The victims describe it as a dream-like experience, as if they had left their body and were watching something that was happening to them from afar, with no control over it," says a forensic doctor who has treated dozens of rape cases in which, from what the victims have said, he is almost certain that they had been given burundanga. He has never been able to confirm it, but that situation has now changed.

The police, legal and health authorites have set up a scheme at the Costa del Sol hospital which is a pioneer in Andalucia and almost unheard-of in Spain, to detect substances which cause "chemical submission," in other words leaving those who ingest them at the mercy of those who supply it.

"Everything is ready. From this weekend we will be able to take specimens in suspect cases," explains Dr Carmen Aguera, who works in the Emergency Department and is the head of the protocol at this hospital in Marbella. In fact, in two cases of rape which are being investigated in Marbella and Estepona at present, this has already been done.

In the former, a 19-year-old British woman was sexually assaulted on New Years Eve though she was unable to identify the attacker and police continue to study CCTV footage. The latter involves the rape of a 20-year-old girl, also foreign, who is both physically and mentally disabled. She was raped on a patch of wasteground while heading home after meeting someone she had met on Facebook for the first time. A French national, in his twenties, has been arrested.

The concern of the authorities is supported by the statistics: the Institute of Legal Medicine says there was a 35 per cent increase in the number of sexual assault cases registered in Malaga in 2016, and police and medical staff who had direct contact with the victims were becoming increasingly worried.

A year ago, a working group was set up with forensic scientist Sergio Fernandez Gorostiza of the IML in Marbella, Dr Aguera, Maria Luisa Hortas and Miguel Cantero, director and coordinator of the Laboratory Service; and the hospital's legal adviser, Andres Sedeno. Officials from the Guardia Civil and National Police also participate, led by the chief of the police headquarters in Marbella, Enrique Lamelas. The principal problem was in defining which substances cause chemical submission and how to detect them.

Burundanga, also known as 'devil's breath', is probably the most famous in Spain and "is a mixture of different substances; some of them come from drugs used in hospitals as anaesthetics or pre-anaesthetics, and they have a hypnotic-sedative effect," explains Jose Caba, the provincial director of the IML.

Although it is sometimes called scopolamine, an alkaloid which is present in solanaceaea plants and is the active ingredient in some medications, they are not exactly the same; scopolamine is just one of the active ingredients used to create burundanga. There are also cases of rape after the use of gamma hydroxybutyrate, better known as GHB or liquid ecstasy, a powerful depressant of the central nervous system. "The problem with these substances," says Jose Caba, "is that they are eliminated very quickly from the body and they are very difficult to detect."

That is why it is so important for victims to report what has happened and for the doctors to take samples as quickly as possible. "We are now going to hold training sessions for all our staff so they know what samples to take, the forms that have to be filled in and all the steps that need to be taken," says Dr Aguera.

The protocol will be applied when signs which could indicate chemical submission are observed. In all cases, the woman will have to sign an informed consent form. Then, there are three different possibilities. If less than 24 hours have passed since she has possibly ingested the drug, samples will be taken of blood (four tubes), urine (two) and hair (which is always taken from the head).

If the incident occurred between 24 and 72 hours earlier, only urine and hair samples will be taken, because the drug disappears very rapidly from the bloodstream. If more than 72 hours have passed, only the hair sample will be of any use.

Other crimes

Although initially the focus was on rapes, the protocol has been extended to cover other crimes, such as robberies from homes where victims felt nauseous upon waking, had bad headaches and slurred speech, or reported having been in such a deep sleep that they didn't realise that the thief was rummaging in their bedside table.

In a specific case in Marbella the prosecution authorities have asked for a five-year prison sentence to be given to two women who are accused of having drugged a man in order to ransack his house.

A meeting will be held in thenear future with the legal, police and health authorities about extending the protocol to the other hospitals in the province. "We believe it will be very beneficial to society because it will prevent impunity in these crimes," says Dr Aguera.
It was a pleasant surprise this week to hear Spain's economy minister displaying common sense and pragmatism when asked about the latest Brexit news. Interviewed at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday (one of the cushiest tickets on the diplomatic calendar), Luis de Guindos reiterated that the the UK is very important to Spain economically - "perhaps our closest ally" - and that the Spanish government wants a "reasonable discussion" during the Brexit negotiations.

In her long-overdue Brexit speech on Tuesday, Theresa May confirmed that the UK will exit the Single Market as well as the EU. This prompted despair among many ex-Remainers and those Brexiteers who favoured a softer split from Brussels, so De Guindos' remarks at Davos were well-timed. And necessarily vague as they are (no-one, including the British prime minister, knows exactly how all this will pan out yet), they indicate that Brexit won't necessarily spell disaster for the half a million or so Britons living on the south coast of Spain. Unlike many senior EU politicians, who are primarily concerned with the fate of the EU project, De Guindos seems optimistic about Brexit - both for his own country and for the UK.

Jean Claude-Juncker's reaction to May's speech, on the other hand, was less sanguine: after reeling off the usual diplomatic cliches - "we want a fair deal for Britain" etc - he stated that negotiating a hard Brexit would be "very, very difficult". Donald Tusk mournfully tweeted "sad process, surrealistic times" yet also called May's proposed Brexit "more realistic".

This is an allusion to the fact that it would have been lunacy for the prime minister to expect to remain in the Single Market yet quit the EU. Indeed, it's hard to see why this was ever seen as desirable, as the UK would have been subject to a raft of economic directives and regulations over which it had zero control - the unenviable position of Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland (members of the Single Market but not the EU). Joseph Muscat, prime minister of Malta, said that May's speech showed that the UK was not deluded about remaining in the Single Market post-Brexit. He's right about that, but he's wrong to say that the UK's status after leaving both will be inferior to that currently conferred by membership. It is far from obvious how greater economic autonomy automatically spells disaster for the UK.

Spain, at least, will be open for business after the UK quits the EU. When asked by CNBC's rambling interviewer how the UK and Spain can continue their relationship after a hard Brexit, De Guindos was pragmatic rather than pessimistic: "I am totally sure that we'll be able to find a solution, no? Taking into consideration all the elements of our economic relationship, the UK is a very important country."

Contrary to what many ex-Remainers would have you believe, this will not cease to be the case after Brexit. Spain is important to the the UK and the UK is important to Spain, so there is good reason to expect that a mutually beneficial deal will be struck over the next two years.

As regards Juncker's prediction that the forthcoming talks will be "very, very difficult" - well, they'll be just as difficult as the politicians choose to make them. But Luis de Guindos, at least, seems to want to make them as straightforward as possible.
NYSYR-20170120-130752-great_northern_mall.JPG

American Eagel Outfitters is closed at Great Northern Mall in the town of Clay.

(Sarah Moses | smoses@syracuse.co)

Liberty Travel is moving out of Great Northern Mall.

CLAY, N.Y. -- Two businesses announced this month that they will be leaving Great Northern Mall in the town of Clay.

One is already closed and another will be moving next week.

American Eagle Outfitters closed earlier this week. The clothing retailer has several other locations in Central New York, including at Destiny USA in Syracuse and Sangertown Square Mall in New Hartford.

Liberty Travel will also be leaving the mall on Wednesday. Liberty Travel will be moving to 3873 state Route 31, suite 180, across from Target in Liverpool. The agency will be open on Thursday in its new location.

Shoppers took to social media earlier this month to express disappointment that the Dunkin' Donuts kiosk closed. Macy's at the mall is also slated to close this year.

Great Northern Mall opened in 1988 at the northeast corner of Route 31 and Interstate 481 and currently has more than 60 businesses.
Miguel Ferrer

FILE - This Sept. 11, 2015 file photo shows actor Miguel Ferrer at the at 2015 PaleyFest Fall TV Previews at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, Calif. Ferrer, who brought stern authority to his featured role on CBS' hit drama "NCIS: Los Angeles" and, before that, to "Crossing Jordan," died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, of cancer at his Los Angeles home. He was 61. (Photo by Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP, File)

LOS ANGELES -- Miguel Ferrer, an actor with a long list of credits ranging from "Twin Peaks" to his current role on CBS' "NCIS: Los Angeles," died of cancer Thursday. He was 61.

A fixture on TV and in movies since the 1980s, Ferrer's reputation as a scene-stealer began with 1987's "RoboCop," where he played Bob Morton, the conniving corporate executive who designed the film's title cyborg. His other landmark role was as FBI Agent Albert Rosenfield in David Lynch's landmark series "Twin Peaks," along with its corresponding film, "Fire Walk With Me."

Ferrer reprised the role in the upcoming return of the series, which is set to debut in May on Showtime.

"Great talent, better man," wrote "Twin Peaks" co-creator Mark Frost on Twitter. "Working & writing for him was a highlight in every part of my life."

Since 2012, Ferrer had appeared on "NCIS: Los Angeles" as Owen Granger, the unit's assistant director. In the series' most recent episode, last week, Granger was stabbed, leaving his fate in doubt.

The series' show runner, R. Scott Gemmill, said in a statement, "Today, 'NCIS: Los Angeles' lost a beloved family member. Miguel was a man of tremendous talent who had a powerful dramatic presence on screen, a wicked sense of humor, and a huge heart."

Born in Santa Monica in 1955 as the son of Oscar-winner Jose Ferrer and singer Rosemary Clooney _ both major Hollywood stars _ Ferrer began his show business career as a drummer. He performed on the 1975 solo album by the Who's drummer Keith Moon, "Two Sides of the Moon," and backed Clooney on her mid-1970s tour with her "White Christmas" co-star Bing Crosby.

"I played with her from about the time I was 18, and I conducted for her many times, too," Ferrer told the Cincinnati Enquirer in 2002. "There was not a night I didn't want to pinch myself and say, 'Look what I'm doing!'"

Ferrer in 1977 switched his focus to acting, landing small roles on "Magnum, P.I.," "Hill Street Blues" and "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," before his breakthrough role in "RoboCop." Given his father's track record as an actor, it wasn't a decision he came to lightly.

"That can be an intimidating thing to try and do what he does so well," Ferrer told the Los Angeles Times in 1990. "It took me a while to become sure enough to try it out and be able to call my dad and say, 'Guess what? I am going to take a whack at what you do. What do you think?'"

He worked steadily, appearing in the horror film "DeepStar Six" as well as a TV version of Stephen King's "The Stand" in 1994. He also portrayed Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Garret Macy opposite Jill Hennessy on NBC's "Crossing Jordan" from 2001 to 2007.

The actor also worked in animated films, providing the voice for the ruthless Hun Shan Yu in 1998's "Mulan" and other voices in 2014's "Rio 2" and the Cartoon Network series "Adventure Time." He teamed up with his friend Billy Mumy ("Lost in Space") in 1987 to create the Marvel comic book character Comet Man.

His stint on "Twin Peaks" was a career highlight, and he knew it made a huge impact on his career. "I think it's so cool," he told the Times when the series was on the air. "Now I know my future is somewhat secure, because 20 years from now, I will be able to do 'Twin Peaks' conventions. I will never starve."

Ferrer is survived by his wife, Lori, and two sons, Lukas and Rafi.
16196592_10211525901244307_1567740248_o.jpg

Sophistafunk will officially drop its new album, "Real Vibration," on Feb. 14, 2017.

(GdVisions Photography)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Cycle back to Valentine's Day of 2016.

Sophistafunk bandmates Jack Brown, Emanuel Washington and Adam Gold had spent their last Feb. 14 shaken up by a crash in their band van, when Brown swerved to avoid a driver who had stopped suddenly in the middle of the road.

Now, they're looking forward to Valentine's Day of 2017, when they will release their new album, "Real Vibration."

2017 looks bright for the funk trio. They made their television debut this month on Guy Fieri's new show, "Guy's Grocery Games" on the Food Network. Tomorrow, the band will kick off an East Coast tour at Funk 'N Waffles Downtown. From there, they'll hop down to Ithaca, over to Buffalo and off to Connecticut.

"It's funny what a difference a year makes," said lead singer Brown. "The accident was a moment to stop and reflect on how blessed we had been. I felt like we were given a second chance. While we're on this earth, we'd work with a purpose."

"Real Vibration" combines Sophistafunk's varied influences, from what Brown calls the "head-nod ability of hip-hop to the musicality of jazz." The band divided up the songwriting and production.

"Usually Adam writes the music, Eman provides the beats and imagines the groove, while I write most of the lyrics," he said. "But on the latest album, Eman wrote a lot of lyrics on 'No More War.'"

Sophistafunk has always been a political band with a goal to create socially-conscious music. The bandmates care deeply about the environment. They performed for anti-fracking activists at the GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance last July.

"That was one of the most empowering experiences of my life," Brown said. "It showed how grassroots activism coordinated with music can have a profound impact on the community. The so-called underdog can actually win. That moment was a spark for us."

He sees his friend, local musician Joe Driscoll, now running for the Syracuse Common Council. It's an inspiration.

"That motivates us to do bigger and bigger things," Brown said. "When we started as a band in 2007 during the Bush presidency, we wanted to speak out and follow in footsteps of Bob Marley or Rage Against the Machine."

They see their role as ambassadors for Syracuse, as well as progressive issues. Brown said the band had been around long enough to see cultural changes start running in line with their message.

"Environmental and social consciousness used to be underground movements until about 2012," he said. "People are awake politically and socially now more than ever."

Brown said he listened to 'Real Vibration' before the 2016 presidential election and again, afterward. He believes their music can be a uniting force at a fractured time in American history.

"Instead of dividing and conquering, music has the power to build bridges where there was once walls," Brown said.

Sophistafunk will host a CD release party on Saturday, Jan. 21 at Funk 'n Waffles Downtown. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Philadelphia funk band Swift Technique will join the band onstage.

Katrina Tulloch writes music and culture stories for Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact her: Email | Twitter | Facebook
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Christa Carson and her family from Baldwinsville arrived at the U.S. Capitol at 7 a.m. Friday, five hours before Donald Trump's inauguration as the 45th president.

But it wasn't the nation's new commander-in-chief that convinced Carson to navigate through security and hundreds of thousands of people packed from the Capitol through the National Mall to the Washington Monument. She simply wanted to see her son march in the inaugural parade.

Kevin Carson, a graduate of Baker High School in Baldwinsville, is marching in the parade this afternoon with his classmates Virginia Military Institute, a military college in Lexington, Va.

"We wanted to be here to see the whole thing because our son is a participant," Carson said. "It's one of the few times the entire school marches as a group. It's very rare that the entire school marches."

Christa Carson, and her son, Ryan, a senior at Baker High School in Baldwinsville, wait for the start of Donald Trump's inaugural parade Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

Carson made the trip from Baldwinsville with her husband, Jim, and son, Ryan, a senior at Baker High School.

"We probably won't have a chance to spend any time with our son during this trip because he will be with his school the whole time," Christa Carson said.

"But that's OK. Our main objective is to see him march in the inaugural parade."

Carson said she wrote letters to a number of federal officials asking for tickets to the inauguration, and finally received three from their congressman, Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus.

Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
2015-06-02-kr-Casino10.JPG

Opening day of the Yellow Brick Road Casino in Chittenango, N.Y., Tuesday, June 2, 2015. Kevin Rivoli | krivoli@syracuse.com

(Kevin Rivoli)

Gov. Cuomo's proposed 2018 budget would give Madison County what it's been fighting for: a bigger share of money from casinos.

The state budget calls for an additional $2.25 million annually in gaming revenue to go to Madison County from the Oneida Nation, the owners of Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona and Yellow Brick Road Casino in Chittenango.

Ever since Yellow Brick Road was built, Madison County officials have been asking the state to give them the same host county status that Oneida County has for Turning Stone Resort Casino, arguing that the Chittenango casino was not envisioned when the 2013 agreement establishing the gaming revenue distribution was signed.

In September, Gov. Cuomo veoted a bill giving Madison County that host status, but pledged to work with officials to work out some type of agreement.

In the veto, Cuomo pointed to the 2013 settlement with the Oneida Nation that called for the Oneidas to share gambling revenue from Turning Stone with the state and 10 counties.

Under the deal, Oneida County gets the biggest share.

Oneida County gets $2.5 million a year plus 25 percent of the estimated $50 million to $60 million the Oneidas pay to New York state from its slot machines profits. In 2015, the 25 percent payment to Oneida County equaled $14 million.

Madison County agreed to an annual $3.5 million payment along with a one-time $11 million payment when it signed the agreement.

Madison County officials are rejoicing, while Oneida County is vowing to fight the proposal

"I am very thankful to the governor for keeping his promise to me and the residents of Madison County, said John M. Becker, Madison County Board of Supervisors Chairman.

Cuomo followed through in providing an equitable distribution of revenue to the Madison County now that it is a host county, said Sen. David J. Valesky (D-Oneida). "This is a basic issue of fairness."

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente doesn't see it that way.

Picente said Friday he doesn't object to Madison County receiving more money, but is opposed to the way it's being done.

Although Oneida County won't receive less money under this proposal, Picente said the 2013 gaming compact is a law that can't just be changed without the agreement of the parties who signed the settlement.

Picente said he thought the parties would sit down at the table and work something out.

"No one told me about this proposal,'' he said, "and then all of a sudden the money is in the budget."

Picente said Madison County is getting a fixed amount under the proposal, where Oneida County's share is based on a percentage of revenue. Picente said he worries that with other casinos like Del Lago opening, that percentage could decline.

"You just can't do this with the swipe of a budget pen," he said. "It's an improper way to do it."

The eight other non-host counties, including Onondaga County, won't get less money under this proposal, according to the governor's office.

This proposal is part of the tentative state budget and need to be approved by the state senate, state assembly and signed by the governor before it became law.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) 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.

advertisement

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 Pakistans 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 polices 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 Polices claim that Pakistans 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. PTI VIT/SLB TIR

--- ENDS ---
This page no longer exists or may have been moved.If you believe this is a mistake please email
IACS releases latest Blue Book

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has published the 2017 edition of its Blue Book.

The Blue Book is an electronic library of the technical resolutions adopted by IACS, as a result of its technical work. It contains -  IACS Unified Requirements, which IACS members incorporate into their rules Unified Interpretations of IMO convention requirements, which IACS members apply uniformly when acting on behalf of authorising flag administrations, unless instructed otherwise  Procedural Requirements governing practices among IACS Members  IACS Charter and IACS Procedures, which define the purpose, aim and working procedures of the Association  Recommendations relating to adopted resolutions that are not necessarily matters of class but which IACS considers would be helpful to offer some advice to the marine industry  UR - Unified Requirements Status advising on implementation status  HF & TB for UR, UI, PR & Rec. containing the history and technical background files for the Unified Requirements, Unified Interpretations, Procedural Requirements and Recommendations  Quality Documents containing QSCS (IACS Quality System Certification Scheme) description, Quality Management System Requirements, Audit Requirements, ACB (Accredited Certification Bodies) requirements and other quality procedures The latest version of the Blue Book is available for downloading from the IACS website at www.iacs. org.uk/publications.




ISS expands Team Tankers agency services

Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) has signed another port agency contract with Team Tankers International this time for the US East Coast and Caribbean region.

This represents ISS first agreement in the Americas. The chemical tanker specialist asked ISS to provide full port agency services. ISS was awarded the contract after demonstrating its efficiency, transparency and quality of service to Team Tankers operations team in the US, along with its expertise in the chemical sector and strength of its global network, the company claimed. The new business complements ISS relationship with the company in Europe, which was recently expanded to provide port agency services across all major European ports and terminals. Capt Caspar Lavall, Team Tankers head of operations - Westport, said: This new contract with ISS provides the consistent, high quality port agency service that is necessary in todays shipping sector, as well as being a great fit with our team. Neill Tomlin, ISS CCO, added: We are delighted with our new US and European contract agreements with Team Tankers International, which demonstrate the quality of our port agency, expertise in the chemical market and value of our global network.




By Press Trust of India: From Natasha Chaku

Melbourne, Jan 20 (PTI) At least four persons, including a child, were killed and 20 others injured today when the driver of a car "intentionally" hit pedestrians here in the heart of a busy street in Australias second-largest city.

A man and a woman, both in their 30s, and the child, were killed in different locations along Bourke St, Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said, while ruling out any terror angle.

advertisement

Police said more than 20 people were injured. Up to five persons are understood to be in a critical condition, ABC News reported.

Victorias Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton has confirmed the driver of the vehicle that "intentionally" ploughed into pedestrians in Melbournes Central Business District (CBD) area is 26-year-old Dimitrious Gargasoulas known to police and was on bail.

Gargasoulas, was shot by police in his arm and is being treated in hospital. Police are going to charge him in relation to multiple homicides and some other charges.

"There is an extensive family violence history involved. He has come to our attention on many occasions in the past. We have mental health and drug-related issues in the background of this particular person," he said.

"He has been coming to our attention more recently over recent days in relation to assaults, family violence-related assaults."

Gargasoulas had been wanted over the stabbing of his brother. It is unclear what happened in the 11 hours after the stabbing.

Gargasoulas allegedly disrupted a television journalists report at the scene of the stabbing, parking in the background in the stolen car.

Ashton said police have ruled out any terror angle.

"This individual is not related to any counter-terrorism or any terrorism-related activities. He is not on our books as having any connection with terrorism and were not regarding this as a terrorism-related incident," Ashton said.

Former Victoria Police commissioner Christine Nixon, who was present at the scene, said one of the injured was a toddler, who appeared to get thrown out of a pram.

That infant is currently in a critical condition at hospital. PTI NC KJ ABH UZM AKJ UZM

--- ENDS ---
LR1s retrofitted with NK BWTS

Last year, NK-O3 BlueBallast water treatment systems (BWTS) were retrofitted on two Ernst Jacob LR1s by Goltens.

Ernst Jacob had approached Groningen-based Goltens Green Technologies to undertake detailed engineering for a 1,000 cu m per hour NK-O3 BlueBallast system retrofit for four LR1s. The project started with the Konstantin Jacob and Georg Jacob, as both vessels were due to call at Singapore Anchorage. Dutch-based Goltens Green Technologies asked Goltens Green in Singapore to complete the ship inspections and 3D Laser scanning. The Konstantin Jacob was scanned in December, 2015, the Georg Jacob was scanned in April, 2016. Concept design and detailed engineering was completed in The Netherlands. The agreement called for one design for all four sisterships. As the NK-O3 BlueBallast System is one of the bigger and more complex ozone based ballast water treatment systems on the market, the project required thorough planning and co-ordination with the client, fleet manager and the equipment maker to reach the optimal design solution. Once the design was developed and approved by the client, Goltens was asked to complete a turnkey project for the first two vessels, scheduled for drydocking in Malaysia. To achieve a more efficient solution, all piping and foundations were prefabricated by Goltens Vietnam and shipped to Malaysia. Electrical materials were delivered directly to the vessel at the Singapore Anchorage by Goltens Singapore. The major part of the installation on board Konstantin Jacob was performed during the 10-day drydocking in April/May, 2016 by a Vietnamese team of 17 workers and four specialists from Goltens Singapore. A small riding squad completed the final elements during the voyage from Malaysia to Fujairah. The whole installation was organised and supervised by a Goltens Green Technologies project manager. In July/August, 2016, Georg Jacob entered drydock and the same installation formula was used but staffing levels were modified. Based on lessons learned in the first project, the size of the installation team was increased slightly so the complete retrofit was finished during the 10-day drydock period. The BWTS OEM and the vessels' class society approved Goltens' design prior to execution. During the retrofit, NK engineers and class surveyor further verified that the installation was according to the manufacturers and class standards.




Tarntank and Furetank take advantage of port discounts

Last year, one in three ships calling at Gothenburg received an environmental discount on the port charges, representing an increase of 83% on 2015.

Heading the discount list were Donso-based shipping companies Tarntank Ship Management and Furetank, whose vessels are powered by LNG. In total, 75 vessels received a discount of 10% on port charges, compared to 41 in 2015. Edvard Molitor, Gothenburg Port Authoritys environmental manager, said: The growing number of vessels classified as green is highly encouraging. They are also vessels that call at the port on a regular basis. The discount is based on two separate environmental indexes - Environmental Ship Index (ESI) and Clean Shipping Index (CSI). Vessels that have a score of at least 30, according to ESI, or which are classified as green according to CSI, receive a 10% discount on port charges. An additional discount is available for vessels that run on LNG. In total, these vessels receive a 30% discount each time they call. In 2016, two vessels received the maximum discount, namely Ternsund and Fure West, owned by Tarntank and Furetank, respectively. Swedish shipping companies are very much at the forefront when it comes to LNG, methanol, hybrid electric ships and other eco-smart solutions, said Molitor. Previously, companies were required to register their vessels with Gothenburgs port control. However, with effect from 1st January, 2017, registration takes place automatically when vessels call at the port. Vessels running on LNG will still need to report to the Gothenburg Port Authority to secure the discount.




WinGD and Propulsion Analytics in 2-stroke digitisation joint venture

Large 2-stroke engine designer and developer Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) has signed an agreement with Greek-based ship performance monitoring specialist Propulsion Analytics.

This agreement calls for the joint development of an advanced diagnostics system for all WinGD 2-stroke diesel and dual-fuel engines. Claimed to represent a major step towards digitisation in the shipping sector, the objective of the system is to provide shipowners and operators with digital technologies that will enhance both operational efficiency and crew decision-making processes related to main engines. The system will acquire and analyse data on the performance and condition of the engine and its sub-components in real-time and so provide live troubleshooting and diagnostic advice to the crew. In addition, as required, the system will be capable of connecting to shore-based interests. The proposed system will enable the ship operator to: Optimise engine performance in all its aspects (fuel consumption, power, emissions).

Intelligently diagnose the engine status, via performance information, sub-systems and components current behaviour, enabling prediction and diagnosis of component malfunction and extension of maintenance intervals (condition-based maintenance).

Troubleshoot abnormalities by providing the crew and the shipping company with more detailed information on which key components are affected and what are the relevant steps to fix the malfunction.

Have an integrated planning and online spare parts purchasing.

Train crew and shipping companies through virtual and interactive tuition.

Communicate engine data ashore to the shipowner and, if needed, to other interested parties, such as service providers.

Store data in a secured environment enabling fleet comparisons when required. All of these capabilities will be implemented into a user-friendly on-board system comprising of the most competitive and state of the art hardware, software and data analytics techniques.



In present market conditions, where shipping companies are striving to further optimise their operations and reduce costs, this technology will provide real time support to improve the performance and operational efficiency of their main engine and machinery, while simultaneously strengthening WinGDs technology leadership in this new digital era,said WinGDs vice president operations, Andrew Stump. With real-time data collection and exchange across a shipping companys vessels, WinGDs new engine diagnostic system will be the first advanced product on a 2-stroke engine that will not only optimise and monitor performance but will also track the condition of key engine components. It will be able to predict future malfunctions and provide troubleshooting support to shipping companies in order to prevent failures and/or fix technical problems faster and more economically. Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things represent tremendous opportunities for traditional businesses when incorporating and integrating digital services into product portfolios to achieve a leading position in the next innovation wave, Stump continued. Our collaboration with Propulsion Analytics utilises their deep digital knowledge to enable a more traditional products company such as ours to enlarge its offering by taking advantage of the digital technologies.



The engine diagnostic system is something that the industry has been expecting for a long time and we are really happy to embark on this journey with a pioneering partner like WinGD. The combination of Internet of Things technologies with physical models, big data analytics and human expertise are at the core of our companys philosophy, said Panos Theodossopoulos, Propulsion Analytics CEO.



This agreement calls for the implementation of one pilot system with a leading shipping company by early 2017. The prototype is expected to be running by mid-2017 and full release on the entire WinGD engine portfolio is forecast for 2018.






Every year, the terror threats escalate during the Republic day phase with the Delhi courts being a possible vulnerable zone this time.

By Chayyanika Nigam: The Islamic State may be planning an attack on Delhi courts around the Republic Day, sources told Mail Today quoting a fresh input by the Intelligence bureau.

According to the sources, ISIS sympathisers, who have been hiding in Delhi for some time now, are planning to target courts and have done a reece of the district and the high court for a planned attack.

advertisement

Intelligence Bureau has shared a specific input with Delhi Police that ISIS is planning to target Delhi courts during Republic Day.

Officials said that while it was earlier thought that ISIS radicals are mostly based in southern parts, recent efforts to track ISIS footprint have found that their sympathisers are also spread all over the northern India. Several cells linked to ISIS are now on the radar of law enforcement agencies.

Also read | Interview of the Year: PM Narendra Modi exclusive, his first since demonetisation

Sources further said that the attack in the Capital could be a Pathankot-like attack. There have also been strong inputs that it could be a Nice-style attack, in which a cargo truck was deliberately driven into crowds celebrating Bastille Day on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France, resulting in the death of 86 people and injuring hundreds more.

Commenting about the shifting of the target from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to courts and other places, a senior police official while requesting anonymity told Mail Today, "This time ISIS is targeting the public to hit the Indian government." Modi has been ISIS's target because the radical Islamists believe that he did not do enough to protect Muslims from the bloodshed but he has been cleared of any complicity in the violence.

A senior Delhi police official said that Delhi Police has done the most sensitive arrangement for the Republic Day celebration and is ready to handle all the situations.

Also read | Uttar Pradesh Assembly election: Will BJP bid to project Modi as messiah of the poor work?

--- ENDS ---
To become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom takes a certain amount of skill and a good deal of luck. To do so as a woman, it must be said, is a particularly commendable achievement. In Theresa May, however, the scales are so heavily balanced towards luck that one might be induced to laugh at her long career of cons and flukes. Or at least one would laugh if it were not so terrifying that a politician who nobody chose to be elected as PM is leading the most important negotiations this country will face in our lifetime.

Those who peddle the threadbare myth that Theresa May is a capable, no-nonsense safe pair of hands often use as evidence her six years as Home Secretary. There must be something in this argument, and her resolve in the face of the daily sexism of the tabloids and the political establishment deserves respect. Yet Mays time as Home Secretary was near-disastrous.

She set herself a plethora of targets, and missed them all. For example, she failed to fulfil the no ifs, no buts pledge to get immigration down to the tens of thousands by 2015, explaining it away with some almighty ifs and buts. And let us not forget the Big Brother-esque mobile billboards telling illegal immigrants to go home (not a success, May later admitted). Or a judge finding her in contempt of court over her draconian refusal to free an Algerian national from a detention centre. Or her distaste for the European Court of Human Rights.

I am perplexed as to why six years of cruelty and gaffes have been collectively forgotten by the British people. What of her more recent record? Showing more talent for the Machiavellian than policy, Submarine May, as Camerons team bitterly dubbed her, managed to keep stealthily below water except at opportune moments during the referendum. This may have been clever politics, but for someone who claimed Britain was better off in the EU, May did a remarkable impression of a person who really didnt care what happened, as long as their career benefitted. Had the Most Spineless Politician of 2016 Award not seen such stiff competition (Gove and Johnson outdid themselves), the honour would surely have been hers.

After those pantomime villains had destroyed each others chances, May and Andrea Leadsom were the only ones left in the running for the PMs job. Having Andrea Leadsom as your only opponentsomeone who spent a large part of her first hustings talking about massaging babies heads, and thought attacking May for her childlessness would be a good idea in 2016is perhaps the crowning glory of all the flukes of Mays career. Once Leadsoms whoopee cushion of a campaign deflated, May was free to become Prime Minister unelected.

With the Labour Party in complete disarray, she remains unopposed. May and her disunited cabinet are making a complete mess of the EU negotiations, having only made a limp plan this week, six months after the referendum. At PMQs, the paltriness of Labours general opposition has allowed her almost every time to reach for a flippant, ready-prepared retort. Even when Corbyns questions are serious and important, she knows she wont be held to account for her replies. And the same applies for her actions, be they her rash decisions on grammar schools or her inane red, white and blue plan for Brexit.

A Tory Government with such a slim Commons majority overseeing crises in negotiations with the European Union and in the criminally underfunded NHS should be suffering under relentless Labour attacks. But the charmed life of Theresa May continues, and despite never having proved that shes much good, she has free reign to realise her reckless halfvision of Britains future outside the EU.
Although many remain unaware of their existence, the Universitys new procedures for dealing with complaints of sexual misconduct and harassment have been causing a lot of buzz. Existing drafts show it to be one of the most progressive guidelines in the sector.

One unfortunate shortfall is the delay in its implementation. Originally set to be published on 1 January of this year, we must now wait until later in the academic year. This is is due to concerns raised in the Regent House (the governing body and principal electoral constituency of the University) that the policy doesnt do enough to protect the rights of those accused of sexual misconduct.

Frustrating as this is, a new draft has been produced and CUSU remains cautiously optimistic that there will be no more need for delays.

Its worth noting that this policy must be accompanied by a change in culture. The University must also support CUSUs preventative efforts, such as consent workshops, as well as innovating some of its own. Our gaze should also turn to instances of assault and harassment outside of college walls and on Cambridges city streets.

With a surge in the number of cases reported, we need to find new ways to protect students. The CUSU team met with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire in Michaelmas to discuss the issue.

Our suggestions included allowing students to anonymously report instances of harassment to the police. This would provide them with data that could justify a full investigation of the matter. Its also worth noting that students are able to seek refuge in any Porters Lodge of any College should they feel unsafe.

With that in mind I plan to create and publicise a map of college plodges across Cambridge, thanks to the suggestion of a concerned student. I also plan to begin talks with JCR and MCR womens officers at colleges that shut their gates at certain hours to see whether new rules can be made allowing any Cambridge University student to seek refuge after-hours.

These are, however, band-aids on a gash wound. The onus shouldnt be on students to constantly monitor and condition their behaviour. We continue to consider the matter and any suggestions from students are more than welcome.

You can reach me on my CUSU Facebook account or via email at womens@cusu. cam.ac.uk.
With its tonal monochrome palettes, sealed within clean lines and boxy silhouettes, Scandinavian fashion is indubitably distinctive. Strolling through Copenhagen, it sidles past you in the form of flat, satisfyingly chunky shoes, simple cropped trousers, and soft but mannish tailoring. Slickly minimalistic, loud patterns are hardly ever breached, and when there is colour its subtle. Thats not to suggest an ascetic puritanism far from it, quality cuts and fabrics feel luxuriously modern, and even their grunge looks clean. Take Acne Studios  wed recognise that shearling, black leather jacket, those pistol boots, that paper-thin tee  anywhere. Which is fortunate, really, because it is everywhere, revered from its base in Stockholm to boutiques in LA. Acne may be the behemoth of luxury daywear brands, but its clear from the international cult following of bloggers like Pernille Teisbaek and Veneda Budny that the allure of Scandinavian style reaches far beyond the marketplace. It seems that we all, transfixed, want in.

But doesnt it all seem a little too perfect? Are we missing something? Scandinavian cities are distinctly separate from the quartet of fast-paced fashion capitals  they are, in short, smaller and colder  and theyve had to establish a distinct fashion microclimate as a result. The population may be relatively small, but it is fashion-conscious, adhering to trends to an almost uniform degree and so establishing a coherent Scandinavian style that simply wouldnt be tenable in a metropolis like London, bursting with diverse style tribes and trends. Perhaps the Scandinavian look, so impeccably and consistently contained within its clean-lined frame, can only function if sudden, colourful aesthetic developments are resisted.

Fashion is however, inherently dynamic, and the Scandinavian designers leading the pack are not those adhering to every Nordic style dictum, but those bending the rules and conscious of the need to move outwards into a globalised fashion network. Take Christina Exsteen, creative director of By Malene Birger, who has been moving the Danish high-fashion brand towards a thriving terrain of relaxed cuts, colour and embellished details. As she put it, I felt we needed to play a bit more with contrast. We have beautiful products with quality, but we needed to add an edge. Its no longer just about creating something thats polished and neat. Things become more interesting when they have a contrast. Other designers are following in her wake: Cecilie Jrgensen, finding that she had nothing to wear one night, transformed a keffiyeh scarf into a tunic and was so inspired that she set up Cecilie Copenhagen. The brand, focused on the traditional keffiyeh print, pays tribute to Scandinavian style heritage with relaxed silhouettes and soft quality fabrics. Renegade designers such as these are showing that maintaining the Scandinavian aesthetic isnt tantamount to dull conformity. In fact, crossing boundaries seems to be the perfect counterbalance to Scandinavian styles clean lines: when London-based Browns started selling the Cecilie Copenhagen Spring/Summer collection, it sold out on the first day.

The Scandi Style Tribe

Scandinavian gender orders are among the most egalitarian on Earth. Women have arrived en masse in party politics, corporate boards, and the Nordic countries are now leading the world in womens representation in the public realm. Do you think the gender equality of Scandinavian geopolitical identity influences how women dress?

Phoebe: It is definitely likely that the simplistic, androgynous style dominating womens fashion in Scandinavia stems from the increasing gender equality. Women feel empowered to dress how they wish, not in an overtly feminine or sexualized way for the sake of pleasing men. I suppose this is because having women in positions of power means that other women do not feel forced to exploit their femininity to excel their career. The increasing blindness to gender appears to have transcended the workplace into the fashion world, seeping into womens wardrobes all across Scandinavia. In fact, H&M just launched an autumn campaign promoting gender neutrality!

From Skam  that has Norway so uncharacteristically hysterical that over a fifth of the country are watching it  to Nordic Noir like The Bridge, what do you think accounts for Scandi TVs massive following?

Lily: Probably the darkness? Id binge watch television if it was only light for 2 hours a day and it was legitimised by hygge.

Is the appropriation of hygge, by girls who Instagram their coffee and consider avotoast the ultimate aspirational breakfast, starting to piss you off?

Issy: Out of all the concepts that could stem from the inspiration of hygge, I think people could be slightly more original than coffee and avotoast.

Is the current tumultuous political climate responsible for our drive towards soothing Scandistyle?

Lia: Sitting down with nice candles bedecked in Monki and sipping a hot chocolate can make difficult news easier to swallow, and the appealingly continental nature of Scandinavia may even be a response to the perceived isolationism of the Brexit vote. Still, I wonder if theres any real productivity in pretending nothings going on in the real world and creating a personal bubble where the most immediate problems are about candles and fur throws instead.

That clean-lined, contemporary Scandinavian aesthetic, as the manifestation of hygge, is clearly more than a passing fad. You express it through your clothes, but also through every other creative outlet available, from furniture to architecture. Which Nordic architect resonates most strongly with you?

Elise: Well, Aalvar Aalto, being one of the most influential architects of the Nordic modern movement, has to get a mention. But also the Norwegian architect Sverre Fehn (1924-2009), and in particular his Nordic Pavillion in Venice, which is a great proponent of the Scandinavian design principals in relation to simplicity, materials, and nature. I think its important to know that the clean aesthetic in Scandinavian architecture that is so popular comes from a motivation to create something highly functional with a relationship to its environment. The bright, light, practical interiors are inspired by the long winters and few hours of sunlight in that area of the world. There are also lots of young Nordic practices that are continuing the current principles with an increasing focus on sustainability, such as Marge Arkitekter and Elding Oscarson. The idea of being highly functional without the need of unnecessary design is something that I think should always be the basis of design  making beautiful things that improve your life.

Director, Writer and Stylist: Octavia Akoulitchev

Photographer: Vincent Hasselbach

Makeup artist: Lucy Wright

Models: Lia Johansen, Lily Spicer, Phoebe Wallwork, Elise Limon, Issy Grace
For any Chinese community, Chinese New Year is one of the most important festivities each year. Much like New Years celebrations on the Gregorian calendar, it is a time to reunite with old friends and family, to share experiences from the past year, and to hope for an even better year in the future.

This year, the first day of Chinese New Year falls on the 28 January. The date of celebration varies from year to year (on the Gregorian calendar), and is based on the Chinese lunar calendar. Each year is associated with a corresponding Chinese zodiac sign, this years being the Rooster. The Rooster is an important zodiac as itsymbolises discipline and timeliness, since its call signifies the beginning of a new dawn for agricultural workers.

As with any other festival, Chinese New Year is entrenched in age-old rituals. For any adolescent, receiving Lai See (Red Packets) is the highlight of the holiday; it is customary for children to pay their respects to married elders during this time of the year and, in exchange, receive decorated little red envelopes containing a sum of money. Traditionally, the Red Packets are meant to ward off a mythical Nian monster, which is said to haunt villages every New Year, but for children and teenagers, it is seen more as an important supplementary source of income atop the meagre allowance received from our parents. But if youre unlucky like me, and have to spend Chinese New Year abroad, then there goes hundreds of pounds worth of allowance.

It is also customary to decorate the house with Fai Chun, which are red banners with celebratory messages written on them. Popular phrases include Gung Hei Fat Choy (Wishing you a prosperous New Year) or Sun Tai Geen Hong (Wishing you health and wellbeing).

Spending Chinese New Year in Cambridge has other downsides too. You miss out on the chance to wine and dine with family and friends on the customary New Years Eve reunion dinner. The feast is comparable to the ones found on Christmas or Thanksgiving in Western culture, except we eat dumplings instead of turkey and sweet glutinous rice balls instead of mince pies.

Of course, the Chinese community is so big in Cambridge that youre bound to be able to find some friends to celebrate the holidays with you. Even if youre not Chinese, it might be fun to experience the festivities once with some friends familiar with the customs of Chinese New Year.
Its a new year, and new term. For those who fear theyll lose any semblance of mental capacity recovered over Christmas a week in, we may be able to help. This week, were looking at the ways that writers, artists, and scientists in history have stayed inspired.

Write in a car

Gertrude Stein found that her productivity blossomed when running errands, in the privacy of her Model T Ford, while letting her mind wander and jotting down a few lines. Imagine the stillness within a parked car, with the chatter and tete-a-tete of busy Paris streets just outside, along with the periodic stopping and starting of the automobile matching the rhythm of her thoughts.

Daily commutes proved particularly effective too. Joseph Heller famously stated that the closing line of Catch-22 came to him on a bus. Woody Allen found his everyday New York subway rides the perfect background for his budding comedic genius, saying Id take out a pencil and by the time Id gotten out Id have written forty or fifty jokesfifty jokes a day for years.

Read work you hate

Richard Siken, poet of Crush and War of the Foxes, advises: When I read work I hate, I get motivated to make something in opposition to it. Perhaps before you start your next essay, read one of your old ones.

Get into a strict routine

Haruki Murakami advocates a lifestyle of strict order. When writing a novel, he gets up every morning at 4 am, works for five or six hours, runs 10 kilometres or swims 1500 meters (or both), reads for the rest of the day, and then goes to bed promptly at 9 pm. The stringent routine rids him of distractions, such that, he says, I mesmerise myself to reach a deeper state of mind.

Put yourself under extreme physical stress. (Do not try this at home)

Dr. Yoshiro Nakamatsu has patented more than 3,300 inventions in the 74 years of his life, one of which was the floppy disk in 1952. Several of his greatest ideas hit him when he was close to drowning; he says: To starve the brain of oxygen, you must dive deep and allow the water pressure to deprive the brain of blood. Zero-point-five seconds before death, I visualise an invention. After which he jots his idea down on an underwater notepad and swims back to the surface. Maybe its time to give rowing another shot.

Write lying down or standing up

Truman Capote wrote lying down, as did Marcel Proust, Mark Twain, and Woody Allen. In a 1957 Paris Review interview with Pati Hill, Capote explains: I am a completely horizontal author. I cant think unless Im lying down, either in bed or stretched on a couch and with a cigarette and coffee handy. Ive got to be puffing and sipping. As the afternoon wears on, I shift from coffee to mint tea to sherry to martinis. No, I dont use a typewriter. Not in the beginning. I write my first version in longhand (pencil). Then I do a complete revision, also in longhand.

Attempt polyphasic sleep. (Also do not try this at home.)

The list of polyphasic sleepers includes Dali, da Vinci, Edison, Tesla, Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and even Bruce Lee.

Dali used napping as a creativity technique. He would fall asleep sitting up, holding a metal key over a plate. When he started to drift off, the key would drop with a clatter and wake him up immediately. This allowed him to access the brief transitional moment between waking and sleep, which some believe makes us more susceptible to hallucinations.

Da Vinci also turned to irregular sleeping hours, but in the name of productivity  he took 15-20 minute naps on a cycle of every four hours, adding up to a total of just two hours per day, so that he could work 22 hours a day.

Ive always been interested in the quirks of famous thinkers, as if they hold the key to invoke genius. Realistically though, I can adopt any number of these and still just scrape a 2.i  they dont hold the secrets to a mysterious cognitive state. If anything, its clear that the path to great thinking is the acceptance of ones own quirks .
On Saturday 21 January, the first day of Donald Trumps Presidency, a strong contingent of Cambridge students will attend the Womens March on London in a show of solidarity in the light of recent political events.

370 marches will take place across the world, with the largest expected in Washington D.C. In London, protesters will congregate in Grosvenor Square at 12 pm before marching through Park Lane, Piccadilly and Pall Mall. A rally will then take place in Trafalgar Square at 2 pm.

Participants are marching for the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms. A post on the Cam to Womens March on London Facebook group showed a poster with the following statement: Human rights are womens rights and womens rights are human rights.

The founder of the Facebook group, Victoria Plutshack, explained her specific motivations for encouraging the participation of Cambridge students in the Womens March on London.

The final straw for me was when Donald Trump, at a rally post-election, asked the crowd if they wouldn't prefer that Time's "Person of the Year" Award was renamed Man of the Year. I knew intellectually that history isn't necessarily a progressive march to equality, but that was the moment I realized that we were seeing the future President of the United States pushing an actively regressive agenda. The crowd hadn't brought it up, or booed when he mentioned the award. He was whipping the crowd up to feel this way, and it was terrifying. I felt I needed to do something, so I tried to encourage people to attend the march, and started the Facebook group to help people make plans.

She also pointed to the context of rising tide of right-wing extremism across Europe and America. Although she emphasised that womens rights are being threatened, she added that the march supports not just the rights of women, but recognises that equality must be for everyone. Youll be seeing signs about everything from Brexit to climate change.

This comes in the wake of the election of Trump as President and his history of sexist remarks. In 2015 he described Arianna Huffington, co-founder of the Huffington Post, as extremely unattractive. In 2016 he advocated some form of punishment for women who have an abortion, causing outrage. He then reversed his position, instead advocating punishment for doctors who performed abortions.

More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the march, including celebrities such as Scarlett Johansson, America Ferrera, Katy Perry, Uzo Aduba, Zendaya, and Cher.
A University guest lecturer has warned that Trump could prove fatal for liberal democracy.

Thomas Weber, Professor of History of International Affairs as well as the founding Director of the Centre of Global Security and Governance at the University of Aberdeen, was reported by Cambridge News as having said: Trump is the start of an infection that could prove fatal. Over time your body just loses its defences and then it becomes sick and you die.

Inadvertently he could destroy the political system of liberal democracy but I dont think he understands he is in a position to destroy it.

Professor Weber also warned that comparisons between Trump and Hitler reduce the threat of the President-Elect, because although both are narcissists [] ultimately Donald Trump has no core political beliefs but Hitler obviously did.

The only similarity to Hitler is his demagogue quality and campaigning method.

Trumps inauguration has been dogged by controversy and cancellations, with several performers refusing to take part, compared to Barack Obamas 2009 and 2013 inaugurations, where Aretha Franklin and Beyonce sang.

Charlotte Church tweeted Trump, writing: Your staff have asked me to sing at your inauguration, a simple Internet search would show I think youre a tyrant. Bye.

Elton John and R Kelly are also among artists who have distanced themselves from the inauguration.

But Trump has hit back, tweeting that Inauguration Day is turning out to be even bigger than expected.

He also wrote, People are pouring into Washington in record numbers. Bikers for Trump are on their way. It will be a great Thursday, Friday and Saturday!

Professor Weber added that this Twitter presence was also a sign of the dangers Trump poses: Its dangerous because hes clearly an impulsive person who cares more about perception than policy.

He likes the attention, he likes to see himself on the cover of magazines. Hes an insomniac so when he wakes up at 3am he tweets and then he sets the news agenda for the day.

Trumps inauguration will be marked by two protests in Cambridge. One, organised by Hope not Hate, will see the campaign group joining with trade unions, university staff, and human rights organisations by the Queens College Mathematical Bridge today.

The other will take place tomorrow (21 January) at midday in Market Square, held by Cambridges branch of Stand Up to Racism and will be attended by Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner.

Similar demonstrations against xenophobia and misogyny are taking place across the UK and US, as people fear that Trumps presidency will lead to racist and sexist policymaking.

Professor Weber said, Ultimately the worry is all the things hes mentioned are not just rhetoric but we may only know once its too late.
Thank you for reading!

Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
By Press Trust of India: From Yoshita Singh and Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 20 (PTI) Observing that amazing things have happened over the last 10 years, the former US President Barack Obama today said that all this could be accomplished because of the hope and believe that his country had in him.

"As I said in 2004, it wasnt blind optimism that drove you to do all this work, it wasnt naivete, it wasnt willful ignorance to all the challenges that America faces. It was hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty," Obama said minutes before boarding the Air Force One for last time, as is customary for former presidents after demitting office.

advertisement

Roughly 1,800 people, many of whom had served in the Obama administration, were waiting for him as Obama landed at the Andrews Air Force Base on a military helicopter from the US Capitol after he handed over the baton to Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States.

The attendees included many senior members of Obamas White House staff, such as Denis McDonough, Valerie Jarrett, Susan Rice, Neil Eggleston, Jeff Zients, Megan Smith, Jen Psaki, Shailagh Murray and Josh Earnest, who had his son perched on his shoulders.

Recalling the time when he began his journey, Obama said he "did so with an abiding faith in the American people and their ability, our ability to join together and change the country in ways that would make life better for our kids and our grandkids".

Obama said the change didnt happen from the top down but from the bottom up.

"All of you came together and you decided to believe. You knocked on doors, made phone calls, talked to your parents who didnt know how to pronounce Barack Obama," he said.

Meanwhile, Obamas were headed to California for a vacation. They would soon return to Washington DC, where the former first family plan to stay in a rented house for their youngest daughter to complete her schooling.

"You proved the power of hope, and throughout this process, Michelle and weve just been your front men and women. We have been the face, sometimes the voice, out front on the TV screen or in front of the microphone," Obama said.

"But this has never been about us; it has always been about you. And all the amazing things that happened over these last 10 years are really just a testament to you in the same way that when we talk about our amazing military and our men and women in uniform, the militarys not a thing, its a group of committed patriots willing to sacrifice everything on our behalf," he said. MORE PTI YAS LKJ SUA SUA

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
View exotic locales like Maui and Paris as well as points of interest such as local restaurants, hospitals, schools, and more.

Want to know more about a specific location? Dive right in -- Google Earth combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips.

Here are some key features of "Google Earth":

Fly from sace to your neighborhood. Type in an address and zoom right in.

Search for schools, parks, restaurants, and hotels. Get driving directions.

Tilt and rotate the view to see 3D terrain and buildings.

Save and share your searches and favorites. Even add your own annotations.

What's New:

With Google Earth, you can explore the streets in 3D like never before. Fly from outer space down to the streets with the new Street View and easily navigate your way around. Switch to ground-level view to see the same location in 3D.

Now you can see 3D trees in locations all over the world. We have also made it easier for you to know when historical imagery is available in the location you are viewing.
Once again, ride-hailing giant Uber is paying out millions to settle a lawsuit. This time, the company is handing over $20 million in a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over claims it misled drivers about how much they could potentially earn and vehicle finance rates.

Uber's website claimed UberX drivers' median income was more than $90,000 per year in New York and over $74,000 per year in San Francisco, but the FTC found this was only true for less than 10 percent of all drivers in those cities. The average New York yearly wage for drivers is actually $61,000, and San Francisco's is $53,000.

Additionally, Uber advertised on sites like Craigslist that its drivers could earn between $16 to $29 per hour, but only a tiny percentage earn that amount. CNET notes that a study in November by Uber employee and shareholder Jonathan Hall showed a driver's wage was $20.19 per hour on average, but in Urban areas such as Detroit, Houston, and Denver, it's less than $13.25 per hour on average, according to Buzzfeed.

The company's Vehicle Solutions Program also came under fire from the FTC. Uber said it offers drivers the "best financing options available," with advertised rates of $140 per week, or as low as $119 per week when leasing. In reality, payments for purchased cars averaged $160 and leased vehicles were around $200 per week, which are worse rates than what consumers with similar credit scores could have gotten elsewhere. It also promised unlimited mileage terms for leased cars, but ended up including mileage limits in the final agreements.

All this meant that Uber was attempting to attract new drivers to its platform using false, misleading or unsubstantiated statements, according to the lawsuit. By settling, Uber has avoided admitting guilt, but the company is banned from making similar claims in the future.

The $20 million settlement will be distributed by the FTC back to the drivers, according to the Independent Drivers Guild.

"Many consumers sign up to drive for Uber, but they shouldn't be taken for a ride about their earnings potential or the cost of financing a car through Uber," Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. "This settlement will put millions of dollars back in Uber drivers' pockets."
You've probably noticed the selfies appearing on social media platforms and elsewhere across the web recently containing subjects who resemble anime-like characters. It's the work of Chinese photo editing app Meitu, and while it may seem like harmless fun, there could be a more sinister side to the software.

Meitu has been available in China for almost a decade. It has been installed over a billion times around the world and has over 456 million average monthly users, but it only recently became a viral sensation in the US. The app uses facial detection technology and filters to turn people into large-eyed, glossy-lipped, blusher-covered beauties with smooth skin.

As more people around the world start using Meitu, some users have noticed that it asks for an awful lot of permissions - 20 in total - for a photo editing app. These include full network access, ability to alter device settings, mange calls, modify and delete the contents of a phone's USB storage location data, unique device identifier numbers, carrier information, wifi connections, and running itself at startup.

The Android version is agreed to be the more insecure version. Digital forensics expert Jonathan Zdziarski said the iOS incarnation is slightly less invasive but it secretly checks if a user's iPhone is jailbroken. He added that Meitu's code may even violate App Store policies on data collection.

It was suspected that Meitu was selling the user information to third-party advertisers, possibly for ad-targeting purposes, but the company says this isn't true. It claims the permissions are required because the firm is located in China.

CNET reports that tracking services within applications from the Google Play and Apple App stores are usually blocked in the Asian country. "To get around this, Meitu employs a combination of third-party and in-house data tracking systems to make sure the user data tracked is consistent," said a Meitu spokesperson.

"Furthermore, the data collected is sent securely, using multilayer encryption to servers equipped with advanced firewall, IDS and IPS protection to block external attacks."
Samsung and LG will utilize thermal pipes for their respective flagship devices, which are due for release this year, a new report says. This technology will allow the devices not to overheat, which is a situation Samsung is attempting to avoid, lest it springs up a brand-new debacle.

LG had already confirmed that it'll outfit the LG G6 with heat pipes to prevent undesirable and possibly life-threatening incidents where devices explode suddenly. In the same vein, Samsung will employ a design for the Galaxy S8 that also includes thermal pipes, which will prevent the device from being embroiled in aforementioned incidents.

Samsung: Galaxy S8 Will Not Explode

Per Digitimes, citing supply chain makers as the source, the Galaxy S8 will be embedded with thermal pipes made by Taiwan-based Auras Technology and Chaun Chong Technology. Meanwhile, the LG G6 will have heat pipes from Japan-based Furukawa Electric and Taiwan-based Delta Electronics.

The Galaxy S8 was meant to contain two ultra-thin pipes, according to the report. This would have enhanced thermal dissipation, but the sources said that the Galaxy S8 will instead utilize Galaxy S7's ultra-thin heat pipe design. Mass shipments of this component commence February, the report claims.

Digitimes' report says the Galaxy S8 will launch in March. That release schedule conflicts with another rumor that touts a mid-April release for the imminent flagship.

Note 7 Fiasco

Hopefully, the thermal pipes prevent the forthcoming flagship from encountering the same snafus the Note 7 did. In 2016, Note 7 handsets started exploding randomly  not all, to be clear, but enough to become a pressing concern. Soon after, Samsung initiated a recall program for affected customers. When the problem still persisted, Samsung officially withdrew all Note 7 devices out in the wild and halted the device's production altogether. As it stands, the Note 7 fiasco is quite possibly the biggest safety blunder in the history of smartphones, a situation so dire that the Federal Aviation Administration officially banned the Note 7 from air travel. That ban has since been lifted Jan. 10.

Reports say that Samsung's Note 7 investigation has wrapped up, and it's poised to disclose its findings before January ends. Additionally, it's also expected to highlight other measures it's taking to prevent Galaxy S8 battery explosions.

Samsung is also expected to unveil the Galaxy S8 come late February at this year's Mobile World Congress, happening in Barcelona, Spain. It's being tipped to come rocking with lot of things, but primarily, rumors point the Galaxy S8 to have a curved near-bezel-less screen manufactured under the Y-OCTA display technology, an iris scanner like the one found on the Note 7, 3D Touch-ish screen pressure sensitivity, and more.

Whatever the Galaxy S8 ends up being, explosive shouldn't be one of them. The phone isn't just Samsung's newest flagship. It also stands as an opportunity for the company to prove that it can effectively patch a screwup.

What are your predictions for the Galaxy S8? Do you think it'll be mired with the Note 7's fiery debacle? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA has recently awarded more contracts to SpaceX and Boeing to ferry its astronauts to the International Space Station  and potentially reduce its dependence to the Russian Soyuz spacecraft for its missions.

But in a recent development, NASA has proposed to buy additional Soyuz seats to take advantage of Russian plans of reducing crew size and as a form of insurance in the face of commercial crew delays.

In a sources sought procurement it filed last Jan. 17, NASA expressed the said plan to acquire two Soyuz seats via Boeing for its ISS missions in the fall of this year and the spring of 2018, as well as options for three added seats in 2019. According to the filing, Boeing got rights to the Soyuz seats from the vehicle maker RSC Energia.

Russia Cuts Back On ISS Crewmembers

The two seats came about as Russian space agency Roscosmos announced back in September its plan to reduce its crew on the ISS from three to two, from March to a new lab modules launch anticipated next year.

Boeing won rights to the seats as it agreed with Energia in a settlement of a legal battle related to Sea Launch. It won a more than $320-million federal case against the latter in May last year, but legal filings that followed reflect a settlement in the works between the two companies.

We got together with Energia and discussed what in-kind things that we could perhaps put on the table that might offset this debt, said Boeing vice president and space exploration general manager John Elbon in a previous interview, confirming that rights to the Soyuz seats are indeed part of the agreement.

Boeing then offered the available seats to NASA and is now working with the different parties for a potential deal.

As a potential consequence, NASA may add one more crew member to the ISS U.S. side.

Some Form Of Insurance

Interestingly, a likely deal includes three added seats on two Soyuz trips in the spring of 2019. NASAs contract with the Russian space agency for regular space taxi services ends in 2018, at which point the commercial crew firms are expected to take over.

Questions on the readiness of Boeings and SpaceXs vehicles, however, remain as the two providers have not reserved test flights for both the Starliner and Crew Dragon capsules until mid-2018. Will they be ready to offer flights in 2019 particularly with the birth of additional issues?

Elbon dubbed the latest move as some insurance in case something comes up in the development program.

NASAs space shuttle program ended in 2011, and since then it has had to depend on securing a spot inside the Soyuz spacecraft. This capsule has flown American astronauts to the ISS and back on numerous occasions, including Scott Kellys historic return to Earth last March after spending 340 days aboard the space observatory.

NASAs space ferrying deal with the Russian space agency translates to roughly $80 million for every seat on the rocket, which launches from Kazakhstan.

Aligned with its long-term mission to enhance crew size on the ISS, NASAs Commercial Crew Program seeks to restart manned launches from American soil in 2018.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey denied stealing code and violating a non-disclosure agreement when he demonstrated a virtual reality headset that used software supposedly built by gaming company ZeniMax Media, Bloomberg reports.

ZeniMax claims that Luckey stole the idea behind Oculus from the company. Luckey became a household name within the tech industry when he was 21, after Facebook bought his VR startup Oculus VR for $2 billion in 2014.

ZeniMax Files Suit Against Luckey, Facebook

ZeniMax is filing an intellectual property lawsuit against Facebook, alleging that Luckey and John Carmack, chief technology officer of Oculus, took the idea behind the Oculus Rift VR headset from ZeniMax. Carmack was a former employee of ZeniMax before he began working for Luckey.

According to ZeniMax, the technology used in creating the Oculus VR was based on the code that Carmack had written while he was still an employee of ZeniMax.

The company also said that Luckey did not have the expertise to develop VR technology, and that Carmack, the brains behind successful video games such as Doom and Quake, was the one who transformed the Oculus Rift from an ordinary headset into a "powerful immersive virtual reality experience."

ZeniMax is claiming that Luckey, a college dropout, would not have been able to build a VR headset without the help of Carmack and ZeniMax.

Luckey: 'I Didn't Take Confidential Code'

Luckey did not deny that he used a ZeniMax software in the VR headset prototype he showcased to investors two years ago.

ZeniMax believes this violated a non-disclosure agreement that Luckey signed with the company. Luckey said that he did not violate the NDA, and that he relied on an "executable code," and not on the proprietary source code during his presentation to investors.

"I didn't take confidential code," Luckey said. "I ran it and demonstrated it through the headset. It is not true I took the code."

Another Issue Facing Luckey

Palmer was also in hot water recently after it was revealed that he was a financial backer of a pro-Trump group called Nimble America. The group used internet memes to spread negative messages against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

In the ensuing backlash, he no longer tweeted or granted interviews, but became a recluse.

After 117 days of hiding, Luckey spent his first day back in the spotlight being questioned by ZeniMax's lawyer.

ZeniMax's lawsuit is seeking $2 billion in damages. It is expected that a jury will grant its verdict sometime next week.

Photo: Official GDC | Flickr

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The fairy circles of the Namib Desert  mysterious bare soil spots dotting the grasslands across around 1,500 miles of the dry region  appear so well-coordinated and intelligent in design. They suddenly crop up, too, making their nature almost always worrisome and unnerving.

But what is happening and these circles, ranging from 6 to 115 feet in width, show up in nature? They are the consequence of a permanent, systemic process occurring beneath the desert, a new study has found.

Termites And Vegetation

Fairy circles have long intrigued scientists. It is still largely unknown what natural process causes them, although factors such as meteorite impact and massive raindrops have largely been ruled out.

There are two likely explanations: regularly spaced colonies such as sand termites, which munch through grass until they get to a barrier such as a rival colony. As they eat grass roots, they create well-engineered sandy patches for capturing what little rain the desert offers, the theory states.

Another hypothesis holds that the plants compete for water as well as other resources, creating the barren rings in the process. More deeply rooted grasses, for instance, drain water from the patches and render it impossible for other plants to make it. Thus, plants organize themselves in the regularly spaced circles.

In new findings published in the journal Nature, a team of mathematicians from Princeton used both termite and plant models to explain the existence of fairy circles. They simulated what kind of vegetation patterns would result from each model separately and combined, and then compared the simulated pattern against images of fairy circles in Namib Desert.

It turned out to be a match, particularly a huge-scale hexagonal pattern.

The team also saw a smaller-scale one in the grasses surrounding the fairy circles. Grass clumps that have regular spacing, too, formed their own pattern.

[T]hat cannot be explained by either mechanism in isolation, the team wrote. These multi-scale patterns and other emergent properties  instead arise from dynamic interactions in our theoretical framework, which couples both mechanisms.

What Experts Think

Botanist and German professor Dr. Norbert Jurgens agreed that both hypotheses can explain the fairy circle phenomenon together. He is skeptical, however, of plants ability to control patterning on a massive scale in the plant-focused model.

Theoretical ecologist Stephan Getzin, on the other hand, is skeptical of the new findings. Favoring the plant model, he pointed out to Christian Science Monitor that the team pursued a model where the gap pattern of fairy circles solely emerges due to insect activity and colony establishment.

An integrative model, he explained, would account for the existence of both termites and self-organization. Getzin also previously cited fairy circles in the Australian Outback, in a place where there are no signs of the sand termites.

For the papers lead author and ecologist Corina Tarnita, however, this strange arrangement could actually be a natural thing in an ecosystem.

You realize that you can find these patterns at many different scales. Anywhere from tiny microbial colonies to animal coats to the scale of ecosystems, she said. You find compelling patterns and, many times, the same kinds of patterns, the same motifs.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA plans to send a spacecraft to a giant metal asteroid that may unveil the secret of how the solar system was formed.

Possibly A Remnant Of An Earlier Planet

The mission to be led by researchers from the Arizona State University will focus on the giant metal asteroid 16 Psyche. The U.S. space agency wants to know if the asteroid could be part of what could be an earlier planet that could be as large as planet Mars.

Scientists said that the asteroid may have lost its outer core after a series of collisions with other objects in space.

Mission To Be Launched In 2023

The mission, which will launch by 2023, will observe the asteroid when it gets near the body in 2030 and report the data back to Earth. Scientists hope that studying the asteroid would give them a better idea of how planets such as the Earth form and how these planetary bodies separate into layers of core, mantle, and crust.

"It appears to be the exposed nickel-iron core of a protoplanet, one of the building blocks of the Sun's planetary system. At 16 Psyche scientists will explore, for the first time ever, a world made not of rock or ice, but of metal," the Arizona State University wrote on its site.

Psyche Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University in Tempe said that the mission is the only way humans get to visit a core. She added that visiting outer space would actually allow scientists to learn about inner space.

Unique Asteroid

Besides being one of the largest asteroids that astronomers know of and one of the most massive objects in the asteroid belt, the 200-kilometer-wide 16 Psyche is different from other asteroids with rocky and icy bodies because it is primarily made of metals.

Contains Valuable Metals

The asteroid contains iron, nickel and possibly platinum, cobalt, and gold. The composition of this object is so valuable the asteroid could be worth a lot of money if it gets hauled to our planet with a price tag.

$10,000 Quadrillion-Worth Asteroid

Elkins-Tanton said that the iron found in this body alone could be worth about $10,000 quadrillion, an amount the whole world's economy can't certainly afford since the gross world product in 2015 was only about $73.7 trillion.

Wild Speculation

The idea, of course, is not possible since NASA does not yet have the technology required to accomplish such a feat. Elkins-Tanton also said that even if this is possible, there is still the question as to how the asteroid could be used when it is brought to Earth.

"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?" Elkins-Tanton said adding that this is a mere wild speculation.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The one-day Digi Dhan Mela was aimed at promoting cashless forms of payments. In attendance were Union Ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Kiren Rijiju.

By Manogya Loiwal : A mega event held on Thursday at the Indira Gandhi Park in Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh encouraged people to go cashless. The one-day Digi Dhan Mela was aimed at sensitising the population of the state on cashless transactions and was held with a lot of fan fare. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju was chief guest while Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju was the guest of honour.

advertisement

Ramesh Negi, the Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary, said programmes will be rolled out across the state with the goal of raising awareness about digital transactions among the state's residents. To this end, all bank branches in the state will set up demonstrations or exhibitions aimed at promoting the use of cashless forms of payment.

People from various walks of life thronged various stalls set up by various government departments, banks and other organizations and carried out transactions and operations ranging from opening new bank accounts to linking ADHAAR to their accounts.

Speaking during the event, Kiren Rijiju told his home state that picking up digital modes of transaction would put Arunachal Pradesh in a better position to earn revenue. Ashok Gajapathi Raju meanwhile exhorted the gathering to go cashless, also urging people to support the state and central governments' dream of a cashless economy.

"If we all go for digitalisation, then no force can keep the country behind in terms of development," Raju said. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu meanwhile called the event a success saying that thousands of people had voluntarily support and participated in the mela.

Also read: Government organises DigiDhan Mela to spread awareness on digital payment systems

Also read: RBI Governor Urjit Patel to Parliament panel on demonetisation: Discussion started in January 2016

--- ENDS ---
A newer version of e-cigarettes called vape pens do not look much like the traditional cigarettes, but findings of a new study involving young smokers suggest that seeing somebody use this device can spark the desire to smoke.

Less Resemblance To Traditional Cigarettes

Vape pens, or vaporizers, are battery-powered gadgets that work much like other e-cigarettes. These devices feature a heating element that turns liquid nicotine and flavorings into vapor that users inhale. Vape pens, however, produce larger and bigger clouds of vapor and look a lot less like the traditional cigarettes compared with the older versions of e-cigarettes.

E-Cigarettes As Smoking Cessation Aid

E-cigarettes are being hailed as a healthier alternative to smoking, an unhealthy habit that has been linked to long-term damage to DNA and is widely attributed for a range of deadly illnesses such as respiratory diseases and cancer.

The device is also being promoted to help smokers who are looking for a way out of their cigarette-smoking habit. Last year, a British medical group endorsed the use of e-cigarettes as an effective smoking cessation method. The Royal College of Physicians said that e-cigarettes help users more than harming them amid concerns that there is no conclusive evidence that can prove vaping's effectiveness and safety.

Findings of a new experiment, however, cast doubt on the potentials of these devices as a smoking cessation aid.

Increased Desire To Smoke Cigarette

For the new study published in the Nicotine and Tobacco Research on Jan. 12, psychiatry researcher Andrea King, from the University of Chicago, and colleagues randomly assigned 108 young adult smokers who currently smoked about nine cigarettes daily to interact with a person who was using either vape pens or traditional cigarettes.

Of the participants, 80 percent had already tried using e-cigarettes at least once, and nearly 30 percent had used at least one e-cigarette in the past month.

King and colleagues found that both scenarios led to a similar spike in the participants' desire to smoke a cigarette regardless if they had never tried using vape pen before. The participants did not experience a change in desire to smoke or vape when they watched the volunteer drink bottled water.

"These findings demonstrate that observation of vape pen ENDS use generalizes as a conditioned cue to produce smoking urge, desire, and behavior in young adult smokers," the researchers wrote in their study.

"As the popularity of these devices may eventually overtake those of first generation ENDS cigalikes, exposure effects will be of increasing importance."

Brian Primack, from the University of Pittsburgh who was not involved in the study, said that the findings suggest that being around vapers can make it more difficult for smokers to quit their habit.

"It may lead to more urges to smoke or more relapses," Primack said.

The study, however, was conducted involving a small size of participants and in a lab setting, which make it hard to know exactly how seeing vape pens may influence the urge to smoke among smokers in real-life situations.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
As previous reports have suggested, Samsung is officially nearing a public shrift, particularly about the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco of yesteryear. It might finally give a closure to the company's prolonged strain, which was caused by numerous of random Note 7 explosions.

Galaxy Note Probe Findings

Samsung will hold a press conference detailing the cause behind the explosions, alongside a "quality enhancement plan," reports say. The event will be held Monday morning (local time) in Seoul, South Korea and will be livestreamed in English on Samsung's own site. Those who plan to tune in should mark Jan. 22 on their calendars and set the alarm for 8 p.m. ET.

Many expect Samsung to blame it on battery issues, but the important thing customers and regulators expect from the conference is the company's plans to ensure that such a tragic stint never repeats. As it stands, the Note 7 fiasco is probably the biggest safety threat that has ever mired the tech industry.

It's particularly important for Samsung to make up for this debacle if it wants to repair consumer loyalty and ensure potential customers on the fence that they won't ever encounter similar problems with the forthcoming Galaxy S8.

Galaxy Note 7 Recall

Last year, several reports about exploding Note 7 units proliferated online dialogue, and before long the number of reported incidents progressed significantly, enough to have many accusatory fingers pointing at the company.

The history, of course, is tattered, winding, and definitely deserving of its own article or two. It's best not to soak into it too deeply lest it digs up the harrowing strain again. But to cut it short, Samsung issued a recall program because of the incidents  one of the largest in tech history. It, too, has caused a lot of things for the company: public humiliation, impaired consumer loyalty, and needless to say, dwindled profits in 2016. Even now, the specter still occupies Samsung's facade, and it's quite difficult to imagine it'll dissipate even after a due explanation.

What Will Happen During The Conference

There's no telling how the conference will go, but CNET has a few predictions in mind, in a handy sequential order: First, an executive will issue an apology for the burned handsets and for whatever injuries they might have incurred. It will then promise that such an incident won't ever happen again. Afterward, it'll probably explain what measures the company took to withdraw all the affected units and eventually halt the device in the production line. A different executive will take the stage to explain the investigative process, reveal the cause, and announce Samsung's commitment to public safety by releasing safer products in the future.

That's the ideal sequence, but as most confession of corporate blunders go, Samsung will most likely choose not to go into detail about specific technical failures, and it'll certainly not phrase its apology in a way that'll cast more bad light upon the embattled device.

Anyhow, this is a logical coda for Samsung, tying up loose ends on the Note 7 case as it focuses on beefing up the Galaxy S8, its new flagship. The device, expected to be unveiled at this year's Mobile World Congress happening late February, is not just a another phone. It's a chance for Samsung to prove they can own up to its faux pas and deliver.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be the last spectacle in the short Wii U cavalcade, following the console's abrupt, if inevitable discontinuation

The Wii U was yanked out of the production line this past November because of dismal sales. Its failure to corner a sizable chunk of the console market owes to a number of factors, one in particular is its borrowed brand from the Wii. Instead of being perceived as a successor, many thought of it as a mere accessory to the Wii, Nintendo's successful motion control home console.

The Wii U Library Comes To A Close

While it's confirmed to be dead on its tracks, the Wii U's four-year occupancy in the market brought out worthy titles, particularly first-party ones. Super Mario 3D World, Remastered Legend of Zelda titles, Pikmin 3, and Mario Kart 8 being a few good examples.

Nintendo has now confirmed that Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be the last title the company will release for the Wii U.

"From a first-party standpoint, there's no new development coming after the launch of the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's President, told Polygon during a Switch event Friday. "We really are at the end of life for Wii U."

That doesn't mean the end for the Wii U library entirely, of course. It just means Nintendo won't be producing any more titles for the system after Breath of the Wild. Third-party developers may still create games for the system, but that prospect is extremely unlikely  if Nintendo itself has given up on the system, why wouldn't other developers?

Wii U games will still be sold at retail stores and software will still be available on the eShop. The company hasn't commenced discussion on whether it'll also pull online services, such as multiplayer, for the console. By contrast, the DS and Wii U's online services, called the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, had its boat punted into the sunset May 2014, years after the DS and Wii's popularity waned.

"From [Nintendo's] standpoint, sunsetting is quite some time into the future. The ongoing activity from an online standpoint on [Mario] Kart and Splatoon is significant. We're going to continue to support that," Fils-Aime said.

Only 13.36 million Wii U consoles have been sold to date, as per Nintendo's financial highlights (PDF).

Learning From The Wii U

The Wii U has given Nintendo lessons aplenty in time for the launch of the Switch, its brand-new hybrid console. Late October, Nintendo dropped the system's trailer to enormous fanfare, and on Jan. 12 it revealed key details about the system. Preorders for the system have sold out.

Fils-Aime said that Nintendo has learned that it needs to know exactly what its product is  and by extension, what players will think of it.

When he asks people what the Wii U is, Fils-Aime says he still "[gets] a wide variety of responses."

"In managing the business, that's just not good," he said.

The Nintendo Switch comes out March 3 for $299. For the first time in Nintendo's history, it'll launch a paid tier for the Switch's online services. It will run on a trial period until fall, at which point Nintendo will start charging for the services.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild comes out March 3 for the Wii U and the Switch.

Any Wii U memories you'd like to share? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A team of six scientists is poised to enter an isolated geodesic dome on a remote volcano in Hawaii and spend the next eight months living there.

This is done as part of a human behavior study that could assist in long-term space exploration, including for sending astronauts to a planned Mars voyage.

The scientists  made up of two women and four men  entered their simulated space home last Thursday on Mauna Loa on Big Island. The home, about 1,200 square feet or equivalent to a humble two-bedroom house in size, includes a kitchen, bathroom, and laboratory.

Meet The Team

"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 and University of Hawaii professor Kim Binstead in an AP report.

For the mission, it could be a long journey to Mars amid assurances of faster rocket trips or a protracted stay on the planets surface.

In either case, astronaut crews far from Earth will rely on a social resilience and team cohesion previously untested in deep space, the summary stated.

For the eight-month period, the group will have no physical contact with the outside world and will contend with a 20-minute lag in communications, which is how long it would take for an email to get from Mars to Earth. From there they will be assessed for the psychological issues stemming from the isolation and confined living conditions.

This research is poised to help in NASAs plan to send humans to an asteroid around the 2020s and proceed to its long-haul mission to Mars around the 2030s, a timeline still deemed realistic unless the U.S. space agency is told to do something different by the incoming Trump administration, Binstead added.

The team is composed of engineers, a doctoral student, a computer scientist, and a biomedical expert. They were chosen from 700 aspirants who underwent background checks, cognitive and personality testing, and extensive interviews.

James Bevington, a freelance space researcher, leads the crew as its mission commander. His biggest fear at the beginning, according to him, was the possibility of turning out the same as Biosphere 2, a greenhouse-like experimental Arizona habitat in the 1990s that also housed a small crew to simulate life on other planetary bodies.

The experiment was quickly left in limbo, as the supposedly natural habitat failed to keep safe carbon dioxide levels, and the crew experienced discontent.

Why A Hawaii Volcano?

The dome, known as Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, or HI-SEAS, is operated by the University of Hawaii and will receive more than $2 million from NASA for various studies.

The area is selected for its accessibility, ideal weather, and Mars-like geography, marked by a rocky and red plan below the worlds largest active volcanos summit.

Two other long-term stays in the dome were funded by NASA, focusing on food requirements and crew cohesion.

Around their necks, the scientists will wear devices that will measure mood and proximity to the other members and use virtual reality tools for simulating comfortable, familiar environments they would not be able to access while on Mars.

They will be dressed in space suits whenever leaving the compound as they perform tasks such as geological as well as mapping research.

For food, they will get freeze-dried items with a long shelf life, as well as canned goods, light snacks, and even Hawaii favorites. To keep them isolated, there will be a number of resupply deliveries via robots.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The last week of February will get more interesting for the Nokia fans. A new Nokia tablet has apparently been spotted on GFXBench, which suggests that consumers could see HMD Global unveil the device on Feb. 26 at the MWC 2017.

According to the benchmark listing, the mysterious tablet does not have any specific name. However, the Android-powered tablet is believed to be a new device from Nokia.

The GFXBench listing, as shared by NokiaPowerUser, reveals the specs and features of the impending tablet, offering a peek into the device.

Rumored Specs

The listing reveals that the tablet will sport a colossal 18.4-inch Quad HD display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. The massive screen size could possibly be the major selling point of this new tablet.

The upcoming Nokia tablet may house the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor unlike its Nokia 6 smartphone, which has the older Snapdragon 430. The processor is expected to clock at 2.2 Ghz.

This new chipset is expected to power several new smartphones such as the LG G6 and the Galaxy S8. Fans are hoping that future Nokia-branded devices will also house the Snapdragon 835 processor.

The mysterious tablet on the benchmarking site points to 64 GB of on-board storage for the device. Whether the tablet will have the option of expanding its memory further via a microSD card is not known. The device is expected to have 4 GB of RAM.

The leaked tablet may offer a 12-megapixel primary camera that supports Ultra HD video recording but no LED flash. Surprisingly, the leaks point to the tablet offering a 12-megapixel front-facing camera, which may find favor with selfie lovers. The supposed Nokia-branded tablet will come preloaded with Android 7.0 Nougat (FIH edition).

The listing does not reveal the battery of the tablet. However, consumers can look forward to the tablet offering several connectivity options like a barometer, Bluetooth, NFC, light sensor, gyroscope, pedometer, Wi-Fi, and more.

Release Date

HMD Global or Nokia have not confirmed any details on the purported tablet. Finland-based Nokia has made a successful comeback by launching its Android smartphone, Nokia 6 which is now available only in China.

Ever since its comeback, the company is working on bringing a new set of global devices that would be the perfect blend of functionality and design.

The iconic Nokia brand will probably be introducing some of its new creations at the MWC 2017. Whether the mysterious tablet will make an appearance at MWC 2017 remains to be seen.

Photo: Erkka Peitso | Flickr

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Luxury Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer is gearing up to unveil an Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch in May.

With the impending Android Wear 2.0 release, the smartwatch market can look forward to exciting times.

Jean-Claude Biver, the CEO of Tag Heuer, confirmed in an interview with the NZZ publication that the company will unveil the 2017 Tag Heuer Connected model in May this year.

"The watches of the first series are almost all sold, the new collection comes in May. This year we plan to sell 150,000 pieces (translated)," shared the CEO.

The smartwatch will reportedly be made available in two sizes and could be expected to pack in a better hardware. The smaller of the two models is aimed at women. The two models would also incorporate different colors and finish.

Moreover, the Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch would also feature a powerful display and a GPS module, which is capable of determining the location within a meter's radius. In addition to this, the company would be using an Intel processor, something which is almost a rarity for an Android Wear device. The design of the luxury smartwatch is being developed by Tag Heur itself.

Tag Heuer Smartwatch Sales

The CEO revealed that the company has sold 56,000 smartwatches since it released the Tag Heuer Connected in November 2015. This overwhelming smartwatch sales was good enough to beat the initial target of 20,000 units.

The company has generated about 14 percent sales in 2016. Back in December 2014, Swiss watch exports rose by 10 percent, whereas Tag Heuer sales went down by 10 percent. Eventually the growth of the watch was on a declining pace.

What Could The New Watch Feature?

When quizzed on what the new smartwatch from the company would offer, the CEO shared "not much." This news may disappoint fans as they would have hoped that the second generation of the Tag Heuer Connected wearable would pack in more functionality and features.

The CEO justified the stance by saying that even though the AppleWatch's next iteration was new, all that it offered compared with the older version was the Apple Pay support. The next-gen Tag Heuer smartwatch will benefit from a longer battery life, an improved display and better reception. The wearable will have the modular system, which in the company's opinion, is what differentiates it from its rivals.

LG is anticipated to be the first company to deploy Android Wear 2.0 in its smartwatches. Other companies such as Swarovski and Casio are also expected to launch smartwatches using the new OS, which may release in February.

Pricing of the 2017 variant of the Tag Heuer Connected is not known, but the wearable is expected to be priced about the same mark as its predecessor i.e. $1500.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Samsung Galaxy S8 leaks are gaining traction as the impending debut of the handset at the MWC 2017 draws nearer.

The 2017 flagship smartphone from the company  the successor of the Galaxy S7  is in the news again thanks to a leaked render.

While the Galaxy S8 has leaked online on innumerable occasions, what sets this one apart is that it shows off the handset in a new hue, which is gold.

The appearance of the Galaxy S8 donning a gold color suggests that Samsung is looking to lure consumers once again with this option. The Galaxy S7 is available in gold as well as Platinum Gold option; however, the latest leak points to a purely gold toned handset.

The latest leak comes courtesy of GizChina, which claims that the image of the Galaxy S8 is not a render but the real deal.

"This photo was sent to me earlier today by a company that is making accessories for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 and appears to show a leaked model of the upcoming Galaxy S8 flagship smartphone," notes the publication.

The Leaked Image: Real Or Fake?

Even though the leakster claims that the image is authentic, its genuineness is circumspect. The Galaxy S8 shown off in the image has the Samsung brand name. Interestingly, the area where the branding is placed is where the home button of the predecessor Galaxy S7 is located.

This suggests that either Samsung has shifted the placement of the fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S8 from the home button to the rear of the device, or as rumors have suggested, the sensor is now embedded in the device's display.

Apart from showing off a glossy gold metal body, the image also reveals that the handset's body has been curved to match the display. The onscreen icons on the alleged Galaxy S8 reveal that the handset will support NFC.

Moreover, the Android UI shows details in Chinese which hints that this leaked unit is likely an international variant of the impending Galaxy S8.

The Galaxy S8 is rumored to feature a 5.5-inch OLED screen and may house the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. The smartphone is also expected to pack in 6 GB of RAM and may run on Android 7.0 Nougat.

The Galaxy S8 may also house an iris scanner like the Galaxy Note 7 and may feature Bixby, its very own AI personal assistant.

Samsung is rumored to release the smartphone on April 15 and Android users would be looking forward to the handset's debut at the MWC 2017 in February.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The T-Mobile BlackBerry Priv is the latest smartphone to stay up to date in terms of security, as the January security update is rolling out now.

BlackBerry has rapidly risen to be one of the first smartphone makers besides Google to push security updates to its smartphones. The BlackBerry Priv was the company's very first Android smartphone, marking an important milestone in BlackBerry's efforts to adapt to the ever-competitive smartphone market.

Many years ago, when it was still called Research in Motion (RIM), the Canadian company was one of the most popular smartphone markers, reputed worldwide for its high-end, enterprise-grade smartphones with iconic QWERTY keyboards.

Times changed and the company had to adapt, however. It rebranded itself as BlackBerry and sought to adjust its strategy, coming up with major design changes, ditching the physical keyboard in some models and ultimately shifting to Android.

The BlackBerry Priv stirred plenty of interest upon its debut, mainly because it was the company's first Android handset, but its high price tag ultimately limited its success. An AT&T executive reckoned as much, admitting back in June that the Priv was too expensive and the steep price played a big role in the smartphone's failure.

What's done is done, however, and BlackBerry is apparently trying to make up for it by fast-tracking Android security updates.

BlackBerry Priv Android Security Patch For January

Early this month, BlackBerry announced that it started seeding the January Android security update for its Android smartphones. The update initially rolled out only to the BlakBerry Android smartphones purchased through the OEM's own online store, leaving carrier versions behind for the security update.

Nevertheless, U.S. carriers eventually started releasing the update for all BlackBerry Androids in their portfolio and the latest one to get the treat is the BlackBerry Priv on T-Mobile.

The self-proclaimed Uncarrier is now seeding Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with build number AAI459 to all BlackBerry Priv units purchased through its physical and online stores. The update brings a few fixes, as well as the latest January security patch, but makes no mention of any new features or improvements.

Considering that T-Mobile has released the last two monthly Android security updates for December and January on Dec. 13 and Jan. 17, respectively, the next security patch should roll out sometime in mid-February.

BlackBerry Priv Specs

For those unfamiliar with the smartphone, the BlackBerry Priv features a 5.4-inch dual-curved AMOLED display with a QHD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels (540 ppi) with Gorilla Glass 4 protection, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 64-bit hexa-core processor, and 3 GB of RAM. The smartphone also has dual keyboards - an all-touch and a slide-out, physical QWERTY keyboard.

Other specs include 32 GB of native storage space, microSD card support for additional storage of up to 2 TB, an 18-megapixel rear camera, and a 2-megapixel front shooter. The handset further packs a 3,410 mAh battery, which supports fast charging and lasts for up to 22.5 hours on a single charge.

The BlackBerry Priv initially launched with Android 5.1 Lollipop on board, but later received an upgrade to Marshmallow. Although it has yet to get a taste of Android 7.0 Nougat, the BlackBerry Priv is at least up to date with the latest patches in terms of monthly Android updates.

BlackBerry Priv owners on T-Mobile who have yet to receive the January security update should get the treat momentarily, as the rollout gradually reaches more devices.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
By Ankit Tyagi: Rally after rally after rally, AAP Convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal doesn't forget to invoke his favourite political whipping character in Punjab Akali Minister Bikram Singh Majitha. Like a Bollywood screen writer, Kejriwal is meticulously painting Majitha as the typical filmy villain.

Kejriwal is doing about 5 to 6 public meetings criss-crossing around 300 kms daily and in every rally one thing remains constant. "I have done some research on international drug mafia... Majithia is connected with them..." is the constant refrain from Kejriwal at each rally.

advertisement

So, like every Bollywood villain, Majithia is presented as a heartless, international drug smuggler, who is equally hated and feared by the people. And to defeat this evil master, emerges a hero. This is exactly what Kejriwal does in every rally.

And like in the movies when the hero dares the villain with an electrifying dialogue, the crowd in the theatre goes berserk. Now cut to Kejriwal's rally and the same is repeated.

"We will form the government after the results on March 11... and Majitha will be sent to jail by April 15," Kejriwal says in a daring tone.

Kejriwal's accusations have earned him a defamation case filed by 42-year-old Bikram Singh Majithia, who is Revenue Minister in Akali government in Punjab. Kejriwal even had to appear before a court in Amritsar, last year.

As Kejriwal finished one of his rallies today at Jalalabad in Punjab and was descending the stage, India Today probed Kejriwal on the basis of his repeated allegations. "There are papers of investigation by Enforcement Directorate in which drug dealers have named Majithia, even police have done that. Ask anybody in Punjab, they will tell you what's Majithia's real business," answered Kejriwal.

Reacting strongly to the repeated jibes against her brother, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur warned Kejriwal of being put behind bars himself if the Akalis win. She said, "Kejriwal was also sending Sheila Dikshit to prision. Did he? He makes baseless claims. If we win in Punjab, we will put Kejriwal behind bars in our state and Jaitleyji will do the same in Delhi for the baseless allegations he makes."

But the political battle in Punjab is all about perception. So are the voters of Punjab buying Kejriwal's 'Angry Young Man' tirade against his painted antagonist Majithia. We spoke to a few people coming out of Kejriwal's sabha and the response were these.

"I don't trust Kejriwal's allegations, he has made many U-turns," said a shopkeeper in Gurharsahi.

Two young boys Nishant and Hardeep together shouted, "Majithia is the biggest criminal, he should be put behind bars, Kejriwal will do it."

advertisement

While scooty-borne Sunita said she don't know about Majithia but said that the drug problem was increasing and that the drug peddlers should be punished.

Who puts who behind bars will be decided on March 11 but till then this Bollywood-style political contest is only going to become more interesting and entertaining.

ALSO READ: Punjab Assembly election: No cake-walk for Badals this time

ALSO READ:Exclusive: In Punjab and Goa, candidates confused over EC's circular on no-dues certificate

ALSO READ: Navjot Singh Sidhu joins Congress ahead of Punjab Assembly elections

--- ENDS ---
By Indo-Asian News Service: As Donald Trump is just a few hours away from becoming US' 45th President, Barack Obama took to Facebook, shared his farewell letter on Facebook.

Expressing gratitude to the American people, Obama on Thursday wrote, "Throughout these eight years, you have been the source of goodness, resilience, and hope from which I have pulled strength. I have seen neighbours and communities take care of each other during the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes."

advertisement

ALSO READ: Barack Obama to hold final press conference today

Obama recalled visiting a grief-stricken Charleston, South Carolina, church and watching scientists help wounded war heroes walk again.

As a parting word, Obama said ,"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'."

The 44th US President shared a link on his Facebook post for anyone interested in keeping in touch with his work.

HERE'S THE FULL TEXT OF OBAMA'S FAREWELL LETTER

It's a long-standing tradition for the sitting president of the United States to leave a parting letter in the Oval Office for the American elected to take his or her place. It's a letter meant to share what we know, what we've learned, and what small wisdom may help our successor bear the great responsibility that comes with the highest office in our land, and the leadership of the free world.

But 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. 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.

Throughout these eight years, you have been the source of goodness, resilience, and hope from which I've pulled strength. I've seen neighbors 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.

I've taken heart from the hope of young graduates and our newest military officers. I've seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch, and wounded warriors once given up for dead walk again. 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 recognized as equal to our own. 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.

advertisement

I've seen you, the American people, in all your decency, determination, good humor, and kindness. And in your daily acts of citizenship, I've seen our future unfolding.

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.

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.

ALSO READ: Barack Obama suggests moving US embassy to Jerusalem could be 'explosive'

ALSO READ: Richard Verma: Modi's leadership brought India, US closer; Obama worked hard for India's NSG bid

--- 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
The court made the remarks after the CBI filed its ballistic report from a government forensic lab in Ahmedabad in a sealed cover.

By Vidya : The Bombay High Court today said it is not happy with the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) probe into the murder of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, and asked the agency to not disclose the details of the case to the public without the court's permission.

The court made the remarks after the CBI filed its ballistic report from a government forensic lab in Ahmedabad in a sealed cover.

advertisement

Meanwhile, in further trouble for the CBI, the United Kingdom's Scotland Yard has said there is no agreement with India on sharing of forensic reports, and therefore the UK cannot help the CBI in the case.

The CBI had been seeking the Yard's help in cases of murder of the two rationalists as well as Kannada writer MM Kalburgi. A year ago, the CBI had said it will take help from forensic experts in Scotland Yard to find out if all the three murder cases were related. The lower court proceedings in both Pansare murder case hearing in Kolhapur and Dabholkar trial in Pune have been stuck because of the CBI saying it was waiting for the Scotland Yard to give their expert opinions in the case. Prior to asking for Scotland Yard's help, the CBI had taken forensic reports from Mumbai and Bengaluru on the same ballistic cases, but reports in both the cases were different. That is why the CBI had come up with the idea that they would ask the British agency for help. Today, at the hearing in Mumbai, the division bench headed by Justice SC Dharmadhikari said he was aghast. "We are unhappy," he said, reflecting the rising unhappiness of the court over not getting any help from Scotland Yard. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told the court that they have recieved ballistic report from Ahmedabad forensic laboratory. "This report is much better than the earlier reports," he said. The court then gave Singh and the CBI eight weeks to study the material and to proceed further in the investigation, asking the CBI not to reveal the details of the report. Meanwhile, family members of both Pansare and Dabholkar distributed pamphlets about a few accused outside the Bombay High Court, claiming that if they are found, an award of Rs 25 lakh would be given by the Maharashtra government. The pamphlets bore pictures of the accused - Sarang Akolkar, Jay Prakash Hegde, Rudra Patil and Praveen Lindkar - who have been declared as absconding by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) in the Goa blast case. Another accused, Vinay Pawar, is on the CBI's lookout in the Dabholkar case, also featured on the pamphlet. While Dabholkar was murdered on August 20, 2013, Pansare was shot dead on February 20, 2015. Kalburgi was killed in Karnataka's Dharwad district on August 30, 2015. Investigating agencies believe that the trio were killed for their rationale approach and outspoken attitude against the right wing groups active in Maharashtra and Goa.

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna

London, Jan 20 (PTI) The UK can neither "prescribe" a solution to the Kashmir issue nor act as a mediator, the British government has said, asserting that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting solution to the problem.

"India and Pakistan are both long-standing and important friends of the United Kingdom and we have significant links to both countries through Indian and Pakistani diaspora communities," Alok Sharma, UKs Foreign Office minister in charge of Asia, said during a debate on Kashmir in the Parliament.

advertisement

"...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 the governments of India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution, taking of course into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people," he said, stating Britains position on the issue.

"The UK will continue to encourage both India and Pakistan to ensure that channels of dialogue remain open as a means of resolving differences," he said yesterday.

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 motion in House of Commons had called on the UK government to encourage India and Pakistan to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution to the dispute.

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 the debate read, "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 read.

Nuttall concluded the debate by calling on Sharma to "reflect on the very many positive suggestions for future action" before calling for a vote on the motion, which the deputy speaker of the House passed in favour, saying "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. PTI AK ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
By Press Trust of India: Panaji, Jan 19 (PTI) Differences have cropped up between Congress and Goa Forward parties today over seat sharing for the upcoming Goa assembly polls.

In order to iron out the differences, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh is scheduled to visit Goa tomorrow, a party functionary said.

Congress had earlier announced candidates for 36 constituencies for the elections to the 40-seat Goa Assembly and kept four constituencies for seat-sharing agreement, including Fatorda assembly segment represented by Goa Forward leader Vijai Sardesai.

advertisement

However, in a sudden turn of events, Congress yesterday fielded its candidate Joseph Silva against Sardesai putting a condition that they will withdraw the candidate there (Fatorda) if Goa Forward withdraws its candidate in Velim and Saligao constituencies, where Congress has fielded the candidates.

Congress had announced seat sharing with Goa Forward in Fatorda and Siolim constituencies.

"We wont compromise on Velim and Saligao seats, if they (Goa Forward) are withdrawing their candidates only then we can consider about withdrawing candidate from Fatorda constituency," AICC secretary Girish Chodankar told reporters today.

"The Congress party, from the day one, has been consistently talking against the alliance with other political parties in Goa to fight the upcoming assembly election," he said.

Chodankar confirmed that Singh would arrive in Goa and during his visit the issue would be raised.

When contacted, Goa Forward party president Prabhakar Timble ruled out the party (GF) would withdraw its candidates from Saligao and Velim constituencies.

"Goa Forward Party kept the word of four seats and did not play truant. We digested the insults and backstabbing. Congress, through its conduct, says Goans are fools to keep trust in that party and their political leadership," he said.

"They stand exposed and the personal ego and selfish ambitions of their leaders superseded genuine interests of Goans. Hope, they improve their credibility graph after date of polling," he said. PTI RPS NP

--- ENDS ---
State Sen. Troy Brown walked briskly into the Ascension Parish Jail at 5:40 p.m. Friday to begin serving a 38-hour jail term for domestic abuse battery.

Brown, wearing a lavender shirt and dress slacks, told reporters he had no comment as he walked by.

Trouble seeing video? Click here.

In court in Ascension Parish on Jan. 11, Brown did not dispute allegations that he bit his wife during a struggle over a cell phone at the couple's home in Geismar in July. He pleaded "no contest" to the charge.

State Sen. Troy Brown pleads no contest to domestic charge; gets 38-hour jail term GONZALES  For a second time in four months, state Sen. Troy Brown pleaded no contest to a c

Brown was fined $300, given 30 days in jail and ordered to give 64 hours of community service and participate in a domestic violence program. Brown also got three months of probation and was assessed other costs.

However, all but two days of Brown's jail time were suspended, with credit for time served, leaving another day-and-a-half, the 38 hours, to serve.

Its the second time in four months that Brown has pleaded no contest to a count of battery.

In September, Brown, a two-term Democrat from Assumption Parish, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor simple battery account on allegations he punched his girlfriend in the eye during an argument after the Bayou Classic football game in late 2015.

In that case, Brown was given a six-month suspended sentence and fined $500.

There have been calls for Browns resignation from Gov. John Bel Edwards, state Rep. Helena Moreno, D-New Orleans; state Sen. JP Morrell, D-New Orleans; U.S. Sen. John Kennedy and the state GOP.

Earlier this month, state Senate President John A. Alario said hes been hearing from senators looking to suspend or expel Brown, if the senator doesnt resign.

Last week, state Sen. Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb, D-Baton Rouge, who has said she feels Brown is repentant and deserves a second chance, said she was preparing legislation to suspend Brown from the upper chamber.

State law requires that, for a senator to be expelled from his office, a resolution would need to be filed in the Senate, then the chamber would convene as a Select Committee on Discipline and Expulsion. Twenty-six senators would have to vote for expulsion.

Brown, who has apologized for abusing his wife, said in a statement on Jan. 13 that he would fight any effort to force him out of the Senate.

I will utilize all legal options available to me to protect my constituents rights to be represented, Brown said in the statement.

Browns wife, Toni Brown, signed an affidavit in November saying she wanted to drop the charge against her husband.

The 23rd Judicial District Attorney Ricky Babin proceeded with prosecution of the case.

In mid-October, Sen. Brown filed for divorce from his wife; a hearing set this month in the divorce case was continued without a date.

On Friday, Ascension Parish Sheriffs Chief Deputy Bobby Webre said that Brown will go through the regular booking process at the jail and will be housed with the general population.

Advocate staff writer David Mitchell contributed to this story.

____________________

S
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.
State environmental officials say they don't expect to roll back certain air quality regulations under the Donald Trump administration.

The issue arose during a meeting this week of Louisiana Clean Fuels, a nonprofit associated with the U.S. Department of Energy that promotes alternative fuel vehicles, hybrids and other technology to improve air quality.

Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Chuck Carr Brown went to the group's meeting to to talk about the billions of dollars Volkswagen is having to pay in settlements connected to its emissions-rigging scandal. Louisiana will receive a portion of the money.

At the meeting, Louisiana Clean Fuels President Randy Hayden asked the DEQ secretary what he sees happening with environmental regulations under the new president's administration.

In the Baton Rouge area, controlling ozone pollution has been a concern for years. The region finally came into compliance a few months ago, although standards are set to tighten again later this year.

EPA proposes the Baton Rouge area be declared in compliance with ozone standards The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ready to declare the Baton Rouge area in complia

Brown told the crowd at the clean fuel meeting that when Baton Rouge reached attainment in November, it signaled that locals were breathing the freshest air since the industrial revolution. Any effort to reverse the current trend would be like trying to pull the brake on a moving train, he said, a long, difficult process.

"I don't see us rolling back any standards. ... I don't see us being less stringent," he said in an interview afterward.

DEQ and parishes across Louisiana wait for EPA to release new ozone standards Despite three air pollution alert days this summer, much of the state has emerged from the h

There are at least two factors working to prevent the loosening of standards. First, the Clean Air Act includes what are known as "anti-backsliding" provisions, said Vivian Aucoin, senior scientist with the LDEQ's air permits division.

"When you put in controls for emission you never reverse that. ... I'm not giving up something I worked for," she said.

So, for example, there will still be incentives for plants that run on fossil fuels to burn natural gas which generates lower emissions than other fossil fuels.

Further, Aucoin said, individual facilities have no reason to undo expensive upgrades aimed at controlling emissions.

"The main point to say is, don't panic. (Trump) can't undo what's already done," Aucoin said.

Hayden said was pleased the DEQ secretary highlighted the region's historically clean air at this week's meeting.

He credited the last presidential turnover  in a roundabout way  with helping improve air quality.

When Barack Obama was elected, there were concerns his administration would impose heavier fines on emissions, spurring industry to act, Hayden said.

"I think that that was a very real fear. ... In anticipation of that, I think a lot of our companies started doing better," he said.

As for the Volkswagen settlement, the state stands to receive $18 million, which can be spent on a variety of projects. Brown expressed specific interest in buying low-emission school buses and city buses. Nationally, Volkswagen is also funding the Electrify America program which aims to install electric charging stations for private vehicles.
FILE - In this Dec. 16, 2016, file photo, President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. Under mounting pressure to free convicts as a last act, Obama is planning at least one more batch of pardons and commutations before leaving office in two weeks. But dont expect many famous offenders to make the list. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
After two straight years of criticism for controversial float themes in the Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade, organizers are signaling to participants they'd like to maintain a "respectful environment" at this year's event.

The parade board shared a message on its Facebook page this week calling for krewes' best effort to "deploy a wicked sense of humor ... without degrading anyone based on gender, race, sexual preference, or religion."

+9 High anxiety leading to Spanish Town parade about whether 2017 parade will have racist, sexist jokes After two years of uproar surrounding the Spanish Town Mardi Gras parade, float riders, paradegoers and those who decided not to attend this y

The message was penned by the "Prancing Babycakes," a marching group and parade mainstay. Members sent the message to the parade board, which shared it on Facebook, noting that "we felt it was worth posting.

In 2016, at least two floats parodied the Black Lives Matter movement with Pink Lives Matter slogans, which reference the parades pink flamingo mascot.

One float featured a drawing of a flamingo being beaten with a police baton. The flamingo had an I cant breathe sign strung around its neck, mimicking the words of Eric Garner, whose 2014 New York City death at the hands of police officers sparked protests about police brutality.

Some parade goers complained that several floats were plastered with Confederate flags and one included a quote that said I prefer to call rape surprise sex.

In 2015, former Sons of Guns co-star Stephanie Ford said a Spanish Town Parade float made fun of her alleged sexual abuse at the hands of her father, a particular insult because the float was carrying Baton Rouge police officers.

After the 2016 parade, board member Doug Cossman said the group had no official position on the controversy, but "were not about to start censoring anybodys free speech rights.

Mystic Krewe for the Preservation of Lagniappe in Louisiana organizes and produces the parade and other events and donates proceeds to local charities, according to its Facebook page.

The 2017 parade rolls at noon Feb. 25.
By Himanshu Mishra: 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.

The delegation was 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.

advertisement

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.

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.Also read | Demonetisation made PM Narendra Modi Newsmaker of the Year

Members of the delegation also praised the Prime Minister for his efforts towards Swachh Bharat.

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.

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.

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).

Also read | Under PM Narendra Modi, the Centre-state relations are again on the brink

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.

--- ENDS ---
The chance of a halt next week in state aid to 32 charter schools ended Friday night.

Earlier in the day, state Superintendent of Education John White said the aid would be stopped following a ruling by 19th Judicial District Court Judge Wilson Fields, of Baton Rouge.

But a few hours later, an appeals court ruling changed that.

Late Friday night, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal issued a stay in the charter schools lawsuit, which removes the threat of an immediate interruption in state aid to the nearly three dozen charter schools.

The issue stems from a lawsuit that questions the legality of state aid to some charter schools.

The Louisiana Association of Educators, which filed the lawsuit, prevailed in an earlier ruling at the 1st Circuit. But earlier on Friday, charter school advocates asked Fields to delay the impact of the ruling, saying that state dollars for the charter schools would otherwise be stopped next week.

Critics of the lawsuit predicted that the 32 charter schools with more than 16,000 students could face major financial problems as early as next week.

"For a small organization that does not have a source of income other than the MFP (Minimum Foundation Program state aid), when the MFP has been cut off obviously there are cash flow issues," White said. "It is not like an organization with a large, urban school system in our state which typically has a fund balance in the tens of millions of dollars."

Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools executive director Caroline Roemer said new schools "have not had the chance to build reserves." Others that have been in operation since 2008 likely have reserves that can carry them through the end of the school year, she said.

Type 2 charter schools are self-governed public schools, approved by BESE, that operate independently of existing public school districts. They receive funds through the MFP.

A court document filed in the charter school funding case states that the next monthly MFP payment is required by law to be made no later than Jan. 25.

"The schools' failure to receive the January payment may ultimately result in the schools' bankruptcy and closure and the relocation of over 16,000 students in the middle of the school year," according to the document filed by attorneys for BESE, the state Department of Education, the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools and several individual charter schools. "The alternatives for these children to attend other schools are limited."

The 1st Circuit panel, by a 3-2 vote, declared Jan. 9 that MFP dollars meant to fund parish and city school systems cannot be used to fund Type 2 charter schools.

Fields, who ruled the opposite in 2015 and was reversed by the appeals court, refused Friday to stay the appellate decision.

Fields, while noting that he disagrees with the reversal, said the 19th Judicial District Court does not sit as an appellate court over the 1st Circuit.

The state, along with the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools and various other charter schools, had asked the judge to put the 1st Circuit ruling on hold, warning that the ruling will dramatically impact more than 16,000 charter school students and thousands of teachers, administrators and other staff.

"I understand a lot of kids are going to be affected," Fields said.

But in ruling it is unconstitutional to fund operations of Type 2 charter schools with funds appropriated to the MFP for parish and city school systems, Fields noted that the appeals court sent the case back to him for further proceedings "consistent with this opinion."

Speed bump for some Louisiana charter schools, their funding after important court ruling Louisiana's funding of certain types of charter schools hit a snag following a ruling Monday

"What's my authority to say, 'Big Brother, I'm going to stay your ruling?'" Fields asked during a hearing in his courtroom Friday. "If I issue a stay, that's contrary to the (1st Circuit) opinion."

Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools attorney Mark Beebe, who delivered the bulk of the association's and the state's arguments to Fields, said afterward either the 1st Circuit will be asked in a rehearing petition to stay its order or the Louisiana Supreme Court will be asked to do so.

"We're definitely going to seek the relief the Type 2s need," he said outside Fields' courtroom.

Roemer stressed that the 1st Circuit did not say Type 2 charter schools can't exist or they can't be funded, but that they cannot be funded through the MFP. She said members of the Legislature and BESE will be hearing from the association.

The 1st Circuit refused Jan. 18 to stay its ruling because the state and the charter school interests had not filed a rehearing application with the court.

+2 Baton Rouge appeals court takes second bite at charter school funding For a second time, lawyers argued to judges of a Baton Rouge state appellate court over the 

Attorneys for the Louisiana Association of Educators and the Iberville Parish School Board argued against the request that Fields stay the appeals court decision.

Michael Fontham, who represents the School Board, told the judge it is "beyond comprehension" that a 19th JDC judge would stay a 1st Circuit judgment.

Fontham also argued in court papers that every dollar sent to a Type 2 charter school from the MFP "is a dollar denied to a parish or city school system."

The money appropriated to the MFP for funding parish and city school systems is constitutionally mandated. One option available to state lawmakers is to enact a line item appropriation to fund Type 2 charter schools with state general fund dollars.
State Superintendent of Education John White said Friday his department will ask the Louisiana's top school board to approve four charter schools similar to those whose state funding is in jeopardy.

The fate of the schools, two in Baton Rouge, one in New Orleans and one in Lafayette, is up to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

A BESE committee, amid likely controversy, is set to consider the issue around 11:30 a.m. on Monday.

White made his comments shortly the latest twist in a court ruling that is threatening state aid for 32 charter schools and more than 16,000 students.

Payments to the schools are set to stop next week, White told reporters.

The charter schools under fire were approved by BESE.

But the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, in a lawsuit filed by the Louisiana Association of Educators and others, ruled 3-2 on Jan. 9 that it is unconstitutional for those schools to get money through the state's key public school funding source  the Minimum Foundation Program.

Speed bump for some Louisiana charter schools, their funding after important court ruling Louisiana's funding of certain types of charter schools hit a snag following a ruling Monday

Charter school advocates hoped to delay the ruling  called a stay  during a hearing Friday before 19th Judicial District Court Judge Wilson Fields, of Baton Rouge.

Fields said he had no such authority, which officials said will stop state aid for the schools until and unless the 1st Circuit or state Supreme Court delays the ruling while broader legal arguments play out.

Teachers union challenges state aid for some charter schools A teachers union filed a lawsuit Monday that contends the state is improperly spending $60 

Late Friday night, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay in the case, which removes the threat of an immediate halt in state aid to the 32 charter schools.

White said there is no reason to delay action on the four charter schools despite the lawsuit. He noted that the case has gone on for about two years and there has always been an assumption that it will be resolved in the state Supreme Court.

"We can't wait on solutions for the neediest kids when there is litigation in motion," White said.

"We cannot wait to do what is right for children," he added. "We cannot wait for every bit of litigation to get resolved before what is best for children."

Debbie Meaux, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators, said Friday authorizing more charter schools is a risk, including for parents, until the state Supreme Court issues a final ruling on funding questions.

Charter schools are public schools run by non-governmental boards.

About 78,000 students are attending the 145 charter schools, and they dominate the public schools landscape in New Orleans.

Backers contend the schools offer students and families another option in a state that has been plagued by public school problems for generations.

Opponents say charters are a drain on traditional public schools, especially amid recurring state budget problems that have meant freezes in state aid or only modest gains since 2009.

White said the four schools that will be recommended for approval by the state Department of Education will enroll about 500 students initially in a state with about 720,000 public school students.

They are Baton Rouge University Preparatory Inc. and Collegiate Academies, both in Baton Rouge; Educators for Quality Alternatives in New Orleans and Jefferson Chamber Foundation Academy in Lafayette.

White said the schools can help students on the cusp of dropping out and minority students from low-income families.

Another 19 charter school applications were rejected by the department.

Caroline Roemer, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, said she backs department plans to expand the number of charter schools.

"I would tell BESE and everybody else don't stop," Roemer said. ""Kids, parents and teachers want more options in this state."

The department also plans to recommend a one-year extension for the Louisiana Key Academy in Baton Rouge, which serves students with dyslexia.

BESE delayed action on the F-rated school in December.

White said the department wants the school reviewed in the future using an alternative framework.
In this Nov. 19, 2016 photo, President-elect Donald Trump stands with Education Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos in Bedminster, N.J. Charter school advocate and wealthy Republican donor Betsy DeVos is widely expected to push for expanding school choice programs if confirmed as education secretary, causing outrage among teachers unions. But Democrats and rights activists also are raising concerns about how her conservative Christian beliefs and advocacy for family values might impact minority and LGBT students. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
Spill data I have examined suggest there is little environmental risk from the Bayou Bridge Pipeline.
Army Sgt. Maj. Greg Lowery, standing in for President-elect Donald Trump, walks to the podium during a rehearsal of the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. David Ake) ORG XMIT: DCDA102
Before he ultimately killed himself, Sylvester Holt went on a rampage that left both his estranged wife and a Westwego policeman dead in Marre
The man threatening to jump off the Crescent City Connection bridge shot himself in the chest after an hours-long standoff on Friday.
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.
Data accessed by India Today shows Delhi government's revenue collection has nose dived. The month after demonetisation announced in November saw a nearly 16 per cent drop in revenue generation compared to December 2015.

By Kumar Kunal: The demonetisation exercise announced by the Central government on November 8 last year may leave the Delhi government high and dry just ahead of the Budget season. Data exclusively procured by India Today reveals that Delhi's already poor revenue collection nose dived during the month of December, compared to same period in the previous fiscal year.

The overall reduction in revenue collection during December 2016 in comparison to December 2015 was almost 16 per cent. Furthermore, there are no signs that the situation will improve in the coming months of current 2016-17 fiscal year. The budget speech made by Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, set a revenue target of Rs 36,525 crore for the different revenue generating departments.

advertisement

Also read: Kejriwal calls demonetisation 'scam of all scams', demands for independent probe

DELHI GOVERNMENT IN A HUDDLE

Even before the demonetisation exercise started, it was clear that the departments were going to miss the set target by a fair amount. But, the low revenue generation for the month of December was particularly a shocker, sending the entire government into a huddle.

Just a few days ago, top Delhi government officials met to discuss the government's fiscal health. A decision was taken to revise the revenue target for the second time this fiscal year, this time by over Rs 3,5000 crore.

The previous target, revised in the month of November, was Rs 32,950 crore against the target of Rs 36,525 crore set in Manish Sisodia's budget speech. If December 2015 is any trend, it could be difficult for the government to even match the Rs 30,225 crore that was earned last year, as until December 2016, the revenue generated is only Rs 22,460 crore.

Also read: Demonetisation woes come to an end, political blame game continues

SHOCKING FIGURES

The biggest loss was seen in the collection of stamps and registration fees, which include land revenue as well. Under this head, the revenue target was Rs 4,000 crore for the entire financial year, but only Rs 2497 crore was earned until December 2016. Last month, only Rs 252.58 crore revenue came in the coffers of the Delhi government. Compared to December 2015, when Rs 480.45 crore in revenue was generated, December 2016 saw a loss of 47.43 per cent.

What is really making the government tense is the drop in the Value Added Tax (VAT) collection. The VAT is the biggest source of revenue for the Delhi government. This year, government set an ambitious target of Rs 24,500 Crore, but, with only three months of the financial year remaining, has collected only Rs 15,100 crore in VAT. In the month of December only Rs 1543 crore has come to government, while during the same month last financial year, the VAT revenue was Rs 1,745 crore. This loss, coming in the month after demonetisation was announced, was almost Rs 200 crore, or 11.54 per cent.

Other source of revenue like the excise tax and taxes on vehicle registrations also saw a drop in December 2016, although marginally. The excise and vehicle registration taxes both saw a 1 per cent drop compared to the December of 2015. More concerning is the finding that unlike other taxes, revenue from vehicle registration has for two consecutive months, i.e., November and December 2016.

Delhi government revenue Delhi government revenue

advertisement

Also read: 7th pay commission: How demonetisation has delayed allowances to 47 lakh employees

Also watch: Top ten arguments for and against demonetisation

--- ENDS ---
The federal government's offshore detention policy, an expedient extension of that of its Labor predecessor, not only falls far short of humanitarian and international legal standards, but of the basic financial rectitude that ought to underpin the expenditure of taxpayers' money.

The damaging and unending internment on Nauru and on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island of hundreds of vulnerable people fleeing persecution and worse is, in other words, not only immoral, but a cavalier misuse of billions of dollars of scarce public funds.

Illustration: Matthew Davidson

We know this because the people's financial watchdog, the Commonwealth auditor, in recent days released a report showing breaches by the government and its bureaucrats of fundamental rules governing spending.

This compounds the sheer fiscal stupidity of a policy that costs taxpayers $500,000 a year to keep a refugee  and as many as 90 per cent of the relatively small number of asylum seekers who have arrived by boat in recent years are proven to be genuine refugees  in these cruel offshore camps, as against $12,000 to process a person onshore in the community.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has failed to impress voters in marginal seats in Sydney and Melbourne. Credit:Louie Douvis Of course conservative governments by their very nature do less than progressive ones - but this is getting embarrassing. People were perhaps inclined to cut Turnbull some slack last year while he was finding his feet, fighting an election and licking his wounds. But 16 months into his leadership the time has come for him to answer some fundamental questions: What is the point of this government? What does he stand for and hope to achieve? It's about much more than legislation or individual policies. It's about direction and purpose.

You can't really blame Turnbull's MPs though. They, like the rest of us, are waiting for their cues from the top It's about - here it comes, that dreaded word - narrative. Yes, we journalists just love to obsess over narrative - we're all frustrated novelists after all. And no, ordinary Australians aren't sitting around at their summer barbecues bemoaning that this government doesn't have one. But make no mistake: narrative is important.

Just look at the US election. Facts and policies were not important; narrative was the deciding factor. Donald Trump had a compelling narrative. He was an outsider who would drain the swamp and make America great again. Hillary Clinton had experience and policies but no such story. Turnbull has tried positivity, exciting times, innovation, economic leadership and tax reform - but the only narrative he's managed to make stick is one of disappointment, dithering and drift. When Ley finally fell on her sword last week government MPs were understandably relieved. Finally we can get back to telling our story, they said. What story is that? I asked one cabinet minister.

I wasn't being cheeky - I was genuinely interested in how the government intended to position itself before Parliament's return. Governments, just like regular folk, use the new year to reset, regroup, recalibrate. "Well it's all about the economy and jobs and innovation, and also health and education," the minister said. I'm paraphrasing a little but you get the gist. Asked to outline the government's plan for the year ahead, to set out its vision and priorities - to articulate a narrative - a senior member of the frontbench could do no better than a vague laundry list of portfolios. I was reminded of The Castle's bumbling Dennis Denuto: "It's the constitution, it's Mabo, it's justice, it's law, it's the vibe." You can't really blame Turnbull's MPs though. They, like the rest of us, are waiting for their cues from the top.

The Prime Minister should start with a major headland speech to set the stage, frame the debate and draw the battlelines. It cannot be a speech that seeks to trumpet his meagre achievements to date - the ABCC, superannuation, the backpacker tax - but rather one that finally elucidates his vision for the future and his plan to take us there. The economy has to be his focus, of course, but he has to do much more than just recycle his "jobs and growth" mantra. Slogans won't cut it in an era of deepening deficits, worsening debt, rising unemployment, moribund growth, stagnant wages, falling company profits, shrinking tax revenue and a wobbly AAA credit rating. Meaningful budget repair has to be part of the picture.
Interactive: How much Gonski money has gone to your school?

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce's electorate of New England is among the biggest beneficiaries of additional "Gonski" funding over the past four years and among the likely biggest losers under the Coalition's school funding plan, a Herald analysis can reveal.

Nationals electorates at state and federal level were the biggest winners in the first four years of Gonski funding, receiving on average almost three times the amount that went to their Liberal colleagues' electorates, and more than 1.5 times Labor electorates.

But despite their electorates standing to lose the most from the Coalition's school funding policy, Mr Joyce and the federal Nationals have remained in lockstep with their federal Liberal colleagues on the issue, while NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli has championed the model.
Gladys Berejiklian has proclaimed she is the best person to be the next NSW Premier because she knows "how to get things done" and fended off attacks over the circumstances of her expected appointment to the state's top political job.

Ms Berejiklian is set to be elected Liberal Party leader at a party meeting on Monday morning after Transport Minister Andrew Constance and Planning Minister Rob Stokes confirmed they would not run.

But on Friday  a day after Premier Mike Baird announced he will quit politics next week  Ms Berejiklian came under attack from broadcaster Alan Jones and Opposition Leader Luke Foley.

Calling into his 2GB radio program from holidays, Mr Jones said Ms Berejiklian lacks the ability to be premier and accused her of being installed by party factions without a proper contest.
Police have found missing teenage twins after the girls were last seen in Brisbane's south-west on Thursday.

The 13-year-old sisters were last seen at a home on Penguin Street in Inala about 9pm and police were concerned for their welfare because of their young age.

Police thanked the public for their assistance in finding the twin girls from Inala safe and well.

However, police released a statement on Saturday morning advising the girls had been found safe and well.

Stay informed. Like Brisbane Times on Facebook
The bushfires at Coolum have again been deemed a threat, with police declaring an emergent situation at 2pm on Saturday.

The boundaries of the declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act encompass Yandina-Coolum Road at the intersections with Quanda Road and Arcoona Road, to Doona Bridge Road, Verrierdale Road, Dean Road, Eumundi Noosa Road and Emu Mountain Road to the Sunshine Motorway.

EARLIER

Coolum residents have remained on edge overnight after emergency services revoked an emergency situation on Friday night before reinstating it in the early hours of Saturday then revoking it again on Saturday morning.
A two-month-old calf has sold for more than a quarter of a million dollars, smashing the previous Australasian record.

The Holstein heifer, Lighting Ridge-CMD Jedi Gigi-Imp-Et, or Gigi for short, was sold for $251,000 on Wednesday night at the World Wide Sires Evolution sale at Tatura Park, near Shepparton.

Calf Gigi sold for a quarter of a million dollar. Credit:Casey Treloar

"I've been pinching myself ever since," said owner Declan Patten, of Sale-based company Lightning Ridge Holsteins.

"It's been an incredible 24 hours."
He said he came into his flat with a Bible, sat down and started burning it before throwing the burning book into his face. Mr Gargasoulas attacked Gavin Wilson (pictured) on Wednesday night, thrusting a burning Bible in his face and punching him before stealing Mr Wilson's car. Credit:Justin McManus "I flicked it onto the floor then he stood up and punched me," Mr Wilson said. He said Mr Gargasoulas then attacked him. "Give me your keys or I'll gouge your eyes out," Mr Gargasoulas allegedly demanded. Alleged Bourke Street killer Dimitrious "Jimmy" Gargasoulas

Gargasoulas, a father of a number of children, has a second Facebook page on which he recently began posting about religion, God, Satan, heaven and hell. The comments are rambling and often nonsensical and rant about good and evil. In one chilling post he says an army will be needed to "take me." James "Jimmy" Gargasoulas. On Saturday he posted: "I know exactly how to take you dogs down the power of knowing has revealed and I shall have God's laws re-instated." And then, on Monday, four days before the Bourke Street rampage: "I declare war on tyranny today you dogs will have the option to either believe in me and his positive energy he offers and stay faithful to me or serve the one who enslaves you at his feet."

Police said the incident is not terrorism related. "This individual is not related to any terrorism activity," Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said. Mr Gargasoulas' erratic behaviour dramatically escalated on Friday morning. In the early hours, Jess Bergin said she heard screaming outside her flat on the other side of road and looked out the window. "He had a knife and he was hacking at either a guy or a girl, I don't know," she said. They got into a waiting car, and then the knife-wielding man began hacking at the car, she said.

Mr Gargasoulas, who also goes by the name Dimitrios, is currently on bail after being charged with family violence offences last weekend. He is known to police for drug-related issues, family violence assaults and has "an extensive family violence history". It is understood that police began pursuing Mr Gargasoulas on Friday in a maroon-coloured sedan after he allegedly took a woman hostage, who later escaped on the Bolte Bridge. Police called off the pursuit over concerns of public safety, just outside the CBD. The car was next seen doing "burnouts" and driving erratically at the intersection in front of Flinders Street Station. Mr Gargasoulas was filmed hanging out the driver's window and abusing passerby.

He then sped north towards Bourke Street, where he allegedly ploughed through the crowded shopping strip, killing four people and injuring more than 20 people. Police shot Mr Gargasoulas in the arm further west on Bourke Street, dragging him from the sedan and making an arrest. He is being treated in hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A relative said Mr Gargasoulas has had a drug problem and has been in and out of jail for car theft and drug offences. "Jimmy has always been a bad person," she said. "I knew it was him. I saw it on TV ... the picture of him sticking his head out when he was doing burnouts. "I saw a picture and I thought 'Oh My God, that's Jimmy.' I'm shaking. I knew it, as soon as I saw that picture I had this feeling. I can't believe this.
The ED has registered an enforcement case information report (ECIR) against senior railway official K L Bhoyar for allegedly laundering money by illegally exchanging demonetised currency notes with the new ones in Mumbai.

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: While the banks and post-offices were being closely monitored by the agencies after demonetisation, a case against a senior railway official in the post-note ban phase has come as a surprise.

The Enforcement Directorate is gearing up to question the railway official posted in Mumbai on the charges of money laundering.

READ| Note ban: ED arrests Jignesh Bhajiawala of Surat for money laundering

advertisement

CASE AGAINST RAILWAY OFFICIAL: THINGS TO KNOW In terms of value, this case may be a small one for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), but the agency considers it a crucial breakthrough giving an idea how railway officials were involved in illegal conversion of money after demonetisation. The Mumbai wing of ED has registered an enforcement case information report (ECIR) against senior railway official K L Bhoyar for allegedly exchanging demonetised currency notes with new ones. Bhoyar was posted as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus of the Central Railway as assistant commercial manager. In December 2016, Indiatoday.in was first to expose the role of Bhoyar in the illegal conversion of demonetised money. Later, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against Bhoyar in mid-December for offences punishable under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. After an internal complaint, the CBI registered a case against Bhoyar and searches were conducted. The agencies recovered cash of Rs 2.2 lakh in Rs 100 denominations, fixed deposits worth Rs 30 lakh and other property documents from Bhoyar. According to the CBI, Bhoyar allegedly exchanged the demonetised currency notes worth Rs 8.22 lakh with new currency notes of Rs 2,000 and legal tender of Rs 100 denomination at the booking counters at CST, Kalyan and Thane. On the basis of the findings of the CBI, which has shared the probe details with the ED, the agency is preparing to issue summons to Bhoyar and record his statement. This is perhaps the first instance, when a case has been registered by the Enforcement Directorate against a railway employee on the charges of money laundering to take advantage of post-demonetisation situation.

--- ENDS ---
Five-and-a-half hours before horror unfolded on Bourke Street, the man accused of driving the car that fatally ploughed into pedestrians appeared on television.

Channel Nine reporter Neary Ty was on Raleigh Street in Windsor to report on a stabbing that left a man in a critical condition.

As she spoke live to the Today show at 8.04am, a maroon Holden Commodore pulled up behind her. The driver wound down the window and gestured out, waving his hat and looking at the camera.

The program quickly cut to other footage as the journalist kept speaking. Around 30 seconds later, as she returned to the screen, the car was gone.
As it happened: CBD horror, four dead, 31 hospitalised as car knocks down pedestrians

Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss

Our network

Open Navigation Menu The Age Subscribe
"There were a few gasps and then you started hearing yelling and a few people scream." Children were also screaming and appeared to have injuries, she said. The car missed Former Victorian police commissioner Christine Nixon by less than a metre. She immediately fell back on her long years of training. "I just stood there for 15 or 20 minutes directing traffic. No one disobeyed my instructions," she said. Ms Nixon also saw an overturned pram unattended and went to check that it was empty.

According to her account, the mother then walked up and asked: "Where's my child?" Craig Lawrence was eating lunch near the corner of Bourke and William. "Then I heard like bang! Bang! Bang! It sounded like three gunshots. "I looked up, and there was a mass of people running through the forecourt, as if they thought there was a gunman chasing them. I stood up and started running." There have been reports of a child being killed by the speeding car.

Mr Lawrence said he did not see the child get hit, but could see where the overturned stroller lay  and 50 metres further up the road, where the child was lying in the street. "That was at least 50 metres, so the baby must have been caught up on the bonnet and just carried and then fallen off. She looked like maybe two or three. I just hope she was OK." Kylie Clark and her 10-year-old daughter Ingrid were on the steps of H&M for an Australian Open promotion when they saw a maroon car tearing down the footpath on the opposite side of Bourke Street. "Bodies were flying across the windscreen, and over the back, others were under the car," Ingrid said.

"He was going like a bat out of hell. Didn't care who he collected. Straight up the footpath," Kylie said. "People were screaming. It was chaotic." Maria Kitjapanon was walking up Bourke Street Mall from Southern Cross Station. "I was nearly at the intersection with Swanston, and I saw the car  which was incredibly battered even by that stage  it was coming straight towards me on the footpath. it took me a couple of seconds to compute  so I stepped aside onto the road."

She saw police officers then turn the corner and ram the car. "As I was stepping off, another police car came about and rammed into the maroon car to make it stop. There were probably 10 police surrounding that guy's car, with guns drawn, and they fired into the car. "Then they dragged someone out via the passengers side, then all 10 of them sat on top of him." Further down the scene, Ms Mitjapanon said she could see an overturned pram  and further on, a mother running back toward her baby.

Madison Tierney was standing directly in the path of the speeding maroon car as it raced down Swanston Street. She and her mother had heard screams coming from higher up the street, and saw people starting to flee  before the car came racing her way. As the car raced toward her, Madison froze  it was only the quick thinking of her mother, who grabbed her and yanked her out of the way, that kept her alive. "The car was less than a meter away from us, really fast. My mum saw the actual person inside the car, he looked really angry. I just froze, and was pulled out of the way by my mum." Madison's mum, Jennifer, told Fairfax: "He had dark hair. I just thought the car was out of control. the car swerved past me, onto Swanston Street, then I grabbed my daughter and ran."
Shots have reportedly been fired during a police chase in Bourke Street in the middle of Melbourne's CBD.

It is feared at least one pedestrian has been hit in the Bourke Street Mall by the rogue car driving erratically.

Witnesses have reported seeing a car speeding along Bourke Street, before it mounted a footpath.

Ambulance Victoria confirmed it has received multiple reports of pedestrians being injured.
The mid-term future of Alcoa's Portland aluminium smelter has been secured after a deal was struck with energy provider AGL and funding from state and federal governments.

The four-year power contract for the biggest user of energy in Victoria was signed on Thursday night after months of negotiations.

The future of the Portland plant, which is the lifeblood of the south-west coast town, had been thrown into jeopardy without a new power deal.

The four-year deal and government investment buys Alcoa time to work out the long-term future of the Portland site.
Notorious priest Gerald Ridsdale has fronted a Melbourne court charged with historical sex offences against nine boys and two girls over a 20-year period.

The 82-year-old was charged on December 28 with 36 offences against 11 alleged victims from 1969 to 1989 when he was a priest in the Ballarat diocese.

The charges include anal rape of a girl and a boy under 14.

Police allege the offences occurred in Ballarat, Quantong, Mortlake, Ocean Grove, Edenhope, Apsley and Riverside, which is near Horsham.
Fremantle Dockers player Harley Bennell has been fined $400 and disqualified from driving for nine months after being caught driving while suspended in December.

The talented midfielder had his licence suspended in November after losing all his demerit points, but was caught driving by police in December.

Harley Bennell looks set for a handful of games at WAFL side Peel Thunder before his Dockers debut. Credit:Getty Images

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Fremantle Magistrates Court on Friday morning.

Bennell, who has been plagued by a calf injury since being recruited to the Dockers in 2015, travelled to Germany in December to undergo cutting-edge treatment on his leg.
Reports suggest that the committee under the chairmanship of finance secretary Ashok Lavasa has finalised its report for salary hike in accordance with the recommendations of the seventh CPC, but the government is unable to pay the allowances to its employees due to cash crunch.

By Prabhash K Dutta: More than 14 months have passed since the seventh pay commission report was submitted and little less seven months have elapsed since the union cabinet approved implementation of the salary hike recommendations, but the central government employees are still awaiting the good news.

Demonetisation is said to be the reason behind the delay in announcing allowances by the Narendra Modi government for the 47 lakh employees and 53 lakh pensioners. The number of beneficiaries includes 14 lakh employees and 18 lakh pensions from the armed forces.

advertisement

READ| 7th Pay Commission: Your 7-point guide on the recommendations

HOW DEMONETISATION AFFECTS PAY HIKE: THINGS TO KNOW The government has announced that it will implement the seventh pay commission's recommendations from January 1 last year. But, in the aftermath of demonetisation, the government is not in position to make the final decision. The seventh pay commission proposed a 138.71 per cent hike in housing allowance (HRA) and 49.79 per cent for other allowances. The pay commission estimated that during the current fiscal, the hike in allowances would add a burden of Rs 29,300 crore (Rs 17,200 crore under HRA and Rs 12,100 crore under other allowances). This is a huge sum but after demonetisation, the government is working hard to stave off the cash crunch that set in. The Modi government has constituted a committee to look into the recommendations regarding allowances and the manner of their implementation. Some reports suggest that the committee under the chairmanship of finance secretary Ashok Lavasa has finalised its report, but the government is unable to pay the allowances to its employees due to cash crunch. The employees' unions have been putting pressure on the finance ministry to announce hike in allowances at the earliest. The announcement of assembly elections in five states has given some time for the government as it cannot announce pay hikes till the model code of conduct is in place. The assembly elections have given the government time till March 8, by when there would be some additional cash in circulation. But, by then the budget would have been presented and accommodating over Rs 29,000 crore for salaries and pensions in the budge may pose a problem. The delay in implementation of the seventh pay commission's recommendations has caused tremendous irritation and frustration among employees. The BJP may have to face a backlash in the assembly elections in the five states, two of which is ruled by the party either directly or in alliance. Thus, demonetisation move by the Modi government may strike a double blow to the BJP in polls.

READ| 7th pay commission: How Akhilesh, Harish Rawat outwitted PM Modi in poll-bound states

ALSO WATCH:

--- ENDS ---
Islamabad's ambassador to the US says Donald Trump has expressed good wishes for Pakistan. PM Nawaz Sharif plans to call Trump to congratulate him on his inauguration.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Incoming US President Donald Trump has expressed hope for improved relations between Washington and Islamabad, Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Jalil Abbas Jillani said today.

According to Radio Pakistan, Jillani said in an interview that Trump expressed these views during a brief conversation with him at a dinner he hosted for foreign ambassadors.

The envoy added that the US President 'pleasantly' referred to the telephonic conversation he had with PM Nawaz Sharif, and expressed good wishes for the country.

advertisement

PM Sharif told the Sputnik news agency that the United States and Pakistan have good bilateral ties and he was looking forward to meeting Trump.

"I'll make a phone call to congratulate Trump on his inauguration. Hopefully we will be meeting. Pakistan always had good relationship with the US, it dates back to 60-70 years. We want to maintain that good relationship and even strengthen it," Sharif said.

Get live updates from Donald Trump's swearing-in here

Also read: 'Donald Trump won't tolerate China, Pak's double standards towards India'

Also watch: Trump Era begins: Donald Trump to take oath as US President today

--- ENDS ---
Honoring the helpers Awards recognize those who support autism community

Thirteen community members and providers were recognized for their resilience, passion and heart at the 2022 Awesome in Autism Awards ceremony. The 14th annual event, hosted by Autism Society Ventura County, was held Oct. 20 at Wood Ranch Golf Club...

Go purple to support those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer November is the busiest month of the year for cancer awareness campaigns. Im going to focus on one of thempancreatic cancer because its a type weve seen a noticeable rise in over the last few years. And because it remains...

Hospital offers safe option to dispose of meds, narcotics Los Robles Health System is working to crush the opioid drug crisis by raising awareness about the dangers of opioid misuse and the importance of safe and proper disposal of unused or expired medications. Crush the Crisis will take place...

Alzheimers Foundation to host free conference The Alzheimers Foundation of America will host a free virtual educational conference from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tues., Nov. 15. The event is part of the foundations 2022 national Educating America Tour. The conference, which is free and open...
'Together we will determine the course of America for many, many years to come.'

'The oath I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.'

'Today's ceremony has very special meaning because we are transferring power from Washington DC to people of America.'

'From this day forward it is only going to be America first! America first!'

'Whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots.'

'We will completely eradicate radical Islamism from the face of the earth.'

'We will follow two rules - Buy American and Hire American.'

'Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many years to come. It will always be America first.'

'This moment is your moment and it belongs to you, to everyone gathered here and to everyone watching across America.'
TSA administrator Peter Neffenger spent Thursday saying his goodbyes after only a year and a half at the post, a casualty of the disarray in some parts of the Trump transition process. Team Trump called him only in the last two weeks to ask him to staytoo late to change his plans, U.S. officials tell The Daily Beast.

Widely hailed as competent and innovative by Congress, Neffenger is a retired admiral and a political independent. Hes also the fifth chief of the Transportation Security Administration in as many years. Congressional sources disappointed over his departure say they may draft legislation to set terms for the TSA role, akin to the 10-year term for the FBI director.

The missed opportunity to keep Neffenger at his post reflects the late start the Trump transition team got when it dropped New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as its transition lead just after the electionand also reflects the sharp-elbowed jockeying among Trump advisers and campaign staff as they scramble to fill the thousands of soon-to-be empty posts after an election they didnt expect to win. Outgoing Obama administration officials fear the staffing melee will leave the new administration unprepared to cope with a crisis, but Trump transition officialsand Democrats whove gone through transitions beforesay its par for the course, and that Washington, D.C.s standing bureaucracy will keep government running until the top posts are filled.

Neffenger sat down for an exclusive interview earlier in the week, before The Daily Beast learned hed been asked to stay. He outlined an ambitious program of how hed tried to turn around an agency riven with bad morale and poor performance. But the programs he set in motionfrom retraining TSA agents to better spot suspicious objects, to streamlining how to speed new technology into use to screen passengersare less than a year old, and GOP enthusiasm for what hes done apparently reached Trump Tower too late.

The administrator deeply appreciates the support he has been receiving, but his current plan is to depart with the outgoing administration, Neffengers spokesman Richard Ades emailed Thursday, refusing to confirm that Trump aides had requested Neffenger stay, to provide continuity like a handful of other senior Obama administration officials related to national security.

For instance, the State Department coordinator of the campaign to fight the so-called Islamic State, Brett McGurk, will be staying for a few more months to help the new team, as will Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Tom Shannon, as State Department spokesman John Kirby confirmed to reporters Thursday. Incoming White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters Thursday that others who will stay on include Adam Szubin as acting undersecretary for Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence.

Trump spokesmen did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Neffenger.

When Neffenger arrived in 2015, the TSA was reeling from an Inspector General report that found multiple lapses. Agents had failed 67 of 70 security tests, including failing to spot undercover investigators who got through checkpoints items that were potential weapons.

The former Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Neffenger was incident commander of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He still feels the aches and pains of fast-roping onto moving ships in his younger years, when he was part of a synchronized team that took pride in its work. That history is why one of the first things he targeted to fix was the esprit de corps among the demoralized work force tasked with screening roughly 2 million passengers a day.

He made them all re-take an oath of office, and rebrand themselvesand the TSAas what he called an intelligence-driven, adaptable counterterrorism agency, rather than the people who make Americans attempts to travel from A to B miserable.

He also convinced Congress to stop bleeding off TSAs budget to pay for other things, stopped the shrinkage of the ranks of agents, and allowed anyone who was part-time to apply for full-time jobs.

Of the infamous long lines under his tenure, he said that was all about not having enough staff.

We didnt have enough people to man the checkpoints. We could staff about 60 percent of the peak at the top 30 airports, he said.

He said thanks to Congressional funding, TSA is now fully staffed at those peak hours, and thanks to outreach to airlines, TSA now tracks when planes are arriving or departing from heavily trafficked airports and tries to staff for surges of passengers accordingly.

We look at the top 30 airports, checkpoint by checkpoint hour by hour, he said. You still get long waits but they dont last all day long.

He also made everyone, from managers to front-line agents, learn how to do the one thing at TSA that everyone hates.

I made everyone in the agency learn how to do a pat-down. That just comes from my military background, he said. Theres not a thing you ask your people to do that you havent done by the time youre in command. Not everyone liked it, but he said it helped managers understand what they were asking of their people, and why it takes a toll on agents as well as passengers.

He said there were management practices that had to be changedthe inspector general report had found many personnel complaints of unfair treatment, so he set up a system to track the complaints and let whistleblowers know what was being done.

You cant fix everybody overnight, he said. You can convince them theres a process thats going to take care of them and treat them fairly.

He also established a TSA Academy to try to institutionalize lessons learned across the force, and instituted a rolling stand-down of agents to retrain them in how to use the scanners to spot suspicious objects in luggage or on people.

We put a lot of pressure on the workforce to move people through, but we hadnt trained them on the effectiveness of the equipment, Neffenger said.

He said it was too soon to tell if those changes made the agents more effective.

A U.S. official briefed on recent covert testing said the training hasnt yet produced a higher rate of spotting objects that are possible weapons, but the official said it would take a combination of better technology and higher skill levels among the agentssomething Neffenger was working on. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the covert testing results.

The retired admiral said transportation remains a fixation for terrorist groupsboth Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula and the increasingly capable ISIS. He ticks off other recent transportation-focused violence, from the destruction of Metrojet Flight 9268 over northern Sinai in 2015, later claimed by ISIS, to last years attacks on the airports in Turkey and Brussels.

Neffenger was actually in Brussels the day the airport and metro were both attacked, and witnessed firsthand the destruction that killed more than 30 people.

While hes heard of no credible threat aimed at Washington, D.C., on this Inauguration weekend, he said the new mode of rapid radicalization leading to action makes it hard-to-impossible to predict threats in advance.

The activity level and dynamics are higher than theyve ever been, he said. Theres a lot more threat reporting than we used to see. Theres just more players involved.

Thats why TSA looks for patterns of travel rather than religion or ethnic backgrounda point of view that may have put Neffenger on the wrong side of the incoming administration.

We look at where you are traveling to and fromare you coming out of places that aregenerating bad things and connected to people affiliated with terror groups. Thats the kind of thing thats going to get you on a watch list, he said. Thats independent and irrespective of your personal background.

Neffenger says he wrote a TSA roadmap of what did I do and how did I get there to hand over to his successor, though since Team Trump hasnt yet named one, that task will fall to his deputy, Huban Gowadia who will be acting administrator until a new one is named.

His parting advice is to think of an airport like a breathing entity of interlocking systems that have to speak to each other when they spot something odd rather than thinking of layers, one handing off to the next.

And there will always be risk.

What constitutes a perimeter for the airport? Post Brussels attack, they had the barrier outside, Neffenger said. But theres always outside the perimeter and you will always have a vulnerable crowd.
WASHINGTON, D.C. As attendees poured into the Deploraball, a celebratory event organized by figures in the Alt-Right and their Trump-loving allies, hundreds of protesters gathered outside yelling Nazi scum as they walked in.

Around a half-hour before the event was set to begin, anti-fascist activistsparticularly the organization Refuse Fascism and protesters in town for marches during the inauguration weekendhuddled on 14th Street outside the National Press Club.

They held signs referring to the tuxedoed guests as Alt-Reich and stationed an inflatable elephant with the word Racism right in front of the building.

Organizers of the Deploraball, including Mike Cernovich, a divisive figure in the heterogeneous Alt-Right movement, were wary of protesters from the beginning. He informed The Daily Beast via text message that he intended on filming the activity outside beginning at 7:30.

GALLERY: Protesters Clash with Police on Inauguration Day (PHOTOS)

TBH [to be honest] if this wasnt my event Id rather be outside with the drama, he claimed, seemingly proud of the chaos the event was inspiring.

Cernovich and others were particularly concerned with a leftist organization called DisruptJ20, which appeared recently in an undercover video shot by James OKeefe discussing plans to disrupt the inauguration.

As police attempted to keep media and protesters off the sidewalk in the area, two men stood with Trump is Alt-Right With Us, signs.

Initially, it was unclear whether the two, wearing Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini masks, were part of the revelers or protesters.

The man in the Hitler maskwho referred to himself as Ponzi Scheme to The Daily Beastclaimed that he was Jewish and the display was a joke.

GALLERY: The Scene at Donald Trumps Inauguration (PHOTOS)

Ninety percent of people got the joke, he said. But the crazy thing was that there were a bunch of the Alt-Right people going in who wanted to pose with us. And who were like Heil Trump and did the salute.

In the melee that ensued, bottles were thrown in the direction of both Deploraball attendees and police officers lined up on the sidewalk.

At one point, a trash can was lit on fire and a police officer unceremoniously put it out with a few water bottles.

The animosity from parts of the crowd was also directed at police officers, with one section erupting into a chant of USA, KKK, how many kids have you killed today? While police continuously attempted to clear the sidewalk, a beam of light projected phrases on the facade of the National Press Club. One read: Respect Existence or Expect Resistance. And another said: Impeach the Predatory President.

One moment served as a perfect metaphor for the country and media at large when an anti-fascist protester knocked down newspaper stands and dragged them into the street, seemingly to create blockades. Moments after, a protester with peace flowers in his hand picked them up and walked them back over to the sidewalk.

By around 10:30 p.m., a majority of the protesters had disbursed, even as some continued marching away from the area to an unknown location.

Just hours before the inauguration of a deeply unpopular president who lost the popular vote, the protest outside the Deploraball portends a wild weekend, and perhaps a wild four years to come.
Donald Trump today said he is going to unite the country as he promised the Americans to work hard and turn things around.

By Press Trust of India: Ahead of his inauguration as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump today said he is going to unite the country as he promised the Americans to work hard and turn things around.

"We are going to unify our country and we will make America great again. We will make America great for all of our people, everybody throughout the country," Trump said while a crowd of thousands gathered at the Lincoln Memorial here at his inaugural 'Make America Great Again' rally and concert.

advertisement

Joined by his wife and incoming First Lady Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, his sons and their their families, Trump enjoyed the nearly two-and-a-half hour concert.

ALSO READ | US presidential inauguration: Donald Trump hours away from becoming 45th US president

Speaking to the cheering crowd comprising of young military personnel and veterans among common people, Trump assured that things will change in America for the good under his leadership.

He reiterated his campaign promises of bringing jobs back and strengthening the military and the country's borders.

"I promise you that I will work so hard, we are going to get it turned around, we are going to bring our jobs back. We are not going to let other countries take our jobs any longer.

"We are going to build up our great military, we are going to strengthen our borders, we are going to do things that haven't been done for our country for many, many decades," he said amid loud cheers and applause.

While arriving at the Lincoln Memorial with his wife, the President-elect stopped in front of the towering statue of Abraham Lincoln and gave a salute to the former US President.

ALSO READ | Those trying to defame Trump are worse than prostitutes: Putin

Earlier, the official inaugural activities began with Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldiers in a sombre ceremony at the Arlington National Ceremony. Trump's family stood at a distance as he paid his respects to the American soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the nation in the line of duty.

The inaugural concert featured performances by Indian-American DJ Ravidrums, Sam Moore and US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, band rock band 3 Doors Down, YouTube sensation-- The Piano Guys. Academy award-winning actor John Voight delivered the opening remarks.

Trump thanked the American people for their support during his journey to the White House that began 18 months ago, saying he was "just a messenger" for the people who had become tired of the way things were moving forward in Washington and across the country.

"We were tired of seeing what was happening. We wanted real change, and I so look forward to tomorrow. We are going to see something amazing," he said.

advertisement

ALSO READ | Trump calls for warmer relations with Russia amid criticism by security agencies

--- ENDS ---
January 20th is a big day for Bill Maher. Not only is it Donald Trumps inauguration, but its also the premiere of his HBO show Real Times 15th season. Oh, and its his 61st birthday.

Im getting Donald Trump for my birthday, Maher told The Daily Beast by phone this week. I keep saying, God, what did I do? And then I remember: Yeah, made fun of you for the last 25 years on TV.

The last time we saw Maher on Real Time, it was three days after Trumps surprise victory over Hillary Clinton, and the host was seemingly surrendering to our new orange overlord.

He won. He ran a vicious, vulgar campaign and I gave it back exactly in measureI was also vicious and vulgarbut he won, Maher said to groans from his studio audience. And he did it his way. Nobody gets to sing that song more than Donald Trump. Everybody told him he couldnt do this, he couldnt do thatand he won. He did the hardest thing in the entire world to do: Win the election as the leader of the free world.

Maher stands by that statement, despite what certain members of Congress have said about the legitimacy of Trumps win in recent days. But that doesnt mean he thinks Trump is a legitimate president.

I dont think hes legitimate, Maher says now. But I dont think it does any good to harp on that because he is the president and you only get one at a time. No amount of protesting or complaining is going to change that.

That being said, Maher has enormous concerns about where Trumps loyalties lie, and was one of the first commentators to highlight the bizarre lovefest between the president-elect and Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was in July of last year that Maher called Trump the voice of treason for calling on Russia to hack Hillary Clintons emails.

I dont want to say hes a Russian agent, but he certainly is more loyal to Vladimir Putin than he is to the loyal opposition of America, Maher says. I dont want to say for sure that theres some tape that Vladimir Putin has of him doing something in a hotel room with a hooker, but he sure acts exactly like a man would if you had a blackmail tape on him.

It took eight years and a petition signed by more than 320,000 people to convince President Obama to appear on his show, so hes not holding his breath for an appearance by President Trump. Maher invited Trump to be his guest on his post-election show in November, but the president-elect declined.

Echoing comments made by Jimmy Kimmel this week regarding other hosts who claim they might ban the president from their showsas Seth Meyers jokingly did early last yearMaher says that President Trump is absolutely welcome to come on Real Time whenever he wants. Of course, hes the president, he adds. But unlike some other late-night hosts, Maher says he would never let Trump use him to further his agenda.

You have to treat him like a politician and not the celebrity that he once was and still is at heart, Maher adds. But if youre going to have the president on, no matter who the president is, you have to hold their feet to the fire.

Stay tuned for The Daily Beasts full interview with Bill Maher, which will run on Monday, January 23rd.
At his inauguration, President Donald J. Trump made it clear: Hes going to govern the way he campaigned: combative, divisive and bare-knuckled.

There was no direct appeal to those who didnt vote for him; but plenty of sneering at the establishment which opposed his election.

Although he swore his presidential oath on the Lincoln Bible, Trumps subsequent speech hardly sounded Lincoln-esque. He spoke darkly of American carnage a plague he promised to soon alleviate. Trump reportedly reviewed President Reagans address while crafting his speech, but there was hardly a glimmer of the optimism much less a shining city on a hill.

For too many Americans, Trump said, the country was a reality in which poverty defines inner cities, manufacturing is dead, education is flush with cash, but leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge, and features crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives.

From this moment on, its going to be America First, Trump declared during his inaugural address.

Even this line showed the deep divisions present with the Republican Party.

Part of it was a base speech, keeping his themes consistent, thanking the people who got him here, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham told The Daily Beast. America First, as describedI dont know what it means. We will see if America First is 1930s American isolationism, the world is going to continue to deteriorate.

The people who got him here were also front and centerfrom donors to fringe supporters.

Paula White, a bombastic and controversial televangelist, opened the ceremony in prayer.

Now bind and heal our wounds and divisions, and join our nation to your purpose, she said.

View The Trump Inauguration Photos

Let these United States of America be that beacon of hope to all people and nations under your dominion, a true hope for humankind.

White preaches whats called the Prosperity Gospel, which teaches that material wealth is a sign of Gods favor and that the way to get that wealth is by giving money to pastors who preach about it.

White drew scrutiny from the Senatealong with other deep-pocketed televangelistsfor the way she raises significant sums of money through her TV ministry. The inquiry didnt ultimately find any evidence of wrongdoing, but generated scathing criticism for her.

Also present was Rebekah Mercer, now one of the most powerful non-elected figures on the right. The reclusive daughter of hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer sported large dark glasses and entered on an upper dais near where Senators were seated.

Shes a close, long-time associate of Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon and presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway, and a top donor to Trump and the groups who supported his campaign.

Joseph Farah, editor-in-chief of the right-wing conspiracy website WorldNetDaily, was also in attendance at the inauguration, sitting a prime spot just behind the first section of seats.

Farahs website played a significant role in questioning the legitimacy of President Obama, and peddled so-called birther claims against the now-former president. He bragged that high level people in the Trump administration helped him score the tickets for him and his wife, but declined to reveal the names of his contacts.

Farah brushed aside Donald Trumps repudiation of his birther claims last year during the presidential campaign, saying the issue isnt worth litigating anymore because Obama was on his way out. But he suggested, still, that there were questions about whether Obamas birth certificate was in fact real. Farah rejected the birther label, saying instead that his websites claims about Obama amounted simply to questioning his eligibility to be president.

Farah said this was the first inauguration in his lifetime for which he feels genuinely happy.

But while Trumps team will bring an entirely different set of personalities to power in Washington, on Friday it was all about tradition. After the inaugural address, President Trump escorted President Obama to the east side of the Capitol, where Obama flew off in a helicopter as Trump signed his first executive orders as president.

Trump then passed under the elegant Capitol rotunda to participate in his first meal as president, with an honor guard standing by as familiar allies entered Statuary Hall for a traditional post-inauguration lunch: Rudy Giuliani strolled in, billionaire Sheldon Adelson scooted by in wheelchair, and members of his cabinet walked briskly in.

The transfer of power had been completed. And Republicans, for their part, welcome the change.

He was very blunt about where we have been, and whats going to change, Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe told The Daily Beast.

Nor did Trump sound chastened by his low approval ratings, among the lowest for incoming presidents in modern times.

This isnt about approval ratings, said Republican Sen. John Barrasso. This is about getting the job done It was an excellent speech, talks about making America great again talks about people pulling in the same direction. I thought it was a very inclusive speech.

As the lunch began, Reince Priebus, the new White House chief of staff walked by. Was he ready to assume his formidable role as the top aide to the worlds most powerful man?

Priebus gave a thumbs up.

All the way, he said.

Contributing: Andrew Desiderio
El Chapo has finally been brought down to size.

Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, whose Spanish nickname means Shorty, once ran a drug cartel as big as a country. On Friday, he reduced to standing in a federal courtroom. The Brooklyn chamber was packed with spectators spilling into overflow rooms to watch live the arraignment of the worlds big drug dealer.

There was no mustache to hide his dour countenance as Judge James Orenstein read a 17-count indictment to him. Orenstein explained Chapos rights point by point, and asked multiple times if Chapo understood the charges against him.

Si, senor, Guzman responded to the judge when he wasnt speaking through an interpreter.

The leader of the Sinaloa Cartel is accused by federal law enforcement of running the largest drug trafficking organization in the world that includes thousands of members. In 2014, Guzman escaped from a Mexican prison supposedly through a tunnel dug straight into his shower. Awaiting him on the outside was practically his own government.

After this escape, Guzman fled to the mountains surrounding Culican, a city in his home state of Sinaloa, prosecutors wrote in a complaint. To thwart law enforcement efforts to recapture him, he created an army of hundreds of heavily-armed body guards and fortified his hideaways with military-grade weapons. Guzman also established a complex communications network to allow him to speak covertly with his growing empire without law enforcement detection including the use of encrypted networks.

It was paid for by astronomical amounts of cocaine.

All told, the violations set forth in the indictment incorporate 200 metric tonsor 200,000 kilogramsof cocaine that was seized by law enforcement and tied to Guzman and the Sinaloa Cartel, a detention memo filed along with Guzmans indictment stated.

Some of the cocaine came to the United States via submarine, prosecutors say, and billions of dollars in profit were transported back to Mexico in vehicles with hidden compartments and through other clandestine means.

Chapo is charged with continuing criminal enterprise, firearms, money laundering, and multiple drug conspiracy and distribution counts.

Prosecutors said they expect to use physical evidence and numerous cooperating witnessesincluding leaders of Colombian drug cartelsto put Chapo away.

The complex case will be jointly tried by Floridas Southern District and the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn federal courthouse. Chapo was represented in court by Michelle Gelernt and Michael Schneider of the Federal Defenders of New York, and the case has been assigned to Judge Brian M. Cogan.

Gelernt entered a plea of not guilty on all 17 counts on Guzmans behalf. She did not request bail, but the other attorney, Schneider, suggested that there may be an issue on the charges he was extradited on. He didnt clarify what the concern might be.

Guzman was extradited to the U.S. one day before Donald Trump was sworn in as president, after the end of legal battles between Guzman and the Mexican government to keep him from facing justice north of the border.

Part of the reason its believed Guzman was sent to the U.S. is because he has escaped Mexican prisons three times: in 1993, again in 2001, and most infamously in 2014.

Chapo is charged alongside Ismael Zambada Garcia, also known as El Mayo, a fellow Sinaloa leader who remains at large.

Although the complaint alleges that Sinaloa hitmen carried out hundreds of acts of violence, including killings, at the behest of Guzman and Garcia, neither were charged with murder.
One of the most annoying yet enduring stereotypes about women, often perpetuated by men, is that we never quite outgrow the mean girls cliquishness that defines our childhoods. The thinking goes that we simply replace spats about who can sit at which table in the cafeteria (and with whom) with insults about a professional rivals appearance, or worse, her parenting skills. But this week we got a powerful reminder that men dont have to lift a finger to reinforce negative stereotypes about women or to divide us. Were great at doing that ourselves.

This week marks two major events: the inauguration of Donald Trump, and a major Womens March comprised of hundreds of thousands of women (and men who support women) taking to the streets of Washington D.C. and other major cities to make sure the voices of women are heard loud and clear at the start of this new administration. According to my friends and acquaintances participating in the various marches they want to voice their displeasure with the incoming presidents political agenda, which may be harmful to women, and with his behavior and rhetoric, which includes a track record of demeaning women.

They want to make sure the president  and the world  knows that the eyes of women are watching and will be holding him accountable. But recently the organizers of the March announced that one group of women would not be welcome as partners, despite wanting to participate. The reason? This group of women does not support abortion rights. To be more accurate, the real reason is that some self-described feminists on social media decried the inclusion of New Wave Feminists, arguing that feminism does not include women who do not support abortion.

According to Merriam Webster there are two definitions of feminism: the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes. The other definition: organized activity on behalf of womens rights and interests.

Based on that second definition alone and the fact that they wanted to join a March in solidarity with other women for womens interests, New Wave Feminists should be allowed to sit with the other feminists in the cafeteria, or in this case to march with them. But even based on the other definition, no self-respecting woman who genuinely cares about seeing the lives of women and girls improve over the next four years could justify excluding them.

Here are the reasons why. For starters, based strictly on the numbers, the issue that most impacts women and girls  and that a majority of women care most about-- is not abortion. According to Pew, while abortion is deemed a very important voting issue by a majority of self-described liberal Democrats among female voters specifically, there were 11 issues (out of 14) that rated higher in importance among women than abortion during the 2016 presidential election. Some of those issues included gun policy, racial injustice, immigration and education. Pews list didnt even include other more specific issues that certainly matter to women, such as affordable childcare, sexual assault, pay equity or contraception access. (Pew specifically asked about abortion but not other reproductive policy issues.)

When it comes to issues like contraception usage and access, there is a great deal of consensus among women, much more so than on the issue of abortion. While just 54% of women identify as pro-choice, according to Guttmacher, 99% of sexually active women have used contraception. To put these numbers in even greater context, a 2012 Gallup poll found that just 38% of Americans deemed abortion morally acceptable, yet 89% of Americans deemed birth control morally acceptable. Morality and the law are two fundamentally different issues. But, with Obamacare under attack, it is very possible that it will soon become harder for many women to afford contraception should the mandate requiring birth control to be provided with no copay be reversed. In other words, an issue that affects most women and families, and that a majority of Americans agree on, is facing a very real and immediate threat under the new president.

Furthermore, incoming Vice President Mike Pence is an advocate of religious exemptions. While he generated extensive coverage for the impact the Religious Freedom Restoration Act he signed into law in the state of Indiana may have on members of the LGBT community, there has been scant attention paid to the impact such laws can have on women. The Hobby Lobby case, in which the Supreme Court granted employers the right not to cover certain contraceptives for religious reasons, such as IUDs and the Plan B pill, was widely covered and seen as a setback for proponents of contraception access. But much more alarming is the possibility that we could start seeing cases in which more doctors and pharmacists feel emboldened to decline to prescribe a woman birth control due to their own religious objections, say over the fact that the woman is unmarried.

There are other issues that also disproportionately affect women that remain troubling question marks in the age of a Trump presidency. There is a very real fear among survivors of sexual assault, and activists, that the new administration will not be as vigilant in holding colleges and universities accountable as the Obama administration has been. Trumps own track record in bragging about manhandling women certainly does not inspire confidence. In fact among many women it inspired disgust. Not all of those women are Democrats and not all of those women support abortion rights. But some of those women wanted to send a message to the incoming president just as much as their progressive sisters do. Yet those women were just sent a message that if they dont support abortion rightsthey cant sit at the cool kids table.

The truth is, right now progressive women actually need conservative women much more than conservative women need them. With Republicans controlling the White House, the House, the Senate, and soon the Supreme Court, progressive women need as many allies as possible, not just the ones who agree with them on every single issue. And with an incoming Commander-in-Chief who has proven that he sees women alternately as sexual objects or verbal punching bags, now more than ever is the time women should be working together, not against each other, in order to make the best of the next four years, and to try to ensure a brighter, safer, future for our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our nieces and our friends.

Even if we dont always agree with them.
On Jan. 21, 2017, women from across the country are descending upon Washington, D.C., to march down to the U.S. Capitol in protest of the incoming administration. What started as a small Facebook post from a grandmother in Hawaii has expanded into a massive, grassroots-driven protest and rally with big-name speakers including Gloria Steinem, Janet Mock, and Van Jones. We asked women to share with us why they are marching, and they delivered. Here are some of their incredible stories and messages.

Video by Sara Sayed, Alex Brook Lynn and Daniel Sircar

Im indescribably frightened by the direction of this country post-election, especially as an Jewish Ecuadorian-American and as a queer person. However, I dont want my younger cousins to look up to me and see paralyzing fear, I want them to see action and standing up for whats right. Jenny, 23, FL

I come from a family of Mexican immigrants. My grandma dropped out of school in eighth grade to help support the family (she is the oldest of 9), and at 17 had her first child. Too many strong women in my family who didnt have the opportunity for education fought so hard so that I could go to school and complete my Ph.D. for me to sit aside and watch the rights they fought for be in jeopardy with a new Congress and administration. Emily, 26, GA

Im marching as a woman, a Muslim, and a human-rights lawyer. As a woman, Im participating in the march to send an unequivocal message to the administration that I refuse for my younger friends, cousins, and eventually daughters and granddaughters to be raised in an America where it is acceptable for men to partake in sexual assault and become the most powerful individuals in the country. As a Muslim, Im participating in the march to proudly identify with my community, stand against purported measures of discrimination promised by this administration, whether through a Muslim registry or through the historically-racist comments of likely-Cabinet officials. As a human-rights lawyer, Im participating in the march to uphold and honor the right to freedom of assembly and expression, to ensure that everyone around me feels safe to exercise these rights, and to guarantee that America does not backslide into authoritarianism like many of the countries I spend my days working to challenge. Mai, 27, born in Egypt, raised in the U.S.

As a 16-year-old who is unable to vote, I have decided to stand up and make my voice heard through peaceful public protest As a young woman with a great deal of educational, racial, and economic privilege, I am protesting not just for myself, but to show my support for those less privileged than I am, who need to work and cannot protest, or who would not feel safe doing so Until recently, I felt that I must wait to grow up so as to make a change in my country. With the election of Trump, I am persuaded that there is no better time than now to stand up for what I believe to be right. This march is just the sort of opportunity I plan to seize so as to fight for the country that I would like to live in as an adult. Edie, 16, NY

I am the parent of a transgender son and know the horrors of repealing the ACA. Jill, 54

Im disabled. I have spinal injuries that keep me close to home My sister, who also has spinal injuries, and I will be marching locally. We march for equal access to healthcare. For the right to make our own medical decisions without political interference. I am marching so that I can still HAVE medical care when I need it Im marching for Black Lives, LGBTQ+, and Native lives. I am marching because our democracy no longer represents the people of this country. Our voices no longer matter in the process. And THAT. MUST. CHANGE. Melinda, 33, TN

As a liberal, a woman, and a queer person, Im terrified and angry about how this presidency will affect me and everyone I love. The worldand historyneed to know that we didnt sit idly by and let this happen. This protest is a statement that the majority of Americans do not stand with this man, and a way to show other people who might be feeling the same way I do that we are not alone. We might not be able to stop this shameful day from happening, but we can at least make our voices heard. Jenna, 32, NY

I am marching in solidarity with all those who are marginalized, mistreated, and are fearful of the Trump administration and the harm it will bring. I march because, as a woman, I am one of those who is in fear. I march because there is nothing quite like being in a space with hundreds of thousands of other people who believe in the same things as you. Maeghan, 31, FL

My mother, a lifelong liberal, told me this is the first time shes ever felt truly hopeless. Thanks, Trump. My mom is the nicest person youll ever meet, and hes taken away some of her positivity Im angry and sad, and I need this march. WE need it. Kelsey, 30, NY

I will be marching to vent my anger and sorrow at losing my 25-year-old middle son to suicide by gun in April 2012 I march to raise awareness that suicide is preventable, and that all states should have gun violence restraining orders. Dorothy, 60, MD

My sister-in-law has a similar disability to the reporter, Mr. Foley, that Trump mocked on national TV for having a disability. My husband and I were appalled. She, Heather, cant speak for herself, so my husband and I are both going to be vocal for her. Cathy, 57

I am marching because my dad and other family members fought for my right to do so and I see this presidency, this time in history, as my generations civil-rights movement. Chelsea, 33, MD

I have an 18-year-old daughter who voted in her first election last year and is appalled, as am I, by the outcome Almost every woman I know has been subjected to at least one intimate relationship with a man like Trump. It is devastating to realize my daughter may have to contend with a country and political class that treats her, and all other minorities, as a controlling, abusive partner would. Cynthia, 50, MD

For the first time in my life I believe I have to take a literal and public stand for the things I believe in and my deeply held value of compassion. While previous administrations may not have also supported those values Ive never felt my actual way of life threatened before. I will not sit idly by. Alise, 41, VA

I cant go to [the] March but I contributed $. Judy, 90 years young, FL

This march seems like a powerful way to give voice to all the concerns I have about how a Trump presidency will affect womens rights. Also, Im going with my grandmother, which is pretty cool. Madison, 19, CA

I cant stand by and watch the clock get turned back on womens rights and civil rights. I have never done anything like this before and feel compelled to stand up for all of our rights. Judy, 66, CA

I march for my 13-year-old daughters The next generation coming up is tolerant and open-minded, and will remember what happened before they were old enough to vote when they finally are able to vote. I want Congress, and Trump, to see that. Jean, NJ

Women of this country have a voice. We are strong and we matter. We outnumber men and wont be shamed or humiliated into silence. I do not want to tell my future children that I did not stand up against discrimination and demagoguery at this crucial moment. Kate, 25, NY

Im marching because I have to. I thought my mom took care of this shit in the 70s, but I was wrong. Stacy, 32, WY

I am looking so very forward to connecting with a larger community of people who have the same ideals and values as I do. Because while I do believe that one person can make a difference, I know that together we are stronger. Cristyn, 30, MI

I am marching against bigotry, racism, sexism, and intolerance. Im walking for Planned Parenthood! I want to show the Trump camp that we are a diverse, beautiful nation who wont sit on the sidelines! Susan, 28, KY

One, as a show of force to the incoming President that he will be held accountable. Two, to learn from other people marching. Lindsey, 33, Washington, D.C.

Im marching to be a part of something that is bigger than me alone and Im hoping even my little piece will help make a larger impact. And selfishly, Im marching because I need to see something that will help restore some of my faith. Kelly, 36, MO

Data is easy to ignore or twist It is harder to ignore the people behind the data when they stand up and demand to be heard. It is important to show up in personnot just petitions and phone callsbut SHOW UP and demand to be heard. Heather, 53, NJ

As a mother with a daughter, I cannot stand idly by as womens rights are being challenged. I was appalled that so many people voted for a man who boasted about sexual assault. To me, this is an indication that if we do not stand up together sexual assault will, again, be acceptable locker room banter. Tiffany, 36, VA

For my daughters and any daughters they might have. Angela, 60, AR

Video reporting by Sara Sayed, Alex Brook Lynn, and Daniel Sircar.
A day of surreal optics, as the phrase goes, where every expression is parsed and gifd instantaneously is necessarily a day about one wearsbecause what can speak louder in a day of powerful and symbolic imagery than what one is wearing and how one is wearing it?

Then there is the rain, which can screw everything up.

And so it was on Inauguration Day that the powerful engaged in a silent game of sartorial semiotics: the smiles and chitter-chatter of small-talk in smart suits and dresses concealing unbridgeable ideological and cultural differences, and the rancor of political battlewhich, in an appropriately angry and apparently endless red tie, Donald Trump immediately ratcheted up in his angry, dystopian inauguration speech.

If the commentators found themselves enraptured by Melania Trump wearing a powder-blue cashmere dress and matching bolero jacket by Ralph Lauren, which lookedas has been widely agreedvery Jackie O, circa JFKs 1961 inauguration, Michelle Obamas much simpler burgundy dress and coat held their own meaning.

Mrs. Trumps dress, which she wore with her hair up, moving with the same exacting grace as pop-cultures most gracious puppet, Lady Penelope on Thunderbirds, was a dress that spoke of emphatic arrival and the assumption of power.

It was a softly tailored suit of armor; the most feminine exemplar of power dressing, which Jackie Kennedy invented.

If she is the style gold standard any First Lady must live in the shadow of, if not actively aspire to emulate, Mrs. Trump, who herself has spoken admiringly of Mrs. Kennedy, completed the look with retro, luxe-looking gloves.

In so doing, Melania Trump transmits a meaningful message about the kind of First Lady she wants to be: stylish, iconic, a fashion plate, a First Lady synonymous with grace.

But Mrs. Kennedys iconography is inextricably tied up with the iconography of Camelot and a certain period of American idealism and youthand, as of yet at least, her husbands White House does not stand for that. (See the movie Jackie, which makes the case that Jackie herself calculatingly and determinedly originated the Camelot legend.)

The White House website, freshly scrubbed of its record on LGBT rights, climate change, and civil rights, now includes mention of Melanias QVC jewelry range.

Up until the inauguration, the world of fashion had been split on the issue of dressing Mrs. Trump.

Given her husbands oratory towards minorities and women, and fears that LGBT equality will be under fire in his administration, many designers refused to dress her in protest.

In dressing Mrs. Trump on inauguration day, Ralph Lauren became the highest-profile designer to dress the new First Lady.

A spokesman for the designer said: The presidential inauguration is a time for the United States to look our best to the world. It was important to us to uphold and celebrate the tradition of creating iconic American style for this moment.

Mrs. Trump has also worn Norisol Ferrari and Reem Acra at inauguration events; and, as The New York Times reported, Karl Lagerfeld has reportedly designed her gowns for the inauguration balls. All shall be revealed tonight.

Lauren immediately faced protest on social media from those decrying his decision to dress Mr. Trumps wife, and it will be fascinating to see two thingsif those protests have any financial effect on him and other designers who dress Mrs. Trump, and if other designers are emboldened by Lauren to court her.

Lauren had his very own ace up a perfectly tailored sleeve: he had also designed the white trouser suit worn by Hillary Clinton. (The designer has a bipartisan history, dressing former First Ladies from Nancy Reagan and Laura Bush to Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama).

Michelle Obamas dressa belted short-sleeve maroon dress by Jason Wuwas significant in its own way. For one, it spoke of the intersection of comfort and loyaltyWu designed Mrs. Obamas inaugural gown in 2009, and also the navy dress she wore to President Obamas farewell address in Chicagoand for the other it spoke of a person at ease with herself.

The contrast between the stiff power dressing of Melania Trump and the ease and informality of Michelle Obama was crystallized in their fashion choices. Mrs. Obamas dress was a graceful farewell to dressing the part, whereas Melania Trumps was a klaxon for the kind of unashamed Dynasty glamor she will bring to the White House. (To echo the color of her dress, Mrs. Trump bought the Obamas a gift from Tiffanys, next door to Trump Tower, and now the subject of a New York Times investigation.)

As for her husband, Trumps speechwith its apocalyptic and fearful visions of inner cities falling apart, and American carnagecame with, appositely enough, a blood-red tie that never seemed to end.

A simple appointment with a tailor might resolve Trumps tie-tying issues, even if he will never be able to wear a suit with such sprucely confidence as Barack Obama.

The outgoing POTUS was, as ever, perfectly attired in slim suit and perfectly knotted and placed blue tie. In contrast, Trump glowered, and loomed over proceedings in a large overcoat. His clothes and demeanor added to the sense of his anger contrasted to his predecessors quieter optimism and faith, and he nervously patted his wild, strangely styled hair down, presumably fearing the potentially devastating effects of rain droplets on his otherworldly coiffure. Would it start to spit or steam? Or melt or fly off? That one fashion disaster was averted.

Elsewhere, power dressing covered both sides of the political aisle, with Hillary Clinton, Ivanka Trump, and Tiffany Trump all wearing head-to-toe white.

Given the colors association with the womens and suffragette movement (suffragists marched in white in the early 90s), Clintons cream-colored Ralph Lauren pantsuit and cashmere coat signaled solidarity with her feminist fans. Despite her crushing defeat, she looked as unflappable today as she did in the white suit when she accepted the Democratic nomination for president.

If the color amplified Clintons message on Inauguration Day, it looked pallid on Ivanka and Tiffany. Sure, Ivanka looked gorgeous in her ivory, asymmetrical-cut jacket and pants by Oscar de la Renta, but the strategic choice seemed as surface as her feminism. Ivankas white was glamorous and chic; Clintons was stately and magnanimous.

Tiffanys outfit seemed like an afterthought by comparison to the othersa blinding white coat paired with scuffed black ankle bootsas though she threw on the coat at the last minute, after receiving a tip about the colors historical context from a fashion consultant within the Trump administration.

We will follow two simple rules, President Trump said in his inaugural address, buy American and hire American.

In perhaps the most striking inauguration look, Trumps senior advisor Kellyanne Conway wore a festive red, white, and blue Gucci coat to the ceremony, a look that she nicknamed Trump Revolutionary Wear,though Twitter wondered if it was inspired by Paddington Bear or an American Girl doll, or perhaps Napoleon.
It is, without question, the worlds premier showcase for independent cinemaone thats hosted the feature filmmaking debuts of the Coen brothers, Quentin Tarantino, Richard Linklater, Darren Aronofsky, and many more of Americas best and brightest. And each year, upwards of 50,000 people don their best Dumb and Dumber mountain chic duds and pour into Park City, Utah, to celebrate the Sundance Film Festival. The fest was founded by the dashing Robert Redford, named after his iconic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid character, and has blessed us with films like The Usual Suspects, Man on Wire, Whiplash, the list goes on. The talk of last years fest was Birth of a Nation, which was acquired for a record $17.5 million before collapsing under heavy scrutiny concerning star/director Nate Parkers dark past, and Kenneth Lonergans quietly devastating drama Manchester by the Sea (which did not). Here are this years hottest contenders for next big thing.

THE DISCOVERY

Filmmaker Charlie McDowell helmed one of Sundances most surprising films in 2014 with The One I Love, a masterful psychological pas de deux between stars Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass. He returns this year with another sci-fi entry starring Robert Redford as Dr. Thomas Harbor, a physicist who discovers proof of an afterlife, sending his estranged son (Jason Segel) and a fetching stranger (Rooney Mara) down mysterious, potentially grim paths.

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino became a household name with his 2010 satire of the Italian haute bourgeoisie, I am Love, and cemented his status with last years twisty black comedy A Bigger Splash. His follow-up follows Ello Perlman (Timothee Chalamet), a 17-year-old summering at his fathers lavish villa in 1983 northern Italy, who falls for a 24-year-old American doctorate student (Armie Hammer). The film raised eyebrows when Sony Pictures Classics acquired it for a hefty $6 million prior to its fest debut.

AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER

Climate change is the central theme of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, and, given that President-elect Donald Trump recently appointed a climate change denier head of the EPA and a former Exxon exec as Secretary of State, the stakes couldnt be higher. Enter Al Gore, the original Electoral College hater who became the face of combatting climate change with his 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth. He returns with this sequel from filmmakers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk (Audrie & Daisy) about how close we are to an energy revolution, and how dire the situation is.

THE YELLOW BIRDS

Remember when Jennifer Aniston got all that Oscar buzz for Cake a couple of years back? That was a bit much, but here, as the tortured mother of a young soldier (Tye Sheridan) who goes missing in Iraq, she may find herself in the mix for all the right reasons. The film stars Alden Ehrenreich, aka the next Han Solo, as the young mans fellow soldier and best pal who may harbor the secret to his disappearance in Iraq, as well as Boardwalk Empires Jack Huston as the duos hotheaded sergeant.

MANIFESTO

German video artist Julian Rosefeldts latest boundary-defying project features the boundless, Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett portraying 13 different charactersfrom housewife to factory workerdelivering the artistic manifestos of some of the worlds most groundbreaking creators. In other words, its Cate freaking Blanchett going full Orphan Black in the name of artistic appreciation, embodying over a dozen characters and spirits. Dont tell me thats not worth the price of admission.

TIME: THE KALIEF BROWDER STORY

In May 2010, a 16-year-old African-American kid by the name of Kalief Browder was arrested on the false charge of stealing a backpack, and proceeded to spend three years without trial on Rikers Island. There, with much of his time done in solitary confinement, he made several attempts on his own life. Following his release, Browder committed suicidedue, many believe, to the psychological traumas he faced while locked up. This six-part TV series, executive produced by Jay Z and premiering on Spike TV later this year, examines the tragic case of Browder and our broken criminal justice system.

WILSON

Filmmaker Craig Johnson made a huge splash at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival with his tragicomic sophomore feature, The Skeleton Twins. Hes back with this Fox Searchlight-distributed comedy about a wildly eccentric, slightly unhinged middle-aged loner (Woody Harrelson) who finds it in himself to reconnect with his estranged wife (Laura Dern) and finally meet their teenage daughter. The film also stars Judy Greer, Margo Martindale, and Cheryl Hines.

DAYVEON

The debut feature of writer-director Amman Abbasi, whos found himself on a number of filmmakers to watch lists, tells the story of Dayveon (Devin Blackmon), a 13-year-old boy in a severely poor Arkansas town who is torn between a local gang and an insightful father-figure following his big brothers murder. The film is executive produced by James Schamus and David Gordon Green, and is said to contain echoes of Greens stunning debut George Washington.

LANDLINE

The filmmaker-actor team of Gillian Robespierre and Jenny Slate worked wonders in their 2014 Sundance entry Obvious Child, an affectionate and oft-hilarious comedy about a woman who decides to have an abortion. Their follow-up provides considerable more star power. Set in 1995 New York (nostalgia!), it focuses on two rebellious young women who discover that their father (John Turturro) is cheating on their mother (Edie Falco). In addition to Slate, the film also stars Finn Wittrock, Jay Duplass, and Abbi Quinn.

MUDBOUND

Filmmaker Dee Reess 2011 saga Pariah was a Sundance smash, cementing her status as one of the most exciting young American filmmakers out there. She returns to Utah with this awards bait period drama set in 1946 and starring Carey Mulligan as a young, big-city wife who moves to a cotton farm in rural Mississippi with her older husband (Jason Clarke). There, shes turned off by the racism and bigotry she encounters from her racist father-in-law (Jonathan Banks). But hope soon arrives in her husbands younger brother Jamie (Garrett Hedlund) and his pal Ronsel (Jason Mitchell), two World War II veterans who work on the farm and challenge its racist system.

A GHOST STORY

Writer-director David Lowery thrilled Sundance audiences with his lyrical outlaw drama Aint Them Bodies Saints at the 2013 fest, and here, hes reunited with that films stars Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara for a made-in-secret movie about a fallen man (Affleck) who watches over his wife (Mara) as she struggles to cope with his passingwhile wearing a white sheet, no less.

MARJORIE PRIME

Charlie McDowells The Discovery isnt the only sci-fi entry heating up the slopes, theres also this feature from filmmaker Michael Almereyda (Experimenter) about an 86-year-old woman (Lois Smith) whos chosen to spend her final days recreating cherished memories with a computerized version of her dead husband (Jon Hamm). The intriguing film also stars Geena Davis and Tim Robbins.

GOLDEN EXITS

Filmmaker Alex Ross Perry spent three years working at the renowned Kims Video Store in Manhattans East Village before seguing into directing. His third feature, Listen Up Phillip, garnered rave reviewsand quite a few Woody Allen comparisonswhen it debuted at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. His latest centers on a twenty-something Australian woman (Emily Browning) who arrives to help Nick (the Beastie Boys Adam Horovitz) with an archival projectonly to cause chaos within the families of Nick and Buddy (Jason Schwartzman), a music producer. The film also stars Chloe Sevigny, Lily Rabe, and Mary-Louise Parker.

THE BIG SICK

Michael Showalters last film was the lovelyand criminally overlookedcomedy Hello, My Name Is Doris, starring the wonderful Sally Field. Here, he directs a screenplay by the real-life couple Kumail Nanjiani (of Silicon Valley fame) and Emily V. Gordon (here played by Zoe Kazan) about the trials and tribulations of their cross-cultural courtship (he is Pakistani-born, and she is a white American). The film is produced by comedy kingmaker Judd Apatow, and also features the acting talents of Holly Hunter and Ray Romano.

NOBODY SPEAK: HULK HOGAN, GAWKER, and TRIALS OF A FREE PRESS

The media worlds jaw collectively dropped when it was revealed that billionaire Peter Thiel, a Trump supporter and member of his transition team, had secretly funded a series of lawsuits with the aim of taking down Gawker Media and its army of bloggers. In March 2016, he got his wish when a jury awarded Hulk Hogan a $140 million judgment against Gawker for posting his sex tape online (he eventually settled for $31 millionafter Gawker declared bankruptcy). This documentary raises interesting questions about freedom of the press, which will face perhaps its biggest threat yet in President-elect Trump.
Many have threatened it, but Gary Belis is doing it. The 64 year-old New Yorker is leaving the country now that Donald Trump is president.

At the very moment Trump raises his hand to be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, Belis will be international air space, on a one-way ticket to New Zealand to start a new chapter in his life. Unlike snowy New York, it will be summer in New Zealand, but Belis said he chose his destination for its location alone.

It is as far away as I can get from Donald Trump, he said. His departure date of January 19th, the day before the inauguration, wasnt a coincidence, either. I do not want to be here for one minute of his presidency. After Belis flight crosses the International Date Line, he will land in New Zealand on Saturday, January 21st. I literally will have erased January 20th from my life.

In a way, Belis carefully choreographed ex-pat journey began nearly 30 years ago, when he wrote a review of Trumps book, The Art of the Deal, for Fortune Magazine when he worked as a publicist there. Trump fired off a letter to the magazine describing Belis stupidity and deep seated prejudice in great detail. Trump demanded that Belis be fired, which he wasnt, and said the magazines slim size that month could only be the result of a terrible publicist.

The letter has been on my wall for 30 years, it is a badge of honor, Belis said.

Belis, who is a Democrat and Hillary Clinton supporter, said the Trump that campaigned for president in 2016 was the same man who wrote that letter  thin-skinned, vindictive, and eerily in tune with about half of America.

In September of 2016, as Belis prepared to go to North Carolina to volunteer for the Democrats, he added an escape clause into a lease for a summer rental in 2017. Theres just one last thing," he told his realtor. "If Donald Trump is elected president, then this contract is null and void and I get my deposit back. Belis said he and his realtor had a good laugh, but the escape clause was added and he exercised it shortly after Election Day.

There is something going on in the American political system that I find repugnant and Im not sure I want to stick around to see how much further it goes, he said.

Belis wasnt the only American apparently interested in leaving the country after Trumps victory. On Election Night, Google searches in the United State spiked for move to Canada, move to Australia, and move to New Zealand. The Canadian immigration website crashed as incoming traffic overwhelmed it.

Rob Calabrese, in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, said he was flooded with inquiries from the U.S. after he launched the CBIfDonaldTrumpWins.com website to encourage Americans to head North to the small island if Trump won the election. Of the people who choose to give me a reason for asking, a lot of people site Donald Trump specifically, Calabrese said. Or else the general direction the country is going in.

Calabrese said he wasnt aware of any Americans moving to Cape Breton since the election, but he mostly chalked that up to Canadas immigration requirements, which he called arduous. He added that the island has tremendous opportunities for anyone who goes there, though.

Like Calabrese, Cleveland realtor Al Stesek used the election anxiety to market his services. He bought a billboard by the highway that said, Leaving the country if Trump or Hillary wins? Well get your house sold! Stesek said he hasnt heard of anyone really leaving the country, either, but he calls the billboard a home run smash hit after having his best year on record.

It was worth every penny and then some, he said. And Im going to give all the credit to Trump, since he is a real estate broker.

For the one guy who really did leave the country, Gary Belis said the response from most of his friends has be Gee I wish I could do it, too, he said.

For now, his only plans include a cruise, which he describes as a tasting menu, and at least six months of seeing where the south wind takes him. By then, I will either have done my sulking and say its time to come back and join the fight, or it will be like Casablanca, he said. Just like Humphrey Bogart, Im kind of disillusioned. Hes purchased the domain GaryInExile.com just in case he stays a while.

Ironically, the one thing that could bring Belis back to the states sooner rather than later is Medicare, which does not apply outside of the U.S., but apparently does apply in nearby American Samoa. Luckily for Belis, though, Trump has promised not to touch Medicare in his presidency.

Just like the rest of us, Belis cant predict how Trumps first 100 days will go.

I'll be interested in reading about it from the others side of the world. But the one thing that wont change is his citizenship. I'll be an ex-pat, he said. But I was born an American and will die an American.
TIJUANA, Mexico  Notorious drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman Loera will finally appear before a U.S. judge this Friday, as Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

Guzman was extradited Thursday to face criminal charges in connection with his leadership of the Mexican organized-crime syndicate known as the Sinaloa Cartel, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. He faces six separate indictments in the U.S. in multiple jurisdictions, including New York, San Diego, and Miami.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of the kingpin in Ciudad Juarezacross the border from El Paso, Texason Thursday, in time to go before a Brooklyn judge on Inauguration Day. His transfer to the courthouse will briefly shut down the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday.

Guzman, who is accused drug trafficking, money laundering, and murder, had exhausted all appeals against extradition in Mexico. But his lawyers complained they were not notified of the impending extradition and were caught completely off-guard. One Chapo lawyer, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, said in an interview with Mexican TV journalist Carlos Loret de Mola that the timing of the extradition was totally political.

Prominent Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope called the extradition the end of an era, and said he believed the timing of the transferon the eve of Trumps inaugurationwas meant to not give Trump an early victory with Chapos extradition.

Many international news outlets speculated as much, with some claiming the extradition was meant as a gesture of goodwill for the outgoing Obama administration. Others speculated it would serve as an olive branch for incoming President Donald Trump, whose election has crippled the Mexican peso and created much uncertainty for the Mexican economy.

In January of last year, Mexicos then-attorney general, Jesus Murillo Karam, claimed the drug kingpin would not ever set foot on U.S. soil. El Chapo has to stay [in Mexico] to complete his sentence and then Ill extradite him, in about 300 or 400 years, Karam said at the time. It will be a while.

The transfer of custody this week has proved him wrong.

Most are celebrating the extradition as good news, as Mexico has thrice proven incapable of containing the cartel boss, who has become infamous for his elaborate escapes from federal custody.

Exactly 16 years before his extraditionon Jan. 19, 2001Guzman had his first jailbreak, escaping from the Puente Grande prison in Jalisco, allegedly by hiding in a laundry cart.

He had been sentenced to serve two decades in Mexican prison, following his arrest in Guatemala in 1993, which came just weeks after he gained notoriety for skirting a failed assassination attempt by Tijuanas Arellano Felix cartel, which left Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo dead at the Guadalajara airportin what was apparently a case of mistaken identity.

Following his first escape from prison, Guzman became Mexicos most wanted man as well as one of the most sought criminals in the U.S.

The Drug Enforcement Administration announced a $5 million reward in 2004 for information leading to the arrest of El Chapo, noting that he was wanted for vast criminal conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine in Southern California, after finding sophisticated ways to thwart the U.S. border in Baja California, smuggling drugs through underground tunnels or disguised as other goods.

After years on the run, he was almost captured by Mexican authorities in 2012 in Los Cabos, just one day after then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with prominent Mexican officials in the popular resort town.

After an intense manhunt, El Chapo was arrested in Mazatlan in 2014 once more. But the following year, Guzman managed to escape yet again from the Altiplano maximum-security prison in Mexico State. The government was forced to tell the country that Mexicos most wanted criminal was once again fugitive, after escaping from his cell through a mile-long tunnel leading out from the drain in his shower.

The embarrassment led to more than a dozen arrests among prison staff, and sparked yet another manhunt. But as the Mexican government threw resources and manpower toward capturing El Chapo, he seemed to always be just one step ahead, evading recapture on multiple occasions, until the search culminated in a shootout between cartel operatives and the Mexican navy in January of last year.

He was arrested for what will likely be the final time in Los Mochis, in his home state of Sinaloa, just months after embarrassing the Mexican government once more, by infamously meeting with Sean Penn and Mexican narco-drama actress Kate del Castillo while a fugitivein an encounter that Sean Penn floridly recounted for Rolling Stone magazine.

That careless meeting with Penn and the beautiful actress is believed to have been his final downfall.

His arrest led to an about-face for U.S. authorities, who were forced to admit that at least one weapon found among the cache in El Chapos safehouse had made it there via the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives failed program known as Operation Fast and Furious. The semi-automatic sniper rifle, capable of shooting down a helicopter, was linked directly back to the gun-running operation mishandled by the ATFs Phoenix division. Many other weapons linked to the disastrous operation have resurfaced in the hands of the Sinaloa cartel, but this was the first known to have made it all the way to the top of the hierarchy.

The Sinaloa cartel, today, dominates northwestern Mexico and the U.S. drug market, with the highest presence in the U.S. of any other Mexican drug trade organization, according to the DEA.

Now, Guzman will face justice in the U.S., but the significance is largely symbolic, as his arrest does little to cripple the powerful Sinaloa cartel, which continues to operate swiftly on both sides of the border.

But the curious timing of his extradition has left many to speculate what effect this will have on binational relations, which have hit a rough patch following Donald Trumps multiple controversial campaign speeches critical of Mexico and Mexicans, and promises to build a border wall, and block efforts to bring jobs to Mexico.

Guzmans day in Brooklyn federal court this Friday is set to steal a bit of the spotlight from the inauguration today of almost-President Donald Trump, who once tweeted of El Chapo that he would kick his ass, after reports that the Sinaloa cartel boss had tweeted that Trump is a racist and a misogynist.

Almost unbelievably, Trump has not yet tweeted about El Chapo landing in his backyard.
Sometimes protesters turn out to be the people who are right on target. During the inauguration this week, there are predictions of unprecedented numbers of protesters coming to Washington to state their strong opposition to the president-elect. The protesters want the world to know that Donald Trump does not represent the kinds of values they feel define the American citizenry and to warn that they see a real threat to the sanctity of our political institutions. With a major scandal looming over this transition revolving around Russian interference in the election and FBI Director James Comeys October surprise that derailed Hillary Clintons candidacy, the events that we are witnessing dont sit well. Congressman John Lewis, an icon of the civil rights movement, went further than most when he declared that Trump was not a legitimate president. Several legislators will join him in refusing to attend the ceremony on Friday.

President-elect Trump and his team will dismiss the protesters as malcontents and fringe groups who just cant accept that their candidate lost the election. With regards to Lewis, Trump blasted off a tweet-storm telling the legislator that he should pay more attention to his district, which he claims is in terrible shape. All talk, talk, talkno action or results Trump said of the congressman whose skull was fractured during the marches in Selma in 1965.

GALLERY: Protesters Clash with Police on Inauguration Day (PHOTOS)

Even as Trump continues to blast off angry tweets in what has become the most public of Enemies Lists, the Trump administration-to-be insists that the inauguration should be about national unity not discord. Given that he seems to be a big fan of Richard Nixon, Trump is likely to take a page from the former presidents playbook and use the protests as evidence that liberals dont believe in law and order.

But we should remember that sometimes the protesters are more perceptive than the general electorate about the threat that a president poses to the republic. Indeed, this was the case on Jan. 20, 1973, when Richard Nixon was sworn in for his second term. From the perspective of the time, it seemed that Nixon was on his way to become one of the most transformative presidents of the 20th century. Not only had he successfully opened relations with China and signed an arms agreement with the Soviet Union, but also he had won a massive re-election victory against George McGovern in 1972 that the pundits were comparing to Franklin Roosevelts election in 1936 or Lyndon Johnsons success in 1964. The editors of The New York Times said he was overwhelmingly elected and as a result all Americansincluding those who, like ourselves, vigorously opposed their reelectionrecognize that the President yesterday received an unchallengeable popular mandate and that the destiny of this country for the next four years is now, for better or worse, to a large and important extent in his hands.

Left-wing activists were not buying it. Nixon had promised that he would end the Vietnam War. The anti-war movement did not believe him. The anti-war movement decided to stage a major protest on the day of the inauguration to warn that world that Richard Nixon was a war criminal and that his administration could not be trusted. The security was the tightest in the history of inaugurations, with 8,000 Washington police and National Guardsmen, as well as 2,000 federal riot troops in place.

The night before Nixon was sworn in for a second term there were counter-inaugural ceremonies. At the Washington Episcopal Cathedral, the musician Leonard Bernstein organized a high-profile event, the Concert for Peace, to offer relief from the euphoria over Nixon. Up to 15,000 people crowded into the cathedral and the area right outside it in Northwest Washington to hear the concert. Senator Edward Kennedy and his wife Joan thrilled the crowd when they arrived to participate. Bernstein conducted Haydns Mass in Time of War.

On the day of the inauguration, an estimated 100,000 protesters came to the capital to gather at the Washington Monument as the media watched closely. The protesters centered on the Vietnam War and what they believed were Nixons false promises to end it. The posters and the chants reminded the nation about all the domestic programs that had suffered as a result of spending on the war. When Nixons motorcade emerged from the White House, the president and his staff could see banners out the car window that said, Impeach Nixon. The protesters were brutal in their depiction of Nixon. One put up a 10-foot-long rat with Nixons face on it, carrying a blood-stained doll in his mouth. Some wore pins that read: Nixon You Liar: Sign the Treaty. At one of the rallies, New York Democratic Congresswoman Bella Abzug garnered huge cheers when she proclaimed: Now, we have no intention of uniting around this president.

When Nixon took the oath of office, two demonstrators shouted out Killer, Killer, Killer! as Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger administered the oath. As Nixons motorcade drove down Pennsylvania Avenue after it was over, there were screams of Nixon, You Liar, Sign the Cease-fire as the president passed by in an open car. One held a sign that said Sieg Heil. One group chanted a song, Worried Man Blues, while others held a sign that said Cheer Up, Today is the Beginning of the End. Some threw oranges, apples, and tomatoes. Nixon dismissed the protesters, waving his V-sign at them as he passed by.

There were also protests in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles. Some 2,000 people marched from State Street and Wacker Drive in Chicago to walk through the loop despite a bitter wind calling on the president to end the war. There were even protests in other countries. Thousands gathered in Europe and Asia. Nixon fascist assassin, screamed students in front of the U.S. embassy in Pariss Place de la Concorde while about 300 students gathered at the U.S. embassy in Mexico to say the same. There were demonstrations in London, the Hague, Amsterdam, Marseilles, Stockholm, Zurich, Hong Kong, Japan, and West Germany.

While Nixon ignored the protesters and went on with his celebration, the outrage on display in the streets never disappeared. It turned out that the protesters were right about the general character and untrustworthiness of the administration. Although the war did end in 1975, because of the pressure that had come from the anti-war movement and the defeat of U.S. forces, there was another scandalWatergatethat blew up in the months that followed. The Watergate investigation in Congress and the media would reveal just how corrupt this administration had been and just how far Nixon was willing to go in abusing his power. When Nixon resigned from the presidency on Aug. 8, 1974, in one of the most dramatic and traumatic moments in American political history, the protesters at the inauguration seemed prescient.

There are many reasons today to be concerned about the Trump presidency. The concerns about Russian intervention in the election emanate from the findings of 17 intelligence agencies. There is little question that Russia mounted a major cyber-intervention in this campaign, and the connections between a number of high-profile members of Trumps campaign team and Putins allies have been well told. As Trump continued to advance an unusually zealous defense of Putinwhile condemning every other threat the U.S. facesconcerns mounted.

The issues involving Russia are only one area of concern. So is the very well-established record of Trumps expansive view of his own power and disregard for any institution or person who ever stands in his way. If there was ever a person who will stretch his authority as much as possible, its Trump. He is going after the news media with a level of aggression that we have not seen since Nixon, threatening and bullying any reporter or any outlet that raises questions about him.

GALLERY: The Scene at Donald Trumps Inauguration (PHOTOS)

It is also important to remember that many parts of his campaign revolved around rhetoric and ideas that were antithetical to core values that many Americans believe in, including pluralism, diversity, and social tolerance. Although some politicians are willing to move past the nativism, Islamophobia, sexism, and anti-Semitic tropes that were part of his campaign lexicon, others are not willing to forget. Those words mattered and those kinds of ideas being supported from the president of the United States can have enormously damaging consequences.

In 2017, the protests against the new president will be that much more important since we are currently in a period of united government, and the congressional Republicans are generally a pretty united and rightward bunch. With Nixon, the nation could count on a Democratic Congress to oversee, to investigate, and to cause problems for the president as evidence of wrongdoing emerged. It is true that the Senate Intelligence Committee has announced it will look into alleged connections between the Trump campaign and the Russians, but there is reason to be skeptical about how far they will go. Republicans dont like to cause too much trouble for themselves at a moment like this. Indeed, it wasnt very shocking that at the same time the Senate committee gave way on the issue, Republican Jason Chaffetz, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a letter to the director of the Office of Government Ethics, Walter Shaub, summonsing him to appear before the committee and answer questions about his public criticism of Trump.

As the protests come to Washington, Americans would do well to listen to what they have to say. It might very well be that much of what the protesters have to say is as prescient as what the nation heard in 1973, when the word on the streets was very different from the message from the ballot box.
Trump, who won November's election despite losing the popular contest by 2.8 million votes, will be sworn in as President on Friday.

Donald Trump salutes as he and his wife Melania arrive at Andrews Air Force Base. (Photo: AP)

By Indo-Asian News Service: US President-elect Donald Trump arrived in Washington DC ahead of Friday's inauguration ceremony.

Trump, who won November's election despite losing the popular contest by 2.8 million votes - more than any winning candidate in history - will be sworn in as President on Friday, Mirror online reported.

He took off in a military jet from New York's LaGuardia Airport shortly before 11.30AM local time, leaving the city for the final time as a private citizen.

advertisement

He landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, a short car journey away from the capital.

ALSO READ | US presidential inauguration: Donald Trump hours away from becoming 45th US president

--- ENDS ---
Nike Cuts Ties With Kyrie Irving Over Hate Speech

JUST DID IT

The brand has immediately terminated its relationship with Irving and will no longer release the Kyrie 8.
By Press Trust of India: Mumbai, Jan 18 (PTI) Superstar Aamir Khan says he has no interest in working in Hollywood but is open to do international projects if something interesting comes up his way.

"I dont have any interest in going to the US and working there. I am totally interested in working for Indian films. I have a relationship with the audience here for last 25-26 years and I cherish and give a lot of value to it," Aamir said in an interview here when asked if he has any plans to work in the Hollywood in the future.

advertisement

"But that doesnt mean it is a bad idea to entertain the world audience. I just dont have that interest. Its not my career graph that I will try and work for doing international films," he said.

The 51-year-old actor, however, said he is open to work in global film projects if something interesting is offered to him.

"...But it doesnt mean that I am adamant on not doing any international film. If I get something interesting I will do it. There are no boundaries for creative purpose. If I get an offer from Japan and if I like it, I will do it," he adds.

On big ticket Hollywood films like "Jurassic Park", "Spiderman" series and "The Jungle Book" minting good money in India, the "Dangal" star said any good film will do well commercially and such projects from abroad does not pose a threat to Hindi films.

"I dont think Indian cinema has any threat from Hollywood. We should fear and be afraid with ourselves because if we make bad films then we will automatically lose out on our audience. I dont think it is possible for anyone to come and eat into our business," he said.

"If a film is good, be it any language it will get good response. Our aim should be to make good films. People come to theatres with the intention of watching a good film," adds Aamir.

Irrfan Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anil Kapoor and more recently Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone are among the Indian stars who have explored their prospects in international cinema. PTI KKP ARS BK

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: 5 poll-bound states

New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) The Election Commission today pulled up NITI Aayog for holding special gram sabhas in the five poll-bound states without seeking its permission and said such events can only be organised after the elections are over.

In a letter to Niti Aayog Vice Chairman, the Commission said while it is organising special gram sabhas across the country on January 26 to "outline priorities of citizens", including in poll-bound Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Punjab, it has not endorsed a copy to it as mandated under the model code of conduct.

advertisement

"... Your office should have taken prior approval of the Commission from model code angle before before addressing a letter to district officers who are also district election officers," the Commission said.

It made it clear that the programme cannot be held on Republic Day in these states and should only be organised once the elections are over.

The issue was raised by the chief electoral officer of Goa who had flagged it before the poll watchdog. PTI NAB ZMN

--- ENDS ---
By India Today Web Desk: It all started when Harshvardhan Kapoor missed out on the Best Debut award for Mirzya at the recently concluded Filmfare Awards, which went to Udta Punjab actor Diljit Dosanjh instead. He did not hide his disappointment and lashed out in an interview, "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."

advertisement

ALSO READ: Harshvardhan Kapoor lashes out at Filmfare for awarding Diljit Dosanjh Best Debut trophy

Filmfare Executive Editor Anuradha Choudhary was not one to take this lying down and tweeted taking a dig at Harshvardhan, "The sense of self entitlement some of these newcomer actors have is beyond imagination. If only they were half as talented." She also retweeted a tweet that said, "You know what's ridiculous? #HarshvardhanKapoor thinking that he deserved Filmfare more than #DiljitDosanjh. Better your acting buddy!"

The sense of self entitlement some of these newcomer actors have is beyond imagination. If only they were half as talented. anewradha (@anewradha) January 19, 2017

That's when it escalated to a war of words. Though Anuradha did not take any names, it was quite obvious who she was referring to. Harshvardhan took on her in a series of tweets which began with, "Just take my name." He also alleged that it wasn't really Diljit's Hindi debut, perhaps referring to his appearance in a music video in Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh-starrer Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya.

Just take my name https://t.co/D2Y3ivBbQW Harshvardhan Kapoor (@HarshKapoor_) January 19, 2017

And go through people's filmographys while your at it https://t.co/D2Y3ivBbQW Harshvardhan Kapoor (@HarshKapoor_) January 19, 2017

It's amazing , you can't share your thoughts at all , then you become the anatagonist you guys run a business on things actors say https://t.co/D2Y3ivBbQW Harshvardhan Kapoor (@HarshKapoor_) January 19, 2017

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

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

He commended fellow debutante Jim Sarbh on his performance in his sister Sonam Kapoor's film Neerja, and wrote that he "would've been happy to lose to him."

@jimSarbh was amazing in #neerja and is a newcomer would've been happy to lose to him Harshvardhan Kapoor (@HarshKapoor_) January 19, 2017

ALSO WATCH Mirzya review: What works and what doesn't work

--- ENDS ---
June 19, 1928 - January 18, 2017

Funeral services for Myrtle (Kazmir) Calvin, 88, of Caldwell are set for 2:00 p.m., Saturday, January 21, 2017 at Strickland Funeral Home in Caldwell, with Dr. Malcolm Bane officiating. Interment will follow at Providence Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Friday, January 20, 2017, also at the funeral home. Mrs. Calvin passed away January 18, 2017 in Bryan, Texas.

Myrtle was born June 19, 1928 in Burleson County, the daughter of Bill Kazmir and Lizzie Zwernemann Kazmir. She graduated from Caldwell High School in 1944 with the honor of Valedictorian of her class. She worked after High School for Dr. John Siptak as his nurse until she got married on November 29, 1947 to James Ray "Pete" Calvin. They moved to Giddings where Pete was employed by the LCRA. While living in Giddings she was a secretary at Lee Memorial Hospital.

In 1953 they returned to Caldwell and built their home in the Providence Community, where they spent the rest of their lives. She went back to work for Dr. Siptak for several years when returning to Caldwell. She worked as a clerk for Charles Easter at Moores' Store in the '70s and then retired to be a full-time housewife. She was a very domestic person who loved her home and liked to cook. Her friends will tell you she was known for her "chocolate pie". She never went to a church lunch that someone didn't fail to ask, "Did you bring a chocolate pie"? Her best friend Johnny Lyon would not share her homemade pickles.

She was member of Providence Baptist Church for 65 years and Providence Cemetery Association, where she served a secretary-treasury for 25 years. She also taught the young people Sunday School Class. She was a lifetime member of the Ladies Auxiliary Post # 4458 in Caldwell, a member of the Gold Medallion Club, the Senior Circle and went on many trips with these organizations. She was a member of the "Binky Patrol" of Cooks Point.

She loved to socialize with her friends, enjoyed country & western music and dancing. After Pete's death in 1987, she continued ranching for 25 years only because her best friend and cowboy, Charles Doonan took care of the livestock for her. She loved to travel and went on many trips with Rae Jean and her friends. She lived life to the fullest and had a contagious smile.

Myrtle was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, sister, Lil Jackson; two brothers-in-law, James Touchstone and Crawford Jackson.

She is survived by her miracle loving daughter, Rae Jean and husband Brian Kilpatrick of Caldwell; granddaughter, Kelley and Cullen McElmurry of Katy; and great granddaughter Ashlyn Rae; great grandsons, Issac and Jude McElmurry of Katy. Also, sister, Blanche Touchstone of Caldwell, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. And special friend Wesley Pratt.

As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be sent to Providence Cemetery Association or Hospice Brazos Valley.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Strickland Funeral Home of Caldwell.

Please visit our website at www.stricklandfuneralhomes.com for additional information and to sign the online register.
Erm ... NO!!! Despite all of the tabloids crowing about May's announcement of their betrayal of their promises on Single Market Membership, there was absolutely nothing on BBC front page!!

We must remember the Murdoch coup that took place at the BBC five years ago, when the Tories appointed two Murdoch editors to be in charge of BBC News!!

So what can we do?!

The Greens and LibDems came out fighting. But shamefully Labour caved in immediately and ridiculously spoke about how the PM had taken their concerns on board by allowing a vote in Parliament.

And today we learn that Jeremy Corbyn has disastrously asked his MPs to vote in favour of allowing the Prime Minister to submit her Article 50 notification to the EU in March - even though the only hope of preventing the massive jump to the extreme right she is planning is to delay Article 50 for as long as possible.

What's needed is what the Lib Dems and Greens are calling for. Britain deserves a second referendum on the final Brexit Deal - as the first flawed referendum was based on a total pack of lies and deceit by the Brexit Campaign. Alternatively if Article 50 can be delayed for long enough, we may get a chance to vote again in a general election.

And to get that second referendum, or pre-Brexit election, we need Jeremy Corbyn to stand up to the mark! Or failing that, resign and let a new progressive Parliamentary leadership emerge that's willing to fight Murdoch and the far-right's UK Brexit coup with fire in its belly!

LibDem leader Tim Farron and Green co-leaders Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley have shown us they have the right stuff. And now Clive Lewis, Labour's shadow business secretary who shares Corbyn's popular political vision, has come out firmly against his leader on this vital issue, supported by an estimated 60-80 other Labour MPs. There is also widespread concern in the Tory Party at the deeply worrying moves we are seeing.

The UK now needs its loyal parliamentarians to defend the rights, freedoms and prosperity of the British people as never before. The alternative is too dreadful to contemplate.

Yes we Can!

Donnachadh McCarthy is an environmental campaigner and author.

Book: 'The Prostitute State - How Britain's Democracy Has Been Bought' is available as an E-book and paper (100% recycled).

Free ebook version of The Prostitute State, which explains in detail how Murdoch and the UK's five far-right media billionaires are trashing the UK's democracy, is available to Occupiers, Fractivists, Momentum / Green Party members, students and others who cannot afford to buy a copy by emailing contact@3acorns.co.uk.
By India Today Web Desk: Huma Qureshi, who has been gearing up for her next release with Akshay Kumar, paid a surprise visit to Arpita Khan Sharma and her son Ahil. Salman's nephew, who has already become a social media celebrity, was seen bonding with the Dedh Ishqiya actor as the duo were clicked by the paparazzi.

ALSO READ: Salman with 6-month-old nephew Ahil on Tubelight's sets is too beautiful to miss

advertisement

ALSO READ: This photo of Salman Khan playing with nephew Ahil is the best thing you'll see today

While mom Arpita walked ahead, Ahil enjoyed the company of Huma when she held him in her arms.

Huma sported as a no make-up look as she made her way out with Ahil and Arpita.

Ahil, who was born in March 2016, has already become a celebrity of sorts. And his photos with mamu jaan Salman Khan have always grabbed eyeballs.

And after many Bollywood celebs, Ahil was seen bonding with Huma.

On the work front, Huma will be next seen in Jolly LLB 2. She will essay the role of Akshay's wife in the film.

(Photos: Yogen Shah)

--- ENDS ---
Virginia State Parks attendance in 2016 hit a record-high 10,022,698 visitors, which was a 12 percent increase over 2015.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe gave that information during a recent announcement. Virginia State Parks, managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), hosted more than 1 million overnight visitors in cabins and campgrounds in 2016, an increase of nearly 3 percent over 2015.

Smith Mountain Lake State Park had a total of 434,510 admissions in 2016, up from 360,198 in 2015.

Camping at SML went up 20 percent, and paying day use went up 16 percent. There was a 26 percent increase in non-paying day use. Only cabin use decreased, at 1 percent less.

Fairy Stone State Park had 174,939 visitors in 2016, double from 2015. The increase came largely under the category of non-paying day use, at 769 percent. There was a 2 percent increase in camping, an 8 percent increase in cabin use and an 18 percent increase in paying day use.

The addition of Natural Bridge State Park, which is in Rockbridge County, accounted for 45,869 visitors since DCR assumed management on Sept. 24. The increases also came despite the fact that several parks in the Tidewater and Northern Neck regions were closed for weeks because of hurricanes. The storms negatively affected their visitation, overnight attendance and revenue.

Virginias state park system is the best in the country, and more Virginians and visitors are taking advantage than ever before, McAuliffe said. State Parks are a vital part of communities large and small, attracting visitors to the region and generating substantial tourism revenue that directly benefits our local economies. From opening Natural Bridge State Park to making historic investments in the Virginia Treasures Program, this administration has worked hard to protect and expand opportunities to interact with the countless natural and historic attractions our Commonwealth has to offer. I want to thank the staff at the Department of Conservation and Recreation for their hard work making our state park system a world-class asset for the people of Virginia.

When attendance increases, so does the economic impact of the state park system, said Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Director Clyde Cristman. Visitors spend money in the parks, in local communities and traveling to and from parks. Our 37 state parks have an impact of more than $222 million on Virginias economy.

Multiple factors contributed to our new attendance record, overall good weather, lower gas prices and the year-long celebration of our 80th anniversary, said Virginia State Parks Director Craig Seaver.
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 ...
Manmohan Singh said the recent attempts to interfere with free expression of the student community in Hyderabad Central University and Jawaharlal Nehru University were of particular concern and termed suppression of peaceful dissent as "inimical to learning" and undemocratic.

By Indrajit Kundu: Independent thinking and free expression in Indian universities "are now under threat", former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today alleged, targeting the Centre.

He expressed concern over growing neo-nationalist tendencies in India terming it an "extremely destructive" trend.

The Congress leader said the recent attempts to interfere with free expression of the student community in Hyderabad Central University and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were of particular concern and termed suppression of peaceful dissent as "inimical to learning" and undemocratic.

advertisement

Also read: Congress letter bomb: Manmohan called jallikattu 'cruel' in 2015, party calls protest legitimate now

Speaking at the bicentenary celebrations of the Presidency University in Kolkata, 84-year-old Singh said, "We are witnessing a rise in new nationalist tendencies responding to populism and directing hatred against backward classes and minorities."

"Regrettably, independent thinking and free expression in Indian universities are now under threat. Attempts to suppress peaceful dissent are not only inimical to learning but also undemocratic."

"True nationalism is found where students, citizens, are encouraged to think and speak freely where dissents are encouraged and not suppressed. It is only by constructive engagements we can truly build a stronger, more cohesive and sustaining democracy in our country," Singh said and also made a veiled reference to Hyderabad University student Rohit Vemula suicide issue.

Also read: Worst is yet to come: Ex-PM Manmohan Singh on Modi's demonetisation

The former PM said that political interference in universities and in appointments in academic institutions was highly short-sighted.

"We must make very effort to protect the autonomy of our university and to foster the right of our students to express ideas," he said.

Amidst the growing debate over nationalism in the country, Singh advised youngsters to indulge in "constructive engagements". "True nationalism is when students are encouraged to think and speak freely, where dissent is encouraged and not suppressed. It is only by a constructive engagement can we truly build a stronger, more cohesive and sustaining democracy in our country," he said.

Also read: Manmohan Singh tears into Modi's demonetisation, calls it monumental mismanagement

Cautioning that such tendencies can be extremely destructive, the former Prime Minister stressed on the need to protect free speech, adding that independent thinking in India was under "threat" at present.

Singh said, "We are witnessing around the world a rise of nationalist tendencies, populism and hatred against backward classes and minorities in disregarding reason and rationality but these tendencies could be extremely destructive.

He emphasised, "We must protect India from this trend and universities have a vital role in this regard."

advertisement

Singh, who wanted to be a teacher but got into politics by accident, said, "I believe that every university must give the freedom to pursue knowledge even where the knowledge may be at odds with established intellectual and social traditions. We must guard this freedom very zealously."

Also read: Demonetisation a mammoth tragedy, says Manmohan Singh

(With inputs from: PTI)

--- ENDS ---
Live updates: Friday's high school football playoffs

It's officially time for the Iowa high school football state quarterfinals. Follow along here for live score updates and analysis.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) India and 29 countries discussed their findings on investigations arising from the Panama Papers, including the role of tax intermediaries such as financial institutions and advisers in tax evasion. The two-day meeting of the Joint International Taskforce on Shared Intelligence and Collaboration (JITSIC) in Paris saw revenue authorities of 30 countries sharing their best practices and information based on legal instruments under the tax treaties and OECD. "30 Revenue Authorities shared their findings on investigations arising from the Panama Papers including the role of tax intermediaries such as financial institutions, advisers, who facilitate tax evasion," an official statement said. The sharing of this information within a group of this size is unique and sets the basis for greater cooperation amongst tax administrations, it added.

advertisement

The Panama Papers leaks contain an unprecedented amount of information running into more than 11 million documents covering 2,10,000 companies in 21 offshore jurisdictions. The names were released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

About 500 Indians figure in the list which includes prominent businessmen, film celebrities and those belonging to lucrative professions.

The government has created a Multi-Agency Group (MAG) of probe agencies, comprising the I-T department, the RBI, Financial Intelligence Unit and the Enforcement Directorate, to go into these cases.

Each transaction spans different jurisdictions and may involve multiple entities and individuals. While releasing the list, the ICIJ had added a disclaimer that there are also "legitimate uses for offshore companies". The JITSIC brings together 36 of the worlds national tax administrations that have committed to more effective and efficient ways to deal with tax avoidance. It offers a platform to enable its members to actively collaborate within the legal framework of effective bilateral and multilateral conventions and tax information exchange agreements ? sharing their experience, resources and expertise to tackle the issues they face in common. Since the last JITSIC meeting, significant achievements have been made including the development of uniform approaches to requesting information between treaty partners, clearer understanding of the evasion typologies adapted by intermediaries, and new techniques for collating intelligence, the statement said. JITSIC was originally established in 2004 as the Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre to combat cross-border tax avoidance. Building on its initial achievements, the JITSIC was re-established in 2014 with many new members from across the FTA. PTI JD MR

--- ENDS ---
Clarity PR -- a London-based firm that represents over 100 startups in industries ranging from consumer retail to fintech -- focuses exclusively on implementing public relations strategies for fast-growing technology companies. Today, Clarity includes 35 professionals across London, Berlin and New York City -- with a West Coast office in the works.

I spoke with Clarity CEO Sami McCabe about four of the best ways to get people talking about your business.

1. Be outspoken about your culture

As Clarity has grown, McCabe has spent a lot of time focusing on the firm's cultural dynamics.

Talent is everything. Ive witnessed how culture is the top priority of our most successful clients. In the post-millennial world, you need to be able to retain top talent in order to sustain the challenges of scaling, he says. You should share -- and even brag -- about the development opportunities that you offer your employees.

2. Tell the story of the problem youre solving

The media is naturally drawn to the negative narrative. A quick flick through a publication such as [U.K. gossip rag] The Daily Mail will confirm this, McCabe explains. So, work at bringing to life the story of the problem that youre solving.

By helping others understand the pain point, your problem can be positioned as the solution.

Related: How to Get the Media Hooked on Your Company

3. Be prepared to say something contentious

According to McCabe, many founders tend to bore the average journalist with technical knowledge and non-committal commentary.

The media is constantly on the lookout for people who can offer interesting insight and opinion on a wide range of issues. Its a pretty simple and obvious equation: If you roll out anodyne corporate banalities, you wont be called on again to provide media commentary.

4. Get customers and clients to tell your story

McCabe also advocates asking your happiest customers for commentary.

Its easy for you to say your product or service is wonderful. Its a whole lot more compelling and credible if one of your customers confirms it. Be constantly on the lookout for people who are willing to speak to the media about why they use your product or service over anyone elses.

You should also think creatively in the way you thank customers for their testimonials. Some examples include highlighting your customer's business or providing them with a free upgrade.

Recap

In a post-digital world, and with a growing millennial customer base, it's more important than ever to maintain positive buzz around your company. By being outspoken about your culture, telling the right stories, sharing candid insights and receiving endorsements by your customers, startups can develop the momentum necessary for long-term success. Of all the insights shared by McCabe, another rings especially true: "persistence is key."

Related:

4 Tips on Generating Buzz for Your Business, According to a PR Expert for Startups

Here's How Facebook Has Reduced the Need to Pay PR

Scale-up Secrets From 7-Figure Entrepreneurs



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
DARIEN  A 21-year-old Darien woman was scammed out of $1,600 while attempting to purchase a puppy online.

On Jan. 11, the victim visited the website of a person claiming to be a breeder with English bulldog puppies for sale. The woman submitted an inquiry, expressing interest in buying a puppy from the site. The next day, she received an email from someone using the address infonextdaydelivery@gmail.com responding to her inquiry. After exchanging texts and emails, the woman sent $650 via Western Union to a person in Texas for the puppy.

Police said, the woman then received a phone call from a man with what she described as an Indian accent. He said she needed to send an additional $950 for the shipping crate, delivery insurance and other delivery costs, but 95 percent of the money would be returned upon delivery of the dog. The woman sent the additional money to another person in Texas.

When the woman did not receive the dog, she tried to contact the seller, but her texts, emails and phone calls went unanswered. When a family member tried to call the breeders number, he reached a man who told them to send another $1,300. They declined to send the money.

The woman reported the incident to police Jan. 14. An investigation revealed both transfers were picked up near Euless, Texas, but Western Union will not release the actual location where the money was picked up.

ekayata@hearstmediact.com; @erin_kayata
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NORWALK  Almost everyone who is a part of the Nathan Hale Middle School community knows Ronald Spencer.

The school's beloved custodial worker  who was born, raised and attended public school in Norwalk  has roamed the halls for 14 years.

Over the years, community members say, hes proved himself as a familiar and friendly face to students, a colleague teachers can rely on and another adult in the school parents can trust.

Outside of his work hours he even puts another set of skills to work for the school community, as he DJs dances to raise money for students who would otherwise be unable to afford things such as field trips.

It's a good job, Spencer said. I really love people  I just like to make people happy.

Thats why it was tough on Spencer and others when on a Friday afternoon in early January, he received a mandatory transfer to Ponus Ridge Middle School. He was to report to his new school on Monday.

There was really no notice, Spencer said. And then because I had such short notice, I had to run and tell everyone goodbye.

He received the notice around 1 p.m. By the end of the school day nearly the entire school community was distressed by the news.

I started telling everyone goodbye, and kids and teachers started crying, he said. The whole school got really upset about it.

He is more than a custodian, said Lisa Nuzzo, PTO President at Nathan Hale Middle School and member of the School Governance Council. He helps the kids beyond what we even know. He manages to fix situations over there before they are even known to anybody.

So it made sense that the Nathan Hale Middle School community was not about to let Spencer go so easily.

The school principal and assistant principal reportedly took a stand against Spencers transfer. School teachers started a petition. Parents started a separate petition. Students emailed City Hall.

On that Friday I received a call from someone at Nathan Hale and they were very upset and said Spencer received word of an involuntary transfer effective Monday, Nuzzo said. I said, this isn't going to sit well because everyone loves Spencer.

Nuzzo called central office and spoke to officials within the school districts Human Resources Department. They told her the best thing to do would be to have parents, students and community members send emails or make calls in support of Spencer staying at Nathan Hale.

So Nuzzo posted that information to several social media pages, rallying up community support.

Nathan Hale parents, the community, they went crazy,  Nuzzo said. They were not letting Spencer go.

By the following Monday afternoon, Nuzzo had good news: Spencers transfer was canceled. He would go back to Nathan Hale.

Spencers planned transfer originated with the facilities department as a part of their day-to-day management of building needs, said Brenda Wilcox Williams, a spokeswoman for the school district.

She said it was reviewed by senior management in human resources, finance and operations, who ultimately decided against it.

We typically do not like to make changes like that during the school year because it can disruptive, Williams said, so the change was not activated.

However, many believe the move was yet another step by the district in its ploy to consolidate unionized custodian workers to increasingly fewer schools as the district slowly moves toward use of external contract workers  a move that school officials have said will save the district money.

Williams said the potential move of Mr. Spencer had nothing at all to do with bringing in contracted custodian workers.

Nuzzo said she wasnt aware why district officials attempted to transfer Spencer, but that its important to keep custodial workers who have been in schools for a long time and are a part of the community  such as Spencer at Nathan Hale  in those schools.

I think that the custodians who have been at the schools have established a sense of security with the kids, which is especially important in middle school and high school, Nuzzo said. Those are tough years for the kids, and when they do find a trusted adult they look up to as more of a mentor that is a value to the school system  an asset.

Nuzzo also said Spencer was an asset when it came to teachers and parents.

She told the story of a staff member who broke his or her leg or foot.

Every morning Spencer would go out and get her and help her to class, Nuzzo said. I dont know if youre going to get that from an outsourced contractor.

Spencer said he was told his transfer was simply because a good worker was needed at another school.

Regardless, he said, it was a pleasant surprise to feel his love for the community reciprocated in such full force.

Ive never felt so appreciated in my life, Spencer said. It was very overwhelming experience for me. It really made me feel good to have that many people go to bat for me and care. I really wasnt aware that many people would be affected by me leaving.

KSchultz@thehour.com; 203- 354-1049; @kevinedschultz
WILTON  Stay at Home in Wilton, a nonprofit organization that helps many seniors live at home and in their community, is looking for a home of its own.

Staff have worked remotely for many years and are now searching for an office to centralize their operations, said Phil Richards, chairman and one of the founders of Stay at Home in Wilton.

Weve been running now for almost seven years and we have no place that people can go to that we can call home, he said. Were looking for a pro bono offering.

Richards said he reached out to the town for a possible space but found no luck. He hopes the community can help fulfill his request: a small space with a desk, several chairs and filing cabinet that the nonprofit can access during normal business hours throughout the week.

Its the sort of thing that gives us another layer of credibility to have a location that people can come to and get information, Richards said.

Also a place to meet to partner with our members as well as to conduct business for the activities, added Peter Dodds, president of Stay at Home in Wilton. We have a lot of activities for the members and it takes a lot of calling to get rides for them.

Stay at Home in Wilton provides various services and programs for its members, including home repairs, household assistance, transportation services to and from appointments, educational seminars, social activities and special events.

Currently, the nonprofit has 90 members  and Richards wants that number to grow.

Were always looking for new members and were willing to talk to anybody thats interested in that, he said. Were also looking for volunteers. Either one of those can go to our website and pick up an application.

Stay at Home in Wilton took off in March 2010, after receiving 501(c)(3) tax status from the IRS. Since then, the organization has joined the nationwide Village Movement, which started with Beacon Hill Village in Boston, to help seniors age in a place of their choosing.

The National Council on Aging found that 75 percent of Americans age 60 and older intend to live in their homes for the rest of their lives and 62 percent want services that would help with home modifications and repairs, according to the councils most recent survey on aging in the U.S. from 2015.

It was clear that this was a needed service for people in our community and all other communities  to find a way to help them stay in their homes and support them with everything except medical, Richards said. Once we founded it, we saw that there was a need for socialization.

Richards and Dodds have also noticed the financial constraints associated with aging in Wilton.

Once the kids graduate from the school system, there has been a tendency for some people to say, Well, the taxes are too high to really make sense to stay in Wilton, Dodds said. On the other hand, going to a nursing home or into an assisted living facility is very expensive and may well be much more expensive than the taxes in staying in the community.

And thats what were trying to help people work out, he added.

Annual membership dues cost $360 for singles and $480 for couples, about 98 percent less than a congregate living community that offers supportive services, as noted on the organizations website, www.stayathomeinwilton.org.

Stay at Home in Wilton is run by a board of 16 directors, two employees who manage a part of the operations and an advisory board of 11 people.

For more information, contact Peter Dodds at info@shwil.org or 203-423-3225.

SKim@hearstmediact.com; 203-354-1044; @stephaniehnkim
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna will represent the country at Donald Trumps 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 Trumps 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.

advertisement

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. PTI PYK SMN

--- ENDS ---
Here is what President Trump would say today, if the present author had been solely assigned the task of writing his inaugural address.

My fellow Americans,

Today marks the beginning of a new era in which you and I will together will make America great again!

I am pleased to have the opportunity today to speak directlyfor the first time as President of the United Statesto the hundreds of thousands gathered here in our nations capital, and to the tens of millions of my fellow countrymen watching and listening at home. I am humbled as I stand in the place where so many great menAbraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reaganhave similarly addressed the American people upon assuming this great office.

The Freedom of the Press

I know that many members of the press are here today, and I know that they will report on this speech and on this day. Their presence here is a reminder to us that the freedom of the press is one of the bulwarks of American liberty. Indeed, it is enshrined in our First Amendment as a central element of our Constitutional system. As president I will, of course, seek to protect this essential freedom.

Unfortunately, as with other freedoms, some have abused the liberty of the press, posing to the public as objective reporters of the news while in reality distorting facts, twisting stories, and propagating outrageous lies. Indeed, many of the major television networksbroadcast and cable sadly present what can only be called fake news to their viewers.

Fortunately, the American people are savvya fact that bodes ill for the networks. With more choices as to where to get their information, as more and more news channels and websites undermine the monopoly of the big networks, the American people will continue to tune out the distortions of the major media.

This is part of the solution to the problem of the press. But what else can be done? The media has demonstrated, in a painfully obvious way through its failed attempt to serve as their own fact-checkers, that it cannot police itself when it comes to reporting the truth. Now, government should never act as a truth squad, censoring the news. But as president I will not hesitate to call out specific media outlets, and specific reporters, when they are, to put it bluntly, lying.

My assessment of the press follows the example of Thomas Jefferson, our third President of the United States, who once wrote that he deplored the putrid state into which our newspapers have passed, and the malignity, the vulgarity, & mendacious spirit of those who write for them. They have rendered themselves useless by forfeiting all title to belief.

Fortunately, unlike Mr. Jefferson, I have a direct line to the American people, thanks to technology. Yes, you can be sure that I will continue to bypass the fuzzy filter of the mainstream media and bring my message directly to you the people through social mediayes, I will be keeping my Twitter accountand by engaging in live, unedited interviews with unbiased reporters.

The Bully Pulpit

This is what Teddy Roosevelt referred to as the presidents bully pulpit. And rest assured that I will use it.

Indeed, I already have used the bully pulpit in my time as President-elect. Most importantly, I have used it to call out American companies seeking to ship American jobs overseas or to Mexico and to commend those companies reversing such decisions and those expanding operations right here in the good old USA.

Some say my actions in intervening to save American jobs violate the principles of free enterprise. To that I say, who cares? And I ask, when did theoretical principles become more important than common sense?

Believe me, I am completely in favor of our great free enterprise system. It has made America the economic colossus that she is today and raised our standard of living to what was, until recently, the highest in the world. But I will never allow my administration to place abstract principles above the concrete reality of American jobs.

I have heard talking heads on TV criticize me for saving American jobs. They have said things like, Well, 700 jobs here, 1000 jobs there, doesnt make a difference.

In what world do such elitists live? I can tell you that a father or mother keeping his or her job makes a huge difference to that family! Its the difference between having food on the table that night and having the kids go hungry.

One pundit I heard said that the primary duty of the CEO of an American company is to maximize profits for his or her shareholders, so if that means shipping jobs overseas, so be it. I say that the primary duty of an American CEO is to help America, and to protect the jobs of his or her American workers not to generate a marginally better return on the annual dividends of a small number of shareholders. Preserving a thousand American jobs? Or generating a thousand extra dollars in dividends for shareholders? You tell me which is more important, which is better for America.

Strong Government, Not Big Government

You see, I am in favor of strong government, but not big government. In fact, in order to reduce the size of government, I am calling for the reduction of the federal workforce by 20%, and spending reductions of more than $1 trillion per year for the next decadeactions that will be unprecedented in American history, and which will trim unneeded fat from the bureaucracy. This is part of the effort I have called draining the swamp of Washington.

At the same time that we reduce the size of the federal government, I will be redirecting its efforts to accomplish those objects that our Founding Fathers aimed for in writing the Constitution. Thus, as the Preamble to that great document says, I will seek to establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.

Therefore, I will see to it that my administration will faithfully and equitably enforce the laws; that our law enforcement will receive our hearty support in re-establishing order and the rule of law in our cities; that our borders will be protected; that our military will be better-trained and better-armed and indeed expanded. In fact, our military will be so feared again that no one will dare to mess with us. I will also see to it that our veterans are cared for, and that the corruption and ineptness of the Veterans Administration, the VA, is ended once and for all.

Our military will be properly prepared once again to defend America, and, yes to defend our interests overseas. However, we will cease the foolish practices of nation-building and the involving of ourselves in the internal affairs of other countries, where we do not belong. I will not let the American people shed the blood of their sons and daughters in such foreign adventurism! Military intervention should be the last resort, not the first step in resolving a foreign crisis. America, as President John Quincy Adams declared, should not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy.

We will support our allies, but we will call on them to bear more of a burden for their defense. The United States will have complete freedom of action to pursue its own national self-interest. America First will be our motto and our touchstone. Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, as Thomas Jefferson proclaimed, entangling alliances with none.

Of course, where we have sworn enemies; indeed, we are already at war with ISIS and radical Islamic terrorism. There will be no quarter for these enemies. We will destroy you. No negotiations, no half-measures. We have only death, destruction, and defeat to offer you.

And let me say something here about the importance of building a wall on the Mexican border and controlling immigration. In this age of terrorism, it is especially important to know who is coming into this country. We simply must impose an immediate moratorium on immigration from terrorist-prone countries. Again, this is common sense.

In addition, protecting the nations borders is the starting point for any government worthy of the name. We simply cannot let an unlimited number of people come into this country illegally; it is unfair to legal immigrants, to American workers whose jobs are taken or whose wages are driven down, and to the taxpayers who pay for welfare programs and schooling for illegals.

We are constantly told that ours is a nation of immigrants, and that is largely true. Immigrantsfrom scientist Albert Einstein to businessman Andrew Carnegie to movie producer Frank Capra to the millions of people who entered our country legally through Ellis Island and other points of entryhave enriched the United States immeasurably. Indeed, my own mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, came here from Scotland, and my wifeyou may have noticed that she still has a slight accentis an immigrant from Slovenia. And while we have a tradition of allowing people to come here from all over the world, we also have a tradition of carefully controlling that immigration, and of assimilating immigrants into our culture, asking them to learn English and to accept our laws, customs, and political institutions.

Doing so has falsely been labeled racism by the arbiters of political correctness. (Its interesting that we never hear this charge leveled against countries like China, and Mexico itself, which totally prohibit immigration.) But it is nothing of the sort, of course. It is, once again, simply common sense. A house divided against itself cannot stand, Abraham Lincoln said, quoting the Bible, and indeed we cannot survive as one America if we do not share a language and certain beliefs, even as we revel in the wonderful variety of experience and practice that immigrants bring with them to America, customs that enrich our culture.

So, why is there so much political opposition to enforcing our immigration laws? You must ask first, who benefits from illegal immigration? The answer is the Democrat party, whose candidates receive the majority of illegal votes. In addition, some big companies seek to employ illegal immigrants in place of American workers; they can pay these immigrants below the minimum wage and treat them horribly, and without regard to federally-mandated safety and health standards. Such illegal workers endure terrible working conditions and even abuse and have no recourse, as they fear exposure as being in the country illegally if they go to the authorities.

In addition, illegal immigration breeds the horror of human trafficking, in which very young girls are beaten and raped by those smuggling them across the border. Yet, when it comes to the issue of immigration, we constantly hear about the Dreamers from those who support the breaking of our laws. But in reality, illegal immigration is a national nightmare, and I will end this nightmare for the American people.

This is what our Founding Fathers meant by promoting the general welfare.

We will promote the general welfare in other ways too, by negotiating better trade deals with other nations, many of whom have been ripping us off for far too long, and by rebuilding the nations infrastructure.

Our roads, tunnels, bridges, and airports are generally in a disgraceful condition. I fly all over the world, and believe me, it looks like you are flying into a third-world country when you land at LaGuardiaespecially if you compare it to the airports of Dubai and Hong Kong, for example. What has happened to this country? I will thus immediately ask Congress to approve a trillion-dollar program of infrastructure re-building, which will improve the economy and the lives of the people in general. Such programsonce called internal improvementshave long been viewed as the purview of the federal government. Yet in recent decades, the federal government has neglected this basic duty, choosing instead to spend federal monies on wasteful projects, such as the $283,000-plus that the Department of Defense recently spent on a bird-watching program.

In promoting the idea of a strong, yet less bloated, federal government that stays within its constitutional boundaries and which respects the rights of the state, I seek to fuse the two great traditions of American constitutional thinking, as embodied by Alexander Hamilton, the nations first Secretary of the Treasury, and Thomas Jefferson, our first Secretary of State. Alexander Hamiltonand by the way Mike Pence tells me that the Broadway show about his life is just amazingcalled for a strong government that would make the United States a great country, with economic opportunity and a high standard of living for all. Jefferson, on the other hand, worried about government becoming too big and threatening the rights of the states and the liberties of the people.

My administration would please both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. For our federal government will be strong, yet will also adhere strictly to the Constitution. And I will appoint judges, including to the Supreme Court of the United States, who will be faithful to the Constitution, in the tradition of the late, great Antonin Scalia.

This administration will also leave the people to live their lives as they see fit. We wont interfere as to your choice of whom you wish to marry; neither will we interfere with your right as a businessperson to refuse to make a cake for a wedding of which you disapprove; we wont interfere with the right of a business to create bathrooms that can be used by men and women; but neither will we interfere with a state that passes a law prohibiting the creation of such unisex facilities; and while we wont interfere with what you do in the privacy of your own bedroom, neither will we fund the destruction of an unborn child that you have in effect chosen to create by such bedroom activity.

Yes, thats right. Our administration will be unapologetically pro-life, in every sense of that term. The pro-life position, I admit, is not a position that I have held my entire life, but it is one I began moving towards more than fifteen years ago. And I only have to look at my beautiful children and grandchildren to know that it is the right position.

A New Era for the Common Man

This issue reminds me that during the Republican primary campaign, people often debated how conservative I was, and am. Well, conservatism, as I understand it, is at its heart is a disposition, not an ideology. After the presidency of the great Ronald Reagan, the conservative movement, unfortunately, came to embrace certain ideas as dogma: the principles of unrestricted free trade, open borders, and what the Left all-too-accurately sneered at as trickle-down economics. If this is conservatism, then I reject the label.

But if conservatism means conserving our countryits borders, it manufacturing base, its jobs, its culture, its language, its traditions, the rule of lawthen I am most certainly a conservative. If conservatism means the art of being prudent and pragmaticof exercising simple common sensethen I am most certainly a conservative.

Founding Father John Dickinson advised, Let experience be our guide, for reason may mislead us. This, to me, is what being a conservative is all about. We need to return to the time-tested wisdom of those who came before us, our Founding Fathers, and reject the wild-eyed, foolish, and costly social engineering schemes and globalist visions of utopian dreamers.

In this, I believe that the vast majority of the American people are with me. And so, rather than picking any labelconservative, liberal, Right, or LeftI would say that I am first and foremost an American. And as your president I will be your voice, the voice of the American people, the champion of all of you, regardless of party affiliation, political persuasion, lifestyle, race, gender, or creed.

Because you the people, and not the powerful and rich, are America. Those in politics, in the media, and in other positions of power who use your hard-earned tax dollars to enrich themselves, who use political office to reward themselves and their cronies, who tell you how to live your lives, who scold you for not being politically correct their time has passed.

Let it be heard loudly and clearly, and far and wide: Today, the rule of the fewthe corrupt elitesends, and the era of the manyour hardworking, honest Americansbegins.

Thank you, and God bless America!

Books on the topic of this essay may be found in The Imaginative Conservative Bookstore.
People all across the country will be marching on Saturday for women and for general equality. The marches are happening in accordance with the presidential inauguration and the Womens March on Washington, which will be on Friday and Saturday.

A Peoples March for Equality will take place in Loup City, while Omaha and Lincoln will host womens marches.

Tamra Jonak, a co-organizer of the march in Loup City, said she and her sister wanted to march because of their interest in the Washington, D.C., event.

She said her sister, who is visiting from Arizona, said they could walk around town together to do their own march for equality. A friend heard and wanted to join  and then another and another.

Its kind of blossoming and mushrooming, Jonak said of the march.

The march will begin at the Loup City Community Center at 1 p.m. with networking and social time, followed by the walk and ending back at the Center.

Although the marches in D.C. and many other places will focus on women, Jonak said she wanted this one to be about general equality and to focus on everyone.

Were all in this together. Everyone is, no matter what you think politically, Jonak said.

She and her sister wanted to steer clear of anything that would lean to one side or the other. The march for equality includes everyone, Jonak said, as most people want equality at the end of the day, despite their differences.

A lot of people need support, Jonak said about people wanting equality.

The event has been gaining traction from its Facebook page and its event page.

Its kind of been joyful for us to see the response from people, Jonak said.

She said the event has been noticed nationally and even internationally by people whove seen it in a Facebook group. Jonak said its nice to know that people from other places can see that Nebraska is more than just a red state. Although Nebraska tends to go Republican in elections, that doesnt mean all people think the same way.

People have a preconceived notion of what Midwesterners are like, Jonak said. Theres more to Nebraska than just that.

Former state Sen. Annette Dubas of Fullerton plans to attend Loup Citys march.

Im attending not because Im protesting against something, but that I want to really stand for and speak out for those populations who are feeling marginalized, disenfranchised or fearful, Dubas said.

She mentioned groups of people who may feel this way, such as homosexuals, ethnic groups and women. She said its important to express support for those marginalized people and give voice to those who may feel voiceless.

Dubas said rural Nebraskans are used to helping people out, whether someone got in an accident or has a medical condition.

I view this gathering as a continuation of that, as caring for each other and looking out for each other in a little different way, Dubas said.

Other marches, such as the one in Lincoln, has also gained traction. Dori Bush of Grand Island plans to attend that march on Saturday. She plans on carpooling with others from the Grand Island area.

Bush said one reason shes going to the march is because shes very concerned about the direction of the administration on the federal level.

As an individual, Bush said, she feels a commitment to be a part something that aligns with her views and makes a statement. Bush said the sheer number of people marching should speak to the incoming administration of peoples concerns.

About fighting for what you believe is right, Dori said, You have to keep at it, even when the odds arent in your favor.
As per NIA, 12 ISIS related cases are handled by them in which 52 accused are behind bars while 35 are absconding.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: The National Investigation Agency on Thursday revealed they have done profiling of ISIS recruits arrested by them. The largest number of cases linked to the dreaded ISIS was recorded in 2016 by India's top anti-terror agency. But the result of the profiling itself are surprising.

As per NIA, 12 ISIS related cases are handled by them in which 52 accused are behind bars while 35 are absconding.

advertisement

The average profile of these terror suspects is that of young, educated middle-class men with access to the internet, a worrying indicator for security agencies. The terror suspects include 20 engineers, the National Investigation Agency claimed today. Out of 52 people named as accused, 12 are diploma holders and three post-graduates. More than half of them are below 25.

ALSO READ | ISIS plans to attack India through its bases in Bangladesh and Pakistan

Almost 80 per cent of the alleged ISIS sympathisers went to school, according to data released by the agency, which filed a dozen ISIS-related cases in 2016. "They are all young professionals and students with access to the internee and many have come from middle class homes, drawn to the ideology," an officer of agency told India Today.

Only 20 per cent of arrested ISIS recruits went to Madrassas. It has emerged during questioning that half of the suspects believe in the Ahli Hadith, which is considered one of the most rigid Islamic schools of thought in the country. The most arrests were from Maharashtra - a dozen. Kerala, Karnataka and Bengal come next.

As many as 10 suspects are just from Hyderabad which, along with Bengaluru, are the tech hubs of the country.

ALSO READ | ISIS links: NIA picks up 3 persons for questioning in Coimbatore

--- ENDS ---
Today is a cause for celebration for all Americans as Donald J. Trump is inaugurated as the countrys 45th president.

That statement may come as a surprise to those who didnt support Trump in the election. But its not Trumps election that is cause for celebration by all Americans. Rather, its that the country can go through a peaceful transition of power, even between two people who approached the office of president with distinctly different political views.

Throughout our countrys 240-year history, through 45 different presidents, the highest office in the land has changed hands through peaceful means.

Its certainly not like that in all countries. Americans can celebrate the Constitution, that the people elect their leaders, that through the process set forth in the Constitution, every four years a president is elected.

While this is a time to welcome the new president to office, its also a time to thank the outgoing commander-in-chief.

Many disagree with the policies that Barack Obama pursued as president, but all can respect him for the way that he has carried himself while in office. President Obama has shown grace and restraint throughout his presidency.

He came into office during the worst economic time since the Great Depression. It was also while wars were being waged in Iraq and Afghanistan. He, along with the work of others such as the Federal Reserve, helped steady the economy, although growth hasnt reached the desired level.

He also brought the war in Iraq to an end and drew down troops in Afghanistan. That record also is mixed, though, as the rise of ISIS brought a new terror threat and instability to the region.

Through the ups and downs, President Obama deserves thanks for his service to the country. Presidents give up all semblance of a normal life and face extreme pressure each day, burdened with the responsibility of keeping the country safe. Obama, in particular, has had to take on the role of comforter-in-chief as the country has endured many mass shootings and tragedies during his tenure.

That all is in the past. The country now looks with hope to the Trump administration. The new president should have the opportunity to get his team in place and up and running. Americans should approach his presidency with an open mind.

From all indications, Trump is surrounding himself with an extremely able Cabinet. And thanks to hard work and cooperation by both the Obama administration and Trumps team, the transition is set to be seamless.

It has been dismaying to see some Democrats in Congress and those planning protests looking to spoil the celebration. They dont understand that the inauguration isnt just about the new president. It is a tribute to the system. Even though a 180 degree change in leadership is being made, the will of the people, according to the electoral system, is being followed. This country has a fulcrum to keep the country on track, whether it is through conservative or progressive leadership.

After 71 days since the election, its finally here. Today, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president. It will be interesting to see what happens in the days ahead.

What is known for sure is the presidency will change hands in a calm, peaceful manner, just as is laid out in the Constitution. That is worth celebrating.
Teams familiar with another meeting again in 1st weekend of playoffs

football
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) Seeking to ensure quality healthcare services, the Delhi government has initiated the process of getting all its hospitals accredited with With Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital obtaining a certification from an accreditation body.

The Pre-Accreditation Entry Level Certificate has been provided to the hospital in Malviya Nagar area by NABH (National Accreditation Board for of Hospitals & Health Care Providers).

advertisement

Health Minister Satyendar Jain has directed the department to encourage and persuade all city government hospitals to obtain the NABH accreditation by achieving high quality patient care.

He said so far only major private hospitals had taken the lead in obtaining this accreditation and government hospitals, which cater to the health requirements of large number of people, must match the private hospitals in quality assurance for patients.

"Pt. MMM Hospital had applied for this Pre Accreditation Entry Level certificate from NABH in October 2016, and was assessed by the assessors designated by NABH on November 18, 2016," Jain was quoted as saying in a statement.

The hospital got the accreditation on January 17, and it will be valid for a period of two years. PTI KND TIR

--- ENDS ---
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin H.S. Dillon (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017 08:43 2115 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bbfbb84 3 Opinion Barack-Obama,#BarackObama,Pancasila,#Pancasila,poverty-alleviation,democracy Free

Millions of Americans have and will be bidding you goodbye as you leave the White House. Many will thank you for all that you have done for them, but why should an Indonesian also be thanking you? Simply because all of your policies were actually following the dictates of Pancasila, the philosophical foundation of the Indonesian state.

There is no point in retracing how you handled the economic crisis you inherited, nor all the policies any other US president would have formulated in discharging his duties. However, Barbara Blum, former commissioner, New York State Department of Social Services captured them so well in 2011:

This disturbing increase [in poverty level] reflects the ongoing fallout of the economic downturn. But the fact is that the statistics would have been worse had it not been for a concerted effort by the Obama administration to ease poverty. This quiet campaign for change has three key planks: building human capital, enforcing wage and hour standards, and providing income-enhancing benefits.

It is more important to highlight why we admire you so much. It was your untiring crusade for the plight of the poor, the strength of your leadership in pursuit of policies to enhance the dignity of the marginalized.

Mr. President, Sir, you endeared yourself to our hearts further when you saw your 2010 visit as a return to one of your childhood homes. You stated that: I first came to this country when my mother married an Indonesian named Lolo Soetoro. And as a young boy I was I was coming to a different world. But the people of Indonesia quickly made me feel at home.

Not only did you still have memories of the calls of the satay and bakso (meatball soup) vendors, but remembered most vividly the people  the old men and women who welcomed you with smiles; the children who made a foreign child feel like a neighbor and a friend; and the teachers who helped you learn about our country.

We were very happy that you acknowledged our democratic transformation and expressed confidence that a vibrant media and engaged citizens would ensure that there would be no turning back from democracy. You enumerated those things that you learned to love about us -- that spirit of tolerance that is written into our Constitution; symbolized in mosques and churches and temples standing alongside each other; that spirit thats embodied in our people  that still lives on. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika  Unity in Diversity. You viewed that as the foundation of our example to the world and explained that was why you believed that Indonesia would play such an important part in the 21st century.

In closing, you reminded us: That spark of the divine lives within each of us. We cannot give in to doubt or cynicism or despair. The stories of Indonesia and America should make us optimistic, because it tells us that history is on the side of human progress; that unity is more powerful than division; and that the people of this world can live together in peace. You also expressed hope that may our two nations, working together, with faith and determination, share these truths with all mankind.

Bapak Presiden, you will not just be leaving the African American Museum of History and Culture as a monument to all the sacrifices, the trials and tribulations in the making of America; you and First Lady Michelle are living monuments who will continue to remind us, in your own words: That our glory derives not just from our most obvious triumphs, but how weve wrested triumph from tragedy, and how weve been able to remake ourselves, again and again and again, in accordance with our highest ideals.

In explaining why we are saying terima kasih banyak (thank you very much), I would like to borrow some of the beautiful phrases penned by your fellow American, Dr. Imani Michelle Scott:

You have taught us: Yes, we must We must stand, even if alone, for integrity and truth

We must trust, even when tempted to doubt, in the goodness of humankind

We must work unceasingly, even when exhausted, to ensure a better world for our children

We must locate humor in life, especially if we are to survive the pains of life

Mr. President, Sir, Although your home might be in the Kalorama district of Washington, DC, when you grow weary, do not seek solace just in Paradise Point at Kailua Bay. Come back to your childhood land. For no matter what, President Obama, you will always have a home in the hearts of the Indonesian people.

---------------

We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. For more information, click here.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Tasa Nugraza Barley (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017 13:23 2114 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bc0b48f 3 Opinion Jokowi,#Jokowi,Jokowi-administration,#SaberPungli,Saber-Pungli,corruption,illegal-levies Free

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.

The practices are so common that people have become permissive of them, thinking it is normal to hand over a little bit of money as a gift to smooth the process of, lets say, obtaining an identity card or drivers license. It was only natural for the President to try to institutionalize the fight against illegal levies through the creation of Saber Pungli, which has received more than 17,000 reports in the two months since its formation.

Jokowi spent years working as a furniture businessman before he decided to enter politics.

As a former businessman, he knows too well that doing business in Indonesia is too complicated and costly due to the illegal fees that businesspeople have to pay in order to receive necessary documents.

Thus, improving the ease of doing business has become an important part of Jokowis economic policy. So far the governments efforts to achieve that have shown promising results. Indonesia ranked 91st in the World Banks last Ease of Doing Business index, an improvement of 15 notches from the previous survey.

During the 2014 presidential election, among other things, Jokowi described the need for a mental revolution.

A mental revolution program was launched by the government in 2015 under the Office of Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister. After more than a year, the public remains puzzled about the programs vision, its blurry implementation plans and how it will benefit the people.

Meanwhile, the Saber Pungli initiative has clear practicality and it rightly aims to fix the ongoing cultural epidemic.

Having said that, it is safe to say, in my opinion, that for the President the campaign is the closest thing to the mental revolution he promised during the election.

Considering that the culture of illegal levies is widespread, a common practice throughout the country, an out-of-the box approach is indeed needed to eradicate it.

And it seems that the ad-hoc task unit was launched by the President with this mindset.

While enforcing a special antiillegal levies unit in every ministry and government institution, the government is also encouraging local administrations to create similar teams, all under the leadership of the central supervision body led by the coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister.

Its too early to call the program is a success, of course. We should all, however, have confidence that the government is really committed to ending illegal levies.

Entering the new year, a big task awaits the government. The President and his men must be able to prove that this is not just a political PR stunt, that they mean business.

In the short-term, the governments success will be judged on how effective coordination between the central government, provincial governments and city administrations can be maintained. That is definitely not an easy job, as Indonesia is well known for its hellish bureaucracy.

To materialize it, Jokowi must muscle out his leadership and negotiation skills, convincing all parties that the success of the program is not only good for the people but also good for the government. As with other things in a democratic nation, public participation is too important to ignore.

After all, it is public satisfaction that the program was built to achieve. And with the explosion of mobile users in Indonesia, the use of technology is a factor that we cannot overlook.

To do this, the central government may need to learn from the success of the Jakarta administrations smartphone app Qlue, which gathers complaints from the citys residents.

The app is reportedly being used by hundreds of thousands of users, resulting in thousands of reports on a daily basis.

Integrating local administrations e-government systems with a central platform might also be a good idea, providing a large database that will prove valuable for the central government to use later in formulating future strategy.

Lastly, the fight against illegal levies should never be a one-sided battle. The dream of ending illegal levies in Indonesia will not be possible if the people themselves do not object when they are asked to pay fees beyond what is legally requested.

A long-term approach is needed, raising peoples awareness about their right to good public services without paying extra.

Historians will tell you that all presidents, including Jokowi, spend significant amounts of time thinking about what kind of legacy they want to give leave for their people when they are no longer in power.

With three more years to go as the countrys CEO, Jokowi surely has one item to put on his legacy list. If he succeeds, he will be remembered for many years to come and by millions of people as the president that removed illegal levies.

An out-of-the box approach is indeed needed to eradicate illegal levies.

---------------

We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. For more information, click here.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Kate Krader (Bloomberg)  Fri, January 20, 2017

If theres one type of restaurant where rules matter, its a sushi bar.

Consider the legendary Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo. At the three-Michelin-star restaurant and subject of the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, cooks apprentice for a decade at minimum and must become expert at handling the fish before theyre even allowed to pick up a knife and cut it.

Masterful tuna from Sushi Nakazawa, where the chef is a veteran of Jiro in Tokyo.(Bloomberg/Evan Sung)

Daisuke Nakazawa did his time at Jiro for 11 years, but he is not that hardline of a chef. (You might remember him as the guy in the documentary who had to make the egg sushi tamago 200 times before he got the master chefs approval.) At his own place, Sushi Nakazawa in New Yorks Greenwich Village, he's relaxed. He jokes with customershis sweet smiling face is all over social mediaand he estimates that he interacts with 70 percent of guests sitting at his sushi bar, crediting his customers for helping him learn English. (Still, his answers below are via a translator.)

Though less strict, the man still has rules. Expect them to be in effect at his upcoming restaurant at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., where he plans to serve a similar menu to the one in New York. Now behave, and enjoy your sushi.

You dont want to find yourself escorted from the bar at Sushi Nakazawa.(Bloomberg/Evan Sung)

Be on time. Seriously.

All restaurants get annoyed with late arrivals. But at an elite sushi bar, where everyone is served at the same time, showing up after your scheduled reservation really messes up the flow. If the hay-smoked sockeye salmon is the third piece of your omakase menu, you cant expect the chefs to go back and prepare the soy-marinated king salmon or the big fin reef squid you might have missed. And if youre more than 30 minutes late, you wont be seated, period.

Sushi thats not asking for an extra dose of soy sauce.(Bloomberg/Evan Sung)

Dont ask for wasabi or soy sauce.

Late times are bad, but if theres one way to make a sushi chef go ballisticat least internallyits watching a customer mash a mound of wasabi in a pool of soy sauce and then dunk the sushi in it. So it bears repeating: At a good sushi bar, every piece is precisely composed by the chef. Not only are you insulting the chef with your soy-wasabi bath, youre upsetting the delicate flavor balance of a piece of fish that you're paying a lot of money for (at Nakazawa, $150 at the sushi bar; $120 in the dining room). Still, if youre determined to be the boss of your sushi, the chef will hand over a little extra wasabi and/or soy sauce; the word "please" is helpful.

(Read also: For sushi lovers: Five interesting facts you should know)

Anticipate any unwanted selectionsand say so.

Although it seems obvious that people with allergies or aversions to raw seafood shouldnt frequent sushi restaurants, Nakazawa said that people have sometimes booked a reservation at his restaurant and asked for the cooked fish menu. (Theyre politely requested to make other plans.) Sometimes its a question of taste: You dont go to Nakazawa to simply eat tuna and salmon, and one of the reasons the chef is behind the counter is to introduce you to that black gnomefish cut that you didnt know existed.

But he also wants his customers to be happy. If you really dont want to try live scallop or you know youll never change your mind about sea urchin, dont just sit there. Say somethingbefore the sushi arrives in front of youand you can stick to what you know.

Perhaps a glass of Krug to go with your angaro?(Bloomberg/Evan Sung)

Pair your sushi with Champagne.

Garrett Smith, the beverage director at Sushi Nakazawa, offers a list of premium sake pairings on the menu, whether you opt for the $45 regular option or the $2,500 bottle of refined Niizawa Super 8 for sake high rollers. But the Restaurant Daniel veteran says that Champagne goes surprisingly well with sushi, in part because of its fish-friendly mineralogy. It also acts as a natural palate cleanser. Of the three dozen choices on the list, options range from the $90 La Caravelle Brut Rose to a bottle of 1990 Krug Brut that goes for $1,150.

Talk to the chefbut dont offer to buy him a drink.

When Nakazawa goes out to eat at other sushi bars, he follows the lead of the chef behind the counterif that chef isnt telling jokes, Nakazawa isnt making jokes either. At his own place, Nakazawa listens to guests enough that the back-and-forth between them has influenced his menu. A customer once brought him finger limes, an ingredient people were talking about. He liked the juicy citrus so much, he added it to his prawn sushi. More recently, a client introduced him to sansho pepper; now he uses it as seasoning for Spanish mackerel. Sometimes his customers try to buy him a drink, but thats the one offer he generally declines. If you insist, he might accept a glass of the 2013 Romanee Conti Montrachet, which goes for $6,000.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Carla Bianpoen (The Jakarta Post) Singapore  Fri, January 20, 2017 16:47 2114 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bc139cd 4 Art & Culture art,exhibition,art-stage-singapore-2017,art-stage,capitalism Free

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.

It is not quite clear whether he means collaborating with a stronger fair, as one of Art Stages strategic board members has suggested an energizing injection.

For now, the weight has been laid on adequate content through the exhibition of the Southeast Asia Forum, the Collectors Stage and the Forum of Talks.

The fair proper, 131 galleries from 27 countries  about 40 fewer galleries compared to last years 170, was more of a boutique fair where the works on offer varied in quality and revealed contemporaneity in their diversity of understandings.

This year around, no fewer than eight Indonesian galleries lent their support (Cans  rebranded from Canna Gallery, DGallery, Nadi Gallery, Zola Zulu, Fantastic Gallery, Roh Projects, Srisasanti Syndicate and Lawangwangi Gallery).

These galleries offered fresh works by old-timers like Entang Wiharso, Agus Suwage, Handiwirman, Eddie Hara, Arifien Neif, Richard, Ronald Manullang, Syaiful Garibaldi and last but not least, Eddy Susanto, the only artist whose work aptly responded to the situation and the Art Stage theme of Capitalism.

(Read also: An odyssey with your future self: Singapore Art Biennale 2016)

Eddy visualized with an installation of pigs (a metaphor for ever-hungry capitalism) their skins covered with commercial logos, correlating with the symbols on the worlds bank notes, such as the face of Benjamin Franklin on the US dollar, Queen Elizabeth on the pound sterling and Mao Zhedong on the yuan, which are looking down from a Javanese window frame.

The images on the bank notes were shaped by handwritten Javanese script relating to the original text in Serat Kalathida in which the sage Ronggowarsita in the 19th century described the greed and hedonism that plagued society of his time, revealing a similar situation to our present time.

It was also interesting to see Naufal Abshars new works in the Art Porters booth indicating the artists ongoing development.

Interesting works were also spotted in between, such as the delicate work by the Bangladeshi artist Tayeba Lipi at Sundaram Tagore Gallery; the works by Iqi Qori, an Indonesian artist at Art Front Gallery; the great mirror painting

Beautiful Virgin made of glass, plaster on wood by Pooya Aryanpour; the work by Malang-based artist Gatot Pujiarto at Pearl Lams; and many more.

There were also 20 Japanese galleries participating, some of which presented big names like Yayoi Kusuma.

Eddys work was also present in a commissioned work in the Collectors Stage. The work  a wooden door on which Columbus arrival in the Americas was drawn  is part of collector Hady Angs trilogy of PIGS, formed together with Vasan Sithiket and Ronald Ventura. PIGS stands for Politics, Immortality and Gods.

Eddys work represents Immortality and is based on a Javanese myth on the workings of the eclipse. Correlated to the arrival of Columbus in the Americas, it is yet another example of his skill in drawing on his Javanese culture to explain the events of today. The wooden door with Columbus images opening to the immortal Kala likens the eclipse as it happens in real time.

(Read also: Upcoming Java Jazz eyes more festivalgoers)

The Collectors Stage, which presented 19 works from six Singapore collectors who usually shy away from publication, was a first.

Curated by Enin Supriyanto, Expose featured collections by Hady Ang; Jim Amberson; Michael Tay and Talenia Phua Gajardo (MT Collection); Michelangelo and Lourdes Samson; Kenneth Tan; and a sixth collector who wished to remain anonymous.

Among the highlights were Tromaramas Triptych More We, Less Me; Aditya Novalis amazing innovation with dots, and Eddy Susantos stunning juxtaposition of Javanese mythology and scientific versions of the workings of the eclipse in Immortality.

Other interesting works were by Francis Ng. Handiwirman Saputra, Steve McQueen, Moffat Takadiwa, Asim Waqif, Martha Atienza, Leslie de ChavezKwayan de Guiya, Wong Hoy Chong, Lee Friendlander.

Crossing the thin line to the Southeast Asian Forum, the well-curated show of 24 works by 23 artists, by Nadia Ng, who has skillfully taken the initial Southeast Asian Platform to this elevated level of forum, was barely different from the Collectors Stage.

This was also reflected in the display. Meaningful and accentuating the diversity rising from the region, the forums exhibition included Indonesian artist Eldwin Pradiptas video installation on the layers of tales about the Yogyakarta Waterkasteel; and Adityas amazing innovation with dots to abstract realistic images es and facts was a feat of wonder. Included was the innovative Vending Machine by Malaysiass Ivan Lam that sold artworks at S$20 the way one buys a soda at a vending machine.

Vending machine by Ivan Lam, presented by Wei-Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur.(Art Stage Singapore/File)

Other works included Thailands Pairots installation of Weapons for the Citizen, a huge installation of weapons made of textiles, the hard steel replaced by cushioning material.

Weapons for the Citizen (2016) by Anon Pairot: Toy guns fabricated from assorted textiles made in Thailand, presented by Gallery Seescape.(Art Stage Singapore/File)

There was also the 32-channel sound installation by Tintin Wulia titled Neitherland, Whitherland, featuring original spoken-word poetry by 15 narrators in various languages, an intimate piece on borders and her own condition. Another strong focus was made on the Forum of Talks covering issues related to Capitalism. From alternative spaces to collector-founded Art Centers, the issue of Art + Money and the challenges faced by artists vis-a-vis the forces of protectionism, fundamentalism and oligarchy, the talks covered the spectrum of anxiety that marks our current situation.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017 17:52 2114 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bc17266 1 Lifestyle Australia,#Australia,Australia-Day,campaign,controversy,#controversy,backlash Free

An Australia Day campaign showcasing two girls wearing hijab has sparked backlash and debate over the meaning of the national holiday that takes place on Jan. 26.

As reported by AFP, the Victoria state government-backed firm had received threats and was forced to take down the poster from a billboard in Melbourne this week. Right-wing groups shared the advertisement on social media and believed it was a false depiction of Australia Day, criticizing the government for being too diplomatic.

The incident sparked a crowdfunding campaign to collect A$20,000 (US$15,132) on Wednesday with the aim of getting the advertisement restored. By late Thursday, it had accumulated more than A$140,000.

"The people who found it offensive are the same ones that complain 'the Muslims don't assimilate', and yet here we have two lovely girls celebrating Australia Day," said campaign organizer Dee Madigan.

(Read also: Controversy in Russia over Holocaust ice dance)

I'm disgusted by campaign to take down Australia Day sign featuring Muslim women. Racism has no place in our society https://t.co/Lb7GHAs4h0  Richard Di Natale (@RichardDiNatale) January 17, 2017

According to the campaigns page on the GoFundMe site, the money collected will be used to publish the same ad on billboards and newspapers across Australia on Friday.

Regarding the issue, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton stated, "I think it's great that we've got young girls, young boys from whatever background who are embracing Australian values, flying the Australian flag, proud to be Australian, proud to be part of our society.

Australia Day celebrates the arrival of the first English settlers more than 200 years ago. It is a day where national achievements are acknowledged as more and more citizens are inaugurated. But for the disadvantaged Aboriginal community, it is known as Invasion Day whereby colonizers started to conquer land and lives from the indigenous populace. (nik/kes)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017 17:49 2114 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bc16fec 1 Lifestyle Bangkok,#Bangkok,Thailand,#Thailand,gay-parade,Bangkok-Pride,parade,#parade,Gay-Pride,LGBT,#LGBT Free

For the first time in 11 years, Bangkok will hold its gay parade, Bangkok Pride, later this year.

The pride parade, which usually takes place annually on the island of Phuket, will return to the capital as a celebration to unify the local LGBTQ community. It is reportedly scheduled for October to November this year as a six-day event.

Paul Heymans, founder of OUT BKK, one of the LGBTQ organizations partaking in Bangkok Pride, told Mashable, "It was the lack of organization and a definite plan back then that really affected [Bangkok] Pride to go ahead."

Decades ago, pride parades were organized by the business sector, in which capitalization on the gay movement outweighed the promotional aspect for the acceptance of the LGBTQ community, as said by Rapeepun Jommaroeng, the deputy secretary-general of Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand (RSAT), another one of the organizers.

(Read also: Gay pride events festive but some concerned after Orlando)

"I never perceived solidarity within this sector, Jommaroeng said, adding that because it was more about promoting the businesses of those funding the event rather than the views of activists. Hence, this years event as a collaborative effort of many LGBTQ organizations will hopefully see an increase in exposure of the community, which will help advance them towards gender and marriage equality.

The Thai government is said to have begun recognizing this issue following the enactment of a law in 2015 that specifically criminalizes discrimination against people based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

Organizers are reportedly planning the six-day pride event to feature a program of workshops, film festivals, social events and a pride march. (mra/kes)
After various pictures of hers, and her husband Chinni Krishna, who is a member of AWBA, were combined with PETA CEO's Purva Joshipura's stating that they control PETA, the couple earned the anger of the Chennaites.

By Pramod Madhav: Eminent environmentalist and historian, Nandita Krishna faced great discomfort after many protested in front of CP Ramaswamy Iyer foundation alleging her to be with PETA.

After various pictures of hers, and her husband Chinni Krishna, who is a member of AWBA, were combined with PETA CEO's Purva Joshipura's stating that they control PETA, the couple earned the anger of the Chennaites.

advertisement

"I want to clarify that neither my husnband or I have any affiliation with PETA and whatever communication that is going around is totally false and disregarded. Further, they have also sent out a false WhatsApp message that PETA's office is in CP Ramaswamy Iyer foundation. There are no offices over here and I don't know where it is. I have nothing to do with PETA. I'm not even a member of PETA," she explained.

FALSE INFORMATION

Nandita Krishna is very upset over the fact hundreds of people gathered in front of her residence believing false information and were protesting causing wide spread panic.

"I don't know who has sent this message because I have never been associated with PETA in any way, nor is my husband. Somebody with a very malignant intention has deliberately done this to hurt us and to target us," Nandita explained with grief.

Nandita Krishna is not the first to go under such distress after falsely being targeted as an anti-jallikattu volunteer. Earlier, Trisha Krishnan, an actor from Kollywood went under extreme tension as protesters stormed her shooting spot and disrupted the event along with trolling her with distasteful messages on her Twitter page, forcing her to close her page.

Nandita Krishna also kept a plea forward that a special kids school runs inside CP Ramaswamy Iyer foundation and such protests based on false allegations would have grave implications on the kids' minds and requested the public to not believe in any such information.

Also Read:

Jallikattu protest LIVE: Law ministry clears Tamil Nadu government's Ordinance

--- ENDS ---
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Jessicha Valentina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017 17:08 2114 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bc14364 1 Food penguin,Pingoo-restaurant,Pingoo-restaurant-Neo-Soho,Jakarta-Aquarium,conservation Free

First opened on Dec. 28 last year, Pingoo restaurant in Neo Soho shopping mall, West Jakarta, caught the publics attention due to the appearance of live penguins inside the eatery's aquarium display.

Jakarta Aquarium public relations Leo Loemanto admitted on Wednesday that the company had received several protests. [The protesters] thought that the penguins were being used to attract visitors to the shopping mall or the restaurant, he told The Jakarta Post during a media gathering.

In regards to the issue, Leo clarified that the restaurant was a part of Jakarta Aquarium, which was a conservation agency and a sister company of Taman Safari Indonesia in Cisarua, Bogor, West Java.

Leo explained that the restaurant was one of the must-have facilities in an animal park, which led them to open Pingoo restaurant. The addition of penguins was decided as it was suitable with the restaurants name.

(Read also: Ancol under pressure from social media for cruel treatment of dolphin)

The idea to open the Jakarta Aquarium was realized from the governments indirect challenge for the company to create an edutainment area inside a shopping mall. As we can see, several countries in Asia, such as Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore, have opened this kind of facility, he said.

When it comes to the animal welfare, Leo said that although the Humboldt penguins originated from Chile and Peru, they were breeding the penguins at Taman Safari Indonesia. We did not take the penguins from its natural habitat," he stated.

The environment inside Pingoo restaurant was designed to be similar with Humboldt penguins natural habitat, which includes a wave pool and rocky coastal area.

Taman Safari Indonesia group's head of life sciences-slash-consultant Biswaji Guha added that the penguins behavior in the restaurant proved that they had adapted with the environment. They can swim or rest whenever they want. Their feathers also look fresh and healthy, explained Biswaji.

Jakarta Aquarium is slated to open in February. The aquarium will host close to 300 species, including iguanas and coconut crabs. Most of the species will come from Indonesias oceans. (asw)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) may detain former president director of Garuda Indonesia Emirsyah Satar after being named as a suspect in a case of alleged bribery related to the purchase of aircraft engines from UK company Rolls Royce, the body's spokesperson has said.

If it already fulfills the requirement of article 21 of the Criminal Code Procedure [on detaining a suspect], it opens the possibility for detention, KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah told The Jakarta Post on Thursday, adding that KPK would carry out an investigation before making such decision.

In the investigation, KPK would conduct activities such as searching, seizures, questioning witnesses and detention, according to Febri. He added the commission had searched locations and seized evidence related to the case, then scheduled to question witnesses and the suspect.

KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo announced yesterday that the former Garuda Indonesia CEO had been involved in cross-border corruption case. Emirsyah was accused of receiving bribes in connection with a corrupt act involving the UKs engineering behemoth, RollsRoyce Holdings.

The KPK and the SFO implicated Emirsyah in a transnational conspiracy crafted by Rolls-Royce to help it secure major deals to provide aircraft engines to at least 12 countries, including Indonesia.

Apart from Emirsyah, who is now CEO of the Lippo Groups online retailer MatahariMall.com, the KPK also named Soetikno Soedarjo  the owner of diversified business group Mugi Rekso Abadi (MRA)  a suspect in the case.

Sutikno is the beneficial owner of Singapore-based Connaught International Pte Ltd., which has been accused of functioning as a broker to pass on the bribe money from Rolls-Royce.

The KPK accused Emirsyah of accepting bribes from Sutikno in the form of money amounting to 1.2 million and US$180,000, as well as things equal to $2 million that were detected in Indonesia and Singapore.

KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo said the alleged bribery was uncovered through what he called intensive cooperation with the SFO, which investigated the primary case in the UK, and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) of Singapore, which was the agency that indicated the bribe money was transferred from Connaught to Emirsyahs account in a bank registered in that country.

This is a part of a transnational anticorruption practice, so we would keep in touch with the SFO and the CPIB. The two agencies are now investigating other suspects related to the case, Agus said.

It was revealed that RollsRoyce has admitted to the bribery of senior foreign officials and senior staff over a period spanning 25 years in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, India, Russia, China and Malaysia, adding that it was the biggest investigation in the history of the SFO.

Agus said the case centered on the procurement of 50 Airbus planes by Garuda between 2005 and 2014, during which Emirsyah served as the companys president director. He did not detail whether all of the planes used engines made by Rolls-Royce.

Agus alleged the bribe money only went to Emirsyah, emphasizing that Garuda has not benefited at all from the bribery.

The corruption case was not related more to individual actions and not Garudas activities as a company, the airline said in a statement. Garuda is fully cooperating with KPK in its investigation.

KPK deputy chairman Laode Muhammad Syarif confirmed that Garuda as an institution was not involved in any way in the case.

Because this is an individual corruption case, Garuda will not be implicated, he said.

(Read also: Ex-Garuda Indonesia CEO named as corruption suspect on Rolls-Royce engines purchasing)

Garuda shares plunged by 2.26 percent on Thursday to Rp 346 apiece following the revelation of the bribery case.

According to Bloomberg, Rolls-Royce won approvals in the U.K. and the U.S. for settlements after it said it would pay $800 million in total to resolve bribery probes in both countries as well as Brazil.

The British indictment includes the example of one individual in Indonesia receiving $2.25 million and a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit car from the company, which has admitted to paying bribes to secure contracts in countries including Thailand, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Angola and Iraq.

Emirsyah served as the chief executive of Garuda for a decade through 2014, overseeing a debt restructuring and an initial public offering that allowed it to expand its fleet to 134 aircraft. Hes currently the chairman of Lippo Groups MatahariMall.com, or PT Global ECommerce Indonesia.

His performance and contribution as MatahariMall.com chairman have been very positive and the company will respect the legal process, Alvin Aulia, head of communications and partnership, said in a text message.

Garuda slid 2.3 percent to 346 rupiah at the close in Jakarta, the most since Dec. 30, while shares of PT Matahari Department Store, which holds about 10 percent stake in MatahariMall.com, rose 1.3 percent to 14,900 rupiah. (ebf/jun)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan  Fri, January 20, 2017

The North Sumatra Police detained on Friday a poultry company owner from Binjai city for alleged tax evasion amounting to Rp 3.61 billion (US$268,760).

North Sumatra Tax Office head Mukhtar said it had requested the detainment of the businessman, identified only as JH. He is being held at Tanjung Gusta Penitentiary in Medan.

We held JH because he has failed to pay, said Mukhtar in a press conference in his office. The office referred to JHs detention as sandera (taken hostage) in line with the technical term coined by the Finance Ministry for taking tax evaders into custody.

[Detainment] is our last resort. We have sent several letters asking him to pay his taxes, Mukhtar said.

By law, a person detained for suspected tax evasion can be detained for six months, which can be extended for a maximum of six months. They will be released when they pay their taxes or avail of the tax amnesy. (evi)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

The Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) recorded investment of US$1.6 billion from China up until the third quarter of last year, making the country the third-biggest investor in Indonesia after Singapore and Japan.

It took only nine months for China to reach third position, said BKPM third region director Wisnu Wijaya Sudibyo as reported by tempo.co on Friday.

The use of Chinese technology in Indonesia contributed to the large amount of Chinese investment in Indonesia, said Wisnu, adding that countries such as Singapore and Japan also used Chinese technology in their products.

(Read also: Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway to get Chinese loan)

Amid rumors of the high inflow of Chinese workers to Indonesia, Wisnu said his institution was not authorized to prevent the arrivals of foreign workers.

We have no authority to monitor whether a company has a foreign workers employment permit [IMTA], he added.

The Manpower Ministry recorded 21,121 Chinese workers in Indonesia in 2016. The ministry, in cooperation with the immigration office, found 1,324 cases of illegal employment due to the absence of an IMTA. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi  Fri, January 20, 2017

Fifty damaged ballots were found during the early stage of ballot distribution in Sarolangun regency, Jambi, an official said on Friday.

[So far] weve found 50 damaged ballots. The number may increase considering ballot distribution preparation will continue until Jan. 26, said Sarolangun General Elections Commission (KPU Sarolangun) commissioner Thoriq Kurniawan, adding that the commission would return the damaged ballots to the supplier in Jakarta.

Thirty KPU Sarolangun personnel were deployed to prepare the 195,996 ballots to be distributed to 586 polling stations in 158 villages. The final voter list (DPT) in Sarolangun contains 190,940 names, while extra ballots have been prepared for each polling station.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has issued a travel ban on former Garuda Indonesia president director Emirsyah Satar after naming him a suspect in a bribery case related to the purchase of aircraft engines from British company Rolls Royce.

"Weve had measures in place to prevent him from traveling abroad for several days. We have sent the letter to the Directorate General of Immigration," KPK chairman Laode Syarif said on Friday.

Emirsyah is suspected of accepting bribes of 1.2 million euros (US$1.28 million) and US$180,000, as well as items worth $2 million in connection to the procurement of aircraft engines while holding the position of president director with the national flag carrier.

Bloomberg previously reported that a British indictment of Rolls Royce over alleged bribery showed one individual in Indonesia accepting $2.25 million and a Rolls Royce Silver Spirit from the company.

(Read also: Anti graft body may detain ex-Garuda Indonesia CEO on Rolls Royce deals)

Apart from Emirsyah, who is now CEO of Lippo Groups online retailer, MatahariMall.com, the KPK also named Soetikno Soedarjo  the owner of diversified business group Mugi Rekso Abadi (MRA)  a suspect in the case.

Sutikno is the beneficial owner of the Singapore-based Connaught International Pte Ltd., which has been accused of functioning as a broker to pass on the bribes from Rolls Royce.(jun)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

The operation of Garuda Indonesia will not be affected by the naming of its former president director, Emirsyah Satar, as a graft suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Transportation Minister Budi Karya has said.

The KPK investigation is an individual matter. I dont think this will affect its operation, said Budi as reported by tempo.co on Friday.

On Thursday, the KPK named Satar a suspect in a bribery case related to the procurement of planes and aircraft engines.

(Read also: Emirsyah Satars case not related with corporate activities: Garuda)

Budi stressed that the government would continue to support Garuda Indonesia to find the best and most efficient technology and facilitate the highest level of cooperation with its partners.

But we cannot tolerate any violation of the law, he added.

Satar is suspected of receiving bribes of 1.2 million euros and US$180,000 as well as US$2 million in the form of goods from Soetikno Soedarjo, the beneficial owner of Singapore-based Connaught International Pte Ltd.

Such an act constitutes a violation of articles 12 and 11 of the Anticorruption Law and Article 55 of the Criminal Code. Meanwhile, Soetikno is accused of violating articles 5 and 13 of the Anticorruption Law and articles 55 and 64 of the Criminal Code.

KPK commissioner Laode M. Syarif said his institution would cooperate with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in the UK and Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in Singapore to investigate the transnational corruption case. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20 2017

Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono has come under fire for visiting the Dharma Bakti Temple in Petak Sembilan, West Jakarta, on Thursday while wearing campaign attributes.

West Jakarta Elections Supervision chair Puadi said that Agus may have violated Law No. 10/2016 Article 26 on prohibited campaign locations. Whether or not it was intended, the article clearly stated that campaigning in a place of worship or education is not permitted, Puadi said on Thursday as quoted by wartakotalive.com.

He added that an investigation would be conducted and he would call in subdistrict election officials as witnesses.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20 2017

While the government may be patting itself on the back for introducing the gross-split sliding scale for new oil and gas contracts, players in the business remain unsure about whether it will be any better than the previously used cost recovery scheme.

The Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA) claims that the new energy and mineral resources ministerial decree  issued on Monday to be the legal basis of the gross-split scheme  is still fuzzy on several details, including on how the government decides that a project is commercially ready.

According to the association, the new ministerial decree is also unclear on the role of the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) in the gross-split scheme because the agency will no longer have to approve the contractors annual budgets and instead only focus on production, ready-to-sell production  locally dubbed lifting  and safety measures.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

Jakarta deputy gubernatorial candidate Sylviana Murni answered a police summons on Friday for questioning in relation to a corruption case centering on a social aid program.

The running mate of Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono arrived at the National Police's anticorruption department, which is currently located in the Ombudsman building in Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, about an hour before her scheduled questioning session at 9 a.m.

"Nothing is special. As citizens, we should meet [a summons]," Sylviana said, refusing to comment further on the case.

The National Polices Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) issued the summons on Wednesday.

(Read more: Police investigate alleged graft related to Sylviana Murni)

The letter stated that the former Jakarta governors assistant for culture and tourism would be questioned in her capacity as a witness in a social aid corruption case pertaining to the Jakarta Scout Movement in 2014 and 2015.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said Sylviana would be questioned because she was believed to have information about the case.

Sylviana was earlier reported over her alleged involvement in a corruption case centering on the construction of Al Fauz Mosque, which was developed during Sylvianas tenure as Central Jakarta mayor.

Democratic Party politician Roy Suryo voiced his support for Sylviana, saying that such cases were initiated by people with political interests in the election.

Roy added that he hoped the election was won fair and square. (dmr)
Speaking to India Today, Manish Tewari, who has also served as a Union minister, said instead of succumbing to the protests, the Centre could have waited for the Supreme Court to deliver its order in week's time.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: The Jallikattu Ordinance is ready, cleared by multiple ministries and now all eyes are set on President Pranab Mukherjee. In all probability, President is expected to give his nod to the Tamil Nadu government Ordinance as the protests against the ban on Jallikattu have spread and intensified. But this will definitely not go down well with the Supreme Court, since the Jallikattu ban matter is under its consideration. So much so that the Oridnance may be quashed, if one believes Manish Tewari, Congress spokesperson and eminent lawyer.

advertisement

While the Narendra Modi government apparently is pushing for the promulgation of the Ordinance to lift the Supreme Court's ban on jallikattu, Manish Tewari says it may set a bad precedent. Speaking to Indiatoday.in, Manish Tewari, who has also served as a Union minister, said instead of succumbing to the protests, the Centre could have waited for the Supreme Court to deliver its order in week's time. Tewari said, "The Supreme Court can quash the ordinance." Manish Tewari believes the Supreme Court can "take a dim view of the Ordinance and question its promulgation".

The Congress spokesperson was of the view that the Centre could well have waited for a week for the Supreme Court to pronounce its verdict.

LAW CANNOT BE MADE ON BASIS OF PROTESTS

On the large scale protests, Tewari said, "If law is going to be made on the basis of protests on the streets, then it is the end of rule of law." Massive protests have erupted in Tamil Nadu against the ban imposed by the Supreme Court on jallikattu. People from all walks of life have lent their support to the protests.

On Friday morning, the fourth day of the protests, the Centre moved the Supreme Court requesting it not to pronounce its verdict at least for a week. The apex court agreed to the Centre's request.

In a swift development later, the Tamil Nadu Cabinet met in the evening and passed an Ordinance recommending lifting of the ban. The Union Home ministry sought opinion from Environment and Law ministries. Both the ministries sent their consent and recommendation for due consideration. Subsequently, the Ordinance has been sent to the President for his final nod.

ORDINANCE TO GO THROUGH TWO MORE HURDLES

The Ordinance still has to go past two hurdles. First, it depends whether or not the President gives his assent to it. Second, the Supreme Court order in a week.

The Centre would face a major embarrassment if either the President declines his assent or the Supreme Court takes exception to the Ordinance.

As Tamil Nadu boils with protests, the Centre has some more homework to do in such circumstances.

Also Read:

Jallikattu LIVE: MHA clears Tamil Nadu government's Ordinance, sent to President

--- ENDS ---
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

The first official debate between Jakarta gubernatorial candidates failed to attract more voters to each candidate, as most swing voters, the group targeted in the event, were not impressed by the candidates performance, a researcher has said.

Only five to 10 percent of around 29 percent swing voters changed their minds on who they will vote for after watching the first debate, Jakarta-based pollster Populi Center director Usep S. Ahyar said on Thursday night.

Some 7 million Jakarta citizens will vote on Feb. 15.

Usep said failing to convince these swing voters meant failing in the debate. No matter how good a candidate appears in a debate, he or she wont be able to convince other candidates loyal voters, he told The Jakarta Post.

Worse still, Usep said, the majority of the 10 percent that changed their minds would remain swing voters, at the most, only two percent of them became loyal voters.

Populis survey in mid-December showed Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Sylviana Murni pairs loyal supporters reached 63.9 percent; those of the incumbent Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Sjaiful amounted to 77.6 percent; while Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga had some 72.7 percent.

Usep said the performance of each candidate pair was what prevented them from gaining more votes. He said while Ahok and Djarot focused too much on clarifying their policies that had spurred controversy such as evictions, other pairs did not capitalize on the opportunity to offer more sound and convincing programs.

LIPI senior researcher Syamsuddin Haris said Ahok-Djarots challengers should have used the debate to explain and detail their solutions to problems in Jakarta rather than explain abstract programs.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara has reasserted that it is the obligation of every over-the-top (OTT) company generating revenue from the Indonesian market, including search engine giant Google, to pay tax.

We are thankful for Google for bringing a lot of benefit to our society, but every OTT Company doing business in Indonesia should pay tax, Rudiantara said on the sidelines of the Indonesia Technology Forum held in Jakarta on Thursday.

He said he supported the Finance Ministrys ongoing efforts to collect what are reported to be millions of dollars of tax liabilities from Singapore-based Google Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., which has allegedly earned outstanding revenue from Indonesian advertisers but failed to pay proper tax.

Finance Ministry tax officials summoned executives of the company on Thursday to clarify documents previously submitted by the internet giant regarding a preliminary tax investigation.

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.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

The Indonesian government is taking Germanys lead in its attempt to fight back against hoaxes and press Facebook to better filter false news from its newsfeed, a minister has said.

Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara said he had sent an invitation to Facebook to come to Indonesia to talk about hoaxes a day after he learned about Germanys plan to legislate a law that stipulates penalties for dissemination of hoaxes on the social networking service.



We are taking Germanys initiative as an example to be followed because they represent Europe, the minister said in his speech at a technology forum on Thursday in Jakarta.



The German government is reportedly drafting a law that would enable the country to impose sanctions of 500,000 (US$532,847) for any post containing fake news or hate speech that is not removed from the Facebook network within 24 hours, prompting the social media giant to roll out a tool to flag fake news on its site.

We will directly convey our concern [about the dissemination of hoaxes] when we meet representatives of Facebook Asia Pacific at the end of this month, Rudiantara said.



The Indonesian government has declared war against the spread of hoaxes or false information on social media.



Last month, President Joko Jokowi Widodo convened a meeting with a number of ministers and law enforcement leaders to discuss strategies to clamp down on provocative rumors and hoaxes on social media.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Viriya P. Singgih (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20 2017

The government is planning to introduce a multifunction card for purchases of subsidized 3-kilogram liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters to ensure proper distribution.

Private employee Rani Basyir, 33, has been using the 3-kg LPG canisters for almost seven years, not because she cannot afford to buy the non-subsidized ones, but because they are more practical for daily use.

She started using them in 2010, when she was still single, and kept using them after she got married

in 2014.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Haeril Halim and Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung/Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

Once lauded by his followers for standing in front of two-large scale rallies in Jakarta last year, Rizieq Shihab, the notorious leader of the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI), is now being investigated by the West Java Police, an ironic turn of affairs.

For the last few months, Rizieq has been the loudest advocate for pushing blasphemy charges against Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who is currently seeking re-election in the Jakarta gubernatorial race. After Ahok was named a suspect in the case and later stood trial, Rizieq continued to strongly voice his animosity toward the governor, whom he repeatedly called a religion mocker.

The rallies also bolstered growing sectarianism in the country and somehow catapulted his notoriety to a higher level, generating concerns that Indonesias pluralism might be at risk.

However, Rizieq, who was twice sentenced to prison for inciting hatred in 2003 and 2008, has now toned down his voice as he is asking the National Police to help him mediate with the people who have filed police reports against him. He even visited the House of Representatives on Tuesday to report the issues he was facing.

Rizieq now faces public scrutiny as the police investigate five separate cases. These cases relate to Rizieqs alleged blasphemy toward Christianity, insults to the State ideology Pancasila, comments over supposed communist symbols on Rupiah bank notes and hate speech.

Rizieq is seen by many as the initiator of the massive rallies under the banner of the National Movement to Safeguard the In- donesian Ulema Councils Fatwa (GNPF-MUI). The rallies attracted other conservative Islamic organizations and were joined by nearly half a million people in Jakarta. Now, however, it seems as though only his own group is coming to his defense.

In what appears to be a turn of events for Rizieq, hundreds of people from several non-governmental organizations in Bandung, West Java, voiced their displeasure of him on Thursday. An irony, as the province is notorious for its rampant intolerance from hard-line and conservative Islamic groups, which also participated in the Rizieq-led rallies.

The protestors called on the government to disband the FPI, arguing that the group had been actively involved in encouraging and supporting intolerant activities.

This is a form of solidarity to show that we, the people of West Java, are peaceful and united against intolerance. We will fight any anti-Pancasila group, Fauzan Rachman, the chairman of the Indonesian Grassroots Movement (GMBI), said during the rally.

One of the legal cases surrounding Rizieq presently being investigated by the West Java Police relates to an alleged insult to Pancasila, reported by the daughter of former president Sukarno, Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, in October last year. He was grilled by West Java Police investigators last week over his alleged speech that went viral on social media.

West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan said the police had upped the status from preliminary investigation to full investigation in the Pancasila case. His status is still that of a witness in the case, said National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono on Thursday.

Adi Prayitno, an expert in political Islam from the State Islamic University (UIN), said Rizieqs confidence grew too aggressively after the Jakarta rallies because he probably believed that the protesters would continue to follow him because of the success of the rallies.

If Rizieq was named a suspect by the police then the move could dampen his dominance in the public sphere, Adi told The Jakarta Post.

Rizieq and several key members of the FPI did not respond to the Posts inquires. Novel Bamukmin, the secretary-general of the FPI Jakarta branch, refused to comment, saying that the Jakarta branch had no authority to comment on the central board.

-- INDRA BUDIARI AND MARGUERITE AFRA SAPIIE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS STORY
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

Police have said they will make a decision over the status of Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab in relation to a case pertaining to an alleged insult to the state ideology Pancasila after conducting a second case reenactment.

We will conduct the reenactment next week, Yusri, an investigator with the West Java Polices general crimes directorate, was quoted as saying by kompas.com on Thursday.

From the second reenactment, we will be able to decide Rizieqs status sometime next week.

(Read also: FPI leader Rizieq Shihab questions suspension of Twitter accounts)

The West Java Police held the first reenactment on Tuesday, after which it was decided that more witnesses needed to be questioned to make a decision in the case, Yusri said.

Rizieq is being questioned as a witness in a case centering on an alleged insult to the Pancasila. The police have stepped up their investigation into him from a preliminary investigation to a full investigation.

Normally, a person implicated in an alleged crime is named a suspect as an investigation proceeds from a preliminary to full investigation. However, in Rizieqs case, it appears investigators are being careful because the case has attracted wide public attention.

If he is found to have violated articles 154 and 320 of the Criminal Code, we will name him a suspect, Yusri said. Article 154 covers insulting a state symbol and carries a maximum penalty of four years imprisonment, while Article 320 covers defaming a dead person, which carries a maximum penalty of four months in jail. (sfr/dmr)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

The West Java Prosecutors Office has received a notification letter to begin an investigation (SPDP) from the West Java Police for the defamation case implicating Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab.

Yes, we have received the SPDP, West Java Prosecutors Office head Setia Untung Arimuladi said on Friday as reported by tribunnews.com.

Untung said his office was preparing prosecutors to accompany police in questioning Rizieq, who was earlier reported by Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, the daughter of the countrys founding father and first president Sukarno, to the police for allegedly defaming the Pancasila (state ideology).

We are always cooperative with the police, he said.

(Read also: West Java Police question FPI leader over alleged insult to Pancasila)

West Java Police have upgraded the status of the case from a preliminary investigation to a full investigation, and plan to question Rizieq again earlier next week.

In the preliminary investigation, the police questioned Rizieq in Bandung last week. Hundreds of supporters of the FPI staged a rally during the questioning. After the questioning, the supporters were involved in a clash with members of the Indonesian General Society Movement (GMBI).

Following the clash, FPI supporters reportedly attacked and burned down a GMBI office in Ciampea, Bogor, West Java.

Rizieq was believed to behind recent mass rallies in Jakarta, which were joined by hundreds of thousands of people who demanded Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama be prosecuted for alleged blasphemy. (jun)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

Indonesia is targeting Qatar as a new export market for military weapon products, a diplomat said on Friday.

The Indonesian Embassy in Qatars minister counselor, Boy Dharmawan, said a Qatari Armed Forces delegation planned to visit Indonesia in the near future to discuss the possibility of buying military weapons produced by Indonesia.

Qatars intention was delivered during a meeting between Qatar Armed Forces Strategic Studies Center head Brig. Gen, Hamad Mohammed Al Marri and Indonesian Ambassador Muhammad Basri Sidehabi in Doha.

Qatar is diversifying its military arsenal supplies and there is a chance for Indonesia to compete with other developing countries [to win the market], Boy said, adding that until now, Qatar not only imported weapons from Western countries but also from developing countries such as Pakistan and Turkey.

Qatar has imported textile for military uniforms from Indonesia.

Boy said Hamad had learned that Indonesias military weaponry products from state-owned land systems and weapon maker PT Pindad, aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia and shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia had been exported to ASEAN as well as to African regions.

He said the Qatar delegation would learn about Indonesias strategic primary weaponry system and the weaponry industry during its visit.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20 2017

After being beset by internal rifts and corruption allegations over the past five years, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is now seen as a mere shadow of its former glory.

A state-sanctioned team tasked with selecting new members for the nations rights body has vowed to make the commission relevant again, as it hunts for individuals who are committed to upholding human rights. But the task has turned out to be harder than it thought.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura  Fri, January 20 2017

Women traveling the streets of Jayapura, Papua, have been anxious for the past two weeks following attacks by unknown motorcyclists who inject a fluid into their victims using a syringe.

The attacks, the latest in a trend of street crimes that have endangered women, have targeted those riding or walking alone, revealing another flaw in public safety in many regions, especially after dark.

Jayapura police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Tober Sirait said the police had received reports from two victims who were attacked on Jan. 6 and 13.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
As the fourth day of protest against the ban on jallikattu comes to an end, a state ordinance that allows jallikattu has been cleared by the Centre.

By India Today Web Desk: As the fourth day of protest against the ban on jallikattu comes to an end, a state ordinance that allows jallikattu has been cleared by the Centre.

The Ordinance is now sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for his assent.

Students had gathered at Marina beach with protests erupting in other parts of the state as well.

advertisement

The matter is also in the Supreme Court.

--- ENDS ---
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

Two men were injured when an elevator dropped 60 centimeters at Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) Building II, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, on Friday.

The elevator, carrying 17 people, arrived at the ground floor, dropped 60 centimeters and jolted, said Central Jakarta Police's criminal unit head Adj. Sr. Comr. Mustakim.

Because of the jolt, the elevator's ceiling fell and injured two men.

Shocked by the incident, bystanders immediately helped the victims by forcing the elevator doors open.

"One of the men was bleeding on the head while the other had severe bruising," Mustakim told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The incident is being investigated by Tanah Abang Police. Three witnesses have been questioned so far.

Rumors circulated on social media after a Path user claimed that the elevator plunged from the 11th floor to the third floor. BRI corporate secretary Hari Siaga was quoted by Antara news agency as saying on Friday that the rumor was false. (evi)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, January 20, 2017

State-owned construction firm Wijaya Karya (Wika) plans to sign the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Indonesia-China high-speed railway connecting Jakarta and Bandung, West Java next week.

The contract will be signed with the Indonesia-China joint firm Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), which oversees the project.

There will be us and two Chinese contractors. We have 30 percent stake, Wika president director Bintang Perbowo said on Thursday.

The contract, valued at Rp 16.8 trillion (US$1.2 billion), is part of the construction of the $5.2 billion project that will span 142.3 kilometers across the two cities.

(Read also: Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway to get Chinese loan)

The contract is also necessary for a financial agreement between KCIC and Chinese Development Bank (CDB), he said, adding that CDB was slated to cover three-fourths of the funding through a loan.

They want to have the contract signed before going over the financial closing. I think its normal as there is no state guarantee for this project, Bintang added.

The firm would only have to hand over the contract and land procurement documents to the bank, among others, as the remaining technicalities, to receive the loan.

Land procurement stands at 93 percent, with the remaining land around Karawang and Purwakarta, West Java, in the industrial and real estate area. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Hans David Tampubolon (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, January 21 2017

The Australia-Indonesia Cinema Festival has returned after a successful run last year and for the first time includes a short film competition in pursuit of aspiring new local film makers.

The participants of the competition are six Indonesian filmmakers  Jason Kiantoro, Mahesa Sadega, Firdian Mahyuzar, Happy Salma, Nadya Ratu Santoso and Mustafa. They were chosen by the festival organizers out of around 300 filmmakers who submitted their short films for the competition.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, January 21 2017

State-owned construction firm Wijaya Karya (Wika) plans to sign the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the high-speed railway (HSR) connecting Jakarta and Bandung, West Java next week.

The contract will be signed with the Indonesian-Chinese joint firm Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), which oversees the project.

There will be us and two Chinese contractors. We have a 30 percent stake, Wika president director Bintang Perbowo said on Thursday.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, January 21 2017

Acting Jakarta governor Sumarsono is considering making a regulation regarding the 2016 Education Ministerial Regulation that allows school committees to collect funds from parents.

The school committees, which are composed partially of the parents of students, in Jakarta were previously not allowed to collect any funds from parents. As compensation, a city educational operational fund (BOP) pays for all schools activities, Sumarsono said on Friday.

Therefore, we need to study the regulation to determine whether Jakarta needs a gubernatorial regulation for the school committees, he said, as quoted by kompas.com.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Asila Jalil (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, January 21 2017

Italy is planning to increase its interactions with Indonesia and other ASEAN countries by creating a stronger presence in the region through involvement in various industries.

Visiting Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Benedetto Della Vedova said there was room for improvement to increase the presence of Italian companies in Indonesia.

We have big companies in oil, gas, geothermal, wind and solar energy and we want our companies to contribute positive efforts to improve power production in Indonesia, he said.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Farida Susanty and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, January 21 2017

As the country with the worlds largest Muslim population, Indonesia has seen the minor pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, the umrah, grow into a lucrative business with seemingly endless demand. A long waiting list for the haj is among the main drivers.

For Muslims, they will surely choose haj over umrah if they can because the fifth pillar of Islam is mandatory for any Muslim so long as he or she is physically fit and financially able to do it. Meanwhile, umrah is a non-compulsory pilgrimage that can be performed throughout the year.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
In starting the new year, HBO Asia will air the second season of Halfworlds, the urban fantasy-thriller about the collided worlds of demons and mortals.

With a change at the helm from Joko (Dead Time, The Forbidden Door) to Thailands Ekachai Uekrongtham (Beautiful Boxer, Skin Trade), the new stab is an extension of Halfworlds universe from the dark alleys of Jakartas slums to the bright nightlife of Bangkoks streets.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Jalelah Abu Bakr, Melissa Lin (The Straits Times/Asia News Network) Singapore  Fri, January 20, 2017

A new ASEAN marketing campaign has been launched to encourage more tourists to visit the region, spend more and stay longer.

The Visit ASEAN@50 campaign coincides with the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and will highlight the region's 50 best festivals and 50 most unforgettable travel experiences.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong launched the campaign yesterday at the opening of a five-day ASEAN Tourism Forum attended by 750 participants, including representatives from the ASEAN countries.

(Read also: Indonesia told to strengthen role in ASEAN)

The aim of the campaign is to grow international tourism arrivals to the region by 10 per cent to 121 million, spending to US$83 billion (S$118 billion) and the average length of stay to six to seven days by the end of the year. Lee noted that reaching the tourism arrival target was "entirely achievable".

He suggested three ways to go beyond a marketing campaign to drive tourism growth in the region: Strengthen air links within ASEAN, promote cruises within the region and develop talent in the industry.

While ASEAN has made important progress in air travel, Lee said there was still huge potential for numbers to grow, given that all ASEAN members had ratified the open-skies agreement. The agreement lifts restrictions on airline capacity and competition.

ASEAN, with its archipelagos, year-round tropical weather and calm waters, was also in a good position to promote cruise tourism, said Lee, adding that Singapore will be the lead coordinator to develop cruise tourism in the region.

(Read also: Airports to toll roads top picks amid ASEAN infrastructure boom)

More will also be done to develop talent in the region and train workers in the industry.

Lee said the ASEAN Tourism Research Association will offer two post-graduate scholarship schemes supported by four universities in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

He noted the importance of regional cooperation, given recent international events. Citing Brexit, the United States' election of a non-establishment candidate as president and the anxiety about jobs and immigrants in Europe, he said: "In many countries, the mood is to go it alone, unilaterally push for their own interests and doubt the value of mutual give-and-take on a rules-based international order."

In conjunction with the event, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) released the latest tourist arrival figures yesterday, which show a 7.9 per cent spike for the first 11 months last year compared with the same period in 2015.

(Read also: Indonesian becomes latest 'Changi millionaire' winner)

China is also on track to becoming Singapore's top tourist market, after trailing behind Indonesia for at least 10 years.

Arrivals from China jumped 36 per cent to some 2.6 million visitors from January to November last year, compared with the same period in 2015. Indonesia was in second place with over 2.5 million.

Presenting the numbers at a press briefing, STB executive director of marketing capability Oliver Chong described the rise as "phenomenal" and attributed it to strong growth in Tier 2 Chinese cities like Kunming and Wuhan.

There was a 70 per cent boost in tourists from these cities in the first six months last year. The STB is now looking at "Tier 3" cities, said Chong.

"This market has been doing really well - good growth in terms of the middle class. So I think that people are more prepared to travel but, at the same time, it is also due to us expanding our presence, our marketing activities, into Tier 2 China cities," he said.

This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Mark Zumbuhl (The Jakarta Post) Oxford  Fri, January 20, 2017 10:21 2114 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0bc0539e 3 News English-First,university,university-entrance-test Free

Here is some advice on what distinguishes the kind of student top universities really want to admit, written by Dr. Mark Zumbuhl, who worked in the undergraduate admissions office for several years and is currently the Head of University guidance at EF Academy Oxford.

In the UK, schools have been very busy lately, because Jan. 15 was the final deadline for applying to universities. Every year, I help dozens of students make those applications, helping them choose the best places to which they should apply, and giving advice so that their personal statement (the letter of motivation) really shows the university what the student can do. Some of our students are not familiar with the UK education system.

Here is my advice on what distinguishes the kind of student top universities really want to admit.

Study hard

In the UK and Europe, university admission is mainly on academic merit. So, to get a place at the best universities, you need to be studying a challenging qualification that is recognized internationally. Many students apply with the International Baccalaureate Diploma or A-Level. The higher-ranked the university is, the higher the grades they will ask for, so you need to work really hard to get the best grades possible if you want to get to the top places. In the UK, we dont have a US-style general admissions tests like the SAT, so the final grades you get at high school are the most important single consideration in admissions.

Prove your passion

In the UK, students normally apply for a particular course of study (major) at university, and the admissions tutors are normally professors who teach that subject. So, it is important to choose something you are really interested in, and good at. Then you need to show your enthusiasm and skills in your application. For example, an admissions officer for Engineering who has two student applications with similar grades will admit the one who can show him that they are most interested in engineering.

How can you do that on the application? By talking about how your high school gave you skills relevant for the university course, by reading interesting articles or books outside the classroom that show how the subject is used in the real world, and, if possible, by doing an internship or some work experience that lets you get a real feel for the subject.

Take initiative

Finally, universities are really looking for students who can work independently. It is a very different environment to high school, where teachers are there to chase you for homework. Being able to take initiative, do your own research and organize things on your own is very important.

Getting work experience outside school is part of this, but organizing a sport or club in your school, arranging trips to visit interesting places, or even starting your own business all show a spark of leadership and creativity that universities really love. This is important in the UK, and even more so if you want to apply in the US.

Added bonus: Being an international student

UK universities love having international students as part of their student body. International students bring with them diverse perspectives and experiences that they can share with students from the UK in the seminar room and in social activities. Meeting and making friends with students from around the world means international students can go on into the world of work, whether back in their home country, the UK or somewhere else, with a network of useful contacts across the globe that will make for great opportunities in the future.

Finally, UK universities really want to develop a network of alumni in countries around the world, creating possibilities for future collaboration and projects. The best advertising for any university is a successful international student.

Do your research on what pathways are available  there are so many universities with thousands of degrees available. Make sure you pick appropriate subjects that will give you the knowledge for the university course. For example, math is essential if you want to study engineering or economics at top universities. Chemistry and biology will always be needed for medicine.

Dont just take part in your schools clubs, create something new. Get an internship if you can and keep a diary of your experiences so you can evaluate them in your application letter. Do an internet search for university reading lists on your subject to find some of the things their students need to read. Work hard, of course, so that you can get the best grades possible, take advantage of the opportunities you have outside the classroom  it makes you a more interesting student  and be a leader. Together, these actions will help you stand out.

***

Dr. Mark Zumbuhl has a double first class honors degree from Cambridge University and an MPhil and PhD from Glasgow University. He has been a lecturer and researcher at the Universities of Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford and Trinity College Dublin. He also worked in the undergraduate admissions office at Oxford for several years. Mark is the Head of University guidance at EF Academy Oxford.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
The protest which started on Tuesday evening saw lakhs of people come together at Chennai's Marina beach. This faceless protest started through social media spread across various parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Mumbai and even the national capital.

By Shalini Lobo: Massive protests across the country has now resulted in the Ordinance put forward by the Tamil Nadu government being sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for his assent.

The protest which started on Tuesday evening saw lakhs of people come together at Chennai's Marina beach. This faceless protest started through social media spread across various parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Mumbai and even the national capital. The Tamil community abroad also came out expressing solidarity over the jallikattu movement.

advertisement

After Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite the matter being sub-judice, talks did suggest that the Centre would back the state on its jallikattu push. The TN government put forward an Ordinance which was cleared by the MHA and has now been sent to the President for his assent.

The Apex Court has now softened its stance on the sport with it delaying its decision on it by a week. The Ordinance issued by the state government has not been made public. An emergency cabinet meeting was called by CM O Panneerselvam and the Ordinance was passed. The Ordinance was approved for the MHA and is now being sent to the President.

However, Tamilians say that this is only a temporary solution and they will keep their "Justice for Jallikattu" fight on until a permanent solution is put forward.

Also Read:

Jallikattu LIVE: MHA clears Tamil Nadu government's Ordinance, sent to President

--- ENDS ---
Owaisi linked the demonstrations in favour of the ancient sport to the Uniform Civil Code saying that the code "cannot be imposed". "This nation cannot have one culture, we celebrate all."

By Indo-Asian News Service: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi said today that the protests against the jallikattu ban are a lesson for the Hindutva forces.

"Jallikattu protests, lesson for Hindutva forces," Owaisi said in a tweet.

#Jallikattuprotest Lesson for Hindutva forces,Uniform Civil Code cannot be "imposed"this nation cannot have one CULTURE we celebrate all Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) January 20, 2017

advertisement

He linked the demonstrations in favour of the ancient sport to the Uniform Civil Code saying that the code "cannot be imposed". "This nation cannot have one culture, we celebrate all."

Also read: LIVE: Supreme Court agrees to Centre's request to delay jallikattu verdict by a week

Thousands of people in Tamil Nadu are protesting after the Supreme Court dismissed the state's plea seeking recall of its 2014 verdict banning Jallikattu.

Also read: Will bring ordinance to organise jallikattu within a few days, says Panneerselvam

Watch: Jallikattu row: Tamil Nadu CM Panneerselvam asks Centre to intervene in deadlock

--- ENDS ---
Campaigners have taken to bridges across the world on the day of Donald Trumps inauguration to spread their message of bridges not walls.

Its a reference to one of Trumps most famous and divisive policies  to build a wall between the US and Mexico.

A Unite against Islamophobia sign was hung from Southwark Bridge in London.

Southwark Bridge (Maiya Rahman)

People gathered on Londons iconic Tower Bridge to hold up signs reading build bridges not walls.

Tower Bridge campaigners (Leanne Werner)

Blackfriars bridge had a protest, with campaigners each holding one letter of the phrase.

Bridges not walls was the recurring message (Karina Ferdi)

Other campaigners drew attention to specific issues. People gathered on Westminster bridge with signs welcoming migrants and refugees.

So proud of our Clapton guys out on Westminster bridge today! Let's keep #bridgesnotwalls trending on Twitter all day long pic.twitter.com/C77LZ4OwMu  Stylonylon (@juliarebaudo) January 20, 2017

UK Black Lives Matter convened on London Bridge.

The Bridges Not Walls campaigns Twitter account said there were over 1000 people protesting on Londons bridges.

In fact, bridge protests were seen across the UK.

The message spread to Paris where signs were seen near the Eiffel Tower.

And smaller forms of protest were even seen as far afield as Nepal.
Controversial property magnate Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as the as the 45th president of the United States at a ceremony in Washington D.C.

Since arriving in Washington yesterday, Mr Trump has already visited the graves of fallen soldiers at the Arlington National Cemetery, attended church with his wife and future First Lady Melania and had coffee with Barack and Michelle Obama at the White House.

The day has also been one of protest, with many groups opposed to Trump's election as President holding demonstrations and rallies across Washington, including a large event organised by the Answer (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) coalition in Freedom Plaza.

Anti-Inauguration Festival of Resistance March Anhas also been organised by a number of prominent African American and Anti-Trump figures, while the #DisruptJ20 group will hold aacross Washington.

At 4.30pm UK time, the formal swearing in ceremony began on the steps of the US Capitol, with musical performances and reading from religious leaders as well as an address by Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies Chair and Missouri Senator Roy Blunt.

Vice President Mike Pence will then take the Oath of Office, which will be administered by Chief Justice John Roberts. Trump himself is expected to be sworn in at around 5pm UK time (midday in Washington).

After the ceremony, Trump will then give his inaugural address as President, which will be followed by a performance of the US National Anthem by former America's Got Talent contestant Jackie Evancho.

Notable attendees of the Inaguration ceremony include Jimmy Carter, George W Bush and Hillary and Bill Clinton. More than 50 House Democrats will boycott the ceremony, however, many motivated by Trump's comments towards veteran congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis. Mr Trump branded the congressman as "all talk" in a tweet after Lewis said that he did not recognise him as a legitimate president.

After the traditional post-inauguration luncheon, Mr Trump and Mr Pence will attend the inaugural parade at around 8pm UK time. Groups involved include the marching band from Talladega College (a decision which has been widely criticised as Talladega is a historically black college in Alabama), the Boy Scouts of America and the Wounded Warriors Project in addition to military representatives and other bands from around the country.

In the evening the Trump and Pence families will attend three inaugural balls, two of which (titled 'Liberty and Freedom') will be held at the Walter E Washington Convention Centre and feature performances from Sam Moore, the Piano Guys and the Rockettes. The third ball, titled 'Salute to Our Armed Services', will take place at the National Building Museum.

Image by
On Friday, while thousands of students were protesting in VOC stadium for the third day, Naveen a student from a private college attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself from a tree.

By Pramod Madhav: As protests intensified all across Tamil Nadu over jallikattu, some of the youths, who were taking part in the agitation, took extreme steps that either got them killed or fatally injured.

On Friday, while thousands of students were protesting in VOC stadium for the third day, Naveen a student from a private college attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself from a tree. He climbed a nearby tree and tied a rope around it with a noose around his neck.

advertisement

The protesting crowd wasn't aware of Naveen's actions and was shocked to see him struggling to breath with a rope around his neck, following which volunteers immediately climbed up the tree and rescued him.

Naveen was immediately taken to Coimbatore government hospital for treatment.

Also Read: Supreme Court can quash Jallikattu Ordinance: Congress' Manish Tewari warns against promulgation in hurry

In another incident, a 17-year-old student was gravely injured with 50 per cent burns across his body when he was protesting on top of a train and accidentally came in contact with a high tension wire carrying 25000 volts.

Authorities have requested students and youths not to take such extreme steps which might end up becoming fatal to them.

Watch Video: Youth tries to commit suicide during jallikattu protest, rescued by protestors

--- ENDS ---
New research has revealed that the most burgled university city in England is: Manchester.

The research, conducted by journalistic.org and locksmithservice.co.uk, looked at the number of burglaries that had taken place within a one-mile radius of each university during 2016.

Manchester had a staggering 822, followed by Leeds with 799 and Sheffield with 706.

The University of Durham had the lowest number of burglaries, with only 96 within a one-mile radius.

The research also included a nationwide survey of students, focussing on their attitudes to burglary and security.

Its no revelation that student residential areas are regularly targeted by thieves, who know that students tend to be lax when it comes to safety. But a shocking 64% admit to leaving their electronics and wallets out in plain sight in their home, and 59% confessed they didnt bother to check windows were shut before going out.

Although university security services give all incoming first years safety talks on how to avoid such incidents, its obvious that a lot of the information isnt sinking in. One student told us:

When I was in first year the flat below me was broken into during Christmas  it was horrible. They got in through an open window and kicked their way into all the locked bedrooms. One girl had left her laptop there so she lost everything.

We were given a talk by our security officers when we first arrived but they were on the first floor so just ignored it because they thought it would be okay.

For the full research and more quotes from students go to: http://www.locksmithservice.co.uk/news/burglaries-in-uk-student-towns-cities/
Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here

You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: 

Home Page
Tentang Situs Slot Online Resmi MGS88 Nama Situs  MGS88 Minimal Deposit  Rp. 10.000,- (Sepuluh Ribu Rupiah) Proses Deposit   2 Menit Metode Deposit  Bank Transfer,  Pulsa,  E-Wallet Judi Online Terbaik  Slot Online,  Judi Bola,  Casino Online,  Togel Online,  Tembak Ikan Provider Slot Gacor Mudah Maxwin  Pragmatic Play,  PGSoft,  MicroGaming,  Habanero Slot Gacor Gampang Menang  Gates of Olympus,  Sweet Bonanza,  Wild West Gold,  Starlight Princess Win Rate 98%

RTP Live Slot Gacor Tertinggi Hari Ini Terbaru Terlengkap

Selamat datang di halaman RTP live dan informasi soal slot gacor hari ini dari situs MGS88 yang setiap hari selalu update. Berdasarkan RTP Live MGS88, Anda bisa mendapatkan informasi tentang slot online yang saat ini yang sedang Gacor atau onfire dengan persentase yang terbukti akurat, ini bisa menjadi rekomendasi anda sebelum memilih permainan slot online di situs MGS88. Cek RTP Slot sekarang juga bosku

Klik Provider Slot Untuk Mengetahui RTP Slot Secara Real Time

Selamat datang bagi kalian yang sedang mencari situs RTP Live terlengkap dan terkini hari ini. Sangat sesuai jika Anda mengunjungi website MGS88 RTP live untuk informasi tentang permainan slot yang lagi gacor dengan slot RTP yang terupdate. Persentase kemenangan yang kami berikan tentunya diambil dengan data yang sangat valid dan hanya untuk permainan slot yang tersedia di situs MGS88. RTP yang tersedia juga akan selalu diperbarui setiap hari berdasarkan level kemenangan yang diberikan kepada member kami.

Memang sih untuk bermain slot itu tergantung hoki dari setiap pemain, Namun RTP live atau bocoran slot dari yang kami sediakan ini adalah data autentik dari banyaknya pemain yang telah bermain dan mencapai kemenangan tinggi. Sederhananya, kalau banyak pemain yang menang di dalam 1 permainan slot, karena itu permainan slot tersebut akan mempunyai persentase RTP yang sangat tinggi.

Namun kami tegaskan sekali lagi, ini bukan sebuah paksaan kami situs MGS88 untuk anda bermain di game slot yang mana. Ini bisa dijadikan sebagai referensi atau tolok ukur, boleh dicoba kalau anda mempunyai feel yang kuat dalam memainkan permainan game slot. Anda dapat mengakses kapan saja dan di mana saja selama anda siap bermain. Jangan ragu untuk bertanya ya seputar pola putaran terhadap kami, sebab kami juga menyediakannya loh.

Apa itu RTP Live?

RTP Live ialah informasi mengenai persentase tertinggi saat ini dari hasil RTP Live dengan bocoran kemenangan pemain saat ini. RTP Live merupakan singkatan dari Return To Play atau bisa juga diartikan sebagai Return to Player. Karena itu, para pemain slot sekarang jika ingin mengetahui seberapa besar kemenangannya, bisa dengan memainkan permainan yang akan dimainkannya dan bisa untung dengan mudah dan tentunya maksimal.

Apa itu RTP Slot?

RTP Slot juga dikenal sebagai return to player atau pengembalian ke Pemain. RTP slot ialah persentase dari nilai pengembalian semua uang yang dipertaruhkan pemain dari waktu ke waktu. Dengan kata lain, RTP juga dianggap sebagai salah satu fitur slot yang mengembalikan uang pemain saat pemain kalah.

Persentase digunakan untuk menghitung RTP dalam permainan slot. Misalnya, jika slot memiliki RTP 97%, itu berarti untuk setiap 100.000 koin yang hilang di slot, slot dapat mengembalikan 97.000. Jika Anda mengetahui RTP sebuah permainan slot, Anda dapat memutuskan permainan slot mana yang akan dimainkan tanpa kerugian besar.

Apakah Angka Persentase RTP Slot Itu Penting?

Biasanya pemain slot itu tidak memperhatikan RTP dalam permainan yang akan dimainkan, biasanya setelah anda mengisi saldo utama anda akan langsung buru-buru memainkannya. Yang terakhir 90-96% mempengaruhi jumlah kemenangan. Semakin tinggi jumlah RTP yang digunakan, semakin luas peluang untuk mendapatkan keuntungan.

Akan namun itu segala tak secara 100% menjamin kemenangan kau dalam bermain, RTP itu cuma sebagai kalkulasi pengeluaran anda saja selama bermain slot.Dengan adanya RTP, kau dapat mengerjakan pengaturan atas uang yang akan kau pertaruhkan nanti pada ketika bermain.Untuk itu pada ketika kau bermain slot dan telah mengalami banyak kekalahan di satu permainan, direkomendasikan kau pindah ke permainan slot lainnya yang RTP nya lebih tinggi dari permainan yang tadi kau mainkan.

Keuntungan Menggunakan Bocoran RTP Slot Hari Ini

Situs MGS88 Akan dengan senang hati akan beberapa keuntungan yang didapatkan jika anda bermain slot dengan menggunakan RTP Live yang telah disediakan. Berikut Keuntungannya :

Peluang Kemenangan Meningkat Tentu saja, saat bermain slot online, menang adalah hal yang paling penting. Di sinilah RTP berperan sebagai metode atau metode baru yang akan membantu Anda memilih permainan slot persentase tinggi. Mendapat variasi dalam Memainkan Game Slot Pastinya banyak pemain slot online yang hanya memainkan 3-5 permainan slot saja. Namun dengan RTP Live slot akan memberikan banyak game slot lain yang bisa anda coba. Tentunya semua permainan slot memiliki potensi kemenangan yang besar, jadi jangan hanya mengandalkan beberapa permainan saja. Menambah Pengalaman Dalam Bermain Slot Keuntungan terakhir adalah Anda tentu saja menambah pengalaman dan keahlian dalam permainan slot online. Dengan berbagai macam permainan slot yang dimainkan, Anda pasti mengetahui karakteristik dari setiap permainan slot yang Anda mainkan. Akibatnya, Anda pasti bisa dianggap sebagai pemain slot yang andal, yang pasti akan meningkatkan peluang Anda untuk menang besar menggunakan RTP.

Daftar 8 Situs Dengan RTP Slot Live Tertinggi Hari Ini

Ada banyak penyedia mesin slot online di internet. Tetapi tidak semuanya memiliki peluang tinggi atau RTP Live Slot yang sangat tinggi. Tapi jangan khawatir, berikut ini adalah situs slot gacor yang akan memberikan bocoran slot dengan RTP Live Tertinggi:

RTP Live Slot Pragmatic Play (RTP Slot 97.85%) RTP Live Slot PG Soft (RTP Live 96.15%) RTP Live Slot Habanero (RTP Slot 95.89%) RTP Live Slot CQ9 (RTP Live 98.83%) RTP Live Slot Spade Gaming (RTP Live 94.99%) RTP Live Slot Micro Gaming (RTP Slot 95.39%) RTP Slot Live Top Trend Gaming (RTP Live 96.14%) RTP Slot Live JOKER123 (RTP Live 97.45%)

Itulah Daftar 8 Provider Slot Gacor dengan RTP Live teratas diatas tentunya kami analisa terlebih dahulu. Anda bisa membuktikannya langsung dengan mengklik banner atau meprovider game slot yang sudah tersedia di atas. Saran kami yaitu Anda harus memainkan semua penyedia slot di atas untuk mencapai peluang kemenangan terbaik.

Daftar Slot RTP Live Tertinggi Sering Kasih Jackpot

Selain mempertimbangkan RTP Slot Gacor yang ada, sebenarnya ada banyak faktor penting untuk menang dalam permainan judi online. Sebab ada banyak game yang memiliki fitur dan mekanisme unik dan bisa membantu anda meraih Jackpot yang sangat besar.

Berikut ini akan kami ulas daftar 5 game slot paling populer karena sering memberikan jackpot:

RTP Live Gates of Olympus Gates of Olympus adalah game slot teraneh dan terbaik di Indonesia. Karena permainan mesin slot ini paling populer karena kakek Zeus dapat mengizinkan pengganda x500. Selain itu, fitur dan mekanik Gates of Olympus juga sangat menguntungkan untuk memenangkan Grand Jackpot. Secara teoritis, RTP slot langsung Gates of Olympus bernilai 96,50%, yang berarti peluang Anda untuk memenangkan MaxWin cukup tinggi. RTP live Sweet Bonanza Sweet Bonanza adalah permainan slot terpopuler kedua. Game slot bertema buah dan permen yang lezat ini sepertinya akan menarik banyak perhatian karena tergolong slot gacor yang mudah menang. Secara teoritis, slot Sweet Bonanza RTP bernilai 96,48%, yang berarti peluang Anda cukup tinggi untuk memenangkan jackpot. RTP Live Wild West Gold Wild West Gold adalah permainan slot bertema koboi yang juga populer di kalangan penggemar konspirasi. Permainan slot Wild West Gold sendiri kerap menawarkan kejutan jackpot bagi para pemainnya. Selain itu, nilai RTP Live Slot menunjukkan indeks tertinggi hari ini, yang berarti sangat layak dan sangat direkomendasikan. RTP Live Starlight Princess Slot Starlight Princess ini memiliki gaya dan fitur yang mirip dengan Gates of Olympus. Perbedaannya hanya pada desain dan karakter gamenya saja, karena memiliki fitur dan mekanik yang sama tentunya RTP slot teoritis pada game slot ini sama yaitu 96,50%. RTP Live Cash Elevator Mungkin sebagian dari Anda baru mengenal slot Cash Elevator. Namun dari data benchmark yang diungkap, ternyata banyak sekali yang menikmati permainan slot ini. Dengan fitur dan mekanisme unik seperti Lift up and down asli, slot ini juga memiliki slot RTP Live dasar 96,64% yang juga memiliki mekanisme yang sangat menguntungkan untuk memperlancar tingkat kemenangan besar.

Bocoran Jam Main Slot Gacor Hari Ini

Dalam bermain permainan slot online itu tidak bisa dilakukan dengan sembarangan yah. Jadi, Jika anda bermain pada waktu tertentu seperti yang akan kita bahas sesaat lagi, ada kemungkinan anda untuk mendapatkan kemenangan lebih tinggi. Jam RTP Slot Gacor merupakan bocoran jam main slot yang akan memberikan anda kapan waktu yang pas dalam bermain game slot.

Tentu saja seluruh provider slot online memiliki jam tertentu dalam memberikan peluang kepada para pemainnya untuk mendapatkan kemenangan. Disini kami akan memberikan anda Bocoran Jam Slot Gacor yang Paling Akurat Hari ini:

Jam Slot Gacor Pragmatic Play 02:30 WIB - Jam 05:25 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Habanero 14:26 WIB - Jam 17:38 WIB Jam Slot Gacor CQ9 00:45 WIB - Jam 05:53 WIB Jam Slot Gacor PG SOFT 14:25 WIB - Jam 17:35 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Joker123 17:41 WIB - Jam 20:42 WIB Jam Slot Gacor Microgaming 22:30 WIB - Jam 00:35 WIB

MGS88: Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Pay4D Resmi dan Terpercaya

MGS88 adalah situs game slot online Gacor terbaru yang bermitra dengan Pay4D, Pay4D sendiri merupakan daftar situs game slot online terpercaya dengan berbagai macam permainan judi yang mudah dimenangkan seperti Game Bola, Casino Online, Slot Pay4D, Tembak Ikan dan Pay4D Online Permainan togel seperti Singapura, Hongkong, Sydney dan lain-lain. Tujuan utama kami adalah menjadi situs judi online Pay4D yang menyediakan layanan judi online terbaik di Indonesia.

Kami juga salah satu situs resmi PAY4D di Indonesia yang pasti akan membayarkan semua kemenangan kepada semua member kami, karena kepercayaan dari semua member kami adalah prioritas utama kami sebagai mesin slot 4d Asia terbaik di Asia, khususnya di Indonesia.

Dalam melakukan sistem transaksi sistem simpanan dapat dilakukan dengan mudah melalui mobile banking dan electronic banking berupa bank BCA, BSI, BRI, BNI, Cimb Niaga, Permata dan Mandiri. Selain itu, transaksi e-wallet juga tersedia melalui Dana, Gopay, LinkAja dan Ovo serta dapat digunakan untuk pulsa tanpa dipotong.

Untuk mempermudah dan kenyamanan dalam melakukan registrasi atau melakukan setiap transaksi, MGS88 menyediakan layanan live chat dan Whatsapp terhubung langsung dengan customer service online 24 jam.

Mengenal Istilah Dalam RTP SLOT

Di slot RTP Live Anda akan melihat berbagai fitur yang mungkin tidak Anda pahami masing-masing. Namun jangan khawatir, disini sebagai situs slot gacor MGS88 kami akan memberikan penjelasan lengkap mengenai tentang istilah yang ada di RTP SLOT dibawah ini.
Steve Martin has been the interim fire chief in Lincoln Park since mid-October, but it wasnt this week that he was officially sworn in as the cities top firefighter and had the interim tag removed.

Its an honor to have the job, he said.

Martin has been with the department for almost 21 years. He is the sixth man to have the chiefs job since 2010, and the 18th in the history of the city.

Martin took over the job when former chief Al Dyer left for the same job in Iowa.

Al really started to change things around here, Martin said. Well continue to move in that direction. He was kind enough to leave a plan of where he sees the department heading.

Martin said his first major action will be to file for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, grant so that he can increase the size of his depleted ranks.

We had more than 30 guys when we were at our highest, he said.Now were a much smaller department but run volume continues to go up.

The department has 17 firefighters and an opening to add one more for a full department of 18.

Id like to get our daily minimum staffing to six, he said. Right now there are days we only have four guys on shift.

Hes also looking to file for other grants to some equipment upgrades for the department. New equipment will include a new pumper truck.

Our frontline truck is a 2001, and the reserve is a 1999, he said. Industry standard is 10 years for a frontline and 15 years for a reserve.

He said the trucks are a large capital outlay and hes hoping that grant funding can offset the costs for the cash-strapped city.

Lincoln Park is about a year removed from having a state-appointed emergency financial manager and still has some state oversight on the budget.

Martin earned a Bachelors degree from Siena Heights University in 2013, and a Masters degree from Eastern Michigan University in 2014. He also completed the prestigious staff and command school training from Eastern in 2012.

Martin said he never directly set out to become the chief, but as his career advanced it did eventually become a goal.

When you are just starting out you just want to be the best firefighter you can be, he said. Eventually though you start to get ambitious and want to advance in your career.

Thats when he started looking at going back to school and bettering his education and training.

Martin is a lifelong Lincoln Parker. He grew up in the city and lived there until a few years ago when he inherited a family house in another Downriver community.

He attended Raupp Elementary and is a graduate of Lincoln Park High School.
By Press Trust of India: Hyderabad, Jan 20 (PTI) All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi today said the protests over jallikattu were a "lesson" for the Hindutva forces.

Referring to the ongoing protests in Tamil Nadu against the ban on the bull-taming sport as a case in point, he said the Uniform Civil Code also could not be "imposed" in a diverse country like India.

advertisement

"#Jallikattuprotest Lesson for Hindutva forces, Uniform Civil Code cannot be "imposed"this nation cannot have one CULTURE we celebrate all (sic)," Owaisi tweeted.

The Hyderabad MP has been opposed to putting in place a Uniform Civil Code and has said in the past that it would not help a diverse country like India.

"I have been consistently saying that a Uniform Civil Code is not good for the diversity and pluralism of this great nation of ours and diversity and pluralism are the ethos of this country. It is not going to help our country by having a Uniform Civil Code," he had said last year.

"For example, can an agreement be arrived at on what should be the inheritance policy according to the Mitakshara and Dayabhaga schools? Can we take away the cultural rights which the Constitution has given to Nagaland and Mizoram?," he had asked.

On Twitter, Owaisi wrote, "Jallikattu uprising indicates failure of political class in understanding the Tamil sentiment."

"People of Tamil Nadu by Uniting & coming together have forced the Modi &AIADMK govt to change law to overcome Supreme court judgment (sic)," he said in anothet tweet.

Tamil Nadu continued to be on the edge for the fifth day due to the ongoing protests by students, youths and other sections of the society demanding that the traditional bull-taming sport be immediately staged at Alanganallur, known as the epicentre of jallikattu, and at other places. PTI SJR NP RC

--- ENDS ---
Home >Police Enforcement > Tickets and Cash > Federal Appeals Court Clears Cops In Prosecution Of Potty Mouth Motorist
The incident comes even as protest at Chennai's Marina Beach and other parts of Tamil Nadu entered fourth day today. Jallikattu protests across the state have largely been peaceful.

By India Today Web Desk: A 16-year-old boy was severely injured after he got electrocuted during rail roko agitation in Salem today against Supreme Court's ban on hugely popular bull-taming sport jallikattu.

The incident comes even as protest at Chennai's Marina Beach and other parts of Tamil Nadu entered fourth day today. Jallikattu protests across the state have largely been peaceful.

advertisement

Piyush Manush, an entrepreneur and activist, posted a video on his Facebook page showing Lokesh, 16, falling from the roof of a train after coming in contact with high voltage wire. The boy, who suffered severe burn injuries, has been admitted to a local hospital.

"Jallikattu protest turns tragic. Lokesh all of 16 years crashed from the train after getting electrocuted. He had joined the group that blocked the train near Salem GH diverting from the protest site for two days. He has suffered 80% burns and his condition is very critical. His mother Pushpa in the GH could not make much sense of what went wrong," Piyush Manush wrote on his Facebook page.

PROTESTERS REJECT CM'S ASSURANCE

Demonstrators today said they will continue their protests across Tamil Nadu till jallikattu is held in the state.

They are not satisfied with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's assurance that jallikattu would be held in couple of days.

The protesting students at Chennai's Marina Beach and also at Madurai categorically declared that they would call off their protest only after it takes place.

The protestors refused to heed to the request of senior police officials here to disperse after they read out Panneerselvam's statement.

Panneerselvam had earlier said the state government would promulgate an ordinance to conduct Jallikattu and urged the demonstrators to withdraw their protests.

Also read:

Jallikattu protest LIVE: Centre says it may act, Tamil Nadu Cabinet to meet today to decide on Ordinance

Jallikattu row: Supreme Court agrees to delay verdict on Centre's request

All you need to know about Jallikattu

Congress letter bomb: Manmohan called jallikattu 'cruel' in 2015, party calls protest legitimate now

--- ENDS ---
There are full chances that jallikattu will be organised within 1-2 days, therefore we urge protesters to withdraw protests immediately, the Tamil Nadu CM said.

By Ashish Pandey: Appealing protesters to end their agitation across the state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today said that an emergency law will be brought in to surpass the Supreme Court's ban on hugely famous bull-taming sport jallikattu.

Panneerselvam said jallikattu will be organised in a 'day or two' even as protests at Chennai's Marina Beach and other parts of the state entered fourth day today.

advertisement

Panneerselvam will be returning to Chennai from Delhi, where he met PM Narendra Modi on Thursday, today. The CM has convened a Cabinet meeting in the evening to decide on the promulgation of emergency ordinance on jallikattu.

ALSO READ: All you need to know about Jallikattu

"Had detailed discussion with constitutional experts regarding amendments to be enacted on jallikattu law by the state. There are full chances that jallikattu will be organised within 1-2 days, therefore we urge protesters to withdraw protests immediately," the Tamil Nadu CM said.

PROTESTS CONTINUE

Massive protests across Tamil Nadu in support of jallikattu intensified with traders downing their shutters, taxi, auto-rickshaw and truck operators staying off the roads.

The DMK has announced to hold protests on rail tracks which prompted the Southern Railway to cancel four trains and partial operation of few others.

DMK workers headed by MK Stalin hold 'Rail Roko' protest over jallikattu issue at at Mambalam railway station. (PHOTO: ANI)

State government employees have decided to take out a procession while the central government and public sector organisations functioned.

The bank unions have extended their support to the protests.

The movie industry has cancelled shooting and theatre halls would remain closed today.

In some districts schools were also closed.

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 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.

In Madurai large number of youth are continuing their protest in support of the state's ancient sport.

(WIth inputs from IANS)

WATCH: Jallikattu uprising: When law clashes with sentiment, what is the solution?

advertisement

ALSO READ:

Jallikattu: Asked PM Modi for emergency law, he gave assurances, says Tamil Nadu CM Panneerselvam

Jallikattu: May take legal route if Centre brings ordinance to conduct the sport, says PETA

--- ENDS ---
Barber killed after haircut goes wrong

CHONBURI: A barber has been killed after a heated argument with a customer over a haircut. A 17-year-old, whose name was withheld as he is a youth, was arrested by police on Wednesday (Jan 18) after he allegedly killed Manoon Wiengcheng, the owner of a barber shop in Muang district in Chonburi.

crimedeathmurder

By Bangkok Post

Friday 20 January 2017, 08:53AM

A 17-year-old is taken to a barbershop in Muang district in Chonburi yesterday (Jan 19) for a crime re-enactment after he allegedly killed a barber. Photo: Treenai Chansrichol

Col Prasert Tosaksit, superintendent of Hua Lor Police Station, said yesterday (Jan 19) that the youth had admitted murdering Mr Manoon by hitting him with a stick followed by a stone in front of the shop on Wednesday.

The youth said he went to the shop on Tuesday (Jan 17) and asked Mr Manoon to cut his hair in his favourite style. But he said he was not satisfied with the way it turned out after the barber had finished, and he had words with the man.

Mr Manoon was angry and kicked him out of the shop.

The youth returned to the shop in the early hours of Wednesday and called the barber out to clear the problem, according to Col Prasert. When Manoon came out, he began hitting him before leaving.

Mr Manoon was sent to Chonburi Hospital but succumbed to his injuries, the Daily News online reported.

It was also reported that the suspect had fallen asleep after Mr Manoon started trimming his hair.

Police took the suspect to the shop for a crime re-enactment yesterday. He faces murder charges.

Read original story here.
Dengue vaccine launched in Phuket

PHUKET: The long-awaited dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, developed by Sanofi Pasteur over 20 years at a cost of US$1.6 billion (B56.4bn), arrived in Phuket last week, but doctors at public hospitals are hoping the Health Ministry will make the vaccine freely  or at least cheaply  available to the public.

health

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

Friday 20 January 2017, 10:14AM

The dengue vaccine Dengvaxia was launched to the public at Phuket International Hospital last week.

The dengue vaccine Dengvaxia was launched to the public at Phuket International Hospital last week.

The dengue vaccine Dengvaxia was launched to the public at Phuket International Hospital last week.

The dengue vaccine Dengvaxia was launched to the public at Phuket International Hospital last week.

The dengue vaccine Dengvaxia was launched to the public at Phuket International Hospital last week.

The dengue vaccine Dengvaxia was launched to the public at Phuket International Hospital last week.

The Phuket launch of Dengvaxia was held at Phuket International Hospital last Wednesday (Jan 11), where the vaccine  administered by three injections six months apart  is available for B9,990.

Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Dr Jirapan Taepan welcomed the arrival of the vaccine, whether through a private hospital or not.

Whether to make this vaccine available at public hospitals is still being considered by the Health Ministry. I have no idea at what stage this issue is at now, he said.

Already in the first three weeks of this year, eight confirmed cases of 69 suspected infections had been diagnosed at hospitals in Phuket.

Among them, one 10-year-old in Phuket Town has died from the disease, Dr Weerasak Lawtongkum of Vachira Hospital told a PPHO Disease Control conference on Chikungunya, Zika and dengue at the Pearl Hotel in Phuket Town on Tuesday (Jan 17).

Dr Weerasak declined to name the young victim.

Last year Phuket suffered 486 confirmed cases of dengue treated at Phuket hospitals: 225 un Muang District; 115 in Kathu and 146 in Thalang, he added.

The dengue vaccine is a good option for decreasing the risk of infection, Dr Weerasak told The Phuket News.

However, he noted, This vaccine does not cover all forms of dengue. A good vaccine must be able to offer up to 90% protection from infection, but this one at this stage of development covers only 65%  so there is a gap.

Regardless, Dr Weerasak added, Although this vaccine is not freely available yet, Vachira Hopital would welcome the opportunity to provide such a vaccine to the people, even if they have to pay for it.
Four arrested, kratom and cash seized during raid on Phuket Town community

PHUKET: A 20-strong team of officials carried out a raid on four properties in the Chumchon Sapanruam community in Phuket Town yesterday afternoon (Jan 19), a raid that led to the seizure of 44 kilograms of kratom and the arrest of four people.

crimedrugsculturemilitarypoliceproperty

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Friday 20 January 2017, 12:22PM

From the raids, officials seized a total of 44kg of kratom, four liters of liquid kratom, 65 bottles of cough syrup and B38,320 in cash.

From the raids, officials seized a total of 44kg of kratom, four liters of liquid kratom, 65 bottles of cough syrup and B38,320 in cash.

Officials carry out a raid on one of the properties. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub.

At 3:30pm yesterday, Chief of the Phuket Peace Keeping Council Capt Somsak Ratchawakarn, Lt JG Taksin Hooklim of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, and Capt Wetchasak Junadung of the Phuket City Police led 20 officers to raid four houses in the Chumchon Sapanruam community in Phuket Town.

The raid came after local residents complained of continued drug activity being conducted in the area.

Officials first raided house numbers 30 and 33 in Soi Chumchon Sapanruam 6 where they discovered fresh kratom leaves, packs of dried kratom with cough syrup and bottles of liquid kratom.

Three people were arrested in the raid, however, only one was named by police, 23-year-old Mr Amnart Faijai. The other two arrested were Amnarts girlfriend and mother.

However, officers confirmed that a fourth person was also found in one house, a 74-year-old woman named only as Ms Jai.

Ms Jai was previously arrested on Nov 21 when she was found to be in possession of 58kg of kratom.

At that time, Ms Jai told officials that she was from Khon Kaen and no income. She said that she and the homeowner knew each other and that she looked after the house when the owner was away.

She admitted that she sometimes helps sell kratom for the owner which she sells for B200 per set (two bundle of leaves and one bottle of cough syrup). (See story here.)

Officers confirmed that on this occasion Ms Jai was not arrested.

As the first raid was going on, a separate team were raiding another two houses in the community, 8/1 Soi Sapanruam 7 and 36 Soi Sapanruam 1.

During the raid on 8/1 Soi Sapanruam 7 police seized 3kg of fresh kratom leaves and arrested 39-year-old Ms Prapaisri Thampikun.

Nobody was found during the raid on 36 Soi Sapanruam 1, however, officers did discover fresh and liquid kratom.

It was later found that this property was also rented by Amnart arrested in the first raid.

From the raids, officials seized a total of 44kg of kratom, four liters of liquid kratom, 65 bottles of cough syrup and B38,320 in cash.

Amnart, his girlfriend and mother and Prapaisri were all taken to Phuket City Police Station to face their charges.

It was also noted that as the raids were being carried out a crowd of local residents told officials that they were unhappy with the ongoing drug problem within the community and that it appeared to be spreading rapidly.

They said that despite officials trying to stop the problem, many outsiders continued to go into the community seeking and using drugs and that they were concerned for the safety of young people in the area.
Mexico extradites drug lord El Chapo to US

MEXICO: Mexico yesterday (Jan 19) extradited drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to the United States  handing over one of the worlds most notorious criminals on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration.

crimedrugspolice

By AFP

Friday 20 January 2017, 10:22AM

Mexican authorities say drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzmans obsession with Mexican-American star Kate del Castillo helped lead to his recapture in January. Photo: Alfredo Estrella/AFP

Guzman is the head of the Sinaloa cartel, which is accused of generating much of the deadly violence in Mexicos decades-long drug war and providing tons of narcotics to the United States.

He had twice escaped from prison, and had been fighting his extradition ever since his recapture almost exactly a year ago in his home state of Sinaloa following his second daring jailbreak.

Guzman, 59, had been in prison in Ciudad Juarez, which borders Texas, since he was abruptly transferred there from another prison near Mexico City in May.

A US government official said on condition of anonymity that Guzman would land later in the evening in New York, one of several US jurisdictions where he is facing charges.

President Enrique Pena Nieto had previously refused to extradite Guzman, but he changed tack after the slippery drug lords latest escape in July 2015.

The Mexican government delivered Mr Guzman Loera to the authorities of the United States after the Supreme Court and a court of appeals rejected his latest bids to avoid extradition, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The appeals court ruled that the extradition conformed with a bilateral treaty and that Guzmans rights had not been violated, the statement said.

One of Guzmans lawyers, Silvia Delgado, told Milenio television that she was surprised by the extradition, calling it illegal: because another legal petition was pending.

The US Department of Justice said in a brief statement that his initial court appearance would be forthcoming, without saying where he would be held.

The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the government of Mexico for their extensive cooperation and assistance in securing the extradition of Guzman, it said, adding that he had been charged in six separate indictments.

A spokeswoman for federal prosecutors in New York declined to comment.

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 today (Jan 20), has publicly clashed with Mexico over trade and immigration issues. The Republican president-in-waiting 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 Obamas presidency and before Trump takes office was not a coincidence.

It looks like they didnt want to give Trump an early victory, Hope said.

They didnt 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 said.

But Alejandro Almazan, author of the Guzman biography The Most Wanted, saw the opposite, saying Chapo is a gift to Trump because Pena Nieto wants good relations with the new US leader.

Guzmans extradition caps a Hollywood-worthy cat-and-mouse game between Mexican authorities and the slippery drug lord, who escaped twice from prison.

His feats turned him into a legend of Mexicos underworld, with musicians singing his praises in folk ballads known as narcocorridos  tributes to drug capos.

He 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.

Pena Nieto insisted at the time that Guzman would face justice at home.

But Guzman escaped from prison again in spectacular fashion just 17 months later.

His henchmen had dug a 1.5-kilometre tunnel that opened into his cells shower at the Altiplano prison near Mexico City, allowing him to slip out and flee on a remodelled motorbike that was fitted on tracks.

Guzman was recaptured in the Sinaloa town of Los Mochis 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 a few months earlier.

Officials were able to intercept flirtatious text messages that Guzman sent to the actress.

After he was arrested again, Pena Nieto ordered officials to speed up the process.

Guzmans arrest likely leaves his long-time associate, Ismael El Mayo Zambada, at the helm of the Sinaloa cartel, giving continuity to the powerful gang.

But Raul Benitez Manaut, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said the extradition definitely weakens the Sinaloa cartel.

Guzmans sons, Archivaldo Ivan and Jesus Alfredo Guzman, may harbour their own ambitions.

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.
Phuket elephant bolts, spooked by blood sample needle

PHUKET: Livestock officials carrying out the current campaign to identify and register all legal elephants in Phuket got a serious fright yesterday (Jan 19) when a 15-year-old bull elephant reared and bolted while the officers were trying take a blood sample.

animalstourismcrime

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

Friday 20 January 2017, 12:10PM

Livestock officials conduct tests blood samples taken from elephants at the camp. Photo: Phuket Provincial Livestock Office

A team of 30 officials were carried out identity tests on the six elephants at the camp. Photo: Phrayai Changthai Elephant Camp

Livestock officials take a blood sample from one of the elephants at the camp yesterday (Jan 19). Photo: Phuket Provincial Livestock Office

Livestock officials take a blood sample from one of the elephants at the camp yesterday (Jan 19). Photo: Phuket Provincial Livestock Office

A team of 30 officials from the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office were taking blood samples and checking microchip implants from the six elephants at the Phrayai Changthai elephant camp in Soi Yodsanae, in Chalong, when the incident happened.

When we came to check the 15-year-old male elephant called Kongthong, the mahout warned us that the elephant would not like this, explained Thawee Sawadwech, Livestock Office Chief for Phukets Muang District.

However, the officers continued with their efforts and inserted the large needle.

Kongthong reared his head up then ran off. His mahout couldnt control him, but luckily the elephant stopped about about 100 metres away, Mr Thawee said.

However, while Kongthong was fleeing, he bumped into a pickup truck belonging to a trainee at the camp, causing minor damage to the vehicle.

Kongthong did not suffer any serious injuries in the collision, and the elephant camp owner paid for damage, Mr Thawee confirmed.

Thankfully nobody was injured or killed, Mr Thawee said.

Although we didnt get the full standard volume of blood sample from Kongthong, we did get 6cc, which is enough to carry out our DNA tests, he added.

The campaign to crack down on elephants trafficked onto the island began on Wednesday (Jan 18), with National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department (DNP) and PPLO officers setting themselves a five-day deadline to check and confirm the identity of all 222 elephants in 23 camps across the island.

To get the campaign rolling, officers on Wednesday tested 67 elephants, including 32 pachyderms that perform at the popular Phuket FantaSea tourist attraction in Kamala. (See story here.)

We have 115 more elephants to test. I am pretty sure we will finish on time, Surajit Witchuwan, Chief of Phuket Provincial Livestock Office told The Phuket News today.

Elephant owners have until next Thursday (Jan 26) to register their pachyderms with the DNP, Supot Praedpring, Director of the DNP regional office in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, warned on Wednesday.

After this day, any elephants not correctly registered with the DNP will be seized and the owner will face legal action, Mr Supot warned.

Additional reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub
In Tamil Nadu's Palamedu village, people held rituals of worshiping an ox and other events symbolising conduction of Jallikattu.

By India Today Web Desk: Defying Supreme Courts ban on Jallikattu, locals in a village in Madurai, Tamil Nadu were seen conducting a symbolic Jallikattu event on Sunday.

Special prayers were offered at a local temple in Palamedu, while people held rituals of worshiping an ox in Vadivasal (the enclosure where Jallikattu takes places) and other events symbolic to Jallikattu.

advertisement

Jallikattu protest LIVE: Superstar Rajinikanth at Marina Beach, Jayalalithaa's niece to appear shortly

Watch the video here:

The video shows a different picture about the traditional sport than what is usually seen. Jallikattu, conducted on Mattu Pongal, is a way to thank the cattle, which the farmers consider a partner in the process of cultivation of food. The animal is revered, and prayers are done as people consider them God.

Massive protests against the ban imposed by the Supreme Court on the bull-taming sport Jallikattu continue for the fourth day across Tamil Nadu today. Thousands of protesters have gathered at the Marina Beach in Chennai while agitations continue in other parts of the state.

Despite Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Panneerselvam's call to withdraw protests, the protesters remain steadfast on their demand for holding jallikattu in the state.

WHAT IS JALLIKATTU?

Jallikattu 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 as 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.

PETA AND ANIMAL CRUELTY ANGLE

Jallikattu has traditionally been a one-to-one sport, a bull and a man inside the ring at a point of time. But over the years, the way the sport has been conducted changed. Now, one raging bull is freed into an arena with many men, each person trying to embrace the hump of the bull and tame the beast.

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. This is where PETA and like animal welfare organisations have a problem with and moved court in 2004 asking for a ban on the sport.

advertisement

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 legal battle.

--- ENDS ---
Russian woman, 29, dies 3 days after being hit by motorbike when crossing Phuket road

PHUKET: A 29-year-old Russian woman died in Vachira Phuket Hospital on Monday (Jan 16) three days after she was hit by a motorbike when crossing the road in Karon.

accidentsdeathcrimepoliceRussiantransport

By Yutthawat Lekmak

Friday 20 January 2017, 05:17PM

The woman was struck by a motorbike when crossing Patak Rd in Karon on Jan 13.

Col Weerayut Thansirisookworakun of the Karon Police was informed of a road accident in front of the Onn Lee restaurant on Patak Rd at 10pm on Jan 13. Col Weerayut together with Kusoldham rescue workers arrived at the scene to find an unresponsive woman lying in the road. The woman, later named as Liudmila Griaznova, 29, from Russia, had suffered serious injuries and was taken to Vachira Hospital Phuket. We have learnt that Ms Griaznova passed away on Monday (Jan 16) from the injuries she sustained in the accident, Col Weerayut told The Phuket News today (Jan 20).

Her relatives have already taken the body back to Russia, he added. Locals who witnessed the Jan 13 accident told police that Ms Griaznova was crossing the road when she was hit by a motorcycle. The driver, identified as Somsak Nom-Muang, 41, was charged with reckless driving causing death, Col Weerayut said.
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
By Press Trust of India: Imphal, Jan 20 (PTI) Manipur Police has blamed NSCN (IM) for the January 12 attack on a convoy of trucks in Lukhambi area in Noney district in which one person was killed and three others were injured.

In a press release issued yesterday, the Manipur Police has also refuted the allegation levelled by the outfit that the police personnel were behind the attack.

advertisement

The charges by National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), as reported in a section of media, are not true and the firing was carried under the operational command of two self-styled NSCN (IM) captains of Lukhambi village, the press release said.

A man was killed while another three were seriously injured after suspected militants fired at a convoy of trucks on NH 37 at Khumji (Lukhambi) village in Noney district while heading for Imphal from Jiri town on the evening of January 12.

Following the attack, the police had hinted at the possibility of the involvement of Naga militants in the attack, stating "with so many undergrounds active in the area it is difficult to pinpoint one group but there is a possibility".

Yesterday, the NSCN (IM) had, in a statement to a section of media, blamed Manipur police for the attack and injuries and death.

The attack had taken place during the indefinite economic blockade imposed by United Naga Council (UNC) in Manipur since November 1 last year. PTI COR SUS CHT CHT

--- ENDS ---
Karisma Kapoor is looking stunning in her latest Instagram photos clicked at a wedding. But was Sandeep Toshniwal with her?

By India Today Web Desk: Thought Lolo was out of the scene? Huh, huh?

Check out her latest Instagram photos. Dressed in a white ensemble with fitting jewellery, Karisma Kapoor posed in front of a decorated auto at a wedding and the effect would make you drop that bhelpuri on the rasta!

#rikshaw#fun#wedding#justmarried @ishita1987 ??? in @surendribyyc @maheepkapoor for @satyanifinejewels and @arpitamehtaofficial #indianvibes#whiteisright?? A photo posted by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) on Jan 19, 2017 at 11:56pm PST

Congrats darling ishi ???wish you both a very happy married life ???#wedding#celebrations#happiness A photo posted by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) on Jan 19, 2017 at 11:24pm PST

#indianwedding#whiteisright??#gagra#flowers#bindi#desivibes in @surendribyyc @maheepkapoor for @satyanifinejewels and @arpitamehtaofficialesh A photo posted by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) on Jan 20, 2017 at 12:04am PST

advertisement

But the big question is whether Karisma's rumoured beau Sandeep Toshniwal was at the wedding?

ALSO READ: Looking back at Karisma Kapoor and Sandeep Toshniwal's relationship

A picture Karisma uploaded on her Instagram account in December shows her sporting a big diamond ring. The photo immediately sparked rumours that Karisma Kapoor has gotten secretly engaged.

#daddycool??#aboutyesterday #congratulations#bebo#saifu#newmemberinthefamily#precious#love#joy#familylove #taimuralikhanpataudi???????? A photo posted by KK (@therealkarismakapoor) on Dec 20, 2016 at 9:10pm PST

However, when Mumbai Mirror asked Karisma's sister Kareena Kapoor Khan in 2014 about any plans of Lolo getting married again, Kareena said, "Lolo will never remarry. Leave her alone, her divorce hasn't come through yet. It's a traumatic time for her."

Well, if Karisma can look this beautiful while only being a guest at the wedding, imagine how good she will look being the bride?

--- ENDS ---
How many people have already voted absentee in South Dakota ahead of Election Day?
By Rohini Swamy: The quaint village of Shravanabelagola is all set to celebrate the 10-day ceremony called the Mahamastakabhisheka festival which only takes place once every 12 years. The Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah has written to the Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley seeking a grant of Rs. 500 crores to organize the festival in February 2018. In the last edition, the government of India through the planning commission had granted 90 crores but this time the state government is expecting 3-4 fold more devotees taking part in the ceremony.

advertisement

The mahamastakabhisheka is a Jain ceremony that honours Lord Bahubali and it was the cleansing of the 42-foot statue of the Lord. This process involves pouring of holy water, tender coconut milk, sugarcane juice, rice flour, turmeric paste, sandal paste along with saffron, marigold flowers and precious stones culminating in a spectacular showering of flowers from a helicopter.

During the mahamastakabhisheka, worship is done according to the Jain tradition. Digambaras and lakhs of devotees and tourists also participate in the grand rituals.

Also read | BJP trying to dethrone me, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

--- ENDS ---
Kiki's Cafe and Deli at Mandwa beach is where you need to stop on the way to Alibaug.

By Moeena Halim: Being able to watch the sun set on the quiet shores of Mandwa beach, with palm trees swaying in the distance and tiny birds scampering on the sand, is quite easily the best thing about Kiki's Cafe and Deli. A quick 30-minute speedboat ride from Gateway of India to Mandwa, you'll find the cafe at the end of the long boardwalk that leads you out of the jetty.

Get refreshed at this cafe in Mandwa beach.

advertisement

The month-old cafe joins Boardwalk by Flamboyante, another sea-facing restaurant which came up about a year ago. Clearly Mandwa, an unavoidable stopover for seafarers heading to Alibaug or other nearby weekend getaways, is able to draw in crowds that enjoy a menu of salads, pizzas, burgers and the like.

The menu at Kiki's offers food that's appealing and delicious.

At Kiki's, the space designed by Krsnaa Mehta of India Circus reflects his quirky style. And so the cafe's indoor air-conditioned seating area has two silver bicycles dangling from the circus tent ceiling dressed in blue and white, while kitschy art frames adorn the yellow and grey walls. The outdoor area is much simpler. After all, the view needs no adornment.

Also read: Mumbai to host smoked food festival January 13 onward

The tide is low when we make our way there one Friday evening, the sun still an hour away from bidding us adieu. Orange mojitos and freak shakes keep us company. Neither giving us cause for complaint. The recipes are all developed by self-taught chef and owner Nitin Mongia.

Not your regular burger and fries.

His experiments with food began as a catering gig, the success of which prompted him to set up the Mandwa cafe. There are both hits and misses on his food menu.

The coriander chicken starter, batter-fried pieces of chicken doused in a coriander sauce, is low on flavour and a big disappointment. But we'd go back to eat the fried-to-the-perfect-crisp fish and chips or the chicken pesto and parmesan pizza. All the flatbreads have a thin biscuity base with an interesting assortment of toppings.

This Salted Caramel and Chocolate Tart is the piece de resistance at Kiki's.

There's also one inspired by the typical Bombay sandwich with raw onion, capsicum, potatoes-it's a fancier version of a pizza one might find at an udipi, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you're planning to go with a group of friends, we'd recommend you call ahead and order the Kobe Aubergine.

advertisement

Fried cubes of aubergine are tossed in a sticky soy-based sauce, topped with green onion and sesame seeds--not on the regular menu; this is one of Mongia's piece de resistance second only to the salted caramel and chocolate tart. Those looking for a taste of the coast will find it in the main course. Mongia does a mean surmai curry served with hot steamed rice.

Kiki's Cafe and Deli is a great stopover for people travelling from Mumbai to Alibaug.

When it first opened, the cafe served take-away bakery foods only. It is now open from 8 am to 10 pm, and has an inviting breakfast menu with a range of eggs and pancakes. Targeting a combination of the Alibaug-dweller, the occasional architect or builder developing a property in the area or the casual traveller, they also hope they can lure Mumbaiites to take the trip just for a meal. Brunch by the beach does sound like a good Sunday plan, doesn't it?

--- ENDS ---
It's our annual Labour Weekend tradition ...The Sound 'Hall Of Fame' Countdown... Where we honor the greatest 500 songs of all time as voted by you.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) In his first visit to Delhi Police headquarters after assuming office, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal today stressed on the need to connect with youth and community for effective policing and to ensure the safety of woman and children.

During his discussion with senior officers, he observed that modern day policing is a challenging and a complex task in a mega city like Delhi and therefore, police must technologically upgrade itself on the one hand and build strong relations with the community on the other.

advertisement

He directed officers to engage with youth and the community in a big way. "The youth have to be partners in our policing approach," he said.

He also stressed on "concept-based" policing and directed officers to look into the pattern of crime and trends.

He also took a round of the Central Police Command Room - C4i and the Police Control Room. PTI SLB RG

--- ENDS ---
Actor Hrithik Roshan who is gearing up for his upcoming flick Kaabil spoke at length about the challenges faced by the visually impaired community during an interactive session with the media here in the national capital on Friday.

I think we as a society are extremely unaware about the way blind people lead their lives. I think we are the ones who are blind to the blind world, said Hrithik who along with his co star Yami Gautam will be seen as a visually impaired couple in Kaabil.

On being asked about the difficulties he faced while portraying the character of a blind man, Hrithik said: There are a lot of stereotypes that surround their life but they are as normal as we are. They do things with as much ease in spite of having that difficulty.

From my first hand experience, I can tell that I am actually surprised to see the ways in which they impact the society and contribute to the society in their own ways," he added.

Hrithik further said that he wants people to get a glimpse into the lives of the blind through Kaabil as he himself was inspired by how they manage their lives.

Helmed by director Sanjay Gupta, the Hrithik-Yami starrer is all set to hit the theatres on January 25.
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha on Friday expressed confidence that national carrier Air India will register operational profit in the current fiscal.

"The civil aviation sector in the country is growing by 20 to 25 per cent and the sector has tremendous potential for growth," Sinha said.

Asked about the impact of demonetisation on the sector, Sinha said there was no impact, rather the sector has recorded an increase in the passenger traffic by over 23.5 per cent in December, 2016.

To a query on whether demonetisation would affect the performance of Air India, which had earned a profit of Rs 105 crore in the last financial year, but posted losses in the first two quarters of the current fiscal, the minister expressed confidence that it would register an operational profit even in the current fiscal.

"Across sectors, performance in first two quarters of a financial year remains low, while the performance records higher in the next two quarters," he said claiming even in the last fiscal, Air India posted losses in the first two quarters, but bounced back to earn a profit.

However, Air India's performance would also depend on fuel prices, the minister said.

Earlier, addressing the students of XLRI, Sinha described the civil aviation section as sunrise sector and said it has tremendous potentials for growth.

"It is an important sector for the growth of Indian economy," Sinha said, admitting it was difficult to establish new airports in the country owing land acquisition problems,

"So, the government has plans to enhance the capacity of existing terminals," he said.

Referring to the Centre's regional connectivity service 'UDAN', he said Jamshedpur would have a air-connectivity soon.

"We have received bids for improving regional connectivity from Jamshedpur and the Jamshedpur-Kolkata route is likely to be operational by February-March," he said adding, the bids for flight services on the Jamshedpur-Ranchi-Bokaro-Kolkata routes, was being examined.

Sinha said altogether 75 operational airports in the country and 43 unserved airports would be added up under the UDAN scheme.

There are large number of under-served airports, which will be brought under the scheme to improve regional air connectivity. "Bidding will take place every six months to cover these unserved and under-served airports in future," he said.
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.
Two powerful US Senators have announced they will introduce a legislation which, if passed by the Congress, would give preference to foreigners studying in American universities, a move that will tighten the noose around the H1B visa programme and could hurt Indian IT firms.

The bill  to be introduced by Senator Chuck Grassley and Dick Durban  will require US Citizenship and Immigration Services to prioritise for the first time annual allocation of H1B visas. It will ensure the "best and brightest" students being educated in the US receive preference for an H1B visa, a statement issued by the Senators said.

The preference system also gives a leg up to advanced degree holders, those being paid a high wage, and those with valuable skills, it said.

"Congress created these programmes to complement America's high-skilled workforce, not replace it. Unfortunately, some companies are trying to exploit the programmes by cutting American workers for cheaper labour," Grassley said.

"We need programmes dedicated to putting American workers first. When skilled foreign workers are needed to meet the demands of our labour market, we must also ensure that visa applicants who honed their skills at American colleges and universities are a priority over the importation of more foreign workers," he said.

"Our bill takes these steps to ensure that the programmes work for Americans and skilled foreign workers alike," said Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The legislation restores Congress' original intent in the H1B and L1 visa programmes by increasing enforcement, modifying wage requirements and securing protections for both American workers and visa holders.

"Reforming the H1B and L1 visa programmes is a critical component of fixing our broken immigration system and must be included in comprehensive immigration reform legislation," Durbin said.

"For years, foreign outsourcing companies have used loopholes in the laws to displace qualified American workers and facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs. The H1B and L1 Visa Reform Act would end these abuses and protect American and foreign workers from exploitation. I thank Senator Grassley for partnering with me on this important bipartisan legislation," he said.

The bill among other things would crack down on outsourcing companies that import large numbers of H1B and L1 workers for temporary training purposes only to send the workers back to their home countries to do the same job.

Specifically, it would prohibit companies with more than 50 employees, of which at least half are H1B or L1 holders, from hiring additional H1B employees, the statement said.
The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's notification asking private minority unaided schools to accept nursery admission forms using neighbourhood criteria.

The court asked the Delhi government that in future, such circulars should be issued six months prior to starting of nursery admissions.

The High Court had 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 circular 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.
Aside from facing the challenge of attempting to build a company from the ground up, many entrepreneurs have little prior experience in the business world. Even when they have an incredibly awesome idea, complex problems arise, such as managing the young enterprise, handling finances and hiring employees on a budget. Mistakes and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand. Therefore, even with meticulous planning, you are bound to go wrong. Some will make you a better entrepreneur while others will flat out ruin your business. Knowing which ones to avoid beforehand can save you a lot of time, money, and heartache. Be sure to not add your start-up to tales of disaster. Here are some start-up mistakes to avoid at all cost:

The business entity concept: The very first thing to keep in mind while working on your start-up is to keep your personal and professional life separate. A successful entrepreneur knows how to keep it balance.

Thinking money solves everything: Struggling entrepreneurs often think that if they can just raise another round of financing, their problems will be solved. But it doesnt work like that. If your business model isn't sound, throwing money at it is not going to work. You have to fix the problem first, and then raise the money. Doing it the other way will only get you in more trouble.

Dont be afraid to fail: The biggest mistake you can make is to be afraid of failure. How you pick up after failure and learn from your mistakes is the key to great success. Change the mindset. You didn't failyou ran an experiment that will improve your next business. Although it hurts a little bit each time, now you've learned something, and you can apply that lesson to move forward and make your business better.

Ignoring your customers: When you have a solid business plan that looks good on paper, it's easy to get carried away with implementing your idea that you forget the most crucial part of your business  your customers. Start-ups that make this mistake usually end up with unfavourable results since customers are the backbone of every company. So, if you want to stay out of the list of start-ups that fail, you need to put as much focus on meeting the needs of your target as you do with implementing your ideas.

Framing a sound business plan: Having a solid business plan plays a vital role in determining future success. A business plan, after all, serves to guide the start-up in the right direction by answering the following questions like  What is the purpose of the company? Who are the potential customers? What are the mission and values? What's the direction desired for the company? Who are the company's competitors and what are they doing? How can the company measure success? In other words, a sound business plan determines every aspect of the start-up. And whenever the company is stuck or a new venture is to be launched, refer to the business plan. There's no need to go creating a business plan in as formal a manner as someone would in business school. But having a business plan is recommended since it will help determine the company's direction over the long term.

Not paying for expertise: The biggest mistake an entrepreneur can make (and most do) is to believe that, just because they are an expert at what they do, they have what it takes to run their own business. Find an expert whose job is to know exactly what you need to do.

Handling money incorrectly: When it comes to start-ups, having money is much a big deal and it needs proper handling. One of the biggest mistakes is spending too much, which may occur when a business owner or founder becomes overly eager and hires a ton of people. At first, the entrepreneur may believe all the new employees are needed.

But this will just mean burning through the start-up's finances faster. To avoid this, hire only those truly needed and take staffing up step by step.

A founder may be tempted to blow through a lot of cash pretty quickly, spending on unnecessary expenses. Instead of these funds going to good use, they're just wasted. As an entrepreneur, its easy to fall in love with your business idea and fail to fully understand or appreciate the economics. To avoid mistakes in your planning and launch, entrepreneurs must start off with a clear profit and loss, and cash flow plan that details what your business metrics need to be in order to survive in the short term and succeed in the long term.

Without proper management and use of its finances, a new business may never set sail. Be sure that someone good with numbers can help out with this.

The writer is Chief Executive Officer and Director, Wishbells, New Delhi
70-year-old Trump, who won November's election despite losing the popular contest by 2.8 million votes, more than any winning candidate in history, is probably one of the most unconventional presidents America has had so far.

By India Today Web Desk: Donald John Trump took oath as United States of America's 45th President today taking over from Barack Obama. 70-year-old Trump, who won November's election despite losing the popular contest by 2.8 million votes, more than any winning candidate in history, is probably one of the most unconventional presidents America has had so far.

HERE ARE THE LIVE UPDATES:

He said that the strength of the India-US relationship lies in "shared values and common interests", adding that he is looking forward to working with President Trump. Looking forward to working with President @realDonaldTrump to further deepen India-US ties & realise the full potential of our cooperation. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates US President Donald Trump. Congratulations @realDonaldTrump on assuming office as US President. Best wishes in leading USA to greater achievements in the coming years. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2017

Your voice, your hopes and your dreams will define our American destiny: Trump

Together we will make America wealthy, proud and safe again: Trump

We will eradicate Islamic terrorism from the face of the earth, says Trump

Every decision will be taken to benefit American workers: Trump

Protection will lead to prosperity and strength: Trump

Will never ever let you down, says Trump to American Citizens.

This day forward a new vision will govern this nation: Trump

The oath of office is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

The forgotten people will be no longer forgotten: Trump

We are transferring power from Washington, DC and giving it back to you the people: Trump

Trump thanks Barack Obama and Michelle Obama for smooth transition of power.

Donald Trump after taking oath addresses the gathering.

Mike Pence is the new vice president of the US.

Justice Clarence Thomas administers the oath of office to Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, addresses the gathering.

Swearing-in ceremony begins.

Donald Trump arrives on the steps of Capitol building.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence arrives on the steps in front of Capitol building.

Donald Trump and Barack Obama arrive at the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.

Former Presidents Carter, Bush, Clinton get introduced.

House of Democrats sport Pro-Obamacare buttons.

Police use chemical spray to deal with protestors who smashed windows near Franklin Square.

Trump family members including daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, arrive at the Capitol.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and husband Bill Clinton arrive at the inauguration ceremony.

Former President George W. Bush arrives for the ceremony.

About 200 anarchists are currently protesting at Logan Circle in Washington DC, many are wearing masks and are dressed in black.

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, welcome Vice President-elect Mike Pence and wife Karen to the White House before the inauguration.

Anti abortion versus anti Trump protesters clash, hurl eggs at each other in Washington.

Donald Trump, Melania Trump meet out going president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama at the White House.

Outgoing President Barack Obama's tweets will be archived at the @POTUS44 handle.

House Democrats and Marco Rubio express gratitude to Obama.

Protests held across London, Glasgow and Paris.

Two Trump Cabinet nominees to be confirmed on Friday.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence tweeted pictures from the church service. We begin this historic and humbling day as we do every day, with a moment of reflection and prayer. #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/sfJkGktFpe Mike Pence (@mike_pence) January 20, 2017

The outgoing US President Barack Obama tweeted goodbye from the official @POTUS handle. "It's been the honor of my life to serve you. You made me a better leader and a better man."

Women gather in large numbers in Londo to hold anti-Trump protests.

Activists from the Black Lives Mattar block security checkpoints.

Supporters from around the US have gathered to the nation's capital to see Trump become the 45th President of the United States.

Donald Trump and Melania Trump begin InaugurationDay by attending church service near White House.

advertisement

New York's best-known developer and reality television personality, Trump was often synonymous with controversy during his bitterly-fought presidential campaign against Democrat rival Hillary Clinton.

The real estate mogul turned to politics announcing his candidacy for president on the Republican ticket in 2015, joining a crowded field of more than a dozen major candidates.

Once considered a long shot, Trump won a majority of the primaries and caucuses by defeating sixteen well-known politicians of his party. Trump became the official Republican Party candidate for president on July 19, 2016.

During his election campaign, a number of women accused him of sexually assaulting them. He hogged headlines for several suggestive and denigrating remarks against women, including his own daughter.

Most prominent was a video that resurfaced after 5 years, in which Trump is heard boasting about being able to sexually assault women and get away with it for being "a star".

Also read:

'It all begins today': Donald Trump to be sworn in as 45th US President

PM Modi says he spoke to Donald Trump who promised to continue to strengthen India-US ties

PHOTOS: Actors join protesters outside a Donald Trump building for pre-inauguration demonstration

Meet the new US First Family

Barack Obama posts farewell letter on Facebook

--- ENDS ---
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed not to pronounce its verdict on Jallikattu for one week in the wake of large scale protests in Tamil Nadu against the ban on the bull-taming sport.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar agreed to put the pronouncement on hold on a plea by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who told the court that "cultural passions" were running high in the state.

The apex court had in 2016 reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions by animal rights activist and organisations challenging a January 7, 2016 government notification taking out 'bulls' from the list of animals that cannot be exhibited or used for fights or races.

The notification was then stayed by the top court a week after its issuance.

The court was informed that both the Centre and Tamil Nadu were in touch and some measures were being taken to tackle the situation that surfaced in light of the harvest festival in which the ancient animal sport has special significance.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and sought his intervention for dealing with the situation that has erupted in a four-day long protest at the Marina beach in Chennai and also large scale protests in the rest of the state.
The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and his squad of officials, including those from the finance ministry, will have to make more authentic-sounding presentations before the Public Accounts Committee than they did on Wednesday before a less-powerful parliamentary panel if the credibility and image of the central bank is to be redeemed and restored to its pre-demonetisation prestige. Their efforts were sloppy when they were examined by the committee that monitors the affairs of the finance ministry. While the BJP members of the panel are understood to have pulled their punches (for obvious political reasons) even some of them were not satisfied with the replies to their queries and have even hinted at summoning the Governor again. Despite the contention that demonetisation had been planned over months; and that there was close coordination between the bank and the ministry, an impression has been created that the Governor has been made the fall guy. Sure the mantrijis will tender strong political arguments in their favour, officials have to deal in facts only ~ and they had few that projected themselves in positive light. An uncharitable view going around is that in suggesting the exercise had been initiated months earlier the present Governor was trying to pass the buck to his predecessor. The committee got only vague answers to pointed queries, and the Governor must have been relieved when Dr Manmohan Singh went to his rescue by saying he need not opine by which date normality would be restored to the system ~ lest that trigger a run on the banks.

It is unfortunate that the panel headed by Mr Veerappa Moily did not see the need for presenting an official account of the deliberations to the media. With the result that Opposition members, who were on the attack, had a field day leaking their version of events. Yet the fact that the BJP members, quite adept at media relations, refrained from projecting their own account indicated the gravity of the questions asked, the wishy-washy replies. Did the Governor and his team really expect they could sell the line that still under calculation was the quantum of discarded currency notes that had been returned to the system? And if indeed the tally was yet to be completed it reflected the inefficiency with which the entire exercise was conducted. A powerful presentation from the RBI would have helped reject the criticism of a monumental blunder. That the man who levelled that charge switched from sword to shield suggests a personal grace rare in contemporary politics: yet underscores the need for a more professional show at the PAC. Unless, as widely apprehended, arrogant netas are still calling the monetary shots.
The new United States President Donald Trump must be fantastically happy with a wonderful Asean because it is the only great regional organisation that has no military might and has not been at war. The problem is, he might not know about the grouping at all.Here is a six-point dossier on the 50-year old Asean and its top secrets.

First, Asean is not too weak and is not too strong as a regional organisation. It was established in 1967 out of a desire to prevent conflicts and wars and to promote peace and stability.

After three days of sport-shirt diplomacy in Bang Saen in August five decades ago, as former Philippine President Fidel Ramos described it, the foreign ministers from the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore signed the Bangkok Declaration.This 752-word document, excluding their long names, has saved the region from the scourges of many potential wars.

Like the European Union, Asean should be a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize in the coming decade, given its long and impressive stretch of peace and stability. Well, the US has one less region to worry about.

Second, Asean members talk a lot among themselves. Outsiders often describe the regional grouping as a talk shop.

Indeed, it is. But that is nothing to be ashamed of. Those talks have not been in vain as they have effectively prevented wars and promoted cooperation.

There would be less talks in the future, meaning fewer meetings, if the current Asean chairmanship, the Philippines, has its way. Manila wants to streamline Asean meetings. On an average day, at least two or three meetings are being held. That makes it approximately 1,200 annually.

Last year, Laos cut it down to less than 1,000 meetings. The Asean members discuss and consult a lot until they reach a consensus  very few organisations have that kind of perseverance.

It is an open secret that sometimes when Asean members agree they do so not because they thought it was the best solution but rather it was the lowest denominator that all members would accept. In Indonesia, it is called mushiwara or the art of bringing everybody together to make decisions by consensus rather than choosing winners and losers, which has helped Asean to survive without any exit from the 10-member grouping.

Asean seldom says you are fired because it prefers to say you are hired  to be inclusive and people-centered. Third, Asean has a long standing tradition  it does not promise what it cannot deliver. It is a bit different from Trumps style of leadership. Say it out loud first and then follow-up on those promises.

In Asean, action speaks louder than words  that is the reason the regional grouping has so many action plans. For the Asean Vision 2025, a total of 571 action plans have been identified for the next 10 years. That explains why Asean goes slow before any decision is reached. They have to be sure all promises could be delivered. Failure is not an option. Quite often, outsiders do not understand the Asean way of handling challenges, whether they are disruptive or longstanding issues. In short, slow but sure is a preferred approach.

Fourth, Asean is not a military alliance akin to the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). So, Asean is not taking any advantage of the US and it is an important US strategic partnership  a pillar of the US rebalancing policy. It is not a military burden to the advance of American greatness nor poses any threat to the US. Asean uses non-violent means to resolve conflicts as well as its goodwill to connect major powers. Former secretary general of Asean, Dr Surin Pitsuwan, often described Asean as a fulcrum for all major powers to meet and get engaged.

Asean prefers security cooperation rather than forming military alliances. Many Asean-led security dialogue platforms are designed to increase mutual confidence and promote preventive measures. Now both foreign and defence ministers have their own ministerial level forums  the Asean Regional Forum and Asean Defence Ministerial Meeting Plus  to meet annually with their dialogue partners.

Fifth, Asean is good for Trumps America, as it has created jobs both in blue or red states. The US trade with Asean has already created 500,000 jobs for American people.

Asean is the fourth largest trade of the US worth about US$226 billion in 2015. And the US companies are the biggest beneficiaries of the groupings prosperity and modern lifestyle. More and more US companies want to invest in Asean, not stay away. In 2014, they pumped in nearly US$25 billion. With economies of new Asean members such as Vietnam and Myanmar growing, investment opportunity will augment even more.

As a group, Asean is Asias third-largest economy after China and Japan and the seventh-largest in the world with a combined GDP of US$2.4 trillion. By 2030, it could be the fourth largest in the world.

Today, Asean has a total population of 646,352,702 persons and over 65 per cent are under 35 years old. Under the Obama administration, the US has been cleverly engaged in winning hearts and minds of the Asean youngsters. The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative is an inexpensive programme to promote the networking of people-to-people ties that will keep Asean-US ties in the hands of future generation.

Sixth, each year Asean hosts one of the worlds most important leader-only security forum, known as the East Asia Summit (EAS). Leaders from Asean and dialogue partners, including the US, China, Russia, Japan and India will go to the capital of the Asean chair to forge common positions on critical global issues such as epidemics, terrorism and climate change.

This forum has gradually become more dynamic and interactive, which could in the future transform into a new regional architecture. If Trump decides not to attend the EAS at the Clark Airbase (he can easily find an excuse given his calibre) during his first year of presidency, it would be a big loss to US security interests. Other participants are eager as always to inject their ideas and energy into the emerging security framework.

The writer is a former Assistant Group Editor of Nation Media Group, publisher of the English-language daily, The Nation. This is a series of columns on global affairs written by top editors and senior writers from members of the Asia News Network and published in newspapers across the region.
Last week, officials from Moroccos interior ministry took to the markets. There they visited some merchants and handed them a letter. We notice that you sell the burqa, the letter noted, before asking the merchants to get rid of the existing stock within 48 hours and to not sell it in future.

The ban on the sale and manufacture does not apply to the headscarf or hijab or even to the niqab, which covers half a womans face leaving the eyes exposed. It only applies to the full burqa that covers the entire face and permits vision through a mesh at the front.

The new restrictions were touted as part of Moroccos fight against religious extremism, noting that while the hijab is common in the country, the full burqa was the import of extremist religious groups whose activities the Moroccan government was trying to curb.

The ban in Morocco is one of the first to be enforced in a Muslim country in recent history. Last March, the Egyptian parliament debated a similar ban on burqas in Egypt. Proponents of the ban, such as MP Amna Nosseir, said that there was no evidence that the full burqa was even an Islamic practice, let alone required by Islam. She located the origin of the practice in a Jewish tradition that was practised in the Arabian peninsula prior to the advent of Islam. Islam, she noted, required modesty and not items like the full burqa that occlude identification.

It should be noted that the Egyptian authorities have already banned the niqab in certain places. Doctors and nurses in Cairo University are not permitted to wear the niqab and members of the faculty have also been advised not to wear it.

The bans on these various kinds of face coverings raise some important questions. As is well known, the burqa is already banned in several Western nations. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel exhorted female German Muslims who wear the full face veil to Show your face. The full face covering is not permissible and should be banned.

France was the first to ban the burqa, passing legislation in 2011 that would prevent women from wearing it in public spaces. The ban was challenged in the European Court of Human Rights and was upheld in 2014. Belgium followed the French example not long after and passed legislation banning the burqa. Similar bans are in place in the Netherlands, whose parliament declared that the full face had to be seen in the interest of public safety. Bulgaria, parts of Italy and Switzerland have also banned the burqa from being worn in public spaces.

The actions taken by the Moroccan government raise some interesting questions regarding the limits of state power and the status of the full-face veil or burqa. In the European countries where the burqa has been banned, those opposing the ban have pointed out how the practice is an example of coercive state power towards the minority Muslim women.

Since most (but not all) the countries that have banned the burqa are colonial powers, the argument that the clothing ban is a revitalisation of systems of colonial control are often made against them. The fact that the burqa ban lists security imperatives, particularly the prevention of terror attacks, as its motivation is vulnerable to criticism in that it singles out Muslims and Muslim attire as an iteration of possible, even probable, terrorist intent. In these countries, this criticism argues, women who wear the full burqa have all been branded as possible terrorists, a label that is asserted as the true intent behind the burqa ban. It would be difficult to superimpose all these arguments on post-colonial contexts. It is not that Muslim nations have no history of banning various modes of clothing; Turkeys ban on headscarves (not burqas) was only recently overturned by the Erdogan government. Beyond that example, however, it is difficult to hold that governments of Muslim countries are trying to isolate and malign women who wear the full burqa.

One crucial impediment in doing so is the fact that these same governments, run almost entirely by Muslims, do many other things to promote the faith. If extremist interpretations that insist on the burqa as a religious requirement can promote and propagate their position, shouldnt the government or elected representatives of Muslim countries be similarly permitted to purport their opposition to certain interpretations? In the battle over who gets to define Islam, why should the moderates remain silent?

The same questions can be asked in Pakistan, where unlike in Morocco, many women do wear the burqa. Several more, including those working as teachers, doctors and nurses, wear the niqab, which while not a full face covering also obscures their identity. The question of the burden this imposes on the rest of the Pakistanis, who must accept instruction, medical treatment, banking services, etc, from someone they cannot see is not one that has been debated with any depth or detail. The security concerns that have been enumerated by the Moroccan government could be said to apply to Pakistan as well.

The hardest dilemma confronting countries like Morocco that are moving to ban the burqa is whether they are using coercive state power to abridge womens choices. The particular poison of bans is that they end up valorising the very practices that they seek to outlaw, their forbidden nature making the practice heroic. So it may be in the case of the burqa ban in Morocco, where the popularity of the burqa increases rather than decreases. It is too soon to answer the question, but it may be a good time to pose it, all over the Muslim world.
China's Foreign Ministry on Friday dismissed Taiwan's sending of a "self-styled" delegation to US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony, saying that the move was aimed at disrupting Beijing-Washington relations.

The comments came after media reports said that former Taiwan official Yu Shyi-Kun was leading a delegation to attend the inauguration in Washington, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Some forces in Taiwan are playing up the Taiwan authority sending its so-called 'official delegation' to the US President's inauguration ceremony at the invitation (of the US side), which is obviously self-satisfying hype," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press briefing.

"It aims to disrupt and undermine China-US relations. China has repeatedly expressed firm opposition to this," Hua added.

Hua said she noted the US government affirmed that it would only invite foreign envoys based in the US to attend the inauguration, rather than invite or encourage other countries or regions to send delegations.
Donald Trump is all set to take the oath of office on Friday to become the 45th president of the United States.

Trump, a brash billionaire real estate mogul and reality TV star, stunned the political establishment across the world on November 8 by sweeping to victory and beating his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

Trump woke up on Friday in Blair House, the President's Guest House, to begin a carefully choreographed ritual leading up to the peaceful transfer of power as he takes the oath of office at noon in the US.

In one of his first gestures, the incoming president tweeted, It all begins today! I will see you at 11:00 AM. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES  THE WORK BEGINS!"

At 8:33am, Trump and his wife Melania, left the guest house for a short drive to St John's Episcopal Church for a morning prayer service before joining outgoing President Obama and first lady Michelle for tea on the South Portico of the White House.

The ceremony includes a formal address by the new president and the swearing-in of Mike Pence as vice president.

Despite a forecast of rain, over 900,000 people are expected to witness the handover of power from eight years of Democratic rule to a Republican president.

In a sign of the peaceful transition, three of the four living former presidents, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, will be on hand for the swearing in.

Bush is unable to attend, because of health reasons and Hillary Clinton is also to attend the ceremonies.
Mexico extradited drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to the United States after his final appeals were rejected -handing US authorities a massive drug case on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration.

Guzman is the head of the Sinaloa cartel, which is accused of generating much of the deadly violence in Mexico and providing tons of drugs to the United States was extradited yesterday, and had twice escaped from prison.

He had been fighting his extradition ever since he was recaptured almost exactly a year ago in his home state of Sinaloa, following his second daring jailbreak.

The Mexican government "delivered Mr Guzman Loera to the authorities of the United States" after the Supreme Court and a court of appeals rejected his latest bids to avoid extradition, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

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 government did not say to which state Guzman was sent. CNN and ABC News reported that Guzman was headed to New York.

A US government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, would only confirm to AFP that Guzman was already on US soil.

The US Department of Justice confirmed the extradition in a brief statement, only saying that information about his initial court appearance would be "forthcoming," without saying where he would be held.

"The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the government of Mexico for their extensive cooperation and assistance in securing the extradition of Guzman," it said, adding that he had been charged in six separate indictments.

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 today, has publicly clashed with Mexico over trade and immigration issues. The Republican president-in-waiting has pledged to build a wall on the US-Mexican border.

Guzman's extradition caps a Hollywood-worthy cat-and-mouse game between Mexican authorities and the slippery drug lord, who escaped twice from prison.

He 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.

President Enrique Pena Nieto refused to extradite Guzman at the time, insisting that he would face justice at home.

But Guzman escaped from prison again in spectacular fashion just 17 months later.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday congratulated Donald J. Trump as the latter was sworn in as the 45th President of the US and said he looks forward to welcoming the Trumps in India.

"Please accept best wishes for your success, personal well-being and for continued progress & prosperity of the people of USA," President Mukherjee tweeted.

"We look forward to an early opportunity of welcoming you and Mrs. Melania Trump to India," he added.


remaining of

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
Despite Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Panneerselvam's call to withdraw protests, the protesters remain steadfast on their demand for holding jallikattu in the state.

By India Today Web Desk: The struggle to legalise jallikattu cleared a major hurdle today with the both the Home and Law ministries clearing the Tamil Nadu's government's Ordinance on holding the banned bull-taming sport. The development came even as massive protests in support of bull-taming sport jallikattu continued for the fourth day across the state. Hundreds of protesters throng Marina Beach in Chennai while agitations continue in other parts of the state.

advertisement

The Ordinance will now be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for his approval.

Also read: Centre clears Tamil Nadu government's Ordinance on jallikattu, sent to President Mukherjee for assent

Despite Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Panneerselvam's call to withdraw protests, the protesters remain steadfast on their demand for holding jallikattu in the state.

HERE ARE THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

Law ministry clears ordinance, sent to President.

All options are open. Centre may act, the state may act or both may act. Tamil Nadu is also a part of India and we have to respect their views. Informed the Supreme Court that the Centre and state government are in talks: Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi

We had come to urge the Home Minister to take steps for promulgation of ordinance in support of jallikattu, says senior AIADMK leader M Thambidurai.

AIADMK MPs of both the Houses to meet President Pranab Mukherjee at 2 pm tomorrow.

Protesters gather in support of jallikattu at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

Superstar Rajinikanth has reached Chennai's Marina Beach, Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa to appear shortly.

Tamil movie star Ajith with Rajinikanth at Marina Beach protest site. (PHOTO: @Thalafansml)

Sources told India Today that Tamil Nadu has forwarded ordinance draft to Home Minister Rajnath Singh who will recommend it to President Pranab Mukherjee. Once the President approves the draft it will be then sent to the state governor.

AIADMK MPs reach Home Ministry to meet Union Minister Rajnath Singh.

The Supreme Court has agreed to Centre's request to not to pass judgment in the matter for at least a week.

Centre moves Supreme Court, says jallikattu verdict should not be pronounced at least for a week.

Tamil Nadu Cabinet will meet today evening on jallikattu issue, an ordinanace might be promulgated.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today said that an emergency law will be brought in to surpass the Supreme Court's ban on hugely famous bull-taming sport jallikattu.

Chennai: DMK Working President MK Stalin taken into preventive custody for halting a train as protest in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/8sHmDGJO32&; ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017 A delgation of AIADMK MPs led by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai are expected to meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi today.

Schools are also shut in Madurai in the backdrop of protests against Supreme Court's ban on jallikattu.

Tamil Nadu's Opposition party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has also called for rail roko movement today.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has extended his stay in Delhi after meeting PM Narendra Modi seeking ordinance to lift the jallikattu ban.

#WATCH: Chennai's Marina Beach continues to witness massive crowd coming out in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/Elspz4uFOK&; ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister met PM Modi yesterday, we know a lot of unrest is going in Tamil Nadu, Central government conscious of the position, says Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister is also set to meet legal experts over the issue.

Music maestro AR Rahman will observe a day-long fast today to express solidarity with people protesting against the ban on jallikattu.

Chennai: DMK workers hold 'Rail Roko' protest over #Jallikattu issue, halt a train at Mambalam railway station. MK Stalin also present. pic.twitter.com/8VhwU0WduI&; ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017 Lawyers are likely to boycott courts, schools, colleges and restaurants.

#WATCH: DMK workers break barricading, enter Chennai's Mambalam railway station while protesting in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/6CLHSapn4z&; ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017 Most commercial establishments are likely to remain shut today in the wake of the protests.

Reacting to the Supreme Court's ban on jallikattu, the Congress on Thursday said it was a part of Tamil Nadu's intrinsic tradition.

WHAT IS JALLIKATTU?

Jallikattu 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.

ALSO READ | All you need to know about Jallikattu

WATCH VIDEO

ALSO READ:

Jallikattu: Asked PM Modi for emergency law, he gave assurances, says Tamil Nadu CM Panneerselvam

Jallikattu: As Tamil Nadu CM watches MGR movie, angry Marina Beach protesters ask where OPS is

--- ENDS ---
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.

advertisement

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 ---
A Mexican man was found carrying 1,100 kilogram (2,425 lbs) of marijuana on a boat but where the boat was headed was not known, the navy said.

By Reuters: Mexico's navy said on Thursday it had seized over a tonne of marijuana on a boat in northwestern Mexican waters that sailed from the US city of San Diego.

The vessel, known as 'LOGOS' was apprehended in the waters off the northwestern beach town of Rosarito, in Baja California state, just a few kilometres south of the US border, the navy said.

advertisement

A Mexican man was found on board, along with 1,100 kilograms (2,425 lbs) of marijuana.

ALSO READ | Hello, 'high' are you? 12 places that allow you to use cannabis

Where the boat was headed and where the marijuana was grown were not known, the navy said.

Mexico has been exporting weed to its northern neighbour for decades, but in rare cases, moneyed Mexican weed fans have imported potent US pot strains.

California in November voted to legalise recreational marijuana. A handful of US states have legalised recreational marijuana use, although it remains illegal under federal law.

California's relatively liberal stance toward the drug has put pressure on Mexico to update its drug laws.

ALSO READ | Hyderabad man turns 3 BHK apartment into marijuana field, arrested

Mexican president Pena Nieto said in 2014 that Mexico could not pursue diverging paths with the United States on marijuana. Last year, he submitted a bill to close the gap on US legislation. But his own lawmakers have been reluctant to follow his lead.

In 2015, Mexico's Supreme Court set the ball rolling in a landmark case, granting four people the right to grow and consume weed, and inspiring hope for change.

Pena Nieto last year proposed decriminalising possession of up to 28 grams of marijuana for personal use, and said it would allow people jailed for holding up to that amount to go free.

But senators in his Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) put the initiative on ice, saying it "requires a greater analysis," and only backed medical marijuana use.

Opinion polls show that while there is public support for medical marijuana use, Mexicans are still resistant to the idea of an outright liberalization of the drug for recreational ends.

ALSO READ | For this Himachal village, banned cannabis is its source of livelihood

--- ENDS ---
Originally from Slovenia, Melania is Donald Trump's third wife. A former model, the couple got married in 2005 and welcomed their son Barron in 2006.

By Indo-Asian News Service: With just a few hours remaining for Donald Trump to become the 45th President of the US, here's a bit about the Trumps, with notes on the roles each family member may play in the administration, according to media reports today.

Melania Trump, 46:

Originally from Slovenia, Melania is Donald Trump's third wife. A former model, the couple got married in 2005 and welcomed their son Barron in 2006.

advertisement

She has said that as First Lady she would like to be "very traditional - like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy", The Guardian reported.

She also plans to combat online bullying and harassment. She will remain New York City instead of moving to Washington DC through the end of the school year with Barron and is expected to play a minimal role in the administration.

Only making select appearances to publicly support him -- including her infamous speech at the July's Republic National Convention which was largely plagiarised by outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama's speech four years earlier, The Independent daily said.

Also read: US presidential inauguration: Donald Trump hours away from becoming 45th US president

Donald Trump Jr, 39:

Donald Trump Jr is the incoming President's eldest son with his first wife, Czech model Ivana Trump. He currently works alongside his brother Eric as a trustee of The Trump Organisation.

According to sources, Trump Jr is not expected to have a role in his father's administration.

He drew ire during the campaign for agreeing to an interview with a prominent white nationalist and for comparing Syrian refugees to Skittles candy, The Guardian reported.

He is married to model Vanessa Kay Haydon since 2005 and they have five children.

Ivanka Trump, 35:

Trump's eldest daughter also with Ivana, Ivanka is a fashion executive and manages projects including the recently opened Trump hotel in the Old Post Office building in downtown Washington DC.

Ivanka converted to Judaism to marry businessman Jared Kushner, with whom she has three children.

Ivanka has been a stalwart by her father's side throughout his two-year campaign, even while heavily pregnant. She was instrumental in softening his image to white female voters, The Independent daily said.

However, it is unclear what her exact role is, but unofficially, she will be the President's most trusted consultant.

Eric Trump, 33:

Donald Trump's youngest son with Ivana, Eric is set to manage the family's business interests over the next four years with his brother.

Arguably the most low-key member of the Trump family, he has been working as the Vice President of the Trump Organisation.

advertisement

He wed Lara Yunaska in 2014 in a ceremony officiated by Jared Kushner. They have no children.

Jared Kushner, 36:

Ivanka's husband, raised in New Jersey and the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, he has a bachelor's degree from Harvard and a law degree from New York University, The Guardian reported.

He took over his family's real estate firm after his father was imprisoned on a federal felony conviction for witness tampering and tax evasion. Kushner is also owner and publisher of the New York Observer daily.

Kushner will take the role of senior adviser to the President in the White House.

Tiffany Trump, 23:

Tiffany is Donald Trump's daughter from his second wife, actress and TV personality Marla Maples. She is a recent University of Pennsylvania graduate and is not expected to have any role in her father's administration.

Also read: Washington braces for anti-Trump protests ahead of inauguration ceremony

--- ENDS ---
Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
As PETA continued to face pro-jallikattu protesters' ire for opposing the bull-taming sport, Tamil actor Dhanush said he was not part of the animal rights advocacy group and described as an "insult" an award given to him by the NGO a few years ago. "A few years ago, PETA honoured me for being a vegetarian. I now consider it a grave insult. I regret it," he said on being chosen as PETA's "Hottest Vegetarian" in 2012.

Dhanush said neither he nor any of his family members were part of PETA, adding if someone claimed anything contrary to that it was a "rumour."

He urged the Centre to remove bulls from the 'performing animals' category and thus ensure jallikattu was held in the state.

Though he had many fans, he was now a fan of Tamil youth, who were spearheading the pro-jallikattu protests, Dhanush said, adding, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should promulgate an ordinance to allow the sport.

He lauded the youth for carrying out peaceful and dignified protests.
The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals has hit out against Jallikattu supporters for targeting the organisation.

Said Nikunj Sharma, government affairs liaison officer, PETA, to THE WEEK, There were six other petitioners who filed a case in the Supreme Court against Jallikattu. PETA was just one among them. Why target us in this manner without understanding the crux of the matter? Nikunj said that he was getting threatening messages and calls from the supporters of Jallikattu, a kind of bull fighting. They even abused my family members. Is this the Tamil culture that they are talking about, asked Nikunj.

According to PETA, it was A. Nagarajan, a Tamil from Madurai, who filed the first case against Jallikattu in the Madras High Court in 2006. This, after his son N. Marimuthu, was trampled by a bull during a Jallikattu event. When Marimuthu was sketching a picture of a Jallikattu event, one of the bulls pounced on him and he bled to death. All the people were so busy with Jallikattu that nobody could help Marimuthu, said Nikunj. Soon, the Madras High Court banned Jallikattu. But a few months later, the court allowed Jallikattu with some restrictions.

In 2007, the Animal Welfare Board moved the apex court challenging the Madras High Court order. We [PETA] came into the picture only in 2011, after we filed a petition challenging the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009, said Nikunj.

In 2014, the Supreme Court banned use of bulls for Jallikattu and said it amounted to treating the animals with cruelty.

Nikunj said that people were scared to say anything against the Supreme Court, and that was the reason why PETA became an easy target.

The Supreme Court did not overnight take the decision against holding Jallikattu. Different courts had heard the matter for over a decade. The courts had appointed observers who had said that there was inherent cruelty in Jallikattu, said Nikunj.

PETA will remain committed to the cause of animals that face brutality, said Nikunj.

The Supreme Court on January 20 agreed to the Union governments request to wait for a week before delivering its verdict on Jallikattu as the government of Tamil Nadu was unable to resolve the deadlock.


Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Friday said he has taken legal advice over ban on bull- taming sport jallikattu, adding that a draft of ordinance has been sent to the Home Ministry.

The Tamil Nadu government has sent a draft of amendment to MHA this morning. I believe the draft would be approved in one or two days which will pave the way for jallikattu, Panneerselvam told the reporters in Chennai.

While informing about the ordinance, Panneerselvam urged the protesters to end their agitation, adding that he had discussion with experts regarding amendments to be enacted on the bull-taming sport law by the state.

Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and urged him to promulgate an ordinance to lift the ban on jallikattu.

"I gave a letter to the prime minister saying that ban on jallikattu must be lifted and Centre should draft an ordinance on it," he said.

The PM told Panneerselvam that the Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the state government.

He, however, added that the matter is sub-judice.

Meanwhile, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday announced a state-wide rail roko agitation'.

The protests going on at Chennais Marina beach have entered its fourth day, with schools declaring holiday in support of the agitation.
Chief Justice of India Justice J.S. Khehar, on Friday, revealed his sensitive side, recalling that the case dearest to him was not one amongst the high-profile cases that he fought as a lawyer, but that of a retired employee of the Haryana Roadways who was struggling to make ends meet, was abandoned by his family, and was fighting to get pension from his former employer.

Addressing a gathering of lawyers in Delhi, Khehar said that his extended family, which had come from abroad to attend his oath-taking ceremony earlier this month, asked him which was his best case.

I have represented judges in the Supreme Court. I have represented a Supreme Court judge in an impeachment proceeding. But I narrated to them the case I loved the most. It was about a very humble person. It dated back to around 20-25 years, he said.

(File) Chief Justice of India J.S.Khehar

The matter, Khehar said, pertained to Haryana roadways. It was about employees with provident fund, who had retired, and the government had then introduced pension. The question was whether they were entitled to the new pension.

A gentleman walked into my office. He had to sign papers pertaining to the case. I asked him how does he lead his life. He said he lives on his farm land. He said his children do not look after him.

He told me he got Rs 70 as pension per month, Khehar recalled.

Khehar said he asked him what can a person eat on Rs 70 a month. He said he bought wheat flour, and then took onion or some other vegetable from a neighbour's farm. He said that on a day when he was really very happy, he took some grains of dal and boiled it.

He was in tatters. And he smelled. After he went, we opened all the windows of the office. The office smelled for days and days, Khehar said, adding that he was moved by the plight of that man.

Eventually, we won him the case. He came back and thanked me. This time, he was neatly dressed. His clothes were washed. He did not smell dirty. He said after he won the case, and got some income, his family had come back to him, that he had earned their respect again, the CJI said.

This, he said, was the best thing about the legal profession. This is the beauty of what we can do for others. We have to make it a matter of self-happiness, Khehar told the gathering of lawyers, stressing that this is our duty.

He was addressing a function organised by the Bar Council of India to felicitate him upon taking over as the new CJI.

Khehar, who took over as the CJI from Justice T.S. Thakur earlier this month, said his achievements in life were really the outcome of these very small people whom he engaged with right in the beginning of his career.

Khehar had practised in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Himachal Pradesh High Court and also argued before the Supreme Court before he was inducted into the judiciary.

Where I stand in life is on the basis of what they gave me rather than what I gave them. Whatever we are, our income, where we take our children on vacations, their education, the kind of hospitals that we go to, it is all because of what these people give us, he said.

Khehar is known for his sensitivity to issues of the poor and the marginalised. It showed in his decision to resume the Social Justice Bench as soon as he took charge as the CJI. The Social Justice Bench had been discontinued by his predecessor Justice Thakur.

Emphasising on the role played by lawyers, he said they were brokers of peace, and without them, there would be absolute anarchy.

One has seen that Prime Ministers need lawyers. When Indira Gandhi litigated, she needed a lawyer. Chief Minsiters, ministers need lawyers. We have seen that in the 2G scam and in the coal scam, the CJI said.

He also reminded the legal fraternity that lawyers were needed by small people also.

Khehar then went on to narrate an incident pertaining to his agricultural farm. It was about a neigbour cutting down all the trees that he had planted in the passage leading to the farm. It turned out that the neighbour was drunk when he did that. Justice Khehar said he told his father they would plant new trees. But his father said what if the neighbour got drunk again and cut the trees again.

So we lodged a complaint and went to a lawyer, Khehar said, adding to peals of laughter, So, judges also need lawyers.






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 US presidency.

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 US 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 US 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 organisation.

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 organisation emerged mostly victorious.

The US 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 Guzmans 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 Guzmans 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 US 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 US prison system.

Its a good thing to finally get him to the US side, said a senior US law enforcement official based in Mexico.
By Press Trust of India: Los Angeles, Jan 20 (PTI) For men who feel embarrassed to test their fertility in the supervision of watchful doctors and nurses, a US-based technology company has developed a novel smartphone-powered device that can allow them to measure their sperm count from the comfort of their home.

The Yo Sperm test works through an app and a microscope attachment that covers the phones camera and flash, enabling men to keep a check their reproductive health without having to go to the clinic.

advertisement

"Trips to the fertility doctor are rarely pleasant. The YO Home Sperm Test lets you see how your swimmers are doing from the comfort of your own home," according to Los Angeles based Medical Electronic Systems (MES), which developed the kit.

The testing process involves the app taking a video of the sperm under the microscope, and then completing a series of simple analyses from the clip.

The app provides users with in-depth information about their result, which the company claims to be 97 per cent accurate, Dezeen.com reported.

The user has to collect his sample, mix it with a liquefying powder for better consistency, which then has to be left for ten minutes.

After that, the user extracts a small amount of the sample using a pipette and drops it onto a slide.

The slide fits into the microscope attachment sitting over a smartphones lens and allows video of the sperms motion to be recorded and analysed. PTI SAR SAR

--- ENDS ---
Donald Trump began the ceremonial events leading up to his swearing-in later on Friday as the 45th president of the United States, as black-clad activists smashed windows in downtown Washington to protest his inauguration.Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, will take the oath of office at midday (1700 GMT) outside the domed U.S. Capitol, with U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.

Organizers expected crowds of upwards of 900,000 people, including protesters. Away from the Capitol, masked activists ran through the streets smashing store and car windows. They carried black anarchist flags and signs that said, "Join the resistance, fight back now." Police used pepper spray and chased them down a major avenue, a Reuters eyewitness reported.

Trump, a Republican, will take power in a country divided after a bitter election campaign. He will set the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad."It all begins today!" he wrote in a note on Twitter at about 7:30 a.m. "I will see you at 11:00 A.M. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!"The West Front of the Capitol was teeming with dignitaries for the ceremony, including former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, who was defeated by Trump in the Nov. 8 election. A big cheer rang out from the crowd when she was introduced.

Former presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter were also present with their wives. Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, 92, was in Houston recovering from pneumonia.Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, began the day attending a prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House.Trump, wearing a dark suit and red tie, and his wife, Melania, clad in a classic-styled, powder blue ensemble, then headed into the White House for a meeting with outgoing Democratic President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.

Streets near the president's home were blocked to traffic by empty buses and dump trucks or temporary pedestrian security checkpoints. Checkpoints around the National Mall in front of the Capitol opened early to begin admitting guests. Some wore red caps bearing Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.Trump, 70, takes office with work to do to bolster his image. During a testy transition period since his stunning November election win, the wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that Trump seemed to want to "engage with every windmill that he can find."

An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed Trump favorably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition.
It was a eureka moment for comedian Alex Edelman. Even after the press conference on Wednesday, where an extremely pugilistic Donald Trump bashed on Buzzfeed (failing pile of garbage) and CNN (totally fake news!!) , the soon-to-be leader of the free world was in no mood to relent. "At 9:00 pm, @CNN, of all places, is doing a Special Report on my daughter, Ivanka. Considering it is CNN, can't imagine it will be great!," Trump tweeted five days after the slugfest.

At 9:00 P.M. @CNN, of all places, is doing a Special Report on my daughter, Ivanka. Considering it is CNN, can't imagine it will be great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017

Wrote Edelman on twitter, "I finally figured it out, Donald. All this pettiness? You're just deep undercover pretending to be a feckless idiot. It is a genius move. The rest of the world thinks only a moron would be this insecure in public. But you've got a plan. You must have one. Because no one is this unpresidential without some reason. It's all a smokescreen. Well done, sir."

For now, however, the issue is immaterial; too early to say whether the Schrodinger's cat was really dead or even worse  getting ready to pounce out of the enclosure and threaten to nuke China for devaluing its currency. Or deport Mexicans. Or ban Muslims. Or hold meetings with far right leaders like Marine Le Pen. Or tweet about multiplying the US nuclear arsenal.

The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2016

Analysts are stumped and the global community is in jitters. "Unpredictable and disruptive," they called him. What will he do next? After an year long campaign (where he fat-shamed a former Miss Universe and bragged indirectly about the size of his genitalia) and an equally cringeworthy month-and-a-half after victory (taunting China, calling NATO 'obsolete' and dumping on the UN as a 'club for people to chat and have a good time'), we take a look at the possible indications of what lies ahead in the future.

Who will blink first  China or US?

We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2016 China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 17, 2016

Not long after his victory in the elections, Trump upended a long standing US policy that recognised 'One China' and attended a phone call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. This was the first bilateral contact between the US and Taiwan since Washington ended its diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 when former US President Jimmy Carter formally declared Beijing as the only government of China. Washington closed its embassy in Taipei in 1980. A visibly unhappy China said, "We firmly oppose any official interaction or military contact between the US and Taiwan." The paradigm shift becomes even more apparent when compared with Obama's docility and relative silence in the face of China's increasing aggressiveness and incursions in South China Sea.

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

In the month that followed, the situation escalated. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said the 'One China' policy was up for negotiation. The official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, China Daily, hit back. "If Trump is determined to use this gambit in taking office, a period of fierce, damaging interactions will be unavoidable, as Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves," the publication warned. "It may be costly. But it will prove a worthy price to pay to make the next U.S. president aware of the special sensitivity, and serious consequences of his Taiwan game."

Throughout his campaign, Trump had ragged on China for its devaluing the currency to boost its exports and the 'unfair' deal meted out to the United States in the region. Even more surprising is the 180 degree shift  a role reversal  that seems apparent. Trump's hardline stance against companies outsourcing jobs from US had prompted a warning against protectionism in economic policy from Chinese President Xi Jinping himself. Oh, the irony!

Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2017 Thank you to General Motors and Walmart for starting the big jobs push back into the U.S.!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2017

From Russia, with love

Under the Obama administration, the US-Russia relations were at an all time low. What with Russia's involvement in Ukraine conflict to allegations of Russian interference in US elections, the issue reached a flashpoint with Obama expelling Russian ambassadors from country in early January. Trump, who had on numerous occasions expressed his admiration for president Vladimir Putin, refused to accept the intelligence findings on Russian hackers interfering with the election process. "It could be Russia. Or it could even be China," said Trump, at the most recent press conference.

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 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?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2016

Trump, on numerous occasions, admonished his opponents by claiming that a good US-Russia relationship would only be favourable in the long run. He even appointed Rex Tillerson, chief executive officer of ExxonMobil and a man known for his close relations with Putin, as his secretary of state.

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 Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2016

However, what really seems to have worried the US allies are recent statements by Trump who degraded the European Union as one 'not particularly central to the US interests' and NATO as 'obsolete'.

What his policies pan out to be  regarding EU, Russia and the undeniable tension that exists between the two  remains to be seen. Will there be a radical departure from the US policies, which have always placed a united EU as central to the country's global interests?

The land of perpetual unrest

In the early January, Trump made the most disruptive statement of all. He said that he had not forgotten his campaign promises and that the US embassy in Israel would soon be shifted from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but.......  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016 Just out: Neera Tanden, Hillary Clinton adviser said, Israel is depressing. I think Israel is inspiring!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2016 The resolution being considered at the United Nations Security Council regarding Israel should be vetoed....cont: https://t.co/s8rXKKZNF1  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2016

Previous governments had steered clear of the same, given that Jerusalem remains a prickly issue between Palestine and Israel. The US Congress has favoured acknowledging Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state, but a June 2015 Supreme Court judgement had backed the opposing views of President Barack Obama. Trump had made his pro-Israel stance clear while on his campaign trail  he released a statement that "peace will only come when the Palestinians renounce hatred and violence and accept Israel as a Jewish State".

Political analysts argue that the move will only exacerbate the Israel-Palestine conflict  already with the peace accord nowhere in sight. It might also fan flames in the rest of the Arab world.

In the final week of December, Obama had allowed the US abstention from a vote in the UN Security Council, allowing them to adopt a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building in land that Palestinians consider as their own. The resolution was heavily criticised by Israel and the president-elect Donald Trump.

Hapless neighbours

Rexnord of Indiana is moving to Mexico and rather viciously firing all of its 300 workers. This is happening all over our country. No more!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2016 Drugs are pouring into this country. If we have no border, we have no country. Thats why ICE endorsed me. #Debate #BigLeagueTruth  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 20, 2016

With Trump promising to renegotiate NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement between US, Canada and Mexico), both loonie and peso (currencies of Canada and Mexico) have taken hits. While Trump has preferred to take potshots at Mexico, blaming them for 'illegal immigrants who bring in drugs and rapists', Canada is clearly perturbed at the effect on its economy if Trump reneges on NAFTA. A lion's share of the Canadian exports are meant for the US markets. The Trump administration also signals the end of a rare camaraderie between former president Barack Obama and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

What about Cuba? After being the first US president to visit the country in about a century, Obama even eased the trade embargoes, which had proven to be highly disruptive for Cuban economy. But will it change under president Trump? In November, he tweeted, ""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," CNN reported.

Setting the elephant free

What about India? How will his policies affect the Indian-Americans, who are by no means an insignificant minority in the United States. His statements are conflicting. Through the campaign he proclaimed that he "looked forward to working with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has been very energetic in reforming Indias bureaucracy". I am a big fan of Hindu. I am a big fan of India. If I am elected President, the Indian and Hindu community will have a true friend in the White House."

In the same breath, he mocked a call centre by faking an Indian accent, claiming, You cant allow policies that allows China, Mexico, Japan, Vietnam, India. You cant allow policies that allows business to be ripped out of the United States like candy from a baby. Add to that the lack of clarity in his statements regarding future visa policies.
An IED was discovered from the rail track and defused on October 1, 2016. One of the three suspects is also claimed to have travelled to Kanpur at the behest of ISI to cause derailment which claimed 150 lives.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Two days after Bihar Police arrested three persons who claimed to have planted explosives at rail track at Ghorasahan in East Champaran district of Bihar, NIA has written to MHA seeking transfer of the alleged terror plot case.

A two-membered team which has already been dispatched by the agency is expected to return to Delhi late in the evening with their initial assessment.

advertisement

An IED was discovered from the rail track and defused on October 1, 2016. One of the three suspects is also claimed to have travelled to Kanpur at the behest of ISI to cause derailment which claimed 150 lives. On 20 November 2016, the Indore-Patna Express 19321, a scheduled train from Indore to Patna, had derailed near Pukhrayan.

Interrogation of three arrested men - Moti Paswan, Uma Shankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav - led to shocking claims of "ISI" orchestrating the accident. Though sources in MHA said they were keen to have both Pukhrayan and Ghorasahan cases, the NIA will only probe the latter. They said they will further probe possible links to the Kanpur accident.

Also read | Kanpur derailment: How the suspected ISI link emerged from a murder investigation

ISI's role came into suspect after three men were arrested for murder of two youth Arun and Deepak Ram on October 1 by handler Brajkishore Giri because they had failed to trigger bombs on railway tracks in Champaran near the Nepal border. The trio in Bihar police custody spilled beans about how they were paid Rs 3 lakh to plant explosives at Ghorasahan.

Police stumbled on the racket while investigating the murder of two Raxaul residents in Nepal. Three people arrested in Nepal - Brijkishore Giri, Muzahid Ansari and Shambhu - and two other men were active in this group. Giri, the kingpin, had paid money to the trio arrested by Bihar Police to carry out blasts on rail tracks near Ghorasahan.

Another name Shamsul Hoda, who stays in Delhi, is emerging as one of the main suspects but continues to be at large. Delhi police has apprehended two youths in the case.

Also read | Terror angle in Kanpur train tragedy: NIA, IB on hunt for recruiter in derailment cases

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Bhubaneswar, Jan 20 (PTI) All non-BJP political parties including the ruling BJD today rejected the Centres decision of setting up a negotiation committee to assess the availability and utilisation of waters in the Mahanadi river and its tributaries.

The parties, instead, demanded immediate formation of a tribunal as per law of the land to resolve the Mahanadi water dispute, which was caused allegedly due to "unilateral" construction of projects on upstream of the river by neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

advertisement

Stating that the Centres move on constituting a committee comes after protests in Odisha over Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh being chosen as a star campaigner by BJP for the ensuing rural polls, the BJD said the state governments demand to stop work was not yet implemented.

"The fear that the opposition towards Raman Singh by all parties except BJP and the public of the state, has led to the sudden announcement of forming a committee over the Mahanadi issue. We are yet to receive the terms of reference," said BJD spokesperson Pratab Deb.

While the intervention of the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary were ignored by the Centre, this committee will be yet another futile exercise, Deb said alleging "In the process, Chhattisgarh will be given opportunity to finish the project in the name of the committee."

The Congress and the CPI(M) also rejected the Centres decision of setting up a negotiation committee terming it as a ploy to delay the formation of a tribunal to resolve the matter.

"We demand formation of a tribunal as per law and not a committee to further engage in talking," the CPI(M) said in a statement.

"We have decided to reject the committee and demand formation of a tribunal to resolve the matter," said Congress chief whip Taraprasad Bahinipati.

The Samajwadi Party has moved the State Election Commission (SEC) seeking its direction and asking the Centre to withdraw such a committee as it violated Model Code of Conduct for the panchayat elections.

A four-member delegation led by Samajwadi Party state president Rabi Behera has submitted a petition to the SEC alleging the Negotiation Committee formed by the Centre to resolve Mahanadi Water Dispute Issue was a violation of MCC.

The BJP on its part welcomed the Centres decision and said the committee was formed to resolve the matter. PTI AAM DKB ANB

--- ENDS ---
The head of the Brussels-based European Jewish Association Rabbi Menachem Margolin  which represents thousands of Jews from communities across Europe welcomed the election of Antonio Tajani as the new President of the European Parliament, urging him to devote time and resources to properly tackle anti-Semitism.

In a statement from Brussels, Rabbi Margolin said, We are delighted at the appointment of Mr Tajani to the post of President of the European Parliament. His previous experience and talent as Chairman of interfaith dialogue will stand him in good stead.

It is an unpalatable truth for many, and some politicians seek to brush it under carpet, but anti-Semitism is on the rise across Europe, as populism and nationalism continue to make electoral gains. It needs to be properly grabbed by the horns.

That means that the European Parliament must work with us, the Jewish communities. Not just listening and empathizing with our position as a community quite literally under fire, but working closely with us on developing initiatives and EU programs to deal with it. We stand ready to do our part.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Teach Florida, a project of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, hails the Florida Supreme Courts decision today to dismiss the Florida Education Associations lawsuit against the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship. The scholarship program helps 98,000 low-income students, including 2,400 Jewish day school students, learn in the schools of their choice.

Todays decision affirms our states commitment to giving students the opportunity to learn in the school where they will thrive best, said Dr. Allan Jacob, co-chair of Teach Florida and a leader in the state school choice movement. This means 98,000 students and their parents can stay on their successful educational paths now that the threat of losing their schools is gone.

Teach Florida worked with the Florida Federation of Children and the Jewish Educational Leadership Coalition in support of the Tax Credit Scholarship program, especially the expansion of its eligibility requirements. Teach Florida, a coalition of schools, leaders, and parents, advocates for government funding to provide equitable services and support to non-public school students.

This decision affirms Floridas role as a national leader in implementing solutions to help low- and moderate-income students receive the best education possible for them, said Mimi Jankovits, executive director of Teach Florida. We look forward to working with elected and government officials to continue giving all Florida children the best education possible in a safe and secure environment.
Earth sizzled to a third-straight record hot year in 2016, with scientists mostly blaming man-made global warming with help from a natural El Nino thats now gone.

Two U.S. agencies and international weather groups reported Wednesday that last year was the warmest on record. They measure global temperatures in slightly different ways, and came up with a range of increases, from minuscule to what top American climate scientists described as substantial.

Theyre all singing the same song even if they are hitting different notes along the way. The pattern is very clear, said Deke Arndt of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA calculated that the average global temperature for 2016 was 58.69 degrees (14.84 degrees Celsius)  beating the previous year by 0.07 degrees (0.04 Celsius).

NASAs figures , which include more of the Arctic, are higher at 0.22 degrees (0.12 Celsius) warmer than 2015. The Arctic was enormously warm, like totally off the charts compared to everything else, said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASAs Goddard Institute of Space Studies in New York, where the space agency monitors global temperatures.

The British meteorological office determined that 2016 barely beat 2015 by 0.018 degrees (0.01 Celsius). The World Meteorological Organization and other monitoring groups agreed that 2016 was a record, with the international weather agency chief Petteri Taalas saying temperatures only tell part of the story of extreme warming.

The figures are based on ground-level temperatures. Satellite calculations also showed that it was the warmest year, Schmidt said.

This is clearly a record, he said. We are now no longer only looking at something that only scientists can see, but is apparent to people in our daily lives.

Temperature records go back to 1880. This is the fifth time in a dozen years that the globe has set a new annual heat record. Records have been set in 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010 and 2005.

Arndt said the 0.07 difference for 2016 is actually one of the largest NOAA has seen between record years. Whats more important than any single record is the multi-decade clear warming trend since the late 20th Century, said Arndt, NOAAs climate monitoring chief.

Schmidt said his calculations show most of the record heat was from heat-trapping gases from the burning of oil, coal and gas. Only about 12 percent was due to El Nino, which is a periodic warming of parts of the Pacific that change weather globally, he said. Arndt put the El Nino factor closer to a quarter or a third.

El Nino disappeared last June. Even without it, Schmidt said this year probably wont break any records although it should be in the top five warmest.

NOAA calculated that last year was the warmest year on record in the oceans, the Arctic and North America. The average amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean reached a record low for 2016, Arndt said.

According to NOAA, 2016 was 1.69 degrees (0.94 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th Century average. The first eight months of 2016 all broke heat records. NASA has last year at 1.78 degrees (0.99 degrees Celsius) warmer than their mid-20th Century average and about 2 degrees warmer than the start of the industrial age in the late 19th Century.

Of course this is climate change, its overwhelmingly climate change, said Corinne Le Quere, director of Englands Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, who wasnt part of the NOAA or NASA teams. Warming (is) nearly everywhere. The Arctic sea ice is collapsing. Spikes in fires from the heat. Heavy rainfall from more water vapor in the air.

The effects are more than just records, but actually hurt people and the environment, said Oklahoma University meteorology professor Jason Furtado. Theyre harmful on several levels, including human welfare, ecology, economics, and even geopolitics, he said.

(AP)
On Friday 22 Teves, inauguration day for President-Elect Donald Trump in the USA, seventy heads of municipalities in Israel will hold a special gathering with Housing Minister (Kulanu) Yoav Galant during the afternoon in the Seven Arches Hotel.

The meeting is within the framework of commemorating 120 years since the First Zionist Congress in Basel and fifty years since the unification/liberation of Jerusalem. They will hear a clear message, that a united Jerusalem will remain the eternal capital of the Jewish People.

The event is being sponsored by the Zionist Council in Israel and the World Zionist Organization. Organizers point out the event will be held just several hours before Mr. Trump is sworn into office.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Uber and Lyft are cheering Gov. Andrew Cuomos proposal to allow the ride-hailing businesses to expand into upstate New York.

The Democratic governor included a provision in his budget that will authorize the two companies to move into cities such as Buffalo, Rochester, Albany and Syracuse. State law now prohibits the companies from operating outside the New York City area.

The taxi industry says Cuomos proposal is a bad deal for consumers because it wouldnt require drivers to be fingerprinted.

Uber says it already conducts its own driver background checks and calls the fingerprinting issue a red herring brought up by cab owners.

Cuomos plan would impose a 5.5 percent tax on Uber and Lyft fares. Uber rides in New York City are now subject to an 8.875 percent tax.

(AP)
It did not take long for Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) host Chen Elmaliach to be docked by station Director Yaron Dekel. Following the fatal terrorist attack in the Bedouin community of Um Chiran, which claimed the life of policeman Erez Levi HYD, Galei Tzahal Radio personality Elmaliach expressed solidarity with the attacker. Elmaliach used his Facebook page to express support for the vehicular attack that killed Levi, writing, I too would run over a policeman if they were evicting me from my home to build a community for persons stronger than me.

While he deleted the post, enough people copied it and it went viral. A few short hours following the attack, station CEO Dekel twitted that a person who comments as he (Elmaliach) did, has no place in the radio station. He has since been docked.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat has come out strongly with a clear message to US President-Elect Donald Trump, calling upon him to make good on his word and move the US Embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Barkat announces that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of the Jews and moving the embassy with send a clear message to the international community.

Barak calls on supporters of the move to visit the Israel Welcomes Trump website and sign the petition backing the embassy move.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Juggling work and play on Inauguration Eve, Donald Trump filled his final Cabinet slot Thursday and headed to Washington for three days of festivities.

The president-elect was trading in his beloved private jet for a military jet to ferry him from New York to a city bracing for an onslaught of inaugural crowds and demonstrators numbering in the hundreds of thousands.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence, in a tweet, called Inauguration Eve a momentous day before a historic day, as security barricades and blockades went up around Washington in preparation for Fridays swearing-in ceremony and all of the hoopla and hand-wringing that comes with it.

We are all ready to go to work, Pence said at a morning news conference. In fact, we cant wait to get to work for the American people to make it great again.

Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said hed be putting on his favorite DHS jacket and taking to the streets to inspect security preparations for the inaugural festivities.

He told MSNBCs Morning Joe that areas where inaugural crowds will congregate will be extra fortified this year with dump trucks, heavily armored vehicles to prevent anybody whos not authorized from being in the area from driving something in there. He said there was no specific credible threat related to the inauguration.

First up for Trump on Thursdays schedule of inaugural events: a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery. Next, a welcome concert on the steps of Lincoln Memorial ending with fireworks.

Before departing for Washington, Trump announced his final Cabinet choice: former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue for agriculture secretary.

Ebullient Trump fans were ready for a three-day party.

New York Republicans kicked off their inauguration festivities with a breakfast Thursday morning at a downtown hotel.

The crowd, smushed into a ballroom to hear former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, roared as New York GOP Chairman Ed Cox boasted that a kid from Queens was going to be the next president of the United States.

Its going to be a remarkable couple of days, Gingrich said. Certainly this is the inauguration that no one in the news media was ready for.

He went on to describe Trump as part P.T. Barnum and predicted he would be one of the countrys most accomplished presidents.

Keeping a wary eye on the weather forecast for Inauguration Day, the National Park Service announced that it was easing its no umbrella policy for Friday, allowing collapsible umbrellas along the parade route and on the National Mall.

(AP)
Twitter says it has suspended 360,000 user accounts in the past 18 months for threatening or promoting acts of terrorism.

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, say that isnt enough.

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.

(AP)
The first batch of 'NRI Jatha' is likely to be flagged off by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi from New Delhi.

By Supriya Bhardwaj: After AAP, Congress too will get 'foreign' support during poll campaigning in Punjab.

According to party sources more than 400 NRIs are arriving from UK, Canada to support the Congress during election campaigning in Punjab.

RAHUL GANDHI MIGHT FLAG THE NRI CAMPAIGN

The first batch of 'NRI Jatha' is likely to be flagged off by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi from New Delhi.

advertisement

These NRIs will move from one constituency to another in a bus to campaign for the party. Punjab Congress sources said they have requested Rahul Gandhi to flag off the bus from Delhi on January 23 or 24.

Also read: Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh swimming in debt

In a letter to AICC Foreign Affairs Cell chairman Dr Karan Singh, the Indian Overseas Congress (UK) president Daljit Singh Sahota said the NRIs would be travelling to India to participate in the elections in Punjab and to campaign vigorously for Congress candidates.

"It's an effort to save the state from falling into the hands of the corrupt Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) or the outsiders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)," he said.

NRIs also plan to meet people across constituencies to spread the party's message and make voters aware of the Congress' agenda of development and progress for Punjab.

The Punjab Congress Pradesh Committee (PPCC) has termed this extended support by NRIs as an important contribution to their campaign.

Also read | From ending VIP culture to free education for women up till PhD -- All about Punjab Congress' manifesto you need to know

--- ENDS ---
President-elect Donald Trump has asked roughly 50 senior Obama administration appointees to remain in their posts after his inauguration to ensure continuity in government, his incoming White House press secretary said Thursday.

The officials include the highest-ranking career officials at key national security agencies like the Pentagon and State Department.

Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work and Americas third-ranking diplomat, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon, will serve as acting chiefs of their agencies until successors for the top jobs are confirmed by the Senate, Trumps spokesman Sean Spicer said.

Thursdays announcement comes after weeks of questions about how Trumps team is managing the presidential transition, although it may not address broader concerns about what officials at many federal agencies have said is a lack of communication with the incoming team.

Such concerns are natural in presidential transitions. But the confusion among officials at national security agencies could have consequences, given their international engagements. The rest of the world doesnt pause while Washington determines its chains of command.

Work will likely helm the Defense Department for only a matter of hours. Trumps selection for the Pentagon, retired Gen. James Mattis, is expected to be confirmed on Friday shortly after the inauguration ceremony, along with retired Gen. John Kelly for Secretary of Homeland Security.

Senate debate on Trumps choice for CIA boss, former Rep. Mike Pompeo, is expected to start Friday. It is unclear if Pompeo will receive an immediate confirmation vote.

At the State Department, Shannon will be in charge until at least until next week as a Senate vote on Trumps choice for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, isnt expected until Monday or Tuesday.

Also staying will be Brett McGurk, the Obama administrations point-man for fighting the Islamic State group, Nicholas Rasmussen, the National Counterterrorism Center director, and Adam Szubin, the Treasury Departments top official for terrorism and financial intelligence.

Spicer said Chuck Rosenberg, the Drug Enforcement Agency administrator, and Susan Coppedge, the State Departments ambassador-at-large to combat human trafficking, would be left in place for the transition.

A full list of Obama appointees asked to remain was not immediately available.

It also wasnt clear if the Trump administration would accept an invitation to attend Russian-supported Syria peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Monday.

Trump has made a great point about seeking closer cooperation with Moscow on counterterrorism and security matters. Obamas special envoy for Syria, Michael Ratney, has indicated he is willing to attend, but the transition team hadnt instructed him to make the trip. Spicer said an announcement was expected soon.

As in previous transitions, U.S. embassies and consulates abroad headed by noncareer, presidential appointee ambassadors will transfer to the most senior career diplomat present until the new administration fills the top posts.

The transition team has largely yielded on matters of national security to retired Gen. Michael Flynn, Trumps national security adviser, and Jared Kushner, the president-elects son-in-law. But the circle will have to be expanded once the new administration assumes the full responsibility of government.

When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, the Senate confirmed seven Cabinet members on Inauguration Day. Republicans and Democrats are still negotiating over Trumps picks, and Mattis and Kelly may be the only ones to make it through Friday.

(AP)
Barack Obama cut short the sentences of 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes on Thursday, bringing his bid to correct what hes 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, Obamas 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 exercised 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 Obamas 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 Obamas 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, its 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 brothers, owing to what the court called Smiths 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.

Hes looking to turn his life around, said Michelle Curth, his attorney. Hes a good person who, like so many people, got involved in something hes 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 Obamas 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 drivers license through a prison program, despite having a life sentence that all but assured hed 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 Obamas 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 Mannings 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.

(AP)
Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, Mexicos most notorious cartel kingpin who twice made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run as the countrys most wanted man, was extradited to the U.S. Thursday to face drug trafficking and other charges.

Mexicos Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to U.S. authorities for transportation to the U.S. on Thursday, the last full day of President Barack Obamas administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated.

The U.S. Justice Department issued a statement confirming that Guzman was en route to the United States and expressed gratitude to Mexico for its cooperation.

A senior U.S. official said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas, and a plane carrying him departed for New York at 5:31 p.m. EST. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and agreed to give the information only if not quoted by name.

The convicted boss of the Sinaloa cartel, one of the worlds largest drug trafficking organizations, had been held most recently at a prison near Ciudad Juarez. He was recaptured a year ago after escaping from a second maximum-security prison through a tunnel dug to his cell.

The 2015 escape was highly embarrassing for the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand the headache off to the United States afterward. Guzmans lawyers have fought extradition since his recapture.

It was illegal. They didnt even notify us, said lawyer Andres Granados, who accused the government of extraditing his client to distract from nationwide gasoline protests. They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike. Its totally political.

Guzman, who is in his late 50s, faces the possibility of life in a U.S. prison under multiple indictments in six jurisdictions around the United States, including New York, San Diego, Chicago and Miami.

A federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York, where Guzman is expected to be prosecuted, accuses him of overseeing a trafficking cartel with thousands of members and billions of dollars in profits laundered back to Mexico. It says Guzman and other members of the Sinaloa cartel employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

He was first indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in July 2009. A superseding indictment was issued in May charging him and Ismael El Mayo Zambada with a variety of drug, gun and money laundering charges as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise.

The Mexican Foreign Relations Departments statement said a court had ruled against Guzmans appeal and found that his extradition would be constitutional.

The criminal Joaquin Guzman Loera was extradited this afternoon to face his pending legal cases, Mexican Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong tweeted.

Guzmans first prison break was in 2001. He spent more than a decade at large before being captured in 2014. The following year he broke out through the mile-long tunnel dug directly to the shower in his cell.

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 Penns article.

Guzman was initially returned to the Altiplano prison outside Mexico City where he escaped through the tunnel. Last May, officials abruptly moved him to the prison in the desert near Juarez.

The White House, which was down to a skeleton staff hours before Trump takes office, said it had no immediate comment.

(AP)
Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, one of the worlds most notorious drug kingpins, is finally headed for a court date the United States sought for two decades while he made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run in Mexico.

Extradited Thursday to face U.S. drug trafficking and other charges, Mexicos most wanted man was expected to appear in a federal court in New York Friday, the same day Donald Trump, who has lashed out at Mexico, is inaugurated as president.

The Drug Enforcement Administration flew Guzman to New York from Ciudad Juarez late Thursday, according to federal officials.

The U.S. has been trying to get Guzman in a U.S. court since he was first indicted in Southern California in the early 1990s. Now in his late 50s, he faces the possibility of life in a U.S. prison under indictments in six jurisdictions around the United States, including New York, San Diego, Chicago and Miami.

Hes expected to be prosecuted in Brooklyn, where an indictment accuses him of overseeing a massive trafficking operation that sent billions of dollars in profits back to Mexico. It says Guzman and other members of the Sinaloa cartel, one of the worlds largest drug trafficking organizations, employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

Guzman, the cartels convicted boss, had been held most recently at a prison near Ciudad Juarez, a border town across from El Paso, Texas. He was recaptured a year ago after escaping from a maximum-security prison for a second time, an episode that was highly embarrassing for President Enrique Pena Nietos government.

Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand him off to the United States. But Guzmans lawyers fought his extradition, and attorney Andres Granados accused the government of carrying it out Thursday to distract from nationwide gasoline protests.

It was illegal. They didnt even notify us, Granados said. Its totally political.

Mexicos Foreign Relations Department said a court had ruled against Guzmans appeal and found that his extradition would be constitutional.

The extradition came at a charged political moment in the U.S., on the eve of Trumps inauguration. As a candidate, the Republican criticized Mexico for sending the U.S. criminals and rapists and vowed to build a wall at the Mexican border and have Mexico pay for it. Mexican officials have said they wouldnt pay for such a structure.

Carl Pike, a former DEA agent who spent the last part of his career helping the drug agency chase Guzman, said Thursday he was always confident that the drug lord would be sent to the U.S., but the timing was interesting.

Its one way of thanking Obama and another way of saying, Mr. Trump, welcome to the arena,  Pike said.

Derek Maltz, who headed the DEAs Special Operations Division until his retirement in mid-2014, said the extradition reaffirms Mexicos commitment to working with the United States and curbing the power of its drug cartels, and the timing could be seen as a good-faith effort by the Mexican government.

After breaking out of prison the first time in 2001, Guzman spent more than a decade at large, becoming something of a folk legend among some Mexicans for his defiance of authorities. He was immortalized in ballads known as narco-corridos.

Captured in 2014, Guzman then made an even more audacious escape, coolly stepping into a hole in the floor of his prison cell shower and whizzing to freedom on a motorcycle modified to run on tracks laid the length of the tunnel.

While again on the run, he secretly met with actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo in a fall 2015 encounter that Penn later chronicled in Rolling Stone magazine.

Guzman was unapologetic about his criminal activities, saying he had turned to drug trafficking at age 15 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 Penns article, published right after Mexican marines re-arrested Guzman last January.

Guzman was ultimately captured after a shootout that killed five of his associates, wounded one marine and added another dramatic chapter to a story even Guzman apparently thought sounded like a Hollywood movie: Authorities were able to track him down partly because he wanted to film a biopic and had representatives communicating with actors and producers, Mexican Attorney General Arely Gomez said at the time.

Maltz said Guzmans extradition is not likely to immediately curb the Sinaloa cartels role in the drug trade, but it signals that the U.S. and Mexico are serious about fighting drug gangs.

When they start seeing the extraditions of the cartel leadership and they see the unbelievable effort in Mexico, with the killing and capture of top cartel leaders, they are going to start feeling the heat like theyve never seen it before, Maltz said.

The White House, which was down to a skeleton staff hours before Trump takes office, said it had no immediate comment.

(AP)
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

After Sukkos is SImchas Torah, where we beging the cycle of Torah reading again.

The purpose of this article is to make available, in an easily understood format, the laws of Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum -Reviewing the Weekly Parsha in order to spread the observance of this Mitzvah. It is an unfortunate reality that this particular Mitzvah is still neglected, even during these times, when Boruch Hashem, we are experiencing a resurgence of Torah observance.

PLEASE HELP A VERY CHOSHUV HACHNASSAS KALLAH SITUATION

https://thechesedfund.com/zechornilah/hachnasaskallah

The Mitzvah of Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum is an important one. It is one of the few Mitzvos where our Chazal assure us longer life if we but perform it. It is a Mitzvah that, according to many authorities (Netziv, Sheiltos, Meseches Sofrim), including the Aruch HaShulchan, was, for the most part, ordained by Moshe Rabbeinu himself, later being augmented by Ezra.

The Bach (Orech Chaim 685) writes that a Takanas Moshe, an enactment of Moshe Rabbeinu, has the status of a Mitzvah DeOraisa, a Biblical Mitzvah.

According to this view, Shnayim Mikrah is a biblical Mitzvah. Although the halacha is not in accordance with the Bach on this, it does not need to be stated that a Takanas Moshe carries a high degree of significance.

It is also a Mitzvah that has a deep qualitative effect upon our commitment to Torah and to Hashem. The Chofetz Chaim writes (chapter 21 of Zachor LaMiriam) that the performance of this Mitzvah strengthens Emunah -faith. In a similar vein, the Taamei HaMinhagim (page 160 of Kuntrus Acharon) writes that one who grooms himself for the Shabbos and completes the Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum before midday is assured that he will not come to an Aveirah Chamurah the entire week.

It should be noted that this Mitzvah should not be performed in a perfunctory manner. Great care and attention should be placed to every verse and every Rashi or Targum. The Chsam Sopher writes in a responsa that his comments on Chumash were primarily conceived while he was reviewing the weekly Parsha. The Chofetz Chaim states that one who performs it should be very careful in reading the words of Rashi, as it states (Shmos 15:26), And you shall listen to His Mitzvos and Rashi explains, Turn your ear to study it most carefully.

In this booklet, the Aruch HaShulchans comments on these Halachos, found in the Orech Chaim section of Shulchan Aruch chapter 285, have been translated. The Aruch HaShulchan was written by Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein ztl and was published piecemeal by his daughter, the impoverished widow, Rebbitzen Breina Wolobrinsky.

The text of this translated section has been re-paragraphed and paragraph headings were inserted to facilitate greater readability. The Mishna Brurahs opinions and the rulings of other Poskim were added in the footnotes.

THE MITZVAH

1] The Gemorah (Brachos 8b) states:

A person should always complete the weekly parsha with the Tzibbur. It should be done twice with the text and once in Targum, One must even recite the names of the cities Atros and Divon. . For everyone who completes the parsha with the Tzibbur, twice with the text and once in Targum, his days and years are extended.

In other words, before the congregation reads the parsha in Shul, a person should read it in his home, whether it be on that Shabbos itself in the morning or throughout that week. However, he may not read it earlier than that week. Some individuals have the custom to read a small section of it each day of the week, and they complete it on Shabbos (Talmid Rabbeinu Yonah).

Therefore, even though every person hears the Torah portion read publicly each Shabbos from the reader, there is, nevertheless, an obligation to read to oneself, each week, the parsha of that week twice in the text and once in Targum . [The Levush cites an allusion to this in the Torah. It states,VeAileh Shmos Bnei Yisroel and Shnayim Mikrah VeEchad Targum in abbreviation spells Shmos..And those that are obligated are all Bnei Yisroel .]

THE REASONS

2] The reason for it is not known, but certainly when Moshe Rabbeinu ordained that we read the Torah , he ordained this edict as well , that each person read it twice in the text and once in the Targum.

THE LEVUSHS REASON

The Levush writes that the reason is to ensure that everyone be proficient in the Torah, but as is understood this reason is insufficient [6].

PLEASE HELP A VERY CHOSHUV HACHNASSAS KALLAH SITUATION

https://thechesedfund.com/zechornilah/hachnasaskallah

THE ARUCH HASHULCHANS REASON

It would seem that the obligation in Torah is listening and studying as we say in the blessing of Ahava Rabba, To listen and to study. The listening is [to be done] on Shabbos from a kosher Sefer Torah written properly and according to Halacha. Therefore, one should study it beforehand from a Chumash [7] and one should ascend in holiness to listen to it from a Sefer Torah.

It is stated in Sotah (37b) that the generalities and the specifics [of the Torah] were said at Sinai and were repeated a second time in the Ohel Moed and were repeated a third time in Arvos Moav (refer there). We must therefore study it three times, even a verse that does not have a Targum (as will be explained) corresponding to these three [times that the Torah was taught]. However, where there does exist a Targum they chose that the third time be in Targum so that he will understand what he is studying. The [language of] Targum is similar to Lashon HaKodesh and was given at Sinai, as we say in Nedarim (37b), And they shall read it in the Torah of Hashem mefurash  Mefurash is Targum, and it was given at Sinai as explained there. However they had forgotten it and Unkeles returned it and re-established it as we say in the beginning of Megillah [I saw it similarly stated in the Ohr Zaruah in the name of the Maggid Mishna but it was not sufficiently explained].

THE RAAVANS REASON

Some say that it [Shnayim Mikrah VeEchad Targum] corresponds to the two readers [of the Torah as it is being read] and the one translator.[Raavan] [8]

TARGUM LAST OR ALSO IN MIDDLE?

3] There is to wonder whether we specifically require that it be read twice in the text and [only] afterward it be read in the Targum or whether he also fulfills the obligation if he read it once in the text, then the Targum and then [the second time] in the text.

From the words of the Levush it is clear that this [the second way] is his opinion. For he wrote:

It appears to me that if a man read once the text and once the Targum alone, and afterward when they read the parsha in shul he read it with the Chazan word by word, he has fulfilled the obligation of Shnayim Mikrah VeEchad Targum.

We see that he writes explicitly that the Targum could be in the middle. Even though he writes that our Master the Beis Yosef does not agree that he fulfills his obligation in this manner, that is because he holds he cannot fulfill his obligation through the Shliach Tzibbur, but not because the Targum is in the middle.

The Gedolim have already written that even the Beis Yosef does not disagree with this, rather, he is referring to [mere] listening where he does not fulfill his obligation, but if he recites it with the Chazzan word by word he does fulfill his obligation [Prisha and Ohr Zaruah] [9].

SAYING OR LISTENING?

There is an opinion that even regarding listening he fulfills his obligation [Magen Avrohom subparagraph 8 quoting the Lechem Chamudos]. Similarly there is an opinion that if he heard the Shnayim Mikrah VeEchad Targum he also fulfills his obligation if he made sure to hear it (word by word) [10] [Shaarei Teshuvah citing the Radbaz].

According to my humble opinion [11] we require specifically learning and not listening as we have written and see paragraph 13.

THE METHOD OF STOPPING AT EACH PARSHA IN THE SIDRA

4] There is an opinion that states that the reading of Shnayim Mikrah VeEchad Targum is in the following manner: To read each parsha, that is every psucha or stumah two times, and then afterward the Targum [Magen Avrohom subparagraph 1 quoting the Maharshal and Shla] [12].

STILL ANOTHER REASON

It would appear so logically [that the method should be to stop at each Parsha in the Sidra], because the Holy One blessed be He related to Moshe each parsha at one time, and between each parsha there was a break, as it says in Toras Kohanim in the beginning of VaYikra (1:1):

What purpose did the interruptions have? In order to give Moshe a period to reflect on each parsha.

Rashi cites it in his commentary on Chumash.

Perhaps because of this reason, they commanded us to read Shnayim Mikrah VeEchad Targum, for it says in the Midrash [Yalkut Shimoni Iyov 28], Each and every item that the Holy One Blessed be He told Moshe, He would say twice in His heart and afterward he told it to Moshe. What is the reason? [Az Raah Vayisaprah Haichina VeGam Chakrah]  He saw it then and recited it [is] one time [He prepared it and also inquire into it [is] another time and afterwards it states, and He said to the man..  this is Moshe] etc [13]. Nevertheless, the Holy One Blessed Be He did relate to Moshe each Parsha by itself.

In the beginning of Megillah [4a] they state, I will review this Parsha and teach it.. refer there. Parsha is defined as a psucha or a stumah, and that which is referenced in the Chumashim, third [aliyah] or fourth [aliyah] is not considered with any significance. [And in Brachos 8a where they state that a person should always complete his parshios with the congregation, which indicates that each sidrah is called a parsha, this is not so. For this is the explanation:  the parshios of that sidrah.]

PARSHA IN MIDDLE OF VERSE QUESTION

5] However according to this, there would be a question when there is a new parsha in the middle of a posuk. As in Pinchas, And it was after the plague (BaMidbar 26:1). And in Parshas VaYishlach, And the sons of Yaakov were twelve..(Bereishis 35:22) And in Dvarim, ..from Eilat and from Etzyon Gvar (Dvarim 2:9). What should be done? If he stops there and reviews the Parsha, he is in the middle of a Posuk!

Nevertheless, it appears that he should do this [14]. And if a problem is raised of, any verse that Moshe did not stop at, we do not stop at.. [15] here, Moshe did, [in fact], stop. Similarly in regard to the ten commandments in Do not murder (Shmos 20:13) there is a parsha etc., refer there [16].

THE METHOD OF STOPPING AT EACH VERSE

6] There are those that wrote to read each verse twice and afterward the Targum [17], [Arizal and Maadnei Yom Tov] and at the end of the Sidrah he should also read a posuk after the Targum so that he will end with Torah [Magen Avrohom ad locum].

A proof to this is found in the language of the Gemorah, Two times [Shnayim] Mikreh and one time Targum the language is in masculine and Parsha is feminine while Posuk is masculine. However, there is to answer that it is referring to the man, for the man says two times Mikreh and one time Targum.

It appears to me that this depends on the reasons. For according to the reason that we wrote in paragraph 4, it is certainly referring to the Parshah, and so too according to the reason that we wrote in paragraph 2 [See Aruch HaShulchans Reason.] However, according to the other opinion at the end of paragraph 2 [Raavans Reason], it certainly is referring to each posuk.

THE METHOD OF THE ENTIRE SIDRAH AT ONCE

7] There are those that read the entire Sidrah and afterwards a second time, and afterwards the Targum. And it is somewhat indicative that this is the correct method from the language of Rashi in Brachos there, and from the Gemorah where it states that Rav Bibi Bar Abaye wished to complete the parshios of the entire year before Yom Kippur etc. The reference is to all the sidros, after which it says he wished to say them early. Rashi explains that he wished to do all the parshios on one Shabbos, see there. So we see explicitly that he calls a sidrah parsha.

And so it is seen from the words of the Ohr Zaruah HaGadol (Siman 12): He wished to complete all the parshios of the year. Rabbeinu Chananel had the text the parshios of the Kallah (semi-annual gathering for study purposes) that is the four parshios that we read in Elul and the four that we read in Adar. We see that he calls a Sidrah parsha.

ALL THREE METHODS ARE ACCEPTABLE

Therefore, it would seem to my humble opinion that there are no restrictions [18], and that one may perform it in whichever manner that one wishes, as each of them have halachic backing.

It is also possible that at times one may perform it one way and at times the other way. And if you might think that there would be a restriction to perform it in one particular way, the early Rabbis would not have refrained from stating this [19].

READING IT FROM A SEFER TORAH

There is an opinion that wrote that if he is fluent in the taamim [20], he should read it from a Sefer Torah [21], and he should immerse after reading it and cut his fingernails before the reading [Magen Avrohom there]. And this is a Midas Chassidus, and it follows the opinion of those who read it on Friday.

SPEAKING DURING SHNAYIM MIKREH

There is an opinion that it is prohibited to speak during the reading of Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum [Be-er Haitev subparagraph 1]. And it is strange to say this, for without a blessing of what significance is an interruption, as the Tosfos have written in Brachos [14a Yamim] in regard to Hallel? And if it is because it is prohibited to interrupt Torah study for mundane things, this is inapplicable to Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum, for it may be assumed that he is stopping for an important matter. And furthermore those that read the Parsha each day, they are interrupting repeatedly. Therefore, there is no halachic significance to this [opinion] [22].

WHEN IT MUST BE DONE

8] What is called, With the assembly? The Tur writes:

The entire week from day one onward is considered with the assembly [23], since we start the parsha on the Shabbos at Mincha [and this is considered with the congregation in other words, that the congregation begins]. And it is a Mitzvah Min HaMuvchar to complete it before he eats [24] on Shabbos [The Ohr Zaruah writes that we suspect that on account of abundant eating he may not read at all]. If he did not complete it before he eats, he should complete it after the meal before Mincha, but from that point on since we begin the next one, the time for this one has passed.

9] It is clear from his words that there is no importance in completing it before the reading of the Torah, just before eating. For this is referred to as Mitzvah Min HaMuvchar  the ideal manner in which to perform the Mitzvah.

It is also clear from his words that after Minchah the time has already passed, as the congregation already began the next one and it is no longer called with the congregation.

It is further clear from his words that when he completes it on Friday it is not considered Mitzvah Min HaMuvchar. And so wrote the Mordechai in the first chapter of Brachos that it is only [a Mitzvah Min HaMuvchar] on Shabbos morning before the meal, refer there [see further the Bach].

THE FRIDAY OPINION

10] However, there are those that wrote that the essential Hiddur is on Friday. Some say before midday and some say after midday. And so was the custom of the AriZal to read in a Sefer Torah on Friday after davening24b [see Be-er Heitev and Shaarei Teshuvah #1]. Some say that the Mitzvah Min HaMuvchar is to read a little bit each day and to complete it on Friday, as is printed in the book, Chok LeYisroel.

IF ONE DID NOT COMPLETE IT ON SHABBOS

Similarly, there are those who said that one who did not complete it on Shabbos may complete it until Wednesday [25], for this is called after Shabbos as we say at the end of the seventh chapter of Gittin.

Some say that he may further complete it until the end of the year until the completing of the Torah [26]; in Israel this is Shmini Atzeres and outside of Israel this is Simchas Torah, and then all the sidros that he did not read he reads Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum [27].

And so it appears from the words of our Rabbis, the Shulchan Aruch and the Achronim, and this is how we should conduct ourselves [28].

TARGUM FOR EACH AND EVERY WORD

11] The statement of the sages has already been explained that everything requires a translation. Even verses with names such as Reuvain and Shimon require translation; and not on account of translation, for also in the language of the Targum the words are equivalent to the words in the Hebrew. Rather, it is because we require it to be read three times in accordance with the reasons we have explained. In the Gemorah it states, even Atros and Divon, and with this there is a greater insight, as Rabbeinu Bachya wrote, that in the Targum they are names of places of idolworship, and I would have thought that it would be better not to mention them, therefore it teaches us that this is not the case. [And the commentaries struggled much in this matter [29] see TaZ, Mogen Avrohom, Tur, and Talmid Rabbeinu Yonah. However, according to what we wrote it is understood beautifully.]

RASHI VERSUS TARGUM

12] The Tur writes:

If he studied the Parsha with the explanation of Rashi it is considered like Targum [30]. For the intent of Targum is only to understand the matter. However, if he reads it in another language [31] it is not considered [like Targum].

The reason for this is that other languages do not reproduce the meaning as it was handed down from Sinai [32], but Targum explains it in accordance with the way it was given from Sinai as we have written in the end of paragraph two. Similarly, the explanation of Rashi is based upon the expositions of our Rabbis of blessed memory, which is the clear truth as if it was from Sinai.

Our Master the Beis Yosef in paragraph two (Shulchan Aruch 285:2) wrote that a G-D-fearing individual should read [both] Targum and Rashis explanation [33]. For the Targum was given at Sinai, and Rashis explanation [should be read] to understand the Parsha properly.

The Gedolim have agreed that only the Targum of Unkeles [may be used] and one does not fulfill the obligation with anything else [34]. For the Targum is holy and was given at Sinai. This is also [the ruling] according to the wisdom of the Kabbalah. And this is the custom of all Israel. And Heaven forbid to deviate from this.

WHAT TO DO WHEN ONE DOES NOT HAVE A TARGUM

If at the present time he does not possess a Targum, he should recite the text twice and when he obtains a Targum he should say it [Mogen Avrohom subparagraph 4]. If he does not anticipate that he will be able to obtain a Targum it appears to my humble opinion that he must read the text three times according to the reasons that we have explained [35].

DURING THE READING OF THE TORAH

13] He may read the Shnayim Mikreh and Echad Targum at the time of the reading of the Torah. So wrote the Beis Yosef [Shulchan Aruch] in paragraph five [36]. And the explanation is that he may say the Shnayim Mikreh and Echad targum at the time of the reading of the Torah even though he does not say it in unison with the reader. And the reason is explained in the Mordechai there, that it is because he is dealing with the same matter, refer there. There is an opinion that even if he merely hears it, he has fulfilled his obligation, but we have already written [end of paragraph 3, see notes there as well] that this is not so [and so wrote the Knesses HaGedolah and the Olas Shabbos].

TEACHERS

Teachers of children that read the Sidrah each week with the children a few times fulfill through this their obligation of reading. And if they read with them the targum or Rashi, they also fulfill their obligation of targum, and see what is written in paragraph 12. Similarly, anyone who studied the Sidrah in the middle of the week twice, does not need to go back and read the Parsha on Shabbos.

HAFTORAS AND OTHER READINGS

The Haftoras do not need to be read by an individual [37]. However, it has become the custom to read it after Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum. Similarly, what we read on Rosh Chodesh, the holidays [38], and the Yomim Noraim, the individual does not have to read [in Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum], for each one was read on its Shabbos. The Ramah writes that on a Shabbos of a Chasunah (wedding) he should read the Haftorah of Shabbos and not Sos Asis (Yishaya 61:10). For in his days there was a custom to read for a bridegroom Sos Asis, but in our days we do not know of such a custom. [All that the Mogen Avrohom wrote in subparagraphs 11 and 12 we do not know of such customs. Also, that which he wrote citing the Knesses HaGedolah that One who reads Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum should read the haftorah of .the parsha and not the haftorah of the four parshios.. requires further scrutiny.]

I.

AriZal Pri Eitz Chaim

Shaar HaShabbos chapter three

The Mitzvah of Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum in its time is on Friday after midday. For it is in this time that the Klipah  the outer shell separates from the realm of Kedusha. With the secret of Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum we remove the outer shell from the holiness. After which, with the proper intentions of immersion we effect the light of the holiness of the Shabbos.

II.

Piturah DeAbba

Erev Shabbos

Chapter Ten

The custom of my teacher my Rabbi of blessed memory (the AriZal), was immediately after the Friday morning prayers, he would go to the synagogue or to his house of study, if there was a Sefer Torah there he would take it out and read in it the Parsha twice in the text and once in Targum. He would read the text from the Sefer Torah and he had a student that would read to him the Targum from the book of the Targum and he would repeat it after him.

This is what he would do for each and every verse until the end of the Parsha. He would not do as others brazenly read the whole Parsha in the text entirely one time, and then read it again a second time and then read it entirely in the Targum a third time. Rather, he would read each and every verse by itself, twice in the text and once in the Targum.

He would exert himself to read it on Friday and would say that this is the fundamental principle behind And it shall be on the sixth day that they prepare what they shall bring. Otherwise, if some great emergency would happen he would read the Shnayim Mikreh Echad Targum on Shabbos after the morning prayer and before the meal, as Rabbeinu HaKadosh commanded. He did not do it like those that do it in the middle of the Shabbos morning service.

After reading the Parsha he would immerse himself with the Friday immersion etc. My teacher and Rabbi used to say that once a person read the Parsha he has the strength to accept upon himself the additional holiness of the Shabbos. He would not immerse until he finished the Parsha.

III. Maharal Nesivos Olam I

Chapter 13

One may ask, why twice in the text and once in translation? The answer is that we find that the Torah was given at Mount Sinai, taught once again in the Ohel Moed, and a third time in Arvos Moav. At Arvos Moav, the Torah was explained, as it is stated (Dvarim 1:5), Moshe initiated the explanation of the Torah  Rashi adds into seventy languages. We, therefore, do it twice in the text and once in translation  which is an explanation of the Torah, for there is no need for seventy languages, rather each person should understand it in his own tongue, and the language of the multitude of Israel was Targum [Aramaic]. Therefore it must be done twice in the text and once in the Targum.

One must understand the fundamental principle behind the matter. Shnayim Mikreh VeEchad Targum corresponds to the three worlds. Torah is from the celestial world, and therefore one should read it twice in the text corresponding to this world and to the middle world. The third one is Targum which corresponds to the celestial world.

And do not wonder how it could be that Targum,which is insignificant,is a more lofty language than the Holy Tongue, for this is not the case. The language of Targum is not a private language specific to any one nation, rather it is all-encompassing to everyone. The Targum teaches to the entire world, encompassing all. On account of this, the Torah was given to everyone.

This also teaches why the third time it should be read in Targum, which is all-enclusive -the Torah belongs to everyone. However, the nations of the world did not wish to accept it. This is the significance of the loftiness of Torah, when it is for all. Thus, on account of the fact that the Torah comes from the celestial world to the lower world to Israel, we are therefore obligated to read it simultaneously with the congregation [of Israel] twice in the text and once in Targum. This is the essence of why the Torah was given at Sinai, retaught at the Ohel Moed and taught a third time in Arvos Moav in seventy languages. And understand this, for the matter is quite clear.

PLEASE HELP A VERY CHOSHUV HACHNASSAS KALLAH SITUATION

https://thechesedfund.com/zechornilah/hachnasaskallah

The author can be reached at [email protected]
Yesterday, three Jewish Community Centers across New York received anonymous bomb threats directed at their facilities. These incidents appear to be part of a wave of recent bomb threats over the past two weeks targeting JCCs across the country. My administration has been in direct contact with all three facilities and have pledged our full cooperation to ensure their safety.

New York State Police and local law enforcement agencies responded immediately, and while it was determined that bombs did not exist, we have zero tolerance for any individual who makes such threats  false or otherwise  which is against the law. State Police will work with our federal and local law enforcement partners, and we will do everything in our power to hold those accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

We will not allow anyone to intimidate or strike fear in the State of New York. In these turbulent times, New Yorkers reject the divisive forces of hate and bigotry. We will not permit anti-Semitism or bias incidents to go unpunished  period.

New Yorkers who have experienced bias or discrimination are encouraged to call the New York State Division of Human Rights toll-free hotline at (888) 392-3644 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday  Friday. If you want to report a crime or fear for your safety, call 911 immediately.

(YWN Desk  NYC)
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 20 (PTI) Promising to be "right there" with the US citizens at every step, Barack Obama in his final tweet as the 44th President of the United States today thanked his countrymen, saying serving them was the "honour of his life".

"Its been the honour of my life to serve you. You made me a better leader and a better man," Obama said in a tweet before he left the Oval Office to welcome his successor Donald Trump at the White House.

advertisement

"I wont stop; Ill be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by your voices of truth and justice, good humour, and love," the 55-year-old said in another tweet.

"As we look forward, I want our first steps to reflect what matters most to you. Share your thoughts with me," he said asking people to connect with him through his personal webpage.

"Im still asking you to believe - not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours. I believe in change because I believe in you," Obama said.

After Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, the official twitter account of the US President would be in the possession of the new President.

Obamas tweets as President would transit over to @POTUS44.

"Its been an honour to serve. And to all those fighting for a better future, Ill see you on the other side. Thanks," his Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in his final tweet.

"To the press corps, thanks for what you do. Your passion and dedication to your work is critical to the success of American democracy," Earnest said.

"You are thorough, critical, and most importantly, you persevere. Its made me a better Press Secretary, and a better public servant," he added in another tweet.

The First Lady Michelle Obama also posted a brief video on her tweeter feed "taking it in one last walk through the Peoples House" as she is seen walking with the First Dogs.

"For future updates from Mrs Obama, be sure to follow @MichelleObama," she wrote.

"Being your First Lady has been the honour of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, thank you," she said in her final pinned tweet signed as "mo" which stands for Michelle Obama. PTI LKJ SUA AKJ SUA

--- ENDS ---
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday congratulated Donald Trump on becoming the 45th US President.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Donald Trump on his becoming the US President and said he looked forward to working with him to further deepen India-US ties.

"Congratulations Donald Trump on assuming office as US President. Best wishes in leading USA to greater achievements in the coming years," Modi said in a tweet.

"Strength of the India-USA strategic partnership lies in our shared values and common interests," the Prime Minister said.

advertisement

"Looking forward to working with President Donald Trump to further deepen India-US ties and realise the full potential of our cooperation," Modi added.

Modi's remarks came after Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of USA.

PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES TRUMP

President Pranab Mukherjee too congratulated Donald Trump after he was sworn in as the 45th President of the US and said he looks forward to welcoming the Trumps in India.

"Please accept best wishes for your success, personal well-being and for continued progress and prosperity of the people of USA," President Mukherjee tweeted.

"We look forward to an early opportunity of welcoming you and Mrs. Melania Trump to India," he added.

Also read:

From eradicating Islamic terrorism to making America great again: 10 quotes from US President Donald Trump's speech

Buy American, hire American, make America great again, says Trump

Washington protests turn violent as Donald Trump assumes presidency

The real live updates: All the funniest tweets from Trump's inauguration

--- ENDS ---
No longer is it satisfactory to argue that bribery and corruption at the highest level is a way of life in the developing world and that it is fine for corporations in the Western democracies to get on with it.

Newly-rich nations, including Thailand and Indonesia, find bribery just as disgraceful as Britain and the US, which is why both Asian countries are now probing the purchases of precision engineered Rolls-Royce engines to flag carriers Thai Airways and Garuda.

Moreover, Brazilian regulators were also party to the 671million deferred prosecution agreement with Rolls-Royce this week, forged by Britain's Serious Fraud Office and the US Justice Department.

This shows the determination of Brazil, the world's ninth largest economy, to clean up its act.

Corruption fears: Thailand and Indonesia are probing the purchases of precision engineered Rolls-Royce engines to flag carriers Thai Airways and Garuda

China has already put down a marker against Western bribery, reaching a 300million settlement with the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline in 2014.

GSK subsequently paid a 16million penalty levied by the US under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

As part of the settlement reached this week, the current Rolls-Royce board, chaired by former McKinsey boss Ian Davis, pledged to Lord Justice Brian Leveson that the group had put in place revised ethics and compliance policies designed to inoculate the company against future breaches.

This is just as well, since if it had not smartened up, it potentially could have faced a ban on UK Government contracts, which would have included some of the advanced equipment for the Hinkley Point nuclear plant.

None of this satisfactorily explains why two interim reports by senior lawyer Lord Gold on improving the company's procedures when dealing with overseas customers have never been published.

The papers were shared with the board and not shareholders. The company has now told Leveson that it will release and publish the final Gold report.

It is small wonder that the Investor Forum, which represents 34 per cent of Rolls-Royce shareholders, wants to know more about how it was possible for the company to have condoned bribery and corruption for years.

The Investor Forum has already expressed concern about the 'deteriorating situation' of the group's finances.

The taxpayer interest in Rolls-Royce is enormous. As a beacon of engineering excellence, it has long been the recipient of large Government R&D grants.

In 2011, the year before the bribery allegations were brought to the attention of the Serious Fraud Office, almost half of the company's R&D budget of 900million came from Her Majesty's Government and external funders.

It is because of Rolls-Royce's importance to national security that it is only one of two companies (the other being BAE) that is protected from foreign takeover by a golden share, and the convention is that it is headed by a British national.

The cloud over Rolls-Royce and its past governance failings has not been lifted by the deferred prosecution deal. Former executives, including the controlling mind, could still face corruption charges and the SFO is currently combing the 30m documents in its possession to see what charges can be laid.

Much of the abuse which took place was during the period that Sir John Rose was chief executive, although it predates that too.

One of the great frustrations of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is that it lacks the teeth to deal with governance lapses.

That may be just as well for former Rolls-Royce chairman Sir Simon Robertson, who also happened to be deputy chairman of HSBC when it faced charges of money laundering in Mexico, sanctions busting in the Middle East and the shenanigans at HSBC's private banking branch in Geneva.

The FRC believes that it is time that individuals on company boards should be held responsible for governance failings on its watch.

At present it is only able to discipline them if they happen to be accounting professionals, and it is asking the Commons for much wider powers.

What the FRC can do is discipline Rolls-Royce's auditors KPMG if there were insufficient red flags raised. KPMG, auditors of Rolls-Royce for 26 years, is already on the FRC's radar. This is in addition to inquiries already under way over KPMG's audit of HBOS and searing criticism of its work at Co-op Bank.

Rotation notwithstanding it is thought to be no accident that as part of the clean-up at Rolls-Royce the company has switched the 5.9million contract to rival PwC.

The most regrettable aspect of this for me is that Rolls-Royce is a name and company of which the nation should remain proud.

Its Trent XWB engine is a masterpiece of engineering and it is something of a miracle that in competition with two of the biggest corporations in the world, GE and Pratt & Whitney, part of United Technologies, it has managed to win around 50 per cent of all the orders of engines for wide-bodied jet engines across the globe.

As Britain sets out on a new course as Europe's 'Singapore' (without the authoritarianism), Rolls will be critical to the nation's trade success.

That is why it is so important that prosecutors, the reformed board and the City enforcers must make sure the stables are cleaned properly and those responsible for the scandal pay the price.
DIRTY PRACTICE The Competition and Markets Authority has alleged two laundry firms have breached antitrust law.

The watchdog has provisionally concluded former joint venture partners Micronclean and Berendsen Cleanroom Services broke competition law by dividing up customers between them by geography.

AIRLINE FINED EasyJet has been fined 52,000 by a French court for not allowing a disabled passenger to board for 'security' reasons.

The budget carrier's staff wouldn't let Joseph Etcheveste board a flight in Biarritz in 2010 because he was 'unaccompanied'.

The airline said it had imposed internal rules and never intended to discriminate.

BROADBAND HIKE BT is hiking prices for broadband and some calls  and will charge TV customers 3.50 for BT Sport from August 1.

Copper broadband customers will see a 2-a-month increase from April 2 and Infinity fibre broadband will go up by 2.50.

JAGUAR TRIAL Jaguar Land Rover has been fined almost 1million after worker Mark Widnall, 59, lost his leg after being involved in a crash between two vehicles at its Solihull Plant.

A Birmingham Crown Court jury convicted Jaguar of breaching health and safety regulations. It was fined 900,000 plus 49,864 in costs.

DRIVERS DUPED Uber has been fined 16million after misleading potential drivers about how much they could earn.

A lawsuit brought by the US Federal Trade Commission alleged the taxi app firm also made false promises to about how much drivers would have to pay to finance a car.

CARIBBEAN PLANS BP has started moving a new oil platform towards the coast of Trinidad.

The Juniper platform will be one of the oil company's largest start-up projects of 2017 and is part of a 1.6billion investment in Trinidad and Tobago.

ON TRACK Lender Close Brothers is on track for strong results in the first half, driven by its banking division.

The loan book in the division rose to 6.6billion in the five weeks to December 31, up from 6.4billion in July.

TAKEOVER DEAL Guildford-based electronics supplier Acal has bought manufacturer Variohm Holdings for 13.85million.
Remember the cobbler who put up a dialogue from Raees in his shop? Now, Shah Rukh Khan personally met him who, in turn, gifted SRK a pair of handcrafted shoes.

By India Today Web Desk: A few weeks back, word got out that cobbler Shyam Bahadur Rohidas had put up a banner with the now-famous Raees dialogue "Koi dhanda chota nahi hota aur dhande se bada koi dharam nahi hota" (No business is small and no religion is bigger than business) in his shop at Vile Parle, Mumbai.

Soon, pictures from Shyam Bahadur's shop began to get circulated across the internet and Shah Rukh Khan acknowledged the news by tweeting "I really wish all of us develop a sense of dignity of labour for ourselves & others. Har Dhanda bada hota hai" (sic) on January 5.

advertisement

ALSO READ: It's Raees vs Kaabil and Rakesh Roshan makes a prediction

ALSO READ: Mahira Khan feels bad that she cannot promote Raees in India

ALSO WATCH: No one understands me, says Shah Rukh Khan

Now, Shah Rukh went ahead and met Shyam Bahadur himself, according to a report in Times of India. Shyam Bahadur was not only lucky enough to meet his idol but also gifted him a pair of handcrafted shoes.

Speaking about the Raees dialogue which influenced him so much, Shyam said, "Mujhe Shah Rukh Khan bhai ka baat bahut accha laga. Yeh mere dimag mein baith gaya." (I really liked what Shah Rukh Khan bhai said. It got stuck in my brain)

While Shyam got emotional during a photo session with Shah Rukh, the actor hugged him and said, "Main abhi sabko bolunga ki hum ne woh line tumhari dukaan se li hai." (I will now tell everyone that I took that line from your shop)

Moved by Shyam Bahadur Rohidas AKA Raju's sweet gestured, SRK said, I am a big believer in dignity of labour. I have maintained that in my house also - right from the very small things, to the very big things, I do them all myself. I think every job is amazing. When done with dignity, any job can get you the maximum amount of success and happiness."

Shah Rukh added, "I am really touched that the message from the film - which, perhaps, is a little more convoluted than how Raju has taken it - has reached out to people. I hope everyone understands that we should respect people in whatever job they are. I am really happy that he has made this pair of shoes for me. I will wear them with the pathani (suit) next time."

Raees, directed by Rahul Dholakia, and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Mahira Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui is releasing in theatres on January 25, alongside Hrithik Roshan-starrer Kaabil.

--- ENDS ---
Miss Swaziland Linda Hutchinsons

MBABANE  After Miss Swaziland Linda Hutchinsons dream of attending the Miss World Beauty Pageant was shattered, she can now feel compensated as Pageant SD is flying her to Jamaica to attend the Miss Legacy International Beauty Pageant finals.



Pageant Swaziland (SD), the mother body of all beauty pageants in the country and the Swaziland National Council of Arts and Culture (SNCAC) are busy making final preparations to send the queen to this international pageant.



The Miss Legacy finals are scheduled for May this year, on a date to be announced.

Pageant SD, which is under the leadership of Catrien Potgieter, has already alerted the organisers of the pageant on their interest of sending a Swazi representative.



After we failed to make it to the Miss World Beauty Pageant, we then looked at other international pageants. There were a number of pageants that we were interested in but the Miss Legacy committee responded positively to this one, said Potgieter.

She mentioned that at first they wanted the queen to be part of the participants competing in Miss World but because of reasons beyond their control it became impossible.



We did not get any responses from Miss World up until today. Since there are other pageants we were looking at, we had to take the Miss Legacy Pageant, she said.



Pageant SD had earlier in the year announced that Miss Swaziland would participate in the Miss World Pageant but former director Vinah MambaGrey made it clear that Swaziland would never be part of the international pageant.
Sir,



Thank you for allowing me to air my views on the pedigree at which a Teaching Degree is viewed by the relevant authorities in this kingdom. Government has declared some of its ministerial departments as a top priority in its quest towards 2022; such as health, education, security and tourism.



Against this backdrop, a number of teachers have taken it upon themselves to further their studies with their little hard earned monies. This they do cognisant of the role theyre required to play as responsible citizens towards Vision 2022. It is in that vein that most educators are upgrading themselves: seeing the need in schools to circumvent the achievement gap and become relevant to contemporary pedagogy.



It must be clear to all that possessing a BA Degree isnt a luxury but a must in order to produce competent pupils who, after being exposed to quality teaching, add value to the country. The spin-offs of such initiatives are an optimised human development index (HDI) of the kingdom. It is disheartening, however, to note that in a sudden turn of events, government is doing the exact opposite of what it told the nation. Teachers, BA holders, BA, PGCE and B.

Ed Primary holders are asking themselves what exactly have they done to this government. Out of all the government portfolios in the country, why are they the only ones subjected to such grossly unfair labor practice (ULP)? In the Ministry of Education it is not an anomaly for these educators to be paid on a diploma scale of C3. According to our government paying scale, a degreed teacher with a post graduate certificate in education is supposed to be paid on a C5 scale. Then, a question arises: why is such injustice done to these qualified teachers?



A case in point on this glaring pay differential is that a teacher with a diploma in primary school is paid at the same scale with one who holds a diploma teaching in secondary school. It is absurd that government, as an employer, is at the forefront in flouting established labour frameworks in properly remunerating these teachers. The favour argument is one that is yet to stand the litmus paper test as an annexure in the pay differentials by these educators. Such pronouncements deserve the highest degree of rebuke.



It is still unheard of on why our government is paying teachers at primary schools who have degrees according to the post instead of paying them according to their qualifications.



As a country, we are looking forward to producing skilled personnel towards 2022: Top notch engineers, doctors, technicians, etc. One may even ask himself/herself if this dream is possible or it will remain just a dream. It is incumbent upon the relevant authorities to engage in a productive discourse towards finding a harmonious solution to this impasse before all hell breaks loose.



Abused Swazi educator
MBABANE  The capital citys skyline will be a proud possessor of a magnificent high rise building once the construction of the E280 million Mbabane Government Hospital Referral and Emergency Complex is complete.



There were oohs and aahs as Sidumo Dlamini, an engineer from Bicon Consulting Engineers, revealed the designs of the four-storey building that will replace the old Out Patient Department (OPD) building at the Mbabane Government Hospital.



More impressive was the fact that the basement of the building would house a chapel for bereaved families, a 70-body mortuary and a private viewing and waiting area for families. This was revealed yesterday when the Prime Minister, Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, attended the commemoration of the commencement of the Emergency and Referral Complex which will be constructed over a period of 18 months. The impressive structure will replace the almost 50-year-old OPD which will be demolished.



On the face of it, mentioning destruction in the same breath as construction may sound harsh, but today that phenomenon is a cause for celebration and enthusiastic anticipation, said the PM. The funds for the construction of the hospital wing have been donated by the Republic of China on Taiwan to a tune of about 20 million US Dollars, which is equivalent to E280 million.

The PM said three years ago he recalled visiting the then OPD and he was appalled at the condition of the building, its sanitation facilities and other equipment.

He said he personally made a commitment to accelerate the pace of rehabilitation of the hospital.

Dlamini said the new complex would not only contain greatly improved facilities for patients but would also provide a significantly better working environment for medical staff.
MBABANE  An availed opportunity of making a quick buck by trading ancient Bentall Farm Machinery has attracted scores of Swazis who have responded to the call.



The reward for the machines has attracted over 200 Swazis who have shown keen interest in trading their old equipments.

Yesterday, the Times newsroom was abuzz with callers who wanted contact details of the buyers.

Most of the callers claimed to have Bentalls at home and wanted to know the offices where the dealers operated. Others wanted to know if the dealers accepted irons.



One of the callers, who identified herself as make Dludlu from Motshane, said she had the type from Italy. She said she had children who had not gone back to school and if she could strike the deal, she would be able to take them back.

Another child will

not be going back to class in Form V as the family is poor. Please give me the number so I can call the dealers my child, she begged.

Mpumelelo Dlamini said he had the machine which was of German make. Dlamini said immediately after his call with the dealers; he would seal a deal and fetch the machine.



If we agree on the prize, I am prepared to fetch the Bentall tonight so I can deliver it straight away, Dlamini said.

He said he had plans for the big bucks, which included marrying the love of his life and investing the funds in good business.

Another caller, Mandla Dlamini, said a Bentall was at home in Nkiliji and he would find a way of fetching it so he could trade it.
MANZINI  Ngcoseni Central High School has shown a red card to second-time failures in Form III and a yellow card to first time failures of the same class.



This means that pupils who failed Form III for the first time last year will be given a chance to repeat the grade, while those who failed for the second time will have to try other schools. This is according to an impeccable source who attended the meeting which was between the schools administration, parents and pupils of the Form III class of 2016 which was held at the school on Wednesday.



The source said the school told them that it had consulted with all relevant stakeholders, before the decision was reached.

Their assumption was that the pupils failed for the second time because they do not understand the teachers, the source said.



He said it would be pointless to give them another chance in the same school with the same teachers because they do not understand them.

They said they felt that if pupils could try other schools with different teachers, it might work for them, the source said. After the decision to sack the second time failures was discussed, the source said the administration sent a stern warning to the group of pupils who will be repeating the grade this year.



The warning was mainly about conduct at school and being serious about their schoolwork, the source said.

Meanwhile, the School Committee Chairman, Langa Dlamini, confirmed the meeting between the schools administration, parents and pupils. He said during the meeting, an agreement was reached that no one should be fired but those who had failed Form III for the first time should be given another chance to repeat while those who failed the grade for the second time should be allowed to try other schools.
By Press Trust of India: Darjeeling (WB), Jan 20 (PTI) The Centre is mulling linking neighbouring countries like Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal through the railways.

This was announced here today by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu at a programme where an agreement was signed between the Indian Railways and UNESCO.

"We have neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal. We have a very cordial relationship with them. We want to increase railway connectivity with these countries. We are trying to develop it," Prabhu told reporters.

advertisement

"If a circuit can be made connecting these neighbouring countries, it will increase interaction, tourism, trade, employment and connectivity," he added.

Prabhu said work was on to connect all the eight state capitals of the north-east, so that the tourism potential of the region gets a boost.

Horticulture, floriculture, handicraft of the region would get a bigger market after the state capitals are connected with the rest of the country, the railway minister said, adding that he would visit Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the next two days.

Prabhu said investments of Rs 3-3.5 lakh crore would be made in the railways while the amount had been Rs 35,000-40,000 crore a year earlier. This will bring development in the functioning of the railways, he added. (MORE) PTI CORR NN RC

--- ENDS ---
The pileup at the Ghazipur landfill site and the waste dumped by sanitation workers during the recent strike has added to the worries of the IAF officials.

The IAF is particularly worried about Ghazipur landfill site as it is close to its Hindon base and the flypast route.

By Chayyanika Nigam: 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 east Delhi, is like a time bomb and it may take out an Indian Air Force plane on January 26 as they have attracted large squadrons of birds that may hit an aircraft during or after the flypast. Apart from the pileup at the Ghazipur landfill site, 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.

advertisement

But 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. 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.

ALSO READ | East Delhi sanitation workers' strike continues even as littered garbage plagues residents

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.

ALSO READ | Supreme Court warns civic bodies over piled garbage, seeks details of clean-up plan

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 was caused by 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 piling up in East Delhi. A senior MCD official said that after the issue was raised, workers have been asked to clear up the garbage at least twice a day.

advertisement

ALSO READ | Delhi garbage mess: SC declines to intervene in civic employees' strike

--- ENDS ---
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

American politics has always been a contact sport. But it has crossed a line in recent years. It is now less like sport and more like war.

I know, of course, that even in the late 18th century there were high-pitched political battles. In fact, the most dramatic of these resulted in the death of Alexander Hamilton in a gun duel with his political enemy, Aaron Burr, right across the Hudson in Weehawken.

Despite our lax gun-control laws, we no longer have gun duels to settle political battles. Instead, we have weaponized law enforcement and unleashed ambitious investigators and prosecutors to take down our elected leaders.

This has been evident both in our recent presidential election as well as in New Yorks city and state government. Think about it: Wasnt FBI director James Comey a key factor in the demise of Hillary Clintons presidential campaign? Didnt Trump and his hyped-up rally audiences constantly chant: Lock her up!?

We usually only read about non-democratic and authoritarian governments that lock up political opponents, not live in one. So I ask, how did we sink so low?

Even in New York, a relatively progressive state, we are witnessing potential prosecutorial overreach. For the past few months, everyone on the inside of New York City politics has been buzzing about the potential indictment of Mayor DeBlasio, possibly along with a number of his key aides. Many people in recent days have told me that the results from two grand juries that were empaneled for investigations of the administrations political activities are imminent.

Although I am skeptical that any of this will be fatal to the mayors re-election chances, there is still a dark cloud hanging over him and a few potential competitors are anxiously awaiting the U.S. attorneys and district attorneys decision.

In scandal-scarred Albany, we have recently witnessed the indictments and convictions of two of the three most po werful elected leaders in the state  Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Majority Leader Dean Skelos. This came after a dozen convictions of legislators in the past decade in addition to the recent indictment of a close aide to the governor.

Does power corrupt, as the old saying goes, or have we criminalized politics to the point where every elected leader should both wear a wire and be considered a prime suspect for some malfeasance?

Theres no easy way to answer this. Yes, absolute power corrupts absolutely (as we saw in the case of the 20-year reign of Sheldon Silver). Yes, large campaign donations to elected leaders can lead to favoritism and quid pro quos that certainly cross a line too frequently.

But

Houston, we have a big problem when Hillary Clintons ill-advised use of a private server for privacy reasons results in calls for prosecution and jail time. And when the mayor of New York City cant engage in partisan politics to aide Democratic candidates for the state Senate without being accused of campaign finance fraud.

Dont get me wrong  we need vigilance to keep politicians straight and bold prosecutors to pursue justice when theyre not.

But we have reached a tipping point when seemingly every political action results in an investigation. When prosecutors leak to the press the empaneling of grand juries to investigate malfeasance. When overzealous political fathers attempts to help their troubled children results in jail time.

We are living in strange and dangerous times politically.

It is high time we call off the political wars and weaponized investigations and let government focus on improving society and building for the future.

With our education system, our roads, bridges and subways all deteriorating, there is a lot of work to do in a bipartisan way to make our society even greater.

Lets call a political cease-fire.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Patrick Donachie

A Jamaica nonprofit specializing in legal assistance will offer concerned community members the chance to learn more about the benefits of New Yorks status as a sanctuary city.

Legal Hand Clinic at 149-13 Jamaica Ave. will offer presentations and information this Friday, at the same time Donald Trump takes the oath of office to become the nations 45th president.

At this important and uncertain time, lets get together to reaffirm our commitment to all members in our community, the clinic said in an e-mail detailing services that would be available on the day of the inauguration.

Legal Hands Inauguration Day presentations will focus on hate crime prevention, and rights for LGBTQ citizens, workers and immigrants. Attorneys at the clinic will also be available to answer any questions attendees may have about housing law and tenants rights.

The clinic offers free legal information or referrals on a variety of different legal challenges New Yorkers may face. It is part of the Center for Court Innovation, which supports programs that will lead to humane reforms in the criminal justice system.

The clinic intends to hold more Know Your Rights seminars on Wednesdays in the months to come that will focus on community needs. Previous seminars have included information for undocumented immigrants and individuals accessing public assistance.

The clinic during Trumps inauguration will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to Legal Hand.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Aneisha Rose

At Queens College, the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was remembered for his struggles and sacrifice for the fight for equality on what would have been his 88th birthday Sunday, at the Colden Auditorium in the Kupferberg Center for the Arts.

Honored at the event was former Congressman Rev. Dr. Floyd Flake, the senior pastor at Greater Allen AME Cathedral in Jamaica and a friend of King, who spoke about how the civil rights leader would have reacted to President-elect Donald Trumps impact on civil rights.

Whats going on now, said Flake. I think that he would be out there doing what he was doing in terms of crossing the country, looking at where the soft spots are and trying to build up with whites and blacks, building a community of faith not about color, but about society as a whole, said Rev. Flake.

Flake also reminisced about the young civil right activist from Queens College who was part of the trio slaughtered for fighting for voting rights in Mississippi in 1964.

Queens College is one of those colleges, when you think about what happened to the boys that got killed and how much they put into themselves to keep people understanding what it was all aboutit is an important thing, because all they were trying to do was be a part of that movement and they killed him, Flake said.

The three men who died were Queens Colleges Andrew Goodman; James Chaney of Merdian, Miss.; and Michael Schwerner of Westchester.

Nearly 53 years ago, inspired by the words of Dr. King, they went to Mississippi to register black voters and they were murdered, said Felix V. Matos Rodriguez, president of Queens College. President Obama awarded them the Medal of Honor last year posthumously and awarded the only honorary Ph.D. in the country thats been given posthumously to Andrew Goodman, who was a sophomore here when he left.

Introducing the keynote speaker Cheryl Wills was Queens Library Chief Executive Officer Dennis Walcott.

I think the audience is reflective of what this day is about, Walcott said. If you take a look at the people that are gathering here, the sheer numbers of the people that are gathering here, I think its a testimony to Dr. King, and more importantly Queens College and what they are doing for the community. There are people of all different backgrounds, religions and races. Thats what Dr. King stood for.

Walcott spoke about Trump.

You cannot escape politics, but the reality is we are a country of diversity and that is what Dr. King stood for, and I think it is important for any individual to be respectful of diversity, he said. That is what this country is about and that is the history of this countrythat is what Dr. King stood for.

The keynote speaker, author and NY1 anchor Cheryl Wills talked about the current state of the country and why Kings work is not done.

Dr. King, we need him now more than ever, she said. The country is almost as bitterly divided as when he was alive and we need a voice of reason.

She added, We have a technology now where so many people can attack with a click of a button and a click of mouse, and we need somebody to say bring it down. We are still the United States of America and we can peacefully agree to disagree.

Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, a friend of Flake, was in attendance.

We love coming together as a borough celebrating Dr. King, said Katz. We are 130 languages, we are 120 countries right here in Queens, we are the most diverse county on the planet and to be able to come together and celebrate as one and have a voice nationwide regarding a great man who really led the movementis something that Queens does as well, said Katz. Its a exciting time to celebrate him with such uncertainty out thereand Im very excited to celebrate former Congressman Flake who is a great leader and has done so much for the borough of Queens.

During her speech, Wills spoke about being the ancestor of slaves, one that was a soldier during the Civil War and how her great, great, grandfather and mother fought to be recognized in their own country.

They bought my grandfather Sandy when he was 10 years old, Wills said. When it came to my grandpa Sandy Wills he wrote occupation farmer (on his enlistment papers) I remind students today that this man had the presence of mind to determine who he was, not how the world saw him.

Later in the night she displayed a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation that she received as a gift. Wills intends on going to Tennessee to where her ancestors were buried and building a school near their gravesite in their honor.

Performing at the event was the Dance Theater of Harlem.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

By Mark Hallum

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) announced she will be among the Democrats boycotting the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump Friday.

She will instead join the hundreds of thousands expected to protest at the Womens March on Washington the following day. Meng issued a statement explaining her reasons for avoiding the inauguration, including Trumps inflammatory and divisive language.

With just days before his inauguration, I had hoped that President-elect Trump would put an end to his inflammatory rhetoric. But obviously that pivot has not occurred. I have heard from many constituents and I thought long and hard about this decision. I respect the office of the president and our nations peaceful transfer of power. But the president-elect must get the message that his antagonistic and divisive comments are unacceptable. We cannot tolerate attacks on women, minorities or a civil rights icon. We need a leader who will bring our country together, and live up to the dignity and honor of the Oval Office. I look forward to welcoming constituents who travel to Washington, D.C. for this weekends festivities, and to engaging the new administration in policy discussions once it has been finalized.

She added, I will work with Mr. Trump whenever possible, but this weekend I march.

Meng is joined by fellow U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn), whose district covers parts of Ridgewood and Woodhaven. Velazquez announced her decision over Twitter Jan. 9 with a link to the Womens March on Washington website.
Thought Khullam Khulla: Uncensored by Rishi Kapoor was the only filmi autobiography in bookstores? Here are five others you should read.

By India Today Web Desk: Rishi Kapoor's autobiography Khullam Khulla: Uncensored gives a peek into the life and head-space of one of Hindi cinema's most celebrated actors.

The outspoken actor has bared his heart in this book. From his cold equation with Amitabh Bachchan to his relationship with son Ranbir Kapoor, from suggesting Shah Rukh Khan's name to Yash Chopra for Darr to his admiration for Gulzar, Rishi Kapoor has written about any and everything under the sun about his life... khullam khulla, uncensored.

advertisement

ALSO READ: Rishi Kapoor reveals exactly why he bought an award for Bobby in 1973

ALSO READ: If Rishi's Filmfare cost him Rs 30,000 in '73, how much does the award cost today?

ALSO WATCH: Rishi Kapoor talks about buying a film award and meeting Dawood

But Rishi is not the first film personality to have written about his or her life in such great detail. Perhaps, it is making more news than a book usually does in India, because of its content in relation to celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor or Rajesh Khanna.

But, before Rishi's Khullam Khulla: Uncensored have come film autobiographies by some of Indian cinema's most colourful personalities that should be on your bookshelf if you are interested about cinema and the inner lives of its craftsmen; be it actors or directors.

Here are five must-read film autobiographies that shed light on different eras of Indian cinema

1. The Substance and the Shadow by Dilip Kumar

Dilip Kumar, one of India's greatest actors of all time and considered the "ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray, reminisces about his love for Madhubala and the eventual break-up, on why he refused a role in Mother India and about his romance with Saira Banu in the The Substance and the Shadow. For any lover of Indian cinema and/or a fan of Dilip saab, this book is a must-have.

2. Guns and Thighs by Ram Gopal Varma

The motormouth RGV whose brashness and political incorrectness is on full display on his Twitter account, every day, dedicates his autobiography to, among other people, Amitabh Bachchan, Bruce Lee and porn star Tori Black. From his obsession with Sridevi to the story of how he made his debut film Siva, from the making of Rangeela to working with AR Rahman, Ram Gopal Varma's Guns and Thighs covers some of the most interesting facets of Ramu's life.

3. Romancing with Life by Dev Anand

Hindi cinema's first urban hero, the city-slick Dev Anand charmed millions of women across India with his distinctive look, style and charisma. In Romancing with Life, Dev Anand writes about his struggling days, his romantic flings, his leading ladies (particularly, Zeenat Aman and Tina Munim) and his brother 'Goldie' Vijay Anand who directed Dev in many of his films. An absolutely heart-warming read.

advertisement

4. Childhood Days (English translation of Jakhon Choto Chilam) by Satyajit Ray

Academy-Award winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray writes about his childhood spent in Kolkata in this book. Ray talks about his fascination with drawing, his initial days as a graphic designer, how he came to love cinema in Childhood Days. A certain chunk of the book also involves Ray's account of making films like Pather Panchali, Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne and Sonar Kella.

5. And Then One Day: A Memoir by Naseeruddin Shah

Naseeruddin Shah's And Then One Day is a candid, free-flowing account of his childhood, his cold relationship with his father, his first marriage with a 34-year-old Pakistani, his love for marijuana (which continues to this day) and his relationship with wife Ratna Pathak Shah, among other things. If you have seen Naseer saab in interviews, you will have an idea of the tone of this book - completely frank and brutally honest.

--- ENDS ---

advertisement
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.
By Press Trust of India: Los Angeles, Jan 20 (PTI) In an attempt to search for life beyond Earth, astronomers have found that a planet about 14 light years away is located within the habitable zone - the region where liquid water could exist on its surface.

The question of whether Earthlings are alone in the universe has puzzled everyone from biologists and physicists to philosophers and filmmakers.

advertisement

Stephen Kane, astronomer at San Francisco State University in the US focused on finding "habitable zones," areas where water could exist in a liquid state on a planets surface if there is sufficient atmospheric pressure.

Kane and his team examined the habitable zone on a planetary system 14 light years away.

"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.

However, it is not just Wolf 1061s 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, researchers said.

Researchers 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.

The planet can not be too close or too far from its parent star. A planet that is too close would be too hot. If it is 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 Earths twin, Venus. They 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 vapour is extremely effective in trapping in heat, it made the surface of the planet even hotter. The surface temperature on Venus now reaches around 471 degrees Celsius.

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 is more similar to Venus.

advertisement

"It is close enough to the star where it is looking suspiciously like a runaway greenhouse," said Kane.

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 1061cs orbit changes at a much faster rate, which could mean the climate there could be quite chaotic.

The study appears in the Astrophysical Journal. PTI NKS SAR SAR

--- ENDS ---
Albany

In the hour before President Donald Trump took his oath of office Friday, Caitlin Conheady and Tara Westfall arrived at Lafayette Park downtown clutching signs that read "Don't take my health care."

The Troy women work in the non-profit care sector, providing assistance to a number of Capital Region residents who are Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries. But they fear that as Trump turns his attention to governing, repeal of the federal Affordable Care Act could leave those they work with in jeopardy.

"No progression has come without a fight," Westfall said ahead of a rally with Capital Region residents and elected officials in support of now-former President Barack Obama's lauded and maligned health care law. "You've got to do something to stand up for what's right, and if you just sit back and idly just let the president-elect do whatever he wants, then we're all going to be hurt eventually."

How their activism and that which will play out in the coming days will affect federal lawmakers' attitudes toward health care, among other policies, remains to be seen. The Republican-controlled Congress already has taken a first step toward repealing the ACA, though what lawmakers look to replace it with also remains to be seen.

For now, fear has crept in for some as they ponder whether they'll be able to afford treatment for serious ailments in the coming months if they lose health coverage.

"How do you do that as a human being, look at somebody and say, 'We're sorry. Yes, you're important, but you know what, you're too expensive and we're not paying'?" Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, a Democrat, said. "That to me as an elected official, (and) just as a citizen of this great country, is so mind-boggling. ... If you're truly for the people, then stand behind this and continue to improve it, not knock it down, improve it."

More than 25,000 Albany County residents are ACA beneficiaries. In Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga and Rensselaer counties, the state estimates that more than 70,000 people would lose health coverage if the ACA is repealed.

As the Albany rally commenced, state health officials announced that more than 52,000 people signed up for health coverage through the state's marketplace in the past month.

It's important to note that most people enrolling for health insurance through the exchange are receiving Medicaid, and while some of them may lose coverage if the nation reverts to a pre-ACA Medicaid system, others would remain eligible.

Still, there also is uncertainty for government. New York officials project that a repeal of the ACA would blow a $3.7 billion hole in the state budget.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo met with Trump earlier this week and discussed with him the Affordable Care Act. Cuomo said Trump seemed to understand that repeal of the ACA would result in "dramatic" negative effects on the state, and Trump discussed state control of health care.

mhamilton@timesunion.com  518-454-5449  @matt_hamilton10
Penne, Italy

Rescue workers reported no signs of life Thursday at a four-star hotel buried by an avalanche in the mountains of earthquake-stricken central Italy. Two bodies were recovered of the estimated 30 people trapped inside as the risk of more avalanches slowed the search effort.

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 reach the remote zone on skis.

Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, and four powerful earthquakes struck the region on Wednesday.

It wasn't immediately clear if any of the quakes triggered the avalanche. But firefighters said the sheer violence of the snow slide Wednesday uprooted trees in its wake and wiped out parts of the hotel.

"There are mattresses that are hundreds of meters away from where the building was," firefighters' spokesman Luca Cari 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 3,940 feet. The area, which has been buried under as much as nine feet of snowfall for days, is located between Rieti and Teramo that was jolted by Wednesday's quakes.

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 him to mobilize rescue crews. His wife Adriana and two children, Ludovica and Gianfilippo, were trapped inside, the 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."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

After more than a year of delays, Monolith Solar has finally started building its new headquarters and operations facility in Slingerlands at the Vista Technology Campus.

Monolith, one of the fastest growing solar installation firms in the Capital Region, is based in Rensselaer but announced it would build a new headquarters in at Vista back in 2014 after getting an $800,000 incentive package from the state of New York.

Members of the town of Bethlehem Industrial Development Agency, which also approved $680,000 in state tax breaks for the $4.6 million project, had grown anxious last year as Monolith delayed construction because of financing issues.

However, Monolith closed on the purchase of its land at Vista and began construction last month with help from the site's owner. BBL Construction was picked to build the project and has been preparing the site in recent weeks.

Monolith President Steve Erby was in a meeting Friday morning and could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Monolith site is behind where the ShopRite supermarket is located, and it will be the first "high-tech" tenant at Vista, which was built to include retail early on to help attract technology firms whose workers would be able to shop, bank and go to restaurants near where they work.

The land at Vista is owned by affiliates of Columbia Development of Albany, although some sites have been sold to tenants as in the case of Monolith.

Land records show that Monolith bought its site at 85 Vista Blvd for $520,000 on Dec. 9 from Vista Development Group LLC, which loaned Monolith $470,000 for the purchase.

Vista Development Group is an affiliate of Columbia Development, which also has a loose although unofficial affiliation with BBL Construction.

That loan is required to be repaid by August, although IDA records indicate that Monolith was expecting to secure its bank financing package this month.

Monolith is planning to keep its Rensselaer facility.
By Press Trust of India: positive response

From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Jan 19 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today 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 bodys 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 Ministers Office said here in a statement.

advertisement

"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 countrys "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 Sharifs 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 Pakistans contribution for the United Nations and Peace-keeping operations as well as hosting millions of Afghan refugees, the PMO said.

Sharif said his governments 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. PTI SH SUA AKK AKK

--- ENDS ---
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The first time I went to Santa Fe, N.M., I went out for a morning run and the city willed me to fall in love with it. The sunny sky, sweeping views and smell of the pinyon  the natural beauty captured my soul. That was three decades ago. I never stopped going back.

Now, I have a home there, and I dip into the city to explore its rich history, culture and food scene. There are 15 art museums, there are annual Hispanic, folk and Indian markets. I delve into them at the expense of exploring the unspoiled beauty that first drew me.

Last year, I decided I would build a visit around the rugged landscape that surrounds Santa Fe. I would follow the lead of Emily, an interior designer and my best friend out there, who would plan two day trips to her favorite spots outside the city.

"The thing about northern New Mexico," Emily said, "is that you can spend an entire day within a 5-mile radius and still get a huge history lesson, ranging from prehistoric times to today."

And we were off.

1. Valles Caldera

The Valles Caldera is a 12-mile crater-shaped area created by a volcanic eruption more than 1 million years ago. Now, it is a quiet place that provides dramatic vistas of the New Mexican landscape.

We took a short hike, which only whetted my appetite. Deeper into the backcountry, you can go mountain biking, snowshoeing and looking for elk, black bears or 50 other mammals that call the area home.

2. Puye cliff dwellings

These dwellings, built almost a millennium ago, are an often-overlooked treasure, and we stopped and spent about an hour there. Two levels of these caves are built into the mountain.

3. Chimayo

Hours fly by in Chimayo, thanks to El Santuario de Chimayo, a national landmark and shrine, considered an important pilgrimage center in America. Every year during Holy Week, an estimated 30,000 people visit looking for a cure. Throughout the complex are prayer rooms, colonial art, icons and a small room with a round pit. That is the source of "holy dirt," believed to heal the sick. In the outside room, dozens of abandoned crutches testify to its healing power. Everyone is allowed to take a sample of the dirt for their own miracle.

4. San Ildefonso pueblo

Indians have lived at San Ildefonso Pueblo for at least 700 years. It is the center of a pueblo pottery movement, started by Maria Martinez in the early 1920s. Current local potters invite you to their studios to watch them at their work and, yes, to sell their wares. And, like many other pueblos, this one has special festivals, including the Buffalo Dance, and special crafts.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

5. Pueblo of Picuris

Farther north is this pueblo, one of the smallest and most charming in the state. Settled around 1250, it has had a dramatic history, including a role in the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. Today, there are major feast day dances, sites to visit and the San Lorenzo de Picuris church, built in 1776.

We could have repeated the itinerary at least twice and still have found a lot more to see and do.

We hadn't been to Sipapu, a ski resort, hadn't stopped at the dozen local artists' galleries along the way or the Chimayo Chili Red Tavern, or found the famous River Rock house where Stravinsky lived while helping to establish the Santa Fe Opera.

"Now you know why we call it the land of enchantment," Emily said.

As we drove back to Santa Fe, the early sunset turned the sky a crimson red, and I daydreamed about when I would return.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Albany

A city man was in the public library's Pine Hills branch, quietly using his phone, when an employee told him someone had complained about his body odor.

"In a room full of people, in a loud voice, you don't just say that," the man, who suffers from a obscure disease that causes body odor, said. He asked to be identified only by his first name, Will, to protect his medical privacy.

"I was so insulted I didn't let her finish. I walked out," Will said. "If she had pulled me aside, I would have been happy to explain it to her."

Albany Public Library, like most Capital Region libraries, has a written behavior policy that lists about 25 activities the library deems "unacceptable." The list includes gambling, fighting, sleeping, having sex, bathing in the public restrooms, carrying weapons, yelling and "having bodily hygiene that is so offensive as to constitute a disturbance to other customers using the library."

Patrons who break the rules may be kicked out or lose their library privileges, the policy states.

"For the last 20 or more years, Albany's libraries have served as a community meeting place, live performance venue, internet service provider, and sometimes as the first step in finding social services," Albany Public Library Executive Director Scott Jarzombek said. "The library needs to be welcoming to everyone, and sometimes that leads to uncomfortable conversations about behavior and even hygiene."

Public libraries in Troy and Schenectady County have also codified rules about body odor.

"That's just a part of what all public libraries deal with," said Karen Bradley, Schenectady County Public Library director.

The county library barred patrons who have "an unacceptable standard of hygiene" in the early 2000s, after a repeat offender drove off patrons, Bradley said. "It's a very rare issue," she said.

Unless people can't tolerate being on the same floor or in the same building as a smelly patron, employees don't intervene, she said. Instead, employees tell anyone who complains to get up and move themselves.

"There are other areas where you can go and read," Bradley said. No one has been kicked out for offensive body odor in at least a dozen years.

A more common issue is people bathing and changing clothes in the bathrooms, she said.

"Say a mother and child go into the bathroom. If someone is in there naked, we can't have that," Bradley said.

Saratoga Springs' policy makes no mention of body odor or personal hygiene but the Troy Public Library's rules warn against patrons "having bodily hygiene that is so offensive as to disturb other customers' use of the library."

Director Paul Hicok said Troy's policy aims to give all people access to the library. If someone complains, an employee will approach the offending patron.

Hicok said the staff has talked about the issue at length and discussed all the possibilities, including customers with medical issues. "It isn't always a hygiene issue," he said. "We train staff to be sensitive."

At the Schenectady County Public Library, Bradley said staff members have "difficult" conversations with patrons every day. A sheriff's deputy, posted inside the county's central library in Schenectady, is available to help settle significant disputes.Employees also wanted to know to handle the situations themselves, Bradley said.

"We needed some guidance," she said.

On Thursday, mental health professionals from Ellis Hospital trained employees from all nine branches how to work with patrons who may have mental health issues or developmental disabilities, Bradley said. The hospital staff also suggested a list of social services where library employees can refer patrons in need.

"You try to be human, compassionate and helpful," Bradley said. "You would definitely have that conversation privately and very discreetly."

Privacy was Will's main concern after Monday's incident at the Pine Hills library.

"Having this medical issue causes a lot of problems for me, socially and professionally," he said.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

He has hidradenitis suppurativa, a chronic skin condition in which pimple-like bumps grow wherever skin rubs together, like the groin and underarm areas. When the bumps rupture, they leak bloodstained pus that often has a foul odor.

After years with the condition, Will, a taxi driver, said he often doesn't realize a wound has opened until someone alerts him of the smell. He said he tries to stay out of public spaces when he can.

"I shower and clean my clothes every day, more than that," Will said. "I always find the farthest seat away from people."

He said he didn't realized a wound had opened Monday while he was surfing the web.

Albany Public Library spokeswoman Stephanie Simon said a patron complained about Will's body odor to a staff member.

Library employees are trained to ask what is causing a patron's body odor, have a printed copy of the behavior policy on hand and, if needed, offer referrals for social services, including locations where a person can shower and get new clothes, Simon said.

"We weren't trying to drive him away. We didn't even have the chance to explain," she said.

Simon said one other person was within earshot during the brief conversation but Will said multiple people were nearby. Either way, he said, "There should have been none."

"What about people who wear adult diapers or a colostomy bag?" Will said. He said he also believes the policy exists as "an excuse" to throw out homeless people, a claim the library denied.

"You don't need an employee going around sniffing people," Will said. "If you don't know what a person is going through, you have no reason to open your mouth."

emasters@timesunion.com  518-454-5467  @emilysmasters
While a president and his successor shared tea in the White House Friday, troops advanced toward the capital of The Gambia, a tiny West African nation where a defeated president was refusing to yield power, even as troops advanced to force his departure.

As Donald and Melania Trump escorted Barack and Michelle Obama to a helicopter on the capitol plaza, where they exchanged handshakes and hugs, the fairly elected president of Gambia remained in neighboring Senegal, unable to be sure he can safely take office.

The contrast was striking, as was the reality of the new order in Washington. With an inaugural address brimming with bold promises and unsubtle denunciations of his predecessors  of about everybody in official Washington, really  Donald Trump took power. It was a peaceful ceremony that set the stage for his avowed attempt to reverse as much as he can of what his predecessor accomplished.

Beyond the authority of his position, Trump's words Friday brought all eyes to himself. He has never been mistaken for a humble man, and he was characteristically boastful in his declaration that he spoke for "a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before."

That may fairly be considered hyperbole from a man who won just 46 percent of the popular vote, or just 27 percent of those eligible to cast ballots. He takes office, according to a new Fox News poll, with 42 percent of Americans approving of him and 55 percent saying they do not.

Even so, and despite so much opposition, he has been fairly inaugurated as the president of all Americans. Yet there's no doubt that at a certain level, any president stands alone. It is up to the president to choose courses of action on the big issues of our day, to set priorities for the commitment of vast resources and troops, even to try to establish a tone for the national dialogue.

More Information Rex Smith is editor of the Times Union. Share your thoughts at http://blog.timesunion.com/editors. See More Collapse

That Donald Trump now holds that singular role explains why we in the media must not only fairly and clearly explain what he is doing, but also unflinchingly probe what may be unseen in his White House.

There are plenty of people who mistake that vigilance on the part of the news media as hostility. The new president has done much to encourage that, sometimes even labeling accurate reporting about his activities as "fake news" and denouncing individual reporters for simply doing their jobs.

Those attacks are surely part of the reason that public support for the media is even lower than it is for Trump. Nobody in a seat like mine can help but be saddened by that fact. Yet the popularity that translates into power for a politician like Trump is not the goal of news reporting. Our task is simply to tell the truth, and we can't let efforts to denigrate and intimidate us diminish that commitment.

So, for example, it is appropriate for reporters to probe financial ties that may render decisions by Trump and his team less than independent. It's right to assess varying stances he has taken on issues, to try to figure out which direction he'll take the nation. It's essential to fact-check his words, so Americans can know what's truthful and what's wishful thinking when their leader speaks.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

And it's good for the media to assess how well Trump is doing on the most important promise he made on election night.

"I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans," Trump said, in his victory speech. Then, singling out people who opposed him, he added, "I'm reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unify our great country."

The need for that work was underscored by that same new Fox poll, which assessed the national mood, with a troubling finding: Only one-third of Americans agree that "we're all in this together," while 60 percent said, "It's everyone for themselves." Moreover, half the respondents said Trump was doing a bad job of listening to people like them.

For a man assuming the presidency without an electoral mandate and with less popularity than any of his recent predecessors, in a nation where most people think their only responsibility is to themselves, it will be especially important to fulfill that election night promise. Trump's presidency will be a miserable one if he focuses only on the interests of the minority who truly embraced his agenda.

A tough road lies ahead for the man who became our leader Friday in that wonderful and emblematically American transfer of power. He has raised the expectations of millions, and even gave some of us a glimmer of hope in November that he might try to bring us together. We all will be watching, closely. It's the right thing to do.
According to sources, law enforcement agencies have been warned of possible attacks in all states that will go to assembly elections next month.

By Atir Khan: Intelligence agencies have warned that politicians in the poll-bound state of Punjab as well as in Jammu and Kashmir could be potential targets for Islamic and Sikh terror outfits during the election season.

According to sources, law enforcement agencies have been warned of possible attacks in Punjab, Uttarakhand and UP, all states that will go to assembly elections next month. Police has been asked to step up patrol at rallies and other events.

advertisement

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed have been identified as high-value targets by Sikh and Islamic terror groups, the alerts suggest. Although Mufti is not associated with elections, she has been identified as a high-value target due to unrest in her state in the past year.

ALSO READ | Terror outfits plotting Nice-style lone-wolf attacks for Republic Day, say intelligence sources

Top officials associated with security arrangements for elections and counting in these states have already held several rounds of meetings. They have also been asked to brief security personnel on ground to ensure maximum security cover, said officials.

According to an input, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module has been specifically formed with a task to destablise electoral process in these states. Another alert based on the disclosures made by a youth affiliated to Islamic State has also revealed plans to target a number of BJP/RSS functionaries and leaders.

It is suspected that Lashkar has formed a six-member fidayeen module to target top political leaders. To execute the plan, LeT is trying to subvert security personnel associated with VIP security to extract information about the movement of their intended targets, said officials.

ALSO READ | Security beefed up for Delhi-Lahore bus, Samjhauta Express ahead of Republic Day

Security forces have been cautioned to ensure personnel put on VIP security duties should be subjected to regular security vetting to check any adverse antecedents/affiliations.

There are also reports that Punjab CM and his son Sukhbir may also be targeted as Sikh militant groups are unhappy with them. Europe-based members of Sikh extremist groups Babbar Khalsa -Germany, Sikh Federation Germany, Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar and other pro-Khalistan elements from Europe have in the past reportedly unanimously decided to boycott the visit of SAD-Badal leaders to their countries on account of the alleged inability to resolve long pending issues like the water dispute with neighbouring states.

ALSO READ | Pakistan's terror havens destroyed? Its army chief Gen Bajwa claims so

--- ENDS ---
Residents of Beggars Seat, The Ragg and Birdhill in Co Tipperary will benefit from a more reliable and secure water supply as a result of an investment of 600,000 by Irish Water to replace ageing watermains supplying these areas.

The project will involve the installation of approximately 4 km of new watermains. The work is programmed to be completed by the middle of 2017.

Commenting on this latest project, David Sharry, Southern Programmes Specialist with Irish Water, said: The replacement of ageing water mains is a priority for Irish Water. In Co Tipperary, it is estimated that 51% of treated water is lost as a result of leakage due to older or damaged pipes. This project aims to address this issue in these three communities, providing customers with a more reliable and secure water supply.

Ageing and fragile water mains are a common problem across the country resulting from decades of under-investment in water infrastructure.

Irish Water is committed to addressing this and the replacement of these ageing water mains is part of Irish Waters ongoing investment in Irelands water infrastructure. The new water mains will result in significant improvements in network performance and level of service to customers in terms of security of supply.

Watermains rehabilitation is one aspect of Irish Waters plan to reduce leakage. Lost water is estimated at 47% nationally and 51% in Co Tipperary. Leakage is also being targeted through Irish Waters First Fix Free Scheme which supports customers in reducing leaks on their property. More information about the First Fix Leak Repair Scheme for Domestic Water Customers is available at water.ie/water-supply/first-fix/
[January 20, 2017] ADVA Optical Networking's Ensemble Connector Wins TMC's NFV Product of the Year Award

Software-Based Virtualization Platform Honored in INTERNET TELEPHONY Awards for Openness and Simplicity Trumbull, Connecticut, USA. January 20, 2017. ADVA Optical Networking announced today that its Ensemble Connector has won TMC's 2016 NFV Product of the Year Award. Presented by TMC's INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine, the accolade recognized the real-world value of Ensemble Connector, the industry's only open, software-based hosting platform for virtual network functions (VNFs). Part of the ADVA Ensemble product suite, Ensemble Connector enables communication service providers (CSPs) to avoid vendor lock-in and deploy best-in-class software for VNFs. Unlike other fledgling technologies, ADVA Optical Networking's network functions virtualization (NFV) solutions have already been successfully deployed in a number of CSP networks. "Recognizing leaders advancing NFV, TMC is proud to announce ADVA Optical Networking as a recipient of the 2016 NFV Product of the Year Award," said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. "NFV promises to deliver new levels of flexibility, efficiency and agility to service providers. It enables them to react more rapidly to market trends, more effectively meet user demands, and more efficiently deliver new services and applications that will drive new revenue streams. With its high-performance virtualization platform, ADVA Optical Networking has demonstrated innovation in this rapidly evolvng industry. It is our pleasure to honor the ADVA Ensemble Division for their inspiring work."



The Ensemble Connector ensures CSPs are no longer tied to a specific vendor. The technology runs on any 1 or 10 Gigabit Ethernet Intel x86-based commercial off-the-shelf platform and, with many deployment options, offers an unprecedented level of control. Ensemble Connector gives CSPs the opportunity to leverage virtualization, automation and orchestration as tools to create, activate and assure dynamic new services. It provides a low-risk NFV platform that delivers multi-Gbit/s performance, while providing low-latency zero-packet-loss data paths. What's more, CSPs can determine whether to place Ensemble Connector at customer premises, at the metro edge, in central offices or cloud data centers - wherever it will be most efficient and best meet customer needs. "Winning this award for Ensemble Connector is a real honor. It highlights the creativity, focus and tremendous drive of everyone in our virtualization solutions division. What's more, it underlines how much our open, software-based NFV strategy continues to resonate with the industry," said Prayson Pate, CTO, Ensemble Division, ADVA Optical Networking. "This award recognizes our proven ability to transform the way carrier-class services are delivered across existing physical and new virtual network systems. With operators like Masergy and DartPoints already utilizing our Ensemble products to provide agile, cost-efficient services, we're showing the world that our technology delivers the promise of NFV today. This trend will continue to grow in 2017, with Ensemble Connector helping more businesses harness the power of automation and virtualization."

Watch this video for more information on the Ensemble Connector: https://youtu.be/pCmZV7mxDRc. # # # About ADVA Optical Networking

ADVA Optical Networking is a company founded on innovation and driven to help our customers succeed. For over two decades, our technology has empowered networks across the globe. We're continually developing breakthrough hardware and software that leads the networking industry and creates new business opportunities. It's these open connectivity solutions that enable our customers to deliver the cloud and mobile services that are vital to today's society and for imagining new tomorrows. Together, we're building a truly connected and sustainable future. For more information on how we can help you, please visit us at: www.advaoptical.com. Published By:

ADVA Optical Networking SE, Munich, Germany

www.advaoptical.com For Press:

Gareth Spence

t +44 1904 699 358

public-relations(at)advaoptical.com For Investors:

Stephan Rettenberger

t +49 89 890 665 854

investor-relations(at)advaoptical.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 19, 2017] Bristol-Myers Squibb Provides Regulatory Update in First-line Lung Cancer

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) announced today that it has decided not to pursue an accelerated regulatory pathway for the combination of Opdivo plus Yervoy in first-line lung cancer in the U.S. based on a review of data available at this time. In order to protect the integrity of ongoing registrational studies, the company will not be providing additional details. Bristol-Myers Squibb: At the Forefront of Immuno-Oncology Science & Innovation At Bristol-Myers Squibb, patients are at the center of everything we do. Our vision for the future of cancer care is focused on researching and developing transformational Immuno-Oncology (I-O) medicines that will raise survival expectations in hard-to-treat cancers and will change the way patients live with cancer. We are leading the scientific understanding of I-O through our extensive portfolio of investigational and approved agents, including the first combination of two I-O agents in metastatic melanoma, and our differentiated clinical development program, which is studying broad patient populations across more than 20 types of cancers with 11 clinical-stage molecules designed to target different immune system pathways. Our deep expertise and innovative clinical trial designs uniquely position us to advance the science of combinations across multiple tumors and potentially deliver the next wave of I-O combination regimens with a sense of urgency. We also continue to pioneer research that will help facilitate a deeper understanding of the role of immune biomarkers and inform which patients will benefit most from I-O therapies. We understand making the promise of I-O a reality for the many patients who may benefit from these therapies requires not only innovation on our part but also close collaboration with leading experts in the field. Our partnerships with academia, government, advocacy and biotech companies support our collective goal of providing new treatment options to advance the standards of clinical practice. About Opdivo Opdivo is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to uniquely harness the body's own immune system to help restore anti-tumor immune response. By harnessing the body's own immune system to fight cancer, Opdivo has become an important treatment option across multiple cancers. Opdivo's leading global development program is based on Bristol-Myers Squibb's scientific expertise in the field of Immuno-Oncology and includes a broad range of clinical trials across all phases, including Phase 3, in a variety of tumor types. To date, the Opdivo clinical development program has enrolled more than 25,000 patients. The Opdivo trials have contributed to gaining a deeper understanding of the potential role of biomarkers in patient care, particularly regarding how patients may benefit from Opdivo across the continuum of PD-L1 expression. In July 2014, Opdivo was the first PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to receive regulatory approval anywhere in the world. Opdivo is currently approved in more than 60 countries, including the United States, the European Union and Japan. In October 2015, the company's Opdivo and Yervoy combination regimen was the first Immuno-Oncology combination to receive regulatory approval for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and is currently approved in more than 50 countries, including the United States and the European Union. U.S. FDA APPROVED INDICATIONS FOR OPDIVO  OPDIVO (nivolumab) as a single agent is indicated for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on progression-free survival. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) as a single agent is indicated for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 wild-type unresectable or metastatic melanoma. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on progression-free survival. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving OPDIVO. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) that has relapsed or progressed after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and post-transplantation brentuximab vedotin. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with disease progression on or after platinum-based therapy. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WARNING: IMMUNE-MEDIATED ADVERSE REACTIONS YERVOY can result in severe and fatal immune-mediated adverse reactions. These immune-mediated reactions may involve any organ system; however, the most common severe immune-mediated adverse reactions are enterocolitis, hepatitis, dermatitis (including toxic epidermal necrolysis), neuropathy, and endocrinopathy. The majority of these immune-mediated reactions initially manifested during treatment; however, a minority occurred weeks to months after discontinuation of YERVOY. Assess patients for signs and symptoms of enterocolitis, dermatitis, neuropathy, and endocrinopathy and evaluate clinical chemistries including liver function tests (LFTs), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level, and thyroid function tests at baseline and before each dose. Permanently discontinue YERVOY and initiate systemic high-dose corticosteroid therapy for severe immune-mediated reactions. Immune-Mediated Pneumonitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated pneumonitis. Fatal cases have been reported. Monitor patients for signs with radiographic imaging and for symptoms of pneumonitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or more severe pneumonitis. Permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 and withhold until resolution for Grade 2. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, fatal cases of immune-mediated pneumonitis have occurred. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.1% (61/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 6% (25/407) of patients. In Checkmate 205 and 039, pneumonitis, including interstitial lung disease, occurred in 4.9% (13/263) of patients receiving OPDIVO. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.4% (9/263) of patients receiving OPDIVO: Grade 3 (n=1) and Grade 2 (n=8). Immune-Mediated Colitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated colitis. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of colitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 (of more than 5 days duration), 3, or 4 colitis. Withhold OPDIVO monotherapy for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 or recurrent colitis upon re-initiation of OPDIVO. When administered with YERVOY, withhold OPDIVO and YERVOY for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 or recurrent colitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 2.9% (58/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 26% (107/407) of patients including three fatal cases. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal (diarrhea of =7 stools above baseline, fever, ileus, peritoneal signs; Grade 3-5) immune-mediated enterocolitis occurred in 34 (7%) patients. Across all YERVOY-treated patients in that study (n=511), 5 (1%) developed intestinal perforation, 4 (0.8%) died as a result of complications, and 26 (5%) were hospitalized for severe enterocolitis. Immune-Mediated Hepatitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated hepatitis. Monitor patients for abnormal liver tests prior to and periodically during treatment. Administr corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater transaminase elevations. Withhold for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 immune-mediated hepatitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 1.8% (35/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 13% (51/407) of patients.



In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal hepatotoxicity (AST or ALT elevations >5x the ULN or total bilirubin elevations >3x the ULN; Grade 3-5) occurred in 8 (2%) patients, with fatal hepatic failure in 0.2% and hospitalization in 0.4%. Immune-Mediated Neuropathies

In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, 1 case of fatal Guillain-Barre syndrome and 1 case of severe (Grade 3) peripheral motor neuropathy were reported. Immune-Mediated Endocrinopathies OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated hypophysitis, immune-mediated adrenal insufficiency, autoimmune thyroid disorders, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of hypophysitis, signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, thyroid function prior to and periodically during treatment, and hyperglycemia. Administer hormone replacement as clinically indicated and corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater hypophysitis. Withhold for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 hypophysitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 3 or 4 adrenal insufficiency. Withhold for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 adrenal insufficiency. Administer hormone-replacement therapy for hypothyroidism. Initiate medical management for control of hyperthyroidism. Withhold OPDIVO for Grade 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 hyperglycemia. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypophysitis occurred in 0.6% (12/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, hypophysitis occurred in 9% (36/407) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 1% (20/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 5% (21/407) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 2.7% (54/1994) of patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 22% (89/407) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 8% (34/407) of patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, diabetes occurred in 0.9% (17/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, diabetes occurred in 1.5% (6/407) of patients. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe to life-threatening immune-mediated endocrinopathies (requiring hospitalization, urgent medical intervention, or interfering with activities of daily living; Grade 3-4) occurred in 9 (1.8%) patients. All 9 patients had hypopituitarism, and some had additional concomitant endocrinopathies such as adrenal insufficiency, hypogonadism, and hypothyroidism. 6 of the 9 patients were hospitalized for severe endocrinopathies. Immune-Mediated Nephritis and Renal Dysfunction OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated nephritis. Monitor patients for elevated serum creatinine prior to and periodically during treatment. Administer corticosteroids for Grades 2-4 increased serum creatinine. Withhold OPDIVO for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 increased serum creatinine. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 1.2% (23/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 2.2% (9/407) of patients. Immune-Mediated Skin Adverse Reactions and Dermatitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated rash, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), some cases with fatal outcome. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 3 or 4 rash. Withhold for Grade 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 rash. For symptoms or signs of SJS or TEN, withhold OPDIVO and refer the patient for specialized care for assessment and treatment; if confirmed, permanently discontinue. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated rash occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated rash occurred in 22.6% (92/407) of patients. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal immune-mediated dermatitis (eg, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, or rash complicated by full thickness dermal ulceration, or necrotic, bullous, or hemorrhagic manifestations; Grade 3-5) occurred in 13 (2.5%) patients. 1 (0.2%) patient died as a result of toxic epidermal necrolysis. 1 additional patient required hospitalization for severe dermatitis. Immune-Mediated Encephalitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated encephalitis. Evaluation of patients with neurologic symptoms may include, but not be limited to, consultation with a neurologist, brain MRI, and lumbar puncture. Withhold OPDIVO in patients with new-onset moderate to severe neurologic signs or symptoms and evaluate to rule out other causes. If other etiologies are ruled out, administer corticosteroids and permanently discontinue OPDIVO for immune-mediated encephalitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, encephalitis occurred in 0.2% (3/1994) of patients. Fatal limbic encephalitis occurred in one patient after 7.2 months of exposure despite discontinuation of OPDIVO and administration of corticosteroids. Encephalitis occurred in one patient receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (0.2%) after 1.7 months of exposure. Other Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions Based on the severity of adverse reaction, permanently discontinue or withhold treatment, administer high-dose corticosteroids, and, if appropriate, initiate hormone-replacement therapy. Across clinical trials of OPDIVO the following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions occurred in <1.0% of patients receiving OPDIVO: uveitis, iritis, pancreatitis, facial and abducens nerve paresis, demyelination, polymyalgia rheumatica, autoimmune neuropathy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, hypopituitarism, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, gastritis, duodenitis, sarcoidosis, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi lymphadenitis), myositis, myocarditis, rhabdomyolysis, motor dysfunction, vasculitis, and myasthenic syndrome. Infusion Reactions OPDIVO can cause severe infusion reactions, which have been reported in <1.0% of patients in clinical trials. Discontinue OPDIVO in patients with Grade 3 or 4 infusion reactions. Interrupt or slow the rate of infusion in patients with Grade 1 or 2. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, infusion-related reactions occurred in 6.4% (127/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.5% (10/407) of patients. Complications of Allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO Complications, including fatal events, occurred in patients who received allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO. Outcomes were evaluated in 17 patients from Checkmate 205 and 039, who underwent allogeneic HSCT after discontinuing OPDIVO (15 with reduced-intensity conditioning, 2 with myeloablative conditioning). Thirty-five percent (6/17) of patients died from complications of allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO. Five deaths occurred in the setting of severe or refractory GVHD. Grade 3 or higher acute GVHD was reported in 29% (5/17) of patients. Hyperacute GVHD was reported in 20% (n=2) of patients. A steroid-requiring febrile syndrome, without an identified infectious cause, was reported in 35% (n=6) of patients. Two cases of encephalitis were reported: Grade 3 (n=1) lymphocytic encephalitis without an identified infectious cause, and Grade 3 (n=1) suspected viral encephalitis. Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) occurred in one patient, who received reduced-intensity conditioned allogeneic HSCT and died of GVHD and multi-organ failure. Other cases of hepatic VOD after reduced-intensity conditioned allogeneic HSCT have also been reported in patients with lymphoma who received a PD-1 receptor blocking antibody before transplantation. Cases of fatal hyperacute GVHD have also been reported. These complications may occur despite intervening therapy between PD-1 blockade and allogeneic HSCT. Follow patients closely for early evidence of transplant-related complications such as hyperacute GVHD, severe (Grade 3 to 4) acute GVHD, steroid-requiring febrile syndrome, hepatic VOD, and other immune-mediated adverse reactions, and intervene promptly. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on their mechanisms of action, OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with an OPDIVO- or YERVOY- containing regimen and for at least 5 months after the last dose of OPDIVO. Lactation It is not known whether OPDIVO or YERVOY is present in human milk. Because many drugs, including antibodies, are excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from an OPDIVO-containing regimen, advise women to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment. Advise women to discontinue nursing during treatment with YERVOY and for 3 months following the final dose. Serious Adverse Reactions In Checkmate 037, serious adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=268). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 42% of patients receiving OPDIVO . The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse drug reactions reported in 2% to <5% of patients receiving OPDIVO were abdominal pain, hyponatremia, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and increased lipase. In Checkmate 066, serious adverse reactions occurred in 36% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=206). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were gamma-glutamyltransferase increase (3.9%) and diarrhea (3.4%). In Checkmate 067, serious adverse reactions (73% and 37%), adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation (43% and 14%) or to dosing delays (55% and 28%), and Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions (72% and 44%) all occurred more frequently in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) relative to the OPDIVO arm (n=313). The most frequent (=10%) serious adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm and the OPDIVO arm, respectively, were diarrhea (13% and 2.6%), colitis (10% and 1.6%), and pyrexia (10% and 0.6%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, serious adverse reactions occurred in 46% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, dyspnea, pyrexia, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and respiratory failure. In Checkmate 025, serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were acute kidney injury, pleural effusion, pneumonia, diarrhea, and hypercalcemia. In Checkmate 205 and 039, among all patients (safety population [n=263]), adverse reactions leading to discontinuation (4.2%) or to dosing delays (23%) occurred. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =1% of patients were infusion-related reaction, pneumonia, pleural effusion, pyrexia, rash and pneumonitis. Ten patients died from causes other than disease progression, including 6 who died from complications of allogeneic HSCT. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 21% of patients in the safety population (n=263) and 27% of patients in the subset of patients evaluated for efficacy (efficacy population [n=95]). In Checkmate 141, serious adverse reactions occurred in 49% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, dyspnea, respiratory failure, respiratory tract infections, and sepsis. Common Adverse Reactions In Checkmate 037, the most common adverse reaction (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=268) was rash (21%). In Checkmate 066, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=206) vs dacarbazine (n=205) were fatigue (49% vs 39%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 25%), rash (28% vs 12%), and pruritus (23% vs 12%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) were fatigue (59%), rash (53%), diarrhea (52%), nausea (40%), pyrexia (37%), vomiting (28%), and dyspnea (20%). The most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO (n=313) arm were fatigue (53%), rash (40%), diarrhea (31%), and nausea (28%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418) were fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, cough, dyspnea, and decreased appetite. In Checkmate 025, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406) vs everolimus (n=397) were asthenic conditions (56% vs 57%), cough (34% vs 38%), nausea (28% vs 29%), rash (28% vs 36%), dyspnea (27% vs 31%), diarrhea (25% vs 32%), constipation (23% vs 18%), decreased appetite (23% vs 30%), back pain (21% vs 16%), and arthralgia (20% vs 14%). In Checkmate 205 and 039, among all patients (safety population [n=263]) and the subset of patients in the efficacy population (n=95), respectively, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) were fatigue (32% and 43%), upper respiratory tract infection (28% and 48%), pyrexia (24% and 35%), diarrhea (23% and 30%), and cough (22% and 35%). In the subset of patients in the efficacy population (n=95), the most common adverse reactions also included rash (31%), musculoskeletal pain (27%), pruritus (25%), nausea (23%), arthralgia (21%), and peripheral neuropathy (21%). In Checkmate 141, the most common adverse reactions (=10%) in patients receiving OPDIVO were cough and dyspnea at a higher incidence than investigator's choice. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, the most common adverse reactions (=5%) in patients who received YERVOY at 3 mg/kg were fatigue (41%), diarrhea (32%), pruritus (31%), rash (29%), and colitis (8%). Checkmate Trials and Patient Populations Checkmate 067 - advanced melanoma alone or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 037 and 066 - advanced melanoma; Checkmate 017 - squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); Checkmate 057 - non-squamous NSCLC; Checkmate 025 - renal cell carcinoma; Checkmate 205/039 - classical Hodgkin lymphoma; Checkmate 141 - squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Please see U.S. Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNING regarding immune-mediated adverse reactions, for YERVOY. Please see U.S. Full Prescribing Information for OPDIVO. About the Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Collaboration In 2011, through a collaboration agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (Ono) Bristol-Myers Squibb expanded its territorial rights to develop and commercialize Opdivo globally except in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where Ono had retained all rights to the compound at the time. On July 23, 2014, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono further expanded the companies' strategic collaboration agreement to jointly develop and commercialize multiple immunotherapies - as single agents and combination regimens - for patients with cancer in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. About Bristol-Myers Squibb Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119006254/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[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/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 20, 2017] Jerry's ABRA Auto Body & Glass of Mankato Announces Honda ProFirst Certification

Jerry's ABRA Auto Body & Glass, a locally owned and operated franchise in Mankato, Minnesota, is pleased to announce it is now a ProFirst Certified shop. The certification provides Jerry's ABRA direct access to all factory service and repair information for both Honda (News - Alert) and Acura vehicles, crucial to ensuring the correct repairs are made on today's highly sophisticated cars. It further provides confidence to Honda and Acura vehicle owners the proper tools, equipment, and training are in place for the repair center to perform high quality auto body repairs. The ProFirst Certification program requires shops achieve Gold Class status, the highest level of training afforded by the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR), the recognized industry leader for collision repair training. Or, the shop must achieve VQ or Medallion status, the two highest recognition levels with VeriFacts (News - Alert), an independent third-party firm and an industry leader for independent verification of proper repairs and procedures within body shops. Shops must also complete several Honda / Acura specific training classes. "Our entire staff is proud to have earned ProFirst Certification," says Geralynn Kottschade, chief financial officer at Jerry's ABRA. "We look forward to continuing to perform high quality collision repairs o Honda and Acura vehicles, as well as many other makes and models."



"The ProFirst Certified program is not for everyone," said Gary Ledoux, ProFirst program administrator for American Honda. "Of the thousands of collision shops across the country, many will apply, but only a handful will become ProFirst Certified." ProFirst certification requires Jerry's ABRA have the proper tools and equipment required by American Honda in order to make accurate and quality repairs, maintain a customer satisfaction system, and have a clean and customer-centric facility. Annual inspections are made by a third party on behalf of American Honda to ensure compliance with the program.

About Honda ProFirst Certification

Launched in March, 2015 by American Honda Motor Co., the ProFirst Certified program identifies a select group of collision repair facilities that have committed to a high degree of training, have the proper tools and equipment, and exhibit professional customer care. Qualified shops are identified by a plaque presented to the shop from American Honda as well as an exterior sign. Certified shops can be found on the shop locator on American Honda's corporate website, collision.honda.com About Jerry's ABRA Auto Body & Glass

Jerry's Body Shop opened in 1971 and joined the ABRA Auto Body & Glass franchise group in 2015. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, ABRA is a leading provider of vehicle repair services specializing in collision repair, paintless dent removal, and auto glass repair and replacement. ABRA's mission is to be the best auto body and glass company in America by providing quality repairs, in a timely manner, with friendly, helpful service. For more information about ABRA visit www.abraauto.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170120005317/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 20, 2017] TechAssure Names New Member Firm in Kansas City, MO

TechAssure, the international nonprofit association of insurance and risk management experts for technology-related risks, has named Brush Creek Partners as a new member effective immediately. Based in Kansas City, MO, Brush Creek Partners is an independent, full-service insurance brokerage firm that specializes in assisting middle-market technology and life science industry clients with their insurance needs. "Kansas City has a vibrant and growing tech scene and we are pleased to have a high-caliber firm like Brush Creek Partners in the region," said TechAssure Executive Director, Garrett Droege. "Brush Creek Partners is a great addition to our growing network of specialist brokers." Brush Creek Partners is dedicated to managing the full range of personal and business risks, including data breach and cyber liability, D&O, E&O and more. Founding Partner, Travis Holt, added, "We've considered ourselves thought leaders and innovators in the technology risk management and cyber liability insurnce space for a long time, but to have a group like TechAssure validate that is powerful. We're excited to bring even more value and resources to our clients with technology-related risks."



MORE ABOUT TECHASSURE TechAssure is a unique consortium of risk management experts serving innovative industries, such as technology, telecommunications, life sciences, clean tech, as well as the venture capital and private equity firms that fund them. Comprised of 22 specialist firms located in strategic locations across the world, TechAssure members collectively serve over 4,000 clients and represent over $3 Billion in premium volume. The association also produces a proprietary annual benchmarking report for the industries it serves. TechAssure is currently celebrating its 15th year.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact H. Garrett Droege, CPCU, CIC at 704-997-3238 or email at [email protected]. Or visit www.techassure.com or on Twitter (News - Alert) @TechAssure. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170120005024/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 19, 2017] Tides Medical Forms the Louisiana Initiative for Transplant and Collects First Placental Tissue Donation

Tides Medical is pleased to announce it has formed the Louisiana Initiative for Transplant (LIFT). The mission of LIFT is to partner with hospitals, clinicians and expectant mothers to coordinate the donation of placental tissue following live-birth cesarean sections. A single donated placenta can be used to enhance the health of more than 100 patients suffering from chronic wounds, musculoskeletal injuries, eye conditions and a variety of other health problems. Through collaboration with Women's & Children's Hospital, LIFT recovered its first placental donation in December 2016. Kathy Bobbs, president and chief executive officer for Women's & Children's Hospital stated, "We are pleased to be on the cutting edge of medical technology andto be partnered with a local Louisiana company like Tides Medical." Dr. Erin Hemsell, OB-GYN with Acadiana Women's Health Group, was the obstetrician for the first donor and stated, "My patient was excited to be able to donate her placenta that would otherwise be discarded in order to enhance the lives of others."



Donated placental tissues make up an emerging medical technology that enhances the health of hundreds of thousands of patients across the country each year. Tides Medical built a tissue bank to safely process and distribute tissues in early 2016. Prior to the foundation of LIFT, the company acquired placentas from an out-of-state tissue bank. Isabella Sledge, M.D., cofounder and Vice President of Research at Tides Medical said, "We are proud to be the catalyst for bringing a new biotechnology industry to Acadiana and the State of Louisiana." About Tides Medical

Tides Medical, a privately funded medical technology firm located in Lafayette, LA, is a leader in birth tissue technology. The company's focus is on providing patients with safe, effective therapies, on supplying physicians with reliable products and service, and on supporting distributors and hospitals with reliable inventory and personalized attention. Contact Tides Medical today for more information about the most advanced products in regenerative medicine. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119006243/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 19, 2017] South Africa: 4G Expansion and Fiber Deployment Creates Opportunities for Multiplay Offerings

LONDON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Summary

South Africa will remain one of the largest telecom service revenue markets in the AME region in 2016, generating estimated revenue of $9.2bn. Going forward, we expect the telecom services revenue in South Africa to decline at a CAGR of -2.4% in USD during 2016-2021, due to local currency depreciation. However, in local currency, the revenue is expected to expand by 3.3%, due to increasing uptake of mobile and fixed data services. Operators are investing in upgrading their network infrastructure, including the expansion of 4G services and rollout of fiber networks across the country.





Key Findings

- The overall telecom service revenue in South Africa is estimated to generate $9.2bn in 2016 and is estimated to decline at a CAGR of -2.4% during 2016-2021.

- Mobile revenue will account for 75.6% of the total telecom revenue in 2021.

- The South Africa telecom market will be dominated by Vodacom and MTN South Africa. Operators will continue to invest in fixed and mobile networks focusing on network expansion to roll out next-generation technologies to stay competitive.





Synopsis

"South Africa: 4G Expansion and Fiber Deployment Creates Opportunities for Multiplay Offerings," a new Country Intelligence Report by Pyramid Research, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in South Africa today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.





The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following:

- Regional context: telecom markt size and trends in South Africa compared with other countries in the region.





South Africa .

- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.

- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data.

- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice and data from 2016 to 2021.

- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.

- In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.

- Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in South Africa's telecommunication market.





Reasons To Buy

- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of South Africa's telecommunications market, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.

- Accompanying Pyramid Research's Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in South Africa's mobile communications, fixed telephony and broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.

- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.

- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in South Africa's telecommunications market.

- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in South Africa .

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4540311/





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/south-africa-4g-expansion-and-fiber-deployment-creates-opportunities-for-multiplay-offerings-300394001.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 19, 2017] Blank Rome Welcomes Two Energy Partners in Pittsburgh

Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Amy L. Barrette and Jeremy A. Mercer have joined the Firm as partners in the Energy, Environment, and Mass Torts practice group. Ms. Barrette and Mr. Mercer join Blank Rome from Norton Rose Fulbright where their practices were focused on complex commercial litigation for upstream oil and gas companies. Ms. Barrette and Mr. Mercer are based in the Firm's Pittsburgh office. Blank Rome opened its Pittsburgh office in 2015 to meet the growing demand for services from its clients with significant interests in Western Pennsylvania. The office has experienced steady growth, and recently moved into new space in the Union Trust Building. The Pittsburgh office also expanded the footprint of the Firm's national energy practice, which continues to grow in depth and breadth. In 2016, the Firm welcomed Partner Sophia Lee in Philadelphia and former U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and former Vice-Chairman of the International Energy Agency Joseph P. McMonigle in Washington, D.C., who joined as principals in Blank Rome Government Relations LLC. The team also includes a former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ("DEP") and chief judge of the Environmental Hearing Board; several former high-level executives in major integrated oil, chemical, and natural resources companies; the former general counsel of a major public utility; former officials of the Environmental Protction Agency ("EPA"); and former U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") attorneys.



"We are thrilled that Amy and Jeremy have joined us in Pittsburgh. Their combined knowledge in the ever-evolving energy and environmental industries will further expand our well-established team in Pennsylvania and beyond," said Alan J. Hoffman, Chairman and Managing Partner. "With a new administration taking office, we anticipate shifts in energy and environmental legislation and regulation, which will create new challenges and opportunities for our oil and gas clients. Amy and Jeremy's breadth of experience representing this sector make them an invaluable asset to our clients during this transition." Ms. Barrette regularly advises upstream oil and gas companies in negotiations with the Pennsylvania DEP and the EPA. She also advises clients in federal and state court actions on a wide variety of issues, including alleged contamination of water supplies from natural gas drilling operations, personal injury, contract, royalty, zoning, lease disputes, and environmental practices, including Act 2 remediation. In addition to trial work, Ms. Barrette also regularly represents clients in matters before the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board.

"We are excited to join Blank Rome, a Firm that is deeply committed to strategic growth in Pennsylvania and beyond," said Ms. Barrette. "We were impressed with the track record and creativity that the Pittsburgh team brings to client counsel, and look forward to working with them to grow the office and the practice." Mr. Mercer counsels clients in the shale and hydraulic fracturing arena, advising on zoning ordinances and defending against lease invalidity claims and in litigation matters involving drilling-related contamination and health allegations. He has also counseled clients in matters involving rights-of-way, easement, and regulatory compliance. Mr. Mercer has extensive experience in state and federal courts, including trials and preliminary injunctions, as well as at the intermediate and appellate levels of the Pennsylvania courts. He has also represented clients in commercial litigation and arbitration matters in the real estate, employment, and healthcare industries. Mr. Mercer served as a law clerk to the United States Magistrate Judge Nancy A. Vecchiarelli in the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, from August 2000 to 2002. He also served as a law clerk to the Franklin County (Ohio) Municipal Court from January to May in 2000. "It was important for us to find a firm that had a strong national presence and the resources to provide us with opportunities to grow and further develop our oil and gas practices," said Mr. Mercer. "With a stellar team of energy industry attorneys across the United States, particularly in Philadelphia, Houston, Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati, we are well-positioned to provide clients with top-notch service, in addition to a wide range of capabilities of importance to their business." Ms. Barrette and Mr. Mercer are highly committed to pro bono and community service. Ms. Barrette works with local organizations dedicated to feline rescue and provides pro bono representation for matters related to animal welfare law. Ms. Barrette is a member of the Marcellus Shale Coalition's Natural Gas Use and Water Resources subcommittees, and a member of the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation. Mr. Mercer provides legal representation in the Western District of Pennsylvania for prisoner civil rights cases. He was appointed as a Zone 6 Delegate to the Pennsylvania Bar Association of House Delegates in November 2016; serves on the Advisory Board for the Practical Law Company; and is a member of multiple committees for the Pennsylvania Bar Association, including the Federal Practice Committee's Executive Council, the Judicial Administration Committee, the Shale Energy Law Committee, and the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee. Ms. Barrette received her J.D., cum laude, from Duquesne University School of Law where she was a member of the Law Review. She received her B.A., summa cum laude, from Washington and Jefferson College. Mr. Mercer received his J.D., with honors, from Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and his B.A. in Political Science, History, and Geography, summa cum laude, from Youngstown State University. About Blank Rome Founded in 1946, Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 13 offices and over 600 attorneys throughout the United States and in Shanghai who represent businesses and organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-up entities around the globe. With a strong focus on the key industry sectors of energy, maritime and transportation, real estate, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, chemical, gaming, technology, and manufacturing, Blank Rome advises its clients on a full spectrum of legal matters involving litigation; M&A and securities; finance, business restructuring, and bankruptcy; cybersecurity and data privacy; environment and mass torts; government contracts; insurance coverage; intellectual property; labor and employment; international trade; matrimonial and family law; policy and political law; tax and benefits; and white collar defense and investigations. The Firm also represents pro bono clients in a wide variety of cases and matters. Blank Rome is annually ranked and recognized for its leading middle-market corporate, M&A, real estate, and finance practices, to name a few, and is internationally acclaimed for its global maritime practice and capabilities. For more information, please visit www.blankrome.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119006313/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
The court was informed that both the Centre and Tamil Nadu were in touch and some measures were being taken to tackle the situation that surfaced in light of the harvest festival in which the ancient animal sport has special significance.

By Indo-Asian News Service: The Supreme Court today agreed not to pronounce its verdict on jallikattu for one week in the wake of large scale protests in Tamil Nadu against the ban on the bull-taming sport.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar agreed to put the pronouncement on hold on a plea by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who told the court that "cultural passions" were running high in the state.

advertisement

The apex court had in 2016 reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions by animal rights activist and organisations challenging a January 7, 2016 government notification taking out 'bulls' from the list of animals that cannot be exhibited or used for fights or races.

The notification was then stayed by the top court a week after its issuance.

The court was informed that both the Centre and Tamil Nadu were in touch and some measures were being taken to tackle the situation that surfaced in light of the harvest festival in which the ancient animal sport has special significance.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and sought his intervention for dealing with the situation that has erupted in a four-day long protest at the Marina beach in Chennai and also large scale protests in the rest of the state.

ALSO READ:Will bring new law to hold jallikattu in a day or two: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Panneerselvam

--- ENDS ---
[January 19, 2017] Bureau Veritas Acquires SIEMIC, a Specialist in Electronic Equipment in Silicon Valley and Asia

NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, France, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bureau Veritas is pleased to announce the acquisition of SIEMIC Inc., an American testing and certification body for electrical and electronic equipment active in Silicon Valley and in Asia. Established in 2003, SIEMIC provides market access services for electrical and electronic products in the telecoms, consumer, automotive and medical sectors and works with global manufacturers, including many of the world's leading brands. SIEMIC provides a comprehensive range of testing, certification and international approvals management services. Its headquarters and main operation are located in Milpitas, Silicon Valley, USA; however, it also benefits from testing facilities in both California and Mainland China and branch offices in Taiwan. As a leading Telecommunications Certification Body (TCB), SIEMIC issues thousands of certifications per year to attest compliance with Federal Communiations Commission regulations in the USA for wireless and telecommunications equipment. It employs nearly 100 people and generated estimated revenue of EUR 9.5 million in 2016.



"As well as enabling Bureau Veritas to gain a strategic footprint in Silicon Valley by complementing our 7layers US laboratories, SIEMIC will help strengthen Bureau Veritas' position as a leader in the smartworld whilst enhancing our platform for autonomous and connected car services. This acquisition clearly demonstrates our commitment to our 2020 plan, with SIEMIC not only driving growth in our smartworld and automotive growth initiatives but also enhancing our presence in the USA and China, our two strategic markets," commented Didier Michaud-Daniel, Chief Executive Officer of Bureau Veritas. Leslie Bai, President & CEO of SIEMIC, added: "We are established as the leader in an exciting and very promising market niche that requires advanced skills as well as an international reach and solid technical capabilities. As the global economy continues to expand, Bureau Veritas' worldwide network coupled with our existing platform provides our clients with a unique competitive advantage and value proposition. Today, becoming a member company of Bureau Veritas will propel us forward and help us continue our international growth."

About Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas is a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services. Founded in 1828, the group has more than 68,400 employees in around 1,400 offices and laboratories all across the world. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performances by offering innovative services and solutions in order to ensure that their products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environment protection and social responsibility. Website: www.bureauveritas.com Bureau Veritas' Consumer Products Services division is a leading global quality assurance provider for the global consumer product and retail markets. It offers an array of specialized services including testing, inspections, certification, audits and engineering services for a wide range of consumer products. These products include soft goods; electrical and electronic products; smartworld products and services including wireless and mobile devices; automotive equipment; hard goods; toys and juvenile products; premiums; food products as well as health, beauty, cosmetics, and household products. Website: www.bureauveritas.com/cps

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 19, 2017] Honeywell Files Lawsuit Against Code Corporation Claiming Widespread Patent Infringement

FORT MILL, S.C., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON), an industry leader in scanning and productivity solutions, today filed a lawsuit against Code Corp., a Salt Lake City, Utah-based company that manufactures bar code readers, in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, accusing the company of widespread patent infringement. The lawsuit alleges infringement of multiple patents related to Honeywell's bar code scanning technology. The patents involved in the lawsuit are for Honeywell innovations that make bar code readers easier to use and operate faster and more accurately. "Honeywell has and continues to invest millions of dollars in developing new, innovative products and offerings," said Lisa London, president of Honeywell's Productivity Products business. "We welcome competition, but we have zero tolerance for those who infringe our intellectual property. Protecting patents is critical to ensuring a level playing field for all market players." "We helped pioneer the bar code scanning market in the 1970s, and over the years our new innovations have helped thousands of retailers, distributors, healthcare organizations and industrial users achieve significant improvements in efficiency, speed and accuracy in their operations," London said. "Fair competition means respecting the patent rights of others." The lawsuit seeks to prevent Code from using Honeywell's patented technology in its bar code readers, including the CR2600, ad to recover damages caused by the infringement. The specific Honeywell patents involved are:



U.S. Patent No. 6,039,258: "Hand-held portable data collection terminal system" U.S. Patent No. 6,249,008: "Code reader having replaceable optics assemblies supporting multiple illuminators" U.S. Patent No. 6,491,223: "Autodiscriminating Optical Reader" U.S. Patent No. 6,538,413: "Battery pack with capacity and pre-removal indicators" U.S. Patent No. 6,607,128: "Optical assembly for bar code scanner" U.S. Patent No. 8,096,472: "Image sensor assembly for optical reader" Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions (SPS) provides products, software and connected solutions that improve productivity, workplace safety and asset performance for our customers across the globe. We deliver on this promise through industry-leading mobile devices, software, cloud technology and automation solutions, the broadest range of personal protective equipment and gas detection technology, and custom-engineered sensors, switches and controls. We also manufacture and sell a broad portfolio of footwear for work, play and outdoor activities, including XtraTuf and Muck Boot brand footwear. Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes, and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

Contact:

Eric Krantz

+1 704-780-0493 (mobile)

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/honeywell-files-lawsuit-against-code-corporation-claiming-widespread-patent-infringement-300393942.html SOURCE Honeywell

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 19, 2017] AYANNAH Wins the Fintech Finals 2017

HONG KONG, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ayannah, a mature stage startup from the Philippines, was deemed the 'Best in Show' by the judges at the Fintech Finals 2017 (FF17) pitch competition at PMQ in Hong Kong brought to you by Visa, as part of the StartmeupHK Festival. Twenty-three startup finalists had six minutes to shine on stage in front of judges and a live audience of fintech professionals, enthusiasts and media. While all were winners in their own right, only Ayannah got to go home with the US$10,000 prize. Ayannah provides affordable and accessible digital financial services for the world's unbanked. Miguel Perez, Ayannah's CEO said, "We are thrilled and honoured to receive this recognition this year! We look forward to keeping this momentum going and will work on continuing to grow our business with the proceeds." As Best in Show, Ayannah is also invited for a co-creation engagement with Visa at its Innovation Center in Singapore, to explore and ideate on business solutions and opportunities together with a team of subject matter experts from across Visa's business. Three Best In Category trophies were also distributed. Best Early Stage Startup went to Bambu from Singapore, and Best Growth Stage Startup was won by DarcMatter from the USA. BIMA from Sweden claimed the Best Mature Stage Startup. All winners will also receive the benefits of partnership opportunities and promotion through Next Money channels. Associate Director-General of Invest Hong Kong, Charles Ng, said, "Hong Kong welcomed the Fintech Finals back here again during the StartmeupHK Festival 2017. We were glad to meet the 23 shortlisted startups, five of which from Hong Kong, to present their innovative fintech solutions on stage. Hong Kong has a fertile ground for fintech startups to grow. It has a robust and market-driven fintech fundraising centre, with different accelerators and innovation labs in town and the largest Smart Space Fintech located in Cyberport. Invest Hong Kog's dedicated fintech team is here to help overseas startups embrace the vast opportunities in Hong Kong, the mainland China and beyond."



Judges worked from a score sheet to rate the startups, based on the following criteria: business model application, scale and robustness; transformative concept and technology; market opportunity and size; customer experience design and ease, financial opportunity and forecasts and, of course, the quality of their team presentation. Ralph Koker, Head of New Channels Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa stated, "As one of the judges of the competition, I was impressed with the incredible ideas from the finalists. It is very encouraging to see the fintech community in Asia taking a leading role in creating new solutions for consumers and businesses. Increasing collaboration across the innovation ecosystem is particularly exciting for Visa and is needed for the payment industry. We are building tomorrow's payment experiences through co-creation with our partners, including fintechs, by extending access to the Visa network and our open API platform Visa Developer."

Next Money founder and FF17 organizer, Rob Findlay, commented: "This has been an incredible 2 days of fintech. We are thrilled for Ayannah on their well-deserved Best in Show win, and we congratulate and applaud all of the startups that participated these past 2 days for their absolute dedication and passion for innovation. These are clearly the individuals that will continue to influence the future of fintech here in Asia." About Next Money Next Money, co-founded by Rob Findlay, is a global fintech community that fosters the reinvention of finance through design, innovation and entrepreneurship. Next Money brings together peers from across disciplines including startups, banking, technology and design. Through meet-ups and events, hosting speakers and panelists, members come together to discuss, learn and discover new ways to transform the finance industry for the better. Originating in Singapore, Next Money has grown over the past four years into a global brand represented by city chapters of like-minded people all over the world and continues to expand. Learn more about Next Money and the Fintech Finals 2017, go to ff17.nextmoney.org/. About Visa Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world's most advanced processing networks -- VisaNet -- that is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, pay ahead with prepaid or pay later with credit products. For more information, visit https://usa.visa.com/, visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews. About Invest Hong Kong

InvestHK is the department of the HKSAR Government established in 2000 to attract foreign direct investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services to help businesses succeed in Hong Kong's vibrant economy. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.



About StartmeupHK Festival Hong Kong's startup ecosystem has witnessed phenomenal growth over the past few years and the city is consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing startup hubs in the world. To celebrate and showcase the startup ecosystem, InvestHK is organising its 2017 StartmeupHK Festival running from 16-20 January. Delving into the future of entrepreneurship and disruptive innovation, the week will feature keynotes, interactive how-to-sessions, hackathons, powerful lessons from seasoned founders and investors in sectors such as fintech, digital health, smart city technologies, IOT, retail innovation plus much more. For more information, please visit www.startmeup.hk.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 19, 2017] 2017 Taiwan WHO Simulation Kicks off at NCKU with 240 Medical Students Sharing

National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) is currently hosting a special international conference organized by a group of medical students in Taiwan. 2017 Taiwan World Health Organization (WHO) Simulation, the first conference in Asia modeling the WHA (World Health Assembly), kicked off on January 18 with 240 students from over 20 countries including America, Finland, Japan, Korea, Sudan, India, and Indonesia. A grand opening was held on the morning of January 18 at NCKU. Tainan City Mayor Ching-Te Lai and NCKU President Huey-Jen Jenny Su welcomed students from around the world on behalf of their respective institutes. Lai gave his remark and said, "Through this simulation conference that Taiwanese medical students could cultivate the global perspective and train talents in international medical diplomacy." President Su, a public health expert, gave an overview of how the university is able to interact and make social contributions, going from education to practice.



Su also highlighted the value of social justice when she talked to the students. She said, "What's carrying in our heart is every human being is equal so whatever we can do would bring this world to a better peace." "Wherever you go, we are all the part of the network and the community, we are all part of the public health people," she said when encouraging the students to care about the disparity of social economy status in medical care.

Yang, a student from the College of Medicine in NCKU, said that this is a great honor for him to organize such a great event with his fellow students. Yang claimed, "Interacting across cultures peacefully through mutual respect is our dream, and I am sure that we will realize this dream in the following days." Janki Chaudhary, a medical student from Mumbai, India, said that this is her first time to join the event and she is looking forward to the discussion is happening here. Chaudhary, who is representing Bermuda in the simulation, said, "I will do anything I can do to change the system of public health and I see this is a very good opportunity to do that." "I would like to see the problem happening in Bermuda is addressed in the simulation," she added. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170119006358/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 20, 2017] Synechron Continues to Shine With Expected Record Revenue Growth of 28% Amounting to $405m in the Financial Year 2016-17

PUNE, India, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- - Digital, Business Consulting and Technology Services Provider Sets Revenue Target of $500m in Next 12 Months and $1bn by 2020 -Celebrates 15 Years of Entrepreneurship and Innovation With Financial Innovation Labs Open in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Pune and Bangalore Synechron the digital, business consulting and technology services provider, has today provided guidance for the financial year 2016-17, expecting global revenues of $405m, expanding to 18 global offices and growing to over 6,600 employees. The 28% YOY increase is the highest in the last 5 years, and following this achievement, Synechron has set a revenue target of $500M in the next 12 months and $1bn by 2020 as it continues to make inroads and gain market-share in the digital and innovation spaces. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160224/10140838 )

Since 2015, Synechron opened seven new offices globally taking its total to 18 worldwide and allowing the Company to be a leader on global regulatory and technology changes for the world's leading financial services firms. The Company's growth has been achieved both organically and through the acquisition of six specialist businesses since early 2013 to enable the firm to offer an end-to-end business solution that combines consulting, digital design and technological innovation - the 'power of 3' strategy that underpins Synechron's business model. These acquisitions have included Double Effect, Team Trade, Hatstand, CityFront, Usable and Crossbridge. Moreover, Synechron continues to be self-funded with no private equity / VC or long-term debt on its books. With 6,600 employees globally as of December 2016, a year-on-year increase of 1,800 staff, Synechron is cntinuing to attract and recruit specialized talent to further enable its consulting, technology and digital capabilities in its key markets: U.S., U.K., Europe, UAE, India and Singapore.



Faisal Husain, Co-founder and CEO of Synechron, said, "2016 was a fantastic year of growth and opportunity for Synechron, and given our strong pipeline will continue throughout this year. Our unique ability to offer clients an end-to-end service has contributed heavily to our success and is why we are punching above our weight and winning deals that ordinarily would go to the big four. Core values of entrepreneurship and innovation combined with the pragmatism and expertise of our consulting arm have enabled us to deliver this model successfully, and our revenue target of $1bn by 2020 reflects the confidence we have, and stability that underpins our growth. In 2016 we were able to successfully diversify our client base and geographical revenue lines to enable our business with a sustainable growth strategy. I am confident we can maintain this momentum and believe 2017 will be another record year for Synechron." In addition to the record revenue and employee growth, Synechron has strengthened its reputation as a global leader in digital transformation. The Company launched four new Financial Innovation labs (FinLabs) in London; Amsterdam; Pune and Bangalore in 2016. Synechron's FinLabs allow businesses to get hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), voice recognition and drones. This brings the total number of FinLabs to five, and Synechron will open its flagship FinLab in New York later this year along with additional locations in Charlotte, NC, Ft Lauderdale, FL, and Hyderabad in India.

In September 2016, as a product of FinLabs, Synechron launched six Blockchain Accelerators and a 50-person team across New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai and Bangalore to advance blockchain innovation. The initiative received an ACORD innovation award and was nominated for a Mortgage Strategy award for innovation. In 2017, Synechron will continue to innovate around blockchain, AI and machine learning in the financial services industry and is likely to continue to gain recognition for its thought leadership in digital transformation. Faisal Husain continued, "Financial institutions around the world are searching for innovative solutions to business problems, together with the ability to implement at an enterprise level. We allow our clients to see how they can combine our consulting, technology and digital capabilities to accelerate their business initiatives. This approach has been, and will be, integral to Synechron's continued success." About Synechron Synechron is a global consulting and technology organization providing innovative solutions to the financial services industry through its three main business focus areas: digital, business consulting, and technology. Based in New York, the company has 18 offices around the globe, with over 6,600 employees producing over $400M in annual revenue. For more information on the Company please visit the website or our LinkedIn community.

For further information, please contact:

Diana Kearns-Manolatos

Communications Director

Synechron, Inc.

[email protected]

m: +1 347-721-8223





[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 20, 2017] Pakistan Summit Bank: UnionPay Card Serves as A Bridge to Boost Friendly Exchanges between China and Pakistan

SHANGHAI, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- UnionPay International announced today that it has signed an issuance agreement with Pakistan Summit Bank. The two sides have agreed to jointly issue UnionPay cards on a large scale. Now, UnionPay has become the international bankcard brand with the second largest market share in terms of card issuance in Pakistan. CEO of UnionPay International, Cai Jianbo, Vice Chairman of Summit Bank, Husain Lawai, and CEO & President of Summit Bank, Muhammad Zahir Esmail attended the ceremony. "With the implementation of the Belt and Road Strategy and the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, UnionPay has made remarkable progress in Pakistan." Cai Jianbo said. More than 90% of the local merchants and over 70% f the ATMs accept UnionPay cards. Meanwhile, 3400,000 UnionPay cards have been issued in the market, and the transaction volume of these cards grew by over 2 times last year.



Summit Bank is one of the fastest growing banks in Pakistan. Through this cooperation with UnionPay International, the bank will change more than half of its cards in circulation into UnionPay chip cards, and will also issue new cards. These cards can be used in UnionPay's global network while supporting online payment. Recognizing UnionPay's advantages in network, products and service, as well as the security of UnionPay chip cards, Summit Bank will promote UnionPay cards as its key products. Muhammad Zahir Esmail said, Pakistan and China are as close as family; Summit Bank and UnionPay International are close partners. The UnionPay card has become an important bridge between China and Pakistan. Through this cooperation, Summit Bank will provide the best debit and prepaid cards service for customers in Pakistan, and is looking forward to the two sides' further cooperation in more fields.

Now, among the 60 or so countries and regions along the "One Belt and One Road", about 50 of them accept UnionPay cards. About 70% of ATMs and over 50% of merchants in Kazakhstan, and more than 300,000 merchants and over 40,000 ATMs in Russia, accept UnionPay cards. Last year, the transaction volume of the UnionPay cards issued in Pakistan and Nepal in mainland China grew by about 2 times and that of the UnionPay cards issued in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia and Mauritius grew by about 50%. Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170120/0861700760

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 20, 2017]

TUV Rheinland's Green Product Mark Secures GENICES Certification

HONG KONG, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TUV Rheinland has pushed out the frontier of sustainability by winning GENICES (Global Ecolabelling Network Internationally Coordinated Ecolabelling System) certification for its flagship Green Product Mark. The announcement is a major step in TUV Rheinland's plan to extend the reach and scope of environmental labelling services in virtually every country and on almost every continent.

"More and more companies are placing a growing importance on certification for eco-friedly products. The newly GENICES-certified TUV Rheinland Green Product Mark, which many global clients have already chosen to use, conveys that message quickly and accurately to interested consumers looking for products with less impact on the environment," said Mr Holger Kunz, Executive Vice President, Products, TUV Rheinland.







GENICES is a global system designed to enable the bilateral and multi-lateral recognition of national/regional eco-labels. The completion of the GENICES peer assessment is an important milestone in the development of TUV Rheinland's five-year old Green Product Mark.

Only products certified according to a comprehensive Green Product catalog of tests can receive the special Green Product mark. TUV Rheinland experts administer this voluntary testing by examining a whole series of aspects pertaining to safety, sustainability, and environmental impact -- from a product's energy efficiency to its carbon footprint to chemical contents to recyclability.

"Receiving GENICES certification marks the standardization of the Green Product Mark operation system and sets a solid ground for us to build up a global network of Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) partners for the Green Product Mark in the near future," he said.

For further information, please contact:

Simon Hung

Tel: +852-2192-1948

Email: [email protected]

Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150602/8521503584LOGO
[January 20, 2017] Accenture Launches Liquid Studio in London to Accelerate Digital Business Transformation

Accenture (News - Alert) (NYSE:ACN) has opened its first UK-based Liquid Studio in the heart of London's business district. The Liquid Studio is purpose-built to help speed up innovation and software development cycles, giving clients an open environment in which they can accelerate their next phase of digital transformation. At the Liquid Studio, clients can quickly turn concepts into products, taking days to achieve what used to take months. Experimenting with innovative technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) helps organizations become more agile around their operations and customer experience. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170120005066/en/ Innovating with the latest technology in Accenture's Liquid Studio London (Photo: Business Wire) Clients will work alongside Accenture engineers to use contemporary architectures, reusable components and intelligent automation tools. The speed of prototype and custom application creation is accelerated using Agile (News - Alert) and DevOps development principles, which crucially shorten the time to real business impact. Apps developed in the Liquid Studio help to deliver on Accenture's Future of Applications vision of liquid, intelligent and connected software. "London has emerged as an amazing environment where innovation, speed and scale all come together," said Emma McGuigan, senior managing director, Accenture Technology. "The leading digital businesses understand how to leverage innovative technologies and have the capbility to move quickly when changes are needed. Opening a Liquid Studio so close to where these companies are based in London will help them build digital experiences and unlock new value. Liquid Studios are an integral part of the Accenture Innovation Architecture, serving as a vital connection point between rapid application prototyping and practical, real world software deployment."



The Liquid Studio in London has flagship capabilities around AI and cognitive processes, as well as offering expertise in IoT, cloud, blockchain and security amongst other essential technology solutions. The Liquid Studio benefits from being part of the Accenture alliance ecosystem. This network enables it to use open innovation to take cutting-edge technologies and digital expertise from the start-up community and into development for clients. This is one of the ways that Accenture endeavours to lead with innovation to help clients "imagine and invent" the future. The London site will collaborate with the Accenture Liquid Studios in Silicon Valley, Paris, Milan, Nantes and Kronberg, and with the Accenture Labs, where Accenture incubates and prototypes new concepts through applied R&D projects. Accenture plans to open more Liquid Studios around the world in 2017.

The Accenture Innovation Architecture brings together the company's capabilities-from research, ventures and labs to studios, innovation centers and delivery centers-to develop and deliver disruptive innovations for clients, and to scale them faster. For more information, visit: www.accenture.com/liquidstudiolondon About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions - underpinned by the world's largest delivery network - Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With more than 394,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com. Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture. Any third-party names, trademarks or copyrights contained in this document are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170120005066/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 20, 2017] Thinfilm Strengthens NFC Label Conversion Services in Europe Through Key Partnership With Beneli

Thin Film Electronics ASA ("Thinfilm"), a global leader in NFC (near field communication) smart-packaging solutions using printed electronics, today announced a partnership with Sweden-based Beneli AB ("Beneli"), a leading provider of world class self-adhesive labels and related solutions. The partnership significantly strengthens Thinfilm's converter program by providing strategic coverage in Scandinavia and the broader European region. In addition, the relationship extends Beneli's wireless product offering beyond RFID asset tracking to now include NFC solutions for consumer engagement and authentication applications. Thinfilm and Beneli will collaborate to deliver Thinfilm's NFC solutions - featuring both SpeedTap and OpenSense tags supported by a cloud-based software platform - to existing Beneli clients and other leading consumer brands across a range of markets. Beneli maintains a strong presence in the spirits, medical, cosmetics, and tobacco verticals, and also serves the food, pharmaceuticals, and logistics industries. Initial market trias are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2017.



Each SpeedTap and OpenSense tag (News - Alert) is uniquely identifiable and virtually impossible to clone, and can be read with the simple tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone or device. Once tapped, tags wirelessly communicate with the cloud, creating a powerful one-to-one mobile marketing platform from which brands can connect directly with consumers. As a result, marketers are able to instantly deliver authentication messages, promotional offers, product news, and other relevant content. OpenSense technology also offers additional protection against package tampering and refill fraud. "I'm very excited about our partnership with Thinfilm and the ability it gives us to deliver more value to our customers," said Jimmy Sterner, CEO of Beneli. "With Thinfilm's NFC technology, we can now offer a powerful solutions platform that significantly enhances the ability of brand owners to connect and communicate with consumers."

Thinfilm views label and packaging integration services as a critical component of its NFC solutions offering. These "conversion" capabilities delivered through qualified partners - in addition to the hardware and software provided by Thinfilm - create a "one-stop-shop" path for brands in search of smart packaging solutions. Thinfilm continues to build out its converter program globally, and expects to have approximately 30 vertically specialized partners in place by the end of 2017. "Our partnership with a European leader such as Beneli fills a key geographic need for us and, as a result, significantly extends our conversion services in Scandinavia and throughout Europe," said Davor Sutija, CEO of Thinfilm. "The enhanced capabilities Thinfilm gains through this partnership will be critical as we look to meet the growing demands of leading consumer brands, mobile marketers and digital agencies." About Thin Film Electronics ASA Thinfilm is a leader in NFC smart packaging solutions using printed electronics technology. The first to commercialize printed, rewritable memory, the Company today creates printed tags, labels and systems that include memory, sensing, display, and wireless communication - all at a cost-per-function unmatched by conventional electronic technologies. Thinfilm's roadmap integrates technology from a strong and growing ecosystem of partners to bring intelligence to everyday items and effectively extend the traditional boundaries of the Internet of Things. Thin Film Electronics ASA ("Thinfilm") is a publicly listed Norwegian company with headquarters in Oslo, Norway; product development and production in Linkoping, Sweden; product development, production, and business development in San Jose, California, USA; and sales offices in the United States, Hong Kong, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.thinfilm.no. About Beneli AB Beneli is a Swedish privately owned company located in Helsingborg, and has 26 years of experience in providing world class self-adhesive solutions, high-end printing, and high tech converting. Beneli is a global company, and 50 percent of its turnover outside of Scandinavia is exported to Europe, Asia and North America. For more information, visit www.beneli.se. This information is subject of the disclosure requirements acc. to 5-12 vphl (Norwegian Securities Trading Act). View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170120005050/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 20, 2017] DHgate.com Announces Last Mile Service Agreement for Peru with Serpost

BEIJING, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese cross-border e-commerce marketplace DHgate.com and Serpost announce a strategic partnership for last mile logistics service in Peru, for buyers purchasing products from DHgate.com. This agreement comes shortly after Chinese President Xi Jingping and Peru's Kuczynski witnessed the signing of a bilateral e-commerce Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between China and Peru, facilitated by DHgate.com at the APEC summit in Lima, Peru last November. In light of the recent MOU, the cooperation between DHgate and Serpost aims to deepen the communication and cooperation in digital bilateral trade between China and Peru. The signing of the agreement will be beneficial for the development of cross-border e-commerce in both countries, and provide better services for SMEs (small-and-medium sized enterprises) in terms of developing international trade. DHgate.com is responsible for facilitating the implementation of the terms and conditions of the MOU, mainly the global digital trade ecosystem andcooperation with enterprises in different digital value chains.



"China is Peru's biggest trade partner, and exportation and importation market, and we are very happy to cooperate with the only official post institution in Peru, Serpost, who will provide last mile delivery service in Peru. This will facilitate business processes for global SMEs. In the future, we hope that more related industry partners will join us, to connect the Online Silk Road between China and Peru, to share together and win together." -- Diane Wang, Founder and CEO of DHgate.com "DHgate is a world renowned cross-border e-commerce transactional platform; Serpost has over 20 years of experience in the logistics industry, and is becoming one of the most important strategic partners for international e-commerce enterprises. We believe that this cooperation will enhance both brands, promote bilateral trade, offer more convenient services for SMEs in both countries, and help promote cross-border trade." -- Friberg Quisepe Grajeda, General Manager of Serpost

About DHgate DHgate.com is the first to market and the biggest B2B transactional cross-border e-commerce marketplace in China, aiming to provide global buyers with quality products at competitive prices. Founded in 2004, DHgate.com has approximately 10 million global buyers from 230 countries and regions, with 1.4 million global sellers offering 40 million products. DHgate.com's business enables buyers to directly access global manufacturers of the world's top brands with rich product selections. DHgate.com is an all-in-one platform with integrated services for international logistics, cross-border payments, internet financing, etc. DHgate.com's US, UK, Spain, and UAE product distribution warehouses allow for 24 hour delivery and convenient product returns & refunds, bringing great convenience to buyers at http://www.dhgate.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dhgatecom-announces-last-mile-service-agreement-for-peru-with-serpost-300394174.html SOURCE DHgate.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
By India Today Web Desk: Television actors Karan Wahi and Rithvik Dhanjani are quite close. So much so that Karan keeps posting adorable pictures of the two of them together on his various social media accounts.

The actor recently shared a new picture with his brother-like friend.

Also read: IN PICTURE: When Bigg Boss contestants and Bani's friends Gaurav and Gauahar met each other

advertisement

And this one is quite the case of old is gold.

Karan wrote in the description of the picture:

"This is where it all began ... the KARVIK story #brother #brotherfromanothermother #kw #karanwahi #rithvik #instapic #instagood #friends #jhalakdikhlajaa #jhalak5 #jdj #fun #masti #madness #throwback #2012 I hope u remember wat u did before this dance @rithvik_d."

Adorable, isn't it?

Now this makes us wonder what is Karan talking about? What had Rithvik done?

We are still waiting for your cute reply-post, Rithvik.

--- ENDS ---
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott to Speak at SC Education Kick-Off School Tour

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott will tour Charleston Charter School for Math & Science and speak to a student assembly in celebration of the many educational options available to South Carolina students.

The school tour will begin at 9:45 a.m. Monday, Jan. 23 as part of National School Choice Week. The Palmetto Promise Institute and the Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina are organizing the event.

Senator Scott has personally experienced the importance of the right educational fit; he attended four schools before fourth grade and met a mentor who taught him the value of education and turned his future around. Today, Sen. Scott is one of the Senate's most vocal advocates for school choice.

More than 800 people are expected to attend, including parents, students, and teachers of CCSMS and the general public.

"A quality education is the true equalizer that can help children from all walks of life achieve their deams and aspirations," said Sen. Tim Scott. "In the end, it goes beyond the labels of public, private, vocational, or charter school, and it is about helping our students find an educational track that best fits their needs."







For more information, contact Ellen Weaver, president of the Palmetto Promise Institute, at [email protected] or (803) 708-0673.

Palmetto Promise Institute champions a flourishing South Carolina where every person has the opportunity to reach their full, God-given potential.

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/20170120005096/en/
[January 20, 2017] zipTMS Broker Dashboard Helps Brokers Keep Track of Their Business Metrics

FRASER, Mich., Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Housed in the zipTMS transaction management platform, the Broker Dashboard provides a broker access to administrative tools to better manage and monitor their business metrics. Comprised of powerful widgets, the cloud-based control center boosts brokers' ability to efficiently budget resources and produce monthly forecasts for their brokerage. Kathleen Donahue, business development project manager of Morris Plains, N.J.-based Weichert University, said the ability to monitor and export data in real time with the tool has served as a major benefit for her brokerage. "zipLogix has been really open to getting our feedback and working with us to develop the zipTMS Broker Dashboard," said Donahue. "Having the information right there at our fingertips and not having to call our acount team for the information is extremely beneficial."



Ron Jones, president of Northwest Florida-based Pelican Real Estate, also expressed his appreciation for the transaction management tool. "What I love most about the zipTMS Broker Dashboard is having an instant snapshot of the business and who is doing what," said Jones. "Just knowing the status of transactions helps me better gauge my business plan for my brokerage and shows me what and who I need to focus on to better assist them and the brokerage."

Components of the Broker Dashboard include: monthly statistics, a weekly task meter, quarterly performance snapshots of agents, account overview, listing map and reporting. The zipTMS transaction management system Broker version is now available for an exclusive minimal fee. For more information, please contact a zipLogix Broker Representative at (866) 627-4729 or visit www.ziplogix.com/ziptmsbroker. Fraser, Mich.-based zipLogix, creators of zipForm, is a technology company working for real estate professionals to improve productivity and efficiency industry wide. Its software automates and simplifies the repetitive and complex steps of real estate transactions, and is used by more than 650,000 real estate professionals across the country. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ziptms-broker-dashboard-helps-brokers-keep-track-of-their-business-metrics-300394193.html SOURCE zipLogix

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 20, 2017] Investor Alert: GPM Reminds Investors of the February 10 Deadline in the Class Action Lawsuit Against Rio Tinto plc

Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") reminds investors of the February 10, 2017 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of a class (the "Class") of investors who purchased Rio Tinto plc ("Rio Tinto" or the "Company") (NYSE: RIO) securities between March 16, 2012 and November 14, 2016, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Rio Tinto investors have until February 10, 2017 to file a lead plaintiff motion. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Rio Tinto's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Rio Tinto violated anti-corruption laws in connection with its operations with respect to the Simandou project; (2) the above-mentioned violtions would expose Rio Tinto to a heavy inspection and large fines; and (3) consequently, Rio Tinto's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.



On November 9, 2016, Rio Tinto disclosed that the Company became aware of an alleged corruption scheme involving certain of its executives making illegal payments to acquire mining rights. The Company further disclosed that it had suspended Energy & Minerals chief executive Alan Davies; and that the Company's Legal & Regulatory Affairs group executive Debra Valentine had stepped down from her role. On November 14, 2016, Bloomberg (News - Alert) News reported that the Company's CEO has expressed "shock" at the extent of the corruption scheme and disclosed that the Company had initiated an internal probe into the alleged corruption scheme. On this news, Rio Tinto's ADR price fell nearly 4% on November 15, 2016.

Days later, on November 18, 2016, Bloomberg News reported that Guinea's Mines and Geology Minister, Abdoulaye Magassouba, had requested Rio Tinto's Chief Executive Officer, Jean-Sebastian Jacques, provide more information and specifics on the internal probe concerning corruption. If you purchased Rio Tinto shares, you may move the Court no later than February 10, 2017 to request appointment as lead plaintiff. To be a member of the class you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the Class. If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Lesley Portnoy, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at http://www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170120005121/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 20, 2017] Tralongo Wraps-Up 2016 with Immense Growth and Value-Added Programs for Partners

Tralongo, LLC, a Florida-based firm specializing in dental practice acquisitions, has finished 2016 with significant growth momentum. Founded in 2013, the firm has expanded its strategic alliance partner roster to 44 doctors across 71 offices, generating $88 million in revenue. Tralongo has also launched its new education and training program, called Tralongo University, which involves an app that is designed to facilitate professional development among Tralongo's alliance partners and their staff. "2016 has been the most pivotal year for our firm thus far," said Dr. Ken Tralongo, founder of Tralongo. "We've launched a new world-class online education program with Tralongo University, completed a $55 million capital raise, seen record attendance at our brand discovery days and hired the right people to help us better serve our partners and put us the best track to achieve our growth vision." Along with growing its partner-base, the firm had some internal staff additions in 2016. The hiring of new executive members include, Chief Finance Officer Brian LaBasco and Chief Legal Officer Eric Mason, who have all factored into helping the company execute its main operational objective more efficiently.



"We've put the right people in place to guide our alliance partners and aid our company growth," said Tralongo. "They played a crucial part in our recent debt and equity financing, helping us reach our goal of $55 million in capital and putting us on track to become the most successful DSO and DPMO in the United States." Tralongo has made a name for itself by partnering with entrepreneurial dentists who are looking to grow their businesses by acquiring and operating multiple practices, taking professionals out of the chair and into management and ownership.

About Tralongo, LLC Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Tralongo, LLC, is a firm that partners with dentists throughout the United States to help them expand their practices through the acquisition of existing dental offices. With more than 90 years of combined experience in dental management, as well as dental transitions and acquisitions, the Tralongo team assists clients by finding the practices that meet their criteria, performing the due diligence, obtaining the appropriate financing and, ultimately, acquiring the office. The firm also provides clients with behind-the-scenes management support, including finance, human resources, marketing and ongoing education. For more information on Tralongo, LLC, call 678-288-4712 or visit tralongo.net. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170120005428/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 20, 2017] Merck Announces Settlement and License Agreement Resolving KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) Patent Litigation

Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), and certain of its affiliates, today announced it agreed to enter into a settlement and license agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., resolving the worldwide patent infringement litigation related to the use of an anti-PD-1 antibody for the treatment of cancer, such as KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab). Under the settlement and license agreement, the company will make a one-time payment of $625 million to Bristol-Myers Squibb and provide royalties on the worldwide sales of KEYTRUDA for a non-exclusive license to market KEYTRUDA in any market in which it is approved. For global net sales of KEYTRUDA, the company will pay Bristol-Myers Squibb royalties as follows: 6.5 percent of net sales occurring from Jan. 1, 2017 through and including Dec. 31, 2023; and

2.5 percent of net sales occurring Jan. 1, 2024 through and including Dec. 31, 2026. The parties also agreed to dismiss all claims in the relevant legal proceedings. "Today's announcement eliminates uncertainty and enables us to continue to focus on KEYTRUDA, our immuno-oncology medicine, which is already helping thousands of patients around the world and becoming a foundation for the treatment of cancer through our industry-leading clinical development program," said Kenneth C. Frazier, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. The $625 million payment will be recorded in the company's fourth-quarter and full-year 2016 results. This expense will be excluded from Merck's non-GAAP results. About Merck For more than a century, Merck has been a global health care leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increaing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.



Forward-Looking Statement of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC (News - Alert)) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov). View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170120005499/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[January 20, 2017] Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Company Enter Settlement and License Agreement with Merck to Resolve PD-1 Antibody Patent Litigation

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) and Ono Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd. today announced the companies have signed a global patent license agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) to settle all patent-infringement litigation related to Merck's PD-1 antibody Keytruda (pembrolizumab). The agreement will result in the dismissal with prejudice of all patent litigation between the companies pertaining to Keytruda. Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono, who discovered and developed the PD-1 antibody Opdivo (nivolumab), had asserted in litigation that Merck's sale of Keytruda infringed the companies' patents relating to the use of PD-1 antibodies to treat cancer in the U.S., Europe (United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain and Switzerland), Australia, and Japan. As part of the agreement, Merck will make an initial payment of $625 million to Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono. Merck is also obligated to pay ongoing royalties on global sales of Keytruda of 6.5% from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2023, and 2.5% from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2026. Under the agreement, the companies have also granted certain rights to each other under their respective patent portfolios pertaining to PD-1. The royalties will be shared between Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono in a 75/25 percent allocation, respectively. "Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono's agreement with Merck protects our scientific discoveries and validates the strong intellectual property rights we secured as the early innovators in the science of PD-1, a key mechanism in Immuno-Oncology that has proven to have transformational impact in cancer care," says Giovanni Caforio, M.D., chief executive officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb. "Today's agreement is also a good decision for patients as it supports the continuation of ongoing research and maintains access to anti-PD-1 therapies for cancer patients around the world." Opdivo is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor that is designed to uniquely harness the body's own immune system to help restore anti-tumor immune response. By harnessing the body's own immune system to fight cancer, Opdivo has become an important treatment option across multiple cancers. Opdivo was the first PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to receive regulatory approval anywhere in the world in July 2014, and currently has regulatory approval in 60 countries including the United States, Japan, and in the European Union. U.S. FDA APPROVED INDICATIONS FOR OPDIVO OPDIVO (nivolumab) as a single agent is indicated for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on progression-free survival. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) as a single agent is indicated for the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 wild-type unresectable or metastatic melanoma. OPDIVO (nivolumab), in combination with YERVOY (ipilimumab), is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on progression-free survival. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations should have disease progression on FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations prior to receiving OPDIVO. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received prior anti-angiogenic therapy. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) that has relapsed or progressed after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and post-transplantation brentuximab vedotin. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. OPDIVO (nivolumab) is indicated for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) with disease progression on or after platinum-based therapy. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WARNING: IMMUNE-MEDIATED ADVERSE REACTIONS YERVOY can result in severe and fatal immune-mediated adverse reactions. These immune-mediated reactions may involve any organ system; however, the most common severe immune-mediated adverse reactions are enterocolitis, hepatitis, dermatitis (including toxic epidermal necrolysis), neuropathy, and endocrinopathy. The majority of these immune-mediated reactions initially manifested during treatment; however, a minority occurred weeks to months after discontinuation of YERVOY. Assess patients for signs and symptoms of enterocolitis, dermatitis, neuropathy, and endocrinopathy and evaluate clinical chemistries including liver function tests (LFTs), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level, and thyroid function tests at baseline and before each dose. Permanently discontinue YERVOY and initiate systemic high-dose corticosteroid therapy for severe immune-mediated reactions. Immune-Mediated Pneumonitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated pneumonitis. Fatal cases have been reported. Monitor patients for signs with radiographic imaging and for symptoms of pneumonitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or more severe pneumonitis. Permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 and withhold until resolution for Grade 2. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, fatal cases of immune-mediated pneumonitis have occurred. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.1% (61/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 6% (25/407) of patients. In Checkmate 205 and 039, pneumonitis, including interstitial lung disease, occurred in 4.9% (13/263) of patients receiving OPDIVO. Immune-mediated pneumonitis occurred in 3.4% (9/263) of patients receiving OPDIVO: Grade 3 (n=1) and Grade 2 (n=8). Immune-Mediated Colitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated colitis. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of colitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 (of more than 5 days duration), 3, or 4 colitis. Withhold OPDIVO monotherapy for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 or recurrent colitis upon re-initiation of OPDIVO. When administered with YERVOY, withhold OPDIVO and YERVOY for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 or recurrent colitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 2.9% (58/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated colitis occurred in 26% (107/407) of patients including three fatal cases. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal (diarrhea of =7 stools above baseline, fever, ileus, peritoneal signs; Grade 3-5) immune-mediated enterocolitis occurred in 34 (7%) patients. Across all YERVOY-treated patients in that study (n=511), 5 (1%) developed intestinal perforation, 4 (0.8%) died as a result of complications, and 26 (5%) were hospitalized for severe enterocolitis. Immune-Mediated Hepatitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated hepatitis. Monitor patients for abnormal liver tests prior to and periodically during treatment. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater transaminase elevations. Withhold for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 immune-mediated hepatitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 1.8% (35/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated hepatitis occurred in 13% (51/407) of patients. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal hepatotoxicity (AST or ALT elevations >5x the ULN or total bilirubin elevations >3x the ULN; Grade 3-5) occurred in 8 (2%) patients, with fatal hepatic failure in 0.2% and hospitalization in 0.4%.



Immune-Mediated Neuropathies In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, 1 case of fatal Guillain-Barre syndrome and 1 case of severe (Grade 3) peripheral motor neuropathy were reported.

Immune-Mediated Endocrinopathies OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated hypophysitis, immune-mediated adrenal insufficiency, autoimmune thyroid disorders, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of hypophysitis, signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, thyroid function prior to and periodically during treatment, and hyperglycemia. Administer hormone replacement as clinically indicated and corticosteroids for Grade 2 or greater hypophysitis. Withhold for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 hypophysitis. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 3 or 4 adrenal insufficiency. Withhold for Grade 2 and permanently discontinue for Grade 3 or 4 adrenal insufficiency. Administer hormone-replacement therapy for hypothyroidism. Initiate medical management for control of hyperthyroidism. Withhold OPDIVO for Grade 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 hyperglycemia. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypophysitis occurred in 0.6% (12/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, hypophysitis occurred in 9% (36/407) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 1% (20/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, adrenal insufficiency occurred in 5% (21/407) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 2.7% (54/1994) of patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, hypothyroidism or thyroiditis resulting in hypothyroidism occurred in 22% (89/407) of patients. Hyperthyroidism occurred in 8% (34/407) of patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, diabetes occurred in 0.9% (17/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, diabetes occurred in 1.5% (6/407) of patients. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe to life-threatening immune-mediated endocrinopathies (requiring hospitalization, urgent medical intervention, or interfering with activities of daily living; Grade 3-4) occurred in 9 (1.8%) patients. All 9 patients had hypopituitarism, and some had additional concomitant endocrinopathies such as adrenal insufficiency, hypogonadism, and hypothyroidism. 6 of the 9 patients were hospitalized for severe endocrinopathies. Immune-Mediated Nephritis and Renal Dysfunction OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated nephritis. Monitor patients for elevated serum creatinine prior to and periodically during treatment. Administer corticosteroids for Grades 2-4 increased serum creatinine. Withhold OPDIVO for Grade 2 or 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 increased serum creatinine. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 1.2% (23/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated nephritis and renal dysfunction occurred in 2.2% (9/407) of patients. Immune-Mediated Skin Adverse Reactions and Dermatitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated rash, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), some cases with fatal outcome. Administer corticosteroids for Grade 3 or 4 rash. Withhold for Grade 3 and permanently discontinue for Grade 4 rash. For symptoms or signs of SJS or TEN, withhold OPDIVO and refer the patient for specialized care for assessment and treatment; if confirmed, permanently discontinue. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, immune-mediated rash occurred in 9% (171/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, immune-mediated rash occurred in 22.6% (92/407) of patients. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, severe, life-threatening, or fatal immune-mediated dermatitis (eg, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, or rash complicated by full thickness dermal ulceration, or necrotic, bullous, or hemorrhagic manifestations; Grade 3-5) occurred in 13 (2.5%) patients. 1 (0.2%) patient died as a result of toxic epidermal necrolysis. 1 additional patient required hospitalization for severe dermatitis. Immune-Mediated Encephalitis OPDIVO can cause immune-mediated encephalitis. Evaluation of patients with neurologic symptoms may include, but not be limited to, consultation with a neurologist, brain MRI, and lumbar puncture. Withhold OPDIVO in patients with new-onset moderate to severe neurologic signs or symptoms and evaluate to rule out other causes. If other etiologies are ruled out, administer corticosteroids and permanently discontinue OPDIVO for immune-mediated encephalitis. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, encephalitis occurred in 0.2% (3/1994) of patients. Fatal limbic encephalitis occurred in one patient after 7.2 months of exposure despite discontinuation of OPDIVO and administration of corticosteroids. Encephalitis occurred in one patient receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY (0.2%) after 1.7 months of exposure. Other Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions Based on the severity of adverse reaction, permanently discontinue or withhold treatment, administer high-dose corticosteroids, and, if appropriate, initiate hormone-replacement therapy. Across clinical trials of OPDIVO the following clinically significant immune-mediated adverse reactions occurred in <1.0% of patients receiving OPDIVO: uveitis, iritis, pancreatitis, facial and abducens nerve paresis, demyelination, polymyalgia rheumatica, autoimmune neuropathy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, hypopituitarism, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, gastritis, duodenitis, sarcoidosis, histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi lymphadenitis), myositis, myocarditis, rhabdomyolysis, motor dysfunction, vasculitis, and myasthenic syndrome. Infusion Reactions OPDIVO can cause severe infusion reactions, which have been reported in <1.0% of patients in clinical trials. Discontinue OPDIVO in patients with Grade 3 or 4 infusion reactions. Interrupt or slow the rate of infusion in patients with Grade 1 or 2. In patients receiving OPDIVO monotherapy, infusion-related reactions occurred in 6.4% (127/1994) of patients. In patients receiving OPDIVO with YERVOY, infusion-related reactions occurred in 2.5% (10/407) of patients. Complications of Allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO Complications, including fatal events, occurred in patients who received allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO. Outcomes were evaluated in 17 patients from Checkmate 205 and 039, who underwent allogeneic HSCT after discontinuing OPDIVO (15 with reduced-intensity conditioning, 2 with myeloablative conditioning). Thirty-five percent (6/17) of patients died from complications of allogeneic HSCT after OPDIVO. Five deaths occurred in the setting of severe or refractory GVHD. Grade 3 or higher acute GVHD was reported in 29% (5/17) of patients. Hyperacute GVHD was reported in 20% (n=2) of patients. A steroid-requiring febrile syndrome, without an identified infectious cause, was reported in 35% (n=6) of patients. Two cases of encephalitis were reported: Grade 3 (n=1) lymphocytic encephalitis without an identified infectious cause, and Grade 3 (n=1) suspected viral encephalitis. Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) occurred in one patient, who received reduced-intensity conditioned allogeneic HSCT and died of GVHD and multi-organ failure. Other cases of hepatic VOD after reduced-intensity conditioned allogeneic HSCT have also been reported in patients with lymphoma who received a PD-1 receptor blocking antibody before transplantation. Cases of fatal hyperacute GVHD have also been reported. These complications may occur despite intervening therapy between PD-1 blockade and allogeneic HSCT. Follow patients closely for early evidence of transplant-related complications such as hyperacute GVHD, severe (Grade 3 to 4) acute GVHD, steroid-requiring febrile syndrome, hepatic VOD, and other immune-mediated adverse reactions, and intervene promptly. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on their mechanisms of action, OPDIVO and YERVOY can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with an OPDIVO- or YERVOY- containing regimen and for at least 5 months after the last dose of OPDIVO. Lactation It is not known whether OPDIVO or YERVOY is present in human milk. Because many drugs, including antibodies, are excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from an OPDIVO-containing regimen, advise women to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment. Advise women to discontinue nursing during treatment with YERVOY and for 3 months following the final dose. Serious Adverse Reactions In Checkmate 037, serious adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=268). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 42% of patients receiving OPDIVO . The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse drug reactions reported in 2% to <5% of patients receiving OPDIVO were abdominal pain, hyponatremia, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and increased lipase. In Checkmate 066, serious adverse reactions occurred in 36% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=206). Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent Grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were gamma-glutamyltransferase increase (3.9%) and diarrhea (3.4%). In Checkmate 067, serious adverse reactions (73% and 37%), adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation (43% and 14%) or to dosing delays (55% and 28%), and Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions (72% and 44%) all occurred more frequently in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) relative to the OPDIVO arm (n=313). The most frequent (=10%) serious adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm and the OPDIVO arm, respectively, were diarrhea (13% and 2.6%), colitis (10% and 1.6%), and pyrexia (10% and 0.6%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, serious adverse reactions occurred in 46% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, dyspnea, pyrexia, pleural effusion, pneumonitis, and respiratory failure. In Checkmate 025, serious adverse reactions occurred in 47% of patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406). The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =2% of patients were acute kidney injury, pleural effusion, pneumonia, diarrhea, and hypercalcemia. In Checkmate 205 and 039, among all patients (safety population [n=263]), adverse reactions leading to discontinuation (4.2%) or to dosing delays (23%) occurred. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in =1% of patients were infusion-related reaction, pneumonia, pleural effusion, pyrexia, rash and pneumonitis. Ten patients died from causes other than disease progression, including 6 who died from complications of allogeneic HSCT. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 21% of patients in the safety population (n=263) and 27% of patients in the subset of patients evaluated for efficacy (efficacy population [n=95]). In Checkmate 141, serious adverse reactions occurred in 49% of patients receiving OPDIVO. The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of patients receiving OPDIVO were pneumonia, dyspnea, respiratory failure, respiratory tract infections, and sepsis. Common Adverse Reactions In Checkmate 037, the most common adverse reaction (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=268) was rash (21%). In Checkmate 066, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported with OPDIVO (n=206) vs dacarbazine (n=205) were fatigue (49% vs 39%), musculoskeletal pain (32% vs 25%), rash (28% vs 12%), and pruritus (23% vs 12%). In Checkmate 067, the most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO plus YERVOY arm (n=313) were fatigue (59%), rash (53%), diarrhea (52%), nausea (40%), pyrexia (37%), vomiting (28%), and dyspnea (20%). The most common (=20%) adverse reactions in the OPDIVO (n=313) arm were fatigue (53%), rash (40%), diarrhea (31%), and nausea (28%). In Checkmate 017 and 057, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=418) were fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, cough, dyspnea, and decreased appetite. In Checkmate 025, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) reported in patients receiving OPDIVO (n=406) vs everolimus (n=397) were asthenic conditions (56% vs 57%), cough (34% vs 38%), nausea (28% vs 29%), rash (28% vs 36%), dyspnea (27% vs 31%), diarrhea (25% vs 32%), constipation (23% vs 18%), decreased appetite (23% vs 30%), back pain (21% vs 16%), and arthralgia (20% vs 14%). In Checkmate 205 and 039, among all patients (safety population [n=263]) and the subset of patients in the efficacy population (n=95), respectively, the most common adverse reactions (=20%) were fatigue (32% and 43%), upper respiratory tract infection (28% and 48%), pyrexia (24% and 35%), diarrhea (23% and 30%), and cough (22% and 35%). In the subset of patients in the efficacy population (n=95), the most common adverse reactions also included rash (31%), musculoskeletal pain (27%), pruritus (25%), nausea (23%), arthralgia (21%), and peripheral neuropathy (21%). In Checkmate 141, the most common adverse reactions (=10%) in patients receiving OPDIVO were cough and dyspnea at a higher incidence than investigator's choice. In a separate Phase 3 study of YERVOY 3 mg/kg, the most common adverse reactions (=5%) in patients who received YERVOY at 3 mg/kg were fatigue (41%), diarrhea (32%), pruritus (31%), rash (29%), and colitis (8%). Checkmate Trials and Patient Populations Checkmate 067 - advanced melanoma alone or in combination with YERVOY; Checkmate 037 and 066 - advanced melanoma; Checkmate 017 - squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); Checkmate 057 - non-squamous NSCLC; Checkmate 025 - renal cell carcinoma; Checkmate 205/039 - classical Hodgkin lymphoma; Checkmate 141 - squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Please see U.S. Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed WARNING regarding immune-mediated adverse reactions, for YERVOY. Please see U.S. Full Prescribing Information for OPDIVO. About the Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Collaboration In 2011, through a collaboration agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb expanded its territorial rights to develop and commercialize Opdivo globally except in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, where Ono had retained all rights to the compound at the time. On July 2014, Ono and Bristol-Myers Squibb further expanded the companies' strategic collaboration agreement to jointly develop and commercialize multiple immunotherapies - as single agents and combination regimens - for patients with cancer in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. About Bristol-Myers Squibb Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. About Ono Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd. Ono Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., headquartered in Osaka, Japan, is an R&D-oriented pharmaceutical company committed to create innovative medicines in specific areas. It focuses especially on the oncology and diabetes areas. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.ono.co.jp/eng/index.html. Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward-Looking Statement This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Among other risks, there can be no guarantee that the settlement and license agreement will prevent any future litigation related to PD-1 antibodies or that the Company will receive all future royalties described in this release as expected. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Bristol-Myers Squibb's business, particularly those identified in the cautionary factors discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170120005582/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Lanakila Baptist Students to Rally at State Capitol

Students, parents and teachers from Lanakila Baptist School will rally in support of school choice in the islands with an organized event that coincides with National School Choice Week 2017 - the nation's largest-ever celebration of opportunity in education.

The rally will take place on Tuesday, January 24 at the Hawaii Capitol located in Honolulu. This is Lanakila Baptist's second year attending the state rally, and its fifth year participating in National School Choice Week.

Lanakila Baptist School is a Christian school serving grades Kindergarten - 12 with a student enrollment of 160.

The goal of the event is to celebrate great education choices in Hawaii and raise awareness among parents about school choice. The celebration is timed to coincide with National School Coice Week (January 22-28, 2017), which will feature more than 21,000 events across the country.







"We always love using National School Choice Week as a springboard to talk about school choice in Hawaii. We want all families to have access to more opportunity in our state," said Maria Pauley, Principal at Lanakila Baptist School.

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/20170120005654/en/
A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017

crime
Donald Trump was sworn in as the new US president. His campaign rhetoric and post-election remarks have stirred the whole world and everyone is waiting to see how he will handle his presidency.

By Santosh Chaubey: US President-elect Donald J. Trump is now the US President Donald Trump. He was sworn in this afternoon as the 45th US President, taking over from his predecessor Barack Obama. He is one of the most controversial people in the US history to move the White House because of his background and the values that he looks to espouse.

advertisement

He looks comfortable in his skin, a flamboyant but controversial businessman, be it his divisive and derogatory campaign rhetoric or his days since November 8, 2016 when he stunned not just America but the whole world by registering an impressive victory over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, former First Lady and the US Secretary of State.

His campaign rhetoric and post-election remarks have stirred the whole world and people the world over are waiting to see how he is going to handle his Presidency once he settles in the White House, because creating a mess around any of the issues that he has so casually talked or tweeted about can turn the whole world or a large section of it upside down.

Also read | Washington protests turn violent as Donald Trump assumes presidency

NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION

Donald Trump has ratcheted up war and nuclear rhetoric to newer heights. US is considered the big daddy when it comes to enforcing international non-proliferation and disarmament measures but Trump's campaign rhetoric and his post election words have instilled a fear that the world could see a renewed race for arms among the most powerful nuclear nations of the world, especially the US and Russia.

The world cannot easily forget the ominous tweet by Donald Trump post his victory in the US presidential polls where he asserted that "the United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes".

Taiwan and One China Policy

Like his victory, this signature Trump decision made the global headlines when he chose to talk to the Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen post his election victory. It was a first for any US President or President-elect to speak to the Taiwanese President since 1979 when the US had closed its embassy in Taipei and severed its diplomatic ties recognizing the Mainland China as the sole Chinese voice.

Also read | From eradicating Islamic terrorism to making America great again: 10 quotes from Trump speech

advertisement

After a growing global debate and Chinese displeasure, Trump's transition team issued clarification that it was just a courtesy call. But nothing is seen as casual or 'by-chance' in geopolitics. The rift has deepened further with Trump's recent statement that the One China Policy is open for negotiation.

Israel-Palestine

Jerusalem is contentious. Both Israelis and Palestinians consider in their capital. Though it is where Israel's power corridors are, no embassies are here but in Tel Aviv because doing so would compromise the peace process and would damage the prospects of the 'two state' solution beyond repair. Moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem has been a campaign rhetoric in the US Presidential polls. It never went beyond that.

Now, like his Taiwan move, Trump says he doesn't break promises and will move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Protests have begun against it and if Trump's designs materialize, it will force an entire region in flames again, something that even many Israelis are not in favour of, even if the Israeli leadership is encouraging it. A New York Times report writes, "It would only set off new fighting with the Palestinians as well as the rest of the Arab world, a big price tag for a symbolic change that would hardly move the ball on the broader conflict".

advertisement

ETHNIC DIVIDE

Trump's campaign and his transition team have been harsh on immigrants and minorities. He has not desisted from issuing offensive statements against immigrants including Muslims, Black Americans and racial minorities. They talked of creating a Muslim Registry to humiliate them even further. His election saw protests not just in America but in many other parts of the world. Before and after his election, Trump has made clear his intention to build a wall along the Mexican border using choicest of words for Mexican immigrants.

The world had never seen society in the US so divided, at least in decades, since the days of segregation and counterculture. Okay, there is always this division, a group chooses this, the other one goes for that, but this all is at an electoral level. What happened in the US after Donald Trump's victory is suggestive of deep fissures in the US society that Trump likes to flare up even if he talked of a united US society today - of Black, Brown and White Americans. After Trump, people are fearful of rising White supremacist tendencies in the US society.

advertisement

Also read | 'Will give power back to people': Full transcript of President Trump's inaugural speech

If things really go out of control as the scenario looks now, its repercussions would be seen across the world because US has been a cosmos of ethnicities from across the world.

TRADE WARS

The World Economic Forum's annual meeting was held in Davos from January 17 to 20. China tried to make a big presence there this time but the whole Chinese focus revolved around sending Trump a message that protectionist approach would lead to trade wars which would hurt everyone. Targetting increasing anti-globalisation, Chinese President Xi Jinping reminded Donald Trump and the world that "no one will emerge as a winner from fighting a trade war" and that China would pitch in to counter Trump's moves.

Donald Trump has threatened to create protective barriers to stop businesses and jobs moving out of the US. He has been a harsh critic of outsourcing and the US under him would potentially see a much declined numbers of professionals heading towards the US. He has vowed to impose tariff barriers to check inflow and outflow of goods in the US.

Trump's plans to go ahead with his promises took a large part of his inaugural address today. He said, "We have spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We've made other countries rich, while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon. But that is the past. And now, we are looking only to the future. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every breath in my body and I will never ever let you down".

The Trump era begins now. He is officially now the most powerful person on the Earth. Let's see where his domestic and geopolitical priorities take us. Trump says "the time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action". Indeed!

Also read | The real live updates: All the funniest tweets from Trump's inauguration

Watch the video

--- ENDS ---
Here in India, many found Trump's words in his inaugural address reminiscent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches and stances post his election victory in 2014. We take a look.

By India Today Web Desk: In a speech lasting a just under 20 minutes, the newly appointed President of the United States of America, Donald Trump largely spoke of ushering in an era of nationalism and populism.

And here in India, many found his words reminiscent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches and stances post his election victory in 2014.

Trump won because his face was Saffron. Modi power Aladdin (@Alllahdin) January 20, 2017

Forget Hindi-Cheeni bhai-bhai...Modi-Trump bhai-bhai Shailendra Sial (@ssial) January 20, 2017

advertisement

We take a look at the Modisms we noticed in Trump's inaugural address:

#1 India first

Back in 2013, while speaking to the Indian-American community in the US via a video conference, Modi defined secularism as India First. "Whatever you do, wherever you work, India should be the top priority for all its citizens,?? he said.

A little over three years later, in his first speech as US President, Donald Trump pronounced a similar narrative. "From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only America first, America first," he said.

#2 Make in India

Among various methods to realise his 'nation first' agenda, Modi as Prime Minister crusaded for two initiative in particular - Make in India and Startup India - and he managed - to a large extent - to turn the former into a nationwide mantra. "This is the best time ever to be in India. And it is even better to Make in India," he said while concluding his speech at the launch of the initiative.

Trump's speech on Friday, read a lot this one. Outlining the strategy of his government, the new US President declared, "We will follow two simple rules; buy American and hire American," to a huge round of applause.

#3 Acche din

India has won! ???? ?? ????? ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2014

Just hours after it became clear that Modi had swept the election, he addressed a crowd in Vadodara to deliver his victory speech. And he ended it with chanting his election campaign mantra - acche din aa rahe hain (good days are coming).

Similarly, the concept of 'good' days -- rather 'great days' making a comeback for America formed the bedrock for Trump's election campaign. And he didn't shy away from pontificating it in inaugural speech. "Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And yes, together we will make America great again," he proclaimed.

#Trump in the US#Modi in India Oh my! This WILL be an interesting relationship. pic.twitter.com/L8h3bLGl9A Rita Banerji (@Rita_Banerji) January 20, 2017

#4 Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas

In the same speech at Vadodara, Modi talked campaigned for inclusive growth by reaffirming BJP's "sabka saath, sabka vikas" approach. It is our responsibility to take everyone along. A government cannot be of just a few people," he said.

advertisement

A similar sentiment reverberated through Trump's inaugural speech. "... to all Americans in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words. You will never be ignored again," he said seconds before concluding his first speech as the US President.

#5 Fighting terror

The fight against terror was one of the chief talking points of Modi during his campaign trail and immediately after his election win. And clearly, the case was the same for Trump.

"We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate from the face of the Earth," he said during the inaugural.

We will completely eradicate radical Islamism from the face of the earth:Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/rsr41AXcmk ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

#6 Attacking previous governments

Throughout his 2014 campaign, Modi criticised past government -- especially the Congress government -- for caring more for its own interests than those of the country. His statements ranged from "Punish the 'Maa-Beta' government that has ruined the country," to "our mindset is nationalism, their mindset is politics is everything."

advertisement

Trump didn't shy away from criticising his predecessors either. " The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land," he said.

Trump slying Obama and the Dems at his inaugural is like #Modi trolling Congress and Gandhis in the run up to 2014. #TrumpInaugural GhoseSpot (@SandipGhose) January 20, 2017

Modi wave sweeps US :p https://t.co/aL3qWwmKhL Vidyut (@Vidyut) January 20, 2017

#7 People's government

One of the very first comments Modi made after his election victory was - "The government belongs to all the people of the country, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Kutch to Kamrup."

And the flavour of Trump's speech was pretty much the same. "Today's ceremony has very special meaning because today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington DC and giving it back to you, the people," he said.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2017

advertisement

Despite the seemingly similar stances of both leaders, many Indians believe that Modi's speech after the election victory and his swearing-in was a lot better and positive than that of Trump's inaugural address.

Some comparing Trump with Modi.Modi's inauguration tried to be hopeful, inclusive.Trump's feels like Bane talking in the crashing plane. Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) January 20, 2017

The true nature of the Trump government - and any similarities in its functioning as compared to the Modi government - will only be apparent in the days to come, however.

--- ENDS ---
Donald Trump has taken oath as the 45th President of the United States. And social media literally cannot handle it.

By Vishakha Saxena: Donald Trump has taken oath as the 45th President of the United States.

But even before the inauguration ceremony began, an out pour of some absolutely hilarious posts had already taken over social media.

It's no secret that Trump will be America's most unconventional President so far. That, coupled with controversial statements made by Trump on the campaign trail, the emergence of a tape where he can be heard boasting about sexually assaulting women and the rise of a neo-Nazi wave since his election, has a lot of people around the world on edge.

advertisement

An overwhelming number of Americans have protested his election and many of them are skeptical, scared and angry about his presidential term.

So, it's not much of a surprise that the turnout at his inaugural concert was lacklustre in comparison to Barack Obama's in 2009.

A lot of people have declared to boycott his even inauguration ceremony today -- both live and on television/radio. And it appears that they're devoting their free time, to taking hilarious shots at Trump on Twitter.

One hilarious photo particularly stood out

Soon to be ex-First Lady.Parting gift.Yeah, she's not pleased. pic.twitter.com/cpbhAtmLkW ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) January 20, 2017

When youre handed more than you can handle. #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/P4WDtsEXOP Quartz (@qz) January 20, 2017

US Warlord Donald Trump poses for inaugural photo with First Lady Ivanka Trump and unknown idiot. pic.twitter.com/YLJhmJag3U DPRK News Service (@DPRK_News) January 20, 2017

And then there were some others

TRUMP: But I don't wanna goooo OBAMA: Well you should've thought of that before, young man. Get in the car. pic.twitter.com/7Vq1bJkIR4 Hannah Cranston (@HannahCranston) January 20, 2017

No surprises here, but kompromat references were made

do you think trump mentioned the hotel to obama as they drove past it Philip Bump (@pbump) January 20, 2017

SECRET SERVICE: Sir, you're president now, you need to hand over your phone. TRUMP: K, one sec... pic.twitter.com/LldrlZnHfG Andrew W Chamings (@AndrewChamings) January 20, 2017

And nuclear code references

Text from President Trump: "I GOT THE NUCLEAR CODES, I GOT THE NUCLEAR CODES! WHOOP! BOOYA!" Oh Christ. #Inaugurationday Elizabeth Windsor (@Queen_UK) January 20, 2017

And people were generally feeling morbid

this looks like a picture from a funeralpic.twitter.com/48Rg3Pno0e Faizal Khamisa (@SNFaizalKhamisa) January 20, 2017

I've seen enough movies to know a choir of schoolchildren singing ominously is NOT a good sign #InaugurationDay Jesse Ayer (@GLOHeadcase) January 20, 2017

When you're next in on a greentop and you've scored three ducks in a row: pic.twitter.com/FQK4SKV7MH Alt Cricket (@AltCricket) January 20, 2017

Guess #Inauguration is sufficient evidence that humans will never invent time travel else someone would have come back to stop this. ??? Nigel Britto (@NigelBritto) January 20, 2017

advertisement

Several pop culture references fit right in

Melania Trump look like she gunna go try and win the tri-wizard tournament pic.twitter.com/NQ8XaCibVq Bradley (@bradley_fox) January 20, 2017

Building the Death Star will create hundreds of thousands of jobs pic.twitter.com/7PfApP0sw2 Darth Vader (@DepressedDarth) January 20, 2017

I just felt a disturbance in The Force... Vipin Narang (@NarangVipin) January 20, 2017

live from DC pic.twitter.com/D5QIodPe4G BuzzFeed India (@BuzzFeedIndia) January 20, 2017

Concerns were raised about Trump's impending policies

All these prayers, Jesus is up in heaven thinking "wtf, shut up and just give my people healthcare you hypocrites" #InaugurationDay Calvin Holgate (@Cr_Holgate) January 20, 2017

goodnight Obamagoodnight moongoodnight legally unrestricted womb Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) January 20, 2017

And people were all like Michelle-Hillary

Hillary Clinton should push Donald Trump aside, put her hand on the Bible and take the oath of office. #InaugurationDay Andrew Kurtser (@andrewkurtser) January 20, 2017

But hey, no matter what people tweet... commander-in-chief Trump has become a reality.

advertisement

via GIPHY

--- ENDS ---
Japandroids had actually broken up when their debut album Post Nothing started to gain recognition through a mixture of blogs and word-of-mouth. They figured they should take advantage, so they reformed and started touring, while working on their second album  the critically-acclaimed beast Celebration Rock.

That second album came out in 2012, and since then they have toured the world, received almost universal adulation, and written and recorded their third album, Near To the Wild Heart Of Life  which you can now listen, over at NPR. Its been a long while coming, but its well worth the wait; and at a tight 36 minutes, too  these guys know how to get in, do the work, and get back out again.

The record is out officially on January 27, by which point youll no doubt know all the lyrics.
Wanderers have kick-started their year with brand new track Loco, a breezy blues-rock number that steadily builds into a raunchy, soulful jam.

The track serves as the opening track from the Adelaide outfits upcoming EP Something For Distraction, and the second single released so far, following on from the mid-2016 drop In Your Fire and its killer throwback video.

You may know the rootsy trio by their former moniker Wasted Wanderers, but 2017 sees them ditching the alliteration as they continue to develop their signature groove. Having spent much of 2016 honing their craft on the live stage, they were well-prepped when it came time to head into the studio, and theres a definite confidence in their craft to be heard on this one.

With a fistful of tracks tucked into their belts theyll be hitting the road for a national tour throughout March and April, so if this is your flavour of jam be sure to check out the dates below.

Wanderers National Tour

March 9th  Rodneys Bait N Tackle, Mosman Park WA

March 10th  Four5Nine, Perth WA (supporting  tix $10 on the door)

March 11th  Settlers Tavern, Margaret River WA

March 23rd  Sonnys, Brisbane QLD

March 24th  Miami Marketta, Miami QLD

March 26th  Triffid Americana, Brisbane QLD

April 6th  Moonshine, Manly NSW

April 7th  The Junkyard, Maitland NSW

April 8th  The Stag & Hunter, Newcastle NSW

April 22nd  Silver Raven Festival, Tanunda SA (tickets here)

April 27th  30th  (Victorian venues TBA)

Saturday May 13 th  Jive, Adelaide (tickets here)
public

Of the top five corporations in Missouri that receive corporate welfare money, THREE are headquartered in Kansas City: Cerner, H&R Block, and DST Systems. They account for $2.3 billion in subsidies, about 40 percent of Missouris total.

Discussion in the culture war often turns to the topic of "entitlement" in order to talk negatively about poor people, minorities or millennials and hipsters but a recent study confirms that it's big business earningsubsidy of their profits and laying claim to a great deal of taxpayer cash in Kansas City.Checkit:Money line . . .It's an important study and guide revealing how Kansas City continues to sink further into debt at the hands of an irresponsible ruling class.You decide . . .
OVERWHELMING POPULAR VOTE ELECTION VICTORY IN BOTH MISSOURI AND KANSAS









This week's Pitch cover takes the publication back to its glory days when it was nothing more than an afterthought, hobbist rag only read by a handful of undesirables in order to get concert info . . . The good times continue with an amateurish cartoon and even worse column lamenting political reality.Additionally,. And now it's news FACT.Check the roundup of the protest in Kansas City streets right now.It's worth considering that there's no significant counter demonstration or defense of President Trump despite his. . .Here's protest "news" after our TKC discussion . . .You decide . . .
FIRST ON TKC . . . JACKSON COUNTY JAIL LADY DEATH PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON EXEC FRANK WHITE!!!

Another sketchy death at the Jackson County jail

Jackson County sends its sincere condolences to the family for the loss of their loved one.









We've confirmed this with a few Jackson County Insiders and now that story is starting to make waves with newsies . . .Here's an important political perspective on the tragedy . . .All of this morning, the Frank White administration is working in all-out overdrive to keep the details of another questionable death in the county jail from reaching the public and the media. Late last night a female was brought into the jail on a relatively minor violation. She was telling the staff she DESPERATELY needed medical attention was constantly ignored (this staff conduct is totally inexplicable because there is medical staff ON SITE that could have simply went and checked on her, rather than ignore her). When the administration went to check on her this morning, voila, she was dead.This is another in a LONG line of Frank White f$#% ups at the jail in the year he's been in office: Hushed up homicide suspect escapes,multiple rapes, assaults, sketchy deaths, sheriff and fed search warrants that uncovered loads drugs of other contraband recently smuggled into the jail, CELL DOORS THAT DON"T LOCK, and on and on. Look for lazy gamey STAR, and the MSM to continue to ignore one of the biggest stories unfolding in local government: How the INCOMPETENCE of the Frank White administration is LITERALLY killing people in our community. But hey, back in '85 he sure could range to his left and get that ball............########In fairness, here's the statement from the County that contradicts testimony from insiders by way of a statement fromAt approximately 10 a.m., on Jan. 19, an individual was brought to the Detention Center by the Jackson County Sheriffs Office for holding pursuant to an active arrest warrant related to an alleged probation violation. In accordance with our procedures, the individual was screened by a medical professional upon arrival to our facility. While the individual was still being held in our intake unit, and before the individual was processed into our facility as an inmate, they were again seen by medical staff. It is at this point that the individual became unresponsive. Paramedics were immediately called and lifesaving measures, including CPR and the use of an AED device, were rendered by our medical staff until paramedics arrived. In consultation with emergency medicine personnel at Truman Medical Centers, the individual was pronounced dead a short time later. The Jackson County Sheriffs Office was notified and responded to our facility.We will not be identifying the individual at this time, to allow law enforcement an opportunity to notify the individuals family.################Developing . . .
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 20 (PTI) The US foreign policy under President Donald Trump would put "America first" and would be based on the principle of "peace through strength," the White House said today, hinting at massive military expansion under the new administration to maintain "unquestioned" US military dominance.

"Peace through strength will be at the center of that foreign policy. This principle will make possible a stable, more peaceful world with less conflict and more common ground," the White House said, releasing the broad contours of its foreign policy under the Trump administration, soon after the real-estate tycoon was sworn-in as the 45th US President.

advertisement

Identifying defeating ISIS and other radical Islamic terror groups as its "highest priority," the White House said that to defeat and destroy these groups, the US will pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations when necessary.

The Trump administration will work with international partners to cut off funding for terrorist groups, to expand intelligence sharing, and to engage in cyberwarfare to disrupt and disable propaganda and recruiting, said the White House, revealing its policy which could bring India and the US more closer.

India has been a victim of terror.

Trump in his address to the Indian-American community in October had referred to this and said the two countries need to work together in fighting terrorism in particular radical Islamic terrorism.

The White House said the US will rebuild the American military.

"Our Navy has shrunk from more than 500 ships in 1991 to 275 in 2016. Our Air Force is roughly one third smaller than in 1991. President Trump is committed to reversing this trend, because he knows that our military dominance must be unquestioned," it said.

In pursuing a foreign policy based on American interests, the Trump administration will embrace diplomacy, it said.

"The world must know that we do not go abroad in search of enemies, that we are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies," it said.

"The world will be more peaceful and more prosperous with a stronger and more respected America," the White House said.

The White House said in addition to rejecting and reworking failed trade deals, the US will crack down on those nations that violate trade agreements and harm American workers in the process. PTI LKJ SUA SUA

--- ENDS ---
The Greek railways subsidiary ERGOSE and the international section of the Russias RZD railways on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding for joint projects to be undertaken in Greece

The Greek railways subsidiary ERGOSE and the international section of the Russias RZD railways on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding for joint projects to be undertaken in Greece, Russia and third countries where the two companies are already active or may become active in the future. The agreement was signed in Moscow, in the presence of Greek Infrastructure and Transport Minister Christos Spirtzis.

The Greek minister visited Moscow at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Maksim Sokolov, following their meeting in Athens last November. Spirtzis was accompanied by ERGOSE CEO Athanasios Vourdas and had meetings with Sokolov and the RZD Vice-President Alexander Misharin.

The two delegations also reviewed bilateral relations in the transport sector, with emphasis on railways due to the possibility of prospective investments, while agreeing that close and systematic cooperation between the two sides yields mutually beneficial results.

The memorandum signed on Friday relates to activities linked to the management of projects, construction of railway infrastructure, consultancy services and cargo centre services on a bilateral and international level.

During his visit, Spirtzis was shown around the RZD facilities and took a trip on a high-speed train and the Moscow metro.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos on Friday met with the mayors of the five eastern Aegean islands worst affected by the refugee and migrant crisis

European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos on Friday met with the mayors of the five eastern Aegean islands worst affected by the refugee and migrant crisis, at the offices of the European Parliament in Athens. They discussed the options for a rapid improvement of the situation on the islands in the eastern Aegean as a result of refugee flows.

The mayors of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros said the meeting was constructive and noted the need to quickly decongest the islands ahead of the tourism season, especially of the more vulnerable groups and the delinquent elements that create insecurity among island inhabitants. They also requested a social and economic growth programme to offset the damages the islands have suffered due to the migration flows.

Avramopoulos noted that the recent harsh weather highlighted some shortcomings and asked the UN High Commission for Refugees to immediately install the winterised accommodation that has already been financed by the European Commission.

He also asked for coordinators on the islands to take up their duties "without delay" and work with local authorities, while discussing all possible initiatives for supporting the islands, including financial support measures, with the Greek government.

Handling the migration crisis was a European and national challenge that superseded party differences, Avramopoulos said, noting that the EU-Turkey Statement on migration must be observed and accelerated. He also invited the five mayors to visit Brussels next month.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
You can opt out of certain types of cookies (e.g. those used in social media sharing) by choosing "I do not accept". The website will still largely function well, but with slightly less functionality in places. To manage your cookie preferences in future, visit the "Cookie Statement" link at the bottom of any page.
The tourism industry in Cambodia is slowly rising but the cost of touring this country can still be considered reasonably and pleasantly low. We present this travel hacks for budget travelers and show you how you can tour Cambodia on a US$ 50 Per Day Budget!

Accommodations

Accommodation in Cambodia varies in the range of US$ 3.5 to US$ 27. But if you are a budget traveler, Cambodia's hostels offer accommodations costing US$ 3.5 per night. The private rooms in the hostels or guest houses are in the range of US$5 to US$ 10 per night based on where you are in the country.

If you want to be more comfortable, you'll have to shell out US$15 to $US 20 for a room with aircon, TV, and other amenities. Airbnb prices starts at US$ 10 per night but if you want to rent the whole apartment, the cost can reach up to US$ 27

Food

Food sold by the street vendors costs about US$ 1 to $US 2 per meal. If you fancy a local restaurant, it would cost you about US$ 3 to US$ 5 compared to a typical western meal that costs around US$ 5 to US$ 15. But if you're staying for about a week, we suggest that you buy groceries and own cook and pack your own meals for a weekly budget of US$ 20 to US$ 25 per week.

Transportation

You can rent Tuk-tuks (a three-wheeled taxi pulled by a motorcycle) for US$ 15 to US$ 20 per day for your daily commute. Your hostel can probably negotiate for you so that you can pay a lower cost. If you want to take a trip across the country, the bus rides would cost you around US$ 10 to $ US$ 13 per person.

Summing Up Your Budget

Factor in the attraction sites you're planning to visit, your daily budget should not be more than US$ 50. A visit to Cambodia's tourist attractions, such as Ankor Wat, would cost you around US$ 20 for the entrance fee. Include the bus rides at maximum cost ($US 13), food (packed lunch or not) and hostel room (US$ 3.5 per day), you can tour Cambodia at less than US$ 50 per day!

With a bloody past, Cambodia doesn't always come first in the minds of tourists who are planning a vacation. While we can't argue about the country's history, the current situation in Cambodia today has definitely changed. We hope you enjoyed our tips on how to tour Cambodia on US$ 50 per day budget. For more travel hacks for budget travelers, visit our website!

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
When it comes to choosing one of the best locations in Southeast Asia, a lot of outsiders are beginning to appreciate the growing appeal of Vietnam. But anyone who has yet to be traveling in Vietnam might often mistake Hanoi with Ho Chi Minh (and vis-a-vis). To some extent, these two cities are often interchangeable when an unfamiliar person tries to guess which one is the capital.

There are some clear reasons why tourists visit Ho Chi Minh. These are the following incentives:

The Bigger City

One of the reasons why people would visit Ho Chi Minh is that it is poising itself as a fledgling concrete jungle. The largest city in Vietnam has great potential just like other colossal Southeast Asian cities like Davao (Philippines), Johor (Malaysia), and Bandung (Indonesia).

Exhilaration

Ho Chi Minh is a chaotic city. Despite the relative danger traffic poses on pedestrians, the adventurous of spirit cannot help but be drawn to its exuberant atmosphere. Case in point: Vietnam's very own Chinatown.

Nightlife Wonders

One of the best reasons to be in Ho Chi Minh City is for their nightlife. It is pretty much emulating other sleepless mega-cities like New York (USA) and Tokyo (Japan). The best time to be around in Ho Chi Minh is during night time; with shopping and dining out is a priority.

On the other hand, there are others who would choose Hanoi when traveling in Vietnam. These are the following reasons:

The Older City

Hanoi is one of the several places in the country that still bears a strong resemblance to its multi-cultural past. Their well-preserved Old Quarter, replete with French colonial architecture, is one of the best locations in Southeast Asia for historical buffs.

Sophistication

The people who visit Hanoi often sense an overwhelming sense of class not often found in other cities. Being the seat of the country's cultural identity has its own advantages.

Daytime Pleasures

As Vietnam's beacon of refinement, anyone who visit Hanoi often winds up exploring museums and art galleries, if not dining and sipping light beverages at any of the city's fine cafes. Daytime exploration in Hanoi never goes out of fashion.

Finally, for the $35 question: Which one is Vietnam's capital? It's Hanoi!

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Vietnam is quickly becoming a travel destination hub because of its tourist destinations. This travel hack for budget travelers will show you how you can slay your vacation in Vietnam on less than US$ 60 per day budget.

Accommodations

Before you head out for this trip, we just that you remember to look for these phrases or signs: "Nha Tro" or "Nha Phong." These phrases literally mean boarding house. If you're looking for a cheap accommodation you can spend the night, look for these signs since signage in English are rare in Vietnam.

For less than $US 2 per night, you'll have your own bed and a separate bathroom: perfect for solo budget travelers. However, if you want a more comfortable berth, there are hostels and hotels around the country that costs around $US 8 to US$ 50.

Food

If you are tight on your budget, you can have a meal in Vietnam for less than a dollar. A full western breakfast can cost you about US$ 2.5 but then you'll be missing out on the opportunity to sample the local cuisines for three means meals while spending no more than $US 6 dollars per day!

Transportation

Tourists find it surprisingly nice that the public transportation system in Vietnam relatively inexpensive. From the airports located in major cities within the country to the efficient railway system; to the bus transportation system to metered taxis, getting around Vietnam is relatively easy. The range of transportation cost in Vietnam varies from US$ 0.06 to $US 36 all depending on which mode of transportation you prefer and the distance from one place to another.

Tourist Destinations

The Water Puppet Show in Hanoi costs is a must see and it costs around $US 7. You can book a tour on Hoa Lu and Tam Coc for less than US$ 20 and spend US$ 12 marveling the architecture in the Imperial City of Hue. Also, you can explore Hue and Hoi An, via the Hai Van Pass by booking a Motorcycle Tour for $US 36. Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site, My Son Sanctuary for US$ 20.

Summing Up Your Daily Budget

All in all, you can have a day's worth of adventure for under 60 bucks. The majority of your expenses are going to the tourist sites you're about to visit and the transportation costs. All in all, $US 60 a day for an awesome experience is well worth it for budget travelers.

Important Points To Remember

Master the art of haggling. Tourists must always remember to negotiate prices by cutting the prices in half until you settle to a more agreeable price.

Touring this beautiful country on a budget of less than US$ 60 per day is something you can treasure all your life. And yes, with the really low trip expenses, you can bring home a lot of treasures home. Did we miss something? Tell us and join the conversation.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
By Press Trust of India: From Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jan 19 (PTI) Donald Trumps inaugural address is going to be a "very personal" and sincere statement about his vision for the US, the President-elects spokesman said today, hours before the historic swearing-in ceremony for the real-estate tycoon here tomorrow noon.

"The (inaugural) speech is going to be a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country," the incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters at a news conference.

advertisement

"He will discuss what it means to be an American, the challenges that we face as members of the middle class. Hell talk about infrastructure and education, our manufacturing base. I think its going to be less of an agenda and more of a philosophical document," he said.

As per tradition, Trump, 70, would be sworn-in as the 45th President of the United States exactly at 12 noon Friday. He would replace Barack Obama as the President of the US.

It is after eight years that the Republican Party has captured the White House.

Immediately after his inauguration, Trump would deliver his address to the nation. According to some media reports, it is expected to last 20 minutes.

Spicer said Trump is still working on the text of his speech.

It will be about his "vision of where he sees the country, the proper role of government and the role of citizens," Spicer told reporters. PTI LKJ SUA SUA

--- ENDS ---
The world as we know today may be wrapped in our modern way of living, but some remnants of the planet's ancient civilizations still exist today. Around the world, ruins, temples, and other historic sites are still open for any history-curious traveler to see.

Are you one of those people? If so, here are some of the places you should visit at least once in your life to quench your historic curiosity:

Rock Fortress, Sri Lanka. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rock Fortress is one of the most iconic historical sites in the world. It is located between the towns of Dambulla and Habarane, and every year, tourists and history buffs mingle to witness the majestic fortress built by King Kasyapa during the 5th century. If you're into grand, abandoned historic palaces, then this is the place for you.

Machu Picchu, Peru. Located 7000 m above the sea level in the Andes plateau, Machu Picchu is one of the most popular historical sites in the world. Known as "The Lost Cities of The Incas", travelers can trek and follow the Inca trail and gaze upon the marvelous ancient engineering of the Incas. Their city of stone, it was built between 1300 and 1500 AD, yet no wheels or modern tools were used to build this ancient, majestic city.

Mayan Ruins, Mexico. The Mayan Ruins aren't confined to just one site, they are scattered all over Central America! If you want to get as much as historical tours as you want in one place, then you should visit the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, where sites such as Chetumal, Calakmul, and Becan are located. In these sites you can find temple pyramids as old as 3000 years old!

Egypt. Notice that I haven't written a specific place to go to Egypt, because the whole country itself is a historical site. One of the most famous ancient civilizations in the world, they were around even before the biblical times! You will never tire of the amount of the ancient Egyptian sites still standing today, so if you want to take a glimpse of the lavish life of Ancient Egypt, then top sites to visit are The Pyramids of Giza, The Sphinx, The Temple of Horus and the Valley Of Kings.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
The 2nd month of the year is coming close, and all the high from the winter holidays is now officially over. But fret not because during February, there are tons of places you must take advantage of so you can enjoy them to the very best.

What are the best places to travel during February? Here are some of them:

Venice. If you're up for a Venice-themed street party then February is the month you should go. For three weeks, party with the locals in St. Mark's Square, wear flamboyant masks and ball gowns and dance at the Doge's ball, and experience the life as a royalty during the Victorian Era.

Tasmania. If you want a dose of heat and nature then visit the beautiful island of Tasmania in Australia. Its lush, green environment and bountiful rain forests are a perfect escape from the hubbub of the city. Perfect weather, green meadows, friendly local animals-what more could you ask for? If you want to start your 2017 travel during February, then Tasmania is a good place to start.

Bahamas. White-sand beaches and surreal tropical life always come to mind when anyone says Bahamas. Now really popular for a quick fix of ocean air and Vitamin D, plan your trip around February so you won't have to worry about populous crowds on the beach. At night, mingle with the locals and share life stories while sipping delicious tropical cocktails.

Norway. If you still can't get enough of the cold, winter breeze and the feeling of snow in your feet, then Norway is the most ideal place to go. During February, you can get a high chance of viewing the Northern Lights, and still wrap yourself in the spirit of "koselig" (a Norwegian term for enjoying the cold while drinking hot drinks and cuddling in the fireplace).

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Australia's indigenous community puts on a long, sad face on the government when it failed to promote genuine Aboriginal products to tourists. Travelers often buy these keepsakes believing the sellers to be offering authentic Aboriginal products, but it's often the other way around.

Chief Executive of Indigenous Art Code Gabrielle Sullivan told ABC Net that, "These items are extremely popular ... marketed as traditional rainmaking instruments from far north Queensland - [but they're] bamboo, made in Indonesia." Sullivan has been probing sellers if whether they are marketing genuine products.

An astonishingly 80 percent of marketers in Australia was found out to be selling fake items. Sullivan and her team discovered thousands of arts and crafts that has the Aboriginal signature style to it but learned that it was created from different countries - China, Indonesia and even India.

The group, Indigenous Art Code, calls for action for the government to amend laws making fake souvenirs illegal. Under the present acts however of the Australian Competition and Consumer (ACCC) law, it is not illegal to sell fake Aboriginal souvenir items as long it is labeled that it was not made in Australia to avoid misleading tourists.

This issue has been a headache to Aboriginal groups in Australia for decades and up 'til now, there are no big steps in the improvement of this lot. Manager of the Girringun Art Centre Valerie Keenan said, "Each cultural group has their own cultural stories and their own ownership of designs and patterns and stories."

"It's a kind of imitation art which undermines the artist's ability to express the real story. What you are seeing is just a mish mash of something that people think, 'oh that's Aboriginal art', but ultimately it isn't particularly good art."

Advocates would like to see major changes in the industry before the Common Wealth Games in the Gold Cost where there will be an arrival of tourists. ABC also reported that the Australian government would continue to improve the present state of its indigenous people and would work together with the Indigenous Art Code and the ACCC.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
With the recent boom of the travel industry, lesser-known destinations are being discovered today. In essence, Portugal's breathtaking islands of Azores receive quite an attention for being as "Hawaii of the Atlantic." It's nine mysterious lands are truly fantastical, lost in the deep seas along its mountain hinges the untouched place will make a satisfying mark for any traveler.

According to the Telegraph, the volcanic similarity of Hawaii and Azores makes the two comparable although their own classic beauties can hold a candle with each other. Notably, the latter is more rugged and wild!

Supposedly, no one who hears about its picturesque landscapes, dazzling blue-emerald waters, and stunning towns can stop from adding it to their bucket list. The new booming tourist site is a really must-see secret Atlantic getaway!

In addition, Popsugar shares interesting reasons why Europe's very own Hawaii should immediately be listed in many travelers' vacation plans. First thing, Azores' nine islands can surely bring any camera to use. Each of them brings different views from the highest point to cosmopolitan life; they are just simply great for any photo op.

Next, adventurous vacationers will really enjoy traipsing down and up the muscular lands of the place. Surely, the stunning meeting of land and water will keep any hiker to his ultimate mission of reaching the top.

For those wondering how to get in this place, the Guardian generously shared how to do it. Accordingly, Azores can be reached solely by the budget-friendly airlines of easyJet and Ryanair, they will be landing in Sao Miguel which is the most notable Azorean urbane city. From there easy accommodation and lodging sites are open for many tourists, then guides and tours can also be arranged in the island.

In all, the timeless beauty of Europe's Azores Islands can really be the next Hawaii in the making. Surely, it will only take a while for it to happen in this Portugal's paradise.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
How far would you take your love for cats? One couple has decided to build a village just for Turkey's feline friends in order to further protect them.

Mehmet and Mujgan Orhan founded the animal welfare group of Street Animals Protection Association and have set up a cat village in Antalya. Mehmet sold his car to raise some money for the cat village to be realized.

"I sold my old car to raise some money to build the village. We have volunteers coming from other cities. We are also promoting our project through social media," Mehmet told Daily Sabah.

The couple lived in Istanbul before watching the Turkish comedy film, Mandra Filozofu, and got inspired to leave the city and embrace nature. They had help with volunteers in putting up houses for the cats.

The cat wonderland has at least 15 small houses and bigger ones for the cats to live while a separate area was designated for veterinarians. These houses were designed to withstand harsh weather conditions and were placed with heaters if the cold was too much.

Water is available to the kitties in the form of a natural spring by the village. Street cats are taken to the village for proper care so that they can have ample food and treatment.

Other amenities the cats enjoyed are the toys and hammocks they play and sleep with. Wooden steps and benches are also provided for the cat's pleasure.

At the moment, the village houses 100 cats. On weekends and special days, local and foreign visitors went down to the cat village to hang out with their little fur friends, making now and ever a popular tourist attraction.

While others have put up cat homes and cat cafes, Antalya's cat village put love into the next level by not only creating homes for the feline population but rather raises awareness in their health and care.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Busy streets and an ocean of people are usually the things you would see in Hong Kong. However, 25 km outside of the city is the Sai Kung district where people would get a glimpse of the so-called "Ghost Island."The mystery and history about this haunted island will be revealed.

According to About Travel, the island of Yim Tin Tsai was once home for northern China migrants called the Hakka. The migrants settled in this island and built salt pans as their source of livelihood which in turn gave the island its name. The name Yim Tin Tsai actually means "Little Salt Pan."

However, as year pass by, Vietnamese and Chinese competitors in the same industry gave the locals of Yim Tin Tsai a hard time which eventually shut down their salt pans. A lot of the residents turned to different sources of livelihood like fishing, farming, and husbandry.

BBC reported that the place is actually a thriving village back in the 1940s and had a population of about 500-1,200 people. But the lack of schools along with the declining livelihood opportunities in the island caused most of the families to leave the island.

One of the last remaining residents of the island started to leave during the 1990s which in turn left the island a desolate and empty place. Homes started to deteriorate while plants and weeds started to flourish turning the island into a ghost town.

But the place still has some historical significance and most people still think that it's part of Hong Kong's history that should be remembered. In fact, it's actually an attraction and it offers some places which tourists can visit.

According to Travel in Sai Kung, St. Joseph's Chapel is one attraction on the island. It's design and architecture is just simple but the historical significance when Christianity was introduced in the island is the attraction.

For adventurous and thrill-seeking travelers, Hong Kong's Ghost Island might be the place to satisfy your travel cravings. It's a unique experience that you'll never forget.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
There are a number of reasons that motivate tourists to travel in Vatican City. The Holy See is a place for inspiration and salvation. But like every sacred place on earth, the best vacation is a combination of good local cuisine, a peaceful private reflection and memorable highlights worth treasuring.

Eat 'Out' Heartily

It is probably not good to travel inside the Holy See with an empty stomach. Fortunately, there are an almost exhaustible number of cafes and past bistros to choose from 'just right outside' the Vatican City. The nearest ones from the Vatican Museum include the Angrypig (11:00 AM to 9:00 PM), Fa-bio (8:30 AM to 5:30 PM) and Ristorante dei Musei (9:00 AM to 6:00 PM).

Pray EVERYWHERE

One of the foremost reasons that motivated people to travel in Vatican City is the experience of a prestigious Sabbatical. To some extent, a spiritual journey in Vatican is similar to the Muslim hajj in Mecca in terms of significance. Looking for a prayer site in Vatican City is like looking for a tree in a vast forest.

If learning is an act of faith, one can visit the Vatican Museum and witness how faith inspired some of the best works of art in human history. Since everywhere inside the Holy See seems like a consecrated area, visitors must always take note of the strict rules of 'modest fashion.'

Love To See The Pope?

Speaking of a spiritual journey in Vatican, none of it would ever be as good as the experience of seeing the man occupying the highest hierarchy of the Roman Catholic ministry. Pope Francis I regularly hosts a Papal Audience every Wednesday at the St. Peter's Squares during the midday.

It is important for visitors to be able to arrive at the place by 8:00 AM for a closer viewing seat. Booking a ticket online many days before is the best way to prepare for this exciting pilgrimage. However, anyone can always buy tickets for a non-reserved attendance at the Bronze Doors of the Swiss Guards the day before the visit.

For Catholics, seeing the pope within their lifetime is a profound religious experience. For non-Catholics (and even atheist), seeing Pope Francis I is akin to seeing a very powerful celebrity. Either way, it is a journey worth sharing to friends and loved ones.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
The robotic race is on! Little by little human labor is now being replaced by convenient machines. Now, these so called robots have invaded the delivery business. Starship Technologies announced that they will be conducting a series of commercial trials in California and Washington DC.

Starship Technologies will be working with DoorDash in Redwood City, California and Postmates in Washington DC for the commercial trials of their ground-based delivery robots as reported by The Verge. Americans from the mentioned cities will soon be able to receive foods or goods delivered by six-wheeled semi-autonomous robot in the coming weeks within a four mile diameter in each city.

Customers of DoorDash and Postmates within the service area will have an option to select the adorable robots as their delivery option when they take the order in their respective apps. There will no additional fee for the robot deliveries and will be charged with the usual delivery fee. As soon as the delivery is placed, customers will receive a notification that their delivery is on its way.

This is not the first venture of Starship Technologies in ground -based robotic deliveries. They have already conducted successful trials in United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland with the cooperation of big name companies such as Just Eat, Hermes, Metro Group and Pronto.co.uk as reported in their official website, Starship.xyz. The robots have been a huge success driving 5,000 mile and interacting with 400,000 persons without a single accident.

The robots are capable of carrying up to 20 pounds of cargo and reaching to speed of up to 4 miles per hour. The robot can navigate independently while being monitored by human operators in control centers to make sure everything is good. They will typically stick to sidewalks and customers can track the delivery on the map. They will also receive notification if the delivery arrive which commonly takes between 15-30 minutes.

The delivery robot is also equipped with several safety features to protect the cargo from being swiped while travelling. A custom link will be sent to customers that will serve as the password for the cargo hatch to open. Other features include cameras, GPS tracking, built-in alarms and two way radios.

According to Henry Harris-Burland, Marketing and Communications Manager for Starship, the trips will not be fully autonomous yet. Though they have been mapping the cities for months, there are still streets and side-walks that need to be mapped. Harris-Burland explained that the commercial trials will employ a mix of semi -autonomy and human control with Starship employees behind the wheel of every robot if needed.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
When it comes to exploring Mayan culture, the best places recommended for tourists are Oaxaca and Tulum. According to US News Travel, the two locations compete in the top 10 destinations in Mexico. Although both may share the one cultural heritage, this is where the similarities end.

Between two of the top 10 destinations in Mexico, there are certain reasons why Oaxaca landed number 1. These are the things that motivate tourists to be here:

Idyllic Mexican Highland

When people think of mountains, it is easy to imagine horrific trails leading up to the summit. Curiously, people who would visit Oaxaca would correct that imagination. Although this scenic indigenous city lies at 5,000 feet above sea level, most of the terrain (especially around the Mayan ruins) is flat and verdant.

Wholesome & Colorful

Another reason travelers would love to visit Oaxaca is because it is one of the few tourist spots in Mexico where men and women never walk 'almost half-naked' in public. Oaxaca is too cold to walk around in flimsy bathing suits. That doesn't mean this city has a boring taste. In fact, local inhabitants have colorful wardrobes, artworks, and personalities.

Oaxaca: Culinary Perfection!

Speaking of taste, this city has a growing reputation for cooking Mexico's finest fares. It did not earn the moniker 'Mexico's food capital' by accident.

Although it only won second place, this coastal paradise is still well-received by many tourists. Here are the reasons why travelers would visit Tulum:

Eco Tourist Threshold

Apart from exploring Mayan culture, the coastal town is a doorway to an ecological paradise that green trekkers would covet. Just south of Tulum lies the San Ka'an Biosphere Reserve - a UNESCO World Heritage Site that happens to be the largest protected zone in the Caribbean.

The Non-overrated Beach Life

Unlike Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Tulum is not (yet) polluted by the frequency of mass tourist visitation. The jungles around Tulum often discourage visitors who are used to the comforts of urban infrastructure.

Budget-friendly Accommodations

Lastly, people love to visit Tulum because the town's 'hotel zone' always offers accommodations for all broad budget categories. These shelters are anything from small hammock posts to nifty internet-linked bungalows.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
There is a social unrest happening right now in Gambia. Thomas Cook will fly approximately 1,000 UK customers out of the Gambia after a change in Foreign Office advice was released.

Recently, Gambia has become a political battleground subsequent to last month's presidential elections. Incumbent leader Yahya Jammeh is reluctant to hand over power to the presidential election winner, Adama Barrow. The UK Foreign Office (FCO) is now advising travelers not to travel to the Gambia mentioning the current worsening political situation and the high possibility of military intervention.

On January 17, Jammeh declared a 90-day state of emergency in the country. This is his latest among series of attempts to retain power which is two days prior to his due to leave office. The outgoing Gambia leader in a televised announcement noted that he was declaring the state of emergency to prevent power vacuum and constitutional crisis. He added that he has instructed security forces to maintain absolute law and order as well as peace in Gambia.

The Guardian reported that thousands of Gambians have reportedly left the country in fear of the worsening situation. A Gambian immigration official was quoted saying that people left Gambia in fear of an impending war.

In line with these, Thomas Cook is implementing their contingency plan to bring home all 985 UK travelers they have on a holiday in the Gambia home. Earlier, the company canceled all flights to Gambia until January 20. Moreover, they will have four additional flights, are calling out around 2,500 flight-only customers in the Gambia, and give them the options of early flights back to the UK.

The latest news about Gambia reports that the Mauritanian president, Mohamed Abdul Aziz, flew into the country for last-minute negotiations on January 18, he left Gambia without Jammeh on board. The Guardian reported that on the morning of January 19, Gambia was a dissonantly quiet country. Businesses were closed and Gambians are nowhere in the streets as well as the usual tourists while Adama Barrow sworn in Senegal as the Gambia's new president.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna

London, Jan 20 (PTI) Demonstrators across the UK are mobilising to register their protest against Donald Trump as he takes over the mantle of US presidency from Barack Obama.

A banner reading Build bridges not walls was draped across Londons iconic Tower Bridge by protesters who also held up signs saying Act Now.

advertisement

At Westminster Bridge near the House of Parliament, protesters draped banners saying Migrants welcome here and Migration is older than language.

A total of 10 bridges in the British capital werethe scene of protests, which referenced Trumps much-hyped plans to build a wall with Mexico.

Other cities across the UK are also holding similar Bridges Not Walls protests.

The actions are part of a global protest, with the Bridges Not Walls movement declaring, "Today were dropping banners off bridges around the world, pledging hope for the future and to take a stand against the rise of the far right."

"We wont let the politics of hate peddled by the likes of Donald Trump take hold," the group said in a statement.

A major womens march is planned in London and other parts of the UK tomorrow along with many other countries to register their protest against Trumps controversial sexist remarks that emerged during his election campaign.

The UKs Stand Up To Racism group is also set to hold a protest outside the US embassy in London, with similar events planned at consulates and American centres in Swansea, Wales, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, among other parts of Britain.

The Stand Up To Trump protests are also backed by a number of British MPs. PTI AK ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.
By Press Trust of India: Govt sources

New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) It was for the UK and Mauritius to reach an "amicable" solution on the Diego Garcia Island dispute, government sources said today and asserted that the same was conveyed to the British Foreign Secretary during his talks with senior officials here recently.

The sources also suggested that the issue did not come up during British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnsons meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as was being projected by some reports.

advertisement

"There have been media reports that the visiting British Foreign Secretary raised the issue of Diego Garcia during his meetings in Delhi on January 18. The issue did come up in his discussions with senior officials.

"India made it clear that it has a long-standing and principled position on this subject. We also conveyed that it is for Britain and Mauritius to reach an amicable solution on this matter bilaterally," they said.

According to reports, Johnson, who was in India on three- day visit and attended "Raisina Dialogue" on January 18, had raised the issue with Modi and had sought Indian assistance in resolving current tensions between the UK, the US and Mauritius over the future of the American military base Diego Garcia.

One of the Chagos islands in the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia was leased by Britain to the US for the military base two years before Mauritius got independence in 1968. After initially denying that the islands were inhabited, British officials forcibly expelled approximately 2,000 Mauritians living in Chagos to make way for the American base.

The lease expired recently, but has been renewed by London until December 20, 2036, much to the chagrin of Mauritius, which has threatened to take Britain to the International Court of Justice to resolve the dispute. PTI PYK SC

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: Jammu, Jan 20 (PTI) The Opposition today staged a walkout from Legislative Council accusing Jammu and Kashmir Science and Technology Minister Sajjad Gani Lone of providing unsatisfactory answers on solar power production and schemes in the state.

Congress member Naresh Kumar Gupta, who had raised a question related to solar power in the Upper House, contested the figures given by Lone and said the information was not correct and sought a clarification.

advertisement

Replying to Guptas questions, the Minister said under Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Energy, the state, by the end of the next financial year, aimed at achieving 54 MW, and 450 MW in the next four years.

However, he said no project for solar energy has been processed under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode so far.

Lone said the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) has distributed 33,574 Solar Home Lighting Systems (SHLS) and 1,800 Solar Street Lighting Systems (SLLs) in the state in past three years against a target of 44,483 SHLs and 2,408 SSLs.

He said distribution of balance SHLs and SSLs is in progress.

Gupta challenged these figures and sought clarification.

The House witnessed verbal arguments between the Minister and the Congress member, following which the entire Opposition stood up and demanded a reply.

Unsatisfied by the reply, they staged a walkout.

The Minister said the procedure for distribution of SHLs is to cover all the households of unelectrified villages/ hamlets that have been cleared by the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) for basic lighting system under RVE Programme.

The department has distributed 224 SSLs and 1,573 SHLs in Bhaderwah-Bhallessa constituency against a total target of 274 SSLs and 2,132 SHLs fixed for Doda district, he informed.

NC Legislators Bashir Ahmad Veeri and Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo raised supplementary questions to the main question. PTI ABANB TIR

--- ENDS ---
Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, January 20

Even as delegates from 29 foreign countries were present at the inauguration of the two-day Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) here today, no representative from the Union Cabinet turned up to take part in the high- profile event.

The BGBS was held twice before and on both occasions Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was present. BGBS 2016 was attended by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu also besides Jaitley.

But this time, with relationship between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Central government touching a new low over the arrest of the two Trinamool Congress MPs Sudip Bandopadhyay and Tapas Paul by the CBI over a chit fund scam, Jaitley decided to give the event a miss.

Banerjee, who has positioned herself as the strongest adversary of the ban on high-currency notes by the Central government, did not forget to touch upon the demonetisation issue in her speech.

Demonetisation has slowed down the economy. Industrialists are not able to make cash payments. It has hit MSME industries, small traders and especially farmers hard, Banerjee said, making President Pranab Mukherjee and West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi, who were present at the dais, visibly uncomfortable.

Banerjee appealed to the captains of industry to set up units in the state. She said the state had a land bank of 5,000 acres earmarked for industries. The area is gateway of eastern north-eastern states besides being close to Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China, Banerjee said.
Vijay C Roy

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

After facing the brunt of demonetisation on the sale of winter wear, the hosiery industry and knitters in Ludhiana said it will also affect the sales during summer season. The industrialists said they had received 40% less orders this year from retailers.

The manufacturers said the retailers were conservative in placing orders and it was affecting their production. They said lower consumer spending had hit the domestic demand for apparels and other end-products of textile industry and as a result they were cautious and operating at 60-70% of the installed capacity for summer apparels. The manufacturers begin production of summer wear in November.

We start production for summer apparels in November. Out of total output, around 70% is produced on retailers order while the remaining 30% is inventory build on our calculations. Having suffered loss in retailing winter wears, the retailers are cautious in placing fresh orders. As compared to last year, the industry is witnessing around 40% decline in orders by the retailers. Considering the present scenario, even the manufacturers are producing around 40-50% less products so that inventories dont pile up, said, Bhushan Jain, managing director, Vallabh Fabriks Ltd.

Perturbed over cash crunch, the retailers had started the sale season early this year, which hit their bottom lines. Since there margins have already been affected, the retailers are apprehensive in procuring summer wears.

Ajit Lakra, president, Ludhiana Knitters Association, said, The knitters start manufacturing summer wear in November and their production is at peak in December. However, this year, due to cash crunch, many manufacturers in Ludhiana are operating at 60-70% of their capacity.

The manufacturers added that the winter-wear inventory pile-up with the retailers had deferred their purchases and had also resulted in stretched payments.

This, in turn, affected the cash flow of the textile industry and impacted the demand for the entire value-chain. Since the textile retailers faced the immediate impact, the apparel manufacturers and other intermediaries in the value chain are also facing the heat now with the reduction in orders due to slower offtake of the channel inventory.
Tribune News Service & PTI

New Delhi, January 20

RBI Governor Urjit Patel today told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament that the demonetisation exercise will benefit the economy and though there have been initial problems, the central bank is trying to overcome them.

Patel along with other senior officials of the RBI appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for oral evidence on Review of Monetary Policy.

Sources said Patel told the committee that demonetisation will be for the betterment of the economy in the long run and though there have been initial problems, the central bank is trying to overcome them.

The RBI informed the PAC that it was working on a mechanism to bring down transaction cost on online payments. It is learnt that Patel said cash flow position has largely improved in the country. However, there were some problems in remote rural areas and members were assured that the situation would improve in the next couple of weeks.

To questions on impact of demonetisation on growth, Patel said there may be impact in the short run, but in mid and long term the move is beneficial for the economy.

Sources said members were told by RBI that a mechanism was being discussed with stakeholders, including banks and payment gateways, to bring down the cost of transactions in tandem with the governments initiative to promote digital payments.

Members of the panel asked several questions on demonetisation from the RBI Governor, who has been given 15 days time to respond to the queries.

PAC Chairman KV Thomas said the Committee will call officials from the Finance Ministry for evidence on February 10. He said the RBI Governor could be called again if required after February 10.

Among the questions on demonetisation posed to the RBI Governor included who initiated demonetisation, how much money has come back to the banks, the problems being faced by NRIs in returning the scrapped Rs 500 and 1,000 notes and the problems being faced with Nepal on the currency issue, and on these issues, sources said the RBI Governor sought time.

The sources said the RBI Governor did not give reply to many questions on the demonetisation. The sources pointed out that on demonetisation, the RBI Governor had already given replies in writing to 200 questions posed by the PAC members.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

To celebrate the 68th Republic Day, LG Electronics India will contribute a certain amount on every LG product sold till January 26, towards the National Defence Fund, which is dedicated to the welfare of soldiers. The company today launched an initiative  #KarSalaam  dedicated to Indian soldiers.

Surinder Sachdeva, Regional Business Head- Punjab, LG Electronics India, said, We salute the spirit of our soldiers who valiantly give up their life to protect the country but hardly find an opportunity to reach out to them. Therefore, we took this initiative to bring together the citizens of India to express their gratitude to our soldiersAs a small token of our effort to salute the spirit of India, LG will contribute a certain amount to the National Defence Fund and our citizens wishes would be shared with the soldiers.

The company will reach out to citizens through radio, on ground and digital communication to capture the wishes of the citizens of India for the soldiers. The company also plans to invite people through social media platforms.
Moeed Yusuf

THE Indo-US strategic partnership has been a source of constant tension in Pak-US ties in recent years. The US has pursued de-hyphenation ie dealing with Islamabad and New Delhi relatively independently of each other. Central to this has been its hands-off approach on contentious Pak-India issues.

Donald Trump has excited the Pakistani policy space by hinting at his willingness to reconsider the US line. Pakistani officials in touch with Washington have been trying to determine if Trump will actually consider a more proactive effort to improve Pak-India ties.

While theres no definitive answer, one can point to factors that will influence the Trump White Houses final policy. President Obamas experience is a starting point. Candidate Obama was explicit in promising a regional approach to South Asia during the 2008 campaign. His reasoning confirmed an appreciation of the link between Pak-India tensions and their fallout on Afghanistan: to solve Afghanistan, one needs improvement on the Pak-India front. India shot down his idea and US policy recoiled to its de-hyphenation default.

The Trump administration will confront the same set of challenges  and more. First, the Washington policy establishment is even more solidly committed to opposing US involvement in Pak-India issues than it was eight years ago. I have challenged the wisdom of this stance given that it contradicts US interest in South Asia. But few accept the proposition. Still, some in Pakistan hope that the Trump team may be less worried about defying Washingtons establishment. Perhaps. But a new administration with multiple policy positions seemingly at odds with this establishment would have to pick its battles carefully. Non-priorities like Pak-India may be ones to sacrifice.

Second, Trumps position on China will complicate things. If Sino-US competition accentuates, India will be even more important as a counterweight to Beijing. Indias leverage over the US would increase, and it will demand that Washington put Pak-India back in cold storage. Pakistans backing of China would strengthen Indias case.

Third, Afghanistan will influence Washingtons approach. A tougher US line on the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network is on the cards. Pakistans likely resistance to fresh US demands to do more would imply added tensions in ties, creating more space for critical voices in Washington to oppose US engagement on Pak-India issues.

Fourth, Pakistan continues to be its own worst enemy. The states policies on anti-India militant outfits cant win it any champions. The world cannot be expected to reach but the most sceptical conclusion when it sees leaders of anti-India outfits floating around freely and when it finds the Pakistani state trying to avoid sincerely prosecuting those charged with committing terrorism in India. Perhaps nothing has aided Indias global push to isolate Pakistan more than the latters mishandling of the Mumbai trials.

Finally, any US leader must ask: what is the probability of success? Washingtons bureaucracy is hesitant to put the US president out on such issues without a real possibility of success. The prognosis for Kashmir is anything but. Indeed, it is no coincidence that while Pakistans position articulates the need for US involvement, it explains little on how this would lead to a realistic resolution. Even the most committed Trump White House wont want to set itself up to fail.

What could change this calculus? Indias management of its ties with the US is a factor to watch. New Delhi could damage its case by refusing to play counterweight to China. India has been hanging in the balance on the issue but that may not be good enough for Washington going forward, especially if Sino-US tensions heat up. Second, Prime Minister Modi has been presenting the US stance on his efforts to isolate Pakistan as a litmus test of US sincerity to Indo-US ties. If he overplays his hand, Washington may push back, and find more space to invest in trying to improve Pak-India ties.

Also, if Sino-US ties do not sour under Trump, the two sides can cooperate in the Af-Pak-India theatre. Both want a stable Afghanistan and Pakistan, absence of Pak-India crises (if not improved ties between the two), and economic integration in South Asia. Theoretically, they could coordinate a policy aimed at incentivising a change in policy attitudes regionally. The US could take the lead in convincing India and Afghanistan while China could work with Pakistan to achieve a transformed regional architecture.

That said, no one is likely to go to bat for Pakistan in Washington unless there is a discernible change in the formers approach towards anti-India and anti-Afghan militancy.

By arrangement with Dawn
Pritam Singh

While our planet earth is increasingly facing the danger of global warming, a person who enters the most powerful political office in the world says that global warming is a hoax and a conspiracy hatched by China to hurt US industrys competitiveness. Donald Trump had gone even further than this when during his election campaign he had vowed that he would take the USA out of the Paris Climate Pact and end US funding for UN initiatives to control climate change. Apart from all the other risks associated with the Trump agenda to push the US towards isolationism in economic and political policies, sabotaging global climate negotiations would be the most dangerous policy shift because the biggest threat humanity faces today is from global warming.

Not only is 2016 the hottest year ever recorded, it is the third year in a row to record the highest temperature. Both 2015 and 2014 were earlier reported to be the hottest. According to NASA, 2006 is the warmest year since the records available with them from 1880 onwards. Scientists from both NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US have reported that global surface temperatures were nearly 1C warmer in 2016 than the mid-20th century average. There are small differences in the other estimates. The UK Met Office's national weather service, has reported that 2016 was 0.77 above the long term rate and one of the two warmest years on record. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which integrates temperature data from a range of different sources, agrees that 2016 broke the previous annual temperature rise record. Additionally, when 2016 is included, 15 of the 16 warmest years on record have been since 2001. According to the NOAA, the only year from the last century to be included in the top 16th warmest years is 1998 which was the seventh warmest ever.

The 1C or near 1C rise in global temperature is an important number to understand the risks associated with it. There is a worldwide scientific consensus that if the average global temperature rises by 2C in comparison with the pre-industrial period, we would enter a period of irreversible environmental changes. Therefore, all previous global climate negotiations have emphasised the need to aim at controlling the global temperature below 2C. In fact, the Paris Climate Pact went even further and put below 1.5C as the more desirable target to achieve because some of the coastal regions in the world face threat even with 1.5C degree increase. While the global consensus moves towards more strict targets in controlling climate change, Trumps climate change denials threaten to undo the limited progress made so far. The statement by Nikky Hailey, who is Donald Trumps choice as US Ambassador to the UN, that the UN does more harm than good is a reflection of the anti-internationalist and isolationist ideological stance that is encouraged by Trumps declaration of taking the US out of internationally agreed pacts. Reducing greenhouse gases emissions, which is central to controlling global warming, is not possible without internationally agreed and enforced targets, and the strengthening of the UN role in reaching international agreements is of critical importance even if the UN has not lived up to its expectations in many arenas of global conflict.

Reducing fossil fuel use (i.e. oil, gas and coal) is central to decarbonising economies and, thus, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Trump has not only vowed to increase the use of coal but has chosen Scott Pruitt to head the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) knowing very well that the past career of Scott Pruitt has been one of bitter clash with the EPAs efforts to introduce regulatory measures to control pollution and reduce gas emissions. In particular, Scott Pruitt had waged a war against Gina McCarthy who headed the EPA during the Obama regime and was the chief architect of President Obamas climate change policies. She played a key role in bringing the Clean Air Act, one of the key environmental initiatives of the Obama regime. Scott Pruitt was a critic of the Clean Air Act as it clashed with the economic interests of the fossil fuel industry and Mr Pruitt was an attorney general of oil-rich Oklahoma, and was so widely known as the defender of the fossil fuel industry that one green group 350.org had mockingly described him as a fossil fuel industry puppet.

Trumps anti-environmental stances have encouraged the climate change denial tendencies that have always existed in the Republican Party. The main saving grace is that the scientific community is united on the position that human actions mainly in the form of fossil fuel use are primarily responsible for greenhouse emissions and global warming. It will not be easy to completely oppose science even for Trump. More importantly, the economic and technological changes that are taking place are making renewable energy resources such as solar and wind energy cheaper than fossil fuel-based energy. These economic changes are likely to put a section of the American business class also in opposition to Trumps pro-fossil fuel initiatives. More than anything else, it will be the scale of political opposition mobilised by persons like Bernie Sanders supported by environmental campaigners and action groups, and hopefully by a substantial if not whole of the Democratic Party that would be the most decisive factor in checking Trumps flawed thinking and policies. Given his isolationist thinking, he is unlikely to be influenced by other countries or international organisations such as the UN and the Paris climate pact. It will be mainly the domestic opposition -- scientific, environmental, business and political-- that can stop Trump from undermining climate change negotiations and agreements that are so vital to protect the planet earth.





The writer is Professor of Economics at Oxford Brookes University, UK
S Nihal Singh

ITS symbolism was devastating: the replacement of the familiar image of Mahatma Gandhi at the charkha in the traditional calendar and diaries of the main khadi institution by PM Narendra Modi. What was intended to be left unsaid was made explicit by the Haryana Minister in the BJP government, Anil Vij. He declared that Modi was a better brand than Gandhi, forced though he was to withdraw his remarks under pressure from an embarrassed BJP.

This was undoubtedly Modis biggest misstep in the domestic arena in his first three years in office. Having hogged space in the political arena and in social media, the Prime Minister has done himself no service to proclaim that he has arrived, to rub shoulders with one revered as the Father of the Nation.

Assuming that the change in the calendar would not have been made without a nod from the Prime Ministers office, it was a disastrous decision because it proclaimed Modis narcissism and desire to distinguish himself from other politicians across the political board. This comes after he has disregarded the convention that apart from a symbolic speech, the holder of the highest political office in the land does not get into campaigning for his or her party in Assembly elections.

As we have seen in the past and continue to witness in campaigning for Uttar Pradesh and Punjab elections, Modi is the star campaigner lusty in his castigation of the Opposition and his party men are not shy in seeking votes for state Assemblies in his name. His persona is writ large in his election speeches, typically suggesting that the Opposition wants to remove Modi while he wants to remove black money.

Modi has made two major mistakes in running his administration. In addition to wearing the crown of the Mahatma, his one mistake in foreign policy was to persist in seeking membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group after China made it clear in private and publicly that it would block it. Beijing administered a clear snub by vetoing the move. Indeed, it is a mystery why Modi decided to declare a losing hand, rather than waiting to fight another day. This is not to denigrate the Prime Ministers astute foreign policy moves in wooing former US president Barack Obama or making a dash to Lahore to greet Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif.

However, Modis calendar move is of far greater import politically because he is in danger of living in a bubble glorifying his own prominence and the reverential tones his party men are adopting in referring to him are building an aura of invincibility. The Mahatma never held public office although he was the guiding spirit of the Independence movement in which the BJPs mentor, RSS, played an ambiguous role.

In realpolitik terms, by transposing his picture for the Mahatmas, Modi has peaked too early. Granted, he is thus far the unchallenged and tallest leader of the BJP, but the danger lurking in the background is his propensity to take major decisions alone.

Take the demonetisation issue. The new man in charge at the Reserve Bank, Mr Arjit Patel, is suggesting that the demonetisation move was months in the making. If so, why was no homewok done on the urgent steps required to fill the gap after the old notes were withdrawn? The tussle with the judiciary establishment is another facet of the governments desire to control as many levers of power as it can.

Is Modi then leading the country to a virtual president form of government? The Prime Minister appears uncomfortable with the parliamentary system, spending little time in participating in the cut and thrust of debate, unlike his predecessors. Indeed, his metier seems to be one-way communication  through tweets and Facebook  because there is no scope for hostile questioning.

The question to ask today is: where Modis caravan will go in the remaining term of his office. If he does not believe in the Oscar Wildean adage of nothing succeeds like excess, he must trim his sails as he reaches out for a second term. It is all very well to present the countrys problems as a contest between the rich and the poor, but there is a limit determined by credibility to how far you can reduce everything to this simplistic code. Bashing the Opposition parties as dens of the rich is likely to prove unproductive. In his armoury are the double-edged demonetisation issue for its boldness and of course the surgical strikes on Pakistan.

The tipping point in Modis three years of rule at the Centre has arrived inadvertently. But it is a warning signal that there are treasured institutions that cannot be denigrated. Granted that Modi is the big chief, but even big chiefs have to respect icons of the age. There cannot be a substitute for the Mahatma.

A presidential system is beyond the horizon of the next general election in 2019 and even when we arrive at that point there is bound to be stiff resistance to the idea. The framers of our Constitution had good reasons to opt for the parliamentary system because of the diversity of the nation. Indira Gandhis experiment with the Emergency showed the weaknesses of an over-centralised system of governance, apart from the very repugnance of the regime.

What remains to be determined is how far Modi will seek to buttress his own powers even before he can change the parliamentary to a presidential system. The Prime Minister is capable of staking positions that involve risks such as the demonetisation measure. The danger, of course, is that he is so convinced of his own infallibility that he can overreach himself.

The outcome of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections is important not only for the BJP, but also for Modis own political future. He is banking on his magic touch by failing to name a chief ministerial candidate. It is Modi all the way.
A unique resolution promising a dignified return of Kashmiri migrants to the Valley  the first of its kind  has been passed in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly expressing the collective will of the House. It is heartening that all parties jointly undertook this mission which had been eluding the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and Muslims for the past 27 years. They were forced to leave the troubled Valley as militancy targeted the non-Muslims as well as India sympathisers. The resolution was proposed by National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and adopted by voice vote by representatives of all major parties  the NC, the Congress, the PDP and the BJP.

Whenever in power after 1996 these parties have been unable to restore peace despite making high-pitched declarations of rehabilitating the migrants in the land of their ancestors. It was not just a coincidence that whenever there was a serious talk or move to facilitate the return of Pandits to the Valley, the community suffered reprisals from militants. Since the security situation was not conducive for their return, the resettlement plans were abandoned midway and a satellite colony was instead built in Jammu. The relief amount was also enhanced to keep them wherever they had relocated. Since the security situation has still not improved, the resolution is just an expression of good intentions of the House. Its implementation is a challenge. The trust of the pre-militancy era has got eroded. The locals realise the migrants' return means greater competition in the job market. The composite ethos that once governed inter-community relations have been replaced by an us-versus-they narrative.

The Valley has shown that whenever trouble erupts all political groups join the anti-Delhi chorus and the real issues get lost in the din. In 2016 Kashmiri migrants were not accepted even in transit camps. Warnings were issued against their segregation from the majority community. That itself posed a problem. The leadership of the migrants too does not have any definitive plan of their return. The spirit of the assembly resolution is appreciable but the fear persists that it might turn out to be yet another illusion.
Had it not been for the judiciary and a persistent media, the Haryana state machinery would by now have swept the Murthal rape case under the carpet. For about a year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has been prodding the government and shaming it into following the letter of the law in this case. The hearing on Wednesday was no different. The court was once again forced to emphasise its perception that the rape allegation was not without basis and the government was bound to trace and book the culprits. It also had to remind the Khattar government not to shelter behind the plea that there were no reliable witnesses or culprits.

The court has been repeatedly calling the Haryana administration's bluff, even asking it if it had adopted a new CrPC? The state's concerted attempt to avoid taking action is completely incomprehensible. It could not be a misplaced sense of protesting the state's izzat. The entire country had seen the complete paralysis of the state machinery for 10 days. This is actually a poor advertisement for a government that promises an ideal society but could not keep its premier highway trouble-free. Either the Haryana Chief Minister is not in full control of the administration or there is a deliberate effort to put the past behind and let the "boys" go scot free.

The Haryana government is now stating that while it does not rule out rape, molestation had definitely taken place. But it still maintains there are no witnesses or culprits. The High Court is unwilling to let the trial court proceed till investigations take the right path. Its earlier hearings had also put the Special Investigating Team (SIT) into the dock for inventing its own investigation procedure. It is too much to expect speedy action against arsonists and trouble-makers in other incidents of violence. But this is different. The next hearing is a week away and the Haryana Government is under a huge moral obligation to get to the bottom of the heinous crime against unwary women whose only fault was to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Some 9,00,000 people, both Trump backers and opponents, are expected to flood Washington for Friday's inauguration ceremony, according to organizers' estimates.

Police and security officials have pledged repeatedly to guarantee protesters' constitutional rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.

By Reuters: Washington turned into a virtual fortress on Thursday ahead of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration, while thousands of people took to the streets of New York to express their displeasure with his coming administration.

Some 9,00,000 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 US Capitol and a parade to the White House along streets thronged with spectators.

advertisement

The number of planned protests and rallies this year is far above what has been typical at recent presidential inaugurations, with some 30 permits granted in Washington for anti-Trump rallies and sympathy protests planned in cities from Boston to Los Angeles, and abroad in cities including London and Sydney.

PRO-TRUMP, CON-TRUMP

The night before the inauguration, thousands of people turned out in New York for a rally at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, and then marched a few blocks from the Trump Tower where the businessman lives.

The rally featured a lineup of politicians, activists and celebrities including Mayor Bill de Blasio and actor Alec Baldwin, who trotted out the Trump parody on "Saturday Night Live."

Also read: Trump pledges to 'unify' Americans and make America great again

Also read: Those trying to defame Trump are worse than prostitutes: Putin

"Donald Trump may control Washington, but we control our destiny as Americans," de Blasio said. "We don't fear the future. We think the future is bright, if the people's voices are heard."

In Washington, 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.

US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said police aimed to keep groups separate, using tactics similar to those 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.

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.

Also read: Martin Luther King's daughter says 'God can triumph over Trump'

advertisement

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.

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 (8 square km) of central Washington.

Also read: Reality TV show contestant sues Donald Trump for denying sexual assault

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.Also read: Trump: I don't like tweeting, need it to 'counteract dishonest press'

Police and security officials have pledged repeatedly to guarantee protesters' constitutional rights to free speech and peaceful 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.

advertisement

"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.

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.

Forecast rain may also dampen the turnout, though security officials lifted an earlier ban on umbrellas, saying small umbrellas would be permitted.

Watch the video here

--- ENDS ---
Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, January 20

BJP and Congress councillors pulled up municipal corporation officials today on the issue of corruption and agents active connivance during the General House in the conference hall of the Mini-Secretariat.

Mayor Suresh Verma chaired the meeting. Veena Hooda, MC Commissioner, along with all officials, was present. It was held 14 months after the last meeting.

The meeting witnessed uproarious scenes when BJP councillors Harish Sharma, Jai Kumar and Lokesh Nagru raised voice against corruption and agents being active in the MC in connivance with officials.

The councillors alleged that no file, especially those of no-objection certificate (NOC) for commercial purposes and house tax, had been passed without interference of commission agents active in the MC.

If anyone went directly to the MC officials or any staff member, the file would not be cleared at any cost, they alleged.

Harish Sharma threw a file requiring NOC on the floor in the meeting hall. A person had submitted his file six month back and deposited Rs 12.5 lakh as fee for NOC three months back, but his file was not approved yet, he alleged.

Jai Kumar disclosed some names of agents active in the corporation. One person whose name was announced was sitting in the hall and he opposed the councillor.

The MC Commissioner ordered the police to shunt him out. All councillors of the the BJP and Congress joined hands on the issue of corruption and demanded an inquiry.

Around 50 agenda items were passed by the House, including 20 proposed development works. The agenda of merging Haryana Urban Development Authority sectors into areas under the corporation was passed by the House today.

The House passed a proposal that the development charge for unauthorised colonies of Rs 1,000 per square yard should be reduced to Rs 125 per square yard.

They also passed the proposal that registration of plots should be open and development charge should be collected at the time of registration.
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.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

The Akhil Bhartiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS) today announced to oppose the BJP in the Assembly elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Sore over the state governments alleged failure to honour commitments made to Jats when they ended their agitation on February 22, the Samitis national president Yashpal Malik also announced to resume dharnas in 19 districts of the state from January 29.

The Jat agitation in February last year had ended up with death of 30 persons, damage to public and private properties worth thousands of crores and ignominious rape of women commuters near Murthal on NH-1.

Malik alleged, The government had assured to give reservation to Jats, withdraw criminal cases and release Jat youths lodged in jails, provide compensation and free medical treatment of those injured during the stir and action against officials guilty of excesses. Though the government paid compensation to the kin of those killed, no other commitment has been honoured so far.

He said Jats were willing to wait for reservation since the matter was sub judice, but they want all the other demands to be accepted immediately.

Whatever happened in February last year was an accident and not a criminal activity. When the government can forget and forgive those who kill security forces in Jammu and Kashmir there was no reason for adopting a different yardstick for Jats in Haryana, Malik reasoned.

He said Jats will start dharnas in rural areas of 19 districts of Haryana except Panchkula, Mewat and Gurgaon from January 29, till their demands were met.

Malik said the Samiti would oppose the BJP during Assembly polls in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, though he clarified Jats would not support any particular political party.

Karnail Singh Bhawra, president of the Punjab unit of the ABJASS, said they would appeal to Jats and Jat Sikhs to vote for candidates who can defeat Akali Dal  BJP contestants.
Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chambi (Dharamsala), Jan 20

Union Minister for Finance Arun Jaitley attacked Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for the cases registered against him. Without naming the Chief Minister, Jaitley said that he had not seen more established case of corruption as was going on against the leader of the state.

The cases against him were registered in 2011 during the stint of the previous BJP government in power but it could not be pursued due to political pressure. Now that the NDA government was in power at the Centre, it had allowed the investigating agencies to work on these without any pressure, Jaitley said.

The Union minister was addressing a rally of booth level workers of the BJP termed as Tridev Rally (symbolizing three workers from each booth) from Kangra parliamentary constituency.

Former CM and BJP MP from Kangra Shanta Kumar and Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal said that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singhs declaration of Dharamsala as the second capital was likely to remain as announcement as many of his earlier announcements made in different parts of the state.

Jaitley justified the demonetization move of the union government. He said that due to demonetization the entire black money in the country had become accounted for. He also warned the people who had deposited their black money in banks.

He said that Mauritius, Cyprus and Singapore were three tax heavens through which Indian black money was routed back into the country. The present government had scrapped the agreements that gave tax heaven status to the said three countries.

The Modi government had come with a resolve to rectify a system generated by Congress in its 60-year rule of the country in which the poor were getting poorer and rich richer by black money.

Speaking on the occasion, senior BJP leaders termed Chief Ministers declaration of Dharamsala as winter capital of the state as a mere political rhetoric. Dhumal said that the announcement of the Chief Minister regarding Dharamsala as winter capital was Gopar Sangh (Only fictional talk). Virbhadra Singh had been making announcements all over the state which cannot be implemented.

During the stint of the present Congress government Shimla had deteriorated as state capital. As many as 32 persons were killed in Shimla due to jaundice and thousands fell ill. Now the people of capital are reeling due to heavy snowfall. The present government had remained unable to maintain one capital but was talking of making another capital, Dhumal said.

He further said that the present government had not been able to implement various schemes given by the union government for Himachal. The special category status for Himachal was abolished by the previous UPA government and had been restored by the present NDA government. The share of the state in Central taxes for Himachal has been increased 32 per cent to 42 per cent.

Dhumal also alleged that there was infighting in the Congress and ministers are alleging that they were not allowed to go on stage in public rallies.

Shanta Kumar said that the way announcements were being made in the state, it had become a joke. One should not wonder if Mandi was declared the third capital of the state.

Praising Jaitley and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for demonetization, Shanta said that it was a historic step. Corruption had become deep rooted during the Congress rule. Bankers connived with black money hoarders to help them convert the currency. He also alleged that the state government was taking benefits of the union government schemes. Shanta Kumar demanded that the union government should formulate schemes for promotion of tourism in Dhauladhar valley of Kangra. Chamba was one of the most backward districts of the state. It was very rich in limestone deposits that warrant installation of a cement plant. The union government should help set up a cement plant in Chamba. This would help improve the economy of local people, he said.

Shanta Kumar also criticized the state government for failing to give its share in Smart City scheme due to which the scheme had failed to take off. He claimed that the state government till date had given just Rs 20 lakh for the Smart City project of Dharamsala.

Satpal Satti, state president of the BJP, said that the Chief Minister had termed the BJP chargesheet as a piece of trash. However, the BJP would take this chargesheet to the booth level after which the people of the state would throw the present Congress government in trash in the next Assembly elections.

Satti said that the difference of votes between the winning and losing party in Himachal elections was just four per cent. In the last elections BJP got 38 percent votes which the congress got 40 percent. He urged the booth level workers to work hard for the next elections.

Ram Lal, party in charge for Himachal, said that the entire credit for victory of the BJP should be given to the booth level workers.
Tribune News Service

Solan, January 20

The Solan Municipal Committee (MC) may soon get a stretch of 2,367 sq m of defence land at the old bus stand by exchanging about 2,400 sq mt of its land at the Kather bypass with the defence authorities. This will pave the way for the construction of new parking lots for taxis and local buses besides a shopping complex.

A meeting to work out its nitty-gritty was convened today by Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kanwar where Col Omvir Pawar represented the defence authorities. Executive Officer, local MC, BR Negi; ADM Sandip Negi and revenue officials were also present on the occasion.

The officials also visited the site and inspected various crucial issues, including location of the new sentry gate on the Kather bypass. A meeting will now be convened with the officials of the national highways on Monday. Since a large portion of the bypass was slated to be included in the ongoing four-laning work, it will be ensured that the location of the sentry gate did not fell in the purview of the four-laning.

The MC had earlier constructed a road to facilitate the movement of Army vehicles into their area. The movement of heavy Army vehicles from the busy Mall Road often created peril both for the Army as well as civilians.
Vikram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 20

The Legislative Council today passed the resolution for the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley after it was passed by the Assembly on Thursday.

Minister for Education and senior Peoples Democratic Party leader Naeem Akhter, while favouring the resolution for the return of Pandits, said it would be a great step towards restoring the composite culture of Kashmir. He welcomed back Pandits to their home and hearth in a dignified and respectable manner.

Akhter, while speaking in the Upper House over the motion moved by National Conference MLC Bashir Veeri, said there had been long-drawn debates over the situation in the Valley which unfortunately had led to misconceptions and erosion of the composite culture.

The Valley had witnessed the death of culture and now it is our responsibility to give it a fillip by opening our arms, door and windows to our brethren who have suffered an unfortunate migration, the minister said.

He said Kashmir was incomplete without Pandits, adding that Kashmir needs Pandits. There is a socio-cultural imbalance in Kashmir due to the absence of Pandits.

He also said Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits needed to talk to each other to restore the multicultural fabric of Kashmir.

Former CM and working president of the NC Omar Abdullah had proposed that the Lower House pass a resolution to work for creating a conducive atmosphere for the return of Kashmiri Pandits and other migrants.

Today, NC MLC Veeri proposed the motion and Council Chairman Haji Inayat Ali kept the motion for consideration. Later, the Chairman put the resolution to voice vote and the members passed it unanimously.
Srinagar, January 20

Hurriyat Conference Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani said on Friday that a separate settlement for displaced Kashmiri Pandits would be unacceptable.

In a statement issued after the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution for the return of displaced Pandits to the Valley, the hardline separatist leader said their return was welcome, but a separate colony for them was not.

"We will welcome return of Pandits to the Valley. However any separate colony for their settlement is unacceptable," Geelani said, as he called the resolution a gimmick.

He said Pandits were "part of our society and we have always asked them to return and we will welcome if they are willing to settle within us and in our society.

"However, we will resent any decision about separate colonies and it will be opposed by one and all."

In a significant development on Thursday, the Assembly passed a resolution for creating conducive atmosphere for Kashmiri Pandits return 27 years after militancy forced them to flee the Valley.

On Friday, the legislative council passed the resolution unanimously.

The state government has said that it would set up transit camps for the displaced community.  PTI
M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 20

Non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits living in the Valley are not much impressed with the resolution seeking the respectable return of migrants to Kashmir that was passed in the state Assembly yesterday.

While some termed it a mere eyewash, others said the legislators were only doing lip service with regard to the return of Pandits and had even failed to rehabilitate those who did not migrate out of Kashmir after the eruption of militancy more than 27 years ago.

The resolution doesnt matter. Who passed it matters it includes even those (legislators) who supported the separatists when they opposed setting up of colonies for migrants. Are these politicians ready for door-to-door canvassing (in Kashmir) to mobilise support for return of Pandits? They only do lip service and on the ground no concrete measures are taken, said Kashmir Pandit Sangharsh Samiti president Sanjay Tickoo.

Hindu Welfare Society, Kashmir, president Chunni Lal Bhat said the ruling and opposition parties lacked the courage to bring back Pandits and had even failed to rehabilitate non-migrants. The passing of the resolution is a mere eyewash they only talk about the return of Pandits every now and then but fail to take concrete steps on the ground. They only play the Kashmiri Pandit card for political gains and dont have the courage to get them back, he said.

The government has even failed to implement employment package for non-migrants. Bhat added.

However, United Kashmiriyat Forum chairman Bharat Raina said the resolution must be appreciated. We must appreciate the resolution. At least there is an effort Those who say the Pandits must resettle in their earlier homes must know that they do not own these properties anymore, Raina said.
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on Friday, succeeding Barack Obama and telling a bitterly divided country he will pursue America First policies at home and abroad.

As scattered protests erupted elsewhere in Washington, Trump raised his right hand and put his left on a Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated a 35-word oath of office from the US Constitution, with US Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Afterward, he stretched his arms wide and hugged his wife, Melania, and other members of his family. Then he turned around to a podium and delivered his inaugural address. This moment is your moment, it belongs to you, Trump told a large crowd that had earlier booed Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the US Senate. Revisiting themes from his improbable campaign victory, Trump, 70, said his presidency would aim to help struggling middle-class families, build up the US military and strengthen US borders.

We are transferring power from Washington DC and giving it back to you, he said.

From this day forward a new vision will govern our land, Trump said. From this day forward it's going to be only America First.

Mike Pence was sworn-in as the Vice-President. He took the oath of office before Trump. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate whom Trump defeated on November 8, attended the ceremony with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Former Presidents George W Bush and Jimmy Carter were also present with their wives. Bush's father, former President George HW Bush, 92, was in Houston recovering from pneumonia.

The transition from a Democratic President to a Republican took place on the West Front of the domed US Capitol before a crowd of former presidents, dignitaries and hundreds of thousands of people on the grounds of the National Mall.

Away from the Capitol, masked activists ran through the streets smashing windows at a restaurant and a coffee shop. They carried black anarchist flags and signs that said: Join the resistance, fight back now.

Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, began the day attending a prayer service at St John's Episcopal Church near the White House.  Reuters

The time for empty talk is over and time for action has arrived. 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.  Donald Trump, US President
Chennai, January 20

Union Environment and Law Ministries on Friday cleared an ordinance that will allow bull-taming sport Jallikattu to be conducted, as protests for the rural event escalated in Tamil Nadu.

The ordianance now requires President Pranab Mukherjee's sanction.

The development comes hours after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam promised his government would pass the ordinance over the next few days.

"After getting the assent of President Pranab Mukherjee tomorrow, an ordinance will be promulgated by our Governor to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act," he said on his arrival from Delhi, where he had gone to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Tomorrow or day-after-tomorrow, the joyous news of ordinance will come. For sure Jallikattu will be held in Tamil Nadu," he said, adding that his government would take legal action to deal with obstacles against conducting the event.

The development comes as protests that erupted spontaneously escalate across Tamil Nadu, with protesters refusing to leave Chennai's Marina Beach until the event was held.

"We will call off the protest only after Jallikattu is held in Tamil Nadu. The measure announced by the Chief Minister seems to be a stop-gap arrangement. The permanent solution is that the central government by a notification remove bull from the list of performing animals in The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act," said a protester, as the crowd at Marina beach continued to swell despite the chief ministers announcement

In several localities groups of youth carrying placards assembled playing drums.

"The student protest is the culmination of the stand taken by the central government on various issues concerning Tamil Nadu, like the Cauvery river water sharing, attacks on Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, Jallikattu," R. Arul, secretary, Pasumai Thayagam, a non-government organisation (NGO), told said.

"Perhaps the centre's stand vis-a-vis Tamil Nadu on several issues was the tipping point for former World Chess Champion V. Anand to extend his support to Jallikattu and claim Tamizhanda (I am a Tamilian)," Arul said.

"Normally people like Anand and others would always claim that they are Indians first," Arul added.

He said the central government  whether it is headed by Bharatiya Janata Party or the Congress  should accept the diversity of culture and civilisation that prevails in the country.

Arul also said there are no chances of the protest turning into a Tamil nationalist movement as those days are over.

"People are not supportive of such movements in Tamil Nadu," he added.

Meanwhile, the DMK held protests on rail tracks in Tamil Nadu and its Working President M.K. Stalin was detained by police for some time.

In some districts schools were also closed while shops downed their shutters across the state in support of 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 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.

In Madurai large number of youth are continuing their protest in support of the state's ancient sport. Agencies


A key player in Western Uttar Pradesh that has more than 120 seats, Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal was offered only 24 seats and that too from Congress' quota of 103 seats.

By Mausami Singh: Hoping to cross the magic figure mark by stitching together a grand alliance, emulating the Bihar victory, will no longer be possible in Uttar Pradesh. Simmering differences over seat sharing came to the fore as the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) pulled out of talks with the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.

A key player in Western Uttar Pradesh that has more than 120 seats, Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal was offered only 24 seats and that too from Congress' quota of 103 seats.

advertisement

Since morning supporters gathered in dozens at Choudhary Ajit Singh's farm house in Vasant Kunj. Speculations were rife that the RLD was getting a poor share in the bargain.

Ajit Singh's son indicated that his party was no longer on board with the SP on the alliance but refused to comment on camera. However, Trilok Tyagi, the general secretary, confirmed "About 2 months back it was Ajit Singh who had requested all secular parties to join hands and form a grand alliance. However, we haven't heard anything for the past 3 days it seems the Samajwadi Party is under pressure from the BJP. Hence, we will be going it all alone in Uttar Pradesh."

Here are 5 major reasons why the RLD pulled out of talks It was unhappy with the treatment meeted out to it. It wanted a respectable share of seats. It started the pitch at 45, however, sources in the RLD indicated that the party would have given in at 25 but was denied that. It was upset with the seats that were being forcefully put in its pool, it felt it was being forced to relinquish the seat that it considered its stronghold. A handful of seats were the main stickler namely Chhaprauli in Baghpat, Kairana, Shadabad and Shivalkash. These were earlier RLD strongholds but Samajwadi Party had won the elections last time and was adamant to retain them. Equations between Ajit Singh and Ram Gopal Yadav have never been very cordial. It was surprising that RLD blamed Ram Gopal for the cracking of talks and acting against the wishes of Mulayam Singh. The RLD was soft on the Congress while it blatanly blamed the Samajwadi Party of acting under pressure of the ruling BJP and not pursuing the matter seriously. It blamed the SP that it was worried over the Yadav Singh issue and wanted to pacify the BJP. The RLD had been waiting for long to meet and discuss matters at the top level. Neither the Congress nor Samajwadi party leadership has bothered to take any initiatives regarding talks.

ALSO READ:Akhilesh-Rahul alliance: How RLD holds SP, Congress from sealing the deal

ALSO READ: UP Assembly election: This is BJP's new mantra to counter Akhilesh

--- ENDS ---
Kolkata, January 20

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said there was a need for evolving a strategy to create 10-12 million jobs every year in India.

We have to evolve a strategy to create jobs for 10-12 million people every year, he said at the 200th year celebration of Presidency University.

Singh, however, stressed the need for keeping in mind environmental balance while creating jobs for a sustainable growth.

India is a country with a vast potential as talented people abound in the country, but sadly even so many years after Independence we obviously have to do much more, he said, adding India must grow and grow rapidly.

We have to find pragmatic solution to poverty and equality and to create a climate in which internal tensions can be dissolved without recourse to violence, Singh said.

He also called for finding effective means to address systematic disadvantages on account of caste, tribe and religion along with adequate attention to education and health.  PTI
Manish Sirhindi

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 20

A local court today ordered Rs 49-lakh compensation for Kirpal Singh, a key witness in the Jaswant Singh Khalra kidnapping and murder case, who was framed in a false rape case but was acquitted in 2007.

The court of Sukhwinder Singh, Civil Judge, Senior Division, asked the then Punjab IG Rajinder Singh, current IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal, then Sub-Inspectors Sarabjit Singh Cheema, Jaipal Singh and Shamsher Singh Guddu, journalist Parveen Komal and a woman complainant, Gurmeet Kaur alias Monika, to pay Rs 7 lakh each to Kirpal.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

A neighbour of human rights activist Khalra, Kirpal had filed a suit against the seven persons seeking Rs 50 lakh as compensation on account of malicious prosecution he faced at their behest.

The court said: It has been found that Kirpal is entitled to damages from the police officials, the complainant and the witness on account of malicious prosecution faced by him at their hands. Kirpal suffered mental tension, torture, agony, harassment and irreparable loss. All accused should pay him Rs 7 lakh each, totaling Rs 49 lakh, within two months.

Kirpal was booked by the Patiala police on July 28, 2003, on a rape complaint filed by Gurmeet Kaur and Parveen Komal. Kirpal said the case had been slapped to prevent him from appearing in court in connection with the Khalra case, but despite all pressure he got his statements recorded in the court.

He was acquitted of the rape charge on December 22, 2007. The state filed an appeal in the High Court, which was also dismissed.

Khalra had been involved in a campaign to highlight the plight of those who disappeared after being arrested during the 1980s and early 1990s. On September 6, 1995, he disappeared.

Many, including Kirpal, had seen him being picked up by Punjab Police in Amritsar.
New Delhi, January 20

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to the nation for 'falsely' implicating Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs and ministers.

Kejriwal's remarks came in response to reports that a Delhi court quashed charges against AAP MLA from Tilak Nagar Jarnail Singh who was charged for allegedly assaulting a South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) official.

"This is a big and tight slap on Narendra Modi who has been foisting false cases on AAP MLAs and ministers," Kejriwal tweeted.

"Modi should apologise to the country for implicating AAP MLAs in false cases," he added.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday registered a preliminary inquiry in the appointment of Satyendra Jain's daughter Soumya Jain as 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.

Jarnail Singh was chargesheeted by Delhi Police for allegedly assaulting an SDMC junior engineer and preventing him from carrying out his duty in April 2015.

The junior engineer and his team had gone to demolish an illegal structure in west Delhi when Singh had allegedly intervened.  IANS
Tribune News Service

Lucknow/new delhi, Jan 20

Yet to finalise an alliance with the Congress, the ruling Samajwadi Party today released its list of 209 candidates, fielding candidates on 11 of the 29 Congress-held seats, including Mathura, which is represented by Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Mathur.

Among the prominent nominees are CM Akhilesh Yadavs estranged uncle Shivpal Yadav, peace-broker Mohammad Azam Khan, his son Abdullah Azam and Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agarwals son Nitin.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Also, the party named candidates for seven seats held by the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). This is not likely to go down well with the latter.

Blaming the Congress for not giving a positive response, national vice-president Kironmoy Nanda went back on his partys stand that 100 seats would be left for the Congress, which was then free to reach an arrangement with the RLD on these seats.

Rubbing salt into the Congress wounds, he said the SP was willing to give 85 seats even though, based on the Congress 2012 performance, it should have been allotted only 54. Nanda made it clear that the SP was in no mood to spare the Assembly seats in the Rae Bareli and Amethi parliamentary constituencies represented by AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, respectively.

Most of these seats were won by the SP in 2012. Going a step further, minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya said the SP was capable of winning the Assembly elections on its own.

Playing down the differences, Congress state chief Raj Babbar claimed that talks were still on. Babbar, who arrived in Lucknow this afternoon, was immediately summoned to the national capital.

In New Delhi, terming the SPs unilateral declaration of seats unfortunate, Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken said, We will let you know whether the alliance is on or not only after our party in-charge for UP speaks to SP national president Akhilesh Yadav.

On whether the people of Uttar Pradesh would support the alliance in the light of the Yadav family feud, he replied: The truth is the alliance was finalised with Akhilesh. We are again getting in touch with him.

Meanwhile, questions are being raised on whether the SP was employing pressure tactics to cut down Congress seat share. Sources indicated that an understanding had earlier been reached on 120 seats, including 52 where the Congress was second in the 2012 elections. The SP is attempting a scale-down by unilaterally announcing candidates, a Congress leader claimed.

A large number of Congress cadres from UP have descended on the party headquarters here. Some say the Congress will be finished in Uttar Pradesh, if it contests along with the Samajwadi Party. The SP has finished whoever it has allied with, starting with Ajit Singh's RLD. We must go it alone, said Pramod Dwivedi, a local leader.
GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 20

The February 4 Lok Sabha bypoll here will be a contest among Jat Sikh candidates.

The BJP has fielded former state unit vice-president Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, while the Congress has picked district rural unit chief Gurjeet Singh Aujla.

The Aam Aadmi Partys choice is Upkar Singh Sandhu, former SAD (Urban) chief who switched over to the Congress and then joined the AAP recently.

The Aapna Punjab Party (APP) has fielded Gurinder Singh Bajwa, a dissident AAP leader and former district head.

The past four elections have seen Sikh candidates defeating Hindu nominees. Sikhs account for around 65 per cent of the population.

In 2004, BJPs Navjot Singh Sidhu upset Congress stalwart Raghunandan Lal Bhatia by a huge margin of about 1 lakh votes.

In the 2007 bypoll, he defeated Congress candidate Surinder Singla by a margin of around 80,000 votes.

In the 2009 polls, he beat Congress OP Soni by just 6,000 votes.

In 2014, the BJP replaced Sidhu with Arun Jaitley, who lost to PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh, a Jat Sikh, by around 90,000 votes.

The seat has been a Congress bastion, with Bhatia winning six times (1972, 1980, 1985, 1992, 1996 and 1999).
Sanjiv Kumar Bakshi

Hoshiarpur, January 20

Dissidence over selection of candidates has affected two major parties, the BJP and Congress, though both took long to decide candidates in the district to prevent rebellion.

The saffron party faces dissidence in at least two out of three constituencies. In Hoshiarpur, factionalism among BJP seems to be raising barriers for BJP candidate Tikshan Sud.

In Dasuya, sitting MLA Sukhjit Kaur Sahi has been given the ticket. The other ticket aspirant, Chairman of the Punjab Medium Industries Development Board Raghunath Singh Rana has expressed his rebellion by filing nomination as an Independent candidate from Dasuya against BJPs official candidate.

Similar is the situation in Mukerian where former district BJP president Jangi Lal Mahajan and former minister Arunesh Shakir were in contest for the ticket. Mahajan was confident of getting the ticket this time and had even started campaigning in the area before the announcement.

However, the ticket was given to Shakir and Mahajan opened a front against it. Mahajan had declared to contest as Independent by holding a massive march in the city the very same day the ticket was announced.

The Congress is also facing dissidence on three seats. Congress spokesperson Nimisha Mehta is in fray against Congress official nominee from Garhshankar Luv Kumar Goldy. She has filed as Independent.

Congress dissident Balwinder Bittu is contesting independent against Dr Raj Kumar of the Congress in Chabbewal. Similarly, former Akali-turned-AAP-turned-Congress leader Jagmohan Singh Babbu Ghumman is contesting as Independent in Dasuya against Congress candidate Arun Dogra Mickey.
Tribune Reporters

Chandigarh/jalandhar, Jan 20

With a day left for the withdrawal of nominations, the Punjab Congress today went into an overdrive to dissuade its rebels, who have filed their papers as Independents.

Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh called up some of the rebels to mollify them.

Those who refuse to toe the party line will be expelled from the party for life and barred from re-entering the party fold. The party will not accept defiance from the rebels, he said.

In spite of warning of being expelled from the party, certain Congress dissidents failed to budge. Ashok Sharma, who is contesting as an Independent from Pathankot against partys nominee Amit Vij, said, There is no chance of withdrawing my nomination. I am holding a roadshow tomorrow.

A party leader from Maur, Bhupinder Gora, said he was adamant on fighting the elections. Rajinder Deepa, a former general secretary of the state Congress from Sunam, said he was touring his constituency tomorrow.

The Congress said the leadership had quashed rebellion in most of the 20-odd constituencies.

Trouble in Doaba

Nimisha Mehta, who has filed papers as an Independent from Garhshankar, said, Asha Kumari called me. But I am adamant on contesting. Congress workers are upset over ticket distribution.

From Banga, former Congress legislator Tarlochan Soondh has already filed his nomination as an Independent candidate.

Ex-Jalandhar Mayor Surinder Mahey has filed his papers from Jalandhar West, opposing the candidature of councillor Sushil Rinku. In Nakodar, former legislator Gurbinder Atwal is in fray as an Independent.
POLL PLANK: AGRARIAN CRISIS

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 20

Village after village and house after house, we come across badly Photoshopped photographs framed and placed on shelves. The dash of gaudy red and green in the background of the photographs stares us in the face.

The photographs are of young and middle-aged men; at the bottom date, month and year is mentioned. And above it, names are mentioned preceded by the word Late.

Story behind each photograph starts with crop failure or hospitalisation, continues with debt and ends with pesticide.

It is different in the homes of agricultural labourers. You dont see photographs there. Nobody remembers the dead there? When you are not even sure of your survival, there is no time to remember the dead, says a leader of agricultural labourers.

We are in Punjabs cotton belt, Green Revolutions laboratory for a bright future, where farmers and agricultural labourers are posing questions to candidates irrespective of their affiliations. Posters and hoardings, banning their entry into the village welcome the nominees.

The media has been reporting agrarian suicides since the mid-1990s, but 2015 finds a special mention as it was the worst year on account of cotton crop failure.

The state government, in its report, had stated that 449 farmers and agricultural labourers had committed suicide then  and the trend continued even in 2016.

As per a governments survey, 6,926 debt-ridden people in Punjabs countryside took their lives between 2000 and 2010; among them, 43 per cent were Dalit agricultural labourers.

Now, three universities of the state have undertaken a fresh survey. Insiders tell us that in the past five years, around 7,000 suicides have been reported.

The government claims farmers owe Rs80,000 crore to banks and arthiyas.

It is not for the first that agrarian crisis has become a poll plank. In 2007, the SAD had announced in its manifesto that it would give jobs to members of families of farmers and agricultural labourers, who committed suicide because of debt.

Can Akalis tell us which promise they have fulfilled completely in 10 years? he asks. Even Rs3 lakh compensation they are paying against the promise of Rs5 lakh to families of suicide victims was fulfilled after a long struggle.

Now, several farmer organisations are demanding a complete loan wavier as a short-term measure. The list of demands is exhaustive when it comes to long-term measures.

Almost every party is making promises. But experts feel that none of them is able to touch the pulse of the crisis because they have yet to understand its root. Renowned economist Sucha Singh Gill says that seeds of crisis lie in the model of agriculture which starts with the Green Revolution.

By early 1990s, net income of farmers started shrinking. So, for almost two decades, it was evident that agriculture was becoming unviable for small and marginal farmers. But governments of the day did not pay heed, he says.

With highly mecahnised farming after the Green Revolution, the requirement of labour came down drastically, hitting agricultural labourers badly.

Agrees Prof Ranjit Singh Ghuman, CRRID, Chandigarh. When marginal and small farmers started coming out of agriculture, they had no other option because non-farming employment avenues lacked opportunities for them, he says.

The marginal farmers were neither educated and nor skilled to get employment in non-farm sectors.

Ghuman adds the way all parties have shown lack of understanding of the agrarian crisis, it seems the trend of suicides wont stop in near future.

What parties promise

Congress: Loan waiver, continuation of free power to farmers, law to prevent kurki of farmers land, compensation to be raised to Rs 10 lakh for families of suicide victims.

AAP: Loans of small and marginal farmers will be waived. Besides, interest on loans of other farmers will be waived to make peasantry debt-free by December 2018.

SAD: The government had, in the Budget session last year, announced that it would introduce pension for farmer above 60 years on the pattern of contributory pension scheme.
Ruchika M Khanna & Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Malerkotla, January 20

Two-time MLA and Congress candidate Razia Sultana is locked in a tough triangular fight in this Muslim-dominated constituency. Her major opponents include her brother, AAP candidate Arshad Dali Khan, and Akali nominee Mohammad Owais.

Malerkotla town and its surrounding villages are dotted with Congress flags. Loudspeakers mounted on rickshaws and autorickshaws blare out paeans to the party, overshadowing the publicity drive of rival candidates.

Even though AAP was blamed for last years Quran sacrilege that threatened peace here, the party is getting a good response from voters, especially in the rural areas. Owais, a leading businessman-philanthropist and the biggest employer here, is banking on his goodwill and social standing.

Razia, who won the 2002 and 2007 elections from here, but lost in 2012 to SADs Farzana Alam, seems better placed this time. Many people in the town believe that she is a rubber-stamp MLA as the real power is wielded by her husband Mohammad Mustafa, a Punjab-cadre IPS officer. However, she has managed to keep the party cadre together. She remains unfazed by her detractors as she campaigns door to door in the bylanes near the Ludhiana road, meeting people and seeking their mandate in her favour. She also claims to enjoy the blessings of former Mufti-e-Azam Fazail Ur Rehman Hilal Usmani, an influential Muslim cleric.

Her political opponents have upped the ante against her powerful husband, saying that like in the last election, this time, too, the Election Commission should bar him from entering the constituency as they fear he can use his clout to coerce voters. She, however, denies his interference in her poll campaign.

Razias brother threatens to eat into her vote bank among Gujjar Muslims. His move to bring the family feud into the public domain could upset her applecart. An actor and a former councillor, Arshad sees himself as the challenger to his sister and brother-in-law, and admits that voters apprehend the use of muscle power by the duo. He, however, rubbishes the claims that the AAP campaign has been hit by the sacrilege incident or that AAP MLA Naresh Yadav had any role in it. Voters know who orchestrated the incident and the violence thereafter, he says.

People in the town, however, feel that AAPs chances have been blighted by a weak candidate, who is also related to Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal. The party has sent its Delhi MLA, Amanatullah Khan, to give a boost to Arshads campaign.

Owais, handpicked by Sukhbir, is facing opposition from Akali leaders. Incumbent MLA Farzana Alam is staying aloof. The wife of former police officer Mohammad Izhar Alam, she was made the Wakf Board chairman a few months ago to compensate her for being denied the party ticket. But despite the setbacks, Owais is expected to give a tough fight to the Congress candidate.
Sandeep Rawat

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 20

Piran Kaliyar is one of the smallest Assembly constituencies in the state. The seat that came into existence in 2012 lacks basic infrastructure and civic facilities, notwithstanding the famous Sabir Pak Piran Kaliyar Dargah here. Lakhs of pilgrims from across the world arrive here to pay obeisance at the Sabir Pak dargah but still there is no good railway station and other civic amenities.

Sitting Congress MLA Furkan Ahmed is a Parliamentary Secretary in the state government. He bagged 25,870 votes and defeated Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Mohammed Shahzad, a former MLA from Bahadrabad, in the last Assembly elections. Shahzad secured 23,926 votes. BJP candidate Shyam Veer Saini came third with 21,648 votes.

Furkan is the front-runner for the Congress ticket this time too. He is banking on development works he had done in the past five years. The BJP has fielded a lesser known candidate, Jai Bhagwan Saini.

I have been working hard for the betterment of my constituency. My achievements include several new roads, recarpeting of more than 50 roads, linking roads with agricultural fields, construction of a community rest hall, a wedding hall, opening of a degree college, a government hospital and sanctioning a bypass from Mehwad Kala till Rampur, Furkan says. A powerhouse and a bridge on the Kaliyar Ganga Canal sanctioned recently are his other achievements, he claims.

BJP candidate Jai Bhagwan Saini is facing dissidence in the party as district party president Dr Kalpana Saini was also demanding the ticket from Piran Kaliyar. Jai Bhagwan is an RSS worker and zila panchayat member but he is not well known in the segment. He was the head of Manubans village in 2007 and became a zila panchayat member from Sohalpur Sikrauda in 2011. He lost the zila panchayat member election from Sohalpur Sikrauda in 2016 but the BJP still reposed faith in him and allotted him the ticket.

The BSP has fielded Hazi Rao from Piran Kaliyar. Rao exuded confidence at a public meeting that the BSP would emerge victorious both in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh under the able leadership of party president Mayawati.

Last time, the BSP had fielded heavyweight Mohammed Shahzad from Piran Kaliyar. Shahzad was elected MLA from the now dissolved Bahadrabad seat in the 2007 elections. He was suspended from the primary membership of the party for his alleged anti-party activities last year.

Now, Shahzad can contest the elections as an independent candidate and affect the poll prospects of other candidates, as Muslim votes will get divided.

Local resident Tanveer Ali complains that roads in Piran Kaliyar are poor and youths are not getting employment opportunities. Furkan Ahmed has failed to ensure development in the constituency in the past few years. Water, power and sewerage need to be given priority. Transport services from Haridwar, Roorkee and Dehradun need to be improved as pilgrims visit the holy Piran Kaliyar shrine throughout the year, says Tanveer Ali.

Piran Kaliyar comprises Gurnawala, Imlikhera, Dharampur, Mohammandpur Panda, Rampur, Dhanori, Daulatpur, Badheri Rajputa, Bhounri, Margubpur Diadaheri, Dandeir Khwajgipur, Belra, Darriyapur, Dayaalpur and a part of Roorkee tehsil. There are 109,287 voters, including 50,629 women, in the constituency.
RLD's region of influence is western UP comprising 77 Assembly seats. Its votebank comprises mostly of Jats who are 17 per cent of the population in the region.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: A loss for Samajwadi Party-Congress (likely) alliance may be gain for BJP. Former Union Minister Ajit Singh's RLD, which has decided to pull off from the SP-Congress combine, is learnt to be in talks with BJP for an alliance for the upcoming Assembly elections.

RLD FACTOR

RLD's region of influence is western UP comprising 77 Assembly seats. Its votebank comprises mostly of Jats who are 17 per cent of the population in the region. Western UP, covered by Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur and Bijnor districts, is going to polls in the first two phases of the polls to be held on February 11 and February 15.

advertisement

Elections would be held on 140 seats in the first two phases - 73 in the first phase and 67 in the second phase.

BJP has already declared its first list of 149 candidates covering mostly the first two phases of the polls. It is yet to declare candidates on a dozen odd seats.

RLD has rejected SP's offer to contest on about 25 seats. It will have to remain content with just about a dozen seats if it agrees to an alliance with BJP.

2014 LOK SABHA REPEAT FOR BJP?

BJP is hoping to almost repeat its performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when it garnered 42.3 per cent vote share and won 71 of the 80 seats. Translated into the Assembly seats, it was ahead in 328 of the 403 constituencies.

BJP's buoyancy results from polarisation of votes. At 25 per cent, the population of Muslims in the region is highest in UP. Muslims comprise about 19 per cent of the population in the state.

In the triangular contest involving BJP, SP-Congress alliance and BSP, the Muslims are expected to vote tactically. Their aim would be to defeat the BJP candidates. They would likely choose either the BSP or SP-Congress combine candidate in each constituency who has the potential to defeat BJP.

BJP would see an opportunity in polarisation of votes, as it had happened in 2014 Lok Sabha elections which took place in the shadows of the bloody Muzaffarnagar riots.

An attempt at polarisation may already have started. BJP's controversial MLA from Sardhana in Meerut, Sangeet Som, was booked by the police allegedly for playing a CD of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. He had been booked by the police during the Muzaffarnagar riots too.

MUGHALIYA YADAV FEUD

However, senior BJP leaders reiterated that good governance and development would be the main plank on which the party would seek votes. The other issues would be the alleged failure of the ruling SP government on crime and corruption fronts and the internal feud of the Yadav family.

advertisement

Talking to Indiatoday.in, BJP's national secretary Shrikant Sharma said, "The SP government is presiding over a deadly cocktail of crime and corruption regime. As many as 28 incidents of crime are taking place every hour in the state."

Sharma, who is an Assembly candidate from Mathura, further said, "We will expose the 'Mughaliya' form of usurping of power by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav from his father and erstwhile SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Does a son unseat his father in this manner? It is a reminder of the manner in which Mughal kings had dethroned their fathers."

Sharma was alluding to rebellions staged by Mughal kings Jahangir, Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb against their fathers respectively.

He said the fact that SP and Congress are looking for crutches proves that they are weak and not confident of victory on their own.

Whether or not SP, Congress and RLD alliance materialises, BJP aims at appearing confident by trying to "expose" the chinks in the armour of its rivals.WATCH

--- ENDS ---
Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, January 20

The BJP has named Gopal Rawat as its candidate from the Gangotri Assembly seat for the 2017 elections, but the exercise for the Congress is still on. According to sources, sitting MLA Vijay Pal Sajwan is the front-runner for the Congress nomination from Gangotri.

Major issues such eco-sensitive zone, migration from hills, unemployment, road connectivity and tourism development will decide the outcome of the elections.

Voters say that both BJP and Congress are responsible for the problems arising due to the enforcement of the eco-sensitive zone clause in the constituency. Both parties blame each other for the eco-sensitive zone where the state government cant carry out development works, leading to resentment among people.

The issue is ready to haunt the candidates again. Voters blame both parties for the chaos around the eco-sensitive zone development plan issue and believe that the candidates of both parties will face a tough time over the issue.

The issue cropped up during the 2012 elections when the Congress pasted posters declaring that the previous UPA government at the Centre had taken back the order of the eco-sensitive zone, resulting in victory for the Congress from Gangotri. However, the truth is that the eco-sensitive zone issue remained unresolved during the rule of the Narendra Modi government.

The district administration after the directives of the National Green Tribunal had sent a plan to the Union Government for approval but was rejected. Chief Minister Harish Rawat blamed the BJP-led Central government for the situation and protested at Jantar Mantar recently. He said around 88 villages had been affected due to the Modi governments decision.

On the other hand, BJP leader Lokendar Bisht, who had filed a PIL in the Uttarakhand High Court, says it is the Congress that is to be blamed for the eco-sensitive zone fiasco. Besides hiring a costly lawyer to plead the case, the government did nothing and failed to file a petition in the matter.

Besides the eco-sensitive zone, the other issues include migration from villages bordering China, unemployment and lack of educational and health facilities.

Inadequate public transport facilities, delay in the start of a polytechnic, staff shortage in government schools are few other issues. Migration from remote border villages is on the rise in the constituency.

Prakash Rangarh, a local resident, says residents had a harrowing experience during the Magh Mela celebrations as ghats in Utarkashi that were damaged during the natural disaster in 2013 had not been reconstructed. Shiv Singh Thalwal, a senior journalist, says Gangotri is a border area constituency that has suffered due to the apathy of public representatives.
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.

Last week, 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, WikiLeaks said.

But when Obama granted clemency to Manning on Tuesday, Assanges lawyers said it wasnt enough.  AP
WASHINGTON, January 20

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States amid violent protests in Washington on Friday.

Mike Pence took oath of office as vice-president.

"This moment belongs to the people of America. Carnage of its people ends here and now," Trump said. "We will face challenges... confront hardships. But we will get the job done... We will determine the course of the world."

"From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's only going to be America first."

Black-clad activists protesting Trump's inauguration smashed store and car windows in Washington and fought with police in riot gear who responded with pepper spray and stun grenades.

About 500 people, some wearing masks and kerchiefs over their faces, marched through the city's downtown, breaking the windows of a Bank of America branch, a McDonald's outlet and a Starbucks shop, all symbols of the American capitalist system.

The crowd, which carried at least one sign that read Make Racists Afraid Again, also vandalised several cars and hurled trashcans and newspaper vending boxes into the streets before being largely dispersed by police.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

About 900,000 people were expected to pack the grassy National Mall facing the Capitol, where Trump will be sworn in at midday (1700 GMT), as well as the parade route along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House and nearby areas.

"The message I want to send is that Trump does not represent this country. He represents the corporate interests," said Jessica Reznicek, a 35-year-old Catholic aid worker from Des Moines, Iowa, who participated in a peaceful march.

Not far from the White House, protesters scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminum chairs at an outdoor cafe. A motorcyclist in town to celebrate Trump's inauguration was struck in the face when he tried to intervene.

"I know, law and order and all that. We need more order.

This ain't right," Bob Hrifko, with a bleeding cut under his eye, told Reuters. Hrifko said he was part of the "Bikers for Trump" group that was holding an inauguration rally.

Earlier, liberal activists with a separate group called Disrupt J20 intermittently blocked multiple security checkpoints leading to the largest public viewing area for the ceremony.

Several were led away by police.

Disrupt J20 protest organizer Alli McCracken, 28, of Washington, said the group was voicing its displeasure over Trump's controversial comments about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims.

"We have a lot of people of diverse backgrounds who are against U.S. imperialism and we feel Trump will continue that legacy," McCracken said on a gray morning with light rain.

Trump supporters flooded into the capital, many sporting shirts and hats bearing his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

Thousands of people in New York marched to Trump Tower, the businessman's home, on Thursday night to protest his victory in the November 8 election. Activists in London hung a banner reading Build bridges not walls on the city's iconic Tower Bridge on Friday, in a reference to Trump's signature campaign promise of building a wall on the US-Mexican border.

Trump, 70, enters the White House with work to do to bolster his image. During a testy transition period since his stunning November election win, the wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that

Trump seemed to want to "engage with every windmill that he can find". An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 per cent of Americans viewed Trump favorably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition.

His ascension to the White House, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Democrat Barack Obama's eight years, raises a host of questions for the United States.

Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 per cent tariff on goods on imports from US companies that went abroad.

Trump's desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional US security umbrella will be diminished.

In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs. He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to "knock the hell out of" Islamic State militants.

Democrats' boycott

The inaugural festivities may have a more partisan edge than usual, given Trump's scorching campaign and continuing confrontations between him and Democrats over his take-no-prisoners Twitter attacks and pledge to roll back many of Obama's policies.

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers plan to stay away from the proceedings to protest Trump, spurred on after he derided US

Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a hero of the civil rights movement, for calling him an illegitimate president.

Thousands of anti-Trump protesters were expected among an inauguration crowd that organisers estimated would be upwards of 900,000. Many demonstrators will participate in the Women's March on Washington on Saturday. Protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad.

Trump, whose November 8 victory stunned the world, will start his presidency with a 20-minute inaugural address that he has been writing himself with the help of top aides. It will be "a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country," said his spokesman, Sean Spicer.

"He'll talk about infrastructure and education, our manufacturing base," Spicer told reporters. "I think it's 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."

Quick action

Trump's to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the US Congress, they can quickly repeal and replace Obama's signature healthcare law, approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the US economy.

Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of their presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn. They deeply oppose Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric from the campaign trail and plans to build a wall along the southern US border with Mexico.

Trump's critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million.

"Any time you don't win the popular vote but you win by the Electoral College it makes people come unglued," said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. "It angers people that somebody can win the popular vote but you're not president." Trump's critics also point to the conclusion of US intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republican's favor.

The president-elect has acknowledged the finding  denied by Moscow  that Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election.

To his supporters, many of them working-class whites, Trump is a refreshingly anti-establishment figure who eschews political correctness. To critics  including Obama who during the campaign called Trump temperamentally unfit for the White House  his talk can be jarring, especially when expressed in tweets.

But while a Wall Street Journal opinion poll showed a majority of Americans would like Trump to give up on Twitter, the new president said he would continue because the US news media does not treat him fairly.  Agencies
Washington, January 20

A Hindu priest will be among various religious leaders who will offer prayers at the National Prayer Service of Donald Trump on Saturday, a day after he is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

Narayanachar L Digalakota from the popular Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, Maryland would offer prayers at the National Prayer Service to the held on Saturday at the Washington National Cathedral, the Presidential Inauguration Committee said yesterday.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

This is probably the first time a Hindu priest has been called for services at the national prayer service of the presidential inauguration.

Another Indian-American Jesse Singh, a Sikh, with two others, Ian McIlraith and Anthony Vance,will offer prayers for the people.

The priest would be joined by Elder D Todd Christofferson, Priest Bishop Harry Jackson, and Carlyle Begay to offer prayers for those who govern.

The interfaith ceremony is being held to complement Trump's commitment to be the President for all Americans, Committee said.

The tradition of an inaugural National Prayer Service dates back to the first inauguration of George Washington.

Since 1933, more than seven such inaugural services have taken place at the Washington National Cathedral.

The President and Vice-President will attend the service which will include hymns, readings, and prayers.

"It is fitting that the president-elect will begin his inauguration week with a salute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and end the week in prayerful reflection at the National Prayer Service," said Presidential Inaugural Committee CEO Sara Armstrong.

"At this moment of renewal for our country, President-elect Trump is humbled to pause and join with leaders from many different faith traditions represented in our country to ask His blessings for peace and prosperity for our country," she said.

At the National Prayer Service, Rt Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of Washington, will give the welcome and benediction, The Rt Rev James B Magness, Bishop Suffragan for Federal Ministries of the Episcopal Church, will lead a call and response and give the blessing at the end of the service.

Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of Washington National Cathedral, will also lead a call and response.

Calls to prayer will be offered by Rev. Canon Rosemarie Duncan, Cantor Mikhail Manevich, and Imam Mohamed Magid.

Prayers for those who serve will be offered by Jack Graham and Pastor Greg Laurie, while prayers for service of others will be offered by His Eminence Geron Archbishop Demetrios of America, a media release said.

The Lords Prayer will be led by Rev. Ramiro Pena and the readings by David Swanson, David Jeremiah, Rev. Ronnie Floyd, Rabbi Fred Raskind, and Sajid Tarar.

The service will conclude with a prayer for the nation delivered by His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, DC and a dismissal by Rev. Darrell Scott. PTI
Washington, January 20

Donald Trump, a colourful billionaire, tapped into the disillusionment of blue-collar voters by his controversial anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric that makes him the most unconventional president in US history after one of the most divisive contests.

New Yorks best-known developer and reality television personality, 70-year-old Trump was often synonymous with controversy during his bitterly-fought presidential campaign against Democrat rival Hillary Clinton.

The real estate mogul turned to politics announcing his candidacy for president on the Republican ticket in 2015, joining a crowded field of more than a dozen major candidates. Once considered a long shot, Trump won a majority of the primaries and caucuses by defeating sixteen well-known politicians of his party. Trump, 70, became the official Republican Party candidate for president on July 19, 2016.

During his election campaign, a number of women accused him of sexually assaulting them. He hogged headlines for several suggestive and denigrating remarks against women, including his own daughter.

Most prominent was a video that resurfaced after five years, in which Trump is heard boasting about being able to sexually assault women and get away with it for being a star.

Trump had teased the idea of running for the presidency since 1987, but many feel the final straw for him was the 2011 White House Correspondents dinner when he was made the unwitting target of President Barack Obamas pointed jokes.

The incident had unfolded amid Trump upping the ante on the birth row, as he questioned whether the US President was an American citizen.

The annual dinner happened just a couple of days before the US Navy Seals raid that killed al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden in May 2011 in Pakistan. The killing of the man who masterminded the 9/11 terror attacks unified the nation and Trump faced a backlash for questioning the nationality of the President who took the worlds most wanted man out.

Four years later, the tycoon entered the crowded field of the Republican Partys presidential campaign, but his candidature was instantly dismissed as a reality stunt by many, including his own party members as well as Obama.

But far from being entertaining, the Trump campaign shocked people with divisive statements that threatened to undermine the long-cherished secular and Democratic American traditions. Trump was also criticised by his party for insulting the parents of a decorated Muslim-American soldier who died in the line of duty in Iraq.

Such was his rhetoric in the campaign that top leaders of his own party, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Ted Cruz, did not endorse him till close to the end of the election cycle.

Trumps rhetoric, however, resonated with the American working class, who were fed up with the establishment and the Washington elite and were also angry at losing their jobs to immigrants or to companies shipping work abroad.

After his surprise victory in the November elections, Trump made several controversial appointments including nomination of his son-in-law Jared Kushner as his senior advisor, a move that could be challenged under the 50-year-old anti-nepotism law. With millionaires and billionaires in the team, the Trump administration might be the wealthiest in modern US history.

Trump, who came to power focusing on Make America Great Again, promises to strengthen the American economy and build a wall on the border of Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants.

Trump, who calls himself a greatest jobs producer that God ever created, last week said he will announce big news over the next couple of weeks.  PTI
Damascus, January 20

The Islamic State has destroyed the facade of the ancient Roman Theatre and the Tetrapylon in the ancient oasis city of Palmyra in Syria, the media reported on Friday.

The interface of the second-century CE theatre as well as the famous Tetrapylon, a type of ancient Roman monument of a cubic shape, were demolished in that millennia-old city after being booby-trapped with explosions, Xinhua news agency reported. However, the time and day they were demolished was not mentioned.

It is latest in a series of destruction that has befallen the city by the hands of the terrorist group, which re-entered the city in December 2016, just nine months after losing it to the Syrian Army.

During their first invasion of the city in 2015, the IS blew up several 2,000-year-old monuments and relics in Palmyra.

The group destroyed the Temple of Bel, which was dedicated to the Mesopotamian god Bel, who was worshipped at Palmyra in triad with the lunar god Aglibol and the sun god Yarhibol, which formed the centre of religious life in Palmyra and was inaugurated in 32 AD. Now, there is nothing left of the temple except its gate.

Aside from Bal, another temple in Palmyra, Baalshamin, was totally destroyed during the first invasion of Palmyra. Baalshamin, whose earliest phase dates to the late 2nd century, was one of the most complete ancient structures in Palmyra.

The UNESCO in 1980 designated the temple as a World Heritage Site. The IS destroyed Baalshamin on August 23, 2015.

In May 2015, the IS partially destroyed the Lion of al-Lat and other statues.

It became known in September 2015 that the IS had destroyed three of the best preserved tower tombs including the Tower of Elahbel. The media reported the IS destroyed the Arch of Triumph in October 2015.

It held the city for 10 months until Syrian government forces backed by allied militia and Russian air power managed to drive them out last March. Russia marked the capture of Palmyra from Islamic State by sending the Mariinsky Theatre to perform a surprise concert, highlighting the Kremlin's role in winning back the city.

Before destroying its facade, the IS used the theatre in its infamous massacre of Syrian soldiers. Last year, the IS released a video of a mass slaughter of Syrian soldiers in that amphitheatre, showing condemned soldiers lined up on their knees on the stage, while their child executioners with pistols in hands standing behind them.

The city has an importance to IS as it connects areas under the terror groups control in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour with areas under its control in the eastern countryside of the central province of Homs.  Agencies
Washington, January 20

Donald Trump, a colourful billionaire, tapped into the disillusionment of blue-collar voters by his controversial anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric that makes him the most unconventional presidents in US history after one of the most divisive contests.

New Yorks best-known developer and reality television personality, 70-year-old Trump was often synonymous with controversy during his bitterly-fought presidential campaign against Democrat rival Hillary Clinton.

The real estate mogul turned to politics announcing his candidacy for president on the Republican ticket in 2015, joining a crowded field of more than a dozen major candidates.

Once considered a long shot, Trump won a majority of the primaries and caucuses by defeating sixteen well-known politicians of his party. Trump, 70, became the official Republican Party candidate for president on July 19, 2016.

During his election campaign, a number of women accused him of sexually assaulting them. He hogged headlines for several suggestive and denigrating remarks against women, including his own daughter.

Most prominent was a video that resurfaced after 5 years, in which Trump is heard boasting about being able to sexually assault women and get away with it for being a star.

Trump had teased the idea of running for the presidency since 1987, but many feel the final straw for him was the 2011 White House Correspondents dinner when he was made the unwitting target of President Barack Obamas pointed jokes.

The incident had unfolded amid Trump upping the ante on the birth row, as he questioned whether the US President was an American citizen.

The annual dinner had taken place just a couple of days before the US Navy Seals raid that killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in May 2011 in Pakistan.

The killing of the man who masterminded the 9/11 terror attacks unified the nation and Trump faced a backlash for questioning the nationality of the President who took the worlds most wanted man out.

Four years later, the tycoon entered the crowded field of the Republican Partys presidential campaign, but his candidature was instantly dismissed as a reality stunt by many, including his own party members as well as Obama.

But far from being entertaining, the Trump campaign shocked people with divisive statements that threatened to undermine the long-cherished secular and Democratic American traditions.

Trump was also criticised by his party for insulting the parents of a decorated Muslim-American soldier who died in the line of duty in Iraq.

Such was his rhetoric in the campaign that top leaders of his own party, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Ted Cruz, did not endorse him till close to the end of the election cycle.

Trumps rhetoric, however, resonated with the American working class, who were fed up with the establishment and the Washington elite and were also angry at losing their jobs to immigrants or to companies shipping work abroad.

The real estate mogul ran an unconventional election and will be the most unconventional president in US history.  PTI
Washington, January 20

Promising to be with the American people at "every step", Barack Obama in an emotional farewell message has thanked them for their support that has made him a "better man" and "better President".

"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," Obama said.

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 US.

"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.

"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 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.  PTI
London, January 20

A banner reading Build bridges not walls was draped across Londons Tower Bridge on Friday as part of a series of protests across the world aimed at expressing displeasure at the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President.

Protesters on the drawbridge, with its two Gothic-style towers, held up pink letters reading Act now! soon after sunrise, while others unfurled the banner over the railings and a speedboat with a black flag reading build bridges not walls raced down the River Thames.

Beside the British parliament, protesters draped banners saying Migrants welcome here and Migration is older than language over Westminster bridge. Other protests are planned in London, other British cities and across the world on Friday.

Julie Chasin, a teacher originally from New York who has lived in London for a decade, said she joined the protest to hold up one of the pink letters on Tower Bridge as she was concerned about the Trump presidency.

Yes Donald Trump is President, but he still needs to protect everybodys rights, said Chasin, a Democrat who said she worked on Hillary campaign in North Carolina.

Its scary. I hope hes kept in check. I hope everyone who is telling me not to worry, and saying that we have a strong system of checks and balances, I hope that its true, Chasin said.

Trump has repeatedly pledged to make America great again, drawing strong support especially from areas of industrial decline. He said on Twitter that he would fight very hard to make his presidency a great journey for the American people.

Trump faces protests in Washington during his inauguration, and in cities from Toronto to Sydney, Addis Ababa and Dublin over his politics which critics say are divisive and dangerous.

The protest in London was organised by the campaign group also called Bridges not Walls, in reference to Trumps pledge to build a wall on the Mexican border.  Reuters
I believe there will not be a ton of regulations that will go 180 degrees due to the change in administration.  Bill Sullivan, American Trucking Associations

Politicking is one thing; governing quite another. Politicians may toss off promises willy-nilly to run up votes. But once elected, delivering on those commitments requires them to exquisitely manipulate the levers of governance  skillfully engaging in everything from harnessing public opinion and legislative horse-trading to forcing power plays and forging intricate compromises.

President-Elect Donald Trump has promised to eliminate two regulations for every one enacted. How hard will it be to keep his promises of removing overly burdensome regulations  and which trucking regulations are most likely to be affected?

It would seem easier to accomplish political promises when control of the White House, the Senate, and the House ends up in the hands of one political party, as it did spectacularly in November. When a party scores that trifecta and has a well-defined agenda to pursue under the leadership of a president elected with a popular-vote mandate, remarkable change can be effected in short order.

On the other hand, the majority leaders of any party on Capitol Hill in any year can be counted on to protect the fiefdoms afforded them by the Constitutions separation of powers principle. For them, the only election that really matters is the next one.

So the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader may not march in lockstep with a president of the same party if, like Trump, he largely does not share their political orthodoxy. Thats because doing so could cost them control of one or both chambers in the 2018 mid-term elections. Even with the Trump effect bolstering their candidates last November, the Democrats still managed to pick up one seat in the Senate and several in the House.

Its unknown how well Trump will work with GOP leaders on Capitol Hill. Political deadlock could continue, says Bill Witte, senior consultant at transportation forecasting firm FTR. It could occur between Trump and the Republican Party [in Congress] with House Republicans fracturing, or there could be a breakdown of relations between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, which would make it hard to pass GOP-favored bills.

Then theres President Donald Trumps precarious position. Yes. He won the election in large part by running as a fierce agent of change. But he was not carried into office by a tidal wave. Trump lost the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes. More Americans voted for Hillary Clinton than for any other losing presidential candidate in U.S. history. In other words, Trump is starting out with little political capital to burn. Whats more, most of his supporters are expecting nothing less from his leadership than clear-cut results they can literally take to the bank in terms of better-paying jobs right now.

What all this points to for those in trucking and business in general is that President Trump and his fellow GOP leaders on Capitol Hill will undoubtedly work to curtail burdensome federal regulations. But they may disagree on what new laws and rules should be written and on what existing ones should be rolled back or simply delayed. In addition, rulemakings still in the pipeline, such as the greenhouse gas Phase 2 fuel economy rules, could be delayed or even abandoned outright.

Theres also the not-so-little matter of how slowly the wheels of government turn, even when everyone is pushing in the same direction. Just as its seldom easy to put in place a new rule, its not always easy to rewrite or discard one on the books.

I believe there will not be a ton of regulations that will go 180 degrees due to the change in administration, says Bill Sullivan, executive vice president for advocacy of the American Trucking Associations. Certainly, some around the edges will be addressed.

It is reasonable to say that every president who has transitioned into the Oval Office with the promise of a regulatory rollback has not dramatically changed any of the regulations that have been bestowed upon our industry, says David Heller, vice president of government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association.

President Trump has pledged to issue a temporary moratorium on new agency regulations that are not compelled by Congress or public safety. He also has stated that all department heads will submit a list of every wasteful and unnecessary regulation which kills jobs, and which does not improve public safety, and eliminate them. So Trump is not expecting Congress to give up its authority to mandate rulemakings. And his policy statement does not define what constitutes public safety, which could well include rules aimed at improving highway safety.

Even with a presidential moratorium in place, major lobbies, such as the American Trucking Associations, will keep pushing their respective agendas on Capitol Hill. Any new safety-related rules sought by the trucking industry, such as hair-testing for driver drug use, that are legislated into law as Congressional mandates will have to be enacted by the Trump administration.

Larry Gross, FTR partner and senior consultant, figures that if implementation of the electronic logging device mandate gets sticky because of the FMCSAs slowness in publishing complete technical standards, the Trump administration is likely to postpone the December 2017 deadline. That said, trucking regulation will not be a priority, he adds. Still, the coming [regulatory] wave may be reduced and occur later.

I would imagine the issue of speed limiters could be placed on one of the rear burners, says TCAs Heller, if only because the ambiguity of the proposed rule released by the agency made agreement [on its provisions] difficult.

The other main avenue for regulatory rollback is the rarely used Congressional Review Act. Although enacted in 1996, it has been leveraged but once. In March, 2001, CRA was used to overturn an OSHA ergonomic rule issued in the last months of the Clinton Administration.

CRA is an oversight tool, but no magic wand.

Under CRA, before a rule issued by an executive agency can take effect, the agency must submit the rule to Congress and the Government Accountability Office. Once the rule is received, members of Congress have a specified time period in which to submit and take action on a joint resolution disapproving the rule. If both houses pass the resolution, it is sent to the president for signature or veto. If the president vetoes the resolution, Congress could vote to override the veto.

All this is easier said than done, says ATAs Sullivan. Theres a critical time clock built into the CRA. A resolution can be used to overturn a rule only if the rule was enacted within 60 legislative days, which in this case means rules that were enacted going back to the end of May 2016. He says this means rules that could be undone by a CRA resolution signed by President Trump include the Phase 2 GHG requirements and rules that require contractors for federal business to follow specific pay or wage standards.

I bet a number of CRA resolutions will be introduced in the House, Sullivan says, but then they have to pass the Senate. There is a unique window for this approach because the Obama administration pushed out so many rules at the end. He notes that ATA, or any lobby for that matter, can influence a CRA resolution by supporting it or coming out against it or by suggesting modifications to what is proposed by members of Congress.

In other words, most rules are not just going to be rolled back by the stroke of a pen.

Following is a recap of the most important regulations affecting trucking this year.

The wheels of governance turn slowly and with much inertia. Changing or rescinding existing regulations required by Congress will be very difficult, but its possible for the Senate and House to roll back or delay implementation of rules originated by federal agencies, like GHG Phase 2.

Hours of service

In December, President Obama signed a bill containing language to permanently fix a glitch in previous legislation that threatened use of a 34-hour restart as part of the hours-of-service rule. The Continuing Resolution was passed by Congress to avert a year-end government shutdown.

The provision in the CR requires DOT to follow the existing 34-hour restart hours of service rule for truck drivers to ensure continuity in federal rest regulations, should the report on the rule (mandated in prior Acts) not meet the criteria set by Congress.

A policy rider attached to an earlier bill had been so poorly written that it left confusion about what was to happen upon the conclusion of a mandated Department of Transportation study (still under way) on the effectiveness of the restart provisions. If the study finds that some restrictions on the restart imposed by DOT in 2013 do not provide specific health and safety benefits to drivers, the entire restart  not just the restrictions  could have been eliminated. Those restrictions were suspended while DOT performs the study. So the CR provision makes it clear that the pre-July 2013 restart would be in effect if the DOT study throws out the controversial restart restrictions.

Electronic logging devices

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced a final rule in December 2015 mandating the use of electronic logging devices for all trucks model-year 2000 or newer engaged in interstate commerce. Carriers and drivers must transition to ELDs by Dec. 17 of this year. However, carriers and drivers that were using automatic onboard recording devices prior to Dec. 18, 2017, may continue using AOBRDs through Dec. 16, 2019. Suppliers of ELDs must conform to technical specifications, certify their ELDs, and register them with FMCSA.

Given that the ELD rule was mandated under a GOP House majority (in 2012), it is highly improbable this Congress will move to roll it back. Its just as unlikely that the latest legal challenge to the rule brought by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association will succeed. In October, a three-judge panel ruled against OOIDA in its lawsuit against FMCSA, which claimed the rule violated a truck drivers Fourth Amendment rights of privacy. OOIDAs latest petition calls for a full court to hear the case.

There is no sign that ELDs are a partisan issue on Capitol Hill, says Avery Vise, president of compliance consultancy TransComply. He adds that even though the rule wont kick in until late this year, it would not be subject to a regulatory moratorium imposed by Trump.

If your fleet has not started down the ELD transition road yet, it is time to start, recommends TCAs Heller. The first place to start would be FMCSAs website. There, carriers can find a growing list of companies that offer FMCSA-compliant ELD devices, which means that the specifications that the agency outlined in its rulemaking are contained within the products listed.

GHG Phase 2

The Phase 2 greenhouse gas/fuel efficiency rule sets CO2 limits for model-year 2021 to 2027 trucks and tractors and model-year 2018 to 2027 trailers as entire vehicles. The rule also sets separate engine fuel-efficiency standards for each category of commercial vehicle and, for the first time, also regulate trailers.

Taken as a whole, the rule requires engine manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions by 4-5% from 2017 through 2027 and to attain fuel efficiency improvements of 16% or better for vocational and heavy-duty vehicles.

Because the rule was initiated by federal agencies, Congress could now opt to either roll it back or slow down its implementation. Several truck and engine makers contacted by HDT about whether they will now lobby to roll back or modify the Phase 2 rules did not reply or declined to comment.

Were still reviewing GHG Phase 2, says ATAs Sullivan. We were at the table with EPA working on it and there are pieces we do not love. However, wed prefer to see a national EPA rule vs. one driven by California.

Meal/rest break exemptions

Trucking lobbyists this year will again attempt to score a legislative provision that would prevent individual states from enacting their own meal and rest break rules for CDL drivers, as well as to prohibit states from requiring that those drivers be paid certain types of added compensation, such as detention pay. That effort failed on Capitol Hill no less than three times last year.

Proponents of the reform measure have been pushing hard for Congress to more directly address state preemption of federal driver rules ever since a Supreme Court ruling in May 2015 upheld a California statute requiring a paid 10-minute rest break every four hours and a paid 30-minute meal period every five hours for truck drivers.

Shortly after the election, ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said that the association intends to again fight for this reform, noting that it might be possible to secure a full remedy on state preemption that would include piece rates as well.

This year, lobbyists may pressure members of Congress to act on disparate state rules for driver pay and rest breaks. Trucking interests might also demand clarification of the NHTSA/FMCSA speed-limiter rule.

Sanitary food transportation

A final rule issued by the Food and Drug Administration will require motor carriers that haul human and animal food to use certain sanitary practices. The rule will take effect on June 6 for carriers with revenues over $27.5 million and private fleets with more than 500 trucks. Smaller carriers will have to be compliant a year later.

The rule aims to prevent practices that create food safety risks, such as failure to properly refrigerate food and inadequate cleaning of vehicles between loads. It will require carriers to constantly monitor temperatures and humidity levels inside reefer and dry trailers and vans when they haul certain perishable food for human or animal consumption, according to Jerry Robertson, chief technology officer for Bolt, a provider of fleet-management systems.

Carriers must also be capable of exchanging information with shippers about prior cargos and keep copies of their compliance records for up to 12 months. They must also provide enforcement officers immediate access to data for the last six months, Robertson says.

Whats more, he advises that reefer units on trailers with separate compartments for refrigerated and frozen items may not be able to properly monitor each compartment. That could lead to fleets needing to replace those units much sooner than planned.

While FDA will be the primary enforcer, carriers could see enforcement by state DOT inspectors once they become more familiar with the requirements. In addition, Robertson notes, since shippers are ultimately responsible for their products, they will likely require carriers to make any necessary changes to bring themselves into compliance or risk losing their business to those carriers who can.

Compliance, Safety, Accountability

FMCSA is still committed to making fixes to its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, says TCAs Heller, even though its data is out of the public eye. In the fall, the agency announced a set of proposed changes to CSA. These would increase the minimum number of crashes needed for determining whether a carrier receives a score in the Crash Indicator BASIC from two to three, and assign BASIC percentile ratings only to carriers that have had an inspection with a violation in the past year vs. within the current 24-month period.

FMCSAs Safety Measurement System could come under fire by the Trump Administration due to concern over the use of SMS by trial lawyers in crash litigation, says TransComplys Vise.

Vise also says to keep in mind the shift in opinion on SMS since it was launched in late 2010. Despite immediate legal action by some small carrier interests, initially, ATA and others supported or at least did not oppose CSA/SMS. Over time, however, most of the trucking industry has come to accept serious flaws in SMS methodology.

Speed limiters

After a decade-long push by trucking and safety advocates, last August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and FMCSA jointly proposed a rule that would require heavy-duty vehicles to be equipped with speed-limiting devices.

The rule would require each vehicle, as manufactured and sold, to have its device set to a speed not greater than a specified speed and to be equipped with means of reading the vehicles current speed setting and the two previous speed settings through its onboard diagnostic connection. And carriers would be required to maintain the speed-limiting device for the service life of the vehicle.

But no actual speed limit was proposed for the devices. DOT only proposed discussing the benefits of setting the maximum speed at 60, 65, and 68 mph and that it will consider other speeds based on public input.

ATAs Spear slammed the proposal for its lack of specificity and the dearth of research backing it up. The various differentials in speed from what this rule proposes and what state speed limits are is dangerous.

More than 5,400 comments were filed on the proposal, after a 30-day extension because of high interest. Given that, its unlikely this rule will move forward very quickly.
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 ...
His students, eighth- and ninth-graders, obviously werent old enough to vote in the November presidential election.

But next time, Matt McAfee said, they will be.

McAfee, who teaches American history at Edison Middle School, has taken 51 students to Washington, D.C., to watch Fridays inauguration. But he really wants them to be thinking ahead to 2020, when they will help decide whether Donald Trump gets a second term.

This is the perfect opportunity to see the democratic process in action, McAfee said. And to think about your role, as a vote, in that process.

McAfee started planning the trip nearly a year ago, before the presidential primaries had begun and long before it became clear who would win each partys nomination, much less who would eventually be sworn in. The point wasnt to see Trump in particular take the oath of office, but to witness the peaceful transfer of power.

Students washed cars and sold bracelets to pay their own ways for the trip  a $2,000 investment for each of them. And several other teachers, along with some parents, have gone along to help McAfee chaperone.

Flying out of Tulsa early Wednesday and returning late Saturday, the group will tour museums and visit several well-known Washington-area landmarks, including Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Students also packed formal attire for a student inaugural ball on Friday night.

Were going to stay busy and learn a lot, McAfee said, but were also going to have a lot of fun.
The West Indies are not going to Australia just to make up numbers, but aim for a Test series win.
Guide for Returning to Campus

In the current environment, the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff remain our top priority. To that end, we have taken several important steps that are consistent with the requests of government leaders and health officials.
Local volunteers in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, provide English classes to recently resettled Syrian families.  Laura Padoan

As we say in Northern Ireland, Come on, on, on in!

In the rural town of Lurgan, County Armagh, retired teacher Arthur McKeown welcomes a few late stragglers to the English class he teaches on a voluntary basis at the St Vincent de Paul Societys community centre. This mornings lesson has the most British of themes.

Whats the weather like today? Arthur asks the class.

Rainy! the class chimes back. Cloudy!

Despite the gloomy outlook, Arthurs students are brimming with enthusiasm to learn English and get to know their new home town. Almost all are refugees from Syria and have been resettled to Northern Ireland over the last few months as part of the Home Offices Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, run in collaboration with UNHCR.

One of the keenest pupils in the class is Lina, a former English teacher from Aleppo. Lurgan is a beautiful town, she says. I love it here, and in the future I want to work again as a teacher. She is already volunteering as a primary school assistant and helping out in a charity shop, keen to give something back to the community that has welcomed her in.

Lurgan is a beautiful town. I love it here, and in the future I want to work again as a teacher.

Linas husband Issa - a builder by trade - is also rediscovering his skills in the St Vincent de Pauls mens shed, which offers a carpentry workshop for Lurgans male residents, and has recently opened its doors to Syrian refugees. We do a bit of woodwork, says one long-time mens shed member. But mainly its about the craic, and well have anyone whos keen to join in.

The refugee recruits have even introduced new skills to the mens shed. Some of the Syrians had been garment-makers before the war, and it is hoped that the industrial sewing machine newly donated to the shed will also prove popular with the Lurgan old guard.

One of the Syrian tailors resettled to Lurgan is Mohamad, who arrived in June with his wife Rada and their two children. Three years ago the family had been visiting his parents home in Aleppos old town when the neighbouring house was hit by a bomb, severely injuring their nine year-old daughter Dania. Immediately following the blast, the family managed to get her to a hospital in Kilis, across the border in neighbouring Turkey.

Dania and her family arrived in Northern Ireland from Turkey under Home Office's Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, run in collaboration with UNHCR.  Laura Padoan

"Dania was critically ill, explains her mother Rada. For six weeks the only way I could see my daughter was through a screen. She was so badly injured  in her face, her stomach, the nerves in her legs were cut through and her arms are still covered in scars. In Turkey we couldnt provide anything for her, we couldnt afford the medicines. We didnt even have anywhere to sleep, we were sleeping in a stairwell. The only thought in my head was to get my daughter to a place where she could get better.

The couple scraped together the $7000 needed to pay for surgery. With no interpreter to communicate with doctors, it wasnt until afterwards that they discovered that one of Danias kidneys had been removed. We still dont know why. Maybe it was damaged by shrapnel or maybe they took it she falters, the thought too painful to finish.

In Turkey the family registered with UNHCR, and were identified as being in need of resettlement. The moment I registered with UNHCR Ive been thankful from the bottom of my heart, says Rada. The family recently celebrated Darias tenth birthday in Lurgan. Although she is still in constant pain and her right leg wasted, she will soon receive specialist care and undergo further corrective surgery to help her to walk.

Junior Ministers Alastair Ross and Megan Fearon have paid tribute to all the Syrian refugees living in Northern Ireland. Marking one year since the first families arrived, the Ministers also commended local communities for the welcome and support they had given the Syrian families.

Refugees who are already finding their feet in our society and enhancing the rich and diverse culture in the north. We should not underestimate the courage it has taken for them to embrace the opportunity for a new chapter in their lives.

Junior Minister Alastair Ross said: The Executive has now received nearly 400 refugees under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme, which aims to support victims of violence, women and children at risk and those in need of advanced medical care.

A year after we welcomed the first group of Syrian refugees to Northern Ireland, it is important we acknowledge the tremendous work of those who have supported the Syrian families through a difficult transition to begin their new lives here. I offer my congratulations to all those involved in their successful resettlement.

Junior Minister Megan Fearon said: The relocation and resettlement of Syrian refugee families has been an enormous humanitarian effort to support families who are among the most vulnerable. All those involved in providing sanctuary and support can be rightly proud of the difference they are making to the lives of those people and their families.

I pay tribute to the refugees who are already finding their feet in our society and enhancing the rich and diverse culture in the north. We should not underestimate the courage it has taken for them to embrace the opportunity for a new chapter in their lives.

For the Shiid family, resettlement to Northern Ireland has offered the opportunity to rebuild their lives. After Mohamads mother and brothers were killed in the war, he holds little hope of returning to Syria any time soon. But for the first time in years, Mohamad is optimistic for his familys future. We hope that our children keep studying and that we can give them things we couldnt provide in Syria. Im happy because I know that their lives will be safe in Northern Ireland.

This story is part of a series exploring the incredible ways people across the UK are showing refugees and asylum-seekers a #GreatBritishWelcome.
Mother-of-four Samira Hassan was born and raised in the Central African Republic but fled to Chad, her parents' home country in 2014. At risk of statelessness, she applied for a Chadian national ID card under a new programme.  UNHCR/Oualid Khelifi

GORE, Chad  One day three years ago, during a break at the farm where she worked, Samira Hassan took a walk to the top of a nearby hill that overlooked Bossembele, the town she called home in the west of the Central African Republic (CAR).

As she watched, horrified, a column of troops from a rebel militia that was then at war with the country's government attacked the town. Within minutes, dark clouds of billowing smoke shrouded Bossembele.

Samira, 23, knew her three children were safe back at the farm. But she saw her own house overtaken by a raging fire. Later she learnt that her mother had died in the inferno. Her brother, uncle, and two cousins were murdered at a mosque during the same raid.

"I only realized how important it was to have identity documents when I fled to Chad."

"Since that day, I have heard no news about my husband," says Samira. "That was it for me, I immediately took the kids and ran to the country of my parents, Chad."

Samira left behind the bodies of her loved ones in the ruins of her home. She also left behind vital documents that she had no idea she would need to avoid the years of uncertainty she has faced since. At the time, her only thought was to flee to safety.

Samira's parents are from Chad, but moved to CAR for work. She was born and raised in CAR, but was never granted citizenship there. At the same time, papers that could prove her parents were Chadian - and that therefore, under their countrys nationality law, she too had acquired Chadian nationality at birth - were left in her burned-out home.

Chad: Identity papers bring hope to returnees

So when she and 75,000 others in her situation fleeing the conflict in CAR reached Chad, they had no way to prove who they were, or that they were entitled to citizenship of the country that now sheltered them in refugee camps around the town of Gore.

"I only realized how important it was to have identity documents when I fled to Chad," says Samira, who only reached the country after a roundabout trek. "We had to cross to Cameroon first, then we were escorted to Gore. During this exhausting, five-week trip, we were asked many times to present our documents. We had none, it made everything more complicated."

Chad welcomes refugees and returning Chadians alike. Samira is now one of more than 6,000 returnees who have undergone biometric registration and nationality verification under a new European Union-funded programme to support returnees and prevent statelessness.

Implemented by the local authorities in collaboration with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its partners, the EU-funded programme is set to expand to another area in southern Chad, where a further 11,000 people like Samira are awaiting official documentation.

Worldwide at least 10 million people are believed to be stateless, and many others are at risk of becoming so. UNHCR is working with governments around the world to identify, prevent, and end statelessness, which frequently bars people from access to studying, healthcare, work, travel and voting in elections. To advance this goal, in 2014 UNHCR launched the #IBelong Campaign to end statelessness.

Samira Hassan, 23, enrolls in a biometric registration and nationality verification programme in Chad. The EU-funded programme supports returnees to Chad and seeks to prevent statelessness.  UNHCR/Oualid Khelifi

Samira Hassan has her photo taken for a Chadian national identification card. She was born and raised in the Central African Republic, but was never naturalized as a citizen. When violence erupted in CAR, she fled to Chad, her parents' home country, of which she is also a national by birth right.  UNHCR/Oualid Khelifi

Samira Hassan takes the receipt of her application for a Chadian national ID card. Her four children will receive theirs at the age of 15.  UNHCR/Oualid Khelifi

Samira Hassan (in pink shawl) sits with one of her daughters and other members of the community which welcomed her in Chad after she and her children fled violence in CAR in 2014.  UNHCR/Oualid Khelifi

So far, however, fewer than half of the returnees to Chad have been enrolled in the EU-funded programme. Procedures necessary to determine whether individuals are Chadian nationals, and should be issued with birth certificates or ID cards, take time. Teams from the humanitarian community, local authorities, and the police must visit rural areas where access is difficult and security not always assured.

"The programme is very demanding when it comes to time, human and logistical resources," says Ginette Ody, a UNHCR Associate Protection Officer in N'Djamena, Chad's capital. "Aside from ordinary screening, it is often necessary to have supplementary judicial rulings from local authorities before confirming the authenticity of someone's Chadian background. Carrying out such operations in far-flung Chadian districts close to the CAR border can be very costly."

"It is crucial to continue preventing these communities from living in an eternal administrative limbo."

Chad's national civil registrar struggles to keep records of births, and 88 per cent of children aged under five remain unregistered. Extra funding to the programme would allow both Chadians who fled CAR, and those born and raised in Chad, to be registered.

"It is crucial to continue preventing these communities from living in an eternal administrative limbo, so that their access to education, health care and state services is granted," says Ody.

For Samira, finally getting documentation has brought her much needed security and opportunity after her flight from danger.

"Having a Chadian national ID card is an assurance that I am fully accepted here," says Samira, who was pregnant when she fled CAR and has given birth to her fourth child since reaching Chad.

"Now, I can confidently tell my children that we belong in Chad, a much safer place where they can pursue their ambitions like everybody else in the country."
UNHCR is pleased to announce that High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has appointed Ahmad Fawzi as his Communication Advisor and Chief Spokesman.

Mr. Fawzi will be serving in this function over the next six months and during the temporary absence of Melissa Fleming, who has been working on the Secretary-Generals Transition Team in New York.

Mr. Fawzi has had a long career with the UN as spokesperson and communications adviser, working among others with former Secretaries-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon, as well as Special Envoys Lakhdar Brahimi, Sergio Vieira de Mello and Ian Martin. He was Director of News and Media in New York and, until recently, Director ad interim of the UN Information Service in Geneva.

UNHCRs Head of News & Media, Adrian Edwards, continues his wider interim role in charge of the organizations Communications and Public Information Service.
Some 40 tons of food aid arrived in the Ziguinchor region of Senegal on Thursday. Distribution to recent arrivals and host families should start shortly.  UNHCR/Helene caux

DAKAR, Senegal  Thousands of people have fled to Senegal from The Gambia, where last-minute talks are taking place to persuade the incumbent President to leave office following an election defeat.

According to Senegalese authorities, 45,000 people have crossed the border between the two West African countries, and more people may continue to flee as the situation remains tense.

Our fear is, if this situation is not resolved soon, more people may have to leave their homes trying to seek safety," said UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch in an interview after a press briefing in Geneva today.

Mediators are holding talks in The Gambian capital Banjul to persuade Yahya Jammeh to step down after the internationally recognised President Adama Barrow was sworn in during an inauguration ceremony at the Gambian embassy in Dakar on Thursday.

Latest figures from the government of Senegal show 75 per cent of the people crossing the border from The Gambia to Senegal are women and children, who are finding shelter with family members, host families or in hotels.

The village of Dienouncounda, near the Selety border crossing point, is hosting 333 persons who arrived from The Gambia within the past 10 days. The village normally has 500 inhabitants.

"I am hosting 21 persons in my home," said Djibril Coly, 68, who has eight children. "I give them food of course, we eat rice all together, but we won't have enough soon. A 50 kilo bag of rice costs about 16,000 CFA ($26), and we manage to eat for three days all of us on that bag. If we would eat properly, we would eat it in two days but we limit ourselves a bit to make it last. So more food is the main concern for us."

The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, with other humanitarian actors has deployed assessment teams to Senegals key border areas with the Gambia and is working closely with the local authorities to assess the needs of people who have arrived in Senegal.

In Dakar, UNHCR is constantly in contact with the Interior Ministry, which is in charge of coordinating the humanitarian response and has developed plans to distribute food and relief items to up to 100,000 people.

As part of the assistance programme, 40 tons of food arrived in the Ziguinchor region yesterday and distribution to recent arrivals and host families should start in the next days.

People have arrived in Senegals Fatick, Kaolack and Kaffrine regions, to the North of the Gambia, as well as in the Ziguinchor, Sedhiou and Kolda regions at the southern Gambian border with Senegal.

Arrivals in Senegal have been a mix of Gambians, Senegalese, bi-nationals, as well as Ghanaians, Liberians, Lebanese, Guineans, and Mauritanians among other foreigners. In addition, at least 800 people have crossed into Guinea-Bissau.

The Gambia itself, hosts some 8,000 refugees, most of whom are Senegalese.
Gambian women and children after crossing the border into Senegal.  Courtesy William Diatta / WFP

Around 45,000 people are now reported to have arrived in Senegal from The Gambia  according to the Senegalese Government, amid the ongoing political uncertainty as Senegalese and West African troops entered the country on Thursday. It is feared that more people may continue to flee as the situation remains tense.

Arrivals in Senegal have been a mix of Gambians, Senegalese, bi-nationals, as well as Ghanaians, Liberians, Lebanese, Guineans, and Mauritanians among other foreigners. In addition, at least 800 people have crossed into Guinea-Bissau.

People have been arriving in Senegals Fatick, Kaolack and Kaffrine regions, to the North of the Gambia, as well as in the Ziguinchor, Sedhiou and Kolda regions at the southern Gambian border with Senegal. The next few days will be critical and more people may leave the country if the current situation is not resolved peacefully soon.

Over 75 per cent of arrivals are children, accompanied mainly by women. They are staying with family members, host families or in hotels. Some families are hosting up to 40 to 50 people and will soon need support as they may quickly run out of resources. Authorities in Senegal have developed plans to distribute food and relief items to up to 100,000 people. Food will include rice, oil, sugar while non-food items will include mattresses, mats, blankets, sheets and soaps. Forty tons of food arrived in the Ziguinchor region yesterday and distribution to recent arrivals and host families should start in the next days.

UNHCR with other humanitarian actors stand ready to help the authorities and provide our expertise on assisting displaced populations. We are also available to support the authorities to establish a harmonized registration system, as well as to train border personal on refugee rights and protection principles.

UNHCR has deployed assessment teams to Senegals key border areas with the Gambia and our staff are closely working with the local authorities to assess the needs of people who have arrived in Senegal. In Dakar, UNHCR is constantly in contact with the Interior Ministry - in charge of coordinating the humanitarian response. We will continue our contingency preparations in collaboration with other UN Agencies, international and national NGOs, as well as implementing and government partners.

The Gambia, itself, hosts some 8,000 refugees, mainly Senegalese, who remain anxious and worried over the unfolding political events in the country.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
The present case involves Sajad Sanjari, whose death sentence was handed down in 2012 after he was accused of fatally stabbing a man. Sanjari claimed that the incident was case of self-defense against an attempted rape, but this argument was rejected by the courts. Barring the success of the UN campaign, the young man now stands to become the first juvenile offender to be executed in 2017. Voice of America notes that at least five juvenile offenders were executed last year and that at least 78 people are currently on death row in Iran for crimes they allegedly committed while younger than 18. It also points out that the actual figures may be much higher than these, given the often secretive nature of Irans judicial proceedings.

This secrecy will also make it difficult to pin down the total number of executions that were carried out in the Islamic Republic during 2016. It already appears that most estimates for this figure exceed 500. While exceptionally high by global standards and enough to retain Irans status as the country with the highest per-capita rate of executions, this figure would be modest by comparison with 2015, during which Iran is widely understood to have executed nearly 1,000 people.

These annual totals rely in large part on information gathered by anti-death penalty activists, human rights groups, and dissident organizations like the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran. One day after the announcement of the UN campaign for Sajad Sanjari, the Iran Human Rights website reported upon one instance of mass execution in Vakilabad Prison, this one targeting four drug offenders. Irans population of death row inmates is dominated by non-violent offenders who have been accused of possession or trafficking of narcotics, often in relatively small quantities, sometimes even less than a kilogram.

The Iran Human Rights report suggests that the overzealous prosecution of drug traffickers may also lead to the execution of innocent persons, possibly including one of the four individuals executed in Vakilabad. Identified as Akmad Shekarabi, that individual actually had his initial death sentence overturned by the Iranian Supreme Court, only for his case to be sent back to a lower-court, resulting in another death sentence, which this time was confirmed by the highest court. Shekarabi had been a taxi driver for another man who was arrested for drug trafficking.

It appears that the only evidence against Shekarabi was the statements of his customer accusing him of knowing what was in the packages that that customer was carrying. The circumstances of this accusation are unknown, but Iranian law enforcement authorities have a demonstrated track record for putting pressure on arrestees to implicate others, often under threat of torture. Such tactics are particularly evident in cases of political imprisonment, and the resulting false implications or false confessions can become the sole basis for a successful national security case.

Such political imprisonments and dubious national security convictions make up a small portion of the countrys death sentences, but those same inmates may come under threat of death by other means, including the denial of life-saving medical treatment, persistent post-conviction torture, and life threatening hunger strikes undertaken to call attention to political imprisonment and systematic mistreatment.

Indeed, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran notes that there has been a major surge in hunger strikes in recent months. One particularly high profile example of this came to at least a temporary conclusion early this month when demonstrations and social media campaigns by supporters of Arash Sadeghi compelled the Iranian regime to grant temporary release and a retrial to his wife and fellow political prisoner Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee. This concession came only after 71 days of self-imposed starvation brought Sadeghi to the brink of death, and even then it reportedly upwards of two days for prison authorities to see to his hospitalization.

Sadeghis hunger strike is not even a record among recent protest actions. One report from the International Campaign indicated on Tuesday that imprisoned civil rights activist Ali Shariati had been convinced by fellow political prisoners and his own family to end his life-threatening hunger strike after 75 days. Shariatis protest had also spurred a social media campaign, but in this case it ended without his achieving his goals, mainly a review of his case, which he described as having no legal basis.

Shariati began serving a five year prison sentence in October on charges of acting against national security through his participation in protests two years earlier. Those protests outside of the Iranian parliament building sought to call attention to a wave of acid attacks on women, which many critics of the regime believed to be connected to efforts to empower civilian militias in the enforcement of female veiling and other religious laws.

Other hunger strikes are still ongoing, and some have declared much broader intentions than had Shariati. For instance, another report by the International Campaign explained that Saeed Shirzad was hospitalized for the effects of a more than month-long hunger strike on January 12. In spite of the impact of that protest on his health, Shirzad reportedly has no intention of ceasing the protest, and has indicated that he is willing to carry on to the point of death in order to expose what he described as the quiet death of political prisoners at the hands of abusive prison authorities.

Shirzads lawyer, Amirsalar Davoodi predicted another political crisis for the Iranian regime as a result of his clients persistence. Shirzad has reinforced his protest by sewing his own lips shut  a tactic that was referenced in yet another report by the International Campaign, describing a much earlier hunger strike undertaken by political prisoner Mohammad Nazari in 2002.

Nazari remains in prison to this day, serving a life sentence that was reportedly based on nothing other than his membership in an opposition group urging Kurdish autonomy. Whats more, that life sentence only came into effect after an earlier sentence of death was commuted by the supreme leader, as part of the Islamic festival of Eid Qorban. His subsequent hunger strike sought a review of his case  something that Nazari also pursued by writing thousands of letters to every authority you can imagine. But not only have none of his requests been addressed, he appears to have faced additional pressure as a result of his prison activism.

The International Campaigns report was focused on Nazaris recent request for medical furlough, which has been denied on the basis of the judiciarys claim of having lost his case files. His medical conditions have reportedly grown severe enough to now include periods of partial paralysis, but his prospects for receiving treatment seem dim, in line with the regimes habit of denying political prisoners access to medical services.

Presumably, this denial would have been extended also to such figures as Arash Sadeghi and Saeed Shirzad if not for the prominence and international visibility of their cases. In fact, the remarkably slow reaction to Sadeghis life-threatening hunger strike may indicate some willingness to allow political prisoners to die even in spite of the potential for both domestic and international outcry. But in other cases, the regime clearly strives to avoid this scrutiny by isolating prisoners and putting them under pressure to end hunger strikes before external support is brought to bear on their cases.

In one example of this phenomenon, the International Campaign reports that the Lebanese-born permanent resident of the United States, Nizar Zakka, has faced additional punishment in Tehrans Evin Prison as a result of his initiating a hunger strike on December 8. It is difficult to say whether that hunger strike is still ongoing, since Zakka is now being denied contact with his family, as well as having been transferred out of the facilitys political ward and into a ward populated by violent criminals.

Zakka is seeking immediate release and access to consular and medical services. He is serving a 10-year sentence for unspecified national security charges, and his case has been widely cited as an example of Iranian authorities ongoing targeting and entrapment of dual nationals. Government officials had officially invited Zakka to a conference on women and sustainable development before the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps arrested him. His case is currently under appeal, but the newfound pressure of his transfer, coupled with the health effects of his hunger strike, may put his life at risk before that process is completed.
Student debt is an issue that is happening globally. And in Ontario, students from families that are earning less than $50,000 are eligible to receive free tuition to any university or college they want.

This is made possible because of the Ontario government's restructuring of their student assistance funding program.

During a meeting held at the Bayridge Secondary School in Kingston on Tuesday, students lined up in the freezing cold and rain to attend the event, as reported by The Whig. The newest change to the Ontario Student Assistance Program would mean that post-secondary education can be more accessible to students in Ontario.

Present during the meeting was MPP Sophie Kiwala, students, staff and the Limestone District School Board trustees. During the public meeting, Kiwala explains that the average tuition is going to be free for college and universities. But this is only made available to families who have incomes of less than $50,000.

The Ontario government wants to make it known that access to post-secondary education should not be based on their ability to pay the tuition or fees associated with colleges and universities. According to Kiwala, over 150,000 students will receive this grant. They hope that 80 percent or more graduates are going to finish school with less student debt. Their hopes also include that this new change will help in employment. Kiwala adds that seven out of 10 jobs in Ontario require a degree.

Tom Mahoney, a trustee from the Limestone District School Board said that the Ontario government recognizes the need and that regardless of financial status, they are providing access to education and future goals of their students.

In an effort to make education more affordable, the new changes to the program will take effect this September. For those who are interested, the 2016 to 2017 OSAP application is now open, as reported by Ontario.

Watch the video below where Pedro Barata talks to Deb Matthews to find out how Ontario brought together those inside and outside government to gain access to education:
Learning is a lifelong experience. Even if a person is well beyond his golden years, there's always something to learn, and a recent college graduate proves it.

Amy Craton, a grandmother from Hawaii, was recently awarded a Bachelor degree in creative writing and English after studying two-and-a-half years, receiving her education through online courses from Southern New Hampshire University, Inside Edition reported. She was awarded in a surprise ceremony held in Honolulu.

Craton, happy about her new degree, said she's trying to live her life "to the fullest," noting that she'll be happy as she "gets good grades." And good grades she did get - she graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

Dig this: the newly-minted grandmother is actually a mother, a grandmother, and a great grandmother. She's 94 years old, sits in a wheelchair, and is hard of hearing. Craton actually started going to college in 1962, but had to put her education on hold to prioritize her kids especially after she and her husband got divorced. She was left to take care of her four children.

More than 50 years later, Craton decided to go back to school. She says everyone has to keep learning for as long as they can. People should go to college and not be afraid of it, she says.

SNHU president Paul LeBlanc said everybody in the school was surprised at Craton. It's pretty surprising for someone of Craton's age to go back to school with all the new technology, but it's fun and her learning has really touched people's lives, LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc said he believes that Craton is their school's oldest graduate, and could even be the oldest student in the country. Getting a Bachelor's degree with a 4.0 GPA is already a feat on its own, but grandma Craton doesn't want to stop there. While she's happy with her new degree, she says she still has more to learn and wants to work on her master's degree.

Craton's achievement should encourage all of us to study, and not let age or disability stop us from learning.
Drones are all the rage in the past few years. Many companies are trying to use drones to service their different platforms in the industry.

Drone technology can be seen as a service in delivery system, documentation and research. This unmanned aircraft is being used everywhere but it still requires a lot of study. Which is why the college students in Kentucky and West Virginia are going to get some funding to further look into this technology.

The Appalachian Regional Commission has provided some financial assistance, as reported by WSAZ News. United States Rep. Evan Jenkins of West Virginia announced that the Maysville Community and Technical College in Kentucky, plus the Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College is going to receive a $1.3 million grant.

The two colleges will be working with the Regional Drone Technology Workforce Project. The grant will benefit one hundred students. These students will be studying the drone industry, as reported by LEX18 News.

The drone industry is rapidly growing and the grant hopes that further study will raise awareness, reveal its uses and limitations. As federal regulations are still studying the guidelines for public use and private use, there are still some policies or specifications that needed to be reviewed. Drones are also being used by the military.

Drones are being used as a target and decoy. They are also being used as reconnaissance tools. In some areas, drones are being used for combat and logistics. Drone research and development is also a functional category. The most famous use would be drones in the civil and commercial sectors in agriculture, photography and data collection.

While researchers are still finding ways to improve drone technology, companies like Amazon are using drones for their delivery system.

Watch this video below of Shawn Muehler. He is working to advance the unmanned aerial vehicle industry through innovative software and hardware:
While the Aleppo siege was fully engaged, the mother and daughter behind a popular Twitter account went silent on social media. Their last posts, before their account went dark, spoke of the imminent danger that 7-year-old Bana al-Abed and her mother Fatemeh were facing. In some of those messages, Bana and Fatemeh seemed resigned to death, just like many other social media users in Aleppo, whose accounts remained active after the Abed family went off the grid. Fortunately for Bana and her mother, they were transferred out of Aleppo last month.

As a real-time tool, social media presence exposed many of the crimes perpetrated by pro-government forces when they overran the ancient city of Aleppo. Chilling accounts of women and children being killed in the streets, often while trying to flee from the city, reached a global audience as they occurred.

In mid-December the United Nations confirmed that at least 82 people had been captured and murdered by the Assad governments militant supporters, allegedly backed by Iran.

Many Syrian civilians who had the ear of the international community have failed to resurface, after telling about seeing friends, family members, and aid workers murdered in front of them.

Bana and Fatemeh served an important role by putting human faces on this conflict. Western policy makers and their constituents have with a sense of personal connection with them, that they may have never experienced while the war remained so far away. The hope for the Syrian people, the humanitarian groups and anyone involved with the countrys welfare, is that this personal connection will ultimately lead to action, and that the world will truly hear the appeal like the ones this mother and daughter made to the West.

Much needs to be done in the weeks and months ahead, if world powers plan to take action. Any large scale ceasefire must be resolutely enforced by the United Nations, the U.S. and its allies. A highly assertive negotiation to find a political solution, must be conducted.

The siege of Aleppo is proof of how destructive the role of Assads Tehran backers are, and the international community shouldnt ignore it. Even the Syrian army seemed poised to let rebels and civilians evacuate the city in the immediate aftermath of the conquest. The Russian defense ministry guaranteed a pathway would remain open, and hundreds of evacuees went on to pass through a Russian checkpoint on their way out. However, on a Wednesday in mid-December, at least a thousand people were stopped along the evacuation route at a checkpoint controlled by Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and their militant proxies. The Iranians had altered the ceasefire agreed upon the day before. The next day, the ceasefire appeared to have been violated, as ambulance drivers and rescue workers came under sniper fire. The Iranian opposition, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) even identified the command base of the IRGC for Aleppo operations.

Tehrans behavior is not surprising, based on what we know about their conduct during the Syrian Civil War, as well as throughout the 37-year history of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Beginning with the seizure of the U.S. embassy during the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the regime used hostage-taking as a means of achieving its geopolitical ends. It is applying that tactic to the civilians of Aleppo, because the Tehran regime wants to prolong the conflict, and to encourage the partition of Syria along sectarian lines.

Tehrans sphere of influence is highlighted in Iraq, and the international community should not be blind to the threat of Iranian dominance, but should see the need to contain the regime to secure peace and stability in the region.

Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian coalition of democratic opposition groups, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, encapsulates the intent of the regime as being the source of crisis in the region and killings in Syria; it has played the greatest role in the expansion and continuation of ISIS. Peace and tranquility in [the Middle East] can only be achieved by evicting this regime from the region.

Peace and tranquility are complex goals and ones that are difficult to define, admits Sir David Amess, Yet the goal of saving the lives of people stranded in Aleppo and elsewherepeople like Bana and Fatemeh al-Abed, he writes.

Iran must be compelled through political and financial pressure from the international community, to step away from the conflict so a lasting ceasefire agreement can be negotiated. For defenseless people like Bana, this is a vital necessity.
President-elect Donald Trump has paid the settlement for the lawsuit filed against Trump University. This comes days before he is set to be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States.

Politico reported that Trump has paid $25 million to settle litigation over the real estate seminar program of Trump University, which is now known as Trump Entrepreneur Initiative. Sources revealed that the funds were transferred on the evening of Tuesday.

The money will be put on a bond until the settlement is approved by a judge. A hearing is scheduled for Mar. 31.

Donald Trump was slammed with two different federal lawsuits for Trump University. The for-profit learning enterprise is accused of deceiving students who were eager to learn his real estate secrets.

His legal representatives have confirmed that they will not be using money from the president-elect's charitable foundation to pay the $25 million settlement for the fraud case. This became an issue because Donald Trump has used money from his charitable foundation, the Donald J. Trump Foundation, to pay for lawsuit settlements for his business and personal activities.

Trump's request to postpone the trial for the lawsuit was successful back in summer. After he won the election, his lawyers argued that the hearing should be postponed so that he can focus on his new role as he is still a "political novice."

According to CNN, if approved, $21 million of the settlement will be awarded to about 7,000 former Trump University students who were covered in two California class action suits. This will only amount to half of what they paid for, though.

$4 million will be set aside for a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Trump University did not accept fault as part of the deal.

The funds for the settlement come days before Donald Trump is set to take his place as the next President of the United States. TIME noted that Trump's inauguration will be the most expensive in history even though there are lesser celebrities and other high-profile individuals in attendance.
The University of Illinois is rolling out a new initiative to boost its enrollment for the next five years. It includes freezing tuition to encourage more students to apply. The Chicago Tribune reported that the university aims to increase its enrollment by 15 percent. This will lead to a growth in its three campuses to over 93,000 students.

By 2021, university leaders aim to add about 12,150 students. This is expected to be achieved through increases in undergraduate programs at the Chicago campus as well as graduate and online programs in Urbana - Champaign.

The initiative was developed as the University of Illinois encourages locals and underrepresented minorities to get a college education. A tuition freeze has also been proposed for incoming Illinois students for the third straight year.

University president Timothy Killeen said that a lot of qualified students leave the state due to the cost of in-state higher education. He believes that the school should be competitive on cost in order to preserve the local talent.

The Urbana - Champaign campus will be creating new online master's-level degree programs. It will encompass subjects like computer science, accounting as well as business administration.

Robin Kaler, the Urbana - Champaign campus spokesperson, noted that online programs have become increasingly popular. It will be one of the major tools to help broaden course selections for students who cannot attend classes in campus.

According to The News-Gazette, 80 percent of the school's on-campus undergraduate enrollment at its three campuses is composed of Illinois residents. An estimated 25 percent of all undergraduates are African-American or Latino.

On Wednesday, Killeen admitted that new revenue was a factor considered in the development of the initiative. However, its primary goal was to provide world-class education to local residents.

It seems like the University of Illinois is on its way. In the last two years, enrollment has grown by 12,700 students since fall 2006. Moreover, applications have increased to 80 percent over the last decade.
In keeping with the British government's campaign against terrorism, King's College in London is telling all staff and students that their computer activity could be monitored with their consent, news reports say.

King's College, which is home to one of the world's most prominent centers for studies on radicalization, informs all staff and students that it will be monitoring and recording all computer activity "without authorization" or those that are "in excess of their authority," reports RT. The notice is posted on the College's email login section.

The Middle East Eye, taking a screenshot of the said notice, reports that it also warns staff and students from downloading, storing, or transmitting unlawful material. Materials that are indecent, offensive, defamatory, threatening, discriminatory or otherwise extremist are also prohibited.

The notice also says that King's College reserves the right to block or monitor access to any "extremist" activity that may radicalize viewers.

King's College said in the notice that it has a statutory duty under the Counter Terrorism and Security Act of 2015. The Act, known as "Prevent," aims to stop or prevent the radicalization of young Muslims. With the monitoring, King's College aims to help in the process of preventing people from being drawn into terrorism.

The notice further states that anyone who uses the system consents to being monitored. Users are also told that if the monitoring reveals possible evidence of criminal activity or activity contrary to what Prevent aims to do, the evidence might be forwarded to law enforcement officials.

Ibtehal Hussain, a War Studies student, told MEE that she is concerned about the impact King's College might bring to students, especially Muslim and politically active students. She said it will create "paranoia" and a "climate of fear and intimidation."

Still, despite all the criticism and opposition thrown towards Prevent, Sara Khan, co-director and co-founder of Inspire, a counter-extremism and women's rights organization, said in an article that not all Muslims in the U.K. are against it.
He writes that when he heard about the death of Rafsanjani, he had a flashback to Istanbul, Turkey, on March 14, 1990. Hossein Abedini was in Istanbul, and Rafsanjanis henchmen were there, too. That was when he encountered them directly.

He writes, It was mid-afternoon and I was sitting next to the driver taking me to the Istanbul airport. As the driver and I were discussing ways to evade the traffic jam that was caused by an accident, a car carrying four men suddenly blocked our path. And then came a bang. Another car pinned us in from behind. Seconds later, two strange men, one from the front car and one from the car behind, jumped out with automatic weapons. As the assailants approached, I had a few seconds to decide how to avoid becoming sitting ducks. I opened the car door and rushed at them carrying only a small Samsonite briefcase. One of the men fired nine bullets; the other mans gun jammed. I was shot in the chest and stomach and gravely wounded. The assailants fled. I fell unconscious, my battle for survival just begun.

Fortunately, Abedini was close to Istanbuls International Hospital, where he was rushed. He says, I was in a deep coma for 40 days, and unconscious for three months. With 80 percent of my liver gone, I was written off by my doctors several times. One bullet hit very close to my heart. I went through 14 operations and was given 154 pints of blood. In one of the operations, the odds for my survival were one to one hundred.

Abedini is a member of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the coalition of Iranian opposition movements, with the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran, the principal Iranian opposition movement at its core, and he believes that the assailants were acting at the behest of the clerical regime.

It later became apparent that the hitmen werent after him. The Iranian state radio confirmed a few days later, that the actual target was Mohammad Mohaddessin, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NCRI.

Once the regime realized that they failed, they tried to kill him in the hospital two times. The first time, assassins disguised as Turkish police approached the hospital; coincidentally, the Turkish police arrived at the hospital at the same time and foiled the plot. The second time, two men pretended that they were his friends and found his room in the hospital. They were really agents of the Iranian regime. He was lucky; several real friends came to visit at the same time, and the would-be murderers fled.

Actually, I am one of very few who has survived the mullahs assassination attempts, Abedini says, adding, All this took place while Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was the clerical regimes president.

It is relevant to know Rafsanjanis real legacy. Some in the West portrayed him as a moderate, and pragmatic for the past three decades, but in reality he was the same as the rest of the mullahs.

Assassinations of Iranian dissidents abroad and the regimes terror attacks skyrocketed during Rafsanjanis tenure as the president and as the head of the Supreme National Security Council, according to Abedini.

Irans most renowned human-rights activist, Professor Kazem Rajavi, was gunned down in broad daylight by hitmen while driving near his house in Geneva in 1990. Thirteen Iranian officials with passports stamped Special Mission were implicated by the Swiss. Several Iranian Kurdish leaders were murdered in Vienna in 1989 and in Berlin in 1992. The list goes on, and the terror targets were not only Iranians. Tehran masterminded the bombing of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1996, resulting in the deaths of 19 American servicemen, according to evidence established by the FBI. Rafsanjani was directly implicated by Interpol in the bombing of the Jewish center in Buenos Aires, Argentina on July 18, 1994. Rafsanjani played a key role in the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, primarily activists of the MEK, in summer of 1988, an incident that has been described as one of the worst crimes against humanity since the Second World War.

Additionally, the secret drive to acquire nuclear weapons got a real boost during his tenure, particularly after the first Persian Gulf War in 1991.

Rafsanjanis death is a major development insofar as it pertains to the future of the theocracy ruling Iran. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran underscored that, with the death of Rafsanjani, one of the two pillars and key to the equilibrium of the regime has collapsed and the regime in its entirety is approaching overthrow. Rafsanjani who had always been the regimes number two, acted as its balancing factor and played a decisive role in its preservation.

Rafsanjanis death may result in the regime losing its internal and external equilibrium. This means that the outlook for the regimes future has become significantly bleaker, especially in light of the other crises Tehran faces.
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 20, 2017

UT Honors Program Announces Spring 2017 Symposia Series

The University of Tampas Spring 2017 Honors Program symposia series kicks off on Wednesday, Jan. 25, with a presentation by Heather Masonjones, professor of biology, and Emily Rose, visiting assistant professor of biology. Their talk, titled Secrets of the Sweetings-Pond Seahorse, begins at 4 p.m. in the Trustees Board Room on the ninth floor of the Vaughn Center.



Throughout the series, resident scholars and researchers at the University as well as guest speakers will present in their areas of specialization. Guest speakers in the series include Dan Walden, associate professor of English at Baylor University; Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez, directors of the documentary film After Spring; and Terri Muuss, a writer and performer whose one-woman show, Anatomy of a Doll, was named Best Theatre: Critics Pick of the Week by New York Daily News.



All lectures are free, open to the public (unless otherwise noted) and held on the UT campus, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd. For a full schedule, see below:

Wednesday, Jan. 25: Secrets of the Sweetings-Pond Seahorse, Heather Masonjones, UT professor of biology, and Emily Rose, UT visiting assistant professor of biology, Vaughn Center, ninth floor, Trustees Board Room, 4 p.m.

Secrets of the Sweetings-Pond Seahorse, Heather Masonjones, UT professor of biology, and Emily Rose, UT visiting assistant professor of biology, Vaughn Center, ninth floor, Trustees Board Room, 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27: Pirates!  Sailors and Coastal Identities in Early America, Dan Walden, associate professor of English at Baylor University, Vaughn Center, ninth floor, Trustees Board Room, 4 p.m.

Pirates!  Sailors and Coastal Identities in Early America, Dan Walden, associate professor of English at Baylor University, Vaughn Center, ninth floor, Trustees Board Room, 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6: Science, Science Literacy in our Society and Sustainability, Steve Kucera, UT associate professor of biology, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 10 a.m.

Science, Science Literacy in our Society and Sustainability, Steve Kucera, UT associate professor of biology, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21: After Spring showing and Q-and-A with filmmakers Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 2 p.m. screening, 4 p.m. Q-and-A

showing and Q-and-A with filmmakers Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 2 p.m. screening, 4 p.m. Q-and-A Thursday, March 16: An Evening with The Infiltrator, Robert Mazur, Vaughn Center, ninth floor, 5:30 p.m. *This event is exclusively for the campus community and is not open to the public.

An Evening with The Infiltrator, Robert Mazur, Vaughn Center, ninth floor, 5:30 p.m. *This event is exclusively for the campus community and is not open to the public. Thursday, March 23: Social Justice Communication in Morocco, Christopher Boulton, assistant professor of communication, and Andrew DeMil, assistant professor of Spanish, languages and linguistics, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 4 p.m.

Social Justice Communication in Morocco, Christopher Boulton, assistant professor of communication, and Andrew DeMil, assistant professor of Spanish, languages and linguistics, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 12: Oxford Abroad Lunch and Learn, Oxford Semester Abroad scholarship recipients Nicole Lampe 16, Maggie Poling 17 and Erin Brosnan 17, location TBA, noon.

Oxford Abroad Lunch and Learn, Oxford Semester Abroad scholarship recipients Nicole Lampe 16, Maggie Poling 17 and Erin Brosnan 17, location TBA, noon. Thursday, April 27: Anatomy of a Doll , a one-woman show written and performed by Terri Muuss, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 3:30 p.m.

, a one-woman show written and performed by Terri Muuss, Vaughn Center, second floor, Reeves Theater, 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 28: Inspiration through Exploration, Faith Taylor 18, a marine science-biology major from Maryland, location TBA, 2 p.m.

Please note that dates and locations are subject to change. For more information, contact the Honors Program at (813) 257-3545 or honors@ut.edu.
UTSA students witness history on Inauguration Day

(Jan. 20, 2017) -- Bill Archer Fellows from The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) will get a front row seat to history today.

Fellows, Melina Acosta and Anusha Hussain, are studying in Washington, D.C. this semester and are excited to be there on Inauguration Day.

"I decided regardless of the outcome, I wanted to see this historic event firsthand while I was in the nation's capital for the Archer Fellowship Program," said Hussain who is a senior biology major and Archer Fellow.

The Bill Archer Fellowship Program brings accomplished students from across The University of Texas System to Washington, D.C. to participate in internships and take part in courses focusing on government, economics and public policy.

"This will be a very memorable day and I'm fortunate to have this experience as a UTSA student," said Acosta, who is currently taking classes in public policy and advocacy while interning at the national non-profit Active Minds, Inc. in Washington, D.C.

When they are not busy studying and interning, Acosta and Hussain are exploring museums, monuments and the food scene.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to not only study and intern in D.C. but to be involved in an important moment in our nation's history," said Acosta.

Donald J. Trump will take the presidential oath of office on Friday, January 20, 2017. There is a morning worship service, followed by a procession to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony, inaugural address, parade and a series of inaugural balls.

- Kara Mireles

-------------------------------

Learn more abou the Bill Archer Fellowship.

Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UWs Casper Start-Up Challenge Kicks Off Second Year of Stimulating New Companies

Winners of the first-ever Casper Start-Up Challenge are (from left) Bradley Erickson, Bison Kings; Joe Bennick, former Casper Area WTBC director; Eric Lewis, Bison Kings; Ily Nunn, NU Locating; and Brian Deurloo, Frog Creek Partners. (WTBC Photo)

The Wyoming Technology Business Center (WTBC) -- a business development program of the University of Wyoming -- will continue to build upon the successes of its Casper Start-Up Challenge with a second year of the $50,000 seed fund.

A public kickoff event will coincide with an e2e Wyoming meeting Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 5:30 p.m. at the WTBCs Casper Area Incubator, located at 2435 King Blvd.

Were thrilled with the results of our 2016 challenge, says Jon Benson, chief executive officer of the WTBC. The community buy-in was phenomenal last year. With more than 30 applications submitted, it is clear that Casper has the ideas and the motivation to diversify the local economy if given the chance.

Like the previous years challenge, the 2017 competition qualifiers will have a $50,000 seed fund to help early-stage entrepreneurial companies launch.

In our experience assisting startups in Wyoming, often times the barriers entrepreneurs have to cross are a small amount of money to get them going, Benson says. Most of the time, this is between $20,000 and $25,000.

In 2017, the seed fund is made possible through the support of the John P. Ellbogen Foundation and the Casper Area Economic Development Alliance.

Ily Nunn, one of three qualifiers in 2016 and a panelist at the Jan. 24 e2e Wyoming event, credits her attendance at e2e Wyoming for learning about the Casper Start-Up Challenge.

Having gone to the mixers and finding out what this would look like, I prepared my basic idea and met with the WTBC staff, she says. Really, we just discussed my vision for the business and what I needed to do to improve that vision and make it happen.

Nunn, who is founder and CEO of private utility locating company, NU Locating, credits the incubator staff with giving her the confidence to take the first steps.

It was really helpful to have that feedback, Nunn says.

Other panelists at the kickoff event are the two other 2016 Casper Start-Up Challenge qualifiers: Brian Deurloo, CEO of Frog Creek Partners; and Eric Lewis and Bradley Erickson, of Bison Kings. RSVPs are appreciated and can be made at www.uwyo.edu/wtbc.

Additional informational mixers for the Casper Start-Up Challenge will take place Feb. 8 and 21, both at 5:30 p.m., also at the WTBC Casper Area Incubator. These events will be ahead of the March 1 registration deadline.

For more information on the Casper Start-Up Challenge, call John Glassburn at (307) 315-6404 or email him at glassbur@uwyo.edu.

E2e is an educational networking program with chapters in Laramie, Casper, Gillette and Sheridan. It is designed to improve the climate for the startup and growth of entrepreneurial companies. Each e2e chapter meets bimonthly for 45 minutes of networking, followed by a 45-minute program. The programs feature successful entrepreneurs telling their stories, panel discussion on relevant topics and advice from experts in specific businesses.

Administered by the UW Office of Research and Economic Development, the WTBC is a not-for-profit business incubator that provides entrepreneurs with the expertise, networks and tools necessary for success.
Wyoming Business Tips for Jan. 29-Feb. 4

A weekly look at Wyoming business questions from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (WSBDC), part of WyomingEntrepreneur.Biz, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.

By John Privette, WSBDC Network regional director

Our company is evaluating exporting. How do we get paid and reduce nonpayment risk? Howard, Cheyenne

More than 300,000 small- and medium-sized U.S. companies are growing by exporting products to foreign buyers. When deciding to export, business owners consider several things including: does exporting align with the companys growth strategy; do we understand what it takes to export profitably; and, maybe most importantly, how do I get paid?

As with all sales, being paid in full and on time is key to exporting successfully, and, like most negotiations between companies, financial transactions are influenced by local customs, cultural norms and common practices. Asking buyers for cash in advance, for example, is not as common in most of the world as it is in the United States. Offering credit terms to foreign buyers increases risk, but the upside may be a more competitive position in the market and greater growth in revenue. And, products like export credit insurance mitigate that risk.

Domestic sales to U.S. customers with good credit are typically made on an open account; otherwise, cash in advance is required. For export sales, three common methods of payment, listed in order from most secure for the exporter to least secure, are:

-- Cash in advance.

-- Letters of credit.

-- Open account.

-- Cash in advance. On the surface, cash in advance may seem ideal for the exporter. It eliminates collection problems, and wire transfers make payment almost immediate. For the buyer, however, cash in advance increases risk and may create cash flow problems. Exporters who insist on advance payment may lose out to competitors who offer more flexible payment terms.

-- Letter of credit. Versatile and secure, a letter of credit is a commitment on behalf of the foreign buyer that the exporter will be paid when the terms and conditions stated in the letter of credit have been met, as evidenced by the presentation of specified documents. The more secure letters of credit are irrevocable, meaning that they cannot be changed without the agreement of both parties.

-- Open account. Open accounts are advantageous for the importer and can be a viable method of payment for foreign buyers who are well-established, have a proven track record of favorable payment or have been thoroughly checked for credit worthiness. Open accounts are often used in highly competitive markets, particularly if there is strong competition from local suppliers.

-- Reduce your risk. The good news is that there are a number of safeguards U.S. exporters can use to be competitive in international markets while reducing risk. The risk of nonpayment, for example, can be mitigated by trade finance products like export credit insurance offered by commercial lenders and the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

A blog version of this article and an opportunity to post comments are available at www.wyomingsbdc.org/blog1/.

The WSBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922.


To celebrate the Grand Opening of Plantones Italian Market, the first 100 customers will receive one free 10 pizza every week for a year on January 27. Guests are invited to start lining up at 12:01am for the chance to win free pizza for a year.

The first 100 guests in line at opening that purchase a large salad, individual pizza, or large sandwich will receive a punch card redeemable for one free individual pizza every week for a year.

When:

Friday, January 27, 11AM

Where:

Plantones Italian Market

8680 W. Warm Springs

Las Vegas, Nevada 89148


In recognition to their fans for 20 years down, Third Eye Blind will, for the first time in their storied history, play their debut album, considered one of the great rock records of all time, in its entirety, as part of a night of music including their latest, We Are Drugs.

The Summer Gods Tour will visit amphitheaters across North America including The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas Saturday, July 22.

Third Eye Blind was everywhere in 2016. We Are Drugs hit iTunes top 5 alternative records. They sold out numerous headline shows and set attendance records at 2016 Summer music festivals worldwide including Outside Lands, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Tokyos Summersonic, and UKs Reading and Leeds Festivals.

3eb have continually trended, making headlines in the political arena with Stephan Jenkins hold-nothing- back opinion pieces and trolling of the RNC.

Third Eye Blind are clearly one of the most vibrant and volatile rock acts of the moment.

3eb also recently landed on national headlines during a surf session when they were filmed by paparazzi while rescuing a group of kids caught in a rip current off the beaches of North Carolina. This lifeguard incident came with a special twist, as it occurred after the band had just performed a benefit show in support of the NC Transgender communitys efforts to defeat the odious HB2 legislation.

Theyve made appearances for charitable organizations like Make Room, Childrens Hospitals, and PETA. Stephan is a strong supporter of the Jimmy Miller foundation, a project especially close to Stephans heart where Stephan shares surfing with active duty Marines and Vets afflicted with PTSD.

We have always had that punk ethos of say what you mean no matter what and show up when you are needed, says Jenkins. I think that is more true of us now than ever. We havent gotten soft at all.

The release of the We Are Drugs EP is the next chapter in Third Eye Blinds legacy  a fully-realizedd body of work that incorporates the bands perfect pop sensibility with an ever-present progressive intent. Jenkins utilizes his characteristic rhythmic vocal style and lyrical prowess on issues of identity, connection, isolation and authenticity while keeping a sharp eye on a culture in rapid change.

Third Eye Blind continues to write, record and tour, while growing a larger, younger and more dedicated fan base than ever. 2017 is where Third Eye Blind shows gratitude for 20 years and counting. They are a band focused on the future though, so look for surprises leading up to the Summer Gods Tour.

3eb represents the rock part in Summer Rock Tours  no sequencers, no backing tracks, they make something true, transcendent and passionate every night.

We are all about fostering a feeling of aliveness and connection, says Stephan Jenkins. Thats why we have the Summer vibes, because our heat comes from being alive and in the moment and you can only get it when you are willing to keep it real. No one can create the vibes we do fronting over a backing track.

Third Eye Blind seeks to foster a festival environment so they have invited along a group of like-minded friends along including very special guests Silversun Pickups.

Silversun Pickups is among the most dynamic and creative rock bands of the modern era, hailed far and wide for their inimitable merging of ethereal melodies and pure sonic force. From the indie rock opening salvo of 2005s Pikul EP to 2012s far-reaching Neck Of The Woods, each successive release has seen the Silverlake, Calif.-based band boldly venture into uncharted terrain, bravely pushing their imagination and ability towards new and surprising summits. Better Nature marks the debut release from Silversun Pickups own New Machine Recordings.

Another special guest will be announced soon and 3eb has been known to pop in to parking lot parties before the show so we invite you to get tickets and come early and we will see you this Summer.
Genetron Performax LT, also known as R-407F, was introduced in 2009, and is a non-ozone depleting and lower-global-warming refrigerant designed to replace R-404A, R-507, R-407A and R-22 refrigerants that are being phased out due to regulation in Europe aimed at reducing global warming impacts from refrigerants. It can be used in retrofits and new supermarket installations.

During a long-term test conducted by ASDA, one of the leading supermarket chains in the United Kingdom, Genetron Performax LT consumed 9 per cent less energy than systems using R-407A, and around 14 per cent less than systems running R-404A in medium temperature.

The global refrigeration industry has made a major commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as evidenced by the estimated 50 million ($53.28 million) in energy savings to-date that it has secured for customers. Genetron Performax LT has the best combination of capacity, GWP, efficiency and mass flow to help customers achieve energy saving and emission reduction, said Dr. Patrick Amrhein, marketing director for Honeywell Fluorine Products in Europe, Middle East, Africa and India.

Honeywell projects that by end of 2016, Genetron Performax LT has saved more than 10 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, equal to eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from more than 5 million cars.

Vietnam is seeking for more energy efficient and environmental preferable refrigerant with the stringent requirements from the national government for sustainable development. Were confident that Genetron Performax LT will be an ideal solution for our Vietnamese customers with its superior performance and meet Vietnams growing demand, said David Chen, marketing director for Honeywell Fluorine Products in Asia Pacific region.

In the EU, systems that were placed on the market before 2022 can be retrofitted with Genetron Performax LT, and service is available indefinitely. Genetron Performax LT can be used in new systems for commercial use below 40kW and in all industrial installations after 2022.

Honeywell is committed to continuously developing the broad portfolio of low-global-warming-potential (LGWP) refrigerants that are available immediately to support customers goals of reducing emissions. In addition to Genetron Performax LT, Honeywell offers a suite of products for liquid and gaseous blowing agents, stationary and mobile refrigerants, solvents and propellants.
Earlier this year, the government pledged to spend $111.6 million in the ICT sector by 2020, with the goal of incentivising the local and international technology firms to invest in the country.

Job roles in a digital economy will become more complex and to be successful, individuals will need a balance of depth in key skills such as data analytics, security, and application development and softer competencies such as creativity, innovative design, and entrepreneurship.

However, approximately 80 per cent of the 54 million workers in Vietnam did not receive any training and do not have the necessary skill sets to participate in the digital economy.

The IT workforce is only expected to increase by 8 per cent a year, much lower than the annual average job growth of 47 per cent in the last three years.

Vietnam is forecasted to face a shortage of over 500,000 employees in this field by 2020. This can severely undermine the growth of Vietnams IT sector.

Cisco, a global technology leader, is committed to help Vietnamese gain the skills needed to take advantage of the opportunities in the digital economy.

To achieve this goal, Cisco has partnered and initiated a number of social innovation programmes that not only improve student performance and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies but also connect these skilled individuals to relevant jobs across different verticals in Vietnam.

According to Luong Thi Le Thuy, general director of Cisco Vietnam, technology trends such as IoT and smart cities will play a pivotal role in the development of nations future.

Cybersecurity, in particular, is extremely pertinent as it not only protects our growing digital assets but also enable innovation and new services. Cisco is deeply committed to help Vietnam develop a skilled and digital-savvy workforce through our social innovation programmes so that our country can maximise the potential of these technologies to increase our competitive edge and greatly improve the quality of life for our people, Thuy said.

One of Ciscos eminent programmes is Cisco Networking Academy, an IT skills and career building programme that not only helps students to learn about designing, building, and operating networks, but also problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and teamworkskills they can apply in their future education and on the job.

The Networking Academy programme partners with more than 9,500 institutions that teach ICT skills to one million students each year in more than 170 countries, thus providing greater economic opportunities for individuals and building a pipeline of innovators for the future workforce.

In Vietnam, the Networking Academy currently has 19 academic institutions as its partners and more than 29,000 people have gone through its curriculum.

Another initiative, Cisco NetRiders Competition, utilises Cisco's Web technologies to create an interactive networking skills contest that enhances classroom learning, unites students from across the world, and promotes further technology education and training.

These competitions are a great opportunity for the students to learn valuable networking and IT skills through a series of online exams and hands-on simulation activities as well as increase their visibility for more career and internship opportunities.

Approximately 15,000 students from 20 Asia Pacific countries, including 200 from Vietnam, have participated in the NetRiders competition over the past four years. The registration for the next Asia Pacific NetRiders competition will open in May 2017.

Cisco also hosted quarterly live TV series Find Yourself in the Future. The series features industry experts who share their knowledge of advanced technologies that are transforming industries and shaping the modern world, future jobs and opportunities for graduates.

The next two episodes will be aired on Ciscos internal broadcast platform on 1 March 1, 2017 and June 7, 2017.

Another element of this initiative is the virtual career fairs. These sessions help students gain an in-depth understanding of the different work environments, graduate programmes, career opportunities, and attributes that employers today are seeking. The next virtual career fair will be held on June 7, 2017.

Ciscos Women Rock-IT is a quarterly live TV broadcast which communicates the benefits of a career in IT by talking about the type of work women do and how technology plays a key role in their business success.

Invited speakers are in different stages of their career and are from different occupations and businesses. They are also chosen because they are relatable and realistic role models for the audience.

Since the Women Rock-IT programme first launched in November 2014, 13,500 females have joined the series with a further 3,000 downloads of the recordings.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres delivers a speech during a session of the World Economic Forum, on Jan 19, 2017 in Davos. (Photo: AFP/Fabrice Coffrini)

Guterres took over from Ban Ki-moon on Jan 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 scepticism 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 mobilise 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 US$30 billion per year in returns on investment.

"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".
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Barack Obama shake hands following a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin in November 2016. (Photo: AFP/Brendan Smialowski)

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.
Transformation

This week, Sun Life Vietnam is launching a series of grand opening ceremonies, combined with its distribution kick-off events in major cities throughout Vietnam.

The series of events will officially mark the debut of the Sun Life Vietnam brand to the general public after Sun Life Financial Inc. acquired the remaining 25 per cent charter capital of PVI Sun Life Insurance Company Limited from PVI Holdings on November 7, 2016. The companys new name, Sun Life Vietnam Insurance Company Limited, reflects its current status as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sun Life.

Launched in 2013, Sun Life Vietnam has established itself as a market leader and industry pioneer in pensions. According to Larry Madge, CEO of Sun Life Vietnam, the leadership of the company is working hard to align not only the look and feel but also the core competence of Sun Life Vietnam with Sun Life Financial Group.

This transaction will add to Sun Lifes momentum in Vietnam, Madge said. Being a full member of Sun Life Financial Group, Sun Life Vietnam is well positioned to leverage financial strength as well as the over-150-year financial services expertise of the group.

Strategy-wise, Sun Life Vietnam will continue with a distribution strategy covering individual and group employee benefits through agency and corporate sales channels.

On the one hand, the company will maintain its strength in retirement products with PVI as its distribution partner, and develop partnerships with other distribution partners who have access to unique markets. On the other hand, Sun Life will develop the agency channel for individual sales as one of its strategic priorities.

For individual insurance in Vietnam, the agency channel has long been the dominant outlet for most life insurers. However, high agency turnover and rampant poaching adversely affect the sustainable development of the industry. Sun Life Vietnam will apply Sun Life Financials MRA model, which is a time-tested and highly effective agency strategy applied across the firms operations in Asia to build a high-quality, highly productive agency force.

MRA stands for Most Respected Agency. Sun Life Vietnam aims to build an agency force which is the most respected within the industry - and most importantly, in the eyes of clients. For a Sun Life advisor, MRA means putting clients interests first and living by four MRA core values: being caring, professional, inspiring, and winning.

The caring aspect can be seen in the way the MRA takes care of and understands its clients, to offer them financial solutions meeting their changing needs at different life stages.

The professional facet provides credibility and trust. Sun Life Vietnam ensures its MRA representatives are professional, by applying a well-defined recruitment process and career path together with product knowledge and professional accreditation.

The inspiring side is related to engagement and excitement. The company provides a supportive and motivating workplace to help its advisors achieve leading roles in industry groups. Finally, the winning factor is related to performance excellence and ultimately market leadership.

We have defined 12 cross-country metrics to track progress building the MRA. These core values are embedded into our agency operations, said Madge. In sum, MRA is one of Sun Lifes top strategic priorities. We are convinced that our MRA strategy will yield huge benefits to all our advisors, and most importantly, to our clients and the market as a whole.

Brighter life for local patrons

Though the market is still small and peoples awareness about insurance is still far lower than that in mature markets, Vietnam holds a lot of potential.

The total premium income of life insurance companies in Vietnam was VND49.67 trillion ($2.23 billion) in 2016, up 29.8 per cent on-year, according to data by the Insurance Supervisory Agency under the Ministry of Finance. In the past three years, growth has averaged 30 per cent.

I believe that the strong growth of Vietnams life market doesnt come all of a sudden, but as the collective result of all the key macro- and micro-economic factors, Madge said. Learning more about Vietnam, I am personally quite optimistic about the life market and excited that Sun Life Vietnam will be accelerating its investment in the market to help bring improved finance security to more Vietnamese people.

According to Madge, these impressive figures mean that Vietnamese people have an increasing awareness of the importance of having financial solutions for them and their families.

The future development of Vietnams life insurance market lies in growing the needs of customers. People will only be interested in life insurance if we can help them understand that our solutions can fulfil their needs, not only once but also at different life stages of their life time, Madge said. He added that this dynamic highlights the importance of Sun Lifes Brighter Life approach, which involves keeping clients for life, rather than just going for a product sale.

With its Brighter Life model, Sun Life delivers outcomes that matters to a clients life. These include the right type of insurance, impressive investment results, sound financial planning advice, support in returning to work after an illness, and most importantly, peace of mind.

We will make it easier for clients to do business with us, we will increase our proactive contact, and we will resolve problems better. By doing so, clients will stay longer, buy more, and refer more business to us, Madge explained.

In Vietnam, likewise, the companys aim is to help Vietnamese clients achieve lifetime financial security by offering a strong suite of life insurance, health, and savings products.

As a full member of Sun Life Financial, Sun Life Vietnam is now well positioned to adopt and leverage the Brighter Life strategy for sustainable growth according to Madge.

With over 70 years of experience in pensions, savings, and retirement funds, our expertise in retirement insurance is unique and time-tested. This is a solid base for Sun Life Vietnam to move ahead on, as an industry pioneer and a market leader of this type of insurance, he said. We will continue to leverage our hereditary strength, utilise local market insights, and build on our track record in Vietnams market to enhance our footing in this market .
US President-elect Donald Trump. (Photo: AFP/Drew Angerer)

The Republican billionaire's arrival caps an extraordinary and improbable run for the White House that, once he takes the reins from President Barack Obama, will launch the United States into a new era.

"The journey begins and I will be working and fighting very hard to make it a great journey for the American people," Trump tweeted before leaving Trump Tower, his Manhattan home.

The 70-year-old president-elect travelled aboard an official government jet to a military base near Washington with his wife Melania. The pair exited the plane and headed into the nation's capital for a day of pre-inaugural festivities.

"It is a momentous day before a historic day," said Vice President-elect Mike Pence, as Washington put its finishing touches on the downtown area where hundreds of thousands of Americans will congregate for Trump's inauguration.

Trump will place a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery at 3:30 pm (2030 GMT) before crossing the Potomac River to speak at the Lincoln Memorial, the epicentre of Thursday's events complete with a concert and fireworks.

Trump's swearing-in, on the steps of the Capitol at noon Friday - a date and hour set by the US Constitution - will be carried live on screens around the globe. Rain is forecast.

Tens of thousands of Trump supporters - and anti-Trump protesters - have converged on the capital for the democratic ritual. Numerous dignitaries, including his unsuccessful Democratic rival for the presidency Hillary Clinton, and three former presidents will be in attendance.

Trump is "very anxious to get to the White House and get to work for the American people," said Pence, a 57-year-old Christian conservative who rose from being governor of Indiana to become the second most powerful person in the US government.

Trump, a real estate magnate with no previous political or military experience, was elected in part for his abrasiveness: his working-class supporters have sent him to Washington to turn the page on the Obama era and upend the political status quo.

Trump has vowed to act, and swiftly.

FROM KENNEDY TO REAGAN

Trump is expected to sign four or five decrees Friday, and then a raft of others beginning Monday to dismantle every policy he can without waiting for congressional approval: immigration, environment, energy and labour regulations are on the list.

He still has to finish writing his inaugural address. In December, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, he confided that he sought inspiration from John F Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

But spokesman Sean Spicer says the words will be Trump's own, and last about 20 minutes, similar to Obama's opening speech.

"It's going to be a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country," the incoming White House press secretary said as he hinted at the tone that the Republican billionaire will take.

"I think it's 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."

Kennedy devoted his 1961 inaugural address to the state of the world in the midst of the Cold War, famously appealing to his countrymen: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

Reagan, in 1981, declared: "The government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."

CABINET PICKS COMPLETE

Obama, 55, laid down a clear warning to his successor on Wednesday. While he did not intend to get involved in day-to-day politics, he said he would not remain silent if certain red lines were crossed.

"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," he said.

The Democratic opposition is organising without Obama.

About a third of US House Democrats will boycott Friday's ceremony. In the Senate, Democrats are putting obstacles in the path of Trump's cabinet nominees, only a handful of whom look to be confirmed Friday.

Republicans had hoped to confirm seven on the new administration's first day.

On Thursday, Trump named former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue to be secretary of agriculture, a move that completes his 15 cabinet selections.

With his inner circle finalised, Trump's incoming cabinet will feature no Hispanics, the first time since Reagan.

Spicer defended Trump 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 colour and heritage," Spicer said.

The new administration has asked over 50 individuals to remain in critical posts in order to "ensure the continuity of government," Spicer added, including his predecessor's special envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State group, Brett McGurk.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc meets World Economic Forum (WEF) President Klause Schwab, Davos, Switzerland, January 18, 2017 - Photo: VNA

Accordingly, the WEF will help Viet Nam connect with leading business and professional networks, coordinate with Viet Nam in researches and policy consultancy in such areas as economic restructuring, high-tech agriculture, national competitiveness and climate change adaption.

The Vietnamese high-ranking delegation, led by PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, started joining activities of the 47th World Economic Forum (WEF) Meeting in Davos from January 17-21.

The PM held bilateral meetings with Austrian PM Christian Kern, WEF President Klaus Schwab, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Tahehiko Nakao and Microsoft's President Bradford Smith as well as attended dialogues with large corporations and met with press agencies.

At the meeting with the Austrian counterpart, the two sides highly valued the developments in the two nations relationship and agreed to launch activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties and soon organize the meeting of the Inter-Governmental Committee on economic and trade cooperation.

PM Phuc suggested Austria recognize Viet Nam as a market economy, urge the EU to officially approve and sign the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement and advocate Viet Nam's bid to run for a non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council.

At the meeting with the WEF President, the PM proposed the WEF continue organizing the WEF Mekong Conference, support Viet Nam to connect with top corporations and professionals, consult policies in the national competitiveness and develop high technology.

The WEF President praised the role and development potentials of Viet Nam, expecting to strengthen cooperation with Viet Nam in form of PPP.

PM Phuc and ADB President Tahehiko Nakao consented to realize projects in fields of infrastructure, climate change, economic restructuring, poverty reduction in the 2016-2020 period, coordination with nations in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) for the sixth meeting of the Working Group on the GMS in Viet Nam.

The Vietnamese leader invited the ADB leaders to attend the APEC High-level Week in November 2017 in the central city of Da Nang.

The ADB leader expressed his hope to implement long-term cooperative strategy with Viet Nam, committed to granting preferential credits for Viet Nam till 2019 and assisting the nation in realizing projects in the framework of the GMS.

At the reception with Microsoft's President Bradford Smith, the PM suggested the corporation pouring more investment in Viet Nam, inviting the president to join the APEC High-level Week in November in 2017.

For his side, the Microsoft's President expected to enhance cooperation with Viet Nam in terms of cyber security, human resource training and software development.
Voracious foreign investors

Only a few banks in Vietnam have not sold shares to foreign investors. These are mainly banks going through restructuring, such as Saigon Bank, BacA Bank or VietA Bank.

Vietnam Prosperity Bank (VPBank) and Saigon Commercial Bank (Sacombank) are currently seeking new foreign investors after parting with their previous foreign shareholders. The initiative came about as a result of Singaporean Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) and ANZ Corporation selling nearly 10 per cent of Sacombank's shares.

After Ho Chi Minh City-based Sacombank acquired Southern Bank, Singaporean United Overseas Bank (UOB), which previously owned 20 per cent of Southern Bank shares, now owns only 3.18 per cent of Sacombank. Therefore, the "room" for foreign ownership, a common term referring to the percentage of shares foreign investors can buy until hitting the government-imposed limit, remains large at Sacombank.

Kieu Huu Dung, chairman of the board of directors at Sacombank, said one foreign investor has expressed willingness to pour $1 billion into the bank and another domestic investor wants to buy a 20 per cent stake at VND15,000 per share, twice its current market price.

Vo Tan Hoang Van, general director of Saigon Bank (SCB), said that after restructuring the bank plans to seek further foreign investment and this direction has received approval (from?). Currently, SCB is negotiating with a number of foreign partners.

According to Van, a large number of foreign partners want to invest in SCB, but it will take time to find a strategic partner who shares the banks vision and goals.

Foreign investors have approached Ho Chi Minh City Development Bank (HDBank) and VPBank, but leadership at these banks turned them away, saying they were studying options and negotiating and may be willing to strike deals in the near future, either before or after listing their stocks on the exchange.

Under the current rules, foreign ownership in Vietnamese banks is limited to a maximum of 30 per cent, and each foreign investor is restricted to own a maximum of 20 per cent. Therefore, banks that have already received foreign investment have less "room left for additional foreign investors after being listed.

For example, Vietnam International Bank (VIB) sets its foreign investment "room" at 20.5 per cent. Because the bank's strategic partner, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, is already holding 20 per cent, the chance that more foreign investors could buy VIB shares is quite low

Military Bank (MB) has previously restricted foreign investment to 10 per cent because it wanted to reserve some "room" for strategic foreign investors. However, in February 2016, the bank's foreign investment limit was raised to 20 per cent and the new "room" was quickly filled. That means foreign investors have big appetite for Vietnamese banks, but face ownership restrictions.

Hoping to raise the cap

Don Lam, founder of VinaCapital, Vietnam's largest fund manager, said the restructuring of the Vietnamese banking system is a topic of interest for foreign investors. He said during this stage, there are more opportunities to invest, especially when the Vietnamese government allows the 100 per cent purchase of weaker banks. However, this does not guarantee a successful deal, just as GPBank was not able to sell 100 per cent to UOB in order to start restructuring. Until now, the State Bank of Vietnam has restructured the nine weakest banks, but it is still difficult for foreign investors to wholly own a domestic bank.

Many commercial banks have already hit the foreign ownership limit. Therefore, they have expressed the desire for bigger "room" for foreign investment in order to raise capital, resolve bad debts, and speed up restructuring. The new cap suggested by major banks is 35-40 per cent, whereas smaller banks are suggesting 49 or 51 per cent. Meanwhile, foreign investors are also recommending raising the foreign ownership limit to 50 or even 65 per cent.

During the 2011-2015 period of restructuring commercial banks, mergers and acquisitions have been the main solution to helping weak banks. But this approach might no longer be the favourite because post-merger banks have more capital, wider networks, and more human resources but also face increased operating costs and higher bad debts ratios. Therefore, Dr Nguyen Tri Hieu, financial and banking expert, said expanding the "room" for foreign shareholders is also a solution, because with the current 30 per cent limit, foreign investors still do not have a voice in the board of directors in Vietnamese banks.
The purchase of the US$13.6 million cattle ranch by An Vien Pastoral Holding and Agriculture Company is the first far-reaching Vietnamese agricultural investment in the land down under on record, says MLA.

Per MLA, Pham Nhat Vu, chair of the An Vien Media Group holding company, was listed the official successful bidder of record for the purchase of the 200,000-hectare cattle ranch.

The deal includes the purchase of 10,000 head of Brahman cattle.

Commenting, an MLA spokesperson said: When you see high-net-wealth individuals and global corporations making beef investments in Australia, it shows confidence in the Australian beef industry and gives confidence that they believe the consumption of red meat globally is strong.

Though An Vien did not initially respond to requests for comments on the deal by GlobalMeatNews, says MLA, it is widely speculated the impetus for the investment is that it is much easier for Vietnamese to invest in big ranches in Australia than procure the large amounts of land needed in the Southeast Asian country.

It is a very complicated undertaking in Vietnam to get even a 100-hectare size plot of land, which is the bare minimum necessary to operate a large-scale ranching operation, says a local Vietnamese rancher.

For comparison purposes, there are many cattle operations in Australia that cover thousands of hectares each, he says, adding that the move makes good strategic business sense.

Even though Australian taxes are much higher compared to those in Vietnam, weather and market conditions are more favourable and even a comparatively small US$4 million investment could provide a solid rate of return.

While Vietnam is better known for receiving foreign direct investment rather than providing it, in recent years, forward thinking Vietnamese companies have been looking to invest in numerous countries from Laos to Russia, and Australia.

A spokesperson for the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) disclosed that in 2015, Vietnamese outward foreign direct investment into Australia was US$348 million, while Australian investment into Vietnam was an estimated US$1 billion.

Vietnamese also are acquiring a growing taste for beef, and the An Vien Pastoral Holding and Agriculture Company might be targeting exports back to their home market.

An Austrade spokesperson said there had been an exponential growth in the number of cattle exported by Australia to Vietnam over recent years, with a peak in 2015 of 360,000 head.

He forecasts that 200,000-live head of cattle would be imported into Vietnam from Australia in calendar year 2017, in part fuelled by the lack of import tariffs from Australia to Vietnam.

In addition, the Austrade spokesperson noted that the Vietnam government considers live cattle as a useful input that can have added value within Vietnam through slaughtering and processing.

Beef consumption per capita per year in Vietnam, according to official sources, currently stands at 2.5 kilograms in a nation of an estimated 95 million people, which is expected to grow in coming years.
[January 19, 2017] Komand Launches its Security Orchestration and Automation Platform; Closes $1.25M Seed Round

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 now 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 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/komand-launches-its-security-orchestration-and-automation-platform-closes-125m-seed-round-300393763.html SOURCE Komand

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
With technology becoming more and more a part of our lives, it was only a matter of time before it started to impact the way 
The Omnipotent Owl  Why Are We Drawn to This Ancient Symbol of Wisdom?

Like a great sage, an owl sits stock-still, seeing everything, but saying nothing. When she takes action, it is swift and precise. These bold characteristics have earned the owl both respect and fear among humans; yet any great big eyes set into a fluffy body is sure to have broad
Election monitoring group Comfrel has said in a report that the 80 percent of illegible voters registered for the commune elections in June was not enough.

The National Election Committee (NEC) in January published the new voter list, which included more than 7.8 million names out of a possible total of 9.6 million.

Comfrel, along with the Election Reform Alliance, said it expected at least 95 percent of the electorate to register, adding that they should be given another chance.

Koul Panha, Comfrels executive director, said as well as the incomplete registration, his organization had found irregularities in the handling of complaints.

Our observation, basically, in the district council, the complaint was not done according to procedure. The suspects were not cross-examined for those who were suspected of Khmer nationality. There were no serious questions raised at the communes and districts, he said.

Sam Kuntheamy, executive director of the Neutral and Impartial Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (NECFEC), explained further that the NEC and district council did not pay attention in addressing the voting registration complaints because they did not require much evidence of identity in order to register.

The NEC did not ask more serious questions or request legal documents to prove their nationality, he said.

Elections observers said that they planned to meet with NEC officials to discuss a complaint filed by the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party alleging 181 Vietnamese nationals had registered to vote improperly. 

Hang Puthea, NEC spokesman, said the body was satisfied with the turnout during the registration process.
Though they doubt President-elect Donald Trumps leadership credentials, Cambodians say they hope that the United States continues its relationship and cooperation with the country to promote human rights, democracy and economic growth.

Last November, the U.S electorate voted for Trump, a billionaire real estate mogul, to lead the U.S. His election has put some countries in the world on edge due to his alleged relationship with the Kremlin and his unpredictable opinions on foreign policy, which is anathema to president Barack Obamas foreign policy.

The U.S mainstream media ranging from CNN, the New York Times, to the Washington Post, have written numerous stories that reprimand Trump on his fiscal position and other policies, including banning refugees from war-torn countries from entering the U.S, his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border, extraditing millions of illegal immigrants working in the U.S., and banning Muslims from entering the U.S.

Recently Trump has been criticized by one of the most powerful world leaders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Trump is swearing into office Friday.

Cambodian analysts said they were concerned that Trumps leadership would bring Cambodia, the Asean region and the world to an era of uncertainty.

Ou Virak, president of Phnom Penh-based think tank Future Forum, said that Trumps taking office as the U.S president was a test of the relationship between the U.S and the world.

Allies from Europe to Japan and Asean are left not knowing whats next and whether America [will] continue to be [a] reliable ally. This is the same for Cambodia. It will be the America-China relationship that will determine the fate of Southeast Asia, he wrote.

He added that under the leadership of Trump, with his ambiguous foreign policy, an arm race would likely to take place.

I think the risk of a new arm race in the world is now a real threat to regional security. It would be the same for Cambodia, he said.

Another danger is a possible beginning of a new cold war politics where small countries like Cambodia could again be used as pawns.

Chan Sophal, director of the Center for Political Studies, agreed.

The Republican likes to use force, power, to solve problems. I think that Mr. Trumps character and his implementing of the Republicans policy will make him a politician who likes and implements policy with force. And we are not sure what the result will be, since his [Trumps] character has never been seen before among the U.S leaders.

Though he said he has no faith in Trumps presidency, Sophal hopes that under his leadership, Cambodias economy will improve.

Mu Sochua, Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmaker for Battambang, said that she believes that the U.S will continue its mission to improve and promote human rights and democracy.

If theres a lack of spirit and foundation of human rights and democracy, the development of the economy will not take place, she said.

However, Ken Rotha, spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce, said that he believes that under Trumps leadership, Cambodias economy will boom.

It [the economy] will improve at some point since [Trump] is a businessman. Cambodias [economy] will improve along with the U.S, he said.

Chum Sounry, foreign ministry spokesman, said that under Obamas leadership, Cambodia and the U.S had cooperated well on improving the economy and the tourism sector, fighting against terrorism, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and on military training and land mine clearance.

We have seen that previously relationship and cooperation between both countries has been improving satisfactorily. I hope that when the U.S.s new government comes to term, the relationship and cooperation between both countries still continues to improve.

In November, after Mr. Trump was elected, political experts warned that his presidency would negatively affect the U.Ss effort to improve human rights and democracy abroad.

Trump has actively used social media website Twitter to attack his critics.

Chheang Vannarith, president of the Cambodian Institute for Strategic Studies, said that under Trump the world will be left with a feeling of uncertainty.

The U.Ss foreign policy will become more unilateral and bilateral, less multilateral. Economic nationalism and protectionism will likely breed trade wars. The U.S.s global role and image will be declining, he wrote.
Some 2,000 imprisoned drug addicts have been tested as part of an ongoing clampdown on the narcotics trade in Cambodias jails, officials say.

The government announced the campaign in late December and said it will last until the end of June.

Identified drug users will be placed in rehabilitation centers.

Noch Savna, prison department spokesman, said the detainees had had urine samples taken and the authorities would release the findings in 20 days time.

If the results are positive we will hand them to the experts for further inspection and investigation, he said.

A spate of reports about drug use and trafficking in prisons prompted the inspections.

Am Sam Ath, monitoring manager at local rights group Licadho, said he thought the move was a positive step towards reducing addiction in Cambodias prisons.

There is drug consumption and importation so far in prison since the drug trafficking proceeds systematically and the authority only cracks down on the small-scale trader, not the large-scale one, he said.

He added that the country lacked the tools to examine the drug problem and claimed that in some cases the authorities are involved with the importation of illegal drugs.

Last year, the authorities made more than 4,000 drug arrests and seized more than 175 kilograms of narcotics.
The Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan has staged a major overnight battlefield assault in a southern province, killing at least 16 police personnel and capturing two outposts.

A local security official told VOA on Friday the fighting erupted in the district of Maiwand in Kandahar, saying Afghan forces also inflicted heavy casualties on the Taliban in ensuing clashes.

He said the assailants also seized three U.S.-made military vehicles, commonly known as Humvees. The official requested anonymity.

A provincial police spokesman, Zia Durrani, told VOA 27 Taliban fighters, including four key commanders, were killed.

A provincial government spokesman, Samim Khpolwak, confirmed the fighting but declined to discuss further details.

Kandahar is known as the birthplace of the Taliban. It was the de-facto capital of Afghanistan when the insurgent group was ruling most of the country before its ouster from power in late 2001 by a U.S.-led military coalition.

Most of the districts in neighboring Helmand, the largest of all the 34 Afghan provinces, are under the control of the Taliban and fighting also is underway in the nearby Uruzgan province.

Afghan security forces suffered unprecedented casualties in the 2016 fighting season and U.S. military commanders anticipate more insurgent violence this year.



The insidious combination of corruption and poor leadership is the root cause of this problem, said John Sopko, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR.

He made the remarks last week while announcing his list of key security challenges facing the new U.S. administration as it inherits Americas second-longest war after Vietnam.

No winter lull

Since the withdrawal of U.S.-led international forces more than two years ago, there has been no lull in the Afghan fighting. Harsh winter and heavy snowfall in previous years would force Taliban fighters to retreat to their traditional sanctuaries in neighboring Pakistan to rest and regroup before returning to the battlefield for the summer fighting.

The spring offensive/winter lull is an outdated concept now, the main reason being that the Taliban hold large swaths of territory year-round and so the fighting continues, said Ted Callahan, a Western security expert based in northeastern Afghanistan.

The Taliban have captured about 10 percent of Afghan territory since with the withdrawal of most international forces two years ago, the Afghan government controls two-thirds of the population while the rest is strongly contested, according to latest U.S. military assessments.

The territorial control offers the insurgents more of a revenue base they can use to sustain themselves through the winter, mainly in terms of food and shelter, but also in terms of munitions captured from Afghan forces, Callahan told VOA.

They [the Taliban] can easily keep their momentum going throughout the winter, and so you no longer see Taliban commanders go back to Pakistan for the winter, as they often did in the past, and then they'd come back in the spring to kick off the spring offensive, he observed.

'Compromised system'



In his detailed report that Sopko released last week, he cited leadership and corruption as among the biggest challenges facing the Afghan National Defense and Security Force, or ANDSF.

Afghan commanders often pocket the paychecks of ghost soldiers for whom the U.S. is paying the salary. The number of ghost soldiers is not insignificant, it likely reaches into the tens of thousands of soldiers and police, he noted.

Citing credible information, Sopko said some Afghan commanders are not going on patrols or are not coming to the assistance of other units when they are in trouble because they want to preserve fuel that they later sell in open markets.

Multiple credible sources have told SIGAR staff in Afghanistan that a significant portion, perhaps as much as 50 percent, of U.S.-purchased fuel is siphoned off at various stages of this compromised system, he said.

In his report, Sopko agreed with the U.S. military assessment that the Afghan government controls roughly 64 percent of the countrys territory.

Afghan Defense Ministry officials strongly disputed most of SIGAR's findings, however, saying the government, with the help of foreign partners, has made progress in addressing corruption and issues related to ANDSF leadership.

They insist that ANDSF's improved capacity and sacrifices prevented the Taliban from capturing any major population center in Afghanistan in 2016, and they assert they now are better prepared to battle the insurgency this year.
[January 20, 2017] Rotary Introduces the First Remote-Controlled Wireless Mobile Column Lift

MADISON, Ind., Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rotary Lift has reinvented the popular wireless mobile column lift to make it even faster and more powerful for lifting any truck, bus or other heavy-duty vehicle. Rotary's new Mach Flex powered by RedFire wireless mobile column lifting system puts the ability to lift more than 150,000 pounds right in the technicians' hands with a patent-pending remote control. Using the remote control lets the technician move around the vehicle while operating the lift from anywhere in the bay for maximum visibility and flexibility. "Mobile column lifts are incredibly popular in a wide range of shops because they're so flexible and easy to use to service virtually any vehicle," says Doug Spiller, Rotary Lift heavy-duty product manager. "Rotary Lift already set the standard in the category with our Mach Series of mobile column lifts that are faster and easier to use than any others. Now, based on extensive customer input, we've improved just about everything a mobile lift has to offer. Mach Flex powered by RedFire lift systems are faster to set up, can lift more, and include as standard a number of safety and productivity-enhancing features that are either optional or not available on other lifts. All this comes at a competitive price on a heavy-duty lift made right here in Madison, Indiana." With Mach Flex, technicians are no longer tied down to operating the lift while standing at a single column. In some shops, especially those servicing buses or other long vehicles, two technicians often work together to operate mobile column lifts  one to run the lift and the other to walk around and check that everything is going smoothly. Thanks to Mach Flex's industrial-grade remote control, a single technician can operate the lift while walking around the vehicle and the bay, keeping an eye out for any obstructions or other issues. Setting up the Mah Flex lifting system is simple. The remote control guides the technician step by step, eliminating the need to stay at each column to sync it before moving to the next, which reduces setup time.



The MCH19 FLEX offers a new, higher lifting capacity of 18,800 pounds per column, enabling a set of eight columns to pick up vehicles weighing up to 150,400 pounds. Mach Flex lifting systems are available in configurations of two, four, six or eight columns. Mach Flex is the first vehicle lift to have Rotary Lift's patent-pending LockLight technology built right in. LockLight shows technicians, shop managers and anyone else in the shop at a glance whether the lift is resting on its mechanical load-holding locks. If a vehicle is in the air and the Mach Flex lift's locks are engaged, the built-in green light on top of the columns will illuminate, indicating that it is OK to get to work on the vehicle.

Other standard features on Mach Flex lifts include: Wireless operation.

Integrated vehicle height and weight gauges with digital display.

Joystick control for up and down (two speeds) movement.

Auto resume feature that makes using a previous set-up even faster.

99 system IDs (channels) to improve reception.

Two controller locating systems, including compatibility with Tile technology.

Ability to make software updates wirelessly  eliminates need for cords, keys, chips or even opening the lift panel.

New column controls with ergonomically positioned metal buttons and pictograph information screen.

Larger, easier-to-read five-digit information display.

Battery-operated with onboard charger: No cords needed in the bay.

Easy-to-move adjustable forks.

Spring-loaded steering and braking system.

Protected hydraulic cylinder that does not require maintenance.

Tough rubber-coated wheels.

Forklift pockets for in-shop mobility.

Lower-to-locks button. The Rotary Lift Mach Flex powered by RedFire wireless mobile column lifting system is designed and manufactured with pride in Madison, Indiana. It is third-party tested and ALI certified to meet industry safety and performance standards. Like all Rotary Lift products, Mach Flex is backed by the industry's largest factory-trained distributor network providing unmatched local service and support. To learn more about Mach Flex powered by RedFire, contact your local Rotary Lift distributor, visit www.rotarylift.com/LIFTS/MCHFLEX/ or call (800) 640-5438. You can also find Rotary Lift on Facebook, facebook.com/RotaryLift and Twitter, twitter.com/RotaryLift. Videos are available at rotarylift.com/videos. About Rotary Lift

Rotary Lift is the leading brand of vehicle lifts designed to increase technician productivity. Rotary Lift was founded in 1925 by the inventor of the first automotive hydraulic lift and now offers the broadest line of lifts for use in professional automotive service, commercial truck and transit applications. There are more Rotary Lift products used in vehicle repair facilities around the world than any other brand. Rotary Lift is a Vehicle Service Group (VSG) brand. VSG comprises nine major vehicle lifting and collision repair brands: Rotary Lift, Chief, Forward Lift, Direct-Lift, Hanmecson, Revolution Lift, Elektron, Blitz and nogra. With its American headquarters in Madison, Indiana, VSG has operations worldwide, including ISO 9001-certified manufacturing centers in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Rotary Lift is a GSA contract holder, GSA contract #GS-07F-8953D (Dover Industries, Inc., DBA Rotary Lift). Rotary Lift products are also available through a number of other government procurement programs, including NJPA, HGACBuy, CMAS, TXMAS, KCRPC and OGS. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rotary-introduces-the-first-remote-controlled-wireless-mobile-column-lift-300394081.html SOURCE Rotary Lift

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
In an isolated army outpost deep in the Amazon jungle, Felipe Castro leads 70 soldiers on the frontline of Brazil's fight against its biggest security threat: the drug trade.

Castro's platoon patrols a 250-km (155-mile) stretch of the border with the world's top cocaine producer, Colombia, in a bid to stem the flow of illegal drugs and arms that is fueling a war between criminal gangs in Brazil.

"It's a difficult job but not impossible," said the gaunt 29-year-old, his face covered in green and black camouflage.

Watching from the bank of the murky Japura river, Castro directs his men as they use a metal speedboat to practice intercepting drug shipments on its fast-moving waters.

The river marks only part of Brazil's porous border that stretches for nearly 10,000 kms, three times the U.S.-Mexico frontier.

After years of fragile truce, Brazil's drug gangs have launched a battle for control of lucrative cross-border smuggling routes that has spilled into the country's gang-controlled jails, sparking the bloodiest prison riots in decades.

More than 130 inmates have been killed this year.

In the vast state of Amazonas, the North Family gang has for years dominated the smuggling of cocaine that is shipped to Europe or sold in Brazil's inner cities in a business believed to be worth $4.5 billion a year.

Brazil is the world's biggest consumer of cocaine after the United States, according to United Nations data.

Machete-wielding North Family gangs decapitated dozens of inmates of the rival First Capital Command (PCC) in a New Year's prison massacre that has sparked revenge killings across penitentiaries in northern Brazil.

President Michel Temer's government is worried the prison violence could spill onto the streets of major cities such as economic hub Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, a major tourist destination.

Temer has vowed to improve military surveillance along the border, but senior commanders acknowledge drugs and arms will continue to flow in.

"Not even the United States has been able to stop drug trafficking along its border with Mexico," said General Altair Polsin, head of the army's ground operations command. "You have to tackle consumption to put an end to this."

The military plans to increase its patrols on the Solimoes River, one of the main smuggling routes, and share intelligence with officials in neighboring Colombia and Peru.

Officers are putting their hopes in a technology upgrade to use infrared sensors and drones for border surveillance.

For this year, Brazil plans to nearly double its budget to about half a billion reais to finance a border technology program known as SISFRON, according to Defense Minister Raul Jungmann.

Updated technology is crucial for the 1,500 soldiers in the 24 garrisons posted along the Amazon border who divide their time searching for drugs with raids on illegal miners, loggers and hunters.

Other Brazilian security agencies fighting drugs and arms trafficking in this isolated swath of the jungle are also stretched.

Amazonas needs an extra 7,000 civil and military police to keep up with the increase in drug activity, according to an internal report by the state security secretary.

"We are 30 officers overseeing an area the size of France," said Marcos Vinicius Menezes, the federal police chief in Tabatinga, a city washed by the Solimoes that borders Colombia and Peru.

"If fighting the drug trade wasn't enough, we also have to look after the world's biggest tropical forest."
Brazil has announced changes to the procedure for demarcating indigenous lands in a move campaign groups fear will weaken the land rights of communities facing mounting pressure from illegal logging and big agricultural operations.

Under the decree, demarcation of indigenous lands will be decided by the Ministry of Justice rather than the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI), a government body set up to carry out policies relating to Brazil's 900,000 indigenous people.

Supporters of the decree, which was published in the government's Official Gazette on Wednesday, said the change would improve agricultural investment in rural areas of the recession-hit nation by better safeguarding land investments.

Activists, however, said the change weakened the land rights of indigenous people to benefit large landowners in Brazil, the world's top exporter of soy, coffee, sugar and tobacco.

"We feared the government would take this brazen step to deeply undermine indigenous land rights," said Christian Poirier of the U.S.-based campaign group Amazon Watch.

"The ruralistas [politicians linked to agriculture interests] are the clear winners of this move," Poirier told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Heartland lobbyists laud changes

The Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of Matto Grosso do Sul, a lobby group in Brazil's farming heartland, welcomed the changes as an "important advance."

About 13 percent of Brazil's land had been set aside for the country's indigenous people based on the territories they historically occupied.

Before the change was announced, demarcation of indigenous lands was based on FUNAI's research drawn from technical and anthropological analysis.

Under the new procedure, demarcation will be decided by the Justice Ministry based on the recommendations of experts from a new specialized technical working group  leaving it open, critics say, to influence from major farming lobby groups.

Giving more power over the country's land to farmers and ranchers will hurt Amazon protection efforts, environmentalists say, as land formally demarcated to indigenous groups has a stronger record for rainforest preservation than other areas.
By the historic standards of the world's oldest debating society, it was a subdued affair.

The formal motion was, This House Welcomes the End of American Hegemony. But it could have been reworded easily, Will the Inauguration of Donald Trump Mark the End of America's Global Leadership?

That was the question at the heart of what was debated Thursday on the eve of Trump's swearing in as America's 45th president by students at the Cambridge Union. The motion wasn't carried, but there were no ringing endorsements of the new U.S. president  even by those arguing American global leadership has many years still to run.

'People are very nervous'

A lot of people are very nervous and worried about Mr. Trump becoming the president of the United States, said Malcolm Rifkind, one of the debaters and a former foreign minister. I am one of them and I don't hesitate to say that.

But he added: Even a president of the United States such as Donald Trump gives me less worry at night than if the hegemonic power was Russia or China or some other authoritarian state.

In the chamber of the Cambridge Union and across Britain  a country that prides itself on having a special relationship' with America  there's growing unease about a Trump presidency. The anxiety is shared by the ruling Conservative government, even as it puts faith in Trump's promise made publicly last weekend to engineer rapidly a post-Brexit trade deal for Britain with the U.S.

As it disentangles itself from the European Union, Britain desperately needs to sign new trade deals to help the country recover from its break with the EU.

Trade deal needed

A trade deal with the world's largest economy would boost Britain's economic prospects outside the European single market. Trump's blessing of Brexit and his promise to forge a trade deal quickly is all music to the ears of the British government.

And his questioning recently whether the EU can survive has buoyed anti-EU Brexiters.

By some accident of history, Britain has begun disentangling itself from Europe at the very moment that the U.S. has elected a president who couldn't care less about the EU. The special relationship, which looked finished, is suddenly alive with possibilities, crowed the country's Spectator magazine, a conservative publication that was once edited by Britain's current foreign minister, Boris Johnson.

But there are dangers, too, in becoming closely associated with Trump.

Britain has long endeavored to balance relations with America and Europe, and government ministers are fearful of being seen in the Trump camp as negotiations start with the EU over Britain's exit from the bloc. British government officials say they can ill-afford to anger their counterparts in Europe as they negotiate the best exit terms possible; being labeled by European leaders as pro-Trump will backfire on Britain in the forthcoming Brexit talks, they say.

Tough speech

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Theresa May delivered a tough speech outlining how she means to manage a sharp departure for Britain from the European Union, but she made sure to distance herself from the Euro-skepticism of the new U.S. president, who has predicted a populist breakup of the European Union.

We want the EU to be a success and we want its remaining member states to prosper, May emphasized in her speech. Her remark was noted by EU leaders with European Council President Donald Tusk tweeting the next day: We took note of PM May's warm, balanced words on European integration. Much closer to narrative of Churchill than President-elect Trump.

Brexit negotiations, and Trump's skepticism of the European Union, aside, British ministers share their European counterparts worry about what a Trump presidency might mean for NATO, an organization he has dubbed obsolete. And they fear an unraveling of the West's long-standing collective defense arrangements, especially in light of Trump's apparent placing of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin on an equal footing.

I start off trusting both, Trump said recently. But let's see how long that lasts. It may not last long at all.

Removing sanctions?

Like their European counterparts, British officials are anxious when Trump says he wants to make some good deals with Russia, or remove sanctions imposed on Russia for its annexation of Crimea in return for a reduction in nuclear weapons. Removing sanctions would provide in effect, they say, U.S. blessing of Russian aggression towards Ukraine and risk Russian provocation in the Baltic states.

Nicholas Soames, a British Conservative lawmaker and grandson of Britain's wartime leader Winston Churchill, tweeted this week, Trump needs to show he is not naive and understands that Putin's aim is to destroy the transatlantic alliance and weaken the EU.

Speaking at the Cambridge Union, Alan Mendoza, director of the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank, lamented that Trump doesn't speak the language of the liberal order of the last 60 years. He held out hope out that what Trump says now isn't necessarily what his administration will do. But added darkly: We have not encountered an international order that is unstable since the 1930s and that didn't end so well, if you recall.
Canada's government, eager to sidestep potentially protectionist U.S. policies, said on Friday it was confident that new President Donald Trump would see that working closely with Canada benefited both nations' economies.

Trump  who is committed to renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico  said during his inauguration speech that his administration would stick to a policy of "Buy American."

Canada sends 75 percent of its exports to the United States and could be crippled by any new U.S. measures designed to restrict imports.

"We are confident the new Administration will see that Canada's partnership with the U.S. mutually strengthens our two nations and provides real opportunities to grow our respective economies," Joseph Pickerill, spokesman for Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said in a statement.

Officials working for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have held several meetings with the Trump team, stressing that Canada is the top export destination for 35 U.S. states and that 9 million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Canada.

Separately, Trudeau issued a statement congratulating Trump. "Together, we benefit from robust trade and investment ties, and integrated economies, that support millions of Canadian and American jobs," he said.
Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday afternoon told gathered staff that "we're living in a time of great transition and some upheaval."

In his final remarks at the State Department, however, Kerry added, "I am optimistic because this country has shown again and again how strong we are internally."

He waved goodbye in the C Street lobby, one day ahead of ending his tenure of just under four years as America's top diplomat.

WATCH: Kerry Excited about Next Chapter

Earlier Thursday, Kerry told State Department correspondents that he has traveled, as secretary of state, about 2,250,000 kilometers to 91 countries and spent 3,700 hours on the phone with world leaders.

He leaves behind a temporary vacuum of power.

Rex Tillerson, who spent his entire career at oil and gas giant ExxonMobil and rose to chairman and chief executive officer, has been nominated to succeed Kerry, but has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.

Holes to fill

Overall, out of 690 positions requiring Senate confirmation tracked by the Washington Post and Partnership for Public Service, President-elect Donald Trump has named only 28 people so far. There are thousands more positions the new administration needs to fill.

"We're ready to go at 12:01 tomorrow [Friday]," incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer assured reporters on Thursday morning  little more than 24 hours before Trump is to take the oath of office.

The president-elect has asked two top key State Department officials to stay on a bit longer  Under Secretary Tom Shannon and Brett McGuirk, who was appointed by President Barack Obama as his special envoy for the global coalition to counter the so-called Islamic State group.

Shannon becomes acting secretary Friday afternoon.

"Certainly some policy agenda items will change," acknowledged State Department spokesman John Kirby on Thursday. "But the work [at U.S. embassies around the world] will go on."

Erin Walsh, a former senior adviser in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs who left government to become a Goldman Sachs executive, is to be the White House official in charge of filling all the vacancies at the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

WATCH: Spicer Praises Diversity in Trump Administration

Additionally, 536 "beach head" team members will descend on the State Department and other agencies for up to 120 days to assist those designated as secretaries.

"In some cases they stay on," according to Spicer, who said that all the Cabinet nominees have been selected. "You'll see a lot more activity at that lower level" to fill undersecretary, deputy secretary and ambassadorial posts.

No appointee below the secretary has been named for the State Department. The same is true for the departments of defense and treasury.

Concerns of vulnerability

Moments of transition are potential moments of vulnerability. That's one reason why, normally, every effort is made to have a quick and clear changeover of senior officials, said Professor Erik Goldstein, a scholar of diplomacy at Boston University. "But it should be recalled that there remains in place a highly trained and experienced foreign service able to deal with all emergencies. The world is also now used to this four-to-eight-year cycle."

Others are more concerned.

"The State Department will be in real trouble. Tillerson knows little about diplomacy, and is not likely to be given the opportunity to bring in a really, really good veteran as deputy secretary," said Kentucky University Professor Emeritus John Stempel, a former director of the State Department's operations center.

He predicts the new president "will not take well to diplomatic niceties and ways of doing business  to his discredit and perhaps downfall."

Stempel told VOA that his friends and former colleagues in Washington predict a wholesale departure of senior career diplomats who will not tolerate Trump's "narcissistic ways, which are the opposite of diplomacy."

The concern extends to the other side of the Atlantic, according to Boston University's Goldstein, who told VOA that Trump's comments are "having shockwaves across Europe, especially those areas only liberated from Soviet control 25 years ago."

Trump has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats for a soft stance toward Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin.

Goldstein, founder of the journal Diplomacy and Statecraft, acknowledged the possibility of significant diplomatic realignments in the near future because of Washington and the uncertainty created by Britain, the other stabilizer within the alliance, leaving the European Union. He expressed hope that "a clear signal from the new [Trump] administration could quickly restore that sense of equilibrium."
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 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 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.

Streamlined tax bill

Guillier said that 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 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 he 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.
Chinas economic growth ticked up in the final quarter of 2016, but its full-year performance was the weakest in three decades as it heads into a potential trade battle with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump, who takes office Friday, has promised to hike duties on Chinese goods, putting pressure on industries that employ millions of workers.

Supported by government spending and a real estate boom, the worlds second-largest economy expanded by 6.8 percent over a year earlier in the three months ending in December, up from the previous quarters 6.7 percent, government data showed Friday. Full-year growth was 6.7 percent, down from 2015s 6.9 percent and the weakest since 1990s 3.9 percent.

A touch faster growth than expected, but no real change in trend, Bill Adams of PNC Financial Services Group said in a report.

Cooling economy

Chinas economy has cooled steadily as communist leaders try to nurture domestic consumption and reduce reliance on trade and investment, but trade still supports millions of jobs. Government spending and a surge in real estate sales last year helped offset a 7.7 percent plunge in exports, but analysts expect the economy to cool further.

We do not expect this rebound to extend far into 2017, Tom Rafferty of the Economist Intelligence Group said in a report.

Export industries could face more pressure, raising the threat of politically dangerous job losses, if Trump goes ahead with promises to raise tariffs on Chinese goods.

In an implicit rebuke to Trump, Chinese President emphatically defended free trade in a speech Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. He said a trade war would harm all countries involved.

Still, a member of the Cabinets economic planning agency Friday expressed confidence.

I am hopeful that after his election, President Trump will consider the issue from the angle of mutual benefit and win-win and will develop the long-term, cooperative `big country relations that have been formed between China and the United States, Ning Jizhe told reporters.

Asked about the potential impact of action by Trump, Ning said China should maintain medium to high-speed growth.

Debt could become a problem

Beijing has relied on repeated infusions of credit to prevent activity from slumping too fast, prompting warnings the run-up in debt could spark a financial crisis or drag on growth.

Chinese leaders have cautioned the economic outlook is L-shaped, meaning once the downturn ends, growth is unlikely to rebound.

Looking at quarter-on-quarter growth, the way other major economies report data, the economy cooled steadily over the course of the year despite the headline figure showing steady expansion. Growth fell to 1.7 percent in the last quarter, down from 1.8 percent in July-September and 1.9 percent in the previous quarter.

Chinese leaders say they will make the economy more competitive and productive by opening more sectors to private companies but last years performance still relied heavily on spending by the government and state-owned industry.

Investment by government companies in factories and other fixed assets rose 18.7 percent last year over 2015, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Investment by private companies was far weaker, growing 3.2 percent.

Real estate sales are booming, which has pushed up economic growth figures. But regulators are taking steps to cool surging housing prices and bank lending, which forecasters expect to depress this years performance.

Retail sales growth decelerated to 9.6 percent from 2015s 10.6 percent. E-commerce, one of the brightest spots in the struggling economy, soared 26.2 percent over 2015, but that was down from the previous years 33.3 percent expansion.

This week, the International Monetary Fund raised its China growth forecast for this year by 0.3 percentage points to 6.5 percent, citing a boost from government stimulus. But it warned rising debt increases the risk of a sharper slowdown.

The ruling Communist Party is headed this year into a twice-a-decade change of senior officials. Private sector analysts expect the party to postpone any significant policy changes until that is completed.

We assume that in 2017, policymakers will be focused on ensuring economic growth remains relatively elevated, said Rafferty. Determined steps to address excessive debt levels in the economy are unlikely. It will probably not be until 2018, when politics are more favorably aligned, that we begin to see a more radical approach in this area.
China has appointed a new naval chief, state media said on Friday, citing as confirmation his comments at an official function, which were attributed using the new designation.

The change comes at a time when China's rapid military development has alarmed its neighbors, particularly through the expansion of its naval fleet to back its growing assertiveness over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

The new PLA Navy commander is Lieutenant Admiral Shen Jinlong, who had led China's South Sea fleet, said the China Daily, the official English-language newspaper. "Although the Navy did not disclose when the transition took place, observers believe it was this week," it added.

There was no formal announcement of the change, but a statement on the Ministry of Defense website used the new title for Shen.

In 2014, Shen led several Chinese warships at the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) international maritime exercises around the Hawaiian islands, the first time China had participated in large-scale U.S.-led naval drills.

Later, he made an official military visit to San Diego. Shen, 60, replaced outgoing naval commander Wu Shengli, 71, who was described by another state-run paper, the Global Times, as having stepped down after reaching retirement age.

Wu still retains his position on the powerful Central Military Commission, the China Daily said, but added that his new duties were unclear.

In its fleet-building efforts, state media have said, the PLA Navy commissioned 18 ships in 2016, including missile destroyers, corvettes and guided missile frigates, and has said it is building a second aircraft carrier.

Regional naval officials say Chinese ships now increasingly track and shadow U.S. and Japanese warships in the contested South China and East China seas, even during routine deployments.

China says it has no hostile intent and wants to manage the disputes through two-way talks with the other claimants. But Beijing has been involved in a diplomatic spat with Washington over ship and aircraft patrols in the region.

China claims almost of the energy-rich South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year, and has been building up military facilities, such as runways, on the islands it controls.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
A group of Nigerian writers, intellectuals and media figures called on President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday to stop the persecution of journalists, after an online publication's news staff was briefly detained.

Nigerian police late Thursday arrested the editor and a reporter for the Premium Times, the rights group Amnesty International said, in a dispute raising concern about press freedom in Africa's biggest democracy. The two were released later that evening without being charged.

"What we see is a disturbing trend that suggests not just an attempt to criminalize the important work that journalists in Nigeria do, but also a drive to frighten and cower and stop this critical constitutionally mandated work through the aggressive use of the state security apparatus," said a joint letter to Buhari signed by 10 Nigerian public figures.

The letter called on the president to instruct security services to stop harassing and arresting journalists and insist that police follow the law in arresting and charging suspects "in a timely and transparent manner."

The Premium Times has angered the military with articles saying dozens of soldiers were missing and the chief of staff was facing an investigation over false asset declaration. The armed forces have accused the paper of libel and defamation, charges the publication denied.

The detainments of editor Dapo Olorunyomi and judicial correspondent Evelyn Okakwu have raised concerns about freedom of the press and the power of the military in Nigeria.

The army said in a statement Thursday that it had begun legal action against the Premium Times over its "failure to retract and apologize over false, subversive and malicious publications against the person of the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai and the Nigerian Army."

The articles included stories about soldiers missing in Nigeria's northeast after clashes with Islamic insurgent group Boko Haram.

In a statement, the news publication said the arrest of its editor and correspondent had been made "based on a petition" by the chief of army staff.

"We call on the federal government to rein in the police and assure Nigerians that we are not living in a military dictatorship," the statement said.
Italian rescue teams say 10 people, including two children, were found alive Friday in a hotel buried by an avalanche nearly two days ago in the central part of the country.

Two of the 10 survivors have been pulled from the snow and rescuers have been talking with the others.

Workers dug through deep snow and debris overnight in their search for about 30 missing people, including four children, staying at the luxury mountain resort.

The avalanche that hit the four-star Hotel Rigopiano in the town of Farindole on Wednesday was likely triggered by a series of strong earthquakes that rattled the central region of Abruzzo earlier in the day.

Television footage from the inside of the wrecked hotel showed massive mounds of snow pushing through a hotel wall into the lobby.

Officials have confirmed finding two bodies, while Italian media said two more were located overnight. The only known survivors until Friday were two men who had been outside the hotel when the avalanche struck.

An investigation into the tragedy has been opened by a court in Pescara, with some saying the emergency response was slow. The first rescuers arrived amid a snowstorm on skis early Thursday, about 11 hours after the avalanche hit.
This Account has been suspended.
After nearly eight years in prison, four Djiboutian prisoners-of-war have been released by Eritrea.

A total of 19 POWs were captured by Eritrea in June 2008 during a border skirmish, but some of them escaped prison in September 2011, said Djibouti's Ambassador to the U.S. and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mohamed Siad Doualeh. The others remain in detention.

The release was negotiated by Qatar and the freed soldiers were flown back to their home country on March 18 on a Qatar Airways plane accompanied by Qatars foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. Upon landing they knelt down to kiss the ground and were met by dignitaries as a military band played. Later they met with Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh.

Ambassador Doualeh told VOA that the prisoners had been held incommunicado over the years without the ability to communicate with their government or families.

Four Djiboutian families are today rejoicing, he said. They have not had any information about their whereabouts, the conditions or the health of their loved ones and today I think its a moment of deep relief for them, for all Djiboutians in fact.

Eritrea lauded the Qatari effort. Eritrea has been saying from day one that it is committed to the Qatari mediation and the Qatari mediation has seven articles in it and one of them was Article 3 concerning missing persons and POWs, Ambassador Girma Asmerom, Eritreas Permanent Representative to the U.N. told VOA. So we have been consistent in this issue that the only process is through the Qatari mediation.

Doualeh said Djibouti holds 19 Eritrean POWs and 267 Eritrean military deserters who were handed over to the UNHCR in 2014. He stressed that the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organizations have regular access to the POWs.

They are there, they are safe and they are treated as humanely as you can imagine, he said.

The U.N. Secretary General and U.S. State Department have applauded the release. The U.S. expressed concern for the welfare of the remaining POWs.

The dispute between the two Horn of Africa countries relates to the shared land border, rights to the Doumeira Islands in the Red Sea and the delineation of the maritime boundary. Doualeh said he believes the boundaries should be based on 1900 and 1901 treaties between then colonial powers Italy and France. Those treaties, he said, would give the contested islands to Djibouti.

Fighting erupted in 2008 between armies from the two countries in a sandy outcropping known as Ras Doumeira.

Doualeh said he is cautiously optimistic that the prisoner release signals a step forward in relations between the two neighboring countries.

We are hoping and praying. We dont want to prejudge what the future has, but I think this signals a change, he said. What do you say in English Once bitten [twice shy]? In French we say, chat echaude craint leau froide. We dont want to doom the peace process. We want a final and lasting solution.

Similarly, Asmerom said a cooperative relationship between the two nations is the only viable option.

There is no option B, he said. There will be peace and stability in the whole region and Eritreas vision is there should be regional integration, there should be free movement of people, there should be free movement of goods, so Eritrea from day one has been committed to regional peace and stability.
Weather in Europe, which has seen sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall in areas, is threatening the lives of thousands of refugees and migrants, including more than 20,000 children, the U.N. children's fund said.

UNICEF estimates 23,700 refugee and migrant children, including infants and newborns, are stranded in Greece and the Balkans. It says many of the children, who mainly come from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, are living in unheated shelters that cannot protect them from the winter cold.

The International Organization for Migration reports several people already have died from hypothermia while making the treacherous Mediterranean Sea crossing into Europe.

UNICEF spokeswoman Sarah Crowe told VOA that people on land face other life-threatening illnesses.

"Like pneumonia, acute respiratory infections that are exacerbated in overcrowded conditions, and infants particularly do not have the kind of body fat that insulates them and, therefore, are more vulnerable," she said. "And pregnant women, of course, being  have a double vulnerability because it is their own health, plus the health of their unborn child."

UNICEF is calling on Greek authorities to move refugees and migrants currently living in overcrowded and underserviced camps on the islands to more appropriate accommodations.

Crowe said she is encouraged by recent efforts to bring people in from the cold and put them in heated hotels, hostels, and homes. She also said UNICEF winterization programs in Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and Macedonia are helping women and children stay warm.

Nevertheless, she said many people on the Greek islands and in the Balkan states remain unprotected from the cold that is gripping Europe, where more than 20 people died during a particularly harsh streak of cold weather earlier this month.

Crowe warned it is only a matter of time before there are serious outbreaks of illnesses if more is not done to speed assistance to those in need across Europe.
Defeated Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has agreed to relinquish power and leave the country, according to incoming President Adama Barrow.

Jammeh spoke early Saturday on state television, saying I think it is not necessary that a single drop of blood be shed.

Jammeh's decision came after Guinean President Alpha Conde and Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz arrived together in Banjul early Friday to convince him to cede power and leave the country or face military action.

Jammeh did not give details on any deal that was struck, and it is not clear when Barrow will return from neighboring Senegal to take power.

A State House official close to the situation says Jammeh would leave within three days, possibly Saturday with Conde. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak about the situation to the press.

Barrow took the oath of office Thursday at the Gambian embassy in neighboring Senegal after not being able to be sworn in at the Gambian capital.

Red carpets were reportedly rolled out at the airport in Banjul in what appeared to be preparations for Jammeh's departure.

Also on Friday, Gambian defense chief Ousmane Badjie pledged his allegiance to the country's new president.

The West African 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.

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 United Nations Security Council had earlier approved a military intervention and recognized Adama Barrow as the new president.

On Thursday, U.S. President Barack Obama's State Department spokesman, John Kirby, said the U.S. supported 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. had no plans to send in any U.S. troops.

The U.N. 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.

Barrow won the country's election December 1. Jammeh, who once vowed to rule Gambia for "a billion years," initially accepted the results, but changed his mind, citing alleged voting irregularities.

Until Friday, he had refused to give up power, declaring a state of emergency and ramming a meaningless three-month extension of his mandate through parliament.

Amnesty International and other major human rights groups have accused 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 of more than 1,000 villagers accused of being witches.
Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, remained hospitalized in Houston on Friday, a family spokesman said.

The 92-year-old former president is being treated for breathing difficulties stemming from pneumonia. He was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital last weekend for shortness of breath but was later moved to intensive care when physicians put in a breathing tube.

He remained in intensive care on Friday, family spokesman Jim McGrath said. No other updates were immediately available, but McGrath said on Thursday that he was hopeful the nation's 41st president could be discharged from the ICU in a few days.

McGrath said former first lady Barbara Bush also remained hospitalized on Friday, after spending her second night at the hospital. The 91-year-old checked into the same hospital on Wednesday for treatment of bronchitis. She reported feeling much better on Thursday after receiving medication and rest.

George H.W. Bush was hospitalized on Saturday and has been in the intensive care unit 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.

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."

The Bushes son, 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. He and his wife, former first lady Laura Bush, were at Trump's inauguration on Friday.

The Bushes were married Jan. 6, 1945, and have had the longest marriage of any presidential couple in American history.
Haitis justice minister faces possible censure after failing to appear Thursday before a Senate committee to explain how the United States was able to take custody of rebel leader Guy Philippe and transport him to Florida on drug-related charges.

Camille Junior Edouard, minister of justice and public security, had been summoned by Haitian lawmakers in the capital, Port-au-Prince. He also ignored two earlier requests.

The minister disrespected the Senate because he is reaching the end of his mandate, Jean Renel Senatus, chairman of the Justice and Public Security Commission, told reporters at the parliament building.

Edouards term as minister began last spring and officially concludes February 7, when President-elect Jovenel Moise takes office with a new administration.

Edouard could face censure or a vote of no confidence for not cooperating. Senators will debate that late this month.

A censure vote might not make much difference initially, because his term ends soon, but it could have more lasting consequences. The lawyer, who has served as an adviser to at least one parliamentarian, is considered likely to seek office in the future.

It is like he asks [senators] to give him bad marks that could impede a longer political career, Senatus said.

Lawmakers want details about the Haitian governments role in the case of Philippe, captured January 5 at a suburban radio station and handed over to U.S. drug enforcement agents whod sought him since 2005. Philippe recently was elected to Haitis Senate, but had not been sworn in.

Philippes seizure triggered protests in Haiti and Miami, where the suspect has been detained. Some have questioned what they see as the unlawful extradition of a senator-elect, insisting the senate position grants Philippe immunity from prosecution. Still others want Philippe to face charges in Haiti.

District Attorney Danton Leger has told Haitian media he did not anticipate Philippes removal and had hoped to first try the suspect himself. He had issued an arrest warrant for Philippe, suspected in an attack last May on a police station in the southern city of Les Cayes.

Philippe, a former police commissioner in the northern city of Cap-Haitien and in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Delmas, also played a key role in the violent 2004 uprising that toppled then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

In a Miami federal courtroom last Friday, Philippe pleaded not guilty to charges involving money laundering and smuggling cocaine into the United States. Prosecutors were given 15 days to present evidence supporting the charges.
The Chinese Communist Partys state-run Peoples Daily took aim at Hong Kong pro-democracy and independence advocates, saying that what the movements in Hong Kong and Taiwan have in common is a plan on destroying the country.

But is there enough of an independence movement in Hong Kong to challenge Beijing, or is merely the idea that one exists prompting Beijings response?

Scott Harold, the associate director at the Center for Asia Pacific Policy at the RAND Corporation, says that while there is a small number in Hong Kong who have talked about independence, Beijing has sought in this area to try to undermine, undercut and [delegitimize] Hong Kong's umbrella movement and its Occupy Central with Peace and Love movement by trying to tether them to the notion that these are a bunch of radical separatists who want some pie in the sky independent Hong Kong that can never happen.

Harold says the idea of an independent Hong Kong is a relatively new notion and not widely accepted, but that has grown over the past few years and now people are talking about it, which may be signalling a type of identity change.

This is something that's happening and for that reason it's extremely alarming to Beijing. The problem is Beijing has a real difficulty after seeing that its own actions have consequences, says Harold.

Or perhaps China does realize this, says Harold, but thinks theres no other option but to respond that way and must adopt the toughest line possible.

Is the tactic working?

I think there's a few different ways to cut at this, Harold surmises. One is to look at kind of the short term or tactical status, and then another is to look at kind of a longer term what we might call the secular trend.

The secular trend focuses on deepening the sense of Hong Kong identity and some who remember life before the 1997 handover believe their way of life may be under attack with the arrival of those from mainland China.

What in the more specific tactical data say you know who's winning that battle I think undeniably its unfortunately the PRCs (Peoples Republic of China) approach has cowed a number of people who might have been wavering in two years because Beijing can marshal the superior resources to achieve that outcome by waiting the opposition out, says Harold.

The future

In 2047, the Basic Law thats been governing Hong Kong goes away. Can current events provide a glimpse of what Hong Kong may see in a generation?

Harold isnt sure that political scientists are better at predicting the future than other scientists, but 30 years is a long time and he doesnt see China changing the way it addresses Hong Kong. However, he notes the Hong Kong and China of today may not necessarily be the same ones seen in 2047.


Next

Close Previous Next

Next

Next

Link has been copied to clipboard
Iranian rescuers have spent a second day trying to reach about 20 firefighters buried in the rubble of a Tehran high rise building as details emerge about the historic tower's poor state before it collapsed.

Iranian media said emergency crews were trying to locate possible survivors on Friday, using two tunnels dug into the wreckage of the 17-story Plasco building. Dozens of firefighters had rushed to the site on Thursday when a fire broke out at around 8am local time and quickly engulfed the more than 50-year-old complex, which housed hundreds of garment and clothing workshops. It collapsed three hours later in images broadcast live on Iranian television.

Authorities said no bodies had been pulled from the rubble 24 hours after the collapse, and around 20 firefighters were feared to have died. About 70 people were injured in the incident, including one firefighter who died of his injuries at a hospital on Friday. The early morning eruption of the fire on Thursday meant that few civilians were in the building at the time.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said there was no damage to the German, Turkish or British embassies located near the site.

The semiofficial Mehr news agency said President Hassan Rouhani ordered his interior minister on Thursday to "immediately investigate the causes of the accident, identify those responsible, take care of the injured and quickly compensate people for their losses."

Mehr also quoted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as expressing deep sorrow for the collapse and saying "all efforts should focus on saving the firefighters trapped in the site." He added, "Finding causes and possible contributing factors is only a second priority."

Building history

The Plasco building opened in 1962 as the first high-rise tower in the Iranian capital. It was built by Habibollah Elghanian, a prominent Iranian Jew and businessman who was arrested on charges of being an Israeli spy and executed in 1979 during Irans Islamic Revolution.



The building originally was designed to house offices. But VOA Persian Service Executive Editor Mohammad Manzarpour, who visited Plasco in the late 1990s, said its configuration changed after the Islamic Revolution when a charitable foundation under direct control of Iran's then-supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took control of the site. He said Bonyad Mostazafan, or the Foundation for the Oppressed, rented out office space to the textile manufacturers and prevented the Tehran municipality from enforcing any safety regulations.

"I visited the building because my cousin had a T-shirt production line there," Manzarpour said. "It was horrific. The corridors were damaged and dark because the lighting was gone, huge parts of ceilings and walls were missing, and emergency exits were stacked with manufacturers' boxes."

Manzarpour, who previously worked as a journalist in Tehran, said the foundation did nothing when the municipality threatened to take it to court for ignoring warnings about safety at the Plasco building.

Soroush Farzin-Moghadam, an engineering professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, told VOA Persian's Newshour program that Iranian authorities typically attempt to update building codes when a disaster happens.

"But there's a double standard when it comes to implementation," said Farzin-Moghadam, who studied architecture and building technology in Tehran and has worked on residential complexes and airports. "When Iranian regulations do not deal with life and death issues, they are implemented completely, whereas when regulations do impact people's lives, they are ignored," he said.
Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has pleaded not guilty to charges of running a massive drug-trafficking operation in North America and overseeing killings and kidnappings.

Through his court-appointed lawyers, Guzman entered a not-guilty plea Friday in a New York City federal court. No bail was sought.

Guzman answered questions through an interpreter standing next to him.

Guzman arrived in New York from Mexico late Thursday following his surprise extradition. He was arraigned in a 17-count indictment that carries a mandatory life prison term upon conviction of running a criminal enterprise, and additional maximum sentences of life in prison stemming from other drug charges, according to Robert Capers, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

"Today marks a milestone in our pursuit of Chapo Guzman," Capers told reporters Friday.

Prosecutors say Guzman's Sinoloa cartel operated for decades in much of North America and reaped billions of dollars by dispersing cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine throughout the United States.

Guzman is accused of money laundering and drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder in cities throughout the United States, including Chicago, Miami and New York.

The convicted cartel boss has spent the past year fighting extradition. He has twice escaped from maximum-security prisons in Mexico. Guzman last escaped from Altiplano prison in 2015 after maneuvering through a kilometer-long tunnel that had been dug by his associates. He was recaptured a year ago.

U.S. prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty as a condition of the extradition of Guzman.

Guzman's attorney said his extradition was politically motivated.

Capers said the U.S. government was also seeking a $14 billion forfeiture order as part of its prosecution.
A United Nations human rights investigator on Friday criticized Myanmar's crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority and urged the military to respect the law and human rights.

Authorities say the military launched a security sweep in response to what they say was an attack in October by Rohingya insurgents on border posts near Myanmar's border with Bangladesh in which nine police officers were killed.

Since then, at least 86 people have been killed and the United Nations says at least 65,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh.

Accusations denied

Residents and refugees accuse the military of killing, raping and detaining civilians while burning villages in northwestern Rakhine State.

The government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, denies the accusations and insists a lawful counter-insurgency operation is underway.

It would be particularly important for the security forces to always act within the parameters of the rule of law and in compliance with human rights, Yanghee Lee, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar, said at the end of a visit to the country.

Claims 'quite incredible'

Lee said she found government claims that the Rohingya have burned their own houses quite incredible and suggested that recent footage of police beating Rohingya villagers could be not an isolated incident, but a more common practice.

Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner and champion of democracy in then military-ruled Myanmar, came to power last April after a landslide election win, installing her confidant, Htin Kyaw, as president.

However, violence in border regions has raised questions about her commitment to human rights and ability to rein in the military, which retains a major political role.

No journalists allowed

Suu Kyi's government has restricted aid to northern Rakhine, where most people are Rohingya Muslims denied citizenship in Myanmar, and prevented independent journalists from visiting.

Lee said the attacks on border posts happened within the context of decades of systematic and institutionalized discrimination against the Muslim minority.

Desperate individuals take desperate actions, said Lee.

She said that if the affected population had felt the new government would address their problems, then militants would not be able to hijack their cause.

UN official visits Yangon

Lee visited the north of Rakhine, where the military operation is taking place, the commercial hub Yangon, the capital Naypyitaw and Kachin State in the north, where government forces are battling ethnic Kachin guerrillas.

In Rakhine, Lee visited four villages and a prison where the government has detained about 450 people suspected of aiding the October attacks without legal representation, contact with families or explanation of the charges.

Many families are unaware and uninformed of this detention, fearing that they will never see their loved ones again, Lee said.
Unnamed U.S. officials on Thursday said North Korea may be preparing for an intercontinental ballistic missile test launch after South Korean media reported movement of what could be components of an upgraded ICBM, less than two days before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

The sighting of objects believed to be the lower half of an ICBM at North Korea's main missile launching site was reported by South Korean media Wednesday.

The U.S. 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, according to Reuters.

A mobile ICBM would be difficult to detect until fired. Still, the timing of the test and precise type of missile is not clear, the officials said.

Trump's first test?

The timing of a possible new missile continues Pyongyang's practice of testing new U.S. administrations. U.S. experts cautioned that any missile test during the inaugural celebrations could backfire as Trump's position toward North Korea remains unclear.

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.

We would once again encourage North Korea not to engage in provocative actions that do nothing but destabilize the region, he said.

South Korea maintains 'readiness posture'

Also Thursday, Roh Jae-cheon, South Korea's defense ministry spokesman, said at a Seoul news conference that the ministry believes North Korea may be able to launch an ICBM anytime, anywhere, if the leadership decides to do so, and thereby we are currently maintaining the military readiness posture.

Kim Dong-yeop, a researcher at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Changwon, South Korea told VOA Korean Service's Han Sangmi on Thursday that the South Korean and U.S. governments believe North Korea has built two new prototypes of intercontinental ballistic missile.

"The KN-08 and KN-14 [missiles] were revealed during parades in 2013 and 2015, respectively, but my understanding is that there is none that is 20 meters in length and is ready to be launched," said Kim. By using one of these Musudan-type missiles and replacing its engine with a new ICBM engine, the North is attempting to test a missile that looks like an older model but is actually an ICBM, he said.

Experts are 'puzzled'

On Thursday, Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow with The Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center in Washington, D.C., told VOA he had spoken with missile experts who are puzzled over the description that it's shorter than either of the road mobile ICBM variants, KN-08 and KN-14. So we don't know if it's yet another variant or whether it's perhaps misidentification of intermediate range or shorter range missile.

Bruce Bennett, senior defense analyst at the Rand Corporation in Santa Monica, California, said to VOA that North Korea has been very careful with the prospect of the Trump administration.

They have to ask if they are better confronting the Trump administration or if they are better being conciliatory and we don't know what their conclusion on this is," he said. "If they do a test, it would suggest they've decided to be confrontational, and that may not be good for North Korea.

Sanctions an option

Bennett added that The U.S. government could try to develop even more powerful sanctions against North Korea. The problem with sanctions is they tend to be based on trade, and most of North Korea's trade is with China and China is not particularly anxious to increase the sanctions.

However, Klinger said, It's a certainty that North Korea will do additional nuclear and long range missile tests. They vowed to do so. But there's always an uncertainty about when and why North Korea does the testing.

The reports of the new ICBM came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un suggested on New Year's Day that North Korea may soon test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

Last week, U.S. experts dismissed the remarks as a stunt to intimidate the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who tweeted It won't happen.

Test launch expected in 2017

On January 8, the North's state-run news agency, KCNA, reported that the country can launch an ICBM anytime and anywhere, reiterating the position that the communist state is bolstering nuclear arms capabilities for self-defense against the U.S.

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani, former U.S. special envoy for negotiations with North Korea, however, told VOA that test launching an ICBM, is a real possibility in 2017, DeTrani said. It's a threat to the region and to the United States also, given the fact that it could deliver a nuclear weapon.

Recently, the U.S. has been increasing pressure on North Korea in coordination with South Korea and Japan. The hope is to disarm the North and bring it back to the Six-Party talks initiated in 2003. The talks involved China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, the U.S., and North Korea.

U.S. would rather resume talks

North Korea is believed to have the ability to strike South Korea and Japan with a nuclear weapon. But questions remain over Pyongyang's ability to reach the U.S. mainland.

The U.S. State Department said last week that Washington continues to hope that talks, which have been stalled since late 2008, are a mechanism that could potentially bring Pyongyang back into discussions about its nuclear weapons program.

Pyongyang has long urged Washington to accept the country as a nuclear state, abandon the strategic alliance with South Korea, and pull U.S. troops out of the Western Pacific region.
After eight years of an on-again, off-again courtship of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims in what he called a "new beginning" between America and Islam, President Barack Obama is leaving office with dashed hopes and disappointed fans in much of the Muslim world.

Obama remains popular around the world, with notable foreign policy achievements: the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the historic resumption of relations with Cuba and the landmark Paris climate change accord.

But as he hands over power Friday to President-elect Donald Trump, Obama's image in the greater Middle East leaves much to be desired, with a once-enthusiastic Muslim public increasingly disillusioned by the unfulfillment of lofty promises made eight years ago.

"I have never seen such disillusionment with an American president and his policies expressed by people in the region, ordinary citizens as well as public figures," Hisham Melhem, a prominent analyst for the Al Arabiya news channel, wrote in the Cairo Review.

Obama offered an olive branch to Muslims around the world when he came into office after a controversial Republican presidency.

"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward based on mutual interest and mutual respect," he declared in his first inaugural address.

Within a couple of months, he traveled to Turkey "to send a message to the world" and hailed that country's legacy of a "strong, vibrant, secular democracy."

"The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam," he told the country's parliament.

The pinnacle of Obama's Muslim diplomacy came two months later in Cairo.

"I've come here ... to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition," he declared.

He pledged to pull American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, support the creation of a Palestinian state, close the controversial military prison at Guantanamo Bay, recognize Iran's right to peaceful nuclear power and back democratic change in the region.

The speech was compared to Bush's "freedom agenda." But unlike Bush's widely reviled plan for transforming the Middle East, Obama's empathetic call for "partnership between America and Islam" won many Muslim supporters.

'New and fresh'

Mohammed Baharoon, director general of the Dubai Public Policy Research Center, remembers watching the speech and being struck by its fresh language and tone.

"[People] hadn't seen this kind of a president" before, Baharoon said."They saw a president who was down to earth, someone who was extending a hand. All of this was quite new and fresh."

Akbar Ahmed, a leading scholar of Islam at American University in Washington, also watched the speech, but said "it created a lot of problems in my mind because I realized how eloquent, how visionary and how compassionate that speech was."

"As a Muslim scholar, I knew that across the Muslim world  people would have very high expectations of the new president," Ahmed said.

Muslim enthusiasm for Obama's presidency proved short-lived as he struggled to enact most of his promises, and along the way soured on engagement with the region.

Obama was an enthusiastic early supporter of the 2011 pro-democracy Arab Spring movement, but he threw his support behind Egypt's military regime two years later. His support of a military intervention in Libya in 2011 was hailed by some for preventing civilian casualties, but blamed by many in the region for igniting a civil war that continued years after the fall of Moammar Gadhafi.

In 2011, Obama pulled American troops from Iraq, and in 2014 he ordered an end to combat operations in Afghanistan, but the conflicts intensified and he was blamed for a premature withdrawal from Iraq that led to the rise of Islamic State. Creating a Palestinian state proved stubbornly elusive, despite the appointment of a special envoy and repeated efforts to restart peace talks. The Guantanamo prison remained open even as the U.S. transferred out hundreds of detainees. And across the region, new wars flared up  from Syria in 2011 to Yemen in 2015.

"The outcomes of the eight years ... are not very positive," Baharoon said.

Popularity dipped

With the region engulfed in war, Obama's popularity among Muslims dipped even as it soared elsewhere. A June 2015 Pew Research Center survey found that less than 50 percent of Turks, 36 percent of Lebanese, 15 percent of Palestinians, and 14 percent of Jordanians and Pakistanis approved of Obama's handling of global affairs. There were some notable exceptions, including several Muslim majority African nations as well as Malaysia and Indonesia, where Obama spent his early childhood and remains popular.

As an activist, Obama had called Saudi Arabia and Egypt "so-called allies," and he never came to embrace them as genuine partners. In later years, Obama privately criticized Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries for exporting extremism to Indonesia. In Egypt, his initial support of the Arab Spring protests was seen as tantamount to an embrace of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and a betrayal of a key American ally.

"In private, I have heard Arab officials express critical views of Obama and his style of leadership bordering on utter contempt," Melhem said.

Ahmed said the Libyan intervention "burned" Obama, and he called the Syrian conflict "the worst moment" of Obama's presidency.

"That's one of the big problems of being the president of the United States," Ahmed said. "Anything that happens in the world, positive or negative, people trace it to the president and say he's responsible."
A consortium controlled by Brazilian builder Odebrecht S.A. will miss a financing deadline Monday for a natural gas pipeline project in Peru and awaits government notification that it will lose the $5 billion contract, the company said Friday.

Odebrecht, a family-owned conglomerate at the center of a growing bribery scandal in Latin America, has spent months trying to sell its 55 percent stake in the project as a condition from banks that would provide $4.1 billion for construction.

But worries about liability for potential crimes committed have thwarted possible deals and the government has said it would not extend the financing deadline.

"The concessionaire company is waiting for official communication from the government that will allow us to start the process of returning the concession," the consortium said in a statement.

Spain's Enagas SA controls a 25 percent stake in the project.

Shares of Peru's biggest construction group, Grana y Montero, which owns a 20 percent stake, slipped more than 2 percent  extending their more than 30 percent drop since a month ago when Odebrecht admitted to bribing officials in Peru.

"Grana y Montero's prestige is damaged," Grana's general manager Alvarado told local broadcaster RPP. "Starting Monday, we'll be entering a new legal phase, which will be harder to control."

Grana told Reuters last month that the government would have to pay at least $1 billion in compensation if it ends the contract, and that construction might not resume for three years.

The government of President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has not responded to requests for comment.

The government has said it would seek to quickly hold a new auction. It would also modify the contract to connect the pipeline to cities in southern Peru and to ensure it does not draw on financing from consumer electricity bills.

General work on the project is about 37.6 percent finished, with construction of the pipeline 10.7 percent complete.

Construction ground to a halt last year when arrangements for a syndicated loan got snagged on concerns about a graft inquiry into Odebrecht in Brazil.

Since then, Odebrecht has acknowledged distributing hundreds of millions in bribes across Latin America, including $29 million in Peru.

Odebrecht is negotiating a plea deal with local prosecutors as it aims to reach settlements in 12 countries.

The pipeline consortium won the contract in 2014 during the previous government after its sole competitor was disqualified the day of the auction.
Right up until the end, al-Qaida founder Osama bin Laden remained focused on striking the United States, its Western allies and governments seen as U.S. proxies, and he was leery of distractions that could weaken the terror group's resolve.

America was never as hated and detested by all the people in the world as it is now, bin Laden wrote in a letter, citing the torture of the brothers in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib.

Everyone should forget about his disagreements and focus his efforts on eliminating the bigger adversary, he said in a separate, undated letter to a Shaikh Mahmud.

50 documents released

The letters, among almost 50 declassified documents released Thursday by the U.S. intelligence community, shed few new insights into bin Laden's thinking as he hid in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Rather, the last of three installments of material captured during the 2011 raid that killed the terror mastermind helps complete a picture of al-Qaida at a critical juncture, as it tried to spread its influence during the early days of the so-called Arab Spring.

The declassified documents reveal bin Laden's strategy for upending global politics through protracted violent conflict, according to one of the analysts who worked on the documents.

Hoping for U.S. involvement

According to the documents, bin Laden saw the Arab Spring as a transitional phase and wrote of the need to portray our vision on the revolutions in the Arab world.

But the focus was still on pushing Arab regimes with good ties to the West toward a tipping point, hoping the U.S. would intervene and create an opening for the jihadist movement.

What you're seeing then is the early parts of its strategy that then got this unexpected lift, said Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. They're looking at how to disperse fighters and cause chaos and suddenly the whole region is plunged into chaos.

Jihadists could actually get a sizeable foothold without the U.S. stepping in, he said, allowing al-Qaida to change its trajectory following bin Laden's death into an even more dangerous threat.

It can operate much more openly now, said Gartenstein-Ross. It has much more of a presence across multiple theaters.

Sons warned in letters

While bin Laden may not have been able to envision the threat his terror group eventually would pose, other documents show he was keenly aware of his security environment.

Throughout, he remained deeply suspicious of Iran, referring to what he called tyrant prisons, while noting how Tehran was hosting members of his family.

In a letter to his sons Uthman and Muhammad, bin Laden warned of the lengths to which Iran might go to track their movements.

Remember any questionable action or observation in any hospital in Iran, he wrote. If they inject you with a shot, this shot might be loaded with a tiny chip.

It was not the first time the al-Qaida leader had worried about efforts to track family members after visits to Iran.

Worried about tracking devices

In a letter released last year as part of the second tranche of declassified materials, bin Laden worried that tracking devices may have been implanted in a filling his wife got while visiting a dentist in Iran, although he blamed the U.S.

The size of the chip is about the length of a grain of wheat and the width of a fine piece of vermicelli, he wrote.

Yet at other times, as revealed in this last set of documents, the al-Qaida leader's paranoia appears to give way to optimism, pointing to U.S. failures in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In a letter to his sister Um Abd-al-Rahman, bin Laden even expresses hope that he will be able to see her soon.

The media released the speech of President Obama that he would withdraw the American forces from Afghanistan after six months, he wrote. Matters will be relieved and our movement will be easier.

Still other documents reveal deliberations on matters both mundane and, perhaps, surprising.

Image, branding a concern

In one letter to Abu Muhammad Salah, bin Laden addresses what he calls the top secret matter of al-Qaida militants in their unfortunate celibacy due to a lack of available wives.

We have no objection to clarifying to the brothers that they may, in such conditions, masturbate, he wrote.

Still other discussions touched on the use of hostages, the forging relationships with selected media outlets and persistent concerns about al-Qaida's image and branding.

It continues to show how connected bin Laden was to the overall al-Qaida network even though his Internet access was limited, said Gartenstein-Ross. He knew that he could direct strategy and would be listened to.

VOA's Lynn Davis contributed to this report
More 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.

Since January 1, more than 15 feet of snow has fallen at some Tahoe area resorts, the most in more than five years.

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. Some flights at San Francisco International Airport were delayed several hours.

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. The Hollywood Reservoir got almost three-quarters of an inch rain.

Historic trees toppled

In Sacramento, a windstorm with gusts topping 50 mph destroyed three historic trees Wednesday night that had been planted at the California Capitol about 120 years ago to honor Civil War veterans.

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 because of a winter storm warning. Forecasters said wind could gust to 40 mph beginning Friday night.

Grand Canyon National Park closed some roads on the South Rim because of 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. Schools were closed in several districts, along with some state agency offices.

Washington transportation officials said conditions on Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass had improved enough to allow crews to start cleanup efforts. Twenty to 30 trees 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.
Actor and filmmaker Robert Redford opened the Sundance Independent Film Festival on Thursday by steering clear of politics and instead criticizing the news industry.

"The news media world has shrunk into more of a sound bite world. Everything's so clipped and short, it gives you no time to digest, no time to contemplate. It's already moving onto the next event," Redford said at Sundance's opening news conference.

Documentaries, on the other hand, are filling the gap Redford said, highlighting their growing role at the industry's biggest indie film festival.

"I felt like documentaries are having a more important role than ever because it becomes long-form journalism. It has a chance to really tell the story so the public can really digest it and see how they feel."

The 80-year-old Oscar-winning filmmaker faced numerous questions about Republican U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office Friday.

Much of Hollywood opposed Trump in the 2016 elections and instead raised millions of dollars for his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

Redford did reflect on one of his most notable roles, as Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward in the 1976 Watergate thriller All the President's Men, saying he learned the value of investigative journalism.

"Dig in and dig deep  those two things affected my filmmaking attitude," he said.

A leading Hollywood man in the 1970s and 1980s, Redford created the annual Sundance gathering in Park City, Utah, to showcase independent film and talent outside of the big studios.

This year, the festival has a slew of documentaries exploring topics mined from recent headlines, as well as a showcase of climate change films.

Redford said the festival would not take a stance on current U.S. politics, but rather would support independent filmmakers who want to explore the issue.

"Presidents come and go, the pendulum swings back and forth. It always has and probably always will, so we don't occupy ourselves with politics. We try to stay away from politics, and we try to stay focused on what stories are being told by artists," Redford said.

However, Trump's inauguration will not go unmarked at Sundance.

Talk show host Chelsea Handler will lead a Women's March on Saturday down Park City's Main Street, timed to Washington's women's rally aimed at bringing attention to civil and human rights issues.
Hopes of finding survivors dwindled Thursday more than 24 hours after an avalanche struck a luxury mountain hotel in Italy burying up to 30 people under tons of snow and debris.

The Civil Protection department said two bodies had been recovered, but its chief said the search for victims and possible survivors would continue through the night.

There is always hope, if there were no hope the rescuers wouldnt give everything theyve got, Fabrizio Curcio told reporters. He said his teams would continue to do everything possible during the night, even though conditions were far more difficult than in daylight.

Quakes then avalanche

The disaster struck hours after four earthquakes with a magnitude above 5 hit central Italy. Titti Postiglione, head of the departments emergency office, said more snow could fall from peaks in the Gran Sasso mountain range in the central Abruzzo region because the temperature was rising, and more quakes were possible.

This is an enormously complex rescue operation, she said. The gabled peaks of parts of the roof and a row of windows were the only sections of the four-story Hotel Rigopiano visible after the wall of snow smashed into the four-star spa resort Wednesday evening.

This is a tragedy of enormous proportions, said Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin.

Local authorities said about 30 people had been in the building at the time, including two children. The only survivors found were two men who had been outside when the disaster struck.

The hotel is almost completely destroyed. Weve called out but weve heard no replies, no voices, said Antonio Crocetta, a member of the Alpine Rescue squad. Were digging and looking for people, he told Reuters by phone from the isolated location.

Deep snow, drifts

Rescue workers entered what appeared to be a lobby decorated with oil paintings and plants, where a landslide had torn through a wall, television footage showed.

Mattresses and furniture were spotted dozens of meters (yards) away and dogs were helping with the search.

I am alive because I went to get something from my car, Giampiero Parete told medical staff. Italian media said he had been on holiday with his wife and two children, who are missing.

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni called for national unity, saying Italy was caught in an unprecedented vice of earthquakes and heavy snows.

The rescue operation was hampered by deep snow that has fallen on the Gran Sasso in recent days. Drifts were as deep as five meters (16 feet) in some places, and snowplows struggled to cut a path up winding mountain roads.

Remote, snowy location

The first rescuers arrived at 4.30 a.m. (0330 GMT) after having to ski through a blizzard to reach the site. After dawn broke, emergency services sent in helicopters.

A base camp for rescue workers was set up in the town of Penne, about 10 km (6 miles) away, where ambulances waited. The avalanche pushed the 43-room hotel, which is 1,200 meters (4,000 ft) above sea level, about 10 meters down the hill, according to media reports.

Italian media said guests at the hotel had checked out and were waiting for a snowplow to arrive to open up the road and let them down the mountain when the avalanche struck.


The Senate has voted by an overwhelming margin to confirm the appointment of retired Marine General James Mattis as the new U.S. secretary of defense, and also has approved another retired Marine general, John Kelly, as secretary of homeland security.

Mattis and Kelly, both 66, were the first two members of President Donald Trumps Cabinet to be confirmed, and they were sworn into office immediately. The Senate convened for the votes soon after inauguration ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol, as the parade through Washington celebrating Trumps installation was just beginning.

Mattis posted a warm message of greeting to U.S. forces worldwide, hailing their work as the sentinels and guardians of our nation and pledging his efforts to ensure our military is ready to fight, today and in the future.

The Senate vote in favor of Mattis was 98-1. The vote for Kelly was 88-11. The only senator who did not vote was Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who is line for confirmation himself as the next U.S. attorney general.

Trump signed documents commissioning Mattis and Kelly in their new jobs minutes after entering the Oval Office late Friday and beginning his official duties. Vice President Mike Pence then administered the oath of office to both men.

The Senate also voted by a wide margin Friday to clear the way for a confirmation vote Monday for Congressman Mike Pompeo, the presidents choice to be director of the CIA.

Watch: Mattis Talks about Strength of NATO Before Senate Panel

Mattis at Pentagon

Mattis, the new Pentagon chief, served as the commander of U.S. Central Command and was NATOs commander for transformation while in uniform; he retired from military service in 2013.

Kelly headed the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees American military operations in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, until he retired a year ago.

Before either man could be confirmed, Trump had to sign into law a waiver of a long-standing regulation that military officers could not take up high civilian positions until at least seven years after they left uniformed service before becoming defense secretary.

The rule originally was meant to bolster the American principle of civilian leadership of the military, but there was little opposition by lawmakers to Trumps nomination of the two generals.

Watch: Mattis on Russia Sanctions at Confirmation Hearing

Democrats think Mattis, in particular, will be a strong check to the Republican presidents unpredictable nature.

The waiver passed the House and Senate easily, and Trump signed it Friday at the Capitol, as one of his first official actions after being sworn into office.

During an earlier appearance before the Senate, Mattis said he would press for greater U.S. military support for European allies to counter what he sees as Russian attempts to weaken or even dismantle NATO.

Such sentiments distinguished Mattis from Trump, who has on several occasions belittled the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as obsolete and expensive.

Mattis also has suggested the U.S. militarys effort to defeat the Islamic State group and dislodge extremist fighters from their de facto capital in Syria, could be conducted more aggressively. That dovetailed with Trumps pledge in his inaugural address Friday to eradicate the radical Islamic group worldwide.

Kelly at Homeland

Kelly, who will head the U.S. border security forces among many other agencies, told senators during his confirmation hearing that Trumps oft-repeated call for a wall along the U.S. southern border with Mexico, in and of itself, would not entirely prevent immigrants from entering the United States.

He said the U.S. also would need to confront drugs and drug violence in South and Central America, which prompt northward migration.
Troops in northern Cameroon set out Friday for a fresh push against Boko Haram militants, a week after the terror group carried out its deadliest attack in Niger in more than a year.

The militants raided a military post in Bosso, Niger, killing at least 26 soldiers. Nigers government said 55 insurgents were also killed. The U.N. refugee agency said about 50,000 residents had fled.

General Jacob Kodji, one of Cameroon's top commanders in the north, said troops from Niger and Chad would attack Boko Haram strongholds in Niger, while his men would organize raids to stop the terrorists from getting reinforcements from or escaping to hideouts around the Lake Chad Basin and the Sambisa Forest in Nigeria.

Kodji said the area of operations would span more than 400 kilometers. The operations will be dangerous, he said, because the insurgents are increasingly using land mines and holding civilians hostage as human shields.

Colonel Didier Badjeck, Cameroons military spokesman, accused Boko Haram fighters of harassing the population along the countrys border with Nigeria, saying fighters had been stealing food and killing residents.

Badjeck said Boko Haram had been staging attacks daily for three weeks. After an attack on one of its positions, Cameroons military struck back against the Islamic militant group Friday, he said.
Syria has allowed Russia to significantly expand its naval facility in the Mediterranean port of Tartus and keep using it for decades to come.

The facility is the only such outpost Russia has outside the former Soviet Union. The Russian military has used Tartus to back its campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Under the agreement released on Friday, Syria has offered Russia free use of the Soviet-era facility for 49 years. The term can be automatically extended for further 25-year periods if neither side objects.

The deal signed in Damascus also allows Russia to modernize the site so that it can host up to 11 ships at a time, including the nuclear-powered ones. Now Tartus only has room for a couple of mid-sized ships at a time.
Diplomatically isolated Taiwan looks forward to more military cooperation and high-level visits from the United States under Donald Trump after he takes office as U.S. president Friday, though both sides are likely to proceed carefully to avoid a backlash from China.

Trump has said in comments as late as last week that hes open to renegotiating U.S. policy that forbids seeing self-ruled Taiwan as its own country. China, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan, has reacted in anger, including a request that an informal Taiwanese delegation not attend Trumps inauguration ceremony.

Analysts in Taipei and the United States expect the Trump administration to work with China on its political terms - known as the "one-China" policy toward Taiwan.

But at the same time Trump would build a strong informal relationship with Taiwan in place since the 1970s, especially if helpful to business. Washington broke officials ties with Taiwan in 1979 in favor of the larger, fast-growing China.

A boost in informal ties would probably bring arms sales, military exchanges and a boost in senior-level visitors to Taiwan, experts say.

I dont really think [of] President-elect Trump the same as President Trump, said Raymond Wu, managing director of e-telligence, a Taipei political risk consultancy, referring to harsh remarks toward China since the Nov. 8 U.S. elections.

I think the primary objective is still the preservation of American interests, and many of the foreign policy positions and conducts of the past have proved to be effective, for example on the one-China policy, so I dont really believe there will be a dramatic departure from some of the long-standing U.S. positions on these very sensitive issues, Wu said.

China discourages its more than 170 diplomatic allies from treating Taiwan as a state, and just 21 countries officially recognize it. Beijing eventually wants to bring Taiwan under its flag despite widespread opposition on the island.

Prospects of a suddenly stronger U.S. relationship began exciting the Taiwanese and worrying China after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen spoke by phone with Trump Dec. 2. The two sides discussed security and Taiwans international space.

Tsai still hopes to avoid provoking China, which retaliated for the Trump call by persuading a Taiwan ally to switch sides last month, and passing the Chinese aircraft carrier near Taiwan last week, experts say.

Increased military contact - including sales of American-made weapons to Taiwan - senior-level visits and an increase in trade would irk China, but approximate what previous U.S. governments have done for Taiwan.

Military exchanges are expected to pick up following the passage in Washington last month of the National Defense Authorization Act, which makes exchanges with Taiwan part of U.S. law. Trumps aides have also voiced support.

The United States is Taiwans top arms suppliers, agreeing to major sales in 2010 and 2015. China is the island's only military rival.

Beyond arms sales, which will continue, Trump may want to upgrade the level of military-to-military exchanges, said Alan Romberg, East Asia program director with Washington think tank the Stimson Institute. How far he'll go will depend on a number of things, including how things are going with Beijing.

High-level visits from Washington to Taipei that picked up under previous Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou, bringing people as senior as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, are forecast to sustain or grow.

In recent years in terms of diplomacy, the personal relationships among high-level government officials are a very important cornerstone of bilateral government-to-government relations, ruling Democratic Progressive Party legislator Lo Chih-cheng said. We can engage in a serious dialogue between our two governments.

Trump says he opposes wide-reaching foreign trade deals such as the 12-country Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), raising hope in Taiwan that he might consider instead bilateral trade or investment deals that make economic sense for American companies.

Taiwan has pressed for a deal for years, and two-way trade of $86.9 billion in 2015 favored the islands manufactured exports.

As Trump's spoken of his desire for possible free trade agreements with partners who share our values and ideals, one can't rule out the prospect of a Trump administration launching FTA negotiations with Taiwan one day, said Sean King, senior vice president of New York political consultancy Park Strategies.

Tsai is expected to go with any lead Trump takes in building stronger relations, but avoid action that would provoke China by making the communist government feel Taiwan is striving for formal diplomatic recognition in Washington.

Chinese President Xi Jinping hopes Taiwan stays muted this year to avoid a situation that, if handled poorly, could get him in trouble with detractors in the Communist Party, said Lin Chong-pin, retired strategic studies professor from Tamkang University in Taiwan.

I think (Tsai) understands the tricky nature of how to respond to Trumps presidency, Lin said. I hope she understands  that the current tough attitude from Beijing reflects domestic uncertainties in China.

Since taking office in May, Tsai has taken a cordial but guarded approach to China. Communist officials want her government to sit down for talks, but the two sides disagree on conditions.

After the call between Tsai and Trump last month, China demanded Trump drop any designs to give Taiwan formal attention. It also asked that a Taiwan delegation not attend the inauguration.

Yu Shyi-kun, a former Taiwan premier, is leading the delegation, which will also meet academics and other politicians in the United States.

But Beijing probably wont get any tougher on Taiwan without a serious step toward independence from China, Romberg said.
As Donald Trump assumes office as 45th president of the United States, many in Russia are celebrating what they hope will mark a turning point in the most tense relations between Moscow and Washington since the Cold War. But others are more cautious about what to expect from a Trump administration. VOA's Moscow correspondent Daniel Schearf reports.
Black-clad activists angry about President Donald Trump's inauguration smashed store and car windows in Washington on Friday and fought with police in riot gear who responded with pepper spray and stun grenades.

About 500 people, some wearing masks and kerchiefs over their faces, marched through the city's downtown, breaking the windows of a Bank of America branch, a McDonald's outlet and a Starbucks shop, all symbols of the American capitalist system.

The crowd chanted anti-Trump slogans and carried at least one sign reading "Make Racists Afraid Again," a play on the New York businessman-turned-politician's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.

They also vandalized several cars and hurled trash cans and newspaper vending boxes into the streets before being largely dispersed by police about 90 minutes before Trump was sworn in at the Capitol about 2.5 kilometers (1 miles) away.

"The message I want to send is that Trump does not represent this country. He represents the corporate interests," said Jessica Reznicek, a 35-year-old Catholic aid worker from Des Moines, Iowa, who was part of the protest but did not participate in the violence.

Not far from the White House, protesters scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminum chairs at an outdoor cafe. A member of the Bikers for Trump group in town to celebrate the inauguration was struck in the face when he tried to intervene.

"I know, law and order and all that. We need more order. This ain't right," said Bob Hrifko, who was bleeding from a cut under his eye.

Two Washington, D.C., police officers were injured in altercations with protesters, a local ABC television affiliate reported. Police detained about 50 people a few blocks away, as a crowd chanted, "Let them go."

Fewer people than expected

The number of people who turned out to view the midday swearing-in, on a gray day threatened by rain, appeared to be significantly smaller than the estimated 2 million who turned out for President Barack Obama's first inauguration in 2009.

Overhead video of the National Mall showed sections of the white matting laid down to protect the grass were largely empty.

Temperatures were also more favorable on Friday in Washington, 8 degrees Celsius (45 degrees Fahrenheit), compared with Inauguration Day in 2009, when it was -13 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit).

More people were expected to be on hand when Trump and his entourage travel along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House later Friday afternoon.

Earlier, liberal activists with a separate group called Disrupt J20 intermittently blocked multiple security checkpoints leading to the largest public viewing area for the inauguration.

Several were led away by police.

Disrupt J20 protest organizer Alli McCracken, 28, of Washington, said the group was voicing its displeasure over Trump's controversial comments about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims.

"We have a lot of people of diverse backgrounds who are against U.S. imperialism and we feel Trump will continue that legacy," McCracken said.

Sympathy rallies

Tensions were high on the streets of Washington ahead of the inauguration, with occasional scuffles breaking out. Trump supporters Chris and Karen Korthaus, who carried a life-size cardboard cutout of the former reality TV star, crossed paths with an anti-Trump crowd.

"A protester came over and ripped off the Don's head," Karen Korthaus said as she showed a reporter a video of the incident. "We ran to a pizza shop and taped his head back on."

Carl Beams, 36, from Howell, New Jersey, stood in line with thousands of other Trump supporters waiting to enter the National Mall to view the inauguration.

"This is a great moment in history. I wanted to be able to say I was here firsthand," said Beams, who runs a martial-arts school.

While Washington was the focal point of the anti-Trump protests, there were sympathy rallies around the nation and world.

Activists in London hung a banner reading "Build bridges not walls" on the city's iconic Tower Bridge, a reference to Trump's signature campaign promise of building a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border.

By far the largest protest is expected to be Saturday's Women's March on Washington, which about 200,000 people from around the country are expected to attend.

The U.S. Secret Service, Washington police and other law enforcement agencies had about 28,000 officers in place to secure a roughly three-square-mile area of downtown Washington.
Protesters and supporters of President-elect Donald Trump clashed outside a pro-Trump event in Washington the night before his inauguration.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the National Press Club, which was hosting the DeploraBall, a play on a campaign remark by Hillary Clinton, who once referred to many of Trump's supporters as a basket of deplorables.

Protesters yelled No Trump. No fascist USA! as police tried to keep them away from the buildings doors.

Some protesters threw objects at police. At least one fire was set in the street. Officers deployed chemical spray at the crowd.

Debris was thrown at one man waving a pro-Trump flag and he was chased to the nearby Warner Theater, where Fox News Channels Sean Hannity and Geraldo Rivera happened to be outside waiting to go into another event. Hannity engaged hecklers by raising his fist; Rivera laughed and smiled before entering the theater.

Watch: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Speaks at Protests

In New York City, thousands crowded into Central Park near Trumps office tower Thursday night 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 Mark Ruffalo.

The event 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.

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 said Americans wary of Trump's policies should become more involved. Baldwin briefly did his Saturday Night Live 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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Uganda has detained 101 former M23 rebels trying to return to neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, breaking a deal to demobilize after their defeat in 2013, a government spokesman said 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 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 raised 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.

Initially unconcerned

Uganda was initially dismissive, with a minister telling Reuters this week he didn't know or care whether 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, it's 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 were still unclear.

The M23 was the largest of dozens of armed groups in the DRC and controlled huge swaths of its mining heartland in the east.
The URL has been copied to your clipboard

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says U.S. airstrikes killed several dozen Islamic State fighters late Wednesday in two military camps about 45 kilometers southwest of Sirte, Libya. Carla Babb reports from the Pentagon.
A U.S. airstrike has killed more than 100 al-Qaida fighters at a military training camp in Syria, a U.S. defense official told VOA Friday, in the last major military attack against the terror group under President Barack Obama.

A Boeing B-52 strategic bomber targeted the camp Thursday evening local time. It was located west of Aleppo in Idlib province, the defense official said.

The camp previously had been occupied by the militant group Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formally known as al-Nusra Front, before al-Qaida started using it for basic military training.

This has been a well-known training camp for around two years, the official added. He told VOA that Russia had previously struck the camp but was unsuccessful in removing the terrorists.

All of the militants were in one building at the time of the strike, and no women or children were present at the camp, according to the official.

The strike comes hours after two U.S. B-2 bombers killed more than 80 Islamic State fighters in two militant camps southwest of Sirte, Libya.

Speaking on his last full day in office Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters at the Pentagon 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.
Protesters disrupted President Donald Trump's inauguration Friday, smashing storefronts, burning vehicles, blocking security checkpoints and leaving a trail of damage as supporters celebrated the new president.

Washington police say they arrested at least 217 people during the day.

Hundreds of protesters descended on the city Friday, with varying agendas. Some held signs and protested peacefully, while others clashed with police and threw rocks and bottles. Police responded with tear gas and stun grenades.

At one point, a burning limousine sent clouds of black smoke into the sky just blocks from Trump's inaugural parade.

Earlier, activists wearing masks shattered the windows of a Bank of America branch and a McDonald's store. A group of people set fire to garbage cans near the White House.

One group of 75 black-clad demonstrators were cornered by police in the entrance of an office building as Trump took the oath of office. That led to a standoff before police were able to arrest the protesters.

Watch: Trump Inauguration Protesters Clash With Police

Peter Newsham, interim chief of the Washington Metropolitan Police Department, said many of the demonstrators in this group were armed with crowbars and hammers.

Protesters said they were there to demonstrate against Trump's policies and what they feared could happen during a Trump administration.

"I'm here to protest fascism and the election of Donald Trump, and the rise of right-wing fascism in Western Europe, as well as the U.S.," said a protester, who did want to be identified.

The unidentified D.C. resident told VOA that police had used tear gas, concussion grenades and pepper spray to disperse the protesters, who hid in alleyways and dumpsters. Several loud explosions, followed by smoke, were observed as police moved in to contain the protesters.

WATCH: Protests Turn Violent in D.C.

Elijah Manly, a protester who drove to Washington from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, told VOA "growing white fascism and supremacism in America" motivated his protests.

About an hour earlier, a group of protesters advocating for Native American rights blocked a security checkpoint leading to the National Mall. They used chains and a wall of demonstrators to prevent Trump supporters wearing "Make America Great Again" hats from entering.

Police were able to cut the chains, and they protected inauguration attendees as they were screened.

Police say six officers were injured in Friday's protests.

"Three of those were injuries to the head area as a result of being struck by flying objects. All of these injuries are minor and non-life threatening," Newsham said.

He said those arrested would be held overnight and would make court appearances Saturday on charges of rioting.

As night fell, protesters ignited a large bonfire blocks from the White House. Police say they will continue to monitor security around the night's inaugural celebrations.

VOAs Megan Duzor contributed to this report.

WATCH: Protesters Take to Parade Route
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.
We accept many different kinds of announcements. Just click on the button below and submit a form.

Go to forms
Chief Minister Invited to Give Evidence to Commons BREXIT Select Committee

The Chief Minister, The Hon Fabian Picardo QC MP, has been invited to give evidence to the House of Commons Select Committee on Exiting the European Union.

Mr Picardo will appear before the Committee next Wednesday 25th January. He will be accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Hon Dr Joseph Garcia MP, who is also Minister for Europe and for Exiting the European Union, and Attorney General Michael Llamas QC. The Committee is Chaired by Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP and is made up of 25 Members of Parliament from all political parties at Westminster.

The Chief Minister said: "I am very happy that the Commons Brexit Select Committee has asked to hear from Gibraltar on the issues that matter to us in respect of Exiting the European Union. This is a further and important opportunity to ensure that Gibraltar's concerns are understood and remain in the public consciousness in the United Kingdom and in the minds of UK parliamentarians in particular."
Alec Baldwin was one of the many celebs on hand at the Donald Trump protest put on by Michael Moore Thursday outside the Trump International Hotel. And its a good thing too, because what better way to resist the incoming regime than with a technique certified to unravel the president-elect into a mess of sputtering fury? Shaking things up a bit from the impassioned speeches delivered by the likes of Robert De Niro and Mark Ruffalo, Baldwin brought his patented couched-lips, splayed-fingers Trump impersonation out to play. Like a perfect round of word association, Baldwins Trump touched on the cold, Russia, and his need to urinate (and the ways in which those things may or may not be intertwined) before Baldwin got sincere. Trump and Pence think youre going to lay down  Thats one thing about New Yorkers: You dont lay down, Baldwin said. Now, one might think that Trump is currently a bit too preoccupied with being sworn in as the leader of the free world to respond, but only if one has spent the last several months submerged in a soundproof vat of marshmallow fluff, so let the wait for the tweet storm begin.
Anne Hathaway starts out Colossal as a past-her-prime party girl with a serious lack of direction, but her whole outlook on life gets tossed upside-down when she wakes up one day to realize she is psychically linked to a kaiju ripping its way through South Korea. So much for avoiding responsibility. So goes the plot of the new sci-fi dramedy from director Nacho Vigalondo, which has been receiving strong reviews after debuting at last years Toronto International Film Festival. From the look of the movies new trailer, theres plenty of kooky happenings with the central conceit, and the presence of Jason Sudeikis suggests the film will lean on comedy at points. However, Colossal also reportedly has a lot of darker elements woven throughout. Hathaway and her monstrous psychological counterpart hit theaters on April 7.
PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 19: (L-R) Executive Director of Sundance Institue Keri Putnam, Director of Sundance Film Festival John Cooper and President and Founder of Sundance Institute Robert Redford attend the Day One Press Conference during day 1 of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival at Egyptian Theatre on January 19, 2017 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Sundance Film Festival) Photo: Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images

What do you do when youve been planning a film festival for a year and Donald Trumps inauguration is scheduled right in the middle of it? In some ways, this is nothing new for Sundance Film Festival founder Robert Redford to contend with: Sundance is now in its 33rd year, and since it takes place in late January, it butts up against an inauguration every four years. Still, this may be the first time that the incoming president is so thoroughly against everything the festival stands for, including free speech, diversity of voices, and the importance of the arts.

At todays opening-day press conference, Redford shied away from the idea that the festival would change in response to a Trump presidency. The idea is that presidents come and go, he said. The pendulum swings back and forth. It always has, and it probably always will. So we try to stay away from politics per se, and we stay focused on what are the stories being told by artists. And if politics comes up in the stories that the filmmakers are telling, so be it. The role of Sundance, festival director John Cooper said, would be to stay alert to anything that might threaten their filmmakers abilities to tell those stories. Maybe theyre going to need more support, he said, and were going to give it to them.

Still, its hard to ignore whats about to happen. Journalist after journalist stood up to ask questions about how art survives in times such as these, as Redford tried to calm down the room with the wisdom of his very sprite 80 years. In terms of the feeling that a lot of people are having about being fearful and things are getting dark and the darkness is closing in around them, he said, You want to look to where the light is coming from. He was hopeful that the fearful feeling would at least galvanize the previously complacent and create a movement to protect everything the festival stands for.

Those fears seem more warranted every day. The press conference was taking place in the wake of a report from The Hill raising the possibility that Trumps first proposed budget could entirely eliminate federal funding for the arts, including the National Endowment for the Arts, which received about $146 million a year under the Obama administration. Redford said he turned to the NEA for a $25,000 grant to start the festival back in 1985, and Sundance Institute executive director Keri Putnam warned that cutting that funding would affect more than just filmmakers. Its about free expression and its about what role do the arts play, she said. From what I understand, the total amount of the cuts that are being proposed is about $741 million, which equates to about 0.016 percent of the federal budget, so it feels hard to imagine that being a real budget-cut measure. It feels like more of a statement about the arts. I think its a critical issue for all Americans.

While the Sundance powers that be were adamant that politics did not drive their programming decisions, its hard not to see fallout from the election in the opening-night program, which includes An Inconvenient Sequel, a follow-up to the seminal documentary of Al Gores environmental advocacy that premiered at the festival in 2006. I think what became evident is that I wanted to take the conversation to something much bigger and higher, more global, instead of America, Cooper said at a roundtable following the press conference. I liked the notion of going global and saying theres a problem up here that overrides all this, even overrides our country and all parties.

And in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category, the festival chose to open with a film whose title might feel particularly poignant to many of us right now: I Dont Feel at Home in This World Anymore. By first-time writer-director Macon Blair, the movie isnt political so much as culturally minded, and Putnam highlighted its emphasis on the feeling of alienation. Director of Programming Trevor Groth pointed out that I Dont Feel at Home was one of many films at Sundance that took on new meaning after the election, citing Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milotts Bushwick (a modern civil war rages in Brooklyn after Texas secedes from the Union) and Miguel Artetas Beatriz at Dinner (a Mexican immigrant confronts white billionaires) as prime examples.

Regardless of the programmers intentions, though, we needed more of Redfords wisdom. Hed mentioned that before filming All the Presidents Men, he followed Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, and Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee in the wake of Watergate. Could he tell us how these dark times, as hed called them, compared to what hed experienced with Nixon?

He replied that he actually had to revisit that film not too long ago for a 2013 Discovery documentary, and had initially been resistant. I just felt like that time has gone by and things have gone downhill since then, but Id rather not revisit it; theres nothing new to be said. Then, while watching archival footage of the Senate grilling former White House Counsel John Dean in the Watergate Hearings, he had a realization that made me sad, about something being lost having to do with our country.

Continued Redford: What I saw was the panel was made up precisely of both sides, both Democrats and Republicans, all acting as one, trying to get to the truth, and that hit me like a ton of bricks when I revisited. I said, Oh, so there was a time. And maybe theres a new title that should come out that says, There Was a Time. There was a time when the two sides did work together. Thats what makes you depressed about today.
For the nihilists, The Leftovers. Photo: HBO

There will be lots of inaugural festivities on TV this weekend, some of which have already begun. Even if youd rather stick needles in your eyes, I strongly suggest actually watching the main inaugural ceremony. Many people will also be spending this weekend marching in protest, volunteering in their communities, or finding other positive things to do. When you do finally get home and collapse on your sofa, though, here are some suggestions for what to watch.

For the optimists: Veep, streaming on HBO Go and Amazon Prime.

Wait, youre thinking. Isnt Veep a show about incompetent know-nothings who run the government based solely on their own self-interests? Isnt it basically a short step away from disaster at every moment? How is that for optimists?! I see what youre saying. But at this point, the wit, invention, and sense of reality the Veeps cast of clowns bring to their society of mutual contempt feels enviable, frankly. Plus, while Veep is a show about politics, its almost never a show about policy, which makes for a refreshing change.

For the realists: The Americans, streaming on Amazon Prime.

Gear up for our future of Russian-influenced American policy and the nagging sense that someone named Mischa is actually controlling things from behind the scenes by settling in with The Americans. Not only will it give you conflicted feelings about the USSR in a way that could be helpful in the years to come, The Americans will also strike a familiar chord: It features an FBI agent who perpetually fails to recognize the Russian spies who are literally his neighbors.

For the catastrophists: Battlestar Galactica, streaming on Hulu.

The worlds have been annihilated through nuclear apocalypse! Humanity teeters on the brink of extinction! A religious fundamentalist has taken control of the government, if she can even wrest enough power from the military industrial complex! There are also secret robots lurking among the remaining human population, who will eventually reveal their identities in a further attempt to destroy all humankind, so thats fun.

For the escapists: Pick your poison! All of PBSs new Victoria series is available if you have PBS Passport access, so you could dive headfirst into the middle of the 19th century and never look back. You could also kick back with just one ultimately not-that-powerful tyrant and binge Netflixs new A Series of Unfortunate Events adaptation. Or, escape humanity altogether and settle in with Planet Earth, streaming on Netflix, in anticipation of the second series finally hitting American markets in February.

For the nihilists: The Leftovers, streaming on HBO Go. Oh sure, things may look bad now, but its bad in a way thats galvanized a lot of people into action and self-consideration. For a truly dark vision of what things could be like, consider The Leftovers, where the search for meaning is fruitless and even hope for the future feels laughably futile. The strivers and hopefuls on The Leftovers come off as misguided, the cold-eyed cult of silent terrorists is growing, and the most reasonable people are the ones whore doing the best they can to just get through the rest of their lives. Its also a gorgeous, elegiac, wonderfully produced show, so you can glory in its beauties while settling in to await the heat death of the universe.

For the nostalgists: You could go with The West Wing here, of course. Its streaming on Netflix, and some of its plots will look remarkably familiar, most recently the episodes about moving the press corps out of the White House and defunding the NEA. I think Parks and Recreation, streaming on Hulu and Netflix, is an even better choice. Sorkins version of political life is ultimately idealistic, but has enough moments of cringeworthy pedantry that it could make you flinch. Parks and Recreation, which is powerfully rooted in the sense that good work is hard, and that public service is thankless but ultimately worthwhile, might hit you a little better this weekend.

For people who want to fuel the rage: If, somehow, simply turning on the news or opening a Twitter feed isnt enough, check out the Netflix original documentary 13th, on the prison industry and the persistent criminalization of African-Americans. PBSs Frontline also offers a series on the Divided States of America. Or, revisit some of the most potent Golden Age fictional outrage TV  The Wire, which is streaming on Amazon Prime. That shows portrayal of the inevitable failure of our social structures will not be fun to watch, but it also depicts the faint light of hopefulness in individual action.

For people who need a reminder that humanity is fundamentally good: Jane the Virgin, streaming on Netflix. It is not apolitical, nor does it ignore the reality of life as an immigrant, a woman, a single mother, a Latina, or a middle-class citizen (or the life of a wealthy, successful telenovela star whose face appears on bus ads). Jane the Virgin is not a show to shy away from social issues. But it is a persuasively humanist show, one that depicts people as well-intentioned and capable of finding joy even in spite of extremely difficult (and often surreally absurd) circumstances. Its an optimistic perspective of the world that currently feels farther from real life than you might like. Its argument is sound, though. Horrible things can happen, up to and including discovering that your mother is a drug lord, being impregnated without your consent, being kidnapped by an evil fan, being shot on your wedding night, and being paralyzed for weeks by your twin sister. You can recover, you can acknowledge that trauma in your life, and you can gather your strength and work to make things better again. It may not feel like the truest reflection of the world right now, but Jane the Virgin is always a good choice.
Woody Harrelson, Live in London.

On Thursday night, when I made my way to a Times Square theater to see Woody Harrelsons livestreamed movie Lost in London, I felt myself hoping that something would go wrong. Maybe Woody would flub a few lines somewhere in the nearly two-hour set piece, which was being filmed live in a single take. Maybe a camera operator would trip, compromising the single camera that was transmitting Harrelsons misadventures to theaters across America. Maybe one of the cars, used in the films smattering of chase scenes, would make a wrong turn and the project would grind to a halt, actually lost in London. Shouldnt you want every live event to fail in at least one small, but obvious, way? It certainly makes for a better story.

So I regret to report that Woody Harrelsons two-hour screwball adventure through the streets of London went pretty well. There were a few flubbed lines, minutes on end when the sound wasnt right, and one or two scenes where the actors timing was off. But for the most part, Lost in London was pretty much what you would expect from any Woody Harrelson joint: shaggily competent, self-effacing, and as earnest as a stoners musing at 4 a.m., which was about the time in London when the livestream ended.

As the text on the screen at the beginning of Lost in London informs the audience, too much of this is true. The film is based on a bad night Harrelson had in 2002, during which he was arrested for trashing a taxi cab. The night begins as Harrelson, playing himself, leaves a performance of a poorly attended West End play, grousing about how hes tired of performing dramas. He gets in a fight with his wife, Laura (Eleanor Matsuura). He heads off to a club where he runs into Owen Wilson (yes, the actual Owen Wilson). As you might expect, the night quickly starts to unravel, as Woody tries to make it home to his kids in time to take them to the Harry Potter set, encountering a furious cab driver, an earnest Irish cop, and Willie Nelson, playing himself and plucking a guitar.

As a technical achievement, Lost in London is pretty astounding. The action moves between 14 real-life locations, requiring the hundreds of people in the cast and crew to hit their marks seamlessly while the footage streamed into hundreds of theaters across the world. Single-take films, such as Victoria, have been shot before, but Lost in London had to get everything right live. It was less a movie than a stage show, or perhaps most like a live-TV spectacle  Grease: Live minus the songs, plus the challenge of navigating an actual metropolis. Often, you could hear drivers honking in frustration in background, which at first gave the film a charming verisimilitude, and then just became annoying  especially in the final scene on the Waterloo Bridge, where the actors voices had to compete with wind and traffic.

In a Q&A, also live, that streamed into the theater after the film, Harrelson said that he came up with the idea for the film after reflecting on his own terrible night in London. They say that tragedy plus time equals comedy, he said, clearly worn out and needing some prompting to remember that equation. Even though it was a night I really did not enjoy, I thought, This could be funny. Lost in London, on its face, is simply a good yarn. But that would ignore the fact that Woody Harrelson, a well-known celebrity, is the guy telling the story, and that it largely ends up being a story about celebrity  the ways it makes life easy or hard, or mostly just surreal. Woody tries to get into a club by singing the Cheers them, which the bouncer does not recognize. When trying to win over a cop, Woody stages a phone call to Bono (Bonos voice was prerecorded). While bickering with Owen Wilson, he insults Marley and Me and, to Wilsons great consternation, Wes Anderson. Woody always has the money and fame to get out of trouble, but that also makes it easier for him to get into it.

Amid the stunts and the car chases, Lost in London meditates on the peculiar Tao of Woody, a guy famous mainly because he seems so ordinary, and because of that, is not ordinary at all. Before the livestream began, the theater rolled clips of Woodys famous friends telling him just how terrible his idea for a livestreamed movie was. The joke: Of course hes going to actually try to make his stoner yarn into an actual thing, and of course hes going to have the talent and means to do it well. Or simply: What kind of monster would try to stop Woody Harrelson?
BlueSky Helicopter Tours will take to the skies above downtown Waco on Wednesday, giving tourists and others rides starting at $89 that will originate from Heritage Square, 311 Austin Ave., near the Waco Convention Center and the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce headquarters.

These flights from Heritage Square will supplement tours BlueSky already offers from the Texas State Technical College airport.

BlueSky has finalized a lease agreement with the city of Waco for use of the site on Austin Avenue and hopes to cultivate business from among the thousands of tourists visiting downtown on a weekly basis, many of them bound for Magnolia Market at the Silos.

Being centrally located in the heart of downtown at Heritage Square, we expect brisk business starting almost immediately, adding new excitement to a city already receiving worldwide notoriety due to the Fixer Upper experience, said Adam Aldous, president of Night Flight Concepts, a company associated with BlueSky Helicopter Tours.

BlueSky customer relations manager Vonda Larsen-Iacovetta said flights from downtown will start at 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday and end about 5 p.m. once the operation is up and running. She said the helicopter will accommodate three passengers, and takeoffs are scheduled at 15-minute intervals, if demand dictates.

Were not yet sure how many flights well be taking daily. Were just eager to get started and begin tracking, Larsen-Iacovetta said.

The basic 7-to-10-minute tour will fly around Baylor Universitys McLane Stadium, Cameron Park and historic bridges along the Brazos River.

A retail store offering souvenirs will operate near the boarding area, where tourists also can reserve longer trips out of TSTCs airport.

The 20-or-30-minute tours that start at TSTC carry people above downtown Waco, along the Lake Brazos corridor and can extend to Lake Waco. Those wanting to make the trip at sunset or at night, when they will wear night-vision goggles, will pay $249 or $299, respectively, according to a price breakdown on the company website.

I think this is going to be fabulous, said Susan Morton, a tourism manager for the Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau. I think I can safely say the majority of people coming to visit Waco are doing so for Magnolia, though not just for Magnolia by any means. I think this is going to pique their interest.

Aerial photos of Waco are just beautiful, so how great would it be to take your own? Morton said. What an amazing way to start or end your visit to Waco.

She said company promotional material mentions flights over historical sites in Waco, while others take visitors over Lake Waco and Lake Brazos.

The one that intrigues me is the night flight with the goggles, Morton said. Im also told that BlueSky will offer customized tours.

Waco City Council approved a six-month special permit in December, allowing Aldous firm to lease 2.8 acres on Austin Avenue for use as a helipad. The firm will pay $1,000 per month to use the parking lot next to Heritage Square and will vacate it when the city needs the space for convention center events or festivals.

Council members approved the permit unanimously but directed the city staff to work with Aldous to ensure the building it erects is appropriate for downtown.

Councilman Jim Holmes said he has heard some concerns about noise from the helicopter, but he said the permits short time span will give the operator a chance to prove its not a nuisance. He said he thinks the helicopter tours could encourage visitors to make Waco more than a quick stop.

Larsen-Iacovetta said any sound is noticeable at takeoff and landing but diminishes quickly when the helicopter gains elevation.

Jody Funnell, who manages the Courtyard by Marriott at 101 Washington Ave., said he applauds the arrival of BlueSky and doubts the chopper sound would disturb guests.

For a time I managed a hotel near the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, and we were aware of the CareFlite helicopters, but they did not seem to bother anyone, Funnell said.

Aldous, an Iraq War veteran, will be among the helicopter pilots leading the tours in a new four-seater Robinson R44. He and his partners opened a Night Flight Concepts office in Waco in 2015, and the company is in the process of moving its headquarters from Bedford to Waco, Larsen-Iacovetta said.

The firm gave demonstrations rides to members of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce and the Waco City Council in October.
The Waco Independent School District board of trustees recently started the search for a new superintendent, and about 40 people have already started the application process, said Marian Strauss, a Texas Association of School Boards official.

Before any of those applications can be valid, the board must approve a profile of characteristics the Texas Association of School Boards is compiling. The district hired the association to assist with the superintendent search.

The board is expected to vote on the profile next week, and a finalist is expected to be officially hired by April 22, Strauss said. Superintendent Bonny Cain announced her retirement in November, after serving the district for six years.

This week, through 11 public meetings, an online survey and employee input sessions, association officials asked what qualities the public thinks Waco ISDs new superintendent should have. But the public meetings, spread across six campuses, the districts administration building, a local church and the Region 12 Education Service Center, had little attendance, Strauss said Thursday afternoon at one of the meetings. Strauss is a senior consultant for the Texas Association of School Boards executive search services and part of the team hired to help with the search.

I had, like, seven at the public session over at Tennyson (Middle School), and thats probably more than weve had, Strauss said. Faculty and staff, weve had better turnout, but at public sessions, there just hasnt been that much.

She said the low turnout is just a sign of the times, and the association typically has more than four times as many responses for the online survey. Strauss did not know how many people had taken the survey Thursday afternoon but said the board of trustees would know that by next week.

Everyone has an opportunity to participate, and thats the important thing, Strauss said. We gave you the opportunity.

The last of the 11 sessions saw an improved turnout, with 16 people in attendance, Waco ISD spokesperson Bruce Gietzen said Thursday night.

At each session, association officials asked residents and employees to identify what the district does well, the top issues the district faces and what leadership qualities theyd like to see in their new superintendent.

Jocelyn Pierce, a retired Waco ISD educator and president of the local Gamma Upsilon Chapter for the national sorority Phi Delta Kappa for teachers, was the only attendee at the first public meeting Tuesday held at J.H. Hines Elementary School. Her connection to the district and her sororitys focus on education brought her out to the meeting, she said.

I expected more people to come out and show some interest in whats about to take place, because this is a major undertaking, Pierce said. And the state of things as far as education goes, its very important to have input.

Pierce said she hopes the new superintendent will build on some of the elements already working well in the district and take the district to another level of success, she said.

Make a difference

Just someone who can come in and make a difference, Pierce said. I was an administrator at (G.L.) Wiley (Middle School). I was there for two years, and thats one of the schools they closed. I saw such gains being made there, so I know its not impossible to get students to be successful. With the right combination and the right staff, I know its possible.

Yolanda Anzures, a kindergarten teacher at Cedar Ridge Elementary School, was one of about four people who attended the session Tuesday night at University High School. Anzures had similar concerns as Pierce but said she hopes to have a superintendent who is approachable and willing to handle curriculum in a consistent manner.

I think we were all in agreement with someone open-minded, an open-minded person, Anzures said. Not, this is the way I did it in wherever, and this is the way were going to do it here. Its kind of like, if it isnt broke, dont fix it. This is happening and working well in this district. It wouldnt be fair to come in and throw everything out the window because theyre going to do it this way now.

After a Feb. 20 application deadline, the school board will start narrowing down applications March 1, Strauss said. The trustees will then conduct their first round of interviews the week of March 14 and narrow the candidates down to the top three or so by the week of March 28, Strauss said. Trustees should then name a finalist by April 5 and put the decision up for a final vote after the required 21-day waiting period, she said.

Trustees also have signed confidentiality agreements with the association, promising not to reveal details about applicants before naming a finalist, she said.

We are (on schedule) and we hope it stays that way, Strauss said.
A McGregor man who sexually abused a young girl for the first time while his wife was in the hospital after giving birth to their son was sentenced to 99 years in prison Friday.

Jurors in 19th State District court deliberated about an hour before returning punishment for Ruben Nunez Hernandez. Earlier Friday, the jury convicted Hernandez of continuous sexual abuse of a child and indecency with a child by contact.

The jury also recommended that Judge Ralph Strother also sentence Hernandez to 20 years in prison and fine him $10,000 on the indecency charge.

Those convicted of continuous sexual abuse of a child are not eligible for parole. That means unless Hernandezs conviction is overturned on appeal, the 28-year-old roofer will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Hernandez was convicted of sexually abusing a family member on multiple occasions from September 2013, when the girl was 9, to September 2015.

Hernandez denied the allegations and said he was the victim of a vengeful estranged wife who was mad because of his repeated infidelities. He said she set him up by planting evidence and making the girl lie about the sexual assaults.

The girl testified that the abuse began on the day that Hernandezs wife was in the hospital after having a baby. She said she frequently locked the door to her room and blocked it with a dresser but Hernandez always found a way to get in.

Prosecutors Christi Hunting Horse and Liz Buice presented DNA evidence linked to Hernandez that was found on a sheet from the girls twin bed. He told jurors his wife planted the evidence there after one of their lovemaking sessions.

Hernandez alleged that McGregor officers searched the home illegally because he did not give his consent. The officer said Hernandez consented to the search, which is when the sheet was found with Hernandezs semen on it.

In summations, Hunting Horse and Buice told jurors that a life sentence is the only appropriate punishment because Hernandez is a pedophile and a substantial risk to offend again.

This man is a predator ...  Buice said. This man does not look at children as children. He looks at children as sex toys.

Hernandezs attorney, John Donahue, told the jury there is no way to predict that Hernandez will pose a future danger to children and said people can change.
For the second week in a row, about 24 bikers indicted in the May 2015 Twin Peaks shootout were in court Thursday, with 16 submitting DNA samples as part of the ongoing investigation.

The bikers in court Thursday were members of the Bandidos or one of the Bandidos support groups. Last week, about 20 Cossacks or members of their support groups were required to appear in Wacos 54th State District Court as trial dates grow closer for several bikers.

A Waco Police Department crime scene technician took DNA swabs from inside 16 of the bikers mouths based on search warrants issued by 74th State District Judge Gary Coley Jr. Court officials said other bikers in the group already had submitted swabs voluntarily.

After the brief court appearance, the bikers and attorneys were told to return to court March 23 for another appearance on the courts announcement docket.

Security was tight at the courthouse, with extra officers posted on the inside and outside of the building.

Prosecutors are still providing evidence to defense attorneys as the materials are analyzed and become available. Of the 192 bikers arrested since the May 2015 shootout, 155 have been indicted on identical engaging in organized criminal activity charges, first-degree felonies.

The first trial is set for April 17 in Wacos 19th State District Court. The first biker to stand trial likely will be Christopher Jacob Carrizal; his father, Christopher Julian Carrizal; or Jerry Pierson, all Bandidos from Dallas.

Seven more bikers have tentative trial dates from June through December.
Hey, buttercup

Like many people, Im sorry for the way this country is behaving. This election showed us many things, not the least of which is how the American people feel. I see all this protesting of our president-elect that Democrats are supporting and it makes me laugh as sad as it may be. I guess that When they go low we go high was just talk.

People should learn the news media do not elect the president. Neither do the pollsters. Neither does social media. I would like to think we could all get behind our new president. Things will be OK, as it always has been. Remember: Attacks by the media have contributed very little, nor did the polls.

I dont get the strife you Democrats are going through that would make you fall down crying, going into therapy, protesting, etc. I lost when Bill Clinton became president (twice) and Barack Obama became president (twice). I learned to live with it because I voted and thats simply how it turned out. Donald Trump may be unruly at times, but he has a lot more class than most of the whiners out there who just cant live with it.

Sorry for your loss, but do what I did and it will get better  just live with it since no matter how hard you protest, it wont change a thing. Since its obvious most of you dont understand the Electoral College, read what its about and why its there. I cant do anything about our education system that has college kids acting like 2-year-olds because they didnt get their way. Maybe their professors are idiots and so far out of touch they didnt get it either.

Suck it up, buttercup. Put on your big-girl panties and lets make America great again!

Lloyd Coffman, Hewitt

Hail the hackers!

Who cares who hacked Democratic National Committee emails, whether Russians, Chinese, the Mafia, British intelligence or American hackers? What gets my attention is that no Democrat has said any of the emails are false.

But for Edward Snowden, who many want to prosecute, we would not know that the National Security Agency was hacking all Americans phone calls  not just the suspected terrorists!

Jim Cantrell, Axtell

Hook, line, sinker

I love country folks, but at times I am truly dismayed at their ignorance and naivete. Many red states are sparsely inhabited farming communities. Yet, because of a set of circumstances, these states made the difference in Donald Trumps winning the election. Too many of them listened to Trumps rhetoric and lies and half-truths and fell for it. His staff bailed him out time and again, explaining to us what he really meant (except that it didnt work on me). Fiction became Trumps facts.

Those folks who got Trump into the White House are now buying underwear that supposedly doesnt sweat or stink. Why? Because the ad told them so.

God help us!

Gunter Bogaush, Eddy
Like any other century-old organization, the Coles County Farm Bureau has rolled with the changes. The bureau still remains committed to its primary mission of helping farmers.

The motto of the organization, which was created in 1916, according to Mary Cox, current manager of the bureau, "is to improve the economic well being of agriculture and enrich the quality of farm family life."

In the early years, the bureau was designed to help educate farmers on how to make their livelihoods as efficient as possible. The organization had crop advisers that would go out to the farms and share information on the best farming practices, according to Cox.

Throughout the years, educational programs focusing on "how to farm" weren't needed as much as farmers passed on best practice techniques to their children and grandchildren, thus forcing a shift in the role of the farm bureau.

Today the farm bureau is engaged in sharing information on what changes are coming. Fewer people are going into farming and members of the next generation of farmers are going into other avenues of agribusiness, she said.

Charleston farmer Jack Sweeney first became a member of the group in 1978. He can remember his grandfather John R. Sweeney's commitment to the organization. John Sweeney served as the president of the group from 1940 to 1953. Cox said the longest serving president of the group is Alan Metzger, who served from 1994-2009. The current president is Vallori Degler, who is in her second year.

Jack Sweeney has seen a lot of changes for this evolving group. He said probably the most viable program implemented are those who lobby for agricultural issues at both the state and federal levels.

"We have probably the best 'lobbying' groups at state and federal levels for agriculture," Jack Sweeney said. As a group, if area farmers have an issue, they have attorneys easily accessible through the Illinois Farm Bureau, located in Bloomington. He said at the federal level the Governmental Affairs and Commodities group is also a valuable advocate for the farmer.

He said it's "ongoing and probably one of the better things to help the farmers."

Another valuable product of the organization in recent years is the Adopt a Legislator program. This program was started at the state level and the county has supported it, Cox said.

She said Coles County Farm Bureau has adopted Will Davis. The program matches an urban legislator with downstate farm bureaus. "It's a good learning experience for both sides," she said.

Both parties visit the other's hometown, allowing them a firsthand experience with issues both sides are facing.

"We see what issues he has and then he has come down here and climbed on a tractor," she said.

She said two years ago he brought his family. "It took it to another level," she said. His kids loved seeing farm animals and were also allowed to climb up into a tractor, she said.

Many years ago, Sweeney said, the farm bureau was also instrumental in creating electrical cooperatives to allow for the provision of electricity beyond city limits. He said such an example is Coles-Moultrie Electric Cooperative.

In addition, there was a time, Cox said, when farmers had a hard time getting insurance benefits. The bureau played a role in advocating for the farmer with insurance companies at a time when the occupation was seen as risky, she said.

The farm bureau has been celebrating its 100th birthday for the past year. The group kicked off the celebration at the Farm Show last spring at the mall in Mattoon.

"We turned the storefront into an ag museum," said Cox.

She said it displayed how farming was 100 years ago. The display focused on the importance of the role of the mercantile for farmers to sell and purchase goods for the household and the farm.

The display also had a living room set up from 100 years ago featuring knitting and a copy of the Saturday Evening Post, which was probably read by lamp light. She said there were not any televisions and certainly not mobile phones.

Also included was a one-room schoolhouse to show how education has changed and to explain the history with education and agriculture, she said.
An acknowledged expert on rhinoceros  he describes them as ancient, charismatic beasts under great threat  he is involved with day to day care of the huge animals at Dubbo and part of an international effort to save the rare Sumatran rhino from extinction.

These days, as senior veterinarian at Taronga Western Plains Zoo, many of his patients are much larger.

Years ago, as a young vet working in mixed practice first in Australia and then Britain, Dr Benn Bryant routinely encountered the small animals that people keep as pets.

On call to assist the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary manage medical problems and reproduction, he regularly visits Indonesia and has travelled to Africa to work on projects with rhinos and other large animals.

Bryant says zoo vets need broad expertise to deal with the variety of animals under their care.

"Day to day work throws up all sorts of interesting challenges and we often have to be quite resourceful in addressing them. We are the ultimate generalists, able to manage health issues in amphibians, insects, marine and terrestrial mammals, reptiles  all the different sorts of animals." Zoos have undergone "a seismic shift from the time when their focus was on maintaining exotic animals as a spectacle". Now they have an important agenda of educating the public and promoting the conservation of species, he says.

Bryant grew up in Sydney in a pet loving family with farming friends. He studied at the University of Sydney and describes veterinary science courses as "a fabulous ticket to a wide range of career options" that can include clinical practice, caring for pets and production animals; working with wildlife; and animal management, disease investigation, policy, research and academic roles.

During his studies he undertook a placement at Sydney's Taronga Zoo and working with injured wildlife formed part of his early clinical practice in Australia and his four years based in rural parts of Britain. "I came back feeling I'd consolidated my skills and having decided I would secure a place in zoo work."
As it happened: CBD horror, four dead, 31 hospitalised as car knocks down pedestrians

Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss

Our network

Open Navigation Menu WAtoday Subscribe
CHARLESTON -- The use of farm land for radishes and flowers for bees as well as for growing corn and soybeans are "hot topic items" in agriculture and conservation.

That's according to Andy Brantner, district conservationist with the area office of the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Farmers are discovering the benefits of planting off-season "cover crops" such as radishes and others because of benefits that include improved soil nutrients, weed suppression and erosion control, Brantner said.

They're also learning that land for flowering plants that draw and provide food for bees helps with the pollinators' population and habitat for other wildlife, he said.

The NRCS can work with farmers on applying to take part in programs for financial help with cover crops, Brantner explained.

There's also technical assistance available on how to use the cover crops along with cash crops in a farmer's operation, he added. The financial incentives aren't guaranteed, so that's where the help from the NRCS comes, he explained.

"We're trying to be proactive," Brantner said. "That's why we're here."

There's also another benefit to cover crops, which are usually planted just after the corn and soybean harvest, Brantner also said. They can make use of nitrogen and other nutrients leftover from the corn or beans so farmers get more return from the expense of applying the chemicals, he said.

"I don't foresee cover crops on every acre of Illinois farmland, but I would suspect every farmer would have a couple of areas or fields that could lend itself to a winter cover," Brantner said.

There's also been an increase in farmers participating in pollinator habitat programs, and there are incentive programs through the federal Farm Service Agency, Brantner said. The NRCS helps with technical information for different habitat practices, he said.

Brantner said his advice is for a farmer to start with a small field area, as it takes some time for the stand of flowers and plants to mature and develop.

"It just takes some management to get a good stand out there," he said.

For either cash crop or pollinator habitats, Brantner said he urges farmers interested in taking part in incentive programs to contact their local U.S. Department of Agriculture offices.
The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the International Institute for Research Against Counterfeit Medicines (IRACM) today announced the results of their fourth common initiative in the fight against fake medicines on the African continent. This is a new record seizure of 113 million* illicit and potentially dangerous pharmaceutical products, which took place in the context of Operation ACIM (Action against Counterfeit and Illicit Medicines) in September 2016. The number of seizures made in joint IRACM-WCO operations has now reached dramatic proportions, with almost 900 million counterfeit and illicit medicines seized at the borders of the continent.

Essential treatments make up for the bulk of fake pharmaceutical products

Data from the joint operations between the WCO and the IRACM show that the situation is worrying as regards to illicit goods in Africa. To tackle this issue, IRACM and WCO elected to continue their partnership and unite their forces by organizing a fourth field operation.

Operation ACIM mobilised 16 African customs administrations* over a ten-day period, from 5 to 14 September 2016, to inspect simultaneously, in the main ports on the continent, cargoes identified as likely to contain illicit or counterfeit pharmaceutical products posing a dangerous threat to local populations.

Some 113 million** illicit and potentially dangerous medicines were seized, with a total estimated value of 52 million. The biggest interceptions were in Nigeria, Benin, Kenya and Togo. Among the medicines uncovered by the African customs officials, most were essential treatments: antimalarial drugs, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, and analgesics, as well as gastro-intestinal medicines. Even if most of the seizures were of everyday medicines, anti-cancer drugs, with over 2 million doses discovered, are also included in this tragic record.

Of the 243 maritime containers inspected, 150 contained illicit or counterfeit products. The need for greater scrutiny of this type of fraud is no longer to be demonstrated and I hope that this operation and the mobilization it has triggered on the side of Customs administrations, other agencies involved in the control of these products and among rights holders will have a lasting effect, said Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the WCO.

In 4 operations, nearly 900 million pharmaceutical products seized  an alarming figure!

Since 2012, the four large-scale operations led in the major African sea ports (ViceGrips 2, Biyela 1, Biyela 2 and ACIM) have led to the interception of nearly 869 million counterfeit or illicit medicines, of an estimated value of 400 million. All these potentially dangerous medicines have been withdrawn from the market instead of being sold to the African populations.

As with any illicit activity, it is particularly difficult to give an accurate estimation of the scale of the fake medicine trade. However, through the results of the four operations led by the WCO and IRACM, it is possible to imagine the actual scale of this traffic on the continent.

This type of customs action is vital. Customs are the first rampart against the invasion of illicit medicines, but the battle must also be fought elsewhere, particularly at political, judicial and legislative levels. The clock is ticking, both for dangerous medicines entering the country and, especially, for the victims of these medicines. We face unscrupulous traffickers who know that at the moment they are very difficult to trace. This is why IRACM is working actively to train field agents and introduce specific model laws aimed at increasing the fight against fake medicine trafficking, explained Bernard Leroy, Director of IRACM.

---------------------------------------

MEDIA CONTACTS

IRACM Corinne Hoff  +33 1 69 74 58 11  corinne.hoff[@]iracm.com

WCO Communication department  +32 2 209 94 41/92 35  communication[@]wcoomd.org
Recognizing the importance of the entry into force of the new version of the Harmonized System (HS) Nomenclature, the WCO successfully led a five-day seminar on implementing the amendments in the 2017 version of the Harmonized System (HS 2017) and on the harmonized Technical Guidelines on Advance Rulings for Classification, Origin and Valuation. This seminar was held at the Amman Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Jordan, from 11 to 15 December 2016.

Eighteen participants, representing six MENA region Customs administrations, took part in this event. The seminar was organized with the support of the United Kingdom under the HMRC-WCO-UNCTAD Capacity Building Programme.

The experts provided an overview of the Harmonized System as a multi-purpose tool, a brief background to the previous versions of the HS, and a detailed presentation on the 2017 amendments. The participants were also given an introduction to the harmonized Technical Guidelines on Advance Rulings for Classification, Origin and Valuation. Over the course of this five-day event, a number of participants presented case studies and shared their administrations experience on the issues addressed, which also enhanced understanding of the topics covered.

The WCO welcomes its continued co-operation with the MENA region.
CHICAGO -- Janet Noe of Woodford County, Bryan Roosevelt of Edwards County, and the Glenn and Todd Wright families of Bureau County last month were presented the 2016 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC) Volunteer of the Year award. The award was presented during the Illinois Farm Bureaus annual meeting in Chicago.

Noe, an active member of the Woodford County Womens Committee and Agriculture in the Classroom Committee, spends her time volunteering with the countys Agriculture in the Classroom program to reach 170 third- and fourth-graders annually. She also is an Adopt-A-Classroom volunteer, serving as a pen pal with a Chicago-area classroom.

Well-known for her innovative Happy Meal lesson where she shows students how every part of their lunch comes from agriculture, Noe weaves lessons in math, science and geography into her teaching. Additionally, Noe is the driving force with the Woodford County Drivers Education Safety program, showing new drivers just how big farm equipment is, and how important it is to share the road in rural areas.

Roosevelt, a former Edwards County Farm Bureau president, was instrumental in starting the Agriculture in the Classroom program in Edwards County. Roosevelt serves as a third-grade classroom presenter, allowing FFA students to shadow and work with him; presenter and farm host during Summer Ag Institutes for area teachers; presenter at the Consumer Agriculture Institute; and presenter for Family and Consumer Science classes.

Roosevelt also serves as a key participant in the Adopt-A-Classroom program with two Chicago-area teachers and the Edwards County Adopt-A-Legislator program. He is most passionate about working to provide students with an understanding of animal agriculture.

The Glenn and Todd Wright families have hosted 130 second- and third-graders from the Princeton school district annually for the last 10 years. With every family member involved in both agriculture and agriculture advocacy efforts, they help teach grade-schoolers more about agriculture and farming in Illinois.

They also are involved with the Bureau County Ag Fair, helping to educate more than 400 students a year, as well as Conservation Days, which reaches 250 students annually. The Wrights also serve as classroom presenters for local Agriculture in the Classroom efforts; assist with Princeton FFA Alumni and FFA chapter activities; and are involved in other agriculture and conservation efforts in the county.

The Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Volunteer of the Year award recognizes county volunteers who have done an outstanding job with Agriculture in the Classroom and agriculture literacy efforts. Since 1983, 85 individuals have been recognized for contributions to agriculture literacy.
CHICAGO -- Delegates to the 102nd IAA Annual Meeting in Chicago last month received the final report from the Future of the Organization planning team. The report, which was commissioned by the delegates at the 2014 IAA Annual Meeting, outlines recommendations to help ensure Illinois Farm Bureaus (IFB) viability in the future.

With our centennial anniversary rapidly approaching in 2016, delegates to the 2014 IAA Annual Meeting asked that we look for ways to secure IFBs success and relevance in the future, David Erickson, IFB vice president and Future of the Organization committee chair, said in a press release. IFB formed a planning team and put together listening sessions to find out what our current members and staff felt were important issues to be addressed as we move into our next 100 years.

The listening sessions included focus groups and individual interviews with county Farm Bureau managers and presidents; IFB Young Leader committee members; IFB staff; members attending district meetings; female IFB members; collegiate Farm Bureau members; new county Farm Bureau managers; FFA advisors; mid-aged "M" members; unengaged members; young farmers and agriculture professionals; Illinois landowners; and Associate members.

Additionally, a series of discussion questions was provided to all 95 county Farm Bureaus for discussion during the board meetings in June, July and August of 2015.

From the data collected during the focus groups, and during our own planning team meetings, we were able to get a better handle on the needs and desires of our current and prospective members from all different backgrounds, Erickson said. Those insights helped to mold the recommendations we passed on to the county Farm Bureaus and IFB.

Recommendations include the following:

Adopting best governance practices, including the possibility of term limits for county Farm Bureau board members, reducing the size of county Farm Bureau boards, and shortening board meetings;

Adopting new technologies -- including conference calls, webinars, social media and file sharing services -- to more efficiently utilize members time;

Adding membership benefits which appeal to members and potential members under 35 years old;

Adding a professional membership for individuals who may not farm or own farmland, but who work in an agriculture related field impacted by farm profitability; and

Encouraging leadership development.

In total, the report delivered 25 recommendations and their expected benefits to county Farm Bureaus. While the report offers many new ideas and strategies for streamlining operations and improving member engagement, they are merely suggestions to be implemented at each countys discretion.

Some of the recommendations may fit better in one county than others, Erickson said. Essentially, this report serves as a menu of ideas that might work for county Farm Bureaus. What were asking our members to do now is fully review those ideas and give them a chance to be discussed and applied.

For more information about the Future of the Organization project, or to view the complete final report, visit /resources/future-of-the-organization-project.aspx.

The Illinois Farm Bureau is a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, a national organization of farmers and ranchers. Founded in 1916, IFB is a non-profit membership organization directed by farmers who join through their county Farm Bureau. IFB has a total membership of more than 400,000 and a voting membership of more than 82,000. IFB represents three out of four Illinois farmers.
CHARLESTON -- Those at Eastern Illinois University will be exploring the relationship between persuasion, politics and truth, like Plato, an Athenian philosopher, today.

In line with Inauguration Day, students, faculty and community members will discuss Platos "Gorgias," where he considers the question of "What is good public speaking to politics?" from noon to 1 p.m. today on the first floor of the Pine Honors College, located on the south end of Pemberton Hall, according to a press release.

The release states that this will be the first in a series of Big Questions, Great Books seminars at the university.

Richard England, honors college dean and professor of philosophy, will outline the main themes of the text and then lead a discussion. The event is free and open to the public.

The book series will continue through the semester, with discussions of other texts by Frederick Douglass, Cardinal Newman, Mary Wollstonecraft and Charles Darwin, the release continued.
Two of the three teens hospitalized after they were struck at a bus stop in Otsego remain in critical condition.

And the man driving the pickup truck that struck the 15-year-old students from Rogers High School is expected to face criminal charges Friday.

A Hennepin County Medical Center spokeswoman says Greta Jenson and Beckett Olson are in critical condition and Ian Orina is in serious condition.

The Wright County Sheriff's Office says a bus was picking up the students and had its stop arm extended Thursday morning. And, when the students walked toward the bus they were struck by the pickup.

A 22-year-old Lexington man driving the pickup was arrested. He's expected in court Friday afternoon.
Voya Financial, Inc. operates as a retirement, investment, and employee benefits company in the United States. The company's Wealth Solutions segment offers tax-deferred employer-sponsored retirement savings plans and administrative services; and individual retirement accounts, and other retail financial products and services, as well as financial planning and advisory services. This segment serves corporate, education, healthcare, and other non-profit and government entities, as well as institutional and individual customers. Its Investment Management segment provides fixed income, equity, multi-asset, and alternative products and solutions to individual investors and institutional clients through its direct sales force, consultant channel, banks, broker-dealers, and independent financial advisers. The company's Health Solutions segment offers stop loss, group life, voluntary employee-paid, and disability products through consultants, brokers, third-party administrators, enrollment firms, and technology partners to mid-sized and large businesses. The company was formerly known as ING U.S., Inc. and changed its name to Voya Financial, Inc. in April 2014. Voya Financial, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is based in New York, New York.
Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit

Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools:

Portfolio Monitoring

Top Stock Lists

Premium Reports

Stock Screeners

Live News Feed

Premium Support

Free for your first month.
The following companies are subsidiares of PPG Industries: AIPCF V Texstars Blocker Inc., AkzoNobel, Alpha Coating Technologies LLC, Alpha Coatings Inc., Broad Range Development Limited, CG Holdings Manufacturing Co., Centro de Investigacion en Polimeros S.A. de C.V., Chemfil Canada Limited, Chorlton Trade Paints Limited, Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Comex, Comex Industrial Coatings S.A. de C.V., Consorcio Comex S.A. de C.V., Cristacol S.A., Cuming Microwave Corporation, Deutek SA, Dexmet Corporation, Dexmet Holding Corporation, Distribuidora Kroma S.A. de C.V., EPIC Insurance Co. Ltd., Eberle Design Inc., Empresa Aga S.A. de C.V., Ennis Canadian Holding Company, Ennis Paint Canada ULC, Ennis Paint Netherlands Holdings LLC, Ennis Paint U.K. Holding Company Limited, Ennis Traffic Safety Solutions Pty Ltd, Ennis-Flint, Ennis-Flint Inc., Foshan Bairun Chemicals Co. Ltd., Fpu Industrial S.A. de C.V., Grupo Comex S.A. de C.V., Hemmelrath Automotive Coatings (Jilin) Co. Ltd., Hemmelrath International Trade (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hodij Coatings B.V., Homax Products, Industria Chimica Reggiana I.C.R. SPA, Johnstones Paints Limited, Kalon Investment Company Limited, Kalon South Africa Proprietary Limited, Karl Woerwag Lack-und Farbenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG, Masterwork Paint, MetoKote Corporation, MetoKote Mexico Holdings Inc., MetoKote UK Limited, MetoKote de Mexico S. de RL de CV, Milamar Coatings LLC, OOO Tikkurila, PPG A P Resinas S.A. de C.V., PPG AC - France SA, PPG ALESCO Automotive Finishes Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PPG Aerospace Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Architectural Coatings (Puerto Rico) Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Canada Inc./PPG Revetements Architecturaux Canada Inc., PPG Architectural Coatings Ireland Limited, PPG Architectural Coatings Italy S.r.l, PPG Architectural Coatings UK Limited, PPG Architectural Finishes Inc., PPG Asian Paints Private Ltd., PPG Business Services S.A. de C.V., PPG COATINGS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD., PPG Canada Inc., PPG Cetelon Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Cieszyn S.A., PPG Coatings (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, PPG Coatings (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., PPG Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Thailand) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings (Wuhu) Company Ltd., PPG Coatings (Zhangjiagang) Co. Ltd., PPG Coatings B.V., PPG Coatings Belgium BV, PPG Coatings Danmark A/S, PPG Coatings Deutschland GmbH, PPG Coatings Europe B.V., PPG Coatings Nederland BV, PPG Coatings S.A., PPG Coatings South Africa (Pty) Ltd., PPG DYRUP S.A., PPG Deco Czech a.s., PPG Deco Polska sp. z.o.o., PPG Deco Slovakia s.r.o., PPG Deutschland Business Support GmbH, PPG Deutschland Sales & Services GmbH, PPG Distribution S.A.S., PPG Europe B.V., PPG Finance B.V., PPG Finland Oy, PPG France Business Support S.A.S., PPG France Manufacturing S.A.S., PPG Guadeloupe SAS, PPG Hemmelrath Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Holdco SAS, PPG Holdings (U.K.) Limited, PPG Holdings Argentina USA LLC, PPG Holdings Latin America USA LLC, PPG Iberica S.A., PPG Iberica Sales & Services S.L., PPG Industrial Coatings B.V., PPG Industrial do Brasil - Tintas E. Vernizes - Ltda., PPG Industries (Korea) Ltd., PPG Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Industries (UK) Ltd, PPG Industries Argentina S.R.L., PPG Industries Australia PTY Limited A.C.N. 055 500 939, PPG Industries Colombia Ltda., PPG Industries Delfzijl B.V., PPG Industries Europe Sarl, PPG Industries France S.A.S., PPG Industries International Inc., PPG Industries Italia S.r.l., PPG Industries Kimya a Sanayi VE Ticaret AS, PPG Industries LLC, PPG Industries Lackfabrik GmbH, PPG Industries Lipetsk LLC, PPG Industries Middle East FZE, PPG Industries Netherlands B.V., PPG Industries New Zealand Limited, PPG Industries Ohio Inc., PPG Industries Poland Sp. Z.o.o., PPG Industries Securities LLC, PPG Industries de Mexico S.A. de C.V., PPG Investment (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., PPG Italia Business Support S.r.l., PPG Italia Sales & Services S.r.l., PPG Japan Ltd., PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes Canada LP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.K. LLP, PPG Kansai Automotive Finishes U.S. LLC, PPG Luxembourg Finance S.aR.L., PPG Luxembourg Holdings S.aR.L., PPG Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Packaging Coatings (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., PPG Paints Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Performance Coatings (Hong Kong) Limited, PPG Powder Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PPG Refinish Distribution Limited, PPG Romania S.A., PPG Reunion SAS, PPG SSC Co. Ltd., PPG Switzerland GmbH, PPG Trilak Korlatolt FelelosseguTarasasag (PPG Trilak Kft.), PPG Vietnam Co. Ltd., PRC-DeSoto Australia Pty Ltd., PRC-DeSoto International Inc., PT. PPG Coatings Indonesia, Painter's Supply, Paintzen, Peintures de Paris SAS, Plasticos Envolventes S.A. de C.V., Polymeric Systems Inc., ProCoatings B.V., ProCoatings BV, Protec Pty Ltd, Reno A&E LLC, Revocoat France SAS, Revocoat Holding SAS, Revocoat Iberica SLU, Revocoat S.A.S, Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings Inc., SEM Products Inc., Sealants Europe SAS, Sierracin Corporation, Sierracin/Sylmar Corporation, Sigma Marine & Protective Coatings Holding B.V., SigmaKalon (BC) UK Limited, SigmaKalon Group, Sikar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Spraylat International Ltd, Texstars LLC, The Crown Group Co., The Crown Group Inc, The Homax Group, Tikkurila Group, Tikkurila Oyj, Tikkurila Sverige AB, Traffic Safety Intermediate LLC, Traffic Safety Parent LLC, VF Specialty Products LLC, Vanex Inc., Vernisol S.p.A., VersaFlex Acquisition Corp., VersaFlex Inc., VersaFlex Intermediate Holdings LLC, Versaflex, Viasa S.A. de C.V., Whitford, Whitford B.V., Whitford Corporation, Whitford Jiangmen Ltd., Whitford Ltd. (HK), Whitford Ltd. (UK), Whitford Pte. Ltd., Whitford S.r.l., Whitford Worldwide Company LLC, and Worwag Coatings.

Read More
SunTrust Banks, Inc. operates as the holding company for SunTrust Bank that provides various financial services for consumers, businesses, corporations, institutions, and not-for-profit entities in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer and Wholesale. The Consumer segment provides deposits and payments; home equity and personal credit lines; auto, student, and other lending products; credit cards; discount/online and full-service brokerage products; professional investment advisory products and services; and trust services, as well as family office solutions. This segment also offers residential mortgage products in the secondary market. The Wholesale segment provides capital markets solutions, including advisory, capital raising, and financial risk management; asset-based financing solutions, such as securitizations, asset-based lending, equipment financing, and structured real estate arrangements; cash management services and auto dealer financing solutions; investment banking solutions; and credit and deposit, fee-based product offering, multi-family agency lending, advisory, commercial mortgage brokerage, and tailored financing and equity investment solutions. This segment also offers treasury and payment solutions, such as operating various electronic and paper payment types, which comprise card, wire transfer, automated clearing house, check, and cash; and provides services clients to manage their accounts online. The company offers its products and services through a network of traditional and in-store branches, automated teller machines, Internet, mobile, and telephone banking channels. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 1,218 full-service banking offices located in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, South Carolina, and the District of Columbia. SunTrust Banks, Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
This is a current list of the top 250 companies by market capitalization on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Learn more .

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is one of the largest, and most recognizable, stock exchanges in the world. The NYSE is in New York City, New York at 11 Wall Street. The NYSE has been in existence since the earliest days of the United States becoming a nation, in 1792 and is primarily made up of blue-chip companies with large market capitalizations. In fact, many of the stocks that make up the Dow Jones Composite Index (i.e. The Dow) are listed on the NYSE.

This article gives a brief history of the New York Stock Exchange. In addition, it covers topics such as what kind of stocks trade on the exchange, what are the listing requirements, how trading is performed, and what the daily price movement of the NYSE tells investors about investor sentiment.

What Were the Origins of the NYSE?

Today, the New York Stock Exchange is known as the center of the financial universe. However, the exchanges origin is far more humble. On May 17, 1792, 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement creating a centralized exchange to help provide order to the securities market in what was still a young nation. The "Buttonwood Agreement comes from the tree of the same name under which the founders signed the agreement.

An initial benefit of the exchange was how it removed the need for auctioneers when trading commodities like wheat and tobacco and to set a commission rate. The exchange initially focused on government bonds.

However, the exchange had no formal home. Business was usually conducted informally in the local coffeehouses. In 1817, the exchange changed its name to the New York Stock & Exchange Board which later became the New York Stock Exchange. At this time, the exchange adopted a constitution that set the rules for trading. A group of stockbrokers met twice a day at 40 Wall Street to trade 30 stocks and bonds.

Over time, the exchange moved became the financial hub of the country and moved to its current location in 1865.

What Kind of Stocks Trade on the NYSE?

As of June 2022, the NYSE includes approximately 2,400 companies with a market capitalization of over $28.2 trillion. Although the NYSE trades stocks of all market capitalizations, its best known for trading the stocks of large cap companies. These have the benefit of being mature companies in mature industries. And many of these companies reward shareholders with dividends.

However, that also means that many of these companies are better suited for value investors as opposed to growth investors. In bear markets this stability can be a benefit for investors as these stocks tend to perform less bad than more volatile stocks. But in a bull market, these stocks are not likely to provide investors with the growth that they look for.

An interesting fact about how the NYSE and NASDAQ operate is that the companies with the five largest market caps on the NYSE are also listed on the NASDAQ exchange.

What Are the Listing Requirements For the NYSE?

The NYSE has strict guidelines that govern the types of companies that can list on the exchange. Here are the major requirements that all companies must meet:

The company must have at least 2,200 shareholders

The company must trade over 100,000 shares per month

The company must have a market valuation of over $100 million

The company must generate more than $75 million in annual revenue

However, there is at least one advantage of having such stringent requirements. That is the companies that meet the requirements generally find it easier to get more investors funds when they hold their initial public offering (IPO).

Once a company begins trading on the NYSE, it must continue to meet these requirements. If it doesnt it can be delisted. In addition to these requirements, the stock must continue to trade above $1. If the price of a stock drops below $1 for more than 29 consecutive trading days, the stock receives an Initial Price Violation Notice.

At that point, the company has 10 days to provide the exchange with a plan for bringing their shares above $1.

How are Trades Executed on the NYSE?

For over a century, the floor of the NYSE was the place for investors to be. This meant trades were conducted by traders who ran buy and sell orders across the trading floor looking to broker a deal for their clients. But with the birth of the NASDAQ exchange in 1971, the New York Stock Exchange began conducting electronic trading.

However, the NYSE continues to conduct trades in an auction style. Brokers purchase stocks on behalf of their clients or firms. Every order features a broker who will enter the order electronically and a specialist who serves as the market maker for that stock. The specialist posts bid and ask prices and manages the actual execution of the trades. And there are still a handful of stockbrokers who still traffic buy and sell orders physically on the floor of the exchange.

How Does the NYSE Signal Investor Sentiment?

Like its counterpart, the NASDAQ, the NYSE measures the risk appetite of investors. When the NYSE is moving higher over a length of time, it signals that a risk on environment. Conversely when the NYSE moves lower over a significant period, it signals that investors are moving to a risk off position.

Some Final Thoughts on the NYSE

Financial news networks plan their programming schedule around the opening and closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange. Its still considered a distinguished honor when individuals or groups are invited to ring the opening bell. In fact, Warren Buffett is attributed with saying that in the short term, the stock market acts like a voting machine. A fact that many U.S. presidents will attest to.

The NYSE is the oldest and most recognizable of all the stock exchanges. It also has the most stringent requirements for inclusion. And those requirements must be maintained even after a stock begins publicly trading on the exchange.

Although the NYSE still has a small in-person Trading Floor, much of the trading is done electronically to provide traders with the speed to execute trades.
Well it's that time of year again when the government asks the business community to visit several of its bureau's to get a letter for them confirming you've paid your various taxes so they can tax you even more to provide a license to operate.

Under the threat of fines and/or jail time everyone has to traipse to the National Insurance Board, Bahamas Customs, the health department and who knows where else as this process develops to obtain a letter of good standing to take to the Ministry of Finance.

Let me restate that. The business community is forced, under he threat of a fine and/or jail time to do the tax bureau's job.

Instead of them sending a directive to all other departments to confirm that each business is in good or bad standing they make the business community drive up and down for them. Facing the usual lost file challenges and more.

Then on top of this, business license tax is charged as a percentage of sales, not net profit. So many businesses are taxed more than they earn in net profit, particularly in these tough economic times. Surely the last thing a government should want to do is tax people out of business?

To make matters worse, every single business has to apply for all these letters during January each year so every department is overwhelmed. As a fellow businessman suggested, why not split all businesses up throughout the year to streamline the process?

But as Jerry Kirkpatrick wrote in his recent article, Bureaucracy Buries the Human Spirit with Paperwork: (here...):

"As Ludwig von Mises has taught us, bureaucracy is not a large, hierarchically structured organization, whether of big government or big business. It is the governments method of managing its affairs, which means it is the peaceful method of managing coercion. Laws of the land, a budget for each bureau, and regulatory rules dictate to citizens what they can and cannot do. Disobedience brings punishment. The method is top-down; the higher authority must be obeyed.'

Is there any wonder we are such laggards in the world's ease of doing business survey?
Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Thunderstorms - a few could contain very heavy rain, especially overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 58F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Thunderstorms - a few could contain very heavy rain, especially overnight. A few storms may be severe. Low 58F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 2 to 3 inches of rain expected.
Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

Jan. 19, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 19, 2017 | 03:19 PM | PADUCAH, KY

The Paducah Police Department has announced that the number of major crimes reported dropped 16 percent overall in 2016 from the previous year. However, they remain close to a level anticipated by a five-year average.



Major offenses, classified by the FBI as Part I Crimes, dropped by 249 reports in 2016. The decline was fueled by a drop in the number of larceny reports, from 1,239 to 965. The number of reported robberies dropped from 37 to 34, and burglaries fell from 160 to 153. One homicide was reported in both 2015 and 2016. Rapes increased from nine to 14 and assaults rose from 45 to 52. Auto thefts reported increased to 75, and arsons increased from four to seven.



The five-year averages for those crimes are: homicide  two; rape  14; robbery  35; assault  44; burglary  143; larceny  1,102; auto theft  51; and arson  five.



The increase in auto thefts is concerning, but brings to light a matter law enforcement cannot stress enough to the public  keys should not be left in vehicles. Of the 75 reported thefts, the keys had been left in the vehicle in 21 cases. Another 26 of the remaining 54 reported thefts were classified as unauthorized use, (For example, when someone loaned a vehicle to another person, who did not return it when scheduled).



The police department lost a civilian Records Clerk and three seasoned officers  two captains and a detective with 21 years of service  to retirement in 2016. The report says they remain a young department, but hired three experienced lateral officers in 2016. A fourth officer hired last year still is attending the state Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy, but will be back and serving the city in a few months.



In 2016, there were 1,301 major offenses reported to the Paducah Police Department. As in 2015, there was one homicide in 2016. In that case, officers came to the Brickhouse on Boyd Street in the early morning hours of April 16, where witnesses reported several people were shooting guns and 46-year-old Gary Johnson was struck. Three men were charged in connection with his death: 23-year-old Denzel Powell, 34-year-old Christopher Smith, and 27-year-old Tracell Nunn.



Part II Crimes  simple assaults, forgery, fraud, criminal mischief, sex offenses (other than rape), drug violations, offenses against family and children and all others ended 2016 with 2,875 reported offenses, up 73 from 2015s 2,802. The increase was not seen in one or two particular categories; rather, there were small increases and decreases across the board.



Paducah police officers received 52,191 calls for service (including officer-initiated calls) in 2016, up 13 percent from 2015. 2,287 of those resulted in the arrest of an adult, and 118 in charges against juveniles. There was a three percent increase in the number of adult arrests in 2016 compared to 2015, and a drop of 70 in the number of juveniles charged. Paducah police officers served 1,179 warrants and 215 criminal summonses in 2016, compared to 988 and 140, respectively, in 2015.



The law allows law enforcement officers to intervene and take mentally ill people into custody when they represent a danger to themselves or others, and they are unwilling to take action themselves. In 2016, the Paducah Police Department took 70 people into emergency custody, compared to 75 in 2015, 55 in 2014, 53 in 2013 and 34 in 2012. This trend mirrors national numbers, a matter of concern for all law enforcement agencies, according to the report.



Officers investigated 1,894 vehicle collisions in 2016, down slightly from 1,904 in 2015. In total, 375 of the collisions resulted in injuries to 589 people. There were three people killed in three separate collisions. Officers issued 4,983 traffic citations  ranging from speeding and red light violations to having no insurance and texting while driving  and 3,608 courtesy notices.



We are pleased that collisions are down, even slightly, Chief of Police Brandon Barnhill said. We concentrate on traffic enforcement  speeding and traffic light violations, impaired driving and distracted driving  but we must continue to work with and educate the community to reduce the number of collisions in our city.



In the Support Services Division, detectives in the General Investigations Unit cleared 80.67 percent of the cases they investigated in 2016, up a whopping 10 percent from the units clearance rate in 2015. The detectives were assigned 244 cases. Detectives were called out on investigations 90 times, and were tasked with 10 applicant background investigations.



The departments Digital Forensics Unit conducts forensic investigations on computers, cell phones and other digital media for the Police Department and for other law enforcement agencies in western Kentucky. In 2016, the DFU examined 409 computer hard drives, cell phones and other digital media, which includes SIM cards, flash drives and GPS units, compared to 312 in 2015 and 304 in 2014. These examinations were conducted in connection with cases ranging from homicide and robbery to sex and drug offenses and thefts. The DFU opened 152 cases for investigation and assisted nine other area law enforcement agencies with exams.



The Drug and Vice Enforcement Unit opened 127 cases and had a phenomenal clearance rate of 96.7 percent. They investigated 407 tips and collected 272 pounds of prescription medications for disposal through the departments semi-annual Drug Take-Back day.



Also under the Support Services Division is the departments Records Unit. As the name implies, it is responsible for maintaining all the departments records. There were 703 parking tickets written in 2016. Officers logged in 3,006 pieces of evidence; oddly, almost exactly the number entered in 2015 (3,005). Evidence personnel, with approval from the court, disposed of approximately 2,552 old items of evidence. The Evidence Unit maintains nearly 12,000 items of evidence and conducts random quarterly audits to maintain the integrity of the system.



In summary, Chief Barnhill said, We are extremely proud of the service the Paducah Police Department provides to our community. We have excellent personnel who receive the best in training and equipment. We expect them to provide the highest level of professional service possible to the citizens of and visitors to Paducah.
Powerball up to $1.6 billion, now largest jackpot on record
By The Associated Press Jan. 20, 2017 | 10:27 AM | PADUCAH, KY

The McCracken County Board of Education has voted to move the Heath High School shooting memorial from Heath Middle School to an open lot across the road.

The 1997 shooting killed three girls: 14-year-old Nicole Hadley, 17-year-old Jessica James and 15-year-old Kayce Steger. Five others were injured.

The memorial is behind a fence at Heath Middle School, and those who wish to visit it must get permission.

Christina Ellegood, Hadley's sister, is head of the relocation project. She says people like to visit the memorial on the anniversary of the shooting, but get frustrated that it's difficult to access.

Ellegood says the new memorial will be designed by the victims' families, will have 24/7 access and will have lighting at night.

The move should cost less than $20,000. The decision was made at the School Board meeting Thursday evening.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 19, 2017 | 10:46 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY, KY

The vehicle involved in a hit and run Wednesday night on Old Mayfield Road has been found.

According to the McCracken County Sheriff's Office, the vehicle was found around 7 pm Thursday at a home off North Friendship Road. Two persons of interest were located and identified at the home. However, investigators received conflicting accounts as to who was driving the vehicle at the time it struck the bicyclist, and police say both are refusing to cooperate with the investigation.

The vehicle was impounded and police plan to examine the vehicle and other electronic devices seized. The man struck by the vehicle, 35-year-old Jason Carnine of Paducah, remains in serious condition at a local hospital.

The case remains under investigation.
Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

Jan. 19, 2017 | METROPOLIS, IL

By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 19, 2017 | 03:12 PM | METROPOLIS, IL

Some southern Illinois families will benefit from the ongoing renovations at Hope Unlimited Family Care Centers Metropolis location.



Crews from Joshua Humphrey Construction, LLC of West Paducah are adding 563 square feet to the existing community store, Hopes Closet, located at 305 Lincoln Street. The new floor plan consists of wider aisles, a furniture department, and a secure donation drop-off area.



Generous community members donate clothes, housewares, and furniture to the store to be sold for less. Hope Unlimited clients are also able to shop with "Hope Dollars" they earn by participating in the free and confidential programs offered. All store proceeds go back into the non-profit ministry, allowing the center to reach more families.



This improvement will not only provide more store space, but also allows us to better serve our day-to-day clients with walk-in pregnancy testing, parenting, Authenic Manhood, and life skill classes, as well as our job training program, says Executive Director Nicole Farley.



The renovation creates a new space for clients material needs, like diapers and hygiene items, as well as a new office, conference room, and executive storage. The center allows the community to use its conference room, when available, at no cost.



Farley says southern Illinois families deserve a comfortable and safe place to find support. Because of donors who really believe in what Hope Unlimited Family Care Center has to offer our communities, we were able to move forward with this renovation, much sooner than originally planned.



Once the expansion is complete, the organization's Board of Directors will look into opening the Metropolis location four days a week instead of its current three. Joshua Humphrey Construction expects renovations to be finished late February.



Hope Unlimited Family Care Center supports and empowers parents to grow stronger families with free and confidential services. Established nearly 30 years ago, the one center has two locations; 1101 Jefferson Street in Paducah, KY and 305 Lincoln Street in Metropolis, IL. Learn more online at www.hopeunlimitedfcc.org.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 19, 2017 | 11:09 PM | GRAVES COUNTY, KY

Four Graves County residents have been arrested on various drug-related charges, including manufacturing methamphetamine.

Graves County sheriff's deputies responded Wednesday morning to a mobile home on Park Terrace on a complaint from the Cabinet for Family Services. When they arrived, 37-year-old Sue Fleming met them in the front yard and allowed them inside the home.

While inside the home, police reportedly detected a strong odor of marijuana. Deputies said they found methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia during a search of the home.

Fleming and another person at the home, 26-year-old Dustin McReynolds, were both arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Fleming was also charged with possession of methamphetamine. Both were booked into the Graves County Jail.

On Thursday morning, deputies accompanied Probation and Parole officers to a home on Gardner Road in Wingo. During a search of the home, deputies allegedly found methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, along with several items that showed evidence of illegal manufacturing of methamphetamine.

Police arrested 36-year-old Bobby J. McCord and 37-year-old Amy Simpson, both of Wingo. Both were charged with possession of meth, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. McCord was additionally charged with manufacturing meth.

Both were booked into the Graves County Jail.
Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required.

Your Full Name: (optional)

Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 20, 2017 | 10:58 AM | CALVERT CITY, KY

A crash Wednesday night in Marshall County sent two people to the hospital.

According to the Marshall County Sheriff's Office, the wreck happened around 7:45 pm on KY 95. Deputies said 21-year-old William J. Foust of Benton was traveling south on KY 95 when he over-corrected, causing his car to start rolling over.

Foust and his front seat passenger, 21-year-old Austina Stufflebeam of Benton, were both ejected from the car. Three passengers in the back seat of the car were not injured.

Foust was taken to Lourdes Hospital and later flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville for treatment of his injuries. Stufflebeam was taken to Marshall County Hospital for her injuries.
Loading...

The action outside the Print Room proves considerably more lively and vital than what's on stage: on press night, a substantial protest was held against the casting of white actors in Chinese roles in Howard Barker's play. The issue of yellowface' was raised when the casting was announced, prompting the Print Room to release an astonishingly tangled and tone-deaf statement.

It's worth reading in full, just to see how far your eyebrows can rise, but they manage to balls it up twice. First by suggesting that the ancient Chinese setting and names were actually used to suggest "the folkloric idea of the universal"  interpreted by many as a patronising act of erasure  and then by suggesting that it was in fact a "very English' play and has been cast accordingly." Because there are no East Asians in England, obviously. Embarrassing.

In fact, In the Depths of Dead Love seems to be neither very Chinese nor very English. A could-be-anywhere, abstract-fable really is the best description  if the characters didn't have very distinctively Chinese names, I doubt the casting issue would have arisen. But they do, so it did, and it's absolutely right that it did. Let's hope this furore has raised consciousness as much as it's raised hackles.

Moving on to the play itself. An exiled poet, Chin, has become the Well Master, charging the suicidal to throw themselves down a bottomless well. But one customer  Lady Hasi - can never quite bring herself to jump. Stuck in a sexless marriage, her husband Lord Gang also visits and suggests that Chin might help her out with a little shove

For a while, Barker finds real humour in this morbid but neat set-up: the officious, business-like discussion that surrounds the running of the well has a black satire to it. Those that don't succeed in doing the deed must pay on leaving too: a tax on cowardice, or a discount for the truly despairing? The poet  a snarky, world-weary figure  also fixates absurdly on language as much as action: why is "shove" so much worse than "push"? Could he do it if it was to "tip" rather than to "barge"?

But the play does drag on  especially as Barker, characteristically, drags in sex and love and yokes them to the death impulse. It goes from being a wryly observed surreal situation to a heightened, overblown scenario of erotic desperation, delivered in full poetic throttle. And yet this often feels pretentious rather than vivid; dithering over suicide is obviously a pretty classic basis for a play, but it's not a good sign when you start hoping the character would just get on with it.

Stella Gonet is good as Mrs Hasi, the rapid, fluting fluidity of her voice suiting the character and the cadences of Barker's writing. James Clyde captures Chin's blustery, belligerent humour, but rarely manages to make the high-falutin' speeches soar instead of grate.

While Justin Nardella's design is effective  a well seems to glow, and its tarnished-mirror lid rises to become a huge moon  director Gerrard McArthur's staging is, at one key moment, bewilderingly bad. When some people fall down the well, they simply stand reflected in the big mirror: fine. An abstract solution. But when poor Gonet is meant to be falling, she physically climbs into the well  not only stylistically inconsistent but also painfully clunky. If they really couldn't find a better way of staging it, a blackout would have at least spared us the sight of an actor having to clamber into a hole. Or maybe it's apt: after all, the entire production seems to have got itself stuck in one.

In the Depths of Dead Love is at the Print Room until 11 February.
Over bowls of cereal, Prague-area farmer Dennis Fujan and his wife, Patricia, spent Thursday morning chatting about President-elect Donald Trumps choice for agriculture secretary.

Honestly, I dont know much about Mr. (Sonny) Perdue, he said later during a phone interview. Were going to have to learn something about him.

Perdue is a former Georgia governor and has some agriculture chops. He's the son of a farmer, earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine and ran grain, fertilizer and trucking companies.

But Dennis Fujan and other Nebraska farmers are wondering how Perdues experience in a state where cotton and tobacco are the top crops will relate to the Midwest, where corn and soybeans are the major economic drivers.

He might not be quite as in touch with what works in the middle of the United States, said Fujan, who is president of the Nebraska Soybean Association.

Midwest farmers will be in touch to register their concerns about reducing regulations, keeping farms profitable and supporting a robust insurance safety net, he said.

Rhetoric from Trump on trade -- like calls for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement and putting tariffs on goods from Mexico and China -- have created concerns in the agriculture sector, which is dependent on international trade.

The American Farm Bureau supported passage of the free-trade Trans-Pacific Partnership, saying it would increase U.S. ag exports by $5.3 billion a year. Trump staunchly opposed the TPP, which is now assumed dead.

Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation President Steve Nelson said hes encouraged by Perdues reputation for promoting U.S. meat and crops overseas.

He said having a supporter of free trade in the Trump administration could make for some good conversations about the future of trade.

Vern Jantzen, who raises corn and soybeans southeast of Plymouth, voiced concern that the fact Trump chose the ag secretary last out of all his Cabinet-level positions shows agriculture is a low priority.

If confirmed, Perdue will head the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which includes 17 agencies, 105,000 employees and a nearly $150 billion budget.

Jantzen, a member of the Nebraska Farmers Union, said hes also concerned the timing of Trumps pick leaves little time for vetting the candidate or for Perdue to form a transition team to smooth the takeover from the previous administration.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said he looks forward to speaking with Perdue about the unique interests of Midwest agriculture.

We have a lot to discuss: trade, regulatory burdens and the unique interests of Midwest agriculture," he said in a statement. "Nebraskans feed the world and our agriculture secretary needs to understand what we bring to the table.
A former BNSF Railway employee from Iowa has won more than $1 million in a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Daniel Monohon, who lives in Iowa but is based out of BNSF in Lincoln, was fired in 2014 for what the railroad alleged was insubordination.

Monohon had questioned BNSF's policy of requiring employees to wear seatbelts while "hy-railing," or driving a vehicle that can operate both on rail tracks and a conventional road.

According to the lawsuit, Monohon was fired after bringing his concerns to a BNSF manager.

Monohon's attorneys, Corey Stull and Jeanette Stull of Lincoln-based Perry Law Firm, argued that his termination was a violation of the whistleblower provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act.

The jury in the Iowa Southern District Court agreed and awarded Monohon $1,031,000 in lost pay, compensatory damages and attorney fees.

A BNSF Railway spokesman said the company disagrees with the verdict and plans to appeal.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba government is attempting to derail the Hudson Bay Port Companys lawsuit in its rebuttal to the Omnitrax-owned companys claim the province owes it $1.7 million.

In a statement of defence filed Monday at the Court of the Queens Bench, the provincial government denies all claims by the Hudson Bay Port Company, which runs the Port of Churchill and the Hudsons Bay Railway, that the government reneged on a promise by former premier Greg Selinger to cover the losses of both operations for the 2015 season.

The four-page statement goes on to accuse the company of publicly undertaking a very aggressive and adversarial lobbying campaign in its attempts to secure government subsidies for the 2016 shipping season prior to Omnitraxs decision last July to close the Port of Churchill.

ALEX DE VRIES-MAGNIFICO photo The Hudson Bay Port Company runs both the Port of Churchill (above) and the Hudsons Bay Railway. It claims the province owes it $1.7 million under a promise to cover losses from both assets.

Company claims $1.7M owed

The lawsuit filed in December by the Hudson Bay Port Company says the company is owed $1.7 million in operating losses, plus damages, interest and costs for the losses incurred in 2015. It pointed to an agreement signed by the province and the company in July 2015 under the NDP government, which stated it would cover all operational losses.

The objective of the agreement was to ensure the Port of Churchill stayed open for the 2015 season.

The company claims the money for the losses never came, but the government outlines several reasons why it owes nothing more to the shipping and rail company, pointing to several areas in the agreement with which the company failed to comply. The government has already paid out more than $800,000 to the company in capital and tonnage support, the government states.

Firstly, the government says it is under no obligation to cover the losses of the Hudsons Bay Railway  saying the agreement covers only the port. Secondly, the government points to the part of the agreement where the company was to make its claim for operating support by Feb. 1, 2016  the claim wasnt given to the province until April.

Lastly, it says the agreement outlined the establishment of a technical working group, made up of government and company members, to calculate the operating losses for the 2015 season. Instead, the claim alleges the company withdrew its representatives from participating in the group and submitted a claim for operating losses it had calculated on its own.

Aggressive and adversarial lobbying campaign

Rather than have its representatives participate on the (working group) to complete its functions for the 2015 shipping season, the plantiff publicly undertook a very aggressive and adversarial lobbying campaign in the hopes of, among other things, securing further public subsidy at the port of the 2016 shipping season, it states.

The point echoes comments made by Premier Brian Pallister in July. In direct response to the ports closure, Pallister produced a copy of the agreement and condemned the NDP for the subsidy it had offered to keep the port operational. He warned the company he would not follow suit.

We are not, as a government, interested in the business of subsidizing large corporations by using money taken from small businesses and individuals, he said at a July news conference.

Omnitrax Canada president Merv Tweed said he was unable to comment directly on the claims by the government, but said Omnitrax will be filing a response by the end of this week or the beginning of next week.

I disagree with everything that has been stated within their claim, and we will be filing our response to it very quickly, Tweed said in a brief phone interview with the Free Press. And that is about all I am prepared to say.

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @kristinannable
The unemployment rate rose both in the Lincoln area and statewide in December.

According to statistics released Friday by the Nebraska Department of Labor, the unemployment rate in the Lincoln metropolitan area hit 2.8 percent in December, up from 2.4 percent in November and 2.5 percent in December 2015.

The Lincoln area saw a decline in the number of people employed both month over month and year over year. There were about 1,500 fewer people employed in December compared with November, and about 500 fewer people employed compared with December 2015.

The number of unemployed people grew by 541 from November to December and by 366 from a year ago.

On the positive side, the number of jobs in the area grew by almost 1,350 in December compared with a year ago, although it was down 1,162 from a month ago.

Statewide, the unemployment rate in December was 3.4 percent, which was the same rate as in November but up 0.4 percentage points from December 2015.

The number of people employed fell by a,most 3,800 from a year ago and by more than 1,300 compared with November.

The number of unemployed people dropped by 250 from November but was up by 3,200 from a year ago.

The number of jobs in the state fell by nearly 5,500 from November to December, but it was nearly 8,200 from December 2015.

Both the local and state unemployment rates remained well below the national rate of 4.7 percent for December.

The Labor Department also announced Friday that due to its annual benchmarking process, it will not release January unemployment figures until March 13.

The annual benchmarking process compares data from the Current Employment Statistics programs with known employment numbers from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. Such comparison helps ensure the employment and unemployment numbers are as accurate as possible.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/01/2017 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  The demolition of Kapyong Barracks buildings will go ahead because neighbouring residents did not raise concerns about the plan.

The Department of National Defence is planning to proceed with the demolition of on-site infrastructure at Kapyong Barracks, in order to reduce the dangers associated with its deteriorating state, wrote a spokesman for the department in an email to the Free Press. A firm start date for demolition has not yet been established, but the demolition is anticipated to start in 2017 and will continue over several years, in several phases.

DND sent letters in mid-November to residents who live around the former military base at the corner of Grant Avenue and Kenaston Boulevard, noting it intended to destroy all 41 buildings, internal roadways, surface parking lots and underground utilities including electrical, gas, water and sewer lines starting this year. It was seeking public input as part of the environmental assessment that was required.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The Department of National Defence has yet to firm up a start date for its plan to demolish all 41 buildings, internal roadways, parking lots and utility infrastructure at the former military base.

The time period for the public to comment ended before Christmas, and the department now will tender the demolition work. There is currently no listing on the governments Merx website, where all contract opportunities are to be advertised.

The government has not put a price tag on the demolition.

Kapyong was abandoned by the military in 2004 when the Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion, moved to CFB Shilo. The land was declared surplus and was to be sold by the Canada Lands Company for redevelopment, but the process was halted after a lawsuit from Treaty One First Nations. They claimed the government had failed to properly consult with them about the disposal of the land.

The case dragged through the courts with numerous appeals until the fall of 2015, when the former Conservative government said it would stop appealing the case and begin negotiating with First Nations involved.

The Liberals inherited those negotiations in November 2015. A source told the Free Press there have been meetings, but neither the government nor the First Nations have been willing to discuss the nature of the proceedings in public.

DND has spent an estimated $20 million to maintain the 41 buildings and the barracks site since 2004. That includes property taxes and maintenance such as snow clearing, heating and security.

DND told the Free Press in November it could not plan to raze any of the buildings, many of which are now riddled with mould and unfit for habitation, while the lawsuit was ongoing.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As expected, Kevin OLeary was a no show at the Conservative leadership debate that rolled through Winnipeg Thursday evening.

The bid by the celebrity businessman to head the federal party that Stephen Harper led to power for nearly a decade may have been on everyones lips.

But the former Dragon wasnt invited to speak at the forum.

One reason was that OLearys candidacy papers are so new the party hasnt processed them yet.

Hes not an official candidate, said Shawn Nason, president of the Elmwood Transcona P.C. Riding Association which organized the forum.

CP JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Rick Peterson speaks at a Conservative Party of Canada leadership forum in Winnipeg, Thursday.

So while the one man everybody knows is running for the Tory leadership cant officially take part until his papers are in order.

That necessity for paperwork came in for some jesting at Thursdays forum.

Fred Westphal, a past party member at the federal and provincial levels  theyre separate memberships  joked, You see? Administration will get you every time.

He added that Winnipeg would have been a good place for OLeary to start. Hes the one everybodys waiting to see.

Ten of the 14 candidates did show up; absent were controversial Canadian values candidate Kellie Leith, Chris Alexander, a former immigration minister under Harper and Erin OToole, an Ontario MP whos attracted substantial support from Manitoba Conservatives.

The event was moderated by Rod Bruinooge, the former Tory MP for Winnipeg South, who got as much applause as the candidates did.

The event at the Metropolitan on Donald Street packed in a healthy crowd who paid $40 apiece; most of the 300 seats were filled with party faithful and invited media. The Free Press was not on the list, but was let in at the last minute to observe the forum.

All 10 candidates delivered short introductions before moving on to policy issues in the two-hour debate, which was followed by a reception.

Some in the audience openly questioned whether OLearys fundamental values were really conservative.

The Michie family, fundamental conservatives and devoted Christians see OLeary as an opportunist.

And thats despite the fact family matriarch Rose Michie favours Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated as the U.S. president Friday.

Every time Ive listened to him, hes turned me off. Kevin OLearys too focused on money, Michie said.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/01/2017 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dealing with the deadly opioid crisis and keeping the border open for trade with the U.S. emerged as key issues Friday during a meeting between the prime minister and the countrys big-city mayors.

Mayor Brian Bowman said in an interview Prime Minister Justin Trudeau agreed to consider the federal governments involvement in developing a national strategy to deal with the opioid crisis.

Getting the municipalities and the provincial governments and the federal government around the table so that we can really (have) less ad hoc measures across the country, dealing with something that increasingly is an issue of tremendous concern in each of our cities.

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson looks on as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes opening remarks before meeting with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in Ottawa, Friday, January 20, 2017.

Bowman and other mayors of the countrys largest cities met in Ottawa for a day-long meeting, primarily to promote the pre-budget submission of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which is advocating for greater funding for affordable housing, public transit and green infrastructure.

Bowman said he and other mayors met privately with Trudeau after he made his opening remarks. The afternoon sessions were to involve meeting with policy experts on infrastructure, affordable housing, the opioid situation, and focusing on trade under the new Trump administration.

The FCM issued a statement following the meeting with the prime minister, urging Trudeau to use the federal governments next budget to launch a new era of public transit and to tackle Canadas housing affordability crisis head-on.

This government clearly appreciates that we cant build livable, globally-competitive cities on top of a housing crisis, Don Iveson, Edmonton mayor and chair of FCMs Big-City Mayors Caucus (BCMC), said in the statement.

The mayors want the federal government to invest $12.6 billion in housing solutions over eight years, directing money already earmarked for the Social Infrastructure Fund.

While Donald Trump was being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday morning, Bowman said trade with that country also dominated discussions.

The Prime Minister indicated there is a role for mayors to play in working with the federal government and provincial governments to influence U.S. lawmakers and decision-makers to try to keep the border open for trade, Bowman said. That was something I was very pleased to hear the Prime Minister acknowledge and invite the mayors to be part of those lobbying efforts because it does impact jobs in each of our cities.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/01/2017 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its looking like another flood year in the Red River basin  on the 20th anniversary of the 1997 Flood of the Century, the Red River Basin Commission said this week.

There will be overland flooding from the Red River with normal precipitation from now until spring, delegates heard at the commissions annual meeting in Grand Forks.

Higher than normal precipitation could mean getting out the sandbags again.

KEN GIGLIOTTI / FREE PRESS FILES This year is the 20th anniversary of the 1997 Flood of the Century. "If natural levels of precipitation follow, we're definitely going to see some level of flood," said Steve Strang.

If natural levels of precipitation follow, were definitely going to see some level of flood, said Steve Strang, Manitoba director on the commission.

Soils in Minnesota and North Dakota are at 200 per cent moisture capacity. Plus, Manitoba and U.S. portions of the Red River had the most snow on record in December.

The ground is saturated to the point it cant take any more water, said Strang.

The water wont just come from the south year either. There is a strong flood threat in the west from the Assiniboine River, too.

The provinces hydrologic forecast last month said October and November rains in the Assiniboine basin has created conditions similar to those leading up to the one-in-300-years flood of 2011. Again, the issue is soil moisture saturation.

Its rare for the Assiniboine and Red rivers to crest at the same time or close together but thats always a possibility.

Strang said climate change is producing longer, wetter springs, too. All that points in one direction. We want to tell our citizens to be prepared, Strang said.

Things can still change, Strang said, as the current streak of mild temperatures definitely helps melt off some of the snow pack early.

Were not saying lets panic. Were saying lets not forget about 1997, said Strang.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images The fiery images of the World Trade Center being hit by two planes September 11, 2001 in New York City.

On Monday, Ellen Judd will return to Cuba for the first time she since she and her spouse, Chris, vacationed there in 2000. That was the year before her beloved, Christine Egan, became the only Manitoban killed in the terror attacks of 9/11.

Judd is returning to Cuba now to attend court proceedings at Guantanamo Bay for five men accused of participating in the attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center where Egan was visiting her brother, Michael Egan, who worked there. They were among the nearly 3,000 innocent people murdered Sept. 11, 2001.

I dont expect it to be pleasant, Judd said in an interview Thursday. She is going to observe U.S. military commission proceedings against five defendants alleged to have masterminded attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Since the case began in 2011, close family members of the victims and some of the survivors have been invited to attend the proceedings in person so they can see whats going on and talk to the prosecution and defence teams involved. Judd said a draw took place, with five observers a week taken to the military base by charter from an air force base outside Washington D.C. Shell be there for some of the pretrial motions that have to be settled before the actual trial can begin. Some observers say thats not expected to happen until 2020.

Ellen Judd

Judd, an anthropology professor at The University of Manitoba, said she wasnt sure, at first, if she wanted to be there for the court proceedings.

The military commissions process has been plagued from the start by detours and scandals, including the legacy of the use of torture against detainees, an FBI attempt to penetrate a defence team and the unexplained censoring of court deliberations, believed to be the work of the CIA.

Legal experts and lawyers who have been involved in the trials at Guantanamo Bay say the system may be irreparably flawed. Even if the cases can be concluded, they say, the process is now seen as so tainted those verdicts may be publicly dismissed.

Judd, who is also peace and human rights advocate, said she believes justice is the righting of wrongs, and that it wont happen in this case.

I dont think its legitimate, but I dont think the answer is to pay no attention to it, she said. The pretrial hearings are addressing questions about what evidence can be brought to bear and trying to bring to light many of the issues that people are distressed about, she said.

Judd received a copy of an unofficial docket listing some of the issues that may come up when shes at the proceedings next week. Most are defence motions such as a remedy for the seizure of one of the defendants legal materials and the monitoring of attorney-client communications by the intelligence community. There are others about human rights violations. One motion seeks access to International Red Cross reports about Bagram Air Force base where torture was carried out before detainees were shipped to Guantanamo Bay.

If the five defendants on trial are guilty of mass murder, they should be locked up so they cant inflict any more harm on innocent people, said Judd.

She has no desire to stare down the accused or see anyone get the death penalty, she said. I do want to see them. I want to see the people who could do this. She has no interest in punishment.

SUPPLIED Supplied pix of Christine Egan, the only Manitoban killed in the 9-11 terror attacks. Her partner Ellen Judd is going to hearings at Guantanamo Bay next week.

No matter what happens there, its not going to bring Chris back.

She decided to go to Cuba after talking to her family about it. Shes allowed to take a family member, and her brother will accompany her, she said.

I had some sense of wanting to see it first-hand, Judd said. Partly because she didnt want to have any regrets later but mainly out of respect for her beloved.

I should be there as a witness for Chris, said Judd. Being there wont trigger her grief, she said. Its there all the time. She said trying to do some good through activism has helped her through the grief. Shes pleased that the Dr. Christine Egan Memorial Scholarship fund is helping Inuit nursing students in the North  people and a place Egan, a nursing instructor, loved.

Judd has visited the 9/11 site in New York City twice, she said. Once on the 10th anniversary, where she saw the reflecting pools and the memorial with Egans name on it. She took part in reading the names of the victims, she said. She went back a second time for the opening of the 9/11 museum. She didnt want to see all of it, she said. She just wanted to make sure the memorial information about Chris was correct. Neither event was open to the general public, said Judd, who wanted to avoid tourists at the site.

She knows some of the family members who will be in court with her next week may have strong opinions that differ from hers about whether justice is being served and what should happen to the defendants. They have differing views but share the same pain, she said.

I dont think theres ever going to be closure, said Judd, whos watched reports about families of the Air India bombing victims decades after they were murdered. Theres never an end to this, but there are still things that we can do.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

 with file from the Washington Post
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/01/2017 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opposition parties play crucial practical and symbolic roles in a healthy democracy. A strong government requires a strong opposition.

In April 2016, Manitobans elected a strong Progressive Conservative government that holds 40 of the 57 seats in the legislature. To date, the government led by Premier Brian Pallister has avoided serious political trouble by postponing tough choices and benefiting from the weaknesses of its political opponents.

This year, the government will have to act on the findings of the multiple expenditure reviews it has launched and make concrete decisions that will bring revenues and expenditures into balance.

For its part as the official Opposition, a currently dysfunctional NDP must get its act together and become an effective critic of the actions and inactions of the government.

Our cabinet-parliamentary system concentrates authority and initiative in the hands of the premier and cabinet, but it then seeks to hold this small group of political insiders accountable by requiring them to regularly boast and confess in public, particularly in question period, which allows opposition members to criticize and oppose.

That the opposition is valuable is reflected in the procedural rights and protections for the opposition parties in the legislature, the provision of a ministerial-level salary to the leader of the official Opposition and the other funds provided for the research needed to challenge government positions.

Our system remains democratic in part because the opposition parties are free and have the capacity to express their disagreement with the general direction of government policy, including individual bills and expenditure decisions. This happens on a daily basis when the legislature is in session.

It is through the adversarial clash of government versus opposition that the public obtains the benefit of exposure to alternative perspectives. Often when the opposition speaks against government proposals, they are expressing the concerns of organizations outside of the legislature. Such representations contribute to acceptance of policy decisions because people feel their voices have been heard.

In addition to its practical value, the dynamics of government versus opposition, including the peaceful transition of power, send the important symbolic message that civilized political debate is the best way to achieve consensus (as much as possible in a pluralistic society) on how to make progress.

In terms of short-term political tactics, it often seems smarter for the opposition to simply criticize the mistakes, misdeeds and inactions of the governing party. This tactical approach reflects the old political adage that governments usually defeat themselves. It also avoids the risk that the governing party will steal opposition ideas and, in the process, cause the opposition to lose its identity.

On the other hand, if an opposition party wants to be seen as an alternative government-in-waiting, it must put forward some policy ideas. In the current era of permanent campaigning, too much emphasis is on winning headlines every day and too little on preparing to govern.

Having recently gone into opposition after nearly 17 years in government, the NDP is having trouble shifting into an opposition mode. They remain in a defensive mode, defending the policies they followed when in office. After such a long tenure, a party runs out of policy ideas and loses touch with public opinion in part because their leadership group is preoccupied with the tasks of governing.

There is the additional problem that the NDPs fight over leadership left enduring divisions. The magnitude of the partys defeat means there are few experienced MLAs available to challenge the Pallister government. Even among the survivors, there is less enthusiasm for the thankless tasks of opposition compared with the exhilaration of governing.

Last year, Flor Marcelino reluctantly assumed the role of interim party leader, a job other MLAs in the caucus declined. Typically, it is the party leader who leads the challenges to the government in question period. Marcelino acknowledges that she lacks the aggressive leadership style and easy command of English (her second language) that would better enable her to confront Pallister.

A lack of strategy, focus and discipline within the caucus has meant a poor performance in terms of challenging the government. The suspension of MLA Mohinder Saran amid sexual-harassment allegations and, most recently, the resignation of Rob Altemeyer as caucus chairman, are other signs of disarray and dysfunction.

Selection of a permanent leader for the NDP will not take place until September. This means that, for many months, party elites and activists will be preoccupied with the leadership contest. Once chosen, the new NDP leader will have to heal any resulting divisions in order to build a cohesive team.

Currently, many in the NDP blame the defeat on poor leadership and poor communication, not on the policies they followed or failed to pursue. This is a mistake. The partys policy cupboard may not be bare, but it definitely needs restocking for the party to regain credibility and to restore its brand in the public mind.

In the legislature, some PC ministers have been excessively zealous in celebrating the defeat and ongoing problems of the NDP. A united, effective and credible opposition would help to curb potential complacency and arrogance that eventually brings governments down.

Paul G. Thomas is professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 19/01/2017 (2115 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Manitoba Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette is no stranger to dancing to the beat of his own drum.

This time, hes just doing it on skis.

The 40-year-old MP for Winnipeg Centre is spending the next three weeks gliding across snow between North Battleford, Sask., and Winnipeg, stopping at 41 different First Nations to lobby for support for what he calls the Great Confederation.

SUPPLIED Robert-Falcon Ouellette leaves North Battleford, Sask., on his journey to Winnipeg to speak with indigenous groups and lobby for support for a political union.

Im trying to get support for a political union among indigenous people, said Ouellette, after the first short leg of his journey, which began at the Red Pheasant First Nation, just south of North Battleford.

His second day will include stops north of that city at the Moosomin First Nation and Saulteaux First Nation, before he starts to head east.

All told, he will cover more than 1,000 kilometres  some of it on skis when possible, and on foot when its not.

Ouellette, who is of mixed English and Cree descent, said he thinks First Nations would be more powerful and more prosperous if they worked together, including turning the Assembly of First Nations into an indigenous parliament of sorts, to parallel the House of Commons.

Its given a good standard of living to the rest of Canada, hasnt it? he asked. Its time for the indigenous organizations to change, to become something far greater.

That this is outside the normal bounds of his duties as an MP is not really debatable. It has no direct ties to either his constituency work or his roles in Ottawa representing Winnipeg Centre, or as a member of the finance committee.

To miss a day in the House, MPs must clear it with the party whip, which the party confirmed was done in writing despite the fact that the whip position is now vacant after the promotion of Andrew Leslie to parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs.

Ouellette shrugs off any suggestion he is shirking his MP duties, even though he will miss at least 13 sitting days in the House of Commons and up to 15 constituency days.

Im hopefully drawing attention to an idea and causing debate about the society we want to have here in Canada, he said. When Im in Ottawa, I dont hear a lot of people discussing this.

Ouellette has only been an MP for about 15 months but he has already ostracized himself from his caucus in many ways. Right out of the blocks, he landed in hot water when he put his name in the hat to be Speaker of the House of Commons. He told a town hall in his riding that, as speaker, he would have influence to call the prime minister over to his chair and demand money for something in his riding.

You do control the debate and the prime minister wants to keep you happy, he said at a town hall in his riding in November 2015.

He withdrew his bid for the speakers job not long after that, after a few words of caution were thrown his way by people within the party.

In May, he voted against his governments call to shorten debate on the assisted dying bill, as it tried to rush the bill through ahead of a Supreme Court deadline.

Last spring, he filibustered a finance committee meeting during a debate about launching a study of a guaranteed minimum income, hoping to persuade his Liberal colleagues to change their mind and vote for it.

This fall he broke ranks again, saying he didnt think the Department of Fisheries had properly consulted with First Nations before it approved the Site C hydroelectric dam in northern British Columbia.

The Liberals are tolerating Ouellettes outspokenness to a point. Last fall, when the finance committee hit the road for the annual pre-budget tour, Ouellette wasnt in attendance at any of the nine stops across the country, not even the meeting in Winnipeg on Oct. 6. He was forced to miss them, scheduled by the party to be on house duty in Ottawa instead. He attended every meeting of the committee in Ottawa, where the Liberals can keep a closer eye on him.

Insiders say it would be a fair assessment to call him sidelined.

One of the reasons the Liberals have tolerated him this far is because he won them a long-held NDP seat, upending veteran NDP MP Pat Martin in the process. Many constituents were tired of Martins outspoken style, but some have privately wondered to the Free Press if Ouellette is actually much different.

Ouellette himself has no concerns that he is upsetting anyone in his party. He has told the Free Press a few times he was elected to represent his constituents and they didnt send him to Ottawa to keep his mouth shut.

Mia Rabson is the Winnipeg Free Press parliamentary bureau chief.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mrabson
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/01/2017 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May this week accepted the rule laid down by German Chancellor Angela Merkel for the terms of Britains exit from the European Union: Britain has to pull out of the EU entirely and start over to negotiate a free trade agreement with its neighbours. Chancellor Merkel, anxious to preserve the EU with its remaining 27 member countries, would not hear of Britain staying in the EU for selected purposes and pulling out of the bits it did not like. If Britain was allowed to do that, then other member countries would similarly start picking and choosing which aspects of EU membership they liked, and pretty soon there would be no more European Union.

In a speech Tuesday to foreign ambassadors in London, Ms. May said she would withdraw her country from the European single market and the European Court of Justice, stop paying into the EU budget, seek tariff-free trade with the EU and with other countries and limit entry of migrants from Europe. Britains parliament will vote on the resulting new deal with Europe once it is concluded two years from now.

Ms. Mays first problem was to preserve the unity of her ruling Conservative party and maintain her own right to govern. She came to power in July last year after the former prime minister, David Cameron, lost his referendum to keep Britain in the EU. Mr. Cameron resigned, and Ms. May, who had also campaigned to stay in Europe, took his place. Her party and the opposition Labour party remain divided, as does the country, on the merits of EU membership. Though the referendum gave victory to the Leave side, many still prefer to remain.

MICHEL EULER / The Associated Press U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May

The plan she presented should satisfy most of the Leavers in her party because it does restore the sovereignty of the British parliament to make the laws of Britain, and it does restore British control over entry of migrants. It should satisfy most of the Remainers because it aims for the freest possible trade that can be negotiated with the EU and with other countries such as Canada and the U.S.

For the banks, which are important to the economy of London, the uncertainty remains: they may still be free, as they have been under EU rules, to serve clients on the continent from offices in the U.K.  or they may not. For those who cant stand waiting to find out, emissaries from Frankfurt, Paris and Dublin are eager to pave the way for them to move. For manufacturers, the removal of shared Europe-wide labour standards may create pressure for pay reductions and curtailment of workers benefits.

British manufacturers will now be released from compliance with dictates from Brussels covering the size, colour, quality and labelling of their products. For many purposes, Britain will probably enforce a European standard, though British authorities will have no voice in writing those standards. Britains Leavers wanted to be bullied by British bureaucrats, not foreign ones, and Ms. Mays plan should achieve that goal after a fashion.

The Leavers also wanted to stop the flow of migrants from Poland crossing the English Channel and settling in the U.K. Those migrants will now have to enter the Irish Republic, which remains in Europe, sneak across the border into Northern Ireland and then settle in the U.K.
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.
Chocolate? Good. Wine? Even better. But together? Not for me.

Before you head to the comment section or Twitter to tell me Im a hack, hear me out.

While chocolate companies, large-scale wine brands and pop culture rom-coms try to sell you on the romantic idea of wine and chocolate pairings  whether for Valentines Day or general gift giving  beverage experts tend to agree: Still wine typically fails as a dance partner for chocolate.

Im not sure why everyone is always trying to pair chocolate with red wine, other than the fact that everyone loves red wine and chocolate, says Los Angeles-based sommelier Whitney Adams. Its rare that I enjoy wine with my chocolate. Adams says to step away from dry red wines  zins, cabs, pinots  and instead reach for other categories, namely dessert or fortified wines like port or Madeira.

Madeira is like a slightly sweet, salty and nutty hug in a glass, says Adams. Id reach for some Rare Wine Co. Madeira for a special treat.

Chocolate, by nature, is bitter. Like wine, it also contains tannins, the astringent compound found in red wines that cause your gums and cheeks to dry out. Pairing a wine  also typically higher in acid  with bitter chocolate just throws your palate out of whack.

Theres nothing wrong with eating chocolate and wine, but if youre going for a specific pairing and a great experience, dry reds are just jarring and clashing, says Michael Matonte, manager of Vin Chicago and an advanced sommelier. You want a little sweetness. A little bit of Lambrusco can be quite nice with chocolate. Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine style from Italy, tends to have a fine bubble and fruitier profile, lending a soft cleansing of the palate between bites of richer chocolate.

For Katrina Markoff, chocolate expert and founder of Vosges Haut Chocolat, the wine and chocolate pairing should be much more nuanced. In fact, her company trains employees in perfect chocolate and beverage pairings with a 100-page tasting guide just for this purpose.

Wine and chocolate are often diametrically opposed in flavors, so the trick is to look at the whole experience, says Markoff. Known for incorporating ingredients like fennel pollen, paprika, star anise and horseradish into her chocolates, Markoff suggests pulling out flavors from the chocolate that can be mirrored in the wine. If the chocolate is already very sweet, a dessert wine can be too much  an eau de vie, or fruit brandy, is the way to go. The higher acid in the brandy provides balance and lift. If you insist on red wine with a dark chocolate, at least avoid tannic styles. Go for something juicier, she says. Try California merlot or Australian shiraz.

Personally, I take a different tack: Brown spirits like whiskey and rum. Sure, the buzz doesnt hurt, but the alcohol also has more body, coating the tongue from the chocolates tannins. Additionally, a brown spirits spicy and caramel flavors lend themselves well to the darker, earthy flavors of chocolate.

If youve read this far and still disagree  fine. Far be it for me to prevent your enjoyment of two of Gods great culinary gifts. I just want you to know: Theres a better way.
River Arts Alliances inaugural meeting will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26 the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts, at the intersection of Vila and Howard streets.

There will be a social time from 5:30 to 6 p.m., with the meeting beginning at 6 p.m. During the meeting, members will vote for the slate of nominees to the board of directors. There is one opening if someone would like to be nominated to a board position.

Other agenda items will include discussion of the alliance's Strategic Plan for the next two years, as well as answering questions and having an overall discussion of arts and culture in the Winona area.
Minnesota legislators are working, once again, to make filling the cooler at last-minute Sunday barbecues a little easier.

The almost yearly debate over ending the prohibition on Sunday liquor sales is back with renewed vigor this year, with state and Winona-area legislators pushing for the repeal in both the House and the Senate.

Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, said he introduced legislation already in the House to make Sunday just like any other day for liquor stores. Drazkowski said it didnt make sense to export business on Sundays to Wisconsin, or put specific restrictions on when businesses can and cant operate.

Weve been fighting for this a long time, and its been a long time coming, Drazkowski said.

Repealing the ban would bring Minnesota into the majority across the nation. Only 12 states still have so-called blue laws on the books, which in Minnesota ban Sunday liquor sales, as well as selling cars on Sundays.

The law, if changed, wouldnt force any liquor store to be open any more than they are now, Drazkowski said, but would give them the opportunity for additional business.

A different version of the bill passed the House Commerce Committee on a 15-4 vote Tuesday and is headed to the House floor; it would allow liquor stores to be open on Sundays, but not before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.

The bill would also prohibit Sunday deliveries to liquor stores.

Drazkowski said he was confident the change would be approved by the House, and cautiously optimistic about the Senate.

Sen. Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, said he had introduced language to repeal the ban in the past  he also incidentally, in a 2015 MinnPost story, predicted the passage of the repeal in 2017  and plans to do so again after the Senate finishes looking at other issues.

It seems to be gaining more traction, Miller said. My guess is we will see some action in the session coming up.

Supporters say that the antiquated post-prohibition laws limit consumer choice and drive business across state lines, primarily in border counties like Winona, Houston and Wabasha. Opponents, including smaller liquor stores, argue against the higher overhead of being open for another day, which they say they would be forced to do in order to stay competitive against larger shops.

The Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association has lobbied against a change on the grounds that the current system seems to work well enough.

Ken Siebenaler, owner of Third Street Liquor in downtown Winona, said he has seen the issue get attention in the state before and thought it would be supported.

As far as taxes and business go, its a big deal, Siebenaler said. Its kind of ridiculous, the way its been.

Siebenaler said that he would likely open his store on Sunday if it becomes possible.

If the bill makes it through both the House and the Senate, and the language between the Senate and House bills can be reconciled, the bill would likely pass; Gov. Mark Dayton has indicated hell sign it into law or allow it to become law without his signature.

As far as taxes and business go, its a big deal. Its kind of ridiculous, the way its been. Ken Siebenaler, owner of Third Street Liquor in downtown Winona
JUNEAU  Gabriel Joseph Brandl tearfully apologized to the family of Holly Nehls shortly before being sentenced to spend the next seven years in prison.

I am sorry from the bottom of my heart, Brandl said, while facing those who came to support Holly Nehls in a Dodge County courtroom Friday.

Brandl, 30, helped 41-year-old Holly Nehls inject the heroin that led to her death on May 31 and then attempted to hide her body to avoid criminal charges.

For the rest of my life I will regret this, Brandl said. I take full responsibility. I injected Holly with heroin.

Brandl said he plans to use his time in prison to grow and heal and wants to help other addicts after he leaves prison.

Dodge County Judge Brian Pfitzinger sentenced Brandl to seven years of initial incarceration and 13 years of an extended sentence. As part of Brandls extended sentence he must give a presentation about causing Nehls death every May 31. He may not have contact with the Nehls family. He must pay court costs and $6,745 in restitution.

Pfitzinger said during sentencing that Brandl must have known that there were alternatives to allowing Nehls to die after driving around with her in a distressed situation for 10 hours.

There is not a heroin addict on the planet who does not know about Narcan, Pfitzinger said.

Even with all the deaths being contributed to heroin and all the pain, Pfitzinger said there appears to be no end to those attracted to the drug.

This is not an unusual situation, Pfitzinger said. It has become way too usual.

If nothing comes from this, I hope everyone here remembers this pain, Pfitzinger said. I hope they do whatever they can to let others know if it is talking at the pulpit or at the water cooler or talking to their neighbors. I hope you remember this pain and share it with as many people as you can.

Pfitzinger said the system does not have the answer to fix the problem of heroin in society.

The system cant figure it out, Pfitzinger said. Its doing all that it can, but it is not enough.

About 40 people came to support Brandl with three giving testimony on his behalf including his mother, Theresa Brandl, the Rev. Frederick Smith and a longtime friend, Erica Niemann

I am really, really sorry for what happened to Holly, Theresa Brandl said. We have prayed for your family for comfort.

Theresa Brandl described her son as caring and willing to listen to others. She said he battled depression and used his love of music and art to cope. She said her son became addicted to heroin.

I never understood how deep his addiction was, Theresa Brandl said. I never knew.

Brandl entered a no contest plea to first degree reckless homicide/deliver drugs and was found guilty on Nov.1.

Also charged in the case are Terence Jannke, 49, Watertown, and Jason Twaite, 32, Watertown. Their cases remain open.

Jannke allegedly provided the heroin to Brandl that he injected into Nehls, which caused her death. Jannke is charged with first degree reckless homicide, maintaining a drug trafficking place as a party to a crime and possession of heroin with intent to deliver.

Twaite is charged with maintaining a drug trafficking place as a party to a crime and possession of drug paraphernalia.

On May 31, officers were called to Watertown Regional Medical Center to investigate the death of Nehls, whose body had been brought to the hospital earlier that day.

Officers learned that Brandl had brought Nehls body to the hospital at approximately 10:30 a.m. The criminal complaint states that Brandl told officers Nehls had died of a heroin overdose. Hospital staff informed officers that Nehls was dead upon arrival.

Brandl was interviewed by officers and, according to the complaint, identified Jannke as providing the heroin that killed Nehls.

Brandl told officers he reluctantly helped Nehls inject the heroin and gave her half a dose. He said that about 10 minutes after the injection Nehls was out of it.

Brandl said they stayed at the park for about 45 minutes before Nehls became unconscious. He told officers he threw water in her face and slapped her to try to rouse her, but eventually put her in the car where she was snoring and unresponsive. Brandl said he and Jannke drove around for awhile.

Brandl alleged that he told Jannke they should take Nehls to a hospital but that Jannke convinced him that she would snap out of it soon. Brandl claimed that Jannke drove them around for three hours before they returned to Jannkes residence to do more heroin, leaving Nehls in the car.

Brandl said he returned to the vehicle 20 minutes later and Nehls was still snoring. Brandl told officers he went to Walmart when he noticed that Nehls was no longer breathing. He told officers he tried to give her CPR, but she was already dead.

Brandl said he believed it was between midnight and 1 a.m. when Nehls died. He told officers he went back to Jannkes home and told him Nehls was dead. Jannke told Brandl not to mention his name since he had given them the heroin. Brandl allegedly told officers that Jannke took Nehls phone and deleted his contact information and text messages.

According to the complaint, Brandl told officers he went to Oak Hill Cemetery to think about what to do and decided to take Nehls to the hospital.

Brandl told officers he drove to the hospital but didnt have the courage to go in. He then went to Moravian Cemetery where he again contemplated what to do. Eventually Brandl drove back to Watertown Regional Medical Center and went inside to tell staff that Nehls body was in his car.

According to his timeline, Brandl waited approximately 10 hours to take Nehls to the hospital after he believed her to be deceased.

For the rest of my life, I will regret this. I take full responsibility. I injected Holly with heroin.GABRIEL BRANDL
Local residents will have a chance to get out of the cold, enjoy some home cooking, and support a good cause on Saturday, Jan. 28 in New Lisbon.

The city will host the 10th annual Mayors Chili Cookoff from 11 a.m.  2 p.m. at city hall. Proceeds from the event will benefit the New Lisbon Lake Fund. A minimum $10 donation per person is requested, but if contestants bring an entry in before 10:30 a.m., they can eat for free. Refreshments will be provided.

Lloyd Chase, who has served as the citys mayor since 2002, started the event as a way to bring the community together for a fun activity. Through the years, the cookoff has averaged about 100-130 people every year.

Its a nice social day, really, Chase said. Its nice to look at the community room at city hall and see if full of people sitting and visiting.

Chase said the cookoff has attracted a wide variety of chilies, including wild game, Mexican, sweet and other varieties.

Some of the breads that are brought in are more like cakes, but they are breads, Chase said, laughing.

Soups and chilies entered in the cookoff will be served in a buffet style. Entrants will be judged and attendees can also cast their vote for which chili they thought was best. Plaques will be presented to winners in each category, awarding cooks with the finest chili, soup and bread.

We hang them up in city hall so people can see who has won in every year that weve had it, Chase said.

The lake in New Lisbon, which is part of the Lemonweir River Flowage, has built up sediment and the city has worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to clean up the waterway. The DNR and the city have conducted multiple studies and have created a suggested dredging map.

The city has to formulate a plan, approved by the DNR, of how they want to clean the lake. New Lisbon doesnt designate money in its operating budget for the lake cleanup, so it started a fund to help cover costs for the plan.

I think its probably going to be a few years before we get to the actual dredging project, Chase said. Were also working on some grants to see if we can get help with it.

The cookoff fundraiser usually generates $1,500-$2,300 to help a local project. In the past, the chili cookoff has raised money for the New Lisbon Library renovation fund, local boy scouts, and other organizations.

Im hoping we can raise about $2,000 this year, Chase said. We usually have people who come to this who will write a check for $50 or $100  they want to donate to the project. This really benefits a resource that many people use; our fishing areas and our parks are pretty heavily used, so Im hoping for a good turnout to help raise some money.

Chase is pleased to see the annual event reach its 10th year and still have generous support from the New Lisbon community. And, the award-winning recipes continue to bring in residents from across Juneau County and beyond.

Im pretty proud of what its done. I know its not a huge fundraiser, but its a pretty good event for people and it has provided funding, Chase said. Weve had winners from Tomah, Necedah and Mauston  people come from all around. Its kind of fun just to see how far people come, even from Lake Delton, Reedsburg and Baraboo.

For more information on the chili cookoff, call Chase at 608-547-5799.
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.
Over 200,000 people are expected in Washington, D.C. this Saturday for the Womens March on Washington. In addition to the national march, organizers estimate 1.3 million more people will take part at over 600 sister marches across the United States and 61 countries worldwide.

Madison will have strong representation at the D.C. march. Two hundred people have signed up to travel with local organizers by bus, but scores of others plan to make it to D.C. on their own, including local teachers and students.

The Cap Times caught up with two groups who plan to make the 12-hour drive to Washington D.C. this weekend for the womens march. Four staff members at Madison East High will caravan to the march, and two siblings are traveling to D.C. with their mother and two of their friends. Although driving down separately, both groups are motivated by similar principles; They hope to be a part of a historic event that will spark political activism today and into the future.

Although the Womens March on Washingtons guiding principles do not explicitly state it is an Anti-Trump event, Madison attendees see it as an opportunity to make a powerful statement to the incoming administration that dissent will continue well beyond Saturday.

Wei Li Werner, 18, is a senior at East High School. She said although Donald Trumps win in November left her in a stupor, she is optimistic about connecting with others who feel compelled to act. I think that this march is a great way to stand up for what I believe in, Werner said. Its a way to express my opinions and fears and try to create something positive out of that.

Lucy Smith, 17, is new to Madison and a student at Madison College. She is marching to pressure the Trump administration to prioritize womens rights. There is this quote by (civil rights leader and U.S. Rep.) John Lewis, You have to dramatize an issue, she said. (The march) brings womens rights to the forefront, and I think it is important for people to talk about it.

Recent Shabazz City High School graduate Mairead Thistle is hopeful that the increased visibility of those opposed to Trumps election will show the incoming administration that dissenters are not going away anytime soon. (The march) may not change policy, but thousands of people marching sends a message that we will not take this easily. We are going to fight this, Thistle said.

Many of the people from Madison attending the march believe they will be a part of history. Marchers compared the event to the Womens Suffrage Parade of 1913 and the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.

Amanda Pustz teaches U.S. history at East and thinks Saturdays march will find its way into history books. When you are aware that a significant historical event is taking place, it motivates you to want to be a part of that, she said. You understand the ramifications of an event like a large march on Washington. This is historical; this is monumental.

The adult women headed to the march hope their actions will inspire youth to immerse themselves in political activism. Sandy Thistle is proud to accompany the group of young people to the march because she thinks it is important for them to be change agents for their futures. I want them to take the lead, she said. Being there seems like it may create shifts in them that are important.

Pustz said she wants to model for her students what it means to be politically active. We don't want the kids to learn that their only role is to complain. Instead, we want them to act, she said. President Obama just said in his farewell address, If you dont like something thats happening, grab a clipboard and go out and try to make a change.

Leigh Vierstra also teaches U.S. History at East. She thinks support from her students and school leadership affirms Easts longstanding commitment to grassroots organizing. East is this unique place for political activism. For us to have the support of our administration to allow us to use our political voice is really important, she said.

Many students in this building are concerned with what is about to come (with Trumps administration.) My classes are really excited because they feel like I am standing up not only for myself but for them.

Earlier this week, national organizers released a statement outlining the vision and goals for the march. The document stood on the guiding principle that, Womens Rights are Human Rights and Human Rights are Womens Rights. Women who signed the statement represent multiple, intersecting identities. Despite the organizers attempts at inclusion, critics see the march as catering to the concerns of white women.

Werner was born in China and adopted by a white family. Although she noticed the lack of representation for her identity in the womens march on Washingtons platform, she believes that a successful march ultimately benefits all people.

One of my history teachers said, When you have civil rights, it's all interconnected, so when you progress for one group, for instance, women, it is going to help these other causes, Werner said. Every time you dont see your group represented, but you see these others, it does leave a little tingle in your throat, but I understand that is is not the most pressing issue right now.

Mallory Saurer, who also teaches U.S. History at East, believes the marchs focus on issues like eliminating violence against women, equal pay, and reproductive rights impact a large cross-section of women.

I think the hardest thing about feminism and intersectionality is that we all have different needs, but I think that there is some common ground for all women.

Sandy Thistle believes it is important for white women to recognize their privilege and work to build coalitions with all women. Its really easy for white, middle-class women, who had a lot to do with electing Trump, to stay isolated from everyone else in the community, she said. That doesn't work and we need to do something different. I dont know what the answer is, but we need to show up.

Despite the marchs areas for growth, each of the participants hoped that people continue to fight for womens rights after everyone returns home at the end of the weekend. I would like (the march) to be the starting point to serious political activism, Pustz said. I know there are all sorts of pockets of activism happening locally. I just hope it continues and this is a motivating factor to get more people politically active.

Sauer thinks Saturday will be, the inauguration of the resistance, she said.

Im hoping that this is a new birth of intersectional feminism and moving forward as a collective majority around womens issues.
In lamenting President Barack Obamas foreign and military policies, Republicans frequently have offered a concise summary: Our allies dont trust us, and our enemies dont fear us. They didnt imagine the day would come when the same might be said of a Republican president. But thats the prospect Donald Trump raises.

The latest source of alarm is an interview the president-elect gave to The Times of London and the German newspaper Bild. First he reiterated his unflattering view of the Atlantic alliance. I took such heat when I said NATO was obsolete, he said. And then they started saying, Trump is right. As for the country that poses the main military threat to Europe, he said, Lets see if we can make some good deals with Russia.

He dismissed the European Union: Personally, I dont think it matters much for the United States. ... I dont really care if its separate or together. He said the British vote to leave the EU was a great thing. He added vague caveats: NATO is very important to me, and I feel very strongly toward Europe.

His latest pronouncements caused astonishment and excitement, not just in Brussels, said Germany Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who noted that they contradicted the positions taken by his nominee for defense secretary, James Mattis, in his confirmation hearings.

NATO, of course, has been the most successful military alliance ever seen, keeping the peace among nations that, before its creation in 1949, were repeatedly drenched in gore. It also has served as a sturdy check on Russian expansionism, while providing a way for Germany to work amicably and productively with countries that once were its enemies. The 28-member EU has advanced parallel purposes by removing trade barriers, establishing a common currency and allowing free travel.

Neither has been without fault. Most NATO countries have fallen short of the commitments they have made on military spending. The EU has often promoted tone-deaf overregulation from its Brussels headquarters, and the flood of refugees in recent years has made its open borders problematic.

But NATO also sent troops to Afghanistan to help the United States after 9/11. The EU has helped dampen the worst elements of nationalism.

If Trump is merely making a calculated attempt to force laggard governments to meet their obligations, more power to him. Brexit and his disparagement of the EU could encourage refugee policies that satisfy popular anxieties. Maybe Trump can devise ways to work with Russia on matters of common concern without reneging on our security commitments.

But no one in Europe should ever be induced to wonder if America is on the side of Europes free and democratic nations or the menacing, corrupt autocrat in the Kremlin. The military partnerships and economic connections between the United States and Europe deserve a great deal of the credit for the relative peace and prosperity of the postwar era.

Efforts to improve this system of cooperation should always be welcomed. But they should also be careful. As with most structures, renovation is wiser than demolition.
For many students 3:30 p.m. is the time to leave school.

For others, another type of work begins.

Like athletes and club members, Student Council representatives at Reedsburg Area High School stick around to discuss events and the latest business. Their current project: The annual Winter Carnival.

The council is responsible for organizing and running the high schools major activities, including Homecoming.

These events likely wouldnt occur without the council at the helm, said Matt Smuksta, who advises the group along with Jon Carey.

Student Council is an excellent way to serve the school, said Grace Colvin, a junior who has been part of the organization for three years.

Colvin currently serves as vice president. She and other members of the Executive Board were elected by other students.

The board leads meetings, which include any number of student participants. These students often volunteer to decorate, cleanup, accept money and run other functions during events. Executive Board members also work at council events.

Experience

Several representatives say council has been an empowering experience.

Mai Klink, a junior, said she likes being part of an active organization.

Its a fun way to be a part of your school, she said.

Ally Gesteland added that council is like community service because it supports so many people.

Being involved is important for young people, said Samantha Even, a junior.

Like Homecoming, the Winter Carnival includes dress-up days, an assembly and a dance. Colvin said council has been working on it for about a month. Carnival celebrations begin the week of Jan. 23 and culminate in a dance on Jan. 28.

Theres a lot that goes on behind the scenes, perhaps more than some people know or expect, said Gesteland, who is a junior.

Seeing events in action is one way for students to see the fruits of their labor, Smuksta said.

They can make an impact and they realize that, he said.

Council offers skills-building resources such as conferences and keynote speakers. Smuksta said members pick up valuable real-world abilities such as communication, leadership and collaboration. These traits are highly valued by employers so students who have experience are more likely to succeed in the workforce.

For now these students are dedicated to building a thriving school.

They help make it a more positive place to be, he said.

Other members of the Executive Board include Tyson Holtz, president; Kyli Kurtenbach, secretary; Colin Crolius, treasurer; Aysha Holtz, public relations; and Brooke Zibell, membership.
Cheri Rauth learned she had stage 4 breast cancer two weeks before her wedding day and within eight months of her 15th normal mammogram.

The diagnosis is "basically a death sentence," says her widower, Bill Rauth of Omaha. "The average life expectancy is 34 months. She lasted 17."

Cheri and Bill were married Aug. 8, 2014. She died Jan. 10, 2016, at age 59.

A year later, Bill Rauth still fights back tears of mourning and frustration that Cheri was never told about her dense breast tissue, a known predictor of breast cancer risk that may have led to an earlier diagnosis.

State Sen. Joni Craighead of Omaha has proposed a bill (LB195) that would require doctors to inform mammography patients about their breast tissue density, which could prompt those with dense breasts to seek further testing.

Craighead named the bill "Cheri's Law."

It is cosigned by seven other women in the state Legislature, but met resistance from the health care industry Friday during a hearing before the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee.

Elisabeth Hurst, a lobbyist for the Nebraska Hospital Association, called the bill over-regulation that could cause unwarranted anxiety for patients with dense breasts but not cancer, and lead them to undergo unnecessary tests that involve exposure to radiation.

The Nebraska Medical Association and the Nebraska Radiological Society also submitted a letter expressing concerns about the measure.

Some 40 percent of women have breasts that are considered dense because of their level of glandular tissue.

Having dense breasts doesn't mean a woman has cancer, but because glandular tissue and cancers both appear white on mammograms, they can sometimes be difficult to distinguish.

Twenty-eight states have laws requiring breast density notification. The first was Connecticut in 2009.

Radiologists are already required to report breast density information to physicians, but Craighead said communication often stops there.

She described the issue as legislative as well as public awareness-related.

Women with dense breast tissue might opt for more advanced mammograms, or even breast ultrasounds or MRIs, said Nancy Cappello, a Connecticut-based advocate for breast density awareness.

Knowing she had dense breasts might not have saved Cheri Rauth's life, Cappello said, but, "She should have the opportunity to find out."
Wits team flying high

Engineering students reach the top 50 in Airbus global aviation competition.

Four Wits Aeronautical Engineering students have progressed to round two in the Airbus Fly Your Ideas competition that challenges students from all disciplines to develop new ideas and innovate with Airbus for the future of aviation.

South Africa is represented by Team Aero Squad consisting of the four Witsies: Makhosazana Moyo, Seshni Govender, Thabiso Leballo and Buhle Dlodlo.

Traveller24 caught up with the team who are working on a passenger experience innovation set to reduce aisle congestion and boarding delays. Their idea is for an overhead luggage elevation system that allows the passenger to load hand luggage onto it whilst seated.

The team says their third year Aircraft Design lecturer in the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering and mentor for the competition, Michael Boer, encouraged and motivated them to enter to expand their knowledge.

"We were always looking to balance the practical with the innovative. And for the team the problem was not what they should focus on but instead being able to choose one key idea out of many."

Read the full story: SA team from Wits makes top 50 in Airbus global aviation competition
The character of capitalism in South Africa before and since democracy

Professor Vishnu Padyachee in the School of Economic and Business Sciences at Wits holds the Derek Schrier and Cecily Cameron Chair in Development Economics.

The Chair in Development Economics fosters research into sustainable development and democracy, macro-economic policy and corporate transformation within the framework of South Africas transition on to democracy.

In his research, Padayachee explores four related themes:

Varieties of South African capitalism

New directions in central banking and monetary policy

South Africas great economic policy debate

Inequality, macroeconomics and capitalism.

My research interrogates the meaning and nature of capitalist development in the modern world and in post-apartheid South Africa, based on the view that capitalism settles differently in each social formation with implications for national economic policy making. I examine the character of capitalism in South Africa before and since democracy and compare contemporary South African capitalism with other models of capitalism, says Padayachee.

Increasingly Padayachees research will incorporate corporate governance under different models of capitalism.

The current turmoil in global banking and finance has raised questions about the objectives and role of central banks and the instruments of monetary policy.The role of central banks in modern economies has changed significantly over the past 30 years and will continue to change in ways which may well threaten the very existence and raison detre of these institutions this century.

The 'great economic policy debate in South Africa' refers to the evolution of ANC economic and social policy from 1943 to 1996. Padayachees research focus here is on economic history and political economy, and how this shapes contemporary policy choices.

A component of this research is the publication of a manuscript that attempts to answer if it was this history that informed the policy choices of the African National Congress in the 1990s, he says.

Padayachee envisages a study into the relationship and connection between inequality, financial stability, macroeconomics and capitalism. There is a dearth of research in this field despite evidence that global finance is a principal source of changing global patterns of pay inequality in most countries, both developed and developing.

Padayachee says, Inequality studies need to be located within the broader frameworks of macroeconomics, financial development and capitalist trajectories to have real impact.

Read more about research at Wits in Wits Research Matters.
One manufacturer calls their mobile "plate hunter."

The ELSAG North America automatic license plate reader can capture up to 1,800 license plate images per minute, process parked and moving vehicles across up to four lanes of traffic, day or night, in any weather, and alert police officers within milliseconds of a vehicle's location.

They're being used in Nebraska, even if on a limited basis.

The Lincoln Police Department has them, and has a policy for how long they will retain the license plate images they capture. Omaha police have them, but have stopped using them, according to ACLU of Nebraska, because the cameras stopped working shortly after their purchase. And the Nebraska State Patrol does not retain images that are captured.

Even if they haven't caught on much here, their use is exploding in other states, said Amy Miller, ACLU of Nebraska legal director.

Lincoln Sen. Matt Hansen thinks Nebraska law enforcement agencies should create policies for their use. No one showed up at a Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday afternoon on his bill (LB93).

Hansen introduced the Automatic License Plate Reader Privacy Act, that spells out who could use a reader and in what situations. It also designates what could be retained and how the data could be used. Violation of the act would carry penalties.

He introduced the same bill last year, but it died because it was heard late in the session and lacked a priority designation. This year he hopes it will get to the floor early for debate.

Miller said there are privacy concerns, especially since the cameras' use so far has captured images of mostly innocent Nebraskans.

Pictures of license plates from cameras mounted on police cars or on stationary sites such as bridges, buildings or utility poles, can reveal a lot about a person, Miller said. They can show what friends, doctors, protest meetings, political activities or churches a person visits.

Limits are necessary to prevent abuse, she said. The question is not about the snapping of the picture, which may not seem problematic, Miller said, but holding on to it and putting it in a database.

When data is compiled, showing where a car appeared all over the city over weeks or months, the government could have significant information about peoples' lives, she said.

"Seeing the limited use currently in Nebraska, it would be prudent for the Legislature to take a proactive action before the technology expands further," Hansen said, "so all law enforcement agencies and citizens can share an understanding of how the technology can be used."
The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.

Read More
SAP SE, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an enterprise application software company worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Applications, Technology & Support; Qualtrics; and Services. It offers SAP S/4HANA, an ERP suite with intelligent technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced analytics; SAP SuccessFactors Human Experience Management provides cloud-based solutions, such as a human resources management system for core HR and payroll, talent management, employee experience management, and people analytics; and intelligent spend management solutions, including products branded under the SAP Ariba, SAP Concur, and SAP Fieldglass names. The company also provides SAP customer experience solutions; SAP Business Technology platform that enables customers and partners to extend and customize SAP applications in a cloud-native way; and SAP Business Network that enable companies to extend their ecosystem, react to supply chain disruptions, discover new trading partners, and find new opportunities. In addition, it offers business process intelligence solutions aim to help customers analyze their operations, understand their process bottlenecks, and improve their business process landscape; Experience solutions; SAP's industry cloud provides modular solutions addressing industry-specific functions; and SAP's ecosystem build, sell, service, and run SAP solutions and technology, as well as sustainable business solutions, services, and partnerships solutions. SAP SE was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Walldorf, Germany.
County officials like to complain at bill hearings about unfunded mandates put on counties by the state. Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers seemed tired of hearing it. So when officials began complaining about a bill (LB47) that would switch costs of grand juries and autopsies for inmates who die in state prisons from counties to the state, he had some things to say.

"'Unfunded mandates' is not a philosophy. It's an abracadabra -- smoke and mirrors nonsense ... created by certain political entities," he told Lancaster County Administrator Kerry Eagan.

Counties don't exist as free-standing entities, Chambers said. They are part of the state machinery, and wouldn't exist without it. They like the economic benefits of state mandates, but cry foul when they have to spend money.

Coming Friday

Senators will debate more permanent rules changes in the morning. Hearings in the afternoon include a mammography bill in the Health and Human Services Committee, several bills on wage garnishment proceedings in the Judiciary Committee and three Game and Parks Commission appointees in the Natural Resources Committee.
Gov. Pete Ricketts was among the dignitaries traveling to Washington for Donald Trump's inauguration.

A spokesman said Ricketts will attend inauguration events, including a dinner to honor the Republican president-elect, a celebratory parade and a ball. He's scheduled to return to Nebraska on Saturday. First lady Susanne Shore didn't travel to D.C. She's staying home with the Ricketts' children, who have school Friday.

Days before Nebraska's May primary vote, Ricketts greeted Trump with his endorsement at an appearance in Omaha. The governor offered his support despite some public conflicts between Trump and members of Ricketts' family.
New center for government professionals promotes interagency thinking

Center of attention: Tyler Hall, which houses the public policy, government, economics and international relations departments, will also be the home base for the new Whole of Government Center of Excellence. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption

William & Mary has a history of producing top leaders in federal, state and military agencies Bob Gates 65, L.H.D. 98 and Ellen Stofan 83, to name a couple  and a new track within the Master of Public Policy Program aims to build upon that legacy.

Beginning in the fall of 2017, the Whole of Government Center of Excellence (a track within the Master of Public Policy Program) will provide mid-career civilian and military professionals with an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to train them to think holistically when addressing interagency challenges facing national security.

Whole of government is a term that basically focuses on the idea that problems of national and international importance  such as cyber security, terrorism, climate change, refugees and homelessness  are typically not taken care of by just one particular segment of government, said Sarah Stafford, professor of economics and director of the W&M Public Policy Program. Theyre often going to cross different agencies within the government as well as different levels of government. So the idea is to train people who are going to be working on policy issues to understand how different agencies operate and how they can work together to provide better solutions.

The idea for the center came to fruition when Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs John Harvey approached the university with a proposal suggesting W&M would be the ideal location for such a program serving civilian and military professionals.

William & Mary has a well-earned reputation as a military-friendly university, with deep experience in partnering with military facilities in our region and beyond, said Steve Hanson, vice provost for international affairs and director of the Reves Center for International Studies. In a way, weve been training global leaders since our founding in 1693 as an overseas campus sponsored by King William and Queen Mary in the United Kingdom; today, William & Mary alumni serve at high levels in every major agency in the U.S. federal government. And our location, so close to key installations from every branch of the military, and not far from Washington D.C., is ideally suited to build a Center of Excellence of this type.

In 2016, W&M received a state-funded grant to carry out a feasibility study around the center under the leadership of Kathryn Floyd 05, adjunct faculty in government and project director for the study. Floyd, Hanson and Kevin Felix of the Roosevelt Group, a government relations consulting agency, conducted approximately 100 interviews in three phases with military and civilian professionals, as well as university leaders such as Gates and President Taylor Reveley.

The results were incredibly encouraging, Floyd said. Everyone was in sync in their response  they all felt there was a need for a program like this and that William & Mary was the right home for it.

In addition to W&Ms proximity to multiple military bases, the university was especially suited to the Whole of Government Center because of its size  a sweet spot, Stafford said, between a university thats small enough that its easy to work interdepartmentally but large enough to have a long roster of talented and well-respected faculty. This gives the Master of Public Policy (MPP) Program the resources to move forward with the Whole of Government Center of Excellence at an accelerated rate  with the first cohort of fellows arriving on campus in the fall.

The MPP program has joint degrees with all of the other schools  Arts & Sciences, law, business, and education  so we know how to cut across barriers really well, said Stafford. We have a lot of experience with crafting ways for students to get this multi-perspective, interdisciplinary graduate education.

Existing courses within the public policy, government, law, business and international relations programs will provide the foundation for the curriculum, with new tabletop or simulation exercises introduced later on. These exercises will provide professionals from diverse areas of government with practice collaborating with one another to provide solutions to real-world challenges. In addition to coursework, fellows will be encouraged to participate in internship and research projects that support whole of government thinking.

We need to train a new generation of future leaders who have hands-on, practical experience working across the different organizational cultures that must be harmonized in order to facilitate true interagency collaboration  long before finding themselves forced to deal with such issues during a foreign deployment or national emergency, said Hanson.

The center is currently in the process of recruiting its first cohort from various federal, state and local military and government agencies (though anyone is welcome to apply). The admissions deadline for the fall 2017 semester is March 1.
Road to Richmond: Starting the semester by lobbying for W&M

Road to Richmond: Students walk up the steps to the Capitol Building in Richmond on Tuesday. The group met with legislators on behalf of the university as part of the annual Road to Richmond event. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Road to Richmond: Gov. Terry McAuliffe greets W&M students on Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Road to Richmond: W&M students pose for a photo with (front row, from left) Virginia Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson M.B.A. '91, Chief of Staff Paul Reagan '82, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, W&M President Taylor Reveley and Secretary of Administration Nancy Rodrigues. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Road to Richmond: Del. Stephen Heretick (D-79th) talks with students on Tuesday. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Road to Richmond: Sen. Monty Mason '89 (D-1st) talks with W&M students Tuesday. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Road to Richmond: W&M students head to the Library of Virginia. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Road to Richmond: W&M President Taylor Reveley speaks with students, alumni and legislators during a reception in the Library of Virginia. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Road to Richmond: Students, alumni and legislators mingle during a reception held in the Library of Virginia. Photo by Stephen Salpukas Photo - of - Hide Caption

As the last of the students were trickling back into campus before classes began, a group of 34 students  many of them freshmen  gathered on the Sadler Center Terrace mid-day Jan. 17, to begin the trip to Virginias state capitol.

During William & Marys 21st annual Road to Richmond, an event sponsored and organized by the Student Assembly and the Office of Government Relations, students were given a chance to play the role of lobbyists in Virginias General Assembly Building for the day. They talked with numerous state legislators and their aides about varying issues pertaining to W&M and thanked them for capital that was provided for the recent renovations of the third phase of the Integrated Science Center, Tyler Hall and Tucker Hall.

On the eve of the trip, the events organizers and Michael J. Fox, chief of staff and secretary to the Board of Visitors, met with the students to debrief them on the bills that were priorities for W&M, including those pertaining to the benefit of out-of-state students to the school, raises for faculty and staff and money for the planned arts complex and ISC 4.

I think the ultimate purpose is two-fold, said Hannah McKiernan 17, vice president of the Student Assembly. We want students to feel like they are part of the process.

A lot of students are unaware of what really happens behind the doors of the General Assembly Building, McKiernan said.

This gives them a really unique opportunity to witness it first hand, because everything happens so fast, she said. Just being here and giving them the freedom to go do things, really gives them the opportunity to experience the political process firsthand. The other purpose is to be a voice for William & Mary.

As students boarded the bus headed for Richmond late Tuesday morning, excitement was high, especially for students like freshman Marisa Lemma.

This is my first event like this, but Im super excited, Lemma said. Im expecting that well get to talk to some legislators or their assistants about issues that are important to William & Mary in particular, and hopefully, have an impact on the legislation that gets passed.

Shannon Lewis 20 shared in Lemmas expectations, but also stated that she anticipated being a prominent student voice in the government.

I think its different hearing about issues from people that they directly impact rather than just hearing different statistics and figures, she said. Its really important to see the people it impacts and see people who care about the issue.

Upon arrival, W&M President Taylor Reveley and Fran Bradford, associate vice president for government relations, greeted the students. Reveley thanked them for participating and encouraged them to maintain a W&M presence that would leave legislators with a positive impression.

The group then made their way up Capitol Hill to await the arrival of Gov. Terry McAuliffe for the traditional group photo.

When McAuliffe arrived sporting his green and gold tie, he unexpectedly had a special four-legged friend in tow, his dog Guinness. The students briefly thanked McAuliffe for his work on behalf of W&M and discussed what the student body would like to see for the future.

After posing for the picture, students dispersed into the General Assembly Building in search of their assigned legislators. Bearing treats of green and gold M&Ms, students got the chance to sit down one-on-one with legislators or their aides throughout the evening. McKiernan said that legislators are generally just as excited to speak with the bright, engaging students, mostly because of what they bring.

They see [administrators] all the time, but we offer something unique, she said. We care enough to come up here to spend a day and really dedicate ourselves to it  It adds a more personal feel to it.

Other students, such as Laini Boyd, class of 2018 president, and Damiana Dendy 17 emphasized the connection that the conversations create with legislators.

I think its important to have that personal relationship, Lainey said. For administrators, its difficult to speak about what it means to be a student and to have these services on campus. But, we can really talk about it from a personal experience, and I think thats more valuable than a holistic approach of seeing the services, but not using them yourself.

In addition to meeting with legislators, students had the opportunity to visit the Capitol Building and sit in on meetings, including the Senate Finance Committees education subcommittee meeting where Reveley spoke on behalf of the Council of Presidents as chair of the organization alongside Timothy D. Sands, president of Virginia Tech.

As the conversations with legislators came to a wrap, students headed to a board room a few floors above to meet with Sen. Monty Mason 89 (D-1st) and Del. Michael P. Mullin (D-93rd), the representatives for W&Ms district.

Speaking briefly to the group, Mason lauded his experience at W&M.

William & Mary taught me a propensity to learn, he said.

With the evening almost concluded, the students headed across the street to the Library of Virginia, where a reception was held for legislators, alumni, administrators and all those affiliated with W&M.

Those in attendance mingled and conversed about the days interactions as students got to connect with alumni and legislators. Conversations briefly came to a pause as Reveley and Student Assembly President Eboni Brown 17 took to the podium to say a few words.

William & Mary has undergone what can only be called a physical transformation in the last 10 to 15 years, Reveley said about the recently completed renovations across campus. The bulk of the enabling funds have come from the Commonwealth, and for that William & Mary is profoundly grateful.

After a long and eventful day, the students were tired, yet couldnt contain their excited chatter with new friends on the way back to Williamsburg. Many like Ellie Thomas 20 and Ana Murias 20 even expressed their joy at having spent their last day of winter break lobbying for W&M.

It was really interesting to work with all of the other students that are here and to come together as kind of a community to promote W&M even more, Thomas said. Its not something you do every day with legislators.
A federal appeals court Thursday affirmed the dismissal of a Florida man's lawsuit against his Lincoln Regional Center doctors after he was kept locked up for nearly 20 years on a misdiagnosis.

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals didn't take up the substance of John Montin's case, but instead ruled that the malpractice claim should have been filed in state court under the Nebraska State Tort Claims Act.

Montin, 54, sued for millions, accusing psychiatrists and staff of failing to properly evaluate him following a Hayes County judge's decision to commit him after a jury found he was not responsible by reason of insanity of false imprisonment and use of a weapon.

The same jury found Montin not guilty of attempted murder and a second weapons charge in 1993, but doctors at the regional center based their evaluations on the assumption he was guilty and treated his denials that he was mentally ill as proof that he was, which led to nearly 20 years of confinement, Omaha attorney Mike Gooch said.

In 2012, Montin's then-attorney, Jon Braaten, convinced one of the doctors to read the trial transcript, which led him to conclude they had been basing medical opinions on misinformation for years.

On July 16, 2013, a judge ordered his release, and a year later, Montin sued in U.S. District Court in Lincoln.

Last year, Senior U.S. District Judge Lyle Strom dismissed the lawsuit because the doctors Montin sued didn't have the authority to release him. State judges annually review civil commitments like his.

Montin appealed, and a three-judge panel of the 8th Circuit heard arguments in October in Lincoln.

In Thursday's order, the court found the doctors' actions occurred in the scope of their state employment so a lawsuit against them is barred unless the state waived its immunity.

If the state had, Chief Judge William Jay Riley of Omaha wrote, that wouldn't have extended to claims raised in federal court. Montin had to file it in state court, he said.

Riley said the district court did not err in dismissing the claim.

Gooch didn't hide his disappointment when reached Thursday for comment, saying that mistreatment of Montin by the Nebraska doctors was "longstanding and profound."




China News on Women





Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page
Michael Ruhrdanz twisted the top off his orange juice at the Nebraska Community Blood Bank as Donald J. Trump took the oath of office to become the 45th president of the United States.

From the donation room television sets, hed seen Mike Pence raise his right hand, and listened to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

But Trump hadnt made it to the stage before Ruhrdanz headed for the blood banks TV-free break room.

Im not against watching. I just have to get back to work.

The 56-year-old is an administrator in information technology services at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. And an optimist.

I hope Trump is successful, just like I hoped Obama would be.

Sarah Harrison, 22, watched Trumps inaugural speech while blood flowed from her right arm in the donation room. She planned to read the full text later.

Im excited for a change, said the Southeast Community College student. I dont know if Trump is the answer, but I dont think Clinton was.

Bob Hoyer had plenty of time to watch the Inauguration Day pomp from his recliner. The retired teacher was donating platelets, a two-hour process.

Any time you have a transfer of power, you have to give it time, said Hoyer, who taught social studies at Malcolm High.

He's giving it time, but he'll miss former President Barack Obamas way with words.

We lost a tremendous speaker, the way he could communicate with people, he said. Theres a big difference in communication skills.

Blood bank volunteer Sharon Roberts didnt express an opinion about the historic day, but she did have something to say about the donors.

Everyone who comes in the door here, comes in for the greater good.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Woonsocket State Rep. Mike Morin, left, greets Congressman David Cicilline prior to the start of the Governor's 'State of the State' address in the House chambers Tuesday night.
Noel Pincince, of Woonsocket, on right, is all smiles after picking up his new lifesize Donald Trump sign at American Beauty Signworks in Woonsocket last fall. Pincince will be joining thousands of other Trump supporters for his inauguration in Washington, D.C. on Friday.
Russia and Iran forge closer ties

20 January 2017

Share

Russia and Iran yesterday signed documents furthering their cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. They were signed in Moscow by Nikolay Spassky, deputy director general for international affairs at Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear corporation, and Behrouz Kamalvandi, deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) for International, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.

Spassky (right) and Kamalvandi signing the road map on closer cooperation (Image: Rosatom)



In addition, Petr Lavrenyuk, senior vice-president of TVEL, Rosatom's nuclear fuel subsidiary, and Seyed Safdari, general director of AEOI's Department of Advanced Technologies, signed a contract for pre-design work on the modification of two cascades of gas centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant in Iran.

The AEOI officials were on a two-day visit to Moscow to discuss progress with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Signed in July 2015 by Iran and the E3/EU+3 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the USA - also referred to as the P5+1 - plus the European Union), the JCPOA officially began on 16 January last year. Under its terms, Iran agreed to limit its uranium enrichment activities, eliminate its stockpile of medium-enriched uranium and limit its stockpile of low enriched uranium over the next 15 years.

Rosatom announced separately that two of its other subsidiaries - the Russian Research Institute for Nuclear Power Plant Operation (VNIIAES) and Rusatom Service - had started work on an "expert evaluation" of plans to establish a company engaged in providing Russian technical support to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant.

The new entity will provide methodological and technical assistance to Bushehr personnel in such areas as the handling of nuclear fuel, neutron-physics calculations, commissioning of mobile equipment, and creation of a plant maintenance strategy.

"Establishment of this specialized institute for engineering and technical support of the plants operation is intended to enhance the reliability, safety and efficiency of [its] operation," according to the statement. Work on the project is expected to take three years, it added.

Before the end of the summer of this year, Russian nuclear specialists will conduct a peer review of the plant and provide "organisational and methodological support to their Iranian colleagues", it said.

Russian-built Bushehr 1 was connected to the national grid on 3 September, 2011, becoming the first nuclear power plant in the Middle East.

The first foundation stone for Bushehr units 2 and 3 was laid in a ceremony held at the construction site in southern Iran in September last year. Rosatom subsidiary ASE, which is the general contractor for the Bushehr project, and Nuclear Power Production and Development Company of Iran signed an EPC turnkey contract for construction of the units at Bushehr in November 2014. The two VVER-1000 units will be built with Generation III+ technology, including the latest safety features, and have a combined capacity of 2100 MWe, ASE has said.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Viewpoint: Brexit and Euratom: No rush to exit?

20 January 2017

Share

As the UK government moves towards the formal process to exit the EU, Jonathan Leech and Rupert Cowen consider the implications of Brexit for the nation's membership of the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).

We would challenge the view that withdrawal from Euratom is inevitable, at least at this stage, and consider how the government's approach now may help or harm its ability to minimise disruption to the UK's position within the global nuclear community.

Theresa May after her speech on Brexit strategy (Crown Copyright)

It is clear from Theresa May's speech on 17 January that the government sees little room for compromise in exiting the EU - there is to be no "partial membership of the European Union, associate membership , or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out.  We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave". It is also clear that government is committed to re-establishing the supremacy of UK law within the UK. "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".

Where does this leave UK membership of Euratom? Created alongside the European Economic Community in 1957, Euratom has long shared the institutions of the EU but continues as a separate and legally distinct entity. Remaining in Euratom would entail partial membership of EU institutions and would leave significant areas of UK law subject to directives and regulations made in Brussels and (ultimately) interpreted in Luxembourg.

A rapid exit from Euratom could however do serious harm to the UK nuclear industry. One of the most significant aspects of Euratom is its role in establishing members' credibility and acceptability within the global nuclear community. Many of the nuclear co-operation agreements relied on by the UK are in fact Euratom agreements. Where the UK has current bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements in place, those agreements are predicated on application of the Euratom safeguards regime within the UK. Nuclear cooperation agreements can take much time to put in place, possibly longer than the two-year negotiating window provided by the Article 50 process.

There is no legal need for the UK to trigger a Euratom exit at the same time as leaving the EU, or at all

Without adequate arrangements in place for international cooperation, including safeguards to provide assurance that nuclear materials and technology will be applied only for peaceful purposes, in many cases it would not be a matter of trade on unfavourable terms - but simply of no trade at all. This could have serious implications within the UK for nuclear new build and the nuclear fuel cycle, and also for progress in dealing with the UKs waste and legacy decommissioning liabilities.

Some commentators assert that a UK exit from Euratom is an inevitable consequence of triggering Article 50 to exit the EU. This would place the UK in an invidious position. In addition to untangling all other aspects of Euratom without prejudicing UK interests, it would require wholesale replacement of the UK's current nuclear cooperation agreements (including arrangements within the Euratom Treaty itself) within the fixed two-year timetable.

All of this would have to be done in the face of an automatic hard exit at the end of that period unless all other members unanimously agree an extension. It may be that, on a political and practical level, ultimately the UK has no real choice other than to exit Euratom and Theresa May's statements this week certainly point to this. However, put simply, accepting the view that a Euratom exit is automatic would convert the challenge of untangling Euratom within the two-year exit timetable from a shared problem faced by all Euratom members to a UK problem with a UK deadline. This is neither a necessary nor a strong position from which to open negotiations. It is also not what the Euratom Treaty says.

There is no legal link between the triggering of Article 50 under the Treaty on European Union and an exit from Euratom.

The point turns on the meaning of Article 106a of the Euratom Treaty, which states that (amongst other things) Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union "shall apply to this Treaty". Article 106a then goes on to explain how Article 50 is to work in context of Euratom - inserting references to Euratom and the Euratom Treaty in place of references to the EU and EU Treaties. Re-writing Article 50 in this way creates a similar but separate exit process.

If Euratom was to be included in a single Article 50 process then Article 106a of the Euratom Treaty would simply have added references to Euratom into Article 50, retaining references to the EU. It does not do this. Triggering exit from the EU therefore has no legal effect on the UK's membership of Euratom.

There is no legal need for the UK to trigger a Euratom exit at the same time as leaving the EU, or at all.

Aside from the benefits of Euratom membership and the complexity of withdrawal, the objectives set out by the prime minister in relation to control of our own laws and control of immigration are of particular relevance to any decision on the need for, and timing of, a UK exit from Euratom.

Remaining within Euratom would of course preserve supremacy of European law over UK law, but only in a very specific field where UK law is ultimately driven by a raft of international treaties and standards and will inevitably remain so.

In the context of immigration, the Euratom Treaty establishes a specific nuclear common market. The freedoms on which the nuclear common market are based are, however, very different from those underpinning the Single Market. Euratom members must not restrict the rights of nationals of any other member "to take skilled employment in the field of nuclear energy" (Euratom Treaty Article 96) or apply "restrictions based on nationality  to  persons  under the jurisdiction of a Member State, where they desire to participate in the construction of nuclear installations " (Euratom Treaty Article 97). This is far removed from the free movement of persons without internal frontiers required by EU membership.

Given that there is no legal necessity to trigger a Euratom exit now, arguably there is little to gain and much to lose by doing so. That is not to say that long term UK participation in EU institutions solely for the purposes of Euratom would not itself present challenges, but there is no need for the UK to back itself into a corner and face a cliff edge created by an immediate two-year Euratom exit timetable. Neither is there any need to add nuclear law and cooperation to the already vast list of issue to be dealt with in negotiating terms for withdrawal from the EU.

Instead, any Euratom exit could form part of the "phased process of implementation" advocated by Theresa May for areas such as the future legal and regulatory framework for financial services. Crucially this would allow sufficient time for the UK to negotiate replacement nuclear cooperation agreements and address safeguarding and other requirements without the risk of a destabilising hiatus in international nuclear trade and cooperation.

Jonathan Leech and Rupert Cowen

Comments? Please send them to editor@world-nuclear-news.org

Jonathan Leech and Rupert Cowen are senior nuclear, energy and commercial lawyers at energy and infrastructure firm Prospect Law. Jonathan Leech was a partner in Dentons' energy practice before joining Prospect Law's Projects, Energy and Natural Resources team. Prior to joining Prospect Law, Rupert Cowen was a partner at Hammonds and then Dentons' London energy and infrastructure practices.

Related topics
The Seven Wonders of Portugal represents a list of cultural wonders in the country. The task of selection of the wonders and the creation of the list was undertaken by the companies Realizar S.A. and Y&R Brands S.A. The Ministry of Culture of the Portuguese Government supported this initiative.

The Instituto Portugues do Patrimonio Arquitectonico of Portugal first nominated 793 national monuments of Portugal. The first round of selections by an expert board witnessed the selection of only 77 monuments from the list. The final rounds reduced the number to 21 finalists. Finally, a six-month-long public election was held which started on December 7, 2006. During this time, voters cast their votes for their favorite wonder via telephone, the internet, and SMS. The results were announced on July 7, 2007, at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Thus, the list of the Seven Wonders of the Portugal was created.

7. Jeronimos Monastery, 1502 -

A former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome, the Jeronimos Monastery, also known as the Hieronymites Monastery, is one of the seven wonders of Portugal and is located in close proximity to the Tagus River in the Belem parish of Portugals Lisbon Municipality. State decree in 1833 secularized the monastery and a charitable institution is the current owner of the site. The Jeronimos Monastery is one of the best examples of Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline style and thus was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage in 1983.

6. Batalha Monastery, 1385 -

The Monastery of Batalha literally meaning the Monastery of the Battle is a Dominican convent located in Batalha, a civil parish in the Leiria district of Portugals Centro region. The castle was erected to commemorate the Battle of Aljubarrota that took place in 1385. The site served as the burial church of the Portuguese royals of the Aviz Dynasty. The Monastery of Batalha is one of the best examples of Late Gothic architecture in the country and also intermingles the Manueline style with Gothic architecture.

5. Alcobaca Monastery, 1153 -

The Alcobaca Monastery is a Roman Catholic monastery from the medieval period that is located in the Alcobaca town of Portugal in the Oeste Subregion. The Portuguese ruler, King Afonso Henriques founded this monastery in 1153. The church and the monastery represent one of the first Gothic structures in Portugal. During its time, it served as an important monastery from the political point of view. The Alcobaca Monastery was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989.

4. Obidos Castle, 1195 -

The Castle of Obidos is a medieval castle located in a civil parish in the municipality of Obidos in the Leiria district of Portugal. The city surrounding the castle is famous as a charming tourist destination. The main gate to the city houses a beautiful tiled chapel. The castle was built in the 12th century, and further fortifications were built in the 14th century. The castle has currently been converted to a luxurious hotel and is a unique location for a nights stay.

3. Castle of Guimaraes, 10th century -

The medieval Castle of Guimaraes is one of the seven wonders of Portugal. The castle is located in the Guimaraes municipality in northern Portugal. The castle was built in the 10th century under the supervision of Mumadona Dias to defend a monastery from the attacks by Norsemen and Moors. The fortified walls of the Castle of Guimaraes are in the form of a pentagram with eight rectangular towers, a central keep, and a military square. Several Gothic characteristics are visible in the architecture of the castle. The castle rests on a small granite hill and is encircled by small forest parts. Several pedestrian trails lead to the Castle of Guimaraes.

2. Pena National Palace, 1838 -

A picturesque castle in Portugal and one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country, the Pena Palace is a Romanticist castle in the Sintra municipality of Portugal in Sao Pedro de Penaferrim. The castle is located atop the Sintra Mountains above the Sintra township area. When the weather is clear, the Pena Palace can be easily viewed from Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal. The Pena Palace represents one of the worlds major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism. It is also a national monument and is used for hosting a number of state occasions.

1. Belem Tower, 1521 -

Belem Tower or the Tower of St Vincent is a fortified tower that is located in the Santa Maria de Belem parish in the Lisbon municipality of Portugal. It is not just one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Belem Tower played a major role in the maritime discoveries of the Portuguese during the Age of Discoveries era. The tower was commissioned to be constructed in the early 16th century at the mouth of the Tagus River by King John II. Its original purpose was to serve as a defense system and a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. The structure displays the Portuguese Manueline style and is built from lioz limestone.
The three views of Japan are Japan's three most celebrated scenic spots, selected first in 1643 and then in 1915. The three old views of Japan are the Pine-clad islands of Matsushima, the Sandbar of Amanohashidate and Torii at Itsukushima Shrine. These three scenic sites are designated Special Places of Scenic Beauty, whereas Itsukushima is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site but also a unique historical site. The three new views of Japan include Onuma, Miho no Matsubara and Yabeki.

6. Pine-clad islands of Matsushima

Matsushima is an archipelago consisting of 260 tiny islands that are sheltered by pines and are located in Miyagi Prefecture in Japan. Matsushima is ranked as one of the three views of Japan. Matsushima consists of four renowned viewing spots and they include Enchanting View, Grand View, Magnificent View and Beautiful View. Matsushima can be easily accessible by train since its 14 kilometers from Sendai City which is the capital of Miyagi Prefecture. Tourists can view the archipelago up close while on cruise boats.

5. Sandbar of Amanohashidate

The sandbar of Amanohashidate which is one of the three scenic views of Japan is situated in Miyazu Bay in the northern Kyoto Prefecture. The sandbar can be seen from the mountains located on opposite sides of the bay or explored on foot. Isoshimizu fresh water is found in the Bay and was selected by the Environmental Agency as one of the 100 best springs and rivers in Japan in 1985.

4. Torii at Itsukushima Shrine

Torii is a floating gate found in Itsukushima Shrine located on the Island of Itsukushima in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto Shrine whose establishment is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Several buildings in the establishment and their paraphernalia have been designated as a national treasure by the Japanese government.

3. Onuma

Onuma is a pond found in Onuma Quasi-National Park and is located in southwest Hokkaido, Japan. Onuma was created when mudslides caused by eruptions of Hokkaido Koma-ga-take suppressed depressions at the foot of the mountain. The pond is enclosed by maple and birch forests and carpeted by watershields.

2. Hagoromo no Matsu at Miho no Matsubara

Miho no Matsubara is an outstanding seashore that comprises of sand and green pine trees that stretch over seven kilometers and is located in the Shimizu area of Shizuoka, Japan. Hagoromo no Matsu is an old pine tree that dates back to 650 years. The scenic area is designated as one of the New Three Views of Japan due to its beauty together with its three pine grooves which were added to the World Heritage site list in 2013 as part of Fujisan Cultural Site.

1. Yabakei

The Yabakei godge which is locate in Nakatsu, Oita, Kyushu, Japan is a nationally designated place of scenic beauty and one of the New Three Views Of Japan. Yabakei which is situated within Yaba-Hita-Hikosan Quasi-National Park was selected as one of the 100 Landscapes of Japan during the Showa period.
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
Sometimes, youve got to go through it to get to it.

Thats a personal motto with which I have occasionally consoled myself since I was a teenager. It means that for as much as we naturally seek to avoid the unpleasant situation, to find a way over or around it, there are times in this life when the only option is to go through it, to endure the unendurable thing and pick up the pieces on the other side.

That philosophy has succored me through breakups, deaths and career reversals. I find myself turning to it again to gird for the inauguration of the 45th president.

For years, many of us have sought to avoid, to go over or around, the consequences of the Republican Partys retreat from seriousness. Meaning its studied outrage, its practiced hysteria, its obstructionism, its bigotry, its withdrawal into a facts-free alternate universe, its embrace of human cartoons like Sarah Palin, Ben Carson and Herman Cain. But avoidance is no longer an option, and the impossible is upon us.

The Great Trumpkin is rising from the Trumpkin patch.

Cliff Clavin just got the last laugh on the gang at Cheers.

The most flagrantly unfit man in history is about to be sworn in as president.

And for the first time in my life, I am not optimistic about Americas future  at least not its next four years. There is no disaster, up to and including a nuclear exchange, that would surprise me under the incoming administration.

If you need a silver lining, I can offer only this: Assuming America survives the next four years in any recognizable form  by no means a foregone conclusion  I suspect Donald Trumps debacles and the sheer tiresomeness of the man himself, will so thoroughly discredit this strain of Republicanism as to destroy it completely.

Maybe then the country will be in a mood for serious people  Democratic and Republican  with serious ideas again. Thats what passes for hope these days. Meantime, I have made a resolution: I will, at all costs, retain my capacity for outrage.

Yes, that will be easier said than done.

The capacity for outrage is like a physical muscle in the sense that it tires from being overworked. And certainly, Trump has worked our capacity for outrage like a drill sergeant.

Shock upon shock, insult upon insult, falsehood upon falsehood, he has been a daily deluge of the unbelievable and the unthinkable until you dont even know what to respond to first. Shall we answer the misogyny? But then, what about the bigotry? Shall we decry the incompetence? Will that leave us time to deal with the ignorance? The man is a white noise of badness.

The danger is that it comes to seem normal, that you stop seeing how truly bizarre it is. One of the things that makes us human, after all, is our resilient adaptability. Whether sickened by cancer, swamped by flood, broken by bankruptcy or savaged by war, we always find a way to accommodate ourselves to the new circumstance. With good humor and quiet courage, we accept the new normal.

But I refuse to do that now.

Doing it now would feel less like an act of courage and good humor than one of surrender, of forgetting that there was once a time dignity, intelligence, honesty and statesmanship were traits we desired and demanded in our leaders. But if we forget that, we forget us, and then we are well and truly lost.

Love of country demands better. Martin Luther King once said he was proud to be maladjusted to the inequities and inequalities of his time. That works for me.

So I am proud to be maladjusted to Donald Trump.
(Scroll down for video) A lawmaker in Utah, is working on a new law that will allow sex addicts to sue the adult film industry for getting them addicted to watching adult videos.

Last year, Senator Todd Weiler sponsored a resolution that passed, which declared pornography a public health crisis.

Weiler blames the adult film producers for giving children and teenagers easy access to adult videos by posting them to the Internet.

Weiler wants sex addicts, especially those who became addicted at a young age, to be able to sue the industry for damages.

Weiler said that although at first people may be unsuccessful in winning their lawsuits, with time, it will be easier and it will become more popular to do so the same way people can now sue the cigarette industry.

aIm trying to trace the same path that was taken against tobacco 70 years ago. Its not government coming in and saying what you can and cant watch. Its just basically a message to the pornography industry that if someone in Utah can prove damages from their product, then they may be held liable financially.a
The new report from the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control had daunting news for rural Nebraskans. They are more likely than city residents to die from one of the top five causes of death, based on national statistics.

CDC Director Tom Frieden put it bluntly, There is a striking gap between rural and urban Americans.

Fortunately Nebraskans can take measures to improve the situation. Some can be initiated by private individuals. Others require the assistance of organizations and government.

For example, some of the premature deaths from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke can be avoided through lifestyle changes.

Cigarette smoking, which is higher in rural areas than in urban areas, according to the CDC, is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. Smoking raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease.

Another step that rural residents can take is to wear seat belts regularly. Wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of death in a crash by 50 percent, according to Fred Zwonechek of the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety.

Some of the higher risks in rural areas come with the territory. Hospitals are farther away. Most of specialized health care is located in urban areas. Thats simply due to economics. A remedy would be cost-prohibitive.

However, advances in technology are helping improve health care in rural areas.

Digital technology can allow a doctor in Lincoln to examine a patient in the Panhandle.

In recent months, for example, Bryan Health and CHI St. Elizabeth have introduced an array of services available through telemedicine or eMedicine. Some of the online services can be used at home. Others involve partnerships with rural hospitals.

In the interest of expanding access to health care in Nebraska, Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward has introduced bills to address problems related to telemedicine. One bill would allow private payers to reimburse healthcare providers who use telehealth at the same rate they get for in-person services. The second would expedite the licensing process for providers wishing to practice across state lines.

"As we consider the shortage of doctors and practitioners throughout the state, we're going to need telehealth," Kolterman told the Associated Press.

Based on one set of state data, the incidence of premature death in Nebraska may not be as severe as it is nationally. The CDC cited opioid misuse and overdose as one of the factors in the rural-urban health gap. However Nebraska ranks near the bottom on the rate of opioid overdose.

Nebraskans know there is much to value about rural life  the slower pace, closeness to nature, strong community bonds and more. By taking action to improve health, the rural good life can be even better.
Anger At Possibility Court Could Disregard Shareholder Views In Dee Valley Water Takeover

This article is old - Published: Friday, Jan 20th, 2017

A decision will be made at the High Court on 25th January which will determine the fate of Dee Valley Waters 180 staff and the provision of water supply to Wrexham and Chester.

As we reported on the 13th of this month a clever work-around was executed, where staff and customers had acquired shares to have their say on the potential takeover by Severn Trent at the shareholders meeting on 12th January on a decision on if to rule in or out the small shareholders.

The court case is unprecedented in the UK and has been described as a David vs Goliath battle between local staff and customers vs a FTSE 100 company.

In a statement issued earlier today, we are told from Dee Valley sources, Some of the 450 have expressed their anger that potentially the court could disregard their vote, calling into question the rights of small shareholders. The case is even more interesting when you consider that water supply is a monopoly business and therefore this was the only way that customers could have an influence on who their supplier is.

The staff dont want Severn Trent because they will cause job losses amongst the dedicated workforce, they have not guaranteed they will use our local suppliers and will take jobs and control of an important Welsh resource out of Wales. We do not see how they can possibly provide any benefit to our customers as their bills are more expensive and their service worse so we cannot see the point in this takeover.

We very much welcome the support we have received form our local community, customers and elected officials, we are proud of the service we have provided to our customers for the last 150 years and dont want to see it suffer if the takeover goes through.

The staff and customers of Dee Valley have been well supported by elected officials in trying to keep Dee Valley Water independent. This group have written to Liv Garfield, CEO of Severn Trent and asked her to respect the wishes of the local community and withdraw her takeover offer.

A copy is below:
Police: North Wales Remains One Of The Safest Places To Live

This article is old - Published: Friday, Jan 20th, 2017

New crime stats have been released showing a range of changes, with police commenting that people can be reassured that North Wales remains one of the safest places to live.

Commenting on the recently released Office for National Statistics crime figures for the year to September 2016, North Wales Police Detective Chief Superintendent Wayne Jones said; North Wales Police remains firmly committed to keeping our communities safe, tackling crime and improving public confidence.

I am pleased to see that drug offences have fallen by 19.4%, burglaries of non-domestic properties, such as sheds and garages by 16.5%, while there have also been decreases in theft offences of 2.4%, household burglaries by 1.3%, bicycle theft by19.3% and vehicle crime by 6.3%.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show 1694 sex related crimes were reported to North Wales Police in the 12 months to September 2016, over a thousand more than the equivalent period in 2012.

The region saw another huge spike in the number of sex offences reported to police in 2016, up by 38.2% on the previous year and the greatest increase in the whole of the UK.

North Wales Police Detective Chief Superintendent Wayne Jones said, Although the reporting of sexual offences rose by 38.2%, this is a reflection of the increasing confidence of victims to report such crimes to the police.

We have significantly increased specialist resources to deal with these types of crime and provide on-going care and support to victims.

This approach is working, with more people than ever willing to come forward in the knowledge that North Wales Police will investigate, will treat victims sensitively and will offer them support throughout the process.

We have increased resources in our Amethyst team, which investigates rape offences and invested in our Onyx team which coordinates investigations into child sexual exploitation. We have also expanded our capacity to investigate offences online.

By being proactive in this way, we are investigating more offences and protecting the most vulnerable victims in society.

We are putting continued emphasis on investigating all forms of domestic abuse so that we increase the trust and confidence of victims to come forward and we work closely with partner agencies to provide victims with support.

Despite an overall increase in crime of 7.8% to September 2016, the rise in our area is below the 8.8 % England and Wales average.

Residents can be reassured that North Wales remains one of the safest places to live. The risk of being a victim of household crime is the second lowest in England and Wales, while the risk of crime against the person is 2.3% or the third lowest in England and Wales.

We are committed to doing everything we can to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. Our excellent relationship with local people, which is significantly helped through our Safer Neighbourhood Policing teams, means that people are more willing to pass information to us to help us bring offenders to justice.
Wrexham Maelor Hospitals Second Exit Due to Open in April

This article is old - Published: Friday, Jan 20th, 2017

A long-awaited second exit from the Wrexham Maelor Hospital is set to finally open in early April this year.



The exit, which leads from the overspill car park onto Croesnewydd Road was installed several months ago to help ease congestion  however has remained fenced off since work completed.

In December 2016 Wrexham.com reported that work to open the second exit was ongoing, with a meeting scheduled between Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), Welsh Ambulance Service and Wrexham Council to finalise the opening date.

The issue of car parking and use of the second exit at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital was raised during a very lengthy meeting between Wrexham Councils Safeguarding, Communities and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee and representatives from BCUHB on Wednesday 18th January.

Clarification was sought by members of the committee on how car parking and congestion at the hospital car park is being tackled, with a series of questions posed to the health board prior to this weeks meeting.

In a written response the health board listed 11 options currently being looked at, including the introduction of a park and ride, car share schemes for staff and selective demolition to allow for more parking space.

Speaking at Wednesdays meeting Cllr Phil Wynn again raised the issue of parking at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital and if a date had been set for the opening of the second exit.

He said: Obviously whilst not a medical issue it affects everyone that visits the Maelor by car with the parking facilities.

Thank you for the detailed response however in itself it doesnt give the timeline of when things will happen. I am aware as local member that discussions are ongoing with the planning department at Wrexham Council with regards to opening up the rear access from the rear car park.

I know there has been dialogue going on for at least over a year that will allow us to pursue the cycle way which will join up through the site.

Has there been any timelines you can indicate, as I think that will have a major impact on car flow in that locality.

Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Gary Doherty noted that there was a date for the rear exit to be opened and that details would be emailed to members of the committee as he did not have it precisely to hand.

He added: There has been a lot of uncertainty as to when, but a definitive date has now been agreed. It is something staff when I have been on the site have raised with me. I think it will have a big impact and hopefully really ease.

After the meeting Wrexham.com queried with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board for details of the date and were told: Subject to planning approval and the completion of necessary works, the entrance to Wrexham Maelor Hospital on Croesnewydd Road is scheduled to be open for use by early April.
Gov. Pete Ricketts seeks to lower tax rates for top earners in Nebraska ("Ricketts seeks tax cuts, reduced valuations in State of the State," Jan. 13). Heres what happened when Gov. Sam Brownback did this in our neighboring state of Kansas.

The economy grew 0.2 percent in 2015, down from 1.2 percent in 2014. The state officially entered a recession in 2016. The bond rating has been downgraded twice. Taxes on the poor and middle class increased while drastically decreasing for the wealthiest. The gross domestic product is less than it was in 2011.

Kansas schools were forced to close 12 days early in 2015 due to lack of funding. Some schools have had to petition the state for emergency funds to make payroll. Schools are facing unprecedented teacher shortages. Since the tax cuts took effect in 2013, employment in Kansas rose 2.6 percent compared to 6.5 percent nationally. The states economy rose less than half as fast as the rest of the country. New business start-ups actually declined. Total General Fund revenues fell from $709 million in 2013 to $40 million in 2016. Selective and misleading data has been used to claim tax cuts are boosting the economy.

We need to look no further than our neighbors to the south to see what our governor is attempting here in Nebraska. Yes, farmers need tax relief. However, if we tank our economy, no one comes out a winner. Nebraska has traditionally been known as a common sense state. Lets not buy into an unproven ideology. No Kansas in Nebraska!

Mary Schlieder, Holland
Over the last several weeks, major US- and foreign-based automakers have announced they will maintain or expand production in the US and, in some cases, trim back operations in Mexico. Donald Trump has taken full credit for the decisions, boasting that he created thousands of jobs before even taking office, and there would be more big stuff after Inauguration Day.

Last week General Motors, which Trump previously criticized for producing one of its small car models in Mexico, announced it would invest $1 billion in the US, leading to a combination of 1,500 new and retained jobs. In addition, GM would begin work on insourcing axle production for its next generation full-size pickup trucks, including work previously done in Mexico, to operations in Michigan, creating 450 US jobs, the company said in a statement. It added that it was already insourcing 6,000 IT jobs formerly done overseas.

GMs moves follow similar announcements by Fiat Chrysler, Ford, Toyota and South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia. On January 3 Ford said it would cancel plans to build a $1.6 billion plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, where it was going to build the next-generation Ford Focus. At the same time, it said it would invest $700 million at its plant in the Detroit suburb of Flat Rock and add 700 jobs to build two new electric-powered SUVs there. United Auto Workers Vice President Jimmy Settles hailed the move, saying, I am thrilled that we have been able to secure additional UAW-Ford jobs for American workers.

There is a great deal of cynical stage-managing in all of this. In virtually every case the moves by the automakers were planned well in advance of the US presidential elections. They are only jumping on board Trumps America First to boost their corporate images and share values.

Michael Harley, analyst for Kelley Blue Book, added, Retaining and growing jobs in the US is a political hot button right now. While the decision to create the new positions and opportunities was likely made months ago, the timing of the announcement shows General Motors is more than willing to play the new administrations publicity gamea sure bet to hear mention of GM in Fridays inaugural address, Harley told the Free Press.

All the phony expressions of concern for American workers and flag-waving nationalismwhether by Trump, the auto bosses or the UAWare aimed at concealing the anti-working class character of the new administration.

Whatever additional costs the automakers may incur from retaining jobs in the US will be more than compensated by the vast profits they will reap from the corporate tax cuts and deregulation promised by the new Trump administration.

CEO Mark Fields said the company was encouraged by the pro-growth policies of Trump and the new Congress, adding that these tax and regulatory reforms are critically important to boost US competitiveness. GM CEO Mary Barra echoed this, saying 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. ... we are committed to growth that is good for our employees, dealers, and suppliers and supports our continued effort to drive shareholder value.

Indeed, one of the measures the corporations are salivating over is the Trump administrations plan to sharply reduce repatriation taxes on the billions of dollars they hold in off-shore tax havens. This cash hoard can then be used for stock buybacks and dividend payouts to drive shareholder value, i.e., enrich the companys top investors and corporate executives.

Then there is the destruction of occupational health and safety, federal wage and labor standards, consumer rights and environmental protections. The auto industry has lobbied hard and anticipates that Trump will also roll back the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions standards issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The companies complain that the standards, which require them to produce car and truck fleets that will average more than 50 miles per gallon by 2025, are too costly and cut into profits.

While the Obama administration made a symbolic gesture to lock in the requirements, they can be undone by Trump. The head of Trump's EPA transition team is Myron Ebell, a climate change denier who directs environmental and energy policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, an advocacy and lobbying group in Washington DC, funded by fossil fuel companies.

Then there is the question of protectionism. Some executives have complained about Trumps threats to impose 35 percent tariffs on cars or components companies import back into the US, and have openly worried about the impact on car exports to China if Trumps trade war policies trigger retaliation. Nevertheless, the stepping up of protectionism, or at least the threat of it, has its commercial advantages.

It is significant, for example, that the Obama administration has issued massive fines to German carmaker Volkswagen and pursued criminal charges against its executives for installing software that falsified emissions testswhile the Obama administration essentially gave a pass to the crimes of GM, which covered up defective ignition switches that killed and injured scores, if not hundreds.

Earlier this month, the EPA alleged that Fiat Chrysler put software in Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 models that allowed them to exceed pollution limits. Denouncing the report, Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionnewho just days before announced a $1 billion investment in the USsaid the company intended to work with the incoming administration to resolve this matter fairly and equitably.

For decades, the UAW has promoted the lie that economic nationalism and labor-management collusion would defend the jobs and living standards of workers. The promotion of anti-Mexican and anti-Chinese chauvinism was aimed at ideologically disarming workers, pitting them against their class brothers around the world in a race to the bottom, and justifying the UAWs collusion in the destruction of jobs and living standards. Now the unions are offering their services to Trump.

This was underscored in the letter sent to Congress by United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard backing Trumps pick for Commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, a billionaire asset stripper who the USW worked with to destroy the jobs and pensions of thousands of steelworkers. The industry is smaller but more efficient than ever, and Wilbur Ross knows better than anyone that on a level playing field, our members are the most productive workforce on the planet, Gerard wrote, before praising Rosss threats to impose tariffs on Chinese, Brazilian and Russian steel.

The drive to increase American competitiveness will include more job cuts, not less. It is significant that GMs recent announcement does not affect the 3,300 workers who will lose their jobs in the next few months when the company eliminates shifts at small car plants in Detroit, Lansing, Michigan and Lordstown, Ohio, in a job-cutting move facilitated by the sellout contract signed by the UAW in 2015.
The January 14 Fabian Society conference, The Left in Britain. Britain in the World, was called to discuss where next for the British left following the Brexit referendum in the UK and the accession of Donald Trump to the US Presidency.

It would supposedly outline what we believe, who we speak to, and how we win.

Keynote speaker at the conference was Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

In claiming to speak for the left, the Fabian Society is guilty of false marketing. From its formation in the mid-1880s, Fabianism always stood on the right-wing of the Labour Party. Hostile to Marxism, revolution and the class struggle, it preached social solidarity and the gradual development towards socialismmainly as the achievement of enlightened sections of the bourgeoisie.

However, Fabianism long ago shed any of these minimal social goals and was central to the moves against both of Corbyns leadership challenges in 2015 and 2016. Fabian members and supporters within the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) led last years attempted coup against him. No less than 15 shadow secretaries of state and nine shadow ministers, who resigned from Corbyns cabinet in a bid to force him out, were associated with the society.

Corbyns professed aim of transforming Labour into a vehicle for socialism was an anathema to the Fabian Society, which sought to utilise the partys defeat in the 2015 General Election to engineer a further shift to the right. To this end it had launched its Facing the Future programme, to bring together a broad range of voices aimed at answering what Labour needed to do to secure a winning coalition of support across every region and age-group, attracting SNP [Scottish National Party], UKIP [UK Independence Party] and Conservative voters..?

It has had to make several adjustments to its efforts to position Labour firmly on the right given the failure of the anti-Corbyn coup and the crisis created by the vote to leave the European Union in the UK referendum last June. But its aims remain unchanged.

Prior to its conference, Fabian General Secretary Andrew Harrop published a report, Stuck, How Labour is too weak to win and too strong to die. He wrote that Labours problem was that it is too weak to win the next election, but too strong to be displaced as the UKs main party of oppositionmainly as a result of the first-past-the-post system. The sense of stagnation was compounded by an uneasy calm in the party. While Corbyn had beaten off the coup, the Labour leader had no roadmap for winning back lost voters, Harrop asserted, while amongst the PLP there is quietude, passitivity and resignation.

This is the calm of stalemate, of insignificance, even of looming death, he warned.

Harrop presented statistics purporting to show that Labour was haemorrhaging support to the more overtly pro and anti-EU parties, due to its muffled and inconsistent line on Brexit. The bottom line was that Labour has no choice but to reach out to people in both camps, by positioning itself in the middle of the newly dominant social/cultural axis of politics.

It must become the party of this cultural middle, Harrop went on. Tony Blair had tried to own the centre ground of the left-right economic axis. Now the partys goal must be to dominate the centre of the newly dominant social/cultural axis that runs between Blairs liberal internationalism and Trumps social authoritarianism. The party must plant its flag midway between these poles and seek to occupy as much space as possible

The reference to Blair makes clear the character of what Harrop is proposing. The former Labour leader was the figurehead for the transformation of Labour into a right wing party of big business. The claim to stand at the centre of a newly dominant social/cultural axis is aimed at re-consolidating this shift, through a noxious brew of identity politics and support for Britains continued access to the European single market (so-called liberal internationalism) with economic nationalism and anti-migrant restrictions, masquerading as a defence of working people (social authoritarianism).

On the eve of the conference, Harrop extrapolated on this theme, writing that within the Labour Party there was a three-way tug-of-war between populist socialism, mainstream social democracy, and the communitarianism of Blue Labour. Each has something to offer, but can Labour create a fresh politics that coherently combines a bit of them all?

The aim is not merely to fashion some arrangement that can keep Labour together. Its goal is a Progressive Alliance that will allow Labour to govern in partnership with other parties, Harrop statesmainly, but not confined to, the Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats.

Whether this is possible matters less than the political function that such an orientation will servewhich is to bury entirely the common class issues facing working people beneath one or another variety of nationalist politics.

This is made clear by Harrops suggestion that Labour should recognise that an English majority [in parliament] is also much more achievable than a UK majority. Labour must prepare itself to work in partnership, in an era of quasi-federal, multi-party politics.

This means that Labour should essentially accept that Scotland belongs to the SNP, as the price for the Progressive Alliance and as part of the Balkanisation of the UK. Having accepted the goal of an English majority, Harrop suggests this would enable Labour to legislate under the terms of English votes for English laws, develop a clear manifesto for England, and a mandate for an English legislative agenda.

The Fabian Societys support for a Progressive Alliance has been broadly welcomed. The Compass think-tank, founded by forces close to former Labour leader Gordon Brown and now including in its leadership representatives of the Green Party, Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru (the Party of Wales), has been one of its main advocates. Writing in the run-up to the conference, Compass chair Neal Lawson welcomed Harrops no-brainer of a political strategy.

He ridiculed tribalist policies, in which Labour appeared to hate the Liberal Democrats and the SNPwriting sarcastically, Because we are so much better than the Lib Dems, are we not? We introduced tuition fees and they doubled them. We started illegal wars and they started the bedroom tax. We focus on the 10 percent we disagree on and forget the 90 percent of times when we walk through the same lobbies The lurch to the right means we have to forgive each other.

Lawson was present at the conference alongside Richard Angell, of the Blairite think-tank Progress, and leading anti-Corbyn coup plotters such as Labour MPs Nia Griffith, Keir Starmer, Maria Eagle and Stephen Kinnock. Griffith and Starmer are now prominent members of Corbyns Shadow Cabinet.

Consensus is emerging in Labour that free movement must be limited. Kinnock, a leading figure in the pro-Remain campaign, has joined Starmer, Corbyns shadow Brexit secretary, in arguing for a two-tier migration system, that divides into highly-skilled EU workers and tier two, low and semi-skilled workers that should be restricted by sector-based quotas, negotiated between government, industry and trade unions.

Guardian journalist Paul Mason, also present at the conference, is a former member of the Workers Power group in the 1980s. His main value to the ruling class is his connections with the pseudo-left around Corbyn. Mason is another supporter of Labour building a progressive alliance, although previously he has sought to portray this as an opposition to the supposed racism of the white, male working class whom he blames for Brexit and Trumps victory.

Writing the day after the conference in the Guardian, Mason now agitates for immigration controls, along the two-tier line proposed by Kinnock. He argues that Britain can remain inside the European Economic Area (EEA), while restricting freedom of movement, because freedom of movement has always been a qualified rightnot an absolute one: that is, constrained by national conditions.

Citing the EEA treaty, Mason asserts that countries are allowed to suspend freedom of movement, for an unspecified period and unilaterally, due to serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties. Well, we have a serious societal difficulty: we have lost consent for high inward migration, and we need to regain it.

Mason claims that such restrictions are aimed at clamping down on low wages and deregulated employment. Answering those who say this is pandering to racism, he continues, This betrays a profound misunderstanding of what drives opposition to free movement among progressive, left-minded people, which is really bound up with strong cultural traditions, a strong sense of place and community

There is nothing to separate such language from that of the UK Independence Partys Nigel Farage or Trump.

Masons comment was framed as a defence of Corbyn, who only last week stated that freedom of movement was not a principle. It is only the latest of Corbyns one-time red linesopposition to NATO, the EU, now immigration controlsthat has been unceremoniously jettisoned.

Thus Corbyn was happy to accept the position of keynote speaker at a conference organised and attended by many of his one-time political assassins.

The Labour leader said nothing explicitly on the progressive alliance, but he has no need to. His presence was proof enough. In a speech that borrowed from Trumps references to the elite rigging the system, and arguing for our exit from the EU to rebalance Britain and provide a vision for what the country could be, he effectively signed up to the Fabian agenda.

Pledging a further devolution of powers in the UK, Corbyn said that a peoples convention on how a federal Britain could work is something that is overdue.

On immigration, he said that Labour will do what is best for the economy, using Brexit to develop a genuine industrial and regional strategy
The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th US president will be a celebration of wealth and privilege without parallel. Donations by corporations and lobbyists to Trumps inauguration fund have outstripped the amount raised by any of his predecessors.

In addition to the inaugural balls and presence at his swearing-in, there are multiple opportunities for those with the deepest pockets to dine intimately with Trump, Vice President-elect Pence, cabinet nominees and foreign diplomats.

On Wednesday, for example, donors can choose between dining with the vice president-elect at the National Portrait Gallery for the cost of a donation between $500,000 and $1 million, or an intimate policy discussion with cabinet nominees at the Library of Congress. Donors will be feted throughout the day with a series of events to reward their generosity, with access to Trump, Pence and cabinet nominees becoming closer in proportion to the payment.

In addition to the aforementioned dinners, donors will be treated to a Thursday night black-tie candlelight dinner with Trump and Pence at Union Station, a luncheon with select Cabinet picks and House and Senate leadership, a luncheon with ladies of the first families and tickets to the VIP ballroom at the Inaugural Ball.

Trumps inauguration committee has raised over $100 million in donations. The committee has refused to report who has donated to which tier, but known so far include oil giant Chevron, which donated $500,000, and Boeing, which pledged $1 millionthe same amount the company pledged to Obamas 2013 inaugurationafter Trump publicly denounced the companys handling of an Air Force One contract. Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam have reportedly donated an even greater amount.

Craig Holman, president of Public Citizen, an ethics watchdog group in Washington, told the New York Times: This is nothing short of selling access to the president, the vice president and the cabinet. This is very unfettered, brazen selling of access. It certainly runs counter to any presidential candidate who was talking about draining the swamp.

Holman issued a somewhat similar criticism of Obama in the run-up to the 2013 inauguration. Obama had rejected all donations from lobbyists and corporations for his 2008 inauguration, for which he raised a reported $53 million. He had also capped donations at $50,000. For his second inaugural, amid flagging popular enthusiasm and a lower vote total, Obama accepted donations from corporations, and capped donations at $1 million. Despite the cap, AT&T managed to contribute almost $5 million, and Microsoft donated $2 million. Chevron and Boeing each donated $1 million.

Obamas 2013 inauguration represented a sharp break with tradition. George W. Bush had capped inauguration donations at $100,000 in 2001, and $250,000 in 2005. Not only that, Obamas inaugural planning committee in 2009 had released the names of all donors, the amount they had donated, their states of residence, and the companies for which they worked. In 2013, Holman pointed out that Obama had only released a list of names.

Obamas inauguration committee released final reports on the donations not one day earlier than the required 90 days after the event. Among the top 10 inauguration donors were telecommunications companies, securities and investment firms, oil companies and defense contractors, all of whom benefited during Obamas second term.

Trump has enlarged upon the Obama inaugurationsat least monetarily, in both magnitude of donations and in keeping the donations secret. While not illegal, the Trump inauguration certainly demonstrates in the crassest fashion the relationship between the presidency and the elites of the business world. Obama and Bush both offered tiered incentive packages to their donors. The packages offered by Trump provide even greater access to the wealthiest donors.

In early December, Trump used Twitter to publicly denounce aerospace giant Boeing, whom he claimed was inflating costs in its contract to remodel two Air Force One jets. Within a week, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg had met with the president-elect at Trump Tower and pledged $1 million to his inauguration fund.

After the meeting, Muilenburg stated he and Trump had made great progress. Trump expressed satisfaction with Boeings business acumen and pronounced them a good company. Boeing seemed to have emerged from the meeting with an advantage over rival Lockheed Martin.

Meredith McGehee, a government ethics expert at Campaign Legal Center, said of the process, [W]hat is happening right now is that President-elect Trump is pulling back the curtain on what has been going on for a while.

These are all of the ways we have of raising money, she stated to Politico.com. Hes just doing it without shame or compunction.

Perhaps the most succinct summation of Trumps fundraising methods, though, is seen in Dennis Muilenburgs statement after he pledged $1 million to the inauguration: I appreciate the teamwork approach on thisI think its the right way to do business.
Roy Innis, who died in a New York hospital this week at the age of 82, was for nearly the last 50 years the national leader of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

Under Innis, one of the oldest organizations formed to fight the Jim Crow system of racial segregation in the US became a political vehicle for a form of right-wing black nationalism tailored to the interests of the Republican Party and US corporations.

CORE had been founded in 1942. It was actively involved in early struggles against segregation in interstate transportation, as well as in voter registration in the South, the lunch-counter sit-ins and the Freedom Rides of the early 1960s.

COREs transformation was not merely the result of Inniss leadership. It reflected the crisis and decline of the protest movement associated with the civil rights reforms of the 1960s.

Roy Innis was born in the US Virgin Islands in 1934, and came to New York City at 12 years of age, in 1946. He later attended the City College of New York, where he studied chemistry. For a number of years he worked at a Bronx hospital and was active, in the early 1970s, in Hospital Workers Union Local 1199.

By this time he had already moved sharply to the right. The limitations of the civil rights reforms exposed the class issues, which erupted in the ghetto rebellions of the 1960s against the backdrop of deepening economic crisis and the escalating imperialist war in Vietnam. Inniss response was to repudiate any struggle for racial integration and the unity of black and white workers in the fight for social equality.

In this way, Innis, even as the struggles of the 60s intensified, reflected the reactionary essence of black nationalism and the slogan of Black Power, a political trend that was widely promoted within pseudo-left circles as radical and even revolutionary. His evolution expressed in the most direct form the real aim of this trend: the advancement of the interests of an aspiring black bourgeoisie, not those of the working class.

Inniss successful takeover of CORE, which he ran with an iron hand for the rest of his life, took place in the same year as the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. King was killed after denouncing the Vietnam War and organizing the Poor Peoples Campaign to raise demands for social, and not only racial, equality.

This was also the year of the Ocean Hill-Brownsville crisis in Brooklyn, in which the demand for community control of the schools in the largely African-American neighborhood was advanced by the nationalists, used to attack the teachers, leading to teachers strikes and racial tension.

Meanwhile, the movement against the Vietnam War grew rapidly, and protests at the Democratic Convention in Chicago were met with bloody police repression. Innis supported Republican Richard Nixon in the November election. After winning the presidency, Nixon, who had earned his spurs as the redbaiting congressman from California two decades earlier, announced that black capitalism was the answer to the crisis of the cities.

This was Inniss program as well. For the rest of his career, he compiled a notorious record. A longtime right-wing Republican, he advocated racially segregated schools and black capitalism as the solution to persistent unemployment and poverty. He became a vociferous supporter of right-wing, law-and-order campaigns, and a leading figure within the National Rifle Association. Innis backed Bernhard Goetz, the so-called subway gunman, who shot and seriously wounded four black youth in 1984 in New York City, claiming he feared he was going to be mugged.

Innis also attacked such programs as affirmative action, but from the right, advocating not free and equal higher education for all, for instance, but rather a defense of the status quo in the guise of black nationalism.

In the area of foreign policy, Innis traveled to Africa, bestowing life membership in CORE on Idi Amin, the infamous and brutal military dictator of Uganda.

Innis became the darling of the Republican right, with former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani calling him a hero. His role was not dissimilar from that of such figures as Clarence Thomas, or of Trumps nominee to head Housing and Urban Development in his cabinet, Ben Carsonalthough Innis never achieved the prominence of these right-wing defenders of big business.

Inniss open repudiation of the initial goals of the civil rights struggle was only one side of the decline and collapse of the protest movement under its middle-class leadership. Most of the erstwhile civil rights leaders did not follow Inniss path to the extreme right, but rather accepted the mantle of a semi-official African-American leadership that was bestowed on them by the dominant sections of American capitalism. Figures such as Jesse Jackson and Andrew Young, alongside black mayors and other top officials in the nations urban centers, were given the task of defending the profit system precisely as the murderous onslaught on jobs and living standards accelerated. These representatives of the upper middle class were amply rewarded for their services.

Innis became a favorite of another section of the ruling class, largely concentrated in the Republican Party, which had no use for this form of identity politics, but rather sought the cultivation of an openly right-wing layer within the black middle class.

Despite such highly publicized incidents as the violent altercation between Innis and Al Sharpton on a right-wing television talk show in 1988, where Innis brought up Sharptons role in the notorious Tawana Brawley hoax, there was little difference between these two demagogues and the different factions they represented.

Notwithstanding regular efforts and some high-profile appointments like Thomas, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, the campaign to build up a Republican Party base among African-American voters never got very far. This was partly because the ruling elite was able to find plenty of black Democrats who adopted the right-wing nostrums and programs favored by Wall Street. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, for instance, is only one of many such supporters of charter schools and other privatization schemes and attacks on social programs.

CORE became little more than a letterhead in recent decades, a personal vehicle for Inniss right-wing pronouncements. As its membership dwindled, the organization ran into financial difficulties. Innis was himself charged with corruption twice, in 1981 in connection with illegal fund-raising and misappropriation of the organizations funds, and in 1986 in connection with not reporting $116,000 in income on his tax filing. CORE found corporate funding to make up for its lack of a base, according to the obituary article on Innis in the New York Times. Among those firms backing Innis were Monsanto and ExxonMobil, whose CEO is Donald Trumps nominee to be secretary of state.

Innis represents one stark example of the political dead end of the civil rights movement. If in his case it is especially glaring, the role of the African-American politicians and all of their allieswho claim to see the need for a second civil rights movement today, a tactic that is nothing more than a means of boosting the Democratic Partyis no less pernicious. On both sides, what is opposed is the urgent need for the unity of black, white and immigrant workers against the threat of dictatorship and war and in the fight for socialism.
Under the Australian Governments National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), millions of primary and secondary carers of people with disabilities face losing the current minimal assistance they receive, such as essential respite services.

A report released last month by the Anglicare charity, entitled Carers: Doing it Tough, Doing it Well, outlines the carer-focused programs being dismantled under the NDIS roll out, without adequate replacement.

These services include case management programs, some designed specifically for older parents caring for younger people, to support their health, well-being and pursuit of life goals. Most significantly, respite servicesdesigned to give carers much-needed breaks from direct careare being shut down in areas where the NDIS has commenced.

The report states that in Australia there are nearly 2.7 million carers. Of them, 850,000 are primary carers, with their day-to-day lives entirely bound up with the care and welfare of someone, typically a family member, with profound needs.

According to the report, carers provide more than 1.9 billion hours of unpaid care each year, including care for a person with a disability, for a frail aged person or for a person with a chronic illness.

Yet, the needs and role of carers are not formally recognised as part of NDIS packages. As the report says, there is no formal assessment of the needs of the carer, no funding package for the carer and no guarantee of involvement in the assessment of the care recipients needs.

Supporting somebody with a disability, particularly over longer-term periods, has a significant personal impact on carers. The report explains that it negatively impacts physical health, stress and anxiety, personal wellbeing, family relationships, employments, income and disconnection from community life, often leading to isolation and social exclusion.

Carers are often also in poor economic situations as a result of the combined effects of loss of employment and financial expenses associated with caring. Moreover, around 38 percent of carers have a disability themselves.

The impact on carers emotional and mental health can be great. The report cites one study which found that 40 percent of a sample size of 60 carers fitted the criteria for a possible psychiatric disorder.

Sue King, Anglicare advocacy and research manager, told the media: Respite isnt actually necessarily being highlighted in the NDIS but we know that respite, for the carer, is really important. Its not really clear how carers are going to be supported under the NDIS  if you cant sustain carers into the future the entire system will collapse.

Cheryl Paradella, a carer for her 18-year-old son who has Asperger syndrome and Tourettes syndrome, and her 17-year-old daughter who also has Asperger syndrome and a complex mental health disorder, lost all respite services when the NDIS was rolled out six months ago in Campbelltown, a southwestern Sydney suburb.

We were told no one would be worse off under the NDIS but, in actual fact, we are worse off because respite is not automatically provided for carers, Paradella told Fairfax Media. Respite services were the only way she and her husband, who has post-traumatic stress disorder, managed. I really have no idea whats going to happen, she said. I dont know how well cope.

Officially, respite and carers programs are being absorbed into a second tier of the NDIS, consisting of information, referral, web services and community engagement. According to forecasts by the Productivity Commission, whose 2011 report to the last Labor government formed the basis of the NDIS, some four million people with a disability and 800,000 primary carers are to be covered by this second tier.

For carers, the only dedicated support service announced so far is an Integrated Carer Support Service (ICSS), which is still in the design phase. Only $37 million has been committed over four years for its implementation. Currently, all that is running is a web site called Carers Gateway, which many older carers cannot access because they struggle to use the Internet.

This second tier is also supposed to cover all those people with disabilities who miss out on the 490,000 places within the scheme. This particularly affects those with psychosocial disabilitymental health problems that cause social and employment difficulties.

The dismantling of carers services and the overall reduction of funding for people with disabilities is completely in line with the goals of the NDIS. Announced by the Gillard Labor government in 2012, the insurance scheme was touted as a flagship progressive reform. In reality, it was always a pro-business and cost-cutting blueprint, outsourcing services to private operators.

The NDIS was announced amid a raft of other austerity measures, including cutting payments to single parents and trying to force some 400,000 people off disability support pensions and into low-paid work.

Moreover, the Labor government increased the Medicare levy from 1.5 to 2 percent to partially fund the NDIS, forcing working people to bear the financial cost. Even this will cover less than half the governments promised NDIS obligations at full rollout in 2019-20.

To fill some of the NDIS funding hole, the current Liberal-National government announced in its December mid-year economic review that over the next four years $3.7 billion would be stripped from the Education Investment Fund, which was supposed to finance university infrastructure. As a result, students will suffer a further deterioration in university facilities and services.

The author also recommends:

Australia: New disability scheme to cut long-term costs

[6 June 2012]

Australian state government closes disability support facilities

[21 February 2014]
Under the pretext of concerns about the dangers to the New York Citys homeless, the citys Department of Homeless Services (DHS) announced earlier this month that the New York Police Department (NYPD) is now overseeing security of the citys temporary housing for the homeless.

The DHS has had a security force independent of the NYPD command structure since 1993, when Mayor David Dinkins established the department. Created ostensibly to combat rising homeless levels in the 1990s, the DHS has provided bare-bones and insufficient services while affording the city government with the appearance of caring for the homeless.

It is estimated that there are approximately 60,000 people, including 25,000 children, living in New York City with no permanent residence.

The NYPD presence comes on top of a security review by the DHS and months of a media campaign led by the citys two tabloids, the Daily News and the New York Post, the latter of which routinely refers to the unhoused homeless people as bums. Both newspapers speak for the rich and the upper middle class that would like to see the homeless locked up and out of sight.

Housing for the homeless, a combination of city-run and city-regulated nonprofit shelters, has widely been considered dangerous, unhealthy and overcrowded for years. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of people each night who seek to pass bureaucratic hurdles as a last resort for shelter for themselves and their families. The rise in crime at shelters is an indication of the social crisis and demonstrates that the city cannot provide jobs, mental health care, drug treatment programs or even nourishment for large numbers of homeless who seek out the shelter system.

The police integration into the shelters is already under way. According to the DHS, 22 NYPD officers will be assigned to train the current 777 peace officers on proper searching strategies and how best to use Tasers and other nonlethal weapons provided to DHS officers, according to the New York Post.

This news comes after the announcement in 2016 that the NYPD and the notoriously brutal Rikers Island prison guards are to be armed with Tasers. While these and other non-lethal devices are cited as effective ways to prevent shootings and other types of potentially deadly force, evidence has shown that police resort to these painful devices quickly and without cause. Most experts agree that Tasers, which have been responsible for hundreds of deaths, cannot justifiably be called non-lethal. Stun guns were taken away from the NYPD after the cops used one to torture suspected drug dealer Mark Davidson in a Queens precinct in 1985.

The NYPD is supervising another 1,400 private security guards at shelters and hotels where the overflow of homeless are now housed. The security company has also implemented new Guard Force and Geo fencing technology to monitor staffing deployment, the DHS web site notes. Geo fencing technology sets up a virtual perimeter based on satellite data. It is unclear to what extent the people living in the shelter will be monitored.

The homeless will also be subject to increased state surveillance. As the DHS notes, it has revamped the surveillance system and infrastructure at the 30th Street Mens Shelter through the installation of more than 300 surveillance cameras, all of which are now fully operational.

While the social crisis itself has made shelters dangerous places, the NYPD supervision will not seek to protect the homeless, one of the most oppressed and vulnerable segments of the population, but rather to terrorize and monitor them. With nearly 1,000 people killed by police in 2016 nationallyand nine in New York Cityit is a farce to claim that the citys homeless will be safer under NYPD oversight.

It is precisely the ever-growing number of homeless people in the city that has raised concerns in ruling circles of how to manage them. This is the real reason the NYPD has stepped in to police the shelters. It is in line with the NYPDs notorious stop-and-frisk program that unconstitutionally searched hundreds of working class youth in public areas for years until the program was abated at the end of the tenure of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, because it was itself becoming a liability for the ruling class.

When the DHS web site notes that the NYPD has instituted procedures for conducting searches in shelters, one can be sure that the democratic rights of the people in the shelters will be disregarded.

New York City has increasingly become a playground for the super-rich and the wealthiest layers of the middle class. The construction of luxury apartments that cost thousands of dollars a month to rent and millions to purchase is proceeding at a heated pace.

After three years in the city mayors office, during which the homeless population has increased by 20 percent, Bill de Blasio, the representative of the so-called progressive wing of the Democratic Party, has shown his unwillingness and inability to meet even the most minimal needs of the working class. New York City, for most of its people, has simply become unlivable.
The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president is among the most ignominious events in the history of the United States. More than $100 million is being spent on the celebrations of the new presidents installation. In vain! No amount of money can dispel the nauseating stink that pervades every aspect of this inauguration. Nor can the fraudulent orchestration of public festivities conceal the widespread sense that the country, with the installation of the new administration, has embarked on a path that will lead to a disaster of unimaginable dimensions.

History has caught up with American capitalism. The protracted process of economic and social decay has been covered over for decades with democratic phrases that served to disguise the gap between the official political myths and the underlying reality. But the mask has now come off. Donald Trump personifies the corruption, ruthlessness, parasitism and essentially fascistic mindset of the capitalist oligarchs who control the United States.

Trump will lead a government of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich. Joining the billionaires in Trumps cabinet and White House staff are retired generals, tapped for the key national security positions, and ultra-right ideologues appointed to oversee programs and social services that they have devoted their political efforts to destroying. Working people will pay for huge tax cuts for the super-rich and a massive military buildup through the gutting of social programs like public education, Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, savage exploitation on the job, and the erosion of whatever remains of basic democratic rights.

Internationally, Trumps America First chauvinism sets the stage for escalating economic and geopolitical conflicts. The last quarter century of warbeginning with the invasion of Iraq in 1991 and continued with the unending war on terrorwill prove to have been only a prelude to even bloodier military operations. Even before taking office, Trump has made it clear that the United States views even its longstanding European allies as competitors who, to the extent that they get in the way of American interests, will be dealt with as enemies.

Within the ruling elite there are sharp divisions over tactics, reflected in the unprecedented political conflicts that have erupted after the elections. However, the attacks on Trump from top Democrats and Republicans are centered not on the ultra-right policy he is pledged to carry out, but rather on the direction of American war planning. The factions of the corporate elite and military-intelligence apparatus that backed Clinton want to ensure that there is no retreat from the aggressive posture towards Russia, while Trump has directed his rhetorical attacks, for now, against China and, most recently, Germany.

However bitter the disputes, all sections of the ruling class are united in their conviction that 1) American imperialism must pursue its global interests even at the risk of war; and 2) the attack on the social interests and political rights of the working class must be intensified. That Trump speaks and tweets not only for himself but on behalf of the ruling class is proven by the fact that his cabinet selections of billionaires and generals are sailing through the Senate confirmation proceedings with negligible opposition. As for Obama, he devoted his final press conference Wednesday to vouching for the political legitimacy of the incoming administration and declaring that, having won, it is appropriate for [Trump] to go forward with his visions and his values.

With the accession of Trump, the ruling class anticipates the revival of a mythic American pasta land where the capitalist oligarchy is free to exploit the population and pollute the environment to its hearts content; where the working class is deprived of any significant social rights, including the right to public education, medical care and retirement security; where police can maim and kill with no questions asked; where corporations can underpay workers, fire them at will and even use child labor; and where the basest prejudices are cynically encouraged and essential democratic rights are trampled upon.

But this nightmarish and dystopian vision of a capitalist hell cannot be realized without the unleashing of social conflict on a scale that will dwarf the great industrial struggles of the 1930s. The coming political and social shocks will jolt the American working class into action. Skepticswho are to be found in abundance among university academics and in the anti-Marxist pseudo-left political organizations of the affluent middle classdismiss the very possibility of mass working class struggle. Those who reject all efforts to politically educate the working class point to the absence of mass revolutionary consciousness. However, their skepticism expresses their own ignorance of and indifference to the historical processes that lay the foundations for revolutionary eruptions. As Leon Trotsky, the greatest strategist of revolutionary class struggle of the last century, wrote:

The swift changes of mass views and moods in an epoch of revolution thus derive, not from the flexibility and mobility of mans mind, but just the opposite, from its deep conservatism. The chronic lag of ideas and relations behind new objective conditions, right up to the moment when the latter crash over people in the form of a catastrophe, is what creates in a period of revolution that leaping movement of ideas and passions which seems to the police mind a mere result of the activities of demagogues.

For all the bombast and braggadocio of Donald Trump, his administration is, in the final analysis, the product of the desperate crisis that afflicts American capitalism. Its reckless policies will set into motion forces both within the United States and internationally that it cannot control.

In this new situation, the most urgent political task is the building of a revolutionary socialist movement of the working class, independent of and opposed to the parties of big business, the Democrats as much as the Republicans. This is the work to which the Socialist Equality Party in the United States and its co-thinkers in the International Committee of the Fourth International are dedicated.

The SEP fights for a socialist and internationalist response to the Trump administration and the crisis of the capitalist system. In opposition to oligarchic control of the wealth of society, the SEP demands the transformation of the gigantic corporations and banks into democratically controlled public utilities, to serve social needs, not private profit. We call for a massive redistribution of wealth to advance the goal of social equality and to ensure the fundamental rights of the working class to a well-paid job, quality health care and education, a secure and comfortable retirement, and a healthy environment.

In opposition to the nationalist poison of the ruling class and the drive to war, the Socialist Equality Party fights for the international unity of all workers. Workers must oppose every effort to scapegoat immigrants or workers of other countries, and reject every effort to sow divisions along racial and gender lines.

Trumps call to Make America Great Again is in reality a call for class war, military violence and dictatorship. In response, workers must embrace the proud banner of international unity, equality and socialism.

We urge working people and all those looking for a way forward against the Trump administration to read the World Socialist Web Site and join the SEP to build a new revolutionary leadership in the working class.
There is no specific, credible threat expected at Donald Trumps inauguration exercises in Washington, DC this Friday, said Jeh Johnson, outgoing Secretary of Homeland Security. Nevertheless, extraordinary security measures will be taken in response to protests.

An estimated 28,000 representatives of the US security apparatusfrom the US Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), FBI, US Park Police, US Capitol Police, Coast Guard and municipal policeare coordinating operations in order to control and monitor onlookers, according to Johnson. The total cost of this police mobilization is estimated at $100 million.

Security personnel expect about 900,000 people to gather in Washington on Friday. This is typical of inauguration ceremonies. Barack Obamas swearing-in ceremony in 2009 attracted around 1.8 million. Several protest actions have been planned; however, the largest of whichthe Womens March on Washington on Saturdayis expected to attract 400,000 to 500,000 participants.

Christopher T. Geldart, the director of Homeland Security for Washington, DC, has said that his team is preparing for several other smaller protest actions throughout the city.

These numbers eclipse demonstrations at any inauguration since the Vietnam War era. In response, security officials have divided the city into a series of hard and soft perimeters. Police began shutting down entire roads leading into downtown Washington on Thursday afternoon. Dump trucks, cement trucks and other heavy equipment have been employed to block vehicular access to the heart of the city. More than 100 square city blocks, equal to roughly to 2.7 square miles, will be closed.

Those with tickets to the inaugural ceremony will be required to pass through one of six security checkpoints surrounding the National Mall and the Reflecting Pool, where the most stringent security measures have been taken. Officials have published a list of 40 itemsamong them drums, whistles, umbrellas, signs, and selfie sticksthat are prohibited in the area.

Washingtons largest hospitals have been put on high alert as well. Medical staff at Sibley Memorial, Howard University, George Washington University, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, and Childrens National Medical Center have been asked not to schedule elective surgeries on Friday. City and Homeland Security officials have requested that emergency departments maintain the highest level of staff attendance and preparation in case of casualties.

Johnson has said that disruptive actions have been anticipated and planned for. One protest group, #DisruptJ20, has called for a bold mobilization against the inauguration of Donald Trump. The group has been granted permits for a number of small protests, but has also alluded to other actions. Lacy MacAuley, a spokesperson for #DisruptJ20, stated, We intend basically to set the tone of resistance here for the coming years.

In response, says Johnson, special precautions would be taken by law enforcement. We are going to have a lot of resources. Weve got pretty sophisticated ways to monitor groups and keep tabs on groups and make sure things dont get out of hand, he boasted. He stated that law enforcement has been using social media surveillance to keep abreast of planned actions by both protesters and pro-Trump demonstrators.

In another statement, although Johnson admitted that there existed no specific, credible threat, he stated that the Department of Homeland Security is concerned about lone wolf, self-radicalized attackers. He cited the killing of 86 people in Nice, France, when a truck driver ploughed through a crowd gathered for Bastille Day in June of last year.

Trump has brayed loudly about the great crowds he expects to turn out for his inauguration. He praised Bikers for Trump, an assorted group of motorcycle-riding Trump supporters that has vowed to patrol the nations capital and prevent protests. The group functioned as a vigilante security force for Trump at various rallies during Trumps campaign.

The heightened state of alert aby the US security apparatus, as well as the number of demonstrators, points to both the growing disaffection of Americans with the electoral process and to the mobilization of police and paramilitary forces in response to that disaffection.

The gears of the security apparatus had been well oiled by both George W. Bush and Obama. The response of the ruling class to growing social inequality and discontent is the ever-greater expansion of police powers.

The security measures put into place to protect the inauguration will not simply dissolve on Saturday. They will become increasingly focused and determined, and increasingly equipped to shut down any ongoing demonstration of citizens dissatisfaction. Said Geldart, Were basically not going to stand anything down after the inauguration. Were leaving that stuff in place.
Some Nebraska consumers are victim to phony accounts opened in their name by big banks or illegal charges and fees sneaked onto customers' monthly statements. However, most of us don't know how to fight back. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is just getting started. Its purpose is to assist consumers in fighting these practices. Since 2011, CFPB helped 27 million families that have been ripped off. Yet it appears at least one of our senators is determined to stop individual Nebraskans' best weapon of defense.

The CFPB makes rules to encourage lenders to protect customers of home loans and payday loan traps. However, recently, big business very quietly installed complex arbitration agreements in their paperwork. Most of us sign documents without thinking. These agreements prevent Nebraskans from protecting their rights in court and force them into confidential and costly arbitration. This sneaky roadblock to the legal system helps corporations avoid punishment for unlawful behavior.

Wall Street schemes move fast, and we need the CFPB more than ever. That's why our representatives in Congress, including Sen. Ben Sasse must support the CFPB, stop his push against consumers and end support for binding arbitration and stand up for individual Nebraskans when they need help protecting the financial future for their families.

Pamela A. Car, Nebraska State Chair, National Association of Consumer Advocates, Omaha
The ASLEF train drivers union has called off the three-day strike on Southern Rail due next week. An overtime ban will also be lifted.

The planned action was over the companys plans to widen the use of driver only operated (DOO) trains. DOO is aimed at the reducing the role of conductorswho perform a critical safety role on trainsto that of revenue collectors and their eventual elimination from the railways.

The strike was called off following the announcement of fresh talks between ASLEF and Southern, which is owned by Govia Thameslink Rail.

ASLEF sabotaged the strike just days after some 1,000 drivers held a 48-hour stoppage beginning January 11 that brought Southerns operations to a halt.

The Southern rail network is one of the most critical in the country, with many passengers commuting to London. The action resulted in the firm having to withdraw more than 2,200 scheduled journeys, serving hundreds of thousands of people.

The announcement calling the strike off was made by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), who stated it would host the talks that began Wednesday. The talks are being chaired by TUC General Secretary Frances OGrady and Andy Meadows, the UK HR Director of Abellio. In a joint statement, OGrady and Meadows said, We are pleased that all parties have agreed to meet for meaningful talks.

Meadows inclusion is significant as Abellio operates the Scotrail, Merseyrail and Greater Anglia private rail franchises. Scotrail has already enforced a partial DOO system, much of Greater Anglias is DOO and Merseyrail is planning to introduce DOO on its new trains.

Conductors at Scotrail, which Abellio runs for the Dutch national rail Nederlandse Spoorwegen, waged a determined struggle against DDO last year, holding a series of strikes that were eventually sabotaged by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT). Opposed to unifying the struggle of Southern GTR and ScotRail conductors, the RMT called off the ScotRail strikes and entered negotiations. The RMT claimed the outcome was a major breakthrough in the battle against driver only operation. In reality, the driver will now open doors and conductors close them, leaving the company part way towards their goal of ending the conductors safety role.

The RMT and ASLEF have worked to ensure that the struggle of drivers and conductors at rail franchises nationally have been divided and isolated. RMT conductors at Southern are set to hold a one-day stoppage on Mondayone day before the ASLEF three-day stoppage was to commence. While stating the strike was still going ahead, the RMT approached the TUC to be included in this weeks talks.

The strikes by Southern workers follow those by post office workers, London Underground staff and British Airways cabin crew and point to growing mood of resistance in the working class to years of austerity and attacks on working conditions. In each case, workers are striking to protest attacks that have already been agreed to by the trade union bureaucracy.

The calling off of the Southern strike came as cleaning staff employed by Servest UKan agency contracted to clean trains belonging to the Great Western Railway (GWR)were due to begin a 48-hour strike Thursday. They are members of the RMT union and are striking over poor pay, bad working conditions and allegations of bullying. They are demanding to be employed as GWR staff and be subject to their pay and conditions.

The RMT announced it would suspend the strike if the company were to offer its members an improved contract.

The TUC and ASLEF called off the Southern strike almost immediately after Prime Minister Theresa Mays Wednesday speech, in which she declared that Britain would leave the EU and withdraw from its Single Market on the basis of striking free trade agreements internationally. This is premised on a massive escalation in the assault on the working class, which has been ongoing for nearly a decade since the 2008 global financial crisis. The response of the TUC and ASLEF in calling off the Southern strike is a down payment by the unions in their collaboration in this class war offensive.

The government welcomed the move by the TUC/ASLEF, with transport secretary Chris Grayling supporting the inclusion of Meadows in the talks.
The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) won 7 percent of the vote in this weeks student parliament election at Humboldt University in Berlin, the best showing yet for the group.

The IYSSE, the student and youth organization of the Socialist Equality Party (PSG) and the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), received 192 votes, up from the 147 votes it received last year. Based on the preliminary vote result, the IYSSE will be entitled to four seats on the student parliament and came in fifth out of 19 slates.

Significantly most of the student organizations that are affiliated to parties represented in the German Parliament received many fewer votes than the IYSSE. The student organization of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (RCDS) received 153 votes (5,6 percent), the student group of the Green Party (Grunboldt) 128 votes (4,7 percent) and the Left Party's SDS 123 votes (4,5 percent).

Among the student organization which have significant financial and personal resources at their disposal only the Jusos, the student organization of the Social Democratic Party, received slightly more votes than the IYSSE with a result of 8 percent.

In its election statement, the IYSSE explained that it was taking part in the election in order to build a movement against militarism and war, the growth of social inequality and the rise of the right wing. We want to prevent Humboldt University being transformed into a centre of right-wing and militarist ideology, as was the case during the First and Second World Wars.

Sven Wurm, the IYSSE spokesperson at Humboldt University, said: This election result is an important success for our work. It shows that our struggle against militarism and right-wing professors is finding increasing resonance among students. Many students are worried about the shift to the right taking place at Humboldt University. And we were the only list [of candidates] that took a stand against this.

The IYSSE statement warned that the ruling classes of Europe, and Germany in particular, are calling for the return of militarism and domestic repression. Universities play a central role in the ideological preparation of this policy, it said.

At Humboldt University, Professors Jorg Baberowski and Herfried Munkler are especially closely connected with this militarist campaign. While the latter demands that Berlin again act as a hegemon and disciplinarian in Europe, the former is an avowed supporter of Nazi apologist Ernst Nolte and plays down the crimes of National Socialism (Nazism). He rails against refugees and bangs the drum for law and order, the statement explained.

The IYSSE discussed these developments in several well-attended election meetings. At the first meeting, held in December, David North, the chairman of the World Socialist Web Site International Editorial Board, reviewed the causes and consequences of the election of Donald Trump before an audience of 250 people. At the second meeting, on January 4, the IYSSE discussed the repercussions of Trumps election in Europe and explained that the German bourgeoisie is using the US election result in order to promote its own aggressive agenda, both at home and abroad.

At the third and final election meeting last Monday, the IYSSE explained the special role that Humboldt University is playing in the preparation and ideological justification for war and dictatorship. Several IYSSE representatives explained the importance of an international and socialist perspective.

The election campaign and the series of meetings we have held in recent weeks were very important, Wurm said. Many students were shocked by the election of Donald Trump. At the same time, they were not aware how aggressively the German bourgeoisie was reacting to it and what a significant role the universities are playing in the preparation of right-wing policies.

After our meetings, many of those attending took campaign materials with them and distributed them among friends and throughout the university campus. Several have supported the election campaign directly and want to become members of the IYSSE.

The IYSSEs election statement noted: Whether we like it or not, we are returning to times that will be just as turbulent and full of crisis as the first half of the twentieth century. Everything depends on the building of a new, international anti-war movement. It must be based on the working class, it must be anti-capitalist and it needs an international, socialist perspective.

Wurm added: Our election result shows that growing numbers of students are no longer prepared to accept the development of war and dictatorship and are beginning instead to turn towards a revolutionary perspective.
The launching of coordinated air strikes by Russian and Turkish warplanes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets in northern Syria Wednesday has further exposed the crisis gripping Washingtons intervention in the war-ravaged Middle Eastern country, as well as the deepening contradictions plaguing the NATO alliance on the eve of Donald Trumps inauguration as US president.

The bombing campaign struck targets around the Syrian town of al-Bab, the scene of bloody fighting between Turkish troops and ISIS militants over the past several weeks.

From a political standpoint, the joint action by Russia and Turkey, a member of the NATO alliance for the past 65 years, is unprecedented. It stands in stark contradiction to the anti-Moscow campaign being waged by Washington and its principal NATO allies, which has seen the cutting off of military-to-military ties, the imposition of sanctions, and the increasingly provocative deployment of thousands of US and other NATO troops on Russias western borders. Just last week, the US sent 3,000 soldiers into Poland, backed by tanks and artillery, while hundreds more US Marines have been dispatched to Norway.

Turkeys collaboration with Russia represents a further challenge to the US-led alliance under conditions in which Trump has severely rattled its European members with recent statements describing NATO as obsolete and charging its members with not taking care of terror and not paying what theyre supposed to pay.

The joint air attack was carried out under the terms of a memorandum reached between the Russian and Turkish militaries the previous week, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The document, signed on January 12, was designed to prevent incidents between Turkish and Russian warplanes, as well as to prepare joint operations ... in Syria to destroy international terrorist groups, Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudoskoy said in a statement.

Russian-Turkish relations reached their nadir in November 2015 when Turkish fighter jets ambushed and shot down a Russian warplane carrying out airstrikes against Islamist fighters near the border between Turkey and Syria. The incident brought Turkey, and with it NATO, to the brink of war with nuclear-armed Russia. At that point, Turkey was serving as the main conduit for foreign fighters, weapons and other resources being poured into Syria to wage the US-orchestrated war for regime change, while Russia was intervening to prop up its principal Middle East ally, the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In June of last year, Ankara sought to mend it relations with Moscow, which had retaliated for the shoot-down with economic sanctions. Relations grew closer in the wake of the abortive July 2016 military coup, which the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blamed on the US and its allies.

The turning point in bilateral relations between Turkey and Russia came at the end of last year, with the Russian-backed Syrian armys routing of the Western-backed, Al Qaeda-linked militias in their last urban stronghold of eastern Aleppo. Turkey joined with Russia in brokering a withdrawal of the last rebels from the area and a nationwide ceasefire, which continues to prevail in much of the country.

Washington was pointedly excluded from the negotiations surrounding both Aleppo and the ceasefire. Only at the last moment has Moscow invited the incoming Trump administrationover the objection of Syrias other major ally, Iranto participate in talks aimed at reaching a political settlement over the six-year-old war that are to convene in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, next week.

The joint Russian-Turkish airstrikes around al-Bab came in the wake of bitter protests by the Turkish government over the refusal of the US military to provide similar air support for Ankaras troops in the area. The Pentagons reluctance stemmed from the conflicting aims pursued by Turkey, which sent its troops into Syria last August in what the Erdogan government dubbed Operation Euphrates Shield.

Ostensibly directed against ISIS, Ankaras primary target was really the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military wing, the Peoples Protection Unit (YPG). The Turkish government views these groups as affiliates of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), against which it has waged a protracted counterinsurgency campaign within Turkey itself. The offensive against ISIS-controlled al-Bab is aimed principally at preventing it from falling to the YPG and at blocking the linking up of eastern and western Kurdish enclaves along Turkeys border.

For its part, Washington has utilized the YPG as its principal proxy ground force in the US attack on ISIS, sending in US special forces troops to arm, train and direct these Kurdish fighters.

The US refusal to back Turkish forces around al-Bab with airstrikes led to angry denunciations of Washington by the Turkish president, who charged that the US was supporting terrorists instead of its NATO ally. Ankara also began delaying approval for US flights out of the strategic Incirlik air base in southern Turkey and threatened to deny Washington and its allies access to the base altogether.

It was likely these threats, combined with the Turkish-Russian agreement to conduct joint strikes, that led the Pentagon to reverse its previous refusal to support Turkish forces and launch limited bombing runs around al-Bab as well this week.

This crowded and geostrategically tense battlefield is likely to grow even more dangerous following Trumps ascension to the White House.

Trump has reportedly called for the Pentagon to come up with proposals to deal a decisive defeat to ISIS in Syria and Iraq within 90 days. Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Wednesday that he would present options to accelerate the campaign against ISIS to retired general James Mattis, Trumps incoming defense secretary.

Citing unnamed Pentagon officials, CNN reports that The Defense Department is prepared to provide the new administration with military options to accelerate the war against ISIS in Syria that could send additional US troops into direct combat.

One option would put hundreds, if not thousands, of additional US troops into a combat role as part of the fight to take Raqqa, the Islamic States Syrian capital, according to the television news network. ... in the coming months, the Pentagon could put several US brigade-sized combat teams on the ground, each team perhaps as many as 4,000 troops.

Plans are also reportedly being drawn up to escalate military provocations against Iran, which Mattis, in testimony before the Senate, described as the biggest destabilizing force in the Middle East, adding that the Trump administration must checkmate Irans goal for regional hegemony.

There is every indication, Trumps rhetoric about improving relations with Moscow notwithstanding, that US imperialism is preparing for another eruption of militarism in the Middle East that will pose an ever greater threat of spilling over into a new world war.
The Trump transition team is developing a federal budget based on a blueprint drawn up by the right-wing Heritage Foundation that will slash $10.5 trillion from government spending over the next decade, according to a report Thursday in the Hill.

The main budget priorities of the Trump administration are to be published within 45 days of the inauguration and the full budget proposal is expected sometime in April.

According to the Hill, the Trump administrations budget proposal is being drawn up by Russ Vought and John Gray, former Heritage Foundation employees and one-time aides to Vice President Mike Pence. Vought was also the executive direction of the Republican Study Group, which has proposed similar cuts in recent years, while Gray served as an aide to Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan when he led the House Budget Committee.

The implementation of the reported budget cuts would mark a massive escalation in the social counterrevolution and attack on the living standards of the working class carried out by the Democrats and the Obama administration over the last eight years.

Among the dramatic reductions that are being prepared are significant cuts to funding for the Commerce Department and the Department of Energy, with programs currently under their jurisdiction either eliminated entirely or transferred to other departments.

Other federal departments that will reportedly be significantly impacted by cuts and program elimination include the Department of Transportation, Justice Department and State Department.

Under the Heritage Foundation plan, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which oversees the operations of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), would be entirely privatized. While the CPB still relies on the federal government for a portion of its funding, it has increasingly relied on donations from large corporate sponsors and from the wealthy.

The Heritage Foundations budget blueprint is a litany of attacks on benefits and social programs which benefit the poor, as well as an assault on scientific research.

Under the guise of reducing fraud, the foundation calls for new restrictions on the Earned Income Tax Credit, which benefits millions of single mothers and low-wage workers. Other reactionary measures under consideration are new work requirements for adult Food Stamp recipients and eliminating Social Security payments for disabled children.

Federal funding for the arts and humanities research would be totally phased out with the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Scientific research carried out across multiple departments, including in the Department of Energy, will be completely or partially defunded.

The savagery of the reported budget proposals is yet another expression of the fundamental class character of the incoming Trump administration, in which billionaire oligarchs are taking direct control of the federal government, rather than pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

Reports of the incoming administrations budget plans came as the Senate held cabinet hearings Thursday for multimillionaire corporate raider and former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin, nominated to serve as the Treasury Secretary, and former Texas governor Rick Perry for head of the Department of Energy, an agency which Perry called to eliminate in 2012.

Mnuchin, if confirmed, would join a cabinet comprised of billionaires, multimillionaires and former generals. While Mnuchin has an estimated net worth of $400 million, that puts him well behind Trumps picks for Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos ($5.1 billion), Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross ($2.5 billion), and the Small Business Administration, Linda McMahon ($1.35 billion).

During his testimony Thursday, Mnuchin defended his time as the head of California-based IndyMac Bank, renamed OneWest, where he made massive profits aggressively pursuing foreclosures against homeowners during the height of the foreclosure crisis.

Mnuchin sought in his remarks to present himself as a savior moved by the plight of homeowners who was hindered in his efforts to help by too many government regulations. If we had not bought IndyMac, he said, the bank would likely have been broken up and sold in pieces to private investors, where the outcome for consumers could have been much bleaker. (And Mnuchin just happened to make millions in the process!)

He promised that if confirmed as Treasury Secretary, he would work to eliminate financial regulations that had kept him from becoming even wealthier. Mnuchin will also be taking the lead in formulating Trumps tax plan, which is to include cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to only 15 percent.

Demonstrating the practically nonexistent character of the vetting process for Trumps ultra-wealthy nominees, the Washington Post reported Thursday that Mnuchin had failed to report his corporate interests in the Cayman Islands as well as more than $100 million in real estate and art holdings in an initial submission to the Senate panel reviewing his nomination. Though this lapse drew some flak from committee Democrats, it did little to hurt the former Goldman Sachs executives chances of confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate.

While some of Trumps nominees may take their time to get through the confirmation process, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Thursday that a deal had been reached to approve retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mad Dog Mattis as Pentagon chief and retired Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly as head of the Department of Homeland Security shortly after Trumps inauguration today.

I looked at their records...and I think theyd be very good, Schumer noted approvingly. He also indicated that Republican Representative Mike Pompeo would be confirmed as CIA director either today or on Monday.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull this week conducted a limited reshuffle of his ministry following the forced resignation last week of Health Minister Sussan Ley, ostensibly over a media-generated travel expenses controversy.

Although kept to a minimum, the reshuffle was the fourth by Turnbull in the 16 months since he ousted Tony Abbott as prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party. That is an average of a reshuffle every four monthsunderscoring the Liberal-National Coalition governments instability, which has worsened since it barely survived last Julys double dissolution election.

Turnbull replaced Ley with industry minister Greg Hunt, and switched cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos into Hunts portfolio. The inner cabinet was reduced from an historically large 23 to 22 members, meeting the demands of the Murdoch media for a smaller-sized frontbench.

To try to put a progressive gloss on the governments latest crisis, Turnbull promoted Ken Wyatt from assistant minister for health and aged care, to the outer ministry position of minister for aged care and indigenous health, making him the first Aboriginal politician to receive such a posting. At the same time, Turnbull sought to appease the conservative Abbott supporters by elevating one of their faction, Michael Sukkar, to become assistant minister to the treasurer.

By restricting the swapping of ministerial posts, Turnbull rebuffed calls for Abbott to be brought into the cabinet, but this only further highlighted the rifts in the government. Turnbull faces ongoing pressure from the corporate elite and media for a more sweeping reshuffle in order to more aggressively slash social spending and the wages and conditions of workers. He also confronts escalating agitation from Abbott, who last week publicly accused the government of not moving agilely enough to cut corporate taxes to match those pledged by US President-elect Donald Trump.

Leys removal as health minister was a classic case of a travel rorts scandal being used by the corporate media to ramp up its demands on the government, which is increasingly being derided in ruling circles as weak and indecisive. In the Australian Financial Review on January 10, Andrew Clark described the Ley scandal as an obviously avoidable, potentially disruptive, event for a government already suffering from a perception of division and drift.

Leys frequent trips, using ministerial and parliamentary entitlements, to the Gold Coast resort strip made her an easy target. Reportedly, she had made 26 taxpayer-funded flights there since 2013, and claimed for 37 nights accommodation. Her visits featured New Years Eve parties, hosted by a wealthy businesswoman and political donor, and the purchase of a $795,000 apartment as an investment property. Ley initially defended the purchase as an impulse decision, only magnifying the social gulf between the political elite and the vast majority of the population, who cannot afford homes at that price, let alone investment properties.

Rupert Murdochs Melbourne tabloid, the Herald Sun, opened 2017 by launching the campaign against Ley on January 2. Using records obtained via freedom of information provisions, it published a story on Ley using an air force plane for a 2015 visit to the Gold Coast. The scandal was extended on January 5, again led by the Herald Sun, using a Department of Finance report on politicians expenses. Within eight days, Ley was gone.

Similar methods could be used against any number of government ministers, and opposition Labor Party leaders, several of whom already have been accused by the media of having exorbitant travel expenses, often involving trips to gala events or holiday destinations with members of their families. Those named include Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann and Labors shadow treasurer Chris Bowen.

For now, following Leys resignation, these allegations have been put on the backburner. However, a political message has been sent. Travel rorts allegations can be used to further destabilise the government, and the Labor Party, unless they rapidly escalate the offensive against the social services and living conditions of the working class.

Significantly, such a travel expenses scandal, involving the use of a chartered helicopter, was brought forward against one of Abbotts closest supporters, then parliamentary speaker Bronwyn Bishop, in 2015. Within three weeks, she was forced to resign. It was a blow to Abbott, who was toppled by Turnbull a month later.

Ley was targeted also because public health spending is one of the biggest items on the list of budget cuts required by big business. Abbott installed Ley as health minister in December 2014 in a bid to rescue his government from the widespread public hostility to the 2014 budget. Its sweeping austerity measures included forcing patients to pay at least $7 upfront to see a GP (general practitioner) under the Medicare public health insurance system.

Abbott finally dropped the plan and tasked Ley with finding alternative means to gut health spending. As required, Ley led an assault on Medicare, primarily by continuing a freeze, initiated by the last Labor government in 2013, on Medicare payments to GPs. She also cut access to some pharmaceutical medications, and ended most bulk-billing (services provided without upfront patient fees) for pathology tests, diagnostic imaging and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans.

Through these measures, the government has begun to dismantle access to Medicare, forcing people to pay foror delayessential medical care. Official statistics released last month revealed that only 64.7 percent of patients now have all GP visits bulk-billed, making a mockery of Leys claim of an 89.2 percent bulk billing rate last year.

But this is nowhere near enough for the corporate and media elite. Judith Sloan, contributing economics editor of Murdochs Australian, was blunt on January 10. She wrote: Forget Sussan Leys dubious, within the rules use of travel entitlementsshe should be dropped from the health portfolio because shes been a dud. Its really hard to think of one positive outcome she has achieved, save for spending more of taxpayers money on new drugs, worthy though that might be  Losing Ley as Health Minister may just be the spur the government needs to confront the big issues in health and aged-care policy and implement some real reforms.

A series of Australian editorials made clear this was a wider warning to Turnbull. A January 19 editorial concluded: After this forced reshaping, it is high time Mr Turnbull and his team left the distractions behind and delivered. They need to outline an economic narrative, create a sense of purpose and take the public with them.

What must be delivered, as far as the ruling elite is concerned, are far more severe cuts to health, education, welfare and all social spending. The global credit ratings agencies have renewed their threats, first issued after the July election debacle, to strip the country of its AAA rating unless Turnbulls government demonstrates its capacity to eliminate the budget deficit, currently running at almost $40 billion annually, by its promised date of 2020-21.

This weeks inauguration of the Trump administration further raises the threat of trade war and military war between the US and China, Australias largest export market, with potentially catastrophic consequences for Australian capitalism. In seeking to impose brutal austerity measures and corporate tax cuts, the Liberal-National Coalition government, however, already confronts deep popular hostility, as does the political establishment as a whole.

Last month, an Australian National University survey, conducted during the July election, reported record low levels of satisfaction with the political system. Only 26 percent of respondents thought people in government could be trustedthe lowest number since that was first measured in 1969. A record high 19 percent said they did not feel close to any political party, or identify as Labor, Liberal-National or Greens voters.
Tallahassee, Fla. (WTXL) - This month marks Dr. Robinsons 20th anniversary of service to Florida A&M University.

From his work as a professor, researcher, and director in the School of the Environment to his impact as vice president for Academic Affairs and interim president in 2007 and 2012-2014, Dr. Robinson has embodied the Universitys mantra, excellence with caring.

To honor the prestigious educator, FAMU will hold a tree planting ceremony. An orange tree will be planted at the School of the Environment to signify the impact FAMU and Dr. Robinson have had on environment and agricultural research.

School officials said the tree will forever represent Dr. Robinson's commitment to FAMU and ongoing service to higher education and the research community.

The ceremony will take place on January 20th at 11:30 a.m. at the FAMU School of the Environment.
Gov. Pete Ricketts said Friday he believes President Donald Trump made it clear in his inaugural address that he's going to make "what's good for America" his guiding priority, while "paying attention to all those who have been left behind."

"But he reached out to everybody in America," the governor said during a pause in his two-day sweep through inaugural events in Washington.

Trump's message to the world was "we'll work with you in a peaceful way," Ricketts suggested during a telephone interview.

A surprise bonus for Nebraskans in the inaugural address was the new president's reference to "the windswept plains of Nebraska," the governor said.

Ricketts visited briefly with Trump at a candlelight dinner Thursday night and had an opportunity to "congratulate him and wish him well" hours before the inauguration.

"We chatted a little about the Cubs and the World Series," Ricketts said.

The conversation included Tom Ricketts, the governor's brother and chairman of the Chicago team owned by the Ricketts family headed by Joe Ricketts, the governor's billionaire father.

His trip provided "a good opportunity to talk to the new policymakers" in Washington, Ricketts said.

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry of Lincoln described Trump's speech as "a striking, direct call for a new healthy nationalism."

It was a message "to the people, about the people and for the people," the 1st District congressman said during a telephone call.

And the message to the world is that there's "a new sheriff in town," Fortenberry said. That means "the notion (of) not negotiating the best deals possible, not seeking out authentic friendships rather than just political or economic transactions is over," he said.

"He will be a very authoritative president," Fortenberry said. "But he will be about the business of devolving power (with) more for the legislative branch."

Next week, Fortenberry said, the Republican House majority will gather at a retreat focused on health care reform legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act.

Fortenberry also encountered a president during the inaugural festivities.

The congressman and his daughter, Christine, 14, were in the Capitol Rotunda on Friday when former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton passed through and they stopped to shake hands.
SUWANNEE COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Troopers have released the identities of those involved in a fatal accident on I-10 near U.S. 90.

The Florida Highway Patrol said that the accident happened around 2:45 p.m. on Thursday when Ronald Zimmerman was driving a semi-truck west on I-10 and attempted to change lanes.

When he did this, the car next to him, driven by Robert Hoye, swerved into the center grass median to avoid hitting Zimmerman.

Troopers said that Zimmerman swerved back into his lane and began to drive across the westbound lanes and into the center grass median. At the same time, they said that Hoye over-corrected and traveled across the westbound lanes behind the semi.

They said that they front right tire of Zimmerman's semi hit an embankment and overturned . Troopers said that Hoye was thrown from his pickup when his car ended up hitting a guardrail.

Hoye was pronounced dead on scene. Zimmerman was transported to Shands at Live Oak for serious injuries.

FHP said that charges in the crash are pending investigation.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management said that a large saddle tank came off the semi truck as well, releasing 85 to 100 gallons of diesel onto nearby CSX train tracks.

They said that no reported waterways or storm drains were impacted.
A 19-year-old University of Nebraska-Lincoln sophomore described the crowd's mood as she watched Donald Trump take the oath of office Friday as both smug and furious.

Elizabeth Rembert stood in Union Square at the foot of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as Trump took the oath of office.

Although the transfer of power is supposed to signal an end to rivalries and the beginning of cooperation, she said it appeared there is still a big divide.

As the rain began to fall, someone in the crowd said it was the liberals tears, and protesters held signs saying Not my president and Lock him up.

Rembert got tickets to attend the inauguration from Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischers office.

She said the biggest cheers went up when the president talked about returning power to the people and prioritizing America.

But it appeared to her Trump was literally and figuratively addressing one type of America -- "white, middle-aged and middle class."

She said the people around her fit that demographic, and she felt the speech failed to address issues like race, poverty and inequality, while emphasizing border protection, getting people off welfare and protecting American jobs and products.
Yakima City irrigation specialists Matt Mayer, left, and Joey Wallber, right, clear a storm drain on the corner of South 5th Avenue and West Yakima Avenue in Yakima, Wash., Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. The two workers spent most of the day clearing various storm drains in order to prevent flooding. (SOFIA JARAMILLO/Yakima Herald-Republic)
When your children are sick, it can be hard to think rationally. All that matters is making them feel better.
President Donald Trump put Nebraska on the map Friday, when he mentioned our windswept plains during his inaugural address.

It wasnt the most flattering image, but better than his description of Detroits urban sprawl.

And it wasnt the first time a president has said the word Nebraska during his first speech, according to a search of an inaugural address database.

Nearly 160 years ago, President James Buchanan mentioned the Nebraska-Kansas Act of 1854, which created the Nebraska and Kansas territories and allowed their new residents to decide whether to allow slavery.

Buchanans March 4, 1857, speech was nearly twice as long as Trumps. But the 15th president did like to speak in long sentences.

To their decision, in common with all good citizens, I shall cheerfully submit, whatever this may be, though it has ever been my individual opinion that under the Nebraska-Kansas act the appropriate period will be when the number of actual residents in the Territory shall justify the formation of a constitution with a view to its admission as a State into the Union.
The words racism and discrimination have been heard numerous times in the past day. That is, after all, the only thing that speakers of the radical left can say about the Umm al-Hiran evacuation

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



I have been there more than once. I have checked the facts. The courts have checked them repeatedly. The claims of discrimination, racism, dispossession and rights from time immemorial have been refuted again and again. But those raising the false claims are not letting that confuse them. They are running forward in full speed.

Clashes in Umm al-Hiran, Wednesday. When brainwashing wins, it leads to violence and bloodshed (Photo: Reuters)

The members of the al-Qiyan tribe are right. They were indeed transferred to the Yatir Forest area in the 1950s. They settled there with permission. Precisely because they have certain rights which have been recognized by the authorities and by the courts, they were offered to move  for free  to the regulated community of Hura. Not only did they receive free land, a quarter of an acre for each household, and not only was the infrastructure supplied by the government, but each family received an additional payment, at least NIS 100,000 to build its own home. Moreover, every man married to more than one women received land units according to the number of his wives  even though poligamy is illegal. And in order not to discriminate against the young ones, all those over the age of 24 received an independent home as well.

Before you say that this is an insufficient settlement, it should be noted that most tribe members considered it a fair and sufficient proposal. They moved to the village of Hura. Very few decided to stay. And out of the very few, a small minority left the Yatir area and spread to the Hiran area. Aerial shots document exactly what went on there starting in the 1960s: The illegal construction continued even after it was decided in 2002 to build the community of Hiran, not just for Jews as the slanderers claim.

The minority of the minority is at the center of the violence that broke out again on Wednesday. This minority felt it had massive backing. That happened because radical left-wing activists, most or all of them from NGOs of the New Israel Fund (NIF), along with Balad and Islamic Movement activists and with the help of a lot of European money, turned the battle against Israel into a battle against Israels racism.

This is the notorious red-green coalition of radical leftists and Islamists, which stirs against any arrangement for the Bedouin community. When Ibrahim Aloquili, who served as chairman of the unrecognized villages committee, advanced a dialogue with the government, a website affiliated with the NIF wrote that he was sabotaging the attempts of other leaders to advance a more hawkish line against the government. Of course. They have chosen to support the rejectionist minority, so every sane voice must be moved out of the way.

The arguments I am making here do not belong to a certain side. They are based on a Supreme Court ruling, which determined in these words that most of the tribe members moved to Hura  a Bedouin community, which is regulated and connected to infrastructures  and the remaining ones are required to evacuate their homes, and are being offered to move to Hura They are not being expelled and not being abandoned. The suggested evacuation involves different proposals for a move, construction, compensation and a housing option, whether in the town of Hura or in the community of Hiran which is about to be built The planned community does not prevent the tribe members from living there Anyone wishing to live in Hiran is entitled to do so, subject to the law and under the fixed conditions.

The left-wing bodies operated a worldwide anti-Israel propaganda machine. Haaretz published countless articles against the state. When it was presented with an article refuting the claims, it refused to publish it. Freedom of speech is reserved for one opinion only. The Rabbis for Human Rights organization outdid itself by releasing an incitement film titled Fiddler with no Roof. It works. Even the European Parliament adopted an anti-Israel resolution in regards to the Bedouin. Army Radio broadcaster Khen Elmaleh wrote on Facebook on Wednesday, I would have run over a policeman too had I been forcibly evacuated from my home.

Terror receives justifications. A significant number of the people interviewed about the issue on the public media Wednesday revealed complete ignorance of the facts. Brainwashing wins. It leads to violence and to bloodshed. On Wednesday, we received further sad proof of that.

And one more thing. In my conversations with the locals, I got the impression that they were ready for an arrangement which would allow the Yatir residents to stay where they are while evacuating the few homes in Umm al-Hiran. The situation on the ground may justify such an arrangement, despite the court rulings. But their willingness likely comes up against the inciters from Balad, the Islamic Movement and radical bodies. They dont want an arrangement. They are not in favor of the Bedouins. They are against Israel.
When Donald Trump entered the White House, he will have found a number of important missions on foreign affairs waiting on his desk. The Iranian issue is one of them. The discussion of a recommended strategy vis-a-vis Iran is just around the corner, and the decision must be made between alternatives that are more sophisticated than supporting or opposing the nuclear agreement. This is also an opportunity for Israel to fix the failures of its conduct in the summer of 2015.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



During the election campaign, Trump blatantly opposed the nuclear agreement, threatening to rip it to shreds, but in the Senate hearings his nominees for the new administration expressed a more moderate ton. The secretary of defense-designate, Gen. James Mattis, for example, argued that although the agreement was not a good one, the United States had to fulfil its commitments. The designated secretary of state and CIA director emphasized the shortcomings of the agreement but vowed to tightly supervise its implementation and not to take any steps to annul it.

Iranian nuclear reactor in Bushehr. The new US administration is an opportunity for Israel to fix the failures of its conduct in the summer of 2015 (Photo: Reuters)

The question, therefore, is not whether the new administration should stick to the agreement or tear it up, but rather how it should maintain the agreements achievements in the near future in order to fix its difficult strategic flaws in the long run.

An immediate annulment of the agreement could isolate the US from its allies that support it and affect the two leverages of pressure that led Iran to the agreement: imposing effective international sanctions and giving legitimacy to a valid military option. Even if there is some logic in cancelling the agreement, it would be best to wait for a good opportunity in the form of a significant Iranian violation of the agreement or a line crossed in Irans policy in the region in different aspects.

In the short run, the agreement has some advantages. It has extended, in its first years, the Iranian pathway to a bomb from several months to a year, while maintaining a tight supervision regime on important elements in the nuclear program. Nevertheless, the agreement is problematic on two other aspects: Giving a free hand to Irans negative activity in non-nuclear areas, and the approval of a legitimate, advanced and unlimited nuclear program in the second half of the agreement period. Furthermore, the agreement includes no restrictions on the Iranian missile program, which is critical for building an operational nuclear ability.

From an overall point of view, it would be wrong to give up the agreements achievements, particularly in the first years, before the main restrictions on the nuclear program start becoming invalid. At the same time, it would be wrong to allow the radical regime in Iran to reach advanced nuclear capabilities which are made possible in the later years of the agreement.

With the arrival of the new administration, Israel has been given a second chance to influence the US policy towards the Iranian nuclear program: an opportunity for joint action against Iran and advancing a parallel agreement, an Israeli-American one, aimed at changing the strategic reality without violating the agreement.

First of all, the two countries must agree on a new public red line. While the Obama administration was unwilling to act as long as Iran was not trying to produce a nuclear weapon in practice, Israel should aspire to influence the Trump administration and respond undauntedly to Iranian attempts to take advantage of breaches in the agreement. Second, the two leaderships must agree on the intelligence system that will be operated to discover Iranian violations, and on a basket of responses to any such violation. It is also necessary that the understandings with the US will put Israels military option back on the table as a last resort in order to prevent a nuclear Iran. Finally, Washington and Jerusalem must come up with a plan of action against the Iranian support for terror organizations in the region and enforce United Nations Resolution 2231, which prohibits Iran from developing the program involving ballistic missile carrying nuclear warheads.

As part of the attempts to restore relations between Israel and the US, there is an urgent need for a strategy that will restore the deterrence against Iran and prevent it from taking advantage of the nuclear agreements weak spots. If the deterrence and diplomacy fail, the American-Israeli partnership will be the way to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
BEATRICE -- Beatrice Community Hospital and its health center is seeking a new leader.

The resignation of CEO Thomas Sommers was announced on Thursday.

Tom has decided it is time for him to move on, and has submitted his resignation, hospital board chairman Mitch Deines said in a news release. The Board of Directors cannot thank him enough for his energy, commitment and passion for our hospital during the past decade, and we wish him well in his next endeavors.

Dr. John Findley, the hospitals chief medical officer, will serve as interim CEO while a nationwide search takes place.

Sommers was CEO of the hospital for more than 12 years, and he was instrumental in the building of the current hospital north of Beatrice.

The $45 million, 144,000 square foot hospital was designed with an emphasis on outpatient care.

Last year, a $7.2 million expansion was completed.

Other accomplishments highlighted by Deines included the integration of the communitys physician clinics with the hospital as well as the addition and growth of womens and childrens services, orthopedic services and general surgery.

News of Sommers departure was shared with employees during a series of meetings this week.

Prior to coming to Beatrice, Sommers was affiliated with the Central Kansas Medical Center in Great Bend, where he served for seven years as chief financial officer and CEO.
President Barack Obama commuted the prison sentences of 330 federal inmates, particularly drug offenders, on Thursday, making his quest to reduce what he viewed as overly harsh punishments one of his final acts in office. He also called German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom he has had a warm relationship over their years. The two agreed on the importance of maintaining close ties between the two nations.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Obama leaves the White House on Friday, when Republican President-elect Donald Trump will succeed him.

Obama during his final presidential press conference (Photo: AFP)

The commutations were the most done in a single day, the White House said, and brought the total number of sentences reduced by Obama to 1,715.

"The vast majority of these men and women are serving unduly long sentences for drug crimes," White House counsel Neil Eggleston said in a statement.

The move means Obama has granted more commutations than any other U.S. president in history and, Eggleston said, surpassed the number granted by the past 13 presidents combined.

Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates said the Office of the Pardon Attorney had processed more than 16,000 petitions since a clemency initiative was launched in April 2014.

Citizens thank Obama outside the White House (Photo: AFP)

"By restoring proportionality to unnecessarily long drug sentences, this Administration has made a lasting impact on our criminal justice system, she said.

Stymied by Congress in efforts to pass comprehensive criminal justice reform, Obama focused on reducing the sentences of drug offenders who would have served less time if convicted under current laws.

Photo: Reuters

Eggleston said he hoped the people whose sentences were commuted would set an example for others.

"As the President has written to you, your example will influence whether someone in similar circumstances will get his or her own second chance in the future," he said.

Obama says history to judge those who blocked closing Guantanamo

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.

Guantanamo Bay (Photo: AFP)

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 US lawmakers who have thwarted his efforts to shut the prison at the US 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 US 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 US 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.

As a final symbolic act, Obama's administration made public three sets of documents belonging to Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, which were confiscated during the US raid that ended in his death in 2011. Bin Laden's death was one of Obama's most public achievements.
IDF prosecution will reportedly ask to sentence Sgt. Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter earlier this month for shooting neutralized terrorist Abed al Fatah a-Sharif, to three to five years in prison.

"He opened fired in violation of orders, the terrorist did not pose any threat," the three judges wrote in explaining their unanimous decision to convict Azaria.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The shooting was captured on camera by a resident of the city, causing a stir and major debate within the countryreaching the highest political and military echelonsabout the conduct of the IDF and its commanders in the field.

Azaria during his verdict reading (Photo: Miriam Alster/Flash 90)

Before announcing the final verdict, Central Command Chief Justice Col. Maya Heller systematically rejected all of Azaria's defense arguments for over two-and-a-half-hours.

Judge Heller emphasized that "the verdict is based solely on the evidence brought forth (in the trial)" amid repeated claims from Azaria's supporters that senior IDF leadership, politicians, the media and even public opinion could influence the ruling.

There is no question that the defendant shot from close range after aiming his gun at the terrorists head and there is no dispute that by doing so he endangered the lives of those around him, she stated.

She also sought to debunk what she described as conflicting claims made by the defense teams. "The defendant tried to hold the rope at both endson the one hand he claimed the terrorist moved and on the other that he was already dead before he (Azaria) shot him," she noted.

There was no justification for the shooting. The fact that there was a terrorist on the ground who sought to take the lives of soldiers did not justify disproportionate action, she insisted. Azarias shooting was inconsistent with the rules of opening fire.

Azaria has been under open arrest over the last few days in a facility in the center of Israel.
Two Palestinians managed to rescue a group of three IDF soldiers and one Israeli civilian on Friday from possible physical harm. The soldiers were on leave when the group arrived at the Palestinian West Bank village of Qusra. The reason for their being there in the first place is yet unknown.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



After villagers identified the four men as non-locals, an altercation began between them and the four visitors, during which the soldiers used their rifles to shoot in the air.

The moment of rescue

X

The four Israelis and their rescuers (Photo: Zacharia Sada)

The IDF issued a statement on the matter, saying that "A report was given on several Israelis near the vollage of Qusra. After investigating them, it appears that they are three soldiers on leave and a civilian. Palestinians who were grouped near them began to throw rocks, at which point the Israelis responded by shooting in the air. They were then joined by security forces. The matter is currently being investigated."

Qusra Regional Council head and a Palestinian who works for a rabbinical human rights organization eventually rescued the four Israelis by driving them out of the area. In the accompanying video, the Israeli men are heard spurring them to go faster and stressing that if it comes to it, "We've got our weapons."

The Palestinian rescuers contacted the IDF and Israel Police and transferred the Israelis to their custody. Three years ago, a group of young settlers also entered Qusra, with the suspected intent of committing a hate crime. They were discovered by local Palestinians, who began to surround them until the young settlers ran into a nearby house. They were saved when the village's council head stood between them and the villagers. The IDF was then called upon, with it eventually extracted the boys from the village.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's opponents appear more divided than ever as they prepare for peace talks next week, demoralised by their defeat in Aleppo and unable to unite into a single force to defend their remaining territory.

The new diplomacy led by Assad's Russian allies has exposed yet more splits in a rebellion that has never had a clear chief, with rebel factions long fractured by regional rivalries, their ties to foreign states, and an ideological battle over whether to pursue Syrian national or Sunni jihadist goals.

Several leaders have became prominent only to be killed in the nearly six-year-old conflict and numerous military and political coalitions have come and gone. After the rebels' defeat in Aleppo last month, the latest effort to unify the jihadist and moderate wings of the insurgency collapsed. By contrast Assad is as strong as at any time since the fighting began, his Russian and Iranian backers committed to his survival while the differing agendas of foreign states backing the rebels have added to their divisions.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated US President-elect Donald Trump on Twitter just two hours before the latter's inauguration on Friday.

On both his English and Hebrew accounts, the prime minister twitted, "Congrats to my friend President Trump. Look fwd to working closely with you to make the alliance between Israel&USA stronger than ever."
The attorney general gave a press conference on Friday morning in Eilat regarding the investigations into the prime minister and said that the legal proceedings are his "duty."

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Avichai Mandelblit was speaking to a criminal law conference organized by the Israeli Bar Association in the southern city when he spoke of what he considered his professional responsibility to investigate Benjamin Netanyahu based on allegations that he accepted illicit gifts from wealthy businessmen.

The AG at the conference (Photo: Barel Efraim)

The attorney general said, "I frequently hear voices that call me not to deal with the cases connected to the prime minister. This is my duty, so long as there is no reason in law to prevent me from dealing with it. As long as I am in this position, it is my dutymy handling of the said cases is only observing instructions from the Basic Law."

Mandelblit explained that he was acting in the public's interest in releasing information regarding the cases. The High Court of Justice had ruled previously that he was not prevented with dealing with such issues, he added.

He described his position as attorney general: "Enforcing the law requires executing determined investigations and bringing criminals to justicealongside that, the law enforcement system, which seeks to uphold the rule of law, must also act with careful judgment and with responsible use of the authorities granted to it."

Regarding investigating public figures, he said, "The first principle is fast and effective handling." Drawing out an investigation "damages public trust," he elaborated. "The second principle is professional and fundamental examination of the evidentiary infrastructure." Mandelblit emphasized that speed must not affect the quality of an investigation.
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump took power as the 45th president of the United States on Friday and pledged to pursue "America First" policies in an inaugural address that was a populist, anti-Washington rallying cry.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



Sketching a bleak vision of a country he said was ravaged by rusted-out factories, crime, gangs and drugs, Trump indirectly blamed his predecessors in the White House for policies that helped the establishment at the expense of struggling families.

Trump's inaugural address (: )

X

"From this moment on, it's going to be America First," the Republican told hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the grounds of the National Mall after taking the oath of office on the West Front of the US Capitol.

America's new president sworn in (Photo: AP)

Four past US presidents, three Democrats and a Republican, sat nearby. Scattered street protests erupted against Trump elsewhere in Washington.

"Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families," Trump said, describing the country's social and economic ills as "American carnage."

Trump moments before stepping onto the dais (Photo: AFP)

Trump, 70, takes over a country divided after a savage election campaign. A wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star, he will set the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad.

Trump's inaugural address revisited the themes of the campaign rally speeches that carried him to an improbable victory on Nov. 8 over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who attended the ceremony with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Under pressure to unite the country after the bitterly fought campaign, Trump said that through allegiance to the United States, "we will rediscover our loyalty to each other" and called for a "new national pride" that would help heal divisions.

Abroad, Trump signaled the possibility of a more aggressive approach to Islamic State militants than his immediate predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama.

"We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and united the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth," he said.

After repeating the 35-word oath of office, Trump stretched his arms wide and hugged his wife, Melania, and other members of his family. Ceremonial cannon blasts fired.

The transition from a Democratic president to a Republican took place before a crowd of former presidents, dignitaries and hundreds of thousands of people on the grounds of the National Mall. The crowd stretched westward on a cool day of occasional light rain.

Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, departed Washington immediately after the ceremony. The Obamas held hands as they walked to a military helicopter parked outside the East Front of the Capitol after Trump took the oath of office.

Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump escorted the Obamas, and then the couples exchanges small talk and handshakes. The helicopter headed to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where Obama will address staff and supporters before he and his wife fly to California for a vacation.

The Obamas will return to Washington where they will live while their youngest daughter will finish school.

Away from the Capitol, masked activists ran through the streets smashing windows with hammers at a McDonald's restaurant, a Starbucks coffee shop and Bobby Van's Grill steakhouse several blocks from the White House.

They carried black anarchist flags and signs that said, "Join the resistance, fight back now." Police used pepper spray and chased them down a major avenue, a Reuters eyewitness reported.

The rabbi's benediction at the inauguration (: )

X

In another location not far from the White House, protesters also scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminum chairs at them at outdoor cafe.

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate who Trump defeated on Nov 8, attended the ceremony with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Former presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter were also present with their wives. Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, 92, was in Houston recovering from pneumonia.

America's new vice president (Photo: AP)

Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, began the day attending a prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House. Trump, wearing a dark suit and red tie, and Melania Trump, clad in a classic-styled, powder blue ensemble, then headed into the White House for a meeting with Obama and his wife, Michelle.

Trump took office with work to do to bolster his image.

During a testy transition period since his stunning election win, Trump has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that Trump seemed to want to "engage with every windmill that he can find."

An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed Trump favorably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition.

Protestors in DC (Photo: Reuters)

Trump's agenda

His ascension to the White House, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Obama's eight years in office, raises a host of questions for the United States.

Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 percent tariff on goods on imports from US companies that went abroad.

Protestors in DC (Photo: Reuters)

His desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional US security umbrella will be diminished.

In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs and stirring international concern. He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to "knock the hell out of" ISIS militants.

The inaugural festivities may have a more partisan edge than usual, given Trump's scorching campaign and continuing confrontations between him and Democrats over his take-no-prisoners Twitter attacks and pledge to roll back many of Obama's policies.

More than 60 Democratic lawmakers planned to stay away from the proceedings to protest Trump, spurred on after he derided US Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a hero of the civil rights movement, for calling him an illegitimate president.

Thousands of anti-Trump protesters were expected among the inauguration crowd and many demonstrators will participate in a "Women's March on Washington" on Saturday. Protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad.

Keith Kidwell, chairman of the Republican Party in Beaufort County, North Carolina, was among the crowds on Friday, eager to see the start of the Trump presidency.

"I cling to my guns and my Bible. I've been waiting a long eight years for this day," said Kidwell, adding he initially supported US Senator Ted Cruz to be the Republican presidential nominee but was now squarely behind Trump.

Quick action

Trump's to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the US Congress, they can quickly repeal and replace Obama's signature healthcare law, approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the US economy.

"He's going to inject a shock to the system here almost immediately," Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.

Protestors in DC (Photo: Reuters)

Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of Hillary Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn. They deeply oppose Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric from the campaign trail and plans to build a wall along the southern US border with Mexico.

Trump's critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million.

Trump's critics also point to the conclusion of US intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republican's favor. Trump has acknowledged the findingdenied by Moscowthat Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election.

To his criticsincluding Obama who during the campaign called Trump temperamentally unfit for the White Househis straight talk can be jarring, especially when expressed in tweets. His supporters, many of them working-class whites, see Trump as a refreshingly anti-establishment figure who eschews political correctness.

"He's here for the working man" supporter Adam Coletti of Plainfield, Connecticut, said as he headed toward the inauguration.
The terrorist who attempted to stab security forces at a checkpoint near Tulkarm on Tuesday was a 45-year-old naturalized Israeli citizen who was mentally ill and without intentions of hurting anyone, claimed a relative.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



The man, who lived in Jatt, southwest of Umm al-Fahm, was shot dead by IDF soldiers as he ran at them at the 104 Crossing checkpoint with a knife drawn and refused their orders to stop.

The foiled attack

X

He was born a Palestinian in Tulkarm and married an Arab Israeli woman 17 years ago who lived nearby in Israel. He thus acquired Israeli citizenship. The two had lived in the region, inside of Israel, ever since.

A relative of the man said that they had three daughters and a son. He said that the man suffered from mental health issues. "We were very surprised to hear that he had been shot by soldiers. How do they shoot a man who suffers from a disease? He wasn't a danger to others. The soldiers should have stopped him without hurting him."

The scene of the attempted attack; the terrorist is circled in red

He described his dead relative as "a simple man who didn't think of hurting others. Even now, we don't understand what caused the soldiers to shoot him. It's a very worrying act. You don't need to treat every man who goes through a checkpoint like a dangerous man." According to him, the relatives are waiting for the results of the investigation to understand just what took place.

In footage that was recorded at the scene of the attack, the moment where the man was shot was filmed. The soldiers are seen calling at him to stop, and they appear to initially fire at the ground. However, the man continued approaching them, and they then shot at his upper body, killing him.

The IDF's initial investigation found that the soldiers acted correctly and responsibly, in accordance with orders. It found that the soldiers involved, a unit from the Home Front Command's Shahar Battalion, shot into the air as part of the rules of stopping a suspicious person. Nearby the soldiers was the battalion's deputy commander, a major, who was the soldier who fired at the ground and then at the attacker's body.

Yoav Zitun contributed to this report.
Editors note: York Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mike Lucas will share his insights, opinions and vision in support of public education on this page of tomorrows York News-Times.

In our country, we love to customize, whether its a new addition to the house or the colors and fonts surrounding our text messages. We choose everything, from our line of work to our preferred place to grab lunch (where we probably customize our lunch order). So its easy to understand why parents want more choices in their childrens education.

Parents understand that education options open doors for their children. Every child is unique, with distinct interests and learning styles. Moms and dads know that a school that might work for one student might not be a good fit for another. They know their child best and should be empowered to select the right school.

In many states, Nebraska included, lawmakers have taken action to provide a more diverse variety of school choices for families.

From January 22-28, millions of Americans will raise awareness about the importance of school choice at an unprecedented 21,000 events  including more than 130 events in Nebraska. These events are planned to coincide with National School Choice Week, the largest celebration of opportunity in education in U.S. history.

For families in the Cornhusker State, National School Choice Week provides a good opportunity to review the different types of education options available to their children.

Nebraskans can choose traditional public schools for their kids, and the state allows parents, with some limitations, the freedom to choose traditional public schools outside of their existing school zones. This process is called open enrollment, or public school choice.

Magnet schools, which focus on themes such as math, science, technology, and the performing arts, also exist.

Of course, parents in Nebraska can also pay to send their children to private schools.

Finally, parents have the freedom to educate their children in the home  and more parents are homeschooling their children than ever before.

Seventy percent of Americans support school choice, and January is the time to exercise the choices available to Nebraska families.

Parents who would like to explore their options, whether or not theyre happy with their childrens schools, should consider exploring in January. National School Choice Week is a great opportunity to visit schools, ask lots of questions of teachers and administrators, and talk with other parents to see which educational options are likely to be the best fit for their kids.

Parents who begin the school choice process in January instead of waiting till summer break will have more options available to them. Depending on which options seem best, parents may need to meet deadlines for applications or scholarships, or they may want to enroll before a school starts a waiting list.

Why is this process important?

In addition to ensuring greater peace of mind, research has demonstrated that when parents actively choose the schools their children attend, or choose to educate their children in the home, high school graduation rates increase dramatically.

A student with a high school diploma will, over the course of his or her life, earn more than a quarter million dollars more than a student who has dropped out. High school graduates are far less likely to be incarcerated, and are six times more likely to participate in community and civic affairs, than individuals without high school diplomas.

Most importantly, though: school choice matters because every child in America has potential. Todays students are tomorrows leaders, and when parents are empowered to customize their childrens education, just as they choose so many other things in their day-to-day lives, great things happen for kids, and for our country.

Andrew R. Campanella is president of National School Choice Week, the nations largest annual celebration of opportunity in education. A recognized expert on education reform, Andrew lives in Blue Mountain Beach, Florida.
Editors note: For further reference regarding this proposed resolution, an earlier story and editorial were published in the Thursday York News-Times.

YORK  A resolution that would have created alternatives to the way the city takes formal bids has been tabled.

A story published in the York News-Times on Thursday pointed out that the proposed resolution could possibly erase the need for publishing requested bids and going through the formal bidding process (for specific projects) unless required by state statutes. And state statutes only address bidding requirements for projects involving assessment districts.

This opened the issue that the resolution could allow a project, regardless of scope or cost, to not go through the formal bidding process (with published requests) and only by taking informal quotes through personal contacts with three contractors. And, as explained by City Attorney Charles Campbell, if the council waived the formal bidding process for a project over $20,000, that could also allow a contract to be signed by the mayor without council approval.

Mayor Orval Stahr opened the discussion on the matter, Thursday night, by addressing that story and an editorial by YNT Publisher Carrie Colburn in which she disagreed with the resolution.

I wish to thank Melanie Wilkinson and Carrie Colburn of the York News-Times for their coverage of this issue, Stahr said. However, the headlines of the article and the editorial in the paper both imply that I am seeking less transparency and openness in city government when exactly the opposite is true.

I have brought this issue up at the last meeting and at this meeting so that we can have an open and transparent discussion of the issue so that the public can fully understand and respond.

A little history on this issue . . . as Barry (Councilman Redfern) can verify, prior to the existing resolution being adopted in 2013, the city administrator had unlimited authority with regard to procurement of goods and services to the city. The mayor and council did not like this fact and thus placed some limits on the procurement process, Stahr continued.

The new resolution is a preliminary draft of changes which I believe are needed to better protect our taxpayers and increase the openness and transparency of city spending. I wholeheartedly agree with Ms. Colburns comment that the $20,000 bidding level is beyond a fair level for spending taxpayers dollars with informal bidding. This is why the preliminary draft lowers the level of spending without bidding and concurrence or council approval to $10,000. My personal opinion is that this number should be lowered to $5,000.

It is for this same reason that the new resolution proposes increased scrutiny of spending between $10,000 and $20,000. The present resolution allows spending at this level without written agreement or council approval. The new resolution indicates that spending of this level would not only require bidding, but the administrator would also have to receive the concurrence of the mayor. I would have no problem if concurrence of someone other than the mayor, such as the president of the council, was required.

With regard to the bidding requirement, I want to point out that there may be times when time is critical and there is not time for advertising for bids. Example  a snow blower dies and cannot be repaired for a few days before a forecasted blizzard, the mayor said. Either determine that is an emergency in which case no bidding is required or get three solicited bids. I suggest the latter is more protective of public dollars.

I think there is also a misunderstanding of public bids versus solicited bids, Stahr said. In both situations, the city would state the minimum specifications for the purchase to be made and a dollar amount would have to be bid or in the case of solicited bids quoted, both in writing. In either case, the advertised bids and solicited bids would be public record and in most cases would be reviewed and acted upon by the council. Is it possible that in soliciting a minimum of three bids that some interested bidder may be left out? The answer is yes, but again I point out that such solicited bids would only be used when time is critical and there is not time to advertise for bids.

I would like to thank Melanie (Wilkinson) for her research in how other cities handle the bidding issue, the mayor said. Her research provides options for us to consider and just as importantly points out that any new resolution we adopt should probably better define what constitutes as emergency and best interest.

Contrary to what the newspaper articles imply, I do not want to, in any way, decrease the openness and transparency of city government. Instead, I want to have this issue discussed openly and in depth so that the citizens can better understand the issue and give us their opinions, the mayor continued. I do not believe we should try and finalize any resolution tonight, but I do now invite council and citizen discussion at this time as we need your input in putting together an improved draft of a resolution to regulate the bidding process for your consideration at our next meeting.

Karen Fillman, a York resident, pointed out that the terminology of best interest is vague.

All the leagues of municipalities say that when possible, cities need to err on the side of openness, Fillman said. It creates a level playing field, its good for our reputation, it protects the council. All cities should err on the side of openness. Im sure the intention here is not for back-door bids but rather expediency. However, open meeting proceedings are really important as it is the essence of democracy.

My recommendation is to do nothing tonight, just have input, Mayor Stahr said.

For the record, I do not support this resolution, said York City Administrator Tara Vasicek. It is important to realize it says nothing about time sensitive matters  which means the city could informally ask for bids and prices. It says nothing about emergencies or time sensitive. And also to point out that in 2013, I requested (the existing resolution) to come into play. After the former administrator and public works director left, as I was trying to stop the bleeding and there was no end in sight, just bills coming in and more bills and I asked for this resolution to protect the city.

Open, competitive bidding is used so we are getting the best prices and most qualified contractors, Vasicek said. It is vital. You need to give everyone (bidders) a fair shot. This resolution is changing whats been adopted in multiple forms. It doesnt articulate when informal quotes could be used. This has been brought before the council because it was proposed to go against the bidding process one time.

Vasicek was referring to the prior council meeting when Stahr wanted to pay for a study requested by the York County Development Corporation (costing more than $25,000) without publishing bid requests and taking formal bids. That was ultimately denied by the council and bids were taken.

The right way to do business is with the open, formal bidding process, Vasicek continued. Even if this changes, I hope that the next administrator advises department heads to bid because it is the right thing to do and protects them.

I want to stress that all the department heads bid out everything now, said York Public Works Director Mitch Doht. I do not know why any of this has come up. There are rules about bidding. My level for bidding is at $10,000, straight across the board, because it is the right thing to do. We want to make that clear  we department heads are as open as we can be.

If you need blizzard equipment in three days, are you going to wait three weeks? Stahr asked, referencing a timeframe that would be needed in order for publishing requirements to be met.

Well, if it was needed in three days, its already too late, Doht countered. Thats why we need to have contingency plans.

Stephen Postier, a resident of York, questioned the intent of the proposed resolution.

Is it that you arent trusting the administrator you hired? Or is it that the council needs more input? Postier asked. Im curious. It seems that minor additions and changes to the resolution could be done, to state that this would only be in the event of an emergency. And if you hire an administrator, you trust them and dont need to legislate them to put them in a corner. If you dont trust your administrator, then you have a whole new issue on your hands.

Just my reaction to the newspaper article, it seems that this is from your concern the administrator has too much power, Beverly Bornschlegel, a York resident, said to Mayor Stahr. The administrator has the education and information to make decisions, with the background, contacts and research . . . to help all of you who work for the city part-time. The administrator is not someone to be minimized or resented. And Im concerned that what has happened in the past month might be a barrier to hiring a good person (to be the new administrator). The mayor is not the only one that was elected. And the administrator is hired for a purpose. This could be an open door to cronyism and a lack of accountability.

I recommend that we continue this matter, Stahr said.

Councilman Redfern moved to table the resolution which was seconded by Councilman Ron Mogul. The rest of the council agreed  with the exception of Sheila Hubbard and Clarence Hoffman who were not present at this particular meeting.
OMAHA  An Omaha real estate agent was so enraged that a convenience store clerk wouldn't help him after the store had closed for the night that he circled in the parking lot in his pickup truck and ran over the clerk, killing him, a prosecutor said Friday.

Dirk Blume, 45, is charged with second-degree murder and using a deadly weapon in the Jan. 7 death of Seth Hansen. At a hearing Friday, the judge denied Blume bond and scheduled his next hearing for Feb. 10.

Assistant Douglas County Attorney Ryan Lindberg told the judge that witnesses came forward to report that Blume "made admissions" to hitting Hansen with his pickup around 1 a.m. on the day Hansen died. It was Omaha's first homicide of 2017.

Lindberg also suggested that Blume changed his license plates on the pickup after killing Hansen. But Blume's attorney, Joseph Risko, said the plates were changed in the days after Hansen's death as part of a routine registration renewal of the truck.

Risko didn't immediately respond to a phone message left after the hearing seeking comment.

Prosecutors say surveillance video showed Hansen was run over and killed while he was taking a trash bag to a bin in the store's parking lot after the store had closed. It also showed Blume and Hansen arguing before Hansen was run down by a white pickup believed to be Blume's, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said.

"I don't know what (Blume) wanted, exactly," Kleine said after the hearing. "But it's clear he either wanted to buy something or wanted access to the store, and was angry that he didn't get it."

The Omaha World-Herald, citing anonymous police sources, reported that investigators believe Blume wanted Hansen to sell him a package of chewing tobacco and became enraged when Hansen refused to reopen the store to do so.

Kleine said he couldn't confirm that detail and that there is no arrest affidavit with such details because no arrest warrant was issued for Blume. Instead, Blume was arrested Tuesday at his west Omaha real estate office after agreeing to answer police questions there, Kleine said.

Hansen's sister, Eve Shanklin of Bellevue, attended the hearing and said it was a shock to see Blume in the courtroom.

"I'm just really thankful that the judge didn't give him bond," Shanklin said, adding that she felt for members of Blume's family who also attended the hearing.

"It just humanizes this whole thing, you know?" she said. "I mean, they're hurting, too."
YORK  Seven local Rotarians have received awards in this, the centennial year of the Rotary Foundation.

In 1917 outgoing Rotary International president Arch Klumpf proposed to set up an endowment for the purpose of doing good in the world. In 1928 the endowment was renamed the Rotary Foundation.

When Rotary founder Paul Harris died in 1947, contributions began to pour into the fund. The donations totaled $1.3 million and the Paul Harris Memorial Fund was created to build the foundation and giving. The Paul Harris Fellowship was established to recognize giving at $1,000 and above.

In 2006 the number of Paul Harris Fellowships reached one million.

The first polio vaccination project was in 1979 in the Philippines and in 1984 Polio Plus was established. Rotarians, working with their project partners, have vaccinated 2.5 billion children in 122 countries and reduced the number of reported polio cases by 99.9 percent.

In 1917 the first donation to the fund was $26.50. Since then contributions have totaled more than $4 billion.

York Rotary alone has contributed $108,741.99 through 2016. There have been 61 Paul Harris Fellows in club history, 16 of whom are current members.

Paul Harris Fellowships were presented to Jay Colburn and Braydon Conell.

Recognition pins for achieving the next level of giving went to: Richard Callahan, Rev. John Dale, Cindy Naber (all Plus 3), Rob Schardt (Plus 2) and Ben Royal (Plus 1).

More information about Rotary is online at centennial.rotary.org.
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
With just two transactions, the Blackstone Group LP became the fifth-largest industrial property owner in Australia in 2016. Other groupsnamely Mapletree, Cache, and Ascendasalso intensified their acquisitions last year. AMP surprised many pundits when it purchased an industrial property portfolio worth $250 million from JP Morgan.

Considering the limited stock available this year, investors who want to expand their holdings in industrial property need to focus on acquiring land for developing their product. They should also look to corporate companies for potential sale and leaseback programs, or examine the takeovers of property funds.

Never before has demand for Australian industrial investment property been so great, yet supply so limited, said Joshua Charles, managing director of One Commercial. Over the past decade groups such as Goodman, Dexus and Frasers [formerly Australand] have led the industrial development charge, with much of that end product spun off for sale shortly after. Recently, though, we have seen groups not normally associated with industrial development buying their own large parcels in order to create product to develop and hold.

Charles believes there should be more sale and leaseback activity, but many corporations dont understand the true value of their assets.

If more corporations knew the true value of their industrial property holdings in today's market we would definitely be seeing increased sale and leaseback activity, he said. Many businesses keep their property at conservative levels on their books and ultimately management takes these numbers as gospel.

The reality of their properties value is often very surprising to non-property businesses, specifically what REITs would be willing to pay for sites based on five- and 10-year leasebacks in todays market.

Related stories:

Industrial Revolution

Sydney's Industrial Market To Benefit From Supply Issues, Residential Cooling
I have made clear from the beginning that I was in politics to make a difference, and then move on. After 10 years in public life, this moment for me has arrived, he said in an official statement.

In a press release, the Urban Taskforce acknowledged the incredible position Baird had achieved for New South Wales, emphasising that the next premier should be someone who continues to push for growth in infrastructure, which was the hallmark of Bairds term.

Mike Baird as NSW Premier has been a great champion of the growth of metropolitan Sydney with a commitment towards delivering badly-needed public transport networks throughout Sydney, said Chris Johnson, chief executive officer of the Urban Taskforce.

Sydney is Australias global city, and as a result, it must develop into a well-connected metropolis, with additional density, housing and services located around a metro rail network. It is crucial the new Premier continue this approach to ensure Sydneys continued success as a growing, prosperous global city with a high standard of living.

The alignment of infrastructure, transport and urban planning will be critical to the shape of the new cabinet once a new Premier has been appointed.

Related stories:

Infrastructure Projects To Bolster Sydney Apartment Demand

New Sydney Metro Line Approved But Urban Renewal Lags Behind
A new research article, with lead authors from the University of Gothenburg, gives indications of the best places in Iceland to build thermal power stations.

In Iceland, heat is extracted for use in power plants directly from the ground in volcanic areas. Constructing a geothermal power station near a volcano can be beneficial, since Earth's mantle is located relatively close to the crust in those areas, making the heat easily accessible. This means that the boreholes do not need to be very deep and the pipes to the power plant can be short.

But placing a power plant near an active volcano is not without risk, as an eruption can easily destroy any man-made construction in its way.

Advertisement

The scientists have now studied three different parts of the divergent ridge (area where the ocean plates are slowly sliding away from each other) that crosses Iceland from southwest to northeast. The slow movement and separation of the ocean plates can cause cracks in Earth's crust, through which hot magma from the planet's interior rises to the surface. As a result, a large number of volcanos have emerged along the divergent boundary.

'The study includes data with extremely high precision. Data from 1967 to the present, together with the very best modelling software, have yielded the best picture to date of the anatomy of the divergent boundary,' says Md. Tariqul Islam, lead author of the article, which has been published in Journal of Geophysical Research.

Have measured the movement of the ocean plates

One of the best and also most well-known sites for studying a divergent boundary can be found in the Thingvellir National Park in Iceland, adjacent to the country's biggest lake. Movements smaller than one millimetre can be measured in Thingvellir.

'When the ocean plates are pulled apart, there is a reduction in pressure at a depth of 10-40 km. This reduction lowers the melting point so that parts of the mantle melt and magma is formed. There are a number of active volcanos of this type along the divergent boundary.'

Using a geodetic GPS, the scientists have now been able to measure the movement of the plates over time. The data used in the study is based on measurements from almost 100 'fixed' measurement points. The information from the measurement points have made it possible to draw maps that show in what way the plates are moving away from each other and how large the deformation zone is.

'This is a start. The next step will be to use powerful computers to create high-resolution 3D models of the entire zone of divergence. This will enable us to see how the interaction between the different spreading segments and how the different volcanos affect each other,' says Md. Tariqul Islam.
Kim Young, a 26-year educator in Lincoln Public Schools whose past 23 years have been spent teaching fifth grade at Eastridge Elementary, is the latest Teacher of the Month honored by Lincoln East Rotary Club and U.S. Bank.

A native of Grant, Neb., Young taught three years at Rousseau Elementary before joining the Eastridge School faculty. She has a bachelors degree in elementary education from Doane College.

Eastridge School Principal Deb Dabbert said Young is co-chair of Eastridge Schools Red Ribbon Week activities and organizes its BackPack Walk. The school has raised between $2,500 and $3,200 in recent years to support the Food Banks BackPack program.

Kim is a master teacher and quiet leader who positively impacts students, staff and parents on a daily basis, her principal said in her nomination letter.

It is amazing to observe how quickly Kim builds relationships with her students within the first couple days of a new school year. Kim is the caliber of teacher that principals strive to have in their building. Her positive personality and work impacts everyone," Dabbert added.

Young has two children  Brayden, 22, and Kobe, 18.

I truly love what I do and feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with kids every day, Young remarked.

Young received a $100 check from each co-sponsor of the awards program, East Rotary and U.S. Bank.
MOKENA, ILL.  Racine-based Nelson Electric Supply has been acquired by Illinois-based Revere Electric Supply Co., a move that Reveres CEO said will help the combined company grow.

Nelson Electric is an electrical distributor with a specialty in factory automation, Revere Electric CEO Paul McCool said Thursday. The acquisition gives Revere further penetration into the market, as it has Wisconsin operations in West Allis and Hartland but did not have them in this area.

This is an expansion, McCool said, or rather a filling in the gap. There are no significant redundancies between Revere and Nelson, he said, and all 47 Nelson employees have been retained.

Nelson has offices at 926 State St., Racine, a distribution center at 821 S. Airline Road, Mount Pleasant, and a small warehouse in Menomonee Falls that was not part of the acquisition, McCool said. However, the handful of employees there have all been hired and will transfer to other locations, he said.

As for the combined Racine-area operation, McCool predicted, At some point I think it will expand.

Nelson will continue to do business as Nelson Electric Supply for the foreseeable future but will likely take the Revere name at some point, McCool said. After Reveres acquisition of Holt Electric in Hartland, Holt continued to operate under that name for a decade or more, he said.

About Revere

Revere is a fourth-generation, family-owned electrical distributor that started in 1919 and is headquartered in Mokena, Ill. Nelson, which was started in 1949, is also family-owned. McCool said the two companies had known each other for many years.

Its just a relationship that came about, he said. Were both passionate about serving our customers.

McCool said Nelson does not primarily sell to electrical contractors, but rather to original-equipment manufacturers and equipment integrators.

Nelson also has a commercial and industrial lighting division, and an advanced technology center. The center provides training and technical support for Rockwell Automation and Rockwell Software products and technical support for some commonly integrated components of automated systems.

Revere had revenue growth of 4 percent last year, excluding an acquisition that preceded the Nelson acquisition, McCool said.

With 10 locations throughout northern Illinois, central Illinois and southern Wisconsin, Revere and Nelson are strategically positioned to fully support the industrial and construction markets with any and all automation and electrical needs, Revere said in a news release about the acquisition.
RACINE  Regency Mall is losing two more stores within a week of each other.

Payless ShoeSource and its companion store, Payless Kids, closed last weekend. And Claires, a boutique that was one of the malls original stores, will have its last day Saturday.

A clearance sale at Claires was winding down its last days. According to Store Manager Kayla Broadway, Saturday will be the stores last day because of slow sales and with its lease ending. Claires, which had been in Regencys lineup since the mall opened in 1981, carries jewelry and accessories such as sunglasses, aimed at girls and young women.

This week business publication Forbes wrote that the entire chain had been fighting for its survival: Claires has been staving off bankruptcy in the face of falling sales and a heavy debt burden. In recent years, it has closed stores and restructured its debt after struggling to make interest payments to bondholders.

In September, the website FN reported on a shift in strategy for Payless. Quoting Neil Hansen, division senior vice president of store development at Payless, he said the retailer plans to close 350 to 500 stores within the next three years.

The latest two mall store closings follow the recent demise of The Limited which closed in late December. The womens clothing store  also one of Regency Malls charter retail tenants  had been struggling as a chain and possibly headed for bankruptcy.

New image needed

No one from mall management or its new owners, Hull Property Group, could immediately be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

However, during The Limiteds last days, Hull Managing Owner Jim Hull said that stores closing would be a further indication to me that Regency Mall must be updated and renovated, and provide a better experience for its patrons. It emphasizes and underscores the work we have ahead of us, and we look forward to the challenge.
When I was a teenager, I worked at McDonalds. On my first day of work, I was assigned to work the grill, and I began building burgers, piling on the pickles and onions, giving extra squirts of ketchup and mustard. Making the burgers Id want to eat.

I was quickly admonished. McDonalds had a very specific, uniform way of making a burger. One squirt of ketchup. One squirt of mustard. One sprinkle of onions. Two pickles only  or three if they were small. During the lunchtime rush Id be pumping out two dozen burgers at a time  and every one would look and taste exactly the same.

Because McDonalds founder Ray Kroc knew that his franchise wasnt in the business of selling food. He was selling an experience, the exact same experience every time whether you dined at a McDonalds in Missoula or Minsk.

The Founder tells Ray Krocs story, how he turned from a scrappy middle-aged milkshake machine hustler into a titan of industry. Director John Lee Hancock, after this and Saving Mr. Banks, seemed to have invented a new genre of historical drama, the CEO-pic, where the wealthy boss is the hero rather than one of his underlings. Mr. Banks was pure hagiography, suggesting that Walt Disney should be considered something of a folk hero for bowdlerizing author P.L. Travers stories, often against her wishes, into the movie Mary Poppins.

But The Founder, which was written by ex-Onion editor and former Madisonian Robert D. Siegel, takes a more clear-eyed view of Kroc (Michael Keaton). He did big things, to be sure, but he stepped on little people to do them, rewriting the story along the way to make it better fit the rags-to-riches tale he kept telling himself about himself.

For starts, the title The Founder is a bit of a grim joke, as Kroc didnt found McDonalds at all. He did find it, though, as a profitable little burger shack in San Bernandino, California run by two brothers, Dick and Mac McDonald (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch, both wonderful). I had always assumed the McDonalds brothers were local rubes who got suckered by Kroc, but the film prevents them as savvy businessmen who tinkered and tested their concept of fast food until they got it just right.

Impressed, Kroc signs a contract to start franchising McDonalds restaurants, and heads back home to the Midwest to start building Golden Arches. (The first one is in Des Plaines, Illinois, which Ive seen, now a shrine to a bygone age). The first few restaurants are successful, but Krocs rapacious hunger and vision starts chafing against the McDonalds brothers caution and commitment to keeping the quality of their food high. Its telling that their big blow-up doesnt occur over money, but over whether to serve milkshakes made with real or powdered milk.

As the hustling, canny Kroc, Keatons performance is immensely entertaining; were not exactly rooting for him, but we want to watch whatever he does next. The more he succeeds, the more he wants, even if that means the wife (Linda Cardellini) of one of his franchisees. The timing of the release of The Founder seems almost too perfect; in delving into the psychology of one of the worlds best-known businessmen and his obsession with winning at all costs, The Founder may inadvertently provide insight into the psychology of our newly-minted President.

His bluster plays off nicely against the more soulful groundedness of Offerman and Lynch, playing two successful businessmen who just arent ruthless enough to compete against Kroc. Theres a scene where they make a handshake deal with Kroc, and you can tell every single person in the room knows Kroc isnt going to honor that deal. And they shake his hand anyway.

This look behind the scenes of a company that most of us cant help but drive by every day is fascinating, and thoughtful, and largely leaves us to figure out how we feel about the players involved. And it rather unsettlingly makes us wonder if, in an age where America consumes a lot and doesnt make all that much, Kroc is right when he calls McDonalds the new American church. And it aint just open on Sunday, boys.
MOUNT PLEASANT  A Washington County man is facing up to 15 years in prison after reportedly selling methamphetamine to a Racine County Sheriffs Office informant.

The alleged sales reportedly took place in late October on Highway 20 near Interstate 94.

According to the criminal complaint, an agent with the Racine County Metro Drug Unit recorded a confidential informant purchasing the drugs from the defendant, Scott A. Zietlow, 33, of 4000 block of Woodside Court in Richfield, on Oct. 16 and 21. Both deals allegedly occurred on Highway 20 near its intersection with East Frontage Road. During the first reported sale, the informant allegedly bought a half gram of the drug. The second sale reportedly yielded 0.7 grams.

Probable cause was found in Racine County Circuit Court on Thursday to pursue two felony counts of delivery of methamphetamine against Zietlow, online court records state. His bond has been set $10,000.

He remained in the Racine County Jail on Thursday evening, according to online records.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 19, ARMENPRESS. Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov assesses the announcement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying that Nagorno Karabakh conflict is not Azerbaijans internal issue as clear and felicitous, RPA spokesperson, Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov told the reporters after Executive Body meeting of the party. He mentioned that Lavrov clearly hinted that it is not Azerbaijan that should take decisions. By this announcement Sergey Lavrov clearly dismissed the Azerbaijani fiction that Nagorno Karabakh can have autonomy only inside Azerbaijan. He said what the Armenian side has said for years, Armenpress reports Sharmazanov saying.

He detailed that the President of Armenia has mentioned several times that in order to record progress in NK conflict settlement process, it is necessary to eliminate the root-causes, not the consequences. Sharmazanov clarified that the cause is that Azerbaijan does not want to and has no political will to recognize the implementation of the people of Nagorno Karabakh of their right to self-determination.

According to Sharmazanov, Lavrovs announcement brought some clarity in that context. He hoped that the Russian side will continue holding that position and expected similar announcements from the other two Minsk group Co-chair states.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani forces made over 70 ceasefire violations in all parts of the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact by firing various caliber small arms and heavy machine guns, the defense ministry of Nagorno Karabakh told ARMENPRESS.

The ministry released a statement, saying: On January 19 and overnight January 20 Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire regime around 70 times in all parts of the line of contact, firing small arms  including large caliber heavy machine guns. Azerbaijani forces fired more than 1050 shots at Nagorno Karabakh posts. More intense violations occurred in the south-eastern and eastern parts of the line of contact, where Azerbaijani forces fired more than 300 shots from heavy machine guns.

The Nagorno Karabakh forces are in full control in the frontline and are confidently resuming their service.






YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenian-American organizations are preparing to work with the US administration.

Bryan Ardouny, Executive Director of the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) said they will continue their works around foreign policy issues with the foreign relations commissions of the newly elected Congress, as well as the newly appointed Secretary of State and administration, confident their voice will be heard, Voice of America reported.

The Armenian-American community is a rather wide circle, we have Armenian-American organizations and individuals who endorsed Trump. Now, everyone must unite in order to make our voice heard in the capital. We want the administration to hold Azerbaijan accountable for the killings on innocent people in Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. We expect the administration to get actively involved in stopping ceasefire violations, Ardouny said.

According to Aram Hambaryan, executive director of ANCA Washington, some approached must be continued, however there are political approaches which must be changed.

We are willing to cooperate with the Trump administration in the framework of those issues. We havent supported any of the Presidential candidates, we think none of them deserved our endorsement, however numerous Armenians were active in both Clintons and Trumps campaigns, and we are ready to work with everybody. The Trump administration is going to differ from the previous one and will fundamentally change the traditional American politics. We hope that change will positively impact the issues of recognition of the Armenian Genocide and Nagorno Karabakh, Hambarian said.

Summing up the activities of the Obama administration, Armenian-American organizations agree that there is disappointment especially in the Armenian Genocide issue. They mention initially the Obama administration was encouraging and promising, however his promises on Armenian Genocide and Nagorno Karabakh remained undone.

Donald Trump will be inaugurated as President of the USA on January 20.
RACINE  Amber Creek was a deeply troubled girl.

Thats something her family members freely attested to Friday during a sentencing hearing for James Eaton, her accused killer.

But she was also, a sister, a daughter, a cheerleader, and at 14 years of age, just a child when her body was found beaten and sexually assaulted in the Karcher Wildlife Area in the Town of Burlington on Feb. 9, 1997.

On Friday, Racine County Circuit Judge Eugene Gasiorkiewicz sentenced Eaton to 40 years in prison for the role he played in her death. Thats the maximum for the charge of second-degree reckless homicide.

Under the sentencing guidelines in place when Creek was killed, Eaton must serve at least 25 percent of that time  or 10 years  before he is eligible for parole. After that point his release will be up to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.

Eaton was arrested in April 2014 by Racine County sheriffs deputies, reportedly after DNA from cigarette butts he discarded was tested and found to match DNA from bodily fluid found on the teens body. Eaton and Amber are from Palatine, Ill., a northwest suburb of Chicago. Eaton was 19 at the time of Ambers death.

Stolen future

Standing in a Racine County courtroom, Ambers family members talked about Ambers life and her struggles, but also what they hoped she might achieve once she was able to cope with the painful scars of early childhood abuse painful scars that she tried to bury with drugs and running from the help her parents and others tried to offer.

One of the most difficult parts of having Ambers life played out in the snippets and sound bites of a murder trial is that someone else gets to decide whats important for the world to know about her, said Diana Creek, Ambers stepmother. The Amber that I knew and loved was a young lady that loved big, that loved hard, and wanted so very much to be loved back  Amber was a cheerleader and she played violin.

During a statement before the court on Friday, Eatons sister Melissa Johnston described her brother as a changed man, one who feels deeply remorseful for the pain and suffering he put his family through.

I dont know how, or if, my brother, was involved in Ambers untimely death, but I do know that Jim is no longer that lost, angry teen he was at that time, Johnston said.

But for Gasiorkiewicz whether Eaton has rehabilitated himself was not the issue. The issue is the debt he owes for the life he took.

You were capable of turning your life around, Gasiorkiewicz told Eaton. The troubled girl, Amber Creek, never got that chance  her body was disposed of as if it were a soda can on a highway.

Plea change

Originally charged with first-degree intentional homicide and hiding a corpse, Eaton pleaded no contest on Oct. 24 to first-degree reckless homicide, as party to a crime, for his role in the runaways death. As part of the plea agreement with the state, the charge of hiding a corpse was dismissed, but could still be considered during sentencing.

Explaining the reasoning behind the plea deal, Assistant District Attorney Robert Repischak told the court in October that the state considered the lesser charge after the court accepted a defense motion that raised the specter that someone else could have killed Amber.

That person, named in the motion, was questioned by police in 1997 and 2015 and reportedly admitted to having a sexual relationship with the teen. He allegedly told police that the two engaged in choking acts during sexual contact, and was found to be a contributor to the DNA mixture on the victims underwear by the Wisconsin State Crime Lab.

Once the state realized that the history of choking and suffocation acts would come into play during the trial, they believed the jury would focus on first-degree reckless homicide, passing on first-degree intentional homicide, Repischak explained.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenias parliamentary delegation, including a number of public figures, on January 19 took part in the second Armenia-Israel international public forum in Tel Aviv, Israel, press service of the Parliament told Armenpress.

Heads of parliamentary friendship groups between Armenia and Israel Tali Ploskov and Artak Zakaryan delivered welcoming speeches.

The forums works have been coordinated by Hayk Kotanjyan and Alexander Tsinker.

A number of sectoral projects were identified, and joint works will be carried out soon over these projects.

It was planned to hold the next forum in Yerevan in April.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Turkish female lawmakers brawled in the countrys Parliament during debates on constitutional changes, Hurriyet reported.

Independent lawmaker Aylin Nazlaka handcuffed herself to the microphone of the lectern, and refused to leave after numerous urges. Gokcen Ozdogan Enc, a lawmaker from the countrys ruling party, approached Nazliaka and tried to forcibly remove the handcuffs, which resulted in a violent altercation between female lawmakers from the ruling party and the pro-Kurdish HDP party.

Some of the women were seriously injured, including Pervin Buldan, the deputy speaker of the parliament. According to Hurriyet, three lawmakers were hospitalized.

Shafak Paveys prosthetic fell off and was damaged during the brawl.

The Parliament resumed the debates after a three hour halt.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Russian mine clearance K9 units have launched trainings in two mountainous military training facilities of the Russian military base in Armenia.

The Southern Military District Command told ARMENPRESS more than 100 soldiers are involved in the exercises, along with K9 units (Labrador and German Shepherd), more than 10 units of military hardware, including state of the art reconnaissance and radio complexes.

The military engineers will conduct ordnance search & clearance trainings.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Minister of Economic Development and Investments Suren Karayan met Luc Devigne, Director for Eastern Partnership, Russia, Central Asia and OSCE at European External Action Service, press service of the Ministry told Armenpress.

Issues related to the process of talks over trade and investment issues of Armenia-EU new framework agreement were discussed. They also covered the works of Armenia-EU Cooperation Committee.

The sides agreed to continue the bilateral discussions next month aimed at finalizing the existing issues in the negotiation process.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. The upcoming Astana talks over Syria can change the regions political face, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Arman Navasardyan told reporters, reports Armenpress.

He added that the escalation of relations between Iran and Turkey will lead to the deterioration of the Russian-Iranian relations.

I think not only a serious aggravation of Turkish-Iranian relations is going to take place in Astana which can permanently eliminate the alliance, but also, Russias policy against Turkey will be questioned, he said.

The Ambassador stated that Russia and Turkey will not come into a final political honeymoon and will not solve issues in the interests of each other.

The Astana talks on Syria will launch on January 23. Military officials from Russia, Iran and Turkey will take part in the talks.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. 2 cases of botulism have recently been documented in two different villages in Armenia, with overall 6 victims.

The reason of the poisoning was consumption of homemade canned marinade. 24 hours after consumption the victims began having symptoms of botulism. They were transported by first responders to hospitals of the capital city Yerevan and immediately treated. One of the patients is currently in serious condition, others in moderate conditions. The patients continue receiving treatment, the healthcare ministry told ARMENPRESS.

Botulism is a rare and potentially fatal illness caused by a toxin, produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The disease begins with weakness, trouble seeing, feeling tired, and trouble speaking. This may then be followed by weakness of the arms, chest muscles, and legs. The disease does not usually affect consciousness or cause a fever.

Botulism can be spread several different ways. The bacterial spores which cause it are common in both soil and water. They produce the botulinum toxin when exposed to low oxygen levels and certain temperatures. Foodborne botulism happens when food containing the toxin is eaten.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Prime minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan held a consultation on January 20 in the Government regarding the issues of the groundwater resources usage of the Ararat plain, the Governments Press Service told ARMENPRESS.

During the January 15 Cabinet meeting Karapetyan tasked the minister of nature protection to study the present data on business entities operating without water usage permits in Armenia, as well as make proposals in terms of ruling out illegal water usage.

Artsvik Minasyan, minister of nature protection, briefed the Prime Minister that monitoring activities revealed 574 business entities operating without water usage permits.

The PM was briefed on the situation in terms of actual usage of groundwater in Ararat plain, evaluation of impact, the situation in terms of nature protection, permits and activities of fish farms and industries.

Proposals on sustainable management of water resources have been made, which are namely related to introduction of energy saving and water saving technologies in the water usage system, taking legislative, institutional and field actions, excluding the provision of new permits of wells, shutdown of abandoned wells and introduction of a control system.

Prime Minister Karapetyan said it is necessary to take serious actions aimed at improving the dangerous situation in terms of nature protection and efficient usage of water resources. The PM tasked the formation of a working group which will include representatives of stakeholder agencies.

From now on everyone must strictly fulfill their functions, the PM said in conclusion.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan met with recently demobilized soldiers who had demonstrated dedication and courage during their military service at Mountainous Armenia resort in Dilijan on January 20. Majority of the ex-soldiers have participated in the military operations defending their Fatherland from the adversarys invasion. Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Movses Hakobyan attended the meeting.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Armenian Presidents Office, the President greeted the participants of the meeting, thanked for their good service and addressed his speech not only to those present but also to all the demobilized soldiers. Noting that the period of the service of our soldiers coincided with the period when they had to withstand the enemys onslaught last year, the President stressed that they fulfilled their task with honor and stated that they remain the soldiers of the Fatherland even after the demobilization irrespective of the sphere of their future activities.

Of course, we miss and are proud of our friends who fell heroically. We are also proud of our friends who heroically fought and remained alive and will continue their sacred service for the Fatherland. I asked the Defense Minister to organize this meeting because I always enjoy talking to servicemen, but they are a bit restrained during the service because of two factors. I think one of the factors is that they do not want to voice about problems and difficulties not to look like a lachrymose or querulous boy, so as not to create an impression that they need good conditions for serving their Fatherland. But of course, there is also the second factor, which is a soldier always has the fear that if he raises a problem, his supervisor may not like it. I think today we should have a sincere conversation, discussion, to understand the advantages of our army, the positive sides of our military service and what we have achieved. We have to openly speak about the problems needing a solution in the future for making our army more combat-ready, since we are forced to have a combat-ready army. All nations need armies, but there are cases when this need becomes a vital necessity. A combat-ready army is a vital importance for us, the President of the Republic said.

Offering to have a sincere conversation Serzh Sargsyan noted that he also would like to listen to the opinion of the guardians of the Fatherland over the existing problems and the development of the country in general.

The demobilized soldiers asked the President questions about the prospects of Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process, the greatest achievement of the 25-year old Armenian army, the role of the demobilized soldiers in the implementation of the nation-army concept introduced by the Defense Minister, the response of the Armenian side to the arms-race unleashed by Azerbaijan and some other social issues.

The ex-soldiers also answered the Presidents questions, presenting their opinions on how to improve military service, what should be changed, what problems they can see, what gave military service to them, was the knowledge gained during the service enough to effectively participate in the military operations, and a number of other issues.

Based on the meeting, the President also issued a number of instructions to the Defense Ministry, which referred to raising safety during service, ideological education of the soldiers, organization of free time activities, training of specialists in parallel with obtaining new armaments, continuation of works with the Ministry of Education and sciences aimed at subsidizing the tuition fee of soldiers involved in combat duty.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom to Armenia Judith Farnworth addressed a message on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Embassy told Armenpress.

The message reads:

Today we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and the United Kingdom. The UK considers Armenia as a long-term and valuable partner. During the last 25 years the UK assisted Armenia on its way of becoming a democratic, stable and prosperous country. The British Embassy in Yerevan is ready to continue working with the Armenian partners and friends to further strengthen and deepen our cooperation.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Head of Armenian Mission to the OSCE, Ambassador Arman Kirakosyan issued a statement during the 1128 session of OSCE Permanent Council dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the murder of the editor-in-chief of Agos periodical, prominent journalist and intellectual Hrant Dink.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of MFA Armenia, the Ambassador stated that the Armenian mission has raised that issue for years, whereas the Turkish mission has always responded that it is necessary to wait for the results of the investigation.

The Ambassador also expressed conviction that the failure to reveal the murders of community heads and intellectuals, as well as violence against them creates an atmosphere of impunity, encouraging intolerance.

He reminded that persecution against Hrant Dink was conditioned by his approaches and announcements over the Armenian Genocide. Unfortunately, 10 years after Dinks murder the same policy of silencing those striving for truth and justice goes on in Turkey. The ban on MP Garo Paylans attendance to the Turkish parliament sessions is an evidence of my words. There is even some information that some political parties try to file a criminal case against him, assessing his words about the Armenian Genocide as demonstration of xenophobia, the Ambassador said.

Arman Kirakosyan stated that Turkey displays itself at the OSCE as an advocate for tolerance towards religious groups and elimination of discrimination, at the same time showing no tolerance towards indigenous religious minorities some segments of which have been able to survive and exist in modern Turkey.

In the context of protecting the rights of religious minorities Ambassador Kirakosyan reminded the Turkish delegation that it is already a year that the Armenian side is waiting for clarifications from the Turkish side over the confiscation of St. Giragos Armenian Church and its surrounding area in Diyarbakir.
RACINE COUNTY  Tom Bode is in Washington, D.C., attending pre-inaugural events, with excitement building as he gets an upclose look at those about to lead President-elect Donald Trumps administration.

Its a real happy feeling here, said the longtime Republican activist from Caledonia. The vibe is that when he gets in office, he plans to get to work and do the things he said he was going to do.

Diane Lange is also in Washington, but for different reasons. With concerns about gender equality and other issues, shes attending Saturdays Womens March on Washington.

I was personally really offended by some of the rhetoric of Donald Trumps campaign in many ways, said the retired nurse, Horlick High School teacher and County Board member. His religious intolerance, his demeaning words toward women, threats and attacks toward immigrants.

Such are the polarizing views locally and across the country ahead of Trumps inauguration Friday. With the once-unthinkable about to become reality, residents are divided about what the future holds.

Looking for results

Words used to describe the upcoming Trump presidency run the gamut from excited to optimistic to nervous.

On the excited end are many local conservative activists who have long pined for the end of President Barack Obamas tenure.

Nancy Milholland, vice chairwoman of the Racine County GOP, has kept a daily countdown of Obamas last days in office on her social media feeds, saying he hasnt helped the economy and the Affordable Care Act has been dreadful.

But Milholland also wants to see Trump and other Republicans  who now control all three branches of government  produce results.

Its time to show us what youve got, she said. Youve talked the talk. Now walk the walk.

Bode said its clear Trump is bringing a CEO-like mindset to the Oval Office, and he expects him to start fast in his first 100 days.

Trump is the first person with no government or military experience to be elected president. Bode expects Trump to delegate a lot of responsibility to Cabinet members, who may hold different views than Trump.

Hes going to rely on those people and hold them accountable, but thats what a good CEO does, Bode said. A CEO cant do everything that all the VPs do.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, has said he also expects Trump and the Republican-controlled government to delegate more power to the states. What that will mean remains to be seen, but state decisions could be influenced by how Congress handles issues like health care, he said.

Opposition mobilizing

Whatever ultimately happens in Trumps presidency figures to be a departure from Obama, in policy and in style.

There also figures to be, like in the Obama years, a strong opposition. State Rep. Cory Mason said thats already mobilizing as Republicans discuss big changes in health care and other areas.

I think theyre going to find, given what theyre proposing, that people are not enthusiastic  and even more so, really opposed  to what Trump is talking about, said Mason, D-Racine, who pointed to House Speaker Paul Ryan as an equally important figure in many ways. Youre going to see opposition in a big way moving forward, which is why I actually have hope.

Some of that opposition will be on display over the weekend, including at the womens march, which is expected to attract hundreds of thousands.

Becky Marston, who is with Lange in Washington for Saturdays march, said she worries civil rights will regress with Trump in office.

Id like to give the new administration a chance, she said. But given some of their Cabinet appointments and what led up to this day, Im not as hopeful as Id like to be.

State Rep. Peter Barca said he hopes Trump is successful and focuses on bringing jobs back from overseas and bringing down health care costs.

But hes also nervous.

If he continues to tweet at 3 in the morning, said Barca, D-Kenosha, it can cause some very severe reactions, both with allies who are counting on us to be there for them, as well as with adversaries.
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, seen December 15, 2016, is the subject of an investigation surrounding his and his aides' ties with private banks

EU Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly said Friday she has opened an investigation into ties European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and aides have with private banks following a complaint from a research group.

The non-government organisation Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) filed the complaint over top ECB staff links to the Group of 30, which brings together the leaders of both the public and private financial sector.

"I have decided to open an inquiry into this complaint," O'Reilly said in a statement.

The CEO made a similar complaint in 2012 to her predecessor who cleared Draghi of any conflict of interest but filed a new complaint arguing that the ECB is now operating in a different context.

"I acknowledge the need to reflect on this new context. However, I have taken no position in relation to any of these matters except to consider that they warrant further inquiry," O'Reilly said.

Her office will ask the ECB to allow inspection of documents linked to the G30 as well as to meet with central bank officials to discuss aspects of the complaint, she said.

Her office will then likely ask the ECB for a written response to the complaint.

"CEO research has exposed a severe lack of critical distance between the ECB?s decision-making bodies and corporate bankers in the G30," the NGO said.

"As Europe?s central bank is tasked with regulating the financial sector and supervising other central banks in the Eurozone, any perceived or actual conflicts of interests pose a great risk to the ECB's integrity," the CECO said.

Members of the G30 include the heads of private banks UBS and JP Morgan, the governors of the central banks of England, Japan and China as well as other figures like former ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet, the Nobel economics prize winner Paul Krugman and former head of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke.

A spokesman for the ECB said: "We look forward to providing the Ombudsman with information on this matter."

Under EU treaties, the ECB is required to "maintain a dialogue with external stakeholders," and the G30 is a relevant forum to engage with, the spokesman said.

But he added: "We have a range of rules and instruments in place to avoid apparent or potential conflicts of interest.?
Former British Chancellor George Osborne, seen September 16, 2016, resigned from the British government following the referendum vote to leave the European Union in June, but remains a Conservative lawmaker

Former British finance minister George Osborne will join BlackRock, the world's largest fund manager, as a part-time advisor from February 1, it announced Friday.

"George has a unique and invaluable perspective on the issues that are shaping our world today," said BlackRock chief executive and chairman Laurence D. Fink.

Osborne resigned from the British government following the referendum vote to leave the European Union in June, but remains a Conservative lawmaker.

He will "provide perspectives on European politics and policy, Chinese economic reform, and trends such as low yields and longevity and their impact on retirement planning", BlackRock said in a statement.

"In accordance with UK law, Osborne will not engage in any lobbying of the British government."

Earlier this week, Wall Street bank Citigroup announced it had hired former Conservative foreign minister William Hague as an advisor.
China is engaged in a bizarre dystopian experiment to use social network ratings to punish political dissidence, "antisocial behavior" and noncomformity, using data pulled from many sources, including purchases on China's major ecommerce networks like Alibaba; but you don't have to be the Chinese government to spy on people with an extraordinary degree of creepy precision: for a very small amount of money, China's private data-brokers will let you spy on anyone in the country.

An expose in Guanzhou's South Metropolis Daily showed that for about $100, you can get a dossier on anyone in China including "a full history of hotel rooms checked into, airline flights taken, internet cafes visited, border entries and exits, apartment rentals, real estate holdings  even deposit records from the country's four major banks"  for an additional fee, you could track your target's movements in realtime. Other services include the names of people who stayed in your target's hotel rooms with them.

Hoping to gauge the reliability of the mobile location services on offer, the reporters obtained permission from yet another colleague, sharing their mobile number with the tracking firm and paying a fee of 600 yuan. Thirty minutes later, the reporters received an image of that colleague's position, including a map and GPS coordinates. The coordinates perfectly matched the colleague's reported location. Owing perhaps to censorship guidelines, the Southern Metropolis Daily report did not draw out the broader implications of its findings  that either government and police insiders are routinely selling access to a treasure trove of personal information, or that national databases are vulnerable to outside hacking. China may have Big Brother ambitions for social control. And President Xi Jinping appears to many observers to match these ambitions with his own unprecedented consolidation of power. But this privacy horror story  "Terrifying!" its headline began  is a sobering reminder of the porous and fragmented nature of China's institutions.

Cashing in on dystopia

[David Bandurski/Sup China]
One of the four pools at the resorts Grand complex. (Mariam Matti)

Combining a luxurious stay at a resort in sunny Playa del Carmen, Mexico and an evening of fine dining by a Michelin-star chef would make for a perfect getaway in the middle of a Canadian winter.

I had the opportunity to visit Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso along Mexicos Riviera Maya for four nights in the midst of the Canadian winter chill, attending one of the hotels series of culinary events called Chef on Tour.

While the dining adventure was certainly the highlight, the extravagance and service that is offered at the 310 suite Grand Hotel cannot go unnoticed.

The oceanfront facing Grand complex. (Mariam Matti)

The property is massive and is just one of many the Spanish company has across the Caribbean and Mexico. There are four different types of hotels where you can vacation: the Grand Collection (which is where I stayed and is an all-inclusive just for adults), Premium Gold (a 5-star experience for the whole family), Premium and Iberostar hotel.

The suites at the Grand come with either a king-size bed or two double beds, a flat-screen television, a bathroom with two sinks, a jacuzzi tub and a shower. Each room has a balcony that I like to call my little paradise since it came with a chair swing and an outdoor bamboo couch.

Room service: Breakfast enjoyed outside on the balcony. (Mariam Matti)

Theres a personal butler on every floor that is only a phone call away, including 24-hour room service that I wish I had taken more advantage of. Admittedly, I was so well served with generous portions at dinner every night, and not to mention a breakfast and lunch buffet available, that it was hard to find the need to have a pizza at 3 a.m.

The age demographic ranges at the resorts depending on the time of year, according to Iberostars marketing manager Mariela Gomez. At the all-inclusive, adults-only Grand complex, youd be sure to find an older crowd.

Chef on Tour is in its second year, showcasing the finest chefs at their hotels in Mexico, The Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba.

Spanish chef Manuel Berganza was the featured cook at our resort.

Story continues

Berganza is the first chef in Spain to earn a first-time, two-star Michelin rating. He was just 27 when that happened.

He moved to New York four years ago to open Andanada, a modern Spanish restaurant located in the Upper West Side in Manhattan, and like any good chef, has learned to adapt to his surroundings.

Berganza said he missed the produce, meat and fish of Spain at first. He eventually stopped thinking about the ingredients he didnt have and learned to make Spanish dishes from what was available to him in America.

Manuel Berganzas menu, in Spanish, at Chef on Tour. (Mariam Matti)

He still gets food imported from Spain but is very selective about it.

I look at which product I can bring from Spain that is still good if I were to eat it in Spain such as artichokes, he said.

He says he likes sticking to simple ingredients but the combination has to be special.

And that showed in his Chef on Tour menu.

The nine-course meal, each dish paired with its own wine, started off with some snacks for the table in Berganzas words: Beef slices rolled around watercress salad, lobster salad with lime aioli on a marinated cucumber, and quail nests, which were potato nests with chicken liver salad and soft boiled quail egg.

Spanish chef Manuel Berganza was the featured cook at Iberostars Chef on Tour event in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. (Handout)

The rather heavy, protein-rich meal continued with a creamy gazpacho and heirloom tomato salad, Galician style octopus, and squid stuffed with vegetables in mole with ink and eucalyptus oil.

My favourite course of the night was a fish dish, grouper served with crumble and yolk. The fish is light, flakey and delicious.

Before dessert, Berganza served veal cheeks, with a slice of roasted beet on top and pineapple sauce on the side. During his interview before the event, the young chef noted how he loves to include sauces with most of his dishes.

Youll have a fork and a spoon with the dishes tonight. We love a spoon, he exclaimed.

To cap off the dinner, we were served a chocolate ganache with olive oil mezcal ice cream.

Berganzas passion comes from being in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother growing up in Asturias, Spain.

Every dish I make, I look for the flavour of my mom. I cook in the kitchen like her. When I finish a sauce and I try it, I always think, is this the flavour of my mom?, he said.

Manuel Berganza served up a heirloom tomato salad and gazpacho dish with a wine pairing. Yahoo Canada / Mariam Matti

At 30, Berganza says he is still learning and developing his cuisine daily. While he sticks to his Spanish roots, hes not scared to pull techniques from different places.

We have a cook from Korea so we started making kimchi at the restaurant but customers who come for the Spanish food dont want Korean kimchi so I took that and transformed into Spanish flavours, he said.

That type of unique take on cuisine might be what keeps customers coming to Andanada. That, and authenticity.

If Im not authentic, why would a New Yorker take the time to come to my restaurant?, Berganza questioned.

Squid stuffed with vegetables in mole with ink and eucalyptus oil. (Mariam Matti)

Galician style octopus dish. (Mariam Matti)
Photo credit: Italian Firefighters / AP

From Popular Mechanics

PENNE, Italy (AP) - Rescue workers on skis reached a four-star spa hotel buried by an avalanche in earthquake-stricken central Italy Thursday, reporting no sign of life in the building even though two survivors found outside said more than 30 people had been in it when the snow struck.

As heavy vehicles tried to reach the Hotel Rigopiano to help with the rescue, criticism mounted over the response to the four quakes, one a magnitude 5.7, and days of unusually heavy snowfall that have blanketed the region. 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.

"Help, we're dying of cold," one couple wrote rescuers from the hotel, according to the ANSA news agency.

Giampiero Parete, a chef vacationing at the hotel, called his boss when the avalanche struck, begging for him to mobilize rescue crews because his wife Adriana and two children, Ludovica and Gianfilippo, were trapped inside, employer Quintino Marcella told The Associated Press.

Parete had left briefly to get some medicine for his wife, and survived as a result.

"He said the hotel was submerged and to call rescue crews," Marcella said. He said 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.

When rescuers on skis arrived in the early morning hours of Thursday, they found just two people alive: Parete and another guest, Fabio Salzetta. There were no other signs of life, according to a video of the interior shot by rescue crews.

Photo credit: AP

Salzetta had also sent a message out: "Some walls were knocked down," Corriere della Sera reported. And: "I'm outside with a maintenance worker but you can't see anything of the hotel, there's only a wall of snow in front of me."

Story continues

Civil protection authorities said that 30 people were missing. ANSA quoted a rescuer as saying that there were fatalities, but details weren't immediately available. Just one body was reported removed from the hotel by late morning Thursday.

Premier Paolo Gentiloni, arriving at the civil protection headquarters in the area at midday Thursday, sought to deflect criticism of the rescue efforts and urged authorities to redouble efforts to reach people isolated by the quakes and snow, which in some places has dumped as much as two meters (six feet).

Residents have been complaining for days that they have been without electricity and phone service and have been house-bound because of what Gentiloni called a "record snowfall."

"I ask everyone if possible to multiply their efforts," 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."

Rescue efforts were hampered by the snow, making it difficult to clear roads for heavy vehicles and ambulances to get through. Rescue vehicles had still not reached the hotel by midday Thursday.

The buried hotel was just one of several rescues underway: Video footage from Italian financial police force GDF showed a gray-haired man being led to safety by rescuers through a path dug out of deep snow elsewhere else in the region.

Snow continued to fall Thursday with reports of people being isolated in many places. A resident of a town in the province of Teramo, Daiana Nguyen, told SKY TG24 that 3 meters (about 10 feet) of snow had fallen and that people "were completely isolated."

"They talk about sending in the army: Thirty to 40 men came with shovels. We need heavy machinery!" she said.

Photo credit: AP

The timing of the avalanche Wednesday and the messages remained unclear, but the hotel posted a notice on its Facebook page that its phones were down around 9 a.m. following the first of Wednesday's quakes. It wasn't immediately clear if the temblors triggered the avalanche.

Marcella, a restaurant owner on the nearby coast, said he received the call from Parete, his chef, at around 5:30 p.m. He reported that all of the guests had checked out and were waiting for the roads to be cleared on Wednesday afternoon when the avalanche struck. Initially the road was to be cleared by 3 p.m., but that was delayed until 7 p.m.

Video shot by rescue teams showed huge piles of filthy snow and debris piled up inside the hotel corridors, stairwells and an indoor pool area, havng slammed through the outer walls of the building. The audio is silent. The largest wall of snow shown was in the pool area, where plastic lounge chairs were flipped on their sides and Christmas decorations still dangled from the ceiling.

The bar area appeared flooded, with nearby cracked skylights covered with snow outside.

Aerial video shot by helicopter crews showed rescue workers on top of the snow-covered hotel, digging holes down to try to get in.

The hotel is about 45 kilometers (30 miles) from the coastal city of Pescara, at an altitude of about 1,200 meters (3,940 feet).

An ambulance was blocked about nine kilometers (5 miles) from the hotel, according to SKY, which also said that snowfall was so heavy that snow plows have had trouble clearing the road to the hotel.

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.

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.

You Might Also Like
win

Who wouldn?t like a little extra money? I know I sure would.

There are two paths for a regular person to get more cash: there?s the easy way and the hard way.

The hard way stinks. It involves work. You could do things like pick up extra hours at work, get a part-time job, or start your own business. There?s nothing wrong with doing any of these things; in fact, they are all recommended, especially for folks with more time than money.

But I prefer the lazy route.

The easy way is as simple as it is powerful. All you need to do is pile up some excess cash, put it to work, and watch the dividends flow in. It really is that easy.

Investing isn?t hard. Getting the money to put to work in the first place is the difficult part. All a good investor needs to do is invest in the kinds of companies that have made countless people rich over the years.

Are you ready to begin collecting passive income? Here are three great stocks to get you started.

Telus

I truly think Telus Corporation (TSX:T)(NYSE:TU) is one of Canada?s best dividend stocks. It has so much going for it.

First, let?s talk about the business. The company continues to grow wireless, internet, and even television subscribers through a combination of seizing customers from competitors, clever marketing, and expanding its retail presence. The growth isn?t spectacular, but remember, Telus can pass through price increases to existing customers to help goose the top line.

When was the last time your internet bill went down? Exactly.

But it isn?t enough to have a good business. A great dividend stock needs a management team that?s committed to giving back to shareholders. Telus delivers this in a couple of ways. First, it has hiked its dividend twice per year since 2011, increasing the quarterly payout to $0.48 per share, which is good enough for a 4.4% yield.

Telus also gives back to shareholders through aggressive share buybacks. It has repurchased more than 60 million shares since the end of 2012, spending more than $2.3 billion in the process.

Story continues

National Bank

While the rest of the world focuses on Canada?s five largest banks, they?re missing out on National Bank of Canada (TSX:NA), which consistently trades at a cheaper valuation despite having much better growth potential.

National Bank really doesn?t have much domestic exposure west of Ontario. Look for that to change either by acquisition or via organic growth.

But the big prize will be overseas. The company already owns assets in countries like Mongolia and Cambodia, and management openly admits they?re currently shopping for bigger deals ? the kind of acquisitions that can really boost the bottom line.

In the meantime, investors can collect the 4.1% dividend and be comforted knowing they?re only paying 11 times next year?s projected earnings.

Inter Pipeline

Even if the price of oil remains volatile, I can?t think of many businesses steadier than transporting bitumen from Canada?s oil sands to awaiting refineries. Inter Pipeline Ltd. (TSX:IPL) also owns natural gas pipelines in Alberta and gas storage facilities in Europe.

Most companies have vague, hard-to-execute growth plans. Inter Pipeline?s expansion potential is ridiculously simple. When new oil sands projects get completed, Inter Pipeline will use existing capacity room to bring that crude to market. Easy, peasy.

The company has about two million barrels per day in excess capacity from its three main oil sands pipelines: Polaris, Cold Lake, and Corridor.

While they wait, investors can collect one of the market?s best dividends. Shares currently yield 5.7%, and management has grown the payout by nearly 10% per year since 2012.

The bottom line

There should be nothing holding you back. As they say, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Investing is the same way. If you start consistently putting money into great companies like Telus, National Bank of Canada, and Inter Pipeline, the trickle of dividends will soon grow into a stream, and then a tsunami.

That won?t happen unless you get started. It?s that simple.

How 1 Man Turned $10K Into Over $8 Million

Discover how one man turned a modest $10,600 investment into an $8,016,867 fortune.

Learn more about this man and how you can start down the path toward financial independence.

Simply click here to learn more

More reading

Fool contributor Nelson Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned.

How 1 Man Turned $10K Into Over $8 Million

Discover how one man turned a modest $10,600 investment into an $8,016,867 fortune.

Learn more about this man and how you can start down the path toward financial independence.

Simply click here to learn more

Fool contributor Nelson Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned.
A report says that produce and meat in Nairobi are laced with toxins.

Cash-strapped Kenyan retailer, Nakumatt is set to receive $75 million from a foreign investor to service its mounting costly debt and to settle suppliers, which have weighed down its operations.

The unnamed investor would hold a quarter of the company if the deal closes, valuing the overall business at $310 million. The cash injection will off-set part of the $180 million in costly short-term debt the retailer owes to local banks.

Nakumatt also announced a corporate restructuring program which will see former Tesco executive Andrew Dixon join its ranks as chief marketing officer. Dixon is a British retail veteran of 30 years experience who developed some of Tescos leading initiatives over the last 20 years. These include the Tesco Health & Beauty in-store concept, Tescos core private label brands, the Tesco Express convenience store format and also managed the Tesco Clubcard, the largest loyalty program in Europe.

Nakumatt managing director Atul Shah said the investment deal was at the penultimate stage and was only waiting for the $75 million to hit its account. The family-owned retailer, the largest in East Africa with 63 outlets in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, has struggled to pay suppliers, with its Uganda outlets experiencing stock-outs in recent months.

Despite Nakumatts difficulties, there is still much interest in retailers in in the region given the growing numbers of middle class consumers.

The supermarkets rapid expansion has put it at pole position in East Africas retail sector. The region has attracted considerable interest from regional and international players even as a number of local players remain saddled with debt.

Botswana-based Choppies acquired a 75% stake in Ukwala, a family-owned Kenyan retailer, which reported a $2.7 million loss in the year to June 2016. French-multinational, Carrefour and South Africas Game, a brand of MassMart have also opened outlets in the country. Carrefour is on course to open a second store at Two Rivers shopping mall in Nairobi.

Story continues

Financial stress

Shah acknowledged that the retailer was under financial stress and despite the share sale, it was still out looking for funds and restructuring the existing debt to allow for a manageable repayment process going forward.

On Dec. 15, South African ratings agency Global Credit Ratings (GCR) downgraded the retailer from BB stable outlook to BB- due to a notable deterioration of the retailers credit risk profile. The supermarkets debt load has grown four-fold from $47 million in 2012 to $180 million by the end of 2016 as it turned to costly short-term debt to fund expansion across East Africa and meet working capital needs.

Over the past five years, the retailers revenues have been growing at a cumulative annual rate of 14% to reach $516 million in 2015. But, profits have been deeply eroded by rising interest charges on the snowballing debt. The retailer intends to restructure the remaining debts to longer term maturities, but will still depend on loans to service supplies that are long-overdue.

Sign up for the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief  the most important and interesting news from across the continent, in your inbox.

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news.

More stories from Quartz:
One of Canada's biggest sellers of real estate says it is witnessing a surge of interest from Americans who are considering moving north as a result of the U.S. presidential election.

In a report released Friday, Royal LePage said visits to its website surged by more than four times the normal daily volume the day after Donald Trump's win on November 8th. That doesn't appear to have been a blip, either, as interest from U.S. buyers during the October-to-December period came in a full 40 per cent higher than the same period a year ago.

"The United States was already a top source for immigration into Canada, and now in the period following the recent U.S. election, we are witnessing a material bump in American interest in Canadian real estate," Royal LePage president Phil Soper said.

- ANALYSIS: Are Americans really going to flee to Canada under Trump?

"Always a desirable destination for migrants, Canada's attractiveness as a country for international relocation has surged."

November and December are not typically strong months for home sales, but Royal LePage says nearly one in six of the company's realtors said they have "received inquiries from south of the border" since election day.

Canadian immigration website crashed

The real estate firm's findings are in keeping with other data that tells a similar story. The website of Citizenship and Immigration Canada famously crashed on the night of the U.S. election.

The ministry confirmed the next day that website traffic on election day was more than 10 times the usual level, and that more than half the visitors came from the U.S.

Few of the inquiries to Royal LePage's website are likely to have turned into concrete sales already. But it's not hard to see the potential impact for Canada if even a small percentage of those inquiries turn into future Canadian home owners.

"Given America's vast population, even a fractional increase in the number of households following through on this initial interest and successfully completing the demanding process of emigrating to Canada could drive a material increase in the number of home-buyers from south of the border," Soper said.

Story continues

Ontario was the most-researched destination, queried by 41 per cent of all Americans who reached out to the company during the period.

British Columbia came next, with 17.9 per cent of all U.S.-based inquiries, followed by Quebec at 13.9 per cent.

No other Canadian province was the target of more than 10 per cent of American inquiries.

"With the high value of the U.S. dollar increasing Americans' purchasing power, we may be seeing more moving trucks with U.S. licence plates in our future," Soper said.
Two people died in a murder-suicide in southwest Edmonton, it has been confirmed.

Following autopsies Wednesday, the medical examiner concluded both died of gunshot wounds. Police confirmed the woman's death was a homicide. The man's death is being described as non-criminal, or suicide.

Edmonton police officers found the bodies of a 74-year-old man and a 59-year-old woman at the home near Riverbend Road early Wednesday.

Police went to 213 Heagle Cres. in the Henderson Estates neighbourhood after receiving a call from someone who said they knew the deceased. Police immediately deemed the deaths as suspicious.

Police did not release the names of the two people.

A neighbour said a couple lived in the home. The property is owned by Clive O'Neil Deutscher, a doctor, and his wife Karlene Johner.

Deutscher's son, Neil Deutscher, lives in Arizona, where his father used to be licensed as a doctor. He declined to comment on the deaths, but confirmed his father lived at the address.

Deutscher most recently worked in Edmonton as a medical consultant with the Alberta Workers' Compensation Board (WCB), where his name is among the 10 highest earners on the 2015 compensation disclosure list.

A WCB spokesperson, Ben Dille, said Deutscher hasn't worked for the organization since February 2016.

The Arizona Medical Board lists Deutscher's medical specialization as occupational medicine and pulmonary disease.

Police say the investigation has concluded and no charges will be laid.
Members of Torontos Black Lives Matter chapter shutdown the Pride parade in July. On Tuesday, Pride voted to approve the demands the group made at the time, including banning police floats. Photo from The Canadian Press

Months after Black Lives Matter stopped Torontos Pride parade to demand changes to the annual festival, Pride Toronto organizers have officially signed off on the demands, including a ban on police floats.

Though how exactly the plan will be implemented is still unknown (and a Toronto police spokesperson told The Canadian Press he was unwilling to comment until the terms are clearer), the move reignites a fierce debate that raged in regional Pride organizations and police forces across the country.

What work, if any, needs to be done to build relationships between LGBTQ communities and law enforcement?

On the other side of the country, Pride Vancouver is continuing its talks with BLM members and the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), but some moves have already been made.

After what happened in Toronto, we had discussions. And they had discomfort with the armoured police vehicle that was in the parade, so we got rid of it, Kieran Burgess of Vancouver Pride told Yahoo Canada News.

Police in uniform (complete with guns) and about four other police cars march in the citys parade (usually held mid-summer) under the banner of Vancouver City Services.

Were having discussions in February with the VPD and Black Lives Matter about cutting back those cars and about the uniformed presence, he said.

In October, the Pride organization held a community consultation to air grievances and give suggestions.

We discovered that we needed to do more outreach to all the different communities, so they can feel welcome, said Burgess. Some of those people included Rainbow Refugees and a queer Indigenous woman who wanted to start her own group.

We gave her a bursary, as well as to others, so she could create her own group or do research.

Pride Vancouver also discovered that some groups wanted to participate in the parade but the $120 fee was too much for them. So, its inviting some of them to join for free in 2017.

In terms of the people running the organization, Burgess points out that the board has people of colour, trans people and those who are female and male.

Story continues

What happened in Toronto last year with Black Lives Matter was a wake up call, admitted Burgess. We know we are not perfect and were open to dialogue  we want to better address the needs of everyone in our community.

A chance to reflect

Over at Pride Montreal, vice-president Jean-Sebastien Boudreault told Yahoo Canada News that his city simply has a different climate and there was little fallout from what happened in Toronto.

We are so much smaller. In Toronto they have nine stages, we only have one, said Boudreault about Pride Montreal, which usually runs mid-August for seven days. Last years tally amounted 2.2 million visitors  a jump from 2013 when it was only 465,000.

It did give us a chance to reflect and think about what else we could do to avoid what happened at Torontos parade.

Every year, the organization meets with the community. In early November, they created a meeting with people of colour and invited different groups to talk to the organization.

We hired two outreach coordinators as a result of that meeting, said Boudreault. We wanted to only hire one but found two outstanding individuals  one is a young, black queer person and the other is a Lebanese trans woman.

As it were, Boudreault says the organization does have trans people and people of colour on its board along with a split gender-wise of those working in the office. And in 2017, they will add a second stage to feature events and performances from diverse members of the community.

In all of its 34 years, the parade has never included police, so that hasnt been an issue.

We just want everybody to come together and respect one another and feel welcome, said Boudreault, who added that Montreal Pride 2017 promises to be bigger  with the inclusion of a major LGBTQ conference on human rights running for three days and a Francophone-focused LGBTQ conference on Aug. 18.

Halifax

Members of the board at Halifax Pride released a statement to Yahoo Canada News about the Toronto decision, stating that they didnt know how it would affect their festival at this time.

Our cities have different histories, experience, communities, and police forces. We must recognize the history of the relationship between pride movements and law enforcement, while ensuring we create a festival that meets the unique needs of our community in Halifax, read the release.

The statement continued to say that the board at Halifax Pride continues to meet with senior management at Halifax Regional Police to foster a dialogue around what police participation in pride events will look like.

There was no other comment addressing issues of minority participation.
The inauguration of President Donald Trump was a model of efficient protocol, embodying the smooth transmission of executive authority, handed down from the eighteenth century. His brief inaugural speech praised the value of traditional patriotism and quoted the great Hebrew hymn, Hine ma tov, Psalm 133: How good and pleasant it is when brothers sit together in unity.

The scene on Central Park West last night, and throughout Washington today, however, demonstrated the rancor and hostility that have seized a large portion of the electorate, which insists that the new president is an illegitimate usurper. According to this sizeable faction, represented by much of the countrys political and cultural class, President Trumps first 100 days in office must be met with a campaign of massive resistance, including direct action. Such efforts were already evident throughout Washington this morning, as self-styled anarchists smashed windows in protest, and middle-aged women linked arms to block entrance to inauguration events, smirking at uniformed military officers who demurred from shoving through their illegal phalanx. In New York, several councilmembers were arrested in front of Trump Tower for blocking traffic but were able to tweet about it an hour later.

An estimated 25,000 people attended the Inauguration Eve rally, held outside the Trump International Hotel & Tower at Columbus Circle, formerly the Gulf + Western Building. They assembled to cheer Mayor Bill de Blasio, Robert de Niro, Cher, Alec Baldwin, and other like-minded luminaries. Many people waved signs reading no! stop trump/pence fascist regime before it starts, or no no no. in the name of humanity we refuse a fascist america. This Refuse Fascism contingent, a dominant presence at the rally, assumes a kind of 1930s-style Popular Front appealbut it is actually a front for the Revolutionary Communist Party, run by longtime activist (and some say cult leader) Bob Avakian. The Refuse Fascism movement has received favorable coverage from Rachel Maddow, and leftist icons such as Cornel West, Ed Asner, and Bill Ayers have endorsed its program.

The speakers at the anti-Trump rally exercised their fervid imaginations in depicting the doom that awaits America. Filmmaker Michael Moore announced, As bad as we think its going to be, it is going to be worse. He spoke of the Muslim registry that Trump allegedly plans to institute, which will require every Muslim-American to register with the government. I will be the first to sign up on the Muslim registry, Moore promised. Who will join me? Lets all sign our name! We are all Muslim! We are all Mexican! We are all women!

Mayor of Minneapolis Betsy Hodges expanded the categories of people who must fear the ravages of President Trump: He will have to get through all the mayors in all the cities in this country if he wants to get to our beloved communities. When he comes for our artists, who are going to be more important now than ever with their voices of dissent, hes going to have to get through me. The idea that artists are at risk of being rounded up for internmentanother suspicion devoid of any evidenceis consonant with the general pitch of #Resistance rhetoric.

Naturally, such a rally would not be complete without a Hollywood star making it all about himself: actor Robert De Niro read aloud from a list of unsent tweets that he imagined Trump was preparing in response to De Niros own remarks: The sushi at Nobu is made from raw fish, and the portions are so small! sneered the actor/restaurateur, fantasizing that the billionaire president would be baffled by the $180 omakase offerings at De Niros exclusive sushi emporia.

Mayor de Blasio gave a relatively weak and anodyne speech, at one point acknowledging that the progressives had been wrong-footed and out-maneuvered by the new president. Donald Trump always likes to say he built a movement. Well now its time for us to build our movement! He received tepid applause for suggesting (accurately) that the Left had lost at its own game. The mayor also received a storm of negative press for participating in a political rally that fouled up midtown rush hour traffic and for calling continually on Twitter for more people to join the rally.

Critics of Trumps inaugural speech complained that he did not do enough to reach out to the opposition, and that his narrow victory compels him essentially to share power with the other side. But the resistance, including members of Congress, has already made clear that it will do everything it can to gum up America going forward, in an effort to delegitimize Trumps government. If the protests we have seen so far are any indication of what the future holds, then its doubtful that our nations divisions will be bound up any time soon.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images
FRIDAY, Jan. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Many U.S. patients with late-stage lung cancer do not receive treatments that could prolong their lives, a new study finds.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center analyzed 1998-2012 data from the U.S. National Cancer Database.

They found that more than one in every five patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) -- by far the leading form of the disease -- did not undergo any treatment. That included chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery, the researchers said.

Many of the untreated patients were women, elderly, minorities, low-income and uninsured, according to the research team.

The researchers found that the number of untreated patients with late-stage NSCLC even rose slightly during the study period.

The reasons why some patients went untreated remain unclear, the researchers said.

"We were able to identify a really large number of untreated patients who were statistically similar to patients who received standard therapies," said study first author Dr. Elizabeth David, an assistant professor of surgery.

Treatment did seem important to patient outcomes, even if lung cancer was in its more advanced, late stages. Overall, survival rates of untreated patients with all stages of NSCLC were significantly lower than for those who received treatment, the researchers said.

For example, median survival among patients with stage 3 disease was 16.5 months for those who received chemotherapy and radiation, but only 6.1 months for those who received no treatment.

Median survival among patients with stage 4 disease was 9.3 months for those who received chemotherapy, but just 2 months for those who received no treatment.

Non-small cell lung cancer kills about 158,000 people each year in the United States, more than any other type of cancer.

"My hope is that this study will raise awareness among physicians and encourage them to reconsider fundamental decisions such as whether patients may be candidates for treatment or not," David said in a UC Davis news release. "While it's not realistic to expect every patient to get treatment, we may be too easily deciding not to treat."

Two lung cancer specialists said the study raises an important issue.

"While treatment isn't appropriate for every patient with lung cancer, patients should be aware that treatment options for lung cancer have improved, with new treatments offering both improved survival and improved tolerability, even in older patients," said Dr. Ann Tilley, a pulmonologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

She advises that patients with advanced lung cancer always "consult with an oncologist who has expertise in treating lung cancer for a full discussion of their treatment options."

Dr. Nagashree Seetharamu is a medical oncologist at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute in Lake Success, N.Y.

She said the study "hints" that some patients may be missing out on treatment, but the research does have its flaws.

According to Seetharamu, the National Cancer Database -- the source of the study's data -- "lacks details" that might help explain the decision-making of the physicians involved in treating individual patients.

Also, she noted that since 2003, new "biologic" drugs that are different from standard chemotherapy have emerged to help treat advanced lung cancers. The new study "does not seem to have taken into account" these treatment options, Seetharamu said.

Study author David believes certain factors -- the stigma that still surrounds a lung cancer diagnosis, race, age and insurance status -- may play a role in decisions not to pursue treatment.

But she hopes doctors are alerted to the new findings.

"I'm hoping providers consider these data timely and significant," David said. "Not getting treated for this cancer is associated with dismal outcomes. Although more progress is needed, meaningful treatment options do exist, and they are easier to tolerate than they used to be. At a minimum, patients should be aware of these options and the risks and benefits associated with them."

The study was published Jan. 18 in The Journal of Thoracic Oncology.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on lung cancer.
THURSDAY, Jan. 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- 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 formulas -- sometimes recommended for babies with food allergies -- in 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 JDRF -- formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Highly hydrolyzed formulas are formulas that contain cow's milk proteins that aren't whole -- they'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 use -- 80 percent -- was 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 Diabetes Research Institute.
THURSDAY, Jan. 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A Texas law -- later declared unconstitutional -- that increased travel distances to abortion clinics in the state seems to have led to fewer abortions, a new study suggests.

The Texas abortion law was enacted in 2013. By the time the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down in 2016, 24 abortion clinics had closed in the state, researchers said. This meant women in some areas had to travel much farther to end their pregnancies.

The researchers found a 50 percent drop in abortions in counties where the distance to the nearest abortion facility increased 100 miles or more. There was virtually no change in counties that did not have an abortion provider in 2014 or did not have a change in the distance to the nearest abortion facility, the study authors said.

Overall, abortions in Texas decreased 18.5 percent between 2012 and 2014, according to state data. That falloff was closely linked to the significant drop in abortion centers -- from 41 to 17 -- between 2013 and 2016, the study authors said.

However, the study didn't prove a connection between the law and the subsequent decline in abortions.

In June 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the Texas abortion law, ruling two of its provisions unconstitutional.

"Our study gives further insight into the ways that the clinic closures due to Texas' restrictive law resulted in an undue burden on women seeking access to abortion care in Texas," said researcher Dr. Daniel Grossman.

Grossman is an investigator with the Texas Policy Evaluation Project, which studies the impact of state legislation affecting women's reproductive health. He's also a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, where he is director of Advancing Standards in Reproduction Health.

The study was published online Jan. 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

More information

Planned Parenthood has more on abortion.
MOUNT PLEASANT  A female was transported to the hospital late Thursday after a car-pickup crash at Highway MM and Circle Drive.

The female driver was traveling north on Green Bay Road in a 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier when she stopped in the curb lane to pick up a pedestrian whom she knew, according to a Mount Pleasant Police release issued Friday morning.

A male driver, who was operating a 2009 Dodge Ram truck, was also traveling north on Green Bay Road in the curb lane when he rear-ended the Cavalier. The crash, which was reported just before 9:30 p.m., caused severe damage to the Cavalier, causing the female to be trapped inside.

The pickup also sustained heavy damage.

A slow drizzle descended on the scene as rescue workers freed the woman just before 10 p.m. She was removed on a backboard from her vehicle, which had heavy roof and drivers side damage.

Once the female was extricated from her vehicle, she was transported to Ascension All Saints Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police did not release the ages of those involved in the crash or their places of residence.

Driver impairment is not believed to be a contributing factor in the crash. The crash remained under investigation as of early Friday morning.
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.

###

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.
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.
Leading Provider of Self Adhesive Labels Now Offering Thinfilm's NFC Solutions to Major Brands

Across Spirits, Medical, Cosmetics, and Tobacco Industries





OSLO, Norway, January 20, 2017 - Thin Film Electronics ASA ("Thinfilm"), a global leader in NFC (near field communication) smart-packaging solutions using printed electronics, today announced a partnership with Sweden-based Beneli AB ("Beneli"), a leading provider of world class self-adhesive labels and related solutions. The partnership significantly strengthens Thinfilm's converter program by providing strategic coverage in Scandinavia and the broader European region. In addition, the relationship extends Beneli's wireless product offering beyond RFID asset tracking to now include NFC solutions for consumer engagement and authentication applications.

Thinfilm and Beneli will collaborate to deliver Thinfilm's NFC solutions - featuring both SpeedTap(TM) and OpenSense(TM) tags supported by a cloud-based software platform - to existing Beneli clients and other leading consumer brands across a range of markets. Beneli maintains a strong presence in the spirits, medical, cosmetics, and tobacco verticals, and also serves the food, pharmaceuticals, and logistics industries. Initial market trials are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2017.

Each SpeedTap and OpenSense tag is uniquely identifiable and virtually impossible to clone, and can be read with the simple tap of an NFC-enabled smartphone or device. Once tapped, tags wirelessly communicate with the cloud, creating a powerful one-to-one mobile marketing platform from which brands can connect directly with consumers. As a result, marketers are able to instantly deliver authentication messages, promotional offers, product news, and other relevant content. OpenSense technology also offers additional protection against package tampering and refill fraud.

"I'm very excited about our partnership with Thinfilm and the ability it gives us to deliver more value to our customers," said Jimmy Sterner, CEO of Beneli. "With Thinfilm's NFC technology, we can now offer a powerful solutions platform that significantly enhances the ability of brand owners to connect and communicate with consumers."



Thinfilm views label and packaging integration services as a critical component of its NFC solutions offering. These "conversion" capabilities delivered through qualified partners - in addition to the hardware and software provided by Thinfilm - create a "one-stop-shop" path for brands in search of smart packaging solutions. Thinfilm continues to build out its converter program globally, and expects to have approximately 30 vertically specialized partners in place by the end of 2017.





"Our partnership with a European leader such as Beneli fills a key geographic need for us and, as a result, significantly extends our conversion services in Scandinavia and throughout Europe," said Davor Sutija, CEO of Thinfilm. "The enhanced capabilities Thinfilm gains through this partnership will be critical as we look to meet the growing demands of leading consumer brands, mobile marketers and digital agencies."

About Thin Film Electronics ASA

Thinfilm is a leader in NFC smart packaging solutions using printed electronics technology. The first to commercialize printed, rewritable memory, the Company today creates printed tags, labels and systems that include memory, sensing, display, and wireless communication - all at a cost-per-function unmatched by conventional electronic technologies. Thinfilm's roadmap integrates technology from a strong and growing ecosystem of partners to bring intelligence to everyday items and effectively extend the traditional boundaries of the Internet of Things.

Thin Film Electronics ASA ("Thinfilm") is a publicly listed Norwegian company with headquarters in Oslo, Norway; product development and production in Linkoping, Sweden; product development, production, and business development in San Jose, California, USA; and sales offices in the United States, Hong Kong, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.thinfilm.no.

About Beneli AB

Beneli is a Swedish privately owned company located in Helsingborg, and has 26 years of experience in providing world class self-adhesive solutions, high-end printing, and high tech converting.



Beneli is a global company, and 50 percent of its turnover outside of Scandinavia is exported to Europe, Asia and North America. For more information, visit www.beneli.se.



This information is subject of the disclosure requirements acc. to 5-12 vphl (Norwegian Securities Trading Act).

For more information on Thinfilm please contact:

Bill Cummings

SVP Corporate Communications

Thin Film Electronics ASA

+1 408-503-7312

bill.cummings@thinfilm.no

For more information about Beneli AB please contact:

Jimmy Sterner

CEO

Beneli AB

+46 (0) 705 28 42 41

Jimmy.sterner@beneli.se
News Story not available

This story has been published on: 2022-11-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

This story is no longer available on our site.
Today is a day that some have looked forward to for eight years, a transition in power and a chance to make meaningful change to help the entire country. Others have dreaded it, fearing what change will mean.

Regardless of which side people fall on, today truly is a momentous day.

It is the day that our countrys 45th president is sworn into office.

Repeating the words of President Ronald Reagan from 36 years ago, Today this is a solemn and most momentous occasion, and yet in the history of our nation it is a commonplace occurrence. The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place, as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us stop to think how unique we really are.

In his 1981 inauguration speech, Reagan goes on to say, In the eyes of many in the world, this every 4-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.

We have been doing this miraculous transition for over two centuries now. In some nations, war breaks out when the transfer of power takes place and lives are lost.

Those wars and fights only tear the countries apart. They dont make them stronger.

Now is the time for people to come together to make meaningful change and for us to put our support behind the president of the United States.

When George H.W. Bush left office in 1993, he left a note for incoming President Bill Clinton.

In the note he stated, You will be our president when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well. Your success now is our countrys success. I am rooting hard for you. Good luck.

Regardless of political beliefs, we should all be rooting for Donald Trumps success today and over the next four to eight years.

Trumps success is our countrys success.

Today Trump becomes our president. We wish him well.
English French

Seneffe, January 20, 2017. The current political situation in Uzbekistan means that the local supplier of raw materials for iodine isotopes, which are used as a starting substance in medical therapy sources, is currently unable to make deliveries. The overall scarcity of the commodity on the global market means that supply bottlenecks for the finished products are also possible.

"We are in intensive talks with our supplier in Uzbekistan as well as with other providers. Right now, we can deliver seeds to a limited extent and are confident that we will be able to keep production downtime low. We expect the situation to ease again quickly, since other suppliers are currently ramping up their capacities," said Dr. Harald Hasselmann, Managing Director of Eckert & Ziegler GmbH. "However, we are currently not in a position to guarantee that we will be able to fulfill all customer orders on schedule in the weeks ahead."

About Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG

Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG is a European-based group active in the medical device segment of the health care industry. Its core business is the treatment of cancer using brachytherapy, a special form of radiation therapy. Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG is a leader in brachytherapy in Europe. The company headquarters are in Belgium, with a production facility in Germany and subsidiaries throughout Europe, in the USA, India and Brazil. In addition, Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG has a worldwide network of distributors and agents to support the international marketing of its product line. The company's products and equipment are intended for use by oncologists, radiologists, urologists and medical physicists. Eckert & Ziegler BEBIG group employs approximately 130 people. The company has been listed on the Euronext stock exchange since April 1997.
PDP Crisis: Wike reveals permutation to win 2023 election in Rivers, gives fresh condition to Atiku

Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike, has said that PDP will win all seats in Rivers state, including governorship, houses of assembly, but not sure of president.
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
As some East High School students and staff head to Washington, D.C. for the Womens March on Washington, a handful of those who remained in Madison shared their thoughts with the Cap Times about the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

Overall, the mood was somber at East High. Overcast skies and light rain tempered the vibrant energy one would expect from students on an early dismissal Friday.

East freshman Queshuana Hayes does not believe the new administration will support the needs of low-income people.

I dont like Trump, Hayes said. For all the people who are not as rich, I feel like he is about to take their money away.

East sophomore Veronica Mingle recalled stories her great aunt told her about living through the Holocaust. She said she was alarmed some Trump supporters used Nazi imagery during the election. At a so-called alt-right conference shortly after Trump's victory, several people celebrated by straightening their arms and pointing them upward. Critics argued the gesture was reminiscent of the Nazi salute.

Everyone is talking about how they are scared of him and are scared of what he will do. I think what is more terrifying about it is the mentality of the people who support him, Mingle said.

Mingle said her aunt "talks to me about how she barely got out of (the Holocaust). Seeing (those symbols) still exist, even though it is so outdated, is depressing," she said. "Its scary.

In addition to fear, some students were also unhappy as they thought about President Trump taking the oath of office on Friday.

I am just sad on the inside. I dont even know how to explain it, Hayes said. I know that a couple of my teachers were crying when he was elected, and I just feel bad for them.

Despite apprehensive attitudes around potential policies to come during President Trumps term, students interviewed said they still believe in the power of the United States democratic ideals to produce change.

Its a natural process. He got elected, he got inaugurated, Madison East sophomore Jude Langhammer said. I dont know quite what he will do, but I hope that he does try to do the best for America and for everyone.

Mingle said she hopes the resolve of the people will overcome the will of one leader.

I am a strong believer that even if we have one president in power, its still the people that have a lot of power, Mingle said. "They always will."
23rd Interpol Asian Conference concludes with five-point declaration

The 23rd Asian Regional Conference of International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has concluded issuing the five-point Kathmandu declaration. The regional conference had begun on Wednesday.
Welcome to Inside The Rock Poster Frame

A blog about posters, art prints, movie posters, vinyl toys and other cool stuff. More than just rock posters, posters that rock.



More World Premier Exclusive Releases then anyone. If you want to see it first, you will see it here.



More giveaways than anyone else to the best readers in the world (that's YOU)



Subscribe to the RSS feed and follow my blog. Please feel free to leave comments by clicking on comments below the title.



Click on the images for larger versions of them. Click on the title banner to be taken back to the main page.



Be the first to know when your favorite items are going on sale and cool events in your area. Your new source for the best information first.



Contact me at insidetherockposterframe )( gmail .com


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 ...
2,700 tube wells installed in 12 Tarai districts

A total 2,700 shallow tube well irrigation systems have been installed in 12 Tarai districts under the Nepal-Bharat Maitri Irrigation Project.
Samsung is holding an event in Korea Monday to explain why some of the companys Galaxy Note 7 smartphones seemed to spontaneously catch fire last year. But reporters at the Wall Street Journal seem to have had an early look at the results of Samsungs investigation, and the newspaper reports the problem basically comes down to faulty batteries.

There are actually two different problems identified in the report. Batteries from one supplier allegedly didnt fit properly in the phone, which caused the devices to overheat. Batteries from another supplier are said to have had manufacturing flaws.

When the first reports of overheating phones came in, Samsung thought that the issue only affected phones with batteries from one of those supplies, a Samsung subsidiary called Samsung SDI. So Samsung issued a recall for just those models but when it turned out that phones continued to catch fire, Samsung widened its recall too all Galaxy Note 7 phones.

The company ended up taking back 2.5 million phones, taking a $5 billion loss, and a bit of a hit to its reputation. Itll be interesting to see how well Samsungs 2017 smartphone lineup sells. The company is expected to introduce a new flagship phone at Mobile World Congress at the end of February.
Thank you for writing. I've tried the teeth-brushing trick, which I referred to in an earlier progress report, and it mostly works. Front-loading food earlier in the day rather than later is tricky, as I want to eat more than two bites of most of the dishes I try during dinner reviews. But you make a good point regarding fruits and especially vegetables (most of which are zero points on the Weight Watchers program). I should be eating more of both.

Since I started the diet -- one of five some of my colleagues and I started Jan. 1 -- I've dropped six pounds. Here's where we all find ourselves in Week 3.

Good morning, everyone. My hot restaurant tip for the week is the new Dolan Uyghur in Cleveland Park. The restaurant adds something new to the scene, a cuisine (Uyghur) informed by that part of western China that shares borders with Afghanistan, India, Russia and other countries. The hand-pulled noodles, "pizza" and kebabs are especially good.

So, tell me what's on your mind today. I'm all ears (and eyes).
Donald Trump has been president of the United States for 6 days and 23 hours.

It's been a pretty remarkable ride. There's so much news being created every day that I find it hard to follow/cover it all.

That happening to you?
A small US city on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, the maker of the pain reliever OxyContin, accusing the company of helping fuel an opioid crisis that has devastated the town.

"There is clear evidence that Purdue ignored their responsibility to stop the diversion of OxyContin into the black market, directly leading to the heroin crisis on our streets today," Ray Stephanson, the mayor of Everett, in the western state of Washington, said in announcing the suit.

"Their drive for profit caused this epidemic, which has overwhelmed our treatment and emergency systems."

The first-of-its-kind civil suit asks that the drugmaker be made to pay the costs of handling the crisis as well as punitive damages.

The Connecticut-based drug firm has previously been accused of misleading doctors and patients about the addictive nature of OxyContin, a prescription drug that often leads to heroin abuse.

The company agreed to pay more than $600 million in fines in 2007 for minimizing the risks of its blockbuster pain reliever pill.

The suit filed by city officials in Everett, which has a little over 100,000 residents, accuses Purdue of allowing OxyContin to flood the city's streets in total disregard for the community's wellbeing.

"Purdue placed profit over the health and safety of our community, and we can see the tragic results of that decision throughout Everett," Stephanson said. "We've already invested significant taxpayer dollars to deal with impacts of opioid addiction in our city, and we know that substantial additional resources will be needed to deal with this crisis in the coming years."

City overwhelmed

City officials said the epidemic is affecting residents from all walks of life.

"We only have a 16-bed detox center in our county right now... but on any given day we have 10 times that many people detoxing in our jail," city spokeswoman Meghan Pembroke said. "The scope of the problem is so big that without additional resources, we don't feel like we're going to make significant progress."

A representative for Purdue told AFP in a statement that the company shared public officials' concerns about the opioid crisis and was committed to help find solutions.

"Although OxyContin accounts for only two percent of all pain-related opioid prescriptions, Purdue is an industry leader in abuse deterrence as we were the first pharmaceutical company to develop an opioid medication with abuse-deterrent properties," Bob Josephson said.

The long-term painkiller drug first went on the market in 1996. The company touted its positive effects in a 1998 promotional video titled "I Got My Life Back."

In a bid to curb abuse, Purdue in 2010 introduced a new version of the drug that makes it harder for drug abusers to crush the pill to snort or inject.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999 along with sales of such prescription drugs.

More than 183,000 people died in the United States from overdoses related to prescription opioids including OxyContin between 1999 and 2015, according to the CDC.

 2017 AFP
If the new US President wants to keep his promise to 'make America great again,' then he should follow the example of the late British premier Margaret Thatcher on climate change, say a group of UK and US respiratory doctors, in an editorial published online in the international journal Thorax.

By doing so, Donald Trump, a self-confessed admirer of Mrs Thatcher, would not only leave a lasting legacy for the good of the planet, but would also give a huge boost to the nation's health and finances, they argue.

Recognising the magnitude of the threat posed by the growing hole in the earth's ozone layer in the mid-1980s, Margaret Thatcher threw her weight behind international efforts to ban chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in refrigeration and aerosol sprays. She worked with the then US President, Ronald Reagan, to secure the Montreal Protocol which phased out the manufacture and use of these chemicals in 1987.

Although it will take until 2060 before the ozone layer fully recovers, without this decisive action the world would already be 3?C warmer, say the authors. And this, combined with increased levels of radiation, would have left much of the planet uninhabitable by the middle of this century, they insist.

"A similar challenge faces us now," they warn. Rising temperatures and disrupted ecosystems as a result of climate change increase the risk of vector borne diseases, such as malaria, and crop failure; and boost exposure to harmful algae/pollen/moulds and the effects of air pollutionnow the third leading cause of death worldwide after high blood pressure and smoking.

These consequences disproportionately exact a heavy toll on those who already have heart and lung conditions, and the poor, they say.

"Responding directly to the threat of climate change will require innovation and global leadership. Action now is crucial if we are to protect the health of our people now and in future generations," they write.

They have a suggested 'to do' list for the new President:

Acknowledge the scale of the problem: this would clearly signal to business that low carbon represents an opportunity for investment and it would support international efforts to reach agreement

Use government policy to drive investment and build markets: this would foster innovation and create jobs

Move away from fossil fuels to clean energy to curb CO2 emissions and promote new technologies

Speed up a ban on hydrofluorocarbons, powerful greenhouse gases

Prioritise active green transport, such as cycling and walking, and the provision of public transport, not only to curb carbon emissions and improve air quality, but also to boost health and fitness

There is no doubt that limiting climate change now will cost far less than tackling its consequences in the future, the authors point out.

"There is a practical and moral imperative to take action now to reduce current and future impacts of climate change. These actions have the potential also to improve health and prosperity directly," they emphasise.

"If Trump wants America to lead, then he needs to be at the front of the international climate change pack, not at the back," they conclude. "No one else will be quitting the race onwards to the betterment of their peoples."

More information: Editorial: Climate change and lung healtha challenge for a new President, Journal information: Thorax Editorial: Climate change and lung healtha challenge for a new President, thorax.bmj.com/lookup/doi/10.1  horaxjnl-2017-209978
Research assistant Betty Nyangoma talks with a study participant. Credit: University of California, San Francisco

For the past two years, Rachel King, PhD, MPH, an academic coordinator at UCSF Global Health Sciences, has been helping Ugandan parents and caregivers find developmentally appropriate ways to tell their children that the child has HIV.

There are an estimated 150,000 HIV-infected children in Uganda, and studies indicate less than a third of children under the age of 15 know they are infected.

King, and the collaborating team, designed and implemented a study to determine the effectiveness of an intervention to improve caregiver disclosure to their HIV-positive children the child's HIV-positive status (pediatric disclosure). King is the UCSF principal investigator. UCSF is a sub-partner to University of Connecticut, where the principal investigator is Lisa Butler, PhD.

The intervention, called Dialogue Interventions to Support Communication & Openness-Kids (DISCO), included a series of three group meetings for caregivers and one-on-one counseling sessions for the caregiver, the child, and the caregiver-child pair. The meetings were held at the healthcare facility, ideally at the same time caregivers and children came to get their anti-retroviral medication.

In the group meetings, caregivers learn developmentally appropriate ways to talk with their child about difficult subjects, from the death of a grandmother to the fact that the child has HIV. "It's very difficult to tell a child he or she has HIV because it has to do with sex and death and the fact that the parent passed HIV to the child," King said.

Sylvia Malemo Elyanu (left) and Rachel King discuss study metrics. Credit: University of California, San Francisco

Many caregivers were afraid to tell their children and had made up elaborate stories to explain to the child why he or she needed to take medication, King said. But by the end of the intervention, most caregivers had told their children that they were infected.

"Many caregivers were grateful for the group sessions, and were able to disclose to their child much more quickly," King said.

In addition, the adults liked being able to talk with others like themselves. HIV remains highly stigmatized in Uganda, and so many people feel as if they are the only one infected.

Three hundred pairs of caregivers and children participated in the study, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, USAID and Project SOAR; 150 of the pairs were in the intervention group. The DISCO team collected data to study the effectiveness of this intervention in improving pediatric disclosure (the primary outcome), as well as improving children's adherence to treatment; in improving the children's understanding of their HIV status; and in relieving the caregiver's anxiety and depression.

Study participant Sara Nabasirye talks with a counselor. Credit: University of California, San Francisco

The team also will be analyzing the data to see whether the intervention is cost-effective and scalable. Earlier studies by King's team and others have indicated that both caregivers and children have a high demand for health provider-facilitated communication about HIV and disclosure to HIV-infected children.

Despite the rapid expansion of HIV services for children in Uganda, very few health providers receive formal training in how to support disclosure of an HIV diagnosis to an infected child. And even though the World Health Organization recommends children learn their HIV status by the age of 12, there are no tested models for supporting caregivers and HIV-infected children in Sub-Saharan Africa through the process of disclosure.

"We'd like to discuss with the Ministry of Health what parts of our intervention it can scale up to other clinics," King said. "The Ministry and health care providers have been struggling with this issue for as long as I've been working on HIV in Uganda, more than 20 years."
Professor Robert McLaughlin (right) with the smart needle. Credit: University of Adelaide

A "smart" needle with an embedded camera is helping doctors perform safer brain surgery.

The device was developed by researchers at the University of Adelaide in South Australia and uses a tiny camera to identify at-risk blood vessels.

The probe, which is the size of a human hair, uses an infrared light to look through the brain.

It then uses the Internet of Things to send the information to a computer in real-time and alerts doctors of any abnormalities.

The project was a collaboration with the University of Western Australia and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital where a six-month pilot trial of the smart needle was run.

Research leader and Chair of the University of Adelaide's Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics Robert McLaughlin said researchers were also looking at other surgery applications for the device including minimally invasive surgery.

He said surgeons previously relied on scans taken prior to surgery to avoid hitting blood vessels but the smart needle was a more accurate method that highlighted their locations in real-time.

"There are about 256,000 cases of brain cancer a year and about 2.3 per cent of the time you can make a significant impact that could end in a stroke or death," he said.

"This (smart needle) would help that  it works sort of like an ultrasound but with light instead.

"It also has smart software that takes the picture, analyses it and it can determine if what it is seeing is a blood vessel or tissue."

The trial at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital involved 12 patients who were undergoing craniotomies.

The needle with a 200-micron wide camera was successfully able to identify blood vessels during the surgery.

Professor Christopher Lind, who led the trial, said having a needle that could see blood vessels as surgeons proceeded through the brain was a medical breakthrough.

Professor McLaughlin said the smart needle had potential to be used in other surgical procedures. Credit: University of Adelaide

"It will open the way for safer surgery, allowing us to do things we've not been able to do before," he said.

The smart needle will be ready for formal clinical trials in 2018.

Professor McLaughlin said he hoped manufacturing of the smart needle would begin within five years.

Provided by The Lead
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.
Army to do preparatory work on second intl airport project

The government has decided to assign the Nepal Army to do the preparatory work on the Nijgadh International Airport project following widespread criticism over delays in starting construction, said Suresh Acharya, joint secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
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.
Google South Africa has revealed the top trending searches for the week, which include How to trade forex, How to cook spaghetti, and What to do in Durban.

Cooking was popular this week, with four questions in the top 10 related to food.

The trending information is based on what South Africans have been searching for and asking Google over the past week.

Google processes more than 40,000 search queries worldwide every second. This translates to more than a billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year.

The top trending questions on Google SA this past week were:

How to trade forex How to cook spaghetti What to do in Durban Who invented Google? How to change your signature on Outlook What is public management? What is geography? How long to boil an egg How to make cookies How to make cottage pie

Now read: How Google finds Android malware
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

Alcoholism linked to increased risk of suicide and self-harm

Germany to install better air defense system over Defense Ministry buildings

Erdogan and Stoltenberg discuss war in Ukraine

Xavi: I have been sincere and honest with Pique

Armenian MOD: Azerbaijani Armed Forces open fire in direction of Armenian positions

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

The Masters: World No. 1 Alcaraz drops out of competition

Aramyan: Why are police officers' salaries increasing, while defense officers' are not?

Why elephants and whales never get cancer?

Pentagon and U.S. weapons manufacturers to discuss Russia, human resources and supply chain

It is size of lipstick and lasts 8760 hours continuously: Lenovo introduces new charger

Urartu beat BKMA and take lead

Ankara says U.S. may approve sale of F-16s to Turkey within few months

IMF: Turkey should tighten monetary policy and give the Central Bank more independence

Pope urges religious leaders to keep the world from brink of abyss

Putin awards Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II with Order of Honor

The Masters: Auger-Aliassime's 16th consecutive victory

U.S. says G7 countries realize need for coordinated response to China

Round-the-clock curfew is introduced in Kherson

Borrell says they can't put China and Russia on same level

Olaf Scholz calls on China to influence Russia

Guardiola: The future will be bright because he is a smart guy

G7 foreign ministers express 'unwavering commitment' to protecting Ukraine, criticized PRC and IRI

Political technologist explains why Pashinyan was elected chairman of board of ruling party in Armenia

Erdogan signs up for TikTok

China's army is constantly preparing for war amid provocative U.S. actions

Simultaneously dead and alive, huge and small. According to new study, black holes have quantum properties

Kalin: Armenia is constructive about normalization of relations

Poland asks EU to suspend fines

Johnny Depp appeals defamation lawsuit

Putin: Situation in Ukraine was deadly for Russia

Portugal to test a four-day workweek

US embassy in Armenia issues statement ahead of November 5 protests in Yerevan

Dollar, euro go up in Armenia

Baku authorities once again refuse to allow PFPA to hold protest rally

Iranians commemorate anniversary of US embassy seizure

Europa League: Best goals and saves of week (video)

Christina Aguilera makes statement about her concert in Yerevan

Richard Kauzlarich: Azerbaijan, Armenia FMs meeting in Washington 'will send message to Putin'

Russia ratifies protocol on requirements for length of service of EEU bodies' employees for pensions

Armenia deputy defense minister in Russia, discusses military cooperation

Toni Kroos says 5 Champions League titles are more important than World Cup

Yerevan receives proposal to hold Russia-Armenia-Azerbaijan interparliamentary talks

Health minister: We will work with fallen Armenia detainees relatives one more time after which bodies will be buried

Putin allows mobilization of citizens with unexpunged criminal record for serious crimes

Arnika, NESEHNUTI NGOs of Czech Rep. issue joint statement on plan to expand gold mine in Armenias Karaberd

Swine flu strain detected in 14-year-old child in Armenia, his condition is satisfactory

Twitter will have new paid services: Why does Musk order to save 1 billion dollars year?

Putin urges to evacuate civilians living in Kherson from the war zone

Iran parliament speaker to visit Armenia

Ancelotti says alliance between Roma and Mourinho is ideal

Armenian Health Ministry to receive 146 billion 373 million AMD from state budget in 2023

Stephen King to visit Ukraine

Selena Gomez comments for first time on photos of her and Hailey Bieber together

Ruling force MP: Canada is opening embassy in Armenia because we are one of worlds most democratic countries

Zidane to lead France after World Cup 2022

Girl with Armenian roots ends up in Vladimir orphanage

Erdogan says he has agreed with Putin to supply grain to needy countries for free

Armenia President, UK envoy agree to continue cooperation, close contacts

Money withdrawn from Wildberries buyers cards in Russia under name of fraudulent purchases

Armenia FM receives EU Monitoring Capacity

Spanish MPs don't approve agreement with Baku as a sign of solidarity with Armenia

Tai Chi trainer: Balance training prolongs life

Djokovic to play for 90th time in The Masters quarterfinals

Elton John to hold virtual concert in Roblox game

Japan says North Korea may go ahead with nuclear test

Armenia government to allocate about $5M to Karabakh refugees support program

Belarusian border service: Border guards intercepts Ukrainian training drone

President appoints Ruben Vardanyan as Karabakh Minister of State

US embassy expresses concern about human rights violation in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan continues muscle play on Iran border

Pique to receive 30 million less because of his retirement

Ibrahim Kalin says Turkey will become an important gas center one way or another

Xiaomi Mi 12S Ultra Concept Machine with external Leica lens: What image quality does it provide?

UK woman eats only marmalade, oatmeal for one year
A commemoration event on the tenth anniversary of the assassination of Istanbul-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was held Thursday in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey.

Istanbul-Armenian attorney Selina Dogan, who is an MP from the opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), as well as several other deputies also were on hand at this event.

But police prevented those assembled from making statements, according to Evrensel newspaper of the country. The law enforcement solely permitted them to pay a silent tribute.

During the event, however, a participant stated something in connection with Dink, whereupon police demanded to stop the event.

Subsequently, those gathered continued this commemorative event at the hall of a union nearby, where they condemned the police actions.

In her remarks, Dogan said it is impermissible that this commemoration event was being prohibited for the reasoning that a state of emergency is in force in Turkey.

Hrant 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 this assassination.
STEPANAKERT.  The adversary violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces around 70 times, from late Thursday night to early Friday morning.

During this time the Azerbaijani armed forces fired more than 1,050 shots toward the Armenian position-holders, and with shooting weaponsincluding large-caliber machine guns, the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Artsakh) Defense Army informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

More intense ceasefire violations from machine gunsi.e. over 300 shotswere recorded in the eastern and southeastern sectors of the line of contact.

But the NKR Defense Army vanguard units are in full control over the frontline, and they continue confidently maintaining their military positions.
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

Armenian MOD: Azerbaijani Armed Forces open fire in direction of Armenian positions

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

Putin awards Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II with Order of Honor

U.S. says G7 countries realize need for coordinated response to China

Round-the-clock curfew is introduced in Kherson

Borrell says they can't put China and Russia on same level

Olaf Scholz calls on China to influence Russia

G7 foreign ministers express 'unwavering commitment' to protecting Ukraine, criticized PRC and IRI

Political technologist explains why Pashinyan was elected chairman of board of ruling party in Armenia

Erdogan signs up for TikTok

China's army is constantly preparing for war amid provocative U.S. actions

Kalin: Armenia is constructive about normalization of relations

Poland asks EU to suspend fines

Putin: Situation in Ukraine was deadly for Russia

Portugal to test a four-day workweek

US embassy in Armenia issues statement ahead of November 5 protests in Yerevan

Dollar, euro go up in Armenia

Baku authorities once again refuse to allow PFPA to hold protest rally

Iranians commemorate anniversary of US embassy seizure

Richard Kauzlarich: Azerbaijan, Armenia FMs meeting in Washington 'will send message to Putin'

Russia ratifies protocol on requirements for length of service of EEU bodies' employees for pensions

Armenia deputy defense minister in Russia, discusses military cooperation

Yerevan receives proposal to hold Russia-Armenia-Azerbaijan interparliamentary talks

Health minister: We will work with fallen Armenia detainees relatives one more time after which bodies will be buried

Putin allows mobilization of citizens with unexpunged criminal record for serious crimes

Arnika, NESEHNUTI NGOs of Czech Rep. issue joint statement on plan to expand gold mine in Armenias Karaberd

Putin urges to evacuate civilians living in Kherson from the war zone

Iran parliament speaker to visit Armenia

Ruling force MP: Canada is opening embassy in Armenia because we are one of worlds most democratic countries

Girl with Armenian roots ends up in Vladimir orphanage

Erdogan says he has agreed with Putin to supply grain to needy countries for free

Armenia President, UK envoy agree to continue cooperation, close contacts

Armenia FM receives EU Monitoring Capacity

Spanish MPs don't approve agreement with Baku as a sign of solidarity with Armenia

Japan says North Korea may go ahead with nuclear test

Armenia government to allocate about $5M to Karabakh refugees support program

Belarusian border service: Border guards intercepts Ukrainian training drone

President appoints Ruben Vardanyan as Karabakh Minister of State

US embassy expresses concern about human rights violation in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan continues muscle play on Iran border

Ibrahim Kalin says Turkey will become an important gas center one way or another

Biden: We're gonna free Iran

Reuters: G7 countries and Australia agrees on fixed price for Russian oil

World oil prices dropping

Wizz Air to launch new flights between Venice, Yerevan

EU assesses Armenia, Azerbaijan border commissions meeting in Brussels as constructive

Artsakh President convenes enlarged working consultation

Envoy: China supports Armenians

Azerbaijan MOD disseminates disinformation, Armenia army did not fire

Armenia ruling party recounts congress voting results

Quake jolts Turkey

Newspaper: Armenia PM once again manipulates topic of negotiations, Karabakh conflict

Newspaper: Studies underway on Armenia MPs business involvement

US wants to prevent Germany, other allies from working together with China

Protests turn violent in Iran's Alborz Province

Portugal is considering abandoning golden visa scheme

Biden and Erdogan to meet at G-20 summit

NATO supports normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and welcomes EU efforts

Bank of England raises interest rates by largest amount since 1989

Scholz says Berlin must change its attitude toward China

Cavusoglu and Stoltenberg disagree over Sweden's and Finland's fulfillment of commitments

Turkish Vice President to visit Azerbaijan and occupied Shushi

Britain buys 250 million pounds worth of oil from Azerbaijan from July 2021 to June 2022

Yair Lapid congratulates Benjamin Netanyahu on winning election

Armenian MOD: Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense spreads another disinformation

ENISA: War in Ukraine, geopolitics fuel cyberattacks

Armenian MFA: Yerevan and Baku agree to speed up work on agreeing procedure of Commissions' activities

Zelenskyy will not participate in G20 summit if Putin participates in it

WP: Man who attacked Pelosi's husband was in the U.S. illegally

At Upper Lars, 30 cars are allowed through per day instead of previous 300: What are authorities doing?

Bloomberg: Turkey unlikely to sign Sweden's bid for NATO membership before the end of the year

Military servicemen in Armenia to be attested: Discussion at parliamentary standing committee

IEA calls for urgent action on gas shortages in Europe

French Senate to consider resolution demanding immediate withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenian territory

Papikyan: The final number of dead will be published after the identification is complete

Armen Grigoryan presents to Patrushev consequences of Azerbaijani aggression

Indonesia reveals its own kamikaze drones

UN: Russia resumes participation in inspection of ships in Black Sea

Grigoryan: Armenia interested in using communication routes through Azerbaijan

Investigative Committee: 10 officers charged in Armenia

FT: Azerbaijan demands EU funding and long-term contracts for gas supplies

Security Council Secretary: Azerbaijani troops must leave Armenian territory

US becomes 2nd largest gas supplier to EU

Russian Defense Ministry reports release of 107 Russian servicemen from Ukrainian captivity

How U.S supports Azerbaijan in 20 years by suspending 907th Amendment?

Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will receive less funds in 2023 than in previous two years

German government urges its citizens to leave Iran

Armenian MFA: Unblocking infrastructures is one of the main directions of talks
Australian Education Exhibition on Monday

Global Reach, a Capital-based Education Consultancy, is organising Australian Education Exhibition on Monday targeting students willing to pursue higher studies in Australia.
The OSCE will not slacken its efforts and will continue to pursue a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Austrian Foreign Minister, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office, Sebastian Kurz told the aforesaid to Mediamax news agency of Armenia.

When asked about what prospects he sees for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Kurz responded as follows:

Despite strong efforts from the [OSCE] Minsk Group and its Co-Chairs, the year 2016 was marked by harsh set-backs with regard to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, with intensified fighting and increased hardships for the local population.

However, the OSCE will not slacken its efforts and will continue to pursue a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Austria, as Chair of the OSCE in 2017 therefore calls on the sides to focus on dialogue and diplomacy and stands ready to strengthen the peace process and contribute to the negotiations.

As Chairperson-in-Office I will visit Armenia and Azerbaijan later this year and hope to give renewed impetus to these negotiations during this trip. Concrete ideas will be presented and consultations to this effect are already taking place, in line with the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-chairs and conditional on the receptiveness of the sides.

As per the Chairperson-in-Office, the OSCE Chair hopes for early implementation of the confidence-building measures agreed last year between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. We stand ready to facilitate the necessary practical steps to expand the office of the Personal Representative, operational details of which are being discussed with the sides by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, as is the establishment of an OSCE investigative mechanism.

And reflecting on the chances of Nagorno Karabakhs engagement in the peace negotiations, Sebastian Kurz stated:

The negotiations are held between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, and it is understood that all stakeholders are represented in this format. In addition, as you know, the Co-Chairs occasionally visit Nagorno-Karabakh.

This year marks ten years since the Madrid Principles were first put on the negotiating table. They basically include all the elements of a comprehensive settlement. When we come to a final agreement, it will be important to make sure that the interests and rights of all concerned Armenians and Azerbaijanis are taken into account.
We recognize the important and valuable work of the Office in Yerevan and do not have plans or intentions to close it.

Austrian Foreign Minister, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office, Sebastian Kurz told the abovementioned to Mediamax news agency of Armenia.

The OSCE is a consensus-based organization, which means that all 57 participating States have an equal voice in all kinds of decisions  including those on mandates of field operations, said Kurz. Facilitating consensus as an honest broker is therefore one of the main tasks of any OSCE Chairmanship. This is why we promptly resumed consultations and negotiations after our Chairmanship started. The active, constructive engagement and support of each and every participating State is critical in this regard. In fact, it is our common interest and responsibility to guarantee the good functioning of the entire organization.

We are aware of the current speculations and assumptions on the field missions issue, and this interest is only natural. We recognise the important and valuable work of the Office in Yerevan and do not have plans or intentions to close it.

As reported earlier, the activities of the OSCE Office in Yerevan are temporarily hanging in the air until consensus is reached on the extension of its mandate.

According to the current practice, the mandates of the national offices of this organization are extended every year, and on the basis of consensus among the OSCE member countries.

Later, however, it became known that Azerbaijan is preventing this consensus. Subsequently, the then German Chairmanship at the OSCE issued a statement indicating that the reasons, which Azerbaijan had given for its blocking the extension of the mandate of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, were unfounded.
Neither the relatives nor the attorneys nor even the Russian and the Israeli diplomatic missions were informed about the Belarusian prosecutors office decision regarding Russian Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin.

Furthermore there is no information in Belarusian media about the adoption of the respective decision.

It is noted on the Facebook account of Lapshin, who is in custody in Belarus, that on Tuesday evening, Belarus Deputy Prosecutor General Alexey Stuk had made a fair decision about the need for extraditing the blogger to Azerbaijan.

At any rate, the Belarus MFA has not confirmed the fact of the adoption of this decision, the said Facebook entry also reads. To put it mildly, the decision causes bewilderment, since entirely new circumstances have appeared in it, which were not in the extradition request.

After his visits to Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in 2011 and 2012, famous 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.

The US Department of State also had reflected on this matter.
Bir Hospital establishes own pharmacy on its premises

Bir Hospital, the countrys oldest health facility, has started its own pharmacy from Wednesday to provide drugs and health equipment at subsidised rates.
STEPANAKERT. - The actions of the Belarusian authorities against Israeli blogger Alexander Lapshin are shocking.

Spokesperson for the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR/Asrtaskh) President, Davit Babayan, said the aforementioned, commenting upon the request of Armenian News  NEWS.am on the information regarding the decision of the Belarusian authorities to satisfy the request of Azerbaijan on Lapshins extradition.

It is apparent that this is a gravest violation of international law. Unfortunately, one has to note that the country which itself suffered from the Nazi follows suit the latter, literally selling an innocent man, Babayan noted.

He also recalled that it is not the first time Azerbaijan has been publicly violating the international law by making large investments. We witnessed the same in the case of Ramil Safarovs extradition, only it was the other way round: the criminal was handed over to his homeland, set free and declared a hero in violation of all possible laws, Babayan noted.

In his words, if the Belarusian authorities still go all the way and Alexander Lapshin appears in Azerbaijan, this will mean the worst prospects for the Belarusian leadership itself.

A government, which follows such values, will sooner or later be overthrown. Everyone will get what they deserve. Unfortunately, the Belarusian authorities now show that petrodollars, caviar and medals with the portraits of leaders are more valuable for them than rights and freedoms. This is in some sense the continuation of Auschwitz, broadly speaking, Babayan said.

Earlier, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry spoke against the arrest and extradition of Alexander Lapshin, pointing to the need to observe the freedom of speech. The Israeli side tried to set Alexander Lapshin free in exchange for apologies, but it didnt manage to.

In mid-December, Lapshin, who is also a citizen of Russia, wrote that he was arrested in Minsk upon the request of Azerbaijan, where he was included in the black list for visiting the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic without agreeing with the Azerbaijani authorities.
YEREVAN. - Prime Minister of Armenia Karen Karapetyan visited the American University of Armenia (AUA) on Friday.

Accompanied by the University leadership, the Premier toured the educational institution, getting familiarized with its current activity, learning conditions and programs. Karapetyan also visited the Registars Office, Alex and Marie Mannogian Hall and university labs, as well as the library, which serves not only the faculty and students but is also open for public.Talking with the workers, Karapetyan stressed that through guaranteeing quality education and equal conditions thereto, the country will definitely record progress.

But mere progress is not our goal. By progress we mean that each citizen of Armenia must notice rise of quality in their daily life, Karapetyan said.

Afterwards the head of the Government had a meeting with the university students, during which he answered the questions of interest to them. The Premier noted that he is impressed by AUA and its teaching, adding that he has discussed with the university leadership the developments in the educational system, the future activity of AUA, as well as issues related to the possibility of creating the atmosphere existing here in other Armenian universities as well.

On one occasion I was asked how I see tomorrows Armenia. I had no ready answer and didnt expect such a question. I formed my answer as follows: independent, secure and intellectual Armenia. This response indeed reflects my world outlook. I am more than confident that the component of intelligence is necessary for our country. If we arent able to have educated and literate citizens, we wont have a good country. From this perspective, our government will pay maximal attention to the educational system. We pin great hope on you and wish you success, Karapetyan said.

Referring to the question on creating more attractive conditions for investments in Armenia, he noted that there must be clear, transparent, reliable and foreseeable conditions in the tax, customs and judicial systems and legislative field.

Do we have an ideal atmosphere for this now? Definitely no. [But] We have a program on how to do this step by step. Moreover, we have established a Center for Strategic Initiatives, the majority of whose Board of Trustees members are the representatives of the private sectorfrom Russia, US, Diaspora. In its framework, we will form our strategy, vision and reforms. One of the key directions of the Center will be to change the business environment. There is no need to reinvent the wheel here; it is merely necessary to ensure the conditions in which business will flourish. The rankings of the happiest countries include such countries, where people feel well and not those which have oil, gas or other natural resources. We will do our best to attract investments to our country, the Premier stressed, adding that the investment programs expected in different areas will be presented next week.

I think the responses will be very interesting. The division will be made per spheres, also including culture. The Culture Minister has for the first time announced that culture should be capitalized as well. From this perspective, we know how to go forward, Karapetyan stressed.

Touching on the question of making the Armenian educational system attractive for foreign students, the Premier noted that the educational system of our country must be modern and timely. The first pledge of receiving education in our country is the good educational system, which is first and foremost important exactly for our development. If we are able to change the legislative and infrastructure sphere so that a foreigner feels secure in Armenia, this will happen. It is necessary to work diligently to achieve this. Do I believe in this idea? Certainly. Moreover, I am sure this is exactly the way for it to happen.
Bored by politics

The hospitality culture is Nepals greatest tourism asset, and it is in danger of waning
Ansaroul Islam Claims Attacking Burkinabe Soldiers in Nassoumbou, Targeting "Hypocrite Collaborators" in Djibo and Sibe
Muffler Parts Manufacturer Cited After Two Workers Hurt Within 10 Days

The company now faces $219,242 in proposed penalties.

Two employees at a Green Bay, Wis., muffler component manufacturer suffered severe injuries within 10 days of each other, forcing OSHA to issue one willful, one repeated, one other-than-serious violation and two serious violations. Bay Fabrication faces $219,242 in fines.

A worker had his left hand crushed on July 21, 2016, by a molding machine when the tamp head smashed his hand as he removed a mold from the machine. The investigation found the safety interlock on the door guarding the operating parts was damaged and not functioning properly, leading to the injury, according to the agency, and on July 30, 2016, another worker suffered a partial amputation of his left middle finger after the molding machine cycled and caught his finger in an unguarded pinch point.

"The fact that two workers suffered debilitating injuries is tragic. The reality is that the company failed to re-evaluate its machine safety procedures and continued to expose other workers to the same hazards even after these injuries," said Robert Bonack, OSHA's area director in Appleton. "Adequate and properly installed machine safety guards and lockout/tagout procedures must be in place to prevent workers from coming in contact with operating parts."




Cat concerns

Why we need to be really worried if snow leopards are under threat
Pennsylvania Railroad Parts Manufacturer Cited

A follow-up inspection found the company failed to develop and implement adequate lockout/tagout procedures, exposed workers to live electrical contacts, did not install machine guards, and exposed workers to fall hazards.

OSHA has found a casting and foundry facility operator continued to expose workers to machine and fall hazards, and that SanCasT Inc. has been cited for three repeated and four serious safety violations and faces $235,879 in proposed penalties.

Based in Wilmerding, Pa., SanCasT is a subsidiary of Wabtec, which manufactures parts and equipment for locomotives, freight cars, and passenger transit vehicles, according to OSHA.

A follow-up inspection found the company failed to develop and implement adequate lockout/tagout procedures, exposed workers to live electrical contacts, did not install machine guards, and exposed workers to fall hazards because guardrails lacked a top rail. OSHA had cited the company for similar violations in both 2013 and 2014, it reported.

"Companies cited repeatedly for the same safety violations demonstrate a lack of concern for employee safety," said Larry Johnson, OSHA's area director in Columbus. "Manufacturing facilities need to take a hard look at machinery operations, guarding and safety training to protect employees from injuries on the job."
The latest

Milwaukee's best craft cocktails, 2020

With its menu-free approach, dimly lit and warmly jazzy vibe, and - of course - its old-school cocktails, ice cream drinks and tasty tipples, Bryant's may be a total throwback, but the South Side lounge is a classic no matter the year.
The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of OnMilwaukee.com, its advertisers or editorial staff.

Now that the initial emotion from the Aug. 13 shooting of African-American Sylville Smith by African-American police officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown has subsided, its time to take a look at some of the fiery rhetoric uttered that night  in particular, from Milwaukee District 7 Ald. Khalif Rainey and his response to the subsequent riot in the Sherman Park area. Indeed, lets examine his speech in the context of an elected official and look closely at his effectiveness in assigning blame to the proper parties responsible for the challenges he addressed that evening.

Rainey claimed that that the riots were "byproducts" of "the injustice, the unemployment, the under-education" that he claims renders Milwaukee the "worst place to live for African-Americans in the entire country."

He continued to say that black people in Milwaukee are "tired of living under this oppression." Rainey ended with "rectify this immediately because, if you dont, this vision of Downtown, all of that, you one day away. You one day away."

Wow.

The term "systematic racism" was frequently used in August to justify the outrageous and unlawful actions in #Milwaukee during the aftermath of the Smith shooting. While buildings were burning, Milwaukee liberals were insisting that these actions were due to a litany of systematic failures. Lets dig into these claims to see if the system is truly systematically racist, or if there are other forces at work here.

Rainey cited under-education as a critical factor in Milwaukee violence. Without a doubt, low funding due to systematic racism is often specified as a challenge to attaining an education in urban environments. When considering that systematic implies long-term, we should see a methodical and detailed pattern of low funding for Milwaukee schools.

However, among the country's largest metro districts, MPS maintained its status is 4th highest per-pupil spender in 2011. In addition, MPS is so ravaged by systematic racism that they proposed $471,000 for Black Lives Matter in their 2017 budget. Clearly, the systematic challenge of under-education cited by Rainey does not apply to the funding provided to educate Milwaukee children.

Given that school funding is highly adequate, is attendance affecting under-education?

According to the Department of Instruction, "More than 70% of MPS high school students were considered truant in the 2012-2013 school year." Add this to Ald. Zielinskis estimation that, "On average about 40,000 MPS students have five or more unexcused absences during a semester," and the answer to that question appears to be a resounding yes.

As Ive shown, the funding is there but a significant segment of students arent attending school on an acceptable basis. Hopefully this means that the students that are attending are learning?

MPS data shows that the "MPS four year graduation rate ticked up slightly from 60.6% in 2013 to 60.9% in 2014." Despite all of the effort expended to put kids in the right situation to learn, four in 10 do not finish MPS with a diploma after four years!

Rainey insists that under-education has much to do with the current problems of violence in the City of Milwaukee, but what the actual facts show is that a different factor is at work here. Racism isnt causing under-education, but rather a systematic pattern of poor parenting is the problem, and it starts at birth in Milwaukee.

I had previously written about the challenge of co-sleeping deaths in Milwaukee several years ago. In addition, Mayor Barrett and the Milwaukee Commissioner of Health Bevan Baker released a report in 2013 discussing Milwaukees high infant mortality rate. In that report, its noted that from 2009 through 2011, black infants died nearly three times more often than white infants. Whats the root cause of black children being given less of an opportunity than their white and Hispanic counterparts?

In my opinion, its clearly because of a lack of fathers. In 2013, the Journal-Sentinel reported that:

"No large metropolitan area has a lower percentage of black husband-wife families, according to the 2010 U.S. census. Not coincidentally, none has a higher incidence of black poverty. The relationship between the two measures is strong. "Out of all 366 U.S. metropolitan areas, only one, Dubuque, Iowa, ranks below Milwaukee in percentage of husband-wife black families."

When Ald. Rainey says that Milwaukee is the worst place in America for blacks to live, perhaps he should first acknowledge that funding for education is at direct odds with low parental involvement. The future of some black children in Milwaukee communities is being affected by a systematic pattern of poor parenting. Given the low birth rate and low school attendance, Im not sure one can simply point to race as the driving factor that explains the differences in outcomes, both as children and as adults.

What kind of chance do these Milwaukee children have as adults when trying to find a job?

Back in 2009, it was an ugly situation for low skilled black workers. In fact, the Washington Post stated that "the unemployment rate for African-Americans surpassed that of every other state, reaching an average of 22 percent for the past 12 months." However, according to the Journal-Sentinel in 2015, "Unemployment among African-Americans in Wisconsin last year was the highest of any of the 50 states."

To summarize, in six years, the entrenched Milwaukee leadership has failed at the very least to crawl from 50th to 49th in the rankings. The failure of leadership to correct these types of injustices is what should be motivating residents to riot for change.

Surely, these neighborhoods will hold their elected officials accountable? In that same 2009 Washington Post article I linked above, "Most blamed Wall Street or the Bush administration for the deteriorating economy." If we fast forward to 2015, politicians are now blaming systematic racism for the same problems in Milwaukee that most perceived to be Bushs fault only six years earlier.

In the district that featured the Sherman Park rioting, the residents have a Democrat as an alderman, assembly representative, state senator and mayor. In fact, Milwaukee hasnt had a Republican mayor since 1908. There may be a failure in systematic politics at work here, but they arent the types of failures that Rainey and his political associates would want to discuss in front of cameras.

Unless citizens recognize that a change in both representation and mentality is needed, aldermen from our most vulnerable communities will continue get up in front of TV cameras and point fingers at racism to easily appease an angry crowd. Until someone is brave enough to stand up and simply discuss the issues of poor parenting, low birth rates, truancy, low graduation rates and how they correlate to high unemployment, the same challenges will continue to plague some Milwaukee communities. Until people connect the dots that these issues are because of a systematic pattern of voting Democrat, and not in spite of it, things will stay as stagnant as they always seems to be in Milwaukee.

If you dont think status quo is exactly what those entrenched in power desire, then you havent been paying attention to urban America for the last 50 years.
The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of OnMilwaukee.com, its advertisers or editorial staff.

As a reactionary response to the election, incoming minority leader Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) decided to expand the democratic senate leadership team from seven members up to 10. It should be noted that Sen. Cory Booker, the only black Democratic U.S. senator in the 114th congress, was not offered a leadership position. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) will be the third African American serving in the upcoming 115th congress. As a freshman, she wasnt offered a leadership spot either.

Schumer, suffering from a sudden lapse of clear judgement, instead tapped Bernie Sanders (I-VT) as chair of outreach for the senate Democrats. The same Bernie Sanders that was rejected by black presidential primary voters is now the mastermind charged with the responsibility that was nonexistent in his failed presidential primary bid.

The Independent senator from Vermont has no African American staffers, of any rank, in his senate office. In fact, the highest ranking African American employee in the whole of the U.S. Senate is Jennifer DeCasper. Jennifer works for Sen. Tim Scott  thats right, the black Republican from South Carolina.

The title of Sanders most recent book is "Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In." But Bernie, its not "our" political revolution; its your political revolution, and it lost.

Sanders, the favorite comrade of the progressives, fails to mention a single black presidential campaign staff member in his book  not even a sentence about Symone Sanders, who served as his national communications director after he poached her from the Black Lives Matter Movement. There's at least a photograph of my friend Marcus Ferrell in the book, a shot of him leaving the neighborhood where Freddie Gray was killed in Baltimore appearing on page 377.

Modern American liberalism and the progressive movement is going to have a difficult time wining future elections because it is plagued with painfully obvious problems  in which Bernie Sanders is no panacea.

The Democratic party lacks diversity where it counts. The constituencies under the big tent of the Dems is multifaceted, yet the apparatus is homogeneous.

Theres also a money problem. Campaigns are big business, but it seems that the Democrats' sentiment of inclusion falls short of its colorful talking points.

PowerPac Plus, a Democratic organization, released a report in 2015 that found that only 1.7 percent of the money the Democratic Party spent during the 2010 and 2012 election cycles (2016 data not yet available) went to firms owned by minorities  just $8.7 million of $514 million spent. The report examined expenditures from the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Thats atrocious.

In order to effectively communicate to diverse communities, it is imperative for campaigns to hire, retain and contract with the firms that are represented by the constituencies that oft lean left. A white campaign consultant may often miss the mark when trying to design a political mailer that will be distributed in a Latino community. Wouldnt it make more sense for an African American media consultant be contracted to write the scripts that will be aired on predominantly black radio?

Campaigns require lots of creativity. Its unfortunate that the political party that lives on the participation of people of color provides minuscule spending with businesses that reflect the rainbow coalition.

Then theres the fallacy of progressivism.

Black voters are the most loyal supporters of Democratic candidates. At least 80% of African American voters have turned out for the Democratic presidential candidate since the 1960 election of John F. Kennedy.

There is no American demographic that could more greatly benefit from progressivism than black folk. Wisconsin incarcerates more black men than any other state. The Badger State has been ranked as the worst place to raise a black child. Theres a skills gap and an education gap. Black students are suspended and expelled at higher rates than their white, Latino and Asian counterparts.

The income gap, the comparatively low levels of home ownership and even decreased life expectancy are all areas where progress is sorely needed. Yet, there doesnt seem to be a democratic policy agenda to address these issues. Instead, there is lip service and no shortage of campaign promises.

Its telling that the progressive movement offers few solutions for their most faithful partisan voters. After this election, we are now told that working class whites are the priority  as if working class blacks are free from struggle. The president-elect won white men, and the left must do everything in their collective power to regain that electorate while everyone must sit in the back of the bus.

The narrative has been repeated like a catchy pop song hook: The Republicans are racist! Well, I have always subscribed to the notion that the epithet you cast on your opponent is the very characteristic youre trying to mask in yourself. Theres still plenty of room in the proverbial "Basket of Deplorables."

Look, Im under no illusion about the Republican party. Between the federal court ruling that legislative districts in Wisconsin were gerrymandered and the use of voter suppression tactics, the modern GOP has made it clear that they can win elections without the black vote.

2018 will be here before we know it, a year in which elections for U.S. senate, congress, governor and state legislators will take place. Im cautiously optimistic that the Democratic party and its response will note the value of its black voters, staffers and political consulting firms. If not, the entire party will descend even deeper into minority status just like the electors they seem to take for granted.
Putting a hot meal on the table is getting easier and easier, thanks to myriad options for home delivery services.

Grocery delivery services like Brewers Organics, Braise Home Delivery and Peapod have virtually eliminated the time spent shopping for ingredients. Meanwhile, meal kit delivery services like Blue Apron, Plated and others have gained popularity among food lovers with little time to cook. Even restaurants are moving to delivery services that cater to consumers with on-demand services like Grub Hub and Postmates.

One of the most quickly growing segments in the delivery industry is curated prepared food delivery, a model through which consumers can purchase prepared meals that need little more than a zap in the microwave or oven to be ready to consume.

And few have seen and experienced the growth more intimately than Alan Harris, founder of the Urban Caveman food truck and FreshPacks meal delivery, who sold his business this fall, after reaching a merger agreement with Minneapolis-based Origin Meals.

"The growth of the delivery market is astronomical," he says. "Beyond the very traditional takeout model, the idea of mail order food service didnt even exist a few years ago."

Harris, who founded his food truck in 2013, quickly found that there was a market for gluten-free meals that are made from fresh, fresh, minimally processed high quality ingredients. In response, he launched a meal delivery service called FreshPacks, with convenient pick-up locations across the city.

By 2015, demand for the product was so great that Harris says he transitioned the business to focus solely on FreshPack meals. At that point, Harries entered into an agreement with Steve Perlstein and Jennifer Block of Simmer to produce FreshPacks in their restaurant and commissary kitchen.

Unfortunately, at the end of 2015, Simmer made the decision to close its doors, leaving Harris to search for a new commissary in which to produce his meals.

"It was a turning point for the business," says Harris, who says one of the biggest challenges was retooling operations and production to fit the availability at the new kitchen space.

Allen says the business met with success during the transition, but, within months, faced new challenges.

"By the time spring rolled around, we were running into capacity issues in terms of personnel and kitchen space," he says. "So we knew we needed to partner with someone or make an investment in a place of our own so that we had dedicated production space."

Fortuitously, Tyler Carlson of Origin Meals in Minneapolis, had reached out to Harris with an offer to purchase the business and roll it up under the Origin Meals Brand.

"Hed reached out before, but by summer it made sense to revisit the conversation," says Harris, who made the decision to sell the Urban Caveman FreshPacks business to Carlson, while remaining on board with Chef John Okruhlica to oversee operations in the Wisconsin market.

Harris says the decision, which took effect Oct. 1, was the best course of action for his small business.

"There was a very strong alignment in our core values including quality of the product and sourcing standards," he says. "There was also alignment in terms of being customer-centric and adhering to standards with regard to treatment of employees. And, on a personal level, Id been carrying a real load in terms of running my own business. I hadnt even started paying myself until the third year. We started a family in 2015, and I really wanted a bit of certainty in our lives. And so it seemed like a good time to consider a different model."

Origin Meals offers two-, three- and five-day meal plans, including options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Seasonal menus, which change quarterly, accommodate customers who observe a strict paleo lifestyle,those who choose to eat some gluten-free grains and even vegetarian diners.

Harris says that, although he had no idea initially how his current customers would react to the transition, he felt confident that they could continue to offer them a premium product.

"In my mind, we were selling the business," he says. "But, we werent selling out. It was an opportunity to achieve a higher level of quality and consistency. But, in some ways it was kind of a gamble."

Harris says the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Business has doubled in the past few months. And, thanks to dedicated refrigeration at drop-off locations, as well as the option for home delivery, customers are getting a better, more convenient product. And expansion to markets in Madison and the Fox Valley is currently in process.

"Its been a really great move," he says. "And Im excited for what the future holds."

For more information about Origin Meals, visit originmeals.com or follow Origin Meals Milwaukee on Facebook.
The latest

Step inside the new Corazon General Store, now open in Riverwest

There's a new spot in the Riverwest neighborhood to stock up on delicious take-and-bake dishes and support a variety of local makers.
The latest

Whether for the future or right now, the Aloft is doing A-OK

Standing out in front of the Aloft, the view is not optimal - but only for now. The new Bucks arena and entertainment district will soon be moving in, and as long as Aloft keeps up its cozy and cool ways, it should right in the middle of it.
From September 1962 until September 1966, Milwaukee musician Gary Myers  who now lives in California  spent a number of years playing in many Brew City clubs with his bands The Night Beats, The Darnells and The Cashmeres (Mojo Men, later The Portraits).

You can read about Myers' impressive musical career here. Fortunately, he also took photographs of the places where he performed.

1. Athena

Myers recalls that the Mojo Men played this place at 3507 W. Burleigh St. in April 1965. The house band, he recalls, was Junior and the Classics, fronted by future Fabulous Thunderbirds keyboardist Junior Brantley. In a few months the Mojo Men would relocate to California and later, signing with Mike Curb's Sidewalk label, would change their name to The Portraits.

2. The Attic

Read more about The Attic, located at 641 N. 2nd St., here. Myers remembers the Mojo Men played there in April '65 and again in September '66, when the band had returned home for a stint from Los Angeles.

3. Catalina Club

The Catalina Club, 900 S. 16th St. (at Walker), was a block from Monreal's (see below) and, says Myers, "many of the same people came in." The Mojo Men played there from May to August of 1965, just before leaving town.

4. Claude's

The Mojo Men played at Claude's, 5048 N. 35th St. (at Villard), in December 1964. "The house band was Paul Stefan & the Apollos," says Myers. "Paul later joined our band out in SoCal." Later, it was the Cheetah Club. You can get a peek inside via this video, sent in by Ron Faiola of MilwaukeeRockPosters.com.



5. Galaxie

Galaxie, 3876 E. Squire Ave. in Cudahy, goes back a bit earlier. Myers recalls playing there with The Darnells in November 1963. These days the building's gone from red to pink and appears to be a private residence.



6. Gallagher's

Read more about Gallagher's, 829 N. 3rd St., here. "The Cashmeres played a one-nighter in early 64 and then again in November '64," says Myers, "after we had changed our name to the Mojo Men."

7. Giuseppe's

The Cashmeres played in early 1964 at Giuseppe's Wagon Wheel, 5353 N. Port Washington Rd. in Glendale. I can't help but notice Art Richter's Milky Way Drive-In  the inspiration for Arnold's on "Happy Days"  next door. Now the site of Kopp's.

8. Korn Krib

The awesomely named Korn Krib, 3314 W. North Ave., featured country AND western but also dabbled in rock 'n' roll. "Mojo Men might have been their first attempt in that direction, for two weeks in September 1964," says Myers.

9. Monreal's

Myers says Monreal's, 1566 W. National Ave., was "one of the hottest spots in town at the time, (and) booked guest stars in the Skyroom on weekends. Over the course of my various Monreals gigs I backed Del Shannon, Gene Pitney, Dick & DeeDee, Tommy Roe, Johnny Tillotson and Chuck Berry. The Darnells played a few nights there in December 1963 and then I played a weekend with Terry Gale in January '64, alternating sets with Jerry Lee Lewis. I then joined the Cashmeres and we were there from Jan. 27, 1964 to Sept. 12, 1964. We changed our name to the Mojo Men in April 1964."

10. O'Brad's

Read more about O'Brad's, 827 E. Locust St., here. "Mojo Men played a one-nighter in October 1964 and then back for a steady gig from December '64 to February '65. Back again for two nights in April 1965 and then again in September 1966 during our visit back to Milwaukee after being in SoCal," Myers recalls.

11. Papa Joe's

The Skunks were the house band at Papa Joe's, 16600 W. Bluemound Rd. in Brookfield, just east of where Marty's Pizza is located. Myers remembers playing there in late 1964.

12. The Penthouse

Read more about The Penthouse, 502 W. Wisconsin Ave., here. This was a later and larger incarnation of the Milwaukee Spa (see below). Myers says the Mojo Men played there in 1966 during the band's summer back in Milwaukee. Later, the spot became the Voom Voom Room strip club.

13. Roy's Lounge

Unusually, the stage was behind the bar at Roy's Lounge, 4905 S. Packard Ave. "The place was so small that we had put amps on the liquor shelves next to the stage for our Darnells one-nighter," Myers recalls, making me think of setting up my drums atop the bar and leaning back against a wall of liquor bottles for gigs at Hooligan's in the 1980s and '90s.

Apparently, though, this wasn't unique back then. "In the early '60s there were many clubs with the stage behind the bar," Myers says. "I guess that may have begun in the '50s ... they called them show bars. The stage at the Spa was also behind the bar. Even as late as '69 our group played a large show bar in Orlando."



14. The Spa

Read more about The Spa, 502 W. Wisconsin Ave., here. "I first played there with the Night Beats in September 1962," Myers says. "That was a Florida band that was booking through Milwaukees ACA (no connection to El Rey & the Night Beats) and it brought me back to my hometown after completing my high school yrs in Florida. I was still underage for clubs. I played there again with The Cashmeres on Feb. 9, 1964, the night the Beatles were on (the Ed) Sullivan (Show). We watched on the clubs big screen TV."
One day last semester, high school senior David Washington left his calculus class late, and his father, who was waiting outside, was concerned that he was having trouble with the subject matter. David explained that he had stayed behind because he was enjoying doing the math.

"Thats David," said David Washington Sr. when asked to describe his eldest son.

The younger Washington, who transferred from Golda Meir School to Milwaukee Academy of Science in eighth grade, has always been a strong student. In middle school, he took high school algebra. In high school, he completed all of the math classes MAS offered by the end of his sophomore year. After that, the school arranged and paid for him to take calculus and, now, differential equations at Marquette University.

Washington applied to 10 colleges and was recently admitted to his first choice, Northwestern University, in the Chicago suburb of Evanston. He was awarded a four-year scholarship for tuition, room and board. This is the first time an MAS student has won a four-year scholarship to Northwestern, according to high school guidance counselor Lisa Youngvorst.

"At Northwestern, the students believe in the ability to pursue many passions. Many people pursue two, or even three, majors. ... I hope to double major in  computer science and creative writing, two very different topics," Washington said.

An avid reader, he is writing a science fiction novel about "a character who has powers from God and the devil," he added.

David was the first MAS student to take classes at Marquette, according to Youngvorst. Davids younger brother Joshua, an MAS junior, also started taking calculus at Marquette this year. In addition, David and Joshua study Latin, which is not offered at MAS, online.

"The two brothers are a pair, and some people think they are twins," said Youngvorst. She added, "David is very reserved, but he has come out of his shell a lot since freshman year."

When David and Joshua were younger, their father, a Rufus King High School graduate who studied pre-engineering at UW-Madison for two years, taught himself the computer programming language Python so that he could teach it to them. From that time on, Washington Sr. said the boys have pursued computer programming on their own.

Last year, they worked as paid programming interns at Direct Supply, a company that provides equipment, technology and service solutions to senior living communities. The company normally only takes college students as interns. This year, David works at a Pick n Save store after school and on weekends.

Anthony McHenry, principal at MAS, described David as "a high-character kid. He not only doesnt present any challenges to the learning culture, he influences it in a positive way." Citing his high level of math achievement, McHenry added, "David has challenged the school in a positive way as well."

"There are just 29 seniors at MAS this year, and they are a close-knit group," noted Youngvorst, adding, "David pushes his friends to do their best."

David Sr. and Erika Washington, who have seven children ages 3 to 20, said they chose MAS for several reasons. "The school was based on math and science, and a lot of black kids dont get good math and science educations, so they dont get high-paying jobs later in life," said Washington Sr., who works as the quality manager at Milwaukee Plating Company.

Citing the opportunity to study calculus at Marquette, Washington Sr. said he and his wife have been satisfied with their childrens academic experience at MAS so far. "(David and Joshua) participate in robotics and Upward Bound, and Joshua was doing tutoring at Neighborhood House," he added.

With their eldest, a daughter, studying at UW-Platteville and their youngest not yet in school, Erika Washington, a Mississippi native who now manages a Walgreens store, wanted the five children in between to attend the same school, she said. When the children started at MAS, the family lived nearby in the Concordia neighborhood, though they have since moved to Dineen Park.

MAS, a public charter school authorized by the city, is required to take any student who applies. It is a college prep high school where all of the seniors graduated last year and all but one graduated in 2015, according to Youngvorst. Asserting that it has higher standards than Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), she explained that MPS requires three science classes while MAS requires six. MPS requires three math credits; MAS requires four. "We want students to be successful (and continue to progress after high school) and we support those who choose a trade, technical school or the military," Youngvorst added.

Most of the students at the K-12 school come from low-income households. The enrollment in the high school is 194 students, 98 male and 96 female. Nearly all students identify as black/African-American.

To prepare its high school students to apply to institutions of higher learning, MAS has them complete interest inventories and explore careers early on. It hosts speakers and college representatives, holds career fairs and helps them research schools based on location, size and courses of study. Youngvorst said the school takes students to visit Wisconsin colleges and universities, and this year it took interested students on a college tour to Washington D.C., stopping at several schools along the way. Youngvorst encourages students to take the ACT prep class and works with them on applications, she said.

According to the website, the school offers a wide array of science classes including anatomy & physiology, zoology, vertebrate zoology, technological inquiry, engineering and advanced placement biology and environmental science.

Last year, 25 percent of the graduating class won full scholarships to UWM and other colleges and universities. One student was awarded a full scholarship to UW-Madison.

"My parents are always pushing me," said David. "My dad always says he wants me to surpass him and try hard at everything I do."
Caught between polls and statute amendment

The meeting of Parliament will not be discussing the constitution amendment bill on Friday as well, as there has been no progress so far in terms of finding a meeting point as promised by the governing parties.
Credit: Bert Kaufmann

The ubiquitous music heard across shopping centres, clothing stores, supermarkets, coffee shops and bars is widely thought to have positive effects on customer mood and behaviour, however a new study has found this may not be the case.

Associate Professor Chris Baumann with colleagues at the University of Hamburg reviewed whether the types of music played in common retail and service settings influenced the mood and behaviour of consumers.

The research, published in the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, found that the presence of in-store music (compared to its absence) resulted in mixed effects on a customer's mood: sometimes positive, sometimes negative, and sometimes non-significant.

"Following the widespread belief that in-store music affects customers' responses positively, managers invest considerable resources to incorporate in-store music into their overall store design. Yet, for managers it is not clear whether it is always beneficial to play in-store music, in other words, whether customers react positively or negatively to it," said Associate Professor Baumann.

"This study shows that it is not clear-cut. Customers react to music played in stores in very different ways. Often there is no effect on customer mood or behaviour at all, or even a negative effect," said Associate Professor Baumann.

"These mixed effects of the existence of in-store music may occur for different reasons. First, it could be that the design of in-store music is crucial to customer responses, or the service setting itself may also play an important role in the relationship between in-store music and customers' responses," said Associate Professor Baumann.

"The next time you walk into a supermarket or clothing store, pay particular attention to how the music in the store is making you feel. It could be that slow music being played over the speaker will have a positive effect on your mood, whereas fast music may inspire a negative impression of the store, when compared to no music playing."

More information: Anne Michel et al. Thank you for the music  or not? The effects of in-store music in service settings, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.12.008 Journal information: Journal of Retailing
Visualization of a warp field, according to the Alcubierre Drive. Credit: AllenMcC

It's always a welcome thing to learn that ideas that are commonplace in science fiction have a basis in science fact. Cryogenic freezers, laser guns, robots, silicate implants and let's not forget the warp drive! Believe it or not, this concept  alternately known as FTL (Faster-Than-Light) travel, Hyperspace, Lightspeed, etc.  actually has one foot in the world of real science.

In physics, it is what is known as the Alcubierre Warp Drive. On paper, it is a highly speculative, but possibly valid, solution of the Einstein field equations, specifically how space, time and energy interact. In this particular mathematical model of spacetime, there are features that are apparently reminiscent of the fictional "warp drive" or "hyperspace" from notable science fiction franchises, hence the association.

Background:

Since Einstein first proposed the Special Theory of Relativity in 1905, scientists have been operating under the restrictions imposed by a relativistic universe. One of these restrictions is the belief that the speed of light is unbreakable and hence, that there will never be such a thing as FTL space travel or exploration.

Even though subsequent generations of scientists and engineers managed to break the sound barrier and defeat the pull of the Earth's gravity, the speed of light appeared to be one barrier that was destined to hold. But then, in 1994, a Mexican physicist by the name of Miguel Alcubierre came along with proposed method for stretching the fabric of space-time in way which would, in theory, allow FTL travel to take pace.

Credit: Universe Today

Concept:

To put it simply, this method of space travel involves stretching the fabric of space-time in a wave which would (in theory) cause the space ahead of an object to contract while the space behind it would expand. An object inside this wave (i.e. a spaceship) would then be able to ride this region, known as a "warp bubble" of flat space.

This is what is known as the "Alcubierre Metric". Interpreted in the context of General Relativity, the metric allows a warp bubble to appear in a previously flat region of spacetime and move away, effectively at speeds that exceed the speed of light. The interior of the bubble is the inertial reference frame for any object inhabiting it.

Since the ship is not moving within this bubble, but is being carried along as the region itself moves, conventional relativistic effects such as time dilation would not apply. Hence, the rules of space-time and the laws of relativity would not be violated in the conventional sense.

Artists concept of a spacecraft using an Alcubierre Warp Drive. Credit: NASA

One of the reasons for this is because this method would not rely on moving faster than light in the local sense, since a light beam within this bubble would still always move faster than the ship. It is only "faster than light" in the sense that the ship could reach its destination faster than a beam of light that was traveling outside the warp bubble.

Difficulties:

However, there is are few problems with this theory. For one, there are no known methods to create such a warp bubble in a region of space that would not already contain one. Second, assuming there was a way to create such a bubble, there is not yet any known way of leaving once inside it. As a result, the Alcubierre drive (or metric) remains in the category of theory at this time.

Mathematically, it can be represented by the following equation: ds2=  (a2  BiBi) dt2 + 2Bi dxi dt + gijdxi dxj, where a is the lapse function that gives the interval of proper time between nearby hypersurfaces, Bi is the shift vector that relates the spatial coordinate systems on different hypersurfaces and gij is a positive definite metric on each of the hypersurfaces.

Attempts at Development:

Credit: Universe Today

In 1996, NASA founded a research project known as the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project (BPP) to study various spacecraft proposals and technologies. In 2002, the project's funding was discontinued, which prompted the founder  Marc G. Millis  and several members to create the Tau Zero Foundation. Named after the famous novel of the same name by Poul Anderson, this organization is dedicated to researching interstellar travel.

In 2012, NASA's Advanced Propulsion Physics Laboratory (aka. Eagleworks) announced that they had began conducting experiments to see if a "warp drive" was in fact possible. This included developing an interferometer to detect the spatial distortions produced by the expanding and contracting space-time of the Alcubierre metric.

The team lead  Dr. Harold Sonny White  described their work in a NASA paper titled Warp Field Mechanics 101. He also explained their work in NASA's 2012 Roundup publication:

Credit: Universe Today

"We've initiated an interferometer test bed in this lab, where we're going to go through and try and generate a microscopic instance of a little warp bubble. And although this is just a microscopic instance of the phenomena, we're perturbing space time, one part in 10 million, a very tiny amount The math would allow you to go to Alpha Centauri in two weeks as measured by clocks here on Earth. So somebody's clock onboard the spacecraft has the same rate of time as somebody in mission control here in Houston might have. There are no tidal forces, no undue issues, and the proper acceleration is zero. When you turn the field on, everybody doesn't go slamming against the bulkhead, (which) would be a very short and sad trip."

In 2013, Dr. White and members of Eagleworks published the results of their 19.6-second warp field test under vacuum conditions. These results, which were deemed to be inconclusive, were presented at the 2013 Icarus Interstellar Starship Congress held in Dallas, Texas.

When it comes to the future of space exploration, some very tough questions seem unavoidable. And questions like "long will it take us to get the nearest star?" seem rather troubling when we don't make allowances for some kind of hypervelocity or faster-than-light transit method. How can we expect to become an interstellar species when all available methods with either take centuries (or longer), or will involve sending a nanocraft instead?

At present, such a thing just doesn't seem to be entirely within the realm of possibility. And attempts to prove otherwise remain unsuccessful or inconclusive. But as history has taught us, what is considered to be impossible changes over time. Someday, who knows what we might be able to accomplish? But until then, we'll just have to be patient and wait on future research.
The Sun by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. Credit: NASA

(Phys.org)A pair of researchers affiliated with the Natural History Museum in Chemnitz and Technische Universitat Bergakademie Freiberg, both in Germany, has found evidence in ancient tree rings of a solar sunspot cycle millions of years ago similar to the one observed in more modern times. In their paper published in the journal Geology, Ludwig Luthardt and Ronny Roler describe how they gathered an assortment of petrified tree samples from a region in Germany and used them to count sunspot cycles.

Scientists know that the sun undergoes a sunspot cycle of approximately 11 yearssome spots appear, grow cooler and then slowly move toward the equator and eventually disappearthe changes to the sun spots cause changes to the brightness level of the sunas the level waxes and wanes, plants here on Earth respond, growing more or less in a given yearthis can be seen in the width of tree rings. In this new effort, the researchers gathered petrified tree samples from a region of Germany that was covered by lava during a volcanic eruption approximately 290 million years ago (during the Permian period), offering a historical record of sun activity.

The research pair obtained 43 petrified tree specimens (tree-trunk slices) and report that they were able to count 1,917 rings which were preserved well enough to allow for observation under a microscope. Because the trees had all died at the same time, the researchers were able to establish a baseline between them which allowed for comparing tree ring growth between samples over the same time periodswhich covered 79 years. Doing so, they report, revealed very clearly a cycle of growth similar to that seen in modern trees, though in this case, it was slightly different. Today the cycle is an average of 11.2 years, back then it was 10.6close enough, the researchers suggest, to conclude that the sun has been behaving very predictably for at least 290 million years.

It should be noted that not everyone agrees with the theory that sunspot activity leaves such a clear record in tree ringsother factors might be involved such as general global temperature, weather patterns or even outbreaks of insect populations.

More information: Ludwig Luthardt et al. Fossil forest reveals sunspot activity in the early Permian, Geology (2017). DOI: 10.1130/G38669.1 Abstract

Modern-day periodic climate pattern variations related to solar activity are well known. High-resolution records such as varves, ice cores, and tree-ring sequences are commonly used for reconstructing climatic variations in the younger geological history. For the first time we apply dendrochronological methods to Paleozoic trees in order to recognize annual variations. Large woody tree trunks from the early Permian Fossil Forest of Chemnitz, southeast Germany, show a regular cyclicity in tree-ring formation. The mean ring curve reveals a 10.62 yr cyclicity, the duration of which is almost identical to the modern 11 yr solar cycle. Therefore, we speculate and further discuss that, like today, sunspot activity caused fluctuations of cosmic radiation input to the atmosphere, affecting cloud formation and annual rates of precipitation, which are reflected in the tree-ring archive. This is the earliest record of sunspot cyclicity and simultaneously demonstrates its long-term stable periodicity for at least 300 m.y. Journal information: Geology

 2017 Phys.org
Ceres' surface is contaminated by a significant amount of dry material while its the area below the crust contains essentially water-bearing materials. The mid-infrared observations revealed the presence of dry pyroxene on the surface probably coming from interplanetary dust particles. The Internal structure of the Dwarf Planet Ceres was derived from the NASA Dawn spacecraft data. Credit: SETI Institute

The appearance of small bodies in the outer solar system could be deceiving. Asteroids and dwarf planets may be camouflaged with an outer layer of material that actually comes from somewhere else.

Using data primarily gathered by SOFIA, NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, a team of astronomers has detected the presence of substantial amounts of material on the surface of Ceres that appears to be fragments of other asteroids. This is contrary to the currently accepted surface composition classification of Ceres, suggesting that the largest body in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is cloaked by material that has partially disguised its real makeup.

"We find that the outer few microns of the surface is partially coated with dry particles," says Franck Marchis, senior planetary astronomer at the SETI Institute. "But they don't come from Ceres itself. They're debris from asteroid impacts that probably occurred tens of millions of years ago."

Ceres is considered to be both an asteroid and a dwarf planet, the only dwarf planet located in the inner solar system. Astronomers have classified Ceres, as well as 75 percent of all asteroids, as belonging to composition class "C" based on their similar colors. But the mid-infrared spectra from SOFIA show that Ceres differs substantially from C-type asteroids in nearby orbits, challenging the conventional understanding of the relationship between Ceres and smaller asteroids.

Credit: NASA

"By analyzing the spectral properties of Ceres we have detected a layer of fine particles of a dry silicate called pyroxene. Models of Ceres based on data collected by NASA's Dawn as well as ground-based telescopes indicated substantial amounts of water-bearing minerals such as clays and carbonates," explains Pierre Vernazza, research scientist in the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille. "Only the mid-infrared observations made using SOFIA were able to show that both types of material are present on the surface of Ceres."

To identify where the pyroxene on the surface of Ceres came from, Vernazza and his collaborators, including researchers from the SETI Institute and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, turned to interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) that are commonly seen as meteors when they streak through Earth's atmosphere. The research team had previously shown that IDPs blasted into space by asteroid collisions are an important source of material accumulated on the surfaces of other asteroids. The implication is that a coating of IDPs has caused Ceres to mimic the coloration of some of its dry and rocky neighbors.

Ceres and asteroids are not the only instance in which material transported from elsewhere has affected the surfaces of solar system bodies. Dramatic examples include the red material seen by New Horizons on Pluto's moon Charon and Saturn's two-faced moon Iapetus. Planetary scientists also hypothesize that material from comets and asteroids provided a final veneer to the then-forming Earth  a coating that included substantial amounts of water plus the organic substances of the biosphere.

This study resolves a long standing question about whether surface material accurately reflects the intrinsic composition of an asteroid. These results show that by extending observations to the mid-infrared, one can better identify the composition of an asteroid. According to Vernazza, "the detection of some ammoniated clays mixed with the watery clays on Ceres raises the possibility that the dwarf planet might have formed in the outer reaches of the solar system and somehow migrated to its current location."

"SOFIA, is the only observatory, currently operating or planned, that can make such observations, essential to understanding the true nature of these objects" says Marchis. "The bottom line is that seeing is not believing when it comes to asteroids. We shouldn't judge these objects by their covers, as it were."

More information: For More Information about SOFIA, see www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/SOFIA/index.html
When KP-1 is added to a sample that includes differentiated and undifferentiated stem cells (left), only the undifferentiated cells are marked (center). When 'conjugate 17' is added to a sample, undifferentiated cells are eliminated and differentiated cells are left unharmed (right). Credit: Kyoto University

Stem cells derived from adult cells, called human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), have great potential for basic research and regeneration therapies. But for clinical samples to be safe, these cells need to completely differentiate into their target cells. Any remaining undifferentiated cells in the sample have the potential to form tumours, so must be selectively eliminated.

Researchers at Kyoto University in Japan have developed a compound that selectively kills undifferentiated hiPSCs. This compound could work alongside other cleansing strategies also under development to enable pluripotent stem cell use in patient treatment, such as regrowing tissues and organs.

Led by Professor Motonari Uesugi of Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), the researchers combined a florescent probe with an anticancer agent into a deadly, glowing combination that selectively targets and kills undifferentiated cells. They call it "conjugate 17."

After 72 hours, conjugate 17 completely eliminates undifferentiated cells from samples, while leaving the important differentiated cells unharmed, according to a paper recently published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

Conjugate 17 takes advantage of the repressed expression of two protein pumps in hiPSCs. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are a family of protein pumps that help transport substances across cell membranes. The transporters ABCB1 and ABCG2 are repressed in hiPSCs. A fluorescent probe developed also by Professor Uesugi's team, called KP-1, exploits this repression to selectively label hiPSCs. Cells that don't have repressed ABCB1 and ABCG2 transporters remove the probe and are thus not labelled.

The researchers modified KP-1 to combine with a variety of cytotoxic anticancer drugs. They found the best results when the probe was paired with the anticancer agent SN38, and conjugate 17 was born.

Although SN38 is intrinsically selective for hiPSCs, this selectivity was enhanced when combined with KP-1, making it even more effective.

After treating a sample with conjugate 17, it is imperative that the compound does not remain in the sample, otherwise the cells cannot be used for transplantation. The researchers found washing the sample twice adequately removed the compound, because it no longer glowed.

Although further studies are needed to ensure the safety of conjugate 17, the researchers note it "promises a new way for developing highly selective, chemically tractable reagents" to ensure samples are clear of any undifferentiated cells.

More information: Di Mao et al. A Synthetic Hybrid Molecule for the Selective Removal of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells from Cell Mixtures, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2017). DOI: 10.1002/anie.201610284 Journal information: Angewandte Chemie International Edition
The crop yield of a field of corn can be influenced by climate and management factors. Crop producers are working to up their game to satisfy an increasing demand for energy and food production for more affluent and growing populations. Credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Using corn and soybeans as their testing ground, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory devised methods to peer into the mechanisms that modulate crop yield variability. They used statistical models to examine how climate variability impacts yields of these popular bioenergy crops at the county level. Among climate factors, the team showed that temperature is predominant in corn-growing counties, both by volume and percentage of production. Precipitation has a similar impact. The amount of energy from the sun, or radiation, has a much smaller effect USA-wide on both soybeans and corn.

To understand the impact of management practices, the research team designed and conducted numerical modeling to reveal how irrigation and fertilization affect crop yield variability. Averaged over the USA, fertilization has a larger impact than irrigation. The work demonstrated that dynamically determining fertilization timing and rates in their models can greatly improve the predictive capability for yields of both crops.

Crop producers are working to up their game to satisfy an increasing demand for energy and food production for more affluent and growing populations. Yet, as any farmer will attest, even the best agricultural practices may be undone by a heat wave or other devastating weather event. Understanding the relative role of climate variability and agricultural practices such as irrigation and fertilization is important for ensuring agricultural and energy sustainability.

"Our data-driven analysis revealed the dominant climate factors in regulating corn and soybean yields variability at the county scale for USA," said Dr. Maoyi Huang, corresponding author and climate modeler at PNNL, "which helped us better understand historical crop yield variabilities."

The graph shows the dominant climate factors significantly explaining inter-annual (a) corn and (b) soybean yield variability during 19832012 at county level over the United States. Dominant climate factors indicate those with significant relationships with crop yields at the 90% confidence level. P=precipitation (blue); T=temperature (red); R=solar radiation (purple). Grey areas denote where crop yield variability cannot be explained by any single climate factor at 90% confidence level. Note the relationships were explained after excluding the effects of climate covariability. Credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

"Based on observations from various sources, we improved the process-based model's performance and demonstrated the importance of incorporating fertilization approximations in simulating crop yields," said Huang.

The team analyzed county-level yields of corn and soybeans, two popular bioenergy crops, using US Department of Agriculture (USDA) survey data and observed climate. Their aim was to understand how the growing-season (June, July and August) mean temperature (T), precipitation (P), and radiation (R) influence crop yields together and individually at the county scale. In their analyses, they removed the covariability among T, P, and R to investigate the effects of each single climate factor on crop yields. Based on the relative contributions of these different climate variables to the variability of crop yields, they constructed spatial maps on the dominant climate factors.

The team also used models to understand the role of agricultural management on crop yields. Using the Community Land Model over the Conterminous United States, they found that irrigation has limited effects on crop yields compared with fertilization. From this research, the team proposed a prognostic fertilization method by dynamically determining fertilization timing and rates in the model. They showed the new method is more effective than the traditional approach for improving model performance at the county scale.

"By synthesizing observed information from sources such as the US Department of Agriculture and US Geological Survey, our improved process- and observation-based models can help us understand the underlying mechanisms behind crop yield variabilities at the US county scale," said lead author Dr. Guyong Leng, a statistical and numerical modeler at PNNL.

The authors will look at how climate events such as droughts/floods and heat waves/cold spells will evolve in the future and predict how crop yields may react. They will integrate modeling approaches with other analytical and model tools under a multi-scale multi-sector modeling framework to evaluate how ecosystems, hydrology, and social-economic decisions will co-evolve in a changing climate.

More information: Guoyong Leng et al. Simulating county-level crop yields in the Conterminous United States using the Community Land Model: The effects of optimizing irrigation and fertilization, Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems (2016). DOI: 10.1002/2016MS000645 Guoyong Leng et al. The Role of Climate Covariability on Crop Yields in the Conterminous United States, Scientific Reports (2016). DOI: 10.1038/srep33160 Journal information: Scientific Reports
eROSITA is being loaded into the cargo plane at Munich airport. Credit: MPE

On 20 January 2017, the completed eROSITA X-ray telescope boarded a cargo plane and was transported from Munich, where it had been built at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, to Moscow. Like any other passenger, it had to pass customs before journeying onwards towards the premises of Lavochkin Association, in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, where it is expected to arrive on 25 January. There it will be further tested and integrated with the 'SRG' spacecraft in preparation for launch in spring 2018. It will then take another three months to arrive at its final destination, about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. From there, eROSITA will produce a new map of the Universe in X-rays, revealing how the largest cosmic structures evolve.

"It was an exciting moment to send eROSITA on its way, after so many years of intense development and integration," states Dr. Peter Predehl, the Principal Investigator of eROSITA at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE). "Since officially starting the project in 2007, more than a hundred people have been working on its various components, many of which had to be developed from scratch, tailoring them precisely to our scientific needs and to the very inhospitable environment of space. It is probably one of the biggest projects that our institute ever embarked on, and hopefully will be a worthy successor to ROSAT." eROSITA will be 25 times more sensitive than the ROSAT X-ray telescope, which was also built under the scientific leadership of MPE, and which performed the first deep all-sky survey in X-rays in the 1990s.

The eROSITA X-ray space telescope consists of seven identical mirror modules with 54 nested gold-coated mirrors each, manufactured very precisely to collect the high-energy photons and guide them to the X-ray sensitive cameras placed at their focus. These cameras have also been developed and custom-built at MPE, containing special X-ray CCDs manufactured from high-purity silicon. For maximum performance, these cameras have to be cooled to -90C using a complex heat pipe system.

After about ten years of development and integration the eROSITA X-ray telescope is complete: with 7 mirror modules and 54 mirror shells each combined with 7 specially built X-ray cameras. You see the telescope here after final integration at MPE, shortly before transport to further testing. Credit: MPE

"With its much higher sensitivity than previous survey missions, eROSITA will discover a multitude of new X-ray sources," expects Dr. Andrea Merloni, eROSITA project scientist. "We will be able to study not only the distribution of clusters of galaxies  eROSITA will detect more than 100,000 of these most massive bound objects in the Universe  but also millions of active black holes at the centres of galaxies, as well as rare objects in the Milky Way, such as isolated neutron stars. The survey will thus provide new insights into a wide range of high-energy astrophysical phenomena  maybe even reveal some completely new phenomena  and give us new clues about the mysterious "Dark Energy", the force behind the accelerated expansion of the Universe."

After assembly, eROSITA travelled 30 kilometres from MPE to IABG in Ottobrunn for final testing in Germany, then 50 kilometres to the Munich airport and now about 2300 kilometres to Khimki and the Lavochkin Association  about half its journey on Earth. There it will be further tested and integrated with the spacecraft Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG), which also carries the Russian telescope "ART-XC". Both instruments will be launched with a Proton rocket from the Russian launch site Baikonur in Kazakhstan after another 2600 kilometre transport. Leaving Earth behind, eROSITA will then travel to the second Lagrange point (L2) of the Sun-Earth system, at a distance of about 1.5 million kilometres. Once there, eROSITA will perform a total of eight surveys of the entire sky over a four years period.

"The science always drove the design and development of the telescope," emphasises Peter Predehl. "The exciting opportunities for discovery that eROSITA will provide  this is what kept us going even when we got stuck with yet another technical problem to be solved. The whole team really can be proud to deliver the telescope to Russia!"

Lift-off for eROSITA: in the cargo plane to Moscow, the first 2300 Kilometres of its journey into space. After rocket launch in 2018, eROSITA will scan the entire sky with unprecedented sensitivity. Credit: MPE
More than 23,000 child refugees and migrants could risk respiratory infections, "even death from hypothermia," due to sub-freezing temperatures across Europe, warned the UN children's fund UNICEF on Friday.

"With no sign of a let-up in the extreme cold weather and storms sweeping Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, refugee and migrant children are threatened by respiratory and other serious illnessesand even death from hypothermia," UNICEF said in a statement.

An estimated 23,700 migrant and refugee children, including infants and newborns, remain stranded in Greece and the Balkans, where temperatures in some parts have plunged below minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus four degrees Fahrenheit).

In Greece, especially the islands where thousands of refugees shelter in flimsy tents, some regions have experienced heavy snowfall for the first time in years.

"Infants and the very young generally have less body fat to insulate them against the cold, making them more susceptible to respiratory problems and potentially fatal viral and bacterial infections such as pneumonia and influenza," said Basil Rodriques, UNICEF Regional Health Advisor for Central and Eastern Europe, in a statement.

The total number of deaths across Europe from the frigid weather jumped to over 60 adults in just a few days, with many of the victims being migrants or homeless people.

Greece, which has more than 60,000 mainly Syrian refugees on its territory, has moved many migrants to prefabricated houses and heated tents.

But many of these shelters "are ill-equipped for winter, even as temperatures fall below freezing," UNICEF said.

 2017 AFP
TerraCOH's vision is grand. The fledgling firm would use carbon dioxide emissions - a nemesis to the planet - to power a geothermal energy system, which would in turn produce low-cost, clean electricity.

And TerraCOH's patented geothermal technology could serve as a big underground battery, effectively storing renewable - but intermittent - wind and solar energy. Now, the Minneapolis-based company just needs money to turn its plans - about eight years in the making - into reality.

The good news: TerraCOH believes this year it will fire up a small-scale commercial version of its power system. "We are ready to build the power plant," said Jimmy Randolph, TerraCOH's chief technical officer. "And we're trying to raise the money to do that," chimed in Chief Executive John Griffin.

TerraCOH, which has its roots at the University of Minnesota, so far has been financed with more than $5 million in grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. Last year, the company began soliciting private investors to commercialize its ideas, with Griffin leading the way.

Griffin is a mechanical engineer with an MBA from the University of Minnesota who has worked with technology companies large and small over the past 30 years. Randolph graduated summa cum laude in physics and math from St. Olaf College, and then got a Ph.D. in geophysics in 2011 from Minnesota, where he's currently a senior research associate.

Randolph's adviser at Minnesota was Martin Saar, professor of earth sciences. The pair, along with Thomas Kuehn, a mechanical engineering professor, invented a renewable energy technology called CO2 Plume Geothermal. The university holds the patent and would split royalties with the three researchers if the technology becomes a hit.

TerraCOH has also worked on its technology with researchers at Ohio State University and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

Geothermal is the cheapest form of energy, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, but it's not widely deployed. Traditional geothermal energy projects must be near places where the earth is hot relatively close to the surface. These hot spots, though, are limited geographically.

The deeper you go, the hotter the earth gets. So, Randolph and his co-inventors developed a method to tap geothermal heat that is 1 to 3 miles below the earth's surface. This deep heat resource is much more widespread, but cost-effectively mining it is difficult.

TerraCOH's technology uses "supercritical" CO2 to efficiently unlock that thermal energy. Supercritical is a chemical state somewhere between a gas and a liquid. It's dense and has a lower viscosity than water, so it flows easy. Oil companies use compressed CO2 to scour the last bits of petroleum from conventional wells.

In TerraCOH's system, supercritical CO2 heats up as it's pumped lower into the earth and is stored in porous sedimentary rock. The hot CO2 can then be drawn back up to the earth's surface - without costly pumping - where it spins a turbine to create electricity. It's an energy loop, basically.

The equipment needed for this process has become viable over the past year, Griffin said. TerraCOH needs to raise $2 million to build two small power plants with 100 to 200 kilowatts of generating capacity. By contrast, a good-size wind farm can pump out 200 megawatts.

TerraCOH is eyeing existing oil and gas fields for its early projects, since they've already been drilled.

The company is planning a small power plant at a conventional oil well in northwest North Dakota that will produce electricity for that site. For this project, TerraCOH will harness the geothermal energy provided by oil and gases coming up the well, heating CO2 in an above-ground tank, which will then power a turbine.

But the long-term goal is to place TerraCOH Plume Geothermal systems near coal-fired or gas-fired power plants, directly capturing CO2 emissions, pumping them into the ground for eventual use in bigger CO2 fired-power plants. These plants would initially generate up to 15 megawatts, but could eventually be up to 300 megawatts.

Another goal is to use the geothermal system as a "battery" for solar and wind power. The drawback to renewables is that they are intermittent, producing when the weather is sunny or windy. Currently, chemical batteries are too expensive to store large amounts of renewable energy.

But excess wind and solar power could be transmitted to a TerraCOH plant, powering pumps that would inject CO2 into the earth, from where it could eventually be turned back into electricity when needed. Plume Geothermal "is not intermittent," Randolph said. "It's 24/7. You can run it on demand.

2017 Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Chocolate. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

In an article published in PLOS ONE, Brazilian scientists detail the genetic structure and molecular diversity of the varieties of cocoa grown in the state of Bahia for over 200 years, and identify 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 due to failed crops, cocoa growers were able to resume exports of the commodity 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.

Branches of infected crops 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 percent 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 still flourishes 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 19th century, and exports rose in step with demand for chocolate in Europe and the United States. By the early 20th 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, 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 Ph.D. 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 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.

More information: Elisa S. L. Santos et al. Genetic Structure and Molecular Diversity of Cacao Plants Established as Local Varieties for More than Two Centuries: The Genetic History of Cacao Plantations in Bahia, Brazil, PLOS ONE (2015). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145276 Journal information: PLoS ONE

Provided by FAPESP
Chinese delegation meets Maoist Centre leaders

A delegation of a Chinese think tank on Thursday visited CPN (Maoist Centre)s headquarters in Perisdanda and held discussions with officials from the partys international department.
A menagerie of megafauna that inhabited Australia some 45,000 years ago. Credit: Peter Trusler, Monash University

New evidence involving the ancient poop of some of the huge and astonishing creatures that once roamed Australia indicates the primary cause of their extinction around 45,000 years ago was likely a result of humans, not climate change.

Led by Monash University in Victoria, Australia and the University of Colorado Boulder, the team used information from a sediment core drilled in the Indian Ocean off the coast of southwest Australia to help reconstruct past climate and ecosystems on the continent. The core contains chronological layers of material blown and washed into the ocean, including dust, pollen, ash and spores from a fungus called Sporormiella that thrived on the dung of plant-eating mammals, said CU Boulder Professor Gifford Miller.

Miller, who participated in the study led by Sander van der Kaars of Monash University, said the sediment core allowed scientists to look back in time, in this case more than 150,000 years, spanning Earth's last full glacial cycle. Fungal spores from plant-eating mammal dung were abundant in the sediment core layers from 150,000 years ago to about 45,000 years ago, when they went into a nosedive, said Miller, a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences.

"The abundance of these spores is good evidence for a lot of large mammals on the southwestern Australian landscape up until about 45,000 years ago," he said. "Then, in a window of time lasting just a few thousand years, the megafauna population collapsed."

A paper on the subject was published online Jan. 20 in Nature Communications.

The Australian collection of megafauna some 50,000 years ago included 1,000-pound kangaroos, 2-ton wombats, 25-foot-long lizards, 400-pound flightless birds, 300-pound marsupial lions and Volkswagen-sized tortoises. More than 85 percent of Australia's mammals, birds and reptiles weighing over 100 pounds went extinct shortly after the arrival of the first humans, said Miller.

The ocean sediment core showed the southwest is one of the few regions on the Australian continent that had dense forests both 45,000 years ago and today, making it a hotbed for biodiversity, said Miller, also associate director of CU Boulder's Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research.

"It's a region with some of the earliest evidence of humans on the continent, and where we would expect a lot of animals to have lived," Miller said. "Because of the density of trees and shrubs, it could have been one of their last holdouts some 45,000 years ago. There is no evidence of significant climate change during the time of the megafauna extinction."

Scientists have been debating the causes of the Australian megafauna extinctions for decades. Some claim the animals could not have survived changes in climate, including a shift some 70,000 years ago when much of the southwestern Australia landscape went from a wooded eucalyptus tree environment to an arid, sparsely vegetated landscape.

Others have suggested the animals were hunted to extinction by Australia's earliest immigrants who had colonized most of the continent by 50,000 years ago, or a combination of overhunting and climate change, said Miller.

Miller said the extinction may have been caused by "imperceptible overkill." A 2006 study by Australian researchers indicates that even low-intensity hunting of Australian megafauna - like the killing of one juvenile mammal per person per decade - could have resulted in the extinction of a species in just a few hundred years.

"The results of this study are of significant interest across the archaeological and Earth science communities and to the general public who remain fascinated by the menagerie of now extinct giant animals that roamed the planet - and the cause of their extinction - as our own species began its persistent colonization of Earth," said van der Kaars.

In 2016 Miller used burned eggshells of the 400-pound bird, Genyornis, as the first direct evidence that humans actually preyed on the Australian megafauna.

The new study also included Research Professor Scott Lehman of INSTAAR. The study was funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the German Research Foundation.
Incentive-related pay schemes can stress rather than motivate employees, according to new research by the University of East Anglia (UEA).

The study explored the relationship between three types of 'contingent pay' - performance-related, profit-related, and employee share-ownership - and positive employee attitudes such as job satisfaction, employee commitment and trust in management.

Researchers found that only performance-related pay had a positive impact on all three employee attitudes. Surprisingly, and in contrast to previous studies, profit-related pay and employee share-ownership had a mix of negative and no significant effects on attitudes.

However the results, published in Human Resource Management Journal, confirm that performance-related pay is also associated with more intense working. This could mean employees are encouraged to work too hard and too much, leading to work-related stress or poor well-being, and offsetting some of its positive impact on staff.

Contingent pay, also called incentive and variable pay, are arrangements where some or all of employees' earnings are dependent on some measure of performance. It may be determined by individual employees' performance in relation to their level of contribution to organisational performance (individual-based incentive), or profit gained by the organisation in which the employee works (organisation-wide incentive).

Such pay has become increasingly important for motivating employees to perform productively at work and is seen as a way to encourage positive employee attitudes. It represents one of the key elements of HR management systems aimed at achieving sustainable, competitive success for an organisation.

Despite research to suggest a positive relationship between contingent pay and employee attitudes, it has been also claimed that different pay arrangements may in fact intensify work. Until now though there has been little first-hand evidence on whether this is the case and how this might impact on employees' views. This new study, by UEA's Norwich Business School, involved 1,293 managers and 13,657 employees at 1,293 workplaces in the UK.

Lead researcher Dr Chidiebere Ogbonnaya said: "Our study is the first to show empirical support for claims that the productivity gains of these pay schemes might be associated with employees' experience of more intense working. Performance-related pay in particular is associated with the feeling that work might be too demanding or that there is insufficient time to get work done.

"By tying employees' performance to financial incentives, employers send signals to employees about their intention to reward extra work effort with more pay. Employees in turn receive these signals and feel obliged to work harder in exchange for more pay.

"Even though employees may value these earnings as a 'good thing', the ultimate beneficiary of their extra effort is the organisation. As a consequence, performance-related pay may be considered exploitative, or a management strategy that increases both earnings and work intensification."

Dr Ogbonnaya added: "The key thing for managers is to ensure some balance between employee job demands and measurement of rewards offered. Therefore, the nature of the relationships between performance-related pay and employee attitudes may depend on whether there is a perceived imbalance between intensive work effort and the availability of appropriate rewards."

In the UEA study, profit-related pay only had positive relationships with job satisfaction, employee commitment and trust in management if profit-related pay was distributed widely across the organisation. Profit-related pay was associated with lower job satisfaction, lower employee commitment and lower trust in management in those organisations that distributed profit-related pay only to a small proportion of the workforce. Another surprising finding was that employee share-ownership had a negative relationship with job satisfaction, and no significant relationships with employee commitment and trust in management, respectively.

Commenting on profit-related pay co-author Kevin Daniels, professor of organisational behaviour at Norwich Business School, said there was a need to encourage fairness and adequate employee uptake of profit-sharing arrangements.

"Employers should ensure that mechanisms for distributing organisational profits are administered efficiently so that deserving employees are not missed out, said Prof Daniels. "If profit-related pay is spread across the workplace, employees may show greater acceptance and respond with positive attitudes."

The study used data from the management and employee surveys of the 2011 Workplace Employment Relations Study, which is representative of around 35 per cent of all British workplaces including those in the private and public sectors, most industries, and firms consisting of at least five employees.

Organisational-level data was also gathered through interviews with senior managers responsible for employment relations, human resources or personnel management. Employee-level data was collected through a questionnaire distributed to all employees in workplaces with fewer than 25 employees, and to a random sample of 25 employees in larger workplaces with more than 25 employees.

The publication of the study comes on the day UEA hosts a conference as part of its Work, Learning and Wellbeing research programme, which is led by Prof Daniels. The programme focuses on protecting and enhancing the wellbeing of workers, adult learners and those seeking work. The conference brings together leading academics, policy makers and senior practitioners to find out about the latest research and discuss new areas of work.

'Does contingent pay encourage positive employee attitudes and intensify work?', Chidiebere Ogbonnaya, Kevin Daniels and Karina Nielsen, is published in Human Resource Management Journal.

More information: Human Resource Management Journal, DOI: 10.1111/1748-8583.12130
Elephant and rhinoceros, known as the 'charismatic' species, are often the poster children for the anti-poaching movement, tending to draw the most attention

International police body Interpol announced a new project Friday that will identify and dismantle origanised crime networks between Africa and Asia that have devastated wildlife and made ivory a sought-after luxury.

Interpol, headquartered in the eastern French city of Lyon, said the initiative will focus on providing increased resources to countries linked to the illegal wildlife tradeespecially as it relates to ivory, rhino horns and Asian big cats.

Elephant and rhinoceros, known as the 'charismatic' species, are often the poster children for the anti-poaching movement, tending to draw the most attention.

Interpol will also focus on other criminal activities linked to environmental crimes, including corruption, money laundering and firearms trafficking.

A June 2016 report by Interpol and the United Nations Environmental Programme found that environmental crimes were now worth up to $258 billion from $213 billion per year.

"It is essential that decisive action is taken to combat environmental crime and this project targeting the origanized crime links between Africa and Asia will enable all involved actors to unite in their efforts," Interpol secretary general Jurgen Stock said in a statement.

Poaching became a global concern around 2010 when the massacre of elephant and rhino began reaching such levels that conservationists and wildlife activists realised more had to be done to give the problem wider attention.

China is the main source of global demand for ivory and in March 2016 the government announced a ban on new ivory imports.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the African elephant population recorded its biggest drop in a quarter century last year, with an estimated population of 415,000 elephants, 111,000 fewer than a decade ago.

And the killing continues at the dizzying pace of about 30,000 elephants a year.

The rhinoceros fares worse. Black market rhino horn sells for up to $60,000 (57,000 euros) per kilogrammemore than gold or cocaineand in the last eight years alone roughly a quarter of the world population has been killed in South Africa, home to 80 percent of the remaining animals.

The International Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species estimates the illegal wildlife trade is worth $20 billion a year, making it the fourth biggest illicit activity after guns, drugs and human trafficking.

"Protecting the world's wildlife heritage is our collective responsibility as global citizens and as international law enforcement," Stock said.

The project will also tackle large-scale illegal fishing, whose networks have developed over the past 10 years, Interpol said.

"Illegal fishing is also often linked to human trafficking with crews subjected to labour and human rights abuses, fraud in regulatory systems and corruption, damaging legitimate businesses and economies," the international body added.

The project will be supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Consortium on Combatting Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).

 2017 AFP
Credit: Newcastle University

A chunk of ice half the size of Jamaica which is breaking away from West Antarctica is now attached to its parent ice shelf just by a thread, scientists reported Friday.

Covering 5,000 square kilometres (1,900 square miles) and nearly 100 storeys deep, the formation is poised to snap off from Larsen C ice shelf, creating "one of the largest icebergs ever recorded," the researchers said in a statement.

A widening rift running the length of the finger-shaped, 350-metre (1150-feet) -thick ice block grew 10 kilometres (six miles) longer some time during the last three weeks, satellite images revealed.

"The rift is likely to break off in the next few monthsif it doesn't, I'll be amazed," said Adrian Luckman, a professor at Swansea University in Wales, and leader of Britain's Project Midas, which tracks changes in West Antarctic ice formations.

"It's so close to calving that I think it's inevitable," he told AFP.

In late December, the rupture had already extended by 18 kilometres (11 miles), leaving the future iceberg connected along only a small fraction of its length.

Just by itself, the gargantuan ice cube will not add to sea levels, the consequence of ice sheet disintegration that most worries scientists.

The real danger is from inland glaciers.

Ice shelves float on the sea, extending from the coast, and are slowly fed by glaciers from the ice sheet on land.

They act as giant brakes, preventing the glaciers from sliding directly into the ocean.

The West Antarctic ice sheet, where Larsen C is located, holds enough frozen water to raise global oceans by about six metres (20 feet).

Less stable

If the glaciers held in check by Larsen C spilt into the Antarctic Ocean, it would lift the global water mark by about 10 centimetres (four inches), the researchers said.

The nearby Larsen A ice shelf collapsed in 1995, and Larsen B dramatically broke up seven years later.

Recent studies have suggested that climate change may already have condemned large chunks of West Antarctica to disintegration, though whether on a time scale of centuries or millennia is unknown.

The breaking off, or calving, of ice shelves occurs naturally.

But global warming is thought to have accelerated the process.

Warming ocean water erodes their underbelly, while rising air temperatures weaken them from above.

The ice block currently separating from Larsen C contains about 10 percent of the ice shelf's mass, Luckman said.

"We are convincedalthough others are notthat the remaining ice shelf will be less stable than the present one," Luckman said in a statement.

Man-made global warming has lifted average global air temperatures by one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

The world's nations have undertaken in the Paris Agreement, inked in the French capital in December 2015, to cap global warming at "well under" two degrees Celsius (3.5 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial era levels.

 2017 AFP
Credit: University of Western Sydney

With recent reports showing Australian performance in Mathematics has stagnated over the years, Dr Catherine Attard from Western Sydney University believes the new school year is a time for parents to take the extra step to help their children succeed academically.

Dr Attard was last year recognised with a prestigious Award for Teaching Excellence in the 2016 Australian Awards for University Teaching, and is the creator of the board game Mabble, a numerical twist on Scrabble.

"There are many things parents can and should do to help their children learn mathematics, particularly before they begin school and during their primary school years," she says.

This academic year, Dr Catherine Attard extends the following tips to parents:

Be positive about maths Develop a positive working relationship with teachers Know what maths your child is learning Make maths part of everyday activities

Dr Attard's research on student engagement has revealed that parents who demonstrate a negative attitude towards maths often impact their child's decision to continue studying the subject in high school.

"It is important for parents to be conscious of displaying positive attitudes towards mathematics, even when it's challenging," Dr Attard says.

"Using encouraging statements and acknowledging that mathematics is challenging, but not impossible, is key to helping children succeed academically."

She says there are many free online support courses such as Jo Boaler's YouCubed website or a variety of mathematics apps.

For parents opting for tutoring, Dr Attard stresses the importance of finding a tutor that knows how to teach for understanding rather than memorisation.

"The traditional method of drill and practice won't help a struggling student to understand important mathematical concepts," she says.

Instead, Dr Attard urges parents should find a tutor who understands the curriculum and can tailor a program to work alongside what their child is learning at school.

"The way mathematics is taught has changed significantly over the last few decades. Talking to their child's teacher can help parents understand what their child should be learning. Alternatively, mathematics curriculums are accessible online," she says.

Dr Attard believes that it is still important that children gain fluency when dealing with numbers.

"Children need to understand how numbers work. In other words, they need to be numerate, and have flexibility with numbers," she says.
Dr. Richard Miller in UAHs Optics Building. Credit: Michael Mercier | UAH

Next-generation astrophysics research using the moon as home base and The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) as its world-class data center are the goals of a multiyear, $237 million NASA satellite mission proposed by a UAH astrophysicist's collaborative group.

Dr. Richard S. Miller is advancing the proposal for UAH, which is the lead institution. Nine other institutions nationally are collaborating on the Lunar Occultation Explorer (LOX) astrophysics mission, which employs a unique new technique to study supernovae and to establish the moon as a platform for astrophysics.

The proposal was submitted to NASA's Medium-class Explorer (MIDEX) program in December. A decision could come within the next six months.

"If accepted, LOX will be the first dedicated astrophysics mission to the moon," Dr. Miller says. "If the mission is accepted, the science operations center would be located here at UAH."

UAH would be the hub for mission science and data analysis, Dr. Miller says, which would make the university a "site for global astrophysics researchers and our collaborators."

After its estimated 2023 launch, the LOX mission would place a satellite bristling with an array of 45 to 100 gamma-ray sensors in lunar orbit to study thermonuclear, or Type IA, supernovae.

"Supernovae are the beacons of the cosmos," Dr. Miller says. "They can tell us the shape and expansion history of the cosmos, have a deep impact on the chemical evolution of galaxies and are intriguing stellar laboratories."

The structure, composition and diversity of supernovae are regarded in the scientific community as fundamental astrophysics questions. To study them, the LOX mission would rely on the Lunar Occultation Technique (LOT), the development and testing of which was led by Dr. Miller at UAH.

An artists rendering of the LOX satellite orbiting the moon. Credit: University of Alabama in Huntsville

LOT utilizes the occultation, or eclipses, of a cosmic source by the moon to take gamma ray "snapshots" of the universe beyond. It works best around airless planetary bodies like the moon.

"We will study supernovae by detecting and using their nuclear emissions," says Dr. Miller. "If accepted, LOX will be the first nuclear gamma-ray astrophysics mission in almost 20 years."

In 2016, Dr. Miller's group used data archived from the 1998-99 NASA Lunar Prospector mission with the LOT analysis to find the first high-energy astrophysical source ever detected from the moon, a well-known galactic x-ray source named Cygnus X-1 that is thought to include a black hole. That detection was part of proof-of-principle work for the technique.

"That gave us the confidence that we could move forward and propose a full-scale mission," he says, adding that the Lunar Prospector had a very small detector designed for studying the moon. The sole instrument on the LOX satellite will be significantly larger, exceeding 4,000 square centimeters in area, to provide much greater sensitivity for surveying the cosmos.

The goals of the mission are to provide a systematic survey of supernovae, to classify them, to examine the characteristics of their diversity and to understand their explosion processes.

"Of particular interest to me, the Lunar Occultation Technique is a brand-new avenue to doing high-energy astrophysics," Dr. Miller says.

The proposal's $237 million price tag covers design and construction of the satellite and instrument, as well as mission operating costs for a minimum of three years. Dr. Miller says it's a relative bargain compared to more complex traditional techniques designed to address the same science, which may require development of brand-new technologies.

The 10-university team includes nuclear astrophysicists, supernovae experts, simulation and modeling experts, planetary scientists and mission operations experts.
The number of predatory scientific journals has exploded in recent years. Credit: Shutterstock

For aficionados of bad science, the blog of University of Colorado librarian Jeffrey Beall was essential reading. Beall's blog charted the murky world of predatory and vanity academic publishers, many of which charge excessive fees for publishing papers or have dysfunctional peer review processes.

I've seen rubbish on chemtrails, alien life, climate, HIV-AIDS and vaccines appear in these (unintended) parodies of academic publications. Although, to be honest, they can be a guilty pleasure of sorts. Perhaps I'm like a film buff getting a kick out of Ed Wood's "Plan 9 from Outer space".

But recently all of the content on Beall's blog was wiped without any warning. While much of Beall's blog is archived, it had been charting the evolution of predatory academic publishing, including conferences and the purchasing of existing journals. With Beall's blog gone, it will become harder to keep track of the underbelly of academic publishing.

Changing face of scientific publishing

Traditionally, academic journals have been sustained via subscriptions, particularly those charged to academic libraries. Libraries would pick and choose which journals to subscribe to, in large part based on the requests of academics.

Subscriptions provided some incentive to maintain quality but also limited the readership of academic papers, effectively excluding the broader pubic (whose taxes often funded the research).

As the internet enabled the easy sharing of information, this is now extending to academic publications too. The "open access" model is increasingly popular, where authors are charged publication fees and the resulting papers are freely available online.

In principle, I like open access, as I believe science should be disseminated to the broadest audience possible. But there are perverse incentives. Will a publisher reject a manuscript that is manifestly rubbish, and forego the fees it would charge the author? In some cases the answer is "no".

Furthermore, the shift from printed journals to online publications has facilitated predatory and vanity academic publishers. Computers and websites have replaced printing presses and bound volumes. One publisher on Beall's list, Zant World Press, is run from a Melbourne suburban house.

Beall's blog charted the explosion of predatory publishers exploiting the open access model. His list grew from just 18 publishers in 2011 to 1,155 publishers in 2017!

I, along with many others, found Beall's list an incredibly useful resource. Suspicious scientific claims could often be traced back to journals associated with publishers on the list.

For example, in 2015 many newspapers printed claims that chocolate helped weight loss, but it was all a hoax, which included publishing a paper in the International Archives of Medicine, which was on Beall's list.

An archive of Bealls site maintains the most recent list of suspect journals.

I recently became aware of another prank, played at the expense of a predatory publisher. Astronomer Dominique Eckert submitted the joke paper "Get me off Your Fucking Mailing List" to IOSR journals. The paper consists of "get me off your fucking mailing list" repeated hundreds of times.

While one cannot fault the paper for clarity of expression, it isn't suitable for an academic journal. But less than a week after Eckert submitted the paper, it was accepted for publication. The "reviewers comments" were "quality of manuscript is good". Manuscript handling charges were US$75 (A$100).

Remarkably, this isn't the first time a predatory publisher has accepted "Get me off Your Fucking Mailing List". Peter Vamplew played the same prank in 2014.

Beall planned a post on Eckert's prank for Thursday January 12, 2017, but it never happened. By then, all the content was wiped from the blog.

Why this happened isn't yet clear. The University of Colorado says it was Beall's personal decision. However, Lacey Earle, who has been working with Beall, tweeted that Beall "was forced to shut down blog due to threats and politics".

@CabellsPublish stands behind close personal friend @Jeffrey_Beall who was forced to shut down blog due to threats & politics #academicmafia  Lacey E. Earle (@lacey_earle) January 17, 2017

Certainly there are many publishers and individuals who are no fan of Beall, and legal threats have been made in the past. Without a doubt, the blog has hurt some publishers' reputations and bottom lines.

Indeed, Beall's work certainly facilitated the US Federal Trade Commission charging OMICS Group with deceptive acts or practices in August 2016. OMICS has responded and described the allegations as "baseless".

Changing times

A few years ago, predatory publishing often consisted of websites with stock images and poor grammar. Sometimes journal "editors" were revealed to be identities stolen off the web.

But, increasingly, predatory publishers are running academic conferences in countries around the globe, including the US and Australia. Often the conferences do not live up to their hype, as Radio National's Hagar Cohen found when she attended an OMICS conference in Brisbane in 2015.

Predatory publishers are also buying existing journals in developed countries. Recently the Australasian Medical Journal's contact details shifted from Melbourne to London, and it now shares the postal address of iMedPub, an affiliate of OMICS.

Beall had been reporting this changing landscape of predatory publishing, and I suspect this is where the loss of his blog will have the greatest impact. That said, Beall's archived list will long remain a valuable resource. And perhaps most importantly, he made the community aware of the threat of predatory academic publishing.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
An employee of Russia's Institute of Plant Genetic Resources checks frozen seeds and grafts stored in metal vats in the institute's seed vault in Saint Petersburg

Stacked high beneath vaulted ceilings in a tsarist-era building, cabinets store the seeds of thousands of plant varieties, many long gone from their original areas of habitat or cultivation.

Staff in white lab coats carefully ensure other samples in the unique seed bank in Saint Petersburg are kept frozen so they are capable of germinating for 50 years.

The Russian institute, established a century ago by a visionary botanist Nikolai Vavilov, has preserved thousands of forgotten plants from the ravages of war and industrialisation.

With climate change, industrial agriculture and globalisation now posing new threats to the world's biodiversity, the role of the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources is more important than ever.

"In Europe, local varieties have been lost almost entirely due to World War II and industrialisation," the institute's director Nikolai Dzyubenko said during a visit last month.

"Local species that remained after the war were destroyed by more productive varieties imported from the United States."

"But thanks to our collection, the world still has a chance to rediscover the forgotten species."

The institute's collection of 345,000 varieties does not just include European grain crops but many more exotic plant species such as Ethiopian wheat, which disappeared following civil wars in the 1970s.

Russia's Institute of Plant Genetic Resources director Nikolai Dzyubenko speaking during an interview with AFP, with a portrait of Russia's botanist and geneticist Nikolai Vavilov seen on the wall, in Saint Petersburg

The government of Ethiopia later asked the Soviet Union to send seeds from samples collected during an expedition in 1930 by the institute's founder and was able to reintroduce the wheat in the country, said agronomist Igor Loskutov, who teaches at the institute.

Banned and arrested

Born in 1887, Vavilov was a botanist and one of Russia's first geneticists. He went on trips all over the world to visit centres of cultivation and added some 250,000 plant samples to the collection.

In the Joseph Stalin era, Vavilov and many other geneticists were prosecuted and their work banned as the Soviet leader supported a young agronomist Trofim Lysenko, whose ideas have since been discredited as pseudo-science.

Although internationally respected and head of the Soviet Agricultural Academy for six years, Vavilov was arrested in 1940 in a probe based on fabricated evidence that he was seeking to undermine Soviet agriculture.

He died of malnutrition in prison three years later and his name was erased from Soviet science until Stalin's successor Nikita Khrushchev, also a supporter of Lysenko, lost political power and Vavilov was rehabilitated under Leonid Brezhnev in the 1960s.

An enormous portrait of Vavilov now hangs proudly in the institute, while Russia's Institute of General Genetics in Moscow also bears his name.

The collection miraculously survived World War II and particularly the Siege of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), when starving scientists kept guard over the vast seed stocks to prevent them being eaten during food shortages.

Frozen seeds and grafts sit inside a metal vat at Russia's Institute of Plant Genetic Resources' seed vault in Saint Petersburg

'Chasing genes'

Eighty percent of the seeds in the collection are the only remaining samples of the varieties in the world.

In October, the institute sent 30 samples of lost varieties to agronomists in France.

In his most active years between 1921 and 1940, Vavilov headed expeditions to 64 countries to collect seeds from both wild and cultivated varieties of plants.

"He and his colleagues were literally chasing genes," said Loskutov.

"He wasn't interested in exotic plants, but in plant biodiversity, the local species. That is the main scientific significance of our collection."

Part of the seed collection now fills three rooms of a large building, which housed a government ministry prior to the 1917 Revolution and is now the institute's headquarters.

One room, measuring about 50 square metres (538 square feet), has the seeds stored in tiny metal boxes at room temperature, much as in Vavilov's time some 70 years ago.

Russia's Institute of Plant Genetic Resources, established a century ago by a visionary botanist Nikolai Vavilov, has preserved thousands of forgotten plants from the ravages of war and industrialisation

"It doesn't look very modern, but it's very secure," Loskutov said, of the towering antique wooden cabinets.

"The collection here does not depend on any electricity or equipment." Stored in such conditions, a seed can keep for no more than five or seven years.

Two other rooms contain seeds and grafts that are kept frozen in metal vats by employees in lab coats and warm hats. These can germinate for 50 years.

The seeds have to be regularly regenerated: every year, 10 percent of the collection's samples are planted at the institute's field stations around the country, including beyond the Arctic Circle, where its assortment of global potato varieties is kept.

After plants grow, new seeds are collected and restored in a never-ending process.

"Against all the odds, the scientists in the institute have maintained this collection until our time," said Loskutov, as he pointed to a gallery of portraits of the 28 employees who died of hunger during the Siege of Leningrad despite having access to the grain.

"They sacrificed their lives for this."

 2017 AFP
In this Sept. 2, 2016, file photo, a woman walks by an advertisement of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 smartphone at the company's showroom in Seoul, South Korea. Samsung Electronics said Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 it will announce the reason why its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones overheated and caught fire on Jan. 23. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

Samsung Electronics said Friday it will announce on Jan. 23 the reason why its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones overheated and caught fire.

The announcement will be livestreamed in Chinese, English and Korean on its websites. Koh Dong-jin, Samsung's mobile president, will give details of the probe.

The Galaxy Note 7 was a fiasco for the world's largest smartphone maker. Samsung recalled and eventually discontinued it after numerous reports of it overheating and bursting into flames.

Initially, Samsung said it found a small error in the manufacturing process for some of the batteries in the phones was to blame. It replaced the phones with a new battery but those replaced phones also overheated and caught fire, prompting Samsung to pull the phones from the market. That cost Samsung at least $5 billion.

The announcement comes after a South Korean court dismissed on Thursday a request by prosecutors to arrest Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong heir.

Lee, the conglomerate's heir and de facto head, is under investigation for alleged bribery in connection with an influence-peddling scandal that led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.

__

Links to websites for livestream:

In English: news.samsung.com/global

In Korean: news.samsung.com/kr

In Chinese: samsung.com/cn" target="_blank">www.samsung.com/cn

In this Sept. 11, 2016, file photo, powered-off Samsung Electronics Galaxy Note 7 smartphones are displayed at the company's service center in Seoul, South Korea. Samsung Electronics said Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 it will announce the reason why its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones overheated and caught fire on Jan. 23. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Cells that underwent cytokinesis failure caused by the blocking of ECT2 function, demonstrated by more than one nucleus in each cell. Credit: The Francis Crick Institute

A signalling factor called ECT2 is essential for cytokinesis - the physical process of cell division - to happen correctly.

Scientists have discovered that ECT2 needs to bind to the cell membrane to activate the signalling pathway that triggers cytokinesis. ECT2 also binds to the spindle midzone - a signalling hub in the middle of the cell - but the scientists were surprised to discover that this latter interaction is not crucial for cytokinesis to be carried out correctly.

Much of the research was carried out by Mark Petronczki and Kristyna Kotynkova while they were at Cancer Research UK's London Research Institute and the Francis Crick Institute. Kristyna, who is now at the Boston University School of Medicine in the USA, explains: "Cell division generates two daughter cells out of a single mother cell through the cell envelope folding in on itself to form a separate pouch at what's called the cleavage furrow. For each daughter cell to inherit the correct genetic information, the cleavage furrow has to occur at the middle of the cell, in between the separated masses of chromosomes."

She adds: "Cell division failure causes a doubling of the number of chromosomes per cell. Research suggests that this is a dangerous event that leads to further genetic instability and can trigger cancer. Doubling of genetic information is observed in some tumour cells in humans."

The scientists used optogenetics for their research - a new technique that uses light to activate various processes in a cell. They engineered cells to express different versions of ECT2 that could be controlled by illumination with blue light - meaning they could control cell division by light.

To investigate how cancer cells initiate the formation of the cleavage furrow and ensure its correct placement, the researchers studied a famous human cancer cell line called HeLa. Using these cells, they created a number of variants with different versions of ECT2 that could be directed to the cell envelope by the addition of a chemical or by illumination with blue light.

The team found that for cleavage furrow formation and cell division to occur, ECT2 has to associate with the cell envelope. There it triggers the switch that starts cleavage furrow formation. In cells where ECT2 did not associate with the cell envelope, cell division did not occur. This resulted in emerging cells undergoing a full duplication of chromosomes. However in cells where ECT2 did not associate with the spindle midzone, cytokinesis still happened correctly.

Dr Petronczki, who is now at Boehringer Ingelheim in Vienna, Austria says: "Understanding the mechanism and control of cell division in human cells allows us to understand how cells prevent the potentially deleterious consequences of cell division failure. Furthermore, finding a way to specifically block cell division in cancer cells but not in normal cells could pave the way for a safe and effective treatment of human cancers."

More information: Kristyna Kotynkova et al. Plasma Membrane Association but Not Midzone Recruitment of RhoGEF ECT2 Is Essential for Cytokinesis, Cell Reports (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.11.029 Journal information: Cell Reports
Drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman extradited from Mexico to US

Notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been extradited to the US, the Mexican governments announced on Thursday.
The STO2 first light spectrum at 1.9 THz. Credit: Delft University of Technology

The STO2 telescope with Dutch detectors on board that circled around the South Pole in December 2016 to investigate gas clouds between the stars landed safely on 30 December.

At an altitude of 39 kilometers the NASA telescope circled along with the polar vortex for a period of three weeks. During that time STO2 picked up as much radiation as possible at the frequencies of 1.4 and 1.9 THz to find ionized nitrogen (NII) and ionized carbon respectively (CII) in a part of our Milky Way. These substances indicate the process of star formation from dust and gas.

Measuring oxygen

The 4.7 THz detector that would measure neutral atomic oxygen (OI) also worked. However, something went wrong in the system for the local oscillator that had to generate the required reference signal of 4.7 THz. An electrical component needed for the communication between this local oscillator and ground control became overheated by the sun. OI reveals that a star is actually being born. This is an observation that astronomers are keen to obtain, especially if that observation is being done for the first time beyond the earth's atmosphere, as would have been possible with STO2.

STO2 project leader for SRON and TU Delft researcher Jian-Rong Gao and his team are indeed disappointed about the absence of the 4.7 THz observations but on the other hand they are extremely happy with the large quantity of data for the other two frequencies. After an initial hiccup in the orientation mechanism of the telescope, the collection of that data proceeded really well. "Once the rough data have been processed to reveal spectral lines for CII and NII then STO2 will have drastically expanded the area mapped so far for these substances."

Mission continues

STO2 was launched from Antarctica on 9 December 2016. The polar vortex also ensures that the balloon missions land again at a location that can be reached along the South Pole Traverse, a sort of Antarctic 'motorway' between the South Pole and McMurdo. When the cooling fluid for the superconducting detectors (liquid helium) had been used up and the data was safely downloaded to computers on earth, STO2 landed on the South Pole Transverse. The telescope was picked up on 10 January so that it could be brought back to McMurdo.

STO2 is an exploratory mission under the leadership of the University of Arizona for astronomy in these terahertz frequencies. On 24 January 2017, NASA will visit the University of Arizona to decide about GUSTO. This is also a balloon mission but with a longer duration (about 100 days) and with more effective instruments on board. For NII, CII and OI, GUSTO will have cameras with eight pixels that will once again be developed by SRON and Delft University of Technology.

The teams of professor Alexander Tielens (Leiden University) and professor Floris van der Tak (SRON/University of Groningen) will contribute to the scientific analysis of the observations.
Johnny Koo, Jared Buchanan, Han Lu Ling, Neeki Ashari, Srivaths Kalyan, and Tavish Traut. Credit: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications

Can beer be brewed on the moon? A team of UC San Diego engineering students is hoping to find out. They are finalists in the Lab2Moon competition being held by TeamIndus, one of the four teams with a signed launch contract to send a spacecraft to the moon as part of the Google Lunar XPRIZE challenge. The experiment will test the viability of yeast on the moonand result in a freshly brewed batch of beer.

Understanding how yeast behaves on the moon isn't just important for brewing beer in space. It's also important for the development of pharmaceuticals and yeast-containing foods, like bread.

The group of Jacobs School of Engineering undergraduates call themselves "Team Original Gravity." They are one of just 25 teams selected from a pool of 3,000 to compete for a spot aboard TeamIndus spacecraft, which is planned for launch on Dec. 28, 2017. If the team is selected, they will be the first to brew beer in space.

"The idea started out with a few laughs amongst a group of friends," said Neeki Ashari, a fifth year bioengineering student at UC San Diego and the team's PR & Operations Lead. "We all appreciate the craft of beer, and some of us own our own home-brewing kits. When we heard that there was an opportunity to design an experiment that would go up on India's moonlander, we thought we could combine our hobby with the competition by focusing on the viability of yeast in outer space."

The team designed a unique system to accomplish this task.

First, the experiment does not brew the "wort," or unfermented beer. Instead, all of the prep work required before yeast is added will be done on Earth, rather than in the experimentation vessel.

Secondly, rather than separating the "fermentation" and "carbonation" phases as would normally occur during the process of making beer, the team plans to combine them. This eliminates the need for releasing accumulated CO2, which can result in sanitation and safety issues. It also prevents the possibility of over-pressurization if anything in the system fails and makes the system easier to design.

Lastly, the testing of fermentation and yeast viability will be done via pressure, rather than using density measurements as done on Earth. This is because density measurements use gravity.

Credit: University of California - San Diego

"Converting the pressure buildup to fermentation progress is straightforward, as long as volume and original gravityspecific gravity before fermentation, hence our nameare known prior to the experiment," said Han Ling, a fifth year bioengineering undergraduate and the team's brewing lead.

Proposed experiments for the competition from all over the globe ranged from photosynthesis to electricity. They will be evaluated by an international jury in March when teams fly to Bangalore, India, to showcase their final prototype.

The spacecraft is owned by the Indian startup TeamIndus. The aerospace startup was one of four teams in the world to win a $1 million Milestone Prize for successfully simulating the landing technology concept of its spacecraft.

TeamIndus hopes to accelerate a human transition into a sustainable multi-planetary species. To that end, TeamIndus came up with a global challenge issued to students under age 25 to imagine, design and build a project to help accomplish that mission.

Siddhesh Naik, TeamIndus Ninja and mentor to Original Gravity said, "The yeast study is among the coolest experiments to be performed on the lunar surface, and I am sure they are one of the top contenders to win the Lab2Moon competition. Original Gravity is one of the most hardworking teams and very dedicated to their project."

If UC San Diego's Team Original Gravity is selected, not only will they be the first to brew beer in outer space, the students believe they'll be the first to brew beer in a fermentation vessel the size of a soda can.

"Our canister is designed based on actual fermenters," said Srivaths Kaylan, a fourth year nanoengineering major and mechanical lead for the team. "It contains three compartmentsthe top will be filled with the unfermented beer, and the second will contain the yeast. When the rover lands on the moon with our experiment, a valve will open between the two compartments, allowing the two to mix. When the yeast has done it's job, a second valve opens and the yeast sink to the bottom and separate from the now fermented beer."

When referring to the possibility of colonizing Mars, Ashari remarked, "It's going to happen, and soon."
A statement on the White House website, posted shortly after Donald Trump took the presidential oath of office January 20, 2017, said he was "committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan"

US President Donald Trump signaled a sharp break on energy and the environment policy Friday, announcing plans to undo climate policies and promote domestic energy development as part of his "America First" agenda.

A statement on the White House website, posted shortly after Trump took the oath of office, said he was "committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan" advocated by his predecessor Barack Obama.

Trump also will focus on removing hurdles to domestic energy development that he argues will make the US independent of foreign oil.

"The Trump Administration will embrace the shale oil and gas revolution to bring jobs and prosperity to millions of Americans," the statement said.

"President Trump is committed to achieving energy independence from the OPEC cartel and any nations hostile to our interests. At the same time, we will work with our Gulf allies to develop a positive energy relationship as part of our anti-terrorism strategy."

Trump also aims to "revive America's coal industry, which has been hurting for too long," the statement said.

The website makeover was part of the transition of power to the new administration.

During his two terms, Obama made the environment a cornerstone of his policies, including the landmark Paris climate agreement in December 2015 signed by nearly 200 countries, and policies to encourage renewable energy through actions to limit emissions and promote investment in new technology.

Trump during the campaign dismissed climate change as a "hoax" perpetrated by China. But since the election he and his cabinet designees have sent mixed signals on climate policies and the Paris accord.

The White House acknowledged that protecting the environment also was a priority and said the administration would "refocus" the Environmental Protection Agency on "its essential mission of protecting our air and water."

The statement drew sharp criticism from the environmental group Friends of the Earth.

"This is just the beginning. Trump has announced his intentions. If we let him get away with it, what's next? Gutting the EPA? Drilling for oil on our public lands in the Arctic?"

 2017 AFP
Credit: University of Reading

Climate change could hit insurers by making plane journeys bumpier, a University of Reading scientist has told an audience of leading insurers.

The Insurance Institute of London lecture at Lloyds of London on Wednesday 18 January, was attended by the City's leading insurance players including CEOs, managing directors, brokers, underwriters, and lawyers.

Atmospheric scientist Dr Paul Williams, a Royal Society University Research Fellow, told the audience in Lloyds' Old Library about the likelihood of increased turbulence and more extreme weather.

Research by Dr Williams has shown that planes travelling from Europe to North America could face an increased chance of hitting turbulence by as much as 170% later this century. This is because climate change will strengthen instabilities within the jet stream  a high-altitude wind blowing from west to east across the Atlantic Ocean. The turbulence could also be up to 40% stronger.

Diverting around the additional turbulence has the potential to lengthen journeys and increase fuel burn, which could add to ticket prices and also contribute to climate change, completing a vicious circle.

Dr Williams said: "The aviation industry is facing pressure to reduce its environmental impact, but our work has shown how aviation is itself susceptible to the effects of climate change.

Watch Dr Williams explain why turbulence could increase in this video. Credit: University of Reading

"Increased turbulence and flight times could have a knock-on effect on passengers and the aviation and insurance industries."

Dr Williams' work is part of a wider body of research by University of Reading experts into the interaction of aviation and atmospheric physics.

For example, research by Professor Keith shine and Dr Emma Irvine has shown that condensation trails, or contrails, formed behind aircraft flying at high altitude, can also add to global warming by adding to cloud cover, which prevents heat from escaping Earth's atmosphere.

Researchers at Reading have also been central to efforts to study the spread of volcanic ash in the upper atmosphere. Their work helped to aid the safe resumption of flights after the grounding of all UK air traffic following the eruption of a volcano in Iceland in April 2010.

Find out why flights to the US could take longer in this video.
Most people with pets consider their pets to be a part of their immediate family. The thought of being separated, even for a few days, from your dog or cat can be distressing. It can be even more upsetting if you have to leave your pet behind if you have to relocate to another country.

Fortunately, it is possible to take your pet with you wherever you are going. If you happen to be travelling to or from Singapore, there are several points that you must keep in mind regarding taking your pet with you. Here are some of the things that you need to know.

1. Tips for Entering Singapore: Is the breed allowed in Singapore?

The first step that you must take is to check that your pet is not on the banned list. The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), the government body responsible for ensuring the health and welfare of animals in the country, has issued a list of dog and cat breeds that are not allowed into Singapore. For example, pit bulls are not allowed. Certain cat breeds are also banned from entering the country.

It is also important for you to verify whether you will be allowed to keep your pet at your new residence. There are specific rules that govern the type and number of pets that you can keep at home in Singapore.

For instance, if you are living in a private residential property (as opposed to a Housing Development Board flat, where 80% of Singaporeans reside), you are allowed a maximum of three dogs. You should always check with your landlord or property manager if you are allowed to keep cats or other pets.

2. Check with the Airline

Each airline has its own set of rules regarding the transportation of pets. If you are flying Singapore Airlines, remember to verify the breed of your pets with the airlines list of animals which are not accepted for travel.

Singapore Airlines list is quite restrictive and the prohibited breeds include all types of terriers, boxers, pugs, and spaniels in addition to several other types of dogs. Not only that, many airlines permit you to transport your pet only as checked-in baggage. The weight of your dog and its container will not form part of your free baggage allowance. Be prepared to incur additional baggage fees.

Story continues

3. Comply with the Singapore Government Rules

The AVA has categorised countries according to their rabies risk status. Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom are listed in category A, under countries free from rabies. There are 13 countries in list B, which indicates that pets from these nations carry a negligible risk of rabies. Similarly, there are category C and category D countries. Different veterinary conditions will apply for pets from each of the four country categories.

You also need to determine the documentation requirements that you will have to fulfil and the procedures that you will have to follow to bring your pet into Singapore. A good place to start your preparations is to use AVAs Pet Import Requirement Calculator.

Simply key in your country of origin, the type of pet that you intend to bring into the country (your choice is restricted to a dog or a cat), the pets age, and your expected date of arrival in Singapore. The interactive tool will immediately provide you with the schedule of dates within which you should apply for a pet licence, the vaccination requirements that you need to comply with, and other useful information.

4. Quarantine Requirements

If you are bringing a pet from a country which is not rabies-free, you would need to quarantine your cat or your dog at the Sembawang Animal Quarantine Station (SAQS). Even pets from countries which are free from rabies may need to be quarantined if their veterinary certificates are not in order.

Quarantine space needs to be reserved at least three months before your pets arrival in Singapore. The quarantine facilities are extremely well organised and you have the choice of booking an air conditioned or a non-air conditioned stay for your pet. The quarantine period normally lasts for 10 to 30 days. During this time, you can visit your pet every day from Monday through Saturday.

5. Some precautions that you can take

Bringing your pet into Singapore from overseas is complicated. It is advisable to enquire about the procedures to be followed well before your travel date. A few issues that you need to keep in mind are:

Your pet will need a special cage for the flight into Singapore. Buy this as early as you can so that your pet gets used to it.

On the date of your departure for Singapore, reach the airport early. You will need extra time to complete the formalities.

It is essential that the paperwork regarding your pet is absolutely perfect. A single missing certificate can result in an extended quarantine period.

Keeping a dog in Singapore

While Singapore is a pet-friendly city, you need to follow the rules applicable to pet owners. It is mandatory to keep your dog on a leash when you are in a public place. There are also certain restrictions on taking your dog into restaurants. There are also a number of cost items that you need to be aware of, like putting in a microchip. To find out how much it costs to have a pet in Singapore, you can read our guide on the average cost of pets, which breaks down the major categories of pet-related spending areas.

Ultimately, pets are some of the best friends that a person can ever have. Although you will have to do a great deal of work to bring your pet into Singapore, the joy and companionship that a pet can provide make it well worth the effort.

The article 5 Tips for Expats Moving or Travelling To Singapore with Pets originally appeared on ValuePenguin.

ValuePenguin helps you find the most relevant information to optimise your personal finances. Like us on our Facebook page to keep up to date with our latest news and articles.

More From ValuePenguin:
Experts for developing infra for One Belt One Road

Experts have stressed on the need for developing required infrastructure in Nepal for effective implementation of the One Belt One Road (OBOR) framework envisioned by the Chinese government.
AFP News

Pope Francis warned the world is on the edge of a "delicate precipice" and buffeted by "winds of war" as he held inter-faith talks with one of Sunni Islam's top leaders in Bahrain on Friday. The 85-year-old Argentine decried the "opposing blocs" of East and West, a veiled reference to the standoff over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in a speech to religious leaders in the tiny Gulf state. "We continue to find ourselves on the brink of a delicate precipice and we do not want to fall," he told an audience including Bahrain's king and Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Cairo's prestigious Al-Azhar mosque. "A few potentates are caught up in a resolute struggle for partisan interests, reviving obsolete rhetoric, redesigning spheres of influence and opposing blocs," he added. "We appear to be witnessing a dramatic and childlike scenario: in the garden of humanity, instead of cultivating our surroundings, we are playing instead with fire, missiles and bombs." The pope's visit, aimed at strengthening relations with Islam, comes with the Ukraine war in its ninth month, and as tensions grow on the Korean peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who met Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in September, told journalists that there had been "a few small signs" of progress in negotiations with Moscow, warning that peace initiatives should not be "exploited for other goals". Francis, who is on his second visit to the wealthy Gulf, later met privately with al-Tayeb, with whom he signed a Muslim-Christian manifesto for peace in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. "This meeting has great symbolic importance, both locally and internationally, for promoting peace and peaceful co-existence between different religions and civilisations," said Hala Ramzi Fayez, a Christian and member of Bahrain's parliament. - Sunni, Shiite talks? - Leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics, Francis has placed inter-faith dialogue at the heart of his papacy, visiting other Muslim-majority countries including Egypt, Turkey and Iraq. Al-Tayeb, who met with the pope on previous Middle East visits, also called on Friday for talks between Islam's two main branches, Sunni and Shiite, to settle sectarian differences. Later, the pope addressed 17 members of the Muslim Council of Elders, an international group of Islamic scholars and dignitaries, at the mosque of the Sakhir Royal Palace. He told them dialogue was "the oxygen of peaceful coexistence". "In a world that is increasingly wounded and divided, that beneath the surface of globalisation senses anxiety and fear, the great religious traditions must be the heart that unites the members of the body," he said. He also struck out at the arms trade, a "commerce of death" that he said was "turning our common home into one great arsenal". The pope, who is using a wheelchair and a walking stick due to long-standing knee problems, began the first papal visit to Bahrain on Thursday by hitting out at the death penalty and urging respect for human rights and better conditions for workers. Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, Bahrain's minister of finance and national economy, insisted the country has "led the region" with its criminal justice reforms. "We have some of the most robust and wide-ranging human rights and criminal justice protections in the region," the minister told AFP on Friday. "There are very well-established channels through which any of these critics can go, well established institutions of accountability," he said, adding that the pope's comments on the death penalty did not single out Bahrain. "It is important to note that that reference... was a general reference to countries around the world," the minister said. Bahrain has executed six people since 2017, when it carried out its first execution in seven years. Some of the condemned were convicted following a 2011 uprising put down with military support from neighbouring Saudi Arabia. cmk-lar/par/ho/th/dwo
AFP News

Zhang Yao recalls the moment he realised something had gone deeply wrong at the Chinese mega-factory where he and hundreds of thousands of other workers assembled iPhones and other high-end electronics. In early October, supervisors suddenly warned him that 3,000 colleagues had been taken into quarantine after someone tested positive for Covid-19 at the factory. "They told us not to take our masks off," Zhang, speaking under a pseudonym for fear of retaliation, told AFP by telephone. What followed was a weeks-long ordeal including food shortages and the ever-present fear of infection, before he finally escaped on Tuesday. Zhang's employer, Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn, has said it faces a "protracted battle" against infections and imposed a "closed loop" bubble around its sprawling campus in central China's Zhengzhou city. Local authorities locked down the area surrounding the major Apple supplier's factory on Wednesday, but not before reports emerged of employees fleeing on foot and a lack of adequate medical care at the plant. China is the last major economy committed to a zero-Covid strategy, persisting with snap lockdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines in a bid to stamp out emerging outbreaks. But new variants have tested officials' ability to snuff out flare-ups and dragged down economic activity with the threat of sudden disruptions. - Desperation - Multiple workers have recounted scenes of chaos and increasing disorganisation at Foxconn's complex of workshops and dormitories, which form a city-within-a-city near Zhengzhou's airport. Zhang told AFP that "positive tests and double lines (on antigen tests) had become a common sight" in his workshop before he left. "Of course we were scared, it was so close to us." "People with fevers are not guaranteed to receive medicine," another Foxconn worker, a 30-year-old man who also asked to remain anonymous, told AFP. "We are drowning," he said. Those who decided to stop working were not offered meals at their dormitories, Zhang said, adding that some were able to survive on personal stockpiles of instant noodles. Kai, a worker at in the complex who gave an interview to state-owned Sanlian Lifeweek, told the magazine Foxconn's "closed loop" involved cordoning off paths between dormitory compounds and the factory, and complained he was left to his own devices after being thrown in quarantine. TikTok videos geolocated by AFP showed mounds of uncollected rubbish outside buildings in late October, while employees in N95 masks squeezed onto packed shuttle buses taking them from dormitories to their work stations. A 27-year-old woman working at Foxconn, who asked not to be named, told AFP a roommate who tested positive for Covid was sent back to her dormitory on Thursday morning, crying, after she decided to hand in her notice while in quarantine. "Now the three of us are living in the same room: one a confirmed case and two of us testing positive on the rapid test, still waiting for our nucleic acid test results," the worker told AFP. Many became so desperate by the end of last month that they attempted to walk back to their hometowns to get around Covid transport curbs. As videos of people dragging their suitcases down motorways and struggling up hills spread on Chinese social media, the authorities rushed in to do damage control. The Zhengzhou city government on Sunday said it had arranged for special buses to take employees back to their hometowns. Surrounding Henan province has officially reported a spike of more than 600 Covid cases since the start of this week. - Distrust - When Zhang finally attempted to leave the Foxconn campus on Tuesday, he found the company had set up obstacle after obstacle. "There were people with loudspeakers advertising the latest Foxconn policy, saying that each day there would be a 400 yuan ($55) bonus," Zhang told AFP. A crowd of employees gathered at a pick-up point in front of empty buses but were not let on. People in hazmat suits, known colloquially as "big whites" in China, claimed they had been sent by the city government. "They tried to persuade people to stay in Zhengzhou... and avoid going home," Zhang said. "But when we asked to see their work ID, they had nothing to show us, so we suspected they were actually from Foxconn." Foxconn pointed to the local government's lockdown orders from Wednesday when asked by AFP if it attempted to stop employees from leaving, without giving any further response. The company had on Sunday said it was "providing employees with complimentary three meals a day" and cooperating with the government to provide transport home. Eventually, the crowd of unhappy workers who had gathered decided to take matters into their own hands and walked over seven kilometres on foot to the nearest highway entry ramp. There, more people claiming to be government officials pleaded with the employees to wait for the bus. The crowd had no choice as the road was blocked. Buses eventually arrived at five in the afternoon -- nearly nine hours after Zhang had begun his attempt to secure transport. "They were trying to grind us down," he said. Back in his hometown, Zhang is now waiting out the home quarantine period required by the local government. "All I feel is, I've finally left Zhengzhou," he told AFP. bur-tjx/oho/je/mca/cwl
AFP News

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was recovering in hospital Friday after a gunman shot him in the leg, with his supporters vowing the assassination attempt will not derail his "long march" bid to return to power. The attack on his convoy, apparently by a lone gunman, killed one man and wounded at least 10, significantly raising the stakes in a political crisis that has gripped the South Asian nation since Khan's ousting in April. Khan "was stable and he was doing fine" at Shaukat Khanum hospital in the eastern city of Lahore, his doctor Faisal Sultan told AFP Friday. Seemi Bokhari, a lawmaker with Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, said after visiting Khan the former premier was in high spirits. "The doctors are allowing him to move ... He is feeling perfectly well and he will soon be discharged," she told AFP. The 70-year-old former international cricket star had been leading a campaign convoy of thousands since last week from Lahore to the capital Islamabad when he was attacked. Khan suffered at least one bullet wound to his right leg when a gunmen sprayed pistol fire at his modified container truck as it drove slowly through a thick crowd in Wazirabad, around 170 kilometres (105 miles) east of Islamabad. "Everyone who was standing in the very front row got hit," former information minister Fawad Chaudhry, who was standing behind Khan, told AFP. Senior aide Raoof Hasan said it was "an attempt to kill him, to assassinate him". Chaudhry said party officials would meet later Friday to discuss the immediate fate of Khan's campaign march. "The real freedom long march will continue and the movement for people's rights will remain until an announcement on the general elections," he tweeted. - Threats - Party officials also called for supporters to stage rallies and marches across the country after Friday afternoon prayers, the most important of the week. Protesters lit fires and blocked roads in several cities late Thursday as news of Khan's shooting spread. His campaign truck has become a crime scene for now, cordoned off and guarded by commandos as forensic experts comb the area. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Thursday the attacker had been taken into custody. Officials shared an apparent confession video that was circulating online. "I did it because (Khan) was misleading the public," says a dishevelled man in the leaked video, shown with his hands tied behind his back in what appears to be a police station. He says he was angry with the procession for making a racket during the call to prayer that summons Muslims to the mosque five times a day. Pervaiz Elahi, the chief minister of Punjab, said officers who leaked the video would be disciplined. Pakistan has been grappling with Islamist militancy for decades, with right-wing religious groups having huge sway over the population. It has been no stranger to assassination attempts during decades of political instability, and the powerful military has led the country several times. Pakistan's first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, was shot dead at a rally in Rawalpindi in 1951. Another former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, was killed in 2007 when a huge bomb detonated near her vehicle as she greeted supporters in the city of Rawalpindi. - Kicked from power - Khan was booted from office in April by a no-confidence vote after defections by some of his coalition partners, but he retains huge support. He was voted into power in 2018 on an anti-corruption platform by an electorate tired of dynastic politics, but his mishandling of the economy -- and falling out with a military accused of helping his rise -- sealed his fate. Since then, he has railed against the establishment and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government, which he says was imposed on Pakistan by a "conspiracy" involving the United States. Khan and Shehbaz have for months traded bitter accusations of corruption and incompetence, raising the political temperature in a nation that is frequently at boiling point. Khan has repeatedly told supporters he was prepared to die for the country, and aides have long warned of unspecified threats made on his life. The attack drew international condemnation including from the United States, which had uneasy relations with Khan when he was in power. "Violence has no place in politics, and we call on all parties to refrain from violence, harassment and intimidation," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. sjd/fox/ecl/pbt/dhc
Enjoy a dope broadcast from the streets and parks of Edinburgh here courtesy of Jamal Junior , featuring George Horler, Cameron Lenton, Miles Kondracki, Chris Nwufoh, Kieran Menzies, Marcus Denome and JJ Jabbar.

The Cirencester Skatepark Scratch and Skate Jam 2018, organised by Decimal Skateshop, can now be seen courtesy of James Harris' lens.

Power moves from Bromley here as Blast Skates welcomes Joe Howard to the team with two minutes of RWTB assisted DIY quarterpipe shredding.

Here are our favourite shots from the #CanonFirsts competition, including the two winners

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.
Rob Selley  Skate Crates  Episode 4  UK Montage

Bobby Gs Skate Crates return for episode 4 featuring a grip of UK heads skating spots all over the country (plus a little bit of DC Embassy footage too).

Collected on his travels around the UK, Rob Selley has pointed his camera at some of the UKs best including Eddie Belvedere, James Bush, Charlie Munro, Andy Evans and the currently MIA Jack Edwards to name but a few.

Fire up the kettle and enjoy 5 minutes of grass-roots ripping courtesy of the MK Don himself.

Peep the rest of Rob Selleys Crates here and the entire back catalogue of Skate Crates episodes here.
Anti-dumping levy on Nepali jute items: India positive about plea to scrap duties

The Indian government has said it will look positively at Nepals request to waive anti-dumping and countervailing duties on its jute products.
As of 2020 in the United States, there are 24.8 million self-employed individuals. Another 6 million self-employed owners have small businesses that employ other people. Obviously, we Americans love being our own boss.

This article will supply you with a framework to decide whether self-employment is right for you, including the advantages, disadvantages, tax implications, and more.

What is Self Employment?

The common definition of self-employment is that you work for yourself, full-time or part-time. You earn money from customers or clients who pay you, instead of earning wages or salary from an employer.

The Internal Revenue Services definition of self-employed is that you carry on a trade or business as a sole proprietor or independent contractor. The IRS also considers you self-employed if you are a partner in a business partnership, or if you are otherwise in business for yourself.

What are the Types of Self-Employment?

The IRS expressly includes a worker in the gig economy among the types of self-employment. Gig workers include Uber or Lyft drivers, delivery persons using platforms like DoorDash, freelancers on digital platforms like Fiverr or Upwork, as well as those who sell crafts and handmade items on marketplaces like Etsy.

Other terms used to describe self-employed roles include independent contractors, entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Specific types of self-employment include hairstyling, social media consulting, personal training, handyman, landscaper and cleaning services. But you are not limited to providing a service. A self-employed individual might manufacture a product, develop software, sell real estate, manage investments, be a copywriter, sell in retail, or be involved in thousands of industries. See more types in our list of self-employed jobs.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Self-Employment

The advantages of self-employment include independence, autonomy and flexibility:

You are in charge and make all decisions.

You establish your own hours and workplace.

Your earnings opportunity is limited only by your ability and performance.

The disadvantages of self-employment include risks and uncertainties:

Your earnings may fluctuate.

You are responsible for acquiring new clients or customers and generating all revenues.

Tax compliance is more complex. You must pay the self-employment tax (i.e., the full social security and medicare tax). It is essential to keep accurate records.

How Do I Qualify to Be Self-Employed?

Anyone in the United States can be self-employed. The only criteria are your own skills and desires.

Its a good idea to make sure working for yourself is a good fit for your personality and circumstances, by asking these questions:

Am I enough of a self-starter to seek out customers and revenue on my own?

Am I willing to do whatever it takes, including emptying the trash and keeping the books?

Can my family and I live without a steady paycheck, knowing my income may be uncertain at first?

You may answer yes to each question but still feel uncertain. Thats normal. Most people recognize they are taking a risk. But they are motivated enough to try.

Benefits of Self-Employment

Self-employed individuals enjoy many intangible benefits including independence and flexibility. However, when you work for yourself you do not get fringe benefits such as paid sick leave, disability insurance and health insurance  unless you purchase them out of your own pocket. You can deduct the cost of paying for health insurance premiums for you and your dependents.

Can You Be Employed and Self-Employed at the Same Time?

Yes. Many people are employees in jobs and also operate part-time or side businesses. If this describes you, your income is reported in two different ways for tax purposes.

For employee income from a job, your employer will issue W-2 forms showing your earnings and withholding amounts. Your employer withholds income tax, Social Security and Medicare tax, and any benefit contributions.

For self-employed income, you will have to track and report income yourself. You are also responsible for paying estimated quarterly taxes and self-employment tax (i.e., Social Security and Medicare tax).

Business Structures for the Self Employed

There are five common types of legal structures for self-employed business owners, and each has tax implications:

1. Sole Proprietorship: Most freelancers, gig workers and other self-employed are unincorporated sole proprietors and report income tax on their personal tax returns by attaching Schedule C showing net earnings from a trade or business.

2. Limited Liability Company: A self-employed person can form an LLC to limit liability. LLC income and expenses are typically reported on Schedule C.

3. C-corp or C-Corporation: A corporation is a separate entity subject to corporate tax rates.

4. Partnerships: Partners may include spouses who operate a business together, regardless of whether they have a formal partnership agreement.

5. S-corp: An S-corp is a tax election with the IRS. It enables you to treat earnings from a corporation or LLC as pass-through income on individual tax returns. Subchapter S provides owners with special tax advantages.

Read more: Business Structure Tax Comparison.

Self-Employment Tax Filing Requirements

A self-employed person has several tax obligations including the requirement to:

File a Federal tax return each year reporting net earnings, and pay all taxes due.

Pay self-employment tax, which the IRS defines as Social Security and Medicare taxes, on net earnings. The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%, of which 12.4% goes toward Social Security and 2.9% toward Medicare taxes. A self-employed person must pay both the employer and employee portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. You figure self-employment tax using Schedule SE.

Pay estimated tax payments quarterly. Calculate estimated tax amounts carefully, as there are penalties for underpaying.

File state and local tax returns, if applicable.

A self-employed individual often can write off business expenses as small business tax deductions. However, you must keep detailed records to substantiate expenses.

See Also: Ranking Democrat Calls for Relief from Tax Burden on Small Business

How Do the Self-Employed File Taxes?

To file their Federal taxes, sole proprietors and most LLCs will complete Form 1040, Individual Tax Return.  Include Schedule C Profit or Loss From Business to report expenses and net earnings from a trade or business. Also, Schedule SE is used to figure the self-employment tax to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes.

Partnerships must include Form 1065, U.S. Return Of Partnership Income.

Corporations file Form 1120, U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return. Taxpayers that have elected Subchapter S status, must file Form 1120S, U.S. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation.

If you own a business that has employees, you must also submit IRS Form 940, Employers Annual Federal Unemployment Tax Return. Also, include IRS Form 941, Employers Quarterly Federal Tax Return.

Hobby vs Business?

For tax purposes, its important to distinguish between a self-employed business and a hobby (what the IRS calls a not-for-profit activity). If it is a hobby, you cannot use losses from it to offset income on your taxes. The IRS looks at several factors to determine if an activity is a business and not a hobby, including whether you:

operate in a businesslike manner,

depend on the income for your livelihood,

make a profit in 3 out of 5 years.

See the full hobby vs. business test outlined in IRS Publication 535. 4

Is an Independent Contractor Self Employed?

If your business hires others to perform work, carefully assess whether to treat any such person as an independent contractor versus an employee. By definition an independent contractor is not an employee. But the individual must meet the IRSs test to be considered an independent contractor. The test is based on the degree of control you have, the financial arrangements and the type of relationship.

If your worker meets the independent contractor test, that person must pay their own self-employment tax. For tax reporting purposes, you provide a Form 1099 instead of a W2 to independent contractors. You do not withhold social security or other taxes for independent contractors.

Do I Need to Register as Self Employed?

In the United States you do not need to register. However, you may need a license depending on your industry and location. For instance, many consumer-facing businesses such as food preparation or pest control require licenses or permits. Check with your municipality, county or state.

In conclusion, theres a lot to consider to become self-employed. If you are someone frustrated with cubicle life, working for yourself may give you more autonomy. Remember, though, as a business owner you ultimately answer to customers or clients and must satisfy them.

Information Sources

IRS. Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center

IRS. Gig Economy Tax Center

IRS. Publication 535
This site focuses on Republican politicians and conservatives that rip off their constituency. We have the Tea Party, fundamentalist churches, the corruption of ALEC and other special interests groups. But the site also supports progressive Democrats and the local Democratic Socialist of America. We must have ideas on how to replace regressive and corrupt politicians with something better. For comments steveotto2001@yahoo.com or ottozero2001@yahoo.com.
Uber settled with the FTC for $20 million. Source: Reuters

Led by Uber, the gig economy has emerged in the past few years, advertised as an easy way to earn a little extra money. Along with Airbnb, TaskRabbit, Lyft and others, these companies provide platforms for people to sell their time, cars, or apartments on their time without the scheduling restraints of part-time jobor human boss to deal with.

Unfortunately, the modern future of work was not as rosy as it appeared in the marketing materials and ad campaigns. On Thursday, the Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement with Uber for $20 million in response to charges that the company had made exaggerated claims for how much drivers would earn.

For New York City, ad campaigns trumpeted median full-time earnings of over $90,000. Less than 10% of drivers in New York and San Francisco earned that much. The real median was $61,000$29,000, or 67%, less than claimed, the FTC says.

The FTC also charged that Uber misled drivers on its car-financing options; the ride-sharing company touted leasing and purchase payments of $7,280 a year, while they actually came to be around $10,400.

Driver advocates welcomed the news. The reality of being a ridesharing driver is a far cry from the rosy picture these apps describe and it is encouraging to see the FTC take them to task and refund drivers, said Jim Conigliaro, Jr, the Independent Drivers Guild founder, in a statement.

In an email to Yahoo Finance, an Uber spokesperson said that it is pleased with the settlement. Weve made many improvements to the driver experience over the last year and will continue to focus on ensuring that Uber is the best option for anyone looking to earn money on their own schedule. Ubers monthly driver numbers are not public, but are currently rumored to be on the order of magnitude of half a million.

A $61,000 Uber salary is not a typical $61,000 salary from a full-time job. After taxes, car payments, maintenance, unpaid sick days, and car and health insurance, the total take-home is significantly diminished. And if and when the company perfects its self-driving car fleet and cuts drivers off from the gig economy, it will get tougher to make payments.

Story continues

Cracks in the gig economy

Ubers settlement, with the acknowledgement to not make false claims to drivers, corroborates a growing sense that the gig economy may not be quite the path to extra money that it seemed. It follows an extensive report about Airbnb from Macquarie Research that showed how the business seems to be migrating toward professionals or people with two dwellings, not regular people looking for a little more cash.

According to the report, a whopping 47% of Airbnb listings are for full apartments and over 60% of listings are available over 270 days or more. Furthermore, around a quarter of all listings are by hosts with more than one listing. This suggests users arent just renting out a spare room, or filling their apartment when theyre out of town.

This recent information casts a harsh light on the two biggest gig economy companies, which have been dominating their industries, allowing people to earn money with flexible work.

For Uber, what will be passed along to the workforce may dwindle significantly should the companys self-driving projects succeed. At the very least, the labor will likely get even more devalued. Though it will continue to succeed as a juggernaut in the taxi and limousine spaces, it may leave its jobs behind.

However, one facet of the gig economy has been a success. According to a report from last February from the JPMorgan Chase Institute, labor platforms like Uber and TaskRabbit have helped people weather economic shocks like losing a job. However, if workers dont find a new one and become a full-time worker on the platform, they may face difficulties such as irregular hours and a lack of benefits, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes. On top of all that, the imminent repeal of part or all of the Affordable Care Act will likely compound these issues of meager or non-existent benefits.

Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance focusing on consumer issues, tech, and personal finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann.

Read more:

Bipartisan Committee: Killing Obamacare would cost $350 billion

Heres who Donald Trump follows on Twitter  and who he has unfollowed

Robots will kill jobs and make inequality worse

Those brutally small airplane seats may soon be a thing of the past
"See you soon."

After 22 years as one of Africas most volatile autocrats, Gambian president Yahyah Jammeh managed to hang on to power for an extra 42 hours after the end of his term. But around 6pm local time today (Jan.20), the defeated president finally agreed to step down. It followed days of negotiations, defections from his own cabinet, and the presence of Senegalese troops in the country.

According to incoming president Adama Barrow, who defeated Jammeh at the polls in December, Jammeh has agreed to cede power and go into exile. Barrow, who was inaugurated at the Gambian embassy in Senegal yesterday, will now be able to enter the country and take up the presidency.

I would like to inform you that Yaya Jammeh agreed to relinquish power and leave the country.  Adama Barrow (@BarrowOfficial1) January 20, 2017

The peaceful end of the political crisis in the small West African country marks a win against the more common sight of stubborn African leaders refusing to cede power.

Jammeh, 51, who had initially conceded the presidential election to Barrow on live television, began calling for new elections last month after the incoming government threatened to prosecute him for crimes against the country. The eccentric leader, who once claimed to have cured AIDS with herbs and promised to quit the International Criminal Court, was known for imprisoning and torturing his opponents or engineering their disappearances.

In the month and a half that followed, regional leaders scrambled to find a political solution to the impasse, flying to Banjul to negotiate with Jammeh, and raising the possibility of asylum outside of the country. On the last day of Jammehs term, Jan 18, the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) gave the president until midnight to leave. ECOWAS troops massed on the Gambian border. The African Union said that they would stop recognizing him as the president as of the next day.

Story continues

"No more dictatorship."

No more dictatorship.

Still, Jammeh resisted, prompting an estimated 45,000 Gambians to flee the country to Senegal out of fear of violence. Thousands of tourists also left. After Barrows inauguration, Gambians took to the streets, cheering and chanting, New Gambia. Senegalese troops entered the country in preparation for removing Jammeh, who dug his heels in further, dissolving his cabinet and pledging to manage the government himself.

Today, after missing another deadline at noon Jammeh, asked for more time. Final talks with Jammeh were led by Alpha Conde and Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, presidents of Guinea and Mauritania. Further tipping the balance against him, the chief of defense forces, Ousman Badjie declared allegiance for Barrow. After preparations were made the Banjul airport, possibly for the departure of Conde and Aziz, Barrow announced on social media that Jammeh had agreed to step down. A senior advisor to Jammeh confirmed the statement, according to Reuters.

Gambians who had heard the news were hesitant to celebrate, given Jammehs history of erratic behavior. Lamin Ceesay, a former police officer in Banjul and radio host who has been following the crisis closely told Quartz, I am not sure that he will leave, until he is gone, because he is unpredictable.

Sign up for the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief  the most important and interesting news from across the continent, in your inbox.

Sign up for the Quartz Daily Brief, our free daily newsletter with the worlds most important and interesting news.

More stories from Quartz:
MOSCOW, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft has started oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, expanding its exposure to global markets after recent acquisitions, three industry sources told Reuters on Friday.

Rosneft declined immediate comment.

Rosneft is supplying the oil via Glencore (Frankfurt: 8GC.F - news) , the sources said.

Glencore is now a Rosneft shareholder after it together with a Qatari fund acquired 19.5 percent in the Kremlin (IOB: 0Q8D.IL - news) -controlled producer recently.

Trading sources told Reuters that Rosneft will supply 80,000 tonnes of oil via the route to each of the countries this month, while supplies will total 500,000 tonnes in January - March. (Reporting by Olga Yagova; Writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Alexander Winning)
Soldiers roll back the red carpet near a parked Gambian Presidential aircraft on the tarmac of Banjul's airport Friday Jan. 20, 2016. The leaders of Guinea and Mauritania have arrived in Gambia's capital in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to get defeated President Yahya Jammeh to cede power to Adama Barrow who was sworn in as Gambian President Thursday. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

BANJUL, Gambia (AP) -- Gambia's defeated leader Yahya Jammeh announced early Saturday he has decided to relinquish power, after hours of last-ditch talks with regional leaders and the threat by a regional military force to make him leave.

"I believe it is not necessary that a single drop of blood be shed," Jammeh said in a brief statement on state television. He promised that "all the issues we currently face will be resolved peacefully."

He did not give details on any deal that was struck, and it was not immediately clear when Adama Barrow, who beat Jammeh in last month's election, would return from neighboring Senegal to take power.

But the speech signaled an end to the political crisis that has seen this tiny West African nation caught between two men claiming to be in charge. Late Friday, Barrow declared that "the rule of fear" in Gambia had ended.

Shortly before Jammeh's address, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz told reporters that a deal had been reached and that Jammeh would leave the country. He and Guinean President Alpha Conde had handled the talks.

A State House official close to the situation said Jammeh would leave within three days, possibly on Saturday with Conde, who was spending the night in Gambia's capital, Banjul. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak about the situation to press.

The famously mercurial Jammeh at first shocked Gambians by conceding his election loss to Barrow, but with the possibility of prosecution hanging over him for human rights abuses alleged during his 22 years in power, he decided to change his mind. Barrow was inaugurated Thursday at Gambia's embassy in Senegal because of concerns for his safety.

The defeated Gambian leader, who first seized power in a 1994 coup, has been holed up this week in his official residence in Banjul, increasingly isolated as his security forces abandoned him and he dissolved his Cabinet.

Defense forces chief Ousmane Badjie on Friday told The Associated Press that Gambia's security services now support Barrow and would not oppose the regional force that was ready to move against Jammeh if he refused to step down.

Story continues

"You cannot push us to war for an issue we can solve politically," Badjie said. "We don't see any reason to fight."

The force, including tanks, had rolled into Gambia without facing any resistance, said Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS. At least 20 military vehicles were seen Friday at the border town of Karang.

The force included troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Mali, and they moved in after Barrow's inauguration and a unanimous vote by the U.N. Security Council to support the regional efforts.

Fearing violence, about 45,000 people have fled Gambia for Senegal, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

Jammeh earlier had agreed to step down but demanded amnesty for any crimes he may have committed while in power and wanted to stay in Gambia, in his home village of Kanilai, de Souza said Friday. Those demands were not acceptable to ECOWAS, he added.

In his address early Saturday, Jammeh expressed "infinite gratitude to all Gambians" and said not a single person had been killed during the political crisis. "Our decision today was not dictated by anything else but by you, the supreme interest of our Gambian people, and our dear country."

Even before Jammeh's address, some of Gambia's diplomatic missions began switching their allegiance to Barrow, while a growing number of African nations announced they no longer recognized Jammeh.

"We embrace and support the new president Adama Barrow," said Almamy Kassama, an official at the Gambian mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in an email.

Banjul remained peaceful as the political crisis played out. Senegalese radio station RFM reported 30 Gambian soldiers had crossed into Senegal to join the regional forces.

Soldiers at checkpoints in Banjul appeared relaxed Friday, with one telling visitors, "Welcome to the smiling coast."

Late Friday, Barrow addressed members of Gambia's diaspora and urged them to return home and rebuild their lives. "I wish to congratulate all of you and welcome you to the new Gambia," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Babacar Dione and Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal; Elias Meseret in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Cara Anna in Johannesburg contributed.
The Iceberg could a quarter of the size of Wales (Rex)

A giant iceberg that is a quarter of the size of Wales looks set to emerge after a crack in an Antarctic ice shelf continued to spread.

The fissure in the Larsen C Ice Shelf has grown a further 10km since January 1, say researchers, and now extends for some 175 km.

If it grows just another 20km further, an iceberg one quarter the size of Wales will emerge, say a team of scientists at Swansea and Aberystwyth universities, and the British Antarctic Survey.

It will also make it one of the largest ever recorded icebergs.

MORE: Britains dumbest crook is caught

MORE: First direct train from China to UK completes 18 day journey

The team are able to track the emerging iceberg, which is some 5,000 sq km, thanks to Europes Sentinel-1 satellite system.

It is still not known when the iceberg will break off.

The rift tip has just entered a new area of softer ice, which will slow its progress, Professor Adrian Luckman from Swansea University told the BBC.

Although you might expect any extension to hasten the point of calving, it actually remains impossible to predict when it will break because the fracture process is so complex.

It could end up being one of the biggest bergs ever recorded (Rex)

My feeling is that this new development suggests something will happen within weeks to months, but there is an outside chance that further growth will be slow for longer than that.

Sometimes rift growth is triggered by ocean swell originating elsewhere, which is also hard to predict.
TOKYO (Reuters) - Several hundred people, most of them expatriate Americans, held a protest on Friday in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, hours before his inauguration in Washington. Some people held up electric candles and others carried placards reading "Love Trumps Hate" and "Women's Rights Are Human Rights", as they marched along a downtown street. "Trump presidency gets my blood boiling ... Everything we value could be gone. It's time to speak your mind and concerns and to do our best to salvage the values we cherish in America," said Bill Scholer, an art teacher. "I grew up in the 1960s, and it feels like we are going backwards, and am very worried that we will lose all of the advances we have made over these years," said Holly Thompson, a writer. Women's rights activists plan protests in various Asian cities on Saturday. In the Philippines earlier on Friday, about 200 demonstrators from a Philippine nationalist group rallied for about an hour against Trump outside the U.S. embassy in Manila. Some held up signs demanding U.S. troops leave the Philippines while others set fire to a paper U.S. flag bearing a picture of Trump's face. Trump's presidency is being viewed with caution in some parts of Asia. He alarmed China by breaking with decades of precedent last month by taking a congratulatory telephone call from Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and objects to countries interacting with it as a violation of Beijing's "one-China" principle. Trump has even raised questions about the U.S. position on the principle. Trump has also criticised China's trade practices and threatened to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese imports. He has also said he would kill an ambitious Asia-Pacific trade pact, raising questions about the prospects for globalisation and free trade. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takeaka; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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)
Indonesian envoy calls on PM Dahal

Indonesian Ambassador to India Iwan Wiranata-atmadja, who is also accredited to look after Nepal, paid a farewell call on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Tommy Solazzo, 18, was on his way to Sandia High School early Wednesday when he passed ambulances, crime tape and police cruisers at the scene of a crash.

Later in the day, when he hadnt heard from his girlfriend, he started to get worried.

He started hearing that a teenage girl had been involved in that crash.

As he frantically started making calls, his fears were confirmed.

His girlfriend, 14-year-old Shaylee Boling, a freshman at Sandia, had been killed when police say two suspects fleeing in a stolen van crashed into her mothers car as she was taking her to school.

They (her family) told me the news, even though I already kind of knew, Solazzo said. I havent been able to stop crying, Ive been waking up off and on all night.

Shaylees mother was rushed to the hospital, where she remains in critical condition. Shaylees 3-year-old brother, who was in the back seat, suffered a broken leg.

Flanked by his friends at a memorial that had sprung up at the crash site on Chelwood Park and Copper NE Thursday afternoon, Solazzo said he wants to remember Shaylee for her kindness towards everyone, her beauty and the way she comforted people who had been bullied.

He said he is close to Shaylees family, who said he could speak for them about her. Shaylee was talented and smart, and would try to help people even if she didnt know them.

Solazzo, who has been accepted into the University of California in Los Angeles and plans to join the Air Force, said he and Shaylee met six months ago at school, and both loved playing video games.

Facebook photos show the two together, one with the line: Today was pretty amazing with my love, right after they announced their relationship.

Shaylee also had an amazing voice, and sang mezzo-soprano as a first-year member of Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera, according to Daniel Zillmann, a spokesman for the opera.

Shaylee was a remarkable young woman, very caring, always supportive of the other students in the program, and immensely talented, Kathleen Clawson, the director of Young Voices, said in a statement.

Solazzo said that after he got the news of the crash, he rushed to University of New Mexico Hospital to be with her family.

They told him Shaylee, her mother and younger brother were on their way from their home in the foothills to stop by her grandparents house before school.

Thats when police say two suspects in a stolen contractors van smashed into their car after fleeing from a traffic stop. Officers had earlier tried to pull over the van after it had been reported stolen from in front of a home nearby, according to Fred Duran, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department.

He said by the time officers arrived at the scene of the crash, the suspects, a man and a woman, had fled on foot. He said the two are likely to be charged with vehicular homicide, but had not been found or identified as of Thursday evening.

We are still asking for the publics help to solve this case, Duran said.

On Thursday, Duran identified Shaylee Boling as the victim who died but did not identify her mother or brother.

Solazzo said he hopes the suspects are found quickly and held accountable for Shaylees death.

I hope they get the worst consequences possible, he said. My girlfriend did not deserve that at all. She was too young to die. She had the brightest future possible.

Solazzo said he is spending time at the hospital with Shaylees father and the rest of her family as her mother remains on life-support. He said the family is raising money through GoFundMe for the funeral.

I want everyone to remember her presence, Solazzo said. To remember her in every way possible and what an amazing person she was.

Tips

Police ask anyone with information about the suspects to call CrimeStoppers at 843-STOP
NEW YORK  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 worlds 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.

Mexicos 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 Obamas administration and a day before Republican Donald Trumps 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.

Guzman, whos 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 Guzmans 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.

Guzmans 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 didnt even notify us, lawyer Andres Granados said. They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike. Its 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 Mexicos 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 Penns 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 DEAs Special Operations Division until his retirement in mid-2014, said the timing of Guzmans extradition less than 24 hours ahead of Trumps 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.
PROVIDENCE, R.I.  A lawmaker in Rhode Island wants to prevent presidential candidates from appearing on the states ballot unless they release their tax returns.

State Sen. Gayle Goldin, a Providence Democrat, says shell submit a bill this week to require presidential candidates to release five years of federal tax returns to qualify for the ballot.

Similar proposals are circulating in Massachusetts, California, New Mexico, Hawaii and the District of Columbia.

Lawmakers are responding to President-elect Donald Trumps decision to not release his tax returns during the campaign. The Republicans decision broke with decades of precedent.

Goldin says voters deserve transparency so they can evaluate a candidates integrity, potential conflicts of interests and respect for the nations laws.

The Board of Elections would make the tax returns public.
WASHINGTON  Donald Trumps arrival in Washington Thursday on the eve of his inauguration as the 45th president snapped the capital city into its new reality, as the buoyant business mogul celebrated his unlikely political ascent with signature bravado and spontaneity.

Kicking off three days of carefully orchestrated inaugural proceedings infused with pomp and guided by precision and protocol, the president-elect reveled in the moment and delivered a tribute to the populist movement that propelled him into office.

We all got tired of seeing what was happening and we wanted change, but we wanted real change, Trump said on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Its a movement like weve never seen anywhere in the world, they say.

Exhorting thousands of supporters at the conclusion of an evening concert that was punctuated by a glimmering fireworks display, Trump vowed, Were going to work together, and we are going to make America great again  and, Ill add, greater than ever before.

Trump and his extended family signaled a new era in the countrys governance as they stepped off a military plane at Joint Base Andrews. They headed directly to his Pennsylvania Avenue property, the Trump International Hotel, where the president-elect irreverently toasted his Cabinet nominees.

We have by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever assembled, Trump said in a characteristically grandiose  and unprovable  declaration before several hundred supporters, lawmakers and allies at an official luncheon. He scanned the room for familiar faces and riffed on each individually, as if he were delivering a toast.

Trump narrated his journey and the days festivities on Twitter. On my way! Trump tweeted as he headed in the afternoon to Arlington National Cemetery, where he and Vice President-elect Mike Pence laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. They both stood in silence with their hands over their hearts as a bugler played taps.

As Trump put the finishing touches on the inaugural address he will deliver from the steps of the Capitol after taking the oath of office at noon Friday, Pence and their incoming administration were preparing to assume control of the federal government.

Addressing reporters Thursday from the transition teams Washington headquarters, Pence said, It is a momentous day before a historic day.

The vice president-elect noted that all 21 Cabinet nominations have been made and that 536 beachhead officials are ready to report for duty at federal departments and agencies.

President Barack Obamas appointees packed up their belongings and vacated their offices Thursday, although the Trump team is retaining 50 of them in critical positions throughout the government to ensure continuity until Trump can more fully staff his administration. The temporary holdovers include Brett McGurk, a special envoy coordinating the war against the Islamic State; Nick Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center; and Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health.

Our job is to be ready on Day One, Pence said. The American people can be confident that we will be. . . . Its going to be a very humbling and moving day for the president-elect his family and for mine. But let me tell you, we are all ready to go to work.

Trump and his team on Thursday sent signals suggesting an attempt to begin repairing relations with groups he demonized throughout his transition, including the intelligence community and the media. Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, calmly answered questions for an hour in his first formal briefing with journalists and confirmed that Trump would soon visit the CIAs headquarters in Langley, Virginia, to express his gratitude to career intelligence officers.

While the bureaucrats-to-be were working, Trump supporters from throughout the country who had descended on Washington were partying at the concert at the Lincoln Memorial, which was bathed in patriotic lighting. Throngs of people extended toward the Washington Monument as an assortment of military bands and recording artists performed.

As Trump and his wife, Melania, descended the monuments steps at sunset, the president-elect saluted the marble statue of President Abraham Lincoln, flashed a tight smile and pumped his fist in the air to the roar of the crowd and the Rolling Stones Heart of Stone playing from the speakers.

But the concert served as a reminder of Trumps limited popularity. Despite his electoral-college victory, a majority of voters cast their ballot for someone else in Novembers election. Trump is the least-popular incoming president in at least four decades, with 40 percent of Americans holding a favorable impression of him and 54 percent holding an unfavorable one, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released this week.

Entertainers such as Elton John, Celine Dion and the rock band Kiss said publicly that they turned down invitations to perform at inaugural festivities. One artist scheduled to perform at the Lincoln Memorial concert  Broadways Jennifer Holliday  dropped out last week, the day after the announcement, saying she had heard concerns from the gay community about the message her participation would send.

The concert headliners were country singers Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood and the rock band 3 Doors Down, which performed one of its hits, Broken, the lyrics of which echoed Trumps appeal to disenchanted Americans:

This is the call to the broken/To all the ones whove been thrown away/This is the call to the broken/Stand up and take back your world today.

Trump used his various social-media platforms to promote the concert, and at 3:21 p.m., less than an hour before it began, he tweeted to his more than 20 million followers to join him on the Mall, no tickets required.

Thousands of people heeded his call, yet there were large pockets of empty space along the reflecting pool. Adhering to its usual policy, the National Park Service did not provide crowd size estimates.

Even if it was not a historic turnout, the reality-television-producer-turned-politician appeared to relish the spotlight. As Greenwood sang his signature song, God Bless the USA, Trump swayed, smiled and flashed a thumbs-up  though he appeared bored at other times as he fidgeted from his seat behind bulletproof glass.

Thomas E. Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said the days events signaled that this man is going to do it his way.

Everything points to this incredible sense of grandiosity, Mann said. Hes telling the country, Get used to it. 

Past presidents began to descend on Washington to witness Trumps swearing-in, including Jimmy Carter, who was spotted aboard a commercial Delta flight from Atlanta. Hillary Clinton, who was Trumps Democratic opponent, and Bill Clinton were planning to attend.

George H.W. Bush will not be making the trip. He and his wife, Barbara, were hospitalized in Houston this week. The former president was in stable condition Thursday and hoping to be discharged from the intensive-care unit in coming days, while the former first lady was recovering from bronchitis, spokesman Jim McGrath said.

Trump spent part of Thursday making final preparations for the ceremony. He visited Blair House, the government property where he is scheduled to stay the night before moving into the White House, and met there Thursday afternoon with Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. to discuss arrangements for Fridays ceremony. Roberts will administer the oath of office. Trump is expected to use two Bibles  a family one and one that Lincoln used at his first inauguration in 1861.

Trumps aides said he has taken personal ownership of his speech, writing and rewriting drafts himself with the help of a few advisers, and practiced delivering it before teleprompters this week at Trump Tower in New York.

Its going to be a very personal and sincere statement, Spicer said. I think 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.

Trump and Pence are planning to begin the day Friday at a church service at the historic St. Johns Episcopal Church, which sits on Lafayette Square across from the White House and has been frequented by presidents. From there, they will have tea with the Obamas on the South Portico of the White House before making their way down Pennsylvania Avenue for the Capitol, where Trump will be sworn in.

Following his inaugural address, Trump will attend a congressional luncheon in the Capitol and see off the Obamas, who are heading to Palm Springs, California, for a vacation. The Trumps will then watch the inaugural parade  which aides say is expected to last about 90 minutes, among the shortest on record  from a reviewing stand outside the White House. Trump will attend three official inaugural balls in the evening.

On Saturday morning, the new president will attend a traditional national prayer service at Washington National Cathedral before spending the rest of the weekend settling into his new home and meeting with his advisers.

Pence marveled to reporters: Sometimes people stop me on the street they say, How you holding up? I cant imagine how busy you are. And I just tell them, Well, you just have to understand, the energy and the enthusiasm of Donald Trump is contagious. 

  

Lenny Bernstein and Thomas Gibbons-Neff contributed to this report.

  

Embed code for video:
TONATICO, Mexico  The worlds most notorious drug lord, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, was extradited to the United States on Thursday night, whisked away from the country where he built an empire that delivered tons of heroin, cocaine and marijuana to the world.

Guzmans departure brings to a close one of the more dramatic chapters in the history of Mexican criminality. He was as much phantom as drug-runner: a man who escaped from Mexican federal prison twice, who ran the largest and most sophisticated drug cartel in Mexico, who flew in private planes to mountaintop lairs and dined with celebrities while he was the countrys most-wanted fugitive.

The transfer came after a Mexican court earlier Thursday rejected Guzmans last bid to avoid extradition. Officially, Mexican authorities said the timing of the extradition was related to judicial processes and not the U.S. political calendar. But one Mexican official described the transfer of the prisoner as a farewell gift to President Obama rather than an overture to President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to make Mexico pay for a border wall and threatened to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

Even though the newly appointed foreign minister of Mexico, Luis Videgaray, developed close contacts with the Trump team during the U.S. presidential campaign, the extradition of Guzman was intended to send a signal to Trump that not all negotiations with Mexico would be as easy as this one, the official said.

The message to Trump, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid, is that nothing is for free.

Guzman, who was recaptured a year ago and has been held in federal prison in the border town of Ciudad Juarez, has been wanted in the United States to be tried on charges of trafficking heroin, cocaine and other drugs across the border, and committing other crimes.

Guzman was turned over to officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Ciudad Juarez and flown to New York. He landed at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, New York. Authorities said he was brought there because his indictment in federal court in the Eastern District of New York contained a provision that he must first enter the United States in that district to preserve the charges there.

According to his 2009 indictment there, Guzman and other cartel bosses employed hit men who carried out hundreds of acts of violence, including murders, kidnappings, tortures and violent collections of drug debts, at their discretion.

The first and most important thing is that he is gone, said Alejandro Hope, a Mexican security analyst and former intelligence official. How great that he is gone.

The Justice Department had been pressing for months to have him turned over. The Mexican government approved Guzmans extradition in May and transferred him to a prison near Ciudad Juarez in preparation for his eventual transfer to U.S. custody. But his lawyers challenged the extradition order in court, delaying the process. Mexican officials have long indicated that the extradition could happen around January.

One of Guzmans lawyers, Jose Refugio, told a Mexican news program that he was surprised that the extradition took place so quickly after the appeal.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in the Eastern District of New York declined to comment.

The son of a peasant farmer from the mountains of Sinaloa state along Mexicos Pacific Coast, the 5-foot-6-inch drug lord, whose nickname El Chapo means Shorty, became a master criminal. Always one step away from an escape hatch or a trap door, he was a legend of the underworld who bribed his way to impunity and operated for many years above the law.

Guzman was already a prominent drug trafficker when he was captured in Guatemala in 1993 and sent to Mexicos high-security Puente Grande prison. Just before he was to be extradited to the United States, Guzman made his first escape, slipping out of the prison in 2001  as the legend goes, in a laundry cart.

Once free, he set about building the Sinaloa cartel into a ruthless and feared drug-running organization. Guzman publicly claimed responsibility for sending tons of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana to the United States and many other parts of the world, using underground tunnels, submarines, trucks, speedboats and airplanes.

Some considered him a folk hero for his free-spending ways, particularly among the farmers who served as his protection in the mountains around his home town. But his assassins murdered thousands in the battle for supremacy against other cartels.

In February 2014, after he had spent 13 years on the lam, Mexican Navy commandos tracked him to a condominium in the Pacific coast resort town of Mazatlan, where they burst into his room and captured him without a shot being fired. They relied heavily on intelligence provided by U.S. law enforcement officials.

Guzman was imprisoned in a special wing inside the countrys highest-security prison, a facility outside Mexico City known as the Altiplano. At that time, the government rejected U.S. pressure for his extradition. But authorities claims that they could successfully hold and prosecute him collapsed in July 2015 when he slipped down a hole cut in the floor of his cells shower stall. He escaped through a mile-long tunnel that had been excavated by members of his cartel.

After six months on the loose, Guzman was recaptured by Mexican federal police near the city of Los Mochis in northern Sinaloa. After he was arrested, Rolling Stone revealed that Guzman had held a secret rendezvous with actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo while he was a fugitive.

  

Zapotosky reported from Washington. William Branigin and Ellen Nakashima in Washington, and Gabriela Martinez in Mexico City contributed to this report.

  

Video: Drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman extradited to the U.S.

The Mexican government announced Jan. 19 that the notorious drug kingpin, wanted in the U.S. for trafficking heroin, cocaine and other drugs across the border, has been extradited to the States. (TWP)

Short URL: http://wapo.st/2jEBeXH

Embed code:
AUSTIN, Texas  A Texas lawmaker has sent a survey to mosques around the state asking leaders there about Sharia Law and to pledge support for the safety of former Muslims who have chosen to leave the faith, implying that they could face unspecified persecution for doing so.

The correspondence, marked URGENT, REPLY ASAP was mailed by Republican Rep. Kyle Biedermann of Fredericksburg, 80 miles west of Austin. Mustafaa Carroll, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations said Thursday that he told mosque leaders to ignore the survey. He also called on state leaders to formally rebuke it.

One question asks respondents to renounce possible retribution those choosing to leave Islam could face. Others inquire about support for opposing Sharia, or strict Islamic law, and about efforts by congressional Republicans to have the U.S. State Department label the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization.

Biedermann said in a statement that the survey was mailed with private money and prepared for an upcoming homeland security conference.

Texans of all backgrounds and religions are invited to contact our office to improve both Texas border and overall homeland security, Biedermann said.

The survey comes as several groups are organizing a Muslim lobbying day at the Texas Capitol for later this month. Hundreds of people attended a similar event in 2015, when another Texas lawmaker, Republican Rep. Molly White of Belton, sparked outcry by instructing any Muslims visiting her office as part of it to declare their allegiance to the U.S.
Judicial Council gets show cause notice

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a show cause notice to the Judicial Council (JC) regarding appointment of judges for High Courts.
DAVOS, Switzerland  Romina Savoldelli dropped a few Swiss francs into a small wood fire burning on the snow-covered street, near the center of this exclusive mountain resort. She and roughly two dozen other demonstrators had come to protest economic inequality at the World Economic Forum, an annual conference where prominent figures in government and business discuss international economic cooperation.

Asked why she had thrown her cash in the flames, Savoldelli, 31, gave a devil-may-care answer.

I dont know, she said. We are cold, and I have enough to burn.

It was the kind of reply that, until recently, the elites a few blocks up the street might have dismissed disdainfully as lacking in detail and substance. These days, though, such vague gestures of dissent might be cause for trepidation.

As protectionist politicians such as President-elect Donald Trump ascend to power around the world, it seems that a nameless rage has seized global politics, and millions of people are voting just to burn it all.

Those gathered at Davos this year are taking notice. A theme has emerged in the speeches, panels and behind-the-scenes conversations here: How can modern capitalism become more equitable and inclusive?

Economies around the world  especially in the United States and developing countries  are becoming ever richer, progress that economists attribute to technological advancements and increased international trade. However, some are concerned that that economic progress has benefited the wealthiest without improving the lives of ordinary people.

In the United States, for instance, 52 percent of income gains since the financial crisis have accrued to the wealthiest 1 percent of households, according to economist Emmanuel Saez of the University of California at Berkeley. Meanwhile, the typical U.S. households income remains approximately the same as in 1999.

We have to grow. Countries have to grow. Economies have to grow, said Brian Moynihan, the chief executive of Bank of America, on Tuesday. But we have to do it in the right way . . . It has to include everyone. It has to deal with inequalities.

Moynihan, who is one of the co-chairs of this years World Economic Forum, suggested that the technological advancements and globalization that left many workers behind might have contributed to the appeal of Trump and other protectionists worldwide.

Some at the conference argued that policymakers and corporate leaders should have done more to share the wealth.

I dont think you can absolve the elites from responsibility, said Guy Standing, an author, advocate and researcher at SOAS University of London. Theyre getting very worried about populism. Theyre getting very worried about insecurity. They know theyve overreached.

Attendees are entertaining discussions about fundamental changes in the structure of the worlds economy. A session on Friday is simply titled Reforming Market Capitalism. Standing spoke on a panel on Wednesday about whether governments should unconditionally guarantee a minimum income for all their citizens.

Standing, who has been advocating for a basic income for about 30 years, argued that the system would reduce inequality and allow people to focus on family and civic participation rather than exclusively on work. At the same time, he says, a universal basic income would encourage some to work harder  since in most versions of the proposal, the money would also be available to people who earn more, unlike welfare payments.

Yet there is no consensus among attendees about how to redress economic inequities, and there is plenty of skepticism about new approaches.

For instance, Neelie Kroes, a former European Union commissioner, subjected Standings arguments for a minimum income to a careful cross-examination on stage. She asked where the money would come from, exactly who would be eligible to receive payments, and whether a country should reduce funding for other welfare or social programs if it adopts a basic-income scheme.

The notion of a basic income has clear, tangible costs, but theoretical benefits, Kroes argued.

We need to be far more precise to have a decent discussion, she said. I want to know what is your model and what is the cost.

On the street, protesters called for limiting economic growth, which they said increases inequality and damages the environment, and argued that corporate leaders place too much emphasis on the demands of the stock market and not enough on the needs of workers and their communities.

One activist, Alec Gagneux, was also advocating a constitutional referendum that would drastically change the Swiss financial system.

In modern economies such as Switzerland, banks create almost all the money in circulation by issuing loans. Those loans are not wholly backed by money the bank has already, and banks effectively create the money in borrowers accounts out of nothing.

The proposed referendum would put the supply of money in control of the central bank, and commercial banks would have to back any new loans with cash or other reserves on hand, using loans from the central bank or their own profits.

Proponents of this kind of change, known as sovereign money, say it would prevent catastrophic bankruptcies at major financial institutions. Meanwhile, all the money created by the central bank would constitute a vast source of new revenue for the national government.

Jill Stein, the Green Partys presidential candidate in the United States last year, made sovereign money a plank in her platform. Sovereign money, however, does not attract support from political outsiders only.

Inside the World Economic Forum, at least one influential participant favors the idea. Martin Wolf, a strait-laced commentator for the Financial Times, is scheduled to moderate a discussion on Friday between the British chancellor, the German minister of finance, the governor of the Bank of Japan and International Monetary Fund director Christine Lagarde.

Printing counterfeit bank notes is illegal, but creating private money is not, Wolf wrote in 2014. This is a giant hole at the heart of our market economies.
Vanita Gupta came to national prominence by leading a successful NAACP Legal Defense Fund fight on behalf of 38 people who had been railroaded on drug charges in Tulia, Tex.

She took that same passion to the Justice Department, when she was chosen to lead its Civil Rights Division in 2014. Now, with the end of President Obamas tenure, she has moved on and soon the agency will be in much different hands.

The Civil Rights Division, central to voting rights, policing and other critical issues, will fall under the leadership of Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., if he is confirmed by the Senate. He was nominated to be attorney general by Donald Trump, a man nominated to be president by a Republican convention where less than 1 percent of the delegates were estimated to be African American and rejected overwhelmingly by black and brown voters. Their reputations generate wide distrust among people of color, leaving for many a worrisome question mark over the future of the division that has fought hard to make justice a reality.

We spoke with Gupta Wednesday morning, the last day in her fifth floor Justice Department office, with pictures of Robert F. Kennedy and Frederick Douglass hanging over her desk. The conversation started with the fight to protect voting rights, an issue with long roots in American racism, as Obama indicated in his last news conference as president on Wednesday afternoon.

We shouldnt be shy discussing that ugly history, he told reporters.

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, Obama added. 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.

But that is the way America works, especially after the Supreme Courts Shelby County decision that largely emasculated the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

That ruling dealt the Department of Justice a pretty devastating blow, Gupta said. It took away a critically important tool that we had to ensure that voting changes big and small were thoroughly evaluated in jurisdictions that had a history of discrimination . . . We cant stop discriminatory laws before they go into effect anymore.

Yet, even with the Supreme Court imposed obstacle, the Civil Rights Division scored limited victories. One federal court decision nailed the racist intent of voting restrictions, as cited in the agencys exit memo: In July 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit struck down a North Carolina law that the court described in its ruling as one of the largest restrictions of the franchise in modern North Carolina history with provisions that target African-Americans with almost surgical precision.'

We need to continue to ask ourselves why we are making it harder and not easier for people to vote, especially in light of the lack of any real evidence that voter fraud exists, said Gupta.

The Obama administrations initiatives were notably visible in cases involving police in Baltimore, Chicago and Ferguson, Missouri, among other places.

During this administration, the division has opened 25 civil pattern-or-practice investigations into local law enforcement agencies to investigate allegations of misconduct, including excessive force; unlawful stops, searches and arrests; and discriminatory policing, among others, according to the memo. Twenty-four resulted in negotiated agreements.

Much of the divisions work requires culture change in institutions or requires change, sustained change over a term of years, Gupta said. Consent decrees place that responsibility with federal judges and in many cases independent monitors who can ensure the implementation of what has been a negotiated document.

To combat unconstitutional policing, the exit memo said the division charged more than 580 law enforcement officials for committing willful violations of civil rights and related crimes. Justice officials could not say how many were convicted.

Gupta admitted I have anxieties about how the divisions work will fare under Trump, while acknowledging it is entirely appropriate that new administrations are going to bring new priorities. 

I dont know what will happen, she said, but my hope is that the core essence of the division, which is very resilient, is going to continue to move forward.
EDGEMONT, S.D.  BNSF Railway has released the names of two employees who were struck and killed by a train in South Dakota.

The railroad on Thursday identified the victims as 35-year-old gang foreman Richard Lessert and 58-year-old motor vehicle operator Douglas Schmitz. Lessert had 10 years of service with BNSF while Schmitz was employed by the railroad for 39 years.

BNSF says the two were headquartered at Edgemont, near where the accident happened Tuesday morning.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Edgemont is about 60 miles southwest of Rapid City.
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 Trump will probably sign four or five executive actions on Friday, mainly focused on logistics and government operations, with more coming Monday.

Asked Thursday about Trumps coming executive actions, Spicer declined to give specifics, but he mentioned 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, he told reporters. And I think that youre gonna 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 Trump will act quickly in the early days of his administration. His initial plans are to undo many of President Barack Obamas executive actions and begin rolling back regulations, especially those he believes are financially burdensome. At least to start, the advisers said, he will focus more on unraveling the past eight years of the outgoing administration than on launching a new Trump vision.

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 likely 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 earlier this month, he offered them 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.

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 Kelly to lead the Department of Homeland Security and retired Gen. James Mattis as secretary of defense. Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., Trumps pick head the CIA, could get his vote on Monday.

A speech Trump delivered in October in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania  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 the 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.



The Washington Posts Philip Rucker contributed to this report.



VIDEO:

President-elect Donald Trump will have a busy day after his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017.

http://wapo.st/2drQ1Ux

Embed code:
Bragging rights are at stake for participating chefs.

But the winners are all the New Mexicans served by The Food Depot in Santa Fe.

For the 23rd year, the organization is hosting its big benefit, Souper Bowl XXIII, on Saturday, Jan. 21.

This years event boasts 28 chefs, including Fernando Ruiz of Santacafe and Tony Blakenship of Rio Chama.

Each chef prepares a soup for the competition.

Each year is unique because the participating chefs are different each time, says Jill L. Gentry, director of development at The Food Depot. The category assignments are random, so even returning chefs can end up with a new category that challenges them in different ways. It is always inspiring to taste the culinary creations with which they delight the crowd.

The competition has four categories of soup  cream, savory, seafood, and vegetarian. There is also an award for best soup overall.

Ticketholders sample the soups and can vote for their favorites.

As the food bank for nine counties, The Food Depot provides food to over 145 nonprofit agencies, including food pantries, meal programs, shelters, youth programs, shelters and senior centers.

The Food Depot distributes an average of 550,000 pounds of food each month, providing more than 430,000 meals to people in need  children, seniors, working families and those in ill health.

Every donated dollar can be stretched to provide four meals to a person in need, and 91 cents of each dollar go directly towards feeding people.

Last year, the event raised $60,000, which is enough to provide 240,000 meals, Gentry says.

As the event grows, Gentry says, the restaurant community continues to support it heavily.

She would like to see an increase of sponsors for the event, which is always well-attended.

The Souper Bowl still is a highly anticipated event, and usually slots fill up quickly, she says of the chefs participating.

Although Souper Bowl is The Food Depots largest annual fundraiser, Gentry says, the organization benefits from other events throughout the year.

 Canstruction is an event where life-size sculptures are created using canned food, she says of the June event. The food bank also benefits from the annual Neighbor to Neighbor food drive and the Healthy Harvest food drive, which are held in the fall.
In New Mexico, Christmas means tamales and, in Santa Fe, tamales mean Posas. We renewed our acquaintance recently (OK, it was after the holidays) and were as delighted as always with the New Mexico classics.

As for the tamales, of course we bought a half-dozen ($13.50) of the original pork and red chile variety to take home for the freezer. We could also have gotten three green chile-stuffed versions, including two vegetarian variations, but both winter and tamales have always, to us at least, meant red chile.

Not satisfied with so much delayed gratification, as well as ready for lunch, I ordered Posas combination plate ($9.25), mainly because it included one tamal, as well as a chile relleno and an enchilada, plus the usual sides, including beans and calabacitas.

It was all good and, on a frosty day, deeply satisfying. The rolled cheese enchilada was slathered in more red chile and nearly buried in more cheese. The beans had a better flavor than many such restaurant offerings and the calabacitas  a nice dice of fresh zucchini and corn with a few onions  were cooked al dente, allowing us the illusion of a heart-conscious healthy meal.

The relleno deserves special mention: it was very large, very meaty and absolutely stuffed with cheese. Next time, well ask for it not to be smothered in red chile, the better to appreciate it all on its own.

And, yes, the tamal was everything we expected: stuffed with tender pork adovada, wrapped with just enough masa to hold it in place. We were intrigued to discover Posas also offers cocktail tamales ($24.50 for two dozen). These are more slender than the standard, but looked nicely laden with filling nonetheless. Next time, well bring home a package (theyre only available frozen), the better to appease our cravings without stuffing ourselves.

My guest chose the enchilada plate ($8.95), opting for the chicken version with Christmas chile. It too was good, served with the same sides, and we can report that Posas green chile is the hotter of the two choices.

For a small restaurant, Posas has a menu with a zillion options, ranging from breakfast favorites like burritos and huevos rancheros to a breakfast bowl of chile and eggs, as well as a tamale breakfast. Taco offerings include shrimp and fish, as well as northern Mexicos signature dish, tacos al pastor, made with steak. True to its New Mexico roots, tamale and Frito pies are on the menu, as is posole. And the kids menu includes a burger, as well as burritos, tacos or quesadillas, all at $5 or less.

Unexpectedly, at least for us, Posas also serves a couple of desserts. We skipped the tres leches cake, even though its one of our favorites, in favor of a real New Mexico classic: empanaditas stuffed with an old-time mincemeat, made in house out of meat, raisins, sugar and spice. These are very rare, in our times, and we were especially pleased to discover them. Theyre not too sweet, wrapped in what we judged to be a sopaipilla.

Yes, Posas serves sopaipillas with every entree and in our take-out bag we found not one apiece, but two! Another New Mexico classic and, like tamales, not one that the casual cook would undertake often at home.

We should mention the other Posas location, at 1514 Rodeo Road. Its has a larger dining area than the Zafarano store, but offers the same wealth of menu options, to eat in or take out. Were glad we revisited Posas  we certainly wont wait as long to do so next time.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  A shouting match between an Albuquerque Republican lawmaker and the new state GOP chairman outside a Santa Fe restaurant and bar this week prompted an exchange of sharply worded emails and a complaint to the party chairmans boss.

Rep. Monica Youngblood, R-Albuquerque, and state GOP Chairman Ryan Cangiolosi, the two individuals involved, both declined to comment on the matter Thursday.

But emails between the two, which were obtained by the Journal, described the incident as a profanity-laced shouting match that was witnessed by other legislators. The emails also offer contrasting versions of who instigated the dispute.

Youngblood, in an email sent to Cangiolosi on the morning after the Tuesday evening incident, said she was still disturbed by it.

Id like some sort of explanation as to why the state party chairman would threaten or verbally curse at a Republican legislator whos done nothing but support the RPNM and promote (the) New Mexico Republican party throughout the country, Youngblood wrote.

She also said in her email that she had made it clear she did not want to talk to Cangiolosi but, You insisted on following me out of the restaurant and engaging in a shouting match.

Youngblood, a three-term lawmaker who represents a Northwest Albuquerque legislative district, said some legislators who witnessed the incident felt I had to make sure I got home safe.

In his email response sent later Wednesday, Cangiolosi described himself and Youngblood as longtime friends and expressed remorse the incident occurred.

He accused Youngblood, however, of initiating the argument at the Bull Ring restaurant, a popular spot for state lawmakers and lobbyists during legislative sessions, adding that she may have been upset over her House committee assignments.

I was glad to see you, but was startled when you started swearing at me inside and outside the restaurant, Cangiolosi wrote.

He also wrote that his alleged threat to Youngblood  conveyed via the words just watch  was actually a promise not to ask her for any political donations or help.

And he strongly disputed Youngbloods allegation that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident, saying he did not have any alcoholic drinks at the restaurant.

Cangiolosi, who was elected state Republican Party chairman last month, also holds a high-profile position at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, where he is executive projects director.

A former state Health Department administrator who witnessed at least part of the Tuesday confrontation sent an email to the chancellor of the Health Sciences Center and members of the University of New Mexico Board of Regents that described Cangiolosis behavior as unacceptable, threatening and inappropriate.

In the message, James Ross, the former Health Department official, urged Dr. Paul Roth, UNM chancellor for health sciences, to address this situation, an apparent request for Cangiolosi to be disciplined.

However, Roth, in a statement provided to the Journal, said the incident had no bearing on Cangiolosis job.

Mr. Cangiolosi was not there representing the University of New Mexico in any way, Roth said. He was on personal leave to attend meetings during the day.

The Health Sciences Center provided a copy of the email sent by Ross at the Journals request.

Meanwhile, Rob Doughty, president of the UNM Board of Regents, said he couldnt discuss the issue because its a personnel matter.

Ill share a copy once I have an opportunity to discuss with the Board of Regents, he said Thursday, in reference to a request for the email.

Cangiolosis job prompted questions during his campaign for the state GOP chairmanship, and the Health Sciences Center said it would develop a conflict-of-interest management plan with Cangiolosi if he was elected to the post.

Meanwhile, theres been ample infighting within the state Republican Party in recent years, and Cangiolosi is close with Harvey Yates Jr., a former state party chairman who has been critical in recent years of Gov. Susana Martinezs governing style and her political adviser, Jay McCleskey.

Martinez appoints all members of the UNM Board of Regents.

Dan Boyd reported from Santa Fe, and Chris Quintana reported from Albuquerque.
THE WEST

Messy truck spills for the year 2016 were mapped by an innovative website called Atlasobscura.com, and the West hosted quite a few outstanding mishaps.

In Utah, dozens of live pigs were launched onto the road near St. George and, in Colorado, 60,000 pounds of expired Miller Genuine Draft beer almost flew out of the side of a semi-truck onto Interstate 70. In Montana, 30,000 pounds of used cooking grease and 200 gallons of fuel splashed all over a road near Helena, while, in Whitewater, Calif., an August accident resulted in $5,000 worth of ice cream melting rapidly on the hot black asphalt.

In Washington, 27 tons of chicken manure sent cars skidding until workers could clean up the mess and sand the road, while a frozen food truck in Oregon literally spilled the beans after a train rammed it from the back. A crash on Interstate 25 in New Mexico exploded a full load of soda out of the front of the tractor trailer.

But Mesa, Ariz., takes the cake, or maybe the caca, for a putrid scene. After a truck transporting Porta-potties and a septic tank full of human waste crashed and rolled over, a mess of nasty liquids got sloshed all over the road. If only a tractor-trailer carrying 29,000 pounds of toilet paper and paper towels had happened by! And, in fact, there was an accident that dumped those very paper products on the highway. Unfortunately, it happened too far away to help; the paper products were spilled near Elk Grove, Calif., after a tractor-trailer hydroplaned and crashed.

NEW MEXICO

It happened during an executive session about a proposed rate increase, so we may never know what triggered the fisticuffs in the Taos boardroom of the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative. But a disagreement became so heated that two elected representatives took it out into the hall, reports the Albuquerque Journal.

Then things really got hot. Virgil Martinez, 62, who had reportedly yelled I will kill him! during the meeting, received a bloody lip, nosebleed and black eye, while Chris Duran, 44, suffered injuries after two religious medals were ripped from his neck. In an email afterward, board member Bob Bresnahan said the chaotic scene left everyone else there in shock.

THE WEST

Before last year ended, we gathered up some of the years most memorable quotations, about everything from polar bears befriending dogs to the difference between God and the Forest Service.

Utah Republican Gov. Gary Herbert told the Salt Lake Tribune that he didnt think that a new registry for refugees was drastically needed. The Beehive State has taken in over 1,000 refugees since last February and, as Herbert put it: Theyre not the terrorists, theyre the ones running from terrorism.

In The New York Times recently, Timothy Egan reprised a choice remark about our nations faithless relationship with Native Americans: Consider how Jon Stewart once described the national holiday just passed. I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.'

Also on a holiday note, Grand Canyon educator Marjorie Slim Woodruff tells us that shes spent the past 20 Christmases at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of Grand Canyon on the Colorado River. When a friend asked if she should take her 8-year-old son down the 9.3-mile-long Bright Angel Trail this winter, Slim says, I told her I started taking my son when he was 4. But he never comes home for Christmas any more, so she could make of that what she wished.

In Texas, Craigslist helped a house-trained bison named Bullet find a new home, reports the Dallas Morning News. Karen Schoeve, a court reporter, said her 1,100-pound pet had a great personality and acted more like a dog than a bison. Whats more, Shes hardy, unlike those sissy longhorns. Sold for $5,950, Bullet now lives in a pasture with two cows for companionship.

A video of a polar bear in Canada petting a chained-up friendly dog went viral. This was probably unfortunate, said wildlife biologist Tom Smith in the Washington Post, as it might give viewers the wrong impression about how this budding relationship is likely to end. To me, its like trying to see if the foods ready or not. Its not surprising that it would try to explore this dog  but I guarantee, if you left that bear there long enough, it would say, I wonder what this dog tastes like? Id be sorely disappointed in a bear that didnt ultimately eat that dog.

And in Colorado Central Magazine, John Mattingly recalled an old saw about a government agency frequently accused of hubris: The difference between God and the Forest Service is that God does not think she is the Forest Service.

Betsy Marston is the editor of Writers on the Range, the opinion service of High Country News (hcn.org). Tips and photos of Western oddities are appreciated and often shared in this column. Write betsym@hcn.org or tag photos #heardaroundthewest on Instagram.
Maybe they should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque.

In any case, a California couple was stranded for several days in western New Mexico after deciding to take a scenic route back to the Golden State and getting stuck on a muddy, impassable forest road.

The couple stated they had remained with their van, ate the food they had in the van, and melted snow to drink after becoming stranded on Saturday, according to a New Mexico State Police news release issued Thursday.

According to State Police: The family of Whittier, Calif., residents Kimberly and David Duran reported them missing on Monday, telling authorities that the couple had gone to visit family in Mississippi over the holidays and were expected to return home Saturday, Jan. 14.

Their last known location was near the Duke City, and, after David didnt show up for work this week, the family called police.

The Whittier Police Department determined the last known area where the travelers cellphones generated a signal was south of Prewitt. That was on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Whittier police contacted New Mexico State Police for assistance, and officers went to the closest area of the last phone signal  southeast of Bluewater.

The general area was in the middle of national forest land with few unimproved roads for travel, State Police said. The forest roads were muddy with deep ruts and the area snowfall was approximately 1-feet deep, making vehicular travel nearly impossible.

Officers hiked to nearby ridges in their search but found no signs of the two, nor did PHI Air Medical, which assisted with a flyover. Officers also went to nearby Bluewater Village but yielded no leads.

Into late Tuesday night, State Police coordinated with New Mexico Search and Rescue personnel and the U.S. Air Force to get a better analysis of the cellphone data. More specific information pointed to a location farther south and near Forest Roads 480 and 50 in Cibola County, but officers were unable to reach the area because of the bad roads.

On Wednesday, State Police asked Game and Fish Department for help searching the forest roads and the use of off-highway vehicles in the effort.

But around 8:30 a.m. the same day, a 911 call was received from David Duran, who told dispatchers he had hiked to a nearby ridgetop to get a cellphone signal.

Mr. Duran informed dispatch he and his wife were driving and their van had become stuck in the mud and the couple had been stranded for the past three days somewhere on N.M. Forest Road 50, State Police said. State Police were able to better obtain cellular phone data from that 911 call and, with the assistance of New Mexico Game and Fish officers, located Mr. and Mrs. Duran and their vehicle around 1 p.m.

The Durans were checked and cleared by medical personnel, then reconnected with family members, who had come in from California to meet them in Gallup.

The Duran family expressed their appreciation to State Police and all those involved who worked tirelessly to make their rescue possible, the news release reads.
Its been nearly two years since the world lost New Mexican Ernesto Antonio Tony Mares.

The poet and playwright left behind a strong body of work.

Argos McCallum, executive director of Teatro Paraguas, was a friend and wanted to honor Mares.

Tony was just such an amazing man, McCallum says. He was an activist, a poet and playwright. He was also in one of our productions. This is where our friendship blossomed.

Teatro Paraguas will present Rio del Corazon: The Magic of Tony Mares, featuring Lolas Last Dance. 

The play is a tribute that will include a performance of Mares play Lolas Last Dance, as well as readings of poems selected from his books.

Mares was born in 1938 in Old Town.

After completing a doctorate in European history at the University of New Mexico in 1973, Mares taught history, Spanish, creative writing, and American literature at Colorado College, the University of New Mexico, the University of Arkansas, New Mexico Highlands University, the University of North Texas and elsewhere. He died on Jan. 30, 2015.

Weve been working on doing this tribute, and the events at the NHCC happen to be just before the (second) anniversary of his death, McCallum says.

In putting together the tribute, McCallum came across the script for Lolas Last Dance, which was produced in 1979 and later published by UNM Press in 1989.

It was commissioned by La Compania de Teatro de Albuquerque, along with pieces from Rudolfo Anaya and Denise Chavez.

They basically got the big three writers of New Mexico, he says. Mares was always in good company. He was also a trailblazer when it came to his writing.

Mares performed in Teatro Paraguas original 2009 production of Para que yo me llame Angel Gonzalez, a dramatic tribute to the poet Angel Gonzalez.

Mares worked closely with Gonzalez, a Spanish poet who taught at UNM, and translated much of his poetry.

Tony always took in his surroundings, he says. He wrote about the many differences in the different cultures in New Mexico. He wanted to bring all the cultures together through his writing.

Rio del Corazon: The Magic of Tony Mares, featuring Lolas Last Dance

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27; 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 and 2 p.m. Jan. 29

WHERE: Wells Fargo Theatre, National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 Fourth SW

HOW MUCH: $15-$18, plus fees at nhccnm.org
Late king Birendra's family has over Rs 400 million movable property

The movable property in the name of late king Birendra's family members has been found to be Rs 408 million 876 thousand, according to the Nepal Trust, the government body responsible for searching and taking care of the property belonging to the late king Birendra and his family members.
Theres usually not much of an association between knitting and political action. But these are new and different political times.

Donald Trumps election is helping to make knitting great, at least among people headed east for Saturdays Womens March in Washington, D.C.. Related marches will also take place in Santa Fe, Albuquerque and other cities around the country.

Headgear has become part of the plans for the marches, and it comes with a wearable message.

Deborah Grossman, 56, owns Yarn & Coffee in Santa Fe and is flying to D.C. for this weekends events. She is part of a bigger effort, The Pussyhat Project, to have march participants around the country wear pink, knitted caps with cat-like ears.

The idea is for there to be a sea of pink (at the Washington march), Grossman said.

The hats were inspired by President-elect Donald Trumps comments on the infamous years-old Access Hollywood videotape, released during the election campaign, where he talks about groping women.

The Pussyhat Project was started by a couple of knitters in Los Angeles. Their site contains patterns and step-by-step instructions on how to knit the hats, and urges those who cant attend to knit one for someone who can. The goal is to knit, crochet and sew 1.17 million pink pussyhats, states the website.

As for the name for the hats, We choose this loaded word for our project because we want to reclaim the term as a means of empowerment, says the website. A womens body is her own. We are honoring this truth and standing up for our rights.

Grossman and her customers have been busy in recent weeks knitting at her mid-town business. I have been collecting hats at my store, people have been dropping them off and sending them to me, she said. As of Monday, Grossman, her mother and customers  and visitors from California who brought some by  had created probably about 100 of the hats, she said. Grossman has handed out about 20 for people planning to march in Santa Fe on Saturday and delivered 80 of the caps to protesters headed to D.C. by bus from Albuquerque.

She also confirmed that shes been selling a lot of pink yarn.

Political action is nothing new for Grossman, dating back to her roots in Berkeley, Calif. She just came across a button from the 1968 Poor Peoples Campaign. I am a feminist from way back, and I have been very concerned about human rights and womens rights for a long time, she said. I have seen over the last decade or so a regression over what Ive seen in the 1970s and 1980s. The misogyny from the presidential campaign brought it to the fore and that is why Clinton lost.

Women from New Mexico who planned to be in Washington on Saturday also include young social workers, business owners, retirees, elected officials and a local astrologer. The movement snowballed after a woman in her 60s from Hawaii started a Facebook event page for the march.

Im not protesting Donald Trump, Im protesting that lack of accountability and responsibility for his words in holding that office, said Amanda Flory, 37, statewide coordinator for the march.

The theme of protecting womens rights is a consistent one among protesters.

Our main focus in Santa Fe and New Mexico is keeping abortion legal and safe, and equal pay for women, said Rebecca Langford, volunteer president, Santa Fe Chapter of the National Organization of Women.

Im very upset, said Langford, 62. Thats why I am doing it. Langford is retired from the New Mexico School for the Deaf. I am marching to show our disagreement with him (Trump) getting rid of policies or laws that we have worked so hard for.

Langford was to be joined on the buses headed East by five other local NOW members, including Emily Pepin, 29, a reproductive health educator from Santa Fe.

I consider myself a feminist and I really became passionate about being body positive, fighting against rape and domestic assault, and fighting for gender acceptance, said Pepin. The election feels like it undoes a lot of progress that has been made in my lifetime, she said.

The New Mexico contingent, dubbed The Enchanted Uprising, includes Muslims, Sikhs and Native Americans  pretty much New Mexico, said Flory.

A spokesman for the Republican Party of New Mexico did not respond to requests for comment about the marchers or their comments.

Santa Fe march

Lindsey Conover, 43, is not going to Washington, but is the lead organizer of the Santa Fe march on Saturday. The local march is about bringing all the issues, the issues in many different communities, into one place, into one gathering to say that we stand for the protection of womens and human rights in all communities, Conover said.

The march starts at 11 a.m. north of the Bataan Memorial Building, followed by a rally at noon at the state Roundhouse.

Conover estimates that as many as 2,000 people could attend the Santa Fe event and that Saturdays protest could lead to more action. We may have something beyond this that will help people stay involved in these issues that they are concerned about, more specifically some sort of action network or something like that, she said.

Womens March in Santa Fe

When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

Where: Starts north of the Bataan Memorial Building, followed by a rally at the state Capitol.
The two women had never met, but it took only a few moments for them to connect over a singular act that still makes them shudder  first with shock, then with anger  just like it did when they each walked into a Walgreens pharmacy and felt as if they were hurled back into the Dark Ages.

Its just hard to believe this is still happening, says Susanne Koestner, a married woman in her 30s who made headlines when she fought back after a pharmacist refused to refill her prescription for birth control pills in June 2012 because of his religious beliefs. It freaks people out when I tell them the story.

That story led to a January 2013 agreement from the nationwide drugstore chain to affirm its policy of filling prescriptions, including birth control medications, as efficiently as other prescriptions without imposing any burden on the customer.

But four years later and in spite of that agreement, here we are again with another case alleging that a prescription was not filled because of a Walgreens pharmacists refusal to do so  a violation of the state Human Rights Act, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico contends.

And so here we are with the two women in the offices of the ACLU, which supported Koestner and now plans to do the same for the latest Albuquerque woman to accuse a Walgreens pharmacist of denying her service.

As a reminder, it is 2017.

In a letter submitted Jan. 12 by the ACLU to Walgreens corporate honchos in Deerfield, Ill., the woman in the latest story is listed as Jane Doe. In this conference room, she is a longtime Albuquerque Public Schools teacher in her 40s and the mother of a teenage daughter. It is the latter role that leads her to ask not to be named so as not to identify her daughter.

She says that because of struggles with difficult menstrual cycles and birth control medications, her daughter, in consultation with her gynecologist, opted to try an intrauterine device. In preparation for the procedure in August 2016, Doe said, she went to a Walgreens at Coors and Montano NW to fill her daughters three prescriptions  a mild pain reliever, an anti-anxiety medication and misoprostol, a synthetic hormone used to soften the cervix in preparation for the insertion of the IUD.

Misoprostol is also often prescribed to treat stomach ulcers. But it also can be used to induce an abortion.

That last usage is believed to be the conclusion the pharmacist erroneously jumped to  as if he should have jumped at all.

The teens mother was told the first two prescriptions would be filled but the misoprostol would have to be picked up at another Walgreens, even though the medication was in stock. When she asked the pharmacist why he could not fill the misoprostol prescription, she says, he told her that it was against his personal beliefs.

Like Koestner had been years ago, the teens mother says she, too, was confused at first. Stunned. Ashamed, though she didnt know why.

But as she made her way through rush-hour traffic to another Walgreens about 3 miles away, anger and indignation set in.

Koestner knew those feelings too.

Its like someone else takes power over your life, your choices, Koestner says. Its like you are being judged.

Doe says she turned around and went back to the first Walgreens, confronted an assistant manager and then the pharmacist.

I told him he was discriminating against me, that he should be ashamed for judging us, that he didnt know my daughters medical history or her complications or conversation with her doctor. That he didnt know what the medication was for, she says. And he just looks at me and says, Oh, I have a pretty good idea. 

Like Koestner, she started making calls to Walgreens officials. She contacted the Southwest Womens Law Center, which in turn helped her contact the ACLU of New Mexico.

The ACLU letter to Walgreens points out that forcing customers to travel to another pharmacy after being denied service places a significant burden on the woman  especially if the woman relies on public transportation or has limited time or if that woman lives in a rural area where Walgreens pharmacies are few and far between.

As it did in the letter written on Koestners behalf, the ACLU also asked the company to immediately address the discriminatory practice and specify what steps the company planned to take to prevent a similar occurrence  and a lawsuit contending a violation of the state Human Rights Act, which protects from discrimination, including on the basis of gender.

Religious liberty does not mean the right to discriminate against others, attorney Erin Armstrong wrote. Walgreens should take reasonable steps to accommodate employees religious beliefs and practices, but it cannot do so by imposing additional discriminatory burdens on women.

Walgreens issued the following statement late Tuesday:

We take very seriously our responsibility to serve the prescription needs of our patients. While we cannot comment on the specifics of this incident, we can tell you that our policy is intended to meet the needs of our patients while also respecting the sincerely held views of our pharmacists. We believe our policy has been very effective in doing that.

After our meeting, the two women hugged, happy to have found some solace in knowing they were not alone, troubled by not knowing how many other women had been similarly denied and how many more might still be in the future.

UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, jkrueger@abqjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @jolinegkg. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
More cold, wet weather will push into New Mexico this weekend, beefing up mountain snowpack with a foot or more of snow by Saturday night.

Unlike previous storms this winter, this one will share some love with southern New Mexico, said Todd Shoemake, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque.

They really havent fared all that well this winter, so it will be good for them to get some snowpack, Shoemake said of the states southern mountains. The Gila and Sacramento mountains in southern New Mexico could get up to 15 inches of snow by the time moisture begins clearing out later Saturday, he said.

The soggy front will enter western New Mexico today and spread across most of the state, bringing an increasing chance of rain, gusty winds and dropping temperatures.

Albuquerque could get an inch or two of snow tonight. Forecasters predict a 60 percent chance of snow tonight with a low of 29 at the Albuquerque International Sunport.

In Albuquerque, a 50 percent chance of rain and a high in the low 40s is expected Saturday. Lows Saturday night will dip into the mid-20s, but the moisture is expected to be largely cleared out by then, Shoemake said.

Sunday will provide a temporary break in the wet weather, with sun and highs in the low 40s predicted for Albuquerque.

Widespread areas of the state can expect rain changing to snow tonight as temperatures dip below freezing.

Farmington could get 3 or more inches of snow tonight.

On Saturday, rain and highs in the upper 30s and low 40s are expected for much of the state.

New Mexico has enjoyed a wet-weather spree this month that has dropped normal or above-normal snowpack in the northern mountains. But southern mountains have had about half the normal snowpack.

About a third of the state is considered abnormally dry  an improvement from three months ago when just over half the state was considered abnormally dry.

Monday is expected to bring a fresh round of moisture to the state, with more cold and mountain snowfall.
Journalists and museums love categories.

We compartmentalize everything and everyone, particularly in New Mexico, a state that boasts separate museums for Spanish, Native American, contemporary and folk art.

Albuquerque Museum curators want to shatter those boundaries with The Carved Line: Block Printmaking in New Mexico, which opened on Jan. 14.

The exhibition bridges gender, culture, style, subject and place, all set within the paper borders of block prints  specifically, wood and linoleum. Its 160 works span the expected (Gustave Baumann), the stars (Fritz Scholder) and relative unknowns such as the University of New Mexicos Yoshiko Shimano. Its artists lived and live from Taos to Tesuque Pueblo to Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Roswell from 1900 to the present. All of them explore experiences of place, movement and culture.

Block prints are really about looking at color and line and how you interpret them in a medium thats carved away, said Josie Lopez, author, art historian and Albuquerque Academy teacher.

Some of the early 20th century artists known more for traditional painting experimented when it came to gouging out a surface to create an image, museum curator Andrew Connors said.

The woman in Will Shusters undated Mujer Out Walking woodcut could be treading the edge of a cliff or the desert, thanks to the flat black spaces created by the ink.

It reveals an innate modernism, Connors said.

That modernism surfaced within a decidedly low-tech medium often practiced by schoolchildren.

Much later, Scholder, who was one-quarter Luiseno, experimented with the natural world, abstraction and expressionism in block prints. The Picasso-esque block print Nude, ca. 1960s, exudes the power of line beyond the controversy normally orbiting his vibrantly painted large-format canvases.

T.C. Cannons 1975 woodcut Grandmother Gestating Father and the Washita River Runs Ribbon-Like reveals his fascination with the flat-surfaced reduction of Japanese prints, as well as the influence of Scholder, who taught him at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Instead of the stereotypical feathers and fringe, his grandmother wears a polka-dot dress. Cannon added the dots to symbolize the way Native sun dancers, who were required to stare at the sun, viewed the world, Lopez said

In the 2000s, Denvers Leon Loughridge expanded on Baumann in capturing the broad expanse of the New Mexico landscape. Loughridge grew up near Pojoaque, and his father owned a horse ranch in Pena Blanca.

His 2015 woodcut Acoma Sunset revels in the missions flat planes and luminous sunset.

We had the last of the tours at the pueblo, he said in a phone interview from Denver. It was so magical; it was so dramatic.

Loughridge photographed the mission church and began sketching in pencil and watercolor when he returned home.

Out of the sketches you get distortion, he said, you exaggerate things you like. Its your caricature of that scene.

Ladders, 2013, is geometric contrast of shadow and light. The organic shapes of the pueblo rule as the image oscillates.

Youre not sure if the ladders are shadows, Santa Fean Scott Parker said. Not to be too precious, I put a cooler and a cup on top.

Parker said his image was inspired by a walk by Santa Fes Inn and Spa at Loretto while workmen renovated the pueblo-inspired building.

I left seeing workers in construction gear and the ladders, he said.

The entire process is fun, he said. Its like solving a puzzle through carving the image in your mind and applying it to drawing and reversing it on the block. Its problematic, so youre tweaking all the way.

In her mammoth (96 by 171 inches) 70 Years of Silence, the Japanese-born Shimano superimposed the image of the island of Okinawa onto a map of the U.S. as part of her series Mistreated Islands. Originally an independent kingdom, Okinawa moved from the control of Japan, then the U.S. after World War II, returning to Japan in 1975.

My work is not (about) getting into the political issues, Shimano said. Its about the strength of the people living there. They are trying to bring harmony into their lives. There is a lot of history within their own cultures.

The artist scattered hibiscus flowers  the islands symbol across the surface of the print in a celebration of its beauty within a legacy of conflict.

If you go

WHAT: The Carved Line: Block Printmaking in New Mexico.

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Runs through April 16.

WHERE: Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Road SW.

HOW MUCH: $1-$4. Call 243-7255 or visit albuquerquemuseum.org.
Several students and minority groups are protesting a visit from a right-wing figure set to speak at the University of New Mexico next week.

According to university spokeswoman Dianne Anderson, the students asked acting President Chaouki Abdallah to ban Milo Yiannopoulos, a provocateur, speaker and writer for the far-right Breitbart News website, from speaking on campus.

Some of Milo Yiannopoulos recent actions at other universities do not align with the values and standards that the (Student Union Building) and UNM works to maintain, read a letter from the protesting students sent to the presidents office ahead of the meeting called to discuss the Yiannopoulos event.

In a meeting Thursday, students and administrators in a cramped room spoke over each other. The students raised concerns over Yiannopoulos.

I feel like you guys are not taking this seriously, one of those in attendance said.

The Journal learned about the event after it happened, but it was partially recorded on Facebook by the UNM Kiva Club, a Native American organization.

Abdallah had to leave the meeting early, but he said, UNM is not endorsing what he says, but we have to protect free speech. Counter his speech with speech of your own, in a statement afterward.

Yiannopoulos pending event has been the subject of arguments between those who want him to speak and those who dont.

The UNM College Republicans, who are hosting the event, recently protested a decision by UNM to charge it $3,400 in security fees to allow Yiannopoulos, who is gay, to speak as part of his Dangerous Faggot Tour. He is scheduled to speak at the UNM Student Union Building from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 27, according to a Facebook page for the event.

The College Republicans described the fee as a free speech fine, a charge the university refutes. Its unclear if the event will be canceled if the group cant pay the fee.

Anderson said the university is treating the Yiannopoulos event like any other. For example, the university charged the undergraduate student body about $8,400 in security fees for the 2016 Fiestas, an all-day outdoor concert. Other events such as a laser light festival last year cost $2,275, and a concert by Jack White, a popular musician, cost $2,000. She added that the university is considering the protests at other colleges and planned protests at UNMs campus.

Yiannopoulos has written articles for Breitbart with headlines such as Theres No Hiring Bias Against Women in Tech, They Just Suck at Interviews, and also wrote that America has a Muslim problem. He was also permanently banned from Twitter in connection with a harassment campaign that included racist insults directed at actress Leslie Jones.

Yiannopoulos has been greeted with protests on many campuses. One event was canceled Saturday at the University of California at Davis after hours of protest.

At least one group at UNM, The Red Nation, has announced plans on its Facebook page, saying its goal is to deny Milo a platform at UNM by taking the room, the stage, and the mic.
If a new proposal wins over City Council members and voters, drivers who buy their gasoline in Albuquerque could pay 2 cents more per gallon than their counterparts outside city limits.

The bill, sponsored by Councilor Isaac Benton, would impose the tax on all gas sold at retail in Albuquerque. The revenues from the tax then would be used for improvements to the citys roads and other transportation systems, with a particular emphasis on improving conditions for pedestrians.

The projects would have to qualify as rehabilitations of existing infrastructure and could not include improvements that enhance aesthetics on interstate highways.

I like the idea of user tax that impacts those who are using the roads directly, Benton said. Many of our roads, even those that are well maintained, still need sidewalks or other safety improvements. This is a good way to do that.

Benton said the tax could generate up to $5 million a year in revenue for the city, a significant sum at a time when Albuquerque is strapped for gross receipts taxes.

The city faces a potential $24 million budget shortfall next year as a result of state tax cuts, legal settlements and new projects.

The measure was introduced at the council meeting Wednesday night and referred to the finance and government operations committee for further discussion. The tax would need to be approved by voters before going into effect.

State lawmakers also are considering imposing their own gas tax hike, which, if enacted, would be levied in addition to any municipal gas tax.

The state currently taxes gas at 17 cents a gallon, one of the lowest rates in the country. The new measure, sponsored by Sen. Clemente Sanchez, D-Grants, would increase that to 27 cents a gallon.

Benton said he wants state lawmakers to decide on their own gas tax before the council votes on a gas tax for Albuquerque.

Soccer stadium feasibility study

Albuquerque will spend $15,000 to study the feasibility of having a 10,000-seat soccer stadium for a mens soccer team.

The resolution approving the study was introduced by Councilor Dan Lewis in December and signed by Mayor Richard Berry late last week. The study will be completed by the Albuquerque-based Kinship Consulting LLC using funds from the Parks and Recreation Department.

Were it to be built, the stadium would allow the Albuquerque Sol Football Club to seek entry into the United Soccer League, which requires its teams to be the primary tenant or owner of a 10,000-seat stadium. The team currently belongs to a development league.

Lewis resolution states that the popularity of soccer has increased in the Albuquerque area in recent years and construction of a professional soccer stadium would provide economic development opportunities for the city.

The study will determine the best location for the stadium and assess related economic impacts, according to the resolution.
SANTA FE  New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Charles Daniels on Thursday painted a grim picture of the states criminal justice systems bank account: on life support.

Daniels, in the biennial State of the Judiciary speech to lawmakers, made clear that another few months without an infusion of money and any more years without an increase in funding would shut down the states court system.

Courts are juggling massive caseloads and having to reduce the hours of clerks and other staffers, meaning longer  possibly unconstitutional  timelines for cases and reduced service hours for the public, he said.

Public defenders are so maxed out they are turning away cases, violating the constitutional requirement that a tax-funded attorney be provided for any defendant who cant afford an attorney.

And money to pay jurors runs out in March  possibly violating the constitutional right to a trial by jury.

Our judicial system is in crisis, Daniels told lawmakers, acknowledging the difficulty they face in allocating money this session.

But this, he said, is not a matter of choices. Its a matter of judicial obligations that are constitutionally required.

No self-governing democracy can survive without a functioning justice system. And you cant have a functioning justice system without the resources.

In the past few years of budget restraints, Daniels said the courts system has tightened its belt to the point of strangulation, so there are no budgets to raid to find money to pay jurors. In the recent past, the state has asked jurors to serve and wait months for payment.

And Daniels told legislators that already we are seeing an increase in motions to dismiss for (lack of) speedy trials and ineffective counsel violations.

Prosecutors are required to pursue cases in a timely manner or a judge is bound to dismiss the case.

You talk about an impact on public safety, Daniels said, warning about the likelihood that judges will have to dismiss more cases for such violations if the current situation continues.

The judiciarys budget in the current fiscal year is $156 million, or about 2.6 percent of the entire state budget. That compares with $162 million last fiscal year.

Going into the current budget year, the judiciary was scheduled to get 2.58 percent of the total state budget, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Daniels said the judiciary needs $168 million, or about 2.7 percent, for fiscal 2018 to maintain a treading-water budget. He said that to keep the judiciary from slipping further into malfunction, the state should in the future keep the system funded with 3 percent of the states general fund.

Rep. Nate Gentry, R-Albuquerque, the House minority leader, has filed House Bill 81, which would create a 3 percent benchmark for future allocations for the judiciary so the courts and judicial agencies are able to carry out their constitutional and statutory powers and duties.

Funding for the courts has to be approved by legislators and then the governor.
WASHINGTON  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 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.

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.

  

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 for things like tents and trailers.

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 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.

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.

  

Jan. 20, 1973, was a cold, gray Saturday in Washington.

At the Capitol, Nixon was being inaugurated for his second term as president. 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 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.

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.
WASHINGTON  Rick Perry, President-elect Donald Trumps nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Energy, vowed Thursday to support the nations national laboratories and protect the mission at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad during his confirmation hearing before the Senate energy committee.

The former Texas governor also said he regretted remarks he made in 2011 in which he suggested abolishing the Energy Department and he disavowed Trump transition officials efforts in recent weeks to identify department employees who were working on climate change science.

During Thursdays hearing, Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat who had called Perry utterly unqualified to lead the Energy Department when his nomination was announced in December, raised concerns that the job of overseeing the nuclear weapons complex could be unfilled for a time during the presidential transition.

Perry told Heinrich he is urging continuity. Political appointees in the federal government are typically asked to submit resignations when a new president is elected, but incumbents can be asked to remain on the job until the new president chooses to keep them or names replacements. The National Nuclear Security Administrations top two jobs are now held by administrator Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz and principal deputy administrator Madelyn Creedon.

Heinrich, in a letter to Trump this week, said that, as of Tuesday, Klotz and Creedon had not been asked to continue serving after Trump becomes president today. In New Mexico, the Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories are overseen by the NNSA.

Having men and women in place and a structure in place to give confidence, and assuring predictability to the men and women of this country is very important, Perry said. I have sat down with (Klotz) and had a good conversation with him. I have sent the message that it would certainly be my desire to have that continuity. It (the message) is in the president-elects office now and I would hope we have continuity in those very important places.

A Heinrich spokeswoman said after the hearing that the senator had not decided whether he would vote in support of Perrys nomination.

Perry also said that, if confirmed, he will be a passionate advocate for the departments core missions and will seek to draw greater attention to the vital role played by the agency, especially in protecting and modernizing the nations nuclear stockpile. Much of that work is done at New Mexicos national laboratories.

Heinrich asked Perry if he could ensure the people of New Mexico that the safe operation and proper maintenance of WIPP would be a budget priority and a management priority. WIPP  a nuclear waste repository near Carlsbad  reopened this month after a nearly three-year hiatus prompted by a radiation release that contaminated a significant portion of the facility.

I want my former neighbors in New Mexico to know that there is a secretary of energy who will not only come to that site and hear their concerns  but every effort will be made to make sure that sites stays open, Perry said.

Perry told Heinrich he had not yet been nominated when Trump transition team officials sent a questionnaire to DOE employees that sought to identify who among them was engaged in work on climate science. Many department employees feared that the questionnaire could lead to their dismissal by an incoming presidential administration that has cast doubt on the science related to climate change.

I didnt approve of it, Perry said. I dont need that information and I dont want that information. That is not how I manage.

In his opening statement, Perry  a former Texas governor  said he regretted his suggestion to scrap the Department of Energy, which employs some 25,000 New Mexicans. Perry made the suggestion during his first run for president in 2011.

My past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking, Perry said. In fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination.
LAS CRUCES  Las Cruces garrison flag will be flown from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Friday in observance of the presidential inauguration.

The large flag will fly at Veterans Memorial Park, on Roadrunner Parkway. No formal ceremonies are scheduled.

The flag will be raised and lowered by veterans and any interested residents who want to help. Volunteers should arrive at the park about 15 minutes before the flag is to be raised or lowered. Veterans will advise volunteers how they can help.

The garrison flag is flown on holidays and other special occasions. For information about dates when the garrison flag is flown, call J.R. Turner, New Mexico Department of Veteran Services, 575-524-6220.



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.

_____
Locals, police clash over LLRC report in Nuwakot, over dozen injured

Locals protesting the report prepared by Local Level Restructuring Commission have clashed with security personnel at Nuwakot district headquarters Bidur on Friday. More than one dozens from both sides have been injured in the clash.
NEW YORK  The Latest on Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman facing drug trafficking and other charges in the United States (all times local):

3:40 p.m.

A U.S. lawyer for Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman says he hasnt seen any evidence that indicates Guzman has done anything wrong.

Attorney Michael Schneider said Friday that Guzman and his lawyers look forward to addressing the drug-trafficking and other allegations against him in court. Schneider also suggests theyre also interested in exploring whether Guzmans extradition was appropriate.

Guzman is charged with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings. Through his court-appointed lawyers, he entered a not-guilty plea Friday in a Brooklyn federal court.

Hes being held without bail.

As the convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman has repeatedly been imprisoned and escaped in Mexico. U.S. authorities have pursued him for years.

He was extradited Thursday.

___

2:30 p.m.

Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman has made an appearance in a New York City courtroom, where a federal public defender entered a not-guilty plea for him.

A hush fell over the Brooklyn courtroom moments before Guzman entered Friday. He looked dazed and wore a dark blue T-shirt, dark blue pants and sneakers.

An indictment charges Guzman with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.

Guzman answered questions through an interpreter standing to his right and said he could understand the judges English.

No bail was sought.

Prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty as a condition of the extradition of Guzman, whos the convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel.

___

11:05 a.m.

U.S. officials say they didnt learn until Thursday that Mexico was extraditing drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman.

U.S. Attorney Robert Capers in New York says prosecutors werent aware it was going to happen but were nonetheless prepared for it.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Blanco thanked Mexican officials for their unwavering support and their commitment to justice.

Prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty as a condition of the extradition.

The U.S. is seeking a $14 billion forfeiture order as part of its prosecution.

The convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel was awaiting an arraignment in Brooklyn. The case is a joint prosecution with the U.S. attorney in Miami.

Guzmans lawyer says his extradition is politically motivated.

___

10:30 a.m.

A U.S. attorney in New York says the government is seeking a $14 billion forfeiture order as part of its prosecution of the notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman.

The convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel was brought into a Brooklyn courthouse Friday to await his arraignment.

U.S. Attorney Robert Capers spoke at a press conference about the joint prosecution with the U.S. attorney in Miami.

He likened the drug trafficking to a cancerous tumor that spread, leading to misery for legions of Americans.

An indictment charges Guzman with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.

Guzman has twice escaped from maximum-security Mexican prisons, most recently in 2015.

His lawyer says his Thursday extradition was politically motivated.

___

8:30 a.m.

Notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman is in a U.S. courthouse, two decades after he was first sought by federal authorities.

The convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel was brought into a Brooklyn courthouse on Friday to await his appearance before a federal judge.

An indictment charges Guzman with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.

Guzman has twice escaped from maximum-security Mexican prisons, most recently in 2015 via a hole in the floor of his cell shower.

His lawyer says his Thursday extradition was politically motivated.

Now in his late 50s, Guzman was first indicted in Southern California in the early 1990s.

___

1:15 a.m.

Notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman will stand in a U.S. courtroom, two decades after he was first sought by federal authorities.

The convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel is expected to appear in a Brooklyn federal courthouse Friday.

An indictment charges Guzman with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.

Guzman has twice escaped from maximum-security Mexican prisons, most recently in 2015 via a hole in the floor of his cell shower.

The brazen slip was highly embarrassing for the Mexican government. Guzman has fought extradition since his recapture last year.

His lawyer says his Thursday extradition was politically-motivated.

Now in his late 50s, Guzman was first indicted in Southern California in the early 1990s.
LAS CRUCES  Federal and state authorities arrested one of New Mexicos most wanted fugitives on Thursday in Dona Ana County.

Estevan Banegas, 39, was found at a house in the 200 block of Carriage Road in the community of Salem, near Hatch, according to a news release issued by the U.S. Marshals Service in Las Cruces. He was arrested without incident.

He had been on the run for an unknown period of time. He was wanted for probation violations related to convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest, among other convictions.



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.
WASHINGTON  Protesters made themselves heard in the nations capital Friday, leaving a trail of damage along some city blocks, disrupting security checkpoints at President Donald Trumps inauguration, and clashing with police as Trump supporters tried to celebrate.

As people poured into the city to watch Trump sworn in as the 45th president, they encountered protesters across the area throughout the day. Many of the demonstrations were nonviolent, with people holding signs that spoke to their causes and concerns. One protest even took on a carnival atmosphere, with puppets, stilt walkers and a giant inflatable elephant wearing a sign that read racism. But other groups tried to disrupt the days events by burning flags, throwing bricks and rioting en masse, leading to injuries and 217 arrests by Friday evening.

Six people intent on interrupting the presidential swearing-in ceremony made it into the closest section of seats to Trump. They wore shirts that spelled out R-E-S-I-S-T and got up and started shouting We the people! as Trump took the oath of office at noon. As authorities removed them from the area, they raised their fists and shouted USA! USA! One woman yelled, Were for an America for all of us.

Some in the crowd responded with taunts: Na, na, na, na, hey, hey, hey, good bye.

After the swearing in, protesters arrived at the Franklin Square area and clashed with police. The protesters were throwing rocks, bricks and chunks of concrete and taking newspaper boxes and barriers and putting them on the streets. Meanwhile police appeared to be using a flurry of flash-bang grenades and chemical spray to hold the protesters back, pushing them block-by-block west along K Street, from 12th Street toward 14th Street.

During the afternoon clash, the protesters started a fire in the middle of the street using garbage bins and newspaper boxes, and some climbed trees and light poles. About 100 officers in riot gear, carrying shields, stood in a line blocking off K Street.

Its a little jarring when youre in a peaceful march with drumming and chanting and the next thing you know flash bangs are going off around you, said Daniel Hultquist, a protester from Rhode Island. People that throw rocks and bricks are undermining the cause.

When one police SUV tried to drive through the crowd, several protesters dressed in all black tried to block it; when the SUV sped up, pushing the protesters aside, one picked up a rock, threw it, and smashed the vehicles rear window. At about 4:15 p.m., as the inaugural parade took place blocks away, protesters set a car on fire along K Street, sending plumes of dark smoke through downtown.

Trump supporters and protesters clashed throughout the day at several locations, and it sometimes turned violent. Three officers were injured during an earlier protest along the K Street corridor, including an officer who was struck by an object that had been thrown, said Doug Buchanan, a spokesman for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services. A fourth officer was struck by a thrown object on K Street in the late afternoon and was taken to a hospital.

During the morning protest, a large group of black-clad protesters  self-described as anti-capitalist and antifascist  made their way south on 13th Street near K Street, throwing newspaper boxes and garbage cans into the street and trying to set them on fire, leaving them smoldering. They also threw fireworks and broke glass at bus stops, businesses and on the windows of a limousine.

Police cleaned up behind them as they marched, and authorities used chemical spray in an attempt to disrupt the vandalism. They ultimately herded the group away from the inauguration parade route with a large number of police vehicles and officers in riot gear, and they used concussion grenades  which make a loud noise  to break up the crowd.

D.C. Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham said officers arrested 217 people in connection with protests that turned violent and caused significant damage to a number of blocks in our city. He said the department is investigating whether officers handling the protests deployed either flash-bang or percussion grenades  used to disorient people in crowds  and he said that protesters had their own. Numerous Washington Post reporters saw officers use such grenades.

Newsham said a a very small percentage of the thousands who came to demonstrate the inauguration resorted to violence. Police said those arrested were charged with rioting.

Its disappointing that it had to happen, Newsham said, praising how officers responded. We knew this was going to be a long day . . . Anyone who thinks they can come here and break the law, we will take them into custody.

At least one bystander, a middle-aged man, was injured when the grenades went off; he was hit in the head, which was cut and bleeding.

Another man, Robert Hrifko, 62, who rode his Harley Davidson motorcycle up from St. Augustine, Florida, to join the Bikers for Trump group, approached several firemen and asked: Do you think I need stitches?

A welt on his cheekbone dribbled blood. He said a man hit him with rock after he tackled a protester who was attempting to throw an aluminum chair at a police officer.

Bam  just waylaid me, he said. The firemen offered him a Band-Aid and said he would be all right. Good, I aint got insurance anymore, because I cant afford Obamacare.

Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted that she respects the rights of protesters but will not condone crime and vandalism which are the antithesis of what we hope to accomplish today. She also wrote: To those of you visiting Washington, D.C. we welcome you but we cannot allow you to destroy our neighborhoods.

Protesters jammed city streets and also aimed to jam checkpoints to the inauguration, at times successfully.

Shut it down! protesters shouted at the checkpoint at John Marshall Park early Friday morning. There, five black men stood at the front of the crowd, chained together, blocking the path.

Hailing from different parts of the country, the men were protesting on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement. As they stood together, they shouted that by demonstrating, all we have to lose is our chains.

Police began redirecting people to other entrances at about 8:30 a.m. As protesters there shouted, This is what democracy looks like, a Trump supporter countered. He pointed to the other side of the fence and said, This is what democracy looks like, but I cant get to it because of you!

Michael Henning came from Dalton, Ohio, to see the events on the Mall and expressed frustration with how police handled the situation.

We drove 20 hours, and now we cant get in, Henning said. Everyone should have just brought guns and had it out, Id be happy if they just dropped a bomb on them.

One protester was arrested after sprinting up 13th Street and taunting a small group of officers chasing him. As he passed a D.C. fire station, cheers could be heard behind the glass of the garage doors: Get him! Get him! When a young man in a hoodie  apparently an undercover police officer  bolted from the side and brought the protester down on the sidewalk with a flying tackle, a cheer arose from inside the station.

Im not resisting, Im not resisting, the protester said from beneath a pile of three officers. How are you all doing today? he said, just before being helped to his feet, his hand in restraints.

It is unclear how many protesters descended on the nations capital for the inauguration, but law enforcement officials were bracing for more than 60 demonstration groups, both in support of and against Trump. About two dozen groups have received permits for specific gathering spaces for Friday and Saturday, when the Womens March will take over the streets. According to their permit requests, some of those groups Friday were anticipating as few as 20 participants; others were planning for tens of thousands.

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.

Thursday night, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the National Press Club in downtown Washington, where the DeploraBall was being held. They shouted obscenities and insults such as racist and Nazi at those attending the celebratory ball on the eve of Trumps inauguration, and at one point someone threw an object that hit a counter protester in the head. Officers directed chemical spray at the crowd multiple times after protesters began throwing trash at Trump supporters who were leaving the building.

Many protesters participated in nonviolent demonstrations Friday. One man brought three llamas named Shay, Tragically Cute, and Thaddeus from a farm in Lancaster, Pa. Other groups protested silently, letting their signs speak for them.

I just wanted my voice to be heard, said Sharae Cloak, who stood quietly with two friends. Its a sad day in America, in the world. I didnt want to be one of those people who complains and sits at home.

But at least one organization had vowed to try to shut down the city. Organized under activist collective Disrupt J20, that group arranged to have different organizations gather at each of the dozen checkpoints that inauguration ticket holders had to pass through to view the ceremony. Each aimed to speak to a different cause, organized under names that include: Future is Feminist, Movement for Black Lives, Standing Rock for Native Lives, Economic Justice and Communities under Attack.

At one checkpoint, a group of LBGT protesters held a banner that read: Out of the Closet. Into the Streets and danced along to Abba and Madonna. They blew whistles and horns and filled the wet pavement with blue and purple glitter.

We are here as a celebration of all the rights we have achieved as a movement and to stand up for ourselves, said Mike Mcvicker-Weaver, 40, an HIV health care worker from Baltimore.

At a checkpoint near 10th and E streets, a group of women early in the morning tied themselves together with purple yarn and sat down, blocking people from passing.

Hey, hey, ho, ho! Donald Trump has to go! the group of about 100 mostly young protesters said. End white supremacy!

Clashes broke out at the location throughout the morning, and the line appeared at a standstill less than an hour before Trump was expected to take the oath of office.

Disrupt J20 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.

Not all of the demonstrations on Friday were anti-Trump. Among those groups that requested permits for space were two organizations that support him: Bikers for Trump and Let America Hear Us, Roar for Trump.

The latter shared Dupont Circle with a group that did not request a permit but 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.

A 40-year-old pot grower named Josh stood near Dupont Circle Friday morning, controlling the line, which stretched up Massachusetts Avenue. He said he had donated a half-pound of his own weed for the giveaway.

Id appreciate it if you dont do any illegal here, Josh told the crowd. If you want to do something illegal, take it down the block.

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.

Another organization, the ANSWER Coalition, planned to host a large gathering at the U.S. Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Ben Becker of ANSWER said that more than 45,000 people 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, had a 28-foot stage and large sound system set up there and plans to 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 had thousands of signs ready to hand out. Among them: 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.

  

The Washington Posts Tara Bahrampour, Michael Alison Chandler, Steve Hendrix, Arelis R. Hernandez, Tom Jackman, Justin Jouvenal, John Kelly, Robert McCartney, Clarence Williams and Julie Zauzmer contributed to this report.

  

Video: A group of protesters with the Black Lives Matter movement shut down an inauguration entrance checkpoint at John Marshall Park in downtown Washington. (The Washington Post)

URL:

http://wapo.st/2iSF9fm

Embed code:

Video:V iolent clash between protestors and police on Inauguration Day

http://wapo.st/2iT532M

Video embed code:
The breakup is a distant memory; love is in the air.

At a luncheon with Republican Party leaders at the Trump International Hotel on Thursday, President-elect Donald Trump proclaimed his affection for House Speaker Paul Ryan thusly: Im starting to really, really love Paul.

We are doing very, he continued. I just want to let the world know, we are doing very well together. We agree.

Trumps comment follows other warm fuzzies in the news this week between Team Trump and Ryan.

The Hills Jonathan Easley and Scott Wong reported Wednesday that Ryan (R-Wis.) and Stephen K. Bannon, Trumps top political adviser, are getting along. The two men and a handful of top aides dined on Italian food recently and talked tax reform and nerded out about spreadsheets.

This budding relationship has surprised and delighted members of Trumps incoming administration, Easley and Wong report. Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway spoke willingly on the record: There is collaboration  no confrontation  and a shared purposefulness where differences once existed.

The very next day, Breitbart, the conservative website formerly run by Bannon, reported that Ryan is warming up to Trumps ideology. It doesnt sound like much, until you remember that just three months ago Breitbart accused Ryan of secretly trying to elect Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. So this would be a significant change of tone.

The Breitbart narrative: Ryan and Team Trump are getting along because Ryan is coming around to Trumps position on issues such as trade.

But a day before his inauguration, Trump went out of his way to offer a very different narrative about their budding relationship: Theyre getting along in part because hes willing to accommodate Ryan.

At the luncheon, Trump detailed a recent phone call between him and Ryan. Ryan had called to urge Trump, in Trumps words: Lets not talk about the taxes publicly, because we want to do this one first. Were going to work on health care. Its very complicated stuff.

I said: I know that. . . . I think youre right, Im not going to talk about taxes.

The problem is, Trump said to the audience, I gave an interview five or six days before to the Wall Street Journal. . . . The following morning it came out: Trump on taxes. I said, Believe it or not, that interview was given five days ago.'

That remarkable, off-the-cuff interview revealed a side of Trump we rarely see in his blustery Twitter feed: A humble Trump. A Trump who wants to work with the other guy. A Trump willingly acquiescing to someone elses request. A Trump kind of (sort of) acknowledging he messed up.

These comments may be small, but they are nothing short of an alternate reality when you consider the two mens relationship just a few months ago.

After the unearthing of Trumps Access Hollywood tape in October, Ryan literally broke up with him, telling House Republicans he was done defending and campaigning for Trump. (Actually, Ryan never campaigned for Trump in the first place, but thats a different story.) Trump counterpunched straight to the jaw, all but starting a war with his own party in the process.

The Trump-Ryan relationship hit rock bottom when, a week before the election, Fox News host Sean Hannity (an ally of Trump) floated the idea that if Trump won, Ryan would be out as speaker.

Since the election, the two have had their differences. Trump wants to leave Medicare alone; Ryan wants to fix it. Trump wants to slap tariffs on imported goods; Ryan wants to adjust prices at the border.

But those are mostly policy differences. The personal ones seem to be fading into the past quickly. And Team Trump is going out of the way the week of his inauguration to make that very clear.

When asked about their past on PBSs Charlie Rose, Ryan shrugged it off: Im a big boy with thick skin.

The kumbaya vibes are very good news for Republicans in Congress who want to take advantage of having a Republican president for the first time in eight years. When Trump won, fingers were crossed in GOP Washington that these two leaders could put their contentious past behind them to work on issues they already agree on and find middle ground on some of the issues they disagree on. On the eve of Trumps inauguration, it looked as if thats exactly what happened.
Some New Mexicans will have to wait up to 12 weeks for their state tax refunds this year because of an enhanced review process aimed at combating identity theft and fraud, the state Taxation & Revenue Department announced Friday.

The agency also said it is cooperating with U.S. Internal Revenue Service security measures in place for the 2017 tax season.

Not all state returns will be affected, but if a personal income-tax return shows a potential for refund fraud, that return will likely take longer to process, according to a news release issued Friday.

In this age of information, there are many ways for criminals to steal personal information and use it to try and steal your tax refunds, state Tax and Revenue Acting Cabinet Secretary John Monforte said in the release. Our department has shifted resources and is placing an emphasis on protecting your personal information and New Mexico tax dollars.

The department said its extra efforts were due not only to identity theft and refund fraud, but recent breaches involving the federal government and in the public sector.

Last year, the agency drew complaints after it asked thousands of taxpayers to provide more documents and personal information before their refunds could be sent out. In all, it flagged roughly 59,000 personal income-tax returns for closer scrutiny, or about 13 percent of all returns.

The agency said filers can speed up the process if they are as accurate as possible on their tax forms and  provide all requested information in a timely manner.

In general, online refund requests will be processed more quickly than those on paper.

The agency says it will contact taxpayers if it needs any additional information from their drivers license or state-issued identification card.

If the information is not provided, there could be a significant increase in the processing time of the return, the release said.

On the federal level, the IRS is required to delay until at least Feb. 15 refunds on any returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. Congress mandated the delay so the IRS would have more time to try to catch fraudulent returns before refunds are paid out.

The state tax agency said,  any taxpayer refund request stopped by the IRS, which has a corresponding refund request in New Mexico, will be held by (the state) until the taxpayer has resolved the IRS stoppage, the news release said.

New Mexicans who suspect someone has fraudulently filed a tax return under their name are asked to call the state Taxation & Revenue Department at 1-866-285-2996.
FRITCH, Texas  Investigators say officers have shot and killed a suspect accused of firing at a Texas sheriff and a day later wounding a deputy.

Police in Borger (BOR-gher) were seeking 44-year-old Christopher Garza when he was located Thursday near Fritch, 25 miles northeast of Amarillo.

Department of Public Safety Sgt. Cindy Barkley says the suspect shot Hutchinson County sheriffs Deputy Gloria Robles. Other officers returned fire, killing Garza.

Barkley says the 26-year-old Robles was discharged Friday from a hospital. Details on her injuries werent released.

Sheriff Kirk Coker on Wednesday tried to stop an SUV linked to an unrelated shooting. Police say someone inside fired at Cokers patrol vehicle, striking the windshield, then drove off. Coker wasnt hurt.

A warrant was then issued for Garza for aggravated assault against a peace officer.
NEW YORK  Accused drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman appeared in a U.S. court here for the first time Friday, pleading not guilty to the charges against him as prosecutors revealed in stunning detail how they intend to build and prove their case.

Guzman, dressed in dark blue prison garb, said, Yes, sir, in Spanish as a judge asked questions about whether he understood the charges against him. He was not handcuffed and seemed subdued during the hearing, which lasted less than 10 minutes. His defense attorney entered his not-guilty plea.

The appearance came shortly after prosecutors, in a 56-page court filing, asked that a judge order that Guzman be detained indefinitely, laying out a history of the drug trade in the Americas and tracing how Guzman rose to power in it through unparalleled ruthlessness and efficiency.For nearly 30 years, they alleged, Guzman built himself an international, multibillion-dollar business, protecting it with a veritable army, ready to war with competitors and anyone Guzman deemed to be a traitor.

These last few decades have shown that Guzmans influence knows no bounds, prosecutors wrote.

Guzman is charged in federal courts in six states with an array of crimes, including leading a continuing criminal enterprise and importing and distributing narcotics. He was extradited to the United States late Thursday night.

At a news conference Friday morning, U.S. Attorney Robert Capers called the occasion a milestone in our pursuit of Chapo Guzman. He said Guzman was facing a possible sentence of life in prison and that prosecutors are also seeking a $14 billion forfeiture.

As part of the extradition process, U.S. officials had to assure their Mexican counterparts that he could not be given the death penalty, Capers said.

Prosecutors wrote that they expect a large number of witnesses to testify against Guzman, including dozens who have had face-to-face dealings with him and who can describe every aspect of Guzmans organization from its inception in the late 1980s through his building of an international empire. They also said they expect testimony from Colombian cartel leaders and other suppliers, transporters and U.S.-based distributors.

A former member of law enforcement in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, is expected to describe being paid hundreds of dollars a month to release members of Guzmans Sinaloa Cartel from custody, to remove road blocks from drug shipment routes and even to provide armed escorts for drug-laden trucks, prosecutors wrote.

The caliber of witnesses is strong and great, Capers said. He said that nearly 40 could testify at a trial that could last many weeks.

Prosecutors wrote that investigators also had recovered ledgers from Colombian cartel bosses and suppliers, detailing the financial agreements between Guzman and suppliers for drug shipments and that they had gathered evidence from recorded conversations with Guzman.

Guzmans history is well known, but in an effort to convince a federal judge that he needed to be held, prosecutors outlined in their filing his rise to power and how it stimulated the drug trade across the Western hemisphere.

The son of a peasant farmer, Guzman set himself apart as a trafficker of cocaine supplied by Colombians in the 1980s for his efficiency, earning himself the nickname El Rapido and eventually allowing him to negotiate directly for more pay from his suppliers, prosecutors wrote. He formed relationships with other traffickers and fought for more territory. One bloody battle for control of the Tijuana area of Mexico led to a shootout at an airport in Guadalajara and killed Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo, prosecutors wrote.

That killing led to the first nationwide manhunt for Guzman, and he was apprehended in 1993. But, with the help of his brother, he continued to expand his business from behind bars and escaped prison in 2001, purportedly in a laundry cart with the assistance of prison officials whom he had corrupted, prosecutors wrote.

Guzman developed an army to protect him and reshaped his Sinaloa Cartel, establishing distribution networks across the United States and diversifying the drugs he sold to include methamphetamine, along with cocaine, heroin and marijuana, prosecutors wrote. He corrupted Mexican officials with bribes and punished those disloyal with violence. He became known for carrying a gold-plated AK-47 and a gold and diamond-encrusted handgun, prosecutors wrote.

At his home in Mexico, Guzman reportedly enjoys a reputation as a Robin Hood, an admired outlaw who has waged a successful fight against the government. Capers said that Guzmans story was not one of a do-gooder, but of a small cancerous, tumor that metastasized.

When Guzman was recaptured in 2014, he had control of most of the Western hemispheres cocaine transportation and distribution network from South America to as far north as Canada, prosecutors wrote. He escaped again in 2015, sliding down a hole cut in the floor of his cells shower stall and traveling through a tunnel that had been excavated by members of his cartel. He was taken into custody by Mexican police after about six months on the loose, and the U.S. Justice Department pressed for him to be handed over to face charges here.

News images show that Guzman arrived in the United States on Thursday night under heavy, armed guard, and there was a similar presence at the courthouse Friday. Prosecutors wrote that though he is a Mexican citizen, he has members of his organization nearby, ready to assist him to flee the Courts jurisdiction.

Authorities, though, said Guzman would not escape. Angel Melendez, the special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York City, said that Guzman himself seemed to recognize he would be facing a different situation on U.S. soil

As you looked into his eyes, you could see the surprise, you could see the shock, and to a certain extent, you could actually see the fear, Melendez said. I assure you, no tunnel will be built leading to his bathroom.

  

Zapotosky reported from Washington.
Malia Obamas gap year is truly taking shape.

Starting next month, the 18-year-old daughter of former president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, who graduated from Sidwell Friends last May but wont attend Harvard University until fall, will intern for Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein in the super-producers New York office.

After the inauguration activities January 20, the Obama family will head to Palm Springs for a vacation after which Malia will get to work, according to the Hollywood Reporter. During past school breaks, Malia, who has a noted interest in film (and whose parents first date was captured in the indie flick Southside With You), has interned for the Halle Berry CBS series Extant and Lena Dunhams HBO comedy Girls.

Since the East Wing announced Malias plans to take a gap year, an increasingly popular year off between high school and college, the Obamas oldest daughter has maintained something of a low profile. Except of course for that carefree cameo at Lollapalooza in August.

But Obama watchers knew it wouldnt be long until the 18-year-old got to work (remember little sister Sasha, 15, had to skip her dads farewell speech because of a test the next day). Recently the New York Times reported Malias secret trip to Bolivia in November, where the teenager spent more than a month and a half trekking through Bolivia and living with a local family.

Her time working for Weinstein will no doubt be a tad more glamorous, although shes no stranger to making coffee runs like every other intern.

The choice of the Weinstein Co. may not have been mere happenstance. Remember when Michelle Obama closed out the 2013 Oscars by presenting the Best Picture award from the White House? That appearance had Weinstein, a major Obama donor, written all over it.

Theres no word yet on which part of the film company Malia will work in, but the Hollywood Reporter is leaning toward the marketing department. The Weinstein Co. did not respond to a request for comment.
PUEBLO, Colo.  Three of four dogs that ran away after a fatal crash on Interstate 25 have been found.

The Pueblo Chieftain reported (bit.ly/2j3ZZMg) Friday that a white American bulldog mix named Powder was located Friday near Colorado City. Residents recognized the dog from missing posters and called searchers.

The Colorado State Patrol says 59-year-old Charles Roberts of Katy, Texas was driving a van early Jan. 13 when he struck a guardrail between Walsenburg and Colorado City. Roberts overcorrected, causing the vehicle to roll. He died at the scene. Roberts had been driving a van full of 27 dogs from Houston to several Colorado rescues when the crash occurred.

Searchers are still looking for a 75-pound apricot and cream shepherd mix named Kelly.

___

Information from: The Pueblo Chieftain, http://www.chieftain.com
The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center issued a new statement Friday regarding the involvement of high-level HSC staffer Ryan Cangiolosi in a shouting match with a GOP lawmaker earlier this week.

Dr. Paul Roth, chancellor of HSC, said Friday that he is now reviewing the involvement of Cangiolosi, who is also the new leader of the state Republican Party.

In his previous statement on Thursday, Roth said HSC executive projects director Cangiolosi was not representing the university when the dispute broke out between Cangiolosi and Rep. Monica Youngblood, R-Albuquerque, outside a Santa Fe restaurant and bar.

His statement said Cangiolosi was on personal leave while in Santa Fe attending meetings Tuesday.

The profanity-laced dispute occurred Tuesday evening outside the Bull Ring restaurant and bar, a popular spot for lawmakers and lobbyists.

Billy Sparks, a spokesman for the HSC, issued the new statement on behalf of Roth on Friday morning.

While he was on his own time, I am still reviewing the details of the incident, Roth said.

Cangiolosi and Youngblood in separate emails confirmed the incident occurred but disagreed on who instigated the dispute.

Youngblood, a three-term lawmaker who represents a Northwest Albuquerque legislative district, wrote an email sent to Cangiolosi on the morning after the Tuesday evening incident, and said she was still disturbed by it.

Cangiolosi accused Youngblood, however, of initiating the argument at the Bull Ring restaurant, a popular spot for state lawmakers and lobbyists during legislative sessions, adding that she may have been upset over her House committee assignments.
More than one Nepalis die in Malaysia every day

At least 386 Nepalis died in Malaysia in 2016, according to official statistics, putting the toll twice as high as in Qatar even as the two countries employ a similar number of Nepali workers.
A former Albuquerque Public Schools teacher was sentenced Thursday to 6 years in prison for possession of child pornography.

Joshua Weitz, 40, previously had pleaded guilty to two charges in U.S. District Court. His plea agreement said he at one time had possession of computers that contained videos and images of child porn. One computer had 350 images and 358 videos; another had 34 images and 77 videos.

Weitzs incarceration will be followed by 15 years of supervised release, and he will have to register as a sex offender. He also has to pay $1,000 in restitution to three victims, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Mexico.

Weitz was arrested in November 2015 by the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office. At the time, he was a kindergarten teacher at Whittier Elementary.

He was placed on leave after his arrest and ultimately fired from the school district.

The case originated as part of an investigation by the Attorney Generals Crimes Against Children Task Force.

An agent on that task force reportedly found evidence that Weitz was sharing child pornography on the internet.
WASHINGTON  The nations stark divide was on full display in Washington Friday as Donald Trump became Americas 45th president amid joyous roars of support and eruptions of chaos throughout the city, including the removal of a half-dozen protesters who tried to disrupt the swearing-in ceremony.

Less than two miles from where Trump and former president Barack Obama joined hundreds of other elected officials at the west front of the U.S. Capitol, anarchists armed with crowbars and hammers marched through the citys streets, toppling over news boxes, smashing bus-stop glass, vandalizing businesses, spray-painting buildings and, in one case, bashing in the windows of a black limousine.

The acts of violence prompted helmeted police to chase the protesters with batons, hose them with pepper spray and apparently toss flash bangs into their ranks. Three District of Columbia police officers were injured as the sound of explosions and sirens filled the air  marking the first intense confrontations in a day that began with protesters shutting down at least a few security checkpoints.

The clashes intensified during the afternoon as protesters hurled objects  including concrete bricks  at police in black riot gear, who fired back with more flash bangs and pepper spray. As helicopters swirled overhead and about two dozen booms echoed through downtown buildings, dozens of demonstrators fled, coughing uncontrollably and pouring milk in their eyes to wash out the stinging liquid. Traffic throughout the area was left gridlocked. An hour later, the abused limousine was set ablaze, spreading dark smoke throughout the area before firefighters extinguished the flames. The sound of more booms and sirens soon followed.

In total, more than 200 people were arrested throughout the day, and the confrontations continued as darkness fell. Richard Spencer, a self-described white nationalist and leader of the alt-right movement, was punched in the face by one of the demonstrators after denying that he was a Nazi.

At 7 p.m., hundreds of protesters were still gathered on the intersection of 14th and K streets.

Someone hurled a bottle at the police line. Someone else set another garbage can on fire, while another burned a Trump flag on the flames as the crowd shouted, Trump is a garbage fire.

A half-dozen Trump supporters in Make America Great Again hats charged at protesters shouting USA, USA, then left after a brief verbal confrontation.

District of Columbia douncil member Anita Bonds worried that the violent demonstrations would unfairly reinforce the image of the nations capital as a liberal bastion hostile to Trump and his supporters.

Protesting is, in my opinion, your civil right. But I dont want you coming in to my town and destroying my property, Bonds said, suggesting that out-of-towners were at fault. Go home and do it.

Trumps inauguration capped a campaign that galvanized millions of Americans who were eager to embrace a Washington outsider willing to say, or tweet, whatever is on his mind. The 70-year-old real estate mogul  who has never before held elected office  was jubilant Friday morning.

And legions of his supporters were on hand to embrace their new president.

As his parade began around 3:45, thousands of people standing along the route  some who had woken up before dawn to get there  endured an intermittent chilly rain to cheer for and wave banners at the New York real estate mogul.

The presidents coming, parade-goers near the start said to each other as they peered down Pennsylvania Avenue. They readied their cell phone cameras, fidgeting and arching their necks as the bass of brass instruments and drums came closer and closer.

Just before reaching his newly opened $212 million Trump International Hotel, the president and First Lady Melania Trump exited their armored limousine to wave toward the crowd.

But by the time Trump reached the front of his hotel  where protesters had gathered across the street  hed returned to the limo.

Beneath the gloomy lighting of a winter afternoon, few could tell which vehicle the president was in.

Was that him? asked a man from Tennessee at the western edge of the hotel, near 12th Street. Hardly anyone applauded as Trump passed, and an announcement came minutes later that the president had reached Freedom Plaza.

Worst parade ever, said another man in a Make America Great Again cap. I waited three hours for that?

Up the street, 37-year-old Kelly Dolin had come from Waynesboro, Virginia, with his family to watch his 17-year-old son, who attends Fishburne Military School, march in the parade.

Dolin was surprised at the subdued mood of the crowds he had seen. It wasnt what I expected, said Dolin, who voted for Hillary Clinton. It seems like youd hear more cheering.

Earlier in the day, at least, Trumps many supporters didnt lack in enthusiasm.

Kathy Davis and a friend sat in yellow ponchos in a light rain west of the Capitol, awaiting a moment theyd long anticipated. Both evangelical Christians, theyd driven down together from upstate New York on Thursday.

We have just known that Donald Trump was supposed to be president,  said the 59-year-old. When we saw the miracle happen on Election Day, I cant tell you the feelings that rose up.

One 68-year-old grandmother so adored Trump that she and her family drove 19 hours from Missouri to Washington to watch him become commander in chief. Security had confiscated Marian Currys pepper spray and taser but let her keep a small folding chair because of her arthritic knees.

Curry insisted shes neither a Republican nor a Democrat, but something about Trump drew her in.

He woke me up, she said.

Donna Lutz, a 71-year-old teacher from Florida, said shed lost friends over her support for him.

For the first time in my life, I have not been able to have an opinion, said Lutz, dressed in a bright red coat, fuzzy red earmuffs and a button with Trumps face. I was very passionate, so now I get to see that my passions were shared.

Her feelings certainly werent shared by everyone.

Trumps inflammatory rhetoric has angered and offended millions of Americans, making him the most unpopular incoming president in at least four decades. Friday, Trump supporters and detractors came face to face on the National Mall, around the White House and throughout downtown Washington.

In one case, 10-year-old Josh Wheelers anti-abortion sign was thrown to the ground, driving him to tears.

Wheelers father, Todd, said a protester had pushed the boy and called him names, though another anti-Trump activist helped comfort Josh afterward.

Were disappointed in the police for letting them do that, said Wheeler, whose family came to Washington for the inauguration from Indianapolis.

At John Marshall Parks checkpoint, Black Lives Matter protesters  chanting Shut it down  did just that. Five men chained themselves together, preventing anyone from passing and forcing police officers to redirect attendees to other entrances.

It feels great that we closed the checkpoint, said 28-year-old Aaron Goggans, one of the organizers. But we know this is just the beginning.

At the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and 20th Street, a very different sort of demonstration was being held as the earthy scent of burning pot wafted, and reggae pumped from a sound system. A cry went up from the crowd of marijuana enthusiasts waiting for their free joints.

They were reacting to a herd of motorcycles roaring past, one bike flying a Trump campaign flag.

Whats up Bikers for Trump?  said the DJ. Come for some free weed?

Across the street stood five Washington police officers, hands in their pockets.

As the newly inaugurated Trump signed paperwork on Capitol Hill, hundreds of protesters meandered up Massachusetts Avenue from Union Station, occasionally blocking both sides of the thoroughfare.

The march had taken on a carnival feel, with stilt walkers, large puppets, a brass band and a giant inflatable elephant adorned with the word racism.

Immigrants are welcome here! people chanted. No hate! No fear!

Trump supporters leaving the inauguration taunted the peaceful protesters, waving their ubiquitous red hats.

Earlier, at 10th and E streets, protesters had blocked the entrance to a checkpoint.

A group of women tied themselves together with purple yarn and sat on the ground to prevent people from passing through.

Hey, hey, ho, ho! Donald Trump has to go! shouted the group of about 100 mostly young protesters. End white supremacy!

Armed with signs, brass instruments and life-size wooden crosses, the assembly danced, blew whistles and sang along with a small marching band.

The protest continued until a large group of inauguration goers  many dressed in suits and dress clothes  tried to push through the human barricade. People fell to the ground and swore until police officers helped create a lane for the attendees to pass through.

Throughout the city, other anti-Trump protests popped up.

At 14th and I streets NW, about 100 anti Trump marchers chanted, Whose streets? Our streets!

One man carried a bundle of American flags over his shoulder.

Its not enough to continue shouting into the echo chamber of social media, said Clara Mystif, 31, a writer from Florida. Were here to actually put our bodies on the line in support of our friends who are going to be targeted by this regime.

Law enforcement was prepared to contend with more than 60 demonstration groups that planned to gather in the District, including DisruptJ20, which drew thousands of participants. The activists website promised a series of massive direct actions that will shut down the Inauguration ceremonies and any related celebrations.

They set out to challenge a security plan that took months of planning and millions of dollars to execute. Among the obstacles facing agitators: Checkpoints, roadblocks, truck-barricaded streets, hundreds of Jersey barriers, miles of fencing and 28,000 security officials deployed across 100 square blocks in the heart of Washington.

On Friday, counter-demonstrators also arrived to support their new president  most notably, Bikers for Trump, a group that served as a vigilante security force at the Republican National Convention and expected 5,000 members in Washington.

The regions normally packed Washington-bound Metro trains were mostly empty early Friday. In a yellow line car headed south, two groups of four wearing Trump gear  beanies saying Trump Americas 45th president and American flag scarves  sat ebulliently at the end.

One bearded man in a North Face vest and sweatpants, clearly new to Metro, propped his feet on a divider and later asked if he could smoke his cigarette. He hopped off his seat to record a selfie video with his friends.

Its the best day in America, he beamed.

The man swiveled the camera to show the rest of the crowd.

Washington sucks, he bellowed, before turning the recording off.

I said Grab them by the py, 17 times yesterday, he joked later, referring to Trumps vulgar comments on the set of Access Hollywood in 2005. He casually repeated the phrase several times, until his female companion shushed him.

Todays a huge day, he said as the train approached their stop.

Yuuuuge! his friend responded.

Meanwhile, just before 9:30 a.m., the outgoing president left the Oval Office for the final time.

As Obama did, reporters asked, Feeling nostalgic?

Obama responded, Of course.

Another reporter shouted, Any words for the American people?

The 44th president of the United States answered, Thank you.

Despite Trumps reputation as a showman, the celebration in honor of the former Apprentice star was smaller than the one in 2009 for the nations first African American leader.

Trumps 3 p.m. parade is expected to last just 90 minutes. Obamas took more than four hours. Trump is expected to appear at three official balls. Obama attended 10. Just 450 bus permits had been sought for Friday. About seven times that many  more than 3,000  registered eight years ago.

Though Trump suggested record numbers of people would attend Fridays festivities, at least one longstanding ball had to cancel due to a lack of interest, and others have struggled to sell tickets. Compared to past celebrations, far fewer notable celebrities and musicians are attending or performing, and a number of the citys great halls havent been rented.

Trumps hotel has frequently been targeted by protesters in recent months. An extra layer of high metal fencing appeared outside its front doors this week, and staff have carefully monitored everyone coming and going.

Washingtons lack of enthusiasm for Trumps arrival may be due in part to the adversarial relationship hes long had with the fiercely liberal capital, a place he described as a swamp that needs draining.

Just 4 percent of Washingtons residents voted for the new occupant of the citys most hallowed quarters: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

  

The Washington Posts Taylor Hartz, Peter Jamison, Shaun Courtney, Alejandra Matos, Nick Anderson, Dana Hedgpeth, John Kelly, Justin Jouvenal and Tanya Sichynsky contributed to this report.
LONDON  If the credo of the new U.S. president is America First, as Donald Trump emphatically declared Friday in his strikingly nationalistic inaugural address, then where does that leave the rest of the world?

Thats what people around the globe  from Asia to the Middle East to Latin America  were left to wonder after watching Trump use the opening minutes of his presidency to double down on campaign pledges to end what he sees as misguided efforts to help other countries at the expense of U.S. interests.

After more than 70 years of vigorous political, diplomatic, economic and military engagement to promote pax-Americana, Trumps words suggested to international observers a far more isolationist and protectionist path ahead.

If he follows through  and people have to come to terms with the fact he may well do what he says hes going to do  then its the end of the post-World War II, post-Cold War order, and the beginning of a new phase, said Ian Kearns, co-founder of the London-based European Leadership Network.

But that phase, Kearns said, may be far rockier for the United States than Trump suggests.

If youre just out to defend your interests, he said, then others will do the same.

Within minutes of Trumps speech Friday, others were already having their say.

Although world leaders showered Trump with a cascade of politely worded tweets and congratulatory messages, the mood on the streets in many world cities was far more unsettled on the day that Trump became U.S. commander in chief.

In London, hundreds of people gathered in the evening chill to chant Dump Trump! outside the American embassy. In Mexico City, residents took to social networks to debate not whether Trump was good or bad, but how grave the new era might be. And in Beirut, observers compared Trumps speech to those by their own regions past and present despots.

There was also praise. Many Russians rejoiced, as did anti-European Union populists and Israeli officials.

The worlds divided response mirrored the one in the United States: defiance and despair in some quarters, enthusiasm and optimism in others and profound polarization as far as the eye can see.

But perhaps not surprisingly for a president who came to office on a wave of insults hurled across national borders, the worlds protests were more pronounced than its victory parties.

Mexicans awoke Friday to the realization of what many consider a political nightmare: the inauguration of an American president who has taken aim at their economy, their migrants, and their shared border.

Literary critic Christopher Dominguez Michael published an op-ed in El Universal simply called, The saddest day.

We are immersed in a cultural war, another columnist, Carlos Heredia Zubieta, wrote in the newspaper. For the first time in decades, the affront unites Mexicans of all social classes.

Trumps address itself  more scripted than his campaign speeches, but no less bombastic  left many around the world in open-mouthed wonder.

I listened to Trumps inauguration speech dubbed on an Arabic channel  it could easily have been Saddam, Assad or Sissi, tweeted Mohamad Bazzi, professor of journalism at New York University, who is in Beirut, referring to the late ruler of Iraq and the current presidents of Syria and Egypt.

Nathalie Kluver, a Twitter user from the northern German city of Lubeck, appeared to echo the thoughts of many Germans when she tweeted: If a German chancellor said at an #inauguration that he wants to make Germany great again  thats unimaginable.

Demonstrations spanned the globe, and were generally small but spirited.

After dark in London  as Trump finished speaking  hundreds of placard-bearing protesters massed at the American embassy to vigorously chant their dismay.

Its cold, its dark, Id rather be at home in the warm. But Im here because Im only an ordinary person, and Im frightened, said 65-year-old retiree Stephanie Clark, mentioning nuclear weapons and climate change as particular areas of concern. Im frightened of what Donald Trump and his administration can do.

There was an edgier tone to protests in the Philippines capital of Manila, where protesters burned an American flag and called on President Rodrigo Duterte to distance himself from Trump.

Marches were also staged in the West Bank city of Nablus, where hundreds of residents paraded Palestinian flags and voiced concern with Trumps seeming shift toward Israel, including his promise to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

Hes not a man of peace, said 53-year-old Moussa al-Bitouni, who watched as the inauguration was broadcast live in a smoky East Jerusalem cafe. He doesnt want to take the path of peace, or talk about peace.

The mood was very different in Israeli settlements, where Trumps ascendance to the Americas highest office was greeted with relief and hopeful expectation.

A delegation of settler leaders was in Washington to attend the inauguration as VIP guests, their presence representing a striking turnabout: For decades, U.S. presidents  both Democrat and Republican  have been highly critical of settlement building. Trump, by contrast, has appointed a vocal advocate and fundraiser for the settlements as his ambassador to Israel.

Congrats to my friend President Trump. Look fwd to working closely with you to make the alliance between Israel&USA stronger than ever, tweeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In another sign of the changed geopolitical landscape, anti-European Union leaders were also welcomed at the inauguration. Nigel Farage, who helped lead the campaign for Britains E.U. exit, was in Washington as an honored guest and hosted a pre-inauguration party Thursday night. Trump has said hes indifferent to the E.U.s fate, unlike all his recent predecessors, who have been staunch backers of European integration.

The old order wasnt working, Farage said on a broadcast for the British radio station LBC. I think its going to be great. I think its going to be huge. I wish [Trump] well.

French far-right politician Marine Le Pen  leading some polls in the French presidential race due in the spring  was similarly exuberant, declaring that Trumps election had opened a new era in the cooperation between nations.

The response among Europes establishment was less sympathetic.

Former German defense minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg called on the German government to answer Trumps crude ideas in a clear and, if necessary, tough manner.

This might be the moment to let a culture of responsibility grow out of the culture of restraint [the government] so touchingly nursed in the past, Guttenberg wrote in an editorial for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

There was also apprehension in China  though the government was being careful with its response.

Chinas foreign ministry has generally maintained an outward appearance of calm in the run-up to Trumps inauguration, mostly declining to rise to the bait after some of Trumps most strident tweets. Behind the scenes, though, diplomats in Beijing say the government is very nervous about the prospect of a Trump administration.

The English-language China Daily newspaper said it hoped Trump could display more statesmanship after his inauguration, but warned that he was playing with fire in trying to open the one-China question.

If Trump is determined to use this gambit on taking office, a period of fierce, damaging interactions will be unavoidable, as Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves, it wrote in an editorial.

Chinas censors recently ordered the nations media not to indulge in unauthorized criticism of Trump, according to China Digital Times, a website that tracks censorship directives.

In Moscow, Trump was toasted with champagne at an upscale party stocked with politicians, analysts, activists and journalists. The applause was warm when Trump took the oath.

Its going to be a lot of action, drive, excitement, said Dmitry Nosov, a sturdily built former member of Russian parliament, who wore a grey-checked blazer with a bear pin. Not dull like it has been.



Karla Adam in London, Annie Gowen in Jaipur, India, James McAuley in Paris, Liz Sly in Beirut, Ruth Eglash and Loveday Morris in Jerusalem, Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin, Simon Denyer in Beijing and Joshua Partlow in Mexico City contributed to this report.
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. soldier who faces court-martial for desertion after walking away from his base in Afghanistan and spending five years in militant captivity, sought and was denied a presidential pardon by former President Barack Obama before he left office, according to Bergdahls attorney Eugene Fidell.

The effort was disclosed Friday after Berghdahls legal team filed a new motion to dismiss the Armys case against their client, citing past harsh rhetoric against Bergdahl by newly sworn-in President Donald Trump.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly called Bergdahl dirty, rotten traitor to his country and suggested that if he had acted the way he did 25 or 50 years ago, Bergdahl would have been executed by the military. In reality, the United States has executed an accused deserter only once since the Civil War, and not at all since World War II.

Bergdahls legal team said Trumps comments deny their client the due process right to a fair trial and constitute apparent unlawful command influence, in which a senior U.S. official meddles in a military justice case while seeking a specific outcome.

We had hoped that [Obama] would grant a pardon. He didnt, said Fidell, adding that the issue is a highly discretionary matter for a president.

Obama issued 1,715 commutations to federal prisoners during his administration, surpassing the combined total of his 12 predecessors, and an additional 212 pardons. Among those whose sentences were commuted was Chelsea Manning, the former U.S. soldier who served just short of seven years of a 35-year sentence for for leaking thousands of classified documents to anti-secrecy website Wikileaks when she was deployed to Iraq as an intelligence analyst.

Mannings commutation prompted speculation that Bergdahl also could receive legal relief from Obama. The soldier faces charges of desertion and misbehavior for the enemy for leaving his patrol base in eastern Afghanistan in June 2009 in what he characterized as an attempt to draw attention to problems he saw in his unit. Bergdahl was captured within hours, smuggled over the border into Pakistan and remained in captivity until the Obama administration negotiated a trade in May 2014 in which it released five Taliban detainees.

The trade was decried by critics, even after it was disclosed that military physicians determined Bergdahl suffered from a mental disorder that causes psychotic episodes. Obama defended the deal, saying that the United States does not leave soldiers behind regardless of the circumstances. Fidell said that Bergdahl will be grateful to Obama for the rest of time and believes that he saved his life.

The decision means that Bergdahl still faces a potential sentence of up to life in prison if he is convicted at a trial scheduled to begin this spring. Army prosecutors have argued that, at minimum, he endangered the lives of the many U.S. troops who were ordered to search for him after his disappearance.

An Army investigation completed after he was recovered in 2014 found no evidence that a service member was killed or wounded as a direct result of those searches, but soldiers serving in Afghanistan at the time have more recently testified about a specific mission July 8, 2009, in which an Army National Guardsman, Sgt 1st Class Mark Allen, was shot in the head during a firefight on a mission they said was ordered specifically to search for Bergdahl. Another soldier suffered hand injuries from a rocket-propelled grenade in the same fight.

Bergdahls lawyers made a motion with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces last fall to to request an expedited hearing for two issues in the soldiers case, saying Trumps continued attacks threatened Bergdahls right to fair consideration by the top officer overseeing the case, Army Gen. Robert Abrams, and in any subsequent court-martial.

On Friday, Bergdahls legal team also released a new 28-minute video that collects many of the instances that Trump criticized Bergdahl and the trade Obama made and said he was happy that they knocked the crap outta him while he was in captivity.

The only question was when  not whether  the candidate would get around to him, the new motion states of Trumps penchant of criticizing Bergdahl. President Trump transformed his rallies into a televised traveling lynch mob.

Sean Spicer, a spokesman for Trump, did not respond to a request for comment.
Just minutes after Donald Trump took over as president, WhiteHouse.gov was updated with his new priorities. Among them? An America first foreign policy.

Trump has laid out a staunchly nationalist vision for America, a zero-sum world where our needs are the only ones that matter. In his inaugural address Friday morning, there was little talk of international cooperation or building bridges. Instead, Trump offered this vaguely dystopian readout: For many decades, weve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military. Weve defended other nations borders while refusing to defend our own and spent trillions of dollars overseas while Americas infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. Weve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.

No more.

From this moment on, Trump said, its going to be America First. (A slogan popularized, for what its worth, by Nazi sympathizers.)

In practice, that means a protectionist foreign policy aimed at eradicating radical Islamic terror and negotiating better trade deals. Missing will be any sense of America as a champion of human rights and democracy, a warrior against climate change or a leader in peacemaking and poverty eradication. As Politico reported a couple of days ago, Trump wants to rejigger the State Department in this image, prioritizing counterterrorism and intelligence gathering (and using he term radical Islam in public as often as possible) over all else.

That would involve a fundamental rethinking of the departments mission, one that would come with a fairly radical re-allotment of funds.

Obama proposed a $50.1 billion budget for the State Department and USAID in 2017. Some of that money is spent on security assistance but significantly more goes to economic and development aid. As The Washington Post reported a couple months ago, that money is intended to ensure American strategic interests abroad and bolster international institutions that respond to humanitarian crises, climate change, infectious diseases and a plethora of other development concerns.

Trump will probably cut $18.1 billion in economic and development assistance dramatically if he doesnt eliminate it entirely.

Of course, not all countries will be effected equally. Much of that spending is focused on a handful of African countries, directed toward health initiatives such as treating HIV and AIDS. Afghanistan, too, is a major recipient. After 15 years of a war that has entangled the United States, that country is using our funds to rebuild its tattered public infrastructure.

Its less clear whether the Trump administration will rethink the military aid it sends abroad. Right now, about three-quarters of all direct military aid goes to Israel and Egypt. As The Washington Post explains: Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. aid since World War II  the country was forged into existence only in 1948. And Egypt procured such robust funding only by agreeing to an American-brokered peace deal with Israel in the 1978 Camp David Accords.

U.S. military aid may not face such dramatic cutbacks. After all, regulations dictate that recipient countries spend the money on American defense contracts. (Except Israel, which can spend up to 26 percent of the aid it receives on products of its own defense industry.)



Erickson writes about foreign affairs for The Washington Post. Previously, she worked as an editor for Outlook and PostEverything.
Generally, inaugural addresses are not designed to be fact-checked. But President Donald Trumps address was nothing if not unique, presenting a portrait of the United States that often was at variance with reality. Heres a guide to understanding whether the facts back up his rhetoric.

Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed.

Trumps engages in some sleight of hand here, equating politicians with Washington. The suburbs around Washington are among the richest in the United States, largely because of the federal government (which attracts people with college or advanced degrees). People either work for or lobby the federal government, and that was especially enhanced by the post-9/11 growth in defense and security contracts.

The Washington metro area has the highest median income in the nation  $93,294 versus a U.S. median of $55,775  though growth has slowed in recent years, in part because of reductions in defense spending. Indeed, income in the area around the District of Columbia has grown essentially at the same rate as the rest of the nation since 2006, including a dip in median income during the Great Recession.

You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before.

No matter how you measure it, the movement was not as historic as Trump proclaims it to be.

Trump is a minority president, in terms of the popular vote. He lost the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes to Hillary Clinton. Clinton had the largest popular vote margin of any losing presidential candidate, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.

Trumps electoral college win, meanwhile, was a squeaker. Trump had narrow victories in three key states (and narrow losses in two others). He won Michigan by 10,704 votes, Wisconsin by 22,177 votes and Pennsylvania by 46,435 votes. So if 39,659 voters in those states had switched their votes, 46 electoral votes would have flipped to Clinton  and she would have won 278-260.

Overall, according to a tally by John Pitney of Claremont McKenna College, Trump ranks 46th out of 58 electoral college results.

Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities  and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

Trump repeats a problematic talking point about crime and poverty in inner cities. Its unclear what he means by inner cities, which is not a category by which crime or poverty is measured.

In 2015, 13 percent of people lived below poverty level inside metropolitan statistical areas, according to census data. That is on par with the national poverty rate in 2015, which was 13.5 percent. Overall, the poverty rate has remained relatively flat under Obama.

As we have repeatedly pointed out, violent and property crimes overall have been declining for about two decades, and are far below rates seen one or two decades ago. Homicides have spiked in major cities in 2015 and 2016, but the rates remain far below their peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

For many decades, weve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military.

Trump mixes up several things here. He seems to be referring to free-trade agreements in the first part of his sentence, though he ignores the fact that many U.S. industries also benefit and grow when they are able to sell products overseas.

As for subsidizing the armies of other countries, Trump appears to be referring to military bases that the United States has overseas. A 2013 Senate report found that the U.S. spent $10 billion a year on bases abroad, with 70 percent focused on three countries  Germany, South Korea and Japan. Germany is the center of European defense obligations, while the troops in Japan are the core of U.S. projection of power in Asia. The troops in Korea deter an attack by North Korea. Given a defense budget of more than $500 billion, the cost of maintaining these bases is a mere pittance.

The U.S. doles out about $6 billion a year in foreign military financing, with most of it going to just two countries: Israel and Egypt. But this money comes with a catch  most of it must be spent on U.S. hardware, creating jobs for Americans.

As for the very sad depletion of the U.S.military, this is hyper-exaggeration. One can argue about whether the military budget should be boosted, but there is no question that U.S. military is stronger and more capable than any other nations. The website Globalfirepower.com ranks countries based on 45 factors, and the United States tops the charts. Heres one small statistic: The United States had 19 aircraft carriers, as of the end of last year; no other country had more than four.

[Weve] spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while Americas infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. Weve made other countries rich, while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon.

Trump appears to be referring to U.S. involvement in military adventures, such as the 2013 Iraq invasion he supported, and possibly foreign aid.

Foreign aid amounts to less than 1 percent of the U.S. budget, with about $18 billion going to economic and development aid and $8 billion for security assistance. Even the Marshall Plan advanced by President Harry Truman, designed to stabilize Europe after World War II, was only a little over $100 billion in todays dollars.

So Trump only gets to trillions and trillions of dollars by including wars. Iraq war is estimated to have cost $1.7 trillion through 2013, though one estimate says that the cost will rise to $6 trillion through 2053, primarily from paying the interest on the debt incurred to wage the war because the Bush administration chose not to raise the taxes to pay for it. But we doubt Iraqis would say the war made the country rich.

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world.

Trump again engages in hyperbole, attributing all of the decline in manufacturing to foreign trade.

The number of U.S. workers engaged in manufacturing is now about 12.3 million, up from 11.5 million in 2010, after the Great Recession hurt many manufacturers. But thats still a decline from about 17 million in the 1990s.

Some analysts calculate that between 1 to 2 million U.S. jobs were lost after China was admitted to the World Trade Organization in 2000. But economists believe the biggest factor in the decline in manufacturing is automation, not jobs going overseas. Another factor is decreased consumer spending on manufactured goods.

We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs.

Trump continues to attack companies that ship jobs overseas, and has promised to keep jobs in the United States. But Trump has had a long history of outsourcing a variety of his products as a businessman, and has acknowledged doing so.

We know of at least 12 countries where Trump products were manufactured. Further, Trump products transited other countries through the packaging and shipping process  meaning workers in more than 12 countries contributed to getting many of Trumps products made, packaged and delivered to the United States.

Heres our inventory of Trumps products made overseas.

We will get our people off of welfare and back to work, rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.

Welfare is a broad term, and can apply to people who are working but receiving some government assistance. If someone is receiving means-tested assistance, it doesnt necessarily mean they are not working.

Not all people eligible for welfare collect benefits. When they do, many of the benefits are contingent on the recipients working or actively searching for jobs, as a result of an overhaul of welfare signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. And even low-income families receive some level of public assistance.

According to the 2012 U.S. Census, about 23 percent of U.S. households with at least one person with a job received means-tested benefits.

Meanwhile, Trump is apparently unaware that participation has declined in means-tested programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps).

Caseloads in the TANF program have declined over the past 15 years, from about 2.4 million families to 1.6 million families. After its post-recession peak in 2013, the number of people receiving food stamps has declined. In October 2016, there were 43.2 million people participating in the program, compared to 47 million in October 2013.
GOLDSBORO, N.C.  North Carolina authorities say a man fatally shot his wife after he mistook her for a burglar.

News outlets cite the Wayne County Sheriffs Office as saying that 48-year-old Gina Williams had been working an evening shift at a hospital and wasnt expected home until Friday morning. They said when Williams arrived home early and tried to get into the house, it startled her daughter and prompted her husband, Billy Williams, to grab his gun.

Police say Billy Williams opened the front door, saw a figure in the dark and fired a shot, hitting Gina Williams in the neck. She died at the scene.

No charges have been filed against Billy Williams as the investigation continues.
Hi Jamie! cooed a woman in sequins.

We knew youd be here, Jamie! a man in a tuxedo said, reaching out his hand.

We need you in Congress right now, Jamie! another yelled as he walked by.

Stars of music, poetry and social organizing partied Thursday night at a glitzy Peace Ball at the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. And freshman Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., couldnt walk three feet without being stopped by a fan.

Before winning his first term in Congress in November, Raskin was known in Maryland as a powerful state senator who helped legalize same-sex marriage and ban the death penalty.

Now hes a U.S. lawmaker who emerged from one of the nations most expensive primaries to reach the pinnacle of his political career: a seat in a marginalized minority party with Republican President Donald Trump in the White House.

Its funny looking up on that vote board and seeing that Im voting with the minority in vote after vote. Thats a new one, Raskin said on a shuttle bus ride back to his car Thursday night.

Police cars with flashing lights cruised silently through empty streets.

Raskin was one of nearly 70 members of Congress who skipped Fridays swearing-in ceremony and related GOP hoopla as a way of protesting Trump. Like many of them, he originally planned to attend the inauguration but changed his mind after Trump went after civil rights pioneer Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., on Twitter and was slow to accept reports that Russia influenced the election.

Instead of heading to the Capitol on Friday morning, Raskin hunkered down at his home in Takoma Park, eight miles north, with his dogs and his wife, Sarah Bloom Raskin, a former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury whose last day was Thursday.

He led about 75 people into Rock Creek Park for a nature walk under gray skies in the late afternoon, and was headed to speak at an UnNaugural concert in Silver Spring and attend the Planned Parenthood Pink Ball downtown Friday night.

On Saturday, Raskin is helping to organize rally and breakfast for 2,000 people at the Silver Spring Civic Center and taking 30 buses, including three from the conservative Carroll County, Maryland, section of his district, to the Womens March on the Mall. He has vowed to use his quarter-century of experience as a constitutional law professor  and seats on the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees  to be a watchdog on the new presidents business entanglements.

The founders were most afraid that the agents of the people would betray the people by serving their private interests instead, Raskin said in an interview. Its my job to make sure government is serving the interests of the whole society and not a tiny group around the president.

For all Raskins accomplishments in Annapolis, he may be most at home in the role of scrappy outsider.

He was 6 years old in 1968 when his father, concert pianist-turned-political activist Marcus Raskin, was arrested with Benjamin Spock for conspiring to encourage draft evasion as part of the Boston Five. The younger Raskin says Martin Luther King Jr. sent his dad a telegram that read, Dear Marcus, If youre guilty, I am too.

During the ride to the Peace, Love & Understanding Alt-Inaugural Show Thursday night, the congressman asked an aide to put on the Elvis Costello version of the shows namesake song. When it began streaming through the car speakers, Raskin turned up the volume and quietly sang along.

He regaled the crowd at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club with stories of his first days in a Congress ruled by the powers that be  not the powers that ought to be  and offered a fiery defense of the Affordable Care Act and Planned Parenthood.

This is the center of the resistance, right here! he said. We are not the minority party. We are the majority party  in exile for a little while!

In the park Friday afternoon, Raskin said he had watched President Trumps inaugural address, and felt justified in his decision to skip it.

He focuses on gloom and doom, Raskin said. He said he thought Trump painted himself as the nations savior, just as he had done at his nominating convention.

It was in fact in exceedingly poor form given the fact that the Obamas were right there and have extended themselves so much to try and help him, Raskin said. I dont know what we have done that this has befallen the republic. We have to fight our way back.

One of the hikers with Raskin, Bethesda resident Harriett Crosby, said she was surprised to find herself moved by the smooth transition of power on Friday, despite her grave concerns about Trump as president.

You feel like crying with pride for America, she said.

Jill Grant, a lawyer from Chevy Chase, said her major concerns are the potential for conflicts of interest under the Trump administration and the divisive tenor of the election.

Im definitely worried, she said, but Im waiting to see. Hes unpredictable.

Several people said the nature walk was the best way they knew to diffuse the anger and bittersweet sadness they were feeling on Friday. Some sported the pink pussy hats they planned to wear Saturday at the womens march.
The inaugural edition of DIGIXX Awards has been garnering immense industry interest. Entries for DIGIXX Awards 2017 are now open. The Awards venture of Adgully in association with ad:tech will soon head towards the second phase, which involves judging the entries by an esteemed Jury panel.

The DIGIXX Awards are judged by an independent panel of highly acclaimed thought leaders in the advertising ecosystem  advertising agency executives who create campaigns for the worlds most powerful brands, marketers with direct control over many of the largest advertising budgets and major media company leaders.

Joining the Jury panel of 11 captains of the industry are four more industry leaders  Ramin Saherwala (Reckitt Benckiser), Sujit Ganguli (ICICI Bank), Prasad Shejale (Logicserve Digital) and Sudarshan Banerjee (Utopeia Communicationz).





Ramin Saherwala, Head - Media, Digital & Comms, RB (Reckitt Benckiser) South Asia

A marketing and digital professional with 15+ years of experience, Saherwalas strengths lie in combining consumer insights and business analytics to develop a sharp brand communication and customer acquisition strategy. Cross category experience in FMCG, Finance, Telecom and Automobile and exposure across brand, media, digital and market research makes his approach to marketing a combination of insights, ideas and ROI.

In an environment of digital high value consumers, managing the brand, media and online business has given Saherwala a holistic perspective on their journey from engagement to acquisition. His specialties include Brand Management - Marketing communication/ Media planning, Digital strategy, Product management, Social Media, Corporate communications and CSR.

Sujit Ganguli, Head  Brand & Corporate Communications, ICICI Bank

Ganguli joined ICICI Bank in September 2010 and currently has the overall charge of ICICI Banks brand, media, digital advertising, market research and external and internal corporate communications portfolio. Prior to this, Ganguli had worked in ICICI Prudential Life Insurance from January 2005 till August 2010. He was the SVP & Head  Marketing, where he was overall in-charge of Brand & Communications. Additionally, he was also in-charge of the Direct Sales & Internet channels of the company.

Ganguli is a Physics graduate and completed his management education from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore in 1994. He began his career with Hindustan Unilever, where he handled various responsibilities in Sales and Marketing.

Prasad Shejale, Co-Founder and CEO, Logicserve Digital

Shejale is a lover of All things Digital. For him, digital is a huge universe where each marketing tool and platform plays its vital role in benetting the clients need. Shejale is an entrepreneur with experience of working not just in the Indian digital marketing space, but also in the global digital space. He has envisaged, developed and marketed consumer facing web properties on a global scale. His expertise lies in data modelling and predictive analytics to support products solve their problems and reach their desired outcome.

An IIT Chennai Alumnus, Shejales intuitiveness makes him a go-to for any solutions or converting ideas into reality. He co-founded Logicserve Group in 2007 and grew it from a small team to a high performing result-oriented group. He spearheads Logicserve Digital, the Indian arm of Logicserve Group. Having set up high performing product teams and delivered internet products and some good algorithms, currently Digital Media, Couponraja and CompareRaja keep him motivated.

Sudarshan Banerjee, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Utopeia Communicationz

Banerjee has done Media, Strategy, Account Management on top of the early life of a Copy writer. He became the Branch Head at the biggest branch of iContract Mumbai at the age of 29. His growing interest in Transmedia Communication made him take up a start-up kind of job heading the Mumbai office of Genesis Advertising, which was timed perfectly with the onset of the recession.

Leading the New Business Development efforts at Mudra West was what kept Ganguli occupied since mid-2009. He headed Ignite Mudra from April 2011 to October 2012. After the DDB merger, he also led the New Business Development function across the country for the Group while continuing with the Ahmedabad role.

While in Ahmedabad, Ganguli was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and co-founded Utopeia Communicationz, a self-confessed retro agency that believes there is a need to #BringBackTheLove - for brands, clients and people.

The esteemed Jury members already on board include:

Anita Nayyar  CEO, Havas Media Group, India and South Asia

Sanjay Tripathy  Senior EVP - Marketing, Analytics, Digital and E-Commerce, HDFC Life Insurance

Sandip Tarkas  President, Customer Strategy and CEO, Future Group & Future Media, India

Vivek Bhargava  CEO, DAN Performance Group

Babita Baruah  Managing Partner and Head, JWT PO1

Pradeep Dwivedi  CEO, Sakal Media Group

Maheshwer Peri  Founder & Chairman, CAREERS 360 (Pathfinder Publishing Pvt. Ltd)

Jaswant Singh  Managing Director, India at ad:tech, iMedia and Mobile Media Summits - Comexposium

Siddharth Banerjee  Senior Vice President - Marketing, Vodafone India

Shibu Shivanandan  Founder & Managing Director, PivotRoots

Mayoori Kango  Managing Director, Performics.Resultrix

For further details and to enter your nominations, please visit https://www.adgully.com/digixx-awards-2017.
With Indias insurance market expected to quadruple in size over the next 10 years from its current size of US$ 60 billion, Bharti AXA General Insurance, a private sector general insurer, is leaving no stone unturned in pushing itself towards the top by undertaking various initiatives in the domain. The general insurance business in India is currently valued at Rs 78,000 crore (US$ 11.44 billion) premium per annum industry and is growing at a healthy rate of 17 per cent, as suggested by various reports.

Bharti AXA General Insurance is a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and AXA, a world leader in financial protection. The joint venture company has a 51 per cent stake from Bharti and 49 per cent stake of the AXA Group. The organisation commenced national operations in August 2008 and currently has 87 branch offices across the country. Since its inception,, the company went to launch several schemes and profitable policies, thriving to stand apart. Also, giving a boost for women empowerment, Bharti AXA General Insurance recently announced their plan to launch products focused on women in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

In conversation with Adgully, Upendra Namburi, Chief Innovation and Marketing Officer, Bharti AXA General Insurance, shares some insights on the factors driving the companys marketing strategies, growing digitisation and changing communication dynamics in the general insurance sector, demonetisation and more. Excerpts:

What are the factors driving Bharti AXA General Insurances marketing strategies?

At Bharti AXA General Insurance we try to figure out what customer needs are with a lot of research and deliver propositions which include features, segments, etc. We work on the development of a proposition, to improve our engagement with customers on the right product in the right manner. Creating a customer centric brand is our motto by delivering relevant propositions for customers by making it simple and understandable. We also deliver products through agents and digital partners and are able to effectively sell the proposition across different channels. The most critical aspect of the journey is the claim aspect  we are making it clear and relevant by creating awareness about our products through TV, radio, outdoor, digital.

Please give some examples of past activities.

Bharti AXA General Insurance recently launched Long-term two wheeler policy which allows motorists to renew their insurance once in three years.

Very few two-wheeler owners renew their insurance. They need to be made aware that it is not only beneficial to them, but also mandatory by law. It is a legal mandate, but this policy also protects the consumer. According to the poll that we conducted, we found that people do not renew their insurance mainly because it is difficult to do it annually. So essentially, we have introduced a policy for three years, compared to other two-wheeler policies, which have a one-year cover. It is a convenience as well as financial benefit for a consumer. This is how we approach a proposition and market it. To create awareness for this, we have created some communication, including a video where we are playing on that emotional nuance and highlighting to the customer that this makes their life simpler and renew once and forget for 3 years. From a delivery standpoint, we started opening out to select channels, but we usually have a lot of scale on direct channel which is digital and is growing rapidly. We sell through partners and digitally and we are doing a lot of things to make customer purchases much simpler for two- or four-wheelers. We also plan to launch a website.

Will it be a revamp?

This is just different from what the other players are doing in the market. The designed websites are made largely keeping the mobile consumer in mind. This is just the start of the journey and many more things are coming up.

How is digital changing the whole communication strategy?

Designing communication for a consumer who leads his life using digital channels is very different from making a digital campaign. It doesnt start with only a communication or end with it. Digital is about creating awareness, transaction and servicing the entire consumer lifecycle. Creating conversation is important as it is not only about brands telling the consumers, but also engaging with them and creating new avenues for them  be it on social media, getting feedback, etc. We use it from a display search performance which is standard. But we also started looking at the video in fair amount to create awareness, customer interaction, post purchase (servicing, feedback).

We are also looking at digital as an enabler for non-digital channels. For agents and brokers, we are looking at how content is provided to them digitally so that they work in a better way. We are making a lot of investments in inverting customers on digital channels.

Earlier, there was the concept of only talking about the product in advertising, but now people are moving towards storytelling in their communication. How does it help differentiate the brand?

Advertising has been about storytelling since a long time, but yes, it was limited to only the product. We want to aim at customer stories which are not fictionalised. We are trying to get customers to share their stories with us. We have also shared a customer story, which shows how she met with a minor accident and how the entire claim process worked out and we actually got a feedback for it. Stories show transparency. Globally, AXA is a huge believer in transparency, which is also seen in our social channels like Facebook and Twitter. There is a fair amount of engagement with the youth across different platforms. We are looking for more such opportunities more robustly than any other insurance player.

What are the growth markets that you are targeting?

Geographically, we are an all-India player, we operate across India.



Consumer segment wise, we cater to three broad segments  retail individual, self-employed and commercial or corporate.

Category wise, a lot of our success has been in four-wheeler and two-wheeler categories and commercial.In the near future, one can expect much more focus on health and lifestyle aswe are looking for product offerings in this sector.. We are also looking at home and travel, since travel is growing exponentially and purchase of homes is also becoming crucial.

Are there any campaigns in place?

We have had a dedicated claim handler campaign, which we have run for a few seasons. It is a property of ours which is a service offering, where during a claim a customer is assigned support throughout the claims process for a smoother claims experience. There is another campaign that should be around the corner next year. The propositions and benefits which we will share in that campaign will redefine insurance business in India.

How is demonetisation impacting the insurance industry as a whole?

The impact is marginal. There are very limited cash transactions happening in this business. In the insurance policy if you see the ticket size, an average four-wheeler insurance will cost you around Rs 8,000-Rs 10,000, which is taken by cheque. When you see purchases or transactions in insurance, there is no direct impact. In agriculture insurance, some farmers have faced the challenge of getting their crop insurance claim because the ticket size is small working in rural areas. Singular discussion on demonetisation is incomplete because the design is one step in the direction of exerting a few things keeping its success or failure aside. The results of this policy are dependent on other intervention and actions.

Do you think insurance sales might be using low value investments?

One needs to distinguish life and general insurance. Life insurance also has other products like term insurance according to wallet share as far as investment and sharing is concerned. General insurance in case of motor vehicles is a legal requirement, while in other categories it is a customers choice. But consumers are evolving rapidly, where orientation and need for protection and assurance for continuity is maturing. This is going to go rapidly and not because insurers are pushing for it, but because consumers understand the need for it. Heath insurance is an example where customers buy because of tax benefits, but there are other sets of customers who primarily buy it because they believe that the value of life is extremely important. With increasing cost of health and other diseases, it is very important.

What are the challenges and opportunities for the general insurance industry in India at this point of time?

Opportunities:

General insurance operates in multiple spaces like, retail individual, SME and corporate

Rise in income levels, education which makes people understand the need for protection

Increasing cost of healthcare which leads to the need of having an insurance cover

The penetration levels are still low. The sheer penetration opportunity itself is a growth opportunity

Challenges:

Firstly, it has been a push-category till now which means the insurer is making a greater effort in selling the insurance. The challenge is, how do you create a pull through awareness and education.

Secondly, since there is a shift in consumer lifestyles, the challenges are in terms of understanding and addressing the consumer shift. We have to simply our approach and make it more appealing to consumers

Third is experience, which should be relevant, simple and transparent

How challenging is it to grab the attention of consumers to take insurance or is there a shift in that trend?

Youth who are taking health insurance are single. Most of the two-wheelers are driven by youth, they take the decision. Youth is also increasingly travelling abroad, while taking an insurance policy is essential in some markets, in some, it is optional. Youth is very critical when it comes to taking insurance and hence, that market is always attractive.
Ncell wont pay due capital gains tax on behalf of Telia

On Sunday, the Public Accounts Committee of Legislature Parliament revived the issue of capital gains tax on Ncell buyout deal by directing the Ministry of Finance to recover the due tax amount within three months.
zeotap today announced its Series B funding round of 12 million euros. The investment reflects zeotaps achievements in telecom data on-boarding for advertising targeting and measurement. It brings the companys total funding to more than 20 million euros.

Data is increasingly the cornerstone of the mobile advertising market that accounted for more than 50% of the $200 billion in digital ad investment in 2016 (eMarketer). It determines the efficiency of any buying or selling decision in the programmatic advertising ecosystem, which represents most of the advertising market in the US and is growing quickly around the world.

To demystify the term, programmatic advertising is a technology-driven method of buying or selling digital advertising inventory. It allows publishers and brands to move from manually negotiated, insertion order-led, repetitive workflows to a much more streamlined and efficient process.

Programmatic advertising hasnt picked up pace in India yet, especially on mobile, even though consumer eyeballs continue to move to mobile and apps dominate consumer time spent. The fundamental reason is the marked scarcity of trustworthy data for targeting. This leads to imprecise and ineffective campaigns that disappoint buyers and curtail their appetite for programmatic, said Sandeep Goyal, Chairman of Mogae Media and industry veteran.

Since its inception in September 2014, zeotap has created a global platform to effectively integrate deterministic data from different telecom operators. Leveraging these telecom assets as a nucleus, zeotap has proven the efficacy and value of its data by achieving up to four times the average data price in the market. Mozeo, zeotaps Indian joint venture established a few months ago with local partner Mogae Media, has seen strong progress. With Mozeo, were providing a unique solution that promises to comprehensively improve how advertising is bought and sold in India today. Programmatic is most certainly the way forward. There are many benefits for all involved  data owners, publishers, brands and agencies, not to mention users themselves, added Mr. Goyal.

One of the key reasons telecom operators trust zeotap is its focus on data security and privacy. zeotap is unique in affording data owners complete control and preventing buyers from storing data against persistent identifiers. This solves one of the fundamental problems of the mobile data business, where datasets are still traded loosely and leakage is rampant. zeotap has simultaneously maintained its strict adherence to data de-identification (via methods such as surrogacy, clustering and redaction, among others)to ensure consumer safety. It has already been certified for the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that comes into effect in May 2018. Our unrelenting focus on Privacy by Design principles in systems engineering is one of our most formidable assets, said Projjol Banerjea, co-founder and Chief Product Officer, who earned the Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT) qualification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) last year. He further added, Our efforts have not gone unrewarded: We count three of Indias largest telecom operators among our current clients.

zeotaps global product and engineering centre is located in Bangalore. The current technical team of 35 is expected to double in strength by the end of the year, with particular emphasis on data engineers and data scientists.

These developments have led to the latest funding round in which New Science Ventures (NSV), a New York based venture fund with $500million under management, and HERE, a leading global provider of mapping and location-based services backed by German automotive companies Audi, BMW and Daimler, join existing investors Capnamic Ventures and Iris Capital (backed by Publicis and Orange Telecom), who also contributed to the new round. zeotap has also attracted several strategic business angels, including Seth Schuler (former SVP Strategy of T-Mobile US), Alex Pentland (Professor at MIT, co-creator of the MIT Media Lab and one of the most cited authors in computer science globally), Mark Grether (co-founder and former COO of Xaxis, the worlds biggest trading desk which is part of GroupM/WPP) and Thomas Duhr (board member of IAB Europe).

We are happy we could show that we set the right priorities with our privacy-centric platform-based approach. We work hard every day to make a world with data-driven decision making as simple and safe as possible, and it is a very rewarding journey, said Daniel Heer, co-founder and CEO of zeotap.
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

Bern, 20.01.2017 - Ministers and high officials from G10 countries met on 20 January 2017 in the fringes of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, at the invitation of Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann. The G10 Members assessed current issues of the WTO negotiations on agriculture and emphasized their willingness to constructively engage in upcoming trade talks ahead of the next WTO Ministerial Conference.

The G10 is a group of net food-importing WTO Members comprised of Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Mauritius, Norway as well as Chinese Taipei, and coordinated by Switzerland. The meeting was chaired by Swiss Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research.

Reiterating their strong interest in a well-functioning multilateral trading system, G10 Members expressed their support for a balanced outcome at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires in December 2017 in different areas, including agriculture.

G10 Members highlighted their willingness to engage constructively in the agricultural negotiations in the run-up to the Buenos Aires Conference.

At the same time, G10 Members recalled their sensitivities in agriculture, including with regard to domestic support. They emphasized that any new disciplines should target subsidies with the most distorting impact on world markets; that they should build on the current elements of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture; and that they should not affect G10 Members in a disproportionate way.

G10 Members will continue to cooperate closely for WTO disciplines which take into account the concerns of net food-importing Members in domestic support and market access. Further, they will support enhanced disciplines on export restrictions benefitting global food security.

Address for enquiries

Adrian Aebi, Assistant Director General, Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG, +41 58 462 25 02



Markus Schlagenhof, Ambassador, Delegate of the Federal Council for Trade Agreements, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Tel. +41 58 462 22 10.

Publisher

Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

http://www.wbf.admin.ch



State Secretariat for Economic Affairs

http://www.seco.admin.ch




Federal Department of Finance

Bern, 20.01.2017 - Today, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer and France's Minister of the Economy and Finance, Michel Sapin, visited the Swiss free port in Embrach (ZH). During the visit, Federal Councillor Maurer showed his counterpart the benefits of these free ports for the economy.

Following their meeting in Davos, the French finance minister, Michel Sapin, and Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer travelled to Embrach to visit the free port there. During the visit, Minister Sapin was shown among other things how Switzerland can use its expertise within the framework of applicable law to protect high-end goods in free ports.

Switzerland is of global significance in the free trade of goods and has taken important steps in recent years to minimise the risks of abuse in free ports and to ensure the processes are in line with international standards. Switzerland was commended for this by both the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the World Customs Organization (WCO).

Internationally, there is also an interest in preventing the risks of money laundering, tax evasion and terrorist financing in free ports. Switzerland can contribute to efforts in this area thanks to its extensive experience. During the meeting in Embrach, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer gave assurances that Switzerland will provide this support also within the framework of its membership of the FATF.

Address for enquiries

Peter Minder, Head of FDF Communications

Tel. 079 437 73 61, peter.minder@gs-efd.admin.ch

Publisher

Federal Department of Finance

https://www.efd.admin.ch/efd/en/home.html




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. President of Artsakh Republic (NKR) Bako Sahakyan received the delegation of the Yerevan city administration at the head of mayor Taron Margaryan and convoked an enlarged consultation on the issues related to the cooperation of the Yerevan city administration with Stepanakert and the NKR regions.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of Artsakh Presidents Office, Yerevan mayor Taron Margaryan and Stepanakert mayor Souren Grigoryan delivered corresponding reports.

In his speech President Sahakyan noted that cooperation with the Yerevan city provided opportunity to not only solve various socioeconomic issues, but also create firm friendly ties between the capital cities of Yerevan and Artsakh. "We highly appreciate the sincere interest and readiness of the Yerevan city administration to develop and deepen relations with Stepanakert and Artsakh regions. It is a bright manifestation of patriotism and high civil stance", underlined Bako Sahakyan.

The Head of the State handed in state awards to a group of officials of the Yerevan city administration and its regional administrative entities for considerable input in realization of various projects in the NKR capital and regions.

Primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, chairman of the National Assembly Ashot Ghoulyan, prime-minister Arayik Haroutyunyan and other officials partook at the consultation.
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.
Nepali girl Teriya wins Indian reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa

Fourteen-year-old Teriya Fauja Magar of Nepal has won the Indian dance reality television programme Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.
Nepali student found dead in Sydney

A Nepali youth has been found dead in Sydney of Australia. The deceased has been identified as Niraj Lal Shrestha of Bafal, Kathmandu.
Nat'l Reconstruction Authority seeks Nepal Army, Armed Police Force help in reconstruction

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) is planning to employ technical expertise of the Nepal Army (NA) and the Armed Police Force (APF) to expedite reconstruction work, particularly for rebuilding of private houses for which the quake survivors have started received the second tranche of aid.
Permit must for tobacco item sale from March 14

As Nepal witnesses an increased burden of non-communicable diseases, the government has ordered the management of separate stores to sell cigarettes and tobacco products from March 14.
The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution expressing "full support" for Gambia's new president Adama Barrow and calling on ex-leader Yahya Jammeh to step down, condemning his attempts to usurp power.

A last-minute revision to the resolution after Mr Barrow took the oath of office on Thursday backed efforts by the regional bloc ECOWAS to ensure that his election victory on December 1 is respected, using "political means first".

Council diplomats said an initial reference to ECOWAS's use of "all necessary measures" was dropped and the political reference was added because some members objected to backing military action.

The deputy ambassadors of Russia and Britain said now that Mr Barrow is president he can ask ECOWAS for military action to oust Mr Jammeh (pictured below).

Adama Barrow was inaugurated on Thursday 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 huge 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.

- AP
Opening

It is a cool winter afternoon as we sit in the back of our roofless safari vehicle. The guide in his MP accented Hindi had been regaling us with tales from the forest when suddenly he silences us to indicate that the signals for a big cat has been sounded. Suddenly two other jeeps come flying past us in the other direction. In a blur of dust and engine roar, we hear the words Tiger mil gaya, ghumao gaadi ko! In a flash our driver has done a 360 and we are racing down the road hot in pursuit of the elusive tiger that we have been searching for since we entered the park.

But hang on. Im an auto journalist and searching for a tiger in the pristine forests of Pench, Madhya Pradesh seems far away from my comfort zone of supercharged V8 engines, push-rod suspensions and which compact sedan has the deepest boot.

So what am I doing there then? Well Honda invited my colleague Abhishek and me to participate in their seventh edition of Drive to Discover where we would travel across the heart of Madhya Pradesh. Our mission was to visit a quadruple of national parks to savour the very best of what Gaia has to offer and of course spot the elusive kings/queens of the feline hierarchy. At our disposal was the entire Honda range (offered in India) and in front of us lay 890km of rural heartland waiting for us to drive across and discover.



Day-1

The big journey with the big H was flagged off in Nagpur with our first destination being the Pench National Park. Our car for the day was the Brio hatchback painted in a shade of silver. It was uneventful journey across the 110kms of national highway and save for a few diversions en-route, we reached our first destination without much fuss. The Brio, with its peppy little 1.2-litre four-pot motor and light steering kept us calm and comfortable the whole way. After a quick lunch, we hopped into the back of our safari vehicles and set off to explore Pench.



Honey, there is a tiger in my mirrors, what I do? Take a photo dummy!

Now this is a sentence most people would utter if they were stuck in Mumbais choc-block traffic ahead of Jackie Shroffs sons car. But this was no joke and we were witness to the real deal (feline not actor).

We had been roaming around the park for a while and had spotted a plethora of birds, deer and even a trio of jackals who were basking in a patch of sunlight like they were sleeping off an afternoon round of beers. Around 45 mins in the tiger adventure began. We raced along the forest trail and in tow behind us were15 other jeeps! It wasnt the Jim Corbett(ish) sneak up and observe moment as I had expected. This was because the tiger is the celebrity of the park and with 16 jeep loads of people all pursuing the same goal it is hard to control the human sense bedazzlement when a famous star is around.

We waited and watched as the Tigress, christened C21, slowly but surely walked through the foliage and onto the pathway for the jeeps and my god what a majestic sight it was! We may see these cats in zoos or on the big screens but to see one up close is an unbelievable blessing! It seemed that Lady Luck was in a really good mood as we got a second opportunity to watch C21 lounge around, frolic and even attempt to scale a tree to mark its territory letting me tick an item off my bucket list.



Day-2 The long haul to Bandhavgarh

If the start of the trip was exciting then day-2 was the bit where reality kind of struck in. It was a 510km drive to Bandavgarh and we had to leave a bit early to get things moving. Carrying us on this part of the journey was Hondas latest blue-collared boy-the BR-V and that too in the quite efficient 1.5-litre i-DTEC engine option.

It was a day filled with good roads, bad roads and Abhishek why does it feel like we are driving on the surface of the moonerrroads all of which the BR-V managed to conquer despite crashing around in the craters and having a stiff clutch pedal.

The drive gave us an opportunity to witness the simple rural beauty of MP and enjoy some unique sights and sounds like cows resting on the tarmac, vegetable markets setup within inches of the roadside and plethora of people with questionable sense of guts when it came to crossing the roads. Sarcasm apart, we passed many fields of sunflowers and cereals invoking a sense of beauty seen in the highway shots of the Hindi movies from the 1990s.

We finally managed to reach our hotel in Bandhavgarh well after the sun had set a feat that might have taken longer if it had not been for the fancy projector headlamps fitted on our car. They lit up the road well but made our pursuit of photographing a lone fox quite a task!



Day 3- A missed chance

We ventured into the Bandavgarh sanctuary the next morning but returned empty handed as lady luck, which had showered us with blessings in Pench, decided to take the morning off. Despite having a stronger reputation for cat spottings, we didnt see any animals at all and suspect the bone chilling 5C cold may have played a large part in this. What we did get to enjoy was some cold fresh air and the peace that comes with a place untouched by the catalysts of human development.

Closer to the afternoon, we set off for our final destination which was the heritage town of Khajuraho and this time around in the petrol powered Amaze compact sedan. It provided us with the same fun driving experience that we got with the Brio.



Day 4- Khajuraho- History in stone before heading home

On the final morning of our trip, we visited the Khajuraho, a UNESCO world heritage site that originally comprised of over 85 temples of which only around 25 remain today. They are Hindu and Jain temples which have for generations held many spellbound thanks to their beauty and of course extremely well preserved erotic sculptures.

It had been phenomenal action packed four days driving a troupe of Hondas across Madhya Pradesh. The best part was that we could tick everything off our list, including a tete-a-tete with the elusive wild tiger, Indias rural heartland and the fresh (but quite dry) weather. Of course the unbelievable chance to see a beautiful and majestic Tigress at a distance too close for comfort was the cherry on the top.

Photos By : Abhishek Nigam and Venkat Desirazu

Honda Amaze [2018-2021]  N/A Onwards

Honda Honda Amaze | Amaze | Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda Honda




Where do see yourself as needing to improve your skills and understanding: data-structures and databases ? algorithms and problem analysis ? visual user interaction ? web/cloud ?



To help you find what you need is possible; but, you need to find who you are.

 There is a spectrum, from "clearly desirable behaviour," to "possibly dodgy behavior that still makes some sense," to "clearly undesirable behavior." We try to make the latter into warnings or, better, errors. But stuff that is in the middle category you dont want to restrict unless there is a clear way to work around it.  Eric Lippert, May 14, 2008





Just need suggestion, I don't expect anything from the future I believe in the present, so just suggest me your ideas instead of motivational comments, Well I'm quite interested to build the Jarvis Like Mark build it for his home automation.



TEProjects wrote: just suggest me your ideas instead of motivational comments Unless you take the initiative to develop your own ideas, you will learn nothing.

 There is a spectrum, from "clearly desirable behaviour," to "possibly dodgy behavior that still makes some sense," to "clearly undesirable behavior." We try to make the latter into warnings or, better, errors. But stuff that is in the middle category you dont want to restrict unless there is a clear way to work around it.  Eric Lippert, May 14, 2008







If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] Bastard Programmer from Hell



I want to get the Record in Web form by clicking on select button on each Row



I mean i want to select the data from grid view from each row and other thing i want that is the form of that perticlur grid filled automatically so that i can edit it and update the data . hope u got me all of u Please help me i know grid view has a select button so that each row is selected i want selected data in form not in grid view







GridViewRow gvr = ((Button)sender).NamingContainer as GridViewRow; will get the row for you..

All you need to do is to get the values of controls in grid and pass their values to your form controls.

like .... Label lbl = gvr.FindControl("lbl") as Label.... and you will get the value of your row selected ..



Hope this helps



I want convert Dictionary Net 4.0 to Net 2.0. C# Dictionary<string, Action<IWin32Window>> ItemHandlers = new Dictionary<string, Action<IWin32Window>>() { { " A" , o => MessageBox.Show(o, " The command A is executed" , " Dx Sample" , MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information) }, { " B" , o => MessageBox.Show(o, " The command B is executed" , " Dx Sample" , MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information) } };



C# Dictionary<string, Action<IWin32Window>> ItemHandlers = new Dictionary<string, Action<IWin32Window>>(); ItemHandlers.Add( " A" , o => MessageBox.Show(o, " The command A is executed" , " Dx Sample" , MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information)); ItemHandlers.Add( " B" , o => MessageBox.Show(o, " The command B is executed" , " Dx Sample" , MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information));

This space for rent



Nobody for sure is going to write such a c# code:



public class omg

{

public omg()

{

do_criminal_switch();

}



public void do_criminal_switch()

{

switch (0)

{

case 0:

break;

}

}

}



do you think that the C# parser should notice and whip the programmer for this shining piece of code or should continue as nothing happened with a const as switch argument?









This space for rent







If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] Bastard Programmer from Hell





If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.



--Winston Churchill



really dumb code such as:

C# while (x > 0 ); { ... x--; } It'll (thankfully) tell you "Possible mistaken empty statement" because of the spurious semicolon. And we've all done that one!

Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...







However, I believe that there is a big difference between "micro-errors" such as your example (a single character in the wrong place) and criticizing the utility of a whole block of code. At some stage, the compiler must assume that what the programmer wrote is what he/she/it meant.

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.



--Winston Churchill



%Program Files (x86)%\Microsoft Visual Studio x.y\VC#\Specifications\1033 ) the switch is defined as:

switch-statement: switch ( expression ) switch-block switch-block: { switch-sectionsopt } switch-sections: switch-section switch-sections switch-section switch-section: switch-labels statement-list switch-labels: switch-label switch-labels switch-label switch-label: case constant-expression : default : So there is no explicit requirement that the switch expression be variable probably because it would be limiting: you couldn't then use "length - offset", a delegate, or a method instead of the variable because neither of them is a "variable reference" (or in C and C++ an "lvalue"). And what about Properties where the Setter is private or omitted? They are "constants" as well...



Why should that not be a constant? I don't have a problem with that myself - and this from someone whose default project settings are always "Warning Level 4" and "Treat warnings as errors" because the only time it could be confusing is if the value is 0 or 1 and could be mistaken for a single character variable name - which is a bigger crime in my book outside a for-loop control variable!

Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...



Hi,



I have a i5 HDD 2.5ghz 6gb of ram ..

* Visual Studio 08 / 2015 Sql Server Express

* Office

* A few other tools etc ..



My computer can take up to 10mins to boot. I just did a re-install of Win 7 but the updates have me to a crawl again.



I was wondering if anyone has an i7 w/ SSD ??? If so how long does it take for your computer to boot up and get VS 15 running with Sql Express Service etc..



Thinking of getting another computer and trying to figure out how much difference it will make with 256 SSD w/ 6 or 8GB ram ..



Thanks in advance !





This space for rent







I have a dual core E6700 based PC @ 3.2GHz with 4GB ram, and a 1TB SSD, running Win10

It boots in under a minute, and loading VS2015 (with a project) takes less than a minute - VS2013 was a lot quicker.

If your SSD is taking 10 minutes to boot Win 7 then that's slow - this computer didn't take that long before I fitted the SSD - but your hardware specs are a load higher than mine! I'd look at what apps you have loaded, or do a malware check. I have heaps of stuff installed, and mine boots at the kind of speed I'd expect.

Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...







Other likely suspects: BIOS/firmware update required, badly-seated/bad RAM, badly-seated/bad CPU, low voltage off the system power supply.

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."

- Benjamin Disraeli



wtf32 wrote: My computer can take up to 10mins to boot. I have a i3, 128Gb SSD, 16GB RAM. Boots in less then 10 seconds. Five seconds later, VS2012 is opened. (No VS-addins).



SSD is well worth its price.



If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] Bastard Programmer from Hell









Very useful information !







2) The Services screen will show what services are running; like all the 3rd parties checking for "updates" (including VS and Office)



3) The Startup Tab on the Task Manager will show the "impact" programs that are listed there have at startup (includes 3rd part nonsense and key / screen loggers)



4) The Task Scheduler will list what ran when; which can reveal more 3rd part nonsense that does not show up in Services, Startup or Task Manager (including Google updates; Nero; etc. as well as other MS apps).



5) Anti-virus software is often the biggest performance hog



The challenge is killing off the (bad) zombies.



(Visual Studio 2017 has a "Load me Lite" option that will reduce startups).

"(I) am amazed to see myself here rather than there ... now rather than then".

 Blaise Pascal



This is a continuation of Winforms custom property fails to reload - edited[^]. I'm moving it here (a) because the question with different things retried was getting too big and complex, and (b) this format allows for better discussion of the issue.



So, I have changed my code so that each Control object implements ISerializable. The property I am trying to populate is a member of my Component derived object and looks like this:

C# private DialogControls _controls = new DialogControls(); [DesignerSerializationVisibility(DesignerSerializationVisibility.Visible)] [Editor( typeof (ControlsEditor), typeof (UITypeEditor))] [Category( " Controls" )] [Description( " A list of controls that are added to the dialog" )] public DialogControls Controls { get { return _controls; } set { _controls = value ; } } bool ShouldSerializeControls() { return Controls.Count > 0 ; } void ResetControls() { Controls.Clear(); Controls.ProminentIndex = -1; }

The ControlGroup and DialogControls objects:

C# [ Serializable ] public class ControlGroup : IList<Control>, ICollection, ISerializable { public ControlGroup() { } List<Control> _controls = new List<Control>(); #region IList<Control>, ICollection implementation #endregion #region ISerializable public ControlGroup(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context) { Control[] controls = (Control[])info.GetValue( " controls" , typeof (Control[])); _controls.AddRange(controls); } public virtual void GetObjectData(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context) { info.AddValue( " controls" , _controls.ToArray()); } #endregion } [Serializable] public class DialogControls : ControlGroup, ISerializable { public DialogControls() { } public int ProminentIndex { get ; set ; } = -1; public Control ProminentControl { get { return ProminentIndex >= 0 ? this[ProminentIndex + 1] : null ; } } #region ISerializable public DialogControls(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context) : base (info, context) { ProminentIndex = info.GetInt32( " prominent" ); } public override void GetObjectData(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context) { base .GetObjectData(info, context); info.AddValue( " prominent" , ProminentIndex); } #endregion }

The above is now where the problem occurs. The ControlGroup seems to get serialised, but the individual Control objects do not. Once deserialised, I get an array of nulls.



My Control objects look like this:

C# [ Serializable ] public abstract class Control : ISerializable { protected const ControlState DefaultState = ControlState.Enabled | ControlState.Visible; public Control() { } protected Control(Control other) { _state = other._state; } internal CommonFileDialog _dlg = null ; internal IFileDialogCustomize fdc { get { return (IFileDialogCustomize)_dlg?._pDialog; } } uint _id = 0 ; public uint ID { get { return _id; } internal set { _id = value ; } } protected ControlState _state = DefaultState; public ControlState State { get { fdc?.GetControlState(ID, out _state); return _state; } set { _state = value ; fdc?.SetControlState(ID, _state); } } internal abstract void AddToDialog(CommonFileDialog owner); internal abstract bool CanMakeProminent { get ; } internal abstract string Value { get ; } internal abstract string Description { get ; } internal abstract string Type { get ; } public abstract Control Clone(); #region ISerializable public Control(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context) { _state = (ControlState)info.GetValue( " state" , typeof (ControlState)); } public virtual void GetObjectData(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context) { info.AddValue( " state" , State); } #endregion }

I then inherit each of the controls (there are a dozen of them, but they all follow the same pattern) like this:

C# [ Serializable ] public sealed class CheckBox : Control, ISerializable { string _label; public string Label { get { return _label; } set { _label = value ; fdc?.SetControlLabel(ID, _label); } } internal bool _checked; public bool Checked { get { return _checked; } set { _checked = value ; fdc?.SetCheckButtonState(ID, _checked); } } public CheckBox() { } CheckBox(CheckBox other) : base (other) { _label = other._label; _checked = other._checked; } public CheckBox( string label, bool check) { Label = label; Checked = check; } #region ISerializable public CheckBox(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context) : base (info, context) { _label = info.GetString( " label" ); _checked = info.GetBoolean( " checked" ); } public override void GetObjectData(SerializationInfo info, StreamingContext context) { base .GetObjectData(info, context); info.AddValue( " label" , _label); info.AddValue( " checked" , _checked); } #endregion #region Control overrides internal override void AddToDialog(CommonFileDialog dlg) { } internal override bool CanMakeProminent { get { return true ; } } internal override string Type { get ; } = " CheckBox" ; internal override string Description { get { return Label; } } internal override string Value { get { return Checked.ToString(); } } public override Control Clone() { return new CheckBox( this ); } public override string ToString() { return string .Format( " {0}({1}, {2})" , Type, Description, Value); } #endregion }

Cheers,



Mick

------------------------------------------------

It doesn't matter how often or hard you fall on your arse, eventually you'll roll over and land on your feet.


Plaint over embezzlement of treatment support at BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital

A cancer patient has lodged a complaint about alleged embezzlement of treatment support at BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Chitwan.
The Flying Clipper will be delivered in the first quarter of 2018, as the delivery of the newest Star Clippers ship has been pushed back from August 2017.

A spokesperson from Brodosplit, the shipyard in Croatia building the unique 300-passenger sailing vessel, confirmed the updated delivery date in an email to Cruise Industry News.

Brodosplit has been recognized as one of the few shipyards that are capable for building such unique ship, from the design phase, building and fitting it with complex equipment and luxury interiors. Estimated time of delivery is the first quarter of 2018, said the spokesperson.

Brodosplit is one of a number of shipyards that have recently entered the cruise ship market
Animal Kingdom is one of the more remote destinations in Walt Disney Worldnot a place where youd expect to find a credit union office. But Disney Cast Members who belong to Partners Federal Credit Union can count on regular visits from a mobile branch that rolls up to their exotic workplace.

Partners FCU launched its branch on wheels in September as a way to better serve members working across the 45 square miles of the Orlando, Fla., destination. Leaders at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts can reserve visits from the mobile branch, and its 30-day schedule is available online, says Chris Parker, chief member services officer of the $1.5 billion CU serving 126,000 members in California and Florida.

The goal is to increase access and convenience for all members by delivering personalized service wherever they may need it, Parker says.

The idea for the mobile branch grew out of an annual Team Innovation Lab the credit union organizes to encourage cross-functional teams on both coasts to develop and share ideas via video presentations. Out of the 20 presentations shared in the 2014 lab, the proposal for a mobile branch for which leaders around the Disney complex could schedule visits won us all over, says CEO and CUES member John Janclaes, CCD.
Russia, Trump & Flawed Intelligence

After months of anticipation, speculation, and hand-wringing by politicians and journalists, American intelligence agencies have finally released a declassified version of a report on the part they believe Russia played in the US presidential election.

When the report appeared, the major newspapers came out with virtually identical headlines highlighting the agencies finding that Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign to help Donald Trump win the presidency, a finding the agencies say they hold with high confidence.

A close reading of the report shows that it barely supports such a conclusion. Indeed, it barely supports any conclusion.

There is not much to read: the declassified version is twenty-five pages, of which two are blank, four are decorative, one contains an explanation of terms, one a table of contents, and seven are a previously published unclassified report by the CIAs Open Source division.

There is even less to process: the report adds hardly anything to what we already knew. The strongest allegations, including about the nature of the DNC hacking, had already been spelled out in much greater detail in earlier media reports.

But the real problems come with the findings themselves. The report leads with three key judgments:

We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election;

Moscows influence campaign followed a Russian messaging strategy that blends covert intelligence operations, such as cyber activity, with overt efforts by Russian Government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social media users or trolls;

We assess Moscow will apply lessons learned from its Putin-ordered campaign aimed at the US presidential election to future influence efforts worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes.

It is the first of these judgments that made headlines, so let us look at the evidence the document provides for this assertion.

This evidence takes up just over a page and contains nine points. The first four make the argument that Putin wanted Hillary Clinton to lose.

1. Putin and the Russian government aimed to help Trump by making public statements discrediting Hillary Clinton.

2. The Kremlins goal is to undermine the US-led liberal democratic order.

3. Putin claimed that the Panama Papers leak and the Olympic doping scandal were US-directed efforts to defame Russia, and this suggests that he would use defamatory tactics against the United States.

4. Putin personally dislikes Hillary Clinton and blames her for inspiring popular unrest in Russia in 2011-2012.

None of this is new or particularly illuminating, at least for anyone who has been following Russian media in any language; some of it seems irrelevant.

The next set of points aim to buttress the assertion that Putin developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump over Secretary Clinton. The following is an exact quote:

Beginning in June, Putins public comments about the US presidential race avoided directly praising President-elect Trump, probably because Kremlin officials thought that any praise from Putin personally would backfire in the United States. Nonetheless, Putin publicly indicated a preference for President-elect Trumps stated policy to work with Russia, and pro-Kremlin figures spoke highly about what they saw as his Russia-friendly positions on Syria and Ukraine.

The wording makes it sound as though before June 2016 Putin had been constantly praising Trump in his public statements. In fact, though, Putin had spoken of Trump exactly once, when asked a question about him as he was leaving the hall following his annual press conference in December 2015. At that time, he said,

Well, he is a colorful person. Talented, without a doubt. But its none of our business, its up to the voters in the United States. But he is the absolute leader of the presidential race. He says he wants to shift to a different mode or relations, a deeper level of relations with Russia. How could we not welcome that? Of course we welcome it. As for the domestic politics of it, the turns of phrase he uses to increase his popularity, Ill repeat, its not our business to evaluate his work.

Nothing in this statement is remarkable. At the time, Trump, who was polling well in the Republican primary race, was the only aspiring presidential candidate to have indicated a willingness to dial back US-Russian hostilities. The topic was clearly judged not important enough to be included in the main body of Putins more-than-four-hour press conference but deserving of a boilerplate we hear you message sent as Putin literally headed out the door.

The Russian word for colorful, yarkiy, can be translated as bright, as in a bright color. That must be how Trump came to think that Putin had called him brilliant, an assertion that the US media (and, it appears, US intelligence agencies) failed to fact-check.

In June 2016, at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, American journalist Fareed Zakaria, moderating a panel, asked Putin, The American Republican presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, you called him brilliant, outstanding, talented.

These comments were reported around the world. I was wondering what in him led you to that judgment, and do you still hold that judgment? Of the epithets listed by Zakaria, Putin had used only the word talented, and he had not specified what sort of talent he had seen in Trump.

Putin reprimanded Zakaria for exaggerating. Look at what I said, he said. I made an off-hand remark about Trump being a colorful person. Are you saying he is not colorful? He is colorful. I did not characterize him in any other way. But what I did note, and what I certainly welcome, and I see nothing wrong with this, Mr. Trump has stated that he is ready for the renewal of a full-fledged relationship between Russia and the United States. What is wrong with that? We all welcome it. Dont you?

Zakaria looked mortified: he had been caught asking an ill-informed question. Putin, on the other hand, was telling the truth for once. As for the American intelligence agencies marshaling this exchange as evidence of a change of tone and more, evidence of Russian meddling in the election, that is plainly misleading.

The next two points purporting to prove that Putin had a preference for Trump are, incredibly, even weaker arguments:

5. Putin thought that he and Trump would be able to create an international anti-ISIS coalition;

6. Putin likes to work with political leaders whose business interests made them more disposed to deal with Russia, such as former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Number 5 is puzzling. Nominally, Russia and the United States have already been cooperating in the fight against ISIS.

The reference is probably to Putins offer, made in September 2015 in a speech to the UN General Assembly, to form an international anti-terrorist coalition that, Putin seemed to suggest, would stop the criticism and sanctions imposed in response to Russias war against Ukraine. Obama snubbed the offer then.

Then again it seems the report contains no elucidation of this ascertainment of Putins motives.

The final two arguments in this section of the report focus on the fact that Russian officials and propagandists stopped criticising the US election process after election day and Russian trolls dropped a planned #DemocracyRIP campaign, which they had planned in anticipation of Hillary Clintons victory.

That is the entirety of the evidence the report offers to support its estimation of Putins motives for allegedly working to elect Trump: conjecture based on other politicians in other periods, on other continents, and also on misreported or mistranslated public statements.

NYBooks: Vladimir Putin & Donald Trump: Relationship Counselling:


As students enter their first year of university, they can find it overwhelming navigating the many academic opportunities and pathways available to them. Theyre not only becoming familiar with the structure of university courses and timetables, theyre also trying to settle into a new social environment and meet new people. And given that first-year classes tend to be larger, some students may find it difficult to connect with classmates, instructors, and even the course material.



Thats why this fall, to assist in helping students transition to university, Dalhousie introduced First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs) for students in the Faculties of Science and Arts & Social Sciences.



Through weekly 50-minute sessions, held during the fall term, FIGs offered participants the opportunity to meet in small groups (15 participants maximum) with other first-year students who share similar academic interests.



Most science and arts students spend their first year as undeclared majors, says Sandra Walde, associate dean, academic in the Faculty of Science. This is a good thing for most students, since it gives them the freedom to explore university offerings, and time to think about their interests and career goals before committing to a major. But it can also lead to them feeling a bit lost, as if they dont belong anywhere yet.

Making connections



Led by senior undergraduate and/or graduate students, the FIGs allow Dal students to discuss some of the ideas coming out of their courses. Dr. Walde says the main goal was to help first-year students start connecting right away  to potential disciplines, opportunities in their fields of study, Dal faculty members, and to other students.



Courtney Baumgartner (left), a first-year Marine Biology student from Toronto, registered for a FIG to meet people whove been through her program.

I wanted to meet students in upper-year courses who could advise me in which direction I can take, which courses they would recommend, or other opportunities like the Seaside Program or co-ops, she says. And then, of course, to meet other people in first year who are like-minded and also interested in protecting our oceans.

Learn more: Dal First-Year Interest Groups

Courtney participated in FIGS 0004: The Ocean, one of the Science FIGs that were offered. The others ranged in topic from human health and the brain to systems, patterns and predictions. The seven Arts & Social Sciences FIGs covered such topics as literature and the performing arts, history and myth, and international politics and development.

I came here not really knowing what I wanted to do, says Riley Marchand, also a first-year Marine Biology student from Toronto who participated in the Ocean FIG. I knew that I wanted to do Marine Biology, but I didnt know anyone else in the program, so I wanted to meet other first-year students who are in the program and meet the TAs and get connected through them. I also wanted to start building a network and getting into areas of research.

Expanding horizons



FIGs not only allow for networking between fellow students, TAs and faculty members. They introduce students to research opportunities at the undergraduate level and, hopefully, open their eyes and minds to possible directions to take in their programs.



We think we succeeded in these goals for many of the students, says Dr. Walde. They met experts in their areas of interest, upper-year and grad students in relevant programs, and they got to know students who are in their classes, and who will likely be in some of their classes in years to come. Some students joined departmental student societies, and a couple even began volunteering in research labs  not common for first-year students.

The FIGs also served to support students with skills that can benefit them both in and out of the classroom.



My favourite session so far was probably learning how to study for success, says Courtney. Upper-year students gave tips of ways to handle stress, handle the course load thats coming, and sort of strategizing. I found that to be really helpful.

One popular session was speed dating in which various researchers, faculty members, and graduate students were invited to talk about their work, helping introduce students to future opportunities available in their field and the courses theyll need to take advantage of them.



I liked being able to talk with people who have already been through the program, says Riley (right). People who were able to advise me and show me what worked well and what didnt work well for them, so I could dip my toes into everything thats interesting.



Moving forward



With the fall term now complete, Dr. Walde wants to build on what was accomplished during the first FIGs in order to expand their scope next year. That includes increasing the number of first-year students participating, and looking at new topic areas to cover.



Not all first-year students are looking for a FIG experience, of course, but we think there are many more who would both enjoy and benefit from them, she says. So we are offering a revised suite of FIG topics next year that we hope will appeal to a wider range of students."



Learn more: Dal First-Year Interest Groups
If the new US President wants to keep his promise to 'make America great again,' then he should follow the example of the late British premier Margaret Thatcher on climate change, say a group of UK and US respiratory doctors, in an editorial published online in the international journal Thorax.

By doing so, Donald Trump, a self-confessed admirer of Mrs Thatcher, would not only leave a lasting legacy for the good of the planet, but would also give a huge boost to the nation's health and finances, they argue.

Recognising the magnitude of the threat posed by the growing hole in the earth's ozone layer in the mid-1980s, Margaret Thatcher threw her weight behind international efforts to ban chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in refrigeration and aerosol sprays. She worked with the then US President, Ronald Reagan, to secure the Montreal Protocol which phased out the manufacture and use of these chemicals in 1987.

Although it will take until 2060 before the ozone layer fully recovers, without this decisive action the world would already be 3?C warmer, say the authors. And this, combined with increased levels of radiation, would have left much of the planet uninhabitable by the middle of this century, they insist.

"A similar challenge faces us now," they warn. Rising temperatures and disrupted ecosystems as a result of climate change increase the risk of vector borne diseases, such as malaria, and crop failure; and boost exposure to harmful algae/pollen/moulds and the effects of air pollution--now the third leading cause of death worldwide after high blood pressure and smoking.

These consequences disproportionately exact a heavy toll on those who already have heart and lung conditions, and the poor, they say.

"Responding directly to the threat of climate change will require innovation and global leadership. Action now is crucial if we are to protect the health of our people now and in future generations," they write.

They have a suggested 'to do' list for the new President:

Acknowledge the scale of the problem: this would clearly signal to business that low carbon represents an opportunity for investment and it would support international efforts to reach agreement

Use government policy to drive investment and build markets: this would foster innovation and create jobs

Move away from fossil fuels to clean energy to curb CO2 emissions and promote new technologies

Speed up a ban on hydrofluorocarbons, powerful greenhouse gases

Prioritise active green transport, such as cycling and walking, and the provision of public transport, not only to curb carbon emissions and improve air quality, but also to boost health and fitness

There is no doubt that limiting climate change now will cost far less than tackling its consequences in the future, the authors point out.

"There is a practical and moral imperative to take action now to reduce current and future impacts of climate change. These actions have the potential also to improve health and prosperity directly," they emphasise.

"If Trump wants America to lead, then he needs to be at the front of the international climate change pack, not at the back," they conclude. "No one else will be quitting the race onwards to the betterment of their peoples."

###

Editorial: Climate change and lung health -- a challenge for a new President

About the journal: Thorax is one of 60 specialist journals published by BMJ. The title is co-owned with the British Thoracic Society. http://thorax.bmj.com
New Orleans, LA - The Department of Information Technology at LSU Health New Orleans successfully competed for its first National Science Foundation grant. The $499,640 grant will support a complete cyberinfrastructure overhaul in two key research buildings to create a science demilitarized zone (DMZ) and a high-speed science network for LSU Health New Orleans researchers.

"After recovering from the devastating flooding following Hurricane Katrina, we are now moving forward with a strategic plan to support our research enterprise and its growth, " notes Bettina Owens, LSU Health New Orleans Assistant Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and co-principal investigator.

The funding will be used to construct a high-speed science network to connect LSU Health New Orleans research areas, facilitating the movement of large data sets and providing a pathway to national and global high-performance computing resources.

The project will enable researchers, scientists, and students to exchange and store large data sets, to expand their opportunities for remote collaboration, and to facilitate leadership in research and education within multiple science disciplines at LSU Health New Orleans. Its objectives include upgrading the distribution and access layer networking infrastructure to provide 10Gbps and/or 1Gbps ports in the research areas, re-architecting the campus network to support large data flows by designing and building a Science DMZ, and connecting to LSU Health New Orleans' regional optical exchange's Science DMZ via 20Gbps connections. Just as in the military, in computer security, a demilitarized zone (DMZ) provides a buffer. It is a perimeter or subnetwork that separates secure network servers from the internet. By placing public-faced servers on the DMZ network, untrusted networks do not have direct access to the local area network, significantly boosting security.

"This project has broader implications for the scientific community including the next generation of researchers and scientists," says principal investigator Mohamad Qayoom, LSU Health New Orleans Information Technology Consultant in Networking and Security. "Whether it is a high school student pondering his or her future by participating in a summer research program or internship, a student enrolled in curricula at LSU Health New Orleans, or a collaborative researcher somewhere in cyberspace, this project is key to the future of research at LSU Health New Orleans and will unlock the door to many exciting discoveries."

It is a collaborative project with LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine. Co-principal investigators also include Drs. Judy Crabtree, Assistant Professor of Genetics, Jovanny Zabaleta, Assistant Professor-Research in Pediatrics and LSU Health New Orleans Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, and Christopher Taylor, Associate Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology. "This capacity will help us to recruit and retain top-tier research faculty," says Larry Hollier, MD, LSU Health New Orleans Chancellor. "Science superstars not only make breakthrough discoveries that save lives and improve health, but they also contribute to the health of the economy by generating jobs and economic impact."

###

LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans educates Louisiana's health care professionals. The state's most comprehensive health sciences university, LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine, the state's only School of Dentistry, Louisiana's only public School of Public Health, and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing, and Graduate Studies. LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in public and private hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research in a number of areas in a worldwide arena, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and enormous economic impact. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment, or cure disease. To learn more, visit http://www.lsuhsc.edu, http://www.twitter.com/LSUHealthNO or http://www.facebook.com/LSUHSC.
Using a novel approach for imaging the movement of immune cells in living animals, researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases (CIID) have identified what appear to be the initial steps leading to joint inflammation in a model of inflammatory arthritis. In their report published in Science Immunology they describe how expression of a specific molecule - complement C5a - is required to cause the immune cells called neutrophils to adhere to joint surfaces and migrate into the joint, a process known to set off the inflammatory cascade.

"Inflammatory arthritis is caused when immune cells are recruited from the blood into the joint in a highly regulated process controlled by chemoattractants and adhesion receptors," says Andrew Luster, MD, PhD, chief of the MGH Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology , director of the CIID and senior author of the report. "But when the disease has become symptomatic, it is difficult to determine the initial steps that set off the recruitment of immune cells into the joint and the specific roles of the different chemoattractants. Our study was designed to more fully understand this process."

Inflammatory arthritis includes a number of autoimmune diseases of the joints - including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus - and in many cases is caused by a type of inflammation called type III hypersensitivity. That reaction results when a localized accumulation of immune complexes - antibodies bound to their antigens - is deposited in tissue and sets off an inflammatory response involving the infiltration and activation of immune cells, initially the neutrophil. Current thinking regarding type III hypersensitivity is that immune cells within tissues sense the presence of these immune complexes (ICs) through specific receptor molecules and release inflammatory factors called cytokines that activate the endothelial cells lining adjacent blood vessels to promote the recruitment of neutrophils.

To better determine the role of specific chemoattractants in type III hypersensitivity, lead author Yoshishige Miyabe, MD, PhD, a research fellow in Luster's lab, used multiphoton intravital microscopy - an imaging technology pioneered for studies of immune cell movements in living animals by CIID investigator and co-author Thorsten Mempel, MD, PhD - to follow in real time the development of IC-induced arthritis in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis. Their experiments revealed that the presence of ICs within the joint space induces the generation of complement C5a, a component of the innate immune system, which is then displayed on the inner walls of adjacent blood vessels. C5a directly initiates the adherence of neutrophils to the vessel walls through interaction with the C5a receptor on neutrophils, which then pass into the joint space and set off inflammation.

Once the inflammatory process has been initiated, neutrophils within the joint space release interleukin-1, which induces cells lining the joint space to produce chemoattractants called chemokines that further facilitate the movement of neutrophils into the joint space. Neutrophils within the joint also directly produce chemokines that amplify the cells' recruitment to and survival within the joint space.

"The control of immune cell entry into the joint represents a major point at which new therapies could be developed to reduce the symptoms of inflammatory arthritis," says Luster, who is the Harrison Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Imaging of the joint could help evaluate the mechanism of a drug's therapeutic effect, and if a process turns out to be mediated by more than one chemoattractant, understanding the mechanism would allow the rational design of combination therapies to completely shut down critical steps in the process."

Luster's team hopes to further investigate the characteristics of joints that underlie the critical role of C5a in initiating type III hypersensitivity and whether specific molecules expressed on endothelial cells lining joints play a role in transporting C5a and chemokines from the joint space into adjacent blood vessels. The investigators also plan to image the entry into the joint space of other immune cells involved in rheumatoid arthritis - such as T cells, B cells, macrophages and dendritic cells - and study their interactions with each other as well as with structural cells of the joint.

###

Additional co-authors of the Science Immunology paper are Chie Miyabe, MD, PhD, Thomas Murooka, PhD, Edward Kim, PhD, and Nancy Kim, MD, of the MGH Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases; Gail Newton, PhD and Francis Luscinskas, PhD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Bodduluri Haribabu, PhD, University of Louisville. The study was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01 AI050892, by the Rheumatology Research Foundation, a Mallinckrodt Pharmaceutical Research Fellowship Award in Rheumatology Research, a Pfizer ASPIRE Rheumatology Award, and a Japan Rheumatism Foundation Research Grant.

Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with an annual research budget of more than $800 million and major research centers in HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, human genetics, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, photomedicine and transplantation biology. The MGH topped the 2015 Nature Index list of health care organizations publishing in leading scientific journals and earned the prestigious 2015 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service. In August 2016 the MGH was once again named to the Honor Roll in the U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Hospitals."
New evidence involving the ancient poop of some of the huge and astonishing creatures that once roamed Australia indicates the primary cause of their extinction around 45,000 years ago was likely a result of humans, not climate change.

Led by Monash University in Victoria, Australia and the University of Colorado Boulder, the team used information from a sediment core drilled in the Indian Ocean off the coast of southwest Australia to help reconstruct past climate and ecosystems on the continent. The core contains chronological layers of material blown and washed into the ocean, including dust, pollen, ash and spores from a fungus called Sporormiella that thrived on the dung of plant-eating mammals, said CU Boulder Professor Gifford Miller.

Miller, who participated in the study led by Sander van der Kaars of Monash University, said the sediment core allowed scientists to look back in time, in this case more than 150,000 years, spanning Earth's last full glacial cycle. Fungal spores from plant-eating mammal dung were abundant in the sediment core layers from 150,000 years ago to about 45,000 years ago, when they went into a nosedive, said Miller, a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences.

"The abundance of these spores is good evidence for a lot of large mammals on the southwestern Australian landscape up until about 45,000 years ago," he said. "Then, in a window of time lasting just a few thousand years, the megafauna population collapsed."

A paper on the subject was published online Jan. 20 in Nature Communications.

The Australian collection of megafauna some 50,000 years ago included 1,000-pound kangaroos, 2-ton wombats, 25-foot-long lizards, 400-pound flightless birds, 300-pound marsupial lions and Volkswagen-sized tortoises. More than 85 percent of Australia's mammals, birds and reptiles weighing over 100 pounds went extinct shortly after the arrival of the first humans, said Miller.

The ocean sediment core showed the southwest is one of the few regions on the Australian continent that had dense forests both 45,000 years ago and today, making it a hotbed for biodiversity, said Miller, also associate director of CU Boulder's Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research.

"It's a region with some of the earliest evidence of humans on the continent, and where we would expect a lot of animals to have lived," Miller said. "Because of the density of trees and shrubs, it could have been one of their last holdouts some 45,000 years ago. There is no evidence of significant climate change during the time of the megafauna extinction."

Scientists have been debating the causes of the Australian megafauna extinctions for decades. Some claim the animals could not have survived changes in climate, including a shift some 70,000 years ago when much of the southwestern Australia landscape went from a wooded eucalyptus tree environment to an arid, sparsely vegetated landscape.

Others have suggested the animals were hunted to extinction by Australia's earliest immigrants who had colonized most of the continent by 50,000 years ago, or a combination of overhunting and climate change, said Miller.

Miller said the extinction may have been caused by "imperceptible overkill." A 2006 study by Australian researchers indicates that even low-intensity hunting of Australian megafauna - like the killing of one juvenile mammal per person per decade - could have resulted in the extinction of a species in just a few hundred years.

"The results of this study are of significant interest across the archaeological and Earth science communities and to the general public who remain fascinated by the menagerie of now extinct giant animals that roamed the planet - and the cause of their extinction - as our own species began its persistent colonization of Earth," said van der Kaars.

In 2016 Miller used burned eggshells of the 400-pound bird, Genyornis, as the first direct evidence that humans actually preyed on the Australian megafauna.

The new study also included Research Professor Scott Lehman of INSTAAR. The study was funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the German Research Foundation.

###
We all need contacts -- how organelles hug in cells

Scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding how different compartments (or organelles) of human cells interact.

Organelles are the functional units of a cell. Like organs in a body, they perform specialised functions. To allow survival of the cell, organelles have to interact and cooperate. How this is mediated and regulated in the cell is an important and challenging question in cell biology.

Researchers at the University of Exeter have now discovered how two cell organelles - called peroxisomes and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) - associate with each other at the molecular level and work together.

This cooperation is crucial for the production of specific lipids, which are essential for the function of nerve cells and can protect cells from oxidative damage.

Loss of peroxisome function leads to a range of severe or fatal disorders associated with developmental and neurological defects.

"Close contacts between peroxisomes and the ER were observed more than 50 years ago in ultrastructural studies, but the molecular mechanism remained a mystery," said lead author Dr Michael Schrader, of the University of Exeter.

"This is the first molecular tether identified in humans, which mediates the contact between these two important cell compartments."

The study showed that a protein at the peroxisomes called ACBD5 directly interacts with a protein at the ER, called VAPB. This interaction links both organelles together and allows transfer of lipids between them.

When the interaction between VAPB and ACBD5 is lost, the ER and peroxisomes can no longer interact and this lipid transfer appears to be prevented.

The researchers are working with experts from the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, where a patient with an ACBD5 deficiency has been identified and linked to a peroxisomal defect.

This patient has severe damage to the brain and retinas, affecting eyesight, and Dr Schrader said Exeter's research and similar studies were essential if such conditions are to be diagnosed and ultimately treated.

"If we understand organelle interaction better we might also be able to use this knowledge to protect cells from certain stress conditions which are linked to age-related conditions like neurodegeneration, blindness and diabetes," he said.

People with severe peroxisomal disorders, also known as Zellweger Spectrum Disorders, often die as children or young adults, and a new charity called Zellweger UK exists to raise awareness and to support families and sufferers.

###

The University of Exeter's research, funded by BBSRC, was carried out in cooperation with the University of Heidelberg/Mannheim.

The paper, entitled: "ACBD5 and VAPB mediate membrane associations between peroxisomes and the ER," is published in the Journal of Cell Biology.

The authors were Joseph Costello, Ines Castro, Christian Hacker, Tina A. Schrader, Jeremy Metz, Dagmar Zeuschner, Afsoon S. Azadi, Luis F. Godinho, Victor Costina, Peter Findeisen, Andreas Manner, Markus Islinger and Michael Schrader.

The journal will publish it alongside another paper, from researchers at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, which independently came to similar findings, and will highlight the new discoveries in a Spotlight article.
Price of LPG in west slashed to Rs1,305

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has slashed the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sold in western Nepal by Rs20 per cylinder to Rs1,305 by passing on savings on transportation costs to consumers.
New research from Vanderbilt eavesdrops on gene expression in human immune system cells before and after vaccination against bird flu.

Reported in the journal PLOS One, the study exposes cellular responses associated with a vaccine constituent called AS03, short for adjuvant system 03. Using massive computation, the investigators pursue a systems biology approach, providing a new wealth of detail about vaccine responses and data for the generation of new hypotheses.

"This study signifies a new and different way to study vaccines. We've established that it can be done; it's complex but it's feasible. I think in the future this is the way vaccines will be studied," said one of the authors, Leigh Howard, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of Pediatrics.

The type of bird flu the team studied, subtype H5N1, is far more lethal in humans than seasonal flu.

AS03 is known to markedly boost the protection afforded by pandemic flu vaccines, including those for swine flu and bird flu, but its molecular mechanisms aren't understood.

Howard, immunologist Kristen Hoek, Ph.D., and colleagues report gene expression signals arising as early as the first day after vaccination that strongly predict the eventual generation of protective antibodies against H5N1.

They also find that neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, appear to have a hitherto unobserved role in vaccine response. (We've all seen evidence of neutrophils: pooled at an infection site, they're the main constituent of pus.) Part of the human immune system's first-line defenses, neutrophils appear to be the first responders to the adjuvated version of the vaccine.

According to gene expression profiles revealed in the study, neutrophils may also function as antigen-presenting cells (APC) in response to AS03-adjuvated vaccine. APCs fine-tune the immune response by retrieving and processing foreign antigens and presenting them to B cells and T cells in order to mount an immune response.

The investigators randomized 20 participants, half to receive AS03-adjuvated vaccine and half to receive unadjuvated vaccine -- two doses each, one month apart. Blood was drawn from each participant at eight time points over a 12-week period (including three time points before vaccination). Using a cell sorting method devised at Vanderbilt by Hoek and colleagues, samples of six immune system cell types were extracted from each blood draw, and a method called RNA-Seq was used to sequence the entire transcriptome of each cell sample. Conventional serum antibody testing was also performed to gauge protection provided by the vaccine.

Reflecting results from epidemiological studies, both vaccine formulations were well tolerated, and two months after initial vaccination no recipients of unadjuvated vaccine and nine of the 10 recipients of AS03-adjuvated vaccine achieved serum antibody concentrations associated with protection.

From painstaking cell sorting to full RNA sequencing and data analysis, it's an especially exacting and thorough way to study vaccine response.

"Boiling down 850 pages of data, we focused on three patterns of gene expression that give clues to the adjuvant's mechanism of action," said Hoek, research assistant professor in Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology.

Among the sequenced cell types, neutrophils, monocytes and dendritic cells were the most expressive at early time points after immunization. These cells are known to jumpstart the immune response.

"At day one [after vaccination] there were 80 genes similarly upregulated or downregulated in those three cell types. Many of these genes have known involvement with innate immune responses, including antigen processing and presentation," Hoek said.

"A second result was that the neutrophils highly express the genes involved in antigen processing and presentation. That's something new in vaccine immunology.

"And a third striking pattern was gene expression at day three in NKs [natural killer cells, another type of white blood cell] that indicated increased cell proliferation." This timing appeared puzzling to the team, not fitting any known function of NK cells. "We don't yet know what to make of the NK story," Hoek said.

Howard believes the study is a harbinger.

"Using this approach will open new opportunities to understand vaccine responses better than ever before. For example, we may someday be able to personalize vaccine schedules based on what we know about recipients' genetic makeup and predicted response. Eventually the field of vaccine development will move toward personalized vaccines," Howard said.

An upcoming study from the team will examine proteomic signatures of H5N1 vaccine, and similar studies are planned to evaluate vaccines that protect against other avian influenza strains.

This multidisciplinary study drew contributions from 13 additional authors, including biostatistician Johannes Goll, MS, of the Emmes Corporation in Rockville, Maryland, who ran the RNA-Seq data analysis.

###

At Vanderbilt, other collaborators included the study's two principal investigators, Kathryn Edwards, M.D., and Andrew Link, Ph.D., along with Allison Galassie, Tara Allos, Parimal Samir, Xinnan Niu, M.D., Laura Gordy, Ph.D., Buddy Creech, M.D., and Sebastian Joyce, Ph.D.

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (GM64779, RR024975, AI095202), among other sources.
Five More Cadillac Conference Programming Trends

5. Strategically Using The Conference As An On-Ramp Not A Cul-De-Sac

Expect the unexpectedjust as Buckaroo Banzai did in the 1980s movie of the same name.Buckaroo and his merry band of cavaliers were ready to save the world from whatever came their way. They would embrace the context of each dimension much like you need to embrace these current conference programming trends.While these trends wont help you overthrow a menacing alien dictator, they will help your participants stay in step with the every changing world around them. Take a look at them. Which ones do you want to embrace?Here are the next five 2017 conference programming trends. Respectfully consider them as they can deliver an industrial-strength awesome 21st conference experience for your merry band of participants.Read the first four trends here 21st Century conference professionals use their event strategically to help their stakeholders and their profession advance. They see their conference as an on-ramp not an annual cul-de-sac. It becomes a catalyst for connecting with others, the organization and their profession at a deeper level. The conference is just one opportunity to nudge participants into service and leadership roles.

~ Hat tips leadership expert Eric Geiger.



6. Your Conference As The Leadership Locus For The Profession/Industry

Where are leaders formed, developed and nurtured for your customers? What organization excels at creating the next great leaders for your industry? Your conference has the unique opportunity to develop and deploy leaders for all spheres of your customers life. Locus means the central or main place where something happens or is found. The locus of activity is not found on the fringes but on the core of where action happens. Your conference can and should serve as the industrys leadership locus.

~ Hat tips leadership development experts Eric Geiger and Kevin Peck.



7. Your Conference Programming Embraces The Edge Of Disruption While Adding Move Value For Your Participants Business

People want to attend conferences that matter. Those that create transformative outcomes that are more valuable than those from other events. The edge of disruption is the intersection of old and new, where your customers existing business enable them to create future markets. Its about providing a space where their most important problems are solved. Your programming becomes driven by What are our target markets problems that we are uniquely positioned to help them solve? Its about looking toward the future, taking advantage of the wide range of possibilities that are there and helping your participants see the value those disruptions will bring. This will drive meaningful insight to the people you need to influence the most. This is where your conference opportunity to matter is found.

~ Hat tips Peter Sheahan and Julie Williamson in Matter.



8. Conference Programming Adopts A Systems Thinking Approach Instead Of A Piecemeal Silo Approach

The current world view that frames most peoples thinking is based on breaking down problems, issues and topics into smaller steps and parts. Then we try to predict the consequences of our actions with those parts in the same way. Its similar to predicting the path and destination of a billiard ball through a mechanical, linear model of cause and effect. However, our world is not a billiard table. Its a very complex interconnected web of cause and effects. The current trend is to adopt a new worldview that includes fresh mental models, modern science knowledge, patterns of relationships, and a more holistic systems thinking approach. Offering conference programming that focuses on systems thinking produces insights from a broad context and complex relationships.

~ Hat tips systems thinker Martin Leith.



9. More Participant Collaboration And Sessions That Leverage Collaborative Outreach Efforts

Our conferences need to employ more programming that focuses on participant collaboration instead of passive listening. Similarly, our conferences have a strategic need to cultivate programming that leverages outreach collaborationcollaborative efforts that cross inter-institutional and cross-organizations and interdisciplinary silos. Too often our programming is insular-focused becoming an echo-chamber of the same voices saying the same thing to the same people.

~ Hat tips Gartners 2017 Business And Higher Education Technology Trends.

What conference programming trends would you add to these nine? Which of these five do you want to consider for your next conference?


Welcome to the News Release Wire Selection Control Panel.

Instant News Wire
Senegal army acts to end Gambia crisis

Senegalese troops have entered The Gambia in support of Adama Barrow, who was sworn in as president on Thursday after winning last month's election.
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate $ 460.00 donated

in the past month

Get Involved If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
California, the largest state in the union of 39 million people, with an agriculture that provides a large share of the US food all grown and harvested by immigrant workers, a majority minority state with 2/3 of the population south of Santa Cruz, including Los Angeles County with 10 million people of whom 47% are Latino, is clearly ready for the massive J20-21 protests of the latest Hitler about to occupy the White House. See http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20170119/here-are-the-protests-planned-across-southern-california-in-response-to-the-trump-inauguration Notable events in Southern California:FridayLos Angeles Trump Inauguration #Calexit Independence Rally10 a.m.-6 p.m., Los Angeles City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Los AngelesThis rally was organized by the Yes California #Calexit campaign. The group proposes the state of California seek independence from the United States.About 160 have said via Facebook they will attend.United Against Hate Inauguration March11 a.m.-6 p.m., LA Live, Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street, Los AngelesMore than 15,000 people have said via Facebook that they will attend.The Friday march includes specific demands of Trump and his administration against mass deportations and discrimination based on race, religion, gender and sexual orientation.The march is set to begin at LA Live, head east on Olympic then north on Broadway, east on First Street, then north on Spring Street to Los Angeles City Hall. Streets along the route will be closed to vehicle traffic.Protest Trumps Inauguration! United Front Against Fascism!Noon-6 p.m., Los Angeles City Hall, 200 North Spring Street, Los AngelesOrganized by Roofers Union Local 36, this goal of this rally is to advocate for the abolishment of the Electoral College. Close to 200 people have said via Facebook they will attend.Residents in the Boyle Heights neighborhood in east Los Angeles will meet in Mariachi Plaza at 11 a.m. before marching to City Hall to join up with the United Against Hate Inauguration March.UCLA Walkout on Trump InaugurationNoon-3 p.m., Dickson Plaza, UCLAStudents at UCLA have planned a walkout to protest the inauguration in solidarity with students doing the same across the country. About 1,100 people have said via Facebook they will attend this walkout event.SaturdayLocal marches are set to be held concurrently with Saturdays Womens March on Washington. Here is a list of the locations and start times for the Southern California sister marches.Nearly 70,000 people have said via Facebook they will attend the Los Angeles march. Beverly Hills: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Wilshire Boulevard at Santa Monica Boulevard Compton: 10 a.m., Kelly Park, 2319 East Caldwell Street Hemet: 9:30 a.m., 530 1/2 Florida Laguna Beach: 10 a.m.-noon, Main Beach and Coast Highway Los Angeles: 9 a.m., Pershing Square, 5th Street and West Hill Street Palm Springs: Noon, Frances Stevens Park, North Palm Canyon and Alejo Road Palmdale: 9 a.m.-noon, Antelope Valley Mall Pasadena: 8 a.m., Pasadena City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue Perris: Noon, Perris City Hall, 101 North D Street Redondo Beach: 10 a.m.-noon, Harbor Drive and Portafino Drive Riverside: 10 a.m. Riverside Main Street Pedestrian Mall, 3712 Mission Inn Avenue San Clemente: 9 a.m.-11 a.m., San Clemente Community Center, 100 North Calle Serville Santa Ana: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Calley Cuatro, 4th Street and French Street
The Department of Foreign Affairs says they have no indication of any Irish citizens caught up in the deadly avalanche at a hotel in Italy.

However, they say Irish citizens in the area should make contact with their family and follow the advice of local authorities.
The injection will complement the 120m invested in the east Cork distillery in 2012 and the 20m at its Fox & Geese bottling facility in Dublin.

Irish Distillers is investing another 100m at its Dungourney maturation site, near Midleton Distillery.

Three new copper pot stills will be installed at Midleton Distillery, with the company saying it wants to support the Irish Whiskey Associations target of global growth of 300% by 2030.

The three copper pot stills, handmade by Forsyths of Scotland and weighing a combined 24 tonnes, have been delivered to Midleton Distillery. Each has a capacity of over 75,000 litres and will be operational by June.

Jean-Christophe Coutures, chairman and chief executive of Irish Distillers, said: Irish whiskey continues to enjoy phenomenal global growth, led by Jameson with sales of 5.7m cases in 2016.

Irish Distillers has been driving the growth of the category since 1988, a commitment further underpinned by investments of over 230m since 2012.

With this additional investment of over 10m at Midleton Distillery, the home of Irish whiskey, we will ensure that we are positioned to meet growing global demand and support the growth of Irish whiskey in the international spirits category.

Paul Wickham, general manager of Midleton Distillery, said the 10.5m meant investment in the local economy in east Cork.

All our barley comes from farms located within 100 miles of Midleton Distillery, supporting families who have produced barley for centuries, he said.

We spend 60m annually on cereals, energy, capital projects, and payroll in the local economy and this will increase.
Louise Kenny, professor of obstetrics at University College Cork (UCC) said there was a two-tier system in respect of the scans and the poor are disadvantaged.

Currently, less than half of women attending CUMH can access the anomaly scans, posing an unacceptable level of risk, said Prof Kenny.

Peter Boylan, chair of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said it was the case that pregnant women outside Dublin who cannot afford to privately pay for ultrasound scans are disadvantaged.

Responding to a question from Fine Gaels Kate OConnell who asked if access was a class issue, Dr Boylan said: You are absolutely correct. The poor are disadvantaged across the board and dont have access to the same sort of ultrasound services outside of Dublin.

Dr Boylan and Prof Kenny were addressing a joint Oireachtas health committee which met yesterday to discuss the new National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026, on which, it was claimed, limited progress has been made.

Liam Woods, HSE national director of the acute hospitals division, named CUMH as one of six sites where anomaly scans were available. When Ind. Senator Alice Mary Higgins said less than half of women had access at the hospital, Mr Woods replied: We can come back to you with precise current data if that is helpful.

On the issue of governance, Prof Kenny, a consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist at CUMH, said when the hospital opened in 2007, her colleagues had successfully argued for a certain budget.

If we had control over that budget, we wouldnt be where we are now, she said.

Currently, more than 4,200 women are on the outpatient list for gynaecology services at CUMH, potentially incubating malignancies.

Moreover, women unable to access a 20-week anomaly scan face the possibility of not finding out until after birth that their child had a major foetal anomaly. It also means staff are unable to plan appropriate care in the absence of an antenatal diagnosis, with poorer outcomes for babies.

Ms Kenny said womens health was always first to be cut and it is mainly down to governance.

Year after year, we [CUMH] lost money to the main campus [CUH], she said. It went to other clinical areas. Consequently, we are where we are with waiting lists that are worrying beyond belief. 

She told the committee she was agnostic as to whether its a master or a mistress when it came to governance of CUMH, but that the hospital needed its own chief.

If we had had that [separate governance] in the last 10 years, we would have no waiting lists and we would be the flagship hospital that we should be, she said.

Dr Boylan said that the National Maternity Hospital had set up its own private anomaly scanning system for private patients which allowed us free up other areas thereby increasing capacity for public patients.

However, this kind of entrepreneurial spirit wasnt tolerated when a maternity hospital came in under the governance of a general hospital, he said.

You just cant do that, you will get slapped down.

The battle for independent governance of CUMH and a ringfenced budget has led to extremely poor relations between consultants and current management of CUH.

Last week, Health Minister Simon Harris announced the appointment of a clinical director of maternity services for the South/South West Hospital group.

However, the scope of this role and whether it means greater autonomy for CUMH has yet to be revealed.
Krzysztof Pysniak of 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 Mr Pysniak 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 he and Mr Pysniak had been friends for 20 years.

He brought a one-litre bottle of homemade wine and we shared it, Mr Wozniak said. After that, we had one shot of whiskey each and then he stopped drinking alcohol and started drinking water to be OK to drive.

Mr Pysniak did not seem drunk when he left to return home, according to Mr Wozniak.

Rory Kelly was driving north bound on the M50 at around 9.50pm when a motorbike passed him at speed.

Id never seen a motorbike travel so fast, Dr Kelly said.

The bike was weaving in and out of traffic and then veered from the outside lane to the inside lane, he 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 90m.

Gardai said the speed the motorbike was travelling after the second impact was 87kmph. The speed prior to the impact was estimated to be significantly higher.

This impact was quite extensive, it would have taken out much of the energy of the momentum, Garda Damien Farrell said.

Dr Kelly rushed to help Mr Pysniak but his helmet had come off in the impact. He suffered a severe head injury and death was instantaneous, the court heard.

An autopsy gave the cause of death as head injury following a road traffic collision. Mr Pysniak was four times over the legal driving limit with a blood alcohol level of 208 milligrams percent.

It is consistent with the half litre of wine and shot of whiskey consumed as described, said coroner Myra Cullinane.

The accident was the result of excessive speed which led 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.
Mr Kenny underlined his belief in Irelands financial stability as Finance Minister Michael Noonan said well get our share of companies leaving London but admitted we are facing a battle with other EU states.

Speaking to reporters while meeting leading business chief executives at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that was attended by British prime minister Theresa May, Mr Kenny rejected growing concerns that Ireland is falling behind in the race to secure the best post-Brexit deal.

Dismissing the fears from opposition parties and some Fine Gael back-benchers, he told US TV station CNBC he has a plan in place and there is no question about the safety of Irelands economic recovery:

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.

Yes, of course, in terms of currency fluctuations there are challenges, thats an undoubted fact, but were continuing to be competitive, looking at new markets, at new opportunities. Im very optimistic about the future.

Speaking to reporters at the same event as Mr Kenny gave what Irish officials said was an off the cuff address to world business leaders, Mr Noonan said more than 100 London-based companies have made inquiries about potentially moving to or expanding their presence in Ireland due to Brexit.

A lot of City of London companies have been making inquires about Ireland, and are involved in effectively contingency planning in the event that the Brexit arrangements dont work to their satisfaction.

The Central Bank has hired extra regulatory staff, and they have had in excess of 100 separate inquiries from firms based in the City of London, he said.

Mr Noonan said Ireland is not acting in a predatory way but stressed well get our share of companies that move due to Brexit.

While citing Amsterdam as the main rival to Dublin when it comes to attracting investment, he said a number of firms are committed to coming to Dublin.

Both Mr Kenny and Mr Noonan repeatedly stressed that there will be no return to a hard border with the North, and argued Ms Mays no return to the borders of the past comment in Tuesdays Brexit speech shows she holds the same view.

However, in Ireland, opposition parties continued to level severe criticism at the lack of a clear, public plan for coping with the crisis.

The Taoiseach needs to step up his engagements with other member states, particularly smaller states, Fianna Fail European affairs spokesperson Sean Haughey said.

Meanwhile, former Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan said if Ireland wants to secure its economy recovery, tax deals must not be central to the States foreign direct investment strategy.

Puttnam protest

Oscar-winning film producer David Puttnam has accused the British government of treating EU nationals living in the UK like prisoners in an exchange programme.

The Labour peer, who lives in Skibbereen, Co Cork, urged ministers to take the moral high ground by guaranteeing their right to live in the UK instead of using them as bargaining chips in Brexit negotiations.

In a debate on the impact of the EU referendum on the creative industries, including film and television, Puttnam warned thousands of jobs were at stake. He said there was a huge moral issue. Britain had caused the rift and Europe was the injured party after the referendum.

Surely we should seek to retain a little of the moral high ground by clearly and unequivocally guaranteeing the right to stay for those hundreds of thousands of hard-working, tax-paying, economically active people who add so much to the vibrancy of London in particular and the nation in general.

At present we appear to be subjecting them to some form of prisoner exchange programme, treating them as high stakes bargaining chips.

These are people, not chips  people who last Junes unfortunate vote suddenly made vulnerable.

Surely as a nation we are better than that. Surely we should immediately and generously embrace them in the hope that Europe will see the good sense of doing likewise.
ITS ironic that People Before Profit are running a demonstration against new US president tomorrow because, just like Trump, PBP supports taking politics out of traditional democratic structures.

Donald Trump had never held elected office until he was elected to the highest office in the western world.

His promise has been to bypass the democratically elected Congress and Senate and provide direct representation to the real people.

Real people are those who will give him power.

Unreal people are those who oppose him.

This is the reasoning of every autocrat. They promise to give you power while they take it away. Because the best way of giving power to the people is to cherish, uphold and participate in representative democracy.

One person, one vote is not a principle to be thrown away, it is the result of centuries of struggle, a struggle which still goes on in countries all over the world.

I do not believe that so-called right-wing populism is much different than so-called left-wing populism, except that the left-wing brand doesnt tend to be racist.

In power, they both inevitably end up in corruption, a lowered standard of living and the repression of the rights of individuals.

In Ireland we have a low risk of succumbing to right-wing populism but we could drift towards left- wing populism very fast.

I fancy Brendan Ogles chances because his credentials are impeccable: a leader in the Right2Water and Apollo House campaigns who is uncorrupted by elected office.

As the political landscape changes, it is important for the media to consistently make the distinction between democratic politics and politics which are beyond democracy.

Up to now, they rarely have. Left-wing populism provides journalists with good headlines and good stories and that sure beats working.

Ive been at it myself. I got a thumping column out of the movement against water charges in what would otherwise have been a slow news week.

Thats why I know Fine Gael councillor Jim Daly was absolutely right this week when he told the C103 radio station that the media, particularly RTE, really went to town on the water charge protests. Of course there was genuine disquiet and even anger at the Governments hopeless bungling of the charge.

As Daly said, it was timed wrong, approached wrong and done all wrong.

But Daly showed the instincts of a news hack when he explained that the media at the time were bored by the Fine Gael/Labour coalition and what that means is that you were too.

Stable democratic governments need not be boring and it was among the failings of the last coalition that it was.

Protest must happen and must be reported. But certain RTE radio presenters  I watch far less telly  got themselves into such a steam about the water charge protests that it was quite a surprise when you opened your front door that there was not a queue outside with bowls and buckets looking for a sup itself.

In the worlds poorest countries 2.5bn people do not have access to proper water sanitation and 783m of them have no clean drinking water. Ireland is not among them.

I have the perhaps vain hope that the current Coalition will be able to bring in a regime which charges for water above an intelligently agreed allocation.

But populism is so much easier to promote as the writer and environmental campaigner Naomi Klein has obviously discovered because she lost all my respect by supporting Right2Water in a speech at the RDS last year.

What is so worrying about some of the most successful left-wing populist politicians in the Dail is that they do not see the parliament as a place from which to govern the country.

In a fascinating interview on RTE radio last weekend, People Before Profits Richard Boyd Barrett described the Dail as a platform to encourage and mobilise the kind of people power action which can bring real change.

Pursued by Brian Dowling he elaborated that electoral politics were part of it but not the be-all and end-all.

There was, he said, a rotten culture in the mainstream parties which meant they concentrated on getting people elected rather than the actual issues.

Action on these issues, he said, had to come from a mass movement of ordinary people.

Are we to understand that ordinary people dont vote, they march?

The actual issues which concern ordinary people are decided on the streets, not in the Dail?

That democracy is not the business of ordinary people?

And that a vote for every man and woman which was so hard-won was wasted on them?

On the same programme the Anti-Austerity Alliances Ruth Coppinger told Brian Dowling that Trumps presidency would not be defeated in parliament but by street protests featuring women and Latinos  people too ordinary for politics, I guess.

Politicians are The Other. The judiciary is The Elite. Thats how a spokesperson for Home Sweet Home explained Judge Paul Gilligans decision that they should end their illegal occupation of the building last week.

The motivation of many behind the occupation of Apollo House was no doubt good but the narrative that only ordinary people care about homelessness and that politicians both local and national have been doing nothing is dangerous and untrue.

Mr Noonan could end homelessness by compelling Nama to hand over the vacant properties in its possession at the stroke of a pen, say Home Sweet Home.

The fact which is missed here is that Nama is the State.

If Nama failed to sell certain properties the taxpayer would lose out and considering most Nama-held properties, including Apollo House, would make sub-optimal long-term homes the intelligent route is for Nama to reap as much as it can so the State can build proper social housing.

There is no simple Them and Us in a representative democracy such as ours. Peoples power rests in their vote. Theyve not done badly. Ireland is the sixth most developed country in the world according to the UN Human Development Index, tied with Germany and above most places you care to mention.

I would like to see a far bigger home-building project, a universal public health service, a rapidly decarbonising economy but at least I accept that a growing tax take would be necessary to provide them.

It is ironic, as our Irish Examiner columnist Gerard Howlin has pointed out, that the politicians and activists shouting loudest for action on housing are often associated with voting through reductions in local property charges and against expanding the tax base with a water charge.

The media have been ignoring their duties under the Broadcasting Act in failing to discriminate between democratic politics and politics which undermine democracy.

As right-wing populism prepares to take the stage in the US, Irish populism is entering stage left.
Vancouver, BC (FSCwire) - Miranda Gold Corp. ("Miranda") (TSX-V: MAD) is pleased to announce it has signed Letters of Intent (LOI) on two important district-scale epithermal vein systems. The Colombian project titles are Mallama and San Lucas in the Narino and South Bolivar departments, respectively.

Both acquisitions are the result of reconnaissance and evaluations during the last resource market down-cycle. Miranda has maintained its presence in Colombia, while waiting for quality projects to become available and for security risks in certain areas to become more manageable - as a result of the armistice that was signed between the Colombian government and opposition groups.

The Mallama project is part of a large district that contains more than thirty mapped intermediate sulfidation epithermal veins with strike lengths of over 4km. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) mapped, sampled, and drilled a portion of the larger vein system - of which the Mallama project covers a part - in 1983. The El Diamante Mine is just north of Mirandas Mallama project, and has been active for 30 years or more - with its interesting gold metallurgy studied and published by the joint efforts of Colombian and European scientists - the gold at El Diamante, in particular, is associated with pyrite and quartz and secondarily with arsenopyrite, sphalerite and galena. Historic sampling presented by the owners of the titles on the Mallama project shows vein grades from 33 g Au/t to 87 g Au/t with silver occurring on an average ratio of 10:1 silver to gold. Limited confirmation sampling assays by Miranda geologists shows 42 g Au/t over 0.5m in an active artisan mine that displays numerous parallel veins. Mallama consists of government granted titles.

The San Lucas project is part of a large district that contains numerous high-grade veins extending for several kilometers. San Lucas is particularly interesting in that it displays banded quartz-carbonate veins with high tellurium. This is the same vein characteristic that is seen in Buritica (reported reserves of 3.7m ounces gold at 8.5 g Au/t- and 10.7m ounces of silver at 24.3 g Ag/t), which is being advanced to production by Continental Gold Inc. The analog for San Lucas is mesozonal to epithermal carbonate base metal (CBM) gold systems. Mirandas acquisition of San Lucas is a direct result of the recognition of this rare analog model in Colombia. San Lucas is a core property internal to Mineros S.A.s Guamoco Project to the north, and a large land position to the south maintained by Anglo Ashanti. Miranda considers San Lucas the core of the district. San Lucas has reported gold values of between 12.5 g Au/t and 105 g Au/t over 3m. San Lucas consists of government granted titles.

Miranda cannot yet independently verify historically reported samples for Mallama or San Lucas  however  Mirandas Exploration Manager has past experience in and knowledge of both of these districts through prior work history. The assay values provided above for San Lucas are from an NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report (Quia Resources Inc & Onsino Capital Corp, prepared by Caracle Creek International Consulting Inc., July 2010).

Both Mallama and San Lucas are not without challenges. Mallama will require a Consulta Previa and good cooperation from the local stakeholders. The initial work for Mallama will start immediately  with the goal of initiating physical exploration in the areas of highest interest. San Lucas is within an area that is temporarily withdrawn for additional mineral entry, so no work can commence until that prohibition is lifted. Regarding San Lucas  Miranda is in a similar position to that of Mineros SA and Anglo Ashanti  who both maintain their land positions in the district in anticipation of the areas release from an environmental study area. The demonstrated potential of both Mallama and San Lucas make the risk vs. reward profile for these two projects acceptable for acquisition by Miranda.

Agreement Details

Mallama: On November 5, 2016, Miranda signed a binding letter of intent, subject to Miranda satisfactorily completing a 30-day due diligence (complete), to enter into a binding purchase agreement. Miranda has paid the initial US$140,000, and we now have a further 60-day period (extended) in which to draft the final binding purchase agreement. Upon receipt of suitable drill permits on Mallama, Miranda is required to make an additional payment of US$200,000. A residual net proceeds royalty of 4% (as defined in the Rocky Mountain Form 5) will be payable to the vendor, with a minimum of US$1.0m payable within three years of the commencement of commercial production, capped at US$4.0m over the life of the mine. There are no minimum work commitments on Mallama, and no acquisition restrictions imposed on Miranda for any adjacent property.

San Lucas: On January 19, 2017, Miranda signed a non-binding letter of intent, subject to Miranda satisfactorily completing a 30-day due diligence (in process), to enter into a binding purchase agreement. Once the initial payment of outstanding license fees of US$120,000 is paid, Miranda will have a further 30-day period in which to draft the final binding purchase agreement. A further payment of approximately US$60,000 will be required at the signing of the agreement. When the San Lucas property is withdrawn from the Study Area Resolucion 1628, Miranda will be required to make an additional payment of US$100,000. Upon receipt of suitable drill permits on San Lucas, Miranda will be required to make an additional payment of US$75,000. Finally, a payment of US$500,000 will become due, in two tranches, when Miranda produces a NI 43-101 technical report showing 500,000 or more gold equivalent ounces in the Measured and Indicated categories. A residual net proceeds royalty of 4% (as defined in the Rocky Mountain Form 5) will be payable to the vendor, with a minimum of US$1.0m payable within three years of the commencement of commercial production, capped at US$4.0m over the life of the mine. There are no minimum work commitments on San Lucas, and no acquisition restrictions imposed on Miranda for any adjacent property.

Data disclosed in this press release, has been reviewed and verified by Mirandas Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Hebert, C.P.G., and B.Sc. Geology, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Miranda

Miranda is a gold Prospect Generator active in Alaska and Colombia, whose emphasis is on acquiring gold exploration projects with world-class discovery potential. Miranda performs its own grass roots exploration and then employs a joint venture business model on its projects to maximize our exposure to discovery and minimize exploration risk. Miranda has ongoing relationships with Gold Torrent, Inc., and Montezuma Mines Inc.
Spay as you go

Proper measures need to be taken to control the population of stray dogs
Surrey, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 20, 2017) - Desert Gold Ventures Inc. (TSXV: DAU) (FSE: QXR2) (OTC Pink: DAUGF) ("Desert Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the successful renewal of the Company's Djimbala Gold permit in western Mali. The permit is now valid until December 21, 2018.

The Djimbala permit is situated in the Yanfolila Gold Belt in an area that hosts regional scale fundamental structures. These structures are essential in the formation of gold deposits in West Africa and make the whole permit highly prospective for the discovery of significant gold resources.

The prospect is located 30km north of the Kordieran Project, 40 km north of Avnel Gold's Kalana Mine and adjacent to Gold Field's Komana Project.

The conceptual target on the strategic Djimbala project is orogenic-style gold mineralization, similar to gold mines and other projects in the Yanfolila Gold Belt. A number of prospects surround the permit and the structures hosting the Faliko (Gold Fields), Salona (Gold Fields) and Niechilela (Gold Fields) prospects extend into the Djimbala permit. The project has artisanal gold workings in altered sedimentary host rock and in elluvial deposits. Seven of the artisanal workings occur within the sampled area. The sampling program covers the first of 4 areas prioritized for follow-up exploration. A total of 1,120 surface soil samples were collected in the first phase of sampling on Djimbala. The sample lines are oriented north-south and spaced 200 meters apart. Samples were collected every 50 meters along these lines, and at an average depth of 30 centimeters.

The sampling highlights a strong correlation between anomalous gold values and geological structures identified on aeromagnetic maps. 9 exploration targets were identified on the grid. Please refer to the geochemistry map below. 3 Samples analyzed over 1 gram per tonne of gold with the highest gold value being 22.6 grams per tonne. The table below summarizes the distribution of gold values.

Number of samples Gold Assay Values (ppb) 539 <10 499 10 to 29 19 50 to 99 16 100 to 999 3 1000 to 22 600

- Total number of samples 1,120

- The Company plans to do detailed infill soil sampling over the 9 exploration targets.

Sample Protocol

Samples were taken from the B soil horizon, generally 30cm to 50cm below surface. 2kg of unscreened material was gathered in the field, placed in calico bags with unique ticket numbers and shipped to ALS Mali SARL Bamako laboratory for analysis. The samples were assayed by means of fire assay with an atomic absorption finish. As part of the quality assurance and quality control program, a standard, blank and duplicate sample were inserted within every 20 samples submitted to the laboratory. Plots of the assay results from the standard reference material show that the assay data can be accepted.

Shaun Dykes, M.Sc. (Eng); P.Geo (#20044), a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this release.
Kim Ki-choon (left) and Cho Yoon-sun



By Kim Bo-eun

Former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun attended a court hearing Friday to review the validity of a request to arrest and detain them on charges of abuse of authority and perjury.

They are suspected of being deeply involved in blacklisting artists critical of President Park Geun-hye.

The Seoul Central District Court is expected to make its final ruling on the arrest warrants late Friday or early Saturday. Until the decision, they will be sequestered in a Seoul detention center.

At the hearing, prosecutors from the team of independent counsel Park Young-soo said the creation of a blacklist to deny progressive artists state subsidies constitutes a breach of the principles of democracy.

They said the alleged act also infringed upon constitutional rights such as freedom of conscience, freedom of the press and publication, and freedom of studies and art.

"Cho and Kim need to be arrested in order to prevent them from trying to destroy evidence," a prosecutor said.

The counsel team said that a considerable amount of data was deleted from surveillance camera footage and phone records which were confiscated from Kim's home in a raid last month.

In response, Kim and Cho's legal representatives demanded they be investigated without being detained as there is no concrete evidence to prove that they created the blacklist.

The independent counsel team sought warrants for the two Wednesday on charges of abuse of authority and perjury.

Kim, 78, is suspected to have orchestrated the creation and management of the list of some 9,400 cultural figures and entities who were deemed critical of the Park administration. The artists on the list were excluded from government subsidies.

On the list were prominent figures such as Han Kang, who won the Man Booker Prize last year.

The list is believed to have been drawn up after the Sewol ferry sinking which claimed 304 lives on April 16, 2014.

Kim served as top presidential secretary from 2013 to 2015; while Cho, 51, served as presidential secretary for political affairs from 2014 to 2015.

Cheong Wa Dae is speculated to have created the list, possibly at the order or endorsement of the President, and then handed over to the culture ministry.

Kim had allegedly ordered government officials who opposed the blacklist to be forced out.

In the independent counsel's investigations, Kim said he has never seen the list and does not know of it.

Cho said she had seen the list but that this was after she became culture minister in September last year, and she did not know about the creation and management of it.

Former Culture Minister Kim Jong-deok, former Vice Culture Minister Chung Kwan-joo and former presidential secretary Shin Dong-cheol have been arrested for their alleged involvement in compiling the list.
South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Monday called for continued efforts to induce North Korea's denuclearization through "across-the-board" pressure amid growing threats from the communist country.

During a meeting of top security and diplomatic officials, Hwang also stressed the need for earnest efforts to strengthen policy coordination and cooperation with the incoming U.S. government slated to take office Friday.

The meeting was held as the Seoul government seeks to squelch concerns that there could be a foreign policy vacuum in the wake of the parliamentary impeachment of President Park Geun-hye over a corruption scandal last month.

"(We) have to continue efforts to induce North Korea's denuclearization by capitalizing on the current framework of across-the-board diplomatic pressure," Hwang said, noting instability on the Korean Peninsula continues to increase due to Pyongyang's growing nuclear and missile threats.

"We have taken special steps (to deal with nuclear threats) based on the three pillars -- the U.N. Security Council (sanctions) resolutions, stand-alone sanctions of major countries and global pressure on the North," he added.

Hwang also pointed to the possibility that the recalcitrant regime could engage in provocative acts or launch a "deceptive" campaign for dialogue in time for the swearing-in of the new administration in Washington.

The acting president, in addition, directed top officials to continue close cooperation with the United Nations and major countries to address Pyongyang's human rights violations, saying the resolution of the issue is required to open the future of a unified Korea.

The participants in the meeting included South Korea's ambassadors to the four major powers -- the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

At the meeting, they were expected to discuss an array of security and diplomatic issues, including Pyongyang's continued military threats, escalating friction with Beijing over the planned deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system to the peninsula and a rekindled row over Tokyo's wartime sexual slavery. (Yonhap)
Talks on IC swap facility in Nepal productive: India

Amid the uncertainty over demonetised IC note exchange facility in Nepal, India has said recent negotiations between the two countries on the matter have been productive.
"No matter what one thinks of Bolshevism, it is undeniable that the Russian Revolution is one of the greatest events in human history, and the rule of the Bolsheviki a phenomenon of worldwide importance." John Reed, 1st January 1919. (J. Reed, Ten Days that Shook the World)

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution. From a Marxist point of view, the Bolshevik Revolution was the greatest single event in world history. For the first time, if we exclude the heroic but tragic episode of the Paris Commune, the masses overthrew the old regime and began the great task of the socialist transformation of society.

Like the French Revolution of the 18th century and the English Revolution in the 17th century, the Russian Revolution had to pass through a series of stages before it reached its culmination. This was a learning process in which masses looked to a number of different options, parties and leaders, discarding one after another before they were able to take power into their own hands.

[Follow our live tweet of the Russian Revolution here Follow @1917Bolshevik]

The decisive factor was undoubtedly the presence of a Marxist Party  the Bolshevik Party under the leadership of Lenin and Trotsky. Such a party did not drop from heaven. Neither could it be improvised on the spur of the moment. It was built with great difficulty over a period of twenty years, mostly in the harsh conditions of underground work.

The growth of the Bolshevik Party in 1917 must represent the most spectacular transformation in the entire history of political parties. In February the Party represented a very small number  probably no more than 8,000, in a huge country with a population in the region of 150 million. Yet by October the Bolsheviks were strong enough to lead millions of workers and peasants to the seizure of power.

The apologists of capitalism and their obedient lackeys in right wing Labour claim that the collapse of the USSR signified the demise of socialism. But what failed in Russia was not socialism but a caricature of socialism. Contrary to the oft-repeated slanders, the Stalinist regime was the antithesis of the democratic regime established by the Bolsheviks in 1917. The October revolution was neither a coup nor a conspiracy, but the organised expression of the will of the overwhelming majority which had striven for nine months to find a solution to its problems through Soviet power.

It is important that all those who were fighting for a better world today should make a serious study of the lessons of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. In order to aid this task we have decided to produce a reading list of those titles that seemed to us to be of greatest use to the student of Bolshevism and the Russian Revolution.

The anniversary of the revolution will inevitably be a signal for an intensification of the campaign of the litigation directed against the Russian Revolution and the Bolshevik Party by the enemies of socialism. The works we have recommended will serve as a useful antidote to this poisonous tirade, providing a comprehensive answer to the calumnies of the counterrevolutionaries. We recommend it to you with every possible enthusiasm.

London 10th January 2017

Introductory material

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION: THE MEANING OF OCTOBER by Alan Woods

- This article gives an excellent overview over the revolution and the main lessons to draw from it.

HISTORY OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION TO BREST LITOVSK by Leon Trotsky

- This short history written in 1918 at Brest-Litovsk during the negotiations between the new Soviet government lead by Lenin and Trotsky and the Kaisers army provides an excellent introduction to the Russian Revolution.

10 DAYS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD by John Reed

- This classic account of the Bolshevik revolution requires no introduction. It provides a vivid blow by blow account of the Russian revolution, which Lenin praised highly for its truthfulness. An excellent antidote to the lies and slander is of the bourgeois critics of October.

IN DEFENCE OF OCTOBER by Leon Trotsky

- The famous speech delivered in Copenhagen, Denmark in November 1932.

Key theoretical works

THE HISTORY OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION by Leon Trotsky

- This is the outstanding Marxist work on the Russian revolution. Written in 1930 on the island of Prinkipo in Turkey where Trotsky had been exiled by Stalin, it provides a complete account in three volumes of the revolution through all its stages and a profound Marxist analysis of these great events in which Trotsky played a leading role.

THE STATE AND REVOLUTION by V.I Lenin

- This Marxist classic on the state was written when Lenin was in hiding in Finland following the defeat of the proletariat in the July Days.

THE PERMANENT REVOLUTION AND RESULTS AND PROSPECTS by Leon Trotsky

- In this work Trotsky explains his theory of the permanent revolution, first worked out in 1904 -5 in which he predicted that the Russian working class could come to power before the rest of Europe. This theory was completely vindicated by the October revolution.

BOLSHEVISM  THE ROAD TO REVOLUTION by Alan Woods

- The history of the Bolshevik party from the early days of the party until the end of 1917. This book is a key work for those who wish to understand the 30 years of political development which prepared for the Bolsheviks to assume power in October 1917.

Lenin and Trotsky

LENIN AND TROTSKY  WHAT THEY REALLY STOOD FOR by Alan Woods and Ted Grant

- In this important work Alan Woods and Ted Grant give a detailed explanation of the key positions of Lenin and Trotsky and the real relationship between the ideas of two.

Ideally one should read all the articles, pamphlets and speeches that Lenin wrote in the course of 1917. We limit ourselves here to the most essential Writings but would encourage you to read all the rest.

LETTERS FROM AFAR (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) by V.I. Lenin

- This collection of letters written by Lenin in Switzerland immediately following the overthrow of the tsar in February 1917 are the kind of manifesto written for the Bolshevik leaders in Russia in which he demands a decisive break with the Mensheviks and liberals and advocates but the workers take the road to power.

OUR REVOLUTION by Leon Trotsky

- Written on March 18th, 1917, when the first news of unrest in Petrograd had reached New York, this collection of articles shows how Trotsky arrived independently at similar conclusions to Lenin.

THE TASKS OF THE PROLETARIAT IN THE PRESENT REVOLUTION [THE APRIL THESES] by V.I. Lenin

- The positions advocated in letters from afar are here given a completely rounded and worked out expression. This was the basis on which Lenin conducted a struggle at the April conference against the opportunist line taken by Stalin and Kamenev.

THE IMPENDING CATASTROPHE AND HOW TO COMBAT IT by V.I. Lenin

- Another Marxist classic, this shows how Lenin used transitional demands to raise the level of the workers struggle from immediate questions to the level of consciousness needed to assume state power.

MARXISM AND INSURRECTION

CAN THE BOLSHEVIKS RETAIN STATE POWER?

THE CRISIS HAS MATURED

- The above three articles were written in the period when Lenin was demanding that the workers must take power or suffered defeat.

Works by other revolutionaries

ON THE EVE OF 1917 by Alexander Shlyapnikov

- Shlyapnikov was a Bolshevik organizer during the war years. Based in Scandinavia, he acted as a link between Lenin in Switzerland) and the fragmented and the Bolsheviks in Russia. These memoirs deal with the period from 1914 to 1917.

REVOLUTIONARY SILHOUETTES by Anatoly Lunacharsky

- Anatoly Lunacharsky was a veteran Russian Marxist who became the first Commissar of Education under the Bolshevik government. First published in 1919, his book Revolutionary Silhouettes is a collection of pen portraits of the Russian revolutionary leaders, including Lenin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Martov and others, although Stalin is not among them.

KRONSTADT AND PETROGRAD IN 1917 by Fyodor Raskolnikov

- Raskolnikov, then 25 years of age, was a sailor in the Russian Navy base in Kronstadt, close to revolutionary Petrograd. He was one of the leaders of the red sailors who played a key role in the revolution and his experiences are graphically described in this book.

LENINS MOSCOW by Alfred Rosmer

Albert Rosmer was a veteran of the French revolution of the workers movement who began life as an anarcho-syndicalist but later became a communist and a supporter of Leon Trotsky. This book covers the period from 1922 to the death of Lenin in 1924, drawing on his personal experience of the Russian Revolution and the communist movement in Russia and in France.

YEAR ONE OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION by Victor Serge

- A valuable account by the veteran French revolutionary of his first-hand experience of the first year of the Bolshevik revolution. Victor Serge started as an anarchist but later joined the Bolshevik Party.

Other writers

THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION OF 1917, A PERSONAL MEMOIR by Nikolai Nikolaevich Sukhanov

- Nikolai Nikolaevich Sukhanov was a Russian Menshevik Internationalist. He wrote a seven-volume memoir of the Russian Revolution of 1917 it was first published under that title in 1922 in the Soviet Union. Towards the end of his life Lenin read this work with interest. His memoirs constitute an valuable eyewitness account of events, although clearly written from a Menshevik standpoint (Lenin described it as the Revolution scene from the standpoint of our petty bourgeoisie).

LENINISM UNDER LENIN by Marcel Liebman

- A detailed study of the rise of Bolshevism and its triumph, including many important quotes, facts and details. It includes two final chapters on Leninism outside Russia and the commonest international.

SIX MONTHS IN RUSSIA by Louise Bryant

- This is a fascinating eyewitness account by a female American left-wing activist. Particularly interesting are interviews with women revolutionaries, but it contains many vivid pictures of life in revolutionary Russia at that time.

IN REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA by Arthur Ransome

- A sympathetic eyewitness account written by a famous English writer, the author of Swallows and Amazons who visited Russia in 1920.

THE BOLSHEVIKS COME TO POWER by Alexander Rabinowitch

- An interesting book that covers the period from the July days to the seizure of power. New York 1976.

MEMOIRS OF A BRITISH AGENT by Bruce Lockhart

- As the title of his book suggests, Bruce Lockhart served as a British agent in Russia from 1912 until after the Russian Revolution. Although clearly not a sympathiser with Bolshevism (in 1918 he was accused of implication in a plot to assassinate Lenin and imprisoned but was later exchanged for Maxim Litvinov) Lockhart, a political liberal who sympathised with Kerensky, was a keen observer of the revolution and its participants and his book is a valuable historical document in its own right.

THE BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION by EH Carr

- EH Carr, a former editor of the Times newspaper, is unusual among bourgeois historians in that he attempts to write objectively about the Bolshevik revolution. In spite of the fact that his class background and psychology prevented him from really understanding the nature or the ideology of Bolshevism, his work stands head and shoulders above the kind of rubbish produced by most modern bourgeois historians. It is thoroughly researched and contains much interesting material. The Bolshevik revolution is in three substantial volumes, but is only the first part of a far more ambitious project in which Carr intended to write a history of the Soviet Union. The fourth volume (The Interregnum) deals with the period of the rise of Stalin after Lenins death.

IN DEFENCE OF OCTOBER
Were excited to announce that metalbulletin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com.

A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving metals market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets.

Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials.

If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, and markets biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, neuroscience, and covid-19 diseases. The company's products include Revlimid, an oral immunomodulatory drug for the treatment of multiple myeloma; Eliquis, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; and Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis. It also provides Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia; Yervoy for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma; Abraxane, a protein-bound chemotherapy product; Reblozyl for the treatment of anemia in adult patients with beta thalassemia; and Empliciti for the treatment of multiple myeloma. In addition, the company offers Zeposia to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis; Breyanzi, a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma; Inrebic, an oral kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adult patients with myelofibrosis; and Onureg for the treatment of adult patients with AML. It sells products to wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, retailers, hospitals, clinics, and government agencies. The company was formerly known as Bristol-Myers Company. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Dunelm Group plc retails homewares in the United Kingdom. The company offers furniture and beds products, which include bedroom, living room, dining room, and other furniture, as well as bed and mattresses, and sofas and chairs; bedding products comprising bed linen, dorma, baby and kid's bedding, and duvets, pillows and protectors; curtains and rugs; and venetian, roller, roman, vertical, and made to measure blinds. It also offers range of home decor products, such as mirrors, clocks, ornaments, pictures and frames, candle and home fragrance, flower and plants, vases, kid accessories, cushions, bean bags, and letterbox flowers, as well as housewarming, engagement, anniversary, and wedding gifts; lighting products, including ceiling and wall lights, table and desk lamps, floor lamps, and pendants and lamp shades; and paint, wallpaper, DIY and upcycling, and haberdashery products. In addition, the company provides kitchen and utility products comprising cooking, dining, electrical, utility, and pet products; towel and bathmats, and bathroom accessories, as well as furniture and decor products; storage products, such as travel and luggage, home, clothes, and kitchen storage; kids bedroom, nursery, and accessories products; outdoor products, which include garden furniture and decoration, and entreating and dining products; and trends christmas products and winter essentials. It operates through a network of 177 stores and 2 distribution centers, as well as sells its products through an online store at dunelm.com. Dunelm Group plc was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Syston, the United Kingdom.
The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. manufactures, markets, and sells skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products worldwide. It offers a range of skin care products, including moisturizers, serums, cleansers, toners, body care, exfoliators, acne care and oil correctors, facial masks, cleansing devices, and sun care products; and makeup products, such as lipsticks, lip glosses, mascaras, foundations, eyeshadows, nail polishes, and powders, as well as compacts, brushes, and other makeup tools. The company also provides fragrance products in various forms comprising eau de parfum sprays and colognes, as well as lotions, powders, creams, candles, and soaps; and hair care products that include shampoos, conditioners, styling products, treatment, finishing sprays, and hair color products, as well as sells ancillary products and services. It offers its products under the Estee Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, MAC, Bobbi Brown, La Mer, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin, Smashbox, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, GLAMGLOW, Kilian Paris, Too Faced, Dr. Jart+, DECIEM, and The Ordinary brands. The company sells its products through department stores, specialty-multi retailers, upscale perfumeries and pharmacies, and salons and spas; freestanding stores; its own and authorized retailer websites; third-party online malls; stores in airports; and duty-free shops. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
The following companies are subsidiares of Johnson & Johnson: 3Dintegrated ApS, ALZA Corporation, AMO (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd Beijing Branch, AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd Guangzhou Branch, AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd., AMO ASIA LIMITED, AMO Asia Limited (Korea Branch), AMO Asia Limited Taiwan Branch (Hong Kong), AMO Australia Pty Limited, AMO Australia Pty Limited (New Zealand Branch), AMO Canada Company, AMO Denmark ApS, AMO Development LLC, AMO France, AMO Germany GmbH, AMO Groningen B.V., AMO International Holdings Unlimited Company, AMO Ireland, AMO Ireland Ireland Branch, AMO Italy SRL, AMO Japan K.K., AMO Manufacturing USA LLC, AMO Netherlands BV, AMO Nominee Holdings LLC, AMO Norway AS, AMO Puerto Rico Manufacturing Inc., AMO Sales and Service Inc., AMO Singapore Pte. Ltd., AMO Spain Holdings LLC, AMO Switzerland GmbH, AMO U.K. Holdings LLC, AMO United Kingdom Ltd., AMO Uppsala AB, AUB Holdings LLC, Abott Medical Optics, Acclarent Inc., Actelion Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Actelion Pharmaceuticals US Inc., Actelion Treasury Unlimited Company, Akros Medical Inc., Albany Street LLC, Alios BioPharma, Alza Land Management Inc., Anakuria Therapeutics Inc., Animas Diabetes Care LLC, Animas LLC, Animas Technologies LLC, AorTx Inc., Apsis, Aragon Pharmaceuticals, Aragon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Asia Pacific Holdings LLC, Atrionix Inc., Auris Health, Auris Health Inc., Backsvalan 2 Aktiebolag, Backsvalan 6 Handelsbolag, Beijing Dabao Cosmetics Co. Ltd., BeneVir BioPharm Inc., Berna Rhein B.V., BioMedical Enterprises Inc., Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd., Biosense Webster Inc., Branch of Johnson & Johnson LLC (RU) in Kazakhstan, C Consumer Products Denmark ApS, CSATS Inc., Calibra Medical LLC, Campus-Foyer Apotheke GmbH, Carlo Erba OTC S.r.l., Centocor Biologics LLC, Centocor Research & Development Inc., Cerenovus Inc., ChromaGenics B.V., Ci:Labo Customer Marketing Co. Ltd., Ci:Labo USA Inc., Ci:z Holdings, Ci:z. Labo Co. Ltd., Cilag AG, Cilag GmbH International, Cilag Holding AG, Cilag Holding Treasury Unlimited Company, Cilag-Biotech S.L., CoTherix Inc., Coherex Medical Inc., ColBar LifeScience Ltd., Company Store.com Inc., Conor MedSystems, Cordis International Corporation, Cordis de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Corimmun GmbH, DePuy Hellas SA, DePuy International Limited, DePuy Ireland Unlimited Company, DePuy Mexico S.A. de C.V., DePuy Mitek LLC, DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., DePuy Products Inc., DePuy Spine LLC, DePuy Synthes Gorgan Limited, DePuy Synthes Inc., DePuy Synthes Institute LLC, DePuy Synthes Leto SARL, DePuy Synthes Products Inc., DePuy Synthes Sales Inc., Debs-Vogue Corporation (Proprietary) Limited, Dutch Holding LLC, ECL7 LLC, EES Holdings de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EES S.A. de C.V., EIT Emerging Implant Technologies GmbH, Ethicon Endo-Surgery (Europe) GmbH, Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc., Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC, Ethicon Inc., Ethicon LLC, Ethicon PR Holdings Unlimited Company, Ethicon Sarl, Ethicon US LLC, Ethicon Women's Health & Urology Sarl, Ethnor (Proprietary) Limited, Ethnor Farmaceutica S.A., Ethnor del Istmo S.A., FMS Future Medical System SA, Finsbury (Development) Limited, Finsbury (Instruments) Limited, Finsbury Medical Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics International Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics Limited, GH Biotech Holdings Limited, GMED Healthcare BV, GMED Healthcare BV (Branch), Global Investment Participation B.V., Guangzhou Bioseal Biotech Co. Ltd., Hansen Medical Deutschland GmbH, Hansen Medical Inc., Hansen Medical International Inc., Hansen Medical UK Limited, Healthcare Services (Shanghai) Ltd., Hickory Merger Sub Inc., I.D. Acquisition Corp., Innomedic Gesellschaft fur innovative Medizintechnik und Informatik mbH, Innovative Surgical Solutions LLC, J & J Company West Africa Limited, J&J Pension Trustees Limited, J-C Health Care Ltd., J.C. General Services BV, JJ Surgical Vision Spain S.L., JJC Acquisition Company B.V., JJHC LLC, JJSV Belgium BV, JJSV Manufacturing Malaysia SDN. BHD., JJSV Norden AB, JJSV Produtos Oticos Ltda., JNJ Global Business Services s.r.o., JNJ Holding EMEA B.V., JNJ International Investment LLC, JOM Pharmaceutical Services Inc., Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy (Holding) Limited, Janssen BioPharma LLC, Janssen Biologics (Ireland) Limited, Janssen Biologics B.V., Janssen Biotech Inc., Janssen Cilag C.A., Janssen Cilag Farmaceutica S.A., Janssen Cilag S.p.A., Janssen Cilag SPA, Janssen Development Finance Unlimited Company, Janssen Diagnostics LLC, Janssen Egypt LLC, Janssen Farmaceutica Portugal Lda, Janssen Global Services LLC, Janssen Holding GmbH, Janssen Inc., Janssen Irish Finance Unlimited Company, Janssen Korea Ltd., Janssen Oncology Inc., Janssen Ortho LLC, Janssen Pharmaceutica (Proprietary) Limited, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Janssen Pharmaceutica S.A., Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences Unlimited Company, Janssen Pharmaceutical Unlimited Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. Japan Branch, Janssen Products LP, Janssen R&D Ireland Unlimited Company, Janssen Research & Development LLC, Janssen Sciences Ireland Unlimited Company, Janssen Scientific Affairs LLC, Janssen Supply Group LLC, Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Janssen Vaccines Branch of Cilag GmbH International, Janssen Vaccines Corp., Janssen-Cilag, Janssen-Cilag (New Zealand) Limited, Janssen-Cilag A/S, Janssen-Cilag AG, Janssen-Cilag AS, Janssen-Cilag Aktiebolag, Janssen-Cilag B.V., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Lda., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Ltda., Janssen-Cilag GmbH, Janssen-Cilag International NV, Janssen-Cilag Kft., Janssen-Cilag Kft. Branch Office, Janssen-Cilag Limited, Janssen-Cilag Manufacturing LLC, Janssen-Cilag NV, Janssen-Cilag OY, Janssen-Cilag Pharma GmbH, Janssen-Cilag Pharmaceutical S.A.C.I., Janssen-Cilag Polska Sp. z o.o., Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd, Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd (Branch), Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag s.r.o., Janssen-Pharma S.L., Jevco Holding Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Johnson & Johnson (Angola) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd. Beijing Branch, Johnson & Johnson (Egypt) S.A.E., Johnson & Johnson (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Ireland) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Jamaica) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Kenya) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. (DHCC Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. (JAFZA Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. Service Center (DAFZA Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Mozambique) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (New Zealand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Philippines) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Thailand) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (Trinidad) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Vietnam) Co. Ltd, Johnson & Johnson - Societa' Per Azioni, Johnson & Johnson AB, Johnson & Johnson AB Eesti filiaal (Branch), Johnson & Johnson AG, Johnson & Johnson AG (Zuchwil Branch), Johnson & Johnson Belgium Finance Company BV, Johnson & Johnson Bulgaria EOOD, Johnson & Johnson China Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Thailand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer B.V., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health Care Switzerland Branch of Janssen-Cilag AG, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Holdings France, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (Dominican Republic Branch), Johnson & Johnson Consumer NV, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Services EAME Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Del Paraguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson Dominicana S.A.S., Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc., Johnson & Johnson European Treasury Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson Finance Corporation, Johnson & Johnson Finance Limited, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services GmbH (Branch Office), Johnson & Johnson Gateway LLC, Johnson & Johnson Gesellschaft m.b.H., Johnson & Johnson GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Guatemala S.A., Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc., Johnson & Johnson Health and Wellness Solutions Inc., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Commercial and Industrial S.A., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Consumer Products Commercial Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson Hemisferica S.A., Johnson & Johnson Holding GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Inc., Johnson & Johnson Industrial Ltda., Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC Inc., Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC, Johnson & Johnson Innovation Limited, Johnson & Johnson International, Johnson & Johnson International (Belgian Branch) (European Logistics Center), Johnson & Johnson International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (Branch), Johnson & Johnson International Financial Services Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson K.K., Johnson & Johnson Kft., Johnson & Johnson Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Korea Selling & Distribution LLC, Johnson & Johnson LLC, Johnson & Johnson Lda, Johnson & Johnson Limited, Johnson & Johnson Limited (Sri Lanka Branch), Johnson & Johnson Luxembourg Finance Company Sarl, Johnson & Johnson Management Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical (China) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Proprietary) Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd. Beijing Branch, Johnson & Johnson Medical (Suzhou) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical B.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics Group - Latin America L.L.C., Johnson & Johnson Medical GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical NV, Johnson & Johnson Medical Products GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Pty Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical S.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.C.S., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.p.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical SAS, Johnson & Johnson Medical Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Ankara Branch), Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Izmir Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East - Scientific Office, Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ - LLC (Lebanese Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC, Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC (Ghana Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC (Kenya Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC Branch (TSO) (Saudi Arabia Branch), Johnson & Johnson Morocco Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson NCB (Belgian Branch), Johnson & Johnson Nordic AB, Johnson & Johnson Pacific Pty Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pakistan (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Panama S.A., Johnson & Johnson Personal Care (Chile) S.A., Johnson & Johnson Poland Sp. z o.o., Johnson & Johnson Poland sp. z o.o. oddzial w Warszawie "Consumer", Johnson & Johnson Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Pte. Ltd. Korea Branch, Johnson & Johnson Pty. Limited, Johnson & Johnson Romania S.R.L., Johnson & Johnson S.A., Johnson & Johnson S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson S.E. Inc., Johnson & Johnson S.E. d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson SDN. BHD., Johnson & Johnson Sante Beaute France, Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision Inc., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision India Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson UK Treasury Company Limited, Johnson & Johnson Ukraine LLC, Johnson & Johnson Urban Renewal Associates, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson de Argentina S.A.C. e. I., Johnson & Johnson de Chile Limitada, Johnson & Johnson de Chile S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Colombia S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson de Uruguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Venezuela S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Ecuador S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Peru S.A., Johnson & Johnson do Brasil Industria E Comercio de Produtos Para Saude Ltda., Johnson & Johnson for Export and Import LLC, Johnson & Johnson s.r.o., Johnson Y Johnson de Costa Rica S.A., Johnson and Johnson (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson and Johnson Sihhi Malzeme Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, LTL Management LLC, La Concha Land Investment Corporation, Latam International Investment Company Unlimited Company, Legal Entity Name, MDS Co. Ltd., McNEIL MMP LLC, McNeil AB, McNeil Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co., McNeil Denmark ApS, McNeil Healthcare (Ireland) Limited, McNeil Healthcare (UK) Limited, McNeil Healthcare LLC, McNeil Iberica S.L.U., McNeil LA LLC, McNeil Nutritionals LLC, McNeil Panama LLC, McNeil Products Limited, McNeil Sweden AB, Medical Device Business Services Inc., Medical Devices & Diagnostics Global Services LLC, Medical Devices International LLC, Medos International Sarl, Medos International Sarl succursale de Neuchatel (Branch), Medos Sarl, MegaDyne Medical Products Inc., Menlo Care De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Mentor B.V., Mentor Deutschland GmbH, Mentor Medical Systems B.V., Mentor Partnership Holding Company I LLC, Mentor Texas GP LLC, Mentor Texas L.P., Mentor Worldwide LLC, Micrus Endovascular LLC, Middlesex Assurance Company Limited, Momenta Ireland Limited, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc., NeoStrata Company Inc., NeoStrata UG (haftungsbeschrankt), Netherlands Holding Company, NeuWave Medical Inc., Neuravi Limited, Novira Therapeutics, Novira Therapeutics LLC, NuVera Medical Inc., OBTECH Medical Sarl, OGX Beauty Limited, OMJ Holding GmbH, OMJ Ireland Unlimited Company, OMJ Pharmaceuticals Inc., Obtech Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Inc., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals NV, Ortho Biologics LLC, Ortho Biotech Holding LLC, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical LLC, Orthospin Ltd., Orthotaxy, PT Integrated Healthcare Indonesia, PT. Johnson & Johnson Indonesia, Patriot Pharmaceuticals LLC, Peninsula Pharmaceuticals LLC, Pharmadirect Ltd., Pharmedica Laboratories (Proprietary) Limited, Princeton Laboratories Inc., Productos de Cuidado Personal y de La Salud de Bolivia S.R.L., Proleader S.A., Pulsar Vascular Inc., Regency Urban Renewal Associates, RespiVert Ltd., RoC International, Royalty A&M LLC, Rutan Realty LLC, SYNTHES Medical Immobilien GmbH, Scios LLC, Sedona Singapore International Pte. Ltd., Sedona Thai International Co. Ltd., Serhum S.A. de C.V., Shanghai Elsker For Mother & Baby Co. Ltd, Shanghai Elsker Mother & Baby Co. Ltd Minghang Branch, Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Ltd., Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Sightbox LLC, Sodiac ESV, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Company, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Partnership, SterilMed, SterilMed Inc., Surgical Process Institute Deutschland GmbH, Synthes Costa Rica S.C.R. Limitada, Synthes GmbH, Synthes Holding AG, Synthes Holding Limited, Synthes Inc., Synthes Medical Surgical Equipment & Instruments Trading LLC, Synthes Produktions GmbH, Synthes Proprietary Limited, Synthes S.M.P. S. de R.L. de C.V., Synthes Tuttlingen GmbH, Synthes USA LLC, Synthes USA Products LLC, TARIS Biomedical, TARIS Biomedical LLC, TearScience Inc., The Anspach Effort LLC, The Vision Care Institute LLC, Tibotec LLC, Torax Medical Inc., UAB "Johnson & Johnson", UAB Johnson & Johnson Eesti Filiaal (Estonian Branch), Vania Expansion, Verb Surgical, Verb Surgical Inc., Vision Care Finance Unlimited Company, Vogue International, Vogue International LLC, Vogue International Trading Inc., WH4110 Development Company L.L.C., XO1, XO1 Limited, Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd., Xian-Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd. Beijing Branch Office, Xian-Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd. Shanghai Branch Office, Zarbee's Inc., and Zarbee's Naturals.

Read More
First Horizon Corporation operates as the bank holding company for First Horizon Bank that provides various financial services. The company operates through three segments: Regional Banking, Specialty Banking, and Corporate. It offers general banking services for consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments. The company also underwrites bank-eligible securities and other fixed-income securities eligible for underwriting by financial subsidiaries; sells loans and derivatives; and offers advisory services. In addition, it offers various services, such as mortgage banking; title insurance and loan-closing; brokerage; correspondent banking; nationwide check clearing and remittance processing; trust, fiduciary, and agency; equipment finance; and investment and financial advisory services. Further, the company sells mutual fund and retail insurance products; and credit cards. It operates approximately 500 banking offices in 22 states under the First Horizon Bank brand; and 400 banking centers in 12 states under the FHN Financial brand in the United States. The company was formerly known as First Horizon National Corporation and changed its name to First Horizon Corporation in November 2020. First Horizon Corporation was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.
BlackRock, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors including corporate, public, union, and industry pension plans, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, public institutions, governments, foundations, charities, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, official institutions, and banks. It also provides global risk management and advisory services. The firm manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios. It also launches and manages open-end and closed-end mutual funds, offshore funds, unit trusts, and alternative investment vehicles including structured funds. The firm launches equity, fixed income, balanced, and real estate mutual funds. It also launches equity, fixed income, balanced, currency, commodity, and multi-asset exchange traded funds. The firm also launches and manages hedge funds. It invests in the public equity, fixed income, real estate, currency, commodity, and alternative markets across the globe. The firm primarily invests in growth and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, SMID-cap, large-cap, and multi-cap companies. It also invests in dividend-paying equity securities. The firm invests in investment grade municipal securities, government securities including securities issued or guaranteed by a government or a government agency or instrumentality, corporate bonds, and asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. It employs fundamental and quantitative analysis with a focus on bottom-up and top-down approach to make its investments. The firm employs liquidity, asset allocation, balanced, real estate, and alternative strategies to make its investments. In real estate sector, it seeks to invest in Poland and Germany. The firm benchmarks the performance of its portfolios against various S&P, Russell, Barclays, MSCI, Citigroup, and Merrill Lynch indices. BlackRock, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is based in New York City with additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts; London, United Kingdom; Gurgaon, India; Hong Kong; Greenwich, Connecticut; Princeton, New Jersey; Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Sydney, Australia; Taipei, Taiwan; Singapore; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, District of Columbia; Toronto, Canada; Wilmington, Delaware; and San Francisco, California.
Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides newborn, maternal-fetal, pediatric cardiology, and other pediatric subspecialty care services in the United States and Puerto Rico. It offers neonatal care services, such as clinical care to babies born prematurely or with complications within specific units at hospitals through neonatal physician subspecialists, neonatal nurse practitioners, and other pediatric clinicians. The company also provides maternal-fetal care services, including inpatient and office-based clinical care to expectant mothers and unborn babies through affiliated maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists, as well as obstetricians and other clinicians, including maternal-fetal nurse practitioners, certified nurse mid-wives, ultrasonographers, and genetic counselors. In addition, it offers pediatric cardiology care services comprising inpatient and office-based pediatric cardiology care of the fetus, infant, child, and adolescent patient with congenital heart defects and acquired heart disease, as well as adults with congenital heart defects through affiliated pediatric cardiologist subspecialists and other related clinical professionals; and specialized cardiac care to the fetus, neonatal and pediatric patients. Further, the company provides other pediatric subspecialty care services through pediatric subspecialists, such as pediatric intensivists, pediatric hospitalists, pediatric surgeons, and pediatric ophthalmologists, as well as pediatric ear, nose, and throat physicians; and support services in the areas of hospitals, primarily in the pediatric emergency rooms, labor and delivery areas, and nursery and pediatric departments. As of February 17, 2022, it operated a network of approximately 2,700 physicians. The company was formerly known as MEDNAX, Inc. and changed its name to Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. in July 2022. Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. was founded in 1979 and is based in Sunrise, Florida.
Newell Brands Inc. designs, manufactures, sources, and distributes consumer and commercial products worldwide. It operates in five segments: Commercial Solutions, Home Appliances, Home Solutions, Learning and Development, and Outdoor and Recreation. The Commercial Solutions segment provides commercial cleaning and maintenance solutions; closet and garage organization products; hygiene systems and material handling solutions; and home and security, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms products under the BRK, First Alert, Mapa, Quickie, Rubbermaid, Rubbermaid Commercial Products, and Spontex brands. The Home Appliances segment offers kitchen appliances under the Crock-Pot, Mr. Coffee, Oster, and Sunbeam brands. The Home Solutions segment provides food and home storage; fresh preserving; vacuum sealing; and gourmet cookware, bakeware, cutlery, and home fragrance products under the Ball, Calphalon, Chesapeake Bay Candle, FoodSaver, Rubbermaid, Sistema, WoodWick, and Yankee Candle brands. The Learning and Development segment offers writing instruments, including markers and highlighters, pens, and pencils; art products; activity-based adhesive and cutting products; labeling solutions; and baby gear and infant care products under the Aprica, Baby Jogger, Graco, NUK, Tigex, Dymo, Elmer's, EXPO, Graco, Mr. Sketch, NUK, Paper Mate, Parker, Prismacolor, Sharpie, Waterman, and X-Acto brands. The Outdoor and Recreation segment provides outdoor and outdoor-related products under the Campingaz, Coleman, Contigo, ExOfficio, and Marmot brands. It serves warehouse clubs, department and drug/grocery stores, mass merchants, home centers, office superstores and supply stores, contract stationers, and distributors, e-commerce, sporting goods, specialty, and travel retailers. The company was formerly known as Newell Rubbermaid Inc. and changed its name to Newell Brands Inc. in April 2016. Newell Brands Inc. was founded in 1903 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
The following companies are subsidiares of Archer-Daniels-Midland: 3 Grain Elevators, ACT Exportacao Ltda., ADGENE LABORATOIRE, ADM (Dalian) Animal Health & Nutrition Co. Ltd., ADM (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., ADM (Thailand) Ltd., ADM AGRO S.R.L., ADM Ag Holding Limited, ADM Agri Services Greece MEPE, ADM Agri-Industries Company, ADM Agricultural Commodities Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., ADM Agriculture Limited, ADM Agro Iberica S.L.U., ADM Agro Industries India Private Limited, ADM Agro Industries Kota & Akola Private Limited, ADM Agro Industries Latur & Vizag Private Limited, ADM Agroinvestimentos Ltda., ADM Alliance Nutrition of Puerto Rico LLC, ADM Americas S. de R.L., ADM Andina Peru S.R.L., ADM Animal Health & Nutrition (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., ADM Animal Nutrition (Cambodia) Co. Ltd., ADM Animal Nutrition (Xiangtan) Co. Ltd., ADM Animal Nutrition (Zhangzhou) Co. Ltd., ADM Antwerp NV, ADM Arkady Ireland Limited, ADM Armazens Gerais Ltda., ADM Asia-Pacific Trading Pte. Ltd., ADM Australia Holdings I PTY Limited, ADM Australia Pty. Limited, ADM Bazancourt SASU, ADM Besin ve Tarim Anonim Sirketi, ADM Bio-Productos S.A. de C.V., ADM Bio-Science & Technology (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., ADM Bulgaria Trading EOOD, ADM CARIBBEAN INC., ADM Chile Comercial Limitada, ADM Clinton BioProcessing Inc., ADM Czernin S.A., ADM DO BRASIL LTDA., ADM Direct Polska Sp. z o.o., ADM Dominican Holdings Inc., ADM Dominicana S.A., ADM EMEA Corporate Services GmbH, ADM Edible Bean Specialties Inc., ADM Egypt LLC, ADM El Salvador Ltda. de C.V., ADM Europe Holdco S.L., ADM European Management Holding B.V. & Co. KG, ADM Expatriate Services Inc., ADM Export Co., ADM Food Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ADM Food Technology (Pinghu) Co. Ltd., ADM France, ADM Fuels Company, ADM German Holdings B.V., ADM Germany GmbH, ADM Grain Costa Rica S.R.L., ADM Grain River System Inc., ADM Grain de Venezuela C.A., ADM Guatemala Limitada, ADM Hamburg Aktiengesellschaft, ADM Holding (Thailand) Ltd., ADM Holdings LLC, ADM Honduras S.de R.L., ADM INGREDIENTS S.R.L., ADM Inca S.A.C., ADM Industries Centers Ltd, ADM International Holdings Inc., ADM International Sarl, ADM Investments Limited, ADM Investor Services Inc., ADM Investor Services International Limited, ADM Ireland Receivables Company Limited, ADM Israel, ADM Italia S.r.l., ADM Japan Ltd., ADM Latin America Inc., ADM Logistics Inc., ADM MANAGEMENT LTD., ADM MOROCCO S.A., ADM Mainz GMBH, ADM Malbork S.A., ADM Medsofts Sarl, ADM Mexico Inc., ADM Mexico S.A. de C.V., ADM Milling Co., ADM Milling Limited, ADM Myanmar Company Limited, ADM New Zealand Limited, ADM Nicaragua SA, ADM Nutrition Holding d.o.o. Beograd, ADM Olomouc S.R.O., ADM PORTUGAL SA, ADM Panama S. De R.L., ADM Paraguay S.R.L., ADM Participacoes Ltda., ADM Poland Sp. z o.o., ADM Protexin Inc., ADM Protexin Limited, ADM Pura Limited, ADM Razgrad EAD, ADM Receivables LLC, ADM Rice Inc., ADM Ringaskiddy Unlimited Company, ADM SERVICIOS S.A. DE C.V., ADM STF DMCC, ADM STF Pte. Ltd., ADM STF Switzerland Sarl, ADM Services B.V., ADM Slovakia s.r.o., ADM Specialty Ingredients (Europe) B.V., ADM Spyck GMBH, ADM Sweden AB, ADM Szamotuly Sp. z o.o., ADM Trading (UK) Limited, ADM Trading Australia Pty. Ltd., ADM Trading Company, ADM Trading Cote D'Ivoire, ADM Transportation Company, ADM Trucking Inc., ADM Unterstutzungskasse GmbH, ADM Uruguay SCA, ADM Ventures Investment Corp., ADM WILD Europe GmbH & Co. KG, ADM WILD Nauen GmbH, ADM WILD Netherlands B.V., ADM WILD SEE Kft, ADM WILD Valencia SAU, ADM Wild Gida Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, ADM Wild UK Limited, ADM Worldwide Holdings L.P., ADMEcuador CIA. Ltda., ADMIS Holding Company Inc., ADMIS Hong Kong Limited, ADMIS SINGAPORE PTE. LIMITED, AGRANIX, AIC Seguros SRL, AMT West LLC, AOR, AT Holdings II Company, Agri Port Services Brasil Ltda., Agri Port Services Investments Ltd., Agri Port Services LLC, Agricolas Madagascar SARLU, Agrinational Insurance Company, Agriserve, Agrograin Ltd., Agrograin Ltd. Sucursal Uruguay, Alfrebro LLC, Alfred C. Toepfer International Exportacao e Importacao Ltda., Alfred C. Toepfer International Netherlands B.V., Alimenta USA, Alimentos Texo SA de CV, American River Transportation Co. LLC, Ameriseed, Anco Animal Nutrition Competence GmbH, Archer Daniels Midland (UK) Limited, Archer Daniels Midland Asia-Pacific Limited, Archer Daniels Midland Company South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Archer Daniels Midland Erith Limited, Archer Daniels Midland Europe B.V., Archer Daniels Midland Europoort B.V., Archer Daniels Midland Korea LLC, Archer Daniels Midland Nederland B.V., Archer Daniels Midland Singapore Pte. Ltd., Archer Daniels Midland Vietnam Company Limited, Archer Daniels Midland Wild Nigeria Ltd., Archer Financial Services Inc., Archer-Daniels-Midland Philippines Inc., Arinos Unlimited, Aston Foods & Food Ingredients, BIOPOLIS S.L., BQ Railroad Company, BTECH Tecnologias Agropecuarias e Comercio Ltda., Balanceados Nova S.A. Balnova, Balto Holdco LLC, Barbados Mills Limited, Bela Vista Bio Etanol Participacoes Ltda., Belize Mills Limited, Belwood Company S.A., Benson-Quinn Commodities Inc., Bern Aqua, Bifodan Inc., Biopolis, CONTROLADORA ADM S.A. DE C.V., Campa Sued GmbH & Co KG, Caribbean Agro-Industries Limited, Casablancas sweetener plant, Cattleman's Choice Loomix LLC, Chamtor, Ci ADM Colombia Ltda., Columbia & Willamette Maritime Services Inc., Comhan, Compania ADM S.A. de C.V., Crosswind Petfoods Inc., DE Holdings LLC, DP Holdings LLC, Daavision B.V., Deerland Europe ApS, Deerland Holdings Inc., Deerland Ireland R&D Limited, Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes, Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes A/S, Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes Inc., Eaststarch, Eatem Corporation, Eatem Foods, Elstar Oils, Empresa de Transporte La Estrella S.R.L., English River Pellets Inc., Epicore BioNetworks Inc., Epicore Ecuador S.A., Epicore Networks (U.S.A.) Inc., Erich Ziegler GmbH, Evialis (Shandong) Co. Ltd., Evialis France, Evialis Galicia S.A., Evialis India Limited, FINANCIERE FRANCO MAGYAR POUR LA NUTRITION ANIMALE - FFMNA, FISA Andina S.A.S., FISA Aromas S.A.S., Fasco Mills Co., Federation Sahanala Vanille, Filozoo SRL, Flavor Infusion, Flavor Infusion International S.A., Florida Chemical, Florida Chemical Company LLC, Flotek Flavor & Fragrance LLC, GLOBAL COCOA HOLDINGS LTD., GP Blanching Inc., GPC Trucking Inc., GROUPE PILARDIERE, GUYOKRMA spol. s.r.o., Golden Farm Production & Commerce Company Limited, Golden Peanut Company, Golden Peanut Company LLC, Golden Peanut and Tree Nut Seed SA (Pty) Ltd., Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts S.A., Green Bison Soy Processing LLC, Group Lysac, Guyomarc'h - VCN Company Limited, Guyomarc'h Vietnam Co. Ltd., Guyovital PT, HFR Shipping Company Ltd., HI-NUTRIENTS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, HRA Shipping Company Ltd., HTI Shipping Company Ltd., Harvest Innovations, Hilltop Grain and Feed, Holding P & A Asia Company Limited, Hubei Meiweiyuan Biotechnology, Ilitchevskiy Maslo Extractionniy Zavod (IMEZ), Industries Centers EOD Trade 2005 Ltd., Invivo NSA Algerie, Invivo NSA Sanpo (Tianjin) Pet Products Co. Ltd, JDS Sarl, Jamaica Flour Mills Limited, Jamaica Rice Milling Company Limited, LANCENTER S.C.A., Liquid Feed Commodities, Logus Bar Ashdod Port Ltd., Malta Industries S.A. de C.V., Malta Texo De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Maniobras Y Servicios Del Interior S.A. de C.V., Master Mix of Trinidad Unlimited, Medsofts Company LLC, Medsofts for Import Co., Medsofts for Investment LLC, Medsofts for Trade LLC (Medsofts Trading), Mepla Comercio e Navegacao Ltda., Mezclas Biomix S.A.S., Monti Foods (Pty) Ltd., Mundo Logistics S.R.L., NEC Facilities LLC, National Enzyme Company LLC, Naviera Chaco S.R.L., Neovia, Neovia Algerie SPA, Neovia Nutricao e Saude Animal Ltda., Neovia Philippines Inc., North Star Shipping S.R.L., NutraDine, NutraDine LLC, NutriMix Feed Company Inc., Nutrilac, Olenex C.V., Olsen's Mill Inc. Four Grain Storage Elevators, P & A Marketing SA, PANCOSMA FRANCE S.A.S, PJSC ADM Illichivsk, PT ADM Indonesia Trading and Logistics, Pancosma & Associates Marketing (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Pancosma (Jiangsu) Feed Additive Co. Ltd., Pancosma (Shanghai) Feed Additives Co. Ltd., Pancosma Canada Inc., Pancosma Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pancosma North America Inc., Pancosma SA, Pedigree Ovens, Pedigree Ovens LLC, PetDine, PetDine LLC, Prairie Pride - Biodiesel Production Plant, Premiere Agri Technologies Asia Inc., Premiere Agri Technologies of Mexico Inc., Proservicios Potencial Humano S.A. de C.V., Provit Sp. z o.o., Pura Foods Limited, Rodelle Inc., SANICOOPA, SDJ Sarl, SORA Laboratories LLC, Sartco Ltda., Schokinag-Schokolade-Industrie Herrmann, Sermix, Servad S.R.L, Setna Nutricion S.A., Silo P. Kruse Betriebs-GmbH & Co. KG, Silo-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH, Societe Industrielle des Oleagineux-SIO, SojaProtein d.o.o. Becej, Sojaprotein, Southern Cellulose Products Inc., Soy Investors LLC, Specialty Commodities, Specialty Commodities LLC, Sul Mineira Alimentos Ltda., Syngenta - Dry Bean Business, Szabadegyhazai Szolgaltato es Vagyonkezeklo KFT, Terminal Stevedores Inc., Terminales De Cargas Especializadas S.A. De C.V., The Pound Bakery, The Pound Bakery LLC, Toepfer International, Toepfer International Trading (Shanghai) Co. LTD., UPSCIENCE ITALIA S.R.L., Upscience, VIA CHEM GROUP a.s. Oilseed Processing Plant, Vantage Corn Processors LLC, WILD Flavors, Wild Amazon Flavors Concentrados e Corantes para Bebidas Ltda., Wild Flavors (Canada) Inc., Wild Flavors Austria GmbH, Wild Flavors Inc., Wild Flavors International GmbH, Wild Flavors Kenya Limited, Wild Flavors Middle East FZE, Wild Flavors Polska Sp. z o.o., Wild Flavors S.A. de C.V., Wild Intermare GmbH, Wild Polska Sp. z o.o., Wild Russia LLC, Wild Tunesia Sarl, Wisium SA (Pty) Ltd., World's Finest Chocolate - New Cocoa Powder Line, and Yerbalatina Ltda..

Read More
ONEOK, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in gathering, processing, storage, and transportation of natural gas in the United States. It operates through Natural Gas Gathering and Processing, Natural Gas Liquids, and Natural Gas Pipelines segments. The company owns natural gas gathering pipelines and processing plants in the Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions. It also gathers, treats, fractionates, and transports natural gas liquids (NGL), as well as stores, markets, and distributes NGL products. The company owns NGL gathering and distribution pipelines in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado; terminal and storage facilities in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois; and NGL distribution and refined petroleum products pipelines in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, as well as owns and operates truck- and rail-loading, and -unloading facilities connected to NGL fractionation, storage, and pipeline assets. In addition, it operates regulated interstate and intrastate natural gas transmission pipelines and natural gas storage facilities. Further, the company owns and operates a parking garage in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma; and leases excess office space. It operates 17,500 miles of natural gas gathering pipelines; 1,500 miles of FERC-regulated interstate natural gas pipelines; 5,100 miles of state-regulated intrastate transmission pipeline; six NGL storage facilities; and eight NGL product terminals. It serves integrated and independent exploration and production companies; NGL and natural gas gathering and processing companies; crude oil and natural gas production companies; propane distributors; municipalities; ethanol producers; and petrochemical, refining, and NGL marketing companies, as well as natural gas distribution and electric generation companies, producers, processors, and marketing companies. The company was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Devon Energy Corporation is an independent oil and gas company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The company was incorporated in 1971 by John Nichols and his son J. Larry Nichols and later went public in August 2000. The company has since grown to be included in the S&P 500 and is one of the first energy companies to introduce resolutions requiring the company to monitor its impact on global warming. One time a major player in the global oil market, Devon has since sold off its offshore holdings in an effort to focus on US production and its transition to a lower-carbon future.

Devon Energy merged with WPX in early 2021 in an all-stock merger of equals. The new company is primarily engaged in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the US midwest. The company operates more than 5,100 wells in Oklahomas Delaware Basis, Eagle Ford Group, and the two locations in the Rocky Mountains. As of late 2022, the company laid claim to 1.625 million barrels of reserves including 44% petroleum, 27% natural gas liquids, and 29% natural gas. Daily production was running in the range of 300,000 BPD in petroleum liquids, 125,000 BPD in natural gas liquids, and 920 million cubic feet of natural gas.

Rick Muncrief, formally CEO of WPX, is now the head of Devon Energy. Mr. Muncrief comes to the table with more than 40 years of experience including 27 years with one of the US Big Three Oil Companies. WPX Energy (Williams Production and Exploration) brought properties in the Williston and Permian Basins to the combined company. Its proven reserves were roughly 527 million barrels of oil and equivalents. The company also owns and operates a midstream network of pipelines and storage facilities it uses to market and deliver its products.

Devon Energy Corporation has pledged to reduce its GHG impact to net zero by 2050. This will be done by a variety of methods that include improving efficiency and leakage, a reduction in flaring, and the electrification of its operations. Near-term goals include a 50% reduction in GHG by 2030 including a 65% reduction in methane release and a 100% reduction in flaring. The company is also focused on reducing its environmental impact by relying on recycled water wherever possible and plans to reduce freshwater usage by 90% in the most active areas. Total greenhouse gas emissions have been in decline since 2018 and fell 17% between 2018 and 2020 alone.
The Marlins would still like to add a right-handed bat to pair with Justin Bour at first base and have had discussions about sluggers Chris Carter and Mark Reynolds, reports ESPNs Jerry Crasnick (Twitter links). However, the Fish dont have much in the way of extra financial resources at the moment and may need to get the right-handed bat theyre seeking on a non-roster invite. That would certainly seem to eliminate Carter from their list of possibilities, and it might make Reynolds difficult to lure in as well. The Marlins currently project to open the year with a $115MM payroll.

Carter, 30, was non-tendered to the surprise of some back in December despite the fact that he finished the 2016 season tied for the National League lead with 41 home runs. (Carter also led the NL in a much less flattering category, striking out 206 times in 644 plate appearances.) The role that Miami is seeking, from my vantage point, would be a tough sell for Carter anyhow, as hed surely prefer more playing time than the short side of a platoon could offer. Despite his penchant for striking out and his unsightly .222 batting average, Carter did post a .321 on-base percentage and a .499 slugging percentage last year. His overall contributions at the plate were decidedly above the league average, as they have been on the whole dating back to the 2012 season.

The 33-year-old Reynolds is fresh off an impressive-looking .282/.356/.450 batting line, though he did post those numbers while playing his home games at Coors Field. The production was strong nonetheless, however, and Reynolds can also point to the fact that the 25.4 percent strikeout rate he posted last year was the lowest of his career. He did suffer a broken hamate bone which ended his season prematurely, though the injury didnt require surgery. Reynolds had some uncharacteristic struggles against left-handed pitching in 2016 with the Rox, and isnt a true lefty masher; rather, hes had roughly even splits over the course of his big league career. Still, Reynolds lifetime .233/.346/.445 batting line against lefties would be an improvement over what the team can realistically expect for Bour, who has batted .223/.273/.291 in 110 career PAs against lefties.

If neither Carter nor Reynolds is in the Marlins financial wheelhouse, the team could look to potentially cheaper options that remain on the open market such as Dae-ho Lee and Jerry Sands. The 34-year-old Lee batted .261/.329/.446 in 173 PAs against southpaws last season, while Sands is a career .285/.335/.477 hitter when holding the platoon advantage.
At last the Netherlands based gospel artist Evelyn Amo, will be having a free Live In Ghana concert on the 18th February 2017 at the ICGC Auditorium - Mercy Temple, Roman Ridge in Accra dubbed Eden Experience. This concert is a much anticipated experience especially after her June 2016 Live In Amsterdam concert did so well.

In our previous article (click here to read it), we assured you Evelyn Amo is back from maternity leave for good. Because after releasing her hit song Step By Step in November 2003 and touring the Caribbean, she dropped everything to raise her kids. But she's back with full vim!

Also supporting her at the Eden Experience are some of the most renowned and powerful artists in Africa; Nii Okai, Koda, Ps. Isaiah, Donald Quao, Willie & Mike, Ike Nanor, Jeshurun Okyere, Diana Hopeson, Mercy Sackey and many more. Henry Datsumor is the music director for the evening and Pastor Nana Yaw and the entire ICGC Mercy Temple is hosting this event.

When we spoke with Berima Amo (husband) & Evelyn Amo, this is what they had to say; We are so excited to minister to our nation Ghana. Eden Experience (Back to the heart of worship) was birthed prayerfully out of the need to return to the very essence of worship. The bible teaches us that, God is specific about the kind of worship we should bring Him. The work of Jesus was to restore us back to the Father, and for us to experience His presence like Adam & Eve did before the fall. We will declare a thing with our songs and instruments over Ghana and it shall be established.

Berima & Evelyn Amo have a passion for creating awareness for sickle cell anaemia anywhere they go to sing. Their son Adoye struggles with sickle cell and they are trusting God for his touch any moment. They make it a point to share their story and shine a little light on their struggle with the illness, thus encouraging and strengthening families and sickle cell careers around the world.

Evelyn Amo is excited to be back in her country of birth. Even though she previously did events in South Africa, this will be her first ever concert in Ghana. We are predicting the 600 seater auditorium to be packed. Because the feedback and enthusiasm Ghanaians have exhibited through phone calls and on social media has been amazing. Don't miss out if you are in Ghana.

For more info about Evelyn Amo, click here

To register on Facebook for the Eden Experience, click here
King Ayisoba, one of Ghana's outstanding contemporary traditional musicians, is set to host the third edition of his annual musical concert dubbed 'Batakari Night' at the Alliance Francaise-Accra on Saturday, January 28.

This year's 'Batakari Night' will feature some of Ghana's finest artistes such as Kwaw Kese, Yaa Pono, Atongo and Zea (from Holland) with whom King Ayisoba has worked extensively.

King Ayisoba has promised to make this year's edition better and exciting, adding that the night will not be an ordinary one, but historic.

The concert is aimed at promoting the northern Ghanaian smock, also known as 'fugu', will also feature an exhibition and sale of 'Batakari' and other traditional items from northern Ghana.

The night is a night of fantastic music, performances and a market place for some of the finest 'batakaris' ever made.

The 'Batakari Night' is an initiative of King Ayisoba and Pidgen Music, and is supported by Alliance Francaise-Accra.

By George Clifford Owusu
Veteran dancehall artiste and chief executive officer of High Grade Family, Samini, is set to release a new singe titled 'Winner', produced by JMJ of Xtra Large Music next week.

The song is said to be an Afro-pop mixed with dancehall beat, and it is targeted to hit all Afro-pop and dancehall music lovers.

The song is yet to enjoy airplay, and it is the artiste's belief that soon the song would be one of the hit songs in Ghana and beyond.

Samini has so far released six studio albums, 'Dankwasere' (2004), 'Samini' (2007), 'Dagaati' (2008), 'C.E.O' (2010), 'Next Page' (2013) and 'Breaking News' (2015).

His success and recognition began when his first single titled 'Linda' was released and subsequently appearing on other successful singles by other artistes.

The dancehall artiste has worked with a number of top Ghanaian artistes such as Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, Kaakie, Muma Gee, Asumadu, De Boss, Wizkid, Kwabena Kwabena, Elivava and Ice Prince Zarmani.

He received an international recognition when he won the Best African Act at the 2006 MOBO Awards .

After releasing his second self-titled studio album, 'Samini', he won three awards at the 2007 Ghana Music Awards.

In February 2008, Samini won the African Artiste of The Year Award at The Headies .
It first started as a rumour on social media until the Flex Newspaper authenticated reports that all was not well between Ghana's onetime VGMA Artiste of The Year winner and BET nominee, Stonebwoy, and his long-time friend and resident sound engineer, Beatz Dakay.

The reports claimed that the disagreement was over monetary issues and they two were headed for a split in their professional relationship.

Stonebwoy, in a style quite unusual of him, took to his official Facebook account at about Monday 6:25 in the morning on January 16 to give a firsthand narration of what actually the issues were between himself and Beatz Dakay.

Obviously unhappy with the angle of the reports, Beatz Dakay also took to his Facebook wall on Wednesday, January 18 at about 2:20 in the afternoon to state his version, in which he accused the award-winning musician of vandalism.

NEWS-ONE reproduces both accounts unedited, first, the one from Stonebwoy:

STONEBWOY (Monday, January 16 at 6:25am)

For The Sake Of My Well Wishers And Fans, Those Who Deeply Love Me Without A Doubt, The Media And bloggers I Decide To Speak..

I Do NOT Have Any Issues With my Brother BeatzDakay.. We Have Been At This For a while.

Putting in The Best Of Each other's Efforts And I Trust That Ghana And The World Admires This bond between a Beats Producer And An Artiste which is Still Envied By Many.

In recent Times Decision Was Made To Redress Certain modes of operation.

Communicating The Development Didn't Seem To Go Down Well With My brother Beatzdakay Which I Took Responsible.. And So The Team On My Behalf Sat And it Was Believed Trashed.

Enkulenu The Biggest Hit Song Right Now. Was Produced By Awaga His Protege in My Own Home Studio Mixed And Mastered By BeatzDakay Payment Was Equally Made On His Own business Terms..

Few Days Past I've seen all sorts of articles flying about Trying To Soil My Image, Reputation and Hard work.

I'm sorry To Say it's Rather Sad To Have It Go This Way Which is Quiet Disappointing But This Is What We Face..

I wish My Brother Well in All Aspects.

For All The Claims And Some Of The Things said in those articles I Do Not Bear Responsibility For And Know Nothing About..

My Doors Are Open To Work With Him And All Other Producers Just Like Its Always Been..

This God Given Year Will Be Greater For Us All

#BhimNationPresident

BEATZ DAKAY (Wednesday, January 18, 2:20pm)

Honesty is the best policy.

Its quite unfortunate I have to put this out at this time because its so appalling seeing fabricated stories about Stonebwoy and I circulating and painting the wrong picture of me in the process.

The fact is for the past years, I have sacrificed a lot to produce, record, direct, mix and master songs for Stonebwoy without taking a penny until he became relevant in the music scene and hence arrangement was made to pay me 5%,not only for my exclusive productions but also as a backup artiste.

It was reported in flex news paper that I demanded for 20% of earnings and also I am frustrated because I am broke and my family is having a hard time which are all false.

I only started getting 5% of the earnings when Management of Burniton Music Group sat down to apportion that to me as my share of profits from my work for Stonebwoy and Burniton Music Group. And even with that I never knew the round figure we make, to calculate my 5% to know if I'm getting exactly what they think I deserve.

It is true I raised concerns in adjustment of my 5% after about three (3) years of my services but never mentioned 20%.

We discussed this together and Stonebwoy resorted to see his lawyer to bring in contract which was a great idea, but terms and conditions in the contract were not favourable and also due to the hasty nature of the process I didnt sign.

I knew I had not signed any contract yet, so I expected the previous agreement to still hold till we sign a new contract but was dismayed by Stonebwoy going ahead to put the terms in the contract to work. I went to his residence to discuss with him the turn of events and as a result of his utterances I knew it didnt go down well with him.

He later came to my studio with Blakk Cedi, who is his manager now, to have a meeting with me to discuss the issues at hand but that meeting ended with Stonebwoy vandalizing my studio where most of his works were recorded.

They came back after the damage to have another meeting with me with the aim of resolving issues and to apologize for his act. We came into new terms and by his words, I understood I cant talk to him anymore over anything relating to work because there is Blakk Cedi who is his official manager to talk to.

I want fans who are speculating about my travels to know that I paid for all my travel expenses, being it visa fees and plane tickets whenever I travel outside to work with/for Stonebwoy if the host could not afford my ticket.

As walls have ears I think the reporter who wrote the story making rounds in the media did not get his/her facts accurate.

Truth is, I mixed and mastered Enku Lenu for a fee which was never the case before and it was produced by Awaga who has been my trainee/protege and still is, but I have allowed him to help Stonebwoy with his works in his newly built studio.

I have been sober on this, but lies cant be hidden from the publics eye, and the ugly misconceptions people have needs to be trashed.

I worked with Stonebwoy and the team for years and do not regret it. It has been a great learning process and I am much grateful to God for how far we have come.

I want Ghanaians and the rest of the world to know that my studio from its inception has been open for commercial use, and I am still very much open to work with any artiste who is ready to work with me.

Hence, my Record Label Too Easy which has been in existence before my BMG affiliation has been and is still dedicated to grooming artistes and music producers.

I therefore wish Burniton Music Group the best of luck in all their endeavors.
20.01.2017 LISTEN

Award-winning Dancehall musician, Livingstone Etse Satekla popular known as Stonebwoy is facing the toughest time in his music career. Indeed, there's fire flames" failing to quench from the camp of BHIM Nation boss, looking at the recent happenings between him and his long time producer, Beatz Dakay. Although, disagreement among musicians and their teams do happen because they're part of human nature.

Therefore, when they do happen, issues are settled for the understanding of both parties to start working again to pursue their good course. If so, failure for the parties involved to sort things out, one party is likely to face the consequences after the split! This analysis can perfectly fit the rift between Stonebwoy and producer Beatz Dakay.

Let me create a scenario here to support my argument. Sarkodie has been able to stay relevant in our music industry because, he has managed to keep the love and support of the industry players. Nonetheless, for sometime ago, Sarkodie had a serious issue with Hammer of The last Two, but the rift was settled as fast as possible.

Therefore, the earlier Stonebwoy try to smoke the peace pipe with Beatz Dakay, the better! Truly, most collaborative works between them have always produced an excellent idea or song. As the saying goes, a man's character is perfectly detected when given money and power. Therefore, Stonebwoy shoud not think the whole world is at his finger tips now therefore, he can do anything with temper.

According to a statement released by Beatz Dakay intended to clear the air about his beef" with Stonebwoy, he wrote: He later came to my studio with Blakk Cedi, who is his manager now, to have a meeting with me to discuss the issues at hand but that meeting ended with Stonebwoy vandalizing my studio where most of his works were recorded."

Realistically, I don't know the intensity of Stonebwoy's anger that triggered him to vandalise studio equipment of Beatz Dakay. Therefore, such act must be seriously condemned! To make long story short, Stonebwoy must not undermine the production capabilities of Beatz Dakay.

He must not be deceived by the production works of Awaga, the producer of Enku Lenu" song. For, there's no way a servant can be better than the master! The fact is, Beatz Dakay can never be replaced of which Stonebwoy can even attest to. Simply, what ever the case is, the BHIM Nation boss must resolve the rift as soon as possible, else the future of his music look shaking".

Few musicians in Ghana and around the world have been able to survive after an unresolved case with their core team members. Finest musicians like D'Banj and Wande Coal versus Don Jazzy, Asem versus Richie and many others you can think of could not stay relevant in their respective genres after a split with their music producers. Therefore, Stonebwoy must be careful with his decision to part ways with Beatz Dakay, else there's likelihood of doom" that awaits his career!

Adu Sarpeah

[email protected]

0241210870/0506140870

UCC
20.01.2017 LISTEN

Y FM presenter and Coptics Black Star Line act Joel Orleans has release his latest single Twerk Ma Me.

The song features Squyb, and was produced by Qwessbeatz.

Joel, highly acclaimed for his versatility, is also known for songs as Give Me Room, Radio Man, and Forever Living.

On Twerki Ma Me Joel says what all men what to say to their wife, girlfriend or lover.

Joel Orleans leads a new generation of young Ghanaian artists that are more prolific with their command of the English language and slang, combine that with Joels wordplay of Twi and you create something special.

For the first time in Ghana alcoholic beverage company Jack Daniels is supporting an Artiste to put out a single.

Listen below:

https://soundcloud.com/the-black-star-line/tweki-ma-me-joel-orleans-ft-squyb
AfroAllstarz and Stonecold Music group presents the release of 'Sugarcane Cabana' by Oluwa Shimzie, the tape features artists such as Lil Opy, Mostack, Big tobz & more to name a few.

Oluwa Shimzie is known for his catchy, melodic sounds and witty rhymes in his music. Expect to hear a range of party anthems to soulful sounds from the tape.

'Sugarcane cabana' is now available here. listen and download on Soundcloud :

https://soundcloud.com/shimzie/sets/sugarcane-cabana

Social Media Handles:

@OluwaShimzie

@Afroallstars_c

@Stonecold_Music

Soundcloud.com/Shimzie
20.01.2017 LISTEN

Media personality, model, and entrepreneur, Miss Vimbai, is starting the New Year off with a bang! Shes starting off the new year with a bold new hairstyle, and an even bolder attitude.

She took to her Instagram page to reveal her new shoulder-length bone-straight black hair, which is accentuated by blunt bangs that sit a little bit past their eyebrows.

Screen Shot 2017-01-20 At 14.08.03
Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL.
People celebrate the inauguration of Gambia's new President Adama Barrow at Westfield neighbourhood on January 19, 2017 in Banjul. By (AFP)

20.01.2017 LISTEN

Dakar (AFP) - African troops have suspended an operation to force Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh to hand over power, launching a last bid to convince him to leave the country through talks, the president of regional bloc ECOWAS said Thursday.

The talks will be led by Guinean president Alpha Conde in the Gambian capital Banjul on Friday morning, according to Marcel Alain de Souza, head of the Economic Community of West African States.

"We have suspended operations and given him an ultimatum," said de Souza, who attended the swearing-in of The Gambia's new president Adama Barrow on Thursday.

"If by midday, he doesn't agree to leave The Gambia under President Conde we really will intervene militarily," he added.

The Gambia political crisis

De Souza said there had been "a few warning shots so far" and it was "out of the question that he remains where he is".

"What we are asking is for him to leave," he added.

Conde will first travel to Mauritania where he will meet the country's president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz -- who led the previous round of negotiations with Jammeh on Wednesday -- and then to Banjul.

Both Conde and Aziz are "opposed to military intervention, preferring a diplomatic solution to the crisis", according to an official Mauritanian source.

People celebrate the inauguration of Gambia's new President Adama Barrow at Westfield neighbourhood on January 19, 2017 in Banjul

Gambian state broadcaster GRTS Thursday announced the arrival of a high-level delegation from Liberia, Mauritania, Guinea and the United Nations for talks aimed at "finding a peaceful solution to the current political deadlock", according to an official statement.

"No one should panic, the situation in the country is under control", the statement said.
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has been told to stand down after 22 years in power. By ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP/File)

20.01.2017 LISTEN

Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Veteran Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh faces a midday deadline Friday to quit power, after thousands of regional troops entered the country to pile pressure on him to hand power to the winner of last month's presidential election.

Soldiers from Senegal and four other west African countries crossed the border on Thursday to bolster new President Adama Barrow, who was sworn in at The Gambia's embassy in Dakar.

Jammeh has rejected Barrow's election win, despite significant pressure from regional powers and the UN, sparking a major crisis and sending tourists -- vital for the tiny country's economy -- fleeing.

The military operation was suspended to allow a final diplomatic push to convince Jammeh, who has ruled the former British colony since seizing power in a 1994 coup, to leave the country.

"We have suspended operations and given him an ultimatum," said Marcel Alain de Souza, head of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The Gambia political crisis

"If by midday, he doesn't agree to leave The Gambia... we really will intervene militarily," he added.

Final talks will be led by Guinean President Alpha Conde in the Gambian capital Banjul on Friday morning, he said.

'Last chance saloon'

Conde will first travel to Mauritania where he will meet President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who led the previous round of negotiations with Jammeh on Wednesday.

A diplomat in Banjul told AFP: "It's last chance saloon for Jammeh."

De Souza said a total of 7,000 troops would be mobilised by Senegal and four other nations.

In a further sign of Jammeh's weakening position, The Gambia's army chief Ousman Badjie was spotted among crowds celebrating after Barrow was inaugurated.

People celebrate the inauguration of Gambia's new President Adama Barrow at Westfield neighbourhood on January 19, 2017 in Banjul

Badjie said he would not order his men to fight the African troops poised to intervene.

Washington earlier praised the West African intervention, while the UN Security Council unanimously backed ECOWAS efforts to force Jammeh to quit, without formally authorising military action.

"We understand that the purpose is to help stabilise a tense situation and to try to observe the will of the people in The Gambia," State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

'Victory of Gambian nation'

Dressed all in white, 51-year-old Barrow waved to a crowd of thousands of jubilant Gambians during his inauguration, which officially ended Jammeh's 22-year rule.

Gambia's long-ruling leader Yahya Jammeh (C) has been given an ultimatium to to hand over power and agree to leave the country or face military action

"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.

On the ground, troops including "land, air and sea" forces crossed into The Gambia, a Senegalese army officer told AFP, indicating 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 flew over The Gambia to help force out Jammeh, whose mandate expired at midnight Wednesday.

Barrow's victory in the December 1 election came as a surprise and initially Jammeh conceded defeat, before performing a U-turn and challenging the result in the courts.

On Thursday night, calls of congratulations flooded in for the new president, including from the UN secretary general and Britain.

People celebrate the inauguration of Gambia's new President Adama Barrow at Westfield neighbourhood on January 19, 2017 in Banjul

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.

Even 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."

Tourists evacuated

Jammeh had attempted to block Barrow's inauguration with a court ruling and this week declared a state of emergency, prompting tour operators to evacuate holidaymakers from The Gambia's popular beach resorts.

There were warnings that the panic caused by the state of emergency could prove financially devastating -- experts say up to 20 percent of the economy comes from tourism.

Arriving back 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."
19.01.2017 LISTEN

In problem-solving education, people develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world with which and in which they find themselves; they come to see the world not as a static reality, but as a reality in progress, in transformation (Paulo Freire).

IT IS ABOUT QUALITY EDUCATION

One of the major mantric cacophonies from the pre-election Akufo-Addo camp gave birth to a policy of free education for all Ghanaian children up to Senior High School.

As though free education is a foolproof riposte to Ghanas myriad structural problems.

Free education is part of the range of solutions of course, but certainly not the only solution to the countrys myriad problems.

Quality, critical, and scientific education on the other hand has the unlimited capacity to free an untamed mind from the stifling clench of unwholesome mentation. Quality education is the foundation upon which enlightened societies and civilizations are built, and one persons acquisition of it eventually carries the world along on a path of and to greatness.

In other words, one of the hallmarks of quality education is when it constitutes a person into a welcoming universe of wholeness rather than a rejected island of untamed parochialism and crudeness.

So free education spiced up with quality, critical and scientific didactics is the way forward. We refer to such a system of education as critical and scientific because the pedagogical methodology involved in knowledge transmission or transference ignores chew-and-pour or learning-by-rote.

Tailoring this system of education to our immediate and long-term needs and industrialization expectations, but not necessarily copying others uncritically and irresponsibly, are two noble objectives we must always strive for.

Satisfying and responding to our immediate local needs does not necessarily imply absolute rejection of the rest of the world. It implies more than simply that. Neither does it take anything away from the idea of patriotic education, a knowledge-based system in which character-building experiences, civic and Afrocentric consciousness, and victorious consciousness inform the platform of self-knowledge.

We shall allow for the sake of argument, that moral or character education shapes the chaperoning compass of self-definition on the path to critical globalization, a trait palpably lacking in the national character.

Thus, the imperatives of globalization call for parallel adoption of cosmopolitan education and critical consciousness where we incorporate the diverse challenges, values, and expectations of human diversity into our proposed system of education.

Quality education has an important role to play in refining the rationale for globalization because it removes the veil of endarkenment from the human person, and puts that physics of humanity, trapped under the veil of endarkenment, directly in touch with its underlying intrinsic self in absolute loyalty to the extrinsic characterotology of its constitutive other, of otherness. There is therefore a large pool of creative possibilities of culminating moments in this crude enterprise of intellectual and cognitive refinement insofar as the complete wholeness of the human person is concerned.

We also are invariably talking about a system of education that is true to life, yet equally grounded in the progressive rationality of highly theoretical formulations with enormous implications for practical applications where improving the human condition is the primary target of humanistic education, as well as of putting together the scattered totality of the human person in a more productive mold of creative equilibrium with the rest of the human family. Thus, quality education makes the human person whole not only in abstraction but also in practice projections.

The only probable problem with this is that education in Ghana is so politicized to the extent that what should have constituted a strong positive correlation between theory and praxis becomes totally lost in the blinding mist of ideological and philosophical irrelevancies, with some uninformed politicians and ordinary Ghanaians even claiming that instructional overemphasis on theory in education and the Ghanaian classroom at the expense of praxis does not bode well for national development.

This viewpoint may not entirely or necessarily be correct after all given that these influential apologists also reject theory out of hand, yet theory for the most part comes across as the missing link between abstraction and reification on the one hand and praxis on the other, an important claim open to disputation.

We dare however say from our own unique perspective and experience that, praxis, after all, has existed in the immanent space of human experience because theory, its antecedent, may have given birth to it in the first place. This scenario sounds very much like a natural statement of fact establishing some degree of correlation between theory and praxis devoid of the element of reverse causality. It is not too clear for us if this correlation necessarily if perfectly fits the framalogy of mutual causality.

The foregoing statements notwithstanding, we are willing to concede that praxis may not always represent the natural progeny of theory in the immanent superstructure of human experiencein other words.

This is not another instantiation of rocket science, a concession largely borne out of common sense and human experience. We do not know if our readers are willing to share in our assumptions.

SOME CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES: WHAT IS QUALITY EDUCATION?

Authentic thinking, thinking that is concerned about reality, does not take place in ivory tower isolation, but only in communication. If it is true that thought has meaning only when generated by action upon the world, the subordination of students to teachers becomes impossible (Paulo Freire).

In simple terms, we shall say quality education sharpens the intrinsic capacity for problem-solving skills; expands the range or depth of an analytical and critical faculty; provides meaningful avenues for confident articulation of ideas and cognitive refinement; encourages respect for differences; nurtures the interlocking profiles of active and global citizenship, community- and self-sustainability, and finally, brings all these together as part of the running engine of the creative logic of nation-building.

Quality education is not static but a democratic process that follows a rigorous lifelong-learning experiential trajectory characteristically defined by pragmatic, critical investments in mental and moral, or character, developmentwith a primary focus on harnessing immanent resources for effectively dealing with personal challenges for the overall benefit of society at large, as a matter of fact in patriotic defense of the public good. Suddenly we are reminded of what Paulo Freire had to say about lifelong learning:

Teachers who do not take their own education seriously, who do not study, who make little effort to keep abreast of events have no moral authority to coordinate the activities of the classroom.

Quality education constitutes a progressive paradigm of political and education philosophy which revolves around the idea of inculcating students with a strong sense of social justice, of equity and fairness, of social and ethnic and gender inclusion, of environmental consciousness, of personal and public hygiene, of humanism, and of scientific and technological consciousness.

In the process it empowers women, meaning that it promotes the parity of men with women in the social-economic and political spheres, and the less privileged in society to take on the many challenges they encounter in society by contributing their quotas to their nations economic and political development and by taking on diverse roles as arbiters of community and national crisis.

Yes, and probably ironically also, for all intents and purposes, quality education is political in the truest sense of the wordpolitical. All that we are saying is that, strictly speaking, education is politics. Sometimes, though, the overarching secularity, the moral corruption, and the extreme political partisanship of government unnecessarily intrude upon the delivery of quality public education.

This introduces unnecessary bureaucracy into quality education and renders knowledge transference and acquisition productively ineffective and unbeneficial in the larger scheme of thingsall the more reason why governments role must be limited in the delivery of quality education. This puts quality education in a situation far removed from what Dr. Kofi Kissi Dompere calls cognitive imbecility.

It is only a matter of time before our greedy politicians begin appreciating the notion of destroying the already-slumberous educational system since that serves a useful purpose for themnamely members of the ruling class, political and economic, in that the strategy numbs what should otherwise have been the critical faculties of the masses thereby rendering them paralytically gullible and subservient to the status quo.

The intended purpose and outcome of this unpatriotic act is that it tends to perpetuate and entrench the political continuity of the ruling class and its lordship over the masses. Our educated political elites make the likes of politicians such as Akua Donkoh look like they are overeducated, saints and angels. In other words what we have are our religious and educational institutions churning out unthinking robots of political thieves and criminals, hooligans, vandals, and vigilantes.

This was exactly what Bob Marley meant when on Babylon System he sang the following words:

Building church and university

Deceiving the people continually

Me say them graduating thieves and murderers

Look out now: they sucking the blood of the sufferers

Education has therefore become a gracious means to an end, an end where the educated elite rapes and plunders the public purse with reckless abandon and where the same class of people entrenches the specter of institutional corruption as a collateral benefit to its privileged membership, to its cronies and families. Ghana thus finds itself caught in an uncompromising vicious circle of institutional corruption, moral decay, impunity, and ethical de-civilization for the most part.

Ironically, all the shameful attempts to justify or explain away Akufo-Addos plagiarized inaugural speech merely reflect this debilitating clinical symptomatology in education. It is rather posterity and its future that are being sold off on the cheap to the highest bidder on the altar of political wickedness.

And if we can all recall with vivid detail and clarity, then we can also say with authoritative firmness Akufo-Addo was indeed part of a prior cabinet in a corrupt administration that further forced our dying educational system under the sledgehammer or gavel of excessive politicization.

We shall return with Part 2.

REFERENCES

Ghanaweb. NPP Spells Out Education Policy. October 14, 2016.

Kwame Nkrumah. (1970). Consciencism: Philosophy and Ideology for De-Colonization.

Kofi Kissi Dompere. (2016). The Theory of Philosophical Consciencism: Practice Foundations of Nkrumaism.

Kofi Kissi Dompere. (2016). The Theory of Categorial Conversion: Rational Foundations of Nkrumaism.
The United Nations today (January19, 2016) assured Mr. Adama Barrow, newly sworn- in President of The Gambia of the full support of the world body.

This was after the Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Guterres called on the new Gambian leader to congratulate him on the latter's inauguration into office and to discuss the latest development in the country.

The Secretary General assured President Barrow of his "full support for his determination, and ECOWASs 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".

A statement issued at the UN headquarters in New York by the Secretary-General further expressed deep concern about the refusal of the former President Yahya Jammeh to step aside and about the high outflow of Gambians into Senegal.

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.

Adama Barrow was sworn-in as Gambian President today at the Gambia Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. This follows the refusal of Yahya Jammeh to concede defeat and hand over power to him.

At his inauguration President Barrow appealed to the ECOWAS, African Union, UN,and particularly the Security Council to help oust Jammeh and enforce the will of the Gambians and restore constitutional order.
Vodafone Ghana, the second largest mobile telecommunications company in Ghana has held its annual management meeting in the Brong Ahafo Regional capital, Sunyani.

The team, which was led by the Regional Manager of Vodafone Ghana, Mr. Francis Adusu, addressed clients on the new technologies being put in place to provide reliable and affordable services to customers.

Mr. Adusu revealed that the company was mapping up new technological strategies to improve upon service delivery.

According to him, the new strategy will ensure their customers voice clarity which was the primary objective of communication in everyday life.

"I wish to also add that there shall be no interruptions or network failures in the rendering of services to clients. To ensure quality and effective networking system at areas which are out of 3G coverage, Vodafone will soon expand its territoriesand provide better services," he said.

He further stated that his outfit was doing whatever possible to make their network fully functional in Dormaa Ahenkro and its surrounding areas.

The Brong Ahafo regional Manager of Vodafone Ghana revealed that the company had increased its promotional incentives for their customers in the year 2017.

Some hardworking sale personnel of the company were awarded with Motor bikes, Bicycle, Table top and deep freezers, etc. at the ceremony.
Accra , Jan 19, GNA - The US Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Robert P. Jackson and some officials of the US Embassy have paid a visit to COCOBOD facilities in the Eastern Region to acquaint themselves with activities of the cocoa industry.

Accompanied by COCOBOD Management team led by the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Agronomy & Quality Control, Dr. Francis K. Oppong, Mr Robert Jackson visited the Tetteh Quarshie and Jubilee Farms at Mampong, Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) at Tafo, a Cocoa Farm and Nursery Site at Bunso.

A statement from COCOBOD said the visit to these areas afforded the US Embassy Delegation the opportunity to learn about Tetteh Quarshie Farm where commercial cocoa farming first started in 1879.

At CRIG, the delegation was schooled on some scientific studies being carried out to improve upon cocoa planting materials to increase yield.

Explaining why Ghana's cocoa has been touted the best quality cocoa in the world, Dr. Francis Kofi Oppong, said quality control measures were strictly ensured at every stage of the entire cocoa value chain.

He added that quality planting materials, fertilizers as well as continuous extension services were given to cocoa farmers free of charge to keep them abreast of modern trends in cocoa production.

Dr. Oppong disclosed that through a partnership between TCHO Ventures, a chocolate company in California, USA, USAID and CRIG, the Fine Flavour Laboratory at CRIG has had its status enhanced to produce good quality chocolate.

He appreciated the support of the US Government, stating that most of the highly-skilled scientists of the Institute acquired their PhDs from various renowned universities in the US and called for deepening collaboration.

Mr Robert Jackson on his part lauded COCOBOD on the numerous efforts being undertaken to ensure the sustainability of the country's major cash crop that remained the mainstay of Ghana's economy for years.

He was thankful for the insightful learning experiences and commended cocoa farmers and staff of COCOBOD for their hard work.

GNA
By Iddi Yire, GNA ,

Accra, Jan 19, GNA - Professor Apostle Samuel Asuming-Brempong of the Department of Economics and Agribusiness, School of Agriculture, University of Ghana, has lauded the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for the creation of the Agribusiness Support Division.

He said the creation of the Division would help facilitate investment into the agriculture sector by providing technical information and matchmaking services to investors and agribusinesses.

"It is also now poised to strengthen capacity of local agribusinesses through capacity building in collaboration with relevant institutions," Apostle Prof Asuming-Brempong stated in his presentation at the 68th Annual New Year School and Conference (ANYSC) at the University of Ghana.

He said agribusiness was a business that earned most or all of its revenues from agriculture - simply the business of agricultural production.

He noted that top areas of agribusiness investment in Ghana in 2016 were fertilizer distribution business, bee keeping and honey production, frozen chicken production, soya bean milk, rabbit production and fruit salads production.

Speaking on the topic "Strengthening the Agriculture Value Chain through Information and Communication Technology (ICT)", Apostle Prof Asuming-Brempong said there had been much progress in ICT solutions, but lack of access by many extension staff and farmers was hampering agribusiness development.

He said there was the critical need for more return on investment studies to highlight the value of ICT-enabled approaches.

He said agricultural value chain entails all activities involved in the production of agri-food and food products from the input supplier to the producer, through processing, packaging and marketing to the final consumer.

Apostle Prof Asuming-Brempong, who is also the Executive Chairman of the Great Commission Church International Ghana, said in incorporating ICT in value chains we need to consider who benefits most from specific ICT interventions in the value chain and not to assume all benefit equally.

He said this requires an in-depth analysis of the impact of ICT on producers through to retailers of food commodities/products.

He said most smallholder farmers work outside of value chains; and that there was the need to enhance functional ICT literacy among farmers.

Apostle Prof Asuming-Brempong said ICT in agricultural value chains and agribusiness depends on services provided by third party entities that may not necessarily be part of the mainstream actors but very important to the overall success of the chain.

These services include information, market access, pricing, and financial services.

The 68th ANYSC, on the theme "Promoting National Development through Agriculture Modernisation: The Role of ICT", is being organised by the School of Continuing and Distance Education, University of Ghana, under the auspices of the MTN, Eximbank Ghana, and the Kosmos Innovation Centre.

The aim of this 68th Annual New Year School and Conference is to create the forum for passionate discussions on how ICT could be integrated into agriculture, to modernise the sector for sustainable national development.

GNA
By Julius K. Satsi/Christielove B. Aborchie

Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - Mr Kojo Addae-Mensah, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Databank, called on all stakeholders in the financial sector to adopt strategies of making savings and investment a part of the Ghanaian culture.

He advised individual banks to devise strategies to help majority of Ghanaians to develop a healthy investment culture, which could facilitate the development of the country.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Addae-Mensah said, a strong strategy needs to be adopted to rectify the 'poor saving and virtually non-existence investment culture' among Ghanaians.

He said: 'I rarely move away from an opportunity to have a conversation that would reach out to Ghanaians in general trying to educate them about the importance of investing'.

He said: 'our advocacy has to be very strong so as to get through to the Ghanaians who are currently un-banked. We the investment bankers really need to push the advocacy'.

Mr Addae-Mensah also called on the Central Bank to support the advocacy drive.

He said the attempted tax on treasury bills by the previous government was something the government should not try to do because it could discourage investment entirely.

Mr Addae-Mensah explained that most Ghanaians do not invest because of the fear of government policies.

'They tell us that 'I am not going to invest because I don't know what policies the government will implement to erode my money''.

Mr Addae-Mensah said some thought it was better to keep their funds in their homes.

Ghanaians do not save because many people think they do not earn enough coupled with unemployment and the low standard of living among others, he added.

'Once you can tithe, you can also invest,' Mr Addae-Mensah said, adding that currently an estimated 70 per cent of the Ghanaian population was unbanked which made it difficult to talk about increasing investments.

He however called on all stakeholders to come together to tap into the un-banked population to facilitate the development of Ghana.

GNA
Bongo (UER), Jan. 19, GNA - Members of the John Mahama Fun Club in Bongo in the Upper East Region, says the shock of the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections would forever remain in the minds of the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

A statement issued by the Communication Director of the Party, Mr Patrick Anamoo and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, said it was regrettable and shocking for an incumbent President and a ruling party to lose 50 parliamentary seats and record only 44.5 per cent of the votes.

The Club commended the former President of the NDC, Mr John Dramani Mahama for his selfless and patriotic leadership and fighting gallantly for the Party.

The group attributed the failure of the Party to recapture power to the introduction of what they termed 'draconian policies such as the freeze on public sector employment, the removal of teacher and nurse trainee allowances as well as hikes in taxes.'

'There were by no means poverty entrenching and unfavourable for any ruling government whose party was going in for elections.

'Also, the expansion of the electorate college, which was crafted with the intention to extend franchise opportunities to Party members backfired as many Party leaders at the constituency levels abused it to the frustration of many especially the masses and also pushed many to contest as independent candidates'.

The group indicated that as grass roots supporters and members of the Party, they had their ears glued to the ground as such was in the position to offer the best advice but they fell on deaf ears.

'As grass roots supporters of the National Democratic Congress, we had sensed eminent defeat long before the onset of the contest.

The Party is in a great shock today and we wish we could reverse the situation, which is practically impossible, the electorate were complaining of school fees, feeding grants, salaries, allowances, jobs, and corruption among others and yet the Mahama led administration was commissioning projects which is very commendable but could not win the minds of the people,' it said.

The group, however, said they were consoled by the fact that former President Mahama was committed to solving the challenges in the country at the expense of the victory of the Party.

'We are consoled and impressed because the singular action by his Excellency was one of patriotism and selflessness. We believe that posterity will exonerate him.'

The group said though all the physical infrastructural projects that were undertaken by former President Mahama were laudable, the failure of the Constituency leadership to sensitise the electorate contributed immensely to the defeat of the Party.

It appealed to all Party members to take heart, reflect and take stock of the actions and inactions in the electioneering in order to fashion new tools for victory in the next elections particularly the overhauling the NDC right from the branch to national level and ensure that everybody was brought on board.

Whilst commending the former Regional Minister and Member of Parliament for Bongo, Mr Albert Abongo, for his hard work, the group also paid tribute to the New Patriotic Party for winning.

GNA
By Beatrice Asamani-Savage/Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA

Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - Mr David Yaro, the Administrator-General, has tasked the would-be Ministers of State to peruse their predecessors' handing-over notes so as to protect State assets and to perform their duties effectively.

He said should they find any state asset unaccountable for or missing, their predecessors should be held accountable.

That was why, he explained, the respective ministers were made to individually sign their handing-over notes, while their chief directors, who were the reporting officers, served as witnesses.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, in an interview, on Thursday, Mr Yaro said: 'Indeed, the new Ministers must consider the notes as their Bibles or Qur'ans for their work because they would guide them to ascertain whether all the assets of their Ministries are intact or not.

'In the handing-over notes, we have also incorporated the activities the new Minister should undertake in the first 30 days, 60 and 90 days on assumption of office, and although they can introduce their own novelties and approaches the guide would help them to settle down more quickly.'

The handing over notes cover assets and liabilities, including human resource, bungalows and other buildings, vehicles, technological and logistical assets, contractual agreements, projects, programmes and the bills being drafted to become laws.

The Administrator-General said with the contractual agreements, projects and programmes, information had been provided on their nature and status-be they local or international- their duration, the stakeholders involved, and others.

He said his Office would continually take inventory of all State assets to ensure that national revenue was not lost because of corruption or negligence and urged the public to consider things procured with State coffers as their collective property and protect them.

He, therefore, advised individuals and media organisations that may have information about the whereabouts of any missing state vehicle or any other property to immediately inform the authorities concerned for prompt action.

Mr Yaro said when he assumed office, he updated the template for taking inventory by incorporating in the handing over notes, columns for reporting the assets and liabilities of the various Ministries, which had made it much easier to build the data.

Additionally, he brought on board a Quality Assurance Team, which comprised representatives of the Office of the President, Public Services Commission, Head of Civil Service and his office to evaluate the information provided by the Ministries.

He said though his office did not have the mandate to alter the information provided they raised the necessary queries for the loopholes to be addressed.

He said the re-registration of state vehicle policy had made it easier to identify vehicles from the various state institutions, adding that, each vehicle had been provided with special codes on the number plates in addition to their regular numbers.

Therefore, he said, the public could report any vehicle they would find in private or unauthorised hands by those numbers and they would easily be traced to the organisations that owned them.

He, therefore, advised any Ministry, Department or Agency that had not re-registered their vehicles to do so in their own interest.

Mr Yaro said the human resource, financial and logistical constraints of his office did not enable him to cross-check every information provided, but he was relying on the integrity of the stakeholders as a measure of accuracy.

'For instance, we could have gone to the Peduase Lodge to verify the information provided in the inventory but we couldn't do so for lack of logistics, but we are hopeful that we will be resourced to do our jobs to the best of our ability,' he explained.

Until January this year, the office lacked vehicles and the few officers had to rely on commercial motor bikes (okada) to do their rounds.

The Presidential (Transition) Act, 845, promulgated in 2012, mandates the Administrator General to take inventory of State assets and liabilities and hand them over to the Office of the President.

It also establishes arrangements for political transfer of administration from an outgoing democratically-elected president and provides for other related matters.

GNA
19.01.2017 LISTEN

By Kwamina Tandoh, GNA

Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), an independent political think-tank, has proposed economic policies capable of delivering tangible socio-economic benefits to Ghanaians.

The think-tank devoted to the provision of economic policy advised in a six-page document dubbed: 'Economic Policy Priorities For the New Government,'' detailed key economic challenges and proposed policy responses that should be considered by the Government to improve the economic well-being of Ghanaians.

The Policy brief calls on the Government to transform the economy to restore and sustain high growth, tackle the unemployment time-bomb, address the infrastructure deficit and restore macro-economic stability.

The publication also calls on the new Government to deal with the debt albatross, ensure effective fiscal decentralisation to address the urbanisation challenges, tackle the corruption canker and formulate a long-term national development plan to accelerate growth and development of the country.

At a news conference in Accra, Dr John Kwakye, Director of Research IFS, said the economy had witnessed a sharp decline in growth in the last three years and had remained vulnerable due largely to the over-dependence on primary commodities, which had been subject to price volatilities on international markets, with serious implications for export receipts and budget revenues.

He said the industrial base of the economy had almost diminished due to a stagnating manufacturing sector, whilst private businesses had been suffocating under the weight of several obstacles.

'Deficits in energy, transportation and other infrastructure have remained large, a situation that has stifled economic growth, unemployment has become a ticking time-bomb, posing a threat to social cohesion and national security, public debt continues to mount at an alarming rate, and macro-economic stability remains a mirage in the face of high cost of living and widespread poverty,'' he said.

He said it was against this background, the IFS brought to the attention of the new Government the critical economic challenges.

Dr Kwakye said government could there raise financial resources through a number of vehicles, such as from domestic revenue, grants, loans and public private partnerships to finance the economic challenges.

GNA
By Joyce Danso, GNA

Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - 'I want justice,' mother of Ruth Ankomah, a class one pupil of Meshach Academy School at Zenu, in Ashaiman who was defiled and strangled to death at Kubekro No one, near Atadeka in the Ashaiman Municipality appeals to the Court.

Ruth seven year- old girl was allegedly strangled to death by Lucas Agboyie a mason after having sex with her on April 19, 2015.

The victim's mother complaining about the numerous adjournment of the case said she has been traveling from Ashiaman to Accra on every court hearing day but 'anytime I come the matter is adjourned. I don't know what is going on. It is having effect on my finances'.

The complainant expressed the sentiments during proceedings in Court on Thursday when the case of Lucas Agboyie, was called.

Prosecution Chief Inspector Simon Apiorsornu told the District Court that the Police vehicle to transport the accused from the Nsawam Medium Prison to court had developed some mechanical fault.

Chief Inspector Apiorsornu also said the Police Administration was still waiting for the bill of indictment from the Attorney General's Office and prayed for a new date.

The Court obliged prosecution's prayer but cautioned that if the accused person was not brought to court on the new date, prosecution would have to pay for the complainant's transportation.

The accused being held for murder's plea had been preserved by the court.

According to Prosecution, the accused person lives 200 meters away from the deceased's house.

On April 19, 2015, at about 0800 hours, the deceased's mother prepared porridge and gave her GHa 20.00 to go and purchase bread at a nearby shop for breakfast.

The Prosecution said having waited for a long time without Ruth's return; she became alarmed and started searching for her in the area, but to no avail.

Later, an informant told the victim's mother that he saw the accused person pulling the victim into his metal container. The search team marched to the container but the accused was nowhere to be found.

However, they found the naked body of the victim lying in a supine position on an old student mattress with blood oozing from her nostrils and mouth.

The search team nabbed Agboyie during the search and he confessed to killing the girl after having sex with her.

The Prosecution said the accused, during the interrogation, said he wanted to have sex with the victim but she screamed, hence he strangled her after, which he had sex with her.

The Police, during their visit to the scene, saw bruises on the neck of the deceased, with her vagina swollen, while her pant, sandals and dress were lying beside her.

Agboyie is in lawful custody currently.

GNA
By Joyce Danso, GNA

Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - Patrons of the courts have been warned against handing over monies to court officials whiles performing their legitimate functions or roles.

Sir Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei, a Court of Appeal Judge, asked patrons of the court not to pay for transportation of officials attached to the Private Process Service of the courts because that had been catered for.

Sir Justice Adjei gave the warning when he inaugurated a one-storey court building at Weija in the Ga South Municipality. The municipality had two court structures two years ago housed in a classroom and rented premises.

The building, which would house two district courts, a bank, cells and registry, is estimated at GHa916,217.05. The court would serve Gbawe and Oblogo and its environs.

It was funded by the World Bank under its Urban Development Plan.

The building is in fulfilment of the Ga South Municipal Assembly mandate under the Local Government Act.

The Court of Appeal Judge said when patrons had been directed as to what to do in respect of cases, all payments should be channelled through the bank within the court building.

Sir Justice Adjei noted that the importance of the court was to promote rule of law and also prevent people from taking advantage over others.

He, therefore, urged the chiefs and traditional rulers to assist the court in certain matters when they were called on and document all its settlements so the courts could adopt them.

Sir Justice Adjei, however, cautioned them against settlement in matters of rape, defilement and robbery among others at home since those offences were punishable by law.

'If you go and settle such matters and the person is freed, we defeat the purpose of the court,'' he said.

He said the court had made provision for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) which was manned by professional mediators and urged them to patronise that when directed by the courts.

Sir Justice Adjei admonished staff of the Judicial Service to put in excellent performance in offering services to the public.

He commended the Ga South Municipal Assembly and the chiefs for providing land and the World Bank for providing funds for the project.

While Numo Oblogo Wulomo poured libation for the project, Professor Dr. Eric Nana Kwesi Amponsah of Hope Generation Ministries International dedicated the building.

GNA
By Iddi Yire, GNA

Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has urged Ghana to preserve space for food production demand because of the increasing impact of Climate Change on agriculture.

Ms Jenna Tajchman-Trofim, the Agriculture Development Officer, Office of Economic Growth, USAID Ghana, said spatial planning was key for generating and applying information to design, monitor, and manage conservation sites.

It was also important for fisheries management, disaster reduction and other investments to increase the resilience of fishing families and sustain food production.

She said the USAID's Climate Change and Development Strategy guided their work of helping countries transition to lasting climate-resilient and low-emission economic development.

She said the USAID sought to reduce the need for costly Climate Change adaptation solution, saved lives and properties and to ensure sustainable fishing as a way of life.

Speaking at the 68th Annual New Year School and Conference at the University of Ghana, Ms Tajchman-Trofim said the objectives of the USAID's change strategy were adaptation, integration and mitigation.

She said adaptation helped countries and communities prepare for and adapt to Climate Change, whereas the integration factored in Climate Change knowledge into all the Agency's programmes.

She noted that mitigation helped countries slow or curb carbon emissions, while spurring growth and development through clean energy and sustainable landscapes.

Ms Tajchman-Trofim said the Agency was using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the Coastal Hazards and Climate Adaptation in Sustainable Fisheries Management Project in 77 communities, in the Western Region.

She said fisherfolks engaged in fish processing needed access to the storefront to conduct their livelihoods, hence the need to preserve Ghana's coastal lines.

"Moderate Sea level rise, salt water intrusion, effects on fisheries, changes in coastal region crops, and multiple impacts of coastal erosion and flooding are major threats to life and property in coastal areas," she stated.

"Forest and wetlands need to be preserved to mitigate the impacts of climate change."

Dr Donald Robadue Junior, Coastal Management Informatics, the University of Rhodes Island, Graduate School of Oceanography, called for spatial planning for vulnerable coastal communities in Ghana.

The 68th Annual New Year School and Conference is on the theme: "Promoting National Development through Agriculture Modernisation: The Role of ICT."

The aim of this year's School and Conference is to create the platform for passionate discussions on how ICT could be integrated into agriculture to modernise the sector for sustainable national development.

It is being organised by the School of Continuing and Distance Education, University of Ghana, under the auspices of the MTN, Eximbank Ghana, and The Kosmos Innovation Centre.

GNA
19.01.2017 LISTEN

Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - The Students' Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has called for the closure and de-commissioning of the SEL Filling station, sited less than three meters away from our university.

Mr. Sydney Quartey, the SRC President of UPSA, told journalists, on Thursday, at a media briefing, in Accra, that a protest letter to the environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed by Dr. Seidu Mohammed Mustapha, the Registrar of UPSA, on April 24, 2016, stated that: 'Our protest is because the station poses great danger to residents of the community.'

Mr. Quartey said UPSA was not satisfied with the explanations by EPA that the needed safety measures had been put in place.

He said if measures were not taken to close the fuel station, the leadership of the SRC would organise the students to embark on a number of activities to demonstrate against the situation.

These, he said, included a protest at the EPA and the National Petroleum Agency, as well as the La-Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly.

The letter to the EPA, Mr. Quartey said, stated that the UPSA had a walk-way that served one of its entrances, which was close to the filling station.

The SRC President said several other demonstrations would also be held by the students until the situation was rectified.

'Given the fact that liquefied petroleum gas, the main product of the filling station, is highly inflammable, students would be exposed to grave danger,' he said.

Mr. Quartey stressed on the dangers of the filling station and said the university had 11,000 students who attended lectures day and night, throughout the week.

He said apart from the fact that the fuel station was less than three meters away from the main students' walkway used by more than 3,000 students daily; there was a 300-seater mosque, which was about five meters from the filling station.

'Several houses, restaurants, a taxi rank, amongst others, also encircle the filling station,' he said.

GNA
By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA

Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - The first quarter of 2016 has been marked with improvement in the results recorded for investments by local investors.

Of the 39 projects registered during the first quarter, 30 representing 76.92 per cent were wholly-foreign owned enterprises valued at $ 163.61 million which was 65.58 per cent of the total estimated value of projects registered.

The remaining nine representing 23.08 per cent were joint ventures between Ghanaians and foreign partners valued at $ 85.88 million, which was 34.42 per cent of the total estimated value of projects registered.

Mrs Mawuena Trebarh, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, in the quarterly report said the results from investments recorded for the quarter showed a significant increase compared to the corresponding quarter of 2015 of more than 200 per cent in the local component of the total estimated value of registered projects for the quarter.

She said this showed that the awareness creation of opportunities available to investors, both local and foreign has been yielding results.

The sectoral composition of the new projects is agriculture, building and construction, general trading, manufacturing, services and tourism.

The said being an election year also, results of investments recorded so far by the Centre has been no different from the trend realised in the past years of elections.

The CEO said the total estimated value of these projects amounted to $248.89 million and the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) component of the estimated value of registered projects was $157.57 million and the local component amounted to $91.92 million

'The total initial capital transfers for the newly registered projects during the quarter amounted to $ 17.31 million and a total of 2,487 jobs were created from the total projects registered during the quarter,' she added.

She said 2,062 representing 82.91 per cent jobs were created for Ghanaians, while 425; representing 17.09 per cent was created for expatriates.

The first quarter also recorded a total of 188 project renewals.

China, with seven projects, topped the list of countries with the highest number of registered projects and with $65.50 million as the FDI value of the investments, The Netherlands topped the list of countries with the largest value of investments registered during the quarter.

GNA
19.01.2017 LISTEN

Supply chain and logistics leader Imperial Logistics has partnered with Ghanaian conglomerate LMI Holdings to form a new business, Imperial LMI Logistics that will deliver world class logistics services in Ghana and West Africa.

The vision of Imperial LMI is to be the leading integrated, end-to-end supply chain partner of choice in Ghana, with sufficient capacity and scale to catalyse economic growth and position Ghana as a trading hub for West Africa, reveals Imperial Managed Solutions chief executive officer Johan Truter.

The launch of Imperial LMI Logistics will enable this vision by merging LMIs infrastructure with Imperials operational capabilities, while leveraging the relationships that both groups have established with end users, service providers and decision making bodies in Ghana, he states.

Imperial Logistics is one of Africas largest supply chain solutions provider and a subsidiary of Imperial Holdings (IPL: Johannesburg). Imperial Logistics has over 1,100 operational sites globally spread across 5 continents. LMI Holdings is a highly diversified Ghanaian group with interests in the construction, property development, logistics, utilities and ICT sectors in Ghana.

Established in 1992 as John Murphy Construction, a firm focused on roads, industrial developments and commercial real estate, LMI Holdings has grown consistently over the last 24 years to become the multi-faceted conglomerate it is today.

Our partnership with Imperial represents an exciting new era for the group, enabling us to use Imperials systems, technology and skills to unlock the potential of LMIs logistics assets, comments Kojo Aduhene, chairman and CEO of LMI Holdings. It will enable LMI to realise its vision of being a world class Ghanaian industrial business; contributing to the creation of an environment that attracts foreign investment into Ghanaian industry, he adds.

Among the LMI Holdings assets that the new business will exploit is a new 93 000m2 Mega Warehouse in Tema, which will enable Imperial LMI Logistics to offer clients state-of-the-art storage with easy access to the Port of Tema; an important gateway to West Africa.

Imperial Logistics has been operating in Ghana for the past seven years through its group company Imperial Health Sciences and has a longstanding relationship with LMI as its preferred local infrastructure partner in Ghana. The Imperial LMI partnership deepens the relationship between Imperial and LMI allows the new company to offer end-to-end managed logistics solutions to a wider range of industries in Ghana.

Imperial LMI Logistics forms part of Imperial Managed Solutions, and, like this division, is based on an asset light business model, he explains. The business will not acquire any assets of its own. Strategic business partners will be identified to provide the required assets, including warehouses and vehicles. A detailed vetting process will be employed to ensure that service providers comply with the required service levels, including adherence to industry legislation.

Skills transfer and the development of local enterprises are important elements of the new business. We are proud to have joined forces with a Ghanaian corporation that has a long and proud history of contributing to the growth of

3

industry in Ghana and Africa, Truter stresses. Imperial LMI Logistics is committed to employing and upskilling local people wherever possible. Through this venture, we will bring international best practice to Ghana and we aim to ensure its sustainability by building and growing local talent. Ghanaians will be developed to take on senior positions within the business, and this will include training at Imperials Johannesburg based in-house training centre, the Imperial Logistics Academy, he states.

The services that Imperial LMI Logistics will roll out initially include freight and warehousing services, as well as associated value added offerings. Truter elaborates: Container transport from port to destination will be offered, together with outbound primary, secondary, national and cross-border logistics. On the warehousing side we will offer dedicated and multi-principal facilities, ambient and temperature controlled, as well as bulk and bonded storage.

The value added services that the company will provide include co-packing, light manufacturing, container de-stuffing and stuffing. Imperials reporting processes, business intelligence systems and tools like vehicle scheduling and tracking will ensure that clients reap the benefits of full visibility, seamless integration and international standards throughout the supply chain, he adds.

Looking ahead, Imperial LMI Logistics will expand its integrated solutions with the addition of new service capabilities as these are enabled by the completion of various LMI capital projects. Upon the completion of LMI Holdings container terminal in the Tema enclave (adjacent to the new warehouse), Imperial LMI Logistics will be able to offer an integrated solution for multiple users of the terminal and the warehouse, Aduhene explains.

This container terminal is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2018. The construction by LMI of a rail infrastructure from the Tema Port to the Tema enclave, and from Tema enclave to the new Dawa business park, will enable us to offer freight rail solutions. In addition, a barge operation on Lake Volta is being investigated, to offer an alternative mode of transport to complement the road infrastructure to the north of the country.
19.01.2017 LISTEN

Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, January 19, 2017  People affected by the earthquake which hit the Kagera region, in northwestern Tanzania, in September last year will get some relief from a humanitarian emergency grant approved by the African Development Bank Groups Board last week.

The assistance will help to meet urgent needs of primary and secondary schools in the earthquake affected areas, and restore learning activities.

Kagera region in northwestern Tanzania was hit by a 5.9-magnitude earthquake on Saturday, September 10, 2016, resulting in 17 deaths and 440 injured people.

Over 2,500 houses were completely destroyed, 14,500 others including 1,700 government buildings were partially destroyed. Nearly 118,000 people lost their homes to the earthquake, making the provision of temporary shelter a priority for the affected households.

The Banks emergency assistance will focus on the rehabilitation of classrooms, offices, teachers houses and latrines damaged by the quake. The Bank support will complement ongoing efforts by the Government, UN agencies and NGOs to restore the education infrastructure, and minimize disruptions in the school calendar.

The Government said it has received about US $7 million (in cash, pledges and materials) to respond to the needs of the earthquake victims. However, preliminary estimates suggest that about US $20 million is needed for emergency shelter assistance, while the education sector alone will need about US $30 million to restore the damaged school infrastructure.

Although earthquakes rarely occur in Tanzania, geological activities are common along the great East African Rift Valley corridor, which traverses the country, constituting the eastern and western branches of the Rift Valley.
The aftermath of election 2016 and developments flowing from President Akufo Addos victory in the elections have brought to the fore the various conspiracies that were at play prior to the elections. Indeed one interesting conspiracy that was at work in the dynamics of election 2016 was revealed shortly after the elections by Akufo Addo himself in his keen quest to publicly thank Rawlings for his role in his victory in the elections.

However, in his haste to publicly thank Rawlings for his role in his victory, Akufo Addo has demonstrated political short sightedness and a selfish streak that is certain to uncomfortably ruffle feathers not only in the NDC but in the NPP as well.

Akufo Addos political short sightedness lies in the fact he is underestimating the fact that the background of a chunk of the political support base of the NPP revolves around the same Rawlings that he is openly fraternizing with. That chunk of NPPs political base is largely in the NPP because they perceive themselves to be victims of Rawlings 19 year rule who took refuge in the NPP and have contributed their lot to get the NPP to where it is today. Indeed it was to reflect the emotions and aspirations of this support base that Ex-President Kuffour went as far as exhuming bodies of Army Generals and prominent Ghanaian citizens who lost their lives during the Rawlings era.

It was also for this same reason that Kuffour set up the National Reconciliation Commission, to ostensibly reconcile the nation, but in reality to denigrate the Rawlings legacy as much as possible. Indeed, it is a fact that emotions of this history culminated in Rawlings referring to Kuffour as Ataa Ayi (a notorious arm robber) and Rawlings wife being hauled before court by the Kuffour Government on corruption charges. In all of these ordeals it was a strong NDC that came to the aid of the Rawlingses.

By openly fraternizing with Rawlings, Akufo Addo is in effect stabbing the bloc of NPP support base that suffered during the Rawlings era in the back for the sake of his selfish agenda to win and maintain political power. Whether this fraternization with Rawlings will help him honour his gargantuan promises and maintain political power is yet to be seen. It should however be obvious to Akufo Addo that his fraternization with Rawlings has dented the credibility and image of Rawlings on the NDC front; and for as long as he openly relates with Rawlings, the image and credibility of Rawlings in the NDC would continue to obviously weaken.

In effect the Rawlings factor would cease to be of any significant political capital to Akufo Addos Presidency for as long as he openly engages Rawlings. Indeed the repercussions of his open fraternization with Rawlings has far more negative consequences on the political dynamics of his NPP support base than on the NDCs future whether he realizes it or not it.

For Rawlings, it should be obvious to him that he has committed political suicide by openly being associated with and playing a role in Akufo Addos victory. Whether he admits it or not, he would have to operate in an environment in which his party would not wield political power. Indeed his passion for probity and accountability would be put to the fullest test during the Akufo Addo era.

Would he have the moral courage to criticize and take on Akufo Addos Presidency once he has been openly identified as collaborating to bring him to power? Unless he openly takes on Akufo Addos Presidency, would he have the moral right to claim any serious leadership role in the NDC? Obviously he cannot continue to endorse Akufo Addos Presidency and have any serious influence in the NDC.

Rawlings should also not be oblivious of the extreme political power that the NPP now wields. It has control over Parliament, the Executive the media and apparently the Judiciary. This is the political reality that has emerged partly as a result of his unholy alliance and collaboration with Akufo Addo.

With the current political terrain it is obvious that Rawlings would have to thread cautiously because the reality is that he has more enemies in the NPP than the NDC. The NPP only found it convenient to use him to achieve their desired political agenda. They would obviously not tolerate him if he crosses the line to take on their Government- a course he would have to pursue to make himself relevant in the dynamics of NDC politics.

Will he be able to present a true June 4 speech or celebrate 31st December Revolution under Akufo Addos presidency for the next 4 years?

Is he oblivious of the fact that the Judiciary (largely NPP sympathizers) yearly celebrate Martyrs day because of the pain and excesses of his Government?

The Rawlingses have largely benefited from the protective shield that a strong NDC party has provided them. They should therefore realize that they would be the biggest losers within the context of a weakened NDC as desired by the NPP.

On the other hand, President Akufo Addo should elevate his politics now to the level of a statesman and nationalist, and realize that the task ahead for him is ensuring that he delivers on the numerous election promises that contributed to his victory. He may well be mindful of the fact that in 2012 Rawlings did not campaign for the NDC but they won the elections. Whether he succeeds in Government or not therefore depends on his ability to do better than President Mahama in 4 years and not on the Rawlings factor.

For Rawlings to be more concerned about taking pictures with Akufo Addo after the elections in the midst of a hostile environment in which innocent NDC sympathizers and civilians were being attacked by NPP goons, epitomizes how far he has allowed himself to be used by Akufo Addo to destroy his own house. He should be ready now to enjoy the comfort of his neighbours house that he has helped to raise.

Generally, Rawlings act of sanctioning his wifes formation of a party which was used soley to fight the NDC has dented his credibility within NDC political circles. Compare his negative actions to that of Kuffour with NPP in opposition. Did Kuffour sanction the formation of a political party to fight his own party despite the fact that there were sections of the NPP who were openly hostile to him? Indeed there was not a single occasion in which Kuffour put down his party and its flagbearer publicly unlike the open actions of Rawlings and his wife deliberately calculated to undermine and weaken the NDC and President Mahama.

Election 2016 indeed has had interesting revelations and insights involving personalities in Ghanas political landscape. President Akufo Addo has demonstrated political savvy and succeeded in manipulating the Rawlingses to achieve his political objectives. He has succeeded in placing Rawlings where he wants him - in a political environment where he would cease to be of much relevance in Ghanas political landscape. Whereas Akufo Addo and Kuffour have always had their focus on the larger national picture, Rawlings has consistently focused on a narrow agenda of controlling NDC, if even it involves dancing with his enemies to weaken the NDC.

It should be obvious to him that in the current scheme of Ghanas political dispensation he would be closely monitored to ensure that he does not champion the cause of any serious reorganization of the NDC in opposition. He would be tolerated and idolized by Akufo Addo and the NPP for as long as he plays the enemy within role in the NDC for them.

God Bless Our Homeland Ghana.

By: Mensah Dekportor (Hamburg  Germany)

Email: [email protected]
Management of Afriwave Telecom, a wholly owned Ghanaian company that employs a wide range of technologies in its operations including GSM, GPRS, LTE, Wi-max and CDMA; also a leading provider of Telecom solutions on Thursday met a section of senior editors in Ghana at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Accra.

The purpose of the meeting was to engage the media and walk editors through the operations of the company, make clear their functions and most importantly educate the media extensively on the Interconnect Clearing House (ICH) which has generated a lot of debates lately.

Afriwave Telecom is Ghanas licensed interconnect clearing house (ICH) service provider which begun monitoring the volume of international incoming telecommunications traffic, local interconnect traffic and NCA revenue verification.

It was started by two brothers, David and Francis Poku, in 1998 and has since been engaged in several telecoms projects in Ghana since it was set up in 1998.

Afriwave is into telecommunication equipment supplies and service provision as installation contractors, telecom consultants, manufacturers' representatives and value added network services aimed at serving both private and public sector clients.

The Director of Corporate Affairs at Afriwave, Mr. Donald Gwira, in a presentation revealed that the company has emabrked on a couple of projects including the iInstallation of fixed broadband systems for the then Ghana Telecoms (now Vodafone), a contract to do fault clearance and maintenance in 2011.

Between 2004 and 2007, it assisted Vodafone to detect SIM - box fraud on fixed telephone lines (land lines) used to illegally terminate international calls in Ghana on the network.

Afriwave also carried out a number of projects for Zain Ghana (now Airtel Ghana). This included the migration of fixed line customers from Western Telecommunications Network (Westel) to that of Zain in 2008.

The company has also been involved in the deployment of solar powered GSM Payphones in some Senior High Schools across the country in September 2010 and has deployed over 1,150 payphones so far.

"We Partnered Helios Towers and ZTE to roll out and manage cell sites across the country. Afriwave also carried out a number of projects for Zain Ghana (now Airtel Ghana). This included the migration of fixed line customers from Western Telecommunications Network (Westel) to that of Zain in 2008."

Touching on the ICH contract, he disclosed that on 2nd December, 2014 there was an Open invitation for applications for a license to operate Clearinghouse services in Ghana.

He said on 12th January, 2015, Five applicants were given the opportunity to make oral submissions on their bids and respond to any further queries while additional documentation to validate responses given at the presentations were subsequently submitted by the applicants on 14th January, 2015.

"On 2nd February, 2015, there was Notification from the National Communications Authority (NCA) that Afriwave was selected as winner of the ICH tender.

Following this announcement, on 2nd June, 2015, a Provisional License was awarded to Afriwave Telecom Ghana Ltd. and on 17th July, 2015, Afriwave Telecom Ghana Ltd paid GHS 4,000,000 for the License. On 28th January, 2016, Huawei equipment was fully installed, tested and linked to ALL six mobile network operators namely MTN, TIGO, GLOBACOM, AIRTEL, EXPRESSO and VODAFONE. Afriwave drove eco-friendly innovation by using clay bricks (with natural cooling properties) to save cost of construction of the cell site generator houses," Mr. Gwira indicated.

On the benefits Ghana would derive from the ICH the Afriwave corporate affairs director stated that the technology has the ability to independently validate NCA surcharge for international incoming traffic and NCA license revenue and also coordinates effort in tackling SIM-Box fraud with the MNOs.

According to him, the ICH has the ability to independently validate minutes and revenue from each operator for the NCA and Ability to alert Bank of Ghana on amount of forex due to incoming international traffic

He further added...."with this technology, there is Efficient handling of new and traditional interconnect requirements (eg. International Wholesale License Carriers, 4G operators). Give them the ability to offer voice services without having to lay fibre to all 6 mobile operators.

"It enables new Value Added Services to be deployed and connected to MNO relatively easily; assists in the deployment of current and future technologies since ICH will give VAS providers (primarily Ghanaian entrepreneurs one point to be able to deliver services to ALL networks); coordinated effort to curtail Phone theft; Ensure that only NCA approved equipment is sold and deployed in Ghana; provision of independently verified Industry Data for the government of Ghana for the purpose of policy making; provision Financial Clearing house services to facilitate easier settlement of interconnect fees amongst MNOs and potentially MNOs and VAS providers; and also ensures Better utilization of Interconnect links," Mr. Gwira explained.
The Member of Parliament for the Adaklu constituency, Kwame Agbodza, believes President Nana Akufo-Addo should have sought legislative approval before involving Ghanaian troops in The Gambia's political crisis.

According to Mr. Agbodza, President Akufo-Addo exhibited a lack of restraint when he approved the deployment of 205 soldiers for ECOWAS military operations in The Gambia, which has two individuals claiming the Presidency.

The winner of The Gambia's 2016 general elections, Adama Barrow, took the oath of office at the country's embassy in Senegal, and he has been recognized internationally.

But the defeated Yahya Jammeh, has refused to step down as President, and West African leaders have threatened to remove him by force. Senegalese troops have already have entered The Gambia to ensure Adama Barrow is the sole president.

Member of Parliament for the Adaklu constituency, Kwame Agbodza

This notwithstanding, Mr. Agbodza said the President's directive constituted an offensive action against The Gambia.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, he said what we are trying to do in Gambia is an offensive action. There is no war currently going on in The Gambia. We are going in there to start a war and I am saying that it amounts to a declaration of war and I think that the Commander-in-Chief needed to consult with the people's representatives in Parliament before he could take that decision.

He further insisted that no resolution by ECOWAS allowed Ghana to commit troops to an offensive operation in another country.

When we invest the power in this country in the President to be the Commander and Chief, we expect him to exercise this power with the best of his intentions, not capriciously.

In the MP's view, the law requires the President Akufo-Add0 to exercise his power with the greatest restraint.

He, however, said, I haven't seen anything that suggests that he is exercising his power with the greatest restraint the constitution tells him to exercise his powers with the best of intentions and I don't see those best intentions.

No need for Parliamentary approval

The MP for Effutu, Alex Afenyo Markin, however, downplayed Mr. Agbodza's concerns using the law as his basis.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Afenyo Markin explained that under Article 75 of our constituency, where treaties are entered into and same is ratified by Parliament, that treaty becomes part of the international laws of Ghana.

Alex Afenyo Markin

According to him, Ghana has already signed onto the ECOWAS protocol relating to the mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security, and this protocol was subsequently ratified by the Parliament of Ghana on December 10.

Thus, the Effutu MP said President Akufo-Addo did not need another approval of Parliament to back the deployment of troops to The Gambia.

The provisions under Article 21 of the protocol are clear on ceasefire monitoring groups which are composed of standby multi-purpose civilian and military, ready for immediate deployment, he stated.

The power given to the President to contribute troops to any mission as is happening today has already been given to him by the ratification of the said protocol on conflict prevention, management, resolution and peacekeeping, Mr. Afenyo Markin concluded.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The four-day final burial rites of the longest serving Queenmother of the Ashanti Kingdom, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, which kicked off on Monday and ended on Thursday brought to bare one of Africa's many wonderful cultures. Thousands gathered at the Manhyia Palace in the Ashanti Region to honour the late Queenmother in a rare beautiful ceremony.

While I was thrilled by the intriguing cultural display, I was also saddened by the apparent neglect of the African culture. Prior to watching the event, I had a discussion with Citi FM's Nana Agyeman Asante over the essence of broadcasting the event live on television. I asked a simple question; Is it really necessary to telecast this event? And she made a rather profound argument. She simply said: Marian, it is very necessary! We would have given it more prominence if it was the Queen of England.

Her salient argument reminded me about how most Africans have been imperialised. It reminded me about how we have gleefully neglected the rich African culture and our insatiable desire to carry the imitation of persons from other continents. It reminded me about Africans who want to go for every event in suit even in the scorching sun when they can opt for the rather wonderful African fabric. I was saddened that Africans had lost their identity and do not mind adapting to unfamiliar cultures irrespective of how tedious it can be. I cringe when Africans say they are free from colonial rule but willingly cling to European culture and fail to appreciate ours.

And it gets worse when we unashamedly hide behind the 'culture is dynamic' excuse. We fail to forget that in this supposed dynamism, we are gradually losing our identity, our sense of belonging and our dignity. When shall we indeed be free? Will our forefathers ever forgive us for bringing so much shame on our race? I hope they do not record our shameful deeds and forever vilify us.

I hope our descendants will learn to place premium on proudly projecting Africa's culture to the global world. I pray that a new generation that will promote Africa's rich culture and heritage shall arise; Phoenix-like, from the current generation's ashes.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @EfeAnsah
Tullow Ghana Limited, operators of Ghanas main oil and gas exploration field, plans to begin a 15-day shutdown of operations at its offshore Jubilee Oil Field from February 3, 2017.

The shutdown is to enable works on inter-connection between the Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntomme (TEN) fields and the Jubilee Field for gas exportation from the FPSO Atta Mills.

The interconnection between Ghanas first and second operating oil and gas fields will enable evacuation and export of additional natural gas from the TEN fields through the 58-km offshore pipeline of the Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas) to its onshore Atuabo Gas Processing Plant.

The shutdown will lead to immediate curtailment of production and export of natural gas from the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah to Atuabo and subsequent curtailment of lean gas from Atuabo to the Aboadze Thermal Enclave, which presently relies on gas from Ghana Gas to generate electricity.

Aboadze has been relying on Atuabo since November 2014 to supply lean gas to generate electricity from its thermal plants and there are fears that the inter-connection exercise could result in dumsor within the period.

Corporate Communications Manager of Ghana Gas, Mr Alfred Ogbamey, is, however, hopeful that dumsor will be averted.

According to him, Tullow informed Ghana Gas of the shutdown months ago, as a result of which Ghana Gas has informed its stakeholders and industry partners to plan for the tie-in period.

All stakeholders and partners along the gas production value chain have been informed and prepped for this. We anticipate that other stakeholders and the VRA, which has long been aware of this and captured it in their 2017 gas forecast, have put in place adequate measures to avert the consequential effect of the TEN inter-connection.

He said Tullows interconnection is essential to create a corridor from TEN to evacuate and bring additional natural gas on-stream to generate power. It would also enable the TEN fields to be linked to the Jubilee Field and Ghana Gas Offshore Pipeline, he said.

He admits, however, that the nation could face serious challenges within the period. Theres a snag. VRA is presently unable to offtake their nominated volumes. Tullow and Ghana Gas have been ready to supply Aboadze with 90 million standard cubic feet of gas a day for a while, but Aboadzes TAPCO plants are out for maintenance. This has reduced VRAs lean gas offtake since January.

Mr Ogbamey said though Tullow has indicated that the exercise will take 15 days, Ghana Gas has projected 18 days for the exercise to allow for exigencies should they arise.

He said Ghana Gas will take advantage of the curtailment in gas supply to also interconnect its installed second De-ethenized Overhead Compressor at Atuabo.

That will ensure that Atuabo will operate continuously without the need for 4000-hours scheduled maintenance disruptions. When one compressor has to be serviced after 4000 hours of operation, wed now be able to switch onto the other and carry out works without halting production.

Oil production began on the TEN fields through the FPSO Atta Mills in August 2016, with gas production projected for February 2017.

Similar to Jubilee, development of TEN includes the use of an FPSO, which will be tied in to infrastructure across the field.
Dakar (AFP) - Long-ruling Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh, who lost elections last month, has until midday Friday to hand over power and agree to leave the country or face military action, regional bloc ECOWAS has said.

West African troops entered The Gambia on Thursday to bolster its new President Adama Barrow but the military operation was suspended a few hours later, in favour of a final diplomatic effort to convince Jammeh -- who has refused to quit -- to exit the country.

"We have suspended operations and given him an ultimatum," said Marcel Alain de Souza, head of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States.

"If by midday, he doesn't agree to leave The Gambia...we really will intervene militarily," he added.

Final talks will be led by Guinean president Alpha Conde in the Gambian capital Banjul on Friday morning, according to de Souza.

The Gambia political crisis

Conde will first travel to Mauritania where he will meet the country's president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who led the previous round of negotiations on Wednesday with Jammeh.

De Souza said a total of 7,000 troops would be mobilised by Senegal and four other nations, a day after they first crossed into the tiny tourist-friendly country, whose army chief joined ordinary citizens celebrating in the streets seven weeks after contested polls.

The United States earlier praised the West African intervention.

"We understand that the purpose is to help stabilise a tense situation and to try to observe the will of the people in the Gambia," State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

Barrow was sworn in at The Gambia's embassy in Dakar in neighbouring Senegal Thursday after Jammeh refused to step down despite international pressure following his December election loss.

People celebrate the inauguration of Gambia's new President Adama Barrow at Westfield neighbourhood on January 19, 2017 in Banjul

'Victory of Gambian nation'

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.

"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 Banjul, where tensions have run high over the crisis, especially since a declaration of emergency by Jammeh on Tuesday.

Gambia's long-ruling leader Yahya Jammeh (C) has been given an ultimatium to to hand over power and agree to leave the country or face military action

Among the revellers was Gambian army chief Ousman Badjie, who had said 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.

People celebrate the inauguration of Gambia's new President Adama Barrow at Westfield neighbourhood on January 19, 2017 in Banjul

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."

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."
Geneva (AFP) - More than 45,000 people have fled a political crisis in The Gambia this month, the UN said Friday, as veteran leader Yahya Jammeh faced a midday deadline to leave office.

"Around 45,000 people are now reported to have arrived in Senegal from The Gambia," the UN refugee agency said, adding that another "800 people have crossed into Guinea-Bissau."
20.01.2017 LISTEN

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, my all time African personality and admittedly still the finest Ghanaian leader who has ever ruled this country of ours made a very pronounced statement on the eve of independence at old Polo grounds. It's a thought provoking one I must say. Kwame Nkrumah in his own words said something that suggested that our independence would prove to the whole world that the black man is capable of managing his own affairs.

The line "to prove to the whole world that the black man is capable of managing his own affairs" in his full text speech runs shivers in the spine of every conscious African, particularly the black man. It makes one to believe that the independence of Ghana was a test case for black man to be economically and socially free from colonial influence and dictates.

It's a thought provoking statement made by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah then, but 60 years after Ghana's independence, there is a rhetorical question that put in conflict with Kwame Nkrumah's "black man is capable of managing his own affairs" statement. The question is, has Ghana and Africa been able to manage their own affairs economically and socially?

As to whether the black man has really been able to manage his own affairs considering what is happening in Africa by the conduct of our leaders and the attitudes of we the ordinary people is just another question that remains rhetorical. May be the only person who can answer that question is Kwame Nkrumah himself if he should wake up from his grave and see how disappointing we have been as African, particularly Ghanaians.

Have Ghanaians really been able to manage their affairs 60 years after independence from colonial rule? The rate at which we are being engulfed by illegal mining using the open cast method of mining popularly called "galamsey" should tell you that we have been very disappointing managing our own affairs as Ghanaian.

What makes us more irresponsible is the rate at which we have foreign nationals actively involved in illegal mining in Ghana, degrading and depleting our natural resources and water bodies right under our watch. My much more pains are the Chinese who have been able to fly all the way from Asia to West Africa and landed in Ghana and start to do illegal mining with impunity when clearly our laws forbid that, but right under our watch with our leaders who seem to be more irresponsible than even we the citizenry. It's a pity to see mother Ghana being raped by these Chat with our tacit approval.

It is believed that there at least 20 000 to 50 000 people involved in illegal mining or "galamsey" in Ghana including women, children mostly of school going age and substantial number of foreign nationals from neighbouring West African countries and the Chinese from Asia whose involvement in illegal mining is increasingly becoming a threat and insecurity to our very lives.

The Chinese involvement in illegal mining in Ghana is even becoming a threat to our security yet we are all watching on as a country and people. Very recently in the Western Region, a news story made by TV3 network showed how the Chinese have bought arms for the youths to guard "galamsey" pits and that is very dangerous yet we care less about these things with our passive attitudes. Some of these pits are dug behind some houses which pose a serious threat to people particularly children who are reportedly drowned in "galamsey" pits every now and then.

What is remarkably worrying is how the Chinese involved in illegal mining are arming the youths in these "galamsey" areas with sophisticated weapons to guard these pits. This is likely to bring us security problems if we do not nib it from the bud. What is the guarantee that these youths with these kinds of sophisticated weapons in their arms will not involve themselves in robberies and other violence crimes? Just recently in Kumasi, a Chinese woman was arrested with sophisticated weapons and only God knows where she is sending them. These are negative signals that should get us worried as Ghanaians but it appears no one cares.

Those days when I was a young boy, I used to hear "galamsey" activities in far away Tarkwa, Obuasi and other areas like Prestea and Akwatia. In fact, as a young boy growing up in Tarkwa, I used to be involved in this kind of life threatening "galamsey" activities until I moved to Takoradi. At Takoradi, some of my friends still travelled to known mining centers for "galamsey" until recent times when almost every part of the country particularly the southern belt seems to have been engulfed by the activities of these illegal miners.

I was very surprised to hear in a TV3 news broadcast recently that "galamsey" activities at Ewusiejoe are on the ascendancy and for that matter, river Butre which used to be one of their major source of drinking water is heavily polluted now. That day I cried a lot. "Galamsey" is now at our doorsteps in Takoradi ? It's really a shame on us managing our own affairs this way as black people particularly Ghanaians.

This pervasive illegal mining is not only a threat to our lives but rather put the future of our beloved Ghana in a bleak if we continue to look on unconcerned particularly with the involvement of these Chinese who are using heavy duty excavators to destroy our farmlands and polluting our water bodies with poisonous chemicals. We will soon have crisis with the way we are managing our "galamsey" affairs.

All our major rivers are being polluted and aquatic life is gradually going on extinct. The once beautiful Pra river has suddenly turned mudy and heavily polluted due to "galamsey" activities. It is very sad these days to behold the Pra river when crossing it to Accra or from Accra to Takoradi. The same applies to the mighty Ankobra river, Tano river, Birim river and other bigger rivers and streams in the country yet we are watching on. It's sad to see Ghana bury driven on that tangent.

These rivers for years have been a major source of drinking water for thousands of communities stretching along the courses of these rivers to their mouths. The total economic activities of these communities over the years have depended largely on these rivers which are currently under threat due to heavy pollution emanating from "galamsey" activities. With this kind of pollution that comes with the chemicals used in the illegal mining, we are very sure that thousands of lives are being put at risk under the watch of National Minerals Commission and our environmental protection agencies and ministries responsible to ensure that "galamsey" activities are regulated. We should be ready to expect some epidemic soon.

The rate at which farmlands are being turned into illegal minting sites should tell us that the future of Ghana and our food supply hangs in a balance. There is an anticipated shortfall in cocoa production if this illegal mining is not checked with immediate effect. Our economy stands to be in serious crisis since we all know that cocoa is one of our major cash crops and the mainstay of the our economy.

60 years after independence, and after that famous and pronounced statement that "the black man is capable of managing his own affairs" and crowned that famous speech with another pronounced and echoing one that many political pundits believe was a catalyst in the liberation from colonialism in Africa with "Ghana your beloved country is free forever", we still ask. Are we really free ?

So here we are politically free but we have not been able to manage ourselves and the pervasive illegal mining popularly the called "galamsey" is a test case that we failed woefully.

Nothing hurt me than to see a Chinese holding pickaxe and shovel illegally mining gold in Ghana with an impunity.


THE ENTIRE country yesterday joined Asanteman, led by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to bid farewell to the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, who died at the Manhyia Palace late last year at age 111.

Four-day elaborate burial rites, were climaxed by a service by the Anglican Church in Kumasi for the Asantehemaa  who was the 13th Asante queen mother  at the forecourt of the palace in Kumasi in the afternoon.

Surprisingly, the church service was characterized by the frequent firing of musketry by the royal guards at the Manhyia Palace, who were dressed in battle gear to display their sorrow and pain over the death of the great queen.

Burial

The queen was expected to be buried at the Royal Mausoleum, Breman, at midnight yesterday after some rituals of the Asante Kingdom, which date back several centuries, had been duly performed at another mausoleum at Bantama.

Curfew

The Manhyia Palace placed a curfew on Kumasi, which started at 7pm yesterday to 4am today in order to ensure a smooth transition of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II from the earth to the next world.

People in the city were seen rushing home in compliance with the order from the Manhyia Palace, the seat of the Asantehene.

Attendants

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, whose biological mother is the deceased queen mother, was dressed in mourning cloth and holding a gun, as he attended the church service with his wife, Lady Julia.

The solemn event was also attended by top dignitaries, including President Akufo-Addo and his wife, Rebecca; Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia and his wife, Samira; among other top officials.

Former Presidents Jerry John Rawlings; John Agyekum Kufuor; Speaker of Parliament, Mike Oquaye; NPP National Chairman, Freddie Blay and his wife, Gina Blay; the party's Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, traditional rulers across the country and members of the diplomatic corps were also there.

Otumfuo Bids Farewell

Prior to the commencement of the church service, Otumfuo Osei II, who had sat in state and received President Akufo-Addo and other dignitaries, left the burial ground amid gunshots.

He went to the Asantehemaa's palace where the late queen was lying in state, to bid her farewell. The dignitaries had to wait for about one hour before Otumfuo completed that mission.

The Asantehene finally arrived at the venue of the church service in a palanquin. The late Asantehemaa, who was placed in a magnificent coffin, was carried ahead of him (Otumfuo) to the venue, amid the firing of gun musketry.

Prayers

The top men of God from the Anglican Church prayed fervently for God to give a better resting place for the deceased Asante queen and also prayed for Gods' protection for Otumfuo and the bereaved royal family.

Sermon

Rt. Rev (Rtd) Sarfo Kantanka, preaching the sermon, urged Otumfuo and Asanteman not to throw their hands in the air in despair in these trying moments, assuring them that God is with them.

Tributes

Tributes from the family, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Lady Julia and the Anglican Church  of which Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II was a devoted member  were read at the burial service.

Wreath Laying

At the tail end of the service, President Akufo-Addo laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Ghana; Daasebre Otuo Serebuo, Juabenhene, laid one on behalf of Otumfuo and Lady Julia; Daasebre Osei Bonsu and the Anglican Church, also laid one each.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo laying a wreath on behalf on the people of Ghana

Daasebre Otuo Serebuo, Juabenhene, laying a wreath on behalf of Otumfuo and Lady Julia



State Burial

The late queen was given a state burial for her exploits for mother Ghana and so the military carried her casket to the Bantama Mausoleum, where some rituals were performed before she was sent to Breman for interment.

Pallbearers conveying the mortal remains of the Asantehemaa

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr & Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi
20.01.2017 LISTEN

The leadership of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), has told communicators of the opposition NDC to stay away from NUGS issues and allow them to deal with their issues themselves.

This is according to the president of NUGS who addressed a press conference at the Accra International Press Center on Thursday. According to NUGS, though they are not oblivious of the challenges at their front, they find intriguing that some NDC communicators would pick up such an issue and would want to bring in "their Political differences".

"We however want to send a word of caution to the communicators of a certain Political Party which is trying to bring their Political differences to this issue." He said.

"When this issue started, they had Political power and every right as well as the resources to deal with the issue but they decided to pitch camp with one side and illegally sent flag staff house police to go and arrest me and manhandle me. After I had been taken to Police Cells tour (from one police station to the other), I was kept at the Greater Accra Regional police headquarters for over four 4 days without bail nor charge.

When Students, Concerned Citizens and other youth groups paid me a visit at the police cells, they were met with a severe "Order from above" whipping.

It is therefore intriguing that members of this same Political grouping have now had a voice and are talking about the issue.

We implore on them to put a stop to it as soon as possible and allow us to handle our own issues at our level." He added.

NUGS also used the opportunity to call on the publishers of daily post newspaper to retract a "disparaging" report made against its president on the Wednesday 16th January, 2017 edition of the paper.

The press conference was also used to comment on the appointments made by President Akufo-Addo and was also used to outline their programs of activities for month of February.
20.01.2017 LISTEN

Our attention has been drawn to a publication on the front pages of the 'rented' newspapers and some online portals on a group calling itself 'Truth and "Accountable Governance" calling on President Akufo Addo to revoke the nomination of Hon. Catherine Afeku on an alleged "fraud" case.

First of all, we wish to express our heartfelt thanks to his Excellency Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo Addo for nominating our MP, our mother, our Yaa Asantewaa as the Minister designate for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts.

It is imperative to note that Hon. Catherine Afeku shall be the first female Minister to be appointed as Minister in Nzemaland, after being the first to have won a seat for the UP tradition in a CPP and NDC dominated constituency. Again, since 1960, no politician or individual has been appointed as Minister in Evalue Ajomoro Gwira.

We were happy, enthused and the jubilation was beyond description when the announcement of Hon. Catherine was made, after waiting for 57 years. We say a big thank you to the president, Nana Akufo Addo.

It is therefore very painful, sorrowful, and disheartening for a group to issue that statement for the president to drop our hardworking, affable, courageous and dependable MP.

Our research revealed that, the executives of the so called gruop, 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.

We are of the strongest conviction that this group had support from NDC members in Evalue Ajomoro Gwira because the draft of the report circulated in most pro-NDC whatsap gruops in Evalue A. Gwira before publication. An NDC former executive is reported to have said that " a prominent person from Nzema was going to Accra with documents to prevent the approval of Hon. Catherine at vetting. Another said he will only congratulate Hon. If she sailed through vetting. 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.

Hon. Catherine has been the pillar of NPP in Evalue Ajomoro Gwira since her return from America to serve her people. The support base of the Npp in Evalue Ajomoro 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.

What is the fact, in 2007 judgement was given in favor of an American couple, but in 2013 a fresh evidence was gathered and an appeal has been filed by our hon Catherine Afeku and 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 list goes on, and on, and on...

The youth and good people of the constituency are upset, because they did not vote for a fraudster, they voted for competent , intelligent, eloquent, hard working and courageous person: and that person is Hon. Catherine Abelema Afeku.

We call on the vetting committee, teaming supporters and all NPP sympathisers to treat the publication with the contempt it deserves and Clear our mother to contribute her quota to the development of Nzemaland and Ghana as a whole.

We also urge everybody, especially Nzema to support the course of his Excellency Nana Addo -Dankwa Akufo Addo and give a heavy hand of support to Hon. Catherine Abelema Afeku as we say in Nzema, Y3da y3 no ko y3de3 ala ene

Long live Evalue Ajomoro Giwra!

Long live NPP!

Long live Ghana!

Sarfo Hayford ( Comn DIR) 0209661879

Frank Okpeyen ( Secretary)

Charles Erzoah ( Dep Secretary)

Eric Jim ( Research)
20.01.2017 LISTEN

The victory of Donald Trump in the polls is historic and it is a reflection of true democracy in the United States of America. It is on record that the sitting President of the United States of America campaigned vigorously for Secretary Clinton who by every account has more policy experience than Donald Trump.

Working class White Americans voted enmasse for Donald Trump because they believed his promise of creating more jobs in America, bringing jobs outsourced to other countries back home, and building a wall between the Mexico and U.S.A border will help improve their economic condition.

Nigerians with legal status in the United States of America have nothing to fear about deportation because America is not a county of men but of laws.

Congress has to pass a bill and the bill signed into law by the President in order for the President to implement his or her immigration agenda. Donald Trump does have the authority after been sworn in as President to issue executive orders that will administratively change how legal documents in order to live, visit, and work in America are issued. And also incoming President Trump can also vigorously enforce current immigration laws in the books in order to deport folks here in America without legal documentation to be here.

Naturalized citizens in the United States of America that are of Nigerian descent or descent from other countries have nothing to fear regarding deportation. It is unprecedented for a President to ponder deporting citizens of the United States of America nor is it legal.

We are eager to see if Mr. Trump will fulfil his promises about building a wall along the U.S.A--Mexico border and vigorously profile Muslims as he suggested during the campaign. Historically, Presidents have not always implemented every agenda they articulated during campaigns. It will be instructive to see what happens with the Presidency of Donald Trump.

Generally, Nigerians in the United States of America preferred the candidacy of Secretary Clinton during the campaigns partly because her immigration policy was not as dramatic as that of President-elect Trump. Nigerians are living their everyday lives with the victory of Mr. Trump as they did before and I suspect most without papers will try to legalize their stay in the United States of America as soon a possible. I doubt that Nigerians without legal documentation will move back to Nigeria enmasse because most still feel they have more economic opportunities here in U.S.A as compared to Nigeria.

The Author, Omololu Omotosho, is a 2013 Fellow with President Obama's policy organization, Organizing for Action and the founder of Nigerians Saving Nigerians.
The Sultan of Sokoto is the father of the Fulani people, the foremost traditional ruler in northern Nigeria and the spiritual leader of all northern Muslims.

He is not just a traditional ruler but an all-powerful potentate who represents a strange and mystical power and who heads an ancient and dark empire.

Not only is he reverred by his subjects but he is also regarded and treated by some as something akin to a deity and by others as nothing less than the reincarnation of Sheik Usman Dan Fodio, the Sufi Muslim who founded the Caliphate empire by conquering and utterly crushing the Hausa kingdoms in a brutal and bloody jihad in northern Nigeria in 1804.

Whichever way his subjects choose to view him, whether as a deity or an all-conquering and all powerful jihadi war-lord, to the Muslims of the core north his word is law and absolutely everything revolves around him.

He is the living symbol of Fulani power, strength and glory and the physical manifestation of the quest for Islamist domination.

Yet despite these lofty heights and undoubtedly rich and impressive heritage his people have slaughtered, subjugated and terrorised more Nigerians in the last 212 years since Usman Dan Fodio's 1804 Jihad than ANY other ethnic group in our nation.

They have butchered more of their fellow Nigerians in that space of time than the white Boer settlers and farmers of apartheid South Africa butchered the black African population in Southern Africa in 363 years of white rule and domination since the time that the Dutch coloniser and admnistrator, Jan Van Riebeek, first put his foot on the South African Cape in 1653.

No African ethnic group has killed as many of their fellow Africans as the Fulani of northern Nigeria. Not even the Hutus of Rwanda, who did a whole lot of killing in the genocide of the early 1990's, could match them.

From the first Mahdi, Usman Dan Fodio, to the second, Sir Ahmadu Bello and to the third, General Muhammadu Buhari, the trail of blood, carnage, terror and religious compulsion and the inexplicable quest and insatiable desire to dominate, conquer, subjugate and control others trails them.

This is as unacceptable as it is provocative. The truth is that there is no place in any civilised society for any form of compulsion or ethnic and religious domination and bigotry

I say this because I believe that the mark of civilisation is the ability to tolerate dissenting views and to accomodate those that do not share your faith or come from your tribe, ethnic stock or nationality.

If you are incapable of being tolerant of others simply because they are different or they come from a different place and if you cannot indulge in any form of accomodation of those that do not share your views, your faith or your bloodlines then you are nothing more than an uncivilised field hand and an intellectual barbarian.

If you are capable of both tolerance and accomodation of others, no matter how stange or absurd their views, their faith or their circumstances may be, then you are the epitomy of civilisation, decency, good breeding and good old fashioned class.

The morale of the tale is as follows: to be tolerant and kind to ALL those that see things differently from you, to stand up against the intolerant and to resist the ignorant, the bigoted, the racist, the ethnic supremacist and the religious extremist. .

It is in an attempt to keep faith with this sacred resolution and honor this fundamental principle that I wish to bare my mind and share my views about the way forward for the Fulani Republic of Nigeria in this contribution. Those views are as follows.

I am a nationalist. I believe in the rise and power of the nation state. I believe in the sovereignity of the will of the people. I believe in the right of independence and self-determination for all and sundry. This is especially so for the numerous ethnic nationalities that make up the space called Nigeria.

I believe in the right of the Igbo to have Biafra and the right of the Yoruba to have Oduduwa if that is their wish.

I believe that that right ought to be extended to the Ijaws and indeed to every other ethnic nationality in the country if that is what they want.

I believe that to compel a man or a people, by the force of arms and with the raw power of the state, to stay in a house or a space that they do not wish to stay is evil.

Such a state of affairs and situation is an eloquent testimony, graphic example and accurate illustration of subjugation and bondage.

It is a testimony of the most barbaric form of wickedness and a total denial of the most basic civil liberties, fundamental human rights and expression of free will of the victims.

I believe that there are many counries in the belly of Nigeria but sadly they have all been choked, suffocated, swallowed up and killed at birth.

I believe that Chief Obafemo Awolowo was right when he said that Nigeria was "not a nation but a mere geographical expression".

I believe that Sir Ahmadu Bello was right when he described the amalglamation of the northern and southern protectorates as a "great mistake".

I believe that he was also right when he told the ever-accomodating and over-compensating Owelle Nnamdi Azikiwe that we needed to "understand our differences" rather than to just "forget them".

Again I believe that Awolowo was right when he said "there are no 'Nigerians' in the sense as there are English, Welsh or French. The word 'Nigerian' is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria and those who do not".

I believe that Nigeria's first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa accurately reflected the mind of his core northern people when he said,

"the Southern people who are swamping into this region daily in such large numbers are really intruders. We dont want them and they are not welcome here in the North. Since 1914, the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country but the people are different in every way, including religion, custom, language and aspirations. We in the north take it that Nigeriam unity is only a British intention for the country they created. IT IS NOT FOR US.

I believe that Lord Fredrrick Lugard, the architect of the 1914 amalglamation, was right when he said "the North and the South are like oil and water. They will never mix".

Again I believe that Awolowo was right when he said "Nigeria is only a geographical expression to which life was given by the diabolical amalgamation of 1914. That amalgamation will EVER remain the most painful injury a British government inflicted on Southern Nigeria".

I believe that the hero of Biafra, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (the one and only Eze Igbo Gburugburu), was right when he said "it is better we move slightly apart and survive than move together and perish in our collision".

I believe that Sir Ahmadu Bello spoke the minds of his northern people when he said,

the new nation called Nigeria should be an estate from our great grandfather, Othman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We must use the minorities in the North as willing tools and the south as conquered territories and never allow them to have control of their future.

I believe that General Yakubu Gowon was right when he said,

suffice it to say that putting all considerations to the test, political, economic as well as social, the basis of unity is not there.

I believe that Dr. Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe was right when he said,

if this embryo republic of ours must disintegrate, then in the name of God, let the operation be a short and painless one.

Finally I believe that Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu was right when he said,

"Nigeria is a stooge of Europe. Her independence was and is a lie. Nigeria committed many crimes against her nationals which in the end made complete nonsense of her claim to unity. Nigeria persecuted and slaughtered her minorities; Nigerian justice was a farce; her elections, her census, her politics  her everything  was corrupt. Qualification, merit and experience were discounted in public service. In one area of Nigeria, for instance, they preferred to turn a nurse who had worked for five years into a doctor rather than employ a qualified doctor from another part of Nigeria; barely literate clerks were made Permanent Secretaries; a university Vice-Chancellor was sacked because he belonged to the wrong tribe.

These words are as truthful, accurate and appropiate today as they were when Ojukwu spoke them many years ago.

If there is still anyone left that believes that all is well in our forced union I urge them to consider the words of Chief John Nwodo who is a former Minister of Information and the newly-elected President-General of Ohaneze, the leading Igbo political and socio-cultural group which comprises of all the elders and traditional rulers of Ndi Igbo. He said,

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 Yar Adua while Boko Haram was harshly treated by President Jonathan when his law enforcement agents literally opened fire and maimed and killed unarmed MASSOB and IPOB members. They see how returnee Boko Haram members are absolved and rehabilitated while leaders of MASSOB and IPOB are incarcerated or mercilessly murdered. In their rage, they are becoming uncontrollable as they pass a vote of no confidence on us, their parents, describing us as cowards and compromised".

Could anyone have put it any better than this? Has Nwodo not hit the nail on the head? Has he not spoken the bitter truth? Is this not an aberrant and unacceptable state of affairs?

Has our so-called country not been turned into the theater of the absurd where anything can happen in the last two years? Did some of us not warn that this would happen if a Fulani supremacist and Muslim fundamentalist with delusions of grandeur like Buhari was elected President? Are the Nigerian people not reaping what they sowed in 2015?

Have the southerners and Middle Belters in Nigeria not all been turned into slaves today? Have their leaders and elders not all been turned into quislings and cowards who shiver under their beds at night and who dare not speak truth to power?

Christians are slaughtered, nobody talks. Southern youths are butchered, nobody talks. Shiite Muslims are massacred, nobody talks. Christian refugees are bombed at IDP camps, nobody cares. Fulani militants murder hundreds in cold blood on a weekly basis all over the country and nobody is arrested or apprehended.

Was this not Awolowo and Ojukwu's greatest fear? Are we not living that nightmare today?

Whether they wish to admit it openly or not EVERY southerner and Middle Belter in this country feels like a second class citizen today.

(TO BE CONTINUED).
Paris (AFP) - West African nations have a long history of sending their military forces to intervene in neighbouring countries, under the umbrella of a regional cooperation bloc.

Created in 1975, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) focuses mainly on resolving regional conflicts.

In the case of The Gambia, where ECOWAS has temporarily suspended a military operation, the bloc has thrown its support behind the new President Adama Barrow.

The group has 15 members, of which eight are francophone (Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo), five anglophone (The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone) and two Portuguese speaking (Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau).

The organisation is dominated politically and economically by regional powerhouse Nigeria.

Here's a look at the five main foreign interventions carried out since 1990:

Mali

On January 11, 2013, following a UN Security Council resolution, the bloc authorises the immediate deployment of an intervention force aimed at helping Mali retake its Islamist-controlled north.

The same day, the French military launches Operation Serval to back the Malian army and drive back the Islamists, who are pushing south towards Bamako.

The West African force comprises 6,300 men, including 2,000 from Chad, which is not an ECOWAS member. The Chadian soldiers were on the front line alongside French soldiers in fighting the insurgents.

On July 1, 2013, the ECOWAS force is absorbed by the UN's MINUSMA stabilisation force in Mali, which is currently 13,000 strong.

Guinea-Bissau

West African troops are deployed in May 2012 to help the political transition after one of the nation's many coups.

They have since served with a mandate to protect public figures and institutions.

The force consists of more than 600 police officers and paramilitary gendarmes from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

Already in February 1999, a lightly armed ECOWAS force was deployed to help resolve the crisis in the insurgency-hit country, but withdrew several months later after failing to prevent a resumption of fighting and the overthrow of the head of state.

Liberia

In August 1990, ECOWAS sends a force of several hundred men to Liberia to intervene in a civil war ignited eight months earlier.

The ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group, or ECOMOG, quickly grows to nearly 20,000 soldiers.

Although generally described as a peacekeeping force, ECOMOG is soon called on to take more responsibilities for maintaining order.

In early 1997, more than seven years after the war started, ECOMOG carries out a major disarmament operation, paving the way for multi-party elections in July.

The last ECOMOG soldiers leave Liberia in October 1999.

In August 2003, a new ECOWAS mission, ECOMIL, is deployed in Monrovia, the capital, which had been under siege by rebels for three months. Restricted to some 3,500 soldiers, the force is unable to deploy across the whole of the country and transfers its contingent to the United Nations.

Sierra Leone

ECOMOG's Nigerian contingent drives a 1997-98 military junta, the Revolutionary United Front, from Freetown and reinstates president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. The RUF later invades Freetown on January 6, 1999, before being expelled two weeks later by ECOMOG troops.

The West African intervention force, which has up to 11,000 men in Sierra Leone, officially winds up its mission in May 2000 and is replaced by the UN peacekeeping force, formed to guarantee the Lome peace accord of July 1999, which ended the civil war.

Ivory Coast

A 1,300-strong West African force is deployed in January 2003 after a military rebellion which effectively cuts Ivory Coast in two. In 2004 the soldiers are integrated into the UN's mission in the country.
Victims of the atrocities being shephereded to an unknown location

20.01.2017 LISTEN



Ghanaians, especially those in Berekum, Dormaa Ahenkro, Nkoranza and other towns in the Brong Ahafo Region, whose relatives have travelled to Libya in search of greener pastures, are extremely worried about the safety of their relations in that country.

Gory pictures of dead Ghanaians and other Africans in that country are currently circulating.

Sadique, a Ghanaian in Tripoli, last Friday said some Ghanaians and other people of African descent had been arrested, beheaded, adding that hundreds were chained and transported to unknown places.

He said some Libyans were searching for black people in ghettoes to be tortured and killed.

He therefore pleaded with Ghanaians, who intend to travel to Libya for greener pastures to rescind their decisions, saying they can use their monies to trade at home rather than risk their lives.

The heads were severed with cutlasses. Others were severely beaten. The situation is dire and I am speaking from my hideout. I ask Ghanaians back home who have not heard from their brothers, sisters in Libya to call them to see if they are still alive.

Since the news broke out about the development, some local radio stations, including Moonlight Fm in Sunyani have been playing the voices, thereby sending shivers down spines of relatives in the region.

Some callers to the radio station therefore pleaded with President Nana Addo to intervene in matter.

[email protected]

From Daniel Y Dayee, Sunyani


A committee to reorganize the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to uphold its core principles and values has been proposed.

The Coalition for Rejuvenation and Reorganizing of the NDC (CRR), a group comprising activists of the NDC, Cadres of the 31st December Revolution, constituency and branch executives, made the call on Thursday in Accra.

Addressing the media, spokesperson of CRR and an NDC activist, Kunkun Ampiah, said the reorganization of the NDC should be the focus of party members rather than the investigations into the defeat of the party in the December polls.

That, he said, was because supporters and activists of the NDC nationwide already know the causes of the party's defeat, and as such there was no need for a committee to investigate the causes of the poor performances in the polls.

We do not need a fact-finding committee to explain December 7. We lost because hundreds of thousands of our members and supporters boycotted the polls for years of neglect by the leadership and some arrogant and ineffective election campaigners, Mr. Ampiah.

The rank and file of the NDC are currently engaged in the blame-game, forcing the party to set up a 13-member fact-finding committee, chaired by Dr. Kwesi Botcway, to investigate the causes of the defeat of the NDC.

But the CRR believes the Dr. Botcway Committee is needless and that the party should focus on how to reorganize the party at the national, regional and constituency and branch levels to enable it win the 2020 elections.

Our crisis will not be resolved simply by playing musical chairs. We must shelve all premature and unproductive debates on 2020 leadership and focus first on the systemic and reorganizational failings that have allowed leadership to perform so badly for so long, said CRR.

Mr. Ampiah said we must review our branches effectively and their engagement with our base so that we can regain our propriety or ownership and supporters' confidence.

Citing reasons for the party's defeat, Mr. Ampiah said our members and supporters say the party (NDC) abandoned its grassroots base  working people, youth, women and indigenous business people once it got power.

Instead of policies, programmes and institutions to uplift this considerable and important constituency, our government offered only spin.

Our members and supporters say the party's presidential and parliamentary campaigns sidelined experienced hands and party organs in favor of inexperienced and unaccountable appointees, relatives and friends.

Touching on the rationale behind the formation of the group, Mr. Ampiah said we have come together because of the crushing defeat of our party in both presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7 and the leadership collapse that it has exposed.

By Melvin Tarlue


The difference between the developed countries and developing countries like Ghana is the adherence to law and the building of strong and functional institutions. I chanced to have a short conversation with an old man in a trotro from Atomic Junction to Accra central three months ago.

In the course of our discourse, I asked him how can young people be the change agents and shape our country.

His response was that our mindset as people have to change first before we can see that change we desire.

So I gave him a follow up question on how the mindset of the people can change.

With a soft voice he responded that the mindset of the older generation is exposed to corruption and other cankers.

This old man tapped on my shoulder and whispered into my ears, that young man,my generation has failed me but your generation shouldn't fail.

You should instill some kind of patriotism in the kids who are not exposed to these vices before they also join the corrupted minds.

I became quite and couldn't utter a word.This man didn't talk to me again because suddenly my mood changed. I became sad and begun thinking about how young people can make this change agenda a reality.

Two weeks later, I travelled to my hometown in the Ashanti region. I was told the Otumfuo, Asantehene has lost his mother Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem so there is a ban on funeral ceremony till further notice.

All the traditional rulers in the Ashanti region ensured that this ban was strictly adhered to. The Power of the King!

The Ashantis have shown the world the beauty of their culture. People from all walks of life joined the Asantehene to mourn the Queen.That was impressive!

May the Queen's soul rest in peace!

I was watching TV on Wednesday evening when the news broke that the Asantehemaa to wit the Queen of Ashanti will be buried on Thursday so there is a holiday for all schools in the Kumasi metropolis. A caution was given to the people living in Kumasi not to go out in the evening of Thursday since the remains of the queen will be sent to the Breman fie-that's where the Royals of the Ashanti Kingdom are buried.

I was waiting to see how the people were going to observe this curfew.

Surprising, on Thursday evening around 4pm, the streets of kumasi was empty like the road leading to Gambia's state house (lol)

Adum and Central market area which is always flooded by people was silent like a

"nsamanmpo" cemetry. It was then that I confirmed the level influence of the Otumfuo.

But as citizens who are not spectators, what did we learn from this?

I have learnt that our people revere the traditional rule than the constitutional rule.(it's a fact)

As Africans,i think it is always prudent to remember our origin. The people of Kumasi showed how they obey their king. That's very impressive but then, why do we always sit down for people of authority to tell us what to do before we do the right thing?

If we are going to replicate this same attitude shown on Thursday to the laws of our land, trust me Ghana will develop within a year.

Unfortunately, same can't be told of because most of the people who are elected constitutionally do not obey the laws so the people do not respect them. Corruption has made many political leaders lose respect in society.

Apathy on the part of our people is killing the progress of the country. People litter around anywhere in the streets.

A lot of people do not pay their taxes as citizens. If these traditional rulers like Otumfuo and his abrafuos are given the ultimatum to ensure law and order, our cities will be clean and beautiful.

In that regard, Ghana is backsliding based on separation of powers and there can also be a progress on that advantage .

Per thursday's occurrence ,I believe that, to move Ghana forward, it will demand our chiefs stern actions for people to obey basic rules of our dear nation.

The traditional rule is more of spiritual matters and the people obey spirituality than that of the constitution. People are more afraid of Antoa than Nsawam prisons.

A friend once said "the constitutional law is just a matter of getting a good lawyer who can talk well"

The simplicity of governance is that,we deal with people based on their level of understanding.

Ghanaians give recognition to chiefs concerning regulatory issues so with this regard, it will be prudential for the chiefs to act as state governors purposely for law enforcement.This would bring sanity in our towns and cities.

Though we have a whole ministry for chieftaincy issues, I think It's high time we converge our chiefs into the matters of the state with seriousness because our people regard them the more.

Most of our traditional rulers have been independent for long and exhibited true statesmanship and as a result of that,they have gained the maximum respect from the people.

Their level of influence can make the people to become law abiding citizens not spectators.

Making reference to the case study of what happened in Kumasi, I think we need the involvement of our chief for an effective enforcement of state laws.

Our MPs are law makers but they don't enforce laws..Besides, we elect and house them in the capital city.

I believe it's time to involve these traditional rulers in law enforcement and Ghana will become a beacon of hope and opportunity.

Our people should also change their mentality because the kumasi curfew has opened our eyes to the fact that, we can obey the law if it's coming from our strong kings.

Long live Ghana!

Long live Asanteman!!

Long live our leaders!!!
The Dead speaks not. The Dead sees not and the Dead hears not. When we literally smell something up in the air, we get the sense that somethings cooking. When we hear Fontonfrom drums throbbing louder, the trumpets blaring and the deafening sounds of the gong-gong amid wailings and dirges we have the idea that something is wrongOdupon atutu.

Whats amiss?

Asantehemaa who passed away on Monday 14, 2016 at the age 111 had made her final journey home.

Kumasi and the occupant of the Golden Stool Otumfuo Osei Tutu II had been mourning the Asantehemaa Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II whose burial took place on Thursday night. The four-day event had drawn people from far and near, regional and continental. The city wore black and red, the clouds showed their anger and the sky appeared morose.

And Kumasi wept, she danced and pranced but she also had time to pay her last respect to Abrewatia, Asantehemaa. From Manhyia to Bantama and finally to Bremanthe resting place, the Old Lady was welcomed by her ancestors.

The sight and sound in Kumasi remain a topic across the country and even beyond. The eyes that came from Togo, Benin, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, the UK and the US got served fully-satisfied. And the ears got their share too. Kumasi witnessed former presidents, Jerry John Rawlings, John Kufuor, John Mahama and current President Akufo-Addo. Former UN Boss Kofi Annan was at Manhyia to mourn with Otumfuo.

Certainly, the retinue of kings and queens the displays of impeccable culture, pomp and pageantry at the funeral of the Queen mother has since left many mesmerised and awestruck.

Theyd come to mourn, pay homage, and bid Obaahemaa Goodbye but theyd more than that.

The spectacle was breathtaking. And one of the numerous sights that left many openmouthed was the cloth worn by Akwamuhene from the eastern region of Ghana. Its understood 400-year-old garb was made from lions hide/skin. He and his entourage trooped into Manhyia like an army of lions ready to devour their preys.

And for once the dead spoke these words: Its all well and beautiful. Its all well and colourful. Indeed its all well with my soul. Youve accorded me the greatest respect and given me what I never witnessed in my life time on earth.

I make this mysterious journey today with great pride, with great joy and with great appreciation to all who came to mourn with Asanteman and my beloved son Otumfuo Ababio Osei Tutu II. I think I will sleep well and Im hopeful I will forever rest in perfect peace. 

But of course the beautiful tribute paid by Otumfuo titled: To My Dear Mother cannot fall through the cracks. It grabbed my attention. Theres something unique about the tribute. It is Otumfuors repetitive usage of the You pronoun.

The pronoun You is the second-person or personal pronoun used in both singular and plural form. The word You appeared almost 100 times in Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutus tribute to his late mother and Asantehemaa Afia Kobi Ampem. It accentuates the bond between a mother and son, the love, her kindness to humanity, the upbringing she gave to him, the values and morals the mother instilled in her adorable son and many more.

Not only that but also the king views his mom as a pillar and fortress, a disciplinarian, a virtuous woman father figure and a killer of hunger.

He begins his You binge from the second paragraph: I thank the Good Lord for giving you to me for 66 years as my mother. You have indeed been my all.

And as if he was pitching Otumfuo opens the third paragraph with you: You did not only give me life, you gave me life that is worth living. You brought me up in the cultural traditions of our forefathers.

You gave me the best of humanity to make me what I am today. You were s beacon of wisdom to me. You loved me and siblings and you did everything for us, except condone evil in our lives.

You were a disciplinarian to the core. You were the mother with whom I conferred. The members of our great clan and others always looked up to you.

It is believed that single moms are tough and they raise their kids with tough love. That noted I suspect young Kwaku Dua got many whacks from his mother. Also in that paragraph we see Otumfuors mom as a counselor and adviser not only to him growing up but to many in the Oyoko clan.

You were Agya on whom we wholly depended. You were a killer of hunger for us, our saviour, the slender arm full of kindness the ruler and whose strings were on all hearts. You taught us the value of hard work. As a young boy you did not want me to be pampered.

Had he (Otumfuo) read the tribute by himself, I could see him break down or shed tear drops here, referring to paragraph thirteen (13). Owoahene, Asanteman join me in mourning the passing away of our Asantehemaa. You will in time be succeeded by a successor to be chosen by me, but in the meantime, I have lost that which cannot be replaced, he said.

Indeed who can mend a broken stone (Obo payea yenpam)? When undying death (Bamoa wuo) lays its icy hands on one, it means the end of time. It means we are making the no-return-journey. It means we have finished our work here on earth. It means we are bidding our loved ones and good friends the final Goodbye to eternity.

As the lamentations took centre stage the mind got focused on the Home-going of the queen mother. Yes, it was all about his mother (you). But Otumfuo had something up on his sleeves as he shared his love affair with his better half-Lady Julia. He recalled how his mother Asantehemaa drilled him and literally set him on pins and needles.

I am also forever grateful to you for my dear wife, Lady Julia. When I told you that I had met someone that I wanted to marry, you asked to see her first before I took a decision. You then asked to see me, upon her introduction to leave her with you for a while, just the two of you, and should come back for her later, which I obliged.

After a while, you asked for her to be brought back to me. Upon seeing you the next day and enquiring from you about your meeting with my wife-to-be. You said you were not ready yet to give me an answer and that I should come back the next day. You then asked to see me on the third day and said to me that you now had an answer for me. The answer was that the lady was my wife and that I would be at peace with her, a prophecy that has manifested throughout our marriage of peace, love and understanding. For all these I thank you with deep sense of gratitude.

The powerful king also reveals this in the tribute: Now I must navigate through life without your guidance and support and without your abundant love. I frankly do not know how I can do it because of the memory of your love for me and the recognition of the wonderful example that you have set by your life.

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.

On that note I will also draw the curtain down and join Otumfuo, Asanteman and Ghanaman to say Goodbye to Asantehemaa. Nante Yie Odehyie!!!
20.01.2017 LISTEN

Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have expressed confidence in the new administration to complete the payments of the BDC debt.

According to them, adequate structures have been put in place, for the payment of the debt without any undue delays.

The prompt payment of the debts is expected to among other things facilitate the purchase of fuel products for onward supply to the various OMCs.

Government is currently indebted to about 17 Bulk Oil Distribution Companies in excess of 500 million dollars.

President of the Association of Oil marketing Companies, Kwaku Agyemang Duah who spoke to Citi Business News urged the new government to complete the payment of the debt.

The BDC debt is being handled and it's a good thing. Structures have been put in place and that accounted for the energy levy and so far I think it's not bad and I know the government is continuing, the previous government and this government I believe will continue with it, Mr. Agyemang said.

This same confidence has been expressed by players in the banking industry.

The banks remain the most affected as a result of the debt but have also expressed confidence that the new administration will not fail to complete the payment of the debt.

In an earlier interview with Citi Business News the Managing Director of HFC bank, Robert Le Hunte was optimistic the incoming Nana Akufo-Addo government will continue with the plans laid down by the Ministry of Finance in paying the legacy debt.

According to him, the change in government should not in any way alter the process already agreed on to pay the affected banks.

I think that's part of maturity as a government and when a government makes a decision; it's not within the individual's might but the whole country. I think the money owed in the legacy debts have gone through a number of iterations, discussions and audits and it was agreed upon as such I expect the commitments made by one government will be carried forward to another government, he told Citi Business News.



By: Anita Arthur/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
Senior minister-nominee, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, has downplayed the relevance of a 40-year national development plan to guide Ghana's development agenda.

According to him, a long-term plan for national development must be limited to ten years due to world economic conditions and the advancement in technology.

Speaking at his vetting in Parliament on Friday, Osafo Maafo said, although he made inputs into the document that was spearheaded by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), he made his concerns known about the duration of the plan.

I don't believe in planning in excess of 10 years because of the stringency of world economics, and therefore I would prefer that we restrict ourselves to a 10-year development plan. I have made some inputs into it relating to infrastructure and energy.

The NDPC met the whole caucus of the NPP at our headquarters to discuss initially the 40-year development plan. The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and I expressed our views on the length of time.

Osafo-Maafo noted that, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will take another look at the plan, and together with the NDPC review it to make it relevant to the nation's development.

Now that we are in power, we are surely going to have a critical look at that programme and we are not going to swallow it hook, line and sinker. We'll look at the 40-year-plan; it is important that every country like Ghana gets a long -term plan, particularly with respect to infrastructure, so that there will be continuity. So we will definitely look at it and where modifications are necessary, we'll make it after going through.

'Mahama launches 40-year development plan'

The former NDC government led by John Mahama, in August 2015, launched a 40-year National Development Plan for Ghana (2018-2057), to provide a framework for national development binding on successive governments.

The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), which is headed by Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, consulted various stakeholders and considered the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the development plan.

The Senior Minister role

The nomination of Yaw Osafo-Marfo as Senior Minister-designate, has seen some social commentators raise issues about the portfolio.

Although the portfolio existed under the erstwhile John Kufuor administration, critics believe it was superfluous with no specific designation.

But according to Mr. Osafo-Maafo, his role as Senior Minister is to coordinate the economic sector ministries including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, to ensure that the economy is re-situated in a homogeneous manner.



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @jnyabor
Myjoyonline.com brings you live update from Parliament where its Appointments Committee is set to vet four ministerial nominations starting with the Senior minister-designate, Yaw Osafo Marfo.

Strict security and enforcement of protocol means the cacophany that surrounds the vetting process has vanished. No teeming supporters outside to cheer their favourite politician, no intimidating delegations of chiefs,family members or close associates.

Today should be orderly, pensive and quite serene. Your reporter, Edwin Appiah is here to bring you live updates.

AA: ask a question about financing for housing and mortgage

OM: It is a pity that the system for Housing and Construction was allowed to collapse. I told the World Bank they misled the whole country. You cant use commercial banks to fund housing or mortgage. They only give short-term.

Atta Akyea: Can you fire and hire as Senior minister?

OM: (excited about the question) He is not a prime minister as speculated. He cannot hire or fire.

Titus Glover: Ask a question about economic development

OM: Fundamentally, Ghanas economy is strong. What is left is the management of the resources. Debt-servicing is 7% of GDP, growth is 3% of GDP. teachers and nurses allowance is 0.1% of GDP so you can more than pay those allowances if you manage resources well.

Haruna Iddrisu: Is worried the nominee called the President as Nana Addo. Familiarity breeds contempt, he says. He wants the nominee to give maximum respect to the President. Children are listening

OM: President Nana Addo Dankwa-Akufo Addo, he corrects.

Titus Glover: How are you going to plug revenue loopholes

OM: The revelations are shocking. SOmetimes I wake up and people would have slipped notes under my door. He says Revenue collection agencies must be taken off the payroll and incentivised differently. When he was a Finance minister, he gave the agencies a commission.

Titus Glover: Social media is worried about the size of Akufo-Addos ministers. Do you think the number is justified?

OM: The decision is for the president.He justifies the Ministry for Railways. Since Gordon Guggisberg, there has not been any serious attempt to develop railways. Rail system needs complete overhaul. Financing is also very complicated because you need long-term financing. The attention of one minister to do this is not too much. Left to him, he will appoint two deputies.

AY: How different is the Chief of Staff from Senior minister?

OM: Mine is specifically cordinate economic sector ministries. COS will run the secretariat of the Presidency

Ayisi: How the nominee tackle the economy

OM: In 2011 grew at 14%. Today is it between 3-4%. All of us must be thinking about growth

Haruna Iddrisu: Is the NPP a socialist or capitalist party.

OM: The NPP is center-right and I hope the NDC is center-lef as they claim to be. He laughs.

Mahama Ayariga, Bawku MP, gets his opportunity to question the constitutional basis for the Senior minister position. he wants to know if he has paid his taxes or declared his assets.

OM: I faithfully pay my taxes. He shows his tax clearance certificate. He says he has declared his assets twice and when he is approved he will declare his assets the third time. He says he believes in public declaration of assets.

MA: Are you higher in rank as a Senior minister? If I want to put a question to a minister, should he go thorugh the Senior minister?

OM: He reads Article 78(2) which allows the president to appoint ministers as he deems efficient. If the President wants to name his position as an octopus ministry so be it. He says he is not superior to any minister. He says a question to Finance minister, will go to the Finance minister not him. He coordinates, supervises and can flex some muscles when information from ministries is not forthcoming.

Anthony Karbo: asks a question about taxes and later wants the nominee to speak some German as he said he can.

OM: Withholding tax is a lazy way of taxing so it will be reviewed along with corporate taxes. His team has already met three times on the taxes to be scrapped. He also speaks some German equilavent to how are you?

Anthony Karbo asked a very complicated question about how he will make the economy business friendly and the IMF program

OM: Land and rent is a major challenge. There is nowhere in the world where you pay rent two years. Rent advance put off businesses which wanted to re-locate to Ghana during civil unrest. He wants Parliament to straighten some of these things according to the law.

IMF program will certainly be reviewed. Akufo-Addo needs fiscal space to implement his program which the IMF program does not currently allow. Secondly, most targets set between the IMF and NDC govt were missed. So  even the IMF would want the program reviewed

Nii Lante: Have you seen the National 40-year development plan

Osafo Marfo : I have had some input into the plan relating to infrastructure, power. I havent seen the final product but when I was consulted I gave my views. I do not believe in planning beyond 10 years because the world changes quickly.

Nii Lante is worried Osafo Marfo has not seen the plan. How is he going to continue with it?

Osafo Marfo: stresses the NPP was consulted. But the new government will not swallow it hook,line and sinker. We will look at it critically.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye ask a question: What will be the relationship between your office, NDPC and Minisitry of Finance?

Osafo Marfo: NDPC does super-planning. His relationship with NDPC will therefore be cooperation.

11:04. Osafo Marfo is explaining his new position. He will cordinate the economic sector ministries like his predeccesor JH Mensah. He says he has done this kind of job in Liberia. The economy is the priority of the Akufo-Addo government and his past experience means he will bring in much, he explains.

10:57am Osafo Marfo is in blue suit,hot pink tie and lots of grey hair.

10:55am: First Deputy Speaker Hon. Joe Osei Owusu who chairs the Appointments Committee has prayed Parliaments routine prayer. He has urged respect for the rules and invited the nominee.

10:17am:

At least 13 members of the committee are seated. A good number of them have also been nominated for positions  Napo, Nitiwul,Ursula  will it soften their mettle or temper their bite today? For the Minority MPs there is no such dilema or disuasion. They have promised to go for the jugular.

The last time a nominee was vetted it was John Oti Bless. The Minority were very keen on stopping his appointment for distasteful comments he made about judges months prior to the vetting.

The Minority is now the Majority, the Majority then now the Minority. Time they say  changes.

Osafo Marfo is a veteran politician. The former Akim Oda MP is not new to vetting or to ministerial work. He was appointed Minister of Finance in February 2001 and later to Education and Sports.

But this position  Senior Minister  is new to him and controversial for the Minority. Already Bawku MP from the Minority, Mahama Ayariga, has described the position as unconstitutional. We could find out more.

-Myjoyonline
20.01.2017 LISTEN

A Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), Dr Said Boakye, has indicated that base on the institutes analysis of the fiscal position of the countrys economy left behind by the previous NDC government showed that it was not robust enough as being touted by the NDC spokespersons.

Hence the need to improve the economic outlook before moving on to implement the policies proposed by the new government, he told the new NPP government.

He has asked the government to be cautious in the implementation of its policy proposals, explaining that the fundamentals of the economy are weak and incapable of supporting major policies initiatives immediately.

Dr Boakye is of the view that, instead of rushing to implement some of its manifesto pledges, he wants the new administration to employ sober reflections on the state of the economy to ensure that every decision reflects the true conditions of the nation.

The fiscal position of the country is not good despite the continuous talk about consolidation, Dr Boakye said at a press conference in Accra by the IFS last week.

Something serious has to be done to improve the fundamentals. If you are able to have a handle on the fiscal fundamentals, then you can talk about those big things they were promising, he added.

In a related news, Professor Newman Kwadwo Kusi, has stated that, Ghana needs new, bold and systematic policies capable of bringing about fundamental changes to the economy.

According to him, Ghana cannot produce different results based on the same past incremental policy changes.

The Executive Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), Prof Kusi explained to the Economy Times that the countrys over-dependence on the export of primary commodities, notably cocoa, timber, gold and, recently, oil, was a continuation of the over 60-year-old colonial economic structure, adding: Exporting these commodities in their raw forms fetches low prices on the international market.

He said to transform the economy and restore high growth, the government needed to promote industrialisation, transform agriculture and land use, provide affordable credit facilities and improve on extension services to farmers.

Prof. Kusi added that there was also the need for the expansion of irrigation facilities, markets, storage and preservation facilities, among others.

Also, commenting on the decision to restore the allowances paid to nurses and teacher trainees, Dr Boakye said it was not the best of steps to have been taken at this time.

I am not saying it is the best of policies, but it is one of the campaign promises.

They can go ahead and do it, after all it is not a huge expenditure. But if they do not restore it, probably it is the best, he said.

While explaining that the institute was not against the implementation of the governments policies, he said I am concerned that the situation is not strong.

You want to expand infrastructure and a whole lot of things. You cannot do all that with only income in this rigid type of economy. You can only do that with borrowing and the debt level is already high, he explained.

The IFS advised the government to undertake policies that will help transform the economy.

It explained that restoring and sustaining high growth would require concerted actions on a number of fronts, including the transformation of agriculture and land use by supporting large-scale farming alongside smallholder farming.

IFS also tasked the government to promote industrialisation by addressing the bottlenecks facing the manufacturing sector such as the energy constraints, poor infrastructure, unaffordable credit, high rate and multiplicity of taxes.

It also flagged the lack of indigenously-developed technology and high cost of public services as some of the areas that the government must work to address.

There is also the need to establish appropriate processing and refining facilities to add value to the countrys export commodities, it said in the document that was read to the media by Dr John Kwakye, Senior Research Fellow at IFS.

The institute also urged the government to promote the private sector as the engine of growth and job creation by improving the business environment, including creating a favourable regulatory environment, improving land use planning and administration, improving business linkages to foster transfer of know-how and technological innovation.

It should also expand businesses access to credit and access to domestic and international markets while helping to reduce business risks, the IFS added.

According Prof. Kusi, unemployment had also become a ticking time bomb, posing a threat to social cohesion and national security.

He observed that until those challenges were addressed, it would be difficult for the government to achieve its development objectives.

Tackling issues of unemployment, he recommended that agriculture must be made more attractive and sustainable and that it was also necessary to develop and implement a public works programme to train and employ people for the job market.

With regard to corruption, he called for the establishment of an anti-corruption commission with unfettered independence and authority to deal with all acts of corruption.

Decouple the Ministry of Justice from the Attorney General, with the former acting solely as the government lawyer and the latter as a public prosecutor with total prosecutorial authority and independence, the director said.

He also recommended the passage of the Right to Information Bill to fight corruption.

He further called for a long-term national development plan which was more inclusive and binding on successive governments and a review of the current development plan being developed.

Prof. Kusi also said there must be effective fiscal decentralisation, clearly delineating the functions of the central government and the local government, particularly in education, health, infrastructure, among other recommendations.

Implementing the recommendations outlined will require huge financial resources. Ghana, like many developing countries, has limited resources to fund its development, but the government can raise the funds through domestic revenue, grants, loans and public/private partnerships, he said.
20.01.2017 LISTEN

The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) have cautioned the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) should desist from financing infrastructure projects with funds allocated to it from petroleum revenues.

The Committee 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 made this known in its report on the management of petroleum revenue for the first half of 2016.

But, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has justified its decision to invest outside its core mandate.

The corporation insists the move is only a strategic one targeted expanding the opportunities of the corporation.

PIAC in its 2016 report lashed out at the GNPC for refusing to adhere to a directive not to invest its proceed in non-core business of the industry.

In its Semi Annual Report on Management of Petroleum Revenue, PIAC bemoaned the decision of GNPC to invest in areas it has advised the corporation in the past not to invest.

However, the Chief Executive Officer of GNPC Alex Mould has said the decision was needed to ensure the industry is well protected and reformed.

We cant sell gas to a weak industry so we have to make sure that we are working with all the institutions that are in the reform of ECG and the power sector to ensure that happens and if that means GNPC gives its balance sheet to assist others, then yes then that means we have to. But that also means we have to have a voice in the running of the sector and the running of the organization. he said.

He maintained that GNPC cannot detach itself from the value chain since the industry is interconnected with other industries.

GNPC will be selling gas to all the IPPs. We will be the largest single entity in the power sector because we will be supplying gas to nearly about 80% to all electricity produce in this country. So its important that GNPC be at the table and help in the reforms. To do that GNPC is acting as a catalyst, an enabler to assist the weaker industries in our value chain because ECG is in the value chain of gas, GNPC is disposing off gas.

Mr. Mould however stated that the right key indicators must be proper supervision to keep companies on their toes.

The right Key Performance Indicators (KPI) needs to be put in place so that all these companies live to their expectations and dont let us down. He said.

Meanwhile, PIAC had also warned that the decision by GNPC to continue financing the Western Corridor Road becomes even more worrisome considering the fact that the allocation to GNPC during the period under review was not sufficient to cover even the Jubilee financing cost.

According to PIAC, total allocation of petroleum revenue to GNPC was $22.77 million while $64.04 million was spent, representing a net deficit of $41.27 million (181.9%).

An amount of $3.12 million was expended on the Western Corridor Roads while $0.32 million was spent as GNPCs contribution to the decommissioning of the Saltpond Field.

Also, the Committee reported that crude oil production from the Jubilee Field declined by 40 percent from 19.08 million barrels in mid-year 2015 to 11.44 million barrels over the same period in 2016.

It attributed the decline in production to a combination of scheduled shutdown of the FPSO for routine maintenance and a faulty turret bearing which led to the suspension of oil production for up to 50 days.

The 2016 half-year production volumes are the lowest since 2011. There was a 38 percent 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, the report said.

The Committee said there was no production at the Saltpond Field following the suspension of operations in December 2015, adding that the Saltpond Field is currently being decommissioned.

It said the Ghana Group lifted 1.95 million barrels of oil, representing 18.48 percent of total liftings from the Jubilee Field between January and June 2016.

Liftings carried out by the Ghana Group declined by 39 percent when compared to the liftings done during the same period in 2015.

A total of 9,349 MMscf of wet gas was exported to the Atuabo Gas Plant for processing into lean gas, LPG and condensates.

Average achieved price for the Jubilee Crude was $40.21 per barrel compared to benchmark price of $53.03, representing a negative variance of 24.21 percent, the Committee said.
Senior Minister designate Yaw Osafo Maafo has described as a "frivolous propaganda" allegations that he superintended over two major financial scandals- CNT/CI loan and MacMillan- whilst in office as minister of state between 2001 and 2006.

Appearing before Parliament's Appointment Committee, the Senior Minister designate appeared to be in no mood to entertain the "mischievous allegations" and sought to suggest that MP for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was too young to understand the details of those two issues at the time.

Mr Ablakwa wanted the nominee to answer to the two scandals that rocked the Kufuor administration and what role the nominee played in all of it.

"I think you were too young at the time to understand the issue," Maafo fired, a statement which was considered unparliamentary and was asked to withdraw and apologise which he did.

CNTCI

In 2004, the Kufuor government with Osafo Maafo as minister at the time solicited for an amount of US $300 million loan from the CNT Construction Investment Ltd.(CNTCI Ltd) to undertake major infrastructural projects.

The National Democratic Congress in opposition described the loan as fraudulent. The party also questioned the credibility of the company from which the loan was sought.

The then General Secretary of the NDC at the time said the loan was sought from an hairdressing salon not a company with the financial muscle to provide a loan to the Ghana government.

The then government mounted a defence for the loan but said there was an error in the telephone number of the company which may have been directed to the hairdressing salon. The government later backed down after major criticism.

Macmillan scandal

A year after the CNTCI scandal came another one in 2005 in which the then minister was accused of fraudulently sole sourcing a US$ 27 million deal to Macmillan Company to provide text books to the Ghana Education Service.

The then opposition did not understand why the minister had to sole source such a contract to Macmillan and without any parliamentary approval.

They accused the Osafo Maafo of setting aside cheaper bids from Heinemann, Oxford and Longman in respect of the supply of the textbooks.

Appointment Committee

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa wanted finality on the issue and demanded from the appointee to explain into details what role he played in the scandals

Yaw Osafo-Maafo stated unequivocally that there was no wrong doing in those two scandals insisting they were only mischievous allegations.

He said on the CNTCI, the government needed money at the time for infrastructural projects and he received a proposal from CNTCI about the possibility of them providing the loan.

He said when he received the proposal they had to conduct due diligence on the company to know if the company was credit worthy.

He stated that when the scandal broke a press conference was organised at the time to explain the issue after which he went to Parliament to announce their withdrawal for the loan hunt.

More soon;

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
20.01.2017 LISTEN

The Office of the Women's commissioner of the National Union of Ghana Students wishes to Congratulate Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba for her normination as the Minister Designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection.

The Commission is particularly happy about the appointment of Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba. She has worked tirelessly as a Women's Organizer of the New Patriotic Party and has demonstrated her undying commitment to the advancement of the female gender. As female students of Ghana we are rest assured that our interests will be well fought for under her able leadership.

We are hopeful that the long overdue affirmative action bill and the property rights of spouses bill will be passed during her tenure of office.

We look forward to successful collaborations with her office for the advancement of the female student in Ghana.

We take this opportunity to wish her well as she faces the appointment committee for her vetting.

We again use this opportunity to Congratulate all women MPs for their successful Elections and Congratulate all women minister designates for their appointment.

Thank you.

With kind regards,

Naomi Tawiah

(Women's Commissioner)

National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS)
20.01.2017 LISTEN

The Secretary to former President John Mahama, Ambassador Kwesi Quartey, has asked ECOWAS leaders to convince former President Rawlings to interfere in the political crisis in The Gambia.

Mr. Jammeh, who was defeated in the December 206 election in that country, has refused to step down despite the swearing-in of opposition leader, Adama Barrow in The Gambia Embassy in Senegal.

He was expected to relinquish power by midday today [Friday], or be forcefully removed by UN-backed regional forces who have already entered The Gambia.

Mr. Jammeh has however asked for an extension of the deadline to 4:00pm.

But Mr. Quartey indicated that, Rawlings is the best person to convince Mr. Jammeh to step down because the latter reveres the former.

I am told that one of President Jammeh's admirers is President Rawlings. President Rawlings has a lot of moral authority and I think ECOWAS should do well to tap into his standard of moral authority and probably use him to talk Yahya Jammeh out of his lack of democratic behavior because President Rawlings has such moral authority in Africa; it is unbelievable and they can use it.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr Quartey further noted that, Ambassador Quartey might change his mind at the eleventh hour.

I believe ECOWAS is on sure ground; but I think just the threat of the use of force will not make Yahya Jammeh yield to pressure. Yahya Jammeh sounds like a rebel; but at the root of it all, he knows his survival is at stake if he is able to yield power gracefully, he could even be the leader of opposition with the possibility of coming back to power and thereby entrenching democracy in The Gambia.

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.

He had The Gambian Parliament extend his tenure by 90 days and further declared a state of emergency. ECOWAS however sent troops to the country to enforce rule of law in The Gambia.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @EfeAnsah
Nearly 600 participants attended yesterday the Official Launch of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017. The event took place in the International Tourism Fair of Spain, FITUR, and will be followed by 12 months of global actions aimed at advancing sustainable tourism contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Co-presented by Max Forster, CNN, and Raquel Martinez, RTVE, the event underlined the immense socio-economic opportunities brought by the sector to all societies as well as its power to advocate for mutual understanding, peace and sustainable development worldwide.

Every day, more than three million tourists cross international borders. Every year, almost 1.2 billion people travel abroad. Tourism has become a pillar of economies, a passport to prosperity, and a transformative force for improving millions of lives. The world can and must harness the power of tourism as we strive to carry out the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development said United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in his message on the occasion of the International Year.

2017 is a unique opportunity for us to promote the contribution of tourism to achieving the future we want  and also to determine, together, the exact role we will have tourism play in the sustainable development agenda, to and beyond 2030. A unique opportunity to ensure that tourism is a pillar in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai, opening of the event.

With the launch of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development we once again emphasize that our nations all face common global challenges, which can only be resolved through advancing relations and furthering partnerships. By introducing this initiative, we have highlighted that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the focal point for future development, and will guide us to create long-term assets, and prevent relevant liabilities., said the Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 is an incentive to a foster social and political dialogue which can promote initiatives, investments and government actions leading to development and the fight against poverty said the Vice-President of Honduras, Ricardo Alvarez Arias.

The 2030 Agenda considers sustainable tourism as a vector of development, job creation and the promotion of local culture and products. Tourism is part of the Sustainable Development Goals and contributes decisively to almost all 17 Goals through its impacts on fighting poverty, promoting decent jobs, improving gender equality and the livelihoods of young people or the fight against climate change said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain, Alfonso Maria Dastis.

Addressing the Ceremony were also Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Francesco Bandarin, Assistant Director-General for Culture at UNESCO and Elzbieta Bienkowska, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.

On the occasion, UNWTO announced the nomination of the Ambassadors of the International Year: HE Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia; HM King Simeon II; Huayong Ge, President, UnionPay; Dr Talal Abu Ghazaleh, Chairman, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization and Dr Michael Frenzel, President, Federal Association of the German Tourism Industry

The event also marked the launch of the International Year campaign Travel.Enjoy.Respect, aimed at promoting sustainable tourism among travelers in partnership with CNN and RTVE.

Sponsors of the International Year:

Official Sponsors: ANA, Balearic Islands; Global Tourism Economy Research Centre; Minube; Amadeus; Chimelong; Ras Al Khaimah; Ministry of Tourism of Colombia; Ministry of Tourism of Morocco, IFEMA/FITUR

Diamond: Ministry of Tourism of Mexico, Georgian National Tourism Board, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, The Travel Corporation, Capital Airlines, Eventisimo, Mastercard

Gold: German National Tourism Board (DZT), Turismo de Portugal, Valencian Tourist Agency, Catalunya Tourist Board, Global Geoparks Network, University of Applied Sciences HTW Chur  Institute of Tourism and Leisure, Intercontinental Hotels Group
By Caroline Pomeyie, GNA

Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - The Komla Dumor Foundation in partnership with the World Bank Ghana Office, has organised the third anniversary memorial lecture for the former BBC Broadcaster Komla Dumor focusing on the migration from analogue to digital broadcasting.

Mr Edmund Fianko, Manager, Engineering at the National Communications Authority (NCA) leading the discussion emphasised that the digital transmission had a lot of benefit to the consumer.

He explained that: 'In digital, the programme production is encoded or compressed, in this process redundant information is taken out so at the receiving end, the images are decoded.

'But in analogue programme, one television station is transmitted on one frequency but because of compression a number of Television stations can be transmitted on one frequency.

'In terms of quality, analogue still shows poor quality images. Digital transmission includes a modulation technique, which addresses quality issues and makes an accommodation for errors. If the errors are too much to be addressed, you will get the feedback: no signal' he said.

Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister Designate for Communications, said: 'The digital dispensation is expected to provide a higher number of radio and television programme channels.

'It will also lead to clearer sound and quality pictures reduce operational cost for broadcaster and also provide more efficient use of the spectrum. The efficiency of spectrum use will also contribute to digital dividend.'

She said a portion of digital terrestrial would be allocated for mobile broadband services.'

Mr Akwasi Agyemang, President of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association urged policy makers to deal with challenges that associated with the digital transition to ensure that consumers in the country benefit to the country.

He said: 'Besides ownership of television stations being a problem, digital migration policy has not been finalised, and the distribution mechanism of signals is also not known. Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Migration Board has had only one meeting.'

He therefore called for fast tracking of the mechanism to deal with these challenges to ensure that Ghanaians benefit for the migration.

Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere, former Chairman of the National Media Commission also identified financing as another major challenge facing the digital migration in addition 'the infrastructure we have today cannot support the drive we want to achieve in Ghana with technology importation being a problem'.

Paul Crystal-Djirackor, Chief Executive Officer of Crystal RadioVision Network however noted that in order for Ghana to maximise benefits, planning was key.

'We need to plan, create a frequency bank, and protect the spectrum. We harmonised the standards in region and the world and agreed we will migrate by (DTT),' he said.

Professor Kwame Karikari, former Executive Director of Media Foundation for West Africa, who chaired the forum, said Ghana had been practicing broadcasting without legislation for more than 20 years.

'Inability to clearly formulate policy and enforce policies and legislation is a problem in Ghana. And in this kind of technological stage, such attitude will be detrimental to the country.'

He added that there were bits and pieces of policies and pronouncements captured and 'decision makers should set up a body to bring all together, policy and legislation must converge'.

The memorial lecture was also used as platform to discuss the processes required for Ghana to meet the deadline, June 17, 2020 for migrating onto the Very High Frequency (VHF) Band.

Other panelists include; Dr Kwame A. Boakye, a Computer Scientist; Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi in the Eastern Region and Broadcast Journalist.

Komla Dumor, a BBC broadcast journalist, passed away on January 18, 2014, in London.

The Komla Dumor Memorial Foundation was set up by the Dumor Family to sustain the legacy of Komla Dumor with aim of promoting excellence in journalism with particular emphasis on broadcast journalism, and initiate programmes for the development of the African youth. GNA
Kumawu (Ash), Jan 20, GNA - Two farmers at Drobonso in the Sekyere Afram Plains District, caught with dried leaves believed to be marijuana, have appeared before the Kumawu Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. Yussif Osei Asibey.

The pleas of Adwoa Kyerewaa and Douglas Elembele, were not taken and the court granted GHE5,000.00 bail to the former while the latter was remanded into prison custody.

The pair were ordered to make their next appearance on February 02.

Police Chief Inspector Paul Kludze said they were arrested based upon a tip off.

The dried leaves had been packed into two large brown envelopes and samples had been sent for forensic laboratory examination.

GNA

By Charles Tawiah, GNA
20.01.2017 LISTEN

In the wake of the flare-up of controversy surrounding President Akufo-Addos naming of some 36 cabinet appointees with whom he intends to fulfill his electioneering campaign promises and the mandate of the people, one maxim that stood out in my mind, and which former President John Agyekum-Kufuor was very fond of quoting as a tactical put-down to the members of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) runs as follows: They know the price of everything and the value of none.

Throughout the controversy and debate surrounding the Akufo-Addo ministerial appointees-designate, what is glaringly missing is empirical evidence. In sum, the bulk of the criticisms are based more on untested and unproven statistical abstractions than any evidence suggesting that our new President has not thought out and well enough through his motivation for selecting 36 cabinet appointees-designate and not 24 nominees, for example.

Which is why it goes without saying that most of these arm-chair critics would be better off taking the sort of wait-and-see attitude that former President John Agyekum-Kufuor is calling for (See Appointment Controversy: Leave Akufo-Addo Alone to Do His Job  Kufuor MyJoyOnline.com / Ghanaweb.com 1/15/17). You would expect that as experts in political science and former cabinet appointees, people like Mr. Kojo Yankah, the founder and former president of the so-called African University College of Communications (AUCC), and Dr. Joseph Yensu, of the Kumasi Technical University (Is this the erstwhile KTI?), would base their misgivings about the soundness of the size of the Akufo-Addo cabinet, at least as presently proposed, on a critical analyses of the sizes of past Fourth Republican Ghanaian governments before drawing the necessary and logical conclusions.

Alas, this is the kind of serious analytical deficit that is the bane of the bulk of the discursive posturing of our pundits and public intellectuals, which may be hurting the pursuit of a proper objective and scientific analyses of governance quality and the long-term development of the country. For even as President Akufo-Addo has already perspicuously observed, the successful development of Ghana depends fairly equally on operatives of all sectors of our national life giving of their best. The President has also painstakingly explained his reasons for decoupling some ministries or cabinet portfolios and bringing them directly under the aegis of the Presidency.

Now, what first-rate scholars, theorists and intellectuals of Ghanas democratic culture ought to be discussing is not merely the cost of managing such an admittedly sizeable cabinet, but equally the palpable material output expected of such a cabinet. So far, not many of the critics are impugning the caliber of the appointees, except that critics like Mr. Yankah would rather have the senior cabinet portfolios remarkable downsized, while the junior cabinet portfolios or deputy ministerial slots are doubled.

I sincerely dont see any tangible cost-cutting difference between the creation of the cabinet size of 36 ministerial portfolios and 36 ministerial deputies, on the one hand, for example, and 24 cabinet portfolios with two deputies each. The budgetary costs between the two cabinet case scenarios, in terms of real savings, is statistically insignificant, though in terms of the caliber of appointees, as attested by many of the Akufo-Addo critics, the value-for-money  my profound apologies to the President  may very well tilt in the direction of the larger-sized cabinet.

In the final analysis, and in the scandalous absence of comparative scientific analysis, we clearly have no other recourse but to patiently wait for at least a year from now, for the Project Monitoring and Evaluation Division of the Presidency to churn out figures indicating the fact of whether, indeed, Nana Akufo-Addos creation of more cabinet portfolios has favorably met with his value-for-money criteria or mantra.

From the present look of things, one can reasonably predict that by this time next year, the Akufo-Addo-led government of the New Patriotic Party would be reporting to us the crafting of an economic picture far more beautiful and attractive than the kwashiorkor-like photograph bequeathed us by the Mahama-led regime of the National Democratic Congress.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) is calling on the new government to renegotiate the terms of the AMERI, Karpower and AKSA contracts entered by the previous NDC government to provide relief to consumers.

Speaking at a news conference in Accra, the Deputy Executive Director of ACEP, Ben Boakye said they are convinced that value for money was not achieved in those contracts.

We urge government to take a critical look at the nonperforming agreements and where companies have failed to fulfill their work obligations, take steps to punish them or abrogate those contracts. The remedy into the future is to ensure that there is aggressive investment attraction drive through the application of the new Petroleum Act 2016, which set in motion the transparent process of awarding petroleum contracts through competitive bidding, he stated.

Mr. Boakye noted that government must fulfill its manifesto promise to conduct a technical audit of power sector infrastructure, and develop and implement a 10 year master plan.

He indicated that this audit is relevant to ascertain the efficiency and robustness of the power sector infrastructure to serve our need for a stable power supply.

Mr. Boakye further urged the new government to fulfill its promise by reducing taxes on electricity tariffs to provide immediate relief to households and industry.

The Deputy Executive Director noted that the 17.5% VAT on industrial consumers should as a matter of urgency be removed to improve the cash flow of businesses and their productivity.

On the downstream sector, he indicated that the falling crude oil price in 2015 allowed government to impose new taxes and levies on petroleum products.

According to him, these include the Special Petroleum Tax (SPT) of 17.5% and the price stabilization and Recovery Levy of 12 pesewas and 10 pesewas on petrol and diesel respectively.

Mr. Boakye said now, with the combined effect of weak currency and the rising crude oil price, these levies are beginning to bite consumers.

He proposed that the new government should Review Levies on Petroleum Products by Scraping the price stabilization levy and account for collection in 2016 which they estimate to be in excess of GHS 500million.

This is an element of regulation which has no place in a deregulated market, he noted.

Mr. Boakye emphasized that convert the SPT from 17.5% to a fixed levy to eliminate the compounding effect of the tax on ex-depot price of products in the midst of rising crude oil price and a weakening cedi.

Account and provide justification for why consumers should continue to pay TOR debt recovery Levy. We estimate that consumers finished paying the debt in 2015. Why must we continue to pay for TOR debt recovery levy? he intimated.

He urged the new government to complete the deregulation process of the downstream market to ensure the removal of the biweekly pricing window to achieve automatic adjustment of market prices.
The National Security minister-designate, Albert Kan Dapaah, has denied the knowledge of a committee that was set up to sell the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation's drillship.

The GNPC's drillship, Discoverer 511, was sold to pay off a US$19 million judgment debt owed to French multinational bank, Societe General.

The ship was sold during the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration of former president John Kufuor.

Kan Dapaah was the energy minister then.

He and his deputy, K.T Hammond, had always maintained that US$24 million was realized from the sale of the ship and that it was used to defray the Societe General debt and that the remaining US$3.5 million was returned to the national coffers.

Reports that emerged during a Judgment debt Commission sitting in 2013 claimed that a committee was setup by the Kufuor administration to sell the national asset.

Answering a question to that effect before parliament's Appointments Committee during his vetting Friday, Mr Daapah said no such committee was established.

No such committee was set up to sell the drillship, he said, disclosing that: What happened was that there was an attempt to settle with the company that we were owing [Societe General] who a committee was setup to do that negotiation.

I do know that they did have some meetings but before they could come up with a final report the company that we were owing had been able to obtain judgment and at the point they were not willing to negotiate any further. So not much came out that committee, he added.

-Starrfmonline
Patients at the Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga, can now heave a sigh of a relief after a few days of water shortage at the hospital.

The hospital experienced a 4-day water shortage from 13th January to 16th of January 2017, leaving patients to their fate in search for water for health care delivery.

Speaking to Citi News, the Head of Administration of the hospital, Mr. Zakariah Yakubu, said the Hospital has taken measures to fix the problem.

The water shortage situation was serious from last week Friday to Monday, when we had a challenge with the Ghana Water Company supplying the hospital with water due to a technical problem; but the main cause of the water shortage in the hospital emanates from community members trooping into the hospitals water tanks especially in the night, to empty them hence causing the shortage. This is so because there are several unapproved routes into the hospital.

Mr. Yakubu however stated that, even though Ghana Water Company Limited has restored water supply to the hospital, the facility has to also procure additional water from water suppliers to augment the situation.

The hospital buys about five trips of water every week for close to GHc 1,000.00. We have also dug a mechanized borehole to beef up water supply in the hospital, but the Ghana Water Company took a sample of the water for testing in November 2016, and is yet to furnish us with the results so that we can start using the borehole.

Mr.Yakubu added that, the hospital has started erecting water tanks up to prevent community members from accessing the water for other purposes.

As a temporary measure, we are locking up six pipes and leaving two of them for prudent water management in the hospital

Mr. Yakubu admonished community members to refrain from abusing water meant for treatment of patients in the hospital, adding that, any community member caught abusing water from the hospital will face the full rigors of the law.



By: Frederick Awuni/Citifmonline.com/Ghana
Ghanas Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, was a part of the clergy that officiated a church service ahead of the inauguration ceremony for the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.

The Archbishop in a tweet said he was honoured to have led the new US administration in a prayer session ahead of Donald Trumps inauguration.

Im humbled @pastormarkburns . To God be the Glory. #Inauguration https://t.co/HmpYCaXBVR

 N. Duncan-Williams (@ArchbishopNick) January 20, 2017

Trump's Vice President, Mike Pence, tweeted a photo of the Archbishop leading prayer.

The tweet had the caption, We begin this historic and humbling day as we do every day, with a moment of reflection and prayer. #InaugurationDay.

We begin this historic and humbling day as we do every day, with a moment of reflection and prayer. #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/sfJkGktFpe

 Mike Pence (@mike_pence) January 20, 2017

Archbishop Duncan-Williams is the General Overseer of Action Chapel International headquartered in Ghana, and he led a prayer session at the service on Friday.

He has written a number of books, including Born with a destiny (1999), Birth the promises of God in Travail (1999), The incredible power of a praying woman (2009) and Divine Timing (2012).

Donald Trump and Mike Pence along with their spouses and other family members, attended the traditional Inauguration Day church service at St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington on Friday morning.

The family was joined by about 300 fellow worshipers.

The pair were later sworn in on the steps of the Capitol by the Chief Justice of the United States of America.

The service is known to be a tradition for incoming presidents on the morning of a presidential inauguration, dating back to 1933 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt attended a service with his wife, Eleanor.



By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana
In todays Money Morningan urgent warning of financial shocks to comehow can you protect your wealth in a crisis?the government and bank plans that could freeze your wealthand more

Will 2017 be the year that Australias long, recession-free run finally comes to an end? This weeks Money Morning brings a grim warning from Jim Rickards. Jim is an economist and bestselling author, but hes best known for his forecasts of how government and central bank strategies affect investors around the world. And Jim isnt calling for a minor market correction. Hes warning of a financial shock that could be as bad or worse than the Global Financial Crisis. If hes right, there may not be long for you to put strategies in place to protect yourself.

So this week, Jim took over top spot in Money Morning. He brings an urgent warning about the triggers that could lead to financial shocks  here and overseas. And, just as worrying, he looks at how world leaders crisis-management strategies could be devastating for your wealth. To find out why, read on

In this weeks first Money Morning, Jim Rickards explained why he expects the US Fed will be forced to violently reverse its policy this year. Most market commenters dont see this coming. But as Jim pointed out, its not exactly unprecedented. Its happened eight times already since 2008  and always for very similar reasons. This year will be no exception. To read why, and for Jims take on the ripple effects for the US market and the world, you can find Mondays Money Morning here.

Jims analysis of the Feds likely direction this year continued on Tuesday. He looked at the conflict that has been simmering between Fed Chair Janet Yellen and incoming US President Donald Trump.

During his election campaign, Trump promised that he would fire Yellen should he become president. Perhaps he wasnt aware that the president has no legal authority to do that. Whatever Trumps reasoning, Jim explained that it wasnt the last antagonistic gesture between the two. And their relationship isnt likely to improve. That antagonism has the potential to derail the Feds plans for the next four years, and Trumps promised stimulus measures. And it could spell disaster if the US were to encounter any form of financial crisis. To read Jim Rickards arguments for why that is, click here.

If the tension between Trump and Yellen will make it difficult to respond to financial crisis, then Wednesdays article brings more worrying news. Jim argued that a new global financial crisis is inevitable during the next few years. The banks risk models dont see it coming, because theyre fatally flawed. There are reforms that could head this crisis off, but theyre politically impossible. And even if the Fed was willing to work with Trump, its out of fiscal ammunition. Jim argues that this crisis cant be prevented. All you can do is prepare yourself to weather the storm. You can read why in Wednesdays Money Morning.

On Thursday, Shae Russell brought you a special preview chapter from Jim Rickards new book, The Road to Ruin. Jim explains how the spread of a financial crisis has changed. The complex, dynamic systems of the modern financial world simply do not work the way they used to. The tools previously used by central banks and governments no longer apply.

But Jim argues that there is a new plan in place to handle the next financial crisis. He says he can trace it back to conception. It comes down to financial and political elites seizing total control of your money  the mechanisms to do so are already in place. You can read more in the preview chapter from Road to Ruin, here.

Fridays article shifted focus. Shae and Jim had been warning of the likely causes of financial crisis in 2017. On Friday, they discussed how elites make use of such crises as opportunities to snatch more power. After all, no one wants to give governments or central banks more control over their wealth and future. Its when panic has truly set in that controls can be smuggled in. Theyre packaged neatly with the reforms were told will prevent the shock events from ever happening again.

If Jim Rickards is right about the crisis coming to Australia, which hes been predicting in Money Morning this week, then youre likely to see yet more controls clamped down on your money. The only way to avoid it is to have your strategies in place before it happens. Why? You can read the details in Fridays Money Morning, here.

And what about the Financial Anarchists podcast this week? Kris Sayce brings you the results of our interview with former US Fed chair Alan Greenspan. There were some unexpected bombshells from the former Fed chair. That includes one that left Kris speechless.

Next week, well be returning to our regularly scheduled Money Morning editors, with Sam and Greg taking the helm again. But dont worry. Shae Russell and Jim Rickards will return to the pages of Money Morning, to warn you every time the elites fire another salvos in their war on your wealth. Until then, you can find Jims strategy to protect yourself  even in the worst financial crisis  here.

Cheers,

Tyler Jefferson,

Editor, Money Weekend

Publishers Pick: The Lazarus Project Your best chance to double every dollar you invest this year [More]
- The Nigerian coordinator for the Medecins San Frontieres has described the incident at the Rann internally displaced persons camp, where Nigerian air force mistakenly bombed

- Alfred Davies said he is yet to come to terms with all he saw after the air strike

- He said he was able to recognize the body of a lady who was at the distribution centre earlier

The botched NAF airstrike occurred on Tuesday, January 17.

The Nigerian coordinator for the Medecins San Frontieres has described the incident at the Rann internally displaced persons camp, where Nigerian air force mistakenly bombed.

Alfred Davies said he is yet to come to terms with all he saw after the air strike, MSF reports.

Davies said there were many injured person and the inflow of wounded people continued for hours after the blast which occurred at a12.30pm on Tuesday, January 17.

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, Davies said.

READ ALSO: SEE fresh satellite images that show the devastation of Rann IDP camp aerial bombing

He noted that the air force jet had dropped the first bomb, it circled back around and second attack came after about 5 minutes later.

I immediately called the rest of the team on the radio and they reassured me that luckily none of them had been injured. We met up at the tents we had erected a few days earlier.

Dozens of wounded began to pour in, and the flow of people continued for hours, the MSF staff said.

He said the tents in the MSF facility were filled with many injured people with a short time.

There was only one doctor and one nurse in our team, but each of us did what we could. Even the drivers helped us. We also had support from the Red Cross staff and military nurses.

I did not see the plane and I dont know exactly what type of bomb it was. We found small metal slivers on the bodies.

What I saw was indescribable. In the space of one hour we counted 52 dead.

I think that our distributions of essential items such as mats and blankets saved a lot of people. Because they were queuing to collect them at the time of the attack, they were not in the town centre and escaped the bombs.

READ ALSO: Air force bombed IDPs 3 times as Reps launch probe

The hardest thing for our team is the frustration at not having had enough resources or medical equipment to save more of the wounded. A dozen people died in front of our eyes without receiving the urgent medical care they so badly needed. There used to be a hospital in Rann but it was damaged by fire last year and is not functional. The town was left with no medical facilities.

He added that the whole crew had to leave the area at about 6 pm for security reasons after the International Committee of Red Cross staff relieved the pressure and took over from them.

When I had a moment to myself, I went to the cemetery where the burials had already started. There were 30 new graves - sometimes mothers and their young children were buried in the same hole. Its a tragedy.

See photos below:

The Nigerian coordinator for MSF Alfred Davies

Image from Rann NAF airstrike

I also visited the area where the bombs hit. They had been dropped on houses. Its incomprehensible. I recognized the body of a mother who had been at the MSF distribution that morning. Her twins had been given packets of therapeutic food paste as they were suffering from malnutrition. Now I saw them crying, pressing themselves against her inert body.

I cant find the words.

What allows us to carry on after this terrible and traumatizing experience is, knowing that, we did everything we could despite not having enough resources.

READ ALSO: Nigerian military was misled, PDP reacts to accidental bombing of IDPs camp

Three people from a private firm hired by MSF to provide water and sanitation services in the camp died in the bombing, and another was injured. This is very hard for our team because we worked very closely with them. All we could do for them was to send their bodies back to their families.

What the survivors of the bombing have lived through is so hard, so violent. Rann was their safe haven. The army that was meant to protect them bombed them instead. We have to remain at their side.

The MSF had earlier said that about 90 people were killed in the balst that occurred on Tuesday.

The aid agency had also condemned, in strong terms, the mistake by the Nigerian military.

The agency said: Once again civilians pay the highest toll in the conflict in Nigeria, not a target.

Source: Legit.ng
- Former governor of Kaduna state has warned politicians and elites advising southern Kaduna people to defend themselves to desist from issuing such advice

- According to the ex-governor, advice like that will only aggravate the ongoing crisis in southern Kaduna

- He also advised people to stop accusing the Hausa/Fulani of being behind the crisis in the state as such accusation could be perilous and incite more attacks

Former governor of Kaduna state, Balarabe Musa, has accused politicians and the elite of exploiting the southern Kaduna killings to make money and advance their political interests, while the victims wallow in trauma.

Musa, who stated this while speaking with journalists at his residence on Thursday, January 19, warned against inciting the people of Southern Kaduna against each other.

Politicians are making money from southern Kaduna killings - Balarabe Musa

According to a report by Premium Times, Musa warned that the call by politicians for the people of the state to defend against their attackers will only aggravate the crisis in the state.

READ ALSO: Fayose promises to work for PDP's growth

Musa said: The Southern Kaduna people must resist incitements from some people in the Southern part of Nigeria who are misadvising them to carry arms against each other.

Accusing the Hausa/Fulani of being behind the attacks in the area is very dangerous. When you are accusing Hausa/Fulani and their religion, it will end up being destructive. Lets come together as one and deal with those criminals."

Musa called on the entire people of Kaduna state, irrespective of their religion and ethnicity, to get together as brothers and sisters to end the killings, which he said started since 1986.

He called on Governor Nasir El-Rufai to revive companies in southern part of the state which according to him, "will address the high poverty and backwardness of the zone."

He said: The Southern Kaduna elites collaborated with their Northern Kaduna elites to destroy the industries built in the zone like Kachia Ginger factories.

Southern Kaduna elites are the problem of the area. They prefer money and appointments rather than to govern the state.

He said he did not share the view that President Muhammadu Buhari and Mr. El-Rufai were behind the killings, stressing that he was also a victim of cattle rustlers in the northern part of the state.

Those elites calling for self defence in Southern Kaduna are making the situation worse and self-destructive.

READ ALSO: Jammeh sacks cabinet members as tension continues in Gambia

Meanwhile, suspected armed herdsmen opened fire in Samaru Kataf, a busy market in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna, on the evening of Tuesday, January 17, killing three and injuring five.

Following the shooting, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state has ordered a 24-hour curfew.

News reports reveal that as traders were about going home from the busy Samaru market, about 180 kilometres South of Kaduna city, three men got down from a motor bike, walked to a corner of the market popular with youths and opened fire at them.

Source: Legit.ng
Sit-tight President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia has reportedly sacked the remaining of his cabinet members as foreign troops continue to advance the countrys capital to force him out of government.

Foreign troops under the 'Operation Rescue Democracy' are already in Gambia to force Jammeh out of office

Jammeh took the decision over the night between Thursday, January 19 and Friday, January 20, 2017 saying he would now oversee all the ministries in the country.

As days drew near for and ultimatum came from the African Union and the ECOWAS, many of his cabinet members dropped their resignation and some fled the country.

READ ALSO: UN backs Adama Barrow says ECOWAS can force Jammeh out

Just days ago, the countrys vice president also tendered his resignation while Jammeh decided to remain in office irrespective of whether the winner of the December 2016 presidential election in the country, Adama Barrow, was sworn-in or not.

On Thursday, a video of the countrys Chief of Defence Staff, Ousman Badjie, and some of the countrys soldiers joined in the jubilation as Barrow was sworn-in in neighbouring Senegal.

Watch the video here:

Videos also emerged of citizens sweeping the streets in a symbolic way of clearing what remains of Jammeh and his 22year rule of the country.

Meanwhile, troops from Senegal launched some strikes against Gambia last night as they continue to advance towards the countrys capital where Jammeh is believed to have remained.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Army, Navy to join troops in Gambia

Jammeh has also reportedly been given up to noon on Friday, January 20, 2017 to vacate the seat and allow Barrow begin his work as president.

Source: Legit.ng
Pro-Biafra supporters have taken to the street in the Port Harcourt area of Rivers to march in solidarity to Donald Trump as he gets set to be inaugurated as the president of the United States.

Biafra supporters have always expressed their support for Trump and hope he will help them achieve the actualisation for Biafra.

READ ALSO: Biafra supporters visit Trump Towers in New York (photos)

Members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) had announced their plans to hold a solidarity march in Rivers state on Friday, January 20 for Trump and sent a notification to security operatives.

Members of the group took to Igwe Ocha area singing and calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu who is in detention.

They also expressed optimism in Trumps ability to help them secede from Nigeria.

See photos below:

Biafra supporters hold solidarity march for Trump

Biafra supporters hold solidarity march for Trump

Biafra supporters hold solidarity march for Trump

Biafra supporters call for the release of Nnamdi Kanu

Biafra supporters hold solidarity march for Trump

Source: Legit.ng
Reports reaching Legit.ng indicates that the Nigerian police and army allegedly shot unarmed Biafrans celebrating the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump in Port-Harcourt, Rivers state.

According to reports, the media and publicity secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, alleged that no fewer than 11 members of the pro-Biafra group have been shot dead by security operatives.

They have attacked our people; 11 have been confirmed dead, many others have bullet wounds, he claimed in the statement," he said.

He alleged that the attack was carried out by the police, the army and the Department of State Services.

A twitter user Anioke Collins, said Biafrians were been shot by police officers at Igwuocha area of the state.

It was reported earlier that pro-Biafra supporters took to the street in the Port Harcourt to march in solidarity to Trump.

Biafra supporters have always expressed their support for Trump hoping he will help them achieve the actualization for Biafra.

See photos below:

READ ALSO: Biafra supporters visit Trump Towers in New York (photos)

Recall that members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) visited Trump tower in New York to commence the 'Biafra For Trump Solidarity Rally'.

They also passed a message concerning the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, their leader and the director of Radio Biafra who remains in custody since the middle of October 2015.

Source: Legit.ng
Donald Trump on Friday, January 20, was sworn-in as President of the United States.

Donald Trump arrived in Washington earlier in the day, he's going to be there for at least four years.

Trump Inauguration: Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of America

Legit.ng takes you through a timeline of history being made.

Below is a moment by moment account of the president-elect's move to the White House.

22.00pm President Trump takes the historic and traditional inauguration parade on his way to the White House. He was with members of his family, including First Lady Melania Trump and his ten-year-old son

Trump waves at crowd with Melania, his son and men of the secret service during the parade.

Trump waves at the crowd during the inaugural parade

18:32pm Obama and family escorted out from Capitol, heading to a waiting helicopter.

18:28pm Donald Trump leaves the podium, heads out of Capitol.

18:23pm Final prayer for the 45th president and

Trump Inauguration: Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of America

18:19pm: Clerics take to the podium to read from the bible and take the benediction

18:17pm Trump promises that no American will be abandoned as he steps down, "God bless America"

18:13pm "We will shine for other nations to follow" - Trump speaks, says when America is united, it cannot be defeated.

18:12pm ""We will bring back our jobs, we will bring back our bothers and we will bring back our dreams" - Trump

18:08pm "We are here to take the government from Washington to the people" - Trump speaks

Trump Inauguration: Donald Trump is Sworn in as President of America

Trump Inauguration: Donald Trump is Sworn in as President of America

18:02pm Donald Trump speaks to America

17:55pm The American anthem is chanted aloud in great symphony.

17:54pm Mike Pence is sworn in, the crowd cheers and the band sounds a chorus.

Trump Inauguration: Washington agog as history is made (Photos)

17:53pm Mike Pence swears oath of office as Vice President of America.

Trump Inauguration: Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of America

Trump Inauguration: Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of America

17:49pm "Today we celebrate one of Democracy's core principles" - Sen Chumer.

17:43pm Sen Chuck Schumer - Democrats minority leader, takes the podium.

17:42pm Missuori state university coral takes to the podium

Trump Inauguration: Washington agog as history is made (Photos)

Trump Inauguration: Washington agog as history is made (Photos)

Trump Inauguration: Washington agog as history is made (Photos)

17:39pm Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, takes Bibilical Charge from Mathew chapters 5 and 6.

17:37pm Cleric takes to the podium to say a prayer to commence the ceremony

17:26pm The President-elect steps out

17:25PM The president of America, Barack Obama steps in on the podium

17:21pm Mrs Trump and Mrs Pence arriving on Platform, as Obama and Biden takes position to march in.

17:17PM Mrs Obama and Mrs Biden arriving on platform.

17:11pm Chants of US fills the arena, Americans showing that only America matters at this moment.

17:08pm Trump's children arrive on platform

17:05pm Obamas and Trumps arrive Capitol, head for the platform

16:59pm George and Laura Bush arrive on the platform at Capitol.

16:58pm Bill and Hillary Clinton arrive on platform.

Trump Inauguration: Washington agog as history is made (Photos)

16:48pm Obamas and Trumps leave the White House, head for Capitol.

16:45pm Supreme Court members arriving on platform.

Trump Inauguration: Washington agog as history is made (Photos)

Trump Inauguration: Washington agog as history is made (Photos)

16:19pm Bill and Hillary Clinton arrives Capitol.

16:16pm Dignataries, (Joint service chiefs and military leaders) arrive capitol.

16:06pm Trump staffers arrive podium

16:01pm Hundreds of thousands arriving at National Mall.

15:49pm: Trumps meet Obamas at White House.

Trump Inauguration: Washington agog as history is made (Photos)

15:36 Anti Trump protests continues

15:27pm Obama leaves Oval Office for the final time.

15:22pm Obamas waiting for Trump and Pence at White House, as Trumps depart church.

15:15pm Trump about to meet Obamas at White House.

14:36pm The Trumps depart Blair House, heads for church service, in line with a long standing American tradition.

Trump Inauguration: Washington agog as history is made (Photos)

All times EST

Below is what you need to know about the Donald Trump Inauguration Day schedule

1:00pm President Trump, Vice-President Pence, Melania Trump and Karen Pence will attend a joint congressional inaugural committee luncheon.

Where? The US Capitol

2:30pm The President and Vice-President will attend a military review.

Where? US Capitol on the East Front

3pm Trump and Pence, along with their families will attend the inaugural parade in stands just outside of the White House.

7pm President Trump, Vice-President Pence, Melania Trump and Karen Pence will attend the Liberty and Freedom Ball.

Following a very strong battle against and victory over Hillary Clinton, the real estate mogul and reality show star will recite the oath of office as the 45th President of the United States.

Trump's brash statements about ISIS, his cozy relationship with Russia and his criticism of NATO have the world bracing for a new type of American president.

Legit.ng is set to bring you moment by moment account on key happenings at the inauguration ceremony which is one that promises to go down great in history.

Speaking at a pre-inauguration concert Thursday night at the Lincoln Memorial, which featured performances by Lee Greenwood, Toby Keith and 3 Doors Down, Trump told the crowd he vowed to be a president "for all our people," CNN reports.

READ ALSO: These 11 facts about US presidential inaugurations will amaze you

Americans are already trooping out in their hundreds, though the inauguration does not kick off until noon local time which is 5pm GMT.

The main ceremony is held at the White House, followed by a number of Inaugural Balls across the city of Washington DC. The official swearing-in ceremony occurs on the steps in front of the Capitol.

Source: Legit.ng
The First Lady, Aisha Buhari received Melinda Gates, a co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in Abuja on Thursday, January 19.

The First Lady who has also been focused on development of women in the country played host to the wife of the richest man in the world.

READ ALSO: Army Remembrance Day! How Aisha Buhari prayed for relatives of fallen heroes

Before visiting the first Lady, Gates met Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and applauded him for his good work.

Your commitment to data collection is really admirable. You can't make decisions without data. We are pleased to help you with that.

She assured the governor that the Gates Foundation has a joint interest with the Kaduna State Government to reduce infant mortality. Assessing the progress on routine immunization, Mrs. Gates said the BMGF is impressed by the scale of the polio surveillance mounted by the Kaduna State Government.

Speaking further on the healthcare segment of the partnership between her foundation and Kaduna State, Mrs. Gates said that the primary health centres will continue to be supported so that they can offer a broad range of services to patients.

Mrs. Gates also promised that the BMGF will invest more in agriculture and in promoting access to financial services.

Malam El-Rufai expressed gratitude to the Gates Foundation for supporting Kaduna State. He proposed that the partnership between the foundation and the state should be strengthened by making it to better cohere with the states priorities. These include maternal and child health, child spacing and nutrition. He further suggested that the BMGF should support the states data revolution, its state residency identification system and efforts to promote security and justice, and to address the root causes of poverty and development.

The governor noted that Mrs. Gates direct flight to Kaduna Airport is a welcome endorsement. He added that Kaduna State looks forward to strengthening the relationship between the two partners.

See photos of her visit to Aisha Buhari below:

Melinda Gates visits Aisha Buhari

Melinda Gates visits Aisha Buhari

Melinda Gates and Aisha Buhari

Melinda Gates visits Aisha Buhari

Melinda Gates visits Aisha Buhari

Source: Legit.ng
In 2009, when President Barack Obama was first inaugurated, he held an inaugural concert. The massive concert, 'We Are One', which held at the Lincoln Memorial was attended by an estimated 400,000 people.

This year, Donald Trump held his inaugural concert Thursday night, January 19. The 'Make America Great Again' inauguration concert which also held at the Lincoln Memorial had a significantly smaller crowd than that of Obama in 2009.

Report has it that it managed to gather an estimated 10,000 attendees compared to Obamas crowd of 400,000 people during his first inauguration concert.

READ ALSO: Meet the man who has been Barack Obama's barber for 20 years

Compared to Obamas concert which had artistes like Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, U2, James Taylor, John Legend, Shakira, Stevie Wonder, Mary J Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks and Sheryl Crow among others, Trump had lesser-known performers such as 3 Doors Down, the Piano Guys, and Toby Keith.

Below are photos to show the difference.

An aerial shot of people filing in for Obama's concert in 2009

The people trooped in their hundreds of thousands for Obama's inaugural concert in 2009.

READ ALSO: 6 things Obama will do on his last day as president

The people also came in their thousands for Trump but in tens of thousands.

An aerial shot before Trump's inaugural concert on Thursday

A few shots from once the Obama inauguarl concert began

Versus that of Trump

The crowd at Trump's concert on Thursday

A number of people have also taken to social media to point out the apparent difference in the numbers of those who attended.

Source: Legit.ng
- For the second time this week, there was total blackout across the country yesterday, January 19

- Nigeria's national grid has suffered a system collapse

- Nigeria Electricity System Operator (NSO) reported a system collapse on Sunday, January 15

There was total blackout across the country yesterday, January 19 as the national grid suffered a system collapse.

These are not good times for Nigeria's minister of power, works and housing; Babtunde Fashola

This is as power distribution companies continue to reject significant megawatts of electricity allocated to them by Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Tribune reports.

According to the report, the general blackout first happened on Sunday, January 15 when Nigeria Electricity System Operator (NSO) reported a system collapse.

According to electricity supply details, Total System Collapse occurred at approximately 1800 hours on January 19.

The graph above showed the energy recorded in the national grid between December 31, 2016 and January 19, 2017

The document stated that average power sent out on Wednesday, January 18 was 1,618MWh/hour, which was 1286MWh/h lower than what was sent out the previous day.

The reduction was caused by insufficient gas and water supply at power generating plants.

The power sector lost an estimated N624,000, 000 on January 18 2017 due to constraints.

Nigeria electricity sector in trouble as national grid collapses

READ ALSO: Mikano International Limited commissions an Independent Power Plant (IPP) of 4 megawatts capacity in Lagos

Meanwhile, a pro-masses group, Nigerian Wailers, has tasked the minister of Power, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) to attend to the endless power outage in Nigeria.

The problem of non supply of electricity in the country has worsened the living conditions of citizens, crippling businesses, and also posed very dangerous health issues to the people due to the high temperature both during the day and in the night, causing rashes on the children, which is a big threat, and also causing meningitis and malaria since the darkness itself is a good breeding ground for mosquitoes, the group said in statement made available to Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng
Boko Haram insurgents have attacked the Rann IDP camp in Borno state, which was recently bombed by the Nigerian air force.

An aerial view of the Rann IDP camp showing the devastation by the air force bombing.

Premium Times reports that over 100 insurgents attacked the camp at about 6pm on Tuesday, January 19, but were repelled by soldiers deployed to secure the bombed camp.

READ ALSO: IDP Bombing: Fayose reacts, calls for investigation

A source from the camp said the soldiers battled for hours to repel the Boko Haram gunmen who were over 100 and killed eight of the insurgents during gunfight.

The source, who asked not to be quoted for his security sake, said a soldier was wounded in the attack.

READ ALSO: HRW releases satellite images of the bombing of Rann IDP camp by Nigerian Airforce

Recall that an air force jet mistakenly bombed the Rann IDP camp after mistaking it for a location where Boko Haram insurgents were gathering in Kala-Balge local government area of Borno State.

The air force said the bombings were aimed at Boko Haram militants.

It is not clear if the gang of Boko Haram insurgents that attacked Rann last night were those missed by the airforce jet

Source: Legit.ng
He invented the 'Obama' cut, and for 20 years he has been the barber to one of the most powerful men on earth. His name is Zariff and he is Barack Obama's personal barber.

Meet the man who has been Barack Obama's barber for 20 years

In this interview with Complex, he speaks about his life and what it means been Obama's barber for such a long time.

Zariff is from Chicago and he dreamed of being a hairstylist. After he graduated from cosmetology school, he applied for a position at Hyde Park Hair Salon, not realizing it was actually a barbershop.

He was hired and has been there ever since, the Hyde Park Hair Salon has played host to everyone from Muhammad Ali to Spike Lee.

Now, he has served as Barack Obama's barber for years including the past eight years he was in the White House, flying back and forth from Chicago to Washington.

Speaking on how he first started cutting Obama's hair, he said:

"There was another gentleman cutting his hair, named Wahlee. Barack came in one day and he said:

Where is Wahlee? I said, He relocated down the street. It was probably about half a block away, but Barack was very loyal to the shop.

He said: What you doing? And I said, Well, Im cutting you hair, I guess. Im not busy. So I started cutting his hair."

Meet the man who has been Obama's barber for 20 years

Speaking about his background, he said:

"A long time ago, my school went on a class trip to D.C. At the time, my parents couldnt afford for me to go and I didnt feel too good about that because I really wanted to go.

"I didnt know that down the line I would actually be making that trip on a very regular basis and cutting the future Presidents hair. I say that to say you never know your path. You just have to live life, do right and stay prepared for anything."

When he was asked what his best moment with Obama was, he said:

"Its a really simple one: When he used to bring his girls in the shop every now and then when they were very young.

"Of course, they were so little theyd sit in the chair and their feet wouldnt even hit the floor. They would watch him get his haircut.

"I think it was Malia who asked him one day, Dad, why do you get your hair cut all the time? It looks the same. And he said, Thats the point.

Speaking about his plans for after Obama leaves office, he said:

"Im going to take a nice break after this. Im pretty sure everybody will try to decompress and go from there. But Im still his barber. Thats it."

Here is a video of Obama's barber shop:

Source: Legit.ng
Editors note: The agitation for a sovereign state of Biafra has increased since Muhammadu Buhari took over power while Fulani herdsmen have wreaked havoc in southern Kaduna and Benue state.

In this opinion by Femi Fani-Kayode, he traces the history of Nigeria to the period of Usman Dan Fodio down to Buhari and posits that the Nigerian union cannot continue to exist.

The Sultan of Sokoto

The Sultan of Sokoto is the father of the Fulani people, the foremost traditional ruler in northern Nigeria and the spiritual leader of all northern Muslims.

He is not just a traditional ruler but an all-powerful potentate who represents a strange and mystical power and who heads an ancient and dark empire.

The Sultan of Sokoto

Not only is he reverred by his subjects but he is also regarded and treated by some as something akin to a deity and by others as nothing less than the reincarnation of Sheik Usman Dan Fodio, the Sufi Muslim who founded the Caliphate empire by conquering and utterly crushing the Hausa kingdoms in a brutal and bloody jihad in northern Nigeria in 1804.

READ ALSO: OPINION: Nigeria's deadly monsters (part 2) by Femi Fani-Kayode

Whichever way his subjects choose to view him, whether as a deity or an all-conquering and all powerful jihadi war-lord, to the Muslims of the core north his word is law and absolutely everything revolves around him.

He is the living symbol of Fulani power, strength and glory and the physical manifestation of the quest for Islamist domination.

Yet despite these lofty heights and undoubtedly rich and impressive heritage his people have killed, subjugated and terrorised more Nigerians in the last 212 years since Usman Dan Fodio's 1804 Jihad than ANY other ethnic group in our nation.

They have butchered more of their fellow Nigerians in that space of time than the white Boer settlers and farmers of apartheid South Africa butchered the black African population in Southern Africa in 363 years of white rule and domination since the time that the Dutch coloniser and admnistrator, Jan Van Riebeek, first put his foot on the South African Cape in 1653.

No African ethnic group has killed as many of their fellow Africans as the Fulani of northern Nigeria. Not even the Hutus of Rwanda, who did a whole lot of killing in the genocide of the early 1990's, could match them.

From the first Mahdi, Usman Dan Fodio, to the second, Sir Ahmadu Bello and to the third, General Muhammadu Buhari, the trail of blood, carnage, terror and religious compulsion and the inexplicable quest and insatiable desire to dominate, conquer, subjugate and control others trails them.

This is as unacceptable as it is provocative. The truth is that there is no place in any civilised society for any form of compulsion or ethnic and religious domination and bigotry

The place of tolerance

I say this because I believe that the mark of civilisation is the ability to tolerate dissenting views and to accommodate those that do not share your faith or come from your tribe, ethnic stock or nationality.

If you are incapable of being tolerant of others simply because they are different or they come from a different place and if you cannot indulge in any form of accommodation of those that do not share your views, your faith or your bloodlines then you are nothing more than an uncivilised field hand and an intellectual barbarian.

If you are capable of both tolerance and accommodation of others, no matter how strange or absurd their views, their faith or their circumstances may be, then you are the epitome of civilisation, decency, good breeding and good old fashioned class.

The morale of the tale is as follows: to be tolerant and kind to ALL those that see things differently from you, to stand up against the intolerant and to resist the ignorant, the bigoted, the racist, the ethnic supremacist and the religious extremist. .

It is in an attempt to keep faith with this sacred resolution and honor this fundamental principle that I wish to bare my mind and share my views about the way forward for the Fulani Republic of Nigeria in this contribution. Those views are as follows.

I am a nationalist. I believe in the rise and power of the nation state. I believe in the sovereignty of the will of the people. I believe in the right of independence and self-determination for all and sundry. This is especially so for the numerous ethnic nationalities that make up the space called Nigeria.

The right to secede

I believe in the right of the Igbo to have Biafra and the right of the Yoruba to have Oduduwa if that is their wish.

I believe that that right ought to be extended to the Ijaws and indeed to every other ethnic nationality in the country if that is what they want.

READ ALSO: Former minister dissociates self from Fani-Kayodes case

I believe that to compel a man or a people, by the force of arms and with the raw power of the state, to stay in a house or a space that they do not wish to stay is evil.

Such a state of affairs and situation is an eloquent testimony, graphic example and accurate illustration of subjugation and bondage.

Ojukwu during Biafra war

It is a testimony of the most barbaric form of wickedness and a total denial of the most basic civil liberties, fundamental human rights and expression of free will of the victims.

I believe that there are many countries in the belly of Nigeria but sadly they have all been choked, suffocated, swallowed up and killed at birth.

I believe that Chief Obafemo Awolowo was right when he said that Nigeria was "not a nation but a mere geographical expression".

I believe that Sir Ahmadu Bello was right when he described the amalglamation of the northern and southern protectorates as a "great mistake".

I believe that he was also right when he told the ever-accomodating and over-compensating Owelle Nnamdi Azikiwe that we needed to "understand our differences" rather than to just "forget them".

Again I believe that Awolowo was right when he said "there are no 'Nigerians' in the sense as there are English, Welsh or French. The word 'Nigerian' is merely a distinctive appellation to distinguish those who live within the boundaries of Nigeria and those who do not".

I believe that Nigeria's first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa accurately reflected the mind of his core northern people when he said,

"The Southern people who are swamping into this region daily in such large numbers are really intruders. We dont want them and they are not welcome here in the North. Since 1914, the British Government has been trying to make Nigeria into one country but the people are different in every way, including religion, custom, language and aspirations. We in the north take it that Nigerian unity is only a British intention for the country they created. IT IS NOT FOR US.

I believe that Lord Fredrrick Lugard, the architect of the 1914 amalgamation, was right when he said "the North and the South are like oil and water. They will never mix".

Again I believe that Awolowo was right when he said "Nigeria is only a geographical expression to which life was given by the diabolical amalgamation of 1914. That amalgamation will EVER remain the most painful injury a British government inflicted on Southern Nigeria".

I believe that the hero of Biafra, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (the one and only Eze Igbo Gburugburu), was right when he said "it is better we move slightly apart and survive than move together and perish in our collision".

READ ALSO: N4.9bn fraud: Dont meet me in my chambers  Judge tells Fani-Kayodes lawyer

I believe that Sir Ahmadu Bello spoke the minds of his northern people when he said,

The new nation called Nigeria should be an estate from our great grandfather, Othman Dan Fodio. We must ruthlessly prevent a change of power. We must use the minorities in the North as willing tools and the south as conquered territories and never allow them to have control of their future.

I believe that General Yakubu Gowon was right when he said,

Suffice it to say that putting all considerations to the test, political, economic as well as social, the basis of unity is not there.

I believe that Dr. Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe was right when he said,

If this embryo republic of ours must disintegrate, then in the name of God, let the operation be a short and painless one.

Finally I believe that Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu was right when he said,

"Nigeria is a stooge of Europe. Her independence was and is a lie. Nigeria committed many crimes against her nationals which in the end made complete nonsense of her claim to unity. Nigeria persecuted and killed her minorities; Nigerian justice was a farce; her elections, her census, her politics  her everything  was corrupt. Qualification, merit and experience were discounted in public service. In one area of Nigeria, for instance, they preferred to turn a nurse who had worked for five years into a doctor rather than employ a qualified doctor from another part of Nigeria; barely literate clerks were made Permanent Secretaries; a university Vice-Chancellor was sacked because he belonged to the wrong tribe.

These words are as truthful, accurate and appropriate today as they were when Ojukwu spoke them many years ago.

A forced union

If there is still anyone left that believes that all is well in our forced union I urge them to consider the words of Chief John Nwodo who is a former Minister of Information and the newly-elected President-General of Ohaneze, the leading Igbo political and socio-cultural group which comprises of all the elders and traditional rulers of Ndi Igbo. He said,

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 Yar Adua while Boko Haram was harshly treated by President Jonathan when his law enforcement agents literally opened fire and killed unarmed MASSOB and IPOB members. They see how returnee Boko Haram members are absolved and rehabilitated while leaders of MASSOB and IPOB are incarcerated or mercilessly murdered. In their rage, they are becoming uncontrollable as they pass a vote of no confidence on us, their parents, describing us as cowards and compromised".

Could anyone have put it any better than this? Has Nwodo not hit the nail on the head? Has he not spoken the bitter truth? Is this not an aberrant and unacceptable state of affairs?

Has our so-called country not been turned into the theater of the absurd where anything can happen in the last two years? Did some of us not warn that this would happen if a Fulani supremacist and Muslim fundamentalist with delusions of grandeur like Buhari was elected President? Are the Nigerian people not reaping what they sowed in 2015?

Have the southerners and Middle Belters in Nigeria not all been turned into slaves today? Have their leaders and elders not all been turned into quislings and cowards who shiver under their beds at night and who dare not speak truth to power?

Christians are killed, nobody talks. Southern youths are butchered, nobody talks. Shiite Muslims are massacred, nobody talks. Christian refugees are bombed at IDP camps, nobody cares. Fulani militants murder hundreds in cold blood on a weekly basis all over the country and nobody is arrested or apprehended.

Was this not Awolowo and Ojukwu's greatest fear? Are we not living that nightmare today?

Whether they wish to admit it openly or not EVERY southerner and Middle Belter in this country feels like a second class citizen today. (TO BE CONTINUED)

Source: Legit.ng
Nigeria's former president Goodluck Jonathan, who was earlier reported to have arrived the United States of America ahead of the inauguration of president-elect, Donald Trump has been spotted in Otta with former president Obasanjo.

A Twitter user, Deji Adeyanju had tweeted that Jonathan was invited to grace the inauguration of Trump has turned out to be a hoax as the former president was found in the company of his benefactor.

Gej arrives USA, congratulates Trump ahead of swearing-in

READ ALSO: Trump Inauguration: Washington agog as history is made (Photos)

Deji Adeyanju, a Twitter user with close ties to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claims that the ex-president of Nigeria is in the US.

The immediate past president of Nigeria in a letter to Trump dated Friday, January 20, congratulated him and expressed optimism that his administration will work with the African continent to help her people realize its goals and aspirations.

However there were rumours in the Nigerian media space yesterday, January 19 that Jonathan will be attending Trump's inauguration later today.

In a singular tweet, Adeyanju claimed that no invitation was extended by Trump to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

Source: Legit.ng
The media director of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adeyanju Deji, has presented alleged facts to dismiss claims by the presidency that the US does not invite heads of state or presidents to the inauguration of their presidents.

The media have been abuzz with the news that former president, Goodluck Jonathan was invited to Donald Trumps inauguration, while President Buhari was ignored.

Recall that the media have been abuzz with the news that former president, Goodluck Jonathan was invited to Donald Trumps inauguration, while President Buhari was ignored.

READ ALSO: Donald Trump to be sworn-in historically as the most unpopular US president (photo)

But the presidency has insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari was not snubbed for the inauguration ceremony of US president-elect, Donald Trump.

Presidential media aide, Malam Garba, in a statement on Thursday, January 19, described the news on Trump subbing Buhari as falsehood.

He said the US does not invite heads of state or president to the inauguration of their presidents and that President Buhari could therefore, not have been snubbed.

But the PDP has insisted that the US indeed extends invitations to some world leaders.

To prove this, the new media director of the party, Adeyanju Deji, shared some news items on social media which reported that some world leaders were invited to the inauguration of Donald Trump.

One of the reports shared by the party was a news story by Romania-Insider.com, which reported that Romanian prime minister, Sorin Grindeanu and the Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader and chamber of deputies president, Liviu Dragnea have been invited to American president-elect Donald Trumps inauguration.

READ ALSO: 4 things that will happen at Donald Trump's inauguration

Another news item cited by the party was a news report in News Break which stated that Donald Trump extended invitation to selected world leaders to grace his inauguration as the 45 president of the USA .

The news reports went further to state that first on the list of 12 leaders invited to the inauguration is Jamaican prime minister, Andrew Holness.

See tweet by the PDP below:

However, some commentators have warned that some fake news sites have been trying to boost the popularity of some world leaders by reporting that they were invited to Donald Trump's inauguration.

It is unclear if the PDP made reference to any of these fake news sites.

Source: Legit.ng
Editor's note: Kurtis Smith, the Legit.ng partner blogger, in this piece, explains how Nigerians would no longer condone excuses from President Muhammadu Buhari over economic recession, avoidable killings.

Mr. Smith is the Chief Editor of www.kingkurtissmith.com bursting with multitudinous articles on all things relationships, love, marriage, faith and career.

He could be reached via kingkurtissmith@gmail.com, @kurtissmithblog, FB: https://www.facebook.com/kurtissmithsblog/.

More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest bloggers.

Sai Buhari, Sai Baba

Those were the chants that permeated the air by optimistic fans of the then General Muhammad Buhari when he beat President Goodluck Jonathan in the hotly contested Nigerian Presidential Elections of 2015.

In the most gracious and a very un-African move, President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat and congratulated the President-Elect thereby paving the way for a seamless and violence free transition of power.

People displaced by Boko Haram at IDP camp

With such optimism for a better future, a corruption free government, terrorist void country and financially buoyant economy, President Buhari was sworn in as Nigerias President for his second stint as leader of Africas most populous nation after seizing power through a military coup in 1983. As in the famous words of Douglas Mac Aurthur, Old soldiers never die.

READ ALSO: Why women attract men like flesh attract dogs

Today makes it 603 days (365 days in a year) or about 86 weeks (52 weeks in a year) which is exactly 413 working days (3304 hours) since President Muhammad Buhari took the oath of office on Friday, May 29th 2015.

I am not here to whine about his many failed campaign promises or his thoughtless and unproductive numerous travels out of the country.

Neither am I using this platform to rant about the nose diving economy (its apparently the fault of Jonathans administration or the dwindling oil prices).

I am also not here to burden you with the rampant and regular abuse of court processes, disregard for court orders and a denial of fundamental human rights by the Government.

No, I am not here to vociferate about the continuous bombings, killings, maiming and death of innocent citizens by Boko Haram insurgents with the government continually claiming to have captured their base in Sambisa Forest.

Neither am I here to expound on the numerous failings of the Government in protecting human lives with the gratuitous killings of people by Fulani Herdsmen in many parts of the country, the Southern Kaduna killings that has claimed and continues to claim the lives of over 200 people in the last few months, the unjustified and unwarranted killing of Mrs Olawale Elisha whose crime was preaching the word of God or the elderly lady that was murdered in Kano for asking a Muslim man not to pray in front of her shop.

I am really not here to chew over those indiscretions of the Buhari led government because they have been examined, debated over and analyzed by innumerable writers and social bodies and well-meaning citizens.

For the above, I am among those that have vehemently defended the government.

Give him some time, I would say.

Let the oil prices stabilize, I would vocalize.

Wait for two years before we judge his performance, I regularly say in defense of his many failings.

But after #Rann, he ran out of excuses and my patience has become exhausted. Yes ran.

I am actually here to discuss ran.

Let me bring you up to speed for those unenlightened by the happenings in their dear Country or my Non-Nigerian readers.

Sometime on January 17th, 2017 an Internally Displaced Persons camp in Borno State was accidentally bombed by an aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

You heard it right?

The Nigerian Air Force bombed and killed over 50 innocent people and injured over 100 people that they were supposed to be protecting accidentally.

How can a fighter jet accidentally bomb the wrong target?

We are running away from Boko Haram insurgents, should we now be running away from our own Military forces?

What level of incompetence would make a fighter jet bomb the wrong target and an Internal Displaced Persons Camp at that?

One of General Muhammad Buharis campaign promises before 2015 elections reads: Establish a well-trained, adequately equipped and goals driven Serious Crime Squad to combat insurgencies, kidnapping, armed robbery, ethno-religious and communal clashes.

Key word is well trained and goals driven. Will a well-trained and goal driven Nigerian Air Force accidentally bomb its own people?

Now talking about where was actually bombed: An IDP camp, the same camps that Boko Haram insurgents have been trying to infiltrate? What a coincidence!!!

READ ALSO: 7 reasons some people feel bad after love making

The same people that ran away from Boko Haram insurgents and camped in an IDP camp were accidentally bombed by the same people mandated to be protecting them?

According to Director, Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa said The NAF is saddened by todays accidental air strike by its fighter jet at Rann in which innocent lives were lost. The loss occasioned by this unfortunate incident is deeply regretted.

It was also reported that six Red Cross members killed and 13 wounded according to The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) spokeswoman.

Can you imagine?

Medicine San Frontiers (MSF) one of the humanitarian aid group affected by the misfiring Airforce fighter jet in a statement issued by its Director of Operations said: This large scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled from extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable.

In all my rancour about this development, what was the Presidents take on this rather unfortunate incident?

A visit to the site to commiserate first hand with the dead and gravely injured fellows? No.

A nationwide broadcast showing how deeply regretful the incident was and what he was doing to lead first hand rescue efforts? No.

A call to the bodies engaged in making sure the fatality rate remains as minimal as possible? No.

So what did the President do?

Issue a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity and send out a tweet on his Twitter handle (a tweet obviously not written by him). Thats all.

So where is the President now? He is in London and for what?

He is on a short leave (10 days) for rest and to undergo a routine medical check-up.

This is the third vacation/medical checkup by the President in one year. He had earlier embarked on a six day vacation between February 5 and 10, 2016 and also June 6, 2016 he embarked in another 10 day vacation to attend to an ear infection.

What stops him from delaying his leave by a few days and staying in the country to take first hand control of the situation?

This is the same President that vowed in one of his numerous campaign promises that he will Increase the quality of all federal government owned hospitals to world standard and ban medical tourism by our politicians.

A President going on vacation when such an precarious and mind bugging incident as of the Rann bombing has the redolence of an insensitive Leader.

Is this the time to berate the President? No.

READ ALSO: 7 reasons why men chase after women

I am not even a political writer or a journalist, I am just a concerned Nigerian troubled by the path this Government is taking.

A probe must be conducted to find out the root cause of such regrettable incident and the guilty parties brought to book. No more sweeping such issues under the carpet.

Its time for every Nigerian to stand up, ask questions and demand change (Pun intended). #SpeakOut!!

I pray for the hearts of those that lost loved ones and a speedy recovery to those recuperating at various hospitals. God bless this country.

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
Hillary Clinton, former US secretary of state and Democratic presidential candidate in the last election on November 8 has arrived at the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the country.

Forgive and forget? After a bitter campaign, Trump's opponent Hillary Clinton arrives for his inauguration.

Clinton arrived at the Capitol Hill building in Washington DC at around 4.10pm Nigerian time with her husband and former president of the United States Bill Clinton.

READ ALSO: Donald Trump's inauguration begins

A cheerful-looking Clinton greeted the audience and media with a happy smile and a wave as she was guided into the venue of the inauguration.

America is standing still for Donald Trump who is the next president of the United States after winning the November 8, 2016 election.

READ ALSO: 11 historical facts about US inauguration day

He defeated Clinton by a wide margin in the electoral college votes even though she beat him by over 2million votes in the popular individual votes.

You can read Legit.ng's live account of the inauguration here

Source: Legit.ng
Newly inaugurated president of the United States of America Donald Trump has taken the oath of office and given a powerful and unconventional inaugural address as the countrys 45th leader.

Trump says he wants to make America great again with his new policies.

Legit.ng team has compiled some top talking points from the speech which lasted about 20 minutes.

READ ALSO: 4 countries that will be threatened with Trump's inauguration

1. Donald Trump said there will be challenges and trials ahead for the United States but Americans will overcome

2. He said he is transferring power from politicians in Washington DC and giving it to the people

3. He said for too long, a small number of people, the politicians in Washington, enjoyed at the expense of the larger American people and while they celebrated in the capital, there was little to celebrate all across the land

4. According to Trump, party doesnt matter but whether the government is controlled by the people. He said: "This moment is your moment. It belongs to you."

6. Trump says United States of America is for all Americans and January 20, 2017 (his inauguration day) will be remembered as the day the people took back the country from politicians

7. America will now reduce its help to other countries in the world. He said: "We took care of others at own expense...we built others military and made others rich at our own expense."

8. America will pay more attention to its citizens and reduce loss of lives. Trump said: "American carnage stops right here, right now  no more loss of lives in America"

Source: Legit.ng
- The police denied killing Biafrans on solidarity march for trump

- It said minimal force was used to stop the rally

The Nigerian police have reacted to the claim that 11 pro-Biafra protesters were killed during the solidarity march for Donald Trump in Port Harcourt, River state.

Members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) have always shown their support for Trump and optimistic that he will help actualise Biafra.

READ ALSO: Biafra supporters visit Trump Towers in New York (photos)

The protest turned sour as it was alleged that police and other security operative confronted them leading to the death of 11 people.

According to reports, the media and publicity secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, alleged that no fewer than 11 members of the pro-Biafra group have been shot dead by security operatives.

They have attacked our people; 11 have been confirmed dead, many others have bullet wounds, he claimed in the statement," he said.

He alleged that the attack was carried out by the police, the army and the Department of State Services.

A twitter user Anioke Collins, said Biafrians were been shot by police officers at Igwuocha area of the state.

READ ALSO: 11 dead as police, Nigerian army allegedly shoot unarmed Biafrans

Nnamdi Omoni who is the spokesperson of the Rivers state police command confirmed the incident but said no one died.

"To the best of my knowledge, there was no casualty as the police merely employed minimal action, which involved the use of tear gas to disperse protesters.

Source: Legit.ng
The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II refuted a newspaper report in which he was quoted to have ordered Otunba Gani Adams to vacate his position as the National Coordinator of the Oodua People's Congress(OPC).

Ooni of Ife

Ooni Ogunwusi made this known in a statement released by his director of media and public affairs comrade Moses Olafare described Gani Adams as an unapologetic loyalist of Ooni'risa saying the veteran Yoruba Self-determinationist Adams has invested so much of resources into the socio-cultural emancipation of Oodua race and can only be treated with a deserved reciprocation of love and respect as a patriotic Ooduan who has never hesitated to demonstrate love and respect to the sacred throne of Oduduwa.

READ ALSO: Restructure Nigeria now, Balarabe Musa tells Buhari

"Baba Ooni never at anytime claimed to have ordered Otunba Gani Adams to resign as the Leader of the OPC. He sees him as an unapologetic loyalist son who has always treated him as his father with love and absolute respect.

"Otunba Adams is a great Ooduan and veteran Oodua Self-determinationist who has invested so much the socio-cultural emancipation of the Oodua race. That is why we have always welcomed him as a member of the inner chamber of the Ooni's Palace" Olafare said.

On the request by a factional group of OPC members on a visit to the Ooni at Ile-Ife recently begging him to intervene in the OPC matters, the Yoruba foremost king admonished all the factions within the Pan-Yoruba group to close ranks and work together as one big family in the interest of unity and peace in Yorubaland.

READ ALSO: SERAP, NUJ, drags FG to UN over arrest of journalists

"Baba said to them to close ranks in the interest of peace and unity of Yorubaland. He assured them of his fatherly support at all time as long as the unity of Yorubaland is not in jeopardy. Kabiyesi Ooni'risa is even expecting the members of OPC, and the members of Oodua Progressives Union (OPU) as well as the members of Olokun Festival Foundation at the annual Oodua Festival slated for January 25th and 26th in Ile-Ife". Olafare added.

Watch related video:

Source: Legit.ng
Contrary to earlier reports that former Nigeria president Goodluck Jonathan was invited to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States of America on Friday, January 20, the former leader was actually in Otta, Ogun state.

Obasanjo and Jonathan with some group of people during their meeting on Friday, January 20.

Pictures that emerged on Friday showed Jonathan playing local Yoruba game Ayo Olopon with another ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo reportedly at the latters residence in Otta.

READ ALSO: I didn't order Gani Adams to resign - Ooni of Ife

Jonathan and Obasanjo have a chat at the latter's residence in Ibogun on Friday

The Punch reports that after the meeting with Obasanjo, the former took Jonathan on a tour of his place.

Further reports have it that also present at the meeting was former governor of Osun state Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and a couple of other prominent politicians.

Jonathan arriving Obasanjo's residence in Otta as Trump was inaugurated in the US.

Jonathan refused to speak with media after the meeting but Obasanjo made a little speech.

Obasanjo said: I want to say that we have it, Nigeria is a good country and we must never be tired of lifting the country up to the height that God has created it to be.

"And God did not make a mistake when he put all of us together and if He doesnt want us to be together no power in the world will have made us come together.

Recall that report emerged on Thursday, January 19 that Donald Trump had invited Jonathan to his inauguration in the US on Friday.

Jonathan and Obasanjo share a laugh at Otta in Ogun state.

Indeed, further reports earlier today, January 20 claimed that Jonathan had arrived in the United States.

These pictures however show that was probably not the case.

READ ALSO: GEJ's aide slams Buhari, says he is Nigeria's most traveled president

The man who started the rumour, Deji Adeyanju had a great laugh at the expense of Nigerians on Friday on the same twitter handle with which he shared the false information on Thursday.

He tweeted after the above pictures emerged:

Source: Legit.ng
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
PARIS  The long-awaited trial of Hissene Habre, the former strongman of Chad, was suspended on Tuesday  its second day  because Mr. Habre refused to speak and his defense lawyers did not show up.

The judges of the special tribunal in Dakar, Senegal, that is trying Mr. Habre immediately announced that court-appointed defense lawyers would take over, and gave them 45 days to prepare. The judges said that the trial would resume on Sept. 7.

On Tuesday, Mr. Habre was back in the courtroom against his will, brought in by guards, court video showed. On Monday, he refused to return to court after being forcibly removed when he began shouting.

This is not a court, these judges are just administrators, they are on a political mission, he said.
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso  West African leaders called on Tuesday evening for the reinstatement of Burkina Fasos interim president, who was overthrown in a coup last week.

Leaders of several nations in the region  including the largest, Nigeria  said they would travel here on Wednesday morning to try to broker a peaceful resolution to the political crisis.

As the tense standoff here played out throughout the day on Tuesday, there appeared to be two major obstacles to such a resolution: whether the leaders of the coup would be granted immunity from prosecution, and whether the allies of former President Blaise Compaore, who was ousted in October, would be permitted to run in elections originally scheduled for Oct. 11.

Army units entered Ouagadougou, the capital, on Tuesday in an attempt to reverse the coup, which was staged last week by allies of Mr. Compaore. But the leader of the coup, Gen. Gilbert Diendere, refused to surrender.
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso  Terror came to this sleepy city this weekend, as armed fighters descended on a road nicknamed the Champs-Elysees, where friends meet for coffee and foreigners relax in a familiar hotel. After a 15-hour siege, the assailants left behind more than the dead and wounded scattered across the charred road amid shell casings.

The rampage at the Splendid Hotel and Cappuccino Cafe here in the capital forced this nation to face the awful realization that the violent Islamic extremism that it for years avoided finally had crept across its borders.

Twenty-eight people were killed and 56 were wounded in the attack that loudly announced the end to a long, mostly peaceful stretch in Burkina Faso. A State Department statement on Saturday identified an American, Michael James Riddering, as one of the casualties.
Not far away, gunmen had burst into the Splendid Hotel and the Cappuccino Cafe on Friday night, setting off explosions and targeting people who had been sipping coffee or strolling through the hotel lobby. The North African affiliate of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the rampage, calling the hotel and cafe and their environs dangerous dens of global espionage and pledging further attacks.

Untouched pizzas and toppled bottles of Sprite still sit amid the cafes broken glass and charred walls, testament to the sudden horror that unfolded here. Across the street were the charred remains of a dozen vehicles that had melted into the ground.

On Monday afternoon, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore toured the carnage, accompanied by the president of Benin, Thomas Yayi Boni, who had come to offer sympathies.

In all, 29 people died in the attack, and dozens were wounded. Many were from abroad, passing through the capital city on business trips or volunteer missions. But at least one local employee was presumed dead. And it was not the first time Al Qaeda had targeted hotels in the region: Three hotel employees were among those gunned down when the same Qaeda branch attacked the Radisson Blu in Bamako, Mali, in November.

Since Fridays attack, employees across the city said they had been plotting escape routes should gunmen burst through the front door of their workplaces. The fear of attack was new to most of them, but none said they planned to quit  chiefly because nearly no one else is hiring.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras  At least 10 people were shot dead by men dressed in police uniforms in an attack in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa on Saturday, security and hospital forces said.

Five men arrived in a vehicle at a billiards hall in the violent northeastern neighborhood and wielded AK-47 assault rifles.

The men wore police clothing when they attacked, killing eight people and injuring others, said a security ministry source who asked not to be named.

Two other people later died at the Hospital Escuela Universitario, according to a hospital spokesman, Miguel Osorio.
Amazon is the most obscure large company in the tech industry.

It isnt just secretive, the way Apple is, but in a deeper sense, Jeff Bezos e-commerce and cloud-storage giant is opaque. Amazon rarely explains either its near-term tactical aims or its long-term strategic vision. It values surprise.

To understand Amazon, then, is necessarily to engage in a kind of Kremlinology. Thats especially true of the story behind one of its most important business areas: the logistics by which it ships orders to its customers.

Over the last few years, Amazon has left a trail of clues suggesting that it is radically altering how it delivers goods. Among other moves, it has set up its own fleet of trucks; introduced an Uber-like crowdsourced delivery service; built many robot-powered warehouses; and continued to invest in a far-out plan to use drones for delivery. It made another splash last week, when it showed off an Amazon-branded Boeing 767 airplane, one of more than 40 in its planned fleet.

These moves have fueled speculation that Amazon is trying to replace the third-party shipping companies it now relies on  including UPS, FedEx and the United States Postal Service  with its homegrown delivery service. Its logistics investments have also fed the general theory that Amazon has become essentially unbeatable in American e-commerce  no doubt one reason Walmart, the worlds largest retailer, felt the need this week to acquire an audacious Amazon rival, Jet.com, for $3.3 billion.
The dispute stems from the governments attempts to enforce the countrys mining laws, which require the cooperatives to allow workers to form unions and put restrictions on cooperatives ability to work with foreign companies. The cooperatives, which operate as independent companies and employ about 120,000 miners, say the laws restrict their independence, and they have taken their case to the streets.

Image Rodolfo Illanes, the deputy interior minister of Bolivia. His body was recovered on Friday by the side of the highway, officials said. Credit... Reuters

The groups have long been a powerful force in Bolivia, and are known to draw tens of thousands to their protests, with many demonstrators armed with dynamite. The miners cooperatives played a central role when they joined protests over Bolivias natural gas supply, which left dozens dead. In 2005, the miners supported further unrest which led to the resignation of Carlos Mesa, then the president.

But the current president, Evo Morales, has long enjoyed the support of the miners cooperatives, which was why the developments this week were surprising to many. Along with the coca growers who Mr. Morales used to represent as a unionist, the miners are important allies for the president, who has rewarded them with political posts and who courts them in speeches.

Mr. Moraless tone on Friday changed after the killing of Mr. Illanes. They kidnapped him, tortured him and killed him, he said. Its unpardonable. I dont understand why our brothers at the cooperatives could do this.

Mr. Morales has suffered declining support this year after accusations of cronyism and a scandal involving a child born out of wedlock.
On Saturday, Aug. 27, presidential elections were held in my country, Gabon, in West Africa, and I was the candidate who won by a substantial vote margin. Nearly a week later, I would have expected to be addressing the world as Gabons president-elect, ready and willing to work with the United States and all our international partners to fight terrorism, build our economies and improve the lives of our citizens through increased development and cooperation.

Instead, I am hoping that the American people, and all others who care about democracy, will help my country through a crisis for our democracy. Im in Gabon where the current president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, is using our national security forces  armed with valuable military weaponry provided by the United States to fight terrorism  against our own people. In the reports Ive heard, at least a dozen are dead  probably more  and hundreds wounded; thousands have been arrested, including 23 of my campaign workers.

In order to keep these people from telling their own stories, Mr. Bongo has been shutting off the internet for hours at a time. But thanks to social media and brave Gabonese citizens, the story will be told. Online it is easy to find images of the horror and violence that Mr. Bongos repression of protest has set loose over the past week. As I write, on this Thursday morning, helicopters from Mr. Bongos presidential guard are loudly circling above my campaign headquarters, and the streets are full of protesters clashing with Mr. Bongos security forces.

Why is Mr. Bongo doing all this? Well, when the people of Gabon voted for their leader, they chose me. They chose a change from the dynastic regime that has ruled our country since 1967. Mr. Bongos father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, ruled from 1967 to 2009, when the son took over. Now Mr. Bongo is throwing a deadly and dangerous tantrum because the people of Gabon told him that its time for him to go.
WASHINGTON  The American militarys extensive use of drones against the Islamic State and other terrorist groups has resulted in a shortage of Air Force pilots and other personnel to operate the aircraft, leading the Pentagon to rely more on private contractors for reconnaissance missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Pentagon has used contractors to perform many duties traditionally carried out by uniformed personnel, like protecting military bases and feeding service members. The contractors who are now serving as drone pilots are based in the regions where the drones are flown, and they are legally prohibited from being trigger pullers and firing weapons, Air Force officials said. But there is no limit on the type of reconnaissance they can perform, and they are providing live video feeds of battles and special operations.

As the Obama administration has accelerated its campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq, Syria and Libya over the past 10 months, the Pentagon has added four drones flown by contractors to the roughly 60 that are typically flown every day by uniformed Air Force personnel.

Over the next two years, the Pentagon plans to add six more operated by contractors, the officials said. The number and identities of contractors working on the drone flights are considered classified information, the Air Force said. But Pentagon officials said there are at least several hundred contractors, many of them former drone or fighter pilots who are making double or triple their military salaries.
Over the last week, two of the worlds biggest internet companies have faced mounting criticism over how fake news on their sites may have influenced the presidential elections outcome.

On Monday, those companies responded by making it clear that they would not tolerate such misinformation by taking pointed aim at fake news sites revenue sources.

Google kicked off the action on Monday afternoon when the Silicon Valley search giant said it would ban websites that peddle fake news from using its online advertising service. Hours later, Facebook, the social network, updated the language in its Facebook Audience Network policy, which already says it will not display ads in sites that show misleading or illegal content, to include fake news sites.

We have updated the policy to explicitly clarify that this applies to fake news, a Facebook spokesman said in a statement. Our team will continue to closely vet all prospective publishers and monitor existing ones to ensure compliance.
Chico Mendes was hard to kill. No one knew that better than his enemies in Brazils Amazon rain forest. They had failed in half a dozen assassination attempts.

But on a December night in 1988, Mr. Mendess luck ran out. A shotgun blast ripped into him as he stepped outside his wood-frame house in the western Brazilian state of Acre. It was the end of a man who had won global acclaim for championing the sanctity of the forest and the rights of compatriots who eked out a living by extracting latex from rubber trees.

Retro Report, a series of video documentaries that explore the enduring impact of major news events of the past, harks back to the eco-martyrdom of Francisco Alves Mendes Filho: Chico to everyone. More broadly, this episode looks at the perilous state of tropical forests  notably the Amazon, the biggest of all at 2.1 million square miles  and the threat that persists for indigenous peoples and for the environmental balance of the planet.

Over the last half-century, roughly 20 percent of the Brazilian Amazon has disappeared as a result of deliberately set fires and relentless bulldozing to make room for cattle ranchers and to clear paths for loggers, road builders and other developers. Mindful of the international outcry over looming ecological disaster, Brazil has tried to slow the pace of this deforestation, with a commitment to bring it down to zero by 2030. But steady progress has proved elusive; of late, there has been some backsliding. Environmentalists warn that in another 15 years or so, little of the rain forest may be left to be saved.
Federal and state regulators had issued the pipeline the necessary permits to proceed, but the Corps of Engineers had not yet granted it a final easement to drill under a stretch of the Missouri River called Lake Oahe.

The Standing Rock Sioux had objected to the pipelines path so close to the source of their drinking water, and said any spill could poison water supplies for them and other reservations and cities downstream. They also said the pipelines route through what are now privately owned ranches bordering the river crossed through sacred ancestral lands.

News of the governments denial came after the size of the camp had swelled with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Native and non-Native veterans who had arrived to support the tribe. As word spread, people who had camped out here for months, sometimes in bitterly cold temperatures, and who had clashed violently with local law enforcement, linked arms and cheered and cried.

They screamed, Mni wiconi!  the movements rallying cry  which means Water is life.

Jon Eagle Sr., a member of the Standing Rock Tribe, said the announcement was a vindication for the thousands who had traveled here, and for the multitudes who had rallied to the tribes fight on social media or donated. Millions of dollars in donations and goods have flowed into the camps for months as the tribes fight and the scenes of protesters being tear-gassed and sprayed with freezing water stirred outrage on social media. (Law enforcement officials have insisted the entire time that they have acted responsibly and with restraint.)

I dont know quite how to put into words how proud I am of our people, Mr. Eagle said. And I mean our people. I dont just mean the indigenous people of this continent. I mean all the people who came to stand with us. And its a beautiful day. Its a powerful day.

Ken Many Wounds, who has served as a tribal liaison to express concerns and questions to law enforcement, said he had been standing by the camps main fire  one that is tended constantly  when he heard the news from the tribal chairmans wife. He said he did not believe it at first.

I hugged her, I cried, he said. Our prayers have been answered. A lot of people didnt believe that prayer was going to be the answer. But our people stayed together. In our hearts, we knew.
MOSCOW  Uzbekistans interim president has been elected the countrys second permanent leader since independence, garnering 89 percent of the votes in what observers said was a sham election.



After a sleepy campaign, the interim president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, faced three little-known candidates who were nominated by government-friendly political parties in the vote on Sunday.

Mr. Mirziyoyev, the 59-year-old prime minister, was appointed acting leader in September, after the death of Islam Karimov, who had ruthlessly ruled the predominantly Muslim nation of about 31 million for more than 25 years.

Following traditional Soviet practice, Mr. Karimovs death was apparently kept under wraps for days as top government officials tried to decide who would succeed him. Mr. Mirziyoyev was eventually recognized as the most likely candidate by observers after he was appointed the head of the funeral commission.
So who are the standouts at the 2017 edition of the Outsider Art Fair? Here are my 10 choices, a combination of familiar names from years past with plenty of new discoveries.

JAMES CASTLE The work of this Idaho artist is the subject of a beautiful display at Fleisher/Ollman, which reflects another strong showing for him. The selection contrasts classic farmyard scenes and dark domestic interiors with less familiar images, especially loosely drawn copies of New Yorker-like cartoons that have garbled word balloons and captions. Like a color copy of a magazine ad, these works indicate an attention to mass culture that parallels, if not precedes, Pop Art. The display at Karen Lennox confirms Castle as multifaceted, most notably with two drawings of lettering. One seems to depict food packaging; the other is a field of random letters, beautifully smudged and au courant.

MAGIC MARKINGS Overseen by the artist Alexander Gorlizki, this booth presents an array of Tantric, Jain and other ritual drawings from 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century India. The centerpiece is a wall of drawings all featuring snakes, including a few by the Indian painter and Tantric scholar Acharya Vyakul (1930-2000) and several examples of snakes and ladders, the ancient Indian board game that was initially a form of moral instruction. Not to be missed: the group of shaligrams  exquisite renderings of rocks that represent individual qualities of the Hindu god Vishnu  on the booths outside wall.
Guiding these borrowers takes time and training. Navient, the lawsuits say, steered clients toward options that were simpler for the company.

Anna Nepomuceno, 40, who lives in Tacoma, Wash., has been trying for years to get help from Navient. Around a decade ago, her partner, Andrew Brittell, 46, took out multiple loans totaling tens of thousands of dollars to attend DeVry, a for-profit school. Mr. Brittell now works in the billing department of a telecommunications company and takes home around $3,000 a month after taxes, barely covering the basic living expenses for their family of five.

Mr. Brittells federal loans would probably qualify him for an income-based repayment plan, and he has repeatedly applied to Navient to participate in such a program. The company has repeatedly lost his paperwork, Ms. Nepomuceno said  and each time, Navient suggested that Mr. Brittell instead apply for yet another loan forbearance, a program that suspends payments while interest continues to accrue.

Several of Mr. Brittells loans have been in forbearance for more than five years, Ms. Nepomuceno said. He has made no payments on them, and the balance due has ballooned to more than $90,000.

Mr. Brittel will put in the paperwork, and then theyll tell us that it never went through, or that they lost it, and we should go on forbearance, she said, adding: This has happened over and over again. Its like a vicious cycle.

Navient declined to comment on individual customers cases. But Mr. Brittells story is not unique, according to the suits filed this week, including one by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a government agency created under the 2010 financial reform laws that increased regulation of the financial industry.
Eight months after a fatal crash involving a Tesla Motors car operating in a computer-assisted mode, federal auto-safety regulators said their investigation of the car found no defects in the system that caused the accident and said Teslas Autopilot-enabled vehicles did not need to be recalled.

The outcome is a major win for Tesla and its chief executive, Elon Musk, who has forcefully promoted the cars technological prowess and ability to prevent accidents. The crash on May 7, 2016, attracted widespread attention and threatened to sidetrack the companys push toward autonomous vehicles.

The regulators warned, however, that advanced driver-assistance systems like the one in Teslas cars could be relied on to react properly in only some situations that arise on roadways. And the officials said that all automakers needed to be clear about how the systems should be used. Almost all major automakers are pursuing similar technology.

Not all systems can do all things, said Bryan Thomas, a spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agency that investigated the car involved in the May accident. There are driving scenarios that automatic emergency braking systems are not designed to address.
At her side in a roped-off 10-row section of the Sony Loews Theater at 67th and Broadway was Donald J. Trump. It was the winter of 1999 and they were watching Elizabeth.

Image An article from Nov. 16, 1999.

The couple had the space to themselves not because Mr. Trump had purchased all the tickets for the surrounding seats, but because there had apparently been a roof leak  and the manager granted their request to sit in the danger zone. The item, which offered a phonetic spelling of Ms. Knausss maiden name (she wouldnt become Mrs. Trump until 2005) appeared in the Business section on Jan. 10, 1999.

By fall of that year, talk surfaced of a possible Trump campaign for president on the Reform Party ticket. In a Times article on Nov. 16, 1999, Ms. Knauss was telling people hed make a fine president, and fending off tongue-in-cheek questions about whether shed redecorate the White House.

Just a couple of weeks later, there was more speculation about Ms. Knauss as first lady  a Dec. 1, 1999, feature suggested that her dexterity at idle chatter just might make her the perfect political spouse. Pressed on what her role would be should she and Mr. Trump ever make it to the White House, she responded, I would be very traditional. Like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy.
Brooklyn Brewery, which has grown from a dubious notion into a beer brand known around the world in less than 30 years, has decided not to abandon its longtime home in Williamsburg.

Feeling squeezed out of what once was a gritty, industrial section of Brooklyn, the companys owners had decided last year to move to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. But Steve Hindy, a founder of the company, said Thursday that the brewery would prefer to stay beyond the 2025 expiration of its current leases.

The brewery backed out of a plan to move its brewing operation into a smaller space in a building in the Navy Yard that is being overhauled as a hub for food manufacturing. The company, which has 115 full-time employees, had also planned to open a restaurant on the roof of that building and to occupy some office space there.

But Mr. Hindy said that he and the companys top executives began having second thoughts when their landlords expressed interest in extending the brewerys leases. This was a big surprise, said Mr. Hindy, who said he preferred to stay in Williamsburg because people know were here.
In December, when the authorities identified the suspect wanted in the theft of a bucket of gold flakes valued at $1.6 million, Detective Martin Pastor of the New York Police Department vowed he would find him.

Im going to come and get you, the detective said in an interview with WNBC. He can run as far as he can, and we will find him.

The authorities said the suspect, Julio Nivelo, did in fact run after the theft in September, from New York to Florida  and then to Los Angeles.
Standing on a walkway at the Queensbridge Houses in Queens, two young men clutched guns and snarled dares at each other. This might have been a scene out of the 1980s or 90s, when Nas, one of the hip-hop giants who grew up in Queensbridge, rapped, Any day could be your last.

But it was an afternoon two months ago, decades on.

And stepping between the two men was Shyism Bryant, 41, a retired drug dealer who spent 13 years away from Queensbridge, in state prison. He now works as a violence interrupter at Queensbridge. Two colleagues, Kristofer Bain and Taylonn Murphy, were with him.

Tactically, Mr. Bryant said, he believed it was critical to buy time, and then to create a psychic space so that each of the young men could subtract guns from the dispute without losing face.

I said, You gotta put away the guns, Mr. Bryant said.

Drawing on his past as a man who had been shot and spent time in prison, Mr. Bryant said, he told the two men that if they fired at each other, they would go to jail. That had not been on their minds, he said, and it was a reason to put down the guns that did not involve a surrender. You have to give someone an opportunity not to look like a punk in a group of people, Mr. Bryant said.
And the program had a new name: the Excelsior Business Program, a rebranding that carries some irony. Instead of allowing businesses of any size to apply, the program will now be open only to what most people would define as start-ups  small companies in their formative stages  in a move aimed at encouraging the next Google or Facebook to hatch in New York State.

Currently, businesses are required to create at least one new job each year to remain in the program, which exempts companies operating in certain tax-free zones from all taxes for up to a decade; under the new proposal, the requirement would fall to creating one new job in the first five years the company is in the program.

Empire State Development, the state agency that oversees the program as well as the governors other economic development efforts, will be required to update the public on the initiative, as well as a related program known as Empire Jobs, once a year.

Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, has not budged from his support for Start-Up, and the state insisted this week that the program would produce more than 4,000 new jobs over the next several years. State officials say the lower requirement for yearly job creation should allow companies to focus on growing rather than on hitting specific job targets, and argue that the companies will generate so little revenue at first that any taxes the state would pass up in exchange would be negligible.

This program remains in place and the proposed adjustments, which are based on feedback from businesses, will help it reach its full potential, Jason Conwall, a spokesman for Empire State Development, said in a statement. We remain firmly committed to the model  innovative academia-business partnerships coupled with performance-based, tax-free incentives.
While President-elect Donald J. Trump was already disliked by many New Yorkers, he did not win any new fans in his hometown on Thursday when his flight to the inaugural festivities in Washington snarled air traffic at La Guardia Airport.

The cascade of delays prompted by Mr. Trumps departure left New Yorkers wondering how his trips between the two cities might disrupt daily life once he is president.

His motorcade arrived at the Queens airport shortly after 11 a.m., and television stations broadcast his takeoff in a Boeing 757 plane. More than a dozen planes were stopped near a runway.

Adrian Benepe, the former city parks commissioner, was on one of the planes when the captain informed passengers that they were waiting on an important person and his entourage of dark S.U.V.s.
On the eve of the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the United States, thousands of protesters and a group of Hollywood celebrities took to the streets in New York City in what was meant to be a show of unity and a prelude to what organizers hoped would be a weekend of dissent around the country.

In the days after Mr. Trumps election, protesters gathered night after night, often at the base of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan. On Thursday, with his presidency hours from becoming reality, they rallied near Central Park, in the shadow of another one of the many skyscrapers bearing the Trump name.

Many said they had a personal fear of the president-elect. Trump is a direct threat to me and my humanity, said Ravenne Reid, 19, a student at John Jay College, as the rally near the Trump International Hotel and Tower began. Im worried about student loans and womens rights and a million other issues. I couldnt not be here.

The rally was likely a sign of things to come over the next four years, with Trump-branded buildings in the president-elects hometown making the perfect backdrop for opponents of his policies.
A special strength of American democracy has been the desire of newly elected presidents to unite the public with healing words after the sound and fury of the campaign.

Now comes President-elect Donald Trump. He has won the office and yet has continued his vindictive, disruptive style of politicking. He has run a post-campaign that has corroded the traditional grace period of considerate political transition that the nation needs. The hope of citizens for a better future, for a sense of uplift, has wound up hostage to his impetuous Twitter attacks on individuals, institutions and nations.

Fellow Republicans like Senator John McCain openly wonder whether Mr. Trumps chief obsession is to engage with every windmill that he can find, rather than to focus on the most important position on earth.

This is the question haunting Mr. Trumps inauguration on Friday. Is he up to the job of uniting and leading the nation  of achieving and sustaining the tone that Americans for generations have called presidential? Or will self-absorption and free-flowing peevishness be the hallmarks of an era of domestic and global crises, stirred up by grossly uninformed perceptions of reality?
Its not every day that a nominee to lead a multibillion-dollar federal department uses a confirmation hearing to repudiate his previous pledge to get rid of that very department. But having taken the time to find out what the Energy Department actually does, Rick Perry now seems eager to lead it as Donald Trumps new energy secretary. As he told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday, the department performs so many vital functions that I regret recommending its elimination.

As recently as five weeks ago, he believed that his main mission would be to champion the oil and gas industry, as he had during 14 years as governor of Texas. He has since learned that his biggest responsibilities would, in fact, involve overseeing a vast nuclear security complex that he knows almost nothing about. Most of the departments annual $30 billion budget goes to maintaining, refurbishing and keeping safe the nations nuclear weapons; curbing the spread of nuclear weapons; rebuilding nuclear production facilities; and overseeing a network of highly regarded national laboratories.

To prepare for the job and the hearing, Mr. Perry said he had spoken several times with Ernest Moniz, the current energy secretary and a respected nuclear scientist, and also with others who have held the job. That shows a greater readiness to learn from his predecessor than other cabinet nominees have displayed; Rex Tillerson, Mr. Trumps nominee for secretary of state, was scheduled to meet with the incumbent, John Kerry, but did not, although he squeezed in a meeting with Mr. Kerrys deputy on Thursday.

Still, the learning curve is steep. Among Mr. Perrys duties as energy secretary would be the important task of monitoring compliance with the 2015 deal under which Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program in return for a lifting of international sanctions. Mr. Moniz helped negotiate the deal. Mr. Trump has pledged to scuttle it. When asked by Senator Al Franken, Democrat of Minnesota, about the deal, Mr. Perry seemed unclear about the departments role.
Mr. Hartfield, a black man, signed a confession that he later disavowed, and, crucially, investigators said he told them where to find Ms. Lowes car. Experts placed his I.Q. in the 50s or 60s, which his lawyers contend made him easily coerced by detectives, and unable to understand his rights or his confession.

A jury convicted him and he was sentenced to death. But the Court of Criminal Appeals later overturned that verdict, ruling that a potential juror had been improperly dismissed for having doubts about the death penalty, and ordered a new trial. After years of legal wrangling, the high court ruling took effect in March 1983.

Under Texas law at the time, prosecutors had a way to avoid a retrial and preserve the conviction  but only if they acted within a time frame set by the court. Because the trial error had to do with capital punishment, if the governor commuted the sentence to life in prison, then it would be as if the appellate court had never ruled, and the guilty verdict would remain in effect.

That was apparently never communicated to the prison system. Mr. Dow said that Mr. Hartfield thought he was awaiting a new trial, but did not have the capacity to understand the delay or what to do about it.

Whether the District Attorneys Office understood what had happened at the time is unclear, but it never took steps to retry him, and the case lay dormant for the next 23 years. Prosecutors have argued that Mr. Hartfield had legal representation all along, because his original defense team remained his lawyers of record until a court formally dismissed them in 2013. But Mr. Hartfields new lawyers say he had no legal counsel from 1983, when the original team thought they were done with the case, until a federal court appointed a lawyer in 2008.

Starting in 2006, a fellow inmate helped Mr. Hartfield file motions in various courts. Some were rejected outright, and at least one apparently went to the wrong office. One federal judge ruled in his favor, but another said he had to keep trying in state court.

Finally, in 2013, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that Mr. Hartfields conviction and life sentence were void, but his motions were also void. The motions were filed under a law applying to people who have been convicted, the court said, and there was no valid conviction on record in his case. He refiled under a different provision, and prosecutors finally sought a new trial.
WASHINGTON  Steven T. Mnuchin, President-elect Donald J. Trumps pick to head the Treasury Department, came under withering fire on Thursday for foreclosing on homes in California, managing an offshore investment account and initially failing to disclose almost $100 million in assets.

During five hours of contentious questioning, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee pressed Mr. Mnuchin to explain how he could fail to disclose $95 million of real estate assets, including property in New York, Los Angeles and Mexico, on his initial committee ethics questionnaire. The former Goldman Sachs banker also did not initially disclose that he is the director of Dune Capital International, an investment fund incorporated on the Cayman Islands, an offshore tax haven. And he belatedly disclosed that his children own nearly $1 million in artwork.

Such problems of fabulous wealth seem almost part and parcel to the confirmation struggles of a Trump government that would be filled with billionaires and multimillionaires. Mr. Trumps pick for commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, admitted this week that he had fired an undocumented immigrant  one of the dozen or so housekeepers the billionaire investor employs.

Mr. Trumps pick to be White House budget director, Representative Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, admitted paying back taxes of more than $15,000 for a household employee whose payroll taxes he had not paid, and his choice for health secretary, Representative Tom Price of Georgia, spent much of his confirmation hearing defending stock trades that might have been impacted by his legislating.
WASHINGTON  President-elect Donald J. Trumps cabinet nominees, while moderating some of their stances, have made it clear during two weeks of hearings that they intend to work hard to sweep away President Obamas domestic policy by embracing a deeply conservative approach to governing.

In dozens of hours of testimony, Mr. Trumps nominees told senators that they favored less regulation, a smaller federal government, more state control over policy decisions and taxpayer money, and greater personal responsibility by Americans across the country.

The sometimes contentious hearings continued up until the day before the inauguration, as Mr. Trump triumphantly arrived in Washington on Thursday to kick off three highly choreographed days that will usher Republicans back into full political power in Washington for the first time in more than a decade.

After arriving at Joint Base Andrews on a military plane that will become Air Force One the next time he steps onboard, Mr. Trump visited the Trump International Hotel before making an appearance at the Lincoln Memorial, where thousands watched an inaugural concert.
I have never had any relationship with the Russian government or any Russian officials. I was never in contact with anyone, or directed anyone to be in contact with anyone, he said.

On the Russian hacking of the D.N.C., he said, my only knowledge of it is what I have read in the papers.

What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. Learn more about our process.

The decision to open the investigations was not based on a dossier of salacious, uncorroborated allegations that were compiled by a former British spy working for a Washington research firm. The F.B.I. is also examining the allegations in that dossier, and a summary of its contents was provided to Mr. Trump earlier this month.

Representatives of the agencies involved declined to comment. Of the half-dozen current and former officials who confirmed the existence of the investigations, some said they were providing information because they feared the new administration would obstruct their efforts. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the cases.

Numerous news outlets, including The New York Times, have reported on the F.B.I. investigations into Mr. Trumps advisers. BBC and then McClatchy revealed the existence of a multiagency working group to coordinate investigations across the government.

The continuing investigation again puts the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, in the middle of a politically fraught investigation. Democrats have sharply criticized Mr. Comeys handling of the investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server. Mrs. Clinton has said his decision to reveal the existence of new emails late in the campaign cost her the election.

The F.B.I. investigation into Mr. Manafort began last spring, and was an outgrowth of a criminal investigation into his work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine and for the countrys former president, Viktor F. Yanukovych. In August, The Times reported that Mr. Manaforts name had surfaced in a secret ledger that showed he had been paid millions in undisclosed cash payments. The Associated Press has reported that his work for Ukraine included a secret lobbying effort in Washington aimed at influencing American news organizations and government officials.
In all, Mr. Trump has named only 29 of his 660 executive department appointments, according to the Partnership for Public Service, which has been tracking the process. That is a pace far slower than recent predecessors, falling far short of the schedule originally outlined by Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, who was Mr. Trumps transition director before Mr. Trump ousted him 10 weeks ago.

None of this seemed to bother Mr. Trump. After arriving from New York, the president-elect trod solemnly down red-carpeted stairs from a government plane at Joint Base Andrews with his wife, Melania, then sped off to deliver a speech at a reception held at his ornate new hotel near the White House. There, he declared, with typical bluster, that his cabinet nominees had by far the highest I.Q. of any cabinet assembled.

Later, he laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery and attended his Lincoln Memorial inaugural concert, saying that one had never been held there before even though many similar events have taken place in front of the iconic seated statue of the 16th president.

Tomorrow seems to be the big one, Mr. Trump told a black-tie dinner crowd at Washingtons stately Union Station on Thursday night, referring to his inauguration. In off-the-cuff remarks, he teased his incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, for having a difficult-to-pronounce name, and chided fund-raisers who did not contribute to his campaign until after he won. He also described his political opponents as going crazy over his cabinet selections.

Mr. Trump campaigned on a platform of shaking up Washington, but his pomp-and-circumstance arrival began with two jarring concessions to a city he may not inhabit full time: This week, he was forced to abandon his cherished Trump 757 for an Air Force jet, and, according to people close to the transition, he has traded in his Android phone for a secure, encrypted device approved by the Secret Service with a new number that few people possess.
Donald J. Trump continued an inaugural tradition after he was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. With his wife, Melania Trump, at his side, he stepped out of their limousine and took a brief stroll along Pennsylvania Avenue on Friday to wave at crowds during the inaugural parade.

The walk has been an informal custom since 1977, when President Jimmy Carter became the first to set out by foot for more than a mile on the route to the White House.

Mr. Carters walk with his wife, Rosalynn, and 9-year-old daughter, Amy, became a tradition that has been matched in ceremony if not in length by the presidents who followed.

Once somebody does something innovative, it becomes a tradition, Doris Kearns Goodwin, a presidential historian, said during a telephone interview. There is a desire to show that they are a peoples president, and in that moment of a ceremony, when so many people are gathered to watch, they want the people to feel they are going to be part of it.
I know that President-elect Trump has a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, she added. Weve had in-depth conversations about God.

Ms. White, the pastor of a church near Orlando, Fla., has been associated with prosperity gospel, which holds that if believers give generously, God will reward them with earthly and heavenly riches. She said her teachings are too varied to be narrowed to such a theology.

Her former ministry, the Without Walls International Church, was one of six investigated in the past decade by the Senate Finance Committee over possible financial improprieties. At the time, Ms. White and her husband, Randy, from whom she is now divorced, refused to cooperate with the inquiry, and kept their lavish spending hidden behind tax laws that allowed religious organizations to operate tax-free with little transparency.

Ms. White said that Mr. Trump was not drawn to her for any attention she has given to success and wealth. Winning to him also equates to good, and good equates to God, she said.

Over the past decade, Ms. White said, Mr. Trump has called on her to pray over him before, in her words, most major events in his life: ahead of a season finale of The Apprentice, and in the minutes before his speech at the Republican National Convention last year. (Ms. White also spoke at the event.) She also said she had sometimes been invited to simply sit with the president-elect in his Trump Tower office for a day.
RIO DE JANEIRO  The Supreme Court justice overseeing parts of the investigation into corruption at Brazils national oil company died on Thursday in the crash of a small plane, stunning the country as investigators are intensifying their efforts to prosecute an array of political figures on graft charges.

The justice, Teori Zavascki, 68, was killed along with at least two other people traveling on a Beechcraft King Air C90 when it crashed into the Atlantic near Paraty, a town of colonial-era buildings on the coast between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, according to Brazilian news reports.

The cause of the crash was unknown as of Thursday night. The federal police have begun an investigation that will be closely watched across Brazil, given Justice Zavasckis influence in Brazils legal system.

Justice Zavascki, who had kept a low public profile since being named to the 11-member court in 2012, was responsible for some of the boldest moves in Brazils judiciary in recent years, earning him a reputation as a judge prepared to curb abuses by influential lawmakers and business leaders.
RIO DE JANEIRO  In an attempt to regain government control after days of rioting, specially equipped police forces entered a Brazilian prison on Thursday where rival drug gangs were fighting pitched battles with metal bars and wooden clubs in scenes reminiscent of medieval warfare.

The horrific scenes, broadcast live on television by cameras situated on the sand dunes that tower over the prison walls, represented the escalation of a prison crisis that has seen over 120 prisoners killed this year alone.

The police have been unable to take control of the Alcacuz state penitentiary near the city of Natal in the northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte since Jan. 14 when 26 prisoners were killed in a riot, with many mutilated and decapitated. Battles have been flaring inside the prison since then as officers in guard towers watched helplessly. Dozens of buses have been set ablaze in the city as the gang war spread to the streets.

In response to the increasing violence, President Michel Temer authorized the use of the armed forces this week to aid the police in searching for drugs, cellphones and weapons in Brazils crowded prison system, where drug gangs and extreme violence rule. Maj. Eduardo Franco, a police spokesman, said he was not able to confirm reports of two more prisoner deaths on Thursday.
NEW DELHI  Streets throughout the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India were brought to a standstill on Thursday as protests over a ban on a traditional bull wrestling festival entered their third day.

Protesters say the rite, Jallikattu, is part of their cultural identity, and they are urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to overturn a Supreme Court ban on the practice. PETA India has said that bulls were given alcohol and abused for the festival, in which men win prizes if they successfully hold onto the hump of a bull for a particular distance or length of time.. The prime minister said in a statement on Thursday that he appreciated the rites cultural significance, but noted that the high court is reviewing its ruling.

Jallikattu is just one of several centuries-old cultural traditions that have come to underline a new constant in India: the tension between the hold of established cultural practices and new efforts by activists to safeguard rights, whether minority, individual or animal.
When he was recaptured early last year, after one of Mexicos most exhaustive manhunts, the government publicly said it would allow the extradition of Mr. Guzman, thus relieving itself of the potential embarrassment of another escape and preventing further souring of its relationship with the United States.

Mr. Guzmans extradition came suddenly, after nearly a year of appeals and legal procedures. Even his own lawyer was surprised. In an interview after the announcement by the Mexican government, the lawyer, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, said he had only just learned about the extradition. Indeed, he was at the prison where Mr. Guzman was being held, planning to see his client, when it was locked down for two hours.

I was supposed to visit him today, he said. I know nothing of this.

An American law enforcement official said the United States authorities had not known that the Mexicans were about to hand over Mr. Guzman until late Thursday afternoon. The official, who requested anonymity to discuss the case, said the guesstimate was that the timing of the extradition was politically motivated. The official did not elaborate.

Mr. Guzman  whose nickname, El Chapo, means Shorty  was a major trophy for law enforcement officials in both countries. Over the years, as the drug trade blossomed into a multibillion-dollar industry, he became much more than a mere trafficker. As a farm-boy-turned-billionaire with a flair for the dramatic, he became a symbol of Mexicos broken rule of law, Americas narcotics obsession and the failure of both nations drug wars.

And yet, amid the anguish caused by Mr. Guzman  the trail of blood left by his henchmen across swaths of Mexico; the addiction crisis fueled by his networks in America  his legend only seemed to grow. In Mexico, he became a folk hero to the masses. In Sinaloa, tales of Mr. Guzmans handing out freebies to the poor and covering checks for diners in the restaurants he frequented are commonplace.
LONDON  Martin McGuinness, the former first deputy minister of Northern Ireland, on Thursday announced his retirement on health grounds, ending a remarkable career during which he evolved from paramilitary leader to peacemaker and politician.

His decision to retire signals the end of an era in which Mr. McGuinness, a former leading figure in the Irish Republican Army, became one of the architects of Northern Irelands peace process, ultimately sharing power with some of his most bitter former adversaries.

But it comes at a time of political tension in Belfast, Northern Irelands capital. Mr. McGuinness resigned as deputy first minister on Jan. 9 after an internal political dispute, forcing a snap election scheduled for March 2.

His departure also increases political uncertainty just as Britain plans for its departure from the European Union, amid worries about new frictions over the frontier between Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Moreover, speculation is swirling over the future of Gerry Adams, a key ally of Mr. McGuinness, adding to talk of a generational change at the top of their Sinn Fein party.
The acute shortage of blood in the country continues to paralyze work at the various health facilities.

The latest to be hard-it is the Uganda Heart Institute which has been forced reduced the number of patients seeking surgery due to lack of blood.

The Institutes Executive Director Dr.John Omagino says the units of blood they are receiving from the blood bank cannot not satisfy the high demand for the same.

Earlier, there were reports that the Uganda Cancer Institute too had suspended major operations due to blood shortage.

Authorities at Nakasero Blood Bank have blamed the shortage on the fact that students who form the biggest percentage of blood donors are currently on holiday.
He said that if Mr. Trump were to follow through, the Palestine Liberation Organization would repeal its recognition of Israel, considered a baseline condition for peace talks. I hope he does not do it, Mr. Erekat added.

Jerusalem is the seat of Israels government, but it is not home to any foreign embassies. American policy, like that of many other nations, has long been that the future of the holy city can be determined only as part of a broader peace agreement and that putting the embassy there would prejudge the outcome.

The Israeli leadership considers Jerusalem, including territory captured from Jordan in the 1967 war, its united and eternal capital. But Palestinians see Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

If Mr. Trump does in some way move the embassy to Jerusalem  and there are various situations, including having his ambassador simply set up shop in the existing United States Consulate  it would be seen as a victory for Israels right wing, which has been gaining political dominance over many years (and power in Washington: The leaders of two Israeli settlements, condemned by past administrations, are attending Mr. Trumps inauguration).

It would also be considered a rebuke to the Obama administrations refusal last month to veto a United Nations resolution condemning settlement building in the occupied West Bank as it warned of the slow strangling of a two-state peace.

It is hard for me to imagine any Israeli on the right or even on the left who thinks Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel and would not welcome in their heart recognition of that by the U.S., said Moshe Arens, a former defense and foreign minister from the Likud, the governing party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But even some on the right have questioned the moves value and timing. In December, Avigdor Lieberman, the hard-line defense minister, appeared to say it was not a priority.
The New York sculptor Pat Lasch has spent her career making work that plays with the distinction between ordinary things and things belonging in museums: realistic-looking ball gowns made from dried acrylic paint; plaster eggs; towering decorative cakes fashioned from wood and paper.

Her fascination with cakes grew out of a notion of them as markers of times passage, through birthdays, weddings and other occasions. And cakes have also helped her remember her father, a German-born pastry chef who gave her some life advice when she worked in his bakery as a teenager, piping the icing: If you make a mistake, put a rose on it.

Recently Ms. Lasch, 72, discovered a mistake that even the loveliest rose is unlikely to fix: The Museum of Modern Art, which commissioned a 5-foot-2-inch-tall cake sculpture in 1979 as part of its 50th anniversary, appears to have discarded the piece, which Ms. Lasch wanted to borrow for a retrospective of her work opening in March at the Palm Springs Art Museum in California.

Ms. Lasch, a first-generation feminist who started working in the early 1970s, said she contacted the Museum of Modern Art last fall after the curator in Palm Springs, Mara Gladstone, was unable to find records of the cake sculpture in the archives at MoMA. Mara said, Pat, I dont know how to tell you this, Ms. Lasch recalled in a recent interview.
Christies declined to comment on the Basquiat, though it would technically regard it as a private sale, rather than an online transaction. But Mr. Gorvy, who is now a partner in the newly branded Levy Gorvy dealership, said, From the buyers point of view, this was a total Instagram sale.

Mr. Gorvys Instagram account is all the more influential for having no corporate branding and a strong individuality.

It allows you to get into the hearts and minds of important collectors, Mr. Gorvy said. People think they know you, and that pulls down barriers. People saw that I had a daughter, a dog and a home. I became less of a guy that sells paintings.

The quirkily personal Instagram accounts of tastemaking specialists like Mr. Gorvy and Mr. Carey-Williams, or of high-profile private collectors and dealers like the Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa (38,500 followers), Simon de Pury (177,000) and the art world disrupter Stefan Simchowitz (77,600), remain the unquantifiable soft power of todays art market.

Just as difficult to gauge is the impact of the huge Instagram followings on sales at the worlds major galleries. Gagosian Gallerys Instagram site has at least 593,000 followers, with that of Pace not far behind, at 506,000.

Its a two-way thing, said Stefan Ratibor, the director of Gagosians London galleries. We put out the information and we value the feedback. This has led to conversations that have led to sales, but they cant be quantified.
We were all just throwing out movement, creating an agglomeration of dance steps, said Lauren Lovette, a principal with the company, who is also a choreographer. Then he has you stealing steps from someone else, exchanging the counts and dynamics. Its almost like he puts on the paint, then starts to mix and add other colors. The process has been fluid and loose and unclear  until suddenly it is clear.

Mr. Lidberg, 39, has had an unusual career that has combined serious ballet training and performance; four years of medical studies; contemporary dance and performance work; filmmaking; and a performing arts M.F.A. from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. He still feels, he said, the tug between doing something satisfying and meaningful like medicine, and working creatively. And while he would love to finish his medical studies and work in that field, he said he has allowed his choreographic career to take precedence. I caught a wave, and it took me far away from where it started.

From an early age, though, he knew that he wanted to choreograph. The middle son of a psychiatrist and a psychologist, he began ballet lessons at 6 after seeing his first performance. At 10, he auditioned successfully for the Royal Swedish Ballet school, and after graduation spent a peripatetic near decade dancing with a succession of European companies: the Norwegian Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve, the Gothenburg Ballet, back to the Royal Swedish Ballet.

Even at school, he choreographed small pieces for classmates; later he made pieces for fellow dancers for workshops and galas, searching, he said, for something he wasnt finding in performing. For me, the constant search for perfection and self-actualization that you have as a dancer became self-indulgent, he said. I wanted to do something not about me. I decided I would study medicine  and continue dancing.
Charles Bobo Shaw, a jazz drummer from St. Louis who worked with major figures of the 1960s and 70s jazz avant-garde, died on Jan. 16 in St. Louis. He was 69.

His death, at a hospice, was confirmed by the trumpeter George R. Sams, a friend and frequent collaborator, who said that Mr. Shaw was hospitalized last month with multiple ailments.

Mr. Shaw was equally adept at generating straightforward swing and funk or plunging into the coloristic flow of free jazz. As a founder of the Black Artists Group and the Human Artists Association in St. Louis, he was also an organizer in an era when forward-looking jazz musicians were creating their own infrastructure.

Charles Wesley Shaw Jr., nicknamed Bobo by his mother, was born in Pope, Miss., on Sept. 5, 1947, and moved with his family to St. Louis as a child. He learned his fundamentals in the American Woodsman drum and bugle corps, which nurtured notable St. Louis musicians; he also studied with members of the St. Louis Symphony.
Gidon Kremer, the Russian-trained Latvian violin virtuoso who turns 70 next month, has never shied away from connecting his art and his politics.

On a North American tour that has just begun with concerto performances in Boston and arrives at the 92nd Street Y with a concert on Feb. 2 by Mr. Kremers chamber orchestra, Kremerata Baltica, he is forwarding a social agenda, if not a political one. The second half of the chamber program is called Russia: Masks & Faces, and its centerpiece is Mussorgskys Pictures at an Exhibition in a new orchestration, with projected images of paintings.

Ho-hum, right?

But the paintings are not those of Viktor Hartmann that inspired Mussorgskys work. They are, Mr. Kremer said, pictures from another exhibition, painted by Maxim Kantor, a Russian artist and social commentator.
Ms. Rosenblooms following remains small, even by improvised music standards, but since the albums release in October she has started to establish a foothold in the left wing of New Yorks jazz scene. On Sunday, she will perform alongside the fabled avant-garde bassist Henry Grimes at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center, in the closing concert of Justice Is Compassion/Not a Police State, a three-week series of music and poetry presented by Arts for Art timed to culminate with Donald J. Trumps inauguration weekend. In the spring, her trio will have its debut at Dizzys Club Coca-Cola, part of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Talking over coffee this week at the Park Slope apartment where she lives with her wife, Ms. Rosenbloom returned frequently to the influence of her teacher, Connie Crothers, who died last year. An esteemed pianist, composer and instructor, Ms. Crothers encouraged students to invest in their intuition, and to chase improvisations as far as they could go. This proved crucial for Ms. Rosenbloom, who had always been more confident in her composing than in her iconoclastic piano playing, and whose left hand is still slightly restricted by the old injury.

The feeling you get with Connie is that the intuitive thing that youre doing is the thing that you should follow, she said, still speaking of Ms. Crothers in the present tense. When youre following that thread that you dont really understand, thats good: Its the right thing to do.

After graduating from New York University with a degree in jazz composition, Ms. Rosenbloom released two serviceable albums with a post-bop quartet. They featured relatively circumscribed renditions of her original tunes and leaned hard on the groups formidable alto saxophonist, Darius Jones. But in late 2013, around the time she began studying with Ms. Crothers, she decided to form a trio.

The idea was to give her piano playing a greater role and also to open up the possibility of wholesale redirections in the midst of performance. With Sean Conly on bass and Chad Taylor on drums, the trio played regularly over the coming two years, mostly at the small Brooklyn venue Ibeam.
Two understudies looked overjoyed during the curtain call for Bizets Carmen late Thursday evening at the Metropolitan Opera. According to the printed program, Clementine Margaine, a French mezzo, and Rafael Davila, a tenor from Puerto Rico, shouldnt have been up there acknowledging the audiences standing ovation. But two last-minute health-related cancellations meant that both lead roles were sung by artists making their house debuts.

This revival of Richard Eyres handsome production, conducted by Asher Fisch, should have opened with another French mezzo, Sophie Koch, in the title role. Ms. Margaine was scheduled to take over the part of Carmen later in the run, so she was poised to step in when Ms. Koch fell ill this week. Her coolly smoldering performance of this most famous operatic femme fatale showed she was more than ready.

As understudy to Marcelo Alvarez, one of the Mets most prized tenors, Mr. Davila might never have seen the limelight. He is a seasoned performer in regional opera houses; here, he was assigned to cover for the part of Don Jose, and so he had been fitted with a costume and had familiarized himself with the outlines of the staging. His big break came when Mr. Alvarez pulled out because of a respiratory infection just an hour and a half before the show.
Yes. People dont even realize the number of indigenous languages spoken in Latin America to begin with.

The pieces that are mostly played in the United States are those that draw on folkloric elements of Latin American music. Does that color our perceptions?

Thats a large part of it. What we think of as folkloric elements are basically Spanish or Portuguese elements, by way of Afro-South Americans. But there is this extraordinary culture of indigenous South Americans, and thats something we never think of because we never hear this music. I was amazed at the number of composers who have a very strong connection to the world of the indigenous South American music.

Even this crazy piece by Caturla [Alejandro Garcia Caturlas Primera Suite Cubana, from 1931] was written after Henry Cowells visit to Havana, when he played his crazy tone-cluster piano concerto. Heres this Cuban piece thats based on folklore but has these crazy tone clusters and intrusions of poly-temporal writing, and some really dissonant stuff. Its not at all what you think of as folklore, but it is folklore-based. Caturla, in a way, was the Bartok of Cuban music.

Is the new Rossi piece you were rehearsing another example?

Absolutely. Its not at all what you imagine Latin American music to be. Hes an Argentine. Hes done a lot of research into the music of the indigenous peoples and the construction of their instruments. This is one of the creepiest pieces youll ever hear. It feels like youve gone back 1,000 years and youre at this strange ceremony celebrating the connections of the culture to the earth. In South America there is still a very strong shamanic tradition. In fact, in that Rossi piece, the Spanish words whispered by players is a shaman phrase.
When Comedy Central ordered Detroiters  which they created with the Saturday Night Live alumni Zach Kanin and Joe Kelly  and agreed to film it on location, the pair made the show as homegrown as possible. (The series pilot benefited from a Michigan state film incentive program, but by the time the series got the green light, new legislation had nixed the initiative.) The bouncy earworm theme song? Written by the artist and sneaker entrepreneur Rick Williams, a high school friend of Mr. Robinsons, produced by John Jay Henry of Detroit, and sung by Yolanda Williams, Mr. Williamss wife. The blizzard of cyclist extras in Episode 2? Members of Slow Roll Detroit, a group of biking enthusiasts.

Between crew and cast, Detroiters hired more than 200 people from the area  and drafted seven interns from Grow Detroit Young Talent, a city jobs program. The show coaxed Hollywood actors with Detroit backgrounds  like Keegan-Michael Key, who once taught Mr. Robinson improv  to guest-star. They spread their shots across Detroit locations both majestic and mundane. A swanky gala scene was set at the Detroit Institute of Art; Mr. Richardson fretted about doing a monologue involving his genitals in front of a Diego Rivera painting. It felt like sacrilege, he said.

Location scouts secured a pair of classic Victorians in the Woodbridge neighborhood to serve as the exteriors of the characters adjacent homes. The one belonging to Sam is distinctly half-renovated. The back story is that when the economy turned, I bought this house for $20,000 and had that ambitiousness of Im gonna flip this house, here we go, easy breezy, Mr. Richardson said, laughing. And then I just cant. I dont have the skills. That to me felt very in the spirit of Detroit.

The most visible local addition is Shawntay Dalon, a Detroit actress who had just moved to Hollywood when she was invited to audition for the show. She recorded her audition in an apartment stuffed with six other actors. A few weeks and a callback later, Ms. Dalon learned she had won the part of the female lead. It was time to go home.

The familiarity felt surreal to Ms. Dalon as she began playing Chrissy, who is Sams sister, Tims wife and an assembly line worker at Chrysler. (In real life, Mr. Robinsons wife is an electrical engineer for the company.) Wed be shooting outside, and across the street, neighbors would be sitting on their porches yelling: Yeah! That looks funny! Ms. Dalon said. That used to be me. I could never walk by anything filming.

The result of all this effort is a show that feels cheerily authentic. Though a creative class of Detroiters has rallied to revive the citys food, art and fashion scenes, Detroiters is more likely to linger on a shot of a middle-class neighborhood or public park than highlight hipster hallmarks of urban revitalization, like microbreweries or gastro pubs. Thats because, as Jason Sudeikis, who plays a Chrysler executive and is one of the executive producers, puts it, the show sees Detroit as a place that draws strength from its past and present as much as from its future. Detroits story is one of falling away and coming back and maintaining, he said. The idea behind the show was that notion of hope, the idea of this blue-collar Midwest work ethic.

But despite the pride friends, family and other Detroiters feel for the city finally getting a loving screen treatment from returning natives, Mr. Robinson noted there is one downside to being a hometown hero of sorts: My mom is always like, You know, its your uncles birthday on Sunday, and youre in town. And Im like, Aw, man. I guess I am in town.
By Samuel Ssebiliba

The judiciary has been blamed for the overcrowding in Ugandas prisons.

According to the report on the State of Ugandas Prisons released by parliaments committee on defense and internal affairs, many prisons are housing up to 3 times their designated holding capacity.

While presenting the report before parliament last evening, the committee chairperson Judith Nabakooba said many cases are not concluded in time leading to unnecessary overcrowding.

She blames this on underfunding and understaffing of the judiciary.

The committee has recommended the appointment of more judges or re-appoint of retired ones to address case backlog.
One night nearly 140 years ago, Samuel Clemens told his young daughters Clara and Susie a bedtime story about a poor boy who eats a magic flower that gives him the ability to talk to animals.

Storytelling was a nightly ritual in the Clemens home. But something about this particular tale must have stuck with Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, because he decided to jot down some notes about it.

The story might have ended there, lost to history. But decades later, the scholar John Bird was searching the Twain archives at the University of California, Berkeley, when he came across the notes for the story, which Twain titled Oleomargarine. Mr. Bird was astonished to find a richly imagined fable, in Twains inimitable voice. He and other scholars believe it may be the only written remnant of a childrens fairy tale from Twain, though he told his daughters stories constantly.
Because of the Scopes trial of 1925, not to mention more recent controversies about teaching evolution in public schools, we are accustomed to thinking of Darwins theory of evolution as antithetical to religion. Darwin rejected the biblical account of creation and proposed a natural mechanism based on accidental improvements in species to explain why some flora and fauna survived and others perished. Darwin, as Emily Dickinson observed, had thrown the Redeemer away.

Asa Gray, however, who had been born again as a young man in upstate New York, viewed evolution as compatible with religion. Or at least he tried very hard to reconcile them. Through magazine articles and lectures he did more to popularize the idea of evolution than any other American. Eventually, however, Gray began to worry that Darwin had made belief in God superfluous. To create a bridge between divine purpose and science, Gray proposed that God had created all the species and chosen evolution as the mechanism for their subsequent development. In a letter to Gray, Darwin pointed out that this idea was thoroughly unscientific. Science, he wrote, must deal in evidence, not speculation. But many Americans seized on Grays formulation to embrace Darwin without sacrificing their religious convictions.

Fullers most surprising revelation is the profound impact Darwins portrait of a teeming, pulsating natural world exerted on Thoreau. In the years before he encountered the book, Thoreau had become obsessed with the workings of nature, filling notebook after notebook with drawings and descriptions of the birds, plants, animals and trees he encountered in the Massachusetts woods. But not until he read Darwin did Thoreau attempt to create order out of the mass of information he had compiled. He began organizing the thousands of pages of his journals into what today would be called a giant spreadsheet. Thoreau died in 1862, leaving behind an unfinished manuscript on natural history inspired in large measure by reading Darwin.

Darwins book said nothing about the origins and evolution of human beings. But, as Fuller notes, it was almost impossible not to extrapolate his theory to people. Appearing on the eve of the Civil War, On the Origin of Species inevitably became caught up in the gathering storm over slavery and the place of blacks in American life. Nearly all of Fullers cast of characters were abolitionists of one kind or another. Unlike later social Darwinists, they interpreted evolution to mean that progress was decreed by nature. Disadvantaged people, black as well as white, were no more fixed in their condition than other forms of life in a continuously improving world.

The 1850s was a decade when belief in blacks innate inferiority was widespread. Some scientists insisted that the races had been created separately and remained unequal and unalterable. This view was not confined to the South. At Harvard, the Swiss-born biologist Louis Agassiz preached separate creation and strenuously denounced Darwin for implying that races could evolve. But others interpreted Darwin to mean that blacks and whites were members of the same ever-progressing species. Four years after the dinner party that begins the book, Charles Loring Brace published The Races of the Old World, a rambling work of ethnography meant to demonstrate, among other things, that blacks were not radically different from the other families of man or even mentally inferior to them. But, Fuller shows, Brace could not envision living in a biracial society. Blacks, he insisted, were permanently adapted to warm climates  a very un-Darwinian idea  and therefore should remain in the South after slavery ended.
Jon Clinch came the closest. In 2007, Clinch brought out Finn, a technically praiseworthy first novel that elevates Hucks good-for-nothing father to central-character status. Clinchs treatment is diminished by two shortcomings. One is that he portrays Pap as a psychopath, unable to control his mayhem. Psychopaths lack free will and moral choice. Captive to his delusions, Pap cannot arouse the empathy indispensable to a readers engagement.

The other shortcoming of Finn speaks to Mark Twains great pioneering bequest to American letters, a bequest ignored or unnoticed by his pretenders. This is his gift, proffered throughout his literature at the dawn of realism, of conjuring up the nation  its soul, caught in a particular time and place  and infusing it in his pages with as much depth and dedication as if it were a character. Sorry: Barbecuing the flesh of ones late common-law wife does not conjure the nation. Not quite yet, anyway.

But take heart, because Robert Coover is on the case. And take warning, because his pen is warmed up in hell. Huck Out West, the latest novel to emerge from this wild geniuss half-century outpouring of postmodernist books, stories, novellas and plays (he helped lead postmodernisms advance guard), establishes Huck in exactly the place Twain himself planned to take him, the Wild West during and after the Civil War: exactly the West as charted by Twains dialect, sense of terrain and national scope. And yet a West well beyond the dark original authors darkest imaginings, a West that Hieronymus Bosch might have painted: an Eden falling fast to onrushing gold-maddened men who are glutting it with spilled whiskey and the blood of hideously murdered fellow men, and covered with the alkaline of treachery and moral anarchy.

Huck and his pal Tom Sawyer, the latters boyhood cunning now fully flowered into saturnine, deadly amorality, arrive in the Territories just before North-South hostilities commence. They have Jim in tow; they plan to join the Pony. The Pony Express wont have Jim, so Tom sells him off to a slaveholding Cherokee tribe and uses the booty to buy riding boots. (Its the right thing to do, Huck. . . . Hes probably happier when he has someone telling him what to do.) Tom heads back east to study law, the better to swindle folks. Huck turns to scouting for the bloodthirsty General Hard Ass, a stand-in for Gen. George A. Custer; Hard Ass gets mad at him for refusing to lure the Lakota tribe into a trap and chases him around the country awhile, as Little Bighorn beckons offstage. The two reunite; Hard Ass invites Huck along for a nighttime massacre of Lakotas. I seen eyes gouged out and ears tore off and bellies slit open with their innards spilling out like sausages.

Time passes, or seems to; time itself is almost a character in this novel, alongside Coyote and Snake and other figures of Native American myth. Huck finds a temporary Eden in a near-vacant little patch, Deadwood Gulch; but almost at once, as in fast-forward mode, the Gulch is glutted with wagonloads of deplorables from the East, sweaty, deformed, drunken, trigger-happy, with eyes and teeth and chins missing:

There was tents and lean-tos and wagons and mules and people swarmed up everywheres, with more rolling in every minute. And noise. The Gulch was the silentest place Id knowed since back on the Big River deep in the night, and now there was hammering and clanging and sawing and . . . all manner of shouting and cussing and arguing, a general lunatic hubbub. Everybody wanted to get rich but only a few would, if any, so they warnt polite. . . . It was filling up with something that was alive and looked human, but that warnt human. Something oldern meaner.
But everything changed when the wild-eyed mystic Shamsuddin of Tabriz showed up in Konya. The two became interlocked in an intense monthslong encounter that transformed Rumis approach to devotion. The devotees around him grew jealous and ultimately ran Shams out of Konya. By then nearing his own middle age, Rumi went searching for him and eventually turned that search inward, infusing the lines of his masterwork, the Masnavi, with allusions to his spiritual teachings. That work remains one of the most widely read texts in the Muslim and Persian-speaking world, both for its Sufi wisdom and poetic force.

Within Islam itself, Sufism is a centuries-old current that sees religious practice as a means to oneness with God. Sufis have traditionally infused their devotion with poetry and music, and reached for love as a metaphor to describe the human longing for a relationship with the divine. Like many lay Rumi admirers before him, Brad Gooch, whose subtitle calls Rumi the Sufi poet of love, projects too much conventional romance onto a relationship that was left deliberately ambiguous in Rumis writings. While no evidence exists of an erotic component, Rumi chose to speak of their spiritual love in the mode of Persian romantic love poetry, and from weaving the two came his evanescent message, he writes. But language here should not be used as proof. By Rumis time, there was no separate mode for earthly love poetry; the Sufis metaphorical use of love had taken over the language of Persian poetry entirely. The nuance of that might be the realm of Persian literary scholars, but too much emphasis on earthly love makes Rumi seem like a 13th-century Pablo Neruda.

Gooch, a novelist and poet whose books also include Flannery: A Life of Flannery OConnor, aims to produce a continuous biographical narrative out of Rumis life and to make his spiritual journey intelligible to the people who buy the watered-down version of Rumi printed on shower curtains. Like most popular literary biographies, Rumis Secret may not be especially masterly as a work of criticism. For those who want a more precise portrait, Franklin Lewiss scholarly biography remains the definitive work.

But Goochs book is nonetheless useful. He braves his own translations, and situates Rumi in the broader context of his time and place: a moment of vast creative productivity in the medieval Islamic world, where Sufis were pushing the boundaries of orthodoxy. This path was not without its perils. Nearly 300 years before Rumi, the Sufi saint Mansur al-Hallaj declared, I am the truth, an utterance that Sufis understand to this day as the recognition that there is a bit of the divine in all of us. Hallaj was executed for heresy in Baghdad in 922, his limbs chopped off in bloody succession. Rumi flirted with some of these same heretical boundaries, irking local sultans and dour jurisdictional types who often, in the end, forgave him, for he was the great Mowlana.

Goochs biography brings the political and intellectual tumult of the early medieval era to life, producing vivid characters out of the reigning Seljuk sultans and memorable portraits of urban experience. But against this rich backdrop, he constructs a Rumi who has been simplified for our secular age. Gooch quotes Coleman Barks, the poet from Tennessee who in recent years has popularized Rumi in the United States primarily by riffing off extant English translations, as saying that Rumi had no use for dividing up into the different names of Christian and Jew and Muslim.
ALWAYS HAPPY HOUR

Stories

By Mary Miller

244 pp. Liveright, $24.95.

Millers story Uphill opens as most of the others in this book do: focused on a nameless couple (who remain anonymous for the duration) in an unspecified Southern town (this one is somewhere in Mississippi). In the case of Uphill, the man tells his on-again-off-again girlfriend that hes been asked by a dope dealer to drive to Biloxi and take a picture of a lady. The couple soon find themselves traveling down U.S. Route 49 after negotiating a higher fee.

The action advances through the girlfriends staccato narration (I open a beer and he takes it out of my hand. I open another). Her mind doesnt rest, and her prattle is arguably pathetic, albeit relatable: Ill never have a baby with him but I like the idea of it, having a small version of him that I could control, who would listen to me and obey me and tell me every thought that popped into his head. Reading a puffy quote from Cameron Diaz in an old issue of Cosmopolitan, she remarks, I wonder if her answer would be different in 2013, if she would say something so embarrassing and unfeminist-like.

All of the innominate girlfriends, wives, roommates, teachers and even a childrens shelter worker offer similarly unfettered commentary. The stories begin to flow together through recurring objects  Uphill ends with the girlfriend asking about her camera, and the next story begins with a camera trained on a woman; the boyfriend in Uphill says hed like to buy the narrator a white bikini, an item worn by the narrator in the title story. Diaz, too, makes a second cameo, when the couple in Hamilton Pool put on a DVD of The Box.

There are recurring characters as well. The title story revisits the same threesome described in At One Time This Was the Longest Covered Walkway in the World, though the reprise is more lucid, as though the protagonist hasnt had as much to drink. Taken as a whole, this harrowing yet ultimately enjoyable collection is less about the conventions of storytelling  exposition, climax, denouement  and more of a meditation on the stories a person tells herself.

HERITAGE OF SMOKE

By Josip Novakovich

234 pp. Dzanc, paper, $16.95.

The first sentence of Crossbar, one of the 16 short stories in Novakovichs latest volume, plops us into the middle of a semifinal UEFA cup match between Zagreb and Belgrade on the precise and future date of May 25, 2018. The narrator describes the last 10 minutes of play and how Hodzic, a Bosnian-born Zagreb newbie, repeatedly fails to land the ball inside the goal, causing the crowd to erupt in violence (theres fleeting mention of the referees beheading). The narrator then follows a group of hooligans on an impromptu trip to the zoo.
Twenty years hence, McWhorter has made his most complete attempt yet. His latest book, Talking Back, Talking Black, is his case for the acceptance of black English as a legitimate American dialect. McWhorter, now at Columbia University, constructs his argument defensively, offering that those who dismiss black English as gutter speak miss that it differentiates itself by using grammar and specific sounds and intonations. It really is a language, he seems to be screaming on virtually every page, somewhere beneath his own polished diction.

While he breaks down the dropped possessive ss and omitted verbs of black English, McWhorter encourages the reader to view the dialect in the context of others throughout the world. Why are Americans so dismissive of black English when it is plain that it obeys the rules heeded by so many other recognized dialects and vernaculars? No stranger to inflammatory opinions on race, McWhorter recognizes how identity bias and discrimination against African-American speakers have played a part.

Alas, he doesnt truly confront that prejudice. Instead, he lectures an intended audience that he clearly imagines to be mostly white and mostly academic. An argument for the legitimacy of any aspect of African-American culture should be able to stand on its own. But McWhorters relatively slim volume reads as if hes making a lengthy PowerPoint presentation, aiming to persuade fellow scholars to buy his 20-year-old argument. The title hints at a challenge to both the intellectual stagnation plaguing the study of black English and to those who perpetuate its undeserved stigma. But McWhorters work isnt an invitation to critical thinking about how language norms require upheaval. Instead, he limits himself to proving that black vernacular fits within an already established linguistic paradigm.

While he ably and enthusiastically breaks down the mechanics of black English throughout the book, McWhorter squanders many opportunities to forcefully challenge the racist norms and structures that encouraged a hated people to take what they could of the kings English and make their own tongue. He saves one particularly sharp chapter for an excoriation of the They cant talk that way at a job interview! counterargument against black English.

McWhorter always seems to stop short, though, of identifying more systemic problems. He explains how distinct dialects can form among people living in insular communities, but then doesnt explore the effect of housing segregation on how this came to be. Theres plenty of useful history in this book, including a look at how minstrel performance perverted the public perception of black English. But a bolder, more contextual argument could have filled the spaces where McWhorter indulges in anecdotal tales of cocktail parties and memories of the Philadelphia neighborhood of his youth.
Too Big: The word macroeconomics doesnt turn up very often on the best-seller lists. Thats no surprise: With apologies to Thomas Piketty, whose Capital in the Twenty-First Century was a genuine phenomenon in 2014, the field isnt exactly sexy. But here comes David M. Smick, a global macroeconomic strategist (in the perky words of his official biography), whose new book, The Great Equalizer, argues that government should favor small businesses and entrepreneurs over big corporations; it enters the hardcover nonfiction list at No. 8. Smick was Jack Kemps congressional chief of staff in the 1970s and 80s, and he still leans Republican  he supported Marco Rubios presidential run and donated nearly $100,000 to Republican candidates in the last election cycle. But discussing the financial industry and its excesses, he can sound as fiery and populist as any Bernie Sanders stump speech. The true shame of the 2008 financial crisis is that the big and the powerful were the most protected, he writes. It is clear why working families today are so angry. After 2008, if you were a failed, brain-dead Wall Street banker who nearly tanked the world economy, you had easy access to the Federal Reserves cheap liquidity. If you failed as a giant bank, you were considered special. Your bank could systemically bring down the entire financial system. But if you were a struggling enterprise out there alone with a brilliant idea that could someday employ thousands of people, obtaining financing was next to impossible. The normal sources of risk capital had dried up, but no one from Washington, D.C., was there with your safety net. The too-big-to-fail banks enjoyed a cost of borrowing far lower than other firms because financial markets became convinced government authorities would never let the big banks go under. The fix was in.

Tomorrow Is Another Day: Karen Whites book The Guests on South Battery is new on the hardcover fiction list at No. 10. White, who calls her brand of Southern womens fiction grit lit, traces her novelistic ambitions to middle school. After playing hooky one day in the seventh grade to read Gone With the Wind,  her website informs visitors, White knew she wanted to be a writer  or become Scarlett OHara.

Transitions: The Fox News anchor Bret Baier, whose previous best seller was about his young sons heart condition, is back on the list, this time with a work of popular history: Three Days in January (written with Catherine Whitney) debuts at No. 2 on the hardcover nonfiction list and looks at President Eisenhowers parting advice for his successor, John F. Kennedy. What Eisenhower was doing was sending a warning to Kennedy, Baier told Roe Conn on WGN radio in Chicago recently, saying, Easy, killer. Caution. Balance. Dont go too far too fast. . . . He was delivering kind of a sober message to the nation.
(Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.)

Good morning.

Heres what you need to know:

 Its Inauguration Day.

Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States today.

Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done, Mr. Trump said in his Inaugural Address.

Follow our live coverage throughout the day. And heres a comprehensive guide to the festivities.
LONDON  The revolving door between Washington and Wall Street is well known, but Britain has its own revolving door.

George Osborne, the former chancellor of the Exchequer, is the latest example. He is joining the investment behemoth BlackRock as a part-time adviser.

He was the chancellor under former Prime Minister David Cameron, who resigned after Britain voted to leave the European Union in June.

Mr. Osborne will serve as a part-time senior adviser to the BlackRock Investment Institute beginning on Feb. 1. The institute, which develops research and investment insights that help investors, is led by Philipp Hildebrand, the former head of Switzerlands central bank and BlackRock vice chairman.
The festivities have already started and members of the president-elects new cabinet and big-ticket donors are staying at the Trump International Hotel in Washington  a building that illustrates the minefield of potential conflicts of interest facing Mr. Trump.

The federal government owns the building that houses the hotel. From the moment that he is sworn in, Mr. Trump may be in violation of a provision on the lease that appears to prohibit federal elected officials from renting the building. Just by paying their hotel bills, foreign diplomats and politicians staying there could open him up to challenges that he has violated the Constitution, which prohibits federal officials from taking payments or gifts from foreign governments.

When Mr. Trump actually takes the oath, he will also do so with his associates under investigation. American law enforcement and intelligence agencies are examining intercepted communications and financial transactions as part of an inquiry into possible links between Russian officials and associates of Mr. Trump.

Heres a guide to whats happening on inauguration day.

Davos and the Abyss

The financiers gathered at Davos, Switzerland, discussing how they can improve the world are bewildered.

Some are even afraid.

Populism scares me, Ray Dalio, the hedge fund manager, said during a panel on how to fix the middle-class crisis. Its an anti-Davos way of operating.

Over champagne, they have been trying to make sense of the political upheaval that has brought the global elite under attack. And nobody can agree on how to deal with it, says William F. Browder, a co-founder of Hermitage Capital Management.

Everyone is looking into the abyss, he declared.

But many can sense a change in the economic order is afoot as they face questions about the systems and the world in which they operate. Ben Hubbard, a New York Times correspondent who attended as a plus-one, overheard comments like:

The world is a tough place these days. The utility of fiscal and monetary policy is declining.
LAS VEGAS -- A new fabric by designer Honeywell aims to eliminate stitching and extra fabric on plate carriers for body armor, reducing the weight of the vest itself by 35 to 40 percent.

"In the last 25 years, weve had a series of improvements where we can achieve lighter weight for ballistic protection," Lori Wagner, armor marketing manager for Honeywell, told Military.com. "Well, you can get to a point where we continue to improve, and were coming out with products that are 5 percent lighter or 10 percent lighter, and were supporting our customers there. But when you look at a vest, there's a lot more than the insert for the vest. Theres the carrier associated with it."

Lori Wagner of Honeywell displays an armored plate carrier made with the new Centurion fabric. Photo by Hope Hodge Seck

The trademarked fabric, Centurion, was unveiled here at SHOT Show as an alternative to modular lightweight load-carrying equipment [MOLLE] web designs that require sewn-on additions to the vests, adding weight and sometimes inhibiting movement. Rather, the fabric is designed to be laser-cut according to the user's needs with slits strong enough to hang and store gear without MOLLE attachments.

The tear-proof, waterproof and abrasion-resistant fabric is created with Spectra fiber, a polyethylene that the company claims is 15 times stronger than steel, pound for pound, yet light enough to float. Wagner said Centurion was designed with an overlayer of cordura nylon, enabling vests made out of the fabric to be died or colored to match any uniform or camouflage scheme.

Honeywell is marketing the fabric primarily to law enforcement agencies--the Army and the Marine Corps have other contracts for their plate carriers, with the Army set to receive new MOLLE-based body armor in 2019--but Wagner said the company is looking for military applications.

"The opportunity to lighten the load exists," she said. "So we will look at working with them as they develop their specifications ... so that the soldier can benefit from this type of innovative material as well as law enforcement."
DAVOS, Switzerland  Iris Bohnet navigates the narrow carpeted stairs to the wood-paneled hotel lobby balancing a smartphone, two bags and a winter coat the size of a duvet. Its below freezing here. Shes been up for an hour already, checking emails and sending a quick note to her husband, who is looking after their two boys, but mostly, she admits, blow-drying her hair. This is her first observation of the day: Davos Woman gets less sleep than Davos Man because of her hair.

Ms. Bohnet studies gender inequality. A behavioral economist at the Harvard Kennedy School, she is one of about 600 female participants at this years World Economic Forum. There are about 2,400 men  thats 80 percent of all participants. The gender imbalance here very much reflects the dearth of female leaders in the real world. As one female American executive put it: Who do they think they are? The Senate?

I was curious: What is it like to be Davos Woman for a day?

We step into the Davos dawn and start walking down the icy sidewalk. Ms. Bohnets first appointment is a breakfast panel on how to increase gender diversity in companies. She recently wrote a book on the subject and will be one of the speakers.

Ms. Bohnet arrived the day before and caught the end of the conferences annual womens reception. This is where female newcomers to Davos receive advice from the regulars  a sort of survivors guide for the 20 percent. Bring sturdy shoes. Expect long security lines. Dont be intimidated, but if you are, dont show it.
Welcoming a robot into her family was never Maxine Duncans idea of a support aide in her older years. But this winter, she and her partner, Herbert Yarbrough, signed up to test a telepresence robot in their retirement community, the Heritage Downtown, in Walnut Creek, Calif. Their new pal has a screen for a head and scuttles around on wheels. The lure was being able to connect more easily with their families via video calls.

The couple were immediately smitten. They have named the robot Jimmy.

Its an easy name to remember, said Ms. Duncan, 86, a former real estate broker. And Mr. Yarbrough, 89, takes the robot on the elevator to pick up breakfast downstairs.

We want to keep up on technology, said Ms. Duncan, who covets a self-driving car. A lot of older people are isolated from people and ideas. Now were on the cutting edge.

Rosie, the robot from The Jetsons, has arrived.

Early adopters like Ms. Duncan are on the front lines of testing new technologies that some experts say are set to upend a few of the constants of retirement. Eager not to be left behind, retirement communities are increasingly serving as testing grounds that vet winners and losers.
This interview with Ashton B. Carter, the outgoing United States secretary of defense, was conducted and condensed by Adam Bryant.

Q. What were your early years like?

A. I grew up in Philadelphia. I was a hard-working kid. When I was 11 years old, I got my working papers  you could do that in Pennsylvania back then  and walked down to the Sparkle Kwik carwash and got a job. I was working hard, but I got fired from it.

The men who worked there made me do the final wiping outside in the winter, and everybody else was on the steamy inside. That was O.K. with me. But next to me outside was a big red steel box with a padlock on it, which was the tip box.

And they would open the tip box at the end of the day and distribute it among themselves and not give me anything. I saw that happening for a few days and went to the boss and complained. I was probably a little mouthy, and he fired me. So I walked down the street to a Gulf gas station and got a job there, and I worked there for five years, evenings and weekends.
PARIS  There has been plenty of glumness this mens fashion week, held at a perilously uncertain moment for the world, and much hand-wringing in the stands about what, politically and otherwise, is to come. Designers have responded in their own separate ways: Many have simplified and practicalized their designs; others have sailed blithely on. Only Walter Van Beirendonck, the bearish Belgian designer and head of the fashion department at the Royal Academy in Antwerp, has taken matters into his own hands and set out to banish the dark spirits that have taken up residence on our doorsteps.

For his fall 2017 show, held in a drafty garage near the Place dIena, Mr. Van Beirendonck booked Seida Pass, a band that looked like a group of metalhead trolls freshly summoned from hell. All wore demon masks, complete with horns. There were some in full-body hair suits, and those who sat like sphinxes in what appeared to be huge bales of hay. These guys bashed away at metal gas canisters with a terrific bang; some of their hairy brethren accompanied them on signal horns. A bandleader  a Hex, or witch  led them in a kind of feral ecstasy.
WASHINGTON  Republican governors pleaded with their fellow Republicans in Congress on Thursday to give states more control over both their Medicaid programs and their individual health insurance markets as lawmakers work with President-elect Donald J. Trump to replace the Affordable Care Act.

In town for Mr. Trumps inauguration, nine governors  some who had expanded Medicaid under the law and some who had refused  presented a united message: The Obama administration was too rigid in prescribing standards for Medicaid and private insurance coverage, and states need more power to set their own policies.

Many had already sent letters to Republican lawmakers urging them not to repeal the law before approving a replacement plan, and in comments after Thursdays session they focused on the details of what that replacement plan should be.

Given greater flexibility to set their own policies, several governors said, they would like to trim the number of people in Medicaid and the array of benefits offered in both the public program and private plans sold in the markets.
In any case, before leaving in 1990 or 1991 I had toyed with the idea of putting together a mail server on a loaner computer that had shown up in the newsroom from NeXt, Steves Jobss interim company while he was in exile from Apple.

It didnt take long to realize that I wasnt going to be my own system administrator, at which point I quickly moved markoff@nyt.com to Internex, an ISP based in Menlo Park, Calif., that was the first ISDN (broadband of its day!) internet service provider in Northern California.

At that point there were few people in the mainstream media world using email. Indeed, the Times masthead was alerted to the impending impact of electronic mail only after Bill Gates came to lunch with the papers editors. When they asked Mr. Gates how he ran his company, he told them he used this thing called email. Of course, in traditional Times-style, that generated this A1 story.

There was a brief period in which using electronic mail as a technology reporter was a competitive advantage. It was a way to directly contact people in organizations, cutting out the middleman. That quickly changed, yet my proto-Times email address would live happily in obscurity until it was compromised by an on-the-run computer outlaw named Kevin Mitnick. He believed that I was attempting to track him down. He broke into Internex and began spying on my email account, a fact I was made aware of when a digital Sherlock Holmes named Tsutomu Shimomura actually began pursuing Mr. Mitnick, after having been deputized to do so by the then-assistant United States attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice (who is now Googles general counsel). It took about two weeks, but Mr. Shimomura would help the F.B.I. apprehend Mr. Mitnick in Raleigh-Durham, N.C. Because I was being spied on, I found that I had become part of the story.

The next year, in 1995, when The Times finally went online, I dutifully offered the nyt.com domain to the paper. To my surprise, initially The Times turned my offer down. (Do you have any idea what a three-letter domain is worth these days?) I was told that nyt.com would be confused with the internet address of New York Telephone, which still existed at the time.

Recently I learned from Walter Baranger, one of the papers early telecommunications people, that to put the paper online he and a group of IT systems people sat in a room and picked the papers domain name. Although nyt.com was a contender, it lost out to nytimes.com after a fair amount of debate.

For about a year I continued to receive mail at markoff@nyt.com. I didnt bother to run a web server  as I would infamously note several years later, my blog was www.nytimes.com  and so anyone who typed nyt.com would end up with a dreaded 404 error.
Chiwan Choi is a Los Angeles-based poet whose family left South Korea when he was 5 and eventually arrived in the United States. The Yellow House is a wide-ranging, book-length poem that roams through time, touching on family history, identity, the disruption of emigration, urban life, the loss of an unborn child and much else. As in the untitled section here, the poem continually brings the reader to ordinary scenes that, by means of an understated musicality, take on symbolic significance. Selected by Matthew Zapruder
PARIS  French feminists are protesting the announcement this week that Roman Polanski would preside over next months Cesar awards, Frances version of the Oscars.

Mr. Polanski was convicted on charges of having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977; he fled the United States for Europe before sentencing the next year.

Laurence Rossignol, Frances minister for families, children and womens rights, on Friday called the decision to ask Mr. Polanski to preside over the Feb. 24 ceremony shocking and surprising. She added that it furthered a culture of rape that were moving on from and said the choice showed an indifference toward the charges against him.

A leading French feminist organization, Osez le feminisme (Dare to be feminists), also spoke out. Regardless of the quality of Mr. Polanskis films, we cant remain silent about the fact that 40 years ago he escaped American justice, the groups spokeswoman, Claire Serre-Combe, told Agence France-Presse.
After eluding prosecution in the United States for decades and escaping from prison twice in Mexico, the crime lord Joaquin Guzman Loera, better known as El Chapo, appeared on Friday in federal court in Brooklyn and pleaded not guilty to charges that he had overseen a multibillion-dollar drug empire.

Prosecutors said the operation had moved at least 200 tons of cocaine into the United States, had earned $14 billion in profits and had been protected by an army of assassins who killed thousands of people.

Mr. Guzmans arraignment, in Federal District Court, was both a news media spectacle and a pro forma counterpoint to his sudden extradition from Mexico on Thursday afternoon, when a police jet flew him from the border to MacArthur Airport in Islip, on Long Island. The brief court proceeding took place under tight security, with police vehicles, heavily armed guards and bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling the grounds outside the courthouse.

Dressed for his arraignment in a blue V-neck T-shirt, blue pajama pants and blue sneakers, Mr. Guzman, 59, stood with his court-appointed lawyers in front of Magistrate Judge James Orenstein in a fourth-floor courtroom packed with prosecutors, federal agents and reporters.
This news erupted on the second to last day of SHOT Show.

As my colleagues Matthew Cox and Hope Hodge Seck are reporting:

The U.S. Army on Thursday awarded Sig Sauer a contract worth $580 million to make the service's next service pistol. Sig Sauer beat out Glock Inc., FN America and Beretta USA, the maker of the current M9 9mm service pistol. "I am tremendously proud of the Modular Handgun System team," Army Acquisition Executive Steffanie Easter said in a Jan.19 press announcement. "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. The Army did not offer any details about what caliber the new Sig Sauer pistol will be.

Read the rest of the story over at Military.com. We will be updating this throughout the evening.

The news was so surprising, Sig didn't even have a comment right away.
Ive heard stories about towns in America that celebrated when Donald J. Trump won the election. People shouting on main streets, driving around honking their horns  elation.

Washington wasnt one of those towns.

Here, 4 percent of Washingtonians voted for Mr. Trump. Ordinarily, people put their heads down and get on with it. This inauguration is different, though. Theres an infectious sense of fear and anxiety thats impossible to avoid.

I woke up last night, and there were people outside my apartment shouting U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A!  I overheard a woman in Dupont Circle telling her friends on Thursday. I said, No, not this time and closed my window.
Since Jan. 4, at least five bloggers and activists have disappeared in Pakistan. Perhaps the best known is Salman Haider, a poet and academic who has been a vocal opponent of religious extremism and the Pakistani authorities abuse of opposition activists. The others who have vanished had the courage to critique organized religion, the influence of clerics in Pakistan and the countrys powerful military on social media.

Throughout Pakistans history, dissent and free speech have been muzzled by a state that inherited a repressive legal framework from the British colonizers who ruled the Indian subcontinent until 1947. Journalists, poets, intellectuals and many politicians who questioned the state were labeled traitors, sometimes jailed or exiled, and on occasion killed. Almost every Pakistani government  military or civilian  has tried to control and manipulate the news media.

That kind of control has become more difficult as print and electronic media have expanded in the past decade and a half. Since the deregulation of electronic media in 2002, Pakistan has gone from three to 89 television channels. The states monopoly of the airwaves is over. Noisy talk shows regularly challenge the elected governments and their policies. But when it comes to the military, journalists and commentators are cautious, often indulging in self-censorship. Laws governing freedom of speech and the news media are vague, and their enforcement is arbitrary; critics are often accused of endangering national security.

The rise of social media and blogs has further expanded the space for dissent. Pakistanis can say on Facebook things they still could not get away with on television or in print. The missing activists, for example, were allegedly affiliated with satirical Facebook pages that ridiculed the hypocrisy of religious clerics and the flawed state policies of using jihad to further foreign policy goals.
HAMBURG, Germany  The best anyone can say about German-American relations these days is that, for the time being, they are dangerously lost in translation. Last week Donald J. Trump gave an interview to the German tabloid Bild, and people here are still trying to figure out what he meant. We are used to American leaders speaking plainly, and intentionally, to international audiences; Mr. Trump was speaking, well, Trumpish.

Take, for example, his reply when asked if there was anything typically German about him: I like order. So do we. But his other comments were anything but well ordered. He said he had great respect for Chancellor Angela Merkel, and he regarded her refugee policy as a catastrophic mistake. He thinks NATO is both obsolete and very important. He claimed to be a friend of free trade who wants to impose a tax of 35 percent on German cars imported into the United States.

The only thing he was halfway orderly about was the European Union: Mr. Trump called Brexit a great thing and somewhat cheerfully predicted that other countries might leave the union, too.

When Ms. Merkel heard this, she shrugged. Europes fate is in our own hands, she said. She made clear that she would wait to meet Mr. Trump as president before drawing any conclusions about where America was headed. Keep calm and argue on: This just might be the right approach with a president whose powers are inversely proportional to his knowledge of the world.
Betsy DeVos, whom Donald Trump has nominated as education secretary, doesnt know basic education terms, doesnt know about federal statutes governing special education, but thinks school officials should carry guns to defend against grizzly bears.

Monica Crowley, selected as deputy national security adviser, withdrew after it was revealed that much of her past writing was plagiarized. Many other national security positions remain unfilled, and its unclear how much if any of the briefing materials prepared by the outgoing administration have even been read.

Meanwhile Rex Tillerson, selected as secretary of state, casually declared that America would block Chinese access to bases in the South China Sea, apparently unaware that he was in effect threatening to go to war if China called his bluff.

Do you see a pattern here?

It was obvious to anyone paying attention that the incoming administration would be blatantly corrupt. But would it at least be efficient in its corruption?
MANILA  The chairman of the election commission is being threatened with impeachment: The commissions database, which contains the personal data of more than 55 million registered voters, was hacked before the general election last May. Andres Bautista, the chairman, told me recently that he finds this situation ridiculous. Maybe it is  then again maybe not, since the point seems to be to bolster the standing of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as President Rodrigo Dutertes rightful political heir.

The president is a professed idolater of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and his election campaign was partly bankrolled by the late dictators heirs. Mr. Duterte has suggested publicly that the younger Mr. Marcos, known as Bongbong, is his preferred successor  even after his protege lost the race for vice president.

Bongbong could be our new vice president, Mr. Duterte said during a state visit to Beijing in October.

Mr. Marcos, meanwhile, is contesting that defeat, alleging fraud in certain districts in the southern Philippines where he didnt win a single vote. He has petitioned the Supreme Court to declare him vice president in the place of Leni Robredo, that elections official winner. Mr. Marcos appears to think that his case will gain in credibility if Mr. Bautista is seen to be lacking in it.
Critics miss the point. Its not selfish  nor need it be divisive  for women of color to push to be included, just as it wasnt inappropriate for minority groups to expect to be courted by Democrats during the campaign. The problem is not that identity groups have some undue obsession with their own agendas. Its that the groups with the most power often fail to have a sense of solidarity across race and class that would allow for a vision of multicultural liberalism that could reinvigorate the Democratic Party.

For decades, identity groups have had to battle for themselves as more privileged groups ignored their needs.

Consider the womens suffrage movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The white women who fought for the vote also embraced segregation at marches, even forcing black women, who took part at tremendous personal risk, to walk in the rear.

Susan B. Anthony, at whose grave scores of women paid respects on their way to vote in November, opposed the 15th Amendment, which gave black men the right to vote. She and her suffragist sister Elizabeth Cady Stanton wrote in a womens rights newspaper how insulting they found it to put every shade and type of manhood above our heads. They urged lawmakers to let the question of the woman be brought up first and that of the Negro last.

As a Democratic representative from Michigan, Martha Griffiths had similar motivations when she worked to ensure that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination on the basis of sex. When a male legislator introduced a provision that added sex as a protected category to the bill (to some laughter), she argued for it by warning that without the amendment, the bill would afford more rights to black women than to white women. The provision passed.
President Adama Barrow of Gambia was sworn into office on Thursday in a most unusual way. Because his predecessor, the erratic dictator Yahya Jammeh, has refused to concede since losing an election on Dec. 1, Mr. Barrow took the oath of office in a hastily arranged ceremony at the Gambian Embassy in neighboring Senegal.

This is a day no Gambian will ever forget, Mr. Barrow said. This is the first time since Gambia gained independence in 1965 that Gambians have changed their government through the ballot box.

There is no doubt that Mr. Barrow is the legitimate leader of Gambia, a former British colony. But it remains unclear how soon he will be able to govern the tiny West African nation, which has been ruled by Mr. Jammeh, who seized power in a coup, since 1994. Mr. Jammeh initially accepted his loss. His defeat was stunning because until last year, the opposition had never been seen as having a viable path to electoral victory in Gambia, a repressive state where political rivals have been jailed and sent into exile. He later claimed the results were invalid.
IDLIB, Syria  I grew up here in Idlib, a northern Syrian town and moved to Aleppo, about 40 miles away, in 2008 to study architecture at the university. I had loved Aleppo since I was a child, when we used to visit my maternal grandfather. I would stare at the wooden houses with latticed balconies in the alleys that my mother had known as a girl.

As a student, I spent long afternoons at the eighth-century Umayyad Mosque with its slender 11th-century minaret, a masterpiece. I also admired the 12th-century Citadel, its gateways decorated with winged dragons and serpents. On the outskirts, St. Simeon Church, from the Byzantine era, reminded me of even older histories.

The joys of exploring such glorious history and architecture sat uneasily with my growing awareness of the limits of possibility in a Syria under President Bashar al-Assad. If you did not belong to the networks patronized by Mr. Assad and his cronies, you didnt have much of a future in the country anyway.

In January 2011, during my third year at Aleppo University, the news of the Arab Spring uprisings arrived from Tunisia and Egypt. Many of my friends felt pessimistic that such a thing could happen in Syria because we knew how brutal the regime could be, because we had been raised to believe that the walls in our country had ears.
This is a remarkable day in the history of our country. We have never over our centuries inaugurated a man like Donald Trump as president of the United States. You can select any random group of former presidents  Madison, Lincoln, Hoover, Carter  and none of them are like Trump.

Weve never had a major national leader as professionally unprepared, intellectually ill informed, morally compromised and temperamentally unfit as the man taking the oath on Friday. So lets not lessen the shock factor that should reverberate across this extraordinary moment.

It took a lot to get us here. It took a once-in-a-century societal challenge  the stresses and strains brought by the global information age  and it took a political system that was too detached and sclerotic to understand and deal with them.

There are many ways to capture this massive failure, but Id rely on the old sociological distinction between gemeinschaft and gesellschaft. All across the world, we have masses of voters who live in a world of gemeinschaft: where relationships are personal, organic and fused by particular affections. These people define their loyalty to community, faith and nation in personal, in-the-gut sort of ways.
I wonder if May, who studied geography at Oxford University, has ever taken a stroll round London, that inward-looking city where you never hear a foreign tongue. After 43 years in what is now called the European Union, the British capital has become insufferably insular. Its cuisine lacks variety. Its financial institutions have no international heft. Its skyline speaks of stunted ambition. Its culture is provincial, its theater hidebound and its worldview small-minded.

No wonder May felt she had to take London global.

And Britain as a whole! For 43 years the country has been a member of an introverted, stifling little entity called the European Union that has just concluded a free trade deal with Canada, has dozens of multilateral and bilateral trade agreements, boasts the United States as its top trading partner, takes some 44 percent of British exports, and accounts for 22 percent of world economic output.

How could Britain possibly be global within this straitjacket?

No, it had to get out of Europe to go global (and make sure its citizens could no longer work in Europe)! The June 23 referendum, May insisted, was the moment we chose to build a truly global Britain.

I know this is a political moment when black equals white, no means yes, two plus two equals five, and post-truth is the phrase du jour. Still, this was a Trump-size whopper from May. She had obviously been steeped in Orwell before her oration.

The vote for Brexit was in fact the moment Britain turned its back on the world, succumbing to pettiness, anti-immigrant bigotry, lying politicians, self-delusion and vapid promises of restored glory.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 60F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 60F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
FRONT PAGE

Because of an editing error, an article on Thursday about the origin of a widely shared fake news story misstated a Twitter post by Cameron Harris, a 23-year-old Maryland man who created the article and the website on which it originated. Mr. Harris, quoting BuzzFeeds description of a dossier on alleged Russian attempts to win influence over Donald J. Trump, wrote:  Explosive but unverified  That could describe every fake news headline ever. His Twitter post did not say, He did not mention his own expertise in the field. (That was the last sentence of the Times article, referring to Mr. Harris.)



An article on Dec. 20 about the death of 12 people in a terrorist attack on a Christmas market in Berlin referred imprecisely to the timing of Chancellor Angela Merkels decision to open Germanys borders to migrants and refugees, a move that increased security concerns in the nation. It was the summer of 2015, not last summer.

INTERNATIONAL

An article on Dec. 25 about a planned visit to Pearl Harbor by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, a symbol of reconciliation 75 years after the Japanese attack on the American naval base, referred incorrectly to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, which is seen by neighboring countries as glorifying Japans militarist past. It pays tribute to some war criminals from the World War II era, but it does not house their remains.



An article on Dec. 20 about the challenge of protecting Europes Christmas markets at a time of frequent terrorist attacks misstated the number of cartoonists among the 12 people killed in 2015 in a terrorist attack at the offices of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris. Five cartoonists were among the dead, not 10.
The public editors take: I side with the readers on this one. Its true that the article mentioned  well into the story  that households overall purchase about the same amount of sweetened drinks as SNAP households, but that wasnt the way the story was framed. Furthermore, headlines matter, and this one said: In the Shopping Cart of a Food Stamp Household: Lots of Soda. Thats fairly loaded. And then there was that photograph of a shopping cart filled almost entirely with soda. (In fact, the story noted, 5 percent of the SNAP dollars spent on food goes to soft drinks.) The cutline under the photo? A government report shows that sugary soda is the most popular item in the shopping carts of families that receive federal food stamps. The purchases of food stamp households is a long-debated subject in political and policy circles. This piece didnt do much to advance the discussion.

Staying on the popular topic of health, several readers took issue with The Times referring to the Affordable Care Act as Obamacare, arguing that the issue is too fraught to attach Obamas name to the law.

Referring to the Affordable Care Act as Obamacare plays into the hands of the conservative right who have weaponized that shorthand label. (Remember Hillarycare?) Only using the health care laws rightful name is a small but responsible journalistic response to the current Republican assault. Harriet Watson, Portland, Ore.

There has been vacillation, however, over what to call the act, often among Democrats themselves, depending on its popularity. In 2013, President Obama affirmed he wanted the law to be referred to by his name. We passed Obamacare  yes, I like the term  we passed it because I do care, and I want to put these choices in your hands where they belong, he said.

We asked Phil Corbett, the associate managing editor for standards, for his take.

Most often in straight news stories we refer to the law by its formal name, the Affordable Care Act, or simply with a generic description like President Obamas health-care law. Early on, we studiously avoided Obamacare because it was used primarily as a derogatory name, by critics, and seemed politically loaded to us. I think that loaded quality has long since faded, since people on all sides of the debate now routinely use the nickname Obamacare. We still generally avoid it in straight-news stories from Washington, because we generally dont use a lot of nicknames or colloquial terms in those stories. But The Upshot has always adopted a more informal, conversational tone, so we decided a long time ago that Obamacare was O.K. in that context.

One story on Obamacare caught readers attention on account of its headline, which read: Trump Promises Insurance for Everybody as Health Law Replacement.

I was dismayed to see the uncritical headline. Not until the fourth paragraph does the article mention that he offered absolutely no details for this plan. I see this kind of headline as a gift to the president-elect, allowing him to broadcast vague promises without accountability. Please dont make it so easy for Trump to manipulate the media. Jenny Davis, Belfast, Me.

With Donald Trumps inauguration taking place today, its as good a time as any to remind journalists to stay vigilant in holding him accountable.

Another reader noted that the reporting on Volkswagens diesel scandal could use a deeper look in one area.

I am writing about the coverage of the Volkswagen diesel scandal and settlement. Jack Ewing and Neal Boudette have done some good reporting, especially on the criminal aspects of this case. But what I find lacking is any coverage  and, indeed, investigation  into the progress of the buyback program for those of us who are personally impacted by this scandal. I am the owner of a 2013 VW Passat TDI and a verified claimant in the litigation who has chosen to have VW buyback my vehicle. The court settlement was reached on October 18 and we were promised a quick turnaround, within weeks, to receive our buyback. Two months have passed and we have heard nothing, let alone received our settlement money. Calling the VW Claimant Line to get information is an exercise in frustration. After several calls recently I finally spoke with a representative who confessed that they are way behind schedule. I and others want to know what is going on. We have little recourse to complain and no media outlet seems to be investigating this delay. The Rev. Dr. Scott P. Albergate, Havertown, Pa.

After we passed the note along to one of those reporters, Ewing, The Timess European economics correspondent, he told us that this is indeed something the paper should be writing about. He also said:

The Volkswagen case has generated a lot of mail and often tells me something I didnt know. It was through readers early in the case that I realized how effectively Volkswagen sold to environmentally conscious buyers, who were then extra mad to learn about the cheating. More recently Ive gotten a few letters from people having problems with the buyback process, although others have told me its going well. As always there is an issue of reporter bandwidth.

Finally, The Times has found some closure with respect to the new first ladys courtesy title. Last July, the public editor addressed why some women are referred to as Ms., including Melania Trump, and some as Mrs. The public editor noted that Melania Trump had yet to express a preference (thus the default Ms., although reporters have been asked to determine her preference).

Now, however, the senior editor for standards, Greg Brock, tells the newsroom that the next first lady has expressed a preference: henceforth she will be referred to as Mrs. Trump in The Timess pages.
I dont believe anyone suppressed information for ignoble reasons, and indeed The Times produced strong work on former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. But the idea that you only publish once every piece of information is in and fully vetted is a false construct.

If you know the F.B.I. is investigating, say, a presidential candidate, using significant resources and with explosive consequences, that should be enough to write. Not a gotcha story that asserts unsubstantiated facts. But a piece that describes the nature of the investigations, the unexplained but damning leads, with emphasis on what is known and what isnt.

Running every detail of the dossier, as BuzzFeed did, would have been irresponsible. Writing about a significant investigation would not. Weeks after The Times had the goods, Franklin Foer of Slate and David Corn of Mother Jones each took a turn at such pre-election articles. Their stories may not have been precisely what The Times would have done, but they offered a model.

If The Times didnt write about ongoing investigations, it wouldnt have produced the excellent scoop on Trump associates and Russia that broke Thursday night. Nor would it have so relentlessly documented the F.B.I.s pursuit of Hillary Clintons emails until all facts were resolved. That investigation was fair game, and so was Trumps.

A wave of readers over the past week have challenged The Timess decision to sit on its reporting about the dossier. Among them was Michael Russo of Brooklyn, who had this to say:

I can appreciate that journalistic diligence requires your paper to describe these memos as unsubstantiated. But the unsubstantiated allegations described in this article have been circulating for months. While your editors made a value judgment about the veracity of these claims, American intelligence agencies apparently took the memos seriously enough to open their own investigations. How is this not newsworthy in its own right?

There is an unsettling theme that runs through The Timess publishing decisions. In each instance, it was the actions of government officials that triggered newsroom decisions  not additional reporting or insight that journalists gained. On the server, once the F.B.I. signaled it had grown wary of its importance  without giving conclusive evidence as to why  the paper backed off. Weeks later, the Senate Democratic leader, Harry Reid, publicly admonished the F.B.I. for being secretive about its probe of Trump. That gave The Times cover to write what it knew about the bureaus investigation into the bank server.

It was the same pattern on the dossier. Only after learning from CNN that Trump and President Obama had been briefed on the document did The Times publish what it had known for months. Its confidence in the material had not changed, nor did its editors know whether the top level briefing meant the government believed the information was true. But the briefing became justifiable cause to publish.

In this cat-and-mouse game between government and press, the government won.

After-action insights are easier than in-the-moment decisions. Back then, the media still thought Trump was a weak challenger to Clinton, a mind-set that might have made taking the risk of publishing explosive allegations all the more fraught.
When Stavritsa Terzis moved into her one-bedroom in Flatbush, Brooklyn, four years ago, she thought she could afford it. And she almost could  that first year.

It was advertised to me with the preferential rent of $1,450. When Id asked about it, they were like, Dont worry, this is what youll pay,  said Ms. Terzis, 30, a New York City Teaching Fellow who works at a middle school in Sunset Park and is pursuing a masters in education at Hunter College.

Even so, the rent was a stretch, especially considering her monthly student loan payments from a previous masters program, one in social work from New York University.

But the space, on the sixth floor of a prewar building not far from Prospect Park, was hard to resist. It was airy and bright, with windows in every room, including the kitchen and bathroom. And the neighborhood was already home. (While at N.Y.U., she had shared an $1,850-a-month three-bedroom on nearby Ocean Avenue.)
The apartment is configured for maximum entertaining. A 25-by-11-foot central gallery with a gold-leaf soffit ceiling and two giant bronze centaurs near the main entrance separates the public rooms from the bedrooms and kitchen. The space also displays many of Ms. Mosbachers treasured mementos, among them: an authentic olive branch from a Greek ambassador; framed magazines and political cartoons in which she appeared; and a wooden American flag from Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, for whom she has been a devoted campaign fund-raiser.

One end of the gallery leads to a paneled library, which has a marble fireplace and a mariners map painted on its ceiling. A glimpse of nearby Central Park can be seen through the windows. At the other end is the formal dining room, with its walls upholstered in a jacquard fabric. A round table beneath a Russian chandelier seats 18 guests, which more recently included David H. Petraeus, the former general and director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

But the heart of the home is the 20-by-40-foot grand salon, which features a fireplace with an ornate plaster mantle and a massive crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the 20-foot-tall fresco-painted ceiling. Sixteen-foot-high paned windows face Fifth Avenue. The room, decorated in an eclectic mix of antiques, custom-made furniture and a player piano, can hold 200 people. (Its carpeted to improve the acoustics and assuage the downstairs neighbors.) The furnishings and artwork are not included in the sale.

Throughout the salon are more cherished keepsakes: photographs of Ms. Mosbacher with the likes of George and Barbara Bush, Mr. Clinton and Newt Gingrich, and celebrities like Rush Limbaugh and Tom Cruise. One of her favorites is a portrait of her done in charcoal by Aaron Shikler.

Mr. Burger, the broker, noted the apartments room-to-room flow  Lalique glass doors, for example, connect the library and salon, and a hand-painted door in the salon connects to the dining room. There are no dead-end rooms, he said.

Thats also the case in the private living quarters, which are accessible through a door in the gallery. There, beyond the kitchen and service area, a long hallway, adorned with Gracie wallpaper, leads to the four en-suite bedrooms. One bedroom was converted into a massive dressing room that serves as an extension of the master suite. This is my cocoon; I spend most of my time here, Ms. Mosbacher said.

The third fireplace, with a plaster mantle and marble surround, anchors the master bedroom.

Ms. Mosbacher, who also once served as the chief executive of the Borghese beauty product company, said she will certainly miss the parties at the apartment, but also the Sundays spent at the Met and the many shops and restaurants in the neighborhood. But, she said, she is spending more time at her home in Naples, Fla., these days.

She said she would like to eventually relocate to Europe, while keeping a smaller apartment in New York. And she also plans to devote more time to her latest philanthropic effort, Protect Our Daughters, a self-defense program for girls and women taught by American veterans.
As a boy, Bradley Scott Silverbush had a knack for breaking up schoolyard fights in his hometown, Syracuse. His strategy was simple: Collect $1 from the child who was about to be pummeled and split his winnings with the bully to end the dispute.

From these grade-school negotiations Mr. Silverbush acquired some valuable information. I knew from second grade that I wanted to be a lawyer, he said.

Now 60, he is a senior litigation member at Rosenberg & Estis, a top landlord law firm in New York. And he is still negotiating for the bigger kids on the playground; he lists among his clients Douglas Elliman and Carnegie Management.

It would not be difficult for many people to revile a landlord lawyer, yet over dinner at the Palm Too, a Midtown East steakhouse near his apartment, this lawyer with a penchant for racecars came across as unexpectedly likable as he told stories in sometimes off-color language about risks he has taken, like racing at 140 miles per hour on the interstate but talking himself out of a traffic ticket.
New York City apartments are notorious for their quirks and annoyances, from awkward layouts to windows that face a brick wall. When its time to sell, these can be major turnoffs for potential buyers. But, with a little creativity, many of these issues can be minimized, and you dont have to spend a lot of money to do it.

THE PROBLEM Low ceilings

THE SOLUTION White paint, tall window dressings and low-profile furniture

Using a lighter shade of paint on the ceilings than the walls tends to draw the eye upward and make the ceiling look higher. Use flat, not semigloss, on the crown molding, in the same shade as the ceiling, recommends Pat Christodoulou, who stages for-sale homes in Connecticut and New York. This gives you an uninterrupted perspective, which results in visually raising the ceiling. If you dont have moldings, she said, adding a cove molding, which begins on the wall and extends to the ceiling, will create an elongating effect. Minimalist furnishings that sit low to the floor will help increase the impression of height. Floor-to-ceiling sheers will also give the illusion of larger windows and higher ceilings, said Elizabeth Kee, a broker at CORE in Manhattan, who recently hung extra-long curtains in a $20,000-a-month rental in Chelsea to create an optical illusion that the ceilings are soaring.

THE PROBLEM Windows that face a brick wall or let in scant light

THE SOLUTION Pops of bright color, strategically placed high-wattage bulbs or decorative window film
Dr. Bernss main research pertains to dogs and the inner workings of the canine brain, but after learning more about Tasmanian tigers, he became fascinated by the beasts.

With their slender bodies, long snouts and sharp teeth, Tasmanian tigers looked as if they could be related to dogs, wolves or coyotes. But actually they are separated by more than 150 million years of evolution. It is a classic example of convergent evolution, in which two organisms that are not closely related develop similar features because of the environment they adapted to and the ecological role they played.

To better understand thylacines, Dr. Berns spent two years tracking down two preserved Tasmanian tiger brains, one at the Smithsonian Institution and the other at the Australian Museum. Their brains, like those of all marsupials, are very different from the brains of placental mammals. The biggest difference is that they lack a corpus callosum, which is the part of the brain that connects the left and right hemispheres.
SAN FRANCISCO  Uber and Google have long been bitter rivals in the race to build the autonomous vehicles that appear integral to the future of transportation. Soon, Uber will have a bit of help in that effort from a man who has played a key role in Googles history.

Amit Singhal, a 15-year Google veteran and a former senior vice president for search at the company, said on Friday that he planned to join Uber as senior vice president for engineering. At Uber, he will work to build out the software and infrastructure that are the foundation of the companys ride-hailing services.

In his new position, Mr. Singhal will report to Travis Kalanick, Ubers chief executive, and will lead the companys mapping division as well as a unit that runs the dispatching, marketing and pricing of Uber cars. Mr. Singhal will also advise Anthony Levandowski, who runs the companys self-driving automobile efforts.

Its hard enough to connect millions of drivers to millions of riders in real time while creating optimal routes for drivers, Mr. Singhal wrote in a post on his personal blog on Friday. Add to that the twist of predicting real-time traffic, pooling multiple riders and making the system economically attractive for everyone  and now you have one of the most challenging computer science problems Ive encountered in my 30-year career.
Perhaps the most conspicuous problems for the social safety net arise from the Republican pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act. As with efforts to curb greenhouse gases, the task of providing broad access to health care is much better handled at the federal level than at the state level. The concern is that guaranteeing coverage at the state level could attract new beneficiaries from neighboring states that dont provide such guarantees, making the program prohibitively costly.

But the health care initiative implemented by Mitt Romney during his governorship of Massachusetts, which was based on proposals by the conservative Heritage Foundation, effectively put that concern to rest. Repeal of Obamacare would mean large federal tax cuts for top earners in every state, creating budgetary headroom for states to adopt their own versions of Romneycare.

States dont have absolutely unlimited freedom to impose higher levies on top earners, because if any one state raised its rates, top earners could flee to neighboring states. And there have indeed been examples of individuals who have relocated in search of lower taxes.

But here, too, experience in California is reassuring. Facing budget shortfalls and cutbacks in essential public services, the states voters approved Proposition 30 in 2012, which raised the states top marginal income tax rate to over 13 percent, significantly higher than that of any other. Opponents predicted that wealthy California taxpayers would flee in droves to Nevada, Oregon and beyond.

But the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy in Washington reports that these fears were overblown, citing a recent Stanford University study. It found that million-dollar income earners are actually less likely to move than Americans earning only average wages; fewer than 2 percent of the tiny fraction of those millionaires who did move cited taxes as a factor.

Are wealthy blue-state voters chumps for not fleeing the higher taxes? Perhaps they believe, plausibly, that their lives are better with a more balanced mix of public and private consumption, with good parks and schools, highways and rail systems for everyone, and not just spectacular homes for themselves and their own families. They may also understand that their ability to bid successfully for things they prize  homesites with views, for instance  depends almost entirely on their relative purchasing power, which isnt affected much when they and their peers face slightly higher tax rates.
When the moment arrived, at high noon, even the frenetic world of television news paused to take notice.

Gone were the screaming graphics, countdown clocks, and endless crawl of headlines. Why compete with the sheer drama of what was unfolding in real time on screen: the oath of President Donald J. Trump?

If we go silent from time to time, were just doing what youre doing, Brian Williams, leading the coverage on MSNBC, told viewers on Friday morning. Its a lot to take in.

But if cable news was relatively predictable in its tonal divides  MSNBC remarking, again and again, on the lackluster size of the crowd; Fox News airing a rah-rah video about Mr. Trumps victory with a patriotic soundtrack  the major networks were remarkably united in their astonishment at the presidents unorthodox address.
Mr. Fidell contends that the effect of Mr. Trumps statements violates a prohibition on unlawful command influence, a rule that is a bedrock of military justice. It prohibits commanders  or as one military appeals court put it, anyone with the mantle of command authority  from doing anything to influence decision making about a military defendants fate.

In Sergeant Bergdahls case, anyone who could play a role in deciding his fate, including the military officers who will serve as judge and jurors, now ultimately reports to President Trump. And because of Mr. Trumps well-known and unambiguous feelings about Sergeant Bergdahl, those service members cannot be impartial in deciding his guilt or innocence, contends Mr. Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale Law School.

That also includes Gen. Robert B. Abrams, who ordered the sergeant to a court-martial and who is considered a contender for combatant commands and other major Army jobs when his current assignment at Fort Bragg, N.C., ends.

To get a job like that, he will need President Trumps approval.

Even some routine requirements of trial procedure cannot be satisfied, Mr. Fidell said in his motion to dismiss. The customary mandate that jurors avoid publicity about the case is now impossible, for example.

Ordering them to disregard news accounts would be like shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted, wrote Mr. Fidell, whose motion included a link to a YouTube video that compiled the attacks Mr. Trump made on Sergeant Bergdahl.
More than a dozen members of Californias congressional delegation planned to boycott the inauguration, with some joining demonstrations or else preparing for resistance.

On Saturday, nearly 50 locations in California planned to hold Sister Marches in solidarity with the Womens March on Washington. The biggest was likely to be in Los Angeles, where officials were bracing for as many as 100,000 people.

Organizers said they hoped the demonstrations would kick off a four-year campaign to call attention to womens voices.

Bullet Train to Nowhere : Construction of the California high-speed rail system, Americas most ambitious infrastructure project, Construction of the California high-speed rail system, Americas most ambitious infrastructure project, has become a multi-billion-dollar nightmare

A Piece of Black History Destroyed: Lincoln Heights  a historically Black community in a predominantly white, rural county in Northern California  endured for decades. Lincoln Heights  a historically Black community in a predominantly white, rural county in Northern California  endured for decades. Then came the Mill fire

Warehouse Moratorium: As warehouse construction balloons nationwide, residents in communities both rural and urban have pushed back. In Californias Inland Empire, As warehouse construction balloons nationwide, residents in communities both rural and urban have pushed back. In Californias Inland Empire, the anger has turned to widespread action

I think a lot of people who dont consider themselves part of the political process have realized that they want to be, said Dawn Addis, an organizer of the march in San Luis Obispo.

Even as Californias majority Democrats were digging in for battle, it was celebration time for many of the states Republican residents. (Nearly 4.5 million Californians voted for Mr. Trump.)
Karen Torres is a producer and writer attending the Womens March in New York City. Not long ago there was a running narrative in this country of how Your vote doesnt count, why bother. But we as a country, especially women, have learned the hard way that not only do we count, EVERY ONE of us has to make our collective voices heard.

We must show up in all the aspects of our lives. The Womens March is the unifying force we need to push through this time where checking out could literally dismantle everything we have accomplished thus far. Time to grow up, show up move up.
Seeking to portray Donald J. Trump as a man of the people, some of his closest advisers have said he is the natural successor to President Andrew Jackson, Americas architect of political populism.

With crowds streaming into Washington for the inauguration on Friday, commentators and historians were harking back to the inauguration of the seventh president on March, 4 1829, when a crowd of thousands mobbed the Capitol building and the White House, representing to many at the time the danger of the mob run amok.

Biographers, historians and Mr. Trumps own confidants have not been shy about drawing parallels. Rudolph W. Giuliani, Newt Gingrich and Stephen K. Bannon have all compared the president-elect closest to Jackson.

It is a comparison Mr. Trump himself seems to enjoy.

Speaking at a dinner held on Wednesday night to honor his running mate, Mike Pence, Mr. Trump said that admirers had told him, There hasnt been anything like this since Andrew Jackson.
Fox News announced that Nigel Farage, the right-wing populist British leader who helped lead last years Brexit campaign, would join the network as a regular contributor. The move grants Mr. Farage, who is friendly with Mr. Trump, a foothold on the countrys most watched cable-news network, in a year of critical elections in Europe where right-wing groups are on the rise.

Even on the dais, divisions are plain

As Mr. Trump gave his inaugural address, Madea Benjamin, a founder of the left-wing stunt protester group Code Pink, strode toward the dais in a section reserved for honored guests and journalists, pausing just below the president as she shouted that he was not a legitimate president.

Two Capitol Police officers quickly grabbed her and escorted her out.

How she got that ticket, now thats a story.

Once in, more rolling thunder than shock and awe

As Mr. Trump assumes the presidency, he and his senior aides have settled on a strategy to begin slowly unwinding regulations and policies from the Obama era, opting against the more sudden approach that some inside his team had recommended.

The plan, as described by one senior Trump official, is more rolling thunder than shock and awe.

Some aides to Mr. Trump, including his chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, had advised the president-elect to make a more dramatic show of his first few days in office, by signing a flurry of executive orders and making new policy pronouncements that would undo many of Mr. Obamas actions on immigration, wages, banking and the environment.

But Mr. Trump has opted instead to let his plans trickle out over the next 30 days, this official said.

Memories of inaugurations past  and a photo found

Thrilled by the prospect of voting for the first time, my college-age daughter, Nora, recently asked her 89-year-old grandfather, Joseph Trinity, whether he remembered his own first vote. He dodged the question, then stunned his family with this late-breaking news: But I do remember being in Eisenhowers inaugural parade.
How did a real estate developer turned reality star with no government experience become the 45th president of the United States?

Donald J. Trumps path to the White House does not resemble that of any of his predecessors.

He grew up in Queens and lived in a triplex at the top of a gilded Manhattan skyscraper. He connected with a part of the electorate that felt forgotten by the political establishment and viewed his detachment from it favorably.

Though he won a majority of votes in the Electoral College, he lost the popular vote, and thousands say they will protest his ascendance the day after he is sworn in. Before his inauguration on Friday, here is a look at Mr. Trumps life in pictures.

 TANNER CURTIS
Dont be surprised if, shortly after Donald J. Trump begins his inaugural address on Friday, tiny streams of smoke begin to rise from the crowd.

A marijuana advocacy group said it was giving away approximately 8,000 free joints on Friday. Early in the morning, hundreds were lined up in Dupont Circle in northwest Washington, where the cigarettes were being handed out.

The protest was planned by DCMJ, which was founded in 2013 in a successful effort to change laws regulating the drug in Washington. The group made its plan, to smoke at least 4,200 joints, known well in advance.

In a phone interview Friday morning, Nikolas Schiller, a founder of the group, estimated that DCMJ members had rolled about 8,000 joints for the protest. The number was only an approximation, he said, adding that many volunteers had brought their own marijuana.
WASHINGTON  A spate of violence erupted on Friday in the nations capital, as protesters damaged storefronts, threw rocks and bricks at police officers and lit a limousine on fire.

Phalanxes of police officers used pepper spray, flash grenades and other nonlethal crowd-control tools to disperse the protesters. By the end of the day, six police officers had sustained minor injuries and more than 200 people had been arrested.

Many of the protesters were dressed in black, wore face masks and carried flags associated with anti-fascist groups. They congregated on a series of streets just blocks from the parade where Donald J. Trump passed as he made his way to the White House for the first time as president, their activities creating a distraction as television networks played live footage of the clashes.
The critics will rage.

The sheer joy of doing what you believe is right is inexpressible.

Those are the words of Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton in parting letters to their successors.

The notes from presidents to the person elected to replace them are part of a long tradition, one Barack Obama alluded to in his thank you message to the nation on Thursday, the eve of his stepping down as president.

Below is the full text of the letters, as well as the note from the elder President George Bush to Mr. Clinton, which was shared on social media months ago.

From President George W. Bush to President Obama
WASHINGTON  Just hours after President Trump was sworn into office, the Senate on Friday confirmed two nominees for critical national security positions, approving James N. Mattis as defense secretary and John F. Kelly as homeland security secretary.

Republicans had hoped to approve far more than two nominees on Mr. Trumps first day in office, but that process has been delayed in part because several of the nominees have been slow in filing ethics disclosures, prompting protests by Senate Democrats.

While Republicans sought to confirm a third national security nominee on Friday, Representative Mike Pompeo of Kansas, the presidents choice to lead the Central Intelligence Agency, Democrats managed to delay his approval until Monday, when he is expected to receive a vote after some debate.
We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining but never doing anything about it, he said. The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action. Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done.

Mr. Trumps view of the United States was strikingly grim for an Inaugural Address  a country where mothers and children are trapped in poverty in our inner cities, where rusted-out factories are scattered like tombstones across the landscape and where drugs and crime have stolen too many lives.

This American carnage, he declared, stops right here and stops right now.

He got started right away with rolling back the policies of his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, by issuing orders freezing new regulations from recent weeks and ordering agencies to ease the burden of the Affordable Care Act during the transition from repealing to replacing the law. More orders are planned for next week.

Wearing a dark suit and red tie and accompanied by his wife, Melania, in a powder-blue suit and matching gloves, Mr. Trump took the 35-word oath administered by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. precisely at noon. Michael Richard Pence, a former governor and congressman from Indiana, was sworn in minutes before as vice president by Justice Clarence Thomas.
That could include members of his own party. Mr. Trump is as close to an independent as has ever served in modern times. He ran against the Republican establishment as much as he ran against Hillary Clinton.

In his address, he ignored the Republican leadership in Congress, and said nothing about working with Speaker Paul Ryan or Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, to advance a legislative agenda. His views on trade, foreign policy and the role of government are at odds with Republican orthodoxy, setting the stage for a clash between the party and its standard-bearer.

As for the Democrats, there were signs, under the leaden skies on the National Mall, that they were already girding for battle. The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, issued a blunt warning to Mr. Trump, moments before he was sworn in, that the American people would stand up for the rule of law, a free press  the things, he said, that make America America.

Mr. Schumer quoted from a farewell letter that a Union soldier, Maj. Sullivan Ballou, sent his wife during the Civil War, days before he was killed in the First Battle of Bull Run. The doomed soldiers words  which recalled the sacrifices made by the nations founders  could provide solace in the days to come, he said.
WASHINGTON  America, and the world, just found out what America First means.

President Trump could have used his inaugural address to define one of the touchstone phrases of his campaign in the most inclusive way, arguing, as did many of his predecessors, that as the worlds greatest superpower rises, its partners will also prosper.

Instead, he chose a dark, hard-line alternative, one that appeared to herald the end of a 70-year American experiment to shape a world that would be eager to follow its lead. In Mr. Trumps vision, Americas new strategy is to win every transaction and confrontation. Gone are the days, he said, when America extended its defensive umbrella without compensation, or spent billions to try to lift the fortune of foreign nations, with no easy-to-measure strategic benefits for the United States.

From this day forward, its going to be only America first, he said, in a line that resonated around the world as soon as he uttered it from the steps of the Capitol. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs.

The United States, he said, will no longer subsidize the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military.
DAKAR, Senegal  Two days after a new president was sworn in to represent Gambia, the defeated leader of the country who had refused to give up power appeared on state television early Saturday and announced that he would step down.

I am truly and sincerely proud of being of service to you, said the defeated president, Yahya Jammeh, in a brief and somber speech broadcast to the nation.

The timing of his departure, and where Mr. Jammeh would go, were not immediately clear.

The announcement from Mr. Jammeh appeared to end a tense stretch for the West African nation, which had been at a standstill, with foreign military vehicles inside its borders and the presidents of both Guinea and Mauritania swooping in to persuade Mr. Jammeh to step down to make way for the newly elected president, Adama Barrow. Fearing for his own safety in Gambia, Mr. Barrow was sworn in on Thursday in neighboring Senegal, as Mr. Jammeh refused to vacate the statehouse.

Mr. Barrow was among the 45,000 people who fled Gambia as the standoff over the presidency dragged on. The United Nations warned of a humanitarian crisis along the border with Senegal, where many are cramming into hosts homes, and food is running low.
Deaths from the errant Nigerian aerial bombing of a displaced persons encampment in northeast Nigeria have jumped to 90, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders reported on Friday, nearly double the initial tally. It quoted local residents as saying that as many as 170 people may have been killed.

The updated death toll coincided with news reports from Nigeria that more than 100 members of Boko Haram, the intended target of the Tuesday bombing, had attacked another displaced persons encampment in the area on Thursday.

The Associated Press, in a dispatch from the northern city of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, quoted unidentified witnesses as saying that Nigerian soldiers had battled Boko Haram militants for hours Thursday night. There was no immediate comment from the Nigerian government.

The Nigerian Air Forces mistaken bombing of the Rann encampment, which houses about 20,000 people near the Cameroon border, was one of the deadliest blunders in the countrys protracted struggle to vanquish Boko Haram, an Islamic extremist group that has plundered and marauded through parts of northern Nigeria for years.
BEIJING  Perched unsteadily on a stack of plastic stools in an isolated room, Xie Yang, a Chinese lawyer, was encircled day and night by interrogators who blew smoke in his face, punched and kicked him, and threatened to turn him into an invalid unless he confessed to political crimes, he has said.

Eventually, according to transcripts of meetings with Mr. Xie issued by his attorneys, the isolation, sleepless days and nights of abuse and threats to his family from the police investigators proved too harrowing. Mr. Xie said he had scribbled down whatever they told him to say about trying to subvert the Chinese Communist Party by representing disgruntled citizens and discussing rights cases.

I wanted to end their interrogation of me as quickly as I could, even if it meant death, Mr. Xie, anguished and often sobbing, told his attorneys, Chen Jiangang and Liu Zhengqing, according to the transcripts of the meetings this month that Mr. Chen released on Thursday. Later, I wrote down whatever they wanted.

The records lay out the most detailed firsthand allegations thus far that torture has stained a crackdown on Chinese rights lawyers and advocates that began in July 2015. The government detained almost 250 people in that operation, according to Amnesty International. Most were released, but four were tried and convicted last year on charges that they tried to subvert the one-party state, and about 13 are in detention and likely to face trial.
The video showed officers telling Mr. Adunbi that they think he is wanted. Im not telling you. Ive done no wrong, he replied. One officer said: So I have no choice then but to arrest you.

Leave me alone and let me go among my business, Mr. Adunbi said, trying to bat them away. As he tried to get to his home through a gate, the officers dragged him outside into the street and fired their stun gun. One of the officers later told the neighbor, Tom Cherry: He was trying to fight us.

Speaking to The Guardian about the episode, Mr. Adunbi, a founding member of an independent advisory group working to improve relations between the police and Afro-Caribbean community, said, At first, you dont accuse someone of being someone else. You ask questions. 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.

Mr. Adunbi said that this was the second time he had been mistakenly identified by the police as a suspect.
ROME  With shouts of Bravo! and rounds of applause, rescue workers pulled a frigid but buoyant boy from the snow-covered rubble of an Italian hotel on Friday, one of at least 10 survivors found two days after an avalanche destroyed the building, officials said.

The boy, dressed in blue snow pants and a fleece shirt, appeared alert and able to walk on his own as rescuers workers tussled his hair, helped him to a stretcher and then set about retrieving his mother.

They were so happy, one rescue worker, Marco Bini, told Sky TG24 about the pair. Their faces lit up.

Despair turned to hope on Friday morning when at least 10 people were found alive, including four children, at the site of the isolated hotel in the Apennine Mountains that was destroyed by the avalanche on Wednesday. By evening, several people had been pulled from the wreckage, but additional known survivors remained trapped beneath several tons of snow.
The Roman theater, left, in Palmyra, Syria, in 2016. Satellite pictures on the right show the structure before it was damaged, above, and after.

Credit... Bryan Denton for The New York Times
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Two weeks in and freshman Congressman Jim Banks is still homeless  so to speak.

Since the northeast Indiana legislator arrived at the nations capital, hes been crashing on his office couch and showering at the gym.

He was looking forward to the night before Inauguration Day for a chance to break out his new air mattress that sits neatly folded next to his office closet.

It turns out the housing market in Washington, D.C., is a bit different than the one in Columbia City, Banks said with a smile. Were in the process of figuring out those details. In the meantime, Im content to sleep on the couch.

Hes sharing a fridge with staffers in a storage room across the hall from his office on the fifth floor of the Cannon House Office Building.

It takes him between six and seven minutes to walk over to Capitol Hill via the underground tunnel connecting the buildings. If you take the stairs, its a rigorous glutes and thighs exercise.

Hes far from being settled.

Right now, hes living appointment by appointment and by the buzzer  the one that signals 15 minutes prior to his need to make his way to the Capitol.

Since arriving in Washington, hes joined the Republican Study Committees steering committee, the Congressional Steel Caucus, the House Armed Services Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee; he co-sponsored a bill to repeal the federal medical device tax; opened a Fort Wayne office; delivered his first speech on the House floor on the need to rebuild the American military; and voted to begin the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

The Capitol Hill publication Roll Call named him one of seven freshman congressmen to watch.

Coffee is his lifeblood right now  sunup to sundown  and his staff is his backbone, keeping him on the strenuous schedule.

I have found that I have very few meals where I sit down and eat a meal, because everything here is on the go, Banks said.

He hasnt gained weight yet, but he relents the pounds may be on the way.

Ive heard of the freshman 15, he said, joking.

Every weekend he has a chance to enjoy a meal back home with his wife and three daughters, ages 7, 5 and 3. He plans to continue the weekly commute.

Were accustomed to Facetime, which is reminiscent of my time in Afghanistan, said Banks, a supply corps officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

He took a leave of absence from his former Indiana Senate seat in 2014 and 2015 to deploy to Afghanistan during Operations Enduring Freedom and Freedoms Sentinel.

Its imperfect, but were grateful for this opportunity to serve, Banks said of his time away from his family. Public service requires sacrifice.

While serving in the Indiana Senate, he could look forward to a session ending by the time summer rolled around. Congress  thats a year-round session.

And, the order of business at the Capitol is a faster pace, and the order of activities is different than the state.

The state Senate is so predictable, and everything moved at a pace where I could predict what happens next, Banks said. I think because Im brand new, I still have so much to learn about the process.

A big part of the experience is seeking out older members to be mentors, Banks said. The main advice hes received thus far is to not be afraid to ask questions about why we do things the way we do, he said. In doing so, hes learning the traditions that are built into the Congressional process.

U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi, whos been in office a year, is assigned as Banks formal mentor to show him the ropes. Like Banks, Kelly is a Republican with a military background.

The military background is serving Banks well as he adjusts to life in the nations capital.

In the military, you learn how to deal with bureaucracy and government and processes which in many ways are frustrating and difficult, Banks said.

He appreciates the training the military provides and hired three veterans to work on his staff.

Despite the busy schedule and learning curve Banks has ahead of him, hes been pleasantly surprised at the welcome hes received from fellow representatives  Republicans and Democrats alike. From Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to the most junior members, theyve been open to dialogue, he said.

Maybe I shouldnt say this, but Ill say it anyway, I think as citizens were conditioned to think that politicians are terrible and Congress is horrible  and a lot of that is true  but as I begin to meet my colleagues, I realize these are great men and women who I am here to serve with.  Theyve all been very welcoming, Banks said.

So, hes optimistic, hopeful, humbled.

Hes honored to have the opportunity to be on the platform watching Donald Trump being sworn in as president. Hes honored to represent the 3rd Congressional District in Indiana and be a part of history.
BEIRUT, Lebanon  Russia signed a long-term agreement on Friday to greatly enlarge its military presence in Syria, more than doubling the space for warships in Russias only Mediterranean port and securing rights to an air base that may already be adding a second runway.

The agreement covers the port in Tartus and an air base near Latakia, which have been pivotal in Russian assistance to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria in fighting an array of insurgents. It ensures Russias ability to deploy forces in Syria for the next half-century and perhaps beyond.

News of the agreement came as Mr. Assad received what appeared to be another positive development: A Turkish official suggested publicly for the first time that Turkey would accept a peace deal in Syrias six-year-old war that would allow Mr. Assad to stay in power.

The remarks by the official, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, indicated that Turkey  Syrias northern neighbor and one of Mr. Assads most implacable foes  had softened its position in the interest of finding a solution.
Some Paris streets still have visible cobblestone paving, but on many the stones have been buried under asphalt and are often torn up during construction. Rather than dump them, the city has started to salvage and sell the stones.

Credit... Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times
THIS is a story of a twice-divorced businessman and his beautiful third wife.

He is a man with a string of business failures to his name until he latches on to someones elses idea and makes it a hit. He is a man who wiggles out of contracts, does anything to win and rewrites history to suit him.

Eventually, his fortune is made by making his business synonymous with a now-famous last name that he unabashedly promotes far and wide. It just wasnt his last name.

Ray Kroc, the man credited with turning McDonalds into one of the most recognized brands in the world, is finally getting his star turn with a film, The Founder, that opened nationwide on Friday. His third wife, Joan B. Kroc, is also getting her due thanks to a biography, Ray & Joan: The Man Who Made the McDonalds Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away, which came out at the end of 2016.

When it comes to their wealth and how they thought about it, the books subtitle encapsulates the Kroc approach.
NYTimes.com no longer supports Internet Explorer 9 or earlier. Please upgrade your browser.
2009 Obama inauguration Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images 2017 Trump inauguration 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee

An analysis of news footage appears to indicate that fewer people attended President Trumps inauguration than President Obamas in 2009. The footage on this page was captured 45 minutes before each oath of office. Attendees were still entering the National Mall up until Mr. Trumps speech.

The analysis by Keith Still, a professor at Manchester Metropolitan University in England, estimates that the crowd on the National Mall on Friday was about one-third the size of Mr. Obamas.

Professor Still was a crowd safety consultant for the 2011 royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and has advised the Saudi government on crowds for the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

The initial analysis was limited in scope because footage of a larger area was not yet available. The number of people on the National Mall is typically a fraction of the total crowd that gathers for a presidential inauguration. In 2009, for example, about 460,000 of the estimated 1.8 million people who attended President Obamas inauguration were on the National Mall.

The cloudy skies above this years inauguration means that there will likely be no clear satellite imagery of Washington. Without satellite imagery it is difficult to make a complete and accurate estimate of crowd size.

2009 Obama inauguration ABC News Footage 2017 Trump inauguration 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee

The maps below show areas of high crowd density in the available imagery.

2009 Washington Monument Capitol 2009 Capitol
If Obama had never gotten into office, would anything be different?

Obama is leaving office tomorrow, and although I am nauseated to see Trump take over, Obamas incoming departure does not crush the soul. He sailed into office in 2008 planning to change the world. He didnt. I believed in him, and so did millions of Americans, and other people across the world. He let us down.

No amount of eloquence or woke references can get around this fact: tunnel underneath, it is there, climb over it, and it remains. It is the fact you cannot ignore or erase. Defenses of him are charmless exercises in moving the goalposts. He. Did. Not. Deliver.

I dont care if attacking Obama makes the Right happy. Accountability is the mainspring of democracy.

In 2008, Wall Street got away with it. Wall Street got away with it. Wall Street got away with it. If I repeat myself, its because this minor incident is slightly important. It doesnt matter that it is eight years later. This fact is crucial not just because crime went unpunished, or because it revealed the truth of our societythat it is a support system for the one percent, and nobody else matters. It matters because the escape of the bankers showed who Obama is. Anyone who tries to explain away Trump and Brexit without referring to this fact is joking.

Wall Street got away with it. Are you tired of me repeating this fact? Maybe this rhetorical trope is tedious to you. Perhaps you think Im doing it to score points. I am. I still cant believe it happened, and I am still angry about it.

Wall Street got away with it.

Wall Street got away with it.

Wall Street got away with it.

Everything about Obama must be judged on this basis. When Obama had a free hand to do whatever he wanted, he appointed to his administration the very same people who had designed The Crash. What does that tell you about him? Can you blame that on the Republican Party?

Wall Street got away with it. Those six words sum up everything hollow and false about the politics that he represents. It wasnt just about one crime. The Crash, and everything which came after it, points with a trembling finger to the broken order in which we live, work, and dwell. Our institutions and rule of law are discredited. What Iraq didnt finish, The Crash did. All the broken promises which followed can be glimpsed in the larger shadow of the failure to fix our system.

Dominic Cummings, one of the British princes of darkness who masterminded the Leave Campaign, said 2008 was a root of Brexit:

This undermined confidence in Government, politicians, big business, banks, and almost any entity thought to be speaking for those with power and money. ... Over and over again outside London people would rant about how they had not/barely recovered from this recession while the politicians and bankers and businessmen in London all keep raking in the money  All those amazed at why so little attention was paid to the experts did not, and still do not, appreciate that these experts are seen by most people of all political views as having botched financial regulation, made a load of rubbish predictions, then forced everybody else outside London to pay for the mess while they got richer and dodged responsibility. They are right. This is exactly what happened. ... In the 1930s Britain put people in jail because of what happened in the 1920s. We should have done the same after 2008.

Wall Street got away with it, and our politics, and the centrist technocratic faux-liberalism Obama represents, could not get around it. It was Obama who helped me decide to stop fully trusting the Democratic Party and its policy of playing to the galas. Wall Street got away with it, and he helped.

Team Obama showed me that our political system was not to be taken seriously. Since then, I have been unmoved when people tell me that the Republic has just now fallen, or how fake news rules the airwaves, or that how our politics has been coarsened, since Obama showed me how easily liberalism had been turned into great speeches and small action. Wall Street got away with it.

Supposedly, Obama was a great president, and that people like me expected too much. Wrong. I didnt want him to deliver the moon. I just wanted what he promised. When you elect a man under the aegis of Hope, it makes sense to hold him to it.

He wasted the two years when he had the most power. He does not get a free pass because the Republican Party is loathsome and plutocratic and obstructionist. The Democratic leadership likes to quote the line about They go low, we go high. Yet when the Republicans inevitably went low, Obama went  meh.

The President had three jobs. The first was to give incredible speeches and be the subject of inspirational stories. He fulfilled this task well. The second was to raise money. He was extraordinary in this profession. He had a third calling, which was to bring progressive change to American life, with all the resources he had at his command. He was mediocre.

Obama was a stylish, charismatic guy and a genuinely cool person, you say, Youll never see his like again. Youre right, hes all these things. I would be friends with him in private life, if given the chance. But I would trade it all in a heartbeat for a rude dunce who did what he was supposed to do.

Obamas achievements were in line with the path of accommodation: Obama used drones. He dropped approximately 26,000 bombs this year. He didnt give Osama a trial. He kept Gitmo open. He messed up in Libya. He helped the Saudis in Yemen. He deported record numbers of human beings. He pardoned Chelsea Manning only after expanding the surveillance state. The ACA, although important and certainly better than what came before, was a job half-done, a love letter to corporations and a drudgery to everyday citizens. Wherever he could, Obama left oppressive systems of power in place. That is his true legacy.

Obama was lucky for many reasons, from the Iraq War to facing Hillary Clinton, but his most fortunate moment was to be succeeded by Donald Trump. His legacy is now secure. How can that be the case, when Obamas programs will be scrapped? The program that matters is his legacy.

When Trump is burning the Shining City on a Hill, in the firelight, Obama will seem gigantic indeed. He will appear like Marcus Aurelius, when he was merely a pair of sunglasses over the same face of consolidated power. Trump will make you realize how much you miss Obama. Very true. Being punched in the face after eating at Arbys makes you miss the time you were just eating at Arbys too.

As a human being, I wish him well. Hes a good man. As a President, he was a disappointment, and I will weep no tears to see him go.

You broke my heart, Fredo.

What do I think about the Obama Presidency? I think it would have been a good idea.
Never thought of visiting Hungary? Well, you might be soon. In our Breakout Role series, we take a look at places that have seen huge increases in tourism in the last few years, and try to figure out whats causing all the hype.

At the beginning of the century, Hungary was a tourism powerhouse. By some estimates, the country was the worlds twelfth most visited destination in 2001, and by 2004 more than 12 million international visitors were pouring into the Central European nation each year.

But in 2008, just four years after Hungary joined the European Union, the countrys ability to borrow in foreign currencies made it especially vulnerable to the global financial crisis. Tourism was forced to take a backseat, and the number of annual foreign tourists dropped off by the millions.

However, Hungarian tourism has bounced back in a major way. With nearly 16 million inbound tourists in 2015, the country has seemingly begun to exceed its pre-2008 numbers. As the nations international visitors grew by seven percent between September 2015 and September 2016, it doesnt seem as though this positive trend is slowing down any time soon.

Photo: Marcell Katona, CC-BY

Gabor Banfalvi, co-founder of Taste Hungary, a Hungarian food and wine tour company and The Tasting Table, a Budapest-based wine shop and tasting room, says some of Hungarys success is rooted in its accessibility and affordability. According to Banfalvi, the countrys entry into the EU has made travel more convenient. This, combined, with a highly favorable exchange rate (glass of white wine costs, on average, barely more than a dollar) makes Hungary a formidably inexpensive option when planning a European vacation.

However, this growth isnt necessarily being experienced on the same level everywhere. Budapest, the countrys capital and largest city, is by and large the primary destination that draws visitors to Hungary.

When I say Hungary, I mean first and foremost Budapest, because in terms of tourists coming to Hungary its very Budapest-dominated, says Laszlo Biro, managing director for Excalibur Tours Hungary, an incoming tourism company founded in Budapest in 1989.

Biros company offers group tours to a pretty diverse customer base, ranging from school trips to stag parties, but he says Budapest is almost always the main focus of international travellers. He isnt wrong either62 percent of all nights spent in Hungary by international tourists in 2015 were spent in Budapest, and about 75% of all spending on accommodations took place in the capital as well.

Biro points to access as one of the factors driving this tendency: most international flights come in through Budapest, and most vacations simply dont last long enough for tourists to venture out beyond the city.

Photo: Alex Proimos, CC-BY

As one might assume, the fact that tourism is so centered on Budapest has led to a transformation within the capital, one that Banfalvia longtime resident of the cityhas easily noticed.

The city has changed pretty fastand for the better, Banfalvi says. When I was growing up in the 1990s it was a heavily polluted citybuildings falling apartIm not saying its totally there yet, but its almost there.

Banfalvi says much of this growth has come from the businesses themselves, with private enterprises such as hotels, restaurants and tour companies leading the charge in marketing themselves to tourists. Additionally, despite becoming the butt of more than a few jokes due to its famously confusing tourism slogan (which, and this is not a typo, is Think Hungary more than), the Hungarian government seems to be emphasizing tourism as well, even prioritizing new regions outside of Budapest in recent marketing plans.

Overcrowding has become a bit of a problem though, and Biro says accommodations are becoming more and more difficult to book, especially in months such as May and September, which are considered peak times for Budapest.

A couple of years ago if we had a request for a certain hotel category, it took one phone call and you could sort it out, Biro says. Now it takes 10 to 15 phone calls, until eventually its like finding the needle in the hay.

Photo: Torsten Scholz, CC-BY

There is, of course, a reason Budapest draws so many more visitors than the rest of the country. The city is full of cant-miss attractionsfrom architecture to history to diningthat make it a standout travel stop. Thermal spas are an absolute must in the capital, with the Szechenyi Baths standing out as the most famous choice for a warm water dip.

Additionally, sights such as the Hungarian parliament building, Fishermans Bastion (a string of idyllic towers overlooking the Danube River) and historical draws including the Hospital in the Rock and the House of Terror museums make for incredible day trips in and of themselves. Eatingand drinkingwell is also a must in Budapest, as no trip to Hungary is complete without few bowls of true, authentic Goulash, as well as a trip to some of the citys increasingly popular ruin pubs, which are essentially large bars formed out of formerly run-down or destroyed buildings.

Outside of the city, Hungarys breathtaking Lake Balaton is a widely popular summer resort destination, especially for regional tourists. The nations emerging wine country and a number of small, relaxing spa towns make a compelling case for travel outside the capital as well.

Flight Rates: Current prices (round trip) can be found for between $542 and $1,306.

Travel Concerns: There are no current major safety threats, and travel visas are not required for stays of less than 90 days.

Currency Exchange: 1 USD = 293 Hungarian Forints

More Info: Hungarys tourism website offers both general, logistical information about travel as well as trip ideas, hotel suggestions and major attractions.

Top photo: Dennis Jarvis, CC-BY

Dillon Thompson is a University of Georgia student and freelance writer with a love for travel and an addiction to coffee and hip-hop music.
President Donald Trump, along with nearly the entirety of the Republican Party hopes to expand the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking.

Fracking for natural gas is the process of breaking up shale rock formations underneath the Earths surface to extract the natural gas. Basically, a series of holes are drilled into the ground and then pumped with a water/chemical mixture to drive the natural gas out of the fissures in the shale.

Most proponents of the practicewhich includes numerous Republicans and Democratslaud the practice for its reduction in atmospheric CO2 along with its potential to stimulate the economy. Conversely, many Americansand many, many more countries around the worldsee fracking as an environmentally derogatory practice that does nothing to inhibit climate change but rather hastens the problem and creates potentially permanent, damaging effectsincluding contaminated water.

So should the U.S. continueand expandthe fracking industry? Here are the points and counterpoints.

Point: Fracking Leads to Energy Security

Fracking will lead to American energy independence. Donald Trump

Theres absolutely no debate that fracking is a boon to Americas energy security, and, since energy independence is a crux of President Trumps economic initiatives, he wants to expand fracking.

Last year, the U.S. imported over 9 million barrels of oil per day (MMb/d), totally over $300 billion spent on oil for the year, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). If that seems like a lot, well, its not. This is actually the lowest level of net imports for the country since 1986, and, because of that, has turned the U.S. into one of the most energy-secure countries in the world, and the reason for much of this is fracking.

Thus far, the U.S. fracking boom has added over 750,000 jobs to the economy and, simultaneously, it has effectively eliminated OPEC in all but name. When OPEC initiated a trade war in 2014 to drive out the U.S. shale industry, it collapsed the countrys economyand its still collapsing. Economist Ambrose Evans-Pritchard described in the Telegraph, OPEC is now effectively dissolved. The cartel might as well shut down its offices in Vienna to save money.

And this is a good thing. Does U.S. want to economically support nations like Saudi Arabia?

In an address following 2014s midterm elections, President Barack Obama touted the benefits of the oil and gas boom: When it can be done safely and appropriately, U.S production of oil and natural gas is important. I would rather us, with all the safeguards and standards that we have, be producing our oil and gas rather than importing it, which is bad for our people, but also potentially purchased from places that have much lower environmental standards than we do.

Even Hillary Clintons former presidential campaign chairman, John Podesta, backed the practice. If you oppose all fossil fuels and you want to turn that switch off tomorrow, that is a completely impractical way of moving toward a clean-energy future. With all due respect to my friends in the environmental community, if they expect us to turn off the lights and go home, thats sort of an impractical suggestion.

This energy independence and subsequent storage also ensures the U.S. remains in a viable economic position as an oil exporter. Since the world still functions off oil, this is a powerful post as a seller in a market in which demand will only increase as oil reserves decrease. It could also spur a manufacturing boom because, when oils cheaper here, it means jobs can stay here. A study out of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) estimates that one million manufacturing jobs can be created within the next eight years thanks to low energy prices and increased demand from the shale gas industry.

One of the goals of pretty much every President since Nixon is energy independence. Fracking is a means to achieve that goal, no matter how controversial.

Counterpoint: Its Pretty Fracking Bad for the Environment

Fracking is pretty fucking bad for the environment. Its so bad that four countries (France, Germany, Bulgaria, and Scotland) have banned it outright, eight (Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Romania, South Africa, and the UK) have instituted moratoriums on the practice, and some 400 communities, cities, and states in the U.S. have put an end to it.

Leaders in the gas industry can tout the environmental benefitsthat it burns cleaner CO2 than coalbut that doesnt change the fact that fracking contaminates water, facilitates climate change, and triggers earthquakes.

1. Fracking Can Destroy Water Sources

Perhaps the most worrisome effect, fracking has the potential to destroy water sources, and, with it, some communities. One particular community in Pavillion, Wyoming, is a victim of hydraulic fracturing. Eight-years-ago, locals, living in the middle of a natural gas basin, complained about the taste and smell of their water. It turns out their water, as published in Environmental Science and Technology, had been polluted by fracking wastes stored within the basin. In fact, the entire groundwater resource in the Wind River Basin is contaminated with chemicals linked to fracking.

2. Fracking Facilitates Climate Change

Cleaner CO2 is still CO2 emitted into the atmosphere, and, sure, a shale well blowout would probably accentuate the ephemeral beauty of Earth in the most metaphoricaland literalmeans imaginable, but, to those whod rather maintain some of the ephemeral beauty, the primary way to stop climate change is to stop burning fossil fuels, not by adding obscene amounts of methane and ethane into the atmosphere, which is exactly what fracking does, and its proven detrimental according to a study out of the University of Colorado. The pro-fracking crowds can obfuscate their pro-environmental stances with this CO2 argument, but, at the end of the day, fracking is a whole lot more harmful than other existing green-energy technologies like solar power, wind power, and even nuclear energy, so, perhaps, its more worthwhile to invest there.

3. Fracking Triggers Earthquakes

For starters, to produce natural gas from shale formations, hydraulic fracturing cracks the shale rocks so that gas can flow, and be extracted, through these little wells. Many argue this process doesnt actually trigger earthquakes, but a study out of Canada suggests otherwise, noting that this permeation induces small clusters of earthquakes, and that, while no damaging earthquakes have occurred, its important to understand the underlying causes of seismicity to limit the potential for life-threatening earthquakes.

Is this worth the risk for a short-lived economic boom?

Image: Imahornfan CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Tom Burson is a travel writer, part-time hitchhiker, and hes currently trying to imitate Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? but with more sunscreen and jorts.
Look, this is bad. Today marks a very low point in American historythough nowhere near rock bottom. But its bad. We might be in the middle of a coup.

Russia aggressively intervened in our election, and now our President-elect is changing one of the few bipartisan agreements that has proven to work in Washington. Russia is not our friend, but they should not be our enemy either, yet the further Trump and Putin push their luck, the more that becomes the case. Liberals and conservatives who sympathize with them as an ally we can consistently work with are ascribing American ideologies on to a government that is anything but. Vladimir Putin prefers the 19th century order as opposed to the 21st. He wants to rebuild the Soviet Union and beat America, Canada, and the Nordic countries to the wealth of resources being opened in the Arctic by climate change. He has supported extremist opposition parties in every European country over the past decade, and now most certainly did/has in the United States in an escalating campaign to delegitimize all Western institutions. This is a soft war, and Putin just got an ally in the White House. This is bad.

Womens rights certainly seem in the crosshairs in this new administration. The confirmation hearings of the people who will control federal policy have largely been certified shit shows. Massive debt that would make our past two presidents blush is sure to pile up. Donald Trump pushed us into a golden age for white supremacy. People will die because of this administrations policies. This is really, really bad.

But so was George W. Bushs entire presidency. Bill Clinton destroyed the banking firewall built after the Great Depression which, to seemingly only his surprise, helped lead to the Great Recession, and is one of the people most responsible for the existence of the phrase private prison company. Barack Obamas foreign policy has been a complete disaster, as he owns Russias influence in this election more than any other American outside Trump Tower. Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and a countless number of presidents conducted secret wars which damaged the future standing of the federal government in our eyes more than any invading army ever could. Americas history is littered with cases that are really, really bad.

But were still here. Living in the greatest era in human history. There has never been less global warfare. Capitalism has unchained billions who used to live on pennies per weekdespite coming at the cost of deteriorating the middle class in the advanced economies investing around the world. There is an international order built off centuries of progress which cannot simply be undone by four years of a meat-filled bottle of spray tanner bumbling his way around Washington.

And if you ponder the motivations of all the prominent actors in D.C., gridlock seems to be the most likely outcome. The Democrats are going to break every fundraising record they have off Donald Trump. Its probably unreasonable to expect the Dems to match their much more determined opponents level of obstruction over the last eight years, but they no doubt have plenty of cover within their own party to do everything they can to stop Donald Trumps policies. The Senate is close enough that they can simply filibuster the Republicans into madness (and likely illicit an effort from Trump to destroy it, something the GOP has been very hesitant to even talk about).

The Republicans have interest in this gridlock too. Trump may not believe in polling, but the Marco I dont trust him with the nuclear codes, but Im still voting for him Rubios of the world sure as hell do. Donald Trump is the least popular incoming president ever, and the Republicans in Congress practically volunteer to be held hostage by their base. If Republican voters opinion of communism ever rose above 50%, D.C. lawmakers would don a bunch of Che Guevara shirts and start quoting Marx. These people have proven to be spineless individuals who strictly adhere to the polling of the day.

What did Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have to say today about Steve Bannons appointment? Not much. pic.twitter.com/bPZ2UtRkxW  The Last Word (@TheLastWord) November 16, 2016

Congress only reserves about a third of the year to actually get things done, so it doesnt take a whole lot of obstruction to muck up the engine in our nations capital. Donald Trump is doing serious damage to the Republican party, and they all know it. Letting the Democrats take the heat for blocking the agenda is the easy play, as they can score cheap political points from it as well. The GOP could oppose Trump on some issues that play with their baseallowing both parties to come out of the next four years as an alternative to Trumpism. Defeating the Democrats is a short game, as it means teaming up with Donald Trumpand hitching their brand to Trumpism more than they already have accelerates the death spiral the party currently finds itself within. There are a lot of elderly men currently contemplating their legacy as the overseers of the death of the GOP. Its a narrative whose legitimacy is nearly two decades old. Thats the one good thing about having an average age in Congress that makes an AARP meeting look like a high school dance: at a certain point, short term thinking doesnt make any sense. Once youre dead, all you have left is how the future remembers you.

This is bad. The next four years are about damage control, as we have George W. Bush and Barack Obama to thank for dramatically widening the range of ways in which Trump can damage America. Fighting his executive orders is going to largely be the citizenrys job. Trump is not going to sign a law giving himself less power, and given his ability to pack lower courts that Republicans in Congress have been holding open, the effectiveness of that check is murky right now. We need to make it clear where we oppose him, so Americas corporate overlords know exactly where the line isas they are one of our only levers of power against this administration. As much as we are subject to our oligarchs, they still need us more than we need them, for there is no other nation that provides the voracious level of consumption needed to satisfy their insatiable greed.

The despair we all feel is based on our current political environment. But it has changed before, and it can do so again. We are stronger in numbers, and we can fight back and winas evidenced by the tsunami of phone calls to Congress that killed the GOP bill to weaken the ethics committee in a matter of hours. This summers theme was dont boovote. For the next four years, its dont tweetcall (Or tweet Congress phone numbers AND call, ideally).

We must prepare for disaster, as we can only do so much, but we have not been pulling our equal weight in American politics. The media make themselves an easy target, but they are simply a product of our creeping corporatism combined with a general populace completely disinterested in the entity created to maximize our livelihood. It is incumbent upon the politically motivated among us to round up our apathetic friends, and convince them to fight for their future. It will require a lot of patience on our part, and a willingness to accept that you will have fundamental disagreements with people on your side, but just remember that the long view of history has proven that the odds are both of you are probably wrong.

When a society abandons the idea of active self-governance, corporate oligarchy ensues. Its practically an invitation. If the populace subsequently abandons the concept of unimpeachable facts, Donald Trump becomes president. This is largely on us. Washington went off the rails a long time ago, and a deep state exists that we will never be able to fully reign in, but this is our government. At some point over the past century, we decided that wed rather hire contractors to take care of it, instead of handling our business ourselves.

Day one of our new job starts now. The resistance is real, and our nations survival depends on its success. This is bad, but we can do this.

Jacob Weindling is Pastes business, media, and politics editor. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.
Often, when we talk about climate change, it seems like a far-off scenario. We talk in terms of saving the planet for future generations and predict disruptive sea level rise within the century. But the effects of climate change are already felt around the world; future changes will only intensify them.

Lobsters used to lurk in the waters of Long Island. But these days, New York fisherman have trouble finding anywhile their peers 500 miles away in Maine are seeing bumper crops. Instead, the lobstermen of Long Island now catch more crabs and other shellfishwhich, in turn, leaves crabbers further down the East Coast worried about the future of their own livelihoods.

Last week I wrote about how climate change is prompting a fish migration that will directly affect whats servedor not servedfor dinner. But these rapid marine changes wont just affect our appetites; they also represent a sea change for the fisherman and communities that depend on the sea for jobs and income.

Fishing Regulations Struggle to Catch Up

Of course, catching new fish in your usual fishing haunt is trickier than just changing your bait. Regulations guide what you may catch and how much of it, usually state by stateand they arent changing as fast as the environment is. John A. Manderson, a research biologist at the NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), noted that sea creatures are moving north 10 times faster than their land-based animals.

Our ideas of property rights and laws are purely land-based, Manderson told The New York Times. But the ocean is all about flux and turbulence and movement.

To get around these increasingly obsolete laws, some fishermen are catching fish further north and then traveling to areas where it is legal to bring large quantities to shore. Such slippery adherence to regulations sparked mackerel wars in the North Sea back in 2010, and the dispute wasnt settled for four years.

Furthermore, such an expensive round-about the law is not an option for everyone, especially those with smaller fishing operations.



Photo: Sonja, CC-BY 2.0

A Sea Change for Fishermen

But the most devastating loss might be to the people who depend upon the sea for jobs.

A tiny town south of Chincoteague, Virginia, called Wachapreague, used to be known as the flounder capital of the world. Yet the town lost its moniker and the jobsnot to mention any tourism dollarsthat came with it when the fish moved north to New Jersey and New York.

A striped bass tournament in Virginia Beach draws tourists and fishermen alikebut has less luck attracting its target catch. In 2013, a few hundred boats competed in the tournamentbut a single striped bass took the bait.

These small towns in the U.S. are just one example of how dependent local economies can be on jobs and tourism. In the tropics, the situation will be even more dire. I wrote last week about how important fish is for food in many equatorial countries. But these countries also depend upon fish for jobs; the fish they dont eat are exported to other countries. Whats more, many tropical destinations also depend upon their thriving marine life for tourism

Without a steady stream of exports and visitors, many already-fragile economies could collapse.

We cant think about climate change and biodiversity without thinking about the impact it will have on people, said William Cheung, a leading researcher on fish migration.

The Upside

While there are many downsides to the effects of climate change on marine patterns, there are a few silver linings.

Fish movements can serve as a thermometer of sorts on how climate change affects oceans. Monitoring the water is not just about temperatures and salinity and so on; its about documenting and predicting how these complex ecosystems interact and will interact moving forward. Following changes in marine ecosystems can give larger hints about what changes are occurring and what they mean.

By understanding the rate at which things are changing, said Stewart Frusher, an associate professor at the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, we can gain some understanding of how we can manage our marine resources.

Dr. Jim Reist, a research scientist working out of the science lab of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, has studied northern and arctic fisheries for more than three decades.

Clearly the more we learn now, the better prepared we will be to address the changes that do in fact come our way, he said.

Top image: Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant CC BY 2.0

Melody Schreiber is a freelance journalist based in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Hoosiers took over the Grand Hyatt Thursday evening to celebrate their former governor and soon to be Vice President Mike Pence.

It might be safe to say that without Mike on the ticket, we might not be celebrating tonight, said Mitch Harper, former Fort Wayne City Councilman and former mayoral candidate. Harper calls Pence a friend and believes the vice presidential role suits him.

An estimated 1,000 people were in attendance at the Indiana Society Inaugural Ball. The sold-out, six-hour party attracted a whos who of Indiana politics, including numerous folks from northeast Indiana.

A number of the local lawmakers and residents who attend said they made the trip to support their friend: Pence.

State Rep. Denny Zent, who serves LaGrange and Steuben counties, attended the ball with his wife, Wendy, who had previously served as a campaign chairwoman for Pence in Steuben County. Theyve known the Pences since 2000 and couldnt miss the chance in a lifetime to celebrate Pence becoming vice president and the incoming Trump administration, Wendy Zent said.

Trump says it like it is, Wendy Zent said.

Mike is a nice balance, Denny Zent added.

U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, noted to the press that after the celebrations, its time to start getting to work. His Democratic colleague, U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, echoed that sentiment.

Everyone is happy for the vice president-elect, and I hope we can work together, Donnelly said.

Donnelly said he has a spirit of optimism and, if the Trump administration offers up common-sense legislation, he hopes to support it.

Were Hoosiers, weve got common sense and were hardworking, he said.

The Hoosier spirit is something Indiana Senate Pro-tem David Long of Fort Wayne hopes the nations capital will catch. He defines this as being conservative and living within your means. He and his wife, Melissa, attended the ball because they wanted to take the opportunity to be a part of history where they had a personal connection.

State Sen. Travis Holdman, a Republican who serves Adams, Blackford, Grant, Huntington, Jay and Wells counties, had a similar sentiment.

This is history in the making, said Holdman, whose daughter, LeAnne Gibbs of Fort Wayne, previously worked for Pence.

This was the first presidential inauguration experience for Bob Taylor, who recently retired as CEO of Do it Best Corp. based in Fort Wayne. Taylor said he couldnt miss the opportunity to witness history in which he, too, has a personal connection.

He worked with Pence at the Indiana Economic Development Corp. and is hopeful for the business practices that Pence can help lead in Washington.

I think so much of him as an individual, Taylor said of Pence.

Pence was scheduled to speak at the event late Thursday. For details on his speech, please check kpcnews.com.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has expressed his shock and sorrow, whilst praising the efforts of emergency workers and ordinary citizens, following from todays horrific events in the Melbourne CBD.

Speaking with Victoria Police a short time ago, Andrews was overflowing in his praise for police and ambulance workers who attended the scene in Bourke Street, in which 3 people have been confirmed dead.

Our emergency services this afternoon have done us proud. They have supported the most vulnerable. Our hearts are breaking this afternoon. But we are stronger than this. We can be confident that we are stronger than this evil criminal act. We are so proud of our Emergency Services, so proud of Victorians who in the midst of this stepped forward to help their fellow citizens.

Any support that is needed will be provided, any resources that are needed will be provided.

Meanwhile, Victorian Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton provided further details on the incident, which saw a 26-year-old man deliberately drive a car into pedestrians in various parts of Bourke Street in the middle of a busy day.

Ashton confirmed that the deceased include a man and a woman, both in their 30s, and, tragically, a small child. Ashton declined to list the age of the child until the process of notifying family could be completed.

He confirmed that 15 people were injured and transported to hospital, and of those 15, 5 are in critical condition.

Of the offender, who was shot in the arm by police, arrested, and taken into custody, Ashton confirmed he is connected to a family violence-related assault that occurred in Windsor in the early hours of this morning.

Police also revealed that the alleged offender took a car, possibly stolen, and held a woman that was known to him hostage. After a police pursuit, which was abandoned due to safety concerns, across the Bolte Bridge, the woman was released. The car then proceeded into the city.

There is an extensive family violence history. Hes come to our attention on many occasions in the past. We also have mental health and drug-related issues with the background of this person. This morning we attempted to intercept the vehicle he was driving. The driving was of such a nature the pursuit had to be terminated because of the actions of the driver and concerns for the community. Police were trying to find another way to intercept the vehicle when the incident occurred.

Victoria Police have also set up a portal on their Facebook page that people can submit video taken of the incident to, in a first for the state.

If you have any information at all about todays incident, please do not hesitate to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 33 000.

Members of the public concerned about loved ones safety or status can contact the police emergency response hotline on 1800 727 077.

Photo: Twitter.
2017 News Archive

This page includes links to all the news articles published on pokernews.com during 2017. For your convenience, the articles are segmented by month.
By: MSIG Asia

End

-- This year's winners of the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Welfare Foundation (MSIWF) research grant, awarded for exceptional insight and potential, comprised of some of Singapore's leading researchers that aim to make a difference by solving Singapore's key traffic and healthcare issues for the nation's ageing population.The 2016 winners are:1) Ms Maria Cecilia Rojas Lopez, PhD candidate at the School of Civil and Environment Engineeringat Nanyang Technological University, for her research that will lead to the development of traffic schemes and policies for the safety of cyclists and pedestrians on footpaths. For this project, Rojas Lopez will study cyclists' behaviour and their interaction with other path users, which is a potential issue since bicycles have been allowed on footpaths in Singapore since March 2016.2) Dr Tan Ngiap Chuan is a Family Physician, Senior Consultant and Director, Research at SingHealth Polyclinics. His proposed study aims to find out how common is the age-related loss of muscle mass and muscle function, known as "sarcopenia"among elderly patients. Sarcopenia has been shown to be worse amongst the elderly with diabetes. Muscle weakness resulting from the reduced muscle bulk and strength will subject the elderly to increased risks of frailty, falls, fractures, hospitalisations and even premature deaths. The findings from this study will allow doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to identify the reasons leading to sarcopenia, so that solutions can be developed and assessed if they are effective in reducing the muscle bulk loss, in maintaining or even strengthening their muscle functions.3) Dr Kinjal Doshi, principal clinical psychologist at Singapore General Hospital, aims to create a better tool for use in identifying loss of functional abilities among the elderly.4) Dr Rufaihah Binte Abdul Jalil, assistant professor at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, will design a diagnostic tool for atherosclerosis, a main illness known to harden the arteries usually affecting the elderly.MSIWF is a non-profit organisation that is part of the Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited, and supports researchers in Japan, Singapore and Thailand for practicable research in two key areas: senior citizen welfare and traffic safety. The MSIWF research grant is unique compared to others, as it supports interdisciplinary research at its early stages, where it is generally tougher for researchers to obtain funding elsewhere.This year marks the 10th anniversary of MSIWF grant support in Singapore, which was introduced in 2007 for the first time outside of Japan. Since then, MSWIF has supported 38 research projects and has disbursed grants worth more than about S$363,000."At MSIG, our focus goes beyond financial profits. It is our mission to help secure a sustainable future for the communities at large. With a growing ageing demographic in Singapore, solutions for improving the quality of life are critical for sustainable growth. This grant from Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Welfare Foundation aims to empower talented researchers to do just that," said Mr Alan J. Wilson, Regional CEO of MSIG Holdings (Asia) Pte Ltd.The call for the 2016 grants was launched in June last year, and a total of 246 applications were received globally. The winning projects will conduct their research over the next 12 months and their findings will be published in scientific journals as well as shared with the Foundation during next year's presentation ceremony in 2018.For more information:msig.com.sg ( http://www.msig.com.sg/
LW Retail announced the release of their new brand name and logo.

By: LW Retail LLC

Contact

Laura Wall

LW Retail LLC

***@lw-retail.com Laura WallLW Retail LLC

End

-- Today, LW Retail announced their new brand name and logo. The new brand is called Anastasia's River. Their logo is simple, yet elegant. It is square shaped with a small river cutting through the lower left corner. Their brand name is in the center of the image."We are really happy with our new brand name and logo. The brand name is a combination of our middle names; Kyle River and Laura Anastasia. For the logo, we wanted an image that could be considered unisex since we are releasing several unisex products in 2017. Our old logo was a flower, which isn't very masculine. We will still use the flower for our maternity belt since it is a feminine product." said Laura Wall, owner of LW Retail.The first product to be released under the new brand, Anastasia's River, will be a unisex back brace. Their first product is a maternity back brace which is called the Baby Bump Back Brace. To learn more about their two back braces as well as Anastasia's River visit their website http://www.lw- retail.com About LW RetailLW Retail is an online retail store in Oklahoma City, OK. They sell new and used clothing, accessories and home goods on Ebay and Amazon. It is owned and operated by a husband and wife team who have been in business since 2013. For more information, visit http://www.lw- retail.com/about Contact:Laura WallOklahoma City, OK 73120E-mail: CustomerService@lw-retail.comhttp://www.lw-retail.com/
The Soho Loft Conferences supports the European Family Office Winter Symposium organized by Opal Group to be held in London, United Kingdom

By: The Soho Loft Media Group

Contact

david@victoriaglobal.co

09175789069 09175789069

End

-- Family offices, foundations, endowments, attorneys, consultants, financial planners, estate planners, tax planners, specialists in philanthropy and asset protection, generational wealth and succession planners, trust companies, funds of funds, hedge funds, real estate managers, long-term care specialists, tax efficient portfolio managers, venture capitalists, insurance companies, private equity, family business professionals, and luxury companies will be attending this extensive symposium on February 1-2, 2017 at One Great George Street, London, United Kingdom.David Drake, Chairman of LDJ Capital, says, "This symposium creates a friendly venue for attendees to exchange ideas and learn from investment industry experts, family offices and high-net-worth individuals from all over the world. It is a place for meaningful connections and purposeful meetings, presentations, workshops, and discussions. If you are in London or any part of the UK, this is an opportunity you should not miss."Some of the topics that will be discussed in the symposium include CIO outlook - 2017 forecast; impact investing; innovative investment strategies; real estate investing; cyber security and geo-political risks; and neuroscience of wealth.Some of the moderators of the summit include:Markus Schuller, Founder, Managing Director, Panthera SolutionsProf. Trevor Williams, Visiting Professor, University of Derby, Member, Institute of Economic AffairsRenato Alessandro Iregui, Principal, Raire Family Office (SFO)Susanne Bregy, Managing Director, Rhodanus CapitalKeynote speakers include:Brandon Laughren, Chief Investment Officer, The Laughren Group (SFO)Daniel De Fernando, Chief Investment Officer, Wren Investment Office (MFO)Dr. Steve Keen, Professor of Economics, Kingston UniversityFilippo Runcini, Director, Velocity Classic Auto FundJonathan Dean, Portfolio Manager, AXA Investment ManagersMohammad Al Duaij, Managing Director, Alea Global Group  KuwaitSascha Klamp, Managing Director/CIO, CITE InvestmentsSimon Bloom, CEO, Simon Bloom ConsultancyTor Svensson, Chairman, CFI.COOther features of the symposium include networking tables, continental breakfast, standalone presentations, luncheon, panel discussions, one-on-one meetings and networking, and a networking cocktail reception. There will also be an open workshop focusing on Brexit breakup, especially on where to go next.TCS World Travel is the luxury sponsor of the event. The silver sponsor is Grass Lake Capital, while Alegra Capital and Macromoney are the bronze sponsors.CrowdReviews.com, Family Office Recruitment, Emerging Market Investors Association (EMIA), FocusEconomics, IntegriDATA, Preqin, SmartMoneyMatch, The Soho Loft Conferences, The Soho Loft Media Group, and Victoria Global are the media partners of the event.This conference is highly awaited and greatly expected to be informative, inspiring, thought provoking and refreshing. Managers, investors and different professionals will be sharing global investment views, strategies and products. Attendees will also have enough time to network purposely with speakers and panelists.For more details, visit:MEDIA CONTACT:THE SOHO LOFT Media Group (www.thesoholoft.com)The Soho Loft Media Group is a global financial media company with 3 divisions:THE SOHO LOFT CONFERENCES organizes up to 200+ investor-focused global summits, talks and events annually.TIMES IMPACT PUBLICATIONS produces relevant content on investing and entrepreneurship that are published and syndicated in 100+ leading online publications and growing.VICTORIA GLOBAL Communications specializes in client Investor Relations, Public Relations, Branding and Social Media Marketing.The Soho Loft Media Group is your global partner for your investment and business strategies.For inquiries, contact info@thesoholoft.com or call 212.845.9652
IVF procedures have emerged as a preferable choice for the fertility treatment in Asia-Pacific. Factors, such as the delayed pregnancies due professional commitments, rise in lifestyle driven infertility, growing trends towards financial stability,

Contact

Sona Padmanabhan

+1-800-792-5285

***@alliedmarketresearch.com

+1-800-792-5285 Sona Padmanabhan+1-800-792-5285+1-800-792-5285

End

-- Asia-Pacific In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Market report by Allied Market Research, Forecasts the in vitro fertilization market in Asia-Pacific to reach $4,021.3 million by 2021. China would continue to lead the market throughout forecast period with revenue of $1,273.9 million in 2021. However, India is projected to register the highest growth during 2015-2021, both in terms of cycles and revenue.The average age of parenthood in the region has sharply inclined over the last decade. Over two thirds of babies in the region are born to a father over the age of 30 years and about 45% of women conceive at age of 30 years and above, for the first time. The stats are even worse in countries such as Japan, Korea, Singapore and Australia. The growing aging population has been the major concern for government in most of the countries in the region. Countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Philippines have fertility rates in excess of 2; however, they are keen to boost their fertility rates to counter the large aging population. Indonesia in particular has a fertility rate of 2.1 but has 210 million people within geriatric age. Korea, which has fertility rate of 1.4, has announced financial support for infertility treatment while Singapore with fertility rate of 1.3 has increased the subsidies for treatment to 75% of the treatment cost. All these have been instrumental in driving the growth of IVF market in Asia Pacific. It is expected that, in 2021, over 1.5 million IVF cycles would be performed in Asia Pacific.The fertility treatment providers such as fertility clinics, hospitals and surgical centers are invariably competing to gain the edge in the ever growing market. Fertility clinics and hospitals had collectively contributed about 80% of the Asia-Pacific IVF market revenue in 2014, owing to their sophisticated and highly advanced treatments. Moreover, specialized fertility clinics have grown in numbers recently with growing patient preference. As a result, the fertility clinic segment has consolidate its revenue share and would continue to do so over the forecast period.India and China would emerge as key fertility tourism destinations during the forecast period, largely due to factors such as favorable government regulations, availability of skilled workforce and economical pricing of hospital services compared to other global fertility-treatment destinations. The considerable growth in these countries would be supplemented by the increased rate of infertilities, practices of donor egg IVF cycles, and embryo banking.A) India, China and Japan had collectively accounted for about 80% of the total cycles performed in 2014B) In India, the fertility clinics and hospitals segment had collectively accounted for about 82% of the revenue generated in 2014C) China generated largest revenue in 2014D) The IVF market in India is expected to register a promising CAGR of 13.2% during 20152021 in terms of number of cycles performedThe key IVF centers profiled in this report include, Cloudnine, Bloom Fertility Center, Nova IVI Fertility, Vitrolife AB, EMD Serono, Inc., Iwaki Womens clinic, Genea Biomedx, Monash IVF, Repromed, Maria Fertility Hospital, Bangkok Fertility Center, CRM-MIA Philippines, IVFAS and others.
Volkmar Guido Hable to lead a new social initiative in cooperation with the mining ministers of several African countries and middle market resource companies with the purpose of providing solutions to social problems affecting the resource industry.

By: Samarium - volkmar guido hable

Contact

Michael Garcia

***@samarium.us Michael Garcia

End

--  Volkmar Guido Hable to lead group of investors from the mining and oil sector to raise $10 million by September 2017 for studying and proposing solutions for social issues in mining and energy projects Fund will into solutions for epidemic social problems in areas affected by mining and energy projects. Read more about the new initiative Social Mining and Energy Alliance 2020 at www.SME2020.org;for more information on the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, see www.wef.ch Follow the World Economic Forum on all digital platforms: www.wef.ch Volkmar Guido Hable in cooperation with several lead investors from the mining and oil middle market is leading a new initiative, the Social Mining and Energy Alliance 2020, which will analyze and propose real life concrete solutions to the current most burning social issues affecting energy and mining projects around the world.For that purpose a fund will be set up, which will work in partnership with the Global Environment Facility, UN Environment Programme, the UNHCR, the Medicins Sans Frontiere (MSF), the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) and major oil and mining companies and environmental NGOs as well as local country specific NGOs, and aims to develop specific .The fund will be launched with a commitment of up to $10 million, based on a capitalization goal of $40 million by 2020, to be drawn from other bilateral and multilateral donors as well as private sector partners. The capital will be used to provide concrete proposals to governments and resource companies alike with the goal to facilitate the development of future energy and mining projects by creating employment and income solutions and thus an environment of social acceptance by the local populations.Energy and mining is one of the biggest drivers of economic growth in many world regions in development, unfortunately often with little of those investments transpiring into real increases of living standards for the local populations. Between 2000 and 2015, a study of existing mining and oil projects in certain African countries but also the Canadian north showed that the implementation of energy and mining investments had no measurable increase in income or living standard for the local populations.Volkmar Guido Hable added: "This situation has to change. How can we in the resource industry demand from the local population to check off and thumb up our projects, when there is nothing in it for them."The fund is expected to provide an incentive for companies and governments by driving investments in countries and jurisdictions with new social standards benefitting the local populations. It is an example of a global public-private partnership to drive action towards social solutions, hosted at the World Economic Forum., announced the launch of the fund today at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters. "The future of the resource industry depends on our common ability to both promote and restore confidence in us that mining and energy projects in fact raise the living standards of these regions affected by them." he said. "Through this fund, we will work with middle market companies and governments, the private sector and civil society to make this happen in innovative ways."The fund will be formally set up and incorporated as an independent legal entity later this year.The 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is taking place from the 17to the 20of January in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, under the theme. More than 3,000 participants from nearly 100 countries will participate in over 400 sessions.
By: Oasis Dental Clinic

Oasis Dental Clinic

Contact

Nina King

***@oasisdentalmarbella.com Nina King

End

-- Oasis Dental Practice is welcoming patients again at its brand new clinic in the Elvira Medical Centre.The clinic, which was originally established in 2010, has evolved into a dynamic partnership of two talented dentists, Dr. Nina King and Dr. Sacha Miller-Wojtan, who together bring almost 30 years of international experience.The multilingual dentists and support team provide patients with a caring and comfortable service in their own language, from Spanish and English to Danish/Swedish or Norwegian. The clinic offers general and cosmetic dentistry services, including cleaning, whitening, white fillings, crowns, bridges, implants and veneers.Dr. King's extensive international experience stretches across five countries. She has recently returned to the coast after completing a two-year contract in Dubai, where she worked in a prestigious dental clinic and taught at post graduate level. A UK native, Dr. King trained at Guy's Dental Hospital and is one of a select few to be recognised on the UK speciality list in her field of prosthodontics. Dr. King served UK patients for 13 years, including in the West End of London and The Royal London Dental Hospital. Dr. King's international reputation also extends to Barbados, where she was based for three years, holding the title of President of the Dental Association.Dr. Miller-Wojtan has a special interest in restorative and cosmetic dentistry. She trained in Denmark, at the University of Copenhagen, and gained further expertise through aesthetics courses in Italy, London and the USA, where she is a participating member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Dr. Miller-Wojtan has seen patients on the coast for over a decade and is known for her gentle touch and soft-spoken, reassuring manner.Both dentists believe in offering the highest standard of care and as such, also collaborate with other specialists for specific areas of dentistry such as endodontics (root canal treatments) and orthodontics (braces).Oasis Dental Clinic's Dr. Nina King said, "We are a dental team focused on providing a professional service which is comparable to any international standard of excellence. We treat patients with honesty, integrity, respect and empathy."Oasis Dental Clinic is based in the Elvira Medical Centre, Lower floor, Block B, Avenida de Las Cumbres 3, Marbella where patients also have access to other services such as a medical GP, physiotherapy and nursing.Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 09:30 - 18:00To make an appointment contact Oasis Dental Clinic on +34 952 766 357, or email smile@oasisdentalmarbella.com
Contact

Kayleigh Head

***@abroadwith.com Kayleigh Head

End

--  Abroadwith, a Berlin-based startup founded in 2015, becomes the first platform to eliminate intermediaries and language agencies by offering full transparency in the booking process. After welcoming a sufficient number of hosts to the platform, Abroadwith can now offer language students personalised programs at affordable prices.Thousands of students learn languages abroad each year to improve their chances of accessing the current competitive job market.According to a recent report from ICEF's Monitor, over 2.28 million students travelled abroad last year to learn a language.Until recently it has been complicated for students to find reliable programs abroad which they can customise independently.Thanks to Abroadwith however, students are now given the opportunity to customise their trip, selecting their host based on interests, lifestyle, price and location - while adding on a language course to their reservation from a nearby school or tutor. For the first time ever, Abroadwith enables language learners to choose their own adventure.The Abroadwith platform brings clarity and accuracy to what once was an opaque industry; by breaking the 'agency-esque' barrier between language learners, hosts, and language schools. In the past, students would arrive on their host families' doorstep with little to no insight into the family dynamic of whom they'd be living alongside for the next several months. Now, students can get to know their prospective host before their embarking on their trip - gaining an insight to everything from countries they have visited, to their favourite books and films.Quote from the founder: 'We are very excited about what this could mean for language learning experiences abroad. The market has been particularly limited for a long time. Host, students, and schools have had to accept the terms of large agencies. Most options to study abroad are concentrated in only select cities and for the most "popularly" studied languages.'Providing a detailed catalogue of nearby schools and tutors, Abroadwith ensures that students never have to travel far from their home-stay to class. Educators also benefit significantly from the platform, where they are placed in front of students who have already decided to learn a language in their city. As a result, educators on the platform have instant access to a database of the most qualified leads.Quote from the founder: ''Our goal is to help shape a more multicultural, connected and open world. To achieve this, we provide more opportunities for cultural exchange while helping to preserve languages that aren't offered by conventional agencies. 'The company began outreach in the English, Spanish, and German speaking markets. Come this time next year, Abroadwith expects to expand worldwide, promoting more languages, countries, and cultures across the globe.
Symphony Solutions will become a partner of the Employer's Day at the University of IT Technology and Management in Rzeszow, Poland.

Contact

Symphony Solutions

***@symphony- solutions.eu Symphony Solutions

End

-- We are pleased to announce that Symphony Solutions Poland LLC will become a partner of the Employer's Day at the University of IT Technology and Management in Rzeszow. The event will be dedicated to the official meeting with university graduates during IT Career Day. During the meeting a representative of Symphony Solutions Poland LLC will present the company and share information about its job opportunities.A few dozens of attendees are expected to visit the meeting.As stated Lukasz Delikat, Employee Relationship Coordinator at Symphony Solutions Poland LLC:Symphony Solutions is a fast-growing European organization with its headquarters based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It provides Western European clients with high quality IT, BPO and Consultancy services. Having the delivery centers based in Eastern Europe, clients automatically leverage all the significant benefits that Global Sourcing could provide. Symphony Solutions has delivery offices in Lviv (Ukraine), Skopje (Macedonia), and Rzeszow (Poland).For more information, visit: http://www.symphony- solutions.eu/
For the first time, the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) has opened an exhibition space at their biennial Underwriting and Claims Conference.

ASISA Underwriting & Claims Conference (AUCC) 2017

Contact

Sarah Courtney

***@claimvantage.com Sarah Courtney

End

-- ClaimVantage, an international provider of Life & Income Protection claim management software solutions, will be among the first exhibitors at the biennial ASISA Underwriting and Claims Conference. Having attended the conference previously, this gives ClaimVantage the opportunity to exhibit the latest claims processing software available to insurers in the region.The 2017 ASISA Underwriting & Claims Conference (AUCC) will take place at Summer Place, Sandton, Johannesburg, on February 5th through 7th, 2017.ASISA hosts this biennial event to provide a platform for insurance professionals to network with like-minded individuals and hear from some of the industry's leading experts on the latest global and local industry trends. Over 200 attendees shall be present, including claims and underwriting specialists from both individual and group insurers and reinsurers across a multitude of insurance companies.There is a range of speakers presenting at the 3 day event on a range of topics, including insurance technology, underwriting, and life insurance. ClaimVantage will be in the exhibition hall throughout the event to showcase the latest in claim processing insurance technology to address the recent landscape changes in the insurance industry.ClaimVantage will host a Business Breakfast, at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel the day following the ASISA Assembly. If you are interested in attending, please visit our website to register your interest ( http://claimvantage.com/ upcoming-events/ improving-insurer... ).About ClaimVantageClaimVantage is the leading provider of Life, Health and Absence claim management software solutions. Headquartered in Portland, Maine, with global operations, ClaimVantage provides cloud-based, automated claims processing solutions that drive efficiency, accuracy, and productivity to a wide-range of insurance companies, Third Party Administrators (TPAs), and employers around the world, including two of the top three carriers in Canada, and two of the top ten carriers in the US. For more information about ClaimVantage, visit www.claimvantage.com
Share this: The Flagler Beach Rotary 'Race the Runway for Rotary' will be a timed night event this year on the tarmac and taxiways of the Flagler Executive Airport. @FINAirport

By: Rotary Club of Flagler Beach

Sign up and race on the tarmac and taxiways of the Flagler Executive Airport.

Contact

Rotary Club of Flagler Beach

***@marketing2go.biz Rotary Club of Flagler Beach

End

-- The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach is pleased to once again host the 'Race the Runways for Rotary 5K' on February 4, 2017 at 6:30pm. The race will take place on the tarmac and taxiways at the Flagler Executive Airport, and for the first time, the race will be a nighttime event with the runway lights illuminating as the first runners approach. The Airport is located at 201 Airport Rd, Palm Coast."We believe that every 5k finisher should be congratulated on their achievement with an outstanding, quality medal that will truly celebrate the day," said Rotarian and Flagler Executive Airport Director Roy Sieger. "The medal is in the shape of a P-38 Lightning airplane, and we are hoping to encourage people that normally don't run to come out to our race and walk or run for Rotary," he added.The race will be timed and start at 6:30pm. Registration and sponsorship opportunities are available at flaglerbeachrotary.org. Participants are encouraged to add to the fun by wearing glow-in-the-dark clothing and accessories. Glow jewelry will be in the race goodie bags and the first 200 runners/walkers that sign up will receive a race t-shirt, of course, with part of the shirt that glows in the dark. Headlamps and/or flashlights are encouraged. They have had several teams sign up, including a team from Flagler Schools."Our 5K and Cycle Flagler events are our main source of funding for our club," said Rotary Club of Flagler Beach President Cindy Dalecki. "By signing up to participate in, or sponsor these events, you are working with Rotary to serve humanity in our community and wherever there is need in the world," Cindy added. She also said that the Race has four presenting sponsors this year, more than ever. They are GAI Consultants, Florida Hospital Flagler, Alliance Financial and Florida Health Care Plans. In total, the event has over 20 sponsors of all different levels.The Rotary is also planning their Cycle Flagler Ride for Rotary event at the Airport on April 30, 2017. Cycle Flagler Ride for Rotary will offer a variety of ride distances ranging from 25 miles to 100 miles and is expected to attract cyclists from throughout Florida and beyond. The well-established event has become a not-to-be-missed ride for both local cyclists and visitors who travel from many states to participate.Rotary is a global network of volunteers who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members from more than 200 countries. When you sponsor a Rotary Club of Flagler Beach event, you support the following local and international projects: Project Share Christmas - Toys to more than 1300 children need, Project Share food  Monthly groceries for 300 families, FPC & Matanzas HS Scholarships for graduating seniors, Construction of the multi-sport fields in Bunnell near the Carver Gym, Construction of the new Fitness Trail around the Bunnell Fields, Purchase of pack 'n play portable cribs to help prevent SIDS in Flagler County, Sponsoring and organizing the Flagler Beach Christmas parade, International projects including working with Rotarians worldwide to eradicate Polio, building wells for villages in Africa, supporting an orphanage in Paraguay, and purchasing a Mammogram machine for an underserved indigenous community in South America.: The Rotary Club of Flagler Beach was chartered in November 1991 and currently has 35 members; we are part of Rotary District 6970. Program speakers typically address a variety of interesting and important topics. The membership is a group of local business and community leaders from the fields of business, law, education, real estate, and government; including those who have retired from successful pursuits in these fields. All are welcome and are included in all our social and civic activities. For information about joining the Rotary Club of Flagler Beach, please contact Cindy Dalecki at 386-566-3466. The club can also be reached at http://www.flaglerbeachrotary.org or https://www.facebook.com/ flaglerbeachrotary/
Radio Personality, Journalist and TV Reporter Transitions From WTVM (ABC) in Columbus, GA To Anchor At KBJR (NBC) in Duluth, MN

1 2 3 KBJR6 Georgia Ellyse KBJR News Anchor 16472931_ 1756836157977769_ 1936118625264208732_ n

End

-- Georgia Ellyse, former WTVM (Columbus, GA) journalist and television reporter, is now on-air anchor for KBJR (NBC affiliate) in Duluth, MN. The news personality joined the morning news cast, KBJR 6 News Today, alongside Michael Raimondi and Meteorologist Adam Lorch, is solo anchor at Noon, and hosts a special report, Making A Difference, at 10pm on Tuesdays. (Watch latest video on KBJR .)The Minnesota native returns after her radio to television journey in Columbus, GA. In Minneapolis, Ellyse, dubbed Ms. Georgia, hosted a popular Midday show on 89.9 FM KMOJ. To elevate her career in broadcasting, Ellyse became the morning show co-host on Columbus, GA's top radio station, Foxie 105 FM. While working full-time at Foxie 105, Ellyse worked part-time for CCG-TV hosting her own television show called Breaking The Cycle. From there, she shifted into news as a journalist and reporter for ABC affiliate WTVM.Now in her first position as full-time anchor, Ellyse joins the newscast of NBC affiliate KBJR 6 News Today. "I am excited to be in Minnesota," says Ellyse. "This is an amazing opportunity to expand my career in news ... Starting from community radio and now a full-time anchor at an NBC affiliate; I am humbled."In a Facebook post, Ellyse touches on her new surroundings. "It is an honor to be a part of the Northland community! Just to wake up every day along Lake Superior is breathtaking!"You can watch Georgia Ellyse on KBJR channel 6 in the Northland (Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin) at 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, 6:30 AM and Noon Monday-Friday, and Tuesdays at 10pm. If you are not in the Northland area, you can stream newscasts online at www.KBJR6.com To follow Georgia Ellyse on social media, visit Facebook Twitter , and Instagram ###About Georgia Ellyse:St. Paul native Georgia Ellyse began her ascent into the world of multimedia journalism as a radio broadcast personality for 89.9 KMOJ FM, a Twin Cities non-profit radio station. After four years, Ellyse transitioned into commercial broadcasting accepting a position on Foxie 105's morning show in Columbus, GA where she later branched off as a news reporter and weekend anchor. Before transitioning into television full-time, the University of St. Thomas graduate appeared on several national television networks including BET, ShopNBC and Evine.About All World PR:All World PR is a focused group of engagement specialists and grassroots strategists with a unique approach to offering clients marketing insights and inventive campaigns that combine media relations and product publicity, social media and interactive strategy, guerrilla promotions, crisis communications, media coaching, and online reputation monitoring. For more information, visit www.allworldpr.com.
By: Marcus Nannini

Marcus Nannini

Contact

Marcus Nannini

***@aol.com Marcus Nannini

End

--A newly released novel by Marcus A. Nannini.ChameleonsNovel@aol.com-PO Box 2800, Carefree, AZ 85377.Available at Amazon.com and elsewhere now.approach to the "date which will live in infamy" is from the seldom-seen perspective of an Imperial Japanese Navy midget submariner. The author sets forth a strong argument that members of the Imperial Japanese Navy succeeded in melding into the local Japanese population, never to be discovered.In focusing on who, perhaps, is the ultimate "illegal alien" Marcus Nannini turns our attention to Lieutenant (junior grade) Masaharu Yokoyama. Yokoyama was the most qualified of the five midget submarine commanders who were sent to attack Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He was charismatic, courageous, focused and lived by the words: "Vision, Spirit, Patience and Honesty."Nannini transports the reader from the image of sailors crawling for their lives over the hull of the capsizing, into modern day Oahu, and points in between with seamless transitions as the life of Yokoyama is peeled open for inspection. Nannini uses no fewer than 16 images to bring to life the people and events depicted in this harrowing tale of courage in the face of nearly overwhelming odds.It is a story of courage, questioning moral certainty, duty, honor, and, above all, doing the right thing without regard to potential negative consequences."A well-written novel requires an author to master many skills. For me, the most important is to keep the reader so engrossed that he or she finds it hard to take a break. Based on this, Chameleons is such a story." Don Westenhaver,"Overall, I thought it was a great story. I liked your transitions and use of flashbacks, as well as your approach for the presentation of Chameleons."John Bean"Chapter Fourteen (the Plank Bar) is the best chapter of any book I've ever read." David S. Mathias,Link to Amazon page:ISBN: 0692814353ISBN 13: 9780692814352LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CONTROL NUMBER: 2016920544
Local author, Cynthia Burns Martin, will be signing copies of book

End

--Throughout its history, New England College has been recognized for innovative academic programs and leadership in experiential education. Founded in 1946 to offer educational opportunities to veterans eager to return to the workforce, the college pioneered an accelerated and demanding three-year degree program, unique at that time. From the earliest years to the present day, the faculty has included practitioners active in their fields and fostered learning partnerships with external organizations. In 1971, the college acquired a British campus and became one of the first American institutions to offer students a full four-year degree program outside of the United States, an innovation in cross-cultural experiential education. In recent years, the college has effectively utilized technological advancements to extend the reach of its creative and supportive learning community, while still challenging individuals to transform themselves and their world, maintaining a curriculum focused on experiential learning, and fostering collaborative relationships among members of the community.Cynthia Burns Martin is professor of business administration at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire. Alexander "Lex" Scourby is an alumnus of 1975 and longtime member of the New England College Board of Trustees. Most of the images in this book are from the archives of Danforth Library, New England College.Barnes & Noble1741 South Willow StreetManchester, NH 03103Saturday, January 28th, 2017 at 1:00 p.m.Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.The combination of Arcadia Publishing & The History Press creates the largest and most comprehensive publisher of local and regional content in the USA. By empowering local history and culture enthusiasts to write local stories for local audiences, we create exceptional books that are relevant on a local and personal level, enrich lives, and bring readers closer - to their community, their neighbors, and their past. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com
Local author, Alice L. Luckhardt, will be signing copies of book

End

--On the southeast coast of Florida in the 1880s, a quaint little community was nestled along the tranquil waters of the St. Lucie River in a wilderness of tropical beauty, one of the region's last frontiers. As lucrative pineapple crops and the commercial fishing industry began to flourish, trade boats brought necessary supplies, and new settlers arrived on river steamers. With land available for homesteading or for sale at $1.25 an acre, the small village soon to be known as Stuart would become a mecca for innovative, hardworking young men seeking business and financial opportunities. By the dawn of the 20th century, the railroad had been established, and the town, forged by the fortitude of early pioneers, thrived, eventually becoming a beautiful, friendly incorporated city.Alice L. Luckhardt, a native Floridian, historian, and genealogist, has collected and compiled rare photographs with interesting stories that document the life and times of Stuart's early residents. These efforts, which include images from the archives of the Stuart Heritage Museum, Elliott Museum, and vast private collections, will thus preserve a permanent legacy to these industrious and daring pioneers.Barnes & Noble3001 NW Federal HighwayJensen Beach, FL 34957Saturday, January 28th, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.The combination of Arcadia Publishing & The History Press creates the largest and most comprehensive publisher of local and regional content in the USA. By empowering local history and culture enthusiasts to write local stories for local audiences, we create exceptional books that are relevant on a local and personal level, enrich lives, and bring readers closer - to their community, their neighbors, and their past. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com
Aedifica has acquired a new senior housing site in The Netherlands. The Het Dokhuis care residence benefits from an excellent location in the centre of Oude Pekela (8,000 inhabitants, Province of Groningen), at approx. 35 km from the city of Groningen. The site was completed in 2016 and comprises a

[]
Property investment volume in Romania in 2016 is estimated at 890 million, a value almost 35% higher than that registered in 2015 (663 million). However, the number of transactions was slightly smaller, meaning that the average deal size increased. Bucharest accounted for over 70% of the total investment volume, less

[]
The Grindelhochhaus 14 in Hamburg's quarter of Harvestehude will be added to the special fund of the Bayerische Versorgungskammer, which was launched last autumn. Corestate and Universal-Investment acquired the micro apartement property with 179 units for a purchase price of  64 million by Jargonnant Partners S.a r.l. for the

[]
Genesta acquires the 11,200 sqm landmark office property Hameentie 11 located in Sornainen, Helsinki on behalf of its fund GNRE Fund II. The seller is a fund managed by J.P. Morgan Asset Management. The building was designed by Vaino Vahakallio and was completed in 1927 as the headquarters for Elanto.

[]
Hines and Universal-Investment have completed the acquisition of five prime high-street retail assets with associated office and residential components located on the Strget in central Copenhagen on behalf of the Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK) 1.3 billion separate account. The purchase represents the first Danish acquisition for the BVK mandate and has

[]
A NEW prospectus for the next Intercity West Coast franchise has been published by the Department for Transport, confirming that the next operator will also be expected to manage the introduction of services on HS2. Phase 1 of the high speed line is due to open in 2026. and the DfT has described the combined project as a 'once in a lifetime opportunity'.

Known as the West Coast Partnership franchise, the contract will run from 2019, and the DfT has described its ambitions for the route: "The West Coast must set a new international standard for rail that other countries admire and seek to emulate. The route must be something that passengers want to use, supporting jobs and growth."

Transport secretary Chris Grayling said: "HS2 will be the backbone of Britains railways, creating more seats for passengers on the West Coast, and increasing capacity on the rest of the network.

"We need world-class expertise to deliver this new chapter in modernising the railways. We are calling for bidder groups with a blend of skills including operating conventional rail services, high speed rail services, technical innovation and great customer service. We expect to attract highly experienced companies, which ultimately means a better deal for passengers both now and in the future.

"HS2 will generate economic growth throughout the country and reduce crowding on the existing network. Phase 1, due to open in 2026, will see trains travel at high speed between London and Birmingham, and continue on to serve other destinations on the existing West Coast Main Line."

Meanwhile HS2 Ltd chairman David Higgins has described the Partnership as 'central' to developing an 'integrated environment' for the West Coast corridor, which will be served by classic and high speed routes. He said: "By bringing all our skills, experience and ideas together, we will create the best railway in the world."

The DfT added that passengers on the existing intercity route would see benefits before the formal opening of HS2, because of the introduction of new technology. The Intercity West Coast timetable will also evolve from the mid-2020s onwards, taking the extra capacity provided by the high speed line into account.

The new operator will also be expected to 'work closely' with local transport authorities, Transport Scotland and the Welsh Government.

The West Coast Partnership is scheduled to start on 1 April 2019, and the DfT announced a 12-month extension of the existing Virgin franchise on 4 November last year.
A fake job notice on social media triggered off a state of confusion at upcoming Maruti Suzuki car plant in Hansalpur, Ahmedabad as eager job seekers thronged the gates on Wednesday morning. Even as the youths waited hopefully for the gates to open, they were a disappointed lot when they were not allowed to enter the premises and were notified that there was no such ongoing recruitment drive.

The situation followed fake messages on social media announcing that Suzuki Motor Corporation (parent company of Maruti Suzuki India) was hiring electricians, welders, wiremen and CNC/VMC operators who had passed out from it is with a starting salary of INR 16,900 per month. These 1,500 strong unemployed youths, carrying certificates and documentation, were disappointed at the turn of event which then got out of control as stone pelting followed.

The situation was only brought under control after police arrived. The company, and cops convinced the youth there that it was a fake message, though no force was required to bring the job seekers under control. A case under IT Act has been registered against those who have posted these fake messages, with the authorities trying to ascertain the source of the WhatsApp message.

I went there for an electricians job after I received the message. Upon reaching there, I learned that there was no such recruitment going on. I left the spot as the situation started aggravating, said Sanjay Thakor, a resident of Ahmedabad.

This is not the first time something like this has been reported. Time and again fraudsters have done such things. A few months ago, fraudsters had sent mails to random candidates telling them that their job was confirmed at Maruti Suzuki, but needed security money to confirm the job.

Some of the hapless victims even transferred the money into the fraudsters account, realizing too late that they had been taken for a ride. Maruti Suzuki India Limited has denied any knowledge of this and has confirmed that they have not sent out any such emails or employed any of the job seekers posting their CVs on the job portals.

Read the fake mail below:

MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LTD (MSIL)

Head Office Maruti Suzuki,

India Limited Nelson Mandela Road,

Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070.

Board no.46781000.

Email: maruti.suzukirctm@live.in

REF: MARUTI SUZUKI DIRECTS RECRUITMENTS OFFER.

Your Resume has been selected from database new plant. The Company selected 625 candidates list for Senior Engineer, IT, Administration, Production, marketing and general service Departments, It is our pleasure to inform you that your Resume was selected as one of the 625 candidates short listed for the interview. The Company SUZUKI is the best Manufacturing Car Company in India; The Company is recruiting the candidates for our new Plants in Delhi, Bangalore, and Pune and Mumbai. Your interview will be held at the Company Corporate office in New Delhi (On Nov 08 2016 at 1.00 PM,) You will be pleased to know that the 625 candidates selected 55 candidates will be giving appointment, Meaning that your Application can progress to final stage.

You will have come to the Company corporate office in New Delhi. Your offer letter with Air Ticket will be sent to you by courier before date of interview. The Company can offer you a salary with benefits for this post 62, 000/- to 200, 000/- P.M. + (HRA + D.A + Conveyance and other Company benefits. The designation and Job Location will be fixing by Company HRD. At time of final process, you have to come with photo-copies of all required documents.

REQUIRED DOCUMENT BY THE COMPANY HRD.

======================================

1) Photo-copies of Qualification Documents.

2) Photo-copies of Experience Certificates (If any)

3) Photo-copies of Address Proof

4) Two Passport Size Photograph.

======================================

1. Full Name: .

2. Full Address: .

3. Mobile: .

4. Sex: .

5. Age: 

You have to deposit the (Cash) as an initial amount in favor of our company accountant name in charges to collect your payment. Of Rs. 15,990/- (Fifteen thousand nine hundred and ninety rupees) through any [STATE BANK OF INDIA] OR [ICICI BANK] Branch from your Home City to our Company accountant name in charges. Account NO, which will be sending to you upon your response. This is a refundable interview security. Your offer letter with Air tickets will be sent to your Home Address by courier after receiving the confirmation of interview security deposited in any of the STATE BANK OF INDIA OR ICICI BANK. This Company will pay all the expenditure to you at the time of face-to-face meeting with you in Company. The Job profile, salary offer, and date -time of interview will be mention in your offer letter. Your offer letter will dispatch very shortly after receiving your confirmation of cash deposited in STATE BANK OF INDIA OR ICICI BANK. We wish you the best of luck for the subsequent and remaining stage. You have to give the information after deposited the security amount in bank to The Company HRD -direct recruitment via email. Your Letter with supporting document will be dispatch same time by courier to your postal address after receipt of security deposited confirmation in bank.

The interview process and arrangement expenditure will be paid by SUZUKI COMPANY. Lodging, traveling and local conveyance actual will be paid by SUZUKI COMPANY as per bills. The candidate has to deposit the initial refundable security as mentioned by HRD.

NB: You are advice to reconfirm your mailing address and phone number in your reply and Rs. 15,990/- (Fifteen thousand nine hundred and ninety rupees) will be the refundable amount you are been selected or not, still the amount will be refunded to you, as the amount is just to prove that you will be coming for the interview in order for us not to run at lost after sending you the air ticket and you dont show up on the day of interview.

Note: Once you receive our reply back with the account information you have to proceed with the payment for security deposit immediately.

Wishing you the best of luck.

Regards,

Shinzo Nakanishi

maruti.suzukirctm@live.in

Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director,

MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LTD (MSIL)
Most carmakers have registered positive YoY growth in October 2022 and have been able to maintain their respective market share without any major deviations
Yamaha India has been missing all the action from one of the fastest growing segment  the 200-250 cc segment. Not only this segment is seeing good sales, but has also been reporting exponential increase in sales over the past few years. Finally, after a wait of many years, Yamaha India today announced the launch of FZ250. This new Yamaha FZ250 has been designed and developed for the Indian consumer.

Entering the performance segment in India for the first time, Indian Yamaha Motors brings in the new Yamaha FZ250 street fighter at a sparkling event held at the Capital. Targeting the next generation Macho, this bike is bolder, bigger and faster while it is set to rival the likes of the Mahindra Mojo, Bajaj Pulsar NS200 and Honda CBR 250R along with the KTM Duke 200 and TVS Apache RTR 200 4V.

Yamaha FZ250 Design

Yamaha FZ250 is based on a 250cc motorcycle which is already on sale in Japan. But this is an all-new motorcycle which has been launched first in India. Design features inlcude LED headlamps, musculine fuel tank, split seats and a sculpted tail section with LED taillights.

Light in weight at 148 kgs and agile in its stance, Yamaha FZ250 targets the young, urban rider, exuding macho styling, while it will be highly competent on the most challenging of road conditions. High in fuel efficiency and comfortable both for rider and passenger, the bike is quick and responsive.

The Target Customer

Catering to the comfort of the rider, Yamaha has introduced a wider handle bar which are lowered by 15mm and foot pegs set further to the rear while the bike is noted with disc brakes at the front and rear and telescopic forks in the front and mono shocks at the rear. On board equipment includes a digital LCD instrument cluster, LED pilot lamps besides automatic headlamp on.

Yamaha FZ250  Engine

Yamaha FZ250 sits on new 17 alloy wheels fitted with MRF Revz tyres and receives a BSIV compliant 249cc single cylinder, air cooled, 4 stroke, SOHC, fuel injected engine offering 20.9 bhp peak power at 8,000 rpm and peak torque of 20.4 Nm at 6,000 rpm mated to a 5 speed gearbox. Excellent startability is the highlight of this engine.

Yamaha FZ250  Specs

Yamaha FZ250 measures 2,015mm in length, 779mm in width and 1,075mm in height. Seat height is at 759mm while it sits on a wheelbase of 1,360mm and has ground clearance of 180mm along with a fuel tank capacity of 14 liters. Tyre sizes stand at 100/80-17M/C 52P tubeless in the front and 140/70-17M/C56S tubeless at the rear. Hydraulic single disc brakes in the front and rear and telescopic fork suspension in front along with swingarm suspension at the rear is also evident. Shock absorbers at the front and rear are of coil spring hydraulic damper. Sadly, ABS is not on offer even as an option. But, Yamaha India confirmed that ABS variant will be launched at a later date.

Section Items Details Dimension & Weight Overall length 2015mm Overall width 770mm Overall height 1075mm Seat height 795mm Wheelbase 1360mm Minimum ground clearance 160mm Wet(with oil and a full fuel tank) 148kg Performance Minimum turning radius 2.5m Engine Performance Engine type Air cooled, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve Cylinder arrangement Single cylinder Displacement 249cm3 Bore & stroke 74.058.0mm Compression ratio 9.8:1 Maximum horse power 15.4kW(20.9PS)/8000r/min Maximum torque 20.0N?m(2.0kgf?m)/6000r/min Starting system type Electric starter Lubrication system Wet sump Engine oil capacity 1.55L/1.63usqt/1.36Imp.qt Fuel Fuel tank capacity 14L/3.7usgal/3.1Imp.gal Carburetor Type/Fuel supply Fuel injection Electrical Ignition system type TCI (transistor controlled ignition) Spark plug model DR8EA Battery voltage/capacity 12V,6.0Ah(10HR) Battery Type ETZ-7 Transmission Final drive Chain Primary reduction ratio 3.083 (74/24) Secondary reduction ratio 3.067 (46/15) Clutch type Wet, multiple-disc Gear ratio Transmission type Constant mesh, 5-speed Shift type Return Gear ratio-1st gear 2.571 (36/14) Gear ratio-2nd gear 1.684 (32/19) Gear ratio-3rd gear 1.273 (28/22) Gear ratio-4th gear 1.040 (26/25) Gear ratio-5th gear 0.852 (23/27) Chassis Frame type Diamond Caster angle 2430? Trail 98mm Steering Angle Left:37, Right:37 Tire size(Front) 100/80-17M/C 52P Tubeless Tire size(Rear) 140/70-17M/C 66S Tubeless Rim size(Front) 17M/C  MT2.50 Rim size(Rear) 17M/C  MT4.00 Brake Brake type(Front) Hydraulic single disc brake Brake type(Rear) Hydraulic single disc brake Diameter of brake disk(Front) 282mm Diameter of brake disk(Rear) 220mm Inside diameter of drum / Effective radius of disc(Front) 257mm Inside diameter of drum / Effective radius of disc(Rear) 191mm Suspension Suspension type(Front) Telescopic fork Suspension type(Rear) Swingarm Shock absorber Shock absorber assembly type(Front) Coil spring/Hydraulic damper Shock absorber assembly type(Rear) Coil spring/Hydraulic damper Wheel travel(Front) 130mm Wheel travel(Rear) 120mm Inner tube diameter of front fork 41.0mm Bulbs(voltage/wattagex quantity) Headlight bulb type LED Headlight LED Auxiliary light 12V,5W1 Brake/tail light LED Turn signal light(Front) 12V,10W2 Turn signal light(Rear) 12V,10W2 Meter Speedometer Digital Tachometer Digital Odometer Liquid crystal Trip meter Liquid crystal Fuel gauge Digital Clock Digital Fuel consumption indicator Equipped

Yamaha FZ250  Colours

Yamaha FZ250 is offered in three color options of Ballistic Blue, Warrior White and Black Knight. The model will be on sales from February 2017.

Yamaha FZ250  Exhaust Note

News Release
How well a tumor responds to immunotherapy may depend in part on whether its chromosomes are intact or in a state of disarray, a new study reports. The finding could help doctors better pinpoint which cancer patients would benefit from immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy can produce durable clinical responses, but only in a subset of patients. Why certain patients benefit more than others is still unclear. Many tumors are characterized by "aneuploidy," meaning they display an abnormal number of chromosomes and chromosomal segments.

A high degree of aneuploidy is a feature of high-grade tumors and is associated with poor prognosis.

Here, Teresa Davoli and colleagues examined data from over 5,000 tumor samples representing 12 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project. The team found that high-aneuploidy tumors had increased expression of genes implicated in DNA replication, cell cycle, mitosis, and chromosome maintenance, yet decreased expression of genes characteristic of the infiltrating immune cells responsible for tumor destruction.

In a retrospective analysis of clinical trial data, they found that melanoma patients with highly aneuploid tumors were less likely to benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapy than patients whose tumors showed fewer chromosomal disruptions. These findings are highlighted in a Perspective by Maurizio Zanetti.
In late 2016 the Russian navy received two more Grachanok class harbor protection boats. This was very important for Russia. These are 139 ton 31 meter (101 foot) ships armed with special sonar equipment for spotting underwater swimmers and small submersible craft that enemies might use to inspect or damage ships in naval bases. Russia has always been very concerned with security and this type of vessel is a good example of it. The Grachanoks have a top speed of 41 kilometers an hour and max endurance of five days with just the crew of eight sailors. There is room on the ships for about half a dozen other personnel.

The Grachanoks are armed with a 14.5mm machine-gun for any surface threats and a DP-65A ten barrel grenade launcher for underwater ones. Using data from the ship anti-personnel sonar used to detect swimmers nearby the DP-65A fires 55mm grenades out to 500 meters. The grenades similar to those found on RPGs but have a flare at the end so that sailors on shore can see where it lands and know where the swimmer might be. The 55mm grenade has a fuze which sets off the warhead when the grenade reaches a preset depth. When the grenade explodes it will kill or injure any swimmer within 16 meters. In addition each Grachanok carries four SA-18 shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles and several DP-64 hand held grenade launchers. The 10 kg (22 pound) DP-64 looks like an over and under shotgun. It fires special 45mm, .65 kg (23 ounce) grenades out to 400 meters. The grenades are designed to incapacitate or kill divers and are, in effect, miniature depth charges. The grenades can be set to detonate at depths up to 40 meters (130 feet) and then the grenade detonates underwater is can kill or injure divers within 14 meters (45 feet) of the explosion. There are two other grenade types; one that relies solely on concussion and another that ignites a flare the burns on the surface to mark a location.

After the Cold War ended there was little money for replacing or updating harbor security craft. That changed iIn 2009 when Russian admirals were told to forget about plans to build six aircraft carriers by 2020. Instead the navy was ordered to concentrate on smaller ships for the Black and Baltic Seas and replacements for aging coastal patrol and harbor protection ships. In effect the navy was told take care of business closer to home. Corvettes and patrol boats were needed, and all Russia could afford, not carriers. Since 2010 twelve Grachanoks have entered service. The latest two were assigned to the Northern Fleet while the others have been sent to the Black Sea, Baltic and Pacific fleets. One was sent to the Caspian Sea.

The Black Sea fleet received five Grachanoks because that fleet was most in need of new ships. The Black Sea has been continually declining since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. That decline is the result of new countries (like Ukraine and Georgia) inheriting old Soviet ships and bases. That was the dissolution deal. Whatever Soviet weapons or bases were normally were, belonged to one of the 14 new nations. Most of Russias high seas ships were based in northern Russia (the Northern fleet, based next to Finland and Norway) or the Far East (the Pacific fleet, based north of China and North Korea). But the Baltic and Black Sea fleets were largely based in ports that were now part of a foreign nation and these fleets suffered heavy losses because of the dissolution agreement.

For over a century, Russia had four fleets (Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea). The latter two were virtually destroyed by the dissolution terms. But by 2008 Russia was having political problems (largely caused by Russia) with Georgia and Ukraine, and could really use some additional (and modern) naval power. To a lesser extent, the same situation applies in the Baltic, where Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania harbored, and often built, many of the Soviet ships of the Baltic fleet. Poland, while not part of the Soviet Union, was a major naval ally, as was East Germany. Thus the Baltic fleet is a fraction of what it once was, and needs rebuilding.

The Russian navy still has a lot of Cold War era ships and aircraft in need of replacement or upgrades. The most urgently needed new ships are nuclear subs and coastal and harbor patrol craft. These are being delivered in greater numbers but the need remains urgent. Many coastal areas and naval bases are poorly guarded because of the shortage of modern (or just functioning) patrol ships.
The UN continues to push for peace talks but the Iran backed Shia rebels are apparently not interested, at least not yet. Iran senses victory in Syria this year and everyone is waiting to see what the new U.S. government will do about Iranian support for the Shia rebels in Yemen. The previous American government agreed to lift many economic sanctions on Iran and as part of that deal provided Iran with billions in cash and refused to put much pressure on Iran for supporting military operations in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere (in areas that attract less media attention, like Africa and South America). That is expected to change this year but it is unclear how soon and how much.

Meanwhile the fighting continues and government forces continue to gain ground but at a very slow rate, too slow to claim any imminent victory over the Shia rebels. In part this is because the Shia rebels are minimizing their personnel losses. The rebels pull back when their situations appears hopeless and often counterattack later when they detect an opportunity. A similar attitude prevails with the government forces, including the better armed and trained Saudi led Arab coalition force. Despite that attitude more than 10,000 have died (and over 40,000 wounded) in the 22 months of fighting. More than three million people have been driven from their homes and about half the population is dependent on foreign food aid to survive. The UN believes about seven million Yemenis are cut off from any regular food supplies.

Despite the reluctance to take casualties government forces continue an offensive to clear rebels away from the Bab al-Mandab strait linking the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. The offensive was renewed during the first week of the year and will apparently continue as long as it succeeds. This is slow going but the rebels have been unable to stop the advance. Eventually (after months of fighting) the Shia rebels will control little, if any, of the Red Sea coast. But the fighting is causing a lot of casualties on both sides and the government forces and their Arab coalition allies have shown themselves more sensitive to combat losses.

The most heavily fought over area continues to be Taiz city, near the Red Sea. Most of the Yemeni Red Sea coast has remained under rebel control. This includes the Red Sea port of Hodeida In the northwest. This has been the main port for the delivery of foreign aid for civilians in rebel held areas. The rebels are accused of expelling UN personnel needed to inspect aid shipments and the government claims the rebels have been seizing aid shipments and preventing UN personnel from verifying that the aid is going to civilians. In March 2015 Iran has made a deal with the Shia rebels to modernize and upgrade Hodeida but with the intervention of the Saudi led coalition that Iranian aid effort never got going. But since then the Iranians have made themselves useful in less publicized ways.

Iranian Support For The Rebels

Captured rebel commanders admit (some say boast) that Hezbollah and Iranian personnel run military training camps in the north (Saada province) where the Shia rebel tribes have their ancient homeland. Despite overwhelming evidence of Iranian weapons being supplied to the Shia rebels the Russian and Chinese support in the UN blocks any international action against Iran. The Arab coalition has imposed an air, sea and land blockade of rebel territories but continued control of much of the Red Sea coast and the inability to search all the numerous small cargo and fishing boats operating along the coast make it possible to well-paid smugglers to get most shipments through. The continued prevalence of accepting bribes from truckers wishing to avoid a search of their cargo allows smugglers to also use a land route via Oman. Iran makes no secret of the fact that it is supplying the cash (for bribes and the rebel payroll) as well as advisors. Also important is the Iranian run media campaign that has managed to get more attention paid to civilian casualties from the Arab coalition air attacks (the rebels have no air support). The smuggling not only keeps the Shia rebels supplied with ammo and light weapons (assault rifles, machine-guns. RPGs launchers) but also some very large ones, like Iranian Zelzal-3 unguided rockets. Several of these have been fired at targets in Saudi Arabia and are easy to identify by examining fragments of the missile after it hits the ground. These rockets are very large. Zelzal-3 is a 9.4 meter (30 foot) long, 610mm (24 inch) diameter, 3.9 ton missile based on the Russian Cold War era FROG (Free Rocket Over Ground) rocket. Iran introduced this missile in 2007. Zelzal-3 has a max range of 250 kilometers and Iran claims it can land within 300 meters of what it is aimed at. Some have also been aimed at government forces inside Yemen. Because of the lack of accuracy these rockets cause few casualties. They are basically designed to be fired at large urban areas. These rockets can also be intercepted by American Patriot anti-missile missiles the Saudis use to guard their border and key bases inside Yemen. The Saudis are pressuring the UN to censor Iran for sending in these rocket but the Russian UN veto prevents that. The Shia rebels claim they built the Zelzal 3s locally which may be partially true as the Zelzal 3 would be easier (or at least cheaper) to smuggle in if it were disassembled in Iran, sent in as components and then assembled in Yemen by Iranians experienced in such things.

Another factor the Iranians are taking advantage of is the unwillingness of the Arab coalition to risk a lot of their own troops getting killed in combat. The Yemen war is not popular with the other Arab nations because Yemen is seen as its own worst enemy and no friend of the other Arabian states. But these Arab neighbors had little choice but to intervene in 2015 when the Yemen unrest became a full civil war as Shia rebels sought to take control of the entire country. Neighboring Arab states quickly formed a military coalition to halt that. The Arab coalition appeared to be succeeding because by 2016 pro-government forces were close enough to launch a major assault on the rebel-held capital. At that point Arab coalition casualties also increased and the Arab coalition governments were reminded how unpopular the Yemen intervention was at home. What made worse was that as the fighting intensified in early 2015 Iran admitted it had been quietly supporting the Shia rebels for a long time but now was doing so openly, or at least trying. The Arabs, with U.S. support, blockaded air and sea access to Yemen. The U.S. refused to send in ground troops but the Arabs eventually did. The Arab troops made a big difference despite suffering some embarrassing defeats along the way. This was an impressive display of Arab military capabilities, which benefitted from all the money spent on high-tech weapons since the 1990s.

Meanwhile the basic problem, that Yemen has been a mess for decades, was unresolved. Because of the 2015 war Yemen is truly broke, disorganized and desperate. The Arab Spring hit Yemen hard and upset the "arrangement" that left one group of tribal, criminal and business leaders in charge for over three decades. The country is fragmented again, just like it has always been. Many Yemenis trace the current crisis back to the civil war that ended, sort of, in 1994. That war was caused by the fact that, when the British left Yemen in 1967, their former colony in Aden became one of two countries called Yemen. The two Yemens finally united in 1990 but another civil war in 1994 was needed to seal the deal. That fix didn't really take and the north and south have always been pulling apart ever since. This comes back to the fact that Yemen has always been a region, not a country. Like most of the rest of the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa region, the normal form of government until the 20th century was wealthier coastal city states nervously coexisting with interior tribes that got by on herding or farming (or a little of both) plus smuggling and other illicit sidelines. This whole "nation" idea is still looked on with some suspicion by many in the region. This is why the most common forms of government are the more familiar ones of antiquity (kingdom, emirate or modern variation in the form of a hereditary dictatorship.) For a long time the most active Yemeni rebels were the Shia Islamic militants in the north. They have always wanted to restore local Shia rule in the traditional tribal territories, led by the local imam (religious leader). This arrangement, after surviving more than a thousand years, was ended by the central government in 1962. Yemen also became the new headquarters of AQAP (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) when Saudi Arabia was no longer safe for the terrorists after 2007. Then came ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and then an invading army of troops from oil-rich neighbors.

Preexisting Disasters Predict the Future

Because of pre-existing problems (overpopulation, water shortages, corruption) and all the unrest since 2011 Yemen is now broke, disorganized and desperate. Before the civil war began in 2011 the Yemeni GDP was $37 billion. Now it is about $20 billion and still falling. As a result victory is nothing to look forward to. UN efforts to raise money for food and other aid to Yemen are not doing well with only about half the amount requested being donated. The problem is the chronic corruption in Yemen and the fact that even with so many (millions) of Yemenis dependent on food aid, a lot of this aid gets diverted by corrupt officials and local (often tribal) leaders. Pledges to deal with the corruption was what got the Shia rebels support from non-Shia. That support has since faded because the Shia have demonstrated they are less concerned with reducing corruption than they are with expanding their own power. As far as poverty and hunger goes the primary cause of that has been around for a long time.

The population problem is the result of a high birth rate, which is sustained by ancient customs and religious beliefs. The impact of conservative forms of Islam also means there has been little economic or educational improvements, at least compared to the non-Islamic world, for a long time. The economy is primitive and unproductive. Water, food and power shortages, as well as growing unemployment make life miserable for most Yemenis. This is also the fault of the enormous oil wealth in the rest of the Arabian Peninsula. A major malignant side effect of the oil wealth was the skyrocketing demand for the leaves of the Khat plant. This did major damage to the Yemeni economy and fueled growing violence in Yemen along with causing a devastating water shortage. Before 2011 most of the water consumed was used for growing Khat, which only contributes a few percent of the GDP. Khat is a plant that has grown in Yemen for thousands of years. Khat leaves when chewed give you more of a buzz than caffeine or nicotine, but less than stronger drugs. It is addictive and until the 1950s was grown by farmers for their own personal use as a stimulant. Khat was used like that long before anyone figured out how to use coffee beans to produce a stimulating liquid. One thing that kept Khat local was the fact that the leaves quickly (a few days after being picked) lose their potency. In other words, Khat did not travel well while coffee beans and tea leaves did. That all changed after World War II when roads, trucks and air transport became widely available. Suddenly Khat had an international market for those who could afford to pay and had a taste for it. Yemen was the one Khat growing area that was close to affluent Khat consumers; namely people in the Arab oil states of the Persian Gulf. The other area where Khat grew easily was Ethiopia, which was deep in Africa surrounded by poverty and far from anyone able to pay for Khat. Yemen was the only Arabian state without a lot of oil but with the largest population. Khat was suddenly a way to make a lot of money. Despite the fact that many nations (including most of those in the Middle East) outlawed Khat (because of its unfortunate side effects, especially the addiction) the stuff was very popular with those who grew up with it. This included many people in Yemen.

With all that oil wealth came a demand in the Arab oil states for workers. The pay was good and Arabs were preferred. This led to millions of Yemenis going off to the Arab Gulf States to work. Some got rich and nearly all sent money home. So much money was being sent back that by the end of the 20th century such remittances comprised over a quarter of the Yemeni GDP. That began to shrink after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 and threatened Saudi Arabia. Many Yemenis backed Iraq and Islamic terrorism and the Arab oil states took this as an unfriendly act and fired a lot of their Yemeni employees. It did not go unnoticed that the bin Laden family came from Yemen and made their fortune in Saudi Arabia. These days the remittances are less than four percent of GDP. But before the collapse in remittance income during the last two decades many Yemenis developed a taste for Khat, and so had many Saudis, even though Khat was illegal in Saudi Arabia. Thus the demand for Khat increased, but mainly for export. The oil money may be gone, but the curse of Khat remains and most of it is was smuggled into Saudi Arabia. Some still gets through but Saudi border security has been much improved since the Shia uprising in Yemen got successful in 2014. That coincided with growing Islamic terrorist activity by AQAP in eastern and southern Yemen. The increased border security also made it more difficult for illegal Yemeni economic migrants to leave via Saudi Arabia.

Ending the Yemen civil war will not end the other problems which got little international attention before 2011 and wont remain in the headlines after peace comes. In other words, the reasons for rebellion and reform are still there and will always need to be solved to avoid more chaos and fighting.

January 17, 2017: In the west government forces advanced to within 30 kilometers of Saana, the national capital, and captured some of the Iranian Zelzal unguided rockets the rebels have been using since 2016. Actually the advance today captured a large quantity of weapons abandoned by fleeing rebels.

January 16, 2017: In the south the Arab coalition continued its offensive against Shia rebels in Shabwa province. This is just north of Hadramawt province and Mukalla (the largest city in the province). The fighting resulted in about fifty casualties and a rebel retreat. This was mainly because 23 of the dead were rebels and the government forces had more troops, armored vehicles and air support.

UN officials again met with the elected president (Mansour Hadi) to try and persuade him to accept a compromise settlement with the Shia rebels.

January 15, 2017: In the south (Abyan province) AQAP gunmen fired on a checkpoint after dark, killing three soldiers and wounding three more. The attackers soon departed before reinforcements could show up. There are few locations in Abyan where AQAP or any other Islamic terrorists are openly operating and the terror attacks have been less frequent. There are still bombings, but usually with bombs planted and detonated by remote control.

January 14, 2017: In the north, on the Saudi border, a Saudi border guard was killed when his post was fired on by Shia rebels in Yemen. The Saudis returned fire and the Yemeni rebels fled. That makes about 115 Saudis killed by these border attacks since 2015. Nearly all this border violence takes place is in the three Saudi border provinces of Jizan, Asir and Najran. Most of the threatened border is in Najran where most of the half million locals are Shia. Nevertheless these Shia are loyal to the Saudi king. The provincial capital (also called Najran) has a population of 240,000 and is close enough to the Yemen border to be the target of frequent Yemeni rebel artillery and rocket attacks. The Yemeni Shia do not want to hit Saudi civilians along the border if only because most of these civilians are Shia. So the attacks concentrate on military and economic targets, especially those involved with oil. The Saudis have an easier time concealing military and police losses as well as damage to oil facilities. Security forces and oil facilities have always been well protected, by secrecy as well as more conventional means (well trained and loyal guards and workers). That loyalty is not permanent and is there largely because the Saud family has demonstrated for over a century that it can defend itself.

The Shia rebels have also shot down several of the smaller surveillance UAVs the Saudis have bought from China or elsewhere. At least one larger UAV crashed in Shia rebel territory due to equipment failure. The smaller UAVs brought down are low flying commercial models favored by border security and others who have tight budgets and prefer something small and quiet (battery operated) that is practically invisible at night but has a night vision vidcam. The Shia rebels used these as well, some of them from Iran but mainly commercial models smuggled in.

January 13, 2017: The government has resumed paying government salaries in recently liberated areas. There were growing protests in these areas, especially in Taiz province, about the lack of economic support for pro-government communities. The locals complained that the salaries of some local civil servants have not been paid since July, even though other government controlled provinces have been paid. The locals accuse the government of corruption in this, and other cases. There was corruption, but the government is not talking about, apparently wishing to avoid getting into a public discussion about how much corruption remains in Taiz and Yemen in general.

January 8, 2017: In central Yemen (Baida province) an American UAV used a missile to kill a local AQAP leader.

January 7, 2017: Pakistan announced that Raheel Sharif, one of its retired generals, had been selected to lead the IMAFT (Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism). Founded (in late 2015) and largely funded by Saudi Arabia, Pakistan was initially reluctant to join IMAFT but eventually did so along with other 38 Moslem bations. When Saudi Arabia announced IMAFT in late December 2015 it named 34 Moslem nations (Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Chad, Comoros, Cote dIvoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Malaysia, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Qatar, the Palestinians, Pakistan, Senegal, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, the UAE, and Yemen) as members. Indonesia, largest Moslem nation on the planet, was described as considering joining. The nation with the largest number of Moslems, India, was apparently not invited to join. All the current members are largely Sunni. Some nations are not welcome, like Iran, Syria and Iraq. This is because the Sunni Gulf States (led by Saudi Arabia) are at war with Iran, which considers Syria and Iraq allies. Pakistan has not announced exactly what it would do as part of this new coalition but did make it clear it will not take part in any operations against Iran or Syria. IMAFT has been no help in Yemen.

January 3, 2017: In the south (Abyan province) troops seeking to clear AQAP out of coastal areas 100 kilometers east of Aden were ambushed on a coastal road by the Islamic terrorists. Three soldiers were killed and ten wounded. The Islamic terrorists retreated but caused the troops to advance more carefully.

December 29, 2016: In central Yemen (Baida province) an American UAV used a missile against a vehicle carrying a local AQAP leader and his driver, killing both of them. That makes 30 Islamic terrorists killed by American UAVs since late September. The United States carried out 38 airstrikes against AQAP in Yemen in 2016. AQAP has been operating in the area since 2014 and their attacks usually involve suicide or roadside bombs that kill more local civilians than soldiers or tribal militia.

December 25, 2016: In the north, on the Saudi border, a Saudi border guard was killed when his post was fired on by Shia rebels in Yemen.
Nokia D1C and P1 Android smartphone price, release date, features, and specs

Techworm was among the first websites to break the news about the erstwhile mobile king, Nokias re-entry into smartphone arena with its very own Android smartphone. The news about upcoming Nokia Android smartphones generated much publicity and hype with users who still remember the rugged, tough and everlasting battery power of Nokia 1100 and its siblings.

After we spotted the Nokia D1C Android smartphone renders, Nokia came out with an official statement that it will be coming with not one but three Android smartphones and the same will be available to buyers only in early 2017. Now we are into the first week of December so we can expect the Nokia Android smartphones by March 2017. This was confirmed by HMD Global, the firm that now owns the Nokia license, which stated that it will hold a press conference at MWC in February.

First of all, it is worthwhile to remember Nokia is coming out with not one but three Android smartphones, Nokia P1 is its flagship offering, Nokia D1C is its mid-range smartphone and a still unknown smartphone.

Nokia P1 Android smartphone specifications

Nokias flagship P1 Android smartphone will come in two sizes, 5.2in and 5.5in. Both will have a QHD AMOLED display with a resolution of 25601440. The Nokia P1 Android smartphone will have an IP68 water and dust resistance certification.

The render shows that the Nokia P1 Android smartphone design is loosely based on Sharp Aquos P1. Wed take this design with a pinch of salt, and suggest that the link has been made only because Foxconn bought Sharp earlier this year.

The Nokia P1 will be powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 821 SoC and will come in fully metal design. The smartphone will run on a 3GB RAM. The most important spec ie battery rating has not been divulged on any of the leak sites but it is expected to around 3000 mAH.

Nokia D1C Android smartphone

The midrange, Nokia D1C Android smartphone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC with 3GB of RAM. Geekbench results show that the octa-core chip runs at 1.4GHz and achieved 656 in single-core benchmarks and 3,120 in multi-core. The GPU is an Adreno 505. It will have 16GB internal storage and a microSD expansion slot.

Operating system

Both the Nokia Android smartphones will run the latest Android 7.0 Nougat with Nokias custom Z Launcher on top. Z Launcher has been available for existing Android devices in beta for some time.

It is confirmed that both Nokia Android smartphones will only be available to buyers in the first half of 2017. Those buyers who had been putting off buying new Android smartphones till the holiday season should wait until March 2017. Their patience would be well worth it provided Nokia comes out with quality Android smartphones like the rugged and long lasting Nokia 1100 and 3100 phones it is remembered for.
The following companies are subsidiares of Emerson Electric: A.P.M. Automation Solutions Ltd., AE Valves, AGI Mexicana S.A. de C.V., ALCO CONTROLS spol. s.r.o., APM Automation Solutions, ASC Investments Inc., ASCO (Japan) Company Limited, ASCO L.P., ASCO Numatics (India) Private Limited, ASCO Numatics Holding Inc., ASCO SAS, ASCO Valve (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ASCO/JOUCOMATIC s.r.o., ATX SAS, Advanced Protection Technologies, Aegir Norge Holding AS, Alliance Compressors LLC, American Governor, Aperture, Apple JV Holding Corp., Appleton Electric LLC, Appleton Electric S.A. de C.V., Appleton Group, Appleton Group Canada Ltd., Appleton Grp LLC, Appleton Holding Corp., Appleton Holding Sarl, Artesyn Embedded Technologies, Artesyn Hungary Elektronikai Kft., Artesyn Technologies, Asco AB, Asco Controls AG, Asco Controls B.V., Asco Joucomatic Ltd., Asco Joucomatic ZA B.V., Asco Magnesszelep Kft., Asco Numatics GmbH, Asco Numatics S.A., Asco Numatics Sirai S.R.L., Asco Numatics Sp. z o.o., Ascomatica S.A. de C.V., Ascomation (NZ) Ltd., Ascomation Pty. Ltd., Ascotech S.A. de C.V., Ascoval Industria e Commercio Ltda, Automatic Switch Company, Aventics, Aventics, Aventics AB, Aventics AG, Aventics AS, Aventics ApS, Aventics B.V., Aventics Corporation, Aventics Holding S.A.S., Aventics Holding S.a.r.l., Aventics Hungary Kft, Aventics Inc., Aventics India Private Limited, Aventics Limited, Aventics Ltd., Aventics Oy, Aventics Pneumatics Equipment (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., Aventics Pneumatics Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Aventics S.A.S., Aventics S.R.L., Aventics Services Germany GmbH, Aventics Singapore Pte. Ltd., Aventics Sp. z.o.o., Aventics Spain S.L., Aventics spol. s.r.o., Avtron LoadBank, Bannerscientific Limited, Beckman Industrial B.V., Beijing Rosemount Far East Instrument Co. Ltd., Bettis Canada Ltd., Bettis Holdings Limited, Bettis UK Limited, Biffi Italia S.r.l., Bioproduction Group, Branson Korea Co. Ltd., Branson Ultrasonic S.A., Branson Ultrasonics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Branson Ultrasonics B.V., Branson Ultrasonics Corporation, Branson Ultrasonics a.s., Branson Ultrasonidos S.A.E., Branson Ultrasons SAS, Branson Ultrasuoni S.R.L., Branson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Bray Lectroheat Limited, Bristol Babcock Limited, Bristol Inc., Buehler Europe Limited, Buehler UK Limited, CR Compressors LLC, CSA Consulting Engineers Ltd., California Emerson LLC, Cascade Technologies, Cascade Technologies Holdings Limited, Cascade Technologies Limited, Chemat GmbH Armaturen fur Industrie - und Nuklearanlage, Chloride Koexa S.A., Componentes Avanzados de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Computational Systems, Computational Systems Incorporated, Conception et Representation de Technologies de Controle C.R.T. Controle SAS, Control Products Inc., Controles de Temperatura S.A. de C.V., Cooligy Inc., Cooper-Atkins, Cooper-Atkins Corporation, Cooper-Atkins Pte. Ltd., Copeland Access + Inc., Copeland Compresores Hermeticos S.A. de C.V., Copeland Corporation, Copeland Corporation LLC, Copeland Limited, Copeland Redevelopment Corporation, Copeland Scroll Compresores de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Copeland de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Copesub Inc., Crosby Valve LLC, Damcos A/S, Damcos Holding A/S, Daniel Automation Company, Daniel Europe Limited, Daniel Industrial Inc., Daniel Industries, Daniel Industries Canada Inc., Daniel Industries Inc., Daniel Industries Limited, Daniel International Limited, Daniel Measurement Solutions Private Limited, Daniel Measurement and Control Inc., Daniel Measurement and Control S. de R.L. de C.V., Danmasa S.A. de C.V., Dar Ibtikar Al Iraq for General Services and General Trade LLC, Decision Management International, Dieterich Standard Inc., Digital Appliance Controls (UK) Limited, Dixell North America Inc., Dixell S.R.L., Do+Able Products, E. Business Development E.B.D.Com Ltd., E.G.P. Corporation, EECO Inc., EGS Comercializadora Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EGS Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EGS Private Ltd., EMERSON CLIMATE TECHNOLOGIES s.r.o., EMR (Asia) Limited, EMR (Mauritius) Ltd., EMR Emerson Holdings (Switzerland) GmbH, EMR Europe Holdings Inc., EMR Foundation Inc., EMR Holdings (France) SAS, EMR Holdings Inc., EMR Worldwide B.V., EMR Worldwide Inc., EMRSN HLDG B.V., EMRSN Process Management Morocco Sarl, ENPDOR2012A Limited, ENPESNA Inc., EPM Tulsa Holdings Corp., EPMCO Holdings Inc., ETC International Holdings Ltd., Easy Heat Europe SAS, Easy Heat Inc., El-O-Matic B.V., El-O-Matic Valve Actuators (F.E.) Pte. Ltd., Electrische Apparatenfabriek Capax B.V., Emerald Advanced Technology Limited, Emerson (Philippines) Corporation, Emerson (Taiwan) Limited, Emerson (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Arabia Inc., Emerson Argentina S.A., Emerson Asia Pacific Private Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Actuation Technologies Holdings Inc., Emerson Automation Solutions Actuation Technologies Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Sichuan) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Taiwan) Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control (Thailand) Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Africa (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Czech Republic s.r.o., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Denmark A/S, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control France SARL, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Germany GmbH, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Hong Kong Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Hungary Kft, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Italia S.r.l., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control LLC, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Middle East FZE, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Netherlands B.V., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Polska Sp. Z.o.o., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Sales Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Sales Holding LLC, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control Singapore Pte. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control UK II Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control UK Ltd, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control US LP, Emerson Automation Solutions Final Control de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Automation Solutions GmbH, Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms Private Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Intelligent Platforms do Brasil Ltda, Emerson Automation Solutions Ireland Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions Isolation Valves Inc., Emerson Automation Solutions SSC UK Limited, Emerson Automation Solutions UK Limited, Emerson Beijing Instrument Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Services LLC, Emerson Climate Technologies (India) Private Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies (Shenyang) Refrigeration Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, Emerson Climate Technologies (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies (Suzhou) Trading Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies - Solutions (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies - Transportation Solutions ApS, Emerson Climate Technologies Arabia Limited Co., Emerson Climate Technologies Australia Pty. Ltd., Emerson Climate Technologies FZE, Emerson Climate Technologies GmbH, Emerson Climate Technologies Inc., Emerson Climate Technologies Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Climate Technologies Refrigeration S.A., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions Europe S.R.L., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions Inc., Emerson Climate Technologies Retail Solutions UK Limited, Emerson Climate Technologies S.A., Emerson Climate Technologies S.R.L., Emerson Climate Technologies Sarl, Emerson Commercial & Residential Tools LLC, Emerson Commerical & Residential Asia Limited, Emerson Comres de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson DHC B.V., Emerson Dietzenbach GmbH, Emerson Dominicana Srl, Emerson Egypt LLC, Emerson Electric (Asia) Limited, Emerson Electric (China) Holdings Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Electric (Mauritius) Ltd., Emerson Electric (South Asia) Pte. Ltd., Emerson Electric (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Electric (Tongling) Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric (U.S.) Holding Corporation, Emerson Electric (U.S.) Holding Corporation (Chile) Limitada, Emerson Electric (Zhuhai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Electric CR Limitada, Emerson Electric Canada Limited, Emerson Electric Company (India) Private Limited, Emerson Electric Company Lanka (Private) Limited, Emerson Electric Holdings (Switzerland) GmbH, Emerson Electric II C.A., Emerson Electric International Inc., Emerson Electric Ireland Limited, Emerson Electric Korea Ltd., Emerson Electric Nederland B.V., Emerson Electric Overseas Finance Corp., Emerson Electric Poland Sp. z o.o., Emerson Electric U.K. Limited, Emerson Electric de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Emerson Electric do Brasil Ltda, Emerson Energy Systems (UK) Limited, Emerson FZE, Emerson Final Control US Holding LLC, Emerson Finance LLC, Emerson Fusite Electric (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Emerson Gabon SARL, Emerson Hazardous Electrical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Holding Company Limited, Emerson Holding Sweden AB, Emerson InSinkErator Appliance (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., Emerson Industrial Automation USA Inc., Emerson International Holding Company Limited, Emerson Japan Ltd., Emerson Junkang Enterprise (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Korea Limited, Emerson LLC, Emerson LLP, Emerson Machinery Equipment (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Emerson Mexico Finance S.A. de C.V. SOFOM ENR, Emerson Middle East Inc., Emerson Network Power DHC B.V., Emerson Paradigm Holding LLC, Emerson Process Management (India) Private Limited, Emerson Process Management (South Africa) (Proprietary) Ltd., Emerson Process Management (Tianjin) Valves Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management (Vietnam) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management A/S (Denmark), Emerson Process Management AB, Emerson Process Management AG, Emerson Process Management AS, Emerson Process Management Angola Lda, Emerson Process Management Arabia Limited, Emerson Process Management Australia Pty Limited, Emerson Process Management B.V., Emerson Process Management Chennai Private Limited, Emerson Process Management Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Distribution Limited, Emerson Process Management Europe GmbH, Emerson Process Management Flow B.V., Emerson Process Management Flow Technologies Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management GmbH & Co. OHG, Emerson Process Management Holding AG, Emerson Process Management Holding LLC, Emerson Process Management Kft., Emerson Process Management LLLP, Emerson Process Management Lda, Emerson Process Management Limited, Emerson Process Management Ltda, Emerson Process Management Magyarorszag Kft., Emerson Process Management Manufacturing (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Process Management Marine Solutions Korea Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Marine Solutions Singapore Pte. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Marine Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management NV, Emerson Process Management New Zealand Limited, Emerson Process Management Nigeria Limited, Emerson Process Management Oy, Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions Inc., Emerson Process Management Power & Water Solutions India Private Limited, Emerson Process Management Qatar W.L.L., Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies Inc., Emerson Process Management Regulator Technologies Tulsa LLC, Emerson Process Management Romania S.R.L., Emerson Process Management S.A., Emerson Process Management S.A. de C.V., Emerson Process Management S.L., Emerson Process Management S.R.L., Emerson Process Management SAS, Emerson Process Management Shared Services Limited, Emerson Process Management Sp. z o.o., Emerson Process Management Ticaret Limited Sirket, Emerson Process Management UAB, Emerson Process Management Valve Automation (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerson Process Management Valve Automation (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Emerson Process Management Valve Automation Inc., Emerson Process Management Verwaltung GmbH, Emerson Process Management d.o.o., Emerson Process Management de Colombia SAS, Emerson Process Management del Peru S.A.C., Emerson Process Management s.r.o., Emerson Professional Tools (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson Puerto Rico Inc., Emerson Retail Services Europe GmbH, Emerson S.R.L., Emerson Sales UK Limited, Emerson Saudi Arabia LLC, Emerson Scroll Machining (Thailand) Limited, Emerson Sice S.R.L., Emerson Sweden AB, Emerson TOV, Emerson Technologies GmbH & Co. OHG, Emerson Technologies Verwaltungs GmbH, Emerson Tool Company de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson Tool and Appliance Company S. de R.L. de C.V., Emerson Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Emerson UK Trustees Limited, Emerson USD Finance Company Limited, Emerson Valves & Controls Japan Co. Ltd., Emerson Ventures Inc., Emerson Vulcan Holding LLC, Emerson Xi'an Engineering Center, Emersub 1 LLC, Emersub 10 LLC, Emersub 11 LLC, Emersub 12 LLC, Emersub 14 LLC, Emersub 15 LLC, Emersub 16 LLC, Emersub 3 LLC, Emersub 4 LLC, Emersub 5 LLC, Emersub 7 LLC, Emersub 8 LLC, Emersub 9 LLC, Emersub CII Inc., Emersub CV Inc., Emersub Italia S.R.L., Emersub LXXXIV Inc., Emersub LXXXVI Inc., Emersub Mexico Inc., Emersub Treasury Ireland Unlimited Company, Emersub XLVI Inc., Emersub XXXVI Inc., Emirates Techno Casting FZE, Emirates Techno Casting Holding Limited, Emirates Techno Casting LLC, Enardo, Endura-Greenlee Tools, Energy Solutions International (India) Private Limited, Energy Solutions International GP LLC, Energy Solutions International Ltd., Energy Solutions International SAS, Energy Solutions International Sub LLC, F-R Tecnologias de Flujo S.A. de C.V., FC QSF LLC, FMC Technologies, Fiberconn Assemblies Morocco Sarl, Fincor Holding LLC, Fire & Safety Group.Com Ltd., Fisher Controles de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fisher Controls International LLC, Fisher Jeon Gas Equipment (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Fisher Regulators (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Sanmar Limited, Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc., Flow Control Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Flow Control Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Flow Control US Holding Corporation, Francel SAS, Fromex S.A. de C.V., Fusite B.V., Fusite Corporation, Fusite Land Company, GSEG LLC, General Equipment and Manufacturing Company Inc., Generale de Robinetterie Industrielle et de Sytemes de Surete, GeoFields, GeoFields Inc., Greenex Ltd., Greenfield (UK) Limited, Greenlee, Greenlee Communications, Greenlee Tools Inc., Gulf Valve FZE, Gustav Klauke GmbH, H.T.E. Engineering Limited, HD Electric Company, HTE Engineering Services Limited, Hindle Cockburns Limited, Hiross India Private Limited, Hiter Industria e Comercia de Controles Termo-Hidraulicos Ltda., Humboldt Hermetic Motor Corp., Hytork International Ltd., I Solutions Inc., ICC Intelligent Platforms GmbH, ISE-MagTech, Industrial Controls Canada ULC, Industrial Group Metran JSC, Instrument & Valve Services Company, Intelligent Platforms LLC, Intellution, International Gas Distribution SA, Intrinsic Safety Equipment of Texas Inc., JCF Fluid Flow India Private Limited, JSC Metran-Export, Joucomatic S.A., K Controls Limited, Keystone Germany Holdings Corp., Keystone Valve (Korea) LLC, Keystone Valve (U.K.) Limited, Klauke, Klauke (Jiangsu) Electrical Connection Technology Co Ltd., Klauke France SARL, Klauke Handelsgesellschaft mbH, Klauke Iberia S.L., Klauke Polska Sp. z.o.o., Klauke Slovakia s.r.o., Klauke UK Ltd., Knurr, Liebert, Liebert Swindon Limited, Locus Solutions LLC, Locus Traxx Worldwide, Locus Traxx Worldwide Europe BVBA, MDC Technology Limited, MDC Technology Trustees Limited, METCO Services Limited, MYNAH Technologies, Management Resources Group Inc., Mecafrance (Deutschland) GmbH, Metallurgical Services Laboratories Limited, Metaserv Limited, Metco Services Venezuela C.A., Micro Motion Inc., Mobrey Group Limited, Motores Hermeticos del Sur S.A. de C.V., NetworkPower Ecuador S.A., Nippon Fisher Co. Ltd., Novel Environmental Technologies Ltd., Novel Extinguishing Agent Technology Ltd., Numatics Incorporated, Nutsteel DHC B.V., Nutsteel Industria Metalurgica Ltda, O.M.T. Officina Meccanica Tartarini S.r.l., Open Systems International, P I Components Corp., PT Emerson Solutions Indonesia, PT. Emerson Indonesia, PT. Paradigm Geophysical Indonesia, Pactrol Controls Limited, PakSense, PakSense Inc., Paradigm, Paradigm (UK) Holding Limited, Paradigm B.V., Paradigm France S.A., Paradigm Geophysical (India) Private Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (KL) Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical (Nigeria) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (U.K.) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical B.V., Paradigm Geophysical Corp., Paradigm Geophysical Italy SRL, Paradigm Geophysical LLC, Paradigm Geophysical Limited, Paradigm Geophysical Pty Ltd, Paradigm Geophysical S.A., Paradigm Geophysical Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical Spain S.L., Paradigm Geophysical de Venezuela C.A., Paradigm Geophysical do Brasil Ltda., Paradigm Geoservices Canada Ltd., Paradigm Geotechnology (Egypt) S.A.E., Paradigm Kazakhstan LLP, Paradigm Middle East FZ-LLC, Paradigm Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Parex Industries Limited, Pentair Valves & Controls, Pentair Valves and Controls India Private Limited, Permasense, Permasense Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, Permasense Limited, ProSys, ProTeam Inc., Progea, RAC Technologies (Israel) Ltd., RIDGID Inc., RPP Europe GmbH, RPP LLC, Rey-Lam S. de R.L. de C.V., Ridge Tool (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Ridge Tool Company, Ridge Tool Europe NV, Ridge Tool GmbH, Ridge Tool GmbH & Co. OHG, Ridge Tool Manufacturing Company, Ridge Tool Pattern Company, Ridgid France SAS, Ridgid Italia S.R.L., Ridgid Online Inc., Ridgid Scandinavia A/S, Ridgid Werkzeuge AG, Rosemount China Inc., Rosemount Inc., Rosemount Measurement Limited, Rosemount Nuclear Instruments Inc., Rosemount Specialty Products LLC, Rosemount Tank Gauging India Pvt. Ltd., Rosemount Tank Gauging Middle East SPC, Rosemount Tank Gauging North America Inc., Rosemount Tank Radar AB, Rosemount Tank Radar Properties AB, Roxar, Roxar AS, Roxar Flow Measurement AS, Roxar Flow Measurement Sdn Bhd, Roxar Limited, Roxar Maximum Reservoir Performance W.L.L., Roxar Saudi Co., Roxar Services AS, Roxar Services OOO, Roxar Software Solutions AS, Roxar Technologies AS, Roxar Vietnam Company Ltd., Roxar de Venezuela C.A., Rutherfurd Acquisitions Limited, S.F.T. Group Ltd., SABO-Armaturen Service GmbH, Safety Systems UK Pte. Ltd., Sakhi-Raimondi Valve (India) Limited, Scroll Compressors LLC, Scroll Mexico LLC, Sempell GmbH, Shanghai Virgo Valves Technology Consulting Co. Ltd., Sherman + Reilly, Soluciones 0925 C.A., Spectra-Tek Holdings Limited, Spectra-Tek International Limited, Spectra-Tek UK Limited, Spectrex, Spectrex Inc., Spectronix Ltd., Spensall Engineering Limited, Steel Support Systems Limited, Stratos Lightwave, System Plast International B.V., System Plast Ltda, System Plast USA de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., TDM-avtomatizatsiya, TV&C GP Holding LLC, Taiwan Valve Co. Ltd., TechnipFMC, Termocontroles de Juarez S.A. de C.V., Tescom Corporation, Tescom Europe GmbH & Co. KG, Tescom Europe Management GmbH, The Automation Group Inc., The J.R. Clarkson Company LLC, Therm-O-Disc Europe B.V., Therm-O-Disc Incorporated, Thunderline Z Inc., TopWorx UK Limited, Tranmet Holdings B.V., Tranmet Holdings Limited, Verdant Environmental Technologies, Vilter Manufacturing LLC, Virgo Valves & Controls (ME) FZE, Virgo Valves and Controls Sdn Bhd, Von Arx AG, Vulsub 1 Limited, Vulsub Brasil Holding, Vulsub Brasil Ltda., Vulsub Chile SpA, Vulsub Gulf Holding Limited, Vulsub Holding III (Denmark) ApS, Vulsub Holding Ltd, Vulsub Holdings A LLC, Vulsub Holdings B LLC, Vulsub Holdings C LLC, Vulsub Holdings D LLC, Vulsub Italia S.r.l., Vulsub Middle East Holdings LLC, Vulsub Peru S.A.C., Vulsub Property Holding LLC, Vulsub Property Limited, Vulsub S.A., Vulsub South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Vulsub VZ C.A., Westinghouse Electric Pvt. Limited, Westlock Controls Limited, Westlock Equipamentos de Controle Ltda., Woodstock Land Company LLC, epro GmbH, iSolera Inc., iSolutions Private Limited, and intelliSAW.

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of Quanta Services: (De) Lazy Q Ranch LLC, 1 Diamond LLC, 1Diamond AS, 618232 Alberta Ltd., 8246408 Canada Inc., Advanced Electric Systems, Advanced Electric Systems LLC, Advanced Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Alexander Publications LLC, Allteck GP Ltd., Allteck Limited Partnership, Apprenticeship Programs Inc., Arby Construction, Arcanum Chemicals LLC, Arnett & Burgess Oil Field Construction Limited, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners (Rockies) LLC, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners Ltd., B&N Clearing and Environmental LLC, Banister Pipelines Constructors Corp., Banister Pipelines Constructors GP Ltd., Banister Pipelines Limited Partnership, Brent Woodward Inc., Brink Constructors Inc., Brink Constructors Inc. A Corporation Of South Dakota, Brown Engineering and Testing, CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership, CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership (Regd Name) CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-Spec Limited Partnership, Canadian Utility Construction Corp., Cat Spec Limited LP, Cat Spec Ltd, Cat Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat Spec Ltd. LP, Cat Spec. Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd (A Domestic limited Partnership), Cat-Spec Ltd LP, Cat-Spec Ltd., Cat-Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat-Spec Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd. Limited Partnership, Catalyst Changers Inc., Chatham Electric, Citadel Industrial Services L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Coe Drilling Pty Ltd., Computapole, Conam Construction Co., Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Ltd, Conti Communications Inc., Crux Subsurface Canada Ltd., Crux Subsurface Inc., Cutting Technology - 1 Diamond LLC, DB Utilities Inc., DE Lazy Q Ranch LLC, DNR Pressure Welding Ltd., Dacon Corporation, Dashiell (DE) Corporation (Dashiell Corporation), Dashiell Corporation, Dashiell Corporation DBA Dashiell (DE) Corporation, De Mears Group, De Mears Group Inc., Delaware Quanta Technology LLC, Delaware Underground Construction Co., Didado Utility Company Inc., Digco Utility Construction L.P. Digco Utility Construction Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services. Ltd. L.P., Driftwood Electrical Contractors, EHV Power ULC, ELITE PIPING & CIVIL L.P., ELITE TURNAROUND SPECIALISTS LTD, Elite Fabrication Ltd. Elite Fabrication LP, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Lp, Elite Piping & Civil Ltd L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. Limited Partnership, Elite Piping and Civil L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists L.p., Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. LP, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. Limited Partnership, Energy Consulting Group LLC, Enscope, Enscope Pty Ltd, FIC GP LLC, Field Personnel Services LLC, First Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC, First Infrastructure Capital GP L.P., Five Points Construction Co., G-Tek, G-Vac, GEM Engineering Co., Grand Electric Inc., Great Lakes Line Builders, Grid Creative Inc., Grid Manufacturing Corporation, Grid Training Corporation, H.L. Chapman Pipeline Construction Inc., Haverfield Aviation, Haverfield Aviation Inc., Haverfield International Incorporated, Heritage Midstream LLC, IM Electric Inc., IUC ILLINOIS LLC, IUC Nebraska LLC, InfraSource Construction LLC, InfraSource Field Services LLC, InfraSource Services LLC, InfraSources Construction LLC, Infraestructura ETP de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V, Infrasource Engineering Company PC, Infrasource Iowa Underground LLC, Infrasource Of Pa LLC, Integracion Tecnologica del Peru SAC, Intermountain Electric Inc., Intermountain Electric Inc. A Corporation of Colorado, IonEarth LLC, Irby Construction Company, Irby Construction Company Inc., Iron Mountain M.J. Electric LLC, Island Mechanical Corporation, J.C.R. Construction Co. Inc., J.C.R. Utility Construction Co., J.W. Didado Electric Inc., J.W. Didado Electric LLC, J.w. Didado Electric, JBT Electric LLC, Kingston Contracting Inc., Lazy Q Ranch LLC, Lazy Q Training Center LLC The Lazy Q Lineman School, Legend Foundation Services, Lex Engineering Ltd., Lindsey Electric L.P., Logical Link, Longfellow Drilling, M. G. Dyess Inc., M. J. ELECTRIC LLC IRON MOUNTAIN, M. J. Electric LLC, M. J. Electric LLC - Iron Mountain, M. J. Electric LLC DBA M. J. Electric Iron Mountain LLC, M.J. Electric LLC DBA M.J. Electric Iron Mountain, M.J. Electric LLC Iron Mountain, MTS Field Services, MTS Field Services (Richmond Co), MTS Quanta LLC, Manuel Bros. Inc., Marathon Construction Services, Mears Canada Corp., Mears Equipment Services LLC, Mears Group Inc., Mears Group Pty Ltd, Mears Installation LLC, Mearsmex S. de R.L. de C.V., Mejia Personnel Services LLC, Mercer Technical Services, Microline Technology Corporation, Mid America Energy Services Inc., NACAP Niugini Ltd., NC Northstar Energy Services Inc, NGI Construction, NGI Construction Inc., NGI Construction Inc. (FN), NLC CA. Inc., NLC FL. Inc. Northwest Lineman Center, NLC ID. Inc. Northwest Lineman College, NLC TX. Inc., NPC Energy Services LLC, Nacap Australia, Nacap PNG Limited, Network Communication Services, North Houston Pole Line L.P., North Houston Pole Line Limited Partnership, North Sky Communications, NorthStar Energy Services Inc., Northern Powerline Constructors Inc., Northstar Energy Solutions LLC, Northwest Lineman Center, Northwest Lineman College, Northwest Lineman Training Center, Northwest Lineman Training Center Inc., Nova Constructors LLC, Nova Constructors LTD, Nova Equipment Leasing LLC, Nova Group Inc, Nova Group Inc (CA), Nova Group Inc., Nova Group Inc. DBA NGI Construction, Nova NextGen Solutions LLC, O. J. Pipelines Canada Corporation, O. J. Pipelines Canada Limited Partnership, O.J. Industrial Maintenance, O.J. Pipelines Canada, One Call Locators Canada Ltd., P.D.G. Electric, PAR Electrical Contractors Inc., PDG Electric Co., Par Internacional S. de R.L. de C.V., Performance Energy Services Guyana Ltd., Performance Energy Services L.L.C., Phasor Engineering Inc., Phoenix North Constructors Inc., Phoenix Power Group Inc., Potelco Inc., Potelco Incorporated, Power Delivery Program Inc., Price Gregory International Inc., Price Gregory Services LLC, Probst Construction Inc., Probst Electric Inc., QEPC, QEPC Power Solutions LLC, QES GP LLC, QP Energy Services LLC, QPS Engineering LLC, QPS Engineering LTD., QPS Engineering PLLC, QPS Environmental, QPS Flint Construction, QPS Flint Tank Services, QPS Global, QPS Global Services, QPS Global Services (Richmond Ci), QPS Professional Services, QPSE, QS Mats, QSI Engineering Inc., QSI Finance (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance (Cayman) Pvt. Ltd., QSI Finance Canada ULC, QSI Finance GP (US) LLC, QSI Finance I (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance I (US) LP, QSI Finance II (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance II (Lux) S.a r.l, QSI Finance II (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance III (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance III (Lux) SARL, QSI Finance IV (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance IX (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance V (US) L.P., QSI Finance VI (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance VII (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance VIII (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance X (Canada) ULC, QSI Inc., QSN Lux Holdings I SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings II SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings III SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings IV SCSp, QTSL LLC, QUANTA FOUNDATION SERVICES, Quanta APL GP II Ltd., Quanta Asset Management LLC, Quanta Associates L.P., Quanta Aviation Services LLC, Quanta Canada GP ULC, Quanta Canada Holdings III Limited Partnership, Quanta Canada Holdings LP, Quanta Canada III GP Ltd., Quanta Capital GP LLC, Quanta Capital LP L.P., Quanta Capital Solutions Inc., Quanta Cares, Quanta EPC Services, Quanta Electric Power Construction LLC, Quanta Electric Power Construction Management Inc., Quanta Electric Power Services LLC, Quanta Electric Power Services West LLC, Quanta Energized Innovations Ltd., Quanta Energized Services U.S. LLC, Quanta Energized Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Energy Services LLC, Quanta Environmental Solutions, Quanta Equipment Company LLC, Quanta Government Solutions Inc., Quanta Holdings I (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Holdings II (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Infraestructura de Chile SpA, Quanta Infrastructure Services LLC, Quanta Infrastructure Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Quanta Inline Devices LLC, Quanta Inspection Services, Quanta Insurance Company Inc., Quanta International Holdings (US) LLC, Quanta International Holdings II Ltd., Quanta International Holdings Ltd., Quanta International Limited, Quanta Kingsvale LP Ltd., Quanta Lines Pty Ltd., Quanta Maine Services LLC, Quanta Middle East LLC, Quanta Pipeline Services Inc., Quanta Power Australia Pty Ltd, Quanta Power Generation Inc., Quanta Power Inc., Quanta Power Solutions India Private Limited, Quanta Resource Development, Quanta Services Africa (PTY) Ltd., Quanta Services Australia Pty Ltd., Quanta Services Chile SpA, Quanta Services Colombia S.A.S., Quanta Services Costa Rica Ltda., Quanta Services Guatemala Ltda., Quanta Services International Holdings II LP, Quanta Services International Holdings LP, Quanta Services Management Partnership L.P., Quanta Services Netherlands B.V., Quanta Services Panama S. de R.L., Quanta Services Peru S.A.C., Quanta Services Puerto Rico LLC, Quanta Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface LLC, Quanta Tank Services, Quanta Technology Canada ULC, Quanta Technology LLC, Quanta Technology UK Ltd., Quanta Tecnologia do Brasil Ltda., Quanta Telecom, Quanta Telecom Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services LLC, Quanta Telecommunications Services LLC, Quanta Underground Services, Quanta Underground Services (Culpeper Co), Quanta Underground Services (Spotsylvania Co), Quanta Underground Services Inc., Quanta Utility Engineering Services Inc., Quanta Utility Installation Company Inc., Quanta Utility Operation LLC, Quanta West LLC, Quantecua Cia. Ltda., R. R. Cassidy Inc., RMS Holdings LLC, RMS Holdings LLC (Delaware), RMS Welding Systems, RMS Welding Systems LLC, Ranger Directional, Realtime Engineers Inc., Realtime Utility Engineers Inc., Redes Andinas de Comunicaciones S.R.L., Riggin & Diggin Line Construction, Rms Welding LLC, Rms Welding Systems LLC, Road Bore Corporation, Ryan Company Inc. The, Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, Ryan Company Inc.(The), Seaward, Seaward Corp, Seaward Corporation, Service EC (DE) Inc., Service Electric Company (DE), Service Electric Company Inc., Service Electric Company of Delaware, Servicios Par Electric S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios de Infraestructura del Peru S.A.C., Southwest Trenching Company Inc., Specialty Tank Services L.P., Specialty Tank Services LP, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Ltd., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. (LP), Specialty Tank Services Ltd. L.P., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold General LLC, Stronghold Holdings (BVI) Limited, Stronghold Inspection L.P., Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Lp, Stronghold Inspection Ltd L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Limited Partnership, Stronghold Ltd., Stronghold Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Management Holdings LP, Stronghold Specialty General LLC, Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Tower Group LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd., Stronghold Tower Group Ltd. LP, Stronghold VI LLC, Subterra Damage Prevention Specialists Ltd., Summit Line Construction, Sumter Utilities Inc., T. G. Mercer Consulting Services Inc., TA Construction, TC Infrastructure Services Ltd., Taylor Built, Texas Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, The Aspen Utility Company LLC, The ComTran Group Inc., The Hallen Construction Co. Inc., The Massachusetts Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc Of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc. (Massachusetts), The Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Incorporated of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Of Massachusetts Inc., The Ryan Company of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company of Massachusetts (FN), Tom Allen Construction Company Inc., Tom Allen Construction Company of Delaware, Trans Tech Electric, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd., TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey I&E Ltd., Turnkey Automation Ltd. L.P., Turnkey Automation Ltd. LP., UCC Underground Construction Co. Inc., Ucc - Underground Construction Co., Underground Construction Co. Inc., Underground Construction Co. Inc. (Delaware), Underground Electric Construction Company LLC, Utilco Inc., Utility Fleet Services, Utility Line Management Services Inc., Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Utility Training Services Corporation, VALARD Polska sp. Z o.o., Valard, Valard, Valard Construction (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Construction (Quebec) Inc., Valard Construction 2008 Ltd., Valard Construction Australia Pty Ltd, Valard Construction LLC, Valard Equipment (AB) Ltd., Valard Equipment GP Ltd., Valard Equipment Limited Partnership, Valard Geomatics (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Geomatics BC Ltd., Valard Geomatics Ltd., Valard Mechanical Ltd., Valard Norway AS, Valard Sweden AB, Valard Zagreb d. o. o., Wade D. Taylor Inc., West Coast Communications, Winco Helicopters, Winco Inc., Winco Inc. an Oregon Based Corporation, Winco Powerline Services, Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Services Inc., World Fiber Inc., and mmit Line Construction Inc..

Read More
Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes. The company provides Alimta for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma; Cyramza for metastatic gastric cancer, gastro-esophageal junction adenocarcinoma, metastatic NSCLC, metastatic colorectal cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma; Erbitux for colorectal cancers, and various head and neck cancers; Retevmo for metastatic NSCLC, medullary thyroid cancer, and thyroid cancer; Tyvyt for relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin's lymph and non-squamous NSCLC; and Verzenio for HR+, HER2- metastatic breast cancer, node positive, and early breast cancer. It offers Olumiant for rheumatoid arthritis; and Taltz for plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and non-radiographic axial spondylarthritis. The company offers Cymbalta for depressive disorder, diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, generalized anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, and chronic musculoskeletal pain; Emgality for migraine prevention and episodic cluster headache; and Zyprexa for schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, and bipolar maintenance. Its Bamlanivimab and etesevimab, and Bebtelovimab for COVID-19; Cialis for erectile dysfunction and benign prostatic hyperplasia; and Forteo for osteoporosis. The company has collaborations with Incyte Corporation; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; AbCellera Biologics Inc.; Junshi Biosciences; Regor Therapeutics Group; Lycia Therapeutics, Inc.; Kumquat Biosciences Inc.; Entos Pharmaceuticals Inc.; and Foghorn Therapeutics Inc. Eli Lilly and Company was founded in 1876 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The following companies are subsidiares of Becton, Dickinson and: Accuri Cytometers, Accuri Cytometers Inc., Alverix Inc, Alverix Inc., Atto Bioscience Inc, BD Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., BD Infection Prevention BV, BD Kiestra BV, BD Kiestra Total Lab Automation, BD Rapid Diagnostic (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., BD San Luis Potosi S.A. de C.V., BD Switzerland Sarl, BD Ventures LLC, BD West Africa Limited, BDX INO LLC, Bard (Thailand) Limited, Bard ASDI Inc., Bard Access Systems Inc., Bard Acquisition Sub Inc., Bard Australia Pty. Limited, Bard Benelux N.V., Bard Brachytherapy Inc., Bard Brasil Industria e Comercio de Produtos Para a Saude Ltda., Bard Canada Inc., Bard Chile S.p.A., Bard Czech Republic s.r.o., Bard Devices Inc., Bard Dublin ITC Limited, Bard EMEA Finance Center Sp.z o.o., Bard European Distribution Center N.V., Bard Finance B.V. & Co. KG., Bard Financial Services Ltd., Bard Finland OY, Bard France S.A.S., Bard Global Holdings I LLC, Bard Global Holdings II LLC, Bard Global Holdings III LLC, Bard Healthcare Inc., Bard Healthcare Science (Shanghai) Limited, Bard Hellas S.A., Bard Holding SAS, Bard Holdings Limited, Bard Holdings Netherlands B.V., Bard Hong Kong Limited, Bard IP Holdings Inc., Bard India Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Bard International Holdings B.V., Bard International Inc., Bard Istanbul Healthcare Limited Company, Bard Korea Ltd., Bard Limited, Bard MRL Acquisition Corp., Bard Malaysia Healthcare Sdn. Bhd., Bard Medica SA, Bard Medical Devices (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Bard Medical R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Bard Medical SA (Proprietary) Limited, Bard Mexico Realty S. de R.L. de C.V., Bard Norden AB, Bard Norway AS, Bard Pacific Health Care Company Ltd., Bard Peripheral Vascular Inc., Bard Poland Sp. z.o.o., Bard Productos Plasticos e Medicos Ltda., Bard Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Bard S.r.l., Bard Sdn. Bhd., Bard Shannon Limited, Bard Singapore Private Limited, Bard Sourcing Office Singapore Pte. Ltd., Bard Sweden AB, Bard UK Newco Limited, Bard de Espana S.A., Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Limited, Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Management Limited, Becton Dickinson (Mauritius) Limited, Becton Dickinson (Pty) Ltd., Becton Dickinson (Thailand) Limited, Becton Dickinson A.G., Becton Dickinson A/S, Becton Dickinson Argentina S.R.L., Becton Dickinson Asia Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson Asia Limited, Becton Dickinson Austria GmbH, Becton Dickinson Austria Holdings GmbH, Becton Dickinson B.V., Becton Dickinson B.V. Saudi Limited Company, Becton Dickinson Benelux N.V., Becton Dickinson Biosciences Systems and Reagents Inc., Becton Dickinson Canada Inc., Becton Dickinson Caribe Ltd., Becton Dickinson Croatia d.o.o., Becton Dickinson Czechia s.r.o., Becton Dickinson Dispensing Belgium BVBA, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Denmark A/S, Becton Dickinson Dispensing France SAS, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Ireland Limited, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Norway, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Spain S.L.U., Becton Dickinson Dispensing UK Ltd., Becton Dickinson Distribution Center N.V., Becton Dickinson East Africa Ltd., Becton Dickinson Euro Finance Sarl, Becton Dickinson Europe Holdings S.A.S., Becton Dickinson France S.A.S., Becton Dickinson GSA Beteilgungs GmbH, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings I Inc., Becton Dickinson Global Holdings II LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings IV LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings V LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings VII LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings VIII LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Services Centre Sdn. Bhd, Becton Dickinson GmbH, Becton Dickinson Guatemala S.A., Becton Dickinson Hellas S.A., Becton Dickinson Holdings Limited, Becton Dickinson Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson Holdings Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Hungary Kft., Becton Dickinson India Private Limited, Becton Dickinson Industrias Cirurgicas Ltda., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy AB, Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Holdings UK Limited, Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Systems Inc., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Systems Inc. S.A. de C.V., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy UK, Becton Dickinson Insulin Syringe Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings II Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings III Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Israel Ltd., Becton Dickinson Italia S.p.A., Becton Dickinson Ithalat Ihracat Limited Sirketi, Becton Dickinson Korea Holding Inc., Becton Dickinson Korea Ltd., Becton Dickinson Ltd., Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Finance S.a.r.L., Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Global Holdings Sarl, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings II S.a.r.L, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings III S.a.r.L, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings V S.a.r.L., Becton Dickinson Malaysia Inc., Becton Dickinson Management GmbH & Co. KG, Becton Dickinson Matrex Holdings Inc., Becton Dickinson Medical (S) Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Devices (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Products Pte. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Technology (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Global Holdings II C.V., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Holdings B.V., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Holdings II B.V., Becton Dickinson Norway AS, Becton Dickinson O.Y., Becton Dickinson Overseas Services Ltd., Becton Dickinson Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd., Becton Dickinson Penel Limited, Becton Dickinson Philippines Inc., Becton Dickinson Polska Sp.z.o.o., Becton Dickinson Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Becton Dickinson Pty. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Research Centre Ireland Limited, Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH, Becton Dickinson Rowa Italy Srl, Becton Dickinson S.A., Becton Dickinson Sample Collection GmbH, Becton Dickinson Scot Financing L.L.P., Becton Dickinson Scot Financing L.P., Becton Dickinson Sdn. Bhd., Becton Dickinson Slovakia s.r.o., Becton Dickinson Sweden AB, Becton Dickinson Sweden Holdings AB, Becton Dickinson Switzerland Global Holdings SarL, Becton Dickinson Technology Campus India, Becton Dickinson U.K. Limited, Becton Dickinson UK Financing I Limited, Becton Dickinson UK Financing II Limited, Becton Dickinson Venezuela C.A., Becton Dickinson Venture LLC, Becton Dickinson Verwaltungs GmbH, Becton Dickinson Vostok LLC, Becton Dickinson Worldwide Investments Sa.r.L., Becton Dickinson Zambia Limited, Becton Dickinson and Company Ltd., Becton Dickinson de Colombia Ltda., Becton Dickinson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Becton Dickinson del Uruguay S.A., Bee IT Solutions, Benex Ltd., Biometric Imaging, Bridger Biomed Inc., C. R. Bard (Portugal) - Produtos e Artigos Medicos e Farmaceuticos, C. R. Bard Do Brasil Productos Medicos Ltda., C. R. Bard GmbH, C. R. Bard Inc., C. R. Bard Netherlands Sales B.V., C.R. Bard Inc, CME America LLC, CME Ltd., CME Medical (UK) Limited, CME UK (Holdings) Limited, CRISI Medical Systems, CRISI Medical Systems Inc., Caesarea Medical Electronics, Cardal II LLC, Care Fusion Development Private Limited, CareFusion (Barbados) SrL, CareFusion (Shanghai) Commercial and Trading Co. Limited, CareFusion 213 LLC, CareFusion 2200 Inc., CareFusion 2201 Inc., CareFusion 302 LLC, CareFusion 303 Inc., CareFusion Asia (HK) Limited, CareFusion Corporation, CareFusion Corporation., CareFusion D.R. 203 Ltd., CareFusion France 309 S.A.S., CareFusion Israel 330 Ltd., CareFusion Italy 312 S.p.A., CareFusion Manufacturing LLC, CareFusion Mexico 215 S.A. de C.V., CareFusion Netherlands 328 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 503 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 504 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands Financing 283 C.V., CareFusion Resources LLC, CareFusion S.A. 319 (Proprietary) Limited, CareFusion Solutions LLC, CareFusion U.K. 244 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 305 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 306 Limited, Carmel Pharma AB, Carmel Pharma Inc, Cato Software Solutions, Cell Analysis Systems Inc, Cellular Research, Cellular Research Inc., Clearstream Technologies Group Limited, Clearstream Technologies Limited, Clontech Laboratories Inc, Corporativo BD de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Critical Device Corporation, Cubex, Cytognos, Cytopeia Inc, DLD (Bermuda) Ltd., DVL Acquisition Sub Inc., Davol Inc., Davol International Limited, Davol Surgical Innovations S.A. de C.V., Difco Laboratories Incorporated, Distribuidora BD Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dutch American Manufacturers (D.A.M.) B.V., Dymax Corporation, Embo Medical Limited, Enturia de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Enturican Inc., FJ International Inc., FlowCardia Inc., FlowCardia LLC, FlowJo LLC, Franklin Lakes Enterprises L.L.C., GSL Solutions, Gamer Lasertechnik GmbH, GenCell Biosystems, GenCell Biosystems Ltd., GeneOhm Sciences Canada ULC, GeneOhm Sciences Inc, Gentest Corporation, Gesco International Inc., Gesco International LLC, Glentech Inc, HandyLab Inc, HandyLab Inc., IBD Holdings LLC, Iontophoretics Corporation, JoHome LLC, Kabushiki Kaisha Medicon (Medicon Inc.), Liberator Health and Education Services Inc., Liberator Health and Wellness Inc., Liberator Medical Holdings Inc., Liberator Medical Supply Inc., Limited Liability Company Bard Rus, Loma Vista Medical Inc., Loma Vista Medical LLC, Luther Medical Products Inc, Lutonix Inc., Med-Design Corporation, Med-Design Investment Holdings Inc., Med-Safe Systems Inc, Med-Safe Systems Inc., MedChem Products Inc., Medafor Inc., Medegen LLC, Medinservice.com Inc., Medivance Inc., NAT Diagnostics Inc., NAT Diagnostics Inc., NOW Medical Distribution Inc., NOW Medical Distribution LLC, Navarre Biomedical LLC, Navarre Biomedical Ltd., Neomend Inc., Nippon Becton Dickinson Company Ltd., Omega Biosystems Incorporated, P.R.C. (Isialys) Societe a responsabilitie limitee, PT Becton Dickinson Indonesia, PharMingen, PharMingen., Plasso Technology Ltd, PreAnalytiX GmbH, Pristine Access Technologies Inc., ProSeed Inc., Procesos para Esterilizacion S.A. de C.V., Productos Bard de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Productos Para el Cuidado de la Salud S.A. de C.V., Puls Medical Devices AS LC, PureWick Corporation, Roberts Laboratories Inc., Rochester Medical Corporation, Rochester Medical Ltd., Saf-T-Med Inc, Safety Syringes Inc., Scanwell Health Inc., Sendal S.L.U., SenoRx Inc., SenoRx LLC, Shield Healthcare Centers Inc., Sirigen Group Limited, Sirigen II Limited, Sirigen Inc., Sistemas Medicos ALARIS S.A. de C.V., Specialized Cooperative Corporation, Specialized Health Products Inc., Specialized Health Products International Inc., Specialized Health Products International LLC, Staged Diabetes Management LLC, Straub Medical AG, Straub Medical AG, Surgical Site Solutions Inc., TVA Medical Inc, TVA Medical Inc., Tepha Inc, Tepha Inc., Tissuemed Ltd., Tri-County Medical & Ostomy Supplies Inc., TriPath Imaging Inc., Tru-Fit Marketing Corporation, Vas-Cath Incorporated, Vascular Pathways Inc., Velano Vascular, Velano Vascular Inc., Venclose Inc., Venetec International Inc., Venetec International LLC, Visitec, Y-Med Inc., Y-Med LLC, and ZebraSci Inc..

Read More
When rescuers found a group of seven dogs living by a river, they were surprised that they weren't scared of people - until they realized they were being cared for by a homeless couple. When the rescuers with Hope for Paws, a Los Angeles-based rescue group, arrived at the site, they were greeted by four incredibly friendly dogs.

Hope for Paws

The dogs were clearly not scared of people at all, and the rescuers soon realized why.

Hope for Paws

The rescuers heard someone calling to the dogs, who immediately ran to her. They followed the dogs, who led them to Wilma, a homeless woman who told them she'd been caring for the dogs.

Hope for Paws

When Wilma realized the rescuers were there to take the dogs away, she was upset and tried to resist. The rescuers followed her into a nearby tunnel, where she lives, and took out their iPads so they could show her their website and all that they do to help animals. They also promised that they would do everything in their power to help her, too.

Dodo Shows Wild Hearts Guy And Wild Shark Have Been Best Friends For Decades

Hope for Paws

Wilma was crying and very distraught, but ultimately agreed that they could take four of the dogs. She clearly wanted the dogs to have the best life they possibly could, even if saying goodbye would be difficult. "Wilma knew that she is struggling herself, and that not having to care for the dogs would make her life a little easier," Eldad Hagar, founder of Hope for Paws, wrote on Flickr.

Hope for Paws

One by one, Wilma took the time to say goodbye to each dog ...

Hope for Paws

... and then handed them up to the rescuers, who were waiting with their van to take them to safety.

Hope for Paws

The dogs clearly loved Wilma, too, and everyone was heartbroken watching the selfless woman say goodbye to the dogs she had taken care of.

Hope for Paws

Finally, all four dogs were leashed up and ready to go. Just as the rescuers were getting ready to leave with the dogs, Wilma's husband, Ruben, showed up, and told them there were actually three more dogs. He gave them one of the dogs, but the other two were hiding somewhere, and so the rescuers promised they would be back in 48 hours to get them, and to bring food and clothes to Wilma and Ruben.

Hope for Paws

The rescuers took the five dogs they'd been able to save that day to be bathed and checked out, so they'd be all ready to go to their new foster home.

Hope for Paws

When the rescuers returned, Wilma and Ruben were waiting for them with the final two dogs. They all sat together for a while, and the rescuers got to know the amazing couple.

Hope for Paws

"This married couple has been living like this for five years, and they are trying to get their lives back together," Hagar wrote. "They explained how they are relieved not to have to care for all the stray dogs."

Hope for Paws

One of the dogs was reluctant to say goodbye to Ruben, and so he walked her to the car to help her transition to her new life.

Hope for Paws

Once in the car, the two exhausted dogs fell asleep ...

Hope for Paws

... and when they woke up, they were shocked and thrilled to be reunited with all of their friends again.

Hope for Paws

The pups were taken in by Rescue From The Hart, and all seven of them were placed in the same foster home. If it hadn't been for Wilma and Ruben, there's no telling what would have happened to these dogs. Now they're safe and sound, and will hopefully have loving forever homes soon.

Hope for Paws
For decades, Nam Phon's life was full of hardship - but she ended it in the best possible place. Last weekend, Nam Phon, a 55-plus-year-old Asian elephant, passed away at Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT), the sanctuary where she had finally felt peace after being rescued from years of backbreaking labor. Since arriving at WFFT last spring, Nam Phon had become something of a figurehead for the herd of rescued elephants.

Nam Phon first arriving at the sanctuary after her rescue | Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

"Nam Phon's trusting nature and calm demeanor enlightened the lives of many," WFFT said in a statement. "She experienced more freedom on [the] last few months of her life than ever before. She wandered the forests around the WFFT Elephant Refuge freely, doing as she pleased, like a big diva, often ignoring the commands of her caring mahout Aek."

Nam Phon playing during water therapy | Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

But unfortunately, Nam Phon's age and hard life caught up with her, and she gently passed away earlier this month. But WFFT wasn't about to let her go without a proper farewell.

Dodo Shows Adoption Day Hairless German Shepherd Puppies Find The Perfect Families

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

The sanctuary held a funeral for her, laying her body out and covering it in flowers, leaving a gift of fruit near her head. With several monks leading the service, the team gathered around to say one final goodbye.

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

While Nam Phon ended her life at peace, her life was symbolic of the struggles many captive Asian elephants undergo. She was born into the wild in the 1950s, but stolen from her family to be used in the logging industry when she was just a calf. She likely underwent the infamous training "crush" process, which crushes young wild elephants' spirits so they're more easy to handle, before being sent to work.

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

"She spent decades being forced to destroy her own habitat," WFFT said. "During this time it is likely that she gave birth to her own calves which were subsequently taken from her." When the logging industry was banned from using elephants in the late 1980s, many elephants were forced to roam the streets begging for food. But as the tourist industry grew, many of them, like Nam Phon, were forced into giving elephant rides and performing.

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

For 30 years she was forced to serve tourists, "being moved from camp to camp, giving rides to tourists until she could no more," WFFT wrote.

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

At one point, Nam Phon's owner agreed to give her up to the WFFT elephant refuge, and she has a six-year respite from giving rides. But in 2010, he decided to take her away from the sanctuary and force her back into work. Finally, in March 2016, Nam Phon returned to the sanctuary for good after lengthy negotiations with her owner - and was greeted by two of her friends from her previous stay at the sanctuary, who remembered her all those years later. She also became fast friends with another elephant, Jele, whom she loved to "hold hands" with with her trunk.

Nam Phon and Jele "holding hands" | Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

WFFT said Nam Phon left a lasting legacy behind her - not only at the sanctuary, but for elephants around the world. "She inspired us and the many people who met her to strive for a better future for over 3000 elephants that still languish in captive environments throughout Thailand," the rescue group said. "She gave us hope to continue to fight for their freedom, the years of abuse she had endured never dulled her light."

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

And her rescuers left their beloved elephant with the sweetest message. "After years of abuse at the hands of humans you are now free, old girl," WFFT wrote. "You will be remembered as much a victim of the captive elephant industry, as you are a shining beacon of hope for the many other elephants still in need of help. She has left this world and moved to another - her spirit is now free."

Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand
When Regina broke her back leg, her owners should have helped her - immediately. But they didn't. Instead the little lamb was forced to drag her broken leg behind her, using her other back leg as a crutch.

Farm Sanctuary

Regina had been born into a high school agriculture program, meant to teach kids about farming and animal husbandry. While the school's identity has remained a secret, Alicia Pell, the Southern California shelter manager for Farm Sanctuary (the animal refuge where Regina eventually ended up) believes the students were learning how to get lambs to latch - that is, to nurse from their moms. But Regina had a hard time nursing. She was one of three triplets, and the runt at that. While her siblings managed to feed from their mother, Regina's tummy was often empty. Without her mother's milk, Regina grew thin and weak and malnourished. Then she broke her leg.

Farm Sanctuary

"We were told that the mother broke her leg," Pell told The Dodo. "If the mother had rejected her, and Regina was trying to feed from her, the mother could have kicked her off with her back leg. But it's hard to know honestly. The person who gave me the information got it secondhand." In addition to getting vet care, Pell believes that Regina should have been isolated. Yet the school administrator didn't remove Regina from the pen that she shared with her mother, siblings and a few other ewes. "It was perilous to keep her in there," Pell said. "She was undoubtedly neglected."

Farm Sanctuary

To make matters worse, the students banded Regina's tail, which is a cruel practice of tying a rubber band around the base of a lamb's tail to deliberately cut off the blood supply and cause the tail to fall off. When Regina's health deteriorated, the school decided to euthanize her. But when a student's mother found out what was planned, she knew she had to save the lamb's life. "She convinced the school supervisor to place Regina with us instead of euthanize her," Pell said. On November 30, volunteers from Farm Sanctuary took Regina into their care, and rushed her to an animal hospital, where she finally got the care she needed.

Dodo Shows Pittie Nation The Sweetest Pittie Was Living Under A Jeep

Farm Sanctuary

Once Regina's condition was stable, the vet team took X-rays of her broken leg. "They were originally pretty hopeful that they could go on and put in some pins," Pell explained. "They said they'd had success with similar breaks that had been untreated for awhile."

Farm Sanctuary

But when it came time to operate, plans changed. "The breaks were more extensive than they expected, and it just wasn't possible to salvage the leg," Pell said. "One of the breaks was very high up on the femur, almost up on the hip bone. They ended up having to amputate the leg by dislocating the femur entirely from the leg."

Farm Sanctuary

Since Regina's leg was amputated so high, she couldn't wear a prosthetic. Then again, she doesn't seem to need one.

Farm Sanctuary

"She was on really high doses of pain meds right after the surgery," Pell said. "But she was up and standing and walking within a few hours. By the next day, she was running. They were pretty astounded by her recovery!"

Farm Sanctuary

At the sanctuary, running and jumping quickly became Regina's two favorite activities.

"I have to shuffle to make sure that I don't trip over her because she beats me to the other side of the enclosure almost every time," Pell said. "She plays really hard, then crashes pretty hard, kind of like a puppy or kitten. She will keep running and running and running. I kind of know it's time to go in when she's not beating me to the other side of the enclosure."

Farm Sanctuary

When Regina tires out, she goes inside and snoozes in a dog bed with her stuffed animals.

Farm Sanctuary

"She has a real fighting spirit, and I think that's due in part to having to live the way that she did with that leg broken," Pell said. "We are all deeply in love with her."

Farm Sanctuary

Pell also said hopes that the students in the high school agricultural program find out where Regina is now living.

Farm Sanctuary

"I hope that they learn that she's with us, and learn that she's doing well," Pell said. "I also hope they come see her, and see how she has rebounded with the appropriate care."

Farm Sanctuary
When a tiny duckling was born very sick, she was rescued by a woman who understands how it feels to need a little extra love and support.

Puff the duck was born at a farm supply store, incredibly sick. At only a day old, the other ducklings were running all over her while she lay in a heap on the floor. The people at the store were planning on throwing her away - until someone noticed her. Ashley Scott was at the store when she noticed poor little Puff, barely breathing. When she found out the store was planning on throwing her out, she quickly decided to take Puff back to her North Carolina home with her.

"After seeing her barely breathing and not able to keep her head up, I had to save her," Scott told The Dodo. Puff was so tiny and fragile when Scott first brought her home that she had to be fed from a dropper. As Puff began to grow, Scott realized she was having trouble learning how to do things that come naturally to other ducks, like swimming and flying. Puff was terrified of water and had no idea how to flap her wings, so Scott showed her how. "I had to slowly introduce her to water with baths and showers," Scott said. "She never got into deep water, until one summer when I put on flippers in the pool and showed her how to swim. She rode on my back, then out of nowhere she dove under and swam."

Dodo Shows Pittie Nation The Sweetest Pittie Was Living Under A Jeep

Scott would also run back and forth in her yard, flapping her arms like crazy, while Puff ran behind her and tried to imitate her. One day, Puff finally spread her wings and took off into the air.

Puff still isn't much of a flyer, though, because she would rather be by her mom's side - especially when her mom needs her the most.

Scott suffers from a very rare autoimmune disease, and from the very beginning, Puff could sense that she needed extra support. She sits with her while she gets her breathing treatments, and cuddles with her when she has bouts of severe sickness. Somehow, Puff can even sense when Scott's symptoms are about to flare up, and tries to let her know.

"She will get extra quacky days before my flare-ups start," Scott said. "It's almost like she can sense them. It's truly amazing. She will be very screamy trying to let us know something. We couldn't figure what was wrong at first. The next thing we knew, I got super sick."

Puff was rescued as a tiny, sickly duckling, and somehow grew into the greatest therapy duck for her new mom. She knows exactly what her mom needs when she's feeling sick, and sympathizes with her so much more than anyone thought she could. When Scott first started getting sick around Puff, Puff started showing signs of getting sick, too. She lost weight, stopped laying eggs, and her feathers looked unhealthy. Scott brought her to the vet, who couldn't find anything really wrong with her. The conclusion was that Puff was most likely having sympathy symptoms after seeing Scott so sick. "Because she loved me so much she was basically heartbroken to see me so sick and it was causing her to have symptoms," Scott said.

Puff has helped Scott learn to cope with her illness, and she's thankful for that every single day. Before Puff, Scott wasn't as comfortable sharing her struggles, and now, people all over the world reach out to Scott and Puff to share what they're going through and show their support.
Mushu the bunny was rescued from a laboratory with her mom over a year ago. Since then, she's grown up at New Life Animal Sanctuary, in Lake Elsinore, California. Prince, a rooster, was rescued by the sanctuary around the same time, "from an academic 'science center,'" Gina Lynn, founder of the sanctuary, told The Dodo.

Because both animals had a weak start in life, they recently got sick. "I have a very sick bunny (Mushu) and a very sick rooster (Prince)," Lynn wrote. "Both have severe head tilts and balance issues and can barely walk, if at all (for different reasons)."

Dodo Shows Cat Crazy Fluffy Cat Wants To Sit On His Dad At All Times

Lynn has been providing around-the-clock care for both of the animals, and she recently put them in a pen together, after coming back to the sanctuary from the veterinarian. Soon enough, Lynn found a sweet surprise: Mushu and Prince had somehow found their way to each other - and were snuggling. "We got home from the vet last night and found them like this this morning," Lynn wrote.

"Heart melting all over the floor," Lynn said.

Now Lynn gives the best friends their medicine together, all curled up in her lap. It's uncertain how soon they'll get better. Mushu is expected to recover after a few months, but Lynn suspects that Prince has cancer. But everyone is determined to give him the best life possible, even if his time is cut short. "Our vet has hope and I'll take it!" Lynn said. "We always have to try."
With Donald Trumps inauguration just hours away and the repeal of the Affordable Care Act possibly not far behind, Coulee Region hospital officials hope that Trump and Congress wield a scalpel rather than a meat cleaver.

In the interim, amid confusion not only in the health care and insurance industries but also among both friends and foes of Obamacare, local officials have adopted a wait-and-see attitude, with fingers crossed for good measure.

For good reason: If President Barack Obamas signature legislation were axed without a replacement plan in place, thousands of people in the region  and 18 million to 20 million nationwide  who had secured insurance and health care under the law will be tossed out of the waiting room again.

To a person, the medical officials expressed uncertainty, with Tomah Memorial Hospital CEO Phil Stuart saying, I wish I had the crystal ball. If, in fact, they repeal it, my understanding is that it will not go back to what it was before but will be different.

Michael Richards, executive director of external affairs at Gundersen Health System, opined, Everybody knows they want to repeal it, but we dont know what the replacement will be  whether it takes a day, week, or hour  what its going to look like.

The mention of such time elements is reminiscent of Trumps boast last week that both the repeal and the replacement of the 2,700-page ACA might happen that fast. Its unclear whether that would include the more than 20,000 pages of regulations tacked onto the law.

Joe Kruse, chief administrative officer at Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, noted the popularity of some of the laws hallmarks and their value in helping the previously uninsured and underinsured  in particular the coverage of pre-existing conditions and allowing young people to stay on their parents policies until the age of 26.

Access has improved

Its not lost on anybody that the ACA has provided better access to health care for everybody, Kruse said, adding one of the Mayo Clinic Health Systems talking points that fixing the ACA is going to require a surgical approach with careful assessment, evaluation and action  with more focus on patients and treatments and less on premiums and websites.

Echoing the notion of the ACAs value to the uninsured is Sandy Brekke, director of the St. Clare Health Mission in La Crosse, who said, It had a big impact, because those who traditionally came to the free clinic didnt have access to health care.

The number of people seeking care at St. Clare fell by 50 percent, and mission volunteers helped more than 2,000 people apply for insurance coverage through the federal marketplace, Brekke said.

However, St. Clare remained a resource for hundreds of people who fall through the cracks for one reason or another, she said. They can include people whose workplaces offer insurance but who still cant afford the care, people caught up in the criminal justice system, and some who lose BadgerCare for one reason or another.

For example, if a month has three paydays, BadgerCare recipients pay might exceed eligibility limits, and the system would force them off of BadgerCare. Such people then have qualifying again, Brekke said.

Local officials generally agree that Obamacare has many positive aspects that have improved delivery of care, while parts of it need improvement.

For his part, Trump vowed last week that everyone would have insurance and that deductibles would be much lower, a position that many insist reveals a basic misunderstanding of the insurance industry and actuarial tables.

Full impact unknown

Tomah Memorials Stuart expressed concern that the 2010 law could be derailed even before it is fully implemented, as many parts have not taken effect.

Its a concern to me, because I would like to see the full impact of the ACA. Parts of the ACA are very good, he said.

Asked whether Obamacare has had enough time to settle in, Mayo-Franciscans Kruse said, I do not believe so  but thats just Joe Kruses opinion.

Stuart said, The long and short of it for us is what it did to our bottom line. We had less charity care, which dropped by about $100,000 a year, but there also were less contractual write-offs for Medicare and Medicaid services.

Richards and Kruse concurred with that assessment, as well as citing offsetting increases in bad debt, although they said being able to attribute specific figures to those factors is a difficult task.

By law  and we would do it anyway because we should  we care for anybody who needs it, Stuart said.

One of the things that didnt happen was that emergency room service didnt drop, he said. The ACAs intent in getting out of the ER didnt work.

The laws aim to do so is grounded in the fact that ER care is the most expensive delivery method.

ER use at Tomah Memorial has grown 2.5 percent to 5 percent a year both before and after the law, he said.

Access also remains a problem, Stuart said, adding, Try to get an appointment. People who have insurance still cant get in. You can give people insurance, but if they cant get in ... 

Stuart expressed concern that some Republicans seem bent on repealing the entire law.

That would not be very good, he said. Take the good side, and fix it.

Gundersens Richards said, Right now, weve got more questions than comments, (but) I think we will know relatively soon, at least what that replacement will be.

Richards also cited the complexity of the law, saying, I tell people that the law isnt just about health care reform. It is primarily about the health insurance aspect.

Despite increasing premiums, the vast majority on our plan (Health Tradition) were able to receive premium subsidies, Kruse said.

Mission able to start services

Even though the lines of those seeking care at St. Clare have diminished, no volunteers quit, Brekke said. Their shifts were spread out, and the mission has been able to work on new projects, she said, including a dental initiative that has been in the works and may be realized soon.

We also have started a Community Health Worker Program, where people will be out on the ground in neighborhoods, filling the gap between the health systems and the community, Brekke said.

Working with Brekke to develop the program is Luke Zellmer of La Crosse, an activist who founded Wheels for All, in which he repairs bicycles and gives them to people who otherwise couldnt afford them.

On Thursday, Zellmer was able to work with a La Crosse school to straighten out a problem with a students medication, Brekke said.

When the Health Worker Program is cranked up, it will operate in conjunction with the La Crosse Collaborative to End Homelessness, said Brekke, one of the organizers of that effort.

Health care officials remain skittish this inauguration, wondering what the next weeks and months will bring.

I hope lawmakers heed Mayos opinion in calling for a delicate approach, Kruse said. It doesnt seem that apparent they will, and Im not sure they and Trump share that perspective.

Most of us in health care  if we had a voice  would want to make less drastic changes, he said. We have to keep voicing, with many voices, that access to health care should be for more patients.

That should be our moral imperative, as rich as this nation is, Kruse said.
Right now, more than 200 dolphins are packed into a tiny sea pen off the coast of Taiji, Japan, waiting for the worst.

The dolphins on Friday afternoon. | Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Every year, Taiji's dolphin hunters hold a months-long hunt to round up dolphin families and drive them into the infamous Taiji cove. The prettiest dolphins are corralled off and sold to museums and marine parks, where they spend their lives in cramped tanks performing for tourists.

Dolphins during a previous hunt | DolphinProject.com

The rest of the dolphins - the mothers and fathers, the babies, the ones who aren't attractive enough - are butchered for their meat, turning the water a bright red. In some cases, the infants are spared - but they're thrown back into the ocean, helpless and alone, and to fend for themselves. Usually the hunters will capture a smaller pod every few days. But on Friday in Japan, they found the worst possible thing: a superpod of hundreds of dolphins.

Dodo Shows Odd Couples Dog And Wild Dolphin Play Whenever They See Each Other

The dolphins on Friday - some estimate the family includes as many as 300 members | Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

According to Sea Shepherd, which has a team of monitors recording the situation, the hunters spotted the superpod on Friday morning. Using metal bars, which they bang on their boats to disorient the dolphins and disrupt their sonar, the hunters split the pod into two and drove them into the cove, dropping nets behind them to trap them.

Dolphins trying to flee the hunters | DolphinProject.com

After they were trapped, the hunters left for the night, leaving the dolphins to wait overnight in the shallow, wintery water. "The skiffs and coast guard have left, leaving these dolphins here freezing and frightened," Sea Shepherd wrote. "Many, many juveniles and many dolphins spy-hopping, displaying scared and unnatural behaviour."

The dolphin superpod on Friday | Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

"At least 200 bottlenose dolphins are spending their final live moments in the cove in Taiji, netted off and awaiting potential captivity or slaughter," the team added. "There are many frightened babies with their mothers. This is not tradition, this is not culture; this is cruelty, this is torture."

Frantic dolphins trapped in the cove on Friday | DolphinProject.com

While proponents of the hunt often claim it's a tradition, the Taiji dolphin hunt is actually a recent invention; it wasn't until the modern availability of motorboats that hunters were even able to capture dolphins on such a massive scale.

The cove during a previous hunt | DolphinProject.com

The hunt is associated with the city-run Taiji Whale Museum, which owns its own performing dolphins, and facilitates the trade between hunters and marine parks around the world. "These are the final hours that these mothers will spend with their babies," Sea Shepherd explained. "The dolphin hunters profit the largest by preying on juvenile bottlenose, ripping them from their mothers and forcing them into ... imprisonment."

A panicked dolphin spy-hopping - a nervous behavior - in the cove on Friday | DolphinProject.com

And yet there's little the on-the-ground volunteers can do. While groups like Sea Shepherd and The Dolphin Project send observers to the cove each year to make sure the world can see what's happening, the area is heavily policed - anyone attempting to interfere with the hunt would be arrested before they could get close.

The cove on Friday evening | Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

The groups are hoping that by publicizing the plight of the hundreds-strong family currently trapped in the cove, people will realize the massive scale of the hunt - and help spark the international pressure needed to finally shut down the infamous killing cove for good. But for now, they're just trying to give these hundreds dolphins what comfort they can. The selection process, where dolphins are sorted out into the "sell" and "kill" piles, will likely take place on Saturday, but a group of volunteers elected to stay overnight with the dolphins to keep vigil with them until morning.
Three major publishers have signed an agreement with Canadian competition authorities that will permit retailers to sell the ebooks they publish at a discount  a practice limited in some of their contracts.

Publishers Holtzbrinck (doing business as Macmillan), Simon & Schuster, and Hachette signed the agreement with the Competition Bureau, as has Apple, an ebook retailer.

A previous agreement involving the three publishers and HarperCollins was rescinded by the Competition Tribunal last June after two years of litigation with Kobo  an ebook retailer spun off from Indigo Books & Music  challenging the 2014 deal.

The Competition Tribunals ruling last year provided clarity for what future arrangements should include.

HarperCollins did not sign the new agreement, and the Competition Bureau said it has filed an application with the Competition Tribunal to stop the companys alleged anti-competitive conduct.

The bureau alleges that an agreement between HarperCollins, its competitors and Apple was anti-competitive and led to higher prices for Canadians.

Read more about:

SHARE:
As of Donald Trumps inauguration, the most ambitious free-trade deal ever attempted is dead.

Or is it?

Donald Trump appeared to have killed the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and the seven years of negotiating that went into it, with a YouTube clip soon after the Nov. 10 U.S. presidential election. Trump vowed to formally withdraw the U.S. from the TPP on his first day in office.

And yet, TPP signatories Japan and Australia say reports of the TPPs death are premature. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has not only signed the TPP, as Ottawa and all 12 TPP members have done. Abe has also gone to the trouble, after Trumps anti-TPP vow, to gain his parliaments formal ratification of the TPP.

That was wise, as the traditionally free trade Wall Street Journal editorialized at the time. Abe has kept the TPP alive, if in hibernation, giving Trump time to reconsider his position. And Trump may indeed have a change of heart. There are many, mostly unspoken, reasons for that to happen, which will be noted further on.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a 12-country free trade arrangement embracing about 40 per cent of the global economy. That works out to $29 trillion (U.S.), about half again as large as the second-biggest economy, and with a population of approximately 820 million people. The original TPP members included five of the worlds 15-largest economies: The U.S., Japan, Canada, Australia and Mexico.

The TPP is unprecedented in its sweeping mandate. The deal goes beyond acceleration of GDP, jobs and household-income growth in each member country. It is also the most socially progressive trade deal ever. It would enforce high standards of environmental protections, food and other product safety, and workplace conditions  improvements in the life of everyday people never before enshrined in a trade deal.

Because the three members of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are also signatories to the proposed TPP, NAFTA would effectively be rolled into the TPP. That would necessarily minimize the additional benefit to Canada of TPP membership to an estimated 0.1 per cent increase in GDP.

That calculation misses the point, though.

Japan, notoriously protective of its agricultural sector, would for the first time open its huge, lucrative market to exports by Alberta ranchers and Prairie grain growers. Meanwhile, Canadian consumers would for the first time have affordable access to TPP signatory Vietnams shrimp, among the most nutritious in the world.

In short, the deal would raise living standards in emerging economies, while reducing cost of living in advanced ones.

The proposed TPP would be a huge step toward the borderless world, in which Canadian manufacturers, farmers, lawyers and bankers would be on the same footing as their counterparts in Japan. It complements the gains achieved in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU.

More important, emerging economies Chile, Peru, Vietnam and Malaysia  all TPP signatories  would be on a level playing field with superpower economies America and Japan in, for instance, trade-dispute resolution.

Heres why Donald Trump may ultimately sign on to a version of the TPP, regardless of what hes saying about the TPP now:

 Trump wants to boost Americas anemic GDP growth. He also wants to turn Americas admittedly large deficits with most of its major trading partners into surpluses. Indeed, this might be Trumps No.1 priority.

The fastest rates of GDP growth are in emerging markets. For instance, the economies of the proposed 16-country Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), spearheaded by Beijing, are expected to post a $70-trillion (U.S.) gain in total GDP between 2020 and 2050. Thats an increase of about four times the current size of the U.S. economy.

Mature economies like the U.S. and Canada simply cant generate that kind of dynamic GDP growth at home. By far the most promising means of boosting economic growth at home is to gain greater access to export markets abroad. And trade deals are the most effective way of achieving that goal.

 There is some confusion about where the Trump administration stands on free trade. Trumps Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, the most powerful U.S. cabinet officer and Americas chief diplomat, says he favours the TPP, agreeing with Trump on needed TPP adjustments.

Trump himself is not anti-free trade. He has vowed to strike America First trade deals with China and with Britain. But if Trump insists on lop-sided deals favouring the U.S., he will repeatedly come away empty-handed.

Trade deals dont get done unless theyre mutually beneficial, which is why they take years to negotiate.

 U.S. influence in the Pacific Rim will wane in the absence of the TPP or something very like it. That impotence will become even more pronounced if Japan wholly commits to RCEP, still in the negotiating stage. High-ranking Japanese and Chinese trade officials met in Tokyo last month to advance RCEP.

RECP is a straightforward trade deal, crude by TPP standards. Indeed, trade experts regard it as mostly a Chinese power grab, much like Vladimir Putins fledgling trade pact among former Soviet republics. But RECP is geographically vast, linking China with India, Southeast Asia and Australasia. It also risks Americas key ally Japan realigning itself toward Beijing and away from Washington.

A revived TPP is Americas best hope for keeping Japan in the fold, and containing Chinas growing economic and geopolitical power. And China is the chief obsession of Washington foreign-policy strategists.

 U.S. influence is also waning in Europe. The far-right xenophobic political movements that have arisen almost everywhere on the continent, and the mainstream politicos trying to co-opt them, each now take more inspiration from the strongman in Moscow than the incoming strongman in Washington.

Trump hasnt helped by repeatedly tweeting praise for Brexit. Each of those tweets goes off like a stink bomb in European capitals that fret over the possible collapse of the European Union that a British exit might trigger.

 The Trump ego is largely grounded in Trumps belief that he is among the most skilled dealmakers since Peter Minuit, according to legend, bought Manhattan for $24 worth of trinkets. Negotiating adjustments to the TPP, by addressing concerns in many cases shared by Ottawa and other TPP signatories, would enable Trump to claim a rejigged TPP as his own.

Fewer things would bolster the Trump ego than for him to emerge  in his own mind, at least  as creator and strongest voice in the biggest and most ambitious trade deal in history.

The deal would have to be rebranded, of course. The Trans-Trump Partnership has a nice ring to it.

SHARE:
The election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency has created a surge in Americans eyeballing Canadian property.

But dont expect an influx of U.S. real estate buyers north of the border, said Phil Soper, CEO of Royal LePage.

There may be more interest in Canada, he said, but who knows how educated American real estate researchers are in the steps necessary to actually relocate on a permanent basis? It certainly is easy to look.

Just in time for the inauguration, Royal LePage issued a report Friday showing that Canadian real estate, particularly in Ontario, has seen a Trump bump from U.S. buyers looking at property online.

Royal LePage saw a 41-per-cent year-over-year increase in queries to its web portal that originated south of the border in the last quarter of 2016. There were about 205,155 views last year, compared to about 145,500 in the same quarter of 2015.

I know a significant percentage of the increase is likely very early research and untied to specific strategies to uproot themselves and move to a foreign land, said Soper, adding that it is as difficult to immigrate to Canada as it is to the U.S.

The overall quarterly results were not as dramatic as the initial Trump jump. The day after the election, U.S. web traffic increased 329 per cent. Even in the week following the election, there was a 210-per-cent rise in the number of U.S. property searches on Canada.

Ontario attracted 41 per cent of those queries, followed by British Columbia and Quebec.

About 75 per cent of the queries were for residential properties.

Traditionally Americans are voracious consumers of Canadian recreational real estate. They have a romantic view as a nation of the great white north and they think about loons singing on wide open lakes, Soper said.

Now theyre looking at our cities.

But Soper said he believes that interest has as much to do with positive perceptions of Canada as it does with concern Americans might have about a negative direction the U.S. is taking.

Yes, it was a very negative election in the U.S. and there are a lot of hard feelings, but to actually consider moving, the place youre going to has to have positive attributes. I truly believe Brand Canadas been on a roll, he said.

A survey of 1,226 Royal LePage advisers in January showed that 38 per cent expect more Americans to look into Canadian real estate once Trump takes power.

Royal LePage isnt the only real estate source that has noticed a growing interest in Canadian property.

Online condo hub BuzzBuzzHome saw an increase in queries to its site leading up to the election.

And, in the week prior to inauguration, we are witnessing an increase of leads being generated from the U.S. to Canada, said company president Matthew Slutsky.

Inquiries from New York to Ontario were most prevalent, he said.

Read more about:

SHARE:
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 cut-off 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 humour, with a mouth that can grin slyly right before committing a slip of the tongue, making him a fertile source of humour. 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 favours 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 parlour. 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.

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 phoney 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.

SHARE:
WARSAW, POLANDPolands culture institute in France says it believes a previously unknown photograph of Polish composer and pianist Frederic Chopin has probably been found by private researchers. If so, it would be only the second confirmed photographic image of him.

The Polish Institute in Paris said on its website a photo of a daguerreotype image was found by Swiss physicist Alain Kohler, who co-operated with music journalist Gilles Bencimon of Radio France Internationale.

Kohler told The Associated Press Thursday by phone that he found it in the private collection of a musician in Switzerland. He said the daguerreotype was made around 1847 by Paris-based artist Louis-Auguste Bisson, who took the only confirmed photo of Chopin.

Kohler said the original daguerreotype needs to be found to allow experts to confirm whether it is an image of Chopin.

The black-and-white photo shows a distinctive nose, full mouth and thin face which is consistent with the only previously confirmed photograph of Chopin, taken by Bisson. The background also seems alike.

The piano master was born to a Polish mother and a French father in 1810 in Zelazowa Wola, in central Poland. At the age of 19 he left Warsaw for Vienna and then for Paris, where he composed, gave concerts and taught. He died in 1849 in Paris.

He is famous for his piano music, largely inspired by Polands traditional and folk dances and tunes, such as mazurkas or polonaises.

A Chopin music competition promoting young virtuosos is held in Warsaw every five years, the next one in 2020.

SHARE:
Check the New York Times travel section or your free Parks Canada pass: 2017 is the year of Canada 150.

A century and a half has passed since the British North America Act in 1867, by which our country gained sovereignty from Britain. But we havent lost our fascination with our former rulers, or at least thats what Toronto stages are telling us right now.

This week, Mirvish Productions opens The Audience at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Peter Morgans play depicting Queen Elizabeth IIs reign from 1952 to the present through her audiences with various prime ministers is highly anticipated. Directed by former Shaw Festival artistic director Christopher Newton, it features Fiona Reid as Britains monarch.

East of Yonge St., Soulpepper Theatre is also taking on a royal drama with The Last Wife, a contemporary retelling by Kate Hennig of the tale of King Henry VIIIs sixth and final wife, Katherine Parr (the only one to survive him).

This production brings together the cast that premiered the play at the Stratford Festival in 2015, where it sold out even before rehearsals began. This summer, Hennigs sequel, The Virgin Trial, will also appear at the festival.

Adding to the royal confluence is the blockbuster Netflix seriesThe Crown (another Morgan project, partly inspired by The Audience), which just won two Golden Globes.

We could thank Will and Kate for this resurgence in Canadas royal obsession, but if you ask Hennig, theres a deeper reason.

There is a real trend to allow history to be more inclusive, she says over the phone, on break from rehearsing The Audience, in which she plays former British PM Margaret Thatcher. She cites Lin-Manuel Mirandas Hamilton as the biggest example of this.

Whats really compelling me now is the idea that women get to speak their own history, and that people of any colour and culture get to own that history if they are Canadian or British or American. If our culture is going to be inclusive, then our history must be as well. I think thats also why weve got The Crown on TV, because we want to know Elizabeth. Women are interested in hearing their perspective in history, she says.

Inspired by the shifting power dynamics she witnessed during the Arab Spring, Hennig didnt set out to write a play about royals, she intended to write a play about tyranny.

That brought her to Henry VIII and the discovery of the character of Katherine Parr, the queen-maker: a well-educated, intelligent writer and educator who brought Henrys two banished daughters, Elizabeth (Bess in the play) and Mary, back into the royal lineage.

The Virgin Trial will focus on charges of treason against Bess; the third in the trilogy, Fathers Daughter, will involve the story of Mary, known commonly as Bloody Mary for her persecution of Protestants. Hennig says she could go on from there.

The more you read the more you write.

Neither Maev Beaty, who plays Kate (Katherine), or Bahia Watson, who plays Bess, had a pointed interest in the British royals before taking on their historical roles  though Beaty once bought her mother a set of Christmas ornaments of Henry VIII and his wives, and Watsons mother grew up in the British area of Guyana.

Fortunately, Hennigs contemporary setting of this 1800s story freed it from becoming too much of a period drama and, instead, something we can learn from today.

Yes, this is a historical biography through (Hennigs) perspective, but its also an exploration of power, patriarchy, the human heart and survival, Beaty says. And the contemporary resonances in Katherines story  a capable and intelligent woman navigating around a blustery, fiery-tempered and all-powerful man  arent easy to miss.

I would give my left leg to be able to go to the Womens March on Washington, but we cant because were doing a show. But if I cant be there, I cant imagine being in a better place than doing this play at this time, Beaty says.

And I think we all know why, in this play about a blond woman who doesnt get to be king. Whereas before I may have felt more responsibility to do right by Katherine Parr, I feel a greater responsibility now to do right by the questions in the play in a very contemporary and urgent moment.

Brexit, the election of Trump and so-called Canadian values are adding new resonance to The Last Wife and The Audience. In fact, The Last Wife had its American premiere in Chicago from September to December 2016, spanning from the euphoria of an anticipated female president to the breathtaking post-election letdown.

We were talking about how my play would become obsolete really because we were going to see a woman get to the place she deserved to be, Hennig says, noting that Chicagos TimeLine Theatre purposefully programmed The Last Wife with Hillary Clintons election in mind. Actor Steve Pickering, who played Henry VIII, said to me, he could feel the rage in the audience the next day.

Watson says the ripple effects of British colonialism means that increasingly intercultural societies wont become less interested in the British royals; on the other hand, our relationship to them will become even more complex. And the process of filling in historical gaps will remind us that the fight for equality is longer than we think and that Clinton is not the first woman to suffer such setbacks.

It feels like were going back in history and were bringing it with us, she says. Where we were invisible were putting ourselves back in and allowing that to empower our history and our present selves; that steps have been taken and also taken away. Theres something ancient in that.

See soulpepper.ca or call 416-866-8666 for tickets to The Last Wife. See mirvish.com or call 416-872-1212 for tickets to The Audience.

Carly Maga is a Toronto Star theatre critic. She alternates the Wednesday Matinee column with critic Karen Fricker.

SHARE:
OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau held a closed-door meeting Thursday with some leaders of Ontarios northern First Nations to discuss a national suicide strategy.

The prime minister reached out to Wapekeka First Nation band council member Joshua Frogg, the uncle of Chantell Fox, a 12-year-old girl who died by suicide on Jan. 10, as well as to Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler and Mushkegowuk Council Grand Chief Jonathan Solomon.

The chiefs were in Ottawa to hold a press conference on Parliament Hill, demanding a national suicide strategy after the deaths of Chantell and her 12-year-old friend Jolynn Winter. Jolynn died by suicide first, on Jan. 8. Four other girls were flown out of the remote First Nation 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, and another 26 students are considered at high risk for suicide.

Wapekeka Chief Brennan Sainnawap, Chantells grandfather, wrote to Health Canada in July to demand help and submit a mental-health funding proposal, saying they feared a suicide pact among girls was present in the community.

Health Canada denied their request.

The first thing we raised was the urgency of the situation, the fact the community has asked for some supports which they submitted back in July and the governments need to act immediately to approve the proposal, said Fiddler after the meeting on Thursday.

Fiddler handed Trudeau a copy of NANs declaration of a state of health emergency in their communities and those all the way to the Manitoba border, on Feb. 26, 2016. The declaration outlined how indigenous people are dying of preventable diseases such as rheumatic fever, suffering adverse effects of diabetes and lacking mental-health care and addiction treatment.

The declaration called for a transformation of how health care is delivered to these communities, said Fiddler, who added chiefs in Manitoba and Saskatchewan agree with them.

The present system does not respond quickly enough. Right now, it almost paralyzes communities and government as well. Even if we make new investments in present system, most likely it wont make a difference. NAN needs a total health transformation, he told the prime minister.

Fiddler said Trudeau was very receptive to all their suggestions but he made no commitments.

Earlier on Parliament Hill, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde, New Democrat MP Charlie Angus and the northern chiefs detailed how the youth suicide epidemic is devastating their communities.

Wapekekas Joshua Frogg spoke softly to the media, clutching the soft grey glove last worn by his niece, Chantell Fox.

Chantell and Jolynn Winter died less than six months after Sainnawap sent a report to Health Canada that outlined the communitys dire experiences with suicidal youth. The governments response, which came late last year in an email, was that it couldnt provide the nation with the $376,000 it requested, because it was an awkward time for their budget, Frogg said.

Awkward? It was awkward for us to bury two young children in the middle of the winter, in -30, -40 degree weather. It was awkward to break ground in the permafrost so that we could bury these children. It was awkward for our youth to cry at the funeral, Frogg said.

Its time for Canada to wake up, he added, joining Angus.

We demand it, Frogg said.

In a statement provided by her office, Health Minister Jane Philpott said the government is putting $300 million into mental wellness for First Nations this year, including $24 million for the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, which includes Wapekeka and has experienced more than 500 suicides since 1986  most of which involved people 20 years old or younger.

It is very tragic to hear about circumstances like this, and this is not the only community that is suffering, where young people are struggling to be able to find hope, Philpott said.

On July 18, 2016, Sainnawaps letter said there have been many suicide attempts by youth in the past year, and it is believed that there is a suicide pact with a group of young females.

Eric Morrissette, Health Canadas chief of media relations, said the department provides approximately $676,000 annually to the community for mental-wellness programs, which include suicide prevention and building healthy communities.

Morrissette said the department replied to the community after receiving Sainnawaps letter. In fall 2016, the department told the community it would pursue funding opportunities in the future to assist Wapekeka in increasing mental health workers in the community, Morrissette said via email Wednesday.

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.

Sainnawaps letter detailed a work plan and an annual budget to create a small mental-health team of four workers to provide services to help reduce the high rate of suicide attempts.

The plan asked Health Canada for $376,706 to cover the cost of four permanent workers and their benefits, training, rent and computer costs and to pay for gas so the team could conduct home visits.

Sainnawap wrote there are limited activities for youth in Wapekeka, and there is no youth mental-health worker that is available on a consistent basis.

Suicide has been an ongoing issue in the community in wake of the devastation convicted pedophile Ralph Rowe brought to the area. Rowe was an Anglican minister and a pilot. He used to impress the boys in remote, fly-in indigenous communities by flying to the reserves, taking the kids for rides and out on camping trips.

Indigenous leaders believe Rowes victims number in the hundreds. Many men have refused to come forward. Others have committed suicide.

Fiddler called Rowe a monster. In addition to dealing with the residential school legacy, we are also dealing with the Ralph Rowe legacy, he said.

From 1982 to 1999, Wapekeka experienced 16 suicides. But the community rallied with help from an outside agency and a suicide prevention model called Survivors of Suicide (SOS.)

The SOS program included an annual conference open to all northern First Nations. It ran for 22 years, but the funding was cut two years ago.

Dr. Mike Kirlew, a physician who travels to Wapekeka from Sioux Lookout to serve the community, said indigenous peoples must insist on equity when it comes to health care and support program funding.

The health-care system on reserves is far inferior to what other people get. Period, he said. This is taking childrens lives.

SHARE:
LA LOCHE, SASK.Classes have been cancelled in La Loche, Sask., after RCMP say there was a threat of a school shooting one year after a deadly shooting in the community.

Mounties say they received a complaint about a general threat Thursday and an investigation determined it was not legitimate.

No charges have been laid.

The RCMP takes all threats seriously, said Staff Sgt. Greg Heuer.

January 22 is on the minds of all La Loche community members, including those at the detachment. It is not lost on all of us the impact potential threats of this nature can have.

Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of the shooting that killed two staff and wounded seven others in the high school. Two teenage brothers were also killed in a nearby home in the remote community.

A student, who was 17 at the time, has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, second-degree murder and attempted murder. He is to be sentenced in the spring.

Mayor Robert St. Pierre said it was in everyones best interest to close schools Friday in La Loche and nearby Clearwater River Dene Nation.

This was already a difficult time for La Loche, made even more difficult now with this latest threat, he said.

A private day of remembrance in the community has been planned for Sunday and there are no classes Monday.

The schools are to reopen Tuesday, St. Pierre said.

SHARE:
The countrys big city mayors, including John Tory, are demanding cash now to protect crumbling social housing as their most pressing priority as they meet in Ottawa Friday.

As the Big City Mayors Caucus convenes at the Chateau Laurier next to Parliament Hill, the group is expected to share concerns with federal officials that anything but an immediate cash commitment will put vital housing stock for cities most vulnerable populations in jeopardy, according to a briefing note from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities provided to bureaucratic and political staff across the country and obtained by the Star.

Around the cabinet table, there is significant pressure to bring forward innovative solutions for the next generation of affordable and social housing at the risk of bypassing the current crisis facing existing housing stock, the briefing note says.

Though the federal government has been pushing ahead with plans for a national housing strategy and other ways to address the need for affordable housing, budget submissions from FCM published earlier this week made clear saving social housing units is a top priority.

Otherwise, as federal operating funding declines each year toward zero, vulnerable Canadians will be at risk, with effects reverberating throughout the housing sector, the report reads.

The Star earlier reported that 425 Toronto Community Housing units  the largest social housing provider in Canada  will close in 2017 unless additional funds can be secured. CEO Greg Spearn said they will be on track to close a unit per day in 2018 without commitments from the federal and provincial governments.

There are currently more than 177,000 people on the waitlist in Toronto for subsidized housing.

After the city spent nearly $1 billion on a 10-year, $2.6 billion capital repairs plan for TCH, neither the federal or provincial governments have yet to commit to long-term funding.

The Big City Mayors Caucus plans to press their federal counterparts to commit to 50 per cent cost-sharing of the next phase of promised infrastructure funding, which is expected to be applicable to housing needs.

Of the $20 billion available as part of the next phase of promised funding, the mayors are also requesting $12.6 billion be set aside specifically for housing  what is essential to tackling the housing crisis and improving the lives of Canadians, according to the briefing note.

Budget 2017 is the opportunity  historic yet fleeting  to secure long-term investment on the scale needed to tackle this crisis. This will require a bold decision to dedicate much of the Phase 2 Social Infrastructure Fund to housing, the FCM report reads.

Though city officials working on the housing file have been cautiously optimistic about the pending federal investment promised by Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government, there has yet to be any indication the province will contribute housing funding after years of downloading that responsibility onto cities.

The Big City Mayors Caucus includes mayors from large municipalities across the country, including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Brampton, Ottawa, Mississauga and Hamilton, among others.

Read more about:

SHARE:
La Crosse women will be in the nations capitol this weekend to watch history being made.

Trump supporters Sue Lynch and Mary Jo Werner will attend the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Donald Trump today, while a group including Kate Mayer and Sara McFall Sullivan will be there to protest Trumps inauguration as part of Saturdays Womens March on Washington.

Lynch, a past president of the National Federation of Republican Women, was on Capitol Hill picking up her tickets at U.S. Rep. Ron Kinds office Thursday morning.

Im just thrilled that I can be here with my children and my granddaughter, Lynch said in a phone interview from Washington, D.C.

An ardent supporter of Trump, Lynch, served as a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Women for Donald Trump Coalition and is excited to see her candidate take office.

I decided early on that he was the one, and so I worked tirelessly for the last year and a half to help get him elected. And here we are, Lynch said.

Werner, a partner with the consulting, tax and accounting firm Wipfli and a community member of the La Crosse Tribune Editorial Board, said she was excited to represent Wisconsin during her first inaugural event.

Regardless of what party youre in, this is really neat history, Werner said. Im optimistic. I think itll be a fun day. Itll be rainy, but a fun day.

Werner became a Trump supporter after hearing him speak in La Crosse about the importance of reducing regulations and red tape.

I think its going to be positive for businesses, both owners and employees, Werner said.

She likes the business perspective of continuous improvement and increased efficiency.

Thats appealing to see how that can work in the federal government, she added.

Mayer, a member of the Holmen School Board, and Sullivan, a former La Crosse Common Council member, were discouraged by Trumps election, but emboldened by the solidarity of those opposing his policies.

I try to have hope without hate, Mayer said. Thats why Im marching.

Sullivan said Trumps election provides an opportunity for progressives to stand up for what they believe in.

I think it is an opportunity to stand up for peace and justice and compassion and goodwill for all people, Sullivan said.

Both Mayer and Sullivan said they will march to bring hope for a better future for their children and grandchildren, with Sullivan adding that she believed the legacy her 13-month-old granddaughter Delilah would inherit would be much different.

Certainly in her family she will get the message that shes important and her body is hers, Sullivan said. It frightens me to think what she might think if we dont stand up to this now,

However, the solidarity of the group gives them hope for the future.

When people march, they will not just march. They will continue to be politically active, Mayer said. I dont have a lot of hope for Mr. Trump.

Lynch, on the other hand, is quite hopeful. She respects Trumps business acumen and was drawn to his policies as early as September 2015.

I liked what he was saying about immigration reform, looking into the Affordable Care Act and the issues that really make a difference in my day-to-day life, Lynch said.

Particularly, Lynch believes Trump is the right person to address the nations healthcare cost problem, particularly insurance premiums.

He campaigned on stuff like that. He said he does believe there should be insurance available for everyone, Lynch said. With his background as a CEO, He could better negotiate contracts that would allow for better premiums for the middle class and the self-employed.

She was honored to support him in Wisconsin, she said, particularly as Trump develops a tax plan.

I want to make sure my money lasts. First and foremost is the financial responsibilities of any new administration, Lynch said.

Werner echoed Lynchs support for a modified tax code.

I want him to simplify it. Its way too complex now. It needs to be simpler, Werner said. An individual cant file their own tax return easily anymore. Thats not right.

Lynch added that Trumps proposal to make child care costs tax deductible in their entirety will help women stay in the workforce.

The protesters are skeptical that his policies will do anything to help average Americans.

I dont find anything that supports the little people, and little people are described to me as women, people of color, immigrants and everyone I support, Mayer said.

Mayer and Sullivan both cited the comments Trump made about women during the course of the election, saying they were concerning.

His election and the rhetoric that went along with it that was so misogynistic and so racist and bordered on what I think is fascist were an alarm. Its time for us to literally take to the streets to let our voices be heard, Sullivan said.

A retired educator, Mayer was particularly concerned about Trumps decision to nominate Betsy DeVos, a strong supporter of publicly funded vouchers paying for private school tuition, for secretary of education.

I loved public education. I love my kids, but this election almost broke me, Mayer said. This is my way to not let it break me. Im just going to go.

Sullivan added that it would be nice if somebody in this administration would recognize that climate change is not a hoax.

Lynch addressed the controversy surrounding the inauguration by saying that everyone with the opportunity to attend should do so.

Its unfortunate that some have chosen not to be on the stage when a president is sworn in, she said. I think its their loss, and I will be there watching history being made.

Werner was proud of Wisconsin Democrats U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Kind for choosing to attend.

Lets move forward and see if we can move forward and be more collaborative, Werner said. Im looking forward to that.

Sullivan is leery of giving Trump a chance.

I understand its important to give people a chance, but I also know you cant expect people to be totally different from who theyve been all along, Sullivan said.

Werner added that despite what she called media hype, there havent been any problems between people attending the inauguration and those attending the march. Many people are attending both.

I was encouraged by that, she said.
Parents at a west-end elementary school say theyre concerned Toronto police didnt immediately respond to a lock down involving an irate parent.

The fact that it happened is one thing, and the fact that the authorities didnt go when called is unbelievably alarming, said Abigail Etches-Raheel, co-chair of the schools parent council. Theres nothing but what-if scenarios that go through my head.

But Toronto police say based on the information from a caller at Ossington/Old Orchard Elementary Public School, they assessed that no one was in imminent danger, and made the dispute a lower priority.

Had the call been for an assault or abduction . . . the call would have come in to us as a much higher priority and we would have responded differently, said Const. David Hopkinson of the Toronto Police Service.

The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon after a father got into a dispute with school staff over his ability to pick up his child at that time. The school is located near Ossington Ave. and College St.

The brief lockdown lasted about 10 to 15 minutes and the situation was effectively de-escalated by school staff. Shortly after it was lifted, the school called police to let them know that, said Ryan Bird, a communications officer at TDSB, in an emailed statement.

Hopkinson said police had dispatched officers to higher priority calls at the time, but were planning to have an officer respond to the incident as soon as one was available.

However, the lockdown was called off by the school before this could happen.

The fact that there was a very angry parent yelling and going down the hallways to the kindergarten area . . . and not being able to be controlled and restrained by the principal . . . to me its not a sufficient reaction from the police, said Virginia Johnson, a parent at the school.

Johnson said parents such as she were left with a lot of questions surrounding what constitutes a high priority for police.

The decision to call for a lock down came from principal Maria Pantalone, and didnt involve police, said Hopkinson.

Etches-Raheel, of the parent council, calls Pantalone an incredibly able administrator, so I had no doubt that she was doing the right thing for the kids.

Police rank their calls in order of the most imminent danger, and the details the caller gave led the situation to be categorized as a dispute, a lower-priority call, he said.

There was no allegation of any criminal behaviour, just an irate parent, Hopkinson said.

We are responding to what they are telling us . . . And what they are telling us is that there isnt anything substantially criminal or dangerous going on.

The school later filed a report with police.

With files from Ebyan Abdigir

SHARE:
Roughly 120 people at Humber College have come down with stomach pain and vomiting since Thursday, 40 of whom ended up in emergency rooms, prompting an investigation by Toronto Public Health and Humber College.

Paramedics were called to the colleges north campus near Hwy. 27 and Finch Ave. W. at around 9:40 p.m. after a number of students complained of stomach pain and vomiting.

By Friday night, Toronto Public Health said one person had been admitted to hospital. The other 39 who went to emergency rooms have since been sent home.

Nonetheless, new cases continue to appear.

While we continue to get new reports of the illness there have been no further reports of emergency room visits, wrote Dr. Michael Finkelstein, a spokesperson for TPH, in an email to the Star Friday night.

Andrew Kandelas, a third-year Humber student in sports management, lives in residence and had chicken and mushroom salad for dinner in the cafeteria.

I woke up in the middle of the night and started to feel abdominal pain, he said, adding that he began vomiting in the morning.

Kandelas went on his own to the hospital, where he was treated with fluids and given a prescription.

The hospital did not say outright that he had food poisoning, he said, and told him that what he had was relatively mild.

I did see a couple other people at the hospital from Humber, he said. One man came up to me and said, My son got food poisoning as well. 

His roommate ended up at the hospital as well Friday morning, despite not eating anything Thursday night at the cafeteria. He did, Kandelas said, eat breakfast Friday morning in the cafeteria.

Kandelas said he and his roommate complained to a manager and were informed that an investigation was underway.

TPH investigators are still reaching out to students to try and determine the exact nature of the illness.

This cluster of illness may be due to a food source or is something that is being passed from person to person, Finkelstein wrote.

While an inspection of Humber College Residence found no significant food safety issues, according to Finkelstein, TPH is recommending Humber College focus on improving its cleaning efforts across campus, particularly in their residence, bathrooms, food prep. areas, and public spaces.

Six ambulances and a bus transported patients to two different hospitals from a campus residence building. Twenty-nine were transported to the hospitals, and others made their own way to the emergency centres, paramedics said.

We continue to monitor the situation, provide support to our students, and encourage everyone to ensure they engage in good hygiene practices, said Andrew Leopold, Humber Colleges communications director.

A big whiteboard had an update Friday afternoon inside the entrance of the main residence. It explained that lots of students were sick, and the cause was not yet known.

The sign cautioned students who had been sick to limit social contact, and for everyone to wash their hands often and keep their hands away from their faces.

The rest of the campus seemed to be business as usual.

The company that services 90 per cent of the food on campus is Chartwells, run by Compass Group Canada.

Stephanie Baxter, communications director for Compass, said the company is looking into the event and that food safety is the companys priority.

We are co-operating fully with the investigation, which is covering both food and non-food-related areas, she said.

The school will have healthcare staff on campus Saturday.

With files from Megan Dolski and Brennan Doherty

SHARE:
It promises to revolutionize the way workers communicate  and fight erratic hours by handing workers more control over their schedules.

Shyft, a mobile app born in Toronto and now adopted at major retailers across the United States and Canada, allows employees to instantly communicate with colleagues to switch shifts  rather than accepting schedules that dont work for them, or relying on negotiations with managers to get them changed.

Its Canadian founders, two of whom are University of Toronto grads, created the app after conducting 3,500 interviews with retail workers in the GTA, one of the most precarious sectors where uneven hours make life unpredictable and insecure.

I think right now whats really cool when we started not everyone agreed there was a problem. And now more and more were finding every day that its undeniable there is a problem around workplace scheduling, said CEO and co-founder Brett Patrontasch.

The app, which is free to use, has been available for over a year, and already has around 35,000 registered users at North American Old Navy, Starbucks, and McDonalds franchises. It works by sending push notifications to all employees in a workplace when one of their colleagues needs cover. Response is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Managers who use the app can then enter the adjustment into the companys system.

Patrontasch says Shyft complements social movements in the U.S. and Canada focused on secure and predictable work schedules. Currently in Ontario workers do not have the right to any advance notice on schedules  although the government is considering changes through a review of employment and labour laws.

South of the border, San Francisco has already passed a fair scheduling bill which requires part-time and full-time staff doing the same job at large retailers to be paid the same wage, guarantees workers a minimum number of hours, and requires schedules to be posted two weeks in advance. Seattle, where Patrontasch and his startup team are now based, also just passed a similar law that will take effect in July.

(Secure scheduling) is becoming the new minimum wage movement, said Patrontasch, 30. The amount of hours is an equal determinant of my income  which is why people are starting to wake up to this, and governments are saying we need to add regulations around this just like we did with minimum wage.

Deena Ladd of the Toronto-based Workers Action Centre said the biggest challenges for Ontario workers were getting enough hours and having predictable schedules  issues she says are best resolved through policy.

Part of what were trying to do is not just make it easier to switch shifts but allow people to have predictable schedules and schedules where they can plan their lives, she said.

I think apps that can support strong government intervention in legislation are welcome, she added. But there has to be that strong floor of protections first. These apps can absolutely assist in that, but they dont think they can replace the dire need that we have for kinds of legislation that give people some protection, especially in retail work and especially with shift work.

The Star has reported on the corrosive effects of erratic scheduling, which leave some precarious workers unable to patch together enough shifts to make ends meet or fulfill family commitments. Major retailers like Starbucks have also been publicly rapped for scheduling systems that dont take into account workers lives, and in the U.S. a wave of large corporations like Gap, Zumiez, Abercrombie and Victorias Secret have ended on-call scheduling.

All of the scheduling systems for the past 30 or 40 years are all really demand side scheduling systems, says Patrontasch. You need to have a much heavier consideration from the supply side, the employees, giving input as to when they can or cant work.

Patrontasch says the result is not only fairer schedules, but more efficient ones  where bosses have happier, less stressed employees and see fewer no-shows.

This really can be win-win if we use mobile technology to advance the frontier here, he said.

SHARE:
On a mild spring day in May, 1862, William Ward took his five sisters sailing off the Toronto Islands.

Only he returned alive.

I had run the sheet through the rail of the gunwale, Ward, whose family gave Ward Island its name, later recalled in a story from Star Weekly in 1912.

A puff of wind struck us and the rope jammed. The boat upset and threw us all into the bay.

Ward managed to right the boat and pull his sisters back on when another squall tipped them out again. Unable to swim, and held down by their dresses, the sisters drowned. Only Ward was rescued.

The traumatic experience and the guilt that followed pushed Ward to a life dedicated to saving others. He was the captain of the Dominion Lifesaving crew and was awarded the Royal Humane Societys silver medal for a particularly heroic rescue with Robert Berry, an oarsmen and boxer.

In total, Ward is credited for saving more than 160 lives from Toronto Harbour.

The tale of Wards fateful sailing excursion was recently shared on a Reddit page of random Toronto facts most people wouldnt know about.

Williams story is very much a human story, said Jane Fairburn, who wrote Along the Shore a book about Torontos waterfront heritage. His resilience was remarkable in the face of what had happened with the drowning of many members of his family.

William Ward he was a true Toronto hero, he truly was, she added.

Wards story is not just about him, its about Toronto, Fairburn said.

The Ward family is an important one because they spanned all these various periods of the islands history and Torontos history, to an extent, Fairburn said. Theyve seen this great transition that weve gone through as part of the colonial backwater right through to the great modern city of Toronto that we know today. Theyve been there for the whole transition, thats quite unusual.

Ward was born in 1847 and the son of English fisherman David Ward, who came to Canada in 1830 and settled on what would eventually become known as Ward Island.

Back then, the islands were very isolated and desolate. It wasnt until the 1880s that they became known as a resort town in the summer.

Though most of the Wards have moved off the islands, many of them still have fond memories of growing up there.

At almost 75 years old, Frank Ward, the great-grandson of William Ward, remembers a lively childhood there. The islands are where he met both his wives. His second wife was a summer resident on the island.

There was everything for children and adults as well they had summer camp for the kids, the residents, he said from Collingwood, where he now lives. It was super, just great.

Ward, also a champion oarsman and at one point the single skiff champion of America, died on Jan. 25, 1912, of stomach cancer. He was 65.

#RandomToronto is an occasional series fact-checking and exploring little-known stories about our city.

SHARE:
Some of Justin Trudeaus biggest applause-getting lines  before he became prime minister  revolved around the politics of fear.

You may remember the Liberal ad that aired in the closing days of the 2015 election, featuring moments from a large campaign rally in Brampton.

Stephen Harper isnt afraid of me, my friends, Trudeau shouted from the stage. Hes afraid of you. That speech, by the way, contained nearly two dozen mentions of the words fear or afraid.

The soon-to-be prime minister was telling voters that he wouldnt use fear as a tool of power, as his predecessor often did. So far, thats held up  we havent seen Trudeau going around firing too many people or shutting down his critics.

But Ive been wondering lately, as he sees events unfolding south of the border  and even here at home  whether thats a promise (like electoral reform) that Trudeau is reconsidering today.

No question: Donald Trump has been making fear work for him, even before formally becoming U.S. president on Friday.

Its been very effective on the U.S. auto industry, for instance, with car-making giants such as Ford and General Motors shaping their business plans around Trumps Twitter rants about offshore production.

Ford, a frequent target of Trumps attacks during the campaign, decided to abandon plans to build a $1-billion plant in Mexico, relocating it to Flat Rock, Mich.

General Motors, called out by name during Trumps press conference a week ago for foreign outsourcing, announced plans this week to create 1,500 made-in-the-U.S. jobs.

The Guardian reported earlier this month about the waves of fear rolling through the auto industry as the North American International Auto Show was getting under way in Detroit.

Kristin Dziczek, director of the industry, labour and economics group at the Center for Automotive Research, told the Guardian: Pretty much everybody is dreading being the subject of a (Trump) tweet. Getting hauled out into the court of public opinion with virtually no warning is not something anybody wants to get engaged with.

Even Trumps critics, in the U.S. and in Canada, have given him grudging praise for the fear tactic.

Trump, as crazy as he is, is showing governments can play a role, Unifors national president, Jerry Dias, told the Star a couple of weeks ago. Hes throwing grenades everywhere right now, and its working for him. Dias said he wouldnt mind if Ottawa took a page from the Trump playbook and was willing to stick its nose into the auto industrys business.

Trudeau is tougher than his public image often casts him  he has an unsentimental streak that shows up when hes punting Liberals from his caucus or cabinet, presenting take-it-or-leave-it deals to the provinces or even storming angrily across the floor of the Commons.

But hes also open to criticism, in a way that his predecessor was not. The question is whether hes paying a political price for that openness.

Harper was enormously protective of his privacy, refusing even to enter the Parliament buildings within public view. He certainly didnt tell the media where he was spending his vacations and nosy reporters soon learned not to ask any questions about his private time. Even before he was sworn in as prime minister in early 2006, his aides let the media know that Harper was furious about coverage of him dropping in at a hospital emergency room to deal with breathing problems.

To be fair, I always thought that Harpers notorious secrecy wasnt just dispositional  it was also probably rooted in security concerns, not totally within his control. Whether Canadians realize it or not, prime ministers and public figures attract threats that the RCMP takes seriously. As well they should. Citizens may want their politicians to be open enough to plunge into crowds, but anyone whos watched the tense faces of a PMs security detail during those encounters knows that the RCMP has a whole different perspective on these displays of openness and spontaneity.

Thats an aspect of the controversy over Trudeaus private holiday in the Bahamas that hasnt surfaced much yet  how does the RCMP feel about prime ministers giving advance notice of travel plans?

Which brings us back to this whole business of fear. Its frowned upon these days as a tactic in parenting or the workplace, but its a very efficient way of exercising control in politics and government. Fear keeps public figures safe and, as Trump is demonstrating, fear also seems to be keeping some jobs in the U.S.

Its probably too late for Trudeau to cloak his leadership style in fear, even if he wanted to. But as he anticipates the Trump presidency, or criticism over how he spends private time, you have to wonder if Trudeau is now wishing he was a bit more scary.

sdelacourt@bell.net

Read more about:

SHARE:
Premier Kathleen Wynne insists she has no regrets that the governing Liberals no longer enjoy a fundraising advantage over Patrick Browns Progressive Conservatives.

Wynne, who also trails Brown in public-opinion polls, said she is not worried the Tories raised twice as much as the Liberals in 2016, the last year before legislative reforms triggered by a Star probe.

By exploiting a double-dip loophole closed as of Jan. 1, the Conservatives raised $12.6 million compared to around $6 million for the Liberals.

We knew that we were moving forward with changes to the fundraising rules in Ontario and we made a principled decision not to take advantage of the old rules during a byelection, she said Thursday.

The premier said she took comfort in the fact the number of individual donors the Liberals had far outstrips anything that the Tories have.

The latest Elections Ontario data shows Browns Tories also outperformed Andrea Horwaths New Democrats, who raised $3.6 million.

All three major parties say their 2016 take will increase when the numbers are finalized May 31. The Liberals say their total will be closer to $6.4 million and the Tories insist it will be a lot more than double when final numbers are tallied.

Browns advantage stemmed from maximizing fundraising in byelection periods  once a favourite Liberal manoeuvre until they promised to stop after announcing restrictions were coming.

Until Dec. 31, parties could ask well-heeled contributors  as well as corporations and unions  to double up and donate an extra $9,975 during byelections.

Employing that during the Niagara West-Glanbrook, Ottawa-Vanier, Scarborough-Rouge River and Whitby-Oshawa byelections allowed the Tories to bring in an additional $9.5 million.

The Grits only used the tactic during last Februarys Whitby-Oshawa byelection, raking in $2.5 million from 870 donors.

Wynne announced sweeping campaign finance reforms  including a ban on corporate and union donations and contribution limits  after the Star revealed last March that Liberal cabinet ministers had secret annual party fundraising targets of up to $500,000 each.

Brown, who often attended three fundraisers a day last year, said he played by the rules in order to clear his partys $7 million debt from the 2014 election.

I have worked incredibly hard to eliminate the partys debt, but this is also very much the dedication of a huge number of enthusiastic supporters from every corner of Ontario, he said in an email Wednesday.

Last week, Tony Miele, the PC Ontario Fund chair, noted it took just 16 months to balance the party books.

Whats more, we did this outside of an election year and we fundraised and helped finance four byelections. Simply outstanding. These types of numbers have never been achieved. Ever, Miele told supporters in an email.

According to Elections Ontario, outside of the byelection periods, the Liberals raised $3.5 million from 18,498 donors; the Conservatives took in $3.1 million from 2,502 donors; and the NDP $3.2 million from 30,090 donors.

The Nov. 17 byelections in Niagara West-Glanbrook and Ottawa-Vanier enabled the Tories to raise $3.6 million from 1,983 contributors while the NDP collected $54,675 from 118 donors.

During the Sept. 1 Scarborough-Rouge River race, the Tories brought in $3.9 million from 2,998 donors and the NDP $60,106.55 from 162 donors.

But in the Feb. 11 Whitby-Oshawa race, the PC fundraising lagged some $500,000 behind the Liberals. The Tories collected $2 million from 3,214 donors while the NDP received $264,410 from 98 donors.

As of Jan. 1, the individual contribution limit has dropped to $1,200 and MPPs and candidates cannot attend fundraisers.

Parties are now receiving $2.71-per-vote in public subsidies based on the results of the 2014 election.

The Liberals, with 1,863,974 votes, are receiving $5.05 million this year; the Tories, with 1,508,811 votes, $4.09 million; the NDP, with 1,144,822 votes, $3.1 million; and the Greens, with 232,536 votes, $630,000.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Donald J. Trump will take the oath of office outside the Capitol on Friday, officially becoming the 45th president of the United States. But the ceremony is only the centrepiece of the weeks inaugural festivities  and protests.

Weve pulled together a schedule of events to guide you through the week. Exact times are subject to change, but much of it is guided by precedent.

8:30 a.m. | Private prayer service

The president-elect and his family will attend a religious service at St. Johns Episcopal Church, just a short walk from Blair House.

9:30 a.m. | Coffee date at the White House

The incoming and departing presidents will meet at the White House with their wives. As is customary, Mr. Trump and Mr. Obama will then ride together down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol.

11:30 a.m. | Swearing-in ceremony

With American officials and other dignitaries gathered on the West Front of the Capitol, the official inauguration ceremony will feature religious leaders with ties to Mr. Trump, remarks from Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, the chairman of the congressional inaugural committee, and musical performances.

Around noon | Oath of office and inaugural address

Chief Justice John G. Roberts will administer the oath of office as Mr. Trump rests his hand on two Bibles: one hes owned since childhood and the Lincoln Bible. Mr. Trump will then deliver his speech.

Sometime after noon | The Obamas depart

With Mr. Trump installed as president, the Obamas will bid farewell and depart from the East Front of the Capitol.

Early afternoon | Luncheon

The luncheon, held for government leaders and friends in the Capitol Rotunda, will feature musical performances, an elaborate menu and remarks to honour the new president and vice-president.

After lunch | Review of Armed Forces

Mr. Trump will review the American armed forces from the East Front of the Capitol after lunch.

Thereafter | Inaugural parade

Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence will lead the parade from the Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue, with thousands of military personnel representing each branch. Once he has arrived at the White House, Mr. Trump will watch the rest of the parade from a reviewing stand there.

7 p.m. and on | Inaugural balls

There will be two official inaugural balls, held on separate floors of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, as well as the Armed Services Ball, which will be held at the National Building Museum. Mr. Trump is expected to make remarks and take to the dance floor at all three.

The day after  Saturday, Jan. 21

The inauguration schedule ends Saturday morning, but tens of thousands of marchers have their say before the day is over.

10 a.m. | National Prayer Service

The Washington National Cathedral will host the traditional prayer service for Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence to begin their terms in prayer and reflection. The service marks the end of the official inaugural schedule.

10 a.m. | The Womens March on Washington

Expected to be the weeks largest protest action, the march begins with a rally at the base of Capitol Hill. The speaker schedule and the route for the marchers have yet to be announced. The march is set to begin moving at 1:15 p.m. on the mall.

Read more about:

SHARE:
WASHINGTONU.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies are examining intercepted communications and financial transactions as part of a broad investigation into possible links between Russian officials and associates of President-elect Donald Trump, including his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, current and former senior U.S. officials said.

The continuing counter-intelligence investigation means that Trump will take the oath of office Friday with his associates under investigation and after the intelligence agencies concluded that the Russian government had worked to help elect him. As president, Trump will oversee those agencies and have the authority to redirect or stop at least some of these efforts.

It is not clear whether the intercepted communications had anything to do with Trumps campaign or Trump himself. It is also unclear whether the inquiry has anything to do with an investigation into the hacking of the Democratic National Committees computers and other attempts to disrupt the elections in November. The U.S. government has concluded that the Russian government was responsible for a broad computer hacking campaign, including the operation against the DNC.

The counter-intelligence investigation centres at least in part on the business dealings that some of the president-elects past and present advisers have had with Russia. Manafort has done business in Ukraine and Russia. Some of his contacts there were under surveillance by the National Security Agency for suspected links to Russias Federal Security Service, one of the officials said.

Manafort is among at least three Trump campaign advisers whose possible links to Russia are under scrutiny. Two others are Carter Page, a businessman and former foreign policy adviser to the campaign, and Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative.

The FBI is leading the investigations, aided by the National Security Agency, the CIA and the Treasury Departments financial crimes unit. The investigators have accelerated their efforts in recent weeks but have found no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing, the officials said. One official said intelligence reports based on some of the wiretapped communications had been provided to the White House.

Counter-intelligence investigations examine the connections between U.S. citizens and foreign governments. Those connections can involve efforts to steal state or corporate secrets, curry favour with U.S. government leaders or influence policy. It is unclear which Russian officials are under investigation or what particular conversations caught the attention of U.S. eavesdroppers. The legal standard for opening these investigations is low, and prosecutions are rare.

We have absolutely no knowledge of any investigation or even a basis for such an investigation, said Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for the Trump transition.

In an emailed statement Thursday evening, Manafort called allegations that he had interactions with the Russian government a Democrat Party dirty trick and completely false.

I have never had any relationship with the Russian government or any Russian officials. I was never in contact with anyone, or directed anyone to be in contact with anyone, he said.

On the Russian hacking of the DNC, he said, my only knowledge of it is what I have read in the papers.

The decision to open the investigations was not based on a dossier of salacious, uncorroborated allegations that were compiled by a former British spy working for a Washington research firm. The FBI is also examining the allegations in that dossier, and a summary of its contents was provided to Trump this month.

Representatives of the agencies involved declined to comment. Of the half-dozen current and former officials who confirmed the existence of the investigations, some said they were providing information because they feared the new administration would obstruct their efforts. All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the cases.

Numerous news outlets, including The New York Times, have reported on the FBI investigations into Trumps advisers. On Wednesday, McClatchy revealed the existence of a multi-agency working group to co-ordinate investigations across the government.

The continuing investigation again puts the FBI director, James Comey, in the middle of a politically fraught investigation. Democrats have sharply criticized Comeys handling of the investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server. Clinton has said his decision to reveal the existence of new emails late in the campaign cost her the election.

The FBI investigation into Manafort began last spring and was an outgrowth of a criminal investigation into his work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine and for the countrys former president, Viktor Yanukovych. In August, The Times reported that Manaforts name had surfaced in a secret ledger that showed he had been paid millions in undisclosed cash payments. The Associated Press has reported that his work for Ukraine included a secret lobbying effort in Washington aimed at influencing U.S. news organizations and government officials.

Stone, a longtime friend of Trumps, said in a speech in Florida last summer that he had communicated with Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy group that published the hacked Democratic emails. During the speech, Stone predicted further leaks of documents, a prediction that came true within weeks.

In a brief interview Thursday, Stone said he had never visited Russia and had no Russian clients. He said that he had worked in Ukraine for a pro-Western party but that any assertion that he had ties to Russian intelligence was nonsense and totally false.

The whole thing is a canard, he said. I have no Russian influences.

The Senate intelligence committee has started its own investigation into Russias purported attempts to disrupt the election. The committees inquiry is broad and will include an examination of Russian hacking and possible ties between people associated with Trumps campaign and Russia.

Investigators are also scrutinizing people on the periphery of Trumps campaign, such as Page, a former Merrill Lynch banker who founded Global Energy Capital, an investment firm in New York that has done business with Russia.

In an interview, Page expressed bewilderment about why he might be under investigation. He blamed a smear campaign that he said was orchestrated by Clinton for the news media speculation about the nature of his ties to Russia.

Read more about:

SHARE:
MEXICO CITY  Joaquin Guzman Loera, the notorious drug lord known as El Chapo, who twice slipped out of high-security Mexican prisons and into criminal legend, was being extradited to the United States on Thursday night, officials said, drawing to a close a decades long saga to successfully prosecute the head of one of the worlds largest narcotics organizations.

A federal court in Mexico denied an appeal by Guzmans lawyers to block the extradition, clearing the way for his transfer to U.S. authorities in New York, where he faces numerous charges for his role as chieftain of the Sinaloa cartel.

He was then put on a plane in Ciudad Juarez, near the border of Texas. The decision to extradite Guzman is an about-face for the Mexican government, which once claimed that he would serve his long sentence in Mexico first. However, following a Houdini-like escape in 2015, when his associates tunnelled him out of Mexicos most secure prison, officials began to reconsider.

Upon his recapture last year, they publicly said they would allow him to be extradited.

In a statement Thursday night, the U.S. Justice Department said it extended its gratitude to the government of Mexico for their extensive co-operation and assistance in securing the extradition of Guzman Loera to the United States.

The statement added that Guzman faced six separate indictments in the United States.

Guzman was the embodiment of an identity the country has fought to shed for decades. To some, the uneducated farm boy turned cartel magnate was a Robin Hood figure for modern times, revered for his fight against the government and generosity to the poor. For others, he was a heartless criminal who flooded the United States streets with narcotics and leaves Mexicos streets strewn with bodies.

But it was his dramatic escapes that caught the attention of the world.

El Chapo, which means Shorty, was a fugitive for 13 years after escaping from one prison, by many accounts in a laundry cart. During that time, he reigned over a worldwide, multibillion-dollar drug empire that supplied much of the cocaine and marijuana to the United States despite a widespread, years long manhunt by U.S. and Mexican forces.

That period of freedom ended with his relatively uneventful arrest in a condominium tower in Mazatlan, Mexico, in 2014. He was sent to the Altiplano maximum prison in Almoloya de Juarez. That was where Guzman pulled off his most spectacular escape. He stepped into a shower in his cell in what was supposed to be the most secure wing of Mexicos most secure prison.

An opening in the shower led to a mile-long tunnel leading to a construction site in the nearby neighborhood of Santa Juanita in Almoloya de Juarez, west of Mexico City. The tunnel was more than 2 feet wide and more than 5 feet high, tall enough for someone to walk standing upright, and was burrowed more than 30 feet underground.

It had been equipped with lighting, ventilation and a motorcycle on rails that was probably used to transport digging material and cart the dirt out. It was the sort of engineering project that Guzmans organization was familiar with: It had built many elaborate tunnels under the border with the United States to smuggle drugs.

That escape was a stinging embarrassment for the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto, which had trumpeted his capture as a crucial victory in its bloody campaign against the narcotics trade.

The chase had led them into the remote wilds of the Golden Triangle, on the border of Durango and Sinaloa states, an area where Guzman is revered. He evaded multiple raids by Mexican authorities, including a close brush after he sat for an interview with American actor Sean Penn.

A look at key events in Mexicos war on drugs

Dec. 11, 2006: Then-President Felipe Calderon orders almost 7,000 soldiers to his home state of Michoacan to fight drug cartels.

June 30, 2008: U.S. announces $1.6 billion (U.S.) in anti-drug aid for Mexico under the Merida Initiative.

Jan. 31, 2008: A gang bursts into a party and kills 16 young people in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas. The victims relatives yell at Calderon.

Aug. 23, 2010: The bodies of 72 migrants killed by the Zetas drug gang are found in San Fernando, Tamaulipas state.

May 5, 2011: An organized victims movement is born with the start of the Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity.

Aug. 25, 2011: Zetas gunmen set fire to the Casino Royale in Monterrey, killing 52 people.

May 13, 2012: The mutilated bodies of 49 people are dumped on a northern highway.

Feb 24, 2013: The first of the self-defence vigilante forces takes up arms against the cartels in Michoacan.

Feb. 22, 2014: Drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman of the Sinaloa cartel is arrested. He escapes from prison the following year, and is recaptured in early 2016.

June 30, 2014: Mexican soldiers kill 22 suspects at a warehouse in Tlatlaya, Mexico State. News media later present evidence that most were executed after being captured.

Sept. 26, 2014: In the city of Iguala, Guerrero state, 43 students disappear after corrupt police detain and turn them over to a drug gang.

December 2016: Homicide rates, which had fallen, return to levels near those of 2012.

Jan. 19, 2017: Joaquin El Chapo Guzman is extradited to the United States.

With files from The Associated Press

SHARE:
A-list celebrities may be staying away from Donald 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, Bendat said.

Here are those who are scheduled to participate:

Cardinal Timothy Dolan

Dolan has been the Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York since 2009. His participation in the inauguration has been controversial in part because he has criticized Trump.

In a 2015 op-ed piece for The Daily News, he described the president-elect as the modern-day manifestation of the ugly phenomenon called nativism that shaped American politics in the 19th and early 20th centuries. He said voters should take seriously the Bibles teaching that we are to welcome the stranger.

Last week on his radio show, the cardinal said he was honoured to be invited to take part in the inauguration and said he would have done the same thing had Hillary Clinton won the election.

Its not the person, its the office, right? he said. I pray with prisoners. That doesnt mean I approve of what theyve done.

The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez

Rodriguez is the president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, an organization that says it represents roughly 100 million Hispanic evangelicals in the United States and Latin America. In a statement, he said that participating in the inauguration was not just a patriotic honour but a sacred duty.

Rodriguez has walked a tightrope in the past, defending Trump against accusations of racism (he called them hyperbole from the liberal media) but also speaking up for undocumented immigrants, many of whom attend evangelical churches.

The vast majority are not rapists or murderers, he said in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network. Theyre actually born-again Christians, committed to biblical orthodoxy or very staunch conservative Catholics. How about that? So theyre not rapists or murderers and we have to find a way of finding a solution. If were not going to deport them, how are we going to integrate them?

Pastor Paula White

White is a Florida televangelist who is controversial in evangelical circles for her promotion of prosperity gospel, which states that true believers will be blessed not just with eternal salvation but also with health and wealth on Earth. She is also the pastor of a church in Apopka, Florida.

Prosperity gospel is a theological world that has seen some abuse from the misuse of financial donations given to speed the arrival of Gods blessings. The fundraising practices of White and other televangelists were investigated by the Senate Finance Committee in 2007, but no wrongdoing was found.

On her website, White sells a range of spiritual self-help products like books and DVDs and also exhorts followers to make a first fruits donation to her ministry, a gift she says is mandated by God.

Your sacrificial offering will be a seed for blessings for the remainder of the year, White wrote. According to Ezekiel 44, when you present your First Fruits offering, it will cause a blessing to rest upon your house!

Rabbi Marvin Hier

Hier is the founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights organization named after the 20th-century Nazi hunter and Holocaust survivor.

Critics have called for him to drop out of the inauguration, citing Trumps support among white nationalist groups, but the rabbi said participating in the ceremony was a no-brainer for him.

There are 364 days a year for politics, for the two sides to pile on each other. Three hundred sixty-four days of that is enough, he said. Once every four years, the president of United States deserves a pass from both sides from political bickering; otherwise, we weaken our democracy.

Hier will be the first Jewish religious leader to take part in an inaugural ceremony since 1985, he said, a fact that weighed in his decision to attend.

If a rabbi turned this down and said no? he said, It would be a tremendous backlash. Many people would say look at how ungrateful the Jewish community is.

The Rev. Franklin Graham

Graham is the son of Billy Graham, a pioneering televangelist and longtime spiritual adviser to American presidents from both parties.

He has continued much of his fathers work. He is president and chief executive of Samaritans Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and has been a vocal Trump supporter.

The day after the election, Franklin Graham wrote on Facebook that Trump had won because Gods hand intervened Tuesday night to stop the godless, atheistic progressive agenda from taking control of our country.

He continued:

Hundreds of thousands of Christians from across the United States have been praying. This year, they came out to every state capitol to pray for this election and for the future of America. Prayer groups were started. Families prayed. Churches prayed. Then Christians went to the polls, and God showed up.

Bishop Wayne T. Jackson

Jackson runs Great Faith Ministries International and Impact Television Network, which describes itself as the only Christian network founded and operated by African-Americans.

Bishop Jackson hosted Trump at his Detroit church and interviewed him on his network last September, a decision which drew criticism from other African-American spiritual leaders because of the president-elects comments about minorities.

In the interview, the bishop asked Trump how he planned to heal the countrys racial divide if he won the presidency. Trump attributed that polarization to a lack of spirit and inner-city poverty and promised to create jobs.

Jackson defended his visit with Trump to The Detroit Free Press in August.

Its not about being a Judas to my people, he said. This is not an endorsement. This is engagement, for him to tell us what he wants to do.

MORE ON THESTAR.COM

Heres what to watch for on Trumps Inauguration Day

In his inaugural speech will Trump rise to the moment?

Trump inauguration: Preparing for D-Day

Trump will take the oath of office with his hand on two bibles

Read more about:

SHARE:
NEW YORKA mysterious Skittles spill on a rural highway in Wisconsin is taking another twist, with Mars Inc. saying it doesnt know why the discarded candy might have been headed to become cattle feed.

The case began when a Wisconsin sheriff posted on Facebook this week that hundreds of thousands of Skittles had been found spilled on a highway. Later, he updated the post to say the candy had fallen off a truck on its way to be cattle feed.

Only red Skittles had spilled out, and Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt joked in the post that it would be difficult to Taste the Rainbow in its entirety. The incident gained attention after CNN wrote about it, citing a report from a local affiliate.

A variety of food byproducts are commonly used for animal feed, and Skittles maker Mars Inc. says it has procedures for discarding foods for that purpose. However, the company says the Skittles in question came from a factory that doesnt sell unused products for animal feed.

We dont know how it ended up as it did and we are investigating, Mars said.

Company spokeswoman Denise Young said the Skittles were supposed to be destroyed because a power outage prevented the signature S from being placed on the candies. She said Mars planned to contact the sheriffs office and the farmer to find out more.

Schmidt said one of his deputies had come across the spill and sent him photos, which he posted on Facebook. He said the Skittles spilled from a box that started to disintegrate in the rain, and about half of them got out. The Skittles on the ground did not have the standard letter S on them, he said.

The sheriff said he has spoken to the farmer, but did not have his phone number. Schmidt did not respond when asked by email for the farmers name.

Linda Kurtz, a corporate environmental manager at Mars, said the company sells unused candies and ingredients to processors that incorporate them with other materials to make animal feed. She said Mars does not sell directly to farmers, and its procedures follow Food and Drug Administration regulations.

Kurtz said Mars determined the spilled Skittles came from its plant in Yorkville, Illinois, which does not sell products for animal feed. The other U.S. plant that makes Skittles, in Waco, Texas, sells to a local processor that melts them down into syrup.

Josh Cribbs, a cattle nutritionist and director of commercial development for the American Maine-Anjou Association, which promotes a particular cattle breed, said that the food byproducts that get used for cattle feed vary depending on whats available in the region and particular time of year. In places like Texas, for instance, Cribbs said citrus rinds are common.

Cribbs said a specific product would not be used alone, but be mixed with other ingredients to achieve a particular nutritional profile.

You might think, Oh my gosh, they might be eating a Skittle. In reality, that piece of candy is being broken down, he said.

SHARE:
BEIRUTDaesh militants have destroyed parts of the second-century Roman amphitheatre and an iconic monument known as the Tetrapylon in Syrias historic town of Palmyra, the government and experts said Friday.

It was the extremist groups latest attack on world heritage, an act that the U.N. cultural agency called a war crime. A Syrian government official said he feared for the remaining antiquities in Palmyra, which Daesh recaptured last month.

Also on Friday, Turkeys military said Daesh killed five Turkish soldiers and wounded nine in a bomb attack in northern Syria.

Turkey is leading Syrian opposition fighters in an offensive against the Daesh-held town of al-Bab in the Aleppo province, a push that has been bogged down since mid-November. Since its military intervention, Turkey has lost 54 soldiers in Syria, most of them in the al-Bab offensive.

After suffering several setbacks in Syria, Daesh has gone on the offensive  reclaiming ancient Palmyra in December and launching an attack on a government-held city and military airbase in Deir el-Zour in eastern Syria.

On Friday, the state news agency SANA said seven civilians were killed when Daesh shelled a residential area in the city of Deir el-Zour.

However, Daesh remains under pressure in northern Syria from Turkey and U.S-backed Kurdish forces, as well as in neighbouring Iraq where Iraqi troops backed by the U.S.-led coalition is fighting to retake the city of Mosul from the militants.

Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site that once linked Persia, India, China with the Roman empire and the Mediterranean area, has already seen destruction at the hands of Daesh. The ancient town first fell to Daesh militants in May 2015, when they held it for 10 months. During that time, the group damaged a number of its relics and eventually emptied it of most of its residents, causing an international outcry.

Palmyra fell again to Daesh last month, only nine months after a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive was hailed as a significant victory for Damascus.

On Friday, Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of Syrias antiquities department, said reports of the recent destruction first trickled out of the Daesh-held town late in December. But satellite images of the damage only became available late Thursday, confirming the destruction.

Abdulkarim said militants have destroyed the facade of the second-century theatre, along with the Roman-era Tetrapylon  a set of four monuments with four columns each standing at the centre of the colonnaded road leading to the theatre.

Satellite imagery obtained by the Boston-based American Schools of Oriental Research, or ASOR, show extensive damage to the Tetrapylon. DigitalGlobe satellite imagery also shows damage to the theatre facade.

ASOR said the damage was likely caused by intentional destruction from Daesh, but the organization was unable to verify the exact cause.

Daesh extremists have destroyed ancient sites across their self-styled Islamic caliphate in Syria and Iraq, perceiving them as monuments to idolatry.

UNESCOs director-general, Irina Bokova, said the new destruction in Palmyra amounted to a war crime.

The Tetrapylon was an architectural symbol of the spirit of the encounter and openness of Palmyra  and this is also one of the reasons why it has been destroyed, she said in a statement.

Abdulkarim told The Associated Press that only two of the 16 columns of the Tetrapylon remain standing.

The Palmyra Tetrapylon, characterized by its four plinths that are not connected overhead, had only one original ancient column, said Abdulkarim. The 15 other columns were modelled after the ancient one and installed by Palmyras 81-year old distinguished antiquities scholar Khaled al-Asaad, who was killed by Daesh militants when they were controlling the town the last time. The militants hung his body from a Roman column.

It was not immediately clear if the original column survived the destruction, Abdulkarim said.

ASOR said new stone debris was scattered across the centre stage from damage to the stage backdrop that is also the facade of the theatre.

During their first stay in Palmyra, Daesh destroyed ancient temples  including the Temple of Bel, which dated back to A.D. 32, and the Temple of Baalshamin, a structure of stone blocks several stories high and fronted by six towering columns. The group also used the theatre for public killings and posted chilling videos of the slayings.

The militants also blew up the Arch of Triumph, built between A.D. 193 and A.D. 211.

A spokesman for Russian President Dmitry Peskov said Syrian troops are continuing their efforts to take back Palmyra. Peskov called the new destruction barbaric, saying that it is a real tragedy for the historic heritage.

Abdulkarim said he fears for what remains of the citys ancient relics.

When Palmyra fell for the second time, we shed tears because we expected this terror, he said. Now we are destined to see more terror if (Daesh control of Palmyra) continues.

Palmyra, with its 2,000-year-old towering Roman colonnades and priceless artifacts, was affectionately referred to by Syrians as the Bride of the Desert.

A desert oasis surrounded by palm trees in central Syria, Palmyra is also a strategic crossroads linking the Syrian capital, Damascus, with the countrys east and neighbouring Iraq. Located 215 kilometres east of Damascus, the city was once home to 65,000 people before the Syrian civil war began.

However, most Palmyra residents did not return after it was retaken by the government. Activists estimate the city is now home to a few hundred families. Many residents tried to flee as Daesh recaptured the city in December.

On Thursday, reports emerged that the militant group killed 12 captives it held in Palmyra, some of them beheaded in the Roman theatre.

Read more about:

SHARE:
He did not give details on any deal that was struck, and it was not clear when Adama Barrow, who beat Jammeh, would return from neighbouring Senegal to take power.

Gambias defeated leader Yahya Jammeh announced early Saturday he has decided to relinquish power, after hours of last-ditch talks with regional leaders and the threat by a regional military force to make him leave.

I think it is not necessary that a single drop of blood be shed, Jammeh said in a brief statement on state television.

Read more:Senegal troops enter Gambia as longtime ruler Jammeh refuses to step down

He did not give details on any deal that was struck, and it was not immediately clear when Adama Barrow, who beat Jammeh in last months election, would return from neighbouring Senegal to take power.

Late Friday, Barrow declared that the rule of fear in the tiny West African nation had ended.

Shortly before Jammehs address, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz told reporters that a deal had been reached and that Jammeh would leave the country. He and Guinean President Alpha Conde had handled the talks.

A State House official close to the situation said Jammeh would leave within three days, possibly on Saturday with Conde, who was spending the night in Gambias capital, Banjul. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak about the situation to press.

Jammeh had refused to accept his loss to Barrow, who was inaugurated Thursday at Gambias embassy in Senegal because of concerns for his safety.

Jammeh, who first seized power in a 1994 coup, had been holed up in his official residence in Banjul, and had become increasingly isolated as his security forces abandoned him and he dissolved his Cabinet.

Defence forces chief Ousmane Badjie on Friday told The Associated Press that Gambias security services now support Barrow and would not oppose the regional force that was ready to move against Jammeh if he refused to step down.

You cannot push us to war for an issue we can solve politically, Badjie said. We dont see any reason to fight.

The force, including tanks, rolled into Gambia without facing any resistance, said Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS. At least 20 military vehicles were seen Friday at the border town of Karang.

The force included troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Mali, and they moved in after Barrows inauguration and a unanimous vote by the U.N. Security Council to support the regional efforts.

Fearing violence, about 45,000 people have fled Gambia for Senegal, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

Jammeh earlier had agreed to step down but demanded amnesty for any crimes he may have committed during his 22 years in power and wanted to stay in Gambia, in his home village of Kanilai, de Souza said Friday. Those demands were not acceptable to ECOWAS, he added.

Some of Gambias diplomatic missions began switching their allegiance, while some African nations announced they no longer recognized Jammeh.

We embrace and support the new president Adama Barrow, said Almamy Kassama, an official at the Gambian mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in an email.

Banjul was peaceful. Senegalese radio station RFM reported 30 Gambian soldiers had crossed into Senegal to fight alongside the regional forces.

Soldiers at checkpoints in Banjul appeared relaxed Friday, with one telling visitors, Welcome to the smiling coast.

Late Friday, Barrow addressed members of Gambias diaspora and urged them to return home and rebuild their lives. I wish to congratulate all of you and welcome you to the new Gambia, he said.

SHARE:
As they left the swearing-in stand through a door back into the Capitol building, two presidents  first Donald Trump, then Barack Obama  paused in turn to shake the hand of a small man in a wheelchair. It took me a second to recognize Bob Dole, 93 years old, 20 years retired from the Senate he so dearly loved, as powerful a symbol of continuity in American politics as any that lives.

Trump slowed down for barely a second. Obama stayed behind for longer, gave Doles wife, Elizabeth, a peck on the cheek, clapped the old man on the shoulder reassuringly. There is no need to read too much into the different reactions: Obama has some spare time now, and Trump will be busier. In the years ahead there will be all sorts of events for us to read into.

Doles been a Trump man all along, because Doles a Republican and Trump was his partys nominee, but it was striking how many figures in the Washington establishment showed up for the ceremonies of this bizarre day. Weve heard so much about who wasnt going to show up that it was striking who did. Sen. Charles Schumer as co-master of ceremonies. Every living ex-president who was well enough to come, from Jimmy Carter on down. Hillary Clinton.

There was a late-breaking trend, as at least half of the people protocol would expect to see at a presidential inauguration struggled with whether to attend this one, toward showing up. Trump never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity, so of course he mocked and insulted Rep. John Lewis after Lewis announced he would not attend the inauguration of a man he views as an illegitimate president. But in the end, Lewiss choice was not the choice of most Washington dignitaries who had to decide whether to attend.

My hunch is that more and more Americans have decided there is no additional harm to be done by cloaking President Trump in the trappings of institutional legitimacy, and that in the end it might do a world of good.

Weve all learned not to bet against Trump in any confrontation that comes down to nothing more elaborate than brute, thuggish force. But the genius of the American republic is that it was designed to limit any mans power. Even battered as theyve become through neglect and misuse, those institutional safeguards may yet come in handy. Therell be no end of early tests. The American Civil Liberties Union was not the only organization to go to court seeking remedy against Trumps conflicts of interest in his business holdings within minutes after he lifted his hand from Abraham Lincolns Bible.

As for the man himself, well, never let it be said that on Day One he failed to deliver what his supporters voted for. He thanked the Obamas for their kindness and the ex-presidents for their presence, then dismissed them all as a dynasty of Neros.

RELATED:

Trump says American carnage stops now as hes sworn in as president

For too long, a small group in our nations capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth, he said.

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighbourhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. Instead too many face a different reality: poverty in our inner cities, rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones, and an education system flush with cash, which leaves students deprived of all knowledge.

All knowledge? This was escalating quickly. The crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives  Further escalation. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

Ah. There are words I like to use as rarely as possible so they dont spoil with repeated use, but if Trump wants to avoid being called a fascist, he should, at some point, stop stealing from the playbook. The cartoonish exaggeration of a nations woes, the promise of miraculous recovery thanks to a strongman who incarnates the nations will: Check, check, check. Weve seen this all before, usually in old newsreels from far-off lands.

From carnage in American cities it was on to the ravages of other countries. Trump mentioned borders twice, and neither time was it to praise Canada as a tourist destination. Once again, he seems intent on being the president he promised hed be during the campaign.

And yet, for all the carnage and ravages and the smirking Washington elites plundering the nation, Trump was quick to offer reassurance. No, not just reassurance, but a kind of magic rebirth. There should be no fear, he said. We are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.

These are, and will soon be widely remembered as, testable propositions. How long a grace period should Americans grant their new president before checking to see whether this American carnage ended right here and right now? Until midnight? Until the weekend, or years end? Until the next school shooting?

Similarly, if at some point it becomes apparent that the United States is not particularly more protected than before, or that Trump was speaking metaphorically when he said he would never ever let you down, then it will be a good thing that he got to pronounce this speech. He has set the terms of his own performance review.

Meanwhile, it will be necessary for everyone  courts, Democrats, press, states and cities and ravaging foreign governments  to work with him. Many were busily poring over the position papers his staff posted on the refurbished White House website. There is much to digest.

President Trump is committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule, the websites energy plank says. The Trump Administration will embrace the shale oil and gas revolution to bring jobs and prosperity to millions of Americans. We must take advantage of the estimated $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil and natural gas reserves, especially those on federal lands that the American people own. Including, one presumes, in Alaska.

Trade? President Trump is committed to renegotiating NAFTA. If our partners refuse a renegotiation that gives American workers a fair deal, then the president will give notice of the United States intent to withdraw from NAFTA.

What about irony? Is there anything in there on irony? Ah, yes, here it is. Cyberwarfare is an emerging battlefield, and we must take every measure to safeguard our national security secrets and systems. Perhaps one day well find out which draft of that promise the Kremlin got to read first.

Congratulations poured in from around the world. From Justin Trudeaus office, reporters received the sort of uniformly positive statement that has quickly become routine in the relationship between the Trudeau government and the Trump transition team. But also this interesting sentence: We look forward to working with President Trump, the U.S. administration, the 115th Congress, and officials at the state and local levels. Perhaps even, one day, on one issue or another, Canadians or their government might find recourse in the American court system too, just as soon as the ACLU clears a little space there for stragglers.

The new president has room for very little in his head but his own magnificence, but the U.S. Constitution, which he just swore to uphold and may yet someday read, envisages power flowing in many directions and from many sources. On this day more than on most, thats reassuring news.

Paul Wells is a national affairs writer. His column appears Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Read more about:

SHARE:
NEW YORKIts a scene U.S. authorities have dreamed of for decades: One of historys most infamous drug lords, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, facing justice in an American court.

As it finally unfolded Friday, authorities faced another challenge  actually holding onto a notorious escape artist who has pulled off two brazen prison breakouts in his native Mexico.

A hush descended over a Brooklyn courtroom moments before a dazed-looking Guzman entered Friday, a day after his extradition from Mexico. Security at the courthouse was stepped up to levels used for terror suspects, with officers armed with assault rifles and bomb-sniffing dogs.

Holding his unshackled hands behind his back, Guzman appeared calm and collected as he gave yes and no answers, through an interpreter, to a judges questions.

He entered a not-guilty plea through his court-appointed lawyer to drug trafficking and other charges and will be held without bail in a jail that has handled terror suspects and mobsters.

It is difficult to imagine another person with a greater risk of fleeing prosecution, prosecutors wrote in court papers.

Prosecutors described Guzman as the murderous architect of a 3-decade-long web of smuggling, brutality and corruption that made his Sinaloa cartel a fortune while fueling an epidemic of drug abuse and related violence in the U.S. in the 1980s and 90s.

Hes a man known for a life of crime, violence, death and destruction, and now hell have to answer for that, said Robert Capers, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn.

The U.S. has been trying to get custody of Guzman since he was first indicted in California in the early 1990s. American authorities finally got their wish on the eve of the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has lashed out at Mexico for sending the U.S. criminals and rapists and has vowed to build a wall at the Mexican border.

When Guzman got off a plane in New York, as you looked into his eyes, you could see the surprise, you could see the shock, and to a certain extent, you could see the fear, as the realization kicked in that hes about to face American justice, said Angel Melendez, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

While Guzman faces federal charges in several U.S. states, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn won the jockeying to get the case. The U.S. attorneys office there has substantial experience prosecuting international drug cartel cases and was once led by outgoing U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

New York City also boasts one of the most secure lockups in the United States, the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan.

The drab-looking building protected by steel barricades that can stop up to 7  tons of speeding truck, in an area watched by cameras capable of reading a newspaper a block away. Inhabitants have included Ramzi Yousef, the architect of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; several former close associates of Osama bin Laden; Ponzi king Bernard Madoff; and the late Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, labeled by the tabloids as the Dapper Don.

In the jails special high-security wing for the riskiest inmates, roughly a dozen inhabitants spend 23 hours a day in roughly 20-by-12-foot cells, prohibited from communicating with one another.

Meals are eaten in cells, and exercise is in a recreation area specifically for these inmates. Only a limited number of carefully vetted jailers would be allowed access to an inmate with Guzmans wealth and potential to corrupt people, said Catherine Linaweaver, a former MCC warden who retired in May 2014.

The special units strict confinement drew criticism from the human rights group Amnesty International in 2011.

The jail saw an audacious escape attempt in 1982, when two armed people in a hijacked sightseeing helicopter tried to grab an inmate off a rooftop recreation area after he and others took a guard hostage. Four years before, three prisoners had broken out by cutting through window bars, according to news accounts.

Now in his late 50s, Guzman faces the possibility of life in a U.S. prison; prosecutors also are seeking a $14 billion forfeiture. They had to agree to not seek the death penalty as a condition of the extradition.

Guzman presided over a syndicate that shipped tons of cocaine from South America to the U.S. using tanker trucks, planes with secret landing strips, container ships, speedboats and even submarines, prosecutors said. Perhaps most infamously, Guzmans cartel built elaborate tunnels under the U.S. border to transport drugs, said Wifredo Ferrer, the U.S. attorney in Miami.

Initially arrested in 1993, Guzman broke out of a maximum-security Mexican prison the first time in 2001, apparently in a laundry cart. He then spent more than a decade at large, sometimes managing to slip away just as authorities closed in. His defiance of authority made him a folk legend among some Mexicans, and he was immortalized in ballads known as narco-corridos.

Recaptured in 2014, Guzman then escaped again, this time through a hole in his prison cell shower. A specially rigged motorcycle on rails whisked him to freedom through a milelong tunnel.

While on the run, he secretly met with actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo in a fall 2015 encounter that Penn later chronicled in a Rolling Stone magazine article.

In it, Guzman was unapologetic about his criminal activities, saying he had turned to drug trafficking at age 15 because it was the only way to have money to buy food, to survive.

The piece was published shortly after Mexican marines rearrested Guzman in a January 2016 shootout that killed five of his associates and wounded one marine.

Read more about:

SHARE:
NATAL, BRAZILInmates wielding knives, machetes and cellphones held their ground Friday at a prison in northeast Brazil where 26 were recently killed.

Tensions at the Alcacuz prison outside the city of Natal remained high a day after inmates from rival gangs fought in the yard and set up doors and mattresses as barriers.

Read more:

Death toll rises to 27 in latest Brazil prison riot

Another Brazilian prison rebellion kills at least 4 more inmates

Hearts, intestines ripped out in gruesome Brazil prison killing spree

Several inmates were injured, but authorities had not regained control of the prison and thus couldnt provide specifics. Meanwhile, there were fears that more violence would spill over into the city, where 20 buses have been burned over two days.

No one is giving us information about the situation inside, complained Luciana Apolinario, one of the mostly women camped outside. Apolinario, whose son is serving a drug-trafficking sentence, said families were learning about what was happening from prisoners with phones.

Latin Americas largest nation has experienced a wave of prison killings in recent weeks, with at least 126 dead since the beginning of the year.

At the Alcacuz prison, inmates from the local Northern Syndicate gang stayed in the yard, waving their weapons while periodically participating in prayer and song. Meanwhile, inmates from the First Command, Brazils largest criminal network with its base in Sao Paulo, periodically went inside their pavilion.

Stretchers were dropped into an area of the prison controlled by First Command members, and three injured inmates were removed by being pulled up. One was shot in the neck, the bullet still lodged in his body.

While they were being pulled up, the women watching from outside screamed. Some had their faces covered, underscoring the fear that the beef between gangs could spill out of the prison.

Guards and military police have not gone inside the penitentiary, instead periodically breaking up fights by shooting tear gas from above.

Army soldiers were expected to arrive late Friday after the governor of the state of Rio Grande do Norte called for their help to help maintain control.

A riot squad briefly entered the prison on Thursday evening to remove several inmates who had been injured during clashes. But they did not send inmates back to their cells.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Protesters set fires and hurled bricks in a daylong assault on the city hosting Donald Trumps inauguration, registering their rage against the new president in a series of clashes that led to more than 200 arrests. Police used pepper spray and stun grenades to prevent the chaos from spilling into Trumps formal procession and evening balls.

Several spirited demonstrations unfolded peacefully at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read, Resist Trump Climate Justice Now, Let Freedom Ring and Free Palestine.

Read more:

LIVE: Trump inaugurated as 45th U.S. president

Donald Trump, the strongman who incarnates a nations will: Paul Wells

President Donald Trumps 2017 inaugural address: Transcript

But about a mile from the National Mall, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of downtown businesses including a Starbucks, a Bank of America and a McDonalds as they denounced capitalism and Trump. Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters to help contain the violence, which erupted periodically throughout the day.

They began to destroy property, throw objects at people, through windows. A large percentage of this small group was armed with crowbars and hammers, said the citys interim police chief, Peter Newsham.

Six officers suffered minor injuries, he said.

The confrontation began an hour before Trump took the oath of office and escalated several hours later as the crowd of protesters swelled to more than 1,000, some wearing gas masks and with arms chained together inside PVC pipe. One said the demonstrators were bringing in the cavalry.

When some crossed police lines, taunting, Put the pigs in the ground, police charged with batons and pepper spray, as well as stun grenades, which are used to shock and disperse crowds. Loud booms echoed through the streets about six blocks from where Trump would soon hold his inaugural parade.

Some protesters picked up bricks and concrete from the sidewalk and hurled them at police lines. Some rolled large, metal trash cans at police.

Later, they set fire to a limousine on the perimeter of the secured zone, sending black smoke billowing into the sky during Trumps procession.

As night fell, protesters set a bonfire blocks from the White House and frightened well-dressed Trump supporters as they ventured to the new presidents inaugural balls. Police briefly ordered ball goers to remain inside their hotel as they worked to contain advancing protesters.

Police said they charged 217 people with rioting, said Newsham, noting that the group caused significant damage along a number of blocks.

Before Inauguration Day, the DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, had promised that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest when necessary.

Trump supporter Brett Ecker said the protesters were frustrating but werent going to put a damper on his day.

Theyre just here to stir up trouble, said the 36-year-old public school teacher. It upsets me a little bit that people choose to do this, but yet again, its one of the things I love about this country.

At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay. Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organize the DisruptJ20 protest, said protesters wanted to show Trump and his misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous supporters that they wont be silent.

Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard. Outside the International Spy Museum, protesters in Russian hats ridiculed Trumps praise of President Vladimir Putin, marching with signs calling Trump Putins Puppet and Kremlin employee of the month.

Fridays protests spread across the nation.

In San Francisco, thousands formed a human chain on the Golden Gate Bridge and chanted Love Trumps hate. In the citys financial district, a few hundred protesters blocked traffic outside an office building partly owned by Trump.

In Atlanta, protests converged at City Hall and a few hundred people chanted and waved signs protesting Trump, denouncing racism and police brutality and expressing support for immigrants, Muslims and the Black Lives Matter movement.

In Nashville, half a dozen protesters chained themselves to the doors of the Tennessee Capitol. Hundreds also sat in a 10-minute silent protest at a park while Trump took the oath of office. Organizers led a prayer, sang patriotic songs and read the Declaration of Independence aloud.

In the Pacific Northwest, demonstrators in Portland, Oregon, burned U.S. flags and students at Portland State University walked out of classes. About 200 protesters gathered on the Capitol steps in Olympia, Washington, carrying signs that included the messages Resist Trump and Not My Problem. Olympia police reported about 100 marchers causing some traffic disruptions downtown, and protesters also marched in Seattle.

The demonstrations wont end when Trump takes up residence in the White House.

A massive Womens March on Washington is planned for Saturday. Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbias homeland security director, has said 1,800 buses have registered to park in the city Saturday, which could mean nearly 100,000 people coming in just by bus.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Relax. Take a Valium. Yes, Donald Trump is being officially inaugurated today as U.S. president. But Canada has faced dangerous American presidents before.

Probably the most dangerous was James Madison, the commander-in chief of U.S. forces when they invaded Canada in 1812.

Along with the British and allied First Nations, we beat off that invasion. But it took two years and a lot of deaths. So Trump is unlikely to be as difficult for Canada as Madison, who is still lauded in the U.S. as one of the founders of the American republic.

Nor does Trumps outsize rhetoric match up to that of another U.S. president, James Polk. Polk won election in 1844 on a promise to seize  by arms if necessary  the entire Pacific coast of what is today British Columbia.

Polks slogan, 54 40 or fight was a pledge to annex lands stretching from the northern border of California to a latitude marking the southern boundary of the Alaska panhandle.

Luckily for both sides, he was apparently using his campaign rhetoric as a bargaining tool. The boundary between the Western U.S. and British North America was eventually set much farther south, at the 49th parallel of latitude.

Few Americans talk of invading Canada any more. But there is still potential for a new president to cause damage. Will volatile, thin-skinned Trump drag Canada and the world into unnecessary conflicts?

Perhaps. But if so, that too is not new.

George W. Bushs decision to avenge 9/11 by invading Afghanistan drew Canada and other American allies into the longest and most pointless war in our history.

John F. Kennedy is regarded in both Canada and the U.S. as a secular saint. But Kennedys brinkmanship during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis  particularly his decision to break international law by blockading Cuba  brought the world to the threshold of nuclear war.

The point is not that Kennedy  or Bush  was unusually reckless. Rather it is that a certain amount of recklessness appears to come with the job.

Trumps critics charge that he is somehow mentally unsuited to the demands of the presidency. If so, hes not the first.

Ronald Reagan showed signs of dementia three years into his eight year term, according to son Ron Jr. Woodrow Wilson suffered a debilitating stroke in 1919 that left him incapacitated for the rest of his time in office.

In both cases, America  and the world  managed to keep going.

So too will Canada outlast Trump. True, he is taking aim at the North American Free Trade Agreement, around which the modern Canadian economy is structured.

But some of his rumoured reforms, such as requiring North American manufactured goods to contain more domestic content, could end up benefitting Canadian workers.

And if he does demand changes to NAFTA that are unpalatable to Canada, Ottawa can and should walk out of the talks. That too has precedents.

In 1854, Canada entered into a form of free-trade arrangement with the U.S. known as reciprocity. It held sway for 12 years and much of Canadas colonial economy was structured around it.

But in 1866, the U.S. decided to abrogate the pact. In part, this was to punish Britain for playing footsy with the South during Americas bitter civil war. In large part though, the U.S. rejection of free trade reflected the growth in that country of protectionist sentiment.

Then, as now, the government of what was then colonial Canada was horrified to contemplate the end of a lucrative trading arrangement. Then, as now, emissaries were dispatched to Washington to persuade the U.S. president, in that case Andrew Johnson, to change his mind.

Johnson held firm. Free trade was terminated. But the results werent as harsh as some had feared. In fact, the end of reciprocity added weight to the argument of those calling for a confederation of British North American colonies into a new country.

That new country, Canada, was created. It eventually responded to the U.S. with protectionist strategies of its own. And it prospered.

So hail to the chief on the occasion of his inauguration. We can survive this president. We have survived worse.

Thomas Walkom appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Its perhaps ironic that it is an iconic quote by Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus father that sums up the situation that confronts him today.

Pierre Trudeau once remarked that living next to the United States was in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly or even-tempered is the beast  one is affected by every twitch and grunt.

Trudeaus relationship with former President Barack Obama was often compared by the media to Brian Mulroneys infamously close relationship with Ronald Reagan; his relationship with Hillary Clinton, once cast as the inevitable successor to Obama, was no less warm.

Together, this promised a golden era of Liberal and Democratic rule in North America that would include increased environmental regulation, a focus on growing the social safety net, and, increasingly, aligned foreign policies that would emphasize brokering international peace rather than imposing it.

Fridays inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States has suddenly, abruptly, rudely ruptured that idyllic vision.

The elephant isnt so much twitching as having full-body convulsions.

Following its election in 2015, the Liberal Party mapped out a four-year guide to re-election. They did this thinking they would have an American counterpart marching in lockstep on major policies.

Instead, the Liberals now face a president with plans antithetical to core components of their platform.

That said, the Trudeau government has shown it understands the enormity of the challenges it faces. The irascible Stephane Dion has been shuffled out of the global affairs portfolio in favour of Chrystia Freeland who, in addition to having performed well at international trade, knows the United States well. A team specifically focused on U.S./Canada policy, led by Brian Clow, the very capable former chief of staff to Freeland has been drafted. High-level staff members have been dispatched to Trump Tower to meet with Trump administration officials.

And yet the enormity of the challenge has only begun to present itself; a challenge that will come in three principal forms.

The first is environmental policy. Carbon pricing grew increasingly popular with the Democratic establishment as the U.S. election approached. It is very possible that increased environmental taxation would have been a top priority for Hillary Clinton. But that reality does not exist: President Trump is uncompromisingly opposed to any increase in business regulation for environmental purposes, a position at odds with the Trudeau governments decision to enact carbon pricing.

With a president who opposes environmental policies he sees as harming business and who favours reducing taxes, the Trudeau government could be forced to reconsider its commitment to a policy that will handicap Canadian businesses. Already, there has been pressure from our business community wary of the challenge.

The second challenge surrounds foreign policy. Again, the Trudeau government had found itself largely aligned with the less aggressive positioning of the Democratic establishment. A reluctance to be drawn into commitments on regional conflicts, support for increased consensus-building, and support of international institutions defined both the Obama and Trudeau administrations.

As Trump moves into the Oval Office, that harmony moves out. Even during the few, short months following the election, he has demonstrated a belligerent, anti-establishment approach. NAFTA, the European Union, and the UN find themselves under attack by a president who dismisses them as either useless or malicious. For a multilateralist like Justin Trudeau, the problem will be standing up for such institutions while trying to remain in the Trump governments favour.

Finally, personality may itself be a challenge. On the international stage, Trudeau has been framed as an inspiring figure, the personification of a new generation of hope and promise.

Trump, on the other hand, has been positioned as a throwback to a time when America was meaner, smaller, more insular and selfish.

Should that narrative take hold, Trudeau will risk developing an adversarial relationship with a president who has demonstrated time and again that he has not only a fragile ego coupled with a narcissistic personality, but who takes up all the available oxygen in a room.

The Trudeau government has navigated the challenges well thus far, but a Trump presidency fundamentally alters the waters. No longer are we in an age of North American liberal ascendancy; instead, many of the underpinnings of such an agenda are under direct attack.

The ability to adjust to real life circumstances while keeping strategic focus is at the core of the challenge of governing. In 2009, Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty, elected on  and believing in  a platform of strict fiscal conservatism, found themselves deciding to run a deficit. They adapted to circumstance for the good of the country. Whether Trudeau can do the same may decide the fate of his government in 2019.

Jaime Watt is executive chairman of Navigator Ltd. and a Conservative strategist.

Read more about:

SHARE:
The inauguration of Donald Trump as the next president of the United States is undoubtedly forcing every country to rethink its foreign policy. The case is no different here in Canada.

Not so long ago Justin Trudeaus Liberals rode to electoral victory in Canada on a wave of optimism and promised Canadians a kinder, gentler foreign policy than his predecessor. Prime Minister Trudeaus tone has earned him praise and accolades from Canadian liberals and progressives. Yet, as much as Trudeau would like to promote a cosmopolitan and co-operative foreign policy, Trumps emerging policy agenda may force Trudeau to take a harder, self-interested line.

One caveat is crucial: attempting to forecast what is in Trumps foreign policy playbook is a fools game at this point. He has no track record as a politician or public servant, giving analysts little data to work with.

He prefers a communications strategy built on the principle of unpredictability. While he seems to have some core beliefs about the way that global politics work, he does not appear to have strong convictions about what practical steps the U.S. should take to secure its interests in the world. For now, we can only glimpse President Trumps foreign policy through a glass, darkly. He is probably neither the fool nor the genius pundits make him out to be.

We are forced to rely on statements he has made in interviews, press conferences and on his infamous twitter feed.

During the presidential election Trump surrogates and campaign members whispered that Trumps anti-trade rhetoric was not targeting Canada, but his transition team now suggests Canada will not be excluded from efforts to adjust value-added taxes at the border, and will be included in efforts to renegotiate NAFTA. The typically collegial  if not always friendly  relationship between Ottawa and Washington might be on hold.

Lets be clear: this is about much more than trade. Instead, Trumps plans for U.S. trade policy offer hints about the rest of his foreign policy, a policy that doesnt use Americas network of allies as a foundation for co-operative efforts to achieve its goals.

Instead, it sees a world of takers who exploit American weakness and generosity and bleed the U.S. dry. This doesnt just apply to jobs and investment dollars, but to security as well. Taken at face value, President Trumps comments on NATO  when interpreted alongside his views on trade  suggest Trump doesnt see a peaceful, stable world as a core interest of the U.S.

The rest of the world is somewhere else, and so long as the bloodshed and instability does not cross Americas borders, its not Americas problem. Its a view of foreign policy that defies 70 years of bipartisan consensus  that the U.S. looks for co-operative solutions to its problems because it is in its cold, hard interest to do so. This outlook may put Canada in an unenviable position.

Now, all the rhetoric coming from the presidents camp could simply be posturing. As he is fond of pointing out, he is foremost a businessman who is proud of his negotiating prowess. He is also a reality television star who knows how to speak provocatively. Even if this rhetoric is simply an opening round of bargaining, the Trudeau government must respond and take it seriously. Last weeks cabinet shuffle  putting Chrystia Freeland in charge of foreign affairs and tapping retired lieutenant general Andrew Leslie to aid the new minister  makes it clear that Trump has caught Prime Minister Trudeaus attention.

Its looking like Canada-U.S. relations could become unruly. Unruly doesnt have to be bad though. To navigate the next four years, here are a few things for the Canadian government, businesses, and citizens to keep in mind.

The first is that when negotiating with the U.S., Canada should firmly anchor its opening positions. NAFTA and the rest of the existing Canada-U.S. economic relationship is imperfect. However, despite its flaws it has been generally good for both countries. If the new U.S. government wants to radically alter the status quo, then they need to make the case that both countries should toss out an imperfect but well understood set of rules (that Canada has upheld for over two decades) for something new.

Trudeaus government is in a naturally strong negotiating position since Trumps administration needs to not only convince Canada but its fellow Americans to trade predictability for uncertainty. Thus, in the opening rounds, Canada should stick to the position that NAFTA, as it is, should stand, and should only give up ground grudgingly.

A second rule is that there is no need for hostile rhetoric.While Trump is unpopular in Canada, Trudeau should ignore that fact. Remember Aesops fable, where the wind and the sun competed to see who could get a weary traveler to remove his cloak. The wind blew mightily, but only convinced the traveler to pull his coat tighter. The sun, on the other hand, beamed warmth on him. Overheating, the traveler pulled his cloak off. When dealing with a new administration that has promised a great deal to the U.S. public and is eager to show off some successes, a positive and ingratiating tone will probably get Canada further than a stubborn one.

Finally, despite the changes Trump may signal for U.S. foreign policy, lets remember that because of history and geography, Canada and the U.S. share many interests. Where those align, Canada should enthusiastically work with Washington.

Take, for example, China. If the Trump administration is willing to hold China to account, and demand it abide by the trade and investment rules Beijing itself signed up for, Canada should support Washington. After all, Canada is getting ready for its own trade negotiations with the Chinese government, and an accountable and responsible Beijing that abides by its word is in Canadas interests. While it is always good sense to collaborate on mutual interests, this time it is more important than ever to capitalize on common ground.

The sunny ways of 2015 are probably obsolete, but that doesnt mean more turbulent times are inevitable. Instead, a dose of toughness, a bit of grace, and a willingness to capitalize on common ground could help make the next four years as smooth as possible.

Simon Palamar is a research associate at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). He is currently leading several projects within African conflict management and continues to manage CIGIs work in the areas of emerging global security issues.

Read more about:

SHARE:
Brian Mulroney likes to remind aspirant prime ministers they would have one job as important as leading Canada successfully: Building a strong personal relationship with the President of the United States, and nurturing it carefully, throughout your time in office.

Sadly, is not a view that many Canadian prime ministers have shared, often to their cost. Diefenbaker, Pearson, Chretien were disasters. Most recently, Stephen Harpers adolescent insulting of Barack Obama cost him and Canada dearly.

Justin Trudeau has been handed a White House management test that might have stumped even a seasoned Canada/U.S. pro like the most successful Conservative prime minister of the past century. However, Mulroney is not easily defeated by even such a formidable challenge as the Twitter Terror of Trump Tower.

He believes that even with such a volatile and explosive president it is incumbent on the PMO to reach and develop relationships from the top to the bottom of the West Wing. Perhaps, especially, with such a president.

Trudeau seems to have arrived at the same conclusion. One might judge that this is another proof of his training in leadership relations from childhood, except that his dad was also a disaster at Washington management.

No, Trudeau here seems to be following his impulse to get in front of, rather than be driven by a potential crisis, viz. refugees, First Nations, pipelines. A path has been worn between the Langevin Block and Trump Tower since Nov. 9, with Canadas new foreign minister Chrystia Freeland, leading the parade.

They have reached out to academics, business leaders, former diplomats and political leaders for insight and counsel on this strange new president. They have begun the process of agenda building and prospective issue management, with NAFTA and softwood lumber near the top of the list.

Next they will no doubt mobilize Canadas not inconsiderable fan club among U.S. governors, congressmen, and business leaders. Trump may not now be aware of the fact that 38 states  most of them Republican  have Canada as their number one trade partner. He will be soon.

So far, the Trudeau team have kept all this heavy lifting quiet, making little comment publicly about the bizarre days ahead. The caucus has been told to be cautious even about Trump bashing jokes. Trudeau has been careful, in recent townhalls to underline his determination to defend Canadian interests and values, but does so mildly.

The media have been starved of the juicy leaks this government is very good as employing to stay in front of a challenging news story. Its been a very wise call, given the prospect of Trump Twitter attack for even the mildest critique of the most unstable person ever to occupy the most powerful office in the world.

It may yet all go south, as it were. Former Canadian auto executive Sergio Marchione mused dourly that auto production in Canada could yet be slammed by a Trump tariff war. Tovarisch Trump may yet spin out of control if the Russian rumours get legs. (Some silly media speculation about Minister Freelands being on Putins blacklist as a problem for her in her new role simply revealed their ignorance that she knows more Putin oligarchs, knows more about their political culture, enmities and style  and has written the book on them  than any of her peers.)

If it does go bad, Trudeau having made every effort to avoid a collision, it will look good on him and his government. When the usual Conservative attack dogs sneer that he has been Trumped out of naivete, inexperience, whatever, most Canadians will say, No, he was the adult, dealing with an adolescent bully.

If it comes to battle, even more Canadians will say, Hit him again! If the need develops for a network of global leaders to stage an intervention in the Oval Office, Trudeau may be asked to help assemble the team.

So from this perspective it seems that if Trudeau wins concessions, or simply neglect from Trump, he wins politically with Canadians. If he loses to Trumps trade follies, despite having fought hard, he wins politically. If the world seeks a captain for a team of leaders to challenge Trump from Europe and Asia, he will be considered a strong candidate, and win again.

Not bad positioning for someone who has never faced such a strange and frightening political partner. Mulroney has been as silent as the grave on all this, turning down hungry media inquiries almost daily. Nonetheless, one suspects he would approve of the current PMs strategy and determination, no matter the odds.

Robin V. Sears, a principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group and a Broadbent Institute leadership fellow, was an NDP strategist for 20 years.

Read more about:

SHARE:
How did Auden (W.H.) get it so right? He died in 1973, but his lines come to mind during the 21st centurys most wracked moments.

Sept. 1, 1939, was written around that date from one of the dives/ On Fifty-second Street in New York, at the end of a low dishonest decade, the 1930s. It included the Great Depression and the global spread of fascism, with World War Two just ahead. Fair enough, he was there.

But on Sept. 11, 2001, with Auden long dead, his poem seemed to rise from the rubble in Manhattan  reprinted, quoted, viral etc. That was at the end of a proud, boastful decade, which followed the Soviet Unions demise, with smug Western declarations of victory and much reaping of economic spoils.

The lines that gripped, Id say, were: I and the public know/What all schoolchildren learn,/Those to whom evil is done/Do evil in return. If that line had been taken to heart by Western leaders, perhaps the low dishonest decade that came after 9/11 mightve been avoided: invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, continuing slaughter, fractured nations, the rise of Daesh, mass refugee flows, more terror attacks, demagogues manipulating the fear, even perhaps Brexit.

At the time he wrote his poem, Auden was attacked for moral perversity, as if hed suggested Hitlerism was justified. He hadnt. He was simply noticing that evil comes from somewhere, it has antecedents. If you want to avoid it, you must look to them, and your own complicity. In our time, journalist Robert Fisk has spent decades warning from the Mideast: if we continue maltreating this region, it will eventually rebound on us. Hence: 9/11.

Now, picturing Trumps inauguration, another Auden poem comes to mind: In Memory of W.B. Yeats. He wrote it a year later with war fully underway In the nightmare of the dark/All the dogs of Europe bark,/And the living nations wait,/Each sequestered in its hate. The line that bites on Inauguration Day is: Intellectual disgrace/Stares from every human face. How so?

Obama and Bill Clinton will be there, on the platform above the mall, as Trump is sworn in. Both are smart guys, a term they like using to display their street sense. Both should have known better; thats what makes them an intellectual disgrace. Obama had a chance, in 2009, after the crash and with majorities in Congress, to break up the banks and restore the law that had prevented them from plundering and wrecking their entire society. He couldve seen that some went to jail for what they did to peoples lives.

Clinton, smirking all the way (John Travolta caught him perfectly in Primary Colours), had cancelled that law reining in high finance. He gave them whatever they wanted, including NAFTA, which carried Trump into office.

Hillary is also there. Is she a disgrace too? Of course, though, as they say in traffic court, with an explanation. Shed given up a lot, including her own name, for Bills career; then came the Lewinsky humiliation. But her sense of a reward owed, led her to run, surely knowing what an awful candidate she was.

Trump may be least culpable. Hes almost too stupid to be included. But failing to know your own limits is also intellectually disgraceful.

So what? Its just poetry, as Auden knew: For poetry makes nothing happen: it survives/  A way of happening, a mouth.

But it reminds us that, awful as things usually are, we retain a bizarre power, so long as were honest: Sing of human unsuccess/ In a rapture of distress.

With that paradoxical power, and since each person is a new beginning, fresh and unmarked at birth, there is always the possibility of better things, despite mountains of failure piling up. So: In the prison of his days/Teach the free man how to praise.

The first inauguration I witnessed on TV was JFKs when I was a kid. A poet was present  Robert Frost, the first poet I revered  and his poem (The Gift Outright) blew away in the wind, only a year before 2016s Nobel laureate in literature wrote, The answer, my friend, is blowin in the wind.

Frost went on to say it by heart. Thats whats practical about poetry: it lodges up on your memory shelf and you can take it down when you need it.

Rick Salutins column appears every Friday.

Read more about:

SHARE:
What is life going to be like for U.S. women for the next four years? I keep thinking of the advice given to American students when a gunman stalks the school corridors: Run, Hide, Fight. Decide which is the safest choice and do that.

Canadian journalist Natasha Stoynoff says she was sexually attacked by now-President Trump in 2005 when she interviewed him at Mar-a-Lago in Florida for People magazine. She wrote in People last year, Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around and within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat.

Stoynoff said only the entry of a butler stopped the attack. Melania Trump, heavily pregnant, was coming downstairs. Stoynoff said Trump then said, learning forward, You know were going to have an affair, dont you? The next day, half-dressed in a resort massage room for treatment for a chronic neck injury, Stoynoff said she had to flee because she was told Trump had been waiting for her.

Stoynoff chose Fight. She was just finishing a new Chicken Soup for the Soul book called Curvy and Confident. Fresh from editing stories about women who had refused to accept their bodies being devalued because of a skewed concept of beauty, she was angry about the presidential debates and reminders that Trump had referred to women as fat pigs.

So Stoynoff told her tale. Trump reacted at a Florida rally: Take a look at her! You tell me what you think! I dont think so! The next day, he called Stoynoff a liar and said Check out her Facebook page. Youll understand.

By the way, Stoynoff, who I interviewed last week, is a great beauty and has been since I knew her years before in Toronto journalism. She is articulate and energetic; she radiates warmth; she does not expect the worst of people. I admit I fear for her.

So Stoynoff had advance warning of some of what women may be in for, besides contempt, lower wages, an abortion ban, lack of access to contraception and a return to stay-at-home subservience. Trump values women for youth and good looks, which in his eyes end at 35. Trump himself is the oldest president ever, and one of the heaviest.

And women thought they had been making strides? Women are trained to be overly critical of themselves, to think that most of their value comes from their looks, Stoynoff says. So then we become hypersensitive to it.

The people speaking up in her book realize there are different body types and it is ludicrous to demand that all women conform to a paper doll cut-out. Sometimes they lose weight, sometimes they dont, Stoynoff explains, but they do get in better condition.

Stoynoff is fascinated by the demands made on womens bodies over the last century. Fifteen years ago, if you had a butt like Kim Kardashians, you were told you were fat. Now you have women getting butt implants. Every decade, women are expected to conform to a different standard of beauty. But how? From the beginning of time, weve had the same bodies.

In the Fifties, Stoynoff says, youre supposed to be an hourglass like Marilyn, five years later, youre supposed to look like Twiggy ... Now its our lips, nose, eyebrows. While were worried if our eyebrows are fitting the current norm, what are men doing? Theyre getting up in their careers.

On U.S. election night, Stoynoff was in Toronto. At 3 in the morning, I woke up and checked the Internet. I was so upset. I fell back to sleep and dreamed that the whole world was on the Titanic and heading for an iceberg. You wake up from the nightmare and the realitys worse.

Stoynoff thinks she knows why women voted for Trump. Some women dont trust other women. They would not want a woman to be president.

I remember reading about a tiger in a cage, she said. If you take the bars away, they will still circle the perimeter because they still feel caged. They dont know how to go out, they dont want to go out and theyre scared to go out. And thats what I wonder about some of the women.

As the interview ends, Stoynoff talks about the love and support she has received from her brothers. As for Trump, she says, shuddering, I think Ive almost gotten away without saying his name.

SHARE:
I would like to welcome Sophie Borwein to the ranks of us public editors tasked with the responsibility and privilege of holding news organizations to account for high journalistic standards on behalf of their readers.

We are a relatively small group of public editors, readers editors and ombudsmen  especially in North America. So, for me, Borweins appointment as the first-ever public editor for University of Torontos student newspaper, The Varsity, seems like a noteworthy step forward for media accountability and transparency at a time when trust in media overall has hit all-time lows and the new president of the United States has done much to try to delegitimize the critical role of media in a democracy.

Varsity editor Alex McKeen announced this week that the 137-year-old student paper, where many prominent Canadian journalists learned their craft, has appointed a public editor. To my knowledge this is the first Canadian student newspaper to do so. It seems to me a brave move for The Varsitys editorial staff to open itself to a sharp critical eye that will hold it officially to public account for high journalistic standards.

These students exhibit strong understanding of journalism, its responsibilities to our readers and their roles as journalists in building reader trust.

In a column introducing Borwein to The Varsitys readers, McKeen said the appointment is the student-run news organizations latest commitment to transparency with respect to our journalistic standards and practices that our readers rightly demand from us, and should continue to demand of media organizations throughout their lives.

A healthy future for journalism requires that readers trust journalists to seek and expose truths  sometimes even uncomfortable ones, McKeen wrote. For their part, news media organizations must constantly reaffirm their commitment to journalistic standards.

McKeen believes reader trust is essential to the future of journalism: I am cautiously optimistic that institutions that prioritize journalistic ethics and high standards for reporting will be the choice of readers in the long-term, she wrote.

As I see it, the next wave of journalists are working at newspapers like The Varsity, and the next wave of informed citizens are reading them.

I met recently with McKeen and spoke on the phone this week with Borwein. In both instances, I came away impressed and heartened by both of these young womens thoughtful idealism and strong commitment to journalism that meets high standards of accuracy and fairness.

Borwein, 27, a PhD candidate in U of Ts department of political science, has never worked for the award-winning student paper, or as a journalist. She has worked in public policy roles and has strong interest in the importance of media in public policy. As public editor she will serve as a smart, informed reader empowered to hold The Varsity to account through a column in the paper, which publishes weekly in print and is updated online throughout the week.

In her opening column, Borwein referred to research indicating that well-established news brands like The Varsity continue to be most trusted by readers. But, she added, Canadian newspapers should be vigilant.

They need only look to their neighbours to the south  where in the most recent election, the mainstream media was both ignored by large segments of American voters and oblivious to the depth of President-elect Donald Trumps support  to see how wide the gap between the media and the public can grow.

As Public Editor, ensuring The Varsitys reporting is fair and accurate means taking readers concerns seriously, investigating them thoroughly, and reporting back to readers with an appropriate response in my columns.

But, she wrote, (quite wisely, I believe): It does not mean the reader is always right.

Borwein, who will be paid a small honorarium for her work, knows she has not taken on an easy job. When I congratulated her on her appointment to what I told her will undoubtedly be a challenging role, she responded, You are not the first person today who has told me how challenging (and even thankless) the public editor job can be.

Well, I have to say it is not a role for the faint of heart. It is not for nothing that when we gather at the annual meeting of the Organization of News Ombudsmen there is much talk of us holding the worst job in journalism.

Nevertheless, we all agree, serving as public editor is indeed a privilege and trying ones best to serve readers and journalisms highest standards is well worth doing  particularly at a time when building public trust in journalism matters more than ever.

So, welcome to our ranks, Sophie. We are here for you.

SHARE:
Editors' pick: Originally published Jan. 20.

Just two weeks ago, Tesla (TSLA) began operations at its brand-new, massive Gigafactory in the Nevada desert. But as with many of CEO Elon Musk's endeavors, it's apparently not enough. On Thursday, the electric car maker announced an expansion to the Gigafactory program that will take the facility beyond its originally intended scope. And, again like Musk's other projects, this will come with a hefty price tag.

The Gigafactory will be the world's largest manufacturing facility once its construction is completed. It's about one-third done -- and already 4.9 million square feet in size. The original projected cost for the facility, designed to build massive amounts of lithium-ion batteries, was $5 billion.

But now Tesla says that it will invest a further $350 million into the Gigafactory to facilitate the production of motors and gearboxes for the upcoming Model 3 vehicle. To this end, Tesla will hire another 550 employees, bringing the entire Gigafactory work force to more than 7,000 by the time the facility is completed in 2018.

Currently, Tesla cars are manufactured at the company's factory in Fremont, Calif. The company has also announced that it has received permission from that city's government to add an additional 4.6 million square feet to the plant.

Another Tesla facility is being constructed in Buffalo, N.Y., in a partnership with Panasonic, which has pledged more than $256 million to the project. This factory will focus mainly on the production of solar cells.

Tesla is going to need as much factory space as it can get. The company has set an ambitious goal of producing Model 3 vehicles at an annual rate of 500,000 by the end of next year, and one million by the end of 2020. At $35,000, the Model 3 will be Tesla's most competitively priced vehicle. The company claims to have received about 373,000 $1,000 deposits for the model.

As wonderful as Tesla's scheme sounds, it's best to remain skeptical until real results are delivered. Musk is a big dreamer, but so far few of his visions have become bankable realities.

From October through December 2016, Tesla delivered just more than 22,000 vehicles. However, the company had previously expected 35,000. For the full-year 2016, the company fell short of its promise of 80,000 delivered units, bringing only 76,230 cars onto the road.

Despite the massive production space and the huge number of expected employees, 500,000 Model 3 vehicles annually by the end of next year seems like a huge stretch. Announcements that the company has missed production targets have a nasty habit of creating drag on Tesla's stock.

In addition, Tesla is spending tons of money on top of billions of dollars of long-term debt, about half of which was added by the company's controversial purchase of SolarCity last year.

True, the old adage is "you have to spend money to make money." And a lot of the money spent building the Gigafactory thus far has come from selling transferable tax credits to other companies, such as MGM Resorts (MGM) . But it's time for Tesla to start showing sustainable results to justify the cost.

Tesla is still a risky play for investors. Continue to avoid it unless you enjoy a high-stakes gamble.

---

Savvy investors should continue to be wary of Tesla. But there's good reason: a blistering financial storm is about to hit our shores. When it hits, weak companies and their investors will be washed away. You need to put yourself on solid ground. And that doesn't just mean changing your investment allocations or loading up on cash. For details on survival investment tactics that make money in good or bad times, click here now.

The author is an independent contributor who at the time of publication owned none of the stocks mentioned.
Editors' pick: Originally published Jan. 20.

There's been a powerful Trump effect on markets and individual stocks.

In the aftermath of Donald's Trump's surprise victory in the U.S. presidential elections, American stocks have surged more than 8%, and U.S. bonds have fallen sharply. Russian equities have moved up more than 15% since Election Day, and Mexican Equities have dropped by almost 20%, based solely on expectations of key U.S. policy changes affecting both countries. Yet there has been no major move in Israeli stock indexes, despite the major changes in policies toward Israel articulated by the president-elect and his designated secretary of state and ambassador to the UN.

With the inauguration of the 45th President upon us, here are some reasons why Israel's economy and Israeli stocks are poised to be major beneficiaries of changes in U.S. foreign policy toward Israel and the Mideast.

What is the potential impact of the Trump presidency on U.S.-Israeli relations?

Key officials of the incoming Trump administration have articulated positions on U.S. relations with Israel that some observers expect will strengthen ties between the countries and bolster Israel.

This will probably lead to most of the following:

A reemphasis on Israel being America's main ally in the Middle East, based on shared strategic interests, cultural bonds and political values.

Policy positions that underscore the close ties between the countries.

Stronger support for Israel in international organizations. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley made this clear during her nomination hearings for U.S. Ambassador to the UN.

Increased cooperation in defense and cyber security areas.

Some additional potential results may include:

Moving the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Opposing United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, and embracing January's Congressional resolution (H.R. 11) condemning this the UN's vote.

A green light for Israeli construction in neighborhoods in post-1967 territories

Expanded promotion of American and global investment in Israel's massive offshore natural gas discoveries.

What are the potential investment implications of a U.S. policy shift toward Israel?

Israel's economy : The Israeli economy is performing well: 3.8% GDP growth in 2016, leading OECD peers, low inflation, declining debt, strong GDP ratio, responsible fiscal policy and surging foreign reserves. As such, stronger U.S. support and cooperation with Israel should bring this economic performance into focus for North American and global investors.

: The Israeli economy is performing well: 3.8% GDP growth in 2016, leading OECD peers, low inflation, declining debt, strong GDP ratio, responsible fiscal policy and surging foreign reserves. As such, stronger U.S. support and cooperation with Israel should bring this economic performance into focus for North American and global investors. Monetary Policy: Also on the macroeconomic front, the global market expectation for Trump's presidency has already raised U.S. and global interest rates and inflationary expectations. This should impact Israeli monetary policy, as well, with the Bank of Israel better able to guide the strong Israeli shekel lower. In turn, that should benefit Israeli exporters, who have a strong multiplier effect on the economy.

Defense Industry and CyberSecurity Sector: Increased U.S. defense spending and deeper cooperation between the countries will likely boost key Israeli defense companies, including Elbit Systems. Greater U.S. cybersecurity spending (by government and firms) should boost Israeli companies like Checkpoint Systems, CyberArk, Radware and Imperva, as well as Actionable Intelligence companies like Nice and Verint.

Energy: Israel's offshore Mediterranean energy discoveries since 2009 have been substantial. There will be major economic and geopolitical benefits for the country, which previously imported most of its energy needs. But to fully exploit these massive proven reserves, and potentially larger unproven discoveries, Israel will need major global energy companies to invest in production and distribution. A shift in U.S. energy policies, already planned by the incoming administration, and diplomatic shifts could encourage global energy majors, from the U.S., Europe, Asia and potentially Russia to invest in this sector, with key Israeli companies like Delek Energy and their global partners likely to benefit.

Consumer Confidence: Less tangible, but potentially meaningfully, the shift in U.S. tone could also boost Israeli consumer and business confidence, as well as global investor perceptions of Israel's economy and equity market.

The incoming Trump Administration's nascent policies are not without potential risks for Israel's economy. For example, on trade, if the protectionist rhetoric of the Trump campaign is translated into an aggressive or mercantilist administration trade policy, this could hurt world trade, impacting Israel's many export-oriented companies. Furthermore, the Trump campaign vowed to 'get tough with China' on trade.

Depending on which policies are enacted, and how China might retaliate against U.S. companies, this could harm both the U.S. and China, which would hurt the global economy. That could impact Israel's economy. Furthermore, Israeli trade and investment with China has surged in the past 15 years, so trade tensions could potentially spill into this relationship. However, the primary trend of Chinese investment into Israel is unlikely to slow; China badly needs Israeli technology and has a strategic interest in acquiring innovative businesses such as Israel's largest dairy company, Tnuva, acquired by China's Bright Foods in 2015.

There are a variety of ways for investors to take advantage of a potentially positive Trump effect on Israel. Consider the following:

Invest in specific companies, listed in Tel Aviv, on Nasdaq, NYSE, London, Singapore and Australia. There are more than 600 Israeli companies trading worldwide, including more than 100 in the U.S. alone. Those with the skills and experience to select individual stocks have a wide range of opportunities in key sectors.

For broad-based exposure, investors can consider a vehicle tracking BlueStar's broad-based BIGI index, such as the VanEck Vectors Israel ETF. "BIGI" comprises more than 110 Israeli stocks listed worldwide, with diversified sector exposure spanning Finance, Pharma, Technology, Energy, Real Estate and Industrial goods.

For more targeted exposure to the dynamic technology industries spanning defense, clean energy & cybersecurity, investors can consider vehicles tracking the TA-BIGITech Index from BlueStar and Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Israeli and U.S. listed ETFs track TA-BIGITech, such as the BlueStar Israel Technology ETF.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author did not hold positions in any of the companies mentioned.
Luxury goods companies could be in for a rocky 2017 amid data from China pointing to slowing growth and a potential strain in relations between the United States and the 'factory to the world'.

China's GDP grew at its slowest rate since the 1990s last year, according to figures released hours before Donald Trump's inauguration as the 45th President, as the world's second-largest economy expanded 6.7%, down from 6.9% in 2015.

However, retail sales in the country rose 10.9% year-on-year in December, up from 10.8% in November, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics. This was better than expected after economists had predicted that growth would fall 0.1 percentage points.

At the World Economic Forum in Davis on Tuesday Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that China's economy "faces downward pressure and many difficulties."

The country has been bracing itself for an uncertain future under a Trump administration, given the President elect has challenged China over its alleged currency manipulation and unfair trade tariffs.

This could spell trouble for luxury goods makers who have relied on a growing middle class and appetite for European goods in China to boost sales.

The compounded findings from Bain & Co. released in December show the sales of personal luxury goods remained flat in 2016 at 249 billion ($265.3 billion).

"This is the third consecutive year of modest growth at constant exchange rates, and it represents a new normal in which luxury companies no longer benefit from a favorable market and free-spending consumers," Bain said in the report. "Brexit, the US presidential election and terrorism have all led to significant uncertainty and lower consumer confidence, hindering sales of personal luxury goods."

They warned that management teams will need to implement a clear strategy to gain customers and manage costs more closely.

In 2016, China's share of the luxury goods market fell to 30% from 31%, due in part to the government's curbing of foreign shopping. However, in the longer term Bain sees China as a growth engine for luxury goods as its middle class grows.

The major European luxury houses were down in Friday morning trading.

Gucci-maker Kering (PPRUY) was down 0.28% on Friday at 9:45 GMT at 229.50 in Paris. Kering shares have gained more than 50% in the past 52 weeks.

Meanwhile, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMUY) was marginally up 0.03% at 190.05. The Paris-based luxury house has gained more than 41% in the past 52 weeks.

Analysts from Credit Suisse, however, expect luxury goods to outperform European equities, with a 5% increase in organic sales growth in 2017. This would be driven, they wrote in a note published on Thursday, will be driven by a rebound in Chinese demand and an improved outlook for U.S. consumer discretionary spending post after Trump takes office.

"We think LVMH presents an interesting profile for 2017 tanks to its higher exposure to the U.S. consumer than peers and above sector-average growth for its staples/retail assets," the analysts wrote.

Burberry (BURBY) has also seen shares lag on Friday, down 0.18% to 1,662 pence in London. The luxury retailer on Wednesday said that it had seen growth in sales in Asia Pacific with China recording high single-digit percentage sales growth in the third quarter.

The London-based luxury house had a challenging 2016 due to a decrease in demand in China.
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) suffered another cancer immunotherapy setback Thursday night when the pharma giant said it would not seek accelerated approval for a combination of two drugs -- Opdivo and Yervoy -- as a treatment for newly diagnosed lung cancer.

Shares of Bristol-Myers are down 8% to $51.15 in Friday premarket trading, erasing almost $7 billion in market cap.

Bristol's bad news is a boost for Merck (MRK) , which announced earlier this month that U.S. regulators has accepted and are reviewing a marketing application for its competing first-line lung cancer combination immunotherapy. An approval decision is expected on or before May 10.

Merck shares are up 4% to $62.50 in Friday premarket trading.

Bristol offered no details or explanations Thursday about its decision other than to cite "a review of the data at this time."

Bristol is conducting larger phase III studies of the Opdivo-Yervoy combination in first-line lung cancer, but it now looks like an approval filing won't occur until early 2018, assuming the study results are positive.

The delay gives Merck a significant head start in the commercially lucrative front-line lung cancer market. It also opens the door for AstraZeneca (AZN) and Roche (RHHBY) to potentially reach the market before Bristol, depending on the outcomes of clinical trials still underway.

One year ago, Bristol was widely considered be leading the market in cancer immunotherapy, but that all changed last summer with the failure of a phase III study of Opdivo in front-line lung cancer. Merck was able to demonstrate a benefit for first-line lung cancer patients treated with its rival drug Keytruda, so in an instant, the company raced ahead of Bristol and hasn't looked back since.

Adam Feuerstein writes regularly for TheStreet. In keeping with company editorial policy, he doesn't own or short individual stocks, although he owns stock in TheStreet. He also doesn't invest in hedge funds or other private investment partnerships. Feuerstein appreciates your feedback; click here to send him an email.
Provident Financial Services, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Provident Bank that provides various banking products and services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. The company's deposit products include savings, checking, interest-bearing checking, money market deposit, and certificate of deposit accounts, as well as IRA products. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial real estate loans that are secured by properties, such as multi-family apartment buildings, office buildings, and retail and industrial properties; commercial business loans; fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage loans collateralized by one- to four-family residential real estate properties; commercial construction loans; and consumer loans consisting of home equity loans, home equity lines of credit, marine loans, personal loans and unsecured lines of credit, and auto and recreational vehicle loans. The company also offers cash management, remote deposit capture, payroll origination, escrow account management, and online and mobile banking services; and business credit cards. In addition, it provides wealth management services comprising investment management, trust and estate administration, financial planning, tax compliance and planning, and private banking. Further, the company sells insurance and investment products, including annuities; operates as a real estate investment trust for acquiring mortgage loans and other real estate related assets; and manages and sells real estate properties acquired through foreclosure. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 96 full-service branch offices in northern and central New Jersey, as well as in Pennsylvania and New York counties. The company was founded in 1839 and is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., a telecommunications company, provides communications services in the United States. It operates through two segments: UScellular and TDS Telecom. The company offers wireless solutions to consumers and business and government customers, including a suite of connected Internet of things (IoT) solutions, and software applications for monitor and control, business automation/operations, communication, fleet and asset management, smart water solutions, private cellular networks and custom, and end-to-end IoT solutions; wireless priority services and quality priority and preemption options; smartphones and other handsets, tablets, wearables, mobile hotspots, routers, and IoT devices; and accessories, such as cases, screen protectors, chargers, and memory cards, as well as consumer electronics, including audio, home automation and networking products. It also provides replace and repair services; Trade-In program through which it buys customers' used equipment; internet connections and all-home WI-FI services; TDS TV+, an integrated cloud television platform that offers video content; local and long-distance telephone service, VoIP, and enhanced services; and broadband, IP-based services, and hosted voice and video collaboration services. The company sells its products through retail sales, direct and indirect sales, third-party retailers, and independent agents, as well as through ecommerce and telesales. As of December 31, 2021, it offers its services to customers 5 million wireless connections, and 1.2 million wireline and cable connections. The company was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Validus Holdings, Ltd. provides reinsurance coverage, insurance coverage, and insurance linked securities management services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Reinsurance, Insurance, and Asset Management. The Reinsurance segment underwrites property reinsurance products on a catastrophe excess of loss, per risk excess of loss and proportional basis; and aerospace and aviation, agriculture, composite, marine, technical lines, terrorism, trade credit, workers' compensation, and other specialty lines, as well as casualty and financial lines. The Insurance segment underwrites property, accident and health, agriculture, aviation, contingency, marine, and political lines insurance products; bankers blanket bond, commercial crime, computer crime, cyber- crime, professional indemnity, and directors' and officers' insurance products for various financial institutions and other companies; and commercial and institutional risks comprising general, professional, and product liability, as well as miscellaneous malpractice insurance products. This segment also underwrites marine and energy liability, and political risk insurance products, as well as insurance products for repair, maintenance, and upkeep of aircrafts and premises for small companies. The Asset Management segment manages capital for third parties through insurance-linked securities, and other property catastrophe and specialty reinsurance investments. Validus Holdings, Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Pembroke, Bermuda.
The following companies are subsidiares of International Flavors & Fragrances: 1456111 Ontario Limited, A. Boake Roberts And Company (Holding) Limited, ASA Ventures Inc., Agtech Products Inc., Alpris Ltd., Amco SP Z.O.O, ApS Syntetic, Aroma S.A., Aromatics Holdings Limited, Aromco Ltd., Aromor, Arvin Company, Asian Investments Inc., Atelier du Parfumeur IFF Grasse SAS, BKF Vision Ltd, BSA India Food Ingr. P. Ltd., Belden Company, Branch office of DuPont Protein Technologies International Sales LLC, Bremil Industria e Comercio de Ingredientes Alimenticos Ltda. , Bremil S/A Industria De Produtos Alimenticos , Bush Boake Allen (New Zealand) Limited, Bush Boake Allen (Pension Trustees) Limited, Bush Boake Allen Australia Pty Ltd, Bush Boake Allen Benelux B.V., Bush Boake Allen Chile S.A., Bush Boake Allen Controladora S.A. de C.V., Bush Boake Allen Enterprises Limited, Bush Boake Allen Holdings (U.K.) Limited, Bush Boake Allen Inc., Bush Boake Allen Inc., Bush Boake Allen Limited, Bush Boake Allen Zimbabwe (Private) Limited, Bush Boake Allen do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC, Chemical Process Materials and Equipment S.A., CitraSource Holdings L.L.C., Columbia PhytoTechnology LLC, Columbia Phytotechnology LLC, Cometra ApS, Crestmont Investment Co., Cultor Oy, DDP Specialty Products Germany GmbH & Co. KG, DDP Specialty Products Poland Sp. z.o.o., DSP Germany N&B Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Daivd Michael Netherlands B.V., Dandy Lions Limited, Danisco (China) Co. Ltd., Danisco (China) Holding Co. Ltd., Danisco (India) Private Limited, Danisco (Zhangjiagang) Textural Ingredients Co. Ltd., Danisco Argentina S.A., Danisco Australia Pty Limited, Danisco Austria GmbH, Danisco B.V., Danisco Biosciences (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Danisco Brasil Ltda., Danisco Canada Inc., Danisco Chile S.A., Danisco Colombia Ltda., Danisco Cultor (Switzerland) AG, Danisco Cultor Sweden AB, Danisco Cultor Trading Ltda., Danisco Czech Republic a.s., Danisco Deutschland GmbH, Danisco Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Danisco Egypt Trading LLC, Danisco Flexible Brasil Ltda, Danisco France SAS, Danisco Guatemala S.A., Danisco Holding USA Inc., Danisco Holdings (UK) Ltd., Danisco Holland B.V., Danisco Ingredients Belgium N.V., Danisco Italia S.p.A., Danisco Japan Limited, Danisco Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Danisco Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Danisco Mexico S.A. de C.V., Danisco New Zealand Limited, Danisco Nutrition & Bioscience Greece Ltd., Danisco Nutrition & Biosciences Korea Ltd., Danisco Nutrition & Biosciences Malaysia SDN. BHD., Danisco Nutrition & Biosciences Taiwan Limited, Danisco Nutrition and Biosciences India Private Ltd, Danisco Peru S.A.C., Danisco Poland Sp. z.o.o, Danisco Singapore Pte. Ltd., Danisco South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Danisco Sweeteners Oy, Danisco Switzerland AG, Danisco UK Ltd., Danisco US Inc., Danisco USA Inc., Danisco Ukraine LLC, Danisco Zaandam BV, David Michael & Company (Canada) 1986 Ltd., David Michael Europe S.A.S., Du Pont de Nemours Nigeria Limited, DuPont (Shanghai) Enterprise Co. Ltd., DuPont Acquisition LLC, DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC, DuPont Denmark Holding ApS, DuPont Electronics Holding LLC, DuPont LA Holding 1 BV, DuPont Lanka (Private) Limited, DuPont Nutrition (Thailand) Ltd, DuPont Nutrition Biosciences ApS, DuPont Nutrition Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi, DuPont Nutrition Food Ingredients (Beijing) Co. Ltd., DuPont Nutrition Ingredientes BRASIL LTDA, DuPont Nutrition International, DuPont Nutrition Ireland, DuPont Nutrition Italy SRL (f/k/a FMC Chemical Italy SrL), DuPont Nutrition Manufacturing UK Limited, DuPont Nutrition Mexicana S.A de C.V., DuPont Nutrition Mexico S.A de C.V., DuPont Nutrition Norge AS, DuPont Nutrition Philippines Inc., DuPont Nutrition USA Inc, DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences Iberica S.L., DuPont Protein Technologies International Sales LLC, DuPont S&C Holding LLC, DuPont Shineway Luohe Food Company Limited , DuPont Shineway Luohe Protein Company Limited , DuPont US Holding LLC, DuPont de Nemours Kenya Limited, ERELEM, ETOL SK s.r.o., ETOL-RUS Ltd., Eden Essentials Inc., Envoltec Industria de Embalagens Ltda. , Enzymotec Australia PTY LTD, Enzymotec Singapore Pte. Ltd., Enzymotec USA Inc., Etol Aroma Ve Baharat Gida Urunleri San.Ve Tic.a.s., Etol JVE d.o.o., Etol Proizvodnja Arom D.O.O, Etol Skopje DRUSTVO ZA TRGOVIJA ETOL UVOZ-IZVOZ DOOEL, FYMSA Real Estate LLC (23), FYMSA del Caribe S.R.L , Fangchen International Trading Ltd. (6), Finnfeeds Finland Oy, Finnfeeds Oy, Finnsugar Bioproducts Inc., Flavor Systems International Inc., Flavors and Essences UK Limited, FoodBlenders Limited, Foreign Trade Representative of Danisco Singapore Pte. Ltd., Fragrance Resources, Fragrance Resources (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fragrance Resources Asia Pacific Ltd., Frutarom (Asia Pacific) Limited, Frutarom (Marketing) S.R.L., Frutarom (UK) Holdings Limited, Frutarom (UK) Ltd., Frutarom - Etol (UK) Limited, Frutarom Belgium N.V., Frutarom Chile S.A., Frutarom Czech Republic S.r.o, Frutarom Do Brazil Industria E Comercio Ltda., Frutarom Etol RO SRL, Frutarom Etol Ukraine LLC., Frutarom F&F Trading (Shanghai) Co., Frutarom Finance EUR AG, Frutarom Flavors (Kushan) Co Ltd., Frutarom Flavors Mexico S.A. de C.V., Frutarom Flavours (India) Private Limited (14), Frutarom France S.A.R.L, Frutarom Germany GmbH, Frutarom Gida Urunleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Frutarom Global Ltd., Frutarom GmbH, Frutarom Industries Ld, Frutarom Industries Ltd., Frutarom Italy S.r.l, Frutarom Kenya Limited, Frutarom Ltd., Frutarom Netherlands B.V., Frutarom Nigeria Limited, Frutarom Nordic A/S Flachsmann Scandinavia A/S Aksel Holm-Essensfabrik A / S, Frutarom Norway A.S, Frutarom Peru S.A. (Montana Food activity), Frutarom Production GmbH, Frutarom Savory Solutions Austria GmbH, Frutarom Savory Solutions Germany GmbH, Frutarom Savory Solutions Switzerland AG, Frutarom Savory Solutions Ukraine, Frutarom Switzerland Finance CHF AG, Frutarom Switzerland Finance GBP AG, Frutarom Switzerland Finance MXN AG, Frutarom Switzerland Finance USD AG, Frutarom Switzerland Ltd., Frutarom Trade & Marketing (1990) Ltd., Frutarom UK Investments Limited, Frutarom USA Holding Inc., Frutarom USA Inc., Frutarom do Brasil GRU Industria e Comercio Ltda., Genencor (China) Bio-Products Co. Ltd., Genencor International B.V., Genencor International BVBA, Genencor International Holding BV, Genencor International Indiana Inc., Genencor International Oy, Genencor International Wisconsin Inc., Genencor Mauritius Ltd., Genentech Ventures Inc., Grow Company Inc., Hagelin Flv (UK) Ltd., Hexachem Sociedad Anonima, IB EMEA Holding 2 B.V., IFF (BVI) Limited, IFF (Korea) Inc., IFF Aroma Esans Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, IFF Augusta Holdings LLC, IFF Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, IFF Benicarlo S.L., IFF Bio-Technology (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., IFF Capital Services, IFF Chemical Holdings Inc., IFF Delaware Holdings LLC, IFF Essencias e Fragrancias Ltda., IFF Flavors & Fragrances (Hangzhou) Trading Co. Ltd., IFF Fragrance GmbH, IFF Hungary Global Kft, IFF International Inc., IFF Latin American Holdings (Espana) S.L., IFF Mexico Manufactura S.A. de C.V., IFF Murcia Natural Ingredients S.L., IFF Sabores y Fragancias de Chile Ltda., IFF Turkey Aroma Ve Esans Urunleri Satis Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, IFF West Africa Limited, IFF Worldwide LLC, Ingrediants dooel Skopje, Institut Europeen de Biologie Cellulaire, International Aroma Group, International Flavors & Fragrances (Canada) Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Caribe) Inc., International Flavors & Fragrances (China) Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Greater Asia) Pte. Ltd, International Flavors & Fragrances (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Hong Kong) Limited, International Flavors & Fragrances (Japan) Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., International Flavors & Fragrances (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Mexico) S. de R.L. de C.V., International Flavors & Fragrances (Middle East) FZ-LLC, International Flavors & Fragrances (Myanmar) Limited, International Flavors & Fragrances (Nederland) Holding B.V., International Flavors & Fragrances (Philippines) Inc., International Flavors & Fragrances (Poland) Sp. z o.o., International Flavors & Fragrances (Vietnam) Limited Liability Company, International Flavors & Fragrances (ZhangJiagang) Co. Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Zhejiang) Co. Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Zimbabwe) (Private) Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances Ardenne S.a r.l., International Flavors & Fragrances France Holding I SAS, International Flavors & Fragrances France Holding II SAS, International Flavors & Fragrances France Holding III SAS, International Flavors & Fragrances Holdings LLC, International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Chile) Limitada, International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Espana) S.A., International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Hungary) Kft, International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Nederland) B.V., International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Norden) AB, International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Rus), International Flavors & Fragrances IFF (Deutschland) GmbH, International Flavors & Fragrances IFF (France) SAS, International Flavors & Fragrances Irish Acquisition Company Limited, International Flavors and Fragrances Colombia S.A.S., International Flavors and Fragrances I.F.F. (Israel) Ltd., International Flavors and Fragrances IFF (South Africa), International Flavors and Fragrances Ingredients Ltd, International Flavors e Fragrances IFF (Italia) S.r.l., International Flavours & Fragrances (Australia) Pty Ltd, International Flavours & Fragrances (CIL) Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances (GB) Holdings Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances (Mauritius) Ltd, International Flavours & Fragrances (NZ) Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances (Pension Trustees) Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances (Thailand) Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances I.F.F. (Great Britain) Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances India Private Limited (13), International Frutarom Corporation, Inventive Food Technology (ZQ) Ltd., Inventive Technology Ltd., Irish Flavours and Fragrances Limited, K-Vision Consulting and Investments Ltd, Kelp Industries Pty. Ltd, Leagel GmbH (11), Leagel S.r.l. (19), Les Ingredients Alimentaires BSA Inc., Les Laboratories Bio ForeXtra Inc., Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, Lucas Meyer Cosmetics Australia Pty Ltd, Lucas Meyer Cosmetics Canada Inc., Lucas Meyer Cosmetics S.A.S., M.P. Equity Holdings Ltd, MISR Company for Aromatic products, Manseg S.A., Mark Services Holdings Inc., N&B Chemicals Germany GmbH, N&B EMEA Holding B.V., N&B Germany Verwaltungs-GmbH, N&B International Holding B.V., N&B NL BV - Saudi Branch, N&B Real Estate Verwaltungs-GmbH, N&B Services BV, N&B Switzerland  UAE Branch, N&H EMEA Holding 1 BV, N&H EMEA Holding 2 BV, N&H EMEA Holding B.V., N&H International Holding 1 B.V., N&H International Holding 3 BV, N&H Switzerland Holding Sarl, Nardi Armoas Ltda., Neptune Merger Sub I Inc., Neptune Merger Sub II LLC, New Asia Holdco B.V., Nutra-Lease Ltd. (16), Nutrition & Bioscience (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Nutrition & Bioscience (Switzerland) GmbH, Nutrition & Bioscience (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Nutrition & Bioscience Pakistan (Private) Ltd, Nutrition & Biosciences (Finland) Oy, Nutrition & Biosciences (France) SAS, Nutrition & Biosciences (Sweden) AB, Nutrition & Biosciences (UK) Ltd, Nutrition & Biosciences Argentina S.A.U., Nutrition & Biosciences Australia Pty Ltd., Nutrition & Biosciences Brasil Ingredientes Ltda., Nutrition & Biosciences Canada Company, Nutrition & Biosciences Chile SpA, Nutrition & Biosciences Colombia S.A.S, Nutrition & Biosciences Hong Kong Limited, Nutrition & Biosciences Hungary Limited Liability Company, Nutrition & Biosciences Inc., Nutrition & Biosciences Italy S.r.l., Nutrition & Biosciences Japan K.K., Nutrition & Biosciences Korea Ltd., Nutrition & Biosciences Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Nutrition & Biosciences Netherlands B.V., Nutrition & Biosciences New Zealand Limited, Nutrition & Biosciences Singapore Pte. Ltd., Nutrition & Biosciences USA 1 LLC, Nutrition & Biosciences USA 2 LLC, Nutrition & Biosciences USA 3 LLC, Nutrition & Biosciences Vietnam Company Limited, Nutrition Biosciences USA 4 Inc, Nutrition and Biosciences South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Nutrition and Biosciences Spain S.L., OOO WIBERG Rus, P.T. Essence Indonesia, PARMA FA, PIASA USA (24), PM Taiwan Inc., PT Blue Cube Indonesia, PTI Astana LLC, PTI CA LLC, PTI Center LLC, PTI Group of Companies LLC (GK PTI), PTI-BEL TUE, PTI-MOL LLC, PTI-NN LLC, PTI-Ukraine LLC, Platinum Absolut LLC, Pointer Specialty Chemicals LLC, Protein Technologies Do Brasil Ltda., Protein Technologies International Asia Pacific LLC, Protein Technologies International Development LLC, Protein Technologies International Europe LLC, Proveedores de Ingenieria Alimentaria S.A. de C.V. ("PIASA") (17), Prowin International Ltd., Pucheng Yongfang Fragrance Technology Co. Ltd. , Redbrook (UK) Limited, Redbrook Blentech Limited, Redbrook Ingredient Services Limited, Rene Laurent SAS, Representaciones FYMSA S.A. de C.V (FYMSA) (18), Rohm and Haas Wood Treatment LLC, SP EMEA Holding 8 BV, SP Holding IB Inc., SP Nutrition and Health (Singapore) Inc., Sabormax Industria de Alimentos e Representacao Ltda., Savoury Flavours (Holding) Limited, Savoury Flavours Ltd., Solae (UK) Limited, Solae Argentina S.A., Solae Australia Pty Limited, Solae Belgium N.V., Solae Company India Private Limited, Solae Denmark ApS, Solae Deutschland GmbH (f/k/a CSY Agri-Processing (Deutschland) GmbH), Solae Do Brasil Industria E Comercio De Alimentos Ltda., Solae Europe S.A., Solae Holdings LLC, Solae Investimentos LTDA, Solae LLC (SMLLC of Solae Holdings), Solae Overseas B.V., Solae Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Solae de Mexico S.A. de C.V. (formerly PTI Mexico), Solae do Brasil Holdings Ltda., Sonarome Private Limited (15), Southern Cross Botanicals Pty Ltd, Specialty Products Balkans d.o.o., Specialty Products FZE, Specialty Products N&H Inc, Specialty Products US LLC, Speximo AB, TNI Investments NV, Tastepoint Flavors (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Tastepoint Inc., Tastepoint OOO, Tastepoint Polska Sp.z o.o, Tastepoint SA (Pty) Ltd., Tastepoint Tovarna arom in etericnih olj d.o.o., Taura Natural Ingredients (Australia) Pty Limited, Taura Natural Ingredients (North America) Inc., Taura Natural Ingredients Holdings Pty Limited, Taura Natural Ingredients Ltd., Taura Natural Ingredients NV, Tekhnomol Soya Products LLC, The Additive Advantage LLC, The Additive Advantage LLC, The Foote & Jenks Corporation, The Mighty Company Limited (21), Thorungaverksmidjan HF (12), UFC America Inc., Unique Flavors Proprietary Limited, Unique Food Solutions Proprietary Limited, Unique Ingredients Limited, VAYA PHARMA HONKG LTD, VITIVA proizvodnja in storitve d.d., Vantodio Holdings Limited, Vaya Pharma Inc., Vaya Pharma Pte Ltd. (20), Venezuela Protein Technologies Internationla -PTI C.A., W.W. Holdings Inc., WIBERG Italia S.r.l., Wiberg Baharat San.Tic.A.S, Wiberg Canada Inc., Wiberg Corporation of California, Wiberg Corporation., Yderns 1 ApS, ZAO Danisco, extrakt chemie Dr. Bruno Stellmach GmbH, iDrug Delivery Inc.(Delaware) (22), nternational Flavors & Fragrances S.R.L., van Ameringen-Haebler Inc., and world wide WIBERG GmbH.

Read More
This week Uber Technologies agreed it would pay $20 million as a settlement for a lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission do to driver compensation claims as well as its program of auto leasing.

The FTC filed suit against the ride-hailing company on Thursday saying that Uber had made false, unsubstantiated or misleading claims about the amount drivers could earn from the startups service.

Get

Warning: Undefined variable $CompanyName in /home/accttr/public_html/wp-content/themes/responsalambre/single.php on line 65

alerts:

The regulatory agency alleged that Uber made misrepresentations of a similar nature about the program it has related to vehicle financing.

In the complaint, the FTC alleged that the practices by Uber caused its drivers to suffer millions in injury. Uber did not admit or deny any wrongdoing in the settlement.

A spokesperson for Uber said the company was pleased it reached the settlement with the FTC. The spokesperson added that the company has made a number of improvements to our driver experience during the past year and continues to focus on making sure that Uber is the best choice for anyone that wants to earn money without having a set schedule.

With a presence in nearly every country and a valuation exceeding $69 billion, Uber helped to define what is now known as gig economy, where owners of smartphones work as contractors instead of being a fulltime employee.

The ride-hailing startup advocates the flexibility of its arrangement saying that its drivers are able to set the hours they work for as little or as much as they like.

However, labor advocates and governments across the globe have challenged Uber saying the company takes advantage of its workers and does not offer drivers the rights that are typically afforded those who are labeled, official employees.

This weeks complaint filed by the FTC laid out a number of examples where the agency alleged they were false or at the minimum misleading.

During 2015, the official Uber website said medial annual income earned by a driver using its UberX service had been $90,000 in New York city and as much as $74,000 for those in San Francisco.

However, the FTC complaint alleged that the actual average income for New York drivers was approximately $29,000, lees that what had been claimed and in San Francisco $21,000 less between May of 2013 and May of 2014.

In addition, the FTC cited ads on Craigslist by Uber were used to recruit new drivers, with some saying drivers earned $20 per hour.

In Philadelphia, Boston and Minneapolis less than 10% of the Uber drivers earned the hourly wage advertised, said the suit.
- Popular Radio Jambo presenter has been hospitalised

- Lion of the show 'Mbusi na Lion' is in hospital after being taken seriously ill

One of Kenya's most well known radio presenters has been rushed to hospital after falling seriously ill.

Radio Jambo presenters Mbusi and Lion.

READ ALSO: Lady DUMPS lover via Whatsapp after becoming poor and it's heartbreaking

Lion of Radio Jambo's 'Mbusi na Lion show' was on Saturday, January 14, rushed to Mater Hospital where he was admitted.

Install TUKO App To Read News For FREE

READ ALSO: Gloria Muliro is still mine, Ex husband who is set to marry another lady claims

Lion of Radio Jambo's 'Mbusi na Lion show' was on Saturday, January 14, rushed to Mater Hospital where he was admitted.

READ ALSO: Matatu passengers plucks number plate after 'makanga' played games on him

According to reports, the presenter had complained of abdominal pains and difficulty in breathing.

Doctors diagnosed Lion with acute ulcers and food poisoning.

READ ALSO: Mother arrested for allegedly 'sleeping with' her son at a crowded beach (photo)

Doctors diagnosed Lion with acute ulcers and food poisoning.

Lion will remain in hospital for the next week until his condition improves.

Lion's co-host Mbusi visited him at the hospital.

Lion's colleagues visited him in hospital.

Mbusi later confirmed on his radio show that Lion was admitted to hospital urged fans to pray for him.

Liondeh is currently hospitalized at Mater hospital where he has been since last Saturday. The doctors say that our very own rasta had developed pancreas problems but he is recuperating well," he said.

Good morning Rasta people! Lets pray to JAH for Lions Quick healing as he battles wicked Babylon illness. Doctors cure but Jah Heals. Iriee. Mbusi posted on Facebook.

Have something to add to this article or suggestions? send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
A total of 92 Ukrainian servicemen, who have been wounded in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in eastern Ukraine, are currently undergoing treatment at medical establishments of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

Defense Ministrys Spokesperson Dmytro Hutsuliak informed this at a press briefing on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

He also added that 12 ATO soldiers are currently undergoing treatment abroad, in particular four are in Hungary, three are in Germany, two are in the USA and Italy each, and one is in Latvia. In addition, 28 ATO participants are currently undergoing rehabilitation at health resorts of the Defense Ministry.

iy
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is ready to allocate EUR 35 million to solve the problem with Hrybovychi landfill in Lviv region.

This was stated by Vice Prime Minister, Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy Minister of Ukraine Hennadiy Zubko in an interview to ZiK TV channel, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"According to the preliminary information I have received from the bank [EIB], this project will amount to almost EUR 35 million and the European Investment Bank is ready to help Lviv to finance the project," Zubko said.

According to the Vice PM, this project provides for arranging the Hrybovychi landfill, sorting and briquetting of waste. The implementation of the project is expected to take 2-3 years.

ol
Ukrainian companies in the temporary occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions pay taxes to Ukraine, although the simplified tax system is not planned to be introduced there.

Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Vadym Chernysh stated this on TV Channel 5, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

Ukrainians who work in the uncontrolled territories pay taxes in full. However, there are no tax service agencies there, as tax officers cannot travel to the area where there 40,000 armed men, Chernysh said.

He added that according to the plan of activities aimed at implementing certain principles of state domestic policy regarding the separate areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where state government bodies temporarily do not fulfill their powers, the simplification of accounting procedure is foreseen

There will be no simplified tax system for them. There will be the simplified accounting procedure, he said.

iy
Ukraine has demonstrated the economic growth due to internal factors for the first time in several years. Furthermore, a negative impact of external factors on the economy has been leveled.

First Vice Prime Minister, Economic Development and Trade Minister of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv said this during the hour of questions to the Government at the Parliament of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We have managed to achieve macroeconomic stability and resume the economic growth. In contrast to previous years, the sources of growth were the internal factors, not external ones, namely investment and consumer demand," Stepan Kubiv said.

According to him, the negative impact of external factors has been almost neutralized.

"An important role was played by actions aimed at deregulation, improvement of the business climate, improvement of the management of public investment and public sector of the economy," the First Vice Prime Minister said.

"One of the major achievements of 2016 was signing the FTA agreement with Canada," Stepan Kubiv added.

ol
In the course of the World Economic Forum in Davos, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko had a meeting with Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

This has been reported by the press service of the Head of State.

The parties noted mutual interest in the intensification of political dialogue between Ukraine and Vietnam and discussed the issue of holding the Ukraine-Vietnam Summit in 2017.

Petro Poroshenko and Nguyen Xuan Phuc also agreed to intensify trade-economic relations and hold the regular session of the Ukraine-Vietnam Intergovernmental Commission for Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation. The parties also discussed to intensify cooperation in the sphere of education.

Ukraine and Vietnam agreed to enhance coordination in the framework of the international organizations, including the UN.

Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasized that his country supported Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty.

ish
Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Taras Kutovyi and Indian Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh have met in Berlin during the International Green Week.

The parties discussed a draft agreement on cooperation in agriculture and food industry, the press service of the Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry reports.

Currently, the ministry is working on the possible ways to facilitate the access of Ukrainian agricultural products to the Indian market, the report states.

According to Kutovyi, Ukraine is interested in signing an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in agriculture between the Ukrainian Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry and the Indian Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry.

The most important areas of cooperation are expected to be livestock breeding and crop farming.

A reminder that India's share in Ukraine's total exports came to 9.4% over 11 months of 2016.

mk
Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' Guzman is extradited to US: MEXICO CITY  Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, 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 U.S. Thursday to face drug trafficking and other charges. The convicted Sinaloa cartel boss had been held most recently at a prison near Ciudad Juarez. He was recaptured a year ago after escaping from a second maximum-security prison through a tunnel dug to his cell. Guzman, who is in his late 50s, faces the possibility of life in a U.S. prison under multiple indictments in six jurisdictions around the United States.

Regional troops enter Gambia in effort to get Jammeh to go: DAKAR, Senegal  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. Shortly after Barrow's 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.

Crews work through night after avalanche hits hotel: FARINDOLA, Italy  Rescue crews who reached the four-star mountain resort on skis found only eerie silence Thursday after a huge avalanche flattened the hotel, trapping more than 30 people inside. Two bodies were recovered, but the search for survivors was hampered by heavy snowfall and fears the buildings would collapse. Two people escaped the devastation at the Hotel Rigopiano in the mountains of central Italy and called for help. But it took hours for responders to verify their claims and arrive at the remote earthquake-stricken zone. They worked through the night, but hopes were dimming of finding survivors.

Death toll in Mali base attack rises to 77: PARIS  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."
The draft law on the establishment of the Energy Efficiency Fund of Ukraine has been already submitted to the Parliament. The Funds activity will be financed by the state budget of Ukraine, the EU and Germany.

This was stated by Vice Prime Minister, Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Economy Minister of Ukraine Hennadiy Zubko in an interview to ZiK TV channel, the Ministrys press service reports.

"The Energy Efficiency Fund will provide not only financial support but also technical solutions for mass implementation. The Funds activity will be financed by the state budget as well as by means of the EU and the German government," Zubko said.

According to the Vice Prime Minister, the establishment of the Fund is a tool that will offer a systematic approach to the thermal modernisation of entire Ukraine.

ol
The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has confirmed that Ukrinform correspondent Roman Sushchenko, who was illegally arrested in Moscow on September 30, is not a staff employee of the Defense Intelligence.

Mark Feygin, Sushchenkos layer, received a relevant copy of the document from the ministrys Main Intelligence Directorate.

Having studied the indicated above issue, we inform that Sushchenko R.M. has not served the military (civil) service in the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine, reads the document.

As reported, Ukrinform correspondent in France Roman Sushchenko was arrested in Moscow on September 30, where he arrived on a private visit. He was accused of espionage, allegedly being a member of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. The Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate denied allegations of the Russian Federal Security Service.

The Russian court ruled at its closed hearing on October 1 to arrest the journalist for two months - until November 30.

On October 7, the Russian Federation officially charged the Ukrainian journalist with spying. Sushchenko denies any guilt.

Roman Sushchenko works with the Ukrainian National News Agency Ukrinform since 2002 and is agency's own correspondent in France since 2010.

iy
Current huge global security challenges have arisen because of the actions of two irresponsible leaders, namely Syrian President Bashar Assad and Russia President Vladimir Putin.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said this in interview to CNN during his visit to Davos, the press service of the Head of State reports.

"Here, in Davos we had an interesting topic for discussion about responsible leadership. To my mind, we have huge global security challenges because of two irresponsible leaders  Assad and Putin," Poroshenko said.

He also stressed that the cyber attacks were a part of Russias hybrid warfare.

ol
Head of the Administration of the President of Ukraine Ihor Rainin has met with Ambassador of the Great Britain to Ukraine Judith Gough.

This was posted on the official website of the President of Ukraine.

"The Head of the Administration of the President of Ukraine has thanked for the unwavering position of the United Kingdom to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, in particular in the issue of conservation of sanctions against Russia in response to the ongoing aggression," the statement reads.

The meeting participants expressed confidence that sanctions against Russia should be maintained until sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine are fully restored and Crimea is returned.

Ambassador Gough noted that her country's position with respect to support for Ukraine, in particular within the European Union, remained unchanged.

In turn, Rainin praised the UKs contribution to the training of Ukrainian servicepersons and expressed hope for deepening of cooperation in this area.

The parties also discussed the issues of bilateral cooperation, primarily the intensification of trade and economic cooperation.

ol
Britains Defense Secretary Michael Fallon has assured his country stands firm with Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, Politico reports.

The U.K. is sending a clear message that we are committed to defending democracy across the world and support Ukraines sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, Fallon said, adding that the values of freedom and democracy cannot be traded.

Fallon, who is on a two-day visit to Kyiv, assured that Britain will support Ukrainian forces with further training.

He also announced a Royal Navy warship will visit Odessa in the summer, the first such visit to the country since 2008.

The UK has provided the Ukrainian army with non-lethal equipment worth about USD 1.2 million to enhance the defensive capacity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

ol
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov held a meeting with Secretary of State for Defense of the United Kingdom Michael Fallon.

This has been reported by the press service of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the current situation in the east of Ukraine and the efforts of the Russian Federation to increase its influence on the world stage through destabilizing the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The parties also paid particular attention to the issues of reforming the security and defense sector of Ukraine in accordance with the NATO standards and deepening Ukrainian-British cooperation in the military-technical sphere.

The State Secretary stressed that Great Britain is interested in increasing assistance to Ukraine. "We hope to gradually increase assistance and to strengthen the level of military-technical cooperation," he said.

Mr. Fallon also reassured that Great Britain's position regarding the sanctions pressure on the aggressor state remains unchanged.

ish
Peter Abrahams, one of South Africas first acclaimed black writers, whose novel Mine Boy focused on the countrys institutionalized system of racial oppression, died Jan. 18 at his home in St. Andrew Parish, Jamaica. He was 97.

His death was first reported by the Jamaican newspaper the Gleaner. The cause was not reported.

After an impoverished childhood, Mr. Abrahams fled South Africa at age 20 for a life of exile in England, France and later Jamaica, where he wrote powerful indictments of his homeland.

Before such white South African writers as Alan Paton and Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer became well known, Mr. Abrahams led the way as one of the earliest and most impassioned critics of South Africas racial inequity.

He published his first collection of stories, Dark Testament, in 1942 and secured his literary reputation with Mine Boy, which described the struggle of Xuma, a black worker in South Africas diamond mines and his growing political awareness.

The only place where Xuma was completely free was underground in the mines, Mr. Abrahams wrote. There he was a master and knew his way.

An Irish friend is sympathetic to Xumas plight, but in a world of mounting racial injustice, there is one divide between them that cannot be breached.

How can you understand, white man? Xuma shouts. How can I be your friend when your people do this to me and my people?

Mine Boy appeared in Britain in 1946, shortly before South Africa began to adopt laws that resulted in the legally sanctioned system of racial discrimination known as apartheid. The book gain wider recognition in 1955, when it was published in the United States.

Mine Boy was the first African novel written in English to attract international attention, Nigerian literary scholar Kolawole Ogungbesan wrote in 1979.

Mr. Abrahams went on to write more than 10 volumes of fiction and autobiography, most of which dealt with the problems of his native country, including interracial love  which was against South African law but a part of his life from birth.

Peter Henry Abrahams was born March 19, 1919, in Vrededorp, near Johannesburg. His father was from Ethiopia and his mother was of mixed French and African parentage, making their three children colored, according to South African racial classifications then in force.

Mr. Abrahams was about 6 when his father died, and his mother struggled to find work. As a result, the children were often shifted from one household to another in the Johannesburg slums. He sold firewood as a child and became an apprentice to a tinsmith.

A white woman in the tinsmith shop read him the story of Shakespeares Othello, and Mr. Abrahams began to read at age 9. He became enchanted by English literature. With Shakespeare and poetry, he wrote in Tell Freedom, a 1954 autobiography, a new world was born.

He later discovered the works of black American writers Langston Hughes and W.E.B. Du Bois and wrote his first stories when he was 11.

After attending a South African teachers college, Mr. Abrahams taught in Cape Town and later worked for a magazine in Durban, South Africa. But his goal was to leave South Africa for good.

I had to escape or slip into that negative destructiveness that is the offspring of bitterness and frustration, he wrote in a 1953 nonfiction account, Return to Goli.

In 1939, Mr. Abrahams found a job as a stoker on a merchant ship and spent nearly two years at sea before settling in England. He began to work as a journalist and published five books between 1942 and 1950.

He came to know several well-known figures of what was called the Pan-African movement, including future national leaders Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. In Paris, he became friends with expatriate black writers Richard Wright and James Baldwin.

In the mid-1950s, Mr. Abrahams received a contract to write a book about Jamaica and settled permanently there with his family. It reminded me of South Africa except for one thing, he later said. The racism was not law.

Mr. Abrahams was twice married to white Englishwomen  which would have been illegal in South Africa.

His first marriage, to Dorothy Pennington, ended in divorce. Survivors include his wife of 68 years, the former Daphne Miller, and their three children.

Mr. Abrahams worked as a magazine editor in Jamaica and later worked for Radio Jamaica. He was a news commentator until he was 80.

Mr. Abrahams published his final book, the autobiographical The Black Experience in the 20th Century, in 2000. No matter where he was, his thoughts always returned to his native land.

Perhaps life had a meaning that transcended race and color, he wrote in Tell Freedom. If it had, I could not find it in South Africa.
Theres something quintessentially American  yet also distinctly unsavory  about the origin story of McDonalds. As told in the new docudrama The Founder, its largely the story of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a traveling milkshake-machine salesman who, in 1954, chanced upon a small San Bernardino, Calif., hamburger stand run by Dick and Mac McDonald (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch). Kroc partnered with the brothers, becoming head of franchise operations, but soon grew impatient with their reluctance to embrace what Dick McDonald calls Krocs crass commercialism. Ultimately, The Founder also is a story of betrayal, as Kroc cuts the McDonalds out of the business entirely, eventually buying their name and forcing the original store to close on his path to leading what would become a global empire.

Director John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks) phoned from Pasadena to talk about the film and its love/hate relationship with its antihero.



Michael Keaton plays Ray Kroc in The Founder, a docudrama about the origins of McDonalds. (Daniel McFadden/The Weinstein Company)

Q: Considering The Founders unflattering look at McDonalds, were you concerned about obtaining legal permission to use the companys intellectual property?

A: That was my first question when I walked in the room to interview for the directing job.

Q: As I understand it, the principle of fair use would apply to a historical film. Is that why no approval was sought from the company?

John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman star as the McDonald brothers. (Daniel McFadden/The Weinstein Company)

A: We thought we were on good legal footing. This is not a contemporary McDonalds takedown. Its not Super Size Me [Morgan Spurlocks 2004 documentary about the effects of an all-McDonalds diet]. On the one hand, I can see how some people might watch the movie and think, I have a different feeling about McDonalds now, and its not good. I can also see how some would go, Wow, I only saw McDonalds as this international behemoth, and there are faces behind it now. Two of those faces  the McDonald brothers  are kind of endearing.

Q: The website of Lisa Napolis 2016 biography of Ray Kroc and his second wife, Joan, takes issue with the films accuracy, including the scene in which Kroc delivers a blank buyout check to the brothers at Mac McDonalds bedside, after hes been hospitalized from stress. Nitpicking aside, is the film broadly accurate?

A: I think it is. Kroc wanted to buy them out and said, Come up with a price. The way to dramatize that is: hand them a blank check. As opposed to having a phone call or lawyers talking, which would put everybody to sleep.

Q: Even some people who know Krocs story may be surprised by details in the film, such as the revelation that he was briefly a professional piano player.

A: Michaels line was an ad-lib, when he says, I used to sell pianos, and then gets up and plays. Its not a documentary. We dont have any proof that Ray sat down with Joan [Linda Cardellini] and played a duet of Pennies From Heaven. We do know that he met her when she was playing piano at Rollies Steakhouse.

Q: There are stories about Kroc being something of a neat freak, and you show him cleaning his garage to relax. Just as he rushes off camera to the garage, the film cuts to a shot of his suit, neatly folded on the bed. What does that suit represent?

A: In that particular scene, he was coming in from work, and his first wife [Laura Dern] was almost ready to go to the club for dinner. Shes laid his suit out. I just liked the idea of there being an empty suit there. Does that mean hes dying inside? In terms of him being fastidious, we do have the scene with him at night, sweeping like a maniac. There are all these stories about him going through the McDonalds parking lot at night and picking up gum. Its something that Michael and I talked about a lot. Do we define his journey  his forward lean  from a behavioral standpoint, from a dialogue-and-delivery standpoint or from a clothing standpoint, as his clothes change? He just becomes more sharklike as the story progresses.

Linda Cardellini portrays Joan Kroc, Rays second wife. (Daniel McFadden/The Weinstein Company)

Q: Can you talk about the similarities between this film and Saving Mr. Banks, another true story revolving around an ambitious genius, in that case Walt Disney?

A: I am aware of the similarities. I think the difference is that Banks is really about [Mary Poppins author] P.L. Travers. At the start of this movie, Kroc is very accessible, if you will. You understand his pain and what he wants. And he is  to me at least  very likable in the first third to half of this movie. In the first third to half of Banks, P.L. Travers is really not relatable. She is standoffish. She is tough on characters that are doing nothing but trying to please her. And then, little by little, we start to understand the source of her pain. Theyre flipped journeys, in a way. But I enjoy the parallels in the way both movies are trying to understand people.



John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman play brothers Mac and Dick McDonald, whose eponymous California burger stand became the seed of a global fast-food empire. (Daniel McFadden/The Weinstein Company)

Q: What has the reaction to the film been?

A: Everyone brings their own attitudes to a movie. The way this movie has affected people has been really gratifying to me, like hearing two people argue about it, and one person is saying: Hey, you know what? Those brothers would have driven me nuts. You cant make an omelet without cracking a few eggs, and Ray had to do what he had to do. I get where Krocs coming from. Somebody else might be saying: Rays a monster. What are you talking about? I love that. The two most boring versions of this movie would have been (1) a Horatio Alger story: Kroc picks himself up from the bottom to become a global king, and (2) some kind of corporate takedown of Kroc and McDonalds, showing him for the villain that he is. The fact that hes neither good nor bad makes him human.

Q: So hes both visionary and villain?

A: Absolutely. I admire the fact that he took his employees with him. His bookkeeper, June Martino, became second-in-command of McDonalds. Fred Turner, who became head of McDonalds, was flipping burgers at one of his restaurants. At the same time, some of the more incendiary quotes come directly from Krocs mouth: If any of my competitors were drowning, Id stick a hose in their mouth and turn on the water. Thats Krocs line.

Q: Youve spoken in interviews of the films unintended Trumpian overtones. Will that help or hurt the movie?

A: Its a really good question. I wish I could answer. When we made the movie, it wasnt in the DNA of anything we were doing, but the parallels are pretty obvious. Its been said that when you make a period movie, its always more about the period in which it is made than the period it depicts. Watching it the other day for the first time in several months, during the whole montage of Kroc taking his hiring pitch to the streets  whether its the VFW or the Shriners or the synagogue  and hitting the hard-working Americans out there who want to better themselves, it struck me as a populist message. Michael and I talked about that. He said, Wow, hes not giving them any details, is he? I said: Thats not important. Hes trying to talk about things they can easily grasp: opportunity, hard work, the American Dream, gold at the end of the arches. It hit me that thats the current state of politics, unfortunately.

Q: Would you say that Kroc was just as much a preacher as a businessman?

A: Absolutely. You could say the movie is about worshiping money. Im nobodys socialist, dont get me wrong. Its not intended to be Money, bad. Profit, bad. Not at all.

Q: Its an ambivalent little film. Will you have people coming out craving a Big Mac or wanting to organize a boycott?

A: Both things have happened. One of my favorite Hollywood moments was at a screening and Q&A hosted by filmmaker William Friedkin, whom I dont know. But he loved the movie, saying its Michaels best role. Some in the audience were saying, I will never go to McDonalds again. Friedken thought that was funny, not because he loved Kroc, but because he saw the middle.

Q: You said that The Founder is not Super Size Me. But dont the two films bookend the McDonalds story nicely?

A: I could buy into that double feature.

Q: Perhaps they both have something to say about addiction?

A: I think youre right. What happened to America, post-World War II, was: We won the war. . . . We deserve it. We want it, and we want it now. In effect, it was the original idea of Super Size. America was bursting its buttons. Theres very much a Super Size Me thing going on with regard to business now.

The Founder (PG-13, 115 minutes). At area theaters.
Dear reader, we're asking for your help to keep local reporting available for all today during our fall fundraiser. Your financial support keeps stories like this one free to read, instead of hidden behind paywalls. We believe when reliable local reporting is widely available, the entire community benefits. Thank you for investing in your neighborhood.

Start your day with LAist Sign up for How To LA, delivered weekday mornings. Subscribe

Ready to rage, rage against the dying of the light? Los Angeles has your back. And if you're not looking to protest, it would be best to avoid the downtown area Fridaystreet closures and heavy traffic are expected (scroll all the way down for a street closure map).

United Against Hate March And Rally

There will be a massive march and rally (more than 30,000 people have RSVPed on Facebook, so far) taking place downtown on Friday morning to coincide with the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. The United Against Hate March And Rally will begin at 11 a.m. at Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa in front of L.A. Live. The march is expected to head down Broadway towards the Civic Center from L.A. Live.

ABC 7 reports that more than 90 groups have signed to take part in the protest.

According to City News Service, the LAPD will have a beefed-up presence on Friday in downtown and elsewhere. "We will be there to make sure the protesters are kept safe,'' Officer Sal Ramirez told City News Service. The L.A. Times reports that the LAPD has issued five permits for protests around the downtown area Friday morning.

Inauguration Day Stand With Our Muslim Brothers And Sisters

Looking to take a slightly different tack? The Guibord Center and St. John's Cathedral are inviting Angelenos to stand together with their Muslim friends and neighbors for a rally outside of the Islamic Center of Southern California in Koreatown. Attendees are asked to bring positive signs of support for the Muslim community. Parking will be limited to those attending noonday prayers at the center, so outside attendees are asked to Uber or take Metro (the center is about two blocks from the Wilshire/Vermont Metro station).

Meanwhile, LAUSD is urging its students to stay in school Friday, and has officially designated Inauguration Day as "Unity Day 2017." The district has put together a website with possible lesson plans and resources for teachers to engage with students around the end of America as we know it the inauguration. 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, Judy Chiasson, a coordinator with the districts Office of Human Relations, Diversity and Equity, told the L.A. Times.

And for those who are simply looking to avoid the mayhem, here's a full list of downtown street closures, courtesy of Mayor Eric Garcetti:

Street closure map of #Inauguration Day marches for Friday in Downtown. Closures begin at 9AM.



Download map: - https://t.co/M1GU61SrF2 pic.twitter.com/FlFhMo8qNa  MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) January 20, 2017

Related:

Everything You Need To Know About The L.A. Women's March


Chef Jeremiah Langhorne preps food during dinner at the Dabney. (Deb Lindsey /For The Washington Post)

Sure, the main event of the weekend is Inauguration Day itself. But considering how many people are coming into the city for the presidential swearing-in as well as the Womens March on Washington, not to mention how many others will be out of school or work, it only makes sense to think about what else you can do over the next few days.

[Inauguration Day tips: Bring cash, pack a phone charger and get there early]

Whether youre a local or an out-of-towner, here are daily itineraries  featuring museums, cultural happenings and where to eat and drink  to help you make the most out of your weekend in Washington.

[A guide to inauguration week parties, exhibitions, concerts and more]

THURSDAY

Afternoon

Start your spin through the nations capital  and arguably its hottest neighborhood, Shaw  with a drink at the Columbia Room (124 Blagden Alley NW, 202-316-9396), a highly regarded cocktail bar with seriously thought-out drinks that include such offbeat ingredients as potato water, persimmon vinegar and glogg reduction. For an only-in-Washington experience, order an off-the-menu gin rickey, D.C.s official cocktail made with gin, lime juice and club soda.

Night

Continue your trip through the lively Shaw dining scene with a hyperlocal meal at the Dabney (122 Blagden Alley NW, 202-450-1015), where chef Jeremiah Langhorne uses an open hearth to showcase his take on Mid-Atlantic cuisine with such dishes as fried sugar toads and braised salsify root. Looking for something for casual? Check out some of the international fare that has become a city staple, including the cheese-filled pupusas at El Rinconcito Cafe (1129 11th St. NW, 202-789-4110) or the Ethiopian dishes at Queen of Sheba (1503 Ninth St. NW, 202-232-7788).

Round out the evening with some tunes: On Thursday night, the Twins Jazz Orchestra, a collaboration of area musicians, performs at Twins Jazz (1344 U St. NW, 202-234-0072), an intimate jazz club where you can slip in for only $10 a ticket and then sip a glass of wine while listening to the music.

FRIDAY

Morning



Bread Furst is a neighborhood bakery with a tempting array of pastries, breads and prepared foods. (April Greer)

Giant panda Mei Xiang, right, and her cub Bei Bei at the National Zoo. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

If you wont be on the Mall and want to explore an area thats somewhat removed from the inauguration hubbub, treat yourself to breakfast at Bread Furst (4434 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-966-1300), one of Washingtons finest bakeries, where you cant go wrong whether your pastry tastes lean French (canele, croissants) or American (doughnuts, muffins). Work off your morning meal with a trip to the National Zoo (3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-633-4888). You wont want to miss the famous giant pandas, but the Asian small-clawed otters are pretty cool, too.

Noon

For lunch, head to Georgetown, where you can find an affordable, casual meal despite the neighborhoods tony reputation. Try the pretty vegetarian tacos at Chaia (3207 Grace St. NW, 202-333-5222) with such fillings as kale, potato, pepper jack and poblano crema piled on charred house-made corn tortillas. Or take a breather at the tranquil Chinese teahouse Ching Ching Cha (1063 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-333-8288), and pair one of several dozen teas with such snacks as dumplings and marble tea eggs.

Stick around Georgetown for an afternoon stroll. For a quick history lesson, visit the Old Stone House (3051 M St. NW, 202-426-6851), a National Park Service site thats the oldest structure on its original foundation in Washington, built in 1765. Theres no entrance fee, which means you can pop in for a glimpse then continue onto the many stores along M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, or admire the lovely brick rowhouses off the main commercial drags.

If all the walking has helped you work up an appetite, snag a cupcake  not at the line-prone Georgetown Cupcake, but at Baked and Wired (1052 Thomas Jefferson St. NW), where locals know the cupcakes are better and the waits are usually shorter.

Night



Partake in the wide selection of beers at the Belgian-accented Sovereign in Georgetown. (Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post)

Nows the time to sit down for a nice dinner. Fiola Mare (3050 K St. NW, 202-628-0065) is a swanky spot for seafood on the waterfront thats also a favorite of local politicians and other VIPs. (President Obama celebrated his birthday there last year.) Chez Billy Sud (1039 31st St. NW, 202-965-2606) will transport you to France with steak frites, boeuf bourguignon, apple galette and more. Beer geeks will revel in the selection of brews at the dim-lit, Belgian-accented Sovereign (1206 Wisconsin Ave. NW, 202-774-5875), where you can choose from 50 drafts and more than 350 bottles.

SATURDAY

Morning

Washington has a reputation as a coffee town, but on a cold morning, theres nothing better than hot tea. Have a cup of loose leaf at the Penn Quarter outpost of Teaism (400 Eighth St. NW, 202-638-6010), an Asian-inspired local chain, and prepare for the day with an order of not-too-sweet buckwheat and hempseed pancakes with orange butter and maple syrup.



Visitors at the National Gallery of Art look at the reverse side of the portrait of Ginevra de' Benci by Leonardo da Vinci. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

The National Gallery of Art (600 Constitution Ave. NW, 202-737-4215) is just two blocks away, so when youre feeling energized, head to the museums West Building and check out, among other things, Leonardo da Vincis only painting in the Americas, a portrait of a stone-faced Florentine named Ginevra de Benci.

Noon

Theres no need to venture off the Mall for good food: Mitsitam Cafe at the National Museum of the American Indian (400 Independence Ave. SW, 202-633-1000) offers native foods in a cafeteria-like setup. Freddie Bitsoie, a member of the Navajo tribe who in August became the cafes first Native American executive chef, has rejuvenated the menu with such dishes as bison chili and bacon-wrapped halibut.

Eat up before seeing such Smithsonian treasures as the Star-Spangled Banner at the National Museum of American History (1400 Constitution Ave. NW, 202-633-1000) and Charles Lindberghs Spirit of St. Louis plane at the National Air and Space Museum (600 Independence Ave. SW, 202-633-2214).

Night



Shuckers prepare orders for customers at the oyster bar at the Old Ebbitt Grill. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Its a new era in Washington, but some things surely wont change. Among them: hobnobbing at the Old Ebbitt Grill (675 15th St. NW, 202-347-4800), which claims presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Warren G. Harding as former patrons. Sip a cocktail, slap knees with a stranger and slurp a few oysters before heading to dinner nearby.

Woodward Table (1426 H St. NW, 202-347-5353) offers a mix of steaks and Southern fare, including shrimp and grits and pimento-cheese pate. Washington staple Central Michel Richard (1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 202-626-0015) serves a mouthwatering fried chicken and a shaken-at-the-table Thai quinoa salad.



The best time to see the Washington Monument can often be at night. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Late in the evening  when most of the crowds have gone home or are still tippling at places like Old Ebbitt Grill  is the best time to see the monuments. Walk along the Mall to see the Washington Monument, White House and Lincoln Memorial when theyre illuminated in the darkness.

SUNDAY

Morning

Start a relaxing day in Dupont Circle with a bagel at Bethesda Bagels (1718 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-299-9399) or a stroll through the Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market (20th Street NW between Massachusetts Avenue and Hillyer Place), where morning fare includes coffee, juices, yogurt and pastries. Then walk over to the Phillips Collection (1600 21st St. NW, 202-387-2151), which opens at noon. The $10-$12 admission grants you access to an intimate collection of Impressionist and modern art, including Renoirs playful masterpiece Luncheon of the Boating Party.

Noon

When its time for your own luncheon, have a veggie-heavy bite at one of Washingtons homegrown fast-casual chains. Beefsteak (1528 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-986-7597), by celebrity chef Jose Andres, serves fresh vegetable-and-grain bowls from a Chipotle-like assembly line. Sweetgreen (1512 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-387-9338) has seasonal veggie bowls of its own, alongside salads with warm portobello mushrooms or roast chicken.



Kramerbooks is a great spot to shop and browse in Dupont Circle. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Across the street from both restaurants is Kramerbooks (1517 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-387-1400), one of the citys best-curated bookstores, where you can find Gore Vidal novels alongside Supreme Court biographies. If youre feeling antiquarian, browse the rare and out-of-print selection at Second Story Books (2000 P St. NW, 202-659-8884).

Night

Walk down New Hampshire Avenue and catch a free performance at the Kennedy Centers Millennium Stage (2700 F St. NW, 202-467-4600). At 6 p.m., actor Douglas Taurel performs his one-man show, The American Soldier, which draws from letters and other historical materials to tell the story of soldiers postwar experiences throughout the countrys history.

When the shows over, step out onto the terrace, where you can take in views of the Potomac River and Arlington National Cemetery on the far shore, then head to dinner nearby. Options include Marcels (2401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 202-296-1166) for a luxe French experience, Rasika West End (1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW, 202-466-2500) for a taste of the citys preeminent Indian cooking, or Kingbird (2650 Virginia Ave. NW, 202-827-1600), a great excuse to visit the recently renovated Watergate Hotel.


The Obama Oval Office is shown in 2010 with a new rug and coffee table. This office usually undergoes changes under each administration. (Brendan Smialowski/Bloomberg)

All eyes are on the White House this week. So we asked Matthew Costello, a senior historian for the nonprofit White House Historical Association, to give us a window into its inner workings during our our Home Front online chat.

[When Donald Trump gets sworn in, the White House is in line for a decorating update]

Costello answered a lot of questions you might have on your mind as the occupants of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. change from the Obamas to the Trumps. Here are a few edited excerpts from some of the topics he covered.



Furnished in Federal style furniture, the Green Room of the White House is the most informal of the state parlors and often serves as a space for interviews and social gatherings. (Bruce White/White House Historical Association)

How much can the new president change in the state floor? The president of the United States arguably can change many things in the White House; however, all presidents have relied on experts and committees in order to maintain the historical integrity and tradition of the White House, Costello said. The White House curator, the chief usher, the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, the Commission on Fine Arts, this is who the president and first lady will consult with regarding rooms, furniture and artwork.



This state dinner service was made for the Reagan White House in 1981 by Lenox China. The Reagan service featured a wide red border with a gilt rim and crosshatch pattern and a raised gold version of the president's arms. (Lenox China/White House Historical Association)

Why does each new president seem to order new official china? Because presidents entertain thousands of guests at the White House, they need many place settings. Plates become worn out, chipped or scratched with frequent use. During the 19th century the White House china cabinets were filled with a mixed collection of both personal china and state china from various administrations. Not until Caroline Harrison starting organizing these sets and Edith Wilson devoted a room at the White House to displaying the china did these sets become much more significant for formal and state functions, Costello said. Most modern presidents and first ladies like to design their own china pattern.

A full-length portrait of George Washington was painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1797, the final year of his presidency. First lady Dolley Madison famously saved the portrait from near-certain demise during the War of 1812. (White House Historical Association)

Is there anything from the administration of George Washington in the White House collection or is it all at Mount Vernon? Most people assume George Washington lived in the White House, but he did not, Costello said. He was integral to planning the national capital and selecting the site where the White House would be built, but he did not live to see his successor move in. Washington items that have survived in the White House collections include chairs, flatware and china. There are many more objects that feature Washington, such as artwork and sculpture. Many of his things were scattered across the country; today Mount Vernon or the Smithsonian probably hold the largest collection of Washington objects, Costello said.

What is the oldest thing in the White House? Some objects cannot be precisely dated, because the White House was burned by the British during the War of 1812. Many of the White House holdings were destroyed in that fire and later tossed out in a gully south of the house, Costello says. Later renovations found pieces of the Madison chinaware. How cool is that? Otherwise, there are pieces of Washington Cincinnati china that predate the White House itself. As far as an object that has remained in continual use: One of my favorites is Gilbert Stuarts famous painting of George Washington installed in the White House in 1800, removed during the burning, then came back in 1817. It has stayed in the White House since and today hangs in the East Room.
1 of 31 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  A look at presidential inaugurations through the years, from Grant to Trump View Photos The president may change, but for the most part inaugural ceremonies do not. Caption The president may change, but for the most part inaugural ceremonies do not. Newly sworn-in President Donald Trump addresses the crowd during his inauguration ceremony. Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images Wait 1 second to continue.

Friday at noon, under gray skies and before a crowd of thousands at the West Front of the Capitol building, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States.

In his first address as president, Trump spoke of a new era in the countrys history, one in which he  and the government he now leads  will act on a single principle: America first.

We are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people, he said. January 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

In a speech that lasted about 15 minutes, Trump thanked former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for their magnificent help in carrying out the transition of power and touched on many themes that ran through his unlikely campaign to the White House.

He pledged to fix the sad depletion of our military and remedy the disrepair and decay of Americas infrastructure, or roads, buildings and power supplies. The countrys borders would be protected, new roads would be built and people would soon be able to get off welfare and back to work.

Several times, he spoke to a renewed focus on everyday Americans. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed, he said. The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country.

We will, he said at the close of his address, repeating a slogan that appeared on many of the red ball caps in the audience, make America great again.

Trump was sworn in with his hand on two Bibles: one used by Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration, in 1861, and by Barack Obama in both of his swearing-in ceremonies; and one personal Bible given to him by his mother in 1955, when an 8-year-old Trump graduated from Sunday school.

Following inaugural tradition, the chief justice of the United States, John G. Roberts Jr., administered the oath of office. Trumps vice president, former Indiana governor Mike Pence, was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

[Read kids suggestions for President Donald Trump]

The crowd watching the ceremony included Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and every living former president except for George H.W. Bush, who was hospitalized earlier this week.

Elsewhere in Washington, protesters marched and demonstrated against the new president. While news reports indicated that most protests were peaceful, The Washington Post reported that some members of one group, marching near Franklin Square, threw bricks at cars and businesses and yelled No more president before being dispersed by police.

Trump will participate in an inaugural parade on Pennsylvania Avenue on Friday afternoon, traveling the 1 miles that separate the Capitol from the White House, before attending three official inaugural balls in the evening.

[Previous inaugural parades have included everything from trained seals to a lassoed president]

Trump Cabinet nominees General James Mattis for the Department of Defense and General John F. Kelly for the Department of Homeland Security, both retired Marines, are expected to be confirmed by the Senate on Friday afternoon.

The rest, including Trumps nominee for secretary of state, former ExxonMobil chief executive Rex Tillerson, probably will not be confirmed until next week, after additional debate in the Senate.
Nicole Battle, 33, and Oarhe Akhigbe, 28, tied the knot Dec. 3 at sunset on Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos. The two were introduced by a mutual friend, and they connected at the Eighteenth Street Lounge in 2013. (Dotun Ayodeji Photography)

Sparks flew the night Oarhe Akhigbe and Nicole Battle met. Literally.

In late November 2013, while sitting next to a fireplace at the Eighteenth Street Lounge, the two, who had been introduced earlier, became rapt in conversation after discovering a mutual interest in reggae.

But after a few minutes, Nicole noticed an odor, like something was burning. She looked down and discovered that the bottom of Oarhes pant leg had caught on fire.

Youre smoking! said Nicole, 33, an assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington.

Yeah, I know I am, Oarhe replied confidently, in jest, assuming she was praising him for his good looks.

Nicole and Oarhe celebrate with their 70 guests on Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos. Halfway through the reception, the couple changed into ceremonial Nigerian outfits, a nod to Oarhes Nigerian heritage. (Frank Withers/Paradise Photography Turks and Caicos)

Nicole then gestured to his charred pant leg. Distracted by their flirtation, Oarhe hadnt realized he had cozied up a bit too close to the fireplace and singed his trousers. Embarrassed, he quickly stomped the flame out.

I guess I didnt feel it because our conversation was just that good, says Oarhe, 28, an IT specialist at the Internal Revenue Service.

Luckily, the incident didnt scorch his chances with her.

[She was told 50 first dates was the key to relationship success. He was No. 98.]

They ended up exchanging dance moves, phone numbers and a kiss at the end of the night.

Oarhe and I clicked instantly, Nicole says. There was never an awkward pause or moment of hesitation.

The next day, on her drive to New York to celebrate Thanksgiving with family, Nicole realized she had left her debit card at the bar.

Oarhe dips his new bride on Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos. After a relaxing, 10-day honeymoon on the islands, the couple continued the celebrations at home with a ceremony at Oarhes church. (Frank Withers/Paradise Photography Turks and Caicos)

She asked Oarhe to pick it up and he obliged, but not without first poking a little fun. I have your card and will save it for you when you get back, Oarhe texted. Also, teasingly, he wrote, Thanks for the Black Friday TV!

After the holiday season, the two began hanging out regularly. Things progressed quickly, and by February, they were spending weekends together and taking trips.

Early on, they talked about work, faith, family and a possible future together. Oarhe, a preachers son, maintains a volunteer position at his fathers church, RCCC House of Glory in Halethorpe, Md., and is a regular parishioner. Nicole, who grew up attending Catholic schools, was a holiday churchgoer but not necessarily a strong member of the faith.

My parents like the joke about the irony that the one child in the family who didnt really go to church . . . ended up with the pastors kid, Nicole says.

Over time, they learned to embrace each others cultural and spiritual differences, as well as their unique quirks and behaviors. After a memorable trip to the Shenandoah Valley over Memorial Day weekend, they became an official item.

Oarhe just always seems to get me. We are oddly enough strange in ways that are similar, says Nicole. For example, if I just randomly start doing a strange little dance move or gesture while we are in the kitchen, Oarhe will just jump right in . . . without skipping a beat.

Everybody  friends, family and more  get us, too, and thats the best feeling in the world, Oarhe adds. You know that its real when not only you can see it, but those closest to you can as well.

In September 2015, Nicole and Oarhe visited the U.S. National Arboretum as part of Oarhes 27th birthday festivities. Nicole had just learned how to use the auto-timer feature on her phone and wanted to take some pictures of them in front of the National Capitol Columns.

As she fiddled with the camera settings, Oarhe stood strategically behind her.

Do you know why I love you so much? he asked. Nicole, still distracted, asked breezily, Why?

Because every time you think I cant surprise you, I always do, he said.

Confused, she turned around to discover him on bended knee. Stunned, she immediately jumped on top of him.

Is that a yes? Oarhe asked a few moments later.

Yes, yes. Of course, yes! she happily replied.

They continued the celebration with dinner at Maketto that evening and a party at RedRocks pizzeria on H Street with friends the following day. I told everybody  anybody I could see, anywhere we went  that we had just gotten engaged, Nicole says. I couldnt sit still. I felt like I was going to explode out of excitement.

[Are you getting married in the Washington region? Tell us why we should feature your nuptials here.]

On Dec. 3, Nicole and Oarhe were married at sunset on Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos. The bride, who had always wanted a destination wedding, also figured that a beautiful beach backdrop would save her the traditional flowers and fluff. Sealing their union with a dramatic dip and kiss, they then danced down the aisle to the Nigerian gospel song My God Is Good Oh, a nod to Oarhes heritage.

It sounds silly, but hes my partner and my best friend, Nicole says. I feel like Ive won twice.

The wedding celebrations continued with a reception at the Alexandra Resort. Seventy guests waved sparklers as the couple made their entrance  a fitting tribute to their prescient first spark.


Joanna Kirkland performs as Daisy in the fall 2016 London run of Adding Machine. (Alex Brenner/Finborough Theatre)

Im cradling a pint of hard cider, standing at the bar of the Finborough Arms, a cozy and casual pub in the London neighborhood of Kensington, talking to my new friend Craig Glenday about theater in his city.

Were not drunk  yet  but were exhilarated. A half-hour earlier, we had applauded the Adding Machine cast as they took their bows in the 50-seat Finborough Theatre, just up a winding staircase from where we were standing.

It was the last night of the show, a wrap of its brief fall run in London. It is a funny and bitter musical version of the 1923 satire by American playwright Elmer Rice, about an accountant who loses his job to automation. The tiny theater had rippled with the fury and despair of the main characters dawning realization that playing by the rules is for suckers.

The 50-seat Finborough Theatre, which presented Adding Machine, written by Jason Loewith, artistic director of the Olney Theatre Center, and composer Joshua Schmidt. (Matt Freestone/Finborough Theatre)

And now, the actors who had sang, emoted and danced were milling around with us, saying goodbye to their castmates and talking about their next assignments. One would devote the next few months to playing a villain in a panto, an exaggerated, live form of a fairy tale that has been popular in Britain since the 1700s.

The next day, I would fly back to Maryland after a five-day, five-show trip to London with a group organized by the Olney Theatre Center in Montgomery County. The excuse for the transatlantic excursion was Adding Machines London debut: The book and lyrics were written by Olney artistic director Jason Loewith and Joshua Schmidt, who composed the music.

Not that we needed an excuse. The trip provided a quick introduction to the incredible diversity of theater in a city with about 150 stages.

My advice: Venture beyond the shows you can see in the District or New York  Wicked and Mamma Mia! and the like. Instead, head to the West End, a district of about 40 theaters that is similar to Broadway, for star-driven revivals of British classics. And check out the off-West End theaters (there are more than 80) for the experiments, the raw emotion, the magic connection between artist and audience. You might luck into a play or an actor that has not yet been discovered by the masses.

Glenday, the freelance critic for a blog called Musical Theatre Review, is all about those off-West End plays. In fact, he liked Adding Machine so much, he saw it twice.

Loewith, who traveled with us, has attended Adding Machine performances around the world since the musicals 2007 debut outside Chicago. The London version was probably his favorite, he said.

Maybe its because London, where the first Juliet sadly murmured to the first Romeo that parting is such sweet sorrow, is justly proud of its rich theater history. Live performance is baked into the DNA of this city: In 2015, a pie shop hosted a run of Sweeney Todd.

Were spoiled here, said Londoner Charlotte Thomas, who goes to a couple of shows a month and loves musicals. I spoke to her in the crowded lobby of the West Ends Garrick Theatre during the intermission of The Entertainer, a revival of the 1957 classic by John Osborne, this time with Kenneth Branagh filling the role originated by Laurence Olivier.

I try to see a show whenever Im in London, said Colin Blaydon, a Dartmouth College professor in town with his wife, Linda, to give a speech. I look for spectacular actors, he said, which explains why they were at Wyndhams Theatre to see No Mans Land, another West End big-star remake of a British classic, with real-life besties Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart.

This is a particularly exciting time for London theater, said Michael Billington, theater critic for the Guardian newspaper since 1971 and probably the most qualified to issue that opinion. For one thing, he told our group, the audience is getting younger and more diverse. Young people these days think it is quite cool to go to theater, he said.

A bonanza of theaters along Shaftesbury Avenue in Londons West End. (Peter Phipp/Travelshots.com/Alamy Stock Photo)

The changing audience demographics are starting to be reflected on the stage, with much more emphasis on gender equality and ethnic diversity, he said. So you can see Glenda Jackson as King Lear at the Old Vic or Lucian Msamati, who is black, as the composer Antonio Salieri in Amadeus at the National Theatre.

The diversity push isnt limited to actors. Eight years ago, there had never been the work of a living female playwright on the Olivier stage, Nina Steiger, senior dramaturge at the National Theatre, told us, referring to the largest of the theaters three stages. Shes changing that.

The nonprofit theater, which opened in 1963, devotes considerable resources to workshops and collaborations to nurture new works. It recently launched A Pacifists Guide to the War on Cancer, a musical meditation on illness and free will, which writer Bryony Kimmings developed in a National Theatre workshop in a co-production with Complicite Associates.

Another female playwright whos kind of a big deal right now? Ella Hickson, creator of Oil, a sprawling yet intimate look at the unlikely mix of family relationships, power and Englands energy dependence. Oil premiered in October at the Almeida Theatre, one of the larger off-West End venues. During a Saturday matinee, the buzz was palpable before the first line was spoken. We knew we were seeing something ambitious and special.

In fact, all five plays, West End and off-West End, could be described as such . I loved seeing Branagh as a shabby showman in The Entertainer and adored the thought-provoking Oil. I guffawed at the meticulously timed slapstick of The Play That Goes Wrong, marveled at the acting in No Mans Land, and reeled at the bitterly funny cynicism of Adding Machine.

When Adding Machine ended, I turned in my seat and asked Olivia Maffett, in the row behind me, what kind of theater she prefers. Maffett, who lives in London and goes to theater about once a month, said she likes it all: Here in London, you can find almost anything.

Nitkin is a freelance writer based in Ellicott City. Her website is Karennitkin.com.

More from Travel:

Around the world in 20 days: How to visit seven countries in one 21,623-mile adventure

This isnt Darwins Galapagos: The wildlife-rich islands are more tourist-friendly than you think

Still finding kicks on Route 66
The $50 Donald Trump 45th President of the United States Collector's Vault was on sale briefly at the National History Museums gift shop. It was removed from the stores shelves on Saturday. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

This story has been updated to reflect the fact that the book was pulled from the gift shop Saturday:

The $50 book about Donald Trump was displayed at the very front of the National Museum of American Historys gift shop, its red-white-and-blue cover featuring the newly inaugurated presidents signature stare-and-hair.

Donald Trump: 45th President of the United States Collectors Vault shared real estate with acclaimed nonfiction by established historians such as James M. McPherson, Roger Lowenstein and Walter Isaacson. But the Trump book, written by Brandon Christopher Hall, a 25-year-old from Atlanta, might not meet their standards for accuracy. Or the standards of the Smithsonian museum, a publicly funded repository of 3 million artifacts  all true national treasures, the museum says  that include Thomas Jeffersons Bible and Abraham Lincolns top hat.

The Trump book, which is heavy on photos and pullout memorabilia and bears the words Make America Great Again on its cover, contains a series of false assertions:

On Trumps years of challenging of President Obamas birthplace and citizenship: Donald Trump took the fall for what should have been the fault of Hillary Clinton, whose campaign first propagated the misinformation about President Obama.

(Erin Patrick O'Connor/The Washington Post)

On the Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committees computers: No proof it was the Russians, the book maintains, despite the intelligence communitys assessment that the evidence against the Russians is overwhelming. The Clinton campaign desperately claimed that Russia hacked the DNC and that Putin was trying to influence the American election. This was a strange maneuver on their part. . . . Outside her most loyal supporters, the tactic flopped and most Americans were able to see through this blatant manipulation to distract them from the ugly truth.

On Trumps surprise victory on Nov. 8: Sweeping and decisive. Clinton only won the popular vote by 200,000 ballots, the book says  although her edge was actually almost 3 million.

On Trumps history of charitable giving: The new president is a kind-hearted philanthropist and humanitarian, according to the book, although he went years without contributing any money to his own charitable foundation.

Its not clear how the richly illustrated memory-book landed in the venerable history museum on the Mall, which attracts about 5 million visitors a year. Thousands of people attending Trumps inauguration streamed by the museum Friday.

Linda St. Thomas, a Smithsonian Institution spokeswoman, said museum officials can vet only so many items before they go on sale at the Smithsonians various gift shops. She said she wasnt sure whether the Trump book was fact-checked.

I dont know if we read all the books we sell. They will certainly take a look at this, St. Thomas said. Were talking about thousands and thousands of items that come through, and some of them are geared for certain shops. This book has a very limited time period.

On Saturday, after The Washington Post published this story, the museum tweeted: The book is no longer available for sale in our shops pending a review by our historians for factual accuracy.

The book was being sold alongside the usual array of inauguration tchotchkes and souvenirs: American flags, Trump postcards, navy blue inauguration T-shirts, and a far less partisan book on U.S. presidential trivia.

Despite the Trump books bent, its author said in an interview that he did not vote for the 70-year-old real estate mogul. Hall said he voted for the Green Partys Jill Stein and described himself as a former supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Dennis Tucker, who runs Alabama-based Whitman Publishing, the publisher of the book, said his firm began churning out memory books about 10 years ago. He said Whitman produced a similar book on Obama in 2009, and another on his wife, Michelle. Others have focused on former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, President Ronald Reagan and pop star Michael Jackson.

Both men said that the book was geared toward Trump supporters, but they also said they had written a similar book about Clinton and would have published it if she had won the presidency. The publisher said it has sold tens of thousands of copies of the Trump book to its distributors and retailers.

I am surprised that the book took off this way, but as far as it being in the Smithsonian, I am not surprised, Hall said. Its inauguration. It makes sense it would be there to appeal to Trump supporters.

Hall defended his passages dismissing the Russians involvement in the DNC hack, even though Trump himself acknowledged their role this month. (And only long after media reports and intelligence officials had made those findings clear.)

Theres no evidence, Hall said. Its all top anonymous officials, and it sounds like the hysteria around weapons of mass destruction claims. Even when they released a report in January, they didnt give any evidence.

Hall was equally defensive in linking Clinton to birther claims about Obama. His book includes a copy of Obamas birth certificate, underneath this account of the controversy:

Hillary had successfully scapegoated Donald, her friend and a man who trusted her, in order to save herself from being eaten alive by her own party for her disgraceful campaign tactics. The media also pushed the lie that Donald was the one who initiated the Birther Movement to further cover up Hillarys treachery. . . .

Obama, the book maintains, eventually caved and released his long-form birth certificate to prove his citizenship. . . .

Although Hall dwells on some controversies, he omits others. Mentions of Trump University, the Trump Foundation, and Trumps Miss Universe involvement make no mention of allegations of wrongdoing that surfaced.

I didnt have enough space in the book, Hall said. Its only 15,000 words, roughly.

Hall and Tucker concede that the book is factually wrong when it says, Hillary managed to attract some 200,000 more popular votes  not significant to affect the overall election.

The reason for the gaffe? The publisher had to ship the manuscript off to its printer overseas a few days after the election.

As of press, those were the numbers that we had, Tucker said.

And where was the book printed? China.

I imagine Trump would approve of it being China, Tucker said. Hes not reluctant to strike deals with China if it makes business sense. China has high-quality, affordable printing. And, they deliver quickly.
THE DISTRICT

Man charged with firing at off-duty officer

A California man has been charged with shooting at an 

off-duty D.C. police officer Wednesday morning and then allegedly leading authorities on a pursuit through three neighborhoods in Northeast and Northwest Washington.

Edward Darnell Bolling Jr., 29, of Sacramento, 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 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.

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.

 Peter Hermann

MARYLAND

Rally over $15 per hour wage in Montgomery

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett has not yet decided whether to sign a $15 per hour minium wage bill, a county government spokesman said, in the wake of 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 on Tuesday on a 5-to-4 vote. He could also let it become law without his signature.

Several dozen people, including representatives of labor unions, an immigrant advocacy group and the local African American and womens Democratic clubs, demonstrated in favor of the legislation, which would raise minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020.

 Patricia Sullivan

Baltimore police cuts use of stun guns

Baltimore police officials say the department cut its use of stun guns nearly in half in 2016.

The Baltimore Sun reports that the department tallied 181 stun gun incidents in 2016, a 48 percent decline from the record high of 347 the agency recorded in 2015.

Commissioner Kevin Davis enacted a new policy in July that required officers to use stun guns only when suspects display active aggression. Previously, officers could stun suspects for failing to follow orders.

Justice Department investigators had criticized the department for using stun guns on noncompliant people who did not display any force against officers.

Police spokesman T.J. Smith says the increase in stun gun use in 2015 was driven by an increase in crime, the issue of stun guns to more officers and the old policy.

 Associated Press
D.C. Council member David Grosso sent a message to the incoming president by taping a message in his office windows, which face the parade route. (N/A/Courtesy of David Grosso)

The presidential inauguration has traditionally been a standing-room-only event at the Districts city hall, as D.C. elected officials and a select crowd of their handpicked constituents jostle for a nonpareil view of the parade route.

But this year, as Washington welcomes a president who had the support of only 4.1 percent of the citys voters, local lawmakers will greet the White Houses new occupant not with a celebration but with a snub.

When President Trump passes the John A. Wilson Building on Pennsylvania Avenue Friday, he will find few of his new neighbors at home: Only three of the citys 13 council members, along with Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), plan to be there.

Some describe their absence as a political gesture, akin to the boycott of the inauguration by more than 60 Democratic members of Congress. Others coyly note that they have personal or public business elsewhere. At least one will not even be on U.S. soil: Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said he is traveling to Mexico.

Whatever the motive, the councils poor showing will be a conspicuous break from past inauguration parades, according to longtime observers. Council member Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) said he cannot remember a similarly small turnout in his 26 years in office.

While Presidents Bill Clinton and Obama drew predictably rapturous crowds to the special parade-viewing stand at city hall, even the two Bush inaugurations were well-attended, said Evans, one of the three council members who will be present Friday.

From my point of view, its a historic occasion, Evans said. Whether its Trump or somebody else, it doesnt matter to me. Im always intrigued by these things. Well have the best seat in the house to watch the president go by.

Evans, a convention delegate and elector for Democrat Hillary Clinton, said city officials would have to learn to work with the new administration, even if it is not the one they would have preferred.

I wish she had won, but she didnt, he said. We, as city representatives  and many of my colleagues dont share this view  we have to work with Donald Trump. We have to work on behalf of our city, not of our personal feelings.

The other two council members who plan to attend are Anita Bonds (D-At Large) and Brandon T. Todd (D-Ward 4).

Todd said the importance of getting off on the right foot with Trump was demonstrated in recent weeks, as Republicans in Congress launched a flurry of bills designed to rein in the citys progressive policies in such areas as gun control, assisted suicide and abortion.

Its important that we get to know the Trump administration and they get to know the District, Todd said. And the first step in that is being here for a peaceful transition of power.

Others arent holding out great hope for the citys relationship with the White House.

Council member Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) said in an email that she is choosing not to attend the inauguration because Trump has expressed opinions and policies that I believe are not only contrary to our values as a city and as a country  but potentially destructive and detrimental to the great American democratic experiment.

Council member David Grosso (I-At Large) said he does not want to show any indication of any support for the incoming president by attending the parade.

Grosso still plans to send a message: He has bedecked the windows of his council office, which face the parade route, with block letters (some rainbow-colored) saying DC PROTECTS HUMAN RIGHTS.

Not all of the absentee council members are so outspoken about their rationales. Brianne K. Nadeau (D-Ward 1) acknowledged that she would have attended the parade had Clinton won the election, but added that her decision to skip it shouldnt be interpreted as an act of resistance.

I just decided it was a good opportunity to get out of town with my husband, said Nadeau, who will be at a cabin in Virginia.

Mendelson, the council chairman, will be farther afield  and in a nation that has been a special target of the incoming presidents invective.

He said his Mexican vacation shouldnt be taken as a political protest, noting that city council members  unlike members of Congress  dont have an official role in the ceremony.

Bowser spokesman Kevin Harris said that the council members skipping the event are simply expressing what many of their constituents feel and that the mayor was not worried about offending Trump.

Bowser has personally told the president-elect she looks forward to working with him on common areas of agreement but will also vigorously defend her city against any actions that are counter to our values and the wishes of the residents who elected her, he said.

One area in which the city wont be accused of not showing due deference to Trump: Its heated, carpeted parade-viewing stand. Immediately after the election, council members had debated downgrading the stand.

But figures provided by the mayors office on Thursday show that spending on the stand has actually increased from $349,500 in 2013 to $419,560.
(Twitter/Dan Scavino Jr.)

The former security guard from rural Illinois walked into a tent behind the Lincoln Memorial and gave a bear hug to the man who would soon become the most powerful leader in the world.

Hey, Donald Trump, said Shane Bouvet, with all the casualness of a 24-year-old.

The president-elect beamed back: This is the greatest guy.

The unlikely meeting occurred after Trump said he read a profile of Bouvet in The Washington Post and was impressed by his story. Bouvet, a struggling single father, had spent nights working and days volunteering on Trumps unlikely presidential campaign.

The volunteer efforts earned Bouvet an invite to an inaugural ball. But just weeks ago he was unsure he could pay for a proper suit and shoes to wear for the festivities. A friend stepped in and bought a suit and got the shoes donated.

Now, improbably, it was the night before the swearing-in and Bouvet had picked his way past the Secret Service and was hanging out with the president-elect, top Trump advisers Reince Priebus and Stephen K. Bannon and the first-lady-to-be Melania Trump. The meeting occurred in a holding room just minutes before Trump was to take the stage for pre-inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

Tears welled in Bouvets eyes. Trump signed an autograph for Bouvet. Then, they decided to call Bouvets father in Stonington, Ill.

[In donated suit and shoes, a Trump supporter comes to Washington]

Hey, Dad, Bouvet said with the call on speakerphone. Im with Donald Trump.

Hey, Don, you have a great name, Trump laughed, complimenting Bouvets father on the name they shared. You have a good boy.

Donald Trump and Shane Bouvet from Illinois, in Washington on Thursday. (Justin Jouvenal/The Washington Post)

After the call, Trump signed an autograph for Bouvets 4-year-old son. Trump asked Bouvet if he was still with the mother of his child. Bouvet said no, and the thrice-married Trump said, That happens.

Then he looked at the autographs he had scribbled, and made a prediction: After that, shell have you back. Youll be a great celebrity.

Eventually, Trump and his staff posed for photographs with Bouvet and offered him a round of applause. At the end, Trump put his hand on Bouvets back and told an aide, Send him a check for $10,000.

Bouvet broke down and cried.

With that and a round of goodbyes, an aide ushered Bouvet out of the tent. Bouvet wiped tears from his eyes as he melted back into the tens of thousands that had gathered for the concert.

Did that just happen? he asked out loud.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) declared Thursday that the State House was at risk of succumbing to a culture of corruption and proposed a package of bills he said would help weed out unethical behavior and improve public trust.

Hogans Integrity in Government Initiative comes in the wake of recent scandals in Annapolis, including the guilty plea of a former state lawmaker who admitted to accepting bribes and kickbacks in exchange for official favors and the indictment of a Baltimore Democrat, who had been nominated for a General Assembly seat, on charges of violating campaign finance laws.

The guilty plea, entered by former delegate William A. Campos (D-Prince Georges), was a result of an ongoing bribery probe centered on liquor sales in Prince Georges County. Federal prosecutors say additional elected officials in Annapolis have been implicated.

We cannot allow the unethical behavior of the few to tarnish the goodwill of the many in our state capital, Hogan said during a news conference in front of the State House. Marylanders are now asking how many more public officials have to be indicted before we are finally going to take the actions necessary to clean up this mess.

Hogan offered few specifics about the legislation he would propose. But he said he wanted to make it harder for lawmakers to influence bills affecting industries in which they have a financial interest and also wanted legislators accused of ethics violations to be investigated by the State Ethics Commission, rather than the General Assemblys Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics.

Sen. James E. Ed DeGrange III (D-Anne Arundel), who co-chairs that committee, pushed back against Hogans characterization of the state capital and defended his panel, saying the lawmakers do hold their colleagues accountable.

In recent years, the committee recommended reprimanding a delegate for pushing a law that would have helped him regain his real estate license and stripping Sen. Ulysses Currie (D-Prince Georges) of committee assignments for failing to disclose his work consulting for a grocery chain. In 1998, the committee recommended the expulsion of a senator accused of misusing his office for private gain.

Im baffled why he would think that legislators cant do their job as theyve done many times before, DeGrange said.

To say theres a culture of corruption in Annapolis is just beyond me, he said. Its no different than any other profession, if you will. Youll have a percentage, which is a very small percentage, that dont do things right, and those things are addressed as they come up.

But with the federal bribery investigation still underway and speculation rampant in the capital about who else may be involved, Hogans proposals seemed likely to gain traction.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) released statements saying they looked forward to working with the governor on ethics reform, which Miller said would be a major topic in the 2017 legislative session.

Miller and Busch declined to answer questions about the governors proposals on Thursday, saying they had not seen the legislation.

Hogan said he wants to overhaul how liquor board commissioners are chosen in Maryland, which he called one of the last vestiges of the patronage system. The federal probe includes bribery charges against then-Prince Georges liquor board commissioner Anuj Sud and commission executive director David Son.

Under current rules, local party central committees, along with local senators, recommend liquor board members to the governor, who appoints the boards. Hogan proposed removing the party committees from the process and requiring nominees to undergo criminal background checks.

Hogan also said he had allocated $1.2 million in the state budget to allow all General Assembly meetings to be live-streamed. Maryland is one of only seven states not to provide that service already, he said.

Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, the executive director of Common Cause, applauded the move, noting that her group long has pushed to have legislative meetings publicly broadcast. There is a possibility that we will see a dozen bills that Common Cause has worked on for five or 10 years presented with a bow on it, and that is incredibly exciting, she said.

But Bevan-Dangel also said she was eager to see more details of the legislation. It is a little ironic that a press conference on transparency did not have transparency, including details on the legislation, she said.

Hogans ethics reform proposals appear aimed in part at addressing a controversy surrounding the legislatures foremost champion of medical marijuana, who continued pushing for bills related to the industry after being hired as a consultant to a medical marijuana business.

State ethics laws generally allow lawmakers to vote on bills that broadly affect the industry in which they work, and Del. Dan K. Morhaim (D-Baltimore County) has maintained he did nothing wrong because none of his legislative actions was specific to the dispensary in which he was involved.

Hogan spokesman Doug Mayer said the governors forthcoming bill would make it clear that lawmakers cant have any involvement in bills affecting their employers  including sponsoring or amending such legislation or lobbying colleagues to vote on it.

Hogan declined to say whether Morhaims case inspired his proposed legislation, but Mayer said that situation and the reporting done on it certainly heightened the sense of urgency and importance around these issues.

The governor also said he will again propose a nonpartisan commission to redraw political districts every 10 years. The majority-Democratic legislature did not advance a bill he submitted on that topic last year.

House Minority Leader Nicholaus R. Kipke (R-Anne Arundel) said lawmakers from both parties have pushed unsuccessfully to pass measures similar to those Hogan is proposing. Kipke said he hoped the governor can bring more attention to these reforms so we can pass them this session.

Josh Hicks contributed to this report.
Hi, Jamie! cooed a woman in sequins.

We knew youd be here, Jamie! a man in a tuxedo said, reaching out his hand.

We need you in Congress right now, Jamie! another yelled as he walked by.

Stars of music, poetry and social organizing partied Thursday night at a glitzy Peace Ball at the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. And freshman Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) couldnt walk three feet without being stopped by a fan.

Before winning his first term in Congress in November, Raskin was known in Maryland as a powerful state senator who helped legalize same-sex marriage and ban the death penalty.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) checks his mobile phone after leaving the Peace Ball at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

Now hes a U.S. lawmaker who emerged from one of the nations most expensive primaries to reach the pinnacle of his political career: a seat in a marginalized minority party with Republican President Donald Trump in the White House.

Its funny looking up on that vote board and seeing that Im voting with the minority in vote after vote. Thats a new one, Raskin said on a shuttle bus ride back to his car Thursday night.

Police cars with flashing lights cruised silently through empty streets.

Raskin was one of nearly 70 members of Congress who skipped Fridays swearing-in ceremony and related GOP hoopla as a way of protesting Trump. Like many of them, he originally planned to attend the inauguration but changed his mind after Trump went after Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a civil rights pioneer, on Twitter and was slow to accept reports that Russia tried to influence the election.

Instead of heading to the Capitol on Friday morning, Raskin hunkered down at his home in Takoma Park, eight miles north, with his dogs and his wife, Sarah Bloom Raskin, a former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury whose last day was Thursday.

He led about 75 people into Rock Creek Park for a nature walk under gray skies in the late afternoon and was headed to speak at an UnNaugural concert in Silver Spring and attend the Planned Parenthood Pink Ball downtown Friday night.

On Saturday, Raskin is helping to organize a rally and breakfast for 2,000 people at the Silver Spring Civic Center and taking 30 buses  including three from the conservative Carroll County, Md., section of his district  to the Womens March on the Mall. He has vowed to use his quarter-century of experience as a constitutional law professor  and seats on the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees  to be a watchdog on the new presidents business entanglements.

The founders were most afraid that the agents of the people would betray the people by serving their private interests instead, Raskin said in an interview.

Its my job to make sure government is serving the interests of the whole society and not a tiny group around the president.

For all of Raskins accomplishments in Annapolis, he may be most at home in the role of scrappy outsider.

He was 6 years old in 1968 when his father, concert pianist-turned-political activist Marcus Raskin, was arrested with Benjamin Spock for conspiring to encourage draft evasion as part of the Boston Five. The younger Raskin says the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. sent his dad a telegram that read, Dear Marcus, If youre guilty, I am too.

During the ride to the Peace, Love & Understanding Alt-Inaugural Show on Thursday night, the congressman asked an aide to put on the Elvis Costello version of the shows namesake song. When it began streaming through the car speakers, Raskin turned up the volume and quietly sang along.

He regaled the crowd at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club with stories of his first days in a Congress ruled by the powers that be  not the powers that ought to be  and offered a fiery defense of the Affordable Care Act and Planned Parenthood.

This is the center of the resistance, right here! he said. We are not the minority party. We are the majority party  in exile for a little while!

In the park Friday afternoon, Raskin said he had watched Trumps inaugural address and felt justified in his decision to skip it.

He focuses on gloom and doom, Raskin said. He said he thought Trump painted himself as the nations savior, just as he had done at his nominating convention.

It was, in fact, in exceedingly poor form given the fact that the Obamas were right there and have extended themselves so much to try to help him, Raskin said.

I dont know what we have done that this has befallen the republic. We have to fight our way back.

One of the hikers with Raskin, Bethesda resident Harriett Crosby, said she was surprised to find herself moved by the smooth transition of power on Friday, despite her grave concerns about Trump as president.

You feel like crying with pride for America, she said.

Jill Grant, a lawyer from Chevy Chase, said her major concerns are the potential for conflicts of interest under the Trump administration and the divisive tenor of the election.

Im definitely worried, she said, but Im waiting to see. Hes unpredictable.

Several people said the nature walk was the best way they knew to diffuse the anger and bittersweet sadness they were feeling Friday. Some sported the pink pussyhats they planned to wear Saturday at the Womens March.
(Dalton Bennett,Bastien Inzaurralde,Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

Protesters made themselves heard in the nations capital Friday, leaving a trail of damage along some city blocks, disrupting security checkpoints at President Donald Trumps inauguration, and clashing with police as Trump supporters tried to celebrate.

As people poured into the city to watch Trump sworn in as the 45th president, they encountered protesters across the area throughout the day. Many of the demonstrations were nonviolent, with people holding signs that spoke to their causes and concerns. One protest even took on a carnival atmosphere, with puppets, stilt walkers and a giant inflatable elephant wearing a sign that read racism. But other groups tried to disrupt the days events by burning flags, throwing bricks and rioting en masse, leading to injuries and 217 arrests by Friday evening.

Six people intent on interrupting the presidential swearing-in ceremony made it into the closest section of seats to Trump. They wore shirts that spelled out R-E-S-I-S-T and got up and started shouting We the people! as Trump took the oath of office at noon. As authorities removed them from the area, they raised their fists and shouted USA! USA! One woman yelled, Were for an America for all of us.

Some in the crowd responded with taunts: Na, na, na, na, hey, hey, hey, good bye.

[See the Posts Live Blog on Inauguration Day news]

After the swearing in, protesters arrived at the Franklin Square area and clashed with police. The protesters were throwing rocks, bricks and chunks of concrete and taking newspaper boxes and barriers and putting them on the streets. Meanwhile police appeared to be using a flurry of flash-bang grenades and chemical spray to hold the protesters back, pushing them block-by-block west along K Street, from 12th Street toward 14th Street.

During the afternoon clash, the protesters started a fire in the middle of the street using garbage bins and newspaper boxes, and some climbed trees and light poles. About 100 officers in riot gear, carrying shields, stood in a line blocking off K Street.

Its a little jarring when youre in a peaceful march with drumming and chanting and the next thing you know flash bangs are going off around you, said Daniel Hultquist, a protester from Rhode Island. People that throw rocks and bricks are undermining the cause.

When one police SUV tried to drive through the crowd, several protesters dressed in all black tried to block it; when the SUV sped up, pushing the protesters aside, one picked up a rock, threw it, and smashed the vehicles rear window. At about 4:15 p.m., as the inaugural parade took place blocks away, protesters set a car on fire along K Street, sending plumes of dark smoke through downtown.

1 of 36 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Photos of the anti-Trump protests on Inauguration Day View Photos Demonstrators descend on the nations capital. Caption Demonstrators descend on the nations capital. Protesters chant Not my president! at the entrance to a security checkpoint before the inauguration ceremony began. Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

Trump supporters and protesters clashed throughout the day at several locations, and it sometimes turned violent. Three officers were injured during an earlier protest along the K Street corridor, including an officer who was struck by an object that had been thrown, said Doug Buchanan, a spokesman for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services. A fourth officer was struck by a thrown object on K Street in the late afternoon and was taken to a hospital.

During the morning protest, a large group of black-clad protesters  self-described as anti-capitalist and antifascist  made their way south on 13th Street near K Street, throwing newspaper boxes and garbage cans into the street and trying to set them on fire, leaving them smoldering. They also threw fireworks and broke glass at bus stops, businesses and on the windows of a limousine.

Police cleaned up behind them as they marched, and authorities used chemical spray in an attempt to disrupt the vandalism. They ultimately herded the group away from the inauguration parade route with a large number of police vehicles and officers in riot gear, and they used concussion grenades  which make a loud noise  to break up the crowd.

D.C. Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham said officers arrested 217 people in connection with protests that turned violent and caused significant damage to a number of blocks in our city. He said the department is investigating whether officers handling the protests deployed either flash-bang or percussion grenades  used to disorient people in crowds  and he said that protesters had their own. Numerous Washington Post reporters saw officers use such grenades.

Newsham said a a very small percentage of the thousands who came to demonstrate the inauguration resorted to violence. Police said those arrested were charged with rioting.

Its disappointing that it had to happen, Newsham said, praising how officers responded. We knew this was going to be a long day . . . Anyone who thinks they can come here and break the law, we will take them into custody.



A man is pepper sprayed at the corner of 12th and I St. N.W. in Washington D.C. on Jan. 20, 2017, as police responded to a vandalizing group of protesters. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

Protesters chant, Not my president! at the entrance to a security checkpoint before the inauguration ceremony. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

At least one bystander, a middle-aged man, was injured when the grenades went off; he was hit in the head, which was cut and bleeding.

Another man, Robert Hrifko, 62, who rode his Harley Davidson motorcycle up from St. Augustine, Fla., to join the Bikers for Trump group, approached several firemen and asked: Do you think I need stitches?

A welt on his cheekbone dribbled blood. He said a man hit him with rock after he tackled a protester who was attempting to throw an aluminum chair at a police officer.

Bam  just waylaid me, he said. The firemen offered him a Band-Aid and said he would be all right. Good, I aint got insurance anymore, because I cant afford Obamacare.

Mayor Muriel E. Bowser tweeted that she respects the rights of protesters but will not condone crime and vandalism which are the antithesis of what we hope to accomplish today. She also wrote: To those of you visiting Washington, D.C. we welcome you but we cannot allow you to destroy our neighborhoods.

Protesters jammed city streets and also aimed to jam checkpoints to the inauguration, at times successfully.

Shut it down! protesters shouted at the checkpoint at John Marshall Park early Friday morning. There, five black men stood at the front of the crowd, chained together, blocking the path.

Hailing from different parts of the country, the men were protesting on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement. As they stood together, they shouted that by demonstrating, all we have to lose is our chains.

Police began redirecting people to other entrances at about 8:30 a.m. As protesters there shouted, This is what democracy looks like, a Trump supporter countered. He pointed to the other side of the fence and said, This is what democracy looks like, but I cant get to it because of you!

Michael Henning came from Dalton, Ohio, to see the events on the Mall and expressed frustration with how police handled the situation.

We drove 20 hours, and now we cant get in, Henning said. Everyone should have just brought guns and had it out, Id be happy if they just dropped a bomb on them.

Protesters march down K Street on Inauguration Day. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

One protester was arrested after sprinting up 13th Street and taunting a small group of officers chasing him. As he passed a D.C. fire station, cheers could be heard behind the glass of the garage doors: Get him! Get him! When a young man in a hoodie  apparently an undercover police officer  bolted from the side and brought the protester down on the sidewalk with a flying tackle, a cheer arose from inside the station.

Im not resisting, Im not resisting, the protester said from beneath a pile of three officers. How are you all doing today? he said, just before being helped to his feet, his hand in restraints.

It is unclear how many protesters descended on the nations capital for the inauguration, but law enforcement officials were bracing for more than 60 demonstration groups, both in support of and against Trump. About two dozen groups have received permits for specific gathering spaces for Friday and Saturday, when the Womens March will take over the streets. According to their permit requests, some of those groups Friday were anticipating as few as 20 participants; others were planning for tens of thousands.

(Thomas LeGro/The Washington Post)

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.

Thursday night, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the National Press Club in downtown Washington, where the DeploraBall was being held. They shouted obscenities and insults such as racist and Nazi at those attending the celebratory ball on the eve of Trumps inauguration, and at one point someone threw an object that hit a counter protester in the head. Officers directed chemical spray at the crowd multiple times after protesters began throwing trash at Trump supporters who were leaving the building.

Many protesters participated in nonviolent demonstrations Friday. One man brought three llamas named Shay, Tragically Cute, and Thaddeus from a farm in Lancaster, Pa. Other groups protested silently, letting their signs speak for them.

I just wanted my voice to be heard, said Sharae Cloak, who stood quietly with two friends. Its a sad day in America, in the world. I didnt want to be one of those people who complains and sits at home.

But at least one organization had vowed to try to shut down the city. Organized under activist collective Disrupt J20, that group arranged to have different organizations gather at each of the dozen checkpoints that inauguration ticket holders had to pass through to view the ceremony. Each aimed to speak to a different cause, organized under names that include: Future is Feminist, Movement for Black Lives, Standing Rock for Native Lives, Economic Justice and Communities under Attack.

At one checkpoint, a group of LBGT protesters held a banner that read: Out of the Closet. Into the Streets and danced along to Abba and Madonna. They blew whistles and horns and filled the wet pavement with blue and purple glitter.

We are here as a celebration of all the rights we have achieved as a movement and to stand up for ourselves, said Mike Mcvicker-Weaver, 40, an HIV health care worker from Baltimore.

At a checkpoint near 10th and E streets, a group of women early in the morning tied themselves together with purple yarn and sat down, blocking people from passing.

Hey, hey, ho, ho! Donald Trump has to go! the group of about 100 mostly young protesters said. End white supremacy!

Clashes broke out at the location throughout the morning, and the line appeared at a standstill less than an hour before Trump was expected to take the oath of office.



Police corral a group of protesters at the intersection of L and 15th Streets N.W. on Inauguration Day. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Disrupt J20 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.

Not all of the demonstrations on Friday were anti-Trump. Among those groups that requested permits for space were two organizations that support him: Bikers for Trump and Let America Hear Us, Roar for Trump.

The latter shared Dupont Circle with a group that did not request a permit but 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.

A 40-year-old pot grower named Josh stood near Dupont Circle Friday morning, controlling the line, which stretched up Massachusetts Avenue. He said he had donated a half-pound of his own weed for the giveaway.

Id appreciate it if you dont do any illegal here, Josh told the crowd. If you want to do something illegal, take it down the block.

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.

Another organization, the ANSWER Coalition, planned to host a large gathering at the U.S. Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Ben Becker of ANSWER said that more than 45,000 people 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, had a 28-foot stage and large sound system set up there and plans to 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 had thousands of signs ready to hand out. Among them: 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.

Tara Bahrampour, Michael Alison Chandler, Steve Hendrix, Arelis R. Hernandez, Tom Jackman, Justin Jouvenal, John Kelly, Robert McCartney, Clarence Williams and Julie Zauzmer contributed to this report.
D.C. police officers working Fridays inauguration and Saturdays Womens March on Washington will have their body cameras turned off but must switch them on if they witness criminal behavior or interact with the public, according to already established department directives.

The reiteration of the policy by a department spokesman on Thursday eased some concerns on both sides of the lenses: among civil rights groups worried that cameras would be used to surveil demonstrators and among police who saw inaccurate reports that officers had been ordered to keep their body cameras turned off at all times.

In anticipation of demonstrations, several Washington law groups on Thursday said they will offer free legal assistance to demonstrators arrested during the events. Organizations including the National Lawyers Guild, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, D.C. Law Students in Court, and Law for Black Lives, D.C., plan to have lawyers, paralegals and other staff members on call and have established a hotline.

We are going by what our policy says, said Dustin Sternbeck, chief D.C. police spokesman, said about the use of body cameras. Were not running around to capture demonstrators on tape. We're not going around doing surveillance of demonstrations.

Monica Hopkins-Maxwell, executive director of the ACLU of the Nations Capital, said earlier confusion about the directives had her concerned about a dragnet-type of surveillance. But after Sternbecks comments, she said it appears her group and the police are in agreement.

The ACLU and other groups are encouraging demonstrators to record police. Hopkins-Maxwell said there is no contradiction. On one side, we have a government actor who has surveillance tools but has restrictions on their use. On the other side, we have citizens who have First Amendment rights to record police.

Moses Cook, executive director of D.C. Law Students, said his students have spent the past week reviewing First Amendment law to prepare to argue in a bipartisan position for demonstrators arrested. The law students were also instructed on D.C. policing rules during demonstrations.

Were ready to defend their constitutional rights, Cook said of demonstrators.

[Lawyer groups preparing to assist arrested demonstrators]

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 on Saturday observing police behavior and making sure peoples First Amendment rights are protected.

Last year, District officials settled the final lawsuit stemming from mass arrests of nearly 400 protesters and bystanders during demonstrations against the World Bank in 2002. In all, the settlements reached $13.25 million.

[Pershing Park arrest roundup still haunts District on demonstrations]

D.C. police began distributing body-worn cameras in 2014. As of December, all 2,600 officers in patrol have them.

Officers are required to turn them on when responding to calls and during most interactions with the public. Human rights groups and police have praised the program for increasing transparency and accountability, but use of the cameras during demonstrations remains a sensitive area.

Groups including the ACLU have long objected that police could store and use names and faces of participants to track or discredit people with grievances against the government.

Sternbecks statement said use of police body cameras is not for the purpose of identifying and recording those persons present that are lawfully expressing protected speech, but rather it serves as an accountability tool . . . with respect to ensuring the proper conduct of members and the appropriate handling of policing functions.

In all, 28,000 law enforcement officers will be on hand for the inaugural events, including 3,000 officers from across the country who were deputized Thursday as special deputy U.S. marshals. Officers from outside departments who are equipped with body cameras will not turn them on, Sternbeck said.

To offer legal help to demonstrators, 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. 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.
Josh Wheeler, 10, Indianapolis, cries after his pro-life sign is thrown to the ground. Wheeler, who is here with his father Todd Wheeler, said a protester pushed him and called him names. Wheeler was comforted by anti-Trump protester Monica Hunken, above. Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo by Taylor Hartz /TWP) (Taylor Hartz/TWP)

Ten-year-old Josh Wheeler of Indianapolis was in Washington with his father, Todd Wheeler, to demonstrate against abortion outside Fridays inauguration when they were met by a group of anti-Trump protesters at a security checkpoint around 11:30 a.m.

As the group marched by, one of the protesters shoved Josh to the ground and dismantled his banner, which had an image of an aborted fetus on it. When Josh began to cry, the protesters mocked him and called him a p---y, according to a witness, Monica Hunken.

Hunken, 35, of New York, was nearby as part of another group of anti-Trump climate justice protesters blocking entrances. For most of the morning, she said her group and Wheelers antiabortion group had peacefully coexisted at the spot.

When the protesters mocked the ginger-haired boy, Hunken told them to leave him alone and put her arm around him to comfort him.

I saw someone antagonizing him and wanted to reach out, Hunken said. I didnt want the hate to be the only voice that he heard.

(Dalton Bennett,Bastien Inzaurralde,Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

The Wheelers had been handing out pamphlets with a group of antiabortion protesters around Washington since 7 a.m. This was the boys first time at an inauguration, but not his first time protesting, his father said.

He is a Donald Trump supporter, but said they were not there on any political agenda.

Were here to educate, Todd Wheeler said. We were using our freedom of speech to defend the pro-life movement.

He added, The worst part was seeing someone in their 20s picking on a 10-year-old.
Signage warns about sewage where it enters the Potomac river at the Oronoco outfall in Alexandria, Va. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

The Virginia Senate on Thursday voted to give the city of Alexandria almost eight years to stop its antiquated sewer system from sending raw sewage into the Potomac River, stepping back from a demand that the city act by 2020 or lose all state funding.

The compromise, which must also pass the House of Delegates, was forged between Sens. Richard H. Stuart (R-Stafford) and Adam P. Ebbin (D-Alexandria).

Stuart, whose original legislation would have stripped state funding from the city if the problem wasnt solved within 3 1 /2 years, agreed to amend the bill to include a longer timetable and remove the financial penalty.

Alexandria Mayor Allison Silberberg (D) objected to the 2025 deadline Thursday, saying engineers have identified multiple regulatory and structural issues involving the sewer system that will that take years  and millions of dollars  to resolve.

Silberberg said the city will make its case to the House later this session.

Signs warn about sewage where it enters the Potomac River at the Oronoco outfall. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

We feel [a deadline of] 2029 is a more reasonable amount of time, and it will be a huge push to accomplish that, she said. I want to do this right, and I want to know how were paying for this.

Stuart said hes willing to fight back if the city refuses to meet the 2025 date.

He noted that before his bill came to the legislature, Alexandria was planning to delay action on its biggest overflow site until the mid-2030s. He said he threatened to yank $130 million in state funds to get the attention of city leaders, with the goal of forcing a speedier cleanup.

I grew up on that river. Ive seen the damage. You used to be able to see the bottom, he said during a Tuesday floor debate on his bill. These are serious health issues that face us and the people downstream from Alexandria. . . . We have to live in the sewage they dump in the river. Thats unfair to the people I represent.

While some Republican lawmakers joined his criticism of Alexandria, several Democrats objected to the heavy-handed tactics.

You pull a stunt like this and sometimes you dont get the help you need when it needs to be reciprocated, Sen. Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) warned.

Alexandria plans to ask the General Assembly for state funding to help replace its outdated combined sewer systems, funding that Richmond and Lynchburg already received. City officials noted that neither of those cities have come in for the kind of criticism directed at Alexandria.

The city is being asked to do something in 7 years that normally takes other communities a generation, said Yon Lambert, Alexandrias transportation and environmental services director. This is an enormous, unfunded mandate equivalent to $300 million or more.

The political power play began in September, when Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) took to social media to chastise the city for not moving more quickly to fix the sewage overflows, which happen whenever rain runoff overwhelms the two-century-old combined storm water and sewer system. Surovells district sits just downriver from Alexandria.

City Council members, past and present, immediately defended themselves and asked why Surovell wasnt offering solutions.

Surovell subsequently proposed legislation pushing for faster action on the overflows. But Stuarts bill, with its tougher penalty, is the one that got to the floor of the Senate this week.

Alexandria submitted plans to the state this fall outlining how it intends to fix overflows from three of its outfalls, as the combined pipes are called. Those plans were required by the federal Clean Water Act, which the state administers. The repairs will cost an estimated $188 million and will add $10 to $15 per month to the average residential sewer bill.

The fourth and biggest outfall, which dumps 11 million gallons of raw sewage into Oronoco Bay each year, was not part of the federal mandate and thus was left out of the plan.

Environmentalists and local residents have been pressuring the city to act on the Oronoco Bay site as well. In November, the council ordered city employees to speed up their study of the issue by 14 years.

The Potomac Riverkeeper Network is seeking a state-sponsored public hearing on the issue, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has started to ask questions about how the city will deal with the Oronoco Bay issue.

In an interview, Ebbin said he wasnt thrilled with the compromise bill approved in the Senate on Thursday, but felt it was far less onerous than what Stuart originally proposed.

I dont think having 140 amateur environmental regulators is the best approach, Ebbin said, referring to the states elected leaders. That said, an eight-year deadline is better than a three-year deadline.

Gregory Schneider in Richmond contributed to this report.
The Womens March on Washington is turning into the weekends star-studded event, with celebrities including Janelle Monae, Scarlett Johansson and Ashley Judd making an appearance at the demonstration the day after inauguration. Activists Angela Davis and Michael Moore and D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser also will be speaking.

In the days leading up to the march, the organizers have released details about the event, giving marchers and spectators a sense of what the day will look like. The lineup of speakers and performers totals around 50.

[ Heres who will be speaking at the Womens March on Washington on Saturday ]

The speakers cut a wide swath across racial justice, reproductive rights, immigrant rights, LGBTQAI, and environmental communities, which reflects the Marchs inclusive platform, the organizers said in a statement.

The rally starts at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Independence and Third streets SW. Organizers are asking people to use Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh streets SW to get to the starting point. There will be about three hours of speakers and performances, and at 1:15 p.m. the attendees will begin the march. They will march west until they reach the Ellipse, near the White House.

(Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post)

Upward of 200,000 people are expected to attend. Metro will add trains Saturday to accommodate the marchers.

[Metro to add service for Womens March on Washington]

It is unclear what each of the speakers will talk about, but the speeches are expected to fall under the marchs rallying demand for equal rights for women after Democrat Hillary Clinton, the first female presidential candidate, was defeated in the November election.

The organizers say that the protest is not anti-President Trump, but is instead intended to be a forward-looking, positive demonstration. Still, the organizers recently released a defined, progressively liberal agenda  a sharp contrast to much of what Trump has started to lay out for his presidency.

The platform calls for ending violence against women, workers rights, reproductive rights, environmental justice, immigrant rights and more.

We believe that Womens Rights are Human Rights and Human Rights are Womens Rights, according to the marchs Unity Principles. We must create a society in which women  including Black women, Native women, poor women, immigrant women, disabled women, Muslim women, lesbian queer and trans women  are free and able to care for and nurture their families, however they are formed, in safe and healthy environments free from structural impediments.

Planned Parenthood is one of the main sponsors of the event, and the organizations president, Cecile Richards, is a scheduled speaker. The marchs abortion rights stance has received backlash from antiabortion advocates. They say this excludes their voices from the march, even though they, too, want things such as equal pay and progressive child-care policies.

(Facebook/Sasha Adams)

Linda Sarsour, one of the main organizers of the march and director of the Arab American Association of New York, said the march is for abortion rights, but is inclusive to everyone.

We dont believe a quarter-million people will see themselves in every platform, Sarsour said in an interview last week.

[Is there a place at the Womens March for women who are politically opposed to abortion?]

Although the march is not an official national event, like the inauguration ceremonies, there will be security. March organizers have secured a permit through the city, and have been working with local and federal law enforcement in planning the event. They have also hired a private security firm. Attendees are permitted to bring only small bags and backpacks, and all items are subject to searches.
Boyan Slat is used to trash talk. The 22-year-old Dutchman serves as chief executive of Ocean Cleanup, a foundation that plans to remove plastic from the seas using a 62-mile-wide device he dreamed up as a teenager. Its a project that has attracted millions of dollars  along with plenty of scientific skepticism.

And its the subject of The Crowdfunded Conservationist Who Wants to Save the World, an article in the January/February issue of Outside magazine.

Writer Andrew Lewis sketches out Slats boy-genius backstory: When he was 16, he went scuba diving in Greece and was appalled by all of the debris in the water. The experience inspired Slat to develop a potential solution. As Lewis explains, its a massive V-shaped floating barrier (think of a giant pool noodle with a five-foot fin extending below the waters surface). The idea is that currents will sweep in the trash, and a receptacle at the vertex of the device will trap it.

No one questions the severity of the plastics problem. About nine million tons of plastic waste makes its way into the oceans each year  by 2050, plastic will outweigh fish, Lewis writes.

But Slats idea has drawn doubts from scientists who dont believe its feasible to make such a device work in harsh conditions. Other activists are concerned that it could divert attention from policy efforts focused on reducing dumping.

None of that has stopped Slat from organizing crowdfunding campaigns and continuing to work on the project. Slat regards his critics the way a teenager greets parents who just dont get it, Lewis writes.

In June, the two boarded a fishing boat to check out a 328-foot prototype being deployed in the North Sea. Human history is a list of things that couldnt be done and then were done, Slat told Lewis.

In this case, theres still more doing ahead. The prototype was removed from the water just a few months later after sustaining too much damage from the wind and waves.
When the Trump White House website went up moments after the new presidents inauguration, the list of top issues it contained had a notable absence: no mention of his pledge to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Nor did President Trump mention health care among a set of goals he articulated in his inaugural speechs pledge to end what he termed American carnage and improve the fabric of life for the nations citizens. The closest he came was to include among his scientific aspirations to free the Earth from the miseries of disease.

During his campaign and afterward, Trump pledged that fundamental changes to the health-care system would be a first priority. In a speech outside Philadelphia six days before the November election, Trump vowed to abolish the Affordable Care Act before he was sworn in. Have to do it, he said. I will ask Congress to convene a special session so we can repeal and replace.

Last week, both chambers of Congress approved a budget resolution that was the first legislative step toward repealing the 2010 law, which was the centerpiece of the Obama administrations health policies.

But health care was not among a half-dozen issue areas listed on the new WhiteHouse.gov website that debuted shortly after noon on Friday.
No so long ago, Rick Perry described the science behind human-caused climate change as a contrived phony mess. On Thursday, during his confirmation hearing to become the next head of the Energy Department, the former Texas governor expressed a markedly different view  one that has begun to sound very familiar in recent days.

I believe the climate is changing, he told lawmakers. 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 doesnt compromise economic growth.

Almost to a person, the people whom President-elect Donald Trump has picked to run key federal agencies have echoed strikingly similar views about the warming planet and what to do, or not do, about it. Their position, which has proven maddening to many climate scientists, acknowledges three points: Yes, the climate is changing. Humans probably have some role. But its likely not the countrys most urgent problem.

Interior secretary nominee Ryan Zinke: I do not believe it is a hoax. . . . I think where theres debate on it is what [the human] influence is, what can we do about it.

Attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions: I dont deny that we have global warming. . . . Its the question of how much is happening and what the reaction would be to it.

Rex Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil chairman nominated to be the next secretary of state, says that scientists ability to predict the impact of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is very limited. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Environmental Protection Agency administrator nominee Scott Pruitt: Science tells us that the climate is changing, and human activity in some matter 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.

[Who said what on climate change]

A Trump transition official said Thursday that there had been no coordination with appointees on their message around the issue. This is an accurate reflection of what they believe, and Cabinet nominees are encouraged to give their opinion on questions when theyre asked, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be more open about internal matters.

Frank Maisano, a public affairs specialist at the law firm Bracewell, whose clients include both renewable energy companies and oil and gas firms, argued that the position staked out mirrors that of many Republicans during the George W. Bush administration.

Its a position that allows you to have a framework for a policy discussion. You cant get over the hurdle and into a policy discussion if youre where we were over the last four years, Maisano said.

But the views of those potential Trump Cabinet members have exasperated some scientists, who fear that their comments in confirmation hearings over the past week have sown doubt about the extent of the human factor in climate change despite the empirical evidence. In the scientific community, they say, there is little question that humans are the driving force behind the trends that made 2016 the hottest year in recorded history and that climate change is one of the most consequential problems facing the United States and other countries.

It sounds like an orchestrated campaign of head-in-the-sand, said Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University. The scientific consensus is clear: Most of the warming since 1950 is the result of the buildup of the human-made greenhouse gases.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, nominated to lead the Environmental Protection Agency in the Trump administration, says debate and dialogue should continue on climate change. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an international body set up under the United Nations that distills the scientific consensus on the subject, has said much the same for years.

It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century, the IPCC wrote in 2013, adding that human influence has been detected in warming of the atmosphere and the ocean, in changes in the global water cycle, in reductions in snow and ice, in global mean sea level rise, and in changes in some climate extremes.

[U.S. scientists officially declare 2016 the hottest year on record. That makes three in a row.]

As for predictions, scientists dont have a crystal ball, and their climate change model projections arent perfect. But what theyre fundamentally doing is applying what is known about the climate system, which is that carbon dioxide warms it on a grand scale and will continue to do so in the future.

The climate views expressed by Trumps nominees arent necessarily surprising, given the number of climate-science skeptics on the transition team. For instance, Myron Ebell of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, who has long questioned the issues urgency, is leading the EPA transition.

Other transition officials include George Sugiyama, an attorney who worked for Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, perhaps the biggest climate-change doubter in Congress, and David Kreutzer, a Heritage Foundation economist and fellow who has argued at length that President Obamas climate policies cant be justified  in part because of the lack of a scientific consensus about climate change.

But while Trump has called climate change a hoax, his nominees have been unwilling to go there. Still, the new administrations response could resemble what happened under Bush: The issue of climate change might be acknowledged at times but rarely treated with much urgency.

Yet even 15 years ago, said James McCarthy, a professor at the Harvard University Center for the Environment, there was already widespread agreement among climate scientists that the majority of the planets warming during the prior half-century was caused by the production and burning of fossil fuels.

Since then, greenhouse-gas concentrations in the atmosphere have increased every successive year, and we have experienced nine of the 10 warmest years in recorded climate history. Sea level is rising faster, and Arctic sea ice is retreating further each year, McCarthy noted Thursday.

The fact that the people who would lead key agencies under Trump appear to have little interest in taking aggressive counter-efforts could mean missed economic opportunities, as well, McCarthy said.

Major economies around the globe are preparing to transition from polluting to clean fuels, he said. The U.S. has led many of the developments that have reduced costs of solar and wind energy to where they are now competitive with other fuels. What a pity it would be if Mr. Trumps Cabinet secretaries let the opportunity for our nation to fully benefit from these advances slip through our fingers.

[Scientists are frantically copying U.S. climate data, fearing it might vanish under Trump]

Environmental advocates worry that a lack of urgency within the new administration will translate into efforts to slow down or halt efforts by the Obama administration to tackle the problem, which Obama called one of the most urgent challenges of our time. They fear a rollback of regulations aimed at reducing the nations greenhouse gas emissions, slashed funding for clean energy technologies and an indifference or hostility toward government climate research.

Maisano said some of those fears are unfounded, adding that even if the core debate is over, the fight over how serious a problem climate change is and what to do about it is a fair one to have.

The question is, again, not how much are you aware, but what can we do about it that is reasonable and politically viable. And thats a question thats going to change depending on who is in office.

John Wagner contributed to this report.
Blog Archive Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (3) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (4) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (4) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (2) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (3) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (3) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (3) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (1) May 26 (4) May 25 (2) May 24 (3) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (3) May 19 (5) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (3) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (4) May 08 (2) May 07 (3) May 06 (4) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (4) May 01 (1) Apr 30 (5) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (4) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (4) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (3) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (5) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (6) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (3) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (3) Mar 12 (3) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (5) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (5) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (7) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (5) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (3) Feb 12 (5) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (3) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (4) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (6) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (6) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (5) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (4) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (3) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (2) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (5) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (3) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (3) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (5) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (2) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (4) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (4) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (5) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (2) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (4) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (4) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (3) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (5) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (3) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (5) Jun 28 (2) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (3) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (3) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (4) May 28 (4) May 27 (3) May 26 (5) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (6) May 14 (3) May 13 (3) May 12 (5) May 11 (4) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (6) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (5) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (8) Mar 11 (6) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (5) Mar 04 (5) Mar 03 (7) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (4) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (7) Feb 21 (4) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (4) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (7) Feb 03 (9) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (9) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (6) Jan 29 (5) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (6) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (5) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (6) Jan 14 (7) Jan 13 (7) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (8) Jan 07 (11) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (7) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (8) Jan 01 (8) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (6) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (7) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (5) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (6) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (5) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (6) Dec 02 (4) Dec 01 (5) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (6) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (4) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (7) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (6) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (5) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (6) Nov 11 (6) Nov 10 (8) Nov 09 (8) Nov 08 (7) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (6) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (5) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (6) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (7) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (2) Oct 07 (7) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (8) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (6) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (4) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (5) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (3) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (3) Sep 11 (3) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (5) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (4) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (4) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (5) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (4) Aug 07 (3) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (3) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (4) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (5) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (4) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (5) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (4) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (5) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (3) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (3) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (4) May 27 (5) May 26 (7) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (6) May 21 (4) May 20 (3) May 19 (5) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (4) May 14 (4) May 13 (5) May 12 (4) May 11 (5) May 10 (6) May 09 (7) May 08 (3) May 07 (6) May 06 (4) May 05 (6) May 04 (6) May 03 (4) May 02 (4) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (5) Apr 22 (5) Apr 21 (7) Apr 20 (6) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (6) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (7) Apr 07 (4) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (6) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (6) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (6) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (5) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (6) Mar 25 (7) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (4) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (5) Mar 19 (4) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (3) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (5) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (5) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (6) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (5) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (3) Feb 29 (4) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (5) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (2) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (4) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (5) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (5) Feb 06 (5) Feb 05 (5) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (2) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (1) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (5) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (4) Dec 01 (5) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (5) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (5) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (5) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (3) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (1) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (4) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (4) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (4) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (4) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (5) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (4) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (4) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (4) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (1) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (3) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (4) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (3) Jun 06 (4) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (4) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (3) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (4) May 27 (6) May 26 (3) May 25 (3) May 24 (3) May 23 (3) May 22 (5) May 21 (3) May 20 (3) May 19 (3) May 18 (4) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (4) May 13 (4) May 12 (5) May 11 (2) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (3) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (4) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (5) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (1) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (3) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (3) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (4) Apr 11 (5) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (3) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (7) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (2) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (6) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (5) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (3) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (7) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (3) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (5) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (5) Feb 21 (5) Feb 20 (5) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (6) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (6) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (6) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (3) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (6) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (4) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (3) Jan 23 (3) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (4) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (5) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (7) Dec 10 (7) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (5) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (5) Nov 28 (4) Nov 27 (5) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (4) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (5) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (6) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (4) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (5) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (4) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (4) Oct 12 (5) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (5) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (5) Oct 07 (6) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (4) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (5) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (4) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (3) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (5) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (6) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (5) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (7) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (7) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (4) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (6) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (5) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (6) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (6) Jul 15 (4) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (4) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (4) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (5) Jun 11 (5) Jun 10 (6) Jun 09 (5) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (4) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (5) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (6) May 23 (4) May 22 (5) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (5) May 18 (6) May 17 (6) May 16 (4) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (4) May 10 (5) May 09 (2) May 08 (4) May 07 (4) May 06 (4) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (6) Apr 22 (5) Apr 21 (6) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (4) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (5) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (6) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (6) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (7) Mar 30 (6) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (8) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (6) Mar 20 (5) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (5) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (7) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (6) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (7) Feb 27 (6) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (5) Feb 24 (8) Feb 23 (7) Feb 22 (8) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (7) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (7) Feb 11 (6) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (6) Feb 07 (5) Feb 06 (5) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (4) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (7) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (6) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (5) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (7) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (7) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (5) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (5) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (7) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (6) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (5) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (6) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (4) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (7) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (6) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (7) Dec 03 (6) Dec 02 (4) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (6) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (4) Nov 27 (7) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (5) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (5) Nov 17 (6) Nov 16 (7) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (5) Nov 13 (5) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (7) Nov 10 (6) Nov 09 (7) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (9) Nov 06 (7) Nov 05 (7) Nov 04 (7) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (6) Nov 01 (6) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (7) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (7) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (6) Oct 23 (10) Oct 22 (6) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (5) Oct 19 (5) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (6) Oct 14 (7) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (5) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (6) Oct 09 (8) Oct 08 (6) Oct 07 (5) Oct 06 (4) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (6) Sep 29 (5) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (7) Sep 25 (6) Sep 24 (6) Sep 23 (6) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (6) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (7) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (7) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (7) Sep 07 (6) Sep 06 (5) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (6) Sep 03 (7) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (6) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (5) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (5) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (8) Aug 24 (5) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (7) Aug 21 (7) Aug 20 (6) Aug 19 (7) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (6) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (6) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (6) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (5) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (7) Jul 27 (6) Jul 26 (4) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (5) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (6) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (4) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (5) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (3) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (5) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (6) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (4) May 30 (5) May 29 (5) May 28 (5) May 27 (8) May 26 (7) May 25 (7) May 24 (5) May 23 (2) May 22 (5) May 21 (4) May 20 (5) May 19 (5) May 18 (5) May 17 (5) May 16 (7) May 15 (7) May 14 (7) May 13 (5) May 12 (6) May 11 (8) May 10 (4) May 09 (6) May 08 (10) May 07 (8) May 06 (5) May 05 (6) May 04 (7) May 03 (7) May 02 (8) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (9) Apr 27 (6) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (8) Apr 24 (7) Apr 23 (8) Apr 22 (6) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (10) Apr 19 (7) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (8) Apr 16 (5) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (9) Apr 13 (11) Apr 12 (8) Apr 11 (5) Apr 10 (10) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (5) Apr 07 (9) Apr 06 (10) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (7) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (7) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (8) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (7) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (8) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (3) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (7) Mar 10 (6) Mar 09 (8) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (6) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (7) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (7) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (9) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (6) Feb 22 (7) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (5) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (8) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (4) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (6) Feb 09 (7) Feb 08 (6) Feb 07 (6) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (5) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (10) Feb 02 (9) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (8) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (9) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (6) Jan 25 (7) Jan 24 (6) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (5) Jan 21 (7) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (5) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (5) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (5) Jan 05 (6) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (5) Dec 25 (6) Dec 24 (7) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (6) Dec 19 (10) Dec 18 (9) Dec 17 (10) Dec 16 (8) Dec 15 (4) Dec 14 (6) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (6) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (8) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (7) Dec 03 (7) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (9) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (9) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (7) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (7) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (8) Nov 18 (12) Nov 17 (8) Nov 16 (6) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (11) Nov 13 (11) Nov 12 (9) Nov 11 (6) Nov 10 (9) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (7) Nov 07 (7) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (8) Nov 04 (6) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (7) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (7) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (7) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (7) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (7) Oct 22 (7) Oct 21 (6) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (7) Oct 18 (6) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (6) Oct 13 (7) Oct 12 (5) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (8) Oct 09 (8) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (7) Oct 06 (7) Oct 05 (8) Oct 04 (6) Oct 03 (8) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (10) Sep 29 (7) Sep 28 (10) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (6) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (5) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (6) Sep 18 (6) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (6) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (6) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (10) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (3) Sep 08 (8) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (7) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (6) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (6) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (5) Aug 25 (9) Aug 24 (7) Aug 23 (8) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (9) Aug 20 (8) Aug 19 (7) Aug 18 (6) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (6) Aug 12 (5) Aug 11 (7) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (9) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (6) Aug 04 (6) Aug 03 (7) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (8) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (6) Jul 26 (9) Jul 25 (9) Jul 24 (7) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (9) Jul 20 (6) Jul 19 (9) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (2) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (7) Jul 14 (7) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (7) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (6) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (8) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (5) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (7) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (5) Jun 22 (7) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (6) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (6) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (7) Jun 12 (8) Jun 11 (5) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (7) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (7) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (7) May 30 (4) May 29 (5) May 28 (1) May 27 (5) May 26 (8) May 25 (5) May 24 (8) May 23 (8) May 22 (7) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (9) May 18 (5) May 17 (9) May 16 (7) May 15 (5) May 14 (11) May 13 (6) May 12 (13) May 11 (5) May 10 (7) May 09 (6) May 08 (8) May 07 (9) May 06 (6) May 05 (5) May 04 (2) May 03 (6) May 02 (7) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (5) Apr 29 (7) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (6) Apr 26 (10) Apr 25 (7) Apr 24 (5) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (6) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (10) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (6) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (10) Apr 07 (6) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (5) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (6) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (7) Mar 26 (9) Mar 25 (11) Mar 24 (10) Mar 23 (6) Mar 22 (8) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (2) Mar 18 (9) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (6) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (7) Mar 10 (8) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (6) Mar 06 (7) Mar 05 (6) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (2) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (9) Feb 29 (11) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (6) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (8) Feb 24 (9) Feb 23 (12) Feb 22 (10) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (5) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (9) Feb 16 (10) Feb 15 (8) Feb 14 (9) Feb 13 (8) Feb 12 (8) Feb 11 (7) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (7) Feb 08 (9) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (10) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (6) Feb 03 (8) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (6) Jan 31 (10) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (9) Jan 27 (7) Jan 26 (8) Jan 25 (8) Jan 24 (7) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (10) Jan 19 (8) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (7) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (8) Jan 13 (8) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (6) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (9) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (7) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (9) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (2) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (6) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (6) Dec 22 (8) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (8) Dec 16 (7) Dec 15 (9) Dec 14 (7) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (6) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (5) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (7) Dec 01 (7) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (5) Nov 28 (6) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (8) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (6) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (5) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (6) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (5) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (4) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (6) Nov 03 (6) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (5) Oct 25 (8) Oct 24 (7) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (7) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (5) Oct 19 (5) Oct 18 (6) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (6) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (6) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (5) Oct 07 (6) Oct 06 (6) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (8) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (9) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (4) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (6) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (5) Sep 18 (7) Sep 17 (6) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (8) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (7) Sep 11 (8) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (8) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (6) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (5) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (5) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (7) Aug 24 (6) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (5) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (7) Aug 14 (8) Aug 13 (8) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (6) Aug 06 (7) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (6) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (6) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (5) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (2) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (8) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (7) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (10) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (2) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (2) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (1) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (2) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (5) May 27 (1) May 26 (1) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (1) May 22 (2) May 21 (2) May 20 (3) May 19 (3) May 18 (2) May 17 (2) May 16 (2) May 15 (3) May 14 (2) May 13 (2) May 12 (2) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (2) May 08 (3) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (2) May 04 (2) May 03 (3) May 02 (2) May 01 (2) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (2) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (2) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (2) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (4) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (2) Apr 17 (2) Apr 16 (2) Apr 15 (2) Apr 14 (2) Apr 13 (2) Apr 12 (2) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (2) Apr 08 (2) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (2) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (2) Apr 03 (2) Apr 02 (2) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (2) Mar 27 (2) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (2) Mar 22 (1) Mar 21 (1) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (2) Mar 18 (2) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (2) Mar 14 (2) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (3) Mar 08 (2) Mar 07 (1) Mar 06 (2) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (8) Mar 02 (2) Mar 01 (1) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (1) Feb 25 (1) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (2) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (2) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (2) Feb 18 (2) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (2) Feb 15 (1) Feb 14 (1) Feb 13 (1) Feb 12 (2) Feb 11 (1) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (1) Feb 08 (1) Feb 07 (1) Feb 06 (1) Feb 05 (5) Feb 03 (1) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (1) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (3) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (5) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (1) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (5) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (6) Dec 14 (4) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (5) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (5) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (4) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (3) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (4) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (6) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (3) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (5) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (6) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (5) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (2) Aug 06 (2) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (2) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (6) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (2) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (2) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (1) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (2) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (2) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (4) May 13 (9) May 12 (4) May 11 (5) May 10 (5) May 09 (4) May 08 (3) May 07 (5) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (1) May 02 (5) May 01 (7) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (3) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (3) Apr 14 (4) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (6) Apr 10 (1) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (4) Mar 26 (2) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (6) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (4) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (4) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (4) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (4) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (4) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (5) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (2) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (6) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (4) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (2) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (4) Nov 15 (6) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (2) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (2) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (2) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (2) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (2) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (4) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (7) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (7) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (2) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (5) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (2) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (6) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (8) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (2) May 29 (2) May 28 (2) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (2) May 18 (3) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (3) May 10 (4) May 09 (4) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (2) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (2) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (7) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (6) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (5) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (3) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (2) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (2) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (2) Jan 04 (2) Jan 03 (2) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (2) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (2) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (2) Nov 21 (2) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (2) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (2) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (2) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (2) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (2) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (2) Aug 25 (2) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (2) Aug 12 (2) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (2) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (2) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (2) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (2) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (2) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (2) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (2) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (2) Jul 03 (2) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (2) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (2) Jun 15 (2) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (2) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (7) May 16 (2) May 15 (2) May 14 (4) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (3) May 08 (2) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (1) May 04 (2) May 03 (4) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (1) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (1) Mar 07 (1) Mar 04 (2) Mar 02 (2) Feb 28 (1) Feb 24 (1) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (2) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (5) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (5) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (1) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (3) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (3) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (3) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (3) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (3) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (3) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (2) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (2) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (2) Oct 07 (2) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (2) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (4) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (2) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (2) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (1) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (1) Sep 19 (1) Sep 18 (1) Sep 17 (2) Sep 16 (1) Sep 15 (2) Sep 14 (2) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (1) Sep 11 (2) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (1) Sep 08 (1) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (1) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (1) Sep 02 (1) Sep 01 (1) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (1) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 24 (1) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (2) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (1) Aug 14 (1) Aug 12 (1) Aug 09 (1) Aug 08 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 04 (1) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (5) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (6) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (6) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (4) May 30 (4) May 29 (4) May 28 (5) May 27 (5) May 26 (5) May 25 (4) May 24 (5) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (3) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (3) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (3) May 06 (3) May 05 (3) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (6) Apr 12 (4) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (5) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (4) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (6) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (5) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (4) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (5) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (7) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (7) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (8) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (3) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (6) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 (6) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (5) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (5) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (4) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (5) Jan 05 (6) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (7) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (5) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (4) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (5) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (5) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (2) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (6) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (4) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (3) Sep 09 (3) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (6) Sep 04 (5) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (2) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (2) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (4) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (6) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (4) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (2) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (8) Jul 08 (6) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (2) Jun 21 (1) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (3) Jun 15 (7) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (5) Jun 11 (4) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (4) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (3) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (3) May 25 (4) May 24 (2) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (2) May 20 (3) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (2) May 14 (6) May 13 (4) May 12 (2) May 11 (3) May 10 (2) May 09 (3) May 08 (4) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (4) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (2) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (2) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (2) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (2) Apr 14 (4) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (5) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (6) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (5) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (4) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (4) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (2) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (3) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (2) Jan 15 (2) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (2) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (3) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (2) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (1) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (2) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (1) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (1) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (4) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (1) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (2) Dec 10 (2) Dec 09 (2) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (1) Dec 05 (2) Dec 04 (1) Dec 03 (2) Dec 02 (2) Dec 01 (2) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (1) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (1) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (1) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (2) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (1) Nov 16 (1) Nov 15 (1) Nov 14 (1) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (1) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (1) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (1) Nov 03 (1) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (2) Oct 31 (2) Oct 30 (2) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (2) Oct 25 (2) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (2) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (1) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (1) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (2) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (1) Oct 03 (2) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (1) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (1) Sep 27 (3) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (2) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (1) Sep 20 (1) Sep 19 (2) Sep 17 (2) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (1) Sep 14 (1) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (3) Sep 11 (1) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (2) Sep 08 (2) Sep 07 (1) Sep 06 (1) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (1) Sep 02 (1) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (2) Aug 26 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 24 (2) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (1) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (1) Aug 13 (1) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (1) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (1) Aug 06 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 04 (1) Aug 03 (2) Aug 01 (1) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (1) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (1) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (2) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (1) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (2) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (1) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (1) Jul 11 (2) Jul 09 (5) Jul 08 (1) Jul 07 (1) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (1) Jul 03 (2) Jul 01 (1) Jun 30 (1) Jun 29 (2) Jun 28 (2) Jun 27 (2) Jun 25 (2) Jun 24 (1) Jun 23 (2) Jun 22 (2) Jun 20 (1) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (1) Jun 15 (1) Jun 14 (3) Jun 12 (1) Jun 11 (1) Jun 08 (1) Jun 07 (1) Jun 05 (1) Jun 04 (1) Jun 03 (1) Jun 01 (1) May 31 (1) May 27 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (1) May 23 (2) May 22 (1) May 21 (1) May 20 (2) May 19 (1) May 18 (1) May 17 (2) May 14 (1) May 13 (1) May 11 (2) May 10 (2) May 09 (1) May 07 (2) May 06 (1) May 05 (1) May 04 (1) May 03 (3) May 02 (1) May 01 (1) Apr 29 (1) Apr 28 (1) Apr 27 (1) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (1) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (1) Apr 19 (2) Apr 17 (1) Apr 15 (1) Apr 13 (1) Apr 10 (2) Apr 08 (1) Apr 07 (1) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (1) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (1) Mar 25 (1) Mar 24 (1) Mar 22 (2) Mar 21 (1) Mar 20 (1) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (1) Mar 14 (2) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (1) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (1) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (1) Mar 04 (1) Mar 03 (2) Mar 02 (2) Mar 01 (2) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (1) Feb 26 (1) Feb 25 (1) Feb 23 (2) Feb 19 (2) Feb 13 (1) Feb 12 (1) Feb 02 (1) Jan 31 (1) Jan 22 (1) Jan 18 (1) Jan 16 (1) Jan 09 (1) Jan 01 (1) Dec 20 (2) Dec 15 (1) Dec 13 (1) Dec 11 (1) Nov 30 (1) Nov 27 (1) Nov 20 (1) Nov 11 (1) Nov 10 (1) Oct 23 (1) Oct 20 (1) Oct 01 (1) Sep 30 (1) Sep 29 (1) Sep 24 (2) Sep 15 (1) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (1) Sep 08 (1) Sep 02 (2) Aug 31 (1) Aug 28 (1) Aug 27 (2) Aug 24 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (1) Aug 18 (3) Aug 16 (1) Aug 15 (1) Aug 14 (1) Aug 11 (1) Aug 08 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 03 (1) Jul 27 (1) Jul 26 (1) Jul 24 (1) Jul 22 (1) Jul 21 (1) Jul 19 (1) Jul 15 (1) Jul 14 (1) Jul 13 (3) Jul 10 (1) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (1) Jul 06 (1) Jul 03 (1) Jul 01 (1) Jun 28 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 20 (1) Jun 19 (1) Jun 18 (1) Jun 15 (1) Jun 14 (2) Jun 11 (1) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (1) Jun 07 (1) Jun 06 (1) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (1) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (1) May 31 (3) May 30 (1) May 29 (1) May 28 (2) May 26 (1) May 25 (1) May 18 (1) May 17 (1) May 15 (1) May 09 (1) May 07 (2) May 02 (1) May 01 (1) Apr 30 (1) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (2) Apr 23 (1) Apr 22 (1) Apr 19 (1) Apr 18 (1) Apr 12 (1) Apr 11 (1) Apr 09 (1) Apr 07 (1) Apr 05 (1) Apr 01 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 27 (1) Mar 25 (1) Mar 22 (2) Mar 19 (1) Mar 18 (1) Mar 16 (1) Mar 15 (2) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (1) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (1)
CALIFORNIA

$25 million paid to settle Trump University cases

President-elect Donald Trump has paid $25 million to settle three lawsuits against his now-defunct Trump University, signaling that a judges approval of a settlement agreement remains on track for March 30.

Trump Entrepreneur Initiative LLC paid the money into escrow ahead of Wednesdays deadline, said plaintiff attorney Jason Forge, who represented people who took seminars that promised to teach success in real estate. Trump University was renamed Trump Entrepreneur Initiative in 2010 after New York state officials objected to the name because it wasnt an accredited school.

Trumps attorneys did not immediately respond to a message Thursday seeking confirmation of the payment.

Under terms disclosed last month, Trump was to pay $25 million 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 $4 million for the New York attorney generals office and the rest for about 7,000 people who took Trump University programs.

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 U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel approves the settlement on March 30. Plaintiff attorneys agreed to waive their fees.

Last month Curiel granted preliminary approval, triggering notices to the former students to accept the terms or object. They have until March 6 to object.

 Associated Press

TEXAS

Judge: State cant kick Planned Parenthood out of Medicaid

A federal judge 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. Planned Parenthood would have lost the funding on Saturday had Sparks not intervened.

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. The group says it provides non-abortion services to about 11,000 low-income women in Texas each year through Medicaid.

 Associated Press

Former death row inmate acquitted: A former death row inmate in Delaware has been acquitted of all charges after being retried for a drug-related killing. A Kent County judge found Isaiah McCoy, 29, not guilty in the 2010 killing of James Mumford, 30. McCoy was convicted and sentenced to death in 2012, but Delawares Supreme Court ordered a new trial, citing errors by the judge and prosecutor.

 Associated Press
SYRIA

2 killed as rebels fire on gathering in Aleppo

Rebel shells slammed into the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Thursday, killing two people as thousands of government supporters gathered in a main square nearby to celebrate last months capture of the citys eastern neighborhoods.

The shells struck a few miles from Saadallah al-Jabiri Square, where nationalist music was blaring from 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 Dec. 22 brought Syrias largest city back to the full control of authorities for the first time since July 2012, marking Syrian President Bashar al-Assads biggest victory since the uprising against him began nearly six years ago.

About an hour into the gathering, a shell exploded in the distance, leading some to hurry away. Minutes later, another shell exploded, causing more to leave.

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 Dec. 30.

Despite the shakiness of the cease-fire, planned talks sponsored by Russia and Turkey are to be held Monday in the Kazakh capital, Astana.

Heavy fighting meanwhile broke out Thursday between government forces and Islamic State militants near an army base outside the militant-held town of Palmyra. Also, opposition activists said the Islamic State had killed 12 people it held captive in Palmyra by shooting and beheading them.

 Associated Press

NORTH KOREA

Pyongyang may test missile, officials say

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 Thursday, in what could be an early test of President-elect Donald Trumps administration.

South Korean media, citing intelligence agencies, said Pyongyang may be readying a test of a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile as early as Friday, the day of Trumps inauguration.

U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that they did not have such precise information about the range or potential timing of Pyongyangs missile test, should it happen. One official suggested that Pyongyang could be largely seeking to provoke the Trump administration.

The Pentagon declined to comment on its intelligence about the North Korea threat, but spokesman Peter Cook assured reporters that Washingtons readiness would not be diminished during the U.S. presidential transition, due to take place on Friday.

 Reuters

IRAN

30 firefighters killed in Tehran high-rise blaze

A historic high-rise building in the heart of Irans capital caught fire and later collapsed Thursday, killing at least 30 firefighters and leaving their stunned colleagues and bystanders weeping in the streets.

The disaster at the 17-story Plasco building inadvertently shown live on state television, came after authorities said they repeatedly warned tenants about blocking stairwells with fabric from cramped garment workshops on its upper floors.

Firefighters, soldiers and other emergency responders dug through the debris into the night, looking for survivors. While it was not clear how many people were in the steel-and-concrete building, witnesses said many had slipped through a police cordon while the fire burned to go back inside for their belongings.

Iranian authorities did not immediately release definitive casualty figures, which is common in unfolding disasters.

 Associated Press

Poland defends decision to post photos of protesters: Polands interior minister defended the decision to post photos of some anti-government protesters to illustrate the countrys zero tolerance for breaches of the law, but opposition lawmakers called it an act of political revenge intended to intimidate government critics.

Colombia extradites prominent Panamanian to U.S.: Colombia has extradited to the United States a prominent Panamanian businessman accused of running a worldwide money-laundering organization for drug traffickers. Nidal Waked was arrested on a sealed indictment from a federal court in Miami when he arrived in Colombia in May. He was extradited Thursday. Waked has denied wrongdoing.

Effort to save trapped miners stalls in Peru: Heavy rain and equipment failure stalled efforts in Peru to rescue seven miners who were trapped in a tunnel hundreds of meters below ground by a landslide three days ago, officials said. Four of the men may already be dead, according to a miner who escaped Tuesday, a day after the mine in the southern region of Arequipa was engulfed.

 From news services
President-elect Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York on Jan. 13. (Evan Vucci/Associated Press)

The Jan. 16 front-page article Mideast conference in Paris directs its message to Trump noted there was widespread concern among the diplomats that a pro-Israel Trump administration could threaten the idea of two states living side by side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as their shared capital.

The concern is misplaced. Even before its official establishment as a state in 1948, supporters of the nation of Israel always validated the idea of peaceful sharing  including in 1917 (the Balfour Declaration) and 1947 (the U.N. partition resolution). Numerous efforts at peace have failed since that time because of Arab refusal, rejection and violence toward Israel.

Contrary to the Paris diplomats message, if President-elect Donald Trumps administration proves to be pro-Israel, we are in a more hopeful position for a secure and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Ruth J. Moss, Washington
The World Economic Forum this year feels like an exercise in ritual self-flagellation, which  as with the old Christian practice of fasting and whipping ones own body  is supposed to purify the sinful nature of man. The sin, of course, is globalization, which everyone now seems to agree has been lopsided, inequitable and dangerous. In fact, most of the flaws attributed to globalization are actually mistakes in national policy that can be corrected.

It took a Chinese billionaire to speak frankly on this topic. Jack Ma, the founder of the e-commerce giant Alibaba, estimated that over the past three decades the U.S. government spent $14.2 trillion fighting 13 wars. That money could have been invested in America, building infrastructure and creating jobs. Youre supposed to spend money on your own people, he said. He pointed out that globalization produced massive profits for the U.S. economy but much of that money ended up on Wall Street. And what happened? Year 2008. The financial crisis wiped out $19.2 trillion [in the] U.S.A. alone. . . . What if the money [had been] spent on the Midwest of the United States developing the industry there? he asked. Its not [that] the other countries steal jobs from you guys  it is your strategy, he concluded.

You dont have to accept Mas specifics and statistics to recognize the validity of his general point. Globalization created huge opportunities for growth, many of which were taken by U.S. companies. The global economy is still dominated by large American firms; 134 of Fortunes Global 500 are American. And if you look at those in cutting-edge industries, the vast majority are American. These companies have benefited enormously by having global supply chains that can source goods and services around the world, either to lower labor costs or to be close to the markets in which they sell. Since 95 percent of the worlds potential consumers live outside the United States, finding ways to sell to them will have to be a core strategy for growth, even for a country with a large domestic economy such as the United States.

Obviously globalization has large effects on national economies and societies, and it produces some significant problems. What complex phenomenon does not? But it also generates opportunities, innovation and wealth for nations that they can then use to address these problems through good national strategies. The solutions are easy to state in theory  education, skills-based training and retraining, infrastructure. But they are extremely expensive and hard to execute well.

It is much easier to rail against foreigners and promise to fight them with tariffs and fines. But the cost of addressing these problems at the global level is massive. The Economist reports, in a survey on globalization, that in 2009 the Obama administration punished China with a tariff on its tires. Two years later, the cost to U.S. consumers was $1.1 billion, or $900,000 for every job saved. The impact of such tariffs is usually felt disproportionately by the poor and middle class because they spend a larger share of their income on imported goods, such as food and clothing. That same Economist survey points to a study that calculated that, across 40 countries, if transnational trade ended, the wealthiest consumers would lose 28 percent of their purchasing power, but the poorest tenth would lose a staggering 63 percent.

Perhaps most important, the key driver depressing wages and eliminating jobs in the industrialized world is technology, not globalization. For example, between 1990 and 2014, U.S. automotive production increased by 19 percent , but with 240,000 fewer workers.

Even when manufacturing comes back to the United States, it is high-end manufacturing. Its not just new Intel plants that have few workers anymore. Adidas has set up a new shoe factory in Germany that is run almost entirely by robots. It will open a similar one near Atlanta later this year. And the few workers in these factories tend to be highly skilled technicians and software engineers.

You cant turn off technological revolutions. Nor is there a quick fix to stop business from going to other countries. Tariffs on China will simply mean that production will come from some other developing country.

The best approach to the world we are living in is not denial but empowerment. Countries should recognize that the global economy and the technological revolution require large, sustained national efforts to equip workers with the skills, capital and infrastructure they need to succeed. Nations should embrace an open world, but only as long as they are properly armed to compete in it. And that requires smart, effective  and very expensive  national policies, not some grand reversal of globalization.

Read more from Fareed Zakarias archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has been the subject of intense debate ever since Donald Trump nominated him to be attorney general. His critics argue that he could lead a radical rollback of civil rights policies, while supporters defend his record as more moderate. Sorting the truth about Sessions from the hyperbole isnt easy.

Myth No. 1

Sessions has an unusually poor record on civil rights.

Sessions has been called a threat to civil rights and unfit  for his post, largely because of what critics see as his alarming history of opposing civil rights and support of policies that reinforce discrimination and produce racist outcomes.

In reality, he isnt an outlier among Senate Republicans. Yes, Sessionss voting record shows that he is a consistent opponent of expansive civil rights legislation. So are many of his colleagues. During the 114th Congress in 2015 and 2016, for instance, the advocacy group Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights tracked 21 key Senate votes; Sessions opposed the groups position every time, and he did the same in the previous Congress. However, this is not unusual within the Republican Party. In the 114th Congress, Sessions was one of 16 senators, all Republicans, to receive a score of zero, and one of 18 GOP senators in the 113th Congress.

And Sessions is no less popular among African American voters than most other Republican lawmakers are. According to the 2014 Cooperative Congressional Election Study conducted by researchers at Harvard University, the average approval rating for Republican senators among their African American constituents was 27 percent. Sessionss approval rating was 25 percent, the same as for Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). Thats certainly low, but it doesnt make Sessions an outlier.

Myth No. 2

Sessions has been a champion of civil rights.

The Trump transition team and its allies have tried to argue, on the other hand, that Sessions is a civil rights champion, citing several cases he handled as a U.S. attorney and as Alabamas attorney general. As a New York Post editorial put it, Sessions desegregated schools and successfully prosecuted the head of the state Ku Klux Klan for murder  then, as the states attorney general, saw the killer executed. On his radio show, Sean Hannity even went so far as to proclaim that Sessionss civil rights record is second to none .

These claims are exaggerated. Sessions was involved as a U.S. attorney in the investigation of Henry Hays, a Klan member suspected of lynching Michael Donald in Mobile, Ala., in 1981. But as the Atlantic noted, the principal players in the case say that Sessions merely played a supervisory role. The case was not prosecuted by Sessions; it was prosecuted in state court, which is where Hays received the death penalty. Sessions had become Alabamas attorney general by the time Hays appealed his sentence. He opposed the appeal, and Hays was executed in 1997.

Perhaps the most significant exaggeration involves Sessionss role in desegregating Alabamas schools. There is no record that he ever filed such a case, and he certainly did not participate in 20 to 30 such cases, as he once claimed in 2009.

Sessions was involved in a handful of voting rights cases while he was a U.S. attorney. But his role was relatively minor.

Myth No. 3

Sessions plans a crackdown on illegal immigration.

Much of the opposition to Sessionss nomination revolves around his record on immigration policy. Reports have predicted that he would lead a crackdown on illegal immigration, perhaps involving mass deportations . Sessions has a long record as a crusader against both legal and illegal immigration, constantly pushing Congress to pursue harsher border security and immigration measures.

If he is confirmed, though, his ability to do what his critics fear will be constrained by the federal bureaucracy, local law enforcement officials and even Republicans in Congress.

Most federal immigration enforcement falls to another Cabinet agency, the Department of Homeland Security, which contains both U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The attorney general does have important relevant powers: The immigration court system is part of the Justice Department, for example, and Sessions would be able to appoint immigration law judges. In recent years, though, only 25 percent of deportations have been processed through immigration courts. The vast majority have come via DHS and dont require a court appearance. Only about half of the cases that do go through immigration courts result in a removal. Meanwhile, sanctuary cities around the country, which dont enforce federal immigration laws, have promised to resist any attempted crackdown, even if Sessions threatened to cut federal grants to their police departments.

It may be impossible to increase deportations dramatically, anyway, no matter what Sessions might prefer. The Obama administration already deported a record number of people, earning President Barack Obama the sardonic title of deporter in chief among immigration advocates. The undocumented population has decreased. And House Speaker Paul Ryan indicated recently that Congress wont go along with mass deportations of undocumented immigrants who dont have criminal records.

Myth No. 4

Sessions would revive an 80s-style war on drugs.

The war on drugs is coming back under Sessions, Slate predicted in November. Similar warnings have appeared in Politico and Newsweek . As a U.S. attorney, Sessions had a reputation for aggressive prosecution of drug offenses. And in the Senate, he has pushed for tougher enforcement of drug laws.

Federal drug enforcement may become a higher priority under Sessions than it was under Obamas attorney generals. But bringing back a full-scale war on drugs  a la Nancy Reagans Just Say No campaign  isnt likely.

Critics fear that Sessions would go after the marijuana industry in the states that permit medical marijuana (28 states and the District) or recreational uses (eight states and D.C.). Under the Obama administration, the Justice Department chose not to pursue most individual recreational users in states that had legalized marijuana, instead focusing on preventing distribution to minors or across state lines. During his confirmation hearing, Sessions described the current solution for dealing with inconsistency between state and federal laws, crafted by former attorney general Eric Holder, as truly valuable. He added that more comprehensive enforcement of federal marijuana laws in these states is a problem of resources for the federal government  suggesting that its not worth the cost.

Sessions could influence other federal drug policies: He would have broad discretion to redirect resources and shape prosecution and sentencing practices in ways that could lead to a significant increase in federal prison sentences for drug offenders. But as USA Today points out, Sessions has reversed course on harsh drug sentence policy in recent years, working with Democrats to co-sponsor legislation to reduce disparities between punishments for crack and powder cocaine, which led to significantly longer sentences for black drug offenders than for white ones.

Myth No. 5

On gay rights, Sessions just wants to enforce the law.

Sessionss allies say his record doesnt show any particular antipathy toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. He is a respecter of the law, a Washington Examiner column argued. A post on the conservative blog Power Line said Sessions shouldnt be criticized for attempting to block an LGBT conference at the University of Alabama in 1996, because as the states attorney general, he was just enforcing a law against using state funds or facilities for activity that promoted actions prohibited by sodomy and sexual misconduct laws.

The senators record of opposing gay rights, however, is clear. Unlike on the question of racial inequality, where there are some examples of Sessions moderating his positions, there is no evidence that he has softened his opposition to rights for gays and lesbians. He has a long history of opposing every important piece of legislation aimed at expanding such rights. He was one of the most vocal opponents of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, which expanded the definition of hate crimes to include attacks on people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBT people are the most likely to be targets of hate crimes, and as attorney general, Sessions would be in charge of enforcing this law. While he told the Senate that he now sees same-sex marriage as settled law that he will uphold, he co-sponsored the State Marriage Defense Act of 2014, which would have allowed a states definitions of spouse and marriage to supercede the federal definitions. And he is currently a co-sponsor of the First Amendment Defense Act, which groups like the ACLU say would open the door to unprecedented taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBT people by prohibiting the federal government from taking action against groups that refuse to serve gays and lesbians.

Twitter: @rfording

Five myths is a weekly feature challenging everything you think you know. You can check out previous myths, read more from Outlook or follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter.
FOR ANYONE who hoped that President Trump would use his inaugural address to lower Americas political temperature, or expected that the rancor of 2016 would give way to elevated expressions more typical of, and appropriate to, an Inauguration Day, the new presidents remarks Friday can only be described as a sharp disappointment.

Like his alarmist speech to the Republican National Convention in July, this one painted a false picture of an impoverished, crime-ridden country that has been cheated and victimized by Washington elites and grasping interests abroad. Mr. Trumps dystopia may exist in places but not generally in a nation whose economy has rebounded from the 2008-2009 recession and is now outperforming other advanced industrial democracies. Stoking discontent may serve Mr. Trumps political interests, but seems unlikely to contribute to the countrys stability or unity of purpose. Nor will painting these purportedly unchecked ills as imposed on the righteous public by a vaguely disloyal small group in our nations capital  the same people, presumably, who had honored him, and the countrys democratic heritage, by their presence on the inaugural platform. If such words are capable of unifying Americans, it will only be in a shared sense of free-floating grievance against a scapegoat, or scapegoats, designated by Mr. Trump.

Some heard in this an echo of Jacksonian populism. And, to be sure, there is a rich American tradition of attacking establishment fat cats and promising reform. But theres a world of difference between decrying dysfunction and insinuating disloyalty. Even Andrew Jackson might have blanched at the grandiosity with which Mr. Trump invoked Americas glorious destiny, or his repeated promises to abolish the tedium of democratic deliberation  talk as Mr. Trump dismissed it  through action. Old Hickorys 1829 first inaugural address humbly included a pledge to keep steadily in view the limitations as well as the extent of the Executive power, trusting thereby to discharge the functions of my office without transcending its authority. Mr. Trump, by contrast, spoke in oddly mystical terms of a nation that is only living as long as it is striving.

In fact the Constitution  which Mr. Trump never again mentioned after swearing his oath  was ordained for purposes simultaneously less ethereal and more uplifting, such as to establish justice and to secure the blessings of liberty. Yet liberty, justice and even peace, language common to past presidents inaugural rhetoric, did not make the cut in Mr. Trumps speech. Nor did equality, though we heard about carnage, ripped away wealth, stolen lives and the destroying of jobs. And we heard Mr. Trump repeatedly offer that Americans would be protected against these transgressions and betrayals  I will fight for you, he promised. Simultaneously personalistic, paternalistic and state-aggrandizing, these formulations were hard to square with his claim that, as of noon Friday, the people became the rulers of this nation again.

This magical-mystical union of the people with one another (Mr. Trump gave solidarity its debut in a presidential inaugural address), and of the people with their president, will take place, we were told, under the banner of America first. Since World War II, American political leaders have been loath to invoke that slogan, due to its association with a long-discredited pre-war committee that preached American neutrality toward the rise of fascism in Europe. Mr. Trump now embraces it.

In so doing, he repudiated the postwar precedent of values-based U.S. leadership of and engagement with the rest of the world. The United States over the decades has done well by doing good; American generosity, and its support for fair global rules, fostered prosperity in Europe and Asia and beyond, which in turn redounded to the United States advantage at home. Announcing falsely that protection will lead to great prosperity and strength, Mr. Trump derided engagement and interdependence as suckers games, elevated winning as the only goal and endorsed the zero-sum notion that all nations put their own interests first. It made for a dark vision indeed  the opposite, if such can be imagined, of Abraham Lincolns inaugural appeal to the better angels of our nature.
The Washington Animal Rescue League took in more than 100 puppy-mill dogs seized by Arkansas authorities from Happy Times Kennel in Hot Springs in 2011. (Courtesy of the Washington Animal Rescue League)

Fourteen months ago, I decided to dedicate my time to helping dogs in Virginia by urging city councils in Tidewater/Hampton Roads to enact an ordinance that would give localities more control over where pet stores get their companion animals. Most of the puppies in pet stores in Virginia come from Midwestern puppy mills notorious for cruel and inhumane breeding habits. Many of these dogs end up in our municipal shelters because of health issues and are a burden to taxpayers or cost owners thousands of dollars in veterinary bills.

The idea of a responsibly sourced pet store is a viable business model that has proved successful. In addition, 190 localities in the United States and 14 localities in Canada have passed similar ordinances.

To say that I have learned a lot about the unexpectedly intricate facets of legislation in Virginia during my advocacy efforts would be an understatement.

First up was a crash course on the Dillon Rule, which forbids Virginia localities from having ordinances more stringent than state laws.

The Dillon Rule was brought to my attention after I started a petition on change.org (signed by almost 17,000 people) to make pet stores in Virginia responsibly source their animals. What I thought was a fight with a city council quickly turned into a General Assembly initiative because of the Dillon Rule.

I have spent a year advocating for and raising awareness about this legislation. Ive received support from seasoned advocates at the Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Norfolk Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Friends of Virginia Beach Animal Care & Adoption Center, the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies, Richmond SPCA, Fairfax County Animal Advocates and the Humane Society of the United States.

I was informed by one of the city council members in Tidewater-Hampton Roads that if I found a legislator in the General Assembly to sponsor the potential legislation, it would be included in his or her legislative package for the 2017 session. Having a bill in a citys legislative package adds credibility to the bill and the issue it aims to address. Sen. Lynwood W. Lewis Jr. (D-Accomack) and Del. Mark L. Keam (D-Fairfax) offered to introduce bills to allow such ordinances.

Then Tidewater informed me it would not include my legislation in the city package because one of its council members has an important animal bill as well. Apparently the council thought two animal-related ordinances in one city package would make the city look too liberal about our companion animals. Animal advocates fight an uphill battle constantly and never give up.

People overwhelmingly say they want localities to have the option to prohibit the sale of puppy-mill dogs at pet stores. So, I will be in Richmond at the General Assembly, and so will many other animal advocates. I am backed by something more powerful than inclusion in a city package  Virginians.

Our combined efforts will decide the future not only for our companion animals today but also ultimately how our society progresses well into the future.
Hugh Hewitt hosts a nationally syndicated radio show and is author of the forthcoming The Fourth Way: The Conservative Playbook for a Lasting GOP Majority.

My wife and I welcomed Mike and Debbie for dinner at our California home Tuesday night. Our longtime friends are not alarmists, and they are not liberal Democrats. They are in fact the sort of genuine moderate middle voter that most consultants would die to have in a focus group: smart, caring, connected in their community, successful parents and employers.

Im more conservative than they are. I voted for Donald Trump, and they did not. Our conversation was probably similar to one going on around a million tables in America.

Mike and Debbie are genuinely worried. Anxious. Even distressed by the inauguration of President Trump. I did my best to allay their fears, to point to people such as retired Gens. James Mattis and John Kelly, headed to the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, respectively, to Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) and former senator Daniel Coats (R-Ind.) on the national security team, and to my friends Scott Pruitt and Andy Puzder, nominated to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and Labor Department, respectively.

Discount the rhetoric, I argued. Pruitts not a climate denier. Puzder is an evangelist of opportunity, a true believer in small business and successful employer-employee relationships. The vice president-elect, Mike Pence, is a wonderful man, I explained, a conscientious person of compassion and action. I stressed how incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus possesses a perfect skill set for the job that James Baker defined in President Ronald Reagans first term, and that he could grow into it. Trump has assembled a superb team and is daily adding more talent to it.

(Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post)

I even made the case for why they could rely on Jeff Sessions  as an experienced Justice Department veteran and senator and, more important, a man of superb character  to take care as attorney general that the laws are faithfully executed. The new justice of the Supreme Court  whether the extremely able William Pryor or another rock-solid originalist  will not change the courts direction. Even if Trump secures a second or even third Supreme Court appointment, the Obergefell decision decreeing same-sex marriage the law of the land will not be overturned.

My arguments led to some feigned, hopeful smiles. Still, I know I did not persuade. People of moderate dispositions are unsettled by Trumps approach, and the single word they use is temperament. This is a cultural clash as much as an ideological one. The president-elect is Jacksonian in his thunders, not Lincoln-like in his appeals regarding malice toward none, with charity for all. Trump is loud and proud and big and bold and full of scorn for his opponents. That very nature carried him to his win. It isnt going to change.

Trump is the temperamental opposite of President Obama. Imagine changing the temperaments of your next-door neighbors as radically as we are about to change those of our president. Even if you grew to like the new folks, it would take some getting used to.

Those alarmed by Trump should recognize that those personality characteristics do not define the entire man or his agenda for the next four years  and that, in fact, there are good reasons to welcome the brashness. The vast, suffocating bureaucratic state has grown so powerful and utterly muffling of genuine ideological diversity that we need to break the ice forming over the national conversation. Trump is Thors hammer in that regard. It could get loud, but we could also end up hashing some hard things out.

Finally, there is this: The Constitution is very, very strong. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), not to mention the independent judiciary, represent significant checks on Trump, who, as Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn likes to point out, has never raised a word against the Constitutions design or institutions. Governors such as Arizonas Doug Ducey didnt like being pushed about by Obama, and they wont like it any more if Trump is doing the pushing. The media  asleep and smiling through much of the past eight years  woke up with a hangover and a backache, and are in a collective mood to go full Sam Donaldson. Terrific. Checks and balances.

So, if you are among the Mikes and Debbies  good people and great Americans  please relax and give it a chance. Trump intends to do good things for a great country and to do them via constitutional means. He is open for business on Americas behalf.

When Trump declared his candidacy, I immediately purchased the rights to a new website: TrumpTheMusical.com. I expect it will get used. And I suspect it will have a happy ending. Really.
Regarding Eugene Robinsons Jan. 17 op-ed, Wrong about black America:

President-elect Donald Trumps Twitter attack on Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) included the comment that Mr. Lewis was all talk, talk, talk  no action or results. That provides an indication of Mr. Trumps complete ignorance of painful and traumatic history-making events that occurred during his lifetime. Or, if he is in fact aware of those events, that he dismisses them as irrelevant because they did not affect him personally. Either way, it makes him a very small man.

George Wolske, Bumpass, Va.

President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) is All talk, talk, talk  no action or results. Sad! However, the facts are that Mr. Lewis risked his life and freedom many times in the fight for civil rights. Meanwhile, Mr. Trump and his father were prohibiting blacks from renting apartments from them. Compare and contrast.

Robert Weinberg, Bethesda
PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP: You are about to take the most serious oath of office anyone has the privilege to take. You were not my choice, but I support and respect the office. Those are the heartfelt words of Kit Keane, 66, of Chicago, one of many who responded when we asked readers to share their hopes and advice for incoming president Donald Trump.

The inauguration of a president is always, on one level, a political event: One party has triumphed, the other has been vanquished. It also is something more than a political event: the celebration of a constitutional democracy in which power changes hands peacefully, at the command of the people.

This year, even more than most, many of the vanquished are in no mood to celebrate. Scores of Democratic members of Congress will boycott the ceremony at the Capitol. Thousands of Americans are assembling in Washington to welcome a Trump administration, but thousands also are coming to protest. Some of the latter question the very legitimacy of Mr. Trumps ascension.

Mr. Trumps record positions him poorly to rebut that challenge. He led a movement that questioned the legitimacy of his predecessor. He questioned the legitimacy of his opponent (crooked) and of American democracy (rigged). His victory was aided by Russian interference that he openly invited. He was trounced in the popular vote, and during the transition he spent more energy taunting opponents than living up to his election-night pledge to unify the country. Nor, as Politicos Michael Crowley reminds us, was Mr. Trump preaching unity after Mr. Obamas reelection in 2012: We cant let this happen, Mr. Trump tweeted then. We should march on Washington and stop this travesty. Our nation is totally divided!

Nonetheless, after noon Friday he will be the legitimate president of the United States. Like Ms. Keane, we opposed Mr. Trumps election, but also like her, we support and respect the office. We hope that henceforth  not just in his inaugural address, but in the conduct of his administration  Mr. Trump reaches out to opponents as well as supporters. But even if he does not, he will have been lawfully chosen by the electoral college.

Respect for that result does not imply deference to misguided policies or appointments. Those who choose to protest on Saturday embody cherished constitutional values no less than those who celebrate the peaceful transfer of power on Friday. Recognizing Mr. Trumps election does not mean turning a blind eye to Russian interference, voter suppression or other electoral shortcomings.

Indeed, American democracy has always rested on our willingness to acknowledge its failings and commit to its improvement. The best rebuke to Russian interference would be to investigate fearlessly and prevent a recurrence  to demonstrate that democracy, far more than Russian-style kleptocracy, is capable of self-repair. The right response to Mr. Trump is to respect the office while hoping that its occupant works to earn respect in his own right.

I intend on giving you a chance, wrote another of our readers, Judith Klepperich, 72, of Mendota Heights, Minn. I will not give you a pass on bad behavior. God bless you in your work and God bless this nation.
ONE OF the major goals of this administration is to place responsibility for local functions under local control and to provide local governments with the authority and resources they need to serve their communities effectively. That statement from a Republican president as he signed the 1973 law giving the right of self-government to the District of Columbia is worth recalling as another Republican prepares to occupy the Oval Office in what threatens to be a time of unprecedented congressional meddling in D.C. affairs.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to do what is best for the people of the District. As President Richard Nixons words make clear, that means ensuring their freedom to govern themselves in local affairs. Mr. Trump should stand up for self-government in Washington, something the rest of the country enjoys.

Congressional Republicans determination to use their partys control of the House, Senate and White House to undermine D.C. home rule became clear this week with the introduction of bills to repeal the Districts gun-control laws and permanently bar the use of local tax money to subsidize abortions for low-income women. The moves, by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.), come on the heels of announced efforts to undo the citys new law allowing physician-assisted death for terminally ill patients. The interference isnt likely to end there either, given past Republican efforts to change D.C. occupational licensing rules, prohibit the D.C. government from deducting union dues from paychecks and force the use of local funds to pay for private school tuition.

D.C. interests in recent years have been protected by the threat of a veto from President Obama, although even he once infamously sacrificed the citys interests in a federal budget deal. Republicans are counting on his departure to aid their causes; we hope Mr. Trump will disappoint them in this and  no matter his opinion on these individual issues  see the bigger picture.

GOP principles of local control and smaller federal government are not served when members of Congress who are unanswerable to D.C. residents stick their noses into matters that they wouldnt dare interfere with in their home districts. Do they really face no issues more pressing than whether the city can deduct union dues or regulate recreational marijuana use? Senate Democrats have promised, as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (Md.) put it, to fight tooth and nail. That should make Republicans, including the new president, weigh seriously whether they want to make such a priority of gutting democracy for the more than 600,000 people who make the nations capital their home.
Two big and passionate crowds have descended on Washington  one thrilled by Donald Trumps inauguration, the other appalled. Never in my lifetime has a new president been anticipated with such raw enthusiasm on one side and such fear and loathing on the other.

Admit it, you have no idea what a Trump administration will actually be like. Neither does Trump, I would wager. He is a 70-year-old business executive and self-promoter extraordinaire whose lifelong working habit is to go to his office, see what opportunities the day presents and then improvise. He is not going to change.

Americans have elected as president a man who was caught on tape boasting of how he assaults women, kissing them and touching their genitals without invitation, and gets away with it because of his celebrity. It is fitting, then, that the biggest planned protest is Saturdays Womens March on Washington, with scheduled speakers such as Gloria Steinem and Angela Davis. A-listers such as Katy Perry are expected to attend.

The star power at the inauguration itself promised to be of much lower wattage. Its no surprise that a Republican president couldnt get Bruce Springsteen to serenade him, but Trump couldnt even get a Springsteen tribute band to perform.

I feel as though Ive seen this movie before. This reminds me of the Nixon years, when the silent majority felt itself assailed by the counterculture of hippies, minorities and uppity women. This time, though, the Trump loyalists are a clear minority; he lost the popular vote, and his approval rating is shockingly low for a new president. And the counterculture is now the mainstream: Some of those marching against Trump this weekend havent taken to the streets since the days of Vietnam.

(Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

There are differences between Trump and every one of his predecessors, however, making this truly a leap in the dark.

Trump has no fixed ideology. Once a Democrat, he commandeered the Republican Party the way a bank robber might hijack the nearest car to make his getaway. The GOP is Trumps vehicle, not his cause, and there is a chance that some of his policies  perhaps even in health care  will give more heartburn to conservatives than to progressives.

He has no experience in government, the military or any kind of public service. In his whole career, he has worked only for his father and himself. Now he has 320 million bosses, and each of us has the right to tell him what to do. I believe this will be a difficult concept for him to grasp.

Trump lies all the time. All presidents have stretched the truth occasionally, of course, and some of them lied frequently and convincingly. But I cannot recall any other public figure, let alone any president, whose every utterance needed fact-checking the way Trumps words do. In The Art of the Deal, Trump calls his rhetorical method truthful hyperbole. But there is no such thing.

The new president remains appallingly ignorant about much of the nation he will lead. He must have learned something on the campaign trail, but he seems unaware that most African Americans are middle-class, or that most Mexican immigrants are hardworking and law-abiding  or, judging from his Cabinet picks, that most billionaires are as out-of-touch as he is.

And finally, Trumps deep insecurity may be the most frightening thing of all. A leader has to be confident enough to let slights and insults pass; by being big, he makes his adversaries look small. Trump has what can only be called a pathological need to respond to any criticism with overkill  and if you try to swat flies with a sledgehammer, a lot of the furniture gets broken. When he is flailing away at someone like Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the civil rights icon, Trump risks only his dignity. But what happens if he feels dissed by someone like President Xi Jinping of China, or by Trumps Russian soul mate, Vladimir Putin? The risk is to all of us, and it is incalculable.

So I cant pretend this is a normal inauguration. Of course I celebrate the peaceful and orderly transfer of power, but I also hope that Saturdays protest march is big and loud and spirited  and that it represents the start, not the culmination, of something.

Trumps power is not unchecked. We, the citizens, are the ultimate authority. We must let him know, through our elected officials and with our own rude voices, when he threatens to go too far.

Get ready. We have work to do.

Read more from Eugene Robinsons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A.
Visitors passing an image of President Lincoln are reflected in a glass doorway at the Lincoln Memorial. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post)

Danielle Allen is a political theorist at Harvard University and a contributing columnist for The Post.

Last year gave us one of the most unusual elections in our political history. In the electoral college , a political outsider upset an establishment insider who won the popular vote but did not achieve the necessary distributed majority across states. Whats more, Russian pot-stirring helped agitate the whole yeasty brew to a well-het-up boil.

This means that as we celebrate an inauguration Friday  and celebrate we should  we do so with an unusually indigestible medley of emotions  euphoria for some, and for others, despair.

Why should we celebrate the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States? Because in doing so, we celebrate the worlds oldest representative democracy and 44 peaceful transfers of power from one executive to another. The 15th transfer, from James Buchanan to Abraham Lincoln, was, of course, gossamer tissue stretched across already existing ruptures and percolating hostilities.

The present transfer also finds the fabric of our national union stretched thin against stresses and strains in our underlying political culture. Since Bill Clintons impeachment in 1998, none of our presidents has held office without a significant number of our fellow citizens harboring serious doubts, rightly or wrongly, about the legitimacy of his presidency.

Lincolns problem is therefore ours once again. Our political institutions suffer from the fundamental injury of diminished legitimacy in the eyes of too many.

Whats to be done?

We might find our solution, too, in Lincolns example.

With one hand, we must hold tightly, as tightly as possible, to our Constitution and political institutions. With the other, we should work as strenuously as possible to restore a broadly shared understanding of where we are headed and where we want to go.

What is the current diagnosis of the course of human events in this country? Our aim cannot be unanimity, but we should aspire to a distributed majority that roughly shares some broad understanding of who we are and what it would mean to secure our safety and happiness.

Who are we? Heres a beginning. We are America, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Friday, in this inauguration, we celebrate the peoples institutions and especially the office of the president.

For the faithful among us, we might also pray for the new president, and for ourselves, that we might all meet our responsibilities as citizens. For those among us committed to a secular path, we should bend our wills to our duties and to the work necessary to meet our responsibilities as citizens. We might also aspire to teach others through our own example to do the same.

What does this amount to for all of us?

Saturday and the day after and the day after, we should celebrate the peoples institutions by engaging in political conversation and contestation at the local level, linking those conversations upward through our federal institutions, so that from our many and unending debates, we may begin again to forge a broadly shared, common path.

With devotion to this cause once more increased, we might have yet another birth of freedom and equality, our twinned ideals.
John Delaney, a Democrat, represents Marylands 6th District in the House; Jamie Raskin, a Democrat, represents Marylands 8th District in the House; and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican, represents Floridas 27th District in the House.

I will witness the orderly transfer of power

Donald Trump will soon be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. This certainly isnt the outcome that I hoped for, nor is it what the majority of my constituents voted for. But on Friday, when our new president takes the oath of office, I will be there.

In my view, the question of whether individual members of Congress should attend the inauguration has been magnified out of proportion. The number of the newly uninsured if the Affordable Care Act is repealed and the growing population at opioid addiction clinics merits more attention than the size of the congressional delegation at the inauguration.

This brush fire was lit by the president-elects inappropriate remarks about my colleague Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga). Lewis is a national treasure and has every right to skip the inauguration, particularly after the abusive treatment he received from someone who should be leading with more grace and dignity. I count many of the members not attending as some of the most dedicated lawmakers we have; I wont argue with their decision, and I respect their choice.

Despite my grave concerns about many of the president-elects policies, I believe that it is important to be a respectful participant in and witness to the orderly transfer of power. This process is not about one man; it is about the office of the presidency. The ability to shift peacefully from one leader to another  one party to another  distinguishes a republic from despotism and proves that we are ruled by laws, not individuals.

Attendance or abstention does not relieve us of the responsibility to defend the Constitution, the responsibility to advance the interests of our constituents or the responsibility to fight for liberty and justice for all. I plan on observing the president-elect take the oath of office, which states that he will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. I pledge to use my position to hold him to that oath from Day One.

In George Washingtons remarkable Farewell Address , he prophetically warned that too much partisanship kindles the animosity of one part against another and can lead to foreign influence and corruption. More than ever, we should heed these words and strengthen our core institutions  including Congress and the courts  so they can provide checks and balances. Perpetuating the corrosive attitude that half of the country is illegitimate will only weaken our ability to serve the common good. The fight for justice and the need for new ideas to strengthen the middle class begin right now, and Im going to be there from the first minute.

John Delaney, a Democrat, represents Marylands 6th District in the House.

My love of the Constitution compels me to stay away

Democracy operates on trust. The delivery of the oath of office is the moment we the people formally give our trust to the president, who then becomes the lead guardian of the Constitution and the general welfare.

I wish I felt the truth of this exchange of trust Friday. But I dont, and I cant fake it.

This is not a partisan thing. Thomas Jefferson said in his first inaugural address, We are all Republicans. We are all Federalists. I believe this strongly and try my best to place the common good over political party.

As a Maryland state senator, I attended Republican Gov. Larry Hogans 2015 inauguration. I not only wanted to see the peaceful transfer of power, I wanted to demonstrate my faith that, despite our policy differences, the new governor would follow through on his promise to uphold our Constitution and laws.

I assumed I would attend President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration . I thought I could show my love for democratic constitutionalism and set aside my grave concerns about Trumps bizarre provocations  his effort to discredit Barack Obamas presidency by falsely denying his citizenship, his ridicule of Sen. John McCains war service, his absurd suggestion that Sen. Ted Cruzs father helped assassinate President John F. Kennedy, his horrifying misogynistic bragging (at age 59) about committing sexual assault, and his slanderous attacks on the 13 women  or more  who stepped forward to say that his locker room talk was more than talk indeed.

Then Trump took to Twitter to lambaste Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), an American hero who was nearly beaten to death in his quest for civil rights, and I realized I had it backward. These are extreme times, and it is precisely my constitutional patriotism and love for our democratic values that compel me not to attend todays ceremony.

I cannot bring myself to witness Trump swear to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution because he demonstrates nothing but disdain for the rule of law.

He continues to reject calls from experts to divest himself of business holdings that entangle him with foreign governments. This puts him on a collision course with the emoluments clause.

Despite a unanimous assessment by the intelligence community that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign of espionage, cyber-sabotage and propaganda against Hillary Clinton, Trump refuses to acknowledge the enormity of this assault on U.S. democracy. He skips out on national security briefings, casually trashes national security officials and opposes efforts to create a national commission to investigate the Russian attack on our electoral process. He wont retreat from his praise for Putin and continues to threaten to dismantle NATO, while defending Russian imperialism.

He has advocated a compulsory Muslim American registry and a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States, expansion of libel laws to silence the media, mass expulsion of undocumented immigrants the return of waterboarding, punishing women who have abortions and jailing and stripping the citizenship of people who burn the flag. Franklin D. Roosevelt said that we have nothing to fear but fear itself, but this president offers us nothing but fear.

I hope to be proved wrong about my own fears for constitutional freedom and democracy over the next four years. If so, I will gladly apologize.

Until then, eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. I will do my very small part to uphold the constitutional order  not by attending the inauguration, but by spending the day talking about the Constitution and organizing mass participation for Saturdays Womens March on Washington.

Jamie Raskin, a Democrat, represents Marylands 8th District in the House.

We all want to celebrate freedom

Im in awe of the incredible opportunity that the United States has provided my family by allowing us to become part of the great American fabric after fleeing communist Cuba. Every time I walk into the Capitol, Im reminded of the country that welcomed my family and thousands of others, as well as of the dictatorship we escaped.

When I was 8 years old, my family and I boarded a PanAm flight from Havana to Miami as we fled Fidel Castros revolution. We had purchased a round-trip ticket, thinking that the demonic Cuban revolution would only last a short time. Alas, the tyranny outlived PanAm, and today the return ticket hangs in my office as a reminder of a democracy lost.

My parents worked hard, learned English and started a successful small business. I became a Florida certified teacher and founded a small private elementary school. Eventually, I decided to run for office to better serve the goals and interests of families in South Florida. I had the immense privilege of becoming the first Hispanic woman elected to the Florida House, Florida Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. America is truly the land of possibilities.

Americans have a responsibility to participate in our representative democracy. No matter how you voted in the presidential election, a peaceful transfer of power is something to be celebrated. Our history has proven that, when we come together, we can accomplish incredible things. This doesnt mean that our fellow Americans will drop long and deeply held principles just for the sake of compromise. Far from it. Many will continue to work and hold fast to their beliefs (as they should), but we must do so with outstretched hands to find common ground.

Soon, I will have one of Washingtons best views: Looking across the Mall as a new president is sworn in and another peacefully departs. Unfortunately, this is a privilege that millions of people around the world do not have. As a refugee from a communist dictatorship, the idea of a peaceful transfer of power would have astounded me when I was a child. Now, the sea of faces who will be looking up at the Capitol building comfort me. They are the ones who defend our democracy. Despite what their individual differences may be, they all, for that moment, have the same objective: celebrating our countrys freedom.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican, represents Floridas 27th District in the House.
A military surplus store located across from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow is offering a 10 percent discount on Jan. 20 for embassy staff and U.S. citizens to mark the inauguration of Donald Trump. (David Filipov/The Washington Post)

Donald Trumps inauguration marks a global inflection point: He takes office at a moment when many analysts see a transition to a new economic and political order  one where the risks for the United States and its allies are likely to increase.

Trumps promise to make America great again resonated with many disaffected voters at home. But abroad, it created fear that the United States global power is receding, with China and Russia moving to fill the vacuum. Analysts forecast a new era in which the U.S.-led, post-1945 global order, which brought unparalleled economic growth, will be replaced by a structure whose rules and rewards arent yet clear.

Financial markets have so far been surprisingly steady, given the rising uncertainty and risk levels. But outgoing Treasury Secretary Jack Lew cautioned in a recent interview: In an economy where confidence is one of the factors that leads to investment, and uncertainty and political instability undermine confidence, there is a real risk that the cumulative amount of political instability in the world slows down investment.

Trump has embraced the breakup of the old order. He has criticized NATO as obsolete and predicted the European Unions demise  challenging two crucial allies in Americas network of power. He has talked of imposing tariffs on imports not just from China, but from Germany, too, raising fears of a global trade war. He has promised a revival of U.S. manufacturing jobs that many economists argue cant be restored without disrupting other parts of the economy.

Wait and see is always a good rule on Inauguration Day, but weve never had a president quite like Trump, with so many disruptive ideas and so little experience. Change is his political brand. If he carries through on what he has talked and tweeted about, he will reshape the framework of global economic and security relationships  for the worse, I fear.

(Jenny Starrs, David Filipov, Julie Vitkovskaya / The Washington Post)

Trump was elected with a minority of the popular vote, and his behavior since Election Day has lowered his popularity. But with Republican control of the House and Senate, hell probably be able to enact major changes quickly. He has proposed big infrastructure spending but also large tax cuts. The result could produce a sharp increase in the deficit similar to what happened during the early Ronald Reagan years.

Lew cautions about the financial consequences of such populist economics: We know from history that decisions that are made to pursue a less disciplined path can sometimes take place very quickly, but they tend to have very long tails. Restoring discipline requires a bipartisan cooperation in Congress that was present during Reagans tenure but has now disappeared.

Trumps vision that the old order is cracking is shared by many leading foreign policy analysts. But theyre less sanguine about its consequences. The revolt against economic globalization has boosted right-wing nationalist politicians in the United States and Europe. The real beneficiaries may be Russia and China, which seek to replace the U.S.-led system.

This theme of risky transition was explored in Global Trends, a report published this month by the National Intelligence Council. The next five years will see rising tensions within and between countries. . . . An era of American dominance following the Cold War [is ending]. So, too, perhaps, is the rules-based international order that emerged after World War II. It will be much harder to cooperate internationally and govern in ways publics expect.

A similar grim assessment was offered this month by the Rand Corp. In a study titled Strategic Choices for a Turbulent World, Rand described a global tipping point: The post-Cold War period is over. While historians may argue about the timing, it has become clear to most foreign-policy practitioners that the world has entered a new era, a complex age of turbulence and opportunity.

A Come Home America strategy similar to what Trump proposes would narrow U.S. goals and influence in exchange for limiting U.S. exposure to a more unstable world, the Rand report argued. Russia and China would seek to benefit, and although Russia has long-term economic troubles, declining powers can sometimes be the most dangerous.

Trump has a big vision of deals with Russia, China and Europe that could redraw the terms of trade and rebalance an unstable world, to Americas benefit. And hes the leader, now, of a worldwide movement against a globalization that disproportionately benefited elites in the United States and Europe. But as Lew says, this anti-expert, anti-elite mood . . . doesnt change classical economics.

Trump now owns responsibility for shaping a world in turmoil. And the United States owns the stark reality that Trump is president.

Read more from David Ignatiuss archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
This will be the presidency of the raised fist, not the outstretched hand.

Inaugural addresses are traditionally occasions of inclusion and healing. In that transformative moment, the new president sheds a partisan identity and assumes the mantle of national leader, president of and for all the people. If any new president should have sounded that soothing note, it was President Trump. If any nation needed to hear it, it was America today.

The state of our union is dangerously frayed. The country is in a volatile and fragile condition that requires attending to, not ignoring. More citizens voted against the new president than for him, and the reports since Election Day about Russian efforts to install Trump in the presidency have only served to deepen those anxieties.

Americans want instinctively to rally around their president, no matter how hard-fought the preceding campaign. Trump squandered that reflexive national goodwill with his peevish, provocative transition. He similarly squandered the inaugural with a speech singularly lacking in grace, one that will be widely noted and long remembered for its darkness, for words such as ravages and tombstones and decay. That he bracketed the address with clenched-fist salutes perfectly signaled the pugnacious presidency to come.

In the early morning hours following his victory, Trump, echoing Lincoln, vowed to bind the wounds of division. That was a welcome, hopeful sign, but a fleeting one, erased by angry tweets and extreme appointments.

President Donald Trump leaves the Presidents Room of the Senate at the Capitol on Jan. 20. (J. Scott Applewhite/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

On Friday, Trump placed his hand on the 16th presidents bible, but there was no Lincoln to be found in his message  not the Lincoln of the first inaugural striving to keep together a country on the verge of civil war, nor the Lincoln at the second, with malice toward none.

Instead, Trump sank to the occasion. Rising above is not in his skill set, as badly as the nation needs it. Trump looks at the United States and sees carnage, not better angels. He stokes the worst in us, with his offensive invocation of America First and his dark vision of America in ruins.

Not that anyone, if Trump had recited words of unity and calls for civility, should have taken him at face value. His long and still-unfolding history of divisive actions speaks louder than his only rarely salving rhetoric. Indeed, he may be uniquely unequipped for that task. A man incapable of confessing error and constantly compelled to counterpunch is ill-suited to the role of presidential uniter, not divider.

Yet the absence even of ritual incantation was both telling and alarming. Presidential invocations to unity have been a staple of inaugurals for centuries. We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists, Thomas Jefferson said after the bitter election of 1800. Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos, George W. Bush, taking office after a bruising recount, told the nation in 2001.

Such healing language from Trump was necessary but would not have been sufficient. Now Trump has served notice: He will not even make the rhetorical feint.

[Trumps dark promise to return to a mythical past]

No doubt we should have seen it coming. It wasnt Donald Trump that divided this country, this country has been divided for a long time! Trump felt compelled to tweet the morning before his inauguration, quoting evangelist Franklin Graham.

Certainly, partisan division predated the emergence of Trump; it would exist in his absence. Yet the worry, the dread, that so many Americans feel in contemplating Trumps presidency, the ugly feelings stirred up by his us-vs.-them campaign, the degree to which Trump has continued to provoke and incite even after his victory  all of these counseled some recognition of the reality of the national rift.

This is Trumps greatest test and his most glaring blind spot. He does not want to accept his role in helping create this era of bad feelings, nor his responsibility for trying to cure it.

Trumps pivot  to maturity, to behaving like a normal politician/candidate/president  is doomed to be eternally elusive. Republicans awaited this transformation after he became the partys nominee; the country craved it during the transition. In the course of the campaign, Trump repeatedly assured us that he knows how to be presidential. But there has been no evidence that he can pull it off, and little hope, after this least gracious of beginnings, that he even intends to try.

Read more from Ruth Marcuss archive, follow her on Twitter or subscribe to her updates on Facebook.
This morning, as I watch Donald Trump standing on the steps of the Capitol taking the oath of office as the next president of the United States, one thought will be going through my mind:

There, but for the grace of God, goes Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Yes, there are many reasons to be wary of President Trump. But there are also many reasons for conservatives to be hopeful.

First and foremost is that Trump will restore the conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Had Clinton been the one to fill the seat left by Justice Antonin Scalia, she would have shifted the court leftward for a generation  with disastrous consequences for human life, religious liberty, the Second Amendment and limited government. Instead, Trump will replace Scalia, and Democrats are powerless to stop him. Should Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) follow through on his threat to stonewall Trumps pick, Republicans can simply follow the precedent that Democrats set in 2013, when they changed Senate rules to eliminate the filibuster for lifetime judicial appointments to the federal circuit courts.

Second, Trump has picked perhaps the most conservative Cabinet of any president in modern history  from Tom Price at Health and Human Services to Scott Pruitt at the Environmental Protection Agency, Jeff Sessions at Justice and Betsy DeVos at Education. Because Democrats eliminated the filibuster for most presidential nominations, Republicans dont need Democratic votes to confirm Trumps appointments. If the axiom that staff is policy is true, this will be a deeply conservative administration.

Third, Trump is an outsider who intends to break the mold of governance in Washington. He is not here to make incremental changes. He plans to go big. That holds both promise and peril. If he goes big in the wrong direction (isolationism, protectionism), the results could be disastrous. But Trump has promised to go big on a lot of important conservative priorities. Liberals had better hold on tight.

Look for Trump to usher in a golden age of conservative education reform. Millions of children trapped in failing public schools will soon get the chance to attend private, charter, magnet, religious or home schools of their parents choice. Choice will make traditional public schools better, too, as they are forced to reform to attract students. States will be free to innovate, as Trump dramatically expands their ability to use federal K-12 funds without federal pressure or coercion. The prospects for change and innovation in education have never been brighter.

Trump will roll back the wet blanket of regulations smothering our economy. President Obama set a land speed record for major regulations (major defined as costing the economy at least $100 million a year ), imposing more than 600 since taking office. Trump will begin paring back regulations on Day One and halt the regulatory machine that is stifling entrepreneurship and job creation in America.

On tax reform, Trump will not simply tinker with rates, but also will seek to fundamentally transform the tax code, making it simpler for families and individuals, and finally giving U.S. businesses globally competitive rates. That will happen either with bipartisan cooperation, which is more lasting and preferable, or through the budget reconciliation process, which can be done with just the Republican majority. But either way, fundamental tax reform is coming.

(Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post)

Trump will unleash a new age of energy exploration that will put the United States on a path toward energy independence. Obamas restrictions on responsible offshore exploration will be reversed, and his war on coal will end. Some $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil and natural gas reserves  according to Trump  plus hundreds of years in coal reserves, will finally be tapped. Jobs will be created, and the United States will dramatically reduce its dependence on energy from regimes hostile to U.S. interests.

I predict Trump will surprise many and become a champion of policies that help the poor and vulnerable. He got no credit for it, but Trump spoke more about fighting poverty than any Republican presidential candidate in recent memory, even promising that at the end of four years, I guarantee you that I will get over 95 percent of the African American vote. . . . Because I will produce. If he wants to produce for struggling Americans, conservatives have developed a robust agenda of innovative proposals for reducing poverty and dependency that he can tap into.

On national defense, Obamas defense cuts have left the country effectively a one war power. Trump has promised to increase the size of our Army, Navy and Air Force, strengthening and expanding our nuclear deterrent and building ballistic missile defenses. Trump will also unleash the U.S. military to win the fight against the Islamic State, paring back the restrictive rules of engagement Obama imposed. And the United States will begin capturing and interrogating terrorists again, instead of vaporizing them all with drones.

None of this would be remotely possible if it were Hillary Clinton taking the oath of office today. So yes, Donald Trump is less than perfect. If he tries to take the country in the wrong direction, he should be challenged. But if he fulfills even a fraction of these promises, he would be what Obama hoped to be: a transformational president.

Thats why today is a day of hope.

Read more from Marc Thiessens archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
The question that swirls around President Trumps inaugural address is whether his aggressively pronounced policy of America First will actually result in America Last  not literally last, but declining in power and prestige because the United States no longer views its role in the world as promoting economic and geopolitical stability for our allies.

Instead, he imagines a world in which the United States takes what it can and worries about others only as an afterthought. What does he expect other countries to do? The answer is obvious. They will act more aggressively in their own selfish interests, leading to a further disintegration of post-World War II economic and political alliances.

It is not that all countries, including the United States, havent always acted in their own interests. But, for decades, they and we have identified self-interest with collective commitments to global commerce and military cooperation. If the leader of these arrangements  the United States  now forsakes them, other countries will look to make new economic and security arrangements, with China and Russia as leading alternatives.

This breakdown threatens the greater American prosperity that Trump promises. A changing world economic order will generate enormous uncertainty, as other countries rush to protect their markets from competitors. Companies may reduce investment spending, which is already weak. Slower economic growth, or outright recessions, would make it harder for governments and companies to service their high debts. This would further darken prospects for the global economy.

In the short run, the presidents speech  and the policies that would flow from it  may be a crowd-pleaser. Its patriotism on steroids: Americas economic problems are caused largely by foreigners, aided by footloose U.S. multinationals. They have taken our jobs, flooded the country with immigrants and cost us trillions of dollars in overseas military spending.

(The Washington Post)

It is comforting to think that our most serious economic problems stem from our being too generous  or not tough enough  with foreigners. It exonerates us from most responsibility for our own faults and dictates that the remedy of being too soft is to be more hard-nosed. Simple.

But it is a complete delusion and, therefore, is dangerous because it causes us to misunderstand our own predicament. In truth, most of our serious economic problems are homegrown.

Consider. Chicagos high murder rate is not the result of Chinese imports. The often dreary performance of our schools for minority students is not a consequence of a strong dollar on foreign exchange markets. The 2008-2009 financial crisis did not have foreign roots. (The proximate causes were financial speculation and an overheated housing market.) The United States budget deficits arent caused by Russias warmongering.

Economic nationalism is a powerful potion, made more powerful by the presidents overwrought rhetoric. Weve made other countries rich, while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon, he complains. Its true that open trade, championed by the United States, created a framework conducive to other countries success, but mostly they created their own wealth.

This does not mean that some of our economic problems dont originate abroad, that illegal immigration isnt serious or that unfair trade practices, intellectual espionage and distorted exchange rates should be ignored. But they are second-order problems, not the crux of our difficulties, as Trump portrays.

Trumps inaugural declaration (which mirrored much of what he said in the campaign) is a historic milestone, but not in the way Trump believes. Its a formula for Americas decline on the world stage and runs enormous risks of destabilizing the global economy. For the first time since World War II, an American president has made isolationism the political centerpiece of his administration.

It is possible that, in practice, Trumps policies will be more moderate and more in line with the traditional policies of previous presidents, Democratic and Republican. Some of his Cabinet selections, in their confirmation hearings, have sounded much more conventional than their boss.

Still, this illuminates the dilemma Trump has created for himself. The full implications of what hes proposed, if implemented, would be disastrous. But if he retreats significantly, he may alienate many of his fervent followers, who will feel rightly that theyve been betrayed.

Read more from Robert Samuelsons archive.
FEW CABINET positions are more important than secretary of the treasury. President-elect Donald Trumps choice for the job, Steven Mnuchin, is a smart financier who knows his way around a balance sheet.

That much was evident during Mr. Mnuchins confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday. Under aggressive questioning by Democrats, Mr. Mnuchin defended his takeover of the failing IndyMac bank at the height of the 2008 panic: Housing advocacy groups have said he and his partners made a killing by turning the institution into a foreclosure machine. While acknowledging the mistakes and excesses that sometimes cost borrowers their homes, Mr. Mnuchin reminded the committee that his group took over IndyMacs distressed loan portfolio in response to the federal governments search for private investors to bail it out so as to limit taxpayer losses.

He was less successful in explaining his belated disclosure of more than $100 million in assets until the eve of the hearing, or in explaining how the Trump tax cuts would not blow a large hole in federal finances; instead, he invoked the Trump teams boosterish forecasts for economic growth as an elixir for deficits. On at least one important point, however, Mr. Mnuchin followed the encouraging example of previous Trump Cabinet nominees who have disagreed at their hearings with the president-elects more dubious policies or attitudes. Specifically, Mr. Mnuchin said that trade policy is not about limiting imports, its about growing exports, an implicit but obvious contrast to Mr. Trumps blaming of Chinas perfidy for the trade deficit and threats to slap tariffs on car imports from Mexico.

Most refreshingly, Mr. Mnuchin was willing to dispute Republican orthodoxy regarding the Internal Revenue Service, the perennial whipping boy of the GOP. The IRS, which resides within the Treasury Department, has lost 17 percent of its budget in real terms since 2010, along with 23 percent of its enforcement staff, thanks in part to reflexive hostility to the tax-collection agency from the GOP in Congress. Mr. Mnuchin told the committee that he is very concerned about the lack of staff and up-to-date technology at the IRS. Modernizing the IRS would be one of my great priorities, Mr. Mnuchin said. Acknowledging that cutbacks have been counterproductive to the public interest, in that they make it harder for the hard-pressed IRS staff to collect all the taxes due the government, he assured the committee that the president-elect understands the concept of where we add people, we make money.

Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) asked Mr. Mnuchin to guarantee that the IRS would never use its powers to target individuals because of their political views. This was an allusion to the scandal, hyped by Republicans, about supposed IRS harassment of conservative groups. But the point could apply equally well to the next p resident, who would be in a position to abuse the IRSs power to quash legitimate political opposition. You have my 100 percent assurance, Mr. Mnuchin replied, thus accepting a key limitation on executive power, and a standard to which every administration must be held.
Supreme Court Chief Justice administers the presidential oath of office to Barack Obama on Jan. 20, 2009. Hell perform the same role for President-elect Donald Trump on Friday. (Rick Wilking/Reuters)

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. will once again don his black robe on Friday and head across the street to the Capitol to administer the presidential oath of office.

Its fortunate Roberts has a lifetime appointment. Maybe one day hell see a friendly face on the other side of the Bible.

If it had been up to Barack Obama, the first president the chief justice swore in, Roberts wouldnt even have been on the Supreme Court. Obama as a senator voted against his confirmation.

Their up-and-down history includes the muffed 2009 oath, Obamas scolding of the court at a State of the Union address for the Citizens United ruling, Robertss lifeline to the Affordable Care Act and his hollowing-out of the Voting Rights Act, which Obama denounced.

And the new president? Donald Trump said Roberts looked like a dummy for casting the deciding vote to shoot down the challenge to Obamacare. During the campaign, Trump muscled his Republican competitors into denouncing Roberts  even those who had worked hard for his confirmation (Sen. Ted Cruz) or had a brother who chose Roberts in the first place (Jeb Bush).

(The Washington Post)

The chief justice turned out to be a nightmare for conservatives, Trump said in just one of many pans of Roberts.

[How the Bush-nominated Chief Justice Roberts became a GOP target]

Justin Driver, a University of Chicago law professor who studies and writes about the Supreme Court, said it is hard to think of a president-elect who has more actively attacked a chief justice appointed by a president of the same political party.

Perhaps when Chief Justice Earl Warren administered the oath to Richard M. Nixon, Driver suggested. But even then, Nixon was more critical of the court as a whole than of Warren.

Still, the swearing-in must bring mixed emotions for Roberts: Trumps victory means that the court will continue to have a majority of conservative justices appointed by Republicans. Before the election, most speculation was about how the conservative Roberts would conduct himself if the court had a liberal majority.

Without Trump, Roberts would have been a CJINO  a chief justice in name only, Driver said. We would have had Chief Justice Ginsburg, for all practical purposes. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would have been the senior justice among five liberals named by Democratic presidents should Hillary Clinton have won.

[John Roberts dream of a nonpartisan court]

Even if Roberts liked and respected Judge Merrick Garland, Obamas ill-fated choice to fill the seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, any of the 21 people on Trumps list of potential Supreme Court nominees will be ideologically closer to the chief justice.

Trump could not arrange a visit to the court before the inauguration, as Obama had done before he took office. But court public information officer Kathleen Arberg said the two men met briefly Thursday afternoon at Blair House to discuss inaugural preparations.

If there is any tension between Roberts and Trump, it probably will not be evident from the chief justices demeanor. He is cool and relentlessly positive, determined to be the respectful head of his branch of government and avoid controversy in all areas except for his rulings.

He remained  frustratingly to some  out of the political fray on whether the Republican-led Senate should have held a hearing and vote on Garland. He has complained in the past that partisan battles over Supreme Court nominations hurt the courts reputation with the public, but he dodged all chances to say that having only eight members hampered the courts performance.

In the past, he has said one of his role models for how to do his job is Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes, who led the court at a time President Franklin D. Roosevelt had declared war on it for striking down his policy proposals. Hughes resisted calls to respond publicly to Roosevelt, Roberts said in a 2015 speech.

[Roberts recalls another chief justice and reveals a little about himself]

Hughes appreciated that that would be sort of fighting the battle on the enemys turf, the chief justice said.

Temperamentally, Roberts seems more like his fellow Harvard Law graduate Obama than he does the excitable Trump.

The chief justice and the president have a history; Roberts actually has delivered the oath four times to Obama: the 2009 bungle, a do-over the next day at the White House, an official swearing-in with only Roberts and the Obama family on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, and a ceremonial oath at the inauguration the next day.

The two havent agreed on much. They clashed over Obamas criticism of the court at the 2010 State of the Union address, and Obama has particularly lamented the courts decisions on campaign finance laws and the Voting Rights Act. Obama considers the courts recognition of the constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry a signature achievement; Roberts voted against it.

[Why does Obama criticize the Supreme Court so much?]

Robertss opinion upholding the Affordable Care Act was a grudging one but still was a bitter disappointment to conservatives in general and Republicans in particular. But it is often said that Roberts, who became chief justice at the age of 50, plays a long game.

And with Trump as president and Republican control of Congress, Obamacare is on the chopping block not because of the judiciary, but because of the political branches.

In his opinion upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, Roberts said that is how it should be.

Members of this court are vested with the authority to interpret the law; we possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy judgments, Roberts wrote.

Those decisions are entrusted to our nations elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.
Donald Trump began his presidency with blunt, searing talk about a crippled nation in dire need of bold, immediate action. Breaking with more than two centuries of inaugural address history, the new president made clear, in case anyone had not yet gotten it, that his will be a very different presidency.

Trump spurned the poetry and grandeur of most inaugural speeches and instead delivered a rallying cry, reminiscent of his stream-of-consciousness campaign talks, brimming with brash bravado about his intention to bring massive change: This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

This was pure Trump, just a declaration of war against the Washington establishment and President Obama, said Craig Shirley, author of books on Ronald Reagan and a Republican political consultant. It was not the usual call for togetherness; it was Trumpism, the speech of a businessman  problems and solutions, very utilitarian.

[Trumps full inaugural speech transcript, annotated]

Trump had promised for nearly a year that when the time came, he would pivot to a style he called presidential. But his speech made plain that he intends to govern as he campaigned, in direct communion with his followers, bypassing the usual niceties and channels of power.

1 of 31 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  A look at presidential inaugurations through the years, from Grant to Trump View Photos The president may change, but for the most part inaugural ceremonies do not. Caption The president may change, but for the most part inaugural ceremonies do not. Newly sworn-in President Donald Trump addresses the crowd during his inauguration ceremony. Mandel Ngan/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images Wait 1 second to continue.

After a quick nod to his predecessors, Trump launched into a fiery recitation of the ills of a country that he has long described in apocalyptic terms  a hollowed nation that he intends to restore to greatness by giving it back to you, the American people.

Seconds after taking the oath of office, Trump tore into the people who have run the country. For too long, a small group in our nations capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost, he said. Politicians prospered  but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.

This was a campaign speech, said Elvin Lim, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore who has written extensively on inaugural addresses. This is a big break from the inaugural tradition: Where others have emphasized continuity, he stressed that this is a sharp break with everything that has come before.

The presidents chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, the nationalist polemicist who had a hand in crafting Trumps speech, called the address an unvarnished declaration of the basic principles of his populist and kind of nationalist movement.

Bannon compared the speech to the populist appeal of the 19th-century president who famously invited the unwashed masses into the White House: I dont think weve had a speech like that since Andrew Jackson came to the White House. But you could see it was very Jacksonian. Its got a deep, deep root of patriotism there.

[The Daily 202: Trump wants to be president in the mold of Andrew Jackson]

A defiant speech

Whether Trumpism comes to be defined as a vibrant patriotism or a virulent nationalism will play out over the coming years, but the first president to be elected without government or military experience put down his marker as a man who will govern by the strength of his personality and the power of his blunt, sometimes lurid language.

Never before had an American president used words such as carnage, depletion, disrepair and sad to describe his own country in an inaugural address. Trumps speech was unusually short  about three-quarters the length of the previous nine inaugurals  but it delivered a clear message: He aims to turn the countrys direction, hard.

This was not the speech of a conservative ideologue or of a Republican in any traditional sense, said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. It was a nativist and at times jingoistic speech. People around the world will be frightened that we are really going to hunker in on them, creating a Fortress America. This is American nationalism on steroids.

Trump said in recent days that he was inspired by the inaugural addresses of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. But there were few echoes of their poetic, uniting rhetoric in Trumps address.

Instead, Trump paid tribute to Franklin Roosevelts Depression-era homage to the forgotten man, tapped into a bit of Reagans language of optimism about U.S. energy and resolve, and included a line that almost directly shadowed Kennedy, promising that at the birth of a new millennium, the nation is ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

But Trumps language was chosen to emphasize urgency rather than eloquence or abstract ambition. This was, as Lim said, a defiant speech. The inaugural is generally the time to say the campaign is over, but Trump is proving to his supporters that he is still the same man he was in the campaign. This is not the usual defense of the Constitution but a speech about him and the people, that special personal relationship he has built with his supporters.

[New president pledges to put America first and that the people will once again rule country]

Trump has never been a traditional or eloquent orator, and he sometimes scoffed at those who crafted their speeches with artisanal care. He boasted about writing his books on the fly, talking them through with his ghostwriters, believing that plain, punchy language and simple ideas were the best ways to build his brand and connect with his audience.

He has always considered himself as much a showman as a businessman, and he inherited his mothers passion for pageantry and pomp. He believes that straight talk in simple sentences is the best way to cut through popular skepticism about authority and institutions in a troubled era.

In his speech, Trump made no reference to his party, Congress or any other means by which he expects to accomplish the sweeping change he promised. Instead, he once again vowed that he personally will deliver a national restoration. I will fight for you with every breath in my body  and I will never, ever let you down, he said. America will start winning again, winning like never before.

There werent any memorable, bumper-sticker lines, Shirley said. Eloquence and statesmanship were not what he was going for. This is a break with the past, including with the Republican Party and its ideals.

Its not about any ideology

Trump had said he was modeling his address on his favorites: Kennedys short, stirring call in 1961 for Americans to unite to explore the stars, conquer the deserts . . . and encourage the arts and commerce, and Reagans gracious yet blunt 1981 speech, perhaps the first inaugural oration to include a moving anecdote about an ordinary American.

But historians listening to Trumps speech were struck by the relative lack of historical context for his vision of where to take the country. He didnt really dwell on American history, really nothing on Lincoln or Jefferson, Brinkley said. He wanted this to be seen as a populist manifesto, raw nationalism. In the end, its not about any ideology. Its about Trump.

In nearly every paragraph, Kennedy reached for poetry and posterity. He hit time-honored themes of unity (Divided, there is little we can do) and change (the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans). But he also went big from the start, challenging the nation to confront the horrifying prospect of nuclear annihilation and to contemplate the possibility of eliminating human poverty.

Reagans first inaugural is remembered mainly for its tonesetting catchphrase, Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. But Reagans full speech was a masterful blend of velvet and hammer: a frank critique of the nations malaise, an economic affliction of great proportions, but also a warning that progress may be slow  measured in inches and feet, not miles.

Trump offered no such cautions. He promised to eradicate completely from the face of the earth . . . radical Islamic terrorism, and he repeatedly swore allegiance to Charles Lindberghs America First theme, stating that he will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American.

This was a speech dedicated almost only to people who voted for him, Lim said. The inaugural is generally used to heal wounds, but he barely went there.

Trump did say that When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

But his central message for his presidency was a near-perfect copy of the core of his campaign, a resolute belief that the country is severely damaged and that only Trump can fix it. The time for empty talk is over, he said. Now arrives the hour of action.
After a campaign unlike any other, President Trump delivered an inaugural address unlike virtually any other, a populist declaration aimed directly at the power structure of Washington along with a determined expression of the America First message that carried him to the White House.

With members of Congress  embodiments of the elite he ran against  sitting directly behind him, the new president put everyone in power on notice, Republicans and Democrats alike. He spoke not as the leader of his party or as a politician with a conventional ideological agenda. Instead he spoke as the outsider he is, a businessman-turned-politician who is now a president with the power to set his own agenda.

The last time there was this kind of brewing insurgency visited on Washington was when Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. His victory ratified the ascendance of a new conservatism that had reached critical mass. In his inaugural address, Reagan, too, spoke of a country in crisis, an economy in disrepair and of the need for urgent action. His solution was to call for an assault on the size and scope of the federal government. Government is not the solution, he memorably declared. Government is the problem.

Trump did not attack government. Instead he attacked the establishment, those who he said had taken advantage of their power in government at the expense of the people. The priorities he highlighted on Friday were the same as those he championed during the campaign, some traditionally Republican but others that would challenge the orthodoxy of the party whose nomination he seized through a skillfully hostile takeover.

Republicans have been gleeful at the prospect of having full control of the executive and legislative branches of government and, therefore, the power to try to enact a conservative agenda that would undo as much of what President Barack Obama did as possible.

(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Perhaps they will get their wish, but Trump did not speak Friday as a conventional Republican. He spoke as Donald Trump, who defied conventions to capture the Republican nomination and the White House. He promised a massive infrastructure program. He pledged policies on trade, taxes, immigration and foreign policy that would benefit American workers above all others. Notably, he did not mention nominating conservative justices to the Supreme Court or repealing the Affordable Care Act, the overriding priority of many Republicans and a goal that he and Vice President Pence have said they share.

[Trumps speech was a sharp break with the past]

The irony of Trumps message, of course, is that as he has begun to put his government together, he has leaned heavily on people who would seem to fit the mold of those he attacked, men and women of wealth and privilege, corporate chieftains and Wall Street figures  although some of those he has recruited hold views on issues such as trade that conform to those of the new president. The power struggle ahead will test both his convictions and his resolve.

Inaugural addresses are often vehicles for attempts at soaring rhetoric. Trumps was notable for the opposite. In the same direct and plain-spoken language he used from the day he first announced his candidacy, Trump put himself on the side of all those with a grievance toward Washington, who bear resentment toward the elites and who are looking to him to turn the capital on its head and the country inward.

The language of Trumps speech was stark and often dark, similar in tone to the address he delivered when he accepted the Republican nomination this past summer in Cleveland. He described a country of shuttered and rusted factories, rampant crime, neighborhoods infested with gangs and drugs. He decried the damage to middle-class families by policies that he said took their wealth and spread it abroad.

The speech probably will be remembered most for its tone and especially for two words that summed up the portrait of the nation Trump vowed to turn around: American carnage. Trump said he would govern with all Americans in mind, but he directed his words mostly at the tens of millions of people who heard his call during the campaign and responded. His election, he said, means that the forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now.

The biggest question ahead of Trumps speech was whether he would use the occasion as a way to bring a divided country together, to speak in the language of healing and reconciliation after one of the harshest and most negative campaigns in recent memory. He had sounded that theme on the night he won the presidency but only occasionally during the transition, seeming to prefer counterpunching against his rivals and critics with sharp-edged tweets rather than trying to reach out to them.

In his inaugural address, there were words and phrases that spoke to the need to unify a divided country. He quoted the Bible: How good and pleasant it is when Gods people live in unity. He said that a renewal of patriotism will encourage loyalty to one another. He said, We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. He said the oath he had taken on the Capitols West Front was meant as an allegiance to all Americans.

[The world watches, listens to Trump and responds with dismay]

As with all new presidents, he was gracious to his predecessor. He thanked Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama for being magnificent through the transition.

Hillary Clinton, who sat with her husband, former president Bill Clinton, only a few feet from Trump, looked solemn as her former rival took the reins of power, a moment that she and most of her followers never believed could happen. The demonstrations on the streets of Washington on Friday, the womens march scheduled for Saturday and the relatively smaller crowd on the Mall all underscored the continuing divisions and the resistance he faces as he begins to govern.

His remarks about foreign policy were rather briefer than those in some previous inaugural addresses and notable for the tone he struck. He said throughout the campaign that Americans had been played for suckers by other nations and repeated that assessment Friday. Weve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon, he said.

He laid out a bill of particulars: policies that he said had enriched foreign industries at the expense of American companies, that subsidized armies around the world at the expense of the U.S. military, that defended borders around the world while refusing to defend our own.

Some of what he said was more opaque and only will become clearer in time. The speech seemed to suggest that the kind of leadership long expected of the United States by other nations would not necessarily guide his decision-making. His priority, he said, would be to take care of problems at home, not to solve the worlds ills.

All countries, he said, should be free to act in their own interests, and he made clear that his interest could result in a more insular approach than many of his predecessors. Was that a description of his America First approach or a signal to others  beginning with Russia  that the United States would not intercede in disputes elsewhere?

He pledged to reinforce old alliances, despite repeated denigrations of NATO over many months, but he also pledged to form new ones with the goal of destroying the Islamic State. That, too, appeared to be aimed at the Russians, who already have invited his administration to take part in upcoming talks on Syria.

The conundrum with the new president is that words dont always matter. He can talk one way one day and a different way another. Only when he begins to take action will it become apparent how faithful his policies are to the rhetoric of his inaugural address.

The other unknown is how effective he will be in leveraging the power of the presidency to get his way. He will meet resistance from many places, from Democrats on much of what he wants to do, from Republicans on some of his priorities that counteract conservative principles, and from a significant swath of the public that has yet to accept him as their president. But the message of his inaugural address was clear: If he begins to get his way, Washington and much else will change and change dramatically.
Donald John Trump was sworn in Friday as the 45th president of the United States, after which he delivered a dark but ambitious speech promising to throw out entrenched Washington elites, end American carnage in cities and restore jobs lost to shuttered factories.

Today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people, Trump said.

He spoke on a day that featured less ceremony than usual, and crowds that seemed to be smaller than the ones that attended President Barack Obamas inaugurations in 2009 and 2013. Trumps parade rolled down Pennsylvania Avenue, passing crowds that often stood just two people deep. Elsewhere in downtown Washington, columns of peaceful protesters marched with anti-Trump signs, and small groups of black-clad anarchists clashed with police and set fire to trash cans and a limousine.

In his speech, Trump seemed to promise not just the obvious transition from Obamas Democratic administration to full Republican control of Washington  but to a new style of politics, in which Trump will seek to be a new kind of independent power center.

Trump, 70, was administered the oath by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., using two Bibles  one from President Lincolns inauguration, and another that Trumps mother gave him in 1955. His wife Melania Trump stood at his side.

1 of 109 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  The scene in Washington on Inauguration Day View Photos Trump supporters and protesters gather in the capital as a new presidency begins. Caption Trump supporters and protesters gather in the capital as a new presidency begins. Jan. 20, 2017 Keilaun Wilson of Columbia, S.C., sells T-shirts to Trump supporters leaving parties. Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

Then, as rain began to fall, Trump gave an inaugural address that  while short in duration  made a major break with presidential precedent. Most presidents use this moment to acknowledge the opponent they defeated, to praise Americas promise and to call upon both parties to work together.

Trump, by contrast, used his speech to make a wide-ranging condemnation of Americas current state  talking about American carnage caused by urban crime, and saying that wealth, strength and confidence has dissipated because of jobs lost overseas.

Trump charged that both major political parties have lost their way, serving the needs of an elite rather than the needs of the public. In grandiose language, Trump sought to cast this day as a kind of restart for American politics, with everything before  Republican and Democrat  cast aside.

The United States of America is your country, he said.

With now former president Obama and three previous presidents watching from behind him, Trump seemed to condemn them as unfaithful to the popular will, saying that his inauguration signaled that the people would rule the country again.

For too long, a small group in our nations capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost, Trump said. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed.

[I do solemnly swear: The 35 most momentous words Donald Trump will say at his inauguration]

(Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

It was a speech that closely matched the tone of Trumps presidential campaign, which he cast as a populist insurgency against GOP orthodoxies.

But it was not as close a match with the way Trump has acted since the election  a time when he has chosen some of his Cabinet picks and top staffers from Washington and Wall Streets existing elites. His choices have included the head of ExxonMobil, three retired generals, several top members of Goldman Sachs and several sitting GOP legislators.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree . . . From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, its going to be only America first. America first! Trump said. This two-word slogan, used heavily in Trumps campaign, became infamous in U.S. history as the slogan of isolationist forces opposed to American entry in World War II. Trump has used it as an economic message.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American factories, Trump said.

[A fierce will to win pushed Donald Trump to the top]

Trumps speech clocked in at less than 17 minutes, making it unusually short among recent inaugural addresses. It concluded with the signature promise of his stunningly successful presidential campaign, to make America great again.

During the mornings events, there were large crowds of protesters opposing Trump with signs and slogans  and some groups of black-clad anarchists who roamed District streets smashing windows of businesses and cars. Outside The Washington Posts headquarters on K Street NW, a group of a few dozen anarchists hurled bricks and rocks at police, who responded with loud flash-bang grenades and streams of pepper spray.

D.C. Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham said officers have arrested more than 90 people in connection with protests that turned violent on Friday and caused significant damage to a number of blocks in our city.

He said a a very small percentage of the thousands who came to demonstrate against the inauguration resorted to violence.

Its disappointing that it had to happen. Im extremely pleased how the [police] responded to this and took the folks responsible for this into custody. Elsewhere in the city, news reports showed columns of peaceful protesters marching.

After the speech, before a traditional lunch at the Capitol, Trump signed three measures. One was a bill providing a waiver for James Mattis  a retired Marine general  to become secretary of defense, despite a law that prohibits that position going to recently retired military personnel. Trump also signed formal nominations, sending his Cabinet picks to the Senate.

At that ceremony, Trump appeared a slightly different politician than the flame-throwing populist he had been on the inaugural stage. He was in the middle of Washingtons elite, and enjoying their company. Trump joked with Congresss two top Democrats, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) about the prospects that his choices would be confirmed.

At one point, Trump seemed unsure of whom he was nominating for what office.

Ah, Betsy, Trump said, looking at one sheet he was to sign. Education, right?

He looked to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), seemingly for confirmation.

Yes, McCarthy said. It was, indeed, the nomination of Betsy DeVos to be Trumps secretary of education.

Trump also signed a proclamation declaring a national day of patriotism, new White House spokesman Sean Spicer said in a tweet. In recent years, other presidents have declared Sept. 11 of each year Patriot Day, in commemoration of the 2001 terrorist attacks. It was not immediately clear whether Trumps proclamation was a repeat of that tradition, or a new tradition on a different day.

As he entered the lunch, Trump appeared to shake the hand of his Democratic opponent, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, whom he made no mention of in his inaugural address.

How are you? Thank you for coming. Thank you, Trump said.

Later, at the same luncheon, Trump asked both Hillary Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, to stand and be applauded.

As the lunch ended, the Clintons headed toward the exit, walking alongside the statues.

Hillary Clinton, when asked by The Post what she thought of the speech, paused, smiled and lightly tapped a reporters arm.

Hi, how are you? she said. And then she disappeared around the entrance, out and away as Trump continued to greet lawmakers.

Trumps swearing-in now gives Republicans control of both the White House and Congress for the first time since 2006. The new president has promised to undo some of the most significant pieces of Obamas legacy  including his signature health-care law. But Trump also enters office with a significant amount of uncertainty, since he has repeatedly contradicted other Republicans  and himself  on major questions about how immigration, taxes, health care and other issues will be handled in the new administration.

On the Internet, there were other signs of the seismic shift in power. The White House Web page  which that morning had touted Obamas initiatives to slow climate change  now touted a promise from Trump to eliminate harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan.

The Trump administrations website also promised to be more pro-police than the Obama administration, under which the Justice Department investigated misdeeds in local departments. There was also, seemingly, a nod to Trumps open attitude toward Vladimir Putins Russia  whose intelligence agencies reportedly sought to intervene in the 2016 election to boost Trumps chances.

The world must know that we do not go abroad in search of enemies, that we are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies, the White House website said.

[Trump keeps Obama appointee tasked with helping run the war against ISIS]

After the speech, new White House counselor Stephen K. Bannon  the former head of the right-wing website Breitbart News  said in an interview that Trumps speech had echoes of another long-ago American populist.

It was an unvarnished declaration of the basic principles of his populist and kind of nationalist movement. It was given, I think, in a very powerful way. I dont think weve had a speech like that since Andrew Jackson came to the White House, Bannon said. But you could see it was very Jacksonian. Its got a deep, deep root of patriotism there.

Unspoken, however, was that Trumps speech seemed to pull the GOP away from the policy positions that had mattered deeply until Trump came onto the scene. The party of free trade had been declared the party of economic nationalism. A party of Russia hawks had been rebranded as a party open to friendship with old enemies.

He keeps telling us, This is who I really am. And people say, Yeah, but who are you really? He goes, Well, this is who I really am, said former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), a longtime fixture in the Washington political and pundit establishment who has become and enthusiastic backer of Trumps attack on it. Hes so different from what you guys are used to covering.

Gingrich was asked: How will Trump, who lost the popular vote, work with Washingtons existing power structure?

He runs over it. I dont think he gets cooperation, Gingrich said. The only way hes going to get those goals is to go to the American people over and over. I suspect that hell end up by spring having to go back out and have huge rallies and try to [bring] grass-roots pressure to bear.

Signs of the transfer of power were on display throughout the day.

Before 9:30 a.m., TV footage showed Obama leaving the Oval Office for the last time, before he and the first lady held a pre-inauguration tea with the Trumps. Obama smiled as he walked down an exterior hallway, in view of cameras. Any last words for the American people? a member of the press called out. Thank you, Obama said.

Soon after, the Trumps arrived at the White House, greeting the Obamas and presenting them with a gift  a box wrapped in the distinctive light blue of high-end jeweler Tiffany & Co.

The meeting at the White House between Trump and Obama marked an Inauguration Day tradition, but one made more unusual this time by the two mens history.

Trump, a real estate businessman and reality-TV star, began his rise in conservative politics by essentially calling Obama a liar and an illegitimate president: Trump insisted for years that Obama was born in Kenya. Obama was actually born in Hawaii, as Trump conceded late in the 2016 campaign. Obama, in turn, had mocked Trump at a televised White House Correspondents Association dinner in 2011.

Now, they met at the White House door, one going in and one going out.

On the White House steps, the bitter history between Trump and Obama went unmentioned. Obama asked Trump, How was church? and they turned to go inside.

The two men and their wives took a motorcade to the U.S. Capitol, through empty streets.

Around them, there were sporadic clashes between police and protesters around Washington. In several instances, news video showed black-clad protesters  some carrying symbols of anarchist groups  smashing shop windows and overturning newspaper boxes.

[Two worlds collide: Trump backers and foes trade barbs in Washington]

Before meeting with the Obamas, the Trumps attended a service at St. Johns Episcopal Church near the White House, continuing an Inauguration Day tradition. One of the preachers was Robert Jeffress, a Southern Baptist minister who is pastor of a Dallas megachurch, and who has made inflammatory condemnations of both Mormonism and Islam in the past.

Jeffress, who grew close to Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, said on Twitter that his sermon would be entitled, When God Chooses a Leader. Trump left the service about 9:30 a.m. He mouthed Thank you to supporters as he climbed into an SUV.

[Live updates on the inauguration of Donald Trump]

Trump takes office as the least-popular new president in 40 years, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Forty percent of Americans view Trump favorably, which is 21 points lower than the rating with which Obama will leave office.

But Trump won the election and this is his day to command.

It all begins today!, Trump tweeted early Friday morning. I will see you at 11:00 A.M. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!
Police stand guard outside the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington as security tightens ahead of Friday's presidential inauguration. (John Minchillo/AP)

As he held court Thursday afternoon inside the ivory-and-gold ballroom of the Trump International Hotel, President-elect Donald Trump could not resist plugging the luxurious locale playing host to his Cabinet appointees, top Republican congressional leaders and hundreds of the GOPs wealthiest donors.

This is a gorgeous room, the soon-to-be president said of his new hotels presidential ballroom. A total genius must have built this place.

Out in the airy lobby, where 4,000 red, white and blue balloons were cosseted in nets far above the crystal chandeliers, Trump supporters snapped selfies with incoming White House aides Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer and other boldface surrogates who waltzed through the room. Major party fundraisers from Texas and New York huddled at the marble bar. Waiters rang bells before sabering the corks off champagne magnums.

The U.S. Capitol is the backdrop for the official swearing-in ceremony on Friday, but the hub of inaugural action is Trumps hotel, the site of a slew of official events and some of the weeks most sought-after private gatherings.

The main draw: Donald Trump owns it, said Doug Deason, a Dallas investor. So many of the parties will be here. Its electric  nobody wants to go to bed.

(The Washington Post)

Nevertheless, after they awake Friday, the hotel will become the site of the first clash between Trumps business interests and his presidency.

At 12:01 p.m., when Trump becomes president, he may be in violation of his lease for the building, which is owned by the federal government. The agreement includes a clause barring any elected official of the Government of the United States from deriving any benefit from the agreement.

Ethics experts warn of other potential conflicts. For instance, if the hotel continues to rent ballroom and meeting space to foreign officials, it could run afoul of the Constitutions emoluments clause, which bars the president from accepting benefits from foreign leaders.

For his part, Trump appears unconcerned about using his weighty platform to promote his business. On Wednesday night, with members of the news media in tow, he made an unscheduled stop at the hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, drawing applause as he worked the lobby, greeting friends and supporters.

Spicer, Trumps incoming press secretary, dismissed questions about whether it was appropriate for the incoming president to be putting a spotlight on his hotel  even offering an endorsement of the facility.

He is going to his own hotel? Spicer said. I think that is pretty smart. I think the idea that he is going to his own hotel shouldnt be a shocker. Its a beautiful place. It is somewhere he is proud of and symbolic of the kind of government he is going to run, ahead of time and under budget.

Its an absolutely stunning hotel, Spicer continued. I encourage you to go there if you havent been by. 

President-elect Donald Trump gestures toward his wife, Melania, during a luncheon Thursday at Trump International Hotel. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

[The Constitution may have something to say about how Trump runs his D.C. hotel]

Trumps election in November kicked off a surge of interest in the luxury property, located in the historic Old Post Office Pavilion, which opened its doors in the fall. Rates this week were five times higher than normal  meaning many of the rooms are running at least $2,000 a night  and required a five-night minimum beginning Tuesday.

Business is fantastic, said the hotels managing director, Mickael Damelincourt. The bar is packed every night. There is such a good energy to the place. I think it is really becoming a gathering place for Washington, D.C.

On Thursday afternoon, well-heeled friends of the next president were ushered into a private room off the lobby marked Trump Townhouse, emerging with stuffed gift bags. An Ecuadoran official in town for the inauguration dined on tuna tartare at the bar. Longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone made a cameo in the lobby.

For Trump fans such as Vaughn Lower, who came from San Diego for the inauguration, it was the perfect place to be.

I mean, where else would you want to be if youre a Trump supporter? said Lower, 28, his red Make America Great Again hat firmly in place as he worked the room, gathering signatures and snapping selfies.

Lower had scored autographs from Conway, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. and Pawn Stars star Rick Harrison in a black notebook he titled The Inauguration Guest Book.

Tara Memmen, 46, of Fairfax Station, Va., and Lisa McCollough, 46, of Coronado, Calif., arrived early with their families Thursday to have breakfast at the in-house restaurant, BLT Prime, then stayed for several hours to soak in the scene.

It just feels like this is the very heartbeat of what Trump stands for, of what he has built from the ground up, McCollough said. Everyone wants to come and be part of it.

Her 18-year-old son, Evan, excitedly rattled off everyone he had spotted: Spicer, Conway, Falwell Jr.

Im kind of star-struck, because Ive been following the campaign for 18 months, he said. Being in Trumps hotel, he added, was like the icing on the cake.

Trump has turned over management of his business to his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, but he does not plan to sell his assets. He said this month that he would donate profits from foreign business clients to the U.S. Treasury. However, neither Trump nor representatives of the Trump Organization have provided details on how such payments would be tracked, collected and disbursed.

Given such issues, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (Md.) and other congressional Democrats have pushed the General Services Administration to cancel the Old Post Office Pavilion lease.

GSA officials have said that no violations have yet occurred.

No determination regarding the Old Post Office can be completed until the full circumstances surrounding the President-elects business arrangements have been finalized and he has assumed office, the agency said in a statement.

[Update: Feds say its premature to judge lease for Trumps D.C. hotel]

By then, of course, GSA will be part of the new administration  raising the prospect of a Trump appointee renegotiating the lease with one of his sons.

Steven L. Schooner, a professor of government procurement law at George Washington University, said he feared that the GSA would just bury its head in the sand and hope the storm blows over even though this problem isnt going to get better with time.

Anything they do will be heavily scrutinized and, as weve seen, the Trump Organization pulls no punches in attacking its enemies, all too often without regard for objectivity, facts, or principles, he said. Just think about it: Who wants to go to war with the president, who selects your bosses and replaces them at will?

Rosalind S. Helderman contributed to this report.
After weeks of negotiations and facing the threat of a regional military intervention, Gambias defeated president agreed to step down on Saturday morning.

Yahya Jammeh, who ruled the tiny West African country for 23 years and lost in an election last month, gave a brief speech on state television announcing that he would finally step down.

I have decided today in good conscience to relinquish the mantle of this great nation, he said.

Jammeh will be replaced by Adama Barrow, the 51-year-old former security guard and real estate agent who defeated the longtime ruler in a shocking election that brought Gambia to the brink of a political crisis. At times, it looked like Jammeh intended to remain in power by force. But as members of his administration and security forces resigned, and West African troops amassed at Gambias borders, he was given little choice but to step down.

On Friday night, Barrow declared that the rule of fear in Gambia had ended.

Senegalese children watch some of their countrys troops waiting to cross into Gambia near the border town of Karang, Senegal on Jan. 20, 2017. (European Pressphoto Agency)

There were no details of the deal that Jammeh had reached with foreign negotiators, including the presidents of Guinea and Mauritania, who spent hours at the State House, or presidential residence, on Friday trying to persuade Jammeh to leave.

He at one point asked for amnesty for any crimes that he had committed while in power  a request that was rejected, according to Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

As negotiations proceeded in recent days, Jammeh also said he wanted to remain in Gambia after leaving power, de Souza said. But it seemed increasingly likely that Jammeh  following the example of deposed African leaders such as Ethiopias Mengistu Haile Mariam and the Central African Republics Francois Bozize  would spend his retirement in exile.

He had been offered asylum in Nigeria and Morocco, but as of Saturday morning no announcement had been made about Jammehs destination. He has not yet departed the country.

Meanwhile, Barrow remains in neighboring Senegal, where he was inaugurated in a small ceremony on Thursday. The former security guard at a London department store has little political experience but is seen as a symbol of change and openness after more than two decades of Jammehs heavy-handed rule.

Gambia, a country of 2 million known for its pristine beaches and the large number of its citizens who have migrated to North Africa and Europe, has been in crisis since Jammeh lost the Dec. 1 presidential election. The U.N. refugee agency said Friday that 45,000 people, mainly children, have fled the country because of the latest political turmoil.

[Tiny Gambia has a big export: Migrants desperate to reach Europe]





De Souza, chairman of ECOWAS, told the Associated Press on Friday that Guinean President Alpha Conde had gone to Gambia to ask Jammeh to leave office peacefully.

Jammeh has the choice of accepting Condes appeal and going into exile, de Souza said. If that fails, we will bring him by force or by will. Our troops will advance on Banjul. Until the last minute, we still think there is a solution resulting from a dialogue.

It remained unclear what Jammeh had hoped to gain by defying the mounting efforts to remove him.

The possibility of a sustained military conflict between Gambian and other West African troops had appeared unlikely, especially after the Gambian chief of defense forces, Ousman Badjie, said Friday that he would not support Jammeh.

You cannot push us to war for an issue we can solve politically, Badjie told the AP. We dont see any reason to fight.

Jammeh on Friday fired the members of his cabinet who had not already resigned.

On Thursday, as Senegalese troops began crossing the border, many Gambians took to the streets to celebrate what appeared to be Jammehs last stand.

Although he led one of Africas smallest countries and economies, Jammeh had drawn outsize attention to himself by making bizarre and sometimes deeply troubling assertions. He had threatened to personally slit the throats of all gay men in his country. He had claimed he could cure AIDS with a mix of local herbs. And he had said he could rule Gambia for a billion years.

Those statements infuriated Gambians, many of whom lived in brutal poverty as Jammeh traveled around in a Rolls-Royce and bought real estate abroad.

Many Gambians saw their best fortunes in becoming migrants abroad.

By last October, more than 10,000 Gambians had arrived in Italy in 2016 after crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa, according to the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Gambia was the fifth-

largest source of refugees in all of Africa, despite having one of the smallest populations.

kevin.sieff@washpost.com

Saikou Jammeh in Banjul and William Branigin in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

Senegalese troops enter Gambia to force longtime leader to step down

Gambian president said he would rule for a billion years. He just lost reelection.

Tiny Gambias big export: Migrants fleeing to Europe

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Anti-Trump protesters in Berlin gather during a demonstration against the inauguration of President Trump.

Anti-Trump protesters in Berlin gather during a demonstration against the inauguration of President Trump. Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters

A look at how people around the world are responding.

A look at how people around the world are responding.

If the credo of the new U.S. president is America first, as Donald Trump emphatically declared Friday in his strikingly nationalistic inaugural address, then where does that leave the rest of the world?

That is what people around the globe  from Latin America to the Middle East to Asia  were left to wonder after watching Trump use the opening minutes of his presidency to double down on campaign pledges to end what he sees as misguided efforts to help other countries at the expense of U.S. interests.

After more than 70 years of vigorous political, diplomatic, economic and military engagement to promote Pax Americana, Trumps words suggested to international observers a far more isolationist and protectionist path ahead.

If he follows through  and people have to come to terms with the fact he may well do what he says hes going to do  then its the end of the post-World War II, post-Cold War order and the beginning of a new phase, said Ian Kearns, co-founder of the London-based European Leadership Network.

But that phase, Kearns said, may be far rockier for the United States than Trump suggests.

If youre just out to defend your interests, he said, then others will do the same.

Within minutes of Trumps speech Friday, others were already having their say.

Although world leaders showered Trump with a cascade of politely worded tweets and congratulatory messages, the mood on the streets in many world cities was far more unsettled on the day that Trump became U.S. commander in chief.

In London, hundreds of people gathered in the evening chill to chant Dump Trump! outside the U.S. Embassy. In Mexico City, residents took to social networks to debate not whether Trump was good or bad but how grave the new era might be. And in Beirut, observers compared Trumps speech to those by their regions past and present despots.

There was also praise. Many Russians rejoiced, as did anti-European Union populists and Israeli officials.

The worlds divided response mirrored the one in the United States  defiance and despair in some quarters, enthusiasm and optimism in others, and profound polarization as far as the eye can see.

But perhaps not surprisingly for a president who came to office on a wave of insults hurled across national borders, the worlds protests were more pronounced than its victory parties.

Mexicans awoke Friday to the realization of what many consider a political nightmare  the inauguration of an American president who has taken aim at their economy, their migrants and their shared border.

Literary critic Christopher Dominguez Michael published an op-ed in El Universal simply called, The saddest day.

Another columnist in El Universal, Carlos Heredia Zubieta, wrote: We are immersed in a cultural war. For the first time in decades, the affront unites Mexicans of all social classes.

Trumps address  more scripted than his campaign speeches but no less bombastic  left many around the world in open-mouthed wonder.

I listened to Trumps inauguration speech dubbed on an Arabic channel  it could easily have been Saddam, Assad or Sisi, tweeted Mohamad Bazzi, a professor of journalism at New York University who is in Beirut, referring to the late ruler of Iraq and the current presidents of Syria and Egypt.

Nathalie Kluver, a Twitter user from the northern German city of Lubeck, appeared to echo the thoughts of many Germans when she tweeted, If a German chancellor said at an #inauguration that he wants to make Germany great again  thats unimaginable.

Demonstrations spanned the globe and were generally small but spirited.

[Live updates on the inauguration of Donald Trump]

After dark in London  as Trump finished speaking  hundreds of placard-bearing protesters massed at the U.S. Embassy to vigorously chant their dismay.

Its cold. Its dark. Id rather be at home in the warm. But Im here because Im only an ordinary person, and Im frightened, said 65-year-old retiree Stephanie Clark, mentioning nuclear weapons and climate change as particular areas of concern. Im frightened of what Donald Trump and his administration can do.

There was an edgier tone to protests in the Philippine capital of Manila, where protesters burned an American flag and called on President Rodrigo Duterte to distance himself from Trump.

Marches were also staged in the West Bank city of Nablus, where hundreds of residents paraded Palestinian flags and voiced concern with Trumps seeming shift toward Israel, including his promise to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.

Hes not a man of peace, said 53-year-old Moussa al-Bitouni, who watched as the inauguration was broadcast live in a smoky East Jerusalem cafe. He doesnt want to take the path of peace or talk about peace.

The mood was very different in Israeli settlements, where Trumps ascension to the highest U.S. office was greeted with relief and hopeful expectation.

A delegation of settler leaders was in Washington to attend the inauguration as VIP guests, their presence representing a striking turnabout: For decades, U.S. presidents  Democrat and Republican  have been highly critical of settlement building. Trump, by contrast, has appointed a vocal advocate and fundraiser for the settlements as his ambassador to Israel.

Congrats to my friend President Trump, tweeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Look fwd to working closely with you to make the alliance between Israel&USA stronger than ever.

In another sign of the changed geopolitical landscape, anti-E.U. leaders were also welcomed at the inauguration. Nigel Farage, who helped lead the campaign for Britains E.U. exit, was in Washington as an honored guest and hosted a pre-inauguration party Thursday night. Trump has said he is indifferent to the E.U.s fate, unlike his recent predecessors, who have been staunch backers of European integration.

The old order wasnt working, Farage said on a broadcast for the British radio station LBC. I think its going to be great. I think its going to be huge. I wish [Trump] well.

Far-right French politician Marine Le Pen  leading some polls in the French presidential race due in the spring  was similarly exuberant, declaring that Trumps election had opened a new era in the cooperation between nations.

The response among Europes establishment was less sympathetic.

Hostile inauguration speech, former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt wrote on Twitter. We cant sit around & hope for US support & cooperation. Europe must take its destiny & security in its own hands.

Many European leaders offered perfunctory notes of congratulations. Some appeared to be trying to will Trump to behave like a conventional U.S. president.

With great power comes great responsibility, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite wrote in Twitter. Confident in global leadership of the USA! Congratulations @realDonaldTrump!

There was also apprehension in China  though the government was being careful with its response.

Chinas foreign ministry has generally maintained an outward appearance of calm in the run-up to Trumps inauguration, mostly declining to rise to the bait after some of Trumps most strident tweets. Behind the scenes, though, diplomats in Beijing say the government is very nervous about the prospect of a Trump administration.

[China warns state media: Be nice to Donald Trump, or else]

The English-language China Daily newspaper said it hoped Trump could display more statesmanship after his inauguration but warned that he was playing with fire in trying to open the one-China question.

If Trump is determined to use this gambit on taking office, a period of fierce, damaging interactions will be unavoidable, as Beijing will have no choice but to take off the gloves, it wrote in an editorial.

Chinas censors recently ordered the nations media not to indulge in unauthorized criticism of Trump, according to China Digital Times, a website that tracks censorship directives.

In Moscow, Trump was toasted with champagne at an upscale party stocked with politicians, analysts, activists and journalists. The applause was warm when Trump took the oath.

Its going to be a lot of action, drive, excitement, said Dmitry Nosov, a sturdily built former Olympian and former member of the Russian parliament who wore a gray-checked blazer with a bear pin. Not dull like it has been.

Karla Adam in London; Annie Gowen in Jaipur, India; James McAuley in Paris; Liz Sly in Beirut; Ruth Eglash and Loveday Morris in Jerusalem; Stephanie Kirchner in Berlin; Simon Denyer in Beijing; Joshua Partlow in Mexico City; and Andrew Roth in Moscow contributed to this report.

Read more:

Can an American become a refugee? Yes, and some already have.

Philippines Duterte unveils his Trump impression, complete with profanities

Trumps extensive deals in India raise conflict-of-interest concerns

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Accused drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman appeared in a U.S. court here for the first time Friday, pleading not guilty to the charges against him as prosecutors revealed in stunning detail how they intend to build and prove their case.

Guzman, dressed in dark blue prison garb, said, Yes, sir, in Spanish as a judge asked questions about whether he understood the charges against him. He was not handcuffed and seemed subdued during the hearing, which lasted less than 10 minutes. His attorney entered his not-guilty plea.

The appearance came shortly after prosecutors, in a 56-page court filing, asked a judge to order Guzman detained indefinitely, laying out a history of the drug trade in the Americas and tracing how Guzman rose to power in it through unparalleled ruthlessness and efficiency. For nearly 30 years, they alleged, Guzman built an international, multibillion-dollar business, protecting it with a veritable army, ready to war with competitors and anyone Guzman deemed to be a traitor.

[Read prosecutors memo detailing the evidence they have against Joaquin El Chapo Guzman]

These last few decades have shown that Guzmans influence knows no bounds, prosecutors wrote.

Guzman is charged in federal courts in six states with an array of crimes, including leading a continuing criminal enterprise and importing and distributing narcotics. He was extradited to the United States late Thursday.

At a news conference Friday morning, U.S. Attorney Robert L. Capers called the occasion a milestone in our pursuit of Chapo Guzman. He said Guzman was facing a possible sentence of life in prison and that prosecutors are also seeking a $14 billion forfeiture.

As part of the extradition process, U.S. officials had to assure their Mexican counterparts that he would not be given the death penalty, Capers said.

Prosecutors wrote that they expect a large number of witnesses to testify against Guzman, including dozens who have had face-to-face dealings with him and who can describe every aspect of Guzmans organization from its inception in the late 1980s through his building of an international empire. They also said they expect testimony from Colombian cartel leaders and other suppliers, transporters and U.S.-based distributors.

A former member of law enforcement in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, is expected to describe being paid hundreds of dollars a month to release members of Guzmans Sinaloa Cartel from custody, to remove roadblocks from drug shipment routes and even to provide armed escorts for drug-laden trucks, prosecutors wrote.

The caliber of witnesses is strong and great, Capers said. He said that nearly 40 could testify at a trial that could last many weeks.

[Guzman extradited to U.S.]

Prosecutors wrote that investigators have recovered ledgers from Colombian cartel bosses and suppliers, detailing the financial agreements between Guzman and suppliers for drug shipments. They also said they had gathered evidence from recorded conversations with Guzman.

Guzmans history is well known, but in an effort to convince a federal judge that he must be held, prosecutors outlined in their filing his rise to power and how it stimulated the drug trade across the Western hemisphere.

The son of a peasant farmer, Guzman set himself apart as a trafficker of cocaine supplied by Colombians in the 1980s for his efficiency, earning himself the nickname El Rapido and eventually allowing him to negotiate directly for more pay from his suppliers, prosecutors wrote. He formed relationships with other traffickers and fought for more territory. One bloody battle for control of the Tijuana area of Mexico led to a shootout at an airport in Guadalajara and killed Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo, prosecutors wrote.

That killing led to the first nationwide manhunt for Guzman, and he was apprehended in 1993. But, with the help of his brother, he continued to expand his business from behind bars and escaped from prison in 2001, purportedly in a laundry cart with the assistance of prison officials whom he had corrupted, prosecutors wrote.

Guzman developed an army to protect him and reshaped his Sinaloa Cartel, establishing distribution networks across the United States and diversifying the drugs he sold to include methamphetamine, along with cocaine, heroin and marijuana, prosecutors wrote. He corrupted Mexican officials with bribes and punished those disloyal with violence. He became known for carrying a gold-plated AK-47 and a gold and diamond-encrusted handgun, prosecutors wrote.

At his home in Mexico, Guzman reportedly enjoys a reputation as a Robin Hood, an admired outlaw who has waged a successful fight against the government. Capers said Guzmans story was not one of a do-gooder but of a small cancerous, tumor that metastasized.

[Guzmans dreams of biopic aided in his capture]

When Guzman was recaptured in 2014, he had control of most of the Western hemispheres cocaine transportation and distribution network from South America to as far north as Canada, prosecutors wrote. He escaped again in 2015, sliding down a hole cut in the floor of his cells shower stall and fleeing through a mile-long tunnel that had been dug by members of his cartel. He was taken into custody by Mexican police after about six months on the loose, and the U.S. Justice Department pressed for him to be handed over to face charges here.

News images showed that Guzman arrived in the United States on Thursday night under heavy, armed guard, and there was a similar presence at the courthouse Friday. Prosecutors wrote that although he is a Mexican citizen, he has members of his organization nearby, ready to assist him to flee the Courts jurisdiction.

Authorities, though, said Guzman would not escape. Angel Melendez, the special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York City, said Guzman himself seemed to recognize he would be facing a different situation on U.S. soil.

As you looked into his eyes, you could see the surprise, you could see the shock, and to a certain extent, you could actually see the fear, Melendez said. I assure you, no tunnel will be built leading to his bathroom.

Zapotosky reported from Washington.
The Senate confirmed John F. Kelly as secretary of homeland security on Friday, putting the blunt-spoken retired Marine general in charge of securing the nations borders, including construction of the controversial southwest border wall that was a centerpiece of President Trumps campaign.

Senators approved Kellys nomination to run the Department of Homeland Security, a sprawling entity of more than 240,000 employees who do everything from protecting the president to safeguarding the nations electrical grid.

Kelly, who retired in February as chief of the U.S. Southern Command, is part of the first wave of Cabinet secretaries who will begin to implement the expansive plans of the nations 45th president.

[Lt. Gen. John Kelly, who lost son to war, says U.S. largely unaware of sacrifice]

DHS will be at the forefront of some of the most highly charged parts of that agenda, including the wall, which would be designed to keep out illegal immigrants. Kelly appeared to play down the walls importance at his recent confirmation hearing, telling a Senate committee that a physical barrier in and of itself will not do the job and that technology such as drones and sensors are also needed to secure the border.

Kelly will also oversee Trumps promised broader crackdown on undocumented immigrants, which Trump has said will include beefing up the numbers of border and immigration agents in an expensive and logistically difficult operation to remove millions of people from the country. Democrats and advocates for immigrants have vowed to fight any nationwide sweeps.

A widely respected officer who served for more than 40 years, Kelly won strong support from Republicans, who hailed his military experience and the border expertise he gained at Southern Command.

General Kelly has devoted his life to service, and Im thankful that the full Senate has recognized that he is the right person to be the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Democrats also spoke about him in mostly positive terms, though Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate committee, announced this week she would vote against him.

She cited Kellys failure to provide assurances to beneficiaries of the Obama administrations Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. The 2012 initiative has given temporary protection from deportation to hundreds of thousands of people who arrived in the United States as children. Trump vowed during the campaign to reverse it, but Kelly said in his hearing that he would keep an open mind about the program.

Kelly struck a markedly different tone than Trump on a number of issues, including a ban on all Muslims entering the United States, which Trump had described as a counterterrorism necessity. Kelly noted that when he was a Marine officer in Iraq, his forces secured stability in part by reaching out to clerics and other Muslim leaders.

[Trumps generals, hardened by war, see militant Islam, Iran as dire dangers]

Trumps team was drawn to Kelly because of his experience at Southern Command overseeing military operations and liaison relationships across Central and South America, and working with several DHS agencies. Kelly was also a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, which advised former DHS secretary Jeh Johnson on security issues.

Earlier in his career, Kelly served as the assistant commander of the 1st Marine Division during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. He returned there again in 2004, and a third time in 2008, when he was named the top U.S. commander in western Iraq. He also worked in the Obama administration as a senior military adviser to defense secretaries Robert M. Gates and Leon E. Panetta.

Read more:

John Kelly stresses military and border experience at his confirmation hearing

What Trump may not know about the generals hes eyeing for top positions

Donald Trumps Cabinet confirmation hearings, in 5 minutes
President Trumps foreign policy, summarized in a brief document posted on the White House website Friday, restated his campaign promises to achieve peace through strength by rebuilding the military, defeating radical Islamic terror groups and scrapping failed trade deals.

Without deviating from his campaign language, the statement provided no new details of how the new administration plans to accomplish his goals. The counterterrorism strategy echoed the Obama era strategy of working with coalition partners, cutting off terrorist funding and expanding intelligence sharing.

[9 foreign policy issues the Trump administration will have to face]

In starker terms than the previous administration, the statement pledged to engage in cyber warfare against terrorist networks.

It said the new administration would embrace diplomacy. In an apparent reflection of Trumps stated intention to move toward warmer ties with Russia and to place security and economic interests above shared values, it said that we are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies.

On trade, the statement repeated Trumps promise to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership  the Pacific Rim agreement signed last year by 12 countries, including the United States but excluding China.

It said the United States would withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) unless U.S. partners Mexico and Canada agreed to renegotiate unspecified elements of the deal, something the governments of both those countries have already said they are willing to do.

U.S. trade deals traditionally favoring members of the Washington establishment, would in the future put America first, it said, adding that the administrations trade team, including wealthy businessmen and bankers, are the best negotiators possible.

Read more:

Do campaign statements and tweets add up to a foreign policy?

A complex relationship with China could temper Trumps tough talk on jobs, trade

Russia has gone crazy for Trump as Moscow savors Obamas departure
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, shown at a Dec. 20 conference in Moscow, said this week that he thinks relations with the United States will improve significantly under Donald Trump. (Natalia Kolesnikova/European Pressphoto Agency)

Turkey is confident that its relations with the United States will improve significantly under President-elect Donald Trump and expects positive responses to concerns it believes the Obama administration played down, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday.

At the top of Turkeys list of issues, he said in an interview, are its request for U.S. extradition of Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based Turkish cleric charged with orchestrating last summers coup attempt, and U.S. dependence on and support for Syrian Kurdish fighters that Turkey considers terrorists.

I am confident that there is definitely a better understanding of both concerns by Trump, said Cavusoglu, who came for the inauguration and met this week with Michael T. Flynn, the president-elects designated national security adviser. We need to rebuild mutual trust, he said, noting that anti-Americanism is on the rise in Turkey.

We are waiting for the new administration, Cavusoglu said.

Amid high global anxiety over Trump, Turkey and Russia are among the few nations who are sure that things are about to get much better.

U.S. relations with Turkey, a NATO ally, have slumped under President Obama. Both countries are members of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State and the U.S.-organized international group seeking a solution to Syrias civil war.

[U.S. military aid is fueling big ambitions for Syrias leftist Kurdish militia]

But geography  including Turkeys 500-mile-long border with Syria  and differences between the way Obama and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assess the counterterrorism threat have often left them at odds over how to deal with the upheaval in the Middle East.

In recent months, Turkey has turned to Russia to help solve the Syria problem that the United States accuses the Kremlin of fueling with its military and political support for President Bashar al-Assad. The two, along with Iran  Assads other ally  have organized a cease-fire and peace conference between the Assad government and its armed opponents, to begin Monday in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Cavusoglu said the conference, part of a process from which the Obama administration was excluded, hopes to solidify the cease-fire, which he said both Assad and Iranian allies have violated, and to initiate direct talks between the sides on the ground prior to United Nations-sponsored peace negotiations in early February.

Trump has promised improved ties with Russia, and Flynn received a personal invitation late last month from Sergey Kislyak, Russias ambassador to the United States. Although the incoming administration has not formally replied, Cavusoglu said he is certain that Trump will send a representative.

This week, Turkish and Russian warplanes for the first time flew joint strike missions in support of Turkish troops advancing on Islamic State positions in and around the northern Syrian town of al-Bab. The United States had advised against the al-Bab operation and demurred on requests for direct air support as Turkish ground forces ran into trouble in the area about 30 miles south of its southern border.

They are using my air base, and they are not giving air cover, Cavusoglu said of the United States, which launches much of its own air operations against the Islamic State in Syria from Turkeys Incirlik base. Im not cooperating with Russia against NATO allies or anybody else, but against terrorists. Both Obama and Trump have proposed counterterrorism cooperation with Russia in Syria.

Cavusoglu bristled over widespread reports here and in Europe that Turkey is tilting away from NATO and toward Russia.

Do we have to agree to whatever the U.S. asks or says, since we are allies? he said. No. I dont have to . . . or vice versa.

Whenever we have good relations with other countries, this is the typical question  is there a shift or not? International relations are shifting all the time, he said, as countries follow their own interests. Many of those raising questions about Turkey, he said, have extensive economic and other interests with Russia, despite sanctions imposed following Russian incursions in Ukraine.

Do I ask those countries whether they have shifted? he asked? This is nonsense. This is unacceptable. . . . How can I say no to any country when it comes to fighting against terrorist organizations?

Much of Turkeys ire toward the United States  and of U.S. reluctance to provide direct assistance to Turkeys operations inside Syria  involves the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, the Syrian Kurdish fighters who form the bulk of the U.S.-backed fighting force against the Islamic State in Syria.

The Pentagon, while acknowledging that the Kurds have a separatist agenda, believes they are the only domestic Syrian force capable of combating the militants and that they can be controlled. It fears that Turkish advances inside Syria eventually will disrupt nearby U.S.-backed operations, spearheaded by YPG forces, to eliminate the Islamic State.

Turkey considers the YPG part of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, the Turkish separatist movement both it and the United States have labeled terrorists. Cavusoglu said that the perpetrators of recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul and Ankara came from YPG camps in Syria and that the United States has made itself a hostage to the group.

One terrorist organization is forcing the policy of a big country like the United States, he said. Is it acceptable? No.

Once they take al-Bab, he said, Turkish forces will turn eastward toward the de facto Islamic State capital of Raqqa, where the United States, the YPG and allied Syrian Arab forces are organizing an offensive for later this year. If Turkey encounters the Kurds, Cavusoglu said, it will fight them.

He said Turkey believes Trump will resolve this problem, in addition to adding new energy to the fight against the Islamic State.

Cavusoglu said he also expects an early favorable response from the Trump administration to Turkeys request for the extradition of Gulen, which was initially transmitted in August. Since then, he said, we havent heard anything from the Justice Department.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to respond to requests for information about the status of the request.
U.S. counterintelligence officials are sifting through intercepted communications and financial data as part of a wider look at possible ties between the Russian government and associates of President-elect Donald Trump, officials said.

But while it has been clear for months that a broad investigation is underway, what remains murky  even to lawmakers receiving closed briefings  is its scope and target. It is unclear if the intercepts being examined have any connection to the Trump campaign.

But the investigation adds to the uncertainty surrounding Trumps relationship with Russia even as he is sworn in as president. U.S. intelligence agencies have already concluded that Russia interfered in the election to help Trump win.

FBI Director James B. Comey has been chastised by Democratic lawmakers for refusing to even acknowledge that it was investigating alleged links between Trump or his associates and the Kremlin.

Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has been under FBI scrutiny for some time, including for allegations of illegal financial dealings in Ukraine, current and former U.S. officials said. Manafort has done business in Russia and Ukraine.

The Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, CIA and the National Security Agency, which intercepts phone calls, emails and other electronic communications of foreigners overseas, are also involved in the probe, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it is an ongoing matter.

In September, The Washington Post reported that U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies were investigating a broad, covert Russian operation in the United States to sow public distrust in the 2016 election. The BBC last week and McClatchy this week reported that six U.S. government agencies were involved in a probe of potential Russian interference in the campaign, to include possible covert funneling of money by the Kremlin to help Trump win. The New York Times on Thursday reported that the U.S. authorities were scrutinizing intercepted communications and financial data as part of a wider probe of possible links between Trump associates, including Manafort, and Russia.

Manafort was forced out of the campaign in August in the wake of slipping poll numbers for Trump and news reports about his financial dealings with pro-Moscow leaders in Ukraine in which he is alleged to have received millions of dollars in secret cash payments.

Manafort, a veteran GOP political operative, was hired last spring to work with Trumps campaign of political neophytes to be a voice of experience. But Manafort was not a typical Washington political hand. He was also a global deal-maker with ties to business and political leaders linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Manafort, in a response to the Times, said he had no contact with Russian officials and had not directed any others to have such contact. Manafort did not respond to a request for comment late Thursday.

In congressional testimony, Comey has been cagey on whether there is an active investigation of Trump associates and their possible ties to Russia. His answers left the impression that a probe of some sort was underway, but his refusal to be more direct has frustrated Democrats who were outraged by Comeys comments late in the election on the FBIs probe of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.

During a hearing earlier this month, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) asked Comey whether the FBI has investigated reported relationships between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russians.

Comey replied that he would never comment on investigations, whether we have one or not in an open forum like this.

Comeys position drew a derisive response from Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) who said, The irony of your making that statement here I cannot avoid.

The FBI chief then tried to qualify his answer, saying that we sometimes think differently about closed investigations, referring to the Clinton probe, but he asked me if I had any pending investigations and were not going to talk about that.

Tom Hamburger contributed to this report.
Authorities escort Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman from a plane to a waiting caravan of SUVs in Ronkonkoma, N.Y. after he was extradited to the United States. (U.S. law enforcement via AP)

The worlds most notorious drug lord, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, was extradited to the United States on Thursday night, whisked away from the country where he built an empire that delivered tons of heroin, cocaine and marijuana to the world.

Guzmans departure brings to a close one of the more dramatic chapters in the history of Mexican criminality. He was as much phantom as drug-runner: a man who escaped from Mexican federal prison twice, who ran the largest and most sophisticated drug cartel in Mexico, who flew in private planes to mountaintop lairs and dined with celebrities while he was the countrys most-wanted fugitive.

The transfer came after a Mexican court earlier Thursday rejected Guzmans last bid to avoid extradition. Officially, Mexican authorities said the timing of the extradition was related to judicial processes and not the U.S. political calendar. But one Mexican official described the transfer of the prisoner as a farewell gift to President Obama rather than an overture to President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to make Mexico pay for a border wall and threatened to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

Even though the newly appointed foreign minister of Mexico, Luis Videgaray, developed close contacts with the Trump team during the U.S. presidential campaign, the extradition of Guzman was intended to send a signal to Trump that not all negotiations with Mexico would be as easy as this one, the official said.

The message to Trump, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid, is that nothing is for free.

(The Washington Post)

[Mexico approves El Chapos extradition]

Guzman, who was recaptured a year ago and has been held in federal prison in the border town of Ciudad Juarez, has been wanted in the United States to be tried on charges of trafficking heroin, cocaine and other drugs across the border, and committing other crimes.

Guzman was turned over to officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Ciudad Juarez and flown to New York. He landed at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y. Authorities said he was brought there because his indictment in federal court in the Eastern District of New York contained a provision that he must first enter the United States in that district to preserve the charges there.

Court records show the case was assigned Thursday to U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan, who was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush in 2006. Officials said Guzman is expected to appear in court Friday, though the exact time was not immediately clear.

According to his 2009 indictment there, Guzman and other cartel bosses employed hit men who carried out hundreds of acts of violence, including murders, kidnappings, tortures and violent collections of drug debts, at their discretion.

The first and most important thing is that he is gone, said Alejandro Hope, a Mexican security analyst and former intelligence official. How great that he is gone.

The Justice Department had been pressing for months to have him turned over. The Mexican government approved Guzmans extradition in May and transferred him to a prison near Ciudad Juarez in preparation for his eventual transfer to U.S. custody. But his lawyers challenged the extradition order in court, delaying the process. Mexican officials have long indicated that the extradition could happen around January.

(Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

One of Guzmans lawyers, Jose Refugio, told a Mexican news program that he was surprised that the extradition took place so quickly after the appeal.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in the Eastern District of New York declined to comment.

[How Mexican authorities recaptured El Chapo]

The son of a peasant farmer from the mountains of Sinaloa state along Mexicos Pacific Coast, the 5-foot-6-inch drug lord, whose nickname El Chapo means Shorty, became a master criminal. Always one step away from an escape hatch or a trap door, he was a legend of the underworld who bribed his way to impunity and operated for many years above the law.

Guzman was already a prominent drug trafficker when he was captured in Guatemala in 1993 and sent to Mexicos high-security Puente Grande prison. Just before he was to be extradited to the United States, Guzman made his first escape, slipping out of the prison in 2001  as the legend goes, in a laundry cart.

Once free, he set about building the Sinaloa cartel into a ruthless and feared drug-

running organization. Guzman publicly claimed responsibility for sending tons of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana to the United States and many other parts of the world, using underground tunnels, submarines, trucks, speedboats and airplanes.

Some considered him a folk hero for his free-spending ways, particularly among the farmers who served as his protection in the mountains around his home town. But his assassins murdered thousands in the battle for supremacy against other cartels.

In February 2014, after he had spent 13 years on the lam, Mexican Navy commandos tracked him to a condominium in the Pacific coast resort town of Mazatlan, where they burst into his room and captured him without a shot being fired. They relied heavily on intelligence provided by U.S. law enforcement officials.

Guzman was imprisoned in a special wing inside the countrys highest-security prison, a facility outside Mexico City known as the Altiplano. At that time, the government rejected U.S. pressure for his extradition. But authorities claims that they could successfully hold and prosecute him collapsed in July 2015 when he slipped down a hole cut in the floor of his cells shower stall. He escaped through a mile-long tunnel that had been excavated by members of his cartel.

After six months on the loose, Guzman was recaptured by Mexican federal police near the city of Los Mochis in northern Sinaloa. After he was arrested, Rolling Stone revealed that Guzman had held a secret rendezvous with actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo while he was a fugitive.

Zapotosky reported from Washington. William Branigin and Ellen Nakashima in Washington, and Gabriela Martinez in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Read more:

How Mexico secretly launched a crackdown after Penn met El Chapo

In Mexicos Murder City, the war appears over

Residents in a Mexican neighborhood miss the cartel that protected them

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Some 2,500 bus drivers in the German state of Hesse have been on strike against highly exploitative conditions for the past 10 days. On Tuesday evening, the state association of bus companies (LHO) presented an offer that can only be interpreted as an insult.

On Wednesday, however, the bus drivers union, Verdi, decided to resume negotiations with the companies the following morning. Meanwhile the strike continues, to keep pressure up during the negotiations, as Verdis press office declared. It is obviously impossible for Verdi at this point to break the strike and send the drivers back to work.

The new offer was just an insultthis was the unanimous opinion of strikers on Wednesday. The LHO had originally proposed raising the basic wage from 12 (US$ 12.79) per hour to 12.65 in a series of steps. On Tuesday, LHO managing director Volker Tuchan offered an additional 35 cents, on condition that the final hourly wage of 13 come into effect only on January 1, 2019. The old contract expired seven months ago.

This is no improvement at all. We havent been out in the cold for 10 days for this, one bus driver in Frankfurt told WSWS reporters. We cant live on the wage they pay us. That has to change. Bus workers in Giessen remain 100 percent behind the strike. We will continue until we receive a reasonable offer, one bus driver told the local newspaper.

The workers, who walked out against 20 private bus companies in Hesse, have received the support of other bus and tram drivers in the form of solidarity strikes. In Darmstadt, where drivers have been striking for eight days, an attempt by HEAG mobilo, a regional transport company, to organise strikebreaking on streetcar routes collapsed.

When one of the trams attempted to leave the depot in the southern part of Darmstadt, some 30 workers blocked it by occupying the tracks. They stayed there, even after the manager called the police. Shortly thereafter, the company abandoned its attempt to break the strike.

This sharp escalation is surprising, commented a spokesman for another regional company, traffiQ, in Frankfurt. Solidarity strikes also took place in Giessen, Hanau and Offenbach. Thousands of workers are willing to support the bus drivers and at the same time stand up against their own conditions.

It is pure wage slavery, said Paolo, an Italian-born bus driver, at the Romerhof depot in Frankfurt. In the last few days, we have talked a lot about wages and our responsibilities. Everything has changed enormously since 1995. A co-worker added: The city sanitation drivers get more money. Is that logical? They drive garbage, we drive people. Were expected to be satisfied with a real starvation wage.

Cansun Otto drives a bus for DB Busverkehr, which operates several lines in Frankfurt. Ive been a bus driver body and soul for 39 years, Cansun said, but the conditions have gotten worse and worse over the past 10 years.

The drivers schedules involve large amounts of overtime, and the 39.5-hour working week on paper actually works out to 44 hours. A huge problem is the so-called split shifts, explains Cansun. For example, I have to drive from 5:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., then I have several hours of a break, then another three hours driving. My commute takes an hourso Im out of the house for 15 hours, but I only get paid for nine. He often works for 10 days straight. Last summer, the high season, these conditions were imposed on us.

Cansun used to drive bus tours all over the world, with and without trailers, even in double-decker buses. Actually, I should receive 16 euros an hour at this point, but that doesnt matter. He stands 100 percent behind the strike and calls the company offer a joke.

Readers letters in the local daily newspapers demonstrate the extent of support for the bus drivers. A typical example, from RL in Giessen, reads: It is not the bus drivers or trade unionists whom one should criticise. They are only utilising a democratic basic right. It is the local company SWG and the city of Giessen that should be criticised. This situation has arisen through a corporate plan based on outsourcing and temporary work. ... Another personal note. I am severely handicapped and am inevitably dependent on the citys public transport, since I can not afford a taxi or Minicar.

An article in the Frankfurter Rundschau (FR), which called on the bus drivers to stop their strike with the headline Do not exploit the sympathy you have, provoked a series of protest letters. The article was peculiar, wrote one reader. It is admitted that bus drivers should receive a decent salary, but are now being asked to surrender in order not to lose public sympathy. What nonsense? The bus drivers should strike until they receive a wage that guarantees them and their families a normal life.

Another reader commented sarcastically: Yes, yes, the world is so simple! Enough of strikes.  I have seldom had more questions about an FR article! We should be glad that there are organized workers who are ready to fight for better working conditions! The headline of the article should be Solidarity with the striking bus driverskeep it up!

While large sections of the population in Hesse support the strike and connect it to their own problems, Verdi is conducting the most limited kind of action, mobilizing only the bus drivers immediately affected and refusing to extend it to other sections of workers.
On Monday, the final meeting of the IYSSE took place at Berlins Humboldt University (HU) as part of the campaign for the elections to the student parliament, held over Tuesday and Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by some 50 students and young workers, who attentively followed the various contributions and participated in the ensuing discussion. The meeting was chaired by Katja, a history student at Humboldt University and one of the IYSSE representatives to the student parliament last year.

We are participating in the elections to build an international and socialist movement against war, Katja said in opening the meeting. This is why we have dedicated todays event to this theme. She recapped the last three meetings conducted by the IYSSE at HU. These centered on the election of Donald Trump as well as the return of German militarism and the role the universities play in this.

The first contribution was from Andre Damon, the IYSSE spokesperson in the US. Damon gave an assessment of the incoming Trump administration and political developments in the United States. The inauguration of Donald Trump, which is scheduled for this coming Friday, is an unprecedented political event in American history, he said. His government will be a government of billionaires, by billionaires and for billionaires. It was the result of a policy that had made the United States the country with the greatest levels of social inequality.

There was no dispute in the ruling elite about this, Damon said. The only conflicts revolved around the question of who should be the first target of Americas belligerent foreign policy. While Trump wants to focus action against China, the Clinton camp prefers a direct confrontation with Russia. The basis of the policy of both wings was the collapse of industrial production in the US since the post-war period, he said.

The interests of the population no longer found any expression within the existing political system. In 2003, the largest demonstrations in world history had occurred, against the Iraq war. The vast majority of the American population rejects war, Damon said. They are not enthusiastic for the campaign against Russia or China. They are not represented by the political establishment in any way, either by Trump or Clinton. The only way to fight against war is through the building of a socialist movement based on the working class.

The IYSSE spokesperson in Germany, Christoph Vandreier, then developed this argument. Nationalism and militarism were well advanced in Europe, although a majority of the population rejected this policy. Trumps coming to power had further fueled this development.

Vandreier quoted from an interview with Trump by the tabloid Bild, in which he announced a ruthless trade war and a nationalist economic policy. The German elites have responded by demanding an upgrade to the countrys military capacity. The danger of a third world war is greater than ever before, said Vandreier.

But the IYSSE has not reacted to this development with pessimism: The same contradictions that lead to social inequality and war prepare the objective basis for revolution, for the overthrow of capitalism. That is why today, one hundred years after the October Revolution of 1917, the question of revolution is back on the agenda.

Vandreier quoted extensively from the perspective on the anniversary of the October Revolution, published on the WSWS earlier this year, and explained why it was so important to draw the central lessons of history in order to build a socialist anti-war movement.

Sven Wurm, the spokesperson for the IYSSE group at Humboldt University, concluded the contributions by talking about the importance of the fight against the ideological preparations for war and the work of IYSSE. Three years ago, the IYSSE had fought against attempts to rewrite history to discredit the October Revolution and therefore deny there was any alternative to capitalism.

At that time, Jorg Baberowski, professor of Eastern European history, had invited Robert Service, the author of a discredited biography of Leon Trotsky, to the university. It quickly became clear that Baberowski too sought to falsify the history of the October Revolution and play down the crimes of the Nazis. Today, Baberowski is beating the drum for a new war and a police state.

The ruling class is increasingly reliant on lies because its policy is hated by the population, Wurm said. The IYSSE, on the other hand, is fighting for the historical truth. With our work, we contribute to raising the political consciousness among students, young people and the whole working class. This is how we prepare a socialist movement against war and capitalism, he concluded.

Following the contributions, audience members raised many questions. One student wanted to know what would be the consequences of a trade war between the US and Europe. Another asked how students in the US have responded to Trumps election and the work of IYSSE. Another student asked what a revolution really means and whether it is really necessary.

Several IYSSE speakers stressed that a revolution was necessary to prevent new wars. In order to stop workers being plunged into a mutual slaughter, they have to fight against the ruling class, against capitalism, which is responsible for war, said one.

Andre Damon returned to the question of the anti-war sentiment among US students, but stressed that a new anti-war movement required a historical understanding of the roots of the war. This could only be provided by the IYSSE, he said.

The discussion continued long after the official end of the event. Many participants were impressed by the contributions and discussion and expressed their desire to participate in the work of the IYSSE. Daria, who studies economics, thanked the speakers for their contributions, saying, I found it particularly interesting that the IYSSE does not support one or other government, but stands for an independent movement against war.

Chloe, a visiting student from Shanghai, said the meeting had been very good. I had not been so clear about how far the preparations for war against China have progressed, she said. She said she would support the IYSSE election campaign and help build the organization.
Europe

Strike by Italian textile and footwear workers

Some half a million Italian textile and shoe manufacturer workers went on strike January 13 to demand the renewal of national labour contracts. A new contract has been on hold for 10 months. The unions have called on the companies to return to negotiations.

The strikers held a demonstration in Florence, coinciding with a major fashion show.

Strike by Cypriot port pilots against privatisation

Port pilots at the port of Limassol held a half-day strike on January 11. The six pilots took the action to protest the privatization of the port, which will mean the outsourcing of their jobs. The pilots have been instructed to train the six Dutch pilots due to take over their jobs at the end of the month.

The pilots may take further action and are awaiting the outcome of a bill being discussed in parliament, which if passed would stipulate only Cypriot nationals would be able to act as port pilots.

In April last year, the Cypriot government signed a deal with a consortium led by Dubai Ports World for the port to be privatised as part of the deal over the bailout of the Cypriot banks.

Metro staff in Spanish city of Malaga strike

Staff working on the metro light rail system in the Spanish city of Malaga, who held a strike at the beginning of the month, plan two further days of action to take place February 2 and 9. In addition, protests will take place outside the networks stations in the period leading up to the strikes.

The staff represented by the CCOO union are seeking improved pay and conditions.

Spanish trade unionists hold protests over deaths

Trade unionists from the UGT and CCOO unions held a protest on January 14 over the death of a security guard at the Michelin Experience Centre in Nijar in the Almeria province of Andalucia, Spain. The death on Christmas day was the twelfth work-related death in the Almeria province last year.

Swedish dockworkers resume overtime ban

Dockers at the Swedish port of Gothenburg, members of the Swedish Dockworkers Union, resumed an overtime ban on January 6, which is due to last till February 28, as part of a long-running dispute. A previous overtime ban, which began November 8, was lifted on December 31 last year. They are employed by APM Terminals, which is seeking to lay off 30 of the 440 full time employees.

As well as opposing the layoffs the dockworkers are seeking a separate collective bargaining agreement from that in force throughout the rest of the country. They are also opposing the use of casual workers.

The port, Swedens largest, handles over 50 percent of the countrys container trade.

UK atomic weapons staff strike to oppose attack on pensions

Around 600 staff employed at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at its two sites, Aldermaston and Burghfield in Berkshire, members of the Unite union, began a 48-hour strike on Wednesday. They are opposing plans by AWE to close the defined benefit pension scheme and replace it with an inferior defined contribution scheme. A further 48-hour strike is planned to begin January 30. The staff voted by a more than 90 percent majority to go on strike.

AWE is jointly owned by US firms Lockheed Martin and Jacob Engineering, together with UK security firm Serco. AWE had originally been a Ministry of Defence establishment, but was privatised in the 1990s. At the time of privatisation staff were assured their pension scheme would be maintained.

Further strike action by UK technology company staff in Manchester

Around 300 staff working for the international technology company Fujitsu held a one-day strike on Monday, the twelfth to date with a further strike planned for today. A strike planned for yesterday was called off by their union Unite as talks between Fujitsu management and the union brokered by the reconciliation service ACAS took place.

There are a series of issues at stake, including the companys plans to cut 1,800 across its sites across the UK. Fujitsu has major plants in Bracknell, Crewe, London, Solihull, Wakefield and Warrington, Belfast and Derry in Northern Ireland in addition to the Manchester plant.

Other issues include a pay differential for women, who earn around 16 percent less than men performing similar roles. Their pension scheme is also under attack. Following a picket of the Manchester site on Monday, pickets went to the Post Office premises in Chesterfield. The post office is a major Fujitsu customer.

UK airline cabin crew hold further strike

Cabin crew employed by the UK airline British Airways on their mixed fleet services, members of the Unite union, began a 72-hour strike yesterday. This follows a 48-hour strike last week. They are striking over poverty pay.

Some workers say they have to hold down two jobs with others saying they turn up to work even when sick so not to lose the 3 an hour allowance earned when they are on duty. BA staff taken on after 2010 were employed on an inferior contract. BA announced it expected to cancel some of its short-haul flights as a result of the strike.

Strike by teachers in Northern Ireland

Teachers belonging to the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) held a half-day strike on Wednesday in pursuit of an improved pay offer. Following a pay freeze last financial year, teachers have only been offered a 1 percent pay rise this year.

Around 7,000 INTO members took part in the strike, affecting some 800 schools. Teachers belonging to the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) in Derry, Strabane, Mid Ulster, Fermanagh and Omagh are due hold a one-day strike on January 31 over the same issue. NASUWT members in Belfast and Newtonabbey held a one-day strike on November 30 last year again over the issue of pay.

UK teaching assistants in Derby hold a week of strike action

School support staff including teaching assistants, school supervisors and admin staff in Derby in the UK Midlands have held a half-day strike each day of the week. They are members of the Unison union. The action is part of a long-running dispute, which included a two-day strike on January 4 and 5.

Their employer is seeking to change their contracts, removing pay over the school holiday periods which would mean a cut of up to 25 percent for some workers.

Strike by social workers in northern England threatened with legal action

Social workers in the northern England town of Huddersfield voted by a 79 percent majority to hold a strike on January 27. They are members of the Unison union. The vote was in response to allegations of bullying, case overloads, pay, an inadequate IT system and over-reliance on agency staff.

Their employer, Kirklees council, in which the Labour Party has minority control, has threatened to seek a court injunction to prevent the strike.

Middle East

Strike of Egyptian pharmacists postponed

Egyptian pharmacists belonging to the Pharmacists Syndicate have postponed a strike, originally due to begin January 15. They had planned to close their pharmacies for a total of six hours a day for three days and then begin an all-out strike thereafter. The planned action was to protest government plans to increase the price of medicines. The postponement took place following an indication that the presidents office was considering their concerns.

Israeli pilots threaten action

El Al pilots are threatening to resume their programme of disruption, which included pilots calling in sick. The previous action was in pursuit of a pay claim. A deal was struck with the pilots union resulting in an 8.75 percent pay rise.

El Al has begun compelling a third of its experienced pilots and flying instructors who are over the age of 65, to take mandatory vacations and so receive reduced salaries. Their union argues the action is illegal, vacations should be for rest and recuperation, not be imposed. El Al managements response is that the government is imposing an international ruling on them requiring commercial pilots to retire at the age of 65.

Africa

South African miners underground protest

Miners at Harmony Golds Kusasalethu mine, South Africa, staged a sit-in on January 11 to enforce several demands. Some 1,700 miners out of the 4,500 workforce, stayed 2.4 kilometres below ground for 30 hours, demanding bonus payments, removal of the pit general manager and a guarantee that no miner will be victimised for the action.

The sit-in was deemed illegal and the two unions at the pit, the National Union of Mineworkers and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) claim they were not responsible for the miners actions.

Management gave way to the demand for the overdue special bonus, in negotiations with AMCU, but would not commit on whether to impose disciplinary action. Miners returned to work on January 13 without a resolution on the removal of the general manager and could be subject to disciplinary measures.

Winery workers strike against wage settlement duplicity

Workers have at Robertsons Winery in South Africa have resumed their strike. They came out on strike in August to demand an R8,500 ($625) wage increase but eventually settled for an 8 percent rise taking their pay to R4,264 ($315) a month.

The renewal of the strike is in protest at the companys back payment and bonus agreement. Back pay of wages should have been paid from August 8 last year but was only paid from November after the return to work. Similarly, bonus payments were deducted for the period on strike.

The Commercial, Stevedoring and Allied Workers' Union (CSAAWU) says strikers are being disciplined, although the union recommended a return to work and put their grievances in the hands of lawyers.

Strike threat by Zimbabwean teachers union

Zimbabwean teachers have threatened to embark on a go-slow followed by an all-out strike if bonuses are not paid. For the first time, the annual 13th month bonus has not been paid to government employees.

Apex Council, the public-sector union, says it has not decided on what position it will take on the nonpayment of the 13th cheque, and is still discussing it. Last September, Patrick Chinamasa, the countrys finance minister, proposed the suspension of civil servants bonuses alongside a raft of assaults on the public sector.

Zimbabwean President Mugabe and his cabinet denied they had agreed to take up Chinamasas proposals, although they stated the government is not contracted by an agreement to pay bonuses.

Nigerian oil workers union calls off strikes

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) called off its three-day warning strike on its first day, January 11. The oil union called its members out over illegal treatment by oil conglomerates in arbitrary sackings and layoff compensation.

Other related and unrelated oil worker strikes were also called off. Oil hub operatives in Oleh in the Niger Delta, controlling pipeline flow, striking over unpaid wages, were simultaneously sent back to work.

A strike at Total Oil over sackings was also called off after a day, due to an unspecified settlement, alongside the rest of NUPENG members. The NUPENG president stated he was satisfied with commitments shown by Labour Minister Chris Ngige, who is reported by Reuters as saying; workers will be entitled to all their entitlements, salaries and allowances.

More Nigerian public-sector workers strike over unpaid wages

Teachers in Abia State, Nigeria refused to return to work on January 9, the opening date of the new educational year. The educators stayed away in protest at not being paid five months outstanding wages. Primary and secondary teachers July salaries were paid in December.

Dates for the resumption of the education year were put back to January 16 on the promise that the two months pay for August and September would be paid before that date, but it did not happen.

While pupils were being turned away from state schools, private schools are fully attended and not affected by the strike. Teachers are in the invidious position of not being able to pay for their own childrens education.

Strike threat by Kenyan health staff

Kenyan clinical officers are threatening to strike next week unless their pay demand is responded to. The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) is demanding promotions and better pay and allowances.

An evaluation and a defined structuring was carried out producing a grading of clinical officers pay, and mandating the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to advise the government on its implementation. KUCO are questioning why the government went through the process but then did not put it into action.

Gabon oil workers strike over job security

Shell workers in Gabon went on a national strike in the OPEC country January 12. Shell, one of the largest oil companies in the world, is in the process of selling its operations in the country.

Workers are concerned over their future employment and are demanding of Shell a contract with a buyer that incorporates the whole workforce for five years. Shell produces 55,000 of Gabons 220,000 barrels of oil a day.
(Photo: Instagram/Anjali Lama)

Anjali Lama made history today as the first transgender model to hit the runway for Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai. Wearing an original design from Monisha Jaisings new couture collection, she strutted atop a luxury cruise ship in India for the official kickoff to Lakme Fashion Weeks upcoming Summer/Resort 2017 shows, which begin on Feb. 1.

While Lama has walked other runways and graced the covers of magazines, this fashion show is different.

This is the first time in Lakmes 18-year history that any transgender came for an audition and made it, she told Yahoo Beauty. This is an international show, and hundreds of models wish to be a part of this, and it was the same with me. Being chosen has given me lots of motivation and encouragement to make those that believe in me proud.

Transgender model @anjali_lama_official walks the ramp for the Grand Opening by @monishajaising on @costacruiseindia neoClassica at #LakmeFashionWeek Summer/Resort 2017 #5DaysOfFashion #OpeningShow #MonishaJaising #LFWGrandOpening #model #beautiful A photo posted by Lakme Fashion Week (@lakmefashionwk) on Jan 20, 2017 at 5:38am PST

And proud Lama was, as she walked down the ramp of the ship outfitted in an intricate gold dress that featured a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit. Her makeup was fresh and neutral, with a beautiful bronzed contour.

The first transgender model to walk an Indian fashion runway. Anjali Lama for #LakmeFashionWeek A video posted by ELLE India (@elleindiaofficial) on Jan 20, 2017 at 4:44am PST

Lama was born Nabin Wabia into a farming family in Nuwakot, Nepal. Her modeling story is enduring and tenacious. While battling societal expectations, she continued to challenge her community to understand that transgender people have much to add to the beauty conversation.

The road to transgender and transsexual rights in Nepal and India has not been easy, yet it has been progressive. In India, the Supreme Court decided in 2014 to recognize a third gender that is neither male or female. Nepals Supreme Court ruled back in 2007 that the new democratic government had to create laws to protect LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex) rights and change any existing discriminatory legislation against them. In that same year, Lama participated in a beauty pageant, officially solidifying her position as a model.

Story continues

Lamas career really took off in 2009 when a national magazine in Nepal, Voice of Women, featured her in a photo shoot about Kathmandus transgender community. But after being rejected three times from participation in Nepals premier fashion week, she set her eyes on scoring a spot in Lakme Fashion Week. While she didnt make the cut last year, Lamas dream finally came true.

The organizations behind Lakme Fashion Week believe this representation is a step in the right direction.

A key focus for the Lakme Fashion Week is to push for greater inclusivity in fashion, whether the plus-size initiative last season or having Anjali and Petr (an international gender-neutral model) as part of the model pool this season, said Jaspreet Chandok, the head of fashion at IMG Reliance. We feel that the business of fashion and beauty can only grow if it includes rather than excludes.

Lama is especially excited to see how this monumental moment will impact her modeling career. [Walking in Lakmes Fashion Show] gave me further encouragement, simply based off the name, she said. The city of Mumbai has given me hope, so I plan to join an agency here and try to do other international shows as well.

She also hopes this milestone will empower others to achieve their goals, and that brands and companies will change how they view the LGBTI community. I think if you are good at what you do or have potential and talent, then gender isnt a matter. Or it shouldnt be, Lama said.

Gowns galore @monishajaising s luxurious show. Here @anjali_lama_official the first transgender model to walk the runway @lakmefashionwk #Lakmefashionweek #monishajaising #runway A video posted by Harpers Bazaar, India (@bazaarindia) on Jan 20, 2017 at 4:51am PST





As Lama continues to break down barriers within the fashion industry, we are sure her resilient spirit will challenge us all to understand that beauty has no age, race, or gender.

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.




Photo credit: Joan Fanwick/Dana Tepper

From Seventeen

In 2010, President Obama enacted the Affordable Care Act (nicknamed Obamacare) in an effort to help Americans afford health insurance. House Republican leaders are currently working on a health care bill to replace the ACA. The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan federal agency, reported in January that if the ACA is repealed, 18 million people will lose or forfeit their health insurance in the first year. Joan Fanwick, a 21-year-old college student living with an autoimmune disorder called Sjogren's Syndrome (pronounced "SHOW-grins"), is among that group. Without health insurance, she faces costs upwards of $50,000 per year.

After nearly a decade of mysterious health scares, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called Sjogren's Syndrome last year, when I was a junior at Temple University. It's a chronic illness with no known cause or cure, and without close medical surveillance and care, it can lead to life-threatening complications (like the blood infections I frequently experience).

For me, having this disorder means waking up every morning and taking 10 different medications. It also means a nurse visiting my apartment every Saturday to insert a needle into the port in my chest, so I can give myself IV fluids throughout the week. Every other week, I get a delivery of IV supplies such as bags of saline and IV tubing. And once a month, I receive a giant shipment of feeding-tube nutrition, including four cases of formula.

Photo credit: Joan Fanwick

My medical bills aren't cheap under Obamacare, but I can afford them.

I'm relatively lucky - I have health insurance. Even though kids can stay on their parents' insurance until age 26 thanks to Obamacare, I can't take advantage of that rule. My parents' plan only covers care in Connecticut, where they live, but I go to college in Pennsylvania. So on top of attending school, I hold down two part-time jobs, with a very modest income that qualifies me for government subsidies on a healthcare exchange program.

Story continues

Without insurance, my medical expenses would cost me about $1,000 per week - more than $50,000 per year. And that doesn't even include hospitalizations. Last year, I spent six weeks in the hospital, which would've cost me tens of thousands of dollars if I hadn't been insured.

Before Obamacare, insurance companies had ways of making certain patients pay more. One way was to enact a lifetime cap - they'd cover your healthcare costs to a point, but once you hit your limit, you were maxed out forever. For people like me, who may need expensive medical care for their entire lives, lifetime coverage caps were terrifying.

Under Obamacare, insurance companies aren't allowed to cut you off when your costs climb. Right now, the most I personally have to pay out of pocket is $1,000 per year. That means I cover the first $1,000 of my medical bills, and after that, a federal subsidy covers the rest. I shudder when I imagine having to come up with all the money for my doctors and meds on my own. January's not even over yet, and I've already paid $259.

The Affordable Care Act also makes it illegal for insurance companies to charge more for people with ongoing health conditions. And unlike in the old days, insurers aren't allowed to deny those patients coverage, either. For people like me, Obamacare means we can find insurance and pay the same premium as anyone else.

Photo credit: Joan Fanwick

If Obamacare is repealed, I'll lose my insurance immediately.

Without Obamacare - and without an affordable solution to take its place - I will be among the 18 million Americans losing my health insurance. The possibility is all too real, especially since lawmakers who oppose the Affordable Care Act have yet to put forth a new proposal.

Even if I were able to afford some kind of basic insurance on my own - and get approved with my pre-existing condition - who knows what the plan might actually cover? I can't survive on physicals and flu shots alone.

The consequences ultimately would be life-threatening.

So at first, a repeal would simply bankrupt me; literally all my money would be funneled into my care. When that ran out, I'd immediately lose my medications, nurse's visits, IV, feeding tube and emergency hospitalizations - and my immune system could attack me and kill me.

If I lose my health insurance, I don't know if I can survive four years waiting around for a new president to take office. Unlike the Republicans in the House and Senate, I don't have the privilege of time.

Joan Fanwick is a senior at Temple University in Pennsylvania.

Hannah Orenstein is the assistant features editor at Seventeen.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

You Might Also Like
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the assistant leader of the Senate Democrats. And while more than 60 Democrats in Congress are choosing to boycott Donald Trumps inauguration, Murray will be attending  but in doing so, she wants to send a strong message to the soon-to-be 45th president of the United States.

In a Facebook post Friday morning, Murray wrote, I am going to this Inauguration not to celebrate the start of this new Administration, but to stand with President Obama to represent the families of Washington state in witnessing the peaceful transfer of power in our great country. And to stand up tall in front of the Capitol building as Donald Trump becomes President to make sure he knows that we will not back down, we will not give up, and we will never stop fighting. Then I am going to the womens march to join the millions of others across the country who are making their voices heard too.

Murray continues, In moments like these, small gestures matter. So heres what I am doing: I am going to proudly and prominently wear my pink Planned Parenthood scarf to this Inauguration. I hope President-elect Trump sees it, and I hope he understands what it means and who I am there to represent: the millions of people in Washington state and across the country who reject hatred and division, and will fight back against any attempts to roll back the progress weve made.

And Murrays not the only senator who made a bold (fashion) statement at Trumps inauguration this morning. Also wearing a pink Planned Parenthood scarf was Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

photo courtesy of the office of Senator Patty Murray

On Wednesday, Murray accepted over half a million petitions by reproductive-rights advocates and progressive activists expressing their disagreement with the nomination of Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., as the next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. And on Thursday, Murray hosted a forum alongside Warren and Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., to allow American women to share their personal health stories that speak to their opposition to Prices nomination  often largely around Prices repeated votes to defund Planned Parenthood and his vocal support for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the ACAs contraception mandate, which ensures that insurance plans cover all FDA-approved contraception methods without a copay.

Story continues

So if youre trying to spot whos looking out for womens health in Washington under the Trump administration, its safe to say to just look for the women in pink.

Related: Why Pink Yarn Is Going to Be Hard to Find Until Inauguration Day
Dermal filler injections have become so commonplace that the procedure is on the top of the list of elective aesthetic treatments patients are having done to reverse the effects of aging. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, injectable fillers were the fastest growing minimally invasive procedure in 2015. With injectable treatments growing by the day, its not surprising to hear about botched procedures, scary side effects or rare complications. But hearing about it and experiencing it firsthand are two very different things.

A woman left scarred & disfigured by silicone injections shares her cautionary tale. https://t.co/AlmiByevgh  pic.twitter.com/Y4YmXKBxZ0  The Doctors (@TheDoctors) January 18, 2017

You May Also Like: Are Your Fillers the Real Deal

For 45-year-old Carol Bryan, the complications that occurred as a result of a filler injection gone wrong were horrifying and resulted in permanent disfiguration and temporary blindness. The South Florida woman appeared on The Doctors to share her story and raise awareness about the dangers of receiving the wrong kind of filler injection.

In 2009, after undergoing several successful Botox Cosmetic treatments, Bryan went to see a doctor to address the volume loss in her face that was bothering her. I started doing Botox in my 30s for the vertical lines between my eyes. It was really amazing. It took years off my face, said Bryan. There came a point in time that I started feeling like I was losing some volume and I went for a consultation. I was persuaded to have fillers. By three months I started noticing my face expanding and contractingmy face was blowing up and my forehead began to protrude out like an alien.

You May Also Like: Black Market Injections: What You Need to Know

Story continues

According to Bryan, two different fillers, one of which was silicone, were combined in the same syringe and injected into her forehead area. After a few months, Bryan had an adverse reaction to the mixture of fillers injected in her face. My forehead was becoming so heavy that it started to affect my ability to see, she said. I began to have to tape my eyes open to walk. After several corrective procedures, Bryans case became worse, leaving her permanently disfigured.

As they discussed her case on the show, Beverly Hills, CA, plastic surgeon Andrew Ordon, MD, explained that the use of permanent silicone fillers is what led to the initial complications that caused her forehead to protrude. People that have received silicone injections in the face, body, breastI can see why you would be talked into that because when you say OK, silicone is permanent. That sounds great, I dont have to come back, Im going to address the issue and its taken care of, said Dr. Ordon. The problem with silicone is you never know how it's going to react. It is permanent and in so many cases its just a matter of time that it is going to become an inflammatory problem.

With so many people opting for dermal fillers these days, its important for patients to research their injector and know exactly what is being injected before the needle pierces the skin. Miami dermatologist Janice Lima Maribona, MD, advises that you research your doctor and the different types of dermal fillers available: First and foremost, go to an expert injector in your area. Finding a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon is key. Patients should also know the various types of fillers, the brand names and the companies that produce or represent them in the U.S. The doctor should always bring the box into the room and show the patient. The lot number and expiration date of the product are included in the box and should always be visible.
Cuba Gooding Jr. Files for Divorce from Wife Sara Kapfer After More Than 20 Years of Marriage: Report

Cuba Gooding Jr. has filed for divorce from his wife Sara Kapfer, according to TMZ.

The filing comes nearly three years after Kapfer filed for legal separation from Gooding Jr. in April 2014 citing irreconcilable differences. In the 2014 documents, Kapfer sought joint legal and physical custody of their two minor children (at the time) and also requested spousal support.

According to TMZ, the American Crime Story actor is asking for joint legal custody and physical custody of their daughter  Piper, 10  and is willing to pay spousal support. He is also requesting that he keep all of his earnings from the date Kapfer filed for separation.

Gooding Jr., 49, and Kapfer were high school sweethearts and had three children together  sons Spencer and Mason and daughter, Piper  throughout their 20-plus years of marriage. They dated for seven years before tying the knot on Mar. 13, 1994.

A rep for Gooding Jr. did not immediately respond to a PEOPLE request for comment.




First Lady Michelle Obama and daughter Malia listen to the national anthem before President Barack Obama delivered his farewell address in Chicago on Jan. 10, 2017. (Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

Stars in her eyes. Malia Obama has scored an internship with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, the New York Posts Page Six reported on Thursday.

PHOTOS: Obama Family Album

The 18-year-old is set to start work in the New York office of The Weinstein Company next month, according to The Hollywood Reporter, after Malia and her family  sister Sasha, 15, and parents President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama  take a post-White House vacation in Palm Springs.

The Obamas have been moving out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this week ahead of Donald Trumps inauguration as president on Friday, January 20.

PHOTOS: Malia and Sasha Obamas Best Styles Through the Years

Weinstein has held several fundraisers for President Obama in the past and worked on Hillary Clintons recent presidential campaign. THR reports that its not clear which department Malia will work in, but it may in marketing or development.

As Us Weekly previously reported, Malia worked as an intern on the New York set of Lena Dunhams HBO series Girls in July 2015, and was a production assistant for Halle Berrys CBS show Extant in 2014. She also interned at an unnamed fashion house.

The teen, who graduated from Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., in June 2016, previously announced her plan to take a gap year before heading to Harvard this fall.

PHOTOS: Obama Family: Just Like Us!

Earlier on Thursday the New York Times reported that Malia took a secret two-and-a-half-month trip to South America this past fall, traveling to Bolivia and Peru with a group of teens through the Colorado-based organization Where There Be Dragons. The program is designed to help students examine current political trends, social movements and environmental conservation efforts in the mountains and jungles of Bolivia and Peru, according to the organizations website.

The 83-day trip, which cost almost $15,000, not including airfare, offered intensive Spanish-language courses and an extended home-stay with a family in the small town of Tiquipaya, Bolivia.

Want stories like these delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up now for theUs Weekly newsletter!
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.

Story continues

Ferrer is survived by his wife Lori, sons Lukas and Rafi and his brothers and sisters.

Related stories

Steelers Win On NBC Is Most-Watched & Highest Rated Game Ever In First Two NFL Playoff Rounds

American Music Awards Ratings Hit All-Time Low, 'Sunday Night Football' Falls

Donald Trump Defeats Zombies: '60 Minutes' Interview Gooses 'NCIS: Los Angeles' To Conquer 'Walking Dead'
Photo credit: Vazrick Nazari/Getty Images

From Cosmopolitan

Evolutionary biologist Dr. Vazrick Nazari told The Telegraph the above-pictured species of moth has been named the Neopalpa donaldtrumpi in honor of the president-elect. The decision was made because of the moth's crown of yellow and piercing stare, the paper reports.



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, Nazari said. Not only is this species of moth present throughout California, but it also, funnily enough, can be found in Mexico as well.

Photo credit: Vazrick Nazari

Other traits specific to the species? Often rough head scales that are a distinctive orange-yellow color, Nazari told LiveScience. According to the original study Nazari published his findings in, the moths are miniscule, typically less than half an inch in both length and wingspan.

Also (also!), the shapes of certain folds and pouch-like structures on N. donaldtrumpi's genitalia were also unique to the species, the study reads.

Though this is the first species officially named after Trump, its not uncommon for presidents to accumulate a collection of animal namesakes during their tenures (President Barack Obama just last month racked up his ninth). Nazari told LiveScience he hopes Trump will make conservation of such fragile ecosystems in the U.S. his top priority. On Tuesday, Republicans began readying plans to gut the Endangered Species Act.

So as not to end this on a completely sad note, please allow me to use the below GIF, which does not feel completely unrelated re: president/moth news.

Follow Tess on Twitter.

You Might Also Like
Simon (Jonny Lee Miller) and Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) (Photo: TriStar Pictures)

By Neil Young, The Hollywood Reporter

Shadows of past glories suffocate present endeavors in T2 Trainspotting, the long-awaited, much-delayed and disappointingly redundant follow-up to Danny Boyles 1996 Cool Britannia sensation Trainspotting. Reuniting Boyle with writer John Hodge, producer Andrew MacDonald and most of the original cast  top-billed Ewan McGregor reprises his breakthrough role of the charismatically rebellious Scottish drug addict Renton  this darkly larkish crime-flavored character-comedy will doubtless score very big on its skillfully-hyped U.K.-and-Ireland Jan. 27 bow, but looks of niche interest farther afield.

Director Danny Boyles only film to crack $50 million in North America remains the Oscar juggernaut Slumdog Millionaire  his last two outings, Trance (2013) and Steve Jobs (2015) both underperformed  and T2 will do well to match the originals haul of $16 million ($33 million at todays prices.) Opening wide Stateside on March 10 after limited play the previous week, the TriStar release will pose little threat to Disneys live-action Beauty and the Beast, featuring the dependably versatile McGregor as the talking candelabra Lumiere.

In the cumbersomely-titled T2 Trainspotting  as in the first go-around  the beast is feral psychopath Begbie (Robert Carlyle), a snarling, battling-bantam incarnation of id with a Magnum moustache. The plot now largely revolves around Begbies desire to gain violent revenge on his former pal Renton, who at the climax of Trainspotting made off with drug-score proceeds that were meant to be split four ways.

Related: Trainspotting 2 Trailer Updates Ewan McGregors Signature Choices

Serving a lengthy spell at Her Majestys Pleasure, the resourceful Begbie liberates himself from captivity and heads back to his former stomping grounds in Leith, Edinburghs rough-edged but rapidly gentrifying port. Here he meets up his erstwhile partners-in-crime Simon a.k.a. Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) and Danny a.k.a. Spud (Ewen Bremner)  respectively, an ambitious, coke-snorting publican and a sniveling, smack-addled dreamer.

Story continues

Begbies escape oh-so-handily coincides with the return of Renton after a long, respectable and relatively lucrative exile in chilled-out Amsterdam, though the pairs emotionally charged and  as it turns out  decidedly violent reunion is delayed until the final reel by various plot convolutions of variable ingenuity. Very little of these have anything to do with Irvine Welshs novel Porno, upon which the film is nominally part-based  and which appeared in print 13 years ago, just a decade after Welshs generation-defining bestseller Trainspotting came out.

The fact that theres double that chronological gap between the two films propels the characters more squarely into middle-age, though the ravages of time have been conspicuously kind to the formerly strung-out junkie Renton and the not-so-sick Simon alike. The picture is at its strongest when dealing with the volatile, unpredictable relationship between the two  which hovers between rancorous friction and knockabout affection  with McGregor and Miller clearly relishing the opportunity to relive past glories.

The bromantic bond between the pair is noticed and commented upon wryly by the only new prominent character, Simons Bulgarian business-and-maybe-romantic partner Veronika (Anjela Nedyalkova), an ebony-haired beauty whose late-in-the-day confrontation with beastly Begbie sees the picture briefly and belatedly generate genuine tension.

But this scene simply dribbles away to nothing, typical of a screenplay which is much too stop-start to generate proper momentum, oscillating between near-slapstick comedy and interludes of blokey sentimentality. Theres an awful lot of father-and-son stuff being somewhat sentimentally worked over here, with even lion-in-winter Begbie  an irredeemably demonic force-of-nature in the first film, and in Porno too  finally succumbing to the schmaltz.

Women are very much on the sidelines, even more so than in Trainspotting: the terrific Shirley Henderson has insultingly little to do as Spuds long-suffering girlfriend Gail, while Boardwalk Empires Kelly MacDonald  whose sparklingly auspicious acting debut back in 1996 was as Rentons wise-beyond-her-years schoolgirl girlfriend Diane  pops up for a one-scene, two-minute cameo (which nevertheless somehow nabs her fifth-billing.)

Little of this will matter to the many devoted acolytes of Trainspotting, of course, which was a genuine phenomenon in its day. Oscar-nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, it was even ranked in a 1999 BFI survey among the ten best British films ever made  beating out The Bridge on the River Kwai, If and The Ladykillers. Devotees will doubtless be happy just to spend more time with these vividly remembered characters for the first time in so very long, two hours of wallowing happily and shamelessly  but counterproductively  in nostalgia.

Boyle, working with editor Jon Harris, interpolates myriad fleeting clips from the original alongside incidents, images and soundtrack choices which hark back explicitly to the first installment. But such constant memory-jogging only draws into cumulatively sharper relief the fundamental gulf in quality between the two films, and means that T2 never threatens to find its own distinctive voice.

Trainspotting, while no all-time classic, remains a bracingly and briskly opportunistic zeitgeist-surf through a time when the United Kingdom and Scotland were  after years of Conservative government  on the cusp of emerging into a new political and social era personified by PM-in-waiting Tony Blair. 21 years later, T2 Trainspotting has zero to say about how all that turned out, and only cursorily engages with whats going on now  a showy, self-consciously verbose Choose Life midpoint monologue from Renton (complete with post-synched audio) notwithstanding.

In the wake of last summers epochal Brexit vote, and with Scottish independence prospects causing much national soul-searching, Boyles picture already feels instantly and strangely dated. A missed opportunity on multiple levels, T2 is stylistically an overwrought rehash which relies heavily on over-caffeinated camerawork and flashy effects (cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantles trademark gritty flair is overwhelmed by a flurry of Dutch angles and freeze-frames) to distract us from its essential paucity of raison detre. Welshs literary creations move in a scatological realm of ickily spilt bodily fluids; in such terms the film can perhaps be compared to an eager-to-please dog who knows only old tricks, contentedly licking up his own vomit.

Distributor: Sony

Production companies: Cloud Eight Films, DNA Films, Decibel Films, TriStar Pictures

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner, Anjela Nedyalkova

Director: Danny Boyle

Screenwriter: John Hodge (based on the novels Trainspotting and Porno by Irvine Welsh)

Producers: Bernard Bellew, Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, Andrew Macdonald

Executive producers: Allon Reich, Irvine Welsh

Cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle

Production designer: Mark Tildesley

Costume designers: Rachael Fleming, Steven Noble

Composer: Rick Smith

Editor: Jon Harris

Casting director: Gail Stevens

Sales: Sony, London

In English and Scottish English

No Rating, 117 minutes
In the nations smallest state by territory, studios and networks can avail themselves with one of the largest production incentives: a hefty transferrable tax credit on qualified spend.

Rhode Island is known for its seacoast, where large bays alternate with inlets; for its blue-blood wealth and stately mansions of Newport, which co-exist along the small-town charm of nearby areas; and for an ivy league university (Brown) that acts as a magnet for brainy kids worldwide.

Another advantage of Rhode Island locations: theyre all just about a one-hour drive from Boston, which has emerged as a major production hub, and about a three-hour drive from New York City, the nations media capital and one of worlds most important production centers.

Specifically, the main incentive is a 25% transferrable tax credit on qualified spending in the state that includes both resident and non-resident above-the-line and below-the-line labor.

To qualify, a project must spend a minimum of $100,000. Theres no project cap for film and television production.

Recent projects shot in Rhode Island include November Criminals (2017), The Polka King (2017). The Discovery (2017), Bleed For This (2016), and The Purge: Election Year (2016).

Incenitves 25% Transferrable tax credit on qualified spending $100k Minimum spend 0 Project cap for film and TV production

Information courtesy of EP Financial Solutions, a production incentive consulting and financial services company.

Related stories

'Taboo' Bucks Bright Norms of TV Production With Dark, Dirty Look

Some of the Tech Companies Helping to Fuel Indie Film Community at Sundance

'Rogue One' Crafts Crew Helped Make 'Star Wars' Spinoff More Intimate
Despite stepped up efforts to crack down on Medicare fraud and wasteful spending, the federal government lost at least $43 billion in fiscal 2015 to health care providers who filed improper or bogus claims to the program, according to a new study.

Nine states and the District of Columbia were responsible for the lions share of the total improper payments, according to a new study by the Council for Medicare Integrity, a non-profit government watchdog. The states include Texas with $50.2 million in improper payments, California with $47.8 million, New Jersey with $22.6 million and Pennsylvania $22.1 with million.

Related: The Best and Worst States for Taxes in 2017

While the nations capital incurred the smallest Medicare losses  some $2.4 million -- it nonetheless topped the list of states in terms of waste per Medicare beneficiary, according to the analysis. That means that the District lost $30.90 for every one of its 76,076 residents enrolled in the federal health program for the elderly.

This is the second consecutive year that the District of Columbia has topped all states in Medicare waste per beneficiary. In reviewing federal data, the Council for Medicare Integrity concluded that D.C. wasted more than double the amount per beneficiary than the lowest-ranked state of Arkansas.

Other states topping the list of Medicare waste per capita include Delaware ($22.55 per beneficiary), Texas ($20.62), New Jersey ($18.09), Oklahoma ($17.80) and Connecticut ($17.17). The amount of Medicare overpayments per state was gleaned from the recently released Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) report, Recovery Auditing in Medicare for Fiscal Year 2015. CMS has also provided data regarding the number of Medicare beneficiaries in each state.

Medicare Waste

Source: Council for Medicare Integrity, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Medicare overpayments are generally made when a doctor or other health care provider submits an inaccurate bill to Medicare for services provided to a patient, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the Medicare program. Typically the providers bill to a code that pays out at a higher rate than what is permissible.

Story continues

Related: Doctors and Nurses Charged in Massive $900 Million Medicare Fraud

Medicare loses more money to improper payments than any other program government wide, Kristin Walter, a spokesperson for the Council for Medicare Integrity, said in a statement Wednesday. These improper payments are causing Medicare to hemorrhage billions of dollars desperately needed to help sustain the program.

The Medicare Trustees have projected that funding for Medicare hospital care will begin to run out by 2028, absent government intervention and curtailment of wasteful or fraudulent payments. Its more important than ever that everyone become aware of this problem and that work is done to drastically reduce improper payments in Medicare to sustain the program for those who will need it in the future, Walter said.

While the $43 billion in Medicare overpayments in 2015 is substantial, it is probably just the tip of the iceberg. The Council for Medicare Integrity study was limited to overpayments identified by the federal Recovery Audit Contractor Program (RAC), which reviews just a fraction of the claims of Medicare Part A and B providers.

During his second term, President Obama made cracking down on Medicare and Medicaid fraud a high priority, as federal and state law enforcement agencies launched a series of high-profile arrests and prosecutions.

Related: Audit Uncovers $124.7 B of Overpayments and Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid

Last summer the administration touted a breakthrough in combating rampant fraud in the two health care program. The administration informed Congress that it had prevented $42 billion of improper payments to medical providers in fiscal 2013 and 2014 by using big data predictive analytics and other sophisticated detection methods.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
With hundreds of thousands of counter-inaugural demonstrators expected to march on Washington following Donald Trumps Inauguration, this weekends protesters will be engaging in a longstanding traditionespecially among the American leftof gathering in Washington, D.C., to make their voices heard. Large-scale marches, parades and protests in the nations capital can pack additional punch at the time of Presidential Inaugurations, when citizens join together to speak out against the new president and the policies they ran their campaigns on.

Heres a look back at three past Inauguration Day protestsand another that helped inspire the women and allies march scheduled for Saturday in Washington.

1913 Womens Suffrage Parade

One of the earliest large-scale marches on Washington D.C. was the 1913 Suffrage Parade, when crowds of women demonstrated on March 3, the day before Woodrow Wilson was sworn into office as the 28th president of the United States. That it was called a parade perhaps obfuscates what the 8,000 suffragists experienced that day.

The 1913 march was one of the first major activities planned around gaining womens suffrage in the United States, and to say that the idea was not yet popular among the mainstream would be an understatement. For their efforts that day, women demonstrators were verbally and physically assaulted by (mostly male) onlookers. There were reports that women were tripped and shoved about by opponents to their cause.

Women would not gain federal voting rights until 1920and women of color would not be guaranteed the right to vote until decades after thatbut the march and specifically the way spectators treated the women activists became a major news story, lending attention and energy to womens voting rights.

More: Listen to a Suffragist Recall the 1913 March

1973 Richard Nixon Inauguration

About a month ahead of Richard Nixons first inauguration in 1969, as the left grew increasingly angry about the war in Vietnam, a massive group of anti-war demonstrators marched on the nations capital. A small number of protesters threw rocks at Nixons limousine and clashed with police, but the demonstration was mostly peaceful. Approximately half a million people showed up to speak out against the Vietnam War, making it the largest anti-war protest in United States history.

Story continues

Four years later, Protesters staged another massive anti-war demonstration for Nixons second inauguration on Jan. 20, 1973, 8 years into the Vietnam war. Approximately 100,000 protesters gathered in Washington D.C. with signs that compared Nixon to Nazis, sang anti-war songs, chanted slogans and, as they had for Nixons first inaugural in 1969, threw stones at the presidents limousine. Seven days later, the government announced that the military would stop drafting soldiers to Vietnam.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

2001 George W. Bush Inauguration

Like Donald Trump, George W. Bush secured the presidency despite losing the popular vote in 2000. The left, feeling that the White House had been stolen from their candidate on a technicality, staged the largest inaugural protest since Nixon when Bush was sworn in on Jan. 20, 2001. One protester, Mack Wilder, told USA Today that he came specifically because Bush had lost the popular vote: If he had won clearly, I wouldnt have troubled to come here. In impassioned protest fashion, demonstrators gathered in the capitol with anti-Bush signs in toe. Some protesters threw rocks, tomatoes and eggs at the parade route before Bush arrived.

Bushs second inauguration in 2005 was heavily protested as well. It took place nearly two years after Bush commenced the war in Iraq, a conflict that was deeply resented by many citizens and government officials on the left. Several groups, including left-wing activists and anarchists , marched in Washington, and heard speeches from leftist activists. Some violence broke out at the protest, even between protesting groups. Protesters also staged a die-in in protest of the thousands of lives lost during the war in Iraq.

1997 Million Woman March

This one wasnt tied to an Inauguration, but it played an important role in the history leading up to this Saturdays planned protest.

The march planned for Jan. 21, 2017, one day following Donald Trumps inauguration, was initially named the Million Woman March. However, the first Million Woman March took place 20 years earlier in Philadelphia. On Oct. 25, 750,000 black women marched in Pennsylvania to honor both the struggles and successes of black women, as well as to celebrate of African American families.

That march followed just two years after black men organized en masse for the Million Man March in Washington D.C. on Oct. 16, 1995. The men held the march to call attention to issues facing their communities, particularly voter suppression. The womens march planned to coincide with the Trump inauguration is a direct call-back to these events organized by African-American activists in the 1990s.

Read more about the 2017 Womens March on Washington and other protest events planned for this week: Here Are Some of the Events Planned to Protest Donald Trumps Inauguration
Paris (AFP) - West African nations have a long history of sending their military forces to intervene in neighbouring countries, under the umbrella of a regional cooperation bloc.

Created in 1975, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) focuses mainly on resolving regional conflicts.

In the case of The Gambia, where ECOWAS has temporarily suspended a military operation, the bloc has thrown its support behind the new President Adama Barrow.

The group has 15 members, of which eight are francophone (Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo), five anglophone (The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone) and two Portuguese speaking (Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau).

The organisation is dominated politically and economically by regional powerhouse Nigeria.

Here's a look at the five main foreign interventions carried out since 1990:

- Mali -

On January 11, 2013, following a UN Security Council resolution, the bloc authorises the immediate deployment of an intervention force aimed at helping Mali retake its Islamist-controlled north.

The same day, the French military launches Operation Serval to back the Malian army and drive back the Islamists, who are pushing south towards Bamako.

The West African force comprises 6,300 men, including 2,000 from Chad, which is not an ECOWAS member. The Chadian soldiers were on the front line alongside French soldiers in fighting the insurgents.

On July 1, 2013, the ECOWAS force is absorbed by the UN's MINUSMA stabilisation force in Mali, which is currently 13,000 strong.

- Guinea-Bissau -

West African troops are deployed in May 2012 to help the political transition after one of the nation's many coups.

They have since served with a mandate to protect public figures and institutions.

The force consists of more than 600 police officers and paramilitary gendarmes from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

Already in February 1999, a lightly armed ECOWAS force was deployed to help resolve the crisis in the insurgency-hit country, but withdrew several months later after failing to prevent a resumption of fighting and the overthrow of the head of state.

Story continues

- Liberia -

In August 1990, ECOWAS sends a force of several hundred men to Liberia to intervene in a civil war ignited eight months earlier.

The ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group, or ECOMOG, quickly grows to nearly 20,000 soldiers.

Although generally described as a peacekeeping force, ECOMOG is soon called on to take more responsibilities for maintaining order.

In early 1997, more than seven years after the war started, ECOMOG carries out a major disarmament operation, paving the way for multi-party elections in July.

The last ECOMOG soldiers leave Liberia in October 1999.

In August 2003, a new ECOWAS mission, ECOMIL, is deployed in Monrovia, the capital, which had been under siege by rebels for three months. Restricted to some 3,500 soldiers, the force is unable to deploy across the whole of the country and transfers its contingent to the United Nations.

- Sierra Leone -

ECOMOG's Nigerian contingent drives a 1997-98 military junta, the Revolutionary United Front, from Freetown and reinstates president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. The RUF later invades Freetown on January 6, 1999, before being expelled two weeks later by ECOMOG troops.

The West African intervention force, which has up to 11,000 men in Sierra Leone, officially winds up its mission in May 2000 and is replaced by the UN peacekeeping force, formed to guarantee the Lome peace accord of July 1999, which ended the civil war.

- Ivory Coast -

A 1,300-strong West African force is deployed in January 2003 after a military rebellion which effectively cuts Ivory Coast in two. In 2004 the soldiers are integrated into the UN's mission in the country.
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) - Afghanistan's first all-female orchestra brought the curtain down on this year's World Economic Forum on Friday with a culture-crossing performance that overcame tradition and death threats in their homeland.

Zohra, an ensemble of 35 young musicians aged 13 to 20, some orphans or from poor families, performed before a Davos audience more in tune with talk of deal-making than the strains of Afghan classical music.

Some sat on the floor, barefoot and cross-legged, some on chairs, all in traditional dress with head-scarves, as they performed a mix of Western and South Asian instruments: stringed, wind and percussion.

The programme itself fused the two musical traditions, and included a moving rendition of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", the anthem of European unity.

Behind them was a photo backdrop showing a snow-capped mountain range that could have passed for the Swiss Alps or the Hindu Kush.

Conducted by Negina Khpalwak, who will be celebrating her 20th birthday on the return flight from Europe, the girls have overcome death threats and discrimination in the deeply conservative war-torn country to play together.

Ahmad Sarmast, the musicologist who founded Afghanistan's National Institute of Music and the Zohra orchestra, expressed his profound pride as his charges took the Davos stage.

He told the audience that they represented a "beacon of hope", and embodied "the positive changes that have accumulated in the last 13 years" since a US-led invasion drove the Taliban from power.

Music was banned during the Taliban's repressive 1996-2001 rule and is still frowned upon in much of Afghan society, which is tightly segregated by gender.

At 18, Zohra violinist Zarifa Adiba has already performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and before coming to Europe, expressed hope that she might get to meet her heroine Michelle Obama in Davos.

The outgoing US first lady was in fact attending the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump as the concert concluded a week of corporate networking, strategising and partying in the Swiss ski resort.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  An Afghan official says four Taliban have been killed and two insurgents, with suspected ties to the jihadist group the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, arrested in a raid in northern Afghanistan.

The movement has become increasingly active in northern Afghanistan in recent years.

The overnight raid took place in Afghanistan's Sar-i-Pul province, Zabiullah Amani, the spokesman for the provincial governor said Friday.

The Taliban insurgency has gained strength in northern Afghanistan where successive reports have indicated the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has a growing presence. Many Uzbek insurgents reportedly fled to northern Afghanistan from Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region following a Pakistani military crackdown in the area over the past two years.
Banjul (Gambia) (AFP) - Gambia's Yahya Jammeh agreed "in principle" to hand over power to President Adama Barrow on Friday, Mauritanian and Guinean sources said, but differences remained before a full deal could be reached.

Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and Guinea's Alpha Conde held several hours of talks with Jammeh in which they agreed he should step aside but not how and where he would live out his exile.

Troops from five African nations were stationed on the tiny nation's borders in the event the last-ditch talks fell through, as it was confirmed Conde would stay into Saturday to iron out remaining disagreements.

Jammeh has refused to recognise his defeat in presidential elections last month, and would be offered asylum in the country of his choice, Conde advisor Kiridi Bangoura said earlier in the day.

"Jammeh has accepted he will leave power. The discussions revolve around where he will live in exile and the conditions around that," a Mauritanian source close to the delegation in Banjul told AFP.

A highly-placed Guinean source said the country of exile had to be far enough away to stop Jammeh interfering in his country's affairs.

The three men met at Jammeh's seat of power, State House, and halted to observe Friday prayers together at a nearby mosque.

The Guinean source mentioned Equatorial Guinea as a possible option, while diplomats discussed the possibility of Morocco.

Jammeh has rejected President Adama Barrow's December 1 election win, despite huge pressure from regional powers and the UN, sparking a major crisis and sending Gambians and tourists -- vital for the tiny country's economy -- fleeing.

Isatou Touray, a top official in Barrow's coalition told AFP there was "no deal yet" but added: "I think he has to go, because he is compelled."

- 'An ultimatum' -

Barrow, who was sworn in at The Gambia's embassy in Dakar on Thursday, remained in Senegal awaiting the outcome of the talks, with hopes of taking over from Jammeh as soon as his safety could be guaranteed.

Story continues

A Banjul-based diplomatic source told AFP the final deal would be "a joint statement between Barrow and Jammeh," but cautioned the mercurial strongman could "quite easily" change his mind.

That source spoke of a three-day grace period for Jammeh with foreign troops on standby until he definitively quits the country.

Barrow hailed a "victory of the Gambian nation" and demanded loyalty from his armed forces at his inauguration on Thursday.

An imminent military operation, dubbed operation "Restore Democracy", was suspended late Thursday to allow the final push to convince Jammeh to leave after 22 years at the helm of the former British colony.

- Shifting loyalties -

As white flags reportedly flew from Gambian army posts in the countryside, sources suggested there was a gradual acceptance of Barrow, even among units known for loyalty to Jammeh.

A diplomatic source said a faction had "switched sides" among the elite Republican Guards who assure Jammeh's personal protection, following meetings among themselves at their Bakau barracks close to Banjul.

Gambia's army chief Ousman Badjie said foreign troops would be welcomed "with a cup of tea" rather than gunfire if they intervene to ensure Jammeh stands down.

"Why should we fight?", said Badjie, a former Jammeh loyalist.

"This is a political misunderstanding. There is no military solution to a political problem, let me tell you. We are not fools. I love my soldiers. I love the Gambian people. Nobody is going to be hurt here."

Soldiers were told by Barrow in his inauguration speech they would be considered rebel elements if they remained armed on the streets.

- Cabinet dissolved -

Police chief Yankuba Sonko and customs boss Momat Cham also swore allegiance to Barrow, a government source who asked not to be identified told AFP.

After a string of ministerial resignations this week, Jammeh however appeared determined to stand his ground to the last, announcing he was dissolving the government and taking over.

"The President of the Republic of The Gambia Sheikh Professor Dr Alhaji Yahya Jammeh Babili Mansa has dissolved his cabinet today," a statement said. "The office of the President oversees all ministries.

The uncertainty continued to push Gambians to flee the country and the United Nations refugee agency said around 45,000 had left so far, more than 75 percent of them children, mostly accompanied by women.

"They are staying with family members, host families or in hotels. Some families are hosting up to 40 to 50 people and will soon need support as they may quickly run out of resources," a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report said.
Algiers (AFP) - Algeria's Islamist parties are joining forces ahead of April parliamentary elections in hope of reversing a long political decline and having a greater say in the future of the North African country.

But they face a firmly anti-Islamist government and an electorate with bitter memories of violence between Islamist militants and the state in the 1990s, which left an estimated 200,000 people dead.

The vote comes amid growing security and economic challenges along with speculation around who will succeed 79-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika -- although experts say the real decision lies in the hands of the country's secretive elite.

Three leading Islamist parties -- El Binaa, the Front for Justice and Development (FJD) and Ennahda -- said in December they were forming a "strategic" alliance for the election, ahead of a full merger later in 2017.

In early January, the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP), which has links to the Muslim Brotherhood, and a splinter group, the Front for Change, said they would reunite.

That could bring Algeria's fragmented Islamist movement together into just two parties ahead of the April poll, the exact date for which has not yet been announced.

"They do not expect great successes in the next election, so they are trying to gather themselves and form a common force," said political scientist Rachid Tlemcani.

Islamist parties in Algeria have realised that political Islam in its various forms has lost public support, he said.

Moderate Islamists have been forced to negotiate a difficult balancing act since the violence of the 1990s.

A radical movement, the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), had been poised to win a parliamentary election in 1991 when the army stepped in to cancel it, prompting many FIS members to take up arms.

The "black decade" of violence that followed created divisions that last to this day.

- Joining forces -

The Islamists' previous experience shows that joining forces in elections is no guarantee of success.

Story continues

At the last parliamentary election in 2012 following Arab Spring-inspired street protests, Islamist parties hoped they could replicate the gains of their peers in Egypt and Tunisia.

The MSP, which was part of the government, left it and joined forces with Ennahda and El Islah to fight the election.

But they suffered the worst electoral defeat in their history.

A coalition led by Bouteflika's National Liberation Front (FLN), which ruled Algeria under a single-party system from independence in 1962 until the early 1990s, kept its grip on power.

When Bouteflika controversially stood for a fourth term in a 2014 presidential election, Algeria's three main Islamist parties boycotted, calling it a "sham".

But the boycott did little to improve their fortunes.

Political scientist Rachid Grine said that since Bouteflika first came to power in 1999, Islamist parties had been nearly wiped out.

However, "if the elections are honest, the Islamists will be... among the winners," he said.

MSP head Abderezak Mokri, one of the country's most senior Islamist leaders, told AFP that taking part in the April poll was imperative.

He said his party would not call for street protests or a boycott.

"We refuse to throw oil on the fire because we want a peaceful political transition in the interest of Algeria," he said.

He said Algeria's economic and social difficulties would mean growing public opposition to the government.

That could play in the Islamists' favour, and experts suspect that if the MSP does well, it could join the next government alongside the FLN.

Mokri said the challenge facing Islamist parties was to become less of a fragmented movement.

Islamist leader Abdallah Djaballah, Ennahda's founder who later set up the FJD, agreed.

"Union is a necessity", he told AFP.

"We will meet the MSP soon and see what we can do together".
A suspected thief accused of stealing a bucket filled with $1.6 million in gold flakes off an armored truck in New York City has been apprehended in Ecuador.

After a search that spanned thousands of miles across two continents over the course of months, authorities arrested Julio Nivelo Thursday.

Read: Gold Rush: Man Scurries Away Undetected After Stealing Pot of Gold Worth More Than $1M From Armored Truck

After surveillance video allegedly first captured Nivelo walking away with an 86-pound bucket of gold flakes in September, authorities followed a trail from the Big Apple to Orlando then California until they finally made their way to Nivelo's native country.

It is not clear what happened to his bucket of gold.

Surveillance footage caught Julio Nivelo, 53, allegedly grabbing the 86-pound bucket of gold flakes from the back of an armored truck parked on West 48th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in midtown Manhattan at about 4:30 p.m. September 29, police said.

Nivelo appears to almost walk past the truck, but after the 5-gallon aluminum pail catches his eye, he turns and grabs it before walking away unnoticed, video of the alleged theft shows.

The video shows two men talking to each other in front of the truck as the suspect makes off with the fortune, appearing to struggle with the weight of the goods as he shuffles off.

Read: Paralympian Begs Burglars to Return Gold Rings and Irreplaceable Video

Numerous tips poured in to police from the tri-state area, leading authorities to identify the suspect as Nivelo, a convicted felon who authorities said has been arrested seven times and deported four times to his native Ecuador.

He was thought to have fled to Florida before moving on to Los Angeles, where officials believe he then left for Ecuador.

Watch: 80-Year-Old Grandfather Jumps on Truck to Stop Thieves From Stealing His Bicycle

Related Articles:
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Pittsburgh has welcomed another giant to its burgeoning tech hub.

Amazon officially opened a corporate office in the city's South Side Works section on Tuesday. Bill Kaper, general manager of the office, says the space will be dedicated to machine translation and web services.

It currently houses 50 employees.

Amazon joins a growing number of tech companies who have moved operations to Pittsburgh. Apple, Microsoft, Uber, and Google all have offices in the city.

Kaper says that Amazon will harness the city's local tech talent as they recruit software engineers and research scientists from Carnegie Mellon University and University of Pittsburgh. The company already has a familiar history with Carnegie Mellon. Amazon bought a machine translation company started by two Carnegie Mellon professors in 2015.
After being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, Donald Trump delivered a 16-minute speech in which he promised to transfer power from Washington, D.C. to the American people and called for patriotic nationalism as a path to a brighter future. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land, Trump said. From this day forward, it's going to be only America first. America first.

Read Trumps full speech as released by the White House:

Related: 15 Facts You Didn't Know About Donald Trump

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: 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 the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships, but we will get the job done.

Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent. Thank you.

Today's ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people.

For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth.

Related: 8 Steps Trump Could Take on Day One to Remake the Country

Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs, and while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

Story continues

That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day, this is your celebration, and this, the United States of America, is your country.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. Jan. 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

Related: How Trump Is Bringing Reality TV to US Foreign Policy

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of an historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before. At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public, but for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists.

Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation. An education system flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge. And the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

We are one nation, and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams, and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

For many decades weve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military.

We've defended other nations borders while refusing to defend our own and spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. 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 shuttered and left our shores with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world. But that is the past and now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only America first. America first.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

Trumps Blunders on NATO and Russia Make Our European Allies Cringe

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.

We will build new roads and highways and bridges and airports and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.

We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire American. We will seek friendship and good will with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example. We will shine for everyone to follow. We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth.

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice. The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity.

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. There should be no fear. We are protected, and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and most importantly, we will be protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.

We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action constantly complaining but never doing anything about it. The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action. Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.

We stand at the birth of a new millennium ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions. It's time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots.

We all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American flag. And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the wind-swept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky. They fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator.

So to all Americans in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words. You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And, yes, together, we will make America great again. Thank you. God bless you and God bless America! Thank you. God bless America.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
WASHINGTON (AP)  Just before noon, Donald Trump will stand in front of the U.S. Capitol, place his hand on Abraham Lincoln's Bible and take the oath of office as the next president of the United States.

And the world will hold its breath.

Will Trump move ahead with his original call to temporarily bar Muslims from coming to the U.S., or stick with the revision for "extreme vetting" of potential immigrants? Will he debut a plan to provide health insurance to all Americans, or side with Republicans in Congress who have less lofty ambitions to replace President Barack Obama's health care law? Will he enter a new arms race with Russia, or will he trade sanctions relief for a deal cutting both nations' stockpile of nuclear weapons?

Based on all that Trump said during his rule-breaking campaign for president, and the promises he and his team of advisers made during the transition that followed, it's impossible to say. Trump has cast the opaqueness of his intentions as an asset, and his advisers have chided reporters at times for taking everything their boss says "so literally."

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he knows what Trump will do Friday: give his inaugural address. But even Gingrich, a Trump ally and informal adviser, has no idea what the new president will do next.

"He's not a traditional politician. He's not going to be a traditional politician," Gingrich told cheering New York Republicans arriving in Washington on Thursday for the inauguration. "None of us who elected him want him to be a traditional politician."

Despite that Election Day success, Trump enters the White House as the least-popular president in four decades, according to a number of surveys. A Pew Research Center poll released on the eve of his inauguration found that 86 percent of Americans believe the country is more politically divided than in the past, the highest number since the question was first asked in 2004.

Story continues

Even Trump's inauguration festivities have become controversial, upending a long tradition of both parties celebrating the peaceful transition of power. Nearly 70 House Democrats plan to boycott the ceremony. Tens of thousands will protest on the National Mall the day after his inauguration. The Girl Scouts have come under fire for marching in the inaugural parade, an event the group has participated in for more than a century.

Part of this unease undoubtedly stems from the uncertainty about what, exactly, comes next.

Trump's team has set forth few specific details of his top policy priorities  health care reform, infrastructure legislation and overhauling the tax code among them. His incoming administration has not specified whether Trump will fulfill a campaign promise to take 18 major executive actions on his first day in office. It's not yet clear if the U.S. will accept an invitation to attend Monday's Russian-supported Syria peace talks in Kazakhstan.

While Republicans are generally energized by Trump's win, some are also frustrated by the outstanding questions about his key proposals. "We'll see what he does," said Massachusetts GOP chairwoman Kirsten Hughes.

When Trump recently said he would craft a health care plan that provides "insurance for everybody"  a repudiation of years of GOP opposition to expanding government's role in the health care system  he rattled Republicans on Capitol Hill. Vice President Mike Pence backed away from the idea of universal coverage four days later, further adding to the confusion.

"It's possible the information is conflicting. It's possible we're just not used to hearing the new president communicate yet," Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt told CNN this week.

It's not even clear who Trump will have at his side in his first days in office.

When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, the Senate confirmed seven Cabinet members on Inauguration Day. Republicans and Democrats are still negotiating over Trump's picks, and it looks unlikely that more than four will make it through on Friday.

According to the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit that's advised Trump's transition, his team has nominated 29 of the 690 federal government positions that require Senate confirmation. Aides announced Thursday that Trump had asked 50 senior Obama administration appointees to remain in their posts after his inauguration to ensure continuity in government.

Yet for all the disquiet surrounding his arrival in Washington, Trump appears unfazed. During pre-inauguration festivities in Washington on Thursday, Trump struck a message of unity and hope.

"We're going to unify our country," he said at a concert on the Lincoln Memorial steps. "We're going to make America great for all of our people, everybody  everybody throughout our country."

___

Associated Press writers Steve Peoples and Julie Bykowicz contributed to this report.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE  Lisa Lerer is a national political writer for AP and has covered Washington since 2007.

An AP News Analysis
Anne Hathaway is set to team up with Rebel Wilson in a remake of the 1988 film "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

In the reboot of the film, which originally starred Steve Martin and Michael Caine, Hathaway and Wilson will play women from different walks of life who partner to con a tech prodigy out of his money, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The remake will be titled "Nasty Women" and was written by Jac Schaeffer for MGM Film, with Wilson producing.

Hathaway is also working on "Ocean's Eight" which is currently in production and the sci-fi thriller "Colossal."
Washington (AFP) - Hundreds of protesters demonstrating against Donald Trump clashed with guests leaving an event in honour of the new US president in Washington late Thursday, prompting police to use chemical spray on the crowd.

The protesters, who heckled guests and shouted foul language at people leaving the "Deploraball", also burned protest signs, creating a smoke-filled scene in front of the National Press Building, where the event was held.

Dozens of police, many in riot gear, were on scene, with some trying to help ball-goers, dressed in tuxedos and evening dresses, leave the area as demonstrators chased them down the street.

Although largely peaceful at first, the protest grew more ragged as the night drew on.

Several prominent members of the so-called "alt-right" movement reportedly organized or were to attend the event, held on the eve of Trump's inauguration.

"They don't care about diversity, they don't care about different people, they don't care about homosexuals, they don't care about women, most importantly to me, anyway, as a woman," protester Alex Christopher, who traveled to Washington from West Virginia, told AFP.

Brandon Bourg, a 22-year-old law student attending the "Deploraball" from Louisiana told AFP: "You know -- First Amendment, freedom of speech, freedom to be violent, it's good."

"Violence solves things... but I mean, we're the ones that won in the end," he said.

The name of the event is a play on Hillary Clinton's campaign statement criticizing half of Trump's supporters as a "basket of deplorables."

Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday, with an estimated 800,000 people expected to gather on the National Mall to watch.

Small demonstrations have already popped up across the city center with protesters declaring Trump illegitimate. A much larger rally is planned for Saturday.
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.
Canadian band Arcade Fire released a new track called "I Give You Power" just ahead of the US presidential inauguration.

Just hours after Gorillaz released the anti-Trump track "Hallelujah Money," Arcade Fire was next to reveal its track via Twitter.



Mavis Staples features on the beat-heavy track, which is available via iTunes, Spotify and Tidal. Proceeds will go to the American Civil Liberties Union, according to the band, which accompanied the track with the message: "It's never been more important that we stick together and take care of each other. Love, Mavis Staples and Arcade Fire."



Watch the video for "I Give You Power" at www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6jma9VQEls.



Find links to the track at arcadefire.com/site/i-give-you-power-arcade-fire-feat-mavis-staples.
A Northern California family has been reunited with their son, whose ashes were stolen by thieves, and held for a $5,000 ransom.

Read: Deceased Father's Ashes Stolen From Police Officer's Home During Burglary

"It's like we just lost Ryan all over again, because that's the only thing we had left of him," his dad, Joshua Wagner, told InsideEdition.com. "I'm so glad I got my son back. I was prepared to do anything I possibly could to get him back."

Little Ryan was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 when his mom brought him to the hospital for an abnormal cough. After doctors discovered a tumor in the middle of his chest, Ryan received chemotherapy treatments for 10 months, but he succumbed to the disease in 2011. Ryan was 6 years old.

"He passed away in our arms," Wagner said. "We kind of held him for a couple hours. The last time we saw Ryan was the day after we had to go down to the morgue, and look at him lying on the table."

The family had their son cremated, and scattered some of his ashes on his favorite beach in Hawaii, where they were living at the time.

They saved the other portion of his ashes in an urn that they brought with them on their move to Northern California. When the family traveled to Hawaii in December, where they hold an annual music fundraiser for children with cancer in Ryan's honor, they left the urn in a safe.

When they returned a week and a half later, they discovered the house was broken into, and the safe was stolen.

Read: Tragic Discovery: Woman Who Was Abducted for Ransom Found Dead 2 Days Later

"The whole safe was gone. It was just ripped out of the floor," Wagner said. "I just flipped out. I just lost it. When I told [my wife] and the boys, they all just started screaming and crying."

Wagner said their family believed they know who had stolen the safe, and set up a Facebook page offering a reward for the safe return of the ashes.

Story continues

"Eventually [we] offered a $2,000 reward, then bumped it up to $5,000," he said. "I can't afford that, but I'll do whatever I can do to get my son back."

About a month later, lawyer Kathleen Bryson reached out, and said her client knows the person in possession of the ashes.

She added that the person who had the ashes wanted the reward, or they would dump the ashes.

"The lawyer asked for $5,000. My brother gave it to her, and then she took off," Wagner said. "About 45 minutes later [she] came back with my son's ashes."

He said Bryson then told them she was given a $500 fee for the exchange, but returned the $500 to Wagner.

The lawyer told Inside Edition.com that her client only helped facilitate the trade.

"He did not share in the reward. That was a misunderstanding from the start. I would not have represented him if he was part of the burglary and/or if he was sharing in the reward," she said.

Read: Family Still Searching for Answers, 8 Years After Kidnapping Expert Was Kidnapped in Mexico

"I did not think it was right to profit from their pain," Bryson told InsideEdition.com.

Bryson also told InsideEdition.com her client did not take a share of the $5,000 reward.

While Wagner said his family is thrilled to be reunited with their late son, he will not give up until whoever stole the ashes is brought to justice.

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office told InsideEdition.com while there are no arrests yet, they are still actively investigating the case.

The family has also started a YouCaring page to replace the ransom money.

Watch: Girl, 4, Dies After Dad Shared Her Photo to Call Attention to Harsh Reality of Childhood Cancer

Related Articles:
Vienna (AFP) - Austria's interior minister said authorities had averted a potential "terror attack" in Vienna with the arrest by armed police of an 18-year-old suspected Islamist extremist.

"Our police forces managed in quick time to arrest a suspect and so prevent a potential terror attack in the federal capital Vienna," Wolfgang Sobotka told reporters.

He told public television later that the Austrian citizen is from the country's ethnic Albanian minority and there were "some indications" that he was in contact with Islamic extremists.

Sobotka added there were "leads suggesting that he may not be alone but that a larger network could be behind him".

Vienna's metro system was among possible targets, he said.

A police spokeswoman told AFP that signs had multiplied in "recent days" that there might be an attack in the city popular with foreign tourists, and that security measures had been increased.

"The presence of uniformed and plainclothes police was increased and today at 1800 (1700 GMT) the suspect was arrested in Vienna near his address," spokeswoman Irina Steier said.

Sobotka said that the man, who lived in Vienna, had been under observation for several days and that he did not resist arrest. He said that "decisive" information came from foreign intelligence agencies.

- Austria spared so far -

Police also issued a public warning for people to be on the lookout in crowded public places and to inform police if they see any suspicious objects.

Austria has been spared in the string of attacks by Islamist extremists in recent years suffered by other European countries.

In 2015 a record 90,000 people applied for asylum in Austria after hundreds of thousands of migrants transited the country bound for Germany and elsewhere.

Several of the attackers behind the November 2015 deadly attacks in Paris transited through Austria with false papers among the flow of migrants.

Story continues

In December 2015, two migrants were arrested in Salzburg and later extradited to France over their alleged intent to take part in those attacks, which left 130 people dead.

A Moroccan asylum-seeker was detained in Austria in December for allegedly planning an attack in Salzburg over the Christmas and New Year period, prosecutors said.

"Today's case shows once again that Austria is no blessed isle. That Austria, like Europe, has to expect terror situations," Sobotka said.

Austria's opposition far-right has risen in popularity by stoking concerns about immigrants and security.

It came close in 2016 to winning the largely ceremonial but coveted presidency and is leading national opinion polls.

- 'Albanian origin' -

In the latest arrest, the Kronen-Zeitung newspaper published online a document apparently from the BVT anti-terrorism agency saying that a group of "radical Islamists of Albanian origin" intended to launch an attack in Vienna.

It said that according to information from a foreign intelligence agency and, independently from a foreign police force, the attack was to take place between January 15 and January 30.

The document, whose veracity was not confirmed, added that a German-speaking sympathiser of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group made explosives in Germany and that he intended to bring them to Vienna to carry out an attack.
VIENNA (Reuters) - An Austrian man suspected of having jihadi contacts was arrested on Friday in Vienna in a move the interior minister said prevented an imminent attack and police urged citizens to report any abandoned bags. Special forces arrested the 18-year-old with a migrant background in a Vienna apartment at around 1700 GMT, police said. "The decisive leads came from foreign intelligence services," Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka told reporters. Asked whether the suspect had Islamist motives, he said: "There are certain indications, which we have to investigate. There is one contact which is fairly clearly positioned." The arrest comes a month after an attack at a Berlin Christmas market killed 12 people and after attacks in France and Belgium raised fears in Europe. Austrian newspaper Krone said a group of radical Islamists of Albanian descent had planned an attack in Vienna between Jan. 15 and 30. It did not specify its sources for the report. The minister declined to give further details on the suspect but asked people to be vigilant in crowds and to report unattended items of luggage in public places. The arrested man had been monitored by special forces for several days, Sobotka said, adding there were hints the man, who lives in Vienna, had traveled to Germany. He did not confirm the Krone report saying the suspect had built an explosive device in Germany. (Reporting by Kirsti Knolle and Shadia Nasralla; Editing by Dominic Evans and Janet Lawrence)
LIMA (Reuters) - Heavy rain and equipment failure stalled efforts in Peru on Thursday to rescue seven miners who were trapped in a tunnel hundreds of feet under a landslide three days ago, officials said. Four of the miners may already be dead, according to a miner who escaped on Tuesday, a day after the small copper deposit mined in the southern region of Arequipa was engulfed. The breakdown of a generator used to power machinery clearing a path to the entrance of the 200-meter-deep tunnel (660 feet) stoked fears that time was running out to find the men alive. Sounds coming from one of the miners stopped late on Wednesday, said regional mining official Vladimir Bustinza. "That's not a good sign," Bustinza told local broadcaster RPP. The miner who escaped said he believed three of his seven colleagues were alive when he got out, according to regional health official Gustavo Rondon. Rescue efforts at the mine in the Acari district did not begin until early on Wednesday when word of the landslide reached emergency responders. Attempts to reach the miners were then slowed by debris from landslides that blocked roads and a torrential downpour that delayed a helicopter carrying supplies by several hours. Brigadiers and underground mining experts sent by Peruvian precious metals miner Buenaventura eventually joined a small rescue team that was initially made up of volunteer firefighters from a nearby province. Meliton Huaraca, the father of one of the trapped miners, urged President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to send more help. "We want to take them home, dead or alive," Huaraca told local TV station Canal N. "I want to see my son again, please Mr. President." Kuczynski's government said new electrical generators and pumps for sucking up mud were on their way. The mine, which mainly extracts copper, belongs to local company Chinchilico Minero SAC, one of tens of thousands of largely unregulated mining operations in Peru that are trying to formalize their businesses, the Energy and Mines Ministry said. Chinchilico, which is also the name for a frightening Andean mythological creature that inhabits underground mines, could not be reached for comment. (Reporting by Mitra Taj and Marco Aquino; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Leslie Adler)
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f356283%2fe10f8d05-f7dd-4e86-8f63-114ca631197b

It's been a veeeery emotional day for America.

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, which means the now-former POTUS and FLOTUS, the great Barack and Michelle, had to step down after eight blissful years in the White House.

SEE ALSO: Celebrities flood Instagram with final 'Thanks, Obama' posts

As Obama said in a speech following the inauguration, he and Michelle have been "milking" their goodbyes, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

From Michelle's emotional final Instagram posts and the touching final wave Barack gave us before boarding a chopper to leave D.C., the couple has been making us reach for the tissues all week long.

Now, hours after the inauguration ceremony, Barack and Michelle have sent the first tweets on their personal Twitter accounts since officially exchanging handles with the Trumps.

Michelle, gracious as always, used her first post-inauguration tweet to inform us she would be taking a little break after an "extraordinary" eight years. But have no fear, she assured her followers she'll be "back before you know it" to work on the important issues.

After an extraordinary 8 years, I'll be taking a little break. Will be back before you know it to work with you on the issues we care about. pic.twitter.com/o0ECJitXnw  Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) January 20, 2017

The former POTUS also made his triumphant return, complete with a beautiful dad joke, of course. Barack gave his Twitter page a complete makeover, including new photos and an updated bio, which now reads: Dad, husband, President, citizen.

He informed his followers he and Michelle are embarking on a (much-deserved) vacation to Palm Springs.

Hi everybody! Back to the original handle. Is this thing still on? Michelle and I are off on a quick vacation, then well get back to work.  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 20, 2017

He also encouraged American citizens to share their thoughts and concerns about "the road ahead" in a second tweet, providing a link to The Obama Foundation's website.

Story continues

In the meantime, I want to hear what you're thinking about the road ahead. So share your ideas with me here: https://t.co/GYkEOK8EuT  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 20, 2017

We knew Barack and Michelle would keep in touch.

BONUS: The emotional moment Obama waves goodbye to D.C.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama urged the American people to be a part of building their final legacya future presidential center in Chicagoin a new video published Friday, hours before Donald Trump takes over the White House.

The couple began the video, posted on the Obama Foundations website, by saying the first items on their agenda as private citizens are resting and spending time with each other.

First, were going to take a little break, Michelle Obama says. Were finally going to get some sleep and take some time to be with our family, and just be still for a little bit. So we might not be online quite as much as youre used to seeing us.

But the pair said theyd be working on the future Obama Presidential Center, which will be based in the south side of Chicago with projects all over the world. The facility will tell the story of the Obama administration, its achievements, challenges and lessons learned, according to the Obama Foundations website.

Barack Obama said it will be a center for citizenship and called for Americans to send in their ideas for how to make the project better.

Thats why we want to hear from you. Tell us what you want this project to be and tell us whats on your mind, he said. As Ive said many times before, true democracy is a project thats much bigger than any of us. Its bigger than any one person, any one president, any one government. Its a job for all of us.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  President Donald Trump's scathing criticism of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will prevent the soldier from getting a fair trial on charges he endangered comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan, Bergdahl's attorneys said Friday.

In a motion filed shortly after Trump was sworn in, defense lawyers asked a military judge to dismiss the charges against Bergdahl and argued the Republican violated his due process rights and military law against unlawful command influence.

Trump's negative comments about Bergdahl, including calling him a traitor, take on new importance now that he is commander in chief. Defense attorneys argue that potential military jurors may feel obligated to agree with their new leader. They prepared a video exhibit of Trump's criticism.

Defense attorneys write: "the president, as commander in chief, wields great power over the careers of officers and his opinions are necessarily entitled to respect by all military personnel, whether or not they voted for him."

The defense motion notes more than 40 instances of Trump's criticism at public appearances and in media interviews.

There is precedent for a military judge to decide a president's comments have tainted a prosecution. In 2013, a Navy judge cited comments by then-President Barack Obama when he said two defendants in sexual assault cases couldn't be punitively discharged if they were found guilty because of Obama's public comments about cracking down on sexual assault.

Bergdahl's trial is scheduled for April at Fort Bragg on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. The latter carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Bergdahl, who is from Idaho, has said he walked off his post in 2009 to cause an alarm and draw attention to what he saw as problems with his unit.

He was held captive by the Taliban and its allies for five years. The Obama administration's decision in May 2014 to exchange Bergdahl for five Taliban prisoners prompted some Republicans to accuse Obama of jeopardizing the nation's safety.

Story continues

Trump said repeatedly while campaigning that Bergdahl is a traitor.

"Remember the old days? A deserter, what happened?" he said in July before pantomiming pulling a trigger and adding: "Bang."

___

Follow Drew at www.twitter.com/jonldrew
Bernie Sanders shared a message of encouragement to his supporters on Friday morning, urging them not to despair on the day of President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration.

Today is going to be a tough day for millions of Americans, including myself. But our response has got to be not to throw up our hands in despair, not to give up, but in fact to fight back as effectively and vigorously as we can, the Vermont senator said in a video posted to Twitter. And our job is to keep our eyes on the prize. And the prize is that we will continue fighting for a government that represents all of us, and not just the 1%. And were going to go forward in the fight for economic, social, environmental and racial justice. Thats who we are. Thats what were going to do. We are not giving up.

Since his unsuccessful primary campaign against Hillary Clinton, Sanders has remained vocal as a staunch opponent to Trump.
(Library of Congress)

When Donald Trump is sworn into office on Friday, an estimated 800,000 people will be in attendance at the historic event. Officials from three dozen agencies, as well as thousands of soldiers and police officers will also be there to make sure the proceedings go off without a hitch.

However, inauguration days havent always gone as smoothly as planned.

1789: George Washington had to borrow money to attend his own inauguration

While the final price tag for Trumps inauguration could be upwards of $200 million, the first such event was a more frugal affair. In fact, George Washington had to borrow money just to get to New York City, which was the capital at the time.

Despite owning 60,000 acres and 300 slaves, the cash-poor Washington couldnt sell or rent any of them as most other landowners were equally strapped for cash. In fact, Washington confided in his nephew that at least part of the reason he took the job was the salary, as my means are not adequate to the expense at which I have lived since my retirement.

George Washington had to borrow money to travel to his first inauguration. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

1817: James Monroe bailed on a bickering Congress

The inauguration ceremony initially took place indoors. However, in 1817 the House and Senate battled over which chamber would get to host the event. Since no one could agree, President-elect James Monroe reportedly got fed up and decided to move the festivities outside, where they have largely been held (with a few exceptions for inclement weather) since.

1829: Andrew Jackson had to sneak out of the White House

Andrew Jacksons 1829 celebration was perhaps the most chaotic. Jackson opened up the doors of the White House, and more than 20,000 people gleefully entered, surrounding the new Commander in Chief. Jackson had to escape through a window (or a side entrance, depending on the retelling) and spent the night at a hotel. The revelers only left the White House when tubs of whiskey-laced punch were rolled onto the South Lawn.

1841: William Henry Harrison died less than a month after his rainy inauguration speech

Story continues

William Henry Harrison delivered a two-hour, 8,445-word address on a bitterly cold morning in the pouring rain, refusing to wear an overcoat or a hat. While his speech was the longest in inauguration history, his presidency would unfortunately be the shortest. He went to bed that night with a cold, which soon developed into a fatal bout of pneumonia. He died 32 days later.

William Henry Harrison died just 32 days into his presidency. (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

1857: James Buchanan forgot President Franklin Pierce

Traditionally, the president-elect and the outgoing president ride to the Capitol for the ceremonies, however, there was a slight hiccup in 1857 at the inauguration of James Buchanan.

Buchanan arrived with the vice-president-elect, John C. Breckinridge, and was ready to proceed before realizing the outgoing president, Franklin Pierce, was missing. Officials had reportedly forgotten to pick him up from the Willard Hotel, so the festivities were delayed by 20 minutes while someone went to collect him.

1865: Vice President-elect Andrew Johnson drank too much whiskey before his oath

While the vice presidential oath is now performed immediately before the presidential oath, before 1937 VPs had their own swearing-in ceremony inside the Senate chamber.

In 1865, Andrew Johnson reportedly showed up to his ceremony drunk, having had several tumblers of whiskey to battle an illness. He then delivered a bizarre, slurred speech that led some Republicans to call for his resignation. Abraham Lincoln, however, later came to his VPs defense, stating, I have known Andrew Johnson for many years. He made a slip the other day, but you need not be scared; Andy aint a drunkard.

1865: John Wilkes Booth took part in Abraham Lincolns festivities

Abraham Lincolns second inauguration came just months before the end of the Civil War. Tensions were high and worries about the presidents safety lingered.

Despite heightened security, John Wilkes Booth, the man who would fatally shoot President Lincoln just more than a month later, was photographed standing on the same stage during the address, along with several other conspirators in the assassination plot.

Booth would reportedly later proclaim to a friend, what an excellent chance I had to kill the president, if I had wished, on Inauguration Day!

Abraham Lincoln (center) appeared at his inauguration on the same stage as John Wilkes Booth (top right), the man who would fatally shoot him a month later. (Library of Congress)

1953: A cowboy threw a lasso around Dwight Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower was a very serious man  a five-star general, Army Chief of Staff and President of Columbia University. However, his ceremony had one of the wackier moments in inauguration history.

A California cowboy rode a horse in front of the presidents stage, stopped and threw a lasso around the native Texans shoulders.

That California cowboy was Montie Montana, a film star and rodeo rider who performed in 60 Rose Bowl parades and dozens of movies. Montana initially suggested presenting Eisenhower and his VP, Richard Nixon, with 10-gallon hats, but Eisenhower insisted on the lassoing. Were glad he did, otherwise we wouldnt be able to appreciate this bizarre photo of the event.

Dwight D. Eisenhower, center, seems to be getting a big kick out of being lassoed by Monte Montana. (AP Photo)

1961: JFKs podium almost went up in flames

The 1961 affair was a comedy of errors. Before John F. Kennedy gave his legendary inaugural address, an overnight snowstorm nearly forced the festivities to be canceled. While the ceremony did go ahead, during the invocation a motor inside a lectern caught fire, sending a plume of blue smoke into the air.

Lyndon B. Johnson also flubbed the vice presidential oath, stating without any mental reservation whatever instead of without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.

Poet Robert Frost then took the stage, but he couldnt read his notes due to the reflection of the bright sun off the recently-fallen snow. Instead, he recited an older poem from memory, which he then mistakenly dedicated to the president-elect, Mr. John Finley.

The Inaugurals most solemn moment occurs as Earl Warren, Chief Justice of United States, administers oath of office to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, thereby elevating him to presidency. (Photo by Charles Hoff/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

1973: Richard Nixon dotted Pennsylvania Avenue with dead pigeons

Richard Nixon coasted to a landslide victory in his 1972 reelection campaign. However, with the specter of the Vietnam War and the emerging Watergate scandal, he was intent on making his inauguration a huge success.

According to the Washington Post, at Nixons request the inaugural committee spent $13,000 to smear Roost No More, a chemical bird repellent, on tree branches along the parade route to deter pigeons.

Unfortunately for Nixon, the repellent didnt quite work as intended. Instead, the birds ate the spray and promptly became sick or died, littering the parade route with lame and dead pigeons.

2009: Barack Obama and Chief Justice Roberts messed up the oath of office

Barack Obama drew a record crowd for his first inauguration in 2009, with a whopping 1.8 million people in attendance. However, there was a slight hiccup with the swearing-in ceremony. Chief Justice Roberts misplaced a word in the oath, saying, That I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully. The word faithfully should appear between will and execute.

Roberts re-administered the oath the next day, out of what White House counsel Greg Craig called an abundance of caution.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. administers the oath of office to President Barack Obama a second time in the Map Room of the White House January 21, 2009 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images)

MORE: MAP: Where every US president was born
Washington (AFP) - Nigel Farage, who led Britain's vote to leave the European Union, has agreed to become a contributor to US-based Fox News, the network said Friday.

The former head of the UK Independence Party "will offer political analysis" for Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, a statement said.

Farage has been closely aligned with Donald Trump and last month visited the president-elect at Trump Tower in New York.

He campaigned on behalf of Trump last year, believing the real estate tycoon and former reality TV star had tapped into similar anger over globalization and ruling elites as the anti-EU campaign in Britain.

Trump rewarded his loyalty by recommending that Farage serve as British ambassador to the United States, irritating Downing Street.
LONDON (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who will visit Myanmar on Friday, said the former British colony's transition to democracy was not yet complete but that Britain would offer its full support as a friend. Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has faced criticism abroad for her government's handling of a crisis in the Muslim-majority Rakhine region, where soldiers have blocked access for aid workers and are accused of raping and killing civilians. "Burmas transition to democracy is not yet complete but it is worth reflecting on just how far Burma has come since Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party took office just nine months ago," Johnson said in a statement. "The UK, as a longstanding and long term friend to Burma, will continue to offer its fullest support," he said. "I look forward to seeing Burma continue to develop into a country where there is peace and prosperity for all its people." On the visit, the first to Myanmar by a British foreign minister in five years, Johnson will meet leader Suu Kyi, members of the Rakhine Commission and leaders of different ethnic groups to discuss the peace process. Britain's Foreign Office has previously expressed concern about the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State. Suu Kyi's government has denied any abuses have taken place. (Reporting by William James; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
London (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said Friday that she believed US President Donald Trump "recognises the importance and significance of NATO", despite him days earlier dubbing the military alliance obsolete.

In an interview with the Financial Times, May said: "I'm also confident the USA will recognise the importance of the cooperation we have in Europe to ensure our collective defence and collective security."

The British premier is expected to visit Trump in the spring, according to Downing Street, although the FT reported that she could go to Washington as early as next month.

Earlier this week, before he was sworn in as president, Trump told two European newspapers he had long warned that NATO had "problems".

"Number one, it was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago," he said, referring to its Cold War, post-World War II origins.

"Number two, the countries aren't paying what they're supposed to pay."

In his inaugural address on Friday, Trump said the United States had "subsidised the armies of other countries", highlighting a common course of friction in the 28-nation alliance.

In response to Trump's reported remarks about NATO earlier in the week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Europe has to take responsibility for itself.
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's police watchdog is to hold an investigation after officers were filmed firing a stun-gun at their own local black race relations adviser who they apparently mistook for a wanted suspect, the force involved said on Friday. Judah Adunbi, 63, who is a founder member of an Independent Advisory Group (IAG) which works with Avon and Somerset Police in western England to improve relations with the local black community, was shot with the high-voltage Taser gun last Saturday outside his home in Bristol. A neighbour's video of the incident posted on newspaper websites showed two officers speaking to Adunbi, saying they believed he was someone who is wanted. He refused to give his name saying "I've done no wrong" and later, after a brief scuffle, one officer shot him with a stun gun. "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," he told ITV News. Avon and Somerset Police said they had referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). "I've met with Mr Adunbi and we had a constructive conversation," said Chief Superintendent Jon Reilly. "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." On its website, Avon and Somerset Police say "IAGs have a vital role in helping us build trust, confidence and better relationships, especially with our diverse communities". (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
By Alistair Smout and Luke Bridges LONDON (Reuters) - A banner reading "Build bridges not walls" was draped across London's Tower Bridge as part of several protests in Europe and Asia on Friday against the inauguration of Donald Trump as U.S. president. Soon after sunrise, activists on the bridge, with its two Gothic-style towers, held up pink letters reading "Act now!" while others beside parliament unfurled banners saying "Migrants welcome here". There were also demonstrations in Japan, the Philippines and Belgium, where hundreds of people held a minute's silence, lighting candles in Friday evening's bitter cold and holding signs defending women's rights. In the Scottish capital, banners on Edinburgh's North Bridge read "Women rise up" and "There is no Planet B" - a reference to Trump's perceived lack of interest in combating climate change. Later, after the inauguration ceremony, several hundred people gathered outside the U.S. embassy in London, chanting and singing protest songs. "I'm deeply, deeply saddened and embarrassed," said one of them, Kim Grey, 40, from Texas. "I'm here because I think the majority of Americans who didnt vote for him need to see the solidarity around the world ... that he's unfit, he's unacceptable." Trump opponents were angered by his comments during last year's election campaign about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims, and his pledges to build a wall on the Mexican border. In Tokyo, several hundred people, most of them expatriate Americans, marched along a downtown street holding electric candles or placards reading "Love Trumps Hate" and "Women's Rights Are Human Rights". In the Philippines, about 200 demonstrators from a Philippine nationalist group rallied for about an hour outside the U.S. embassy in Manila. Some held up signs demanding U.S. troops leave the Philippines while others set fire to a paper U.S. flag bearing a picture of Trump's face. At the rally in Brussels, people held up signs saying "Proud to be a Pussy" and "We will fight Like a Girl". "I have a wife and three daughters; I have a vested interest in the equality of women," said Protestant pastor Murray Frick, 62. "I am afraid of a big step backwards in terms of dehumanizing groups of people ... about my home country losing its moral compass." Julie Chasin, a 42-year-old teacher originally from New York who has lived in London for a decade, joined the Tower Bridge protest. "Yes Donald Trump is President, but he still needs to protect everybody's rights," said Chasin, a Democrat. "It's scary. I hope he's kept in check. I hope everyone who is telling me not to worry, and saying that we have a strong system of checks and balances, I hope that it's true". SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE Trump's supporters, who admire his experience in business and see him as an outsider who will take a fresh approach to politics, were also marking his inauguration in London. Some 200 of them gathered under the gaze of a life-sized cardboard figure of Trump to celebrate at an exclusive club near the Ritz hotel. As he completed the oath, the room broke into a standing ovation complete with high-five celebrations. "I was expecting him to win," said businessman David Pattinson. "It was the same with Brexit in how the polls got it wrong." In Moscow, Russians hoping Trump will usher in a new era of detente welcomed his inauguration. Russian nationalists held an all-night party at what used to be the main Soviet-era post office in Moscow. Sellers of traditional matryoshka nesting dolls have added Trump dolls to their popular line-up of items carved in the likeness of President Vladimir Putin, Bolshevik revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, ex-President Mikhail Gorbachev and Josef Stalin. And craftsmen in the city of Zlatoust, east of Moscow, have released a limited series of silver and gold commemorative coins, engraved with "In Trump We Trust" - an allusion to the phrase on U.S. banknotes "In God We Trust". In Nigeria, more than a thousand supporters of a southern secessionist movement took to the streets to welcome Trump, hoping he will end what they see as the "Islamization" of the West African nation. (Additional reporting by Ritvik Carvalho; Writing by Stephen Addison; Editing by Dominic Evans)
Photo credit: Marshall Pruett

From Road & Track

Engine problems are the root of nightmares in most racing tales, but if you have the right kind of motor malfunction, unbelievable things can happen.

One of my favorite bad-good stories from the sport involves Mark Blundell, his Nissan R90CK, and a scary-but-legendary run for pole position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990.

The factory-backed Nissan prototypes were already wicked-fast, and thanks to the hearty 3.5-liter twin-turbo V8 produced by the Japanese manufacturer, horsepower figures in the 700-800 range made the Nissans, along with official entries from Porsche, Jaguar, Toyota and Mazda, some of the fastest race cars on the planet.

The great gift bestowed upon Blundell, who went on to make his Formula 1 debut with the Brabham team in 1991, came during a seismic blast around the treacherous 8.5-mile Le Mans circuit. Cracking the 200 mph barrier with ease on the famed Mulsanne Straight and its glorious, unbroken 3.7-mile stretch of public road was no longer a guarantee after the race organizers inserted two chicanes for the 1990 event.

Chopped into three segments at just over one-mile apiece, the coolest drag strip on the planet was sliced into irrelevance.

Photo credit: Darrell Ingham / Getty

With rumors of chicanes already on the horizon in the late Eighties, one enterprising French team entered the race in 1988 for the sole purpose of setting the all-time (official) top speed on the Mulsanne before the 3.7-mile strip was lost. Captured by a slippery, high-boost prototype streamliner, the record peak of 253 mph was earned before the Peugeot turbo engine in the back of the prototype chassis surrendered.

Entering the 1990 race with the new Mulsanne chicanes installed, the concept of massive top speeds was quickly forgotten-a thing of the past. Well, at least until Blundell strapped into his No. 24 Nissan, engaged first gear, and pulled onto the circuit.

It was here, as the Briton describes in full audio detail below, where malfunctioning turbo wastegates ensured the R90CK shot past the 1000 hp mark-to a maximum figure that is still unknown-and snapped his head back with every upshift.

Story continues

The Nissan's raging twin-turbo V8, oblivious to the constraints of time and space, launched Blundell down the new stop-start Mulsanne sections at an incredible 238 mph. Imagine what the number would have been without the chicanes. Faced with the same Mulsanne chicanes, the best top speed from the 2016 event went to Audi and its hybrid R18 turbodiesel: 213.4 mph.

Photo credit: Pascal Rondeau / Getty

While the new Mulsanne layout prevented Blundell from breaking the 253 mph top speed record, that glowing engine, with its refusal to dispense the excess turbo boost, allowed the No. 24 Nissan to establish a staggering qualifying record for the chicane era at Le Mans with a pole time of 3m27.020s. That part's a no-brainer.

What wasn't normal, and continues to stand as a once-in-a-lifetime achievement at the French endurance classic, was the gap to the second-place qualifier.

Brun Motorsport's Porsche 962 was a full six seconds slower-6.040 seconds, to be exact-than the Nissan with its nuclear meltdown brewing in the engine bay. By comparison, the gap between the pole-winning Porsche 919 Hybrid at last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans and the second-place qualifier was a tame 0.470s.

As part of a multi-car team, the other Nissans were an indicator of what Blundell should have expected in qualifying. Minus the steroidal turbos, the sister No. 23 Nissan qualified third at a 3m33.170s-6.15s behind the savage No. 24. Blundell's performance, in Indianapolis 500 terms, would be like one Team Penske pilot taking pole at 275 mph while the next-best Penske driver was stuck at 225.

This one, brilliant engine malfunction gave Blundell his first experience of warp speed, and as he shares in a short podcast on the crazy ordeal, the gap to second place could have been bigger

You Might Also Like
NEW YORK (AP) -- The founder of Brooklyn Brewery says the local craft beer business with a global brand won't be moving after all.

Company co-founder Steve Hindy told The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/2k9ToBB ) on Thursday that he and Brooklyn Brewery's top executives have decided not to leave its longtime home in the borough's Williamsburg section.

The company's owners decided last year to move to the Brooklyn Navy Yard because they felt they were being squeezed out by gentrification in the neighborhood around their brewery.

Hindy says the decision to stay came after the company's landlords expressed interest in extending the brewery's leases beyond the 2025 expiration.

Brooklyn Brewery's products include Brooklyn Lager and other beers that are now sold in 30 countries. The lager is also brewed in Australia and will be brewed in Japan starting in March.

___

Information from: The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com
(Reuters) - A Canadian court has rejected an attempt by Ecuadorian communities to enforce a judgment against Chevron Corp they obtained in their home country, saying the company's local subsidiary is not liable for the parent, Chevron said on Friday. The decision in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice came after the company last year persuaded a federal appeals court to block enforcement of the judgment in the United States, which it says was obtained through bribery and fraud. The rulings dealt a blow to some Ecuadorian communities and American lawyer Steven Donziger, who has spent more than two decades battling Chevron to hold it responsible for pollution in the Ecuadorean rain forest. Representatives of residents of Ecuador's Lago Agrio region were trying to force Chevron to pay for water and soil contamination caused from 1964 to 1992 by Texaco, which Chevron acquired in 2001. While not disputing that pollution occurred, Chevron has said Donziger and his associates went too far, including by arranging the ghostwriting of a key environmental report and bribing the presiding judge in Ecuador. A Canadian lawyer for the Ecuadorian communities did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Ethan Lou in Calgary, Alberta; editing by David Gregorio and Jonathan Oatis)
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's government, eager to sidestep potentially protectionist U.S. policies, said on Friday it was confident that new President Donald Trump would see that working closely with Canada benefited both nations' economies. Trump - who is committed to renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada and Mexico - said during his inauguration speech that his administration would stick to a policy of "Buy American." Canada sends 75 percent of its exports to the United States and could be crippled by any new U.S. measures designed to restrict imports. "We are confident the new Administration will see that Canada's partnership with the U.S. mutually strengthens our two nations and provides real opportunities to grow our respective economies," Joseph Pickerill, spokesman for Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said in a statement. Officials working for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have held several meetings with the Trump team, stressing that Canada is the top export destination for 35 U.S. states and that 9 million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Canada. Separately, Trudeau issued a statement congratulating Trump. "Together, we benefit from robust trade and investment ties, and integrated economies, that support millions of Canadian and American jobs," he said. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
San Pedro Sula (Honduras) (AFP) - Donald Trump has promised to make America a fortress against immigration by building a wall on the country's southern border.

But as one group of Honduran migrants deported from Mexico vows, no matter what kind of a barrier he builds, "we will still try to get over it."

That was the pledge from 13-year-old Lizbeth Paredes, returned to her country with dozens of others after their failed bid to make it across the US border to the Latin version of the American dream.

The 8th-grade student left Honduras in January together with her 38-year-old mother Gloria and two cousins, aged 10 and 12.

The family had wanted to make it into the United States before Trump takes power, promising to build his wall along the 3,200-kilometer (2,000-mile) border with Mexico.

But Mexican migration officials caught them riding in a truck in the state of Tabasco and sent them back.

They were among the 88 adults and children who arrived in Honduras's second city of San Pedro Sula by bus on Wednesday.

Although they didn't make this time, Lizbeth insisted -- her eyes shining and her hair in a ponytail -- they would try again and succeed.

She hoisted her backpack on her shoulders and joined her family entering a center for migrant children and families.

- 'We want a better life' -

More than a million Hondurans live in the United States, most of them with no legal residency papers.

They are a vital source of revenue for their country, sending home $4 billion in remittances last year -- nearly 20 percent of Honduras's gross domestic product.

Trump's plan for a wall has prompted a flood of Hondurans to leave for America, encouraged by traffickers warning it's better to try now than face greater obstacles later.

Thousands of Central Americans attempt to trek to the United States every year, fleeing vicious gang violence and poverty in their home countries.

Another child, a 15-year-old boy who gave his name as Kevin Flores, also predicted a wall would do little to stem the flow.

Story continues

"We go because we want a better life, to be someone," the small boy with wavy brown hair said.

It was his mother's idea to try for the United States, he said. After leaving their village of Entrada Copan last Sunday, they, too, were caught by Mexican migration officials.

Aminta Lopez, 41, said she had attempted to make the journey from her home in the capital with her sons, aged five and eight, to flee the ruthless gangs that lord over entire neighborhoods.

"The idea was to go now because later there will be the wall that will stop people passing through," she said. "But I will have to try again in any case."

Her plan is to make it to the US state of New Jersey, where her brother Israel has been living for 18 years. But that will mean having to successfully dodge the Mexican officials who put an end to her first attempt.

- A perilous trek -

Estimates put the number of people leaving Honduras for the United States every year at between 80,000 and 100,000. Hundreds die on the way, many of them parched in the Mexican desert or murdered by criminal gangs.

They emigrate for lack of work, to study, escape the gangs or be reunited with relatives, humanitarian groups say.

Of the 8.7 million people in Honduras, close to seven out of 10 live in poverty.

The country is one of the most violent on the planet, with a murder rate of 60 per 100,000 inhabitants -- more than six times the world average calculated by the World Health Organization.

The wave of migrant children trying to get into America caught international attention in 2014, when more than 60,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America's Northern Triangle countries -- Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador -- were recorded at the US border.

Mexico deported 10,028 Honduran children last year, many of them traveling with no adult, according to a report by the non-governmental group Casa Alianza.

The group said that 65,475 migrant children from Mexico and the Northern Triangle were detained on the US border between October 2015 and October 2016.

But with no sign conditions at home will improve in the foreseeable future, determination remains undaunted.

"What is there to do?" Lopez says. "We have to go back" and try for America again.
SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile declared a state of emergency on Friday as more than a dozen wildfires that have scorched nearly 50,000 hectares (123,500 acres) threatened to encroach on towns, factories and vineyards. Firefighters, forestry service personnel and members of the military are battling 18 separate blazes in the center and south of the country that have been fueled by strong winds and a heat wave. The largest has consumed 24,000 hectares in and around Pumanque, a rural area some 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital Santiago that is near some of Chile's vineyards. "I've instructed the Interior Ministry to declare a catastrophe zone and a state of emergency in the areas affected by the fires," President Michelle Bachelet said on Twitter. The smoke from the blazes cloaked Santiago in a thick haze. Television news images showed helicopters and planes trying to douse the out-of-control fires, apparently to little avail. The head of Chile's CONAF forestry service, Aaron Cavieres, said the fires were caused by humans, but that it could not be determined whether they were set intentionally. CONAF said it would close access to all national parks between the northern Coquimbo and south-central Biobio regions until Sunday. While several fires are in the vicinity of some of Chile's national parks, none have been directly affected. (Reporting by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
By Christian Shepherd BEIJING (Reuters) - China pledged to banish abuse in graft investigations and urged foreign diplomats to help "weave a cooperative network against corruption", as it tries to build international support for President Xi Jinping's four-year war on graft. Xi has vowed to fight deep-rooted graft at all levels of the ruling Communist Party until officials "dare not, cannot and don't want to" be corrupt, and has warned that failure to stamp out the rot could threaten the party's future. China has taken the battle global, publishing a list of the 100 most-wanted corruption suspects who have fled abroad to countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia, often taking their wealth with them. Authorities have said they clawed back 2.3 billion yuan ($334 million) in graft proceeds from more than 70 countries and regions in the first 11 months of 2016. But China has struggled to win full cooperation in tracking and repatriating such fugitives, with foreign countries blaming an under-developed legal system, and concern about rights abuses, for their reluctance to sign extradition treaties. In an unusual step, Wu Yuliang, deputy head of the top graft watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), briefed representatives of 113 diplomatic missions and 13 international bodies on Thursday about efforts to fight graft, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Rights groups have accused Chinese authorities of using torture and illegal detention during graft investigations as part of an extra-judicial detention and integration system known as "shuanggui". Abuse, insults, beatings, and "disguised" corporal punishment are forbidden and food, rest and medical treatment must be provided during investigations, according to provisional regulations published on the CCDI website on Friday. Though force has always been technically forbidden, the government has acknowledged problems with torture in its legal system, which it has vowed to correct. 'MAJOR REFORM' The rules, passed by the CCDI at a meeting this month, also set limits on interrogation periods, require that sessions are recorded, and explicitly ban threats, coercion and evidence tampering. Efforts to strengthen supervision constitute a "major political reform", Wu said, giving examples such as tougher laws against corruption and the establishment of a national supervisory body. The campaign to return corrupt officials and other overseas fugitives adhered to the law, not only that of China, but also other countries, Wu added. Looking to allay doubts about China's legal processes, Liu Jianchao, who leads efforts to bring home corruption suspects, said details of 105 repatriation cases had been released, according to a transcript on the watchdog's website. He also offered to arrange for diplomats to visit corruption suspects in detention or under trial, saying he hoped to dispel concern and spur more countries to sign extradition pacts. China's top legal body this month clarified the procedure to seize the ill-gotten gains of corruption suspects who are dead or have gone missing, in a step state media hailed as key to recovery of overseas assets. (Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Randy Fabi)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has asked local authorities to provide a list of producers of a highly-polluting kind of low-end steel product, with details of specific measures and a timetable for phasing out its production, as part of China's drive to tackle smog. The state economic planner, the National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC), requested local authorities to submit the list to relevant central government agencies by Jan. 20, according to a statement on the website of the National Energy Administration. The government has pledged to halt production of the polluting low-end steel product by the end of June and has sent 12 inspection groups to areas including Hebei, Henan, Guangxi and Heilongjiang to oversee the move, state media Xinhua has reported. The move is part of the government's efforts to tackle smog as well as to cut excess steel production capacity. News of the renewed crackdown pushed China's steel rebar prices to three-week highs last week. The low-grade steel produced in small low-tech furnaces, often using recycled material, has been identified as not only as a source of pollution but also a major safety hazard because the steel products are easy to break. The crackdown will affect about 4 percent of the country's steel output, according to Xinhua. China has launched a campaign to shut down substandard steel production as part of its war on pollution and industrial overcapacity. It is planning to close 100-150 million tonnes of annual steel production capacity over the 2016-2020 period. Donald Trump, due to be sworn in as U.S. president later on Friday, has stacked his trade transition team with veterans of the U.S. steel industry's battles with China, signalling a potentially more aggressive approach to U.S. complaints of unfair Chinese subsidies for its exports and barriers to imports. (Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Adrian Croft)
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f355140%2f4c8bb86f-6fbf-4a6d-932e-3d983eb02693

Here's more proof that it's hard being a celebrity.

Chrissy Teigen, chef/model/role model, has never failed to be one of the most relatable celebrities in the modern era. From posting pictures of her stretch marks to not holding back when it comes to the haters, Teigen has a proven that she can be a relatable, likable human. It would be hard to imagine someone saying hurtful things to the woman who brought us the adorable bundle that is baby Luna.

Well, Teigen shocked the internet yesterday when she recounted an incident in which, upon landing in New York City, a paparazzo verbally attacked her and husband John Legend with racist comments.

SEE ALSO: Chrissy Teigen isn't into John Legend's Golden Globes dancing

Paparazzi at JFK just asked me "if we evolved from monkeys, why is John Legend still around?" - and people wonder why celebs lose it in pics  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 19, 2017

Also, john is right next to me. The balls.  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 19, 2017

Teigen was especially shocked with the paparazzo's behavior because she said she was very nice and spoke to him before the insults flew.

I was very kind. Answered cooking questions, then he came with that. Fucking disgusting.  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 19, 2017

He also went from "what's an easy recipe to make at home" to "if a Jew were a vampire, would he still be afraid of crosses?"  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 19, 2017

The model's fans flocked to her side and asked why she didn't fight back. Teigen explained that some of the paparazzi love when celebrities' lose their cool on film.

Story continues

Nah. They live for that photo and lawsuit. https://t.co/EE6DlhnjfJ  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 19, 2017

Teigen ended her story saying that the paparazzo's identity will be known whenever he decides to show the video.

Guess we'll find him when he puts the video out. That he edits the shit out of since he didn't get clocked.  christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 19, 2017

We apologize for the horrid trolls you have to interact with, Ms. Teigen. Keep handling them with class.

BONUS: John Legend and Common deliver stirring Oscars acceptance speech
Edinburgh (AFP) - The countdown to a second Scottish independence referendum appears to have begun after Prime Minister Theresa May laid out the course towards a "hard" Brexit -- but Scots are as divided as ever.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said another vote was "more likely" than ever after May on Tuesday outlined her plan to pull the country out of the EU's single market despite Scotland's objections.

"Time is fast running out for the UK government to convince us that they care one jot about Scotland's interests," Sturgeon told the Scottish parliament on Thursday.

"If they dont, Scotland does face a choice: do we go down the damaging path set out by Theresa May... or do we want to take control over the future of our country?"

Following a meeting with Brexit minister David Davis on Thursday, Sturgeon's representative Mike Russell said: "The clock is ticking".

Scotland voted in 2014 by a margin of 55 to 45 percent to stay in the United Kingdom.

But Sturgeon argues that last year's vote for Brexit has left Scotland in "uncharted waters" since a majority of Scots instead opted to stay in the EU.

She has put forward proposals for Scotland to be allowed to remain in the single market even as the rest of Britain leaves and has drafted an independence referendum bill just in case.

Her independence ally Patrick Harvie, co-convener of the Scottish Greens whose votes she needs to get a second referendum through parliament, has predicted it will be held some time in 2018.

- 'Tension in the family' -

The dilemma for Sturgeon is that many Scots say the EU referendum has not changed their minds on independence.

The latest poll of 1,002 respondents carried out by BMG Research for the Herald newspaper last month found 55 percent against and 45 percent in favour -- the same split as in the 2014 vote.

Mother and daughter Irene and Cara Henney, from Paisley on the edge of Glasgow, are typical of the generational divide seen in both the independence and EU referendums.

Story continues

Irene, 55, who works in sales, said no to independence but yes to Brexit.

"Sturgeon has lost sight of what matters to the Scottish people, like health and education... By calling for a second referendum shes probably alienating a lot of people," she said.

Cara, 18, a student, voted yes to independence in her first ever national vote after the Scottish government lowered the voting age to 16.

Cara missed the EU referendum, which was reserved for over-18s, but said she would have voted to stay.

"While I don't agree with some of Sturgeons priorities, now that Scotland is being taken out of the EU against its will she is giving us an opportunity to fight back," she said.

Asked about the differences with her mother, she said: "It does cause some tension in the family".

Stuart Salter, 34, a town planner from Edinburgh, voted No to independence and wants to remain in the EU.

He said: "The Brexit vote hasnt changed my mind about independence.

"Driving Scotland towards another independence referendum will only add to the present uncertainty".

Campbell Fraser, 50, a drama workshop director from Clarkston, south of Glasgow, said he wanted Scotland to be an independent EU member state.

"We have to make sure we win because I don't think we'll get another chance in my lifetime," he said.

- Forced independence bid? -

Political experts believe Sturgeon may be left with little choice but to call a referendum.

But Michael Keating, director of the Economic and Social Research Councils Centre on Constitutional Change, told AFP: "There is no sign whatsoever that the UK government is going to take (Sturgeon's) proposals seriously.

"They have to say they are, because if they reject it out of hand, they will be playing right into the Scottish governments hands," he said.

Nicola McEwen, professor of Territorial Politics at Edinburgh University, said Sturgeon had left no "compromise position" for Scotland.

"The worry for the Scottish government is if you hold a second referendum and lose it, you lose the leverage for Scotland within the United Kingdom.

"But if the situation is such that there doesnt appear to be much leverage now anyway, the Scottish government may decide it has nothing to lose."
Bogota (AFP) - Colombia's state ombudsman Friday urged authorities to protect civilians from violence between FARC rebels and renegade fighters deserting the force in protest at its peace accord with the government.

The FARC is preparing to demobilise under the accord but said its members had clashed with a breakaway group opposed to the agreement.

The unrest threatens to disrupt the FARC and government efforts to end their half-century-old conflict.

Ombudsman Carlos Alfonso Negret said various incidents had been reported in the south which posed a threat to civilians.

He said a woman was killed when regular FARC forces attacked a group led by a renegade commander.

The FARC earlier reported a clash last week in which it said one member of the breakaway group was killed.

The government warned in a statement that those involved in fighting at this stage in the peace process will not be covered by an amnesty included in the peace deal.
By Peter Eisler, Melissa Fares and Dustin Volz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rob Cortis calls it the Trump Unity Bridge - a bulky, metal 45-foot structure welded to two wheels and bedecked with red, white and blue signs echoing President-elect Donald Trumps campaign themes. He has towed it more than 20,000 miles (32,000 km) across the country. But as he arrived in Washington on the eve of Trump's inauguration on Friday as America's 45th president, he struggled to navigate the city's crowded potholed streets. "Ive been on dirt roads that are smoother," said Cortis, who lives in Michigan. Things are no smoother for Washington - a city with a history of welcoming its White House occupants - following one of the most polarizing elections in modern U.S. politics. Nowhere in the country did the Republican Trump get less support, winning just 4 percent of the vote in the District of Columbia in the Nov. 8 election. On K Street, best known for its well-heeled lobbyists, about 200 protesters chanted: "No Trump ... no fascist USA." Nearby, Trump supporters - some draped in red, white and blue shirts, hats and jackets - declared their unwavering support for the New York businessman. Denise Hendrickson, 51, a nurse who moved to Washington when Democratic President Barack Obama took office eight years ago, walked the streets on Thursday with a sign thanking him for his service and proclaiming: We Already Miss U. As she moved down the sidewalk, she invited Trump supporters to talk, promising hugs to anyone who was willing. One man wearing Trumps signature red Make America Great Again hat just smiled, took a picture and moved on. Then a middle-aged woman, also in Trump gear, approached to talk. After a few minutes, the two women hugged. This city is bummed out, its a Democratic city, Hendrickson said. But Hendrickson said there was a need in the current political climate to listen to people with different views. We are open to having a conversation with any Trump supporter, she shouted. Traci Turner, 38, no fan of Trump, arrived from Atlanta with her husband and mother-in-law, both avid Trump supporters who got tickets for the inauguration. We could not be more different in politics. Weve been married 13 years and we try to stay away from that subject, she said. Theyre here for the inauguration. Im just here for the sites, just for the history. As Turner spoke, a stranger walked by and reminded her there were other options for people visiting the city, including a march planned for Saturday when hundreds of thousands of women are expected to turn up in support of women's rights. Some 900,000 people, both Trump backers and opponents, are expected to flood Washington for Friday's inauguration ceremony. Opponents of Trump are riled by his disparaging campaign comments about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims and his pledge to build a wall on the border with Mexico. His supporters admire his experience in business and his promises to shake up Washington and put America's interests first. 'NEGATIVE VIBE' Cortis, 53, who has spent months driving the country with his trailer-mounted model bridge, said the atmosphere had been cordial despite the political differences on display across much of the city. Nobody has been really nasty, he said of reactions to his bridge, which features a Trump mannequin, a Statue of Liberty figurine and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, symbolizing American manufacturing. You can tell some people have a negative vibe when they see it, but they kind of shake it off, because were playing positive, uplifting music and we have a positive message, Cortis added. With all the different visitors, its been one of our busiest weekends yet, said Roger, a 41-year-old cabdriver who declined to give his last name. Theyve been supportive of Trump, protesting against Trump, and not giving a damn about the man, he said. All I know is that business has been good. Real good. Not everyone in the city is planning to stay in town for the event. Preston Mitchum, 30, a gay man, plans to go away for a few days with friends. Sweating on an exercise machine at a gym on Thursday afternoon, he noted most of his friends are gay or members of racial minorities  groups that generally opposed Trumps candidacy. We dont want to deal with the fact that we may have to get into an argument with someone (supporting Trump), he said. On Wednesday night, Mitchum was among hundreds attending an outdoor dance party organized by gay and transgender activists near the home of Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Rainbow flags, the symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride, have cropped up on scores of houses in the liberal neighborhood where Pence, who opposes gay marriage and laws barring discrimination based on sexual orientation, took a short-term rental while he waits to move into the vice presidential mansion. Participants at the dance party were well behaved, said police, who reported no incidents or arrests. (Editing by Jason Szep and Peter Cooney)
From Popular Mechanics

The Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Arizona Senator John McCain, released a paper on Tuesday calling for the Pentagon to receive a nine percent boost in defense spending next year. The plan calls for spending more than $400 billion over five years, reversing what the Senator calls "damage done to the military over the past eight years." The plan roughly mirrors defense spending increases proposed by President Elect Donald Trump.

The document, called Restoring American Power: Recommendations for the FY 2018-FY2022 Defense Budget, calls for spending an additional $430 billion in defense spending during that five year period. The Senator claims that the Budget Control Act of 2011-also known as the Sequestration-created "havoc" when it was activated in mid-2013, triggering $41 billion in cuts while failing to actually decrease the federal debt.

The document warns that "China and Russia aspire to diminish U.S. influence and revise the world order in ways that are contrary to U.S. national interests." It also warns that North Korea and Iran pose threats to regional security, and that Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and other terrorist groups are threats into the foreseeable future. McCain also warns that cyber warfare, irregular warfare (such as those tactics practiced by Russia in 2014 in the Crimea) were "gray zone" threats that need a U.S. response.

McCain recommends a 2018 defense budget of $640 billion dollars, which is $54 billion above Obama's planned budget. From 2018 to 2022, he recommends an additional $430 billion in increased spending. How would it be spent? Don't worry; there is no shortage of recommendations.

The Navy, currently at 273 ships, was set to climb to 308 ships in the near future. President-Elect Donald Trump campaigned on a promise of 350 ships. Once Trump had won the office, the Chief of Naval Operations did him even better and declared the service needed 355 battle force ships.

Story continues

Starting with submarines, McCain wants to accelerate production from two per year to three per year, up to four per year by 2021. He also wants to can the controversial Littoral Combat Ship, building only enough ships to sustain industry until plans are set for its replacement, the frigate-sized Small Surface Combatant. Finally, while McCain doesn't want to completely get rid of large supercarriers such as the USS Gerald R. Ford, he does want the Navy to start working on a mix of large ships such as the Ford and smaller carriers that could still affordably project air power.

the Navy's aircraft inventories will be short 111 aircraft by 2030

Naval aviation, an issue undoubtedly near to McCain's heart as a former carrier pilot, would also get a boost. He warns that the Navy's aircraft inventories will be short 111 aircraft by 2030. His solution is to buy more 58 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and 16 more EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft. The document also recommends accelerating purchase of the naval version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, the MQ-25 Stingray tanker/intelligence drone, and developing a flying strike drone.

The Marines would mostly get manpower out of the defense increases. The Marines would grow from 182,000 personnel today to 200,000 by 2022. Marine aviation, which has suffered a number of high profile crashes in recent months, would get a large boost with procurement of the vertical takeoff and landing version of the F-35, the F-35B, CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter, and KC-130J airborne tanker.

The Air Force, which McCain says is the "oldest, smallest, and least ready in its history" would see a major influx of tax dollars. Partially due to delays in the fielding of the F-35A, the service is short 100 active, combat-ready aircraft. Older aircraft are being retired before their replacements come on line, leaving a shortage of warplanes.

The shopping list is extensive. Rather than the planned 228 F-35As between 2018 and 2022, the document calls for the air service to receive 301 Joint Strike Fighters. Furthermore, it calls for the development of what the Air Force calls Penetrating Counter Air, a long-range fighter, perhaps with electronic attack capabilities, that can escort the B-2 Spirit and B-21 Raider bombers on long-range strike missions into enemy territory.

Speaking of the B-21 Raider, the Senator asserts it is critical the super-stealthy bomber, planned to enter service in 2030.The Air Force currently wants 80 to 100 Raiders to replace the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit.

McCain's approach to the Air Force is similar to that of the Navy, a mix of newer high-tech fighters, as well as older planes that are still plenty good at what they do. Many of the fourth generation aircraft such as the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15C Golden Eagle, and F-16 Fighting Falcon are still useful and could be used in conflicts where the air defense threat is minimal-think Libya, Syria, or Iraq.

[contentlinks align="left" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Story" customtitles="Why%20the%20A-10%20Warthog%20Is%20Such%20a%20Badass%20Plane" customimages="" content="article.18236"]

The paper keeps the iconic A-10 Thunderbolt II in service while buying 300 low-cost, light attack fighters. These would be inexpensive warplanes with long ranges and loiter times capable of delivering close air support to ground troops in irregular wars. Airplanes such as the Textron AirLand Scorpion, Brazilian Embraer A-29 Super Tucano, and the Beechcraft AT-6 Texan II would fit the bill nicely. McCain says we could have 200 of them by 2022.

As a manpower-intensive service, the Army is set to receive a mixture of both equipment and personnel. McCain wants to increase the Army from 475,000 active duty troops to 525,000 over five years. The additional troops would be used to cover existing shortfalls, but also to create new combat units destined for Europe. The Army Reserve and Army National Guard would also see proportional increases.

McCain calls for the development of a "new multifunctional, adaptable ground combat vehicle"-to replace both the M1 Abrams main battle tank and the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. One common vehicle might have two variants, one with a large caliber gun for engaging enemy armored vehicles, and the other with a lighter weapon loadout but the ability to safely carry ground troops. The Army has tried twice in the last fifteen years to develop such a vehicle, spending billions but ultimately failing to do so.

The Army also gets upgrades to five armored brigade combat teams, ensuring they have the latest variants of both the Abrams, and the Bradley, and equipping both with anti-missile active protection systems.

[contentlinks align="left" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Story" customtitles="U.S.%20Tests%20Missile-Killing%20Tank%20Defense%20System" customimages="" content="article.20503"]

As for nuclear forces, McCain wants to maintain existing nuclear force structure as dictated by the New START treaty: 400 ICBMs, 240 submarine-launched missiles on 12 submarines, and 60 strategic bombers. The aging Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines-which are nearing the end of their service lives-would be replaced by the upcoming Columbia-class submarine. The Minuteman III ICBM would be replaced with the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, and the Air-Launched Cruise Missile would be replaced with the stealthy Long Range Stand Off missile. Oh, and he wants a nuclear-capable version of the F-35.

In the counter-nuclear arena, the paper calls for greater numbers of ground-based midcourse defense system interceptors, a land-based missile anti-missile system, for defense against North Korea and Iran. U.S.-managed missile defense systems in Europe would also receive more interceptor missiles.

For all its increases, McCain's plan is actually a fairly modest one. There are no massive influxes of dollars into projects nobody has ever heard of before. The money largely goes toward facing high-end threats-think Russia and China-after almost two decades of low-end warfare. Still, the plan relies on Congress to repeal the Budget Control Act-something that is guaranteed to be controversial. We'll likely start to see how the whole plan plays out just as soon as our 45th President takes office.

You Might Also Like
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.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Denmark has extended the mandate of an undisclosed number of special Danish troops training Iraqi troops fighting Islamic State group, to also fight militants.

Defense Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen said Friday's decision to allow troops fight "in the Iraqi-Syrian border area" was taken in response to request by the international coalition that Danes joined in October 2014.

Hjort Frederiksen said "it is vital" the international coalition push the Islamic State group "from all sides."

The opposition Social Democrats, Denmark's largest party, support the decision that must be approved in a formal vote in the 179-seat Danish Parliament. No voting date was immediately announced.

Denmark earlier had sent seven F-16 planes, which have been pulled back in a planned move.
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) - The global elite wraps up its talkathon in the Swiss ski resort of Davos on Friday -- around the same time as Donald Trump enters the White House on a wave of anti-elitist anger.

Here are five key themes from this year's World Economic Forum, which gathers movers and shakers from business, politics, academia and showbiz every year for a week of earnest debate and extravagant partying.

- China: globalisation's new saviour? -

China's President Xi Jinping emerged as an unlikely capitalist hero as Davos kicked off Tuesday, with a staunch defence of globalisation that stood in stark contrast to the protectionist Trump.

The first Chinese supremo to address Davos, Xi said there was "no point in blaming economic globalisation for the world's problems" at a time when anger over the downsides of open borders has triggered political revolts in the US, Britain and beyond.

The message won glowing praise from Davos delegates -- though the irony of the communist leader's new status as a capitalist darling was not lost on observers, and China hands noted that his mantra of openness clashed with his government's repressive actions at home.

China's growing thirst for foreign acquisitions was also on display in Davos. The country's richest man Wang Jianling and internet billionaire Jack Ma both expressed an interest in further investments in Hollywood and elsewhere.

- Tackling the populist revolt -

After a year in which US and British electorates lashed out at out-of-touch elites, the cream of that elite did plenty of head-scratching over the reasons for the revolt and what can be done about it.

The official theme of this year's meeting was "responsive and responsible leadership", with the growing rural-urban divide in Western countries up for discussion along with how to appease the "squeezed and angry" middle class.

"It's a mistake not to recognise that the middle class in my country and in others is concerned that the government is not fighting for it," said ex-US Treasury secretary Lawrence Summers.

Story continues

- Getting down to business on Brexit -

British Prime Minister Theresa May headlined Thursday, with business leaders flocking to hear further details of her Brexit plan.

May pronounced Britain "open for business" despite her announcement that she plans to exit the EU single market, promising a mass of ambitious trade deals with partners around the world.

Anxious executives in Davos said they were relieved to have a little more clarity on how Brexit might affect business -- but they said the devil will be in the details of the divorce negotiations.

- Robots are coming for your jobs -

Others spent the week laying preparations for the "Fourth Industrial Revolution" -- technological advances such as artificial intelligence that are predicted to change our lives hugely in the decades to come, notably the way we work.

After industrial robots put paid to many manufacturing jobs in the West, experts now predict the loss of millions of white-collar jobs that machines will be able to perform -- and are urging governments to wake up to the challenge.

"There's insidious insertion of automation in a lot of different domains," said Missy Cummings, a robotics expert at Duke University, naming driverless cars as just one technology that will revolutionise our lives.

"The reality is we can't just keep our head in the sand like an ostrich."

- Inequality: on the agenda, and on display -

The jamboree of the rich and powerful kicked off with a report by Oxfam that said eight men -- including Microsoft founder and Davos attendee Bill Gates -- own the same wealth as half of the world's population put together.

"Equality is on everyone's lips here in Davos, and maybe actually equality is becoming the new black," remarked Swedish Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson.

But the growing gap between the world's rich and poor was also very much on show in Davos -- where billionaires, politicians and A-listers party late into the night at invitation-only events, often after arriving by helicopter.
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 epicentre 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)
Bangladesh quick Kamrul Islam took two wickets in three balls, including Kane Williamson, to derail a solid start by New Zealand on the second morning of the second Test in Christchurch on Saturday.

New Zealand were 70-2 at lunch in reply to Bangladesh's 289, with opener Tom Lathan, backing up from a career best 177 in the first Test, not out 38 and Ross Taylor on 10.

Latham and Jeet Raval made a bright start to the New Zealand innings pushing the total to 45 when Kamrul was brought into the attack and immediately reshaped proceedings.

With his second ball he bowled Raval for 16 and two balls later sent Kane Williamson back to the pavilion.

Raval had been dropped twice in slips and avoided being run out by a poorly directed throw before he engineered his own downfall when he dragged a short Kamrul delivery on to his stumps.

Williamson, fresh from leading New Zealand home with an unbeaten century in the first Test, took two off the first ball he faced then poked at a wide second delivery which was edged to wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan.

Taylor faced 11 balls before getting off the mark and was under constant pressure from the rejuvenated Bangladesh fieldsmen who appealed at every opportunity.

Only 26 runs were scored in the final 12 overs of the session.

When the New Zealand innings opened at the start of day two, fast bowler Taskin Ahmed shared the new ball with spinner Mehedi Hasan who found immediate turn.

For four overs Mehedi tied the New Zealand openers down, conceding only three runs, but he was withdrawn from the attack when Raval took 10 runs off his fifth over.
As the snow settles in Davos with the World Economic Forum (WEF) coming to an end, the co-chairs of the organization reflected on the progress of the week, at times defending the annual gathering from criticisms of elitism.



In response to a question about whether Davos was all about the world elite drinking champagne, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, documentary film maker at SOC Films and co-chair of WEF, said the meeting had brought together people from different backgrounds to solve problems.

"One of the greatest things about Davos is that everyone is approachable," Obaid-Chinoy said during a CNBC-hosted panel discussion.

"Davos is inclusive."

The other panelists also reflected on their week in the mountain ski resort in Switzerland with Franz Van Houten, CEO of Royal Philips, Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America, and Helle Thorning-Schmidt, CEO of Save The Children International, all discussing moments where they felt positive about action coming from the WEF meeting.

Thorning-Schmidt said there was a "thoughtfulness" around Davos and that business leaders were not turning away from their obligations to be responsive and responsible  the theme of this year's WEF.

Moynihan said he had seen a lot of "time" committed to WEF's "Sustainable Development Goals"  a set of targets such as eradicating poverty and addressing gender inequality.

There had also been a real acknowledgement of public-private partnerships to address many issues, according to van Houten. But the Royal Philips boss also acknowledged that trust in business leaders was low, and that they would ultimately be judged by whether they fulfill their promises to society.

"There's clearly a lot to do  We had great discussions but the world needs to judge us on our actions," van Houten said.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.





More From CNBC


By Shereen Lehman Infertile women who are depressed are less likely to proceed with fertility treatments, a small U.S. study suggests. Fertility specialists should consider screening patients for depression, the authors write, to help these patients improve their quality of life and not miss out on the chance of pregnancy. Of 416 women in the study, 41 percent screened positive for depression, researchers found. The relationship between depression and infertility is complex. Many women in our study screened positive for depression, lead author Dr. Natalie Crawford told Reuters Health in an email. Dr. Crawford, who is currently medical director of fertility preservation at Austin Fertility Institute in Texas, led the study while she was at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill. While she was at UNC, all patients were given questionnaires to screen for depression and providers noticed that many women tested positive. We suspected that women who did screen positive for depression were less likely to comply with infertility treatment recommendations, Dr. Crawford said. Our study revealed that women who have a screening test correlating with depression were less likely to proceed with infertility treatments, likely making it harder to achieve the ultimate goal of pregnancy, Dr. Crawford said. The research team sent electronic questionnaires to 959 women. The surveys were designed to screen for mental health disorders and patients perception of mental health disorders and fertility. Of the 416 women who answered the questionnaire, more than half had been trying to conceive for more than two years. Although 41 percent actually tested positive for depression based on their questionnaire responses, 50 percent of the women with infertility said they felt depressed most or all of the time. Only 36 percent of the women who screened positive for depression went ahead with fertility treatments compared to 64 percent of women who did not have depression, according to the results published January 9 in the journal Human Reproduction. Dr. Crawford said that if people have friends or family members who are struggling with infertility, it is important to acknowledge their difficulty. I think simply starting the conversation is the hardest part. Couples who have infertility often report social isolation, she said. Thus, supporting friends and family who are suffering can be extremely helpful. Express your feelings clearly. Patients might not realize that their avoiding fertility treatment may be, in fact, a sign of the stress infertility is causing them, said Dr. Heather Shapiro, who wasnt involved in the study. Dr. Shapiro, vice chair of education in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at the University of Toronto, said she thinks that fertility doctors are generally familiar with the problem of patients avoiding or delaying treatment due to depression or anxiety or some kind of emotional response to fertility. It might help if family and friends recognize that when someone has started and then abandoned fertility treatment, there's a good chance that there's a major stress component to that, she said. If you're in a position to address that stress component either as an informal family support member or professional support member, addressing the stress directly would probably in the long-term help their fertility, Dr. Shapiro said.
Tehran (AFP) - Iranian officials said Friday they were losing hope of pulling any survivors from the rubble of a collapsed Tehran high-rise where around 20 firefighters were feared to have lost their lives.

Rescue workers, soldiers and sniffer dogs were still searching through the wreckage of the 15-storey Plasco building in downtown Tehran, which collapsed on Thursday after a four-hour blaze.

But smouldering fires and smoke were complicating the search, and no survivors or bodies had been found.

"It is very unlikely that we will pull anyone out alive from the rubble," the head of Tehran's crisis management centre, Esmail Najjar, told the ISNA news agency.

"Our goal is to recover the bodies of these martyrs without causing any damage," he added.

The government announced a national day of mourning on Saturday for the firefighters, with the cabinet releasing a statement "praising these great men of sacrifice".

Impromptu displays of solidarity and sadness appeared all over Tehran, with people leaving flowers outside fire stations and around the site of the collapsed building.

"I look at my daughter and wife and think of the families of the firefighters. The lump in my throat is suffocating me," read one of thousands of messages from shocked Iranians on Twitter.

The Plasco building was Iran's oldest high-rise and contained a shopping centre and hundreds of clothing suppliers.

"If the firefighters had not been there in time, if they had not searched inside to evacuate people, we would have had hundreds under the rubble instead of 20 firefighters," said brigade spokesman Jalal Maleki.

- One confirmed death -

The ISNA news agency said a total of 111 people were injured, of whom five were still in hospital.

One firefighter, who escaped the building before it collapsed, died in hospital on Friday from severe burns, it added.

The head of Iran's chamber of commerce, Ali Fazeli, said an initial estimate of 15,000 billion rials (roughly $500 million) had been put on the financial damage.

Story continues

"Unfortunately, a considerable number of shops in this building were not insured," he added.

The clothing suppliers were particularly full of stock in the run-up to Nowruz, the Iranian new year, which falls in March.

Tehran police chief Ghader Karimi said rescue workers were pulling safes and other items out of the rubble, and these were being kept in a special store at the site to return to owners.

President Hassan Rouhani has called for an immediate investigation, with city officials saying the building's managers ignored repeated warnings about fire hazards.

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 alleged ties to Israel and executed after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Melbourne (AFP) - Andy Murray and Roger Federer put on a masterclass on Friday as they swept into the last 16 of the Australian Open, hoping to take advantage of Novak Djokovic's shock exit.

Murray swamped Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 and Federer humbled Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in just 90 minutes, maintaining his 100 percent record over his old rival at Melbourne Park.

Women's world number one Angelique Kerber also hit form as she dropped only four games against Kristyna Pliskova to race into a fourth-round meeting with America's Coco Vandeweghe.

Murray and Federer had both watched from afar on Thursday as Djokovic, the defending champion and six-time winner, suffered a stunning defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin.

Querrey also upset Djokovic at Wimbledon last year but Murray, made a knight in Britain's New Year honours, never looked like slipping on any banana skins in round three.

He put Querrey away 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours, winning 77 percent of points on his first serve and facing only three break points in a clinical display.

The Scottish world number one also showed no signs of discomfort in his right ankle, after he rolled it painfully during his second-round win over Andrey Rublev.

"I felt better and better as the match went on in terms of my movement," he said. "The ankle was a little sore and I was a little tentative at the start but it got better and better through the match."

- Not the 'practice king' -

Federer, 35 and returning from an injury lay-off, said he even surprised himself with an imperious win over Berdych that left the Czech shaking his head as he departed.

"In practice things were going well, but I've never been the practice king. I was winning tons of sets," Federer said, adding: "It's been unbelievable. I did surprise myself."

Murray and 17th-seeded Federer are on course to meet in the quarter-finals, with the Scot next facing Mischa Zverev and the Swiss veteran up against Kei Nishikori.

Story continues

Japan's Nishikori should provide a stern test for Federer and the fifth seed underlined his confident form by seeing off Slovakian qualifier Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, survived a four-set tussle with Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) and now faces Italy's Andreas Seppi, who ousted Steve Darcis of Belgium.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also came through in four sets against American Jack Sock and will play Briton Dan Evans, who beat Australia's Bernard Tomic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3).

In the women's draw, Kerber finally got into her stride with a 6-0, 6-4 destruction of Kristyna Pliskova, the 58th-ranked twin sister of Czech fifth seed Karolina.

The German defending champion was an early loser at both of her warm-up tournaments and was taken to three sets in unconvincing wins in round one and two.

But Kerber clicked into gear against Pliskova, winning in just 55 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with America's Coco Vandeweghe, who ousted Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard.

"I'm looking forward to the next one. Yeah, I think that I find my rhythm to the tournament now," Kerber said.

Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted fellow thirty-something Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 5-7, 9-7 and will next play fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Venus Williams beat Duan Yingying 6-1, 6-0 to end Chinese interest, earning a match with German qualifier Mona Barthel who overcame Australia's Ashleigh Barty in three sets.

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza was a 6-4, 6-2 winner against Anastasija Sevastova, setting up an encounter with Romania's Sorana Cirstea.
The fourth and final tranche of documents on Osama bin Laden released by the Obama administration on Thursday  the president's last day in office  reveal that the worlds most dreaded terrorist was living a state of constant paranoia and fear during his last days in the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

The latest set of declassified documents  letters to family, expense account entries and observations on world events was compiled and formed from the remnants of some items seized by the U.S. Navy Seals during their operation that led to the killing of Osama Bin Laden on May 2, 2011.

The Al Qaeda founder advised his wives and sons in two separate letters to be careful of being implanted with minimally-invasive biological tracking devices, as he suspected they could lead to his capture.

"I was told that you went to a dentist in Iran and you were concerned about a filling she put in for you," bin Laden wrote. He said he wanted to be told of any concerns she or any of his followers had about "chips planted in any way." Osama said in a letter to one of his wives living in Iran.

Writing in another undated letter sent to his sons Uthman and Mohammed, who were being allowed to leave Iran, he says: "If they inject you with a shot, this shot might be loaded with a tiny chip.  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."

Another peculiar observation is noted in a letter called the "third letter to Iraq", where bin Laden describes the U.S. occupation as "positive on all levels" for al Qaeda and its agenda, "be it the enemy's human losses or the enemy's excessive budget depletion, or the fact that the Mujahidin were able to frustrate the enemy's plans for Iraq and for the whole region."

A previous set of documents released in 2015 showed that bin Ladens men had attempted to reunite him with his son Hamza bin Laden but were unable to do so as Hamza was under house arrest in Iran at the time.

Story continues

In July of last year, Hamza bin Laden promised to avenge his father's assassination by threatening the United States through a 21-minute audio message posted online titled "We Are All Osama."

"As for the revenge by the Islamic nation for Sheikh Osama, may Allah have mercy on him. It is not revenge for Osama the person, but it is revenge for those who defended Islam." Hamza, who made his first radio appearance last year through Ayman al-Zawahiri in a bid to recruit more younger militants, was quoted saying by the Guardian.

imghamza-bin-laden

Photo: Reuters

Hamza bin Laden, now in his mid-20s, promised to continue the global militant group's fight against the U.S. and its allies.

"We will continue striking you and targeting you in your country and abroad in response to your oppression of the people of Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and the rest of the Muslim lands that did not survive your oppression," Hamza added.

Related Articles
President Donald Trump on Friday applauded former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for attending his inaugurationa rare conciliatory gesture between two people who were recently bitter opponents in a tight presidential race.

Ill tell you there is something that I wanted to say because I was honoredvery, very honoredwhen I heard that President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton was coming today, and I think thats appropriate to say. And Id like you to stand up. Id like you to stand up, Trump said at his inaugural luncheon in the Capitol, as the Clintons received a standing ovation.

Those at the luncheon included political leaders in both parties, members of the new presidential administration and the families of Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

Honestly, theres nothing more I can say because I have a lot of respect for those two people, so thank you both for being here, Trump said, addressing the Clintons. Trump and Hillary Clinton also shook hands when the new president arrived at the luncheon.

Hillary Clinton smiled as she was introduced at the inauguration, though she appeared to take a deep breath and steel herself before entering the ceremonyone she had likely envisioned with an alternate ending.

Im here today to honor our democracy & its enduring values, she wrote in a tweet shortly before the inauguration. I will never stop believing in our country & its future.
The inaugural address is traditions gift to a new President, a chance to gather the country together before the hard business of governing begins.

Donald Trumps predecessors have seized these historic moments to issue calls for unity. Barack Obama, who took office in the midst of deepening economic crisis, used his first inaugural to steel the nation for the hardship ahead. George W. Bush, who became President in 2001 in the wake of a contested election, urged a a new commitment to live out our nations promise through civility, courage, compassion, and character.

Nobody knows how Trump, who on Friday at noon becomes the 45th U.S. President, intends to make use of his moment in history. But there is little to suggest that he will heed the road map sketched by past Presidents.

Trump has spent the weeks since Election Day practicing the same brand of us-against-them politics that won him the job. Hes feuded with U.S. intelligence chiefs, mocked political opponents and the media and carried on public spats with such luminaries as civil-rights icon Rep. John Lewis. He has treated the presidential transition as a new phase in a permanent campaign, seizing chances to rally his core supporters and making few overtures to his opponents. He has refused to be boxed in by precedent.

That may have contributed to the fact that Trump will step to the podium on the west front of the Capitol as the least popular incoming president in at least four decades. Dozens of House Democrats are boycotting the ceremony, though Obama and both Bill and Hillary Clinton will attend. His inaugural address is a prime chance for him to try to reset his image and bind the wounds of a bitter election.

Aides have been tight-lipped about what to expect. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said the address will clock in at around 20 minutes. It will be a philosophical document, Spicer added, that lays out the themes that will anchor his first term. According to aides, the President-elect wrote the address personally. Lest anyone doubt it, Trump tweeted a photograph of himself with papers and a pen. (Upon closer inspection, however, the picture appears to have been taken at a receptionists desk.)

Story continues

Specifics aside, the world is watching to see if Trump will deliver on his promise of becoming so presidential, or whether he will stick with what he knows. He has proven able to rein in the drama and theatrics when he wants to, such as in a speech he delivered last year about Israel. Still, he favors free-wheeling, stream-of-consciousness addresses. Meeting with supporters on the eve of his inauguration, he departed from the remarks he drew from his jacket pocket to mock a senior Republican senator, John Cornyn of Texas, for soliciting donations from him over the years, and bragged that his Cabinet had the highest IQ in history.

Another unknown is who, exactly, will be running the country once Trumps team arrives after the short bus ride from the Capitol. None of the members of his inner circle at the White Housechief of staff Reince Priebus, chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior adviser Jared Kushner, the President-elects son-in-lawhas served in government before, let alone at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

A sober speech would begin to alleviate widespread fears among members of both parties that the incoming President and his cohort are not prepared for the tasks ahead of them. Of the 690 political jobs that require Senate sign-off, Trump has nominated just 28. It is likely that Trump will spend his first weekend in power with just two Cabinet secretaries confirmed.

Many of the fellow Republicans who will attend the speech have been left to rely on scattered hints about how the Trump era will begin. Trump promised during the campaign to reverse many of Obamas executive orders and restore some from the George W. Bush days that Obama scrapped. But even top Republicans have not been able to glean specifics and are likely to find out at the same time the public does.

Trump campaigned in broad promises to Make America Great Again, a phrase he copyrighted, as well as to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. Questions about the specifics seldom drew answers; his supporters were willing to project their views and protect their candidate. The fury of an America First agenda powered him to the highest office in the land and is likely to be the gist of Trumps first speech as President. Its up to Trump to chart that course now. There really is no turning back.
Christianity has been a part of the presidential inauguration since George Washington laid his hand on a Bible for the very first swearing-in. Incoming presidents have invited pastors to give invocations, quoted the Old and New Testaments liberally and gone to prayer services before and after the ceremony.

So it was not unusual that Donald Trump sought to involve faith in his inauguration.

But the ways in which the 45th President invoked God in his inaugural address were unusually blunt. Trump promised to unite the civilized world against Radical Islamic Terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth, and said that unity will be total allegiance to the United States of America. He then quoted a Psalm of David from the Bible to buttress his policy. The Bible tells us, how good and pleasant it is when Gods people live together in unity.

He then invoked Gods divine protection over the United States, a common theological concept sure to resonate among evangelicals. There should be no fear  most importantly, we are protected by God, he said. And he said that children are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator.

The swearing-in ceremony did more than reference God, however. It named Jesus Christ specifically, and often.

This public celebration of Jesus was a reason many evangelicals voted for Trump. White evangelicals were core to Trumps constituency81% of them voted for him in November. Trumps campaign also elevated Pentecostals and television preachers, who played a central role in his evangelical advisory committee. Some have been criticized for preaching a gospel of prosperity, a theological belief that God wants followers to thrive in wealth and health.

Paula White-Cain, Trumps longtime spiritual advisor and leader of New Destiny Christian Center, was the first female clergy to lead an inaugural prayer, according to the inaugural committee. Let your favor be upon this one nation under God, she prayed. Let these United States of America be that beacon of hope to all people and nations under your dominion, a true hope for humankind. Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York prayed from Solomons prayer for wisdom: She knows and understands all things, and will guide us prudently in our affairs. Sam Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, read aloud Jesus words from the Sermon on the Mount: God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Story continues

Franklin Graham, who leads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and rallied evangelicals to polls in every state, told Trump that rain in the Bible was a sign of Gods blessing. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, he prayed from Pauls letter to Timothy. Two-time Academy Award winner Rabbi Marvin Hier and Wayne T. Jackson, bishop of Great Faith Ministries International in Michigan, also participated.

Rodriguez, White-Cain, Franklin, and Jackson all concluded their prayers in Jesus name. Dolan and Hier concluded with a simple Amen. Nearly all inaugural prayer speakers since George H.W. Bush have been Protestant, but the language of the prayers Trumps ceremony was largely evangelical. Inaugurals from Dwight Eisenhower through Richard Nixon each included prayers from Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox and Jewish leaders.

Evangelical influence will continue on Saturday at the interfaith prayer service Washington National Cathedral. Ronnie Floyd, past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, will read Psalm 23, which says that the Lord is my shepherd.

Obviously God is sovereign and God has raised him up for such a time as this, and we need to embrace what God is doing, Floyd says of Trump. Its time we all get on board, and say, regardless of the color of my skin, regardless of my economic background, regardless of my religious beliefs, if we are going to see America be all we can be, if I want the job I want, if I want the kind of community I want, if I want the kind of society I want, that is going to happen when we do things together, not when we do things apart.

David Jeremiah, founder of Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries, will read a passage from St. Pauls letter to the Romans, about salvation. I wish we could have had this renaissance among evangelicals not four months ago, but four years ago, he says. Evangelicals had a huge part in what just happened.

Greg Laurie, president of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California, will pray for those serving in the armed forces, the diplomatic corps, governors, mayors and school boards. This is about praying for those who are in authority whether we voted for them or not, he says. [Trump] has taken a stand on a few issues that are very important to us as evangelicals.

Unlike at the swearing-in ceremony or the earlier private church service at St. Johns Episcopal, the Saturday morning service will include a wide range of religious voices, including Sikhs and Muslims.
With family, friends and former presidents at his side, Donald Trump was sworn in Friday as the 45th American president.

After former Indiana governor Mike Pence was sworn in as vice president by conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Trump took the oath of office while facing Chief Justice John Roberts.

Read: First Lady of Fashion: Melania Trump Channels Jackie Kennedy at Inauguration

Trump then took the podium, and delivered a speech unlike most given during the traditional transfer of power.

"We are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people," Trump said early in the speech, which thanked the Obamas for helping to complete the the orderly and peaceful transfer of power before quickly striking the anti-establishment tone that helped catapult him to power.

Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth," the new president told the crowd and millions watching worldwide. "Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed.

Trump continued: "That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment, it belongs to you.

"Today will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer."

Trump offered what he called "a new vision" for America, one he said will reopen factories, bring back wealth to average Americas, rebuild infrastructure and, of course, "make America great again."

In a moment viewed as unusually brutal compared to previous incoming presidents' lofty addresses, Trump also vowed to defeat "radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely throughout the earth."

While at times it evoked notions of racial unity, the new president's 16-minute speech struck the same isolationist, nationalist chords he used throughout his campaign to portray America as a country whose prosperity has been quashed by globalism and multiculturalism.

Story continues

"This American carnage stops right here and stops right now," Trump notably said at one point, before later finishing on a slightly less brutish note:

"Together, We Will Make America Strong Again. We Will Make America Wealthy Again. We Will Make America Proud Again. We Will Make America Safe Again. And, Yes, Together, We Will Make America Great Again. Thank you, God Bless You, And God Bless America."

Read: As Obama Closes a Chapter on American History, Donald Trump Begins to Write His

Before Trump and his family were led back to the White House for a traditional luncheon, they said farewell to the departing Obamas.

Barack and Michelle Obama waved a final goodbye, then boarded Marine One for the last time Friday afternoon before the helicopter flew them up and over Washington's National Mall and the thousands of inauguration attendees and protesters who packed in for the day's events.

The helicopter headed to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where Obama was slated to address staff and supporters before he and his wife fly to California for a vacation.

The Obamas will then return to Washington until their youngest daughter, Sasha, finishes school.

Watch: American Hustle: Some Inauguration Ticket Holders Trying to Make a Quick Buck on Free Admission Passes

Related Articles:
Hundreds of Filipinos converged on the US embassy Friday to denounce Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration as president of the United States, accusing him of sexism, racism and xenophobia.

Chanting "Dump Trump", the protesters from leftist groups also expressed concerns that Trump was a threat to the millions of Filipino immigrants living in the United States.

"It is alarming to know that an accused sexual predator, a known racist, sexist, xenophobic man is assuming the presidency of the strongest capitalist country in the world," Joms Salvador, secretary-general of women's group Gabriela, told AFP.

"The decades of struggle of women across the world to fight for their rights is threatened by Trump's presidency."

The roughly 300 people who gathered near the US embassy in Manila held placards with the message "@realDonaldTrump hands off Filipino immigrants" and "Trump you're trash". They symbolically dumped photos of Trump in the rubbish bin.

Trump defeated the Democrat's candidate Hillary Clinton after a divisive campaign in which the real-estate billionaire vowed to deport millions of illegal migrants and faced multiple accusations of sexual harassment.

"We are very concerned about Filipino workers in the US dealing with a rise of racism. Some Filipinos there are getting paranoid about their personal safety and their job security," Salvador said.

The Philippines, a former American colony, has strong cultural and economic ties with the United States. The two are bound by a mutual defence treaty and US forces have for many years helped the Philippines on various security issues.

However leftist groups have long railed against the United States for exporting its capitalist model and for what they see as continued American domination of the Philippines.

Protesters at Friday's rally also burned an American flag as they reiterated their longtime demands for US troops to leave the Philippines and the tearing up of what they called "unequal" military agreements.

Story continues

Bilateral relations have soured under firebrand Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a self-declared socialist who has pivoted his nation's foreign policy towards China and Russia since taking office nearly seven months ago.

In Hong Kong a man chained himself to the gate of the United States consulate Friday afternoon in protest over Trump's inauguration.

Refusing to give his name or nationality but identifying himself as "Snufkin", the bearded man in his late 30s said Trump "represents everything bad in the world".

"Sometimes it feels like we are in 1933 or 1934 again," he told AFP, saying he was protesting because he wanted to be on the right side of history.

Police detained the man after releasing him from a bike lock around his neck and a chain around his torso which he had used to attach himself to the exterior gate of the consulate.
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said on Thursday he expected parliament to approve nominations for ministers in a cabinet reshuffle by the end of the month, state news agency MENA reported. The previous cabinet reshuffle took place last March, when President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi named 10 new ministers, including for the finance and investment portfolios. Ismail said they had not yet finalised which ministries would be changed or the list of nominations, which he said would be completed next week before it was submitted to parliament, MENA reported. He added that some ministries may be merged but did not specify which ones, the agency added. Egypt is pushing ahead with painful economic reforms after securing a $12 billion loan programme with the International Monetary Fund in November. (Reporting by Ahmed Tolba; Writing by Eric Knecht; Editing by Dominic Evans and Gareth Jones)
Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, the worlds most notorious drug lord, was extradited to the U.S. Thursday, one year after his second brazen escape from a maximum-security prison, officials said.

The Mexican government announced it had handed over the cartel kingpin to American authorities. He will stand trial on murder and drug trafficking charges.

Read: Inside the Squalid Lair Where 'El Chapo' Passed the Time Watching DVDs

The infamous head of the bloody Sinaloa Cartel faces federal indictments in six U.S. jurisdictions, including New York, San Diego, Chicago and Miami.

Guzman, 59, is expected to be prosecuted in the Eastern District of New York, The Associated Press reported. There, he is accused of running a cartel with thousands of members and billions in profits from running drugs, kidnappings and sex slaves while employing hitmen and committing acts of torture.

He is expected to appear Friday in a Brooklyn federal courtroom, CNN reported.

The Mexican Foreign Relations Department said in a statement that Guzmans extradition was deemed by a judge to be constitutional.

"The criminal Joaquin Guzman was extradited this afternoon to face his pending legal cases," tweeted Mexican Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong.

His extradition occurred as President-elect Donald Trump was taking part in pre-inaugural celebrations Thursday in Washington, D.C. While campaigning for the White House in 2015, Trump was embroiled in war of Twitter words with the then-fugitive kingpin, saying he would kick the drug lords "ass."

Story continues

But Trump called the FBI after Guzmans son tweeted that he would make Trump "eat his words."

Read: Donald Trump Calls FBI After Escaped Mexican Drug Lord 'El Chapo' Threatens Him

The surreal saga of El Chapo (Shorty) Guzman includes two prison breaks. The latest occurred in 2015 when he escaped through a tunnel that had been dug underneath his cell.

Six months later, in January 2016, he was captured by Mexican marines after leading them on a chase through the sewer systems of the coastal city of Los Mochis, in his native state of Sinaloa.

Guzman and his henchmen then stole cars and engaged in a fierce gun battle with military forces before being captured. Five of Guzman's men were killed.

Read: New Photo Shows 'El Chapo' Shackled and Handcuffed in Prison

Mexican authorities said Guzman's desire to meet with actors and producers, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High star Sean Penn, helped the military capture the fugitive.

Guzman, whose individual net worth is estimated at $1 billion, wanted a biopic to be made of his life, officials said.

Penn had secretly met with the drug lord in October 2015 and conducted a highly controversial interview with the fugitive that was later published in Rolling Stone.

Before his 2015 escape, Guzman had been on the run for more than 13 years after breaking out of another maximum-security facility by bribing guards and officials who allowed Guzman to be smuggled out the front door in a laundry basket.

U.S. officials have long wanted Guzman to be extradited to America.

Watch: Sean Penn Reveals His Biggest Regret Over Interview with 'El Chapo'

Related Articles:
Addis Ababa (AFP) - Eritrea on Saturday called on the United Nations to investigate the "abhorrent" flood of refugees from its borders to Europe, an exodus attributed to gross human rights violations in the hermit state.

A UN report last month detailed how the Horn of Africa nation, under Isaias Afwerki's iron-fisted regime for the past 22 years, has created a repressive system in which people are routinely arrested on a whim, detained, tortured, killed or disappeared.

Eritreans make up the second-largest number of people risking the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea, after Syrians, running the gauntlet of ruthless people smugglers and dangerous waters in the hope of reaching the European Union.

"The loss of life, deprivation and lost opportunities meted out to the victims of human trafficking is too abhorrent to merit elaboration," the foreign ministry said in a statement released Saturday.

"The government of Eritrea calls on the UN Security Council (notwithstanding the fact of the involvement of some of its members in the crime) to investigate the matter and ensure justice."

Tens of thousands of young Eritreans brave razor wire, minefields and armed border guards to sneak out of the country every year in order to escape repression and avoid conscripted military service that goes on for years.

It is a crisis Eritrea has in the past blamed on a CIA conspiracy and human rights activists.

Eritrea has dismissed the UN report and defended its controversial policy of decades-long national service from which about 5,000 people flee each month, saying it has "no other choice" due to threats from long-standing enemy Ethiopia.

Eritrea, which broke away from Ethiopia in 1991 after a brutal 30-year independence struggle, remains in a tense standoff with arch-foe Addis Ababa after a 1998-2000 border war.

"This organised crime has assumed dimensions and tentacles that transcend its 'normal' facade of a mafia enterprise," the ministry added, calling smuggling "big business".

The government, which has gathered what it calls "indisputable evidence" on people smuggling, said it will "be ready to submit its evidences once a credible process is launched."

More than 1,900 migrants have died this year making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe, out of around 150,000 people who have made the crossing, the International Organization for Migration said earlier this month.
Brussels (AFP) - EU Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly said Friday she has opened an investigation into ties European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and aides have with private banks following a complaint from a research group.

The non-government organisation Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) filed the complaint over top ECB staff links to the Group of 30, which brings together the leaders of both the public and private financial sector.

"I have decided to open an inquiry into this complaint," O'Reilly said in a statement.

The CEO made a similar complaint in 2012 to her predecessor who cleared Draghi of any conflict of interest but filed a new complaint arguing that the ECB is now operating in a different context.

"I acknowledge the need to reflect on this new context. However, I have taken no position in relation to any of these matters except to consider that they warrant further inquiry," O'Reilly said.

Her office will ask the ECB to allow inspection of documents linked to the G30 as well as to meet with central bank officials to discuss aspects of the complaint, she said.

Her office will then likely ask the ECB for a written response to the complaint.

"CEO research has exposed a severe lack of critical distance between the ECBs decision-making bodies and corporate bankers in the G30," the NGO said.

"As Europes central bank is tasked with regulating the financial sector and supervising other central banks in the Eurozone, any perceived or actual conflicts of interests pose a great risk to the ECB's integrity," the CECO said.

Members of the G30 include the heads of private banks UBS and JP Morgan, the governors of the central banks of England, Japan and China as well as other figures like former ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet, the Nobel economics prize winner Paul Krugman and former head of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke.

A spokesman for the ECB said: "We look forward to providing the Ombudsman with information on this matter."

Under EU treaties, the ECB is required to "maintain a dialogue with external stakeholders," and the G30 is a relevant forum to engage with, the spokesman said.

But he added: "We have a range of rules and instruments in place to avoid apparent or potential conflicts of interest.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 20 (Reuters)- When it comes to fighting malaria, Bill Gates and Ray Chambers are both inspired and concerned: With victory in sight, will the world's new leaders commit to finally beating this persistent parasite? In exclusive interviews with Reuters in Davos, Gates and Chambers highlighted uncertainty about leadership changes in the U.S. and in United Nations bodies and what these might mean for funding and commitment to global health. "The imponderable is what happens with President Trump," said Chambers, the United Nations special envoy for malaria. "We're just not sure." Falls in deaths and infections due to the mosquito-borne parasite in the past 15 years are "one of the greatest success stories in the history of public health", Chambers said. And Gates, whose Gates Foundation commits vast funds to global health projects, said the world has never been closer to ending malaria "once and for all". But with the disease still killing a child in Africa every few minutes, those eager to finish the job are worried that the presidency of the United States - a crucial funding source for international malaria control efforts - is now passing to a man whose commitment to global health projects is uncertain. And with looming leadership changes at organizations key to global health and development aid - the heads of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the World Bank - malaria champions say the risk of setbacks is unnerving. "With malaria there's no standing still," Gates said. "Malaria is very complicated." WELL ON THE WAY It is almost a decade since Gates first dared to revive what in global health circles is known as the "e-word" in relation to this ancient disease. "We will not stop working until malaria is eradicated," Gates declared in 2007. Now, half the world's nations are malaria-free, and since 2000, global malaria deaths have dropped by 60 percent. In Africa, where the vast majority of malaria deaths occur, the malaria death rate has come down by more than 70 percent. But there's still much to do. Despite a steep rise in malaria spending from 2000 to 2010, it has now plateaued. Funding in 2015 was less than in 2013, with combined international and domestic sources totaling $2.9 billion. Even this is only 45 percent of what malaria experts say is needed annually to reach a target of a 40 percent reduction in malaria incidence and mortality by 2020. The U.S. is by far largest international malaria donor, accounting for about 35 percent of total funds in 2015, followed by Britain, at 16 percent. The U.S. government-funded President's Malaria Initiative has been a powerful force in the past decade, and monies for that rose above 600 million in 2016 from $30 million in 2006. TRANSITION, RISK AND OPPORTUNITY Gates said he hoped the new Trump administration would continue crucial malaria commitments, which he noted were ratcheted up by the previous Republican President, George W Bush, and maintained at those levels by President Barack Obama. In a recent meeting with Trump, Gates said, they talked about malaria, among other things, and had "good discussions". "I wouldn't say we see a huge risk of those funds going away, but (this is) a time when we're trying to raise the ambition," Gates said. "Whenever there's transition it's an opportunity. We want to step in and work with the new people." Faced with uncertainty, Gates and Chambers have convened a new global group of influential philanthropists, business people, bankers and political leaders to plug commitment gaps. The End Malaria Council includes African leaders such as the President of Chad, Idriss Deby and former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete; Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote; and Luis Alberto Moreno, head of the Inter-American Development Bank. It will work on new ways to help affected countries and regions fight their own malaria battles, with the hope that this will encourage major donors to stay on board. "There's a real desire coming out of the United States government, the UK government and others to see endemic domestic countries contribute more of their own capital toward fighting these diseases," said Chambers. "We need innovative, unique and creative ways of financing this." (Editing by Alexander Smith)
Nominations for the 89th Academy Awards will be announced Tuesday, January 24, 2017. The Academy has signed up movie stars Brie Larson, Jennifer Hudson and Ken Watanabe, plus filmmaker Jason Reitman, to publicly announce the list of contenders for this year's Oscars. Here's a look at some of the hopefuls who could make the grade.

Safe bets

After cleaning up at the Golden Globes, "La La Land" is expected to see similar success at the Oscars. In any case, Damien Chazelle's romantic musical comedy-drama is well placed to bag nominations in the five main categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor (Ryan Gosling) and Best Actress (Emma Stone).

Two other serious contenders could also make the grade. "Manchester by the Sea" could land a place in the running for Best Picture, the supreme prize, as well as in categories recognizing its director, screenwriters and actors, thanks to Casey Affleck's onscreen performance. "Moonlight" also has a good chance of nomination for Best Picture. Nominations could be in store for its director and screenwriters too.

Outsiders

Several possible contenders could complete the nominee lists in the Oscars' most prestigious categories. Denis Villeneuve's "Arrival" seems well placed for a nomination, along with David Mackenzie's western "Hell or High Water," Garth Davis' drama "Lion," Jeff Nichols' romance "Loving," Mel Gibson's war epic "Hacksaw Ridge," Denzel Washington's "Fences" and Tom Fords "Nocturnal Animals."

Actresses

Aside from the almost certain nomination of Emma Stone, Natalie Portman could be up for the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Jackie Kennedy in the "Jackie" biopic. After scooping several recent awards in the US, French actress Isabelle Huppert could bag a nomination for her role in Paul Verhoeven's "Elle."

Story continues

Amy Adams ("Arrival") could complete the list, along with a 20th nomination for Meryl Streep for her performance in "Florence Foster Jenkins." Ruth Negga ("Loving"), Annette Bening ("20th Century Women") and Taraji P. Henson ("Hidden Figures") could also make the grade.

Actors

It's difficult to imagine Casey Affleck ("Manchester by the Sea") and Ryan Gosling ("La La Land") not making the list of Best Actor nominees. The American and the Canadian are likely to be joined by Andrew Garfield, who stood out in Mel Gibson's "Hacksaw Ridge," Denzel Washington for the lead role in his own movie "Fences," and Viggo Mortensen for "Captain Fantastic."

Joel Edgerton ("Loving"), Jake Gyllenhaal ("Nocturnal Animals") and Tom Hanks ("Sully") could make surprise additions to the list.

The 89th Oscars ceremony will be held Sunday, February 26, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. The event will be broadcast live in the USA on the ABC network.
By Paola Totaro LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has launched a raft of lawsuits that could see the U.S. billionaire secure full ownership of his island hideaway from local Hawaiian families who retain rights over the land dating back generations. Documents filed on Dec. 30 in the Hawaii State circuit court - and reported in the Honolulu Star Advertiser newspaper - show that three Zuckerberg companies filed the lawsuits under what is known as 'quiet title and partition'. This is the legislative process used to establish ownership of land where inheritance has occurred over generations and there is no formal documentation or title deeds. Court papers seen by the Thomson Reuters Foundation reveal that more than 300 people are named in one action alone. All appear to have been identified as land owners who may have inherited or retain a partial interest in the tracts bought by Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, in 2014. Forbes reported that Zuckerberg paid close to $100 million for 700 acres of prime seafront land on the secluded north shores of the island of Kauai in 2014. Around 400 acres are described as 'white sand beachfront' while another 350 acres contain a former sugar cane plantation, a working organic farm and another '2,500 feet of oceanfront'. In a Facebook post on Dec. 28, two days before the law suits were filed, Zuckerberg posted pictures and comments on a family visit to Kauai with his wife and daughter, Max. "A few years ago, Priscilla and I visited Kauai and fell in love with the community and the cloudy green mountains. We kept coming back with family and friends, and eventually decided to plant roots and join the community ourselves," he wrote. "We bought land and we're dedicated to preserving its natural beauty. It's filled with wildlife like pigs, turtles, rare birds and seals, and local farmers use it to grow fruits and spices. I love taking Max to explore and see all the animals," he wrote. "QUIET TITLE" SYSTEM Private ownership of land was virtually an unknown concept in Hawaii until the 'Great Mahele', a programme of land redistribution enacted in 1848. In 1850 the Kuleana Act was approved and people were given the right for the first time to petition for title of land on which they had lived or worked. This also allowed descendants to inherit land automatically in the absence of a will or deed. Today, small fractions of larger tracts of land can be owned by many descendants who have no paper proof or documentation but can prove a long-term familial  and therefore legal - interest. The 'quiet title' system can be used to establish ownership and to force a sale. Ultimately, the issue is decided by a judge who can put the land to auction to the highest bidder. According to the Honolulu Star Advertiser, local lawyers say that while quiet title actions do occur in Hawaii, they can be difficult for locals to defend because they require extensive research and funds. Zuckerberg's lawyer in the matter, Keoni Shultz, did not respond to a Thomson Reuters request for comment by the time of publication. However Shultz told the Honolulu Star Advertiser that it is common for large tracts of land in Hawaii to contain smaller parcels that do not come with clear ownership titles. "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," Schultz said. (Reporting by Paola Totaro, Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
(Reuters) - Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. president on Friday was greeted with notes of caution by some foreign leaders. Here is some of the reaction: Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto congratulated Trump on his inauguration, saying he would like to strengthen ties, but that sovereignty, national interest and protection of Mexicans would be paramount. Pena Nieto, criticized for meeting Trump last year even after the New York businessman had insulted Mexicans in his election campaign, said on Twitter he would seek "respectful" dialogue with the new U.S. government.[nL1N1FA1G8] Canada's government, eager to sidestep potentially protectionist U.S. policies, said it was confident Trump would see that working closely with Canada benefited both nations. "We are confident the new Administration will see that Canada's partnership with the U.S. mutually strengthens our two nations and provides real opportunities to grow our respective economies," Joseph Pickerill, spokesman for Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said in a statement.[nL1N1FA1A3] Germany will need a new economic strategy geared toward Asia should the new U.S. administration start a trade war with China, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said, warning against protectionism hours after Trump was sworn in. "What we heard today were high nationalistic tones," Gabriel said in an interview with the public broadcaster ZDF, the first official German reaction to Trump's inauguration. "I think we have to prepare for a rough ride." [nL5N1FA52T] Pope Francis urged Trump to be guided by ethical values, saying he must take care of the poor and the outcast during his time in office. [nL5N1FA4YF] Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a statement posted in his name on the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, congratulated Trump. He added, "I look forward to working with him for the sake of peace, security and stability in a world that is troubled and in a region that lives a tragic era, and to contribute to creating a safe future for everyone." Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former NATO chief and now an adviser to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, said in a telephone interview with Reuters that, "I had hoped and also expected a more internationally oriented speech. Instead we got a very domestically oriented, anti-establishment speech. "As president of the United States, he should also realize he has become the leader of the free world - that's why people all over the globe are watching his inauguration speech. And that's why I had hoped that he would also address the need for determined American global leadership. (Reporting by Alessandra Prentice in Kiev, Crispian Balmer in Rome, David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Adriana Barrera in Mexico City, Joseph Nasr in Berlin, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; Compiled by Frances Kerry; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
(Reuters) - With his left hand on a Bible used by Abraham Lincoln, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th U.S. president around noon (1700 GMT) on Friday and give an address at the west front of the U.S. Capitol before leading a parade to the White House. Here are some facts about his inauguration: * Weather is forecast to be wet and unseasonably warm. The National Weather Service predicts temperatures nearing 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) and rain tapering off by midafternoon. * After breakfast and a church service, Trump and his 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. * Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will swear in Mike Pence as vice president. Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office to Trump. * Trump will give an inaugural address expected to last about 20 minutes. His spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump will give "a very forward-thinking, very inspiring, together-oriented speech" on solving such problems as creating jobs. * As many as 900,000 people are expected to turn out for the event, including thousands of protesters. After the ceremony, the Obamas will leave the Capitol to begin their post-White House lives. Trump and Pence stay for lunch. * Starting around 3 p.m. (2000 GMT), Trump, Pence and their families will lead a parade up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Inaugural organizers expect more than 8,000 people to take part, including high school and university marching bands, equestrian corps and veterans groups. * Donald and Melania Trump may step out of their limousine briefly along the parade route to wave to well-wishers. Three inaugural balls are scheduled in the evening. * Following tradition, Obama will leave his successor a letter in the Oval Office desk. Its contents have not been divulged. * While 20 minutes may seem short for an inaugural address, it would not be the shortest. George Washington's second inaugural speech in 1793 consisted of about 130 words. * The honor of longest inaugural address goes to William Henry Harrison, whose March 4, 1841, speech contained more than 8,440 words and lasted an hour and 45 minutes. Harrison, who gave his speech in a howling snowstorm without a hat or a coat, died of pneumonia a month later. (Compiled by Jonathan Oatis; Editing by Howard Goller)
Photo credit: via ERATurbo.co.uk

From Road & Track

Does anyone remember E.R.A.? English Racing Automobiles was a racing firm founded in 1933 by a wealthy college grad. Over the course of 56 years, the company went from building Grand Prix race cars to slapping turbos on Mini Coopers to create the E.R.A. Mini Turbo you see here. But how did E.R.A. go from Formula 1 to fast hatchbacks? The story is more complex than you'd think.

Shown above, an image from a period Japanese brochure advertising the E.R.A. Mini Turbo

It started in the 1930s when Oxford graduate Humphrey Cook founded E.R.A. As the excellent British website ERAMiniTurbo explains, his goal was to construct a competitive English-built Grand Prix car for international racing. However, with teams like Alfa Romeo, Auto Union, and Mercedes-Benz all investing heavily in the sport, there was little chance E.R.A. could compete.

So, Humphrey decided to compete instead in the lower 1.5-liter "voiturette" class. Similar to how GP2 compares to F1 today, the 1.5-liter voiturette class proved much easier for E.R.A. to break into, resulting in great success for Humphrey and his team through the 1930s.

But once World War II started, racing came to a halt, and the company's facility was sold to produce aircraft components. E.R.A. stayed dormant until 1946, when the company was re-registered in Humphrey's hometown with the goal of getting back into racing.

Despite efforts to build a new race car, however, E.R.A. just couldn't keep up with the costs. After building just three chassis-the GP1, 2, and 3- the company was sold to Bristol.

The company kept changing hands after that. E.R.A. was sold to Zenith Carburetors, which in turn was bought by Solex Carburetors. Solex then changed the E.R.A. facility from a racing shop into a research and development center for fuel system components.

The center's main focus was on product development, but E.R.A. staff were often asked to prep race cars for competitions like Monte Carlo or the Mille Miglia. This went on for years, until in the late 1980s Rover enlisted the company to design a high performance Mini variant. This would become the E.R.A. Mini Turbo.

Story continues

E.R.A. designed and engineered the Turbo, fitting it with a 1275cc engine that, thanks to forced induction, made 100 horsepower. The car had big fender flares, a high-tech (for the time) interior, and could do 115 mph right out of the box. It didn't sell as well as Rover hoped, though-only 436 cars were produced in its 1989-1990 production run. Auto Express says 346 of those cars were exported to Japan, making them extremely rare in the western hemisphere.

Nevertheless, this one recently popped up for sale in Houston, Texas, with an asking price of $28,900. The ad claims it's the only one in the country. We have a feeling that's true.

So if you were ever wondering why E.R.A., a firm famous for pre-war racing cars, built a Mini in the late '80s, now you know.

via Bring a Trailer

You Might Also Like
KOBLENZ, Germany (Reuters) - Far-right populist leaders from Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands meet in the German city of Koblenz on Saturday to present their vision for "a free Europe" that would dismantle the European Union. Marine Le Pen, who is expected to make it into a May 7 second-round run-off for the French presidency, is due to speak at the meeting, along with Frauke Petry of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD). They will be joined by Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch far-right Freedom Party (PVV) who was last month convicted of discrimination against Moroccans, and Matteo Salvini of the Northern League who wants to take Italy out of the euro. Emboldened by Britons' vote last year to leave the European Union, the leaders are meeting under the slogan "Freedom for Europe" and aim to strengthen ties between their like-minded parties, whose nationalist tendencies have hampered close collaboration in the past. "This gives us an opportunity to see how we stand with other European parties," a spokeswoman for Salvini said. Le Pen told France's Radio Classique that the meeting was proof that her party was not isolated. "It is therefore the revolution of the people that we are taking part in. It is obviously very important to show that the cooperative Europe we want to achieve (is reflected) in our cooperation," she said. Several leading German media have been barred from the meeting, which is being organized by the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF), the smallest group in the European Parliament, in a year when the parties are hoping for electoral breakthroughs. Populist anti-immigration parties are on the rise across Europe as high unemployment and austerity, the arrival of record numbers of refugees and militant attacks in France, Belgium and Germany feed voter disillusionment with traditional parties. The mood is mirrored in the United States, where Republican Donald Trump was inaugurated as U.S. president on Friday after running an election campaign with rhetoric that was widely denounced as racist and divisive. In the Netherlands, Wilders is leading in all major polls before national parliamentary elections on March 15. In Germany, Petry's AfD is expected to enter the national parliament for the first time after federal elections in September. Protests against the far-right are planned during the meeting, which has prized open divisions in the AfD. (Additional reporting by Simon Carraud in Paris and Crispian Balmer in Rome; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
By Nate Raymond and Brendan Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former FBI employee in New York was sentenced to two years in prison on Friday after admitting that he illegally acted at the direction of a Chinese official to gather sensitive information.

Kun Shan Chun, also known as Joey Chun, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in Manhattan to pay $10,000 after pleading guilty in August to having illegally acted as an agent of a foreign government.

"I'm so sorry," a tearful Chun said in court. "I take full responsibility."

Chun, a U.S. citizen who was born in China, was arrested in March in connection with what prosecutors called a duplicitous betrayal of the FBI, which had employed him in its New York field office since 1997.

Prosecutors said that beginning in 2005, Chinese individuals claiming to be affiliated with a China-based printer products manufacturer called Zhuhai Kolion Technology Company Ltd solicited an investment from one of Chun's parents.

Chun, 47, first met purported Kolion associates during a 2005 trip, and met them abroad at several other times, eventually meeting a Chinese official who asked him about the FBI and surveillance practices and targets, prosecutors said.

In turn, Chun provided the official an FBI organizational chart and photographs related to surveillance technologies, prosecutors said.

In exchange, Chun's associates paid for him to go on international trips, and they sometimes also paid for prostitutes for him while he was abroad, prosecutors said.

By 2015, the FBI had sent an undercover agent to meet with Chun, who told the agent that "if you deal with the government, you know what they want."

"They want what the American government is doing," he said, according to prosecutors.

During a later meeting, in which they discussed selling classified information the agent provided, Chun said his Chinese associates had asked him about surveillance targets and if he had information on "who they watching," prosecutors said.

Story continues

The sale never happened, after Chun said he believed he was under investigation and one of his associates told the him not to trust the agent, who may be part of a "set up."

In court on Friday, Chun's lawyer, Jonathan Marvinny, argued his client deserved no prison time, saying he had acted only to protect his parents' investment and was "not out to harm the United States."

Marrero was unconvinced.

"Mr. Chun knew what he was doing, and he knew it was very wrong," he said.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Additional reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler and Alan Crosby)
Melania Trump arrived at the White House Friday morning with her husband, Donald Trump, as they discussed the peaceful transition of power with outgoing President Obama and his wife, Michelle.

Read: As Obama Closes a Chapter on American History, Donald Trump Begins to Write His

As Trumps third wife got out of the motorcade, she wore a powder blue Ralph Lauren dress that echoed Jackie Kennedys outfit from her husbands 1961 inauguration.

Kennedy was a style icon, and Melania Trump, a former model known for her fashion picks, will most likely follow suit.

Mrs. Trump, who also wore matching powder blue leather gloves and had her hair in an updo, smiled as she greeted the outgoing first family. She also received thunderous applause when she walked down the steps of the Capitol building during her husbands inauguration ceremony.

The Slovenian-born first ladys dress came from the Ralph Lauren Collection, which vice president of fashion and PR communications for the label, Florinka Pesenti, told CNN is the brand's most expensive label.

Michelle Obama wore a red Narciso Rodriguez dress on her final day as first lady.

Ralph Lauren designed many of former first lady Hillary Clintons outfits while her husband was in office from 1993 to 2000.

Lauren released a statement saying: its important to us to uphold and celebrate the tradition of creating iconic American style for this moment"

Ralph Lauren is a temple of Americana. The first lady's spokesperson says Melania Trump chose a designer who has transformed American fashion. The outfit she wore for the ceremony is made of cashmere and was custom designed for the new first lady.

Once a designer gets the seal of approval from a first lady, it can tremendously boost their profile.

Read: Drunken Brawls, Dead Birds and Dysentery: The Presidential Inauguration Stories You Might Not Know

When Michelle Obama wore Jason Wu to the 2009 Inauguration Ball, the then-unknown young designer became a household name almost immediately. Mrs. Obamas inauguration gown now resides in the Smithsonian. Wu also designed the dress Mrs. Obama wore during her husbands farewell address to the nation earlier this month.

Story continues

After Melania Trump wore a $2,190 Roksanda Margot dress at the Republican National Convention in July, the outfit was instantly sold out online.

Watch: American Hustle: Some Inauguration Ticket Holders Trying to Make a Quick Buck on Free Admission Passes

Related Articles:
LOS ANGELES (AP)  More than 20 people escaped injury Friday when a flood swept cabins and vehicles down a coastal canyon as the second in a trio of storms drenched California with heavy rain and brought more snow to the mountains.

The dramatic scene about 115 miles northwest of Los Angeles came during a day of pounding rain in Southern California that caused flooding, rockslides and an avalanche warning. Trees were toppled, cars were stranded in surging water and five homeless people were rescued by helicopter when their encampment was swamped.

The storm disrupted the first post-presidential vacation of Barack Obama and his family. Their plane had to be diverted from the Palm Springs airport to March Air Force Base 60 miles away.

After years of dry weather, California has been buffeted by rain and snow this winter. Northern California has gotten the lion's share and most of that region has now emerged from drought.

Another storm is expected during the weekend, and it's forecast to be fiercer than the previous two. A flash flood warning starting late Saturday has been issued for the San Francisco area.

Friday's storm was stronger than expected in Southern California.

A swollen creek lifted five cabins off their foundations at midmorning and swept 22 vehicles down El Capitan Canyon in Santa Barbara County, fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni said.

About 20 people stuck in the canyon were rescued from the private campground above a state beach, officials said.

"The water kept getting higher, and higher and higher, and then all the debris kept backing up and took out all the bridges, overflowed the bank, took out a bunch of cabins, took out a bunch of cars," Todd Martin, who works at El Capitan campground, told the Santa Maria Times.

Five of the vehicles and part of a cabin were found on the beach, officials said.

By early afternoon more than 5 inches of rain had fallen in Refugio Pass in the Santa Ynez Mountains just to the northwest of El Capitan Canyon.

Story continues

A sheriff's helicopter returning to an airport after the canyon incident spotted a car swamped by water. A woman screaming for help from higher ground nearby was hoisted to safety, Zaniboni said.

In downtown Los Angeles, five people were rescued from a homeless encampment that was flooded. And in the San Diego area, four students had minor injuries after they were hit by a toppled tree near Chula Vista Middle School.

Inland mountains were blanketed with snow, and the LA County Sheriff's Department warned of avalanche danger in Wrightwood.

Runoff and rockslides in the Santa Monica Mountains west of Los Angeles forced the California Highway Patrol to close all canyon roads in the Malibu area.

Storm warnings were also posted up and down the Sierra Nevada after the second storm dropped nearly 2 feet of snow at higher elevations.

Along the coast, big surf was rolling ashore, and forecasters said waves could build to 30 feet on the Central Coast.

___

AP writer Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, contributed to this story.
In-form Australian sprinter Caleb Ewan made it three wins from four outings with another charging finish to claim stage four of the Tour Down Under in South Australia on Friday.

The Orica-Scott rider again showed great composure and skill to weave his way through the sprint finish at the end of 149 kilometres and leave world champion Peter Sagan in his wake for the second time in as many days.

Dutchman Danny van Poppel led the pair nearing the line, but as was the case on stage three on Thursday, Ewan and Sagan grabbed him near the line and he finished third.

A brave breakaway bid by New Zealander Jack Bauer failed to come to fruition when he was reeled in by the peloton with just three kilometres remaining.

It was another productive day through the Adelaide hills for Tasmanian Richie Porte from BMC Racing, who worked well with his team and retained the overall lead.

He extended his margin by two seconds and is clearly the man to the beat for the General Classification.

Spaniard Gorka Izaguirre remains second, 20 seconds behind Porte despite being hurt in a fall on Thursday and treated in hospital.

He still took his place for stage four and kept safe in the peloton.

Colombian Esteban Chaves, riding for Orica-Scott, is a further two seconds behind in third overall.

For Ewan, who won in three hours 45 minutes and 19 seconds, it's been a near perfect start to the year.

I really couldnt have asked for a better start to the year, he said.

My team did an amazing job and they really backed me, they were committed to winning today.

It was tough and I am happy to come away for the win.

The early break came from Czech Ondrej Cink, Bauer and Australian Cam Meyer, and they appeared to be working well together.

Cink dropped off with just under 60 kilometres to go and the other two riders shared the front wheel until Meyer dropped off about 30 kilometres from the finish.

It was a decision which hurt Bauer, who was then forced to work solo but still led by 33 seconds with 20 kilometres remaining and battled on until the dying stages.
By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, who has spent nearly a week at a Houston hospital where he is being treated for pneumonia, watched the inauguration of President Donald Trump from the intensive care unit, a family spokesman said. Bush, who at 92 is the nation's oldest living ex-president, was breathing on his own after a breathing tube was removed on Friday, spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement. He is in stable condition in the intensive care unit of Houston Methodist Hospital, he added. "He was extubated this morning, and is breathing well on his own with minimal supplemental oxygen," McGrath said. Former first lady Barbara Bush, 91, was admitted to the same hospital on Wednesday as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing, McGrath has said. She is being treated for bronchitis and is expected to remain in the hospital over the weekend as a precaution, he said. "Mrs. Bush, meanwhile, continues to feel better and is focusing on spending time with her husband," the spokesman 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 Trump due to health concerns. He was the only living former president who did not attend the inauguration in Washington, DC. In a letter to the then 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. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by James Dalgleish and Andrea Ricci)
Former President Barack Obama delivered a motivational speech to his staff and supporters shortly after handing over the reins of power to his newly sworn-in successor, President Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States.

I said before, and I will say again, Obama said, that when we started on this journey, we did so with an abiding faith in the American people and their ability  our ability  to join together and change the country in ways that would make life better for our kids and our grandkids, that change didnt happen from the top down, but it happened from the bottom up.

Obama delivered his remarks from the Joint Base Andrews before flying to Palm Springs, Calif., with former first lady Michelle Obama, for the couples post-White House vacation.

It was met sometimes with skepticism and doubt, he added. Some folks didnt think we could pull it off. There were those that felt that the institutions of power and privilege in this country were too deeply entrenched. And yet all of you came together  and you decided to believe. And you knocked on doors and you made phone calls. And you talked to your parents, who didnt know how to pronounce Barack Obama. And you got to know each other.  And it grew, and it built. And people took notice. And throughout, it was infused with a sense of hope.

Former President Barack Obama waves with his wife, Michelle, as they board Special Air Mission 28000, a Boeing 747 that serves as Air Force One, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo: Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Obama said he and his wife were simply the front men and women for the millions of people who believed in their vision for the country. But this has never been about us, he countered, it has always been about you. And all of the amazing things that have happened over these last 10 years are really just a testament to you.

His remarks stood in contrast to Trumps inaugural address, which was at times uplifting but also cast the country in a state of disrepair. Obama further heaped praise on Americas youth and argued that U.S. democracy is not the buildings, its not the monuments, its the people being willing to work to improve the country.

Story continues

And that doesnt end. This is just a little pit stop. This is not a period, this is a comma in the continuing story of building America, he quipped.

We look forward to continuing this journey with all of you, Obama concluded. And I cant wait to see what you do next. And I promise that Ill be right there with you. All right? God bless you. Thank you everybody. Yes we did. Yes we can.

_____



Read more from Yahoo News:
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Relatives and allies of a judge involved in probing a corruption scandal potentially implicating Brazil's president demanded on Friday a full investigation into the magistrate's death in an air crash.

Teori Zavascki, 68, died Thursday when the light plane in which he was flying went down off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, killing all five people on board.

Federal police are investigating, a spokesman told AFP.

Zavascki had been working on compiling the confessions of construction executives involved in the huge corruption scandal at state oil firm Petrobras.

"I think it has to be investigated in depth, because isn't it too much of a coincidence?" the judge's son Francisco Prehn Zavascki was quoted as saying by newspaper Valor.

"We hope it was just an accident."

One of the top judges in the case, Sergio Moro, said he was "perplexed" by Zavascki's death.

The incident "demands a rapid and transparent investigation," wrote columnist Bernardo Mello Franco in the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.

"Given the interests at stake, it is essential that there be no doubt about what caused the plane to fall."

Veja magazine quoted a sailor on a boat who saw the plane crash as saying it was giving off smoke before it went down.

Media have speculated that the executives' testimony could implicate President Michel Temer in the scandal, which has ensnared much of Brazil's business and political elite.

Temer is now responsible for choosing Zavascki's successor.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Melanie Holochwost

From Popular Mechanics

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Melanie Holochwost

Soldiers don't have the luxury of deciding the best place to get wounded. It could happen in the midst of a firefight in a dense city, or out in the middle of the desert. Combat medics might need to get to a mountain valley or plunge into the ocean. But wherever they are going, they always need to get there fast. That's why pararescumen, or PJs, take the most direct route: straight down from the sky.

"If there is any valor and humanity in warfare, it's in pararescue," an Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) PJ recently told me at Hurlburt Field, an auxiliary field of Eglin Air Force Base on the Florida panhandle. There are roughly 325 pararescumen in service, 180 with Air Combat Command, and 145 with AFSOC, the Air Force's special operations component, akin to the Navy SEALs. In fact, when a Navy SEAL takes a hit, it might be an AFSOC PJ who leaps from the sky to provide aid.

One active-duty PJ gave me a look at some of the most impressive and unusual gear put to use by modern airborne medics. Of all the life-saving equiptment, the flashiest must be the $85,000 anatomical dummy. The mannequin talks, breathes, bleeds, and cries out in pain, all while a series of sensors allow it to be controlled via an app. While one PJ-in-training tends to the dummy, another can monitor its vitals on a tablet.

Photo credit: RevMedx

Once you're treating a living, breathing soldier, the need for a mannequin quickly falls away and other tools come to the forefront. The priority for a patient wounded in combat is MARCH: major hemorrhages, airways, respiration, circulation, and hypothermia. On the battlefield, major blood loss is the biggest threat to life. The tool for solving this problem, often caused by an IED blast, is a large syringe that injects sponge-like pellets, called XStat. The sponges work quickly, expanding in about 15 seconds to fill wounds and create enough pressure to block severed blood vessels. This is much more reliable than older gauze bandages that had to be crammed into a wound cavity by hand, such as a hole caused by a gunshot. But when the bleeding is coming from a full amputation, common on today's battlefield, a good old-fashioned tourniquet is still the best solution.

Story continues

It's worth noting that in most civilian settings, the priorities are much different. Rather than MARCH, civilian EMTs and first responders are taught ABC: airways, breathing, and circulation. That's because outside the battlefield-with the exception of car crashes-major hemorrhages are fairly uncommon. Even in the rare case when a civilian does suffer major bleeding, it is usually unlikely that they will die before the paramedics can arrive, and a blood transfusion in the ambulance or in the ER will save a patient from bleeding out. A blocked airway, on the other hand, will kill a civilian before help can arrive.

"you've got to stop the bleeding first"

But on the battlefield, "you've got to stop the bleeding first," one PJ explains. Major bleeding, from an amputation for example, contributes to or causes pretty much every other respiratory and circulatory problem that a soldier can suffer from. Under fire, you have to treat the source of the problem-the bleeding-not focus on the symptoms.

After bleeding has been stymied, PJs move on to the patient's airways. The combat medics use a stiff tube with an attached camera to find the trachea and access the lungs. "Before we had these it could be hard to see what you were doing," a PJ says as he shows me the screen, currently displaying the anatomical insides of the dummy's throat.

These tools are not fool-proof, so proper operation is crucial. It's all too easy to mistakenly slip an air tube into the patient's esophagus instead of the trachea, and then all you're doing is pumping air into their stomach. Once the airway is cleared and the tube is inserted, an automatic respirator pump can be used, but sometimes a soldier needs to pump air for the patient by hand. If the victim has a collapsed lung, then it might also be necessary to insert a needle into the patient's chest to provide a path for air to flow into the wounded lung.

In an active combat zone, IVs go straight into the bone marrow

After airways and respiration are taken care of, the next issue to address is circulation. Often that means introducing blood, drugs, or just saline solution via an IV. But in an active combat zone, IV drops don't go into the arm veins. Instead, they go straight into the bone marrow of the patient's sternum-liquids introduced directly to the bone marrow actually circulate through the body quicker than liquids introduced to the veins. A circular IV device with several sharp needles and an adhesive rubber patch is applied to the middle of the patient's chest and pushed in until the business end penetrates the sternum. In the chaos of a firefight, out in the dirt and the noise, there is no time to fumble around with needles, looking for a vein.

The preferred pain drug of choice for battlefield injuries? It's not morphine anymore, but ketamine, which you probably know as a horse tranquilizer. Morphine does not thin a patient's blood, but the sedation effect it produces often causes a drop in blood pressure. That's bad news for a person who's already suffered major blood loss, as their blood pressure has likely fallen dangerously low already.

"Morphine makes it so they can't feel the pain," explains one of the PJs. "With ketamine, they can still feel it, they just don't care as much." And that is a crucial distinction. You don't necessarily want the body to completely relax after a major battlefield injury; you want it to fight to keep itself alive.

"Morphine makes it so they can't feel the pain, with ketamine they just don't care as much."

With circulation addressed, that just leaves the end of MARCH, hypothermia. It's an issue that's more pressing in some environments than others. But blood loss combined with respiratory and circulatory issues can bring on hypothermia even when it's not freezing cold, especially if the patient is wet. Treating hypothermia depends on the specific conditions, but it essentially amounts to getting the patient warm and dry. A PJ might use blankets, chemical hand warmers, or body heat to help stave off hypothermia-but only after all the other steps in MARCH are addressed. Simply warming up a bleeding, breathless soldier is not going to any good.

None of these tools are available on sight, of course, so when a PJ jumps out of a plane, he is carrying all the gear he needs to keep someone alive. That includes tourniquets, the XStat syringes, an air tube and camera, IV equipment and liquids, possibly an automatic battery-powered respirator, and a number of other medical odds and ends. Sometimes the PJs even jump with a small hydraulic rescue tool, similar to the Jaws of Life, and an inflatable jack-a thick rubber pressurized balloon-that can be used to lift a vehicle off someone, including an aircraft.

At the heart of it all is a vitals-monitoring system is connected to an Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK)-a Samsung Galaxy S5 for special operators that runs a number of military-specific programs, including GPS mapping for navigation, flagging evacuation zones, and setting drop points. Combat medics used to carry large packs with heavy electronic equipment to monitor vitals. "Now all that tech can damn near fit in your pocket," says one of the pararescuemen.

Even as the tech to accomplish the mission gets smaller and lighter, the mission itself remains the same. The pararescumen who leap from the sky do it for the age-old purpose of saving brave soldiers' lives. With better tools, they can accomplish their quest faster, and with ever more success. But the job, and its creed, will never change: These Things We Do, That Others May Live.

You Might Also Like
ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana's new government plans to review its $918 million programme with the International Monetary Fund because it may need more money for its spending plans, a minister-designate said on Friday. The three-year programme, signed by the previous government in April 2015, imposes strict targets for revenue collection and spending. It aims to reduce inflation, the public debt and the budget deficit and restore rapid growth to Ghana's economy. President Nana Akufo-Addo won December's election in part by promising voters he would give $1 million to each constituency per year for development, build a dam in every village and a factory in every district. "It (the IMF programme) must be reviewed. It will certainly be reviewed," Yaw Osafo-Maafo told a parliamentary committee vetting his appointment as senior minister. "The current programme ... squeezes the fiscal space, and from the point of view of the NPP, the IMF programme must be reviewed," Osafo-Maafo said. The review would be conducted with the Fund, he said. The New Patriotic Party has said it will maintain fiscal discipline and give Ghana double-digit growth for each of the four years of its term in office. The country's main exports are cocoa, gold and oil. (Reporting by Kwasi Kpodo; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg, Larry King)
Global news today has been largely dominated by the countdown to Donald Trumps inauguration as the 45th President of the United States. From the UK to France, Germany, Italy and Russia (where one outlet has labeled it The Trumpening), the worlds media is focused on DC.

In the UK, helicopters buzzed around London all morning as anti-Trump protestors dropped banners from bridges across the city early Friday, criticizing the President-elects immigration policies.

A banner dropped across the capital citys Tower Bridge read in big, pink letters: Act now! Build bridges not walls.

Another draped over Westminster Bridge read: Migration is older than language while one outside of the Houses of Parliament said: Migrants welcome here. The protests come after Londons mayor Sadiq Khan had urged Trump to recognize the value immigrants have made to American society.

International 24-hour news channels are blanketing coverage of the impending swearing-in. But in China, not so much. The Financial Times says that Beijing censors have ordered media outlets to tone down reporting today.

This comes amid the uncertain future of the Middle Kingdoms relationship with the new administration. Trump has questioned the One-China policy and also talked of levying Chinese goods with a 45% tariff. This week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Chinas President Xi Jinping warned that no one emerges a winner from a trade war. Also in Davos, Dalian Wanda Group Chairman Wang Jianlin voiced concern and a warning over potentially increased U.S. government controls on Chinese investment. Calling the concept protectionism, Wang said, The main growth market of English-language films is China. It is a major source of income So, if China were to retaliate, its bad for both parties.

Sources told the FT that Chinese officials have ordered press to only use coverage of the ceremony based on reports written by state media. It is forbidden for websites to carry out live streaming or picture reports of the inauguration, a copy of censorship instructions seen by the Financial Times said.

Story continues

Elyse Ribbons, an American who hosts a program on Chinese state-run radio, tweeted she wasnt allowed to discuss Trump:

Wasn't allowed to discuss Trump today on my radio show, he's now an official  Chinese leadership still trying to figure him out (sigh)  Elyse Ribbons  (@iheartbeijing) January 19, 2017

English-language Chinese online media currently have no major Trump stories leading save for Xinhua which is reporting on statements made by George Soros in Davos on Thursday with a headline: U.S. President-elect Trump going to fail: Soros.

In the UK, left-leaning newspaper The Guardian leads with a live blog saying Donald Trump inauguration: It all begins today. The paper featured an opinion piece from Barbara Lee, a representative for Californias East Bay in Congress, who told readers why her seat would be empty at the inauguration: I will not be celebrating the swearing in of a president who rode racism, sexism, xenophobia and bigotry to the White House. Instead of attending the inauguration, I will be planning and organizing for resistance.

Right-leaning The Telegraph was also live-blogging with pictures of Trump and his wife Melania begin greeted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama while The Independent featured a picture of inauguration attendees standing with umbrellas under grey skies with the headline It all begins today!: Trump supporters gather under grey clouds, referring to Trumps Tweet earlier today.

UK pubcaster BBC will be covering it from all angles with its flagship channel BBCOne and its News channel offering up a few more hours of coverage on either side. After the inauguration, BBC News will continue to report with a feature program 100 Days, which will air on the channel on Monday through April and will cover Trumps first 100 days in office.

Meanwhile, ITV will focus on a special live program during the events and will feature more on its ITV News at Ten.

In France, where the Socialist Party will hold its first presidential primary vote on Sunday, left-leaning daily Liberation is leading with headlines such as Donald Trump, A Bit Lost In Transition and Trump, Its On! Le Monde is running a live blog.

Extreme right-wing Trump supporter  and the first international politician to have offered him congrats on November 9  Marine Le Pen tweeted this morning that Trumps election opens a new era of cooperation between nations.

Lelection de Donald #Trump ouvre une nouvelle ere de cooperation entre les Nations. #InvitePol  Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) January 20, 2017

Frances national news-radio station, France Info, has been covering from on site and in the studio. Earlier today it cited a poll that said 80% of French respondents find Trump aggressive, racist and dangerous. All the local news nets are currently covering the inauguration live and Maison Blanche (White House) is trending on Twitter.

Italys press was focused more on its major national news of the day: survivors who had been discovered buried under snow in an Abruzzo hotel two days after a deep avalanche buried it. Both Corriere Della Sera and La Repubblica featured Trumps inauguration but it took less prominence to the avalanche story.

Germany daily Die Welt had blanket coverage of the U.S. inauguration while news magazine Der Spiegel didnt lead with the inauguration but did feature a piece titled Mr. Me: No One Loves the 45th President Like Donald Trump.

English-language Russia outlet, The Moscow Times, is not leading with Trump, but scroll down a bit and there is a litany of stories from a few hours ago to a few months ago under the headline: Russia Goes Crazy For Trump. Included therein is a report from yesterday that says a group of gunsmiths in Zlatoust has fashioned a two-pound coin dedicated to the next U.S. president.

Meanwhile, the English version of Russian-state owned news agency Tass is leading with the inauguration, featuring a live stream of the event on its site.

And, RT, a government-backed international Russian TV network (which in 2012 agreed to air a talk show hosted by WikiLeaks Julian Assange), is live on its website with what it calls The Trumpening.

Related stories

Ted Sarandos On Netflix In The Age Of Donald Trump & What's Next - Sundance Studio

Obama Vs. Trump Inauguration Crowd Size: Photos Tell Story

Donald Trump Treats Trump International Hotel Guests To First Look At First Family Walking Inaugural Parade Route
Photo credit: Westend61 / Getty

From Popular Mechanics

Designing a good artificial intelligence is hard. For a company like Google, which relies heavily on AI, designing the best possible AI software is crucial. And who better to design an AI than another AI?

If you said "literally anyone else" you might be right, but folks at Google's AI research lab, Google Brain, would disagree. The lab is reportedly building AI software that can build more AI software, with the goal of making future AI cheaper and easier.

[contentlinks align="left" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Stories" customtitles="Google%20Is%20Working%20on%20Plans%20to%20Prevent%20Skynet%7CGoogle%20AIs%20Learn%20to%20Communicate%20In%20Secret%20Code%7CDon't%20Fear%20Skynet:%20Robot%20Brains%20Just%20Want%20to%20Love" customimages="||" content="article.21154|article.23598|article.18066"]

Currently, building a powerful AI is hard work. It takes time to carefully train AIs using machine-learning, and money to hire experts who know the tools required to do it. Google Brain's ultimate aim is to reduce these costs and make artificial intelligence more accessible and efficient. If a university or corporation looking to build an AI of their own could simply rent an AI builder instead of hiring a team of experts, it would lower the cost and increase the number of AIs, spreading the benefits of the technology far and wide.

What's more, using AIs to build more AIs may also increase the speed at which new AIs can be made. Currently, AIs can require weeks or months to learn how to do tasks by using unfathomably large amounts of computing power to try things over and over again, quite literally starting with no understanding of anything they're doing. AI trainers might find ways to optimize that process that no human could hope to discover.

The downside is that AI building more AIs sure seems like it's inviting a runaway cascade and, eventually, Skynet. After all, one of the things that makes machine-learning AIs so effective is that they learn in ways that are completely unlike-and often completely opaque to-humans. Once you've trained an AI to accomplish a certain goal, you can't necessarily crack it open and see how it is doing it. Its understanding of the world is utterly alien. That's why Google's plans to prevent a Skynet type catastrophe involve gently discouraging AIs from disabling their own killswitches as they are being trained.

Story continues

For now, Google says its AI maker is not advanced enough yet to compete with human engineers. However, given the rapid pace of AI development, it may only be a few years before that is no longer true. Hopefully it doesn't happen before we are ready.

Source: MIT Technology Review

You Might Also Like
Repeal and replace Obamacare was a potent campaign slogan for the Republicans that helped make it possible for Donald Trump to claim the presidency at noon on Friday.

But as the new president and congressional Republican leaders have discovered in the aftermath of the historic Nov. 8 election, the challenge of uprooting a major federal health insurance program that covers more than 20 million Americans is a lot harder than they ever imagined.

Related: GOP Sets the Clock for Obamacare Repeal as Health Care Groups Hit the Panic Button

The day before Trump was sworn in as the 45th president, a group of Republican governors were on Capitol Hill pleading for a sensible overhaul of the Affordable Care Act that wont strip millions of their constituents of health care coverage, disrupt the insurance market and swamp hospital emergency rooms.

Governors from Ohio, Nevada, Idaho and even Alabama urged a heavy dose of caution, in meetings with congressional leaders, according to a report by Bloomberg. We must be careful not to increase the rate of uninsured, particularly for our most vulnerable citizens, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said in a letter Reforms must be fiscally prudent, but should maintain or improve affordable access to health care for those that are currently covered.

Herbert and eight other GOP governors were in town Thursday to confer with congressional leaders about the strategy and timing of repealing key portions of Obamacare, including taxes and subsidies, and phasing in a GOP replacement. Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) have vowed to simultaneously unveil repeal and replacement legislation in the coming weeks, although it is clear the Republicans are far from a consensus on replacement legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has counseled a more deliberate pace, in which Congress first votes to repeal Obamacare, and then develops replacement legislation during an extended transition period. However, Trump is impatient to achieve both tasks simultaneously in order to make good on his campaign pledge.

Story continues

Related: How Block Grants Cap Federal Costs -- and Make States the Cost-Cutting Bad Guys

Perhaps one of the greatest concerns of Republican and Democratic governors alike from the 31 states receiving expanded Medicaid coverage for the poor under Obamacare is that the program will be jettisoned as part of the repeal.

Many governors have complained about the Medicaid program more generally, saying that the states should be granted more leeway and flexibility in administering the program and setting eligibility requirements. However, the expanded Medicaid coverage has been a boon for many of their residents, and they dont want to lose it in a rush to eviscerate the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Expanded Medicaid currently provides insurance for about 11 million low-income able-bodied single people across the country.

We have over 600,000 Michiganders, and we have a lot of positive data showing some good things going on in our state with this program, Republican Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said of the program, according to The Hill.

But Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the Senate Majority Whip, sought to allay the Republican governors concern. Nobodys going to lose coverage, Cornyn told reporters after meeting with the governors. If theres one word that came up most, its flexibility. One-size-fits all Washington doesnt take into account the differences between a state like Texas with 28 million people and a state like South Dakota, for example.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
At day break on Monday morning Iraqi soldiers gathered on a quiet suburban street in the east of the city of Mosul, laughing and joking as they prepared to go into battle with Islamic State fighters. Morale was high, even as the militants on the other side of the front line signaled that they too were awake by sending a volley of mortars towards the waiting line of vehicles.

This was the beginning of an operation to wrest control of the last few neighbourhoods in eastern Mosul under ISIS control. God willing we will reach the river today, said Staff Colonel Muhanad Saad, the Commander of Iraqs Counter Terror Service (CTS) 1st battalion, as he readied his men for the charge. A large man with a drooping mustache and lopsided gait, Muhanad described how his men surprised ISIS by retaking the neighborhood of al-Muthana on Jan. 6 under the cover of darkness.

Residents awoke to find they were no longer subjects of the Islamic State, whose capture of Iraqs second city in 2014 underscored the insurgencys ambition of creating a caliphate across Iraq and Syria. The militants imposed extreme regulations on Mosuls diverse population, and punished dissenters with torture and executions.

On Wednesday, elite Iraqi troops announced the recapture of the eastern half of the city from ISIS. Staff General Talib al-Sheghati told reporters that the important lines and important areas are finished, in the citys eastern side, while some fighting continued on the northern front.

The announcement was the clearest sign yet that Iraqi forces have regained momentum in this battle. In the first months of the offensive, which began on October 17, the military suffered high casualties from wave upon wave of suicide car bombers. Late last year the U.S.-led coalition bombed the bridges crossing the Tigris river to halt ISIS lines of resupply, and the number of car bombs decreased dramatically. After a pause in operations at the end of December, and with the support of U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and coalition advisors, Iraqi forces have now plowed through to break the remaining enemy hold in the east.

Story continues

In the west of the city where the next part of the battle will take place, food is scarce and hundreds of thousands of besieged residents are forced to dig wells and drink unclean water, resulting in widespread sickness. Western Mosul is now surrounded on all sides by an array of Iraqi forces, meaning that ISIS fighters have few ways to escape and will fight to the death. Newly-escaped families said the militants are shooting at those who attempt to clamber over the broken bridges to reach safety on the eastern side.

Most of Mosuls estimated 1 million residents have stayed in their homes or are moving between districts as the frontlines shift. So far, 148,000 have fled to nearby camps in the south and east and 16,500 people have returned home to newly liberated areas on the eastern bank such as al-Qadasiyah and al-Zuhour that are still in the line of fire. Iraqi forces are taking care not to harm civilians, but stray bullets and incoming ISIS mortars are resulting in dozens of civilian casualties and injuries daily.

Since the liberation of our neighborhoods a lot of our people are dying, said a doctor who preferred to withhold his name and was working in a make-shift trauma clinic in the citys al-Zuhour district. Anything that can inflict damage [ISIS] are sending over.

He fears that the violence will not end with the recapture of Mosul. I think [the fighters] have shaved their beards and are still hidden among us and may make trouble in the future using silent weapons, he said, I know they are still here in the streets.

As the sun rose over the tree lined streets, First Lieutenant Qais Husan, also of the 1st Battalion, stepped into his black humvee; its windows still bearing the scars previous battles. A native of Baghdad with a wife at home expecting their first child, he kept his eyes focused on the streets ahead and talked continually into his radio set. Above him, the soldier manning the gunner turret swiveled and began firing into a side street.

The bulldozer drove ahead to block off the streets to potential suicide car bombers as Qais pointed at a building to the right and explained that one of their snipers was already positioned there. As the firing died down, people began to emerge from their homes. A child looked out of a blown out window. From inside one house came the sound of women ululating. Smoke filled the sky from houses set alight by ISIS during their retreat that morning. Further down the street the soldiers spotted an ISIS drone thought to be armed with a grenade ready to drop. Women and children gathered inside their darkened kitchens as they waited for the threat to pass.

As the Iraqi troops rolled forward, Saad, 26 a language school instructor came out of his home. He was grinning ear to ear and still sporting a large beard which all men were forced to grow under Isis control. Ive never felt this way before  I feel like its my birthday, he said at the sight of the Iraqi convoy. Last night I heard missiles, bullets and terrible sound like someone was fighting next door and the kids were crying. Around 8.30am that morning his family were still cowering inside when they heard the sound of military vehicles. When we saw the vehicles at the end of our street we jumped up and down and hugged each other, crying.

In Andalous district on Monday, soldiers continued to patrol the streets and check homes for hidden explosives. Then, word came through on the radio that an ISIS car bomber was speeding towards them. In the final seconds before the explosions, soldiers tried to kick down the door of a nearby house for cover. The bomber made it through a line of parked civilian cars and detonated his explosives 100 meters away from Colonel Muhanad. The earth shook and the windowpanes shattered.

Two humvees were partially destroyed by the explosion and the car left a giant crater in the street. No soldiers were killed but the driver of one humvee was injured. In the aftermath, parts of the bombers head could still be seen in the wreckage of the car.

By the middle of Tuesday afternoon, Colonel Muhanads men had punched through ISIS lines, capturing five more neighborhoods. The Tigris river could be seen as they hoisted the Iraqi flag on the minaret of Mosuls Great Mosque on the eastern bank. Across it lay the the densely-populated west of the city, where the battle for Mosul will be settled.
Mexico City (AFP) - Mexican drug baron Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's powerful Sinaloa cartel will likely survive his extradition to the United States, but a well-armed rival gang could intensify a war to seize his empire.

Analysts often compare the Sinaloa cartel -- with its multi-billion-dollar drug business spanning the globe -- to an international corporation strong enough to withstand the loss of its CEO.

Thursday's extradition "is a great moral victory, but it's not going to have any impact on the Sinaloa cartel," Mike Vigil, a former senior US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official, told AFP.

During Guzman's three stints in prison -- he escaped twice and was recaptured last year -- the business has been headed by his longtime associate Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, Vigil said.

"It's a horizontal structure which operates very much like a global corporation, with subsidiaries that are semi-independent," he said.

But Guzman's departure could open the door to two conflicts: an internal power struggle in the gang and an attempt by another cartel to seize on his extradition to grab territory.

While Zambada is a respected figure within the cartel, its many factions could end up fighting each other, with Guzman's sons, his brother and other members possibly harboring their own ambitions.

But the most immediate threat comes from the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel, a former ally of the Sinaloa organization that has grown into its own $50 billion powerhouse, according to a Mexican government estimate.

The Jalisco cartel "will look at this (extradition) as a weakness for the Sinaloa cartel," Vigil said.

"They may decide to go on an all-out offensive on the Sinaloa cartel now that Chapo is no longer in the country," he said.

- $50 billion cartel -

The New Generation's incursions into Sinaloa's territories led to a surge in murders in the US-Mexico border city of Tijuana and turned the tiny Pacific state of Colima into the region with the highest homicide rate, with 72 per 100,000 inhabitants last year.

Story continues

Led by Nemesio Oseguera, alias "El Mencho," the gang, which is also known by its Spanish initials CJNG, has launched bold attacks on the police and military.

In March and April 2015, the cartel killed 20 police officers in two separate ambushes in the western state of Jalisco. In May of that year, the gang used a rocket-propelled grenade to down a military helicopter, killing seven soldiers and a policewoman.

CJNG has forged ties with criminal organizations in the United States, Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia, according to the US Treasury Department.

A Mexican federal government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak publicly, told AFP that the Jalisco gang is already wealthier than Guzman's cartel.

A government analysis estimates CJNG's fortune at $50 billion, compared to around $20 billion for Sinaloa, the official told AFP.

"The Jalisco cartel will now dominate even more," the official said. "It's the richest (cartel). It has more areas of influence to export drugs" to other continents.

One of Guzman's sons, Jesus Alfredo, was kidnapped by CJNG members in a restaurant in the Jalisco resort town of Puerto Vallarta in August.

He was released days later and US officials told AFP that the abduction appeared to have been a decision taken by low-level members of the cartel, not its leadership.

However brief, the kidnapping showed that the Sinaloa gang's most prominent members were vulnerable.

- Internal strife? -

But the Sinaloa cartel could be its own worst enemy if leaders of its various factions fight for control.

Guzman's brother, Aureliano Guzman Loera, alias "El Guano," leads a faction that has been battling the Beltran Leyva drug cartel in Sinaloa's mountains, according to military officials.

Authorities have also identified his sons, Jesus Alfredo and Ivan, as members of the cartel, accusing them of launching a deadly ambush that killed five soldiers last year.

"If Chapo's extradition triggers ruptures within the cartel, this would certainly open a space for the Jalisco cartel," said Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope.

"This conflict (between the cartels) will continue," Hope said. "But it could accelerate with an internal conflict."
Move over, vaginal steaming: Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is suggesting an alleged new way to boost your reproductive health: a "jade egg" that's inserted into the vagina. The eggs are currently sold out on Paltrow's website, goop.

But similar to the response to another one of Paltrow's health recommendations  that women squat over a bowl of steaming water and herbs, to steam clean the uterus  her new suggestion that women hold a 1- to 2-inch egg made out of jade in their vaginas for extended periods of time has been criticized by health experts.

The eggs are said to "harness the power of energy work, crystal healing, and a Kegel-like physical practice. Fans say regular use increases chi, orgasms, vaginal muscle tone, hormonal balance, and feminine energy in general," a contributor wrote in a recent post on goop.

Gynecologists, however, are less enthusiastic about the jade eggs' purported healing powers. [7 Facts Women (And Men) Should Know About the Vagina]

"There are no studies or evidence to show that jade eggs help with orgasms, vaginal muscle tone or hormonal balance," said Dr. Leena Nathan, an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA Health in Los Angeles.

"Jade does not result in hormonal changes, even when inserted in the vagina," Nathan said.

Indeed, as with vaginal steaming, there is no evidence that jade eggs have any benefit for women or reproductive health, Nathan told Live Science.

And although there is evidence to support doing Kegel exercises, because the pelvic floor muscle-strengthening exercises can help women with urinary incontinence, Nathan noted that the jade egg still misses the mark.

"Holding the jade egg in the vagina does require the same muscle contraction that a woman would perform with a Kegel exercise" in order to keep the egg in place," she said. However, "a woman would need to perform a constant Kegel, which would not be comfortable or advisable," she added.

Story continues

Dr. Jen Gunter, an OB-GYN based in San Francisco, agreed. "Regarding the suggestion to wear the jade egg while walking around, well, I would like to point out that your pelvic floor muscles are not meant to contract continuously," Gunter wrote in a blog post on Jan. 17. "Overenthusiastic Kegel exercises or incorrectly done Kegel exercises are a cause of pelvic pain and pain with sex in [women I see in] my practice," she added.

In addition, the actual jade may pose a problem for health.

Because jade is a porous material, it could act as a breeding ground for infection, Nathan said. The egg is a foreign body that could alter the bacteria and the pH of the vagina, "resulting in infections such as bacterial vaginosis, or even toxic shock syndrome if left in for too long," she said.

Nathan said she would advise women who are interested in using a jade egg "to save her money and see a great pelvic floor therapist instead if she needs help with pelvic floor strengthening."

Originally published on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) - Post-Brexit Britain will keep its doors open to skilled foreigners who attend the best universities, finance minister Philip Hammond said Friday as the country bids to regain control over immigration.

Hammond made his assurance at a World Economic Forum panel in Davos, after he was confronted by an Oxford University professor about the potential fallout of Britain's divorce from the EU on research and academia.

"The political debate in the UK around migration is not about computer scientists, academics and brain surgeons, it's about the other end of the economic spectrum," the chancellor of the exchequer said.

Pushing out the high skilled "would be exactly as you've suggested, shooting our knee-caps off before we've even started (negotiating Brexit) and we are not going to do that".

Brexit will likely deprive British academics of EU research funds and make entry into Britain's universities a more cumbersome process for Europeans.

But Hammond said the brightest and the best would always be welcome.

"What we have had to do is clamp down on people coming, graduating from frankly low-quality institutions and then taking non-graduate level jobs," he said.

"Anyone with a degree from Oxford and who has a graduate-level job has the right to remain in the UK," said Hammond, himself an Oxford graduate.

Hammond's comments came a day after British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke in Davos in an effort to persuade top executives and opinion-makers that Britain was still open for business despite the Brexit vote of last June.

On Tuesday, May said Britain would quit the EU's common market but insisted in her Davos speech that the country would open up to the world as a whole.

Hammond told the panel: "There might be a few people in the UK whose vision is a closed economy where migrants don't come in, but that is absolutely not the majority view."
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f356428%2f9e2f5d19-a4e5-42f1-9283-427ef8a35ec5

While Donald Trump was being sworn in as the country's 45th president on Friday, the American people were busy searching Google with one burning question.

SEE ALSO: The emotional moment Obama waves goodbye to D.C.

And that very important query was: How old is Trumps youngest son?

Yes, Barron Trump, Trump's youngest son  who is in fact, 10 years old  has once again stolen the hearts and attention of Americans.

People seem to relate to Barron, who, like basically everyone else, looked extremely tired during his dad's presidential victory speech back in November, and pretty unimpressed with today's drawn out ceremony.

Barron was also the fourth top trending inauguration attendee on all of Google during the event, just above his sister, Ivanka, who came in fifth. The 10-year-old was topped by searches for Chuck Schumer, Jimmy Carter and VP Mike Pence, but still, very impressive.

Will Barron continue to steal his dad's Google search thunder? Only time will tell.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f356158%2fdb2a8de1-7bb7-40fa-8bc4-25e65980d2b3

Former President George W. Bush attended the inauguration of Donald Trump on Jan. 20 and tried his best to deal with the rain.

Unfortunately, Bush wasn't able to figure out how ponchos work in time to stay dry.

SEE ALSO: The internet roasts a photo of Donald Trump writing his inauguration speech

Images of the 43rd president struggling to figure out a one piece slip-over poncho led to some of the day's best jokes.

Some of us are sad today, but others had a great time playing peekaboo with a plastic sheet. pic.twitter.com/yOE0RJkNx8  Kashana (@kashanacauley) January 20, 2017

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag pic.twitter.com/73VCZMXgpp  Tricia Gilbride (@tricia_gilbride) January 20, 2017

Typical of W to not have an exit strategy pic.twitter.com/IY3549vG5H  jake (@jakebeckman) January 20, 2017

Tfw you're responsible for the deaths of 100,000 Iraqis but you still don't know how to use a rain poncho pic.twitter.com/eDA3UH7RvJ  Gabriella Paiella (@GMPaiella) January 20, 2017

The George W. Bush reaction cam during Trump's inauguration speech was lit pic.twitter.com/x33V19MLTn  Max Tani (@maxwelltani) January 20, 2017

Poncho mixup aside, Bush seemed to be in a giddy mood as Trump was sworn into office. The former POTUS and current painter of dogs was photographed smiling ear-to-ear, throwing thumbs up and peeking around at old friends excitedly.

Story continues

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: (L-R) Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, former President Bill Clinton, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush arrive on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. In today's inauguration ceremony Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Image: Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Former President Bill Clinton (L), former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former President George W. Bush stand on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. In today's inauguration ceremony Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Image: Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (R) talks to former President George W. Bush arrives on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. In today's inauguration ceremony Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Image: Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former President George W. Bush greet Michele Obama and Jill Biden at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. In today's inauguration ceremony Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Image: Getty Images

Don't let ponchos get you down, George.
On Friday morning, rescuers in the Abruzzo section of Italy rescued a young boy and other survivors, two days after an avalanche plowed through the town.

Watch: Cat Survives Being Trapped Under Italy Earthquake Rubble for 5 Days

The disaster dumped 16-and-a-half feet of snow in the town of Farindola, where the Hotel Rigopiano, a luxury facility in the area, once sat. Four people have been found dead since the avalanche hit.

Sadness from the area quickly turned to joy as firefighters were filmed extracting a child and a woman from the snow.

A member of the Vigili del Fuoco (firefighters association) was recorded saying, Hes alive! Hes alive! as a young boy was pulled from the rubble. The firefighters applauded and smiled as the boy was brought to safety.

Moments later, a woman was pulled from remains of the hotel and greeted with the same welcome.

One of the firefighters was then recorded saying: Now the helicopter has arrived, to take them away, because they are not in perfect [physical] conditions."

During Fridays search, the rescue crews saved six other people.

The country's Civil Protection Agency said Friday that efforts were continuing to remove remaining survivors.

Watch: Firefighters Free Trapped Dog Who Survived Under Earthquake Rubble Overnight

More than 30 people were enjoying vacation at the mountainous lodge when the avalanche hit the building. A man able to escape early on was able to reunite with his wife and son.

Walls and parts of the buildings structure were knocked down from the heavy snow.

In addition to the avalanche, at least three feet of snow has fallen on the area since, hampering search and rescue efforts.

Watch: Rescuers Fear the Worst After Massive Avalanche Buries Dozens in Italy Hotel

Related Articles:
Paris (AFP) - Terrifying, hideous, racist, atrocious and a "disgrace to humanity": Protesters around Europe pulled no punches in reacting to Donald Trump's inauguration as US president on Friday.

Around 500 activists gathered at the US embassy in London where placards urged Americans to "Dump Trump", whom they accused of being a "climate disaster".

Artist James Marriott, a supporter of opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, held a poster calling Trump "a disgrace to humanity".

"Trump is part of a substantial shift moving into something much more turbulent and frightening," Marriott told AFP.

"He represents the possibility that it is acceptable to be racist, sexist and homophobic."

Janie Trowell, a 53-year-old teacher, compared Trump to the wider populist movement sweeping across Europe in the form of Britain's Brexit vote and the rise of the far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen in France.

"He is advocating hate, he is a scary and hideous macho white male.

In Germany, 200-300 protesters combined their opposition to Trump with their disdain for the country's right-wing AfD party, warning that such populists reminded them of the Nazis.

"White nationalism is so 1933", read one banner, while another said: "No to global Trumpism, no to the AfD".

In glacial conditions, the protesters marched from the AfD headquarters in Berlin to the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of European unity.

They chanted a song about keeping Trump locked up in his namesake tower, adding: "this is called people power".

- Excommunication -

A "Stop the Hate" demonstration through the streets of Amsterdam drew around a thousand people who marched on the US Consulate.

They carried placards bearing messages including "you can't unify with hate" and also took aim at the far right in the Netherlands.

In Brussels, several hundred people gathered outside a theatre in the city centre, mainly from leftwing and environmental groups, leftwing parties, feminist groups, Amnesty International and expatriate supporters of the Democratic Party.

Story continues

Outside the US Consulate General in Edinburgh around 300 protesters were amongst the most imaginative and colourful around Europe.

One banner mocked Trump's hairstyle, saying: "Donald Dinnae Comb-Over Here", while some people performed an "excommunication ceremony".

One elaborately dressed and bearded marcher with white facepaint, who gave his name as Sister Ann Ticipation, said: "We were excommunicating him from the great divine for promulgating negativity, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and everything he has done which does not serve the interests of the community."

University lecturer Don Glickstein, 62, said Trump's "attitude to women is absolutely shocking, and hes proud of it.

"He's also expressed a readiness to use nuclear weapons, which really frightens me."

- 'Obama thank you' -

Only around 30 people -- Americans and Portuguese -- turned up to a protest in Lisbon but they made clear that Trump's appointment was a step in the wrong direction.

"Obama thank you, we will miss you," read one banner.

However, Europe was not united in its condemnation of Trump.

In Prague, photographers turned up to cover a protest that never took place for lack of activists.

Meanwhile, in Warsaw, the foreign affairs ministers of Poland and Lithuania demonstrated that Russian aggression was paramount in their concerns, expressing the hope that Trump would back up commitments the Barrack Obama administration made to supporting defence in Eastern Europe.

Poland's Witold Waszczykowski welcomed the Trump administration "with the hope to see it deal with security questions in our region".

Linas Linkevicius of Lithuania added that it was important to "engage in cooperation with US partners as soon as possible... to preserve what was created together for the sake of both sides of the ocean".
The Constitution now sets January 20th as inauguration day every four years, but it was 72 years ago today that a historical first  and last occurred: The inauguration of a U.S. President to a fourth term in office.

Originally, presidential terms started on March 4 under the Constitution, with the public ceremony moved to the next day if a term started on a Sunday. But in 1933, the enactment of the 20th Amendment moved inauguration day to January 20. (Since then, three ceremonies were held on January 21 after a presidential term started on a Sunday.)

Franklin Roosevelt was the first president to have an inaugural ceremony under the 20th Amendment, and his final inauguration was likely the last of its kind, due to the ratification of the 22nd Amendment in 1951, which limited a President to serving two terms and a maximum of 10 years in office.

On January 20, 1945, President Roosevelt was starting his fourth term in office and his 13th year in the White House.

The only fourth-term inaugural was unusual for several reasons beyond Roosevelts longevity as President. Wartime conditions had eliminated the usual parade as an option because of gasoline rationing. And security concerns (and a general sense of wartime austerity) led to the ceremony being moved from the Capitol to the White Houses South Portico.

Still, a crowd gathered on the White Houses snowy lawn at 12 p.m. to see Roosevelt and his new Vice President, Harry Truman, take their oaths of office.

President Roosevelts inaugural address was unusually short, the second shortest in the history of such speeches, at 550 words.

The President talked about the need for the American people to work together after global peace had been achieved, and he saw the changes that were coming socially in the United States.

Our Constitution of 1787 was not a perfect instrument; it is not perfect yet. But it provided a firm base upon which all manner of men, of all races and colors and creeds, could build our solid structure of democracy, he said.

Story continues

By 1 p.m., the President and the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, were hosting a buffet lunch for friends.

The ceremonies were shortshorter than ever before, I thinkbut very solemn and impressive, Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in her syndicated newspaper column.

Three months later, President Roosevelt passed away at the age of 63.

Inauguration Stories on Constitution Daily

When presidential inaugurations go very, very wrong

Great inaugural addresses: Abraham Lincolns two speeches

Great inaugural addresses: Franklin Roosevelt
Friday, January 20, 2017

On Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, nine Republican members of the North Dakota state legislature introduced H.R. 1427: "A BILL for an Act to provide for the determination of refugee absorptive capacity."

I believe it is, as a whole, preempted by federal law. I'll get to that in a bit. But to help provide some context for the substance, it's worth pointing out that North Dakota is blessed with an unemployment rate of 2.5%  that's compared to the national average of 4.7%. In short, we have so much. That makes it hard to understand why some in this state are reluctant to share a very small percentage of our good fortune with individuals who have been chased away from their homes because of persecution on the basis of race, nationality, religion, politics, or membership in a particular social group.

Here is how the bill defines "absorptive capacity." In part, it is:

The capacity of the social service agencies, child welfare agencies, child care facilities, educational facilities, health care facilities, translation and interpreter services, and law enforcement agencies of the state or in the jurisdiction of the local government to meet the existing needs of the community's current residents considering budgetary and other restraints

Absorptive capacity also includes the capacity to provide medical care, affordable housing, education, job opportunities, and law and order. The bill says that absorptive capacity also embraces:

The capacity of the state and local government to provide services considering whether the jurisdiction of the local government has been highly affected by the presence of refugees or comparable populations, including the proportion of refugees and comparable entrants in the population in the state or in the jurisdiction of the local government, the amount of secondary migration of refugees to the state or to the jurisdiction of the local government, and the proportion of refugees in the state or in the jurisdiction of the local government receiving cash or medical assistance through public assistance.

Other provisions of the bill go on to require regular meetings between local governments and "the state office for refugees and any refugee resettlement organization" to assess absorptive capacity. It requires "memoranda of understanding" regarding refugee placement. And it requires disclosure of data regarding refugees' ages, gender, education, location, criminal history, and use of cash assistance (among other things).

Local governments are given a process by which they could petition for a moratorium on new refugee resettlement. And the governor is empowered to place a moratorium on refugee resettlement by executive order.

I don't believe that these measures are legally permissible. As immprof Stella Birch Elias explained in The Perils and Possibilities of Refugee Federalism, 66 American U. Law Rev. 353 (2016), state governments do not have the authority to exclude refugees from their territories. But whether it could withstand a legal challenge or not, the very proposal of it has left me heartbroken.

For any North Dakotans reading this post, the legislators backing H.R. 1427 are State Representatives Olson, R.S. Becker, B. Koppelman, K. Koppelman, Owens, and Vetter, along with State Senators Holmberg, J. Lee, and Luick.

I can't help but remark on the timing of this being introduced on MLK Day. In the words of Coretta Scott King, the holiday is intended to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words, which "answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its noblest principles." The day also commemorates Dr. King's actions as "Americas greatest champion of racial justice and equality" and his "great dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation; a nation that has a place at the table for children of every race and room at the inn for every needy child."

I hope the spirit of those words might find their way into the State Capitol when this bill comes up for discussion.

-KitJ

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2017/01/north-dakota-proposes-anti-refugee-bill.html
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A company museum at Rolls-Royce North America's downtown Indianapolis campus is getting ready to open its doors.

The museum, which opens Tuesday, features interactive digital displays, aircraft engines from the 1920s and military fighter jets, The Indianapolis Business Journal (http://bit.ly/2k9nVvx ) reported.

Organizers say the museum aims to get adolescents interested in science and technology, and maybe entice an aerospace career in the future.

"This is the place to start the spark," said Dave Newill, president of the Allison Branch of the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust.

Newill heads one of five branches of the Heritage Trust, which aim to preserve the history of the ancestor companies that eventually became part of the modern Rolls-Royce, an international corporation with operations in more than 50 countries.

Indianapolis-based VisionThree LLC created the interactive digital displays, which allow visitors to learn more about the objects in front of them. Visiting school groups will be able to have on-side lessons with a wheeled cabinet filled with educational materials.

This is the second location for the exhibit. Rolls-Royce spokesman Joel Reuter said the former location in southwest Indianapolis wasn't easy to stumble across.

Organizers hope the new location will catch the attention of downtown visitors.

Heritage Trust members tapped into their institutional knowledge and their networking skills to acquire the engines in the exhibit. They also spent many hours cleaning and repairing the items to make them display-worthy. They'll continue searching for new items to add to the collection.

Museum displays will be updated to rotate in items that do not currently fit. Digital displays will also be updated.

___

Information from: Indianapolis Business Journal, http://www.ibj.com
Belfast (AFP) - A four-year inquiry into abuses in care homes in Northern Ireland found widespread mistreatment in its final report on Friday and concluded that hundreds of victims were entitled to financial compensation.

The Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry found "evidence of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, neglect and unacceptable practices" from 1922 to 1995 in most of the institutions it investigated.

These included 22 care homes run by state, church and charitable bodies in the once-troubled province.

The report said victims could receive compensation of up to 100,000 (115,000 euros, $123,000) each.

Anthony Hart, a retired senior judge who chaired the inquiry, noted it was the first time most of the victims had been given the chance to relate what happened to them as children in residential care.

"Describing those experiences was not always easy, indeed at times it was clearly distressing and painful, and we thank them for their courage and determination in doing so," he said in a statement.

"We hope that in some measure the process of giving evidence... helped those who were not listened to in the past."

A total of 493 people came forward to report abuses.

The majority were heard in Belfast but testimonies were also gathered in the rest of Britain, Ireland and Australia.

The report was particularly scathing over serial failures by police to investigate allegations and the role of the Catholic Church in protecting perpetrators, particularly notorious serial paedophile Brendan Smyth, who was eventually convicted of dozens of offences against children.

"There was repeated failure to assess the risk he posed to children," the report states.

Four homes run by the Catholic Sisters of Nazareth order attracted the highest number of complaints.

The report found that nuns abused children in their care both physically and emotionally through practices such as putting strong disinfectant into their baths. In another Catholic home run by the De La Salle order, children endured "physical assaults".

Story continues

Margaret McGuckin, chairwoman of SAVIA (Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse) told the BBC the victims had "waited a lifetime" for the report.

"Today we are believed. As young children, we tried to complain about our abuse and no one would listen. In particular, the religious orders and these holy devout Christian people disbelieved us and even bullied us more for daring to complain," she said.

Leo O'Reilly, bishop of Kilmore where Brendan Smyth served, apologised in a statement.

"The Church cannot be, and should never have been, a safe harbour for anyone responsible for abuse," he said.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fstory%2fthumbnail%2f34191%2f05514314-7e27-4e38-9fad-cee9cb9f8ee5

Our culture is defined by iconic mash-ups. Kim and Kanye. Obama and Biden. And now, roses and gelato.

i-Creamy, a gelato store in Sydney, Australia, is seeing locals and tourists alike lose their collective minds over the adorable treats.

SEE ALSO: Extremely heartbroken voicemail to a closed gelato store is too perfect

"We are the first and the only gelateria that serves the flower-shaped gelato in ... Australia at the moment," said store manager "Pat" to Mashable via Messenger.

People clearly can't get enough of the sugary spirals, sharing their joy with Instagram fiends in Sydney and beyond.

You Had Me At Hello. Gelato#icecream#summer#heatwave#bubblegum#chocolate#flashesofdelight#photography#instagood#lookingdown#fromwhereistand#abmlifeiscolorful#colourpop#myunicornlife#thehappynow#pursepretty#travelgram#travelphotography#sydney#foodporn#icreamy#amazing#flower#delicious A photo posted by Kimberley Grace (@gracesontour) on Jan 17, 2017 at 9:09pm PST

#flowericecream #icecream #icreamy @sydneyfoodette @coffee_sydney A photo posted by AoyunLuo  (@aoyunluo) on Jan 16, 2017 at 1:26am PST

According to the brand's website, they've already sold a whopping 1,500 gelato flowers  and it's not hard to see why, considering their 24 different flavours rotate daily. #GottaTryThemAll.

The treats are painstakingly constructed, Pat said. "We sculpt each flower petal by petal. Each flower gelato contains about 20 petals."

nutella and peanut butter gelato w pinky milk gelato @icreamygelato  pretty dessert that doesn't compromise on taste  A photo posted by @bondifoodie on Jan 14, 2017 at 4:11am PST

When your ice-cream is too pretty to eat  #icecream #icreamy #sydney #icreamyartisangelato #australia #flowergelato #bubblegum #chocolatestrawberry A photo posted by Annabel Hood (@annabelhood) on Jan 15, 2017 at 2:05am PST

The flavours available range from "cookies and cream" and "taro" all the way to "durian."

Story continues

Not only do they look too good to eat, they also look too delicious not to eat. Quite the paradox.

Get in our belly. But not before you get on our feed.

yes, i can confirm that eating ice cream and going to raves are the only things i do. #icreamy #sydneyeats #foodstagram A photo posted by Ivana Lim (@ivanalim_) on Sep 23, 2016 at 10:20pm PDT

Flower ice cream  Made my Saturday evening  A crazy exhausting week though  #flowericecream #sydney #icreamy #roses A photo posted by Casey I-Yun Huang (@casey50224) on Sep 3, 2016 at 4:58am PDT

 +  = #icreamy #artisangelato #flower #sydney A photo posted by     (@1975casey) on Jan 19, 2017 at 1:42am PST

[h/t Buzzfeed]

BONUS: Artisanal astronaut ice cream is out of this world
For years, the Apple rumormill has subsisted for the months before an iPhone launch solely on blurry photos of prototype components smuggled out of Chinese factories. The components make it out into the world because of the difficulties involved with prototyping components at speed and then rush-shipping them to the US  somewhere in there, leaks happen.

Don't Miss: Androids biggest strength is driving people to the iPhone

So, something that looks like a minor piece of industry news could cause major problems for iPhone watchers. Apple has already announced that it will be building an R&D center in Shenzen, the Chinese city where its iPhones are already assembled. Now, according to Nikkei Asian Review, Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn will be setting up a prototyping factory right next door. Presumably, components will be designed in Apples center, sent over the road for prototype manufacturing, and delivered to Apple for tweaks  all without a single blogger getting one blurry photograph of the proceedings.

Secrecy may genuinely be a motivating factor for Apple, given that its products have been heavily leaked in the past few years, which reduces Apples famous showmanship value when whipping the covers off a new device. But bigger benefits are probably to be found in faster prototyping and tighter links between R&D and the manufacturing process.

Reports around recent iPhone launches have hinted that Apple is rushing to get features out of the door, which leads to phones launching with incomplete designs  the iPhone 7 Pluss signature Portrait Mode was enabled a month after the phone shipped to customers  or deadlines being missed altogether, like the months-delayed AirPods.

One Apple source told BGR that the AirPod delay was due to problems going from prototype to mass production, and Apple had to fly teams of engineers out to China to help teams there troubleshoot. The obvious solution to fix that in the future is more closely integrated R&D, prototyping and manufacturing, which sounds exactly like what Apple and Foxconn are trying to do in Shenzen.

Story continues

The Nikkei report also shines a light on the more political side of Apple and Chinese manufacturing. Despite receiving an invitation, Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou will not be attending Trumps inauguration at the orders of Chinese authorities. They apparently have concerns over Foxconns plans to build highly automated factories in the US, one option that would be on the table were President Trump to impose import tariffs on Chinese-made electronics.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
LONDON (AP)  Allies and political opponents paid tribute Friday to Martin McGuinness, the Irish Republican Army commander-turned-peacemaker who is stepping down as one of Northern Ireland's most influential politicians.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said McGuinness had played a key role in moving the Irish nationalist Republican movement toward "peaceful and democratic means."

Leading pro-U.K. Protestant politician Ian Paisley, Jr., said McGuinness' "remarkable journey ... not only saved lives, but made the lives of countless people better."

McGuinness' surprisingly productive political partnership with Paisley's late father, the firebrand Protestant preacher Ian Paisley, helped end Northern Ireland's decades of violence.

When Northern Ireland's Catholic-Protestant power-sharing government began in 2007, the elder Paisley and McGuinness were leader and deputy in the coalition between Sinn Fein and the major British Protestant party, the Democratic Unionists.

The administration proved remarkably stable, but relations between Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionists have deteriorated recently amid allegations of abuse and mismanagement in a multimillion-pound program to encourage the use of renewable energy.

McGuinness, 66, quit as Northern Ireland's deputy first minister last week in protest over the botched green-energy scheme, plunging the government into crisis.

His resignation triggered an election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, to be held March 2.

On Thursday McGuinness announced he would not run in the election, saying he needed to concentrate on recovering from "a very serious illness." He did not say what the illness is.

McGuinness said he had concluded "that I am not in any physical state" to fight an election.

The potentially brutal election could determine whether the unity government  centerpiece of Northern Ireland's peace accord  can be put back together.

McGuinness said he believed reconciliation was more vital than ever.

"I hopefully will overcome this illness through time," he said. "I am very determined to be an ambassador for peace, unity and reconciliation."




On Friday morning during the traditional welcoming to the White House of the incoming president and first lady by the outgoing president and first lady before the inauguration, Melania Trump presented Michelle Obama with a gift from Tiffany & Co. in the companys signature robins-egg-blue box and white satin ribbon.

In a statement, Tiffany & Co. notes, The White House has been a patron of the House of Tiffany & Co. since Abraham Lincoln. The brand doesnt know whats inside the box.

Melania Trump brought a gift from Tiffany & Co. to the White House on Inauguration Day. (Photo: AP)

Tiffany & Co. has a storied role in American history: President Lincoln turned to the brand for a gift for his wife on the day of his inauguration in 1861; the company created ceremonial swords during the Civil War; then, during the 1880s, it was called on to redesign the Great Seal of the United States that still appears on American currency. In more recent times, President Lyndon B. Johnson and first lady Lady Bird Johnson commissioned Tiffany to design their official White House china.

Mrs. Trumps choice of Tiffany & Co. for a gift to the Obamas is an interesting one, given the recent controversy surrounding the Tiffany & Co. flagship store and Trump Tower in New York City. The famed jeweler said earlier this week that it attributed the decline in U.S. sales during the holiday shopping season to Trumps election. The brand said that overall U.S. sales were significantly affected by the 14 percent decline in sales at the flagship store, adjacent to Trump Tower, due to increased security following Trumps election in November.

In mid-December, the brand unveiled monogrammed, branded covers for the police barricades set up on parts of Fifth Avenue around Trump Tower as part of the post-election security protocol for Trump.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
By Kinda Makieh and Tom Perry DAMASCUS/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State militants have destroyed one of the most famous monuments in the ancient city of Palmyra, the Tetrapylon, and the facade of its Roman Theatre, Syrian antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim told Reuters on Friday. The Syrian government lost control of Palmyra to Islamic State in December, the second time the jihadist group had overrun the UNESCO world heritage site in the six-year-long Syrian conflict. UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said in a statement that the destruction constituted "a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity". The Tetrapylon, marking a slight bend along Palmyra's grand colonnade, comprises a square stone platform with matching structures of four columns positioned at each of its corners. Satellite imagery sent by Abdulkarim to Reuters showed it largely destroyed, with only four of 16 columns still standing and the stone platform apparently covered in rubble. The imagery also showed extensive damage at the Roman Theatre, with several towering stone structures destroyed on the stage. Just last May, a famous Russian orchestra performed at the theater after Palmyra was first won back from Islamic State. Abdulkarim said if Islamic State remained in control of Palmyra "it means more destruction". He said the destruction took place sometime between Dec. 26 and Jan. 10, according to the satellite imagery of the site. Islamic State had previously captured Palmyra in 2015. It held the city for 10 months until Syrian government forces backed by allied militia and Russian air power managed to drive them out last March. During its previous spell in control of Palmyra, Islamic State destroyed other monuments there, including its 1,800-year-old monumental arch. Palmyra, known in Arabic as Tadmur, stood at the crossroads of the ancient world. Islamic State put 12 people to death in Palmyra earlier this week, some of them execution-style in the Roman Theatre. Russia marked the capture of Palmyra from Islamic State by sending the Mariinsky Theatre to perform a surprise concert, highlighting the Kremlin's role in winning back the city. The concert, held just over a month after Russian air strikes helped push Islamic State militants out of Palmyra, saw Valery Gergiev, a close associate of President Vladimir Putin, conduct the Mariinsky orchestra. Islamic State swept into Palmyra again in December when the Syrian army and its allies were focused on dealing a final blow to rebels in the city of Aleppo. Eastern Aleppo fell to the government later that month. (Reporting by Kinda Makieh in Damascus and Tom Perry in Beirut; Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris; Editing by Larry King)
MANILA (Reuters) - 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. (Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Martin Petty and Randy Fabi)
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."
TEL AVIV, Israel, and RAMALLAH, West Bank  We are entering a new era, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proclaimed last month, the day after the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Just as President-elect [Donald] Trump said  it will happen much sooner than you think. In the new era there is a much higher price for those who try to harm Israel, and that price will be exacted not only by the U.S., but by Israel as well.

Israelis and Palestinians are already preparing for this new era, and drawing battle lines against their foes.

The Israeli government, as Netanyahu made clear, views the new U.S. administration as a shield against the rest of the world, and anti-Israel measures like the Security Council resolution the Obama administration allowed to pass last month. Palestinian leaders find themselves in the diametrically opposite position: They are now furiously trying to mobilize the rest of the world as a bulwark against the incoming Trump administration and the possibility it breaks from long-standing U.S. polices, first among them moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The U.S. president-elect has called brokering Israeli-Palestinian peace the ultimate deal. Yet the only diplomatic activity taking place right now is focused not on any positive steps toward a two-state solution, but managing the impending rise of Trump.

The Netanyahu governments optimism appears to be well-founded. In the immediate aftermath of the U.S. election, Trump invited the Israeli premier to the White House at the first opportunity, adding for good measure that the two leaders have known each other for years. Trumps choice for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, is a long-standing supporter of West Bank settlements, even heading the U.S. fundraising arm for one prominent settlement. Jared Kushner, the president-elects son-in-law and senior advisor, is also known for his pro-Israel activism, with his familys foundation donating to various West Bank settlements.

Story continues

Coming on the heels of the U.N. Security Council resolution and Secretary of State John Kerrys subsequent speech excoriating Israel for its settlement project, Trump tweeted that things will be very different when he officially takes office, imploring Israel to Stay Strong  January 20th is fast approaching! Settler leaders are even set to attend Trumps inauguration.

Then theres the matter of the location of the U.S. Embassy. Like presidential candidates Bill Clinton and George W. Bush before him, Trump promised on the campaign trail to move the embassy to Jerusalem. But the international community, including the United States, doesnt recognize Israels annexation of East Jerusalem and deems the future disposition of the capital subject to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

These past administrations, to be sure, reneged on their campaign promises about the U.S. Embassy. This time, however, might be different: Trumps advisors have not diluted the claim, with one top aide stating that it was still a big priority for the president-elect. Friedman, on the announcement of his appointment, also claimed he would be taking up his post from the U.S. Embassy in Israels eternal capital, Jerusalem. With such clear expressions of unconditional support, its not a surprise that in a recent poll by the Israel Democracy Institute, 69 percent of Jewish Israelis expect Trump to have a positive attitude toward the country. Fifty-seven percent of Jewish Israelis, by comparison, viewed the outgoing Obama administrations attitude as unfriendly.

The Israeli Right is particularly ecstatic. In the words of one prominent lawmaker, Trumps election is nothing less than a miracle and a herald to the coming of the Messiah. On the precise issues that the international community so severely censured Israel  settlement construction and the moribund peace process  right-wing politicians now see opportunity. Education Minister Naftali Bennett, head of the pro-settler Jewish Home party, declared that with Trumps election, the era of a Palestinian state is over and that it was now time to begin annexing settlements in the West Bank (sentiments that, to be fair, the prime minister and his confidants have not yet embraced).

Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon made the threat first articulated by Netanyahu more explicit. Perceptions, he told Israel Army Radio late last month, are important for the other Security Council members. Recent comments by both the British prime minister and Australian foreign minister, blasting Kerrys speech and the Security Council resolution, respectively, have proved Danons point. If foreign leaders want good relations with the new U.S. administration, the path runs through Israel.

While the first test of the Trump administrations intentions will come with respect to Jerusalem, Israeli intelligence assessments peg the adjoining West Bank as the most unstable arena over the coming year. The upsurge in violence in both Jerusalem and the West Bank that began in late 2015 has only recently abated, and the political, economic, and social frustrations that sparked the unrest are still in place. As has happened numerous times, Jerusalem could act as the flint to the West Banks steel.

Yet security officials are extremely guarded when pressed on the potential repercussions of the U.S. Embassy move. As one senior Israeli military officer put it to Foreign Policy, You dont need me to tell you that the Palestinians wont like it.

The Palestinian Authority, to put it mildly, doesnt like what may prove to be Trumps opening gambit in the Middle East. But officials in Ramallah were extremely slow to realize that the incoming U.S. administration represented a sea change from those that have come before.

[The Palestinians] were shocked to hear that the new administration was serious [about Jerusalem], Khalil Shikaki, director of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, recently told Foreign Policy. They underestimated the potential for change with the new administration  this is their awakening and they are not prepared.

This was partially a result, perhaps, to a naive faith in the institutional inertia of U.S. foreign policymaking. But it was also due to the fact that, according to sources in both Ramallah and Washington, there had been as of last week no direct contact between the Palestinians and the Trump transition. The only link President Mahmoud Abbas appears to have with the Trump administration is an American hedge fund manager whose claim to power is that he sits next to Kushner in an Upper East Side synagogue The Palestinians have been desperately trying to make up for lost time, launching a diplomatic outreach effort meant to mobilize the rest of the world and raise the political price for Trump if he decides to move the embassy. Abbas sent letters last week to more than a dozen world leaders, including Trump, warning of the disastrous impact on the peace process, on the two-state solution and on the stability and security of the entire region of such a step. The Palestinian president also met with Pope Francis at the Vatican and dispatched his senior aide, Saeb Erekat, to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Erekat and other top officials have also in recent days reiterated the threat of revoking Palestinian recognition of Israel, a move enshrined in 1993 at the start of the Oslo Peace Process.

If Mr. Trump wants to translate his campaign propaganda into actions, no one should expect the Palestinians to surrender, Jibril Rajoub, a senior member of Abbass Fatah Party, told Foreign Policy late last week. We have to mobilize the whole world to react and exert pressure because  this will cause harm to regional stability, global peace, and American interests. Rajoub outlined a diplomatic strategy that aims to harness the full influence of the Arab League, Islamic countries, the nonaligned countries, European Union countries, and the [U.N.] Security Council.

This effort has already borne some fruit, with one Jordanian minister saying this month that moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem was a red line for the Hashemite Kingdom that could inflame the Islamic and Arab streets. Yet Arab unity, always a fickle prospect, is never a given  even on issues as emotionally resonant as Jerusalem and the Palestinian question. Officials in Ramallah recall how Egypt balked at the Security Council last month, rescinding its draft resolution condemning Israeli settlements at the eleventh hour, reportedly due to pressure from Israel and the Trump camp. (Egypt eventually voted for the resolution after it was resubmitted by other Security Council members.)

Its not going to be easy [for Abbas] to mobilize Arab support like he would like, Shikaki said. They have interests, [and while] Jerusalem is of course one of the main common interests its an open question whether theyll be willing to have all the other issues held hostage by this one.

Palestinian officials like to point out that the Middle East, already in crisis, can ill afford another explosion. For this very reason, however, Arab states may have other, more pressing concerns  like Irans growing regional influence  where Israel and the Trump administration could play pivotal roles. None other than Abbas raised the specter of an Arab sellout last fall, railing against undue foreign interests in Palestinian affairs.

Rajoub, for his part, raised a threat of his own when this idea was presented to him. When it comes to Jerusalem, everyone will be united, he said calmly. And if some regimes have other priorities, theyll either collapse or fall in line due to pressure from their publics.

The Trump administration will put both the Palestinian leaderships threats (revoking recognition of Israel) and their assurances (nonviolence and negotiations) to the test. Although Israel will celebrate Trumps support, the repercussions of his moves could lead to a severe security crisis not of its own making. The issue of laying claim to Jerusalem, as Rajoub put it, is like playing with nuclear weapons.

Israelis, however, view U.S. recognition of their capital in West Jerusalem, held since the states founding in 1948, as the correction of a historic wrong. One Likud minister close to Netanyahu told foreign reporters this week, Theres not going to be any consequences, whats the big deal?

The question of consequences will hinge on how far the international community chooses to take its defense of the Palestinian side, and how far the Trump administration chooses to press its defense of Israel internationally.

This new era of Trump, peremptorily embraced by Netanyahu and belatedly feared by Abbas, will without doubt put one central article of faith so common among both Israelis and Palestinians to the test: that world affairs, whether in Washington or other major capitals, always inevitably revolves around them.

Photo credit: THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images
The Deportees Taking Our Calls

Jonathan Blitzer | The New Yorker

Drawn by low operating costs, generous tax incentives, and proximity to the U.S., more than ten major call-center firms now operate in El Salvador, employing some twenty thousand people. Deportations from the U.S. have fuelled the industry by bringing an influx of English-speaking job-seekers. Anzora was one of twenty thousand Salvadorans deported in 2007. Since President Obama took office, in 2009, the U.S. has deported 2.7 million people, more than during any previous Administration. A hundred and fifty-two thousand of them are Salvadoran, and roughly twenty per cent have spent at least five years in the U.S. They generally speak fluent and idiomatic Englishthe most crucial requirement for call-center work. Their next most important quality is their desperation. Deportees are very loyal, a recruiter for a call center told the news service McClatchy. They know they wont get another shot. At one call center I visited, more than half the employees had been deported from the U.S. Recruiters show up at an isolated hangar of the San Salvador airport to intercept deportees as they get off small jets flown in by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Recommended: Why Trump Is Thriving in an Age of Distrust

* * *

How Britain Tried to Influence the U.S. Election in 1940

Christopher Woolf | PRIs The World

In many ways, the British campaign in 1940 has become the model for that kind of classic influence campaign.

The Brits used wiretaps to get dirt; recruited journalists to plant favorable stories; invented fake stories; used dirty tricks to try to destroy opponents; and funded and coordinated pro-British activist groups.

The goal was to try to change U.S. public opinion and to manipulate Americas political establishment toward helping Britain in its fight against the Nazis. In 1940, this was no sure thing. Incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to help the UK but faced an uphill battle to overcome isolationist and America First views.

Story continues

* * *

Pilsner and Diplomatic Advice in Ho Chi Minh City

Simon Stanley | Roads & Kingdoms

This is Hoa Vien Brauhaus, a Czech-style restaurant, beer hall, and microbrewery, and the official state home of the Czech Republic in Ho Chi Minh City. Void of the usual lineup of armed guards and passport verification checkpoints, this is not your typical foreign consulate.

In this cramped jigsaw puzzle of a city, wedged among the pho joints and coffee shops, Hoa Viens entrance sits like some kind of portal onto the cobbled streets of Prague. With 6,000 miles separating these two seemingly unconnected lands, its possibly the last thing youd expect to find in Vietnam; Czech beers and hearty European fare on offer alongside diplomatic assistance.

Recommended: The Foreign Crises Awaiting Trump

* * *

Germanys Last Atlanticist Confronts Trump

Matthew Karnitschnig | Politico EU

The schadenfreude some may have felt after the American election has given way to cold fear. As the president-elect repeatedly dismisses European integration and the NATO alliance, many on the Continent have felt the common ground between the U.S. and Europe crumble beneath their feet.

Will Washington turn its back on Europe? And if it doesnt, how will people here cope with the new American administrations hostility to the very idea of a united Europe?

The answers will depend in no small measure on a mild-mannered, 61-year-old German civil servant few in Europe have ever heard of: Christoph Heusgen.

* * *

At Istanbuls Grand Bazaar, Empty Shops Echo Turkeys Deepening Strains

Scott Peterson | The Christian Science Monitor

Inside the tight warrens of Istanbuls famous Grand Bazaar, an edge of desperation has crept into the voices of touts trying to sell their wares.

They are selling everything from gold jewelry, tourist trinkets, and spices to leather jackets and underwear, as traders have for centuries along these cramped, ancient flagstone alleyways.

But a number of shops are closed, with lights out or tarpaulins draped over their fronts. And owners say their hopes that 2017 would reverse a slowing economy and end attacks, which have damaged Turkeys tourist-friendly reputation, have hardly materialized.

Recommended: Live Coverage of the Presidential Inauguration

* * *

How Russia Decided to Allow a Little Domestic Violence

Leonid Bershidsky | Bloomberg

On Wednesday, the Russian parliament gave preliminary approval to a bill decriminalizing domestic violence. Its part of President Vladimir Putins push for a return to traditional family values.

In the summer of 2016, Russia got its first law specifically directed at domestic violence. The parliament introduced the notion of close ones to Article 116 of the criminal code, which deals with battery. That group includes the suspect's children, spouse, parents, siblings and other relatives. Beating them without any consequences to their health became punishable with a jail term of up to two years. Many in Russia saw this as a necessary measure: according to women's rights activists, 10,000 Russian women a year die as a result of domestic violence. Official statistics say 40 percent of all serious violent crime takes place in the home.

But the purveyors of a traditionalist, conservative ideology that has become fashionable during Putin's third presidential term immediately started working to undermine the law. To them, it was an example of impermissible interference in family affairs.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ship loading resumed at Ivory Coast's two ports in the cities of Abidjan and San Pedro on Thursday, cocoa exporters said, after a temporary shutdown a day earlier due to unrest in some factions of the security forces. Port activities were disrupted when paramilitary gendarmes fired shots into the air and sealed off access to the port in Abidjan, the commercial capital, forcing companies to close down. The port reopened later in the day, but many cocoa exporters had already sent home personnel. Heavy gunfire then erupted in San Pedro after nightfall. "The shooting eased yesterday at around 11 p.m. (2300 GMT) and this morning we are at work," said a cocoa exporter in San Pedro. "The port is open and we will load beans for export this morning." It was the first time port activities in the world's top cocoa exporter had been impacted by a two-week wave of unrest within the security forces over unpaid bonuses, and exporters said the risk of further disruption could not be ruled out. "Our teams in Abidjan and San Pedro are at work this morning," said another exporter. "We still have concerns, but we're dealing with it and are focusing on our business." Ivory Coast has emerged from a 2002-2011 political crisis, including two civil wars, as one of the world's fastest-growing economies. However, the unrest which began with an army mutiny nearly two weeks ago has exposed deep divisions within a military that was thrown together from rival rebel and loyalist forces in the wake of a 2011 conflict. President Alassane Ouattara on Wednesday ordered his defence minister and military chiefs to hold urgent talks with members of the security forces to take stock of their grievances in a bid to quell the instability. (Reporting by Ange Aboa; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Richard Lough)
TOKYO (AP)  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that he plans to visit the U.S. as soon as possible to meet with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking on the eve of Trump's inauguration, he called the U.S.-Japan alliance an "unchanging principle" for his country's foreign and security policy.

His urgency to meet Trump reflects worries in Japan about how Trump's "America first" policy will affect U.S. commitments to the Asia region, as well as fallout from any heightened tensions with China and North Korea.

Abe was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after the U.S. election, making a stop in New York in November on his way to Latin America.

"The Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of our country's foreign and security policy, in the past, present and in the future," Abe told parliament in an annual policy address. "It's an unchanging principle."

Abe said he wants to meet Trump to deepen that relationship further. Trump will be sworn in as president Friday.

"I plan to further strengthen the bond with new President Trump," Abe said. He didn't give a specific date, but local media reports have mentioned late January as a possibility.

In the speech at the parliament, Abe also said the two allies, enemies in World War II, have a responsibility to show "the power of reconciliation" as they work together to contribute to global peace and prosperity.

Abe reiterated his concerns about "heightened tension" in the region amid China's increasingly assertive maritime activity, and pledged to step up cooperation with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including India, Australia and those in southeast Asia.

He said he wants to keep the U.S. troop presence on the southern island of Okinawa as "deterrence."

During his election campaign, Trump demanded that Tokyo pay more of the cost to keep the 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in the country under a bilateral security pact, threatening to pull them out otherwise.

Story continues

He has not said that after being elected, presumably following repeated reminders by Japanese officials that Japan makes significant host-nation contributions.

Experts say Japan has benefited from its alliance with Washington largely because of the U.S.-led world order. With some worried about how that could change under a Trump administration, Japan should do its utmost to convince his administration that the alliance is important for both sides.

"I guess we took American internationalism too much for granted ... It has always been, at least after World War II, the bedrock of the international order. And I would say that Japan was the country that benefited from the existence of this world order the most," said Toshihiro Nakayama, a Keio University international politics professor.

He said Japan needs to get Trump to convince his people that America should remain committed to the region so they don't retreat into isolation.

"We have to convince the Americans to stay committed in this region," Nakayama said. "What we have to do is convince the Trump team that for you as well, Japan is the best choice."

___

Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi

Find her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mari-yamaguchi




YouTube

New Japan has been the talk of the pro wrestling world in January, between their tremendously well-received Wrestle Kingdom 11 event, the announcement that the company would be holding its first two standalone events in Long Beach this summer, and Kenny Omega doing everything he can to stir the pot regarding his potential impending free agency.

In fact, things are going so well for New Japan that theyre thinking of following WWEs lead and expanding globally. Their plan of attack to penetrate the North American market is to establish a territory in California next year, but that seems like its going to be much easier said than done.

This past week, Takaaki Kidani, the owner of New Japan, had an interview with Weekly Pro Wrestling that was translated by Chris Charlton on Twitter. In that interview, Kidani went on at length about the tentative vision he has in mind for establishing a United States territory for New Japan, based in California. It is his goal to really get going with this plan in 2018. Here are the key quotes and points from the long interview:

[A North American New Japan offshoot] would be a localized product. If in Japan its 75/25 Japanese, then 75/25 American would be the best mix I think. For the New Japan product we run now, theres still video. The plan would be to have California as a base and run tours in a similar way to how we run things here, with a few shows further afield. For the Japanese talent, there are all sorts of options. Some guys may want to tour there. Some guys may want to spend half the year there. Still others may want to take two years or so and move out there. There are a lot of ways around that and Im open to opinion from the wrestlers. If we establish a territory in California, well be able to produce more content cheaply. It has to be localized. If you look at WWE with their show business base, they really only have a strong business in the U.K., Canada and America. They sell their programming elsewhere, sure, but they need to actually be doing business in those areas. I said this on Twitter, but why do you think theyre pushing people to the network? Its because they know cable isnt going to be around forever and they have to make up that loss. Thats why they established a U.K. champion and set up that tournament. [  ] Things start with the G-1 special, which we announced will take place on 7/1 and 7/2. That wont include any actual tournament matches, but we may hold qualifiers. At that point, office staff will also be headed to the U.S. We will set up a dojo, likely with a monthly fee system. And as far as talent is concerned, from October of last year, we began signing wrestlers to long-term contracts, and this includes foreign wrestlers. [  ] I have talked with the talent about this, but at that point it was less concrete than it is now. The plan is for thing to really get going in 2018.

Story continues

In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer addressed pretty much all of Kidanis comments, essentially point by point. You will need a subscription, but if you have one and have the time, its worth taking the time to read what Meltzer has to say. Essentially, taking Kidanis words entirely at face value, Meltzer warns that Kidani is grossly overestimating New Japans popularity and viability in the United States, in addition to demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding not only of what makes WWEs business model successful, but also the state of professional wrestling in North America at this point, and the historical lessons to be learned from the collapse of the territory system nearly 30 years ago.



YouTube

Essentially, New Japan will be spreading its roster very thin by attempting to establish an offshoot in North America, and for U.S. fans, the draw is not the New Japan name, its the stars. One thing that Meltzer failed to note was that a Japanese promotion has attempted something similar before with Dragon Gate USA, which ran on its own for a few years, but the company quickly became mostly North American talent, with a few Dragon Gate regulars sprinkled in, and then eventually got folded into EVOLVE shows and storylines before going on indefinite hiatus.

Admittedly, Dragon Gate at the height of its popularity isnt anywhere near the level of success and word of mouth that New Japan has been experiencing over the past few years, but as Meltzer also pointed out in the Observer, even with the drastically increased interest in Wrestle Kingdom 11, Kenny Omega, and everything else, New Japan in the U.S. remains a starkly hardcore niche. Meltzer reported that heading into the day of Wrestle Kingdom, Google searches never cracked 20,000 people looking for information about the event, which is essentially nothing.

This is all just a long-winded way of saying that New Japan may have lofty hopes, but the deck is fantastically stacked against them. If they hope to establish a California territory where they run a handful of mega-cards per year in venues with a few thousand seats, at most, they may have some success building good word of mouth and perhaps some lingering brand royalty. If they are legitimately attempting to foster an ongoing, full-time territory based in California, with their talent split between the United States and Japan, they will find themselves looking at a steep uphill climb, and might be surprised how limited their fanbase really is in North America.
Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Friday pledged to boost ties with Donald Trump's new administration, ahead of the US president-elect's inauguration later in the day.

"In the past, present and from now on, the Japan-US alliance has been the cornerstone of our diplomacy and security policy," Abe said in a speech to mark the beginning of a new parliamentary session.

"I'm planning to visit the US as soon as possible and strengthen the alliance further with new US President Trump."

In November, Abe met with Trump in New York, the first foreign leader to sit down with him after a campaign that included rhetoric that alarmed many US allies, including Japan.

Trump mused about pulling thousands of US troops from the Asia-Pacific region, and suggested officially pacifist Japan and South Korea may need nuclear weapons to defend themselves.

He also set off concerns about the fate of Japanese firms doing business in the United States after threatening Toyota with punitive tariffs over its new vehicle plant in Mexico.

In his wide-ranging speech Friday, Abe also said Japan will host a trilateral summit with China and South Korea this year and said he planned to visit Russia for talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Trump is poised to enter the White House with the lowest approval ratings of any new president in recent history -- 40 percent according to a CNN/ORC poll.

Trump slammed the findings, describing them as "rigged".

Japan's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga took a more diplomatic position on Friday.

"High approval ratings are not always a good thing," he told a press briefing without elaborating.
LONDON (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who will visit Myanmar on Friday, said the former British colony's transition to democracy was not yet complete but that Britain would offer its full support as a friend. "Burmas transition to democracy is not yet complete but it is worth reflecting on just how far Burma has come since Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party took office just nine months ago," Johnson said in a statement. "The UK, as a longstanding and long term friend to Burma, will continue to offer its fullest support," he said. "I look forward to seeing Burma continue to develop into a country where there is peace and prosperity for all its people." On the visit, the first to Myanmar by a British foreign minister in five years, Johnson will meet leader Suu Kyi, members of the Rakhine Commission and leaders of different ethnic groups to discuss the peace process. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Kate Holton)
Jonathan Rhys Meyers is set to star in a police thriller as a corrupt cop for this next project.

Based on a true story, "Blue on Blue" will follow the story of a corrupt police officer who manipulates a naive rookie cop and tries to cover up the murder, reports Variety.

An ensuing gang war threatens to destroy the rookie officer.

The film will be directed by Jon Amiel from a script written by David Chisholm.

The Irish actor will be next seen alongside John Hurt in the Syrian spy drama "Damascus Cover."
By David Henry

NEW YORK (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co <JPM.N> 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. <.BKX>

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.

Story continues

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)
Japan's Kei Nishikori reached the Australian Open fourth round with a convincing, straight-sets win over Lukas Lacko on Friday.

The fifth seed made it to the last 16 for the sixth straight year with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over the Slovak qualifier in two hours, 11 minutes.

Nishikori will next face a big challenge against 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, who destroyed big-serving Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych in straight sets.

The Japanese is looking to improve on his three quarter-final appearances at the Australian Open, losing to Andy Murray in 2012, Stan Wawrinka in 2015 and Novak Djokovic last year.

"There were some little tough moments, but I stayed tough in the third set," Nishikori said.

Nishikori broke the 121st-ranked Lacko's serve four times and gave up his own service only once.

"I did well with my service games and came up with some important first serves on the big points," he said.

"I am feeling well physically and mentally and I've been playing well in my three matches in Melbourne."

Nishikori got the early advantage with a service break in the seventh game after Lacko overhit a forehand.

The Japanese star got a double break to lead 3-0 and Lacko got one break back to trail 3-5 before Nishikori served out for a two sets to love advantage.

Nishikori peeled off a ripping forehand return winner to grab an early break in the final set to hit the front and stay there.

He hit 46 winners, 27 of them on his forehand, and dominated the rallies.

Nishikori became the first Asian man to contest a Grand Slam final when he lost to Marin Cilic at the 2014 US Open after defeating three top-10 players - Milos Raonic, Wawrinka and Djokovic along the way.
Kellyanne Conway arrivals at the Capitol in a Gucci coat with cat buttons. (Photo: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

Kellyanne Conway is certainly enjoying Inauguration Day and is wearing a lot of red, white, and blue for the festivities, presumably to show her patriotism for the United States of America.

At an inaugural event at Union Station on Thursday evening, the Trump adviser turned out in a red, one-shoulder mermaid-hem gown, with a floral flourish at the shoulder.

Kellyanne Conway attends an event at Union Station Thursday night. (Photo: Getty Images)

She accessorized with an ear cuff.

Kellyanne Conway rocks an ear cuff. (Photo: Getty Images)

But Conways inauguration look will likely be the outfit that people remember.

Conway, who turned 50 on Friday, stepped out in a $3,600, wool A-line coat from Gucci, with brass cat-shaped buttons. She wore a red bucket hat, gloves, and a red purse to complete her outfit.

Conway described the look as Trump revolutionary wear, attempting to put an American spin on a piece inspired by the city of London and designed by an Italian fashion house.

A look at Kellyanne Conways Gucci coat. (Photo: Courtesy of Gucci)

It was a look that was almost as polarizing as, well her boss.

The roasting on Twitter immediately started once photos of the Trump adviser surfaced.

Kellyanne Conway dressed as the era Trump wants to take America back to. #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/Vrmc1Bq3Nz  The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) January 20, 2017

Is nobody going to comment that Kellyanne Conway basically ripped off the Battle of Yorktown costumes from #Hamilton? #worldturnedupsidedown pic.twitter.com/uoFmwaO0uy  Jessica Marie (@JessieMcV123) January 20, 2017

I see @KellyannePolls has channeled 1976 airline steward today.  Grumpy Doc (@GrumpyDoc77) January 20, 2017

Kellyanne Conways Trump Revolutionary Wear reminds me of Bolshevik Constructivist fashion. How fitting for the Russian stooge president. pic.twitter.com/sF2qrCbuTs  Matt Zeta Baen (@MattZetaBaen) January 20, 2017

But some people were really feeling the look:

Story continues

@LisainDallas @KellyannePolls they are ridiculing thiseverything from paddington bear to revolutionary war.

I think its fantastic  LB???? (@skis416) January 20, 2017

Hot take: Im obsessed w Kellyanne Conways outfit  Sandy Barnard (@barnardworld) January 20, 2017

@MyPresidentme @KellyannePolls Like a Revolutionary soldier, which she is, and a beautiful one at that.  Trust in Trump 2016 (@bluebirdissong) January 20, 2017

@KellyannePolls You look so beautiful today! What a perfect outfit for Mr Trumps/your/Americas big day!????????  MendyOK (@MendyKiser) January 20, 2017

@KellyannePolls You look FABULOUS !!!!!! LOVE your outfit & the cat/lion buttons. You are rockin it !!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/JThrSzU0yK  Yep Isaid (@isaidit1970) January 20, 2017

Lets just say Kellyannes coat is just another item on a long list of things Americans cant agree on.

Related: Ivanka and Tiffany Trump Match Hillary Clinton on Inauguration Day

Related: Hillary Clinton Wears White Pantsuit to Trumps Inauguration

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
By Katharine Houreld NAIROBI (Reuters) - Lecturers at Kenya's public universities started an indefinite strike on Thursday over poor pay, joining doctors who have been striking for more than five weeks and deepening a crisis in public services as the country heads towards elections. Two unions, the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya University Staff Union (KASU), say their members will refuse to work at Kenya's 33 public universities until their demands are met. UASU mainly represents lecturers and KASU's members are mainly administrative and technical staff. "Teaching staff are being underpaid and this has gone on for a long time. We want professors to earn what politicians get," Robinson Oduma, the UASU chapter head at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology in the western town of Kakamega, told Reuters by phone. Kenyan lawmakers are among the most highly paid in the world, taking home around 1.2 million Kenyan shillings ($11,500) per month, including allowances, according to Justine Musila who runs the parliamentary watchdog website Mzalendo. The average annual income for Kenya's 46 million citizens is $1,340, according to World Bank data. Professors are demanding a 400 percent pay rise to bring them into line with legislators, said Oduma. The striking doctors want a 300 percent pay rise, which they say was promised to them in 2013. They also accuse the government of failing to stock public hospitals with basic medicines and supplies of items such as gloves. No government spokesmen were available for comment on Thursday, but officials have previously said the government does not have enough money to pay the salary increases. The strikes come as President Uhhuru Kenyatta is battling a slew of corruption scandals ahead of his bid to seek a second term in office in an election due in August. Authorities are investigating tens of millions of dollars alleged to be missing from the Health Ministry, National Youth Service and from ministries issued cash by a Eurobond offering. ($1 = 103.8000 Kenyan shillings) (Editing by Gareth Jones)
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.

___

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.

___

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.

___

Jan. 19, 2017: Guzman is extradited to the United States.
As part of Fridays inauguration festivities, President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and their wives will spend their first evening in office attending a series of balls held in Washington, D.C. Heres everything you need to know about them:

Three official inaugural balls are being held. Two of the balls, Liberty and Freedom: The Official Presidential Inaugural Balls, will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The third, a Salute To Our Armed Services Ball, will take place at the National Building Museum. All three balls begin at 7 p.m. E.T.

The first two balls are open to the public. Tickets to the Liberty and Freedom Balls are $50 per person. The Salute To Our Armed Services Ball is by invitation only, with tickets provided free of charge.

The official inaugural balls will feature a number of entertainers. Sam Moore, The Rockettes, Tim Rushlow and his Big Band, Silhouettes, Pelican212, The Piano Guys, Circus 1903, Cache Olson, Lexi Walker and Erin Boheme are the scheduled special guests at the Liberty and Freedom balls. Tony Orlando and Josh Weathers will perform at the Salute to Our Armed Services Ball.

Inaugural balls are a fixture of Washingtons social calendar after presidential inaugurations. The first ball dates back to James Madisons inauguration in 1809. Some presidents, like Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding, did not attend inaugural balls because they considered them excessive.

For First Ladies, the inaugural balls are a time to formally introduce themselves to America. Their sartorial choices reflect their personal values and have in the past set a precedent for what their husbands administrations will come to represent. For both of former President Barack Obamas inaugurations, First Lady Michelle Obama chose Jason Wu, an openly gay designer who was born in Taiwan, for the gown she wore. The two rumored names in the running for Melania Trump are Karl Lagerfeld and Ralph Lauren. Check out some of the most memorable inaugural gowns here.

The number of inaugural events that presidents attend  and their cachet outside of Washington  has grown over the years. The first inauguration to have two balls was for Andrew Jackson in 1833. By the time John F. Kennedy was sworn into office in 1963, the balls had attracted Hollywood elite, like Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly. Obama attended three balls after his second inauguration like Trump will on Friday, but he attended more after his first inauguration in 2009.

Several other balls are scheduled for the evening. Although Trump and Pence are attending three balls, a number of events are scheduled in Washington on Friday night. Among others, Planned Parenthood will host its Pink Ball at the Carol Whitehill Moses Center, while the 1920s-themed The Great Gatsby Presidential Inaugural Ball will take place at the National Portrait Gallery.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  The Latest on a suspended University of Wisconsin student accused of sexual assault and harassment involving several woman (all times local):

4:10 p.m.

A judge has ordered a suspended University of Wisconsin-Madison student to stand trial on charges that he sexually assaulted and harassed multiple women.

Alec Cook, of Edina, Minnesota, faces 21 charges involving 10 women. The counts include sexual assault, stalking and strangulation. Sixteen counts are felonies; the rest are misdemeanors.

The 20-year-old Cook appeared in Dane County court Friday for a preliminary hearing, the step in the legal process where a judge decides whether there's enough evidence to proceed to trial on felony counts.

Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Baily-Rihn ruled after an hours-long hearing Friday that the state's case is plausible and ordered Cook to stand trial on the felony counts. Defendants aren't entitled to a preliminary hearing on misdemeanor counts.

___

12:20 p.m.

A judge has refused to dismiss four charges against a suspended University of Wisconsin-Madison student accused of sexually assaulting and harassing multiple women.

Twenty-one-year-old Alec Cook was in court Friday. He faces a total of 21 charges stemming from cases dating back to March 2015.

His attorneys asked Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn to dismiss two counts of stalking, a sexual assault charge and a disorderly conduct charge. They argued that some of Cook's actions were no worse than "Happy Days" television character Arthur Fonzarelli's antics.

State attorneys said evidence standards aren't based on Hollywood's version of a fictional 1950s Milwaukee.

Bailey-Rihn ruled Friday that the charging complaint lays out enough detail to show that Cook's alleged stalking victims suffered emotional distress and that Cook should have known he was causing them stress.

The judge said the charging complaint also provides enough details to support the disorderly conduct and sexual assault counts.

Story continues

___

9 a.m.

A suspended University of Wisconsin student accused of sexually assaulting and harassing several women is asking a judge to dismiss four of the 21 charges against him, arguing that some of his actions were no worse than "Happy Days" television character Arthur Fonzarelli's antics.

Twenty-year-old Alec Cook is due in court Friday. He's also charged with stalking, strangulation and false imprisonment in cases dating to March 2015.

Cook says one stalking charge should be tossed because he only called the alleged victim beautiful and repeatedly put his arm around her, which Cook's attorneys compared to Fonzarelli's flirting.

Cook also wants the judge to dismiss a sexual assault charge, arguing the alleged victim couldn't say whether he grabbed or slapped her, along with a disorderly conduct charge for allegedly making sexual remarks in a grocery store and another stalking charge.
NEW YORK (AP)  The Latest on the extradition of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States to face drug trafficking and other charges (all times local):

9:45 p.m.

Extradited Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman (wah-KEEN' el CHAH'-poh gooz-MAHN') has landed in New York to face federal drug trafficking and other charges.

A U.S. law enforcement official confirms Guzman arrived Thursday night following a flight from the Mexican border town Ciudad Juarez (see-yoo-DAHD' wahr-EHZ').

Guzman is expected to appear in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Friday.

Guzman has twice escaped maximum-security prisons in Mexico, most recently in 2015 via a mile-long underground tunnel.

A defense lawyer says Guzman was extradited illegally and without notification. He calls the transfer "totally political" on the part of the Mexican government.

Guzman told actor Sean Penn for a story published last year in Rolling Stone he started trafficking drugs at age 15 to survive. He's in his late 50s now.

U.S. authorities say he ruthlessly ran the Sinaloa (sihn-uh-LOH'-uh) cartel.

___

5:50 p.m.

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.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on Donald Trump's inauguration as the 45th president of the United States (all times EST):

8:50 a.m.

It was still dark when Jeff McNeely and Rob Wyatt woke up and caught an early train to Washington for Donald Trump's inauguration.

The political activists from North Carolina say they supported Trump from early on and wanted to witness the historic day in person.

McNeely calls Trump's victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton "the greatest political upset of all time."

Wyatt wants Americans to give Trump "the opportunity to learn." Wyatt says Trump's "going to make mistakes," but he also says, "so has every president we've had."

___

8:45 a.m.

Actor Matthew McConaughey says the American people need to "embrace" the fact that Donald Trump won the election and make the best of the next four years.

The movie star says Americans need to "shake hands with the fact that this is happening and it's going down."

McConaughey is in London promoting two new movies and says he's planning to watch the swearing-in live.

He's predicting that "it's going to be a dynamic four years."

___

8:40 a.m.

President-elect Donald Trump has emerged from Blair House to start the Inauguration Day festivities.

Trump and his wife, Melania, stepped out of the government guest house next to the White House just after 8:30 a.m. and took a motorcade for the short drive to St. John's Episcopal Church. A light rain is falling.

After the service, they'll head to the White House to be greeted by President Barack Obama.

___

8:35 a.m.

Members of President-elect Donald Trump's team are starting to arrive as Inauguration Day festivities get underway.

Incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus arrived shortly after 8 a.m. at Blair House  the government guest house across from the White House. It's where Trump stayed on his final night before becoming president.

Story continues

Also seen arriving are senior adviser and former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and communications aide Hope Hicks.

Trump's motorcade is waiting for him outside Blair House. He'll soon go to a nearby church, St. John's Episcopal Church, for a prayer service.

___

7:30 a.m.

Why should Inauguration Day be any different for Donald Trump?

He's up and tweeting early again.

Here's what he says: "It all begins today! I will see you at 11:00 A.M. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!"

Trump and his wife, Melania, are set to begin their day at St. John's Episcopal Church, across from the White House.

Later in the morning, they'll meet with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House. Then comes the trip to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.

___

7:25 a.m.

Protesters who said they'd try to keep guests with tickets from watching Donald Trump take the oath of office aren't having much luck so far.

Dozens of protesters are lined up at the entrance to a seating area on the West Front of the Capitol, and they're holding signs that say "Free Palestine" and "Let Freedom ring."

Some protesters are wearing orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces  showing their disapproval of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

But police are out in force, and they're allowing ticketholders to make their way through the gate. On the other side of the Capitol, things are quiet and orderly at a second gate.

___

7:15 a.m.

Kevin Puchalski is a 24-year-old construction worker who drove to Washington from Philadelphia with two friends to see Donald Trump's inauguration.

He says: "I'm here for history. This is the first president that I voted for that won."

Trump's victory in Pennsylvania was critical to defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton. The state had voted for the Democratic nominee in the previous six presidential elections.

Puchalski says his main hope for Trump is that he fulfills his promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.

___

7 a.m.

Nigel Farage  the leader behind the effort to pull Britain from the European Union  has toasted Donald Trump at a reception on the top floor of a hotel overlooking the White House.

Farage notes that in 2016, British voters chose to leave the EU and that American voters picked Trump. He calls it a year that will be remembered as a pivot point in history.

Farage jokes that Trump is "the only person I've ever met in my life who makes me feel like an introvert."

___

6:45 a.m.

Before dawn on Inauguration Day, only a few lights are on at the White House residence, where President Barack Obama and his family have lived for the past eight years.

Klieg lights brightened the viewing stand from which Donald Trump will view the parade route later in the day.

Trump and his family were spending the night at Blair House, just across from the White House.

Lafayette Square outside the White House was fenced off with large metal barriers and security lines moved briskly to let outgoing White House staff and members of the media into the White House complex early in the morning.

___

6:35 a.m.

Americans eager to see the Donald Trump take the oath of office as the nation's next president are starting to make their way through downtown Washington and onto the National Mall.

Dump trucks, police cars and National Guard soldiers and city police are on street corners and are blocking vehicle access for blocks around the Mall.

But there's plenty of room on the sidewalks for those clutching engraved tickets for a seat to Trump's inauguration, as well as those without who plan to watch from spots between the Capitol and the Washington monument.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on Donald Trump's inauguration as the 45th president of the United States (all times EST):

4:35 p.m.

At least one vehicle is on fire as protests escalate in downtown Washington.

A plume of thick black smoke is billowing from a vandalized limousine at the corner of K and 13th Streets Northwest. Riot police are working to remove people from the area, which is just a few blocks from President Donald Trump's inaugural parade route.

Police are using what appear to be flash bang grenades to help control the scene.

The activity follows a brief period of relative calm in the area.

___

4:25 p.m.

The leader of Taiwan's delegation to the U.S. presidential inauguration has dismissed China's strong objections to his attendance as "small-minded."

Former Premier Yu Shyi-kun (YOO SHEE-KOON) says: "It's hard to believe that a country with 5,000 years of history and its glorious background is so focused on this. It just shows how petty they are."

Yu was interviewed by The Associated Press after watching Trump's swearing-in. He says he had a good seat, directly in front of the ceremony at the Capitol.

The U.S. has no formal relations with self-governing Taiwan in deference to China, which claims the island as its own. However, the two maintain robust informal ties. China is concerned that President Donald Trump could seek to redefine relations between Beijing, Taipei and Washington.

___

4:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump has stepped out of his limousine to briefly walk along the inaugural parade route.

Trump was joined by the new first lady Melania Trump and their 10-year-old son, Barron.

The president rode in his official vehicle for the first portion of the parade and stepped out in front of FBI headquarters along Pennsylvania Avenue.

He got back in his vehicle just before the motorcade drove past his newly opened hotel in the Old Post Office building.

___

4:05 p.m.

President Donald Trump is making his way down Constitution Avenue with a military escort as his inauguration parade begins in Washington.

Story continues

The president will review the parade from a viewing stand near the White House.

He and first lady Melania Trump are riding in the presidential limousine nicknamed "The Beast."

Trump is being cheered by supporters as his car passes.

Others are shouting "Media sucks" while a group of protesters chants, "Not my president, not my president."

___

3:50 p.m.

Military bands representing all the service branches are playing and marching outside the Capitol, signaling the start of the inaugural parade.

Police officers on motorcycles are following closely behind as the parade participants begin the slow trek down Constitution Avenue.

Hundreds of police officers have lined both sides of the street. Service members are also standing at attention on both sides.

There are only a few onlookers along the first couple of blocks but the crowds appear to grow as the parade approaches the National Mall.

___

3:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump  in brief remarks at his inaugural lunch at the Capitol  says he was honored that Hillary Clinton, his rival in the White House race, came to the event.

The bipartisan crowd of lawmakers and other dignitaries gave Clinton a standing ovation after Trump asked her to rise.

Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, sat with members of Trump's family at the event.

Trump ended by saying he has "a lot of respect for those two people."

Contrast that with some of his rhetoric during the campaign.

Back then, Trump repeatedly said Hillary Clinton deserved to be in jail because of her private email server issues. And Trump invited women who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault to sit in the audience of one of the presidential debates.

___

3:10 p.m.

Far fewer people were at President Donald Trump's inauguration than attended President Barack Obama's first swearing-in eight years ago.

Photos of the National Mall from Obama's inauguration in January 2009 show a teeming crowd stretching from the West Front of the Capitol all the way to the Washington Monument.

Photos taken from the same position on Friday show large swaths of empty space on the Mall.

Thin crowds and semi-empty bleachers also dotted the inaugural parade route.

Hotels across the District of Columbia reported vacancies, a rarity for an event as large as a presidential inauguration.

And ridership on the Washington's Metro system didn't match that of recent inaugurations.

___

3:05 p.m.

Partisan rivalries in Washington appear to have eased for at least one meal.

President Donald Trump is dining with a group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the Capitol shortly after his inauguration.

Trump has spent much of the lunch in animated conversation with Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer, who's threatened to slow votes on some Cabinet nominees.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat, walked up to the head table at one point to join the conversation.

Trump's rival in the presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton, sat with Trump family members.

___

3 p.m.

The Washington Post is reporting that one of its video journalists was taken to the ground by police while recording video of the large protest going on in downtown Washington.

___

2:40 p.m.

The large Inauguration Day demonstration in downtown Washington is taking place at the edge of a zone where vehicles aren't allowed to drive Friday.

So motorists are getting caught in the confrontation between protesters and police.

Some are trying to turn around, but in at least one place, newspaper boxes and trash cans were overturned in the street and a fire set.

___

2:25 p.m.

District of Columbia police are using tear gas canisters in a confrontation with protesters in downtown Washington.

Some people are being treated for exposure to tear gas and some people are vomiting.

Police have blocked off both sides of the street. Protesters were throwing bricks and concrete at police. One protester wearing a mask smashed a bank window. And demonstrators have blocked streets with newspaper boxes.

Another protester was standing on a mailbox and waving a rainbow flag.

Police are in riot gear, and that includes helmets and body shields.

Protesters have blocked streets with newspaper boxes.

___

2:05 p.m.

Police in the nation's capital have again clashed with demonstrators  this time with a larger group than earlier in the day.

Well over 1,000 protesters are in the streets of downtown Washington for a confrontation with police. Authorities are again using pepper spray, and some demonstrators appear to have difficulty breathing.

Some in the crowd are throwing cups, water bottles and objects  including chunks of concrete. Some protesters have rolled large steel trash cans at police.

___

2 p.m.

Rick Perry the former Texas governor who's in line to be energy secretary  was seen chewing gum and blowing bubbles as a rabbi spoke during Donald Trump's inauguration.

That image has drawn lots of attention on social media.

It comes on the heels of Perry's comments at his confirmation hearing Thursday when he told Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., that he enjoyed meeting him at Franken's Senate office. And Perry then said: "I hope you are as much fun on that dais as you were on your couch."

Franken, a former comedian, paused for effect as Perry asked to rephrase. "Please," Franken said.

___

1:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump has arrived at the inaugural luncheon in Capitol  and he immediately walked to Hillary Clinton's table and shook the hand of the defeated Democratic nominee.

The menu features three courses and includes Maine lobster, Virginia beef and shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico.

Later, Republican and Democratic congressional leaders will give toasts.

___

1:45 p.m.

"Unbelievably humbling."

That's what President Donald Trump's former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, says after watching the inauguration not far from where the new president took the oath of office.

Lewandowski says this about Trump: "I knew a winner when I saw one. I don't think anybody realized how angry the country was with Washington."

___

1:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump has formally nominated his Cabinet.

Trump made his nominations official just after he took office. He signed a series of documents in an ornate room steps from the Senate floor.

The president distributed pens to congressional leaders according to whether they liked his choices. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, for instance, received the pen that Trump used to nominate Elaine Chao, McConnell's wife, to be transportation secretary.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi jokingly objected to getting a pen used to nominate Tom Price to be health secretary. At that point, House Speaker Paul Ryan chimed in, "I'll take it."

After nominating Mike Pompeo to head the CIA, Trump said he'd heard Pompeo would be confirmed "momentarily."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer piped up: "It depends what you mean by momentarily."

___

1:35 p.m.

Hillary Clinton is attending President Donald Trump's inaugural luncheon at the Capitol.

Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, posed for pictures with a bipartisan group of attendees. Republican Trump defeated Democrat Clinton in the November election.

Former President Jimmy Carter is also at the luncheon.

Also attending are members of Congress, Supreme Court justices and some of Trump's Cabinet picks.

___

1:33 p.m.

Far fewer riders used Washington's Metro system on Friday than for previous inaugurations.

As of 11 a.m., there were 193,000 trips taken, according to the transit service's Twitter account.

At the same hour eight years ago for President Barack Obama's first inaugural, there had been 513,000 trips. Four years later, there were 317,000 for Obama's second inauguration.

There were 197,000 at 11 a.m. in 2005 for President George W. Bush's second inauguration.

The Metro system also posted that only two parking lots at stations were more than 60 percent full.

___

1:30 p.m.

Donald Trump isn't wasting much time before signing some presidential paperwork.

Press secretary Sean Spicer says on Twitter that the new president is signing formal nominations for each of his Cabinet picks and other members of the new administration.

He's also signing a proclamation for a National Day of Patriotism and legislation that clears the way for retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to run the Pentagon, if confirmed by the Senate.

Trump signed the documents as he was surrounded by lawmakers and his family members, and he handed out ceremonial pens to members of Congress.

___

1:24 p.m.

Former President Barack Obama is thanking supporters before he departs for a vacation in California  saying that they "proved the power of hope."

Obama was joined by former first lady Michelle Obama at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. They took a helicopter there from the Capitol following President Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremonies.

The outgoing president says he and his wife have sometimes been the "voice out front" but his push for changes in the country that began with his 2008 presidential campaign "has never been about us. It has always been about you."

___

1:20 p.m.

Police in the nation's capital says two officers were injured and some police cars were damaged by protesters.

Police say officers used pepper spray to subdue protesters who were damaging cars, setting fires and destroying the property of businesses.

Police say they made "numerous arrests" and that an unspecified number of demonstrators have been charged with rioting.

___

1:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump has signed legislation that clears the way for his defense secretary pick  retired Marine Gen. James Mattis  to run the Pentagon, if confirmed by the Senate.

A vote on Mattis is expected Friday.

There's a law that bars former service members who've been out of uniform for less than seven years from holding the top Pentagon job. The restriction is meant to preserve civilian control of the military.

The measure signed by Trump soon after his took office grants Mattis a one-time exception.

Congress last allowed an exception to the law in 1950 for George Marshall, a former five-star Army general.

___

1:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump is pledging to eliminate President Barack Obama's environmental regulations. That includes Obama's plan to address climate change.

As Trump was giving his inaugural address, the White House website listed several actions Trump will take to cancel "harmful and unnecessary policies." Among them are Obama's climate action plan and a clean water rule imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The climate plan is intended as a broad-based strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. The plan includes a series of rules that limit carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants.

The water rule is intended to protect smaller streams, tributaries and wetlands from development.

___

1 p.m.

Randy Showalter says he felt inspired as he stood on the National Mall and listened to Donald Trump's inauguration speech.

Showalter is a 36-year-old diesel mechanic and father of five from Mount Solon, Virginia. He'd never attended an inauguration before and says Trump spoke to him in a way that no other politician has.

Showalter says: "I feel like there's an American pride that I've never felt, honestly, in my life."

He was wearing the Trump campaign's signature red "Make America Great Again" hat, says he's optimistic about Trump's pledges to improve the economy and create working-class jobs.

Showalter says the billionaire "understands that the working man is what makes him rich. He understands what a real blue-collar working man is."

__

12:55 p.m.

The prime minister of Japan  one of America's closest allies  is congratulating Donald Trump on his inauguration and says he wants to strengthen the "unwavering" ties between the two nations.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (SHEEN-zoh AH-bay) issued his statement minutes after Trump took the oath of office as the 45th U.S. president.

Abe says he looks forward to meeting Trump again "at the earliest possible occasion" to send a message to the world on the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Japanese media have reported Abe may visit the U.S. in late January.

___

12:50 p.m.

Foreign ministers from Poland and Lithuania say they're looking forward to working constructively with the Trump administration. They're playing down anxieties that President Donald Trump's pro-Russian views could hurt the region's interests.

Witold Waszczykowski says Poland is hopeful about the U.S. change. He's noting with some bitterness that the region felt neglected by former President Barack Obama in the early years of his administration.

Trump has caused unease in Central and Eastern Europe nations that he might sacrifice their security needs at a time they are especially fearful of Russia.

Linas Linkevicius of Lithuania says some of Trump's statements have been "confusing" but says he's not jumping to any conclusions.

___

12:39 p.m.

Pope Francis has congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration and urged the new U.S. president to show concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need who "stand before our door."

Francis says in a message that he's praying Trump's decisions will be guided by the "rich spiritual and ethical values" that have shaped America's history.

The pope also offers these words: "Under your leadership, may America's stature continue to be measured above all by its concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need."

___

12:36 p.m.

Donald Trump has closed his first speech as president with his campaign slogan: "Make America great again."

Trump is borrowing from his campaign speeches and promising this: "Together we will make America strong again," wealthy again, strong again and proud again.

"And yes," he says, "together, we will make America great again."

___

12:34 p.m.

Donald Trump says that when Americans open their heart to patriotism, "there is no room for prejudice."

In his inauguration address, Trump is repeating a campaign promise to eradicate "radical Islam" from the face of the earth.

Trump is promising to seek friendship with all nations by reinforcing existing alliances and forming new ones.

___

12:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump is suggesting that his election will lead to a "new national pride" that will "heal our divisions."

Trump, after beginning his speech with a dark accounting of America, says "the time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action."

Trump suggested that Americans from different backgrounds are united by the same goals and hopes.

He says kids in cities such as Detroit or rural areas like Nebraska "look up at the same sky" and that soldiers of different races "bleed the same red of patriotism."

___

12:22 p.m.

President Donald Trump says in his inauguration speech that an America united is an America that's "totally unstoppable."

Trump says Americans must speak their minds openly and disagree honestly, but they must always pursue solidarity.

Trump says Americans need not fear  they're protected by military and law enforcement personnel.

But most importantly, he says, "we will be protected by God."

___

12:18 p.m.

President Donald Trump says that when Americans open their heart to patriotism, "there is no room for prejudice."

Trump is repeating a campaign promise to eradicate "radical Islam." He says he'll rebuild America's roads, bridges, airports and railways by following "two simple rules: buy American and hire American."

Trump is promising to seek friendship with all nations by reinforcing existing alliances and forming new ones.

___

12:15 p.m.

In his inauguration speech, President Donald Trump is repeating the dark vision and the list of the country's woes that he hit on during the campaign.

Trump describes closed factories as "tombstones" that dot the county and says the federal government has spent billions defending "other nations' borders while refusing to defend our own."

The Republican president says the U.S. "will confront hardships but we will get the job done."

He says the oath of office he just took "is an oath of allegiance to all Americans" and said that the country will share "one glorious destiny."

___

12:12 p.m.

President Donald Trump says that he will govern the country by putting America first.

Trump is saying in his first speech as president that "from this day forward, a new vision will govern our hand" and that "from this day forward it's going to be only America first."

Trump says that every decision he makes, on issues from trade to taxes to immigration and foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and families.

He says "We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries" taking American jobs.

Trump says that under his leadership, America "will start winning like never before."

___

12:11 p.m.

President Donald Trump says Americans came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement "the likes of which the world has never seen before."

Trump says the United States exists to serve its citizens.

He says Americans want great schools, safe neighborhoods and good jobs.

But he says too many people face a different reality: rusted-out factories, a bad education system, crime, gangs and drugs.

Trump says the "carnage stops right here and right now."

___

12:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump is declaring his victory a victory for working people.

Trump says in his inauguration speech: "Today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another," but "transferring power from Washington D.C. and giving it back to you, the people"

Trump says that, for too long, too few have had power and the people have paid the price.

He says: "Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed."

He says, "That all changes starting right here and right now."

Trump is also thanking former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama for their "gracious" aid through the transition.

___

12:09 p.m.

President Donald Trump says change starts "right here and right now."

The new president is using his inaugural address to say it doesn't matter which party controls the government. He says that what matters is "whether our government is controlled by the people."

Trump says the forgotten men and women of the country "will be forgotten no longer."

___

12:05 p.m.

President Donald Trump is beginning his inaugural address by saying that "together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come."

He says Americans have "joined a great national effort to build our country and restore its promise for all people."

It began to rain in Washington as Trump started speaking.

Trump also thanked all of the past presidents in attendance, including former campaign foes Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

___

11:45 a.m.

U.S. embassies and consulates in at least 10 nations in Asia, Europe and Latin America are warning of potentially violent protests through the weekend against the inauguration of Donald Trump as U.S. president.

Security notices posted by U.S. diplomatic missions in Chile, Denmark, France, Greece, Haiti, Italy the Netherlands, Paraguay, Portugal and the Philippines advise American in those countries to steer clear of embassies and consulates on Friday and, in some cases, on Saturday and Sunday. That's due to the possibility of unrest and clashes with police.

The notices say the planned demonstrations are either focused on "U.S. politics" or are "inauguration-related."

___

11:05 a.m.

Incoming first lady Melania (meh-LAH'-nee-ah) Trump is wearing a sky blue cashmere jacket and mock turtleneck combination by Ralph Lauren for Inauguration Day.

In a statement, the Lauren Corp. says: "It was important to us to uphold and celebrate the tradition of creating iconic American style for this moment."

Mrs. Trump's hair is in a soft updo and accessorized with long suede gloves and matching stilettos. She was greeted at the White House by President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. Mrs. Obama was wearing red, short-sleeve dress.

Ivanka Trump chose Oscar de la Renta, and Hillary Clinton showed up in a white Ralph Lauren pantsuit that harkened back to the one she wore to accept the Democratic nomination for president at her party's convention in July. Her jacket matched.

Who else made a large fashion statement for Trump's big day?

Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway wore a military-style wool coat by Gucci of red, white and blue, with two rows of cat-head buttons and a matching red cloche hat. She described her look as "Trump revolutionary wear."
President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office at around noon ET/9 a.m. PT today, the first day of his presidency and the end of a divisive political campaign and contentious transition.

Watch the live stream:

Follow along for live updates:

9:45 a.m.: The Trumps arrive at the White House. Trump, his wife Melania, and President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama posed for pictures at the North Portico at the White House before going in for coffee and tea. Trump smiled as Obama patted him on the back, while Melania Trump arrived with what appeared to be a Tiffanys gift.

10:10 a.m.: Guests arrive. Steve Bannon, the former Breitbart chairman and Hollywood financier and producer, arrived at the Capitol, along with such figures as casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former House Speaker John Boehner, former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and Cardinal Timothy Dolan. There is the threat of rain  but this is much warmer than four years ago and certainly eight years ago. Guests at Obamas 2009 inauguration faced sub-freezing temperatures  putting a premium on foot warmers.

10:20 a.m.: Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton are at the Capitol. This will be the first time the former secretary of state has seen Trump in person since her stunning defeat in the election. Many were surprised that she decided to go to the inauguration, but the tradition is for all former presidents to be invited to the event. Awkward as it may be, its a testament to her ability to put aside her differences to be present in the transfer of power, even if about 60 Democrats are boycotting the event. A number of Trumps detractors are warning of normalizing Trump, given what he has said and what was said during the campaign. But it actually would have probably created more of a furor had Hillary Clinton not attended, as she would have been the focus of attacks that she was in some way contributing to post-election division.

Story continues

Its also not altogether unusual for defeated rivals to be president at the inauguration. John McCain was present at Obamas 2009 ceremony, and Al Gore was there for George W. Bushs swearing in in 2001.

10:44 a.m.: Supreme Court. Chief Justice John Roberts, arriving at the inauguration along with the rest of the seven justices of the court, will actually be doing his fourth swearing in today. He presided over Obamas first and second inauguration, but also a do-over in 2009. At the Capitol Hill ceremony, he mixed up the words of the oath and, as a precaution, he did another swearing in ceremony at the White House, correctly, the next day.

10:53 a.m.: The Ride to the Capitol. Trump and Obama are on their way to the Capitol after a brief coffee at the White House. Historians have chronicled some of the strange moments that have occurred when the outgoing president rides with the incoming president. Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedys conversation was chilly, and Jimmy Carter was a bit baffled as Ronald Reagan tried to make small talk about legendary studio mogul Jack Warner.

11 a.m.: Message from Hillary. Hillary and Bill Clinton arrived to clapping on the inaugural stage, as she smiled and greeted former President Jimmy Carter. A number of commenters have noted that Hillary Clinton is wearing suffragette white, as she did when she accepted the Democratic nomination and during one of the presidential debates. Her Twitter account this morning included this unsigned message: Im here today to honor our democracy & its enduring values. I will never stop believing in our country & its future.

11:17 a.m.: Some protesters along Pennsylvania Ave. From a pool report: After a jaunt gown Pennsylvania Avenue, lined with saluting service members and fairly thin morning crowds, except where there were clutches of protesters waving signs, such as love Trumps hate.

11:19 a.m.: Michelle Obama arrives. The first lady arrived with Jill Biden. Michelle Obama may be the most popular figure on the inaugural stage today, but its doubtful that she will pursue a political career given what she and her husband have said. Still, she was responsible for some of the most memorable moments of Clintons campaign, including an emotional, personal speech about Trumps campaign rhetoric and the release of the Access Hollywood tape.

11:26 a.m.: Obamas arrival. President Obama arrived with Vice President Joseph Biden, in the final moments of his presidency. A recent poll showed that he had a 60% approval rating, the highest since 2009. After the ceremony, he and his family will depart to Palm Springs, where they will vacation before returning to their new home in Washington.

11:31 a.m.: Trumps arrival. President-elect Trump has arrived to big cheers from the crowd, wearing a signature outfit: a long red tie. He kissed his wife and then again shook hands with Obama and gave a kiss to Michelle Obama. As cordial as it is, its still hard to see the current president and first lady bonding with the incoming president. Obama has said that there are circumstances when he may speak out, and itll be interesting to see if his wife comments on the Trump presidency as well.

11:35 a.m.: Crowd size. No estimate yet on how many people are present on the Capitol grounds and National Mall for the swearing in, but an overhead look shows it is much less than Obamas first inaugural, when an estimated 1.8 million showed up.

Up until 1981, inaugurations were held on the other side of the Capitol, where space was much more limited.

DCs Metro reported ridership as of 11 a.m.: 193,000 trips taken, compared to 317,000 in 2013 and 513,000 in 2009.

11:46 a.m.: Schumer speaks. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Democratic minority leader, speaks of the fissures in the country including a fractured media.

I stand here today confident in this country for one reason  you, the American people, he says.

Some of what he says is not-so-subtly directed at Trump. Schumer has vowed to oppose Trumps Supreme Court pick if it is among the names floated so far.

There is booing heard in the crowd as Schumer speaks, and even chants of Trump, Trump, Trump.

11:54 a.m. Vice President Pence. Pence has taken the oath of office, to cheers from the crowd. He was sworn in by Justice Clarence Thomas.

11:58 a.m. Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The choir sings America the Beautiful. Some members of the choir refused to perform at the ceremony, but it was far from the majority of members.

Noon. President Trump. The swearing in is prompt and on time, and Trump starts by thanking people of the world.

12:19 p.m.: Trumps address. His speech, running just 16 minutes, invoked some of his campaign themes, referred to a rather dark vision of where the country is (carnage), and called for unity. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice. But overall, the speech seemed to be aimed at assuring those who voted for him that he will follow through with what he said on the trail, that he would put America first and shake up Washington. Most apparent was his attack on the establishment figures standing behind him. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer, he said, repeating the populism that he had on the campaign trail.

12:24 p.m.: Benedictions. Rabbi Marvin Hier, well known to many in Los Angeles and the founder of the Museum of Tolerance, is among the religious figures speaking today. Rev. Franklin Graham notes that it started to rain Mr. President as you came to the platform., but that rain is a sign of Gods blessing.

Related stories

President Trump's Inaugural Address: A Populist Appeal to the 'Forgotten'

Barack Obama's Final Tweet as President: 'I Believe in Change'

Security Tightens Around Washington in Anticipation of Trump's Inauguration
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f354544%2f1e411d4f-b5e8-449b-94f2-81ac02cb6119

Jackie Onassis, the First Lady to U.S. President John F. Kennedy, has been kicking up a bit of a storm on Twitter in the past few months. So much so, that she's had her account suspended, blue tick and all.

All this, despite the fact she passed away back in 1994. Way before the social platform existed.

SEE ALSO: Twitter crosses enemy lines in search of new friends

Apparently, she was sending out some very risque tweets about shooting capitalists and abolishing private property on her verified account.

Image: raph dixon

Image: raph dixon

Confused? Well, there's a ruse here. Jackie Onassis is also the name of an Australian rap duo.

They'd been on Twitter for "several years already," wrote band member Raph Dixon in a blog post explaining the incident.

Their account's verification left them in an "interesting and potentially unprecedented position" and as such, they saw an opportunity to have some "good times online."

"We changed our bio from 'Sydney based hip-hop duo and members of One Day' to 'Former First Lady of the United States of America' and went pro-communism," Dixon wrote.

Image: raph dixon

Unsurprisingly, the band's rabble rousing tweets left people wondering how on earth the account was verified.

Hey @Support: How can @JackieOnassis1 be verified when she is decidedly no longer alive?  Erik Stadnik (@sjcAustenite) November 24, 2016

I am very confused as to how/why @JackieOnassis1 is a verified account  Elise Terry (@elisecterry) November 24, 2016

The band claims when members of the alt-right on Twitter got involved, things really "took a turn." The account was suspended in January, but not before they'd p*ssed off the entire internet.

Story continues

Image: raph dixon

"The only further correspondence we have gotten from Twitter is an email saying that we won't be getting the account back under any circumstances," Dixon told Mashable in an email.

"To the people who have gotten their panties in a twist about some harmless internet bants," he added, "there is an old Australian saying: Why be cut for?"

Twitter told Mashable they do not offer comment on individual accounts. However, the company is pretty clear when it comes to banning accounts for impersonation.

Tough break, Jackie Onassis. May your legacy live on.
By Tom Perry and Laila Bassam BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State is fighting hard to reinforce its presence in Syria as it loses ground in Iraq, deploying fighters to seize full control of a government-held city in the east while at the same time battling enemies on three other fronts. It underlines the residual strength of Islamic State even after its loss of a cluster of cities in Iraq and half of Mosul, and points up the challenges facing U.S. President Donald Trump in the war he has vowed to wage against the group. The jihadists have opened their most ferocious assault yet to capture the last Syrian government-controlled area in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor, a pocket of Deir al-Zor city that is surrounded by Islamic State territory. The assault has raised fears for tens of thousands of people living under government authority in the city. Their only supply route has been cut off since Islamic State severed the road to the nearby air base earlier this week. A military commander in the alliance of forces fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad said Islamic State was seeking to turn Deir al-Zor city into a base of operations. "They want to take it by force - and right now," said the commander, a non-Syrian who declined to be identified because he is not an official spokesman for the alliance that includes a range of Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias, Lebanon's Hezbollah, and the Russian air force. "The situation in Deir al-Zor is very difficult." Islamic State appears focused on strengthening its hold over a triangle of Syrian territory connecting its main base of operations - Raqqa city - with Palmyra to the southwest and Deir al-Zor to the southeast. The group seized Palmyra from government forces for a second time last month, a reversal for Assad just eight months after he had retaken control of the city and its world heritage site with the help of the Russian air force. Islamic State fighters are also putting up stiff resistance against separate campaigns being waged against them in northern Syria, one by U.S.-backed militias including Kurdish groups, and another by Turkish-backed Syrian rebel groups. "They are able to fight on four fronts, if they were in a state of great weakness, they would not be able to do this," said Rami Abdulrahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based organization reporting on the war. A senior commander in the pro-Assad alliance, also a non-Syrian, said: "The strength of Daesh is that it is a cancerous tumor, and when you remove it from one place, it goes to another." The commander urged the U.S.-led alliance and "every air force" to attack Islamic State to stop it moving its convoys in the Deir al-Zor area, an apparent sign of dissatisfaction with the current level of support from the Russian air force there. "FINAL BATTLE" Though Islamic State has faced military pressure in Deir al-Zor province, including raids by U.S special forces, the attacks against it there have been less intense than in other parts of its self-declared caliphate. Deir al-Zor has so far been a secondary priority for the Syrian army and its allies, which are most concerned with their battle against rebel forces in western Syria. The U.S.-backed campaign led by Syrian Kurdish groups has meanwhile focused on encircling and taking Raqqa city. Islamic State has been asserting itself in Syria with trademark brutality, this week killing civilians execution-style in Palmyra's Roman Theatre, the Observatory reported. IS has also generated headlines by blowing up more of Palmyra's ancient ruins, with satellite imagery emerging on Friday showing the destruction of one of its most famous monuments. Russia seized on the capture of Palmyra from Islamic State last year as evidence of its efforts against the group in Syria, after critics accused it of mostly targeting moderate rebels. As yet there has been no sign of a major effort to take back Palmyra a second time, though the Syrian army and its allies are currently battling Islamic State to the west of the city. If Trump follows through on suggestions that he may cooperate with Russia in the fight against Islamic State, eastern Syria would be an obvious target. This would however mark a major shift in U.S. policy because it would help Assad. U.S. policy under President Barack Obama was built on the idea that Assad had lost legitimacy. Obama rejected any cooperation with Assad in the fight against IS, describing his rule as part of the problem. A Syrian official said the U.S.-led coalition was doing nothing to prevent Islamic State from moving its forces into Syria. "This is what's helping Daesh," the official said. "After losing Mosul, Daesh will think of reinforcing its capacity in Raqqa and Deir al-Zor because at the end of the day, they don't have any sanctuary. The final battle will certainly be there." (Writing by Tom Perry; editing by Giles Elgood)
Madame Tussauds launched its new wax figure of Donald Trump on January 18, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Getty Images)

How does President-elect Donald Trump get his hair to look like that? Its a question many have asked. And the artists at wax museum Madame Tussauds had to comb through that mystery in order to prepare four wax replicas of the 45th commander-in-chief, which were unveiled just before the inauguration.

In fact, the team at Madame Tussauds turned to the stylist from The Apprentice to help them recreate Trumps curious coif, according to CNN. We did a lot of research about how he styles his hair. Its hairspray and almost like a lacquer, chief sculptor David Gardner told CNN.

The hard part, says CNN, was not the style of the president-elects hair; it was actually the color. Because there is some white mixed into Trumps blond, the team had to use a mixture of human hair and yak hair. We use yak hair with people with white hair because human hair is not readily available, hairstylist Kelly Cox told the publication. For his eyebrows, by the way, squirrel hair was used.

According to CNN, Trumps mane required four color samples in total. Once the team had the accurate strands of hair, they inserted each one individually over the course of four weeks. Of course, the hair was just the tip of the iceberg. It takes meticulous work to recreate an entire human being in painstaking detail, a feat for which Madame Tussauds has become famous many times over: theres a wax figure for practically every celebrity you can think of.

Coloring artist Verity Talbot told CNN that getting Trumps skin tone just right was also a challenge. She wound up using a lot of pink and magenta. Well look at everything so well try and get every little capillary, every wrinkle, slight marks on the skin, any moles, Talbot told CNN. Hes got such a character about him. It was about trying to capture that.

Up close and personal with the new Donald Trump wax figure. (Photo: Getty Images)

To create Trumps six-foot-plus stature, Gardner had a unique advantage. I was lucky enough to get some measurements from a sitting we had in 1997 at the Trump towers, he said to CNN. At the sitting we would take the measurement of the head and we would also use anchor points. Gardner told CNN that seeing Trump in recent television appearances made his job slightly easier and more exciting.

Story continues

The four wax figures were created in London, and three have been shipped to Washington, D.C., New York, and Orlando. On Wednesday, the fourth statue was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in central London, according to USA Today. There, people were invited to pose for selfies with the life-sized figure.

According to Fox News Insider, it took 20 artists six months to create each statue. The figure is dressed in a navy suit with a red tie, which was his signature look during his presidential campaign.

Think its odd that Trump didnt already have his own Madame Tussauds replica? Actually, he did. The first Trump wax figure was created back in 1997, says Fox News Insider. The new figures were made to reflect the president-elects current look. The statues will go on display at Madame Tussauds locations on Friday, when Trump will be inaugurated as our nations new president.

Related: Miley Cyrus Is Going Back to Her Darker Roots

Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
(Reuters) - A suspect in the fatal shooting of an off-duty Louisiana police officer was the target of a manhunt on Friday, hours after the crime occurred, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.

Westwego Police Officer Michael Louviere, 26, was heading home shortly after 6 a.m. local time on Friday when he stopped to respond to an apparent accident outside New Orleans. He exited his marked vehicle to offer aid, sheriff's spokesman Colonel John Fortunato said in a phone interview.

"The suspect comes up from behind and shoots him in the back of the head," Fortunato said, calling the shooting "a cold-blooded killing."

Fortunato said Louviere was wearing a police uniform, but did not appear to be targeted as a law enforcement officer. A woman was also killed in connection to the crime, authorities said.

Law enforcement officers were searching for a 32-year-old suspect identified as Sylvester Holt but further details were not immediately available.

(Reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Fla.; Editing by Tom Brown)
Paris (AFP) - A chunk of ice half the size of Jamaica which is breaking away from West Antarctica is now attached to its parent ice shelf just by a thread, scientists reported Friday.

Covering 5,000 square kilometres (1,900 square miles) and nearly 100 storeys deep, the formation is poised to snap off from Larsen C ice shelf, creating "one of the largest icebergs ever recorded," the researchers said in a statement.

A widening rift running the length of the finger-shaped, 350-metre (160-feet) -thick ice block grew 10 kilometres (six miles) longer some time during the last three weeks, satellite images revealed.

"The rift is likely to break off in the next few months -- if it doesn't, I'll be amazed," said Adrian Luckman, a professor at Swansea University in Wales, and leader of Britain's Project Midas, which tracks changes in West Antarctic ice formations.

"It's so close to calving that I think it's inevitable," he told AFP.

In late December, the rupture had already extended by 18 kilometres (11 miles), leaving the future iceberg connected along only a small fraction of its length.

Just by itself, the gargantuan ice cube will not add to sea levels, the consequence of ice sheet disintegration that most worries scientists.

The real danger is from inland glaciers.

Ice shelves float on the sea, extending from the coast, and are slowly fed by glaciers from the ice sheet on land.

They act as giant brakes, preventing the glaciers from sliding directly into the ocean.

The West Antarctic ice sheet, where Larsen C is located, holds enough frozen water to raise global oceans by about six metres (20 feet).

- Less stable -

If the glaciers held in check by Larsen C spilt into the Antarctic Ocean, it would lift the global water mark by about 10 centimetres (four inches), the researchers said.

The nearby Larsen A ice shelf collapsed in 1995, and Larsen B dramatically broke up seven years later.

Recent studies have suggested that climate change may already have condemned large chunks of West Antarctica to disintegration, though whether on a time scale of centuries or millennia is unknown.

Story continues

The breaking off, or calving, of ice shelves occurs naturally.

But global warming is thought to have accelerated the process.

Warming ocean water erodes their underbelly, while rising air temperatures weaken them from above.

The ice block currently separating from Larsen C contains about 10 percent of the ice shelf's mass, Luckman said.

"We are convinced -- although others are not -- that the remaining ice shelf will be less stable than the present one," Luckman said in a statement.

Man-made global warming has lifted average global air temperatures by one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

The world's nations have undertaken in the Paris Agreement, inked in the French capital in December 2015, to cap global warming at "well under" two degrees Celsius (3.5 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial era levels.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A popular intercity express bus service known for cheap fares that could drop as low as $1 has ceased service in Ohio's capital city due to the unprofitability of the route.

The Columbus Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/2k11bBU ) Megabus is pulling out of Columbus, with the company citing lower gas prices and competition from other affordable transportation carriers as major factors in its decision.

A Megabus spokesman says the company is altering its network to reflect changing travel patterns.

This marks the second time that Megabus has halted operations in Columbus. It first launched in April 2006 but left the city after only two months because of low ridership. Service was restored in 2007.

Officials say the departure isn't expected to have a major impact with Columbus being considered a "drive market."

___

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com


This is Whats Trending Today:

On January 20, hundreds of thousands of Americans will gather on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to watch Donald Trump be sworn in as the 45th president.

The next day, hundreds of thousands of protesters are also expected to gather on the National Mall. The biggest protest group will be the Womens March on Washington. About 200,000 people are expected to participate.

The idea for the womens march began on Facebook. Several women around the country who were upset about the presidential election results started Facebook pages, and called for action.

One of those women was Teresa Shook. She is a retired lawyer who lives in Hawaii. Upset by the results of the election, she decided to create a Facebook page for people who also were not happy with the results. When she woke up the next day, more than 10,000 people had joined the page. Many voiced concerns, among other things, about comments President-elect Trump had made about women.

Bob Bland is a fashion designer in Brooklyn, New York. She was also upset by the results of the presidential election. She, too, created a similar page on Facebook. And, she joined together with Shooks efforts.

Together, they and other women called for a march in Washington, D.C. The march would take place on January 21, Trumps first full day as president.

The original name for the movement was Million Women March. But, organizers changed the name because Million Women March had been used by a protest group in 1997.

The movement became known as the "Women's March on Washington. The events website says the marchs aim is to send a bold message to our new administration on their first day in office, and to the world that womens rights are human rights.

The movement has received criticism on social media. On Thursday, the hashtag #RenameMillionWomenMarch trended on Twitter in the United States. People suggested new names for the protest. Some suggestions mocked the protesters for not being able to accept the results of the election.

Others criticized the movement for not being inclusive. Women who oppose abortion, for example, have not felt welcome to join.

However, others noted that the trending hashtag and comments about the movement are good reasons why a womens march is needed.

The womens march is just one of several groups that plan to protest in Washington on Friday and Saturday. Protest groups had to apply for permits from the National Park Service if they planned to gather at sites it maintains. These sites include the National Mall and other famous places in Washington.

More than 30 groups applied for permits, the Associated Press reported earlier this month.

People will also be joining the womens march online. Sonya Huber organized an online Disability March. She asked that people who could not participate in person send in a photo and explain why they wished to protest.

Washington officials have received 1,800 requests for permits to park buses near the National Mall on Saturday, January 21. They received about 200 bus permits for Inauguration Day itself.

Im Jill Robbins.

Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Now its your turn. Are there similar protests going on in your country? What causes are women worried about where you live? We want to hear from you.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

inclusive - adj. open to everyone or not limited to certain people

abortion - n. a medical procedure used to end a pregnancy and cause the death of the fetus
Washington (AFP) - Melania Trump on Thursday picked a little-known New York designer of Hispanic descent and daughter of a wounded veteran, for her first outfit celebrating husband Donald's presidential inauguration.

The choice of a knee-length, black coat from Norisol Ferrari for her visit to the Arlington National Cemetery was something of an inspired choice for Trump, who has been criticized in the past for favoring high-end European clothes.

A string of designers have refused to work with the incoming first lady because of her husband's divisive politics, making her sartorial choices for his inaugural events even more closely watched than usual.

"God, I hope we can be a less angry nation," Ferrari told Women's Wear Daily, saying she did not agree with designers who wanted to boycott Trump.

"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," she told WWD.

The designer, who was born in the United States and is of Colombian and Venezuelan descent, said she was "honored" to dress Melania Trump, who will on Friday become only the second foreign-born first lady in US history.

"Mrs Trump's visit to Arlington was particularly poignant for me, as my biological father is a wounded veteran. His experience and the lifelong disabilities he sustained, affected my family deeply," she told WWD.

Ferrari declined to say how she voted in last year's election, in which much of the fashion industry supported Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, and said she appreciated the exposure.

"I'm an independent designer, female-owned business, a first-generation minority woman," she told WWD.

"Women in general don't get opportunities like this in fashion. I'm very fortunate to one have such a beautiful muse."

Clever choice or not, the 46-year-old former model was heavily criticized on social media for appearing grumpy, hiding behind dark sunglasses at the cemetery and arriving in Washington from New York looking funereal.

But US media did gush over the green cascading coat and matching dress worn by her 35-year-old step daughter Ivanka, who unlike Melania is moving straight to Washington with her husband, Jared Kushner, an incoming White House advisor.

Ivanka's outfit was reportedly the work of famed New York designer Carolina Herrera, who was born and brought up in Venezuela before moving to the United States and becoming a designer par excellence of timeless elegance.
Melania broke First Lady tradition by wearing Lebanese designer, Reem Acra [Photo: Rex]

Unlike many (if not all) First Ladies before her, Melania Trump controversially opted for a non-American designer for a pre-inauguration dinner held last night.

Wearing a gorgeous pale gold gown by Reem Acra, Melania appeared to be letting everyone know that she will be a First Lady like no other. Although Reem Acra is based in New York, the designer was born in Lebanon.

Traditionally, political figures wear American designers to promote the countrys talent. It is believed that Melania will be sticking to this tradition later today by donning a Ralph Lauren design at the inauguration ceremony.

Ivanka Trump, who is believed to be taking on much of the First Lady duties, wore a gown by US designer Carolina Herrera [Photo: Rex]

Tiffany Trump opted for a nude lacy style [Photo: Rex]

Last nights black-tie gala  dubbed the Candlelight Dinner  saw the entire Trump family decked out in their finest with Ivanka Trump choosing a striking monochrome look by US designer, Carolina Herrera.

Only a few well-known faces attended including Caitlyn Jenner, who wore a fringed black piece, and actress Jessica Lange.

Caitlyn Jenner was one of the few stars to attend the pre-inauguration dinner [Photo: Rex]

Earlier in the day, Melania opted for a military-inspired look for a visit to Washingtons Lincoln Memorial. The designer behind the ensemble, Norisol Ferrari, was only too happy to speak about her decision to dress Trump when so many others have refused.

The Trump family visited the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday [Photo: Instagram/ivankatrump]

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 really saw a person who is being misunderstood, who is being scrutinised, she told WWD. 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.

How inauguration fashion sets the tone for a First Ladys term

First Lady style: The sartorial evolution of Melania Trump




To kick things off on Inauguration Day, Melania Trump stepped out in a light blue coat with matching gloves. She pulled her hair back in a sideswept updo, breaking away from her traditional blowout, and accessorized simply with Van Cleef and Arpels diamond earrings.

Melania Trump heading into church wearing a Ralph Lauren ensemble. (Photo: AP)

The first lady, who accompanied her husband, Presiden Donald Trump, to St. Johns Episcopal Church before heading to the White House Friday morning, paired a custom Ralph Lauren Collection Sky Blue Double Face Cashmere Mock Turtleneck Dress with a Ralph Lauren Collection Sky Blue Double Face Cashmere Cropped Cutaway Jacket. She paired the look with Ralph Lauren Collection Suede Gloves and matching pumps.

President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, are greeted by President Barack Obama and his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, upon arriving at the White House on January 20, 2017, in Washington, DC. (Photo: AP)

It was important to us to uphold and celebrate the tradition of creating iconic American style for this moment, Ralph Lauren said of dressing Melania. The company was also responsible for designing most of Hillary Clintons pantsuits throughout her campaign, as well as the cream look she wore to tea with the Obama family and other former presidents and their first ladies on Friday.

The color of the former models outfit was actually very reminiscent of the look that Jacqueline Kennedy wore (a fur-trimmed suit designed by Oleg Cassini) on her husbands inauguration day in 1961.

The particular shade of powder blue is actually a favorite of another powerful woman: the Duchess of Cambridge.

Melania Trump and the Duchess of Cambridge in very similar coats. (Photos: Getty Images)

The soft shade happens to be one that shes a fan of, having sported it on multiple occasions, including twice on the red carpet.

According to color psychology, blue is associated with confidence, serenity, and calmness.

Story continues

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.




NEW YORK (AP)  In a scene U.S. authorities had dreamed of for decades, Mexican drug lord and escape artist Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was hauled into an American courtroom Friday and then taken away to an ultra-secure jail that has held some of the world's most dangerous terrorists and mobsters.

Holding his unshackled hands behind his back, a dazed-looking Guzman entered a not-guilty plea through his lawyers to drug trafficking and other charges at a Brooklyn courthouse ringed by squad cars, officers with assault rifles and bomb-sniffing dogs.

"He's a man known for a life of crime, violence, death and destruction, and now he'll have to answer for that," Robert Capers, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, said at a news conference.

The court appearance came hours after Guzman's Thursday night extradition from Mexico, where he had become something of a folk hero for two brazen prison escapes.

Guzman was ordered held without bail and was expected to be kept in a special Manhattan jail unit where other high-risk inmates  including Mafia boss John Gotti and several close associates of Osama bin Laden  spent their time awaiting trial.

"It is difficult to imagine another person with a greater risk of fleeing prosecution," prosecutors wrote in court papers.

Prosecutors described Guzman as the murderous overseer of a three-decade campaign of smuggling, brutality and corruption that made his Sinaloa drug cartel a fortune while fueling an epidemic of cocaine abuse and related violence in the U.S. in the 1980s and '90s.

Guzman, who's in his 50s, faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted. To get Mexico to hand him over, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. They also are demanding he forfeit $14 billion in assets.

Outside court, Guzman defense attorney Michael Schneider said: "I haven't seen any evidence that indicates to me that Mr. Guzman's done anything wrong." He said he would look into whether his client was extradited properly.

Story continues

The U.S. had been trying to get custody of Guzman since he was first indicted in California in the early 1990s.

American authorities finally got their wish on the eve of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration, though it was unclear if the timing of the extradition was intended as a sign of respect to the Republican or some kind of slap, perhaps an effort to let outgoing Democratic President Barack Obama take the credit.

When Guzman got off a plane in New York, "as you looked into his eyes, you could see the surprise, you could see the shock, and to a certain extent, you could see the fear, as the realization kicked in that he's about to face American justice," said Angel Melendez, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

While Guzman faces federal charges in several U.S. states, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn won the jockeying to get the case. The U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn has substantial experience prosecuting international drug cartel cases and was once led by outgoing U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

New York also boasts one of the most secure lockups in the United States, the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan. The drab-looking building is protected by steel barricades that can stop up to 7 1/2 tons of speeding truck, and the area is watched by cameras capable of reading a newspaper a block away.

The jail's inmates have included Ramzi Yousef, who was the architect of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme king Bernard Madoff.

In the special high-security wing for the riskiest inmates, around a dozen prisoners spend 23 hours a day in roughly 20-by-12-foot cells, prohibited from communicating with one another. Meals are eaten in cells, and exercise is in a recreation area specifically for these inmates.

Only a limited number of carefully vetted jailers would be allowed access to an inmate with Guzman's wealth and potential to corrupt people, said Catherine Linaweaver, a former Metropolitan Correction Center warden who retired in 2014.

The special unit's strict confinement drew criticism from the human rights group Amnesty International in 2011.

The jail saw an audacious escape attempt in 1982, when two armed people in a hijacked sightseeing helicopter tried to pluck an inmate off a roof. Four years earlier, three prisoners broke out by cutting through window bars.

Guzman, whose nickname means Shorty, presided over a syndicate that funneled tons of cocaine from South America into the U.S. via tunnels, tanker trucks, planes, container ships, speedboats and even submarines, prosecutors said.

Initially arrested in 1993, he broke out of a maximum-security Mexican prison in 2001, apparently in a laundry cart, and became a folk legend among some Mexicans, immortalized in song.

He was caught in 2014 but escaped again, this time through a hole in his prison cell shower. A specially rigged motorcycle on rails whisked him to freedom through a mile-long tunnel. He was recaptured in a January 2016 shootout that killed five associates.

____

Associated Press writers Verena Dobnik, Larry Neumeister and Jake Pearson contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK)  Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, one of the worlds most notorious drug kingpins, is finally headed for a court date the United States sought for two decades while he made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run in Mexico.

Extradited Thursday to face U.S. drug trafficking and other charges, Mexicos most wanted man was expected to appear in a federal court in New York Friday, the same day Donald Trump, who has lashed out at Mexico, is inaugurated as president.

The Drug Enforcement Administration flew Guzman to New York from Ciudad Juarez late Thursday, according to federal officials.

The U.S. has been trying to get Guzman in a U.S. court since he was first indicted in Southern California in the early 1990s. Now in his late 50s, he faces the possibility of life in a U.S. prison under indictments in six jurisdictions around the United States, including New York, San Diego, Chicago and Miami.

Hes expected to be prosecuted in Brooklyn, where an indictment accuses him of overseeing a massive trafficking operation that sent billions of dollars in profits back to Mexico. It says Guzman and other members of the Sinaloa cartel, one of the worlds largest drug trafficking organizations, employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

Guzman, the cartels convicted boss, had been held most recently at a prison near Ciudad Juarez, a border town across from El Paso, Texas. He was recaptured a year ago after escaping from a maximum-security prison for a second time, an episode that was highly embarrassing for President Enrique Pena Nietos government.

Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand him off to the United States. But Guzmans lawyers fought his extradition, and attorney Andres Granados accused the government of carrying it out Thursday to distract from nationwide gasoline protests.

It was illegal. They didnt even notify us, Granados said. Its totally political.

Story continues

Mexicos Foreign Relations Department said a court had ruled against Guzmans appeal and found that his extradition would be constitutional.

The extradition came at a charged political moment in the U.S., on the eve of Trumps inauguration. As a candidate, the Republican criticized Mexico for sending the U.S. criminals and rapists and vowed to build a wall at the Mexican border and have Mexico pay for it. Mexican officials have said they wouldnt pay for such a structure.

Carl Pike, a former DEA agent who spent the last part of his career helping the drug agency chase Guzman, said Thursday he was always confident that the drug lord would be sent to the U.S., but the timing was interesting.

Its one way of thanking Obama and another way of saying, Mr. Trump, welcome to the arena,  Pike said.

Derek Maltz, who headed the DEAs Special Operations Division until his retirement in mid-2014, said the extradition reaffirms Mexicos commitment to working with the United States and curbing the power of its drug cartels, and the timing could be seen as a good-faith effort by the Mexican government.

After breaking out of prison the first time in 2001, Guzman spent more than a decade at large, becoming something of a folk legend among some Mexicans for his defiance of authorities. He was immortalized in ballads known as narco-corridos.

Captured in 2014, Guzman then made an even more audacious escape, coolly stepping into a hole in the floor of his prison cell shower and whizzing to freedom on a motorcycle modified to run on tracks laid the length of the tunnel.

While again on the run, he secretly met with actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo in a fall 2015 encounter that Penn later chronicled in Rolling Stone magazine.

Guzman was unapologetic about his criminal activities, saying he had turned to drug trafficking at age 15 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 Penns article, published right after Mexican marines re-arrested Guzman last January.

Guzman was ultimately captured after a shootout that killed five of his associates, wounded one marine and added another dramatic chapter to a story even Guzman apparently thought sounded like a Hollywood movie: Authorities were able to track him down partly because he wanted to film a biopic and had representatives communicating with actors and producers, Mexican Attorney General Arely Gomez said at the time.

Maltz said Guzmans extradition is not likely to immediately curb the Sinaloa cartels role in the drug trade, but it signals that the U.S. and Mexico are serious about fighting drug gangs.

When they start seeing the extraditions of the cartel leadership and they see the unbelievable effort in Mexico, with the killing and capture of top cartel leaders, they are going to start feeling the heat like theyve never seen it before, Maltz said.

The White House, which was down to a skeleton staff hours before Trump takes office, said it had no immediate comment.

___

Associated Press writers Peter Orsi and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City and Bradley Klapper, Alicia Caldwell and Eric Tucker in Washington and Mark Stevenson contributed to this report.
New York (AFP) - Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, one of the world's most notorious criminals, pleaded not guilty in a US court Friday to a raft of firearms, drug trafficking and conspiracy charges that could see him jailed for life.

Less than 24 hours after being extradited by Mexico, the 59-year-old drug baron looked tired as he stood in blue prison scrubs flanked by his US public defenders for the brief, 10-minute hearing in a federal court in Brooklyn.

US prosecutors say Guzman's Sinaloa cartel is responsible for distributing hundreds of thousands of kilos of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana throughout the United States, reaping billions of dollars in profits.

They hailed his extradition as a milestone in efforts to bring Guzman to justice, rushing out the announcement in the final hours before Republican President Donald Trump took the oath of office.

It caps a Hollywood-worthy cat-and-mouse game between authorities and the slippery drug lord, who escaped spectacularly from prison twice -- in a laundry cart in 2001 and through a tunnel under his shower in 2015.

His feats turned him into a legend of Mexico's underworld, with musicians singing his praises in folk ballads, but his cartel controlled a massive international drugs distribution network and presided over deadly turf wars.

Guzman spoke softly in court on Friday, addressing Magistrate Judge James Orenstein in barely audible Spanish as "yes, sir" through an interpreter while holding his hands behind his back.

He has been slapped with a sweeping 17-count indictment that includes criminal enterprise dating back decades from 1989 to 2014, drug importation, illegal use of firearms and money laundering conspiracy.

"We enter a plea of not guilty on his behalf," said one of his defenders.

It remains how quickly a trial will get underway in a massively complicated case spanning multiple jurisdictions. The next hearing was set for February 3.

Story continues

- Life behind bars -

If found guilty, Guzman stands to spend the rest of his life in a maximum security US prison. Prosecutors are also seeking to obtain a $14 billion criminal forfeiture order against him.

"He's a man known for no other life than a life of crime, violence, death and destruction and now he'll have to answer to that," US Attorney Robert Capers told reporters on Friday.

The drug baron, whom US prosecutors said was known to carry a gold-plated AK-47 assault rifle and a diamond-encrusted handgun, had campaigned against extradition since being recaptured last January following his second jailbreak.

Mexico's government said it agreed to extradite Guzman after the United States pledged not to seek the death penalty at his trial and had accepted a US request to impose additional charges against him.

President Enrique Pena Nieto had previously refused to extradite Guzman, but changed tack after the drug lord's latest escape in July 2015.

But questions have also been raised over the timing. Trump, who takes office on Friday, has publicly clashed with Mexico over trade and immigration issues and has pledged to build a wall on the US-Mexican border.

One of Guzman's lawyers, Silvia Delgado, told Milenio television that she was surprised, calling the extradition "illegal" with another petition pending.

Homeland Security Special Agent Angel Melendez gave a dramatic account of Guzman's arrival at MacArthur Airport the night before and US authorities have stressed that Guzman will have no means of escaping a US prison.

- Cancerous tumor -

"As he deplaned, as you looked into his eyes, you could see the surprise, you could see the shock and to a certain extent you could see the fear... that he is about to face American justice," Melendez said.

"I assure you no tunnel will be built leading into his bathroom," he added.

Prosecutors say Guzman rose to infamy after fending off competition from Colombian cartels to oversee a drug trafficking network from the Pacific to the Atlantic, keeping "an army of hitmen at the ready" to protect his empire.

He is charged in six indictments throughout the United States, and the Mexican foreign ministry had also approved extradition bids from California and Texas.

"Guzman's destructive and murderous rise as an international narcotics trafficker, is akin to that of a small cancerous tumor that metastasized and grew into a full-blown scourge that for decades littered the streets of Mexico with the casualties of violent drug wars," Capers said.

Guzman was first captured in Guatemala in 1993, only to escape from a maximum-security prison in 2001.

Mexican marines backed by the US Drug Enforcement Administration arrested him in 2014, but he escaped again 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.
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's government has deported 91 Cubans about a week after the United States ended a so-called "wet foot, dry foot" policy that granted residency to almost every Cuban who reached U.S. soil, Mexican officials said on Friday. The repeal of the longstanding policy last Thursday by former U.S. President Barack Obama left hundreds of Cubans who were seeking a new life stranded in Mexico and Central America countries. The 71 men and 20 women were flown to the Caribbean island by Mexican federal police jet from the southern city of Tapachula, Mexico's National Migration Institute said. The Cubans were in Mexico "irregularly," the institute said in a statement, though they had applied for a permit to remain temporarily in the country. Cuban officials had long sought an end to the policy, arguing that the promise of U.S. residency was fuelling people-trafficking and encouraging dangerous journeys. The policy let Cubans who fled to the United States pursue residency if they reached the mainland, but not if they were picked up at sea before reaching the shore. Obama entered into detente in 2014 with Cuban President Raul Castro, and the two governments continued to sign cooperation agreements this week to wrap up a range of issues before Donald Trump was sworn in as U.S. president on Friday. Trump has vowed to scrap Obama's policy toward Havana unless Castro's government makes further concessions, although he has not specified what those should be. (Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
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
Mexico City (AFP) - Mexico said Friday it expelled 91 Cuban migrants whose aim of reaching the United States was thwarted by a sudden change in US policy.

Mexico's National Migration Institute said the 71 Cuban men and 20 women were turned away after arriving in Chiapas state near the Guatemalan border.

"They were returned to their country of origin in an airplane" provided by the Mexican authorities, it said in a statement.

Tens of thousands of migrants make their way every month through Mexico in search of a better life in the United States.

Among them, thousands of Cubans received special treatment upon reaching US soil -- until now.

Days before leaving office on Friday, former US president Barack Obama ended decades-old regulations that allowed Cubans arriving in the United States to settle there without a visa.
By Julian Cardona and Jonathan Allen

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mexico extradited its drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to New York on Thursday, likely ending a decades-long criminal 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.

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.

Guzman, 59, arrived in a small jet at Long Island's MacArthur Airport after nightfall and left in a column of vehicles. Later a police convoy believed to be carrying the kingpin arrived at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center, a maximum-security federal prison, with helicopters swooping overhead.

At least three female inmates chanted "Chapo! Chapo!" at the top of their voices from their barred cell window.

One of the world's most wanted drug kingpins until he was captured a year ago, Guzman busted out of a high-security penitentiary in central Mexico six months earlier through a mile-long tunnel, his second dramatic prison escape.

After Guzman slipped out of his cell through a tunnel fitted with a motorbike on rails in July 2015, Trump said on Twitter he "would kick his ass" as president.

The extradition of El Chapo, or Shorty, followed a federal court decision on Thursday rejecting a legal challenge by his lawyers against extradition. It came 16 years to the day after the first jail break, removing the lingering fear he would again outsmart the Mexican government.

Alberto Elias Beltran, Mexico's assistant attorney general for international affairs, denied the extradition had anything to do with Trump's inauguration and said one day Guzman would face justice at home.

"When he finishes his sentence in the United States he will return to Mexico," where he has 10 pending cases, Beltran said.

Story continues

Guzman's stays in Mexico's corrupt prisons did little to crimp the power of his Sinaloa Cartel that U.S. anti-drug officials consider responsible for much of the narcotic distribution in the United States. It is expected he will have less access to his network from a U.S. jail.

The man who Forbes in 2012 included on its world's billionaires list was widely believed to exert influence from his cell during his previous incarcerations. In the past year, however, he had complained of harsh treatment and solitary confinement.

Guzman is charged in six separate indictments throughout the United States. The accusations range 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 reaching Europe and Asia.

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 scarred but mostly victorious.

He was being held in a prison just across the border from El Paso, Texas in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, where his Sinaloa cartel beat the rival Juarez cartel into submission with such violence than tens of thousands fled the city.

TRANSFER CHALLENGED

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 Guzman'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 showed goodwill 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 (the extradition) 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 Guzmans extradition," Vigil said.

The Mexican court system said in a statement Guzman would be tried in Texas and California, as he faces charges in El Paso and San Diego.

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 tougher 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.

(Additional reporting by Jose Luis Gonzalez in CIUDAD JUAREZ, Gabriel Stargardter, Dave Graham, Natalie Schachar, Alexandra Alper and Anahi Rama in MEXICO CITY,; Julia Harte in WASHINGTON; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Randy Fabi)
Mexico City (AFP) - Joaquin Guzman has recounted that he had humble beginnings, selling oranges and candy when he was a child in his hometown in Mexico's northwestern mountains.

The man nicknamed "El Chapo," or Shorty for his small stature, eventually graduated to the more lucrative fields of marijuana and opium poppies, growing into the world's most wanted drug lord.

During Guzman's reign, his Sinaloa drug cartel's empire expanded across the globe, its tentacles stretching from the Americas to Europe and Asia.

After two legendary prison breaks, Guzman was finally corralled by Mexican marines in January 2016 and extradited to the United States on Thursday, ending his decades-long cat-and-mouse game with the authorities.

While his cartel is synonymous with violence and drug addictions, Guzman became a legend of Mexico's underworld, with musicians singing his praises in folk ballads known as "narcocorridos," tributes to drug capos.

He fooled the government with his cartel's engineering feats, building tunnels to ship drugs under the US-Mexico border and help him escape the authorities.

While he has nurtured a Robin Hood image back home, his cartel fought bloody turf wars with rivals, contributing to the drug conflicts plaguing Mexico.

Guzman grew so rich that he was on Forbes magazine's list of billionaires, but he dropped out in 2013 after spending much of his wealth on protection.

- 'Very poor' -

"I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats," Guzman boasted to Sean Penn in a clandestine meeting that they had and that the US actor wrote about for Rolling Stone magazine last year.

Guzman said in a video message to Penn that his family was "very humble, very poor" and that his mom made bread in the village of La Tuna.

"I sold oranges, I sold soft drinks, I sold candy," he said, claiming he entered the drug business at age 15 because there were "no job opportunities."

Story continues

"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," he said.

Guzman was born on April 4, 1957, in Badiraguato, a municipality known as the cradle of several drug lords.

He was recruited by Guadalajara cartel boss Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, known as "The Godfather" of Mexico's modern drug cartels.

After Felix Gallardo was arrested in 1989, Guzman's Sinaloa cartel began its meteoric rise.

But he had enemies.

A gunfight in May 1993 at the airport of Guadalajara killed the western city's archbishop, Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo, allegedly because he was mistaken for Guzman.

He was arrested in Guatemala in June 1993. Eight years later, he pulled off his first prison break, sneaking out inside a laundry cart in 2001.

- Love-struck capo -

It took 13 years for the authorities to grab him again, in February 2014, in a condo in the Sinaloa resort of Mazatlan, where he was hiding with his wife, Emma Coronel, and their US-born twin daughters.

But 17 months later, Guzman fled again, humiliating President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration.

This time, his henchmen had built a 1.5-kilometer (one-mile) tunnel that opened in his cell's shower. He zoomed out by hopping on a modified motorcycle mounted on rails.

But it only took six months for the marines to catch him again in Los Mochis, a coastal town in Sinaloa.

Officials say his soft spot for Mexican-American actress Kate del Castillo led to his downfall.

Mexican officials leaked to the media phone intercepts of his flirtatious text messages to the star, who brokered Guzman's meeting with Penn in October 2015.

Guzman married at least three times. He has several children, including two sons accused by the US authorities of having "significant" roles in the Sinaloa cartel. Another son, Edgar, was shot dead in 2008.

Despite Guzman's extradition, his cartel could remain a powerful force, led by his top associate, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, who has never spent a day behind bars.
By Dave Graham MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mexico's most notorious kingpin who escaped two maximum-security jails, shipped countless tonnes of drugs around the world and became one of the worlds most-wanted fugitives, was extradited to the United States on Thursday. Mexico's struggle with drug cartels and its chief adversary, Guzman, was a tapestry of corruption, violent deaths and billions of dollars in smuggled contraband - a business that put the kingpin onto the Forbes world's billionaires list. But El Chapo, or Shorty, was the drug trade's shining light, an almost mythical figure whose audacious real-life exploits captured the world's imagination and turned him into a folk hero for many in Mexico, despite the thousands of people killed by his brutal Sinaloa cartel. In January 2016, Guzman was finally caught in his native northwestern state of Sinaloa. Six months earlier, he had humiliated Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto by escaping from prison through a mile-long tunnel dug straight into his cell. It was the second time in his career the 59-year-old capo had escaped a federal Mexican jail and he spent the following months awaiting extradition to the United States. Just days after his capture, "Chapo's" larger-than-life reputation was sealed when U.S. movie star Sean Penn published a lengthy account of an interview he conducted with the drug lord - a meeting the Mexican government said was "essential" to his eventual capture a few months later. "I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats," Penn said Guzman told him during their discussion at the drug lord's mountain hideout. On Thursday, Mexicos government finally extradited Chapo, on the eve of Donald Trumps inauguration as U.S. president, from a prison in Ciudad Juarez on the U.S. border. Mexico has been riled by Trumps vows to build a massive border wall and force Mexicans to pay for it. But Pena Nietos administration has sought to keep Trump on side, first inviting him down to visit and then reaching out to his transition team. Top Mexican officials are set to meet with Trumps incoming administration in Washington next week, and the timing of the extradition appeared to be a gesture to both sides of the U.S. partisan divide. Guzman's legendary reputation in the Mexican underworld began to take shape in 2001, when he staged his first jailbreak, bribing guards in a prison in western Mexico, before going on to dominate drug trafficking along much of the Rio Grande. However, many in towns and villages across Mexico remember Guzman better for his squads of assassins who committed thousands of murders, kidnappings and decapitations. Violence crept up in the 2000-2006 rule of president Vicente Fox, and his National Action Party (PAN) successor Felipe Calderon, staked his reputation on bringing the cartels to heel. Instead, the killings spiraled, claiming nearly 70,000 lives under Calderon while Guzman's fame grew. In February 2013, Chicago dubbed him its first Public Enemy No.1 since Al Capone. Guzman's Sinaloa cartel went on smuggling hundreds of tons of cocaine, marijuana, and crystal meth across Mexico's 2,000 mile border with the United States. Indictments allege Guzman's narcotics were sold from New England all the way to the Pacific. Guzman's capture in February 2014 was a big victory for Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) - making his flight the following year all the more embarrassing. "THE FACE OF CORRUPTION" Security experts concede the 5 foot 6 inch gangster was exceptional at what he did, managing to outmaneuver, outfight or outbribe his rivals to stay at the top of the bloody drug trade for over a decade. "El Chapo Guzman is the most flagrant, the most brutal, and the starkest face of the corruption in Mexico," said Anabel Hernandez, author of 'Narcoland: The Mexican Drug Lords and their Godfathers'. Rising through the ranks of the drug world, Guzman carefully observed his mentors' tactics, their mistakes and where to forge the alliances that kept him one step ahead of the law for years. Mexican soldiers and U.S. agents came close to Guzman on several occasions but his layers of body guards and spies always tipped him off before they stormed his safe houses. Guzman was born in La Tuna, a village in the Sierra Madre mountains in Sinaloa state where smugglers have been growing opium and marijuana since the early twentieth century. He ascended in the 1980s under the tutelage of Sinaloan kingpin Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, alias "The Boss of Bosses," who pioneered cocaine smuggling routes into the United States. The aspiring capo came to prominence in 1993 when assassins who shot dead Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas claimed they had been gunning for Guzman but got the wrong target. Two weeks later, police arrested him in Guatemala and extradited him to Mexico. Guzman used money to ease his eight year prison stay, smuggling in lovers, prostitutes and Viagra, according to accounts published in the Mexican media. WAR After escaping, his fame spread to the United States, and Guzman expanded his turf by sending in squads of assassins with names such as "Los Negros," "The Ghosts" and "The Zeta Killers." Agents say Guzman hid near his childhood home in the Sierra Madre mountains but rumors abounded of him visiting expensive restaurants with his entourage and paying for all the diners. In 2007, Guzman married an 18-year-old beauty queen in a village in Durango state in an ostentatious ceremony. The archbishop of Durango subsequently caused a media storm when he said that "everyone, except the authorities," knew Guzman was living in the state. Guzman's bride gave birth to twins in a Los Angeles hospital in 2011. Between 2004 and 2013, his gangs fought in all major Mexican cities on the U.S. border, turning Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo into some of the most dangerous places on the planet. In one attack in Nuevo Laredo in April 2013, 14 bodies were left mutilated on the street under a note that was signed "El Chapo," and read "Don't forget that I am your real daddy." Guzman's Sinaloa cartel often clashed with the Zetas, a gang founded by former Mexican soldiers that created paramilitary death squads. The Sinaloans fought fire with fire, arming their troops with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns. Guzman also turned on his own allies. He waged one of his bloodiest campaigns against childhood friend and longtime business partner Arturo Beltran Leyva, alias "The Beard." In 2008 hitmen hired by Beltran Leyva murdered Guzman's son Edgar, a 22-year-old university student, outside a shopping mall in Sinaloan state capital Culiacan. Guzman reportedly left 50,000 flowers at his son's grave, then returned to war. When Beltran Leyva was finally shot dead by Mexican marines in 2009, a head was dumped on his grave. In the 1990s, Guzman had become infamous for hiding seven tons of cocaine in cans of chili peppers. In the 2000s, indictments say Guzman's crew took drugs in tractor trailers to major U.S. cities including Phoenix, Los Angeles and Chicago. Forbes put the kingpin's wealth at $1 billion, though investigators say it is impossible to know exactly how much he was worth. Mexican prosecutors say Guzman used his money to buy off politicians, police chiefs, soldiers and judges. (With reporting by Mexico City bureau; Editing by Simon Gardner)
Beirut (AFP) - More than 40 fighters of former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front were killed in air strikes on their camp in northern Syria late on Thursday, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it could not immediately specify who carried out the strikes in the western part of Aleppo province.

A US-led coalition as well as the Syrian government and its ally Russia have carried out strikes against Fateh al-Sham targets in recent weeks.

"Warplanes, which may have been Russian or coalition aircraft, struck a Fateh al-Sham camp in Jabal al-Sheikh Suleiman," the Britain-based Observatory said.

The jihadist group, formerly known as Al-Nusra Front, is not party to a Russian- and Turkish-brokered ceasefire that went into effect on December 30 and has sustained major losses in air strikes in recent weeks.

Around 100 of its fighters have been killed since the start of the year, according to the monitor.

Fateh al-Sham is allied with Islamist rebel groups that are party to the ceasefire and together they control virtually all of Idlib province in the northwest as well as parts of Aleppo province.

Their alliance has scuppered previous attempts to broker a ceasefire between the government and non-jihadist rebel groups, with Damascus and its allies citing the Fateh al-Sham presence as grounds for continuing hostilities in areas they control.
Geneva (AFP) - More than 45,000 people have fled a political crisis in The Gambia this month, the United Nations said Friday, as veteran leader Yahya Jammeh faced a midday deadline to leave office.

"Around 45,000 people are now reported to have arrived in Senegal from The Gambia... amid the ongoing political uncertainty as Senegalese and West African troops entered the country on Thursday," the UN refugee agency said in Geneva.

"It is feared that more people may continue to flee as the situation remains tense," UNHCR said, adding that another "800 people have crossed into Guinea-Bissau."

The UN agency noted that arrivals in Senegal have included "Gambians, Senegalese, bi-nationals, as well as Ghanaians, Liberians, Lebanese, Guineans, and Mauritanians among other foreigners."

Jammeh, who has been in power more than 20 years, lost elections last month to Adama Barrow but has refused to stand down.

Soldiers from Senegal and four other west African countries have crossed into The Gambia to bolster Barrow, who has been sworn in at the country's embassy in Dakar.

West African leaders have said regional forces would intervene with force if Jammeh refused to stand down.
Egg freezing has been touted as a way for women to put off having children, giving them more time to work on their careers or search for the right partner. But a new study finds that few women who freeze their eggs actually end up using them.

In the study, researchers in Australia surveyed nearly 100 women who had elected to freeze their eggs, between 1999 and 2014, as a way to delay childbearing. (None of the women in the study had a medical reason for freezing their eggs.)

On average, the women were 37 years old at the time they froze their eggs, and 40 years old at the time they completed the survey. The majority of women (86 percent) were single when they froze their eggs, and most (67 percent) were single at the time they completed the survey.

Overall, just 6 percent of the women had used their frozen eggs at the time of the survey, and 3 percent had given birth using the frozen eggs. [5 Myths About Fertility Treatments]

About 1 in 5 of the women (22 percent) had been pregnant at some point since freezing their eggs. In most of these cases, the women had conceived naturally, or had undergone in vitro fertilization using "fresh" eggs (rather than their frozen eggs), and some of the women had had miscarriages.

When asked why they hadn't yet used their frozen eggs, most of the women said that they didn't want to be a single parent, or that they wanted to try to conceive naturally.

And when asked if they still planned to use their frozen eggs, nearly 70 percent said it would depend on their circumstances, while just 21 percent said they were definitely planning to use their eggs.

The researchers concluded that information on the proportion of women who return to use their stored eggs, as well as information about their reasons for not using the eggs and their overall pregnancy outcomes, "might help women to make more informed decisions about whether to freeze oocytes," they wrote in the Jan. 6 issue of the journal Human Reproduction.

Story continues

Previous studies have had similar findings. For example, researchers at one fertility clinic in Santa Monica, California, found that, from 2007 to 2012, 232 women froze their eggs at the clinic to delay childbearing, but 95 percent of these women still had not used their eggs by 2015. [5 Surprising Facts About Egg Freezing]

It's important to note that many women in the new study had only recently frozen their eggs  nearly half the women said they had frozen their eggs within the last two years, and this may, in part, explain why so few women reported using their eggs, the researchers said.

In addition, the researchers noted that 6 percent of women in the study who ended up using their eggs had all used an older method for egg freezing, known as "slow freezing," and only half of these women who tried to use the eggs frozen by this method ended up having a baby with their frozen eggs. But the women who froze their eggs in more recent years (after 2012) used a newer technology for egg freezing, called vitrification. And although it's too soon to tell, it's possible that the women who used this method will have a greater chance of having a baby using their frozen eggs, the researchers said.

Still, "these results demonstrate the diverse potential reproductive outcomes and reproductive heterogeneity of women who freeze oocytes for nonmedical reasons," they said.

When using frozen eggs, the chances of pregnancy depend, in part, on how old women are when they froze their eggs, and the number of eggs they chose to freeze.

A 2016 study found that the chances of having at least one baby from eight frozen eggs was 41 percent in women who are younger than 35 when they freeze their eggs, and 20 percent in women who are 35 or older when they freeze their eggs.

The new study was funded by Melbourne IVF, the fertility clinic where participants went to freeze their eggs.

Original article on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations
During and since the presidential election, Donald Trumps critics (of which I was one) lost no opportunity to inform the public about their concerns over both his policies and character. The American voter was unmoved. Now, all of us are grappling with voter indifference to  even enthusiastic rejection of  our concerns.

My not-very-original theory is that Trump won the election because a) Americans are deeply worried about the way the economy is changing; b) elites of both parties have been insufficiently responsive to voter exasperation; and c) Democratic and independent voters were underwhelmed by the Democratic candidate  a fact exacerbated by Russian manipulation and unfavorable circumstance.

One of the marvels of the American political system is its wide-openness. As Clarence Darrow once joked: When I was a boy, I was told that anybody could become president. Now Im beginning to believe it. There are no real barriers to entry for candidates: not credentialing, not party discipline, not media gatekeepers. Not even money, which in this election served to keep a wider ideological range of candidates viable, not prevent them from becoming so.

Nor is electing inexperienced or anti-establishment leaders all that rare. American voters take satisfaction in jolting the system every 40 or 50 years by catapulting to power someone running against the established political order: Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Grover Cleveland, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Barack Obama. Our political system has the ability to shake the cage of the establishment and revivify itself, something prophets of American decline often overlook.

Although Trump won the election, and admirably appointed to his cabinet a number of accomplished secretaries whose sober, sensible views differ from his own, serious concerns remain about his stewardship of the state. And lets be clear about the power of the executive: The president has the ability to sweep into power a huge number of his advocates to staff the machinery of state.

Story continues

Even in propitious times, thoughtful people worry about the future of our country. Anticipating the trial of revolution, no less a patriot than Abigail Adams fretted in May 1775: If we look forward, we must shudder at the view. Being paranoid is, after all, a requisite characteristic of good strategists.

But much of the commentary about Trump is overwrought. It is one of the great blessings  and ingenious design characteristics  of our political system that it has robust checks and balancing of competing interests to buffer against excess. Moreover, the current tenor of criticism is unlikely to be a successful strategy for persuading the president-elects supporters to take an interest in legitimate concerns about infringements on constitutional rights, corruption, and conflicts of interest.

As Bloombergs Megan McArdle has emphasized, patronizing lectures from self-satisfied liberals are part of what got Trump elected. When Fran Lebowitz snidely observes that Trump is what poor people think rich people are like, it will not change the minds or hearts of his supporters. Nor is it helpful to call into question the Electoral College that has been in force for every previous presidential election or to publish salacious and unconfirmed reports (especially when, as in the case of the Russian intelligence dossier, reporters have had the document for months and been unable to corroborate many of its findings). Such actions serve mostly to delegitimize those who undertake them.

They also make more difficult breaking through the noise screen of reports designed to distract attention and muddy the waters of public discourse, and of Trumps incendiary tweets and statements, which often serve the same purpose. Having the discipline to focus and sustain attention on the few most important threats will be essential. So will be activism by civil society groups, businesses, and states to bring restraining legal and policy remediation.

Most important of all, though, will be a rebuilding of the willingness to cooperate across ideological factions. As Marc Blochs indicting book Strange Defeat relentlessly shows, Nazi Germanys conquest of France in 1940 owed as much to the unwillingness of French political and social factions to work together as it did to the military excellence of the Wehrmacht. The best defense against all enemies, foreign and domestic, is political and social cohesion.

Most conservatives have been hoping that Congress will serve as the crucial brake on Trump. After all, the Republican Party holds both chambers, considers itself to have an electoral mandate, will face a 2018 election on favorable electoral terrain, and is eager to fill the policy vacuum of Trumps campaign promises. Curiously enough, Trump may prove to be a crucial brake on the ideological intransigence of my fellow Republicans in Congress.

Because our president-elect has no apparent ideology, he is at liberty to pick and choose issues. His genius at direct communication with voters will amplify the megaphone of the bully pulpit over other voices. His unorthodox approach to politics does raise serious questions about compliance with laws, norms, and even the Constitution. But it may also free Trump to create a melange of policies that rebuilds a cohesive center in American politics: infrastructure spending, debt reduction, universal (catastrophic) health insurance, tax and regulatory reform, increased border control, less emphasis on culture wars. Many of these policies are contradictory, but he has injected dynamism into stale debates. Voters willingness to elect him despite concerns about some of his approaches gives him trade space. Despite targeting big businesses, economic sentiment is positive; and growth attenuates many social and political frictions.

It is counterintuitive, I know. Progressives, independents, and even some Republicans will be loath to credit so polarizing and offensive a figure no matter what his policy successes are. But this is my hopeful view of what is necessary, and may even be possible, for our country as the 45th president takes his oath of office.

Photo credit: CHRIS KLEPONIS-POOL/Getty Images
Myanmar's leadership was fending off a barrage of criticism on Friday over the Rohingya crisis, which a UN rights official said was destroying hope for the country's first elected government in a generation.

More than 66,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh to escape a military crackdown in the north of Rakhine state, bringing accounts of rape, arson and mass killings at the hands of security forces.

The bloodshed has tarnished the image of the young government of Aung San Suu Kyi, which took power in March riding a wave of optimism after winning the first free elections in a generation.

Hopes the Nobel laureate would usher in a more open era after half a century of military rule have faded as the government has dismissed accounts of abuses as lies and "fake news".

On Friday, the UN's rights official for Myanmar warned the government's denials were destroying faith in Suu Kyi's fledgling administration.

"The government's response to all of these problems seems to currently be to defend, dismiss and deny," UN special rapporteur on Myanmar Yanghee Lee told reporters after a tour of the country, including a visit to Rakhine. "This response is not only counterproductive but is draining away the hope that had been sweeping the country."

The crackdown started three months ago after deadly raids on police border posts which Myanmar said were carried out by foreign-trained Rohingya militants backed by Middle Eastern money.

Lee condemned the attacks, but blamed the government for driving some to militancy. "If the affected population had felt that the new government would start addressing their situation and grievances then extreme elements would not have easily been able to hijack their cause," she said.

Myanmar has long faced international criticism for its treatment of the Rohingya, who are denied citizenship and live in conditions rights groups have compared to apartheid.

Story continues

Most among Myanmar's Buddhist majority call them Bengalis -- shorthand for illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh -- even though many have lived in Myanmar for generations.

The recent crackdown has galvanised anger in the Muslim world and particularly nearby Malaysia, whose Prime Minister Najib Razak has accused Suu Kyi of allowing "genocide" on her watch.

On Thursday he used an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to call for an end to the "unspeakable cruelty" being unleashed against the Rohingya.

His comments drew an angry response from Myanmar, who said he was hijacking the situation in Rakhine to further his own political agenda.

Najib is "is using Myanmar for his own political interests, against the principles of ASEAN," deputy director of Myanmar's foreign ministry, Aye Aye Soe, told AFP, citing the Southeast Asian bloc.

"They criticise us without hesitation based on news reports from different places, including news from unreliable sources, without discussing the issue like a good neighbour. We are deeply sorry about this."
The Benton County Board of Commissioners has endorsed a plan to turn over 6.1 acres of county-owned land to the community of Adair Village.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday he wants relations with the United States to be "stronger than ever" after Donald Trump becomes president.

Netanyahu congratulated his "friend" Trump in a tweet before his inauguration, saying he was looking forward "to working closely with you to make the alliance between Israel&USA stronger than ever".

Meanwhile, Israel's leftwing newspaper Haaretz reported Friday that security services have presented Netanyahu with a series of scenarios about potential Palestinian violence if Trump follows through on his promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Such a transfer would break with the consensus of the vast majority of the international community, which does not recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Israel captured east Jerusalem during the 1967 war and later annexed it, declaring all of the city its unified capital.

Also on Friday, Israeli forces arrested five Palestinians who were taking protesting in the occupied West Bank against Israeli plans to annex Maale Adumim, a settlement east of Jerusalem, activists said.

Rightwing Israeli politicians have said Trump's election is an opportunity to increase settlement building and push forward plans to annex Maale Adumim.
Nigel Farages inauguration party began for us in the elevator of the luxurious Hay Adams Hotel with a middle-aged California couple, Tom and Kim. They told two smartly-dressed Brits riding up with us that California was in bad political shape, and then casually mentioned they had lunch with Nigel. Not to be upstaged, one of the Brits eagerly said he, too, had spoken to Nigel yesterday. All were reassured.

Later, Nigel would assure a separate Californian gentlemen that worse is better, and that the divide between the government and liberal media and the public serves this rich California mans interest. Also, Tom and Kim later told Foreign Policy that their lunch with Nigel kept them from a pro-Israel event with the youngest member of the Knesset. At the Israeli embassy? No, they said. At a Baptist church.

The elevators opened to a display of books for sale, including most prominently, The Bad Boys of Brexit. Sprinkled throughout the party were posters of newspaper front pages with the face and name of the former leader of the U.K. Independence Party plastered all over them. Perhaps so people could easily recognize Nigel when Nigel began to work the room. Or so Nigel could be reminded of Nigels Brexit victory every time Nigel glanced in a different direction.

The speech part of the evening, delivered to men in suits and women in gowns and stoles, began with a man from public affairs firm Goddard Gunster, who insisted that this night was not just about Trump, but also about Nigel. Because, he said, we wouldnt be here tonight without Nigel.

He noted that the party had in attendance people from around the world. Including Taiwan, Belize, and Iran. No word on how the Iranian feels about the president-elects various comments on Muslims.

Then, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant stepped up on a small stage in the corner and, over the din of the crowd frantically networking in the background, spoke about Trumps journey to the White House. The Mississippi pol lauded the casino developer from Queens as someone who finally spoke their language.

Story continues

Then Nigel took the stage. The crowd cheered. He said he felt a mix of joy and disbelief, but that this was the time to end this disbelief and to say WE DID IT. The crowd cheered. He then slammed the British press. The crowd cheered harder. He said he likes to think that Brexit is the beginning of a global revolution. The crowd cheered. 2016, he said, will be looked at in 100 years as the year of the great pivot. The crowd cheered. And while oftentimes, after one political achievement you have to move quickly onto to the next, tonight, he said, is a chance to reflect and celebrate. Brexit was a victory, Farage said, but Trumps victory was a Brexit Plus Plus Plus Plus Plus. The crowd cheered extra hard.

Nigel said Trump makes Nigel feels like an introvert. The crowd laughed with Nigel. The best moment of the year, he said, was seeing the faces of CNN presenters when they realized Trump won. This won the biggest cheer of the night. The second biggest was probably for the invocation of Ronald Reagan.

After that, the crowd dispersed to resume their networking and back-patting for Trumps victory against all odds (a common phrase heard throughout the evening). Its so surreal, it really was against all the odds, one tux-donned man told Foreign Policy, reflecting on the past eight years, which he did not seem to enjoy.

The national nightmare is finally over, he said. The end of that nightmare included, for him, free steak and an open bar. And Nigel.

Two violinists and a cellist donning tuxedos played Sweet Home Alabama in the background.

Nigel, in the meantime, worked the room, signing books, slapping backs, taking selfies with the Mississippians and Californians and Alabamians and Texans who all had suddenly developed a keen interest in seeing the downfall of the European Union.

Later, we asked Farage and if hed be back in the United States.

Youll be seeing quite a lot of me. he said. Ever since November the 8, I felt quite at home here.

Photo credit: CHRISTOPHER FURLONG/Getty Images.
ABUJA (Reuters) - A group of Nigerian writers, intellectuals and media figures called on President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday to stop the persecution of journalists, after an online publication's news staff was briefly detained. Nigerian police late on Thursday arrested the editor and a reporter for the Premium Times, the rights group Amnesty International said, in a dispute raising concern about press freedom in Africa's biggest democracy. The two were released later that evening without being charged. "What we see is a disturbing trend that suggests not just an attempt to criminalize the important work that journalists in Nigeria do, but also a drive to frighten and cower and stop this critical constitutionally mandated work through the aggressive use of the state security apparatus," said a joint letter to Buhari signed by 10 Nigerian public figures. The letter called on the president to instruct security services to stop harassing and arresting journalists and insist that police follow the law in arresting and charging suspects "in a timely and transparent manner". The Premium Times has angered the military with articles saying dozens of soldiers were missing and the chief of staff was facing an investigation over false asset declaration. The armed forces have accused the paper of libel and defamation, charges the publication denied. The detainment of editor Dapo Olorunyomi and judicial correspondent Evelyn Okakwu have raised concerns about freedom of the press and the power of the military in Nigeria. The army said in a statement on Thursday it had begun legal action against the Premium Times over its "failure to retract and apologize over false, subversive and malicious publications against the person of the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai and the Nigerian Army". The articles included stories about soldiers missing in Nigeria's northeast after clashes with Islamic insurgent group Boko Haram. In a statement, the news publication said the arrest of its editor and correspondent had been made "based on a petition" by the chief of army staff. "We call on the federal government to rein in the police and assure Nigerians that we are not living in a military dictatorship," the statement said. (Reporting by Paul Carsten in Abuja, Ardo Abdullahi in Bauchi, Ulf Laessing in Lagos, Tife Owolabi in Yenagoa and Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Additional reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram in London; Editing by Larry King)
ABUJA (Reuters) - A group of Nigerian writers, intellectuals and media figures called on President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday to stop the persecution of journalists, after an online publication's news staff was briefly detained. Nigerian police late on Thursday arrested the editor and a reporter for the Premium Times, the rights group Amnesty International said, in a dispute raising concern about press freedom in Africa's biggest democracy. The two were released later that evening without being charged. "What we see is a disturbing trend that suggests not just an attempt to criminalise the important work that journalists in Nigeria do, but also a drive to frighten and cower and stop this critical constitutionally mandated work through the aggressive use of the state security apparatus," said a joint letter to Buhari signed by 10 Nigerian public figures. The letter called on the president to instruct security services to stop harassing and arresting journalists and insist that police follow the law in arresting and charging suspects "in a timely and transparent manner". The Premium Times has angered the military with articles saying dozens of soldiers were missing and the chief of staff was facing an investigation over false asset declaration. The armed forces have accused the paper of libel and defamation, charges the publication denied. The detainment of editor Dapo Olorunyomi and judicial correspondent Evelyn Okakwu have raised concerns about freedom of the press and the power of the military in Nigeria. The army said in a statement on Thursday it had begun legal action against the Premium Times over its "failure to retract and apologise over false, subversive and malicious publications against the person of the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai and the Nigerian Army". The articles included stories about soldiers missing in Nigeria's northeast after clashes with Islamic insurgent group Boko Haram. In a statement, the news publication said the arrest of its editor and correspondent had been made "based on a petition" by the chief of army staff. "We call on the federal government to rein in the police and assure Nigerians that we are not living in a military dictatorship," the statement said. (Reporting by Paul Carsten in Abuja, Ardo Abdullahi in Bauchi, Ulf Laessing in Lagos, Tife Owolabi in Yenagoa and Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Additional reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram in London; Editing by Larry King)
By Anamesere Igboeroteonwu ONITSHA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Over 1,000 southern Nigerian secessionists took to the streets on Friday to express the hope that newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump might help counter Muslim influence in their country. Shouting "Biafra for Trump", protesters held up U.S. flags and pictures of Trump in Port Harcourt, a major port city in the southeast, while also brandishing the Biafran flag and warning about Muslim influence in Nigeria. Southern Nigeria is mostly Christian while Islam is the majority faith in the north. Trump has hardly mentioned Africa during his election campaign. But his views about curbing Muslim immigration have scored well in southern Nigeria where many complain of neglect from President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from the north. Trump took office in Washington on Friday. "Arrests have been made - about 53 persons and counting," said Nnamdi Omoni, police spokesman for Rivers state, where the rally took place. "They have been in processions, singing and dancing along the roads and we are doing our best to contain them because we do not want the situation to degenerate or snowball into something else," said Omoni, who denied claims by protest leaders that officers had opened fire on the rally. George Ipob, one of the protest leaders, said that "unlike Obama, Trump is sensitive to people like us ... he being also leader of the greatest free Christian country. "We believe in his policies and agenda against terrorism, unbridled killings of defenceless people, subjugation and suppression of people across the world by despots," said the deputy national coordiantor for the Indigenous People of Biafra, who only gave his name as George. "Trump is sane and sensitive to people like us ... will listen to our cries and put in a word for us where it matters." Secessionist feeling has simmered in the southeast since the Biafra separatist rebellion tipped the west African country into a 1967-1970 civil war that killed an estimated 1 million people. In November, Amnesty International said security agencies had killed at least 150 peaceful "Biafra" advocates. Police and army have denied this. (Additional reporting by Tife Owolabi in Yenagoa; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Tom Heneghan)
Reykjavik (AFP) - A young woman vanishes in the Arctic night, elite police chase down a trawler at sea, and three sailors are jailed: Iceland, with one of the world's lowest crime rates, is fearing a tragic outcome to a rare crime.

On this tranquil North Atlantic island, home to medieval stories of murders and barbaric beatings, the police patrol the streets unarmed and homicides are extremely rare.

"It's a really safe country, no war or anything like that. The crime rate is low," says Tomas Kjartansson, a 26-year-old salesman in a men's clothing shop.

And so the disappearance of 20-year-old Birna Brjansdottir has captivated the country.

The media has reported on little else in recent days, and a solemn march in her honour, tracing her last known steps, was held in Reykjavik on Wednesday.

The auburn-haired young woman was last seen around 5:00 am on Saturday after a night of drinking and partying in Reykjavik's bars.

Dressed in black trousers, a hooded parka and black Dr Martens, Brjansdottir was captured on video surveillance cameras around dawn, stumbling in the snowy and foggy streets as she bought herself a kebab, struggling to stay on her feet.

Then, all trace of her is lost. She fails to show up for work a few hours later in the clothing boutique where she's employed.

Her shoes are found in the port of Hafnarfjordur, south of Reykjavik, not far from the dock where a Greenlandic trawler, the Polar Nanoq, is moored.

Her cell phone signal is later tracked to that area, where someone has turned it off.

Video surveillance cameras also show a small red car, a Kia Rio, parked near the vessel around 6:30 am -- identical to a vehicle observed near the spot where Brjansdottir was last seen.

The Polar Nanoq lifts anchor the same day.

It is later summoned at sea to turn back to Iceland, and, escorted by the Danish coast guard, returns to Reykjavik on Wednesday.

Just in case, members of Iceland's elite police force, known as the Viking Squad, fly out to the ship by helicopter to question the crew.

Story continues

Three sailors end up arrested, "suspected of possessing information about the disappearance," Icelandic police wrote on Twitter.

Crime scene technicians have searched the vessel with a fine-toothed comb, but police officials quoted in the Icelandic media said they doubt the young woman was ever brought aboard the ship.

- Serious alcohol problems -

If the disappearance is indeed confirmed to be criminal, it will certainly go down in Iceland's crime annals, where police are better known for the selfies they post on Instagram than for their riveting investigations.

Crime, and especially violent crime, is extremely rare in Iceland.

The first time a police officer ever fired on a suspect was in December 2013, injuring him fatally.

A country of just 330,000 people, Iceland has registered an average of 1.8 murders per year since 2001, according to police statistics. The killers are often under the influence of alcohol, or mentally unstable.

And still: 2002 was particularly macabre with four homicides, while in 2003, 2006 and 2008 none were registered.

"We have always been a homogenous society and egalitarian," sociologist Helgi Gunnlaugsson explains to AFP.

"We are all one family and we all need each other. We have to stick together to survive on this island," he says.

Ironically, one of the world's top-selling crime writers is Iceland's own Arnaldur Indridason.

So does he have a wild imagination? Not really, according to his French translator, Eric Boury.

Iceland is "a society that... suppresses death. You have the feeling in Iceland that you can't die (violently) and yet you know that the wilderness is dangerous, that a volcano could suddenly destroy everything," he notes.

And, he adds, "this society is not really as pacific as it seems. There are problems with drugs and alcohol, serious alcohol problems. The social noir definitely has its place here."
By Timothy Mclaughlin

(Reuters) - Over a dozen landowners in North Dakota have filed a lawsuit against a company involved in the development of the Dakota Access Pipeline, charging they were misled into accepting unfair compensation for allowing the pipeline to cross their land, according to court documents.

Dakota Access LLC used false statements to get some landowners in Morton County, North Dakota, to accept less money than others for the necessary easements, according to the lawsuit, filed Jan. 6 in U.S. District Court of North Dakota in Bismarck.

The landowners are seeking $4 million in damages from Dakota Access, court documents said.

"We feel the allegations are without merit," Vicki Granado, a spokeswoman for Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, parent company of Dakota Access, said by email.

The company secured easements from 800 landowners in North Dakota for the project, she said.

The $3.8 billion pipeline has faced months of protests from Native Americans and environmental activists who say it threatens water resources and sacred lands.

"Dakota Access's statements were false, misleading, and unfair statements designed to induce the Morton County landowners to sign the easement agreements at a lower price than other Morton County landowners," the complaint said.

An attorney representing the landowners was not immediately available for comment.

Most landowners named in the suit were offered $216 per rod, a unit of measurement used in land surveying that is equal to 16.5 feet(5 m), in August 2014 for land easements.

Dakota Access, the court documents said, told the landowners that if they did not agree to the amount offered they faced losing money, having their land taken by eminent domain or that the pipeline would be rerouted. The landowners agreed to the payments.

However, other landowners in Morton County, through which 71 miles of the pipeline runs, were paid has much as $2,000 per rod, the suit said.

Story continues

On Wednesday, the U.S. Army began the process of launching an environmental study of the pipeline's path under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

A December denial of the easement under the lake was a major victory for those opposed to the project, and members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe called on protesters to disband.

However, some have remained and clashed again with law enforcement this week, and dozens have been arrested.

(Reporting by Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Editing by Leslie Adler)
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  Residents of a rural corner of North Dakota are fiercely opposing a plan that would move them into the same time zone as the rest 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 southwestern 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.

___

This story has been corrected to reflect the time zone change is being considered in southwestern North Dakota, not southeastern.
Tens of thousands of citizens lined the streets of Washington, D.C., to welcome Donald Trump to the White House as he prepared to be sworn in on Friday.

Read: Drunken Brawls, Dead Birds and Dysentery: The Presidential Inauguration Stories You Might Not Know

With the Obama familys bags packed and ready to leave 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue  the place they've called home for the past eight years  the Trumps have arrived.

Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence began Friday in a prayer service inside St. Johns Episcopal Church near the White House. That church has given blessings to almost every incoming president since James Madison.

We begin this historic and humbling day as we do every day, with a moment of reflection and prayer. #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/sfJkGktFpe  Mike Pence (@mike_pence) January 20, 2017

Following the prayer, Trump and his family arrived at the White House to meet with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama prior to the ceremony.

As the Trumps shook hands and took photos with the first family, Melania handed Michelle a gift box from Tiffanys. The first family and soon-to-be president of the United States and his wife then sat behind closed doors and had tea together.

Pence and his wife also met with current Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill.

Grateful for the support throughout the transition from @VP Biden & @DrBiden44. Pleasure to have them welcome Karen & me to The White House pic.twitter.com/M5khWysIU6  Mike Pence (@mike_pence) January 20, 2017

In the final moments before Barack Obama will leave the White House, he spent time in the Oval Office where he is said to have left a letter for his successor. It has been a presidential tradition that dates back to George Washington, where the outgoing president leaves a letter of inspiration and wisdom to the incumbent.

Story continues

As the 44th president and soon-to-be 45th president shared a moment together, the Supreme Court Justices, as well as dignitaries, invited guests and politicians all took their seats outside the Capitol Building for the Inauguration.

Fridays transition of power comes as celebrations for Trump kicked off Thursday in Washington, D.C., with a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial which featured 3 Doors Down, Lee Greenwood, and Toby Keith.

Read: A White House Upbringing: Sasha and Malia Obama Through the Years

While Trump enjoyed his concert, protests raged in the nations capital as well as in New York City where filmmaker Michael Moore led a rally outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in Columbus Circle.

Robert De Niro, Mark Ruffalo, Cher, Sally Field, Alec Baldwin, Rosie Perez, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Mayor Bill de Blasio, all spoke to a crowd of thousands that peacefully protested the streets of Manhattan to oppose the Trump regime.

Donald Trump and Steve Bannon and Mike Pence think you are going to lay down, Baldwin said. But New Yorkers never lay down.

Baldwin also impersonated Trump as he does regularly on Saturday Night Live.

Whatever happens, we Americans, we New Yorkers, we patriots stand united for the rights of our citizens, De Niro said.

Watch: Michelle Obama Gets Nostalgic as She Bids Farewell to White House: 'The Honor of a Lifetime'

Related Articles:
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  President Barack Obama has denied a clemency petition from former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, who is nearing the end of a prison sentence for bribery and obstruction of justice.

Attorneys for the former governor were informed of the decision Thursday in a letter from the Department of Justice office of the pardon attorney. The letter did not list a reason for the denial.

The 70-year-old Democrat is serving a 6 year sentence for bribery and obstruction of justice in a federal prison in Louisiana.

The decision was a blow to supporters who had long hoped the president would free the incarcerated governor as one of his final acts in office. Siegelman's attorney, Gregory B. Craig, and the ex-governor's son, Joseph Siegelman, did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

The federal Bureau of Prisons lists the former governor's projected release date as Aug. 8, 2017. However, he could be released sooner to house arrest. Siegelman told supporters in November that his earliest possible release date was Feb. 8.

Siegelman wrote in a letter to supporters that, "I am at peace with whatever the President chooses to do in my case."

A federal jury in 2006 convicted Siegelman on charges that he sold a seat on a state regulatory board to HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy in exchange for $500,000 in donations to Siegelman's signature political issue  his 1999 campaign to establish a state lottery. He was convicted on a separate obstruction of justice charge that he tried to hide money he received from a lobbyist.

Appellate courts have upheld the convictions. Siegelman has maintained he is innocent.

Siegelman for decades was a dominating figure in Alabama politics, holding the offices of secretary of state, attorney general, lieutenant governor and governor. He served as Alabama's governor from 1999 to 2003. He was the last Democrat to hold the position in the deeply red state.
Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Historians will one day pass judgment on the Obama administration, and those who lived through it can only guess at how his legacy will be viewed. But as the tributes to the outgoing president have accumulated, one word stands out as a symbol for everything he has represented and embodied. The word is dignity.

Times columnist Timothy Egan expressed this theme last summer, writing: No matter what you think of Obama the executive branch, its hard to argue that Obama the human being has been anything less than a model of class and dignity. Egan actually was wrong; however obvious Obamas class and dignity were to most Americans, it was a common trope on the far right to mock the first African-American president and his wife by comparing them to animals. But as he prepared to leave office, even political adversaries such as Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., paid tribute to Obamas quiet dignity. Shepard Fairey, creator of the iconic Hope image, which encapsulated the spirit of Obamas first election, chose Defend Dignity as one of the slogans for his series of 2016 inauguration posters.

In part, of course, praising Obamas dignity is a way of calling attention to the qualities that set him apart from his successor, who has famously boasted about his sexual conquests and who delights in insulting his opponents with mocking Twitter posts. One could no more imagine Obama doing any of those things than, say, wrestling WWE impresario Vince McMahon as a promotional stunt.

But the word also conveys something essential about the man: his impeccable personal life and financial probity, his fierce loyalty to his family, an uncanny inner serenity that allows him to rise above insults even when few would have faulted him for an outburst of anger. When a Republican congressman interrupted him by shouting You lie! during his 2009 address to Congress, Obama responded mildly, Thats not true, and went on with his speech. His commitment to civil discourse, his deference to the traditions and forms of democracy, have few parallels in recent history.

Story continues

He is the slowest person to anger; the least vindictive Ive ever known, inside politics or out, wrote Obamas longtime confidant and aide David Axelrod in an email to Yahoo News Deputy Editor Dan Klaidman. I dont remember him saying much after Joe Wilson shouted you lie. He even greeted the birther stuff more with incredulity than anger because he viewed it as absurd.  And attacks on Michelle always raised his ire.

Axelrod acknowledged moments when he got angry, like when Congress balked on gun legislation after Newtown. [Senate Republican leader Mitch] McConnells cynical and implacable opposition angered him because it was an impediment to progress.

But when Joe Biden got out ahead of him on gay marriage, there were folks in the White House who were really irritated, but Obama wasnt one of them. He told me he couldnt get angry at Joe for being big-hearted.

Obama just has this incredible equanimity that was essential, given the challenges and provocations he faced. The tougher the moment, the calmer and more focused he was. And that evenness served the whole operation well.

Slideshow:Barack Obama: A presidency in pictures >>>

He has a great sense of history and [of] the fact that the presidency is a trust, and democracy a commitment, that [have] to be constantly tended.

And I think hes always felt a special responsibility, because of his own place in history, to conduct himself with dignity and integrity.

Obamas place in history, of course, was as the first African-American president. The dignity and restraint that came naturally to him were also prerequisites for his success on the national political stage; for the epithet angry black man to be attached to him would have been fatal to his reputation and career.

It was a lesson brought home to him in his first year in the White House when his friend Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested after a confrontation with a Cambridge, Mass., police sergeant. (Gates had been accidentally locked out of his own home and was attempting to force open the door; a neighbor, suspecting a burglary, called the police.) Obamas offhand remark that the police acted stupidly touched off a racially charged uproar that he had to quell by inviting Gates and the officer to the White House for a meeting that has gone down in history as the beer summit.

Its worth noting that personal dignity wasnt always, even in recent history, a necessary quality for a president. Lyndon Johnson, as chroniclers have determined, was a compulsive womanizer and sexual braggart who famously showed off to the public a surgical scar on his abdomen. The sainted Harry Truman wrote from the White House to threaten  perhaps not entirely seriously  a punch in the nose to a music critic who had panned Trumans daughter Margarets singing. But they were white.

And, of course, as admirable a man as Obama has shown himself to be, dignity can be an equivocal virtue in a president, especially in highly partisan times. An essay in Slate by Michelle Goldberg criticized Obama for remaining above the fray in relation to Russian meddling in the election: He has his dignity and his faith in civic norms. Republicans have the government. Goldberg argues that a more assertive approach to governance would have better served his party and the causes he believed in. The times, she believes, called for a different kind of president. And now the country is getting one.
Barack Obamas final phone call as U.S. President was to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, during which he thanked her for her strong, courageous, and steady leadership and expressed appreciation for their personal friendship.

First Lady Michelle and Merkels husband Joachim Sauer joined yesterdays call, according to a White House statement. Given their eight years of friendship and partnership, the President noted that it was fitting that his final call with a foreign leader was with Chancellor Merkel, and he wished her the very best going forward, it said.

The phone call came a day before President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration. Trump has frequently criticized Merkels decisions, particularly over her open door policy over refugees from the Middle East and Africa. In an interview with the tabloid Bild earlier this week, Trump said he had great respect for the chancellor but she had made an utterly catastrophic mistake by letting all these illegals into the country.

Merkel is up for re-election on Sept. 24 this year and Obama came close to endorsing her candidacy last year. I think shes been outstanding, the president said, during a speech in Berlin. Thats a matter for the German people, but I value Angelas leadership. If I were German and I had a vote I might support her. But I dont know whether that hurts or helps.
As President Obama prepared to pass the baton to President-elect Donald Trump, he bid a temporary farewell to the American people and outlined his plans for his future role in our democracy  private citizen.

Obama tweeted Friday morning, mere hours before Trumps inauguration, that it has been the honor of his life to serve the American people, who he said made him a better person. He said he will not stop serving the United States, but now he will do so as a private citizen rather than as commander in chief.

I won't stop; I'll be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by your voices of truth and justice, good humor, and love.  President Obama (@POTUS) January 20, 2017

I'm still asking you to believe  not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours. I believe in change because I believe in you.  President Obama (@POTUS) January 20, 2017

He also directed followers to his new website for the Obama Foundation, Obama.org, where he compelled others to continue their dialogue with him about what matters most to the nation. Obama encouraged people to hold fast to their belief in themselves to create change.

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama filmed a video discussing their future presidential center. It will be based in Chicagos Southside but also have projects throughout the city, country, and world, according to Obama.

More than a library or museum. It will be a living, working center for citizenship. Thats why we want to hear from you, Obama said. Tell us what you want this project to be.

The new website lays out Obamas biography and accomplishments in the White House, as well as his plans for the future:

The Obama Foundation will focus on developing the next generation of citizens  and what it means to be a good citizen in the 21st century. It will draw strength from the rich diversity and vitality of Chicago, where the President and First Lady met and raised their daughters, and it will have nonprofit programs across the city, the United States, and the world. Whether you are looking for a role in your community or have been active on the field of democracy for years, we look forward to working with you and for you. Together, we will build programs to inspire us all to be better citizens and to help young leaders develop their ideas. This will be a design year for us, and we hope youll join in.

Story continues

Related video:

Read more from Yahoo News:

_____

Related slideshows:

Slideshow: Anti-Trump inauguration protests break out in U.S. >>>

Slideshow: Protests worldwide against the inauguration of Donald Trump >>>

Slideshow: Obamas Washington >>>

Slideshow: Donald Trumps Inauguration Day >>>

Slideshow: 66 hands on 66 Bibles >>>
Obamas Washington Obama put longtime D.C. institution Bens Chili Bowl, established in 1958, on the national map when he visited it shortly after being inaugurated in 2009. He would go on to bring French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni, there in 2010. Famous patron Bill Cosby, who took his wife to Bens on dates as a young man, is honored in a mural outside the restaurant that precedes the recent wave of accusations of sexual assault against him. (Photo: Mary F. Calvert for Yahoo News)

By Garance Francke-Ruta

WASHINGTON, D.C.  I moved to Washington in the weekend of the Promise Keepers March in October of 1997. A very nice man who was in town for the march saw me and a friend struggling to move a mattress up the stairs into a Dupont Circle apartment building, and volunteered on the spot to help us lug it up three flights of stairs to the room I was renting for $425 in a unit shared with two other recent college grads.

It was a different city then: less expensive, poorer, more crime-ridden, and  critically  much, much smaller. Indeed by 1998, the city would reach its post-World War II population nadir. The metropolis that took its name from Americas first president and which flies the pattern from his ancestral coat of arms as its city flag had swollen to nearly 900,000 by the end of World War II, before heading into half a century of decline. The decommissioning of the war machine, white flight following integration, the lure of the suburbs, and the fallout from the 1968 riots shrank the population sharply. The drug and crime epidemics of the 70s, 80s, and 90s  first heroin, and then crack cocaine  would go on to drive even more people out of town, until by 1998 the population bottomed out at just 565,320 residents.

Over the next decade, the city began to recover  in part thanks to a tax credit for new homebuyers in the District, passed into law as part of a Clinton-signed tax reform package, and in part as a result of the broader movement of people back into Americas urban cores that characterized the start of the new century and saw cities around the nation begin to undergo a renaissance. But even as property values soared during the George W. Bush administration and formerly substandard buildings and vacant lots were transformed into luxury condominiums in close-in neighborhoods, the population of the city barely ticked up. It had risen to 580,236 by 2008.

Then came the Obama years. The night he was elected, the city  which gave him 93 percent of its votes  exploded in jubilation. People hung out of the cars, shouting and waving flags. Crowds spontaneously thronged the streets and the park outside the White House, smiling broadly and singing patriotic tunes. But the center of the celebration was the intersection of 14th and U Streets, a corner where young hipster Washington, historic African-American Washington, and the citys large Ethiopian immigrant community came together to celebrate the election of someone each community considered of its own. People danced in the streets, played music, cheered and shouted, and even rocked out on top of a bus shelter. Area residents fell asleep to the sound of drums.

Story continues

Over the next eight years, Washington D.C.s population took off like a rocket, until by the end of 2016 it had added more than 100,000 residents. Many of them were white, and younger. The city stopped being majority African-American, and the pace of its gentrification and renovation intensified.

Washington emerged as an island of opportunity after the national economy ground to a halt in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, thanks to the bank bailout and stimulus bills that sought to push money out to institutions and communities across the country but which were inevitably administered at first in the metropolitan area. That stability during rocky times has at times put the city out of touch with what was happening elsewhere in the country but also helped it avoid becoming a kind of Detroit in miniature, as some had feared was the citys sad, inevitable future.

That history of population change means that todays Washington is substantially something that was created on Obamas watch. It is a vibrant mixture of old and new: diverse, cosmopolitan, and more stylish than it has ever been. And as in 2008, it is overwhelmingly Democratic. Donald Trump won just over 12,000 votes in D.C. this past fall  fewer votes even than Mitt Romney, John McCain, or George W. Bush earned in the smaller Districts of the past.

Even as Trump today takes the White House, the city whose political center he will occupy remains something in many ways  literal and figurative  built under his predecessor. For the time being, it is still Obamas Washington.

Photography by Mary F. Calvert for Yahoo News

____

Read more of our inauguration coverage on Yahoo News.

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Human rights officials said Friday an indigenous environmentalist leader shot to death over the weekend had fled his community almost 10 years ago and was killed when he returned to visit a sick relative.

Isidro Baldenegro, a leader of the Raramuri indigenous group, which is known to the outside world as Tarahumara, was the second winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize to be slain in two years.

The U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner and Mexico's National Human Rights Commission said Baldenegro left the community of Coloradas de la Virgin after receiving threats and was shot when he returned Sunday.

Baldenegro, 51, led an anti-logging campaign in the Tarahumara mountains, which are home to some of northern Mexico's last old-growth forests.

"This killing is another alert about the vulnerable situation" that activists in Mexico suffer, said Jan Jarab, the Mexico representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The office said in a statement that three other anti-logging activists in Baldenegro's community were killed last year. Baldenegro's father, Julio Baldenegro, an activist who opposed logging, was slain in 1987, a killing that remains unsolved.

Isidro Baldenegro was jailed in 2003 for alleged illegal arms and marijuana possession, but the charges were dropped a year later after prosecutors said police committed abuses. At the time, Baldenegro accused influential local loggers and ranchers of persuading the police to trump up charges against him.

In an interview in jail in 2003, Baldenegro said, "If one of us dies for some reason, other people will carry on the struggle."

Authorities have said Baldenegro was shot to death by a 25-year-old man at his uncle's home. Prosecutors in northern Chihuahua state say they have identified the killer and are searching for him.

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.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f355592%2fb0f74953-e716-4b1a-9beb-b503abd81ecf

Just 6.4 miles of ice are holding an iceberg the size of Delaware onto the floating Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica, and scientists warn it could cleave off the ice-bound continent at any time.

Researchers who closely monitor the crack cutting across this particular Antarctic ice shelf reported on Thursday that it continued to make rapid progress, expanding another six miles in just the past two weeks.

SEE ALSO: An iceberg the size of Delaware is about to break off Antarctica

This means that a collapse may be imminent, at which point, one of the top 10 largest icebergs ever observed will break away into the turbulent seas off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Scientists affiliated with a group that has been tracking the ice melt in this area, known as Project MIDAS, say the iceberg could measure 5,000 square kilometers, or 1,930 square miles.

The rift in the Larsen C Ice Shelf, including the 6-mile extension in the past two weeks.

Image: Project midas/nasa

Scientists are worried that the calving event  which refers to the breaking off of the iceberg from the ice shelf  could speed up the disintegration of the broader shelf and land-based ice that lies behind it.

"When it calves, the Larsen C Ice Shelf will lose more than 10 percent of its area to leave the ice front at its most retreated position ever recorded; this event will fundamentally change the landscape of the Antarctic Peninsula," researcher Adrian Luckman wrote in a blog post.

"We have previously shown that the new configuration will be less stable than it was prior to the rift, and that Larsen C may eventually follow the example of its neighbor Larsen B, which disintegrated in 2002 following a similar rift-induced calving event," Luckman wrote.

Larsen B Ice Shelf prior to the breakup in 2002.

Image: NASA

Larsen B Ice Shelf after its breakup in 2002.

Image: nasa

The researchers found that the rift which had been progressing episodically across the floating ice shelf suddenly grew by 11.2 miles, or 18 kilometers, during the second half of December, leaving only 12.4 miles left connecting the iceberg to its parent ice shelf.

Story continues

On Thursday, that length declined to 6.4 miles of ice remaining fully intact, which puts the ice shelf in an even more tenuous position.

Scientists are not sure exactly when the iceberg will break free, but they think it will occur soon.

The length and width of the crack in the Larsen C Ice Shelf over time.

Image: Project midas

"We expect that the iceberg will break free within the next few months, although it's hard to be certain about timing," Martin O'Leary, a researcher at Swansea University in the U.K. who studies the Larsen C Ice Shelf as part of the MIDAS team, told Mashable in an email on Jan. 6.

Rifts like this are a natural phenomenon, but such large ones are rare, scientists say. They can destabilize larger parts of ice shelves and land-based ice sheets by exposing more ice to mild ocean waters and air temperatures. This has been happening in parts of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, but it is not guaranteed to happen with Larsen C.

The Larsen C Ice Shelf is the most northerly of the remaining major Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves. This part of Antarctica has been warming rapidly in recent years, and the shelf is being undermined from below by warming ocean waters, as well as from above by increasing air temperatures.

View is of a rift in the Antarctic Peninsula's Larsen C ice shelf from our airborne survey of polar ice: https://t.co/VgjxopHHLI @NASA_ICE pic.twitter.com/gt5mpHqbxn  NASA (@NASA) December 3, 2016

In 2002, Larsen C's neighbor, known as the Larsen B Ice Shelf, disintegrated entirely after a series of similar rift-induced calving events. The Larsen B calving event was featured in the opening scenes of the sci-fi climate change-related disaster film, The Day After Tomorrow.

Sea level rise implications

Floating ice shelves don't raise sea levels when they disintegrate or lose large icebergs. This is because their ice is already resting in the ocean, like an ice cube in a glass.

However, because they act like doorstops to the land-based ice behind them, when the shelves give way, the land-based glaciers can start sliding into the sea in a process that's difficult (if not impossible) to stop, long-term. It adds new water to the ocean  therefore, increasing sea levels.

The entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet contains enough ice to raise global sea levels by another 10 to 15 feet if it were all to melt. This process would likely take centuries, however, though sea level rise is already accelerating worldwide as glaciers melt and ocean temperatures increase.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fstory%2fthumbnail%2f34275%2fa3620f77-79c4-47cf-986a-32416537b6a1

Sixty-five million American voters feel you, Bill.

Hillary and Bill Clinton attended Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday and a photo snapped before the couple descended the Capitol stairs to watch the swearing in ceremony says it all.

Image: Win McNamee/Getty Images

At least you didn't have to sit through a 3 Doors Down concert, Bill.
Oracle Corporation ORCL is facing allegations over its hiring and rewarding practices. The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit alleging that the technology giant pays more to white male workers compared to non-white and female counterparts for the same job.



Further, the company allegedly favors Asian workers for product development and other technical roles compared to non-Asian workers.



However, Oracle is not the only well-known name facing the Labor departments ire. Banking giant J.P. Morgan JPM has also been sued for discriminating against female workers. Further, Alphabet GOOGL division Google is involved in a lawsuit after it failed to provide compensation data and documents for its Mountain View headquarters as part of a routine compliance evaluation.



In Sep 2016, the Labor department filed a lawsuit against data mining firm Palantir Technologies alleging systematic discrimination against Asian job applicants.



Notably, all these companies are federal contractors and hence are prohibited from practicing employment discrimination. Per Labor department federal contractors are required to take affirmative action to ensure that equal employment opportunity is provided to applicants and employees in all aspects of employment.



Consequently, an adverse judgement will not only dent brand value but also risks the cancellation of all current federal contracts. Further, unless they reform their discriminatory practices they can be barred from entering into future federal contracts.



Will Oracle Be Affected?



Federal contracts contribute a very small portion of Oracles total revenues. Per USASpending.gov data, direct sales to the federal government were $60.8 million in 2015, which was miniscule compared with its global revenues of $38.2 billion.



Oracle Corp. Price and Consensus

Oracle Corp. Price and Consensus | Oracle Corp. Quote

In Oct 2016, Oracle decided against participating through the Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) for government contracts. Reportedly, huge compliance requirements, the lawsuit threats related to False Claims Act (FCA) and the new Transactional Data Reporting (TDR) rule were cited as the primary reasons behind the decision.



Moreover, Oracles withdrawal from FSS doesnt make it ineligible for other government contracts like enterprise software awards from Department of Defense (DoD).



Notably, in the past Oracle has faced FSS-related FCA lawsuits. The company paid nearly $100 million in 2006 to settle claims against PeopleSoft and roughly $200 million in 2011 to settle allegations that it overcharged schedule customers.



Hence, we believe that barring Oracle from future government contracts (following an adverse ruling) will not materially impact the companys overall results.



Stock Price Movement



Oracle has gained 15.5% in the last one year, underperforming the Zacks Computer Software industrys increase of 22% in the same time frame.

Story continues





The underperformance of the stock can be attributed to the ongoing transition from licensing to the cloud business model that is keeping margins under pressure at the moment. Moreover, litigation matters are also keeping the share prices under check.



Currently, Oracle carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Check Point Software CHKP sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) is a stock worth watching in the sector. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The companys long-term earnings growth rate is currently pegged at 10.1% better than Oracles 9.1%.

Zacks Best Private Investment Ideas

In addition to the recommendations that are available to the public on our website, how would you like to follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time?



Our experts cover all kinds of trades from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors. Starting today, for the next month, you can have unrestricted access. Click here for Zacks' private trades >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM): Free Stock Analysis Report



Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (CHKP): Free Stock Analysis Report



Oracle Corp. (ORCL): Free Stock Analysis Report



Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
By Saad Sayeed ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Authorities in Pakistan's largest province have ordered several women's and human rights groups to shut down, accusing them of unspecified "anti-state" activities, an official of a human rights group said. Pakistan has toughened its stance against local and international non-government bodies in recent years, accusing some of using their work as a cover for espionage. In 2015, it ordered Save the Children expelled but reversed the decision. "They are shutting up people by harassment," I.A. Rehman, an official of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told Reuters on Thursday. Police and security officials have ordered about a dozen non-government organizations (NGOs) to halt operations, mostly in southern Punjab province, Rehman added, with groups working on women's and human rights appearing to be the main targets. "The provincial government has given orders to district police offices that so-and-so organization has been indulging in anti-state activities, so ban this organization," he said. Punjab's home minister, Rana Sanaullah, did not respond to written queries about the orders. However, conservative Pakistan's small community of liberal groups is worried about a new crackdown on anyone seen as criticizing the government, as concern grows over five liberal writers and activists who went missing this month. The government denies any role in the disappearances. Two officials of non-government bodies in Punjab told Reuters police had ordered their employees to halt work. "Yesterday, the police went to one of my colleagues in Bahawalpur and asked him to shut our office over there," said Mohammad Tehseen, director of South Asia Partnership Pakistan, which focuses on women's rights. The police gave him a letter, seen by Reuters, issued by the Punjab Home Department alleging that his organization was "pursuing (an) anti-state agenda". Tehseen denied the charge, and said the police would not specify any actions to support the accusation. Telephone calls to police in the city of Bahawalpur went unanswered on Thursday and Friday. Other organizations have received similar letters, Rehman said. Another NGO, Women in Struggle for Empowerment, was ordered to halt work in Punjab and obtained a copy of another letter from a provincial agency accusing it of activities "detrimental to National/Strategic Security". A copy of the letter provided to Reuters by the group's director, Bushra Khaliq, cites an order from the ministry of the interior. Sent copies of the documents, Interior Ministry spokesman Sarfaraz Ahmed said a statement would be issued later, but it had not arrived by Friday afternoon. (Additional reporting by Mubasher Bukhari; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Nine-year-old Ciara Brill had a cold over the Christmas holidays.

Then she began complaining of headaches. We gave her some Tylenol and the headaches would go away, her dad, Harold, told InsideEdition.com Thursday.

Read: Cards for Humanity: Boy, 10, Sells Baseball Card Collection to Raise Money for 2 Friends with Cancer

But then they got worse. She woke up Christmas morning with a lazy eye. Four days later, she was diagnosed with a fast-growing, inoperable brain tumor.

The doctors told Ciaras parents, Were not talking years, were talking weeks to months, her father recalled.

We just tried to wrap our heads around that. Its extremely hard. Were in a living hell right now, he added.

After weeping and plummeting into an abyss of despair, the little girls family decided sorrow could wait.

For now, the focus of life for the Brill family is to make Ciara smile every day. Her father established a GoFundMe page to raise money to show his daughter as much happiness as he can, in the time that she has left.

We just want her to enjoy every day that she has right now, her dad said. We are going to show her the world.

But first, Ciara will undergo a grueling regimen of radiation therapy  five days a week for six weeks  not in the hopes of curing her extremely rare cancer, but as a means of buying time.

Ciara has diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a particularly aggressive cancer that afflicts mostly children.

Her parents hope to take her to Hawaii, New York, Arizona and many points between. If shes up to it, they would love to take her overseas.

Read: Teen Girl with Cancer Makes Chemo Survival Bags for Fellow Patients

As of Thursday evening, her online fundraising account had received nearly $82,000 toward the familys goal of $100,000.

She knows shes very, very sick, as does her 10-year-old brother, whos also her best friend, said Harold. She knows that cancer is very, very bad.

Story continues

But the children havent been told anything more specific than that. Her parents see no reason in saying much else.

Our big focus is just to put a smile on her face, said her mom, Stacie. We just want to be together as a family. If we woke up every day dwelling on it, it would take away from time spent with her.

We pray for the best, she said.

Watch: Ashes of 6-Year-Old Boy Who Died of Cancer Held For $5,000 Ransom

Related Articles:
Paris (AFP) - Do suits suit us anymore? Designers wrestled with how to reinvent the boring old jacket and pants combo for skate-kid millennials at the Paris menswear shows Friday.

With everyone wondering if Haider Ackermann would take his scissors to the classic lines of Berluti in his debut show for the Italian brand, much brainpower is being expended on trying to make the classic two-piece relevant.

Purists need not panic, not as far as Ackermann is concerned in any case.

The Colombian-born designer's first Berluti collection was exquisite, a symphony in velvet, suede and cord, classic yet right on the button of cool.

His suits of often subtly contrasting browns and blacks were paired with coats in rich reds, blues and gold and woolly halo collars.

Trousers -- as has often happened this week -- stopped at the ankle over Berluti's trademark Chelsea boots.

The celebrity-studded audience included the British actress Tilda Swinton, a longtime fan of the 45-year-old creator, whose show earlier in the week for his own label was adored by critics.

Cerruti turned the clock back to the 1930s in its search to find the roots of the suit. The result was a show that was lock, stock and two smoking barrels of gangster chic which channelled both Al Capone and "Goodfellas" influences from the 1950s.

Wide fur-collared coats were matched with Homburg hats and three-pieces suits for the capos and shirts, braces and "Peaky Blinders" style Irish caps for the foot soldiers.

For all its mobster vibe it had none of the simmering menace of Australian Justin O'Shea's failed attempt last year to make over Brioni in his own image with gangsterish silk shirts and full-length chinchilla coats.

Margiela too eschewed cheap machismo in its collection inspired by the American Beat poets Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.

Its two suits were unadorned, simply cut showing the man within rather than trying to put on a show.

- Nice skirt, sir -

Story continues

Masanori Morikawa of Christian Dada went for a bigger statement with his rethought pinstripe suits, contrasting them with sweatshirts emblazoned with slogans like "Loser" and what seemed to be "I Don't Like the Drugs But the Drugs Like Me."

Another Japanese brand, Commes Des Garcons, went unisex, turning the conventional jacket and trousers combo into jacket and skirt or jacket and culottes.

Yohji Yamamoto deconstructed the waistcoated three-piece suit with traditional Japanese layerings, which although hugely comfortable looking, may take some convincing for the average businessman to wear.

Pinstripes had made a tentative comeback earlier in the week in Ackermann's own label show and in the debut Icosae collection by young Parisian brothers Valentin and Florentin Glemarec.

Sebastien Meunier at Ann Demeulemeester, however, went for outright romanticism, skipping back two centuries to the poets and dreamers of the early 19th century and their trailing black greatcoats.

These were the kind of dashingly gothic get-ups that Byron and Shelley would have given a finger or two on their writing hands for.

His see-through lacey greatshirts with high collars or ruff necks and hats plumed with feathers were an ode to dreamier days, ribbons trailing down to long baggy trousers.

Setting it all to Roxy Music's doomed love song "A Song for Europe" -- "Here I sit at this empty cafe, thinking of you..." -- was a stroke of genius.

"Romanticism is the DNA of this brand and we tried to keep it very strong," Meunier later told AFP.

"The show tells the story of a beautiful dandy who is in love," saying he used male and female models -- the dominant trend in this year's menswear shows -- "because love is the same for us all".
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f355900%2fbe06743c-810b-490e-8c35-f3b94a706c23

The crowds at Trumps inauguration were sparse, but the planes heading toward our nation's capital are teeming with women who are planning to protest our new President on Saturday.

Massive numbers of people are expected to gather for the Women's March on Washington, but they've started the celebration early on flights chock full of attendees en route.

One Southwest crew lit up their plane cabin in pink. But even plenty of pink pussyhatsthe unofficial accessory of the marchwere proudly on display on other flights.

Joined by plane full of women heading to D.C. #WomensMarchOnWashington. Seattle is showing up in force! pic.twitter.com/RdBdCxvn8P  Julia White (@julwhite) January 20, 2017

Many of these planes are almost exclusively carrying self-appointed 'nasty women.'

On @AlaskaAir flight 4 with plane full of women and pussy hats. Energy is electric. #WomensMarchOnWashington pic.twitter.com/DTuqqdGysr  Leslie Rugaber (@lrugaber) January 20, 2017

Just asked who onboard this @AmericanAir flight was headed to the #WomensMarchOnWashington. Almost all the passengers. pic.twitter.com/wLWg67FVmk  Pamela R Lightsey (@OneNabi) January 20, 2017

our flight is 90% marchers. D.C. better watch out. #WomensMarchOnWashington pic.twitter.com/dm6nn08EXo  samuel j smith (@smith_salmon) January 20, 2017

One flight attendant even got in the game.

Story continues

"We have a lot of women on this flight...all going to march and I love it." -Flight Attendant #WomensMarchOnWashington #GetInFormation  Brittany (@bagriffin7) January 20, 2017

It's safe to say that planes will be equally full with people flying home on Sunday, so if you're planning any weekend travel, 'might want to don a pussyhat in solidarity.
Khartoum (AFP) - The United Nations peace mission in Sudan's conflict-wracked Darfur region said Friday it had opened an inquiry after one of its units was found leaving the region with weapons.

"Members of the security section discovered weapons and military equipment in the baggage of a unit of peacekeepers during a routine changeover at El Fasher" airport in northern Darfur, a spokesman from the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said.

The force "immediately informed Sudanese authorities and opened an inquiry," spokesman Ashraf Issa said.

The UN Security Council last year extended the mandate of UNAMID until the end of June 2017 over fierce opposition from the government in Khartoum.

About 20,000 troops and policemen from more than 30 countries are currently in Darfur, a region of the size of France but UNAMID did not reveal the nationality of the unit found with weapons.

The UNAMID mission was first deployed in Darfur in 2007, a compromise between Western calls for a fully-fledged UN peacekeeping mission and Khartoum's insistence on an African solution.

Violence erupted in Darfur when ethnic minority rebels rose up against President Omar al-Bashir, accusing his Arab-dominated government of marginalising the region.

Bashir mounted a brutal counter-insurgency and at least 300,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 2003, the UN says. Another 2.5 million have fled their homes.

Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges related to Darfur, which he denies.
Returning for its third edition, the competition for chefs under the age of 30 has broadened its scope with a new region for eligible candidates. Following the success of previous editions, the contest is now open to young chefs in Central America and the Caribbean. Plus, talented hopefuls can now apply in Spanish, Mandarin, French, Italian and English.

From February 1, chefs aged under 30 can sign up to compete for the title of "S.Pellegrino Young Chef," whether practicing their trade in New York, Paris or Sydney. To enter, contenders are asked to send the recipe and a photo of their signature dish via the website www.sanpellegrino.com. A pre-selection will then be carried out by Italy's most prestigious cooking school, the Scuola Iinternazionale di Cucina Italiana, to select 10 semi-finalists from each of the 21 world regions open to the competition.

With more than 3,000 entrants from 190 countries, the competition is a growing success. The latest edition will extend the duration of the contest, which will now be held over 18 months to give young hopefuls more time to prepare for each round. The seven big-name chefs signed up to pick this year's hottest rising talent will be revealed in 2018. The competition final will take place June 22 and 23, 2018, in Milan, Italy.

The previous edition was won by American chef Mitch Lienhard. He was mentored by French chef Dominique Crenn, who heads the double-Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn restaurant in San Francisco, USA.
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.
Paris (AFP) - France's minister for women's rights said Friday she found it "surprising and shocking" that controversial Franco-Polish filmmaker Roman Polanski was chosen to preside over France's equivalent of the Oscars.

The award-winning director 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.

The decision to honour him at France's annual Cesars ceremony has infuriated women's groups, with many taking to social media to call for a boycott of the televised show.

Minister Laurence Rossignol told France Culture radio she found it "surprising and shocking that a rape case counts for little in the life of a man".

The choice of 83-year-old Polanski to head the Cesars jury showed "an indifference with regard to the acts of which he is accused" and "a sort of banalisation of rape," she said.

A petition calling for him to be removed as president of the 42nd Cesars, to take place in Paris on February 24, had garnered over 42,000 signatures by Friday.

The French Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques however praised the director as an "insatiable aesthete".

Polanski was accused of drugging Samantha Gailey before raping her at a friend's house in Los Angeles in 1977.

He pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with a minor, or statutory rape, as part of a plea bargain, but later fled to France.

Polanski said he was convinced that US authorities would scrap the plea deal and hand him a hefty prison sentence.

He 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 in October, with the country's supreme court backing the decision two months later.
WOODFORD, Va. (AP)  Virginia State Police say a Caroline County sheriff's deputy fatally shot a man who threatened to harm himself and deputies and refused to drop a handgun during a domestic call.

Police said in a statement Friday that deputies responded to a call in the Woodford area Thursday night. Police say the deputies found 49-year-old William Fisher in an outbuilding. Police say Fisher had a handgun and continuously threatened to harm himself and deputies. Police say Fisher refused to drop the weapon and was shot by a deputy. He died at the scene.

Police say no deputies were injured. State police are investigating.

Police spokesman Sgt. Steve Vick says Fisher was white. Officials didn't give the deputy's race or name.

Sheriff A.A. Lippa Jr. says the deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration Friday, urging the new president to keep fighting for the poor at a time of "grave humanitarian crises."

Francis offered his "cordial good wishes" and hoped Trump would be granted "wisdom and strength in the exercise" of his office.

But the pontiff struck a cautionary chord in his message to Trump, imploring the former reality TV star to continue to help those who suffer the most.

"At a time when our human family is beset by grave humanitarian crises demanding farsighted and united political responses, I pray that your decisions will be guided by the rich spiritual and ethical values that have shaped the history of the American people and your nation's commitment to the advancement of human dignity and freedom worldwide," wrote Francis.

"Under your leadership, may America's stature continue to be measured above all by its concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need who, like Lazarus, stand before our door."

Earlier in Washington, Trump had placed his left hand on a bible used by Abraham Lincoln and recited the US presidential oath.

But in his inauguration speech, Trump gave little indication his thoughts matched the Pope's as he vowed to put "only America first" and make the country "rich again".
The memory of a beloved pet inspires one couple's fight against injustice.
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- A business owner on Philadelphia's historic Jewelers Row was charged on Friday with fencing jewelry and other items stolen from luxury homes in the suburbs.

A burglary ring pilfered more than $1.5 million worth of expensive watches, jewelry, money and high-end purses in 15 thefts between August 2015 and July 2016, the Montgomery County district attorney's office said.

Wasim Shazad, of East Norriton, then used his storefronts on Jewelers Row, the nation's oldest diamond district, to buy and sell the stolen goods, prosecutors said.

Shazad was arraigned Friday on charges that include belonging to a corrupt organization and receiving stolen property. He was jailed on $250,000 bail. He couldn't be reached for comment while in custody, and online court records don't list an attorney who can comment on his behalf.

Four burglary suspects were first charged in July. Police said they operated in Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties outside Philadelphia.

In one robbery, the crooks forced their way into a home, tied up the resident, threw a safe from a second-floor balcony and made off with $500,000 worth of jewelry and expensive handbags, court documents say.

Police said they identified Shazad as the burglars' fence through eyewitnesses, surveillance, undercover operations and a review of his finances.
(WASHINGTON)  District of Columbia police are using tear gas canisters in a confrontation with protesters in downtown Washington.

Some people are being treated for exposure to tear gas and some people are vomiting.

Police have blocked off both sides of the street. Protesters were throwing bricks and concrete at police. One protester wearing a mask smashed a bank window. And demonstrators have blocked streets with newspaper boxes.

Another protester was standing on a mailbox and waving a rainbow flag.

Police are in riot gear, and that includes helmets and body shields.

Protesters have blocked streets with newspaper boxes.

Spirited demonstrations unfolded peacefully at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read, Resist Trump Climate Justice Now, Let Freedom Ring, Free Palestine.

But at one point, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of downtown businesses as they denounced capitalism and Trump. Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters and eventually cordoned off the protesters, who shouted, Hands up, dont shoot, as a helicopter hovered overhead.

The confrontation happened about an hour before Trumps swearing-in at the Capitol.

Closer to that scene, lines for ticket holders entering two gates stretched for blocks at one point as protesters clogged entrances.

Earlier, the DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, had promised that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest when necessary.

Trump supporter Brett Ecker said the protesters were frustrating but werent going to put a damper on his day.

Theyre just here to stir up trouble, said the 36-year-old public school teacher. It upsets me a little bit that people choose to do this, but yet again its one of the things I love about this country.

Story continues

At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay. Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organize the Disrupt J20 protest, said protesters wanted to show Trump and his misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous supporters that they wont be silent.

Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard.

Most Trump supporters walking to the inauguration past Union Station ignored protesters outside the train station, but not Doug Rahm, who engaged in a lengthy and sometimes profane yelling match with them.

Get a job, said Rahm, a Bikers for Trump member from Philadelphia. Stop crying snowflakes, Trump won.

Outside the International Spy Museum, protesters in Russian hats ridiculed Trumps praise of President Vladimir Putin, marching with signs calling Trump Putins Puppet and Kremlin employee of the month.

More demonstrations were planned for later in the day. For one DisruptJ20 event, a march beginning at Columbus Circle outside Union Station, participants were asked to gather at noon, the same time as Trumps swearing-in as the 45th president.

The route for the march, which organizers called a Festival of Resistance, ran about 1.5 miles to McPherson Square, a park about three blocks from the White House, where a rally featuring the filmmaker and liberal activist Michael Moore was planned.

Were going to throw a party in the streets for our side, organizer David Thurston told reporters last week, adding that drummers, musicians and a float of dancers were planned for the march.

Along the parade route, the ANSWER Coalition anti-war group planned demonstrations at two locations.

Protesters and supporters of Trump clashed Thursday evening outside a pro-Trump event in Washington. Police used chemical spray on some protesters in an effort to control the unruly crowd. Hundreds gathered outside the National Press Club in downtown Washington, where the DeploraBall was being held. The name is a play on a campaign remark by Hillary Clinton, who once referred to many of Trumps supporters as a basket of deplorables.

The demonstrations wont end when Trump takes up residence in the White House. A massive Womens March on Washington is planned for Saturday. Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbias homeland security director, has said 1,800 buses have registered to park in the city Saturday, which could mean nearly 100,000 people coming in just by bus.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Protesters set fires and hurled bricks in a daylong assault on the city hosting Donald Trump's inauguration, registering their rage against the new president in a series of clashes that led to more than 200 arrests. Police used pepper spray and stun grenades to prevent the chaos from spilling into Trump's formal procession and evening balls.

Several spirited demonstrations unfolded peacefully at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read, "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now," ''Let Freedom Ring" and "Free Palestine."

But about a mile from the National Mall, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of downtown businesses including a Starbucks, a Bank of America and a McDonald's as they denounced capitalism and Trump. Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters to help contain the violence, which erupted periodically throughout the day.

"They began to destroy property, throw objects at people, through windows. A large percentage of this small group was armed with crowbars and hammers," said the city's interim police chief, Peter Newsham.

Six officers suffered minor injuries, he said.

The confrontation began an hour before Trump took the oath of office and escalated several hours later as the crowd of protesters swelled to more than 1,000, some wearing gas masks and with arms chained together inside PVC pipe. One said the demonstrators were "bringing in the cavalry."

When some crossed police lines, taunting, "Put the pigs in the ground," police charged with batons and pepper spray, as well as stun grenades, which are used to shock and disperse crowds. Loud booms echoed through the streets about six blocks from where Trump would soon hold his inaugural parade.

Some protesters picked up bricks and concrete from the sidewalk and hurled them at police lines. Some rolled large, metal trash cans at police.

Story continues

Later, they set fire to a limousine on the perimeter of the secured zone, sending black smoke billowing into the sky during Trump's procession.

As night fell, protesters set a bonfire blocks from the White House and frightened well-dressed Trump supporters as they ventured to the new president's inaugural balls. Police briefly ordered ball goers to remain inside their hotel as they worked to contain advancing protesters.

Police said they charged 217 people with rioting, said Newsham, noting that the group caused "significant damage" along a number of blocks.

Before Inauguration Day, the DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, had promised that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest when necessary.

Trump supporter Brett Ecker said the protesters were frustrating but weren't going to put a damper on his day.

"They're just here to stir up trouble," said the 36-year-old public school teacher. "It upsets me a little bit that people choose to do this, but yet again, it's one of the things I love about this country."

At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay. Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organize the DisruptJ20 protest, said protesters wanted to show Trump and his "misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous" supporters that they won't be silent.

Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard. Outside the International Spy Museum, protesters in Russian hats ridiculed Trump's praise of President Vladimir Putin, marching with signs calling Trump "Putin's Puppet" and "Kremlin employee of the month."

Friday's protests spread across the nation and as far abroad as Australia.

In Sydney, thousands rallied in the city's central Hyde Park. One organizer said hatred, bigotry and racism are not only America's problems.

In San Francisco, thousands formed a human chain on the Golden Gate Bridge and chanted "Love trumps hate." In the city's financial district, a few hundred protesters blocked traffic outside an office building partly owned by Trump.

In Atlanta, protests converged at City Hall and a few hundred people chanted and waved signs protesting Trump, denouncing racism and police brutality and expressing support for immigrants, Muslims and the Black Lives Matter movement.

In Nashville, half a dozen protesters chained themselves to the doors of the Tennessee Capitol. Hundreds also sat in a 10-minute silent protest at a park while Trump took the oath of office. Organizers led a prayer, sang patriotic songs and read the Declaration of Independence aloud.

In the Pacific Northwest, demonstrators in Portland, Oregon, burned U.S. flags and students at Portland State University walked out of classes. Police in Portland used incendiary devices and tear gas to disperse a crowd that at one point numbered in the thousands. About 200 protesters gathered on the Capitol steps in Olympia, Washington, carrying signs that included the messages "Resist Trump" and "Not My Problem." Olympia police reported about 100 marchers causing some traffic disruptions downtown, and protesters also marched in Seattle.

The demonstrations won't end when Trump takes up residence in the White House.

A massive Women's March on Washington is planned for Saturday. Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbia's homeland security director, has said 1,800 buses have registered to park in the city Saturday, which could mean nearly 100,000 people coming in just by bus.

___

Associated Press writers contributing to this report were: Steve Peoples, Alan Suderman, Matthew Barakat, Alanna Durkin Richer, Luis Alonso Lugo, Tami Abdollah, Chad Day and Brian Witte in Washington; Kate Brumback in Atlanta; Jonathan Mattise and Erik Schelzig in Nashville; Janie Har and Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco; and Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Oregon.

___

Follow Jessica Gresko on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jessicagresko
On the morning of President Donald J. Trumps inauguration, protesters across Washington positioned themselves at police barricades and checkpoints in an attempt to block people from gaining access to the inaugural festivities.

From 6th Street and Indiana Avenue N.W., near both the D.C. Superior Court and the Metropolitan Police Headquarters, to McPherson Square, just a stones throw from the White House, protesters formed walls, sang songs, chanted, and faced police with one very forceful message: as the presidency of Trump begins, so does the resistance to it. As of 1:30p.m. on Friday, D.C. police said they had made more than 90 arrests.

Sunsara Taylor of a self-described anti-fascism group led a chant of marchers in McPherson Square Park in Washington, the hub for many of the protest events.

In the name of humanity, we refuse to accept a fascist America, she said, leading the gathered crowd in chant before leading a march down K Street NW. Protest is righteous, but more than that protest is needed, Taylor told TIME, adding that she believes Trump is leading a lynch mob form of rule.

Before daylight broke, there was calm across D.C. Outside of the Metropolitan Police Headquarters, a small crowd of protesters holding painted signs that read Black Lives Matter had gathered. A woman on a megaphone declared they represented, people that live here who are not going anywhere.

D.C. is not immune to police violence, she said. Not immune to police brutality.

Read More: See the Evolution of Protests in Washington

Just three blocks away on 6th Street, protesters with Showing up for Racial Justice, or SURJ, was attempting to block a gate. They sang the classic gospel song This Little Light of Mine as a man in the crowd attempted to drown out their voices with a Trump! chant. It didnt work, but neither did their attempt to shut down the entrance, which was opened a couple minutes after TIME arrived.

Story continues

Mikayla Lytton, 28, has lived in D.C. for five years. This morning, she joined SURJ activists, a mostly white group that says it aims to disrupt white nationalism from within white spaces. The group arrived at the 6th street checkpoint before sunlight and stood in line to try to block entry for those who filed in behind them. Lytton said she was driven to participate by Trumps rhetoric which she said has been characterized by what can only be described as white supremacy.

Its racist, its xenophobic, its Islamophobic, its ableist, its misogynist. I could go on with so many -isms, she said. The folks who I showed up with brought love, brought hope, brought peace, and brought solidarity.

At every turn in downtown Washington, those seeking to celebrate the inauguration of President Trump were met with those seeking to disrupt it, led by an alliance of organizations working together under the hashtag #DisruptJ20. They represent all sorts of communities: anti-capitalists, Dakota Access Pipeline protesters from Standing Rock, marijuana legalization advocates, LGBTQ activists and allies, racial justice warriors, animal rights groups and environmentalists.

On Thursday night, the rabble rousers had prepared for the day ahead by gathering at a church in upper northwest Washington. On the corner outside, a line of silent people stood holding candles as a part of a vigil for justice and peace that had been organized by a church leader further up the block. Cars honked as the passed by, eliciting whoops from the gatherers.

Inside the church the atmosphere was warm and anxious, but also easy for an outsider to feel like an infiltrator, which organizer Lilly Diagle made clear were not welcome to the folks sitting crosslegged on the floor awaiting guidelines for how to avoid arrest and where to meet for food.

Daigle, 28, told TIME that #Disruptj20 had been in the works since May, originally planned as a way for D.C. activists and organizers to educate groups from across the U.S. on the work activists do within the nations capital. But after Trump was elected, they decided to refocus the event into something more. The goal now, she said, was as their name suggested: to mess things up.

To demonstrate that people are going to be resisting Trumps hateful agenda from the minute hes inaugurated, she said.

Over Martin Luther King weekend, the organization hosted daily trainings in nonviolence and resistance, deescalation and legal rights that continued up until the event. Protest actions were interspersed throughout the week, too. On Wednesday, gatherers hosted a queer dance party on Vice President Mike Pences block in Chevy Chase. And Thursday night protestors were outside of the Deploraball hosted by white nationalists who refer to themselves as the alt-right. But all of the subsequent actions were meant as a preview for the main event on Friday.

As the day went on, there were moments of both calm and chaos. The lightheartedness of the dance party carried over into a blockade on 13th Street NW where Sessi Blanchard and her friend traveled from Vassar College in New York to join a group of protesters holding rainbow flags and signs expressing their solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

Were out here to take up space and dance, she said, before whispering Trump is a fascist to passersby.

Demonstrators elsewhere were met with pepper spray and force by police. The Associated Press reported windows at local restaurants had been smashed and videos posted on social media showed protesters running from police spraying canisters of gas near Washingtons Franklin Square.

As TIME approached a crowd at 10th and F Streets NW just after 8 a.m., pepper spray had just been used on the crowd after protesters and Trump supporters got into a shoving match. Demonstrators doused their eyes in water as others formed human chains near police barricades. A band came later, creating background music for protests chants including the future is feminist and no justice, no peace.

After 9 a.m., protestors from Standing Rock were being dragged away from the police barricades they had successfully blocked by groups of officers who had descended on the area. Members had come prepared for arrest, but mostly they wanted to bring attention to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Were peaceful. Were not here to cause and violence. Were here to get the word out. This pipeline has not stopped and were not going anywhere, said Fallon Horstmeyer of Topanga, Calif.

Sean Carney, originally from New Hampshire, traveled from the Standing Rock protests in North Dakota with 50 others who were among the demonstrators.

Were here to stand in solidarity with pretty much every single social justice movement from the past 50 years. Theyre all here today, Carney said. Whats happening in that White House and in this city is scary.

Pat Murdock of Chicago was near the Standing Rock protest attempting to gain access to the parade route, wearing a Trump hat and T-shirt.

We believe in free speech, including speech we disagree with, he said. I wish they would just let us get through.

As the President Trump, Vice President Pence, their families and lawmakers dined at the inaugural luncheon the streets of D.C. erupted. Clashes between demonstrators and police led to more pepper spray. Many dragged trash bins, newsstands, and mobile bus stop signs into the streets. While images of the 45th president waving to crowds aligning the parade route flashed across cable television screens, smoke filled the air along K Street NW where protesters had lit a limousine ablaze. But still, there was peaceful protest. Throughout the day demonstrators at McPherson Square sang songs, painted a mural, and hugged.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Inauguration Day was a gray and occasionally drizzly affair in Americas capital, and anti-Donald Trump protesters turned out in force to demonstrate against the new presidents administration. Over 200 were arrested amid confrontations with police.

The downtown streets of a city that voted more than 90 percent for Hillary Clinton were largely deserted with the exception of a mixture of anti-Trump protesters, many of whom were local, and Trump supporters, mostly from outside the area, trying to get through a complicated and shifting maze of barricades and security checkpoints. Stands and pens along the parade route were astonishingly empty by early afternoon.

Parade route from Capital to WH. Entire stands empty. Crowd thin. pic.twitter.com/7AcpJkBO8O  Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) January 20, 2017

Democracy, it seemed, was in the streets.

Police standing guard near 12th & K pic.twitter.com/jBIsvie5rU  Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) January 20, 2017

Small bands of protesters, unable or unwilling to reach designated protest zones, smashed the windows of vehicles and banks. Washington police said 217 demonstrators were arrested, and accused of rioting during inauguration protests. Six officers suffered minor injuries, authorities said.

Damage to businesses up & down I st. pic.twitter.com/KLucvivMDX  Alex Emmons (@AlexanderEmmons) January 20, 2017

A limousine is destroyed by protesters. US Army Soldiers are standing guard now to protect the vehicles on the street. #NBC4DC pic.twitter.com/jMvjcRMTaU  Tracee Wilkins (@TraceeWilkins) January 20, 2017

Protesters smash windows of Bank of America, police moving in pic.twitter.com/lJZDQSwagB  Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) January 20, 2017

Others faced aggressive crowd-control measures from police, including pepper spray, tear gas and loud sounds.

Story continues

Fire on K Street growing pic.twitter.com/6rmruyjhVz  Matea Gold (@mateagold) January 20, 2017

Black masked protestors now throwing rocks at police line pic.twitter.com/KDQEbAr1Xq  Nick Corasaniti (@NYTnickc) January 20, 2017

The anti fascist are back, on 12 and K. Big Bang went off just before this, I think it was a flash grenade pic.twitter.com/pA414svrFL  Nick Corasaniti (@NYTnickc) January 20, 2017

But thousands of other protesters massed peacefully just blocks away from the most confrontational action, wearing pink Pussyhats or chanting and carrying signs.

"Her math teacher made the hats" Meada Daly from RI here for tomorrow's march. #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/lQJr5foV2P  Garance Franke-Ruta (@thegarance) January 20, 2017

Ruth Fitts, a children's library associate fr Alabama & DC: "living in DC I feel responsible to show up for people who don't live as close" pic.twitter.com/8tIIisvYRI  Garance Franke-Ruta (@thegarance) January 20, 2017

They came to join protests partially put together by the Answer Coalition and the DisruptJ20 movement. The latter had smaller issue-oriented affinity groups blocking early-morning access to the gates to the inauguration parade route.

Protestors, with signs ranging from "Support Palestine" to "The Pope is an Antichrist," block one #Inauguration2017 entrance. pic.twitter.com/cL57HqCZDE  Guy Marzorati (@GuyMarzorati) January 20, 2017

Protestors from the Future is Feminist blocking their checkpoint so successfully that police forced to find an alternate entrance. pic.twitter.com/xp2mp7Ii5X   #DisruptJ20  (@DisruptJ20) January 20, 2017

Some wore coordinated costumes to highlight the investigation into Trumps ties to Russia and the Russian intelligence hacking of Democrats during the election.

They were greeted by shouting from groups of Trump supporters with Bikers for Trump, his much-discussed Wall of Meat.

Some of the most dramatic scenes of disorder took place after Trump was sworn in and gave his inaugural remarks, and took place right under the windows of the Washington Post offices.

Protesters now dragging park benches over to makeshift bonfire in the middle of K Street. pic.twitter.com/4TlmQAYxTq  Matea Gold (@mateagold) January 20, 2017

Elsewhere musicians performed and entertained the crowds long after the amplified inauguration music had ceased ringing out across the streets of downtown Washington.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:

_____

Related slideshows:

Slideshow: Womens March on Washington D.C. >>>

Slideshow: Womens March around the world >>>

Slideshow: How newspapers covered Presidents Trump inauguration >>>

Slideshow: Anti-Trump inauguration protests break out in U.S. >>>

Slideshow: Protests worldwide against the inauguration of Donald Trump >>>

Slideshow: Obamas Washington >>>

Slideshow: Donald Trumps Inauguration Day >>>

Slideshow: 66 hands on 66 Bibles >>>

_____
Uber protest

SAN FRANCISCO  Several protesters barricaded the front of Uber headquarters here on Friday.

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is a member of President Donald Trump's economic advisory team, called the Strategic and Policy Forum.

A few protesters were chained to the front door of the building on Market Street, and no employees were able to enter, according to Business Insider's correspondent at the site.

The building's side doors were also blocked by protesters before police were able to clear the area. Uber has told its employees to work from home or other offices, BuzzFeed News reported.

Square's headquarters are also in the building.

At one point, protesters were able to close down Market Street, a major San Francisco thoroughfare, between 10th and 11th streets. There was a heavy police presence at the office building.

"Trump thinks he runs this town, we have come to shut it down," the protesters chanted. "Stop Trump, stop the hate, Uber don't collaborate."

Several protesters wore signs that said, "Uber collaborates, we resist."

"Uber collaborates with the incoming Trump administration, Travis Kalanick is on Trump's economic advisory board, and he is an adviser to the incoming Trump administration," Sarah Nelson, a spokesperson for Jobs With Justice, which helped coordinate the protest, told Business Insider.

"If Uber's employment policies become Trump's policies, that will be bad for American workers," she said.

Uber said in a statement provided to Business Insider: "As a company, we're committed to working with government on issues that affect riders, drivers, and the cities where we operate. Just as we worked with the Obama administration, we'll work with the Trump administration, too."

Uber protest

Uber protest

Uber protest

Story continues

Market a street shut down between 10th and 11th streets. Police marked off block to prevent more from joining.#J20 #120Hours #ReclaimMLK pic.twitter.com/g57PNWzAm9  Indybay (@Indybay) January 20, 2017

Anti-Trump Protesters take over @Uber HQ on Market Street between Van Ness and 11th. All entrances blocked @SFPD ready to move in #KTVU pic.twitter.com/KfmBAnJCbr  taramoriarty (@taramoriarty1) January 20, 2017





More From Business Insider


Mexico City, Mexico Protesters light a figure of U.S. President Donald Trump on fire during a protest in Mexico City, Mexico January 20, 2017. (REUTERS/Carlos Jasso)

A banner reading Build bridges not walls was draped across Londons Tower Bridge on Friday as part of a series of protests across the world aimed at expressing displeasure at the inauguration of Donald Trump as U.S. president.

Protesters on the drawbridge, with its two Gothic-style towers, held up pink letters reading Act now! soon after sunrise, while others unfurled the banner over the railings and a speedboat with a black flag reading build bridges not walls raced down the River Thames.

Several hundred people, most of them expatriate Americans, held a protest on Friday in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, hours before his inauguration in Washington. Some people held up electric candles and others carried placards reading Love Trumps Hate and Womens Rights Are Human Rights, as they marched along a downtown street.

In the Philippines earlier on Friday, about 200 demonstrators from a Philippine nationalist group rallied for about an hour against Trump outside the U.S. embassy in Manila. Some held up signs demanding U.S. troops leave the Philippines while others set fire to a paper U.S. flag bearing a picture of Trumps face. Trumps presidency is being viewed with caution in some parts of Asia. (Reuters)

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr.

See more of our inauguration coverage here.
By Nick Brown (Reuters) - Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello on Friday criticized a set of recommendations by the federal board in charge of managing the U.S. territory's finances, signaling a potential power struggle between the government and the board on how to pull the island out of economic crisis. In a letter to the board on Friday, Rossello said that while he supports reducing government spending, he would not focus on layoffs as a primary means of saving money. He also took a more moderate stance on reducing repayments to holders of the island's $70 billion in debt, saying his administration had a "fundamental willingness to pay based upon available resources." The board, in a letter to the governor on Wednesday, said the island may have only $800 million available annually for debt service, just 21 percent of what it owes. The board's letter had called for Puerto Rico to save more than $4.5 billion a year through a mix of savings and new revenues, including by "right-sizing government" through a 30 percent reduction in payroll and other means. The board also said it favored extending some key deadlines that could give Rossello's administration more time to negotiate consensual restructuring deals with creditors. [L1N1F82HL] In addition to its debt from a myriad of public issuers, Puerto Rico is struggling with a 45 percent poverty rate and unemployment that is more than twice the mainland U.S. average. The bipartisan, seven-member oversight board was created under the federal Puerto Rico rescue law known as PROMESA, passed by the U.S. Congress last year. It is charged with helping the island manage its finances and negotiate restructuring deals with creditors. Rossello's adversarial tone could score him political points on an island where many locals view the oversight board as an extension of U.S. imperialism. However, his policies and the board's vision may be more aligned than not. For instance, both stress the need for the island to reduce spending and create new revenue sources. That is a departure from Rossello's predecessor, former Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla, who called for dramatic repayment cuts in favor of maintaining government services. Rossello and the board may clash on healthcare spending, with the board calling for $1 billion a year in savings. Puerto Rico's Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs are in financial trouble, due in part to federal government reimbursement levels that are disproportionately smaller than what is given to U.S. states. Rossello said he felt "highly confident" his administration would convince Congress to increase that funding. "There is no single political leader in the world that would want to be responsible for ... endangering the health and wellbeing of 3.5 million of its citizens," the governor said. The board also called on Puerto Rico to annually save $300 million in higher education spending and $200 million in pension costs. Rossello said he would implement means-testing for tuition rates at the University of Puerto Rico, move pension benefits into private accounts, and implement rules to treat some pension benefits as taxable ordinary income. (Reporting by Nick Brown; Editing by Daniel Bases and Andrew Hay)
A documentary of the hard rock band Rammstein is set to be screened in theaters around the world in March 23.

Swedish director Jonas Akerlund helmed the film, which was shot during the legendary German band's sold-out shows at Paris's Bercy Arena in 2012, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It was filmed over two nights using 30 cameras.



"I compare it to shooting fireworks," says Akerlund of shooting concert films, according to THR. "The way I approach it is to try to translate the energy that you get in the room onto film, using every trick in the book to make as much of an impression as I can on the audience."

"Rammstein: Paris" is set to be shown in 350 theaters internationally.
Donald Trump delivered his first speech as President of the United States on Friday morning.

Trump was joined at the inauguration by members of his family, including his wife Melania Trump, and his children Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump and Barron Trump. Outgoing President Barack Obama, along with former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were also in attendance.

Ahead of his speech, Trump aide Kellyanne Conway said the American people could expect Trumps address to be a message to unify the country. Youre going to hear a man of action, a man of resolve in what we all know to be a divided country, Conway said Friday morning on CBS.

Read the full transcript of his remarks below:

[*] TRUMP: Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans and people of the world, thank you.

(APPLAUSE) 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.

(APPLAUSE)

Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges, we will confront hardships, but we will get the job done.

Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent. Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

Todays ceremony, however, has very special meaning because today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people.

(APPLAUSE)

For too long, a small group in our nations capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nations capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

Story continues

(APPLAUSE)

That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment, it belongs to you.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.

(APPLAUSE)

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.

(APPLAUSE)

January 20th, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

(APPLAUSE)

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

(APPLAUSE)

Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before.

(APPLAUSE)

At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction, that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public.

But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

(APPLAUSE) We are one nation and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams. And their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

(APPLAUSE)

For many decades, weve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military. Weve defended other nations borders while refusing to defend our own.

(APPLAUSE)

And spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while Americas infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. Weve made other countries rich, while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon.

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world.

But that is the past. And now, we are looking only to the future.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, its going to be only America first, America first.

(APPLAUSE)

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs.

(APPLAUSE)

Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every breath in my body and I will never ever let you down.

(APPLAUSE)

America will start winning again, winning like never before.

(APPLAUSE)

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.

(APPLAUSE)

We will build new roads and highways and bridges and airports and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work, rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.

(APPLAUSE)

We will follow two simple rules; buy American and hire American.

(APPLAUSE)

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first. We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example. We will shine for everyone to follow.

(APPLAUSE)

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate from the face of the Earth.

(APPLAUSE)

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

(APPLAUSE)

The bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when Gods people live together in unity. We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

(APPLAUSE)

There should be no fear. We are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly, we will be protected by God.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining, but never doing anything about it.

(APPLAUSE)

The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.

(APPLAUSE)

Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.

We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions.

Its time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots.

(APPLAUSE)

We all enjoy the same glorious freedoms and we all salute the same great American flag.

(APPLAUSE)

And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the wind-swept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they will their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator.

(APPLAUSE)

So to all Americans in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words. You will never be ignored again.

(APPLAUSE) Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And yes, together we will make America great again.

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

God bless America.

(APPLAUSE)
From ELLE

On Saturday, January 21, hundreds of thousands of women, men, nonbinary folks, and children are expected to join together in Washington, D.C., as well as in a growing number of sister marches around the country.

As students, we like to prepare by doing some reading in advance, and as writers we know the importance of thorough background research. So if you'll be joining us in the District, at an affiliated march, or in spirit, we want to offer you some suggestions. There won't be a quiz, so you can always catch up in the weeks and months to come. We hope these texts can serve as a means to keep the conversation going.

Ground this moment in some history.

No matter what President-elect Trump says, Representative John Lewis was never *just* talk. Check out his National Book Awardwinning graphic novel trilogy, March.

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks by Jeanne Theoharis is a must read. When attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions lays claim to some sense of enlightenment when pointing to his commendation of Rosa Parks-"It is fair to say that in the history of this effort, the most dramatic and productive chapter was ignited by the lady we seek to honor"-you'll know the full dimension of her story. Barbara Ransby's biography of civil rights leader Ella Baker, Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement, is a necessary reminder that women have been the central leaders of justice movements, even when their contributions and impact are eclipsed in our public memory by charismatic male leadership.

Read Lynne Olson's Freedom's Daughters and you will know the shoulders you are standing on and the giant footsteps you are marching in this weekend. For the same reason, we recommend you dig into A Dolores Huerta Reader, a collection of the writings and interviews of one of the most influential labor and civil rights advocates of the 20th century.

Then pick up a copy of Diane Fujino's Heartbeat of Struggle: The Revolutionary Life of Yuri Kochiyama and learn about a woman whose radical contributions to the black liberation struggle began with forcible relocation to an internment camp during World War II.

Story continues

Finally, spend some time with Taylor Branch's America in the King Years. This trilogy is the best reminder that justice movements are long, messy, and nonlinear.

Okay, time to get our theory and strategy together.

The march's co-chairs have written and spoken about why intersectional organizing is necessary. Learn what they're talking about when they say "intersectional" with Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw's foundational article "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color." Patricia Hill Collins' Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment is the bible of black feminism, outlining how oppression threatens black women's lives from pop culture to public policy. "La Guera" by Cherrie Moraga in This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color is an important early work by a queer Chicana feminist informing theory of addressing all facets of oppression in the lives of queer women of color simultaneously and not separately.

We challenge you to commit the entire Combahee River Collective Statement to memory, especially since 2017 marks the 40th anniversary of this foundational black feminist gathering. Grounded in these intersectional classics, get into the newest iterations of intersectionality, with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's We Should All Be Feminists (obviously we should). And don't miss Alicia Garza's Herstory of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, if you want to see how sisters are working to get us all free.

During her lifetime of activism, Grace Lee Boggs never lost her optimism, in part because her faith was in the rooted in the power of people. Read her practical guide to The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the 21st Century.

Audre Lourde defined the Sister Outsider, bell hooks moved feminist theory from Margin to the Center, Cathy Cohen embraced the Punks, Bulldaggers, and Welfare Queens.

The women's march isn't an academic exercise, it is an act of real politics, and much is at stake. These selections will help you prepare.

Get to know the voting record of your Congressional representatives. Then read Timothy O'Brien's TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald. Trump sued O'Brien in reaction to the book, meaning he may be the only person in the American media who has seen the President-elect's tax returns in the last decade. Pick up Gilbert King's Devil in the Grove to remind yourself of the importance of questioning those in positions of power.

As Islam continues to be blamed and mischaracterized by elected officials and in the public sphere, educate yourself on the world's second-largest religion: Lesley Hazleton's The First Muslim: The Story of Muhammad provides an early history of the founding of Islam; John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed's Who Speaks for Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think offers a discussion of the faith and political views of Muslims based on the actual voices and beliefs of Muslims; and Eboo Patel's Sacred Ground: Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America discusses how 9/11 affected Muslims in the United States and the promise of interfaith movements.

Dorothy Roberts' Killing the Black Body has just been re-released for its 20th anniversary. Read it to understand how much is at stake for reproductive rights. This reporting by the Los Angeles Times and ELLE.com's feature on 20-week abortion bans are chilling reminders of how much has already been lost.

This New Yorker profile of New York City Council member Ritchie Torres takes a local look at the devastating potential impact of the Department of Housing and Urban Development disinvesting in public housing. Ari Berman's Give Us the Ballot is a reminder of what is at stake if we don't reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. The Manufactured Crisis: Myths, Fraud, and the Attack on America's Public Schools is a scathing look at who benefits from the story that our schools are broken. (Hint: private interests like those represented by Betsy DeVos, Trump's nominee for secretary of education.)

Finally, as a reminder, Daniel Moynihan's 1965 report, The Negro Family: The Case for National Action, tells us just how dangerous it is when an administration allows racial myths to shape public policy.

At last, it is time to let the voices of girls and women speak for themselves. We call this #GirlPower, #BlackGirlMagic, #BrownGirlMagic, #GirlsLikeUs

(R)evolution: The Girls Write Now 2016anthology is a collection of young women writing for their lives in an NYC summer program called Girls Write Now!

Amani Al-Khatahtbeh's Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age undermines stereotypes but, more importantly, gives voice to a smart, funny, and committed young writer. Phoebe Robinson's You Can't Touch My Hair tackles race and gender with humor and politically driven wit. Her suggestions for the first woman president encompass all the ill-fated expectations of the 2016 election.

Pick up the Crunk Feminist Collection for essays from some of our favorite sister bloggers. Before there were Crunks, there were hip-hop feminists. Joan Morgan's When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down is officially a classic.

Janet Mock is working on the second volume to her coming-of-age memoir, Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More. Read the first while you wait for the next one. And Leslie Feinberg's Stone Butch Blues is a necessary read if you think North Carolina's House Bill 2 (the transgender "bathroom bill") is just about bathrooms.

The Sisters Are Alright: Changing the Narrative of Broken Black Women in America by Tamara Winfrey Harris reminds us of what is right with black women as media and other institutions recycle tales of what's wrong.

Happy reading. See you in D.C.!

-The ELLE.com Scholars

You Might Also Like
By Piya Sinha-Roy PARK CITY, Utah (Reuters) - Actor and filmmaker Robert Redford opened the Sundance Independent Film Festival on Thursday by steering clear of politics and instead criticizing the news industry. "The news media world has shrunk into more of a sound bite world. Everything's so clipped and short, it gives you no time to digest, no time to contemplate. It's already moving onto the next event," Redford said at Sundance's opening news conference. Documentaries, on the other hand, are filling the gap Redford said, highlighting their growing role at the industry's biggest indie film festival. "I felt like documentaries are having a more important role than ever because it becomes long-form journalism. It has a chance to really tell the story so the public can really digest it and see how they feel." The 80-year-old Oscar-winning filmmaker faced numerous questions about Republican U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on Friday. Much of Hollywood opposed Trump in the 2016 elections and instead raised millions of dollars for his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Redford did reflect on one of his most notable roles, as Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward in the 1976 Watergate thriller "All the President's Men," saying he learned the value of investigative journalism. "Dig in and dig deep - those two things affected my filmmaking attitude," he said. A leading Hollywood man in the 1970s and 1980s, Redford created the annual Sundance gathering in Park City, Utah to showcase independent film and talent outside of the big studios. This year, the festival has a slew of documentaries exploring topics mined from recent headlines, as well as a showcase of climate change films. [nL1N1F805H] Redford said the festival would not take a stance on current U.S. politics, but rather would support independent filmmakers who want to explore the issue. "Presidents come and go, the pendulum swings back and forth. It always has and probably always will, so we don't occupy ourselves with politics. We try to stay away from politics, and we try to stay focused on what stories are being told by artists," Redford said. However, Trump's inauguration will not go unmarked at Sundance. Talk show host Chelsea Handler will lead a Women's March on Saturday down Park City's Main Street, timed to Washington's women's rally aimed at bringing attention to civil and human rights issues. (Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
LONDON (Reuters) - Under the gaze of a life-sized cardboard figure of Donald Trump, some 200 of his supporters gathered at an exclusive club near the Ritz hotel in London to celebrate Friday's inauguration of America's 45th president. Bunches of red, white and blue balloons, some of them star-shaped, adorned the walls of the Royal Over-Seas League where Trump's appearance on the balcony outside the domed U.S. Capitol was greeted with whooping and cheering. As he completed the oath, the room broke into a standing ovation complete with high-five celebrations. Later, Trump's inaugural speech was punctuated with cheers, especially his pledge to eradicate "radical Islamic terrorism", while at the end the room chorused along with Trump's trademark promise to make America great again. "The speech was great - Mr Trump just touched the most important subjects for America," said Polish-born university professor Victoria Gorska-Rabuck. "His speech was very appropriate, very uplifting and promises a lot. We hope he can deliver what he promised," she told Reuters. Businessman David Pattinson said he thought Trump would be a successful president. "I think he'll succeed in cutting government spending although I don't know whether he will be successful in getting rid of the establishment," he said. "I wasn't surprised when he won, I was satisfied," he added. "I was expecting him to win. It was the same with Brexit in how the polls got it wrong." (Reporting by Alistair Smout; writing by Stephen Addison; Editing by Dominic Evans)
By Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a legal request with several government agencies on Thursday demanding details on Donald Trump's potential conflicts of interest related to the extensive business affairs of the incoming U.S. president and his family. The request, made under the Freedom of Information Act, demands that the agencies to turn over documents that shed light on any of Trump's actual or potential conflicts of interest and seeks details concerning regulations on divestment of financial interests and prohibitions on nepotism. The request on the eve of his inauguration marked the first salvo in what promises to be a contentious relationship between the rights group and Trump. "We have serious concerns that Donald Trump will be in violation of the Constitution on Day One," ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero said in an interview. "He has taken anemic steps to address the real questions around his businesses, his family's business interests and his role now as president of the United States." Trump, a wealthy real estate developer, said on Jan. 11 he would maintain ownership of his global business empire but hand off control to his two oldest sons while president. The Trump Organization will not enter into any new overseas deals, his legal adviser Sheri Dillon said. Trump raised nepotism concerns by naming his daughter Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared Kushner, to a senior advisory role in the White House. The ACLU's legal request demands emails, legal opinions, memos and other communications drafted since Nov. 9, the day after Trump was elected, from agencies including the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel and the General Services Administration. It also seeks all communications to and from the presidential transition team. The ACLU vowed an aggressive posture toward the new Trump administration, committing to hire an extra 100 employees to mount possible legal challenges in the areas of abortion and birth control, immigration, government openness, free speech and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. Using a flood of donations made since Election Day, it also said it has created a fund that now stands at $47 million to fight any civil rights violations by the Trump administration. (Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham)
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's president urged the government on Friday to scrap draft decrees pardoning thousands of prisoners and decriminalizing some graft offences, joining other critics who accuse it of undermining an anti-corruption drive. According to drafts published on Wednesday, the government intends - among other changes - to decriminalize abuse of power actions causing financial damage of less than 200,000 lei ($47,500), an offence the leader of the ruling Social Democrat party is accused of inciting a third party to commit. Critics including the prosecutor general, the supreme court, civil rights groups and diplomats have expressed concern about the proposed decrees, as well as a lack of transparency and public debate over their implementation. "The judiciary's most authorized voices are saying the emergency decree drafts ...are null and void (and) unacceptable," President Klaus Iohannis said on his Facebook page. "These are sufficient arguments to urge the government to withdraw these emergency decrees." Romania's president holds a largely ceremonial role, but Iohannis' comments will increase pressure for a rethink by the leftist government. Romanian prosecutors have investigated lawmakers, ministers, mayors, magistrates and businessmen in recent years, in a crackdown that has exposed widespread graft and won praise from Brussels. On Wednesday, thousands of Romanians rallied in Bucharest and several other cities against the cabinet plans, and further protests are expected on Sunday. Abuse of power cases account for a third of anti-graft investigations in Romania, chief anti-corruption prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi has said. Those under investigation or on trial include lawmakers and local officials, among them Social Democrat leader Liviu Dragnea, who is also speaker of parliament's lower house. He is on trial on allegations of using his influence as the leader of a county council to persuade the director of a child protection unit to keep two people on the public payroll. He has denied wrongdoing. Romania, which joined the European Union in 2007, has its justice system under special monitoring. The prime minister and justice minister have said the decrees were needed to get the criminal code in line with recent constitutional court rulings and ease the burden of Romania's overcrowded prisons. The decree drafts also contain provisions to pardon convictions of less than 5 years for several crimes, and cut sentences by half for all prisoners aged over 60, having a terminal illness or children to support, and for pregnant women. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie; editing by John Stonestreet)
By Julien Pretot LES SABLES D'OLONNE, France, Jan 19 (Reuters) - With his hands coarsened by salt, Armel Le Cleac'h grabbed a couple of emergency beacons and raised his arms in celebration, shining light on the thousands of spectators gathered to greet him at the end of his victorious solo race around the world. The Frenchman, who arrived to a stadium atmosphere with fireworks lighting the sky above the Atlantic Ocean, held off a late challenge by Britain's Alex Thomson to maintain France's domination of the Vendee Globe sailing race. Having not seen a soul since his departure on Nov. 6, he crossed the finish line in a record time of 74 days, three hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds and was left feeling the effects of his gruelling adventure. "It's brutal," said Le Cleac'h after meeting his family and enjoying his first meal on land in more than two months. After opening an 800-nautical-mile lead over Thomson near the feared Cape Horn, Le Cleac'h saw the Welshman reduce the gap to less than 40 miles before restoring a bigger advantage in the closing stages. "I still don't know if I want to cry or if I must be joyful, I'm a bit worried about the return to normal life," an emotional Le Cleac'h told reporters. "How it is going to be with my wife and my family, I don't know but I'm well surrounded and I'm happy. "I was under tremendous pressure from Alex. He pushed me until the end." Le Cleac'h, who beat Francois Gabart's previous record by almost four days, said he struggled to keep his emotions in check during the finale. "I was thinking 'it's not possible, I can't lose this race'," he explained. "Then a couple of days ago I started to believe I was winning but I actually slapped myself in the face as I grew worried that thinking about victory would jinx it." Sailing through sea traffic, Le Cleac'h guided his 60-foot yacht Banque Populaire home without trouble and, having to wait for high tide, entered the channel leading to land a couple of hours after crossing the finish line. Although his face showed no scars from his 74 days at sea, Le Cleac'h said he was in a state of extreme fatigue. "At the end of my first Vendee Globe (2008-09) I finished without food, losing 10 kilos. Four years ago I was just disappointed with a second consecutive second place, physically I was alright," the 39-year-old said. "It is different today. In the past five or six days it was pure racing, I barely slept. "Mentally, I dug really deep, I pushed myself to the limit." For the eighth time in as many editions, a Frenchman prevailed despite Thomson's late push. "We lost Trafalgar, but we won the Vendee Globe," veteran French sailor Jean Le Cam, a rival competitor who is still at sea, said in a message to Le Cleac'h. Thomson was expected to arrive on Friday between 0600 and 0900GMT. Of the 29 sailors who started the non-stop race from Sables d'Olonne on Nov. 6, 11 have already called it quits. Sebastien Destremau, aboard TechnoFirst-FaceOcean, is running last and still has to go through the feared Cape Horn, almost 10,000 miles from the finish. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)
By Julien Pretot LES SABLES D'OLONNE, France (Reuters) - With his hands coarsened by salt, Armel Le Cleac'h grabbed a couple of emergency beacons and raised his arms in celebration, shining light on the thousands of spectators gathered to greet him at the end of his victorious solo race around the world. The Frenchman, who arrived to a stadium atmosphere with fireworks lighting the sky above the Atlantic Ocean, held off a late challenge by Britain's Alex Thomson to maintain France's domination of the Vendee Globe sailing race. Having not seen a soul since his departure on Nov. 6, he crossed the finish line in a record time of 74 days, three hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds and was left feeling the effects of his grueling adventure. "It's brutal," said Le Cleac'h after meeting his family and enjoying his first meal on land in more than two months. After opening an 800-nautical-mile lead over Thomson near the feared Cape Horn, Le Cleac'h saw the Welshman reduce the gap to less than 40 miles before restoring a bigger advantage in the closing stages. "I still don't know if I want to cry or if I must be joyful, I'm a bit worried about the return to normal life," an emotional Le Cleac'h told reporters. "How it is going to be with my wife and my family, I don't know but I'm well surrounded and I'm happy. "I was under tremendous pressure from Alex. He pushed me until the end." Le Cleac'h, who beat Francois Gabart's previous record by almost four days, said he struggled to keep his emotions in check during the finale. "I was thinking 'it's not possible, I can't lose this race'," he explained. "Then a couple of days ago I started to believe I was winning but I actually slapped myself in the face as I grew worried that thinking about victory would jinx it." Sailing through sea traffic, Le Cleac'h guided his 60-foot yacht Banque Populaire home without trouble and, having to wait for high tide, entered the channel leading to land a couple of hours after crossing the finish line. Although his face showed no scars from his 74 days at sea, Le Cleac'h said he was in a state of extreme fatigue. "At the end of my first Vendee Globe (2008-09) I finished without food, losing 10 kilos. Four years ago I was just disappointed with a second consecutive second place, physically I was alright," the 39-year-old said. "It is different today. In the past five or six days it was pure racing, I barely slept. "Mentally, I dug really deep, I pushed myself to the limit." For the eighth time in as many editions, a Frenchman prevailed despite Thomson's late push. "We lost Trafalgar, but we won the Vendee Globe," veteran French sailor Jean Le Cam, a rival competitor who is still at sea, said in a message to Le Cleac'h. Thomson was expected to arrive on Friday between 0600 and 0900GMT. Of the 29 sailors who started the non-stop race from Sables d'Olonne on Nov. 6, 11 have already called it quits. Sebastien Destremau, aboard TechnoFirst-FaceOcean, is running last and still has to go through the feared Cape Horn, almost 10,000 miles from the finish. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)
(Adds Thomson quote, paragraph 17) * UK sailor overcomes broken foiling fin to finish second * Closed distance on winning Frenchman before falling short * "Overwhelmed" by spectators' welcome after months alone * Vendee is marathon feat of endurance on little sleep * Race spanned 27,636 nautical miles around the world By Julien Pretot and Tessa Walsh LES SABLES D'OLONNE, France, Jan 20 (Reuters) - For Alex Thomson, sweeping up his crying two-year-old daughter Georgia in his arms soothed the disappointment of falling just short in the Vendee Globe after 74 days at sea. Next to them were Kate, the 42-year-old British sailor's wife, and Oscar, their six-year-old son who saw his father return from the solo adventure around the world for the second time after he took third place in 2013. Greeted on a beautifully clear, bitterly cold morning by hundreds of spectators in Les Sables d'Olonne on France's Atlantic coast, Thomson was all smiles despite exhaustion after barely sleeping as he hunted down eventual winner Armel Le Cleac'h of France, who won in a record time of 74 days, three hours and 35 minutes aboard Banque Populaire on Thursday. "I'm a bit speechless, it's quite overwhelming to spend so much time alone and then to be with so many people," Thomson said. "I was in the cockpit eating breakfast and an armada of boats arrived. I thought, I'm not ready yet! So I finished my breakfast, cleaned my teeth and greeted them." Thomson sailed with a broken foil in the last eight weeks of his 27,636-nautical-mile odyssey before taking his 60-foot yacht Hugo Boss home almost 16 hours after Le Cleac'h, who was also at the finish to congratulate his rival. "It's funny because a few days out you almost don't want to have that many people as it's a bit daunting but coming to Les Sables d'Olonne for the second (time) in beautiful weather, I feel blessed," said Thomson. "I'm looking forward to getting some sleep, seeing my family and having my life back." Thomson was in the lead when his starboard foiling fin broke in a collision with a floating object, resulting in him falling behind by a massive 800 nautical miles in the notoriously stormy seas off South America's Cape Horn. "To be crippled on one side was really painful. I had to deal with that, stay positive, that was the most difficult challenge," he said. SOLO 24-HOUR DISTANCE RECORD However, he beat the record for the longest distance - 536.8 nautical miles - covered solo in 24 hours. He then cut his distance from the frontrunner down to about 35 miles, before fading in the final stretch. "I was the hunter and he was the hunted so I did not feel stressed at all. It must have been horrible for Armel," said Thomson, now the most successful non-French skipper on the Vendee Globe along with compatriot Ellen MacArthur, who came second in 2001. "I've spent the whole race wondering what could have happened if the foil hadn't broken, but it did. Congratulations to Armel, what a great race he had and he thoroughly deserved to win. He's not called' The Jackal' for nothing." Le Cleac'h said: "You (Alex) made my life hard. I was under tremendous pressure from Alex. He pushed me until the end." The Vendee Globe is one of the world's toughest sporting challenges, a brutally long feat of endurance in difficult and intensely stressful conditions, requiring constant planning to pre-empt problems while staying sharp on very little sleep. "When you cross the line, it's all over and the whole world is lifted from your shoulders and I appreciate that feeling," Thomson said. Brian Thompson, fifth in the Vendee Globe in 2009, told Reuters: "I'm overwhelmed how well Alex has done with the handicap of breaking his foil. To me, he would have won the race without a doubt if he hadn't broken his foil. "I think he's won the hearts of the French, which is not easy if you're non-French and especially English." Thomson said he was satisfied with his finish, which improved on his previous third place. "If you make the start, you're a winner; the next step is to finish and a podium place is an amazing achievement." With Le Cleac'h having already said he will not take part in the next edition, Thomson is expected to have another go at it. Asked if he would start the next Vendee Globe in 2020, Thomson replied: "You'll have to ask my wife. "May we ask her?" a reporter said. "No. Let me do some work on her first," he answered. First, some sleep. "I've slept five hours in the last three days and in the last 24 hours I haven't slept at all. I'm running on empty and looking forward to some sleep," said Thomson. (Editing by Mark Heinrich)
People do not change, not really, especially not a 70-year-old billionaire who has done things his own way his whole life. No one should have expected that Donald John Trump would start reading from a brand new script because he had just placed his left hand on the Lincoln Bible and uttered the 35-word oath that inaugurated him as the 45th U.S. President.

And yet it was still striking to witness Trump use his first historic moment as President to deliver an uncommonly dark address studded with the same themes that dominated his campaign. Surrounded by all the pomp and pageantry that American democracy can musterthe ruffles and flourishes, the 21-gun salute, the joint chiefs and the diplomatic corps over his shoulders, the crowd of supporters stretching down the National Mallhe delivered a speech that signaled his intent to govern in the same key as his campaign.

In his first words to the American people as President, Trump hewed to the populist message that marked his march to victory. At a time of steady economic growth, he described a nation beset by pain, with rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape. A squeezed middle class. Failing schools. Neighborhoods blighted by crime, drugs and gangs. This American carnage, President Trump intoned, stops right here and stops right now. Standing where Franklin Delano Roosevelt once proclaimed that the only thing to fear is fear itself, Trump described a dystopian country with plenty to fret about.

This grim assessment of the state of the nation was the heart of his sixteen-and-a-half minute address, just as it always been at the heart of his appeal. You might not recognize the dystopian nation the new President was describing. But if you believe it is midnight in America, you will be more loyal to the leader who promises a new dawn.

Trump echoed the father of American populism, Andrew Jackson, another real-estate developer who swept to the presidency by promising to unleash the power of the proletariat. His inaugural address was anchored by the same populist themes.

Story continues

Today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to anotherbut we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American people, Trump said, standing on the west front of the U.S. Capitol. You will never be ignored again.

Read More: Full Transcript of Trumps Inauguration Speech

If you feel like one of the forgotten men and women in Trumps army, that promise is a powerful one.

Sending a message to world capitals, Trump vowed to fulfill his campaign promise to rethink the nations foreign policy.

From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, its going to be America First, the new president said. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.

Trump, who has pledged to seek a closer relationship with Russia, laid out a high marker for his Administration in the fight against ISIS. We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones, he said, and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

The address was heavier on religious imagery than a typical Trump speech. And there were conspicuous nods to national solidarity. Twice Trump addressed all Americans. He spoke of a unified nation, sharing one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny, ready to rediscover our loyalty to each other. After a bitter campaign that exposed and deepened Americas racial fault lines, the new President pleaded for harmony. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice, Trump said. Whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots.

Yet apart from these grace notes, it was a speech that Trump could have given at a Rust Belt arena before a cheering crowd last September. There were the same promises to bring back wealth and bolster the borders, the same promise to use the ultimate seat of power to do things, not just talk about it. Now arrives the hour of action, Trump promised. He concluded with the same peroration that marked almost every campaign speech, capped by the same promise to Make America Great Again.

It has gotten him this far. Now the nation will find out whether a campaign slogan can translate into a governing agenda.
U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and John McCain arrive for the inauguration ceremonies at the Capitol. (Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters)

Sen. Bernie Sanders released a video Friday morning lamenting that Donald Trump was preparing to be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

The former Democratic presidential candidate has been a longtime critic of Trumps rhetoric and policies.

Today is going to be a tough day for millions of Americans, including myself, Sanders said. But our response has got to be not to throw up our hands in despair, not to give up. But in fact to fight back as effectively and as vigorously as we can.

According to the populist firebrand, Americans who oppose what Trump stands for need to keep their eyes on the prize: the continuing fight for a government that represents all Americans instead of just the ultra-wealthy.

Were going to go forward in the fight for economic, social, environmental and racial justice, he continued. Thats who we are. Thats what were going to do. We are not giving up.

Just minutes earlier, Sanders praised the Obama family for representing the United States with dignity, grace and civility for the past eight years. Sanders was among the many political figures at the inauguration.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who defeated Sanders for her partys nod but ultimately lost the general election to Trump, also attended the inauguration with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. In a tweet, she explained that she was there to honor the nations democracy and its enduring values.

I will never stop believing in our country & its future, she wrote.

Throughout the campaign, both Sanders and Clinton repeatedly lambasted Trump for statements and policy proposals that they labeled regressive and rooted in bigotry.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Aden (AFP) - Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen's Red Sea coast have killed at least 29 rebels over the past 24 hours, military sources said on Friday.

The strikes hit two military camps, an ammunition depot and an arms transporter in Hodeida province, the sources said. Around 20 fighters and renegade troops were also wounded.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in support of beleaguered President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

But despite its massively superior firepower, the rebels and their allies still control the capital Sanaa and much of the central and northern highlands as well as the Red Sea coast.

Pro-government forces launched a major offensive earlier this month aimed at ousting the rebels from Dhubab district at the southern end of the 450 kilometre (280 mile) long coastline.
LONDON (Reuters) - Scotland will vote to become independent within two years due to the hardline position being taken by British Prime Minister Theresa May over Brexit, former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond said on Friday. Scotland rejected independence in 2014 by 55 to 45 percent, but current Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon has said Scots are now more likely to want independence after they voted emphatically last June to remain in the EU while the United Kingdom as a whole voted to leave. Sturgeon has submitted a series of proposals on Scotland's position to the UK government, including the option of Scotland maintaining its EU single market links from within the UK. "If the UK government rejects Nicola Sturgeon's compromise plan ... then I think an independence referendum will be very likely," Salmond, who led the pro-independence devolved government during the 2014 referendum, told BBC Radio. "And I think in that context, within that two year period, then I think the Yes side this time would win it." May said earlier this week that Britain would quit the single market and impose immigration limits when it leaves the EU. Opinion polls show support for independence is unchanged since before the EU referendum, suggesting Scots would reject secession in another vote. (Reporting by Kate Holton; editing by Michael Holden)
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A man deliberately drove into pedestrians, killing four and injuring more than 20, in the center of Australia's second largest city of Melbourne on Friday, but police said the incident was not terrorism-related. Police eventually rammed the car and shot the 26-year-old driver in the arm, before dragging him from the vehicle and arresting him. Police said the man had a history of family violence and was wanted over a stabbing earlier in the day. Pursued by police cars, the man had been seen driving erratically before speeding into a pedestrian mall, ploughing into people, police said. A shop video showed several people diving into a convenience store as the car raced along the footpath. "We witnessed about half a dozen people that ricocheted off the car one way or another. I saw one person fly up almost roof level of the car as they got thrown up against one of the retail stores," Sharn Baylis, 46, told Reuters by telephone. "You could hear the gasping and the screaming from people, then you just started hearing the screams and the crying as it sunk in," she said. Baylis said she rushed across tram tracks and with other bystanders and gave cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) first aid to a badly hurt man who had been run over. I think it was pretty much in vain at that point. The seriousness of his injuries, he was probably the worst I saw. One of the dead was a child. Four children, including a three-month-old baby, were taken to Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, said a hospital spokesman. "We're not regarding this as a terrorism-related incident, Victoria state police commissioner Graham Ashton told reporters on Friday. Police had earlier chased the driver, who was wanted over a domestic assault and driving offences, Ashton said. 'GUNS DRAWN' Video from a witness showed a maroon colored car driving around in circles in an intersection outside Flinders St railway station in the city's central business district, with the driver shouting at people and hanging his arm out the window. Two people approached the car, apparently trying to stop it before it drove off with police chasing. (For a graphic, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2jTj2Y9) Witness Maria Kitjapanon told Melbourne's Age newspaper that police eventually rammed the car. "There were probably 10 police surrounding that guy's car, with guns drawn, and they fired into the car. Then they dragged someone out via the passengers side, then all 10 of them sat on top of him," she said. Melbourne is hosting the Australian Open tennis grand slam and is packed with thousands of tourists, only a few blocks from where the incident occurred. Police said the tennis tournament continued as normal. Australia, a staunch U.S. ally, has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown radicals since 2014 and authorities have said they have thwarted a number of plots. There have been several "lone wolf" assaults, including a 2014 cafe siege in Sydney that left two hostages and the gunman dead. Friday's incident initially raised fears about the possibility of another attack. Last year, in attacks claimed by Islamic State, trucks were driven into crowded pedestrian precincts in separate incidents in Nice and Berlin, killing scores. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook and Jamie Freed in Sydney, Sonali Paul in Melbourne; Writing by Michael Perry; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
Inauguration Day. Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America on Friday. But beyond that basic fact, theres little we can say for sure about what his policies will be on critical national security issues like the fight against the Islamic State, American involvement in Afghanistan, Washingtons role in NATO, relations with Russia, China, military modernization, and a host of other issues. But here we go.

This Defense Department document obtained by the U.S. Naval Institute lists the names of over 50 Pentagon officials who have stepped in to assume temporary positions in critical offices in the building until the Trump team makes its appointments. But lots of top-tier seats remain unfilled as Trump enters the White House, a vacancy list that few have seen before, FPs Dan De Luce and John Hudson report.

As of midnight, Deputy Defense Secretary and Obama appointee Robert Work will act as Secretary of Defense until the Senate confirms James Mattis for the top spot, a vote expected to come on Friday. Work has been asked to stay for the next several months until Mattis and Trumps top advisors can decide on a replacement.

Naming names? The team putting together the appointment list is being led by Trump advisor Steve Bannon, chief of staff Reince Priebus, and Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to published reports and conversations that FP staffers have had with people close to the process. One source says Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is also heavily involved in offering suggestions for who might work in a Trump Pentagon. There have been building tensions between Mattis and the Trump team for weeks, with the retired Marine general vetoing suggestions from New York, and the trio rejecting several people Mattis wanted to bring aboard, several sources say.

According to sources, Mattis met with Bannon and Priebus last week in New York to express his frustration with the stalled staffing process, but there appears to have been little movement since then. One person coming into the building is Justin Johnson, who has left the Heritage Foundation where he was a defense budget analyst to take what SitRep hears is a budget-related job at the Pentagon.

Story continues

Continuity in ISIS fight. It has also been confirmed that Brett McGurk, an Obama administration appointee working as an envoy to allies involved in the fight against the Islamic State, has been asked to stay in his position after Trump takes office. Other officials sticking around include Nick Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center; Tom Shannon, undersecretary of state for political affairs; and Adam Szubin, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence in the Treasury Department.

Planning. 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. The FP staff came together to offer a host of things to look for not just on the first day, but the critical first 100 days.

Intel looking at Trump-Russia ties. Trump enters office in the middle of an ongoing investigation by U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies examining intercepted communications and financial transactions as part of a broad investigation into possible links between Russian officials and Trump associates, the New York Times Michael Schmidt, Matthew Rosenberg, Adam Goldman, and Matt Apuzzo report.

It is not clear whether the intercepted communications had anything to do with Mr. Trumps campaign, or Mr. Trump himself, the Times team writes. It is also unclear whether the inquiry has anything to do with an investigation into the hacking of the Democratic National Committees computers and other attempts to disrupt the elections in November. Washingtons intelligence community has concluded that the Russian government was responsible for a string of hacks on the Democratic party and top Clinton officials with the purpose of swinging the election Trumps way.

Gitmo. On his last full day in office, President Barack Obama released four more prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, but of the 41 men who remain as of Thursday, only 10 have been charged with war crimes, FPs Molly OToole reports. The vast majority have been detained for more than a decade, and none were captured by the U.S. military, but 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.

Welcome to SitRep. Send any tips, thoughts or national security events to paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or via Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley.

PEOTUS

The Huffington Post has a story up claiming President-elect was hoping for an old-school Soviet Victory Day military parade during Fridays inauguration, complete with tanks and missiles cruising down Pennsylvania Avenue. A source told the Post that the Defense Department nixed the idea, nominally on the grounds that heavy weaponry like tanks and armored vehicles could damage Washingtons streets. Inauguration day will, however, feature flyovers by Navy and Air Force fighter jets, Army helicopters, a Marine Corps V-22 Osprey as well as the more traditional military color guards.

Syria

In public, the Islamic State and the Assad regime hate each other, but in private, business is business and theres a growing oil trade between the two. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Assad regime has been buying up oil from the Islamic State, making the Assad regimes energy trade the Islamic States top source of income after the loss of territory and the U.S.-led coalition targeted the groups oil infrastructure. American and allied warplanes have tried to hit Islamic State fuel smuggling convoys in Syria, but the group has managed to shift some of its operations to areas patrolled by Russian aircraft, limiting the reach of and appetite for allied airstrikes.

Lost in the Pentagons announcement about B-2 stealth bombers hitting the Islamic State in Libya was an announcement by Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook that a U.S. killed senior Islamic State leader Abu Anas al-Iraqi on Jan. 8 as he was en route to the city of Raqqa. Cook described al-Iraqi as overseeing media and financial operations for the group and being a member of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadis inner circle. Though mum on details about how al-Iraqi died, the Pentagon earlier admitted that a special operations raid in Deir Ezzor province killed a senior Islamic State leader.

Ukraine

With the more Moscow-friendly Trump administration being sworn in on Friday, the Ukrainian government is hedging its bets and turning inward to kickstart an indigenous defense industry as Western powers take a dim view towards annoying Russia by supplying Kiev with weapons. The Wall Street Journal reports that Ukraine has been pouring money into refurbishing its own tanks and developing their own drones as requests to the United States for advanced equipment like anti-tank missiles have been rebuffed and others, like the delivery of American RQ-11 drones, have failed to meet expectation.

Gambia

Gambia is in the midst of a political crisis as Senegalese troops move into the country in order to back recently-elected President Adama Barrow, according to the BBC. Gambias previous leader, President Yahya Jammeh refuses to leave office the countrys current parliament is backing his decision not to yield power to Barrow. The Economic Community of West African States, a multilateral organization of West African countries, as well as the United Nations Security Council have both backed Barrows claim to leadership following the election.

Bin Laden

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declassified and translated another tranche of documents captured during the May 2011 raid that killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. At CNN, Bin Laden biographer Peter Bergen takes a look through the documents and finds Bin Laden juggling the business of leading a global terror empire with the demands of staying in touch with distant family on the run. The al-Qaeda leader wrote a number of letters to his sons and daughter, Khadija, while they hid out in Iran and in Pakistans tribal lands. He also stayed in contact with al Qaeda various global affiliates in Yemen, Algeria, and Nigeria, instructing them to stay focused on the task of attacking the United States.

Army

The Armys elite 75th Ranger Regiment will add its first ever female Ranger. Army Times reports that an unnamed female soldier made it through the rigorous Ranger Assessment and Selection Program II (RASP) and will join the special operations unit in the spring. At least three women have made it through Ranger School, a demanding leadership school distinct from membership in the Ranger Regiment proper. One other woman, a noncommissioned officer, attended RASP in the summer of 2016 but failed to pass.

Photo Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images
WOBURN, Mass. (AP) _ Skyworks Solutions Inc. (SWKS) on Thursday reported fiscal first-quarter earnings of $257.8 million.

On a per-share basis, the Woburn, Massachusetts-based company said it had net income of $1.38. Earnings, adjusted for pretax expenses and stock option expense, came to $1.61 per share.

The results beat Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of 10 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.58 per share.

The chipmaker posted revenue of $914.3 million in the period, which also topped Street forecasts. Eight analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $902.3 million.

For the current quarter ending in April, Skyworks expects its per-share earnings to be $1.40.

The company said it expects revenue in the range of $840 million for the fiscal second quarter.

Skyworks shares have risen 5 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Thursday, shares hit $78.46, an increase of 30 percent in the last 12 months.

_____

This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on SWKS at https://www.zacks.com/ap/SWKS

_____

Keywords: Skyworks Solutions, Earnings Report
The smartphone case you slap on the back of your mobile phone might protect it from bumps and scrapes, and maybe even give it a bit of added battery life with a built-in power supply, but theres no OtterBox or Mophie that can hold a candle to a new accessory built by a team of medical researchers looking for a cheap and effective way to analyze DNA. The bulky add-on was developed by an international team of scientists headed by UCLA professor Aydogan Ozcan, and it is a powerful tool in the worldwide battle against cancer.

Don't Miss: These cracks on Mars are way more interesting than they look

The device, which was built using a 3D printer, turns a standard smartphone  in the teams documentation a Windows Phone was used, but it could presumably work with just about anything  into an a high-powered microscope that allows for the analyzation and imaging of DNA sequences.

Much of the hard lifting is done by the phone itself, and all a medical technician needs to do is add a tissue sample to the built-in receptacle. The phone then snaps several images of the resulting sample and then runs that information through an algorithm which is designed to identify tumor DNA or genetic mutations hidden within normal tissue.

According to UCLA, the device could be manufactured for much less than $500 if it were able to be built in large quantities, meanwhile the cost for a full-fledged microscope with similar capabilities would run from $10,000 all the way up to $50,000 or even higher. The team hopes that its work could help provide advanced medical care to patients in regions without the luxury of cutting-edge technology.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
UPDATE with more details: Steve Mnuchin today covered an array of topics during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee for the job of Secretary of Treasury. The former finance director for Donald Trumps presidential campaign, a former partner in Goldman Sachs, co-owner of OneWest Bank and who has been involved in several Hollywood films via Dune Capital Management and also Relativity Media prior to its bankruptcy, he revealed some surprising information about Relativity and the FBI through questions raised by two U.S. senators, both Democrats.

Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden (Ore)  also one of the most aggressive in the questioning today  accused Mnuchin of employing tax tricks by setting up offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands to avoid paying taxes. Profits from Avatar were funneled through an offshore web, said Wyden, who clearly objects to Mnuchin rising to such a high level in the government.

Wyden noted that in 2014, while CEO of OneWest, Mnuchin also bought his own stake in Relativity and bought a private jet with the CEO (Ryan Kavanaugh). OneWest then pulled out $50 million from numerous accounts, harming the little guy, and bailed out right before the studio went into bankruptcy. Wyden also said that an FOIA request into Relativity was denied by the FBI, citing it would interfere with a law enforcement proceeding. The FOIA request came from a non-profit watchdog called MuckRock.

Adding to that was Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown (Ohio), who blasted Mnuchin on his financial dealings: One example of an insider loan was the Relativity Media deal. The FBI denied a FOIA request related to Relativity Media where you were co-chair citing law enforcement procedures. Have you been questioned by law enforcement on this?

I have not, said Mnuchin  I assumed that the FBI did a thorough review of my background report. I have no idea why they didnt approve the FOIA issue. Ive been told that we have no reason to believe that its any issue associated with me. I would direct that (question) to the FBI.

Story continues

Brown opined that the OneWest purchase went well for Mnuchin but was a disaster for homeowners, employees, investors in Relativity, and for taxpayers which subsidized the purchase.

Brown went on to ask about Chinese investment in the film industry and while co-chair at Relativity opening the doors to Chinese investment: China readily admits that it wants to become increasingly powerful by increasing its cultural influence in this country and expanding its stake in the U.S. film industry. You were a board member of a company that partnered directly with the Chinese government that increased their influence in Hollywood. Were you helping China expand its global power?

Mnuchin retorted: As it relates to my experience at Relativity, the Chinese never invested in Relativity, and I dont recall them ever having invested in Relativity films. They did have a small, joint venture in China but it was not particularly successful  in regards to my view on China, I, 100%, support the Presidents view and we need to look at China overall from a trade standpoint, an economic standpoint and a securities standpoint. I look forward to working with him on that. Sherrod shot back, saying: Thats not the reports weve gotten. Mnuchin did agree with one Democratic senator who called China a monetary manipulator.

Brown also noted that Goldman Sachs has a long history with China. It is known that they have helped the Chinese on many real estate deals in Los Angeles alone. He also mentioned the Heartlands steel industry.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (Louisiana) apologized to Mnuchin for being assaulted by innuendo.

Repeated questions at todays hearings included how Mnuchin at One West foreclosed on homeowners  from widows to families in the military  and that he failed to disclose all of his assets to the committee.

He operates seven personal trusts  including one called the Dynasty Trust to avoid taxes, said Wyden. He also dubbed no tax cuts for the upper class as The Mnuchin Rule. Mnuchin said that while they didnt have any employees, business office or business in the Cayman Islands, he said, in no way did I use them, whatsoever, to avoid taxes  all other hedge funds and many, many private equity funds set up off shore entities that are primarily intended to accommodate non-profits and pensions that want to invest through these offshore entities. As it relates to my own tax situation, these entities were either taxed as U.S. corporations or U.S. partnerships. He also added that some foreign investment was involved.

You failed to include your position as a director of Cayman Islands Corporation as well as (an official) in seven additional shell corporations and holding companies as well as $100M in real estate  as Treasury Secretary  would you support closing tax loopholes in the tax code that allows extremely wealthy people use  such as yourself  have used to avoid paying taxes? asked Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow (Mich). In his defense, Mnuchin said that Filling out these government forms is quite complicated  any oversights was unintentional. You mentioned that there was a $100M of real estate, I was told by my lawyer that it didnt need to be disclosed. Mnuchin said he delivered more than 5,000 pages of forms and disclosures.

Later in the afternoon, Mnuchin came under fire again for not self-correcting his omissions himself and it only came to light because the committee was made aware of it.

Pressed about whether he would close the Cayman Islands: I did not use a Cayman Island entity to avoid paying taxes for myself. The senator then asked, So you helped others avoid paying   Mnuchin cut her off and said he helped others with tax issues but it was all legal. Asked if he would work to close the Cayman Island loophole, Mnuchin said, I would support changing the tax laws to make them simpler and more effective, yes.

Mnuchin was hammered for allegedly helping other companies avoid paying U.S. taxes. Didnt you help create offshore companies to help them avoid paying taxes? asked another senator  Bob Menendez (NJ). No. Not necessarily, said Mnuchin. Im absolutely committed to working with your office  and not let anyone avoid taxes.

Asked by Floridas Nelson if he moved Dune Capital Partners LLC to Anguilla, Mnuchin said yes, they set up a master fund in Anguilla and had to change it to become a foreign entity. He said it was complicated but said, once again, that it was done to help non-profits and pensions.

After Wyden spoke, Republican Sen. Pat Roberts suggested that Wyden take a valium and infighting ensued.

Wyden went through a timeline of Mnuchins financial dealings, including as head of the bank OneWest which has come under attack for foreclosing on more than 35,000 homes through loan modifications. It only made two loans to African Americans and that this segment of the community were harshly affected.

Since I was first nominated to serve as Treasury Secretary, I have been maligned as taking advantage of others hardships in order to earn a buck. Nothing could be further from the truth, Mnuchin said in his opening remarks and then went onto defend his actions at OneWest bank, saying, When we bought the bank, we assumed these bad (housing) loans which had been originated by previous management. Some of those individuals had to answer to federal authorities for their bad lending decisions. We invested $1.6B of capital into a failing financial institution when most investors were running for the hills. We renamed the business OneWest Bank and saved thousands of jobs  we worked diligently to help hard working homeowners remain in their homes through modifications, wherever possible. Ultimately, OneWest extended over 100,000 loan modifications to delinquent borrowers to try and help them out of a bad situation.

In the press it has been said that I ran a foreclosure machine. This is not true. On the contrary, I was committed to loan modifications intended to stop foreclosures. I ran a Loan Modification Machine.

One of those was an 80 year-old woman who was foreclosed on in Bill Nelsons home state. They also foreclosed on 54 military families and 60,000 other homes. CA Attorney Generals office found that OneWest backdated documents and then obstructed any investigation. Sen. Brown continued to hit Mnuchin with one question after another, without giving Mnuchin any time to answer. Mnuchin did acknowledge to Sen. Nelson that there were some issues and some mistakes made.

But it was a Republican Senator that underscored the issue. Sen Dean Heller of Nevada pointed out the fact that OneWest was able to get over $1B from the FDIC to its investors for foreclosing on homes. Mnuchin defended himself by saying that was against a loss. However, the anger that continued to nip at Mnuchin heels was for OneWest foreclosing on a number of homes (thereby returning ownership to the bank) from Senators from many states. I never wanted to be in the mortgaging business or the reverse mortgaging business, stated Mnuchin.  I sympathize.

Related stories

Kellyanne Conway: Donald Trump's Inaugural Address To Be "Beautifully Written, Powerfully Delivered Speech"

Donald Trump Inauguration: Obama Greets Trump At White House

Donald Trump Pounds Press At Inauguration Eve Donor Dinner
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f354650%2f83cc4e60-9d68-43a8-9bae-b86327746a7a

Australia's film industry is by no means as large like other English-speaking countries, but its movies does win on unique charm, we'd say.

Now you can binge on as many as you like, with a new streaming service dubbed Ozflix that's set to launch on Jan. 26, a.k.a. Australia Day. It wants to have every Australian movie, ever.

SEE ALSO: Meanwhile, Australia's discussing which animal is most likely to kill you

"We are committed to making Aussie films easily accessible to both our local and international audiences through the highest quality streaming technologies available and we are on our way to sourcing 'Every Aussie Movie. Ever,'" its website reads.

Ozflix doesn't have every Australian movie just yet, however. The service claims there are 2000 such films in existence.

There will be over 250 movies at launch, which will be plenty to get your fill. New release rentals will cost A$6.79 (US$5.10) and A$3.79 (US$2.85) for other films.

However, 50% of the money will go to the filmmaker or distributor. Not bad.

While you'd probably think of obvious Aussie film selections like Crocodile Dundee, The Castle or Muriel's Wedding; may we suggest a gander of the delightful Ozploitation films that are out there.

Don't just listen to us though, let film geek Quentin Tarantino talk about his love for Long Weekend  a horror film  in the documentary Not Quite Hollywood.

According to Ozflix's terms and conditions, certain films will be geoblocked for overseas customers. Mashable has reached out to Ozflix for clarification.
In an inaugural address fired with the populist fuel of his norm-shattering campaign, President Donald Trump on Friday vowed to take on entrenched interests in Washington, secure Americas borders, fix its infrastructure, bring back factory jobs, and wipe out terrorism. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer, he promised. You will never be ignored again.

Trump portrayed parts of the country as suffering through economic devastation  a bleak landscape of shuttered factories, despairing parents, undocumented immigrants, and at the mercy of drugs and gangs.

RELATED: Full text of Donald J. Trumps inaugural address

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now, he said from the steps of the Capitol. 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.

Looking overseas, the 45th president vowed to enlist old allies and new ones in a war that will not end until it sweeps away radical Islamic terrorism  a phrase shunned by his two immediate predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, who sat behind him during the remarks.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth, Trump predicted. He did not name Russia, but the president is known to favor closer ties with Moscow.

As he did during his improbable campaign, Trump cast himself less as a Republican and more as an outsider prepared to shake up Washington and take on the establishment, including many of the assembled politicians who watched him speak the 35 words of the oath of office.

We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action  constantly complaining but never doing anything about it, he said. The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.

Story continues

LIVE UPDATES: Complete coverage of the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump

And, he said, What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. The comment may have surprised Republican leaders eager to reap the benefits of legislative and executive branches united under the GOPs sway.

President Donald Trump. (Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters)

For much of his remarks, Trump railed against the world order that the United States built and sustained in the aftermath of World War II, implicitly echoing his campaign-trail attacks  on China as an economic predator and of some NATO partners as freeloaders.

For many decades, weve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military, he said. From this day forward, its going to be only America first, America first.



RELATED: Former speechwriters survey the carnage of Trumps speech

Trump, who has vowed to rip up or rewrite trade deals he blames for lost American jobs, seemed to expressly endorse economic protectionism.

We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs, he said. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

And he reached for themes of unity after the divisive presidential race, while reciting his campaign slogan.

Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again, he promised. And yes, together we will make America great again.

RELATED:Trump advisors backed more unifying speech

_____



Read more from Yahoo News:
(RIO DE JANEIRO)A Supreme Court judge central to the huge corruption investigation roiling Brazil died in a plane crash Thursday, casting doubt over the future of a probe that has reached to the top of the political and economic elite, threatening the president himself.

Justice Teori Zavascki died when a plane carrying him and three others crashed outside Paraty, a popular coastal town about 155 miles (250 kilometers) west of Rio de Janeiro, according to his son and authorities.

While the cause of the crash had not been determined, Zavascki held such an important role in the Car Wash investigation into a multibillion-dollar bribe scheme at the state oil company Petrobras that many Brazilians immediately voiced suspicious of possible foul play and demanded a full investigation.

Justice Teori Zavascki had been strongly driving the #Carwash investigation in the Supreme Court. Its hard to believe this was a mere accident, tweeted Alan Mansur, director of the National Association of Prosecutors.

Within an hour of the news of Zavasckis death, President Michel Temer, who has been named by suspects caught up in the Petrobras investigations, addressed the nation.

Zavascki was a good man, and a (symbol of) pride for all Brazilians, said Temer, who called for three days of national mourning.

The justices son, Francisco Prehn Zavascki, was first to confirm that his father was killed in Thursday afternoon crash. Dear friends, we have just received confirmation that my father has died. Thank you for all the strength, he wrote on his Facebook page.

Globo news cited firefighters saying that the plane was carrying four passengers and that three were killed. The names of the other passengers had not been released.

Images on Globo showed rescue workers pulling part of a small white airplane from the sea. Witnesses speaking to Globo said it was raining hard in the afternoon, which is typical during summers in the Southern Hemisphere.

Story continues

Calls and emails to the firefighters overseeing the recovery were not immediately returned.

While the largest corruption probe in Brazils history has been led by a team of prosecutors and Judge Sergio Moro in the southern city of Curitiba, Zavascki handled cases involving politicians. Under Brazilian law, only the Supreme Court can decide to charge or jail federal politicians.

Most recently, Zavascki had been reviewing the dozens of plea bargains of former and current executives of the big Odebrecht construction company, which was one of the main players in the kickback scheme that investigators allege involved more than $2 billion in bribes over a decade. Over the last two years, dozens of politicians and businessmen have been jailed in the sprawling probe.

Zavascki was expected to decide which of the Odebrecht plea bargains to validate by February. Validation would make them public, potentially implicating dozens of politicians in Brazil and several other countries where Odebrecht did business.

Its not clear what will happen to the Car Wash cases that Zavascki was overseeing. They could be split among other justices on the court or possibly assigned to just one justice.

Zavasckis replacement on the court will be appointed by Temer, who denies wrongdoing and has not been charged in the Petrobras case.

About 100 politicians and business executives have already been arrested or are under investigation in Brazil for allegedly overcharging contracts with Petrobras and other state-run companies to pay for bribes and election campaigns. In addition to Temer, senior Cabinet members and close aides and allies of the president have been implicated in testimony from some of those arrested.

Former Odebrecht director Claudio Melo Filho cited Temer 44 times, making accusations of illegal campaign financing. If his allegations should be confirmed by Brazils top electoral court, Temer would be removed from the presidency and Congress would pick a successor.

Moro, the Curitiba judge, issued a statement calling Zavascki a Brazilian hero.

Without him, we would not have had the Carwash operation, Moro wrote. I hope that his legacy, of serenity and firmness in law enforcement, regardless of the powerful interests involved, is not forgotten.

___

Associated Press writer Peter Prengaman reported this story from Rio de Janeiro and AP writer Mauricio Savarese reported from Chapeco, Brazil.
By Tom Perry and Suleiman Al-Khalidi BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's opponents appear more divided than ever as they prepare for peace talks next week, demoralized by their defeat in Aleppo and unable to unite into a single force to defend their remaining territory. The new diplomacy led by Assad's Russian allies has exposed yet more splits in a rebellion that has never had a clear chief, with rebel factions long fractured by regional rivalries, their ties to foreign states, and an ideological battle over whether to pursue Syrian national or Sunni jihadist goals. Several leaders have became prominent only to be killed in the nearly six-year-old conflict and numerous military and political coalitions have come and gone. After the rebels' defeat in Aleppo last month, the latest effort to unify the jihadist and moderate wings of the insurgency collapsed. By contrast Assad is as strong as at any time since the fighting began, his Russian and Iranian backers committed to his survival while the differing agendas of foreign states backing the rebels have added to their divisions. The delegation of rebels that will attend the talks with the Syrian government starting on Monday in the Kazakh capital Astana represents only part of the moderate opposition that has fought Assad in a loose alliance known as the Free Syrian Army. Most are from groups fighting in northern Syria with the backing of Turkey. Other rebel groups seen closer to the United States and Saudi Arabia have been left out. The delegation will be led by Mohammad Alloush, the politburo chief of the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, which is at the more moderate end of the Sunni Islamist spectrum and has its main stronghold near Damascus. Alloush, who lives outside Syria, has not been appointed to the role because he wields influence over the rebellion as a whole -- he does not. He was chosen because he is a member of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), an alliance set up with Saudi and Western support in 2015. The HNC itself, the broadest opposition body formed since the war began, has not been invited to Astana. Its chairman, former prime minister Riad Hijab, is the nearest thing the moderate opposition has to "a face". But his role is closer to that of a spokesman for the myriad groups on the ground and he will not be in Astana either. The HNC has said it hopes the Astana talks will be a step towards new peace talks in Geneva. But while Russia says Astana aims to supplement Geneva, some in the opposition fear Moscow is trying to supplant the U.N.-backed process with its own and wants to increase divisions in the rebel camp. "Going to Astana has more danger than going to Geneva," said Mohammad Aboud, a member of the HNC. "In Geneva, there was a political front for the opposition that had gained international recognition while in Astana there is a lot of ambiguity and with Russia sponsoring this and being an occupying force and not a mediator." He said "polarisation may increase" in the opposition and added: "This is perhaps one of the real goals of the Russians - to increase the division." WIDENING DIVISIONS Russia's peace moves have also exacerbated the split between the moderate and jihadist wings of the insurgency, fuelling tensions that have spilled into confrontation in Idlib, the rebels' main remaining foothold. A ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey last month has excluded the main jihadist group in northwestern Syria, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, while a spate of air strikes targeting its leaders have increased mistrust in the rebel camp. All this plays further to Assad's advantage, as his Russian and Iranian allies want to lead diplomacy over Syria, with Donald Trump indicating he will cut backing for the moderate Syrian opposition as U.S. president. The rebels going to Astana say the meeting must focus on shoring up the ceasefire and will resist political discussions although Assad has said he is open to such talks. "If Astana is just about a mechanism for a ceasefire, and humanitarian access, then it is positive. But it won't be good if they discuss political affairs in Astana because that will amount to the marginalization of the other political forces," said one FSA commander. After years of failed international diplomacy, Moscow says it wants to advance peace by dealing directly with rebels fighting on the ground. It says the aim of the talks, which Iran will also attend, is to consolidate the ceasefire. Turkey, which backs the revolt against Assad, is also behind the new peace drive and is widely believed to have put pressure in the rebels to go to Astana. This reflects its shifting goals in Syria, where its priorities are now shaped around combating Kurdish militia and Islamic State near its border. UNCERTAIN OUTLOOK The outlook for the moderate rebels is more uncertain than ever as Trump has signaled he will cut American support for rebels who have been armed under an aid program backed by the United States, Arab states and Turkey. An invitation to Astana has been sent to the United States, but Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been left out. The rebel divisions have long worked in Assad's favor in the conflict, which grew out of protests against Assad and his government in March 2011 and is estimated to have killed several hundred thousand people. Assad's foreign allies have had a critical role in helping to shore up his control over a rump state in western Syria, even as large swathes of territory in the east and north remain in the hands of Kurdish militia and Islamic State. Many of the rebels fighting Assad in western Syria have themselves fought Islamic State, and at times the Kurds. While they are in retreat, they still hold significant territory including nearly all of Idlib province in the northwest. Jihadist groups such as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, were left out of the latest ceasefire. Adding to the tensions among the rebels, Fateh al-Sham's leaders have been targeted in a spate of recent U.S. air strikes, fuelling accusations of treachery among rebel groups. Fateh al-Sham launched an attack on another powerful Islamist group, Ahrar al-Sham, in Idlib province on Thursday. Until recently both sides were at the heart of the merger talks. Sheikh Abdullah al-Mohaisany, a Saudi Islamist cleric who has played a prominent role in Syria mobilizing support for the insurgency, called the failure of the merger talks a "saddening, regrettable" moment that left Idlib vulnerable to attack. "If the attack on Idlib starts ... the people will say 'come on, let's merge'," he said in comments to an Islamist media outlet on YouTube after the rebels were dislodged from Aleppo, Syria's biggest city and economic hub before the conflict. "But it will be too late." (Writing by Tom Perry, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Black Panthers world keeps getting bigger thanks to writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. After taking on the Black Panther series in 2016 and collaborating with writer Roxane Gay and poet Yona Harvey on a spinoff, World of Wakanda, Coates is adding another comic book series: Black Panther & The Crew. Its a revival of an earlier series by Marvels first black editor Christopher Priest but with a new set of characters. Coates will team again with Harvey to tell the story of a team of heroesBlack Panther, Storm, Luke Cage, Misty Knight and Manifoldset in Harlem.

Coates, a National Book Award and MacArthur Genius Grant winner, became the most famous comic book writer in the non-comic-book-reading world last year when he took on the Marvel character. The storied publisher recruited him to revive Black Panther, the first black superhero in mainstream comic books. Black Panther, whose given name is TChalla, is the ruler of the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda, a scientist and an Avenger. Coates 2016 version begins with a rebellion against Wakandas monarchy. The first issue sold more than 300,000 copies.

Marvel has tried to widen its perspective from that of the white male creator in recent years with changes to its characters and, more slowly, its writers and artists. Priests version of The Crew has been called by critics the blackest superhero story that Marvel Comics ever published and dealt with issues like gentrification, poverty, religion and crime. Coates and Harveys version endeavors to be similarly ambitious.

TIME spoke Coates and Harvey about the new series; a lightly edited transcript follows:

Why did you decide to do a spin-off about The Crew?

Coates: Christopher Priest wrote what turned out to be a mini-series that I just adored called The Crew. Black Panther wasnt in the original Crew, but he was weirdly sort of related because an ancillary character of his series was in the Crew. It was a unique book because the majority of the characters were black. So when I came back to write Black Panther, I read a bunch of Christopher Priests stuff, and I wanted to bring it back.

Story continues

I was going to try to do it with the same members that he had. But it became clear that certain characters would not be available for various reasons. So I decided to think about it in a different way and think about something new.

What else is new about it besides the characters compared to the old version?

Coates: The old version was a great crime story. And youll see elements of that in this, but theres a Cold War aspect too. Im new to this so Im trying to not blow the story, but at the same time try to let people know what it is.

I feel your pain.

Coates: You see the events of today. There are also flashbacks to events of the Cold War. It all connects. The basic idea is each of these people for various reasons has a conflicted relationship with the neighborhood, Harlem.

Theres this concept in comic books of street characterscharacters who mostly deal with street-level storiesthose are your Daredevils, your Luke Cages, things that are considered lower-tier. And then you have your more cosmic level heroes, like The X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Avengers, that sort of thing. What we have in this book is a group of characters that operate on both levels. What does it mean to protect the street and protect the world? How are those things connected? What happens when TChalla is walking down the street without his [Black Panther] uniform and people dont recognize him, hes just a black person? Same with Storm.

I dont want to lean on that too hard and make you think theres too much page space thinking about this, but its baked into the book.

The inciting incident of this story is an activist dies in police custody, and theres an investigation. Why did you decide to use that as the jumping off point?

Coates: This is in the air. Its not like I looked at a Black Lives Matter protest and was like, Hey, I want to write a comic about that. But youre confronted with it every day. So when I sat down to think about what is this story with four black protagonists about, and you start scribbling, that rises up. The events of the day are with me. It seemed like an opportunity to do something. It becomes clear in the first issue that the activist is not just an activist. Theres something more going on there.

How much do you think the events of the day being on your mind are because you are also a writer, a journalist, who is writing about social justice issues and race or interviewing President Obama?

Coates: Those things dont influence each other as much as you would think. These issues are all over comic books and particularly throughout the history of Marvel. What weighs on me is reading X-Men as a child. Those books influenced me so much. They were charged, they dealt with discrimination, they dealt with being an outsider. They dealt with the things that I was feeling.

The comics Ive always read, have always had a philosophical thread. So when it came time for me to write comics, I just felt like that had to be. Its definitely in the Black Panther books now. Its not just a story about a king thats trying to rule. Im trying to answer other questions, philosophical questions, social questions.

Black Panther dealt very directly with questions of sexism, female empowerment and queerness, especially when it came to Black Panthers all-female guard.

Coates: [In some of the earlier versions, the guards] are like 16 years old. Its weird. I want to say that was a different time, but it was only 15 years ago. I think now, you have an all-female guard, you cant just look at them strictly from the perspective of the teenage, male comic book reader. Like, when depicting a same-sex relationship, I was really careful. You dont want it to be a performance [for the reader.] You want the characters to own it. I dont know that we would have been having these conversations 15 years ago. Its good theyre happening now.

To that point, youve said before that those plots were in part a response to a conversation online about the ways in which comic books failed to represent complex, powerful women. Now that youve written a whole series, do you continue to pay attention to the online debate about representation and feminism?

Coates: I hope so. Yes, I am. You know, there were no women in the original Crew. And it just felt like you could not have a book like this without women. The moment it became clear I couldnt do the original Crew, and I had to come up with my own, it just felt wrong to put together five dudes. These days, thats not going to fly. So in its very conception, yes.

I have to admit Im not familiar with the original run of The Crew, was that set in Harlem as well?

Coates: No. It was set in a fictional neighborhood called Little Mogadishu in Brooklyn.

So why Harlem?

Coates: Because I lived in Harlem for like seven years, and I love the neighborhood. Theres some history there for Marvel, too. I think Storms dad was from Harlem or lived in Harlem. Misty Knight and Luke Cage have connections there.

Whats the difference in writing about a place youve actually lived in and writing about a country that doesnt exist?

Coates: I could actually see the blocks. Theres an opening scene that happens on 125th and Lenox Avenue, and I could see it all right in front of me. There are jokes I could make about changes in the neighborhood that I just knew from being there.

How much did you think about the history of sexism in comic books before you started writing?

Harvey: Are the things that trouble women the things we see depicted in culture? Do we walk out the door terrified of mugged or attacked? I was thinking about these strong female characters, and how can I bring more subtlety or nuance to that idea. I think maybe for men when they write about women theyre imagining this anxiety about the worst thing that can happen to as part of [the character.] But I dont think we step out of the house thinking were in trouble or need to be rescued.

What are the challenges of dealing with racial issues in this format?

Harvey: I think its a good challenge because it gives people a touchstone for the current moment, but theres still this imaginative space where the story can unfold. Theres a nice tension between those two things, the real and the fantastical.

How has your poetry affected your work in comic books?

Harvey: For the first project I kept resisting. I thought being a poet was a negative somehow. But then I had to embrace what poets do, examine tiny details and draw out a larger story. And it helps with the language and the voice of the characters. I have this little trick where I imagine the poetic voice of the character, whether its very terse or romantic or sensitive.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The leader of Taiwan's delegation to the U.S. presidential inauguration dismissed as "small-minded" China's strong objections to his attendance Friday.

Former Premier Yu Shyi-kun told The Associated Press "it's hard to believe that a country with 5,000 years of history and its glorious background is so focused on this. It just shows how petty they are."

Yu was interviewed by AP after watching Trump's swearing-in. He said he had a good seat, directly in front of the ceremony at the Capitol.

The U.S. has no formal relations with self-governing Taiwan in deference to China, which claims the island as its own. However, the two maintain robust informal ties, and Washington sells Taiwan arms for its self-defense. Taiwan has sent delegations to past inaugurals.

China said it had requested Taiwan's exclusion to avoid any kind of official exchange between the U.S. and Taiwan  but it also appeared to reflect its concern that President Donald Trump could seek to redefine relations between Beijing, Taipei and Washington. Last week, Trump said in a newspaper interview that Washington's "one China policy" under which it recognized Beijing in 1979 was open to negotiation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chuying on Friday called the Taiwanese presence at the inauguration a "publicity stunt, which aims to undermine and disrupt the China-US relationship."

Yu served as Taiwan's premier from 2002 to 2005. He is a founding member of Taiwan's independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, which currently holds the presidency and has particularly strained relations with Beijing.

He was accompanied by politicians from both the ruling party and the opposition Nationalists, and has met U.S. lawmakers including Republican Rep. Ed Royce, chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee, and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

Citing protocol, Yu would not say whether he had met with members of Trump's team. But he said Taiwan would like a free trade agreement and investment treaty with the U.S.; its support in participating in international organizations like Interpol, currently blocked by China; and stronger defense capabilities to ensure stability in the Asia-Pacific.

Speaking through an interpreter, Yu said the peaceful transfer of power in the U.S. and the fact that Trump's election rival Hillary Clinton attended Friday's ceremony offered a lesson for Taiwan's young democracy.

Asked if the communist-governed mainland should learn that lesson too, Yu said that only when there was a democratic China would there be peace in the world.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Closing out a barrier-breaking chapter in history, former President Barack Obama left the White House on Friday much the way he entered it eight years ago: insisting Americans have reason for optimism despite the national sense of unease.

He was gracious to President Donald Trump to the end, warmly welcoming his successor to the home where he raised his daughters. Yet to those fearful about Trump's presidency, Obama suggested it would be a mere blip.

"This is just a little pit stop," Obama told supporters just before departing Washington. "This is not a period, this is a comma in the continuing story of building America."

Obama leaves the national stage as a widely popular figure, with his poll numbers approaching 60 percent. He's being replaced by the least popular president in four decades, polls show  a reality on display in Trump's low-key inauguration. On the National Mall, far fewer showed up than the throng that attended Obama's 2009 inauguration, and some protesters downtown hurled bricks and broke windows in a show of defiance. Many others demonstrated peacefully.

Left unspoken in Obama's final hours was the unpleasant reality that his successor has pledged to reverse much, if not most, of what he accomplished. That has raised the prospect that Obama's major lasting legacy may be as a cultural icon: the first black president, who ushered the country into a new era in which gays can marry, marijuana is legal in more places than ever and white people will soon be a minority.

Yet inside the White House, the Obama imprint that once appeared indelible suddenly seemed more fleeting. Photos of him and his family were taken down from the walls, leaving big, white voids that seemed to beckon the new president to make "the people's house" his own.

Obama's staffers left one reminder on the wall near a West Wing entrance: a collection of newspaper front pages from Obama's proudest moments, including the day he signed the Affordable Care Act and the day the Senate confirmed his nomination of the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice.

Story continues

Speaking to his former aides at Joint Base Andrews after Trump's swearing-in, Obama sought to reassure those who toiled on his behalf that it was all worth it, no matter what Trump might do. He said his supporters had defied the skeptics who "didn't think we could pull it off," invoking themes from his campaign.

"You proved the power of hope," Obama said.

If there were hard feelings toward Trump, Obama didn't let on. He sat stoically as Trump, in his inaugural address, offered a bleak assessment of the state of the country after eight years of Obama's leadership.

And at the White House, he and Mrs. Obama tried to gently coach Trump and his wife on the mechanics of presidential pageantry. When Melania Trump presented Mrs. Obama with a gift just as they were expected to pose for photos, Mrs. Obama looked left, then right, for someone to hand it to before Obama himself eventually walked it to a nearby aide.

On his last day in office, Obama left a letter to Trump in the Oval Office, in keeping with presidential tradition. He signed one last bill, codifying a government fellowship program he'd created, and was given a gift by the residential staff: a pair of flags that flew above the White House on the first and last days of his presidency.

Vice President Joe Biden accompanied the Obamas and the Trumps to the swearing-in, then departed Washington, in his characteristically down-home style, by Amtrak train. Obama and his family headed to a vacation in California on the presidential plane, stripped of the Air Force One moniker as it ferried the now-former president for the last time.

When Obama took office in 2009, few Americans had an iPhone, which had just been introduced. Nearly 49 million Americans had no health insurance, a number that's fallen to 28 million. Unemployment, now 4.7 percent, was nearly 8 percent and climbing. The national debt was about $10.6 trillion, and has jumped under Obama to just under $20 trillion.

His presidency started with a burst of legislative activity  the economic stimulus, his health care overhaul  that he would never again be able to replicate. Partisan resistance to him quickly hardened, and by the time his second term started, Obama had mostly assented to the reality that his best hopes to accomplish anything were through executive action and foreign policy.

The next time voters had their say, they chose Obama's opposite.

But Obama tried to stay optimistic until the very end, even as former staffers hoisted their children on their shoulders to see him off.

"Michelle and I, we've just been your front-men and women," Obama said. "We have been the face, sometimes the voice, out front on the TV screen in front of a microphone, but this has never been about us. It has always been about you."

___

Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

___

Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP
With 76 percent of those who have a drug or alcohol addiction being employed, it's no wonder one of the most common reasons people give for not entering rehabilitation is they're afraid it will ruin their career. When you've decided to seek treatment, wondering about whether or not you'll be out of a job is the last thing you'll want to worry about. Keep in mind, your boss may already know. As addiction escalates, the signs and symptoms become more pervasive.

Before you speak with your employer, look into your company's drug and alcohol policy. If your company doesn't have one, examine its health care policy. When you do decide to speak with your manager, honesty is always the best policy. Be upfront with your boss; your employer may even offer additional resources, such as counseling or a referral to a physician or treatment center, like New Method Wellness. Backed with support from your employer, you will not only feel more confident going into rehabilitation, you'll also have a much better chance of a successful recovery.

[See: How to Find the Best Mental Health Professional for You.]

Never let the stigma of addiction stop you from getting help; many employers have policies in place to protect employees who seek substance abuse treatment. The Family and Medical Leave Act provides employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. FMLA is designed to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain medical reasons. Using this time for recovery ensures that you will have a job once you return. Disclosing your rehabilitation plans to your employer will also help assure your job functions will be covered during your absence.

Seeking help for your substance abuse is one of the most courageous decisions you can make. With only 6 percent of people with addiction problems seeking help, leaving to work on your sobriety is not only a step in the right direction, but a step toward understanding and peeling back the layers of hopelessness, trauma, rejection, self-hatred and much more.

Story continues

[See: 7 Health Risks of Binge Drinking You Can't Ignore.]

When choosing a rehabilitation center, ask yourself if this clinic is right for you. At New Method Wellness, we believe in an individualized treatment experience for all of our clients, eliminating the common one-size-fits-all approach. The diversity of our treatment programs allows everyone to find a home, creating a welcoming environment for every client we have. We utilize medical-assisted detoxification. This means each client meets with a general practitioner, psychiatrist and nurse to determine the "easier and softer" way to detox the body with tapering medication and 24-hour surveillance.

[See: 14 Ways Alcohol Affects the Aging Process.]

If you still don't feel comfortable speaking to your employer about your rehabilitation plans, don't feel like you need to. Ask your manager for a leave of absence or use any accrued vacation time so you don't need to relay an explanation.

DeAnna Jordan is the clinical director at New Method Wellness, a substance abuse treatment center in Orange Country, California. Jordan has over 20 years of experience working with clients in recovery and is a marriage and family therapist specializing in the maintenance of healthy relationships. As a recovering addict, Jordan brings a breadth of personal recovery experience to her clinical leadership and believes a comfortable, structured and supportive environment is an essential part of maintaining long-term sobriety. In addition to her passion for recovery, Jordan is extremely involved in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. As a current Woman of the Year candidate, Jordan is campaigning to raise funds for LLS blood cancer research in honor of local children who are blood cancer survivors.
US TV networks are already working on their forthcoming schedules, which roll out from September 2017. Reboots, spin-offs, superheroes, spies and conspiracies could be coming to screens in new shows currently in the works for the upcoming TV season. Here's a look at 10 new series currently in the pipeline.

Magnum

ABC is developing a sequel series based on "Magnum, P.I." Instead of following Thomas Magnum, the private investigator made famous by Tom Selleck, cases in the new show will be investigated by his daughter Lily. The reboot will reportedly keep the idyllic Hawaiian location and the same mix of comedy and action that sealed the success of the original 1980s series.

Control

Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy -- the duo behind the hit series "Westworld" -- have a new fantasy series in the works for Fox. The show follows a group of New-Yorkers who have all undergone an unorthodox treatment for their anxiety, carried out by a secretive and all-powerful group.

A currently untitled project from Marc Cherry

The "Desperate Housewives" creator could reteam with ABC if the network runs his new series, which is as yet untitled. The show focuses on a small town in Kentucky called Oxblood, which is turned upside-down when a suspected act of terrorism occurs at the July 4 parade. The FBI sends an arrogant agent to investigate the case, who is forced to work with the local sheriff. What he discovers is far beyond anything he could have imagined.

Sheldon

Almost 10 years after its launch, "The Big Bang Theory" is getting a spin-off based on the series' most popular character, Sheldon Cooper, played by Jim Parsons. Since 2007, this physics buff with an impressively high IQ, but who struggles with social interactions, has been a key factor in the success of the CBS show. The spin-off focuses on the character's younger years growing up in Texas in a family who's members are nothing like him.

Story continues

Will & Grace

NBC is hoping to revive its hit comedy from the noughties, which starred Debra Missing and Eric McCormick. The series, which ended more than 10 years ago, followed the adventures of two friends and roommates in New York -- a gay attorney and an interior designer -- both looking for love.

How I Met Your Father

CBS could be interested in "How I Met Your Father," a spin-off of "How I Met Your Mother," axed by the network in 2014, but told from a female point of view. Penned by the writers of "This Is Us," the show sees a woman telling her children the story of how she met their father through a series of flashbacks.

The Good Doctor

Known for creating "House" -- one of the standout medical shows of recent years -- David Shore is currently working on a new hospital-based drama about a doctor like no other. Destined for the ABC network, "The Good Doctor" follows a brilliant surgeon with savant syndrome.

Unit Zero

Toni Collette ("United States of Tara") takes the lead in this drama in the works at ABC. The show is about a single mother working for the CIA. This brilliant engineer heads a team of rookie spies who are thrust out into the field.

Charmed

CW hopes to relaunch its noughties series by shifting the plot to 1976. The Halliwell sisters, played by Shannen Doherty, Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan, will be replaced by a new line-up of witches. The cast is yet to be announced.

The Inhumans

Marvel has another small-screen venture in store for the upcoming season. Mutant humans with various superpowers will be the stars of a new show coming to ABC this fall.
DALLAS (AP)  A Texas inmate who was imprisoned for 35 years while waiting for a new trial after a court overturned his murder conviction should be set free, an appellate court ruled.

Jerry Hartfield was finally convicted again in 2015 in the 1976 killing of 55-year-old Eunice Lowe, but a court ruled Thursday that his constitutional right to a speedy trial was violated. The Court of Appeals for the 13th District of Texas reversed the conviction and ordered that the case against Hartfield, now 60, be dismissed.

"The State's negligence in this case created a criminal justice nightmare for Hartfield and the system at-large, as he sat in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for thirty-two years without a conviction," the panel wrote, adding later that release was the only remedy. "We are deeply mindful that our conclusion today means that a defendant who may be guilty of murder may go free."

It was not clear Friday when or if Hartfield could be released or if the state would appeal the decision to the Court of Criminal Appeals, Texas' highest criminal court. A phone message left with a spokesman for the Texas attorney general's office was not immediately returned.

Hartfield originally was sentenced to death in the slaying of Lowe, a bus ticket saleswoman in Bay City, about 100 miles southwest of Houston. A jury heard testimony that Lowe had been beaten to death with a pickaxe, some of her valuables had been stolen and that her body had been sexually abused.

But that conviction was thrown out on appeal because of a problem with jury selection and a retrial was ordered. In 1983, Gov. Mark White commuted Hartfield's death sentence to life in prison in an effort to avoid the retrial, but courts recently found the sentence had already been overturned and vacated by the time he issued the commutation.

Hartfield's attorneys tried to have the indictment set aside before his 2015 retrial, but the lower court denied his claim he had been denied a speedy trial, saying he had failed to raise the issue for more than 23 years. A jury subsequently convicted him of a lesser murder charge and sentenced him to life in prison.

Story continues

One of Hartfield's attorneys, Jeffrey Newberry, said Friday he didn't know whether Hartfield knows about the decision yet. He said he's requested a phone call with Hartfield, who is at the state's Allred Unit in Iowa City, near the Oklahoma border.

"The things that happened in this case  critical evidence was lost, the murder weapon was lost, the vehicle the state alleges he took was lost long ago ... these are the reasons we have a Sixth Amendment right to a speedy trial. The framers realized that your ability to defend yourself diminishes as time passes," he said. "We're very happy with the court's decision, but it's definitely a tragedy that it took ... 30 years."

___

Associated Press writer Michael Graczyk in Houston contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to show the inmate's last name is Hartfield, not Hartsfield.
By Pracha Hariraksapitak and Aukkarapon Niyomyat BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's junta is setting up a reconciliation panel of generals and experts to find common ground between political factions ahead of elections, the general named to lead the body said on Friday. But critics questioned how neutral the panel would be given decades of military involvement in politics. The army overthrew Thailand's last elected prime minister in 2014, saying it had intervened to end street protests and years of political turmoil. It has promised to restore democracy to the Southeast Asian country. General Chaichan Changmongkol, appointed by the junta to lead the panel, told reporters it would include the head of the armed forces, army specialists and civilian experts. "We will spend three months listening to the views of every side and on every subject whether it is politics, reforms or education," said Chaichan, who is permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defense. The panel would then come up with an agreement that all sides would sign to ensure a peaceful transition, he said. Thailand's political divide is broadly between a traditionalist elite, centered on Bangkok, and the less prosperous parts of the country, which largely backed populist governments before the most recent coup. Both Thailand's main political parties said they were open to reconciliation if it was done fairly. "The reconciliation process must be neutral, must be fair and must be according to the law," said former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose was overthrown in the last coup. The army has repeatedly postponed elections in the past in the name of reforms to bring about reconciliation. The army had initially promised an election this year, but a delay until 2018 is widely expected. Critics say the generals are working to ensure their political influence after elections, including drafting a constitution that enshrines military power at the expense of political parties. Kan Yuenyong, executive director of the Siam Intelligence Unit think-tank, told Reuters that reconciliation by an army-led panel would be hard. "If they were sincere they would admit that they have been part of the problem and appoint a neutral panel," he said. Since helping to overthrow an absolute monarchy in what was then Siam in 1932, the military has staged 19 coups, 12 of them successful, and has provided 12 of its 29 prime ministers in that time. The junta dismissed suggestions that it should also sign any reconciliation agreement and agree not to stage more coups. "The majority of soldiers do not want to seize power. Having power isn't everything," Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters. "The citizens supported this coup because we restored stability." (Writing by Cod Satrusayang; Editing by Matthew Tostevin and Randy Fabi)
Les Sables-d'Olonne (France) (AFP) - An exhausted Alex Thomson on Friday crossed the finish line in the Vendee Globe round-the-world race beaten into second after an epic battle with record-breaking winner Armel Le Cleac'h.

The Hugo Boss skipper raised his arms aloft as he completed the gruelling solo non-stop race escorted by dozens of small boats at Les Sables d'Olonne at sunrise at 0737GMT.

"We've been away a long, long time and it's great to finally be here," the Welshman said.

"I hoped and prayed I could catch Armel but about 24 to 36 hours from the finish I knew that was the end."

Thomason led the contest in the early stages but suffered a broken hydrofoil. He narrowed the gap with Le Cleac'h again to less than 40 nautical miles at the end but was held back by a malfunctioning autopilot.

Brandishing a Union Jack flag, and with his wife Kate, son Oscar and daughter Georgia alongside, he waved to the crowd who had braved the icy conditions on the quayside at the French port to welcome him home.

"I'm very happy with second place. Now I'm looking forward to getting some sleep, seeing my family and having my life back."

The 42-year-old emulated Ellen MacArthur, the only other Briton to take second in the race in 2001, albeit 20 days slower than Thomson.

Le Cleac'h had sealed his place in Vendee Globe folklore on Thursday, crossing the line after 74 days, three hours, 35 minutes and 46 seconds at sea.

- Records smashed -

The 39-year-old smashed the previous record set by French compatriot Francois Gabart in 2013 of 78 days 2hr 16 min.

Thomson's time was 74 days, 19 hours, 35 minutes and 15 seconds. On the way he set the record for the distance covered in 24 hours -- 536.8 nautical miles.

After his first night's sleep since setting sail, Le Cleac'h reflected on his "constant battle with the wind, the weather, the boat."

He told RTL radio: "The Vendee Globe has been 74 days of fighting, intense racing on difficult oceans especially in the southern seas.

Story continues

"I had to battle until the end to keep the lead, it was a fierce fight with Alex Thomson.

"I had to give everything to finally be able to win this Vendee Globe after finishing second twice, especially four years ago when I was only a few hours behind the winner."

He hailed his Banque Populaire boat, designed specifically to deliver Vendee Globe glory.

- 'incredible story' -

"We've spent a lot of time together, we ended up speaking to each other, like a rider does with his horse.

"We've had some strong moments together. I thanked him (the boat) at the finish, it might seem strange to say that, he's not a person but it's almost as if he is."

Despite missing out on the glory, Thomson played his part in one of the most dramatic editions of the race.

Like Thomson, Le Cleac'h had been accompanied on its triumphant return by dozens of small boats and a helicopter beaming live television pictures hovering overhead.

Le Cleac'h, who led the gruelling race for the last month and a half said Thomson had been "a very tough rival."

He spent his first night back on terra firma enjoying a "small dinner" with his wife, two children and close family.

Thomson will have to wait another four years for a fresh tilt at becoming the first non-French winner of the Vendee Globe.

Le Cleac'h became the seventh winner -- all French -- of the coveted event first staged 28 years ago.

Jeremie Beyou, around 550nm from the finish, is expected to come in on Monday.
Thousands of New Yorkers  led by a star-studded roster of speakers and performers  gathered outside the Trump International Hotel in New York City Thursday evening to protest Donald Trump on the eve of his inauguration.

This is the beginning of the 100 days of resistance, declared filmmaker Michael Moore, who led the pre-inauguration rally along with other outspoken Trump critics, including Alec Baldwin, Mark Ruffalo, Rosie Perez and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Actor Robert de Niro speaks to thousands of protesters at a pre-inauguration rally against Donald Trump in New York City on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. (Screenshot via Yahoo News)

For about two hours, the relatively subdued crowd that had assembled between Trumps Columbus Circle property and Central Park West listened and applauded as a lengthy lineup of A-listers, joined by local activists and officials, took turns denouncing the president-elect. Robert de Nero, Sally Field, Julianne Moore and Cher shared the dais with Reverend Al Sharpton, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the AFL-CIOs Stuart Applebaum.

[Trump] is a bad example of this country, this city, said De Niro, before reading several mock tweets that he predicted Trump might write about him later that night.

From healthcare to immigration to Islamophobia and LGBT rights, there were almost as many issues addressed at the rally as there were speakers who took the stage. However, the overarching message of the evening was one of unity  and the power in numbers.

We are the majority, said Michael Moore, referring to the millions of Americans who voted against Trump. Theres more of us than there are of them.

Yet as the parade of public figures onstage vowed one by one to stand up to Trump, it seemed the president-elect had already begun to have an effect on many of the nonfamous New Yorkers in the crowd.

The majority of rallygoers who spoke to Yahoo News declined to provide their full names. Asked why, 27-year-old Carol from Queens answered, Paranoia about the incoming administration.

Just a general fear based on type of people hes putting in power and how insecure he is about any criticism, she continued. It gives you pause.

Story continues

Nearby, a group of New York City public school teachers  with the exception of one man, who identified himself as Jeffrey Ellis-Lee  were equally hesitant to share their names.

Pinned to each of their jackets was a yellow piece of paper with a lowercase letter i which, Ellis-Lee explained, represents that Trump is an illegitimate president.

One of the teachers, a young woman who declined to give her first or last name, said that beyond their own opposition to Trump and the things that he said on the campaign trail, she and her colleagues were motivated to attend Thursday nights rally because of the fear and concern expressed by many of their immigrant students in the wake of the election.

We had a number of students crying, freaked out that they would be picked up by somebody because what they understood from the news was that they were not wanted, she said.

Another teacher, who identified herself only as Emily, chimed in: If it hasnt been bad enough nationally, having a population of kids who are directly affected by everything hes been saying and everything hes been proposing is very hard to experience.

Protecting New York Citys immigrants against potential attempts at widespread deportations by the incoming Trump administration was among the ways Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed that he will stand up against hate as part of his pledge for the next 100 days of action.

But while the celebrity calls to action and resistance were met with cheers and applause from the crowd, for many in attendance the event was more of a comforting farewell to the pre-Trump era than anything else.

I dont know how much good this is gonna do on a practical level, said Carol. I just feel like I cant do nothing.

Carols friend Claire, a 26-year-old who works in publishing and also declined to give her last name, agreed, citing her own personal moral compass as motivation for participating in Thursday nights rally.

You dont want to go into the abyss having done nothing in the face of it, she said.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Timex Group plans to close its North Little Rock distribution center by the end of the year, leaving a state where it's operated since 1945 and costing the center's 64 workers their jobs.

The North Little Rock location handles the distribution, customer-call center and repair and service operations for the U.S. and Canada markets. The call center will move to Timex's facility in the Philippines, and the rest of the operations will move to a third-party company in Indianapolis, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported (http://bit.ly/2jQIRIb ).

John Owens, who heads the local chamber of commerce, said the decision is a "sign of the times." The closure comes at a difficult time for the traditional watch industry.

"Outsourcing distribution to third-party companies who do distribution for multiple companies is much more efficient. You are seeing it in many other industries," Owens said.

According to Owens, the company is working to organize a job fair in the coming weeks for the workers.

North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith said the city had hoped Timex would continue to be a part of the community, "but our economy often brings changes beyond our control."

Timex opened its first Arkansas manufacturing plant in Little Rock in 1945. The last Little Rock factory closed in 2001.

___

Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's abrupt exit to face charges in the U.S. marks the probable end of the career of Mexico's most notorious drug cartel boss, and a delicately timed gesture by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who faces a new and hostile U.S. administration.

Observers differed on whether Guzman's extradition was a final-hour salute to outgoing President Barack Obama, or a gesture of obeisance to incoming President Donald Trump. Pena Nieto is already deeply unpopular, in part for his perceived mishandling of Donald Trump's tough rhetoric on Mexico.

Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran said at a Thursday night news conference that the timing was due to a court ruling, not politics.

"It was resolved today, and we under terms of the international treaty had to make the handover immediately," he said.

But many considered the timing to have been carefully planned.

"It could be a coincidence, but I think that's unlikely," Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope said, noting it came the last full day of Barack Obama's presidency and hours before Trump's inauguration.

"They could not send him after Trump was inaugurated because the interpretation would have been that of a tribute," Hope said. "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."

Others saw it as a reward to Obama and a shot across the bow of Trump, who has called immigrants coming illegally from Mexico criminals and "rapists" and vowed to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it.

"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," said Michael Vigil, the former head of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "They wanted Obama to take credit. They wanted to send a message to Trump that they won't be bullied."

Story continues

Samuel Logan of the business and security consulting firm Southern Pulse said it also probably involved practical concerns. Guzman has escaped twice from Mexican prisons, and Pena Nieto has more pressing concerns on his hands like the fast-rising Jalisco New Generation cartel, known as the CJNG.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

"There might be some political aspirations in it, but I think it's more about cleaning up what loose ends he (Pena Nieto) can so he can focus on what is much more concerning, the CJNG," Logan said.

A senior US official speaking on condition of anonymity said Mexico's legal system gave the Mexican government a small window of opportunity to extradite Guzman, and it quickly took it. The window  during which Guzman's lawyers could have filed other appeals  was a matter of hours, so tight that the official acknowledged there was nervousness on both sides of the border.

One Guzman lawyer, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, said the extradition violated due process. He told the Radio Formula station that he planned to file a complaint with the Inter-American Human Rights Commission.

Guzman's departure came the same day Mexican officials announced high-level talks Jan. 25-26 in Washington. The discussions will include Mexico's newly installed top diplomat, Luis Videgaray, and key Trump administration officials such as chief of staff Reince Priebus, son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and senior adviser Stephen Bannon.

Hope said the timing also sends a message that Mexico is serious about anti-drug cooperation regardless of who occupies the White House.

Sen. Miguel Barbosa of the leftist opposition Democratic Revolution Party seized on the extradition to take a swipe at Pena Nieto. He said it was apparently the only choice after Guzman twice pulled off embarrassing escapes from maximum-security lockups.

"We should not celebrate that the Mexican state was not capable of processing the greatest criminal that has ever existed in Mexico and was not capable of guaranteeing his incarceration," Barbosa said in a statement.

Pena Nieto currently has the lowest approval ratings for any Mexican leader in the polling era. Besides his handling of Trump, Mexicans are also angry about corruption, rising drug gang violence and a Jan. 1 deregulation that led gasoline prices to spike by as much as 20 percent.

Another of Guzman's lawyer, Andres Granados, accused the government of trying to distract the public.

"They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike," Granados said. "It's totally political."

Some Mexicans feared Guzman's extradition to the United States, where he will surely be kept from communicating with underlings, could unleash a cartel power struggle and more bloodshed.

"All the different bands are going to start fighting among themselves, no? Drug traffickers, to see who ends up being No. 1," said Roberto Lascurain, an architect in Mexico City.

Guzman associate Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is believed to be running the cartel following "El Chapo's" recapture last January. Some analysts believe Guzman's sons may have also taken on increased roles.

Raul Benitez, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said Guzman's offspring may try to challenge for control in what "could be a negotiation without violence, or a war with machine guns."

However, Vigil predicted that the operations of Guzman's Sinaloa cartel are unlikely to be affected.

"Most cartels have a vertical structure, but ... Sinaloa has a horizontal one with cells that operate in a semi-autonomous manner," Vigil said. "They have a strong bench. They have a respected leader in Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada."

On Twitter, some saw humor in Guzman's extradition the day before Trump takes office.

"'They're sending the worst, they're bringing drugs, they're criminals,'" tweeted Jorge Guajardo, Mexico's ambassador to China in 2007-2013, echoing Trump's comments about illegal immigration. "Ok, you won. Here's our very worst, El Chapo."

U.S. presidential transitions have been used by foreign countries before to send a political message. On Jan. 20, 1981, only minutes into the presidency of Republican Ronald Reagan, Iran freed 52 American hostages it held for 444 days after the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

A deal between Iran and the U.S. to unfreeze billions of dollars in Iranian assets in exchange for the hostages had been largely reached under outgoing Democratic President Jimmy Carter. But while Carter greeted the hostages on their landing in West Germany, it was Reagan who announced their freedom to cheering Americans.

___

Associated Press writers Mark Stevenson and E. Eduardo Castillo and AP video journalist Lissette Romero in Mexico City and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed to this report.




On some level, we all want to change to the world. To leave a fingerprint on human history. To be a part of something bigger. For most of us, its a daunting proposition, easily abandoned when real life gets in the way. But not for Tina Hovsepian  architect and founder of Cardborigami.

Growing up in Los Angeles, Hovsepian was deeply affected by the poverty she saw around her. I constantly witnessed homelessness, she says. And it was always in the back of my head: Why does it have to be this way? Why are there people living on the streets? It troubled her to see adults and children struggling to survive without any measure of comfort, and she knew it was a problem she couldnt ignore. She knew she had to do something.

Hovsepian went on to study architecture at USC, but never forgot about the plight of the less fortunate. In fact, she continually thought of the people she had seen on L.A.s Skid Row.

Uproxx

Every city has an area that you can call Skid Row, she explains. And in L.A., its a whole city block, if not more, where people are just living in these horrific conditions on the streets. And its just a very terrifying condition to see and witness.

Though she was moved, Hovsepian wasnt sure what she could do. Then she began studying Buddhism, and it completely changed her view of the world. The philosophy teaches that were all interconnected in some way, she says of her practice. And that helping others, essentially, is like helping yourself and making the world a better place.

As Hovsepian grew more involved with Buddhism, she became increasingly convinced that she needed to be a more active part of creating positive change. She thought about the danger and discomfort the homeless population in her city faced, and focused her energy on solutions.



Uproxx

I had this studio, she says, for a semester-long class where we had an open-ended project. I focused on helping the homeless community in L.A.

As her project progressed, Hovsepian saw the struggles people faced finding comfortable places to sleep and became fixated on the idea of creating portable shelters. She started to seek out building materials  exploring scores of options before finally settling on cardboard. She liked it for many reasons.

Story continues

It is insulated, she says. Its structural, its readily available and its recyclable.

Then the architecture major began to explore innovative building ideas for her structures. These werent going to be ordinary boxes. Hovsepian was set on making something beautiful.

Uproxx

The idea for origami really stemmed from the material choice, she says, since cardboard is kind of like a huge sheet of paper and I was thinking, what can you do with paper? Really the coolest thing is folding it. It comes from a flat piece, but it can become a whole different sculpture (with folding).

Uproxx

It wasnt an easy learning curve. But through trial and error, Hovsepian completed the project for her class and ended up with a large, structurally sound origami shelter. She called it Cardborigami, and it was an instant hit. It was compact, easy to assemble, and proved a far better option on the streets than a tent.

Because of the folding pattern, Hovsepian explains, its more structural than a tent is. It resists impact loads and wind loads much better, and when youre inside, if its cold outside, itll be more warm. If its warm outside, itll be cooler inside.

The people Hovsepian hoped to help overwhelmingly agreed. When she beta-tested her shelters on the street, 90% of people said that it was a better sleeping arrangement than their current set up.

Uproxx

Since that initial project, Hovsepian has continued improving her technique. While the original prototype was much larger, now the homes are 6 foot by 4 foot structures (enough room for two adults to sleep and sit up in comfortably). Her goal is to provide the homeless with some measure of safety and comfort so that they can concentrate their energies on finding work rather than having to make day-to-day sleeping arrangements. She hopes that even a small bit of help will lead to large, positive changes in their lives.

Its an ambitious endeavor, but one Hovsepian doesnt shy away from. As a result of her commitment, organizations around the world have started to take notice. She was recognized by the Stevens Institute of Innovation, she received the 2015 Mother of Invention Award from Toyota, and she was honored as a humanitarian by the Muhammad Ali Center.

The accolades have brought publicity and publicity leads to resources  all of which has helped Hovsepian to realize her childhood dream of helping others. She says, Our vision with Cardborigami is really to have a global reach where we could provide these instant shelters to anyone that might need it, whether its due to poverty, natural disaster, refugee crises or whatever it may be. That would be our long-term vision.

Hovsepian doesnt just want her structures to help the people of Los Angeles; she wants to spread her shelters around the world. And shes made great strides in doing so. After the earthquake in Nepal, Hovsepian leaped into action. Cardborigami provided shelters to those displaced, and she also helped to rebuild a school, a library, and roads in remote villages.

Shes not stopping there, either. Her organization has developed a four-step plan to help people secure mental health care, jobs, and more permanent places to live.

This year, we did a fund-raiser where we plan to implement our jobs program for homeless youth, she explains. We actually hired homeless youth to do the construction of shelters. So far weve worked with five homeless youth in collaboration with the LGBT youth center, and theyve all found jobs, which is pretty amazing. Our goal is to expand that program.

Uproxx

Hovsepian is excited about the progress Cardborigami has been able to achieve in the world, but feels her work is never done. And as such, shell continually be striving to help more and more people. I feel that it is something that I will always be working on, because its something that addresses such a big need in the world, she says. It really applies to a lot of different scenarios. So for me, I think success is just to continue doing these programs and continue expanding our reach. If you can do that and also have a positive impact on the world or help people, I think that is what success means to me.

Uproxx

Changing the world is a tall order, but Tina Hovsepian has proven shes more than up to the task, and were excited to celebrate her for it.

You can learn more about Cardborigami and how you can help Tina Hovsepian provide more shelters for the homeless at their website.

Uproxx
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) - The death toll from a botched Nigerian air strike against Boko Haram that hit a camp for displaced people has risen to 90, and could climb as high as 170, Doctors Without Borders said on Friday.

Most of the victims of Tuesday's strike in Rann in the restive northeast on Tuesday were women and children, said the medical charity, which has called the strike "shocking and unacceptable".

Meanwhile, security sources said Boko Haram fighters launched an attack on the town in the far north of Borno state on Thursday evening that left at least 14 Islamist fighters dead.

Nigeria's air force said it has set up a board of inquiry which will report its findings before February 2, but military commanders have already called the bombing a mistake.

Major General Lucky Irabor, who leads the counter-insurgency, blamed the "fog of war" and said the intended target was jihadists in the Kala-Balge area, of which Rann is part.

Boko Haram fighters have been pushed out of their camps in the Sambisa Forest area of southern Borno by a months' long offensive.

MSF said in a statement: "Around 90 people were killed when a Nigerian air force plane circled twice and dropped two bombs in the middle of the town of Rann.

There were "consistent reports from residents and community leaders" that as many as 170 were killed but MSF director-general Bruno Jochum said: "This figure needs to be confirmed.

"The victims of this horrifying event deserve a transparent account of what happened and the circumstances in which this attack took place."

- Rann attacked -

Humanitarian workers were distributing food to between 20,000 and 40,000 people living in makeshift shelters at the camp when the bombs struck.

MSF's Jochum said civilians were paying the price of a "merciless conflict" between government forces and Boko Haram, which has allied itself to the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

Story continues

At least 20,000 have been killed and more than 2.6 million made homeless since Boko Haram's insurgency began in 2009.

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".

Rann only recently became accessible to aid agencies because of improved security but Thursday night's attack underlined the fragile peace in the remote region.

One member of the civilian vigilantes in Rann told AFP a convoy of Boko Haram fighters on four pick-up trucks and several motorbikes "invaded the town", firing heavy weapons.

"We surprised them because they thought there wasn't enough security following the accident in the camp (on Tuesday)," he said on condition of anonymity.

"They met stiff resistance from security forces and vigilantes. Fifteen (Boko Haram fighters) were killed, a pick-up truck was impounded and some of them were arrested."

A police source in nearby Gamboru-Ngala gave a similar account but said 14 Islamists were killed. Both said Boko Haram had moved into the area after their ouster from the Sambisa Forest.
This is the song I have stuck in my head after reading David Simss review of The Foundera new biopic about Ray Kroc, the entrepreneur who manipulated a small California burger joint away from its two founders and into the McDonalds fast-food empire. The film, unfortunately, misses the mark in Davids estimation:

The film had the chance to subvert the typical bootstrap tale of American triumph, but instead it plays right into that easy narrative, trying to celebrate his business acumen without skirting past his darker misdeeds. The Founder ends up feeling extremely wishy-washy, unable to scrub the nastiness of Krocs success but also incapable of confronting it.  The Founder is the fast-food dinner of biopics20 minutes after you eat it, youre already hungry again.

Which is a shame, since Krocs story could be fascinating with different treatment. Take Boom, Like That, the Mark Knopfler single that reportedly served as inspiration for the movie (also the first place I heard about Kroc). From the lyrics:

Well make a little business history, now

Or my names not Kroccall me Ray

Like crocodile, but not spelled that way, now

Its dog-eat-dog, rat-eat-rat

Kroc-style. Boom, like that.

According to Knopfler, that chorus is based on quotes attributed to Kroc, and the words are unsettlingsimultaneously casual and callous. If Krocs problem as the hero of The Founder is his blandnessplayed by Michael Keaton, hes a man whose business canny is impossible to dismiss, but who otherwise is a bit of a blank slate, perhaps befitting a champion of mediocritythat blandness is also what makes him fascinating: In Knopflers portrayal, hes a guy who sets out to drown his competition and does it, shaking hands and smiling all the while.

Pair that with a slow-and-steady, recursive, persistently catchy melody and you get a song that captures Krocs story, and perhaps some aspects of the fast-food industry itselfdeceptively simple, and yet pervasive, and ultimately haunting.

Story continues

(Submit a song via hello@. Track of the Day archive here. Pre-Notes archive here.)

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
By Catherine Ngai and Liz Hampton

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Commodities trader and investor TrailStone Group has purchased Cargill Inc's gas and power trading group, three sources familiar with the deal said this week.

The move, first reported by Sparkspread, comes amid a reshuffling in the power and natural gas industry as private equity firms and hedge funds pour into the space, filling a void left by banks and other longtime players.

The banks and others have been pulling back over the past several years as natural gas prices have reached lows not seen in a decade, due to abundant U.S. shale gas and increasingly strict capital requirements and regulations that have pressured banks to reduce their involvement in physical commodities markets.

Swiss-based commodities trader Gunvor Group Ltd this year opened a natural gas trading desk in Connecticut, headed by a former director of natural gas for Freepoint Commodities.

Last September, Hartree Partners lost its head of natural gas trading, and in May, U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc snagged Mercuria Energy Trading's head of natural gas and power trading.

TrailStone already had natural gas and power trading operations in the United States. TrailStone did not respond to a request for comment, and Cargill declined to comment.

(Reporting by Catherine Ngai and Liz Hampton in Houston; additional reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
A transcript of Donald Trump's inaugural address, delivered Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, after his swearing-in as the 45th president of the United States.

___

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: Thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.

Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come.

We will face challenges, we will confront hardships but we will get the job done.

Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michele Obama for their gracious aid in this transition. They have been magnificent. Thank you.

Today's ceremony has very special meaning because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or one party to another but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people.

For too long a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories, their triumphs have not been your triumphs.

And while they celebrated in our nation's capital there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes right here and right now because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you.

It belongs to everyone gathered here today, and everyone watching all across America.

This is your day, this is your celebration, and this, the United States of America, is your country.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government but whether our government is controlled by the people. Jan. 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

Story continues

The forgotten men and women of this country will be forgotten no longer.

Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before.

At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonably demands of righteous people and a righteous public.

But for too many of our citizens a different reality exists

Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge. And the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

We are one nation - and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

For many decades, we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military; we've defended other nation's borders while refusing to defend our own; and spent trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.

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 shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind.

The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world.

But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.

From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.

From this day forward, it's going to be only America First.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.

We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

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.

We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.

We will get our people off of welfare and back to work - rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.

We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire American.

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world - but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example  we will shine  for everyone to follow.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones - and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.

When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

The Bible tells us, "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity."

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.

When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

There should be no fear - we are protected, and we will always be protected.

We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger.

In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.

We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action - constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

The time for empty talk is over.

Now arrives the hour of action.

Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.

We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.

We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.

It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American flag.

And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the wind-swept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words:

You will never be ignored again.

Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together, we will make America strong again.

We will make America wealthy again.

We will make America proud again.

We will make America safe again.

And yes, together we will make America great again. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.
LONDON (Reuters) - Donald Trump's presidency is likely to create bigger uncertainty for the European Union than Britain's decision to leave the bloc, Britain's finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday. "Brexit has introduced uncertainty. I think the change of administration in the U.S. has introduced an even bigger piece of uncertainty for the European Union," Hammond said in a panel discussion about the EU in the Swiss resort of Davos. Hammond, a former foreign minister, said EU countries varied widely in how big a security threat they saw from Russia. "Anything that changes the settled status quo of a Europe that lives with Russia as a neighbour, but lives under a protective U.S. security umbrella as it does ... will play into the dynamics of the European Union," Hammond said. Trump, who is due to be inaugurated as U.S. president later on Friday, has expressed his admiration of Russian president Vladimir Putin, and raised concern about how countries share the cost of providing security via the NATO alliance. (Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Sarah Young)
Donald Trump now occupies the White House. He has a lot of big plans. So now what?

Trump has handily outlined the things he hopes to accomplish during his first 100 days in office, so Yahoo Finance has assembled a field guide to Trumps economic agenda, with our own handicapping on how likely he is to succeed on several key initiatives. Heres what to watch for:

Renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement

Outlook: Likely soon

Trump can do this right away, on his own, with no need for Congressional action. He could also withdraw the United States from the treaty, effective six months after giving noticeor by mid-summer, if Trump acts right away. Trump seems likely to do something along these lines, since this pledge was one of his core campaign promises. The real question is whether Trumps action on NAFTA will be symbolic or substantive. He could threaten to withdraw, for instance, as a way of gaining leverage over US companies he wants to do more American hiringthen back away from the bluff once concessions on jobs allow him to declare victory. That might not be disruptive at all. But if Trump were to go the distance and pull the United States out of NAFTA, it would depress corporate profits, shock markets and augur even more severe consequences on trade disputes with China.

Rolling back regulations

Outlook: Likely soon, with minimal impact

Trump can do much of this by executive order as well, with no need for Congress. But there arent a lot of federal regulations Trump can repeal that will boost the economy or hiring any time soon. Many of the regulations businesses complain about most are state and local rules on things such as permitting, which Trump cant control. Over time, he could roll back some federal oversight on energy firms, utilities, food and drug makers and other types of companies in ways that could make them more productive. But that will require time-consuming bureaucratic work by agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission.

Story continues

Taking on China

Outlook: Right after NAFTA

Trump also seems determined to rework trade terms with China, much as he plans to do with Mexico. And he has said hell declare China a currency manipulator right off the bat. That actually wouldnt change much, unless Trump followed through with additional threats to levy tariffs on Chinese imports and pursue other punitive measures. As with Mexico, the real question is whether Trumps moves on China will be for show or for real. If he goes as far as tariffs, China has more leverage than Mexico does to retaliate, which could harm the US economy and damage investor confidence.

Passing sweeping tax cuts

Outlook: Maybe later this year

Congressional Republicans agree with Trump about cutting corporate and personal income-tax rates. But the details will probably take a lot longer to work out than many believe. The tax plan Trump promoted while campaigning would add roughly $7 trillion to the national debt, which wont fly with deficit hawks, especially in the House. And Trump didnt specify any spending cuts to offset revenue lost from tax cuts. So he has a lot of negotiating to do with members of the House and Senate about how to cut taxes without running up the national debt. It could take until summer or fall for a clear plan to emerge, and it might not go into effect until next year.

Lifting restrictions on US energy production

Likely this year, with minimal impact

One of the biggest changes under Trump could come at the EPA, which he has pledged to make much friendlier toward the energy industry. But some regulatory rollbacks will be challenged in court, while others could be replaced by stricter rules at the state or local level. Finally, energy firms arent likely to produce more oil or gas unless they can sell it profitably, which depends on global prices and markets, not American energy policy. And right now, theres a glut in energy markets.

Repealing and replacing Obamacare

Outlook: Could dog Trump for years

Trump wants to jump on this right away, but the details are agonizingly complex. Trump has promised insurance for everybody, which is way more ambitious than what the Affordable Care Act passed under President Obama offered. If thats really what he has in mind, it will be way more expensive, too. Meanwhile, it seems unlikely Trump will simply kill Obamacare and leave the 20 million people who gained insurance under the law with no coverage. So while it would be legislatively easy to repeal Obamacare, it could take years for Congress to muster a replacement that meets Trumps goals while also appeasing Congressional Republicans. This could drag on throughout Trumps presidency.

Building a ton of new roads and bridges

Outlook: This one could fade

Many people in both parties favor more infrastructure spendinguntil you have to figure out who will pay for it. Trumps campaign plan called for a massive $1 trillion in new infrastructure spendingbut with one huge catch. Most of that would be private funding, which only works on projects with tolls or user feesand Americans arent about to tolerate new tolls on every highway. Trump, meanwhile, has proposed no new infrastructure spending from the usual source, taxpayer funds. Thats not something Congressional Republicans favor, either. So at the moment, theres no infrastructure plan on the table that seems plausible and has meaningful political support. Maybe next year.

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman.
By James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump took over as U.S. president on Friday in the same way he conducted his upstart campaign, with a mixture of blustery salesmanship and naked contempt for the established political order. In doing so, he sent a clear signal to the country and the world: He plans to govern as he campaigned, refusing to align himself even with his own Republican Party and taking his message directly to the American people. He did nothing to dispel concerns that he would bring the cult of personality he built over the election campaign into the White House, and he offered little in the way of olive branches to the tens of millions of Americans who did not vote for him in the most divisive election in modern U.S. history. A former reality TV star, Trump offered an apocalyptic vision of reality: an America besieged by crime, immigration, terrorism and unfair trade deals. "The American carnage stops right here and stops right now," he pledged, as he presented himself as a champion of the ordinary American. The gloomy picture Trump sketched of the nation flies in the face of evidence that the economy is in healthy shape, crime is down and the nation is relatively safe and secure. After warning the public on the extent of the problems, Trump suggested, as he did during his campaign, that he and his "movement" are the only solution. He did not mention the Republicans in Congress with whom he will partner to govern and certainly not the Democrats who have fiercely opposed him. Trump campaigned as an outsider, railing against the sins of both his Republican Party and the Democratic Party. And, it became clear as he delivered his speech on the steps of the Capitol, that he intends to remain that outsider, the rebel leader who takes power with one foot still on the battlefield. Continuing the populist themes from his campaign, he condemned the politicians who he said have for years prospered at the expense of the public. He eschewed the high-flying rhetoric typical of such occasions in favor of more blunt, populist declarations. "Politicians prospered - but the jobs left, and the factories closed," he said. "The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country." "We are transferring power from Washington D.C. and giving it back to you, the American people." Aundrea Friedley, 52, of Nampa, Idaho, who was in the crowd watching his speech, likened it to a powerful punch and praised Trump for returning power to the people. Trump won the majority of the U.S. Electoral College vote, but lost the popular vote to his opponent, Hillary Clinton, by nearly 3 million votes, making any attempt to unify the country that much more difficult. 'AMERICA FIRST' "We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital and in every hall of power," Trump said. "From this day forward a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, it's going to be America First." His proposals though for ramped-up infrastructure spending, strong border controls and the strong isolationist tone of his speech may not jibe with traditional Republican priorities. At the same time, however, Trump has assuaged nervous Republicans by selecting a Cabinet that has largely affirmed bedrock conservative principals, and he plans to quickly begin signing executive orders designed to roll back some of former President Barack Obamas progressive policies. In Trump's speech, historians said, there were echoes of Franklin D. Roosevelt with Trump mentioning "the forgotten" Americans left behind by the forces of trade and globalization, of Richard Nixon's "silent majority", and of Ronald Reagans pledge to restore the nation's greatness. But, said Julian Zelizer, a historian at Princeton University, there was also "more anger physically and verbally than in the past" with Trump punctuating his speech with pointed hand gestures. Trump spent little time trying to expand his appeal to the majority of Americans who view him unfavorably, according to opinion polls. Instead, he appeared to speak directly to his most fervent supporters. His speech perhaps was most reflective of Reagans 1981 address, in which the then-president spoke of economic affliction and idle industries.But Reagan inherited an economy struggling with stagflation and an unemployment rate of 7.5 percent. By contrast, under the departing Obama, the economy has added private sector jobs in 80 consecutive months and the unemployment rate stands at 4.7 percent. The picture painted by Trump "is probably not one that every American shares," said Thomas Alan Schwartz, a presidential historian at Vanderbilt University. Still, he said, Trump has tapped into a sense of national crisis and decline. Belinda Bee, 56, came to see Trump from Mooresville, North Carolina, saying she believed he would successfully combat Islamic terrorism and that he would remain a political outsider. The country now belongs to the people and not the politicians, she said. (Reporting by Ginger Gibson, James Oliphant, Ayesha Rascoe, Roberta Rampton, and Emily Stephenson; Writing by James Oliphant, editing by Kieran Murray and Ross Colvin)
Under dark skies and drizzling rain, Donald Trump vowed after being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday to make a radical break with decades of U.S. policy, pledging to dump free trade, block immigration, and focus above all on America first.

Taking the oath of office after a bitter election campaign exposed a country riven by deep political divisions, Trump offered no olive branch to his political opponents and instead reached back to his divisive campaign rhetoric. Trump lost the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes, the largest margin ever for the winner in the Electoral College.

The real estate tycoon and former reality television host blamed Washingtons political leaders for neglecting ordinary Americans and said his movement will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come.

Trumps 16-minute address, a mashup of his campaign stump talks and the ominous doomsday speech he gave at the Republican National Convention, lacked the customary eloquence and unifying tone of previous inaugural remarks by his predecessors. Instead, he again painted a dark picture of the country, where empty factories are scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation and inner cities are engulfed in violence and poverty.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now, said Trump, wearing a red tie and a dark overcoat.

Trump signaled no retreat from his populist agenda on trade, immigration, and on scaling back commitments overseas. Apart from a passing mention of retaining old alliances, he painted a picture of a hostile world that would no longer be permitted to take advantage of America. Unlike other presidents in the modern era, he offered no pledge to preserve Americas global leadership in promoting peace, protecting human rights, or encouraging democracy and open markets.

From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, its going to be only America first, Trump said.

Story continues

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs, he continued.

The Trump White House announced right after his speech that the United States will withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a planned Asian trade pact that was the centerpiece of former President Barack Obamas pivot to Asia but which was doomed in Congress.

The crowd was markedly smaller than the throngs that came out for Obamas inaugural ceremonies in 2009 and 2013. A sea of Make America Great Again hats and 45 winter caps extending to the Washington Monument gave the subdued crowd gathered on the National Mall a reddish hue.

The U.S. Marine Band played patriotic music in a familiar ceremony carried out with precision. But the pomp could not hide the deep political divisions inside the Capitol building and across the country, aggravated by disturbing questions hanging over Russias interference in the election itself.

Trump took the oath after U.S. spy agencies found that Russia had meddled in the election to try to tip the scales in his favor and as reports emerged that law enforcement and intelligence agencies were investigating Trumps aides and associates for alleged links to Moscow.

That alleged connection has some Americans worried. A protester from Chicago named Christopher stood near the Washington Monument, where he held a sign reading Nyet My President. He wasnt planning to come to Washington, he said, until one man changed his mind: Russian President Vladimir Putin.

I came to make my voice heard. He wouldnt be here without Putin. I dont want to see my country run by the next Putin, Christopher said.

The contrast in Washington between those jubilant at Trumps inauguration and those defiant was stark. The Mall, packed to the gills four years ago, was nearly empty, and many city streets were ghostly, save for sporadic clashes between police and rioters who smashed storefronts and bus stops. After Trumps speech, police and rioters continued to battle it out, with cops launching percussion grenades just blocks from the White House.

The Womens March on Washington, slated for Saturday and which has evolved into a vehicle for discontent at the new president, is expected to draw numbers that could dwarf the inauguration crowd.

In some parts of the city on Friday, thousands of protesters peacefully marched, carrying signs calling for resistance. Red-hatted Trump supporters and chanting protesters squared off, peacefully for the most part, in scattered corners of town.

Randy Dog Dugey and his wife, Karen Flea Dugey, rode their motorcycles down from Pennsylvania, two of dozens of Bikers for Trump celebrating the new president. The two had never been to an inauguration before but said that, given the shambles they felt America had become, it was time to attend.

Ive worked my whole life to have the government take half my paycheck, Dog said. Trump, he hoped, wouldnt give the American people a handout but a hand up.

Flea, who said she was a Democrat and briefly supported Hillary Clinton, registered this spring to vote for the first time  for Trump. Dog said he didnt support Trump in the primaries but decided he was the right person for the job.

While Trump extolled the movement he created, others who feel threatened said they were galvanized with new energy. Donald Trump doesnt worry me as much as the people who follow him. The really extremist ones, who might take strong actions, said Juan Bruno Avilo Jimenez, who came to the United States from Mexico in 2003 and advocates for immigrant rights.

He made people wake up. Now we are going to reorganize ourselves, with many organizations fighting for rights, he said.

In a speech that hardly touched on foreign policy and Americas global role in the world, Trump did not refer to the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan, where nearly 10,000 troops are deployed, or to the U.S.-led air war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, where thousands of U.S. military advisors are on the ground. But he repeated his vow to take on Islamist extremists, promising to unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate from the face of the Earth.

In the days leading up to the inauguration, there were signs that anxious allies were coming to terms with a new American president they had dreaded.

In November, Frances U.S. ambassador, Gerard Araud, had reacted to Trumps victory with an ominous tweet, stating that the world as we know it is crumbling before our eyes.

On Thursday, Araud hosted an inauguration party with hundreds of guests, including Trump loyalist Richard Grenell, pictured beaming alongside the senior French diplomat.

Israel offered Trump a warm welcome. A true friend of Israel will enter the White House today, said Israels U.N. envoy, Danny Danon.

Britain and others offered perfunctory congratulations. Look forward to continuing strong UK  US bond, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson wrote in a tweet to Trump.

The head of NATO reminded Trump of the alliances importance. NATOs strength is as good for the United States as it is for Europe, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement released shortly after Trumps inauguration on Friday.

Newspaper headlines around the globe reflected the anxiety about where President Trump will lead the United States, from a possible shake-up of NATO to a reversal on climate commitments and a potential trade war with China.

Take a deep breath, this is really happening, the Buenos Aires Herald proclaimed. We have no idea what this guys gonna do,' fretted a headline in Britains Guardian newspaper.

In Moscow, Putin couldnt find time to watch the ceremony, his spokesman said, but will read about it in the news.

Alexey Pushkov, the head of the foreign-policy committee in the lower house of the Russian parliament, called Trumps swearing-in a momentous occasion. After Mr.Trump inauguration his meeting with President Putin will be the most important event in world politics, he tweeted. A defining moment in history.

Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton attended the ceremony, in keeping with tradition. Hillary Clinton, whom Trump defeated in his upset November election victory, also was on hand, wearing an elegant white pantsuit and smiling, despite the angry tone of the campaign, in which Trump had called for her to be locked up in prison.

Trump arrives in office after a disorganized and chaotic transition effort, with many key senior positions still vacant and amid infighting over who should be appointed to hundreds of jobs across the government.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Friday that his Democratic caucus would not stand in the way of confirming the first two of Trumps cabinet picks later Friday: retired Marine Gen. James Mattis as defense secretary and retired Marine Gen. John Kelly as homeland security secretary.

The failure to fill other key jobs  including senior deputy posts  at the White House, State, Defense, and Homeland Security departments has raised fears in Congress that the Trump administration could be blindsided by adversaries or unexpected crises. As a result, Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said Thursday that about 50 officials from the former Obama administration would be asked to stay on temporarily due to the crucial nature of their jobs.

Trumps populist appeals to put America first echoed the same slogan that appeared at the outbreak of World War II, with isolationists arguing against America entering the conflict in Europe. That movement was tinged with anti-Semitic overtones, including from its chief spokesman, the famed aviator Charles Lindbergh.

With Trumps antipathy to free trade, his skepticism of traditional alliances, and his affinity for Putin, many around the world began looking to German Chancellor Angela Merkel to defend the post-World War II liberal order  a role typically played by an American president.

Merkel was the last foreign leader that Obama spoke to in his final hours in office. In a phone call Thursday, Obama and Merkel agreed that close cooperation between Washington and Berlin and between the United States and Europe are 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, the White House said in a statement.

Obama noted that it was fitting that his final call with a foreign leader was with Chancellor Merkel, and he wished her the very best going forward.

Molly OToole, Robbie Gramer, Emily Tamkin, Ruby Mellen, Kavitha Surana, and Colum Lynch contributed to this article.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
New York (AFP) - US President Donald Trump signaled a sharp break on energy and the environment policy Friday, announcing plans to undo climate policies and promote domestic energy development as part of his "America First" agenda.

A statement on the White House website, posted shortly after Trump took the oath of office, said he was "committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan" advocated by his predecessor Barack Obama.

Trump also will focus on removing hurdles to domestic energy development that he argues will make the US independent of foreign oil.

"The Trump Administration will embrace the shale oil and gas revolution to bring jobs and prosperity to millions of Americans," the statement said.

"President Trump is committed to achieving energy independence from the OPEC cartel and any nations hostile to our interests. At the same time, we will work with our Gulf allies to develop a positive energy relationship as part of our anti-terrorism strategy."

Trump also aims to "revive America's coal industry, which has been hurting for too long," the statement said.

The website makeover was part of the transition of power to the new administration.

During his two terms, Obama made the environment a cornerstone of his policies, including the landmark Paris climate agreement in December 2015 signed by nearly 200 countries, and policies to encourage renewable energy through actions to limit emissions and promote investment in new technology.

Trump during the campaign dismissed climate change as a "hoax" perpetrated by China. But since the election he and his cabinet designees have sent mixed signals on climate policies and the Paris accord.

The White House acknowledged that protecting the environment also was a priority and said the administration would "refocus" the Environmental Protection Agency on "its essential mission of protecting our air and water."

The statement drew sharp criticism from the environmental group Friends of the Earth.

"This is just the beginning. Trump has announced his intentions. If we let him get away with it, what's next? Gutting the EPA? Drilling for oil on our public lands in the Arctic?"
WASHINGTON, D.C.  President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration has been marred by boycotts from Democratic officeholders and by top-shelf musicians who have refused to perform at the festivities. But Trump supporters and allies who have come to the nations capital for the events expect an exciting celebration and wish the rest of the country would get on board.

Boris Epshteyn, who was a senior adviser on Trumps campaign, is the director of communications for the Presidential Inaugural Committee and has been serving as a pitch man for the proceedings. In an interview with Yahoo News on SiriusXMs POTUS radio channel on Thursday, Epshteyn relentlessly stuck to his message that the inauguration is all about the people rather than any big-name talent.

Its about the peoples voices being heard throughout this country and throughout the world, Epshteyn said. We also have great performances. We have Jackie Evancho, a wonderful young talent, performing at the swearing-in. We have the Mormon Tabernacle Choir  Americas choir, as dubbed by Ronald Reagan. So we have these wonderful, wonderful talents.

Kanye West met with Trump last month, and Yahoo News asked Epshteyn if the president-elect asked the rapper to perform.

Were focusing on the folks who are going to be there, Epshetyn said. Of course, theres a lot of friends of the president-elect.  He considers Kanye West a friend, but were focusing on the wonderful performers we have here.

At Trump International Hotel D.C., just down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, revelers packed the bar on Wednesday night. Kim Davis, a former Trump campaign volunteer from Mendocino, Calif., had some choice words for the Democrats who are skipping the swearing-in ceremony, suggesting the decision showed that their character is flawed.

On the flip side of that, Donald Trump has great character, as well as [Vice President-elect] Mike Pence, and they will make America great again, Davis said. And I say God bless America and I say God has blessed America.

Story continues

Davis was accompanied by her son, who did not give his name. He argued that the inauguration was being treated differently from President Barack Obamas 2009 swearing-in ceremony.

I remember whenever he first got elected, I was at school and they actually stopped class and they said, Were going to watch this because this is history in the making. I dont feel like theyd be doing that at school for Donald Trump just because of the color of his skin, which to me, politically, is just as big of a deal, the man said.

Ray Suttle, an attorney from Virginia, was at the bar with his girlfriend. He said they would be attending the ceremony and a ball and were hoping to have some Trump champagne. Suttle urged Trumps opponents to just give him a chance.

Im sorry that people are upset that Trump was elected. I would say, Hey, its a peaceful transfer of power, give him a chance, Suttle said. I guarantee you in 100 days, hes going to get more done than any other candidate did in 100 days.

Another young man at the bar who declined to give his name pointed to the hotels luxurious decor as evidence the inauguration will be the best one ever.

When you walk in and you see the crisp lettering with the backlit details and the gold edge, you realize that we can enunciate a Trump presidency in a credible and reasonable way, the man said.

Though the man clearly loved the hotels appearance, he was far less happy with the service. As we spoke, a waitress approached with his check.

Dont leave us hanging next time, the man said to the waitress. Weve been here for like 45 minutes. Dont let me tell the president-elect!

Read more from Yahoo News:
Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump was on the cusp of taking power as the 45th president of the United States Friday -- ushering in a new political era that has been cheered and feared in equal measure.

"It all begins today! I will see you at 11:00 A.M. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!" the Republican billionaire tweeted before observing a series of time-honored inauguration traditions.

He attended a prayer service at St. John's Church before heading to the White House, where he was greeted warmly by President Barack Obama, capping a transfer of power that has been peaceful yet rancorous.

"Mr President-elect, how are you?" Obama asked his successor, after having deposited a letter in the Resolute desk and left the Oval Office for the last time.

After morning tea, Trump, Obama and their wives Melania and Michelle traveled the 2.5 miles (four kilometers) down Pennsylvania Avenue to the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol.

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in the center of the nation's capital to celebrate a man whose short 19-month political career has defied all predictions, and many norms.

In the cool Washington dawn, his most ardent supporters ignored intermittent light rain and began to make their way by metro, car and on foot to take part in history.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time," said Thomas Mendenhall, 68, a retired banker from Missouri. "We just want change."

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

- 'This is history' -

When Trump descended the escalators of his glitzy New York tower in June 2015, his run for office and his supporters were dismissed and even mocked.

But shortly before midday Friday, Trump will place his hand on Abraham Lincoln's bible, recite the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol and become the most powerful man on earth.

His staff, many shunned by friends for supporting a man who has been labeled a racist and bigot by his critics, will become power players in the White House.

Story continues

In the primaries, Trump dominated a crowded Republican presidential field with smash-mouth rhetoric and star power. He rode that same wave of anti-elite sentiment to victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November election.

At 70 years of age, he is the oldest man ever to begin work in the Oval Office.

But the real estate mogul and one-time television reality star is also a political neophyte -- he will be the first president never to have held elected office, served in the government or the armed forces.

For Trump's supporters, that is a central part of his appeal.

"He's somebody that's not a politician" said 59-year-old Sandra Jackson-Carter, a salon owner from Bakersville, California.

"He's going to unite the country and make America great again," she said. "This is history. There's nothing better."

- Big changes -

For his critics, Trump's arrival in Washington on Thursday onboard an Air Force jet was more like a hostile takeover than a traditional changing of the guard.

Small demonstrations popped up across the city center on Friday, with shouts of "not my president" and "No Trump, No KKK, No fascist USA."

Some tried to prevent Trump supporters from passing, but police intervened. Others threw stones and smashed windows, prompting police to use pepper spray.

A much larger rally is planned for Saturday.

Trump enters office with a 37 percent approval rating, the lowest on record, according to a CBS News poll.

Most of Obama's White House staff have cleaned out their desks and the normally busy corridors of the West Wing were unusually quiet Friday. Staffers expressed relief at the prospect of rest, but foreboding about the road ahead.

That sentiment is echoed across many of the world's capitals. Trump has vowed to tear up Obama's policies and re-examine decades-old alliances with Europe and in Asia.

One of Obama's last acts in office was to speak to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and declare trans-Atlantic ties vital for the world order -- a statement that would have been a banal platitude before this rocky transition.

- Addressing the nation -

After promising to "faithfully execute the office of president of the United States" and "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," Trump will deliver the most important speech of his life.

Inaugural addresses -- from Lincoln to John F. Kennedy -- echo across American history. Phrases like "malice towards none" and "ask not what your country can do for you" have been carved into the vernacular.

The most noted inaugural addresses had sought to lift Americans' gaze up from the rancor and troubles of the day toward the horizon and a better tomorrow.

Trump aides are promising an address that is at once short -- at around 20 minutes -- and philosophical.

"It's going to be a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country," said incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer.

"He will discuss what it means to be an American, the challenges that we face," he said.

"I think it's 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."

After his speech, Trump will attend a luncheon inside the Capitol, before heading back to the White House to begin the business of governing.
By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The new U.S. administration of President Donald Trump said on Friday its trade strategy to protect American jobs would start with withdrawal from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact. A White House statement issued soon after Trump's inauguration said the United States would also "crack down on those nations that violate trade agreements and harm American workers in the process." The statement said Trump was committed to renegotiating another trade deal, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was signed in 1994 by the United States, Canada and Mexico. "For too long, Americans have been forced to accept trade deals that put the interests of insiders and the Washington elite over the hard-working men and women of this country," it said. "As a result, blue-collar towns and cities have watched their factories close and good-paying jobs move overseas, while Americans face a mounting trade deficit and a devastated manufacturing base." The statement said "tough and fair agreements" on trade could used to grow the U.S. economy and return millions of jobs to America. "This strategy starts by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and making certain that any new trade deals are in the interests of American workers." If NAFTA partners refused to give American workers a fair deal in a renegotiated agreement, "the President will give notice of the United States intent to withdraw from NAFTA," the statement added. The TPP, which the United States signed but has not ratified, had been the main economic pillar of the Obama administration's "pivot" to the Asia-Pacific region in the face of a fast-rising China. Proponents of the pact have expressed concerns that abandoning the project, which took years to negotiate, could further strengthen China's economic hand in the region at the expense of the United States. Trump has criticized China's trade practices and threatened to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese imports. The Chinese government said on Friday that China and the United States could resolve any trade disputes through talks, while a Chinese newspaper warned that U.S. business could be targets for retaliation in any trade war ushered in by Trump. Trump has sparked worries in Japan and the rest of the Asia-Pacific with his opposition to the TPP and his campaign demands for allies to pay more for their security. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
As Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, his White House team posted his intent to eliminate former President Barack Obamas Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule.

According to the new White House, Trumps America First Energy Plan will include getting rid of the environmental regulations that Obama put in place to protect the environment and reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S.

For too long, weve been held back by burdensome regulations on our energy industry, the plan reads. President Trump is committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule. Lifting these restrictions will greatly help American workers, increasing wages by more than $30 billion over the next 7 years.

In 2009, Obama pledged to reduce the United States greenhouse gas emissions to approximately 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. His Climate Action Plan of June 2013 included a variety of executive actions but was rooted in three main commitments:

Cut carbon pollution in the United States by placing tough new restrictions on carbon pollution similar to those on mercury and arsenic, and move the U.S. economy toward clean energy sources. Help state and local governments update infrastructure  including roads, bridges and shoreline protections  to deal with the impacts of climate change. Ensure the United States takes an international leadership role in handling the climate crisis.

In January 2013, during his second inaugural address, Obama emphasized the importance of having science-based and comprehensive policies in place for responding to and combating climate change.

Donald Trump takes the oath of office on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (Photo: Matt Rourke/AP)

We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity, Obama said in that address. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires and crippling drought and more powerful storms.

Story continues

In May 2015, with Obamas support, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the Waters of the U.S. rule to protect the nations waterways and wetlands from contamination. Obama vetoed an attempt by Republicans in Congress to overturn the regulation in January 2016. At the time, Obama said protecting rivers, lakes and other waterways from pollution is vital for ensuring the health of U.S. citizens and the success of the nations businesses and agriculture.

As I have noted before, too many of our waters have been left vulnerable, Obama said. Pollution from upstream sources ends up in the rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and coastal waters near which most Americans live and on which they depend for their drinking water, recreation, and economic development.

Whereas Obama was dedicated to combating climate change, Trump has variously called it a hoax and incorrectly said that nobody really knows whether it is real. The vast majority of professional scientific organizations agree that anthropogenic climate change is real and that its a serious environmental, health and economic threat.

Throughout the campaign, Trump made appeals to voters in regions with traditional energy industries, especially coal. Environmentalists are up in arms over his selection of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt for administrator of the EPA and former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson for secretary of state.

The American Geophysical Union released a statement saying, Humaninduced climate change requires urgent action. Humanity is the major influence on the global climate change observed over the past 50 years. Rapid societal responses can significantly lessen negative outcomes.

Similarly, the American Physical Society has characterized the evidence of global warming as incontrovertible. If no mitigating actions are taken, significant disruptions in the Earths physical and ecological systems, social systems, security and human health are likely to occur, the group said in a statement. We must reduce emissions of greenhouse gases beginning now.

Late last year, scientists started backing up key climate data available on government websites  fearing that it may disappear under the Trump administration.

Read more from Yahoo News:

_____

Related slideshows:

Slideshow: Anti-Trump inauguration protests break out in U.S. >>>

Slideshow: Protests worldwide against the inauguration of Donald Trump >>>

Slideshow: Obamas Washington >>>

Slideshow: Donald Trumps Inauguration Day >>>

Slideshow: 66 hands on 66 Bibles >>>
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f355879%2fce01bd35-8121-43cb-bf21-d582fc8af8a0

Out with the old White House website and in with the new.

The transition to the Trump administration's White House website is proving especially jarring for climate change advocates.

On Friday, the Obama administration's White House website, which included many pages on climate change and plans to combat it, was switched over to a website featuring President Donald Trump's agenda. All of the climate-related pages are missing from the new website.

SEE ALSO: There's a serious danger to the soft climate denial pedaled by Trump's cabinet picks

Instead, highlighted at the top of the issue list is the "America First Energy Plan," which talks about the need to roll back former president Barack Obama's far-reaching climate regulations, known as the Climate Action Plan.

As of noon, a search for "climate change" at https://t.co/sj6r6xYjyt turns up many links, but they've all been scrubbed. #GOPWarOnScience pic.twitter.com/BbbnQWOFiB  Robert McNees (@mcnees) January 20, 2017

The website states much of what Trump had campaigned on. Namely, a renewed emphasis on heavily polluting fossil fuels and a concerted effort to eliminate many of the Obama administration's climate achievements.

"For too long, weve been held back by burdensome regulations on our energy industry," the website states.

"President Trump is committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule. Lifting these restrictions will greatly help American workers, increasing wages by more than $30 billion over the next 7 years."

"Sound energy policy begins with the recognition that we have vast untapped domestic energy reserves right here in America," the site states.

Story continues

The plan includes coal, natural gas and oil, but does not mention renewable energy, something that did not go unnoticed by environmentalists.

"With no reference to renewable energy, this dirty energy plan ignores the clean energy economy that is so critical to creating jobs and fighting climate change. This is a disgraceful way for Trump to begin his presidency," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, senior vice president of government affairs at the League of Conservation Voters, in a statement.

Quick workall reference to climate change has been scrubbed from WH website. Problem solved just like that!!!!!  Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) January 20, 2017

Its truly disturbing that one of the first actions by the Trump administration is to remove nearly all references to climate change from the White House website," said Sam Adams, the World Resources Institute, an environmental think tank.

The websites lone climate reference is to eliminate the Climate Action Plan, which is a wholesale attack that flies in the face of common sense and would do harm to all Americans," he said in a statement.

While worrisome to many, deleting the climate sections of the White House website is not the same as a systematic campaign to get rid of climate data from across federal websites. As far-fetched as it may sound, the latter is exactly what many climate activists and scientists have been fearing, due to the new administration's hostility to mainstream climate science findings and policies to address the issue.

Rather, Friday's actions reflect the online turnover from one president to another.

Under the Obama administration, the U.S. committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2020, largely through a combination of EPA regulations of power plant emissions, increased use of renewables like solar and wind power and the retirement of older, dirtier coal-burning power plants.

(If youre curious how many climate-related pages Obama had on his White House site, you can peruse the archived version here.)

Other climate-related offices within the White House were entirely missing from the Trump White House website as of 3:50 p.m. ET. These include the landing pages for the Council on Environmental Quality and Office of Science and Technology Policy.

While the White House has scrubbed most references to climate change from its new website, federal agencies involved in climate change research, such as NASA, still have extensive websites devoted to climate change despite the changeover in the administration.

At the same time as the new White House website was causing an uproar on social media and in the environmental community, news reports circulated Friday that President Trump may take action on climate change as soon as this weekend.

Bloomberg News reported Friday that Trump's advisors are pushing him to nullify Obama's guidelines that the federal government include climate change when considering infrastructure projects. Trump may also sign an executive order suspending a vital metric known as the social cost of carbon, which helps federal officials weigh the climate risks of any project, such as a new oil pipeline.

Finally, according to Bloomberg, Trump may move to make it easier to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, which Obama had rejected, by taking review authority away from the State Department.

The report states these executive orders could come as early as this weekend.
By Arshad Mohammed

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump's national security transition has been more chaotic than others in recent memory, with important positions unfilled and many of his people less able, or willing, to engage on substance, U.S. officials said.

The uncertainties surrounding Trump's personnel, policies, and rise to power have rattled many of America's allies, including Japan, Germany and Britain, at a time when China is more assertive, Russia more aggressive, terrorism more diffuse, the Middle East still unstable and North Korea nuclear-armed and unpredictable, said U.S. and foreign diplomats.

Disruption and uncertainty can provide strategic advantages, Mark Lagon and Ross Harrison of Georgetown University wrote in Foreign Policy magazine. "But what is seriously in doubt is whether Trump's disruption will be strategic or beneficial to U.S. foreign policy interests. Even before getting elected, he acted like a missile without a guidance system."

Top Trump officials, however, described the transition as having gone smoothly, including on national security.

Republican Trump's camp announced on Thursday it had asked more than 50 of Democrat Obama's appointees to stay on.

However, at least three officials, a senior intelligence officer and two diplomats whose names are on a list of "requested political holdovers," will depart.

Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Stephanie O'Sullivan, Under Secretary of State Catherine Novelli and Assistant Secretary of State Toria Nuland appear on a Jan. 17 partial list of people the transition wanted to remain after Trump's inauguration on Friday.

The two diplomats have told colleagues they are going, and O'Sullivan is keeping her long-standing plans to retire. A U.S. official said that Nuland was never asked by the transition to stay on and was unaware of her name appearing on such a list.

The State Department declined comment. The Trump transition and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Story continues

It is not clearly whether the uncertainties extend to other parts of the government, but another senior official at a national security agency said Trump's effort was "much slower" than the 2001 Bill Clinton-to-George W. Bush or the 2009 Bush-to-Barack Obama handovers.

"Personnel appointments were far more advanced in both those cases," said the official, who spoke on condition he not be identified. "In both cases, advance teams were working on substance."

During the 2008-2009 transition, the official said, incoming and outgoing officials had worked together on issues "in a very harmonious fashion."

"None of that is the case in this transition," he added. He said that he had expected to have met by now with his likely replacement or others on the transition, but had not. "Its not just me. Everybodys experience is like mine."

'REAMS OF BRIEFINGS'

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Vice President-elect Michael Pence said Trump's transition was being completed ahead of schedule and under budget. "Our job is to be ready on day one. The American people can be confident that we will be."

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer also told reporters that contact between the incoming and outgoing National Security Council staffs had been "tremendous."

"We've had reams of briefings," he said. "That is one area where frankly they have been very, very aggressive and robust with both meeting with their counterparts and ensuring that the team is ready to go day one."Trump's team did not respond to requests for further comment.

Three State Department officials, though, called the transition there "a mess," and said that until recently the Trump team had little contact with department officials and read few if any of their briefing books.

That has left many career officials with misgivings about the incoming administration and the possibility that many foreign policy and national security veterans may be swept out.

A dozen serving officials at four intelligence agencies said they are troubled by Trump's apparent disdain for their work; by his designated national security advisor Michael Flynn's perceived bent for conspiracy theories and hostility toward some of his former colleagues; and by what some say is the incoming president's disinterest in the briefings he has received.

Two officials with knowledge of those briefings said Trump's attention has wandered, he has asked few questions, has read few if any of the briefing books he's been given  including the one on Russian hacking of the 2016 election - and has requested few topical sessions, one of which was on North Korea.

Secretary of State John Kerry and his nominated replacement, Rex Tillerson, were to meet on Thursday, but their schedules did not mesh, State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

One Obama official, who has dealt with the Trump transition team at the State Department and spoke on condition of anonymity, said it appeared 'totally disconnected' from Trump's top echelon of advisers and from Tillerson.

Tillerson's nomination is not expected to get a Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote before Monday at the earliest.

(Reporting by John Walcott, Jonathan Landay, Arshad Mohammed, Warren Strobel, Phil Stewart, Lesley Wroughton and Patricia Zengerle; Writing by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by John Walcott and Grant McCool)
From Popular Mechanics

The U.S. Navy is working with defense contractor Raytheon to bring precision guidance to fast-firing light cannons. The MAD-FIRES project could soon help ships fend of waves of smaller, heavily armed attack boats.

The U.S. Navy does a lot of work in the so-called littoral zone. The zone, generally described as the shallow coastal waters near land, is as close as ships like destroyers can get to land, but it can also get hairy. Potential enemies can invest in fast, cheap, short-ranged patrol boats, arm them with rockets and machine guns, and use them in swarm attacks against much larger ships.

That's precisely what Iran did during the 1980s, buying Swedish Boghammer speedboats and mounting infantry weapons on them. Iran is still doing it, as seen earlier this month when the guided missile destroyer USS Mahan was forced to fire warning shots at patrol boats in the Straits of Hormuz. The small boats broke off their attack run, but some day a Navy ship might come under real attack.

That's just one potential swarming threat. There's also the traditional threat from manned aircraft and guided missiles, and now an emerging threat from swarming drones.

Theoretically, most Navy ships are amply armed to deal with the swarm threat. Almost every ship has at least one Phalanx close-in weapon system, a 20-millimeter six-barreled M61 Vulcan cannon (the same gun that arms the F-22 Raptor) that fires up to 6,000 rounds a minute. A potent weapon like that can saw a speedboat in half in the blink of an eye, to say nothing of a small drone. Other ships, such as the Littoral Combat Ship, are armed with 30-millimeter guns. The problem is that one or two guns could become overwhelmed by dozens if not scores of enemies all attacking at once.

The Multi Azimuth Defense Fast Intercept Round Engagement System-or MAD-FIRES-could be the solution. The goal of MAD-FIRES is to create smart cannon rounds that can be guided to individual targets. According to Military & Aerospace Electronics, the rounds will have the capability to alter their flight paths to hit maneuvering targets, and re-engage targets that are still standing.

Story continues

Taking a so-called "dumb" weapon system and making it "smart" is one way to increase the efficiency of existing weapons. In 2002, BAE Systems created the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System by taking existing unguided 70mm Hydra rockets and placing fins and a laser seeker on them. As a result, a seven-barrel rocket launcher mounted on a helicopters can now destroy seven targets instead of just one.

MAD-FIRES will try to do the same thing on a much smaller scale. A typical 20-millimeter round weights about 4 ounces and is about five inches long. The engineering challenge will be to fit steering fins and a guidance system into such a tiny package while still making the round capable of lethal effect. The projectile is very fast coming out of the gun, but course corrections will lower projectile velocity, shortening the round's effective range.

Still, in this age of tiny, shockproof microchips, the idea of a putting a guidance system on what amounts to a big bullet isn't crazy. MAD-FIRES has apparently been in development for some time now, as developer Raytheon has been awarded a $8 million dollar contract modification to build and test prototype smart rounds. The tests should be completed by March 2018.

Read more at Military & Aerospace Electronics.

You Might Also Like
By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 80 Islamic State militants, some of whom were believed to be plotting attacks in Europe, died in U.S. air strikes on camps outside the group's former North African stronghold of Sirte in Libya, the United States said on Thursday. "These strikes were directed against some of ISIL's external plotters," U.S Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a Pentagon briefing, using an acronym for Islamic State, the Syria- and Iraq-based militant group. "They 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," Carter said. The U.S. attack on Wednesday night was led by two B-2 bombers, which took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to carry out a 30-hour round-trip bombing run. They dropped about 100 precision-guided munitions on the camps. The attack took place 28 miles (45 km) southwest of Sirte, targeting fighters fleeing Libyan forces clearing them from Sirte with support from U.S. air strikes. Libyan forces finished retaking the city in early December after a nearly seven-month battle in a major blow to Islamic State that left the group without any territory in Libya. Still, Libyan officials say hundreds of militants may have escaped before the battle or in its early stages, and local Islamic State leaders have spoken of trying to regroup outside the city. A statement from Libya's U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli said the strikes were "preemptive steps to foil attempts" by Islamic State to stage new attacks on Sirte as well as other areas of the country. The strikes appeared to be intended to shore up the GNA and protect recent gains in oil production from possible militant attacks, said Geoff Porter, head of North Africa Risk Consulting. The GNA has received strong backing from the outgoing U.S. administration but has struggled to win support inside Libya or reverse the chaos that developed after rebels overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 with help from NATO. It's unclear whether Donald Trump, who takes office as U.S. president on Friday, might seek to alter U.S. policy in Libya. The United States carried out nearly 500 air strikes against Islamic State targets in Sirte between August and December. It had previously carried out several isolated strikes against militant targets elsewhere in Libya. 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 to the city. It imposed its ultra-hardline rule on residents and extended its control along about 155 miles (250 km) of Libya's Mediterranean coastline. (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart in Washington, Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli and Aidan Lewis in Tunis; Editing by Janet Lawrence and James Dalgleish)
Kiev (AFP) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's confectionery company on Friday announced plans to shut down his key asset in Russia, a candy factory, after a barrage of criticism at home for his maintaining business activities on rival ground.

The Western-backed leader's business empire ranges from car to media holdings, but his most valuable asset is the Roshen confectionery empire, which includes five plants in Ukraine as well as in Lithuania and Hungary.

Ranked by the Forbes Ukraine website as the country's sixth-richest man, worth $858 million (806 million euros), Poroshenko, 51, has garnered the nickname "the chocolate king".

His most controversial asset is based in the Russian city of Lipetsk, where Poroshenko bought a local confectionary plant in 2002.

Since 2013, the volume of production at the Lipetsk factory has plunged threefold, coinciding with the rupture of ties between Ukraine and its former Soviet master.

After an uprising in Kiev ousted a pro-Russian leader, Moscow annexed Ukraine's strategic Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea in March 2014, and supported a separatist movement in eastern Ukraine that has since claimed about 10,000 lives.

Poroshenko promised to sell his Roshen empire but failed to follow through, citing a lack of foreign interest. He passed his company's shares to a trust firm for management.

The confectionary giant, whose name is based on Poroshenko's name, said in a statement on Friday that it would halt the Lipetsk plant's operations for political and economic reasons, which include Moscow's ban on Roshen imports since 2013.

"Roshen corporation halts manufacturing activity of the Lipetsk confectionery plant," said the company, which is rated among the top 20 companies in the industry and supplies its products to more than 30 countries.

It also accused Moscow of discrediting the Roshen plant's activity in the Russian media as well as encouraging the local authorities to put pressure on its shops across the country.

Story continues

Poroshenko was repeatedly criticised at home for maintaining businesses in Russia despite his claims that Moscow was an "aggressor".

But Roshen said it was impossible to sell its Lipetsk branch after Russian investigators impounded the factory's property in April 2015.

The company said it planned to cease production at the site by April.
London (AFP) - Former British finance minister George Osborne will join BlackRock, the world's largest fund manager, as a part-time advisor from February 1, it announced Friday.

"George has a unique and invaluable perspective on the issues that are shaping our world today," said BlackRock chief executive and chairman Laurence D. Fink.

Osborne resigned from the British government following the referendum vote to leave the European Union in June, but remains a Conservative lawmaker.

He will "provide perspectives on European politics and policy, Chinese economic reform, and trends such as low yields and longevity and their impact on retirement planning", BlackRock said in a statement.

"In accordance with UK law, Osborne will not engage in any lobbying of the British government."

Earlier this week, Wall Street bank Citigroup announced it had hired former Conservative foreign minister William Hague as an advisor.
Activists and immigrants from Guatemala and Mexico, many of them undocumented, gathered at a community center in Mount Pleasant, Washington D.C. on Friday morning, preparing to join a resistance march against Donald Trumps anti-immigration campaign pledges.

Sipping coffee and scribbling protest signs, they spoke of their anxiety over an increasingly hostile mood towards immigrants in America, but also showed off a renewed sense of fight.

We are feeling ready to resist, said Hannah Kane, an organizer at Many Languages, One Voice, an advocacy group for immigrant rights. Theres been a lot of anxiety and a lot of depression, but today there is nothing but ferocity and resistance.

Undocumented workers, many who had crossed the Mexican border more than 10 years ago, said they were worried President Donald Trump would make good on his campaign promises to deport them. Returning criminals, they said, was fine. But they worried he will also deport law-abiding, tax-paying immigrants. Like many in America, they also feared losing access to healthcare under President Trump.

One man from Guatemala said hed came with his daughter when she was young. Shed been able to take advantage of Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act to regularize her situation and and was working in New York now.

Shes worried by what [Trump] said and that hes going to harass people who arent doing anything wrong, he told Foreign Policy. We ask God that he changes his mentality.

They also felt the harsh spotlight of his campaign rhetoric directed at Hispanic immigrants, including his comments about Mexican rapists, that encouraged a hostile atmosphere at many campaign rallies this summer.

Donald Trump doesnt worry me as much as the people who follow him. The really extremist ones who might take strong actions, Juan Bruno Avilo Jimenez told FP in Spanish. He came to the United States from Mexico in 2003 and works at a D.C. bar.

Story continues

But they also expressed optimism that a newfound sense of common cause and resistance could counter Trumps most divisive campaign promises in the long run.

The thing that surprised me is the revolution that Donald Trump made, he said. He made people wake up. Now we are going to reorganize ourselves [as a community], with many groups fighting to preserve rights. He added that he has been texting his congressman and encouraging his friends to do the same.

While many see undocumented immigration as a Hispanic issue, he said immigrants without papers are found in nearly every community. Theyre now finding common cause.

Many people are waking up and meeting, Avilo Jimenez said. Its good to know our rights and know what we can do about it.

Photo credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images
PARIS (AP)  UNESCO says about a third of the ancient city of Aleppo has been destroyed during the war in Syria.

The United Nations cultural organization conducted an emergency mission in Aleppo from between Monday and Thursday this week to assess damage at the World Heritage Site and reported "extensive damage" at the Great Umayyad Mosque, the Citadel and other historic buildings.

UNESCO said in a statement that "60 percent of the old city of Aleppo has been severely damaged, with 30 percent totally destroyed."

UNESCO envoys also met with Aleppo council members and non-governmental organizations and proposed that the ancient city should be declared an "emergency zone."

Pro-government forces recaptured Aleppo in December, ending rebels' four-year hold on parts of Syria's once largest and most important city.
WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. warplanes bombed an al-Qaida training camp in Syria, killing more than 100 militants, marking the second major U.S. counterterrorism strike in the final hours of Barack Obama's presidency, the Pentagon said Friday.

A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said the camp in Idlib province had been active since at least 2013.

"The removal of this training camp disrupts training operations and discourages hard-line Islamist and Syrian opposition groups from joining or cooperating with al-Qaida on the battlefield," Davis said.

The Syria strike was carried out by one B-52 bomber and an undisclosed number of U.S. aerial drones. It happened at about noon Washington time on Thursday, less than 24 hours after a combination of B-2 stealth bombers and drones struck two military camps in a remote part of Libya, killing 80 to 90 Islamic State militants.

Obama specifically authorized the Libya strike. It was not immediately clear whether the Syria strike required his direct approval.

The militants killed in the Syria attack were described by one defense official as "core" al-Qaida members, among a number who had moved to Syria early last year to establish a foothold. The official distinguished these militants from members of the group formerly known as the Nusra Front, which is an al-Qaida affiliate in Syria.

Davis said Thursday's attack capped a string of successful strikes against al-Qaida this month. He said the strikes have killed more than 150 members of the group since Jan. 1. They include Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi, an external operations leader, killed last Tuesday, the spokesman said.

"These strikes, conducted in quick succession, degrade al-Qaida's capabilities, weaken their resolve, and cause confusion in their ranks," Davis said.
Washington (AFP) - A US strike has killed more than 100 Al-Qaeda fighters at a training camp in northwestern Syria, the Pentagon said Friday.

The air strike occurred Thursday at a camp in Idlib province that had been operational since 2013, Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said.

"The removal of this training camp disrupts training operations and discourages hardline Islamist and Syrian opposition groups from joining or cooperating with Al-Qaeda on the battlefield," Davis said.

US plane and drone strikes have killed more than 150 Qaeda fighters since January 1, Davis said, including Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi, an "external operations leader" in Syria.

"These strikes, conducted in quick succession, degrade al-Qaeda's capabilities, weaken their resolve and cause confusion in their ranks," Davis said.

A US-led coalition is striking Islamic State group targets in Syria. But it has also hit Qaeda leaders and operatives from other groups including the Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, which has renamed itself Fatah al-Sham.
Photo credit: Dodge

From Road & Track

The Viper ACR holds an astonishing 13 lap records at various tracks in the US, but Dodge has never taken the track-focused Viper to the Nurburgring for an official lap time. With Viper production ending this year, it's highly unlikely the ACR will ever make it there with factory backing. That doesn't sit well with Viper fans-so a bunch of them are crowdfunding a private ACR Nurburgring lap record attempt, in the hopes that the mighty snake can topple the production car world record currently held by the Porsche 918 Spyder.

Members of the Viper Owners Association have set up a GoFundMe page with the goal of sending two Viper ACRs to the Nurburgring to set a lap record. The Association is looking to raise a total of $159,000 to fund track rental, driver payment, shipping the ACRs to Germany, and other expenses. At the time of writing, a little under $14,000 has been raised.

The record attempt is receiving generous assistance from well-known Texas dealer Viper Exchange, which is providing the two ACRs free of charge. If all goes to plan, the record attempt will happen in April 2017.

Back in 2011, a previous-generation Viper ACR famously set a lap record for production cars at the Nurburgring, running around the track in 7:12.13. Since then, a handful of production cars have surpassed that record-including the Porsche 918 Spyder, which holds the current production car record with a screaming 6:57 lap. The current ACR was 1.24 seconds faster than the 918 at Laguna Seca, giving Viper enthusiasts reason to believe that the American brute could easily earn back its 'Ring bragging rights.

Viper fans see a Nurburgring Record as a way to make a bold statement as the Viper ends production. Organizing the attempt without manufacturer support is a tall order. Clearly, Viper enthusiasts are passionate enough to try regardless.

via r/cars

You Might Also Like
Following a divisive and bitter election, crowds began to descend on Washington, D.C., in the early morning hours Friday to witness the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States  some for different reasons than others.

Excited groups bustled atop the brick sidewalks of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, toward their metro stop to head into the nations capital in the pre-dawn hours. Passengers played guess where Im from with strangers from around the country. Two Texas women played matchmaker for their absent adult children, trading photos, contact information and pinky-swears to keep secret their plot.

Upon their arrival at Union Station, however, protesters shouted expletives about Trump. Some responded by telling them to go home.

Joe Paratore, a 53-year-old man from Salem, Oregon, traveled across the country with his son and his sons fiance to attend the event.

We actually traveled 4,200 miles, Paratore tells PEOPLE of their journey. Its snowing in the upper middle west so we had to go all the way down to Arizona, to Mexico, through Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, all the way around to get here. We went through snow, hit thunderstorms, electrical storms through New Mexico and Texas and also severe hail storms in New Mexico and Texas.

Despite the extended road trip, Paratore felt it was important to attend because he felt for the first time in his life that he felt it was necessary and show he was once again proud to be an American.

I dont believe that the people in charge, whether its the Congress, the Senate or the president in the past have listened to us the people, he said.

Paratore continued that he hoped that well finally have somebody whos gonna listen and start fixing problems that we have here in the country rather than smoothing them over and glossing them over and pretending that they dont exist.

RELATED VIDEO: Watch: Natasha Stoynoff Breaks Silence, Accuses Donald Trump of Sexual Assault

Joean Senatore, a 60-year-old finance director in Mesa, Arizona, arrived in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday with her adult son. She said that although she had high hopes for change when President Barack Obama was elected, she was sorely disappointed. This time, she hopes to witness history in the making.

Story continues

I want to see an alpha male. I dont want to see a wuss anymore. Im done with it, she shares. I want somebody who can make a decision. Im ready for us to believe in doing things the right way and not being afraid and cowering in the corner. Donald Trump will be the uniter.

Members of the 2 Million Bikers 2 DC  a group of working class Americans who organized a trip to the nations capital to stop the libtards from ruining the welcoming of Trump by encouraging a peaceful transition, according to their Facebook event  expressed gratitude that the new president isnt a career politician.

He wants to take down the establishment, explains 2 Million Bikers participant Travis Thompson, a 43-year-old general building contractor from Sandpoint, Idaho.

Phil Williamson, 48, of Baltimore helped organize the group of Trump supporters. He shares that he has admired the business mogul all of his life for being an entrepreneur.

Tony Shank, a 48-year-old welder from Lakeland, Florida, says hes been a Trump supporter since day one because of his concerns over jobs.

Im concerned with all the work thats leaving, he said. I have a lot of coworkers and steel miner friends, and their industry is gone.

Shank added, I would like to see him continue to bring jobs back and open up the coalfields. Its the backbone of America, the blue-collar industries. Im tired of the white-collar industries. Theyre killing me. Its going to take a while because of all the repair that he needs to make.

However, not everyone in attendance was there to welcome the new president.

Nate Pierce, 29, of Hershey, Pennsylvania, says hes been to two Trump rallies and one Pence rally just to see what the fuss was about. However, he ended up voting for Gary Johnson.

After getting in and listening to them talk, it became more apparent to me how much they disagreed with what I was saying, he explains.

Pierce traveled to Washington, D.C., to show that he was not afraid to stand up against something I dont believe in.

He was with Hillary Clinton supporter Monica Robinson, 27, from York, Pennsylvania.

Im here because I do not support Trump and his ideals although I do support the presidential process and the democratic process, Robinson says. I dont support him.




Melbourne (AFP) - Eugenie Bouchard cut a frustrated figure after she threw away a chance to reach the Australian Open last 16 on Friday, putting her comeback on hold.

The 22-year-old Canadian has returned to competitive form after a torrid period with injuries, but her promising run in Melbourne was halted by America's Coco Vandeweghe.

Bouchard was a break up in the final set but she was broken back and then squandered four break points before losing 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

"It really sucks. Very disappointed, because I feel like I had so many chances, especially in that third set," she said.

"You need to try and close out as many of these matches when you get those chances."

Despite her defeat, it has been an encouraging month for Bouchard, who also reached the Sydney International semi-finals -- winning her first matches since September.

Bouchard was a Wimbledon finalist in 2014, as well as reaching that year's Australian and French Open semis, but she has struggled over the past two seasons.

Bouchard's problems included a forearm injury and a concussion suffered in a fall at the 2015 US Open, but she is now back in full training and finally putting wins together.

"It's been two years of struggle, especially the last half of last year. So, you know, I think it's a very solid first step, this trip," she said.

"It's kind of like a restart process. I can't expect too much at the beginning. It wasn't a horrible trip," she added.

However, Vandeweghe was dismissive of her victory over Bouchard, saying it ranked "not that high, now that I think about it" in her list of career highlights.

"It was kind of expected, in my mind, to get the win and to get the victory," she said.
For some, the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump was literal anarchy.

Not for most who came to protest the 45th U.S. presidents swearing in. The vast majority of the thousands who took to the streets to protest Trump did so peacefully.

Some did so en masse. The group Refuse Fascism, for example, led dozens of people down streets near the White House. According to one 30-something who spoke to Foreign Policy but declined to give his name, they were marching to welcome all of the people who came to protest in Washington, D.C., and to remind them protest cant just be for one day.

Many others protested in smaller groups. At Union Station, a group of about 20 stood holding flags symbolizing the industrial workers of the world. One of them, who asked to be identified under the pseudonym Finn Connolly, said he was there to spark an ongoing to resistance towards Donald Trumps presidential regime and the normalization of the far-right in mainstream politics.

Some protested by carrying signs. Others, by wearing pink, cat shaped knitted caps  likely also to be seen at the Womens March on Washington, scheduled to take place on Saturday.

Still others vented their frustration by yelling at Trump supporters. Youre a shame on the country!, one woman yelled at a family of three  two parents and a son, all wearing bright red Make America Great Again hats. No were not! We love our country! Shame on you!, the father shot back.

And still others protested alone. An elderly African-American woman who declined to give her name walked down K St. NW by herself, crying out for equal housing and voting rights. She told FP that she and her people wanted equal, not civil rights. Civil rights were sewage, she said, a way to sell her people a multiplicity of illusions. She wanted equal rights, and for her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be able to walk on the streets without fear.

But not far from McPherson Square, another protest was anything but peaceful.

Story continues

Anarchist rioters in a pack ran around the area, throwing off flare guns and tossing glass bottles. Storefronts and bus bays were shattered. A staff member at Hamilton, a nearby restaurant, said rioters had sledgehammers; others saw bricks. Police responded at the first signs of property damage with tear gas, pepper spray, and mace, throwing one Washington Post reporter to the ground in the process.

Wed thought they were peaceful protesters, two teenagers, aged 16 and 18, told FP. But theyre smashing cars. (Indeed, a limo driver told FP that they had smashed his windows and tried to light his car aflame.) Theyd come into town from Virginia for a peaceful protest, but ended up running from the sound of tear gas canisters and the chants of anarchists, yelling at a friend (in Spanish) to get out of the crowd.

They werent the only ones screaming. These people had nothing to do with this! a young blonde holding a coffee cup yelled to no one in particular. Why would you take it out on people who had nothing to do with it? Washington, D.C. voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton.

Some of the anarchists were true to their doctrinal roots. One held a sign reading, Fuck Trump, Obama sucked, too. A woman asked, Dont you want nobody to run the country?

The site of the broken windows was also the spot at which a skirmish broke out between protesters and rioters and the police  and police vehicles  a few hours later. Tear gas was deployed. A police SUV hit four rioter; they, in turn, broke the SUVs windows. A limo was put on fire, this time successfully. However, as D.C. Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham told CNN, In the grand scheme of things, this is a small disturbance in a small part of the city.

Nevertheless, it was big to those who took part in it. This is history, one young protester told FP. We dont want to miss this.

Robbie Gramer, Elias Groll, and Ruby Mellen contributed to this piece.

Update, Jan. 20 2017, 4:02 pm ET: This piece was updated to include the later protest at 13 and K St NW.

Update, Jan. 20 2017, 4:27 pm ET: This piece was update to include the limo on fire.

Photo credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images
(NEW YORK)  Investigative reporter Wayne Barrett, a scourge of New York City power brokers from Rudolph Giuliani to Michael Bloomberg during a decades-long career with the Village Voice 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 Universitys 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.

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.

Bloomberg, the citys 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.

Barretts many scoops ranged from the criminal past of Giulianis father to the many votes missed by then-Sen. Alfonse DAmato, 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. DAmato would call Barrett a viper.

Story continues

Mr. Barrett has become the unrivaled master of long, dense articles about the unsavory side of New Yorks 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.

Few reporters knew Trump as well as did Barrett, whose death came on the eve of Trumps swearing in as the countrys 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.

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 Trumps stunning defeat of Democrat Hillary Clinton. Its just  I mean, I just  I cant imagine it.

Barretts Trump: The Deals and the Downfalls, published in 1992, uncovered Trumps 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. Barrett also wrote books on Giuliani and another New York mayor, Edward I. Koch, co-authored with his Voice mentor, the late Jack Newfield.

In recent years, he was a contributor to Newsweek/The Daily Beast and a fellow at The Nation Institute. He is survived by his wife, Fran; his son, Mac, and a legion of former Voice interns and Columbia graduate students whom he mentored.

His Trump book was republished last year as Trump: The Greatest Show on Earth: The Deals, the Downfall, The Reinvention. In the new editions 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 Trumps 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 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.
By Tim Cocks and Emma Farge BANJUL/DAKAR (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 honor and respect the will of the Gambian people." ECOWAS and the African Union previously said they would recognize 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 realized 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 honorable 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. (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 Dominic Evans and Leslie Adler)
London (AFP) - West Ham signed Portugal defender Jose Fonte from Southampton in an A8 million ($9 million) swoop on Friday.

Fonte had been dropped by Southampton manager Claude Puel earlier this month after the club captain handed in a transfer request.

The 33-year-old was linked with moves to Liverpool and Manchester City, but Hammers boss Slaven Bilic convinced him to move to east London.

Fonte, who had been at Southampton for over three years, agreed a two-and-half-year contract with West Ham and the Euro 2016 winner also has an option to extend the deal for another season.

"I signed for West Ham because they are a great club and a very big club. They have a lot of fans and I have known for a number of years how passionate they are," Fonte told the club's website.

"The manager was also a very big influence. I thought that he really wanted me and that he sold me the project and the ambition of the Club.

"I also have part of my family living in London and they are big West Ham fans. It just made sense for me at this stage to join West Ham. It is a new challenge and a new beginning and I am looking forward to it.

"With the way that West Ham is going we can only look to be challenging in the top eight.

"I told the manager in conversations that we want to win and we want to win trophies. The ambition is big and we need to aim high."

Fonte will not be available for Saturday's Premier League fixture at Middlesbrough, but could make his debut when Manchester City visit the London Stadium on February 1.
By Joel Schectman and Diane Bartz

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Western Union Co <WU.N>, the world's biggest money-transfer company, agreed to pay $586 million and admitted to turning a blind eye as criminals used its service for money laundering and fraud, U.S. authorities said on Thursday.

Western Union, which has over half a million locations in more than 200 countries, admitted "to aiding and abetting wire fraud" by allowing scammers to process transactions, even when the company realized its agents were helping scammers avoid detection, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission said in statements.

With the help of Western Union agents, Chinese immigrants used the service to send hundreds of millions of dollars to pay human smugglers, wiring the money in smaller increments to avoid federal reporting requirements, U.S. authorities said.

Fraudsters offering fake prizes and job opportunities swindled tens of thousands of U.S. consumers, giving Western Union agents a cut in return for processing the payments, authorities said.

Between 2004 and 2012, the Colorado-based company knew of fraudulent transactions but failed to take steps that would have resulted in disciplining of 2,000 agents, authorities said.

"Western Union is now paying the price for placing profits ahead of its own customers," said Acting Assistant Attorney General David Bitkower.

A Western Union spokesman said that the company didn't "do as much as it should have" to oversee its agents between 2004 and 2012 but is committed to improving its procedures.

Western Union, which helped clients move over $150 billion in 2015, said in a press release that more than one-fifth of its work force is currently devoted to compliance. It also said consumer fraud accounts for less than one-tenth of 1 percent of consumer-to-consumer transactions.

The settlement will fund refunds for customers who were victims of scams, authorities said. It will also implement a comprehensive anti-fraud program to train agents to identify and stop transactions that result from fraud.

Story continues

Between 2004 and 2015 Western Union collected 550,928 complaints about fraud, with 80 percent of them coming from the United States where it has some 50,000 locations, the government complaint said. The average consumer complaint was for $1,148, the government said.

Western Union reported revenues of $1.4 billion for the quarter that ended on September 30, 2016, according to a government filing. The company said it spent some $200 million a year on compliance.

(Reporting by Joel Schectman and Diane Bartz; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Andrew Hay)
When shopping for groceries and trying to decide between two itemssay, brands of granola barshow do you determine which is healthier? A lot of us automatically assume that the more expensive product is healthier, according to a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

The Ohio State University research, which was based on several experiments, found that the study volunteers attached more health value to foods they were told cost more money. They were also more likely to be skeptical of health claims they saw on the packages of cheaper items than on those of the more costly products.

According to Rebecca Reczek, Ph.D., an associate professor of marketing at Ohio State and one of the studys authors, when we have little or no information about a product's nutritional value, we tend to rely on price as an indicator of its healthfulness. This may be in part because the notion that healthy foods are always more expensive appears to be widespread.

If you Google healthy foods expensive, you find an incredible amount of advice out there trying to tell you how to shop healthy on a budgetimplying that it's actually very difficult, Reczek says. But, reports Reczek, price doesn't necessarily correlate with nutritional value.

Doing a little fact-checking as you shop can help you choose what's good for both your health and your wallet. Heres how.

6 Ways to Shop Smarter

1. Keep "healthy" in perspective. Its true that in some cases, foods we may think of as healthier are costlier. For instance, organic foods are often more expensive than their nonorganic counterparts. It's important to know, however, that while organic food is guaranteed to be pesticide- and antibiotic-free, it isnt generally considered to be nutritionally superior. And some healthy foods are notably inexpensive: whole grains, beans, and peanut butter, for instance, especially if you choose store brands.

2. Resist the allure of such claims as healthy and natural. Technically, if manufacturers want to use the term healthy on a product, it must meet certain Food and Drug Administration nutrition standards. For example, products that contain fats can have no more than 1 gram of saturated fats per serving. And foods that bear the claim must contain less than 480 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Story continues

But Consumer Reports' nutrition experts say that those requirements exclude some important components of health; they make no mention of sugars, for instance. And the term natural isnt regulated, so theres no guarantee it means anything beneficial for your health.

3. Scan the nutrition panel on the back or side of the package. When you're looking for healthy foods, be on the lookout for products low in saturated and trans fats and sodium. You might also want to check for the daily values of nutrients such as vitamins A,C, D, calcium, iron, and potassium: 20 percent or more per serving means its a good source. Scan for fiber as well.

In addition, when you're looking for healthy foods, keep an eye out for those added sugars. For example, ingredients ending in osesucrose, fructose, and maltoseare just some of many names added sugars go by (see our full rundown here). And note that by 2018, the FDA will require nutrition labels to include the amount of added sugars.

And keep in mind that manufacturers sometimes use healthier-sounding terms for ingredients that aren't really any better for you. The sweetener agave nectar, for example, has all the same health drawbacks as regular sugar.

4. Shop for produce strategically. Stick to in-season fruits and veggies, which are generally cheaper and more flavorful than items that travel a long way to reach your store. If youre craving blueberries in January or butternut squash in summer, however, head to the freezer case. Frozen produce is usually just as nutritious as fresh.

Skip precut or sliced items, which can carry a premium price but offer no nutritional boost. And embrace ugly produce. Some supermarkets put slightly bruised or oddly shaped fruits and veggies on discount.

5. Toss out less of what you buy. On average, a family of four wastes up to $1,500 worth of food each year. Making better use of your freezer can help. Buy fresh produce in season and freeze some for use later. Overripe fruit thats frozen, for example, can be added to smoothies, breads, jams, or sauces when the need arises, and veggies can be tossed into soups and casseroles.

Freeze leftovers you dont use within a couple of days so you dont end up having to throw them out. And try to plan meals for the week, so youre less likely to buy on impulse when food shopping.

6. Opt for fewer ingredients. Its often healthier to lean toward whole foodsfresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteinsrather than packaged, more processed items. And when youre buying boxed or canned foods, Consumer Reports nutrition experts advise that you choose those with shorter ingredient lists. That gives you more control over what you're eating.





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 Consumer Reports, Inc.
Donald Rumsfeld is not joining the Trump administration, but one of his most famous rules is: You go to war with the Army you havenot the Army you might wish you have. Or the secretary of the Army, as the case might be.

With the process of vetting and appointing, to say nothing of confirming, executive-branch officials well behind the optimal pace, incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said during a briefing on Thursday that over 50 members of the Obama administration will temporarily remain in their posts to help smooth the transition to the Trump administration.

Spicer did not name all of the officials, nor did he indicate whether others had been asked and declined to stay on. A message to the Trump transition team, asking for a full list, has not been answered. Reuters reported Thursday afternoon that some individuals on a list, dated Tuesday, of appointees being asked to stay on had declined to do so, including the principal deputy director of national intelligence, an undersecretary of state, and an assistant secretary of state.

Recommended: Live Coverage of the Presidential Inauguration

Here are the people Spicer mentioned:

Robert Work, deputy secretary of defense (Works extension had actually already been reported.)

Chuck Rosenberg, acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency

Nicholas Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center

Thomas Shannon, undersecretary of state for public affairs

Susan Coppedge, a State Department ambassador-at-large focusing on human trafficking

Brett McGurk, State Department special envoy for combating ISIS

Kody Kinsley, assistant secretary of the treasury for management

Adam Szubin, acting undersecretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence

Its hardly novel for a president to hold some executive-branch officials over into a new administration. These cases are notable because of what else is known about the Trump transition. The president-elect has been slow to appoint officials, as my colleague Russell Berman wrote earlier this month. With the recent nomination of Sonny Perdue as agriculture secretary, Trump now has a full Cabinet, but below the top positions sit legions of unfilled spots. The Partnership for Public Service and Washington Post identified 690 key administration posts, of which 29 have nominees and none have been confirmed. By way of contrast, Politico notes that every one of Bill Clintons Cabinet members was confirmed within two days of his inauguration in 1993.

Story continues

Trump has been slow to fill those slots because his transition team has been slow to identify and vet figures, which is itself partly a result of tumult on the teamGovernor Chris Christie of New Jersey, the erstwhile head, was sacked shortly after the electionand of the fact that winning took even Trump by surprise. Several outlets reported that top Trump aides were surprised to realize that they had to replace all West Wing staff.

Recommended: An Inaugural Celebration That Rings Hollow

The profusion of empty chairs is particularly worrisome because so many Trump appointees have little or no experience in government. Among Republicans with executive-branch experience, some dont want to work for Trump out of moral or political conviction, while others, particularly in national security, believe they are being blacklisted for opposing him during the presidential campaign.

As a result, some foreign-policy mandarins on both sides of the aisle are worried about whether the State and Defense departments are ready to face a crisis.

Unlike State, which can rely on its bureaucracy, the NSC has to be ready on Day One as most of its old team leaves, Philip Gordon, a former top aide to Obama, told Michael Crowley. In a normal world, even before a single presidential phone call or meeting or decision the NSC team would prepare background, points, facts, etc. They will not have a team ready to do that.

The conservative journalist Max Boot wrote in Foreign Policy:

Not even deputy secretaries have yet been appointed at the State or Defense departments, much less the crucial undersecretaries and assistant secretaries who are responsible for fleshing out the broad parameters of the administrations foreign policy. These are the obscure but important officials who do the real work of governing, teeing up the decisions that will be decided by the principals at NSC meetings and then translating policy guidance (which in this presidents case is likely to be quite broad) into specific actions.

Keeping these officials in place is probably a wise move, then. What is intriguing about it is that many of them are working on the areas where Trump was most strident about his differences with Obama.

Recommended: Welcome to the Trump Presidency

McGurk leads up the effort against ISIS, while Trump lambasted Obamas handling of the group and insisted he would beat it easily and quickly. Szubins brief involves tracking terrorists, another area where Trump claimed the Obama team had been deficient. (Senate Republicans have bottled up his bid for his job to be made permanent on the basis that he supported Obamas Iran dealwhich Trump also blasted.) The same goes for Rasmussen. Work manages the Pentagon, while Trump spent the campaign insisting the military was a weakened mess. Shannon, although a career Foreign Service office, manages the day-to-day workings of the State Department, which Trump also claimed was being poorly run.

Keeping the 50-some officials on the job will help to produce a smoother transition that would occur without them, although the vast number of unfilled posts remains a cause for concern. But keeping them on will also likely help to preserve the policies and approach that Obama espoused.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
MACON, Ga. (AP)  A central Georgia woman charged with shooting a teenage boy in the head said she and her husband had been terrorized by young people throwing rocks for days before she opened fire.

Elisabeth Cannon told The Telegraph of Macon (http://bit.ly/2k86YS8 ) in a story published Friday they felt "felt really unsafe and extremely threatened" before the shooting. Cannon said she had called police about the teenagers two days before the gunfire, but officers only told the teens to stay away.

The 47-year-old woman is charged with aggravated assault in the shooting of Vernon Marcus Jr., 15, who is hospitalized in critical condition in Macon after being shot in the head Monday.

Cannon, who is free on bond, said she called police about the teens Saturday, but officers only spoke with the teens and warned them not to walk near the house.

"We didn't have any trouble at all Sunday, so we thought, 'Maybe it's over,'" said Cannon.

Monday night, Cannon walked outside to check the pressure of the tires on her daughter's car.

"A second before I looked up ... all the rocks come flying toward the house and right at me," Cannon said. "(I was) standing right at the car, right next to the mailbox, right next to the house."

Cannon, a nurse who is now disabled, said she pulled a .38-caliber gun from her pocket and aimed it in the direction of the teens.

"In that second, when you've been terrorized for more than a week, you just want it to stop," she said. "We would have been happy if it'd just stopped. That's all we wanted, was to have some peace."

Cannon fired five shots from a Taurus revolver, according to an arrest warrant.

"They took off running," Cannon said. "I called the police immediately, and then I got right up here and looked down the sidewalk, did not see anybody."

Cannon said she then saw Marcus on the side of the road. A report said a bullet went through his forehead and exited the back of his head.

"I told him, 'Hold on,' and I called 911." Cannon said. "He was not talking, but he was breathing and grunting. . I stayed over there with him right until they got here."

According to a sheriff deputy's report, a woman in a gray car pulled up to the crime scene "very upset crying stating 'Did someone shoot my baby?'"
The idea started with women on Facebook. On the night of Donald Trumps surprise victory in November, a grandmother in Hawaii named Teresa Shook went online and called for women to storm the capital on Inauguration weekend.

At the same time, 5,000 miles away, I was doing the same thing, explains Bob Bland, a female manufacturing entrepreneur in New York City. Within an hour wed found each other, merged our events, and we were off to the races. By the next morning, thousands of people from across the U.S. had signed up to join what could become the Womens March on Washington.

Bland quickly realized that in order to transform the march from an angry Facebook group into a progressive coalition, shed need help. She enlisted veteran organizers Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez and Linda Sarsour as national co-chairs with the aim of wrangling one of the largest Inauguration demonstrations in -historyand making it one that brought together activists of all stripes.

In the past, progressive groups have been working sort of in isolation, says Mallory, a New York Citybased civil rights and anti-gunviolence advocate. People didnt really have the time and bandwidth to understand other folks issues.

By the week before the Inauguration, more than 600 marches nationwide and around the world had been planned in solidarity. And while the Womens March drew support from likely allies such as Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Global Fund for Women, hundreds of other organizations have also signed on as partners, like the Natural Resources Defense Council, the NAACP, the environmental advocacy group 350.org, the health-careworker union 1199SEIU and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, among others.

Leaders of these progressive groups agree that in a Trump-run America, the future of their movements will hinge on the idea that these groups can and will throw their weight behind causes that may not be their own.

Story continues

People are expecting us to show up at a march and talk about our bodies and our reproductive rights, says co-chair Sarsour, executive director of the Arab American Association of New York. Instead, she says, were bringing together all the progressive movements.

The march is the first major effort by the progressive movement to get back onto its feet after having lost control of any branch of government. For many of its leaders, the road to reclaiming Congress and the White House will be filled with demonstrations far beyond Inaugural weekend. Civic involvement, Barack Obama argued in his final speech in office, is what our democracy demands.

But the barriers to success are high. A grassroots upswell on the right energized the Republican Party during the Obama years, and eventually toppled some of the partys leaders. Its yet to be seen if progressives will unite the same way.

At the same time, the leaders of the march were quick to insist that it was not conceived only as an anti-Trump protest, even though flooding the capital with protesters on the day after the Inauguration was sure to send that message. Instead, they say, it was meant to be a public declaration of a new coalition, united to protect the rights of women, minorities and anybody else who feels they will be made vulnerable by the policies and politics of a Trump presidency.

As the activist and pundit Van Jones puts it, Trump is the best organizer of progressives that weve ever seen.

Of course, no one knows what this coalition looks like moving forward. These groups have historically had vastly different agendas, used different tactics and havent even always gotten along, and it remains to be seen if theyll work together after the historic march, and if they do, what that would even look like. Internal conflicts over race and class may plague the new progressive movement just as much as theyve hobbled the Democratic Party. Those linked arms are going to have some sharp elbows, Jones says.

Indeed, the test for the anti-Trump movement will be whether these historically distinct groups of progressives will continue to cooperate over time. Just because you have a rushing river of energy and interest doesnt mean you can turn it into a hydro-electric dam to build real power, says Jones.

For now at least, theres a consensus among progressives that any response to Trump must present a unified front. Every single aspect of this is being worked on with a much broader set of allies than weve worked with in the past, says May Boeve, executive director of the environmental group 350.org. [Trumps] politics are about division, so our best tool to confront it is unity.

Some leaders say thats needed now more than everthat the progressive coalition that gathered behind Barack Obama was more illusion than real cooperation. There was an assumption that you had an extraordinary movement when in fact you had an extraordinary candidate, says NAACP president Cornell William Brooks. We did not inaugurate the progressive movement.

The risks to unity are as numerous as the crannies of federal politics. Trump or Hill Republicans might offer one group just enough on a favorite issue to win a measure of judicious silence. Four years is a long time to hang together.

Some solidarity also arrived from outliers on the right. Evan McMullin, the conservative third-party candidate who challenged Trump, was ambivalent about the march but was encouraged by the idea that constitutional conservatives could have more in common with liberals than ever before. People on the right and the left want to defend the Constitution, he says.

John Elwood, an evangelical Christian who co-founded the Christian environmental group Climate Care-takers, says hes devoted to the sanctity of life in its fullest interpretations but will march alongside abortionrights activists anyway to bring attention to other -issues-especially climate change.

Ill focus on the areas that I have in common with the marginalized community, he says, not on the distinctions that would separate us.

Some organizers also plan to co-opt 2010 Tea Party tactics to sway politics on the state and local levels, staging sit-ins and phone blitzes, and causing a ruckus at as many public events as they can. This is one of the silver linings in a very dark cloud, says Ezra Levin, a former congressional aide and co-founder of the Indivisible Guide, an instruction manual on how to use Tea Party tactics to disrupt a Republicancontrolled Congress. The manual has been viewed more than 4 million times since the election.

There is this huge amount of energy that is out there to resist Trump, says Levin. And its being led by these local leaders.

Theres no guaranteethere never is with activismthat the progressive coalition will have a lasting effect on Trumps plans. But with Republicans in control of the House and Senate, some group leaders are hoping to make an impact, even if theyre not expecting a whole lot more just yet. But veteran activists see hope in a progressive movement that has more people and energy than what they saw in the 1960s or 1970s. This is unprecedented in my life, says Gloria Steinem, a leader of the original womens-lib movement and one of the marchs honorary co-chairs.

And so the masses will take to the streets. Only they know how long theyll stay.
- Alex Thomson finished second in the Vendee Globe solo round the world yacht race, the Welsh yachtsman crossing the finish line at Les Sables d'Olonne. Thomson's Hugo Boss boat arrived back at the French Atlantic port almost 16 hours behind Armel Le Cleac'h, who set a new record time when completing the maritime odyssey. Thomson, the second Briton to finish runner-up in the event after Ellen MacArthur in 2001, had shadowed Le Cleac'h all the way up the Atlantic after passing Cape Horn. Despite missing out on ultimate glory Thomson can take heart from setting a new record of distance sailed in 24 hours of 536.81 nautical miles. Jeremie Beyou, around 550nm from the finish, is expected to come in third on Monday.

AFP
By Nate Raymond

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York City resident who prosecutors said tried two years ago to board a flight to Turkey on his way to Syria in order to join Islamic State pleaded guilty on Thursday to having conspired to provide material support to the militant group.

Akhror Saidakhmetov, a 21-year-old citizen of Kazakhstan, entered his plea in federal court in Brooklyn to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, prosecutors said.

He faces up to 15 years in prison and removal to Kazakhstan, prosecutors said. A lawyer for Saidakhmetov did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He is one of six individuals charged in the case and one of more than 100 people who have faced U.S. federal charges in connection with Islamic State since 2014.

The investigation began when Abdurasul Juraboev, an Uzbek national living in Brooklyn, came to law enforcement's attention after making a post on an Uzbek-language website that supported Islamic State, prosecutors said.

The probe revealed that Juraboev and Saidakhmetov, a friend and coworker who shared similar views, planned to travel to Turkey and then to Syria to join Islamic State, prosecutors said.

Speaking to a paid law enforcement informant, Saidakhmetov said his mother had feared he would do so and had taken his passport, which he planned to get back by saying he was going to Uzbekistan to visit relatives, according to court papers.

According to charging documents, Saidakhmetov had also expressed interest in joining the U.S. military to either pass information to Islamic State to help in their attacks or to open fire on soldiers to kill as many as possible.

Saidakhmetov's efforts to join Islamic State received funding help from four co-defendants, prosecutors said.

He was arrested in February 2015 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where he was attempting to fly to Istanbul. Juraboev was scheduled to leave the United States in March 2015, prosecutors said.

Juraboev pleaded guilty in August 2015 to conspiring to provide material support to Islamic State. Charges against the four other men - Azizjon Rakhmatov, Abror Habibov, Dilkhayot Kasimov and Akmal Zakirov - remain pending.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Chris Reese)
Tiffany Trump wore a jacket from the Ivanka Trump clothing line on Jan. 19 in New York. (Photo: Sipa)

On the eve of the inauguration, members of the Trump family stepped out in a number of cold-weather looks by various designers.

First Lady Melania Trump wore a Norisol Ferrari military-inspired knee-length coat, while Ivanka opted for a green look from Oscar de la Renta that she paired with pumps of her own design. Tiffany Trump, the 23-year-old daughter of President Donald Trump, looked sophisticated bundled up in her sisters label.

Photo: Getty Images

Tiffany, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, was seen on her way to Washington, D.C., from New York in a $325 Ivanka Trump asymmetrical wool coat that featured a tie at the waist. She paired the jacket with a light pink scarf and embellished black pumps.

Tiffany Trump at the inauguration concert. (Photo: Getty Images)

Tiffany later changed into a black, fitted double-breasted military-style peacoat with gold buttons, reportedly from alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet, for the inauguration welcome concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump looked stunning in a green look from renowned designer Oscar de la Renta on Thursday, which she wore with nude pumps from her own label and black sunglasses. Her heels appear to be the Kayden 4 pump in suede, which retail for $130.

Ivanka Trump was spotted leaving her home in Manhattan on the eve of the inauguration. (Photo: Getty Images)

Ivanka Trump posted an image of her family arriving in Washington D.C., which she captioned, Arriving in Washington DC with my family. A very special moment! #MAGA #Inauguration2017.

Arriving in Washington DC with my family. A very special moment! #MAGA #Inauguration2017 A photo posted by Ivanka Trump (@ivankatrump) on Jan 19, 2017 at 10:29am PST

Although the 35-year-old mother of three recently announced that she would be stepping down from her role at her namesake apparel and accessories brand, she still seems to be wearing items from the company.

This move came after Trump caught flack for seemingly promoting her products on public stages. At the Republican National Convention, her brand tweeted out a link to buy the light blue dress she opted for.

Additionally, after an appearance 60 Minutes for which she wore a $10,800, 18K yellow gold diamond bangle from her eponymous jewelry line, a public relations representative sent an email to journalists offering style details on the expensive bangle.

Story continues

Ivanka Trump brand president Abigail Klem said in a statement that a well-intentioned employee was to blame for the release. We are proactively discussing new policies and procedures with all of our partners going forward, Klem noted at the time, which was just days after the election in November.

As a number of designers made statements refusing to dress the First Lady, the subject of Melanias inaugural wear has become a much-talked-about topic. Heightened interest in the dress of all the Trump women has come out of it as well.

Related: Ivanka Trump Wears Glam Green Outfit by Oscar de la Renta for Moving Day to Washington, D.C.

Related: Melania Trump Pays Homage to American Military Service Members With Ensemble





Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
By Diane Bartz and Stephen Nellis (Reuters) - Apple Inc filed a $1 billion lawsuit against supplier Qualcomm Inc on Friday, days after the U.S. government filed a lawsuit that accused the chip maker of resorting to anticompetitive tactics to maintain a monopoly over key semiconductors in mobile phones. Qualcomm is a major supplier to both Apple and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd for "modem" chips that connect phones to wireless networks. The two companies together accounted for 40 percent of Qualcomm's $23.5 billion in revenue in its most recent fiscal year. In the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Apple accused Qualcomm of overcharging for chips and refusing to pay some $1 billion in promised rebates. Apple said in its complaint that Qualcomm withheld the rebates because of Apple's discussions with South Korea's antitrust regulator, the Korea Fair Trade Commission. "If that were not enough, Qualcomm then attempted to extort Apple into changing its responses and providing false information to the KFTC in exchange for Qualcomm's release of those payments to Apple. Apple refused," Apple said in its lawsuit. Qualcomm did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Qualcomm has patents for chips which include standard essential patents, a term used to describe technology that is required to be licensed broadly and on "reasonable" terms. In its lawsuit, Apple accused Qualcomm of refusing to license the technology to other manufacturers to prevent them from making the chips. It also accused Qualcomm of selling chips while requiring Apple to pay a separate licensing fee for the same chips, in a "no license, no chip" policy. In addition, Qualcomm pressured network carriers to not sell or support Apple devices made with Intel chipsets Apple said. The KFTC fined Qualcomm $854 million in December for what it called unfair patent licensing practices. In February 2015, Qualcomm paid a $975 million fine in China, while the European Union in December 2015 accused it of abusing its market power to thwart rivals. On Tuesday, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Qualcomm, saying the San Diego-based company used its dominant position as a supplier of certain phone chips to impose "onerous" supply and licensing terms on cellphone manufacturers. Qualcomm said it would contest the FTC complaint. Qualcomm was the sole supplier of modem chips for Apples phones until the release of the iPhone 7 in September. Intel Corp supplied about half of the modem chips for the newest models, said Stacy Rasgon, a senior analyst at Bernstein Research. Apple made the move around the same time that Samsung, which had switched to using its own internal chips for its Galaxy S6 phones, returned to Qualcomm for the Galaxy S7. Qualcomm "has been able to manage through (the Apple contract loss) pretty well because they got back Samsung at the same time," Rasgon said. Apple is known for seeking multiple suppliers to keep prices down, said Jim Morrison, vice president of technical intelligence for TechInsights, which tears down devices to analyze their parts. (Reporting by Diane Bartz in Washington and Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Alan Crosby and Matthew Lewis)
Taiwan's Fair Trade Commission slapped Qualcomm with a fine of Tw$23.4 billion ($774 million) for harming market competition and manipulating prices following an investigation launched in 2015 (AFP Photo/Ethan Miller) (GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File)

San Francisco (AFP) - Apple on Friday sued Qualcomm, accusing the California chipmaker of abusing its market power to demand unfair royalties, echoing charges filed days earlier by US antitrust regulators.

Tech giant Apple said in the court filing that it has been overcharged "billions of dollars" by its chipmaking partner's "illegal scheme."

The company also claimed Qualcomm owes it a billion dollars but is refusing to pay in retaliation for the iPhone maker's cooperating with South Korean antitrust regulators looking into the chipmaker's actions in that country.

"For many years Qualcomm has unfairly insisted on charging royalties for technologies they have nothing to do with," Apple said in an email statement.

"To protect this business scheme Qualcomm has taken increasingly radical steps, most recently withholding nearly $1 billion in payments from Apple as retaliation for responding truthfully to law enforcement agencies investigating them."

Qualcomm rejected Apple's claims at baseless, contending the iPhone maker "intentionally mischaracterized" agreements as well as the value of the company's technology.

"Apple has been actively encouraging regulatory attacks on Qualcomm's business in various jurisdictions around the world... by misrepresenting facts and withholding information," Qualcomm general counsel Don Rosenberg said in a statement.

"We welcome the opportunity to have these meritless claims heard in court."

The suit charges Qualcomm of building a business model on using its rights to older, legacy technology considered telecommunication industry standards to raise royalties when Apple innovates with features such as TouchID fingerprint recognition or digital wallets in mobile devices.

"Despite being just one of over a dozen companies who contributed to basic cellular standards, Qualcomm insists on charging Apple at least five times more in payments than all the other cellular patent licensors we have agreements with combined," Apple said.

Story continues

- Antitrust woes -

Apple noted in the suit that Qualcomm's business practices have come under scrutiny by antitrust regulators in an array of countries for selling its smartphone chipsets only to makers agreeing to its "preferred license terms" for essential mobile telecom patents.

Apple asked for a jury trial, and for damages including Qualcomm paying the company what it owes plus giving up excessive royalties it has raked in.

Qualcomm did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

The Apple filing came three days after the US Federal Trade Commission filed suit in federal court in California claiming Qualcomm abused its market power in as part of its "unlawful maintenance of a monopoly in baseband processors," which are devices that enable cellular communications in phones and other products.

Qualcomm rejected the agency's case as "significantly flawed," arguing that reasoning at the heart of the civil complaint is wrong.

South Korea's anti-trust watchdog last month slapped Qualcomm with a record fine exceeding $850 million for abusing its dominant market position as a maker of baseband chipsets used in mobile phones.

- Room for rivals -

Apple relies on Qualcomm for chip-based modems that enable iPhones and iPads to communicate with telecommunication networks.

Apple undoubtedly knows of the antitrust tide rising against Qualcomm and would like to help provide room for rival chipmakers to flourish, perhaps letting Intel improve its position, according to analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights and Strategy.

"I think Apple is not comfortable in feeling that they have only one source and are taking this opportunity to go after Qualcomm," Moorhead said, referring to the mobile device modems.

"Qualcomm is being looked at on every continent on the planet; this is probably, strategically, the right time for Apple to do this."

While the legal case alleges exclusionary contracts and the idea of being overcharged for licensing, it may well be powered by Apple wanting to ramp up competition to Qualcomm so it can negotiate better deals, the analyst said.

Modem chips are separate from processors that act as the brains or graphics engines for mobile devices.
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's business competition watchdog said on Friday it had reached an agreement with Apple Inc and three major e-book publishers that will allow retailers to offer discounts to customers. The Competition Bureau's investigation found that an arrangement between the publishers and Apple led to higher prices for Canadians. The watchdog said it had entered into consent agreements with Apple, Lagardere SCA's Hachette, Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH's Macmillan and CBS Corp's Simon & Schuster that will let other retailers, including Amazon.com and Kobo, give discounts on e-books by those publishers. The Competition Bureau, however, was unable to reach an agreement with a fourth publisher involved, News Corp's HarperCollins, and filed an application to order it to halt its alleged anti-competitive practices. The U.S. Supreme Court last year declined to hear Apple's challenge to a court decision that it conspired with five publishers to increase e-book prices. (Reporting by Leah Schnurr, editing by G Crosse)
HONOLULU (AP)  Crammed into a dome with one bathroom, six scientists will spend eight months munching on mostly freeze-dried foods  with a rare treat of Spam  and have only their small sleeping quarters to retreat to for solace.

The simulated stay on Mars with a carefully selected crew of researchers embarked on a mission Thursday to gain insight into the psychological toll a similar real-life voyage would have on astronauts. It's part of a NASA-funded human-behavior experiment that could help the space agency send humans to the red planet in the next 20 years.

The man-made dome that the four men and two women call home is outfitted with futuristic white walls and an elevated sleeping platform on the world's largest active volcano in Hawaii. The vinyl-covered shelter spans 1,200 square feet, or about the size of a small, two-bedroom house.

A video released by the group shows the six scientists in matching red polo shirts arriving and entering the dome to farewell handshakes from program associates.

Except for the presence of the white van that brought the group, the scene was reminiscent of the red planet  the dome set in a barren, rock-strewn and reddish landscape with distant hills giving the feel of a wind-swept and forbidding environment.

"I'm looking forward to building relationships with my crew," said mission commander James Bevington, a space scientist. "I fully anticipate coming out with five new best friends."

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  the time it would take for an email to reach Earth from Mars.

The project will study the psychological difficulties with living in isolated, confined conditions for an extended period.

NASA hopes to send humans to an asteroid in the 2020s and Mars by the 2030s.

"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.

Story continues

The team members include engineers, a computer scientist, a doctoral candidate and a biomedical expert. They were selected from 700 applicants 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," Bevington said.

The experimental greenhouse-like habitat in Arizona became a debacle in the 1990s. It housed different ecosystems and a crew of eight to try 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.

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 that by the time they emerged two years later, 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 more than $2 million to the various stages of the project.

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.

A number of other Mars simulation projects exist around the world, but one of the chief advantages of the Hawaii experiment is the rugged, Mars-like landscape, on a rocky, red plain below the summit of the world's largest active volcano, the Big Island's Mauna Loa.

The dome has a kitchen, laboratory and bathroom, plus small sleeping quarters for each member. Unlike Biosphere 2, it won't be airtight.

To maintain the crew's sense of isolation, bundles of food, including some canned goods and snacks, will be dropped off a distance from the dome, and the team members will send a robot to retrieve them.

The participants will not be confined but will wear spacesuits whenever they step outside for geological expeditions, mapping studies or other tasks.

They will wear instruments measuring their moods and proximity to other team members and use virtual reality devices to simulate familiar and comforting surroundings.

___

Follow Hawaii correspondent Caleb Jones on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CalebAP . See more of his work here: https://apnews.com/search/Caleb%20Jones%20Hawaii .

___

This version corrects that NASA has funded over $2 million for the entire project, not for this stage.
Nokia was under Microsoft before it was licensed under HMD Global for Nokia 6

HMD Global launched the first Nokia Android phone, Nokia 6, a couple of weeks ago and the company had its first flash sale in China this week. According to a report, the units sold exclusively at JD.com went out of stock in just a minute.

The report was delivered by Chinese website Anzhuo.cn, via Playful Droid. Although the publication did not reveal how many Android Nokia 6 units were sold, it claimed that JD ran out of stock quickly during the flash sale.

It is clear that HMD Globals Nokia Android phone is well-received by many, especially by those who recognize the brand prior to the era of smartphones. Not only did the Nokia 6 units sell like hotcakes but the Finnish company also received one million registrations since Jan. 4, as seen on JD.

Nokia 6 is currently for sale only in China for a price of CNY 1,699 or $245 and HMD Global provided an explanation as to why the units have not been sold in international markets. According to its press release, the company aims to meet the real world needs of customers from various markets all over the world.
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Outgoing U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler warned Republicans against dismantling the Obama administration's landmark "net neutrality" protections that bar internet service providers from slowing consumer access to web content. Wheeler, in an interview this week, repeatedly questioned why Republicans would institute new policies that he said would benefit major internet service providers such as Comcast Corp, AT&T Inc, Verizon Communications Inc and CenturyLink Inc at the expense of thousands of other companies and consumers. The FCC rules set in early 2015 prohibit broadband providers from giving or selling access to speedy internet, essentially a "fast lane" on the web's information superhighway, to certain internet services over others. "These are serious things," said Wheeler, who steps down Friday as Republican Donald Trump replaces Democrat Barack Obama as president. "People have made business decisions based on the expectation of an open internet and to take that away in order to favor half a dozen companies just seems to be a shocking decision. "There are a half a dozen ISPs (internet service providers) and tens of thousands of companies and millions of consumers who would be affected." Republican FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, who is expected to be named acting chairman by Trump as early as Friday, said in December he thought net neutrality's days were numbered. He said the commission should take a "weed whacker" to unneeded rules. Wheeler, a former cable and wireless industry lobbyist, questioned why Republicans would abandon conservative economic principles "to favor a half dozen companies." "I can certainly understand why the ISPs for their own corporate interests would want to have no oversight at all and they certainly are advocating that position right now," he said. Wheeler said companies already are flaunting the rules by offering free or sponsored data services for some products. He said in a letter earlier this month that AT&T and Verizon's programs "present significant risks to consumers and competition." The companies both defended the programs. Under Wheeler, the FCC in October decided to impose stricter privacy rules on ISPs than those imposed on websites like Facebook Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google or Twitter Inc. The Republican-controlled FCC is also likely to overturn those rules. Internet providers fear net neutrality rules make it harder to manage internet traffic and make investment in additional capacity less likely. The Republican-controlled Congress is also considering rewriting the net neutrality rules. Some critics and companies suggested Wheeler favored Google and other tech companies during his tenure. Wheeler disputed that and said the FCC did not have jurisdiction over websites. Wheeler suffered some setbacks late in his term. The FCC did not approve his proposal to open the $20 billion market for rented pay-TV set-top boxes. That measure would have dealt a big blow to cable companies and created an opening for firms such as Google and Apple Inc. Wheeler tweeted a farewell Friday morning: "Upon my FCC departure, I would like to sign off with 3 words of wisdom that guided me well: competition, competition, competition." (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Bill Trott)
Samsung was forced to discontinue its flagship Galaxy Note 7 after a chaotic recall that saw replacement phones also catching fire (AFP Photo/ED JONES) (AFP/File)

Seoul (AFP) - A Samsung probe into the exploding batteries that forced the electronics giant to scrap its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones has found irregularly sized batteries caused overheating, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The South Korean conglomerate was forced to discontinue its flagship Note 7 after a chaotic recall that saw replacement phones also catching fire, with the debacle costing the company billions in lost profit and reputational damage.

Samsung is set to unveil the results of its investigation Monday, but sources told the WSJ that the findings indicated some of the problematic batteries were irregularly sized, causing overheating, while others had manufacturing problems.

Samsung announced a recall of 2.5 million units of the oversized Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in early September after several devices exploded or caught fire.

When replacement phones also started to combust, the company eventually decided to kill off the Note 7 for good.

The company blamed faulty batteries made by an unnamed supplier -- widely believed to be its sister company Samsung SDI.

Initially, the WSJ said, Samsung officials believed the problem was limited to batteries made by the Samsung affiliate, and recalled those devices while boosting production of smartphones carrying batteries made by Hong Kong-based Amperex Technology Ltd. to replace recalled devices.

The probe found that the issue with the batteries from Samsung SDI was an irregularly sized battery which did not fit the phone properly which then caused overheating, the WSJ said.

In the batteries made by Amperex Technology Ltd. the flaw centred on a manufacturing issue resulting from the quick ramp-up in production of replacement phones, the WSJ said, without specifying what the problems were.

The recall fiasco has taken a major toll on the reputation of the world's largest smartphone maker, which has promised a "complete reform" of the firm's overall production and quality control process to prevent another crisis.
Davos (Switzerland) (AFP) - Evangelists for driverless cars see a bright future coming down the road: thousands of lives saved, countless driving hours freed up, cityscapes transformed with traffic jams vanquished.

But the new technology also threatens millions of jobs and raises a slew of ethical dilemmas -- prospects that were on the minds of business chiefs and politicians meeting at the World Economic Forum this week.

"Companies are going to have to start thinking about it, governments are going to have to start thinking about it," said Missy Cummings, the director of the Humans and Autonomy Lab at Duke University in North Carolina.

"The reality is we can't just keep our head in the sand like an ostrich," she told AFP in Davos, singling out the coming impact on employment.

In the United States alone, an estimated four million people work as truckers, taxi drivers and in other jobs that are under threat when the driverless vehicles come into widespread use -- a matter of years, experts predict.

In October, delivery drivers got an uncomfortable glimpse of the future when a self-driving truck built by Uber's Otto unit successfully delivered a beer shipment.

- New game, new players -

Cars with some autonomous functions -- such as the ability to adjust the speed -- are already on our roads, and more than a dozen automakers including BMW, Kia, Volkswagen and General Motors are racing to get fully self-driving cars to market by 2020.

Champions of the technology point to its potential to reduce the 1.3 million road deaths worldwide each year -- too many of them at the hands of a tired or distracted driver, or one who simply did not react fast enough.

The auto industry is already changing fast thanks to the advent of services like Uber and electric vehicles, and carmakers are eyeing both the threats and opportunities.

Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn summed up the transformations as a "reshuffling of the cards" for the industry.

Story continues

"There is a new game, let's see who is going to be able to prevail," he told an audience in Davos.

The dash for driverless technology is bringing new players into the car business, notably Google, Apple and BlackBerry.

The disruption will create jobs too -- engineering posts and roles in any number of new services. There is talk of mobile doctors' surgeries and moving nail salons.

But the transition will be painful, not least because most cabbies and truck drivers are not qualified to slide seamlessly into new engineering roles.

"We don't have, at this point, really well designed (plans) for re-education," said EU transport commissioner Violeta Bulc at a panel in Davos.

"All this massive change that has not been experienced before, because digitalisation is really making dramatic shifts."

- Offices on the move -

How to regulate the new vehicles is already giving a headache to authorities around the world.

Inga Beale, CEO of the Lloyd's of London insurance market, said in Davos that insurers were having to grapple with the question of liability in case of an accident.

The US government unveiled a regulatory framework in September, but the carmakers are having to deal with ethical and legal dilemmas too.

At the extreme end, if an intelligent car is faced with the terrible choice of killing one person to swerve around a crowd of five, what should it do?

There was some relief for the industry when the US government this week found no safety-related defect in a fatal crash involving a Tesla car on autopilot last May.

In public, auto bosses are focusing on the ways that going driverless is going to change our lives for the better.

Ghosn painted a picture of a world where we are liberated not only to check our emails or watch TV while in the driver's seat, but also run an entire office on the move.

"You can be in the car and do everything you're doing in the house or in the office -- except that it's mobile," he enthused.

Eventually, automated transport systems and innovations such as shared car ownership could free up our congested cities and clean up our air, promoters say.

For now, the approach is safety-first: the beer-delivering Uber truck had a human watching from the cabin, and a police car in tow.
By Kentaro Hamada and Makiko Yamazaki TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Toshiba Corp <6502.T> has begun preparations to sell a minority stake in its core chip business, people with knowledge of the matter said, as it urgently seeks funding to avoid being crippled by an upcoming multibillion-dollar writedown. The industrial conglomerate has distributed non-disclosure agreement forms to various funds including private equity firm Silver Lake, said one of the people. Its semiconductor business - the world's second-biggest NAND flash memory producer after Samsung Electronics Co Ltd <005930.KS> - is Toshiba's crown jewel, accounting for the bulk of its operating profit. Facing a writedown on its U.S. nuclear business that media have reported could be $6 billion, selling part of the chip business is one of the few options left open to Toshiba, still battered by a 2015 accounting scandal. Toshiba is rushing to split off its chip division and complete a stake sale by the end of the financial year in March as a massive writedown could wipe out shareholders equity that has shrunk to just $3 billion in the wake of the scandal, separate sources said. "Toshiba is desperate to avoid falling into negative net worth," said one of the people. After being put on the Tokyo bourse's watchlist in the wake of the scandal, it is unable to tap equity markets. Sources declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak on the matter. A Toshiba spokesman said the company may split off its memory chip business and sell a stake but it cannot comment on the specifics of the process. Silver Lake could not be immediately reached for comment. Media reports have put the planned size of the stake to be sold at around 20 percent to 30 percent. Those reports could not be immediately confirmed but sources have said that Toshiba is determined to hold onto a majority holding. The chip business could be valued at more than 1 trillion yen ($8.7 billion), industry sources have said, although some estimates for the unit have ranged as high as 2 trillion yen. OTHER FUNDING AVENUES Another potential buyer Toshiba is considering for the stake is business partner Western Digital Corp , people familiar with the matter have said. It has also approached the government-backed Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) for support, which is considering an investment in the chip business, sources said. A senior Toshiba executive, who declined to be identified, said that a capital infusion from Western Digital might not be a viable option as it could take too much time to clear an antitrust review. Western Digital has declined to comment on the issue. It remains to be seen, however, how much interest funds will show as they probably would want majority control or at the very least a 33.4 percent stake that would give them veto power over board decisions, a financial source said. There has been little talk by sources of other strategic investors in Toshiba's chip business. But Canon Inc <7751.T> Chief Executive Fujio Mitarai told Kyodo news agency that the camera and office equipment maker would be willing to consider support if there was a request, noting that Toshiba was an important buyer of its chip-making equipment. Shares in Toshiba plunged 16 percent on Thursday on the reports of the bigger-than-expected $6 billion writedown, giving it a market value of just $9 billion. On Friday, they ended 1.8 percent higher. The conglomerate 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. Japan Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko told reporters on Friday that the government was monitoring developments closely given Toshiba's position in NAND flash memory chips and importance to Japan's growth. He said the ministry was not working on any sort of rescue plan for the company - a statement that does not rule out other forms of government help such as investment from the DBJ. (This story has been corrected to show Silver Lake could not be reached for comment, not declined to comment.) (Reporting by Kentaro Hamada and Makiko Yamazaki, additional reporting by Emi Emoto, Junko Fujita and Ami Miyazaki; editing by Edwina Gibbs)
Donald Trump, who is known to tweet through his Android phone quite often, has given up his device as he prepares to take office Friday, a report said.

Donald Trump, who is known to tweet through his Android phone quite often, has given up the device with less than a day before he swears in as the 45th president of the United States, the Associated Press (AP) reported Thursday. The president-elect was urged by security agencies to do so, the report added.

The news agency reported that its reporter contacted the 70-year-old on his phone but the latter did not answer the call. However, an hour later Trump called back on the unknown number, according to the AP. But Trumps friend told the AP that the real estate tycoon is not using his smartphone anymore.

It remained unclear whether Trump will follow in the footsteps of outgoing President Barack Obama, who exchanged his personal phone for a BlackBerry that was modified for security reasons when he took office. Obama is reportedly the countrys first president to regularly use a mobile phone.

While White House employees can use iPhones, the president has to stick to a secure BlackBerry for security reasons. The National Security Agency had first set up Obamas BlackBerry when he was the president-elect in 2008. Extra layers of encryption were added to that phone at the cost of most of its functionality. It remained unclear whether Obama was able to send emails from the modified version of BlackBerry.

For security reasons  this is a great phone, state-of-the-art  but it doesnt take pictures, you can't text, the phone doesnt work, you cant play your music on it, Obama told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show last June.

The presidents phone should not have any internet connection, Recode reported, citing Matthew Green, a cryptographer and professor of computer science at John Hopkins Information Security Institute. This is because anything connected to the internet is prone to cyberattacks. Furthermore, any commercial-grade phones carried by Trump or his aides are likely to be barred from high-level meetings as there are certain exploits to switch on the devices microphone, Tom Lowenthal, a digital security technologist at the Committee to Protect Journalists, told Recode.

Related Articles
President Donald Trump (R) became the 45th US President and inherited the @POTUS Twitter handle from former US President Barack Obama (L) on January 20, 2017 (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski) (AFP/File)

Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump took over Friday as the 45th US president and in doing so inherited the White House Twitter account from outgoing leader Barack Obama.

In the first "social media transition" at the White House, Trump became the owner of the Twitter handle @POTUS, which represents the president of the United States.

The transition on Twitter got off to a bumpy start, with an image from Obama's 2009 inauguration briefly on the account, before being fixed minutes later.

The White House last year indicated it would hand over to Obama's successor control of the account and other social media platforms which were launched during Obama's eight-year tenure.

Obama, meanwhile, assumed a new Twitter handle @POTUS44, keeping some 13.9 million followers and his archived tweets in the shift.

Incoming first lady Melania Trump took over the @FLOTUS handle and Michelle Obama shifted to @FLOTUS44.

The accounts of both the president and first lady started with a clean slate with no tweets from their predecessors.

Trump quickly garnered some 4.3 million followers for the new Twitter handle in the first hour. But he continued tweeting from his old @realDonaldTrump account, which has more than 20 million followers.

"The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer," Trump said in one of his tweets Friday. "From this moment on, its going to be #AmericaFirst."

It was not immediately clear how Trump was managing his account or if his staff were tweeting for him.

Some reports said Trump agreed to trade his smartphone this week for a new device with security enhanced by the Secret Service. Obama used a device which lacked many online functions due to security concerns.
On the eve of the presidential inauguration, all eyes were on another businessman  multi-billionaire investor Warren Buffett, the central figure in HBOs upcoming documentary Becoming Warren Buffett, which held its premiere on Thursday evening at New York Citys Museum of Modern Art.

[Buffetts] legacy is still yet to be determined  whether that be as the great investor or as the great philanthropist, said director Peter Kunhardt. Hes reached the top of the mountain. Theres no one like him.

Produced by Kunhardts sons, Teddy and George Kunhardt, the feature-length doc follows Buffetts life from a math-obsessed paperboy in Omaha, Neb., to the famed Berkshire Hathaway CEO and one of the worlds wealthiest people, with an estimated net worth just shy of $72 billion.

Everyone wants to get into Warren and ask, How do you make a billion dollars? We want to know what makes you tick, what makes you the man you are today, said George Kunhardt. Teddy Kunhardt added, We always had the theme of the man behind the money.

The film also delves into Buffetts love story with late wife Susan Buffett, who passed away of oral cancer in 2004, and influenced the investors transition from a Republican to a Democrat.

[Susan] really brought him a heart, Teddy Kunhardt said. As he says in the film, if it wasnt for her, he wouldnt be as successful in business as he is.

Though Buffett was undoubtedly the star of the red carpet, conversations revolved around another businessman who was about to celebrate a different momentous event.

The film didnt peg to come out during the inauguration. It has nothing to do with that, George Kunhardt said. But I think its a very positive thing to reinforce these values Warren believes in  that all lives are equal, everyone has importance.

When asked about President Donald Trumps controversial cabinet picks, Buffett stated the American public should overwhelmingly support the politicians decisions. Though he would feel that way no matter who is president.

Story continues

I really think a CEO, what I am, should have the ability to pick the people to help you run things. If they fail, then its your fault, you gotta get somebody new. Maybe you change the cabinet, Buffett said.

As for what his hopes for Trumps presidency, Buffett spoke of his support of raising the national minimum wage.

Im interested in seeing people who havent participated in our incredible prosperity, he said. If they work 40 hours a week, they should have decent funds.

In terms of his own wealth, Buffett suggested he would rather be remembered for his philanthropic work, providing vaccines and education for those in need, than his income.

The money I have is a ridiculous amount. It has no utility on me, he said. It can do wonders for other people. It cant do anything for me. When they bury me, they wont bury me with any money.

Becoming Warren Buffett premieres Jan. 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Related stories

Obamas Unveil New Endeavor, Launch Website on Inauguration Day

Trump's Inauguration, America's Destiny and the Triumph of the Thrill

Donald Trump Inauguration Address Compared to Batman Villain Bane's Speech
It is not only Ghanaians who are keen on the participating in the final funeral rites of the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

Click here to get the latest news in Ghana.

Several foreigners from Europe and America are also visiting the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi to pay their last respect to the late Asantehenewaa.

READ ALSO: Photo: A chief wore a 400-year-old cloth to the Asantehemaa's funeral and it's amazing (photo)

They are also using the opportunity to observe how royal funerals are undertaken.

Some of the foreigners also took off their shoes as they made their way into the palace in line with prevailing customs and tradition.

READ MORE: Ewe priests have turned stones into yam and worked shocking magic at Asantehemaa's funeral (photos, video)

Businesses have closed in Kumasi ahead of the Asantehemaa's burial on Thursday night.

Residents have been asked to stay indoors from 7pm tonight till 4am on Friday, as the body of the late Asantehemaa makes its way to the Bantama Mausoleum (Ban mu) and later to the Breman Mausoleum for burial.

Source: YEN.com.gh
The controversy about the St. Pete Pride parade moving is far from over. On Thursday, residents of the parade's current home in historic Kenwood took their concerns to city leaders.

About a dozen people spoke to city council regarding move

Pride board members cite security concerns, crowds as reasons for move

Kenwood residents believe neighborhood is still the right fit

At a city council meeting, some held up signs that read, Preserve our pride, with the words Keep St. Pete Pride in Grand Central at the bottom.



Its a message about a dozen people who showed up to the meeting said they wanted leaders to hear loud and clear.



Its also what Grand Central District Association Executive Director Tawnee Walling said shes been saying since she heard the news about moving the pride parade downtown.



We think that perhaps there has been a little bit of neglect of what does the community actually want," said Walling. "The largest stakeholder that St. Pete Pride has is the LGBT community. And the LGBT community was not reached out to about this decision."



St. Pete Pride board member Susan McGrath said the fact that the parade has grown so much isnt a surprise. The decision to possibly move it is the result of that growth.



As the event has been successful over the last 13 years, it has grown," said McGrath. "It started as a one-day morning parade 13 years ago. Now, its a multi-day event that covers the Tampa bay area and has a $23 million economic impact.



It came up last year," McGrath continued. "The city asked us to stay. We did so. It came up again this year. Theres about several, more than a half a dozen reasons that are really important in consideration that we considered. Security, costs and a variety of other issues are important.



In addition to the security and crowd size concerns, Pride board members pointed out that theyre considering a fireworks show that wouldnt be possible in the Grand Central District.



Residents of the Kenwood neighborhood countered by pointing out the parade's history with the area. They also argued their opinion that downtown, despite its busy shops, restaurants, and beautiful views, just does not compare.



There's also the question of acceptance. In Kenwood, it isn't a question at all.



I love the Kenwood neighborhood," said resident Robin Cruse-Cunrow. "Theyve embraced us since Day One.



Cruse-Cunrow said the rainbow flags, banners and bright lights sets this community apart. She worries things wont be the same downtown.



I dont think they would be as accepting," said Cruse-Cunrow. "Lets say two gay men walking hand in hand, wearing a leather thong and nothing else, sitting at 400 Beach having lunch. I know they wont be accepted."



Pride organizers said the deal isnt sealed yet, but theres still a chance the large crowds waving their rainbow flags could end up downtown this year.
Four families in the Belmont Heights neighborhood are getting help after a decade of living in homes with Chinese drywall.

The homes were all part of Tampa Housing Authority's program that helped put deserving people in the position to buy their first homes.

Families received down payment help in 2007

Toxic Chinese drywall caused numerous problems

City, county, Tampa Housing Authority helping families

A dozen underprivileged families, all with jobs and steady income, received tens of thousands of dollars to help with down payments for their first homes back in 2007. Each person had to go through rigorous financial and homeownership classes to qualify.

"It was amazing to me. A dream I really wanted to come true, came true," Spencer said.

But the program quickly turned into a nightmare that hasn't ended.

Families started noticing their appliances were breaking. They would get them fixed, only to have them break a week later.

Spencer said the company that came to fix her air conditioner for the second time discovered the source of the problem: toxic Chinese drywall.

"He pulled the coil out and showed me the blackness, all the smut and everything that was on it," Spencer said.

That explained the headaches and sinus problems some of the families said they experienced after moving in.

"They are extraordinary individuals. They did everything the right way. The system failed them."

Of the 12 families living in the homes, all but four walked away. Spencer and neighbor Simartra Johnson knew it was a health issue, but refused to give up after they took out large loans for their first homes. They were worried about their credit scores, and knew if they walked away they may never be able to own a home again.

"I'm thinking about the debt. I just got a loan for $175,000. Now I'm in something that is worth nothing. So what do I do from here? Spencer said.

The homes are now valued at under $10,000, according to Spencer and Johnson.

Spencer said she went to the Tampa Housing Authority. But it turns out the problem was the builder's fault, Spencer was told. The builder has since gone out of business, and passed away.

The families have had nowhere to turn until now. They got help from an unlikely place: Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, who had nothing to do with the program and never met the families before hearing their story a few months ago.

"They are extraordinary individuals. They did everything the right way. The system failed them," Hagan said.

Hagan brokered a plan that will allow the four families left to live in temporary housing for six to nine months while their homes are gutted of Chinese drywall and rebuilt.

The county is paying $200,000 for the work, while the city is matching the funds dollar for dollar. Tampa Housing Authority is helping with the temporary apartments.

Hagan announced to the homeowners at a meeting today they will each receive a $3,000 voucher from Rooms to Go to furnish their new homes once they are finished. Furniture in their current homes has also been ruined by the drywall.

The women were in tears when hearing the news.

"There's actually someone out there that cares," Spencer said.
Bay area inaugural goers have been living on adrenaline these last few days, trading little sleep for a whole lot of fun.

Bay area Trump supporters in D.C. for Inauguration Day

Lake Wales elector, Kat Gates-Skipper, helped get Trump elected

Member of Pinellas Republican Team booked ticket as soon as Trump got elected

One Florida delegate, who helped get soon-to-be president Donald Trump elected, has been celebrating big time for the big day.

"I'm living on good vibrations," said Kat Gates-Skipper. "I'm lost for words. I'm just so excited."

Kat Gates-Skipper is an elector from Lake Wales. Before election day, Kat was flooded with letters from people asking her not to cast her vote for Donald Trump.

She did, and she's been celebrating all over social media ever since. Today's inauguration is like icing on the cake.

"We're just blessed and honored to be a part of this historic event," she said.

Other Trump supporters will also be attending the big day.

Matt Lettelleir got his inaugural ticket from U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis. He said he drove 14 hours from St. Petersburg.

"Bought a brand new tuxedo, have a great bow tie to wear with it, got my dancing shoes," he said.

Matt is part of the Pinellas Republican team who made this day happen. Although he knows it's going to be a very long Friday, he says it's worth it and an opportunity of a lifetime.

"It's kind of surreal. The sheer number of people," he said.

Matt said he booked his hotel room for the inauguration as soon as Trump won the election. He said he can't wait for Trump to officially become the 45th president of the United States.
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced the signing of a management agreement with Corferias to operate a new build Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in the convention and exhibition center of Bogota, Colombia. Scheduled to open in 2018, the new 414-room Hilton Bogota Corferias will extend the company's presence in Colombia, where Hilton currently has a portfolio of 13 operating hotels and approximately 10 under development.

"We are pleased to work with Corferias on the development of this exciting project," said Juan Corvinos, managing director development, Mexico, Central America and the Hispanic Caribbean, Hilton. "Our growth strategy looks at opportunities to introduce our industry-leading brands to new destinations around the world and we couldn't be happier about bringing the company's flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand to such an important area of Bogota, Colombia."

The hotel will be strategically located adjacent to the existing Trade Fair Venue and Exhibition Center, Corferias and the Agora Bogota International Convention Center scheduled to open in 2017  a project led by the Bogota Chamber of Commerce. Approximately 10 minutes from El Dorado International Airport, the new Hilton Bogota Corferias will serve as an ideal base for travelers visiting the city for major events and conferences.

"Hilton is committed to expanding our footprint in Latin America and welcoming guests across the region," said Shawn Mcateer, vice president, global brand management, full-service hotels, Hilton. "This hotel in Corferias is a perfect complement to our existing portfolio in Colombia and will no doubt be a welcome addition for the meetings and conventions market."

"It is our pleasure to work with Hilton on this addition to Corferias," said Andres Lopez Valderrama, president, Corferias. "Our experience with conventions and major exhibitions, combined with Hilton's 97 years of renowned hospitality and delivering exceptional guest experiences is the perfect partnership for a successful project."

Hilton Bogota Corferias is owned in partnership with Pactia, a Colombian private equity fund with extensive experience in real estate investments.

The hotel will participate in Hilton HHonors, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton's 13 distinct hotel brands. Hilton HHonors members who book directly with Hilton save time and money and gain instant access to the benefits they care about most, such as an exclusive member discount, free Wi-Fi, the ability to earn and redeem Points for free nights, as well as access to digital amenities like digital check-in with room selection and Digital Key (in select locations), available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton HHonors mobile app.

Hilton currently has a portfolio of more than 90 hotels and resorts open and welcoming travelers in Latin America, including 13 hotels in Colombia. The company is actively pursuing additional Latin American growth opportunities and currently has a robust pipeline of more than 60 hotels throughout the region, including 10 projects in Colombia.

About Hilton

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 18 world-class brands comprising more than 6,800 properties and more than 1 million rooms, in 122 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, earned a top spot on the 2021 World's Best Workplaces list and been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for five consecutive years. In 2021, in addition to opening more than one hotel a day, Hilton introduced several industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the nearly 128 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
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.)

View source
GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here.
An avalanche buried a four-star spa hotel in a mountainous earthquake-hit region of central Italy, leaving at least 30 people missing, authorities said yesterday.

The civil protection agency said that they were working to get rescue vehicles to the Hotel Rigopiano through roads covered in snow, joining initial rescue efforts overnight by alpine rescue teams. The ANSA news agency quoted a rescuer as saying that there were fatalities, but details werent immediately available.

Italian media said that the avalanche covered the three-story hotel in the central region of Abruzzo on Wednesday. The hotel is about 45 kilometers (30 miles) from the coastal city of Pescara. Earthquakes hit the region on Wednesday, including one with a 5.7 magnitude, but it wasnt immediately clear if the temblors triggered the avalanche.

Mountain rescue teams reached the hotel by skis around 4 a.m. (0300 GMT), SKY TG24 reported. The station said that one victim had been removed so far.

Video footage showed rescuers with shovels digging through a wall of snow, and at least one man being led through the cleared path.

An ambulance was blocked several kilometers from the hotel, according to SKY, which also said that snowfall was so heavy that snow plows have had trouble clearing the road to the hotel.

Other video footage shows rescuers entering the hotel, with piles of snow and rubble cascading down the stairs into the entryway. Rescue team video also showed huge piles of filthy snow and debris piled up inside the hotels corridors, having slammed through the outer walls of the building. The audio is completely silent.

ANSA quoted rescuers as saying they have been calling out to survivors, but no one has responded. But media have reported that two people had been rescued.

ANSA quoted a survivor as saying that he was saved because he had gone outside to his car to get something when the avalanche hit.

The survivor, identified as 38-year-

old Giampaolo Parete, told doctors that his wife and two children were buried in the avalanche. He said that the car hadnt been buried and that he waited there for rescuers.

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 cold 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 wasnt immediately clear who was staying at Hotel Rigopiano, which is located in the Gran Sasso National Park.

The hotel posted on its Facebook page Wednesday morning after the first quake that its telephone lines were out. In the hours since the report of the avalanche, users have been posting messages seeking information about the hotel. Coleen Barry, Milan, AP
Gambias president-elect says he will be sworn in to office at the Gambian embassy in neighboring Senegal, as his countrys political crisis continues. Barrow won the December election, but President Yahya Jammeh, in power for more than two decades, is refusing to step down, saying he does not accept the result, citing irregularities.

German intel head warns against threats

The head of Germanys domestic intelligence agency is warning that Europe needs to remain vigilant against the threat of extremist attacks. Hans-Georg Maassen told reporters in Berlin yesterday 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.
Inmates threw rocks at each other and set up barriers yesterday inside a Brazilian penitentiary where 26 prisoners were recently killed in confrontations.

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.
Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. shares dropped the most in three months after the carriers planned business revamp fell short on details, failing to soothe investor concerns over a slide in earnings.

Changes at Asias biggest international airline will start at the top and the carrier will eliminate some positions as part of a review, with key changes taking effect by mid-year, Cathay said in a statement Wednesday. The stock fell 3.9 percent to HKD10.40 in Hong Kong yesterday, the biggest loss since Oct. 13.

We wanted to see hard changes, things like cutting capacity, what sort of savings level they hope to achieve, said Mohshin Aziz, an analyst at Maybank Investment Bank Berhad in Kuala Lumpur. Not only did we want more decisive actions, but more sharing of how the plan is going to be implemented. We had neither.

With premium travel declining and the diminishing role of Hong Kong as a transfer hub for Chinese outbound travelers, Cathay has been struggling to revive earnings. It also has a challenge at hand as Emirates and other Middle Eastern airlines expand more into Asia, luring passengers with frills. Cathay shares have slipped 33 percent since Ivan Chu took over as chief executive officer in March 2014 as the airline reported its smallest half-year profit in more than two years.

If the statement is any indication, it could well be that he may not be there for long, Shukor Yusof, founder of aviation consulting firm Endau Analytics said by phone, referring to Chu. They havent embraced the changes. Theyve lacked the vision to grow the company and that has been one of the main reasons for the decline in the companys performance and profit.

A spokeswoman said the company doesnt comment on speculation when asked whether Chu will be replaced. Chu has been at the helm of the carrier for about three years now. His predecessors John Slosar and Tony Tyler both held the top job at the marquee airline for about three years. In both instances, the then chief operating officer was promoted to the chief executives role.

The airline is looking at ways to pare costs as mounting competition from Chinese and Middle Eastern carriers have eaten into Cathays premium long-haul customer base, causing passenger yields  a key measure of profitability  to drop to a seven-year low. Bloomberg
Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd. is targeting young shoppers in mainland China with a new chain of lower-priced stores, as the worlds largest jeweler tries to shore up its customer base amid sales that are set to fall for a third-straight year.

The new Monologue outlets will stock jewelry priced at 2,000 yuan (USD291) on average, about a third of the prices at the companys flagship Chow Tai Fook-branded stores, said Managing Director Kent Wong yesterday. The first of them opened in the southern city of Shenzhen in September, with as many as six more planned this year including in Dalian and Wuhan, he said.

Chow Tai Fook is actively turning the brand image younger and more diversified, said Wong in a briefing in Hong Kong. We dont expect the new shops to provide huge sales contributions as they are selling lower-priced products. But we have to do it or well lose the young customers.

Chow Tai Fook, which operates more than 2,000 jewelry and high-

end watch outlets mainly in Greater China, is aiming to capture a shift in Chinese shopping habits as the countrys economic slowdown and an anti-corruption crackdown damped demand for luxury goods. In Hong Kong, where the jeweler is based, retailers are hurting from 21-straight months of falling sales as fewer mainland Chinese tourists visit the city.

Chow Tai Fook is going down-

market to seek new momentum as the high-end jewelry market is obviously losing customers due to the long-term anti-corruption trend and consumer preference changes, said Hannah Li, a Hong Kong-based analyst at UOB Kay Hian Ltd. Introducing low-end products in stores that are distinct from Chow Tai Fook will keep the companys premium image from being tarnished, she said.

Chow Tai Fooks shares have gained 15 percent this year, outperforming the 4.8 percent rise in Hong Kongs benchmark Hang Seng Index.

The company will also open a store in April in Hangzhou specializing in wedding jewelry, said Wong. That effort is part of the 88-year-old jewelry chains attempt to revive flagging sales with new business models. Last year, it announced plans to expand its online presence and venture beyond its traditional bases to markets such as the U.S., Taiwan and South Korea

The jeweler has been shutting stores and negotiating lower rents in Hong Kong as analysts surveyed by Bloomberg forecast revenue to fall 11 percent on average in the twelve months ended March 2017, which would mark the third-straight fiscal year of declines.

In Hong Kong and Macau, Chow Tai Fook is aiming for further rental rate reductions of as much as 50 percent for its street-level stores in the twelve month ended March 2018, Wong said. The company has shut a net seven outlets in the two cities this fiscal year, he added.

While Chow Tai Fook is hoping for a further easing of its sales decline in 2017, it is still too early to say if we are now in a recovery trend as theres too much global uncertainty, Wong said. We need to wait till the second half of this year for a clearer look. Bloomberg
A high-rise building in Tehran engulfed by a fire collapsed yesterday, 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 capitals sprawling bazaar.

Irans 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. Police tried to keep out shopkeepers and others wanting to rush back in to collect their valuables.

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. Onlookers wailed in grief.

Jalal Maleki, a fire department spokesman, earlier told Iranian state television that 10 firehouses responded to the blaze, which was first reported around 8 a.m.

The Iranian military sent units to help with the disaster, state television reported.

Several embassies are located near the building. Turkeys 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 Plasco building was an iconic presence on the Tehran skyline.

The 17-story tower 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.

Elghanian was tried on charges that included espionage and executed in the months after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current ruling system to power  a move that prompted many members of the countrys longstanding Jewish community to flee.

The tower is attached to a multistory shopping mall featuring a sky-lit atrium and a series of turquoise-colored fountains. It wasnt immediately clear if the mall was damaged. Amir Vahdat, Tehran, AP
Members of the team attempting the first surface crossing of the Antarctic have joined up at the South Pole.

New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary  who has already conquered Mount Everest  arrived with his team 17 days ago.

Early this afternoon Sir Edmund welcomed the British team led by to the South Pole.

The British and New Zealand teams are members of a joint Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic expedition but set off from opposite ends of the continent last November.

The New Zealanders started out from the newly-created Scott camp near the Ross Sea while the British began their journey at Shackleton camp near the Weddell Sea.

Both teams used motorised vehicles for the trip to the South Pole.

En route, Sir Edmund and his team were responsible for setting up food and fuel depots for the British team.

They will now attempt to reach Scott Base and complete the 2158-mile (3473-kilometre) Antarctic crossing.

However, the British teams departure from Shackleton camp was delayed and they are now running almost three weeks behind schedule.

They must now decide when to start the second leg of the journey given the worsening weather conditions.

Dr Fuchs said the team would definitely go on.

We hope and expect to get out before the winter, if not  bad luck, he said.

Asked whether he had considered breaking his journey and continuing in the spring Dr Fuchs replied: Are the people who suggested that prepared to pay for it?

He thought it likely the team would reach Scott camp in the first week of March, Dr Fuchs added.

Expedition members are also carrying out scientific experiments including seismic soundings and gravimetric readings during their epic journey.

Courtesy of BBC

In context

Vivian Fuchs and his team, accompanied by Sir Edmund Hillary, went on to complete the first surface crossing of the Antarctic.

They reached Scott camp on 2 March 1958 after a journey of 99 days and more than 2,000 miles across the Antarctic.

Dr Fuchs achievement was rewarded by an immediate knighthood and he returned home to Britain as Sir Vivian.

Sir Vivian and Sir Edmund wrote a book about the trip, The Crossing of Antarctica.

Sir Vivian was director of the British Antarctic Survey until his retirement in 1973.

He died in November 1999 aged 91.
Singapores three-year decline in home prices could see relief from an unexpected quarter in 2017: Hong Kong.

So says Cushman & Wakefield Inc., which 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. Savills Plc forecasts Singapore prices will rise 1 percent on average this year.

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.

That will help limit the decline in Singapore property values to about 1.5 percent this year, according to the average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Home prices have fallen 11 percent since 2013, when the island-states government implemented the strictest of its own cooling measures.

The outlook for Hong Kong is more bearish, with prices in the secondary-housing market seen dropping 8 percent, according to the average of seven analyst forecasts. While figures for new homes arent available for Hong Kong, early indications are that prices in this segment will be more resilient as developers offer incentives to offset higher stamp duties.

The markets for Grade-A office space in Asias two competing financial hubs are set to diverge further in 2017. Scarce supply in Hong Kongs Central district and strong demand from Chinese financial companies for premium office space could push rents up as much as 5 percent in what is already the worlds most expensive office market according to Knight Frank Plc. That contrasts with a forecast of an average 6.2 percent drop in Singapore due to ample supply and an uncertain economic outlook.

Retail rents in both cities will also remain challenging this year. Singapore mall owners are bracing for another weak year as the sluggish economy weighs on retail activity and consumers shop online more. In Hong Kong, a two-and-a-half year slump in mall rents may continue as retail sales remain subdued. Marcos Chan, head of Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southern China research at CBRE, sees prime mall rents falling as much as 5 percent amid declining tourist arrivals and softer domestic demand.

We see no particular reason why the retail market or retail property will rebound anytime soon, said Chan, who still expects rents to stabilize by mid-year. We will have to wait for some other triggers for the retail market to pick up before retail rents go back to an upward trend. Pooja Thakur & Frederik Balfour, Bloomberg
The triangular relationship between China, Russia and the U.S. is poised for a radical transformation on a scale not seen since the Cold War, speculated a scholar at the University of Macau (UM) in an interview with the Times this week.

The transformation will be the result of fundamental policy shifts initiated by President-elect Donald Trump that are likely to redefine the basis of U.S. relations with both Russia and China.

Trump is expected to be inaugurated as U.S. president tomorrow (Macau time).

While it remains unclear which, if any, of his campaign pledges will be implemented in the coming years, Trumps rhetoric since his election victory in November has signaled both worsening relations with China and an improvement with fellow strongman Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The three countries top the list of the worlds most powerful and influential, and the triangular relationship between them has the potential to define the course of global diplomacy for decades.

Michael Share, a UM scholar specializing in Russian-Chinese relations, told the Times that the change in diplomatic policy reflects a departure from the globalist thinking of recent presidents and a return to 19th-century geopolitical concepts such as economic protectionism, spheres of influence and the balance of power.

Share said such a radical recalibration has not been seen since Nixons 1972 state visit to China.

The 1972 visit irrevocably damaged the Sino-Soviet relationship and ushered in a new era of U.S.-China cooperation after Chinese leader Mao Zedong opted to distance his country from its former benefactor. A similar choice could be presented before the Russian president in 2017.

Better relations with Russia and worse relations with China [] could put Putin into a very difficult situation as he might be forced to choose between [China and the U.S.], Share told the Times. Either way Russia will continue to play a stronger role in U.S.-China relations.

The scope for conflict in Sino-U.S. relations has widened since Trump was confirmed as President-elect last year.

Trumps threat to escalate trade tensions through the application of tariffs on Chinese goods and to rule out the axiom of the One China policy has invited Beijing to respond in kind; warning of economic retaliation and the possibility of reclaiming the island-state of Taiwan by force if necessary.

Representatives from Trumps team have claimed that they are confident the U.S. would come out on top in a trade war with China. However, during Beijings charm offensive in Davos this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that there could be no winners in a trade war.

While it is somewhat a sign of the times that in 2017 it would fall to the socialist giant of China to school the capitalist West in the merits of free trade and the dangers of protectionism, Xis courting this week represents a view ultimately shared by others.

Share said that not only could there be no winners in a China-U.S. trade war, but that the two countries economic interdependence would put the health of the entire global economy at risk, and would likely plunge it into an economic recession.

Trump is considering placing tariffs on Chinese goods [of] up to 50 percent, which the Chinese say violates WTO and bilateral trade terms. In return, China would reciprocate, but both sides would lose out so badly that the whole world would go into [economic] depression, he said.

The problem of Taiwan represents an even thornier issue in Beijings side, one that Share believes holds the key to the legitimacy of the Chinese regime.

China will consider recovering Taiwan by force, because [the issue] is fundamental to China. If the regime loses [Taiwan], then it loses its legitimacy, he said.

Moreover, a failure to peacefully reunite Taiwan with the mainland might discredit Deng Xiaopings One Country, Two Systems policy that had been subsequently extended to Macau and Hong Kong in their respective Joint Declarations with Portugal and Britain.

If China goes into Taiwan, there will be a war and there will be nothing left of Taiwan. [] If Taiwan goes south, Hong Kong and Macau will also go south, predicted Share.

In yet another indication of history repeating itself, the UM scholar discussed rumors of a Trump-Putin meeting to be scheduled shortly after Trumps inauguration.

When he becomes president, it is thought that Trump will host a summit with Putin. Rumor is that it will be held in Reykjavik and that it will involve a significant reduction in nuclear weapons in return for a lifting of sanctions.

The summit, if confirmed, would be reminiscent of one held in the Icelandic capital in 1986 between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, in a failed attempt to mutually reduce nuclear stockpiles.

As of 2014, there remain an estimated 15,000 nuclear warheads between the stockpiles of the U.S. and Russia, with each commanding far more than the rest of the worlds nuclear powers combined.

19 th century principles

Michael Share told the Times that the incoming U.S. president was threatening to return the worlds largest economy to principles founded centuries before he was born, namely spheres of influence and the balance of power. The balance of power refers to an attempt by states to sign alliances and agreements with the aim of preventing the domination of any one power. Spheres of influence denote geographic areas comprising minor powers and regional powers that fall under the protection or interest of more powerful patrons. Xi, Putin, Trump are all strongmen, while Europe is divided and weak, said Share, which means the rules of global diplomacy might be left up to China, Russia and the U.S. to decide.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation plans to send a high-level delegation to Myanmars troubled Rakhine state to assess the plight of the Rohingya Muslim minority, Malaysia said yesterday.

A resolution issued after a special meeting of OIC foreign ministers to discuss the Rohingya crisis urged Myanmar to accept the OICs 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.

Myanmars 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 Myanmars 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 yesterdays meeting.

Earlier yesterday, Malaysia said the crisis was no longer Myanmars 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.

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 (USD2.25 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 tomorrow.

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. Eileen Ng, Kuala Lumpur, AP
Baby raccoons that inadvertently hitched a cross-country ride to Northern California are recovering at the Oakland Zoo.

Animal care authorities said this week that in September a man had unknowingly transported the raccoons from Florida to Marin County in a moving truck.

The truck had been burglarized while in Florida, allowing a pregnant raccoon to enter through a broken window and give birth.

The man discovered the raccoons while unloading his truck. Five of six baby raccoons survived but were near death after being without food or water for days.

Wildlife education center WildCare nursed the raccoons to health, but found they could not release the animals into the wild.

The Oakland Zoo is caring for the raccoons until they can be placed at a sanctuary or another zoo.
In a session presided over by Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam, the Application of Macau, China for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network Committee (Macaus Application Committee) conducted its first plenary meeting yesterday at the Tourism Activities Center.

According to a statement issued by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), those at the meeting discussed the status of the application, as well as the specific direction it should take.

During the meeting, Secretary Tam said it is one of the MSAR Governments major endeavors this year to file Macaus application for membership of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

If successful, Macau will become a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy, earning the title City of Gastronomy.

This will gain significant international recognition for Macau, noted the MGTO statement, which will have far-reaching significance and give a powerful impetus to Macaus transformation into a World Center of Tourism and Leisure as well as adequate diversification and sustainable development of Macaus economy.

In the meeting, MGTO presented an introduction of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and reported on preparations it has completed, including the establishment of the Application of Macau, China for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network Committee last year.

The Office also organized the first Working Group explanation session, reported on the progress of application documents, visited and attended international events, as well as organized last Novembers International Gastronomy Forum, Macau 2016.

This year, the Office will make more efforts to prepare application documents, develop a thematic website and produce a feature video on gastronomy.

Macaus Application Committee also discussed the specific direction and policies of Macaus application, including Macaus plans for future development and its possible contributions to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

The committee also discussed the allocation of roles and job duties to various members of the Working Group, so as to make better progress in the application process.

The meeting was attended by MGTO director Helena de Senna Fernandes and other Committee members; including President of Management Committee of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Jose Tavares, the President of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ung Vai Meng, and President of the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Fanny Vong.
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 Japans 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. allies who have long struggled to move past their tumultuous shared history.

In recent days Tokyo has called back its ambassador to South Korea over another similar statue newly erected near the Japanese consulate in the southern port city of Busan, and a Buddhist monk has died after setting himself ablaze in protest of a 2015 agreement between the neighbors that was meant to settle, supposedly for good, the sex slave dispute.

The settlement included a cash payment for the dwindling number of victims, who are often described using Japans favored euphemism, comfort women, but there was no clear language about the statue.

Tokyo believes a clear understanding to remove the statue exists. Seoul says its powers are limited on dealing with a private monument.

The volunteers in the tent dont trust their government and are determined to protect the statue, even in temperatures that can dip well below freezing.

Whenever I see the statue, I think about how that could have been me if Id been born during those times, said Choi (pronounced Chwey) Hye Ryeon, a 23-year-old college student who was at the tent Jan. 4.

We want to create discomfort. We want Japan to see us here and think, This is not over, and we want the South Korean government to know that we will never let them remove the statue.

The protesters in front of the Japanese Embassy, which is currently under reconstruction, began camping out two days after the agreement on sex slaves was announced Dec. 28, 2015. They want Tokyo to accept full legal responsibility for the sexual slavery, acknowledging it as a war crime, punishing those involved and providing formal compensation to the victims.

Choi says 20 to 30 people turned out daily in the first few weeks; now about 20 protesters take turns staying in the tent in groups of two or three. They come once or twice a week in 24-hour shifts that start and end at 9 a.m.

Protesters share blankets and an electric stove powered by a cord connected to electricity at a nearby construction site. A table outside the tent has papers and pens for gathering signatures on a petition calling for Seoul to abandon the 2015 agreement, along with a plastic box for collecting donations.

The volunteers chat with visitors, who often bring them food and small presents like knitted scarves and instant hand warmers. But not everyone is friendly.

Right-wing supporters of the agreements co-architect, South Korean President Park Geun-

hye, occasionally shout insults, accusing them of being North Korean sympathizers. Choi says a man once told her he wanted to stab her. Park has been impeached and a court is deciding whether to remove her from office over a corruption scandal.

The statue was created in 2011 by sculptors Kim Woon-seong and Kim Seo-gyeong, who have since made six similar statues placed overseas and 43 across South Korea, including the one installed in Busan last month that prompted Tokyo to temporarily recall its ambassador.

The statue is of a girl in her mid-teens who wears a traditional hanbok dress. She sits next to an empty chair, symbolizing victims who have died.

Japan has strongly requested that Seoul work to solve the statue issue in an appropriate manner, based on the agreement, said an official from the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.

Some major South Korean presidential hopefuls have vowed to ditch the 2015 agreement if they win elections, which could take place in a few months if the Constitutional Court removes Park from office. Experts, however, say South Korea is unlikely to revoke the deal because it would damage Seouls credibility.

At the same time, theres little chance the government will risk public uproar by removing the statues. Many of the protesters know this but want stronger assurances from the government.

I impulsively joined the protests purely out of anger, said Park Seong-woo, a high school student who comes to the tent on Saturdays.

While the protesters presence is normally quiet, every Wednesday at noon, those occupying the tent are joined by hundreds more who come to demand that Japan show more contrition to the former sex slaves.

Yoon Jae-min, a college student who was at the tent Jan. 11, said the 2015 deal showed that the Park government doesnt protect its own people and doesnt hear their voices.

Those who keep watch over the statue at all hours sleep on the edge of the sidewalk, and they must brave not only the elements but also traffic. Choi says a driver once lost control of a car after midnight and crashed a few meters away from the tent.

Still, Choi says conditions were worse early in the protest, when police barred them from even having a tent. Now they at least have a shelter, made of a parasol, plastic sheets and duct tape. Kim Tong-Hyung, Seoul, AP
In a week packed with hearings from witnesses testifying in the case of the former Public Prosecutions Office (MP) Prosecutor-General, Ho Chio Meng, yesterdays session was the third of its kind, once again exclusively devoted to the hearing of a single witness. This time it was Wu Kit I, the current Deputy Chief of the Office of the Prosecutor.

Wu, a witness listed by both the prosecution and the defense, was at the stand mostly to reply to questions from the prosecution related to the several accusations made against Ho.

The highlights yesterday morning were the references to the Teachers Resting Room, located on the 16th floor of the Hotline Center, as well as the microfilming works assigned to one of the companies owned by Wong Kuok Wai.

In fact, Wu started by explaining that she had discovered the venue where illegal acts are said to have occurred purely out of her own curiosity. This led her to discover the so-called Teachers Resting Room.

Wu stated that she was suspicious about a report from Chan Ka Fai that was a proposal to hire one of Wongs companies to complete a job, as he had stated that the works being undertaken by MP staff were taking too long.

As Wu said, her suspicious led her to the 16th floor of the Hotline Center where she learned from the security guard that Lam frequently visited that area.

If that wasnt suspicious enough, when checking the rental contracts of the floor, Wu said she found that of the ten units rented by the MP from five owners; two of them staff members of the MP.

Scrutiny of the other contracts led Wu on a trail of Wongs companies. She mentioned, three of them had the same address [located on the same floor] and even the same contact person and phone number, to which the MP was paying bills in the sum of about 1 million patacas a month.

Wu also said that she was able to open the door to the Teachers Resting Room without possession of the keys. That finding led her to inform the current Prosecutor General Ip Son Sang of the situation.

Describing the location in great detail, including the size, materials, areas and qualities of the items found, Wu continued to explain what she saw there. Wu said she found what she insisted to be a dining table although acknowledged that on its surface was only stationary, a calendar, a calculator and a stapler.

The detailed descriptions of Wu were specifically noted in yesterdays session since on previous occasions other witnesses had demonstrated a lack of memory.

According to Wu, while she continued to explore the area in the company of Ip, Ho suddenly arrived and claimed that all these things belong to me and said that he would remove the pieces from that place.

More findings were unearthed after Ip took office and, while planning to move his office location into the former Teachers Resting Room, found some secret doors that gave access to secret bedrooms and the sauna room mentioned in previous sessions of the trial.

During Wus explanation of her findings, Ho suddenly broke silence, disrupting the testimony of the witness by protesting the wording used by Wu in referring to the spaces, namely, corruption or vice.

The presiding judge then intervened and warned the defendant about such behavior.

The witness had initially seemed very clear on every detail when answering questions from the prosecution. However, when quested by the defense lawyers on some of those certainties, she changed her tone to Im not sure and then, I think it was

Eventually she even acknowledged that all the photos I took were in fact not taken by Wu, but from the Office head Tam Peng Tong and that the supposed talk with the security guard that led her on the trail of the Teachers Resting Room also never happened.

Answering the questions of the defendants lawyer, Wu was unable to explain how she managed to enter the space without keys and, as she remarked, without breaking the entrance.

I just moved the handle a little and then it opened, she said, however also acknowledged: I cant say it was easy, I can only say that I could open it without the keys.

To the question of Hos lawyer, Why didnt you just ask for the keys? Wu replied, I dont know!

Then, in an afternoon dedicated mostly to an exhaustive review of photos and items found in the Accommodation Villa of Cheoc Van, the Prosecution tried to prove that Ho had made a personal profit for some 13 years by leasing a space that never served to lodge any foreign delegation or MP guests.

The witness also remarked that, over that long rental period, the MP had spent over MOP3 million in renovation and decoration works for the Villa on 25 separate occasions.

In the final part of her testimony, Wu explained how she had discovered several illegalities and unnecessary expenses managed by the MP under the helm of Ho, namely in the prices of 24 contracts with Wong Kuok Wai and Mak Im Tai companies that, according to the witness, went down at least 30 percent after the MP started to attribute the jobs in a proper manner.

In some contracts the difference is as much as fourfold cheaper, Wu said giving the example of the fire prevention service contract.

The session ended in a heated manner with some unusual problems between the witness and the defendants lawyers. Presiding judge Sam Hou Fai intervened to state that the defense is not following the rules and that is why they have been prohibited from asking questions.

On their side, the defense lawyers protested about the time monopoly given to the MP while they have been cut short after only two or three questions.

As has become customary, the session did not close before Ho once again took the chance to reply to the testimony presented.

This time he accused the current management of the MP of having selected for another tender a company that Ho claims also employs relatives of MP staff. He said that he had received a report days before his detention. The prosecution replied that Ho must prove what he claims.

The trial will resume today to continue to hear more witnesses listed by the prosecution.
ITALY Rescue workers on skis reached a four-star spa hotel buried by an avalanche in earthquake-stricken central Italy yesterday, 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.

PHILIPPINES State negotiators and communist guerrillas are set to resume peace talks in Rome with the Maoist insurgents warning that alleged government violations of an accord on human rights may prompt them to end a months-long ceasefire.

INDONESIA A former Reuters war correspondent on trial in Indonesia on charges of possessing hashish faces up to four years in prison, a prosecutor said yesterday. David Fox, a British national, was arrested Oct. 8 along with Australian Giuseppe Serafino on the tourist island of Bali.

SOUTH KOREA A Seoul court denied a request to arrest one of South Koreas most powerful men, the heir to the Samsung Electronics juggernaut, in a setback to prosecutors investigating an influence-peddling scandal that toppled South Koreas president.

AUSTRALIA The leader of Australias most populous state resigned yesterday 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 next week.

IRAN A high-rise building in central Tehran engulfed by fire collapsed on yesterday, killing at least 30 firefighters and injuring some 75 people, state media reported. Iranian authorities did not immediately release definitive casualty figures, which is common in unfolding disasters.

OIC-ISRAEL Foreign ministers from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation yesterday indirectly condemned plans to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A statement issued after a meeting in Kuala Lumpur rejected any actions that could undermine the Palestinian claim to part of Jerusalem.

BRITAIN-S. ARABIAThe British government says six U.K. citizens have been killed and others injured in a road crash in Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Office said yesterday it was supporting the families of the dead Britons and helping several more British nationals who were injured in the crash.

CZHECH REPUBLIC The country is one step away from losing its status of one of the last havens for tobacco smokers in Europe. The upper house of Parliament, voted 45-12 yesterday to approve a smoking ban in bars, restaurants and cafes. The lower house gave its green light on Dec. 9.
Chinese President Xi Jinping extolled the merits of multilateral cooperation yesterday [Macau time], declaring that the Paris accord to combat climate change must be kept on track and that major powers should keep their differences under control.

Xis speech during a visit to the United Nations office in Geneva came as he wrapped up a visit to Switzerland, and a day after he cast China as a champion of free trade and stability in an address to the World Economic Forum.

His remarks at the forum appeared to be a rebuke to the isolationist urges that helped bring Donald Trump to power. Xis comments Wednesday tapped similar themes, again without any direct references to Trump.

Trade protectionism and self-isolation will benefit no one, he told an event attended by new U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Major powers should respect each others core interests and major concerns, keep their differences under control and build a new model of relations featuring non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, Xi said, speaking through an interpreter.

He said China would strive to build a new model of major-country relations with the United States, as well as a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with Russia and other relationships, without giving specific details.

Xi praised the Paris accord as a milestone in the history of climate governance.

We must ensure this endeavor is not derailed, he said. All parties should work together to implement the Paris agreement.

Trump, who has called climate change a Chinese hoax, has raised speculation that he might pull the U.S. out. AP
Rep. Heather Scott released a statement Wednesday apologizing to her House colleagues, calling for reconciliation and saying she should have chosen her words more carefully when she alleged that women who rise to head legislative committees do so by trading sexual favors.

It remains to be seen, though, if this will be enough to defuse the situation or put an end to the intra-Republican drama that has consumed much of the attention at the Capitol for the past week, or if the northern Idaho Republican will be restored to the committee appointments House Speaker Scott Bedke stripped away from her on Thursday as punishment for the comments she made a month-and-a-half ago during the Legislatures organizational session.

There is a pressing need for the House to bring about reconciliation that is badly needed and that, I trust, we all desire, Scott said. (Read her full statement here.) Allowing the circumstances surrounding me to spin further out of control will not serve the interests of the House or the people of Idaho. Our constituents deserve better than for us to continue being sidetracked by things that dont affect them.

Scott said she would be more diligent in speaking in the voice and words of a statesman in all my conversations. She concluded by asking Bedke and the rest of the House leadership to work with everyone to keep this whole thing from spinning further out of control.

After a roughly two-hour-long House GOP caucus Wednesday afternoon Bedke, R-Oakley, said had made no decision at this point on letting Scott back onto any of her committees. He wouldnt go into what was discussed in the caucus but did say the entire House GOP appeared to be in attendance, including Scott and Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa.

Bedke hadnt yet read Scotts statement but he said an apology, in his mind, includes an admission of wrongdoing, asking what you need to do to make things right and working with the offended party to do so.

I hope that Rep. Scott has apologized to everyone, Bedke said. Its high time that she did. Her careless words have impugned the morality and integrity of a lot of good people. Words mean something. I an hoping that the House of Representatives can get past this. I was elected by my peers to be the leader, to be the judge, at times the jury, and at times the executioner although I dont like that name.

Scott is one of the Houses most right-wing members and has frequently been on the opposite side of her party leadership and many of her colleagues since she took office in 2015, but she is popular with many like-minded conservatives, not just in her district but throughout the state, who have rallied around her.

According to the Idaho Statesman, Scott angrily remarked at the organizational session to Rep. Judy Boyle, who had just been named House Agriculture chairwoman, that women only get leadership positions if they spread their legs. Also last week Perry sent Bedke a letter alleging aggressive and paranoid behavior by Scott that, Perry said, had made some lawmakers, women in particular, feel unsafe.

On Jan. 12, Bedke stripped Scott of her committee posts. Scott went on the offense in a statement later that day and on the radio the next day, accusing the leadership of trying to silence her and distract from her agenda. She said she was referring with her comments to Perry, a committee chairwoman who, according to a right-wing blogger, had an affair with Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-Inkom, based on statements from Guthries ex-wife. (Guthrie and Perry have apologized for mistakes in general terms while maintaining much of what was reported was inaccurate.)

On Monday, five of Scotts colleagues asked to be removed from their committee assignments until Scott is restored to hers. Bedke said he has no plans to do that.

Bedke said Wednesday he views it as his job to maintain the minimum of decorum, the minimum of mutual respect and civility in the House, and not on my watch will those standards be eroded. He said he is optimistic the caucus can move on and start spending more of its time working on legislation instead.

Ill do everything I can to make sure we conduct the peoples business at hand, not a distraction, he said.
TWIN FALLS  A woman was shot in the head Thursday afternoon in Twin Falls and rushed to a hospital.

Police were called to the State Apartments, 232 Second Ave. N., about 4:40 p.m. and found the woman with a gunshot wound to the head.

It wasnt immediately clear whether the injury was self-inflicted or whether the woman was a victim of foul play or an accident.

In a statement released late Thursday evening, police said they were interviewing people who may have been inside the apartment at the time the gun fired.

Twin Falls Police Lt. Terry Thueson said the woman was alive when police found her and was taken to St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center. Police have not released her name, and officials gave no updates on her condition

Officers began taping off the area around the building about 5 p.m., closing one lane of traffic on Second Avenue during the late-afternoon commute.

As police gathered evidence, officials at the scene told reporters they were still piecing together what happened. In the statement released hours later, police said the public had nothing to fear.

Twin Falls Police are confident there is no threat to the community at this time, said Thueson, the departments spokesman.
TWIN FALLS  A Twin Falls man has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Thursday-afternoon shooting of a woman at the State Apartments on Second Avenue North.

Brandon S. Smithson, 26, is charged in the death of roommate Katrina D. Budden, 20, of Twin Falls. Police officers were dispatched to 232 Second Ave. N. for a reported shooting and found Budden inside the apartment building with a gunshot wound to her head.

Budden was taken to St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center, where she died from her injuries. The Twin Falls County coroner scheduled an autopsy for Monday.

Police say two neighbors were in Budden and Smithsons apartment when the shooting happened. The group was sitting and talking when Smithson offered to show them his other roommates guns. The first was an AR-15 rifle; the second was a Remington shotgun.

when Smithson came back into the living room, he racked the shotgun and suddenly shot Budden as she was sitting in the chair, an officer wrote in court records. One of the neighbors told police Smithson dropped the shotgun on the floor and began screaming that it was an accident.

Smithson told police he was holding the gun at his waist when he racked open the shotgun and checked to make sure the gun was empty, then closed the action and pulled the trigger. The gun went off, and a round struck Budden in the head.

Smithson said he dropped the shotgun on the floor, called 911 and tried administering first aid to Budden, court records say. Smithson said he had done the same sequence in the past, and after racking the gun, he would pull the trigger and hear the metal click.

He told police he was sure the gun was empty.

The roommate who owns the shotgun told police he had recently been out shooting and left the gun loaded with shells in the tube, but no shell in the chamber.

Police said evidence in the house was consistent with Smithsons and the neighbors versions of events.

Smithson is being held at the Twin Falls County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 27.
JEROME  Bad news, Jerome students: Youll be in school for an extra hour every Friday until at least spring break.

So far this school year, the Jerome School District has canceled school for six days because of winter storms and poor road conditions.

Idaho public schools are required to have a minimum number of instructional hours per year. In Jerome, hours have dipped too low, so students are now required to make up class time.

The Jerome school board held a special meeting Jan. 11 to make a change in our calendar in case we had another snow day, Superintendent Dale Layne said. That happened Thursday.

Currently, students get out an hour early every Friday. That time is used for teacher collaboration.

But starting this Friday, students will have to go to school for an extra hour  the same schedule as Mondays through Thursdays.

It will continue until spring break in late March, assuming there arent any more snow days.

That basically gives us a day back, Layne said. If we need another snow day, well have to continue that schedule after spring break.

Idaho requires students to be in class for a minimum of 450 hours for kindergarten, 810 for first through third grades, 900 for fourth through eighth grades and 990 for ninth through 12th grades.

A school district can go below the minimum requirements by 11 hours for emergency school closures.

In the Twin Falls School District, students most likely wont have to make up snow days. The Cassia County school board may have to consider making up time if any additional school days are canceled.

Its a highly unusual winter for Magic Valley school districts. The last time the Jerome School District canceled this many school days was in the early 1990s.

The Jerome School District  like many across the region  sends out text messages, automated phone calls and email alerts when school is canceled.

Layne said, Were still trying to encourage people to have current contact information at the schools.
BOISE  Idaho Power wants the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to review nearly $221 million it says its spent for relicensing its Hells Canyon projects.

The company operates the Brownlee, Oxbow and Hells Canyon hydroelectric projects about 90 miles northwest of Boise near the Oregon border. Since 1991, its spent money for relicensing those projects and complying with federal regulations.

If the commission grants a prudency determination, Idaho Power could later recover those costs in customer rates, over the life of the license.

Customers already paid about $58.8 million since 2009, said PUC spokesman Gene Fadness, explaining that about $160 million remains to be collected of the $221 million being reviewed.

Idaho Powers 50-year license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the Hells Canyon Complex expired in 2005. It has received annual licenses while its pursuing another long-term license, likely not to be granted until at least 2021. Total costs for relicensing would be between $350 and $400 million, the company estimates.

The deadline for parties to intervene in the case is Wednesday.

Editor's Note: This story was edited Jan. 20.
TWIN FALLS  Two Magic Valley residents received top honors Wednesday at the Idahos Brightest Stars awards ceremony in Boise, the Idaho Department of Labor announced.

Dr. David A. McClusky of Twin Falls was recognized in the senior citizen category. And Julie Richardson of Oakley was honored in the teacher/professor category.

In total, 74 outstanding volunteers from across Idaho were recognized by Lt. Gov. Brad Little.

Volunteers were nominated by residents across the Gem State in seven categories: business, individual, nonprofit/civic organization, senior citizen, student, teacher/professor and veteran.

The College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center was nominated in the nonprofit category, but Book it Forward! in Boise won the award.

One volunteer of the year was selected in each category by a review panel of citizens.
TWIN FALLS  Will it be milk chocolate or dark chocolate that brings your demise?

After all, there will be 25,000 pieces of chocolate for your tasting pleasure.

The Rotary Club of Twin Falls 12th annual Death by Chocolate returns from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 2 at Canyon Crest Event Center.

Local chefs compete in the categories of Best Chocolate Brownie, Cake, Cookie, Candy and Unique Dessert. The winners are determined by public voting and judges. Attendees taste, judge and vote for their favorites. Judges will vote for their favorites in each category, as well as the best high school, and award the best overall chocolate item.

There will be a no host bar, silent auction and raffle throughout the evening and live music by the Jason Lugo Band. There will be free coffee and water. Canyon Crest Restaurant will be offering DBC drink, appetizer and dinner specials starting at 4 p.m. Feb. 2.

Chocolate participants include: Alices Sweets; Ashley Manor Care Centers; Bridgeview Estates; Brookdale Twin Falls; Cactus Petes; Candy Cravings; Canyon Ridge High School; Carlas Creations; Cloverleaf Creamery; CSI Baking & Pastry Arts; CSI Culinary Arts; Daisys; Fredericksons Fine Candies; Magic Valley High School; Mountain View Barn; Rocky Mountain Chocolates; Scooters; Sharis Cafe; Sips N Sweet Treats; St. Lukes Magic Valley; Sweet Creations by Tammy; Taylor Made Cakes; Twin Beans Coffee Co.; Twin Falls High School; and Twin Falls Senior Center.

Admission is $15 per person in advance and $20 at the door. Advance tickets will be sold at twinfallsrotary.org and at Kurts Pharmacy. All proceeds will benefit local charities and Rotary projects.
Nobody thinks Margaret Thatchers claim on posterity is that she was Britains first female prime minister. Admirers and critics alike know she was more consequential than that. Barack Obama was Americas first black president, which is a huge thing and a fine thing. But when youve said that, youve probably said what matters most about his time in office.

Perhaps it was harder  less probable  for a black man with little experience of government to be elected president of the U.S. in 2008 than it was for a woman to lead the British Conservative Party to electoral victory in 1979. Obamas rise to the presidency was a remarkable accomplishment. Talk about audacity. But reflecting on his eight years in office, one wonders how much ambition he had left after that.

He doubtless wanted to succeed, and he did, in some ways. Not least, he won re-election in 2012 and departs the White House with most voters thinking well of him. But already in 2008 he could say and think, Yes we did. Nothing he achieved afterward eclipses that. Thatcher, in contrast, betrayed little or no interest in defeating a prejudice about what women could aspire to be. She wanted power because she believed it was necessary to transform Britain, and nobody else was up to the job. For good or ill, transform Britain is what she did.

A prime minister with a comfortable majority in Parliament has more power to change Britain than any president has to change the U.S. No checks and balances to deal with. Yet you could argue that Ronald Reagan managed it. Obama, you could also argue, might have managed it too, had he tried. The occasion presented itself in the form of an economic crisis. Leaders subsequently deemed great usually find themselves contending with a crisis, domestic or foreign, sometimes of their own making. But Obama let his particular crisis go to waste.

In every case, Obama has good excuses. In foreign policy, he followed a president whose own bid for greatness, the war on Iraq, ended in catastrophe. An unassertive foreign policy, if not outright disengagement, is what many Americans wanted from the new president. Obama soon recognized the limits of that approach, but he was stuck with the countrys suspicion of forceful leadership in global affairs.

In domestic policy, Obama had to cope with a Congress crippled by polarization. Republicans were soon in a position to block every legislative initiative, and did so remorselessly. Obamacare was a centrist initiative, but Congress no longer had a center to get behind it. It passed without a single Republican vote, and despite the reservations of many leftist Democrats. It was a narrowly partisan victory that failed to impress even the winners.

Far-reaching reform requires consensus; lacking consensus, it fails to stick. Obama thought the ACA would create a consensus all by itself, after the fact. So far, it hasnt.

Many politicians make the mistake of thinking that consensus requires timidity. Thatcher was abrasive and radical, and aroused ferocious opposition  but her assault on a trade-union movement run amok commanded wide support. Thatcherism moved the center of British politics to the right, and the shift persisted. Subsequent Labour and Tory governments have nestled closely together in this repositioned middle. Thatcher changed Britain by changing British politics.

Could Obama have aspired to something similar in the U.S.  repopulating the political center and aligning it leftward, behind a new New Deal built on American capitalism but addressed to growing inequality and diminished economic security?

In 2008, it seemed possible. The new president was a man of enormous talent, effortlessly commanding respect, an enthralling speaker, calm, sober and instantly likable. Hed come up from nothing, and by the way, he was black. He was something entirely new, yet quintessentially American. The country, it seemed, was proud of him and proud of itself for having produced him. The politically uncommitted wanted him to succeed, and despite later controversies and disappointments this never really changed.

It would be wrong to say he squandered these assets, but he took no chances with them. You dont realign politics by tending exclusively to the hopes and ideas of your partisan followers. Thats what he did. As president, Obama was most comfortable preaching to the converted.

He rarely challenged the left, or spoke to the movable center of the electorate on terms of full understanding and respect. When it came to selling Obamacare, for instance, he was strangely passive. His characteristic approach was to apologize to Democrats for compromises fashioned elsewhere  regrettable compromises, required by practical politics  while expressing empathy for the benighted and unconvinced, clinging to their mistaken beliefs for perfectly understandable reasons. This approach is guaranteed to change nobodys mind.

Read his farewell address. It was a good speech, like almost all his speeches. But it was addressed mostly to his supporters  Yes we did  not to America. Obama accepted the countrys political divisions as given, and risked nothing on changing them.

Compounding the problem, he had no taste for transactional politics. He entrenched polarization by choosing not to elicit latent demand for a new center, yet was disdainful of the tawdry deal-making that this lack of ambition made necessary. Grand political realignment was not his thing. Cutting deals, better left to other people, was not his thing either.

Great leadership  more precisely, the desire to be a great leader  can be dangerous. Lets hope Donald Trump is more interested in the long-term value of his brands than his place in history. Remember, too, that Thatcher could easily have been a great failure: She bet her premiership and the lives of many soldiers and sailors on a stupid war with Argentina, a reckless venture that on any rational analysis was likely to fail. She had to be outrageously lucky as well as ambitious. Dont be too quick to blame Obama for his caution.

And yet its disappointing. Americas polarization and the deep political dysfunction that flows from it are themselves a kind of crisis. Now theyve yielded President Trump  and who knows what harm will flow from that? If Obama had been willing to think big and take risks  not just before getting elected but afterward as well  things might have been different. But Obama wasnt that man.
I am so grateful to live in a state where families have the option to choose the school that best fits their childs educational needs. I have always believed that inspiring and equipping the next generation of creators and innovators begins with a quality educational system where families have options and opportunities.

Choosing a school that provides the right learning environment for your child is a personal experience. As a mother of three children, I know first-hand how every child has unique challenges, learning styles, talents and interests. Which is why Idaho families should have the ability to be actively involved in choosing their childrens education, whether that be in public schools, public charter schools, private schools, magnet schools, virtual schools, religious schools, or homeschools.

National School Choice Week (Jan. 22-28) is the largest annual celebration opportunity in education. The purpose is to bring more awareness to school choice and educational opportunity in Idaho. Many families in Idaho have the freedom to choose the best educational environment for their children. Currently, 1 in 5 Idaho students are enrolled in educational choice options, including charter, private, magnet and homeschooling. As much as Idaho has grown with educational choices, there are still many school districts in Idaho that dont have options available to them.

On Monday, Jan. 23, students, parents, teachers and community leaders representing multiple school choice options will gather at the Idaho Capitol to raise awareness of the benefits of school choice in Idaho. They will occupy the first-floor rotunda of the Capitol all day Monday. This is your opportunity to celebrate Educational Choice and share the importance of continued support for Idahos educational choice programs. School Choice Day at the Capitol is also a fun and educational way to introduce students to the structure of state government, the legislative process and meet their local legislators. Guided tours may be scheduled for students third grade or higher. For more information, go to schoolchoiceweek.com.

It is up to us to advocate for a quality educational system and promote a culture of innovation and creativity where every child has access to educational choices and a high-quality education. One size does not fit all when it comes to Idahos education system. So gather your students and take advantage of this incredible opportunity to share the importance of educational choice in Idaho during National School Choice Week, Jan. 22-28.
TWIN FALLS  A three-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon on U.S. 93 sent three people to the hospital, one of the victims being transported by air ambulance in Boise.

According to the Idaho State Police, Carl Pulsifer, 80, of Filer, was northbound on U.S. 93 about 1 mile south of the U.S. 93/U.S. 30 junction in Twin Falls County at about 2:40 p.m. when he stopped to turn into a driveway. His pickup was struck from behind by a car driven by Melora Kellis, 33, of Twin Falls, ISP said.

A car driven by Chelcie Eager, 78, of Sterling, Ark., was southbound on U.S. 93, and was struck as well.

Kellis was transported to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise by air ambulance. She was not wearing a seat belt. In addition, Pulsifer and his passenger, Joyce Pulsifer, 74, of Filer, were transported to St. Luke's Magic Valley Medical Center by ground ambulance. A St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center spokeswoman said she didn't have record of Kellis being a patient there. A St. Luke's spokeswoman said the Pulsifers had not been admitted to the hospital.

Both lanes were blocked for approximately one hour, and the southbound lane was blocked for another hour and fifteen minutes.

The crash is under investigation by the Idaho State Police.
ISTANBUL, TURKEYThe Turkish Flour Yeast and Ingredients Promotion Group, or TFYI, is bullish on exports to the Philippines with the launch of a new quality certification system in March.

TFYI chairman Turgay Unlu told reporters said the new certification system would help Turkey achieve its target of increasing exports to the Philippines.

The group aims to raise exports to the Philippines to $50 million from the current $27 million a year.

By increasing the basis of quality you will see us rising to the different segments because of the quality. There will be Turkish flour in every segment, whichever quality you are looking for, we will provide , Unlu said.

The new certification aims to provide high quality Turkish hard wheat flour to the current and target markets under the guarantee of TFYI, and improve the quality perception of Turkish flour in the export markets.

ADVERTISEMENT

TFYI, established in April 2012, is promoting Turkish flour, yeast, starch, soups and ingredients globally to improve brand image and increase the export of value added products.

The Philippines will be the first market to put into practice the quality system, bing one of the most important markets of Turkey.

Under the plan, Turkish flour will be distributed to bakeries and industrial promotion points and trials will be conducted.

Mehmet Buyukeksi, chairman of Turkish Exporters Assembly, noted the need to increase exports to the Philippines, saying the Southeast Asian nation merely accounted for 2.7 percent of Turkeys total export earnings of $1.5 billion in 2015.

Its very small amount. We have to really increase our export to the Philippines, Buyukeksi said.

Exports of Turkish flour to the Philippines declined in recent years due to a anti-dumping issue.

We are pressing the government to have discussions. We have some detailed studies that we are working on (the Philippine market) but it (the relationship) has to be bilateral. It cant be one-sided. We believe that we could raise our relationship, Unlu said.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Melania Trump on Thursday picked a little-known New York designer of Hispanic descent and daughter of a wounded veteran, for her first outfit celebrating husband Donald's presidential inauguration.

The choice of a knee-length, black coat from Norisol Ferrari for her visit to the Arlington National Cemetery was something of an inspired choice for Trump, who has been criticized in the past for favoring high-end European clothes.

A string of designers have refused to work with the incoming first lady because of her husband's divisive politics, making her sartorial choices for his inaugural events even more closely watched than usual.

"God, I hope we can be a less angry nation," Ferrari told Women's Wear Daily, saying she did not agree with designers who wanting to boycott Trump.

"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," she told WWD.

ADVERTISEMENT

The designer, who was born in the United States and is of Colombian and Venezuelan descent, said she was "honored" to dress Melania Trump, who will on Friday become only the second foreign-born first lady in US history.

"Mrs. Trump's visit to Arlington was particularly poignant for me, as my biological father is a wounded veteran. His experience and the lifelong disabilities he sustained, affected my family deeply," she told WWD.

Ferrari declined to say how she voted in last year's election, in which much of the fashion industry supported Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, and said she appreciated the exposure.

"I'm an independent designer, female-owned business, a first-generation minority woman," she told WWD.

"Women in general don't get opportunities like this in fashion. I'm very fortunate to one have such a beautiful muse."

Clever choice or not, the 46-year-old former model was heavily criticized on social media for appearing grumpy, hiding behind dark sunglasses at the cemetery and arriving in Washington from New York looking funereal.

But US media did gush over the green cascading coat and matching dress worn by her 35-year-old step daughter Ivanka, who unlike Melania is moving straight to Washington with her husband, Jared Kushner, an incoming White House advisor.

Ivanka's outfit was reportedly the work of famed New York designer Carolina Herrera, who was born and brought up in Venezuela before moving to the United States and becoming a designer par excellence of timeless elegance.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
(Former US President Obama waves from Marine One helicopter as new US President Donald Trump walks with wife Melania back to the Capitol Building after Trumps inauguration. Photo credits: John Angelillo/Pool/AFP)

Former president Barack Obama departed from Washington Friday for a short vacation in California with his wife Michelle after handing over power to his Republican successor Donald Trump.

"Our democracy is not the buildings. It's not the monuments. It's you," Obama told well-wishers shortly before departing from Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland just outside the capital.

The former president is heading to Palm Springs, California to wind down after completing eight years in office.

ADVERTISEMENT

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
IF THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations is sincere to give life to its vision of establishing a people-oriented, people-centered region, it must do so by paying greater attention to peoples issues like the dire plight of Rohingyas in Burma, currently one of the worlds most persecuted communities, a non-governmental organization said Friday.

Now that Asean is turning 50, it must take its golden celebration also as a golden opportunity to address issues that concretely matter to the Asean peoples, said Gus Miclat, executive director of the Initiatives for International Dialogue, a regional advocacy and policy NGO based in the Philippines and Regional Initiator of Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict in Southeast Asia.

The Rohingyas are a Muslim minority group residing in Rakhine state, also known as Arakan inside Burma (Myanmar).

The Rohingya people are considered stateless entities by the government and majority Buddhist population and have been victims of sectarian violence, as the Myanmar government refuses to recognize them as an ethnic group in the country.

The Philippines has taken over as chair of the Asean on its 50th founding anniversary this year with the theme Partnering for Change, Engaging the World.

ADVERTISEMENT

President Rodrigo Duterte has identified six thematic priorities for the Asean which include: people-oriented, people-centered Asean; peace and stability; maritime security and cooperation; inclusive, innovation-led growth; resilient Asean; and Asean as a model of regionalism, a global player.

Miclat added: While we welcome the Asean celebration of its 50th year, the bloc, under the leadership of the Philippines, can concretize its peace and stability theme, by moving towards a collective and more decisive conflict prevention and mitigation approach in dealing with conflicts happening on a regular basis in the region. These are particularly stark in countries like Burma [Myanmar], Mindanao and even South Thailand.

Institutionalizing mechanisms where Asean can partner with civil society and other peoples organizations to address regional conflicts at its roots could be a pioneering start, Miclat said.

Slogans and visions are void without them being felt by the most vulnerable, conflict-affected sectors in the region. For us in civil society, the challenge for the Asean is not to devise or rehash a new slogan but to consistently make these refrains breathe with sincere compassion to the people they profess to serve and champion, he said.

With utmost urgency, we urge Asean member-states to collectively find durable solutions to address the continuous human rights violations on the Rohingya in Myanmar before it spirals out of control. A dialogue between Asean members and Myanmar on this issue must be in order, he said.

Global think tanks and conflict monitoring groups have identified the Rohingya issue as a topmost possible conflict that can lead to massive crimes against humanity and even genocide.

IID and GPPAC-SEA suggested Asean must lobby Myanmar to take urgent steps to halt the continuous persecution of the Rohingya by repealing the 1982 Citizenship Act and other discriminatory laws and practices to ensure that all persons have rights and equal access to citizenship and are not discriminated against on grounds of ethnicity and religious beliefs.

If Asean plans to transform itself from an organization to a community, it must adapt to newer realities. It must be open to rebrand its constructive engagement policy as a necessary big step towards achieving a genuinely inclusive and people-centered Asean.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Yesterday, Jan. 20, 2017, the United States of America began a new chapter in the its life as a Republic with the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as its 45th President. It is a good day for his supporters but for many others, in America and the rest of the world, there is a sense of uncertainty, even fear of what lies ahead.

The New York Times describes the angst many in Washington DC are feeling. Among the places it mentioned as bracing for the coming of the Trump Administration, probably the most conservative and right-wing of American administrations, is Takoma Park, the city where my family and I lived for eight years from 1999 to 2006. The Times reports:

In free-spirited Takoma Park, Md., a nuclear-free zone since 1983, a left-wing resistance movement is taking shape. Nadine Bloch, an activist and artist, is running pre-inaugural training on nonviolent protest complete with mock police officers wielding rolled up newspapers as batons . . .

Just over the Maryland line, Takoma Park is a sanctuary city, which refuses to prosecute undocumented immigrants. Mr. Trump does not look kindly on that. Days after the election, Ms. Bloch, 55, the organizer, helped pull together Takoma Park Mobilization, a new grass-roots group aimed at standing up for our neighbors, she said. More than 500 people attended the first meeting.

Today, Saturday, the day after Trumps inauguration, a huge womens march is being held in the US capital, possibly dwarfing the crowds that will witness Trumps oathtaking tomorrow.

ADVERTISEMENT

Meantime, all over the world, foreign capitals wait in anticipation of possibly radical changes in US foreign policy: a more inward-looking and protectionist America, hostile to Muslims, dangerously aggressive against China (who is ironically now the champion of globalization and will become the undisputed global leader on climate change), distant from and intentionally dividing Europe, and friendlier to the Russians and other authoritarian regimes.

On the climate change front, we are preparing for the worst as the Trump administration could derail or slow the progress we have made since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015. Luckily, there is global momentum in favor of addressing the problem; a single country, no matter how big or powerful, cannot stop that.

While Presidents Trump and Duterte, because of their personalities, might have a better personal relationship than the latter had with outgoing US President Barrack Obama, the Philippines is now up against an America that will not hesitate to bully us for its own interests. The threat, for example, to our BPO industry and to Philippine immigration to the United States cannot be underestimated, not to mention the escalation of tensions with China that is likely to affect us.

What should we make of all of this? How should we respond?

Thankfully, the United States of America I know is not just the America of Donald J. Trump. What I know is not just the misogynistic, racist, and angry America that seems to prevail right now.

The America that I know more is that of Yale Law School, one of the gentlest learning places in the world.

Its the America of Myres Mcdougal, Michael Reisman, Harold Koh, John Cavanaugh, Robin Broad, Henry Schwalbenberg, David Fairman, Lawrence Susskind, Bill Moomaw, Owen J. Lynch, and other public intellectuals of the highest caliber, especially those who have taught and mentored many generations of Filipinos.

Its those Americans who came to the Philippines and stayed here permanently to build this country, people like William Henry Scott, Susan Evangelista, and Steve Rood. Its the hundred of American Jesuits, Maryknoll Priests and Nuns, protestant pastors, young Mormons, and missionaries of many faiths who came here to serve and bring their good news.

Its the America of the World Resources Institute where I worked for many years and the Center for International Environmental Law whom I serve as Trustee, both of which have done so much good for the world.

Its people like Jennifer Morgan, now co-Executive Director of Greenpeace International, and Jonathan Pershing, the outgoing Special Envoy on Climate Change of the US who have done so much to move the world forward on climate change. Its people like Frances Seymour, Taryn Fransen, Colleen Chien, David Baxter, and other friends whom I will continue to trust and rely on for the truth and their commitment to developing countries.

Its the America of Barrack Obama, who as Senator shared a fitness gym with me, and whose election in 2008 made me desire, for the first (and only for a day or two) time, to be an American. Its the America of Martin Luther King and other modern-day heroes who had dreams, fought injustice, and continue to inspire many to continue the struggle.

The America I know is those Filipinos who are dual citizens or migrants in the US. They are good people, patriots all: Loida Nicolas Lewis, Ted Laguatan, Rodel Rodis, Benjamin Pimentel, and others that have been recently and falsely maligned in the #LeniLeaks controversy.

Its Filipinos/Filipino-Americans like Vicente Rafael, Diane Desierto, Joyce Hermoso, and David Forman, who work in American universities while continuing to contribute to the motherland.

Its the America of my LGBT friends, and especially those whom I lived with when I was a student, who now must face new challenges with the backlash unleashed by their legal victories.

Its the America of the La Vinas in Baltimore, the Bontos in New Jersey, the Jacots in California, and the Ebarle clan in New York. These relatives of mine, as many other families, lives their American dream with pride and dignity.

The America I know is the land of contradictions that the great Filipino migrant writer, Carlos Bulosan wrote about so eloquently. In America is in the Heart, Bulosan writes words that today are still relevant: America is not bound by geographical latitudes. America is not merely a land or an institution. America is in the hearts of men that died for freedom; it is also in the eyes of men that are building a new world. America is a prophecy of a new society of men: of a system that knows no sorrow or strife or suffering. America is a warning to those who would try to falsify the ideals of freemen.

Never to forget his roots, while clear-eyed about what was wrong about his adopted country, Bulosan proclaimed: America is also the nameless foreigner, the homeless refugee, the hungry boy begging for a job and the black body dangling on a tree. America is the illiterate immigrant who is ashamed that the world of books and intellectual opportunities is closed to him. We are all that nameless foreigner, that homeless refugee, that hungry boy, that illiterate immigrant and that lynched black body. All of us, from the first Adams to the last Filipino, native born or alien, educated or illiterate  We are America!

This is the America in my heart. And Trump and his ilk will not change that.

Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
News of the murder of Korean businessman Jee Ick-Joo by a rouge policeman exploded in social media culminating in the call for Philippine National Police Chief General Bato dela Rosas resignation.

According to news reports based on the findings of the Department of Justice, police officers arrested the businessman purportedly in line with this governments war on drugs using a fake warrant of arrest. The officers demanded P8 million in ransom but Jee was killed by strangling on the very same day. Jees family paid P5 million without knowing that he was already dead. The murder happened inside Camp Crame, the PNPs headquarters. The testimony of accused Senior Police Officer 4 Roy Villegas pointed to SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel as Jees murderer.

Tokhang, an operation conducted by the PNP to ferret out users and peddlers of illegal drugs in communities has been turned into a money-making scheme by the bad eggs in the police force. Tokhang for ransom is the name of the game.

The case of Jee Ick-Joo is just one. Teresita Ang See of the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order, in a separate report, has revealed that she knows of at least 11 cases of police officers involved in illegal activities using anti-drug operations as their cover. According to her, these officers extorted money or demanded ransom from Chinese nationals in exchange for them not to face drug-related charges even if the victims were not involved in drugs.

I personally know Ang See from way back as a courageous anti-crime advocate. Her credibility cannot be questioned. She is a respected leader of the Tsinoy community and, therefore, has access to important information pertaining to Chinese-Filipinos, and Chinese nationals in the country.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ang See spoke of several cases of police abuse. In one, she said that the Chinese national arrived in the country on Nov. 6 and arrested on Nov. 7 making it impossible for the police to do preliminary work in ascertaining the victims involvement in illegal drugs. The victims family allegedly paid P1 million (of the demanded P3 million) on Nov. 9 to make the case go away.

In another case, the police stormed the victims store accusing him of selling fake goods. When this was disproven, the police confiscated goods with the threat that the victim could be charged with possession of illegal drugs and that they could claim that the store was a front for illegal drug trade. The victim was brought to the police station but released through the intervention of MRPO. Still, the rouge police officers demanded P100 thousand. The victim gave them P10 thousand.

Still in another case, a Chinese national was arrested and detained in the Ongpin police station. Ang See claimed that CCTV footages showed police officers withdrawing money from an ATM using the victims ATM card.

Certainly, because information on these cases are second-hand, it is important that an honest to goodness investigation is done. Ang See expressed willingness to help and this should be welcomed by those mandated to look into these problems.

The murder of Korean businessman Jee, as well as the abuses on Chinese nationals (if Ang See is to be believed) show that this war on drugs spearheaded by no less than President Duterte is being used by scalawags in the police force for their own illegal purposes dubbed as tokhang for ransom.

From the time that news about Jees killing broke until the South Korean government issued statement demanding justice for its national, President Duterte has yet to issue any statement on the matter. This is quite interesting given Digongs unwavering support to the police force especially in relation with his war on drugs.

It will be remembered that despite the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that the late Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was killed by personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group inside his prison cell, the President still sided with the police and said that he would not allow any policeman to be jailed.

PNP Chief Bato said that the killing of Jee by his men in their police headquarters has put the country to shame. If the cases mentioned by Ang See get verified, Chief Batos headache is much bigger. This should also be the Presidents problem. After all, Digong sees his friendship with China as important.

This administration is already being severely criticized by human rights groups because of the more than 6,100 killings, without due process, of suspected drug users and pushers in this fight against illegal drugs. Ordinary people are scared because anybody can be a victim of mistaken identity, and get killed. And now, foreigners are also abused and killed by rouge police officers.

Apologizing to South Korea is a correct move by General Bato. However, this is not enough. Jee, like the other victims of this war against drug must be accorded justice. Those criminals in uniform must face the consequences of their actions. South Koreas demand for justice must be addressed by this government.

I will not be surprised if South Korea will caution its citizens who want to visit here. We must remember that Koreans make up the single biggest tourist group to the country. Also remember that South Korea is the Philippines fifth biggest trading partner. It is to our interest that Jees murderers get what they deserve.

I will not be surprised if other countries also issue warnings to their citizens about visiting the country. After all, if we can kill more than 6,000 Filipinos on mere suspicion of being drug addicts and/or pushers, how hard is it to extort money from, kidnap, or even kill foreigners?

There are many good men and women among our police force. But they are all overshadowed by those who choose to commit crimes while in uniform. We need Gen. Bato to clean the PNP of scalawags. We need President Duterte to stop his policemen from being the killing machines that a number of them have become.

The President must stop siding with the rouge men in uniform and order a stop to tokhang for ransom.



bethangsioco@gmail.com

@bethangsioco on Twitter

Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
For many, 2016 was a year of change. A year of turbulence no doubt, but for others, it was a year of prosperity. What do the events of last year mean for the real estate market of the future? What predictions can be made for 2017? How is technology shaping the face of Asian online real estate in particular?

Looking forward to the year ahead in a hopeful way, one can learn from both the successes and the alarm bells of 2016.

A new US Presidency may bring uncertainty for global real estate investments in some markets. But other events from the last two years will be encouraging, especially where Asia is concerned.

Below are some likely highs and lows of the year ahead for emerging real estate markets in Asia.

ASEAN cooperation

ADVERTISEMENT

The formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 had a positive impact on foreign investment in ASEAN in 2016.

BOOM TIMES. New businesses flooding into emerging countries in 2017 could ramp up urbanization in ASEAN countries, further growing the profitability of real estate projects in the region.

The good news is that the AEC will continue boost real estate investment between Asian countries both in 2017 and beyond. The formation of the AEC has removed certain trade barriers between countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

According to aseanbriefing.com, real estate investment in the AEC is poised to continue growing at impressive rates in the coming years as restrictions on foreign investors are eased and the regions emergent middle class exercises increased spending power. This effect will apply to emerging markets (e.g. Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar), as well as more established markets.

FDI increasing in the AEC

Trading Economics estimates that FDI in the Philippines will reach PHP 150 000 million by the end of this quarter. The same time last year, figures were below PHP 100 000 million.

In the long-term, FDI is projected to trend around PHP 197000 million PHP in 2020. The difference between 2015s FDI results and 2016s is less prominent in Indonesia and Myanmar.

But 2017 could make all the difference with new businesses flooding into emerging countries now that the AEC is more mature. In addition, 2017 will witness ramped up urbanization in ASEAN countries, further growing the profitability of real estate projects in the region.

Relaxed laws on foreign ownership of property

2016 also saw some promising results with some Asian governments taking steps to relax laws governing foreign investment in real estate. Indonesia is the prime example. Those who wish to own property there now can (as long as they meet certain wealth requirements).

Internet penetration

According to survey results from 2015, 50% of house-hunters in Pakistan now use real estate websites and apps to search for property. This is likely to be a direct result of increased internet penetration in Pakistan.

HOUSE-HUNTING VIA FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM. More buyers will be using the internet in 2017 to troll for their ultimate property discovery. Developers and agents know a good tool when they see one, the better to boost their brands visibility.

Similar trends can be observed in Bangladesh, and elsewhere in Asia. In the Philippines, internet penetration grew by 26% between 2014 and 2015 and it now stands above 45%. This increase in internet usage has led to property hunters becoming more and more reliant on the internet for their house hunt. As a result of this, real estate professionals are now spending more on digital than ever before.

According to a Lamudi.ph market report, 88% of real estate agents have noticed the internet being used very frequently during the house-hunting process in the Philippines.

How will this trend pan out for real estate in 2017? Well, it is likely that users dependency on technology will increase and that property portals and apps will become practically indispensable both for property seekers and agents.

Online advertising on the rise

Data collected in 2015 showed that 92% of homebuyers used the internet as an information source, 65% of Internet homebuyers drove by or viewed a home they saw online, and 44% of buyers first found their home on the Internet. ( 2015 NAR Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers). Many of these homebuyers will have used social media to lead them on their search and their ultimate property discovery.

This effect is only going to get stronger in 2017. This trend will lead to increased social media usage for real estate, both among buyers and sellers. Developers and agents are finding out that increasing their brands visibility and boosting quality traffic through social media is boosting their sales.

Virtual reality

Virtual Reality (VR) s already transforming the face of real estate, just as it has in so many other sectors since VR goggles were first released.Todays home buyers want more than photos, and with VR technology, buyers can now experience their prospective home in a 360 environment from home or while on the move. Thanks to this revolutionary new technology, real estate markets are now opening up to international buyers.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
Page not found! Unfortunately, the Massresistance link you selected has been moved or is otherwise not available. We apologize for the inconvenience. Hopefully, this will be restored soon! To home page: www.MassResistance.org
Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail confirmed on Thursday that the country will have a new cabinet by the end of the month. President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi had earlier announced the cabinet reshuffle when he said in an interview, published on Tuesday, that what needs to be set right, will be set right and the reshuffle will take place very soon.

State-run MENA news agency reported that consultations to form the cabinet could end by next week.

Prime Minister Ismail said the number of ministers is yet to be determined and claimed those who will form the new cabinet will be chosen based on expertise. He also hinted that some ministries could be merged.

Cabinet reshuffling under President Sissis mandate is becoming frequent. The latest one took place ten months ago and 10 ministers were replaced in the process.

Although the reasons for the cabinet reshuffle are still unclear, analysts believe that the economic and political situation of the country is forcing the government to search for the right formula with the help of technocrats as the country continues its series of reforms to recover from the post-Arab Spring.

Most of the economic reforms characterized by austerity measures have been unpopular but the International Monetary Fund hailed the impact of these reforms as it continues to accompany Cairo under a three-year $12 billion loan program.

Egypt is going through hard times and is currently at odds with Saudi Arabia after a court rejected Cairos decision to hand over the islands of Tiran and Sanafir to the Gulf Kingdom.
Lieutenant General Abdul Ghani Al Assadi is hopeful that taking over the western side of Mosul will not be as difficult as the eastern part.

It took the Iraqi army and its allies three months to take over almost all of eastern Mosul from the Islamic State.

Assadi claimed that the majority of commanders of the extremist group died during battles to free eastern Mosul, a fact that is expected to make the Iraqi armys job easier.

Military operations to liberate new areas are expected to be renewed after a meeting between all the commanders concerned by liberation operations, according to Assadi.

Since late 2015, government forces, backed by US-led coalition airstrikes, have wrested back large swaths of the northern and western territory overrun by Daesh in a shock 2014 offensive. Several thousand civilians have been killed or wounded in the Mosul fighting since October. Baghdad has however been very reserved on revealing the number of military casualties during battles and rogue attacks.

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter praised the strategy of the Obama Administration in fighting ISIS because if Washington had engaged its own troops on the ground, we would be completely on our own because nobody else would volunteer to do it. US provides technical and aerial support to Iraqi troops but that could change under Donald Trumps mandate because he has criticized the support as too cautious and slow. Carter thinks that deploying troops on the frontline could cost the US army some of its crucial advantages.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iraqi Vice President Nuri al-Maliki are blaming each other for the rise of ISIS. Kerry said Maliki contributed to the formation of the sectarian Shiite militias which have weakened the government forces in the face of Daesh terrorist elements.

Maliki was serving as Prime Minister during the creation of the Islamic State. Maliki reacted that the outgoing Obama administration is responsible for the creation and rise of Daesh [an Arabic acronym for IS] terrorist organization and the bloodshed in Iraq, Syria and even in Yemen.
The ban on Al-Wasat newspaper to use electronic media tools following the Information Ministrys accusations that the publication was jeopardizing national cohesion was lifted on Thursday.

Its print coverage was not affected. The ban was imposed on Monday due to the newspapers repeated publishing and circulation of material that sows sedition in society and harms national unity, the Bahraini Information Ministry had explained.

Protests erupted in Bahrain after the execution of three Shia men, found guilty of killing three police officers in a 2014 bomb attack.

Al Wasat online has a large audience and its reports of the execution which took place on January 15 allegedly contributed to the protests, according to authorities.

It was the only Bahraini newspaper that reported the execution and featured it on its front-page with pictures of the three men. The publication also relayed opinions of local and international NGOs and that of the street about the execution. The court proceedings were criticized as a farce and confessions of the accused were obtained under torture.

Bahrains Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, Dr. Yousif Abdul Kareem Bucheeri, refuted the allegations made by the organizations Human Rights High Commissioner and argued that the sentencing was based on concrete evidence and eye witnesses. He expressed his strong condemnation and utter rejection of the allegations because it was a fair and public trial.

There are concerns that the tension between the Shia majority and the ruling Sunni minority could be enflamed especially following the recent developments. Shia cleric Murtaza Sindi declared a new phase of resistance against the ruling Al khalifa Tribe as Shias are being encouraged to seek martyrdom.

The situation could be worsened by the fast approaching February 14; a date that marks the uprising anniversary of protests in Bahrain under the wave of the Arab Spring.
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.
Thats the problem, Gambhir said. How do you know whether the T cells are doing their job or not? Theres no way to tell.

Right now, the only way to find out if the T cells are attacking the cancer is to wait to see if the tumors shrink, but that can take months. And even when a treatment is working, some tumors may appear to get bigger for a while  a result of inflammation. So a temporarily enlarged tumor doesnt necessarily mean treatment has failed. Even if clinicians are sure treatment has failed, they dont know why. Did the T cells not reach the tumor? Or did the T cells get to the tumor but fail in their attack?

We are shooting blind, said Gambhir, who is also the director of the Canary Center at Stanford for Cancer Early Detection. There are no real tools to see if treatment is working.

It can take a medical team several months to determine if immunotherapy is working. If it hasnt, the cancer may have spread or become more resistant, greatly increasing the likelihood the patient will die.

Releasing the hounds

Ten years ago, Gambhir and his lab began looking for ways to find out what the immune cells do once they are released back into the patients bloodstream to hunt down cancer cells.

The researchers first engineered T cells to better recognize the patients cancer cells. Later, they added a reporter gene to the T cells. This gene made a protein they could see with a positron emission tomography scan.

The tagged T cells are a little like bloodhounds that bay loudly as they chase down their prey. The baying tells the dogs human handlers where both the bloodhounds and the prey are. In the same way, the researchers could tell when T cells were near their prey  a tumor  because they could see the protein products of the reporter genes clustering there.

PET scans showing the T cells locations tell researchers how many T cells have reached a tumor  whether its 6 million cells or 50 million  and whether the cells are alive.

And you can come back and redo the imaging after a few days, weeks or months, said Gambhir. Repetition of the scan provides a timeline of T cell behavior.

One thing the new technique cannot do is tell researchers whether the T cells are actually attached to tumor cells. But thats coming, Gambhir said.

Right now, the reporter gene is always on, he said. But we could change the reporter gene so it only comes on after it latches onto the tumor cell and kills it. That approach works in mice, but isnt quite ready for human trials, he said.

Surprises

The new T cell imaging technology can also reveal, indirectly, where other unsuspected tumors are. In one patient, said Gambhir, the T cells went to the tumor in the brain, as expected. But some of the T cells wandered away to another area of the brain. Even though the second tumor had been invisible to standard imaging, the bright T cells in the PET scan revealed its presence.

But the biggest surprise, said Gambhir, is that the technique worked at all. Some people are going to say, This is not possible; how did they get this to work?

Part of it is chance and part of it is a lot of his teams prior research efforts, he said, estimating that his lab has produced 50 papers over the last 15 years in the quest to make the T cell imaging technology work, first in animals, and, now, finally, in humans.

What T cell imaging means for patients

Glioblastoma is a particularly intractable cancer for which immunotherapies have a long way to go, said Gambhir. In all of the cases in the study, the team was able to visualize the T cells. But in every single case, the patient still died, Gambhir said. So the question is, what is going wrong? Is it that the T cells just are not surviving long at the tumor site? Is the tumor too aggressive? Do the T cells kill some of the tumor cells but the rest go on?

We can now watch anywhere in your body where those T cells may be.

For glioblastoma patients, said Gambhir, the new technique will allow researchers to see immunotherapies in action and thus be better able to understand, and hopefully fix, things that go wrong with them.

The work is an example of Stanford Medicines focus on precision health, the goal of which is to anticipate and prevent disease in the healthy and precisely diagnose and treat disease in the ill.

Other Stanford co-authors of the paper are statistician Jarrett Rosenberg, PhD, and the Canary Centers director of preclinical imaging core Frezghi Habte, PhD.

Researchers from the Hopital de la Cite-de-la-Sante de Laval in Canada; University College in London; CellSight Technologies; City of Hope; University of California-Los Angeles; Sangamo BioSciences Inc.; and Seattle Childrens Research Institute also co-authored the study.

The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute (grants ICMIC P50CA114747, RO1CA082214, RO1CA135486, R01CA155769, R21NS081594 and R21CA189223); the Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation; Sangamo Biosciences; the Wellcome Trust; and the Royal Society.

Stanfords Department of Radiology also supported the work.
Russia destroys Georgian cultural heritage in breakaway areas

By Messenger Staff

Weve heard reports about the destruction of a historical monument and a cemetery by Russias border guards in Georgias Abkhazia region, specifically in the Gulripshi district, reads a special statement released by the Patriarchate of Georgia.The Patriarchate assesses the destruction fact as alarming, and calls on the Georgian government to ensure the monuments monitoring by UNESCO specialists, as Georgian ones are not allowed to protect and restore the cultural monuments in the occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions.The latest reports say that the church remnants that date back to 8-9th centuries have really been destroyed as well as the cemetery of the Polish people that resided there after the World War II, the statement said.It is an alarming fact that these monuments -the cemetery and church - have been destroyed in a peaceful period that was respected both by Georgians and Abkhazians as well as other ethnic people living there, the statement added.The statement stressed we all should unite to protect the Tsebelde Forest in Abkhazia from any threat and ensure such incidents never occur again.It was reported by Russian and de-facto Abkhazian media that Georgias cultural heritage in Abkhazia was destroyed with the aim of constructing a military facility.However, Russian media has reported the countrys foreign ministry as saying that no military base is planned for the area.Even in case the government of Georgia addresses UNESCO to monitor the cultural monuments in Georgias Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, it is less unlikely Russia will change its plans.It is known that the only international monitoring mission in Georgia is the EUMM (the European Union Monitoring Mission); however, the mission is not allowed in the occupied territories of Georgia, and are only able to just monitor adjacent areas.Russia consistently refuses to let international organisation into either breakaway territory, and international pressure to open the borders is severely limited.
The News in Brief

EU parliament committee approves visa-free access for Georgians



3.7 million Georgian nationals came one step closer to getting visa-free access to EUs vast borderless Schengen area on Tuesday, as members of the LIBE committee in the EU parliament added their seal of approval to the plan.



The Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs approved the informal deal by 42 against 2 votes with one of its members absent.



The EU has used visa-free entry for short visits as a carrot to encourage reforms in the former Soviet country, which is lodged against Russias southern borders in the Caucasus. Russia has eyed the measure with suspicion as an attempt to wrest the country out of its orbit.



Member countries were near approving a visa waiver program for Georgia in 2016, but the plan ran into resistance from Germany and other countries that were dealing with the an influx of more than a million migrants to the Schengen zone.



The plan came back on track in December after members agreed to a new suspension mechanism which allows individual countries to hit the brakes on the visa waiver plan without asking the EU for approval if certain conditions should arise, such as a wave of unjustified asylum requests from Georgians.



The visa waiver program for Georgians will enter into force on the same date as the review of the visa suspension mechanism. It is unclear exactly when this will happen, but the next stage in the complicated procedure is a vote by the EU parliament at a plenary session, probably in February.



Once the change is formally approved, Georgians will be able to enter the EU visa-free for 90 days in any 180-day period, provided they hold a biometric passport.



The visa waivers apply to the Schengen area, which includes 22 EU member states (all except Ireland, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria), plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

(DF watch)







President awards 16 persons posthumously



The President of Georgia has awarded 16 persons posthumously for their outstanding courage and devotion in the fight for territorial integrity and in the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.



The awards were handed over to the family members of the deceased.







In addition, a national flag was hoisted in the yard of the Presidential Palace by the children of Georgian national hero Giorgi Antsukhelidze. An event dedicated to the National Flag Day was hosted by the Presidential Administration today.

(IPN)







Abkhazia to Face Electricity Supply Problems, Georgian Officials Say



Officials in Tbilisi are predicting a complete blackout in Abkhazia from late February in case of a failure to reduce the regions power consumption or to secure additional supplies of electricity from sources other than the Enguri hydropower plant, Abkhazias main energy supplier.



When asked about the issue, Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said on January 11 that he would meet the Abkhaz side in the nearest future. There are problems with electricity supply we will talk on this matter. But like last year, we will make sure that they have no problems with respect to their electricity supply, Kaladze added referring to the governments decision in February 2016 to import Russian electricity to prevent power shortages in Abkhazia.



The current level will be sufficient until February 20 if the Abkhaz side does not import [the electricity], they will have serious problems or they will need to reduce the power consumption before that, so that the water level stays sufficient until the first week of April, Engurhesi Ltds General Manager Levan Mebonia told the press on January 11.



Breakaway Abkhazia fully relies on electricity generated by the Enguri hydropower plant, whose 271.5-meter-tall concrete arch dam is located on the Georgian side of the administrative border and its five generators are on the Abkhaz side in the Gali district. According to a long-standing, informal agreement between Tbilisi and Sokhumi, 40% of the electricity generated by the plant goes to Abkhazia and the remaining 60% is received by the rest of Georgia.



In 2015, Georgia distributed 1,797 million kWh electricity to Abkhazia, 17.31% of Georgias overall consumption, according to Georgias Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commissions report. In 2014 and 2013, Abkhazia was supplied by 1,638 million kWh electricity (16.11%) and 1,605 million kWh electricity (16.57%) respectively.

(Civil.ge)







Georgian Prime Ministers Foreign Adviser holds meetings in US



The United States upcoming administrations foreign policy in relation to Georgia was discussed when the Georgian Prime Ministers Foreign Adviser visited the US.



Tedo Japaridze, Giorgi Kvirikashvilis adviser, started his US visit on January 9 and has been holding meetings with American officials and politicians over the past several days.



Japaridze met with former US Secretary of State and current Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Condoleezza Rice.



He also met with Michael McFaul, Director at the Freeman Spogli Institute and former US Ambassador to Russia.



"During the meetings, important US foreign policy issues related to Georgia, regional security, and Georgia's progress in implementing reforms were discussed, the PMs press office said in a statement.



Japaridzes US visit also included meetings with Stephen Healey, Chair of the USIP Board of Directors; Straub Talbot, President of the Brookings Institution; Senator Richard Lugar, President of the Lugar Center; and John Bolton, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

(Agenda.ge)




@amysherman1

The Broward Sheriff's Office estimates that it has spent about $370,000 in response to the Jan. 6th mass shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

That includes the overtime costs for responding to the shooting that day and the increase in security at the airport since the shooting that left five people dead.

BSO has spent $261,082 on overtime between Jan. 6-13 and $100,000 on post-event security enhancements Jan. 14-25. The other expenses include $5,107 for fire/rescue overtime and $3,774 for meals. That brings the total tab to $369,963.

According to a BSO document, 509 employees responded to the airport shooting on Jan. 6th.

Broward Sheriff Scott Israel has said he plans to seek more money from the county to cover security at the airport. However, no long-term security decisions are expected until the county writes an after-action plan that could take several weeks, if not months.

BSO is seeking reimbursement from the state and federal government.


via @KyraGurney

Dozens of Miami-Dade teachers joined more than 200 other teacher unions across the country Thursday in protesting President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for secretary of education.

Close to 100 teachers and activists gathered outside Miami Jackson Senior High School to urge the U.S. Senate to reject Betsy DeVos as secretary of education. Similar rallies were held in 25 states in an effort intended to ramp up political opposition to DeVos, a powerful proponent of parental choice and charter schools, and to call for greater investment in public education and schools.

Demonstrators in Allapattah lined 36th Street outside the high school, waving signs and chanting Betsy needs to go! and Save our schools! as some passing cars honked in support.

How can we have a nominee who has never even attended a public school, whose children have never attended public school? asked Donna Walker, a special-education teacher at Brucie Ball Educational Center, voicing a common complaint among the protesters.

More here.

Photo credit: Patrick Farrell, Miami Herald staff


via @Carlos_Frias

Richard Blanco assigned himself a writing prompt.

During the most divisive stretch of the presidential campaign, about six weeks before Election Day, the Miami-raised poet asked himself a simple question.

What if he, the immigrant son of Cuban parents, the first Latino and openly gay man asked to write a poem for a presidents inauguration four years ago, were asked to write a poem to read at Fridays inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump?

And so he began to write.

Blanco turned down the noise from television, radio and the internet and turned up his inner monologue.

You cant help but put yourself back in those shoes and ask, How would you approach a poem in this situation? Blanco said.

After months of wrestling with what started as an exercise, he will publish his new poem, Declaration of Inter-Dependence on Friday at the poetry site SplitThisRock.org. He shared an exclusive excerpt with the Miami Herald.

Were them. Theyre you. Youre me ... . Were a poem in progress, his newest work opens.

More here.

Photo credit: Jose A. Iglesias, el Nuevo Herald
If you think of art of the American West from the late 1800s through the early 1900s, the names that likely will come to mind are Frederic Remington, Edgar S. Paxson and Charles M. Russell  men whose often sprawling canvases took a romantic or sometimes mythic view.

There were other, less heralded artists working at the time who took a vastly different approach.

A new exhibition, Intimate West: Women Artists in Montana 1880-1944, surveys their interpretation of the West in that period. In place of scenes of cowboys are portraits, interiors and landscapes informed by European post-impressionists, and candid photographs of daily life.

The Montana Museum of Art and Culture began building this exhibition with portraits by Francis Carroll Brown, a granddaughter of Copper King Marcus Daly.

Curator Jeremy Canwell said they realized her works, in concert with others, could become "a different sort of vision of the West."

The show comprises paintings from the museum's 11,000-piece Permanent Collection, augmented with works loaned from the Montana Historical Society in Helena and the Mansfield Library archives at the University of Montana.

Many of the painters, like Brown, Fra Dana and Josephine Hale, studied art or spent time in Europe, Canwell said, which immediately distinguishes their work from the Romantic, realist styles of painters like Russell. According to his research, they often traveled across Montana alone to pursue their work.

"You see artists trying to integrate their experience of post-impressionism and other European styles, but assimilating them and using them to depict distinctly Western subject matter," he said.

A particularly distinctive example to Canwell comes from Dana (1874-1948), who studied art in Cincinnati, Chicago and New York and traveled the world extensively before settling in Great Falls.

While she is well-represented with her lushly rendered still lifes, "Fenceposts" is a rare landscape, he said. It depicts a scene that could've been painted in western Montana last fall: a series of wooden posts in the foreground, followed by a snowy field, a brown tree-line and a white sky.

"This is really a faint trace of mountains in the background," Canwell said. "You have several layers of separation between the artist and nature." In contrast to a scene glorifying the landscape, Dana's "makes me think of nature's utter indifference" to our presence, Canwell said.

Even in the still lifes, Canwell said there are insights about the artist. The same glass figures in three paintings. It indicates a part of her daily artistic life: arranging table-top scenes and painting them.

"It's a great opportunity to see how they live (and) what surrounded them," said Barbara Koostra, MMAC's artistic director.

Hale is represented with small studies and finished paintings from Glacier National Park that more closely resemble "long, thoughtful studies of the natural world" than grandiose landscapes, Canwell said.

***

Those paintings will be on display in the MMAC's Meloy gallery in the PAR/TV Center at UM. Across the lobby in the Paxson are a selection of historical photographs. There are three framed prints by Evelyn Cameron, the pioneering photographer, in addition to one of her cameras, a 1902 Folmer and Schwing.

While Cameron had training, the other photographers in the exhibition were hobbyists whose work provides a window into the craft as become a part of people's everyday lives.

"There's a public side of life that appeared in easel painting, where there's a private side that could appear in photographs," he said.

The Mansfield loaned a book of photographs, most taken in 1900, by Marguerite O. Stevens (Maloney), who moved to Missoula in 1888. They're assembled in journal-like fashion and will be shown in a display case. Digital images will be projected on the wall for larger viewing of the often-small prints.

Two captured historical moments: One, as residents standing on planks during the 1908 flood. In another, she traveled to Butte for the "First Flying Machine in Montana," a 1911 event that drew 10,000 spectators.

"It was probably the most-photographed moment in history in Montana at that point," Canwell said.

In the vertical image, a vehicle races beneath the plane in a demonstration of superior aerial speed.

In other respects, the page gives an indication of how much life has stayed the same. It resembles a quick scan through a western Montanan's Instagram feed in 2017: A self-portrait. A photograph of a little dog in a mid-air jump. A snapshot of a waterfall. Pictures from trips to the reservation.

Many of them were shot in 1900, the same time period that Paxson was recreating scenes of a bygone era.

"This is what it really looked like here," Canwell said.

***

Accompanying the photographs are portraits of Native people by artists Elsa Jemne, Elizabeth Lochrie and Caroline Ganger. Most are composed in the style of formal portrait sittings. The two were part of German artist Winhold Reiss' summer art school in Glacier National Park

Their work features flattened planes of color, a sign of their European influence, he said.

Granger's "Bird in Cloud Packs the Hat and Little Cherry," a portrait of a mother and child in traditional clothing, bears the influence of the fauves, Canwell said, with heightened color and simplified lines.

There's a specificity to the works in the exhibition that contrasts with the archetypes often associated with the genre, Canwell said.

"The idea that these are actual people, actual moments in time, actual specific places," he said. "It creates a world that Western art usually resists."
"Passive with Desire," the title of a new album by Salt Lake City band Choir Boy, perfectly describes the mood it conjures.

The Salt Lake City band looks back to the darkly romantic sound of 1980s pop: broken-heart lyrics with swooning falsetto vocals over arrangements of synths, shimmery chorus guitars and overlapping live and electronic drums.

Take a standout track like "Blood Moon," a lushly arranged track with allusions to vampires and depression and an unlikely phrase like "I lost my happiness somehow" as its hook. It's sensual and gothic at once, like a soft-focus dream sequence in a David Lynch movie.

The label's website notes that band leader Adam Klopp sang in choirs when he was young, which helps to explain his vocal style. He writes melodies that glide back and forth across a wide range in a specific, vibrato-free '80s style. Think of the hook to Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."

The album, available on Bandcamp via Team Love Records, features Klopp on vocals, keys, percussion and sequencing; Katrina Marie Ricks Peterson on vocals; Bret Meisenbach on guitar; Kyle Hooper on keys; and Chaz Costello. Stephen Cope contributes a solemn trumpet to "Sanitarium," and on five tracks, Alyssa Pyper provides strings that heighten the atmosphere. Klopp and Peterson's vocal harmonies often are quite layered and plush.

The album has all the reverb you'd expect of an album that looks back to the 1980s, rendered with a warmth not always associated with the cold-sounding production of the era. It's worth noting, too, that they don't reference the period with any apparent irony. They love this stuff, and imbue the songs with creative, memorable arrangements.
HELENA (AP)  The Montana Senate approved three bills Thursday that would change the state's rape laws, including the proof needed to prosecute cases and the penalties for teens convicted of having sex with younger teens.

The measures now go to the House for consideration.

One bill would lighten the prison sentences for teens convicted of sexual intercourse without consent for having sex with a 14- or 15-year-old, if it's a first offense and no force was used. The teens also wouldn't have to register as sexual offenders, under the measure.

The legal age of consent is 16 in Montana, but backers envision the bill as lightening the penalties for a 17-year-old in a relationship with a 15-year-old, for example.

"This bill is about teenagers who felt love for one another," said Sen. Sue Malek, D-Missoula, during debate on the measure Wednesday.

Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, objected that the change would conflict with the state's legal age of consent. Sen. Jedidiah Hinkle, R-Belgrade, said he wasn't comfortable with a change that could apply to an eighth-grade girl and a male college freshman, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported (http://bit.ly/2k7mz8v).

A second bill, also sponsored by Malek, would allow a woman who has a child as from rape to terminate her rapist's parental rights through civil litigation if a judge finds convincing evidence that rape occurred. Malek said rape survivors who don't pursue criminal charges against their rapists could initiate civil litigation under the bill.

The third measure would eliminate the requirement that force has to occur to prove rape in court. That requirement presumes that rape survivors will resist their attackers, but many freeze and are unable to fight back, said Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, the bill's sponsor.

"It updates our statutes so it reflects our current understanding of how sexual assault takes place," she said.
A man labeled an expert con artist by a prosecutor after using fake checks and credit cards to defraud Missoula-area businesses of more than $50,000 over a four-month period made his initial court appearance Thursday.

When he was interviewed by a detective after his arrest, 39-year-old Patrick Joseph Studley allegedly said he would admit to all charges but didnt want to be fingerprinted or booked into jail until he had a chance to talk to the Department of Homeland Security or the FBI, claiming to have information on a large international, multi-state conspiracy involving a Middle Eastern male and an Asian male out of New York, a court affidavit said.

He is charged with felonies for theft, deceptive practices, forgery and issuing a bad check.

Deputy Missoula County Attorney Karla Painter said the Stevensville address Studley gave in Justice Court on Thursday was also fictitious, and that the wheelchair he was using was just another part of the act.

Studley was arrested Tuesday when he went to pick up his childrens school records after pulling them out of class, and Painter said she believed he was about to flee the state.

In a court affidavit, Painter quoted portions of an investigation from Missoula County Sheriffs Office Detective Glenville Kedie, who said Studley had used various aliases to create fake checks and credit cards.

The affidavit indicated that Missoula police have had an investigation open on Studley since September, and that during an interview with detectives, Studley allegedly admitted to having performed a similar scheme in the Helena and Great Falls areas.

According to the affidavit, Studley, using an alias, contacted a travel agency in Missoula in November and booked a flight that was paid for with a check that was later returned for insufficient funds. When the travel agent investigated, she found the business the check was issued from was fake.

The bank told the detective Studley opened the account in his own name and deposited less than a dollar in it, but never ordered checks. The bank executive said several other bad checks were written against the account.

The Missoula Police Department, which also has an investigation open regarding Studley, found he checked into a Missoula hotel using the same name he bought the plane ticket with and paid with a fake credit card when he checked out.

A Missoula car dealership said Studley purchased a car in September and paid with a check that was later returned as fraudulent. The checks were also written under the same fake business used to buy the airline ticket. The vehicle was later found in the Spokane area.

Other area businesses also reported having transactions with Studley where he used fake checks and credit cards.

All of the alleged victims described Studley as weighing about 400 pounds, but they said he used different names, the affidavit said.

On Jan. 10, Missoula police detective Guy Baker contacted Kedie saying he and FBI special agent Shawn Schrader interviewed Studley in a case from South Carolina and New York after he had been arrested by Hamilton police in a different incident.

Days after Studley was released from custody in Hamilton, Baker, Schrader and Kedie attempted to interview him again, but could not locate him. Kedie learned Studley told his childrens school they would not continue to attend and they were leaving town.

In court, Painter said Studley has more than 30 fraud convictions in South Carolina from between 2011 and 2016.
Graduation Matters Montana's future is unclear, though it's been cut from the Office of Public Instruction's website.

Last week, Dylan Klapmeier, federal policy director and media assistant for Superintendent Elsie Arntzen, told the Ravalli Republic in an email that "with a new administration beginning, the Graduation Matters program is being phased out in a responsible manner."

In an interview a few days later, Arntzen said no decision had been made on the future of Graduation Matters.

On Wednesday night, Klapmeier said in an email that Arntzen's point still stands.

"Superintendent Arntzen said in an interview with the Ravalli Republic last Friday that the decision hasnt been made on whether the program will continue in its current form and that she is reaching out to stakeholders to get a better understanding of how OPI can help facilitate success for all of Montanas students and schools," Klapmeier said. "As is, the program was only serving a limited number of Montana schools with private dollars."

There are now 58 communities participating in Graduation Matters. Klapmeier said Arntzen is working with these communities and partners "to understand what has worked and what hasn't."

The initiative is rooted in Missoula and was picked up by former superintendent Denise Juneau in 2010. It was touted as one of the reasons Montana's dropout rate has fallen, and the graduation rate has inched higher every year since 2009 (the graduation rate dipped slightly last year). Juneau championed the program as one of the hallmarks of her administration.

Graduation Matters has attracted attention. On Wednesday, Education Northwest highlighted the initiative as a success story.

Since 2012, the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation has granted $900,000 to the initiative. In total, private foundations, businesses and donors have invested more than $1.3 million in the program. Those funds then run through OPI in the form of grants, up to $10,000 a year, to fund local GMM programs.

"OPI certainly paid for some staff time, but all money that flowed to districts through GMM was from the grants OPI received from the Washington Foundation and other supporters  all private dollars," Missoula County Public Schools superintendent Mark Thane said in an email.

Also on Wednesday, the Graduation Matters website, which was housed within the OPI website, had been taken down.

Klapmeier said that's because it contained "outdated information and links to pages that no longer exist since the change of administrations."

"The website has been temporarily put on hold until we have updates based on the above conversations," he said. "OPI is also revamping our agency website in general to have a more organized flow of communication.

"This closes the door on this topic and opens the door for new conversations about the positive things that Superintendent Arntzen is working on."

Following a GMM grant announcement at the end of Juneau's term last month, Corvallis High principal Jason Wirt deemed GMM successful.

It is an awesome program and weve been able to do so much with this funding, he told the Ravalli Republic. Thank you to the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation for providing this. Hopefully the next administration will continue this funding and program.
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.
Huckleberries to U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke for the pragmatic comments he made during his confirmation hearing before the Senate on Tuesday. Zinke was tapped by President Trump to head the Department of the Interior and appears headed for confirmation without much controversy. Although Zinke has been a staunch supporter of Trumps campaign, this week he also showed a willingness to depart from Trump on key issues, such as climate change. Montanans can take heart in the likely prospect of a Westerner and Montana representative filling this critical office.

Chokecherries to Zinke for his as-yet unexplained vote in favor of a rule change that would allow federal land transfers to be treated as budget-neutral. In the first week of the new year, Zinke joined 232 of his fellow House representatives in approving the change as part of a larger rules package. Yet when asked to explain his reasoning, his office would provide no comment beyond the terse statement that Ryan Zinkes position has not changed." His vote and his lack of communication left many Montanans feeling as though Zinke had already abandoned his post as their representative.

Huckleberries to the city of Missoula and the Bozeman-based developers who have big plans for the old Missoula Mercantile downtown. This week, Missoula County District Court Judge Robert "Dusty" Deschamps ruled that those plans, which call for a salvage and deconstruction project on the building to allow for the construction of a new five-story hotel, could proceed over the objections of a local preservation group that wants to see the propertys owner make more effort  and take more time  to find a more preservation-minded buyer. However, Deschamps determined that there is plenty of evidence to support the owners contention that numerous potential developers have studied the possibility of preservation over the years, and none could make it pencil out.

Chokecherries to the planned price hike in senior lifetime passes to national parks. Although $80 is still a bargain for a lifetime of access to Glacier and Yellowstone national parks, as well as other federal public lands throughout the nation, its also still a steep increase from the current $10 price. And in fact, more than 20 years ago, the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands senior pass was free. The National Park Service is trying to ease the sticker shock by creating a payment plan, but thats cold comfort to low-income seniors on a fixed budget.

Huckleberries to computer science students at Sentinel High School who developed a new app idea good enough to win a Best in State award and the chance to compete for Best in Nation in Verizons Innovative Learning App Challenge. The app  created by sophomores Preston Stevens, Zayne Sharrard and Cody Curtis, and juniors Christopher Brady, Anthony Gilley, Alexander West and Domanic Mills  is called Classroom Assistant, and is designed to help students organize their class schedules and assignments, track their grades and communicate with their teachers. The winning idea earned their computer science program a prize of $5,000 and a Verizon Ellipsis 10 tablet for each team member, among other prizes. They have also earned a shot at winning an App Challenge Fan Favorite award; you can help the Sentinel team by texting CLASSASST to 22333 before midnight Feb. 14.
Rogef Piane, Missoula: Make America great again. I voted for you because it's time for Washington to work like business and turn a profit.

***

Marilyn Daukas, Missoula: Dear President TRUMP!

Well... WE WON! PLEASE keep your promises and allow us to have cannabis without the fear of prosecution. I am so PROUD that you will be our leader and I TRUST you more than I trust anyone in politics! Together we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!

God Bless you and your family as well as V.P. Pence and his.

Above all GOD BLESS AMERICA!

BE WELL.

***

Rick Whitmore, Missoula: To president-to-be Donald Trump: I would like to wish him a great deal of success in spite of the feelings that many people have against you. I know your job isn't going to be easy because of your poor image as a leader.

***

Dan Morgan, Missoula: Dear President-elect Donald Trump, I want you to know that while I didn't vote for you (I voted for your vice president as a write-in candidate), I will support you as the president of OUR United States. I emphasize "our" because you now represent all American citizens, as a nation, in dealings with the world.

I will be praying for you and all those whom you choose to help lead and administrate our country. My prayer is that all of you do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I also pray that if errors or mistakes are made by you or members of your administration, that they are openly admitted and resolved in a transparent manner. As a Christian, I know no one is perfect and forgiveness is offered to all those who honestly ask. Please do all you can to refrain from party politics in your decision making and truly look out for the interests of all the citizens of this nation, regardless of creed, color or nationality. Make decisions as if they will be the last you make before you pass from this world and meet your maker. Never forget you are loved simply because God created you as he created all of us. We are all equal before God and will, someday, (be) held accountable for the love we have shown our fellow man. And as I will pray for you, your family and your administration, I also request that you pray for me and my family. May the Lord bless you and bless your presidential leadership and administrative team at all levels of government. Thank you for this opportunity not only to write to you but to advise that I will be praying for you.

***

Tyler Gordon, Huson: "Donald, it is finally time we get a chance to turn things around and clean up the mess the liberals have made in this wonderful America! You are our last hope in making everything great again, to our veterans getting the treatment, any and all help they deserve, law and order to keep everyone safe, keeping the criminals off of the streets and out of this beautiful country. No more handouts to undeserving people. (No more participation trophies.) It's time to right the wrong! I am very excited for what the future will hold with a real leader that truly cares about this country's future. It is now great to be an American!

***

Galen Lazyboy, Browning: Mr. Trump, I like your ambition to make America great again. I hope you do but the way you handle and say things are too much. To me, a president should not have to react to everything people say. Tone it down a bit and think before you speak or tweet. I hope you make good decisions for all of America, not just the wealthy. You need to unit all of us 'cause as of now, America is split. I think you need to change your ways; if not, you're only gonna be there for one term. Good luck and I hope you start paying your taxes now just like the rest of us.

***

Brian Burns, Lolo: Dear Mr. Trump. Congratulations on winning the bid to be our next president of United States. There is no greater responsibility for any one individual than the task ahead of you. We trust you and look forward to watching you make America great again in the years to come. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.

***

Patricia Herries, Missoula: I am a proud member of a mixed race, mixed culture family. We are Christian, Muslim and Jew. We are black, brown and white. We are what has made America great! And we are deeply concerned about the increase of hate crimes and blatant vilification of our people, not just in Montana, but across the nation. Please set an example for your followers of acceptance and tolerance. Please convince them that you do NOT condone hateful behavior. PLEASE be the statesman you are called upon to be as the leader of all Americans. I am praying for you....

***

John Valentine, Stevensville: I want to congratulate you and your family for this historic time.

You are president, you won the electoral votes. You ran a grassroots campaign that resonated to the poor and put down Americans.

Please cut the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the grants given to environmentalists, who suppress the jobs in Montana: These jobs are in timber, mining, farming and recreation.

Please "drain the swamp," cut unnecessary departments and fire all hired under, and appointed by, Obama in all of the federal government.

This country is about to explode with radical Islam and the PC crowd, including the Soros-funded BLM, Moveon.org and others.

Get rid of all relatives that are working in the federal government of all senators and House, plus other staff.

Especially get rid of all relatives of any and all media in government.

Best of luck, and may God be with you.

***

Ronna Fuller, Stevensville: You are president now... you need to start acting like one! You need to remember you were NOT elected by the majority of Americans and a lot of people who DID vote for you did so with many doubts but felt they had no other choices.

You need to be respectful of the office, GET RID OF YOUR PHONE, and govern fairly for ALL of the people.

Instead of repealing the Affordable Care Act, which has made millions of Americans healthier and more secure, you should REPLACE then REPEAL the ACA. That way the American people would have more confidence in what ideas the Republicans actually have. You need to keep public money in public institutions and you need to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans so that you can fund your big promises.

You need to continue working to modernize our infrastructure and work to slow down climate change, not try to return to the energy policies of the 1950s. You must also remember that women will not tolerate having their reproductive rights pushed back to the 1950s also. Choose wisely when it comes to the Supreme Court nominations. Also, remember Russia is NOT our friend.

You must put country before party or God help us all!

***

Elaine Willman, Ronan: Congratulations, President Trump, and God bless you and keep you safe to lead our country forward into economic excellence and national pride.

Please consider an executive order that requires all polling precincts in all states for local, county, state and federal elections to be located only on lands subject to enforcement of the secretary of state. Polling precincts on several Indian reservations in Montana are on federal "trust" land wherein the secretary of state has no oversight or enforcement authority. This may be occurring on reservations in other states as well, and poses electioneering risks to voters of our state.

***

Kathryn Hollstein, Alberton: Our whole family voted for you. We have faith that you WILL make American great again! We are hopefully for the first time in more than eight years. We pray that America will come together and help you make America great again!

***

Deni Kyle, Darby: We need to put our country back together. Can we do it in this spirit of courtesy and professionalism: qpolitical.com/weeks-attacked-fixer-pper-couple-posts-stunning-response?

Thank you in advance for doing what is noble and right for this great country! God bless America!

***

Rochelle Hover, Helmville: Don't overdue Twitter, they will stop listening... too much of a good thing and we don't want them to not pay attention, please?

***

John Mello, Kila: Dear Mr. President, our nation faces great challenges, most as a result of inept leadership by the prior administration. We voted for you because we believe you can reverse the damage done by Obama and his socialist acolytes. We look forward, with great anticipation, to the repeal of Obamacare, building a wall on our southern border, ending social welfare for illegals, deportation of those here illegally, ending import of Muslim refugees and taking the fight to jihadists.

You are the last hope of a country that endured eight years of hope and change; you have the ability to lead us out of socialist darkness and into the light of liberty.

***

Kim Birck, Missoula: Dear Mr. Trump, please remember to be the president for ALL Americans, not just those who voted for you. This includes future generations who will live with - or die with - the consequences of your decisions. Whatever else you do, please take care of our beautiful Earth. There IS no Planet B!

Good luck!

***

Sharon Horner, Missoula: I would ask that you listen to the middle-income and low-income people. Aside from the usual (for me personally it's Social Security and Medicare benefits), our needs are very different from the upper-income people. We worked many years to accumulate these benefits, and to us they are not entitlements.

***

Bradley Williams, Hamilton: I am delighted we hired you for the job, the right person for the job.

***

Marcos Puiggari, Missoula: I believe that a nation is only great when it stands united with opportunity and equality for all of its citizens regardless of race, religion, sex or sexual orientation. I believe that a leader is only great when they work only with regard to the betterment of the nation as a whole and not for personal gain or fulfillment. Can you be a benevolent leader for our united nation? Your past does not give me hope.

***

Peter Bugoni, Missoula: Any private person running for public office must endure the vilification from the elitists who assume that they know better than we do about our own lives. You sir, have endured a tremendous amount more than usual and have triumphed. And financially you certainly dont need this abuse.

Your dedication to the concept of America first rings true to the populace who have been forgotten in the rush to be politically correct. I wish you the best of luck in fulfilling your dreams.

***

Jim and Carol Burrill, Hamilton: Dear President Trump: We have watched for eight long years as our country was being dismantled and the Constitution ignored. Wrongdoing and scandals became rampant throughout the government, apparently with the blessing of the liberal media, the Missoulian included. I believe God raised you up for such a time as this. May God bless you as you work to set straight eight years of wrong. Best regards.

***

Adrian Walker, Missoula: Sir, please stay true to your word and drain the swamp, stop the inflow of illegals and don't back down to Washington elite; if you don't I think our country is doomed.

As you say, make us great again!

***

Jim Kosena, Missoula: Mr. Trump, please don't forget the middle and lower class in your effort to make America great again. Thank you and good luck.

***

Lloyd Phillips, Missoula: Congratulations, Mr. President. Thank you for protecting the U.S. Constitution, the right to life and liberty, the Second Amendment and our borders. Appoint judges who will do the same. We wish you success with draining the swamp that is the federal government.

***

Mary Giuliani, Missoula: I am concerned about your presidency. Your campaign was disturbing and your continued tweets are harmful to our country. You are not acting like a president for all Americans and you are dividing us further by your rhetoric. I find it hard to believe anything you say because you have told so many lies. Please become a decent human being, as I see no way at this point for you not to become our president.

***

Susan Barmeyer, Missoula: Don't sell our public lands to the highest bidder! Those lands are our national treasures and belong to ALL Americans!

***

Tom Verlanic, Missoula: Thank you President Trump, for knowing and caring what most of greater America needs, not just what the highly populated East and West Coasts want.

***

Marjorie Centifanto, Missoula: Dear Mr. President, I was praying and fasting for your election. You are already doing a great job! I love the fact you are for Israel! As an evangelical Christian I believe that is very important.

I pray for you and your family constantly. I especially pray for grace and strength for your dear wife. Please let her know that. And that I think she is most beautiful!

***

JoAnn Cote, Missoula: I find it hard to believe that I am really doing this but I feel I must share some of my thoughts and my deep concern. Donald, I have been on this planet longer than you and this is the first time I am experiencing concern and high anxiety about the security of our country and world conditions. I hope you are able to resolve some of the conflicts you are and will face as you move forward. I sincerely hope you find it in yourself to begin to put the interest of our country and your supporters first and to recognize that all events are not directed toward you personally. I am personally offended when I am told I am stupid for believing that Russia hacked us. I am not opposed to a productive relationship with them, but like dealing with children or pets we must show them what is appropriate and what limits we expect. I pray that God will protect us and that you will recognize what is best for those who voted for you and what will make our country strong, safe and secure.

***

Billie Sprague, Arlee: So looking forward to you being our president. Good things will happen in the next four to eight years... Go Trump!

***

Joe Petrusaitis, Hamilton: Keep your promises, pray for our country. Thank you for your public service!

***

J. Joyner, Missoula: The public wants you to release your taxes. It looks like a cover-up.

***

Debra Nichols-Lopez, Florence: Dear Mr. Very New President. You said many things during your speeches, things that can hurt families, destroy the only health insurance they were able to attain with previous existing conditions. We all want the best for our families, at least have medical care so they can also have a chance. For some of us our illegal families who try to save to apply does not mean they are terrible people either. Please consider how your choices may affect families who are in need. We are mostly all Americans and we should stand as one. I hope you really think things through before diving in. Not everyone is a millionaire and this is your very first job as a politician, remember this is God country and how you treat others says a lot. Let's turn this around according to God's will this time.

***

Nancy Teggeman, Polson: As president, you will be hugely successful and popular if you achieve the following:

Think deeply. Listen intently. Divest completely. Read some books. Open your mind and heart. Consider ALL sentient beings as deserving of respect, including women, the disabled, immigrants, Muslims, blacks, Mexicans, actors, journalists, intelligence agents, the poor, the LGBT community and any other marginalized people. Listen to the scientists on climate change. Listen to women on equal rights. Listen intently to advisors on foreign policy. Be VERY careful. Revamp the welfare system. Give those folks boots so they can find their boot straps. Keep public lands public, so we ALL can enjoy them. Tweak the health care system so we ALL have access and affordability. Work with Mexico on a reasonable alternative solution to "the wall." Keep government transparent. Communicate in a mature manner. Take steps to heal the nation. Build trust. Build respect. Build pride and optimism.

Above all, remember that we ALL want the same basic things: good jobs, good health, successful children, a thriving environment and public safety. Remember that ALL of us are important as human beings. Remember that character, manners and morality matter. And especially, realize that America is already great and always has been. Always.

***

Linda Brooks-Curtis, Missoula: Dear Mr. Trump, thank you for all you have done to try to help the United States recover. I pray you will be able to continue.

My first request to you is that you not respond to nasty attacks by celebrities online or elsewhere, unless they actually harm citizens. Their attacks themselves simply reveal their misguidedness.

Because actors need to create separate realities which their characters believe in to be able to fully develop their roles, many fabricate realities in real life and demand that the public accept them. The rest of us need to face actual, factual reality; such as getting a job, managing ethically, providing for our families, promoting and protecting our childrens true preparation for life, unjust government actions and overreach, or misuse of tax money.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show has a musical number called The Time Warp. I suggest the number for those celebrity critics would be The Mind Warp.

Please expedite eliminating the Department of Education and return education to the states. The same infiltrating entity that influenced destruction of our foreign, economic and domestic policy seeks to seize and control childrens minds.
Court documents allege Piilola struck the victim in the head with a hard plastic statue, causing injury. Officers responded to the 900 block of Eighth Avenue on Saturday and found the victim with partially dried streams of blood running down his forehead.
A randomly comprehensive survey of extraordinary movie experiences from the art house to the grindhouse, featuring the good, the bad, the ugly, but not the boring or the banal.
Joshua Maloney pleaded not guilty in Butte district court Thursday to assaulting a police officer, a felony, and resisting arrest.

Maloney was arrested on Dec. 16 after police said he drunkenly attacked a cab driver Maloney claimed took him to the wrong house (this was not the case). The driver did not press charges, but when police tried to arrest Maloney, police say he headbutted an officer. Maloney bonded out of jail on Jan. 18. An omnibus hearing is set for Feb. 23.

In other district court proceedings Thursday:

 Sabrina Smith pleaded not guilty to felony drug possession and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. In November, probation officers found a .44-caliber Desert Eagle revolver, bows and arrows, knives, pipes, meth, and false checks in Smiths home, which violated her probation, according to court records. Smith faces the revocation of a three-year suspended sentence if found guilty. An omnibus hearing is set for Feb. 23.

 Krystal Jarvi pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated burglary, a felony, from an incident in December. An omnibus hearing is Feb. 23.

 Forest Berry accepted a plea deal with the prosecution, pleading guilty to felony escape for walking away from the Butte Pre-release Center on July 11, 2016. Sentencing is set for early February.

 Michael Rinaldi pleaded not guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with evidence, a felony, on Dec. 19. An omnibus hearing has yet to be set.

 Christopher Fouts was due to be arraigned, but his court-appointed lawyer was not present. I assume she has something better to do, Fouts said. Arraignment was postponed until the following week. Fouts has been in jail since Dec. 6, when he was arrested for two counts of criminal mischief, two counts of felony burglary, and one count of felony aggravated burglary.
Directed by Bryan Ferriter, who also stars in the film, the romantic film was shot in and around Helena, and is described as a raw depiction of how young men come of age in the mountains.

The film follows Danny (Ferriter) as he seems ready to commit to the austere existence provided to him after the death of his parents. He lives for his friends and the whiskey-fueled rush of a midday brawl until he meets Parker (Shannon Mary Dixon), an art student at the local college. Their relationship forces Danny to take a hard look at his life and weigh the balance between his support system and the pursuit of his dreams.
An Anaconda couple will take in the Womens March in Washington D.C. Saturday, the day after the inauguration  while the Montana Womens March proceeds in Helena and at state capitols and other cities across the nation.

Bill Johnson, with wife Dixie, said they are in D.C. to celebrate the equality and solidarity missions of the inclusive Womens March rather than to protest Fridays 2017 inauguration for incoming president-elect Donald Trump.

We arent going down to the inauguration because we arent Trump supporters, said Johnson. Its kind of their day. We made reservations 13 months ago for this week.

The Johnsons will be part of thousands expected at the march, according to The Washington Post. The www.womensmarch.com website reports 1.3 million have registered for 616 sister marches around the country and globe, including in Helena, where 4,100 people have registered.

The couple own a timeshare south of the city in D.C. and frequently visit. They attended both President Barack Obamas inaugurations, in 2012 and 2008.

On Saturday, two of their grown children will accompany them: son Tony Johnson, a 2008 Anaconda High School graduate who lives in New York City, as will daughter Emma Johnson, a 2005 graduate who lives in Spokane.

While awaiting family and the march, the Johnsons have toured the area, including walking hills in Port Washington, visiting the house where John Wilkes Booth hid after shooting President Lincoln, visiting Mount Vernon, and doing the touristy bit in general.

Their timeshare is near the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, which Johnson said he noticed was bustling with tuxedo-and-gown types in town for the inauguration.

But on Thursday, inauguration eve, the city seemed calm, said Johnson.

Another D.C. marcher with Montana roots  retired Polson educator Mickey Hanson of Spokane, told the Standard her daughters Anne Hanson of Missoula and Ronee Francis of Nashville are joining her in the nations capital, as are two other part-time Montana residents.

Im going because something hit me the other day helps me articulate it a little bit more, said Mickey Hanson, who spends summers on Flathead Lake. If youre silent and think that things will turn around and think they will be equal and just for everybody, thats not going to help.

We all have to have our voice. Were not going anti-anything. Were going pro-healthcare, pro-womens rights, pro-LGBT. I dont want to be silent, added Hanson.

Johnson said he accepts that the Electoral College elected Trump.

I dont question the legitimacy, he said, adding, Were all pretty appalled by what Trump has said and done. But if he does things I like, like improving infrastructure and improving Obamacare, and if he brings down insurance rates, Ill support him. But a lot of the bigotry hes spewing, Im against.

Montanans in D.C. are set to meet at the LEnfant Plaza Metro Station at Exit D Street then will walk to the march start about one-half mile away, said Hanson.

The Johnsons are following a more relaxed itinerary, as they have a breakfast date with a friend before joining the march.

We came to D.C. for our 25th anniversary six years ago, added Johnson. This is our fifth or sixth trip.
Healthy Lifestyle classes to begin

Healthy Lifestyle classes will start the week of Feb. 13. The classes, which will be held at St. James Healthcare and Southwest Montana Community Health Center, will focus on healthy eating, increasing physical activity, managing stress, and weight loss.

Participants will meet weekly for 16 weeks and then monthly for eight months. There will be daytime or evening classes available. The course costs $100. This includes a gym membership and lab work twice during the class. Some insurances cover the fee, and there are scholarships available. To register (by Feb. 5), call Ida Reighard at 406-723-2960 or Holly McCamant at 406-723-4075.

Prof's paper accepted for Singapore conference

John W. Ray, Ph.D, of Montana Techs Liberal Studies Department has had a paper titled Chinas Search for Energy Security: Implications for International Politics accepted for presentation at the 10th Global Studies Conference to be held at the National University of Singapore-Republic of Singapore this summer.

Ray has previously made presentations on the topic of energy security and international politics at Oxford University in England and at Fudan University in Shanghai, China.

Ray has also recently been named an associate editor of The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society published at the University of Illinois.

In his China paper, Dr. Ray argues, As is the case with the United States, Europe and Japan, much of Chinese foreign policy is centered on the search for energy security. This search for energy security has significant implications for the possibilities of peace in East Asia as well as the world. The politics of scarcity brought on by the search for energy security can be as great a threat to peace as is military aggression.

He teaches classes at Montana Tech in political science, political theory, and public policy.

Animal Control impounds listed

These are animals that have been picked up by Butte Animal Control. Details: Chelsea Bailey Butte-Silver Bow Animal Shelter at 406-497-6528, or stop by 699 Centennial Ave. between 1 and 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Dog:

Nine-year-old male German shorthaired pointer, liver and white, picked up Thursday on Flint Creek Road.

Cat:

Seven-month-old male orange tabby, shorthaired, picked up Monday on the 2200 block of Massachusetts.
Energy independence and self-sufficiency are ingrained in the Montana way of life. Just as we harvest our own crops, meat or fish, we have the power to harvest our own energy from the Big Sky. Its the Montana way.

As a small business owner, I have watched the solar industry grow over the last decade and become an attainable, reliable and affordable solution for Montanans across the state. The price of solar is less than half of what it was a decade ago. Montanans can now afford to use homegrown solar energy to power our lives.

Unfortunately, our state is not keeping pace with technology or consumer demand. Montanas solar industry growth is falling short of the industrys growth at the national level, where it is adding jobs at a rate 12 times that of any other sector. If solar is more accessible than ever, why are we falling behind? Because Montanas energy future is bumping up against antiquated regulations that limit how much solar can be installed. These roadblocks hurt our ability to generate our own power, limit job growth, and impact our way of life.

It remains to be seen whether Montanans can remove any of these roadblocks during the 2017 State Legislature. Currently, lawmakers are considering several bills that either dont move us forward fast enough, or would actively limit our energy choices. While a handful of bipartisan bills forwarded by the Legislatures own interim study of net metering, offer modest progress, several other bills would actually further limit energy choices for Montanans.

We owe it to Montanans to do better by empowering them to invest their own money, in their own energy. Many businesses owners, farmers and ranchers cannot install systems sufficient to meet their needs, because of an arbitrary cap limiting net metered systems to 50kW. There are also roadblocks to developing Community Solar projects, which would allow Montanans, who rent or who live in a home not suitable for a solar array, to have the choice to invest in a local solar project and receive credits that reduce their energy bill. Its time to remove obstacles that restrict energy choices.

This begins by sending a clear message to our legislators in Helena. We need to call on our legislators to remove the barriers that limit our energy freedom, hamper investments and hurt job growth. Doing so will usher in the next evolution of our energy economy and the sustainable, good-paying jobs that come from building and installing solar.

I welcome you to join me. I recently launched a "Solar Guy" campaign aimed at shining a light on what we can do to get Montana on the right track. Over the next month, I will be traveling across the Big Sky State to bring Montanans together to learn how this industry and its energy can benefit our state.

Solar is the Montana way and we the people have the power to change our energy landscape for the better. For more details on the Solar Guy Whistle Stop Tour and to view my web videos, go to www.chargeMT.org.

-- Brad Van Wert, "Solar Guy,'' is a small business owner in Bozeman.
Fred Whiteside is one of Montanas authentic unsung heroes.

Thus observed Great Falls Tribune reporter and columnist Frank Adams in 1980, a year after a plaque was installed in an obscure Capitol hallway, the only monument in recognition of Whiteside, who was perhaps Montanas most courageous statesman.

Barely 20, Fred Whiteside left home in Illinois in 1878 to make the dangerous trek to Montana Territory. Using profits from buffalo hunting, Whiteside became a building contractor, constructing several early structures in Miles City.

Whiteside soon became one of Montanas most notable builders, constructing a major silver smelting facility in Great Falls, the Hennessy Block in Butte, and the magnificent Broadwater Natatorium in Helena.

In 1891, at 34, Whiteside settled down in semi-retirement in Kalispell, to raise apples. A scientific orchard man, Whiteside prided himself in his early use of pesticides and promised to pay $500 for any worm found in his apples. He never had to pay, but watching fruit grow wasnt a fit challenge for the likes of young Fred Whiteside. He was soon back into building, and the fine old original Montana Veterans Home he constructed in Columbia Falls still stands. He also acquired the Kalispell Bee newspaper to express his political opinions. In 1896 was elected to the Legislature.

Then began the memorable yet forgotten saga of Fred Whiteside. A Capitol Commission had been authorized to plan and construct our state Capitol. Freshman Representative Whiteside examined the plan and cost estimate and was astounded. From his contracting experience, Whiteside quickly saw that a better plan could be completed for a fraction of the proposed cost

When Whiteside voiced his objection about the fraudulent building scheme, legislative friends of the crooked commissioners maneuvered to discredit and stop him. In the end, an informant to Whiteside who had direct knowledge of the fraudulent plan, died under mysterious circumstances, but the scheme was thwarted. Because of Fred Whiteside what is now the magnificent central part on the Capitol building was constructed for about 10 percent of the original proposed cost.

In 1898 Whiteside was elected to the State Senate. Then, state legislators elected U.S. senators. Copper King William Andrews Clark was determined to become a U.S. senator even if he had to bribe every member of the Legislature to do it. Whiteside dramatically exposed the bribery in front of many of the legislators who had sold their votes to Clark. Incredibly, the corrupt lawmakers brazenly expelled Whiteside as a state senator and went on to elect Clark U.S. senator.

Fundamentally a fighter, Whiteside followed Clark to Washington where he presented compelling and incriminating testimony. The result was that this time, Clark was the one who was expelled. Clark attempted a ruse to get back into the Senate which failed. Incredibly, however, with Whiteside gone, the Montana Legislature again sent Clark to the Senate two years later.

The outrageous Clark example was prominently used nationwide to bring about the Constitutional amendment for the people to directly elect U.S. senators. If not for Whiteside, Clark would never have been exposed.

Courage and integrity matter. Therefore, so does history. No other Montanan has had as great an impact on the function of U.S. government as Fred Whiteside. The next time youre in the state Capitol building see if you can find his plaque. Then cross the street to the Montana Historical Society. There you will find an extensive file on Fred Whiteside and a trove of other printed history, wonderful Russell paintings, countless priceless artifacts, and kind and helpful staffers to guide you in your explorations of Montanas colorful and fascinating past.

-- Bob Brown, of Whitefish, is a former Montana Secretary of State and State Senate President.
ORIGINAL NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION

JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association

Plaintiff,

vs.

Michele L. Cavazos; Parties in Possession; Unknown Spouse (if any) of Michele L. Cavazos; State of Iowa - Child Support Recovery Unit; State of Iowa - Child Support Recovery Unit; Candelario Cavazos, Jr., et al.

Defendants.

You are notified that a petition has been filed in the office of this court naming you as a defendant in this action. The petition was filed on November 28, 2016, and prays for foreclosure of Plaintiffs mortgage in favor of the Plaintiff on the property described in this notice and judgment for the unpaid principal amount of $67,502.07, with 3.5% per annum interest thereon from May 1, 2016, together with late charges, advances and the costs of the action including (but not limited to) title costs and reasonable attorney's fees, as well as a request that said sums be declared a lien upon the following described premises from June 23, 2010, located in Muscatine county, Iowa:

Lot 6, in Block 67, of the City of Muscatine, in Muscatine County, Iowa, commonly known as 410 Brook Street, Muscatine, IA 52761 (the "Property")

The petition further prays that the mortgage on the above described real estate be foreclosed, that a special execution issue for the sale of as much of the mortgaged premises as is necessary to satisfy the judgment and for other relief as the Court deems just and equitable. For further details, please review the petition on file in the clerk's office. The Plaintiffs attorney is Emily Bartekoske, of SouthLaw, P.C.; whose address is 1401 50th Street, Suite 100, West Des Moines, IA 50266.

NOTICE

THE PLAINTIFF HAS ELECTED FORECLOSURE WITHOUT REDEMPTION. THIS MEANS THAT THE SALE OF THE MORTGAGED PROPERTY WILL OCCUR PROMPTLY AFTER ENTRY OF JUDGMENT UNLESS YOU FILE WITH THE COURT A WRITTEN DEMAND TO DELAY THE SALE. IF YOU FILE A WRITTEN DEMAND, THE SALE WILL BE DELAYED UNTIL TWELVE MONTHS (OR SIX MONTHS IF THE PETITION INCLUDES A WAIVER OF DEFICIENCY JUDGMENT) FROM THE ENTRY OF JUDGMENT IF THE MORTGAGED PROPERTY IS YOUR RESIDENCE AND IS A ONE-FAMILY OR TWO-FAMILY DWELLING OR UNTIL TWO MONTHS FROM ENTRY OF JUDGMENT IF THE MORTGAGED PROPERTY IS NOT YOUR RESIDENCE OR IS YOUR RESIDENCE BUT NOT A ONE-FAMILY OR TWO-FAMILY DWELLING. YOU WILL HAVE NO RIGHT OF REDEMPTION AFTER THE SALE. THE PURCHASER AT THE SALE WILL BE ENTITLED TO IMMEDIATE POSSESSION OF THE MORTGAGED PROPERTY. YOU MAY PURCHASE AT THE SALE.

You must serve a motion or answer on or before 10th day of February, 2017, and within a reasonable time thereafter file your motion or answer with the Clerk of Court for Muscatine County, at the county courthouse in Muscatine, Iowa. If you do not, judgment by default may be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the petition.

If you require the assistance of auxiliary aids or services to participate in a court action because of a disability, immediately call your District ADA Coordinator at 563-326-8783. If you are hearing impaired, call Relay Iowa TTY at 1-800-735-2942.

This case has been filed in a county that utilizes electronic filing. You may find more information and general rules governing electronic filing in Iowa Court Rules Chapter 16. You may find information concerning protection of personal information in court filings in Iowa Court Rules Chapter 16, Division VI.

By: Jeff Tollemaer

CLERK OF THE ABOVE COURT

Muscatine County Courthouse

401 East 3rd Street,

Muscatine, IA 52761

IMPORTANT:

YOU ARE ADVISED TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE AT ONCE TO PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS.
Civil #: 16-002674

Midfirst Bank

VS.

Marcello Mariani, Trista Mariani And State Of Iowa, Iowa Department Of Human Services,

As a result of the judgment rendered in the above referenced court case, an execution was issued by the court to the Sheriff of this county. The execution ordered the sale of defendant(s) Real Estate Described Below. To satisfy the judgment. The property to be sold is

The Easterly 45 feet of Lot 4, in Block 124, of the City of Muscatine, Iowa.

Property Address: 305 West 6th St., Muscatine, IA 52761

The described property will be offered for sale at public auction for cash only as follows:

Sale Date: 02/21/2017

Sale Time: 9:30 am

Place of Sale: Muscatine County Jail Lobby, 400 Walnut Street, Muscatine, IA 52761

Homestead: Defendant is advised that if the described real estate includes the homestead (which must not exceed 1/2 Acre if within a city or town plat, or, if rural, must not exceed 40 Acres), defendant must file a homestead plat with the Sheriff within ten (10) days after service of this notice, or the Sheriff will have it platted and charge the costs to this case.

This sale not subject to redemption.

Property exemption: Certain money or property may be exempt. Contact your attorney promptly to review specific provisions of the law and file appropriate notice, if applicable.

Judgment Amount: $82,640.26

Costs: $7,204.22

Accruing Costs: Plus

Interest: $1,280.92

Sheriffs Fees: Pending

Date: 01/06/2017

Attorney:

Benjamin W. Hopkins

1350 NW 138th St.

Ste. 100

Clive, IA 50325

(515)222-9400

C.J. Ryan

Muscatine County Sheriff

Melissa Hurlbut

Civil Deputy
NOTICE OF PROBATE OF WILL, OF

APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTOR, AND

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

IN THE MATTER OF

THE ESTATE OF

MELVIN F. BEST,

Deceased.

To All Persons Interested in the Estate of Melvin F. Best, Deceased, who died on or about December 13, 2016:

You are hereby notified that on January 11, 2017, the last will and testament of Melvin F. Best, deceased, bearing date of December 6, 2012, was admitted to probate in the above named court and that Deborah Baxter, Denise Roesger and Kevin Best was appointed executor of the estate. Any action to set aside the will must be brought in the district court of said county within the later to occur of four months from the date of the second publication of this notice or one month from the date of mailing of this notice to all heirs of the decedent and devisees under the will whose identities are reasonably ascertainable, or thereafter be forever barred.

Notice is further given that all persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned, and creditors having claims against the estate shall file them with the clerk of the above named district court, as provided by law, duly authenticated, for allowance, and unless so filed by the later to occur of four months from the second publication of this notice or one month from the date of mailing of this notice (unless otherwise allowed or paid), a claim is thereafter forever barred.

Dated January 13, 2017.

Deborah Baxter, Denise Roesger

and Kevin Best

Executors of estate

1230 307th Street

Moscow, IA 52760

Curt A. Oppel

Attorney for executor

Stanley, Lande & Hunter

201 W. 2nd Street, Suite 1000

Davenport, IA 52801

Date of second publication

27th day of January, 2017
WAPELLO, Iowa - Despite at least one Wapello resident raising a stink over the prospect of letting a pet skunk into the community, the city council on Thursday unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance amendment to allow that possibility.

The proposed change in the citys dangerous and vicious animal ordinance was originally suggested after Jane Fuller brought her pet skunk Tango to the city councils Dec. 15 meeting. Fuller, who was living in Grandview at the time, wanted to move to Wapello, but the citys existing ordinance prohibited dangerous or vicious animals, which included skunks. The change would allow exceptions with the written consent of the council.

The council unanimously approved the first reading of the proposed amendment at its January 5 meeting without hearing any opposition from city residents.

However, Mayor Shawn Maine said Thursday a local resident had contacted him to report someone else had expressed concerns about approving the amendment.

Im not sure if they have a problem with the person or the animal, Maine said without making any suggestion to the council on how to handle the concern.

The council unanimously approved the second reading.

One additional reading is needed before the amendment is approved.

The council also approved the second reading of an amendment to extend a property tax abatement amendment to new homes. The town currently provides the graduated abatement program to most other buildings, but excludes new residential homes.

That amendment also needs to pass a required third reading before it wins final approval.

One amendment the council approved that will go into effect immediately was a requested change in the Wapello Fire & Rescues constitution. Wapello Fire Chief Damon Moore said the change would allow the department to extend the departments current probationary period.

Currently, the departments review board must conduct a practical examination of probationary members after six months of membership and again at 12 months to determine progress towards meeting state certification standards.

Those requirements include attaining Firefighter I certification or equivalent training or certification as an Emergency Medical Services provider.

Under the amendment, the probationary period would be extended to two years.

Moore said the extension would allow new members more flexibility without losing focus on the certification requirement.

One year may be pushing it, but you dont want to procrastinate, he said.

The council also:

 Agreed to hire Dustin Edwards as a new public works employee at $17 per hour;

 Learned city officials had been talking to Wapello School Superintendent Mike Peterson about connecting into the schools panic alarm system so panic buttons could be installed at city hall. Maine also reported discussing city acquisition of the former pre-school building and said he would review student drop-off concerns at the elementary with Peterson;

 Approved an appeal process for the citys income offset program, which allows the city to garnish income over delinquent bills;

 Agreed to continue seeking more members for the Wapello Pool Board instead of combining it with the citys Park and Recreation Board.

Following the regular meeting, the council also held a budget workshop to review a budget proposal developed by Maine.

Maine said the proposed budget that included $2,319,356 in spending and $2,319,416 in revenue was $60 in the black. The general fund tax rate was estimated to be $13.30 per $1,000 taxable valuation, about $0.49 less than this years rate.
The Council read their intention to file charges made the Mayor have to call for a first and second and vote on her possible removal from office. But what I urge you to do is pay attention to the City Administrators attempt to stop the citizens from speaking after their motion was voted on. I sure that it wasn't the proper time for it but given the theater that the Council had just engaged in I am glad she did. Watch the Administrators facial expressions, body language and words as he tries to prevent the public from speaking . Also note that he passes notes to trying to stop the Mayor. Then I ask that you watch and listen to Councilman Rehwaldt and Fitzgerald as they disparage the citizens that stood up to speak to them. I guess that they forgot that the microphones where on.
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 []
If blessings indeed come in threes as the wise men say, then nominated Member of Parliament Isaac Mwaura is one blessed man and father.

The legislator and wife, Nellius Mukami on Thursday 10 am welcomed triplets into the world at the Nairobi Hospital.

For a couple that has not shied away from the public limelight  from their first coffee date to their dreamy honeymoon in the breathtaking Bali island  the delivery of three little ones is the cream of their romantic love story.

The excited MP and Ruiru parliamentary aspirant took to Facebook to break the news and revealed he was now a father to two boys and a girl.

Feeling grateful!!! Mukami and I have been blessed with triplets. Two boys and one girl. This is the best day of our life. Our God is truly faithfulAkiahidi, atatenda.We truly thank God!! wrote Mwaura.

Congratulations are in order!
Today we can call Obama president one last time. Technically he will still be known as President Obama, but we all know theres a missing retired or former.

8 years ago, Obama overcame all odds by beating John McCain to become the 44th president of the United States.

Over the years, he has achieved a lot for himself and his country. In 2009, he won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Throughout his presidency, there were many people who did not agree with him or like him, not because he was wrong, but because he was who he is. However, Obama maintained his cool for all those years, and is easily the coolest president probably in American history.

Of course his exact opposite is taking over.

Now, throughout his presidency, chief White House Photographer Pete Souza took more than 2 million photos of Obama.

He made his choice of the ones he thought were the best.

Here they are.. 44 of them.

[showad block=3]
Residents of Kahiga trading center in Subukia, Nakuru County, were on Wednesday left in a shock after a 35-year-old woman set herself on fire after a disagreement with her son.

According to neighbors, Ms Josephine Njeri Muthoni before committing the act had complained about her son whom she said was disrespectful to her since he started involving himself in criminal activities.

She was very disturbed by her sons decision to drop out of school recently with no valid reason, said Mr Mwangi Kamau, a neighbour of the deceased.

Confirming the incident, Subukia OCPD Alex Nganga, said the deceased locked herself in her house before setting herself ablaze.

The police boss said passersby who saw smoke emanating from the house broke into the bedroom and found the woman burning.

Efforts to save her were futile. The residents were, however, able to save an eight-month-old baby who was sleeping in the bedroom.

The baby was rushed to Nyahururu Hospital where she was treated and discharged while the body of her mother was taken to the hospitals mortuary.
As expected, the race for the Nairobi gubernatorial seat is heating up as rivals continue to slam each other ahead of the polls.

Former presidential aspirant Peter Kenneth, whom many believe has little to no experience at politicking, has responded to recent claims by Nairobi senator Mike Sonko that he is an outsider.

Last Sunday, Sonko, after a church service in Mathioya also sensationally claimed that Kenneth had offered him Sh1 billion to drop his bid for the citys top job, claims Kenneth has denied.

Why should I bribe anyone for anything in the first place? he said. I believe Jubilee is an open party that welcomes new members. Why should people set conditions for me?

Sonko together with his Jubilee rivals MPs Dennis Waweru (Dagoretti South), Johnson Sakaja (nominated) and Margaret Wanjiru (formerly Starehe MP), have in the recent past ganged up against Mr Kenneth in the push for a Jubilee Party nomination ticket for the Nairobi governors position.

According to Peter Kenneth, the claims that he is an outsider are strange as he was born and bred in the capital.

The people who are at the forefront of labelling me an outsider have lived in the city for a shorter time than me. I was born and bred in Eastlands, I schooled in Nairobi and have worked here my entire life. I have lived in the city longer than all of them, he said.
CANBERRA, Australia  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 $345.3 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 on Thursday. 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 hard Vegemite is to find outside their country.

Vegemite created a diplomatic hiccup with authorities at a New York airport in 2011.

Only problem traveling to NY is that they tried to confiscate our Vegemite at the airport. Needed Foreign Ministerial intervention, Kevin Rudd, a former prime minister, tweeted.

Airport staff were surprised when I said it is good for you and I ate it for breakfast. They then waved me through, he said.

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 Thursday more than 5 percent from AU$4.84 to AU$5.09.

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.
NEW YORK  Saying they were bringing the worlds most notorious drug lord to justice, U.S. prosecutors on Friday described Joaquin El Chapo Guzman as the murderous architect of a 3-decade-long web of violence, corruption and drug addiction and announced they were seeking a $14 billion forfeiture from him.

Extradited Thursday from Mexico, Guzman was due later Friday in a federal court in Brooklyn. Prosecutors have sought to bring him to a U.S. court for years while he made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run in Mexico.

Today marks a milestone in our pursuit of Chapo Guzman, said Robert Capers, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn. Hes a man known for a life of crime, violence, death and destruction, and now hell have to answer for that.

As boss of the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman presided over a syndicate that shipped tons of heroin and cocaine to the U.S., using tanker trucks, planes with secret landing strips, container ships, speedboats and even submarines, prosecutors said. Perhaps most famously, Guzmans cartel built elaborate tunnels under the U.S. border to transport drugs, said Wifredo Ferrer, the U.S. attorney in Miami.

The cartel made billions of dollars in profits  prosecutors are seeking a $14 billion forfeiture  and employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture, according to prosecutors. And the Sinaloa smugglers also helped fuel an epidemic of drug abuse in the U.S. in the 1980s and 90s, the prosecutors said.

It wasnt immediately clear who would represent Guzman in court; a lawyer is to be appointed. His lawyers in Mexico called his extradition, which he had fought, a political move to distract from gasoline protests there.

The Drug Enforcement Administration flew him to New York from the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez on Thursday  hours before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has lashed out at Mexico.

When Guzman got off a plane Thursday in New York, as you looked into his eyes, you could see the surprise, you could see the shock, and to a certain extent, you could see the fear, as the realization kicked in that hes about to face American justice, said Angel Melendez, who leads U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements homeland security investigations in New York.

The U.S. has been trying to get Guzman in a U.S. court since he was first indicted in Southern California in the early 1990s.

Now in his late 50s, he faces the possibility of life in a U.S. prison. Prosecutors had to agree to not seek the death penalty as a condition of the extradition.

While he faces federal charges in several U.S. states, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn won the jockeying to get the case. The U.S. attorneys office there has substantial experience prosecuting international drug cartel cases and was once led by outgoing U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

Guzman was recaptured a year ago in Mexico after escaping from a maximum-security prison for a second time. The episode that was highly embarrassing for President Enrique Pena Nietos government, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand him off to the U.S.

Mexicos Foreign Relations Department said a court had ruled against Guzmans appeal and found that his extradition would be constitutional.

The extradition came at a charged political moment in the U.S. Trump has criticized Mexico for sending the U.S. criminals and rapists and vowed to build a wall at the Mexican border and have Mexico pay for it. Mexican officials have said they wouldnt pay for such a structure.

U.S. officials said they didnt learn until Thursday that Mexico was extraditing Guzman. Thanking the Mexican government for its work, prosecutors refused to comment on whether politics played a role.
SACRAMENTO  A windstorm has destroyed three historic trees planted at the California Capitol about 120 years ago to honor Civil War veterans.

Gusts topping 50 miles-per-hour Wednesday night uprooted a tulip tree from the Five Forks, Virginia, battlefield and an American elm from President William McKinley's tomb in Ohio.

They fell like dominos, breaking off a box elder from the Missionary Ridge, Tennessee, battleground.

The California State Capitol Museum says the tulip and box elder were among trees transplanted as saplings in 1897 from 40 battlefields.

Democratic Assemblyman Ken Cooley of Rancho Cordova says the elm was planted in 1902 to honor McKinley, a Civil War veteran who held the office when the Memorial Grove was planted.

Cooley is hoping officials can salvage the wood, perhaps to turn into artwork.
MOLCAXAC, Mexico  Tamara Alcala Dominguez sobbed, barely able to speak, as she buried her face in the sweater of the woman who cared for her when she was a toddler.

"My little girl, I hugged you so much," Petra Bello Suarez told her now 23-year-old granddaughter, tears dampening her own creased cheeks. "I have you in my arms, my girl. ... You found me still alive."

Alcala's mother left her with Bello at age 2 when she went to seek a better life in the United States. A year later, the little girl joined her mother  and for two decades Alcala's undocumented status prevented her from returning to Mexico to see her grandmother and other relatives.

Then she became one of the hundreds of thousands protected from deportation under an Obama administration program known as DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which gave work permits to immigrants brought to the U.S as children and living in the country illegally.

Alcala burst out of the shadows. In her American home of Everett, Washington, she got an officially sanctioned job and pursued an education with dreams of becoming a doctor. And last year she enrolled in a special program that allowed her to make this, her first journey back to Mexico, and then return safely again to the United States.

Grandmother and grandchild spent nearly two weeks catching up on 20 years, a reunion made bittersweet by the uncertainty ahead: They said their goodbyes just before Donald Trump took office amid vows to undo the protections his predecessor put in place, promises that leave immigrants worried about what comes next.

For Alcala, the trip may have been either a last opportunity to see her grandmother, or a chance to reacquaint herself with her native land in case she winds up deported.

"It brings a lot of peace of mind to know that I was able to interact with her at least once," she said, "before whatever happens in the future."

___

In the weeks just before Trump was sworn in, more than two dozen young immigrants made the same journey as Alcala back to Mexico under a provision of DACA that lets recipients apply to leave the U.S. for academic reasons or family emergencies and then legally return. The Associated Press traveled with them.

More than 100 former child migrants have made five such trips sponsored by California State University, Long Beach  emotional journeys to what is often a barely remembered homeland, to reunite with family seen only in photos or on Skype. The students on this trip scattered across Mexico to join long-lost relatives for Christmas, then gathered after the new year for an academic course in Cuernavaca before flying home to America.

About 750,000 people in the United States have enrolled in DACA. Legislation that would have included similar protections, called the DREAM Act, failed to get through Congress, prompting President Barack Obama to create the program with an executive action in 2012, declaring at the time, "We are a better nation than one that expels innocent young kids."

Trump has a different take. He made tough talk on immigration a cornerstone of his campaign for president and has vowed to end DACA, calling it illegal amnesty. At the same time, he's said he hopes to "work something out" for the immigrants.

Moderate Republicans are keenly aware of the political dangers of deporting college students and future doctors and lawyers and breaking up families. At a town hall Jan. 12, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Republicans had been working with the Trump team on a solution and vowed there would be no "deportation force," as Trump once said, to round up people living in the country illegally.

"I can see you love your daughter, you are a nice person who has a great future ahead of you, and I hope your future is here," Ryan told one DACA recipient and her daughter at the town hall.

But the details of what that solution might look like have not been released, and it's not clear whether Trump would sign off  all of which cast a shadow over those who traveled to Mexico.

Alvaro Castillo Garcia, a 23-year-old master's student in creative writing at California State University, Northridge, recalled how, before DACA, he had to constantly hide his illegal status amid fears of deportation.

"You can't drive, you can't even take a girl on a date because you're going to have to ask her for a ride, you know?" Castillo said. "For the most part we lie about where we were born. We make up stories of why we can't go see relatives. And DACA ... kind of granted us that liberty to feel part of society, because it allowed us to feel human."

Ending the program would be like "giving candy to a baby and then taking it away," he said. "We're not babies. ... And I don't think it's going to be taken lightly. I don't think people will be quiet about it."

Like Alcala, Castillo and the others who made the trip originally left Mexico as toddlers or teenagers. Their stories show how DACA has allowed immigrants to abandon poorly paid, off-the-books jobs to pursue lives that had been out of reach. Some are college students majoring in social services or theater. Others work with special-needs children, as a college counselor, in accounting, as a retail store manager. One aspires to be a police officer.

They spoke of pride in representing their families, and guilt that their parents and siblings were unable to make the same trip. Some feared they'd be seen as haughty because of their lives in the U.S. or odd because of their imperfect Spanish. One man had heard that his grandmother wanted nothing to do with him.

Weighing heavily on all their minds was the knowledge that they would be returning to the United States just five days before Trump's inauguration.

"There's more concern, more fear because of the change in the political realities," said Armando Vazquez-Ramos, a lecturer in Chicano studies at CSU Long Beach who leads the cross-border course. "But ... they're driven by the fact that this could be the last opportunity."

___

Soft-spoken and shy, Alcala's demeanor reflects an upbringing living with fear of deportation. Growing up, her family mostly kept to themselves and a few friends. Alcala's mother encouraged her not to speak Spanish outside the home to avoid attracting attention. She wasn't to let on that she was Mexican, and never to tell people where her mother worked.

"I always felt like I always had to hide everything," Alcala said.

Through high school, Alcala was content with her under-the-table restaurant job. But as college neared, the limitations of her legal status became increasingly clear. Her job was never going to be enough to pay for tuition. She began to question why her mother brought her to the U.S.

"What's the point of dreaming if you're not going to be able to follow through?" she said.

Then one day, at age 19, her life changed. News popped up on her phone about Obama's executive action. Earlier in the day she had experienced the humiliation of being asked for a Social Security number while applying for a hospital position. She arrived at her restaurant job with puffy eyes, determined to immediately apply for DACA.

Alcala was accepted, quit the restaurant job and pursued a student position in a lab at the University of Washington. She recently graduated, and is working while studying for medical school entry exams. Her grandmother and great-grandmother were curanderas, traditional healers in Mexico, and she doesn't think it's a coincidence that she was drawn to the medical profession. An end to DACA could scuttle her plans.

Being a "normal" student, she said, "made me feel less alone."

Last year, just before the November election, Alcala stumbled on a blog that talked about how some people with protection under DACA could travel, and that led her to Vazquez-Ramos' program.

For the first time, Alcala had hopes of being with the grandmother she barely knew. And with Bello now 75 years old and suffering from hypertension, diabetes and other ailments, Alcala was determined not to repeat the anguish she felt when her grandfather died of prostate cancer before she could see him.

"I said to myself, I'm gonna apply," Alcala said. "This is the year."

___

Molcaxac, where Alcala was born, is a dusty village about a 90-minute drive southeast of Puebla state's eponymous capital city. A colorful arch decorated with religious imagery welcomes visitors. It was put up with the help of donations from her grandmother's family. On a recent day, about a dozen people sat on plastic chairs on the edge of town gulping down orange soda and cola and eating goat slow-steamed in a covered fire pit with agave fronds for flavoring.

Folks here say so many working-age residents have migrated to the U.S., the town is mostly populated by the elderly and the very young. Oswaldo Lorenzo Cabrera Medel, a family friend who is also something of a municipal historian, estimated that 95 percent of families in Molcaxac have relatives north of the border who send money to help pay for everything from home additions to startup capital for small businesses and a fireworks show at the annual town fair.

The first wave of migration started in 1942 with the bracero program, which allowed Mexicans to temporarily  and legally  work in the United States. After the program ended in 1964, people continued to go north illegally. Alcala's grandfather was a bracero. With the money he made in California, he purchased a large lot across the street from the main square that has been subdivided among family members who live in a cluster of two-story homes around a common patio.

On the drive from Mexico City, Alcala was re-introduced to her birthplace as an aunt sought to explain the unfamiliar: How in this part of the country, many people get around on bike or horseback. How in one neighboring town, everyone makes a living manufacturing and selling fireworks. At a toll plaza on the highway, vendors approached cars hawking sweets and beverages; one man held up two small fluffy dogs.

"They're selling puppies!" Alcala squealed.

Then she was back in her grandmother's arms. Once the crying stopped, Alcala dined on salty carne asada and the rich mole sauce for which Puebla state is famous. She leaned her head on Bello's shoulder while flipping through her smartphone photos. She skipped around the backyard checking out the peacocks the family raises for their ornamental feathers, and the two giant ostriches whose eggs they sell. She played hide-and-seek with cousins.

Alcala followed Bello everywhere  to the store, to meet neighbors and, clutching tightly to grandma, to the town holiday party, where a priest celebrated Mass.

They said goodbye in Cuernavaca, with Alcala's grandmother promising to teach her even more the next time they are together. Alcala promised that would happen, even though she couldn't really be sure.

"I told her this still wasn't the last goodbye," Alcala said. "I told her I'd find a way to go visit her."

And once more, they clung to each other and cried.

___

On Inauguration Day, Alcala was back in Washington state as all eyes were on Trump and whatever new policies might come.

At least 22,340 DACA recipients have received special permission to travel out of the country and return. For those, that trip back to the U.S. puts a legal entry on their records, which can help toward eventually gaining permanent legal status through sponsorship or marriage, said Jorge Baron of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.

Alcala doesn't know what she'll do if her DACA protection ends under Trump; because her younger sister was born in the U.S., Alcala could apply for a family reunification visa. But sibling sponsorship is a long road, with a backlogged application process.

For now, she's grateful for both her life in the United States and the time she had back in Mexico. During the class session in Cuernavaca, Alcala heard from other migrants who were brought to the U.S. as children but were not there during DACA and either got deported or left voluntarily. Their stories, and the days spent with her grandmother, provided the glimpse she needed into what life would be like if deported. She would still pursue her dreams; the pursuit would simply be harder.

"I feel better, like 100 percent better. Before, I was just thinking the worst," she said. "If I get deported, I'd know nothing. I didn't know my family well. I had no clue what'd be awaiting me."

Now, she said, "I'm not scared ... anymore."

And as she settled back into life in the country she  for now  calls home, Alcala had a message for President Trump:

"What's the worst you can do, send me back to Mexico? Now I know I can succeed (in Mexico) or in the States. It was a great burden off my shoulders ... to not fear Mexico."
OAKLAND  Baby raccoons that inadvertently hitched a cross-country ride to Northern California are recovering at the Oakland Zoo.

Animal care authorities said Tuesday that in September a man had unknowingly transported the raccoons from Florida to Marin County in a moving truck.

The truck had been burglarized while in Florida, allowing a pregnant raccoon to enter through a broken window and give birth.

The man discovered the raccoons while unloading his truck. Five of six baby raccoons survived but were near death after being without food or water for days.

Wildlife education center WildCare nursed the raccoons to health, but found they could not release the animals into the wild.

The Oregon Zoo is caring for the raccoons until they can be placed at a sanctuary or another zoo.
Land Trust of Napa County has secured the biggest development-repelling conservation easement in its history, covering an area near Mount St. Helena comparable in size to the cities of American Canyon and St. Helena combined.

The $11.5 million deal involves 7,260 acres northeast of Calistoga known as Montesol Ranch. Conservation easements retire development rights for land that remains privately owned and closed to the public.

A team effort by The Trust for Public Land and the Land Trust involved finding grants from a variety of federal, state and private sources.

This was our top biodiversity priority in Napa County, Land Trust CEO Doug Parker said on Wednesday. It has a large concentration of special status species.

Parker said the 7,260-acre conservation easement combines with Robert Louis Stevenson State Park and other land protected by the federal government, state and Land Trust to create 22,000 acres of contiguous protected land.

Thats really important in terms of wildlife in particular, Parker said. You have to have large, contiguous areas.

Dave Sutton of The Trust for Public Land in a press release called the property one of the most significant tracts of wilderness near Napa Valley.

A state Coastal Conservancy report describes Montesol Ranch, which consists of 6,184 acres in Napa County and the remainder in Lake County. This forested area is an important watershed, given that it receives about 60 inches of rain annually and feeds Putah and Pope creeks that drain into Lake Berryessa reservoir.

The ranch includes landscapes of volcanic rocks and serpentine soils. Its mountains, valleys and canyons are home to such rare species as the Rincon Ridge Ceanothus, Morrisons Jewelflower, the Coast Range newt and the foothill yellow-legged frog.

But the property has become a financial burden to the landowner Montesol Ranch LLC, which consists of at least 18 multi-generational descendants, the Coastal Conservancy report said. Montelsol Ranch includes 1,600 acres that are well-suited for vineyard development.

Napa has such a scarcity of vineyard development land that the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers says it is effectively planted out, the report said. The exception is if new land such as Montesol becomes available.

The Montesol property could be divided into 76 parcels that could be sold off for ranchettes, the report said. Development pressure is intense and immediate.

But the conservation easement allows vineyards on only 100 acres inside a historic working farm and on 7 acres at another location, the report said.

Montesol Ranch began when Horatio Putnam Livermore bought eight acres of land there in 1880 as a sunny retreat for his first wife, who had tuberculosis, according to a March 29, 2001 article in The Weekly Calistogan. His second wife named the land Montesol.

The Livermore family includes such notable Californians as Horatio Putnam Livermore, who helped build Folsom Dam; Norman Banks Livermore, Jr., a member of Gov. Ronald Reagans cabinet and Bay Area environmentalist Caroline Sealy Livermore, for whom Mount Livermore on Angel Island is named.

Occasional articles in The Weekly Calistogan from the late 1880s onward mention various outings held at Montesol.

Since the conservation easement land is private property, the public cannot go on it. But purchase of the easement gives The Trust for Public Land the option of buying 1,254 acres of the 7,260 acres by the end of 2018 for an additional $1 million, the Coastal Conservancy report said.

Should this purchase deal happen, The Trust for Public Land would transfer the 1,254 acres to the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District. The purchase would improve access to Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, the report said.

In addition, this possible deal would purchase a trail easement to extend the regional Oat Hill Mine Trail, the report said. That would complete a regional connection among Napa, Pope and Long valleys and intersect with Palisades Trail and Bay Area Ridge Trail.

But thats another possible deal for another day. Parker said another $200,000 must be raised to complete that land purchase.

Sources for the $11.5 million conservation easement purchase are $1.7 million from the Coastal Conservancy, $5 million from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, $3.8 million from the state Wildlife Conservation Board, $500,000 from the California Natural Resources Agency, $300,000 from a private donor and $250,000 from the Knobloch Family Foundation.
A crowd of grieving and angry relatives packed a Napa Superior Court courtroom Friday morning for the sentencing of 45-year-old Carlos Everto Vega Hernandez  the man convicted of stabbing his wife, Esperanza Vega, to death while their 12-year-old daughter was just steps away.

Following a jury trial in October, Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder and a special allegation that he used a deadly weapon when he killed his wife in their apartment on the 2800 block of Soscol Avenue in 2013.

He was arrested after the couples daughter, who woke up to her mothers screams, found her mothers dead body in the bathroom and called the police, according to Register reports. When officers arrived, Hernandez was outside holding the knife. He was taken into custody after dropping it.

Hernandez was struggling with alcohol abuse, but had no alcohol in his system when he was arrested, according to a sentencing statement prepared by his attorney, Chief Deputy Public Defender Kris Keeley.

Days before her death Vega had contacted Napas Department of Child Support Services but left the office stating that she wanted to give her husband another chance and that he merely needed to stop drinking, Keeley said. The only reason he snapped, she said, was because he was overcome by emotion after his wife allegedly said that she was leaving him for someone else.

Hernandez got a knife from the kitchen of their tiny apartment and brought it into the bathroom where his wife was using the toilet, the sentencing statement reads. Hernandez maintains that he was overwhelmed by his emotions having been told that she was unfaithful to him and that he cannot recall the details of the stabbing but admits that he stabbed her repeatedly, stopping only when he heard his daughter.

This was nothing less than a cold, calculated murder, Deputy District Attorney Bryan Tong said. Hernandez stabbed his wife 10 or more times when he knew she was vulnerable and that their daughter was sleeping, he said. He murdered his wife in the most horrific way possible, he said.

Vegas niece, Sonia Robledo, addressed the court, asking that Judge Mark Boessenecker give Hernandez the maximum sentence  26 years to life in state prison.

My family has waited three long years for this day to come, she said. It breaks my and my familys heart that my cousin is going to grow up without her mother in her life.

Hernandez and Vegas daughter, Jocelyn Vega-Robledo, now a teenager, also made a statement.

The teen described her mother as extraordinary, generous, and supportive.

Since she can remember, she said, her life has been filled with violence. Her father would say he was going to change, but instead he would disappoint her, she said. Her only happy moments were when she was with her mother, she said.

Words cant explain the pain that I suffered, Jocelyn said. All those stabs the defendant gave her, he gave to me as well.

The memory of that night still haunts her, she said.

That is not fair, Jocelyn said, beginning to cry. Nobody deserves to have died like that.

For my graduation, whos going to be there to give me a hug? she said. For my quinceanera I always imagined me dancing with her, but all I had was a picture.

When people ask about her parents, what is she supposed to say, she asked. The truth, she said. My dad killed my mom.

Before his sentence was imposed, Hernandez, wearing a cross around his neck, addressed the court through a Spanish interpreter.

I am so sorry, he said to his daughter. I know that I made a bad decision  horrible. I have hurt you a lot. You did not deserve that.

Clearly Hernandez is remorseful, Keeley said, because his daughters words brought him to tears.

I cant imagine anything worse happening to a child, she said, asking that probation be considered and that, if he is sentenced to prison, the one-year punishment for using a knife be stricken.

Hernandez was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison with one additional year for using a deadly weapon.
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
Bookmark Napa Valley is Sunday

The second annual Bookmark Napa Valley, which benefits the Friends & Foundation, St. Helena Public Librarys nonprofit support team, will be held at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, in the Carriage House at St. Helenas Charles Krug Winery.

The event begins with a wine reception, continues with dinner by Oak Avenue Catering and presentations by four authors, and concludes with book signings. The four authors are:

Allison Brennan, who has written more than 30 mysteries and thrillers;

Antonio Garcia Martinez, a veteran of the Silicon Valley tech industry whose memoir Chaos Monkeys was a best seller;

Lisa Napoli, a former NPR correspondent whose book Radio Shangri-La told of her efforts to establish a radio station in Bhutan;

Scott Stambach, who teaches math and physics at a San Diego community college and just published his debut novel.

Tickets are $150 per person and available by calling 707-307-3706 or at supportSHlibrary.org.
Posted by Mark Williams | January 20, 2017

We wanted to know which automaker offers the best fullsize factory-built off-road pickup, so to celebrate the arrival of the all-new 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor, we asked all the truckmakers to send us their best big-truck off-road package. The only manufacturer to decline was GM because it's putting the finishing touches on the new mid-size Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 desert runner, set to debut later this year.

We did have six competitors for our upcoming 2017 Monster Factory Off-Road Challenge, all of which offer some pretty good suspension, powertrain and tire technology.

The pickups for this contest were:

We scored each of these players in more than 25 different categories ranging from payload and gross vehicle weight rating capacities to several more that focused on off-road prowess.

Any guesses on which pickup won our Challenge? Here's a hint: We did a lot of extreme off-roading.

Cars.com photo by Evan Sears
SIU to celebrate Black History Month

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale will celebrate Black History Month with a variety of special presentations, exhibits and activities during the month of February.

It all begins with the Black History Month Kickoff at 5 p.m. on Feb. 1 at Morris Librarys John C. Guyon Auditorium and first floor rotunda. The kickoff will feature a presentation by Elizabeth Lewin, interim associate chancellor for institutional diversity, along with information about upcoming events.

Darryl Scriven, associate professor of philosophy at Florida A & M University and co-founder of the African American Enrichment Institute, will lead the keynote presentation at 5 p.m. on Feb. 2 in the University Museum Auditorium at Faner Hall. The evening begins with the documentary State of the Black College Student, which explores from various angles the college experience of African American students - including college graduation rates, loan debt and acquisition of skills.

Scriven, who grew up in Jacksonville, Fla., with a single mom in a neighborhood filled with drugs and violence, holds degrees in mathematics, philosophy and religion from Florida A & M University. A Fulbright Scholar to Morocco and Tunisia, Doc Scriven also earned masters and doctoral degrees in philosophy from Purdue University. He has taught at several universities and is an author and entrepreneur. Following the movie, Scriven and audience members will exchange ideas and seek solutions to improve the African American education process and outcomes.

The theme for the 2017 Black History Month is The Crisis in Black Education. Organizers say this references the longstanding problems in black education that date back to the days of slavery when it was unlawful for slaves to learn to read and write and to the era when free blacks had to walk great distances in northern cities past white schools to attend classes in schools solely for black children. They note that racially separated schools and other disparities remained the norm in America for many years, whether by law, policy or practice.

Like Scrivens presentation, many of the February 2017 activities focus on enhancing the education process for African Americans. Daniel Booth, principal of Carbondale Community High School, will speak about Empowering African Americans through Public Education at 5 p.m. on Feb. 7 in Room 150 of the Student Services Building. He will share how African Americans can take advantage of public education to maximize their potential and realize their dreams and aspirations.

Other highlights of the month including the showing of the documentary Finding the Gold Within at 1 pm. Feb. 11 at the Carbondale Community Arts Building, located at 304 W. Walnut St. The film highlights in an open and honest way the struggles and triumphs of six young black men from Ohio as they complete their college educations.

The Tunnel of Oppression, running nightly from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 27-March 2 in the lower level of Grinnell Hall, will give visitors the opportunity to experience firsthand what oppression and discrimination feel like as they travel through rooms depicting real-life scenarios.

Films, panel discussions and roundtables, special exhibits at Morris Library and the University Mall African American Museum and many other activities are planned during Black History Month 2017. Everything is open to the public and most events are free unless specified on the complete schedule, which can be found online at www.smrc.siu.edu.

Sponsors of Black History Month 2017 at SIU include the Student Multicultural Resource Center and Black Resource Center along with the Black History Month Planning Committee, Counselors in Residence program, University Housing, Student Programming Council, Student Center, Big Muddy Film Festival, SIU Collegiate Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Black Affairs Council, Medical/Dental Preparatory Program, African American Museum, University Museum, Carbondale Elementary School District, Carbondale Community High School, Department of Computer Science, Department of Africana Studies, Black Male Roundtable, Department of Theater, Association of Black Psychologists Student Circle, School of Art and Design, Student Center Craft Shop, Black Togetherness Organization, Black Womens Task Force, the colleges of Liberal Arts and of Mass Communication and Media Arts, and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

For more information, contact Lanel Love at llove2@siu.edu or by calling 618/453-3470.
Simon Institute selects Jacob Selsor for internship

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale has awarded the spring 2017 Gene Callahan Internship at the Illinois State Capitol to Jacob Selsor.

"The internship provides selected students the opportunity to be an active participant in the legislative process of Illinois state government," Jak Tichenor, interim institute director, said.

As the 2017 student intern, Selsor will be assigned to the House Republican issues staff. In his work, Selsor will acquire new skills and gain firsthand knowledge of the legislative and political processes. The experience and knowledge received during the General Assembly legislative session can be a great asset and lead to exciting career opportunities.

Selsor, a native of Auburn, Ill., plans to graduate in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with a pre-law specialization. He is a University Excellence Scholar and honors student. His interest in public affairs, public service and the law began as a child watching the news with his father while following the 2004 presidential election.

The Gene Callahan Internship was created in honor of the late Gene Callahan, a longtime aide to U.S. senators Paul Simon and Alan Dixon. Callahan served as a member of the SIU Board of Trustees and was a founding member of the institutes board of counselors. The internship is supported by a generous gift from Jerry Mileur, who served with Callahan on the board of counselors. The internship provides a stipend to the selected student to help defray housing and meal expenses during the spring semester.

Linda Baker, university professor at the institute and former Secretary of the Department of Human Services and Director of the Department of Employment Security, as well as the first African-American legislative liaison for an Illinois governor, mentors students during their internship terms in Springfield.

It is a pleasure to work with promising students with a history of community involvement. Gene Callahan was an important community leader, and I enjoy the opportunity to work with young people who share his spirit and commitment to service. With his excellent undergraduate record and dedication, I think Jacob will greatly benefit from this experience and make a significant contribution in the future, Baker said.

Private donations from individuals and corporations fund the Gene Callahan Internship program. Tax-deductible donations can be made online at http://paulsimoninstitute.siu.edu/contribute/index.php or sent to the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Mail Code 4429, 1231 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, Ill., 62901. For more information, contact Baker at 217/553-6660.
China's central bank said on Friday it will provide temporary liquidity support for several major commercial banks for 28 days, according to a notice posted on its official microblog.The funding cost under temporary liquidity support will be about the same as the open market operations rate over the same period, said the People's Bank of China (PBOC). REUTERS SDR AS1402 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1115261.Xml
At least 16 policemen were killed as militants stormed police checkpoints in Kandahar province of Afghanistan on Friday, an official said. "A group of Taliban rebels attacked some security checkpoints in Miwand district, triggering a gun battle," the official told Xinhua news agency. Kandahar, the former stronghold of Taliban militants, has been the scene of insurgency over the past several years. --IANS py/bg ( 74 Words) 2017-01-20-17:42:08 (IANS)
Sources said the central banking institution also informed the PAC that specific agencies like Financial Intelligence Unit and Income Tax Dept are looking into abnormal deposits.

Explaining demonetisation to the PAC members, the RBI Governor informed them about the efforts being made to normalise the situation of cash crunch in rural areas. He also threw light on the efforts being made to normalise the situation in urban areas.

The RBI Governor had earlier on Wednesday appeared before Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance over the same issue during which he failed to disclose the amount of money that returned to the banking system post demonetisation.

In a surprise move on November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the demonetisation of old Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes.

Following the decision, the RBI had put restrictions on withdrawal of cash from the ATMs as well as from banks to deal with shortage of new high-denomination currency notes. This led to long queues at ATMs and bank branches. (ANI)
The maintenance work of Tata Indicom Cable, that provides around half of the internet bandwidth that comes from India to Bangladesh, would take another week, Suman Ahmed Sabir, chief strategy officer of international internet gateway Fibre@Home, told The Daily Star.

However, Bharti Airtel's submarine cable i2i Media' which went down due to a cut in fibre connection on December 13, last year, was restored, Suman Ahmed added.

Internet users in Bangladesh were experiencing slow internet since January 4, due to technical glitches including the cable cut.

On January 5, Internet Service Providers' Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB) said in a press release that the disruption would continue for the next few days and internet service would be back in order only by January 20.

It was said that the internet connection would return to normalcy as soon as the maintenance work of India-Middle East-Western Europe (IMEWE) submarine cable and Bharti Airtel's i2i Media' would be completed, which the ISPAB expected to happen by January 20.

Three submarine cables that serve Bangladesh were cut or disconnected in last few days, read the release, signed by Mohammad Emdadul Haque, general secretary of ISPAB.

Bangladesh imports 280 gigabits per second (Gbps) from India out of the country's total bandwidth consumption of over 400 Gbps while the rest comes from state-owned Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Ltd (BSCCL).

The BSCCL is connected with the six Indian cables, three of which went out of order in the last three weeks.

--IANS in/dg

( 283 Words)

2017-01-20-16:12:06 (IANS)
Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of the impeached South Korean President, has been summoned to testify on Saturday as a suspect in a bribery case involving tech giant Samsung. The South Korean prosecution on Friday said it will interrogate Choi, dubbed "South Korean Rasputin" for her proximity to President Park Geun-hye, for her links to the ongoing case against the Samsung group, allegedly involved in the corruption scandal that has shaken the country, Efe News reported. The authorities accuse Samsung of doling out multi-million-dollar donations to several foundations and companies, allegedly controlled by Choi, in exchange for favours. Choi's lawyer said she does not intend to testify as she is "very busy" preparing for her main trial, in which she has been accused of abuse of power, extortion and fraud, among other charges. The prosecution's spokesperson said an arrest warrant will be issued against Choi, who is in prison since November, if she fails to appear for questioning. Samsung is accused of paying a sum of 22 billion won ($18.6 million), to a company based in Germany and headed by Choi, for consultation services. Moreover, the firm allegedly donated 20.4 billion won between 2015 and 2016 to two other nonprofits linked to Choi. The prosecutor's office believes the Samsung head paid these sums to Choi in order to get approval from the government-controlled National Pension Service, shareholder in one of Samsung's companies, to merge two of its subsidiaries. A South Korean court on Thursday rejected the arrest warrant against Lee Jae-yong, heir and de facto chief of Samsung Group, who is accused of corruption, embezzlement and perjury. The prosecutor's office is expected to shortly interrogate three other Samsung senior executives as well as Park, to determine their role in the scandal. The Rasputin scam came to light in October and since then has led to Park's impeachment and the start of an investigation against South Korea's biggest business groups, including Samsung, LG and Hyundai. --IANS py/dg ( 338 Words) 2017-01-20-18:24:08 (IANS)
To commemorate President Barack Obama's final day in office, Ellen DeGeneres spent a few minutes of the latest episode of her talk show, saying goodbye to him and First Lady Michelle Obama. "I want to personally thank [Barack] for changing my life," DeGeneres said. "I am a legally married woman because of him, and so is my wife [Portia de Rossi]." "His courage and compassion created equality for everyone," she continued. "He moved us forward and made more happen in the past eight years than I ever dreamed possible. I love him. I love Michelle." Ellen then treated her audience with a special tribute montage featuring clips from her many encounters with the First Couple over the years. The Obamas made several appearances on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' over the years. The president, 55, dropped by for the first time before he took office on October 29, 2007, and immediately kicked up his heels to dance with the host. Some highlights included when she and FLOTUS had a push-ups competition and went shopping at CVS together, and when POTUS presented DeGeneres with the Presidential Medal of Freedom honor in November. "Thank you for everything President Obama and First Lady Michelle," DeGeneres said in closing. "We will miss you so much." (ANI)
Director Hanu Raghavapudi says he couldn't think of anyone else but popular Telugu actor Arjun to play the antagonist in his yet-untitled upcoming Telugu film with Nithiin in the lead. "This is a very bold character and I couldn't think of anyone else but Arjun in this role. This is a role of great substance and it goes beyond how stylishly the character will be portrayed. He will be seen in a role he has not been seen before in," Raghavapudi told IANS. The film marks Arjun's return to Telugu filmdom after seven years. His last Telugu outing was 2010 romantic drama "Rama Rama Krishna Krishna". Admitting it was nervous to approach Arjun with the offer, he said: "It took me two months to even convince myself to give it a try. I was very nervous as I didn't know how he would react when I meet him with a negative role." The film also stars Megha Akash, who makes her Telugu debut. With the project already on floors, the team heads for a month-long US schedule in February. "Arjun will join us in the US. He's equally excited about the role and can't wait to commence shooting," he said. --IANS hp/rb/sar ( 215 Words) 2017-01-20-14:16:08 (IANS)
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. (ANI)
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. .(ANI)
The Supreme Court will on Saturday hear a plea challenging the appointment of interim Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Rakesh Asthana, a 1984 Gujarat cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Prashant Bhushan on behalf of Common Cause, an NGO, sought the quashing of Asthana's appointment in accordance with the Vineet Narain case. The Common Cause in their petition said that the government did not follow rules and regulations while appointment of the CBI Director. The PIL contends that after Anil Sharma's term as the CBI director came to end on December 2, it was incumbent upon the government to convene a meeting comprising of the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition and Chief of Justice of India for the appointment of a new director. Asthana had earlier held several important positions in Gujarat Police. He was also part of a Special Investigative Team (SIT) set up by the Gujarat Government to probe the Godhra train burning case. The petitioner alleged that the government wanted to appoint its own choice as interim CBI Director "even if it meant bypassing the statutory law, the norms of propriety, and the directions contained in the Vineet Narain's judgement". "The judgment in Vineet Narain's case had clearly held that the tenure of CBI Director would be two years. This was to ensure that there is no ad-hocism in the appointment and functioning of the CBI Director," the petition states. "Therefore, the petitioner submits that the government must be directed to comply with the mandate of the law and call for the meeting of the selection committee as per the DSPE Act, 1946 as amended by Lokpal Act, 2013," the petition added. (ANI)
One-way traffic resumed on the 300-km-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway after remaining suspended for three days due to heavy snowfall and landslides.

However, traffic jams still remained a consistent problem due to recurring snowfall.

The people are also facing the problem of power disruption.

Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital, Srinagar witnessed 3.3 degrees Celsius.

As cold wave continued to sweep north India, Leh recorded a chilling minus 8.3 degrees Celsius.

Punjab and Haryana too continued to reel under intense cold wave conditions.

Dense fog and mist at several places disrupted road, rail and air traffic in the region.

Dense fog occurred at a few places over east Uttar Pradesh. The lowest minimum temperature recorded was 3.3 degrees Celsius at Agra. (ANI)
A near total bandh was observed in Puducherry and Karaikal regions of the Union territory today demanding the immediate lifting of ban imposed on Jallikattu (taming of bulls) and to impose a ban on People for Ethical Treatment to Animals (PETA). The "Poralikal Iyyakkam", the federation of several Tamil Organizations had called for the 12 hour bandh. The bandh call was supported by all political parties including ruling Congress. It may be noted that the students and youths had commenced an agitation on the issue at AFT grounds four days ago and are continuing. A massive human chain is being organized today to cover the entire town area of Puducherry. All shops and other business establishments remained closed, all mode of transport including buses, taxis, autorickshaws, three wheeler passenger tempos and Puducherry Road Transport Corporation buses remained off the road. Only, some Tamil Nadu government buses passing through Puducherry entered the town and are being escorted by police up to the border areas. The Puducherry administration citing the non-availability of transport facility had already declared a holiday for all educational institutions today. Most of the industries remained closed and the cinema houses suspended shows. However, the government offices both Central and state were functioning. Very little attendance was reported because of lack of transport facility and as the Puducherry government employees central federation had participated in the bandh. Police made elaborate security arrangements to maintain law and order and extra security was provided in the area near to the AFT grounds where thousands of students and youths converged and holding agitation.UNI PAB CS 1026 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1115034.Xml
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has instructed that Integrated District Office Complexes, District Police Offices should be constructed in all the districts in the state. Mr Rao, who reviewed the progress of the Integrated office complexes at Pragathi Bhavan here last night, wanted designs for complexes should be finalised and tenders should be invited and the constructions should be done within a year. The proposed Office complexes should have all the facilities for the people and officers, he said there is no need for construction of new offices at three districts -- Sangareddy, Rangareddy and Nalgonda where complexes have been built. The new office complexes to come up in other 28 districts, for which funds will be allotted in the next budget and they should be completed within a year, the Chief Minister said. Ministers Jupally Krishna Rao and Jagadeeshwar Reddy, Mission Bhagiratha Vice Chairman Prashanth Reddy, Principal Advisor to the Government Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary SP Singh, and others participated. The Chief Minister reiterated that the re-organisation of the districts is done to decentralize the administration and offices should be better equipped for an effective administration to the people. He said except the Police and Fire services offices, all other administrative offices should be housed at one place. The proposed Integrated Office complexes should be designed keeping in view the future necessities. Mr Rao has examined the designs made for the Integrated Office Complexes. He said the proposed office complexes will have adequate provision for Toilets, Lunch Room, Banks, ATM, Mee Seva centres, Record Room, Strong Room, Electricity sub Station, and Animal Traps and Conference hall to accommodate about 1000 people should be created. The Chief Minister wanted the proposed Complexes should come up in 20 to 25 acres of land in every district and added that certain District Collectors have already identified the land for the Complexes and wanted layouts and designs to be finalised as early as possible. He said the District Police Offices in Tamil Nadu was good and added a team of officers under the DGP should visit Tamil Nadu, study and submit proposals and designs to him.UNI KNR CS 1034 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1115041.Xml
No fresh vehicle will be allowed from Srinagar or Jammu today on the national highway, connecting the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country, a traffic police official said this morning. There are large number of Kashmir-bound vehicles, including those carrying passengers, stranded on the highway since yesterday, he told UNI. ''We have decided to allow fresh traffic only once all stranded vehicles are cleared,'' he said. One-way traffic on the highway was resumed yesterday when vehicles from Jammu to Srinagar were allowed after remaining suspended for three days due to heavy snowfall and landslides. However, there were fresh landslides at Pantiyal and Sheer Bibi and other areas between Ramban and Ramsu, forcing authorities to suspend traffic again on the highway, he said, adding the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, immediately pressed into service sophisticated machines and men and put the highway through again in the afternoon. However, due to slippery road conditions in the evening when the temperature goes below freezing temperature, traffic was again suspended to avoid any accident. There are large number of Kashmir-bound vehicles stranded on other side of the Jawahar tunnel, he said, adding it has been decided to allow stranded vehicles to move towards their respective destinations before fresh traffic is allowed on the highway. People travelling from Jammu to Srinagar alleged that they were stopped at a place on the highway where there is no arrangement and even children had to remain without food. Only one-way traffic will be allowed on the highway till further orders, he said, adding decision to resume traffic from both sides will be taken only after the weather and road conditions improve. However, there is a forecast for heavy to very heavy snowfall during the next 48 hours in the region, including on the highway.UNI BAS SV 0929 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-1115000.Xml
Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC), a political outfit led by Sunni Barelvi cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, will be contesting 70 seats in Bareilly, Moradabad and Meerut divisions, which will be going to polls in the first two phases of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The party had announced 12 candidates from Meerut division here yesterday. Maulana Khan said here today that his party will award tickets without considering caste and religion as factors. "As communal forces target Bareilly, we have decided to send out a message of brotherhood here. In Bareilly district, which has nine assembly constituencies, six tickets will be awarded to Hindus while remaining three will go to candidates belonging to the minority community. For empowering women, we will give three tickets to them," he added. He further said that his supporters in Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich wants the party to contest elections from there but the party lacks appropriate resources and time. He added that candidates for the remaining constituencies falling under Bareilly, Moradabad and Meerut divisions will be declared in a couple of days. Though the cleric had earlier claimed that he wanted to form a grand alliance in UP on the lines of the one in Bihar, he said his party now does not want to be part of the SP-Congress alliance. "When Mulayam himself claimed that Akhilesh is working against Muslims, there is no scope of forming an alliance with the SP as he is against brotherhood between the two communities," said Maulana Khan and claimed that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister did injustice to SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. The IMC has declared candidates for Kairana, Shamli Sadar, Budhana, Charthaval, Purqazi, Sivalkhas, Sardhana, Chaprauli, Badot, Baghpat, Loni and Sahibabad constituencies. Meanwhile, chairperson of Nawabganj Nagar Palika, Shaila Tahir, who belonged to the Mulayam Singh Yadav faction in the Samajwadi Party, has joined IMC yesterday. Though Mr Mulayam had given ticket to Ms Tahir from Nawabganj, the state Chief Minister had announced the ticket from the same seat for his close aide and sitting MLA, Bhagwat Saran Gangwar, due to which Ms Tahir left the SP and joined the IMC. Ms Tahir said, "Mulayam gave me the ticket from Nawabganj as he was aware that I am a strong contestant but Mr Akhilesh replaced me with a person who has done nothing for development for the last 20 years. I was denied a ticket due to the internal feud in the SP. As I was hurt, I left the SP for IMC, which is a secular party."UNI MB SV 1104 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1115058.Xml
PMK Founder Dr S Ramadoss today urged Tamil NaduChief Minister O Panneerselvam and officials to camp in New Delhi till President Pranab Mukherjee gives his nod for the draft Ordinance to conduct Jallikattu andreturn to the State victoriously. In a statement here, he said the Union Home Ministry and the President shouldimmediately accord sanction for the Ordinance and the process should be completedwithin 24 hours to ensure that the bull taming sport was held next week. ''Till the President give his assent for the Ordinance, the Chief Minister should stayin New Delhi and return to Chennai on a victorious note', he added. Stating that the state government's decision to bring in an Ordinance, though belated was welcome, Dr Ramadoss sought to know why the state government did not do so before the Pongal festival, if it knew that it had powers for promulgating it. The state government owed an explanation for this, he added. Observing that the Centre's argument branding bulls in the list of performing animals itself was wrong, Dr Ramadoss said in fact, the real cruelty to the bulls was caused by not allowing it to run freely. He said after the bulls go past the Vaadivasal path, the youths would only try to tame it. However, on most of the occasions, the bulls would cross the borderwithout any hurdles. ''Since bulls are not displayed as performing animals like elephants and primates,banning the sport like Jallkattu is unnecessary'', he added.UNI GV CS 1112 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1115078.Xml
The couple-- Bhashamia (58) and Rubhinnsha (55) were proceeding to Pakpatla village after attending a marriage at Karimnagar when the accident occured, police said.

The bodies were shifted to Nirmal Government Hospital for post-mortem.

A case has been registered and an investigation is on, police added.UNI VV CS 1256

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1115179.Xml
Speaking at the Bengal Global Business Summit here. Ms Banerjee said,"Bengal is a gateway to north-eastern states. You can also reach out to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal from here."

'' Thailand, Singapore are 2.5 hours away from Bengal. ASEAN countries have connectivity with Bengal, '' she added.

The chief minister said, "Consider us as your family member. Treat Bengal as your home. Come, invest and make Bengal your home," adding, '' Size of Bengal's economy has more than doubled. Our tax revenues have doubled in four years. It is a record. ''

"We are delighted to have President Pranab Da among us. He is the son of the soil.We welcome all the delegates and representatives from various countries who have come to Bengal Summit 2017. The Bengal Global Business Summit is a milestone. We have an overwhelming presence of delegates from other countries," Ms Banerjee stated.MORE UNI BM SJC

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-1115257.Xml
Legislation cannot help fight growing challenges related to cyber threats across the globe and multiple sectors including financial operations and defence, experts said here even as some say there is "long way to go" with regard the role of countries in fighting the menace jointly. "You cannot legislate anything and everything in this field," said Patricia Lewis, Research Director, of UL-based think tank Chatham House. She said rather international community should develop need for a foolproof cyber security as a necessary good habit in one's life. "It's time we develop need for cyber security as good hygiene, wherein everyone has basic understanding that there is pertinent need for cyber security," she said. She and other experts including from software giant Microsoft, the United States and China were talking on 'Cyber security - The internet on Risks' at the Second Raisina Dialogue that concluded here yesterday. Li Yan, vice president of China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said cyber threats should be regarded as an "important challenge" and the global community should think of evolving common mechanism to fight the menace. She said in general "the states' (nations) behaviour" has long way to go and thus she laid emphasis on improving the overall efficacy of the global community and various countries vis-a-vis internet security. More UNI DEVN SV 1400 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0445-1115247.Xml
After Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) backed away from the alliance, now the ruling Samajwadi Party and the Congress pre-poll alliance in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections is under threat. Even though there was no official announcement of the alliance, but before it takes any shape, SP took a rigid stand and announced candidates in all the 140 seats in first two phases of the elections here today. SP today released 191 list with giving tickets to the party candidates in all the Congress sitting seats in Bulandshahr,Kanpur, Rampur, Shamli and Mathura. Congress general secretary Gulam Nabi Azad is rushing to Lucknow this afternoon from New Delhi along with other leaders to talk with Akhilesh Yadav. SP national vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda, though confirmed that the talks with the Congress is still on and anything can happen but they were also ready to contest from all the 403 seats in the state. "We are ready to accommodate them by giving around 80 to 85 seats though their claim should not be more than 54 seats as per the alliance theory," he said while adding that no one should take SP for granted. "There is some dispute over the seats and we will not give our sitting seats. We will give candidature from Amethi seat and will not leave the Lucknow( Cantonment ) seat also," he stated. Mulayam Singh Yadav's youngest daughter -in- law Aparna Yadav would be contesting from Lucknow (Cantonment) seat which was represented by Congress mLA Rita Bahuguna Joshi who had shifted to BJP now. Mr Nanda, however, also gave some feelers to the Congress saying that still there are scope for an alliance with Congress. Mr Nanda said they were forced to give ticket in the Congress seat in the first two phases as the time was just passing away as the last date for the nominations for the first phase of polls in January 24. The leader also announced that the second list of the party would be released within a day or two while the manifesto of the party would be released on Monday next. He also confirmed that there would be no alliance with RLD in this elections. The problem has arose between SP- and Congress in seat sharing after Congress demanded more seats in Amethi and Rae Bareli districts. Congress has just two seats out of the total 10 with rest 8 has SP MLAs. The talks with RLD broke off after they demanded around 30 seats while SP was just ready to spare 15 to it.UNI MB SHS -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1115246.Xml
The condition of the turncoats in Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls has become critical, as several of them are forced to opt for other alternative political factions. Denied BJP tickets for the Assembly polls, MLA-brothers Bhagwan Sharma alias Guddu Pandit and Mukesh Sharma, who were earlier expelled from SP, said they will join the Rashtriya Lok Dal. The siblings had openly supported BJP in the UP Rajya Sabha elections, after which their membership was cancelled. An emotional Bhagwan Sharma alias Guddu Pandit, and his younger brother Mukesh, told a press conference here yesterday that they are going to join the RLD and contest from Anoopshahr and Shikarpur Assembly constituencies of this district, respectively. Guddu Pandit had defeated Rajveer Singh, son of ex-CM and now Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh, from Debai Assembly segment in 2007 and 2012 on BSP and SP tickets, respectively. Mukesh entered politics arena in 2012 and was elected MLA from Shikarpur segment here on SP ticket. Recently after BJP denied ticket to Guddu, he even tried to meet chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, but he was refused entry inside the CM residence. Similarly, former leader of Opposition in the UP Assembly and ex-BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya too could face the same fate like Guddu Pandit. Swami is seeking ticket for himself, his son and daughter from BJP, but the party has refused to entertain tickets for several persons from a family. BJP was only ready to give Swami ticket from Padrauna seat, while his son is demanding from Uchahar, which the party has refused to accept. Meanwhile, UP BJP General Secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said the party was only giving ticket to those, who can win the seat. "Only winnablity is the criteria for getting ticket,'' he added.UNI MB RJ 1446 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1115333.Xml
Aam Aadmi Party today strongly condemned Shiromani Akali Dal sarpanch for abetting Dalit boys' suicide in Bhai Bakhtaur village in Bathinda district and lambasted the SAD leadership for shielding criminals and absorbing them in the party. AAP Campaign committee chairman Bhagwant Singh Mann in a statement here said Akali leaders have become law into themselves and indulging in unlawful activities with impunity. The office bearers of SAD were involved in cases ranging from molestation to murder. Mr Mann said SAD sarpanch Charanjit Singh had beaten up 15-year-old Gurpreet Singh, forced school staff to strike his name from rolls. He said SAD leaders involved in criminal activities had full backing of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Youth Akali Dal patron Bikram Singh Majithia. He recalled the incident of slapping of a protesting woman teacher by Daula village sarpanch in Bathinda during the sangat darshan programme of SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal. The Sarpanch was arrested under public and media pressure and later he got bail but the case didn't move further. Mr Mann said Youth Akali Dal office bearer Ranjit Singh Rana had killed Assistant Sub Inspector Ravinder Pal Singh in full public view in Amritsar when he tried to protect dignity of his daughter from Akali goons. He said SAD leader Shiv Lal Doda is another SAD leader who murdered Dalit boy Bhim tank in Abohar. He is being patronised by Sukhbir Singh Badal for contesting election as an independent. He said youth Akali Dal Ludhiana rural president Gurdip Singh Mithu was caught only yesterday by police for possessing 275 bottles of illicit liquor. Liquor was meant to influence the voters. He said Mr Bikram Majithia had recruited hundreds of criminals in the youth wing and Students Organisation of India, a student wing of SAD. He said members of YAD and SOI are threat to peace and communal harmony in the state.UNI KS SW ADG 1437 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1115252.Xml
He was taken into preventive custody for joining the 'Rail Roko Agitation' at Chennai's Mambalam station.

DMK workers, in huge numbers, broke the barricading here while voicing their support for Jallikattu.

While holding the 'Rail Roko agitation', headed by Stalin, the DMK workers halted a train at Mambalam Railway Station by lying down on the railway tracks.

The widespread pro-Jallikattu protests have lead to charges and counter-charges by political parties, even as the call for legal remedies to revive the bull-taming game is getting louder. (ANI)
Prime MInister Narendra Modi and departing US ambassador Richard Verma today agreed that the India-US relationship was stronger than ever. The sentiments were expressed by the US envoy, when he called on the Prime Minister on the last day of his tenure and thanked Mr Modi for his leadership and vision. During the meeting, which he described as ''a personal farewell'', the two noted the substantial progress made in India-US relationship over the past two years. Mr Verma, an Indian-American, will be stepping down barely two years after taking over as the new Republican administration headed by Donald Trump is sworn in today in Washington. ''We discussed bilateral accomplishments in the area of clean energy, trade, defense, and people-to-people ties, as well as the broader benefits that our efforts have brought to the world,'' Mr Verma said. The two also recalled the Prime Minister's address to a joint session of the US Congress as well as President Barack Obama's visit to India as chief guest at its Republic Day celebrations. Mr Verma, in his farewell address at the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia last night, expressed deep satisfaction that the India-US shared effort over the past two years had fixed the course of a partnership that would benefit and shape the lives of millions. ''Today, at this very moment, the United States and India are working together on the most pressing challenges facing the planet, from combating climate change to terrorism, from public health to internet governance. Our work together doesn't always grab the headlines, but we have quietly built up a trusted close partnership one that President Obama calls "the defining relationship of the 21st Century," with Prime Minister Modi referring to us as "natural allies,'' he concluded.UNI SD SHK 1651 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-1115581.Xml
As Donald Trump assumes power tonight in the United States, former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai has suggested that the new President and his team should take a deep look at the Afghan policy and correct the mistakes committed during the past 15 years. Mr Karzai said "obviously some things have gone wrong during this period. That is why we have not been able to defeat Taliban and other extremist forces despite our best efforts which yielded good results initially". In conversation with Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar as part of the second edition of the Raisina Dialogue that ended last evening, Mr Karzai suggested that US, along with Russia, China and India, should sit together and work out an effectively new policy. Mr Karzai said he believes new President Trump's willingness to cooperate with Russia to fight extremists and terrorists would help fight terror more effectively in the region. He said US's ally Pakistan was itself responsible for the failure of the US's Afghan policy, as it, through the ISI, encouraged and assisted regrouping of Taliban activists who had gone back and settled in villages after losing power. He said it used religion to motivate the Taliban activists and supporters, as it had been doing in India and other neighbouring countries. Mr Karzai regretted that despite informing Washington about these activities of Pakistan, the US did not deter it from these activities and continued the aid and grants. If the US had put stringent conditions for providing aid, it would have deterred the Pakistan leadership and army from assisting the Taliban, he noted.More UNI NAZ SHK 1640 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0091-1115565.Xml
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar demanded raising of a new Indian Reserve Battalion and expedite of police modernisation during his discussion with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh two days ago in New Delhi. Chief secretary Y P Singh said that the Chief Minister also asked Home Minister for speedy repatriation of Reang Refugees from North Tripura camps to Mizoram which had been embroiled in deadlock for the last 20 years. The long pending issue of handing over of Assam Rifles ground to the state Government, Chief Minister during his talks with the union minister lamented that though the issues had been raised several times in the past but they had not been addressed till now. However, Sarkar demanded to sort out the issues this time without delay. On new IR Battalions, Union Home Minister assured that the Board of Police Research and Development (BPRD) study had recommended the same. The matter had now been taken up with the Finance Ministry afresh and would be put up for Cabinet approval. Regarding police modernisation fund, Home Minister said an umbrella scheme was being worked out which would also take care of police modernisation requirements. In all likelihood, the scheme would be sanctioned after the Budget session. UNI BB AKM 1608 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-1115511.Xml
Though Uttar Pradesh Congress was still hopeful for the alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Assembly polls, but was also ready with the candidates list for all 403 Assembly seats in the state, in case of any adverse situation. UP Congress President Raj Babbar, who rushed from New Delhi this afternoon, told media at the state party office here today that he was not aware of the alliance, being on threat. "Congress will always go on talks with any party of the same ideology taking in consideration with the respect of the party cadres. We have to take care of bigger issues before the state like the communal forces and smaller vested interest should be shed," he suggested. Commenting on the SP list, Mr Babbar said "every party has the right to declare its list and other parties cannot question it. We are also ready with our own 403 candidates list." SP has released a list of 191 candidates, nominating party workers in all Congress sitting seats in the first two phases of the Assembly polls. Mr Babbar said that Congress has always cared for smaller parties like Peace Party and will go with them. Meanwhile, the state Congress chief confirmed that he had come to Lucknow to sign Form B, used for allotting symbols to the candidates contesting the elections from the party. However, he did not disclose how many forms he had signed.UNI MB RJ ADG 1653 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1115534.Xml
Several software engineers working in variousIT companies in this city of Palaces today joined pro-Jallikattuprotest, intensified in Chennai, by staging a protest against ban onthe event. The protesters held aloft posters demanding Jallikattu andshouted slogans in support of the practice. "We have employees from IT companies like Infosys and Wipro here.Employees from other IT companies like L&T too are expected to jointhe protest," said Shantha Murthy, Vice President of Tamil Sangham, Mysuru. Ms Poonguzali, an executive committee member of Tamil Sangham inMysuru, said most of the protesters participating in the protesthailed from rural parts of Tamil Nadu. "For them Jallikattu is partof their culture and they are voicing their opposition to the ban ona cultural practice."UNI BSP MSP CS 1621 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1115529.Xml
Karnataka Minister for Water Resources M B Patil has convened a meeting of State legal team headed bysenior Advocate Fali S Nariman, at New Delhi tomorrow to discussinter-state river water sharing disputes, including that of Cauvery,Krishna and Mahadayi. Prior to this, the Minister had a preliminary meeting with thesenior officials of his department as well as of the Law departmentyesterday and took stock of the status of the water disputes pendingin the Tribunals as well as in the Supreme Court. The issues relating to notification of the final order of theJustice Brijesh Kumar chaired, Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal-II,filing application in the Supreme court, appealing to reconsider itsorder to release 2000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu, and theSupreme court's order on an SLP on the verdict of the Mahadayitribunal's refusal to grant interim relief on release of 7.56 tmc ofwater from the Kalasa Bandura streams, are likely to come up fordiscussion in the tomorrow's meeting. It may be recalled that unless the Center notify the finalverdict of the KWDT-II, in which, among other things, had allowedKarnataka to raise the height of the Alamatti reservoir, from thepresent 519.26 meters to 524.256 meters, the state cannot installthe gates to impound its share of water allocated by the Tribunal. Mr L K Atheeq, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, RakeshSingh, Principal Secretary, Karnataka Water Resources department andothers officers will also attend the meeting. UNI MSP CS 1702 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1115612.Xml
In yet another horrific incident, a seven-year-old minor girl was raped and brutally murdered at in Sonapur area on the outskirts of Guwahati by three men. The gory incident came to light after the body of the minor, who had gone missing from her house on Wednesday evening, was recovered from near the railway tracks. The three accused have been identified as Hemanta Das, Bapdhan Das and Pabindra Das and were beaten up by villagers before they were handed over to police. Angry villagers vandalised the house of one of the accused and physically assaulted him and the other accused following which they admitted to the crime and led the irate villagers to the place where they had dumped the body of the minor. Agitated villagers also accused police of not acting swiftly even after a missing complaint was filed at the local police station yesterday. "The girl had gone missing from her house at around 3pm yesterday. We launched a massive search and even filed a complaint with police. But police did not act swiftly," a villager said to a local channel, adding that they want exemplary punishment for the rape accused. "They have committed a heinous crime. They must be hanged. If they come out of prison, they will commit similar crimes with other girls and women," a woman of the village said. The incident comes less than 48 hours after a woman was seriously injured after she jumped off a moving mini-truck to escape a rape bid by three persons at Silonijan in Karbi Anglong-Golaghat border on Tuesday. UNI ABI AKM 1751 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-1115770.Xml
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal today said anticipating his defeat, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has asked his friend and Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh to help him out by dividing anti-incumbency votes. Addressing election rallies in support of AAP candidate Jarnail Singh at different villages, Mr Kejriwal said Capt Singh's motive to contest from Lambi is to help Badal. He accused Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress of looting Punjab. At village Sarawa Bodla, the AAP supremo said it is confirm that Sukhbir Badal will lose his deposit from Jalalabad and added that that people must stay aware from Congress-SAD negative propaganda. He promised to waive off debt of farmer after formation of AAP government in Punjab and also assured that recommendations of Swaminathan Commission will be implemented within three years of government formation. Mr Kejriwal also promised that the pensions for widow, old and physically handicapped will be increased to Rs 2500 and the industry will be installed at large scale to create 25 lakhs jobs that will revive the economy of state. Youth of Punjab will be given 80 per cent quota in jobs. Electricity charges will be decreased on term of Delhi, he said. The Delhi CM said Cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia will be sent behind the bars till April 15 and people responsible for desecration of Guru Granth Sahib will be given exemplary punishments. He said that it does not matter who will be the chief minister of state but it will be his responsibility to fulfill the promises made by party with people of Punjab. AAP candidate from Lambi Jarnail Singh said that AAP is committed to provide a peaceful and corruption free environment in Punjab and it will end gundaraj of Badals after formation of government. He announced that dealers of Badals, Dyal Singh Kolianwali and Tajinder Singh Middukhera will be sent to jail for their wrong doings. He said that people have a chance to shun Badal and Amarinder by just pressing the button of voting machine. He assured that face of Lambi will be change and rule of people will prevail.UNI DB SW ADG 1755 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1115728.Xml
Kejriwal's remarks came in response to reports that a Delhi court quashed charges against AAP MLA from Tilak Nagar Jarnail Singh who was charged for allegedly assaulting a South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) official.

"This is a big and tight slap on Narendra Modi who has been foisting false cases on AAP MLAs and ministers," Kejriwal tweeted.

"Modi should apologise to the country for implicating AAP MLAs in false cases," he added.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday registered a preliminary inquiry in the appointment of Satyendar Jain's daughter Soumya Jain as 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.

Jarnail Singh was chargesheeted by Delhi Police for allegedly assaulting an SDMC junior engineer and preventing him from carrying out his duty in April 2015.

The junior engineer and his team had gone to demolish an illegal structure in west Delhi when Singh had allegedly intervened.

--IANS vv-am/pgh/dg

( 206 Words)

2017-01-20-19:22:08 (IANS)
Ahead of the visit of Crown Prince Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India to attend the Republic Day celebrations as its Chief Guest, India and United Arab Emirates today held their first ever Strategic Dialogue. Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar and his UAE counterpart Dr Anwar Gargash co-chaired the Dialogue, the structure of which was agreed as at the highest level to elevate their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In the inaugural meeting the two sides were represented by strong delegations drawn from a number of relevant Ministries and Departments, a statement issued by the MEA said. During the meeting, the two sides discussed a number of issues ranging from cooperation in the areas of trade and investments to expanding the bilateral cooperation to new areas under the strategic partnership, inter alia in the areas of energy security & renewable energy, defence and security, electronics and information technology and space. "The meeting provided a timely opportunity to prepare for the forthcoming State visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi as the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations. The two sides agreed on a number of new initiatives to further strengthen the bilateral cooperation and on signing of fresh instruments of cooperation," said the statement. The Crown Prince will be visiting India from Jan 24 to 26, during which he would hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral, regional and global issues of common interest.UNI MK SHK 1930 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-1116021.Xml
In continuing drive against smuggling of contraband narcotics into 'dry' Bihar, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) sleuths seized seven quintals of ganja being smuggled from Agartalla and arrested two Tripura based smugglers from Bakthiuarpur on the outskirts in the state capital today. NCB Zonal Director T N Singh said here that the NCB personnel seized 700 kgs of ganja worth more than Rs 4.5 lakh following a tip off. He said two smugglers, who are natives of Tripura were nabbed from the spot. He said both smugglers were being thoroughly interrogated by the NCB personnel to nab the other members of their gang. Only six days back, the NCB personnel had seized 33 quintals of ganja from a truck near Ramashish roundabout in Hajipur, the district headquarters of Vaishali district. The consignment was being smuggled from Odisha when it was intercepted by the NCB personnel.Two smugglers one from Bihar and another from Jharkhand were arrested from the spot. Smuggling of ganja into the state has seen alarming jump following enforcement of prohibition in the state in April last and according to a conservative estimate, it has increased by around 2-3 folds. The price of ganja has also grown from Rs 3,000 per kg to Rs 6,500-Rs 7000 per kg in grey market.Similarly, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawans had seized 4.6 kgs of charas worth Rs 46 lakh and arrested two smugglers near Indo-Nepal border under Chauradano police station area in East Champaran district yesterday. Sources at SSB said the consignment was intercepted on Chauradano railway station road when smugglers identified as Mohammed Muzamin and Mahesh Prasad were carrying it on a vehicle. The nabbed peddlers along with narcotics had been handed over to local police for further investigation. UNI DH RN 1909 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0311-1116002.Xml
A spokesman for the MDU here today said as part of this fellowship, Dr Tiwari would visit Australia to do research on structure- function relationship of bacteriocin of Lactobacillus in collaboration with renowned scientist Prof. Fasseli Coulibaly of Monash University, Australia.

Dr Tiwari will also visit Professor Sanjay Patole's Laboratory, KEM Hospital, Perth to understand the therapeutic applications of bacteriocins. He will deliver a lecture on 'Therapeutic applications of bacteriocins of probiotic lactic acid bacteria'. The bacteriocins have shown great advantage over clinical antibiotics for least resistance developments for pathogens.

He said Dr Tiwari had earlier been awarded Indo-US research fellowship by Indo-US Science and Technology Forum, New Delhi for his research achievements.

MDU vice-chancellor BK Punia, Registrar Jitender Bhardwaj, Dean, faculty of Life Science Prof PK Jaiwal and Head, Department of Genetics JP Yadav have congratulated Dr Tiwari for his achievements and conveyed good wishes for successful completion of international research project.UNI JS AE SHK 1900

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1115907.Xml
Haryana Government has decided to offer rebate of one per cent on deposit of property tax through cashless transactions in all Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Municipalities in the state. In a statement issued here today, Urban Local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain, said that Chief MinisterManohar Lal, had approved a proposal to this effect. She said the decision was taken to encourage the people to adopt different methods of digital payments to pay property tax and other bills instead of standing in long queues. A DigiDhan Mela would also be organised in Sonepat on January 31, 2017 to promote cashless transactions, she added.UNI JS AE ADG 1933 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1115964.Xml
"It must not hesitate to tell the powers their errors in commission and omission. It is a fundamental function of the media and a basic requirement for the functioning of a healthy democracy," Ansari said after giving away the C.H. Mohammed Koya National Journalism Awards 2016.

Speaking on the freedom enjoyed by the press in India, Ansari said: "In its 2016 assessment of press freedom in India, the Freedom House, Freedom of Press report, categorised India as 'partially free', with an overall score of 41 (out of 100)."

"The Press status report by the organisation Reporters sans Frontiers was even more critical, ranking India 133 out of 180 countries in terms of press vitality and freedom."

The Vice President said: "Freedom of media is vital for accountability and transparency. It is a pillar of democracy, the rule of law and good governance and contributes to more inclusive and sustainable development, and in empowering citizens of our country."

The awards were instituted in the memory of former Chief Minister of Kerala C. H. Mohammed Koya.

--IANS rs/ahm/bg

( 204 Words)

2017-01-20-20:22:07 (IANS)
The exhibition, organised by renowned artist Yogeshwar Verma, was a free mixture of paintings depicting different aspects of life.

The Minister appreciated the different shades of art displayed and exhibited in the event and expressed the hope that this exposure to artist's creativity would further enhance his skills in the world of art.

She said such events immensely help in promotion of specific art of a particular region besides providing an opportunity to peep into the world of art.

The Minister appealed the people to come and witness the exhibition in maximum numbers so that this unique talent is encouraged and promoted.

She said J&K is blessed with magnificent scenic splendor and grandeur which inspires the artists in their creations and it is the commitment of the government to support such artists to further sharpen their talent.UNI VBH PY 2026

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1116238.Xml
The Jharkhand government had initially identified three projects -- Namkum-Kandra, Giridih-Parasnath-Madhuban, Tori-Chatra Rail Line covering a length of 222 km at a cost of Rs 2150 crore for taking up through the proposed JV company after establishing their viability, bankability and financial closure, a statement said here today.

Besides Jharkhand, governments of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat have already signed JV agreement with the Railways.

Jharkhand with 51 percent equity is the ninth state which had agreed to form a JV company with the Ministry of Railways.

The present railway network density in Jharkhand is 17.64 km per 100 sqkm which is the best in India and way above the national average of 2.01 km per 100 sqkm.

The average outlay to Jharkhand in Railway Budget was Rs1544.3 crore during 2014-15 to 2016-17 which is an increase of 238 per cent over the average outlay of 457.2 crore during 2009-10 to 2013-14. UNI RBE SB 2037

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0427-1116181.Xml
Counsel for Chief Minister told mediapersons here today that the appeal is likely to be come for hearing before Vocation judge of Himachal Pradesh High court on March 9, 2017.

Mr Singh have challenged the ordered stating that he was aggrieved by its findings by the Tribunal.

The matter was taken up for hearing by the court and after being satisfied by the arguments made by the counsel for the chief minister the court issued notice to the income tax authorities.

The court directed the Tax authorities to file a reply to the appeal and also directed that no assessment order be could be passed by the authorities that any assessment action taken by the authorities would be subject to finale final outcome of the appeal.

The counsel claimed that court restrained the authorities from passing any final order against the chief minister.

Earlier, the Income Tax Tribunal, Chandigarh, had dismissed the appeal of the Chief Minister where he had challenged thee reassessment of his income tax returns by the authorities. UNI ML SB 2117

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1116149.Xml
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has taken strong exception of statement made by RSS spokesman Manmohan Vaid that RSS is against reservation and a consensus shall be evolved to end the reservation. In a statement here today, AAP Punjab convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich said that Manmohan Vaid had made the shocking statement at Jaipur Lit festival today and it exposed the real face of RSS and its off shot BJP which is an alliance partner of SAD. He said that RSS was secretly working to isolate the poor sections of society and to deprive them of benefits granted by constitution of India. The AAP leader said that RSS was an anti-national outfit hate against dalits is deep rooted in the heart of RSS leaders. He warned the Dalits against the sinister designs of SAD-BJP alliance in Punjab. The Badal family was working under influence of RSS and they have put their business interests above the interests of state and people of Punjab. He asked the Akali Dal and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to clarify their stand on the statement of RSS spokesman who vehemently opposed reservation at a public platform. He said that BJP wanted to implement its agenda through its agents like Badals who are wearing the panthic mask.UNI DB SB 2130 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0292-1116237.Xml
Chairman of the Bajaj Group Rahul Bajaj greeted Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in Davos, Switzerland today. A government press release here today said Mr Bajaj congratulated the CM for representing India and Andhra Pradesh in Davos. Mr Naidu felicitated him with a shawl and presented the famous Kondapalli bomma memento. The CM met Amit Narayana, CEO, AutoGrid system. Later, Mr Naidu held a meeting with Anne Cairns, President, International Markets, MasterCard. Ms Cairns said master card is now simplifying technology to reach all small retailers and consumers. She assured that she would share all the best practices from around the world in implementing the digital payments system in Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister invited master card to open their technology centre in Visakhapatnam Fintech centre to which she responded by saying that she would discuss with the Asia operations head and work out the proposal. Later, the Chief Minister met Ravi Kumar from Infosys. Mr Kumar informed the Chief Minister that they have plans for expansion in Visakhapatnam. The Chief Minister will have a meeting with European Telugu community tomorrow. UNI DP PY 2239 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1116301.Xml
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayansamy today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make speedy arrangements to continue the tradition of Jallikattu (taming of bulls). In a letter to Mr Modi, Mr Narayanasmay said,"Since time immemorial, every year during the Tamil Month of 'Thai', ie, in the month of January, all Tamilians are traditionally celebrating Jallikattu and it is the cultural festival of Tamilians and inherited for many generations. It is the part of Pongal Celebration / Sankranti Celebrations. Jallikattu is the part of worship of Bull and the show of strength of our culture. "However, because of the intervention of the Supreme Court, this Jallikattu celebration has not been celebrated recently and all Tamilians are agitating about the discontinuance of it, particularly entire youth population unitedly resorting to peaceful agitations without any law and order problem, for celebrating Jallikattu." The CM on behalf of the people of Puducherry urged the PM to take steps for issue of ordinance to continue to celebrate the Jallikattu cultural festival in Tamil Nadu. "We whole-heartedly support the celebration of Jallikattu, like any other leader speaks and supports in Tamil Nadu in this regard", he said. Meanwhile,over 5,000 students continued their agitation at the AFT grounds braving heavy down pour tonight.UNI PAB PY 2301 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1116393.Xml
In the wake of the massive opposition being raised to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Combined Commander's Conference in Dehradun stating it is an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to take political advantage, the Election Commission on Friday said the visit would not be a public meeting, adding that no media briefing or announcement shall be made. The response by the poll panel came after Congress' accusation against Prime Minister Modi of taking undue political advantage from the upcoming Conference. The Commission also said that holding the Conference at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, is subjected to strict observance of following conditions. "The official visit shall not be combined with any public meeting; No media briefing, media interaction, press release or announcement in connection with serving soldier or ex-servicemen which may affect the electorate in five poll going states including Uttarakhand shall be made," a statement read. In a press conference held in Dehradun yesterday, Chief Minister Harish Rawat told reporters that the Prime Minister was attempting to breach the Election Commission's directive by using such meetings for political gains. Rawat said it was strange the commanders' conference 2016, was being held now and that too in a poll-bound state. The Chief Minister further 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. (ANI)
A New York City resident who prosecutors said tried two years ago to board a flight to Turkey on his way to Syria in order to join Islamic State pleaded guilty to having conspired to provide material support to the militant group.Akhror Saidakhmetov, a 21-year-old citizen of Kazakhstan, entered his plea in federal court in Brooklyn to conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, prosecutors said.He faces up to 15 years in prison and removal to Kazakhstan, prosecutors said. A lawyer for Saidakhmetov did not immediately respond to a request for comment.He is one of six individuals charged in the case and one of more than 100 people who have faced US federal charges in connection with Islamic State since 2014.The investigation began when Abdurasul Juraboev, an Uzbek national living in Brooklyn, came to law enforcement's attention after making a post on an Uzbek-language website that supported Islamic State, prosecutors said.The probe revealed that Juraboev and Saidakhmetov, a friend and coworker who shared similar views, planned to travel to Turkey and then to Syria to join Islamic State, prosecutors said.Speaking to a paid law enforcement informant, Saidakhmetov said his mother had feared he would do so and had taken his passport, which he planned to get back by saying he was going to Uzbekistan to visit relatives, according to court papers.According to charging documents, Saidakhmetov had also expressed interest in joining the US military to either pass information to Islamic State to help in their attacks or to open fire on soldiers to kill as many as possible.Saidakhmetov's efforts to join Islamic State received funding help from four co-defendants, prosecutors said.He was arrested in February 2015 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, where he was attempting to fly to Istanbul. Juraboev was scheduled to leave the United States in March 2015, prosecutors said.Juraboev pleaded guilty in August 2015 to conspiring to provide material support to Islamic State. Charges against the four other men - Azizjon Rakhmatov, Abror Habibov, Dilkhayot Kasimov and Akmal Zakirov - remain pending. REUTERS JW0717 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-1114968.Xml
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who will visit Myanmar today, said the former British colony's transition to democracy was not yet complete but that Britain would offer its full support as a friend."Burma's transition to democracy is not yet complete but it is worth reflecting on just how far Burma has come since Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party took office just nine months ago," Johnson said in a statement."The UK, as a longstanding and long term friend to Burma, will continue to offer its fullest support," he said. "I look forward to seeing Burma continue to develop into a country where there is peace and prosperity for all its people."On the visit, the first to Myanmar by a British foreign minister in five years, Johnson will meet leader Suu Kyi, members of the Rakhine Commission and leaders of different ethnic groups to discuss the peace process. REUTERS SDR VP1250 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-1115166.Xml
Despite a recent thaw in bilateral relations, the future of ties between Havana and Washington remains uncertain under Donald Trump, who is going to be sworn-in as the President of the US in next few hours, a Cuban expert has said. Luis Suarez, a Cuban expert on international relations, believes a Trump administration will maintain some of outgoing President Barack Obama's policies towards Cuba, but reverse others, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. "They are going to make a case-by-case analysis of which policies are suitable, not only for the bilateral relationship, but for their own interests," Suarez said. Certain bilateral agreements on security matters, for example, enjoy bipartisan support in the US Congress and benefit Washington's national security interests. "Cuba is perceived by the designers of US military and security policies as an ally in the fight against drug trafficking, uncontrolled migration and trans-national crimes, and Trump shouldn't modify that," said the academic, a professor at Havana's Higher Institute of International Relations. However, the incoming President had criticised Obama's rapprochement with Cuba as "weak", and signalled he would strong-arm Havana into making more concessions to the US. The 45th President will be more disposed to applying "hard power", that is military or economic mechanisms, to sway Cuba, in contrast to the soft-sell approach of his predecessor. "The rather original and creative soft power that Obama used, a combination of persuasion and smarts, won't be continued. Trump is likely to use more instruments of hard power, including negotiating with Cuba through force and coercion," Suarez said. Suarez does not expect the "environment of reciprocity and mutual respect" that has characterised negotiations since December 2014 to prevail. The two countries have signed 21 agreements in different areas such as environmental protection, maritime safety, joint search and rescue, air transport, energy and others. Many of these accords may be subject to a "re-analysis of policy toward Cuba, from their perception that Obama made many concessions to the Cuban government", Suarez said. One positive sign has been the incoming administration's response to Obama's scrapping of the "dry foot, wet foot" immigration policy, which exclusively lured Cubans to the US with the promise of fast-track residency, and has for decades made a mockery of legal migration. According to the White House, Trump's team was told of the move before it was announced on January 12, and so far there have been no objections. In the past two weeks, Washington and Havana have inked cooperation agreements on joint responses to potential oil spills in the gulf and the Florida Straits, on law enforcement and information sharing, and on maritime and aeronautical search and rescue. US policy toward Cuba still aims to bring about regime change, Suarez warned, so it's possible Trump will crank up confrontation. In view of a possible setback in bilateral ties, Suarez said the Cuban government must continue to diversify its international economic relations and develop "proactive policies". --IANS py/sac ( 496 Words) 2017-01-20-13:46:12 (IANS)
Ukraine's largest confectionery company, owned by President Petro Poroshenko, plans to close its only factory in Russia, saying it had become impossible to do business there because of trade restrictions and anti-Ukrainian sentiment.The Lipetsk plant in western Russia has seen production decline since March 2014 when Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and pro-Russian rebels rose up in eastern Ukraine. It has experienced raids by armed police and was hit by a freeze on its assets in April 2015.Roshen said output had fallen threefold since 2013, blaming Russian restrictions on its imports from Ukraine and "active anti-Ukrainian propaganda in the Russian media."The production decline has caused the plant's workforce to shrink to 700 from 1,900 and Roshen now plans to end production."A total halt (in production) and mothballing is planned for April 2017," it said in an emailed statement. "This decision was taken on political and economic grounds."Roshen said it had repatriated 72 million dollars in dividends from the factory over the past three years, investing in production in Ukraine.Poroshenko, one of Ukraine's richest businessmen, promised when he was elected in 2014 to sell all of Roshen, which takes its name from the middle two syllables of his surname and had pre-crisis annual sales of 1.2 billion dollars.No sale has yet been made and Roshen said the Lipetsk plant could not be sold because such assets are still frozen by Russia.This is linked to a criminal case opened by Russia's Investigative Committee, which accuses the factory of committing tax fraud in 2012-13 amounting to 180 million roubles ($3 million). Roshen denies wrongdoing. REUTERS PS AN1553 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1115468.Xml
In an isolated army outpost deep in the Amazon jungle, Felipe Castro leads 70 soldiers on the frontline of Brazil's fight against its biggest security threat: the drug trade.Castro's platoon patrols a 250 km stretch of the border with the world's top cocaine producer Colombia in a bid to stem the flow of illegal drugs and arms that is fuelling a war between criminal gangs in Brazil."It's a difficult job but not impossible," said the gaunt 29-year-old, his face covered in green and black camouflage.Watching from the bank of the murky Japura river, Castro directs his men as they use a metal speedboat to practice intercepting drug shipments on its fast-moving waters.The river marks only part of Brazil's porous border that stretches for nearly 10,000 kms, three times the US-Mexico frontier.After years of fragile truce, Brazil's drug gangs have launched a battle for control of lucrative cross-border smuggling routes that has spilled into the country's gang-controlled jails, sparking the bloodiest prison riots in decades.More than 130 inmates have been killed so far this year.In the vast state of Amazonas, the North Family gang has for years dominated the smuggling of cocaine that is shipped to Europe or sold in Brazil's inner cities in a business believed to be worth 4.5 billion dollars a year.Brazil is the world's biggest consumer of cocaine after the United States, according to United Nations data.Machete-wielding North Family gangs decapitated dozens of inmates of the rival First Capital Command (PCC) in a New Year's prison massacre that has sparked revenge killings across penitentiaries in northern Brazil.President Michel Temer's government is worried the prison violence could spill onto the streets of major cities such as economic hub Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, a major tourist destination.Temer has vowed to improve military surveillance along the border, but senior commanders acknowledge drugs and arms will continue to flow in."Not even the United States has been able to stop drug trafficking along its border with Mexico," said General Altair Polsin, head of the army's ground operations command. "You have to tackle consumption to put an end to this."The military plans to increase its patrols on the Solimoes River, one of the main smuggling routes, and share intelligence with officials in neighboring Colombia and Peru.Officers are putting their hopes in a technology upgrade to use infrared sensors and drones for border surveillance.For this year, Brazil plans to nearly double its budget to about half a billion reais to finance a border technology program known as SISFRON, according to Defense Minister Raul Jungmann.Updated technology is crucial for the 1,500 soldiers in the 24 garrisons posted along the Amazon border who divide their time searching for drugs with raids on illegal miners, loggers and hunters.Other Brazilian security agencies fighting drugs and arms trafficking in this isolated swath of the jungle are also stretched.Amazonas needs an extra 7,000 civil and military police to keep up with the increase in drug activity, according an internal report by the state security secretary."We are 30 officers overseeing an area the size of France," said Marcos Vinicius Menezes, the federal police chief in Tabatinga, a city washed by the Solimoes that borders Colombia and Peru."If fighting the drug trade wasn't enough, we also have to look after the world's biggest tropical forest." REUTERS PS AN1554 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1115479.Xml
The managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reassured German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble this week that the IMF plans to remain constructively engaged in talks about aid for Greece, a spokesman for Schaeuble said today.Christine Lagarde spoke with Schaeuble about the Greek bailout programme during the World Economic Forum in Davos and told him the IMF was aiming to continue its participation, the spokesman told a regular government news conference.The German Finance Ministry this week denied a report in Bild newspaper that Berlin was preparing for a deal without the global lender, which has said it will join the deal only if it includes significant debt relief. REUTERS PS AN1746 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1115735.Xml
Turkey can no longer insist on a resolution of the conflict in Syria without the involvement of President Bashar al-Assad, as the situation on the ground has changed dramatically, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said today."As far as our position on Assad is concerned, we think that the suffering of (the) Syrian people and the tragedies, clearly the blame is squarely on Assad. But we have to be pragmatic, realistic," Simsek told a panel on Syria and Iraq at the World Economic Forum in Davos."The facts on the ground have changed dramatically, so Turkey can no longer insist on a settlement without Assad, it's not realistic," he said. REUTERS PS AN1747 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1115754.Xml
Dorothy Hong/Team Epiphany2 Chainz shares some quality time -- and a few 'dranks" -- with Quavo and Gucci Mane in the Prohibition-era inspired visual for "Good Drank."

The black-and-white clip features all three Georgia-born rappers amid wooden crates of purple liquor, which are the only objects seen in color throughout the visual.

"Good Drank" is featured on Chainz's 2016 mixtape, Hibachi for Lunch.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Denmark will deploy up to 60 special forces to fight Islamic State in Syria, the Danish government said today.NATO member Denmark is part of the US-led operation "Inherent Resolve" against Islamic State and already has ground troops operating in Iraq."Based on a concrete approach from the coalition, the government has decided to expand the tasks of our special forces in Iraq and Syria," said foreign minister Anders Samuelsen.Denmark agreed in April last year to send troops, including special forces, to the area. They have operated from the Al Asad air base in Iraq.At the time the Danish government failed to win political agreement for its forces to operate inside Syria, but on Friday parliament gave its backing to the deployment of the 60 special troops there."I'm glad that a majority in parliament is backing this," Samuelsen said, adding that the Danish troops would operate in the border area with Iraq.In addition, Denmark said it would let a frigate operate jointly with a US aircraft carrier from February to May.Several hundred US special force soldiers have been supporting Kurdish and Arab fighters of the Syria Democratic Forces that are trying to push back Islamic State militants in northern Syria. France also said in June that its special forces were advising rebels in the same area.Last month, Denmark said it would not extend military operations of its seven F-16 fighter jets in Syria and Iraq after six months in action. REUTERS PS AN1918 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1116015.Xml
Five Turkish soliders were killed and nine wounded today in a car bomb attack by Islamic State militants in the Suflaniyah area near the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, the Turkish military said in a statement.The Turkish army and Syrian rebels launched an operation in August to drive the jihadists away from the border region and have besieged the Islamic State-controlled town of al-Bab for weeks.REUTERS PS AN1922 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1116065.Xml
Russia and Syria have signed an agreement on expanding and modernising Russia's Tartus naval base in Syria, a Russian government document showed.The agreement envisages that 11 Russian warships can be located in the Tartus base at one time, the document showed. REUTERS PS PR1930 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-1116087.Xml
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States today, succeeding Barack Obama and taking control of a divided country in a transition of power that he has declared will lead to "America First" policies at home and abroad.As scattered protests erupted elsewhere in Washington, Trump raised his right hand and put his left on a Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated a 35-word oath of office from the US Constitution, with US Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.At Trump's side was his wife, Melania Trump.The transition from a Democratic president to a Republican took place on the West Front of the domed US Capitol before a crowd of former presidents, dignitaries and hundreds of thousands of people on the grounds of the National Mall. The crowd stretched westward on a cool day of occasional light rain.The new president was to deliver an inaugural address lasting about 20 minutes centered on the campaign themes that he used in his improbable November election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Clinton attended the ceremony with her husband, former President Bill Clinton."It will be optimistic. It will be visionary, but it's going to be philosophical," his spokesman, Sean Spicer, said of the speech, speaking to NBC on Friday morning.Trump, 70, takes over a country divided after a bitter election campaign. A wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star, he will set the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad."It all begins today!" he wrote in a note on Twitter at about 7:30 a.m. on Friday "I will see you at 11:00 A.M. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!"Away from the Capitol, masked activists ran through the streets smashing windows with hammers at a McDonald's restaurant, a Starbucks coffee shop and Bobby Van's Grill steakhouse several blocks from the White House.They carried black anarchist flags and signs that said, "Join the resistance, fight back now." Police used pepper spray and chased them down a major avenue, a Reuters eyewitness reported.In another location not far from the White House, protesters also scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminum chairs at them at outdoor caf.At the inaugural ceremony, former presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter were also present with their wives. Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, 92, was in Houston recovering from pneumonia.Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, began the day attending a prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House.Trump, wearing a dark suit and red tie, and Melania Trump, clad in a classic-styled, powder blue ensemble, then headed into the White House for a meeting with Obama and his wife, Michelle.Trump takes office with work to do to bolster his image.During a testy transition period since his stunning election win on Nov. 8, Trump has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that Trump seemed to want to "engage with every windmill that he can find."An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed Trump favorably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition. (http://abcn.ws/2jU9w63)TRUMP'S AGENDAHis ascension to the White House, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Obama's eight years in office, raises a host of questions for the United States.Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 percent tariff on goods on imports from U.S. companies that went abroad.His desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional U.S. security umbrella will be diminished.In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs and stirring international concern. He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to "knock the hell out of" Islamic State militants.The inaugural festivities may have a more partisan edge than usual, given Trump's scorching campaign and continuing confrontations between him and Democrats over his take-no-prisoners Twitter attacks and pledge to roll back many of Obama's policies.More than 60 Democratic lawmakers plan to stay away from the proceedings to protest Trump, spurred on after he derided U.S. Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a hero of the civil rights movement, for calling him an illegitimate president.Thousands of anti-Trump protesters were expected among the inauguration crowd and many demonstrators will participate in a "Women's March on Washington" on Saturday. Protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad.Keith Kidwell, chairman of the Republican Party in Beaufort County, North Carolina, was among the crowds on Friday, eager to see the start of the Trump presidency."I cling to my guns and my Bible. I've been waiting a long eight years for this day," said Kidwell, adding he initially supported U.S. Senator Ted Cruz to be the Republican presidential nominee but was now squarely behind Trump.QUICK ACTIONTrump's to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the U.S. Congress, they can quickly repeal and replace Obama's signature healthcare law, approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the U.S. economy."He's going to inject a shock to the system here almost immediately," Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of Hillary Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn. They deeply oppose Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric from the campaign trail and plans to build a wall along the southern U.S. border with Mexico.Trump's critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million.Trump's critics also point to the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republican's favor. Trump has acknowledged the finding - denied by Moscow - that Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election.To his critics - including Obama who during the campaign called Trump temperamentally unfit for the White House - his straight talk can be jarring, especially when expressed in tweets. His supporters, many of them working-class whites, see Trump as a refreshingly anti-establishment figure who eschews political correctness."He's here for the working man" supporter Adam Coletti of Plainfield, Connecticut, said as he headed toward the inauguration.REUTERS PY PR2240 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1116385.Xml
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States today, succeeding Barack Obama and telling a bitterly divided country he will pursue "America First" policies at home and abroad.As scattered protests erupted elsewhere in Washington, Trump raised his right hand and put his left on a Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated a 35-word oath of office from the US Constitution, with US Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.Afterward, he stretched his arms wide and hugged his wife, Melania, and other members of his family. Then he turned around to a podium and delivered his inaugural address."This moment is your moment, it belongs to you," Trump told a large crowd that had earlier booed Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the US Senate.Revisiting themes from his improbable campaign victory, Trump said his presidency would aim to help struggling middle-class families, build up the US military and strengthen US borders."We are transferring power from Washington DC and giving it back to you," he said."From this day forward a new vision will govern our land," Trump said. "From this day forward it's going to be only America First."The transition from a Democratic president to a Republican took place on the West Front of the domed US Capitol before a crowd of former presidents, dignitaries and hundreds of thousands of people on the grounds of the National Mall. The crowd stretched westward on a cool day of occasional light rain.Trump, 70, takes over a country divided after a savage election campaign. A wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star, he will set the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad.Away from the Capitol, masked activists ran through the streets smashing windows with hammers at a McDonald's restaurant, a Starbucks coffee shop and Bobby Van's Grill steakhouse several blocks from the White House.They carried black anarchist flags and signs that said, "Join the resistance, fight back now." Police used pepper spray and chased them down a major avenue, a Reuters eyewitness reported.In another location not far from the White House, protesters also scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminum chairs at them at outdoor caf.Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate who Trump defeated on November 8, attended the ceremony with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Former presidents George W Bush and Jimmy Carter were also present with their wives. Bush's father, former President George HW Bush, 92, was in Houston recovering from pneumonia.Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, began the day attending a prayer service at St John's Episcopal Church near the White House. Trump, wearing a dark suit and red tie, and Melania Trump, clad in a classic-styled, powder blue ensemble, then headed into the White House for a meeting with Obama and his wife, Michelle.Trump took office with work to do to bolster his image.During a testy transition period since his stunning election win, Trump has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that Trump seemed to want to "engage with every windmill that he can find."An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed Trump favorably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition. TRUMP'S AGENDAHis ascension to the White House, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Obama's eight years in office, raises a host of questions for the United States.Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 per cent tariff on goods on imports from US companies that went abroad.His desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional US security umbrella will be diminished.In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs and stirring international concern. He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to "knock the hell out of" Islamic State militants.The inaugural festivities may have a more partisan edge than usual, given Trump's scorching campaign and continuing confrontations between him and Democrats over his take-no-prisoners Twitter attacks and pledge to roll back many of Obama's policies.More than 60 Democratic lawmakers planned to stay away from the proceedings to protest Trump, spurred on after he derided US Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a hero of the civil rights movement, for calling him an illegitimate president.Thousands of anti-Trump protesters were expected among the inauguration crowd and many demonstrators will participate in a "Women's March on Washington" on Saturday. Protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad.Keith Kidwell, chairman of the Republican Party in Beaufort County, North Carolina, was among the crowds today, eager to see the start of the Trump presidency."I cling to my guns and my Bible. I've been waiting a long eight years for this day," said Kidwell, adding he initially supported US Senator Ted Cruz to be the Republican presidential nominee but was now squarely behind Trump.QUICK ACTIONTrump's to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the US Congress, they can quickly repeal and replace Obama's signature healthcare law, approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the US economy."He's going to inject a shock to the system here almost immediately," Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of Hillary Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn. They deeply oppose Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric from the campaign trail and plans to build a wall along the southern US border with Mexico.Trump's critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million.Trump's critics also point to the conclusion of US intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republican's favor. Trump has acknowledged the finding - denied by Moscow - that Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election.To his critics - including Obama who during the campaign called Trump temperamentally unfit for the White House - his straight talk can be jarring, especially when expressed in tweets. His supporters, many of them working-class whites, see Trump as a refreshingly anti-establishment figure who eschews political correctness."He's here for the working man" supporter Adam Coletti of Plainfield, Connecticut, said as he headed toward the inauguration.REUTERS PY PR2303 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1116394.Xml
"I would like to inform you that Yahya Jammeh has agreed to step down. He is scheduled to depart Gambia today." Xinhua news agency quoted Barrow as saying in a tweet, ending with the hashtag #NewGambia.

Friday noon, Mauritanian and Guinean Presidents arrived in Banjul for a "last mediation" to persuade Jammeh to give up presidential power to Barrow before the eventual military intervention conducted by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led by the Senegalese and Nigerian troops.

Soldiers from the ECOWAS stopped advancing in The Gambia on Thursday night to give Gambia's long-time leader Jammeh a last chance to step down peacefully.

"Orders were given to the troops to stop their advance and they have stopped, because the ECOWAS privileges the initiatives of dialogue and diplomacy," President of the ECOWAS Commission Marcel Alain Da Souza said.

The Senegalese Army, backed by other West African soldiers, entered The Gambia on Thursday afternoon in a military operation aimed at forcing Jammeh to cede power to Barrow who was sworn in the same day in Dakar as the new Gambian President.

So far, no information has been given about where Jammeh is heading. But Morocco, Nigeria, Mauritania and Guinea all offered to welcome him.

--IANS lok/

( 247 Words)

2017-01-21-02:00:06 (IANS)
The trafficker was not handcuffed and wore a dark blue short-sleeved shirt and pants with white sneakers during his brief appearance in a packed courtroom, CNN reported.

Magistrate Judge James Orenstein asked Guzman whether he understood the charges, including the operation of a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiring to murder rivals, firearms violations and money laundering.

In a low voice, the defendant replied: "Si, Seor."

His arraignment in US District Court for the Eastern District of New York came one day after Guzman was quietly extradited from his native Mexico to the US.

Guzman's next court appearance was set for February 3.

Although Guzman is wanted in six states, he will be prosecuted in a joint Miami-New York indictment in Brooklyn, prosecutors said on Friday in a press conference.

Guzman, 59, is named in a sweeping 17-count indictment alleging that from 1989 to 2014 he led a continuing criminal enterprise responsible for importing and distributing massive amounts of narcotics and conspiring to murder rivals who posed a threat, according to US Attorney Robert Capers of the Eastern District of New York.

Guzman is also charged with firearm violations related to drug trafficking and money laundering connected to the smuggling from the United States to Mexico of more than $14 billion in cash from narcotics sales.

The charges carry a minimum sentence of life in prison, Capers said. Federal prosecutors also intend to seek a $14 billion criminal forfeiture order against Guzman.

--IANS lok/

( 292 Words)

2017-01-21-03:38:07 (IANS)
TOKYO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Japan's leading APA Group business hotel chain has sparked public outrage recently as books carried in its hotel rooms deny Japan's history of aggression including the 1937 Nanking Massacre and the forced recruitment of "comfort women" before and during World War II.

Earlier this week, two APA hotel guests from New York uploaded a video message on the internet, showing the books placed in the hotel guest rooms and sold at the front desk as well. The online video soon went viral on social media sites and attracted tens of millions of views.

The books, with versions in Japanese and English, written by APA Chief Executive Toshio Motoya, are filled with right-wing, revisionist views, including but not limited to statements such as: "the Nanking Massacre was fabricated by the Chinese side and did not actually happen," "comfort women" were just common prostitutes, and the International Military Tribunal for the Far East is the winner's revenge to the loser.

"Comfort women" is a euphemism used to describe Asian women who were forced into sexual enslavement in Japanese military brothels during Japan's invasion of its Asian neighbors before and during the World War II.

In the books, the author also called for taking advantage of the Japan-U.S. alliance to take on China and to strive for the early accomplishment of revising Japan's postwar pacifist Constitution.

Inside a roughy 5-square-meter room of one of the APA chain's hotels in Shinjuku, one of the busiest and most vibrant commercial centers in Tokyo, Xinhua independently confirmed on Wednesday that two books were present on a shelf beside a dressing mirror.

Both were titled: "The Real History of Japan - Theoretical Modern History." One of them carrying the subtitle: "Proposal III to Proud Motherland & Revival of Japan," includes social commentaries written by Seishi Fuji, the penname of Toshio Motoya, between 2014-2015. The other book, with the subtitle: "Proposal IV to Proud Motherland & Revival of Japan," includes his social commentaries written during 2015-2016.

No publishing house could be found in the bilingual books, while "800 yen" (around 7 U.S. dollars) was printed on the covers of the English version indicating the price. A note stuck on the book read "available for sale at front desk."

A hotel clerk at the front desk told Xinhua that some guests in the hotel had purchased the books on the day.

Despite international protest, the APA Group refused to remove the books from its hotel rooms. The group on Tuesday issued a statement on its website saying that "we have no intention to withdraw this book from our guest rooms, no matter how many denouncements may be made about it from whatever viewpoint."

Furthermore, the group deliberately enclosed the contents of "Nanking Massacre" on page 6 of the book in the statement.

In response to the incident, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Tuesday told a daily press conference that it is discouraging that despite the international community acknowledging the serious crimes against humanity committed by Japan during World War II, there are still forces in Japan attempting to deny or distort the truth.

"The truth of what happened will not be changed by passing of time nor will the facts disappear because of deliberate ignorance," Hua said.

She urged the Japanese government to face up and reflect on the country's past aggressions, ensure its population are exposed to a true telling of history, and for it to regain trust from its Asian neighbors and the international community through concrete action.

Meanwhile, Chinese historian 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 were 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 portrays Japan as the victim of the war. The attempt to whitewash its role as the invader confuses right and wrong," Zhang said.

In interviews conducted by Xinhua in Tokyo, many tourists from around the world criticized the behavior of the hotel and said they will not choose to stay there when they travel.

"What I know about the massacre of Nanjing is that everybody seems to know that it happened. It was an appalling historical event and it was about Japanese imperialism at that time," an Australian visitor to Japan told Xinhua, requesting anonymity.

"Terrible things happened and the Japanese were 'crazy' at that time. They have to accept that it happened. Once you accept it happened, you can move on... hopefully, it won't happen again," the Australian said.

Another tourist, Nicole, told Xinhua that, "I wouldn't stay at that hotel if it's deliberately carrying literature trying to distort history."

Her partner James added, "I agree. I couldn't stand something like that. It's utterly horrible."

Chinese tourists are also strongly enraged at APA's behavior and have started boycotting the hotel.

"I think the behavior of the hotel is immoral, because history can't be denied. The Nanjing Massacre was a gross injustice inflicted by the Imperial Japanese Army and we must treat this fact fairly and objectively. We can't deny this part of history," a Chinese tourist, Xu Juxin, told Xinhua.

"I won't stay in such a hotel and we should all fight against it. I'll share this option with my family and friends," said Xu.

"I think we should report the behavior of this hotel to the Chinese media and let more people know... we should boycott this hotel. We should ignore this hotel completely and not accept their ideas," said another Chinese tourist Yang Jieya.

Major Chinese travel sites, including Ctrip and eLong, have started to boycott the Tokyo-based hotel chain. Searches for the APA hotels on these sites yielded no results, as of Thursday evening.

On Thursday, the organizer of the Olympic Council of Asia's 8th Asian Winter Games (AWG) in Sapporo told Xinhua that it has requested the APA hotel to remove the books in its rooms, but the hotel made no replies so far.

The 8th AWG will be held in Sapporo and Obihiro during Feb.19-26. To save cost, the 2017 Sapporo AWG has not built athletes village, but chose two local hotels as official designated reception hotel for athletes. APA Hotel&Resort Sapporo is one of the two hotels.

According to accommodation arrangement, athelets from Chinese and South Korean delegation will be accommodated in the hotel, Toshima Kouji, a staff working in the media section of the organizing committee of the 2017 Sapporo AWG, told Xinhua in a telephone interview.

The organizing committee has requested APA to "remove the rightist-wing books placed in the hotel guest rooms." however, "APA has made no replies yet," said Toshima Kouji.

The organizing committee has not yet decided what to do next if APA refuses to remove the books. But there is no plans to replace the designated reception hotel, he said, adding that the organizing committee temporarily does not consider communicating with the Chinese side over the issue.

Xinhua correspondent called the APA hotel in Sapporo, but the hotel staff answering the phone denied knowledge of the issue, and refused to reply in details.

The APA hotels belong to Japan APA Group Corporation, which was founded in 1971. So far, it has 413 branches and about 66,950 guest rooms all over the world. With convenient locations and low prices, the hotel chain is not only popular with locals, but also attracts a lot of tourists from all over the world, including China and South Korea.

The CEO of APA Group, Toshio Motoya is a long-time rightist. His titles include deputy director of a support group for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and director general of the Sankei Shimbun newspaper's reader's club.
LONDON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chewing food properly is not just good for digestion, but can improve mouth's immune system protecting you against illness, according to a study released Thursday by The University of Manchester.

Scientists have known that food nutrients can contribute to a healthy immune system in the mouth, but the study, led by researchers from The University of Manchester and National Institutes of Health in the United States, shows that chewing food also plays an important role.

The team found that when you are chewing, the action will stimulate a specific type of immune cell -- the "Th17" cell.

In their experiment, the team changed the hardness of the food fed to mice, which caused more mastication. That stimulated the increases in Th17 cells in mice.

"The immune system performs a remarkable balancing act at barrier sites such as the skin, mouth and gut by fighting off harmful pathogens while tolerating the presence of normal friendly bacteria," says one of the study authors Joanne Konkel from The University of Manchester.

"Our research shows that, unlike at other barriers, the mouth has a different way of stimulating Th17 cells: not by bacteria but by mastication. Therefore mastication can induce a protective immune response in our gums," says Konkel.

However, it is not always good to have too many Th17 cells, which can lead to periodontitis.

Nontheless, "because inflammation in the mouth is linked to development of diseases all around the body, understanding the tissue-specific factors that regulate immunity at the oral barrier could eventually lead to new ways to treat multiple inflammatory conditions," adds Konkel.
Adama Barrow speaks to the press at the swear-in ceremony at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, capital of Senegal, on Jan. 19, 2017. (Xinhua/Cisse)

DAKAR, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Adama Barrow was sworn in 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.

Senegalese Prime Minister Mahammed Dionne, foreign ambassadors to Senegal and officials from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) attended the ceremony.

In his first presidential speech, President Barrow called for national unity. "Thanks to the citizens of The Gambia, this is the first time that The Gambia changes its government through elections," Barrow stressed.

He called on Jammeh to respect the Constitution of The Gambia, confirming that "he will soon form his government and return to The Gambia."

"We want peace, and we invite every one to cultivate peace," Barrow reaffirmed at President of The Gambia.

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 recognized and then challenged by then president 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 Jan. 17.

The UN Security Council on Thursday adopted a resolution, asking Gambia's leader Jammeh to transfer power to President Adama Barrow by today.

Senegalese army spokesperson colonel Abdou Ndiaye confirmed Thursday evening to Xinhua that Senegalese forces had entered The Gambia to back Barrow.

Related:

UN requests peaceful transition of power in Gambia

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.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A small plane crashed into the ocean near Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on Thursday, killing three people, according to local media.

One of those on board appears to be Teori Zavascki, the Supreme Court Justice overseeing the country's sweeping probe into the corruption ring at national oil company, Petrobras.

The plane had left Sao Paulo and was travelling to Paraty, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, but crashed on the way around 1:30 pm.

In a statement, Brazil's Center of Investigation and Prevention of Aircraft Accidents (Cenipa) said that rescue teams had attended the scene of the crash of the plane, registered PR-SOM, and belonging to Carlos Alberto Filgueiras, owner of the Emiliano Hotel in Sao Paulo.

A later report by the local firefighter corps said that the plane had been found, and that three bodies had been recovered but not identified.

The Supreme Court separately confirmed that Zavascki's name was on the passenger manifest for the flight and that President Michel Temer had been informed.
KIGALI, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame Thursday highlighted the vital role of the private sector in national digital strategy development at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

Appearing on a panel Thursday during an interactive session to debate on "Shaping a National Digital Strategy", Kagame pointed out that although governments may play the pivotal role in integrating digital technology into policy, the private sector is inevitably needed as a partner in terms of innovation and investment.

Kagame assured that while Africa started from a low base it aims to move as fast as possible, with the understanding that the benefits outweigh the risks.

The panel aimed at discussing how national digital strategies unlock leapfrogging opportunities for countries.

"We focus on solutions and get rid of problems. Public-private partnership is vital in digital development with the understanding that connecting the unconnected is huge potential. If connected this large number will contribute to returns. As partners we have the opportunity to talk about good returns without having to be expensive, thereby inhibiting accessibility," Kagame said.

The Rwandan leader explained that by integrating ICT in the national strategy and planning, Rwanda had registered a big leap between 2003 and 2016, where connectivity grew by 30 percent.

He said that there was a notable shift to investment that can touch people's lives long term and will enable people to provide for themselves.

On correlation between national education systems and digital development, Kagame said national digital strategies must ensure that the education systems are streamlined so that the skills produced are in line with the needs for digital development.

The panel is moderated by Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Guests included Herman Gref, CEO and Chairman of the Board at Sberbank, Russia, Doris Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation elect 2017 and Federal Councillor of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications of Switzerland and Gavin Patterson, CEO of BT Group, United Kingdom.

Digitization and innovation in Africa is increasingly local and impact is evident across sectors such as banking, health, agriculture, transport and trade.
CHICAGO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) grains futures settle mixed on Thursday with wheat futures dropping after the International Grains Council (IGC) raised its outlook for global production in a report.

The most active corn contract for March delivery rose 1.25 cents, or 0.34 percent, to 3.6625 dollars per bushel. March wheat delivery fell 7.5 cents, or 1.74 percent, to 4.235 dollars per bushel. March soybeans dropped 4.75 cents, or 0.44 percent, to 10.7025 dollars per bushel.

World wheat output is pegged at 752 million metric tons in the 2016-17 marketing year, up from a November outlook for 749 million tons, the IGC said in its report. Inventories, however, were unchanged from the last projection as the IGC raised consumption.

Total grain production was raised to 2.094 billion tons from 2.084 billion in the previous report, according to the IGC. Its inventories forecast increased by 3 million tons to 507 tons despite an increase in consumption.

Corn has found strength and is slightly higher. US exporters sold beans to South Korea overnight, and FAS(Foreign Agricultural Service) announced a US corn sale to an unknown destination worth 110,400 tons for 16/17 delivery. US ethanol production last week was also better than expected, though a seasonal downtrend in ethanol production and demand lies ahead.

Soybeans fell on profit-taking, snapping a four-session advance tied to the threat of rain damage to crops in Argentina, a major exporter of soybeans and the top global supplier of soymeal and soyoil.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A 15-year-old Mexican student who shot his teacher and three classmates before shooting himself used his father's gun, officials said on Thursday.

The incident early Wednesday at the American School of the Northeast in Monterrey, capital of northern Nuevo Leon state, has shocked a country used to drug-related violence, but not school shootings.

Like his father, "the boy was a hunting enthusiast, that's why he was so skilled," Nuevo Leon spokesman for security matters Aldo Fasci said at a press conference.

Prosecutors searching the shooter's home late Wednesday found hunting weapons belonging to the father, an accountant, said Fasci, without specifying how many firearms there were.

However, the father and the family have no prior criminal record and are not facing any charges, he added.

"The father has nothing to do with it and neither does his family. They are victims too. It was an action taken by a minor under his own judgment," said Fasci.

The boy reportedly told several classmates a day earlier that he would bring a gun to school and showed it to them in class, but none of them suspected he would open fire.

"They didn't believe him" when he said he would take the gun, and "he didn't say he was going to shoot," the official said.

The teacher and two of the students were shot in the head with a .22-caliber pistol and remain in critical condition, while a third victim, who was shot in the arm, was to be released from hospital later in the day. State Health Secretary Manuel de la O said the parents of the shooter, who was later declared brain dead at a hospital, decided to donate their son's organs, and his liver and kidney's have already been transplanted.
BRUSSELS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Thursday urged former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to transfer power to President-elect Adama Barrow, the winner of the presidential race in December.

Mogherini made the remarks in a statement after having a phone conversation with President-elect Barrow, who was sworn in on Thursday at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, capital of Senegal.

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.

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.

"Yahya Jammeh has so far not responded positively to sustained efforts by ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations," Mogherini said, " I urge him to reconsider his position and to respect the will of the Gambian people."

Underscoring that the coming weeks and months will be important to ensure a smooth transfer of power, Mogherini pledged that the EU is committed to supporting this process and is looking into all available instruments at its disposal.
PARIS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- France wants to develop "rapidly close relations" with the new U.S. administration, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told the press here on Thursday.

"Our interests with the United States, our common history, our shared values will continue to govern, I am sure, our relations with this country", he said.

Ayrault added that " France and the United States are allies, it will not change. European Union, which has contributed so much to the peace and prosperity of our continent, will remain a strong and useful partner for the United States."

However, Ayrault stressed that faced with the "unilateral temptation" or the idea that "deals" might be enough to settle the affairs of the world, "France, I say, will make its voice heard."

Focusing primarily on dialogue, Ayrault reaffirmed his determination to find "by discussion a common ground on the most central issues of the moment, in particular the fight against terrorism to which the United States and France contribute worldwide."
STOCKHOLM, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- 2017 Spring Nordic interior design exhibition, or Formex, has highlighted "Nordic Space" as theme, when it is in full swing in Stockholm.

The fair started on Wednesday, and will last for four days.

This spring's trend theme, Nordic Space -- endlessness and freethinking, features an open mind free of anxiety. It includes rather than excludes and presents a stage for expressionism.

"We bring in the nature of Sweden to this entrance hall. In the morning in Sweden, we can see the fog all over, you know, in the nature, so we are trying to make it happen here," explained Mikael Astrand, designer of the Nordic Space.

"We have been working with the four elements: the sky, the earth, the wind and the water. With the reflection of mirrors, we try to get some kaleidoscope effects."said Astrand.

Formex, the largest meeting place for Nordic interior design, started in 1960 and is held twice a year.This year more than 800 exhibitors showcase products within interior design, fashion and accessories.

"We see major interior design companies in many different exciting collaborations with famous design brands, but also with smaller craft studios, with the aim of finding a personal touch for their range of products," said Christina Olsson, event manager at Formex.

"The desire for a unique expression allows considerable room for creativity but places high demands on materials, patterns and techniques in order to be able to manufacture the product," added Olsson.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto on Thursday called for stricter security measures at schools, a day after a teenage student opened fire in a classroom, critically wounding three of four victims.

"We do not want an incident like that to happen again," Pena Nieto said at a ceremony unveiling new educational measures.

"Much of what is in the Educational Reform (package) aims to encourage a much healthier academic environment, removed from bullying, removed from anything that can harm the formation and preparation of our young," said Pena Nieto.

On Wednesday, a 15-year-old student shot his teacher and three classmates before shooting himself at the American School of the Northeast in Monterrey, capital of northern Nuevo Leon state, shocking a country used to drug-related violence, but not school shootings.

The president acknowledged certain parts of the country are more violence prone than others, saying measures such as security checks on student backpacks should be instated "more in some states than others to prevent the entry of weapons or any other item that can endanger the lives of students at schools."
TIRANA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The current agreement between the Albanian government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will end in February but Albania's financial obligations to IMF will continue till 2031, local Scan Tv reported Thursday.

Albania and IMF signed a loan agreement worth 330 million euros (352 million U.S. dollars) three years ago which was set to be disbursed in three years based on the parameters and performance of financial and economic indicators of the country, local media reported.

According to a report obtained by Scan Tv, the financial effects of the agreement will begin this year with payments.

Scan Tv referred to the official data of the IMF, under which the payment of the loan will start in 2017 with a value of 852 million leks (6.6 million U.S. dollars), while this amount will be increasing from year to year.

Therefore, based on these data, it turns out that Albania will pay to IMF some 45 billion leks.

Meanwhile, an IMF mission has arrived in Albania, according to media reports. They has already started talks with Albanian authorities here.

The Finance Ministry sources said Thursday that IMF mission is expected to sign the concluding agreement and propose the IMF Executive Board to disburse the last loan tranche under Albania's Extended Fund of around 330 million euros.

The representatives of the IMF have declared that after completion of the current agreement in February, the relations will be reviewed, but terms and conditions of the new agreement would be determined by the government that will emerge after the June elections.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- If history is a guide, sea levels could rise much higher than previously predicted, a new study said Thursday.

The study, published in the U.S. journal Science, found that sea surface temperatures today were like those during the last interglaciation period when sea levels were between six and nine meters above their present height.

"The trend is worrisome," said the study, led by Jeremy Hoffman of the Oregon State University.

The last interglaciation, which occurred 129,000 to 116,000 years ago, is previously thought to have been about as warm or a bit warmer than today.

As a result, the period has been used as a reference to validate global climate models and understand sea level response to a warming climate.

In the new study, Hoffman and colleagues examined marine sediment core records from 83 sites to understand sea surface temperatures at that time.

Each core site was compared to data sets from 1870-1889 and 1995-2014, respectively.

Their analysis revealed that, at the start of the last interglaciation, or 129,000 years ago, the global ocean surface temperature was already similar to the 1870-1889 average.

However, the peak global ocean surface temperature, which was reached 125,000 years ago, was "indistinguishable" from the 1995-2014 average.

The study suggests that in the long term, sea level may rise continuously in response to the warming people are causing, said Professor Andrew Watson of Britain's University of Exeter, who was not involved in the study.

"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."

Previously, the U.S. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has predicted a sea level rise of up to one meter by 2100, if carbon emissions are not constrained.
TORONTO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Canada's main stock market in Toronto on Thursday finished marginally ahead on Wednesday, as gains in Industrial stocks offset losses in Health Care and Information Technology.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's benchmark Standard & Poor's/TSX Composite ticked up 11.96 points, or 0.08 percent, to close the trading day at 15,409.81 points. Half of the ten sub-sectors finished the session higher.

Industrials group saw the largest gain on the day, rising 0.53 percent, after shares of Canadian Pacific Railway Limited rose 3.96 percent to 200.11 Canadian dollars (150.32 U.S. dollars) a day after their CEO announced his departure from the company five months before planned. The decision saw him give up 118 million Canadian dollars in benefits.

Also advancing in the industry were shares of Bombardier Inc. and Air Canada, moving up 1.13 percent and 0.89 percent, respectively.

Other groups to finish ahead on Thursday were: Materials (0.29 percent), Telecommunications (0.27 percent), Financials (0.17 percent), and Consumer Discretionary (0.01 percent).

Materials group finished higher as the spot price of gold made marginal gains on the day. The price for an ounce of gold ticked up 50 cents to close at 1,204.50 U.S. dollars, while the same weight of silver finished down 3 cents at 16.99 U.S. dollars. Shares of Toronto-based Barrick Gold, the world's largest gold miner, rose 1.17 percent to close at 22.56 Canadian dollars (16.95 U.S. dollars).

On the losing end, Health Care and Information Technology saw the biggest declines on the day, slipping 0.92 percent and 0.77 percent, respectively.

Health Care's dip was due four of the five group members losing ground on the day. Quebec-based pharmaceutical firms ProMetic Life Sciences Inc. and Valeant Pharmaceuticals Inc. saw the biggest dips on the day, with respective drops of 1.81 percent and 1.00 percent.

The TSX Information Technology group was hindered by a pair of Waterloo-based firms. Blackberry Limited and Open Text Corporation saw shares retreated 1.05 percent and 0.79 percent, respectively.

Other groups to finish in negative territory on Thursday included: Consumer Staples (0.43 percent), Energy (0.14 percent), and Utilities (0.07 percent).

Making news outside of the ten groups for a second straight day was Saskatchewan-based Cameco Corporation. The world' s largest publically traded uranium company saw a 10.15 percent boost on Thursday to 15.85 Canadian dollars (11.91 U.S. dollars) a share. This gain comes one day after shares plunged 16.92 percent after the company announced that their revised 2017 forecasts would see" significantly lower" earnings than expected due to recent decline in uranium price.

On the economic front, Statistics Canada reported that manufacturing sales in the month of November rose 1.5 percent to 51.8 billion Canadian dollars (about 38.9 billion U.S dollars). After a 0.6 percent dip in October, November saw 14 of 21 industries finish higher. The groups with the biggest increases were: Primary metal (9.1 percent), Petroleum and coal products (3.7 percent), and Wood product (3.8 percent).

The Canadian dollar slipped 0.29 cents to a three-week low of 0.7512 U.S. dollars.
by Naim-Ul-Karim

DHAKA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh has launched a China-aided project to augment agricultural production by using cutting edge technologies.

The "e-village" project was launched in Dhaka on Thursday.

Bangladesh's leading Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University in association with the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Bangladesh Awami League Party's research wing, the Center for Research and Information (CRI) and iSoftStone, a leading China-based IT services provider, will implement the nine-month pilot project at a village in Gazipur on the outskirts of capital Dhaka.

Officials say through the project, rural village farmers will be introduced with the sensor device system so that can be updated with real time crop management, related information such as soil moisture, leaf wetness, diseases and pest identification.

In this regard, an agreement was signed Thursday among the officials of the organizations in presence of Bangladeshi State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resource Nasrul Hamid and Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh Yang Shichao.

CRI Executive Director Sabbir Bin Shams said the "e-village" project is the first of its kind to digitize the country's agriculture sector through reaching technologies to rural farmers.

He said, "today's China is a big inspiration for us as it largely uses technology in agriculture."

Executive Vice President of iSoftStone Walter Fang said they provide comprehensive end-to-end solutions to governments, industries and enterprises with urban management, industrial application, services for livelihood improvement and city innovation.

He expressed the hope that the project will help Bangladesh efforts to augment food production through further digitizing agriculture sector.

Meanwhile, Yang lauded the Bangladeshi government's efforts in introducing more cutting edge technologies in more Bangladesh sectors including agriculture.

He said China will continue to support and cooperate with Bangladesh in future for its economic development.

Nasrul Hamid, also a CRI trustee, highly appreciated China's long-term support to Bangladesh's economic and social development.

He said China made ample contributions to Bangladesh's strives to achieve economic independence through developing all the key sectors including agriculture.

Officials said Bangladesh attaches growing importance to its agriculture sector as it still contributes about 16 percent to national GDP.
WELLINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand and the United Kingdom have agreed to maintain their trade relationship ahead of an anticipated free trade agreement after the UK completes its exit from the European Union.

New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay said Friday that the future trade relationship was in good shape, following the agreement on the next steps for the newly established bilateral Trade Policy Dialogue.

The agreement was made during a meeting between McClay and UK Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"This is an important day for trade relations between our two countries as the Trade Policy Dialogue will ensure there is no disruption to trading conditions as a result of Britain leaving the European Union," McClay said in a statement from his office.

McClay offered to host a meeting in New Zealand when Fox visited in the first half of this year.

Discussions would include market access, trade and investment, World Trade Organisation processes and prospective negotiations.

"Preferential access to high value export markets is important for New Zealand's strong economic performance. An ongoing focus on promoting fairer trade and investment rules is key to our prosperity as a nation and the Trade Policy Dialogue will be a part of this," McClay said.
WELLINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand and Sri Lanka will begin considering a free trade agreement among discussions on new trade and investment opportunities, New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay said Friday.

The announcement came after a meeting between McClay and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and I have instructed officials to consider how New Zealand and Sri Lanka can build the right framework to grow our economic relationship through a trade arrangement, including the possibility of working with other like-minded countries," McClay said in a statement from his office.

"Sri Lanka and New Zealand are complementary economies. There is potential for greater trade both ways and I welcome the prime minister's commitment to this."

Wickremesinghe and McClay had also agreed to open diplomatic posts in each other's countries in an important step in strengthening trade and economic ties as well as increasing bilateral engagement.
CANBERRA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has urged the Australian government to "give (Donald Trump) a go", ahead of the Presidential inauguration on Friday.

Rudd, an expert on Asian relations and currently heading the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York, said it was important for Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to let Trump "grow into the role" before the government passes judgement on the new regime.

"The fair-minded thing to do is to give the guy a go. Turnbull should try as hard as he can -- and (Foreign Minister) Julie Bishop -- to work with him," Rudd told the Seven Network on Friday.

"Will he get his temperament under control and become 'presidential'? Let's give it a few weeks and see what happens."

Meanwhile Rudd also said Australia's first priority once the new Trump administration comes in was to make sure the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is ratified.

The U.S President-elect has previously said the multinational trade deal would "rape" America, and has vowed to scrap it on his first day in office.

Rudd said if Australia and other nations involved in the TPP could convince Trump to help "rebrand" the deal, it would be more beneficial than having it fall apart altogether.
CANBERRA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Controversial laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding - or lap band surgery - has been found to be beneficial for "severely obese" teenagers and should be used as a "first option" to manage weight during adolescence, a new Australian study has found.

Researchers from the University on Adelaide on Friday shared the findings of their study, in which they said it was not only an efficient way to manage weight for extremely obese teens, but it also had positive effects on the patients' mental health.

Pediatric surgeon and lecturer at the University of Adelaide, Sanjeev Khurana said the reversible surgery could safely be used by adolescents battling extreme obesity.

"Although gastric banding has been controversial and is currently less used in adults with severe obesity, lap band surgery is one of the most studied surgeries for obesity management, has a high safety record and can be a temporary option to manage severe obesity during adolescence," Khurana said in a statement.

"Our findings support lap band surgery as a safe and effective option for management of adolescents with severe obesity - provided it is performed by an experienced surgeon and managed afterwards."

Meanwhile Pediatric Endocrinologist Alexia Pena said while the surgery can benefit those struggling with obesity, it should be avoided by those who are just a little overweight.

"We are talking about a group of adolescents with severe obesity and significant health and psychological problems related to their increased weight - this is not for everyone," Pena said.

The study found that patient weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) "improved significantly" following the surgery, with the long term BMI loss found to be between 7.1 and 14.7 kg/m2.

"The median BMI reduction of 10 kg/m2 with the lap band is a good result when compared to BMI reduction using the few medications available or lifestyle measures, which is around 1-3 kg/m2," Pena said.

"Lap band surgery is reversible and allows time for adolescents to mature to make a more informed decision on a permanent surgical procedure if required later on in life."
BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's industrial output expanded 6 percent year on year in 2016, thanks largely to strong performance in the high-tech industry, official data showed Friday.
SYDNEY, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Delegates for the 2018 APEC summit are to be housed on cruise liners, due to Papua New Guinea's lack of accommodation.

"We are bringing in three cruise ships because we don't have enough hotel rooms," APEC 2018 chief executive officer Chris Hawkins told local media Friday.

"We knew from the start when the Prime Minister announced that we would host APEC in 2013, that planning would have to begin early."

"They are floating hotels that will make up the gap that we will have in terms of how many hotel rooms are required."

The small nation and its capital city, Port Moresby, was also struggling to find a large enough venue to host the opening night's gala dinner, to deal with the vast contingency of officials.

A new Hilton Hotel Complex is currently under construction for the proceedings and is due for completion in late 2017.

"The gala dinner that will be seen around the world is a big part of APEC," Hawkins said.

"All leaders take part in this event where they enjoy a presentation that will showcase all parts of the nation."
by Xinhua writer Liu Chang

BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Few would disagree that China and the United States, the world's top two economies, can not only do each other a lot of good, but make a real difference for a better world by joining hands together.

Friday marks the inauguration of Donald Trump as the new U.S. president. How his administration is going to handle its relationship with Beijing has sparked global concerns as the new leader in Washington has challenged the one-China policy during the transition, and played tough against Beijing on trade and currency.

There have even been wild hypes about a total trade war and even a military confrontation between Beijing and Washington.

In fact, the relationship of the two nations has over the past several decades navigated through rougher waters.

Also, the most probable scenario after Jan. 20 is that once Trump starts to govern from the Oval Office, he will find China a much-needed partner on multiple fronts.

Trump won the U.S. presidency by promising to "make America great again," a catch phrase for rejuvenating the country's hollowed manufacturing industries and creating some 25 million jobs over the next 10 years.

While running for presidency, Trump numerously blamed China for taking away manufacturing jobs from the United States. But facts point the other way.

According to a report published recently by the U.S.-China Business Council and Oxford Economics, U.S. exports to China and bilateral investment has supported 2.6 million new jobs for Americans across a host of industries. That's more than 10 percent of the number of jobs the new U.S. leader has promised to deliver.

On one hand, the study well reflects the unprecedented level of economic interdependence between the two countries; on the other, it shows that derailing bilateral economic interactions would not only harm China, but could cost the United States more dearly.

Across the world, promoting faster global economic recovery and exploring a new path for globalization are getting increasingly urgent. Trump's potential protectionist trade policies go against this trend and may dampen his efforts to grow the American economy.

Also, tackling climate change, terrorism and other challenges that threaten the world as a whole is where China and the United States can work together for mutual benefits.

The Paris climate accord reached in December 2015 has proved that Beijing and Washington can embrace each other for big and noble purposes despite disagreements. The Trump administration should do no less at least for the sake of America's own future.

Then comes the question of Taiwan. When former U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China in early 1972 to end the two nations' more than two decades of estrangement, both sides reached the agreement that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China. This agreement has since served as an indispensable ballast for the stability and development of the bilateral ties.

China seeks productive cooperation with the United States, but it will never make concessions on its core national interests.

Trump, who is believed to be good at cutting deals, should know that not everything is negotiable.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's President Michel Temer on Thursday evening made an official statement to mourn the death of Supreme Court judge Teori Zavascki, who was killed earlier in the day in a plane crash.

Temer declared three days of national mourning in Brazil for the death of the judge, who was in charge of the court's investigation into a wide-ranging corruption scandal.

"He was a good man and a source of pride for all Brazilians," Temer said.

"I join all Brazilians to regret the passing of a public man distinguished by his impeccable trajectory in defense of the law and justice," he added.

Former President Dilma Rousseff, who appointed Zavascki to the Supreme Court in 2012, also issued a statement mourning his death.

"Today we lost a great Brazilian. As a judge and a citizen, Teori was an intellectual of the law and a man who cared for justice," Rousseff said.

Other ex-presidents Jose Sarney and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva voiced their griefs as well.

Brazilian media reports said Zavascki had received threats in the past year, one of them he confirmed last June as in link with his job of investigating a corruption scheme involving government contracts with the private sector, especially Brazil's oil giant Petrobras.

His death in the Thursday plane crash came several days after media reported he was about to admit key testimonies implicating high-profile politicians.

At least three were killed out of the four people aboard the plane flying from Sao Paulo to Paraty, about 260 km west of the city of Rio, according to Brazilian media. The plane crashed into the sea during poor weather conditions shortly before landing in Paraty.

So far, there has been no evidence of foul play found in the crash.
SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold joint maritime drills this week to enhance capability to detect and trail ballistic missiles from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Yonhap news agency reported on Friday citing South Korea's navy.

The missile warning exercise will be conducted from Friday to Sunday in waters near the three nations, mobilizing three Aegis-equipped destroyers, the South Korean navy was quoted as saying.

South Korea's Sejong the Great destroyer, a 7,600-ton Aegis-equipped vessel, will be mobilized, together with the 8,800-ton USS Curtis Wilbur and Japan's Kirishima Aegis destroyers.

The exercise to jointly detect and trail DPRK ballistic missiles would the third of its kind since the first was held in June last year near the U.S. island of Hawaii. The second was staged in November.

It is expected to strengthen missile defense (MD) cooperation between the three countries. Seoul and Washington agreed in July last year to deploy a U.S. missile shield, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), in the former's southeastern region by the end of this year.

The THAAD deployment indicates South Korea in effect becoming a part of the U.S. missile defense system. China and Russia have strongly opposed the installation as its X-band radar can peer into territories of the two nations.

South Korea's News 1 news agency cited the country's navy as saying that during the exercise, the three countries will share simulated military intelligences on missile detection and trail.

The three allies signed a trilateral military pact in December 2014 to share the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats.

South Korea inked the similar military intelligence pact with Japan in November last year despite oppositions from the general public and the parliament.

Participating Aegis destroyers from the United States and Japan are reportedly equipped with SM-3 interceptors that can shoot down incoming missiles at an altitude of over 500 km.

Citing unnamed U.S. and South Korean sources, Yonhap reported on Thursday that Pyongyang already produced a new type of two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that were being mounted on mobile launchers.

Seoul's military believed that the DPRK can test-launch its ICBM at any time when the leadership decides.

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.
SHIJIAZHUANG, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A steel mill in the Serbian city Smederevo has turned a profit, ending a seven year loss, after being taken over by China's Hesteel Group last year, according to the Chinese iron and steel manufacturing conglomerate.

The steel mill, which started operations in 1913, was a state-owned Serbian enterprise, but fierce international competition and poor management was leading it to closure, until it changed to Hesteel Serbia after a 46-million-euro purchase by the Hebei-based conglomerate in April 2016.

By the end of December Hesteel Serbia was turning a profit, after November earnings before taxes and interest, ending the mill's consecutive seven year loss, Hesteel told Xinhua.

Since the take-over, the Chinese steel giant has engaged managerial and technical personnel to help the 5,000-employee Smederevo mill tackle problems in management, equipment, technology and craft.

Yu Yong, chairman of Hesteel Group, said that it had taken only half a year for Hesteel Serbia to turn a profit, an illustration of the advantages that China has in iron and steel.

The steel mill in Smederevo is expected to produce 2 million tonnes of steel in 2017, according to the Chinese group.

Yu said Hesteel would invest 120 million U.S. dollars in the steel factory in 2017, as it did in 2016, for new equipment and technology, adding that it was expected to generate revenue of 800 million U.S. dollars and profit of 20 million dollars.

Hesteel Group, he said, would further strive to tap into the potential of the century-old Serbian steel mill, making Hesteel Serbia a competitive company in both Europe and globally as well as an exemplary model of China-Serbia cooperation.

The group had earlier announced that it would continue to respect local customs and cultural traditions, and follow a local-centered principle to bring in advanced technological and managerial expertise for rapid growth of Hesteel Serbia.
HANOI, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam has identified three areas in the northern and central highlands regions which are most likely to house uranium ores, local media reported on Friday.

The areas include Pia Oach in northern Cao Bang province, Tuyen Lam Lake in central highlands Da Lat city, and Dinh Van in central highlands Lam Dong province, daily newspaper Tien Phong (Pioneer) quoted the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as reporting.

Uranium reserves in Vietnam are estimated at the medium level in the world. The Vietnam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources will explore uranium ores at 15 locations nationwide.

Earlier, local media reported that Vietnam was actively exploring uranium ores to feed its future nuclear power plants.

However, late last year, the country's top legislature decided to scrap its first nuclear power plant project that would have had a capacity of 4,000 megawatts and cost nearly 9 billion U.S. dollars in central Ninh Thuan province.
PHNOM PENH, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Senate President Samdech Say Chhum on Friday reiterated the country's staunch support for the one-China policy, saying that China played a more important role in maintaining peace, stability and development in the region and in the world.

"The past, the present and the future are the same, Cambodia adheres to its definite position: supporting the One-China policy of the People's Republic of China," he said in a speech during the inauguration ceremony of a China-funded building for the Senate here.

He said China is the core force for the development in Asia and always lends active support to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in strengthening peace, trade cooperation, security, stability and regional integration.

"Cambodia believes that China will play a more important role in maintaining peace, stability and security in the region and in the world," Say Chhum said.
File photo shows the entrance of an APA Hotel in Japan.

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.
WELLINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government on Friday welcomed an international ratings agency's credit and foreign currency ratings as a vote of confidence in the national economy.

Standard and Poor's (S&P) decision to affirm the AA foreign currency and AA+ local currency sovereign credit ratings with a stable outlook reflected international confidence in New Zealand's economic and fiscal performance, Finance Minister Steven Joyce said in a statement.

"The assessment released by S&P today confirms the increasing resilience of New Zealand's economy as we head into 2017," said Joyce.

"S&P noted an improved outlook for New Zealand's current account deficit and an improving forecast for our net government debt," he said.

"The agency also noted their expectations that New Zealand's fiscal performance will continue to improve over the medium term - and that remains the government's clear intention."

The country was well placed to deal with any issues as they arose despite significant uncertainty about the world economy in the year ahead, he said.

The ratings affirmation followed signs of growing business confidence in the last quarter of 2016, according to a survey by an independent economic think-tank out Tuesday.

Business confidence remained high at the end of last year, with a net 26 percent of businesses expecting an improvement in economic conditions in coming month, said the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research.
WELLINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- It's long been a joke that New Zealand is a nation more full of sheep than people -- but that's changing, the government statistics agency said Friday.

The total number of sheep was down by just over 5 percent year on year to 27.6 million at the end of June last year, according to Statistics New Zealand.

"Between 2006 and 2016 the number of sheep reduced from just over 40 million, a drop of around 30 percent," agricultural production statistics manager Stuart Pitts said in a statement.

"We now have fewer than six sheep for each person. This is down from 1982's historic high, when there were over 70 million sheep, or 22 for every person."

The decline has coincided with the expansion of the country's dairy industry and a rising number of dairy cattle.

In the year ending June 2016, the number of dairy cattle remained steady at 6.5 million, but that was up from 5 million in 2005.
Cambodia's Senate President Samdech Say Chhum cuts the ribbon during the inauguration ceremony of a China-funded Senate building at the Senate in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Jan. 20, 2017. The Senate of Cambodia on Friday inaugurated its eighth office building, which was developed under China's aid, officials said. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Senate of Cambodia on Friday inaugurated its eighth office building, which was developed under China's grant aid, officials said.

Senate president Samdech Say Chhum and Chinese ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo jointly unveiled the three-storey building, which cost 22 million yuan (3.34 million U.S. dollars).

Say Chhum expressed his gratitude to the National People's Congress, government and people of China for their generous support to Cambodia for the development in all fields.

"The people of Cambodia are very satisfied with the excellent relations and fruitful cooperation between Cambodia and China," he said. "The people of Cambodia will continue to further enhance our bilateral ties and cooperation for mutual benefits."

The Senate president also reiterated Cambodia's staunch support for the one-China policy, saying that China played a more important role in maintaining peace, stability and development in the region and in the world.

Xiong said the new building was constructed by the Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group in the period of one year.

"I'm confident that the Khmer-style building will be the symbol of traditional friendship between the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Cambodia," he said.

Meanwhile, Xiong highly valued good relations and fruitful cooperation between the two countries in the past year, saying that the exchange of top visits between Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Chinese President Xi Jinping had added a new momentum to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Cooperation between the two countries.

According to Senate's secretary general Om Sarith, since its establishment in 1999, the Cambodian Senate had received 14 times of grant aid in the total amount of 16 million U.S. dollars from the government of China.

He said the aid included eight office buildings for Senate's staff and leaders, office supplies and equipment, and vehicles.
MOSCOW, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Head of Russian Defense Ministry Sergei Shoigu ordered to explore the possibility of decommissioning passenger aircrafts Tu-154, Tu-134 and Il-62M, local media reported Friday.

Russian military forces passenger aircrafts Tu-154, Tu-134 and Il-62M could be replaced by modern Tu-214 and Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ-100),according to the Russian newspaper "Kommersant".

The issue was raised after a Russian Tu-154 plane, en route to its Hmeimin air base in the Syrian port city of Latakia, crashed on Dec. 25, 2016, killing all 92 on board.

Russian Defense Ministry and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) will work to agree on a timetable for the production of the substitute planes and for the decommissioning old ones.

Moreover, the minister insisted that the replacement must be accomplished without additional funding from the government, noting that the exact timing for the aircrafts' replacement has not yet been specified.
MOSCOW, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia has information about the possible involvement of some foreign intelligence agencies in cyber attacks on Russia's government servers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Peskov made the remarks in a recent interview with BBC, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported Friday.

According to the spokesman, Russia is subjected to hacking attacks numerous times every day, some of them from the United States, Germany and Britain.

Peskov also denied the allegations that Russia was involved in the cyber attacks in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

"Neither the Russian government nor the Kremlin nor personally (Russian President Vladimir) Putin nor military intelligence was behind those attacks even if they have taken place," the report quoted Peskov as saying.

U.S. intelligence agencies have published part of a classified report claiming that Putin had ordered an influence campaign in 2016 involving hackers to secure Donald Trump's victory in the presidential elections. Moscow denied any involvement, saying the allegations were "stupidity."
Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, attends a seminar to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Wu Jieping, a well-known Chinese medical scientist, in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 20, 2017. Zhang met with Wu's relatives before the seminar. (Xinhua/Gao Jie)

BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A seminar was held Friday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Wu Jieping, a well-known Chinese medical scientist.

As one of the founders of Chinese urinary surgery science, Wu made remarkable contributions to the development of urinary surgery and medical science in China.

Born in January 1917, Wu was also a former leader of the non-Communist party Jiu San (September 3) Society, and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the eighth and ninth National People's Congress (NPC).

He died in March 2011, aged 94.

In a speech addressing the event, Li Jianguo, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, recalled Wu's achievements in medical science.

Li called on people to learn from Wu's patriotism and sublime moral character, unify around the Party and contribute to national rejuvenation.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, attended the commemoration seminar and met with Wu's relatives.
by Raimundo Urrechaga

HAVANA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Under Donald Trump, the future of the ties between Havana and Washington remains uncertain, despite a recent thaw, according to a Cuban expert.

Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday.

Luis Suarez, a Cuban expert on international relations, believes Trump's administration will maintain some of Barack Obama's policies towards Cuba, but revert others.

"They are going to make a case-by-case analysis of which policies are suitable, not only for the bilateral relationship, but for their own interests," Suarez told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Certain bilateral agreements on security matters, for example, enjoy bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress and benefit Washington's national security interests.

"Cuba is perceived by the designers of U.S. military and security policies as an ally in the fight against drug trafficking, uncontrolled migration and transnational crimes, and Trump shouldn't modify that," said the academic, a professor at Havana's Higher Institute of International Relations.

However, Trump had criticized outgoing President Barack Obama's rapprochement with Cuba as "weak," and signalled he would strong-arm Havana into making more concessions to the United States.

Trump will be more disposed to applying "hard power," that is military or economic mechanisms, to sway Cuba, in contrast to the soft-sell approach of his predecessor.

"The rather original and creative soft power that Obama used, a combination of persuasion and smarts, won't be continued. Trump is likely to use more instruments of hard power, including negotiating with Cuba through force and coercion," Suarez said.

In general, Suarez doesn't expect the "environment of reciprocity and mutual respect" that has characterized negotiations since December 2014 to prevail.

The two countries have signed 21 agreements in different areas such as environmental protection, maritime safety, joint search and rescue, air transport, energy and others.

Many of these accords may be subject to a "re-analysis of policy toward Cuba, from their perception that Obama made many concessions to the Cuban government," Suarez said.

One positive sign has been the incoming administration's response to Obama's scrapping of the "dry foot-wet foot" immigration policy, which exclusively lured Cubans to the United States with the promise of fast-track residency, and has for decades made a mockery of legal migration.

According to the White House, Trump's team was told of the move before it was announced on Jan. 12, and so far there have been no objections.

In the past two weeks, Washington and Havana have inked cooperation agreements on joint responses to potential oil spills in the gulf and the Florida Straits; on law enforcement and information sharing; and on maritime and aeronautical search and rescue.

U.S. policy toward Cuba still aims to bring about regime change, Suarez warned, so it's possible Trump will crank up confrontation.

In view of a possible setback in bilateral ties, Suarez said the Cuban government must continue to diversify its international economic relations and develop "proactive policies."
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Three million mainland Chinese visited the United States in 2016, and over 20 percent of them chose Philadelphia as their destination.

"Last year, the United States received 3 million mainland Chinese visitors, and 700,000 visited Philadelphia," said Zhang Qiyue, Consul General of China in New York, told a large cheering crowd including Jim Kenney, Mayor of the Pennsylvania's largest city, at a reception celebrating the upcoming Year of Rooster.

This is just one set of the numbers the Chinese Consul General cited to illustrate the mutual benefits of the extensive growth of the China-U.S. relations in recent years.

In 1972, when former U.S. President Richard Nixon first made his trip to China, and the Philadelphia Orchestra made its historic visit, there was very little bilateral trade to talk about.

"But now, on every single day, 1.6 billion dollars of goods and services flow between our two countries," Zhang said.

China is now America's largest trading partner and the third largest export market after Canada and Mexico.

Chinese direct investments in the United States have hit "a record high of 45 billion dollars" in 2016, three times that of 2015, creating hundreds of thousands jobs in America, she said.

Apart from the robust commercial ties, the extent of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries has also witnessed a rapid increase.

More than 300,000 Chinese students study in the United States, she said.

"There is a flight between China and the United States every 15 minutes. More than 13,000 people travel across the Pacific every day," she said.

On every second, a Chinese consumer is buying an apple product, be it iPhone, iPad or apple watch, she said.

"More and more, they are showing a growing appetite for imported goods, including food," she added. "So just imagine, how much dairy products and poultry they would buy from Pennsylvania if you could reach out to them."
KABUL, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A total of four militants loyal to the Islamic State (IS) group were killed after aircrafts pounded the armed outfit's positions in Achin district of the eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on Thursday, local media reported Friday.

Quoting Nangarhar's provincial government spokesman Attaullah Khogiani, the local media reported two of those killed in the raid were Pakistanis and the remaining two others from Tajikistan.

The anti-government IS group which has been operating in parts of the eastern Nangarhar province over the past nearly two years is yet to make comment on the report.

Afghan officials usually accused Pakistan of supporting militants fighting in Afghanistan, a claim rejected by Islamabad as groundless.
ANKARA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- 23 Islamic State (IS) terrorists were killed and 224 targets belonging to IS were hit by Turkish army in Al-Bab of northern Syria in last 24 hours,Turkish General Staff stated on Friday.

According to the Turkish army, 205 positions belonging to the terrorists have been shelled, destroying defense positions, shelters and command facilities, as well as weapons and vehicles.

A total of 19 airstrikes have been carried out in Al-Bab, Bzagah, south Kabbasin and Suflaniyah, destroying at least 13 building, 1 vehicle belonging to the terrorist organization.

A total of 3014 improvised explosive devices and 43 mines have been destroyed since the beginning of the operation, the military added.

Meanwhile, Special Task Forces of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) continued their operation in the region and seized control of Suflaniyah's residential areas in northern Syria with airstrikes and shelling.

Coalition air forces also carried out four coordinated airstrikes on IS targets in Tadif and Bzagah, which were identified by Turkish military forces supporting FSA fighters.

The Turkish Armed Forces launched the Euphrates Shield Operation last August against both IS and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).

Turkey regards the YPG and the PYD as terrorist organizations due to their links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
HANGZHOU, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Families of 14 Chinese sailors received over one million yuan (145,000 U.S. dollars) in compensation for each victim of an incident in which a Liberian ship sank a Chinese boat, killing all crew members.

At 2:54 a.m. on July 14, 2015, a Liberian container ship, the FS SANAGA, rammed into a Chinese fishing boat off the coast of east China's Zhejiang Province. Instead of reporting the accident immediately, the ship escaped and left the boat to sink and sailors on board to die.

The local maritime department salvaged the sunken ship and conducted an investigation, which concluded that the Liberian ship bore the principal responsibility for the tragedy.

The maritime court in the province's Ningbo City ordered the foreign company that owned the ship to pay compensation totaling 15.16 million yuan to the victims' families in November. Both the defendant and plaintiff accepted the verdict.
A baby hippo walks out of a room with its mother at Qingdao Forest Wildlife World in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Aug. 5, 2016. (Xinhua/Yu Fangping)

DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The government of Tanzania was planning to carry out a countrywide census for hippopotamus.

The move followed reports indicating that poachers are now targeting the animals for their teeth that have a profitable market in Asia.

Alexander Songorwa, Director of Wildlife in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, said the last countrywide census specifically for hippos was conducted in 2001 and the result showed there were 20,079 of them.

"The government plans to conduct a new census to know the number of the huge animals," said Songorwa, adding that the ministry was currently soliciting funds for conducting the hippo survey.

He said Tanzania has a licensing system, which allows sport hunting and sale of hippopotamus teeth collected from animals that die from natural cause.

However, issuance of permits for export of hippo teeth was suspended since 2004, meaning that no hippo teeth were exported legally except those obtained through sport hunting, said Songorwa.

He said Tanzania believed that with the existing regulatory mechanism and intensified anti-poaching efforts the country's hippopotamus population was not threatened by the existing level of legal harvest.

Records from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) show that between 2004 and 2014 Hong Kong reported importing almost 60 tonnes of teeth from wild hippos in Africa for commercial purpose.

Trade figures show that the source countries for hippos teeth were now predominantly Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

A report by the National Geographic released in December 2016 titled: "Fighting the Underground Trade in Hippo Teeth" said poaching cartels operating in Tanzania and elsewhere in Africa have recently turned to hippos for their teeth which are curved into ornaments which fetch millions of dollars in Asia.
SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's main opposition party led recent opinion poll as public attention is being paid to an early presidential race after President Park Geun-hye was impeached in early December.

According to a Gallup Korea poll released on Friday, the biggest opposition Minjoo Party garnered 37 percent this week in public support. It was down 4 percentage points from the previous week, but the figure was much higher than three other major parties.

The ruling Saenuri Party gained 12 percent in approval scores, unchanged from the previous week. It was trailed by the minor opposition People's Party with 11 percent, up 1 percentage point from a week earlier.

The People's Party, launched about a year ago, was composed mostly of former Minjoo Party members.

The Righteous Party, which splintered off from the governing Party, gained an approval rating of 9 percent.

The pollster said people's attention is moving to the next presidential election since former UN chief Ban Ki-moon returned back to his home country on Jan. 12.

The former South Korean career diplomat has never officially declared his run for presidency, but his moves have been seen as a de facto presidential campaign. He is forecast to decide on what political party he will side with in the foreseeable future.

Helped by strong support for the opposition camp, presidential contenders from the Minjoo Party gained higher approval scores.

Moon Jae-in, former Minjoo Party chief who was the runner-up in the 2012 president election, secured a support rate of 28.1 percent this week, up 2 percentage points from the previous week, according to a Realmeter survey released on Thursday.

Support for Moon far exceeded Ban Ki-moon's 21.8 percent, down 0.4 percentage points from the previous week.

Since his comeback, Ban had made the so-called "people-friendly" moves, traveling major cities across the nation. But, his moves caused public criticism for his comments and actions.

Lee Jae-myung, mayor of Seongnam city to the southeast of Seoul who is affiliated with the Minjoo Party, gained 9.0 percent in support as the next president, down 2.7 percentage points from the previous week.

Lee was followed by Ahn Cheol-soo, former head of the People's Party who has 7.4 percent in support rate. South Chungcheong province governor Ahn Hee-jung of the Minjoo Party came next with 4 percent.
SYDNEY, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Sydney is set to host the 15th annual Yabun festival, meaning "music to a beat," on January 26, Australia's biggest celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

"It's a great opportunity for both locals and visitors to celebrate and learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures through music, art, performance and debate," Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

The event will be hosted on the traditional land of the Gadigal people, showcasing 12 performances ranging from rock, folk, pop, hip-hop, blues, country, as well as a band from Australia's Northern Territory.

The city has provided 120,000 Australian dollars (90,000 U.S. dollars) in funding for the event and will feature over 100 stalls and activities.

"The Yabun Festival rejoices in the cultures and practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the oldest living culture in the world," the Lord Mayor said.
by Xinhua writers Zheng Kaijun, Yang Dingdu

BUDAPEST/SHANGHAI, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- "All's going well," Vattay Balazs told his fellow workers, taking off his helmet and gas mask after a routine checkup in a compressor hall of a chemicals plant in northern Hungary.

Balazs, 35, is the superintendent of a production line in the Kazincbarcika-based BorsodChem Ltd., a leading European isocyanate producer, which supplies raw materials to a wide range of industries like automotive, construction, clothing, footwear, electronics and pharmaceuticals.

Pointing at a paper of bar-graph pinned on the wall of his office, Balazs said proudly that his team had contributed in the past month the most feasible suggestions to the company that included ways of saving cost and optimizing production processes.

"It's something like a competition regarding to how many useful advices we give. Teams compete, individuals compete, too," he told Xinhua in a recent interview.

If a piece of advice is accepted and really works, part of the earning or saving as a result of the modification will be given as a reward to the proposer, he explained. "That makes the entire company in good function, rigorous and vigorous."

However, said Balazs, things could have been the other way around if the Chinese did not show up.

BorsodChem, founded in 1949, was bought by British buy-out fund Permira and Vienna Capital Partners in 2006. But it ran into severe difficulties in 2008 due to a seized-up global market and the fact that the owners -- two financial investors, had little to offer in terms of technical innovation.

"The company was dying. We were about to lose our jobs. Families were in despair," said 38-year-old Ombodi Gabor, a colleague of Balazs.

One in 10 in Kazincbarcika, a town with a population of about 30,000, works at BorsodChem, Gabor estimated. Many local young people studied chemicals to work for the company, the only big employer available near home, but only to find the "global" financial crisis was so close in reach.

In 2009, Wanhua Chemical Group, one of a number of Chinese companies that were "going global," started negotiations to buy BorsodChem's mezzanine debt. It acquired the full control two years later, when the company had a debt of some 150 million euro (about 160 million U.S. dollars).

A chemicals giant based in Shandong Province, Wanhua started the restructuring of BorsodChem in a timely fashion, brought in advanced techniques and new ways of management. Moreover, it cut no jobs.

"There were over 3,300 workers, and the company was in the rim of 'liquidity zero.' But no one was fired," said Berecz Ostod, a folklift driver at a BorsodChem warehouse.

The move also saved troubles in the upstream and downstream businesses like logistics. "Wanhua is professional in the industry. It has the confidence in rejuvenating BorsodChem and continuing to feed us. And we trust it," said Ostod.

The new owner also invested in environmental protection and safety production so as to allow the company grow in a sustainable way.

BorsodChem was turned from loss to gain in 2014. In 2015, its net profit (before adjustment) totaled 50 million euro (about 54 million U.S.dollars), and the figure of 2016 might reach 90 million euro (about 96 million dollars).

The company has become a healthy cash generator, with its margin of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in 2016 being the top among the peers in Europe.

As the Hungarian government lauded BorsodChem's rebirth as a model of the development of Chinese-Hungarian business relations, Hungarians in China also see such collaboration inspiring and encouraging.

"We only hear about positive things about the operation (of BorsodChem)," Rupert Varnai, CEO of Cathay Associates, a global legal service network specialized in Chinese companies' global expansion, told Xinhua in Shanghai.

Varnai, a Hungarian, said it seemed that Wanhua followed the golden rules of M&A (merger and acquisition), as it was prepared for unforeseen compliance issues, paid attention to the fusion of Chinese and European employees, and was able to create its own management culture.

Varnai holds an even brighter forecast for China-Hungary interactions, as the Belt and Road Initiative goes gradually from paper to reality.

"The presence of Huawei, ZTE, Bank of China, the Chinese involvement in the Budapest-Belgrade railway line, and the continuously growing number of tourists, etc. are all signs that the expectations are right and are in synergy with the Belt and Road Initiative and Hungary's Eastern Opening policy," he said.

"A lot more can be expected both in the short and the long run," he added.

(Yang Yongqian in Budapest, You Zhixin in Shanghai contributed to the story.)
DAKAR, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Troops from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stopped advancing in Gambia on Thursday night to give Gambia's veteran leader Yahya Jammeh a last chance to step down peacefully.

"Orders were given to the troops to stop their advance and they have stopped, because the ECOWAS privileges the initiatives of dialogue and diplomacy," President of the ECOWAS Commission Marcel Alain Da Souza said.

The Senegalese army, backed by other west-african soldiers, entered Gambia Thursday afternoon in a military operation aimed at forcing Jammeh to cede power to Adama Barrow who was sworn in this Thursday in Dakar as the new president of Gambia.

"A total of 7000 men were mobilized for this mission of installation and rehabilitation of democracy in Gambia," Da Souza added.

Barrow, who officially became the third head of state of Gambia, after Dawda Jawara and Jammeh, who has been in power since 1994 through a coup d'etat, was forced to be sworn in at the Gambian embassy in the Senegalese capital of Dakar on Thursday.

In his first presidential speech, Barrow called for national unity. "Thanks to the citizens of Gambia, this is the first time that Gambia changes its government through elections," Barrow stressed.

He called on Jammeh to respect the Constitution of Gambia, and pledged to return to Gambia soon.

"We want peace, and we invite everyone to cultivate peace," Barrow said.

A candidate of the coalition of seven opposition parties, Barrow, in Dakar since Saturday, was declared the winner of the presidential election on Dec. 2, 2016 by the Independent Electoral Commission.

But he was unable to take over presidential power in Banjul as his election victory was first recognized but later challenged by then president Jammeh, who refused to cede power.

On Wednesday, a few hours before the end of Jammeh's official mandate, the National Assembly of 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 Jan. 17.

The UN Security Council on Thursday adopted a resolution, asking Jammeh to transfer power to President Barrow by Friday.

The West African armies have given Jammeh until midday on Friday to quit power before they continue their march to the capital of Gambia, Banjul.

Leaders of Guinea, Mauritania and Liberia would also travel to Banjul to try to convince Jammeh to travel to Guinea first, then choose a country of exile.
Wang Xintong is looking through the window on Train K4186 on Jan.15, 2017. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

FUZHOU/CHONGQING -- Eight-year-old Wang Xintong is the daughter of migrant workers Wang Xiangquan, 36, and Yu Gaifen, who have been working in Fuqing, east China's Fujian Province, 2,000 kilometers away from their ancestral home in Yunlong Town, eastern Chongqing, southwest China.

On Jan.13, about half a month away from the Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan.28 this year, little Xintong got up at 5 a.m.. She was too excited to fall asleep because she was about to go home later in the day.

Xintong and her parents are waiting to board a bus to the train station Jan. 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Xintong and her parents arrive at the Fuzhou train station on Jan. 13, 2017. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)

It was Xintong's first train travel after her parents took her to Fujian five years ago.

Her curiosity about the travel soon faded away as the train was very crowded and not very comfortable. However, she seemed to have plenty of patience.

Xintong is playing with other kids onboard Train K4186 on Jan. 14, 2017. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Xintong had instant noodles every meal in the train. To prepare the noodles, Wang Xiangquan, her dad, had to wade through the crowd to fetch hot water.

Xintong is doing her homework in Train K4186 on Jan. 14, 2017. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

When asked why she was so excited to go back home, Xintong said she had many friends back home, but not in Fujian.

"I feel so lonely because there's no one to play with me, " she said.

The Wang family moved several times in Fuqing City, leaving Xiaotong no time to get familiar with other children. Both parents have little time to accompany her, according to Yu Gaifen, Xintong's mother.

Photo taken on Jan. 15, 2017 shows Xintong walking in front of her village home in Yunlong Township, Chongqing. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

On finishing the 26-hour train journey, the second day, the Wang family changed to another train in Dazhou, Sichuan Province, Saturday night, which brought them to the ancestral home in Yunlong Township, Chongqing Municipality. They finally reached home Sunday morning after 40 hours' ride.

Xintong is putting food into the bowl of her grandma, Jan. 15, 2017. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

There are many "left-behind" children when their parents move to work in cities. Xintong mother Yu Gaifen has chosen not to leave Xintong with her grandparents.

"I can't leave her behind. As long as we three stay together, I would feel content, even though we don't have much money," Yu said.

Photo taken on Jan. 15, 2017 shows Xintong, her parents and grandparents posing for a family portrait. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Xintong is attending a public elementary school in Fuqing City, where more than 1/4 of students are from migrant workers' families. Her parents and grandparents are all hoping Xintong to study well and settle down in cities.
NEW DELHI, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in Delhi next week, the Indian External Affairs Ministry has said.

Sheikh Mohamed, who is also deputy supreme commander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will arrive in this country on Jan. 24 on a three-day visit.

During his stay in India, the crown prince will call on President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari, and also hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues of bilateral, regional and global interests.

Sheikh Mohamed will also attend the Republic Day celebrations on Jan. 26 as the chief guest, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

"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 statement added.

UAE was India's fifth largest crude oil supplier. Trade between the two countries topped 50 billion U.S. dollars in 2015-16.
LUSAKA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Zambia and the European Union (EU) have signed a 65-million-euro financing agreement aimed at improving electricity connectivity in the country's capital, a senior official said Friday.

The agreement, signed in Brussels, Belgium, by Zambia's Finance Minister Felix Mutati and European Commissioner for International Development Neven Mimica, was meant for the improvement of transmission, distribution and rehabilitation of a power connectivity line in Lusaka.

The funds will facilitate the connection of the city's more than 63,000 new customers to electricity, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Finance Head of Public Relations Chileshe Kandeta.

"This agreement will not only facilitate reduction of system losses and improved load management, but also provide the requisite energy for the private sector to up their production and service levels," the Zambian minister said after signing the agreement.

On his part, the EU envoy said it was time the world stopped looking at Africa as an aid recipient but a formidable partner in development and a platform for stronger global trade.

The EU envoy further expressed happiness over Zambia's progress in preparation and identification of the project.
HANOI, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The heavy lift vessel Rolldock Storm carrying Vietnam's sixth Russia-made submarine arrived at Cam Ranh Port in the country's southcentral coastal Khanh Hoa province on Friday, after a voyage of over 40 days from Russia.

After entering Cam Ranh bay, the Rolldock Storm will be docking in the water in the next few days to wait for experts to tow the submarine into Cam Ranh military port, reported the state-run news agency VNA.

Earlier in 2014 and 2015, Russia had delivered four similar Kilo-class submarines for Vietnam, namely HQ-182 Hanoi, HQ-183 Ho Chi Minh City, HQ-184 Hai Phong and HQ-185 Khanh Hoa.

These submarines have been officially serving under submarine brigade 189 of Vietnam People's Navy.

In early February 2016, the fifth Russian-made submarine, which is expected to be named HQ-186 Da Nang, arrived in Cam Ranh. The sixth and also final submarine will be called HQ-187 Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Flag-raising ceremony for the two submarines will be held in the coming time, said VNA.

With a displacement of 3,000-3,950 tons, the nearly 74m-long submarine can operate at an average depth of 240 meters and maximum depth of 300 meters, as well as can work for a range of 6,000-7,500 nautical miles for 45 days with 52 crew members.
DAMASCUS, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) group has destroyed the facade of the ancient Roman theatre as well as the Tetrapylon in the ancient oasis city of Palmyra in central Syria, state TV reported on Friday.

The interface of the second-century CE theatre was completely demolished after being booby-trapped with explosions, as well as the famous Tetrapylon, a type of ancient Roman monument of a cubic shape, in that millennia-old city, according to the report.

However, the report spelled no further details on the exact time of destruction.

It's the latest in a series of destruction that has befallen the city by the hands of the terror-designated group, which re-entered the city in December 2016, just nine months after losing it to the Syrian army.

A day earlier, state news agency SANA said the IS terrorists executed 12 civilians in Palmyra, four of whom were state employees, including two teachers.

During their first invasion of the city in 2015, the IS militants blew up several 2,000 year old monuments and relics in Palmyra.

They destroyed the Temple of Bel, which was dedicated to the Mesopotamian god Bel, who was worshipped at Palmyra in triad with the lunar god Aglibol and the sun god Yarhibol, which formed the center of religious life in Palmyra and was inaugurated in 32 AD. Now, there is nothing left of the temple except its gate.

Aside from Bal, another temple in Palmyra, Baalshamin, was totally destroyed during the first invasion of Palmyra.

Baalshamin, whose earliest phase dates to the late 2nd century, was one of the most complete ancient structures in Palmyra. In 1980, the UNESCO designated the temple as a World Heritage Site. The IS destroyed Baalshamin on Aug. 23, 2015.

On May 23, 2015, the militants IS militants partially destroyed the Lion of al-Lat and other statues.

It became known on Sept. 4, 2015 that IS had destroyed three of the best preserved tower tombs including the Tower of Elahbel.

On Oct. 5, 2015, news media reported IS destroyed the Arch of Triumph.

Before destroying its facade, the IS used the theater in its infamous massacre of Syrian solider.

Last year, the IS released a video of a mass slaughter of Syrian soldiers in that amphitheater, showing condemned soldiers lined up on their knees on the stage, while their child executioners with pistols in hands standing behind them.

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.
RIYADH, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia will send 120 local engineers to UK for training to enhance their employment chances, Okaz local newspaper reported on Friday.

Hundred of them will be enrolled in English courses, while 50 will take part in practical engineering skills. The training is part of many initiatives to make Saudi jobseekers the first choice for employers, especially in the private sector.

The Saudi Authority for Engineers will also launch a programme to grant privileges to companies that recruit local engineers, including providing them for free after recruiting one engineer a software of 20 programmes, each programme costs 7,998 U.S dollar. The authority will also pay the vocational insurance of newly recruit Saudis.

According to a report on Al Eqtisadiya news portal, there were 230943 engineers in Saudi Arabia at the end of 2015, of which 92 percent of them were foreigners, only 18046 were Saudis.
DAMASCUS, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least 100 militants with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and allied rebels were killed Friday, by U.S.-led airstrikes on their positions in countryside of the northern province of Aleppo, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported.

The rebels with the Nusra Front and the Nour Addien Zunki were killed when the airstrikes by the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition targeted a training camp in the town of Dar Izzeh in the western countryside of Aleppo, said the report.

The report said that the Nusra Front was amassing forces to make attacks in Syria after the upcoming Syria talks in Astana, from which it was excluded due to being designated as a terrorist group by the UN.

It added that fighting Nusra will be on the agenda of the talks, which are sponsored by Russia and Turkey.

Both powers were said to will form local force to fight the Nusra in its stronghold in the northwestern province of Idlib.

The group has suffered significance losses recently, as many of its commanders have been targeted by either anti-terror coalition or the rival rebel groups.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Up to 16 policemen were killed as militants stormed a police checkpoint in Miwand district of the southern Afghan province of Kandahar on Friday, a local official said.
BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's Foreign Ministry on Friday dismissed Taiwan's sending of a self-styled delegation to President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony, saying that the move was aimed to disrupt China-U.S. relations.

The comments came after media reports said that former Taiwan official Yu Shyi-Kun was leading a delegation to attend the inauguration in Washington Friday noon.

"Some forces in Taiwan are playing up the Taiwan authority sending its so-called 'official delegation' to the U.S. president's inauguration ceremony at the invitation [of the U.S. side], which is obviously self-satisfying hype," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a regular news briefing.

"It aims to disrupt and undermine China-U.S. relations. China has repeatedly expressed firm opposition to this," Hua added.

Hua said she noted the U.S. government affirmed that it would only invite foreign envoys based in the U.S. to attend the inauguration, rather than invite or encourage other countries or regions to send delegations.

In a 1978 joint communique establishing diplomatic relations between China and the United States, the United States said that it recognized the one-China policy -- that there is only one China and Taiwan is part of China, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government that represents China.
Chinese PresidentXi Jinpingdelivers a keynote speech at theUnited NationsOffice in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2017. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday renewed his call for building a community of shared future, offering inspiration to a world beset by rising challenges and risks.

To maintain peace, sustain development and ensure continued prosperity, China has proposed the building of "a community of shared future for humanity," and achieving shared, win-win development, Xi told the United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland.

Such a proposal transcends ethnic, national and ideological differences as it has been designed to help countries and regions cope with challenges like flagging economic growth, terrorism, the refugee crisis and climate change -- global issues.

This new community will be integral to solving problems, and helping to secure a better future for the world and those who live in it, said Ruan Zongze, executive deputy president of the China Institute of International Studies.

For the envisaged community to happen, the key is to act, the Chinese president said, listing partnership, security, growth, inter-civilization exchanges and the environment as priorities.

Xi urged countries to foster partnerships based on dialogue, non-confrontation and non-alliance, in the hope of reversing the violent approach of some countries to resolving disputes.

Building a world of lasting peace through dialogue and consultation, as Xi insisted in his speech, is the only option, Ruan said.

China has formed partnerships of various forms with over 90 countries and regional organizations, while actively promoting a new model of international relations featuring win-win cooperation -- showing China to be a country of action, rather than empty talk.

Security for all is also a must for building a community of shared future for mankind.

A country cannot have security while others are in turmoil, as threats facing other countries may also haunt it, Xi said, reaffirming his concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.

China has firmly practiced the new security concept and played a constructive role over recent years to seek solutions to regional issues, evident in its involvement in the Iran nuclear talks, mediation for national reconciliation in South Sudan and facilitation of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, among others.

Common prosperity features significantly in the community of shared future, and according to Xi, promoting win-win cooperation and building an open world economy could pave the way for it.

"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.

By saying so, Xi is showing the world the right direction for driving forward economic globalization and addressing problems arising in the process.

China's Belt and Road Initiative, also proposed by Xi to better connect the world, is one of the country's latest endeavors to promote inclusive, win-win globalization.

The concept of a community of shared future for mankind, since Xi first brought it up in late 2012, has served as a core notion and supreme goal in China's diplomacy.

With effort and determination, the community can be built, just as the Chinese have always dreamed of.

Related:

Spotlight: Xi's Switzerland tour shows Chinese wisdom, confidence in face of sluggish global economy, anti-globalization sentiment

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. Full story

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.
The G4136 train runs on the Shuitongmuzhai bridge of the Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway in Anshun, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Dec. 28, 2016. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

Hi, here's what you need to know about China:

BEIJING -- China's economy grew 6.7 percent year on year in 2016, the slowest pace of growth in 26 years, but well within the government's target range, official data showed Friday. xhne.ws/lCbyJ

- - - -

BEIJING -- China's per capita disposable income stood at 23,821 yuan (3,469 U.S. dollars) in 2016, up 6.3 percent year on year in real terms, official data showed Friday.

The increase was slower than the 7.4 percent rise registered in 2015, as China's economy posted the slowest pace of growth in 26 years in 2016. xhne.ws/phN3x

- - - -

BEIJING -- 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. xhne.ws/MHNeL

- - - -

DAVOS -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Alibaba Group on Thursday jointly announced a long-term partnership running through 2028 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. xhne.ws/qu7V3

- - - -

PANAMA CITY -- Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co. said it hopes to consolidate Latin America as one of its top growth markets, alongside Europe and Asia, as it launched its new smartphone the Mate 9 in Panama on Thursday. xhne.ws/kXLWj

- - - -

PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia's Senate President Samdech Say Chhum on Friday reiterated the country's staunch support for the one-China policy, saying that China played a more important role in maintaining peace, stability and development in the region and in the world. xhne.ws/fgGrO
BUJUMBURA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Burundi and a UN agency on Thursday evening launched the country's 2017 humanitarian response plan (HRP) to address hunger affecting a quarter of the country's population.

"The situation of hunger is due to natural disasters that are behind climate change, on the one hand, and to degrading relations between Burundi and some of its partners," Burundi's foreign minister Alain Aime Nyamitwe said at the launch of the plan.

He also seized the opportunity to invite the international community to support vulnerable people through "tangible" assistance.

Suzanne Ngo-Mandong, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Burundi, also call on the international community to support the HRP plan.

"At least 3 million people are in need of assistance, but among them, 1 million people are in an urgent humanitarian situation. This means that a quarter of Burundian people need food assistance," Ngo-Mandong said.

According to her, children, women especially breastfeeding ones, ageing people, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) living in camps in Burundi are the "worst affected" by the food crisis.

The 2017 humanitarian response plan for Burundi requires at least 73.7 million U.S. dollars for its implementation.
ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's people are still besieged by violence and crisis two years after the military intervention of the Saudi-led coalition to support Yemen's government against the Shiite Houthi rebels who occupied the country's capital in September, 2014.

"Two years of suffering have passed and Yemenis are still killing each other in different battlefields across the country," said Rashid Hassan, a resident in the southwestern province of Taiz, which is besieged by pro-Houthi forces.

"It's obvious that a third year of displacement and killing is waiting for us. No hopes of political solutions or peace," he added.

The Shiite Houthi group, which is accused of receiving military assistance from Iran, took over Sanaa along with other northern provinces and placed Yemen's internationally recognized President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and other high-ranking officials under house arrest on Jan. 22, 2015, but he escaped to Aden a month later.

Backed by elite troops from the Republican Guard Forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Shiite Houthi rebels established their presence in Sanaa and seized control of all the state institutions and ministries.

In March 2015, the Houthi militias expanded their control, launched large military campaigns against rival forces in the southern provinces and reached Aden.

The pro-Houthi forces invaded Aden with heavy armored vehicles and captured Yemen's Defense Minister Major General Mahmoud Subaihi, who is still in Houthi's jail in Sanaa, but they failed to catch President Hadi.

In the night of March 26, 2015, Saudi Arabia, in association with other Arab and Gulf countries, led the Decisive Storm operation to promote the stability of Yemen.

Houthis' presence in the country's southern part didn't last long. They were expelled from Aden by a Saudi-backed military offensive that also had liberated five neighboring southern provinces from Houthi's control.

Thousands of people celebrated the victory against Houthis in Aden and southern Yemen but soon realized that they were still in violence and lack of basic services, with many injured residents sitting at homes without treatment.

"The southern people foiled the Houthi's occupation and liberated their provinces, but now they are occupied by the Saudi-backed government," is a popular phrase shared by the Yemenis on social media, demonstrating their anger toward the situation in the country, particularly in the southern regions controlled by Hadi's government.

For residents in several neighborhoods of the southern port city of Aden, where Yemen's internationally recognized government has temporarily based itself, almost everyone complained about the worsening security situation and the lack of basic services such as water and electricity.

"Masked gunmen can easily assassinate military officials almost every week and peace has become a rarity in Aden," 27-year-old pharmacist Fadwa Mohamed said.

"The security situation in addition to the repeated blackouts of electricity badly affected us. We can't perform our works perfectly," she added.

Ali Bin Khaled, a student at Aden University, said that Aden did get liberation after the fleeing of Houthi gunmen, "but a lot of problems still exist and the presence of Yemen's government in Aden played a negative role."

"Many crises in Aden are caused by corrupt officials loyal to President Hadi. Aden's streets are filled with trash and sewage pools everywhere," he said.

In 2016, the Saudi-led Arab coalition dispatched hundreds of armored vehicles and established well-equipped military units in Aden and other southern provinces to support the Yemeni government.

However, disputes between leaders of the pro-government army units appeared almost every month, leading to intra-faction clashes in Aden Province, the country's temporary capital.

Last week, armed clashes broke out between two military factions, forcing Aden University to shut down the faculty of languages and three other colleges citing concerns about the safety of students.

"The priorities for the military units are saving the citizens and securing the educational institutions, but unfortunately they clash with each other causing panic in the city," said a lecturer at the Faculty of Arts in Aden.

"Commanders of the army units cannot put aside their differences and cannot focus on rebuilding securing Aden and fighting the terrorist groups," said the 23-year-old Aden resident. "The unfair distribution of money between the army units usually lead to differences and armed clashes."

Persistent fuel shortage has disrupted business and badly affected the living conditions of citizens in the government-controlled southern provinces including Aden.

"The fuel shortage is affecting us too much. In these days, the transportation fees are too high comparing to last year," said Sarah Waleed, an Aden-based female youth activist.

"It's very difficult to get fuel from the petrol stations due to the very long queues of cars waiting there for several days," she lamented.

"The government kept watching the citizens suffering and worked nothing to solve the crisis in Aden," the woman added.

Fear and anxiety spread among traders in Aden, leading to hiking prices of essential goods including food.

"Thousands of employees haven't received their salaries for four months. How can we counter the hiking prices?" 26-year-old teacher Akram Hashem said.

Many armed groups that received military support in 2015 and participated in the anti-Houthi fighting in Aden and elsewhere are refusing to hand over heavy and medium weapons to the government.

"Hadi's government is facing a real security challenge as anti-Houthi armed groups insist on possessing heavy weapons in southern Yemen," a military official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

"The government is now trying to convince these groups to hand over their weapons and join the armed forces," the military source said.

Many residents in the southern Yemeni provinces dream of seeing police stations replace militias that failed to confront the terrorist elements of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch.

Aden witnessed several well-planned assassinations and armed attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shiite Houthi rebels from the strategic city of Aden in July 2015.

Yemen has been suffering from a civil war and a Saudi-led military intervention for about two years. The civil war began after the Houthi militants with support from forces loyal to the former president ousted the UN-backed transitional government.

The legitimate government now controls the south and some eastern parts, while the Houthi/Saleh alliance controls the other parts including the capital Sanaa.

The UN has brokered rounds of peace talks between the warring factions, but they failed to reach any common ground.
The photo taken in July 2016 shows Kigali convention center and adjoining 5-star Convention Hotel. (Xinhua)

KIGALI, Jan. 20 (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.
File photo taken on July 21, 2016 shows Donald Trump taking the stage on the last day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, the United States. (Xinhua)

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- On the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration, Billionaire investor George Soros said Thursday the U.S. President-elect is "going to fail".

During a speech in Davos, the venue for the World Economic Forum, Soros called Trump a "would-be-dictator", saying he was "gearing up for a trade war".

A trade war would have "a very far reaching effect in Europe and other parts of the world," warned Soros, a supporter of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The "would-be-dictator ... didn't expect to win," said Soros.

According to Bloomberg Television reports, Soros said "I personally am convinced that (Trump) is going to fail."

He is going to fail "not because of people like me who would like him to fail, but because the ideas that guide him are inherently self-contradictory," Soros said.

The financial markets will "not do very well" due to the uncertainty caused by the Trump administration, Soros further predicted.

"Right now uncertainty is at the peak," Soros said, adding "It's impossible to predict exactly how Trump is going to act."

The United States is holding the quadrennial presidential inauguration cer

emony on Friday when Trump will be sworn in as the country's 45th president.

Trump on Thursday nominated former Governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture, completing his entire cabinet selection before his inaugural ceremony.

Related:

Spotlight: U.S. braces for Trump's inauguration amid doubts, protests, partisan fights
BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday expressed positive expectations for the upcoming dialogue on Syria issues scheduled in Astana, Kazakhstan next Monday, saying that it hoped the talks would set a sound foundation for the Syrian talks in Geneva.

"China is positive about all proposals and plans that will be conducive to the political solution to the Syria issues," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a daily press briefing.

Hua said that China supported the United Nations' role as the main channel of mediation on Syria issues, and thought the upcoming dialogue in Astana was a useful supplement to the Syrian talks in Geneva.

She said that China hoped the Syrian government and the oppositions could eliminate differences, accumulate mutual trust, and push forward the political process to accomplish success, adding that the Syrian government and the oppositions should take part in the Geneva talks without preconditions.

"China takes a fair and objective stance on the issues, and supports the peace talks in Geneva," said Hua. "China will continue its efforts for an early realization of lasting peace and stability in Syria."

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 in Astana was later announced.

As part of diplomatic efforts to peacefully end the years-long civil war in Syria, the UN will convene a new round of Syrian talks in Geneva on Feb. 8.
BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Outstanding loans to small businesses continued to grow by the end of 2016 as the central government stepped up efforts to provide more financial support to small and micro businesses.

Outstanding loans by Chinese financial institutions to small and micro businesses stood at 20.84 trillion yuan (3.02 trillion U.S. dollars) by the end of December, up 16 percent year on year, according to the central bank.

With authorities encouraging loans to small and micro businesses to help shore up the economy, the growth rate of such loans exceeded the growth rate of loans to big- and mid-sized enterprises by 7.2 and 9.1 percentage points, respectively, said the People's Bank of China (PBOC).

Outstanding loans to small and micro businesses accounted for 32.1 percent of the total outstanding loans to enterprises at the end of December, up 1.6 percentage points year on year, according to the PBOC.

Chinese authorities have encouraged banks to support the development of small businesses, which have difficulty accessing bank loans.

The banking regulator has implemented differential regulatory policies to improve the coverage of loans for small businesses and reduce their financing costs.
DHAKA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The second phase of the largest annual Muslim congregation after holy Hajj began Friday morning in Bangladesh with religious sermons for millions of devotees from home and abroad.

The grand prayer at the three-day congregation called Biswa Ijtema on the bank of the Turag river at Tongi, some 25 km north of capital Dhaka, will be held on Sunday, seeking divine blessings and welfare of all mankind.

The first phase of the three-day Bishwa Ijtema, which is being held in two phases since 2011 to avoid mad rush of pilgrims, concluded with the offering of Akheri Munajat (concluding prayer) on Jan. 15.

The second phase of Bishwa Ijtema began Friday after Fazr (morning) prayers with religious sermons for the devotees, seeking world peace for the Muslim ummah.

Like the first phase, a large number of foreign pilgrims attended the second phase of the congregation.

To ensure safety and security of the devotees and maintain the law and order, thousands of members of different law-enforcing agencies have been deployed in and around 60-hectare Ijtema ground, the main venue of the congregation.

Observation towers have been set up at different strategic points to oversee people's movement.
A ceremony is held to honor the two astronauts of the Shenzhou-11 spaceflight mission for their outstanding contributions to the country's space endeavors in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Ju Zhenhua)

BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday held a ceremony to honor the two astronauts of the Shenzhou-11 spaceflight mission for their outstanding contributions to the country's space endeavors.

Jing Haipeng, crew commander and a third-time space traveler, was honored a first-class aerospace achievement medal, and Chen Dong, a first-time space traveler, was conferred a third-class medal and the honorary title "heroic astronaut."

Xu Qiliang, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, called for learning from the astronauts' devotion to the motherland and their courage to overcome hardships.

Launched on Oct. 17 last year, Shenzhou-11 docked two days later with China's space lab Tiangong-2, where the two astronauts lived for 30 days, the longest time Chinese astronauts spent in space.

The Shenzhou-11 mission is part of China's ambitious plan to build a permanent manned space station.
SARIPUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least four Taliban fighters have been killed and four others injured as security forces attacked militants' positions in Sayad district of the northern Saripul province on Thursday, provincial governor Mohammad Zahir Wahdat said Friday.

"Four Taliban rebels have been killed, four others injured and two foreign nationals have been arrested," Wahdat told reporters here.

"One of the arrested foreign nationals is from Turkmenistan and the other from Kazakhstan," the official said, adding, "both of them received terrorist training in Wazirustan tribal area of Pakistan."

Taliban militants who are active in parts of the relatively restive province are yet to make comment on the report.

Earlier on the day, local media quoting Attaullah Khogiani, the spokesman for eastern Nangarhar province, reported killing two Pakistani and two Tajikistan nationals loyal to the Islamic State (IS) group in the eastern region on Thursday.

Foreign nationals, according to Afghan security officials, have been fighting alongside anti-government militants including Taliban and the IS groups in Afghanistan.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ministers of G20 member nations at the World Economic Forum here have called on the international group of major economies to continue aiming for inclusive growth and free trade, and rejecting protectionism.

"If you want to get more inclusive growth, you need more free trade," said Wolfgang Schauble, the federal minister of finance in Germany, which currently holds the G20 presidency. Schauble argued the G20 should redouble efforts to promote inclusive growth as a part of free trade.

Inclusive growth is development that creates opportunity for all segments of the population, and which sees benefits of increased prosperity distributed more equally.

Nicolas Dujovne, Argentina's treasury minister, said that Argentina's closure to international trade would end as his country embraced globalization. He said the new administration was "opening the economy and wants to open up and receive the benefits of globalization to generate more inclusive growth."

Dujovne admitted that avoidance of competition and openness had not been good for Argentina, which will take over the G20 presidency in November 2017.

Inclusive growth had been a cornerstone of the Turkish G20 presidency in 2015, and Mehmet Simsek, deputy prime minister of Turkey, argued that it was important for creating jobs and reducing income inequality.

"Evidence shows that inequalities constrain global growth," he said, adding that protectionism was another growth hurdle.

Protectionism has become an increasing concern in the world trading community after both Brexit in June, when Britain decided by referendum to leave the European Union (EU), and uncertainty related to the incoming Trump administration in the United States.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's Tuesday confirmation that Britain would be leaving the EU single market has also raised concerns, while the head of Britain's government said Britain should not be punished for leaving the Union.

"We don't' want to punish the UK [for Brexit]," Schauble asserted. "We're not happy with the decision and I don't think it's good for the UK or Europe...We need to minimize the damage to the EU and UK."

Schauble added: "If you want to make our economies stable, we all agree the direction is for more growth inclusiveness and sustainability."

While the incoming U.S. administration's policies are not yet clear enough for comment, Pravin Gordhan, South Africa's finance minister, said he expected the United States 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 said.

The World Economic Forum, a Swiss nonprofit organization, is holding its 47th annual meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, and has welcomed over 3,000 participants from nearly 100 countries.
COLOMBO, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government will take strict actions to regulate the national airline to cut its huge loss and prevent corrutpion.

Minister of Public Enterprise Development Kabir Hashim said that actions must be taken against some former and current officials of Srilankan Airlines based on a report of a committee headed by ant-corruption lawyer J.C. Weliamuna.

"There was a mafia in Srilankan. It is still there. It needs to be cleaned. I think the Weliamuna Report has its merits and it needs to be implemented," the minister said.

Hashim said while the airline was operating at a huge loss when the former government was in power, it is now seeing a reduction of losses.

"We have taken steps to revive the airline. We are following the proper procedure to do this," the minister said.

Hashim said the government had cancelled orders signed by the previous administration for four new A-350 aircraft which were scheduled to be delivered this year.

The government will also cancel another order of four A-350 aircraft scheduled to be delivered in 2020, he said.

Hashim said investigations had been launched on fraudulent deals on A-350 aircraft made by the former government.
BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Wu Guixia goes to the same consulting room in Desheng Community Health Service Center in Xicheng District, Beijing, nearly every month.

Wu, 60, pays her monthly visit to Gao Fengjuan, who is a general practitioner (GP) at the community health service center. She has been Wu's family doctor for about three years.

"Dr. Gao patiently listens to my problems, clearly explains how to take my medicine, and keeps track of my health. It makes me feel at ease," said Wu.

Wu is one of about 600 of Gao's patients. Gao is supported by experienced doctors from a nearby major hospital, a nurse and a pharmacist.

Gao's practice was set up in 2012. It is now one of seven in Desheng Community Health Service Center.

In overcrowded major hospitals, doctors are often too busy to fully connect with patients. But in community health service centers, with less patients, family doctors have more time for each visit.

"We family doctors pay attention to not only residents' diseases or symptoms but also their general health status," Gao said.

This holistic approach means that rather than simply "treating diseases," Gao uses the power of communication, and connection, to track the health and mental well-being of her patients.

"The customers talk with me about their life status, families and share their experiences with me," Gao said, "It is this relationship between patients and doctors that I value the most."

BRIDGING GAP

Four years ago, Gao was asked to establish "a pioneering family doctor studio."

Neither Gao nor her colleagues had the slightest idea what a "family doctor" was. Luckily, Gao had recently been in the U.K. to attend a GP training course at the University of Birmingham and she was able to share her experience with her colleagues.

Many of her colleagues had worked at health clinics across China, and so one question kept being asked; "What is so special and different about a family doctor studio?"

Ma Pengtao is Gao's clinic partner in the studio. She explained the main difference; "We collect detailed health information from each customer from the very start. Then we regularly trace their health and offer advice about how they could lead healthier lives, such as drinking less or exercising more," Ma said.

She talked about one patient who, due to alcohol dependency, had liver problems.

"I called him every other week to check up on him, making sure he was eating healthily and hadn't fallen off the wagon."

GPs are becoming the first port of call for patients, freeing up hospitals for emergency or specialist care.

The "Healthy China 2030" guideline, released in 2016, promised that the country's medical system will put more focus on prevention rather than treatment. Family clinics, and doctors like Gao, are on the front line of this fight, taking care of patients and identifying symptoms that might have been ignored in the past.

"People would often not pay much attention to early warning signs, and only see doctors when they had no other option," she said.

MORE TO GO

Currently, Gao sees about 50 people a day. Xicheng District, which was home to about 1.3 million people by the end of 2015, now has about 100 practices like Gao's,

According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), China wants 30 percent of the urban population and 60 percent of priority groups, including seniors, pregnant women and patients with chronic diseases, covered by family practices in 2017.

The relatively low salary of family doctors compared with specialists at major hospitals, however, remains a challenge and must be addressed.

In Desheng Community Health Service Center, He Zhihong, deputy director of the center, explained that its doctors are paid bonuses related to the number of patients and their service quality.

"Every month we poll our patients about their satisfaction with the doctors," He said. "We want those who work better to be better paid."

Gao suggested a service fee might also be effective.

"If a family doctor receives a service fee from each patient, it will it generate more income and work as an incentive," she said.

In fact, such service fee has been launched in several areas in China.

In Xiamen in southeast China's Fujian Province, a family doctor receives a service fee of 120 yuan (17.45 U.S. dollars) for each patient per year, of which the customer only pays 20 yuan, and the rest is paid by health insurance and public health service budget.

During a national health conference earlier this month, the NHFPC chief Li Bin said the government will adjust family doctors' service fees, increase their income and provide more opportunities for their promotion and advancement in the years ahead.
GENEVA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said Friday that some 45,000 civilians are reported to have fled Gambia into bordering Senegal as troops from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) give Gambia's veteran leader Yahya Jammeh a last chance to step down peacefully.

"Authorities in Senegal have developed plans to distribute food and relief items to up to 100,000 people," UNHCR said in a statement.

"Food will include rice, oil and sugar while non-food items will include mattresses, mats, blankets, sheets and soaps," it added.

According to figures, over three quarters of arrivals are children and women. Most are staying either with family members, host families or in hotels.

At least 800 people have also crossed into Guinea-Bissau, to the south of Senegal, UNHCR said.

The Senegalese army, backed by other West African soldiers, entered Gambia Thursday afternoon in a military operation aimed at forcing Jammeh to cede power to Adama Barrow who was sworn in Thursday in Dakar as the new president of Gambia.

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 requested that Jammeh transfer power to President Adama Barrow by Jan. 19, 2017 in accordance with the Gambian constitution.
Christine Lagarde (L), managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), attends the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 20, 2017.(Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), warned against negative competition in policies at the World Economic Forum happening here.

"If we end up in a race to the bottom on tax, financial regulation and trade, that would have devastating consequences," she warned during a panel session on the 2017 global economic outlook, saying, "for me that would be a really big black swan."

"Black swan" is a term used to describe an event that is often surprising and with a disproportionately major effect, often with negative consequences.

The IMF managing director questioned, in particular, the long-term results of combined American fiscal and trade policies.

"We have revised up the United States," Lagarde said of the IMF's outlook on announced fiscal policies for the incoming Trump administration of the United States.

"The question we have that's not completely clear, is how these fiscal measures will combine with trade measures," she said. While fiscal stimulus would likely have a net positive on the United States economy, she said, the combination with trade policies would probably not be an overall net positive.

The IMF predicted "an upside in the short term," with possible "negative spillover" from trade policies that many have worried will have protectionism, rather than globalization, as an effect. She questioned what the policy shift would be in the United States going forward.

Lagarde remained cautiously optimistic, however, about the overall global economic outlook for the year.

"In terms of numbers, we are seeing for the first time numbers that are not being revised down by the IMF," she explained, noting that economies worldwide were improving, with the euro area doing notably better and in a recovery period.

She insisted, however, that growth would not be sustainable if it wasn't inclusive, and "that means supporting those countries that are in the development process."

The World Economic Forum, a Swiss non-profit organization, is holding its 47th annual meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, and has welcomed over 3,000 participants from across the world.
BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- China's three new provincial supervisory commissions have all had their leaderships elected by local legislatures, marking key progress in the pilot supervision reform aimed at strengthening anti-graft efforts.

On Friday, local lawmakers elected Zhang Shuofu and Ren Zemin as directors of the supervisory commissions in Beijing and Zhejiang Province respectively, at the close of the annual session of local legislatures.

Earlier this week, Shanxi elected Ren Jianhua as the director of the supervisory commission of the coal-rich province. Deputy directors and members of the Shanxi commission were also appointed. The three provincial supervisory commission chiefs also head the local discipline watchdogs of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Beijing, Shanxi and Zhejiang are the first three in the country to pilot the reform, which was endorsed by the country's top legislature in December.

The commissions integrate the supervision departments and corruption prevention bureaus, as well as the divisions for handling bribery, dereliction of duty and prevention of duty-related crimes under the people's procuratorates.

The Shanxi Provincial Supervisory Commission, which held its first meeting on Thursday, shared the same office building with the Shanxi discipline inspection commission of the CPC.

Shanxi shocked the country when a spate of corruption cases came to light. In 2014, seven provincial-level officials were put under investigation, along with hundreds of lower level officials. Its economy also faced difficulties amid restructuring, with its GDP growth estimated at about 4.5 percent last year, lower than most other provinces or regions.

"The new commission would to a large extent integrate supervisory power, which would be of great importance to rebuilding the image of Shanxi Province," said Wang Jianzhen, a local entrepreneur and also a deputy to the provincial legislature.

Wang said he was confident about the prospect of the supervisory commission system.

"The new system, which helps restrict exercise of power, will enable companies to deal with government departments in a more transparent way and, therefore, better serve the economy of the province," echoed Yuan Sen, a Shanxi lawmaker and technician from a local aluminum plant.

Provincial-level supervisory commissions will be set up by the end of March, and prefectural- and county- level commissions will be established before June in the three pilot locations, according to the country's top discipline watchdog.

To advance the reform, Beijing, Shanxi and Zhejiang set up working groups for improving the supervision system reform last year, which were headed by Party chiefs of the three places.

Under the pilot scheme, supervisory commissions are authorized to supervise, investigate and impose punishment on all public employees in the three pilot regions.

Zhu Lijia, professor with the Chinese Academy of Governance, said multiple means are needed to realize full-coverage supervision over all employees with public power.

The databases on public employees should be set up as soon as possible, suggested Zhu, who also lauded the effective supervision by the masses.

China has been stepping up its anti-corruption efforts since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, targeting both senior and grassroots level officials. In addition, the country sets great store by establishing stricter and complete systems to put power in a cage of regulations.

So far, the spread of corruption has been effectively contained and the battle against corruption has gained crushing momentum.

Improving supervisory system reform is a major task of the country and a top-level design that will push the modernization of state governance, according to Yang Si, procurator of the Shanxi People's Procuratorate.
Wolfgang Schauble, Federal Minister of Finance for Germany, attends the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 20, 2017.(Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

DAVOS, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Wolfgang Schauble, Federal Minister of Finance for Germany, have expressed cautious optimism Friday about euro area economies at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Speaking during a panel session on the global economic outlook for 2017, Schauble admitted that Europe was seeing economic improvement.

"It's true that the eurozone is doing a little bit better," the German Finance Minister admitted, while reminding listeners that many uncertainties remained.

He called a strong Germany economy as a major factor to improvement in the euro area, saying that it was "driven this year by internal consumer demand," and thus maintaining "resilience against geo-political risk."

For Schauble, the major problem for the European monetary union was a gap in competitiveness between members.

Reducing the competitiveness gap "can't be done by weakening the stronger ones," he insisted, adding "we must strengthen the weaker ones. Europe must become more competitive."

Asked about the negative impact of Brexit on European economies, of particular interest since British Prime Minister Theresa May's Tuesday confirmation that Britain would leave the European Union (EU) single market, Schauble saw no immediate concerns.

"In the long term, we don't know, but in 2017 Brexit will not have a negative impact," he said.

The German minister of finance understood the Brexit results as a wake-up call for Europe, while still offering a positive view of the chances for a new trade deal that would minimize damage to both Britain and the EU.

"It would be a disaster for all of us" if Brexit negotiations didn't reach an agreement between parties after two years, Schauble said, while pledging that European negotiators would do whatever possible to avoid the situation.

"I am convinced that after all the negotiations are done, London will remain an important financial center for Europe," Schauble said.

On policy changes in the United States, the German finance minister wanted to withhold judgment until concrete decisions had been made by the incoming Trump administration.

"I can't imagine there will be huge damage to free trade," he said.

The World Economic Forum, a Swiss nonprofit organization, is holding its 47th annual meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, and has welcomed over 3,000 participants from around the world.
MOSCOW, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia's State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, approved a "Turkish Stream" pipeline deal Friday to deliver its natural gas to Turkey and European markets through the Black Sea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the Turkish Stream project in 2014, and sealed the agreement with his Turkish counterpart in Istanbul in October 2016 envisioning the construction of two underwater legs of the gas pipeline.

The project, put on hold after Turkey downed a Russian warplane in November 2015 near Turkish-Syrian border, was brought back to agenda in June 2016 when Moscow and Ankara agreed to revive their relations.

The Turkish Stream pipeline will serve as an alternative to the South Stream onshore project, which would pass through the Balkan Peninsula but was abandoned in late 2014 mainly due to the Crimea crisis.

The annual capacity of the Turkish Stream pipeline is estimated at 31.5 billion cubic meters with half of it to go to Turkey, according to an explanatory note by the State Duma.

The construction of the pipeline, with 920 km to be laid on the seabed and another 200 km onshore, is expected to start later this year and be completed by Dec. 30, 2019, said the explanatory note.

Russia and Turkey will share the investment of 7 billion euros (about 7.4 billion U.S. dollars).
TAIPEI, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A special association to attract Taiwanese businesses to projects under the Belt and Road Initiative was established in Taiwan on Friday.

The B & R Taiwan Economic Association will "identify and share opportunities for Taiwanese entrepreneurs."

The association is chaired by Philip Wang, former head of the island's biggest radio station and a senior member of the Kuomintang Party.

The Belt and Road Initiative covers more than 60 countries and regions with over 60 percent of the global population, offering enormous opportunities, said Wang.

"The mainland has said many times that Taiwanese are welcome to participate in projects under the initiative," he said, however, many Taiwanese companies say the current administration is not making the process transparent.

This non-profit association has been designed to help Taiwan enterprises, especially the medium and small ones, to participate in the initiative and connect with potential cooperators around the world.

The association's member Stanley Tsai, manager of a logistics company based in Taiwan, said he is interested in opportunities in central Asia and even Europe.

Through the railways built under the Belt and Road Initiative, which connect Asia and Europe, goods could be transported from the mainland's western regions to Europe in less than 20 days, compared with about 28 days from Taiwan, saving time and money, Tsai said.

Taiwanese companies have advantages in personnel, experience and technology, which can make them complementary to their mainland counterparts that own markets and funds, achieving mutual benefits, Wang said.

He also added that via the initiative, the mainland and Taiwan can together promote Chinese culture worldwide.
By Lan Jianzhong, Yan Lei

TOKYO, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese hotel chain has sparked fury on Chinese social media recently for placing books in its guest rooms denying the Nanjing Massacre and the forced recruitment of "comfort women" ever happened.

The incident, after being exposed on social media by a young woman from the United States and confirmed independently by the media, including Xinhua, also sparked great controversy in Japan.

The hotel's act, criticized by many people, was fiercely defended by some right wing forces here citing so-called "freedom of speech."

Such a defense, however, fails to note the fact that freedom of speech, however important it is, should not wittingly strip away civil liberties by subverting a globally and historically-held truth.

Once such "freedom of speech" breaches the bottom line, it will inevitably meet staunch opposition from a correct-thinking and truth-observing public.

Meanwhile, it should also be noted that the hotel's action is probably in violation of the Japanese hotel law, which stipulates that hotel operators shall not put in their facilities documents, drawings and other items, as well as advertisements, that damage good morals.

The APA hotel chain, owning over 400 hotels with more than 66,000 rooms, put a copy of a book titled "Theoretical Modern History - The Real History of Japan" by Seiji Fuji, the pen name of the hotel's CEO, in all of its rooms in Japan.

The book, describing Japan's attack at the Pearl Harbor as a conspiracy of the American side and depicting the "comfort women" as "prostitutes," grossly distorts historical truth.

The author of the book also deliberately ignored solid evidence proving the atrocities committed by the invading Japanese army in Nanjing, including testimonies made by survivors and photos and records taken by witnesses from Europe and the United States.

The so-called "freedom of speech" is merely a fig-leaf used by the ultra-right wing forces in Japan to deny historical truth and revise the war history.

Meanwhile, some ultra-right wing forces here, while defending the untruthful accounts of history by the book, also fierce attack those who have expressed opposition to the hotel's act, by sending threatening letters.

It shows further that their so-called "freedom of speech" is just a lie and utterly hypocritical.

One of the reasons that some ultra-right wing forces are so furious at the media's exposure of the APA hotel chain's provocative act is that it will definitely hurt the business of Japanese hotels, especially ahead of the Chinese Spring Festival, when Japan expects to host a lot of Chinese tourists during the period.

The APA hotel chain heavily depends on foreign guests and has obviously tailored its services to cater to non-Japanese.

Statistics show that close to a quarter of the hotels' customers came from overseas in April 2015, with half coming from Japan's Asian neighbors including China and South Korea.

In January 1995, a Japanese magazine called "Marco Polo" published by the Bungei Shunju Ltd. released an article which asserted the Nazis slaughtering the Jewish people in WWII was a fabrication and the Holocaust was "propaganda."

The incident caused great anger from the Jewish people around the world and they called for a boycott of all advertisements on magazines published by Bungei Shunju Ltd.

Less than two weeks later, the publisher apologized and the magazine was closed.

As the Marco Polo incident shows, for the right wing forces here, their purses apparently are more important than their so-called "freedom of speech."
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in New York, the United States, on Jan. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Gary Hershorn)

by Raimundo Urrechaga

HAVANA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Under Donald Trump, the future of the ties between Havana and Washington remains uncertain, despite a recent thaw, according to a Cuban expert.

Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday.

Luis Suarez, a Cuban expert on international relations, believes Trump's administration will maintain some of Barack Obama's policies towards Cuba, but revert others.

"They are going to make a case-by-case analysis of which policies are suitable, not only for the bilateral relationship, but for their own interests," Suarez told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Certain bilateral agreements on security matters, for example, enjoy bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress and benefit Washington's national security interests.

"Cuba is perceived by the designers of U.S. military and security policies as an ally in the fight against drug trafficking, uncontrolled migration and transnational crimes, and Trump shouldn't modify that," said the academic, a professor at Havana's Higher Institute of International Relations.

However, Trump had criticized outgoing President Barack Obama's rapprochement with Cuba as "weak," and signalled he would strong-arm Havana into making more concessions to the United States.

Trump will be more disposed to applying "hard power," that is military or economic mechanisms, to sway Cuba, in contrast to the soft-sell approach of his predecessor.

"The rather original and creative soft power that Obama used, a combination of persuasion and smarts, won't be continued. Trump is likely to use more instruments of hard power, including negotiating with Cuba through force and coercion," Suarez said.

In this Aug. 14, 2015 file photo, a girl looks out from the newly opened U.S. Embassy after the U.S. flag raising ceremony in Havana, Cuba, as part of officially restored diplomatic relations. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa, File)

In general, Suarez doesn't expect the "environment of reciprocity and mutual respect" that has characterized negotiations since December 2014 to prevail.

The two countries have signed 21 agreements in different areas such as environmental protection, maritime safety, joint search and rescue, air transport, energy and others.

Many of these accords may be subject to a "re-analysis of policy toward Cuba, from their perception that Obama made many concessions to the Cuban government," Suarez said.

One positive sign has been the incoming administration's response to Obama's scrapping of the "dry foot-wet foot" immigration policy, which exclusively lured Cubans to the United States with the promise of fast-track residency, and has for decades made a mockery of legal migration.

According to the White House, Trump's team was told of the move before it was announced on Jan. 12, and so far there have been no objections.

In the past two weeks, Washington and Havana have inked cooperation agreements on joint responses to potential oil spills in the gulf and the Florida Straits; on law enforcement and information sharing; and on maritime and aeronautical search and rescue.

U.S. policy toward Cuba still aims to bring about regime change, Suarez warned, so it's possible Trump will crank up confrontation.

In view of a possible setback in bilateral ties, Suarez said the Cuban government must continue to diversify its international economic relations and develop "proactive policies."
KIEV, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Violence has resumed in eastern Ukraine after a period of relative calm that was established during the winter holidays,the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on Thursday.

Recently, the OSCE special monitoring mission to Ukraine has recorded a notable increase in the use of weapons, which are banned under the Minsk agreement, including multiple launch rocket systems and other artillery, according to an OSCE press statement available here.

The failure of the government troops and independence-seeking insurgents to fully observe the ceasefire, which was established last month, endangers civilians living on both sides of the contact line, the organization said in the statement.

The OSCE currently has hundreds of observers deployed in eastern Ukraine to monitor the conflict.

The insurgent-run DAN news agency said that a woman suffered shrapnel wounds during the shelling early Friday in Elenovka village, which lies near the insurgent stronghold of Donetsk.

There were no reports of casualties among insurgent or government soldiers over the past day.

The conflict has been raging in Ukraine's east since April 2014, claiming the lives of some 10,000 people, including civilians and combatants on both sides.

On Dec. 24, 2016, the conflicting parties started a new round of truce to allow civilians to quietly celebrate Christmas and New Year holidays.
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least two persons were killed Friday evening after a bomb struck the ground of Buzkashi, a national game, in the Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh, provincial police spokesman said.

"The initial information found two persons were killed and two others wounded after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated at a Buzkashi ground in Khulm District. The number of the casualties is likely to rise," spokesman Shir Jan Durrani told Xinhua.

The causalities were shifted to a hospital in provincial capital of Mazar-i-Sharif city, the official added.

Security forces have cordoned off the area for precautionary measures. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Laurence Fink, chairman and chief executive officer of BlackRock Inc., expressed caution about the ability of the incoming Trump administration of the United States to navigate global economic uncertainties in the future.

He made the remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The United States is holding the presidential inauguration ceremony on Friday, as Donald Trump will be sworn in as the country's 45th president.

"One of the most important components of Donald Trump's proposed policies, is less impact by monetary policy, more impact by proposed fiscal policy," Laurence Fink explained in a panel discussion on the global economic outlook for 2017. "On the other hand, we still have quite a bit of uncertainty about how we're going to pay for this."

While he judged the value of proposed policies positively, including those revolving around major infrastructure projects, Fink expressed concern about how to finance them, even as commodity-oriented companies showed market confidence.

"A trade adjustment tax, I hope that is not the policy," said the head of BlackRock, a global investment management corporation, adding, "I think that policy attacks the voters who voted for him" by raising the cost of goods sold by low-end retailers, where the market is "dominated by 80-90 percent imports."

Uncertain how the Trump administration's proposed policies would be implemented, Fink saw both optimism and fear among consumers.

"We're at a point in time now the optimism is pretty high, and from different components of our respective societies," he explained, noting automobile sales in the United States just after Donald Trump's November election as an example of growing consumer confidence.

The top banker was worried, however, that aging populations and inadequate retirement systems were adding to growing fear of having to work longer, especially in a world of increased longevity.

"This has a huge impact on issues related to youth employment and youth opportunities," he said.

A further uncertainty for Laurence Fink stemmed from a strengthening of U.S. currency, with its effects on world markets and even on American manufacturing.

"This is going to be a big essential component of the market volatilities," Fink predicted,"I do believe there's going to be a great deal of tension between the President-elect and the Federal Reserve on these issues. But we all should be aware that we're going to live in a world of a stronger dollar."
A Syrian man walks along a damaged street in Aleppo's old city on January 19, 2017, a month after government forces retook thenorthern Syrian city from rebel fighters. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

DAMASCUS, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- At least 100 militants with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and allied rebels were killed Friday, by U.S.-led airstrikes on their positions in countryside of the northern province of Aleppo, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported.

The rebels with the Nusra Front and the Nour Addien Zunki were killed when the airstrikes by the U.S.-led anti-terror coalition targeted a training camp in the town of Dar Izzeh in the western countryside of Aleppo, said the report.

The report said that the Nusra Front was amassing forces to make attacks in Syria after the upcoming Syria talks in Astana, from which it was excluded due to being designated as a terrorist group by the UN.

It added that fighting Nusra will be on the agenda of the talks, which are sponsored by Russia and Turkey.

Both powers were said to will form local force to fight the Nusra in its stronghold in the northwestern province of Idlib.
ROME, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Six people, including a child, were found still alive on Friday buried in a hotel in central Italy that had been crushed by an avalanche on Wednesday, local media reported.

Fire-fighter squad rescuers were able to speak with six people several times since around midday on Friday, Ansa news agency reported.

The survivors appeared to have taken refuge under the roof of the hotel Rigopiano in the Abruzzo region, which was buried under meters of snow, mud, and debris when the avalanche hit.

A little girl is among the survivors, local media said. At least three children aged six, seven, and nine were included in about 30 people considered missing up to Friday morning, almost two days since the incident.

Deputy interior minister Filippo Bubbico confirmed to state radio broadcaster RAI GR1 that a child was among those found alive.

The other survivors are three men and two women, RAI also reported. Rescuers called in helicopters to the scene to bring survivors to hospital as soon as possible. They have spent some 40 hours in the hotel, which was almost uprooted by the strength of the snow-slide.

Weather conditions and sub-zero temperatures have made rescue efforts extremely difficult so far, and increased the risks for those buried.

Aid workers had reported no signs of life as of Friday morning, although they said they would not give up hopes of finding people alive.

So far, at least two bodies were found and recovered from the debris of the luxury ski resort, which lies between the village of Farindola and the 2,912-meter-tall Gran Sasso peak.

Two men who were outside the hotel when the avalanche occurred survived the incident and launched the first SOS call.

The avalanche was almost certainly triggered by four powerful earthquakes that hit the Abruzzo region on Wednesday morning, according to experts.
SHANGHAI, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai's new Mayor Ying Yong on Friday pledged to further cut red tape.

Ying told a press conference at the closing of the fifth session of the 14th Shanghai Municipal People's Congress, the local legislature, that Shanghai will expand a pilot program that separates business licenses from administrative permits.

Ying was elected mayor at this congressional session. He previously served as Shanghai's executive vice mayor.

Ying said a total of 70 administrative approval items will be either simplified or eliminated this year, on top of 116 items streamlined last year.

As part of the program, companies will be able to get their businesses up running without first obtaining administrative permits.

Businesses often complained of drawn-out procedures in applying for permits.

Ying said separating business licenses from administrative permits illustrates Shanghai's commitment to streamlining administrative approvals and delegating power. The measure is meant to lower the cost of doing businesses in Shanghai.

He said Shanghai would work on further separating intermediate agencies, business councils, and trade associations from the government. Government departments' affiliated businesses will be separated as well.

Ying also said financial and institutional reforms carried out in Shanghai's Free-Trade Zone (FTZ) will continue in a prudent manner.

In 2015, it was announced that 40 financial reforms would be tested in the FTZ. The goals include the liberalization of the capital account, expanding cross-border use of the yuan, continuing the opening-up of the financial service industry and accelerating construction of an international financial market.

Last year, Shanghai Insurance Exchange was launched in the FTZ.
BRATISLAVA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Over 1,000 refugees have been resettled via the Emergency Transit Center in Humenne, eastern Slovakia since 2009, the Slovak branch of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced on Friday.

The agency added that refugees are heading with its assistance via Slovakia mainly to the United States, Canada and Norway.

Slovakia provided temporary shelter to 1,043 refugees in Humenne between 2009 and 2017. The IOM transported them from refugee camps in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) also participated in their resettlement and included the refugees in a program called "The Humanitarian Transfer of Refugees via Slovakia."

"More than half of the refugees transported to the Humenne center have been Somalis. Refugees have also gone there from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iraq, Palestine and Sudan. A major portion of them are families with small children or single mothers, so people who can neither return to their home country, nor continue to live in the country of initial asylum and need immediate protection," said the IMOs Slovak branch head Zuzana Vatralova.

The capacity of the Humenne center is 250 people, and it serves as a temporary shelter for the most vulnerable groups of refugees under the UNHCR's protection. They can stay there for a maximum of six months in order to undergo preparation for resettlement in safe conditions.

The preparation comprises of a medical examination, a series of vaccinations and training in cultural orientation that prepares refugees for life in a new country.
DAMASCUS, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army and allied fighters are on a counter-offensive against the Islamic State (IS) group in the southern rim of the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, a military source told Xinhua on Friday.

The Syrian forces are advancing toward the Graveyard area south of Deir al-Zour, amid intense battles with the IS terror group in that area, the source said, on condition of anonymity.

He said assorted kinds of weapons are being used coupled with heavy artillery shelling on the IS positions there.

The source added that IS suffered losses of many of its fighters in the battles in Deir al-Zour.

The counter-offensive comes the IS militants made significant gains against Syrian army in a new offensive in Deir al-Zour.

Earlier this week, the IS militants captured 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 dividing 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.
CAPE TOWN, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The South African government said on Friday that it recognizes Adama Barrow as the legitimate president of The Gambia as tension was rising in his country over the transition of power.

Barrow was sworn in as the new president of The Gambia on January 19, 2017 at the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, 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 because his election win was challenged by then president Yahya Jammeh, who refused to cede power to him.

The South African government urges Jammeh to cooperate with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and step down peacefully, said Clason Monyela, spokesperson of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

The South African government wants Barrow to return to his country to assume the role democratically bestowed on him by the people of The Gambia, Monyela said.

"South Africa commends sterling efforts made by the international community, spearheaded by ECOWAS, the AU (African Union) and the UNSC (United Nations Security Council) in the quest to finding a lasting and peaceful resolution of the political crisis in The Gambia," said Monyela.

South Africa, Monyela said, looks forward to a close working relationship with Barrow and the people of The Gambia and will build and strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

The UNSC on Thursday adopted a resolution, asking Jammeh to transfer power to Barrow by Thursday.

Jammeh has been given a final ultimatum to relinquish power after regional troops from five African nations entered The Gambia.
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Two persons were killed and five others wounded Friday evening after a bomb struck the ground of Buzkashi, a national game, in the Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh, provincial police spokesman said.

"The initial information found two persons were killed and five others wounded after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated at a Buzkashi ground in Khulm District. The causalities were shifted to a hospital in provincial capital of Mazar-i-Sharif city," spokesman Shir Jan Durrani told Xinhua.

The incident took place at around 4:30 p.m. local time, and police launched an investigation into the case, he added.

Meantime, witnesses said that the target of the attack was a pro-government local leader named Zamari, who has been killed in the blast.

The injured did not suffer life-threatening wounds, they said.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Taliban outfit routinely claim responsibility for such attacks.

Being playing in a big area, the Buzkashi or goat grabbing is Afghanistan's national sport game in which several horse riders compete to grab the carcass of goat or calf and put it inside the circle on the playing field.
Chinese comedian Zhou Libo (C) and his lawyer (L, Front) prepare to leave after Zhou was released on bail at Nassau District Court, the United States, on Jan. 20, 2017. Chinese comedian Zhou Libo has been arrested in Long Island, New York, for alleged illegal possession of a firearm and drug. Zhou, 49, and the passenger, Shuang Tang, 30, are charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Nassau County police said in a press release sent to Xinhua Friday morning local time. Zhou is also charged with Mobile Phone Use While Driving. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

NEW YORK, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese comedian Zhou Libo has been arrested in Long Island, New York, for alleged illegal possession of a firearm and drug.

Zhou, 49, and the passenger, Shuang Tang, 30, are charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Nassau County police said in a press release sent to Xinhua Friday morning local time.

Zhou is also charged with Mobile Phone Use While Driving. They will be arraigned on Friday at First District Court in Hempstead.

According to the release, the two men were stopped at 12:07 am Thursday because their Mercedes-Benz was "being driven erratically and the operator was using a cell phone" on Bayville Road in Lattingtown.

During the investigation a black handgun holster was seen on the rear seat of the vehicle, it said.

Upon further investigation, a loaded Colt MKIV Mustang.380 pistol was recovered along with two clear plastic bags containing crack cocaine, it said.

Both occupants were placed under arrest at the scene without incident, it said.
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Philip Hammond, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, made a case Friday at the World Economic Forum here for strong trade relationships between Britain and the European Union (EU) after Brexit.

"It's very much in the interests of the UK and the European Union that we continue to have free trade," Hammond said during a panel on the global financial outlook for 2017.

Free trade between Britain and the EU was necessary so that the "complex supply chains that have built up over 40 years can continue to operate and the complex business relationships can continue to operate. We don't want to see those trade patterns disrupted, we want to see them able to continue."

In his plea for openness between the two sides, he acknowledged there were conflicting points of view on the freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and people, protected within the EU as the foundation of the single market and that Britain needed to respect the European political imperative.

"So we have pitched our proposal not at membership of the market," Hammond stressed, "but at a comprehensive free trade agreement between an independent United Kingdom outside the European Union, and the European Union."

He said that under the trade agreement, the EU would likely remain Britain's largest trade partner. "It is in our vital national interest that our single largest trade partner is confident, successful, stable and growing," he said, adding that a stable euro was also in London's best interests.

Hammond's hopes seemed to be supported by others, as fellow panel member Wolfgang Schauble, German finance minister, said he was convinced that post-Brexit, London would remain an important financial center for Europe.

Likewise, chief executive officer of British bank Barclays, Jes Staley, said that London's position as the center for global capital markets wouldn't be affected by a few banks shifting jobs during the Brexit process.

For his part, Hammond made it clear that Britain would find its way, regardless of the outcomes of the Brexit negotiations.

"The UK economy has been resilient in 2016 confounding many skeptics who believed we would face an immediate and negative response in the economy," he declared. "In fact, we ended 2016 as the fastest growing of the large developed economies."

He pointed out that with the currency depreciation of the pound, Britain was being seen by many international investors as a buying opportunity.

Still, Britain had a strong preference to stay competitive by remaining within the European economic mainstream, continuing to operate according to European norms and regulatory standards, in order to offer reciprocal market access to European partners.

"If we are denied access to our most important market, then we will for sure reinvent ourselves and create another way of being competitive," Hammond warned.
Zhou Libo will be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Jan. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

NEW YORK, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese comedian Zhou Libo has been arrested in Long Island, New York, for alleged illegal possession of a firearm and drug.

Zhou, 49, and the passenger, Shuang Tang, 30, are charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Nassau County police said in a press release sent to Xinhua Friday morning local time.

Zhou is also charged with Mobile Phone Use While Driving. They will be arraigned on Friday at First District Court in Hempstead.

Zhou Libo's name is listed on the arraignment schedule of the First District Court in Hempstead, New York, on Jan. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

According to the release, the two men were stopped at 12:07 am Thursday because their Mercedes-Benz was "being driven erratically and the operator was using a cell phone" on Bayville Road in Lattingtown.

During the investigation a black handgun holster was seen on the rear seat of the vehicle, it said.

Upon further investigation, a loaded Colt MKIV Mustang.380 pistol was recovered along with two clear plastic bags containing crack cocaine, it said.

Both occupants were placed under arrest at the scene without incident, it said.
ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) has welcomed the swearing in ceremony that took place on Thursday, and congratulated the new President of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, for his assumption of the Presidency.

The pan-African bloc has called on all AU member states, as well as the larger international community, to recognize Adama Barrow as the legitimate President of The Gambia.

The Peace and Security Council of AU on Friday held meeting and passed decision on the post-election situation in the Gambia.

The Council has expressed AU's readiness to work closely with the new Gambian authorities to promote peace, security, stability and reconciliation in the country.

The Council looks forward to the participation of President Adama Barrow in the upcoming 28th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union from Jan. 30 to 31 in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, according to the communique of the meeting.

It has reaffirmed its full support to the decisions by ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) in Abuja, including the consideration to use all necessary means to ensure the respect of the will of the people of The Gambia, said the communique.

The Council has taken note of the deadline set by the ECOWAS Authority for former President Yahya Jammeh to fully comply with the will of The Gambian people, as well as with the ECOWAS and AU decisions.

It has expressed its deep appreciation to ECOWAS for its principled stand with regard to The Gambia, in line with the AU zero tolerance policy for unconstitutional changes of government in Africa.
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak (L) and his Turkish counterpart Berat Albayrak (R) sign a "Turkish Stream" pipeline agreement, flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin (2nd L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Istanbul on October 10, 2016. (AFP Photo)

MOSCOW, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia's State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, approved a "Turkish Stream" pipeline deal Friday to deliver its natural gas to Turkey and European markets through the Black Sea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated the Turkish Stream project in 2014, and sealed the agreement with his Turkish counterpart in Istanbul in October 2016 envisioning the construction of two underwater legs of the gas pipeline.

The project, put on hold after Turkey downed a Russian warplane in November 2015 near Turkish-Syrian border, was brought back to agenda in June 2016 when Moscow and Ankara agreed to revive their relations.

The Turkish Stream pipeline will serve as an alternative to the South Stream onshore project, which would pass through the Balkan Peninsula but was abandoned in late 2014 mainly due to the Crimea crisis.

The annual capacity of the Turkish Stream pipeline is estimated at 31.5 billion cubic meters with half of it to go to Turkey, according to an explanatory note by the State Duma.

The construction of the pipeline, with 920 km to be laid on the seabed and another 200 km onshore, is expected to start later this year and be completed by Dec. 30, 2019, said the explanatory note.

Russia and Turkey will share the investment of 7 billion euros (about 7.4 billion U.S. dollars).
NAIROBI, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday called for a speedy bloodless resolution of the crisis in The Gambia where reluctant former leader Yahya Jammeh has been given a last chance to step down peacefully.

While congratulating Adama Barrow who was sworn in on Thursday in Senegal as the new Gambian president on his election, Kenyatta said his country was in solidarity with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a regional bloc which is seeking a peaceful transfer of power in The Gambia.

"Kenya expresses solidarity with ECOWAS and calls for a speedy and bloodless end to the crisis in The Gambia," he said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

"We congratulate the New President Adama Barrow and wish him well as he takes over the reigns of power in a sisterly country," he added.

Kenyatta said Kenya was grateful to the international community for support to ECOWAS, saying Nairobi stands ready to offer any assistance required.

"It is a historic milestone in our collective history and reaffirms the commitment of Africa to take responsibility destiny and deepen democracy and the continent," said Kenyatta.

Jammeh has refused to step down from office and said he does not accept the result of an election won by Barrow, a former London security guard.

The standoff prompted Senegalese troops to enter The Gambia in a bid to get Jammeh to cede to Barrow, but the operation was halted to allow time for mediation.

He was given a last chance to step down before a military intervention.

"Orders were given to the troops to stop their advance and they have stopped, because the ECOWAS privileges the initiatives of dialogue and diplomacy," President of the ECOWAS Commission Marcel Alain Da Souza said.

Barrow, who officially became the third head of state of The Gambia, after Dawda Jawara and Jammeh, who has been in power since 1994 through a coup d'etat, was forced to be sworn in at the Gambian embassy in Dakar on Thursday.
A demining expert from the Iraqi army searches for booby-trapped buildings in eastern Mosul on January 16, 2017, during an ongoing military operation against Islamic State (IS) group jihadists. (AFP/Xinhua)

MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Friday fought fierce battles to drive out the militants of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group from their last strongholds in the northern outskirts of the city of Mosul, the Iraqi military said.

The army soldiers, backed by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition aircraft, freed part of al-Arabi neighborhood after heavy clashes with IS militants and raised the Iraqi flags on some of its buildings, leaving many IS militants killed and destroying a booby-trapped vehicle and a vehicle carrying heavy machine gun, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.

Also in the day, the soldiers attacked a pharmaceutical plant and a commercial area, just north of Mosul, and recaptured them, leaving many IS militants killed, the statement said.

In central Mosul, the commandos of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) launched an operations to clear the neighborhoods and areas freed recently from IS militants after the elite troops fulfilled their mission by recapturing the whole central part of the eastern side of the city, locally known as the left bank the Tigris River which bisects Mosul, according to the statement.

In addition, the soldiers made a new push into the last IS-held outskirts of al-Rashidiyah in the northern part of the eastern side of Mosul, sparking heavy clashes with IS defensive lines, the army Colonel Raad al-Aleiwi told Xinhua by telephone.

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.
Chinese comedian Zhou Libo walks out of the First District Court in Hempstead with his wife Hu Jie, New York, on Jan. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

NEW YORK, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese comedian Zhou Libo has been arrested in Long Island, New York, for alleged illegal possession of a firearm and drug.

Zhou, 49, and the passenger, Shuang Tang, 30, are charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Nassau County police said in a press release sent to Xinhua Friday morning local time.

Zhou Libo will be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Jan. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Zhou is also charged with Mobile Phone Use While Driving. They will be arraigned on Friday at First District Court in Hempstead.

According to the release, the two men were stopped at 12:07 am Thursday because their Mercedes-Benz was "being driven erratically and the operator was using a cell phone" on Bayville Road in Lattingtown.

During the investigation a black handgun holster was seen on the rear seat of the vehicle, it said.

Zhou Libo's name is listed on the arraignment schedule of the First District Court in Hempstead, New York, on Jan. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Upon further investigation, a loaded Colt MKIV Mustang.380 pistol was recovered along with two clear plastic bags containing crack cocaine, it said.

Both occupants were placed under arrest at the scene without incident, it said.
ABC/Randy HolmesMetallica's worldwide tour in support of their new album Hardwired...to Self-Destruct stopped in Beijing on Wednesday. During the show, the band performed a rendition of their classic anti-war track "One" alongside Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang. You can watch official footage of the collaboration now on YouTube.

The Beijing show wasn't the first time Metallica and Lang Lang have played together -- they also performed "One" at the 2014 Grammys.

Metallica's tour will continue this Friday, January 20, in Hong Kong. The band will return to the U.S. next month to perform at this year's Grammy Awards, held February 12 in Los Angeles.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address after he was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States during the presidential inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

PARIS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- France wants to develop "rapidly close relations" with the new U.S. administration, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told the press here on Thursday.

"Our interests with the United States, our common history, our shared values will continue to govern, I am sure, our relations with this country", he said.

Ayrault added that " France and the United States are allies, it will not change. European Union, which has contributed so much to the peace and prosperity of our continent, will remain a strong and useful partner for the United States."

However, Ayrault stressed that faced with the "unilateral temptation" or the idea that "deals" might be enough to settle the affairs of the world, "France, I say, will make its voice heard."

Focusing primarily on dialogue, Ayrault reaffirmed his determination to find "by discussion a common ground on the most central issues of the moment, in particular the fight against terrorism to which the United States and France contribute worldwide."
MOSCOW, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Officials of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members agreed on Friday to boost coordination and deepen pragmatic cooperation.

The agreement was reached during a consultation here by the SCO secretary-general, deputy foreign ministers from some members and heads of anti-terrorist organizations, including China's Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai.

The participants exchanged their views on the development of the organization under the new situation, agreeing that the consensus by the leaders of SCO members should be fully implemented.

They pledged to strengthen coordination of jointly maintaining regional security and stability, and to deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields to push for the healthy development of the SCO.

On the sidelines of the consultation, Li also met with Russian and Kazakh deputy foreign ministers respectively to discuss bilateral relations.

The SCO is an inter-governmental organization founded in Shanghai in 2001, including China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
KIEV, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Taras Kutovyi and his Lithuanian counterpart Bronius Markauskas held talks, pledging to strengthen cooperation in the agricultural sector between their countries, the Ukrainian Agriculture Ministry said on Friday.

Speaking after the negotiations, which were held during the International agriculture summit in Berlin, Kutovyi said Ukraine is interested in expanding cooperation with Lithuania in such areas as food safety and organic production.

For his part, Markauskas said Lithuania stands ready to share its experience with Ukraine in introducing European norms and standards in its farm sector.

Besides, the parties have agreed to further promote their cooperation in the small farming development, veterinary sector, fishing industry and agricultural science.

Ukraine strives to strengthen its agricultural cooperation with the European Union countries and to align its food safety standards with the European norms in an attempt to boost the trade with the 28-member block.

Despite the free trade deal, which came into effect last year, the trade in farm goods between Ukraine and Lithuania in January-November 2016 was down by 9.8 percent year-on-year to 88.6 million U.S. dollars.

Ukraine's exports to Lithuania are led by sunflower oil, food waste, fruits and nuts, while imports are dominated by fish products.
Russia's missile cruiser Moscow ship pictured near Tartus port in Syria on Dec. 17, 2015. (Xinhua/Zhang Jiye)

MOSCOW, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Syria will allow Russia to keep its naval facility in Tartus port in the Mediterranean for at least 49 years, according to an agreement just signed between Moscow and Damascus.

"The deal is valid for 49 years and may be automatically extended every 25 years after its expiry," said the agreement, which was signed on Wednesday and released on Friday by the Russian government.

In the deal, Russia and Syria agreed to expand and overhaul the maintenance infrastructure in Tartus, which was established in 1977 and is currently Russia's sole support facility in the Mediterranean.

The deal allows Russia to deploy up to 11 warships, including nuclear-powered combat vessels, to the Syrian port.

According to the agreement, Russia can ship in or withdraw from Tartus any weaponry, ammunition, equipment and materials necessary for maintaining its function and security of its staff and family members as well as crews and contractors without any customs fees.

The Tartus facility, designed to maintain peace and stability in the region, is of defensive nature and is not aimed against other countries, the document said.
ACCRA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Ghanaian government will seek a review of the country's 918 million U.S. dollars Extended Credit Facility (ECF) deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a minister-designate said on Friday.

The government would have negotiations with the IMF and lay its proposals on the table, Yaw Osafo-Maafo told parliament's Appointment Committee, citing two main reasons.

"There is the need for fiscal space for the government to be able to deliver on its manifesto promises to the people, which must be factored into the terms of the agreement with the Fund, while, on the other hand on account for targets set in the fund program which have been missed; we also need to renegotiate and review the agreement," the minister-designate told the committee.

Osafo-Maafo, who was the first nominee of President Nana Akufo-Addo to go through vetting for approval, noted that the zero percent central bank financing of the annual budget was unnecessary and must therefore be reviewed.

He hinted that an advance IMF team would be in the country early February for these negotiations in time for the government to be able to factor some of the changes into the 2017 budget expected in March.

The government would review taxes to empower the private sector to expand their businesses and create jobs, he also hinted.

"Some taxes which we consider as nuisance taxes will be abolished while corporate tax will be reduced from 25 percent to 20 percent. And withholding tax, for instance, takes people's capital so any tax that is seen as a hindrance to business will be looked at," he said.

Government of Ghana entered into the ECF program with the IMF in March 2015 after a fiscal slippage of 11.8 percent in 2012 threw the economy which had grown more than 14.5 percent in 2011 into difficulties.

The three-year ECF, which ends in March 2018, restored some policy credibility to the government, enabling the release of development assistance from some of Ghana's development partners over the past two years.

"The economy is fundamentally strong and the sources of revenue inflow are reliable. With a population of between 25 million and 27 million, it is also manageable, but the challenge has been the management," he said.

Contrary to the campaign mantra of neither borrowing for development nor dealing with the IMF, Osafo-Maafo said the government would borrow but in a better way and also need the IMF, going into the future.

On the role of his designation as senior minister, the nominee explained he would be in charge of coordinating the economic sector ministries to ensure policy consistency and maximum results.
CAIRO, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Egyptians and Chinese gathered Friday in Cairo's largest park to celebrate China's upcoming spring festival, which marks the first day of the New Year in the Chinese calendar.

Amid the high trees of the al-Azhar park, hundreds of Chinese and Egyptians reacted to the beats of modern and traditional music, with children playing around on green grass of the vast park, marking the new beginning of the new Chinese lunar year.

The entrance and the alleyways of the park were decorated with red Chinese lanterns and colorful Chinese paintings and placards welcoming the visitors, both Egyptians and Chinese, adding a festive atmosphere to the celebration.

The event was organized by the Chinese embassy in Cairo in cooperation with the Chinese Cultural Center in Egypt.

The audience stood up in joy when Chinese performers went on stage and started the shows of acrobats, kung fu, traditional dance, dragon shows as well as funny shows for the children.

"Holding this celebration in Cairo is a good chance for cultural exchange," Sarah Tareq, a college student of Chinese language told Xinhua as she watched the show. "I have learned some Chinese traditions today, which is really great."

Her 18-year-old friend Nesma believes that the Chinese culture is beautiful and rich and to a large extent is similar to the Egyptian culture.

"We have a spring festival and it is also ancient...It is the first time in my life I saw a Chinese celebration, but I really love it very much," she said as she painted a Chinese mask with shiny colors.

She said everyone was happy at the party as both Chinese and Egyptians shared an impressive good time.

A few meters from the stage, cooks were making Chinese food for the visitors, while on the other corner a number of Chinese volunteers were helping little Chinese and Egyptian children fly colorful Chinese kites.

Cui Yingdi, volunteer at Chinese Culture Center in Cairo, who was teaching Egyptian kids to paint Chinese traditional masks with their own designs, said she only provides some examples for the children to follow but they are welcomed to paint the masks with any color or pattern they like.

"We even encourage them to draw Egyptian characters on the mask. The point is to let Egyptian kids know Chinese and Egyptian cultures can be blended," she said.

Earlier this month, the 2016 Chinese-Egyptian Culture Year drew to an end successfully as some 150 various kinds of cultural activities were held in both countries, which is seen as a breakthrough.

After upgrading the relations between the two countries to a "comprehensive strategic partnership," the culture year came to boost friendly ties and enhance mutual understanding and future development between the peoples of the two nations, whose relations have deep roots back in history.

One of the most prominent features of the culture year was the naming of China as the guest of honor of the 38th Cairo International Film Festival in November.

Meanwhile, Wang Weidong, Director of Cultural Committee of Beijing Dongcheng District, who brought four artists and their works to Egypt to showcase the traditional culture of Beijing, said he chose the artists not only because they are masters in their fields, but also because they understand how to communicate and interact with Egyptian people.

"You can see that the master of paper-cutting has been literally surrounded by Egyptians who wish to learn the craft. This kind of interaction and communication has been our focus this year," he said.

Wang added that the Egyptian people are really friendly and nice, although he will only stay in Cairo for two days.

"I do not speak Arabic as they do not speak Chinese, but culture brings us together," he said with a smile.
MEXICO CITY, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday ushered in a new era in bilateral ties with Mexico, one that Mexico should turn to its advantage, say observers.

The real estate tycoon's presidential campaign and election win only raised hackles in Mexico, given his pledge to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it, to press assembly plants there to relocate to the U.S. or face steep export tariffs, and to deport more than 2 million undocumented migrants.

But Mexico has "many advantages that it should make the most of" in redefining its relationship to its neighbor, political observer Jesus Gallegos told Xinhua in an interview.

Mexico "should establish different negotiations openly, seriously and completely in political, migratory, trade and economic matters," said Gallegos, who teaches at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Trump's insistence on renegotiating the two-decade-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), signed in 1994 between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, is a case in point.

It will take at least a year and a half to change or dismantle the treaty, which hands Mexico ample time to play its cards right and "be more pragmatic, as there is a lack of comprehensive political, economic and social pragmatism, and not just on one side or the other," said Gallegos.

According to a study by the Washington, D.C.-based Wilson Center, undoing NAFTA will be a step backward, since trade and export between the three will continue, but at a higher cost, which will harm their competitivity.

Arnulfo R. Gomez, a professor at Mexico City's Anahuac University, believes the dark cloud Trump represents for Mexico has a silver lining.

"Initially, it (the Trump era) seems negative, but there is a very positive side to point out, as now Mexico must devise a strategy with realistic programs and public policies as part of a true national development project," said Gomez.

Sam Lobo, head of International Affairs at Mexico's Confederation of Employer's (Coparmex), agrees, saying "problems are synonymous with opportunities."

"It is impossible" to break the ties between the two interrelated neighbors, said Lobo, calling for "dialogue and to find synergies to benefit both," said Lobo.

Reflecting that message, Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto on Friday congratulated Trump via Twitter, and said, "we will work to strengthen our relationship with shared responsibility."

As insurance against potentially stormy weather ahead, Mexico should take this opportunity to cultivate new trade partners in the Pacific Rim region, including China, Lobo recommended.

"Mexican business owners are open and willing to speak with Trump, but we are also willing to explore new businesses, to open up to new opportunities to make new friends," said Lobo.

Mexico "could establish better synergy" with China, for example, through trade in a range of products, from agrifoods to apparel and "even technology," he added.

An announcement earlier this month by U.S. automaker Ford, that it was cancelling plans for a new 1.6 billion U.S.-dollar plant in Mexico, has been widely cited as a sign of what's in store for Mexico under Trump.

"Adjustments and changes cause instability and impact many people, but they also represent opportunities. Many automobile manufacturers are staying in Mexico despite these threats, and if one leaves, three others arrive," said Lobo.

In the meantime, the International Monetary Fund downgraded Mexico's economic growth forecast for 2017 and 2018 by 0.6 percent, citing stronger headwinds facing the country due to the uncertainties raised by the arrival of the new administration.
VILNIUS, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian Finance Minister Vilius Sapoka decided on Friday to sack the chief of the country's State Tax Inspectorate (STI).

Sapoka said he decided to sack STI chief Dainoras Bradauskas following the probe on possible violations and taking into account the importance of tax chief's position.

The minister says that the probe has confirmed suspicions that Bradauskas had "violated his service, legal, ethic and moral norms".

According to the finance ministry, Bradauskas had been systemically meeting vice-president of MG Baltic, discussing details of tax avoidance schemes and tax investigations on some companies including MG Baltic and its shareholders.

Sapoka also accused Bradauskas of using "criminal slang" in conversations with business groups.

"Protectionism, privileges and exceptions based on informal relations cannot be tolerated in public service," Sapoka commented on his decision in an announcement from the finance ministry.

Bradauskas told local media he disagrees with the accusations and plans to "defend his honor and dignity in the court".

The chief of STI claims he "had never acted in favor of any business or political group".

"I didn't leak any information. I didn't hand over any documents," Bradauskas told a press conference on Friday afternoon.

Two weeks ago, the Lithuanian finance ministry set up a commission and launched the probe on Bradauskas after receiving information from the country's Special Investigation Service.

Bradauskas had been working as the chief of STI since early 2015.
PARIS, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- French President Francois Hollande on Friday denounced the economic protectionism repeated several times by his new American counterpart Donald Trump, local media reported.

Hollande made the remarks during a visit to a company located in the French department of Vosges (east), French television channel BFMTV reported.

"It is not possible or desirable to want to isolate oneself from the world economy," Hollande said, a few hours before Trump's inauguration.

Donald Trump was sworn in on Friday as the 45th president of the United States.

Hollande recalled that negotiations on a free trade agreement between the U.S. and the European Union were "for the moment suspended, finally, in any case, postponed", according to the report.

"For France, it was not possible to have commercial exchanges if there was not a recognition of the origin of products, whether agricultural, industrial or cultural," Hollande stressed.

"We must not imagine France close to the rest of the world," the French president was quoted as saying.
RAMALLAH, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian officials expressed Friday looking forward to achieving peace with Israel on the basis of the two state solution under the new administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, while some Palestinian factions expressed skepticism towards Washington's position towards peace.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Trump on his official inauguration as 45th President of the United States Friday, saying "I congratulate U.S. President Donald Trump and look forward to working with him for peace, security and stability in an unsettled world and a region going through a tragic period, and contribute towards creating a secure future for everyone."

Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat said Friday that Palestinians are willing to work and cooperate with the new U.S. Administration under President Trump to achieve security and peace in the Middle East region and ending the conflict with Israel based on the two state solution.

Erekat told Xinhua "we look forward to working with positivity with Trump's administration after his official inauguration today, in order to realize the two state solution on the borders of 1967."

The PLO official called on Trump not to fulfill the promise he launched during his electoral campaign to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, "because this step means the destruction of the two state solution and the peace process."

Erekat underscored that security, peace and stability in the region will not come unless the Israeli occupation that started in 1967 comes to an end, with the establishment of the Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital to live side by side with the state of Israel in peace.

Republican Trump has become the 45th President of the United States, after being officially inaugurated Friday in Capitol Hill, Washington DC.

Trump and his aides expressed support to 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 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.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of the Islamic Hamas movement controlling the Gaza Strip since 2007, Hazem Qassim said Palestinians "do not rely much on any change in the U.S. presidency in light of the historic American backing to Israel, especially with taking into account Trump's statements."

Qaasim described the American policy towards the Palestinian cause as "a steady policy based on bias towards Israel," urging Trump to re-evaluate his country's policy and seek "justice" for the Palestinian people.

In the same lines came the reaction of Islamic Jihad spokesperson Dawood Shehab, in which he rejected the continuation of American hegemony in the region, calling on Arab and Islamic states not to bet on any changes under Trump's administration.

Shehab warned against the moving of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and the "consolidation of Israeli occupation on the rights of the Palestinians."

Member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Jamil Mozhir told Xinhua that Trump has shown clear bias to Israel and complete denial of the rights of the Palestinian people.

"What is required is to stop illusions about an American role that would respect the individual or collective national rights of the Arab nation seeking liberation and independence from American hegemony in the region," said Mozhir.

The peace talks between Israel and Palestine have been stalled since April 2014. The U.S.-sponsored talks that lasted for nine months achieved no tangible results.
U.S. former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama walk to the helicopter escorted by newly-inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 20, 2017. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn into office Friday, the newly updated White House website said the new administration will eliminate the Climate Action Plan, the centerpiece of former President Barack Obama's climate legacy.

"For too long, we've been held back by burdensome regulations on our energy industry," the website said in a page titled "An America First Energy Plan." "President Trump is committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule."

It claimed that lifting these restrictions will "greatly help American workers, increasing wages by more than 30 billion U.S. dollars over the next seven years."

The rest of the webpage did not mention climate change any more.

Trump has called climate change a "hoax" and has threatened to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement that took effect last year.

Trump's energy plan said that the U.S. has "vast untapped domestic energy reserves" valued at 50 trillion dollars in total, and that the country "must take advantage of "the revenues from energy production to rebuild our roads, schools, bridges and public infrastructure."

The plan also vowed to revive America's coal industry.

In addition, the Trump administration pledged to work with the country's Gulf allies to develop "a positive energy relationship" as part of its anti-terrorism strategy, it said.
BRATISLAVA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- As Donald Trump was sworn in as new U.S. president on Friday, Slovak politicians expected the U.S. under Trump to probably have better relations with Russia.

"Political change couldn't be worse itself," Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told reporters, when asked to comment on Trump's inauguration.

"It would be interesting for us, if he (Trump) will seek balanced geopolitical relations with other superpowers like Russia," Fico said.

Donald Trump was sworn in on Friday as the 45th president of the United States.

Richard Sulik, leader of Slovak opposition party Freedom and Solidarity, said that Trump's presidency means a wakeup call for the European Union.

The EU will rely more on itself, also due to expected new relations between the U.S. and Russia, Sulik said at a regular briefing.

Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak vowed to continue enhancing ties with the U.S. and bolster the trans-Atlantic partnership.

The United States is a strategic partner and one of the closest allies to Slovakia, Lajcak told a regular press briefing.

Slovak President Andrej Kiska said on Twitter that he wished a successful term in office for Trump.
COPENHAGEN, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A majority of the Danish political parties have supported the government's proposal to expand the mandate for the country's special forces to fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday.

Consequently, the Danish special forces as part of the global coalition against IS will contribute in a more direct role to support Iraqi partner units, the ministry said in a statement.

In the meantime, the special forces, currently stationed in Iraq, will be able to undertake missions in parts of Syria.

Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Anders Samuelsen said the fight against the IS is an important foreign and security priority for the Danish government.

He said the decision to expand the scope of operations for the Danish special forces in Iraq and Syria was made on the basis of a specific request from the coalition.

"The Danish contribution to the coalition against the IS will continue to be significant in the coming year -- both militarily and civilian," the minister said.

Meanwhile, Danish Minister of Defense Claus Hjort Frederiksen said the special forces will continue to complete the tasks requested by the Iraqi government and the coalition.

"It is crucial that the IS is not allowed safe havens but is consistently under pressure from all sides. This is why the Danish government is continuously monitoring the situation and adapts our military contribution as per the needs of the coalition," Frederiksen said.

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.

Currently, the Danish contribution in Syria and Iraq primarily consists of training and analysis teams, which mainly work with Iraqi military units.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- James Mattis, U.S. President Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, was easily confirmed by the Senate on Friday.

In an overwhelming vote, Mattis became the first confirmed member of Trump's cabinet, hours after Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. President.

Earlier, Trump signed a waiver legislation after his inauguration to clear a legal barrier for Mattis to take office.

Under the U.S. law, a former service member is barred from running the Pentagon less than seven years after retirement from military. Mattis only retired in 2013 as the Commander of the U.S. Central Command. Trump signed the measure to grant Mattis an one-time exception.

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 24-3 on Jan. 12 to approve Mattis' nomination, moving the vote onto the Senate floor. The committee also easily passed a waiver exempting Mattis from the law that could prevent him from becoming the Pentagon chief.

At the hearing, Mattis took a clear anti-Russia stance during the hearing, describing Moscow as a "principle threat" to U.S. security, a position notably different from Trump.

The United States should also check Russia's growing influence in the Arctic region, Mattis said.

Mattis also chose to distance from Trump on other key issues, including the role of NATO, which Trump said should shrink, and on the Iranian nuclear agreement, which Trump threatened to scrap.
BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhuanet) -- Xinhuanet: Thank you, Secretary-General, for giving this interview. As 2017 marks the Year of ASEAN-China Tourism Cooperation, could you elaborate on its background and its significance to ASEAN-China relations?

Yang Xiuping: It is my great pleasure to have this interview. As an important cooperation partner of the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), Xinhuanet has done a lot to cover ASEAN-China relations and ACCs work, which we greatly appreciate.

Since the dialogue process was launched in 1991, ASEAN-China relations have travelled an extraordinary journey and made remarkable achievements. As of 2015, China had been ASEANs largest trading partner for seven consecutive years whereas ASEAN had been Chinas third largest trading partner for five years in a row. ASEAN is Chinas fourth largest export market and second largest source of import. People-to-people exchanges between the two sides are frequent as witnessed by more than 23 million visitors and more than 190,000 exchanges of students in the past year. China has set up 31 Confucius Institutes and 32 Confucius Classrooms in ASEAN countries as well as four Chinese Cultural Centres in Thailand, Singapore, the Lao PDR, and Cambodia. As a matter of fact, ASEAN-China relations today is regarded as the most robust and fruitful relationship compared with other ASEAN's dialogue partners. This all-round, multi-tiered, and wide-ranging relationship has expanded the converging interests of both sides and yielded tangible benefits to our 2 billion people.

Tourism cooperation has been one of the bright spots of ASEAN-China relations. Chinese statistics show that in 2015, the number of bilateral visits between ASEAN and China hit a record high of 23.64 million, among which the number of Chinese tourists surged to 17.09 million and that of ASEAN travelers reached 6.55 million. In the first three quarters of 2016, mutual visits topped 22 million. China has become ASEANs largest source of tourists. Of Chinas top 15 countries of tourists, six are from ASEAN countries. There were more than 2,700 international flights shuttling between China and ASEAN countries every week in summer and autumn seasons in 2016. Such close interactions and cooperation have given a strong boost to the economic and social development of both ASEAN countries and China and played an important part in enhancing peoples friendship which has consolidated the public support for the development of bilateral relations.

A series of spectacular activities were held in 2016 as it marked the 25th Anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations and the Year of Educational Exchange. Last September, at the 19th China-ASEAN Summit held in Vientiane, the Lao PDR, leaders of both sides designated 2017 as the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation with a view to increasing cooperation and personnel exchanges through a host of activities. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stressed at the Summit the importance of prioritizing education and tourism cooperation and making people-to-people exchanges a new pillar for ASEAN-China relations. He also expressed Chinas readiness to discuss a plan for tourism cooperation and set a target to achieve 30 million mutual visits by 2020. This fully demonstrates the commitment of both sides to tourism cooperation and charts the course for future cooperation.

Tourism, being the most direct and natural way for people-to-people contact, will help promote cultural exchanges and boost friendship. The United Nations has designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Thus, to carry out various activities in this important year for tourism cooperation will definitely serve the common interests of ASEAN and China. Moreover, it will contribute greatly to the sustainable development of the region and beyond. I am confident that with the concerted efforts of both sides and the wide participation of people from all walks of life, the Year of Tourism Cooperation will inject strong impetus to ASEAN-China relations.

Xinhuanet: In your view, what makes ASEAN countries popular tourism destinations for the Chinese people? According to your knowledge, what new measures will be introduced by ASEAN to promote tourism cooperation? With the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, what opportunities will be opened up in the area of tourism cooperation?

Yang Xiuping: ASEAN and China are each others important source and destination of tourism. There are unique advantages and broad prospects for the two sides to carry out tourism cooperation.

First, geographical and cultural advantages. ASEAN countries and China are close neighbours connected by mountains, rivers, and sea. Similar cultures and customs, a long history of friendly exchanges and geographical proximity have brought ASEAN countries and China close to each other. Because of such close bond, visiting each other is like visiting relatives or friends. Moreover, the availability of international flights, especially the opening of new direct flights, provides flexible and convenient choices for travelers on both sides.

Second, resource and market advantages. China and ASEAN countries boast abundant natural resources, splendid culture, history and tradition, and fascinating natural landscapes. As many as 11 natural and 17 cultural heritage sites on the ASEAN side and 50 on the Chinese side are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, for instance, Angkor of Cambodia, Borobudur Temple Compounds of Indonesia, Town of Luang Prabang of the Lao PDR, Malacca and George Town of Malaysia, Pyu Ancient Cities of Myanmar, Historic Town of Vigan of the Philippines, Historic City of Ayutthaya of Thailand, and Ha Long Bay of Viet Nam, to name a few. These places have attracted an increasing number of Chinese tourists. Both sides enjoy promising tourism markets. In 2015 alone, over 120 million outbound visits were made by Chinese tourists and China received 130 million inbound tourists from abroad. Forecasts show that by 2020, the number of per capita travel times by Chinese tourists will double on the current basis. According to the statistics provided by the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN countries are expected to receive 121 million visitors by 2017.

Third, policy and development advantages. As ASEAN countries and China are now at a crucial stage of rapid growth, they put greater emphasis on the development of the tourism sector and regard each other as an important cooperation partner. According to my knowledge, China is working on more favorable policies and measures in light of the tourism development of ASEAN countries, and will develop market planning to expand two-way tourism cooperation. Apart from the central government, some provinces of China are also working to promote unique local tourism products. For instance, Yunnan, Guangxi and other Chinese border provinces have been actively promoting recommended itinerary for cross-border road trip. ASEAN has also endorsed the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025 with its vision to make ASEAN a quality tourism destination. In recent years, ASEAN countries such as Brunei, Cambodia, the Lao PDR, and Thailand have given priority to the Chinese market and appealed to the Chinese travelers through several effective means, for instance, producing tourism handbook in Chinese language, rolling out tailor-made marketing strategies, streamlining visa procedures and developing high-end tourism products.

Currently, both sides are actively planning for relevant activities to celebrate the Year of Tourism Cooperation. Last October, at the first ASEAN-China National Tourism Organizations Meeting held in Guilin, China, broad consensus was reached on strengthening new tourism cooperation platforms of ASEAN and China and on preparations for the events related to the Year of Tourism Cooperation. At the same time, ASEAN has already launched Visit ASEAN@50: Golden Celebration 2017 to mark the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN. This campaign is designed to further strengthen ASEAN Community building and foster popular tourism destinations. It involves 50 excellent travel experiences and 50 highlight events. China is among the key target audience of the campaign which was launched during the China International Travel Mart 2016 in Shanghai with the support of ACC.

Both the ASEAN Community and the Belt and Road Initiative place importance on people-to-people and cultural exchanges where tourism cooperation can be instrumental. A great deal can be achieved in tourism cooperation between ASEAN and China as both sides are working on the building of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the upgraded ASEAN-China FTA, and the establishment of a Lancang-Mekong tourist cities cooperation alliance, all of which will bring new opportunities to tourism cooperation between ASEAN and China.

Xinhuanet: We know that promoting tourism cooperation is a priority area of ACC. Could you talk about what ACC has done in this area and what ACC plans to achieve in this Year of Tourism Cooperation?

Yang Xiuping: As an inter-governmental organization co-founded by 10 ASEAN Member States and China, ACC came into being as a result of the rapid development of ASEAN-China relations and carries the aspirations of the 11 countries to promote practical cooperation in various fields. Since its inception in 2011, ACC has worked actively to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both sides and advance practical cooperation in trade, investment, education, culture, tourism, and media. We have completed more than 100 flagship projects and organized or participated in more than 500 activities, fully harnessing our strength as a one-stop information and activities centre. Our work has been widely recognized. Last November, in the congratulatory message of Mr. Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, to ACCs fifth anniversary, he mentioned that Over the past five years, ACC has started from scratch, developed from strength to strength and become a special bond and important platform for promoting friendly exchanges and practical cooperation between China and ASEAN, making positive contribution to China-ASEAN relations.

ACC has all along attached importance to tourism cooperation. By leveraging its strengths, ACC has worked actively to facilitate exchanges and cooperation between governments and tourism agencies.

First, supported and engaged in the building of platforms for tourism cooperation. We organized the ASEAN-China Tourism Cooperation Forum, took an active part in ASEAN-China Tourism Exhibition, ASEAN-China Seminar Among Cities with Cruise Economy, ASEAN-China Forum on Traditional Medicine and Health Tourism, ASEAN Tourism Forum, ASEAN Ecotourism Forum, etc., where we made recommendations for tourism cooperation.

Second, assisted ASEAN countries in drafting their national tourism development policies. ACC attended the meetings of ASEAN Tourism Ministers and Departments on Development Planning and Marketing, contributed our share to the drafting of the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025 and the campaign plan for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN in 2017, and helped the ASEAN Secretariat identify the sole cooperation partner in China for tourism promotion.

Third, carried out professional training in ASEAN countries. ACC has worked to connect the tourism markets of both sides and helped ASEAN countries improve their tourism services. In recent years, ACC has held six professional training workshops on capacity building in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines in collaboration with top Chinese universities. Last November, we co-organized the Tourism Seminar on China-Ready with Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism to enhance the capacity of local tourism professionals to promote understanding of the Chinese travelers. These activities are very well received by tourism practitioners from both sides.

Fourth, promoted the bilateral tourism resources in various forms. ACC partnered with CCTV, National Geographic Traveler and other media for documentaries shooting, organized featured reports and media familiarization trips, and compiled and translated tourism promotion materials of ASEAN countries into Chinese language. Under the theme of Discovering New ASEAN, the media coverage focused on road trip, maritime tourism, and new tourism products of ASEAN countries. In 2016, we compiled and translated A Guidebook of ASEAN Tourism in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat to introduce hundreds of ASEAN countries travel routes to Chinese travelers, with each itinerary covering two to three ASEAN countries, which fully showcases the diversity of tourism resources of ASEAN. Moreover, ACC co-organized the ASEAN-China Tourism Photo Contest 2016. The 5,000-plus photos collected at the Contest displayed the breathtaking landscape and vivid culture and customs of ASEAN countries. ACC also set up ASEAN-China Tourism Cooperation Pavilion at the third Sichuan International Travel Expo and China International Travel Mart where we contributed our thoughts on ways and means to deepen tourism cooperation.

To mark the Year of ASEAN-China Tourism Cooperation and echo ASEANs tourism campaign Visit ASEAN@50 Golden Celebration 2017, ACC has designed three flagship projects in tourism, namely, Promoting the Diversified ASEAN-China Tourism Resources, ASEAN-China Eco-tourism Development Seminar, and ASEAN-China Tourism Capacity Building Project. We will carry out a series of activities to promote tourism resources and products both in ASEAN and China and enhance people-to-people exchanges, including organizing ASEAN-China Tourism Festival, planning documentaries shooting on ASEAN tourism destinations, exploring the potential of Eco-tourism of ASEAN and China, helping ASEAN countries better understand the needs of Chinese tourists and improve tourism services.

Xinhuanet: Could you share with us some observations and recommendations for tourism cooperation between ASEAN and China going forward?

Yang Xiuping: ASEAN-China tourism cooperation, built on a sound foundation, enjoys enormous potential and ample space for further growth. It is important for both sides to continue to strengthen communication and contact and actively explore new ways and means for win-win results.

First, improve the mechanism for exchanges and cooperation. We hope that both sides will take the Year of Tourism Cooperation as an opportunity to further improve the cooperation mechanism between tourism agencies of ASEAN countries and China and provide more policy guidance and support for relevant cooperation to lift the bilateral cooperation to a new level.

Second, explore the new driving force for tourism cooperation. Eco-tourism has gained increasing prominence in recent years in that it is conducive to sustainable economic and social development and harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Both sides could step up cooperation in this area. Tourism agencies and enterprises of both sides may make full use of the internet to better promote the abundant tourism resources. At the same time, relevant resources should be pooled together and information should be shared to ensure that a thriving tourism industry will also lead to the development of other sectors.

Third, advance connectivity, both "hardware" and "software" connectivity. It means we need to both improve transportation networks and tourism facilities by taking advantage of the ASEAN connectivity plan and the Belt and Road Initiative and at the same time introduce more visa facilitation measures.

Fourth, improve tourism services. Tourism agencies and enterprises of both sides need to continue to improve tourism services for the sustained, healthy development of the tourism markets. Both sides should continue to work with each other to strengthen market supervision and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of tourists.

To promote sound and in-depth development of ASEAN-China tourism cooperation calls for concerted efforts of the whole society. ACC will seize the good opportunity brought by the Year of Tourism Cooperation to strengthen its communication and contact with governments and tourism agencies of ASEAN and China, actively support and engage in relevant activities and play its role as a unique platform to make even greater contribution to ASEAN-China relations.
A girl paints a rooster-shaped clay sculpture in Botou, north China's Hebei Province, Jan. 20, 2017. Sculptures in the shape of rooster were made in Botou to meet the need for the Chinese lunar New Year - the Year of Rooster starting from Jan. 28 this year. (Xinhua/Fu Xinchun)
Joseph LlanesA Great Big World is ready to take on North America with a brand new headlining tour.



The Grammy-winning duo -- Ian Axel and Chad King -- will kick things off on March 17 in Annapolis, Maryland. Throughout the 10-show trek, theyll hit cities like Boston, Chicago and New York, before wrapping in Minneapolis on March 28.



This tour, in support of the duo's current album When The Morning Comes, is being described as an unplugged acoustic set. Tickets are on sale now at AGreatBigworld.com.



Here are the dates:



3/17 -- Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD

3/18 -- The Hamilton, Washington, DC

3/20 -- World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA

3/21 -- Brighton Music Hall, Boston MA

3/22 -- Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT

3/23 -- Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY

3/25 -- Mod Club, Toronto, ON

3/26 -- The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI

3/27 -- Space, Chicago, IL

3/28 -- Skyway Theatre - Studio B, Minneapolis, MN

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Lucky break for Massy Stores promotion winner

Speaking with Newsday on Wednesday after receiving the keys to his red car, valued at $175,000, Williams re- called how sceptical he was when Massy Stores team leader, Christine Sinanan, called him last Friday to say hed won the Massy Card promotion.

At first I didnt believe it. I told the lady, Stop playing tricks on me. Ive had a tough week, including problems with my vehicle, so if this is a prank call, please stop. Thats when she gave me the office number for Massy Stores and said to call it to confirm her identity, Williams said.

Asked if he plans to sell his Nissan Navara pick-up, Williams told Newsday that was a possibility but for the moment he was savouring having won a brand new car.

Im happy. Really, really elated to win anything but especially a vehicle. I might sell my pick-up and keep the Hyundai Elantra. Newsday also spoke with Massy Stores marketing manager, Anthony Choo Quan, on Wednesday. He explained that a car was chosen as the grand prize because purchasing a new vehicle remains out of the reach of many people.

We collaborated with our sister company, Massy Motors, who gave us a discount on the cost of the vehicle.

We were therefore able to reward one of our loyal Massy Card holders while promoting the Hyundai brand which is sold by Massy Motors. Choo Quan said there were close to 180,000 entrants in the November 28 to December 31, 2016, promotion, with Massy Stores recording a 40 percent increase in sign-ups during that period. Apart from the car, 18 people (one winner per store) have won a shopping spree at Massy Stores. Notified this past Monday, the winners will get three minutes each in which to put $3,000 worth of items into their carts.

The stores were divided into zones and starting yesterday, four winners from the south zone (Gulf View, Chaguanas, Marabella and Point Fortin Massy Stores), will get to go on a shopping spree at the Massy Stores in Gulf View, La Romaine.

The event is scheduled to take place at 7.30 am, half hour before the store opens to the public, to avoid confusion between the spree shoppers and regular shoppers.

Choo Quan assured that the winners get to familiarise themselves with the stores layout before the shopping spree starts. The shopping spree is supported by Massy Distribution
Police probe love triangle link in Jhinoos murder

Police investigators told Newsday that they are working on information that Jhinoo was reportedly romantically involved with a co-worker at the ARC which incurred the wrath of a third party.

Yesterday, Delford Carabon, president of the ARC, told Newsday that Jhinoo last turned up for work on Tuesday and he did not appear distressed or concerned about anything.

He said he last saw and spoke with Jhinoo on Monday because Jhinoo was preparing a health and safety manual for the ARC and, during his 15 minute meeting with him he suggested some changes to the manual.

According to Carabon Jhinoo was practically working seven days a week and his heart was in the business of horse racing.

He said Jhinoo will be sadly missed and confirmed that there are rumours circulating among employees about the murder.

He said homicide officers interviewed staff yesterday and on Wednesday and he was awaiting the outcome of the investigation.

At about 8.45 pm on Wednesday, police officers on patrol saw a Hyundai vehicle parked between the Arima Race Track and a housing development.

The cars engine was running, the air condition on and the driver slumped in the drivers seat. When officers made a check, they found Jhinoos body with chop wounds. Nothing appeared to be stolen from him prompting police to believe that robbery was not the motive.
Girl sexually assaulted after skipping school

According to reports the student who attends a secondary school in the Port-of-Spain area reportedly left the school compound, unknown to teachers, and made her way to Petit Valley where she met the man.

While at the mans home at around 1 pm, the man sexually assaulted the teen. The girl returned to her home and told a female relative what had transpired. A report was made to officers at the Four Roads Police Station and officers of the Child Protection Unit were alerted. Police were up to yesterday still searching for the suspect.
Kublalsingh testifies in highway trial

His testimony comes almost four years after the constitutional claim was filed by Kublalsingh and the Highway Reroute Movement on August 3, 2012, contending that the Government contravened their rights to life, security, enjoyment of property, to freedom of expression and freedom of association by building the highway without consulting them properly.

At Wednesdays hearing before Justice James Aboud in the Port-of- Spain High Court, Kublalsingh was questioned extensively on events surrounding his arrest on June 27, 2012, by lead counsel for the State, Russell Martineau,SC.

Among its contentions, Kublalsingh and the group are seeking a declaration that the alleged actions of former National Security Minister Jack Warner and a group of soldiers in destroying their Debe protest camp and arresting Kublalsingh and some of the groups members on June 27, 2012, were illegal.

Kublalsingh was asked about the setting up of the camp close to the NAMDEVCOs market in Debe, admitting that it was done to prevent the construction of a certain part of the proposed highway.

He also denied the assertion by Martineau that the HRM did not get permission to set up the camp on NAMDEVCOs lands at the heavy-traffic location.

He said the group had the permission of the man in charge of NAMDEVCO to set up the camp, insisting that the army committed the illegal act by destroying the site.

Kublalsingh also admitted that his primary concern was not his safety when he learned that the army and police were at the site to demolish the camp.

I was concerned they did not know what they were doing. Soldiers sought to get me out of the camp which was being broken down at the time, he said.

Kublalsingh, who embarked on two hunger strikes in protest of the construction of the Debe to Mon Desir portion of the highway - his first hunger strike was in 2012 and that lasted 21 days, all in protest of the construction of the Debe to Mon Desir section of the highway. His second in 2014 lasted 288 days - said the soldiers tried to physically move him from the camp site.

I resisted, he admitted, also testifying that he held on to the legs of one of the arresting officers while they held on to him by his arms which were handcuffed.

I was trying to avoid being handcuffed, Kublalsingh admitted.

I struggled to stay in the camp, he said, although denying that he was obstructing their efforts to remove him from the camp site.

There was pushing and pulling, he said. He denied being aggressive but admitted he used obscene language and spoke loudly while his arrest and the demolishing of the camp were taking place.

During his cross examination, Kublalsingh were shown photographic stills of events that took place at the HRMs camp site. Also expected to testify on the alleged granting of permission for to erect its strike camp in Debe will be other members of the HRM.

The matter has been adjourned today when the testimony of witnesses will resume.

As part of their claim, Kublalsingh and the HRM claims they have a legitimate expectation that the Government would abide by the findings of a study done by the Joint Consultative Council for the Construction Industry (JCC) led by former Independent Senator Dr James Armstrong.

Work on the Point Fortin Highway have come to a halt and its main contractor Brazilian firm Construtora OAS was fired from the $7 billion project last year. Government is currently seeking a new contractor for the project.

Representing the Attorney General are Russell Martineau, SC, Deborah Peake, SC, along with Kelvin Ramkissoon and Shastri Roberts.

Senior Counsel Fyard Hosein, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC, Anil Maraj and Rishi Dass are representing Kublalsingh and the Re- Route Movement
Madness !!!

The drama unfolded outside the compound of the rural Maracas St Joseph Police Station, as the two men __ Kurland George alias Mice Man identified by police as a drug dealer, and Shameel Kazim Ali, his friend __ both from the El Socorro area and in their early 30s, were on their way to the building to sign a book to fulfil a bail requirement by George for a firearm offence.

Police reports indicate that the attack was launched as the men were about to alight their vehicle some 200 metres from the station to go into the building. Six persons in two other vehicles, who were following George and Ali, pulled up near the station and began firing at them.

The gunmen rammed one of their vehicles onto the victims vehicle overturning it as they shot at them. George and Ali were hit multiple times and died instantly.

On hearing the rapid gun fire, officers on duty at the station rushed outside.

Some officers took cover after the killers began firing at the police station. The front of the station was riddled with bullets and PC Lalchan, who was seated in a police vehicle, was hit in the head. His injury was described as minor.

The five policemen who were on duty at the station alerted senior officers, and officers from other divisions responded to the report. By 4 pm yesterday police cordoned off the murder scene and scores of other officers began combing the Maracas, St Joseph area in search of the killers.

The two vehicles used by the gunmen, a black Hilux van and a white station wagon, were found abandoned about 500 metres away from the murder scene.

The vehicles were being dusted for prints yesterday.

A District Medical Officer was summoned to the scene to view the bodies while PC Lalchan was rushed to hospital. He was listed in a satisfactory condition.

Senior Superintendent Mc Donald Jacob, head of the Northern Division, told Newsday that a joint team of police officers from the Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit, Task Force and air support were assisting in combing the Maracas St Joseph hills in search of the killers.

He said that what occurred was very unfortunate and an indication that criminal elements are becoming more brazen to the point where two murders could take place in the vicinity of a police station and also an attack made on the lives of police officers who were ready to respond.

Traffic was debarred near the police station with villagers in the area being told they would have to wait until the crime scene was properly processed before they could enter or leave.

Both police and soldiers stood guard as the processing was taking place, and very soon relatives and friends of the victims turned up, some of them wailing and throwing themselves onto the ground in grief.

None of them wanted to speak to the media. Newsday understand that officers, traumatised over the incident were expected to receive counselling last night.

Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams yesterday condemned the shooting incident.

The TTPS, in a statement issued last night, stated that Williams has given the assurance the assailants will be pursued and brought to justice.
Christlyn: Marijuana for THA votes

This according to Political Leader of the Tobago Forwards, Christlyn Moore. At a press conference held yesterday at the partys headquarters in Scarborough, Tobago, Moore accused other contesting political parties of fraudulence and misconduct.

She stated, In Moriah, marijuana is being offered to others in an alarming quantity.

That can only suggest sponsorship on an industrial scale.

We say to Tobagonians that we are alive to the efforts being made to steal this election and we say that we will not stand for it. The former Minister of Legal Affairs under the People Partnership explained, we will not pay for a vote we certainly will not engage in an illegality or any immorality or any impropriety to get a vote.

Anybody who is offering you weed to vote is not fit to lead; anybody who is paying you to vote is not fit to lead.

Anybody who is engaged in illegality to get your vote will engage in other illegality too when they are elected.

So we sound the warning to the Tobago population to be vigilant. Moore said other incentives are being handed out with the intention to induce voters, we are aware that in the Marys Hill district in particular that (another party) has been giving out food cards and cash. We want to remind you that this has happened before. We encourage people to take photos of the money wrapped up in jerseys and to audio tape the persons who are making these offers. Moore said she has been reliably informed that the ruling Peoples National Movement (PNM) is planning to mobilise supporters from Trinidad to go to Tobago to vote. She also accused the PNM of tampering with the Inter-island Ferry schedule.

This is the reason why the sailing of the boats on election day has been moved from 6.30 am to 9am from Trinidad. This will allow persons who have been chosen and have been given tickets to be able to make the sailing to be picked up and bussed to the stations.

We are encouraging Tobagonians to take pictures of these people who are coming here to steal an election from the Tobagonians who reside here.
Murdered schoolgirl given fairytale send-off

Ramkissoon was laid to rest yesterday at the Brazil Village Cemetery after a funeral service at the Brazil Faith Assembly International, Talparo Trace 2, Brazil Village. Her body was borne in a white carriage.

When asked about the symbolism of the carriage, one person said since she was not married and had no children, the relatives wanted a princess farewell.

The young student of North Eastern College, Sangre Grande, was found dead exactly one week in some bushes at Balata Trace, Talparo. She had missed her bus and was believed to have sought transport with a PH (private hire) driver. She was never seen alive again. Ramkissoon, also known as Slim or Slimmers but, despite her petite size, was never a follower but a leader.

Fifth Form Dean at North Eastern College, Paula Gonzales, described Ramkissoon as a beautiful soul who had tonnes of ambition. During her speech, Gonzales said she told her students that evil and death had no boundaries.

She said the reason while teachers sometimes came down on students, they appreciate them and were happy that they are in their lives.

But it was Kaiel Jones message to his friend that brought the tears flowing even more.

Jones was accustomed to sitting next to Ramkissoon every morning.

He was so distraught he could barely get his words out.

Words cannot describe the way I am feeling. You always said to be strong, but I cant be strong. I remember we would talk about our dreams and aspirations, what we would drive, where we would live, how we would get our families out of poverty, Jones wept.

She was the realist person I knew.

Baby girl, I love you very much, were Jones last words to his friend.

Member of Parliament for La Horquetta/Talparo, Maxie Cuffie, who attended the service, said because someone snuffed out the life of Ramkissoon, it should not be a reason to mourn, but to celebrate the dedication and perseverance of a young lady who was dedicated to improving herself to family and God.

During the eulogy, Aminater Pierre said while most young girls focussed on their looks to forge ahead, Ramkissoon, always gorgeous, according to her friend, always trained her eyes on her school work.

I will always look up to her because she was always humble and smart. Relative Patricia Amoroso, did not mince her words.

You (family) can still walk tall and strong and know that you brought up a daughter you can be proud of.

To the creature who took her life, you are the dirt under the toe nails of Satan. No matter what evil walks among us, you (parents) created an angel, Amoroso said.

Also present for the service was President Anthony Carmona and several members of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association.
Principal wants three delinquent teachers removed

All efforts to have disciplinary action against them have so far failed. They have not showed up for classes again this new term and have been accused of criminal neglect of their duty. Newsday was told that due to the problem, on January 3 in a signed letter from the principals office to the Human Resource Department of the Ministry of Education (Secondary and Further), it was stated that the teachers abandoned their duties by their failure to report to work from October 21, 2016 to present. Newsday was shown several letters written and signed by the principal expressing disgust over their non attendance and the effect it has been having on students and other members of staff.

The teachers, it was said, last signed the schools register on Monday October 24, 2016. The affected school was one of the many which was closed last term because of infrastructural problems.

The school, however, has since been deemed safe by officials of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Authority.

The letters which were copied to the Teaching Service Commission (TSC), the District School Supervisor and the Chief Education Officer stated: In light of these officers neglect of their duty of care towards our nations children and the disrespect they have meted out to the administration in the school, their colleagues, our key stakeholders, the parents of our students and those charged with the responsibility for supervision in this district, I am requesting that these officers be replaced with immediate effect. In the document, the principal argued that the time lost by the students can never be regained and that they have had to suffer not being taught during the time that these officers abandoned their charges. As a result of their continued absence, the principal declared that other members of staff were now burdened with the task of supervising these abandoned students thereby creating stresses and strains that were quite onerous. Contacted yesterday, TTUTAs president Lynsley Doodhai told Newsday he was unaware of the issue.

I know the school had a problem and it was repaired but up to last night we had an executive council meeting and nothing like that about the teachers came up, Doodhai said.
Separate funerals for murdered couple

The couple was murdered on their bed at their Limefield Road, Cochrane Village home in Point Fortin. Anthony, who worked as a security officer, will be laid to rest at La Brea Cemetery following a funeral service at the Elite Funeral Home in Point Fortin on Monday evening .

Mohammed, however, will be laid to rest at the Cap-de-Ville Cemetery following a funeral service at the Point Fortin Open Bible church today .

Anthony ,29, died on the spot after being shot once to the head while Mohammed died at the Point Fortin Area Hospital after he was shot twice to the head .

Speaking with Newsday yesterday, a close female relative of Anthony said both families had decided to host separate funeral services. We are seeing about Luenda and Mohammeds family are organising his funeral service which will be held in Point Fortin.she said .

The relative said family members, including Luendas only daughter, were still struggling to come to terms with her (Anthonys) death .

We are hurting and will continue to hurt as long as. I am dreading the day of her funeral and dont know how her little girl will hold up, but I know it is going to be very hard for her,she said .

Police said at 1 am on Tuesday, gunshots were heard inside the couples house .

Anthonys mother Nicole Anthony, who lives nearby, heard the shots and ran to her daughters house to investigate .

On seeing the bodies of her daughter and son-in-law covered in blood on the bed, the woman screamed, causing other neighbours to run out to see what had happened. The couple, she said, was covered 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 parttime as a labourer in the Point Fortin Borough Corporation .

No arrests have been made and investigations are continuing .
Glowing tributes paid to Mrs Best Village

Erica Williams-Connell daughter of the late Dr. Eric Williams, first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and political leader of the Peoples National Movement (PNM) from 1956 - 1981 began her tribute to her aunt reciting: God saw you were getting tired And a cure was not to be, So he put his arms around you and whispered, Come to Me.

With tearful eyes we watched you,and saw you pass away.

Although we loved you dearly.

We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating, Hard working hands at rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us, He only takes the best.

That pretty much says it all for Joyce Wong Sang - Colin, as we all called her, said Williams-Connell.

She stated, You knew her as an icon, whose role in the culture of Trinidad and Tobago is unrivaled. She shepherded my late fathers Best Village programme - never again to be as vibrant or significant as in those first decades - which was initiated as a result of his Meet the People Tour of the 1960s. Williams-Connell said after seeing firsthand how people lived and to get a personal feel for their many requirements, even as they would display handicrafts, stage cultural shows, and insist that the PM sample their culinary delights, she said: My father realised that a programme such as Best Village could provide the ideal vehicle for raising the consciousness of our own nation vis-a-vis our national heritage. But it is one thing to have an idea, quite another to implement it. He chose Joyce Wong Sang to do so. She added, I believe everyone is born to do something. And that while most of us will die without discovering what that thing is, fewer still will actually have the privilege of accomplishing it.

Joyce Wong Sang was one of those latter. Fulfilling the Best Village mandate, for more than a quarter century. On a more personal note, she said, Colin, and her husband George, also gave me the only home I could call my own in Trinidad for some 30 years, after my father died in 1981. I shall ever be grateful for that. Williams-Connell ended by saying, So we cherish her memory, we honour her life and we pray for forgiveness. You fought the good fight, Colin. You kept the faith.

You finished the race. Well done - thou good and faithful servant! Before Williams-Connell, Wong Sangs son Christopher Wong Sang told the gathering that his mom dedicated her life to promoting this country, putting all of her heart and soul into it. She was blessed that way, he said Christopher recalled Best Village groups being bussed to the Queens Park Savannah and their presentations highlighting the cultural mix in TT while the plays/ skits dealt with social life and issues being aired live on TTT, the only television station at the time.

His mom played a pivotal role in organising the competition from 1963 to 1986.

He became a tad emotional when stating that the final four months of her life were gradual and painful. Mom led a full life, was well traveled , served the country with pride and worked for the greater good without expecting reward. Rest Well, he ended.

Deputy political leader of the PNM , Joan Yuille-Williams described Wong Sang as a pioneer, patriot and a woman of action.

She said, Dr Williams had a vision and a task needed to be done and Joyce Wong Sang had the task of getting it done.

Hers was a task of pioneers, clearing the ground and going no where anyone has gone before.

Joyce nailed those pathways all over TT. She knew ultimately her calling was to service of a people and later became a mentor to others. Yuille-Williams then ensured that Wong Sangs legacy would live on. Chief celebrant Fr Emmanuel Pierre also called Wong Sang a national icon, pioneer and patriot, and noted her commitment to work, dedication to duty and to the development of TT. He said, If Joyce Wong Sang was the gift to this nation, just imagine who is the giver of this gift. A musical interlude followed with Edwin Crazy Ayoung rendering verses from the Mighty Sparrows Memories and Merchants Barataria Sweet, Mon Diablo Sweeter.
Petrotrins president calls for restructuring

For fiscal 2016/2017, the Companys ability to repay its debt obligations including the US$850 million bond due in August 2019 remains a huge challenge, Harewood stated, adding, It is therefore patently obvious to all that the Company must be restructured and refocused to achieve amongst other objectives, a lower level of operating expense notwithstanding rising labour and material/ services costs. Harewoods observations were contained in a message to the company titled: Strategic Direction 2017 and Beyond, and dated 18 January, 2017.

In a candid letter, Harewood pointed that out over the past two years, Petrotrin had experienced a significant reduction in revenue due to the collapse of the world oil market, brought on by geopolitical events and burgeoning supplies, including the emergence of unconventional oil. As an integrated oil company, Petrotrin responded to the changed market conditions by: Deferring a number of projects including our drilling program; Reducing our cost of operations including limiting discretionary expenses; maximising our refinery throughput to maximise revenue and cash inflows, Harewood stated.

He noted that the decisions to protect Petrotrins business were implemented in the face of declining local crude production and large debt obligations incurred with the financing of previous refinery modernisation projects, such as, the Gasoline Optimisation Project and the new Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) Plant. Harewood stated: The Company is also faced with major cash flow problems that affect our trade financing activities and the adequacy of our working capital funds. International and local banks which traditionally supported the Companys operations, have been limiting the extent and volume of the energy risk exposures in their investment portfolios by applying more stringent financing criteria. However, he noted that change had to occur at the company and urged employees to begin by increasing local crude production to produce better refinery margins.
Negative outlook on oil and gas prices

Conrad was speaking on The Macro Economic Perspective and Policies for a Competitive Nation at an Economic Outlook Forum hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre.

He recalled that the accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers had indicated that the country will have a fiscal gap of $16 billion in 2017 and said this meant there must be some realignment in terms of expenditure and revenue being generated.

He said there had been significant shortfalls in revenue, noting that since 2009 the Government has spent more than it has collected in tax revenue.

He said that in 2017 the country will have to strike a delicate balance so that the economic contraction will not have a negative impact on business creation and development. He said there is an ongoing contraction in the economy and that contraction will continue into 2017
TTEC workers protest looming lay-offs

Peter Burke, executive officer of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union, made this claim yesterday at a protest in front of the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commissions (TTEC) head offices at the corner of Park Street and Fredreick Street, Port-of-Spain. Burke spoke on behalf of several temporary workers of TTEC.

He said, This protest here is about job security, particularly in the context of poor policy and inefficient and corrupt management at TTEC.

Earlier this week, the union called for a meeting because we were hearing rumours about temporaries being sent home and after the meeting, we felt that the management took a decision as a first resort to send home people. And when we did the math, sending home those temporary workers, many of whom have exceeded the limit by which they should remain temporary, would have only cost the Commission, 0.3 percent of their revenue.

So therefore, sending the workers home is not going to make a difference to the Commissions financial situation.

Burke also alleged that the company has been hiring contractors and paying them exorbitant fees in spite of these contractors not having done any work.

He called for an investigation into the matter, and into the procurement process of necessary goods and services by the company.

According to him, over 200 temporary workers would be dismissed, beginning with those over age fifty-five and those with less than five years service.
CWU protests for TSTT retirees $$

Speaking with Newsday, CWU Secretary General, Joseph Remy, explained that your pension is a factor of your last salary.

So the salaries were adjusted on the basis of the negotiations and as such, the pensions supposed to be adjusted.

It is almost nine months now that the active employees have been paid yet, RBC Trust, TSTT and the Actuaries have failed to pay that adjusted pension and the retroactive payments to over 300 retirees. Remy said the protest was also triggered by a letter the union received from TSTT this past Monday, in which the company said the Actuaries will now send it (paperwork) to RBC Trust and RBC will take a month to process it.

We told TSTT we are totally against that because these retirees suffered for Christmas.

They must be paid on or before January 31, 2017 or we will continue our protests outside RBC Trust. If there is no forward progress on this issue by next Wednesday (January 25), Remy said CWU members will be back outside RBC Trusts offices next Thursday, protesting the delayed pension adjustments and retroactive payments
Gopee-Scoon: No fears over Trump

In an interview with Newsday yesterday, Gopee-Scoon said, I dont expect anything untoward. She likened the change of US administration from President Barack Obama to President- elect Trump to the impending Brexit of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

The former foreign affairs minister said Trump is a legitimately elected President. She expects Caricom to engage President Trump in due course, even as she will monitor the scene.

Gopee-Scoon said the burden of her parliamentary duties means shes unlikely to watch his inauguration ceremony today but shed catch up on the news later tonight.

Otherwise, given a recent media posting of a photo of her hugging Obama-impersonator, Reg Brown, under the title, Shes done it again, in reference to a previous photo of her and Obama, Gopee-Scoon said it was Obama who had hugged her.

Tabaquite MP Dr Surujrattan Rambachan, a former foreign affairs minister, offered his congratulations to Trump.

I hope Trinidad and Tobago engages in early conversations with the new US administration, especially regarding security in the region and the cooperation that should obtain.

He said the former Peoples Partnership government had initiatives with the US. It is very important for TT to strengthen ties with the US and to create new avenues for exporting
Al Rawi: Public procurement to be implemented this year

Al Rawi said public procurement is law in Trinidad and Tobago and at Wednesdays State Boards Corporate Governance Seminar 2017 held at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, the Minister of Finance issued a circular stating that the Public Procurement Unit must be installed in every State enterprise and every ministry immediately so that it can go into operation by April. He said all that is required is for President Anthony Aquinas Carmona to ensure that the Procurement Regulator is hired. Al Rawi made the statement while delivering the feature address at an Economic Outlook Forum hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre.

He added that electronic monitoring for offenders is also being put into operation as an option for sentencing. He said the law allowing for this was passed some time ago but never implemented.

He said that when someone is put in prison for not paying a fine of $12,000, for example, it costs the State $25,000 per month to keep that person in jail. He said the option of using electronic monitoring is real - all that is necessary is to put an anklet on that person and he can be allowed to remain outside, reporting periodically to the police station nearest his residence and he could continue working and contributing to the support of his family. He said all that is required to put this law into operation is the equipment, and a service provider with a fibre network in the country that could do the geographical mapping to permit the tracking of the person.

Al Rawi said that with all the talk of crime and white-collar crime in the country, the major fraud case in TT is the Piarco Airport Inquiry which he said has been in the Magistrates Court for seventeen years and still has to go to the High Court, the Appeal Court and possibly the Privy Council. Meanwhile, he said while doing an audit at the Attorney Generals Office, he saw a strange painting on the wall and after inquiring it turned out to be repatriated assets from the other accused in the Piarco Airport case in the United States where there had already been conviction, sentences served, and assets forfeited and sent back to TT. He said it was a very expensive painting which went missing from an international artist and was found in the possession of one of the persons in the Piarco Airport case, making the point that at the same time the local case has been seventeen years in the Magistrates Court. Stressing that he was not attributing guilt to any party, the Attorney General said the important thing was not how many laws are passed but whether they are put into operation.

He also said that there was no need for legislation for FATCA, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. He said it was open to TT to avoid Government involvement by having the banking sector produce the information to the United States authorities by simply asking their clients for permission to send their information. He said they could then just ask those who refused to close their accounts, but he said that in 2013 the Government of Trinidad and Tobago twice took decisions by way of Cabinet notes to sign an inter-governmental agreement and adopt the reciprocity model and by doing so committed the Government to a path which said it had to pass legislation in Parliament authorising FATCA.
Trump in D.C. making the rounds during Obamas last 24 hours in office

President-elect Donald J. Trump went to Washington Thursday to make the rounds visiting officials and thanking his congressional allies during a luncheon at the Capitol City hotel bearing his name, after completing his Cabinet selections by asking Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to head up the Department of Agriculture.

As reported by Fox News, the incoming president got to Washington shortly after noon local time, arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Trump was joined by his wife, soon-to-be first lady Melania Trump, as well as other members of his family as he got ready to attend an afternoon of pre-inaugural events.

The president-elects first stop was his hotel along Pennsylvania Avenue. There, he received a standing ovation from staff and praised House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., while touting his Cabinet team as having the highest IQ of any that came before them.

Earlier Thursday, Vice President-elect Mike Pence told reporters that hundreds of people are preparing to assume control over the Executive Branchs federal bureaucracy on Inauguration Day tomorrow.

Our beachhead teams are ready to land, he said, eliciting some chuckles when he added that the transition was on schedule and under budget. [RELATED: Keep up with the Trump administration at Whitehouse.news]

Those teams are comprised of 536 temporary employees that serve as assistants to the secretary-designates. They can serve up to 120 days, Fox News reported, at which point they will either be retained or dismissed.

We are all ready to go to work. In fact, we cant wait to get to work for the American people to make America great again, Pence added.

At the same press briefing, incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said a number of Obama administration officials occupying critical positions would stay in place, including Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work, U.S. Envoy for Countering ISIS Brett McGurk and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Tom Shannon, identified in a previous, tasteless CNN report as the person who would take over as president should Trump be killed prior to being inaugurated.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development nominee Dr. Ben Carson, Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions and longtime Trump advisor and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani were seated at Pences side as he spoke. The VP-elect told reporters his primary role was to offer thanks to the team that got us here to this day at the direction of the president-elect.

When you see a box turtle on a fence post, you know he had some help getting there, Pence said.

Trump expressed hope that several of his Cabinet picks would be confirmed on Friday shortly after his inauguration and his official swearing-in as the 45th president. Several of those nominees including Defense Secretary pick Gen. James Mad Dog Mattis and Secretary of State selection Rex Tillerman have already had their confirmation hearings and are awaiting votes by the full Senate.

At the very least Republicans want Trumps national security team confirmed on the president-elects first day in office. [RELATED: What national security challenges face the Trump administration? Find out at NationalSecurity.news]

During his comment period, Spicer criticized Democratic senators including Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., for threatening to hold up some of the votes, as well as some of the nonsensical, unserious questioning of nominees thus far. He added there was no excuse for he called delay tactics and partisanship.

That isnt sitting well with Senate leaders, especially since Republicanswho were in the minority at the timedid not delay President-elect Obamas Cabinet picks.

When President Obama was elected, Republicans and Democrats worked together and expeditiously to carefully consider his nominees. The Senate held hearings on multiple nominees before he was even sworn in, Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, told CNN. Sen. Schumer and others approved wholeheartedly of this approach at the time, so its surprising that theyd object to treating the incoming presidents nominees with the same courtesy and seriousness with which the Senate acted on President Obamas nominees.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for Natural News and News Target, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources:

FoxNews.com

CNN.com

Trump.news

Submit a correction >>
Barack Obama literally tried to start World War III with Russia before Trump can take office

In recent days Natural News founder/editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, citing sources inside the U.S. government and elsewhere, wrote that President Obama is essentially a sleeper cell traitor attempting to thwart the incoming Trump administration with a series of bureaucratic and policy tripwires and land mines all designed to undermine the president-elect.

Whats more, Adams wrote, Obama himself may be attempting to remain in office through some sort of back-door coup, and also by starting what would quickly become a nuclear war with Russia:

Barack Obama  who is quite literally a sleeper cell agent who has been trying to destroy America from day one  is now attempting to provoke Russia into military conflict. He has now begun expelling Russian diplomats from the USA as a cover story for the democrats completely fabricated Russian hacking conspiracy theory regarding the hacking of email accounts belonging to Jon Podesta and the DNC. (It was actually an inside job achieved by a Bernie Sanders supporter.)

As further noted by Zero Hedge, the Russia government does not appear as though it will simply take this unjustified abuse from Obama. In a statement on the Russian Foreign Ministry website, spokeswoman Maria Zakharov warned there will be countermeasures.

Obama risking war with a nuclear-armed great power just to tweak Trumps nose

In fact, prior to Obamas issuing of new sanctionswhich are being supported by idiot RINOs and failed White House contenders Speaker Paul Ryan in the House and Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain in the Senatethe government of Russian President Vladmir Putin warned there would be retaliatory measures taken to match any Obama administration actions.

The outgoing U.S. administration still hopes to finally have time to do something else for bad relations with Russia, and so she brought down, says an interpretation of the Russian website statement. With clearly inspired leaks in the American media have once again trying to scare the extension of anti-Russian sanctions measures diplomatic and even sabotage against our computer systems.

In a statement to Lifenews, as cited by The Observer, Zakharov made it perfectly clear that the Kremlin was aware of what Obama is doing:

The Obama Administration launched this disinformation half a year ago in an attempt to support the position of their desired candidate for the November Presidential elections. Having not achieved their desired outcome, now they are looking for the justification of their failure and, doubling their efforts, they are taking revenge on the Russian-American relations.

In other words, as The National Sentinel reported, the Obama administration and some members of Congress, in an effort to thwart a president-elect they never thought would win, have concocted the very same kind of disinformation campaign they are now accusing Russia of concocting, allegedly to keep Hillary Clinton out of the White House [Full disclosure: I am the editor of The National Sentinel]. That makes no sense at all, given Clintons compromised status over her home-brew private email server containing highly classified information a) that Putin could use against her to get his way; and b) that the FBI said with 99 percent certainty was hacked.

Arrogant, dangerous and criminal

In any event, while the Russians may not yet be taking Obama seriously because, frankly, they never have, that could quickly change if Obama doesnt stop pushing Putin. At some point Putin will be obligated to push back. Indeed, many inside Russia are already angry enough at Obama and his hapless, reckless, feckless foreign policy team led once by Clinton and now by John Kerry, they are already calling on Putin to hit back hard.

The leaving administration has no reason and no political or moral right for such drastic and disruptive steps with regards to bilateral relations with Russia. Forgive me for being harsh, but I just cannot find other words: this is the agony of not the lame ducks, but of political corpses, Konstantin Kosachev, head of the International Committee of the Russian Upper House of Parliament, said to RIA Novosti. [President Obama] put at stake the U.S.s reputation as an adequate state that ensures policy continuity in the process of change of power.

The goal of the 44th U.S. president is to complicate things for the 45th one, added Gevorg Mirzayan, a professor at Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.

Obama is willing to risk war with a nuclear-armed great power just to tweak Trumps nose and score political points with his own party. Arrogant, dangerous and criminal all at once.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for Natural News and News Target, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources:

NaturalNews.com

TheNationalSentinel.com

Observer.com

NationalSecurity.news

Submit a correction >>
Ten political figures who should be punished, sanctioned or jailed in 2017

The 2016 election cycle produced one of the unlikeliest of all presidential contenders, then nominee, then president-elect in billionaire businessman and reality TV star Donald J. Trump, but there was no shortage of people along the way who pulled out all the stops in their effort to derail him.

At the same time that all of the presidential politics were unfolding, the country learned more than it had ever known about a former first family, the outgoing first family, members of Congress and the operatives who are loyal to them.

Now that the smoke has cleared and voters have produced clear winners and losers, it is time to take stock of the process itself and hold to account those who violated our trust and our laws. The following is our list of the top 10 politicos who should be punished, sanctioned or put on trial and jailed for their role(s):

1. President Barack Obama: You cannot say anything at all about anyone else loyal to the Democratic Party without naming the ringleader, and that person is, without question, the current, though outgoing, president.

Throughout his tenure, Obama played fast and loose with the law and with the Constitution, even earning criticism from a preeminent constitutional scholar and avowed supporter of Obamas policies, Prof. Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law expert at Georgetown University. He testified in 2014 that Obamas abuse was going unchecked to the point that he worried about the Legislative Branch becoming irrelevant.

But thats not all. Obama aided and abetted illegality as well, committed by his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, who would leave his administration to make her second unsuccessful bid for the presidency. He knew she was using a personal, private email server to conduct State Department business, which included handling ultra-sensitive and secretive information, according to published reports. We know Obama knew because he emailed her at her private email address, using an alias  which also indicates he knew what she was doing was wrong, otherwise why hide his own identity? In fact, thats probably why the FBI did not recommend that Clinton be indicted, because agents discovered the president was involved and knew what she was doing.

If Obama himself had been e-mailing over a non-government, non-secure system, then everyone else who had been doing it had a get-out-of-jail-free card, wrote Andrew McCarthy at National Review.

Obama plans to stick around Washington, D.C., after he formally leaves office Jan. 20, so that he can be a thorn in the side of the Trump administration. He should be shunned and sanctioned at the very least, by all, but he wont be by his adoring sycophantic supporters and the discredited mainstream media that protected him while in office.

2. Hillary Clinton: There is so much wrong that the former Democratic presidential nominee (allegedly) did during her tenure as secretary of state, that it is difficult to know where to start. So lets start with the obvious: her private server.

We already know that she was enabled by the president. But what really makes what she did a criminal act (and what Obama did, too, by allowing it to occur) is her blatant violation of specific statutes for the handling of classified information. As reported by The Daily Caller, she violated at least four felony statutes contained in Title 18 of the United States Code of the Espionage Act. In fact, FBI Director James Comey, in discussing her case in July, essentially laid out all of the laws she broke.

Then, of course, there is the matter of her using the Clinton Foundation to provide access and special favors to foreign governments who just happened to donate millions while paying her husband, former President Bill Clinton, exorbitant fees for speeches. It was the prototypical pay to play, as laid out in detail in The Hillary Files, a special report published by News Target.The Washington Times published a list of the top pay-to-play scandals in October.

Unlike Obama, Clinton can still be indicted for a great many things, not the least of which is her mishandling of classified materials, unless the current president grants her a preemptive pardon. Its likely Obama will do so. But whats less likely is whether shell accept it, because that would be a tacit admission of guilt.

3. Bill Clinton: Before taking office for his first term, then-candidate Bill Clinton told America that if he was elected, wed get two for the price of one. Bill and Hill have been a political team all their lives, and that didnt change during her last presidential campaign.

Or before. While she was serving as secretary of state, Bill was the bag man, collecting hefty fees for speeches from foreign governments with business before the U.S. government. With Democrats and other political opponents already accusing Trump of using his office for personal gain (though hes turned his businesses over to his family), the Clintons were feathering their family nest for years using the foundation as cover.

In fact, as The Washington Examiner and the nonprofit Judicial Watch uncovered, Bill Clinton raked in some $48 million giving 215 speeches paid for by foreign governments and foreign interests, with Hillarys State Department approving every single request.

4. John Podesta: The one person most damaged by the WikiLeaks releases of confidential emails and other documents obtained from the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee is longtime Clinton aide and confidante, as well Democratic operative, John Podesta.

As her campaign chief, Podestas fingerprints are all over everything  from colluding with the mainstream media to get Clintons message personified and perfected, to being well aware of all the pay to play that was occurring between the Clintons, their foundation and foreign interests. Podesta was more than just an operative and campaign flack; he was an enabler for the Clintons and, in particular, for Hillary Clinton to violate ethics rules and, possibly, federal statutes.

5. Huma Abedin: This longtime Clinton adviser and aide was double-dipping  actually triple dipping  receiving paychecks from the State Department, the Clinton Foundation and a Clinton-affiliated consulting firm, all at once.

As reported by Town Hall, that puts her in legal crosshairs for perjury:

Huma Abedin may be in the legal crosshairs for possible perjury after new emails relating to the FBIs probe into Clinton server were found on her estranged husbands laptop. Anthony Weiner, who is under investigation for illicit online interactions with an underage girl, shared this device with Abedin. Abedin swore under penalty of perjury at a June deposition for a lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch that she had turned over all devices to her lawyers that contained State Department materials. In February of 2013, she signed a routine form saying that all State Department-related documents had been turned over. Thats obviously not the case.

Again, there are major ethical, conflict-of-interest type concerns associated with her overlapping employment, given her special status within both the State Department and the Clinton Foundation all at once. Whats more, there is that legal issue about perjuring herself.

She has also not yet been pardoned by Obama but certainly could be. The incoming Trump administration is not showing its hand yet as to what it will do, and thats smart play.

6. House Speaker Paul Ryan/Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: This one gets a tag-team designation.

You may be surprised to find these two political figures on our list, but together they represent the top leadership in the Legislative Branch. Therefore, it is their duty to hold the president and his Cabinet members accountable for their actions. And when those actions fall outside the realm of their offices, run foul of the Constitution or measure up to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors, one of the legal tools at their disposal is impeachment.

Yes, political watchers will say that there werent enough votes in the Senate for a conviction, even if the House had voted to return articles of impeachment, since it takes two-thirds of senators present to actually convict (and we all know it was probable that not a single Democrat would vote to convict a president in their own party). But that does not give the Speaker and Senate Majority Leader an excuse not to bring legitimate charges against legitimate violations of law (in Clintons case) and of the Constitution (in Obamas case)

By permitting Obama and Clinton to get away with what they did they have empowered future presidents and Cabinet members to attempt similar breaches of law and the Constitution.

7. Donna Brazile: Another longtime Clinton and Democratic Party operative, Brazile, as a contributor to CNN, was caught leaking debate questions to her former associates campaign before a debate her network was hosting took place, as noted in the WikiLeaks data dumps.

Did she regret what she had done? Not one bit. In fact, as the Washington Post reported, the only thing she did regret was not having better knowledge of how to protect electronic data.

The paper reported:

My conscience  as an activist, a strategist  is very clear, the interim chair of the Democratic National Committee said Monday during a satellite radio interview with liberal activist and SiriusXM host Joe Madison. She added that if I had to do it all over again, I would know a hell of a lot more about cybersecurity.'

Whats more, her host agreed. The one thing folk need to understand at CNN, MSNBC and all of this: When you hire folk who are, as you say, the, you know  their responsibility is to their candidate and their party, Madison said, theyre going to do whatever they can to win. Thats just  thats the nature of the beast.'

Yes, of course  the ends justify the means, even if it means being patently dishonest and soiling your employers reputation in the process.

8. Republicans who would not support Trump as the nominee  even those who said they would: There are a slew of RINOs  Republicans In Name Only  who not only didnt support Trump publicly, but very likely voted for the criminal candidate instead.

And that includes one-time GOP presidential contenders whom Trump bested and who said early on would support the eventual party nominee, no matter who it was (when they all thought Trump didnt stand a chance).

Prominent Republicans who publicly opposed Trump include action star and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (who even took over Trumps reality show, The Apprentice); the Bush family (Jeb Bush, vanquished candidate, refused to support Trump); deposed GOP presidential contender Sen. Lindsey Graham; deposed GOP presidential contender Gov. John Kasich of Ohio; former Massachusetts governor and two-time failed GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney; former centrist mayor of New York City and billionaire founder of a top financial news network that bears his name, Michael Bloomberg; and former U.S. senator and Navy secretary John Warner, among others. Heres a comprehensive list from The Atlantic.

Hopefully voters will exact a toll on those RINOs still in office come election time.

9. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel: Since this former top Obama aide took over the helm of the presidents adopted home city, Chicago has been in steady competition to become the deadliest city on earth.

For the past few years, murders in the countrys third-largest city have become a staple. There are parts of the city that are wonderful, modern and idyllic, but there are other parts that are more deadly than war zones in Afghanistan or Iraq.

The mayor bears much responsibility for this chaos and mayhem, but thus far, Emanuel has rejected all reasonable efforts at bringing law and order to the deadliest parts of town, including calls to deploy the Illinois National Guard. Even the citys liberal newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, has called for the Guards deployment.

But these calls and others to change the way the Chicago Police Department approaches patrolling those parts of the city have been ignored, and now, the citys experiencing its deadliest period in the past two decades. And nobody seems to have any answers, including the mayor.

10. The mainstream media: Complicit in every single criminal and subversive event this year was the now-thoroughly discredited mainstream media legacy papers like The New York Times, Washington Post, L.A. Times, Miami Herald and all the cable news networks save Fox News for a) covering for Obama; b) publishing lies, innuendo and fabrications about Trump; and c) under-reporting, purposely, or spinning major news stories that would have negatively impacted Hillary Clinton and her former boss.

And since the election, the MSM has helped create, and then spread, the notion that all of its alternative media competitors are purveyors of fake news that helped Trump defeat Clinton, with the aid of Russian propaganda. The Washington Post started that tinfoil hat conspiracy theory.

As the founder/editor of Natural News (which was named as one of the alleged Russian propaganda organs) Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, noted, that was nothing short of treason:

The Washington Post has finally committed its most desperate act of credibility suicide, publishing a blatantly false, fabricated story that now claims Russia directly interfered with the election to deliver a victory to Donald Trump.

The WashPost story does not name a single source for the accusation  .

Ditto for The New York Times, which claimed that Russian hackers accessed both the DNC and the Republican National Committee, but only chose to release information damaging to Clinton and Democrats. Then-RNC spokesman Sean Spicer  now chosen as Trumps press secretary  said that was a bogus claim and the Times knew it, but claimed it anyway, citing U.S. intelligence sources.

The intelligence is wrong, Spicer told Smerconish. It didnt happen. We offered The New York Times conclusive proof that it didnt happen. They ignored it. They refused to look at it because it didnt fit the narrative.

So there you have it, our comprehensive list of persons (and organizations) who should be sanctioned, punished or jailed this coming year as a lesson not to intentionally harm or otherwise denigrate the United States and Americans in the future.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for Natural News and News Target, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources:

NaturalNews.com

ChicagoTribune.com

Money.CNN.com

TheAtlantic.com

NewsTarget.com[PDF]

DailyCaller.com

Collapse.news

Submit a correction >>
PM Modi says Indian youth has successfully resisted radicalization

New Delhi, Fri, 20 Jan 2017 NI Wire

Delegation of Muslim Ulemas, intellectuals and academicians calls on PM

A delegation comprising Muslim Ulemas, intellectuals, academicians and other eminent people called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 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 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.

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.

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.

Members of the delegation also praised the Prime Minister for his efforts towards Swachh Bharat.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Source: PIB
India May Have Apple's Manufacturing Unit Soon but at a Hefty Concession

New Delhi, Fri, 20 Jan 2017 NI Wire

If all goes well, the iPhones may have its production centre in India but this would require a lot of economic liberality from Indian Government. Apple, the biggest multinational, has shown its willingness to grab an opportunity to start making, assembling, refurbishing its products in India.

The Multinational is in talks with the Indian Government to materialise its business expansion plans, however, it feels the customs rules needs to be a little more lenient for inviting its attractive investment scheme. Reportedly, there is a list of conditions that has been kept for agreement and among them a 15-year long tax holiday on importing of raw materials and components is a major one. Another demand that the company is supposedly putting forward is a slight change in its restrictions, so that the iPhone maker could import defective devices and repair them for exporting easily.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Minister of Information technology welcomed the proposal of Apple without divulging any details about the negotiation. The talks regarding the anticipated project of the technology giant started when Tim Cook visited India in May last year.

Given the rate of India's overall development and its resourceful and prospective market, Apple sees a great fortune in the country like many other foreign companies. Such an initiative by the tech giant may also result in generating employment opportunities in the country apart from providing economic benefits to the Cupertino, California based software major. At present, India contributes only 2% market share in sale of iPhones.

A meeting of the Departments of Industry, Electronics & Information Technology and Finance is scheduled on 25th of January to discuss the prospects further. While it may sound as a lucrative for our country's future superficially, it would require a great amount of analysis before arriving at any conclusion. This is because there are many foreign investors who have manufacturing units in India and facilitating one with extraordinary incentives would be against the non-discriminatory policy of government. Also favouring all, may not be a beneficial for India's financial health.
New post, The Adversarial System and the Torah Ethic of Justice on Nishma Policy
US airpower has carried sorties in Libya near Sirte killing close to 100 militants of the Islamic State group (IS), American defense officials announced.

Up to 108 bombs dropped by two B-2 Stealth bombers killed Wednesday around 100 militants of IS at some training camps of the group situated 30 miles from Sirte; the last bastion of the terrorist group, Fox New reports citing US officials.

The raids took place south of the coastal city, which was until December the stronghold of the terrorist group.

The US last year in August started backing the forces of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) to dislodge IS militants from the city after overrunning it in June 2015. GNA forces won the fight in December after driving out the terrorists.

Many of the militants killed on Wednesday were plotting attacks in Europe, the US Defense Secretary, Ash Carter said at a news conference. The assaults were authorized by outgoing President Barack Obama.

US Africa Command in December ended US air campaign in Libya following the fall of Sirte but indicated that it will continue targeting the group across the country.

Up to 495 US airstrikes were conducted from August till the end of the odyssey in December.
Italian foreign minister Angelino Alfano Thursday underlined Romes readiness and ironclad support for Tunisia in its fight against terrorism and illegal migration after it turned out that Berlin December attack suspect Anis Amri transited through Italy.

The North African country has been unable to guarantee a successful democratic transition following the ouster of autocratic ruler Ben Ali in 2011. The country has been facing a surge in radicalism.

Visiting Alfano vowed Italys support to help Tunisia overcome the struggle.

Tunisia is waging a double battle: a battle to preserve its nascent democracy and a fierce battle against terrorism, which represents a threat for its democratic transition, the Italian top diplomat told President Caid Essebsi.

Although Rome is not facing serious terrorist threats, it is confronted with rising radicalization of migrant residents. Thousands of migrants departing from North African coasts arrived in Italy. There are fears that some militants of the Islamic State group (IS) may hide among them, like the case of Tunisian Amri; the main suspect of Berlin December 19 attack on a Christmas market.

Amri arrived in Germany last year after crossing illegally the Mediterranean into Italy. He was arrested briefly in Italy over petty offenses.

Amris case has pushed Italian authorities to develop partnership and cooperation also with Libya (main departure point) and Niger to stem illegal migration.

We share the same preoccupations on key topics such as terrorism and migration, Alfano added.

Rome early this month expressed its desire to fast-track the expulsion of migrants who fail to abide by Italian laws following some heated incidents which opposed migrants to Italian security forces.
Amazigh militant and human rights activist Kamal Eddine Fekhar was rushed from prison to a hospital in the city of Mina near the restive Algerian Amazigh-speaking city of Ghardaia after staging a hunger strike, local reporters said.

Kamal Eddine Fekhar started the hunger strike on January 3, 2017 in protest for his arbitrary detention on ground of his denunciation of atrocities by the Algerian regime and the sidelining of Algerian security forces with Arabs during the inter-ethnic clashes that devastated the ancient city of Ghardaia.

Kamal Eddine Fekhar, a doctor by profession, has been in prison for almost a year and a half pending trial on charges of undermining state security and national unity. His lawyer claims that his client has suffered torture in prison.

The hospitalization of Kamal Eddine Fekhar raised concerns among the human rights community who evoke cases of journalists and militants who have lost their lives after hunger strikes while in prison. The latest victim is journalist Mohamed Tamalt who was imprisoned for publishing a poem critical to Algerias ailing president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Ghardaia is situated in the Mzab valley, a UNESCO world heritage site on the edge of the Sahara that has seen mounting tensions between the two communities.

There have been sporadic confrontations between the Amazigh Mozabite community and Arab tribes since December 2013 over property and land ownership after a local Mozabite shrine was vandalized.

Tensions between the Mozabite and Arab communities flare up periodically with at least 22 reported dead in violence that erupted in July 2015.

Besides linguistic and cultural differences, the Mozabites are Ibadit Muslims while their Arab neighbors follow Maliki Islam.
It begins. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

As a light rain fell on the modest crowd scattered across the National Mall  and pedestrians gawked at shattered storefronts a few blocks away  Donald J. Trump announced that the United States had become a democracy again.



Today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people, the new president declared. January 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

The first notes Trump sounded as leader of the free world were more strident than most had expected. The opening passages of his remarks assailed the bipartisan congregation of political elites arrayed in front of him as a parasitic cabal, whom the American people owed little more than contempt.

For too long, a small group in our nations capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost, Trump said. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The Establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nations capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

The Republican standard-bearer argued that the differences between Americas two major political parties were insignificant, when compared to the differences between the people and the Establishment, saying, What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.

It was not always clear who, precisely, these people were. While Trumps speech was filled with paeans to a national unity that transcends the divisions of race, region, and religion, at times, the you he was addressing became decidedly less diverse.

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer, the president said. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before. At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction, that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

Trump then defined what it means for a nation to serve its citizens in starkly protectionist terms, promising to guard our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs.

The president went on to describe the decrepit America that he would be inheriting after decades of globalist rule  a country where rusted-out factories are scattered like tombstones across the landscape, our young and beautiful students are deprived of all knowledge, and the crime and the gangs and the drugs rob our nations unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now, Trump promised, proceeding to argue that by restoring a vigorous nationalism  both civic and economic  the American peoples financial hardships and bitter divisions would swiftly end. As, for that matter, would the threat of Islamic terrorism and the miseries of disease.

We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth, Trump said. We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and hire American.

When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice, the president continued. Its time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots.

This was not a conservative speech. While Trump softened the undertones of white resentment that infused his campaign-trail improvisations, the populist, nationalist, and quasi-authoritarian themes of those stump speeches were, if anything, accentuated.

On Friday, a Republican president did not come to power. Donald Trump did  and, with him, the people.

Whether they like it, or not.
the inside game

The Most Important Senate Race Is Also the Most Ignored

While most of the chatter is about other races, Nevada might actually decide control of the chamber.
In Davos, everything is fine. Youve got your good thing and Ive got mine. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

This morning, Americas top military officers showed Donald Trump how to launch a nuclear missile. By this afternoon, he will have the authority to fire the whole arsenal.

If you had told the conscious capitalists who assembled in Davos one year ago today, that Trump would not only maintain his lead in the GOP primary polls, but win the Republican nomination, and then the presidency  while pledging to bring back confiscatory tariffs, abandon NATO, and take on the cabal of international bankers who had robbed our working class  most would have considered your tale a perfect, if unrealistic, horror story.

After all, nearly everyone at last years World Economic Forum supported Hillary Clinton or a mainstream Republican, and viewed Trumps campaign as little more than a filthy joke.

But now that the joke has turned deadly serious, the global economic elite is learning to stop worrying and love right-wing populism  or, at least, the pecuniary opportunities that Trumps brand of it presents. Per Bloomberg:

At coffee bars and cocktail parties in the Swiss town, which hosts the World Economic Forums annual meeting this week, conversation has often turned to how money can be made from the rise of a populist firebrand.



Amid all the panel-talk of reducing inequality and re-invigorating the middle class, the Davos set is hard at work looking for ways to safeguard and expand its wealth even as anti-establishment movements roil global politics.



That means enjoying the benefits of a Trump-driven boom in the U.S., where the business world is celebrating his pledges to slash taxes and loosen regulations. Stock markets have surged to near record highs, and banks like Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citigroup Inc. have reported strong earnings. If you look at whats happened to U.S. bank stocks in the last six weeks, theyre up 30 percent, said Huw Jenkins, the vice-chairman of Sao Paulo-based lender Grupo BTG Pactual. The U.S. looks like its a great place to invest right now.

True, even those who smile on Trumps supply-side approach to working-class uplift have lingering concerns about the  quirks  of the moguls persona. But according to the plutocrats who spoke with Quartz, the presidency is likely to bring out the real, sober Donald Trump.

There are two Donalds  the one that you see in private, and the one you see in public, Ross Perot Jr., the Texas billionaire, assured the news site.

(The Donald you see in private has been accused of having little-to-no attention span, verbally abusing his subordinates, and serial sexual assault.)

And even if the incoming president continues to behave recklessly, some Davos attendees see ways to monetize that recklessness.

Hes pontificated a lot on what deals he thinks should go through and should not go through, Canyon Capital Advisers co-CEO Mitch Julis told Bloomberg Television, referring to Trumps habit of swinging the stock market by opining about various corporate mergers and government contracts, over cocktails or on Twitter. So arb spreads are one area where you can actually lay bets, he explains, referring to trades that harness the discrepancy between a shares offer price and its current value.

Much of the Davos set is even making their peace with Trumps rejection of globalism.

The basic message is to be more national, dont just be global, Richard Edelman, CEO of the communications marketing firm Edelman, told Reuters. Lets try and pre-empt that tweet by having a long-term discussion about the supply chain.

General Motors echoed that message at the WEF Tuesday, when it announced that it would add nearly 2,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs, because it wants to build where we sell.

Granted, GMs expansion seems to have been planned well before Trumps election. But that just goes to show how painless the transition to an America first corporate strategy will be.

Meanwhile, some service-sector enterprises see an upside to rising nationalism.

The irony is that when more walls show up it is a good opportunity for services companies to help do business across those walls, Vishal Sikka, chief executive of Infosys, an IT services company, told Reuters.

Still, not all Davos attendees have recovered from their Trump-phobia.

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers told Bloomberg Television that he was very troubled by the mood on Magic Mountain.

People who, two, three months ago, were saying he was a man theyd never do business with, are today hailing him as a great economic statesman, he said. I see a very disturbing tendency to enable whatever the instinct of this new administration is. Thats something that over time the business community may very much come to regret.

But for the now, the view at the top is mostly sanguine: Its the end of the world as weve known it  and the cabal of international bankers feels fine.
Nigel Farage. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Wire/PA Images

Nigel Farage was smoking a cigarette on the roof of the Hay Adams Hotel as he took in the panoramic view of the White House that would be occupied by Donald Trump in a little over 12 hours. This is absolutely a political revolution for America. Its very exciting, he said. What we did with Brexit is amazing. But as Trump said himself, his election is Brexit plus-plus-plus.

Farage, the former leader of the U.K. Independence Party, was in Washington on the eve of Trumps inauguration for a party to celebrate the publication of The Daily Mail writer Arron Bankss book, The Bad Boys of Brexit, which chronicled Farages role leading last summers Brexit vote  a political shock that augured Trumps own win. Im very English, Trumps very American. But our missions have been remarkably similar, Farage told me. Plus, were the two most demonized people in the West!

It might seem odd that heartland Republicans would fete an English member of the European Parliament, but since the Brexit vote, Farage has become an unlikely celebrity in Trumps movement. Hes a close ally of Trump adviser Steve Bannon and attended the Republican National Convention in July, where he ran into members of Mississippi Governor Phil Bryants staff at a hotel bar at 4 a.m. After bonding over a round of drinks, Bryants staffers invited Farage to deliver a speech at a Trump rally in Jackson the following month. Hes been back to the States eight times since then.

I saw remarkable parallels with the United Kingdom. When I went into the crowd afterward, they were the same people who voted for Brexit, Farage said. They were ordinary people, some of them hadnt voted for years, and they thought nows a chance to actually change things.

Shortly before we spoke, Farage waded through the crowd that included conservative talk-radio host Laura Ingraham and Iowa Congressman Steve King. Im going to get a reload! he said, swishing an almost-empty gin-and-tonic as he headed toward the bar. With a fresh drink in hand, he made his way to the stage to deliver a rousing speech honoring Trump.

Theres still a level of disbelief that Trump has won. Its time to end that disbelief and say, we did it! he said, thrusting his arms skyward. The crowd roared. When I look back, perhaps the greatest joy was watching as state after state in the Midwest went red, just to see the faces of those CNN presenters! The crowd roared again.

Afterward, well-wishers thronged Farage to congratulate him and snap selfies. Its gonna be our house now, Governor Bryant gushed as he nodded at the White House. Were back. Farage beamed.
So much for unity and uplift  Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Those familiar with Donald Trumps inaugural address before he delivered it advised us it would be Jacksonian. By that I suppose they meant belligerent, nationalist, and populist. But if you look at the address Andrew Jackson himself delivered at his first inauguration, after a bitter campaign, it could not have been more different. Heres how Jackson referred to his predecessors in office (including the man he defeated, John Quincy Adams):

A diffidence, perhaps too just, in my own qualifications will teach me to look with reverence to the examples of public virtue left by my illustrious predecessors.

Trump began (after a brief thank-you to Barack Obama for cooperating during the transition) by attacking all his recent predecessors, as, well, self-interested betrayers of the public trust:

For too long, a small group in our nations capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The Establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nations capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.



That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment; it belongs to you.

That set the tone for his address, an angry screed of a campaign speech. Ive been watching and listening to inaugural addresses since John F. Kennedys, in 1960. Ive never heard anything like this one in terms of its divisive content and complete lack of uplift. Even its call for the blessings of the Almighty was to a nationalist God Trump seemed to be charging with protecting the country  if and only if our military and police forces failed. And absent any admission of his own fallibility, his appeal to unity sounded more like a threat of repression than a call for mutual understanding and bipartisanship.

He accused Washington of deliberately abandoning factories and their workers, deliberately robbing Americans of their income and wantonly spending it on foreign countries, and deliberately refusing to hear the cries of an aggrieved, impoverished, and powerless citizenry. And having painted this dark picture of a horrific status quo, he proceeded to set out literally impossible goals for his own presidency.

The American carnage of crime and gangs and drugs stops right here and stops right now. Really? And as for radical Islamic terrorism? He plainly promised that we will eradicate [it] from the face of the Earth. Seriously. And: We will bring back our jobs  our borders  our wealth. Gee, will the rest of the world cooperate to make that happen?

By the time Trump got to the climax of the address, a secular doxology of the national greatness he would achieve (wealthy! strong! safe!), the hope of so many people, especially those who fear him, that the 45th president would rise to the moment and make a graceful, civic-minded speech, had long been dashed.

Trump can, of course, eventually transcend this moment. But it was an ominous beginning for a presidency that was so hard to envision as normal, and that made Old Hickory look like a prophet of peace.
Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today: Trumps inauguration.



Many Americans surely held out hope, despite themselves, that Donald Trump wouldve used his inaugural address to accomplish what he could have done with his transition: demonstrate an understanding of the gravity of the office, allow suspicions of his campaign (and his associates) to be allayed by honest investigations, search for reconciliation with those who doubt him. The past few weeks have shown that Trump had different ideas for his transition. What do you think he achieved with this address?

Not to put too fine a point on it, but in a word: Nothing. It was a recycled Trump campaign speech sporadically retrofitted with ersatz poetry (the windswept plains of Nebraska, yet) and boilerplate stabs at unity (We are one nation!) and inclusion (there is no room for prejudice), but otherwise characteristically nationalistic, populist, and apocalyptic in its view of America. According to our new president, our country is a Valhalla of rusted-out factories and schools that leave students deprived of all knowledge. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes. Our communities are blighted by the crime and the gangs and the drugs. If you werent eager to take some of those drugs at the moment he was sworn in, you certainly were by the time his scowling account of America the Ugly was done.

Earlier in the week, Trumps press spokesman, Sean Spicer, previewed the speech with a burst of ecstasy: It is a Trump draft. It is written by him. It is edited by him. We were treated to a photo of the president-elect posing with pad and Sharpie while penning his masterpiece, apparently (we were later to learn) while sitting at a concierges desk at Mar-a-Lago. There were some typical Trumpian declarations in the text (America will start winning again, winning like never before), but most of it was pure Stephen Bannon. The language was violent and angry  This American carnage stops right here  reeking of animosity, if not outright hatred, of the Establishment. The tone was one of retribution and revenge. The contempt for Washington, including the Republican Partys current leadership, was omnipresent: Its not just John Lewis but the many officeholders onstage during the inaugural ceremony who were condemned for being all talk and no action. Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell continue to live in a dreamland if they think their collaborationist accommodation of Trump will spare them from the auto-da-fe.

I guess I live in that proverbial bubble because, almost without exception, most people I know were determined not to watch today. They made the right call. Trump didnt attempt to win anyone over from what he calls the other side, even with disingenuous efforts. The inauguration boycotters also spared themselves the nauseating spectacle of network talking-heads mindlessly parroting the supposedly reassuring cliches of the hour (the peaceful transfer of power) and, at the stroke of noon, succumbing to the herd mentality of grading on a curve. On CNN, the historian Douglas Brinkley declared the inaugural address not only presidential but solid and well-written and the best speech Trump has made in his life.

Trump ascends to the height of American power with a historically low approval rating from his fellow citizens and an administration largely staffed thus far  to the extent it has been staffed  by billionaires, strident ideologues, and incompetents. His kitchen cabinet is led by his son-in-law. He took the oath of office to a virtually monochromatic sea of white faces. His biggest political ally  and arguably the key clandestine player in his electoral victory  is a Russian strongman who could be found this week testifying that our new president did not avail himself of prostitutes when visiting Moscow but that if he had, he would have been serviced by women who are undoubtedly the best in the world.

But you know all that. What stood out about Trumps inaugural address was his one bedrock conviction, the one core belief he never reverses  that the country he will now try to lead is an unmitigated disaster. The great task before us is to stop him from taking down with him all that remains good about America, before his reign comes to its inevitable bad end.
The beginning. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

If so-and-so wins, Im leaving the country, is often what you hear after an election. A hollowed refrain, rarely followed up on, and Canada is probably the better for it. But five months after January 20, 2009  a day as frigid as an angry mothers stare, when I stood on the Washington Mall amid the warmth of a million other people, questioning Ms. Aretha Franklins hat choice and watching our first black president put his hand on the Lincoln Bible, holding my breath when the Chief Justice made a minor flub  I did, in fact, leave the country.

I left not because I feared what Obama would do to America, but because America had a new visual power to show to the world, and miraculously, he resembled me. The impact of that can never be stressed enough. In my earlier travels, in many places their only exposure to black Americans was sports, music, or movie stars on TV. But once President Obama was elected, the canvas widened; I wanted to see just how far the new landscape might extend.

I moved to China in 2009 for two art residencies and decided to stay. Many of my Chinese friends felt optimistic about President Obama. He represented the unimaginable, and infinite possibilities, something not always felt in their land of Communist Party strong control.

Though Id always been warned (in a racist way) about how racist the Chinese are, I never experienced that while in China. It seemed to be based more on a perception (also racist) in the States about Chinese people. Rather than hearing screams of Will Smith, as had often happened in my earlier travels, now Id hear Obama tossed at me, with a welcoming smile and an accompanying peace or thumbs-up sign. That was change.

When President Obama visited Fudan University in Shanghai in November 2009, many Chinese were surprised that he took questions from the students. The notion of a town-hall meeting was completely foreign to them. No one questions the president.

Do all American presidents do this or is it just because he is Obama? a friend asked.

Yes, they all do, I said, Just not as well.

Yes. He is cool.

Yes.

At one point, during the bustle of an apartment move, I lost my passport. I had to go to the U.S. embassy to report it and apply for a replacement. On the grounds, a Jeff Koons Tulips is forever in bloom. Hundreds of Chinese citizens were standing in line, hoping for a visa, the prospect of America. Citizens are quickly ushered through. After clearing security, I saw a large photograph of President Obama. I knew all of those waiting to get in would see it, too. Its a small thing, but it pleased me.

But some things hadnt changed, despite Obama, when it came to being a black American living abroad. Even after years out of this country, I never came to consider myself a Westerner or an expat. I realized those terms, regardless of who was in the seat of power back home, still meant white, both to foreigners and to my fellow countrymen.

Many times while in Beijing, I questioned whether I was becoming racist. Not toward the Chinese, but toward white Americans. In America, or the West in general, I know the history, how to navigate our stained story, of which I am a part. That was not so easily done thousands of miles away. Many white Americans abroad might have taken pride in having Obama as their president in a way that they didnt with Bush II and wont with Trump I. But often, whether passing me on the street or sitting on a bar stool next to me, those same white Americans went out of their way not to see me, which, in a city of 21 million Chinese people, was hard to do. Black people, from any country, always gave a passing nod, an acknowledgement that we are few, in a foreign place. The nod says, I see you. When it came to white Americans, I often felt as if my presence irritated them. I snapped them out of their pure, exotic experience with China, because as a black American, I was exotic too, just in the wrong locale.

When in foreign lands, I was always aware that I was representing my country, blackness, and, in that, perhaps, even my president. I wasnt the most powerful man in the world, but I, too, was a visual. But white people didnt seem to feel the need to represent anything. History told them, no matter where, they could just be.

When President Xi Jinping came into power in 2013, there was a feeling among many Chinese that Obamas presence on the world stage would encourage the new Communist Party leader to loosen the governmental leash. He did not. After four-and-a-half years, I knew it was time to leave.

Id gone to Tunisia to work on an art project shortly after the Jasmine Revolution, which began when a fruit vendor set himself on fire after being humiliated by police, and kicked off the Arab Spring. There was a sense of great possibility in Tunis, even levity. Theyd overthrown their president and were getting their first glimpse of freedom. Id met some artists and through them I secured an art residency.

There are very few Americans in this North African country of 11 million, nestled between Algeria and Libya. Unlike the Chinese, who tend to curb their talk of politics, the Tunisians, now free, were quick to speak. Eventually, a friend told me everyone in the village I lived in, El Marsa, just north of downtown, thought I was a spy. Why else, of all places, would a black American decide to come to Tunisia? I had been in China. Check. Now Tunisia. Check. Black president. Check. Spy.

Often, when it pertains to blackness there has to be a reason why you are in a certain place, which has little to do with me, or even our president. Its because of how we are all initially viewed. Suspect.

Yet ironically, my blackness also kept me safe in Tunis in some ways. Tunisians were not very happy with American policies toward North Africa and the Middle East. The war in Syria and the conflict in neighboring Libya had a direct impact on their lives. Though everyone now had to walk through airport-like security simply to enter the nearest supermarket, I never felt any anti-American sentiment toward me. Because you are black, said a friend.

At the same time my Americanness spared me much of the racism that other blacks in Tunisia felt every day. Despite living in a North African country, many Tunisians didnt consider themselves African, because African means black. We are racist, yes, more than ever because more blacks  from countries like Ivory Coast and Nigeria  are coming in, a Tunisian friend told me. But it is different for you here. You are American. There was nothing President Obama could do to change perceptions like that, just as it was becoming clear that there was little he could do to change many Americans fraudulent parsing of his identity.

America is a young and hopeful nation. For many places, steeped in centuries of cultural norms and the mental toll rooted therein, hope seems naive. I could be down to my last pack of ramen noodles, not knowing when the next would come, but when things werent going well for my friends in China or Tunisia, Id try to encourage them by saying, Itll work out. In response, theyd often look at me, eyes clearly saying, like three pitying pats on the shoulder, Oh, you Americans and your hope. In those moments, even I had to recognize my American entitlement.

I returned to New York six months ago with the same two duffel bags Id left with seven years ago. I was pleased to be home and curious about the ongoing political changes in America. Like many people, I was disheartened by the results of November 8. And like many people, I was not surprised. Once it jelled, I felt what was almost a sense of freedom: familiar and foreign simultaneously. When you are Other, you just go about the business of moving forward. Its those, for the first time, realizing they are Other, and trying to figure out where they belong now who are more likely to be shocked by what is clearly a hard transition.

Visuals do matter, whether here or abroad, and President Obama was a strong visual. After the election, a Tunisian friend sent me an SMS: Americans are amazing. They can elect a black as easily as they can an orange.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office as soon-to-be Melania Trump stands during the 58th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, January 20, 2017. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Donald John Trump is now the 45th president of the United States.

The inaugural festivities began this morning, with then-President-elect Trump and then-President Barack Obama driving together to the Capitol for the swearing-in. They got into the motorcade for the short ride to the ceremony. Obama left the White House as commander-in-chief for the very last time.

President Obama and President-elect Trump leave the White House, head for the Capitol https://t.co/4jaUQId8cx  New Day (@NewDay) January 20, 2017

First Lady Michelle Obama and future First Lady Melania Trump exit the White House to head to the Capitol for #Inauguration. pic.twitter.com/Hd1qFaJa2q  ABC News (@ABC) January 20, 2017

Obama aide Valerie Jarrett even turned out (some) of the lights:

Always hoped to be here to turn out the lights. Just did. Peace out! pic.twitter.com/rXPFp7GKuO  Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) January 20, 2017

The motorcade is on its way!

presidential motorcade headed to the capitol pic.twitter.com/9p1tiK767U  Sam Ford (@ABC7Sam) January 20, 2017

The Obamas greeted Trump and his wife, Melania, at the White House to have a little coffee/tea before the main event. Melania also gave Michelle a gift from one of their local neighborhood businesses:

LIVE NOW: The Obamas receive the Trumps at The White House: https://t.co/awrxco46Zw pic.twitter.com/nkRkBFi3mX  Good Morning America (@GMA) January 20, 2017

As Washington waited for the Trumps and Obamas to arrive, the inauguration guests arrived at the Capitol. Some were probably thrilled:

Others probably imagined the day a little differently:

The Clintons have arrived pic.twitter.com/bANtO5duiQ  Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 20, 2017

As anti-Trump protests rage in D.C., the crowd appears to be pretty sparse in the back of the Mall. Which led to a few visual comparisons to Obamas historic 2009 inauguration.

Mad spacious out here pic.twitter.com/O0EGL6vI9x  Chris _ _ Richards (@Chris__Richards) January 20, 2017

Crowd comparison: Obama's inauguration on the left, Trump's inauguration on the right. #Inauguration2017 pic.twitter.com/71YzEYSjOJ  Rosa Hwang (@journorosa) January 20, 2017

The numbers also confirm that the turnout wasnt as unbelievable, perhaps record-setting as Trump had suggested:

Crowd count is in:

Trump 2017: 250,000

Obama 2013: 1,000,000

Obama 2009: 1,800,000#Inauguration  Dan Gross (@DanJGross) January 20, 2017

Waiting for the ceremony to begin:

RT BuzzFeedNews: Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush wait for Doanld Trump to be sworn in as president #Inauguratio pic.twitter.com/WQ6c5eLLQw  viralvaley (@viralvalley1) January 20, 2017

Getting closer:

Michelle Obama and Jill Biden arrive on podium, greet Hillary Clinton #InaugurationDay https://t.co/H9n7JKbYS7 pic.twitter.com/rJfRNXTxdI  CBS News (@CBSNews) January 20, 2017

Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden walk out onto the dais:

Pres. Obama, VP Joe Biden arrive on podium ahead of Trump's swearing-in ceremony #InaugurationDay https://t.co/H9n7JKbYS7 pic.twitter.com/Ka4XTIRbEI  CBS News (@CBSNews) January 20, 2017

Cheers of Trump! Trump! Trump! boomed briefly from the crowd as the president-elect prepared for his entrance:

Ladies and Gentlemen, the president-elect of the United States, Donald John Trump.

President-elect Donald Trump arrives at his inaugural swearing-in ceremony https://t.co/YpuCylp4Iz https://t.co/M7V7dN8aLf  CNN (@CNN) January 20, 2017

Missouri Senator Roy Blunt delivers introductory remarks. New Yorks Cardinal Timothy Dolan prays for us. Senator Chuck Schumer, in his address, reads a letter of Union solider Sullivan Ballou, an acknowledgment of the countrys divisions, and a call to greater unity.

Vice-President-elect Michael Richard Pence becomes Vice-President Pence. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administers the oath of office.

#InaugurationDay: [VIDEO] Watch as @mike_pence gets sworn-in as the 48th Vice President of The United States. pic.twitter.com/ZH3qTtsebo  Kris Cruz (@realKrisCruz) January 20, 2017

Donald John Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. Cheers, trumpets, and the blast of cannons.

Trump is taking the oath of office right now >>https://t.co/7unvv1tjV6 #wmc5 pic.twitter.com/f1Smm701z8  WMC Action News 5 (@WMCActionNews5) January 20, 2017

WATCH: Trump takes oath of office to officially become 45th U.S. president. More: https://t.co/2SvATdeALI pic.twitter.com/hM1MuQ256B  Reuters Top News (@Reuters) January 20, 2017

And the peaceful transfer of the Twitter account:

Protesters, close to the stage and wearing shirts that spelled out RESIST, tried to interrupt the oath. Authorities quickly intervened. They shouted USA! USA! as they were pulled away from the area, says the Washington Post.



some protesters who got tossed for shouting over Trump's oath pic.twitter.com/eJrp7GeSZM  Simon Maloy (@SimonMaloy) January 20, 2017

Here comes the speech. And the rain.

It starts raining literally just as Trump begins his speech  Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) January 20, 2017

Daily Intelligencer will have more coverage and analysis on Trumps inaugural address throughout the day. In his speech, he pledged a new vision for America. He vowed to make America great again, and safe again, and wealthy again  campaign promises that are now those of the president. His picture of America was also one borrowed from the trail, an ominous one of rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; of the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives. This American carnage, Trump said, stops right here and stops right now.

"This American carnage" of drugs and crime stops right now, Trump says #Inauguration2017 https://t.co/KK91BsU2Z2  NBC News (@NBCNews) January 20, 2017

A salve to a divided nation it was not. Though unity, he said, would make America unstoppable.

President Trump: "When America is united, America is totally unstoppable." https://t.co/lK9wiqLJWI https://t.co/i6z4kB3Htg  CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) January 20, 2017

Trump lambasted a sizable chunk of his guests.

.@POTUS #Trump says we will no longer accept politicians constantly

complaining; never doing anything about it WATCH https://t.co/b67wd16Ude pic.twitter.com/DHFiz2cOWA  CBSDFW (@CBSDFW) January 20, 2017

He repeated his campaign promise: America First. America will start winning again, Trump vowed. Winning like never before.

Together we will make America great again, Trump said, signing off.

The Trump inaugural speech ran 16 and a half minutes. William Henry Harrison still the champ, beating Trump by nearly an hour and a half  Devin Scillian (@DevinScillian) January 20, 2017

President Donald Trump (c) is applauded by former President Barack Obama (l), former Vice-President Joe Biden, and Senator Chuck Schumer (r), during Trumps inauguration ceremonies at the Capitol in Washington, D.C, on January 20, 2017. Photo: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

And then, it was really time to say farewell to the Obamas:

Former President Obama leaves the US Capitol pic.twitter.com/dsoDOhDD6L  BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) January 20, 2017

The former president delivered some final remarks at Andrews Air Force Base, before heading out to his California vacation. Michelle and I, weve really been milking this good-bye thing, he joked. So it behooves me to be very brief.

Former President Obama: "This is just a little pit stop, this is not a period, this is a comma in the continuing story of building America." pic.twitter.com/dF11YB7DcF  ABC News (@ABC) January 20, 2017

Meanwhile, Trump got his hands back on a phone.

January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2017

The new president also got to work. One of the first orders of business: Signing the waiver so General James Mattis can serve as the Secretary of Defense. Also, giving America a holiday we totally dont have already.

.@POTUS signing 3 things: Mattis waiver bill into law, formal nominations 2 Senate & proclamation for nat'l day of patriotism #Inauguration  Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 20, 2017

President Trump signs nominations for his cabinet and proclamation for National Day of Patriotism pic.twitter.com/BLNcY1eJEm  BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) January 20, 2017

He also started learning a little about the Trump administration, which he picked.

Inauguration attendees, lawmakers, and the person who once thought she might be the guest of honor gathered in the Capitol for the inaugural luncheon.

Trump, shaking Hillary's hand, whispered: "thank you for being here."  Paul Kane (@pkcapitol) January 20, 2017

Senator Schumer unveiled Trumps official inauguration photo. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan toasted Pence. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell toasted Trump. Trump honored and applauded Hillary Clinton. Honestly, theres nothing more I can say because I have a lot of respect for those two people, Trump said about his opponent and former President Bill Clinton.

President Trump addressing a congressional luncheon: "I have a lot of respect for" Hillary Clinton. #voainaug #inaug2017 pic.twitter.com/1CI6EvjAk9  The Voice of America (@VOANews) January 20, 2017

The Trump era starts.

The first post up on Trump's new White House website vows to eliminate the Climate Action Plan https://t.co/g8byd55aOt  Andy Draxinger (@andy_draxinger) January 20, 2017

Now-ish.

These are the top slogans for merchandise sold in D.C. streets today:



"USA"



"Make America Great Again"



"Made in China" pic.twitter.com/10PEJelASN  Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) January 20, 2017

This is a breaking-news post, and will be continuously updated.
Photo: NASA

Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli has a hypothesis for why his slim, elegant primer Seven Brief Lessons on Physics has been such a success  a million copies sold; translated into 41 languages  since its publication in late 2014. Its small, its cheap, its readable, and it talks about big things, says Rovelli with a laugh.

The 60-year-old Italian, one of the founders of the loop quantum gravity theory, is being humble. Seven Brief Lessons  now being followed by a new more expansive book on physics from the ancient Greeks to contemporary quantum mechanics, Reality Is Not What It Seems  is, indeed, everything Rovelli mentioned. But with its warm, enthusiastic language and tone, the book is also deeply humanistic in approach, using words like elegant and beauty about a subject  post-Newtonian physics  that can seem impenetrably dense and abstract.

Reality Is Not What It Seems takes much the same approach, all part of an attempt by Rovelli to entice readers to engage both intellectually and emotionally with physics attempts at answering fundamental questions about the universe and the nature of reality. Its one thing to get a basic conceptual grasp of, say, the theories for why our universe may well be just one of many, or how every object has its own time. Its another to absorb those ideas in such a way as to change how we might perceive our own lives. And that, the relevance of physics to our day-to-day and why it can matter to laypeople, is what Rovelli spoke with us about  along with his concerns for the status of science in contemporary society and the stupidity of simulation theory  over the phone from his home in Marseille.

Your books are written with such a sense of wonder and amazement about physics. Do you think that, for your readers, those feelings should translate into their daily existence? Or is learning about physics strictly an intellectual pursuit and not really an emotional or philosophical one?

Well, thats one of those questions where the answer changes depending on what level you approach it. So let me start from the easiest one: Physicists are researching quantum gravity and the grain of space and the deepness of time. And what we find is not going to change whats happening to you or me today or tomorrow or have any effect on American politics. So from that simple perspective, theres a clear separation between physics and our lives. Thats level one. Level two involves something thats said all the time, which is that science has historically had a huge technological impact on society. One could even say that modern life is entirely a result of science.

But those are the two easy answers. The more complex approach is about how physics and science can affect your soul, which I think is a real idea and is completely different from those two levels. Being interested in understanding hypotheses for what time and space are made of or where matter comes from helps to form an attitude. It means youre interested in the world, in changing your mind, in discovering where our thinking is prejudiced and being aware that issues are complex. The willingness to change your mind about complex subjects in the face of new science is where the greatest philosophical value of an interest in physics comes from.





Do you feel like a willingness to adapt ones thinking according to new scientific evidence is becoming increasingly rare? I feel like, particularly here in the United States with things like the anti-vaccination movement and climate-change skepticism, theres this growing idea that for a lot of the public science has almost moved into the realm of opinion.

There is no doubt thats happening. I used to be much more soft-spoken about this subject but its stupidity going wild. Its not just happening in the United States, either. The United States is still a leader in the scientific world but a large part of the American population is taking ideological positions regarding science, which is frightening. Ideological positions on global warming or evolution are stupid and dangerous and the worst part is that this kind of thinking is increasing. American society in the 60s and 70s was much more open to rational thinking. There was trust in reason, trust in science, trust in thinking, trust in change  the same things that as I mentioned earlier, an engagement with science can cultivate. In France, where I live, more and more people when their child is ill, instead of taking them to a doctor, are looking at alternatives. And this is when there is no doubt that medical science can help. Its very upsetting. Science obviously cant solve all our problems, but it can solve a lot of them.

I wonder if some of the cutting-edge concerns of science have alienated people. Its a lot easier to think of something like Newton and the apple than it is to wrap your head around thermal time.

No, not at all. In Newtons time his concepts were difficult; and Copernicuss concepts were difficult in his time. These ideas have always been difficult to digest. It took people 150 years to accept the Copernican revolution. The idea that nowadays science has gone away from common sense is a perspectival mistake.

The willingness to change your mind about complex subjects is where the greatest philosophical value of an interest in physics comes from.

Do you think that physicists are more open to changing their minds when it comes to nonscientific areas of thinking than nonscientists are?

I think that intellectuals in general are more open, not necessarily just physicists. Scientists are just as capable as anyone else of falling in love with the wrong person or making stupid mistakes in their life. But as a group, I think theyre aware of the limitations of first impressions and the value of rational thinking.

Speaking of which, do you know about simulation theory?

Do you want to know what I think of it? Its bullshit.

Why?

Of all the infinite possibilities I cant believe such as simple-minded, silly possibility should be true. Reality has more imagination than that! Why should we be in somebodys computer simulation? This is so incredibly naive. Reality might be very different than what we think, but not in such a childish way.

But at the risk of offending our AI overlords, why is simulation theory so childish?

I know its very popular right now. I go to conferences with otherwise very intelligent people who mention it, and I find it childish. Each generation of humans has a new technological discovery, gets completely fascinated by this discovery, and then tries to interpret the world in terms of this discovery. We have computers that are remarkably advanced. My little iPhone can perform so well and do so many things in spite of being a little piece of plastic and metal. But to then think of these technological inventions and go Ah! This is how the universe must be! No. Theres nothing about the simulation idea that helps me to understand the world or myself any better. When I was a child, I learned that the universe is expanding and contracting, so I rolled around in my bed and thought that since my heart is expanding and contracting when it beats, maybe the universe is the heart of a huge giant. Its a nice story. Can we prove it wrong? No. Is there any reason to take it seriously? Zero. This is how I feel about the simulation theory. Just because we dont understand everything about our brains or the universe doesnt mean we have to start dreaming up psychotic scenarios.

This is, I hope, more neurotic than psychotic, but there are times I find reading about physics extremely unsettling. The idea that our experience of time is just a construct of our brains to help us achieve some mental coherence, or Ill be sitting on the subway on the way to work and thinking that I could exist in multiple universes  it makes me want to freak out a bit. Does physics ever cause you to wrestle with existential issues like that?

Yes, yes. I know what you mean. We dont know if there are universes besides ours; we just dont know. We ultimately know very little, but we should think of that as a challenge, as a reason for thinking, and not as a conclusion. How can I put it? Yes, theres something deeply confusing and destabilizing about how much we dont really know. But we dont have an obligation to face all of that every day. Instead, we have the privilege of thinking about that. David Hume, the great philosopher, concluded that he doesnt believe any of the things that we think we believe. And at the end of the day, he said, Good, Ive reached that conclusion, but now I go down to the bar with my friend and drink ale. Life continues. In a sense, I think this experience of doubting the tissue of our reality can be enriching. It leads to more thinking.

In your new book, you write about how Lucretiuss conception of atoms invites a less hierarchical view of thinking about the universe than what was common before. You also talk about how the work of people like Galileo and Newton led to the Enlightenment and widespread changes in popular thinking and ideology. Does contemporary physics have the potential to incur similar widespread change?

Yes, I think so. Let me mention two things; one is more complicated. Theres an increasing scientific understanding that relations matters more than things. This is another way that, to go back to your earlier question, physics can affect your life. Learning to think in terms of relations with one another, more than entities, is a good thing. If you take that to heart, it suggests that collaboration works better than competition. Its not either the lion or the lamb  its both or none. So recognizing that we live in a complex interconnected net might positively affect the way we think about society and organize things.

Whats the second thing?

The second example is simpler. It seems to me that theres been a transition in cosmology, one thats very humbling, which is this: Were not special in any way. Humans are just an accident, and we are fragile. In this moment, widespread recognition of our fragility is essential. I hope people understand this.
Malia Obama. Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images

We already knew that Malia Obama is taking a gap year before starting her studies at Harvard University, but now we have a clue as to what she might be doing in the in-between time. According to Page Six, Malia has nabbed an internship with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The tabloid doesnt provide other details except that sources buzzed about the gig before inaugural weekend.



If true, it wouldnt be out of step with what shes done in summers past. Malia previously had an internship on the set of HBOs Girls, where she was seen running around grabbing coffee for the shows cast and crew. Page Six also reports Malia interned at Halle Berrys CBS show, Extant, and at an unnamed fashion house.



Weinstein has long been a big supporter of the Democratic Party and notably hosted a fundraiser in his home for President Barack Obama in 2011. If Malia indeed interns with Weinstein later this year, heres hoping she gets to do more than grab coffee.


Rodney Barnette, founder of the Black Panther Partys Compton chapter and the father of artist Sadie Barnette. Photo:  Sadie Barnette

The FBI put Sadie Barnettes father on a watch list in 1968, after he founded a chapter of the Black Panther Party in Compton, California. Despite Rodney Barnettes charitable work with the Black Panthers, like organizing a free-breakfast program for kids, the FBI labeled him as an extremist for his association with the group. Nearly 50 years later, after her father obtained his FBI file through the Freedom of Information Act, artist Sadie Barnette is now reclaiming her fathers story in the exhibit Do Not Destroy, which opened Tuesday at Baxter Street at the Camera Club of New York.



They had my dad fired from his job at the post office because of his involvement in the Panthers, Sadie Barnette told the Cut during the exhibits installation. The law they used to get him fired was the fact that he was living with a woman he wasnt married to  even though they had a child together. She said the FBI classified this as unbecoming behavior for a government employee. That law was actually put on the books by Truman, to get gay people out of jobs in the government. To me, its one of those examples where people think, Oh that doesnt affect me, that law is about somebody else, but it can be used on whoever the government deems to be an enemy at the time.

After debuting at the Oakland Museum of California, Do Not Destroy opens in New York with a similar layout: Pages from Rodney Barnettes FBI file line the gallery walls, describing his daily routines or showing transcribed interviews with family members and his former employers. Sadie Barnette spray-painted some of these pages pink or embellished them with pink and purple gems  symbols of her own role in her fathers story.

The exhibit has been cathartic for both her and her father. I think he feels a new sense of freedom by exposing these files that were meant to suppress him, she said. While were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Black Panthers, I think its really important to remember that there are a lot of people who are still imprisoned because of their activism. Its always important to question the government, because the government works for the people  not the other way around.

Click ahead to see images from the exhibit. Do Not Destroy will be on view at Baxter Street at the Camera Club of New York until February 18.

Sadie Barnette with her father.

Sadie Barnette with a wall of pages from his FBI file.

Untitled (Dad, 1968) 2016 C-print 40x 46 inches
The Cuts January book club

To kick off 2017, the Cut is reading about cats, trees, sex, and everything in between. Were also diving into books that will mentally prepare us for the craziness of the coming year, from Rebecca Solnits essays to Barbara Ehrenreichs reporting on minimum-wage work.



1. Irma Voth by Miriam Toews

I never thought Id be so engrossed in a book about a young Mennonite woman in Mexico who by chance begins to work on a film shoot  yet Toewss writing is sensitive, funny, smart, and so heartbreaking you almost have to read through squinted eyes. A particularly poignant scene wherein three sisters play a game called Baby Detective will never, ever be dislodged from my brain. Dayna Evans, Senior Writer

2. Land of the Living by Ashlee Haze

Midway through Blood Oranges By Ourselves, a sample of Ashlee Hazes for colored girls who dont need Katy Perry when Missy Elliot is enough crashes through. The song captures only a few lines from the absorbing poem: A 26-year-old woman who learned how to dance until she felt pretty/feminism wear a throwback jersey, bamboo earrings, and a face beat for the gods, she begins. I was hooked. So I bought her book of poems, and each verse is more captivating than the last. The book is short  only 44 pages  which makes every poem feel precious. You wont regret this purchase. Ashley Weatherford, Associate Beauty Editor

3. About Trees by Katie Holten

Right off the bat, I have to say this is a fairly annoying book to read in public. Its so beautiful everyone wants to talk to me about it  whether Im literally crying on the subway or just trying to mind my own business at the bar. In brief: Katie Holten created a tree alphabet, and pulled together different pieces across different genres about trees, all of which are translated into her tree alphabet. Aude White, Communications Manager

4. Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

In 2017 Im making an effort to read a different book each month that will help me better contextualize the current political situation. Since Barbara Ehrenreichs best seller Nickel and Dimed came out in 2001, when I was more interested in reading trashy YA, Im reading it now for the first time, and loving it. In the book, Ehrenreich takes a series of low-paying jobs  waitress, maid, home-health-care aid  and writes about the experience of trying to live off of the minimum wage while working upwards of 18 hours a day. Spoiler alert: Its completely unsustainable. Although it came out 15 years ago, the stories included in Nickel and Dimed make movements like the Fight for $15 seem all the more necessary. Jessica Roy, News Editor

5. The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World by Abigail Tucker

While the title of this book suggests a bit of a fluffy story, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that its more of a story about evolution. In the beginning of mankind, we were at war with some of the most deadly species on earth: cats  leopards, panthers, mountain lions, etc. Over time, we became smarter than cats and evolved to the top of the food chain. This book explores how cats went from creatures we feared and conquered to animals that we cuddle and bring into our homes. It makes you think about whats really going on inside your own cats head  because the house cat is still an animal built to kill. Erica Murphy, SEO Editor

6. Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit

Rebecca Solnits most recent collection of essays opens with an anecdote: Shes telling a man about a book shes written on the English photographer Eadweard Muybridge. When she mentions Muybridge, the man cuts her off and asks if shes heard about the very important Muybridge book that came out earlier that year. It takes Solnit several tries to communicate to the man that yes, she has  she wrote it. So begins Solnits examination of the way women are treated in almost every context: geopolitical, romantic, artistic. Ironically, I have my woke ex-boyfriend to thank for picking up this contribution to the feminist literary canon, which is equal parts inspiring and infuriating in its truth. Claire Landsbaum, Staff Writer

7. Jesus Saves by Darcey Steinke

I read and loved this book as an angsty teen. Feel like returning to a time when your biggest problems were relayed through song lyrics on LiveJournal? Read this book. Told in alternating points of view, Jesus Saves explores dark suburban noteskidnapping, death obsession, a headless deerwith a piercing oddness. Its sure to gesture toward the difficult-to-name longings of your inner teen. Jen Gann, Senior Copy Editor

8. I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron

Ephrons essay on feeling like the only female intern Kennedy didnt hit on at the White House couldnt be more relevant today, and her sense of humor is a comfort amid the dense discourse surrounding womens issues online. This collection from the writer of When Harry Met Sally embraces the many stages of womanhood with a smirk, from aging and hosting a dinner party, to the importance of getting your own apartment in New York, and divorce. Leah Rodriguez, Producer

9. What Do Women Want?: Adventures in the Science of Female Desire by Daniel Bergner

Not to be confused with the Mel Gibson movie, this fascinating exploration of female sexuality uses scientific research and a compilation of first-person testimonies to upend the notion that women are naturally less lustful than their male counterparts. Exploring a range of topics from female fantasies to sexual fluidity to the elusive internal orgasm, Bergner makes a radical (and convincing) argument that many of our beliefs about womens sexuality are an illusion required to bolster societys commitment to monogamy. Anna Silman, Culture Writer
The Bridges Not Walls movement drop a banner from Tower Bridge in London. Photo: Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures via Getty Images

On Friday, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the president of the United States. Activists have taken to the streets of Washington, D.C. to protest Trumps inauguration, but the demonstrations arent limited to the continental U.S.  on Friday, more than 200 banners reading Bridges not walls were draped over iconic bridges in the United Kingdom and around the world to protest Trumps stance on immigration.

The demonstrations were sparked by the U.K.-based activist group Bridges Not Walls, whose goal is to take a stand against the rise of the far right. But they quickly spread to cities such as Paris, France; Sydney, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand; and Dublin, Ireland.

Activists on London's Tower Bridge have a message for Donald Trump ahead of #Inauguration : Build bridges not walls #bridgesnotwalls pic.twitter.com/Hr5oqdRP4I  Karla Adam (@karlaadam) January 20, 2017

God morgen. La oss bygge #BridgesNotWalls pa dagen da Trump innsettes. Vi ma vise Trump at vi heller vil ha samhold pic.twitter.com/iqUUinFyIi  Greenpeace Norge (@GreenpeaceNorge) January 20, 2017

So proud of our Clapton guys out on Westminster bridge today! Let's keep #bridgesnotwalls trending on Twitter all day long  pic.twitter.com/C77LZ4OwMu  Stylonylon (@juliarebaudo) January 20, 2017

Nona Hurkmans, a Bridges Not Walls spokesperson, told the Huffington Post in a statement that the goal was to show solidarity. By standing together we can show that the rhetoric of fear and hate have no place in our society, she said. We wont let the politics of hate peddled by the likes of Donald Trump take hold.

The U.K. is grappling with its own nationalist undercurrents following the Brexit vote, and at least one far-right leader there is enthusiastic about Trumps election. Our missions have been remarkably similar, Independence Party leader Nigel Farage said of himself and Trump. Plus, were the two most demonized people in the West!
Photo: Andre Wagner

In an unprecedented event, nine black women were elected as circuit and district judges in Jefferson County, Alabama, this November. For a predominantly Republican state, the Democratic sweep came as a surprise, as Alabama is one of the few states that judges still have to run on party lines to get elected. As a woman of color, I have a complicated relationship with Alabama. Ive always thought of it as a second home (my family lives in Fayette), but its also a place thats very much stuck in time; Alabama was the last in the country to overturn its ban on interracial marriage, its gay-marriage ban was the most supported in the nation, and in 2004 a vote to take out the segregationist language in the states constitution (which still requires separate schools for white and colored children) failed narrowly. Barrett Holmes Pitner at the Daily Beast called it the state where racism is enshrined in the constitution.

I returned to Alabama recently and had a chance to speak to eight of these nine inspiring women about politics in the courtroom, what it means to be a woman of color on the bench, and things they would like to see change.

Nakita Blocton, Circuit Court Domestic Relations Judge

Photo: Andre Wagner

On the power of judges:

I can remember specifically trying a case involving custody of a small child, and I was [unable to get the court order I needed to protect him]. It made me realize that I was powerless; that as a lawyer I was only as good as my judge. Ive also experienced cronyism in a courtroom, or what you would call the buddy system. Its no secret that many cases are decided before they get to court, and thats not right.

On politics in the courtroom:

Running as Democrat or Republican is something that judges have to do in order to get elected in Alabama, but theres no place for it in the courtroom. Judges get to make decisions. If youre a lawyer, I dont care how you feel about a specific judge, you think about giving to his/her campaign so that your clients dont get punished. So you see people giving to campaigns and expecting favoritism.

On how she sees her role:

Lawyers and judges are like doctors. Were powerful. We can take your children away. We can take your house away, take your car away, get rid of your retirement [fund], make you give it to someone else. I mean, we touch peoples lives in an extraordinary way and that is a huge duty.

Shanta Owens, Criminal Division District Judge

Photo: Andre Wagner

On the possibility of becoming a Supreme Court Justice:

No, I dont have aspirations to be a Supreme Court Justice. Im a bit of a realist. Alabama would have to change a lot in order for me to really believe that I would be able to win a Supreme Court seat here. However, if we were elected on districts  maybe.

On how her experience will impact her role:

My predecessor was an older white male and while I thought he was a great drug-court judge, there are just different experiences as a young African-American woman that I will bring to [my position]. For example, [Im more realistic about what we can ask of people] who are already living in poverty-stricken situations. I grew up in a place that was not an upper-class community, and I get that it is harder to change your conduct when your entire family is using an illicit substance. As long as someone is a nonviolent offender, I want to punish the behavior, but I also want to give another chance at making a clean start for life.

Agnes Chappell, Circuit Court Judge, Divorce Court Judge

Photo: Andre Wagner

On meeting the needs of the community:

What I can do is make sure that justice is administered in the courtroom over which I preside, because thats not true for some courtrooms. And wherever possible, to educate the public. Ill also do whatever I can to help educate our legislators so that they will be more aware of the needs of our community and how we can do our jobs better.

On what kind of a judge she will be:

I will set, hear, and render decisions in a timely manner. That is so important for the people who are before the court because when you are going through divorces, your life and the childrens lives are basically placed on hold. I would also say that Im actively trying to help people get beyond their situation by accessing community resources, and if the resources arent available, I have been known to develop them.

Brendette Brown Green, Circuit Court Judge

Photo: Andre Wagner

On making sure people have access to justice:

Most people just want to be heard. Sometimes it does feel like minorities feel they dont have the tools, or know how to pursue certain matters, or find that its cost-prohibitive to pursue legal matters. Im concerned about all citizens having access and also feeling that theyre treated fairly in any court regardless of who is sitting on the bench and regardless as to who they are.

On why she will make a great judge:

In this particular court, theyve never had an African-American female on the bench. In Circuit Court, most of the decisions are going to be made by a jury, but its the judge who will navigate the process. I think the fact that I am fortunate to have the right temperament thats needed for cases and that has been developed and honed over these years of experience, of time on the bench.

Elisabeth French, Circuit Court Judge

Photo: Andre Wagner

On how she sees her role:

As judges, we take an oath to follow the Constitution so thats first and foremost. But Ive realized that I have a responsibility to also put mercy and practicality and real-life experiences into the decisions that Im making. I didnt come from a real place of privilege. I was raised by a single mother, and I just knew that I would bring a different perspective to the bench whether I planned to do so or not.

On the possibility of becoming a Supreme Court Justice:

Theres never been an African-American woman on either the Alabama Supreme Court or the United States Supreme Court, so if President-elect Trump wants to invite me to do so, it would be a great honor. But Im afraid thats a bit far off in our nations history. Maybe Ill be wrong; hopefully Ill be wrong. But thats where we are.

Javan Patton, Civil Circuit Court Judge

Photo: Andre Wagner

On why she decided to run:

I did not have aspirations to be a judge. I saw a need in my community and a need to change the conversation about women, African-American women specifically, in Jefferson County.

On the reality of politics as a woman of color:

It is baptism by fire, but a growing experience. Ive enjoyed getting to know the community and people in general and seeing the true nature of politics. But also, its a little disheartening that things have not changed in a way that I would like for them to, or progressed in a way that I would like for them to. I look forward to being the difference in changing things.

On racism in Alabama:

Though we have a history of blatant racism and issues in the past, theres a changing of the tide, and I want to be a part of the progression to make sure that we are inclusive and being better. I dont think any of us set out to be history makers  I think we were all just interested in making our community better. People need to see African-American women doing this and they need to see us doing it in the South.

Shera Grant, Civil Court District Judge

Photo: Andre Wagner

On what she loves about being a judge:

At this level it truly is like the peoples court  you are touching people, and you are helping people directly. I think having more people that are representative of those in the community in power says that we are attempting to level the playing field.

On how she will be different from her predecessor:

One of the things I think that I bring is the fact that those are my people that are coming into the courtroom. I can talk with them in certain ways and speak to them about certain issues in a way that maybe my predecessors couldnt do before. When people come into my courtroom, they see an African-American on the bench, and I think they can relate more with me, and I can relate with them.

Tamara Harris Johnson, Circuit Civil Court Judge

Photo: Andre Wagner

On her aspirations to be a judge:

My life circumstances have really directed my ambition to become a judge. Ive been practicing law for 37 years in five jurisdictions. I am a daughter of the segregated South. I know what its like to be treated unfairly because of circumstances of which you have no control. I have been before judges who really do not treat the symbol of Lady Justice as it should have been treated. I sought the position of being a judge to make a difference.

On the issues she wants to see change:

As an African-American woman, I have a responsibility to make sure that people not only respect my intelligence, but respect my work. And that people of color are judged, as Dr. Martin Luther King said, really, by the content of their character. All of us want the same things; we want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I dont want the hatred. I dont want the racism. So whatever I can do to help that, Ill do.

*These interviews have been edited and condensed.
The OECD Observer online archive takes you on a journey through half a century of public policy and world progress.

Since November 1962, the OECDs experts and leading guests offer insights on the questions facing our member countries with concise and authoritative analysis, and provide our audiences with an excellent opportunity to understand policy debates and consider solutions.

Each edition of the OECD Observer reports on a core theme of the OECDs on-going work, from economics and society through governance, finance, and the environment, and articles are bolstered by tables and graphs.
Morgenrot adds Maltese lager Cisk to its line up

Morgenrot, the Manchester-based beer and wine importer, has enhanced its world beer collection with a lager from Malta.

The award-winning Cisk Lager is a 4.2% abv beer, with a history dating back to 1929 in Malta. Cisk is a golden-coloured, bottom-fermented lager with a distinctive and well-balanced character. The beer has a rich hop aroma and is described as being the perfect thirst quencher and a refreshing summer beer.

John Critchley, Morgenrots commercial director, said: Were delighted to add Cisk to our burgeoning world beer portfolio. Cisk is a premium imported Mediterranean lager and is a great fit for us. With the summer already on the horizon, we are confident the brewerys pursuit of quality and unique heritage will be a popular choice for operators and consumers.

The beer is produced at Maltas leading independent brewery Simonds Farsons Cisk, which was established in 1928.

The brewerys company director, Michael Farrugia, said: Were confident that with our beers quality and Morgenrots energy and expertise, we can do amazing things in the UK market.

Cisk will sit alongside a raft of world beers in Morgenrots portfolio, including Krombacher, Quilmes, Tucamen and Tribaut, amongst others.

Related articles:
Oil ended the week where it started, as rising U.S. shale production and a bearish inventory report continued to put pressure on WTI and Brent.

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

Friday, January 20, 2017

Oil was flat this week as rising U.S. shale production and a bearish inventory report continued to put pressure on WTI and Brent. Crude oil inventories rose by another 2.4 million barrels, gasoline stocks jumped by nearly 6 million barrels, and upstream production figures provided further evidence that U.S. shale output is coming back is already here in the form of a huge rig count increase.

Oil price to fall below $50 if OPEC fails to deliver. A new CNBC survey of energy forecasters finds that experts believe that oil prices will fall from todays levels if the OPEC cuts do not materialize. Many analysts have pegged the expected compliance rate of OPEC members at about 80 percent, which translates to roughly 1 million barrels of oil per day taken off the market. Others argue that the oil market has become unduly optimistic. "The recent rally in oil prices above $50 rests more on faith than fact: no hard data on compliance around pledged supply cuts by OPEC and non-OPEC countries will emerge until February" Harry Tchilinguirian, global head of commodity markets strategy at BNP Paribas, told CNBC. He forecasts Brent to average just $47 per barrel in the first quarter. And he isnt the only one. "I'm convinced that prices will fall through the year as the market recognizes that OPEC is not complying, Russia does not comply at all, U.S. shale recovers massively thanks to some steps of the Trump administration," Eugen Weinberg, head of commodities research at Commerzbank, said.

IEA: shale coming back, will lead to oil price downturn. The IEA upgraded its estimate for rising U.S. shale production this year, projecting output will increase by 500,000 bpd by the end of 2017, which will translate to an increase of 170,000 bpd averaged over the year. In addition, Brazil and Canada will chip in another 415,000 bpd, mainly from large projects planned years ago. The Paris-based energy agency says that OPEC cuts could lead to significant inventory drawdowns of about 0.7 mb/d, tightening the market in the first half of the year and leading to increases in crude prices. But beyond that, rising non-OPEC production could cause oil prices to fall back again towards the second half of the year. At a minimum, greater price volatility is set to return, the IEA says.

U.S. spending to rise. An array of oil companies large and small are stepping up spending this year now that oil prices have seemingly stabilized. According to Barclays, U.S. E&Ps could increase capex by more than 50 percent in 2017, which could surprise OPEC with a strong rebound in production. Theyre about to find out how efficient the U.S. producers have become, Barclays analyst J. David Anderson told the WSJ. Related: Solar Could Be A Cheaper Power Source Than Coal Within A Decade

Trump takes over with cabinet in flux. Donald Trump takes over the presidency today, at a time when much of his cabinet has not been approved by the Senate. Moreover, news reports have surfaced that hundreds of top positions at many agencies remain unfilled, including the Departments of Defense, State and Energy. However, his nominees fared relatively well during tough questioning this week, and as of now, it appears that few if any will have trouble winning confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate. Harold Hamm, CEO of Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR), who has at times had the ear of the new President, says that a wave of deregulation will be coming to the energy sector in short order under the new administration, which could unleash more oil and gas production.

Aramco: $25 trillion needed for oil supply to keep up with demand. The CEO of Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser, said that the world will have to invest $25 trillion in upstream production over the next 25 years in order to satisfy rising demand. Any shortfall in investment will lead to a tightening of the market and will cause price spikes. He dismissed any notion that renewables will assume a dominant role in the global energy sector. Aramco wants to double its natural gas production over the next decade in order to free up more oil for export.



Chinas oil demand at risk from import quotas. Chinas central government could cut import quotas for some of the countrys independent refiners, known as teapots. The move would hit teapots that did not use all of their quota last year. But demand growth in China centers around these refiners and the policy move could put a dent in Chinas overall oil imports. All these uncertainties around the teapot quota will weaken the nations oil demand in the first half of the year, Guo Chaohui, an analyst at Beijing-based China International Capital Corp., told Bloomberg. Chinas oil imports hinge on one single big factor, and that is the teapots. And right now, they are facing policy risks. Related: Can Saudi Arabia Survive With Oil Below $60?

Total set to drill for gas in Cyprus. The race for gas in the Eastern Mediterranean is heating up as Total (NYSE: TOT) is jumping into the fold, looking to drill off the coast of Cyprus not far from Enis (NYSE: E) 2015 discovery of the Zohr field, which was the largest gas discovery ever recorded in the Mediterranean. Now, many of the oil majors have a growing presence in the region. ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) and Eni are working with Total on Cyprus exploration; BP (NYSE: BP) and Eni are exploring in Egyptian waters; while the smaller Noble Energy (NYSE: NBL) has a strong presence along Israels coast. A few weeks ago Lebanon overcame political gridlock in order to lay out plans to hold an auction off of its coast, hoping to get its piece of the gas rush. As the discoveries come online in the next few years it could transform gas supplies and gas trade in the Middle East.

Natural gas prices rise again. EIA data shows another sharp drawdown in natural gas inventories, leading to a rebound in prices after a few weeks of warm weather led to softer pricing conditions. Gas storage levels dropped by 243 billion cubic feet last week, steeper than analysts had predicted. Stockpiles are now below the five-year average for the first time since 2015, and as a result, spot prices have more than doubled from the lows seen in early 2016.

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Ukraine is about to lose its precious gas-transit business as its state-run gas giant struggles to function as the puppet of multiple geopolitical players and agendas, and its not likely to get any more help from Washingtonnor Europe.

New pipelines could mean the end of Ukraines lucrative gas transit business, warns Ukrainian state-run Naftogaz head Andriy Kobolev, and the country stands to lose between US$800 million and US$1 billion in annual revenues, with the companys profits for the last year coming in at $805 million.

The existing agreement between Russia and Ukraine for gas transit expires in 2019, but the Turkish Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipeline projects may ensure that Russia gives up on Ukraine entirely, and hedges its bets with new European partners.

The Pipeline Threat

The Turkish Stream and Nord Stream 2 pipelines will bypass Ukraine to bring Russian gas to Europe.

Russian state-run Gazprom is the largest exporter of gas to Europe. At the beginning of 2017, the company noted record exports of 615 million cubic meters of gas per day. For 2016, Gazprom exported 12 percent more gas to Europe than it did in 2015figures that indicate Europes gas dependence on Russia is only increasing.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is financed by Gazprom, and like the original Nord Stream, the new version is being built by Gazprom, along with a consortium of Western European energy companies. The group consists of Austrias OMV, Frances Engie, Germanys Uniper and Wintershall, and Shell. Gazprom has a 51-percent stake in the project.

Once operationalwhich is scheduled for 2019the pipeline will carry 55 billion cubic meters (1.9 trillion cubic feet) of gas a year to Germany.

Nord Stream 2 involves the construction of a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea that would connect Russia with Germany, and then distribute gas to European Union countries. The entire project is projected to cost between US$8 billion and US$11 billion.

The looming pipelines have prompted manynot just Kobolev--to ask whats next for Ukraine, which has for so long relied on this gas transit income.

The Turkish Stream pipeline is also led by Russian Gazprom. This pipeline will run through the Black Sea, connecting Russia and Turkey. It is estimated that the total cost of the project will be upwards of US$13 billion.

Announcing the inter-governmental agreement for the construction of the pipeline in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin heralded it as a cooperation-broadening project that will provide discounted gas to Turkey. Related: Oil Production Here Is Declining Faster Than Anywhere On Earth

The Turkish Stream project agreement envisioned the construction of two pipeline branches, each with a capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters, with the construction of both scheduled to be finished by December 2019.

A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

In an Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES) paper, senior research fellow Thierry Bros notes that transit through Ukraine and resulting revenue has already fallen. He also suggests that Ukraines own policy of increasing transit tariffs may have boosted the development of the very pipelines that are now threatening its economic stability.

It would now seem that Naftogaz may also be forced to adapt to new realities and to react to competitive pressure by reviewing its transit fee strategy, potentially even reducing its transit fees. Indeed, given there appears to be no realistic chance left for increased transit revenue, Ukraines choices appear limited if it wants to retain part of the $1bn/y transit fee that does remain.

Now that 2019 is looming and Ukraine has no real backup plan for what Naftogazs role will be in providing the state with revenues when gas transit is no longer the go-to, economic stability comes into question in a very real way. But Ukraines problems go beyond gas transit, notes Roman Storozhev, president of the Association of Subsoil Users of Ukraine.

Naftogaz has a monopoly position on the Ukrainian gas market because of the impact on its subsidiaries Ukrtransgaz, Ukrtransnafta, and Ukrgazvydobuvannia. Naftogaz does everything. And it doesnt do it well, Storozhev noted recently.

Geopolitical Puppets and Proxy Wars

Throughout, Naftogaz has been a political and geopolitical puppet--a centerpiece in the proxy battle between Russia and the U.S., and some of the fallout from that battle is now being playing out in Washington as the U.S. prepares to inaugurate its next president.

As Forbes so succinctly puts it: It [Naftogaz] is always in the crosshairs of the Russians; its funded by the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Everyones favorite hedge fund villain, George Soros, who has been involved in Eastern Europe for over 25 years and is a major Obama and Clinton donor, has a hand in Naftogaz.

While Naftogaz is Ukraines revenue lifeline, this is also about Russias annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea in 2014, and about what will happen to the EU once these two new pipelines cement dependence on Russian gas. But Europe has a hard time breaking free from this noose that it continues to tighten of its own accord.

Germanys official stance is that its future needs Nord Stream 2, but the coalition partners in the government dont necessarily see eye to eye on this.

Norbert Rottgen, a Christian Democrat who chairs the German parliaments foreign affairs committee, and Reinhard Butikofer, a senior German Green in the European Parliament and co-chair of the European Green Party, want the project scrapped, both for moral and political reasons.

The Social Democratic Party--Chancellor Merkels coalition partner--is insistent that Germany needs this pipeline, and in that they have strong support from former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder, who was recently appointed chairman of the board of Nord Stream 2.

But even Merkel is not sold on the idea, leading to the emergence of an unlikely coalition between the conservative Christian Democrats and the opposition Greens. Related: $25 Trillion Investment Needed To Meet Future Oil Demand

They take issue with the economics more than anything. As Carnegie Europe points out: Why [...] should a group of European energy companies finance a Russian project and import Russian gas that in effect pays for President Vladimir Putins military campaign in Syria and his meddling in Ukraine?

Back to Washington 

In DC, this was the hot topic of discussion at former Exxon Mobil chief Rex Tillersons confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week. During the hearings, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) criticized Obama for not acting more aggressively in the face of Russias annexation of the Crimea, and he also indicated that he doesnt expect Tillerson--who many perceive has friendly ties to the Kremlin--to act aggressively, either.

Rubio described Putin as a war criminal, referring to Russias actions in Ukraine and Syria, but Tillerson refused to strap this on, saying he wouldnt categorize Putin as such, and would need more information before making such a charge.

Instead, Tillerson said he recognized that Russia poses a danger.

It invaded Ukraine including Crimea and violated the laws of war. But its an absence of American leadership that left this door openThat was a taking of territory that was not theirs. The real question is about the response, said Tillerson in his confirmation hearing, falling short of the decisive answer that some were hoping for, but going further than many had predicted.

That unknown should lead Kiev to devise a plan of its own and set it in motiona plan that makes sense in a new world where its gas transit isnt as necessary as it once was. Its time for Naftogaz to come of age and drag itself out from under its geopolitical puppet masters.

By Damir Kaletovic for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih says the Kingdom has designs of becoming a major exporter of renewable energy, targeting the European market for starters.

If the region gets connected to Europe for example, then solar [power] that is produced in Saudi Arabia can be exported all the way to Europe through a network, Al-Kalif told the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.

When its sunny in the region, its dark and cloudy sometimes in Europe So we can be a major exporter. 

Riyadh plans to launch bidding soon for projects under the program.

The projects are aimed to reach a capacity of 10 gigawatts by 2023 and will cost between US$30 and US$50 billion Al-Falih said, adding that they will include solar and wind power projects. Ten gigawatts is only the beginning, he said.

Saudi Arabia is attempting to diversify its economy after it was hit hard by the oil-price crash.

To this end, Al-Falih also noted that there will be significant investment in nuclear energy, and that Saudi Arabia planned to export the power as well as the components and services.

Opposed to Al-Falih, energy expert Mohamed Ramady thinks that achieving a viable large-scale renewable energy application will be challenging and will take a significant amount of time, technical knowledge and coordination among various stakeholders.



Related: Saudi Arabia To Spend $50 Billion On Massive Solar Push

The fact that there are many stakeholders in Saudi Arabia involved in the renewable energy program, such as KACST, KACARE, KAPSARC and KAUST among others ensures some duplication of effort and above all lack of specific focus for renewables, said Ramady.

Al-Falih also indicated that Saudi Arabia and others are abiding by an OPEC deal that saw an oil production cut come into force at the beginning of this year. Everybody I talk to is only committing, some of them have actually told me that they have exceeded their commitments, he was quoted as saying.

According to US JP Morgan Bank, we wont know exactly how much OPEC and non-OPEC countries have cut in terms of oil production until February, which is when this data is expected to be available.

Al-Falih refrained from speculating on oil prices now that production cuts have been made, but did note that there was an element of uncertainty.

By Damir Kaletovic for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The outgoing U.S. Barack Obama Administration and its supporters embarked on a campaign to traduce and challenge the incoming Administration of Pres. Donald J. Trump in the hope that it would find it difficult to govern effectively.

This may be unprecedented in U.S. history, and could, to the degree that it succeeds, have an impact on U.S. strategic capabilities, actions, and alliances going forward.

No departing U.S. president had gone to such lengths to use the pulpit of the Presidency to discredit an incoming President or presidential candidate as the lengths to which went Obama with Trump. The result was, even by January 2017  before Mr. Trump was sworn into office  to deliberately inflict damage on the strategic credibility and influence of the United States of America going forward.

Pres. Obama continued executive actions after the Presidential elections of November 8, 2016, to create long-term U.S. policy which the Trump Administration would find difficult to reverse, including a last minute donation of a second tranche of $500-million to the United Nations Green Climate Fund (diverting funds from the State Dept. budget, avoiding Congressional rejection).

More pernicious attempts to undermine the incoming Administrations agenda were undertaken discreetly, and flew directly in the face of the hypocritical claims by Mr. Obama that he was working to ease the transition process for the new Administration. He was, in fact, working in the opposite direction. Most of his actions were done after the electorate had repudiated Pres. Obamas (and his Democratic Partys) policies, putting in place a Republican Administration, a Republican House of Representatives and Senate, and a majority of Republican governorships and state politicians.

Pres. Obama, in the time following the elections, quietly sanctioned a concerted program of civil unrest and disobedience at many levels of U.S. society, particularly within government departments which have been heavily staffed-up by Democrats. The incoming Trump Administration would need to undertake a major program of staff retrenchment within Federal Government departments to avoid the obfuscation and deliberate sabotage being proposed. Pres. Obama also went to considerable lengths to discredit the incoming Administration to the international community.



Related: Canadas Oil Industry Goes On The Offensive

The fact that this kind of behavior has been deemed acceptable by much of the U.S. media and electorate reflects the great urban regions divide which characterized the US election voting (a divide which paralleled the United Kingdoms Brexit vote earlier in 2016, and other voting patterns in Europe). What is significant is that most government employees in the U.S. and most modern societies are from that urban voting pool, and therefore identify with the populist parties. [The anti-Trump/anti-Brexit voters were painted by the leftist urban parties as populist; in fact, nationalism trends were a reaction to the urban populists.]

It is also difficult to determine whether U.S. history can show more extreme examples of divergence between what has been said compared with what has been done than in the Obama Presidency. This resonates, given the present era of electronic connectivity which has given the distributed word and image more substance in the minds of the broader citizenry than tangible productivity. It is almost as though modern belief systems have accepted that what is said can be devoured as food and used as bricks to build homes.

Distilling the meaning of the Obama acts  abetted by the campaign of defeated candidate Hillary Clinton  to their immediate impact: could they make the U.S. ungovernable in the near future? Unlikely, when their followers believe their greatest weapons are the sneers of elitist contempt, accompanied by street protests and violence.

Could they jeopardize U.S. strategic influence globally?

They have already done so, particularly attempting to transform the ability of the U.S. to act in its own interests and to develop viable alliances. The Obama actions in expanding (not reducing) political and military conflicts has already severely damaged U.S. interests and those of its allies. The mere Trump cessation of U.S. policies which have drawn the U.S. into the Syrian and Yemeni conflicts would ease the challenges to the U.S. Easing the profound schism which Obama/Clinton/Kerry engendered with Russia could significantly improve U.S., European, and Russian economies.

How the incoming Trump team pursues the new opening with Iran is more open to question. Will the Trump White House (or, more likely, the Republican Congress) decide to insist on a continuation of the hostilities with Iran, thereby cementing Irans hardline defensiveness? Or could a nuanced approach to Iran  and a new realism in the way the U.S. approaches nuclear weapons around the world  restore a meaningful stability to the Middle East and Central Asia? That would also require revisiting the entrenched favoritism which four recent U.S. administrations have shown to Saudi Arabia, for example.



Related: 200,000 New Energy Jobs Forecast In 2017

The Obama years built up an expectation in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) that Beijing could expand strategically at the expense of the U.S., without pushback. Even as President-elect, Donald Trump challenged that expectation, and it need not necessarily lead to disquieting military challenges in the near-term. Certainly, the new geopolitical reality of the PRC now dominating the South China Sea trade routes has profound implications for Australia, Japan, the Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea. But that fait accompli can be addressed by creative strategic thinking.

After all, as much as the U.S. and its allies may not be prepared for confrontation, neither is the PRC. Beijings bellicosity is symptomatic of its present military disadvantage, not of its readiness for war. [That is not to deny its impressive technological and military growth, but that is a long way from a capability for global dominance. The PRC has its own internal brittleness to confront over the coming few years; therein lies the problem for it, and the U.S.]

Can the internal U.S. divisions sewn by the embittered Obama/Clinton team curb U.S. economic revival?

No: if Mr Trump commits to incentivizing U.S. business, as promised, US economic growth could be profound. U.S. debt will remain a concern, but management and budgeting can contain it. Within a year, although Mr Obama cannot yet envision it, the Obama Presidency will have been eclipsed.

By Gregory Copley via Defense & Foreign Affairs

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
By Eric Shierman

The inauguration of Donald Trump should spur contemplation not celebration among Conservatives. What are the first principles upon which your worldview is built? Do you have a coherent vision of the states legitimate role in society? What do you think Americas role should be in the world?

To me, the word Conservative is not merely a trivially derivative term meaning someone opposed to change (like the conservatives in the Soviet Politburo that instigated a coup against Gorbachev). American Conservative ideology has a narrow meaning to describe William F. Buckley Jrs fusing religious conservatism with free market economics in the 1950s, Barry Goldwaters adding national security conservatism into this mix in the 1960s, and Ronald Reagans defining the policy agenda for a generation, my generation, with this three-legged stool in the 1980s.

Did you notice that Donald Trump campaigned against all three legs of American Conservatism? Im no longer as gung-ho about all three legs as I was three decades ago, but Id prefer someone who is (like Mike Pence) over someone who so blatantly rejects all three.

Most disturbing to me are the many self-identifying conservatives out there who cannot identify the large ideological gap between our new President and his Vice President. Im starting to wonder if folks who once voted for Reagan who now cheer for Trump ever truly bought into the Conservative movement in a real way. To use a bumper sticker slogan from the 80s, maybe it was always just about Die yuppie scum!

Maybe it was never really about limiting the size and scope of government. Perhaps many of Reagans voters simply sought, out of envy and spite, the opposite of what affluent urbanites wanted. Now that college educated people look favorably at market forces in a way they didnt in the 1970s, former Conservatives cultural class warfare has reverted into outright economic class warfare. So what appears to be a new fourth leg on the GOPs stool, the Alt-Right, might have been more prominently there all along.

Another possibility is that such voters see this as analytically no deeper than a sporting event. The GOP is your team; so go elephants!

Though I grew up in rural Oregon, Ive never had a hatred of elites. Ive never rooted in an election like it was a homecoming game either. For me, ever since I began paying attention to public affairs 30 years ago, its always been about ideas.

For that reason, I will stand on principle, using my expository skills to push back against Trump when he governs like the left-winger he has always been. I ask the readers of the Oregon Catalyst to do the same, but to stand on principle you have to actually possess some principles and know in a clear and distinct way what they are. Take a moment and ponder what your normative assumptions are.

We can stand up to Trump with dignity, avoiding the degrading behavior we see in the streets. We wont be blocking traffic. We wont be breaking any windows. And my goodness we certainly wont be making up stories about Trump being a puppet of Putin. But what we need to do is remain philosophically consistent if we want our ideas to prevail. To use my alma maters motto, its ideas that have consequences.

Eric Shierman lives in Salem and is the author of A Brief History of Political Cultural Change.
Welcome to 'OZ' - The 'Other' Side of the Rainbow!! Posting is at 10AM, Noon and 2PM CST daily. Up to 12 days of posts on the main page. The archives have more. You can forward posts by clicking on the envelope at the bottom of the post. Enjoy your stay! *** If you need to contact me, or have a copyright issue, please use the "Contact The Wizard" form on the left side of 'OZ'. Original source and author is cited and credited in each post where possible. ***
Sartaj Aziz raised voice for Rohingya Muslim community in OIC

KUALA LUMPUR: Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Thursday said that the extraordinary meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers should convey a message of hope for the Rohingya Muslim community and collectively, Muslims must play an active role to help the Rohingya victims in these difficult times.



"We hope that the democratically elected government of Myanmar will address this issue in a sympathetic manner," he said this while addressing the extraordinary meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on the plight of Rohingya Muslims minority here. At the same time, he said that the OIC member states can supplement the efforts being carried out by the government of Myanmar to amicably and judiciously resolve this issue without any further loss of life or property and at the same time provide all possible support to the Rohingya Muslims.



As already emphasised, Sartaj said that the plight of Rohingya Muslims continues to pose a major challenge to the conscience of the international community. With renewed violence, the situation in Rakhine State has become dire primarily because the root causes of the problem have not been addressed since 2012 and 2014 when similar human rights violations took place in the region. "Pakistan has always supported oppressed Muslim population and consistently raised our voice against human rights violations committed in Kashmir, Palestine or any other part of the world," he said.



In the case of Rohingya Muslims, Pakistan has repeatedly raised the issue at various international forums, the adviser said. Besides urging the government of Myanmar to take necessary measures to protect the basic human rights of the Rohingya Muslims and to allow access of humanitarian assistance to the affected areas, Pakistan has also raised the issue in the UN Human Rights Council in March and July 2015.



In June 2015, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, addressed a letter to the UN secretary general, and called for intensification of diplomatic and moral pressure on the Myanmar government to grant the requisite rights to Rohingya Muslims and to provide them relief. "In my letters addressed to the OIC secretary general in 2015, I had urged the secretary general to take necessary steps to alleviate the sufferings of Rohingya Muslims and find ways and means to channel the humanitarian aid to them."



In addition, the prime minister has announced humanitarian assistance in the form of rice worth five million dollars, he informed the gathering. "We now hope that the government of Myanmar will respond positively to the recommendation contained in paragraph 10 of the draft resolution of this OIC extraordinary session, which I hope will be adopted later, so that regional and international organisations can deliver the much-needed humanitarian assistance to all the affected," Sartaj said.



Myanmar has recently completed the transition towards a democratic setup. "We support the efforts being made by the government of Myanmar to strengthen democracy in the country. We appreciate the setting up of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State by the government of Myanmar in collaboration with the Kofi Annan Foundation to improve the welfare of all people in Rakhine state," he said.



In his report presented at the 43rd CFM last year in Tashkent, the adviser said that OIC's Special Envoy for Myanmar Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar indicated that oppression of Rohingya was still going on and that the issue transcends international boundaries. He also urged upon the OIC to adopt a constructive and balanced approach. "In the spirit of transparency related to Rohingya Muslims, we urge the government of Myanmar to allow media access and distribution of humanitarian aid in areas affected by the recent spate of violence," Sartaj said.



"I would like to urge the Contact Group of the OIC to monitor the situation and coordinate closely with the government of Myanmar for humanitarian assistance to affected areas," he maintained. He also expressed his gratitude towards the government of Malaysia for hosting this OIC Foreign Ministers meeting and for excellent arrangements. He also complimented Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Bin Tun Razak for his inspiring statement in the meeting. "I record my appreciation for the OIC for sustained attention to this important humanitarian issue," he remarked.
iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON)  Dozens of Democratic members of Congress have announced they will skip Donald Trump's inauguration this Friday. While some of the 66 made their decision in previous weeks, many more have come forward in recent days, citing the president-elect's perceived insult of Rep. John Lewis as the final straw.



Trump lashed out at the civil rights icon Saturday morning after Lewis said in a Friday interview he didn't view Trump as "a legitimate president." Lewis, a Georgia Democrat from an Atlanta-area district who protested alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., also said he would not attend the inauguration.



"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 morning. "All talk, talk, talk - no action or results. Sad!"



Trump's comments have drawn outrage and messages of support for Lewis from both sides of the aisle. Rep. Yvette Clark, D-N.Y., said in a tweet Saturday that she would not attend the inauguration because of the comments, saying, "When you insult @repjohnlewis, you insult America."



Democratic Reps. Mark Takano and Judy Chu, both of California, also tweeted Saturday they would be absent as a show of solidarity with Lewis, making them part of the one-third of House Democrats who plan to skip the ceremony. (SEE FULL LIST BELOW)



Also, Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., wrote in a statement released Saturday that "while [he does] not dispute that Trump won the Electoral College, [he] cannot normalize his behavior or the disparaging and un-American statements he has made."



"Trump  who lost the popular vote  has made a series of racist, sexist and bigoted statements," Lieu continued. "In addition, he has attacked Gold Star parents, veterans such as John McCain and now civil rights icon John Lewis."



Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin reflected such sentiments in a statement released Sunday morning.



"I was planning on attending the inauguration on Friday out of respect for the office of president, while still making it back home on Saturday to attend the Women's March in Madison," he said. "However, after long consideration based on reading the classified document on Russian hacking and the Trump candidacy on Thursday, the handling of his conflicts of interest and this weekend's offensive tweets about a national hero Rep. John Lewis, I am no longer attending the event."



Several more representatives announced their absence at the inauguration on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and referred to Lewis.



"President-elect Trump, you have the undeniable right to take issue and disagree with John Lewis' opinion about the legitimacy of the election results," Rep. Anthony Brown, a Democrat from Maryland, wrote on Facebook Monday. "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 fought for."



Reps. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., and John Conyers, D-Mich., did not explicitly mention Lewis in their announcements Saturday but did go public with their decisions on the day of Trump's tweets.



Among those who decided earlier this month not to attend the inauguration, the most common reason was an aversion to normalizing what they see as Trump's divisive rhetoric and agenda.



"When the new president denigrates Latinos or Mexicans or immigrants as drug dealers and criminals, I want to be able to say I did not condone or allow that type of speech to go mainstream. That was not normalized on my watch," Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., said in a speech on the House floor Jan. 10. "Because the future president said the American-born children of immigrants were not capable of being American judges, I cannot sit there at his inauguration as if that is OK and I forgive him."



Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said on Twitter on Jan. 5 she didn't believe she could "contribute to the normalization of the president-elect's divisive rhetoric by participating in the inauguration."



Trump, however, said in an interview with Fox News that aired this morning: "As far as other people not going, that's okay because we need seats so badly. I hope they give me their tickets. Are they going to give us their tickets? I will give them to other people."



Below is the full running list of Congress members who are planning not to attend the inauguration:



Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala.

Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.

Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif.

Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-Calif.

Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.

Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif.

Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif.

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif.

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.

Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif.

Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Calif.

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif.

Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.

Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla.

Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla.

Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla.

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.

Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.

Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill.

Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky.

Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine

Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass.

Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.

Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo.

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H.

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.

Rep. Donald Payne Jr., D-N.J.

Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y.

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y.

Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.

Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y.

Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y.

Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y.

Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C.

Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C.

Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.

Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore.

Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa.

Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa.

Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa.

Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas

Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas

Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va.

Rep. Donald McEachin, D-Va.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.

Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association

Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America.
This is the first in a series of posts checking in with area residents attending the Inauguration:

Paul Ryan, a lawyer from Queensbury, said he has a seat in a glass-enclosed viewing area "where it will be warm and dry inside out of the rain."

Ryan, who is representing Warren County Republican Chairman Michael Grasso in the New York delegation, arrived in Washington on Thursday, and got a chance to visit Arlington National Cemetery in between Thursday morning and evening events.

Ryan said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich gave an inspiring speech to the delegation on Thursday morning.

"He said, 'It's going to be a presidency of unexpected events.'"
This is the latest in a series of posts checking in with area residents at the Inauguration:

President Trump delivered an all inclusive Inauguration speech that set a positive tone, said Paul Ryan, a lawyer from Queensbury who is part of the New York State Republican Committee Inaugural delegation.

Bringing jobs and prosperity back to the country is something thats well deserved, he said, in a telephone interview Friday.

Ryan said he was especially pleased with Trumps remarks about infrastructure.

I think the infrastructure message is huge. Our bridges are crumbling. Our roads are bad. So I think that was all spot on, he said.

Ryan said the New York delegation watched the ceremony and speech from a glass-inclosed area at the Newseum.

It was easier to see him on the TV than it was outside the window, he said.

The delegation obviously was excited, he said.

So theres no surprises as to what they are enthused about and what theyre looking for, he said.

Ryan said he has seen a few anti-Trump demonstrations.

There was some random, small demonstrations, he said.

Click here to read the most recent previous post in the series.
FORT EDWARD  The former BOCES teaching aide who is accused of having sex with an underage student was allowed to remain out of jail on house arrest Thursday.

Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan agreed to allow Daniel G. Stoy to remain on electronic monitoring in his Hudson Falls home while his case makes its way through County Court. McKeighans decision came after a conference in Stoys case involving Washington County Public Defender Michael Mercure, who represents Stoy, and Washington County Assistant District Attorney Brandon Rathbun.

Stoy was put on house arrest last week after he pleaded not guilty to an indictment that includes four felony counts of third-degree rape for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old girl he met through his duties at Southern Adirondack Education Center in Kingsbury.

McKeighan directed a bail hearing be held Thursday, but decided after learning that Stoy has had no issues over the past week agreed to allow him to remain out of jail without bail.

The indictment alleges Stoy had sex with the teen at his home in Hudson Falls on four occasions, after meeting her through his school duties. He was not accused of physically forcing her to have sex, but the charges were brought because she was too young to legally consent.

The states age of consent is 17. At his arraignment on the indictment last week, the Washington County District Attorneys Office said there was evidence he was grooming another teen for a sexual relationship, and that he tried to convince the girl for whom the charges were brought to lie to police and hide evidence.

No charges were brought for those allegations, however. Stoy was arrested in October after an investigation by Hudson Falls Police and State Police in October. He had worked as a substitute teachers aide at the vocational center in Kingsbury, which is run by Warren-Washington-Saratoga-Hamilton-Essex BOCES, for about 6 months.

He came to the school after a career in the U.S. Marines that included combat stints in the Middle East.

Military media reports and prior Post-Star reports show Stoy received three Purple Hearts for injuries he suffered serving as a gunner in Iraq. He saw extensive combat in Fallujah. He also received a community involvement award while stationed in Jacksonville, Florida in 2011, before he retired after a 17-year career in the military. McKeighan adjourned the case until March 24.
FORT EDWARD  A Fort Edward man has been jailed and is believed to have been responsible for a wave of thefts from cars around central Washington County last fall, including a number in which car windows were smashed.

Daniel S. Murray, 34, of McCrea Hotel, was charged with a felony count of criminal possession of stolen property in Fort Edward, with more charges are expected when the case is reviewed by a Washington County grand jury, said Fort Edward Police Chief Justin Derway. He also faces charges in Hudson Falls.

Derway said Murray is believed to be involved in as many as two dozen thefts of valuables from cars in Fort Edward, and Hudson Falls Police are investigating his apparent involvement in cases there. Police from Rutland, Vermont, are also involved in the inquiry, as Murray is believed to have taken items he stole to Rutland to sell to support heroin and synthetic marijuana habits, authorities said.

Derway said the thefts occurred over a period of weeks, starting in September, around the villages of Fort Edward and Hudson Falls.

Police got a break after Murray allegedly stole a purse while in a bar in the village and used a credit card that was in it at a Cumberland Farms store where the transaction was videotaped, Derway said.

That led to police uncovering evidence he was involved in the spate of thefts from cars, which netted him thousands of dollars of cash and valuables and left numerous vehicles with broken windows. He got more than $600 from one car alone, money the owner was going to use to pay for a relatives vehicle repairs.

The thief or thieves stole items that couldnt be traced when sold, leaving behind electronics with serial numbers, Derway said.

The thefts were tough to track because, while most thieves who target cars hit multiple vehicles a night, Murray and an alleged accomplice only did one a night, spread out over months.

They have completely stopped since he was arrested, Derway said.

A woman who allegedly accompanied Murray during at least part of the theft spree has cooperated with police and has not been charged.

Hudson Falls Police Detective Scott Gillis said Murray has been charged with grand larceny, petit larceny and criminal mischief for thefts from two cars in Hudson Falls, one of which had a smashed window. Credit cards from a wallet that was stolen from one of the cars were used in Rutland and Fair Haven, Vermont, he said.

We are charging him with a felony and three misdemeanors, and Vermont is going to have charges on him as well, Gillis said.

Murray is being held in Washington County Jail without bail, pending further court action. He has at least two prior felony convictions.
QUEENSBURY  A Massena woman who police believe was involved in three business burglaries in Glens Falls in one night pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony charge.

Susan E. Hammill, 33, pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary for a Dec. 12, 2015 break-in at Smoke N Save on Park Street, during which more than $1,000 in cash and merchandise was stolen. The plea satisfied allegations she also broke into the nearby Empire Pizza and Trailways bus station the same night.

Warren County Judge John Hall sentenced her to 3 to 6 years in state prison, with a recommendation she be allowed to participate in the states CASAT alcohol and drug treatment program.

Co-defendant Jason W. Hartmann, 34, of Latham, pleaded guilty earlier this month.

The two were in Glens Falls staying at a halfway house for drug-addicted felons.
President Donald Trump struck the right tone in his inaugural message, said U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro.

He clearly focused on speaking to the people and returning governance to the people themselves. And I think that message resonated, she said in a telephone interview of Friday.

Trump delivered an all-inclusive inauguration message that set a positive tone, said Paul Ryan, a lawyer from Queensbury who is part of the New York State Republican Committee inaugural delegation.

Bringing jobs and prosperity back to the country is something thats well deserved, he said, in a telephone interview Friday.

Ryan said he was especially pleased with Trumps remarks about infrastructure.

I think the infrastructure message is huge. Our bridges are crumbling. Our roads are bad. So I think that was all spot on, he said.

Stefanik said she was moved as she watched the inauguration with a group of Republican and Democratic colleagues.

As Roy Blunt, who was chair of the inaugural committee, said, Inaugurations in the United States are commonplace and miraculous, she said. And no matter who the president is, that peaceful transfer of power is truly American and it is a beacon of hope for other nations around the world.

The New York Republican Committee delegation watched the inauguration from a glass-enclosed area at the Newseum, out of the weather.

It was easier to see him on the TV than it was outside the window, Ryan said.

The delegation was excited, he said.

So theres no surprises as to what they are enthused about and what theyre looking for, he said.

Ryan said he had seen a few random, small anti-Trump demonstrations.

Others from Warren and Washington counties who attended said they didnt mind the rain.

Its a little cool  light rain. Nothing terrible, said Rose Snyder of Queensbury.

Everything is exciting here, she said. There is a lot going on. Its awesome.

Regardless of how you felt about the election, todays ceremony was a stark reminder of the greatness of our democracy, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., in a statement.

Gillibrand said she will work with Trump on issues where we can find common ground.

Stefanik, too, talked about finding common ground.

I am hopeful we will have bipartisan opportunity in the coming term, she said.

Stefanik was planning to attend the presidents inaugural ball at Ronald Reagan Center on Friday evening.

Ryan was planning to attend the Native American-themed ball at The Smithsonian.
WILTON  Six South Glens Falls students were injured on Thursday when their bus was rear-ended on Gurn Springs Road.

The accident happened just after 7 a.m. The bus was carrying 28 middle and high school students and the driver and aide, when Superintendent of Schools Michael Patton said it was struck from behind by a bus from the Saratoga Bridges organization for people with special needs.

When school officials were contacted, he said they sent a nurse and the transportation director to the scene. None of the children requested to be taken to the hospital. Six students followed up with treatment, complaining of whiplash and one possible concussion.

The bus had minimal damage, according to Patton.

State Police spokesman Trooper Mark Cepiel said the driver of the South Glens Falls bus was traveling north on Gurn Springs Road, when it stopped to pick up a student. The Saratoga Bridges bus driver slid on ice and struck the rear of the South Glens Falls bus.

Cepiel said the bus driver, 61-year-old Dawn M. Garmley of Clifton Park, was issued a ticket for following too closely.
Several of DC's signature hotels have already reached capacity for Jan. 20, and many of those that do still have vacancies are increasing their rates and enforcing minimum-stay periods.
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
The digital edition leads with an exclusive interview with Tony Elumelu, who the newly launched editorial team for Business Insider Sub Saharan Africa met with at the World Economic Forum [WEF] in Davos.

Elumelu, recognised as one of the continents most dynamic business leaders and philanthropists, is Chairman of the Board of Heirs Holdings, the United Bank for Africa and Transcorp, and is the founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation. The lead interview will explore Mr. Elumelus personal insight into the current economic climate in Nigeria, the Governments Forex policies and the important role entrepreneurialism plays on the continent.

Business Insider Sub Saharan Africa will be operated by RADP under its Pulse new media brand. It will cover business news, enterprise, finance, politics, and technology from across the continent and beyond. The digital outlet will debut on existing Pulse platforms, in West Africa on 23 January, with more to come soon.

The Africa-focussed business title has secured an impressive roster of leading and authoritative African commentators, including Bright Simons, Ethel Cofie and Herman Chinery Hesse. In addition to business and lifestyle stories from the continent, Business Insider Sub Saharan Africa will feature news highlights from around the world.

Business Insider, which is part of the Axel Springer family, is the largest business news site in the US and one of the fastest-growing news brands in the world. The company pioneered a style of business coverage that offers the news its readers and viewers need to know in a format that is digital-native: real-time, social, and mobile. Collectively, the Business Insider network of sites reaches well over 100 million unique monthly visitors across all platforms. RADP and its Pulse brand is Africas leading Pan-African digital content publisher, which includes Mens Health, and Womens Health in West Africa.

Ringier Africa & Asia CEO, Robin Lingg says: With the launch of Business Insider Sub Saharan Africa, we are giving African leaders a trustworthy, informed and reliable voice and platform. Africa is one of the worlds most buoyant and innovative emerging markets. Such a time in the continents history necessitates the savvy, sharp and analytical news commentary that is Business Insiders hallmark. We are looking to make a significant impact in the continents business narrative by bringing smart, straightforward news to the African marketplace, with commentary from political heavyweights and African leaders & business innovators, whose collective insight will be instrumental in telling the African business story from inside.

Ringier Africa GM, Leonard Stiegeler says: RADP and Pulse have an unparalleled reputation for quality content in various fields across many digital and social platforms. We believe Business Insider will complement our coverage for our audience in Africa, whose reach now numbers in the millions. We are happy to add quality business journalism that faithfully reflects and records whats happening within and outside the continents business sector.
The interconnection when done will also enable evacuation and export of additional natural gas from the TEN fields through the 58-km offshore pipeline of the Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas) to its onshore Atuabo Gas Processing Plant.

READ ALSO:

The shutdown will result in the immediate halt of production and export of natural gas from the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah to Atuabo.

It will further lead to the curtailment of lean gas from Atuabo to the Aboadze Thermal Enclave, which at the moment relies on gas from Ghana Gas to generate power.

However, the Corporate Communications Manager of Ghana Gas, Mr Alfred Ogbamey said he is hopeful that loadshedding will not occur during the period.

All stakeholders and partners along the gas production value chain have been informed and prepped for this. We anticipate that other stakeholders and the VRA, which has long been aware of this and captured it in their 2017 gas forecast, have put in place adequate measures to avert the consequential effect of the TEN inter-connection, he said.

He, however, indicated that the country could go through some challenges, asVRA is presently unable to offtake their nominated volumes.

He said: Tullow and Ghana Gas have been ready to supply Aboadze with 90 million standard cubic feet of gas a day for a while, but Aboadzes TAPCO plants are out for maintenance. This has reduced VRAs lean gas offtake since January.

He added that with the curtailment of gas supply, the Ghana Gas will also interconnect its installed second De-ethenized Overhead Compressor at Atuabo.
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!
UBA CEO Kennedy Uzoka leads a senior executive team, at one of the most important events on the global economic calendar.

READ ALSO: Wesley Girls student wins UBA National essay competition

The delegation will also include Group Head of Correspondent Banking Sola Yomi-Ajayi andEMDOs Head Dupe K. Olusola, responsible for relationships with multilateral and development organisations.

UBA has established itself as one of Africas leading financial institutions, with presence in 19 African countries, as well as globally in London, New York and Paris.

The event will provide a forum for UBA to build engagement with international institutions.

Despite the strong economic headwinds across Africa currently, the Group has committed to increasing its pan-African footprint.

Its strengths in corporate banking, payment technology, trade finance, and its millions-strong customer base make UBA a natural partner for global businesses focused on the African opportunity.

UBA CEO, Mr. Uzoka said about the event: It is critical that UBA join world business and political leaders to discuss issues central to the progress of our world, and with specific relevance to the continent of Africa. UBA is the natural partner for those seeking access to Africas business opportunities  we look forward to engaging with the worlds business community  to show that Africa is open to business and that UBA is ready to partner.
The plant aims to significantly increase the local content of GEs operations by increasing local ownership of equipment, in-country project execution expertise and use of local legal, financial and engineering services. When the facility is completed in 2018, more than 3,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created.

As a result, GE is laying a foundation for knowledge and technology transfer to Nigerian suppliers, academic institutions and people living in the region. There are also various initiatives aimed at building up a skills pipeline in Calabar. One of these is GEs awarding of 10 scholarship grants to the best students from the Ikot Ansa community.

Each of the 10 tertiary-level students recently received $476 and will continue to receive this grant annually until they graduate. After the students graduate, a new set of students from the University of Calabar, the Cross River University of Technology and the University of Port Harcourt will receive the grant.

Ahmed Zakari, GE Nigeria COO, said: At GE, we know how important it is to build local capacity through learning and training. We encourage the Ikot Ansa students to continue to work hard and excel because this will give them a good chance of being employed, possibly by GE.

Skills development, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, is something that GE has been investing in for many years with projects that include the Lagos Garagetraining facility in Nigeria and the Africa Innovation Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. Were making these investments and supporting the vital development of people, and resources in the region because Africa has a great deal of talent that we can tap into, said Zakari.

One of the students, Iso Divine Edet, who is studying petroleum engineering at the University of Port Harcourt, said: We sincerely thank GE for the opportunity they have extended to us. We are deeply grateful as we hardly have companies around here that exhibit such kindness. The grants will help us a great deal because most of us are from humble backgrounds with very tight financial situations. This is the first time most of us are receiving a scholarship and this will go a long way in supporting our academics and encouraging us to work harder to maintain the scholarship.
A few months ago, we spoke to XLP participant, Mary Arende, who took us through the first year of the programme. This week, we take a look at how Feyi Okungbowa has settled into the programme and what her key learnings have been.

Okungbowa (40), is currently based in Bristol, working in sales and marketing at the subsea production system as an enabler project lead. She is originally from Lagos, Nigeria and started in GEs finance department 10 years ago, building the credit control function. Over the years, she built up experience on the customer frontline, which entailed interacting with GE customers, formulating strategies and negotiating contracts. Among other aspects, she began to understand how the customers mind works, what they valued and what they require from their contractors.

Even though I worked in finance, working in commercial operations and sales complimented my financial experience. I have accumulated enough knowledge to execute my new roles successfully, says Okungbowa.

GEs four-year XLP programme includes assignments that have been designed to take participants out of their comfort zones. Participants may be relocated, selected to work in different divisions than the ones they are used to, or even assigned multiple working roles, says Okungbowa. She added that although many people know her as a very confident person, there are moments where she doubts her skills, particularly when confronted with a new challenge, but once she is settled into her role, she realises that she is capable of doing the work required.

The XLP programme intends to support each individuals goals as well as to address any skills gaps to ensure the executives develop into GE leaders with good business acumen and a wider network in the GE family. The programme also includes online and classroom training.

I enjoy being at the forefront of client relations, finding out what their issues are, sourcing ways to solve problems, creating value and being part of growing GE as a business, says Okungbowa. She says that her role encourages her to find ways to gain as much knowledge as possible on different subjects and to never stop learning.

I am currently in my third month of the XLP programme and it has been a real eye-opener for me as an individual, professional and GE staff member. The sheer amount of time, resources and energy that is contained in this programme is beyond belief and is a real testament to GEs commitment to training, nurturing and building leaders, says Okungbowa.
Barrow's arrival was greeted with loud celebrations in the streets of Banjul, with some excited citizens capturing his return on their mobile devices.

Speaking after taking oath of office in Dakar, Barrow called on security forces to demonstrate their loyalty in a standoff with outgoing President, Yahya Jammeh.

He said, From today on, I am the president of the Gambia regardless of whether you voted for me or not.

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.

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.
He revealed this on Facebook, (never liked tonga anyway lol) Cigarette's vibe is sooo nice.

READ ALSO: Gifty Osei to sue media houses for false reportage

Darryl Paa Kwesi Bannerman-Martin, known under the stage name Joey B is widely recognised for as the mastermind behind the tonga. It was the most played song for the 2013/2014 music year.

According to Joey B, he wished generations will remember him for any of his tracks apart from tonga.

In a post shared on Facebook, the U x me hitmaker wrote i really wished my biggest song was cigarette, not tonga (never liked tonga anyway lol) Cigarette's vibe is sooo nice.

READ ALSO: Rapper promises to release back to back this year

The award winning track "Tonga was shot in London by creative director Vertex.
According to Mr Osafo-Marfo, during the transition the incoming administration tried to be nice to the John Mahama led administration but the latters decision to make eleventh hour appointments frustrated their efforts at achieving a smooth transition.

Mr Osafo-Marfo was the head of the transition team on the incoming government side and told the Vetting Committee of Parliament that during that period other members on his side wanted strong action on the last-minute appointments.

The former president also made a number of high profile appointments including to the offices of the Auditor-General, the National Commission of Civic Education and Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice.
According to the MP, "When we invest the power in this country in the President to be the Commander and Chief, we expect him to exercise this power with the best of his intentions, not capriciously."

Read more: Ghana deploys military to Gambia

This comes as regional forces massed at the border to force incumbent Yahya Jammeh to quit after his election defeat.

Adama Barrow has been sworn in at the country's embassy in neighbouring Senegal on Thursday 19, 2017.

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.

Agbodza speaking to Accra-based Citi FM said, President Nana Akufo-Addo should have sought parliamentary approval before deploying the troops.

"What we are trying to do in Gambia is an offensive action. There is no war currently going on in The Gambia. We are going in there to start a war and I am saying that it amounts to a declaration of war and I think that the Commander-in-Chief needed to consult with the peoples representatives in Parliament before he could take that decision," he said.

He added that, "I havent seen anything that suggests that he is exercising his power with the greatest restraint the constitution tells him to exercise his powers with the best of intentions and I dont see those best intentions."

But Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alex Afenyo Markin said there is no need for Parliamentary approval to send troops to The Gambia because he [Nana Addo] is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
The president, Nana Addo, announcing his first batch of ministerial appointment nominated Yaw Osafo Marfo to head the re-introduced Senior Minister portfolio.

Some Ghanaians have since criticised the appointment saying it will be a waste of the tax payers money.

But appearing before the Appointments Committee on Friday, Osafo Marfo said: Im to coordinate the activities of the economic sectors of his [Akufo-Addos] cabinet as it may beand he wanted me to bring my experience as a minister of finance, as somebody who had done a similar job in Uganda, a similar job in Liberia to bare.

He said: The economic sector relates to the other ministries, so, naturally my experience will be brought to bear on my colleagues to make sure that we resuscitate the economy in a very homogenised manner so that there will be harmony.

The Senior Minister portfolio was first introduced by the erstwhile John Agyekum Kufor administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). It was then headed by J.H Mensah.
The Minority Leader in Parliament insists the intellect and background of [ministerial] nominees will be closely monitored when they go before the Appointment Committee of Ghanas Parliament on Friday.

He said the committee would try to ascertain whether all nominated ministers by President Akufo-Addo have the ability to walk the talk.

Today (Friday), offers us an irresistible opportunity as the appointments committee to examine and scrutinize the President, Nana Akufo-Addos nominees for appointment as ministers of state, Haruna Iddrisu said in an interview with Citi FM.

We will give true meaning to the constitutional meaning of prior approval of Parliament.

We will particularly be interested in examining the intellect and background of nominees, their temperaments and understanding of policy issues and situating those policies within the overall policy objectives that President Akufo-Addo and the NPP have shared with the Ghanaian people, and whether they can "walk the talk" on issues of policy".
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.

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.
The music star took to Instagram on January 19, 2017, writing about Pastors scamming their congregations, the economic situation in Nigeria and how laws are not made to favour indigenous business and more.

It reads,

"Pastor's Abegi make una stop all this Wayo. Jesus is not a gangster. Stop making people "offers they can't refuse".

You promise Heaven if they accept your nonsense propaganda and threaten spiritual torment if they don't. Na only una know God, Na only una God dey buy private jets for.

Una own heaven na for this world, our own na when we die," Charly Boy wrote.

"A Nation without Savings is a Nation Without a Soul; A Nation of 10,000 Companies and 10,000,000 Churches and Mosque is a Nation of Glorified Scammers and Enduring Poverty. We the people gave up and Caved in to the Political Elite whose only interest is their Selfishly Greedy Personal and Egoistic desires. The Nation was Relegated and our Today is the Result of our Failure as a People Yesterday.

"Nothing is going to change in a Country where Legislators are Afraid to Enforce Made in Naija; Nothing is Going to Change in a Country where Manchester United is Celebrated Ahead of Enyimba; Nothing is Going to Change with a People who Frown at Hardworking with Every Opportunity and Nothing will Ever Change When Voting for Criminals Becomes a Culture and a Way of Life.
The seamstress on January 20, 2017, put up a picture of the mum of two in an Ankara blouse and skirt accusing her of rocking one of her designs without giving her credit as agreed.

According to her, she reached an agreement with mercy and fellow actress Jumoke Odetola, Jumoke fulfilled her part of the agreement and Mercy didn't but instead tagged another designer on Instagram.

According to her, Mercy has refused to give the dress back after everything.

Aigbe however has denied such claims. According to her, the outfits was given to her by good friend, Jumoke Odetola.

"Goodmorning Fam!..... my attention as been drawn to a particular story trending, regarding this shirt, pls I will like to start categorically that I don't know the said designer, I never agreed to tag her and she didn't give me the shirt. The shirt was given to me by Jumoke Odetola as a birthday gift and when she dropped the shirt at my office, she never mentioned the designer and didn't tell me to tag anyone. .........thank you all and have a blessed day."

Pulse then reached out to Jumoke's manager, Abiodun Jimoh who said, "I wouldn't want to get involved in this. All I can say is its not true!"

We also reached out to the designer and Mercy Aigbe.... so far no word back.
The conference will hold on Thursday, January 26th 2017 at the Conference Hall, Faculty of Education, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos State.

The event is billed to attract the presence of educational administrators, government official, the media from all part of the country and representatives of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the Office of General Counsel, USA.

Some of the numerous gaps in the educational system will be addressed with a view to strengthening it for Sustainable Development in Nigeria at the conference. More information about the society and the conference is also accessible online at www.seadmin.org. See attached list of confirmed invited Guest coming to the conference.

ALSO READ: Unilag University to award first class degrees to 231 at 49th convocation

The Chairperson for the occasion is Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Adebule Oluranti while the Co-Chairman is Foundation Vice Chancellor, JABU, Professor C. O. Oshun.

Speakers include Dr. Alali Tamuno, ESQ, S.J.D  Office of General Counsel, New York, USA; Professor Yohanna Gandu - Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna; Professor (Mrs.) Kehinde Taiwo  Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State and Dr. (Mrs.) G. O. Oshun  Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos State.

High-profile guests expected at the venue include Hon. Minister of Communication, Barrister Abdulraheem Adebayo Shittu; Chairman, Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Senator Biyi Durojaiye; Senator Ayodele Arise; Hon. Omotayo Oduntan; Hon. Lanre Ogunyemi; Hon. Wahab Alawiye King; Hon. Mojisola Lawal; Otunba Dewunmi Onanuga and many more.

Date: Thursday, January 26th 2017

Time: 10am Prompt

Venue

The conference is strictly by invitation.
Total Media reports that the suspects who teach in a private school in the Amuwo-Odofin area of the state, had, during an extra-mural class, showed the pornography movie on their laptop to the minor and made her practice same on them.

The suspects who were paraded by Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, AIG Kayode Aderanti, for serially defiling their pupil, were arrested following suspicion by the girls mother that her daughter had suddenly become sexually active.

The victims mother, while narrating how the daughter was defiled, said:

I noticed that my daughter was kissing his brothers penis. I called her and interrogated her where she learned the behaviour and she told me that her lesson teachers play erotic films on his laptop and forced her to watch it.

She added that the teacher will then defile her. We reported the case to the police and from the investigation, it showed that she was defiled.

Speaking while parading the suspects, AIG Aderanti said after the report was made to the police, the victim was taken to a government hospital where it was medically established that she had been deflowered.
The accused were brought before Magistrate O.O. Olatunji on Friday in Lagos.

Olatunji, who granted the bail, said the sureties must be community leaders in their areas.

The prosecutor, Cpl. Bosede Adegeshin, said the three accused assaulted one another in public places and thereby causing breach of peace.

Adegeshin said the first and third accused broke the head of the second accused with stick, while the second accused also used stick to batter the others.

During their fight, they also destroyed electricity poles in their area. The fight was due to an argument which emanated from their abode as they were neighbours.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the offences contravened Section 45 and 171 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State.

The said sections depict three years and two years respectively.
He, however, pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Innocent Odugbo, told the court that the accused committed the offences from May 17, 2016, to June 2, 2016, at Odiluwu Warehouse, Ijeshatedo, Lagos.

Odugbo submitted that the accused presented himself as a car dealer to one Virginus Chukwumaeze, and obtained a white Ford with foreign number, CA 2636 NA, valued at N800, 000.

He said that the accused promised the complainant, Chukwumaeze, that he would sell the car and return the proceeds to him.

The accused sold the car but failed to return the proceeds to the complainant; he converted the proceeds for his use, he said.

The offences contravened Sections 285 (10), 312 (3) and 332 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, according to the prosecutor.

The Magistrate, Mrs O. G. Oghire, granted the accused N200, 000 bail, with two sureties in like sum.

She said that the sureties must be gainfully employed and must show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
Total Media reports that Oluwakemi who resides at 18, Imole Street, Mile 12, is facing two-count charges bordering on assault before Chief Magistrate Taiwo Akanni.

The police prosecutor in the case, Inspector Clifford Ogu, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on December 1, 2016, at her Mum Isaiah Day Care and Creche located in the same area.

Inspector Ogu told the court that the accused beat up one of her pupils at the creche and caused him to have a broken leg.

It was when the victims mother, one came to carry her son that she discovered that he could not walk again. The victims mother also saw scars on her sons back which connoted that he was beaten.

The prosecutor added that the young victim was taken to a hospital and the X-ray revealed that he has a bone fracture, saying that the offences contravened sections 171 and 276 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
On the local scene, the Nigerian military committed an avoidable blunder that should not have happened in the first place.

It happened on Tuesday, January 17, 2017, when a Nigerian Fighter jet dropped some bombs in an Internally Displaced Peoples Camp in Kalge Balge Local Government Area of Borno State during a routine mop-up exercise meant to rout some elements of the Boko Haram insurgent sect.

The disaster proved quite deadly and bloody as hundreds of the refugees and aid workers including doctors from the Medicines Sans Frontiers, workers of International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), and other humanitarian workers lost their lives.

Though the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor, quickly disclosed that the disaster was a mistake, it has not taken away the fact that the Military could have been more discerning.

There has been loads of conspiracy theories as well as those who have refused to give the army a slack over the incident.

There have been insinuations of sabotage and the infiltration of the Military by some of the insurgents but the army has exonerated itself from such theories.

According to Maj. Gen. Irabor, the army received a report about the gathering of Boko Haram terrorists around the Kala Balge area of Maiduguri and he dispatched his men to the area but unfortunately, the so-called insurgents turned out to be defenseless refugees and other civilians.

In his word, Irabor said:

When we received the intelligence report, I coordinated and I directed that the air component of the operation should go and address the problem.

Unfortunately, the strike was conducted but it turned out that other civilians were somewhere around the area and they were affected.

So far, it is a little bit disturbing; death has occurred. There are casualties; there were deaths and Some humanitarian staff of Medicines Sans Frontiers and some staff of International Committee of Red Cross(ICRC) were also affected.




Fifteen years, thousands of lives and tens of billions of dollars later, the United States has failed to meet most of its key objectives in Afghanistan. Mission failed.Now what? Our current approach, if allowed to continue, guarantees a chaotic future for Afghanistan and an open door for radical Islamists in Central Asia.Such a state of affairs would herald a major strategic defeat for the United States. Islamists ultimately seek to seize control in both Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and then expand into Central Asia.A debacle in Afghanistan means we may face another global conflict.Turkey has morphed into an Islamic state, and the Gulf states are financing radical Sunni terror groups meant to encircle and contain the mullahs in Iranincluding extremists in Afghanistan.Will the Islamists achieve their objectives? No, and we do not want to find out. They need to be defeated now, while the situation is still manageable. An alternative strategy can avert a strategic catastrophe later.Our incompetent efforts at Afghan nation building rest on three shaky pillars that need to be rethought: - Read More
The 52-year-old suspect identified as, Adenle Owolabi, is facing a two-count charge of theft and unlawful possession, Daily Post reports.

ALSO READ: Pastor arrested for stealing cars in Anambra

The Prosecutor, Insp. Taiwo Adegoke told the court that offence was committed by the accused in October 2016 at Oke Fia, Osogbo.

The prosecutor explained that Owolabi confiscated a vehicle belonging to one Adenike Oladapo and claimed ownership of the vehicle for no genuine reason.

Adegoke said that the accused has since then, refused to return the car to its rightful owner and has been on the run with the vehicle in his possession before he was apprehended by the police.

The Insp. said that the offence contravened sections 516 and 429 of the criminal code cap 34 vol.11 laws of Osun,2003.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the count charges against him.

Mrs Bose Adeyinka, counsel to the accused, prayed the Magistrate to grant Owolabi bail on the most liberal terms.

The Magistrate, Mr Olusola Aluko, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

He also said that the sureties must reside within the jurisdiction of the court with evidence of tax payment and two passport sized photographs, attached to an affidavit of means.
The BBC reports that Chinda committed the crime on February 11, 2016, at the 36-year-old Nkechis apartment at Union Terrace flat, Aberdeen.

Chinda who was arraigned on Monday, January 16, 2017, was accused of inflicting blunt force trauma to the commercial sex workers head and forced her onto a bed, held her down then raped her before killing her.

The court also heard that the suspect further stole two phones and a key from the deceased after the rape and murder.

Advocate Depute Paul Kearney, told the court that there was overwhelming evidence against the suspect while his defense counsel, Ian Duguid, said the prosecution had not proved the guilt of rape and murder in the case.
Read her story here:

"My name is Kimberly, a 29-year-old lady. I am very angry and bitter right now and the way I am feeling, I dont know if anything will ever make me trust any man again in my life.

In fact, I have developed into a deep misandrist and no nothing anyone would say would make me change my mind, not after what Victor did to me.

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.

The teaser for the day was:

How Nigeria voted:

Yes, I will forgive him/her and move on with my life - 54%

No, I will never forgive such a person - 16%

I will make sure he/she pays for the damage done - 10%

I will take it out on the next person I date - 20%
According to Facebook user, Mofiinternational Usman who posted the story on his wall, the suspect who gave his name as Isiaka Isah, was caught digging up one of the graves and on interrogation, confessed that he was instructed to bury some materials at the graves but could not show the angry crowd what he intended burying in the grave.

This is how Usman captured the incident on his wall:

"He is by name Isiaka Isah; he was caught in the act of digging one of the graves at the Karaworo/Angwan Tiv Muslim cemetery today morning by our well-trained vigilante men in the community.

If not for our quick intervention, he could have been mobbed to dead by the angry youths. But during my interrogation with the suspect, he said his intention was not to exhume a dead body.

He further said that he has been having a fearful terrible nightmare in which he does see ghosts chasing him which now led him to consult a native doctor who instructed him to go and bury some items in a grave so that the ghost will stop chasing him.

When he was urged to bring out the already buried items, he said that he could no longer where he buried the items.
Mohammed is leaving the job as Minister for Environment in Nigeria to take up a role as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Thursday's congratulatory dinner left the pretty Mohammed with bags of emotions so mixed, she told Pulse she was overwhelmed by it all.

"I am really overwhelmed. Because I feel like I really love to work. It feels like an out of body experience", she said of the evening's occasion.

Everyone who took the stage earlier, had eulogised her so much, Mohammed could have been forgiven for blushing as a battery of photo-journalists and reporters laid in wait for her at the entrance of the hallway.

ALSO READ: Minister of Environment to be confirmed as UN Deputy Secretary General

asked Mohammed if she'd be missing her job as Nigeria's environment minister and if she thinks she'd be missed back in Abuja.

"Government is a continuum", she offered. "Everything that we do in government is aimed at building institutions. You are judged by what happens after you leave. I am very convinced that my co-pilot, the minister of State, is going to carry the ministry to greater heights.

"We can do many many things to help fulfill the President's agenda," Mohammed said.

Choosing between Nigeria and the United Nations was probably one of the most difficult decisions of my life", Mohammed told Pulse.

Amina is however certain that Nigeria is in good hands. She also feels that the land of her birth has a lot to offer the world.

"We have many challenges here too. We all needed to serve in this administration because we need to make a difference..to move from where we are. And to be called to the global arena is an immense situation and honour. But Im a humanist. Every day of my work involves communities, involves people. I am going to a different level and hope that I can make the same difference".

Mohammed announced that as she leaves for the UN, she'll be taking Nigeria along with her.

"I am going to the UN with Nigeria, Africa and the world", she said with a characteristic grin.

Mohammed's short time in office saw her flag off the Ogoni cleanup in Nigeria's restive Niger Delta region.

"We have done more in the last 13 months than we have in the last 10 years", she said of the Ogoniland cleanup which will take two more decades at least.

"We want to use Ogoniland as the benchmark for how things should be done. Well take the lessons from Ogoniland to find a solution. Nigeria has a lot to share and Ill share them with the rest of the world", she said.

It was a night when Mrs. Mohammed was content to share the spotlight with Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Women Affairs Aisha Alhassan (Mama Taraba) and Minister of State for Environment Ibrahim Jibrin.

They all spoke of how much of a delight it was to work with Mrs. Mohammed.

"She's a good woman", said Amaechi.

'Mama Taraba' (as Minister for Women Affairs Alhassan is popularly called) narrated how the departing Minister coerced the rest of her colleagues to contribute funds toward taking care of her ailing leg on one occasion.

"She was like that to everyone..looking out for her colleagues", said Mama Taraba.

The Women Affairs Minister describes Mohammed as a "dedicated, hard working, honest person.

"She has always been passionate about women advancement, women empowerment, gender affairs....

"Shell always call me to say, 'come..let us collaborate to see what is good for Nigerian women. Shes my friend, my sister. Im very happy for her and happy for Nigeria. Shes a good person and the world needs her".

During Mrs. Mohammed's address on the podium, she made jokes about how strange it was for her not to know her portfolio during the ministerial screening on the floor of parliament back in 2015.

Every potential minister was getting grilled by lawmakers without prior knowledge of the ministry they were going to be overseeing.

It was something of a culture shock for someone who had spent most of her adult life in the prim and proper surroundings of the United Nations (she was Special Adviser to then UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon) before President Muhammadu Buhari beckoned on her to return home to serve her country.

On Thursday, two of her colleagues in the federal cabinet disclosed that she was coerced to take the Nigerian job.

She leaves as one of Nigeria's fine Ministers in a cabinet milling with several ghost personnel.

As she told Pulse on Thursday at the Oriental Hotel, she'll be doing everything to project Nigeria's many challenges and successes on the global map as she's done all her adult life.

"I couldn't have done it without all of you", she told the room packed full with captains of industry and Managing Directors of multinational oil companies and banks.

Last year, this writer sat behind Mrs Mohammed during the Kano Durbar festival. Then as in now, she showed little airs, waving to say a hello to just about everyone who asked for one.

Not your typical Nigerian big (wo)man.
The attack comes just days after the camp was accidentally bombed by the Nigerian Air Force.

The Boko Haram invasion was however repelled by soldiers who were stationed at the camp.

The soldiers were said to have fought the insurgents for hours before eventually killing eight of them, Premium Times reports.

The Rann camp became the subject of global headlines on Tuesday, January 19, when three bombs were dropped on it killing about 100 people.
Leading a "one million man march" in Abuja on Thursday, January 19, 2016, leader of the group, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi noted President Buhari has performed excellently well since the All Progressives Congress (APC) took over government in May 2015.

Ogenyi said those criticising the Buhari-led administration were among corrupt individuals who almost "destroyed" Nigeria.

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, Ogenyi said.

He continued:"Mr President [Buhari] has already commenced a programme that is catering in part to the needs of the very poor through a monthly N5000 grant to each family.

ALSO READ: Nigerians criticize President Buhari over 10-day UK vacation

"Mr Presidents programme is fixing young graduates with employers. They are also getting a 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 welfarist. What they will not tell you is that the funds for these projects were formerly pocketed by them.

"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."
Earlier media reports had it that former president, Goodluck Jonathan was invited to the event while Buhari was shunned.

However, Shehu denied the rumours via social media on Thursday, January 19, 2017.

Gentlemen, I think we should respond to refute this falsehood. The US does not invite Heads of State or President to the inauguration of their Presidents, Shehu tweeted.

Our President could therefore not have been snubbed, he added.

Donald Trump will be inaugurated on Friday, January 20, 2017.
According to a report by Channels TV, the president had the meeting with the military chiefs behind closed doors.

The meeting was confirmed by the President via his official Twitter handle which read: Before leaving I met with the Security Chiefs. We will continue to work to fulfill our promise to confront all security challenges head-on.

Speaking on the meeting, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Abayomi Olanishakin said the meeting was to give the President an update on the movement of a stand-by troop to The Gambia.
Hospitals in Maiduguri, the state capital, have discharged five injured people while 73 others are still being held for treatment.

This was disclosed by the Borno State Commissioner for Health, Dr Haruna Mshelia via a status update.

"But happily, five have been discharged by doctors after they were certified to have fully regained their health, he said.

We are also hopeful that all the rest will be fine by the grace of God, Nigerians should pray for their speedy recovery, he added.
MSF, also known as Doctors without Borders, made the revelation via a statement released by General Director, Bruno Jochum on Friday, January 20.

The statement reads:

The death toll continues to rise following the horrific military attack on civilians in Rann, Nigeria, according to latest estimates by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

Around 90 people were killed when a Nigerian airforce plane circled twice and dropped two bombs in the middle of the town of Rann, which hosts thousands of internally displaced people.

At the time of the attack, an aid distribution was taking place. The majority of the victims were women and children. Outside of what MSF teams have witnessed, consistent reports from residents and community leaders say as many as 170 people were killed.

This figure needs to be confirmed. The victims of this horrifying event deserve a transparent account of what happened and the circumstances in which this attack took place. Many of the survivors will need long-term care and support for the future.

People had sought safety in what they thought was a protected site  instead they were bombed by those who were meant to safeguard them.

The tragedy in Rann too clearly illustrates the dire situation in Borno State, where extremely vulnerable people remain trapped in a cycle of daily violence between the Nigerian military and Boko Haram. This intense violence has led to the displacement of nearly three million people over the past few years, who are still in urgent need of protection and assistance.

The population continues to pay the price of a merciless conflict, where the war between Boko Haram and Nigerian military too often disregards the safety of civilians.

The people of Borno should be entitled to guarantees of protection and assistance. All parties to the conflict must ensure the safety of civilians, and we urge the Government of Nigeria to ensure the protection of its people.
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.
Osinbajo, who gave the advice at the 27th Annual Ministers Leadership Conference at the Men of Issachar Vision Incorporation, Olororo-Ojoo in Ibadan, on Friday, said such values were the `principles of the gospel.

The principle of the gospel has transformed countries in Europe, America and many others. These principles are hard work, integrity and faithfulness.

Our people must have commitment to the right values. We must address the issue of integrity.

Imagine, someone stole 2.5 million dollars and the whole external reserve is just 30 billion dollars. Yet someone is clamouring for the return of corruption, he said.

The vice-president, who stated that hard work was not negotiable as a principle and value, assured Nigerians of the nations prosperity.

Osinbajo said that the journey of the nation to prosperity was the Lords battle, saying the Lord will fight and win.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Vice-President also attended the funeral service of the late Professor Emeritus, Law, Adedokun Adeyemi, 76 at the Christ Church, Mapo in Ibadan.

Osinbajo described the deceased as his father, teacher, friend and mentor, saying he was a loving creature, who would be greatly missed.

We will do ourselves more good loving our neighbours as we love ourselves. My late teacher lived an exemplary and fulfilled life, he said.

Also, Ven. Kehinde Aremu, the Vicar of the church said that the greatest change was death because it changes human condition.

Aremu, who urged the people to live a life of no regret, stated that there was no chance for repentance after death.

Whatever number of years spent on earth is little. Why dont you spend it righteously to avoid your life being mortgaged .
On Thursday, January 19, of the online news portal at 5:00 pm and arrested Olorunyomi and the medium's judiciary correspondent, Evelyn Okakwu.

The journalists' arrest was said to have been an "order from above."

The police said it received a complaint from the lawyer to the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, accusing the medium and the journalists of defamation of character.

Olorunyomi and Okakwu were however released on bail later on Thursday but were asked to report at the FCT Police Command Headquarters by 8:00 a.m. Friday morning, January 20.

But inside sources say the Friday meeting may be a ploy to detain the journalists for a longer period.

"From what I understand, if they report tomorrow morning, they will be taken to a Magistrates Court and arraigned before a judge that will readily comply with the police arrangement and grant order for them to be detained. That way, they can then claim to be detaining them legally," a police source told the newspaper.

ALSO READ: Army drags Premium Times to court over "false" news

The arrest has sparked widespread criticism, with many Nigerians condemning the police and the present administration for its indiscriminate persecution of government critics.
THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER

Buhari begins 10-day working vacation, hands over to Osinbajo

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday wrote to the National Assembly that he would be embarking on working vacation from January 23 to February 6, 2017.

The Gambias new president takes oath of office in Senegal

The winner of the December 1, 2016 election in The Gambia, Adama Barrow, was yesterday sworn in as new president.

Federal government denies increase in fuel price

Oil marketers have refused to resume the importation of petroleum products, particularly petrol, until the Federal Government can guarantee them access to dollars at the official exchange rate fixed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). But the government has said that the action of the marketers has not led to an increase in the price of petrol.

VANGUARD NEWSPAPER

NUJ, Afenifere condemn arrest of Premium Times publisher, reporter

ANGRY reactions yesterday, greeted the raid by the Nigeria Police on Premium Times head office in Abuja and the arrest of the newspapers publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi alongside the papers judiciary correspondent, Evelyn Okakwu.

Emefiele, Peterside differ on forex policiesGovernor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele and Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Mr. Atedo Peterside, yesterday, disagreed over the apex banks foreign exchange policies, which the latter said created multiple rates and is hurting the nations economy.

Nigerian, Senegalese troops storm The Gambia as Adama Barrow is sworn in

Nigerian and senegalese troops were deployed to The Gambia, yesterday, as part of the Economic Community of West Africa, ECOWAS, mandate to enforce the December 1, 2016 election result in that country.

THE NATION NEWSPAPER

Doctor: I saw broken bones, torn flesh, childrens bodies

A key eyewitness relived yesterday the horror of the Rann, Borno State accidental bombing in which no fewer than 75 persons died. Scores were injured.

Buhari on 10-day leave

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday wrote the Senate, informing it of his decision to embark on a 10-day leave.

Troops storm The Gambia as Barrow takes oath

Adama Barrow, who won the December 1, last year election, was inaugurated as president at an event in Dakar, Senegal, witnessed by top United Nations diplomats.

THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER

How fortune teller forced woman into prostitution

A fortune teller in Japan has been ordered to pay $850,000 in damages to a female client she forced into prostitution, local media reported.

Weve no choice but to borrow $30bn - Adeosun

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, on Thursday said that the inability of the Federal Government to generate enough revenue to meet its obligations had left it with no other choice than to turn to international financial institutions for loans to finance critical infrastructure projects.

IDP camp bombing: NAF panel summons war commander, pilots
Arkwright dispelled insinuations that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) deliberately launched the air strike that killed over 50 people and injured 120.

He, however, admitted that "it was a tragic mistake" that shoud be avoided in the future.

The diplomat stated this in telephone interview with Nigeria Info FM, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He said: "First of all can I express my deepest sympathy to all of those who are affected by this terrible bombing. I do think it was a tragic mistake.

"Ive seen some suggestions that it was deliberate; Im absolutely certain that it was not deliberate.

"What is important here is in the short term, doing the best for those who have been injured, the families of those who have been bereaved, and I know that the Federal Government and the state government and indeed international NGOs are working very hard to help the wounded to make sure they get proper medical treatment, and to take the necessary actions there. Thats in the short term.

"I think whats also necessary is a thorough investigation by the Nigerian Air force or the Nigerian military to determine exactly what happened, because clearly it was a mistake.

"Mistakes can occur, whats really important is that the right actions are taken to avoid such mistakes happening again. And until that investigation happens, I dont think its appropriate to speculate on what happened or whether people had imagery or whether they knew that these were Boko Haram terrorists or civilians.

"Let's wait for that investigation, but as I have been doing, let's make sure that whatever the outcome of that investigation, it means that the necessary processes are followed and amended if necessary, so that something as terrible as this doesnt happen again."
The 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 Zakzaky is not exclusively legal. It has security and public interest as against individual interest undertone, the source said according to Daily Trust.

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.

The Federal Government of Nigeria is looking into the case with the public and security interest dimensions into consideration, he added.

The Abuja Federal High Court, on December 2, ordered the immediate release of Zakzaky.

Presiding judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole also instructed the Department of State Services (DSS) to pay the sum of N50 million to Zakzaky and his wife as compensation.

ALSO READ:Kaduna Governor declares Shiite sect illegal
What better way to ease off the stress of the week than watch a good movie.

With that in mind, check out our list of movies currently showing in cinemas across Lagos and Abuja.

1.

Starring: David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Jack Davenport

Synopsis: The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York's secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.

Friday - Thursday: 10:35am

Starring: David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike, Jack Davenport

Synopsis: Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana causes an international stir when he marries a white woman from London in the late 1940s.

Showing:

Daily: 2:25 PM, 9:35 PM

Daily: 12:20PM, 2:20PM, 4:20PM, 6:20PM, 8:20PM

Daily: 10:40AM, 5:00PM

Fri-Thur: 12:55pm, 3:05pm

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons

Synopsis: When Callum Lynch explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, he discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society.

Showing:

Daily: 4:40 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:20 PM

Daily: 12:40PM, 2:50PM, 5:00PM, 7:10PM, 9:20PM

Friday - Thursday: 10:30AM, 9:00PM

Sunday: 9:00PM

Fri-Thur: 2:00pm, 4:15pm, 6:30pm, 8:45pm

4.

Starring: Ramsey Nouah, Rita Dominic, Ibinabo Fiberesima, Chidi Mokeme, Memry Savanhu, Adonijah Owuruwa, Daniel K. Daniel, Nelly Ekwereogu

Synopsis: The story is told from two points of view: that of a young pregnant woman, and that of her husband, a soldier accused of being involved in the 1976 military coup and assassination of General Murtala Mohammed, the Head-of-State of Nigeria.

Friday -Thursday: 10:50am

Friday -Thursday: 6:25PM, 9:10PM

Friday -Thursday: 11:40PM, 2:00PM, 4:25PM, 6:40PM, 9:00PM

Starring: Ayo Makun, Funke Akindele, Eric Roberts

Synopsis: A Trip to Jamaica which bridges the gap between Nollywood, Gollywood, Hollywood and the Jamaican movie industry will be showcasing AY again as the no-holds- barred Akpos, alongside the award-winning Funke Akindele, who plays Bola in the high voltage potpourri of love, adventure, crime and lots of comedy.

Showing:

Friday - Thursday: 4:50pm

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen

Synopsis: A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in its sleep chambers. As a result, two passengers are awakened 90 years early.

Showing:

Friday: 12:20PM, 2:40PM, 7:00PM, 9:10PM

Saturday - Thursday: 2:40PM, 7:00PM, 9:10PM

Friday - Thursday: 12:40PM, 5:15PM

Daily: 1:45pm

Starring:Richard Mofe-Damijo, Sola Sobowale, Alibaba, Iretiola Doyle, Banky W, and Adesua Etom

Synopsis: Our love birds just want to tie the knot in peace, but will true love stand even the most chaotic of wedding celebrations?

Showing:

Daily:12:30 PM, 2:40 PM, 4:50 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:10 PM

Friday -Thursday: 11:10am, 1:00pm, 2:55pm, 4:00pm, 6:00pm, 7:00pm, 8:00pm, 9:00pm

Friday -Thursday: 4:35PM, 6:50PM

Friday - Thursday: 1:00PM, 3:00PM, 5:00PM, 7:00PM, 9:00PM

8.

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Timberlake

Synopsis: From the creators of Shrek comes the most smart, funny, irreverent animated comedy of the year, DreamWorks' Trolls. This holiday season, enter a colorful, wondrous world populated by hilariously unforgettable characters and discover the story of the overly optimistic Trolls.

Daily: 11:25am

9.

Starring: ZACK ORJI, RMD and VICTOR OLAOTAN

Synopsis: The Three Wise Men is a Dramatic comedy that humorously presents the follies of three aged men. The comedy satirizes the actions and intents of three elderly men in their mid/late 60's who struggle to re-live their lost youth.

Friday -Thursday: 12:50PM

Friday -Thursday: 12:10PM, 4:20PM

Friday -Thursday: 7:20pm, 9:15pm

10.

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Lara Pulver

Synopsis: Vampire death dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her.

Friday -Thursday: 3:00pm, 4:45pm, 6:35pm

11.

Starring: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk

Synopsis: The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans to the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow.

Daily: 3:20PM, 8:10PM

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey

Synopsis: WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.

Showing:

Daily: 2:05 PM, 9:40 PM

Starring: Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet

Synopsis: Retreating from life after a tragedy, a man questions the universe by writing to Love, Time and Death. Receiving unexpected answers, he begins to see how these things interlock and how even loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

Friday - Thursday: 10:40AM, 9:10PM

Sunday: 9:10PM

Friday - Thursday: 1:50PM, 6:00PM, 8:00PM

Daily: 4:55 PM

Starring: Wale Ojo, Majid Michel, Adesua Etomi, Theresa Edem, Ime Bishop Umoh, Moses Armstrong and Ekere Ekanga.

Synopsis: Set in a fictitious village somewhere in Ibibio land in beautiful Akwa Ibom state, Ayamma is the story of Ihuoma, the poor but beautiful village maiden with the voice of an angel.

Daily: 2:20PM

Daily: 1:00PM, 5:50PM

Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker

Synopsis: When 12 mysterious spacecraft appear around the world, linguistics professor Louise Banks is tasked with interpreting the language of the apparent alien visitors.

Showing:

Friday - Thursday: 12:20PM, 4:30PM, 8:40PM

Friday - Thursday: 2:35PM, 6:55PM, 9:05PM

Daily: 11:40am, 1:50pm, 3:55pm, 6:10pm, 8:25pm

Genesis Deluxe Cineas

Daily: 12:00 PM, 4:45 PM, 7:10 PM

(--VIP SHOWS--)

Daily: 8:10 PM

Fri & Sat: 10:35 PM

Starring: Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson

Synopsis: A group of Boston-bred gangsters set up shop in balmy Florida during the Prohibition era, facing off against the competition and the Ku Klux Klan.

Showing:

Friday - Thursday: 12:40PM, 6:50PM, 9:10PM
The Ngerian travel food doc-series explores African cuisine and African delicacies, and is hosted by media personality Olisa Adibua.

"Bukas and Joints" features him traveling around Nigeria in search of the most authentic Bukas and Joints.

ALSO READ: undefined

In an upcoming episode, Olisa travels out of the Lagos to the heart of Oyo State - Ibadan - to discover some of the best Buka's and Joints the city has to offer.

The creator of the docu-series, Biola Alabi, explained that the new season will have a wider reach than the first.
Peterside, who is now the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said Wike is the bad news Rivers people wake up to every day.

He called on the Governor to "do some soul searching and reconcile himself with what should truly represent his direction and motive for governing the state. He is virtually in the news for all the wrong reasons."

He said this in a statement issued by his media team and made available to Daily Post.

ALSO READ: Wike promises to stand by dismissed policemen

The APC Chieftain added that Wike's desperation led to the murder of many people in the state, including security personnel.

He said: "What manner of a man is Wike, his desperation to become governor at all cost led to loss of many lives and destruction of properties.

"Since becoming governor, it has been bad news all the way. Many people, including security personnel have been murdered in different parts of the state. Now, policemen have been dismissed from service all because of the inordinate ambition of one man.

"How can the governor of a state force his way into INEC collation centre and under heavy intimidation, harassment and threat to life, force the returning officer to declare a winner when the results of Emohua and Etche local government areas have not been collated.

"He clearly had no business storming the collation centre with policemen and his thugs. He took his immunity to a ridiculous level, thus endangering the lives of people and career of security personnel.

"Here is a governor who cries at every given opportunity, yet he is the one compromising every known government institution to serve to selfish ambition. Never have we had a governor who is so unsure of himself and what he says.

"Not too long ago, he told Rivers people not to participate in the probe panel set up by Inspector General of Police, but the same governor is now crying to Police IG to reveal those behind the killing of two policemen during the rerun election. Same man who vowed not to fund security agencies in the state again is now the one saying he is ready to support them."
His emergence is coming as the outgoing chairman of the forum, Olusegun Mimiko ends his tenure as the governor of Ondo State.

Fayose's emergence as the Chairman of the PDP Governors' Forum was announced by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon Serake Dickson in Abuja, on Thursday night, January 19, 2017.

Already, the new job given to Gov Fayose has been endorsed by the National Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, the Chairman Board of Trustee, BOT of the party, Senator Wali Jibril and the leadership of the party in the National Assembly, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

According to Dickson, who made the announcement, the forum decided to settle for Fayose based on his record of performance and as the most senior governor under the platform of the party.

Fayose was also described as a real party man who would boost the growth and development of the party.

ALSO READ: Removing Governor from office is like removing Ekiti, PDP says

Speaking after his acceptance, Fayose, who succeeded Gov Olusegun Mimiko, described his election as call to service and promised not to let the party down as the Chairman of the Forum.
The protesters, under the umbrella of the Patriotic Mothers Without Borders, invaded the EFCC headquarters on Friday, January 20, to make the demand.

The gravity of the crime does not permit that we wait indefinitely for Fayose to leave office; he would have finished spending his share of the loot by then, and he has all the time to destroy evidence, Convener of the group, Nnenna Jideofor said.

As mothers, we beg the EFCC to as a matter of urgency, investigate how much Fayose gave lawmakers of Ekiti State House of Assembly who we believe have lost their souls to an overlord, she added.

ALSO READ: Removing Fayose from office is like removing Ekiti, PDP says
The Akwa Ibom PDP made the comments via a statement released by spokesman, Ini Ememobong.

The statement reads:

The Peoples Democratic Party Akwa Ibom State has received with mixed feelings the announcement of the defection of Senator Nelson Effiong, who was elected on the platform of our great Party to represent the people of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District.

The Senator who had been in the eye of the storm recently for his below par performance in and out of the Senate, cited the division at the National Level of the party as his reason for defecting adding that any politician worth his salt will not stay back in a Party that is sinking like the PDP.

The State Chairman of the Party, Obong Paul Ekpo has directed the Legal department of our Party to commence the process of recovering the mandate freely given to Nelson Effiong and manifestly mismanaged and corrupted by him.

We however note that his actions and statements are indicative of a drowning man, who in his speedy descent into an abyss, holds on to any straw within sight and seeks to take with him anything willing to follow.

The Peoples Democratic Party is not and cannot be a sinking party, even Nelson Effiong recognized so during the last enlarged stakeholders meeting of the Party held in December 2016, where he spoke glowingly about the party.

We urge our party faithful , especially those from Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, to remain calm and continue to support the party, knowing that we will do everything within the ambit of the law to reclaim the Partys mandate.

We agree with Abraham Lincolns postulation that nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a mans character give him power. As a party, we gave Nelson Effiong the power to speak for his people, but his character showed up and now the whole world can judge him.

We must continue to hold fast to our strength and convictions conscious that the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy-Martin Luther King jnr. We are certain that this season of political trial will soon pass.

ALSO READ: APC Senator asks Ike Ekweremadu to decamp or lose his seat
In a new Instagram post, the veteran musician and critic said, "Pastor's Abegi make una stop all this Wayo. Jesus is not a gangster. Stop making people "offers they can't refuse" You promise Heaven if they accept your nonsense propaganda and threaten spiritual torment if they don't. Na only una know God, Na only una God dey buy private jets for. Una own heaven na for this world, our own na when we die.#ourmumudondo"

The post was accompanied by this picture.

Moving on, he also wrote, "A Nation without Savings is a Nation Without a Soul; A Nation of 10,000 Companies and 10,000,000 Churches and Mosque is a Nation of Glorified Scammers and Enduring Poverty. We the people gave up and Caved in to the Political Elite whose only interest is their Selfishly Greedy Personal and Egoistic desires. The Nation was Relegated and our Today is the Result of our Failure as a People Yesterday.

Nothing is going to change in a Country where Legislators are Afraid to Enforce Made in Naija; Nothing is Going to Change in a Country where Manchester United is Celebrated Ahead of Enyimba; Nothing is Going to Change with a People who Frown at Hardworking with Every Opportunity and Nothing will Ever Change When Voting for Criminals Becomes a Culture and a Way of Life.Bombs are Dropping, people are dying, Prices keep Rising, frustration hits the ceiling. As politicians and pastors keep dealing, Our graves we keep digging. Our docility killing our humanity, as youths engage in frivolity, It is disgusting how they keep secumbbing Unbecoming as they keep sagging and dulling. Holding themselves captive by their complicity. #ourmumudondo"

I think he is right. No one has the right to promise anyone a place in Heaven. Only God has that power.
The platform will be run by Ringier Africa Digital Publishing (RADP)-owned Pulse in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya and it will cover business news, enterprise, finance, politics, and technology from across the continent and elsewhere.

We are looking to make a significant impact in the continents business narrative by bringing smart, straightforward news to the African marketplace, with commentary from political heavyweights and African leaders & business innovators, whose collective insight will be instrumental in telling the African business story from inside, says Robin Lingg, Ringier Africa and Asia CEO.

Business Insider joins other RADP brands such as Men's Health and Women's Health in West Africa. Collectively, the Business Insider network of sites reaches well over 100 million unique monthly visitors across all platforms.

Were thrilled to launch our 15th version of Business Insider in Africa  an incredibly exciting and fast-growing market. Ringier has a deep understanding of the digital space and is the ideal partner to help us bring to Sub Saharan Africa Business Insiders unique voice and attitude, said Henry Blodget, Global Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Business Insider.
Trump sparked worries in Tokyo with campaign comments, which included a pledge to make allies pay more for the security provided by U.S. forces and opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.

The Japan-U.S. alliance has been is and will be the cornerstone of our countrys diplomatic and security policies.

This is an immutable principle.

I am aiming to visit the United States as soon as possible to further fortify the bond of alliance together with new President Trump, Abe said in his policy speech.

Abe met with Trump in New York after the election in November and called him a trustworthy leader.

In his speech to parliament, the prime minister repeated his support for TPP, which would go into deep freeze if the U.S. drops out.

As a flag bearer for free trade, we will build an economic system of the 21st century based on fair rules.

The TPP agreement sets the standard for that purpose and serves as the foundation for future economic cooperation, he said.

Japan has ratified the TPP and notified New Zealand, secretariat for the TPP, it had completed the domestic procedures for the pact, becoming the first country among the 12 signatory nations to do so.

New Zealand has ratified the TPP, but not completed the whole domestic procedures.
Sidie Njie, who is said to somewhat be the only minister left on Jammeh's 'expired' cabinet, said his principal stands by his decision to reject the results of the December 1 presidential election.

Six of Jammeh's ministers resigned two days ago following the rising political tension occasioned by Jammeh's refusal to step down.

Speaking to BBC, Njie said his boss is still in control of the country despite the swearing in of Adama Barrow, winner of the December election.

Barrow was sworn in on Thursday, January 19, at the Gambian embassy in neighboring Senegal where he had taken refuge in the heat of the crisis.

He has reportedly returned to Gambia but not clear where he will be leading the country from, considering Jammeh still occupies the government house.

Barrow, however, has the support of African leaders, and the United Nations security council says he is the authentic leader of the West African country.

ALSO READ: ECOWAS gives Gambian 'President' final chance to step down peacefully

The African forces, which include troops from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and the United Nations, have reportedly been ordered to temporarily stand down from forcing Jammeh out, as the President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, on behalf of ECOWAS, will lead a final round of talks on Friday morning, January 20, to persuade Jammeh to peacefully leave office.
The readiness to sign a peace agreement by Sudan was arrived at days after President Omar Hassan al-Bashir extended a unilateral ceasefire.

The development followed U.S. decision to review sanctions that crippled the countrys economy for two decades.

The accord was not expected to end the Darfur conflict as several other rebel factions resisted peacemaking to date.

The conflict erupted in 2003 when mainly non-Arab tribes took up arms against Sudans Arab-led government.

The U.S. said last week that it would unfreeze Sudans assets and remove financial sanctions as response to Khartoums cooperation in fighting Islamic State andother militants, but would wait 180 days to assess progress on human rights and resolving conflicts such as in Darfur.

Talks to secure lasting ceasefire in Sudans three warring regions under a road map for peace collapsed last August.

Magdy Khalafalla, the head of the governments office for peace in Darfur, said an agreement would be signed in Doha next week between the government and Sudan Liberation Second Revolution, a group led by prominent rebel figure Abu al-Qasim Imam.

The rebel group was not immediately available for comment but Khalafalla said the deal with Sudan Liberation Second Revolution would be added to a framework peace agreement the government put together in 2011 but only a few groups have so far signed on to.

This movements inclusion will widen the area that enjoys peace in Darfur, especially in the Marra mountains area.
The protesters, who heckled guests and shouted foul language at people leaving the "Deploraball", also burned protest signs, creating a smoke-filled scene in front of the National Press Building, where the event was held.

Dozens of police, many in riot gear, were on scene, with some trying to help ball-goers, dressed in tuxedos and evening dresses, leave the area as demonstrators chased them down the street.

Although largely peaceful at first, the protest grew more ragged as the night drew on.

Several prominent members of the so-called "alt-right" movement reportedly organized or were to attend the event, held on the eve of Trump's inauguration.

"They don't care about diversity, they don't care about different people, they don't care about homosexuals, they don't care about women, most importantly to me, anyway, as a woman," protester Alex Christopher, who traveled to Washington from West Virginia, told AFP.

Brandon Bourg, a 22-year-old law student attending the "Deploraball" from Louisiana told AFP: "You know -- First Amendment, freedom of speech, freedom to be violent, it's good."

"Violence solves things... but I mean, we're the ones that won in the end," he said.

The name of the event is a play on Hillary Clinton's campaign statement criticizing half of Trump's supporters as a "basket of deplorables."

Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday, with an estimated 800,000 people expected to gather on the National Mall to watch.
During Guzman's reign, his Sinaloa drug cartel's empire expanded across the globe, its tentacles stretching from the Americas to Europe and Asia.

After two legendary prison breaks, Guzman was finally corralled by Mexican marines in January 2016 and extradited to the United States on Thursday, ending his decades-long cat-and-mouse game with the authorities.

While his cartel is synonymous with violence and drug addictions, Guzman became a legend of Mexico's underworld, with musicians singing his praises in folk ballads known as "narcocorridos," tributes to drug capos.

He fooled the government with his cartel's engineering feats, building tunnels to ship drugs under the US-Mexico border and help him escape the authorities.

While he has nurtured a Robin Hood image back home, his cartel fought bloody turf wars with rivals, contributing to the drug conflicts plaguing Mexico.

Guzman grew so rich that he was on Forbes magazine's list of billionaires, but he dropped out in 2013 after spending much of his wealth on protection.

"I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats," Guzman boasted to Sean Penn in a clandestine meeting that they had and that the US actor wrote about for Rolling Stone magazine last year.

Guzman said in a video message to Penn that his family was "very humble, very poor" and that his mom made bread in the village of La Tuna.

"I sold oranges, I sold soft drinks, I sold candy," he said, claiming he entered the drug business at age 15 because there were "no job opportunities."

"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," he said.

Guzman was born on April 4, 1957, in Badiraguato, a municipality known as the cradle of several drug lords.

He was recruited by Guadalajara cartel boss Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, known as "The Godfather" of Mexico's modern drug cartels.

After Felix Gallardo was arrested in 1989, Guzman's Sinaloa cartel began its meteoric rise. But he had enemies.

A gunfight in May 1993 at the airport of Guadalajara killed the western city's archbishop, Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas Ocampo, allegedly because he was mistaken for Guzman.

He was arrested in Guatemala in June 1993. Eight years later, he pulled off his first prison break, sneaking out inside a laundry cart in 2001.

It took 13 years for the authorities to grab him again, in February 2014, in a condo in the Sinaloa resort of Mazatlan, where he was hiding with his wife, Emma Coronel, and their US-born twin daughters.

But 17 months later, Guzman fled again, humiliating President Enrique Pena Nieto's administration.

This time, his henchmen had built a 1.5-kilometer (one-mile) tunnel that opened in his cell's shower. He zoomed out by hopping on a modified motorcycle mounted on rails.

But it only took six months for the marines to catch him again in Los Mochis, a coastal town in Sinaloa.

Officials say his soft spot for Mexican-American actress Kate del Castillo led to his downfall.

Mexican officials leaked to the media phone intercepts of his flirtatious text messages to the star, who brokered Guzman's meeting with Penn in October 2015.

Guzman married at least three times. He has several children, including two sons accused by the US authorities of having "significant" roles in the Sinaloa cartel. Another son, Edgar, was shot dead in 2008.
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.

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.

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.
The oath of office I take today is the oath of allegiance to all Americans.

Whether we are black, red or white, we all bleed the blood of the same patriots, Trump added.

Trump also said that he would make the American people the focus of his presidency.

We are not taking power from one president to the other or from one party to the other but we are taking power from Washington to you, the people, Trump said.

January 20, 2017 will go into history as a day that the people become the president of this country again.

I will fight for you with every blood in my body and I will never ever let you down.

America will start winning again, winning like never before, the president said.

He promised to concentrate on the security of the American border and the security of the country, lamenting that the country spent trillions of dollars to secure other countries instead of America.

He also promised to make affordable education, healthcare and housing the hallmark of his administration.

In a country deeply divided by Trumps and Hillary Clintons unusual campaign, Trump called for the unity of all Americans.

When America is united, we can do the impossible, he said.

The president also said that the era of vain promises was over.

It is no longer the era of talk, but now it is the era of action.

He pledged to destroy terrorists wherever they are all over the world, saying that the world will be safe and secure under his presidency.

We will seek peace and prosperity of other nations but we will put the interest and security of America first.

Let nobody tell you that it can never be done because no challenge is too big that can confront the determination spirit of the America.

The president promised to bring back the prosperity of America saying, his slogan will be Buy America, hire America.

America will start winning again, winning like never before.

We will bring back our jobs, bring back our wealth and we will bring back our dreams.

Together, we will make America great again, we will make America strong again, and we will make America better again.

Trump paid glowing tributes to former president Barack Obama and his wife for their roles in ensuring peaceful and orderly transition.
The pair will ride with their wives to the inauguration at Capitol Hill from the White House.

In the afternoon, the Obamas will attend the Inaugural Swearing-In Ceremony for Trump and the new First Lady, with outgoing Vice President Joe Biden and incoming Vice President Mike Pence and wife, Jill.

After the inauguration, Obama and wife will depart the U.S. Capitol en route Joint Base Andrews, where Obama will deliver remarks at a farewell event with staff.

Later in the afternoon, the Obamas will depart Joint Base Andrews en route Palm Springs, California.

Obama and his family will take one final flight on Air Force One to an as-of-yet-announced destination, which is customary.

As for the Bidens, the White House press office said that following the inauguration, they will travel back to Delaware on passenger Train.

Obama and Biden had earlier on Friday, left the Oval Office for the last time.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Obama was elected as the 44th U.S. president in a historic presidential election in 2008, defeating Republican nominee John McCain.

The two-term president was the first black American in history to be elected U.S. president.

The former Illinois senator, who won a re-election in 2012 for the second and last term, maintains an all-time high popularity rating throughout his presidency, which had been largely described as scandal-free.
The talks will be led by Guinean president Alpha Conde in the Gambian capital Banjul on Friday morning, according to Marcel Alain de Souza, head of the Economic Community of West African States.

"We have suspended operations and given him an ultimatum," said de Souza, who attended the swearing-in of The Gambia's new president Adama Barrow on Thursday.

"If by midday, he doesn't agree to leave The Gambia under President Conde we really will intervene militarily," he added.

De Souza said there had been "a few warning shots so far" and it was "out of the question that he remains where he is".

"What we are asking is for him to leave," he added.

Conde will first travel to Mauritania where he will meet the country's president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz -- who led the previous round of negotiations with Jammeh on Wednesday -- and then to Banjul.

Both Conde and Aziz are "opposed to military intervention, preferring a diplomatic solution to the crisis", according to an official Mauritanian source.

Gambian state broadcaster GRTS Thursday announced the arrival of a high-level delegation from Liberia, Mauritania, Guinea and the United Nations for talks aimed at "finding a peaceful solution to the current political deadlock", according to an official statement.
OFFICIAL DETAILS ON ONE NIGHT WITH THE KLIQ AT WRESTLECON: MICHAELS, HALL, NASH AND WALTMAN TO APPEAR NIGHT BEFORE WRESTLEMANIA

Wrestlecon announced additional details on their "One Night with the Kliq" event on Saturday 4/1 in Orlando, Florida:

WRESTLECON PRESENTS ONE NIGHT WITH THE KLIQ

For one night only, Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman reunite in Orlando, Florida!

Wrestlecon is proud to announce that on Saturday April 1st, the most celebrated, controversial and influential gathering of pro wrestling talents ever - Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman - The Kliq - will reunite for special ticketed event as part of a very unique once in a lifetime experience.

Separately, they are all stars who have headlined major PPV events and have changed the course of professional wrestling, but united, the quartet were instigators of the Monday Night War as well as masters of both the political and the performance art of professional wrestling.

For the first time ever, The Kliq will gather together for a special professional individual photo opportunity for fans at 3 PM, posing with fans in front of a professional backdrop and printed on a 8x10, creating a "Too Sweet" moment for their greatest fans!

Michaels, Hall, Nash and Waltman will then take to the stage for an exclusive, no holds barred 90 MINUTE Question and Answer session with fans, kicking off at 5 PM. The Kliq will confront - as only they can - their collective past, present and future! After the event, the Kliq is headed in the limo to the NXT show, so this will end in plenty of time for fans to make it to NXT Takeover: Orlando.

Again, this will be a special, private ticketed event with only 870 Kliq tickets available.

Ticketing Tiers are as follows:

TIER ONE - LIMITED TO 20 ATTENDEES - $999.000 - ENTRY AT 2:45 PM

*Front of the line privilege to Individual professional photo op with the Kliq; printed on an 8x10.

*Front row seating to 90 minute Kliq Q&A.

*EXCLUSIVE 30 minute limo ride with The Kliq following the Q&A!

*EXCLUSIVE group photo with The Kliq in front of the limo; printed on 8x10!

*EXCLUSIVE Limited Edition 18"x24" Kliq poster pre-signed by all 4 members. This poster is made specifically and solely for this event.

*EXCLUSIVE ability to have one additional item of your choice signed by all four members of the Kliq prior to limo ride.

*Includes In/Out Privileges to the Event with use of the wristband



TIER TWO - Limited to 430 Attendees - $299.00 - ENTRY AT 2:45 PM

*Premium seating in rows 1-6 for the 90 minute Kliq Q&A.

*Professional group photo op with the Kliq; printed on an 8x10.

*EXCLUSIVE Limited Edition 18"x24" Kliq poster pre-signed by all 4 members. This poster is made specifically and solely for this event.

*Includes In/Out Privileges to the Event with use of the wristband



TIER THREE - Limited to 320 Attendees - $159 - ENTRY AT 4:30 PM

*General admission seating for the 90 minute Kliq Q&A.

*EXCLUSIVE Limited Edition 18"x24" Kliq poster pre-signed by all 4 members. This poster is made specifically and solely for this event.

TIER FOUR - Limited to 100 Attendees - $59.00 - ENTRY AT 4:30 PM

*General Admission seating for Q&A

All tickets for ONE NIGHT WITH THE KLIQ can be ordered NOW at https://www.showclix.com/event/one-night-only-with-the-kliq.

Wrestlecon is an annual pro wrestling gathering, bringing fans together with over 150 professional wrestling personalities from different eras, countries and wrestling promotions. The 2017 edition in Orlando, Florida will feature meet and greet sessions, Q&A sessions, live events, and much more in the most unique fan-friendly environment ever designed for the die hard professional wrestling fan. Founded in 2005, Wrestlecon has brought thousands upon thousands of fans face to face with their most beloved heroes and hated villains. For more information, visit www.Wrestlecon.com.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
WWE BACK IN ACTION TONIGHT

The Raw brand is back in action tonight with a show in Binghamton, NY. They head to Indiana, PA tomorrow and Canton, OH on Sunday. Mondays Raw emanates from Cleveland, OH.

Smackdown's tour stats tomorrow with a show in Dayton, OH. They run on Sunday in Fort Wayne, IN and Monday in Saginaw, MI. Smackdown Live is Tuesday in Toledo, OH.

NXT has events as well with a show tonight in Jacksonville, FL tomorrow in Fort Pierce, FL.

If you are going to any of the shows and can send a report, please drop me a line.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
OPEN sAtURDAY: 12:30-1:30 402 Park Drive $169,900 Wonderfully updated 3 Bed/2 Bath home just outside the main entrance to Weed Park. All new kitchen, MFL, lots of off street parking. The armsTrong Team W NE tiNg Lis 612 East 11th $97,900 227 W. Fulliam $68,900 Two bedroom possible three Wonderful 3 BR/2 Bath home. Large bedroom home situated close to dining room, updated eat-in kitchen, schools and Community Y. This newer bathroom.Fenced yard, screen porch, deck & nice landscaping. Insulated house features enclosed porch, off street parking and private backyard. 2+ car garage with heat & A/C. Steve Armstrong Dave Armstrong 299-8596 stevearmstrong@remax.net 299-1928 davearmstrong@remax.net Cherie Baker  263-5971 cherieb@remax.net honesty  integrity dependability
Watching a group of Bettendorf volunteer firefighters stomp on an ice shelf until it collapsed last weekend at Crow Creek Park made me want a turn.

Without making a request, Bettendorf firefighter Shane Peitscher offered me a chance to test the semi-frozen waters near where Duck Creek feeds into the Mississippi River.

So, I quickly donned one of the department's ice rescue suits and followed the leader to shore.

"The access here isnt necessarily the easiest, so just be careful as you walk down onto the ice," said Peitscher, who leads ice rescue training sessions for fellow firefighters and Scott Community College students.

But I wasn't worried about the steep rocky hill there that leads to the water. Although I knew the gear would keep me warm, I still felt the jitters that fill your stomach before you try something for the first time.

Prior to that moment, I never had stepped onto ice knowing quite well I'd fall into sub-freezing water.

Ice 'too unsafe' to fish

About a month ago, the Quad-Cities saw clear and consistent ice form across every major waterway in the area.

This week's soggy and warm weather, however, is flushing most of that quality ice away. Organizations are cancelling ice fishing tournaments and other related events due to the unseasonable weather.

"It's falling apart," Peitscher said.

Earlier this week, the Geneseo Izaak Walton League cancelled this weekend's annual Ice Fishing Derby on the Hennepin Canal for the second straight year.

"We dont want someone falling in and getting hurt," said Kent Anderson, treasurer of the conservation organization's chapter. "If we get cold weather in February we might do it again, but it's way too unsafe right now."

The Rock Island Conservation Club also cancelled its annual winter fishing tournament, which was scheduled for Jan. 28.

As of Friday, Princeton Outdoor Adventures still planned to hold its annual Fargin Icehole Competition on Jan. 28 at Lost Grove Lake.

Almost 300 miles west of the Quad-Cities in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the Department of Natural Resources cancelled a trout stocking scheduled for Friday at Big Lake and postponed it until the spring due to "rapidly deteriorating ice conditions."

Jeff Harrison, conservation officer for the Iowa DNR, said he received multiple calls this week about ice conditions.

"I'm reluctant to tell anybody that it's safe out there," said Harrison, who spotted several anglers Thursday on Lost Grove Lake. "Conditions can change in an hour."

On Sunday, Harrison said he's scheduled to teach members of the Quad-Cities Women's Outdoors Club about ice fishing, but noted he'd make the final call on Saturday.

"If you dont feel safe, a blue gill isnt worth it," he said.

'Get low and roll to shore'

Back in Bettendorf, we eventually stood up and quickly broke through the inch of ice beneath us. From observing the earlier training session, I knew the suit would keep me afloat in the open water, but I still felt the need to grip the solid platform that surrounded us.

The group of current and future volunteer firefighters practiced five different techniques to rescue someone in frozen water.

"It's a good chance for them to practice how they play," Peitscher said. "Even if they never get an ice rescue call, its good for them to think about."

All four of the trainees, whose fathers or grandfathers before them were firefighters, said they looked forward to their time on the ice all week.

"It's a lot better than sitting in a classroom," said Jacob Kelly, a 21-year-old Bettendorf High School grad who joined the department's volunteer staff about a year ago. "I wanted to do something in the medical field, but I didnt want to be stuck inside all day."

In cold water, Peitscher stressed the importance of breathing and remaining calm.

If you fall in, "Take one minute to clear your head and go out the way you came in," he said.

Harrison later added it's important to disperse your body weight.

"Get low and roll to shore," he said.

As we swam our way back to shore last weekend, ice shattered every time we attempted to lift ourselves and roll onto a new sheet.

"That was a lot more realistic," Peitscher said when we returned to land. "At least you got your workout in for the day."
President Donald Trump's inauguration speech Friday was a dark and depressing view of America that doesn't portray the progress made under the Obama administration, Democrats representing the Quad-Cities in Congress said on Friday.

Republicans, however, said the new president shares the peoples' priorities, and they are ready to get to work achieving them.

The day few people would have predicted a year ago, before the Iowa caucuses, came to pass on Friday with the inauguration of Trump as the nation's 45th president.

Reps. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa, and Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., didn't skip the event as about 60 of their Democratic colleagues did. But it was clear they weren't impressed with the new president's inaugural speech, in which he described "rusted-out factories" and "children trapped in poverty" but promised that this would all come to an end and the people, not Washington, would benefit from his presidency.

"I just thought it was real negative look at our country. Not inspirational, not visionary," Bustos said in an interview afterward. "He had a very different view of our country than I have."

In a statement, Loebsack said, "While one speech does not make a presidency, I had hoped Mr. Trump would have spoken less from a place of darkness and would have done more to reach out to those concerned about the tone he has used throughout the past year."

Both lawmakers have said they are willing to work with the president in areas where they agree, but both also noted they would take part in marches Saturday that are seen as a response to Trump's presidency.

Republicans, meanwhile, had a different take on the day's events.

In his own statement, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said "nobody should be surprised at the priorities laid out in President Trump's speech. It focused on the same ideals that got him elected. President Trump has given hope to many Americans who have long felt forgotten."

Grassley said Trump is empowering Americans to believe government "can work for them again."

Sen. Joni Ernst did not mention the speech in her statement, but the Iowa Republican urged that "as we head into a new administration, Washington must put the will of the people ahead of partisan politics. This is an opportunity for folks to come together on a path forward to keep our nation safe and secure and to grow our economy."
DES MOINES  Home rule, which is likely to be a frequent issue in the 2017 Iowa legislative session, was cited by both advocates and opponents of a proposed prohibition on regulating rental unit occupancy based on familial relationships.

House Study Bill 3, which is similar to a bill passed by the Iowa House in 2015, has been resurrected and was debated by lobbyists for landlords and cities Thursday.

Those representing cities called the bill a breach of home rule. Robert Palmer of the League of Cities cited an Iowa Supreme Court decision in which justices upheld Ames authority under home rule to implement such limits. Many cities, especially those with colleges and universities, limit occupancy.

While home rule is a part of the debate, Palmer told lawmakers cities ordinances protect the property rights  and values  of other property owners.

At the heart of this matter is the ability to preserve certain neighborhoods as single-family neighborhoods, he said.

If occupancy is not limited, Ames Mayor Ann Campbell said, rental units can become a magnet for massive parties that are not contained inside.

That causes problems for neighbors and, often, for police, she said.

She also reminded subcommittee members Reps. Zach Nunn, R-Bondurant, and Liz Bennett, D-Cedar Rapids, that university communities are a world unto themselves.

If the Legislature restricts cities ability to regulate rental property occupancy, Larry Murphy, who was representing Cedar Rapids, said you see a downward slide because of vehicles, parking, trash and other issues that can downgrade neighborhoods.

Joe Kelly, representing the Landlords of Iowa, called home rule a small factor and argued cities have other tools in their planning and zoning ordinances to regulate housing.

Familial status is not the core issue, he said in arguing for the bill. Just to say unrelated people living together are more of a burden than a family isnt right.

Large families may own several vehicles, create more traffic, make noise and put the same demands on city water and sewer infrastructure as unrelated adults living together, Kelly said.

Pete McRoberts, representing the ACLU-Iowa, said the proposed bill does not violate home rule or cities ability to regulate housing for the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the community.

Every protection the city needs to prevent a nuisance is absolutely is protected, is not touched by this law, he said.

No decision was made because a third subcommittee member, Rep. Jim Carlin, R-Sioux City, was absent.
DES MOINES  Military veterans conducted maneuvers at the Capitol on Wednesday, calling for improved benefits for the 230,000 who call Iowa home and protection for the collective bargaining rights of more than one-fifth of Iowa of veterans who hold public sector jobs.

At a rally with Gov. Terry Branstad and legislative leaders veterans noted their economic benefit of their $1.6 million in state benefits and $449 million a year in federal benefits.

Still, Dan Gannon of the Veterans Affairs Commission also said more needs to be done for veterans, who make up 8 percent of the state's population.

However, according to Gov. Terry Branstad, veterans account for more than their economic impact, adding that his Home Base Iowa program has helped more than 2,000 veterans find jobs  about two per day since it was created in 2014.

Thats one way to honor and recognize the men and women who accepted the call to duty to serve their country and now need our assistance and support, he said.

Attracting and retaining veterans benefits the state through their contributions to the states workforce and communities, said Branstad, who is a Vietnam-era Army veteran.

I learned to work hard. I learned the importance of duty and honor and sacrifice and service, he said. The lessons I learned in the military have served me well as governor. The traits you get from veterans are really what makes the state of Iowa the special place that it is.

Veterans are among the most important people in Iowa communities, added Sen. Wally Horn, D-Cedar Rapids, ranking member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

They are important. They are responsible. They get up in the morning and go to work. They do their jobs, said Horn, a veteran of the Korean Conflict.

Its important to preserve those jobs, labor union representatives said at a Statehouse news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Its only through having access to a good job  a career  that a veteran is enabled to live out the American Dream we fought to protect and defend, said Will Fischer, a Marine Corps veteran and executive director of the AFL-CIO Veterans Council.

Twenty-one percent of Iowa veterans work in public sector jobs  teachers, firefighters, police and correctional officers, said AFSCME Local 61 president Danny Homan, a Vietnam-era Army veteran. That includes 30 percent of female veterans, 30 percent of veterans of the second Gulf War and 36 percent of veterans with a service-connected disability.

They confront the same issues as other working Iowans with an additional layer of turmoil beyond what any civilian must bear, he said.

Politicians love to talk about how much the respect veterans, Fischer said, but sometimes the rhetoric doesnt match their record.

You cant call yourself pro-veteran if you are anti worker, Fischer said, warning lawmakers, If you come after us, we will come after you.
Breakups of any long-term relationship can take a toll on the parties involved.

Especially if that relationship stretched several decades.

But the guys at Dittmer's Service Inc., the full-service gas station at 1356 W. Locust St., Davenport, seem to be thriving one year since parting ways with Shell Oil Co.

"When they walked out, they never responded back, they never called," said Matt Dittmer, who co-owns the old-fashioned gas station with his younger brother, Scott. "Business is better than what it was before."

The four-pump station lost its big oil affiliation in January 2016 when the Dittmer brothers refused to conform to the multinational oil and gasoline companys expectations.

Specifically, the Dittmers said Shell wanted them to bulldoze their three-bay auto repair shop and add on to their existing convenience store. Shell Oil Co. is the U.S. subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, which is based in the Netherlands.

According to the owners, whose father, Bill Dittmer, purchased the property from Chet Shoeing in 1963, the station had been selling Shell fuel there since 1927.

These days, the Dittmers order and purchase their gasoline from River Valley Cooperative in Eldridge.

"I think people realized we're a family business," said Matt, who employs four full-time mechanics, including his son, Bill, who work in the garage, pump gas and staff the store's counter. "Our customers have really responded. They're the best customers in the world."

On Thursday afternoon, devout regular Gary Weatherly stopped by the Locust Street mainstay, which operates from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. every weekday, to pick up lottery tickets, a daily tradition of his.

"Where'd that young Dittmer boy go?" he shouted over the convenience store counter, writing a check to pay for his tickets. "I'm proud to be a customer here. They service all my vehicles, and I wouldn't go anywhere else."

The Dittmers estimated the remodeling work Shell wanted them to pursue could have cost upward of $300,000, an investment they think the family business would not have benefited from.

Plus, owners of the now-independent gas station said they make the bulk of their profits in their garage, which they did not want to give up.

Instead, they scraped Shell off its fuel island canopy and printed a new look on its old pumps. They spent close to $20,000 to rebrand their site, Matt said.

Resting on the storefront counter he's worked at for almost 50 years, Matt reminisced about his early teenage years when his father first put him and his brother to work.

"That's when I put Billy to work, too" said Matt, 60, who plans to work at least another 10 years before passing the business down to his son.

Outside, a smiling 27-year-old Bill Dittmer, who keeps a hand-held tire pressure gauge in his shirt pocket, greeted customer after customer by their first name and pumped their gas.

Meanwhile, other customers, including a pair of maintenance men from nearby St. Ambrose University, visited the filling station in search of a snack, another frequent occurrence. Inside, patrons will find convenience store staples, including beef jerky, Pringles and an assortment of energy drinks and juices.

As Roxy Dankert of Davenport waited while mechanics patched a tire on her vehicle, the longtime customer said the guys at Dittmer's have bailed her out several times when she's needed a lift.

"They're like family," she said. "I don't know what I'd do without them."
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 the state law, state constitutional officers, the House clerk and assistant clerk, and the Senate secretary and assistant secretary also are 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 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 think 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 jumped 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.
A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items for Thursday:

FLU PREVENTION: Rep. John Forbes, an Urbandale Democrat who is a licensed pharmacist, took matters into his own hands Thursday to help limit the potential of 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 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 asked. 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 that 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 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 affecting more than 425 students across the four partner schools, she said.

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," Schultz said. 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 think we should regulate them beyond what the federal government does," he said.

FUEL PRICES: Retail gasoline prices in Iowa generally were unchanged over the past week, holding steady at $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 a year ago. Retail diesel fuel prices in Iowa were down 2 cents a gallon from last week's price with a statewide average of $2.48. A year ago, diesel prices averaged $1.98 in Iowa. On the heating fuels side, propane prices were up 2 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.

 Times Bureau
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 under-funded for six years and are slipping  especially in rural areas  at a time when 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 the state aid boost they receive for next school year is 2 percent.

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 before turning to next years level of state aid to K-12 schools they hope to decide by mid-February.

We continue to make very good progress, House Majority Leader Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights, said 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, Senate Minority Leader Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, 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 because of 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.
PIERRE | Officials say South Dakota's tourism industry attracted a record number of visitors last year.

The South Dakota Department of Tourism said Thursday that 2016 marked the seventh consecutive year of economic growth for tourism in the state.

A new study by Tourism Economics finds 13.9 million people visited South Dakota in 2016, an increase of 1.4 percent from the previous year. Visitors spent $3.8 billion last year  an increase of 1.5 percent  and generated more than $279 million in state and local taxes.

The study also finds tourism supported more than 53,000 jobs in South Dakota last year.

South Dakota Tourism Secretary James Hagen credits effective, targeted marketing, low gas prices and landmark anniversaries for the increase.
The unidentified man could contain his emotions no longer.

I hope you burn in hell! were the words he spat out at the 17-year-old in handcuffs before storming out of a Pennington County courtroom Thursday morning.

Carlos Quevedo, 17, and fellow Rapid City resident Cody Grady, 19, are both charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Kasie Lord on Wednesday at the Loaf N Jug convenience store on Mount Rushmore Road.

Lord, 45, a clerk at that store, was stabbed to death during an alleged beer theft there.

Quevedo also faces an alternative charge of second-degree murder and a charge of first-degree robbery. Grady also faces a charge of second-degree robbery.

Grady, who appeared in court via a video linkup from the county jail, cried quietly as Magistrate Judge Scott Bogue read his charges and said the penalty for first-degree murder is death or life in prison.

Quevedo had been transported from the Western South Dakota Juvenile Services Center, where he is detained. He appeared with attorney Randy Connelly, who said he was making a special appearance at the request of Quevedos family.

Bogue told Quevedo there is a presumption he would be tried as an adult but can seek to have his case transferred to juvenile court.

Even if Quevedo is tried as an adult, the judge said he is not allowed to be sentenced to death because he is a juvenile.

A life sentence without parole on the murder charges is a possibility but not mandated, Bogue said.

The alternate second-degree murder charge means Quevedo may be convicted of either that or the first-degree murder charge but not both.

The city police report on the case, obtained Thursday from the county States Attorneys Office, provides more information on the citys second homicide of 2017 just 18 days into the year.

Around 4:43 a.m. Wednesday, an officer was dispatched to the Loaf N Jug after a woman had called in, screaming on the phone.

The woman said, You got the beer, and then started screaming, according to the report. The line was disconnected and busy on call-back.

The first officer on the scene saw a person lying on the north end of the stores parking lot. The person, Lord, was bleeding, her breathing was labored and she was unresponsive. Officers saw several stab wounds on the front and side of her torso and on her back.

An ambulance arrived and took her to Rapid City Regional Hospital, where she died.

Other officers who arrived found the knife used in the stabbing, as well as loose cans of beer and shoe prints. Officers followed the tracks.

An officer reviewed the Loaf N Jugs security video and saw two males enter the store. One grabs a case of beer and tries to leave the store without paying. Lord, who is near the register, grabs the beer from him as he walks by her.

Lord dials the phone as the person takes another case of beer. Lord moves in front of the doors to block his exit. The person pushes past her, and she struggles with him for the case of beer.

As her back is turned, the other male walks up behind her and appears to stab her several times in the back, the report said. Lord turns, puts her arms up and backs away. The attacker makes several more stabbing motions. The males disappear from the cameras view.

An officer followed the footprints to a house in the 700 block of St. Andrew Street and found Quevedo, who police said matched the attacker seen in the video. The report did not say where Grady was arrested.

Both Quevedo and Grady are being held without bond. Their next court appearance has not been set.
PIERRE | Officials say South Dakota's tourism industry attracted a record 13.9 million visitors last year.

The South Dakota Department of Tourism said Thursday that 2016 marked the seventh consecutive year of economic growth for tourism in the state.

A new study by Tourism Economics said the 13.9 million visitors represented an increase of 1.4 percent over 2015. Visitors spent $3.8 billion last year  an increase of 1.5 percent year on year  and generated more than $279 million in state and local taxes.

With all the culture and beauty we have here, weve set ourselves up for success, said Dan Tribby, manager of Prairie Edge Gallery and the Shops at Main Street Square in downtown Rapid City.

The study also showed that tourism supported more than 53,000 jobs in the state last year.

State Tourism Secretary James Hagen credits effective, targeted marketing, low gas prices and landmark anniversaries for the increase.

Last year featured a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service spotlighting the states five national parks, monuments and sites: Badlands and Wind Cave national parks, Mount Rushmore and Jewel Cave national memorials and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.

Mount Rushmore also celebrated the 75th anniversary of the end of carving on the mountain.

In 2015, the 75th Sturgis motorcycle rally and the 50th Custer State Park buffalo roundup helped bring record numbers of visitors to the Black Hills.

The 2015 motorcycle rally also brought a record 739,000 visitors to Sturgis and the Black Hills during a two-week stretch in August, and more than 21,000 attended the buffalo roundup near Custer in late September.

2015 is going to be a tough one to beat, Tribby said. But we really did well in 16, and the numbers look good for 17.

Tribby said easing of worries about a presidential election year might give people more reasons to travel in 2017.

If the economy stays pretty strong, people wont be thinking along those lines and may want to take a little breather, he said. As long as gas prices stay affordable, were a drive-in destination.
Rapid City Schools Superintendent Lori Simon rolled out the first phase of her mass reorganization plans Thursday, and although job titles may be tweaked, jobs added and some people may shift roles, no one is going to lose their job.

One of the bigger changes Simon announced at the news conference is to instructional support teachers. Currently tasked with providing students with assistance in a wide array of subjects, the role of IST employees will be refocused on improving literacy. Those employees will have to reapply for the new IST jobs, but even if they don't get one, they are guaranteed a job in the district, she said.

Assistant superintendent of administrative services Brad Berens will step down at the end of the school year, and his position is expected to be retitled assistant superintendent of educational services.

Two new management jobs will be posted in the coming months, one to focus on data analysis and the other to head up the development of an anti-bullying initiative.

My goal has been to minimize the creation of new positions and maximize our utilization of current resources, Simon said.

Also, art education may soon be added to the elementary school curriculum. A work group of principals is working on proposals for art education and will present them to the school board in early February.
Former vice-president of First Czech Russian Bank charged with $34 mln embezzlement

MOSCOW, January 20 (RAPSI, Yevgeniya Sokolova)  Former vice-president of the bankrupt First Czech-Russian Bank, Dmitry Merkulov, has been charged with embezzlement of 2 billion rubles ($34 million) committed by an organized gang, the Basmanny District Courts spokesperson Yunona Tsareva told RAPSI on Friday.

The accused has been put in detention until March 17.

Reportedly, Merkulov is accused of signing two contracts on the sale of the banks assets. The raised funds had to plug the assets hole, but did not arrive in the accounts.

According to Kommersant newspaper, the deals were concluded shortly before the bank managements removal from their posts.

Merkulov acted as the First Czech-Russian Banks vice-president just two weeks. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

The First Czech-Russian Bank become known after it had granted a loan to the French national front headed by Marine Le Pen.
Russian court upholds sentence for opposition-minded mayor

MOSCOW, January 20 (RAPSI)  The Yaroslavl Regional Court has upheld a 12.5-year prison sentence handed down to ousted Yaroslavl Mayor Yevgeny Urlashov for corruption, a courts representative told RAPSI on Friday.

Appeals filed by other defendants in the case, Urlashovs former assistant Aleksey Lopatin and former deputy of the mayor, Dmitry Donskov, were also dismissed.

Urlashov was sentenced for two corruption episodes in August.

A court accorded investigators that Urlashov along with Lopatin and another accomplice Maxim Pokalainen demanded 18 million rubles ($270,000) from a commercial entity director for participation in a municipal project realization between December 2012 and July 2013.

Pokalainen was found guilty of attempted bribery amounted to 18 million rubles and sentenced to five years in prison in December 2014. Lopatin received a 7-year prison term in this case. Donskov was acquitted.

Moreover, Urlashov was found guilty of receiving 17 million rubles ($254,000) of the total 30 million rubles bribe amount ($449,000) from a Director General of Yardstroy construction company for assistance in transfer of control block of shares belonging to the City Highway Department to Yardstroy.

The criminal case against Urlashov is one of the biggest bribe cases opened in Russia recently, considering Yaroslavls population (600,000) and the fact that Urlashov, an opposition candidate, defeated the candidate from the ruling party at the 2012 mayoral elections.

The police arrested Urlashov on July 3, 2013.

Urlashov, a member of the ruling United Russia party in 2008-2011, was a candidate for the opposition during mayoral elections in 2012. He achieved a landslide victory over a United Russia candidate Yakov Yakushev. A member of billionaire-turned-politician Mikhail Prokhorovs Civic Platform party, Urlashov planned to run for the Yaroslavl regional parliament in September 2013.

On July 18, 2013, Urlashov was removed from his mayoral post.
Russian ex-governor Belykh to remain in detention till March 24

MOSCOW, January 20 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko)  The Moscow City Court has dismissed an appeal against a ruling to extend detention of Nikita Belykh, ex-governor of the Kirov region charged with taking a large-scale bribe, until March 24, RAPSI learnt in the court on Friday.

Belykh stands charged with taking 400,000 euros in bribes. Investigators in cooperation with the Federal Security Services (FSB) officers arrested him on June 24 in a Moscow restaurant while he was allegedly accepting 150,000 euros, the third part of the bribe, then Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said earlier. Moscows Basmanny District Court ordered the detention of Belykh.

On October 12, the Moscow City Court overturned seizure of assets owned by Belykh.

Attorney Vadim Prokhorov told RAPSI that a lower court had ordered seizure of a land plot, one third of Belykh familys apartment and other property acquired long before the defendants assignment to position of governor. Therefore, items of property could not be considered as assets gained through crime.

The defendant has pleaded not guilty.

On July 28, President Vladimir Putin removed Belykh from his post of governor because of loss of trust.
Last Russian Guantanamo prisoner transferred to UAE

MOSCOW, January 20 (RAPSI)  The U.S. Department of Defense announced Friday that three detainees, among them Russian national Ravil Mingazov, are to be transferred from Guantanamo Bay high security prison to the government of the United Arab Emirates.

According to DoD, the Periodic Review Board consisting of representatives of several departments and agencies vested with determining if detainees posed a continuing significant threat to the security of the United States reviewed Mingazovs case yet on July 21, 2016, and recommended him for transfer having examined a number of factors, including security issues.

In the statement, the U.S. Department of Defense has expressed its gratitude to the UAE government for its humanitarian gesture and said it cooperated with UAE to ensure these transfers took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures.

Mingazov has been included in the final transfer to be completed during the administration of President Obama.

The Russian national was put in Guantanamo yet in 2002, but no charges have been filed against him to date. That year he was arrested in Pakistan and extradited to the USA. The American authorities allege that Mingazov had fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan and had links to a terrorist group in Uzbekistan. However, the detainee has denied any wrongdoing.

A delegation headed by Konstantin Dolgov, the Russian Foreign Ministry's (MFA) Special Representative for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, could first visit Mingazov only in 2014.

Although the Russian government has repeatedly requested Mingazov extradition to Russia, the U.S. authorities refused his transfer.

The Department of Defense says in the statement that today 41 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay.
Great Falls, MT  It has been a grueling year for the Montana State Grain Lab, with locations in Great Falls and its secondary lab in Plentywood, MT.The lab will have a booth at the MAGIE, where Greg Stordahl, bureau chief of the State Grain Lab, will explain about the services the lab offers, and display some of the many crops it grades each year.Weve had a rough year in 2016 but we are back on track for the upcoming new year, Stordahl said.Inspectors have finally finished grading the backlog of samples from the 2016 harvest and the lab has returned to priority service.We were down to three inspectors after harvest, and harvest was very early this year. Then, a down commodity market led to a high volume of samples since producers sent in more than usual in order to be able to market their crops better, Stordahl said.In addition, there were many issues of vomitoxin in durum and barley in isolated areas in Montana and North Dakota.The lab helped out the North Dakota State Grain Lab and took on many of their vomitoxin samples.We had an overwhelming amount of samples with vomitoxin, he said.In addition, the lab is sampling more Khorasan ancient grain for producers in several states, including the Kamut brand of Khorasan.Some of it is organic, but a lot of it is not, he said, adding that other states dont grow the large amount of Khorasan that Montana does, so they dont know how to grade it as well as the Montana lab inspectors do.Montana producers are also shifting to more pulses in recent years, and that has changed the amount of pulse samples and the need for more inspectors with a pulse crop license.We used to grade 70-80 percent wheat and barley samples. Now, we are 50 percent wheat and barley and more than 45 percent peas, lentils and chickpeas, Stordahl said.Pulses take a longer time to grade and analyze any damage issues.Pulses take a great eye to grade it correctly, and our testing to become a pulse inspector is very strenuous, Stordahl said.Pulses must have a federal regulatory grade on them before they ship out of the state of Montana, while wheat and barley get their federal grade at the port in Portland, OR.The number of samples of all grain has increased at the lab.We used to take on 18,000 samples in a 12-month period, but this past year, we sampled 26,000 in a three-month period, he added. It has been grueling.In November, two licensed inspectors came on board to help the staff catch up on the backlog.Currently, the Montana Grain Lab has five inspectors in their main location at Great Falls, and two at their second lab in Plentywood, where pulse crops started in the state.Next year, they are set up to have more inspectors go through the six-month testing to become licensed to grade the grain and pulses.Weve had our inspectors working overtime since August to get caught up, Stordahl said. And we want to thank our producers for their patience during these past few months.The Montana State Grain Laboratory, located in Great Falls, is the only federally licensed crop quality testing facility in the state of Montana. It operates within guidelines established by the USDA Federal Grain Inspection Service and the U.S. Grain Standards Act.
RONAN  The largest of half a dozen job-training grants announced Monday by Gov. Steve Bullock will go to the Jore Corporation of Ronan.

The company, which manufactures power tool accessories, is adding more CNC (computer numerical control) machines to keep up with a growing demand for its products.

With them will come a 10 percent increase in jobs at Jore, which currently employs 200 people, according to human resources manager Tiffani Kinaman.

Two Missoula companies also received Primary Sector Workforce Training Grants from the state. Statewide, the grants are worth more than $411,000 and will fund training for 84 new jobs, according to Bullock.

Twenty-one of those jobs will be created at Jore, which uses traditional and non-traditional shifts to keep the CNC machines in its 300,000-square-foot plant operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In addition to standard day, swing and graveyard shifts, Jore also employs machine operators who work three 12-hour days  either Friday through Sunday, Saturday through Monday or mid-week  to keep production running round-the-clock.

Were looking for hard workers who are interested in the opportunity to move up and make a good living, Kinaman said. CNC operators start at $11 an hour, receive excellent benefits including health care and paid time off, and pay increases with training and experience, she added.

Much of the $105,000 grant Jore received will be used to advance current employees through more training, Kinaman said. The 21 new jobs will backfill their starting-level positions.

Also receiving grants are Consumer Direct Care Network, and Advanced Technology Group, both of Missoula.

Together, the grants will help train people for 25 new jobs in the city.

Consumer Direct Care Network, which provides services and support to older adults and people with disabilities that allow them to live independently, will add 17 positions according to the state. Its grant is worth $85,000.

President and CEO Ben Bledsoe said the company employs approximately 230 people in Missoula who provide support for 16,000 clients nationwide. Those clients, in turn, employ about 24,000 caregivers.

Bledsoe said the grant will actually help provide training support funding for 40 positions that have or will be created between September 2016 through August 2018. Already, he said, jobs have been created for customer service representatives, a process improvement analyst, a quality improvement supervisor, a systems analyst and in the payroll department.

Consumer Direct Care Network will move into a new corporate campus this spring, consolidating five offices spaces it now utilizes around Missoula.

Advanced Technology Group received a $40,000 job-training grant, and will add eight new jobs. ATG focuses on the integration and automated management of end-to-end business processes on the sell side, known as quote to cash.

Also receiving grants Monday:

Humanic Growth Solutions of Shelby, a global manufacturer and distributor of humic and fluvic acid products. It got $90,000 to assist with the training for 18 new jobs.

First Call Resolution of Great Falls, which provides an outsourced live agent contact center and business process solutions to sectors of the new economy, including high tech, startup, mobile commerce, wireless, telecom, finance and insurance. It will be training for a dozen new jobs, aided by a grant of $51,017.

Headframe Spirits of Butte, a micro-distillery that makes vodka, gin, whiskey and bourbon, and also engineers and constructs continuous-flow distillation equipment. It got $40,000 to assist in the training for eight new jobs.

Our economy is growing and businesses are expanding, Bullock said in announcing the grants. Im pleased that we can help these Montana businesses build the talented and trained workforce they need.

The deadline for applying for the next round of Primary Sector Workforce Training Grants is March 1. For more information, visit www.wtg.mt.gov or call section manager Annmarie Robinson at 841-2250.

The grants encourage the creation of jobs in primary sector businesses, defined as those having 50 percent or more of their sales outside Montana.

This funding provides an essential job-training incentive for new businesses to locate in Montana, and provides existing primary sector businesses with essential support to train employees in new jobs that allow the businesses to expand  without leaving the state, according to the Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development.

Qualifying businesses are eligible for up to $5,000 for each net new full-time job created, and $2,500 for each net new part-time job that pays at least 170 percent of the state minimum wage.

The funds are not provided to grant winners until the jobs have been created and the qualifying wage and eligible expenses have been incurred, according to the state website.
Creating stronger ties and improving recruitment were the key topics at the Bitterroot College Advisory Council with administration guests from the University of Montana, Wednesday.

University of Montana Provost Beverly Edmond, Vice President Tom Crady, Associate Provost Nathan Lindsay, and Violet Hawkins (enrollment and recruiting specialist from Montana College), visited the Bitterroot College campus for the first time Wednesday.

We are trying to make this a better relationship, Edmond said. I appreciate all you do here. You are important part of the University of Montana family.

The meeting was led by council chair Dixie Stark. She introduced Associate Provost Nathan Lindsay as a new member who will work to provide better continuity of communication with the university.

Crady has been working to improve recruitment and practices for retention of students at the University of Montana.

When I came in June we were two months behind in processing applications, he said. Ive never encountered that before. We did a really good job of driving students away, theres no other way to describe it.

Crady said that applicants are hoping for feedback within a week.

We lost a lot of applications simply because we didnt respond, he said. It is so competitive these days that you have to be able to turn on a dime and be really agile and respond to market pressures and we were not doing that well.

Crady said UM now has the right computer system and more staff to evaluate applications quickly. They have sent out invitations to apply, started recruiting high school juniors and sophomores and contracted with Raise Me.

It is a program that gives micro-scholarships for good grades, Crady said. Beginning in ninth grade students can sign up.

Grades and attendance are rewarded financially. That money accumulates through high school and can be used at the University of Montana, Montana College and Bitterroot College.

We started in November and have over 8,000 students who are actually signed up for the University of Montana, Crady said. That program costs us $9,000 a year and is worth its weight in gold.

The goals of the program are to keep students in high school and allow them to generate money for college. Crady said the Raise Me program would be a big help to Bitterroot College.

The University of Montana has applications from every state but Crady said he doesnt have the recruitment staff to meet with applicants beyond Montana. He toured towns in Montana and met with high school counselors.

We dont have a very good narrative and people dont see us very positively, Crady said.

Factors to that image include the number of out-of-state students, the safety perceptions, bad news, challenging registration policies and no focus on customer satisfaction.

Crady said the numbers of students has dropped; the university graduated 3,000 and there are 1,500 freshmen schedule to begin in the fall.

Victoria Clark, president of Bitterroot College, asked if retention were part of the equation to increase enrollment.

Crady responded that making registration easier and giving students in Dual Enrollment a satisfying experience with the University of Montana will be a big improvement.

Lindsay said, Improved customer service has been a big focus on [the UM] campus since our conference in October.

We are working toward a student-centered culture, he said.

Edmond said that when she arrived there was a total misunderstanding of the scope of enrollment management.

There was not a synchronized, coordinated engine in place to do persistency and completion strategies, she said. We need to look at each student, find out why they are here, what are the barriers and then we need to put into place the strategies to address those barriers.

Edmond said synergy, retention, persistence and completion are key components to success.

Weve got to get these massive problems fixed or were never going to make progress, Crady said. We are making good progress, every day we are changing things. Students that pass up the University of Montana, the Bitterroot College and Missoula College are passing up a great education.

Stark said she is proud of the Bitterroot College and looks forward to working closer with the University of Montana.
The Bitterroot Stockgrowers Association honored five Steer of Merit Award winners at their banquet Saturday.

Ravalli County Extension Agent Katelyn Andersen said the Steer of Merit program recognizes youth who selected and raised a quality product for a consumer to enjoy. The meat is evaluated after the Ravalli County Fair and Livestock Sale.

The youth and animals that are recognized with the title of Steer of Merit have produced an animal that fit within specific standards set by Montana Stockgrowers and MSU Extension, Andersen said. In laymans terms, these kids have produced a product that consumers are looking for when they purchase meat in the grocery store; the marbling, color and moisture of the meat.

A Steer of Merit Committee consisting of Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) members and MSU Extension representatives oversees the statewide beef carcass contest.

At the banquet on Saturday, Steer of Merit awards were presented to Nyssa Schairer, 1st Ravalli County, 15th Montana; Sam Dunn, 2nd Ravalli County, 16th Montana; Sam Kearney, 3rd Ravalli County, 17th Montana; Annalie Cleavland, 4th Ravalli County, 27th Montana and Tanner Pendergast, 5th Ravalli County, 29th Montana.

Corvallis 8th grade student Nyssa Schairer said she was excited her steer received the rank of top carcass.

I enjoyed going to the banquet, she said. I didnt believe I had won until I got the certificate. I like 4-H and I want to go to school to be a vet.

Schairer said she is raising a steer and a heifer this year and is looking forward to being in FFA in high school.

Julie Schairer said her daughter was thrilled.

The goal in raising a market beef is to have the best cut ability and it was neet to have everything come together, Julie said. The steer was unusual because he was white with black spots, a White Park and Black Angus cross, from Two Feathers ranch in Darby. It was neat because so many people stop her at the fair to talk with her about her beautiful beef.

Andersen said each 4-H member with a beef project has a goal of raising a quality product for consumers.

It is part of the reason why we have repeat buyers at our livestock sale, she said.

Each winter, 4-H members select their animal. To sell it at the upcoming Ravalli County 4-H and FFA Livestock Sale, they must attend Beef Weigh-In Day on the first Saturday of January. Their animal is weighed, measured, tagged and tattooed to mark their animal as their project.

The youth then spend many a cold morning and evening feeding and caring for their animal, Andersen said. After any livestock project, most members develop a strong sense of responsibility and a solid understanding of nutrition. I admire these youth who are determined to raise the best animal possible for their consumers by researching and applying their knowledge learned from their project leaders and parents.

Andersen said she was proud of the five Steer of Merit awardees in Ravalli County.

All of these members placed in the top half compared to the rest of Montana, she said. For the upcoming Ravalli County Fair, we had 46 youth weigh-in 50 steers with one Bred Beef Heifer. The next 4-H and FFA Livestock Sale at the fairgrounds will begin at 8 a.m. on Sept. 2.
Kellieann Morris knows her weeds.

She can tell what they look like. If you ask, shell let you know why theyre bad. And best of all, shell tell you how to kill them all.

The Ravalli County Noxious Weed Coordinators longtime efforts to stamp out noxious weeds were recognized this past weekend at the 60th annual gathering of the Montana Weed Control Association where she was named Weed Fighter of the Year.

I was a little surprised when they called my name, Morris said. But I guess we did have had a very busy year.

While Morris might have been surprised at the honor, folks closer to home arent.

When you start talking with other people around the state, you realize pretty quickly that shes recognized as being a statewide leader in the fight against noxious weeds, said Ravalli County Commissioner Jeff Burrows. Every time you talk to her, she has something new going on.

That can run the gamut from attacking new invaders to finding ways to spread bugs that feast on knapweed to raft trips designed to control the spread of blueweed.

This year she worked with the Bitterroot National Forest to keep a new invader called Rush Skeleton Weed corralled on private lands south of Darby. She also went to work to find funding to help private landowners keep weeds from getting a foothold on lands were burned over by the Roaring Lion Fire.

Quite a bit of it is outside of the box kind of stuff, Burrows said.

This past year, Morris said shes been really proud of new video series on Montanas noxious weeds produced by Elk Horn Productions.

She knew some members of the production crew whose initial focus was on creating a hunting series.

I looked at their work and said Oh my. This is really professional, Morris said. And then I thought thats why hunting is so great around here. We have a lot of great weed fighters.

So she found some funding to produce an initial video about a particularly nasty noxious weed called blueweed.

We sent that in and then next thing you know, were working on making a video for every weed there is, she said.

So far, theyve produced 20 videos that identify a particular weed, offer some information on the damage it can do and then it tells landowners the best ways to keep it under control.

They are really well done, Morris said. Its one of the best educational tools we have going. You can look at a picture in a book and still not be sure what youre looking at. These videos make it really clear.

Other weed districts in the region were impressed enough that theyve borrowed the videos and done their best to spread them far and wide. Besides Montana, the videos are being used in Idaho, Wyoming, Washington and the Dakotas.

Morris didnt stop there.

Somehow I got wrangled into doing a radio show this year too, she said.

Her voice ended up on the Northern Ag Networks Voices of Montana program. That hour-long talk was such a success that now theres talk that she should do a radio program once a week to spread her weed-fighting words.

It does seem like theres a lot of things taking place right now, Morris said.

Stacy Pease serves on Ravalli Countys Weed Board. What impresses her most is Morris ability to leverage the countys money with state and federal funding to create a program that can really make a difference.

She does a lot of hard work and brings in a lot of money into the county to fight noxious weeds to protect private and agricultural lands, Pease said. Thats huge. Every county in the state has a weed district, but not many are as successful as ours. Shes just at a different level than others. We all really appreciate her efforts.

Because weeds dont recognize a line on a map, Pease said Morris has made it a point of working closely with the Bitterroot National Forest and other public lands managers to keep weeds at bay.

That kind of collaboration and coordination is vital, Pease said. She cooperates and works really well with other agencies and specifically the Forest Service. Thats been a real benefit to our county.

Finding ways to leverage funding is vitally important for Ravalli County, Burrows said.

Were always facing budget shortfalls, he said. When you have to make choices between public safety and roads versus controlling weeds, it can be a challenge. She does a great job of leveraging those county funds.

Kaaren Robbins of the Montana Weed Control Association nominated Morris for the award.

The awards recipient is selected by the associations membership.

Its very much an honor to be selected for the award, Robbins said. She really is amazing. Shes like the energizer bunny. Im always asking her to let a little bit of that rub off on me.
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.
HELENA - 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 some youth inmates and operates a pilot program for offenders 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.
KATHMANDU, Jan 20: Former President Dr Ram Baran Yadav's health is normalizing. He was admitted to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital at Maharajgunj on Thursday after complaining of stomach ailment.

His health was examined today including endoscopy, among other checks, the former President's son, Chandra Mohan Yadav, said.

The medical report after carrying out various tests shows normal results. A group of senior physician Prem Khadka is involved in the former President's medical check-up.

Doctors have advised the former Head of State to take rest for some days. RSS
Kathmandu, Nepal: Nepali student living in Sydney of Australia has been found dead.

According y the media reports the dead student has been identified as Niraj Lal Shrestha of Bafal Kathmandu.

He had moved to Australia about three years ago in a student VISA.

Dead body of Shrestha was founded in a railway station at Sydney on Thursday night.

Though the investigation is underway by the Sydney police, death of Shrestha is reported as mysterious.
A brash new U.S. president is on a collision course with a Chinese leader bent on consolidating power.





Politico

Donald Trump talked tough on China on the presidential campaign trail. He threatened to retaliate against an adversary thats raping our country in trade. He vowed to slap 45 percent tariffs on Chinese imports, and to declare Beijing a currency manipulator on Day One in the White House. Yet even after Trumps startling victory, many Chinese were unruffled. Why? Because they saw Trump as an isolationist who would allow them to work their will in the Asia-Pacific region.

As recently as October, many Chinese also believed hed take a pragmatic approach toward Beijing. Unlike traditional idealistic politicians who tend to place ideological values such as democracy and human rights as [their] priority, Trump has more realistic interests, analyst Li Haidong of the Foreign Affairs University said at the time. As a businessman, he understands the importance of making profit through cooperation.

[Chinese] expectations were higher than they ought to have been, says Doug Paal, vice president of the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, who headed the American Institute in Taiwan from 2002-2006. He recalled a Chinese acquaintance declaring the U.S. president-elect a pragmatist on China because Trump was a CEO, steeped in the art of the deal. He thought Beijing officials could simply tell Trump, Well do Asia and you do the rest, Paal said.

But the weeks since the election have given Chinese leaders reason to rethink that optimism. Trump has infuriated Beijing by suggesting Washingtons longstanding acknowledgement of a one China principle might be up for negotation in trade talks. He tweeted that China had stolen a U.S. underwater drone, which Beijings navy had seized, then returned after a few days. He named Peter Navarro, one of Americas most vocal China hawks, to join his White House team. His secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson, vowed to deny China access to islands in the South China Seaa move some in Beijing would see as an act of war. The president-elect also has blamed Chinese leaders for doing nothing to stop their bellicose neighbor, North Koreas Kim Jong Un, from developing nukesan accusation that will not wear well in Beijing. And, of course, he shared a phone call with the leader of Taiwan, breaking with 37 years of diplomatic protocol.

Beijing, in short, appears to have completely misread Trumps intentionsand many there know it now. China needs to face up to the reality, concluded a recent editorial in the Global Times, a hawkish state-backed tabloid, that the Trump team maintains a hard-line attitude. Says Paul Haenle, founding director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center in Beijing, who served in the White House for five years under Bush and Obama: Its increasingly apparent to China that the Trump administrations vision for the Asia-Pacific will likely mean more strategic pressure, not less.

It all comes at the worst possible time for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is looking ahead to a politically tricky Party Congress in late 2017, when key policies will be debated and a large number of top decision-making posts will turn over. The last thing he wants is to be distracted by a White House that intends to challenge nearly every aspect of the Sino-U.S. relationshipor to appear weak in its face.

Already, leading Chinese hawks are spewing nationalistic rhetoric, putting pressure on Xi and raising the odds of a dangerous clash with an unpredictable American president China barely understands. In December, at a Beijing seminar organized by the Global Times, Dai Xua Peoples Liberation Army senior colonel and commentator known for his hawkish views warned: If the U.S. chooses military confrontations against China in this region, the U.S. side will lose the battle for sure. Added professor Jin Canrong of Renmin University, China is a dragon. America is an eagle. Britain is a lion. When the dragon wakes up, the others are all snacks.

***

Trumps phone call with the leader of Taiwan could be written off as a rookie mistake. Far more sobering, to Beijing, was the Dec. 21 appointment of Navarro  a 67-year-old business professor and author of books such as Death by China: How America Lost its Manufacturing Base  to head a new National Trade Council in the White House. The Harvard-trained economists book became a 2012 Netflix documentary, featuring imagery like a knife (representing China) stabbing a bleeding United States. Navarro believes China and America are already locked in combat over trade. He sees China as the worlds biggest gulag and disease incubator, a repressive, rapacious, polluting police state and dystopia reeking with the raw stench of a gut-wrenching, sweat-stained fear. Navarro warns in the film: Help defend America and protect your family: dont buy made in China. He recently predicted that China will probably soon implode, but beforehand itll likely seek to distract domestic attention with crises abroad, probably through conflicts in the South China Sea or Taiwan.

Navarros trade council may ultimately have little power, but among Chinese analysts, hes become something of an obsession. Most of Trumps accusations against China are influenced by Navarro, observes Liu Haidong of China Foreign Affairs University, who anticipates Trump will make major trade policy shifts to give China a head-on blow.

Some Chinese analysts still hope Trump will listen to more China-friendly advisers, such as his son-in-law Jared Kushner, whos sought deals with Chinese firms. If implemented skillfully, what one Beltway insider called Washington workarounds could allow Trump to appear to fulfill his hawkish campaign promises on China trade without sabotaging bilateral relations. Washington could levy selective tariffs on Chinese steel imports into the U.S., for example, without going all the way to 45 percent tariffs on all imports, a level most analysts consider unsustainable.

But the potential for hawkish policies under Trump is by no means limited to trade. In a Nov. 7 article in Foreign Policy, Navarro and co-author Alexander Grey faulted the meekness of Barack Obamas Asian pivot or rebalancing towards Asia, dismissing it as talking loudly but carrying a small stick. While China militarized rapidly, Obama allowed the U.S. navy to shrink and the American military to suffer a readiness crisis due to defense sequestration, they argue, citing the horror story of naval aviators taking spare aircraft parts from museums to keep their planes flying. Gray and Navarro said Trump would beef up the U.S. naval presence in the Pacific, embrace U.S. allies like South Korea as bedrocks of stability in the region, and support Taiwan as a beacon of democracy  possibly even helping it develop submarines.

That kind of talk from such a close Trump adviser makes Chinese strategists jittery. They fear Trumps China-bashing isnt just rhetoric. While running for president, Ronald Reagan said Washington should restore official relations with Taiwan (after the U.S. de-recognized Taipei in favor of Beijing in December 1978), for example, and Bill Clinton excoriated the butchers in Beijing. In both cases, those stray comments were forgotten not long after the candidates became presidents. Trump, who blasted Chinese trade policies at rally after rally, could be another story. Unlike Reagan or Clinton, who mainly criticized Beijing on issues such as human rights, Trump is coming into office on an explicitly anti-China ticket, notes Arthur R. Kroeber, managing director of GaveKal-Dragonomics and author of Chinas Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know. Thats different  and it could get scary.

Chinese officials worry, too, about Trumps outreach to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Beijing has benefited and prospered during the years of escalating tension between Moscow and Washington. Chinese officials dismiss suggestions that their relations with Moscow are anything but robust and comradely. But some Russians find the Chinese treat them with complacency and arrogance. And there is no question that a sudden Moscow-Washington rapprochement could throw into disarray Beijings long-term foreign-policy calculations. In the eyes of his domestic constituency, Xi wants to appear confident and proactive on the global stage, not the odd man out in a shape-shifting geopolitical love triangle. But Xi knows how quickly such three-way relations can change. After all, it was U.S. President Richard Nixons surprise China visit in 1972 that opened the door to Sino-U.S. rapprochement, isolating the Soviet Union.

Trump also frightens Chinese officials because he seems so cavalier about Beijings core interests. Traditionally, those included Taiwan, Tibet and human rights issues symbolized by the 1989 protest movement in Tiananmen Square  sometimes dubbed the three Ts. More recently, China added its claims in the South China Sea to the list.

Of these, Taiwan is the most sacrosanct of all Chinas red lines. Beijing authorities see it as a maverick province that ultimately must reunite with the mainland, by force if necessary. Chinese relief that Trump barely mentioned Taiwan during his campaign turned into shock and outrage when, shortly after he won the election, Trump took a congratulatory phone call from Taiwans leader Tsai Ing-wen  a step his predecessors deemed too provocative. Then came Trumps comments about Taiwan as a bargaining chip, which Beijing saw as hugely threatening to its sovereignty. Taiwan [can] suck all of the oxygen out of the relationship if it becomes an issue, observes Carnegie-Tsinghuas Haenle. This could be a very negative development for U.S.-China relations.

Trumps movesand the response from Chinese hawksare putting enormous pressure on Xi and his team at a particularly delicate political moment. Long before Trumps election upset, Xi began preparing for the 19th Communist Party Congress, scheduled for late 2017 (the exact date remains secret). The Congress will almost certainly grant Xi a second five-year term as party head. But thats not what worries Xi. At the Congress, hes expected to try to alter the age and term limits observed by senior communist officials, and perhaps timeworn succession procedures as well. Such changes wont be universally popular in a bureaucracy already rattled by Xis draconian anti-corruption campaign.

That means over the next months, Xi needs to immerse himself in consensus-building and political horse-trading back home, without overseas distractions. Beijing has placed an enormous premium on stability. Intense political jockeying is already underway in China, and the economy faces increasingly serious and difficult challenges, says Haenle of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center. The last thing Xi Jinping wants is big problems in the U.S.-China relationship or on the Taiwan issue that require him to have to divert considerable time and attention.

It also means Xito stay popular at homesimply cannot afford to appear weak next to Trump. On the trade front, Beijing is ready in case the new administration follows through on Trumps threats. While Capitol Hill will not likely accept 45 percent tariffs on Chinese imports, even without congressional approval Trump has discretion to levy up to 15 percent tariffs for months, enough time for Beijing to feel the pinch and respond in kind. Chinese officials would likely restrict U.S. agricultural imports, and turn to Airbus instead of Boeing when shopping for new aircraft. (The economies of China and America are so intertwined that both sides will suffer; in September, China became the worlds first trillion-dollar aviation market, with plans to buy 6,810 aircraft over the next 20 years, and Boeing expects to provide a lot of them.) American firms operating in China could also experience deeper regulatory scrutiny, more inspections and other bureaucratic hassles that are legal but irritating nonetheless.

More unpredictable tit-for-tat reactions will result if Trump trespasses on core Chinese interests. The chance of an irreversible Sino-U.S. blow-up over Taiwan diminished briefly in early January when Trump and his transition team kept their distance as Tsai travelled to Central America, with a transit stopover in Houston. But Beijing objected to the Taiwanese leaders meeting with prominent Republicans such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and Chinese media editorials warned Trump that China would exact revenge if he reneged on longstanding U.S. policy towards Taiwan. Already, Chinese hardliners are calling for PLA fighter jets to buzz Taipei to compel Tsai to support a one China principle. If she does not, Wang Hongguang, former deputy commander of the Nanjing Military Region, told a conference in early December that military conflicts could occur between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan by 2020. It is quite possible that the mainland will take the island in one stroke.

Meanwhile, mainland China has already embarked on a diplomatic offensive to try to woo away from Taiwan some smaller countries  mostly in Central America and Africa  that still have diplomatic ties with Taipei instead of Beijing. Taiwan and the mainland had observed an eight-year diplomatic truce in this contest. But now Xi has decided the gloves are off. The latest to defect by de-recognizing Taipei is the flyspeck African nation of Sao Tome and Principe (population 200,000), which established diplomatic ties with Beijing on Dec. 26. Nicaragua and the Vatican could be next, if Beijings campaign succeeds.

A risk of miscalculation exists on the high seas, where diplomats and military personnel from both China and the United States are vying for influence, testing each other and at times colliding in testosterone contests. Especially while Trump and Xi are still strangers, each with hawks back home lobbying in favor of more aggressive action, close encounters between aircraft or marine vessels could risk the two giants sleepwalking into a war, as Zhou Bo of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Academy of Military Sciences put it in an op-ed in the state-run China Daily.

This wouldnt be the first time Beijing tested the resolve of a newly minted U.S. president. In 2001, ten weeks after George W. Bush was inaugurated, a Chinese navy vessel nearly rammed the U.S. oceanographic vessel USNS Bowditch in the Yellow Sea. One week later, a Chinese jet fighter collided with a U.S. Navy EP-3 reconnaissance plane not far from Chinas southern Hainan Island. Chinas aircraft crashed, killing the pilot. The EP-3 was forced to land on Hainan. Eleven days of negotiations later, China released the 24-member American crew. The plane was eventually returned, in pieces.

Beijing tested Obama a couple months after his inauguration, too. In March 2009, the American USNS Impeccable was towing a low-frequency sonar system to monitor submarine activity in the South China Sea, where several countries have conflicting claims  China among them. Near Hainan, the U.S. ship was shadowed by five PLA vessels; Chinese sailors waved national flags and ordered the Americans to leave. A maritime melee erupted. The U.S. side opened up with water cannon. Chinese sailors stripped down to their underwear. Ships from both sides veered within 25 yards of each other. Finally, Impeccable signaled its intent to depart. But Chinese vessels didnt allow it to leave until the crew aboard one of them tried to use a grappling hook to snag the American ships towed sonar array.

Whats different today, as Trump prepares to take office, is that Beijings technological expertise, its military capabilities and the expectations of its people have all grown steadily over the years. A decade ago, Chinese had no idea who was spying on whom hundreds of miles out to sea. Today, even some Chinese teenagers can rattle off the names of American spy planes that are closely observing the PLA navys sole aircraft carrier Liaoning on its maneuvers, or a Chinese diesel submarines port call in Borneo. Ordinary Chinese know the United States is using naval drones to gathering data on everything from water salinity to the activities of Beijings nuclear submarine fleet. Many arent pleased. And their nationalistic voices, demanding muscular action in the face of minor incursions or diplomatic gaffes, might prod Xi to respond more assertively than his consensus-minded predecessors would have.

So, what will Xi do? Expect more friction that stops short of outright conflict, along the lines of the Chinese navys recent construction of landing strips and other military installations on uninhabited atolls of the disputed South China Sea, or its Dec. 15 surveillance drone snatch, which the Pentagon called unlawful. Insisting its actions are purely defensive in nature, Chinas Defense Ministry has warned, If others are flexing their military muscles on your doorstep, are you not even supposed to have a slingshot at hand, just in case?

Beijings scramble to prevent the United States and other countries from trespassing on its core interests will reach further afield, and assume different forms. When China deems it too risky to directly confront America, expect it to try to charm, bully and cajole smaller states, offering financial aid along the way. Chinese leaders clearly aim to to replicate their dramatic 2016 diplomatic turnaround with the Philippines, where U.S. criticism has helped drive the autocratic President Rodrigo Duterte into the welcoming arms of Beijing. And then theres the possiblity of a U.S.-China trade war, which is looking more and more likely. If Trump continues on his current trajectory, relations between Beijing and Washington are about to get a whole lot uglier.
If you really believe people are causing climate change and that it is world ending, then the only thing to do is to aggressively promote nu...
Bank of Ghana set to unveil new GH5 notes

Bank of Ghana has announced that it will unveil new bank notes in five cedi denominations from March as the regulator celebrates its 60th anniversary.

According to the Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Johnson Asiama, the banknote will be legal tender as well as a collectors item. The note will have new durable security features which can be easily identified by the public as well as introduce other internationally acceptable security features which are sensitive to touch to aid the blind and visually challenged in identifying the banknotes, he said at the 4th Edition of the AB & David Crystal Ball Africa 2017 in Accra.



Dr. Asiama explained that, the decision to issue the new note is to climax the celebration of the central banks 60th anniversary which will take place in August 2017.



You will recall nearly a decade ago, when the Bank of Ghana celebrated its golden jubilee with currency exhibitions and road shows across the country. Once again, on the 4th of March 2017, we shall be celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Central Banking in Ghana, he said.



This is going to be the first time a new denomination will be issued under the tenure of the governor, Dr. Abdul Nashiru Issahaku. By this, it is expected that the note will bear the signature of Dr. Issahaku who may voluntarily leave his position upon a good negotiation with the the new Nana Akufo-Addo government.

The launch of the new denomination comes at a time when the bank has announced plans to release some $120 million onto the market for the first quarter of this year as part of the Central Banks plan to help stabilise the cedi through an auction.



The auction which will be restricted to licensed foreign exchange dealing banks will see the regulator, auction $40 million in January, February and March this year, totaling $120 million.

It has already released about $80 million to some commercial banks in the last quarter of 2016.

Some analyst says the intervention helped to reduce the cedi rate of depreciation which was very sharp in December 2016. However, this latest intervention has been met with mixed reactions.



Whiles some believe its a prudent decision to halt the cedis rate of depreciation, other think is not sustainable.

www.bog.gov.gh
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Spike Lee has a noted history of dissent through cinema. It is, more or less, how he rose to prominence. When you think of moments like Mookie throwing that trash can through Sal's window in Do the Right Thing, or even the depiction of Gator's crack addiction in Jungle Fever, you are seeing moments that carry the weight of the "now" without the precedence of anything that came before them. Yes, once upon a time, Spike Lee frequented in controversy and honesty as easily as he did passion and prodigious visual efficacy. And then the late 90's happened.

Part of Lee's fall from grace (critically, anyway) was self-imposed. He saw the flaws and troubling tendencies in the American studio system, and was determined to march to his own beat. The results and quality of his subsequent output varied. However, Lee's strong suits have always been his bluntness and fearlessness, no matter the end result. When he is passionate about his work (which is almost always), there is usually something to take away from it.

Fifteen months after the attacks on September 11th, Lee adapted the novel 25th Hour with the book's author David Benioff. An inflammatory and visually striking catharsis, Lee and Benioff take on the story of Ed Norton's Monty Brogan, a New York drug dealer celebrating (mourning?) his last night of freedom before surrendering himself to prison for a lengthy sentence. Lee skillfully and painfully places this story against a backdrop of post-9/11 anger, frustration, mistrust and confusion deep in the heart of New York City.

Easily Edward Norton's best performance, his portrayal of Monty is sharp and tragic with a jarring sense of both world-weariness and joy for life; street wisdom, but general naivete; rage, but also forgiveness. At any given moment in the film, Norton is balancing a myriad of different emotions that you not only see in his actions and hear in his words, but that you can read on his face like words carefully placed on the blank pages of the novel from which the film was born.

Probably the most famous scene in the film finds Norton angrily castigating his own reflection for his mistakes and bad choices. But as the scope of his anger changes, it grows and warps and widens until it encapsulates his friends, his family and, finally, his beloved city. It's a powerful and bold scene, filled with vitriol and, conversely, regret. It's the kind of scene for which a younger Lee was known. And, in light of the horrific attacks that took place just over a year before, it may be more resounding and resonant than anything that came before it.

However, 25th Hour is more than a few indelible scenes and a strong performance--though, that may have been enough as it was. There's a strong foundation at play with a stellar cast rounded out by Barry Pepper, Phillip Seymour Hoffman (R.I.P), Brian Cox and Rosario Dawson as Monty's respective support circle/source of rage. Each of them a well-rounded character in their own right, they also each play off of Norton's dynamic in specific ways, making the relationships more complex in rewarding fashions as the film goes along.

The film's emotional climax, completely over the top and violent as it is, famously reveals Monty's "plan" for surviving in prison. "Make me ugly," he implores his oldest friends. And in the early dusk of the morning, the sun peering over the Manhattan skyline, Monty inflicts his anger on his closest kin, and they in turn release their's on him--specifically, his face. It's the kind of scene that, removed from context, seems ridiculous, and when placed in context is still preposterous. But it feels like this in a way that is audacious and disturbing. It feels like this in a way that is human and damaged. It feels like this in a way that knows that after its explosion, things will eventually begin to heal. With 25th Hour, Spike Lee made, perhaps, his greatest cinematic dissent yet: the idea of ultimately finding peace.
In less than 24 hours, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States and according to the mainstream and alternative press will usher in an apocalyptic era where women, racial/religious minorities, members of the LGBTQIA community, gingers, and Scientologists of this country will be disenfranchised worse than ever and all previous efforts to escalatingly cease hate crimes will suddenly be reverted. Thankfully, the great art-form known as film can be used as a mirror to this futuristic society and can be used to continuously comment on the next four or eight years as a fearmongering way to generate clickbait so that film journalism will continue to be relevant and taken seriously.

We don't have to wait til Trump's inauguration because some filmmakers have as much socio-political foresight as the journalists who comment on their films. It's truly terrifying and scary to see the many films that have been made over the past few decades, even dating back towards the birth of cinema, that so accurately reflect Trump's America that hasn't occured yet.

Mad Max: Fury Road- No-one else in the world, not even Kim Jong Un, could be more aptly compared to villain Immortan Joe than Donald Trump. I personally wouldn't be surprised if Trump has a slew of innocent women who he uses for his own sexual and milk-related reasons. Immortan Joe's mistreatment of women, and all people who aren't his allied War Boys, is as ruthless as Trump's comments on women and anyone who isn't a red-neck right-winger -- like he himself stated "if you're not with us, you're against us". Things get even scaringly relevant when you consider the War Boys, who are adamant about mindlessly supporting and enacting the wishes of their leader, no matter how barbaric, who can easily be compared to the conservatives and the alt-right movement that has spawned recently, which unfortunately under Trump's presidency has the very realistic potential to allow these misinformed right-wingers to swarm the streets and harass women, commit hate crimes en masse, and reverts the US's decency back to how it was in the '50s. I don't know if the artful genius George Miller thought about this when he was making this masterpiece, but it's very likely since what occurs in the film is very likely going to occur within the next four or eight years.

The Matrix- Along with Fury Road, this is the perfect analogy for the future of Trump's United States. The world of the Matrix is a false one, one that has been fabricated for the purpose of keeping its occupants acquiesced, which so truly represents the world of Trump's presidency where the press is no longer properly informed, schools are again filled with archaic religious material, and the reaction to the very real probability of climate change goes on deaf ears. In the film, Neo must take the red pill to find out the truth, though unfortunately the term 'red pilled' has been hijacked by the alt-right and is now synonymous with hating on women and gay people. I'd like to take back this term and have it equate to fighting for the disenfranchised's rights, sticking up for women, and believing in what's real and what's really killing our planet (before it ends up like Zion).

The Wolf of Wall Street- Like the Jordan Belfort character (who's unfortunately a real person), Trump is someone whose primary goal is to acquire even more money and power, even if it means totally disregarding all others. This sort of solipsistic gain is a sign of how much capitalism has warped our previously held views on morality, which has gotten to the point where a chauvinistic racist homophobe can buy his way into the most important job in the world. Let this article be a cautionary treatise that a suspected chauvinistic racist homophobe like Belfort may one day also run for (or buy his way into) presidency.

Star Wars/Harry Potter- Even the films with the most traditional archetypes are so revealing of Trump's impending presidency. No other film series best exemplifies the hero's journey than the Star Wars and Harry Potter series, which also both feature two of the most iconic film villains ever, whose faces we keep seeing in this orange-headed man who will soon rule over the US (and the world). Lord Voldermort is shown to be a greedy character who tries to kill Harry Potter, despite the immense opposition he has from the majority of wizardy institutions -- this story was a clear foresight into Trump's own villainy, who wishes to banish all minorities and disadvantaged people from the country despite the opposition from the majority of the people of this country. Maybe Trump ought to set some time for these eight films and discover himself in the villainous and oppressive Voldermort character.

As for Star Wars, anyone who's seen Return of the Jedi has seen that this incredibly dark villain actually manages to enact a great act of goodness before his demise, adding a profound multifaceted nature to the usual villain archetype. Although real life isn't as multifaceted as blockbuster films like these, which means it isn't Darth Vader who Trump can be compared to, but Vader's even more evil superior who he overthrows -- Emperor Palpatine. I don't believe that someone like Mike Pence will be the one to overthrow Trump's inevitable reign of terror over the US, but perhaps some other dark figure who we all believed was the real villain will be the one to do the important deed -- perhaps it is Kanye West who is Darth Vader.

The Godfather- Hailed as one of the greatest films ever (sitting at #2 of best films on IMDb), it's no wonder The Godfather still manages to ring relevant for people these days, and it's about to get even more relevant. This film really shows just how ruthless and evil the mob can be when it comes to getting what they want, taking out the competition by killing them so that their own profits will be raised. Although Trump didn't have Hillary Clinton killed during the election, he did use certain tactics to hi-jack the election and lower her count-vote since she was clearly the peoples' choice for president. Just like Michael Corleone shuts the door on his wife, keeping her out of all business deals, so too does America and the western world in general on women wishing to enter into politics and business and clean up all the mess men have created. We can truly learn something about men and mobsters from The Godfather, and realise that now we have a male mobster in the White House.

The Dark Knight (Rises)- Here's another masterpiece of filmmaking and storytelling that also predicted the future. It's hard to say which character Trump is, though: we would normally say the Joker, who is the villain, but the Joker's reputation in this cynical late stage of capitalism makes him more of an anarchist type rather than a corrupt person. Perhaps Trump is more like Two-Face, the other villain in the film. It's hard to say exactly, though we can all agree that Obama is the Dark Knight himself, the caped crusader who fights day and night for the rights of all people, no matter how poor or how dark their skin colour. The follow-up film, The Dark Knight Rises, seems to be more revealing of current events now: Bruce Wayne gives up his Batman role, like Obama is being forced to now, and his acts of greatness are replaced with acts of tyranny. Don't be surprised if you see in the next four or eight years that the US resembles the huge fight scene in the movie, as that is the US you voted for.

12 Angry Men- Here is a film that portrays more the current political climate amongst Western society, with the men who voted 'guilty' being the oppressive conservatives and the one man who voted 'not guilty' being the liberal who stems the tide no matter how much flack he gets -- because it turns out he is right! This is an optimistic film that shows how through thorough research and asserting your beliefs can eradicate the dim-witted uninformed masses and sway them towards enlightenment. I don't think there'll be any room for optimism in our apocalyptic years to come, but I thought I'd add it here just in case.

Citizen Kane- Even back in 1941, genius filmmakers were aware of the ridiculous state the US' politics is in right now. Orson Welles made this film about William Randolph Hearst, but he might as well have made it about the Donald Trump we are faced with now. Perhaps I've reiterated the point about Trump being compared to just about every and any movie villain, but I end this article on a note of peace -- as Kane has a lost piece of himself that is never returned to him, perhaps it is a sled or some other lost childhood memorabilia that could make Trump see the right way and change all of his policies for the better. Unfortunately, I do not think this would happen because despite how truly evil and wretched all of these movie villains are, none of them come anywhere near as pure evil as the real-life man himself.
Macon Blair is best known to audiences for his incredible performances in Jeremy Saulnier's films (Blue Ruin, Green Room). Given their work, it seems fitting that Blair would eventually get behind the camera. His directorial debut (which premieres at Sundance this week), we get an amazing (and also a mouthful) title, and what looks to be a beautifully complex and batshit crazy story.

Ruth (Melanie Lynskey), a nursing assistant suffering through a crisis of existential despair. But when her house is burglarized, Ruth discovers a renewed sense of purpose in tracking down the thieves. Accompanied by her obnoxious martial-arts-enthusiast neighbor Tony (Elijah Wood), they soon find themselves dangerously out of their depth against a pack of degenerate criminals.

It's great to see Lynskey (probably still best known for Heavenly Creatures) coming into the spotlight more in recent years in indie film and television, and this role looks to be the kind of complex female character (not based around relationships and/or motherhood) that is sorely lacking in cinema. And it looks like Wood is (arguably cast) against type in the best possible way. A review from our critics at Sundance will be up shortly. In the meantime, enjoy the trailer.

I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore is due for release on Netflix worldwide on February 24th.

Full disclosure: this film was in part produced by XYZ Films, of which ScreenAnarchy founder Todd Brown is a partner. But my opinion is always my own and he knows it.
 SCOTUS adds a qualified immunity case to its docket | Main | You be the judge: what federal sentence for "Dance Mom" star after her guilty plea to financial crimes? 

January 19, 2017

"Dear President Trump: Heres How to get Right on Crime, Part 2"

As noted in this prior post, the Marshall Project this week has a timely three-part series in which leading conservatives working on and advocating for criminal justice reform are setting out the conservative case for reforms. The first commentary was authored by Pat Nolan and carried the subheadline "Focus on intent, tailor the punishment to the crime, prepare prisoners for life after incarceration."

The second in the series here is authored by Vikrant Reddy and carries the subheadline "End overcriminalization, reward success, pay attention to the heroin crisis." Here are excerpts:

Criminal justice reform advocates are pessimistic about the prospects for federal sentencing reform under the new presidential administration. Federal sentencing, however, is only one component of Americas vast criminal justice system. There are several other areas where the administration and reformers could find common cause. Here are just three reforms widely supported by advocates which are also consistent with a Trumpian worldview. They should be at the forefront of a serious federal reform agenda over the next four years. Scaling Back Overcriminalization There are now over 5,000 obscure federal crimes, such as shipping lobster in plastic rather than cardboard boxes, that are more appropriately treated as administrative or regulatory matters. Furthermore, the mens rea or state of mind portions of many criminal statutes (which specify whether the conduct must be purposeful, knowing, reckless, or negligent) are frequently left out when laws are drafted. Reversing this overcriminalization has long been a priority for conservatives. Yet it has also been a priority for prominent progressive voices, such as the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and U.S. Representatives John Conyers and Bobby Scott.... Performance-Incentive Funding One of the most widely-admired strategies for improving criminal justice outcomes is performance-incentive funding (PIF). The idea is simple: Governments should fund prisons (and community corrections programs, for that matter) based on outcomes achieved, not merely on the number of people incarcerated. A government that contracts for lower recidivism rates and increased restitution payments to victims is more likely to find that its prisons are encouraging education and job training behind bars. People from the business world who are more concerned with results than with ideologies  such as Donald Trump  are likely to understand this truth intuitively: You get what you pay for.... Combating Heroin Addiction On Election Day, Trump performed unusually well in communities ravaged by heroin abuse. He seemed to understand that he owes it to these voters  his base  to take the issue seriously. His administration will likely pursue a law enforcement solution that attacks the supply side of the heroin problem, as Trump frequently promised on the campaign trail. There is also a demand side to the problem, however, and Trump must treat this side of the problem with equal urgency. This means redirecting scarce resources from incarceration to less costly and more effective diversion programs that treat addiction.

Prior related post:

January 19, 2017 at 10:07 PM | Permalink

Comments

Marshall Project? A Trojan Horse for government employment, worthless make work jobs. Dismissed.

Trump or the President after him should do a Duterte. Duterte has successfully transformed the Philippines into a nice place to live.

Trump should declare open hunting season on criminals. These should include lawyers violating their oaths, and disloyal to the constitution. The latter prohibits judicial review in Article I Section 1. These should include rent seeking regulators, where rent seeking is a synonym for armed robbery. If the murder victim is in those categories, the murderer in public self help should be immunized, as a matter of executive policy. If a lawyer chooses to prosecute one, hunt him too, and any judge allowing the prosecution to proceed. To deter.

The heroin epidemic is a benefit to the nation, and no intervention is necessary. It is clearing our nation of the lawyer clients, the criminals, thus the phony hand wringing. Even the loved ones of the victims of the drug dealer syndicate delivered carfentanyl, an elephant tranquilizer, are better off. Chronic pain patients trying to get back to work are not affected by it. The latter complain of dizziness and sedation on the tiniest doses of opiate analgesics, and cut them in half on their own. Each of these deaths prevents hundreds of crimes a year for the prevented lifespan of addicts. That adds up to thousands of crimes prevented. If you price each crime at $10,000 in economic value destroyed in our economy, each death adds $tens of millions of value of destruction prevented. If the addict is an intelligent and productive criminal, the value may be in the $hundred million range.

Posted by: David Behar | Jan 20, 2017 1:16:34 AM

Behar, try pulling your head out of you ass once in awhile and join the human race again.

Posted by: Pat | Jan 23, 2017 5:51:03 PM

Post a comment
 Noting that two death row inmates were among the latest batch of commutations by Prez Obama | Main | SCOTUS adds a qualified immunity case to its docket 

January 19, 2017

Prez Obama wraps up his clemency work with 330 more commutations on his final full day in office

As reported here via USA Today, "President Obama commuted the sentences of 330 more federal inmates Thursday, capping an unprecedented clemency effort that has now released 1,715 prisoners  more than any other president in history." Here is more:

The clemency grants announced on Obama's last full day in office set a one-day record. "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," Obama tweeted Thursday. The clemency initiative, which began in 2014, was targeted at drug dealers who received mandatory-minimum sentences during the War on Drugs from the 1980s to the 2000s. But the effort ultimately fell far short of the 10,000 clemency grants former attorney general Eric Holder predicted when the initiative began. And while Obama set a record for granting commutations, he also set a record for denials. As of the end of 2016, he had denied 14,485 petitions and closed another 4,242 without action  an overall grant rate of 5.9%, a couple of percentage points higher than many of his predecessors. "The president set out to reinvigorate clemency, and he has done just that," White House counsel Neil Eggleston said in a statement. It's unclear how big of a backlog in clemency cases President-elect Donald Trump will inherit. But Justice Department officials had promised to give an up-or-down determination on every clemency initiative case it received by August. Im proud to say we kept that promise," Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates said in a statement. "This undertaking was as enormous as it was unprecedented, and I am incredibly grateful to the teams of people who devoted their time and energy to the project since its inception." Obama's final list of clemency grants included no more full pardons, meaning his final pardon tally will stand at 212  fewer than any modern president except Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. (It was the younger Bush who gave Obama this advice in the limo ride to the Capitol on his Inauguration Day eight years ago. "Announce a pardon policy early on, and stick to it.") The grants on Thursday also did not include any of the more high-profile political cases, like former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and former congressman Chaka Fattah, all serving time on corruption charges. With Thursday's action, the Clemency Project 2014 also closes its doors. The coalition of defense attorneys who had agreed to help inmates with their cases says it completed work on all the applications it received. "Of course we'd be delighted to continue, but we have to wait to see whether the next president says whether he will or will not pursue this," he said.

This NBC News coverage of the final grants and the recent history of Obama's clemency initiative closes with a useful account of its ups and downs:

Obama's clemency grants came in large batches, hundreds at a time, accompanied by statements that framed his effort as a bid to become the most merciful president of all time. But his denials were even more voluminous. The effect on applicants and their lawyers was like an emotional roller coaster. On Wednesday, sandwiched between Obama's two ballyhooed clemency announcements, the Justice Department quietly released the names of more than 2,000 applicants who'd been denied. James Felman, a Florida defense lawyer who represents dozens of inmates who applied for clemency, celebrated Tuesday when he learned that four had received commutations. On Wednesday, he learned that a dozen others had been denied, and he mourned. On Thursday, Felman was elated again, this time for four more clients who were on Obama's list. A dozen of Felman's clients still have heard nothing. Three are serving life sentences. And then there's the matter of reform. Advocates point out that clemency does nothing to change policies that led to mass incarceration. Efforts to ease those laws beyond the 2010 changes have stalled in Congress. Felman, who won commutation for 44 total clients, called Obama's initiative "the single most gratifying professional experience I've ever undertaken." He added: "I have so much gratitude for the president for having the courage and fortitude for doing this. But we know this is not a substitute for reforming the laws that got us here, and we still haven't accomplished that."

January 19, 2017 at 05:49 PM | Permalink

Comments

The Great Emancipator II

Posted by: anon | Jan 19, 2017 6:58:40 PM

"Justice, justice, shall you pursue." Deuteronomy 16:20

Posted by: anon4 | Jan 19, 2017 10:01:23 PM



What doth the Lord require of thee? Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God.

Micah 6:8

Posted by: Emily | Jan 19, 2017 10:10:53 PM

Es lebe die Freiheit; es lebe der Wein!

Posted by: German onlooker | Jan 19, 2017 10:12:56 PM

As for President Obama, He was a man, take him for all in all,

I shall not look upon his like again.

Posted by: Shakespeare | Jan 19, 2017 10:15:51 PM

Poor student, but apropos of Obama, I do remember this from Twelfth Night:

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."



Posted by: C- in Shakespeare course | Jan 19, 2017 10:21:19 PM

In February, 2016, columnist David Brooks wrote: "Obama radiates an ethos of integrity, humanity, good manners and elegance that Im beginning to miss, and that I suspect we will all miss a bit, regardless of who replaces him."

How true, how true.

Posted by: Moderate Republican | Jan 19, 2017 10:28:13 PM

Moderate Republican, I concur. How true how true, particulary when in place of Obama, a man "who radiates an ethos of integrity, humanity, good manners and elegance," we substitute Trump, a man who radiates vindictiveness, dishonesty, impulsivity, crassness, misogyny, sexual perversity, and narcissism.

Posted by: anon7 | Jan 19, 2017 11:08:07 PM

How much more worrisome for the future of this great experiment that a plurality of our fellow citizens could be swayed to vote for "a man who radiates vindictiveness, dishonesty, impulsivity, crassness, misogyny, sexual perversity, and narcissism. One cannot fear but this is a repackaging of the circus. I personally fear that George Santayana is right. For how many amongst the party faithful recall the Roman Republic's slide into Empire?

Posted by: MarK M. | Jan 20, 2017 4:10:19 AM

The hero worship here is truly a spectacle.

For the sake of the prisoners receiving mercy and society, I hope they live productive, law-abiding lives.

Posted by: federalist | Jan 20, 2017 9:18:44 AM

Federalist writes, "For the sake of the prisoners receiving mercy and society, I hope they live productive, law-abiding lives." And I say, Amen, Amen.

Posted by: Michael R. Levine | Jan 20, 2017 9:47:10 AM

A bit of Shakespeare:

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/video/2016/may/03/laura-carmichael-portia-the-quality-of-mercy-merchant-of-venice-shakespeare-video

Posted by: Joe | Jan 20, 2017 9:49:41 AM

To put things in perspective, President Obama denied more clemency petitions than any president in history. There were over 14,000 denials before the 2,500 more were announced on Jan. 18, 2017. That is over 16,000 denials. Over 4,000 petitions were closed without action and it appears that over 7,000 will roll over with no decision to the next administration.

The population of the BOP continued to climb until 2012 when we had more incarcerated people than any time in history. The administration stated that there could be 10,000 or more commutations. This created hope for relief for many thousands of nonviolent offenders with sentences that assure that they will die behind bars. They had been given hope for compassion and mercy, but did not win the lottery.

Posted by: beth | Jan 20, 2017 10:01:48 AM

Joe, nothing more fitting to Obama's actions than to reprint the Bard's sublime poetry:

The quality of mercy is not strained;

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:

Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes

The throned monarch better than his crown:

His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,

The attribute to awe and majesty,

Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;

But mercy is above this sceptred sway;

It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,

It is an attribute to God himself;

And earthly power doth then show likest Gods

When mercy seasons justice.

The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I

Posted by: English major | Jan 20, 2017 10:23:17 AM

Kindness to the cruel is cruelty to the kind. Just sayin'.

Posted by: federalist | Jan 20, 2017 12:15:05 PM

Both on 2013 and 2014, Obama was described as more merciful to turkeys than humans.

OTOH, last-minute pardons are less polemical.

Posted by: visitor | Jan 21, 2017 4:52:05 AM

It will be interesting to do followup on these released individuals and see who reoffends, and to compare such commutations and pardons to past presidents' records.

Posted by: Eric Knight | Jan 23, 2017 12:34:20 PM

Post a comment
 Prez Obama wraps up his clemency work with 330 more commutations on his final full day in office | Main | "Dear President Trump: Heres How to get Right on Crime, Part 2" 

January 19, 2017

SCOTUS adds a qualified immunity case to its docket

Amy Howe at SCOTUSblog has this new post explaining why the Justices issued a couple cert orders today and detailing the particulars of the two cases taken up by the Court. Here is part of that post that should interesting criminal justice fans:

With the Supreme Court closed tomorrow for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the justices met today, one day early, for their private conference. One week after adding 16 new cases to their docket, today the justices granted review in two more  potentially filling out their merits docket for the term. The first grant came in District of Columbia v. Wesby, a case that presents important questions regarding the assessment of probable cause by police officers and qualified immunity. The case arose when police officers in Washington responded to a noise complaint about a vacant house, where they found scantily clad women and the smell of marijuana. No one seemed to know who owned the house or precisely what the occasion was, but some of the partygoers told police that they had been invited by someone named Peaches or Tasty  who was not at the party, but who admitted that she did not have the owners permission to use the house. The partygoers were arrested for trespassing, but no charges were ever brought against them. The partygoers then filed a lawsuit, in which they alleged that the police lacked probable cause to arrest them because they had told police officers that they had been invited to the house and therefore did not intend to trespass. The federal trial court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agreed with the partygoers and further ruled that the police officers were not entitled to qualified immunity. The court of appeals denied the citys motion for rehearing en banc; in dissent from that denial, Judge Brett Kavanaugh wrote (among other things) that this should be a fairly easy case for qualified immunity. The court had relisted Wesby a whopping eight times. Multiple relists can often signal either that the justices are considering a summary reversal  that is, without briefing or oral argument on the merits  of the lower courts decision or that a justice is writing a dissent from the denial of certiorari, but today the justices instead agreed to review the case on the merits.

January 19, 2017 at 06:04 PM | Permalink

Comments

I admit to a level of surprise that they took this case. Ultimately qualified immunity cases are cases of mixed facts and law and the facts of this case are bizarre and turn on hypertechncial aspects of DC's code. I can't see how, even resolving the case for the officers, any opinion will result in useful law for the rest of the country.

Posted by: Daniel | Jan 19, 2017 8:49:35 PM

Looking at the lower court opinion, this case could easily have been a summary reversal (law not sufficiently clear). My hunch is that the issue that the court wants to look at is the role of suspect statements at scene in terms of probable cause to arrest -- whether a claim of right by a suspect eliminates probable cause, especially when some of the statements seem less than credible to the officer. Trial court granted summary judgment to plaintiff's on facts that the Supreme Court might think is enough for probable cause (the 4 dissenting judges at the DC Circuit seemed to think so).

Posted by: tmm | Jan 20, 2017 10:45:37 AM

Post a comment
Check out this crazy lightning in San Francisco this morning! A viewer sent this in. https://t.co/KSQpVw7FSc pic.twitter.com/ytSteACta4  NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) January 20, 2017

It wasn't the earth opening up to swallow us, though you may have wished it was at around 4 a.m. this morning. It was just the sound of a rare thunderstorm hitting the Bay Area, complete with buckets of rain and hail, and there was some lightening too. The Chronicle explains this had something to do with a cold front from the Gulf of Alaska hitting the warmer air down here, but maybe, as some in my Facebook feed suggested this morning, it was simply an appropriately horror movie-esque opening to this godawful day.

Thunderstorms are uncommon in these parts because they tend to ride on hot, humid air, of which we have very little in the course of a year. And since I am not a weather man I can not explain where this hot air came from last night, because I myself was quite cold out of doors.

CBS 5 refers to what happened starting at 3:20 a.m. as a "vicious squall line," and it caused some flash flood warnings and downed trees. Apparently Daly City got the center of the storm, and we just got the outer edge of it in SF.

As KRON 4 tells us, you can expect scattered showers now throughout today and tomorrow, with a third storm moving in Sunday that is expected to bring heavier rain and wind.
The Golden Gate Bridge, famous for its red-orange hue, became a sea of purple on Friday morning as thousands of peaceful demonstrators wearing that color  a symbol of unity against bullying according to organizers  joined hands in a human chain across the bridge from San Francisco to Marin.

This is a collaborative, grassroots, community-based demonstration and performance art piece, organizers indicated, in contrast to a protest. But still the demonstration of unity feels inseparable from the divisive proceedings of the presidential inauguration on the other coast.







via Bridge Together Golden Gate Facebook group

Folks gather along Golden Gate Bridge during "peaceful demonstration" to "promote love and positivity." https://t.co/b8GU2CAPl9 pic.twitter.com/QlZKgPaIS7  NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) January 20, 2017

In planning for the event, identified as "Bridge Together" and the first such hands-across-the bridge event ever, organizers wrote that "3,000 participants will be allowed on the bridge itself" based on the permitting they'd acquired, while more, including volunteer organizers, were welcome to extend the chain farther North and South. Per the Marin County Sheriff, just before 11 a.m., the numbers were above 2,000 on the bridge.

Approximately 2200 peaceful #bridgetogethergg participants on the GGB right now. Walkway is at about 50% capacity.  Marin County Sheriff (@MarinSheriff) January 20, 2017

Later, those swelled by several hundred, and according to David Morris, a co-organizer of the event, they eventually reached 3,000.

Impressive sign of unity at the #bridgetogethergg event. Appears to be stabilized at approximately 2500 people. pic.twitter.com/8Y9dgSyY7d  Marin County Sheriff (@MarinSheriff) January 20, 2017

According to the official Facebook group for the event, banners and signs were disallowed on the bridge for safety reasons, as they could distract drivers and cause accidents.

"I'm filled with gratitude right now," Morris, a 41-year-old organizer of the event, told SFist, thanking his 150 dedicated volunteers. "We participated in togetherness, we cheered together, we had moments so silence... I'm seeing faces not necessarily filled with joy, but they're hopeful."

Flint family came from #Cupertino to be part of #bridgetogethergg. Wanted to be involved in a 'unity' event on #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/ENBRl1zPX9  RobertHanda (@RHandaNBC) January 20, 2017

"The weather was definitely a factor," Morris admitted, adding that "it probably knocked our numbers down, and with good reason. The conditions were changing quickly: There were spotty showers earlier but it's been clear for the last 90 minutes though. It was cold, but we stayed positive."

Morris, who has lived in San Francisco since 1999, considers himself a product of the City through institutions like SF State and Golden Gate University Law School. He's a bicycle commuter who frequently rides across the bridge. "It's not everywhere in the world you can organize something like this," he says.

Describing the view as he prepared to leave the bridge, Morris conveyed "an epic scene: High puffy clouds, sunshine over San Francisco, and over the bay channel itself the sky is open. You can see Angel Island, Tiburon, and Belvedere beyond." In the future, Morris hopes to work on more unifying events and moments, capitalizing on the network built for today's demonstration.

Golden Gate Bridge sidewalk filling with demonstrators. #bridgetogethergg needs ~2700 to hold hands across entire span. pic.twitter.com/umUjVOa3PR  Jenna Lane (@jennalane) January 20, 2017

On Golden Gate Bridge pic.twitter.com/AbhgVWjHmp  MengerAnderson (@kma500) January 20, 2017

Meanwhile, more disruptive protests also occurred this morning, these at the Caltrain commuter rail station near downtown SF. Another chain of people, more literally bound together with actual chain link, blocked tracks and closed train traffic in both directions just after 8:30 a.m. according to the Chronicle. A reporter on the ground claims 11 protesters have been arrested.

Related: Inauguration Day Protests Block Market Street
Wow. Two large #Inauguration protests just merged at 555 California, a high-rise building partially owned by Trump pic.twitter.com/Cemv4KrFJ4  Michael Barba (@mdbarba) January 20, 2017

People are fired up and ready to go here in SF! Two relatively large protest marches converged just before noon Friday outside 555 California, a high-rise that Donald Trump has part ownership of as of a decade ago. This building, formerly known as the Bank of America Center and still housing B of A offices as well as some offices belonging to Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo, was the site of some protests in the Occupy era. Now prepare for this spot to be a focus for protesters for years to come, or however long Trump manages to hold on to the presidency.

One of the groups converging at the building was a group of high school students, according to the Examiner's Jessica Christian.

As the Chronicle reported in November, "While Vornado Realty Trust owns 70 percent interest in the building and manages the property, Donald Trump has 30 percent limited partnership." That partial ownership came out of a feud Trump previously had with a Hong Kong investment group that sold the property to Vornado in 2007, and it left our new President with a 30 percent stake in two buildings, including 555 California.

Elsewhere downtown on Friday, protesters from a group called Jewish Resistance chained themselves up outside the Wells Fargo Museum, and they also gathered outside the local headquarters of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), forcing that office to temporarily close.

Update: ABC 7 reports that 11 people have been arrested in SF protests so far, and they say that the downtown protesters around California Street numbered between 2,000 and 3,000.

Related: Thousands Join Hands Across The Golden Gate Bridge In Peaceful Demonstration

Inauguration Day Protests Block Market Street


"Therefore, give glad tidings to My servants, who hear advice and follow the best thereof."

Quran 39:17-18.



Muhammadan Bounties



Ahl al-Bayt Book



Sheikhy Notes Books and Ebooks



There are over seventy titles to choose from. Ranging from Hajj, Hanafi fiqh, 40 hadith collections, commentaries on 17 benefits of tribulation and so on.

For a full list of Sheikhy Notes paperback and Ebooks available on Kindle, please click here There are over seventy titles to choose from. Ranging from Hajj, Hanafi fiqh, 40 hadith collections, commentaries on 17 benefits of tribulation and so on.

Donate You can donate to Sheikhy Notes charity which aims at setting up a teaching school and producing quality books for Muslims to learn their religion.

Please click on this link https://www.paypal.com/uk/fundraiser/charity/2392770



Search This Blog

Sheikhy Archive

Abu Al Abbas Al Mursi said, "All the Prophets were created from mercy: however our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is mercy itself."

Straight Translations



http://straighttranslations.blogspot.co.uk/







See Youtube channel Treasures of Sheikhy Notes https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL7y92-BMpL4jyx3Qa1F3Aw

Please see link to our other blog which contains unpublished texts and books that have not been published on this blog. Most are free to download and all are free to read.

Ibn Hazm al-Andalusi (May Allah have mercy upon him) said, "If you look deeply into worldly matters you will become melancholy and will end up reflecting upon the ephemeral nature of everything here below, and the fact that truth lies only in striving for the hereafter, since every ambition to which you might cling will end in tears; either the goal is snatched from you, or you have to give the attempt up before you reach it. One of these two endings is inevitable except the search for God the Almighty the Powerful. Then the result is always joy, both immediate and eternal. The immediate joy is because you stop worrying about things which usually worry people; this leads to an increase in the respect paid to you by friends and enemies alike. The eternal joy is the joy of paradise." In Pursuit of Virtue by Ibn Hazm p.121



Sheikhy Readers

Abu Hassan As-Shadhali said, "Love entails God's taking his servant's heart away from everything but him."





The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Whoever increases in knowledge and does not increase in guidance, only increases in distance from Allah."





Jesus (upon him peace) said, "The world is a bridge, so pass over it to the next world , but do not try to build on it."





Ibn Ata'llah said, "Suffice it as a recompense to you for obedience, that he has judged you worthy of obedience." Hikam number 90





Ibn Ata'llah said, "No one is a companion of yours except the one who knowing your defects, is your companion and that is only the generous Lord. Hikam number 135.





Imam Qusheri had a favourite student and people noticed that he liked him, others students became jealous.



So he set all of his students a test, kill a bird but do it where nobody is watching. The students came back one by one with their birds killed except the favourite student.

He said, I couldnt find any spot where no one was looking. The other students stopped and realised why he liked him so much.



(He always knew that Allah Subhanu wa taala was looking at him.)







'Ubayd al-Kindi al-Kufi reported that he heard 'Ali ibn Abi Talib said, "The cursers are cursed."

FEEDJIT Live Traffic Feed (I can see you!) Live Traffic Stats









Ibn Ata'llah said, People praise you for what they suppose is in you, but you must blame your soul for what you know is in you. Hikam number 142





Ibn Ata'llah said, Sometimes he gives whilst depriving you and sometimes he deprives you, in giving. Hikam number 83





Al-Aqida at-Tahawiah by Imam Abu Jafr At-Atahawi. "Belief consists of: belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last day and belief that the Decree both the good and the bad, the sweet and the bitter are all from Allah Ta'ala." Number 66.




LOS ANGELES -- Count Nick Viall among those who believe The Bachelor model for dating works.

Even though he didnt wind up with a wife after two shots on The Bachelorette and one stint on Bachelor in Paradise, that didnt stop him from signing up to be the 21st Bachelor.

History has shown the process works, the 36-year-old software sales executive says. If you have (a show with) six or seven successful relationships where there are marriages and kids have been bornit works.

People can be very critical of the show but, when you think about it, if youre really, really lucky you only have one relationship in life that never fails. Relationships are hard.

In his first run on The Bachelorette, Viall thought he was going to propose to Andi Dorfman. She had other ideas. In his second run, he thought Kaitlyn Bristowe would choose him. She didnt. And, then, there was Bachelor in Paradise where he, also, ended out of the wedding zone.

Fans of the franchise knew he wasnt going to find love at a beach resort when he was announced as the 2017 Bachelor. A shock? It was for those who considered him less than honorable.

Viall, though, is quick to point out the people who comment on you may have seen you on TV but dont really know you.

I think its important to remember the nice things written about you arent any more valuable than the negative things. Ive always been open to criticism but I think its important to keep things in perspective.

When Viall popped into his second Bachelorette franchise  when he wasnt a contestant  viewers were concerned he wasnt playing fairly. He says the visit  to Bristowes camp  was just his way of seeing if he had a chance with her.

When I did Andis season, I didnt know Andi. All I knew was she was pretty and a lawyer and I was excited to meet her. I also agreed to go on because it was a cool experience.

Viall says he figured it was his one shot at a Bachelorette relationship. I thought Id never have a chance to do it again.

Bristowe, however, added him to the mix and he had to deal with criticism from other men in the dating pool.

Having been through the process several times before, Viall says he knew some are just on the show for the experience. But when he got in the drivers seat, he wanted to make decisions that gave him a chance to see the women when things didnt go their way.

Giving Corrine the group date rose, I was fully aware some of the women might not be happy with my decision. But I wanted to see how (the others) handle various situations. Its all about communication. In every relationship, youre going to frustrate the person youre with. How do people voice their frustration? I knew there was potential fallout. I was certainly OK with letting that happen, even though that wasnt my intention with giving her the rose.

Other experiences are equally education.

Situations have a history of repeating themselves, Viall says. So every time you have a chance to experience something, theres always a takeaway.

Tall, thin and impeccably dressed, the latest Bachelor is both friendly and confident. He poses for photos with dozens of women who ask and isnt afraid to address some of his past actions.

Too often, Viall says, theres a false sense of power associated with the reality show. It was important to me not to take advantage of that. I actually relinquished that power to the women. Any authentic relationship cant have a healthy start if its uneven.

While several of his predecessors offered advice (including Iowan Chris Soules), the Wisconsin native says he didnt want to compare himself to them or their experiences. I hope the women (in the dating pool) felt comfortable enough communicating with me without fear of going home.

Was there a true love match? Viall smiles. Youll just have to watch. Being The Bachelor is an amazing opportunity, a unique opportunity to meet someone very special in your life.

Im no different than anyone else. I felt very lucky just to be asked.
Screenings

Free blood pressure screenings, 9:30-11 a.m. Wednesdays at Countryside Senior Living, front lobby. No appointment necessary.

Programs/Self-Help Groups

Al-Anon Information Center, call 712-255-6724.

Al-Anon and Alateen, meetings locally. For times, dates and locations of area meetings, call 712-255-6724.

Alcoholics Anonymous, beginners information, call 712-252-1333.

Arc of Woodbury County, serving the mentally challenged, 5:15 p.m. meeting, second Monday of the month at Mid-Step Services, 4303 Stone Ave. For families and interested persons.

Child Care Resource and Referral, provides resources, education and advocacy for children, parents, and child care providers. Assists in child care needs. For more information, call 712-277-1180.

Co-Dependence Anonymous, 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at First Lutheran Church, Fireside Room.

Co-Dependents Anonymous (CODA), 10 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St.

Compassionate Friends, 7 p.m. fourth Wednesday of each month (third Thursday in November and second Sunday December) in Mercy Medical Center's Leiter Room. For families who have lost children. Contact Nancy Webb 712-212-4032 or Don Mulder 712-541-5512.

Clinics

Siouxland District Health immunization clinics, call for appointment, 712-279-6119 or 1-800-587-3005.

Information

Family and Addictive Illness series, for more information, call 234-2300.

Iowa Fathers, 6 to 8 p.m. fourth Tuesday of each month at Hope Lutheran Church, Education Building, 218 W. 18th St., South Sioux City, Neb. Support group to help single, divorcing and divorced parents residing in the state of Iowa.

Mercy Pathways Outpatient Program, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, on the third floor, Mercy's Central Medical Building, 801 Fifth St., Suite 360. Provides hope, help, opportunity to connect through group therapy for individuals experiencing personal, relationship, psychiatric issues. For more information, call 712-279-5991.

Narcotics Anonymous, meetings daily, various times, dates and locations. For more information, call 712-279-0733.

Overeaters Anonymous, 1 p.m. Tuesdays at Wesley United Methodist Church, 3700 Indian Hills Drive; 6 p.m. Tuesdays at St. John's Lutheran Church, 402 Lane Ave., Storm Lake; 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Church of the Nazarene, 226 N. Main St., Viborg, S.D.; 5:30 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays at Newman Center, 320 E. Cherry St., Vermillion, S.D.; 10:30 a.m. Saturdays at Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St. A 12-step recovery program for people who have problems with food and weight. No fees.

St. Lukes Outpatient Behavioral Health Program, 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday and Thursday on fifth floor of St. Luke's, located at 2720 Stone Park Blvd. Offers several levels of outpatient care including partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and group therapy. This program provides support and integrated treatment to individuals experiencing personal or relationship issues as a result of their mental illness. For more information and admission criteria, call 712-279-3906.

Sobriety By Faith, 8:30 a.m. Saturdays at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. For more information, call James Mothershead at 712-577-9715.

The Link-Recovery and Freedom, 1603 Glen Ellen Road; 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday workshop, and Christian 12-step meeting 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. For all ages. Call Dee at 389-7432.

Women in Recovery, meets monthly at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1421 Geneva St. For details, call 712-255-4623.

Tarahouse Meditation Center, 8 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 6:30 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, all at 3112 Rebecca St. Three easy 10-minute sessions in small group; beginners welcome. For more information, call 490-6410.

Blood pressure and blood sugar screening, 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays in the lobby at Westwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Free to public.

Support Groups

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Hawkeye Club basement, 420 Jones St. For more information, call 277-5935.

Celebrate Recovery, Bible-based 12-step recovery group. Thursdays at 6 p.m. at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive. Childcare provided. 712-490-3343. All welcome.

PFLAG of Siouxland, (Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays), 7 p.m., fourth Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November. St. Mark ELCA Church, 5200 Glenn Ave., in the upstairs meeting area. 712-258-3116.

Singles widowed and divorced, all ages, 4 p.m., Sundays. McDonald's at Sixth Street and Lewis Boulevard. 712-252-2675.

GriefShare, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814.

HIV/AIDS Support Group, meets weekly. For more information, call Darla or Teri at Siouxland Community Health Center, 712-252-2477 or 888-371-1965.

Hospice of Siouxland, seeking volunteers. For more information, call 712-233-4144 and ask for a volunteer coordinator.

La Leche League of Siouxland, breastfeeding support group meets every third Thursday at 11 a.m. at Morningside Lutheran Church. Children are welcome. For more information, call Mary at 712-546-7280 or Jacquie at 712-255-2998.

Living Each Day Cancer Support Group, 7-8 p.m. second Thursday of the month, Floyd Valley Hospital, Conference Center Room 2, Le Mars, Iowa. Open to all cancer patients, cancer survivors and family members. No charge. Pre-register by calling 712-546-3441 or 800-642-6074, ext. 441.

Mom and Baby Support Group, 10-11 a.m. last Monday of the month at the Orange City (Iowa) Hospital, lower level. For new moms and babies. 712-737-5260.

Tri-State Sober Project, 12-step meeting, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesdays, Friendship Community Church, 305 Sergeant Square Drive, Sergeant Bluff. 6-7 p.m., Thursdays, Transitional Services of Iowa, 1221 Pierce St., Sioux City.

Doug's Donors Support Group, information for organ donors and recipients, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Fridays, 5:15-6:30 p.m. second Thursdays of the month at Mercy Cafeteria Woodbury Room. 712-277-1050.

Divorce Care, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814.

NAMI Siouxland, (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Support Group meets 6:30 p.m., second Tuesday of the month at Friendship House, 1101 Court St. For individuals and family members dealing with mental illness. 712-255-4209.

New Life Life Support Group, 3:30 p.m. every Saturday at 2929 W. Fourth St. Spiritual 12-step program. For more information, call Donald at 712-574-1744 or James at 712-255-7624.

Orphan Sunday, 3:30-5 p.m. Sunday at Sunnybrook Community Church loft, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive.

Post Polio Support Group, 11 a.m. first Thursday of the month at Perkins Restaurant by Menards. 712-490-8213.

Relationship Support Group, 7 p.m. Fridays at Marketplace Mall. For more information, call 239-3129.

Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, Individual and Support Groups. For more information, call CSADV in Sioux City at 712-258-7233; Plymouth County at 712-546-6764; Monona County at 712-423-3443. Advocacy and support available 24 hours a day at 1-800-982-7233. All services free of charge and confidential.

Sickle Cell Disease Support Group, 11 a.m. third Saturday of each month at St. Luke's Hospital, meeting room 1. For patients, their family and any concerned member. Call La'Keshia Rainey at 712-203-2019 for more information.

Single and Parenting, 6:30 -8:30 p.m. every Tuesday until Dec. 6 at Sunnybrook Community Church, 5601 Sunnybrook Drive, Sioux City. 712-276-5814.

Sioux City Association of the Deaf, 7 p.m. third Saturday of the month at Morningside Church of Christ, 5015 Garretson Ave. Regular meeting, September-May; no meeting, June, July, August and December.

Siouxland Autism Support Group, second Thursday of the month at Northwest Area Education Agency, 1520 Morningside Ave. For more information, call Julie Case at 712-490-8939.

Siouxland Epilepsy Support Group, 5 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at Prestwick Apartment Clubhouse, 4230 Hickory Lane. For anyone diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy and family or friends. For more information, call Steve at 274-6927.

Siouxland IC support group, meets quarterly in Sioux City. For patients struggling with interstital cystitis. For more information, call Jacque Dundas 316-641-9766.

Siouxland Informational Group for the Blind, 2-5 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at Northern Hills Retirement Community, 4002 Teton Trace. For more information, call 712-266-8926 or 258-8151.

Grief support group, 5:30-7:30 p.m., beginning Oct. 5 for 13 weeks (may join at any time), Crescent Park United Methodist Church, 2826 Myrtle St., Sioux City. Scott, 712-899-6315.

Siouxland Ostomy Association, 2 p.m. first Sunday of each month (except September, which will be second Sunday; and no meetings June, July, August), in Room 300 at Mercy Medical Center, 801 Fifth St. For more information, call Dick Lindblom at 251-2453.

Siouxland Parkinson Disease Support Group, 1 p.m. fourth Monday of the month at Siouxland Center for Active Generations, 313 Cook St. For more information, call Sally Reinert at 402-987-3516.

Sojourners, support group for families of persons with life-threatening illness, 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, Room 416. For more information, call Marjorie Jarvill at 402-241-8637.

South Sioux City Weight Support Group, 8:30 a.m. Wednesdays at St. Paul United Methodist Church, South Sioux City. For more information, call 494-1401 or 494-2133.

Disabilities Resource Center of Siouxland, 520 Nebraska St., Suite 101: Women's Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Wednesday of the month; LGBT Support Group, 1:30 p.m. first Friday of the month; Adult ADHD, 6 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; Advocacy Group, 1:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month. For more information, call 712-255-1065.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, group meetings various times, days and locations in Siouxland. For information on the chapter in your area, call 1-800-932-TOPS.

Voice Disorder Support Group, meets as needed at Mercy Medical Center, Buena Vista Room. 712-279-2686.

Women's Peer Support Group, in Wayne and South Sioux City, Neb., for those who have experienced domestic abuse. For more information, call the Wayne office at 402-375-4633 or 1-800-440-4633; in South Sioux City, call 402-494-7592. Help and support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Services free and confidential.

Woodbury County D.M.D.A., noon-2 p.m. first Saturday of the month at Country Friendship Acres, 4501 West St.; 7-8 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at 515 Court St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. second Tuesday of the month at 441 W. Third St. in the Community Room; 7-8 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at 409 W. Third St. in the Community Room. Support group for people with disabilities and mental disorders.

Natural Mamas in Siouxland, 1 p.m., third Tuesday of each month in the Garretson room of the Morningside Public Library. All ages of children are welcome to come with moms. For sharing natural living tips, recipes, natural remedies and health, homemaking, mothering, etc. For more information, call 402-913-0038 or visit their Facebook page.

A Step Beyond support group, 3:30 p.m. second Tuesday of the month, except for August, November and December when it meets at 5:30 p.m. (no meeting in January) at the Christy-Smith Resource Center, 1819 Morningside Ave. For more information, call 712-276-7319.

Divorce care, 5 p.m., Sundays. Fireside room, Morningside Lutheran Church, 700 South Martha St.

Gamblers Anonymous meetings, 4 p.m. Thursdays at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 315 Hamilton Blvd.; 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Morningside Presbyterian Church, 4327 Morningside Ave.; 7 p.m. Tuesdays, St. John Lutheran Church; 7 p.m. Sundays, Hawkeye Club, 420 Jones St.. 712-277-2901.

Art therapy support group, 5:30 p.m. second Thursday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. Registration required, call 252-9387.

After Breast Cancer Support Group, 5:30 p.m. third Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call Brenda, 252-9370.

After Prostate Cancer Support Group, 5:15 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the June E. Nylen Cancer Center. For more information, call 252-9426.

Alzheimer's Association, Big Sioux Chapter Support Group, 2 p.m. second Tuesday of the month; 4 p.m. third Tuesday of the month (under age 65) at 201 Pierce St., Suite 110 (Famous Dave's building); and 6 p.m. first Tuesday of the month at the Barnes and Noble Cafe. For more information, call Emily Lord at 712-279-5802.

Christy-Smith Funeral Homes of Sioux City, extensive grief library at the Morningside location. Open to the public during weekday hours. For more information, call 276-7319.

Chronic Pain/Chronic Illness Support Group, 7:30 p.m. fourth Wednesday of the month in the lower level of the Orange City Hospital. For more information, call 712-737-5260.

Connections Area Agency on Aging, and Mercy Medical Centers Older Adult Services Welcome to Medicare, 1:30-4 p.m., the first Friday of every month at Connections Area Agency on Aging, 2301 Pierce St. To pre-register, or for more information, contact Connections Area Agency on Aging at 712-279-6900.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. program

SIOUX CITY -- A rescheduled program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at Mount Zion Baptist Church.

The event was postponed because of Monday's ice storm.

Contact Flora Lee at 712-253-2325 for additional information.

Central Senior monthly meeting

SIOUX CITY -- The Central Seniors at Central Baptist Church of Sioux City will hold their monthly meeting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Golden Corral in the Lakeport Commons. All ages are welcome.

Renae Simons will share her story of becoming involved with refugees from Cambodia after the Vietnam War.

Introduction to the Torah class

SIOUX CITY -- The subject "Torah as Foundation to Scripture" will be taught from 7-8:30 p.m. Monday in the Gleeson Room of the Sioux City Public Library, 529 Pierce St. All are welcome.

The program is sponsored by Siouxland International Messianic Fellowship. Call 712-251-6667 for additional information.

Soup and dessert supper

SIOUX CITY | A soup and dessert supper will be offered from 5-7 p.m. Saturday at First Christian Church, 2101 Jackson St. A freewill offering will be collected.

Bibi's Hope presentation

SIOUX CITY -- The community is invited to a Bibi's Hope presentation during the 7:45 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Sunday services at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport St.

Three Redeemer members have returned from serving in orphanages and will share their experiences. A meal will be served at noon, with a freewill offering accepted.

Ecumenical prayer service

SIOUX CITY | Christian congregations representing many denominations will come together for an Ecumenical Celebration of the Word of God at 2 p.m. Sunday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 3012 Jackson St.

The service will be held as part of the area's observance of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Special music will be provided by a combined choir from local congregations in the Siouxland area.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City woman in her early 30s said she has lost track of the number of friends and acquaintances who've died from drug overdoses.

Her own spiral into opioid addiction began nearly a decade earlier with painkillers and progressed to heroin.

While working at a gas station, the woman developed knee and back pain from lifting crates. A coworker gave her Vicodin, a narcotic pain reliever. She took a few pills every other day not realizing she was becoming dependent on the drug.

"It changed the way I felt. It numbed my feelings," she said tugging on the printed scarf around her neck as she sat on a sofa at Jackson Recovery Centers in Sioux City.

Although alcohol and marijuana are the primary substances abused in Iowa, statistics from the Iowa Department of Public Health show a growing number of people in the state are abusing prescription opioids and heroin.

The number of treatment admissions for heroin use in Iowa climbed from 186 in 2005 to 904 in 2015, while admissions for other opioids jumped from 422 to 1,601 over the same decade.

Heroin overdose deaths surged in the state from a single death in 2003 to 20 in 2013, according to the Iowa Governor's Office of Drug Control Policy. Fifteen people died of heroin overdoses in 2015, down from 19 in 2014.

Naloxone can jolt an opioid user in the throes of addiction awake and into immediate withdrawal. The opioid antidote is injected into the thigh or sprayed up the nostril.

Under a new law, Iowa pharmacists can now dispense naloxone to individuals at risk of overdosing, as well as their family members and friends.

Drilling Pharmacy currently dispenses Narcan, the nasal spray form of naloxone, to customers who have a doctor's order.

Co-owner Bill Drilling said his pharmacy is working toward getting the necessary procedures in place and completing educational training to dispense naloxone to patients at risk of opioid overdose from a standing order signed by Patricia Quinlisk, medical director of the Iowa Department of Public Health.

"This is pretty much the same way we do flu shots and the different vaccinations. If somebody would come in off the street, then we would be able to prescribe it for them using this doctor's name," he said of Narcan, which costs $150 for two single use nasal sprays. "I think that it's important that people know that this is available. If they're on an opiate it's probably a good idea to have it."

David Wolff, a family physician and substance abuse specialist at Akron Mercy Medical Clinic, said states that have broadened access to naloxone have noticed a sizable decline in overdose deaths. He thinks anyone taking high doses of prescription opioids should have a naloxone kit on hand and know how to use it.

"One of the initiatives that would make a big difference too would be making it available over the counter. That would be the best way to remove the obstacle so that people who are most likely to use it would have access to it," he said.

David Paulsrud, medical director of Jackson Recovery Centers, said politicians and government officials stalled the distribution of naloxone, which has been around for decades, because they don't understand addiction. He said naloxone can't be abused and doesn't encourage substance abuse.

"They see addiction as a choice. They can't understand why people are behaving that way," he said. "Why would you give up your children and your family and your job -- everything you love? Because addiction consumes your entire self. You lose your will."

The anti-rehabilitation medicine

Unlike past drug epidemics, the current opioid scourge is predominately ravaging white middle-class communities, accounting for 80 percent of the record 52,404 drug fatalities in 2015. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose.

Paulsrud, who retired from orthopedic surgery in 1997, said his generation of practicing physicians were "extremely careful" about prescribing narcotics.

"They were the anti-rehabilitation medication," he said. "We always had a conversation with our patients about that before surgery."

Then in 1996, drug maker Purdue Pharma developed the opioid pain medication OxyContin. The company marketed the drug, which contains the opioid narcotic painkiller oxycodone, to providers and patients as a safe pain reliever. A few years later, OxyContin was making the company more than $1 billion annually.

According to a 2014 report from the International Narcotics Control Board, the United States consumes 78 percent of the world's oxycodone supply and 99 percent of its hydrocodone supply. Hydrocodone is an opioid pain medication found in Vicodin.

Paulsrud said studies funded by the pharmaceutical industry mislead doctors into thinking the newest narcotic medications on the market could be used generously for pain. In 2007, Purdue Pharma paid $635 million in fines after pleading guilty to false marketing charges.

Wolff said about a third of patients being treated for chronic pain are addicted to opioids.

Iowa's voluntary prescription monitoring program, which became operational in 2009, allows prescribers and pharmacists to search for and flag potential drug seekers. But when a patient is discovered doctor shopping in an emergency room, Wolff said physicians typically turn them away, rather then making a diagnosis of addiction and referring them to a drug treatment program.

When prescription opioids become too difficult to obtain, users switch to heroin, which is much cheaper. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, a bag of heroin sells for $10, while OxyContin costs $80 a tablet.

A 2015 study conducted by researchers from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, found that heroin users tended to use prescription opioids as a substitute for heroin when it wasn't available.

Over a span of about four years, the Sioux City woman moved from Vicodin to OxyContin to Dilaudid. Her abuse of opioid pain relievers eventually escalated to heroin use.

"I went from eating them, to snorting them, to shooting them up. I had to stick a needle in my arm every day to be physically OK," said the woman, who overdosed herself.

Treatment options scarce

Treatment is available to only about 29 percent of people living in Iowa with an opioid addiction, according to a Sioux City Journal analysis of data published in the American Journal of Public Health in 2015.

The state lacks doctors who prescribe buprenorphine, a narcotic that prevents withdrawal symptoms. The National Safety Council says Maine, New Mexico and Vermont are the only states that currently meet the need for opioid use disorder treatment.

Paulsrud said most family physicians aren't willing to treat patients who've become dependent on opioids because they don't want out of control drug addicts sitting in their waiting rooms.

Doctors need a special license from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to prescribe buprenorphine. Even after completing the required eight hours of training, there are limits on the number of patients they can treat. Physicians must apply to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to provide buprenorphine treatment beyond the 30-patient limit.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 41 physicians in Iowa are authorized to treat opioid dependency with buprenorphine. Last year, there were 10 Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA)-certified physicians in the state treating 30 patients and four treating 100 patients. In August, the Obama administration raised the limit on the number of patients with opioid addiction DATA-certified physicians can treat to 275.

"There isn't enough access to treatment for the number of addicts that there are," Wolff said.

Paulsrud said opioid addicts are afraid of withdrawal, which is very uncomfortable, but not particularly dangerous. After they stop taking heroin or prescription opioids, they experience diarrhea, vomiting and muscle aches for about a week. Protracted withdrawal, which includes mood swings, depression, anxiety and insomnia, can go on for months and even years.

"Life is just gray," Paulsrud said. "You don't have to exist in that state for very long before you say, 'I'm gonna start using again because it's better than what this is.' And so they relapse."

Paulsrud treats the symptoms of the addiction with buprenorphine, so that a psychotherapist can treat the actual addiction. Some patients may need to remain on buprenorphine for life. He said patients who quit treatment and resume opioid use are at high risk of dying from an overdose because their tolerance to opioids has plummeted.

Residing in a car with no family support, the Sioux City woman knew she had to get clean or she wasn't going to live for much longer. She sought help at various treatment centers in Des Moines and entered Jackson Recovery Center's Synergy Center, an inpatient treatment facility, twice.

Now drug-free, the woman said she can feel joy again. Her family is back in her life; and she has friends, her own apartment and a pet cat. She speaks about her battle with addiction at treatment centers and group meetings, the availability of which she said is key to ending the current opioid epidemic.
Dear Doctor: Do I really need a yearly mammogram?

Dear Reader: This might be hard to accept, but if you're woman at low to average risk of breast cancer, you probably don't need a yearly mammogram. That's not to say we shouldn't give mammograms their due.

Mammograms can reduce deaths from breast cancer, and they're an important reason why breast cancer death rates have decreased over the last 40 years in this country. Studies have found a decreased death rate from breast cancer among women who have had mammograms compared to those who didn't.

Now let's look at just how much benefit. The public health advocacy group the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force calculated that, if 10,000 women between the ages of 39 and 49 had regular mammograms for 10 years, it would prevent three breast cancer deaths.

For the same number of women between the ages of 50 and 59, there would be eight fewer breast cancer deaths. And for women between 60 and 69, there would be 21 fewer breast cancer deaths over that 10-year time period.

In short, the overall death rates were not significantly different between those women who had mammograms and those who didn't. This has especially been shown in studies in Canada and Sweden that compared the impact of annual mammograms with yearly breast exams from a health professional.

In a 22-year Canadian study of 89,000 women, no difference in death rate was seen among women who had regular mammograms compared to those who had yearly breast exams with a health professional. This may point more to the importance of getting a yearly breast exam than the benefit of getting a mammogram.

Mammograms also have downsides. A primary one is that they have many false positives, leading to more imaging, breast biopsies and significant anxiety for patients. Another is that many breast cancers, such as ductal carcinoma in situ, would never be of clinical significance, so finding them on a mammogram is of little benefit.

That's not to say mammograms aren't useful. They do find breast cancers. But doctors and their patients need to discuss their risks and their benefits.

If you're a woman who has a mother or a sister with breast cancer, or if you have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation that increases breast cancer risk, then a yearly mammogram after the age of 40 is a good idea.

If you have a combination of risk factors -- such as having had your first baby after the age of 30, having later-onset menopause or having had an earlier onset of menstruation -- then a mammogram is likely a good idea.

However, if you're at average risk of breast cancer and between the ages of 40 and 49, there is only a small statistical benefit in having a mammogram, which should be balanced with the risks of testing.

If you are between the ages of 50 and 69, the benefit of a mammogram may overcome risk. At that age, you should get a mammogram every two years.

If you're older than 70, keep in mind that breast cancer rates increase up to the age of 80, so the screening could have a benefit. But that benefit must be weighed against the likelihood of dying from something else. Here again, the recommendation is for a mammogram every two years, but you should discuss your individual needs with your doctor.

Breast cancer screening is still evolving, with newer 3-D types of mammograms, breast MRIs and the possibility of biochemical markers to detect breast cancer. We'll need future studies of these technologies to assess their effectiveness at detecting breast cancer and reducing death rates. In time, the recommendations may change yet again.

Robert Ashley, M.D., is an internist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
SIOUX CITY | On Election Night eight years ago, I watched Sioux Cityan Monique Scarlett shed tears of joy as Barack Obama won the presidency, first African-American to do so.

"We did it!" exclaimed Scarlett, who is African-American.

Scarlett's oldest son, Leland Scarlett, in 2007, introduced her to Illinois' then-junior senator, a rising star in the Democratic Party. Leland wrote a paper for a high school class on Obama. Mom proofread.

You might say she's been "proofing" the work of the 44th president of the United States ever since. President Obama today becomes Former President Obama as President Donald Trump takes the oath of office.

The change leaves Scarlett, a personal banker, reflecting.

She can't get the image of a cancer survivor off her mind. The survivor, who is white, spoke about battling disease and receiving care, thanks, in part, to the Affordable Care Act, landmark legislation that's also called Obamacare. The man contended he'd be broke or dead without the health-care coverage he received under the signature element of the Obama administration.

Supporters may count the man among an estimated 20 million people who now have health insurance coverage thanks to this law.

Critics say otherwise, and Scarlett hears it.

"People that criticized President Obama and said what a pitiful job he's done may not today realize the job he's done," she said. "It might take two years. I think he fought for equality of all of us, not just a certain community. He wanted to do the right thing for all people."

She's convinced his approval numbers will grow in time.

She knows this much: Following his example, she walked taller, believing she could do any job. She wants her children and their children to know that as well. Nineteen-year-old son Xavier Scarlett, for example, studies both biology and theology at the University of Sioux Falls.

Xavier, she said with a laugh, is still bitter over a 2007 instance when Obama, while campaigning in the Iowa caucuses, attended Palm Sunday worship at their church, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Monique's husband, Donald Scarlett, helped provide security that morning.

"Xavier never got to shake Obama's hand and he cried and cried about it," she said. "And now, he's an activist working for civil rights."

Obama had an impact on his life, his mother said.

During the lead-up to his first election, Monique Scarlett grabbed a sign at one of Obama's rallies. "Hope," it said. She put the sign up in at their home. It stayed in place for eight years.

"I took the sign down this week," she said. "It's been a good run."

That doesn't mean "hope" isn't lost. Monique Scarlett is still raising her children. She's still meeting with customers who work, who buy cars, who educate their children and fix up their homes. She's a small part of an economy that continues to bounce back from a long and ornery recession.

In its wake, a new leader of the land assumes the Oval Office. Monique Scarlett said there is work to do. She believes the country can do it together, peacefully, constructively.

"I still have hope," she said.
SIOUX CITY | Authorities searched Friday for a girl who disappeared after the car she was riding in crashed and entered a river north of Denison, Iowa.

The Crawford County Sheriff's Office reported a car went into the cold Boyer River on a rural county road Thursday morning. All five people in the car were reportedly uninjured at the time of entering the river.

Four of the people were removed from the river by emergency officials and transported for treatment of possible hypothermia at Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison. The sheriff's office press release said a girl is "missing and believed to have disappeared into the river."

A wide group of law enforcement and emergency officials searched for the girl until 11 p.m. Thursday, before calling off the efforts in the river due to foggy conditions.

The girl's name was not immediately released by the sheriff's office.
SIOUX CITY | An estimated 200,000 women and men are expected to march in unison in the nation's capital Saturday, a day after Donald Trump's inauguration.

Siouxlanders who can't make it to the Women's March on Washington can still participate closer to home. About 600 Sister Marches will be held in cities across the country, including in Vermillion, South Dakota.

Vermillion is the only site in the Journal's circulation area currently listed on the Women's March on Washington website.

The Vermillion march will start at 1 p.m. at Dakota and Main streets and end at the Clay County Courthouse. Starting at 12:30 p.m., marchers are invited to meet in the basement of the United Church of Christ at 226 Main St., as well as gather there afterwards.

A Facebook page about the march encourages people "to support women's rights on the day after the inauguration. March in solidarity with women marching in D.C." About 500 people had been invited and roughly one-fourth indicated they would go to the Vermillion event.

Trump, a brash billionaire businessman, has drawn criticism from scores of individuals and groups for what they say were his demeaning comments and actions toward women.

Some organizers say the Women's March on Washington and the Sister Marches across America will be another way to air grievances about him. But others say it isn't specifically an anti-Trump protest.
SIOUX CITY | The Storm Lake Police Department has charged a teen boy with felony sexual assault after police said he had sex with a 13-year-old girl several times over four months.

Police arrested Alberto Lechuga, 16, of Storm Lake on Thursday. Lechuga was charged as an adult with six counts of third-degree sexual assault.

The police department announced the arrest in a Friday release. They had responded to the report of a possible sexual assault in the 500 block of West Ninth Street, where Lechuga lives.

Lechuga was taken to Buena Vista County Jail and later released to a parent, pending an upcoming court date.

The Storm Lake Police Department was assisted by the Sexual Assault Response Team and the Child Advocacy Center at Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City.
SIOUX CITY | Morningside College students took in the inauguration of President Donald Trump over lunch Friday, airing differing views on the content of the 45th president's speech and his ability to ably govern over the next four years.

Fans and critics of Trump watched the proceedings in Washington, D.C. live on numerous screens in the Olsen Student Center cafeteria. Some of the more politically-attuned students said they would also later watch commentaries of Trump's speech and the day's events, which also included some protests.

There were no protests at Morningside, a college that a few people said seemed to be more populated by supporters of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton than Trump, a Republican who won his position by winning the Electoral College while losing the popular vote in November.

Trump, a billionaire businessman and reality TV star, stopped at the Sioux City college for a public event on May 15, 2015, more than a month before he formally announced his candidacy for president, and nearly eight months before Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses, where he finished second.

Jacob Holck, a freshman from Merrill, Iowa, is part of the loosely-affiliated Morningside College Republicans and volunteered for the Trump campaign by making phone calls and knocking on doors. Holck saw Trump at three Iowa campaign appearances while in high school and moved to support him after his first choice, U.S Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, faded in the nomination process.

"(Trump) is different. He doesn't follow what people want to hear, he follows what he wants," Holck said.

Holck liked Trump's inauguration speech.

"The one thing that got me was how he put a lot of faith in the American people. To me, that wasn't a ploy...That was 'Let's stand up and make our country whole again, let's make America great again,' " Holck said.

Holck said he thinks Trump can create a good agricultural policy, while he doubts efforts to deport an estimated 12 million people without legal status will work.

"I don't necessarily like Trump 100 percent...but you're not going to like any candidate 100 percent," he said.

Holck said whether the U.S. will be better off in four years depends more upon the majority Republican federal lawmakers than Trump. Elizabeth Boell, a sophomore from Carroll, Iowa, said she knows women and minorities fear policies that Trump could pursue during his term that runs to January 2021.

"He is not having the best interests of people like that right now... I am just a little woeful to what he represents and the negativity towards minorities of late," said Boell, who voted for Clinton.

Boell said Trump's plan to build a barrier at the Mexican border to reduce illegal immigration is "ridiculous."

At one point of his speech, Trump said, The forgotten men and women of this country will be forgotten no longer. This is an historic moment, the likes of which we have never seen before... Hear these words, you will never be ignored again.

Kyle Fowler, a sophomore from Elk Point, South Dakota, said he has both conservative and liberal views and voted for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson.

"I have a lot of hope for (Trump). I really, really want him to do well," Fowler said.

Fowler said he thinks Trump is a good orator, but his main takeaway from the inaugural address was an assertion that Fowler found interesting as a religious person.

"(Trump) has made a couple bold statements, like we will get stronger with God," Fowler said.

Fowler said it was fascinating to observe the history made on an inauguration day. He recalls three inaugurations previously, the two most recent for former President Barack Obama and for George W. Bush's second term in January 2005.

"It is a celebration for some. It is something that others don't care for, you can tell by the rallies," Fowler said.

The cafeteria had a notable addition Friday. There was a dispenser for cotton candy, and by noon more than half of the 265 holders for the treat had been used. There was one likeness of Trump placed at the table with pink cotton candy in the place of the hair.

Also in the student center, the nonpartisan Morningside Civic Union had a table set up. The group had performed a voter registration drive in 2016 and member Celia McGaffey, a freshman from Sioux City, said students on campus had been politically dialed in.

McGaffey said the campus seemed to have more Clinton supporters.

"The mood definitely changed Nov. 8. It just seemed gloomy," she said.

McGaffey said minority students and the lesbian gay bisexual transgender community still look askance at the Trump presidency.

"People are still scared. There is still an element of Not My President," McGaffey said.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty to using an ex-roommate's identification and racking up more than $14,000 in charges.

Ryan Reedy, 46, entered his written plea Thursday in Woodbury County District Court to single counts of forgery, first-degree theft and identity theft.

According to court documents, Reedy and his girlfriend, Melissa Keene, 48, of Sioux City, stole personal information from an ex-roommate and from Nov. 10 through Jan. 10 used it to order packages online and ship them to their address under the victim's name. The two also are accused of completing online advances on the victim's bank account, resulting in a loss of more than $14,000 to the victim and his bank.

Reedy and Keene also obtained identities of other people and began ordering packages, court documents said. During a search of their residence, police found paperwork on dozens of people and methamphetamine and marijuana that Keene admitted were hers.

Keene has yet to be arraigned on charges of forgery, identity theft, first-degree theft and possession of a controlled substance.
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 today will be as novel as his campaign was.

Its theme was often a pronoun without an antecedent pronoun, 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 today 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. 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.
That dozens of Democratic members of Congress will boycott the inauguration of Donald Trump as the nation's 45th president today is disappointing.

In our view, all Americans - whether we voted for Trump or didn't - should honor the inauguration because the simple, but profound ceremony through which power seamlessly, peacefully transfers from one president to another speaks to the essence of our republic.

Simply put, it's bigger than political disagreements.

For example, though we have deep respect for the contributions to the civil rights movement and, indeed, our country of Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, we believe he is wrong in his decision not to attend the inauguration.

"I don't see this president-elect as a legitimate president," Lewis said last week in an interview with NBC News. "I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected."

Regardless of his opinion on the election or his opinion of Trump, Lewis - and like-minded congressional colleagues - should be guided to attend today's ceremony by larger, symbolic considerations.

The members of our editorial board wish Trump success as he assumes the immense burdens and responsibilities of president and believe no one should harbor hopes of dismal failure because the stakes for our nation are too high. If Trump, in fact, leads the country to better, brighter days, all Americans can and should cheer, in our view.

We shared much the same words on the day Barack Obama first took the oath of office eight years ago.

We acknowledge divisions and the fact Americans, within and outside Washington, will spend many days over the next four years in debate over them.

For at least today, though, we choose to put arguments aside, look forward instead of back, and celebrate freedoms and traditions.
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 under-funded 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 the state aid boost they receive for next school year is 2 percent.

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 before turning to next years level of state aid to K-12 schools 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.
First African high speed train arrives in Morocco

French-made high-speed train, better known as TGV has made its way to Morocco at the Port Tangier Med..

The TGV in Morocco will be the first one to operate in Africa. It will connect Tangier to Kenitra in only 1 hour and 30 minutes. Going ahead, the TGV will link Tangier to Casablanca in two hours and 10 minutes; currently the same journey takes five hours.

The trains are being tested ahead of the launch of the 350-kilometer route in 2018. The $2 billion investment in the new trains and track is funded by the governments of Morocco, France, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE.

Morocco received the first carriage for the high-speed train in July 2015. In September of the same year, the second fleet of the TGV arrivedat the Port of Tangier Med.

King Mohammed VI and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy launched the project in September 2011. It was scheduled to be completed in December 2015. The launch date for the high speed-train was later postponed, however, due to delays in infrastructure construction.

www.equipement.gov.ma
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.
Barnes Group Inc. provides engineered products, industrial technologies, and solutions in the United States and internationally. It operates in two segments: Industrial and Aerospace. The Industrial segment offers precision components, products, and systems used by various customers in end-markets, such as mobility, industrial equipment, automation, personal care, packaging, electronics, and medical devices. This segment also designs and manufactures hot runner systems, mold cavity sensors and process control systems, and precision high cavitation mold assemblies for injection molding applications; provides force and motion control solutions for various metal forming and other industrial markets; and designs and develops robotic grippers, end-of-arm tooling systems, sensors, and other automation components for intelligent robotic handling solutions and industrial automation applications. In addition, it manufactures and supplies precision mechanical products, including mechanical springs, and high-precision punched and fine-blanked components used in transportation and industrial applications. This segment sells its products primarily through its direct sales force and distribution channels. The Aerospace segment produces fabricated and precision machined components and assemblies for turbine engines; and nacelles and structures for commercial and defense-related aircraft. It also provides aircraft engine component maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for turbine engine manufacturers, commercial airlines, and defense market; and manufactures and delivers aerospace aftermarket spare parts. This segment serves original equipment manufacturing industry. Barnes Group Inc. was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Bristol, Connecticut.
Our portfolio of high quality UK commercial property is focused on London Offices and Retail around the UK. We own or manage a portfolio valued at 13.7bn (British Land share: 10.3bn) as at 30 September 2020 making us one of Europe's largest listed real estate investment companies. Our strategy is to provide places which meet the needs of our customers and respond to changing lifestyles - Places People Prefer. We do this by creating great environments both inside and outside our buildings and use our scale and placemaking skills to enhance and enliven them. This expands their appeal to a broader range of occupiers, creating enduring demand and driving sustainable, long term performance. Our Offices portfolio comprises three office-led campuses in central London as well as high quality standalone buildings and accounts for 65% of our portfolio. Our Retail portfolio is focused on retail parks and shopping centres, and accounts for 31% of our portfolio. Increasingly our focus is on providing a mix of uses and this is most evident at Canada Water, our 53 acre redevelopment opportunity where we have plans to create a new neighbourhood for London. Sustainability is embedded throughout our business. Our places, which are designed to meet high sustainability standards, become part of local communities, provide opportunities for skills development and employment and promote wellbeing. In April 2016 British Land received the Queen's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development, the UK's highest accolade for business success for economic, social and environmental achievements over a period of five years.
Social Movements  January 20, 2017  Pierre Beaudet

It all began right here in Porto Alegre in 2001 when this city in the south of Brazil became a major site of popular mobilization. Influenced by the Workers Party (PT), unions were, along with popular movements, at the forefront of a proactive political effort that included the support of the left within the Catholic Church, inspired by liberation theology. In the neighborhoods and slums, tightly-knit networks were struggling to take over the city while testing and implementing new ways of governance. In 2002, a seismic shift occurred with the election of a working-class president from northeast Brazil, the poorest part of the country. At the same time, a strong wave of mobilization was sweeping Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela, as well as Bolivia, where an unprecedented indigenous movement had taken center stage.

It was within this new constellation of resistance and the building of alternatives that a small group of Brazilians, with the help of a number of South American, European and even Quebec organizations, launched the idea of the creation of a large forum for debate: a new space, unconstrained by the imposition of a correct line. It was rather to be a space where we could see and hear in new ways and imagine a radically different world, in a radical counterpoint to the yearly gathering of the rich and powerful in Davos at the World Economic Forum.

Before we were really fully aware of what was happening, the movements had rallied thousands of people, then tens of thousands  and the numbers continued to grow. For the first few years it seemed best to continue the work of the Forum here in Brazil, just as it later made sense to internationalize the Forum by organizing meetings in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. While at the outset it was an annual event, the World Social Forum (WSF) evolved into a galaxy of thematic, regional and local forums. At the beginning of the present decade, the Forum formula served as an inspiration (without directly creating or controlling them) for the series of popular political Springs, including the Occupy and the Indignados mobilizations at a time when the movements of movements had decided to challenge neoliberalism, war and the denial of fundamental rights. The World Social Forum of Tunis in 2013 was a stellar example of this fightback.

The 1% Ramp Up Austerity

The elites did not remain passive when faced with this rising tide of popular resistance. Neoliberalism reacted by ramping up austerity policies, slashing employment and continuing policies of privatization. The 1% showed little hesitation about reverting to the time-tested tools of authoritarianism, racism and militarism. Popular movements were forced to retreat in the ideological arena, which opened the door to certain reactionary currents that, at times, would use religion as a cover for their efforts.

At the same time, democratic governments, confronted by the shadowy maneuverings of a financialized capitalism, still clung to the illusion of their own capacities to deal with the crises while distancing themselves from popular movements. Even while opposing certain practices of globalized capitalism, these institutional players were unable to build a powerful enough counter-hegemonic force. For example, on the crucial question of the environment, center-left governments remained very tentative, tolerating an extractivist approach to the exploitation of natural resources and supporting related megaprojects, while lacking any serious plan to rethink overall development. This crisis allowed the political operatives of the right and of the extreme right to take advantage of this turmoil and disarray as well as of the divisions within movements, as seen most recently in Brazil and Argentina.

New Challenges for the WSF

This state of affairs is at the center of debates the world over. And this constitutes a new challenge for the WSF. How does the Forum remain relevant and important in a context where we must, perhaps more so than ever, find common pathways forward?!

For some, its a matter of returning to more traditional ways of uniting the movements under the direction of an enlightened avant-garde and, following the model of the Internationals of yesteryear, creating a Central Committee capable of taking power and then eventually seeing to its transformation. This vision harkens back to an old-style Left but at least it is an attempt to propose an overall plan and doesnt pretend that nothing is amiss.

Another option obscures or minimizes the current shift and seeks refuge in the dream of local self-management and alternative experiments. This requires that one distance oneself from power, from the State, and governing, conscious that (and this is an important and legitimate idea) power is not a thing  the property of a gang of thieves  but rather a complex social relationship; an apparatus, to use Foucaults term.

Between these two polar positions exists an array of hybrid forms, as found in Bolivia or Spain where movements, with no illusions, decided to become involved in their respective political milieus while still working toward strengthening popular initiatives.

First of all, for the Forum to continue it must be a space where we come together above and beyond our differences. This is a matter of a common sense approach necessary to fight back against the current right-wing assault.

But its also a matter of a political and ethical commitment of everyone getting out from under their own bubble, in order to learn from others and to innovate. The Forum must not become a new International but it must create space (a lot of it) both to build alliances and to avoid the magical thinking where we abstain from, in the name of horizontality, engaging in analytical efforts that could lead to attempts to build counter-hegemonic alternatives. It makes no sense to focus solely on the processes of the available political space just as it is an error to imagine that a new world will emerge solely from micro-projects and local initiatives.

All these questions will be on the table this week here at Porto Alegre as part of the Forum of Resistances organized by the South American groups who are clearly cognizant of the gravity of the situation. At the end of the week there will be a meeting of the International Council, a grouping whose function is somewhat ambiguous and even called into question by some, but nevertheless has a mandate to facilitate the decision-making process.

It is going to be a bumpy road. 

Translated by John Bradley.
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.
As President Barack Obama ends eight years in office, lets reflect on what he and his administration have done to advance understanding of and equality for LGBTQ parents and our children.

In 2008, the year of Obamas first presidential campaign, supporters of Californias Proposition 8, which would ban marriage equality, were vocal in trying to scare people with visions of homosexuality being taught to children in schools. Indeed, this had been an anti-LGBTQ tactic for years. The Obama campaign didnt hesitate, however, to place people with experience specific to children and schools among the leaders of Obama Pride, his LGBTQ outreach group.

Related: Obama Bids Farewell With Goodbye Letter; Gives Shout Out to LGBT Community

One of its five national co-chairs was Marsha Botzer, who (in addition to other roles) was board co-chair of the Safe Schools Coalition, a Washington state organization that supports LGBTQ youth. And one of the two heads of the groups Finance Committee was Kevin Jennings, founder and now-former executive director of GLSEN, which champions LGBTQ issues in K-12 education. Jennings was also co-founder of the very first gay-straight alliance and later became assistant deputy secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools in the U.S. Department of Education.

Although it took Obama longer than many would have liked to evolve on marriage equality, once he did, he said same-sex parents and our children were a key reason for his position. In a 2012 email to supporters, he explained, What Ive come to realize is that for loving, same-sex couples, the denial of marriage equality means that, in their eyes and the eyes of their children, they are still considered less than full citizens. Even at my own dinner table, when I look at Sasha and Malia, who have friends whose parents are same-sex couples, I know it wouldnt dawn on them that their friends parents should be treated differently. So I decided it was time to affirm my personal belief that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

And when 10-year-old Sophia Bailey Klugh wrote to the President in 2012, asking: "If you were me and had two dads that loved each other, and kids at school teased you about it, what would you do?" Obama responded in part (per her dad Jonathan Baileys Facebook post of the letter), In America, no two families look the same. We celebrate this diversity. And we recognize that whether you have two dads or one mom what matters above all is the love we show one another.

When Obama signed the repeal of the militarys Dont Ask, Dont Tell (DADT) policy in 2010 and it went into effect in 2011, life got better for military LGBTQ parents and their children. They no longer had to hide their family ties and forego much of the support and resources offered to military familiesespecially critical when a parent was deployed. Since last year, transgender people, too, can serve as who they really area relief for military trans parents and their families as well.

The Obama administration also helped address bullying, including anti-LGBTQ bullying. Such bullying can harm LGBTQ youth, those perceived to be, and those of all identities with LGBTQ parents. In 2011, Obama convened the first White House Conference on Bullying Prevention, lending presidential visibility to efforts begun by several federal departments in the preceding years. Now there have been five such summits, including an LGBT Youth Summit and a meeting with transgender students, among others.

Related: Obama Awards Medal of Freedom to Ellen DeGeneres

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka Obamacare, prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage because of sexual orientation or gender identity, or because of preexisting conditions, including pregnancy, fertility issues, and HIV status. It also states that being transgender is no longer considered a pre-existing condition. When Obamacare passed in 2010, five years before federal marriage equality, Family Equality Council noted that fewer families with LGBTQ parents have health insurance than those in the general population because many employers do not offer coverage for same-sex partners or their children. Thanks to the ACA, many more children with parents who are LGBT will be able to access the coverage that they need.

Obama in 2010 also became the first president to mention families with two moms and two dads in his Mothers and Fathers Day proclamations. (He included them, too, in his earlier proclamation for the lesser-known observance of September, 28, 2009, as Family Day.) Parents of all sexual orientations and gender identities were also explicitly mentioned in several of his National Foster Care Month and National Adoption Month proclamationsreminding people of our existence and importance in providing loving homes for children.

This is not an exhaustive list of all President Obama has done to improve the lives of LGBTQ parents and our children. Many of his administrations actions helped LGBTQ people broadly speaking, among them those with kids. In addition to those mentioned already, they include the expansion of benefits to same-sex domestic partners of federal employees; prohibiting federal contractors from employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity; support of global LGBTQ human rights; and clarifying that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits sex discrimination, also bans discrimination based on gender identity.

One might have expected that Obama, who was raised by his mother and maternal grandparents, had a natural sympathy for non-traditional families. His legacy proves that right. Whether it lasts is now up to us.

Dana Rudolph is the founder and publisher of Mombian (mombian.com), a GLAAD Media Award-winning blog and resource directory for LGBTQ parents.
In the aftermath of an election cycle that was unfriendly to Democrats on the national stage, two survivors vowed to not give up.

Around 200 family members, friends, elected officials and community activists attended the swearing-in ceremony of U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and U.S. Congressman Ted Deutch Wednesday morning at the Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.

Related: Straight Ally Ted Deutch

For Wasserman Schultz, first elected to public office as a 26-year-old, the roof-top ceremony was extra special. She defeated newcomer Tim Canova in a competitive race for the house seat in district 23. The campaign came on the heels of Wasserman Schultzs resignation as chair of the Democratic National Committee.

As we know from time to time people try to get her down, Deutch said of his colleague. Thats because she always steps to the fore, always in the front of the battle for the things we care about. The amazing thing is despite those efforts she always comes back stronger and more determined to stand up for all of us.

Related: Straight Ally: Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Wasserman Schultz, 50, represents parts of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, while Deutch, 50, represents parts of Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Both representatives were selected to last years Top 25 Straight Allies issue by readers of the South Florida Gay News.

My first priority in Congress will be to protect those who need it the most, Wasserman Schultz said. Whether its healthcare, immigration or our social safety net, we cannot turn our backs on our most vulnerable.

Wasserman Schultz and Deutch attended the inauguration ceremony of Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States  but not out of glee.

For the simple fact that I want him to know we are watching his every move, Wasserman Schultz said.

During her remarks in Fort Lauderdale, Wasserman Schultz thanked her parents, husband, rabbi and staff for their unyielding support. She then declared protecting Obamacare to be of the utmost priority.

The most immediate threat we face is as many as 20 million Americans could lose their health care coverage with the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, Wasserman Schultz said. Ending this program without any comparable replacement could literally result in lives being lost. It is cruel and disgraceful to go back to the dark times when there were annual and a lifetime coverage limits on all Americans. It is embarrassing and appalling that Congress would even consider repealing a law that protects breast cancer survivors like me and up to 129 million Americans who live every day with a pre-existing condition.

Deutch, who sits on the foreign affairs committee, said he would work to strengthen Americas relationships with allies, especially Israel, he said. Raising awareness of eating disorders, creating bipartisan support to fight climate change and pushing for the Supreme Court to overturn Citizens United are other issues on the congressmans radar.

Several local LGBT leaders attended the ceremony. Rabbi Noah Kitty of Congregation Etz Chaim, a South Florida LGBT-inclusive synagogue, said she was proud of Wasserman Schultz for enduring a steady stream of attacks from the right.

And shes still standing, Kitty said.

Michael Rajner, a Wilton Manors resident, said he was glad to see two fighters stay on the job.

Its very comforting to know Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Ted Deutch are returning to Congress this session, Rajner said. They have been consistent leaders on LGBT and HIV/AIDS issues, and our community will be well represented by them as we face incredible challenges ahead.

The transition in Washington, Wasserman Schultz said, remains a touchy subject.

On Friday, our country will swear in a new President, Wasserman Schultz said. Understandably, that change in power has generated a lot of uncertainty and anxiety in our community. Since the November elections Ive felt that same apprehension at times but as we look forward we cannot allow doubt to paralyze us because theres simply too much at stake.

Rabbi Howard Needleman of Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El gave the invocation, asking God to provide the constitutional officers wisdom, strength and compassion. The Walker Elementary School choir performed America The Beautiful, Emily Kaufman delivered a stirring rendition of the national anthem, the Fort Lauderdale Police Department Honor Guard presented the colors and Reverend Joe Johnson of Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church closed the ceremony with the benediction.

We are not victims, but victors, Rev. Johnson said.
NASA International Space Station On-Orbit Status 18 January 2017. NASA

Following a successful pair of spacewalks, the Expedition 50 crew has switched gears and is moving full-speed ahead with advanced space research. The orbital residents checked out science gear and studied the impacts of living in space.

European astronaut Thomas Pesquet repressed the Japanese Kibo lab module airlock after a small satellite deployer shot a set of tiny satellites, or CubeSats, into Earth orbit on Monday. The variety of CubeSats will test new spacecraft deorbiting and propulsion technologies and be used for communication purposes.

Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson joined veteran cosmonauts Andrey Borisenko and Oleg Novitskiy for the ongoing Fluid Shifts study and collected blood, urine and saliva samples. The human research experiment seeks to investigate vision and eye damage some astronauts have reported after their space missions.

Commander Shane Kimbrough worked on combustion science gear troubleshooting a pair of devices that explore flames and high temperatures in space. Flight Engineer Sergey Ryzhikov worked inside a docked Soyuz spacecraft recharging computer batteries.

On-Orbit Status Report

Japanese Small Satellite Orbital Deployer-6 (J-SSOD6) Removal: Following the successful deployments on Monday, the crew repressed the JEM Airlock (JEMAL) then extended the Slide Table into the cabin to remove the deployers from the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP). The next use of the JEMAL is the High Definition Television External Facility-2 (HDTV-EF2), a high-definition television camera system, which is used for earth observation from the ISS and will be installed on the JEM-EF.

Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) Holder Removal: During the ELF troubleshooting on December 27, the ELF Sample Holder was unable to rotate. The crew removed then inspected the Sample Holder and inserted a new Sample Cartridge. The ELF cables were then reconnected and the Sample Holder reinstalled into the Work Volume. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agencys (JAXAs) ELF is located in Multi-Purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR)-2. Once complete, this cartridge sample will provide science capability for ground teams to evaluate. The ELF is an experimental facility designed to levitate/melt/solidify materials by containerless processing techniques using the Electrostatic Levitation method. With this facility, thermophysical properties of high temperature melts can be measured, and solidification from deeply undercooled melts can be achieved.

Fluid Shifts Before, During and After Prolonged Space Flight and Their Association with Intracranial Pressure and Visual Impairment (Fluid Shifts): Two 49S crewmembers performed their final portions of the Flight Day 45 Day (FD45) Fluid Shifts operations in the Russian Service Module (SM). The subject donned the Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP/Chibis) device, while the operator, with ground support in Moscow, assisted in the medical monitoring. Additionally, while the subject was in the LBNP and experiencing the negative pressure (pulling the fluid feetward), the Crew Medical Officer performed Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), and Tonometry measurements. Fluid Shifts is a joint NASA-Russian experiment that investigates the causes for severe and lasting physical changes to astronauts eyes. Because the headward fluid shift is a hypothesized contributor to these changes, reversing this fluid shift with a lower body negative pressure device is investigated as a possible intervention. Results from this study may help to develop preventative measures against lasting changes in vision and eye damage.

Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) Troubleshooting Part 3: Using the tools assembled yesterday, the crew successfully removed the MDCA from the CIR Combustion Chamber. The crew repaired the spring fastener that was preventing the removal and reinstalled the MDCA. Next week the crew will reconfigure the CIR to the Cool Flames Investigation (CFI). CFI provides new insight into the phenomenon where some types of fuels initially burn very hot, then appear to go out  but they continue burning at a much lower temperature, with no visible flames (cool flames). Understanding cool flame combustion helps scientists develop new engines and fuels that are more efficient and less harmful to the environment.

ARED Sensor Calibration: The crew performed a sensor calibration via the Station Support Computer (SSC) resident software. This activity calibrates the rotational sensors in the main arm and the load sensors for cable exercises to utilize the new ARED software load that was uplinked GMT 014.

Vacuum Access Port (VAP) Installation Procedure Review: Today, the crew reviewed procedures and gathered hardware to support installation of a VAP in Node 2 from the LAB Vent Relief Valve to provide vacuum access capability for Visiting Vehicles berthed to Node 2 Nadir after PMA3 is relocated to Node 2 Zenith. The installation of the VAP is scheduled for Thursday, GMT 019. The VAP Mod Kit consists of a Vacuum Access Port, Vacuum Hoses, and Vacuum Access Port Adapters to support vacuum through LAB Vent Relief Valve.

Columbus Return Grid Sensor Housing (RGSH) Internal Cleaning: The crew inspected and cleaned the Columbus RGSH, RGSH internal area and the Air Duct Debris Screen installed in the Port Cone. The RGSH was removed to acquire access to the internal sensors and brackets to allow cleaning using Vacuum Cleaner.

Improved Payload Ethernet Hub Gateway (iPEHG) Procedure Review: The crew reviewed procedures for installing an iPEHG into Expedite the Processing of Experiments to the Space Station (ExPRESS) Rack-7 (ER-7) on Friday. Following the review, the crew participated in a conference with the ExPRESS Rack Ops Lead to address any questions. The iPEHG is a component of the ISSs Joint Station Local Area Network (JSL) and provides switched Ethernet full-duplex network data communication between International Standard Payload Racks (ISPR) devices, ExPRESS Rack devices, the JSL Edge Routers (ER), and a fiber optic High Rate Data Link (HRDL) Gateway to the High Rate Communications System (HRCS).

Solid State Lighting Assembly (SSLA) Installation: Today, the crew installed SSLAs into the Node 1 Overhead Port and Overhead Starboard locations. This was a Task List activity. The SSLAs were designed to replace General Luminaire Assemblies (GLAs) to improve visual acuity and to provide a crew health countermeasure for circadian rhythms, sleep, alertness and performance. To accomplish these goals, SSLAs are designed to operate in 3 modes with 3 distinct spectrum. The different spectrum provide control of the blue portion of the light which impacts melatonin production in humans which impacts sleep.

CLPA (Camera Light Pan Tilt Assembly) Install on Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS): Last Friday, the CLPA checkout was nominal on the Mobile Transporter Relay Assembly (MTRA), but a trip indication was observed when attempting to power on the light. Teams have resolved the camera can be installed on the SSRMS with the faulty light. Later this evening, the plan is to inspect the CLPA, inspect the MTRA, perform additional troubleshooting, and install the CLPA on the SSRMS end B. During the inspections, the 72-pin connector will be inspected by the SSRMS camera at close range for damage. If damage is seen to the connector, the CLPA will be reinstalled to the MTRA instead of the SSRMS end B.

Todays Planned Activities

All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Manufacturing Device Hardware Audit

SPHERES Battery Setup

XF305 Camcorder Setup

Electrostatic Levitation Furnace(ELF) Sample Holder removal

MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter gathering and measurements.

FLUID SHIFTS. Comm configuration on RS

FLUID SHIFTS. Camcorder setup & switch on

Aerosol Samplers Battery Charge

FLUID SHIFTS. On RBS

JEM Airlock Press

Fluid Shifts Ultrasound Service Module Power On Preparation

Radi-N Detector Retrieval/Readout

Radiation Dosimetry Inside ISS-Neutrons Hardware Handover

MATRYOSHKA-R. Handover of BUBBLE-dosimeter detectors from USOS.

MATRYOSHKA-R. BUBBLE-dosimeter gathering and measurements.

FLUID SHIFTS. Don Chibis

FLUID SHIFTS. Assistance with Chibis & Gamma-1

JEM Airlock Leak Check

Fluid Shifts Ultrasound Service Module Scan  Subject

XF305 Camcorder Setup

JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Extension to JPM Side

JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (SSOD) #6 Four Deployers from Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform Removal

FLUID SHIFTS. Doff Chibis

FLUID SHIFTS. Assistance with Chibis & Gamma-1

Fluid Shifts Ultrasound Service Module Preparation

Fluid Shifts Ultrasound Service Module Scan

Analysis of SM Atmosphere for Freon Using Freon Leak Analyzer/Detector (???)

Air Conditioner [???1] Compressor R&R.

JEM Airlock Slide Table (ST) Retraction from JPM Side

Wireless leak detector ultrasonic sensor deployment

SPHERES Battery Swap

FLUID SHIFTS. Disconnect

PAO Preparation

FLUID SHIFTS. Disconnection & disassembly

Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config Columbus Setup

FLUID SHIFTS. Comm Reconfiguration to nominal on RS

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) in Columbus

Aerosol Active Samplers Hardware Installation

Demate Telemetry Connector.

Air Conditioner [???1] Compressor R&R.

??? Maintenance

Habitability Human Factors Directed Observations

SPHERES Battery Swap

Columbus Return Grid Sensor Housing Internal Cleaning

Tightening Screw Clamps on MRM1/FGB Interface

Verification of ??-1 Flow Sensor Position

Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus MWA Prep

Inspection of the Columbus PPRA and CDA valves

Mating telemetry data connector.

Removal of Vacuum Cleaner from Columbus SUP

[???1] Compressor R&R, Closeout Ops.

Combustion Integrated Rack Doors Open

ESA Active Dosimeter mobile unit swap

Combustion Integrated Rack Front End Cap Open

SPHERES Battery Swap

Dose Tracker Data Entry Subject

Analysis of SM Atmosphere for Freon Using Freon Leak Analyzer/Detector (???)

iPEHG Review

iPEHG Conference

Node 2 Vacuum Access Port (VAP) Installation Big Picture Word (BPW) Review

Node 2 Vacuum Access Port (VAP) Gather

Combustion Integrated Rack Front End Cap Close

Combustion Integrated Rack Rack Doors Close

SPHERES Battery Stow

Completed Task List Items

HTV Cargo Ops

NOD1OP2-1 SSLA Installation

NOD1OS2-2 SSLA Installation

Ground Activities

All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

New CLPA will be removed from the MTRA and installed on SSRMS Boom B

TRRJ Survey

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Thursday, 01/19: N2 VAP Install, Fluid Shifts, MAGVector, Story Time Heat Transfer Demo, SABL Removal, HRF2 Resupply

Friday, 01/20: ER-7 IPEHG Install, EXT MDM Checkout, CDRA Troubleshooting Cable Install, ELF Sample Install

Saturday, 01/21: Weekly Housekeeping, Crew Off Duty

QUICK ISS Status  Environmental Control Group:

Component  Status

Elektron  Off

Vozdukh  Manual

[???] 1  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV1)  Off

[???] 2  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV2)  On

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab  Standby

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3  Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab  Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3  Idle

Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)  Process

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)  Standby

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab  Off

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3  Full Up
Wed, 26.10.22 - 12:09

Another blast of heat at the end of the month is likely to break the record in Spain With only a few days left in...
Paris,17 January 2017 (SPS) - The Task Force of the European Coordination Conference for Solidarity with the Sahrawi People (EUCOCO) welcomed the decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) which "clearly" stated that Western Sahara, a non-autonomous territory, was occupied by its neighbor Morocco, demanding its application by the European Union countries.

In a statement released after its Sundays meeting in Paris, EUCOCO, which will hold its 42nd meeting in the French capital, examined the initiatives to be implemented on the ground, so that "this ruling is applied by the 28 member states of the European Union."

The EUCOCO members also welcomed the recent decision of the UN Committee against Torture. After receiving a complaint of torture by one of the Gdeim Izik detainees, arrested with 23 others in November 2010, the Committee issued on December 12, 2016 a "strong condemnation of Morocco."

In this regard, the members stressed that they were going to "closely follow" the trial of the 22 prisoners of Gdeim Izik, which is expected to be held on 23 January.

For 2017, the participants in the Paris meeting examined the initiatives to be taken to help the Polisario Front and Sahrawi associations to hold the referendum on self-determination and independence.

These initiatives will be undertaken with the African Union, the UN Security Council and the Fourth Committee on Decolonization, said a communique received by APS.

A certain number of initiatives are also planned with the European institutions in connection with the EP Intergroup "Peace for the Sahrawi people", at the Council of Europe and the Human Rights Council.SPS

125/090/700
CABINET has agreed to formalise the Turks and Caicos Islands membership of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).





This is according to the post Cabinet media statement issued last week.





His Excellency the Governor, Dr John Freeman, chaired the first meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, 11 January 2017, at the N J S Francis Building on Grand Turk.





All Ministers were present at this meeting.





Cabinet took note of an information paper from the Ministry of Finance on the budget timetable for 2017/18 and received an up-date on the current financial situation from the Chief Financial Officer (CFO);





Cabinet received an information paper on actions taken and plans going forward to address issues faced by the National Health Insurance Board (NHIB).





Cabinet noted the recommendations of the Public Procurement Board to award contracts in line with the Public Procurement Ordinance 2012 as follows  TR 16/30 Construction of a new block at the Eliza Simons Primary School; TR 16/32 Consultancy to oversee the development of terms of reference and a draft tender for an integrated electronic land administration system.





Cabinet advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the issuing of a tender notice for a lease of Crown Land Parcel 50500/90 on North Caicos for the construction of a boutique hotel development and multi-complex recreation and events centre.





Cabinet further agreed to request a letter of entrustment from the British Government to enable the TCI Government to negotiate in its own right with third parties under the terms of the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters including on implementation of the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and on the G20/OECD Base Erosion and Profit Sharing (BEPS) initiative on tax information exchange.




By Delana Isles

CHIEF JUSTICE Margaret Ramsay-Hale will on March 6 preside over the hearing of an election petition protesting the award of electoral district (ED) six to former government minister Porsha Stubbs-Smith after a tie breaker.





The petitioner, George Pratt, filed the documents on December 22, 2016 in the Providenciales Supreme court, seven days after the general elections, court documents obtained by Weekly News showed.





Pratt is represented by attorney at law Alvin Garland, the respondent Stubbs-Smith is being represented by Queens Counsel Ariel Misick, while the Attorney General is appearing on behalf of the Supervisor of Elections, and the returning officer and the presiding officer for ED6.





Last Thursday, when the case came up before the Chief Justice for a date of the hearing to be set, many supporters of both candidates and members of government were in attendance in the Leeward Highway courthouse to observe the proceedings.





The issue came to head after a 284 tie for votes between Pratt and Stubbs-Smith led the ED6 returning officer to use the constitutionally allowed tie -breaker  that of the placement of the candidates names into a container and then a blind drawing of one  subsequently leading to the PNP members name being selected.





A dissatisfied Pratt told the press on the announcement of the winner on December 16 that he was not entirely pleased with the overall process at the polling station, naming what he saw as discrepancies in the voting and subsequent selection process.





Court documents clearly outlines Pratts grievances.





Those documents state that pursuant to section 21 of the Elections Ordinance the register of electors for 2016 was published by the supervisor of elections on or about January 2016, and during the month of March 2016, the supervisor heard the claims and objections with respect to the register.





The claims and objections hearing for ED6 was heard on March 2.





It further outlines that pursuant to the Ordinance, the supervisor was required to amend the electors list to give effect to his decisions with regards to the claims and objections.





On March 2, the supervisor forwarded to Felix O Delancy his decision of a list of the names of persons that were objected to by the PDM in ED6.





On or about March 31, following the claims and objections process, the supervisor published the final 2016 register of electors, including the voters that were removed and added during the claims and objections process, the Pratt documents claim.





He further outlined that it is during the claims and objection process that registered voters can be added or removed from the register of an electoral district and once the process is completed there is no further mechanism under the Ordinance for adding or removing registered voters from the register of an electoral district.





Pratt states that on the morning of election day, before the polls opened, the supervisor delivered to the returning office for ED6 the register of voters, which became "the official lists of voters" relating to the electoral district for which he was appointed.





He added that a person is not entitled to vote in a polling division unless his name appears on the official list of voters for the electoral district in which the polling station is situated.





He said that after the polls had opened on December 15 and the official lists of voters had been delivered to the returning officer, and after voting had begun, sometime during the day he was told by the presiding officer that three registered voters from Leeward, ED5 would be allowed to vote in ED6.





Upon being informed of this, Pratt said he immediately objected to these individuals being allowed to vote in his district.





However, he said the returning officer denied his objection and approved the voters to vote.





The three registered voters that were approved to vote in ED6 were: Kirlyah Dominique Rigby, Lucille Sonovia Gardiner and Bcrniquea Ikisha Smith.





According to the court documents, Kirlyah Dominique Rigby and Berniquea Ikisha Smith subsequently voted in ED6, while Lucille Sonovia Gardiner, voted in ED5.





Pratt further adds that on or about December 13 the supervisor of elections published a notice to the Governor headlined Additional Correction to 2016 Electors Register Published.





The additional corrections to be made and included in this list were a transfer of the above name three already registered voters from ED5 to ED6.





Pratt said he was never informed of the publication.





However, he claims that the supervisor's publication to the Governor on December 13 is unlawful, and on its true construction does not make corrections to the register of electors in accordance with section 22 of the Ordinance with regards to the three voters.





He said that Section 22 (l) only permits the supervisor to correct the register under two conditions: (i) is to add a person on the register that is not on the register whom he believes is entitled to be registered, and (ii) to give effect to a decision on a claim or objection made with respect to the electors lists.





It is only under these circumstances that the supervisor can make corrections to the register, Pratt pointed out, as such the notice to transfer the voters to ED6 is unlawful.





"This is exactly what the claims and objections process mechanism is designed to be used for.





"Mainly, candidates and other persons can claim and object to registered voters in any electoral district during the process, once this process is concluded the Supervisor has no authority to move voters from one electoral district to another, on his own accord, after the claims and objections process have concluded, the document read.





It adds that at the time the final list of voters for ED6 was delivered to the returning officer on polling day, the three voters were not on the list as electors for district six and were therefore not entitled to vote at that polling station.





Pratt stipulates that the two of the three voters unlawfully voting in district six may have affected the result of the election, and makes it uncertain whether the Stubbs-Smith has really been elected by the majority of persons voting at the Bight polling station.





Rejected and Spoiled Ballots

He also pointed out that during the counting of the ballots for ED6 three ballots were rejected and three ballots were spoiled.





He said that one of those ballots was clearly marked for him, and that it was a perfectly good ballot with a clearly marked X in the center of the box next to his name.





Pratt said he had objected and requested that the ballot be included into the count as a valid vote for him.





However, his objection was denied by the returning officer and the ballot was place into the designated envelope with the other rejected and spoiled ballots and sealed.





He further claims that the disputed ballot was not marked spoiled by the presiding officer and should have been included as a valid ballot for him.





"Had the one ballot not been rejected or declared spoiled, the results would have been different, with the petitioner winning the majority of the overall votes cast, and being returned as duly elected to the House of Assembly, Pratt stated.





The PDM member also objected to the procedure for selecting a candidate when the votes are tied between candidates.





He said the procedure carried out by the returning officer for electing the candidate is flawed, unreliable and or unsafe.





"The returning officer folded both papers himself put them into the box and draw the winning name himself.





He stated that the returning officer should have used the presiding officer or another official agent to draw the name from the box.





As a result of this, Pratt said he cannot accept the procedure performed by the returning officer as a reliable and safe procedure.





He stated that the final result and the election of Stubbs-Smith is unsafe, and she should not be returned as the elected member for ED6.





Instead, he should be return as the duly elected member of the House of Assembly, or alternatively the election must be declared void.





He is seeking the following relief from the court- that the spoiled and or rejected ballots be open for scrutiny; that the final voters list that was used during polling day, for ED6, and ED5 be scrutinized; that the counterfoils to the ballot papers and/or the ballots be scrutinized.





That it may be determined and declared that the Stubbs-Smith was not duly elected as a member of the House of Assembly for ED6; that her election and return as a member of the House of Assembly for ED6 be declared null and void and that Pratt was duly elected as a member of the House of Assembly for ED6.





He is also seeking costs of the petition and he may have such further relief as may be just and equitable.





Stubbs-Smiths lawyer has up to January 19 to file a response to Pratts election petition with the court.












BY OLIVIA ROSE

THE ENVIRONMENTAL Health Department (EHD) has conducted over 300 premises inspections and fogged approximately 400 swamps in the Turks and Caicos Island in an effort to prevent and control the dreaded Zika virus.





This was revealed when the Ministry of Health, Agriculture and Human Services updated the general public on initiatives taken to prevent and control the spread of Zika and Dengue within the Turks and Caicos Islands.





According to the Ministry it has also served more than 100 notices to premises.





Coupled with this, the Health Promotion and Advocacy Unit continues to educate residence on vector borne illnesses.





The ministry also pointed out that those climatic conditions over the past 2 week was not ideal for fogging, so the Environmental Health department focused its efforts on the vegetative areas to prevent breeding sites.





"All active swamps were treated and residents in vulnerable areas were provided with insect repellents. Once conditions improve, the department will immediately initiate its fogging activities.





"EHD has also conducted a general assessment of all the islands and has identified a number of areas for the cleanup efforts to be conducted by Public Works.





"In addition, both garbage trucks on Grand Turk have been functional and working on a daily basis. The department has not received any complaints for the delay of services or the lack of garbage collection.





"There has only been one confirmed case of Zika during pregnancy in 2016; the mother has since delivered without complications, and mother and baby are doing well. There have been no other suspected or confirmed cases of Zika among pregnant women.





"The Ministry continues to advise the public to wear protective clothing; loose, light colored long sleeves shirts and blouses and long pants.





The Ministry is urging the general public keep home environments, work places, recreational places and places of worship free of standing water where mosquitoes breed.





"As the Ministry of Health Agriculture and Human Services continues doing its part to prevent and reduce the spread of Zika through its media campaigns, which educate the general public on how to prevent the spread of Zika, we encourages the general public to do its part.




BY OLIVIA ROSE

CHIEF JUSTICE Margaret Ramsey Hale has lauded the Rehabilitation of Offenders 2014 Bill as an impactful legislation that will give minor offenders in the Turks and Caicos Islands a clean slate.





These sentiments were expressed at the opening of the 2017 legal year on Wednesday (January 11) at the Myrtle Rigby Court House in Providenciales.





The CJ applauded the Attorney Generals Chambers for some74 pieces of legislation.





She pointed out that some minor offences negatively influence the offenders acquiring employment or other services.





Ramsey-Hale said the Rehabilitation law: "Is to ensure that people do not have lifelong blots on their records because of relatively minor offences in their past, which may impact negatively in such persons acquiring employment or other services.





"The intention of the Ordinance is to exclude any prejudice which may occur because of disclosures of persons relatively minor past convictions or offences; and to aid the reintegration and resettlement of ex-offenders into employment by not requiring them or any other person to disclose or answer questions regarding their spent convictions.





The rehabilitation of offenders Bill 2014 permitting some criminal convictions to be ignored after a set period was passed in the House of Assembly in May 2014.





Members of the House threw their full support behind the bill when the Attorney General, Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles presented it for passage.





According to the bill, rehabilitation refers to the period of time that passes between the offenders date of conviction and their rehabilitation.





The bill does not specify what sentences are eligible; it only looks at the period of the sentence.





However, rehabilitation does not apply to offences related to children and the vulnerable.





In addition, those who have committed sexual offences against a person of either one of these groups, regardless of the period of sentence would not have the ability to be rehabbed.





There is however no specific bar or exception in respect of sexual offences for persons outside of those two groups, the Attorney General told the house.





She said that this might be something the members would wish to consider further as this sort of legislation is always under constant review, as evidenced in other jurisdictions.





For a sentence of imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, but not exceeding two years, the rehabilitation period would be six years from the date of conviction.





While a sentence of imprisonment for a term exceeding two years but not exceeding three years, the rehabilitation period would be seven years from the date of conviction.





The bill provides for the rehabilitation of offenders who have not been reconvicted within the specified rehabilitation period.





The Attorney General cautioned that having ones conviction expunged is not the same thing as what the bill is proposing.





She said:This bill proposes that after a period of time certain offences are spent, which means that it prevents the unauthorized disclosure of information about spent convictions, but it does not cause a conviction to disappear.





She added: "It merely says how it should be treated and how it should affect the person and whether it should be disclosed.





"The conviction remains a part of the record, so in the official record maintained by the Commissioner of Police or by the court, there would still be a record of the offence.




By OLIVIA ROSE

THE SUPREME Court dealt with some 89 criminal cases in 2016 down from 92 the previous year.





This was revealed by Chief Justice Margret Ramsay-Hale at the third formal opening of the legal year for the Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 11) at the Myrtle Rigby Court House in Providenciales.





The 2017 legal year opened with much fanfare and traditional parade by The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, dressed in ceremonial uniform.





Chief Justice Ramsay-Hale disclosed that for the year 2016, 67 of those cases were new and 22

were cases brought forward from 2013. One of those matters was a retrial, the defendant having succeeded in his appeal.





She said: "All of the 22 cases which were brought forward were disposed of during the year, of the 89 cases which were before the Court for trial, 26 or nearly a third were disposed of by way of guilty pleas.





"Of the remaining sixty-three 63 cases, nine 9 defendants were found guilty by a jury and 5 were found not guilty.





"In two instances, the cases were stopped at half-time on a ruling by the Court that there was no case for the defendant to answer.





"This represents the successful prosecution rate of nearly 80% of all the cases that were disposed of in 2015.





"Eleven (11) cases were discontinued by the Crown at various stages of the criminal process and four (4) dismissed by the Court for an insufficiency of evidence, either at the Sufficiency Hearing or at the end of the Crowns case.





This stands in marked contrast to 2014, where thirty (30) of ninety-two (92) cases brought before the Supreme Court were withdrawn or discontinued by the prosecution or dismissed at various stages.





The Chief Justice pointed out that: "Last year I observed that this represented 30% of all persons who had been arrested, charged and often deprived of their liberty in the circumstances where there was in fact, on the information in the hands of the police and the prosecution, an insufficiency of evidence to show that they had committed the offences with which they were charged.





"I think this is an improvement which is worthy of note.





"Unhappily, the figures provided to me suggest that some 26 matters were brought forward into the New Year, which might have been avoided if pleas of guilty were entered at the earliest stage. "Too often the plea is entered so late in the day that the Registry is unable to put another matter for trial in its place, which results in the Court being idle and matters being carried forward to the next year.





"Of course this could be mitigated by the Registry creating a warned list of matters which are trial-ready, in the event that the trial of the scheduled matter breaks down for any reason.





The CJ reminded that while guilty pleas assist the administration of justice, as they save costs when the evidence and Counsels instructions are available, many defendants wait to plead guilty on the date of the trial.





"While a late plea assists in the effective administration of justice, the machinery of issuing juror summons and empanelling a jury will have already taken place with the attendant costs, which might have been avoided had the plea been entered at the appropriate time.





CJ Ramsay-Hale further noted that in 2016 the Magistrates Court on Providenciales, 512 criminal matters were filed, down from 709 criminal cases were filed in 2015.





She said: "This is a statistically significant decrease. I am not sure if it means there was less crime or simply fewer prosecutions, but it is a noticeable reduction, which may bear some further analysis.





"794 traffic matters were filed, down from 1266 in 2015. The disposal rate of traffic matters was 90%.





"There were 366 civil proceedings up from 290 civil proceedings in 2015. There are 157 domestic proceedings pending in the Courts, of which only 49 are new so there would seem to be a significant backlog in dealing with those matters, which I am confident will be addressed by the Chief magistrate.





In the Magistrates Court in Grand Turk, 209 new criminal matters were filed up from 150 last year, 93 of those have gone forward into the New Year and 78 new civil claims were filed.





Turning her attention to the Court of Appeal for the year 2016, it was noted that the Court of Appeal presided over three sessions in the months of January, May and September. A total of 44 appeals were filed consistent with the number of appeals filed in 2015 (43) and 2014 (49).





It was noted that Sir Edward Zacca, who was the President of our Court of Appeal up until January 2015, unhappily fell ill before the May session of the Court, which would have been his last before he retired.





CJ Ramsay- Hale said: "Much to our regret, we were unable to celebrate Sir Edwards long career on the TCI Court of Appeal, and in law generally, at the end of the session as we had planned, but we take this opportunity to acknowledge Sir Edwards dedication to the law, his immense scholarship, which is reflected in his judgments and the extraordinary example he set for other judges.





"We thank him for his exceptional service to the Islands. Sir Edward was appointed to the Bench at the age of 26 and had a judicial career that spanned nearly fifty years, which included serving as Chief Justice of Jamaica.





She revealed that the Court has a new President, Mr. Justice Mottley QC, who has been a member of the Court for some years.





As it relates to the trial of persons on remand, the Chief Justice pointed out that a decision was taken by the administration to try Providenciales cases on Providenciales.





She said: "There were many good reasons for this. Flying witnesses and jurors to Grand Turk and housing them there and providing meals for them for as long as they are needed, is both an administrative and a financial burden for the police, the Crown and for the Courts.





"Sometimes witnesses, jurors and lawyers choose to fly back and forth which may cause delays in the trial process when flights are delayed.





"We were also concerned that defendants, and indeed witnesses, may wish to have family or friends present to lend them support and in many instances, this will not be possible because of the costs of attending a trial held on Grand Turk.





"For those of you who have never had any involvement in the criminal justice system, whether as an accused or a witness, it may be difficult to understand just how frightening, how intimidating the experience can be.





"One consequence of that decision was that defendants on remand had to be brought to Providenciales from Grand Turk every day for their trial. This placed a huge burden on the Prison service and created a risk to other persons travelling by air.





"Several years ago I raised the issue of building a Remand Centre on Providenciales, where prisoners being tried on Providenciales could be housed for the duration of their trial. No action was taken in response to that proposal from the Judiciary.





In the meantime, certain developments have caused us to reconsider our decision to try all Providenciales cases on Providenciales, as we have come to regard the practice of transporting prisoners to Providenciales on the private airlines as posing an unacceptable risk.





Highlighting some of the challenges facing the judiciary, the CJ noted that the judicial administration is short-staffed in every area.





She said: "Only 23 of 32 staff positions are filled. Every member of staff has had to wear a number of hats and for their willingness to do so the administration extends its thanks to every member of the staff.





She expressed hope that a number of positions will be filled before the end of the budget year.
A SENIOR officer of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands (RTCIPF) has been placed on administrative leave after a new recruit, with the Force, alleged that the officer attempted to rape her.





Although the details are still sketchy the Commissioner of Police, James Smith, issued a statement on Wednesday (January 18, 2017), confirming that he received a complaint of misconduct by a senior officer.





He said: "We take our complaints seriously, and an investigation has been launched, due to the circumstances of the allegation, we will not comment any further until the outcome of the inquiries.





Mr Smith added that the officer will remain on leave until the investigations are completed.








STURGEON BAY, Wis.  When Bret Alexander of Green Bay and I met at 0-dark-thirty last week along the shore of Green Bay, his only question focused on the world above the ice.

Ol Man Winter raced through Door County with a vengeance the previous night, lashing the landscape with 40 mph winds.

Its the kind of weather that can rearrange a village, especially a seasonal shanty town.

Alexander wondered how his ice fishing structures fared in the storm.

The answer emerged as dawns first light brightened the hard-water expanse: All the shacks were upright and in the same spots he left them.

The veteran fishing guide had no doubt what wed find beneath the ice.

The fish are here, Alexander said. Plenty of them, too.

The subject of our conversation was lake whitefish, a native species that over the last decade has emerged as a star winter attraction for the Green Bay sport fishery and tourism draw for the region.

I joined a crew of anglers last week on the ice southwest of Sturgeon Bay to sample the early 2017 whitefish action.

Alexander, 46, grew up in Green Bay and has fished the bays waters his whole life. He started Alexanders Sport Fishing 14 years ago, primarily to guide anglers to the regions smallmouth bass, walleye and musky from spring to late fall.

But another opportunity presented itself in recent years: the whitefish, important as a commercial species in Lake Michigan since the 1800s, began to show up in increasing numbers in Green Bay and its tributaries.

We now have spawning runs of whitefish in Green Bay tributaries where they werent present for 100 years, said Scott Hansen, a fisheries biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. This is a phenomenal success story.

What was more, the whitefish proved to be catchable on hook-and-line.

If I told some of the old-timers how people were catching them today, theyd tell me to stop pulling their leg, said commercial fisherman Charlie Henriksen of Sister Bay.

Whitefish have a down-turned mouth, a feature that helps them feed on benthic, or bottom-dwelling, organisms. And the whitefish was never thought to be a fish-eating species.

But over the last decade it became clear whitefish adapted to the invasion of round gobies in Lake Michigan and are now known to feed heavily on the non-native fish.

Sport anglers began catching whitefish more often. And then began targeting them.

According to DNR records, the sport harvest of whitefish in Green Bay was 1,559 fish in 2007 but topped 115,000 in each of the last four winters.

Theyve always been considered great eating, Alexander said. Now we know whitefish are sporty, too.

To cater to the growing winter fishery, Alexander started a second business called Ice Fish Green Bay. Last year he had 1,500 ice fishing clients; 50 percent were from out of state, he said.

Last week, Alexander and his assistant guides, Kyle Tokarski, 28, of Green Bay, and Zach Stadler, 21, of Suamico, escorted me about one-half mile west of shore to a group of wooden shanties.

I set up in a structure over 17 feet of water; the rocky bottom was covered with zebra and quagga mussels.

It looks like something from Armageddon,  Tokarski said, referring to the rough surface of an asteroid in a movie scene.

However, gobies are fond of mussel-encrusted substrates. And whitefish cruise just above, looking for their next meal.

The shelter had a heater, wooden benches and a flasher unit. The ice was about 10 inches thick.

I used a light-action spinning rod and reel to fish a sliding hook rig fashioned by Alexander. The setup had a bell sinker at the end, then three small hooks separated by knots over the last 18 inches of line. A wax worm was attached to each hook.

The hooks were able to move freely over about 6 inches of line.

When the baits were dropped to the bottom and jigged with a quick, short cadence, the whitefish had a hard time resisting.

I hooked a fish on the first drop, but lost it at the hole. As the sun began to rise, the action got increasingly better.

Some hits were aggressive, others were barely detectable. All the fish fought hard.

After 90 minutes, I had a limit of 10 whitefish on the ice. I lost at least a dozen others before I could land them and released two small ones.

The keepers were from 17 to 20 inches in length and provided thick, white-fleshed fillets.

Thirty yards to the west a quartet of non-resident anglers was happily piling up a fine catch of whitefish in another shack placed by Alexander.

These are great fish and fun to catch, said Nazar Kyrvko, 36, of Chicago. Worth the trip, for sure.

Kyrvko has been coming to Door County for the last six winters to ice fish for whitefish. The other anglers joining him this year were Betro Nevidomyy, 50, of Chicago and Mike DeJong, 42, and Zach Eenigenburg, 24, both of Crown Point, Ind.

The men stayed in hotels in Sturgeon Bay and fished with Alexander for two days.

Working with Alexander, Beach Harbor Resort in Sturgeon Bay offers a package for anglers and will cook meals for its guests of their freshly caught whitefish.

The economic impact of the Green Bay sport fishery will be studied over the next 15 months by a UW-Whitewater professor. The work is expected to provide the first detailed look at the value of all aspects of the fishery, including ice fishing.

Its no secret the whitefish have provided an important boost in recent years.

Whitefish are saving the Green Bay ice fishery right now, said David Boyarski, regional DNR fisheries manager.

In decades past, shanty towns dotted the Green Bay hard water, too. But the primary target then was yellow perch.

Times have changed. But the good news is a native fish is sustaining a vibrant sport fishery. And anglers are flocking to the bay in winter.

On many weekend days from January through March, Alexander said its common to see 1,000 anglers targeting whitefish on the ice over Larsons Reef near Sturgeon Bay.

(Whitefish) are our new perch, Alexander said. Nobody saw this coming 20 years ago, but its added a tremendous draw to the region in winter when we can really use it.
State, tribal and federal fishery officials, along with PacifiCorp, will decide in the next month or two whether to suspend temporarily efforts to rebuild a population of spring chinook salmon in the North Fork of the Lewis River upstream of Swift Dam.

Heres their conundrum: Very poor spring chinook returns to the North Fork of the Lewis River have left the state Department of Fish and Wildlife with only about 430,000 young spring chinook for release this fall.

According to Erik Lesko, an aquatic biologist with PacifiCorp, the hatchery system on the North Lewis has a target of 1.25 million young spring chinook for annual release downstream of Merwin Dam and 100,000 for release in the upper North Fork Lewis, plus the Muddy River and Clear Creek, two tributaries.

Young spring chinook are released in the three locations in the upper watershed, then migrate downstream where they are captured by a floating surface collector at Swift Dam. Then they are trucked to Woodland for release in the lower Lewis River to continue their journey to the sea.

Members of the Lewis River Aquatic Coordination Committee last week discussed whether or not to plant 30,000 or so of the available spring chinook in the upper watershed or, given the small number of fish available, suspend the restoration effort and release all the young chinook downstream of Merwin Dam.

The committee is a monthly meeting of PacifiCorp, state and federal fishery agencies, the Forest Service, Cowlitz PUD, Indian tribes and others involved in Lewis River management under the 2008 federal license for Merwin, Yale and Swift dams.

About 5 percent of the young spring chinook released in the upper North Lewis watershed get captured at Swift Dam and taken downstream, said Chris Karchesky, a senior biologist and fish passage coordinator for PacifiCorp.

My initial thoughts are to maximize the broodstock (downstream of Merwin), said Pat Frazier of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Thats how we fuel the reintroduction upstream.

The agency has shifted to fall releases of spring chinook, rather than in the spring, to try to boost returns. A meeting with salmon experts and the operators of Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery is planned with and eye to improving the situation in the Lewis.

Weve got to figure out what we can do to do a better job for the spring chinook, Frazier said. Whatever it takes, thats what it takes.

Even if no spring chinook are released in 2017, there still likely will be some production out of the upper Lewis River watershed.

Karchesky said some of the young spring chinook released in the upper watershed take up residency in 4,500-acre Swift Reservoir, survive to maturity and spawn, even as landlocked salmon.

Their progeny still have the anadromous instinct and are captured at the Swift collector for movement downstream.

Were getting a different kind of production out of those fish that we did not expect, he said. We wont know how many of those come back for a couple of years.

Members of the federal fishery agencies and Yakama Indian Nation were not on the conference call, so no decisions were make by the Aquatic Coordination Committee.

Frazier said a decision is needed by May so any fish released in the upper watershed can be tagged.

My initial thoughts are to maximize the broodstock (downstream of Merwin). Thats how we fuel the reintroduction upstream.  Pat Frazier, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Over the decades, the sturgeon population of the lower Columbia River often has bedeviled Washington and Oregon biologists tasked with its management.

Well, 2017 is here and its more of the same.

The legal-size population between the ocean and Bonneville Dam has increased in the past year from about 144,000 to either 156,000 or 224,000  depending on the scientific sampling method used, Pat Frazier, fish policy coordinator, told the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in Vancouver on Saturday.

Its not an exact science, Frazier said. These critters are challenging for usWere not saying one is necessarily right over the other.

However, Frazier said an increase of 57 percent in a year is puzzling.

We struggle a little bit with where this increase in the legal population came from, he said.

Brad James, sturgeon biologist for the department, told the Columbia River Recreational Advisory Group last week, he thinks the population is closer to the 156,000 number than 224,000.

Such a significant jump is difficult to understand where all those fish would have come from, James said. It doesnt match modeled projections and is not supported by catch-per-unit trend in gillnet and setline tagging fisheries.

Sturgeon retention in the lower Columbia River has not been allowed in sport or commercial fisheries since 2013.

However, a big jump in the population would explain how good the catch-and-release sturgeon fishery in the estuary was last summer, Butch Smith, president of the Ilwaco Charter Association, told the commission.

You had to hide your hook to bait it, Smith said. It was absolutely phenomenal down there.

Sturgeon are known to move in and out of the Columbia River system, often spending years in other coastal estuaries.

Fish moving in and out can make making estimates difficult, Smith said.

Regardless of what the estimate of legal-size sturgeon is, whats most important is what happens in the next five years, Frazier said.

We see a very flat, flat population, he said, a level trend over the next two to three years.

There are other troubling signs regarding lower Columbia sturgeon:

About 65 percent of the lower Columbia sturgeon population is juvenile fish. Oregons sturgeon conservation plan sets 90 percent as the desired level.

The estimate of spawning-size adult sturgeon is 4,140 using one methodology and 5,950 using another. That makes the three-year averages 3,620 and 4,230, respectively.

Oregons conservation plan calls for a minimum of 3,900 adult sturgeon on a three-year average.

Only half of the spawning-size population is female, and female sturgeon reproduce on an average of once every three years.

Information from capturing young-of-the-year sturgeon indicates poor spawning in 2016, the seventh consecutive year the lower Columbia production has been low. However, production was better in the lower Willamette, a continuing trend.

Sea lion abundance is high in the lower Columbia River. Steller sea lions are well-known to prey on sturgeon.

Frazier said far larger numbers of sturgeon now are being seen in the Lewis, Sandy and Cowlitz rivers than before.

What we think is sturgeon are moving out of their preferred area below Bonneville Dam, he said. Sea lions are having an impact on productivity by moving fish from preferred habitat to less preferred.

Predation right below Bonneville Dam has dropped off dramatically, James said. Its probably due to sturgeon realizing its hazardous to be in that area.

Harry Barber of Washougal, a member of the bistate Columbia River Recreation Advisory Group, said that displacement is a big problem.

Sturgeon need high, turbulent waters to spawn, Barber said. Theres not that kind of turbulence in the Lewis or Cowlitz.

As a former statistician, Barber said the higher number of legal-size sturgeon is suspect.

This is a population that is severely stressed and I think really sick, he said.

Frazier said Washington fish managers want to meet with their Oregon counterparts and develop a five- to 15-year management strategy for sturgeon, one that considers a predictable, stable fishery.
Drugs  Department of Corrections officers Wednesday arrested Bryan Alan Sears, 52, of Longview on suspicion of felony drug possession and a department of corrections hold.

Reckless endangerment  Cowlitz County sheriffs deputies Wednesday arrested Alexa Marie Mendez, 18, on suspicion of felony harassment and reckless endangerment.

Drug possession  Department of Corrections officers Wednesday arrested Kenneth James Chambers, 43, on suspicion of felony drug possession and a department of corrections hold.

Prostitution  Longview police Wednesday arrested Miranda Jo Wallace, 23, of Longview on suspicion of prostitution, trafficking in stolen property and felony drug possession.

Stolen property  Kelso police Thursday arrested Brian Lee Garner, 49, of Kelso on suspicion of third-degree possession of stolen property and trafficking in stolen property.

Stolen vehicle  Kelso police officers Thursday arrested Brendon Kyle Dahl, 21, of Kelso on suspicion of third-degree possession of stolen property, possession of a stolen vehicle and a department of corrections hold.

Thefts

300 block of Cowlitz Way, Kelso. Wednesday. Cellphone.

300 block of Three Rivers Drive, Kelso. Wednesday. Multiple charges on stolen credit card.

200 block of Pacific Avenue South, Kelso. Cellphone valued at $100.

Vandalism

3900 block of Memorial Park Drive, Longview. Two large caliber shots in the door of commercial vehicle. Damage estimated at $1,000.

Vehicle Prowl

1700 block of South 13th Avenue. GPS stand, iPod charging stand, phone charger, Spyder sunglasses, total value $80.

Superior Court sentencings

Stewart A. Harley Schultz, 29, of Kelso, six months and a day in jail, a year on probation and $800 for heroin and meth possession on Aug. 15. Guilty plea Dec. 1.

William Darris Johnson, 20, of Lebanon, Ore., a year in jail, a year on probation and $800 for second-degree assault on Aug. 23. Guilty plea Nov. 10.

Thomas Chandler Miller, 26, of Kelso, a year and a day in prison (67 days credits for time served in treatment), a year on probation and $800 for vicodin possession on March 30. Bench verdict Nov. 29.

Nathan Alan Frink, 30, of Cathlamet, six months in jail and $5,204.56 for second-degree burglary and second-degree theft on Sept. 9, 2015. Jury verdict Nov. 17.

Douglas Craig Perry, 51, of Longview, three years in prison, a year on probation and $1,960 for heroin possession on April 17, 2015, two counts of heroin delivery between April 10 and 16 and bail jumping on Nov. 7. Guilt pleas Dec. 8.

Jordan Anthony Merzoian, 27, of Kelso, 12.75 years in prison, 12.75 years on probation and $1,600 for heroin and meth possession on June 12, and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, hit and run and third-degree driving while license suspended or revoked on Nov. 17. Guilty pleas Dec. 6.
Cowlitz County is no stranger to Americas opioid epidemic. From 2011 to 2015, Cowlitz County had the highest rate of opioid-related deaths in the state: 16.4 deaths for every 100,000 people, according to Department of Health data.

The final bill signed by President Barack Obama, however, could help the region battle the health crisis.

Its called the 21st Century Cures Act, a $6.3 billion bipartisan health care plan to help states address mental health issues and the prescription drug epidemic. One billion dollars of that will be given to the states over the next two years to help pay for programs to combat opioid addiction. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray helped design the bill.

Priority for the funding is given to the states hit hardest by the epidemic; Washington is 13th on the list, according to a Congressional press secretary. That puts Washington in line for around $11.7 million.

For many law enforcement members, the money cant come soon enough.

It is incredibly destructive, Cowlitz County Sheriff Mark Nelson said. Were not just talking about some people who want to get high. ... When it becomes an addiction, its not fun anymore. The fun is all gone. Now it is being treated for something much more serious and much more sinister.

Washington is the only state on the West Coast to see a significant increase in drug overdose deaths between 2014 to 2015: up 10.5 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

It certainly does take you to a place where it can destroy a life. It can destroy a home. It can destroy a family. It can destroy a community, Nelson said.

He said he hopes the money goes toward a combination of programs that increase enforcement, access to treatment and prevention services, but also provide education. He wants to see substance abuse counselors reinstated in schools to help provide those educational services, especially to younger generations.

Limiting access to legal opioids, such as prescription pain pills, could also help curb the problem, Nelson said. He also wants to see more treatment beds made available for anyone struggling with addiction.

I think we (in Cowlitz County) have as good of stuff as anybody has, certainly as good of programs and as good of people that want to make a positive difference. ... We need to look at this like its the old adage of How do you eat an elephant? A bite at a time. We have to save a life (one) at a time ... every one of those lives is valuable and means something, Nelson said.

Longview Police Captain Debbie Johnson, who runs the Street Crimes Unit, said most of the calls her team responds to are related to drugs, mostly opioids. She said a lot of crime is driven by drugs and that it works in a cycle. Because people need to feed their addictions, they will find money in whatever way they can, which means thefts, robberies or prostitution, among other crimes.

Johnson said the money from the Cures Act should be targeted toward those individuals who are either first-time users or want help for their addictions. But while the funding is a good start, it likely wont be enough, she said.

Its not enough to combat the problem, but its enough to improve the lives of people that are seeking help, Johnson said. The tricky thing about opioid addiction is people have to want to change their life. When you force people to do it, thats not going to work as well. We should focus on the people who are ready to change and are looking for help.
tech2 News Staff

Public-sector BSNL is all set to set launch 1000 high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots across the state to address the challenges posed by its absence in the 4G data services. Kerala Circle CGM of BSNL, R Mani told reporters here that the proposed hotspots would provide 4.5G speed and it would be commissioned within a months' time. Huge cost to buy the 4G spectrum was the hindrance for the state-run service provider to plunge into 4G service but it is expected to happen by this March, he noted.

"In between, we are launching about 1000 Wi-Fi hotspots in the state which will give 4.5G speed. This will give better speed than 4G. This is going to happen within a month," he said. Mani was speaking on the sidelines of the Kerala Circle launch of 'SBI Mohicash,' a prepaid virtual mobile wallet on mobile phones powered by BSNL. "Equipment have been dispatched. We have already identified the sites. Wherever our 3G tower experiences a lot of traffic, we are putting up the wifi hot spot," he said.

With the commissioning of the hotspots, when a customer is using his mobile phone, his network service would be directly taken over to the wifi hotspot. "Then, he will not be on 3G... but will be on 4.5G," he added. The much-awaited project is being implemented in collaboration with the equipment from L&T. The official said though the 4G launch of BSNL is delayed, it would surely happen soon. "The tender has already been floated for 4G.

It is under evaluation in Delhi. To ask for so much money from the government to buy spectrum is the big issue with the BSNL. And this is what delayed our 4G launch. But it is sure to come," he added.

The rollout of 1,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in Kerala is a part of an effort to provide Wi-Fi hotspots all across the country. In 2015 it was announced that BSNL would be investing 7,000 Crores to set up Wi-Fi hotspots across the country over the course of two to three years. BSNL has partnered with QuadGen Wireless to set up Wi-Fi hotspots in south and west zones under a revenue sharing model.

BSNL plans to set up 40,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the country by the year 2018. BSNL already offers Wi-Fi services in tourists places such as the Taj Mahal, Khajuraho and Varanasi. The first 30 minutes of Wi-Fi connectivity is free, after which users will have to pay between Rs 20 to Rs 70 for access between half an hour to a day. The free thirty minute access is provided three times a month per user.

Facebook has sponsored 100 hotspots across the country in partnership with BSNL. The social media company is paying BSNL Rs 5 lakh per hotspot per annum. There is no revenue sharing agreement with Facebook, and Facebook is sponsoring the hotspots. The hotspots are set up with the BSNL selected partner Quad Zen. The current agreement has a duration of three years, and it can be extended by a further two years.

Recently, BSNL has partnered with Tata Communications to provide BSNL customers access to 44 million Wi-Fi hotspots globally. The hotspots allow seamless and automatic connectivity for BSNL customers with international roaming, and are an effort to save data costs on behalf of the customers. BSNL is the first among Indian telecom operators to provide Wi-Fi hotspots for international roaming. Closer back home, BSNL is in the process of testing high speed hotspots in over 1 lakh villages.

With inputs from PTI
hidden

A decision by Amazon and Apple to scrap all exclusivity obligations in the supply and distribution of audiobooks will likely boost competition, EU antitrust regulators said on Thursday. The companies announced their decision on January 5 after talks with the European Commission and the German Federal Cartel Office. Such curbs had prompted a complaint from the German Publishers and Booksellers Association to both regulators, triggering an investigation by the German enforcer in November 2015.

"The European Commission welcomes an agreement to end all exclusivity obligations concerning audiobook supply and distribution between Amazon's subsidiary Audible and Apple," the EU competition authority said in a statement. The German cartel office said on Thursday it had closed its investigation into Apple and Amazon. The watchdog said that there was no further reason to continue the investigation.

The probe started at the end of 2015, sparked by a complaint from the German publishers and booksellers lobby, who said Amazon and Apple were abusing their dominant market position. The publishers and booksellers said more than 90 percent of all downloads of audio books in Germany were made via the Audible or Amazon sites, or via the iTunes store, which was exclusively supplied by Audible.

"With the deletion of the exclusivity agreement Apple will now have the opportunity to purchase digital audiobooks from other suppliers," Andreas Mundt, president of the German cartel office, said in a statement. "This will enable a wider range of offer and lower prices for consumers," he added.

Reuters
tech2 News Staff

Isro's maiden mission to Mars was expected to last only six months, but has been repeatedly extended by Isro engineers. On the sidelines of the Gujarat Technological University's convocation, Isro chief AS Kiran Kumar announced another extension to the mission has been successfully executed.

The problem was that Mars was coming in between the orbiter and the sun, and if the blackout lasted more than 8 hours, then the orbiter would no longer be able to function.

In every orbit, there was a duration of time when the solar panels would no longer be getting sunlight. Isro scientists had been closely monitoring the duration of the eclipses in each orbit, and maneuvered the spacecraft just when the eclipse would have been too long. A day prior to the maneuver, the eclipse would not have affected the spacecraft at all.

"On January 17 evening, we maneuvered to change the orbit of Mangalyaan and reduced the duration of eclipse," the Isro chief said at the convocation, according to a report in The Times of India. The spacecraft is in good health and has 30 kg of fuel on board, which should keep it up and running for a very long time. The Mangalyaan mission has been silent on Twitter since 1 January, 2016, but the scientific instruments on board continue to operate.

https://twitter.com/MarsOrbiter/status/682787412821463040

In September last year, Mangalyaan celebrated two years of the orbital insertion maneuver that put the spacecraft in an orbit around Mars. Although meant to be mostly a technology demonstration mission, so that Isro scientists could figure out their first interplanetary mission, there are five scientific instruments on board. There is a colour camera for imaging the surface of the planet. The methane sensor measures the amount of methane in the Martian atmosphere, which could potentially discover signs of life on Mars. There is a Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer to monitor the surface temperature of the planet.

There is a Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer for analysing small particles and a Lyman-Alpha Photometer to measure the abundance of Deuterium and Hydrogen. The instruments were built in Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru. The data collected by the orbiter is being made available to the scientific community worldwide as well as the general public.
This Page

has moved to a new address:

Sorry for the inconvenience

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
Generally, I dont pull for criminals. The world isnt a movie, and if people are willing to break the law, thats not really a good thing.

But sometimes, the crime itself is so brazen, foolhardy, and not violent or harmful, that you kind of just want to see the perp get away with it. This is probably one of those times, because the site of a man stealing a bucket of gold flakes in New York City in broad daylight then struggling to carry it down the street was almost heartwarming.

Heres the original video, if you need a refresher, since it happened all the way back in November (!):

Imagine the thought process there. Still, whatever planning (or lack thereof) went into the attempt, hed certainly nailed the getaway, managing to escape the country without capture.

But his time on the run (which I like to imagine he spent lugging the gold around for comedic effect) came to an end Wednesday, as authorities reportedly took him into custody without incident in his native country of Ecuador.

Via NBC 4:

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 Nivelos 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 wasnt known when he would be extradited to New York to face charges. Police say they have recovered some of the money.

Okay, so making it all the way back to Ecuador is pretty impressive, as he probably would have had to convert some of those flakes into currency. But still, the man had a half-world head start, and he ended up captured.

Heres a bit of advice to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation: take to the sea! International waters are basically lawless. You buy yourself a yacht, you sail into the Pacific, visit various ports, maybe swing a private island somewhere.

It worked for pirates.

Someone please try this and let me know how it works. For, uh, research purposes.

[NBC 4]

(Disclaimer: The Comeback does not endorse criminal acts of piracy as a matter of editorial policy.)
Japans PM pledges unchanging allegiance to US under Trump

Japan\'s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe A and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso attend the ordinary session of parliament in Tokyo on Friday.

AP, Tokyo :

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that he plans to visit the U.S. as soon as possible to meet with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking on the eve of Trump's inauguration, he called the U.S.-Japan alliance an "unchanging principle" for his country's foreign and security policy.

His urgency to meet Trump reflects worries in Japan about how Trump's "America first" policy will affect U.S. commitments to the Asia region, as well as fallout from any heightened tensions with China and North Korea.

Abe was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after the U.S. election, making a stop in New York in November on his way to Latin America.

"The Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of our country's foreign and security policy, in the past, present and in the future," Abe told parliament in an annual policy address. "It's an unchanging principle."

Abe said he wants to meet Trump to deepen that relationship further. Trump will be sworn in as president Friday.

"I plan to further strengthen the bond with new President Trump," Abe said. He didn't give a specific date, but local media reports have mentioned late January as a possibility.

In the speech at the parliament, Abe also said the two allies, enemies in World War II, have a responsibility to show "the power of reconciliation" as they work together to contribute to global peace and prosperity.

Abe reiterated his concerns about "heightened tension" in the region amid China's increasingly assertive maritime activity, and pledged to step up cooperation with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including India, Australia and those in southeast Asia.

He said he wants to keep the U.S. troop presence on the southern island of Okinawa as "deterrence."

During his election campaign, Trump demanded that Tokyo pay more of the cost to keep the 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in the country under a bilateral security pact, threatening to pull them out otherwise.

He has not said that after being elected, presumably following repeated reminders by Japanese officials that Japan makes significant host-nation contributions.

Experts say Japan has benefited from its alliance with Washington largely because of the U.S.-led world order. With some worried about how that could change under a Trump administration, Japan should do its utmost to convince his administration that the alliance is important for both sides.

"I guess we took American internationalism too much for granted ... It has always been, at least after World War II, the bedrock of the international order. And I would say that Japan was the country that benefited from the existence of this world order the most," said Toshihiro Nakayama, a Keio University international politics professor.
Walton launches two new models of laptop at DITF

Economic Reporter :

The local electronics company Walton launched two new models of laptop, featured with 14-inch High Definition Display, Intel Quad Core processor, 500 GH Hard Disk Drive, 4GB DDR3 L RAM, genuine software of Bangla Bijoy and 2 years warranty facility, says a press release.

The latest laptops were unveiled at Walton Mega Pavilion at the ongoing Dhaka International Trade Fair-2017 in the capital on Thursday morning. Along with Walton Pavilion, the new models of laptops are available at all Walton Plazas and the company's branded outlets across the country. Walton is also offering an android smart phone and a backpack or maximum 10 percent cash discounts to the customers of Walton brand laptops.

The launching ceremony was attended by President of Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS) Mostafa Jabber, Walton Group Executive Directors SM Zahid Hasan (Policy, HRM and Admin) and Humayun Kabir (PR & Media), First Senior Additional Director Md Liakat Ali, Media Adviser Enayet Ferdous and other senior officials.

The officials informed that the two new model laptops were added to the existing Passion and Tamarind series of Walton brand laptop. The local company set the prices of the new laptops at Tk 23,990 and Tk 22,990 respectively.

At the event, the local company also extended the warranty period of Walton brand laptops up to 2 years from earlier one year.

The new model laptop of Passion series is featured with 14-inch HDD Display, 500GB HDD, 4GB DDR3L RAM, DVD Multi, 9-in-1 card reader, high definition audio.
Mobilisation of social forces to reduce corruption stressed

City Desk :

Director General (Prevention and Research) of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Dr. Shamsul Arefin stressed on mobilisation and engagement of the social forces to reduce corruption. "Members of the district, upazila and union level Corruption Prevention Committees (CPCs) can utilise their clean image in launching anti-corruption movement to create social renaissance in eradicating the curse from the society," he said.

Dr Arefin said this while addressing a workshop styled "Our Expectation and Role in Preventing Corruption' held yesterday at Begum Rokeya auditorium of RDRS Bangladesh in Rangpur as the chief guest.The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, ACC and German Development Cooperation (GIZ) jointly organised the workshop under the Justice Reform and Corruption Prevention (JRCP) Project. Additional Secretary and National Project Director of the JRCP Project of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Md Mostafizur Rahman attended the workshop as special guest.

With Deputy Commissioner Rahat Anwar in the chair, President of District Corruption Prevention Committee (CPC) Professor Mozammel Haque and Additional Police Super Fazle Elahi also addressed the workshop. Director (Development Programme) of RDRS Bangladesh Monjusree Saha delivered welcome speech while Md Mostafizur Rahman introduced activities of the JRCP Project and main objectives of the workshop. National Coordinator of GIZ Krishna Chandra moderated the workshop, while members of district, upazila and union units of CPCs and Community Policing Forums, Advisers of Integrity Units, union chairmen, officials and civil society members participated.
Specific performance of contract

Appellate Division :

(Civil)

Surendra K. Sinha J

Syed Mahmud

Hossain J

Hasan Foez Siddique J

Mirza Hussain

Haider J

Judgment

May 31st, 2016

Abdus Sobhan (Md)

............... Appellant

vs

Md Ahsanullah and

others ..

.......... Respondents*



Specific Relief Act (I of 1877)

Section 22

Specific performance of contract-Mere fixation of the period in the contract even when coupled with a power to treat the contract as cancelled in the event of default in performance of contract within the stipulated time is not sufficient to make the time fixed of the essence of contract. Something more is necessary to have this effect and where the determination of question depends only on the language of the stipulations. . ..... (17)

Abdul Momen Chowdhury, Advocate, instructed by Md Taufique Hossain, Advocate-on-Record-For the Appellant.

Probir Neogi, Senior Advocate, instructed by Zainul Abedin, Advocate-on-Record-For the Respondents.

Hajee Sam Meah Sowdagar vs Musanmat Al-Haj Jahanara Begum, 8 DLR 616; Kalidas Ghosh vs Mungeeram Bangur and Co, AIR 1955 Cal. 298 and Amir Hossain Sowdagar vs Md Harunur Rashid, 65 DLR (AD) 130 ref.

Judgment

Syed Mahmud Hossain J : This appeal, by leave, directed against the judgment and order dated 17-5-2009 passed by the High Court Division in FA No. 249 of 2005 dismissing the appeal and affirming the judgment and decree dated 28-8-2005 passed by the learned Joint District Judge, Second Court, Chittagong in Other Suit No. 104 of 2002 decreeing the suit.

2. The facts, leading to the filing of this appeal are precised below:

Respondent No. 1 as the plaintiff instituted Other Suit No.104 of 2002 in the Second Court of Joint District Judge, Chittagong, seeking specific performance of contract and also for declaration of title. The plaintiff stated in his plaint that the suit land was owned and possessed by defendant No. 1 by way of deeds of sale dated 30-6-1992, 31-3-1999 and 10-1-1983. Defendant No. 1 being in need of money declared his intention to sell the land in first and second schedules. The plaintiff agreed to purchase the land of the first schedule for a consideration of Taka 8,80,000 and the land of the second schedule for a consideration of Taka 9,50,000, a total of Taka 18,30,000. Accordingly, defendant No.1, upon receipt of Taka 12,00,000/ by way of cheque dated 14-2-1999 executed a deed of agreement (bainapatra) for the undisputed land of the first schedule as well as the disputed land of second schedule and handed over possession of the same to the plaintiff. According to the condition of the deed of agreement, the plaintiff was to pay Taka 4,00,000 within 3 (three) months from the deed of agreement and the remaining amount of Taka 2,30,000 within 3 (three) months in respect of the second schedule land. In addition, defendant No.1 would construct a boundary wall around the second schedule land at his own cost. On 10-3-1999, defendant No. 1 registered a deed in respect of first schedule land showing consideration amount of Taka 6,00,000. On 10-4-1999 Taka 50,000 was paid for the purpose of constructing the boundary wall but after a while the construction work was stopped. On 19-5-1999 defendant No. 1 received further payment of Taka 1,00.000 by way of cheque. Thus defendant No.1 received total amount of Taka 13,00,000 and was legally bound to register the deed for the second schedule land upon payment of of Taka 5,30,000. However, subsequently, defendant No. 1 demanded further amount of Taka 2,00,000, as a result of which, a legal notice dated 10-12-2000 was sent to defendant No. 1. But he declined to receive the same. When the Attorney (Avggvvi) of the plaintiff went to the house of defendant No.1 on 1-6-2002 and asked him to register the deed upon accepting the remaining money, defendant No.1 demanded further amount of Taka 2,00,000. Finally, on 9-6-2002 when defendant No.1. refused to execute the deed, the plaintiff instituted the instant suit for specific performance of contract.

3. Defendant No.1 contested the suit by filing written statement denying all the materials statements made in the plaint. His case, in short, is that that the deed would be executed and registered upon payment of Taka 4,00,000 within 3(three) months of the deed of agreement and Taka 2,30,000 within further 3(three) months, failing which, defendant No.1 could sell the land elsewhere and the money paid would be forfeited. His further case is that since the plaintiff did not pay any money for the construction of the boundary wall, he himself partly constructed the same at his own expense. The plaintiff did not pay Taka 4,00,000 within the stipulated period and instead paid Taka 1,00,000 on 18-5-1999. Although the defendant repeatedly requested the plaintiff to pay the remaining money and to have the deed registered, the plaintiff did not pay the rest of the money. As the plaintiff was causing delay, defendant No.1 by way of legal notice to the plaintiff dated 1-6-2002 and also by way of publication of the notice in the daily newspaper on 13-6-2002 rescinded the deed of agreement. Defendant No.1 claimed that the plaintiff was in breach of condition of the deed of agreement and he denied the allegations made in the plaint including the plaintiff's claim that he had offered the remaining money to defendant No. 1.

4. The trial Court, upon consideration of the materials on record and the evidence of witnesses adduced by both the sides, by the judgment and order dated 28-8-2005 decreed the suit.

5. Being aggrieved by and dissatisfied with the impugned judgment and decree dated 28-8-2005 passed by the trial Court, defendant No.1 preferred First Appeal No.249 of 2005 before the High Court Division. The learned Judges of the High Court Division by the judgment and order dated 17-5-2009 dismissed the appeal affirming the judgment and decreed passed by the trial Court.

6. Feeling aggrieved by and dissatisfied with the judgment and order passed by the High Court Division, defendant No. 1 as the leave-petitioner filed Civil Petition for Leave to Appeal No. 1832 of 2009 before this Division, in which, leave was granted on 20-9-2011 resulting in Civil Appeal No.12 of 2012.

7. Mr Abdul Momen Chowdhury, learned Advocate, appearing on behalf of the appellant, submits that the plaintiff did not pay the balance of the agreed consideration money for the land of the 2nd schedule within the time stipulated in the deed of agreement and that the defendants sent a legal notice dated 11-6-2002 repudiating the contract and by publication of the notice in the daily newspaper on 13-6-2002 and that time being essence of the contract and the plaintiff not having fulfilled his part of the contract within the time stipulated, the contract became voidable, Accordingly, defendant No.1 rescinded the contract by sending legal notice to the plaintiff and also by publishing the same in the daily newspaper and that the High Court Division without considering those aspects dismissed the appeal and, as such, interference is called for by this Division.

8. Mr Probir Neogi, learned Senior Advocate, appearing on behalf of the respondents, on the other hand, supports the impugned judgment delivered by the High Court Division.

9. We have considered the submissions of the learned Advocate for the appellant and the learned Senior Advocate for the respondents, perused the impugned judgment and the materials on record.

10. Before entering into the merit of the appeal, it is pertinent to go through the grounds, for which, leave was granted. The grounds are quoted below:

I. Whether the trial Court failed to frame proper issues including the issue as to whether the contract subsisted or was terminated and whether such failure of the trial Court is violative of Order XIV, rule 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

II. Whether the trial Court and the High Court Division failed to notice that time was of the essence of the contract and that the plaintiff-respondent had failed to comply with the contractual stipulation within the given time, rendering the contract terminable and that by giving notice, the defendant petitioner rescinded the contract; and

III.Whether after the rescission of the contract, a suit for Specific Performance of Contract lies since the contract itself was terminated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the deed of agreement (bainapatra)."

11. Admittedly, the plaintiff entered into a contract with defendant No.1 to purchase the land of first schedule for a consideration of Taka 8,80,000 and the land of second schedule for a consideration of Taka 9,50,000, in total, Taka 18,30,000. On receipt of Taka 1,20,000 by way of cheque dated 14-2-1999, defendant No. 1 executed a deed of agreement for undisputed land of first schedule as well as the disputed second schedule land. As per terms of the deed of agreement, the plaintiff was required to pay Taka 4,00,000 within 3 (three) months of the date of the agreement and the remaining Taka 2,30,000 within the next following 3 (three) months in respect of the second schedule land. It was also stipulated that defendant No. 1 would construct a boundary wall around the second schedule land at his own cost.

12. On 10-3-1999, defendant No. 1 registered a deed in respect of first schedule land showing the consideration of Taka 6,00,000. The plaintiff contended that on 10-4-1999 Taka 50,000 was paid to defendant No. 1 for the purpose of constructing the boundary wall. On 19-5-1999, defendant No.1 received a further payment of Taka 1,00,000 by way of cheque. Therefore, it appears that defendant No.1 received Taka 13,00,000 and was legally bound to register the deed for the second schedule land upon payment of Taka 5,30,000. It is alleged that on 9-6-2002 when defendant No. 1 refused to execute the deed, the plaintiff instructed his attorney to file the instant suit.

13. It is of course true that the plaintiff did not pay the balance consideration of Taka 4,00,000 within the time stipulated in the deed of agreement. But it is admitted by both the parties that defendant No.1 received a cheque of Taka 1,00,000 from the plaintiff on 19-5-1999. DW 1 in his cross-examination admitted that he received a cheque dated 18-5-1999 for an amount of Taka 1,00,000 from the plaintiff. Defendant No.1 also admitted that on the date of receiving of Taka 1,00,000, the contract was in existence. There is no gainsaying the fact that defendant No.1 received Taka 1,00,000 from the plaintiff beyond the stipulated three months' time fixed for payment of Taka 4,00,000. Therefore, it could not be said that the terms of the agreement were seriously breached otherwise there could not be any ground on the part of defendant No.1 to receive Taka 1,00,000.

14. Defendant No. 1 sent a legal notice upon the plaintiff by registered post. Having considered the envelop of the registered notice (exhibit-Ka), the trial Court found that the serving peon in his report stated that the letter could not be served because of incomplete address. Therefore, it appears that in fact, no legal notice was served upon the plaintiff. Defendant No. 1 knowing full well about staying of the plaintiff in the USA issued the notice at his address at Sandnip. Though the legal notice was not served upon the plaintiff, defendant No. 1 by publishing notification in the 'Daily Purbakon' on 13.06,2002 repudiated the deed of agreement and forfeited the money paid on account of the agreement. Therefore, it appears that within 2 (two) days of issuance of legal notice upon the plaintiff, defendant No.1 repudiated the deed of agreement by publishing a notification in the newspaper.

15. Having considered the evidence of PW I, the trial Court came to a finding that the plaintiff approached defendant No.1 on many occasions to execute and register the deed of sale in respect of the second schedule land on receipt of the balance consideration money.

16. Considering the evidence-on-record, the trial Court found that the plaintiff had been in possession of both the undisputed first schedule land and the disputed second schedule land.

17. Mere fixation of the period in the contract even when coupled with a power to treat the contract as cancelled in the event of default in performance of contract within the stipulated time is not sufficient to make the time fixed of the essence of contract. Something more is necessary to have this effect and where the determination of this question depends only on the language of the stipulations as in the present case, the language must be such as would un-mistakenly excluded the notion that the time limit is merely a secondary importance. The language of the agreement before us does not exclude such notion nor is there anything in the conduct of parties prior to the agreement which would induce us to infer the said intention.

18. In this connection reliance may be placed on the case of Hajee Sam Meah Sowdagar vs Musammat Al-haj Jahanara Begum, 8 DLR 616. In this case, it has been held as under :

"the tenancy of the Courts in cases of such contracts relating to real property is to lean against a construction which would make time of the essence of the contract unless it can be held to be the unmistakenable intention of the parties. As an extreme instance of such a tendency, we might refer to a recent decision of the Calcutta High Court in the case of Kalidas Ghosh vs Mungeeram Bangur and Co, AIR 1955 Cal 298 where RP Mookerjee and Renupada Mukherjee, JJ, went to the extent of holding that even the mentioning of the fact that time should be deemed to be of the essence of the contract is not conclusive if it can be inferred even from the subsequent conduct of the parties that that was not the real intention of the parties."

19. Reliance may also be placed on the case of Amir Hossain Sowdagar vs Md Harunur Rashid 65 DLR (AD) 130, in which, it has been held as under:

"In contracts for sale of immovable property, the fact that a specific time is fixed for payment or for conveyance does not normally make time of the essence. Failure to pay at a fixed time is not per se sufficient to terminate the seller's duty to convey; and failure to convey on the exact date does not per se discharge the buyer. In such agreements, usually time is not the essence of contract, the reason being that the law of equity which governs rights of the parties in cases of specific performance of contracts of sale of immovable property, looks not at the letter but at the substance of the agreement. The intention to treat time as the essence of the contract may be evidenced by circumstances which are sufficiently strong to displace the normal presumption that in a contract for sale of real estate, stipulation as to time is not the essence of the contract."

20. On consideration the cases referred to above, we find that the agreement between the parties is still subsisting despite its rescission by the defendant and the defendant was in error in treating the agreement rescinded.

21. What is remarkable to note here is that the High Court Division directed the appellant to execute and register the deed of sale in respect of the land of second schedule on receipt of Taka 10,70,000 of which Taka 5,00,000 is the solatium.

22. The facts and circumstances and the evidence on record of the case are such that the plaintiff is willing and ready to perform his part of contract and therefore, he is legally entitled to a decree for specific performance of contract.

In the light of the findings made before we do not find any substance in this appeal. Accordingly, this appeal is dismissed:
Acute gas crisis in port city

Chittagong Bureau :

The daylong crisis of gas has made the lives of people in port city miserable. The gas supply to the domestic users and dwelling houses remain suspended from 8 am to 4 pm every day in last week. The people cannot complete their necessary works including cooking and official jobs. The productions in the industries were severely hampered due to crisis of gas and power.

According to sources, gas supply used to be suspended from 8 am to 4 pm at the maximum areas in the port city. As a result, people of Chittagong suffered a lot. The housewives could not cook foods for family members. The hotels and restaurants also could not cook for several days. As a result, the suffering of people in Chittagong was unlimited. Besides, the production in the industries were hampered severely in the industrial areas at Kalurghat, Baizid Bostami, Sitakunda, Patenga in last two weeks. Particularly, the production of garment sector hampered severely due to gas and power crisis. The gas supply was suspended due to lack of production of gas by the Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL).

The KGDCL cannot supply gas for house hold use as the pressure of gas is very low and the new compressor at Ashugonj is yet to be set. As a result, the production of the industries can not run.

Productions in more than 1200 industries including heavy industries like steel and re-rolling mills, 400 garment factories remained stop and severely hampered recently causing Tk thousand crore lose, concerned sources said. Mohammed Abdul Hai, owner of Sikdar Hotel at Jamal Khan road in the city said, "We cannot cook foods for the customers due the gas crisis. The hotels and restaurants have stopped selling tea at the first hours of the day as the supply of gas stopped at that time at city areas." Hasina Momtaj, a housewife said, "We cannot cook foods for the gas crisis. Besides, the supplied gas is not sufficient to meet necessities for domestic use. We are suffering every day." Mofij Uddin, a dweller at Nandan Kanon said crisis of gas and power made their lives miserable. The can not do their regular works due to crisis of gas and power.

The gas supply, however, resumed at 4 pm on Tuesday. But, the pressure of gas is very low to run the regular work.

Sources said, pressure of supplied gas is very low and people of port city are not getting any gas for their domestic use. Besides, the authority has suspended the gas supply to the industries particularly at the re-rolling mills from September 11 last year in the port city Chittagong. As a result, the sufferings of the people of Chittagong are increasing day by day and the production of the mills is being hampered severely due to the crisis of gas. The locals and leaders of business community expressed deep concern over the suspension of gas.

According to the sources and locals, the supply of gas has decreased alarmingly from last several days. As a result, the maximum areas of the port city remain gasless at least for 8 hours everyday. Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Company Limited (KGDCL) sources said, the supply of gas is less than 50 percent than the demand. The total demand of gas in Chittagong is 450 million CFT. But the KGDCL is supplying only 200 million CFT of gas daily. Sources said, dissatisfaction is spreading among the businessmen and industrialists in the port city over the gas crunch to the industries of Chittagong.

President of CCCI Mahbubul Alam said, "Gas is most important particle for industrial and economical development of the country as well as the port city Chittagong. KGDCL is supplying 210 to 220 million cft gas in Chittagong against the total demand more than 360 to 450 million cft. The GDP was decreased 29 percent in industrial sector due to only crisis of gas, Besides, thousands crores of investment of the industrialists in the port is being idol due to the gas crisis as the crisis of gas hampered the production severely in Chittagong. Many foreign orders have already been cancelled in the past years due to the crisis of gas. As a result, the images of our businessmen and country are damaged for canceling the foreign orders in garment sectors. "

President of CMCCI and Chairman of KDS Group of Industries Alhaj Khalilur Rahman said, "The government and authorities concerned have stopped giving gas connection to any industry in last three years. Moreover, the industries which have gas connections are not getting adequate gas for their production. The investors can not set up any new industry in Chittagong due to crisis of gas."

He further said, "it is true that there is no adequate gas in our country. So, we have to import Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) from other countries. If the government will not take decision to import LNG, the crisis of gas and power will not be solved." Sources said, crisis of gas and power is prime obstacles for industrial development in Chittagong. The industries at Kalurghat, Sitakunda, Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ) and garment industries are suffering from inadequate supply of gas and power in Chittagong.

According to CCCI more than 200 industrial units are now in pipe line for going to production. Of those, 68 industrial units are quite ready to go to production. But due to shortage of gas those industries could not go to production. The supply of additional 200 million CFT gas is now a daydream for Bakhrabad Gas Systems limited as it failed to meet regular demand of the city. The total demand of Chittagong is met by the productions of Sangu, Bakhrabad, Feni, Salda, and Meghna gas fields. At present, supply of gas to other industrial units has been badly affected. Smooth and proper supply of gas to those industrial units are being disrupted due to shortage of production in the country's gas field.




Sarika, Emon in TV ad for first time

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :

Earlier they had worked together in TV play for the first time Sarika worked with Emon in a TV commercial. They worked together as models in a TVC of a product of a multinational company. They have already completed shooting of the TVC. Sonok Mitra has made the TVC.

After taking part in shooting of the TVC in Mumbai, India Emon told this correspondent from there over mobile phone, Earlier I acted with Sarika in TV plays. We also worked together in different talk shows. For the first time we worked together in a TVC. It has become a nice work. For this reason, we are really optimistic about our first duet TVC.

Sarika shared her feelings by this way, Earlier under Sonok Mitras direction we worked separately in different TVCs. For the first time we performed together in a TVC. Concept of the TVC is nice. I believe viewers will be impressed to watch the TVC on the screen.

After taking part in shooting of the TVC Emon and Sarika are expected to return to Bangladesh within one or two days, they informed.

Meanwhile, after returning to acting Sarika has already performed as a model in a TVC under Adnan Al Rajibs direction. With the new TVC Sarika has attracted all. In fact, now she cannot give time to acting due to take care of her daughter.

On the other hand, besides acting in movies, Emon has also become engaged with acting in small screen. It is said that every month he has to manage time to act in good story based plays or telefilms now. Recently Emon and Sarika acted and Sakhawat directed a play titled Amontron was aired in a satellite channel. In last years Eid-ul-Fitr, Sarika has returned to acting after a break of three years against Jovan in Raj directed a play. Later she became regular in acting.


OIC must forge unity to assert its weight

THE meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday ended with the call of the 57-member body for strong UN intervention to end the humanitarian crisis. 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 and creating situation for sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their homes in Rakhine State in Myanmar. But the sidetracking of participation of the Myanmar government in the meeting amply suggests they have not placed much significance to it.

The OIC in fact has not enough ammunition in its hands except asking for UN intervention and the OIC Secretary General to engage more with Myanmar, UN and other international and regional organizations to end the humanitarian crisis. We must say there is no solution in sight of the Rohingya crisis without involvement of the international community. Bangladesh must be active to mobilize international opinion in this regard.

In our view the 10-member ASEAN group to which Myanmar is a member should come up with concrete measures to protect Rohingyas in one of their member states. One can't see it in silence because they are Muslims.

Bangladesh presented the horrific condition of the Rohingya refugees in the OIC meeting as they are desperately taking shelter in our country escaping killing, torture and rape of women when the Myanmar army is running 'clear up operations' torching their homes and forcing villages to be abandoned.

Malaysian Special Envoy to Myanmar Syed Hamid Abrar made similar horrific evaluation of the situation before the meeting calling for strong UN intervention to stop anymore genocide there like those in Cambodia and Rwanda in recent history. The meeting's emphasis on greater role of the UN Human Rights Council and other human rights organizations bear significance as the Myanmar government action poses the threat to total elimination of the Muslim community in that country. This is not only a humanitarian crisis; it is a bigger human right crisis.

We are so sad that despite so many Muslim countries in the world, they carry not enough weight as united force, because they are not united but fighting each other at many places destroying themselves. Their leaders are power hungry in many countries having no touch with the people. They rather take the people as a threat to their power and taking shelter of big powers to protect family rules or continue autocratic governance over the people.

We hope the OIC meeting will be able to solicit global support to end the plight of the Rohingya Muslims but our Muslim leaders in many countries are no less responsible to make Muslims homeless in their own countries. Muslim countries must change to deserve respect.


2nd phase of Ijtema begins

Devotees offering Jumma prayer gathered at the 2nd phase of Biswa Ijtema on the bank of River Turag in Tongi.

Staff Reporter :

The second phase of Biswa Ijtema, the largest Muslim congregation after Hajj, began on the bank of the Turag River at Tongi on the outskirts of the capital on Friday, four days after the first phase took place.

The three-day congregation, also called the World Muslims' Congregation, started formally with religious sermons after Fajr prayers. The congregation will end on Sunday with the Akheri munajat.

Lakhs of Muslim devotees from home and abroad converged on the Turag bank to join the religious event.

Besides, thousands of devotees took part in the Juma prayers blocking roads and highways.

Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq, local MP Md. Zahid Ahsan Russel, Gazipur Police Super Harun-or-Rashid and acting mayor of Gazipur City Corporation Asadur Rahman Kiron took part in the Juma prayers held from 1:40pm.

Meanwhile, police arrested some 152 Rohingyas from in and around the Ijtema ground, said the SP. They will be sent back to their country through legal process, the SP added.

Some 1,527 foreign devotees from several countries, including South Africa, Russia, the USA, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, France, Australia, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, China and Mali reached in the Ijtema ground on the first day of the second phase Ijtema.

Police arrested a young man, Ali Munsi, 27, while trying to enter the pavilion of foreign

devotees wearing a burqa (veil) on Thursday night, said officer-in-charge of Tongi Model Police Station Firoz Talukdar.

As in the first phase, Islamic scholars from different countries delivered sermons which were instantly interpreted into Bangla, English and a few other languages.

People from 16 districts attended the second phase Biswa Ijtema.

Ijtema is being held in two phases from 2012 to ease accommodation problem.

Tight security measures have been taken for the event while several thousand members of different law enforcement agencies will remain deployed in Tongi.

The first phase of Biswa Ijtema was held at the same venue on January 13-15. Devotees from 16 districts attended the 1st phase of Ijtema.
None to control house rent

Govt, City Corporns blame each other: HC directives not followed

Sagar Biswas :

Targeting the New Year, some house-owners in Dhaka city have increased house rent in the first month of January pushing the middle and low-income groups of people in a miserable situation.

Although the High Court had ordered to form a 'controlling body' to harness the skyrocketing of house rent, the decision was not materialized

by the authorities concerned in the last one and a half years due to reasons best known to them.

There are widespread allegations that, the concerned departments of the government and the city corporations, both Dhaka south and north, are apparently indifferent about the 'basic problem' of the city residents.

A private bank official Zakir Hossain lives in city's Azimpur along his wife and two children in a two-room flat with monthly rent Tk 18,000. In the New Year, his house owner has increased Tk 1,000 per month from January without showing any reason.

It's a common scenario in the city where house rent increases every year making the tenants helpless. In many cases, the landlords do not give any counterfoil of money receipt and also copies of gas-electricity-water bills. Some house owners allegedly used to take money from the tenants without showing any bill as their wishes.

On the other hand, choosing a new house is also not easy for the tenants. As an example, it's a two-room flat on the third floor of an apartment building at Shewrapara in the city's Mirpur where monthly rent is Tk 20,000. It also includes service charge Tk 4,000 and gas-electricity-water bill extra.

"Not only that, the tenant will have to pay three months' rent in advance. Besides, the rent of each month should be paid within five days of the first week. Excessive guests will not be allowed. Family members should not be more than five persons. The landlord must be informed two months before quitting the house," Azmal Hossain Khan, an associate professor of a private university, said sharing his experience.

According to information provided by Consumers Association of Bangladesh [CAB], the house rent had increased 350 percent from 1990-2011. From 2012 to 2016, the increasing was 370 percent. In a total, the house rent has increased 388 percent in last 25 years. That means, each year the rent is increasing 16 percent.

On July 2, 2015, the High Court had issued directives to the government to form a commission by the cabinet secretary to fix 'maximum and minimum' standard house rents in the city.

Apart from giving recommendations for updating the Premises Rent Control Act 1991, the proposed Commission's other task was holding discussions with house-owners and tenants to identify the problems. At the same time, the court had asked the police to take steps regarding house rent-related complaints.

The HC also had asked the government to appoint a 'house rent controller' at every ward for hearing allegations and settling issues until the Commission is formed. But it did not work till the date.

In this situation, the concerned departments of government and city corporations are blaming each other. Government says it's not their duty, on the other hand the city corporations say they have not enough power to bring discipline in this sector.

As per an approximate estimation, only about 20-25 percent of the total inhabitants of Dhaka have their own houses, the remaining 75-80 percent [about 1.5 crore] people live in rented houses.

As a result, the demand for rented houses is increasing with the rising population while the owners are taking advantage. The situation is also the same in other cities, including Chittagong. Usually, 60 percent of the tenants' total income goes to house rent every month.

CAB General Secretary advocate Humayun Kabir recently said: "The government initiative in this sector is very poor. Some house owners are increasing rent as their wishes. But they do not know that they could face punishment for such act."

The mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation Syeed Khokan, however, said that they are working to create awareness among the people on the issue.
Five `robbers` held in city

UNB, Dhaka :

Police in a drive arrested five suspected members of a robber gang from Jatrabari area of the city on Thursday night.

The arrestees were identified as Alamin, 21, Parvez, 20, Shawon, 30, Selim, 18, and Sohel, 15.

Tipped off that a gang of robbers were taking preparation to commit robbery in Jatrabari area, a

special team of Jatrabari Police Station carried out a drive near Sayedabad Super Market around 10:40 pm and arrested them, said police.

The law enforcers also recovered three sharp weapons, including two knives, from the arrestees.

A case was filed with Jatrabari Police Station in this connection.
Sovereign wealth fund planned

Finance Ministry seeks BB's opinion

Kazi Zahidul Hasan :

The Ministry of Finance has sought the Bangladesh Bank's opinion over creation of the country's first ever sovereign wealth fund (SWF) to utilize the excessive idle foreign reserve at the central bank.

The SWF will be created by the central bank's foreign currency reserve, an official of the Finance Ministry told The New Nation on Friday, preferring anonymity.

The Ministry on Wednesday in a letter to the Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor sought the opinion on an urgent basis regarding the matter.

"We sought BB's formal opinion over the issue, as the fund will be created by its foreign reserve," the official said.

He said the government has taken the move to create a SWF following pile up of excessive foreign reserve at the central bank.

"The government wants to utilize some portion of the idle reserve fund for productive purposes," he added.

As on December last year, the country's foreign currency reserves stood at $31.75 billion, which is enough to foot eight months' import bills.

The official further said, initially, the money of the fund will be financed for the country's mega development projects.

Earlier, the Finance Division of the Ministry formed a 10-member committee, headed by BB Deputy Governor SK Sur Chowdhury, to evaluate the prospects and viability of creating the fund as well as its pros and cons.

The body recently submitted its report to Finance Minister AMA Muhith giving a positive outline over the formation of the fund.

"Upon receipt of the report, the Minister directed us to go forward with the matter and also asked for BB's formal opinion to create the fund," said the official.

Muhith earlier told reporters that the government would form a sovereign wealth fund with an initial authorised capital of $5 billion to finance mega projects.

He also said the sovereign wealth fund is a new concept for Bangladesh and a separate law needs to be passed before formation of the fund.

A proposal for creating the fund will be presented before the Cabinet soon. Once it gives the nod, process will be on to enact the law.

The Foreign Exchange and Treasury Management Department of BB has been asked to prepare the reply based on the subject of the letter. Officials of the Department have already started working on the issue, a senior BB official told The New Nation yesterday.
Disband RAB

Lack of accountability creates a rogue force

Staff Reporter :

Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York-based human rights organisation, on Friday urged Bangladesh government to take immediate steps to disband elite force Rapid Action Battalion.

"While in opposition the Awami League called for the disbanding of RAB. Before taking office in 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that she would reform RAB. This has not happened, so it is time for the government to take immediate steps to disband RAB and replace it with a rights respecting force," Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director, HRW, said in a statement yesterday.

She added: RAB is a mixed force of police and soldiers led by a civilian officer but it is the army that controls the elite force.

Meenakshi Ganguly said, in recent years members of the Detective Branch of police have also been responsible for RAB-style serious human rights violations, including deliberately maiming suspects in custody by shooting them in the leg.

"The prosecution of RAB members is a welcome step towards ending violence and impunity. Yet it should not only happen when the victim is a ruling party member," she said.

The statement said for years, Bangladesh's RAB has been deployed by successive

governments not only to fight crime, but often as an in-house death squad, leaving a string of extrajudicial killings - often referred to as "crossfire" deaths, torture, disappearances, and arbitrary arrests in their wake.

"And for years, almost no members of RAB were held to account for these crimes," she said.

"In a very rare verdict on January 16, the Narayanganj District and Sessions Court sentenced 26 people, including 16 members of RAB, to death for their role in a 2014 politically-motivated murder case," she further said.

She said nine other RAB members were sentenced to prison terms. Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty and will urge it not be carried out.

For too long, RAB officials have been shielded from prosecution by successive governments, some even justifying their crimes, the statement added.

"But in this case, the court has found a local Awami League politician, Nur Hossain, crossed the line by contracting members of RAB-11, the unit deployed in the area, to abduct and kill his political rival, Nazrul Islam, also an Awami League official," she said.

On April 27, 2014, the verdict finds, Nazrul Islam was returning from court when, according to eyewitnesses, he was abducted along with three associates and his driver.

His lawyer, Chandan Kumar Sarkar, who was following in another car, was also abducted along with his driver. The killers were clumsy, failing to dispose of the bodies, which floated up in a river in Narayanganj, leading to public outrage. A government investigation concluded that members of RAB-11 had been involved in the murders.

But those convicted are not the only ones responsible for the situation. The government has responsibilities too, because of the climate of impunity it has created.

In recent cases, when RAB and other law enforcement agencies have disappeared people, witnesses say officers arrived claiming they were from the "administration," an open admission they worked for the state. Many of the disappeared people have later turned up dead.
No headway in probe

UNB, Comilla :

Though 10 months have elapsed since the murder of Victoria College student Sohagi Jahan Tonu, there is no visible progress in the investigation into the grisly murder incident.

The investigation agencies could neither identify the motive behind the killing nor the killers yet.

Seeing no progress in the investigation, Tonu's family members and relatives are getting more frustrated and impassionate.

Sohagi Jahan Tonu, 19, a second-year history student of Comilla Victoria College

and a member of Victoria College Theatre, was found dead at Comilla Mainamati Cantonment on March 20, 2016 after she went out of her residence for private tuition.

Tonu's father Yaar Hossain filed a murder case against some unidentified people with Kotwali Model Police Station.

Police first started investigation into the incident, later the case was transferred to DB police and then shifted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on April 1, last.

Though the CID has interrogated several civilians suspecting their link to the murder but could not identify the culprits yet. Besides, the reason of death remained shrouded in mystery following the publication of two autopsy reports.
Trump sworn in as 45th US President

Rallies by supporters and protesters

US President Barack Obama, right and First Lady Michelle Obama, left, welcome President-elect Donald J. Trump and his wife Melania to the White House in Washington on Friday.

BBC Online :

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, yesterday.

The property tycoon won an unexpected victory in November's election after a controversial campaign.

Hundreds of thousands of supporters and protesters are travelling to Washington DC for the event.

Thousands of police have been deployed and many kilometres of crowd barriers set up as part of a vast security operation. Addressing supporters on Thursday night at a pre-inaugural concert, Mr Trump pledged to unify America, bring change and make the country great "for all of our people".

Meanwhile in New York, thousands of people attended a rally where dozens of celebrities and politicians voiced their concerns about the president-elect. Mr Trump will be sworn in before midday local time (17:00 GMT) by Chief Justice John Roberts, and make his inaugural speech.

The ceremony was attended by former presidents and first ladies, including Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary, Mr Trump's opponent in the recent election. The only absences was the 92-year-old George Bush Senior, who is in hospital being treated for respiratory problems, and his wife Barbara. Members of Congress were also be there, although more than 50 House Democrats have said they would boycott the event.

An estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people travelled to Washington, although it was not clear how many were coming to celebrate the inauguration and how many to protest against it.

Demonstrations for and against Mr Trump include

a rally for the new president by Bikers for Trump after the ceremony. The Women's March on Washington on Saturday - for racial and gender equality, and other issues perceived to be under threat from Mr Trump's administration - is expected to draw about 200,000 people.

The New York Times, WASHINGTON adds,

Mr. Trump plans to retain 50 essential State Department and national security officials currently working in the Obama administration to ensure "continuity of government," according to Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary. The final staff preparations included designating Thomas A. Shannon Jr., an Obama appointee, as the acting secretary of state, pending the expected confirmation of Rex W. Tillerson. As of Thursday, only two of Mr. Trump's 15 cabinet nominees - John F. Kelly, to head the Department of Homeland Security, and his nominee for defense secretary, Gen. James N. Mattis - had been approved by congressional committees and were close to assuming their posts.
With Trump as President American values are under grave challenge: We shall only pray

Editorial Desk :

Donald Trump's inauguration as the 45th US President took place amidst unprecedented protests that organisers plan to continue over the week at many places in an atmosphere of doom and gloom countrywide.

Most people all over the world also watched the event in dismay as the person not liked by most of his countrymen for being terribly un-American. The new President is seen as a bull in a China shop breaking and destroying everything that made America the leader of the world for the values of freedom and human rights. Mr Trump's admiration for President Putin of Russia should be most disconcerting for America and the rest of the free world.

His low taste and errant outlook towards women, hatred to Muslim immigrants and slipping commitment to US allies in Europe and the Middle East that puts Russian interest on top are overshadowing the transition. Never before such a scandalous person -- a real estate mogul -- won the US elections using lies, slanders and populist slogans to surprise the nation and the entire world.

The politics of Trump is set to critically hurt the multiracial character of the US society and President Barack Obama in his last farewell press conference made the plea again to uphold and respect social values that made America great. He also asked Americans to hold on their democratic ground and defend the rights of others.

News report said Washington took the look of a virtual fortress on Friday ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration. More than a quarter-million protesters gathered on the occasion. Police have forecast that some 900,000 people, both supporters and opponents flooded Washington streets and enough law enforcers were mobilized to thwart any move to break the peace.

What is most significant is that over 60 Congressmen of the Democratic Party did not attend the inauguration that never happened in US history in the past. Even John Lewis, the iconic civil right leaders who worked with Martin Luther King in early 1960s and was a long time Congressman from Democratic Party in comments last week refused to accept Donald Trump as a rightly elected President.

Earlier his slanderous comments on Lewis even angered most Republicans who are facing the biggest dilemma how to accept Trump and work with him when it is also difficult to abandon him after being elected on Republican ticket.

Meanwhile most celebrities from Hollywood and representing the civil society have refused to attend the inauguration. Top music bands declined invitation to perform on the occasion.

Reuters said about 30 groups, many of them are opposed to Trump presidency have received permission to bring supporters to Washington. More protests are also expected without permits.

By far the biggest protest will be Women's March in Washington on Saturday, which organizers expect to draw 250,000 people. Hundreds of Women's March-related protests are also scheduled across the United States and around the world.

Trump is taking over with only 40 percent support while Obama is leaving behind 62 percent support even after 8 years in the White House. Washington police estimate suggests less than one million will gather at Trump's inauguration including protesters while Barack Obama's inauguration saw more than two million in 2008.

People are critically worried how US domestic politics and international relation will look like after Trump's take over. His vow to repeal the Obamacare health insurance and to build a wall along the US-Mexico border is bound to cause socio-political chaos. Many fear his lack of interest to NATO defense for Western Europe and love for Russian President Vladimir Putin may eventually lead to disintegration of post Second World War political order in Europe. His closeness to Russia may also endanger Muslim states.

Trump may equally trigger a trade war with China and the scrapping of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement for free trade negotiated with some Asia-Pacific nations by the Obama administration may similarly hinder trade.

His vow to renegotiate NAFTA, which is also a free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico may end up in greater break-down in global free trade. The broad economic and political impacts of such policy may be far reaching to world peace and stability at the end.

We have hope in the greatness of American people. The nation may be sharply polarised but a huge number of the people are protesting and sending powerful messages of not accepting the kind of indecency, arrogance and intellectual perversion their new President Donald Trump embodies. They are saying we are here not to allow the values of the Founding Fathers to be ignored and sullied. President Obama while bidding farewell assured his people that things would be alright but they have to try hard.
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.
Nevine Kashmiri appointed United Bank of Egypt's assistant Managing Director of funding large enterprises, SMEs

The board of United Bank of Egypt has appointed Nevine Kashmiri as the assistant to the managing director of the department for funding large, and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

According to a statement by the bank, the step aims at expanding the base of the banks credit activity, and acquiring a bigger segment of the Egyptian market, especially in the field of financing large companies and SMEs, Islamic financing, and syndicated loans.

Kashmiri has extensive banking experience in the field of credit, especially of major companies, as she worked in a number of major banks including Egyptian Gulf Bank and Greeces Piraeus Bank. She was also a board member in Piraeus for financial leasing, Prime Holding for securities, Tanmeyah Micro Enterprise Services, and other companies. Moreover, she obtained many specialised certificates, and attended banking, administrative, and credit training courses.

In her first statement after she took office in the United Bank of Egypt, Kashmiri said that the bank has human resources and technical capabilities, as well as wide presence geographically, qualifying it to acquire a larger segment of the Egyptian credit market, especially in light of the policy the state is adopting to improve economic performance and achieve sustainable development for Egypt.

She added that she is now restructuring the funding department in accordance with the newest international banking systems, in preparation for significantly increasing the size of the financing portfolio in the next period.

The financing sector of the bank will include five major units: syndicated loans, large enterprises, SMEs and micro financing, start-up financing, and Sharia-compliant financing, which is an important department under the steady increase in the demand on Sharia-compliant financing, according to Kashmiri.

www.cbe.org.eg
Pope, left, exits the Lafayette Parish Courthouse Thursday with attorneys John McLindon and Brett Grayson. Photos by Wynce Nolley

As one chapter ends for Lafayette City Marshal Brian Pope, a new, more perilous one begins. On the heels of the embattled lawmans civil saga with The Independent concluding, the criminal case against Pope gets under way.

Pope, 51, was in Judge David Smiths 15th Judicial District courtroom in Lafayette Thursday morning with a pair of attorneys for a pre-trial hearing. Pope faces seven felony counts stemming from the public records battle with this newspaper. He was indicted by a Lafayette Parish grand jury on two counts of perjury and three counts of misuse of public funds in August of last year. A superseding indictment issued in late November tacked on two additional counts of malfeasance in office, and the earlier misuse of public funds charges became malfeasance charges.

The new malfeasance charges are related to Pope's decision to use public funds from his office to pay some of the legal fees associated with his criminal case.

As is common with pre-trial hearings, Thursdays hearing was continued to March 9 after Popes legal team  John McLindon of Baton Rouge, who successfully defended Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal in November, and Brett Grayson, a controversial former assistant U.S. attorney  indicated it planned to introduce several more pre-trial motions. A trial date was set for May 8.

For each perjury count, Pope faces a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment at hard labor for up to five years, or both. He faces up to five years at hard labor and a $5,000 fine, or both, on the malfeasance charges.

Popes legal troubles have also not been without their entanglements. In December, Charles Middleton, the first attorney Pope hired to defend him in his civil case against The Independent, was indicted on a single perjury charge. Moreover, District Attorney Keith Stutes has said the grand jury looking into the case remains open and could be convened to look at additional charges against anyone connected to the original and failed effort to help get Scott Police Chief Chad Leger elected sheriff in the fall 2015 election.

In other Pope-related news, earlier this week The IND received a check for $184,170 from SureTec Insurance Co. out of Houston, the surety bond company the marshal turned to after District Judge Jules Edwards ruled against him in January 2016, saying Popes response to the papers public records requests were woefully inadequate, that his decision to withhold documents was arbitrary and his failure to respond unreasonable.

The IND filed suit against the city marshal in November 2015, seeking to prove that he and his office colluded with the Leger campaign to discredit the candidacy of attorney Mark Garber, who ultimately won the sheriff election in a runoff against Leger.

At that January hearing, Edwards awarded The IND its attorney fees and court costs, and the full penalties afforded under Louisianas public records statute  $100 per day for each day that Pope failed to respond to the public records requests.

As the case quickly moved into criminal contempt of court proceedings and drug on further, the court increased those fines but deferred ruling on the additional attorneys fees that had accrued and also awarded costs of an IT expert retained by the paper. As The IND's costs rose, so did Pope's own legal fees in the civil case, and he has used his office to pay more than $150,000 to his team of attorneys.

The Louisiana Supreme Courts December decision to deny Pope a hearing on his appeal of the papers right to bring the civil action against him paved the way for The IND and its attorney to begin the collection process, and last week Pope and the paper came to an agreement on a settlement amount of $205,467. Pope also signed a personal promissory note for $21,297, pledging to pay the balance due from personal funds within a 90-day period that commenced Jan. 17.

Records show that the marshals office last year deposited $168,000 into an account to secure the first two denominations of the appeal bond, but The IND has been unable to determine whether additional public funds were used to secure the balance or if those deposits were reimbursed by Marshal Pope from his personal funds.

Well update this story as soon as we are able to answer those questions.

Mortgage records for Brian Pope in Lafayette Parish reveal a concerted effort to cancel prior liens and mortgages, all apparently done in preparation for what will likely be a hefty retainer for his two new criminal defense attorneys, who made their debut at todays pre-trial hearing.

Save
The Louisiana Department of Health says 17 health units in 16 mostly rural parishes that serve the poor, disabled and elderly could be shuttered if the state House Republican leaders plan to levy $147 million in cuts while foregoing use of the states rainy day fund is enacted.

Gannett Louisianas Greg Hilburn reports that Department of Health spokesman Bob Johannessen says the closures are but one scenario for dealing with Alexandria Republican Rep. Lance Harris proposal to close a $304 million deficit in the current fiscal year budget. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has proposed dipping into the states rainy day fund and dealing with the deficit in a February special session. The GOP-controlled House has so far balked at the idea of tapping into the rainy day fund and lawmakers have been resistant to a special session.

The health unit closures would overwhelmingly fall in poor, rural parishes in Louisiana. Johannessen told the Associated Press that a $147 million cut in state funding would actually represent a broader $423 million cut due to the loss of federal matching funds.

More from AP:

The health department says cuts proposed by the leader of Louisianas House Republicans could devastate programs for the poor and uninsured, the mentally ill and people with disabilities. Rep. Lance Harris offered his plan Thursday for closing Louisianas $304 million budget deficit, which would levy $147 million in cuts on the Department of Health. Health Department spokesman Bob Johannessen said the cuts would multiply with the loss of federal matching dollars to $423 million. With that reduction, Johannessen says the agency would have to stop paying the privatized LSU hospitals and clinics that care for the poor. He says dollars would be slashed for programs that help the elderly and disabled stay out of nursing homes. Harris says the cuts could be spread among salaries, supplies, travel and other costs.

Read Hilburns report here.
The chief judge for the Western District of Louisiana has transferred at least 27 cases from U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to another judge since late December.

U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi

The mystery behind unusual happenings in a federal judges courtroom is deepening: The judge has removed herself from more than two dozen cases since a trial she presided over abruptly ended last month, court records show.

The chief judge for the Western District of Louisiana has transferred at least 27 cases from U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to another judge since late December, according to an Associated Press review of court records. The one-page orders dont explain why Minaldi asked for those civil and criminal cases to be reassigned.

Judges occasionally recuse themselves from cases but typically cite a reason, such as avoiding the appearance of a conflict of interest. But its unusual for a judge to surrender a batch of unrelated cases without explanation.

It usually signals some sort of personal or family problem, said Dane Ciolino, a law professor at Loyola University in New Orleans.

On Dec. 6, a criminal trial in Minaldis Lake Charles courtroom was cut short without explanation before a jury could be picked to hear the case against a man charged with producing child pornography and crossing state lines to have sex with a minor. A docket entry indicates the mans trial was adjourned less than an hour after it began.

Chief Judge Dee Drell said in an order that he was exercising (his) prerogative in canceling that trial, removing Minaldi from the case and reassigning it to himself. A jury in Drells Alexandria courtroom  about 100 miles away  convicted the defendant Jan. 4.

Minaldi hasnt responded to several requests for comment over the past few months, including one left with her office Thursday.

Court officials denied an AP reporters request for a copy of the transcript for the Dec. 6 proceedings in Minaldis courtroom. A standing order adopted by the court district holds that transcripts of jury selection are automatically sealed to protect the privacy of prospective jurors.

Other routine assignments for Minaldi also ended last year without any reasons publicly disclosed.

In February 2016, Minaldi was pulled off a mans fraud case following a series of mistakes in routine trial procedures. Court documents unsealed at the APs request showed that even basic requirements  like telling jurors the burden of proof lies with prosecutors, not the defense  werent followed.

In March 2016, Judge Drell removed Minaldi from the Justice Departments high-profile criminal cases against a south Louisiana sheriff and several subordinates. No explanation was given, though the order came four days after Minaldi abruptly adjourned a hearing to accept guilty pleas by two sheriffs deputies. The two deputies wound up pleading guilty later that same day before another judge in Lafayette, more than 70 miles away.

Minaldi was scheduled to preside over several sentencing hearings in the week after the child pornography trial was canceled on Dec. 6. Those hearings were postponed, and the cases are among those reassigned to another judge.

Minaldi has issued orders in other cases since the Dec. 6 trial. On Dec. 19, for instance, she refused to disqualify herself from an inmates civil lawsuit against a police task force.

The inmate claimed Minaldi couldnt be impartial because she had been arrested in Lake Charles and later pleaded guilty in February 2014 to a drunken driving charge. Minaldi said the inmates arguments have no merit.
The Sierra Club held its Y-49 public meeting Thursday night at the Lafayette Main Library to discuss contamination the environmental groups says has been detected in several LUS water wells.

Attorney William Goodell and former hydrologist Dr. Michael Waldon present their findings at Thursday's Y-49 meeting. Photo by Wynce Nolley

The Sierra Club held its fourth Y-49 public meeting Thursday night at the Lafayette Main Library Downtown concerning contamination it says has been detected in several Lafayette Utilities Systems water wells.

Previous Y-49 meetings have stated that contamination has been found in the soil and groundwater along the proposed I-49 Corridor, which threatens the regions primary source of drinking water, the Chicot Aquifer.

Local environmental attorney William Bill Goodell provided more findings from the lawsuit he filed last February on behalf of two Lafayette property owners against Union Pacific Railroad Company.

Over the course of my investigations, Ive determined that from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals database this p-Dichlorobenzene (DCB) has been detected in the groundwater from the LUS Water Supply Wells since 2008, says Goodell, who recently received a trove of documents from a public records request he filed with LUS as part of his lawsuit.

According to Goodell, the levels in 2012 show that three of the supply wells closest to where the rail yard is located got hits, and some of them showed up again in 2015.

In 2008, you get a hit of DCB in (LUS) Water Well 22, which is actually sortheast of the northernmost part of the railyard, he says. But then, a couple of years later in 2012, you get all of these hits showing up and then you get a couple of more hits three years later. So, that means that this contaminant, DCB, is getting sucked into Lafayettes drinking water supply system.

The Environmental Protection Agency has identified DCB as a Group C possible carcinogen.

A map of LUS water wells the Sierra Club says are contaminated

Courtesy of Dr. Michael Waldon

Dr. Mike Waldon, a retired hydrologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, also gave a presentation on the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) of the Lafayette I-49 Connector, which identifies Recognized Environmental Conditions (REC) at or near the property.

According to Waldon, while a draft of the study was completed last February, repeated requests to present it to the public for comments have been ignored. The study also failed to discover some significant available data including LUS well monitoring.

The Phase I Report concluded that after 195 property parcels were reviewed, 24 presented a REC within the project right of way in connection with the I-49 Corridor project. The 24 RECs identified included the former Union Pacific, Georgia Pacific and Conoco railyards.

According to Waldons report, if a site is considered contaminated, a Phase II ESA may be conducted, which the Sierra Club strongly recommends.

Check out AOC's coverage of the meeting below.
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 15 to 25 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 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
CARBONDALE  A proposed text amendment to the city code was hotly debated at the Planning Commission meeting Wednesday night.

The change would allow civic, social and fraternal organizations to set up shop in low-density residential neighborhoods under a special use permit.

The action was requested by Carbondale Elks Lodge #1243, as the organization hopes to relocate to a property at 419 S. Giant City Road, previously the site of Heartland Christian Center.

Elks Lodge President Mike Rann said that the organizations current building at 220 W. Jackson St., built in 1914, needs costly repairs. The property at Giant City Road has the price, location, adequate parking, land (and) building potential, the organization said in its application to the city.

The Commission was required to issue a recommendation for the City Councils consideration, but had not yet voted on whether to recommend the matter as of press time.

Back in December, the Commission recommended denial of the Elks original request to rezone the property. The unanimous denial was in response to resistance from nearby residents, who said they feared the lodge would bring traffic and safety concerns. Many expressed concerns about zoning for a liquor license so close to Carbondale Community High School.

At Wednesdays meeting, several members of the public echoed those same concerns. Opponents presented a petition of 130 residents of the area against the text amendment.

Several Elks Lodge members spoke in favor of the amendment, speaking of the organizations many charitable endeavors that have benefited the Carbondale community over the years.

The text amendment would allow any civic, social and fraternal organization to apply for a special use permit. If the City Council approved the measure, the Elks Lodge would subsequently have to apply.
MARION  At Marion High School, after a few technical difficulties, students joined the many viewers whose eyes were directed toward Capitol Hill for the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

As adjustments were being made to the high school's servers before its airing on Friday, Gene Mitchell and his global studies class talked with The Southern about their classroom discussions leading up to the historical event.

Mitchell, who also teaches AP world history, said although the main focus has been on global studies, he's taken some time from the curriculum to go more in depth about the new president.

"We've been studying other countries mainly, but obviously with the elections pretty publicized, we've been talking on and off everyday about the system we have as far as, like today, the peaceful transfer of powers from different views," he said.

As tensions over the election increased, Mitchell said he encouraged his students to talk about their political differences in a positive way.

"I've taught them that (they) can disagree but that doesn't mean (they) have to hate each other," he said. "So I've been just trying to encourage (them to) talk about (their) differences and that you don't necessarily have to attack people that disagree with you."

Clayton Bierman, a freshman enrolled in Mitchell's global history class, placed Mitchell's teaching into perspective.

In classroom discussions, Bierman said he learned a lot about the two 2016 presidential candidates' differences and how each of their platforms exposed both advantages and disadvantages.

"One day we talked about the different things that Hillary and Trump were discussing about the use of energy and how Trump supports oil and Hilary supports solar power," he said. "We learned about the jobs that could be lost and the jobs that could be made from using the coal and oil but also the jobs that could be made from the solar power plan."

Tessa Childers, a sophomore enrolled in Mitchell's global studies class who said she would have attended the inauguration with her parents had she not had other engagements, agreed with her classmate. She said her teacher was able to educate her beyond her family's belief.

"I feel Mr. Mitchell was really good on showing the both sides because I feel like within your family, you can only get one side," she said, "so we watched CNN and other news and I felt it reported everything and just gave the facts which I think is important."

In the classroom next door, Kerry Martin, who teaches government and civics, as well as American history, has been teaching his students basic principles within the government and their roles as citizens.

"We have been talking about some of the basic principles in the government, our political system and kind of what their obligations are as citizens," Martin said.

A significant way Martin has kept his students aware is by expounding on why politics matter.

"Success or failures depends more about the people than just the politicians," he said. "For me, that is the key in understanding that their role is essential in success. It isn't just about who we elect wholly but it is making informative decisions, and staying aware of whats going on in the media, and holding politicians accountable and learning how to magnify their own voice."

Christian Gibbs, a senior in Martin's government and civics class, said as a participant in the previous inauguration, her knowledge about political processes and the exchange of power has enhanced.

"I went to an inauguration in eighth grade and watched Obama be sworn in and I understood mainly what was happening then, but I have a good knowledge about what is happening now," she said. "I was not really fully familiar with all of the politics that did go on, it can be some pretty dirty stuff, but I did not know people can actually boycott. Even though I was there once I did not see much of that there and it kind of gives me a better perspective on why that happens."

Along with voting in the 2016 election, Jared Baysanger, a senior in Martin's government and civics class, said the inaugural event is the first he's ever seen.

"I think it puts things into perspective a little bit," he said. "It's the first time I've ever gotten to see it or remember it since I was 11 last time it happened and it's just great to see that something new is coming which can possibly lead to a new era of peace."

Matt Donkin, regional superintendent of schools in Franklin, Johnson, Massac and Williamson County, said teachers decisions for viewing the political process within their school activities gives insight to students about the country's political process.

"This is a historical event that will eventually be in our history book and its also a celebration of citizenship, the norms of our country and the idea behind our democracy to have a transition of power," he said. "The decision on school activity shows the political process."
MARION  More than one hundred active and retired teachers were present at a town meeting Wednesday in Marion for a discussion about pension issues and the Teachers' Retirement System.

Dick Ingram, executive director of Teachers' Retirement System in Illinois, spearheaded the discussion located inside of the Marion High School cafeteria during which he expounded on the challenges within the pension system and its place within politics.

The biggest issue for retirees, according to Ingram, is whether or not their healthcare funds will use up most of their pension.

"What they care about a lot is their healthcare and if you think about it that's what scares people about retirement," Ingram said.

"(They often wonder if) their healthcare costs are going to eat up most of my pension, and at that level it's not so much their pension but their healthcare."

Within the new year, Ingram said the system will be continuing its transition from Central Management Services to Morneau Shepell.

"There has been a lot of changes with that," he said.

"We're going to see how this transition from Central Management Services to Morneau Shepell plays out over the long-term. It's been very rocky for us initially but the good news is that our staff is knocking their socks off to keep the impact of the dysfunction away from our members."

Ingram said he strongly recommends for retirees to stay on top of the transition.

"I would recommend for them to call the Morneau Shepell Call Center and ask them questions about their healthcare and, you know, we're always there too," he said.

Ingram said another major issue for both active and retired teachers is the state's budget.

"The budget impasse is really confusing and raises concerns among (retirees)," he said.

"The good news of the TRS is all of this dysfunction at the state level has not affected our operations. We receive our appropriations on a timely basis and it hasn't affected our ability to make investments or pay benefits or anything like that."

The meeting was one of several held in the state.

Dave Urbanek, director of communications for TRS, said the meetings are the first gearing toward issues with pensions for teachers in three years.

Jack Flammang and his wife, Vickie, both retired teachers from Joliet, said they found the meeting productive.

"He answered some of my concerns with Tier I and Tier II," Flammang said.

Flammang also noted that a lot of change has occurred since he first retired 14 years ago.

"The funding of course is the big issue and it's interesting to know that the state hasn't funded much of it," he said.

Keith Gay, a former Marion teacher who retired in 2008 and is currently working a part-time job with the local Sheriff's Department, said the meeting gave him a better understanding of what was going on in the state in reference to the system.

"I have a better idea of what's the state's suggestions and legislation," he said. "I was curious about what Springfield was thinking to do with the pension system."

He also noted that, as a retiree, he feels more comfortable.

"Unfortunately it looks like the legislation is aimed at active teachers right now and not so much people who have already retired and it makes me feel a little better," he said.

Other town meetings will be held in Collinsville, Springfield, Moline and the Chicago area.
CARTERVILLE  On Election Day, Wes Henson went to bed early. As the hour ticked close to 9 p.m., he figured hed seen enough of the election results rolling in.

I didnt stay up for the whole thing because I figured Hillary was going to win, he said. So Im trying to get myself rested up, prepared, because I cant just go into a hole. Ive got to get out there.

He woke up the next morning and flipped on the news. "It shocked me, said Henson, 59, of Carterville, a pastor.

Feeling a bit emboldened, he changed his Facebook profile picture to a sketch of Trump. He said he's looking forward to todays inauguration ceremony in Washington and for Trump to begin his presidential term.

He said he's anxiously awaiting the Republican-led House and Senate to get to work on reforming national security, immigration, and health care  specifically repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act  and the economy.

I put my Trump picture out there because Im happy and I want to gig them, he said of his Facebook friends who supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Though, Henson did not begin as a Trump supporter. He belongs to the category of voters who were more strongly anti-Clinton than they were pro-Trump. Still, he said he warmed to Trump as the general election stretched on because he thinks some of his policy positions are worth a try.

Trump was not my first choice. Or second. Or third, he said. He was probably my last choice in the Republican primary. He was turned off by Trump's "personality and his arrogance."

But, he said that, as he sees it, a likable person can push bad policies, so he reasons that a brash person could be effective at implementing good ones.

I think that President Obama was an individual who, when he walked into the room, people kind of gravitated to him and they just kind of liked him. From my perspective, I dont think they liked his policies but they liked him so they voted for him, Henson said.

When Trump comes in the room, people dont really like him. Hes loud, obnoxious, all those things. But, over time, there has to be something to him. Because he defeated a lot of people in the Republican primary who had a lot of money, a lot of clout, a lot of ideas, and yet he was somehow able to connect to the people."

Henson said he hopes people give Trumps policies a chance. To him, it has to be better than the policies pushed by outgoing President Barack Obama during the past eight years. They were horrible, he said.

Hes particularly passionate about his desire to see the president and Congress take action to rewrite the Affordable Care Act.

Henson said he and his wife have experienced sharp increases in their co-pays, premiums and deductibles. His wife is a teacher at Giant City School; the two are insured through her employers health insurance plan.

I dont know how it all plays out, he said. All I know is Im paying a whole lot more and getting a whole lot less."

In the aggregate, Henson said, Obama had a great opportunity and I think he blew it.

I think if Trump doesnt learn hell do the same thing, Henson said. He [Obama] blew it by not trying to reach out to the other side and comprising a little bit. Henson said he sees signs of Trump reaching out early on to a variety of people.

On his strong dislike of Clinton, Henson said, I dont think she was very upfront. I think she was saying what she needed to say to get elected.

He also said she grated on my nerves. Is that OK? he said, acknowledging that perhaps the answer was not politically correct as it was widely discussed during the campaign whether that sentiment, expressed by many, was related to how women leaders are perceived in American business and politics. I dont want you to think Im sexist, he said, and went on to explain that men in leadership positions also can get under his skin. He specifically cited as examples of what bothered him about her attitude Clintons basket of deplorables comment and anti-coal statements that she made on the campaign trail.

"For some of the folks that never worked, she connected with them because she promised all these things. But a gal or guy working trying to make ends meet, Im not sure they connected with her, or she connected with them and her policies, he said.

On the policy front, Henson said he saw her as aligned with the liberal policies pushed by Obama, with which he disagreed.

Henson is the pastor of The Ridge Church (formerly Walnut Street Baptist Church) in unincorporated Jackson County. It has a membership of about 150 people, and it is politically diverse, he said. He recalled one member of his congregation coming up to him with tears welling up in her eyes as she explained how proud she felt on Nov. 8 to vote for a woman for president. I thought it was kind of sappy but thats how she felt, he said. It was a genuine feeling.

Henson said he regularly engages in lengthy debates with people on social media and in person. But he said he doesnt let differences of opinion, even when expressed passionately, keep him from interacting with or caring about people with whom he disagrees. Henson said he has never voted for anyone other than a Republican in a presidential race, but still prefers not to be put into any type of box.

For example, while many of his policy views lean right, Henson also has nuanced views on many topics, including abortion. Henson said he is pro-life, as in he believes that abortion is morally wrong. But he also does not think the country should outlaw abortion for this one reason. He called it an issue of equal access under the law.

If youre rich and have money youll always be able to get an abortion whether its legal or not, he said. If youre poor and you dont have money, youre still going to get an abortion, but youll end up going to a doctor using a coat hanger or going into places that are not sanitized.

Henson grew up in Rhode Island and landed in Southern Illinois after attending college in Bolivar, Missouri. He worked in food services at off-campus dorms as a young man for a period of time and then pastored at a church in Cutler while attending seminary. He's been with his current congregation since 1998.

Though very open about his political views, Henson said he did not ever preach from the pulpit on Sunday mornings about his belief that Trump would make a better president than Clinton. Nor did he use that time to try to convince others of his political beliefs, he said.

Henson said he knows that there are some leaders in the Evangelical Christian community who have proclaimed that Trump has been called by God to the presidency. He called it a mistake for Christians to take it there. I think they would have been better to just keep quiet rather than put a person on a pedestal like that," he said.

But while he may not put the man on a pedestal, he is eager for Trump to be elevated to the Oval Office today.
CARBONDALE  Dozens of students at Southern Illinois University walked out on their classes Friday in protest of Donald Trumps inauguration as the 45th President of the United States.

As the new President took the Oath of Office on TV screens down the hall, demonstrators gathered in the SIU Student Center cafeteria for a protest that would wind its way across campus and through Morris Library twice.

Organizer Sam Beard, a senior in philosophy and journalism, said he put the event together in response to callouts from organizations like Disrupt J20, Black Lives Matter and Ungovernable 2017, and because many people cant travel to Washington, D.C., to voice their dissent.

Every community is just as important as the next in fighting for our future, Beard said.

Protesters claimed they took issue with Trumps misogyny, nationalism and racism  Black Lives Matter was an oft-shouted message throughout the demonstration, along with Dump Trump, F--- Trump and Not my president!

It grew tense at times when demonstrators verbally sparred with a handful of counter-protesters who trailed the march in Make America Great Again hats and jeered heckling remarks at the crowd.

Mostly I just thought itd be funny, to be honest, said Thomas Birch, a junior at SIU. He carried a sign that read, I used to doubt global warming, until Trump won. Now I see all the snowflakes melting!

Hes the president and people have to get used to that. They can disagree with what he says, thats fine, but to renounce him as your president is just incorrect and foolhardy, if you ask me."

Despite the strain between the protesters and counter-protesters, the demonstration remained peaceful. Outside Morris Library, several students passed around a megaphone to share their experiences.

Donald Trump has indicated throughout the election that he does not love or value or appreciate women, disabled people, people of color, immigrant people, people who are poor. A lot of us have these identities, and more than one of these identities. So he is not my president, because he dehumanizes my students, he dehumanizes people that I love and he dehumanizes me, and I dont have time for it, said Crys Lacroix, a grad student in Communication Studies.

Tiffany Houston, a sophomore, said she was bothered by racially insensitive comments Trump has made, and by the video that showed Trump bragging about groping women.

For those of you that stand with him because of his beliefs, thats fine, and I respect your political opinion, but dont come into an environment where a lot of us here are uncomfortable. We may be black, we may be gay, we may be women, all of the above. Were all different, but were supposed to come together to make America great again, but the great that he pictures isnt the great that we all understand is going to happen, she said.

On the walkouts Facebook event page, several students disagreed with the idea of missing class for the demonstration.

I do not support this or any walk out against any democratically elected president, one person wrote.

This is literally just going to be a march with people holding up Black Lives Matters signs & chanting, F--- Trump, which accomplishes absolutely nothing. Quite frankly, I would expect more from adults at a university, another said.

Beard called the questions from skeptics important.

Patronizing and critiquing the people that are fighting for a better world also does nothing to benefit society and maybe, in fact, hinders progress, he said. People have different ways of fighting for and standing up for what they believe in. Second of all, another purpose of this is just to build a force within our community of people who are prepared to stand up for themselves, fight for their rights and then support each other in the ways that we need to have a good life.
We've been instructed not to take our new president literally but instead seriously (in the felicitous phrasing of Salena Zito). As I write, there are hints that the inaugural address will focus on the theme of "America First." President-elect Trump may or may not be familiar with the historical taint of that phrase, but in any case the meaning he attaches to it has been clear enough.

Throughout his career, Donald Trump has been consistent on two issues: trade and admiration for strong men. He departs from the consensus about American leadership in the post-World War II era. Rather than seeing the United States' security guarantees and promotion of trade as providing the means through which the world (and the U.S.) has seen unprecedented growth, peace and prosperity, he thinks we've been chumps.

"America First" is a declaration of "No More Mr. Nice Guy." This is the link between his views on NATO and trade. In the former case, he appears to think that the NATO alliance is a favor we do for an ungrateful Europe. While it would be a very positive development if every NATO member were to spend the agreed-upon 2 percent of GDP on defense, there is reason to doubt that Trump's comments are simply veiled threats made in order to achieve that. Is it pure coincidence that while denigrating NATO, Trump has shown excessive friendliness to Putin, whose chief goal (just ask Gen. James Mattis) is to undermine the alliance?

Trump has offered differing explanations for his tweets about NATO being "obsolete." He has mentioned defense spending. He has also cited failure to cooperate on terror. But Article V has only ever been invoked for Europe to help America. Many NATO countries contributed troops and other support to the war in Afghanistan, including the U.K., Germany, Italy, Turkey, Norway, and the Netherlands, among others.

Unlike his views on immigration, abortion, single-payer health care, ISIS and countless other topics, Trump's views on trade have been consistent since the 1980s. In 1987, he bought a full-page ad in The New York Times denouncing trade with Japan. He seems genuinely to believe that trade impoverishes us, which is odd for a businessman, because "trade" is really just another word for business.

It is true that our economy has seen very limited growth over the course of the past decade or so, but to finger the North American Free Trade Agreement and other trade deals as the culprit, instead of, say, overregulation or high taxes, is perverse. Trump cites the trade-deficit figures with China and others to prove that we are "losing" in a zero-sum competition and that jobs are being "outsourced" due to stupid leadership by politicians. These are Democratic talking points. Or were.

Manufacturing jobs are being lost to automation above all. Also, commerce (another word for trade), unlike war, has winners on both sides of the transaction, not winners and losers. The U.S. economy boomed during the 1980s and 1990s despite large trade deficits. Those who claim that the U.S. is running a trade deficit in goods due to unfair trade practices of trading partners never seem to make the case that our trade surplus in services (large and growing) is due to our own unfair practices.

Trump has made a number of fine cabinet appointments, but the "trade triumvirate" of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and the head of a new entity called the National Trade Council, Peter Navarro, are quite worrying advocates of so-called "nationalist" economics. Like Trump, they see trade as a form of warfare. It isn't. But trade wars can lead to real wars, thus the saying, "If goods don't cross borders, armies do."

The possible ironies here are voluminous. 1) The people who will suffer from trade protectionism are the poor and working classes who will pay higher prices for goods, and see their jobs lost due to higher prices of imports (half of imports are used in American manufacturing, some of which go to exports). 2) China is benefitting even now from other nations' fear of U.S. retrenchment on trade. Instead of American-led free-trade agreements, China is lining up Pacific nations for a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, in which Beijing calls the tune. 3) The U.S. is the world's largest trading nation. Protectionism is a punch in our own eye. To "punish" China or anyone else for selling us too many products, Trump can impose higher prices only on Americans.

The president has a great deal of independent power on trade matters. Here is something for Republicans in Congress to mull: If President Trump, the great businessman, ignites a trade war and tanks the economy, voters will draw the lesson that "those free-market Republicans have done it again. Capitalism equals depression."
To the Editor:

Historians measured centuries with eras. The past century was the industrial revolution and ours was the high-tech revolution era.

Awards for Best Christmas Fundraising TV video commercials should be awarded to the children of Shriners Childrens Hospital, St. Jude, and Cleft Pallet. These videos would have been banned in France by judges who ruled them inappropriate and insensitive.

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation released a two-minute fund-raising TV video commercial entitled Dear Future Mom to alleviate the anxieties of pregnant women who learn that they are carrying a DS baby, seven million viewers have seen it online. The video cast is children of all nationalities with Down Syndrome. One such woman says Im scared, what kind of life will my child have? The Down Syndrome children tell the woman that her child will hug, speak, go to school, tell you he loves you, and can be happy as I am and youll be happy too. The French State Judges upheld a ruling in which the French Broadcasting Council banned the video as inappropriate as a commercial, stating The videos content depicting happy DS children is likely to disturb the women who made lawful, different personal choices. Abortion.

World War I destroyed the world economy and all hell broke loose worldwide, empowered by Socialistic and Communistic Revolutionaries. They legitimized abortion in 1917, created Warsaw ghettos, the holocaust, Pearl Harbor, World War II and the A-bomb. The U.S. Judges legalized abortion in 1973, attacking the God-given sanctuary of the mothers womb to every human being.

America prayed and Gods love and mercy brought about the best of our high-tech century. Will the next century be governed by Gods law taught by His son Jesus or the worlds appropriate judges? Remember, God the Father is the final judge.

Esther Koch

Breese
Thumbs down to the 550 days the state has been without a budget, and to Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Illinois General Assembly for failing to reach a budget agreement. Forging a budget is one of the basic job requirements of our elected officials. They simply wont, or are unable, to do their jobs. Their inability to perform that basic task is hurting everyone in the state. People are leaving the State of Illinois. Those of us staying are seeing our parks crumble, our schools left without funding and our services wondering how to foot the bill. We bounce from crisis to crisis, day to day. In the meantime, bills and debt service is piling up. If the state were a business, it would have been forced to close its doors. Its time to go to work. Its time to get things done.

Thumbs up to Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, and the 18 other sponsors who re-introduced the Miners Protection Act. The federal government promised health care to miners two generations ago and the nation still depends on the sweat and toil of coal miners. It is important for the federal government to stand by its earlier pledge, no matter how long ago it was made. The impact of this bill will most certainly be felt throughout our communities in Southern Illinois.

Thumbs down to the states ham-handed handling of layoffs in various state departments last week. The newspaper learned late last week that the layoffs would affect Illinois Department of Natural Resources employees at the World Shooting and Recreation Complex. However, state officials refused to comment on the layoffs, or even confirm the layoffs. It was only after the information concerning the layoffs was published that the state commented. Again, state government is supposed to work openly for the taxpayer, not surreptitiously.

Thumbs up to Illinois treasurer Mike Frerichs for his work to make sure Illinois citizens receive the health insurance benefits to which they are entitled. The law signed in August requires life insurance companies to use social security records to determine if the policyholder has died and requires companies to keep updated contact information. The legislation also forbids finders from charging beneficiaries a fee to retrieve benefits.

Thumbs up to the sale of the Illinois Star Centre Mall in Marion. It was announced this week that an out-of-state party bought the mall, and that more news concerning the facility would be announced probably into April. The mall has struggled under various owners in recent years. Hopefully, new management can revitalize the facility and turn it back it something that it once was.
21) Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? 22) I tell you, not as many as seven, Jesus said to him, but 70 times seven." Matthew 18:21 (KJV)

In Luke 23:34 (KJV), Jesus proved His point personally when He said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots."

Recently, I read two articles that really touched me. One was about a black Highway Patrolman assisting a white supremacy advocate who was suffering from intense heat. The other was about a German fighter pilot in WWII escorting a damaged American B-17 to a safer location and bidding them farewell. This story concludes with a reunion years later of both pilots, who embraced each other as brothers.

Only a sense of forgiveness can achieve such a transformation in the human spirit. That transformation comes as one seeks to follow the teaching of a radical religious teacher named Jesus.

Jesus came to let us know more about God, His love, compassion, mercy, justice and forgiveness. Forgiveness is a tremendous key to relationships. We are prone to make mistakes, and forgiveness wipes many of them away. Jesus spoke many times about this need in our lives. Once Jesus told us that if, when we're in church, we remember a friend who had something against us, to leave our offering and go and be reconciled.

Matthew 5:24 KJV -- 24) "Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

I believe this truly indicates how important forgiveness is. Jesus also taught to forgive if we expect to be forgiven ourselves. Luke 11: 2-4 (HCSB) -- 2) "He said to them, 'Whenever you pray, say: Father, Your name is honored as holy. Your kingdom come. 3) Give us each day our daily bread. 4) And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation.

An episode of the Gunsmoke TV program told of a bandit robbing a church, killing the priest and taking the churchs silver service. In the priest's dying gasp, he reached out to his killer and said, I forgive you." No matter how hard he tried, no one would buy the silver. In frustration, he threw the bag at the priest in Dodge City and ran out. The words of the priest he killed haunted him daily and when the marshal shot him, in his dying gasp he said, I forgive you."

The unknown writer of the following verse had it right: If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior." Forgiveness is a commodity we cannot live without.

Dear friends, is there someone you need to forgive? Perhaps someone who has wronged you? Get it straightened out. I find it does not matter who says Im sorry first, just so it gets said and heeded.

No matter how we see our world, its the only one we have, and we all must learn to live together. God bless!
Claflin University students were reminded of tradition and challenged to serve, dream and lead at Thursdays spring convocation at the Jonas T. Kennedy Center.

As we come together as a Claflin family, it is often to celebrate Claflins long and illustrious history, her achievements and we acknowledge and thank all whove made enormous contributions to lift the university to national recognition and distinction, Claflin President Dr. Henry Tisdale said.

Today we continue Claflins rich tradition and legacy of access and success, he said.

Boeing South Carolina Vice President and General Manager Joan Robinson-Berry was the events keynote speaker.

Claflins mission is to nurture and produce visionary leaders, she said. She was asked to talk about what leadership means to Boeing.

Our industry is about the future  it always has been and it always will be, she said.

Boeing is now going head-to-head with billionaire Elon Musks SpaceX in a new space race, Robinson-Berry said.

But Im convinced, ladies and gentlemen, the first person to step foot on Mars will arrive on a Boeing rocket, she said.

She framed the concept of visionary leadership as what we need to continue to operate every day.

Every day, millions of people board thousands of Boeing jetliners carrying them nearly everywhere on this Earth, she said. Boeing designs, builds and launches hundreds of satellites and builds military aircraft and missiles.

Thats the good news, she said.

But Boeing is facing challenges, like competition with Airbus in commercial aviation, she said. Boeing needs to come up with creative ways to drive year-to-year cost savings and innovation to change this whole duopoly situation.

Also, countries like China, Russia and Brazil have become players in the nearly $3 trillion aerospace industry.

Boeing needs visionary leaders like the Claflin students to help, Robinson-Berry said. We have to be smarter, faster, better and stay 10, 20, 30, 40 steps ahead of our competition.

Boeing doesnt just need engineers. With thousands of employees at the Charleston campus, the company also needs IT and technical professionals, firefighters, police officers and every discipline that you can think about, even chaplains, she said.

And so theres plenty of opportunity for all of you, Robinson-Berry said.

She talked about what visionary leadership is to Boeing.

It starts with a great educational system. And thats the surest way to have a life filled with imagination, wisdom and to serve and to lead, to dream and to fulfill those dreams and to be part of the work helping humankind translate intentions into reality, she said.

Boeing invests more than $98 million in its Boeing Learning Together program, which includes tuition reimbursement for STEM education and related topics, she said. Boeing spends about a billion dollars on growing and developing its current workforce.

All my advanced degrees were bought and paid for by Boeing, because if you dont have a talented workforce, your strategy doesnt work. If you dont have a culture of continuous learning, it doesnt work, Robinson-Berry said.

Culture trumps strategy, so we invest a lot in education, she said. But we know visionary leaders need more than a strong education, right? And we know that it takes a whole different mindset to be that innovative.

So for me, a person that comes from a very humble beginning, it starts always with persistence. Intellectual horsepower alone will not get you there.

She called the genius concept a cliche.

Persistence and determination in pursuit of a dream are vital to the abilities of ones self to really realize your dream, she said.

Creativity is also needed, she said.

You know, the easy problems have already been solved. Ive already got the patents, so dont even try to go to the easy ones, Robinson-Berry said.

She said that for many of her patents, people laughed and thought they were stupid.

The willingness to subject ones self to feeling stupid by advancing an idea that now no one else may have thought of or expressed is absolutely vital to the future, she said.

Robinson-Berry has served as vice president and general manager of Boeing South Carolina since June 2016.

She has overall leadership responsibility for Boeings South Carolina facilities in North Charleston and reports to Ray Conner, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
A St. Matthews man is accused of shooting a Cordova man earlier this month.

Justin Donkey Coy Adkins, 43, of 128 Free Moon Circle, has been charged with attempted murder.

Hes also charged with possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and being in possession of a stolen pistol.

The incident happened on Jan. 2.

A Crosby Street resident called deputies after a 32-year-old man entered through her back door and asked residents to call police because a man shot him.

The injured man explained that while he was at the intersection of Dawsey Street and Crosby Street, the gunman approached and the two began to argue, according to a sheriffs office incident report.

He said the gunman then shot him in his left shoulder, the report said.

During a bond hearing Thursday, victims advocate Alexis Guinyard said she hasnt been able to reach the victim. Shes spoken with a member of his family who told her he was out of state.

She said the victim was in fear of his life after the incident.

Im perplexed because theres been no contact made by the victims advocate or the Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office with the victim, Chief Magistrate Derrick Dash said.

Dash ordered Adkins not to have any direct or indirect contact with the victim.

Dash set his bond at $30,000 as follows: $15,000 for attempted murder, $10,000 for possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and $5,000 for possession of a stolen pistol.
In recent weeks I have been hearing members of the government attempting to sell the idea that they are doing a satisfactory job at discharging the responsibilities they undertook almost twenty years ago.





Indeed, nothing could be further from the truth, and it so struck me when I heard the latest utterances coming from Mr. Mc Kie, the Minister of Sport and Culture, and Mr. Prince, the Minister of Education.





For example, the Minister of Education, at the church service recently initiated by the Education Department, seemed to be suggesting that they are doing superlatively well; the teachers are well trained, paraphernalia are provided adequately as needs arise and parents are "supported. That is the point that struck me most forcefully!

I do not believe that the administration could find the resources to address the needs of the many families, whose capacity has been severely eroded as regards adequately supplying the wherewithal for their children to attend school. That agonizing reality has been well documented.





In his review of the Nine Mornings Festival, Mr. Mc Kie seemed to be expressing dissatisfaction with the paucity of the involvement of the business community of Kingstown. He wants to see more lights! One is almost tempted to say "Those who have brought on the darkness now want to see more light.





Except for those persons who are blinded by their privileged position in the "status quo, all citizens know that the reason for expectations and desires not being realized, is the tormenting stagnation of our economy. The reason for this crippling could well be attributed to the treacherous abandonment of the Agriculture sector. "Treacherous seems to me to be a reasonable classification, when one remembers that the mandate that the ULP secured from the people, to a large degree, rested on the promise that they were going to revitalize agriculture in general and the Banana Industry in particular. As a result, about two billion dollars of banana income has been lost. It is reasonable to say that five billion dollars in tourism investment will not make a parallel economic impact on our society.





Despite the fact that I consider the reticence of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce to have been unmanly, when it was glaringly evident that the vital banana industry was not being appropriately addressed/supported. With all the people doing business in Kingstown, The chamber had prospered when the banana dollars flowed  in every week. They (The Chamber) should have spoken up in defence of the farmers!





That being said, I strongly disagree with Mr. Michael Peters of the Nine Mornings Committee who seemed to be castigating the business community for not exhibiting enthusiasm for this cosmetic "lighting up. He seemed to have been unmindful of the fact, that these were the same business houses, who had in the recent past been sponsoring numerous endeavours by the many organizations in the society. Yet, when stories broke that government had been refusing to pay the millions of dollars owed to these businesses, Mr. Peters and his organization said nothing. The result was, that many workers had to be sent home. So in effect the business community is experiencing serious hardship and they just have not the funds to cater to unproductive cosmetic activities.





It seems reasonable to me, therefore, to suggest to Mr. Prince and Mr. McKie, that they lend a helping hand to Mr. Caesar - the Minister of Agriculture, so that he can prepare a plan for the revitalization of that sector, which offers a good chance of succeeding. Our economy and many of our desires depend on it.





For almost two years now, maybe longer, this department, through the voice of Minister Saboto Caesar, has been making bold promises, which if they had been implemented, would have seen a tremendous improvement in the state of our economy. Over fifteen thousand persons would have been directly involved in agricultural production, and the foreign exchange earnings would have prompted the provision of the opportunity for another three thousand to find employment otherwise.





But, it now seems as though Minister Caesar and his colleagues are quite comfortable playing games with the people, particularly the farming community. They probably have taken the cue from the Prime Minister, for, about two years ago, he had boldly declared then, that on the solid work they had been doing, we were soon to be shipping twelve thousand (12,000) boxes of bananas to the U.K. We are yet to hear of the successful shipping of the first twelve (12) of those 12,000 boxes of bananas.





During the election fever of 2015, when Mr. Eustace announced that the NDP would, if elected, organize the re-establishing of the banana industry, by planting one thousand (1,000) acres in the first year, Mr. Gonsalves promised that the ULP would replant three thousand acres. Again this promise was not honoured!

Yet, in 2016 came again the publication of a plan, the activities of which were to be spread over the hundred days between April 18th and July 26th, 2016. There were twenty (20) points listed:





1. A vigorous national consultation with farmers traffickers on issues of improving production.

2. Prepare for the cultivation of 250 acres of "new banana fields in 2016, and the enhancement of the Core Farmers Programme, intended to return exports to the UK via WINFRES.





Everybody knows that nothing in these plans has been implemented, and yet there is again talk of organizing for shipment to the U.K. under another plan. Is this con artistry?





One must wonder what message we have been sending to our administrators and technocrats that has emboldened them to so flagrantly exhibit such arrogance, that they could promise to do certain things for us yesterday, give us no reason for not having done them, but yet feel that it is honourable for them to promise today, to do some things tomorrow?

This land has been known for generations as "Hairoun, the land of the Blessed. We should exert ourselves so that we do not pass on to the next generations "the land of the blighted!





LeRoy Providence
The weapons seized were put on display at the Central Police Headquarters for full viewing by media personnel.

As police step up their campaign against illegal firearms, a submachine gun, regarded as a deadly weapon, was among three firearms seized when a house in Lowmans Bay was searched, Wednesday morning.





"What we have recovered this morning (are) one submachine gun, one Glock [40], one .38 revolver and one round of AK ammunition, 14 rounds of Glock 40 ammunition and 45 rounds of 9mm ammunition, as well as two ski masks, said Commissioner of Police Renold Hadaway during a press conference at headquarters on Wednesday afternoon.





Speaking about the submachine gun, Hadaway, a leading firearms specialist in the police force, said it was the deadliest of the weapons seized during the raid.





"This weapon operates from what is known as an open bolt position. That is to say, as it is now, if you squeeze the trigger, nothing will happen, even though there is a magazine inside the weapon. In order to activate it, the bolt must be to the rear like that, Hadaway said, demonstrating the sliding of the bolt of the unloaded firearm.





"Once the trigger is squeezed when the magazine is housed, if your finger is kept on the trigger, all the rounds would be discharged until the magazine is empty, Hadaway explained.





On the issue of the ski masks, commissioner Hadaway stated: "These masks are an issue of concern for us. All law enforcement authorities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are aware of the implications, and once they are discovered, action will be taken to remove them from wherever they are. Lets say, for example, they come through Customs and they are discovered, they will call us and we will have them removed from there and we will have them in our custody.





Removing firearms from the streets





Hadaway reiterated that law enforcement authorities are determined to take as many firearms off the streets as they possibly could during 2017 and beyond.





Regarding Wednesdays raid, the Commissioner disclosed that as a result of the police efforts and acting on information received, the police conducted a raid at a house at Lowmans Hill and found the 3 firearms.

He noted that 2016, a new record set the number of murders in a year in this country with 40 reported murders  28 of which were committed through the use of firearm.





"It was our record year, and throughout the year, we would have seen it fit to put measures in place to address the upsurge in criminal activities, particularly gun-related activities. I just want to say, as a result of our efforts in 2016, we would have removed 43 firearms from the streets in 2016. It clearly shows that the police are committed to addressing the whole issue of crime and violence and, more specifically, the issue related to gun-related activities, Hadaway said.





So far for the year, there has been no report of anyone having succumbed to firearm violence, and the top cop expressed the hope that this would remain so throughout 2017.





He added, however, "It is not just that we are sitting and hoping - we are taking action. We have put in place mechanisms, strategies to address the whole issue that caused the nation in 2016 to be in a state of panic, so to speak, of fear; concerned for their safety, etc.





Hadaway conceded, though, that, "Unfortunately, we will not be able to disclose the measures that we have in place because in so doing may hamper our progress, our success. And we intend to get to the bottom of the whole issue involving gun-related matters.





Keeping check on non-nationals





The Police Commissioner reported that law enforcement agencies here have received intelligence that foreign nationals have come to this country to join local persons in committing heinous crimes.





In fact, he said, police have arrested two such persons from Trinidad, who were currently imprisoned, having failed to pay fines imposed on them for breaching the immigration regulations.





The two Trinidadians, Ishmael Mohammed and Keno McPhee, appeared before Magistrate Bertie Pompey at the Kingstown Magistrates Court on Tuesday, charged that between December 14th, 2016 and January 14th, 2017, at Kingstown, they being prohibited immigrants did enter the state by boat without a passport, contrary to Sec. 5(1) of the Immigration (Restriction) Act. They were also charged that between December 14th, 2016, and January 14th, 2017, at Kingstown, they did enter the state by boat and disembarked without the consent of an immigration officer, contrary to Section 10(2) of the Immigration (Restriction) Act.





They pleaded guilty to both charges and were each fined $800.00 to be paid forthwith on the charge of entering the state and disembarking without consent of an immigration officer. In default of payment, they face 6 months in prison.





On the other charge, they were reprimanded and discharged.

The court made an order that they be removed from the state upon paying the fine or serving the 6 month prison sentence. (SR)
The presentation party, including Simon Carey WPP/CDO (3rd from left) and Osmond Davy  ECGC/CEO (3rd from right), at the recent handing over of a cheque by the ECGC to the WPP.

One of the more established corporate entities here has made a generous donation to an ongoing medical programme that extends tertiary level health care to children here and in the OECS.





The East Caribbean Group of Companies (ECGC) on Friday 13th January, 2017, handed over a cheque in an amount of US$50,000 to the World Paediatric Project (WPP).





The donation, the Company said, is in recognition of and support for the WPPs ongoing efforts to provide vital medical treatment to hundreds of children here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Caribbean region.

Mr. Osmond Davy, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the ECGC, in handing over the cheque during a short ceremony at his companys headquarters in Campden Park, said that the ECGC was moved to make the contribution after taking note of the extent of the service the WPP was selflessly making to children here and in the OECS.





In a post handing over ceremony conversation with Mr. Davy, he expressed the hope that his companys lead in this regard, would encourage other corporate entities here and in the OECS, where ECGC still has a thriving place in those markets, to recognise and support the work of the WPP.





The ECGC has, on previous occasions, responded positively, through the Rotary Club of St. Vincent, to requests for assistance to persons who have had tertiary level care extended to them by the WPP.





Mr. Simon Carey, WPPs Chief Development Officer, in accepting the generous donation, thanked the ECGC for its generosity, and also appealed to other local corporate entities to do likewise.





The WPP began operations in SVG 13 years ago. During that period, the records show that its medical service has reached out to some 3, 645 children, and has performed surgeries on children from this country, others in the OECS as well as Barbados, at an estimated cost of well over EC$34 million.





The surgical procedures have been performed free of charge by the experienced team of doctors who work with the WPP.





According to the WPP website, World Paediatric Project was founded in 2001 as International Hospital for Children, with the mission to link worldwide paediatric surgical, diagnostic and preventative resources to heal critically ill children in developing countries.





On March 1, 2011, International Hospital for Children merged with a non-profit organization in St. Louis and became World Paediatric Project.





The ECGC has, since its operational beginnings here, supported a diverse range of activities  sports, education, culture, medical - here and in the OECS.




The new Executive of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ex-Police Association. Pastor Marsden Sam, President is pictured 4th from left front.

At a meeting of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ex-Police Association, held on Saturday, December 03, 2016, a new Executive Committee was elected to oversee the business of the Association for the next year.





Pastor Marsden Sam, out-going Vice-President, was elected President, with out-going President, Mr. James Blugh, returning to the Executive as Vice-President. The other members of the Executive are: Pastor Nelson Samuel - Chaplain; Assist. Pastor Cecile McMaster  Secretary; Mr. Philbert Hackshaw - Assistant Secretary; Mr. Alfred Peters - Treasurer; Mr. Jonathan Nicholls - Public Relations Officer; Mr. David Charles, Mr. Arnold Duncan, Mr. Michael Charles and Mr. . Ashley Culzac  Committee members.





The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ex- Police Association was established in October of 2004. The Association went dormant for a few years but was revived in October 2013.





The Association celebrated its 3rd Anniversary with a Dinner at Club SOV, Villa, on December 10, 2016.

Among the major objectives of the SVG Ex-Police Association, is to work closely with the RSVG Police Force, making its services available where necessary, in an effort to assist in the development of that Organization.

Membership to the Association is open to retired police officers of the local, regional and international Police Organizations. (Contributed)
Increased fuel use by VINLEC in Dec. means an increase Fuel Surcharge in Jan.

Vincentians have been forewarned that their electricity bills for January 2017 will show an increased rate for the Fuel Surcharge .





The St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) has advised that the rate will show an increase of 6.51 cents, moving from 24.20 cents per unit in December 2016, to 30.71 cents per unit in January 2017.





VINLEC rationalised the increase as being predicated on the increase in fuel consumption to generate the increased demands for electricity during December.





The increase in fuel used for generating electricity was occasioned by the Richmond Power Station being offline as a result of damage after the passage of the November Trough system, and the South Rivers Station still being under rehabilitation work.





Electricity produced by hydro was therefore significantly lower (85) in December, compared to the previous month (17%).




Left:Outgoing Executive Director of the NIS  Reginald Thomas registered his concerns about how the health of the citizenry affects productivity. Right:Professor Karl Theodore brought his knowledge and experience of working in the field of health Economics to bear on the Symposiums deliberations.

Executive Director of the National Insurance Services (NIS) - Reginald Thomas views the number of persons here losing two limbs, as having implications on the nations productivity.





He raised the concerns at the opening of a Regional Symposium which examined the Economic and Financial Challenges facing the Caribbean Region and the Way Forward, and held at the NIS conference facility, Kingstown, last Friday.





Thomas, who leaves that post in two weeks, pointed out that many persons with the double impact were as young as 30 years old.





"What does that mean for the productive sector? Thomas pondered. He threw out suggestions as to how to retool persons for a return to full capacity.

His comments came as he expanded on the role of the various economic sectors in the overall solution to matters of social security.





He pointed to the question of health as vital to Caribbean economies.

As far as Thomas was concerned, "Our lifeblood is fuelled by what happens in the labour market.

Also addressing last Fridays opening was Lennox Bowman, Chairman of the NIS Board.

As far as Bowman was concerned, as he focused on health care, ""Never before has primary health care been more critical if we are to control health care costs.





He also highlighted the reality of persons living longer, and the implications for care of such persons.

The Symposium, targeting employees of financial institutions and facilitated by Professor Karl Theodore, Director of the Centre for Health Economics at The UWI, and assisted by Marla Dukharam, attracted participation from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and host country St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The developers have assured that the development will not deny access to the Mt. Wynne Beach.

The opposition to the purchasing of lands at the Mt. Wynne/Peters Hope by Canadian company Pace Development Inc. is based on misinformation, says one of the Principals of the Company.





Speaking on Boom SVG 106.9 FM morning show on Wednesday, Joseph Romano said that the opposition to the company acquiring 37 acres of land at Mt. Wynne/Peters Hope for EC$7 million is as a result of misinformation. "I think it is based on misinformation and gossip. I dont think this is a bad project for Vincentians or the country. I think its a great development opportunity for everyone, said the businessman.





"We are taking all the risk, we have to develop this land and put in millions and millions of dollars in infrastructure; you cant just start building on a raw piece of land. We didnt buy a service parcel that was ready to go; so as a developer its not like being a builder. The developer assumes the risk of preparing the property for development, and thats on us, he further added.





He said that is why Pace was of the opinion that the price should have been lower, but the government was very firm and they did an excellent job representing the Vincentian people.





He assured that there would not be any issue with access to the beach, since a large portion of the project would not be on the beach. "So that is the first misconception I want to clear up right now.

The acquisition, he stressed, does not interfere with public access to the beach.





Last Thursday witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony to commence work on the purported US60 million project, and Joseph said following the ceremony they would begin clearing the lands, which would result in employment for local persons. "And we are going to start doing the services for the development - sewage, septic, water, infrastructure, said Romano. (Source: BOOM Radio)




Kingstown, January 19th, 2017 - The Anti-Trafficking In Persons Unit (ATIPU) of the Royal St.Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force is informing the public that there is no credible claim to a rumour being circulated on social media that a male using motor vehicle HB 3470 is engaging in human trafficking .





The preliminary investigation shows that the bulletin being circulated over the past 24 hours was not issued by any department or unit of the Royal St.Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force. At this time, the Police do not know the origin of the information.





When contacted, the Traffic Department stated that the vehicles registration number HB 3470 does not exist in its database, neither does the identity of the person in the photo, which was posted.

Also in this case, the means of human trafficking is not known.





Against this backdrop, the ATIPU continues its investigation into the matter.

The Police understand the publics concern, but are appealing to persons to desist from spreading inaccurate information that can cause alarm.
Long-standing Chairman of the Carnival Bands Association of St. Vincent and the Grenadines  Hugh Ragguette, was returned to that position when the Association held is Triennial Conference at the Peace Memorial Hall, Kingstown, on Tuesday 10th January 2017.





The Conference heard Reports from the National Executive. Several Motions were tabled, debated upon and passed. The Programme Guideline for 2017 was also discussed and approved.





In addition to Ragguette, others elected to serve on the new executive were; Mr. Garth Niles - Deputy Chairman; Miss. Alvern Ali Cadogan  Secretary; Mr. Leroy Rose Jr  Treasurer; Miss. Alicia Sardine  Assistant Secretary/Treasurer; Mr. Fernando Serieux - Public Relations Officer; Mr. Kingsley Collis - Bandleaders Representative; Committee Members - Mrs. Verlene Ralph James, Miss. Juanita Alexander and Mr. Denrick Woodley.





The CBA, established some forty years ago, replaced a Bandleaders Association that emerged in the 1960s.
Left:Cecil Ferdinand is remembered as a tall, stately figure who had a loud voice. Right:The door on the right opens into the bedroom where Ferdinands charred body was discovered.

A Rose Hall man was burned to death in his two-room house last Saturday.





The charred body of Cecil Ferdinand, 74-year-old farmer of Roae Hall years, was removed from the bedroom where he was discovered in a sleeping position, at his home located in an area called Coolie.





Information surrounding the cause of the fire appears sketchy. However, according to Ferdinands third daughter Rosalie Williams, about 6:14 am on Saturday, one of her fathers neighbours alerted her that his house was on fire. She said by the time she arrived on the scene, most of the contents of the house were already burned, together with her father.





Ferdinand is said to have been the father of over 9 children, five girls with Williamss mother.

Williams confirmed that her father lived alone.





Based on the information she said she received, she speculated that the fire might have started with a mat on which was a lighted coal pot. She surmised that her father was cooking. She said that he did not have the convenience of a stove (gas) nor did the house have its own electricity supply.

Williams reiterated that her fathers burnt body was discovered lying down on the remains of his bed. "Right like how he sleep on he back, a right so he burn, she said.





The woman recalled that the last time she saw him was the day before he died, and that he was in good spirits. "Is a sad thing, because its not easy for one of my parents to burn up in a house. I cried because its my father, said Willaims.





Meanwhile another of Ferdinand daughters, Shandell Williams, said that in spite of what persons might have had to say about her father, he was a good man. "My farther bin good, he use to take care of us, said Shandell. She said that the "negative side of him was that he drank (rum) regularly, and when intoxicated would make unnecessary loud noises. But, she said, he was by nature not a violent man, and she described him as "very quiet.





The grieving daughter also described her father as a very hard working man.

She related that she last saw him a few weeks ago. "I ask him where he was (coming from) and he said he bin a bush, and then he took out a ripe golden apple from his pocket and give me.





She recalled that her father would usually keep a lot of coins in his pocket and would give some to his children and grandchildren each time he saw any of them.





For persons in the immediate and surrounding communities, Ferdinand is remembered as attending funerals all over St. Vincent, and for his voice.

He was once involved in the trafficking of agricultural produce to Trinidad.




The St. Benedicts Day Nursery and Childrens Home in Georgetown is starting the New Year on a high, with a cash injection of thousands, compliments Digicel SVG.





The institution was identified to benefit from the cash donation, after one of its employees- Sabrina Sandy was named one of Digicels Golden Tickets winners in its 2016 GetGifted Christmas campaign, winning herself $5,000 cash. Sandy qualified to win the cash prize, after topping up $15 during the month of December at the Digicel retail store in Georgetown- G-Tech.





Sandy said having been employed with the St. Benedicts Day Nursery for more than four (4) years, and knowing the needs of the institution, she saw it more than fitting to donate the majority of the cash to the Home, which serves as a safe haven for many children across St. Vincent and the Grenadines.





The very elated Georgetown resident thanked Digicel for continually finding ways to reward its customers, and for apportioning some of its $150,000 in cash and prizes for its 2016 Christmas campaign, to at least one charitable organization here. Sandy said the $1,000 cash that will be kept for herself could not have come at a better time, as she will be celebrating her birthday on Tuesday, January 17th, 2017. The cash, she said, will help to ensure that her big day is filled with much to eat and drink.





Meanwhile, Digicels Marketing Manager- Danielle Cupid congratulated Sandy and commended her for so willingly identifying the St. Benedict Day Nursery to share in her $5,000.00 cash prize.





Cupid also encouraged other Digicel customers to look forward to a very rewarding year, explaining that there is much to be had in 2017. She said while the telecommunications company commenced the New Year with a $2,000 text to win competition, persons can look forward to a series of campaigns throughout the year, all designed to reward and enhance the Digicel experience of all customers.
Left:David Darkie Williams, President of the TGHF, presented the months programme as an opportunity for all Vincentians to become acquainted with the history and culture of the Garifuna. Right:Dr. Lennox Honychurch, noted Historian, will feature at the opening of the International Garifuna Summit.

The Garifuna Heritage Foundation (TGHF) launched its programme of activities for National Heroes and Heritage Month (March) last Tuesday, January 17, at a press conference held at the Alliance Francaise, Kingstown.





The standout activity is the International Garifuna Summit which is being hosted in collaboration with the University of the West Indies Open Campus, under the theme - Celebrating our Indigenous Heritage and Culture  from mainland to islands and return: Strengthening links, forging networks, claiming ancestral space.





Dates set for the Summit are March 8 and 9. An official opening is scheduled for March 7 at the Methodist Church Hall, Kingstown, at which Dominican historian Dr Lennox Honychurch will deliver the feature address.

Documentaries and full length films on the history, lives and times of the Garifuna will be screened during the week of March 6  10, at the Alliance Francaise, old Public Library, Kingstown. This component of the programme is part of the ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Education.





Another key activity, the Garifuna Schools Folk Festival, will take place on Friday, March 10, beginning with a march from Bishops College Kingstown to Victoria Park, where a rally will be held. Presentations by primary and secondary schools in different genres of the performing arts will be delivered.





Coupled with this will be the Local History Expo on the grounds of the Park, hosted by the Ministry of Education. Here, students will be the researchers and presenters of our history, displayed in creative ways in separate booths. Local and foreign cuisine will also be featured.





Also on Friday 10th March, an international group  the Garifuna Folkloric Ballet of New York, and the Garifuna music band Generation X will showcase modern Garifuna dance and music at the Peace Memorial Hall from 8:00 pm. Performances will also be held at Heritage Square and at the SVG Community College.





By the same token, the Cultural Extravaganza which includes the Traditional Cultural Village on the grounds of the Old Public Library and the Garifuna Cultural Marketplace at Heritage Square, will occupy March 8th and 9th.

The Village will feature traditional huts, and will serve as a point for the dissemination of information on Garifuna culture and heritage will be disseminated there. The Marketplace will deal primarily with handicraft and other similar products.





Mr. David Darkie Williams, President of the TGHF, issued a call for every Vincentian to become a part of the activities, as there is a need for us to learn of and claim our Garifuna heritage.
Dr. Godwin Friday  Leader of the NDP. It is was not clear, up to press time, whether this position will be voted upon at a party Convention in February.

Some members and supporters of the opposition New Democratic Party are disturbed by what they say might be a move by certain "big members, to undermine the partys duly elected Leader Dr. Godwin Friday.





Dr. Friday, opposition Member of Parliament for the Northern Grenadines, was elected to the position of Political Leader of the NDP at an extraordinary meeting held on November 27, last year. That meeting was occasioned when then leader Arnhim Eustace tendered his resignation from the positions of President and Political Leader of the party.





It appears that many felt that Dr. Friday was elected then to the two positions which Eustace had decided to vacate.





However, those NDP members/supporters who spoke with this publication, reported that they have been put on the alert that a party Convention is expected to be held sometime in February. When they spoke on Wednesday, they also said that Dr. Friday was expected to give a date for the Convention during his weekly Friday (today) radio programme on Nice Radio.





The Convention, they were told, is expected to elect a new party executive as well as Political Leader, but they are questioning why the Convention would want to address the positions of President and Political Leader, since, as far as they were concerned, Dr. Friday was duly elected to those posts and subsequently became the Leader of the Opposition.





One of those who spoke with THE VINCENTIAN, was adamant that there was still a plan afoot to oust Dr. Friday or restrict his authority in the party.





"This is not a time when we should be fighting among ourselves. Those who think they should lead, especially those who never won a seat for the party, should be quiet and accept what the membership says it wants, said one of the persons who spoke with THE VINCENTIAN.





Efforts to reach someone in the NDP late on press day Wednesday proved futile.

That being the case, THE VINCENTIAN was unable to give a view on this issue that might well be addressed by the constitution of the party, especially as it relates to the authority of the partys Annual Convention of the party..

Whatever the case, there seems to be some degree of discomfort among a certain cross-section of the membership of the NDP.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
By Azernews





By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan and the European Union will start negotiations on new strategic agreement soon, said

Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev, Azerbaijans Deputy Foreign Minister.



The deputy minister, talking to reporters on January 20, said that Azerbaijan is working on forming a delegation on the negotiations.

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.



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.

Azerbaijan has become a country of direct priority to the EUs strategy in its wider neighborhood since the last enlargement of the European Union in 2007. Azerbaijan affects Europes interests, mainly in a regional energy strategy.

Mammad-Guliyev further said that negotiations with the World Trade Organization are also underway.

He added that next meeting is expected to be held in the first quarter of the year in Geneva.

Azerbaijan has had an observer status at the WTO since 1997. The country began negotiations with WTO member states in 2004. Currently, the country negotiates with 19 countries.



As of today, Azerbaijan has completed the negotiations and has signed protocols with Turkey, Oman, the UAE, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. The country is at the stage of signing protocols with China and Moldova.








By Azernews





By Amina Nazarli

Events of the January 20, 1990 in Baku are a crime against all humanity, said MP Rovshan Rzayev talking about the 27th anniversary of the Black January tragedy.



Rzayev noted that for him personally this bloody date, first of all is the day to honor memory of martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.



It was genocide against our people. Unarmed peaceful citizens, who were face to face with armored vehicles and heavily armed soldiers, were killed with a particular brutality. UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the principles of international law were violated. Regretfully, the January tragedy, which claimed hundreds of lives and has become one of the bloodiest pages in the history of the twentieth century, still has not received appropriate international legal assessment, and its organizers and perpetrators have not been punished, he said.

Rzayev attributed this to the double standards that Azerbaijan has faced since independence.



The international community should be aware of all the realities, according to Rzayev, and not only January 20 tragedy, but also other violent events, which, unfortunately, have occurred in the modern history of Azerbaijan.



There are a sufficient number of legal instruments that will classify the events of January 20 as a crime against humanity. The truth is that there are serious grounds for criminal prosecution of servicemen, who have committed all these atrocities and the leaders of the Soviet state of that period. Therefore, international organizations and the international community should support the reasonable demands of Azerbaijan and give international legal assessment, the MP said.

The 20th of January, 1990 is marked in the modern history of Azerbaijan as one of the most tragic days of the country, and at the same time as a heroic page.

Late at night on January 20, 1990, some 26,000 Soviet special forces called "Alfa" entered Baku without declaring a state of emergency and committed atrocities against the innocent Azerbaijani people. The invasion was launched at midnight and was committed with brutality; even children, women and the elderly were not spared.

In total, some 133 people were killed, 611 wounded, 841 illegally arrested and five went missing as a result of the intrusion of troops into Baku and other regions of the republic.
Azerbaijans Consulate General in Los Angeles hosted an event titled Stories of Heroism: Serving Your Nation with Courage & Honor, in cooperation with the Azerbaijani community in California on January 18, 2017.

Azerbaijans Consul General Nasimi Aghayev informed the attendees about Azerbaijans Black January tragedy of 1990.

On January 20, 1990, Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku was invaded by 26,000 Soviet troops, which, at the order of Mikhail Gorbachev and his Politburo, stormed the city and began shooting indiscriminately into the peaceful demonstrators. Hundreds of civilians were killed, including children, women and elderly; people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds, both Muslim, Christian and Jewish. And a thousand were wounded, he said.

The pretext was a massive popular uprising in the capital, calling for Azerbaijan's independence from USSR: proof that the Soviet authorities were presiding over a collapsing empire, and that Azerbaijan was leading the fight for independence, Aghayev continued.

However, the brutal regime utterly failed. After the massacre, a million people - young and old, men and women, Muslims, Jews and Christians - filled the streets to mourn the victims, defying the curfew and showing national solidarity. Heydar Aliyev, who would later become president and founder of modern Azerbaijan, fiercely condemned the bloodshed in Moscow. His defiance helped to inspire the Azerbaijani people and Aliyev became a leader of the struggle for liberty, the Consul General noted. A year and half later Azerbaijan restored its independence.

What was the reaction in the West to Black January? The Nobel Peace Prize for Gorbachev! 9 months after the massacre, the Nobel Committee awarded Michael Gorbachev the Nobel Peace Prize. The Committee justified its position by stressing Gorbachevs leading role in the peace process and his many and decisive contributions to peace. The Committee and its supporters decided to be oblivious to many egregious crimes Gorbachev committed, which had nothing to do with the notion of peace. Ironically, Alfred Nobel would not have been able to establish his Nobel Prize in 1901, had it not been the immense fortune he and his brothers made with oil development in Baku. And Alfred Nobel would not have been able to even dream that his Prize would one day be awarded to a man who turned the very city of Baku into a bloodbath, Aghayev said.

Since the restoration of independence, Azerbaijan has gone from strength to strength. Under the visionary leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has become an island of stability in an otherwise unstable region, and an important geopolitical power. Azerbaijan is the centerpiece of the Caspian oil and gas developments, vital for global energy security, as well as other regional megaprojects. Today, Azerbaijan's freedom is solid and irreversible, and we always remember the victims of the Black January tragedy  the true heroes of our national liberation, the Consul General concluded.

Then a short documentary on Black January prepared by Azerbaijans Consulate General was screened.

Following the documentary, Consul General said: Tonight we are also honoring another Azerbaijani hero, namely Mourad Ragimli, who lived in California, joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was killed in Iraq in January 2005 at the age of 20. He was a bright and talented young man. He could have gone to any other profession. But seeing the United States being attacked by terrorists on 9/11, he could not stand idly by. So he volunteered for the Marines and sacrificed his life for the United States and its liberty and freedom. Welcoming Mourads family members, including his father, grandfather and uncle, Aghayev thanked them for Mourads service and courage.

Then the floor was given to Mrs. Kimiya Mammadova, an activist of Azerbaijani community in California, who presented more information on Mourad, his family as well as the documentary My Little Brother dedicated to him.

Afterwards, the film My Little Brother was screened, which was received by the audience with much acclaim.

The event concluded with the mesmerizing performance of Azerbaijani national music by Vahid Bayat and Jamil Mammadli. At the end, a photo exhibition dedicated to the Black January massacre was presented to the attendees.












By Trend





Irans Airports Company? (IAC) signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding with German companies for expansion of Iranian airports, while talks are underway with French and Italian firms for cooperation in Irans airport projects.

The IAC signed an MOU with Munich Airports, Frankfurt Airport and Dornier Consulting International GmbH on Jan. 18 for cooperation in aviation sector, IRIB news agency reported.

The deal covers cooperation in various fields, including training human resources, optimizing the airports capacity, commercialization of the airports, providing financial resources for development of infrastructures, modernizing IT and navigation infrastructures, airport operations management and airport development.

Rahmatollah Mahabadi, head of the IAC, said the German side will finance construction of Tabriz airport terminal as well as new airports in Chabahar and Ahwaz in BOT (build-operate-transfer) and BLT (build, lease, transfer) financing arrangements.

Iran is planning to overhaul all its airport equipment to enhance safety and security level, he added.

Meanwhile, Mehr news agency quoted Gholamhossein Bagherian, IAC deputy director for planning and supervision, as saying that construction of an airport in Chabahar is not profitable, but necessary strategically.

Bagherian added that the IAC has held good talks with French and Italian investors for developing airports and building new airport infrastructures.

He expressed hope that the talks will be concluded by March 2017.

Bagherian added that Iran will hold public tenders for investment in Ahwaz and Chabahar airports construction, forecasting that Chinese, German and Japanese investors will most likely take part in the projects.
Koeman hints at further ins and outs

Thursday, 19 January, 2017



Everton have already drafted in Ademola Lookman and Morgan Schneiderlin this month and the Dutchman was asked in his press conference today whether he was hopeful of seeing more new faces before the 31st January deadline.

"I hope [to see more incomings]," he said. "We are working on that but only when we can get players in who can make the team stronger.

"I don't bring players in to get more numbers because that is not what I like."

Koeman went a little further in his subsequent sit-down with the print media, suggesting that he may be eyeing reinforcements at the back as well as allowing some players to go out temporarily.

"We are looking defensively," he continued, "and we know we have some players who maybe they will go out for loan and we have some young players who may go out for loan.

Gerard Deulofeu is the subject of concerted efforts by AC Milan to sign him on loan this month and there are other fringe players like Arouna Kone and Darron Gibson who could benefit from getting game time elsewhere.

A proposed move for Ishak Belfodil has been called off while a reported target in the form of Memphis Depay is on the verge of joining Lyon in France.

"It was one of our options to bring [Memphis] in but the business is not done between Everton and Manchester United," Koeman said. "[T]he player had different options and that is what happened."

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

About these ads
Homesick, unused, forgotten - Rodriguez was never good enough but flawed regime to blame

Friday, 20 January, 2017



Phil Kirkbride on Uruguayan misfit, Leandro Rodriguez, one of Everton U23s' forgotten men.

 Read the full article at Liverpool Echo

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

About these ads
Ongoing fiscal reforms and higher oil prices could bring Saudi Arabia's current account deficit nearer to balance over the coming years as the external breakeven oil price hovers around $60/barrel, a report said.



The drop in SAR Fx forward points reflects this but capital outflows and fiscal slippage remain risks, said the Bank of America Merrill Lynchs Emerging Insight report.



The balance of payments (BoP) data for the kingdom suggests financial outflows are continuing, likely reflecting private sector hedging and official outward flows, the report said.



Methodological compilation issues mean the size of such outflows may be difficult to ascertain accurately. Within

the official sector, the outward investment mandate of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) needs to be carefully managed in order not to pressure reserves.



If outflows persist, authorities may consider resorting to administrative measures as the commitment to an open capital account is central to attracting foreign investment under the economic reform programme, said the report prepared by Bank of America Merrill Lynch Mena economist Jean-Michel Saliba and the banks GEM Fixed Income Strategy & Global Economics research team.



Fiscal discipline over the first nine months of 2016 has helped narrow the current account deficit. The current

account deficit stood at 5.2 per cent of GDP over the period, compared to 8.7 per cent of GDP in 2015.

Furthermore, the current account balance recorded a small surplus of $2.1 billion in the third quarter of 2016,

while the trailing current account deficit stood at $46.7 billion (7.6 per cent of GDP).



Government fiscal consolidation has been the main driver of external balances, alongside oil prices. The quarterly trade surplus improved in 3Q16, standing at $19.5 billion (oil prices of $45.8/bbl), compared to a low of $3.3 billion in 1Q16 (oil prices of $34.5bbl). Quarterly imports compressed materially, plunging by 32 per cent year-on-year to $25 billion, down from a quarterly peak of $40 billion. The invisibles balance has also improved, largely on the back of lower government payments for goods and services and stabilization in outward remittances.



Non-oil sector recession

Narrowing of the current account deficit mirrors the sharp slowdown in non-hydrocarbon sector activity over recent quarters. The non-oil economy was in recession over 9m16 as real non-hydrocarbon GDP growth contracted by 0.3 per cent YoY, from 3.2 per cent YOY in 2015. This was largely driven by contraction in the non-oil government sector, as the non-oil private sector maintained a marginally positive real growth rate, said the report.



Oil prices approaching external breakeven levels

With the external breakeven oil price around $60/bbl, higher oil prices and ongoing fiscal reforms are likely to drive the current account nearer to balance over the medium term. Stabilization in real terms of government spending suggests that imports are likely to rebound. Even if crude oil production cuts are fully reflected into exports, the higher oil price compared to September levels more than fully compensates for this.



While the market is focused on the fiscal outlook, this should not obscure the other challenge facing authorities, which is to tame the capital outflows. This situation is relatively peculiar for the Saudi authorities. Historically, Saudi current account surpluses were associated with financial account deficits as sterilization of oil export receipts translated into acquisition of foreign assets.



"Our breakdown of the net International Investment Position (IIP) shows large holdings of foreign assets by the semigovernment and private sector. The repatriation of Fx assets by government entities, part of which is managed by Sama off-balance sheet, minimized Fx reserves loss," said the report.



Financial flows were the largest driver of Fx reserve loss in 9m16. Adjusting for the issuance of a $10 billion sovereign syndicated loan, the pace of financial outflows in 9m16 would have picked up over the same period of 2015. While the financial account gap augmented by net errors and omissions stood at $36 billion in 9m16, the current account deficit stood at $25 billion over the same period. This compares unfavourably to 2015, where the drain from both sources was roughly matched at $57 billion, it said. - TradeArabia News Service
Masdar Citys Eco-Villa, a pilot project incorporating water and energy-saving technologies, has been completed and a UAE national family will soon live in the prototype sustainable dwelling, it was announced today at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2017.



The Eco-Villa was launched in the presence of Sheikh Dhiyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy; Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of State and chairman of Masdar; Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, head of the Energy Council and member of Abu Dhabis Executive Council; and Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, chief executive officer of Masdar, Abu Dhabis renewable energy company.



The 405-sq-m Eco-Villa is the first villa to achieve a Four Pearl rating according to the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Councils Estidama Pearl Building Rating System. It will use around 72 per cent less energy and 35 per cent less water than a typical comparably sized villa in Abu Dhabi, displacing an estimated 63 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.



The cost of construction is similar to that of a conventional home of the same size; its energy and water efficiency will also reduce running costs substantially. The four-bedroom property is expected to consume just 97 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per square metre.



Fully equipped with 87 rooftop solar panels, the prototype is capable of supplying as much as 40,000 kWh of electricity to the national grid. A suite of passive energy and water-saving design features further reduce its impact on the environment.



People expect a sustainable design option to be more expensive, but our Eco-Villa concept challenges this misconception, said Yousef Baselaib, executive director of Sustainable Real Estate at Masdar.



The Eco-Villa stays true to Masdar Citys principles of sustainable urban development in that it is cost-efficient, environmentally sensitive and culturally appropriate in both its design and function. Because of its energy and water-efficient design, residents of the Eco-Villa will receive significantly reduced power and water bills.



Once a family moves into the property, Masdars sustainability team will monitor the villas energy, water and waste management performance. The data collected will enable the design of the Eco-Villa to be further refined, supporting the eventual commercialisation of the building concept.



Our Eco-Villa prototype shows that sustainable design can be implemented according to the specific environmental, social and economic demands of the Gulf region, added Masdars Baselaib.



The Eco-Villa is located in Masdar City, one of the worlds most sustainable urban developments.



Today, Masdar City is home to around 300 full-time students of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. Around 2,000 apartments are either under construction or in design through Masdar or third-party investors. This will bring the residential population at Masdar City to more than 3,500 people over the next three years. - TradeArabia News Service
US President-elect Donald John Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the US on Friday noon, on a day that is expected to offer less ceremony and flourish than previous inaugurations - while ushering in a transformative shift in the countrys leadership, said a report.



Events on the Mall will begin about 11.30 a.m. For those attending the events in person, the security gates will open at 6 am. The weather forecast calls for temperatures around 50 degrees, with rain showers in the afternoon, reported The Washington Post



After taking the oath of office, President Trump will attend a luncheon at the Capitol, and his inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue will begin about 3 pm. That parade is supposed to last about 90 minutes - which would make it one of the shortest inaugural parades in recent history.



Tens of thousands of protesters are expected during the day: Protest groups have vowed to gather at each of the 20 security checkpoints where attendees will enter the Mall.



Some groups have even vowed to 'paralyze' the city, by blocking traffic and even public transit.



Trumps swearing-in will give Republicans control of both the White House and Congress for the first time since 2006. The new president has promised to undo some of the most significant pieces of President Obamas legacy - including his signature health-care law.



But Trump also enters office with a significant amount of uncertainty, since he has repeatedly contradicted other Republicans - and himself - on major questions about how immigration, taxes, health care and other issues will be handled in the new administration.



Trump takes office as the least-popular new president in 40 years, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll. Forty per cent of Americans view Trump favorably, which is 21 points lower than the rating with which Obama will leave office.



But Trump won the election, and so this will be his day. The stage - and the country - he had sought to command will be his, at last.



We all got tired of seeing what was happening, and we wanted change, but we wanted real change, Trump said on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday, kicking off three days of carefully orchestrated inaugural proceedings infused with pomp and guided by precision and protocol. Its a movement like weve never seen anywhere in the world, they say.



Exhorting thousands of supporters at the conclusion of an evening concert that was punctuated by a glimmering fireworks display, Trump vowed, Were going to work together, and we are going to make America great again - and, Ill add, greater than ever before.



Trump and his extended family on Thursday signaled a new era in the countrys governance as they stepped off a military plane at Joint Base Andrews.



They headed directly to his Pennsylvania Avenue property, the Trump International Hotel, where the president-elect irreverently toasted his Cabinet nominees.



We have by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever assembled, Trump said in a characteristically grandiose - and unprovable - declaration before several hundred supporters, lawmakers and allies at an official luncheon. He scanned the room for familiar faces and riffed on each individually, as if he were delivering a toast.



Trump narrated his journey and the days festivities on Twitter. On my way! Trump tweeted as he headed in the afternoon to Arlington National Cemetery, where he and Vice President-elect Mike Pence laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. They both stood in silence with their hands over their hearts as a bugler played taps.



Earlier that day, as Trump put the finishing touches on the inaugural address he will deliver from the steps of the Capitol after taking the oath of office at noon Friday, Pence and their incoming administration were preparing to assume control of the federal government.



Addressing reporters Thursday from the transition teams Washington headquarters, Pence said, It is a momentous day before a historic day.



He noted that all 21 Cabinet nominations have been made and that 536 beachhead officials are ready to report for duty at federal departments and agencies.



Our job is to be ready on Day One, Pence said. The American people can be confident that we will be. Its going to be a very humbling and moving day for the president-elect his family and for mine. But let me tell you, we are all ready to go to work,' he stated.



Trump and his team on Thursday sent signals suggesting an attempt to begin repairing relations with groups he demonized throughout his transition, including the intelligence community and the media.



Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, calmly answered questions for an hour in his first formal briefing with journalists and confirmed that Trump would soon visit the CIAs headquarters in Langley, Va., to express his gratitude to career intelligence officers.



While the bureaucrats-to-be were working, Trump supporters from throughout the country who had descended on Washington were partying at the concert at the Lincoln Memorial, which was bathed in patriotic lighting.



Throngs of people extended toward the Washington Monument as an assortment of military bands and recording artists performed.



As Trump and his wife, Melania, descended the monuments steps at sunset, the president-elect saluted the marble statue of President Abraham Lincoln, flashed a tight smile and pumped his fist in the air to the roar of the crowd and the Rolling Stones Heart of Stone playing from the speakers.
Donald John Trump was sworn in Friday as the 45th president of the US, taking office on a day that has featured smaller crowds and more subdued ceremony than previous inaugurations  but still ushers in a transformative shift in the countrys leadership.



Trump, 70, was administered the oath by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. His wife Melania Trump stood at his side. The oath was given using two Bibles - one from President Lincolns inauguration, and another that Trumps mother gave him in 1955, reported The Washington Post.



Earlier on Friday morning, Trump met with outgoing President Barack Obama at the White House - an Inauguration Day tradition, made more unusual this time by the two mens history.



Trump, a real estate businessman and reality-TV star, began his rise in conservative politics by essentially calling Obama a liar and an illegitimate president: Trump insisted for years that Obama was born in Kenya.



Obama was actually born in Hawaii, as Trump conceded late in the 2016 campaign. Obama, in turn, had mocked Trump at a televised White House Correspondents Association dinner in 2011.



Now, they met at the White House door, one going in and one going out.



The two men and their wives took a motorcade to the US Capitol, through empty streets.



Around them, there were sporadic clashes between police and protesters around Washington. In several instances, news video showed black-clad protesters - some carrying symbols of anarchist groups - smashing shop windows and overturning newspaper boxes.



Earlier Friday morning, the Trumps attended a service at St. Johns Episcopal Church near the White House, continuing an Inauguration Day tradition.



One of the preachers was Robert Jeffress, a Southern Baptist minister who is pastor of a Dallas megachurch, and who has made inflammatory condemnations of both Mormonism and Islam in the past.



Jeffress, who grew close to Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, said on Twitter that his sermon would be entitled, When God Chooses a Leader. Trump left the service about 9:30 a.m. He mouthed Thank you to supporters as he climbed into an SUV.



Before Trump and Vice President Mike Pence took their respective oaths, Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)  who oversaw inauguration preparations on Capitol Hill  offered a brief speech praising the American tradition of peaceful transfer of power.



Commonplace and miraculous, Blunt called it, recalling the early, key transitions between early American presidents of different parties. That made inauguration ceremonies, Blunt said, not a celebration of victory, [but] a celebration of democracy.



President Trump will later attend a luncheon at the Capitol, and his inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue will begin about 3 p.m. That parade is supposed to last about 90 minutes  which would make it one of the shortest inaugural parades in recent history.



Signs of the transfer of power were evident throughout the morning.



Before 9:30 a.m., TV footage showed Obama leaving the Oval Office for the last time, before he and the first lady held a pre-inauguration tea with the Trumps.



Obama smiled as he walked down an exterior hallway, in view of cameras. Any last words for the American people? a member of the press called out. Thank you, Obama said.



Soon after, the Trumps arrived at the White House, greeting the Obamas and presenting them with a gift  a box wrapped in the distinctive light blue of high-end jeweler Tiffany & Co. The Obamas seemed briefly perplexed about what to do with it, with the president looking in vain for someone to hold the box while the new first couple and the old took a photo together.



Since Trumps election, both men have tried to mend their relations, including with a high-profile meeting days after Trumps stunning election.



On the White House steps, the bitter history between Trump and Obama went unmentioned. Obama asked Trump, How was church? and they turned to go inside.



Trumps swearing-in will give Republicans control of both the White House and Congress for the first time since 2006.



The new president has promised to undo some of the most significant pieces of Obamas legacy - including his signature health-care law. But Trump also enters office with a significant amount of uncertainty, since he has repeatedly contradicted other Republicans - and himself - on major questions about how immigration, taxes, health care and other issues will be handled in the new administration.



Exhorting thousands of supporters at the conclusion of an evening concert that was punctuated by a glimmering fireworks display, Trump vowed, Were going to work together, and we are going to make America great again - and, Ill add, greater than ever before.



Trump and his extended family on Thursday signaled a new era in the countrys governance as they stepped off a military plane at Joint Base Andrews.



They headed directly to his Pennsylvania Avenue property, the Trump International Hotel, where the president-elect irreverently toasted his Cabinet nominees.



We have by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever assembled, Trump said in a characteristically grandiose - and unprovable - declaration before several hundred supporters, lawmakers and allies at an official luncheon. He scanned the room for familiar faces and riffed on each individually, as if he were delivering a toast.



Trump narrated his journey and the days festivities on Twitter. On my way! Trump tweeted as he headed in the afternoon to Arlington National Cemetery, where he and Vice President-elect Mike Pence laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. They both stood in silence with their hands over their hearts as a bugler played taps.



Earlier that day, as Trump put the finishing touches on the inaugural address he will deliver from the steps of the Capitol after taking the oath of office at noon Friday, Pence and their incoming administration were preparing to assume control of the federal government.



Addressing reporters Thursday from the transition teams Washington headquarters, Pence said, It is a momentous day before a historic day.



He noted that all 21 Cabinet nominations have been made and that 536 beachhead officials are ready to report for duty at federal departments and agencies.



Our job is to be ready on Day One, Pence said. The American people can be confident that we will be. Its going to be a very humbling and moving day for the president-elect his family and for mine. But let me tell you, we are all ready to go to work,' he stated.



Trump and his team on Thursday sent signals suggesting an attempt to begin repairing relations with groups he demonized throughout his transition, including the intelligence community and the media.



Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, calmly answered questions for an hour in his first formal briefing with journalists and confirmed that Trump would soon visit the CIAs headquarters in Langley, Va., to express his gratitude to career intelligence officers.



While the bureaucrats-to-be were working, Trump supporters from throughout the country who had descended on Washington were partying at the concert at the Lincoln Memorial, which was bathed in patriotic lighting.



Throngs of people extended toward the Washington Monument as an assortment of military bands and recording artists performed.



As Trump and his wife, Melania, descended the monuments steps at sunset, the president-elect saluted the marble statue of President Abraham Lincoln, flashed a tight smile and pumped his fist in the air to the roar of the crowd and the Rolling Stones Heart of Stone playing from the speakers.
A pair of police officers were injured and 95 protesters arrested after they smashed windows, damaged cars and threw rocks at police near Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Friday in Washington, D.C.



Two DC police officers and one other person were taken to the hospital for undetermined injuries after run-ins with protesters, DC Fire Spokesman Vito Maggiolo told CNN. The injuries are non-life threatening.



After the swearing-in ceremony, demonstrators near 12th and K streets threw rocks and bottles at police, who were clad in riot gear and attempting to disperse the crowd. A large number of police were on scene and used smoke and flash-bang devices to try to scatter the protesters.



Acting DC Police Chief Peter Newsham told CNN that there were several hundred protestors who were confronting police, while he praised the thousands of other demonstrators who were acting in a peaceful fashion to get their point across.



"We have been pointing out all along that this is a very isolated incident and by and large everything is going peacefully and a lot of folks have come to the city to enjoy this historic day, not only the Capitol but walking all around the city," Newsham said.



Protesters "acting in a concerted effort engaged in acts of vandalism and several instances of destruction of property," the DC police said in an earlier statement. "More specifically, the group damaged vehicles, destroyed the property of multiple businesses, and ignited smaller isolated fires while armed with crowbars, hammers, and asps."



Police said there had been 95 arrests as of 2 p.m.



"Pepper spray and other control devices were used to control the criminal actors and protect persons and property," police said.



Earlier, a few blocks from the White House, building windows along the street were shattered, police cars and other vehicles damaged and newspaper stands toppled. One business owner told CNN there might have been as many as several hundred protesters who swept through the area, some dressed in black.



At one point, police used pepper spray as a group of protesters, many of them wearing masks, ran down 13th Street.'



"I think Donald Trump is a fascist, and it's very easy for people, especially people who are in pain, to slip into fascism," said protester Lysander Reid-Powell, a 20-year-old student from New Mexico.



At one checkpoint, about 50 protesters sat down in the street in an attempt to block Trump supporters from entering a secure area to watch the swearing-in ceremony and speech. Not far away, a group of immigration backers staged a "pop up" protest near another check point.



"We're here to take a stand against the ideas that Trump spouted throughout the course of this campaign -- sexism, Islamophobia, his bigotry and nationalism," said protester Jed Holtz, from New York City.



In a series of coordinated demonstrations designed to cut off spectator access, protesters blocked or caused bottlenecks in front of at least a half dozen security checkpoints outside the National Mall in the hours ahead of the swearing in.



Three women were chained together at the neck on 10th Street, and more than 150 demonstrators organized by the DisruptJ20 coalition surrounded an entrance near the Canadian embassy.



"This checkpoint is closed," they chanted, forcing Trump supporters to turn back and walk along Indiana Avenue in search of a clearer path.



As Trump was being sworn in, a half-dozen protesters, each wearing a letter of the word "Resist," stood up from just behind the VIP area and began to recite the preamble of the US Constitution as Trump recited the oath of office at noon on Friday.



"The only source of light on this miserable day is the massive, multi-racial, multi-generational progressive resistance movement led by women and people of color that's already emerging to confront Donald Trump's agenda of hate and growing stronger every single day," said Democracy for America Executive Director Charles Chamberlain.



Demonstrations elsewhere



There also were anti-Trump protests around the world, including in London, Hong Kong and Berlin -- where demonstrators held a sign that read, "Walls divide."



In the West Bank, Palestinians protested against Israeli settlements and Trump's plan to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.



In New York, seven people were arrested at a demonstration outside of Trump Tower, according to the New York Police Department.



On Thursday night in Washington, protesters gathered on 14th Street outside the National Press Club to demonstrate against "DeploraBall," an event organized by some of Trump's most fervent supporters. The name riffs off the campaign description of some Trump backers by his defeated opponent, Hillary Clinton, as a "basket of deplorables."



As attendees -- some of whom were clad in suits and red hats, others dressed in gowns -- entered the event, demonstrators chanted "Shame" and "Nazis go home" behind a phalanx of police. Some held signs that read "No Alt Reich" and "No Nazi USA."



On Saturday, the Women's March on Washington could attract a quarter million participants, potentially making it one of the larger political rallies the city has seen.



"We're really trying to set a tone of resistance for the coming years," Lacy MacAuley, a DisruptJ20 organizer, told CNN. "Donald Trump represents a shift in our politics in a dangerous, harmful, exclusionary direction. We oppose those policies of hate."



According to Department of Homeland Security chief Jeh Johnson, as many as 900,000 spectators may attend inaugural ceremonies.



Johnson told reporters last week that 28,000 security personnel from dozens of agencies, including local and out of town police officers, will be fanned out across the city on Inauguration Day and into the weekend.



Organizers of the march, which begins near Capitol Hill at 10 a.m. ET, now say internal divisions, many of them stemming from a divisive Democratic primary fight, are being put aside in the name of solidarity.



"We have already proven that Hillary and Bernie Sanders supporters can work together against fascism, xenophobia, and racism," Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian-American Muslim activist from Brooklyn, told CNN.



The march, which began with a modest Facebook call in the aftermath of the election, has grown in to what could be one of the larger political demonstrations in DC.



There are more than 600 "sister marches" now planned around the country and fundraising for the event has largely come in chunks of $20 and $30 online donations.



"It really reminds me of the Sanders campaign," Sarsour said. "A very grassroots, very grass-powered movement."


Dubai-based Bebuzzd, a leading loyalty programme provider based in Dubai, has announced the release of its latest version, a multi-store digital loyalty programme, which is available for download on app stores.



The mobile application will provide local SMEs the advantage of further enhancing their customer experiences and reinforcing consumer-business ties, said a statement from the company.



The updated loyalty app, which allows consumers to earn points and redeem rewards from their favourite outlets, now presents itself with new and improved features such as easier navigation, faster searching, and a better design, it said.



The release of the newest version is expected to draw in more users as hundreds of outlets have now joined the Bebuzzd bandwagon, it added.



Furthermore, everything customers have wanted to know about their favourite businesses can be found in the Bebuzzd app.



Recent industry reports have indicated that retailers and other businesses have demonstrated continued confidence in a brighter 2017, expecting to drive in key growth and revenue.



In line with this, Bebuzzd has now shifted into a more material design model, driven by the objective of enhancing customers' experience with value additions that will ensure customer loyalty at high levels.



The new 3.0 version has been made more user friendly based on feedback received. One new element added to the app is the ability to remotely join offered loyalty programs and adding it to a set preferred list, which allows users to get easily notified on special offers from their favourite outlets.



Another innovative feature is the 'Try me offer' section  designed to attract new customers via the invite to experience participating outlets. In addition, the categorisation of merchants has also been included to allow for easy searching by users.



According to Bebuzzd senior executives, participating outlets have now been sorted distance wise so that customers can see nearby businesses, offering loyalty programmes and try-me-offers.



Users will find it very easy to navigate through the new app and be a part of their regularly visited or favourite outlets. Brands will also benefit as the customer can now join their loyalty programme even without visiting the outlet.



With key milestones and behaviour change thresholds defined, the loyalty program can offer specific rewards to customers to motivate long-term loyalty and deepen engagement.



Brands and marketers can also use their data to quantitatively determine which customers are the best ones by looking at recent activities, frequency and spend metrics and targeting accordingly.



Shan Abdul Salam, CTO, Bebuzzd, said: We are very proud to announce the release of Bebuzzd 3.0 version.



The launch complements our commitment to provide our users with offers that will ensure loyalty to our participating businesses. With the wide array of new and exciting offers, we can surely say that we have advanced to the next level, he said.



The main objective of this updated version is to enhance the customer experience and consolidate relationships with their preferred outlets. We want to help SME businesses in the UAE to engage with each of their customers for their own unique experience with individualized incentives, he concluded.



The new app is now available for download for both IOS and Android platforms, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Merger & acquisition (M&A) activity in the Middle East appears to be on the cusp of a significant increase, particularly in the UAE where the underlying economic fundamentals, such as anticipated GDP growth continue to draw investors to the region, an industry expert said.



Will Seivewright, corporate/M&A partner at law firm Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla in the UAE was commenting on the second Global Transactions Forecast issued by global law firm Baker McKenzie.



The outlook for transactions while uncertain in the short term due to geopolitical factors is a more optimistic one in the years ahead, reveals the report.



After a year of political uncertainty, the forecast in association with Oxford Economics, predicts an uptick in transactional activity over the next four years, based on a gradual pickup in global economic growth in the years ahead, with GDP rising to 2.6 per cent in 2017, and 2.8 per cent in 2018. As threats to the stability of the global economy ease, and dealmakers regain confidence in the market, their apprehension should turn into appetite.



The forecast is based on the anticipation that EU and UK officials will make progress in forging a new relationship in 2017, and that the new US administration adopts a pragmatic stance on international trade and immigration, and sets out plans for fiscal stimulus. Also assumed is that China continues to manage its transition to a mature economy and the Eurozone continues its economic recovery, as well as financial markets continuing to hit new highs and investor confidence rising.



Paul Rawlinson, Baker McKenzie's global chair explained: "We are clearly still in volatile times but deal-making is there to be done. Strong corporate balance sheets, cheap finance and moderate growth across markets and key sectors all point to an improving M&A run-rate later in 2017, after a cautious first quarter, and a significant uptick in 2018."



M&A outlook



Global M&A and IPO activity slowed sharply in 2016 amid heightened economic and political uncertainty. Volatility in the US stock market, growing concerns about China's economic slowdown, and dropping oil and commodity prices caused dealmakers to become more cautious. Those concerns were compounded by the UK's vote to leave the EU and the US presidential election.



Michael DeFranco, global head of M&A at Baker McKenzie said: "We expect that environment of uncertainty to continue at least for the first quarter of this year and so the forecast predicts deal making to drop slightly in 2017 to US$2.5 trillion from US$2.8 trillion in 2016 as global investors wait for clarity over the UK-EU relationship, and the new US administration's policies on trade and investment."



Equity markets around the world rebounded following the US election, but the Forecast is cautious about assuming too strong a recovery in deal activity given the uncertainties that prevail into 2017.



Once greater clarity emerges, the report predicts global M&A activity to pick up to reach a peak of $3 trillion in 2018 (lower than the $3.4 trillion peak in the previous forecast). Then deal making will gradually slow in 2019, dropping to $2.8 trillion that year and $2.3 trillion in 2020, as global finance becomes more expensive and valuations start to fall.



IPO outlook



The forecast predicts IPO activity to rise modestly in 2017 from a weak 2016 and bounce back in 2018 and 2019 as companies that had postponed their listings return to public markets.



The forecast has global IPO activity rising from $133 billion in 2016 to $167 billion in 2017, then peak at $275 billion in both 2018 and 2019.



Improved market sentiment and a number of countries looking to list state-owned companies to raise money, particularly in the CEE, CIS, Middle East and Africa should lead to a more benign market environment in 2017 with a real pick up towards the second half of the year into 2018, said Koen Vanhaerents, global head of capital markets at Baker McKenzie.



Zahi Younes, Capital Markets/M&A Partner at Baker McKenzie's associated firm in Saudi Arabia said: Right now there is a certain reluctance to go public until liquidity and investor sentiment improve, so in the short term, as the price of oil remains low, we will continue to see uncertainty in the markets. However, in the medium term, the Saudi government reforms, which involve a number of privatizations, together with the Capital Market Authority (CMA)'s desire to increase the number of listed entities on the Saudi stock exchange, should result in a positive impact on IPO activity in Saudi Arabia."



Sectors



From a sector perspective, a key driver of global deals will be the tech sector, where M&A is forecast to reach $415 billion by 2018  the highest since 2000. Similarly we expect an uptick in IPO activity led by Snapchat's mooted IPO.



Vanhaerents noted: "If Snapchat's IPO is successful, it will be the largest US-listed technology offering since Alibaba Group in 2014."



Healthcare and in particular biotech and pharma deals will also fuel the upturn amid greater innovation, less potential regulatory intervention in the US and an increased role for private health providers in supplying public health services.



Deal making in the finance and consumer goods sectors will drop slightly in 2017 before rebounding in 2018. For finance, tech innovation and consolidation in Europe's banking industry is likely to boost M&A while the consumer goods sector continues to reap the benefits of cheaper energy and major growth in consumer spending.



Because of sustained lower oil prices, deals in the energy sector will only modestly recover in the next few years as oil prices gradually rise although 2017 could see the listing of the Saudi oil giant Aramco in what would be the biggest IPO in history.



A positive outlook



"Alongside this renewed market activity and investor confidence, global deal making has the potential to rebound in the coming years, given the massive cash reserves sitting on corporate balance sheets and near-record levels of private equity dry powder. Barring further shocks to confidence, investors will have the firepower they need to pursue acquisitions, and their apprehension will gradually turn into appetite, DeFranco concluded. - TradeArabia News Service
Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi invites UAE residents to enjoy a day out at the mega waterpark with the announcement of a new value price.



Unlimited fun has now been made more affordable with Yas Waterworlds new Residents Offer, for only Dh95 per person. Guests can enjoy temperature-controlled rides, slides and attractions upon presenting a valid Emirates ID.



The offer is valid for a limited time period. Residents can visit the water theme park from 10am till 6pm.



For more information, call 02 414 2000, or e-mail [email protected] or visit https://yaswaterworld.com/. - TradeArabia News Service
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2017 exhibitors will be pulling out all the stops to showcase their creative and business flair at this years event as organiser, Reed Travel Exhibitions, reprises its popular Best Stand Awards initiative for a third year running.



Launched in 2015, the awards recognise the design creativity and business-friendly appeal of exhibiting companies physical presence at the annual industry showcase.



Arabian Travel Market would not be the huge success it is without the massive amount of effort and investment that goes into creating and manning the exhibitor stands at the show, said Simon Press, senior exhibition director, Arabian Travel Market.



Stand design is an extension of a companys brand identity  so build quality, presence and visibility are essential to the overall visitor experience, not to mention the on-stand reception and hospitality. The award programme is a way of recognising these efforts and since its inception has helped produce exciting, fresh and creative designs, added Press.



The five categories this year are  Best Stand Design, Best Stand for Doing Business, Best Stand Feature, Best Stand Personnel and Best Stand within the Travel Tech Show at ATM.



The judges panel consists of a four-strong line-up of top industry and design professionals comprising: Leo Fewtrell, general manager, Dubai Travel & Tour Agents Group (DTTAG); Fiona McAndrew-Sharp, sales and marketing director, TTN; Nick Hall, managing director, Digital Tourism Think Tank and Daniel Pearce, managing director, TTG Media.



Judging will take place on Tuesday April 25 with the winners unveiled during a photo session on the show floor the following day. With more than 2,500 exhibiting companies spread across 12 exhibition halls covering the full spectrum of the travel and tourism industry, the judging panel will have a lot of ground to cover.



The criteria for the Best Stand Design award focuses on identifying an eye-catching stand that has a novel creative design that makes the best use of its available space. It should also appear inviting from a visitor perspective and have outstanding presence in the halls, attracting a high level of visitor traffic.



The winner of the Best Stand for Doing Business will need to create a busy B2B atmosphere and present a well-planned and easy-to-navigate layout with a good presentation of the stand and its services.



The Best Stand Feature accolade will recognise the stand with the most visual impact and good use of features to showcase cultural characteristics and draw in visitors.



Its not all about aesthetics, however, said Press: Its vitally important to have good people skills, to look your best and be able to interact well with visitors. We are in the hospitality industry after all, and this will be rewarded with the Best Stand Personnel award.



The final award is the Most Innovative Stand within the Travel Tech Show at ATM, which shines a light on the importance of technology to the industry and reward exhibitors with a tech focus.



Once the winners have been selected, they will be put to the public vote for a chance to walk away with the coveted Peoples Choice Award. Calls for votes will be made via social media, with the winner announced on April 26. All the results will be shared to a global audience via ATMs social media platforms.



ATM, considered by many industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, will strive to build on the success of its previous edition as Reed Travel Exhibitions looks to add to its record-breaking achievements. ATM 2016 witnessed a year-on-year visitor attendance increase of 8 per cent to over 39,800 people, with 2,520 exhibiting companies signing business deals worth more than $2.5 billion over four days. - TradeArabia News Service
The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality issued ozone action days in the Upper Green River Basin for Friday and Saturday, requiring energy companies to reduce emissions. Its been about six years since ozone levels in the area have necessitated the safety protocol.

The action day was first announced Thursday, when ozone levels hit 81 parts per billion in the town of Boulder. The federal standard for ozone is no greater than 70 ppb over an eight-hour period.

By Friday, the ozone level in Boulder had dropped to 67 parts per billion with an eight-hour average of 61 ppb.

Since 2009, state regulators have advised companies in the basin to keep action day contingency plans for ozone level spikes that can be put in place within 24 hours.

On action days, oil and gas producers implement steps like the reduction of truck idling and limited refueling.

QEP Resources, which operates in Sublette County, reduces the speed limit on its field and lease roads by 5 miles per hour, according to its contingency plan. It also limits refueling to after sunset, when emissions are less likely to form ozone.

Ground-level ozone is the primary ingredient for smog, the potentially dangerous air combination common in cities like New York and Los Angeles. Wyoming issues action days when the weather forecast is favorable to producing ozone.

Winter ground ozone needs a layer of snow, no wind and temperature inversion to ramp up. Air contaminants from oil and gas activities, car exhaust and other sources react with sunlight to create ozone, with highest levels usually occurring between noon and early evening, according to the EPA.

Children and the elderly are more susceptible to air pollution, but elevated ozone levels pose particular hazards for people with heart and respiratory problems, according to the EPA. State regulators advise people with health issues to limit strenuous activities outside on action days, particularly in the afternoon and evening.

The air pollution in the Upper Green was once comparable to urban centers due to a combination of geographic characteristics of the basin and high oil and gas activity in the region. The state partnered with environmental groups and local companies to develop new rules to address emissions.

Fridays Action Day highlights the need for full implementation of those rules, said Jon Goldstein, a senior policy adviser at the Environmental Defense Fund and a partner in reducing Upper Green River air pollution for years.

The lag since the last ozone spike is a credit to whats been done in the Upper Green so far, he said. However, its also the result of other factors, weather and reduced production during the low prices of natural gas, he said.

I think that the people who are paying attention to the problem dont feel like its been solved, said Chris Merrill, associate director of the Wyoming Outdoor Council. We know weve been lucky in previous winters where we didnt get the full snow-covered ground and all of those conditions that come together to create wintertime ozone formation.

The action day is a reminder that ozone levels can still be a threat in Wyoming, and more work needs to be done, he said.
The Casper doctor charged with more than 20 federal crimes for allegedly selling prescription painkillers could face an additional felony charge of tampering with witnesses.

U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl said at a hearing Thursday that there was probable cause to believe that Dr. Shakeel Kahn committed the additional felony when the doctor repeatedly called former patients, two of whom were named or explicitly referred to in his criminal affidavit.

Skavdahl revoked Kahns bond for violating the conditions of his release and decided that the doctor will remain in custody until trial or the case is otherwise resolved. His bond conditions included that he have no contact with potential witnesses in this matter which may include current and former patients from 2011 to current, court documents show.

The judge said that Kahn was a flight risk because he had family outside of the U.S., had ties to Canada and had recently transferred money to a Canadian account.

Skavdahl also revoked the bond of Lyn Kahn, the doctors wife and business partner, because she contacted potential witnesses in the case. However, the judge didnt find that her calls to former patients showed evidence of attempted witness tampering and reinstated her bond with additional conditions.

State and federal agents arrested the couple in November on suspicion of selling prescriptions for powerful painkillers for cash to customers across the country. The Kahns were released on bond on Dec. 2, but prosecutors requested that release be revoked last week after investigators found the couple had contacted at least three former patients. Last week, a federal grand jury indicted Shakeel Kahn on 20 felonies and Lyn Kahn on eight felonies. One of the doctors charges carries a potential sentence of life imprisonment. At the beginning of January, investigators interviewed two brothers who were former patients of the doctor. One of the men told the agents that Shakeel Kahn had called and said that he hadnt done anything wrong and asked if he had been contacted by law enforcement.

The other man said that the doctor had called asking him to fly to Casper from his home in Portland, Oregon, to sign a receipt for $3,000.

Justin Vanderbilt, one of the Drug Enforcement Agency investigators on the case, told the court one of the brothers said it felt like Shakeel Kahn was trying to brainwash him.

As Vanderbilt described how the doctors calls intimidated the former patient, Shakeel Kahn turned to his wife and mouthed, Hes a liar, either referring to the agent or the former patient.

Our theory is the contact was meant to change or prevent their testimony, or at least delay it, federal prosecutor Stephanie Sprecher said at the beginning of the hearing Thursday.

The doctors attorney, Deborah Roden, disagreed and said there was no evidence to prove whether Shakeel Kahn had tried to intimidate the brothers or influence their testimony. Lyn Kahn also contacted at least one former patient, who then told an investigator about the phone call and text messages. The woman, who lives in Arizona, alleged Lyn Kahn said over the phone that her cellphone was tapped and to call her on her home line instead. At the instruction of investigators, the woman later recorded phone conversations she had with Lyn Kahn.

Lyn Kahns attorney, Craig Silva, said the conversations were innocent.

It was all benign, he said. Theres nothing mean or nefarious about those conversations.

Sprecher also alleged that the couple lied on their financial affidavits, which is also a separate felony. The Kahns both marked that they had not received any income in the past month, but banking documents showed they had deposited substantial amounts of money into their accounts, Sprecher said.

Skavdahl declined to make a decision on that matter at the hearing Thursday because he wasnt sure of the situation surrounding the signing of the affidavits.
CHEYENNE  A legislative committee rejected a bill that Wednesday would have put the state on daylight saving time year-round.

Technically, House Bill 49 would have switched Wyoming to the Central time zone. Then the state would have petitioned with the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to stay on standard time all year. Federal laws mandate states can switch only to standard time.

Daylight saving time  when it is generally lighter earlier in the morning  lasts seven and a half months a year. Standard time lasts four and a half months.

Sponsor Rep. Dan Laursen, a Republican from Powell, said he is disappointed HB49 did not pass.

Ill be bummed for about two weeks  about the same time it takes me to adjust to the time change, he joked.

Another measure, HB141, would keep the state on standard time all year. It has been assigned to the House Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee  the same group that killed Laursens bill.
CHEYENNE  Wyoming Senate President Eli Bebout said Friday that he is killing a public lands transfer constitutional amendment bill that rattled sportsmen who warned the resolution would have led to eventual privatization and blocked access to the terrain.

Ive given a lot of thought to the public lands initiative, said Bebout, a Riverton Republican said. And what Im going to do is, Im going to not assign that bill (to a committee.) Im going to kill it. But theres a lot of moving parts in that. I think the message that a lot of people believe out there... really isnt what its about. I think weve lost that message.

The senator made the announcement hours after President Donald Trump was inaugurated. The state will work with the administration to more collaboratively manage the land, Bebout said.

Starting today, from day one, leadership of the Wyoming Legislature is committed to working with the Trump administration and our congressional delegation to develop a solution that will ensure public lands are managed for multiple use and available to benefit all Wyoming residents, Bebout said.

Before a constitutional amendment lands on the ballot, it needs to pass the Wyoming Legislature with votes from two-thirds of the House and Senate. Bebout said he was unsure whether he had enough votes.

The public lands issue is contentious throughout the West.

On the one side are sportsmen, who fear states would sell the land when they were unable to afford management  especially if there were a large wildfire. Wyoming would obtain an estimated 25 million additional acres of public land if Congress agreed to a transfer. The state currently has just 3 million acres.

On the other side are critics of the federal governments bureaucracy. They note that it can take over a decade to permit grazing, mining, drilling and wind projects. Wyomings cut of that development is about $1 billion a year, money that funds schools and state agencies.

This session, lawmakers must figure out how to close a $400 million shortfall in the states two-year budget. Lawmakers are also facing a deficit of over $1 billion in school funding in coming years that they will also attempt to tackle during the 2017 session, which continues through early March.

Adding the constitutional amendment to their responsibilities would amount to an additional burden, Bebout said.

Weve lost that, he said. So why go through the aggravation? Lets look at in the interim. Its not over.

The interim is the months between legislative sessions  spring, summer and fall.

An individual lawmaker could sponsor a bill urging the state to look at the topic. But Bebout called the issue done.

If I made the decision to not advance those types of bills this session, thats my decision, he said. I could be overridden. Thats the process.

The constitutional amendment bill specified how the state would have managed the lands. For instance, the lands would have to be operated with multiple use in mind  accommodating hunters, anglers, energy companies, agricultural interests and others.

Lands could be exchanged, according to Senate Joint Resolution 3, but only in the same county. There could have been no net loss or gain in the lands value.

A coalition called Keep it Public, composed of more than a dozen nonprofits, sportsmen and conservation groups, mobilized the public to voice opposition to the amendment. It launched in Casper at a November rally and organized a social media campaign to notify people how to participate and inform lawmakers of their position, said Chamois Andersen of the Wyoming Wildlife Federation.

Outdoor recreationists attended meetings in droves, submitted local letters to the editor and met with lawmakers to express their opposition.

Everybodys been notifying their representatives and senators to vote no if this amendment materialized, she said. I think Sen. Bebout read the tea leaves. He saw the vote was not going to be there.

The Wildlife Federation wants to work with Bebout and other lawmakers during the interim to find solutions to land management that everyone is comfortable with, rather than the draconian effort to transfer lands, Andersen said.

Stephanie Kessler of the Wyoming Outdoor Council said that shes not too concerned with the state working with the federal government to improve management.

We have always said that there are opportunities for more collaboration, so that doesnt bother me necessarily, she said. We think there are mechanisms now that could be utilized.

Bebout said the state never planned to sell the land. He said sportsmen were misinformed.

Clearly, what we were trying to do is protect our access, protect the sale and privatization of those lands, he said.
CHEYENNE  A legislative committee defeated a bill that would have decreased the amount of severance tax the coal industry pays to the state.

House Bill 104 would have decreased the severance tax from 7 to 6 percent. Sponsors argued the lower rate would have put coal on equal footing with other fossil fuels, such as natural gas, which is taxed at 6 percent. The lower rate would also stimulate the coal industry, which is in a slump, lawmakers argued.

But if HB104 would have passed, the state would have lost $28 million in revenue for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Because of an overall decline in minerals, the revenue shortfall to the state is currently $400 million in a $3 billion, two-year budget.

Opponents argued before the House Revenue Committee that now is not the time to slash revenue to Wyoming, said Phoebe Stoner of the Equality State Policy Center.

Because both transportation and mining costs go into the price consumers see, there have been a lot of studies that show the transportation costs would increase, so the consumer wouldnt see any kind of benefit, and it wouldnt actually stimulate coal, she said.

Travis Deti of the Wyoming Mining Association said the bill was a long shot.

Well, we certainly appreciate the bill sponsor and co-sponsors for bringing it forward, he said. We feel they recognize the coal industry is under pretty good stress right now, both regulatory and tax-wise. Tax relief would be welcome. But we also understand its a really tough time for the state right now.

The minerals industry pays most of the states taxes. The state needs to look at diversifying revenues, Deti said.

As a state we need to have that conversation, he said. And of course the industry would like to be at the table on that.
No state voted more lopsidedly for the 2016 Republican presidential candidate than Wyoming, where voters gave Donald Trump the nod with 68 percent of the vote, compared to Hillary Clintons 22 percent.

Clearly, Cowboy State voters are ready for a change in the way the nation is governed and are tired of political business as usual.

How strange that in the same month the nation is inaugurating a Republican president, Wyomings state Republican Party leadership is pushing an old liberal political trick  significant tax burdens and new regulations on internet commerce. Its done in the name of fairness, but theres nothing fair about it.

House Bill 19 would require internet retailers that conduct more than 200 transactions a year or do more than $100,000 of business in the state to collect Wyoming taxes from consumers, even if they have no property or employees in the state. The measure passed Jan. 13 through the House Committee of the Whole. Gov. Matt Mead has been an outspoken supporter of efforts to require online retailers to collect sales taxes for the state, so its likely that he will sign the measure into law if it makes it to his desk.

Supporters argue that the measure would level the playing field and aid struggling mom-and-pop businesses, but the reality is that the playing field is already level. Under current rules, all businesses (whether brick-and-mortar or web-based) with property or employees in Wyoming collect its sales tax, a commonsense standard that treats all sellers fairly.

The bills backers fail to account for the harm it would do. Wyoming residents, many of whom live in remote areas far from big retail centers, would have to pay more for myriad online purchases. And the businesses that sell to them would face complicated tax-collection rules that will make them less likely to sell to Wyomingites in the first place. But thats not the worst of it.

By contributing to the erosion of borders as effective limits on state tax power, the bill will encourage poorly governed, tax-heavy states like California and New York to enact similar bills that would unleash their aggressive tax collectors on Wyoming businesses. Wyoming legislators own constituents who sell online could be subject to audit and enforcement actions in states in which they have no physical presence. This burden would fall particularly hard on specialty businesses and small sellers that are dependent on the internet to reach their customers and it could crush up-and-coming internet firms.

Republicans should understand the unforeseen consequences of imposing ominous new regulations on growing businesses. Wyomings GOP legislators apparently are too fixated on new sources of cash to fund their favored programs. The sad truth, however, is that the revenue associated with this bill is unlikely to reach even the paltry 2 percent of total state tax collections estimated by the Department of Revenue.

H.B. 19 and similar bills in other states are unquestionably unconstitutional, given decades-old Supreme Court precedent that makes clear state tax powers stop at the borders edge. Such bills seem intentionally  and cynically  drafted to run afoul of the nations founding document. H.B. 19s passage would draw Wyoming into a potentially expensive and bitter cycle of litigation that is duplicative of similar cases in other states.

At a time when Wyoming voters want a new line of thinking, one that reforms government rather than endlessly shaking down residents for new revenue, their elected officials are on the cutting edge of an effort to expand tax-collection powers and impose complicated new rules on businesses. Fortunately, theres still time for Wyoming residents to make their voices heard.
Visiting the Tucson Museum of Art on the second Sunday of the month isnt your traditional art-museum experience.

Adult $12 admission? Nope. Free.

Slowly sauntering through exhibits, quietly contemplating the art? Not exactly.

Second SundAZe @ TMA features the family-friendly Picture This! event, which is all about being interactive  and just plain active. The programs been around for awhile, but its previous incarnation involved an hour-long, docent-led tour along with an art project. The revamped event  the next one will be Feb. 12  is a lot more freewheeling.

Activities are up and running throughout the museum, and visitors can watch performances and jump into art projects. Every month features a different theme, and Feb. 12s highlights movement, so the University of Arizona School of Dance will stage a performance.

The whole point of it is just to have a fun, play-based activity where everyone can have fun and be engaged in the museum in a way that they havent before, said Heidi Herboldsheimer, TMAs museum educator for k-12 programming.

The event features free admission for Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, residents. Picture This! is targeted at kids fifth-grade and younger, but Herboldsheimer said a mom came in recently  with her grown son.
PHOENIX  Responding to concerns by the Arizona Humane Society, state lawmakers agreed Thursday to effectively make it legal to break into a vehicle to rescue an animal  and even a child.

SB 1001 spells out that someone who uses reasonable force to break into an unattended motor vehicle is not subject to civil damages if theres a good faith belief the child or animal is in imminent danger of suffering physical injury or death.

There are some restrictions, including first having to notify a police officer, first responder or animal control enforcement agency. And once having broken into the vehicle, the rescuer must remain on site until that agency shows up.

Christopher West, field operations manager for the Humane Society, said the measure, which his organization helped to craft, stems from specific problems encountered by people in the field.

Every year my dispatchers receive calls concerning dogs in hot cars, he told lawmakers.

We are left helpless to do anything because under the current law only a law enforcement officer or an animal control officer can enter the vehicle to remove the animal, West continued. So my emergency animal medical technicians are left standing beside the vehicle, waiting for a police officer or animal control officer to arrive, sometimes 30 to 60 minutes later.

With this change, Wests technicians  and, in fact, anyone else  could make the call to law enforcement or the proper authority and then immediately break a window to retrieve the animal or child.

Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said while the measure was originally brought to him as one to protect animals, he made sure it was drafted to also include children. The senator conceded, however, he has no actual examples of anyone actually facing civil suit in this kind of situation.

The idea apparently got the attention of Gov. Doug Ducey who gave the concept, which had already been introduced by Kavanagh, a shout-out in his State of the State speech earlier this month

All it takes is a good Samaritan to save a life, to be on the lookout, see movement, take action, and stop another death, the governor said. The last thing wed want is any Arizonan worried about breaking into that car to save a life.

Ducey promised to sign the measure if it reaches his desk.

While the legislation got unanimous approval Thursday by the Senate Judiciary Committee, there were some concerns.

Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, said he can foresee situations where a pet owner has simply run into a store for a moment and the animal is not in real danger. Yet someone passes by, thinks theres a problem, breaks the window and causes several hundred dollars worth of damage.

Whos going to pay for that? he asked.

The legislation, which now needs approval of the full Senate, also spells out that the immunity from civil suit applies only if the person who breaks the window remains with the vehicle until law enforcement or animal control arrives.
PHOENIX  An attorney for the state asked a federal judge Friday to throw out a lawsuit by some deferred-action recipients who say they cant get a license to drive.

Douglas Northup said there is nothing in state policy specifically denying licenses to those who fall into a certain category of people who are technically in the country illegally but whom the federal government has decided can stay. In fact, he argued, the Motor Vehicle Division will license those who can show they are protected by the federal Violence Against Women Act.

But Judge David Campbell pointed out that the MVD is requiring these people to produce documents that Arizona does not require of other deferred-action recipients. That includes Dreamers, whom he previously ruled are entitled to licenses.

He compared it to a city having two drinking fountains, one for Anglos and the other for Hispanics.

Both can get water, Campbell said. But theyre being treated differently from everyone else.

Attorney Victor Viramontes of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund said the legal problem is even deeper than that.

He said the MVD, acting under an executive order issued by former Gov. Jan Brewer that remains in place under Doug Ducey, her successor, does in fact have a policy against issuing licenses to these deferred-action recipients.

Viramontes said only when they sue in federal court does the state agree to provide a license  and only for that person.

He said that might help the five people who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. But Viramontes said that unless Campbell issues a blanket order voiding the policy, the state will continue to act illegally, with potentially more than 1,000 people being denied licenses he said they are entitled to have.

The case is rooted in the 2012 decision by the Obama administration to allow those who arrived in this country illegally as children to remain if they meet certain qualifications. Those admitted into the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program also were issued federal Employment Authorization Documents.

Brewer issued an executive order denying licenses to DACA recipients, saying they are not qualified under a 1996 state law that makes licenses available only to those in the country whose presence is authorized by federal law. And she argued Obamas order does not qualify.

But it turned out that, even after Brewers order, the MVD was still issuing licenses to those in other deferred-action programs who also had Employment Authorization Documents. That includes victims of domestic violence, those with pending visa applications and those allowed to stay for humanitarian reasons.

Challengers seized on that to say the state was violating constitutional prohibitions against unequal treatment. So the state, in an effort to undermine that argument, amended its policy to stop issuing licenses to some in other categories.

Campbell has since ruled that DACA recipients are in this country legally and the state is now issuing them licenses. This lawsuit deals with the others.

On Friday, Northup told Campbell the five plaintiffs have no case.

Theyve been offered drivers licenses, he told the judge.

He conceded that other deferred-action recipients need show only their employment authorization form to prove they are here legally. By contrast, those in the C-14 immigration category have to prove something else, such as they got deferred-action status because they are covered by the Violence Against Women Act or because they are cooperating with law enforcement on some case.

Northup said thats merely an inconvenience.

That led to Campbells questions about whether the state can legally make these people jump through the extra hoops.

But the judge also pointed out the states forms and instructions say those with C-14 status are not entitled to a license.

Where can I find online I can get a license? he asked Northup. And he got Northup to admit that he knows of no public statements made by the MVD that there is a way to get a license to drive.

Viramontes told Campbell that deferred-action recipients have actually gone to the MVD, only to be turned away.

It is the policy, he said. Its the only policy thats in the record.

And Viramontes said the MVD is trying to pick off the five plaintiffs in this lawsuit by essentially violating its own policy and giving them a license  a move that would leave challengers with no one left in the case to pursue the lawsuit. But he said the illegal policy remains.

We do know if you get a lawyer and threaten MVD, you will get a drivers license, he said.
Zimbabwe taxman trains eyes on contrabands with new electronic cargo tracking system

Zimbabwes taxman, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) is in the final stages of rolling out an electronic cargo tracking system, which is designed to monitor trucks transiting through Zimbabwe, as authorities heighten efforts to prevent dumping of foreign goods on the local market.

Government recently introduced Statutory Instrument (SI) 64 of 2016 in order to breathe life into local industries. However, there have been concerns that the countrys porous borders continue to work against Government efforts.

Border controls are presently being tightened to prevent smuggling, of restricted goods. Government has restricted the import of 43 different products such as cooking oil and building materials.

Border posts are now equipped with detectors, mobile scanners, luggage scanners and closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras. But it is goods that are smuggled under the guise of being transported to other regional destinations that are being specifically targeted by the cargo tracking system.

Government, through the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), is rolling out an electronic cargo tracking system to combat transit fraud in the country.

In order to mitigate the adverse effects of transit fraud, Government with the assistance of the African Development Bank, has put in place an electronic cargo tracking system . . .(which) allows for tracking of transit cargo from point of entry to point of exit. The electronic cargo tracking system involves the use of modern electronic sealing devices, which are put on transit cargo at the ports of entry, said Zimra in a statement recently.

Zimra said the tracking system is integrated into the existing Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) World and allows real-time tracking of cargo up to the point of exit. The revenue collector highlighted that the move reflects the importance of digitalisation and automation in facilitating smooth trade and travel across international frontiers.

The electronic seal devices report to Zimra in real-time any violations, seal and cargo tempering, and incidents of going off route which might occur.

Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Mike Bimha said the Government has begun computerising ports of entry, starting with Beitbridge Border post in order to bust smuggling syndicates.

SI64 of 2016 is doing a lot to resuscitate the local industry and we have seen some positives in the cooking oil sector, rubber, plastic sector, sugar and mealie-meal, among other sectors. But the potential of SI64 will not be fully realised unless and until we fully automate all our borders. Until June 2016, the country was losing total revenue of US$400 000 daily at Beitbridge Border Post.

As a result, Zimra has strengthened Beitbridge Borders automation including the introduction of online services, which allow online lodgement of returns, application and verification of tax clearance certificates, improvement of compliance levels and the reduction of compliance costs, said Dr Bimha.

www.zimra.co.zw
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally has a point.

The Tucson Republican, interviewed Wednesday, said the more we remain divided about the legitimacy of our new president, the more Russia is achieving the objectives of its interference in our presidential campaign.

This is exactly what they were maybe hoping to have happen, she told me before leaving Tucson for the inauguration Friday in Washington, D.C. That people would not be agreeing that on Friday America is having a peaceful transfer of power, which is something that is a foundation of our democratic process and an example to the rest of the world. In that sense, the more we feed into it, the more they actually have achieved their objective.

And yet the doubts about Trumps legitimacy will continue  legitimately so. This isnt because he lost the popular vote, or because he violated norms of political conduct in his divisive campaign. Those things happened but dont really undermine his legitimacy as president. Even potential conflicts of interest, while serious, dont mean hes somehow invalid.

The only outstanding issue that could undermine the legitimacy of his election is his campaigns relationship with Russia.

Thats a point McSallys Democratic colleague, Rep. Raul Grijalva, made when we talked Thursday. Grijalva, as you may know, is not attending the inauguration, in an act of what he called defiance.

The reality is, hell be president of the United States, but that lingering question is going to continue to fester, Grijalva said.

Its an important distinction to emphasize: One can accept that Trump is the president while still waiting for the evidence to come out as to whether he won the seat legitimately  that is, without his campaign working with Russians.

The latest in a series of stories on U.S. investigations into Russia and the Trump campaign came out Wednesday. McClatchys Washington bureau reported that six federal agencies have been collaborating for months on an investigation into Russias influence operation, with some focus on possible links to the Trump campaign.

McClatchy reported, 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.

Earlier, the BBC reported, a joint task force, which includes the CIA and the FBI, has been investigating allegations that the Russians may have sent money to Mr. Trumps organisation or his election campaign.

These allegations, if proven, would torpedo Trumps presidency. As alarming as they are, they wouldnt be so potent if Trump hadnt also parroted Vladimir Putins rhetoric regarding NATO and other foreign policy issues throughout the campaign and as recently as last weekend.

Trump reiterated to reporters from the Sunday Times of London and Bild newspaper in Germany that he thinks NATO is obsolete, because it is old and because it has responded inadequately to terrorism. This is key and something that McSally, among many other Republicans and Democrats, disagrees with.

When I asked her about that comment, McSally said, That definitely concerns me. NATO is a success story of alliances that has kept stability and peace in Europe since World War II, which we havent seen in history. Its still legitimate, it still has a purpose. If I look at Russias objective, it would be to deligitimize NATO.

I suspect shes right  Russia does not want NATO troops welcomed on its borders in countries such as Poland, where American soldiers are now stationed. And its probably a higher-priority objective for Russia than dividing the American public was.

If Russia convinced Trump to assume his Putin-style policy perspectives by directly helping his campaign, then it would undermine his legitimacy completely as president. But if there are no illegal or covert links proven, hell have the office as long as he can keep it  legitimately.

No forums for now

In the months leading up to the vote on the Affordable Care Act, in 2009, members of Congress around the country held town-hall forums that turned raucous as supporters and opponents of the proposed law clashed.

Its not going to happen again this year, with Congress considering repealing the act and replacing it. Neither McSally nor other Republican members of Congress are holding any events that could turn into vintage 2009 free-for-alls.

Thats not for constituents lack of pushing. On Wednesday at midday, McSally held a closed forum at the American Red Cross office at 2916 E. Broadway. Two miles down the road, a group of a couple dozen demonstrators raised signs in support of the Affordable Care Act.

Karen Randolph was one of a handful of group members who met with a few McSally staff members.

Our concern is there are no town hall meetings, she said. They dont want to happen what happened with the Tea Party.

Indeed, thats a nationwide concern, the Washington Post reported Thursday. The paper quoted John Feehery, a former GOP House leadership staff member, as saying, In this day and age, real-life town halls are very dangerous for all but the most seasoned politicians. 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.

During her first term McSally hosted more than 30 events, but many were town halls that occur at workplaces, like the Red Cross event Wednesday or other events with limited audiences. She also held open houses at the Tucson and Sierra Vista offices in 2015.

Right now, the danger of chaotic events isnt so great for Democrats, who are quite unified against repealing the law. Earlier Wednesday, Grijalva held a forum on the act. It was populated almost completely by people who agree with Grijalva that the law should not be repealed.

El Chapo in Tucson?

The news Thursday of Joaquin El Chapo Guzmans extradition to the United States got me digging back into the federal court files and Star archives, because this is one of several cities in the United States where Guzman has been indicted.

Guzman was one of 18 people indicted on numerous charges for their roles in constructing one of the first sophisticated cross-border tunnels, the one between Douglas and Agua Prieta, Sonora, revealed in 1990. The case was filed in 1991, and most of the defendants were convicted and sentenced to prison.

El Chapo? Not so much. This case against him was dismissed in 2012, and he has been indicted several more times since, most recently in New York, where hell be prosecuted.
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.
PHOENIX  A flag is a flag.

But a Senate panel agreed Thursday to make it so youll spend more time behind bars for stealing the Stars and Stripes.

The Judiciary Committee voted 4-3 to make it a Class 6 felony to steal an American flag that is on display by a resident or business. That translates to a year in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000.

SB 1009 is a major departure from existing laws which set the penalty for theft based on the value of the item stolen. So someone who takes property worth less than $1,000 faces up to six months in the county jail and a $2,500 fine.

The vote followed testimony of Charles Foley, a Tucson police officer who runs a program called Flags for the Flagless. Foley, who said he has provided 90 U.S. flags in Pima County, said some of those have been to replace flags that were stolen.

I dont know who is stealing them, he told lawmakers. Foley said he hopes that an enhanced penalty will provide a new deterrent.

Among the flags that Foley has replaced is one at Tucsons First Southern Baptist Church. Actually, he had to replace that flag twice after back-to-back thefts, the second involving someone who used bolt cutters to steal not only the flag but also the rope.

We see this as an attack on our ministry, testified Edward Eddinfield, the churchs senior pastor. To not have our flag out there changes us from boldly looking like were in business to like weve just closed our doors.

And he said that the flag represents the freedom of people to worship as they want.

That testimony drew criticism from Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Phoenix.

Im a little bit troubled that we would seek to celebrate freedom by subjecting more people to possible imprisonment as felons for stealing this flag, he said. Its a little bit contradictory, especially when we should be preaching forgiveness.

But it wasnt just the felony that bothered foes. It also is the fact that the enhanced penalty is reserved for only those who steal the U.S. flag.

Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, the sponsor of SB 1009, said that special treatment is justified.

He said his legislation imposes the felony penalty not on the theft of any American flag but only on one that is on display, versus one in a package in a store.

My reasoning is that when you steal a flag that somebody is flying, not only are you stealing the object but youre stealing that persons First Amendment right to express themselves, Kavanagh explained.

They may be flying the flag in mourning for somebody who died, he said. It may be a patriotic statement. It may be a statement of protest.

Quezada said if whats being stolen is not just a flag but a constitutional right of expression, then Kavanaghs bill is flawed.

Is it not also stealing somebodys First Amendment right to steal an LGBT pride flag, or a flag of another nation who that individual is supporting because we are at war with them and they want to make a political statement? he asked. Quezada said even the Dont Tread on Me flag that has become the symbol of tea party activists also would be denied the same protection.

Kavanagh agreed with Quezada  up to a point.

He said the First Amendment does protect expression of all viewpoints, much in the same way that he believes it is more than the simple crime of assault to hit someone if the purpose is to stop that person from giving a political speech. But Kavanagh said hes not willing to expand his legislation to take in all flags.

Sometimes youve got to draw a line in the sand, he said. And I drew it at the most venerated flag in this country, which is our American flag.

Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, voted for the measure. But he had his own concerns with the wording of the bill.

He said that, as crafted, it includes anything that is an actual flag. And what that means, said Worsley, is someone could face prison time for taking a tiny flag stuck into a cupcake with a toothpick.

Kavanagh did not dispute thats what the legislation said. But he told colleagues not to worry.

I dont know that any police officer would even be involved in arresting somebody that did something so inconsequential, he said. We have to trust our law enforcement to have some restraint in what they do.

Kavanagh also noted that under Arizona law prosecutors and judges are free to convert any Class 6 felony to a misdemeanor if they believe the facts warrant it.

The measure now needs approval of the full Senate.
MEXICO CITY  Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, 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 U.S. Thursday to face drug trafficking and other charges.



Mexico's Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to U.S. authorities for transportation to the U.S. on Thursday, the last full day of President Barack Obama's administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated.



The U.S. Justice Department issued a statement confirming that Guzman was en route to the United States and expressed gratitude to Mexico for its cooperation.



A senior U.S. official said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas, and a plane carrying him departed for New York at 5:31 p.m. EST. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and agreed to give the information only if not quoted by name.



The convicted boss of the Sinaloa cartel, one of the world's largest drug trafficking organizations, had been held most recently at a prison near Ciudad Juarez. He was recaptured a year ago after escaping from a second maximum-security prison through a tunnel dug to his cell.



The 2015 escape was highly embarrassing for the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand the headache off to the United States afterward. Guzman's lawyers have fought extradition since his recapture.



"It was illegal. They didn't even notify us," said lawyer Andres Granados, who accused the government of extraditing his client to distract from nationwide gasoline protests. "They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike. It's totally political."



Guzman, who is in his late 50s, faces the possibility of life in a U.S. prison under multiple indictments in six jurisdictions around the United States, including New York, San Diego, Chicago and Miami.



A federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York, where Guzman is expected to be prosecuted, accuses him of overseeing a trafficking cartel with thousands of members and billions of dollars in profits laundered back to Mexico. It says Guzman and other members of the Sinaloa cartel employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.



He was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in July 2009. A superseding indictment was issued in May charging him and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada with a variety of drug, gun and money laundering charges as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise.



The Mexican Foreign Relations Department's statement said a court had ruled against Guzman's appeal and found that his extradition would be constitutional.



"The criminal Joaquin Guzman Loera was extradited this afternoon to face his pending legal cases," Mexican Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong tweeted.



Guzman's first prison break was in 2001. He spent more than a decade at large before being captured in 2014, becoming something of a folk legend for a segment of Mexico's population for his defiance of authorities. He was immortalized in ballads known as "narco-corridos."



The following year he broke out through the mile-long tunnel dug directly to the shower in his cell.



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.



Guzman was initially returned to the Altiplano prison outside Mexico City where he escaped through the tunnel. Last May, officials abruptly moved him to the prison in the desert near Juarez.



As a candidate, Trump accused Mexico of sending criminals and "rapists" to the United States, and he promised to build a wall on the Mexican border 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.



"It's a win for the good guys," he said.



He added that Guzman's extradition is not likely to immediately curb the Sinaloa cartel's role in the drug trade, but it's another signal that the U.S. and Mexico are serious about fighting drug gangs.



"When they start seeing the extraditions of the cartel leadership and they see the unbelievable effort in Mexico with the killing and capture of top cartel leaders, they are going to start feeling the heat like they've never seen it before," Maltz said.



The White House, which was down to a skeleton staff hours before Trump takes office, said it had no immediate comment.



___



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 to this report.
The New Yorker's Amy Davidson has a terrific piece up listing 13 women -- 11 Democrats, 2 Republicans -- who she argues should consider running for president against Donald Trump in 2020.

Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post took Davidson's premise slightly farther, offering his own rankings -- in terms of the likelihood they run and the chances they could win the Democratic nomination -- of the 11 women that Davidson highlights. (As of Monday, a Republican primary challenge to Trump seems too unlikely to delve too deep into who might do it.)

Cillizza says one name Davidson doesn't mention but who would be, without question, the strongest potential female nominee (and maybe the strongest nominee period) is outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama is on record -- late last year in an interview with Oprah Winfrey -- saying that she has zero interest in running for president. If she did ever change her mind, however, she would be a fascinating candidate -- especially since she appears to be Trump's kryptonite.

To the rankings!
Help India!

By Faisal Fareed, Twocircles.net

The UP elections are almost upon us; every party is busy releasing its list of candidates. However, given the fierce contest within parties over who gets a ticket, this is also turning out to be a season of discontent among party leaders. The anger, and resentment, at being denied a ticket is becoming a common public spectacle; and the worst, or the best, views are emerging from the BJP, which has so far declared 149 candidates and rewarded 24 turncoats.

Support TwoCircles



In the past 24 hours, the BJP has witnessed large-scale protests across the state from ticket aspirants to party leaders.

Rakesh Dubey, a BJP leader from Shahjahanpur reached BJPs state office in Lucknow with his supporters and a can of kerosene threatening immolation because he was angry over a ticket to Manvendra Singh from Dadraul. Dubey claimed that Manvendra was a turncoat and has been rewarded for the same. Fearing the worst, party leaders met him and heard his grievances.

The story was no different in Agra. The BJP MP from Fatehpur Sikri, Babulal, is against the partys MLA candidate from Baah, Rani Pakshalika Singh, who joined BJP along with her husband Raja Aridaman Singh and was rewarded within 24 hours. Babulal claimed that he will not campaign for Rani.

In Bareilly, the most resentment has been saved for four of the nine candidates. After the candidates were announced, many people are reported to have left the party and former district unit president of BJP Rajkumar Sharma is allegedly at the helm, supporting the dissidents. Local leaders like Subhash Patel and Poonam Sen have also resigned. Also, Swami Pravaktanand has announced to contest as independent after being denied ticket from Barkhera in Pilibhit.

In Meerut, local BJP workers protested against candidate Avtar Singh Bhadana from Meerapur on grounds that he is from Haryana. Another candidate, former MLA Gopal Kali, has called for a panchayat on 21 January after being denied ticket from Hastinapur.
Help India!

By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net

Jammu: A week after RSS activists attacked tribal Muslim families living in the Hari Chak village of Tehsil Mahreen in Kathua district, an uneasy calm prevails in the Jammu division, where most districts are Hindu-majority districts.

Support TwoCircles



The trouble started on Monday, January 9, after tribal Muslims living in Hari Chak village were accused of slaughtering cow. Hearing this, a mob of more than 500 persons led by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activists entered the village with sticks and country-made rifles and fired on the people which led to five injuries including a minor girl.

The incident has already caused a furore in the state with opposition cornering PDP-BJP coalition government in the state legislative assembly and separatist leader expressing their apprehensions by issuing statements and organising protests against the attack after Friday prayers across valley as way to express solidarity with Muslims living in Jammu division.

The latest attack on Muslims in Jammu division isnt first of its kind to happen. In October 2015, three truckers from Kashmir were attacked by a group in Udhampur district after cow carcass were found in the district, which later led to one person being lynched to death. In the same year in December, the Village Defense Committee (VDC) member belonging to majority community killed one person named Ishtiaq Choudhary in Rajouri district. In the same week, a mother-son duo were also shot dead by VDC members.

Muslims across the state protested against VDC members and asked government to disband it, but the demands were not accepted as BJP made its stand clear by proposing to strengthen the VDCs.

The rise in communal forces has happened to a greater extent after BJP made inroads in the state. Kishtwar riots in 2013 was a flashing point before the Lok Sabha elections of 2014. Keeping the society polarised helps the BJP because it keeps Hindu-Muslim votes divided,  Waqqas Khan, 24, from Kishtwar district of J&K told TCN.

Importantly, the BJP which is enjoying power in coalition with PDP won all 25 seats in the 87 member assembly from Jammu division, which has 10 of the 22 districts of the state. Not surprisingly, the BJP failed to even open its account in the Kashmir division.

Further, Kathua, an overwhelmingly Hindu-majority district falls under the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, which was won by Dr. Jatinder Singh, the BJP leader who is presently serving as Minister of State, PMO in 2014 general elections. The Legislative seat was also won by the BJP candidate, Rajeev Jasrotia.

It is quite visible that Muslims in Jammu division feel quite unsafe as a small event could turn into a big communal incident, said Irfan Ahmed, 30, a resident of Village Breswana in Prem Nagar, Doda.

Even if an incident is not communal in nature, the vested interest associated with the right-wing party try to paint the incident with communal colours, he added.

Mohd Azim, 46 from Bhaderwah, who has lived all his life alongside his Hindu neighbours and friends, says, Eating anything was everyones personal choice but I dont know how and when it became a cause of concern for the political parties. Most importantly, since the BJP came to power, the cow is being used as a tool to polarise the society.

Following the January 9 incidents, a number of protests erupted in Kashmir. The Kishtwar Muslim Shoura committee also staged a protest led by Imam Jamia Masjid Kishtwar Farooq Ahmed Kitchloo carrying placards with messages, RSS ki Deshad Gardi Band Karo, Band Karo.

The protesters also demanded the government to constitute a committee to enquire into the attack, which is yet to be considered by the state government.

Yasin Malik, chairperson of separatist group JKLF alleged PDP-BJP government of promoting communalism in the state.

Attacks on Muslims living in various parts of Jammu division is not acceptable to any Kashmiri and recent attacks in Kathua and criminal silence of so-called government on these attacks actually clears the fact that RSS led PDP-BJP rulers in Jammu Kashmir are hell-bent on destroying the fabrics of unity in our society and are promoting communalism for their lust of power and authority, said Malik in a statement.

Hurriyat (M) chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also vehemently criticised RSS. Attacking Muslims and intimidating them to instill fear and insecurity among them is part of the right-wing plan executed with the help of most-willing and servile collaborators who have completely lost it for the chair, he said.

Independent MLA Engineer Rashid has asked the government to ensure the safety of the Muslims of the Jammu region. Rashid also accused police and civil administration of harassing Muslims from Kishtwar to Rajouri.
Help India!

By Pritam Singh Tinna, Twocircles.net

A protest against the death of Ishwar Singh, a Dalit employee of HAFED (Haryana State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited) who committed suicide after being fraudulently charged with stealing goods, was held at Haryana Bhawan by BAPSA (Birsa Phule Ambedkar Students Association) and DBAC(Dalit Bahujan Aadivasi Collective, Ambedkar University Delhi) and the Collective, JNU on Friday, January 20.

Support TwoCircles



The students alleged that this was an institutional murder on the lines of Rohith Vemula.

A letter was sent to the resident commissioner of Haryana Bhawan signed by 40 students.The letter says, A suicide note has been recovered in which Ishwar Singh has clearly named sub-inspector Ram Niwas, District food and civil supplies controller, Ashok Rawat and a contractor named Rakesh of CONFED- Haryana State Federation of Consumers, for their involvement in the conspiracy to make him culprit in the alleged stealing of food grain and subsequent indictment.

T. Praveen, who is a member of BAPSA, said, Ishwar Singh was fraudulently charged and was arrested and jailed for 80 days. But he was bailed after the charge was proved to be fraudulent. Shreya Ghosh who is a member of Collective, JNU told Twocircles.net, Ishwar Singh was a resident of Jind, and storekeeper of one of the food department of CONFED. He was employed even after his retirement because of his honest track record. In September, he was arrested by the SHO Jind district Haryana. Ishwar Singh has written in his suicide note that SHO took a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from the senior officials and contractors of CONFED. This ultimately led to Ishwar Singhs death.

The SHO Ram Niwas had earlier also been involved in cases like burning alive a mother and her daughter, she added.

More than 200 students have also been protesting against this caste atrocity at Jind civil Hospital Haryana. Ishwars family members refused to cremate the body, Seeking the arrest of all the three accused, Ishwars family members refused to cremate the body.

Bhupali Magare, a member of BAPSA who had gone to the Resident Officer Haryana Bhawan to give the letter signed by 40 students, said that the Resident Officer was not available and the letter rather was received the Personal Assistant. She also said that the PA was not even ready to stamp the letter and was rather forced to sign and stamp.

Demands like arresting all the accused persons, and giving a government job to the son of Ishwar Singh, have been raised. The protests against this atrocity would follow in coming days.
Help India!

By Shiva Thorat, Twocircles.net

Bhaiyalal Bhotmange, the lone survivor of the Khairlanji massacre, died of a heart attack on Friday, January 20. For the past 10 years, the 61-year old had been waiting for justice in one of the worst cases of atrocities against Dalits in independent India.

Support TwoCircles



On September 29, 2006, a caste Hindu mob entered the house of the Bhotmanges, residents of Khairlanji, district Bhandara, and started beating them.

The three children of Bhaiyalal and his wife were beaten, tortured, raped and forced to run naked in the village before being killed.

In 2008, a special court sentenced six of the eight accused to death, but in 2010 Bombay High Court (Nagpur bench) verdict commuted the death penalty to eight accused (one of them since deceased) to life imprisonment for 25 years. The case remains in Supreme Court.

In a conversation with Indian Express last September, Bhotmange said, I want justice. I want the death penalty to the convicts in my familys brutal carnage.

The Khairlanji massacre has since then been a rallying point for a number of Dalit Ambekarite organisations to fight for a just and an equal world. Earlier this month, Shantanu Kamble, a poet, speaking in the gathering on the occasion of Bhagwat Jadhav Smriti Din said, The Bhotmange family still seeking justice, but the Brahminical system is just making him wait.

Vishnu Tarad, a 35-year old resident of Rama bai Nagar, Ghatkopar in Mumbai, got to know of Bhaiyalals death through the TCN reporter. He said, He waited until his last breath for justice, but how will he get it when Brahmins are in power?

Vivek Gaikwad from Chembur, a graduate student, said, He died fighting for justice. He lost everything in his life but did not stop fighting. He will always be an example for us.

On social networking sites, Death came before justice was trending.
Its been one heck of an election race these past few months. The impossible happened. Donald Trump has been working towards his Presidency for almost two years, and that whole time, no one anywhere near the left side of things thought there was any chance it was going to happen. But now its Inauguration Day and Donald Trump is about to become the 45th President of the United States and theres no going back (unless hes impeached).

Trump is already in Washington for the event

Trump arrived in Washington yesterday in anticipation of the inaugural ceremony, and gave a speech to tens of thousands of his supporters at a concert in his honour at the Lincoln Memorial (while the man who abolished slavery was turning in his grave).

The concert featured a Z-lister-studded lineup, which Trumps inauguration head Tom Barrack promises is what they wanted all along.

Some doubters were expecting Trump to tone down his brash attitude now that hes actually secured the office, but there was no sign of that during his speech. He also proved he is a sore winner, as he had harsh words to say about the commentators who spent the election sceptical of his chances of winning.

Trump praised his Cabinet choices and had many kind words to say about his administration, claiming they have by the far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever assembled. Hes been known to brag about his IQ before: My IQ is one of the highest...Please dont feel so stupid or insecure, its not your fault.

Ceremony starts at 11:30am

The ceremony will begin with some opening words at 11:30am (Eastern time) before Trump is sworn in at noon.

Just under seventy Democratic legislators have promised they wont be attending (almost half of them), although Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill will be. After the ceremony, Trump will eat lunch at the Capitol (so spectators could be waiting a while) before the inaugural parade heads down Pennsylvania Avenue and three official balls take place tonight.

Monday is Trumps first day as President

Monday will be Trumps first full day as POTUS, but he could technically start work as early as today, so he might use the weekend to get a headstart constructing that wall, but he has yet to confirm when he will officially start work. The wall is just one of the promises Trump made during his campaign about what he would do on his first day as President.

Trump also promised to shake up relations with China and end the war on coal on his first day, so he might choose to make Monday his first day to give himself a full day to get all these things hes promised done. However, incoming press secretary Sean Spicer promises executive actions to be made later today.

Washington police prepared for protests

Tens of thousands of anti-Trump protestors are being expected to turn out at the inauguration and continue their protests in Washington all through the weekend. The police are prepared for protests from over sixty protest groups (however, they believe that some of those groups will be protesting in Trumps favour, essentially protesting the protestors).

The pro- and anti-Trump protestors squared off in this manner last night at the DeploraBall white supremacist Trump celebration.

The water cooler conversation in America is about whether or not Trump will be able to heal the national divide he effectively created, and since Russia has been proven to have interfered in the election outcome and Trump himself (while winning the election as a whole) lost the popular vote, it is looking unlikely. Trumps politics are divisive by their very nature, as his policies appear to be merely his personal opinions without considerations of the wants and needs of the nation.

The Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue has become a hotspot for inauguration aides, tourists and ceremony attendees this week, so Trump has utilised this spike in the market by charging guests five times the usual rates for rooms. Even as President, hes still looking for business opportunities.
Four people have been killed after a driver "mowed down pedestrians", in Melbourne's central business district on Friday (20th), Sky News Australia stated. It has since been reported that a baby being pushed in a pram was among those killed. But as we come to terms with what happened, questions need to be asked. First of all why did tragedy occur? Second of all why is it so difficult to stop such attacks and third of all, how do we try to stop further attacks like this in the future?

What exactly happened?

Let us first of all examine what exactly happened.

The Telegraph newspaper reported that a man "deliberately drove" his vehicle into a crowded street in Australia's second largest city. Let us pose the first question, why did this tragedy occur? It was claimed by Sky News that the driver had a history of violence and drug and mental health issues. BBC News said that the incident was linked to a stabbing in the southeast of Melbourne earlier on Friday. Having been seen driving in erratic circles in the middle of a major intersection in downtown Melbourne, the driver turned onto the Bourke Street Mall, a pedestrian-only road and deliberately collided with pedestrians before continuing onto a sidewalk and hitting more people. The information was provided by Victoria State Police acting Commander Stuart Bateson.

Other similar attacks

What is interesting is that this form of attack has become increasingly common in recent times. In Israel on January 8th of this year, a truck plowed into a group of soldiers in Jerusalem, killing four and injuring many more. Even in Europe, there have been examples. In July of last year in Nice, France, a lorry slammed through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day and killed 84 people, including 10 children, the IB Times reported.

Why so difficult to stop?

However, although it is important to state is that this was not a terror attacks, the method is the same. But the next question to ask is, why is it so difficult to stop such attacks? The reasons are clear. Whilst there may be Intel on certain people, those considered a threat to the security of a nation, it is difficult to prevent a driver killing people if he or she is working alone.

Furthermore, to carry out such an attack, one does not need explosives or bomb-making equipment. They simply need a vehicle. What is also a problem is that there is little time to prepare for such an attack if there is no prior knowledge that it is about to occur.

But what can we try to do?

But the last question to ask is, how do we try to stop such attacks like this in the future? What is clear is that the police forces must try. Greater police presence on the streets and in populated areas is needed first of all. Greater focus on social media sites such as Facebook to see if there are any warning signs or information is important also. But other than that, there is not much than can be done, particularly if the culprit has no ties or links to any terrorist network or organisation. And that there is the problem.
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to unite America as he addressed thousands of vocal supporters on the eve of his inauguration. Much like Obama did in 2008, the president-elect promised change on the steps of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

In a short but emotionally pungent speech, Trump stated: "We are going to unify our country again. It has been broken for far too long. We're going to make America great for all of our amazing people".

An address to the 'forgotten people'

Many Trump supporters have traveled from across the country to Washington DC over the past few days.

In a few remarks, Trump reminded his supporters of the unlikeliness of his presidential election campaign success. "They completely forgot about a lot of us. Well, we are no longer the forgotten people of America. Things are going to change, I assure you. We're going to do things that America hasn't done for years," Trump said.

Earlier in the day, the president-elect appeared with Melania, his wife, at a lunch for members of his administration-many of whom possess a problematic past. Trump, excitedly, said: "Tomorrow we begin the real work. We have a tonne of incredibly smart people on our team. We have the highest combined IQ of any cabinet assembled in US history.

Protesters expected

Despite Trump's pledge to unify America, thousands of Trump protesters are expected to descend on the White House.

Over the past week alone, Summer Zervos, a former contestant on his television show "The Apprentice" filed a lawsuit against Trump for defamation of character and sexual assault while reports of his ties to Russia refuse to go away.

Trump is scheduled to be sworn in at 12:00 EST (17:00 GMT). Yesterday, the president-elect stated his speech will be "deeply personal and philosophical".

Sean Spicer, the incoming press secretary, echoed Trump's sentiments: "It's going to be very personal. He will talk about what is means to be an American, the challenges that are on the horizon. It's going to be beautiful".
Ladbrokes are taking 2-1 odds that at some point during his term, soon-to-be President Trump will be impeached and kicked out of the Oval Office. Lets take a moment on the day his Presidency begins to consider what day it might end (in the hopes that said day is not four years away).

Constitution definition of impeachment

According to the Constitution, a US President can only be impeached for Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanours, so legally speaking, it does seem likely. However, Trumps biggest controversies, such as making fun of a disabled reporter and sexually assaulting women, may not be seen by the Supreme Court as constituting one of those four conditions for impeachment.

But one has to remember that hes not quite President yet. Trump is about to wage a trade war with China, ban an entire religion from the country (which will make ISIS furious and rapidly increase their number of recruits and their number of attacks on America), and hes been jibing Kim Jong-Un over nuclear weapons (which he will now also have control over) and Kims threats of a rocket that could reach American soil from all the way over in North Korea, so who knows? Maybe with all this new power, Trumps inevitable upcoming controversies will be impeachable acts and his Presidency will be calling it a day nice and early.
plasco Fire and building collapse. The mixed residential,commercial (garment factories), and shopping centre caught fire this morning (January 19) at about 8 a.m. The17 story high-rise building was erected in 1962 by the founder of the Plasco plastics company Habib Elghanian. The building caught fire this morning (January 19) at about 8 a.m. and subsequently collapsed.

Plasco fire

The fire originated on the 9th floor according to en.Wikipedia and a large number of residents, as well as garment workers on factory floors and shoppers, were in the building at the time the fire originated.

Some reports are that as many as 33 firemen out of the ten responding fire companies were killed when the building collapsed which was quite rapid as seen on this YouTube video.

After several hours of fighting the fire the building collapsed in a few seconds.

Killed and injured

Although the original government reports originating with the city mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibafs office but other reports on twitter and elsewhere on the Web indicate that some residents were seen sneaking back into the burning building to retrieve property or perhaps seek relatives so it is likely that some civilians were killed - that wont be known completely for days.

Approximately 80 people are known to have been injured in the fire and subsequent collapse of the north side of the building with many transported to hospitals, several hundred according to many reports.

A twitter from @rezahakbari showed lines of people waiting to donate blood for victims of the fire and building collapse.

Tehran citizens stand in long lines to donate blood for the survivors of the #Plasco building fire #Iran pic.twitter.com/C0EgXYOps0  Reza H. Akbari (@rezahakbari) January 19, 2017

The Fars news agency told Aljazeera News that "a firefighter had sent a text message to a colleague, saying he was alive and trapped with several others at the building's engine room."

A fire inspector spokesperson told Aljazeera News that clothing was being stored in stairwells and that there were a number of other violations of fire safety rules in the old building.

No cause of the fire is yet being reported by any official source but since it was high up in the building it was most likely either an industrial accident or fault with the building itself.

(Reporter Note: Iran has been criticized a lot by various animal rights groups and by President-Elect Trump but everyone must feel a profound sadness and sympathy for the families of the brave firemen who died in this fire. Tragedies such as this have no room for thoughts about country, ethnic group, or religion.)
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.
Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin El Chapo Guzman has been extradited to the United States, the Mexican government confirmed on Thursday. This extradition came a little more than a year after the Mexican organized crime syndicate Sinaloa Cartel leader was caught following his much talked about escape from the Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1, a maximum-security prison in the State of Mexico, through a tunnel in his prison cell.

Charges on former leader of Sinaloa Cartel

Several U.S. jurisdictions are waiting to try the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel on charges of drug trafficking and smuggling vast amounts of drugs into the country.

Guzman could face a life prison in U.S based on these charges. The former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel was facing two extradition requests - one from California and another from Texas.

How Guzman escaped twice

Guzman arrived in New York on a flight from Cuidad Juarez, where he was moved to a prison last year after he was rearrested post his second dramatic escape. The first time Guzman escaped from a Mexican prison in 2001, purportedly hidden in a laundry cart. The second-time Guzman slipped into a hole in his shower at Altiplano prison near Mexico City on July 11, 2015, and fled through a mile-long tunnel outfitted with a motorbike that led to a residential construction site.

While he was still on the run the second time, the case took an interesting twist when it came to light that actor Sean Penn travelled to Mexico to interview Guzman in a remote jungle for an article.

Guzman was recaptured in January of 2016 in the town of Los Mochis, almost six months after his escape.

The Justice Department said Guzman is charged in six separate indictments in the US and it also extended its gratitude to the Government of Mexico for their extensive cooperation and assistance in securing the extradition of Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera (Guzmans full name) to the US.

Guzman has been fighting to stay in Mexico but his appeals were rejected. He is now expected to appear in a US federal court in Brooklyn on Friday.

Sinaloa Cartel and its drug war with other cartels

The Sinaloa Cartel is an international drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime syndicate established during the mid-1980s, based primarily in the city of Culiacan, Sinaloa, with operations in the Mexican states of Baja California, Durango, Sonora, and Chihuahua.

The cartel is also known as the Guzman-Loera Organization and the Pacific Cartel, the latter due to the coast of Mexico from which it originated.

As of 2015, the Sinaloa Cartel was the most active drug cartel involved in smuggling illicit drugs into the United States and trafficking them throughout the United States. It was reported last year that Sinaloa Cartel was engaged in a bloody fight with another Mexico-based drug cartel over Manzanillo, the port located in the state of Colima.
The Obama administrations war on coal rages on with its latest salvo that forbids coal mines from setting off-site debris near streams or rivers. Called the Stream Protection Rule (SPR), it is so expansive that 13 states have asked a federal court to block its implementation. Concocted by the Office of Surface Mining (OSM), the SPR would essentially end coal mining in the U.S. They filed their brief on Tuesday in U.S. District Court.

The SPR also forces the testing and monitoring of thousands of miles of streams near coal mines. The attorneys general filing the petition said the rule is a direct violation of the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act, which only allows states to regulate coal mines and not the federal government.

Despite existing rules already in place, this new one was based on computer models, with OSM staff never having visited a single coal mine.

DeWine Joins Lawsuit Against Stream Protection Rule https://t.co/FqKEx1BbmD  WOSU News (@wosunews) January 18, 2017

Destroying coal industry

Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-Tex.) said the SPR tramples a states rights as permitted under the tenth amendment. Paxton warned the rule is being used to destroy an entire industry and to put hardworking men and women out of work. The rule also sets a new precedent that ignores a states understanding of major industries within their border.

Paxton and 12 other plaintiffs also sent a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) asking congress to use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the new rule.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) said the overreaching, last-gasp Obama administration regulation goes far beyond what the law permits. Both Ryan and McConnell have already put the stream rule in their congressional crosshairs.

Congress can act to help coal miners survive a regulatory onslaught https://t.co/emY5SFGSMU  Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 28, 2016

Duplication of efforts

Environmental groups like the Sierra Club have called the rule overdue.

Critics argue the new rule is a massive rewrite of more than 400 separate regulations. It also doesnt do anything beyond what state and federal agencies are currently doing. What it does do is create more confusion and bickering among various agencies.

As Jan. 20 looms large, the Obama administration has blasted out a blizzard of regulations ahead of Inauguration Day.

Believing he would be handing off the baton to a like-minded Hillary Clinton, Obama is using his agencies to rush out rules that normally take months to complete. The Interior Department has been instrumental in that they have sealed off lands from exploration from Alaska to the East Coast.

Republicans Will Repeal Many 'Midnight' Regulations Enacted By Obama https://t.co/dxCS7fI12p  Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 19, 2016

Congressional Review Act

Interior has also doled out new oil and gas regulations and banned drilling in the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean. In the last five days, Obama has pushed out $115 billion in new regulations that will keep President-elect Donald Trump busy for months.

Some of the rules and executive actions are going-away gifts to the countrys largest environmental groups who have donated heavily to Democrats in past elections.

Republicans have been busy as well, focusing on the barrage of new rules that can be repealed using the Congressional Review Act. That gives congress sixty in-session days to reverse the proposed rules. Republicans have already introduced measures to reverse the Stream Protection Rule as it does nothing to protect the Environment. If the judge does not block the rule, it will be up to Trump to overturn it.
The United Nations has reported that 10,000 people have been killed in the ongoing civil war in the Arab state of Yemen. The United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen and the United Nations humanitarian coordinator both also estimate that 40,000 people have been injured in the conflict.

Ongoing civil war in Yemen has grown more and more violent

The country is located on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders the countries of Saudi Arabia and Oman. The country is an Arab state, and thus its population is majority-Islamic. However, within the country of Yemen there are various divisions of Islamic followers.

In the northern part of Yemen, the population is mainly Shia, which is one of the two major forms of Islamic worship, whereas the southern part of the country is largely Sunni, the other major sect within Islam.

Although the country was initially split between North and South, it unified as the one country of Yemen in 1990 under President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The regime of President Saleh was rife with corruption, and in 2011, mass protests began in Yemen after President Saleh attempted to alter the state's constitution to make him president permanently. President Saleh gave up the role of leader to his Vice President Hadi in 2012, which led to the rebellion of the Houthis. The Houthis worship Shia Islam and are from the North of the country, and in the ensuing violence the Houthis have seized the capital city of Yemen.

In response to this, the country of Saudi Arabia, which is Sunni, has begun bombing and blockading the country to remove the Houthis from power. Violence has escalated, and famine-like conditions have set in. It is estimated that eighty-percent of the country's population is in need of some form of humanitarian assistance.

American response to war in Yemen

The United States, under former President Barack Obama, has assisted the country of Saudi Arabia in bombing and blockading Yemen. Many have accused the Obama administration of being complicit in the suffering of the innocent people of Yemen. However, the events of the civil war in Yemen were largely overshadowed in the media in 2016 by the controversial American presidential election and the ongoing conflict in Syria.

The American response to the situation in Yemen may change, as now Republican Donald trump has been inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. Trump campaigned on a promise of non-interventionism in foreign affairs, meaning the American role in Yemen may soon be drastically altered.
Today was without doubt Donald Trumps Day. The 2017 Presidential Inauguration was the culmination of an unprecedented presidential campaign that had Hillary Clinton as the favourite and Trump was considered as a likely early loser. Yet, as the campaign progressed the building magnate about to turn politician defeated all his opponents until November 8th when he achieved the majority of Electoral College votes and became the 45th President of the United States of America which was sealed with todays ceremony. The first shadow over this progress was Hillary Clintons achieving a majority vote of electors, paradoxically the very situation that Trump had previously said he would not recognize if it had happened to him.

Spotlight on Washington

Naturally the spotlight of world politics is now focused on Washington as the worlds politicians try to understand what sort of Presidency will emerge during the next four years. For Donald Trump these queries will have little meaning as he considers victory the only possible result to be obtained and the swearing in ceremony put a seal on the result that he demanded in the final weeks of the campaign.

The transfer of power had already begun over the last few weeks with the nominations of the Secretaries and other positions of authority. As we watched the inauguration these procedures had still not been completed. The performance of the nominees at the confirmation hearings has not satisfied completely satisfied the panels.

At the same time the presence of Republican majorities in both Houses, and in particular the Senate should ensure that the nominations will eventually be approved, probably with caveats on some of the nominees.

Shadows over Washington

In the meantime, the last few weeks have also cast shadows over the electoral victory that the newly sworn in President refuses to acknowledge.

The first of these was of course Hillary Clintons popular vote. In normal circumstances the incoming President #Donald Trump would extend his wings to enclose those who opposed him, but Trump has already shown that that he has little patience for dissenters to his victory. The reaction to John Lewis refusal to attend the inauguration was only one example of this intolerance to those who do not support him fully.

The second shadow looming over the inauguration of course came from the allegations of Russian hacking of the election and the latest news of alleged contacts between Trumps team and Moscow will do little to alleviate the distrust of some caused by the allegations. Denials will do nothing and the final word will only come when the American intelligence services finish their investigations and either supply definitive proof of the accusations, or sufficient proof to convince those who believe that there may be a root cause for the suspicions.

History on the making

In any case, todays inauguration ceremony was History in the making and in one way of another the event is already in the History books.

For the rest of the day President Donald Trump will be able to enjoy the limelight and savour the taste of victory sanctioned by the swearing in ceremony. But he would do well to remember that the ceremony was only the beginning of the four years of his Presidency and that the final judgments will only be made as a result of his actions and decisions in the Oval Office. From this day forth Trump will under the eyes of the world and the true judgments will begin once todays celebrations are over.
NCIS: Los Angeles bid a sorrowful farewell to actor Miguel Ferrer on Thursday morning. Ferrer, age 61, passed away following a battle with cancer. Currently starring as Assistant Director Granger on CBS Sunday night drama, the veteran actor leaves behind a resume that boasts credits that range from Crossing Jordan and Twin Peaks to Young Justice and Adventure Time.

NCIS: LA fans shocked

For fans, Ferrers death comes as a shock. A mysterious illness plagued Granger throughout season 8, pinching his features and bringing a gravely rasp to a once commanding voice.

What we thought was merely a feat of dedicated acting actually belied a real-life problem.

Today, NCIS: Los Angeles lost a beloved family member, showrunner R. Scott Gemmill said, according to Deadline. Miguel was a man of tremendous talent who had a powerful dramatic presence on screen, a wicked sense of humor, and a huge heart. Our thoughts go out to his wife Lori, his sons, and his entire family. He will be greatly missed.

As NCIS: LAs cast and crew work through their grief, the series creative minds must look to the future. Although Grangers recent encounter with a shiv has him laid up at the hospital, the prison incident will not spell his demise. Ferrer filmed until his untimely death, which means viewers will see Granger on screen for several weeks to come.

According to Deadline, the nature of the characters exit is currently unknown.

Whats next on NCIS: LA?

To divert our current sorrow, lets take a look at what the future holds for our fictional heroes. In the wake of Hot Water, the ever-prescient mole has the OSP crew twisted up six ways from Sunday. With Callen, Deeks, and Sam behind bars, Under Secretary Dugan pumped full of lead, and Hettys resignation in progress, the teams only lead has led them to the CIA.

After a week away, NCIS: LA will continue its high-octane rollercoaster ride in Under Siege.

Hetty goes rogue, leaving the NCIS team completely in the dark, and the mole kidnaps one of the agents, CBS teased.

Find out more when NCIS: LA return on Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
With only seven months remaining before the next general elections in Kenya, the formation of a united opposition party (NASA) is an indication that the East Africa economic powerhouse is ready to follow in the footpath of Nigeria, Ghana and now the Gambia in ending corrupt leadership and massive corruption that has engulfed Kenya for decades.

Tribal politics rife in Kenya

For Over fifty years since Kenya attained her independence many local communities have been politically sidelined. This has resulted in irregular economic development where only those regions perceived to be government friendly have benefited from government programs while those in the opposition have been ignored.

Many political analysts agree that the country has long been dominated by tribal politics, a move that has been acutely detrimental in the growth of the economy as well as national integration. The formation of a united opposition party that aims to bring together almost all the Kenyan communities may signal for the first time the will of the political class to bring together the more than forty two tribes.

Massive corruption in government

The current government came into office in 2013 with the promise to end corruption as well as address the rising unemployment. The available data however indicate that the Kenyan government has irredeemably failed to create jobs for millions languishing in abject poverty.

The world the bank report on Kenyas economic development further indicates that most of the jobs the government has been able to create are in the informal sector as well as other low productivity jobs.

Even as the government kicks off massive voter registration in readiness for the August elections, millions of Kenyans feel utterly disillusioned at the slow pace at which the incumbent government has implemented its manifesto especially in fighting massive corruption in ministries and other government agencies.

Doctors and lecturers on strike

Its now over a month and doctors are still on strike. University dons have also threatened to follow suit if the government does not pay them the agreed pack. Kenyas main opposition leader Raila Odinga has persistently decried the failure of the government to address the existing inequalities by better remunerating doctors and university lecturers as unacceptable failures of the present regime.

Government corruption is also at its historical peak. Despite loss of millions from government coffers, the Kenyan government has not successfully prosecuted a single suspect involved in mega scandals like the National Youth Service and the Euro-bond. According to the opposition party, the government has endeavored to maintain a status quo where the rich not only steal public money but also get away with impunity.

It is the electioneering year once again and the world is watching not only to ensure there will are credible elections but also to see how politicians re-align in readiness for August showdown. However, the errors and obvious miscalculations of the present regime may perfectly work to inspire the newly formed National Super Alliance party (NASA) to form the next government.
Ireland is working to act as a gateway for Chinese companies to access the European market, Irish State Minister for Financial Services Eoghan Murphy told China Daily.

Murphy was in Hong Kong to attend the 10th Asian Financial Forum on Tuesday, and discussed payment technology and cybersecurity.

"One of the industries we are growing in reputation is our financial technology and payment sector in international finance services," Murphy said.

"We are looking for new relationships to help existing businesses enhance their business, or help new businesses create opportunities."

The Irish government is working to build an ecosystem based on its talent pool to offer cutting-edge services in fintech and payment services to Chinese companies.

Ireland is banking on the Asian Financial Forum to build connections with the fund industry to cement the country's role as a fund administration and management center.

Murphy said Ireland and China are entering a key period in financial cooperation.

In December, Ireland became the 17th overseas jurisdiction to be granted a Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors quota to invest in the Chinese domestic bond and equity markets. The investment quota was 50 billion yuan ($7.29 billion).

Ireland is also keen to play a part in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

"Ireland has applied for AIIB membership and the process is going in a positive direction. All of this enables Ireland to be important gateway for mainland investors into Europe," he said.
There are only a handful of Chinese companies in Kentucky, but its governor wants to change that.

The first Chinese company ventured into Kentucky as late as 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 state.

For Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, this 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 Minister-Counselor Tian Deyou from the Chinese embassy, Governor 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. 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, and did not shy away from some sensitive issues which have arisen from recent acquisitions by Chinese companies in the state.

"There are people in this country worrying 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," Governor Bevin 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," Governor Bevin continued.
Beijing and Manila agree to manage maritime issue through consultation

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to visit China again and attend an international summit, after his state visit in October significantly improved China-Philippine ties.

According to an online statement by the Foreign Ministry, the Philippine president told visiting Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin in Manila on Tuesday that he will attend the International Cooperation Summit Forum on the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing in May, saying he is looking forward to meeting President Xi Jinping again.

Zhou Fangyin, a professor studying China's foreign policy at the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies, said Duterte's words show that the Philippines wants to "rank in the front row" among countries in terms of its economic and trade cooperation with China.

They also show that the Philippines has a "very positive attitude" toward the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road under Duterte's administration, and wants more pragmatic benefits from participating in the initiative.

The economic foundation for bilateral ties is likely to be strengthened after Duterte attends the forum, Zhou predicted.

During consultations Liu co-hosted with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, in Manila on Wednesday, China and the Philippines agreed that the South China Sea situation "is just a very small issue" compared with the friendly bilateral ties that keep strengthening. The two sides also agreed to set up a bilateral consultation mechanism over the South China Sea issue led by their foreign ministries.

Both sides believe they should properly handle disputes and promote pragmatic maritime cooperation before the issue is finally resolved, and they will work with other ASEAN countries to actively push forward negotiations over the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

Since being elected president, Duterte has shown his intentions to play down and resolve maritime disputes with China through negotiations, and paid a state visit to China in October, which significantly eased tensions.

His visit also saw the countries sign a wide range of cooperation deals, including for transportation infrastructure, agriculture, production capacity and investment.

Zhou said that neither China nor the Philippines likes to see the South China Sea issue blocking bilateral cooperation, and Duterte's position is clear: "He doesn't want outside forces to play up maritime disputes."
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.
Tseng Yu-chien at his recent visit to Beijing to promote his new album, Reverie. [Photo provided to China Daily]

When Tseng Yu-chien was 5 years old, his teacher called his parents to school because he sang Happy Birthday out of tune.

"She was worried about my hearing, so my parents, who were themselves teachers, enrolled me for violin lessons in the hope that through the process of learning the instrument, I could hear the intonations and imitate melodies," recalls Tseng, a musician who was born in Taipei.

After six months of learning, it turned out that Tseng not only had the perfect pitch but also could play the violin well. In a year, he was performing with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra.

In 2015, Tseng got his big break by winning the second prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, the highest prize in the violin contest since nobody won the first prize that year.

"One of the biggest challenges was physical strength," Tseng says about his experience of competing. "I didn't realize I was tired until the next morning after winning the award."

The 22-year-old violinist, who continues to pursue his master's degree at New York's Juilliard School, visited Beijing recently to release his new album, Reverie, for which he selected a variety of solo violin works and sonatas of famous composers that include Giuseppe Tartini's sonata in G minor, Chopin's nocturnes and Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst's Variations on the Last Rose of Summer.

Reverie was recorded by Tseng after he signed up with Universal Music in August. The album was released under the label Deutsche Grammophon.

"This album means a lot to me. It's a very personal collection of my favorite music," says Tseng, who gave the title of the album symbolizing "dreamy and beautiful music".

One of his favorite pieces in the repertoire is Mozart's Sonata K 454.

"When you play it with emphasis on the contrasts, emotion, energy and drama, the work has many shades of Beethoven, reflecting the violin's romantic spirit," he says.
Momentum is growing in Philippine political circles to prevent South China Sea territorial issues from hampering cooperation with Beijing, observers said.

The Manila Times reported on Tuesday that the Philippines and China will set up talks this year to settle sensitive issues, including the dispute in the South China Sea.

Philippine ambassador-designate to China Jose Santa Romana said the schedule of the meetings was under discussion and that talks would be announced soon.

The talks were part of the agreement between the Philippines and China during Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's state visit in Beijing in October 2016.

"The dispute will not serve as an obstacle in terms of developing relations. We will separate it so that we grow on a separate track," Santa Romana said at a forum in Manila on Monday.

Duterte has indicated that under his China policy, contentious issues will be discussed one by one with the use of "quiet diplomacy".

On Thursday, a Philippine lawmaker said the potential joint exploration of the South China Sea by the Philippines and China is allowed under the Philippine Constitution.

"The idea of coming to mutual agreement over natural resources is constitutional and has been beneficial in the past," Rep. Harry Roque said in a statement.

"An independent foreign policy demands that we ask ourselves a very simple question: Is it in the interest of the state to pursue such action? At the moment, my answer would be yes. While some of us can wait for another 10, 20 or 50 years to resolve a territorial dispute that has existed for decades, many Filipinos still suffer in poverty because of the lack of resources and opportunities in our country," he said.

Santa Romana previously said that the Philippines government is "seriously studying" the possibility of conducting joint exploration in the South China Sea with China.

Roque's position is shared by House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who said he supports efforts to study joint exploration.

Xu Liping, a senior researcher of Southeast Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said political circles in the Philippines are moving toward the idea of not letting territorial issues stunt cooperation with China.

Xinhua News Agency contributed to this story.

lixiaokun@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 01/06/2017 page3)
Marie Kondon offers cleaning tips to the whole world through her books. Provided to China Daily

Some people do not just build a brand, they are the brand.

Steve Jobs' black turtlenecks personified the Apple Mac user's inner artist. Donald Trump's larger-than-life personality is the bedrock for his eponymous business empire. And Marie Kondo is as compact, minimalist and poised as the homes rendered tidy by followers of her manifesto.

One of the world's top organizing consultants, Kondo is a best-selling author and cleanliness guru. Her company, KonMari Media, is on a mission to organize the world, one household at a time, and in her homeland of Japan her message has made her a celebrity. Internationally, she has gone on to "konvert" millions to her cause.

Two of her four books on eradicating household clutter have been published in English and have become global smash hits.

Her first, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has sold almost 6 million copies worldwide since its release in 2011. In the United States, it has sold 1.5 million copies and has stayed on The New York Times best-seller list for more than two years.

On the internet, Kondo's fans can be enthusiastic. They form support and advice groups, share photos and post updates on their tidying progress. Others dissect her philosophy, interpreting and adapting her manifesto to everything from sock folding to human relationships.

The more extreme followers  self-proclaimed Konverts  use her name as a verb. To "kondo" is the act of vigorous, heartfelt decluttering, as in such phrases as: "I'm just kondoing my closet."

From Kondo's writing, her personality can be perceived as quite intense and forthright.

"I think some readers do get that impression of me," she replied in Japanese, through an interpreter, "because I use a lot of declarative sentences in my books."

But Kondo, in the flesh, does not come across as intense. Petite, charming and demure, she seems not far removed from the distilled, Zen-like serenity she portrays in photographs. She sits straight-backed, her hands folding and refolding in her lap.

Getting information about her past is not easy. Outside of what she writes about herself in her books and blogs  an anecdote here, a TV interview there  she values her privacy.

"Having always been a recluse, obsessed with organizing, such privacy is important to me," Kondo told China Daily.

"It's been going well so far, particularly overseas. I don't get recognized in public so much just yet." She smiled, adding: "It's fine."

So, not quite your typical cult leader. And yet, according to Kondo's own story of how her life's work began, her mission may indeed be divinely inspired. She was only 16 when she believes a god spoke to her.

To some, the idea of a deity offering cleaning tips might be disconcerting, but for Kondo, tidying really has been her life's calling. At age 5 she was leading her mother in tidying the house. Later, in school, she preferred being class monitor to playing outside, spending recess organizing the classroom bookshelves.

The need to tidy became an obsession. She threw away family keepsakes and palmed off unwanted items as "gifts" to her younger sister.

But the heavens intervened when Kondo, trash bag in hand, decided to throw out everything in her bedroom. She looked at the mess and fainted.

When she awoke two hours later, there was a voice in her head. "Look at things more carefully," it said.

"I don't know whether it was an actual voice or a feeling that came from (within) myself," Kondo told The Times of London in January 2016. "I believe it was the god of tidying  That was the moment when I had my inspiration."

From that point, the trajectory of her work shifted. No longer was it about ditching the bad. Instead, the focus was on cherishing the good.

All items kept or disposed of would be thanked  even socks, before being folded, must be congratulated for their hard work. But only those things which are used or "spark joy" (tokimeku) are allowed to stay: Be it clothes or significant others.

"I believe (the method) applies to all aspects of real life," Kondo said, "because by cleaning your physical space you're honing your sensitivity in understanding your situation. This also applies to human relationships.

"A lot of my clients have really transformed the way they relate to their friends  and one of my clients broke up with a partner who wasn't quite working out."

Today, married and with a 1-year-old daughter, the idea of casting off people who fail to inspire joy perhaps has less appeal than when she was 19 and had just started making money tidying for clients. That was while studying at Tokyo Woman's Christian University.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up began as a stopgap: With so many customers needing her expertise, Kondo thought that she could help them go it alone with a simple guidebook.

"My method was pretty much established by the time I began writing the books," she said. "You could say it was 12 years in the making."

Writing that book took just three months.

"What happened was, I went to a seminar to learn book writing. And at the end of the seminar there was a presentation where you needed to pitch an idea for a book. There were about eight editors present. In fact, I won the competition, so that garnered a lot of interest."

When the book was launched in Japan, it was the right time  but for the wrong reasons. It was during the aftermath of the devastating nuclear accident and tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011.

The book beat all expectations. According to Kondo's editor, a profitable, popular book on the art of tidying-up might sell 300,000 copies. When it sold more than 1 million in Japan, she was "very surprised". People, it seemed, were looking to find order amid the chaos.

In the US, the English-language translation was published in 2014. It was lost in obscurity until a journalist from The New York Times wrote how she used the book's methods to clean her apartment. Almost overnight, Kondo crossed the Pacific.

Other translations followed, including Czech, Romanian, Korean and Vietnamese. And a Chinese-language edition was published recently.

"In Taiwan there has been really great feedback and my book has been doing really well," Kondo said. "But when it comes to the Chinese mainland, relative to the population, I think it could be doing much better."

In Japan, the business of training professional KonMari consultants began in 2014 and is well established. A roll-out in the US is now under way.

Becoming a consultant involves an intensive three-month course of seminars. That is followed "by an actual monitored test where you go to a client's home and write a report based on the experience. Then there will be a final certification exam," Kondo said.

The price of the course in Japan is 350,000 yen ($3,000). And even with a 30 percent failure rate, it has proved popular: Currently around 120 KonMari consultants work in the country.

Kondo anticipates that over the next year or so, courses will be extended to other English-speaking countries where her book sales have been high.

The next step is technology. A recently released KonMari app helps users check off what they have tidied, then share it with the global community. "Sort of a guideline to keep you on track," she explained.

"I am very much inspired by Uber and Airbnb," Kondo said, referring to the ride-hailing giant and home-stay network.

"I've always been inspired by people engaged in startups and new ventures because they're launching what inspires joy for them, so their energy always inspires me."
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan 18, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

When the United States gave up on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, many saw it was more than the unwinding of a trade deal, and instead saw it as marking the limits of the Pax Americana.

US president-elect 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.

The up-and-coming Pax Sinica faces the opposite challenge; ample resources but scant experience and no story, at least not yet. The 21st century requires a strong narrative from China. A genuinely successful Sino-Swiss FTA could be an important thread in China's narrative.

Order abhors vacuum and if the US withdraws, a superpower able to deliver the goods will be welcomed.

This week while Chinese President Xi Jinping was making global headlines with his strong statement for globalization, his deeds spoke even louder as China's State Council, the cabinet, liberalized services, mining and technology sectors. Of course, transitions to new orders are historically all but orderly.

For starters, the US might be skeptical of free trade arrangements but also scorn rival China initiatives. However, the US is not the ultimate consideration.

Nor can China inherit US-forged institutions and take them to new heights. China is not in a position to propose replacements for the TPP and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Unlike the US, it is in the process of transition, relying on forward-looking industrial policy to guide its economy through the treacherous middle-income trap. Thus China's offer will not include regulatory equivalency, open internet or labor standards, much less, limits on state subsidies and procurement, prime tools of East Asian state capitalism.

Less ambitious bilateral or regional trade arrangements would still add substantial value though. Another key is how wide sectors like telecom, finance, technology and others will be opened-up in China, since an attractive trade deal necessitates domestic reform. That means losers, as leadership abroad is inevitably linked with creative destruction at home.

Does a generous trade deal and prosperity constitute the entirety of China's narrative or will, if and when the US umbrella goes? Here the savoir faire related to crafting a stable comprehensive order and the attendant narrative emerges.

China can be extremely princely a partner as Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte can attest, but a case by case approach will not scale. Fortunately, China has also initiated the comprehensive and phenomenal Belt and Road Initiative. However, despite some very promising early elements such the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, plenty of conceptual works lies ahead.

What story can China propose? On Monday at a solemn signing ceremony, China and Switzerland committed to review and upgrade their FTA in two years. There is no doubt that both countries intend to make their FTA a comprehensive benchmark, but most importantly they will do so in the context of their "innovative strategic partnership".

Switzerland is today the world's most innovative nation while China's promise for tomorrow is to deliver innovation to the world. Now that is an attractive tale.

Beyond the official initiatives, non-State Chinese actors are also set to create new opportunities and massive new wealth around the globe by enabling and connecting people and enterprises.

The underpinnings of a Pax Sinica are being crafted. In the 21st century, the world expects a strong and whole narrative from China.

The author is a faculty member at the University of St. Gallen and its Institute for International Management (HSG-FIM).
Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin accepts a gift from China Minister-Counselor Tian Deyou on Tuesday at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky. [Photo by May Zhou/China Daily]

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 state.

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 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. 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?"
Over the past several months, Chinese have been paying an unprecedented amount of attention to American politics - on social media and at dinner tables. On Friday, a group of them will stand at the west front of the Capitol Building to see Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

"They are not here just to see a new US president or a businessman who becomes a president. They are here to see Trump," said Yang Jingzhu, founder of AmeriChina, which partners with US charities to bring Chinese clients willing to pay a high price as a charity donation to attend exclusive American events, including the Academy Awards and Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting.

"Unlike those annual occasions, this is a one-time historical event," she said.

Yang started marketing a $15,000 package to the official inauguration ceremony and the formal ball two days after Trump won the election.

Ding Chenling from Beijing is one of Yang's clients. He is the founder of Redbang, a Chinese internet celebrity consulting firm, and has written a commentary on the Trump phenomenon. The piece has been read by millions.

"I'm here to see Trump and to see how divided America is," said Ding, who had studied in the US as an exchange student 20 years ago. "I want to see how much has America changed."

LLL International Travel, a New York-based travel agency, is leading a group of Chinese businesspeople to participate in the inaugural events. A few of the people are on Hurun's China Rich List, though the agency declined to disclose their names.

"They want to witness this historical moment because Donald Trump is a very controversial figure. There is lots of curiosity," said Susan Chen, marketing manager.

"Secondly, it may be helpful for their business in the future. They can say, 'I attended the inauguration' if a conversation with the US comes up or so. And it's personal branding too," she said.

Yang said she expects to see a good number of Chinese, many of whom could be businesspeople, at the show. Tickets are available from various unofficial channels - individuals, travel agencies and organizations - if one is willing to pay for it.

"It's a good opportunity for networking and experiencing first hand the changes in American society, and to explore business opportunities," said Daniel Lou, president of Long Innovations International Group and a New York-based Trump supporter.

Chinese Americans also will be represented at the ceremony, including supporters, businesspeople and community leaders.

In a WeChat group, some 100 Chinese-American Trump supporters were discussing the plans for their victory trip. They rented Airbnb homes together, invited newcomers to crash on their sofas and shared traffic tips.

"It's a turning point in history. People are looking at how it goes," said Yan Xiaozhe, executive director of the Chinese Association of Iowa. "I want to hear Trump's speech. I also want to see protests on Saturday."

Contact the writers at hezijiang@chinadailyusa.com
China National Chemical Corp, or ChemChina, said on Friday that it has sought the US anti-trust regulator's approval for its planned $43 billion acquisition of Swiss crop protection and seed group Syngenta AG.

"We have filed an HSR Act with the FTC after good communications with the case team. We believe the US anti-trust process is on track," ChemChina said in an email, referring to the US anti-trust Hart-Scott-Rodino Act and the Federal Trade Commission, which oversees mergers.

A Syngenta spokesperson also confirmed the companies had recently submitted the transaction to the FTC after a constructive engagement with the authorities.

"ChemChina and Syngenta remain fully committed to the transaction and are confident of its closure," Syngenta said.

Sources close to the deal expected an approval soon, given the small revenue that ChemChina generates from the US via Adama, a maker of generic versions of pesticides without patent protection, and its minor overlap with Syngenta products.

The deal has already won approvals from regulators in several markets, including a US national security panel and Australia's competition watchdog.

Earlier this month, companies proposed minor concessions to the European Commission's competition watchdog with one source close to the deal estimating the overall divestment from Adama at less than $500 million.

Recently, the European Commission extended the deal review to April 12, and a top Syngenta executive said earlier last week that it was "highly optimistic that by the date we will have made sufficient progress in the US and EU to be going forward".
US Secretary of Transportation Designate Elaine Chao (right) and her father, Dr James S.C. Chao, talk to China Daily in an interview in Washington on Thursday. [Photo by Zhou Pai/China Daily]

Elaine Chao, the 18th US Secretary of Transportation Designate, feels she is fully prepared for the challenging job.

While the deteriorating infrastructure and transportation system has become a source of constant complaint in the US, Chao said she is "very sure-footed" for the job.

"There is a great deal to be done. And I am very confident that we will be able to do it," she told China Daily on Thursday, just a day before Donald Trump's inauguration as the 45th US president.

Chao said the top priority of the Department of Transportation is safety. The second is to address the deteriorating infrastructure, which impedes the US' competitiveness. The third is to focus on the future and deal with the emerging technologies that are changing the way Americans work and travel.

She would not say whether or not there were plans for high-speed rails or other major projects and where the funding will come from, saying the White House and Cabinet will discuss these matters once they are in place.

Having served eight years as Labor secretary under President George W. Bush, Chao is no stranger to the Department of Transportation. She was the deputy transportation secretary under President George H. W. Bush.

With her father, Dr. James S.C. Chao, sitting next to her, Elaine was excited that she and her father will be on the platform for Trump's inauguration on Capitol Hill.

She also said she was so happy that her father was able to be with her at her confirmation hearing on Jan 11 before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

"This is a special honor. This is not only a special event for her, but also for my family and all overseas Chinese," said the father.

The close family bond was obvious. During the Senate hearing, Elaine, with her father sitting behind her, started by talking about her unique family experience.

Her father grew up in a small farming village of just 10 families in China and then left everything familiar behind to build a better life for the family in the US. "Our family was separated for three long years before we were able to come to America, travelling by cargo ship on an ocean journey that lasted 37 days," she told lawmakers.

"There were many challenges during those early years especially, since we didn't speak English. I didn't receive my citizenship until I was 19 years old," she said.

She was a bit emotional too on Thursday, saying that "during that time, my father suffered greatly, and even when we came, we lived in a small one-bedroom apartment. He held three jobs. We didn't speak English. It was very hard."

She said her father and mother, Ruth Mulan Chu Chao, who passed away in 2007, never gave up.

"They were so optimistic and diligent and determined and passed that on to the children. So as children, we never felt insecure, because we were enveloped in the love of our parents, and the security of knowing they were always there for us," Elaine said.

The family's story is told in the recent book Fearless Against the Wind.

"I loved the title, because my father has been indeed fearless in the face of such adversity," said Elaine, who has five sisters.

She believes that if a young person thinks about moving ahead, the most important thing to have is interest. "You have to be interested. Because if you have interest, then you will have the courage, then the determination to move forward," she said.

Contact the writers at chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
Back to South Africa in 1989, people were fighting a battle against the forces of apartheid. They fought on behalf of the whole nation.

With the help of South Africa embassy in China, a Mandarin version of The Texture of Shadows, a fictional novel based around a group of such fighters, was unveiled on Thursday. It is the first novel by celebrated South African author Mandla Langa to be translated into Chinese.

Based on actual events, the book follows a band of exiled fighters from what was known as the People's Army. They decide to return to South Africa in 1989 on a dangerous secret mission after hearing a rumor that jailed African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela is to be released from prison and the ban on national liberation movements lifted.

The book sheds light on the struggle in South Africa between apartheid government forces and the ANC's armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), exploring the inside story of MK fighters and offering a frank view of the underbelly of the liberation movement, as well as the complex post-liberation narrative.

Rather than focusing on battles or weaponry, Langa focuses on the long transition from armed struggle and return from exile, delving deep into the reality that existed at the time.

The highlight of the book comes in the period from the end of 1989 to the beginning of 1990, a remarkable time in South African history.

"The characters were based on real people," the author said. "And inevitably the book has something of me' in it."

As a former freedom fighter himself, Langa chose writing as a way of recording stories from that period. Through writing, he could express himself and also recover from some of the trauma and pain.

"Mr Langa's novel cannot help but stir up all manner of thoughts in one's mind about where we as South Africans come from," said Ambassador Dolana Msimang, speaking at the South Africa embassy in Beijing.

She said she hoped the book would whet the appetite of Chinese readers and encourage them to enjoy more of South Africa's literature.
As the electrified Ethiopia-Djibouti train pulls out of Furi-Lebu station in Addis Ababa, Omar Nour cannot contain his excitement.

This is the Chinese way, fast and efficient, he says of the 120 kilometer per hour train after its inauguration in early October.

Chinas impetus to modernize and improve our infrastructure has a direct impact on our standard of living. Djibouti will become the gateway of the region, says the 60-year-old entrepreneur as he enjoys a ride on the $3.78 billion train during its official test run.

The 750 km track runs parallel to the now-abandoned meter-gauge line built by the French in 1910. Years of underinvestment have seen Ethiopia cut off from direct access to the port of Djibouti, where the landlocked country does around 70 percent of its trading. All freight is transported by road.

Convenience is what has Nour excited. As a meat exporter, prevailing circumstances have forced him to rely on road transport, which is risky, slow and most times affects the weight of his cows and goats. His abattoir is located in Ethiopia and his products take at least seven days to reach the port in Djibouti, a journey fraught with risks.

Construction of the modern track took just three years.

I am happy that it is finally complete, he says. I will be able to manage my costs.

He exports about 10 metric tons daily and predicts an upswing to a million tons over the next five years using trains with 3,000 tons gross capacity as he starts to trade with the Middle Eastern countries.

China has pushed the bar higher, he says.

According to African Development Bank Group, Africas prolonged underinvestment in transportation has resulted in dilapidated infrastructure. African countries on average invested 15 to 25 percent of GDP in transport infrastructure over the period 2005-12, while India and China invested about 32 and 42 percent respectively in the same period.

This underinvestment has resulted in Africa having considerably higher transport costs (as much as 100 percent) than other low-income developing countries.

The continents rail network represents just 5 percent of the 1 million km worldwide. As of 2015, China boasted 121,000 km of railways, the worlds second-longest network, including 19,000 km of high-speed rail, the longest such network in the world.

Rail infrastructure in Africa is skimpy and currently not as well developed as the road network, says Symerre Grey-Johnson, head of the regional integration and trade division at New Partnership for Africas Development, an economic development program of the African Union.

Investment in this subsector was never prioritized but the need for transborder infrastructure, which is fast and low-cost, is certainly urgent at the moment. This will especially support mineral-rich landlocked countries.

The colonial builders were not keen to promote intratrade, Grey-Johnson says.

He adds that Africas current campaign to industrialize makes rail infrastructure a necessity.

This is the only way the continent is going to build and sustain desired economic growth.

The Ethiopia-Djibouti railway traverses two countries, giving the former a faster route to the port. The standard gauge railway has been developed by China Railway Engineering Corp for the Ethiopian side, while China Civil Engineering Construction Corp completed the Djibouti side. China Export and Import Bank loaned 70 percent of the investment.

The railway is the first standard gauge electrified railway constructed in Africa by Chinese enterprises, says Li Changjin, chairman of the board of China Railway Group and China Railway Engineering Corp.

The standard of Chinas railway technology and equipment has reached first-class level, he says.

The African rail industry is estimated to be a $508 billion market. This includes current and proposed investments.

Access to affordable capital, a large presence in Africa and strengthened bilateral relations have allowed Chinese firms to clinch lucrative contracts such as the Lagos-Calabar and Lagos-Kano route in Nigeria, the Mombasa-Nairobi railway in Kenya, Chad-Sudan railways and Khartoum-Port Sudan in Sudan and the Angola-Zambia-Congo project. Recently, CCECC signed a $2.26 billion deal to build a new railway linking two cities in eastern Zambia.

Chinese firms are also eyeing projects in Senegal, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda to add to the feat of building the famous Tanzania-Zambia railway.

It is symbolic of ongoing relations between China and Africa, says Deniz Kellecioglu, economic affairs officer at the Macroeconomic Policy Division of the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa. Regional integration has been brought closer since this infrastructure, Ethiopia-Djibouti rail, will also interlink with the Kenyan SGR that connects South Sudan. It is a game-changer.

He says long-term investment promises to trigger the sustained economic growth that has been absent.

People will also start planning long-term and investing in sectors such as manufacturing. Thinking long-term is a global phenomenon, but the infrastructure deficit witnessed in Africa is proof that this has been lacking.

The direct benefits to be seen are reduced transportation costs, increased industrialization prospects and the establishment of new industries to support the railway sector. This is in addition to job-creation and capacity-building which make a direct contribution to GDP.

You only have to see the catalytic effect of what these projects do along the routes. Areas that previously had no access to water get boreholes. Locals become service providers for the projects, hence using more labor, says the ECA economist. He especially cites the Ethiopia-Djibouti electrified railway, saying this has taken energy closer to the people, thus driving socio-economic activities in rural areas.

Small and medium-sized entrepreneurs are the biggest beneficiaries of these projects.

More interestingly, remote territories will be opened up.

It will also cool neighborly tensions, since countries trading with each other tend to largely maintain peace, says Kellecioglu.

Unexplored areas mean untapped economic potential in the agriculture and mining, sectors that require an efficient transportation network.

But issues such as the displacement of people, unemployment as the network becomes more efficient and the rise of competing political interests have threatened to derail projects.

In Kenya, the Mombasa-Nairobi SRG has been severely interrupted by community disagreements over land compensation, labor disputes and environmental activists opposed to it cutting across a national park.

However, such problems have not occurred in neighboring Ethiopia, where Abebe Bayu, a journalist with Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation, says work has proceeded largely uninterrupted.

The buy-in from the citizens was huge as people look forward to the falling cost of imported products, he says.

Despite challenges, Chinese technology has transformed the rail infrastructure picture in Africa. In January 2004, at its 31st congress, the Union of African Railways proposed an integrated railway network on the continent. The construction of several regional railways was put on agenda. The proposal was that trans-regional rail infrastructure should follow the same standard.

The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway is the first modern electrified railway in an overseas market using complete Chinese standards and equipment, says Li of CREC. This success sets a good example for the export and popularization of the Chinese standard.

The Chinese standard has been applied in the Mombasa-Nairobi SGR railway that will extend to six countries in East Africa and in the coastal railway in Nigeria and Chad in West Africa, making it significant for the popularization of the Chinese railway standard in Africa and even in the world, Li says.

The African market is one of the major overseas markets for Chinese contractors, says Meng Fengchao, chairman and president of China Railway Construction Corporation. CRCC has been actively involved in sharing Chinas experience in railway construction with African countries and has been responsible for many building, repair and renovation projects.

As early as in 2006, the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation under CRCC helped Nigeria build the first modern railway with Chinese technology as standard, Meng said. Its success provided a reference point for the Ethiopian government.

But while the key visible contractors continue to be Chinese, French firms are also making headway in some West African countries. This has raised fears of disparate rail gauges and technology, disrupting the African dream of seamless integration. Several Southern African rail network use 1,067 mm track while the modern Chinese-built railways use 1,435mm.

But, according to Lin Xiaohua, CREC operation general engineer based in Addis Ababa, the issue of disparate gauges is not as much of an issue as some might think. Continent-wide, there are currently three places where lines of different gauges meet. One example is a link from Nigeria to Cameroon.

In addition, the problem of rail gauge compatibility is not limited to Africa. Europe and Japan both contend with similar challenges.

Lin also dispels fears that Africa is playing catch-up by adopting inferior technology. The Addis-Djibouti and Mombasa-Nairobi trains will run at 120 km/h while high-speed trains in China have reached 320 km/h.

This is what governments were comfortable with in terms of viability and affordability. The technology we have deployed is state-of-the-art. Moreover, when time comes, we can rehabilitate the infrastructure to enable locomotives of higher speeds to run on it, says the engineer.

It will take 15 to 20 years, depending on frequency of use, before any mechanical parts are replaced, according to Lin.

Nepad expert Grey-Johnson says the conversation on maintenance budgets needs to start now.

Just as other sectors such as health, education and security have been discussed in high-level meetings, African governments need to start discussing this as investment in these projects gains momentum.

Contact the writers at panzhongming@chinadaily.com.cn
Workers at the construction site of the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Kenya. Pan Siwei / Xinhua

Work is set to start this year on the challenging second phase of Kenyas standard gauge railway network development.

The northern corridor link, known as 2A, will be constructed by China Road and Bridges Corp, following commissioning of the project by the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Oct 19.

The Ksh 150 billion ($1.5 billion) project will extend from Nairobi to Naivasha, the countrys geothermal production center, located in the northwest of the city.

While this phase of the project is only 120 kilometers long, it is expected to take longer to construct owing to the mountainous terrain.

It is estimated it will take four-and-half years to complete, compared with the first phase  the 472 km Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway  which took just two years.

According to CRBC, the geographical conditions of Ngong Hills and Great Rift Valley are unfavorable and the terrain is complex.

To overcome the adverse conditions for phase 2A, we plan a large amount of high backfilling and deep cutting. For specific sections, we will construct slab-pile walls or retaining walls to prevent slopes from collapsing, a report from CRBC states.

The project will also involve the construction of four tunnels, the longest of which will be more than 4.5 km and the shortest half a kilometer. Nine long bridges will also be built, three of them more than a kilometer in length, with the longest being 6.7 km, traversing Nairobi National Park. It will be the third-longest bridge in Africa after October Bridge in Cairo, Egypt, which is 20.5 km long, and Third Mainland Bridge, in Lagos, Nigeria, at 10.5 km.

Commissioning the project in October, President Kenyatta urged communities along the route to cooperate with the contractor to ensure the project is completed on schedule.

Clearing the air over fears about land compensation  previously a source of major conflict between the contractor and local communities  Kenyatta assured residents that once the land is surveyed the National Land Commission will evaluate it and the affected people will be compensated. The compensation funds, he said, had already been set aside in the Railway Development Fund.

The president hit out at local leaders, including members of county assemblies, for allegedly inciting residents to attack SGR workers.

On Aug 28, a group of Masai youths attacked 14 Chinese nationals at the Duka Moja Railway construction site in Narok county, demanding job opportunities from the contractor.

Kenyatta advised residents to voice their grievances through official channels such as county governments, the Ministry of Transport and regional commissioners.

If you attack the workers, it means the project will be suspended, hence you lose your jobs. Please dont opt to do that, he said.

Atanas Maina, managing director of Kenya Railways, says the government has beefed up security to ensure that employees are not attacked.
Moving swiftly, the Centre on Friday night cleared an ordinance on Jallikattu, paving the way for Tamil Nadu government to promulgate it in an effort to end the protests that have paralysed the state for the last four days.

Following up on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, the Ministries of Home, Law and Environment vetted the state's draft ordinance and cleared the amendment that will denotify the bull from the list of "performing animals".

This will ensure that provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act will not apply to the bull.

The ordinance has been forwarded to the state government, a Home Ministry spokesman said. It has been sent without the need of referring it to the President of India.

Tamil Nadu Cabinet is expected to meet tomorrow morning to clear the ordinance and recommend it to the Governor Vidyasagar Rao for promulgation.

Rao, who is also Governor of Maharashtra, is reaching Chennai on Saturday morning.

Jallikattu bull-taming sport, an age-old annual event during Pongal is very popular in Tamil Nadu.

The Centre's move came as Tamil Nadu has been brought to a standstill by a shutdown and protests by students, youths and other sections demanding immediate staging of the traditional sport in Alanganallur, epicentre of Jallikattu, and other places.

The protesters have said they would not withdraw the agitation until the event is held.

Earlier, Panneerselvam, who stayed back in the national capital after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, announced on Friday morning that the state government would issue an ordinance in a day or two to allow Jallikattu.

He said legal steps would be taken to remove "all obstacles" in the way of holding the sport.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, on whom a large delegation of AIADMK MPs called, as also Environment Minister Anil Dave and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad gave assurances of early steps by the Centre to resolve the issue soon.

Parallely, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the Supreme Court that the Centre was in talks with Tamil Nadu to find a way out in the matter after which the court agreed not to pass judgement for a week on the Jallikattu issue.

With the Centre drawing flak, BJP sought to project that its government was actively engaged in resolving the issue.

The law minister said he has held discussions with BJP president Amit Shah on the issue, while Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan and Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundarajan flanked Dave when he met the media.

Though political parties have been kept away from the 'youth uprising', main opposition party DMK staged state-wide rail roko agitation, with its Working President MK Stalin leading the protests by squatting on tracks in Mambalam.

Stalin and Kanimozhi besides many DMK workers were arrested. Stalin has also announced that he will observe a day long fast on Saturday.

The call for general strike by various trade unions including those affiliated to DMK and the Left parties besides section of traders bodies led to a shutdown with shops and business establishments downing shutters and schools and colleges remaining closed across the state.

The Tamil film industry expressed solidarity with Jallikattu supporters, with top actors and actresses joining a silent protest. Film shootings were suspended for the day.

Superstar Rajinikanth, actors Ajit Kumar, Surya, Siva Karthikeyan besides actress Trisha, who had faced flak from the pro-Jallikattu groups for her perceived opposition to the sport by reportedly being associated with PETA, joined the silent protest.

Autos and call taxis kept off the roads even as few government buses plied on the roads. Banking operations took a hit with workers taking part in protests. Employees of various IT companies held placards and banners with slogans against NGO People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Many inter and intra-state trains were fully and partially cancelled while some others were diverted. The suburban EMU services ran late.

In Chennai, all roads led to Marina beach with men and women, clad in black, besides children joining the protest that has transcended political and other differences.

Photograph: PTI Photo
Observing that amazing things have happened over the last 10 years, the former US President Barack Obama on Friday said that all this could be accomplished because of the hope and believe that his country had in him.

Image: Former US President Barack Obama waves from a Marine One helicopter as newly-elected United States President Donald Trump walks with wife Melania Trump back to the Capitol Building after Trump is sworn in at the 58th Presidential Inauguration on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Photograph: John Angelillo/Pool/Reuters

"As I said in 2004, it wasn't blind optimism that drove you to do all this work, it wasn't naivete, it wasn't willful ignorance to all the challenges that America faces. It was hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty," Obama said minutes before boarding the Air Force One for last time, as is customary for former presidents after demitting office.

Roughly 1,800 people, many of whom had served in the Obama administration, were waiting for him as Obama landed at the Andrews Air Force Base on a military helicopter from the US Capitol after he handed over the baton to Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States.

The attendees included many senior members of Obama's White House staff, such as Denis McDonough, Valerie Jarrett, Susan Rice, Neil Eggleston, Jeff Zients, Megan Smith, Jen Psaki, Shailagh Murray and Josh Earnest, who had his son perched on his shoulders.

Recalling the time when he began his journey, Obama said he "did so with an abiding faith in the American people and their ability, our ability to join together and change the country in ways that would make life better for our kids and our grandkids".

Image: Obama embraces a staff member before boarding Special Air Mission 28000, a Boeing 747 which serves as Air Force One, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Photograph: Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Obama said the change didn't happen from the top down but from the bottom up.

"All of you came together and you decided to believe. You knocked on doors, made phone calls, talked to your parents who didn't know how to pronounce Barack Obama," he said.

Meanwhile, Obama's were headed to California for a vacation. They would soon return to Washington DC, where the former first family plan to stay in a rented house for their youngest daughter to complete her schooling.

"You proved the power of hope, and throughout this process, Michelle and we've just been your front men and women. We have been the face, sometimes the voice, out front on the TV screen or in front of the microphone," Obama said.

"But this has never been about us; it has always been about you. And all the amazing things that happened over these last 10 years are really just a testament to you in the same way that when we talk about our amazing military and our men and women in uniform, the military's not a thing, it's a group of committed patriots willing to sacrifice everything on our behalf," he said.

Image: Obama and his wife, Michelle, walk to board Special Air Mission 28000, a Boeing 747 which serves as Air Force One, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Photograph: Brendan McDermid/Reuters

"This is just a, this is just a, little pit stop. This is, uh, this is not a period, this is a comma, in the continuing story of building America," he said to laughter, searching for the appropriate words.

"We have got cool hardware, as cool as the machines as weapons and satellites are, ultimately it comes down to remarkable people, some of them a lot closer to Malia's age than mine or Michelle's. Well, the same thing's true for our democracy," he said.

The former president and First Lady then walked through a line of their supporters, formers aides, colleagues and friends, hugging and greeting them as they bid an emotional farewell to their former leader.

Several of Obama's aides brought their young children, who were playfully greeted by Obama.

The former First Couple were then escorted by military personnel to a red carpet that lead up to the US air plane. Obama held Michelle hands as he walked along the red carpet, surrounded by military guards saluting their former Commander-in-Chief.

AS the Obamas reached the plane's door, they stopped and turned around, smiling and waving goodbye, to the people gathered at the air force base and symbolically to Washington.
Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page.

Loading...

Checking your browser before accessing the website.

This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly.

Please wait a few seconds.
Concerns that not all of the unions will agree to ratify their labor agreements have caused rail shippers and other transportation industry stakeholders to push President Joe Biden to act.
HA NOI  Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Le Quoc Doanh signed a decision to cease imports of several nuts and seeds from Indonesia to Viet Nam due to a high risk of contamination from the seed beetle Caryedon serratus.

The MARD has decided to stop importing Indonesian seeds, including peanuts, sickle senna seeds, cocoa seeds and string bean seeds.

The seed beetle, which causes groundnuts infestation, belongs to the list of plant quarantine pests in Viet Nam and is neither native nor present on Vietnamese soil. It could cause severe damage to currently stored agricultural products, according to representatives from the MARDs Plant Protection Department (PPD).

The decision will be in effect 60 days from January 19.

While the decision has yet to be put into practice, Doanh urged the PPD to conduct strict quality control regulations and pest quarantines on imported Indonesian shipments of peanuts, sickle senna, cocoa and string bean seeds.

The PPD will soon deliver official statements to authorised agencies on plant and pest quarantines in Indonesia to have a more throughout the solution.

In 2016, more than 5,000 tonnes of imported goods from Indonesia to Viet Nam through the Cat Lai Port and Hai Phong were discovered by the plant quarantine authority of the PPD to be contaminated with live Caryedon serratus beetles.

In the span of 11 days--from January 5, 2017 to January 16, 2017--the PPD discovered 40 more containers with nearly 1,000 tonnes of Indonesian peanuts infested by the same seed beetle.

In accordance with world regulations and Viet Nams own regulations on plant quarantines, the PPD has sent multiple notifications to Indonesias National Plant Protection Organisation.

On January 6, the MARD issued a decision to stop importing tamarind from Indonesia for the same reason, but the situation has yet to improve and no response from Indonesian authorities had been received by their Vietnamese counterpart.  VNS
Residents in Ban Thach craft village in Quang Nam Province.  Photo phapluathcm.vn

HCM CITY  With only a few days left until Tet (Lunar New Year), artisans in craft villages are scrambling to make products like sticky rice cakes and other traditional cakes, jams, dried shrimp and others to supply to the market.

Tet is the time of peak demand for these products, with every family buying various kinds of cakes, jams and others to offer guests, wish hosts a happy new year or for themselves to enjoy together.

In Vinh Hoa village in the central Nghe An Provinces Yen Thanh District 210 families make sticky rice cakes, an item liked throughout the country.

Before Tet each of them increases production by 100-150kg of sticky rice compared to other times.

Bui Thi Nhung of the village said she has got five times more orders from Vinh city and its neighbouring districts than last year.

Nguyen Mao, chairman of the villages Hop Thanh Co-operative, said local products are very diverse and not restricted to sticky rice cakes.

They are sold outside the province including in Ha Noi and HCM City, he said.

Artisans in many craft villages in Tra Vinh Province are busy. Nguyen Thi Diem, the owner of Tra Cuon sticky rice cake establishment in Cau Ngang District, said she has increased production from 7,000 cakes a day to 9,000 because of large orders.

Bui Van Chuong, head of the Tan Phat Loi Dried Shrimp Co-operative in Ca Mau Provinces Ngoc Hien District, told Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Sai Gon) that orders for the co-operatives Rach Goc dried shrimp are too large to meet.

It, therefore, gives priority to supplying regular customers, Chuong said.

Because demand for the product is high while supply is limited, prices have been increased by 20-30 per cent, he added.

In ong Thap Province, the Lai Vung District Peoples Committee said production of fermented pork roll at the Lai Vung village has been increased to meet the rising demand in markets in the region as well as Ha Noi and HCM City.

Price stabilisation

To ensure prices do not suddenly rise during Tet, many provinces have price-stabilisation programmes.

Tran Quoc Tuan, head of the Tra Vinh Province Department of Industry and Trade, said seven enterprises are taking part in a VN57 billion (US$2.5 million) price-stabilisation programme.

According to Can Tho city Department of Industry and Trade, supermarkets have plentiful stocks and stable prices.

Can Tho is the main retail market in the Mekong Delta, and so market management authorities are co-operating with relevant agencies to strengthen inspections to prevent fake goods and sudden price hikes.

Le Minh uc, head of the Long An Province Department of Industry and Trade, said provinces in the region have signed an agreement with the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade to assist each other with goods supply during Tet.

If any province faces a shortage of any item during Tet, it would be helped out by other provinces, he said. VNS
HA NOI  Vietnam Oil and Gas Group topped the list of 500 leading companies announced at a ceremony in Ha Noi yesterday. It was followed by Samsung Electronics Vietnam Co Ltd, Viettel Group, Electricity of Viet Nam, and the Vietnam National Petroleum Group.

The annual event, the 10th of its kind, was held by the Vietnam Report Company to honour businesses for their excellent performance in the 2015 fiscal year.

The largest private businesses on the list were Truong Hai Automobile Co Ltd, Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk), DOJI Gold & Gems Group, FPT Corporation, and Vingroup.

According to Vietnam Report, one of the key strategies that Viet Nams biggest companies are pursuing to increase competitiveness is embarking on core business fields.

They also move to improve labour productivity; keep and increase domestic market shares; and make inroads into the global market, the report said, adding that the equitisation of State-run businesses and the development of private ones have also helped to boost economic recovery in recent years.

Big companies have also focused on providing transparent information, developing management strategies and expanding export markets to reach those in the region and beyond.

Vietnam Report also announced the Top 50 Vietnam list, The Best 2016 list and The Top 50 Most Profitable Large Enterprises 2016.

The company also released a bilingual White Book featuring the 10-year development path of major Vietnamese enterprises from removing bottlenecks to creating a healthy business environment. -VNA


Hong Van

With its karst topography and poetic peaks, the northwestern province of Bac Kan offers travelers majestic landscapes and exciting discoveries. One of them is Hua Ma Cave in Quang Khe Commune, a hidden gem of impressive stalactites and mysterious legends.

Hua Ma Cave is located within the Ba Be National Park, about 80 kilometres from Bac Kan City. Soon after my local friend and I left the city, peaceful scenery unfolded in front of our eyes. From afar we could see the mountains playing hide-and-seek with the dawn fog. The first rays of sun shining on the reeds blowing in the wind created a perfect painting, dotted with smiling local farmers, their cattles and market stalls along the road.

I knew that we were getting nearer to the cave when I felt the cool breeze from Ba Be lake. Passing by a village of a local ethnic minority, we eventually reached the foot of the mountain, where Hua Ma Cave lies.

The cave "hangs" in Leo Pen Mountain, more than 300 metres above sea level. There was a convenient staircase leading up and the walk took about 15 minutes. My friend and I met only two other travelers along the way and soon we reached our target.

We reached the entrance gate of the cave, and once inside, we went from surprise to surprise. The deeper we went, the more it offered. The cave turned out to be much bigger than it appeared, more than 300 metres long and nearly 60 metres deep.

There were curving limestones looking like rice terraces and 10-metre-high stone pillars resembling those found in ancient temples and pagodas. Stalactites of various sizes and shapes adorn the cave throughout.

It was cool and a bit humid inside, which is why tourists go there in summer rather than winter.

It was so quiet we could hear your own breath. But the silence added to a sense of creepiness, that was not alleviated when my friend told me about a local legend.

Leo Pen is said to have been inhabited by ghosts. They could be heard howling from the cave every day when the sun went down. It was so scary that no one dared approach.

One day, as the sun was setting, a troop of soldiers passed by Leng River in this area. They were about to cross the river to get to the neighboring village to rest. But their horse started whinnying and refused to cross the river. At the same time, a howl echoed from the side of Leo Pen Mountain.

Finding it strange, the commander of the troops asked local residents about the sounds and was eventually told they were made by the spirit of dead soldiers. The soldiers, so the legend goes, helped the royal court fight against an enemy who was so strong and fierce that the soldiers had to hold him in the cave. But the enemy then filled the entrance so that the soldiers could not get out.

On hearing this, the general decided to carry out a ritual, offering horses to the gods. When the ritual ended, the howl also stopped and the locals never heard it again. The area was then abandoned and over the years grew the beautiful stalactite like those we see today, said my friend.

In 2005, a group of international archaeologists examining the cave found some porcelain items from the Le and Mac dynasty of the 16th and 17th centuries. The collection included broken white-glazed plates and bowls with blue patterns.

These items may have been produced in ancient ceramics kilns in Hai Duong Province and belonged to a group of people who inhabited the cave.

The cave was open to tourists only in 2007. There are two gates to the cave: one on the mountain side, the other from Leng River. One can choose to climb the staircase or kayak on the river to Hua Ma Cave.

I love the cave. It was bigger than I expected. While it is majestic inside, the landscape leading to it is also splendid. We saw some bats. We definitely had a good time, said my new friend, Frenchman Calypso Jaladeau whom we met on the way.

We had lunch at a local restaurant recommended by my local friend and it was a perfect ending to a magical journey.  VNS
DAVOS  Viet Nam will focus on developing human resources, science and technology in a bid to keep pace with the fourth industrial revolution, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said yesterday at a debate in Davos, Switzerland about the future of production.

At the session, which forms part the 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, he noted that Viet Nam can no longer count on exhausting natural resources and cheap labour to achieve a fast and sustainable growth in the new era.

He briefed participants at the prestigious summit of the worlds political, economic and business leaders about Viet Nams renewed growth model that emphasises improved growth quality, labour productivity and economic competitiveness, as well as the development of sectors with high added value, scientific and technological applications and a highly skilled workforce.

He affirmed that businesses are positioned as the centre of Viet Nams renovation course and pledged to create a fair and favorable business environment.

Up to 110,000 new businesses were set up in 2016, he said, reporting on the countrys 2020 goal of having over 1 million new enterprises and assisting 600 businesses with 2,000 creative start-up projects in order to help them access novel technologies. In addition, he said, Viet Nam will speed up international integration in order to nurture renovation and creativity.

Focus on IT

PM Phuc also had a candid dialogue with the chief executive officers of leading IT groups, on the margins of the WEF.

He said information technology is booming in Viet Nam, especially in industry, agriculture, transport, healthcare and education. In fact, he added, Viet Nam has been one of the highest growth information technology and telecom markets in the world over the past decade.

Nearly 60 per cent of the countrys population under the age of 35 are able to access new technologies, while over half of the population is using the internet, he noted.

Last year, Viet Nam exported over US$55 billion worth of mobile phones, computers, cameras, and accessories. The country was also listed among the top 10 software outsourcing providers in the Asia Pacific region and among the top 30 in the world.

By 2020, Viet Nam strives to rank among the top 10 suppliers of software outsourcing and digital content in the world, with around one million workers in the field of information and technology, the PM said.

Viet Nam is due to host the APEC Summit in 2017 under the theme Creating a new driving force for a common future, he said, noting that promoting information technology innovations will be one of the most important forces to enhance competitiveness in the digital era.

Whether the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement is approved or not, Viet Nam still has dozens of trade agreements, including an FTA with the European Union, and other relevant pacts, he said.

Viet Nam has continuously pursued its policy of trade liberalisation and customs reform, particularly the application of e-customs, he said, adding that the Southeast Asian country is one of the few nations in Asia to grant e-visas to foreign tourists.

VN-WEF partnership

Viet Nam and the World Economic Forum (WEF) earlier on Wednesday have signed a partnership agreement to support the countrys economic development as the Fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds.

Viet Nam has recorded tremendous success in reaching middle-income status in just a few decades and we look forward to helping the country navigate the new global context so that it is able to raise growth and living standards even further, WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab said at the signing ceremony on Wednesday afternoon during the 47th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Under the agreement, the Forum will work with Viet Nam to assess the countrys preparedness for the transformation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The agreement will bring together the Forums ongoing initiatives in Viet Nam, which cover areas such as food security, trade, infrastructure and the future of manufacturing, and launch new ones. The work will focus on the Forums capacity to convene expertise on issues related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to understand what impact this will have on issues such as development models, industrial structures, and the inclusiveness of growth.

WEF will connect Viet Nam with a network of leading businesses and experts and also help the country improve its human resource capability by receiving Vietnamese officials for internship programmes at WEF bodies.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said he hopes the co-operation with WEF will contribute to future-proofing our economy and ensuring that our citizens continue to benefit from out development journey.

Earlier, in his talks with Schwab, Phuc had asked WEF to continue organising its forum on the Mekong Region, a Vietnamese initiative which was held for the first time last October.

He also expressed his hope that WEF will provide the country with policy consultations on hi-tech agricultural development and improving national competitive capability.

Bilateral talks

The PM engaged in various activities on the sidelines of the WEF annual meeting over the last two days in Davos.

In his meeting with World Bank (WB) President Jim Yong Kim yesterday, PM Phuc said that Viet Nam appreciated WBs role and its contribution to the socio-economic development of the Southeast Asian nation.

He also extended to President Kim an invitation to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Summit to be hosted by Viet Nam this year, which Kim gladly accepted.

Phuc asked the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to support Viet Nam in the implementation process of the WTO pacts, trade negotiations and dispute settlements as he met with WTO Director-General, Roberto Azevedo.

Alibaba Group Founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma, meanwhile, told PM Phuc in their meeting that his group was developing a co-operation plan with Viet Nam with a focus on digital technology.

In his talk with Austrian Prime Minister Christian Kern on Wednesday, the two leaders agreed that bilateral relations had seen positive developments. They agreed to convene a meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Economic and Trade co-operation and organise activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2017.

PM Phuc urged Austria to recognise Viet Nam as a market economy and push for the European Unions signing and ratification of the Viet NamEU Free Trade Agreement. He also asked Switzerland to support Viet Nams candidacy for a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020-2021.

At a meeting between the Vietnamese leader with President of Asia Development Bank (ADB) Takehiko Nakao, the two sides agreed to implement various projects on infrastructure development, climate change response, economic restructuring, and poverty reduction.

PM Phuc asked ADB to continue supporting Viet Nam in transport infrastructure development, energy, administrative procedure simplification, and trade and investment facilitation in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS).

He invited the ADB President and other leaders to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum High-Level Week in the central city of a Nang and related meetings later this year in Viet Nam.

In response, Nakao pledged to extend preferential credit for Viet Nam until 2019 and help the country launch projects within the framework of GMS co-operation.

At a meeting with the President of Microsoft Corporation, Brad Smith, PM Phuc asked the corporation to continue its investment in Viet Nam while also supporting the country in high-tech transfers. Smith said the corporation wants to intensify co-operation with Viet Nam in cyber security, human resource training and software industry development.

VN welcomes global media

Meeting with foreign media, PM Phuc affirmed that the country always welcomes international media to the country to cover its development and global integration.

Asked about Viet Nams policies on investment attraction and ties with important partners, he said Viet Nam boasts a vibrant economy with an annual growth of 6 per cent-plus over 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.

He also invited the international media to cover activities of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Year in Viet Nam this year.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ha Noi Peoples Court on Thursday sentenced two men to jail for cheating labourers of over VN4 billion (US$180,000) with promises of finding them jobs abroad.

Vu Xuan Thanh, 30, a resident of Hoang Mai Districts Hoang Van Thu Ward in Ha Noi, was handed a 20-year sentence, while Ly Van Minh, 28, a resident of Thieu Hoa Districts Thieu Hop Commune in Thanh Hoa Province, will spend four years in jail.

As per the indictment, in 2010, Petro Vietnam Machinery-Technology Joint Stock Company (PVMachino) set up an overseas manpower supply and services centre, PVManning, whose main job was to send labourers abroad. In 2013, PVManning opened a labourer training centre in Ha Nois Van Khe new urban area. The centre, however, was not registered so it did not have its own account or stamp. Thanh was invited to work at the centre and his job was to find and introduce local labourers to the centre so that they could enrol in its vocational training and foreign language courses.

In May 2014, PVMannings officials instructed the Van Khe labourer training centre to stop all activities after figuring out that it was violating rules. However, Thanh and Minh continued to approach labourers as Van Khe centre officials who could help them find jobs abroad.

From May 2014 to May 2015, Thanh collected VN3.7 billion from 32 labourers. He would issue receipts himself and also get money from labourers via brokers. From April 2014 to July 2016, Minh collected VN380 million from five labourers whom he promised jobs abroad.

At the trial, Minh returned VN320 million to the victims he had defrauded.  VNS
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.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am delivers speech at a national conference in Ha Noi on Wednesday to review media performance in 2016 and set tasks for 2017.  Photo vtc.vn

HA NOI  Following the rapid development of information technology and the proliferation of various news sources, demand for updated information is rising, provoking fierce competition among media agencies, Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am said at a national conference in Ha Noi on Wednesday to review media performance in 2016 and set tasks for 2017.

According to a report on journalism work in 2016, the media followed the leadership of the Party and State, providing prompt, accurate, and comprehensive coverage of political and socio-economic issues affecting the country and the world, while serving as a trustworthy forum for the people.

The sector made significant contributions to the success of the 12th National Party Congress and the election of deputies to the 14th National Assembly and the Peoples Council at all levels for 2016-21. The press promoted achievements in the course of the renewal process, suggested solutions to various matters and combated corruption, wastefulness, and social evils. Journalism also acted as an external information service, promoting the image of Viet Nam and upholding the nations position in the international arena.

However, problems remain in press activities, including violations in the licensed principles of media organisations, as well as inaccurate information impacting the national interest and the prestige of organisations and individuals.

Speaking of challenges faced by Vietnamese journalism, Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am mentioned the financial burden many newspapers suffer to maintain their operation and improve the life of employees.

Following the development of diversified sources of information, the Deputy PM urged Governmental sectors and agencies to adapt to changes so as to actively provide information, and prepare officials with the necessary skills to deal with misinformation.

am also highlighted the importance of codes of ethics and journalists initiatives in establishing clubs and forums on major social issues. This will help ministries and sectors strengthen the provision of information for the media.

I hope that Vietnamese journalism will always maintain the trust of the community, society, and people, so that incorrect and misinformed news sources will be reduced and not harmful to the public, he said.

Vo Van Thuong, head of the Party Central Committees Commission for Publicity and Education said that the fourth industrial revolution and the development of digital technology have had a significant effect on media technology, requiring journalists to improve their knowledge and skills so as to avoid lagging behind.

He called on media, in the future, to continue focussing on the dissemination of the 12th Party Congress resolution and central resolutions, and the fight against corruption and wastefulness.

Journalism must be a forum for people to express their opinions and put forward solutions for socio-economic development, defence and security, he said.

He also requested media agencies pay attention to improving professional skills for journalists and ensure journalistic ethic codes are implemented.  VNS
HA NOI  Online services for exchanging old notes for new ones mushroom in the days prior to the Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays, although the activity is illegal and charges fees ranging from eight to 120 per cent in some cases.

The service meets the high demand for small notes and new notes to be given as "lucky money" to children during the holiday, as well as to be offered in pagodas during Tet, because the State Bank of Viet Nam had not provided sufficient small notes to commercial banks for their clients, reported the Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper.

With a click, people in HCM City, for example, can easily access a Facebook account named oi tien moi, oi tien le HCM. The service offers to exchange new notes of VN500 (2 US cents); VN1,000 (4 cents); VN2,000 (8 cents); VN5,000 (22 cents); VN10,000 (44 cents); VN20,000 (88 cents), VN50,000 ($2.3) and VN100,000 ($4.3).

A service fee of 120 per cent is charged for VN500 notes; 50 per cent for note of VN1,000; 20 per cent for notes of VN2,000 and VN5,000, 10 per cent for notes of VN10,000 and VN20,000 and 8 per cent for notes of VN50,000 and VN100,000.

In Ha Noi, people also easily find many such service providers by typing oi tien le moi or  oi tien moi le. The VN1,000 notes go for a service fee of 30 per cent; 10 per cents for VN5,000 notes and 15 per cent for notes of VN10,000 and VN20,000.

People are also interested in buying foreign notes, including $2 notes considered lucky, and banknotes of other countries, such as those of Bhutan, Myanmar and Brazil that feature animals considered holy in Vietnamese tradition - a dragon, a kylin, a turtle and a phoenix. The dragon symbolizes power and strength, the kylin is believed to be a creature that protects people from bad luck, the turtle is a symbol of health and longevity, and the phoenix represents beauty and wisdom.

A service provider in HCM Citys Nguyen Kiem Street said people had to pay VN55,000 ($2.5) to buy a $2-note.

In Ha Noi, the owner of a Facebook account that exchanges foreign notes said people had to pay about VN54,000 to buy a $2 note.

Several online websites charge customers about VN400,000 ($18) to buy a $2 note of lucky money for 2017, the Year of the Rooster, and VN160,000 ($7) for a collection of notes printed with the four holy animals.

A note of VN20,000 - the version issued in 1991 by the State Bank of Viet Nam - is offered at VN45,000.

Nguyen Hoang Minh, deputy director of the State Bank of Viet Nams HCM City branch, said the money exchange services are illegal. Minh said the branch had set up teams to inspect and deal with such services. The branch also sent a message ordering staff not to abet the money exchange providers, he said.  VNS
HA NOI  As many as 16 million of the 17 million pre-activated SIM cards that were recalled nation-wide have been locked by service providers on January 15.

This was revealed at a meeting organised by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) in Ha Noi on Thursday to review the confiscation of pre-activated SIM cars.

Last November, the ministry had ordered mobile network providers to recall pre-activated SIM cards in a bid to reduce spam text messages and improve security.

The recall of pre-activated SIM cards in the city has seen positive results, representatives of Ha Nois Department of Information and Communications said at the meeting. It has reduced the sale of pre-activated SIM cards dramatically, and it has changed peoples habit of purchasing a pre-activated SIM card and abandoning it after a short period.

This is the first time that 16 million SIM cards have been retrieved. It means that 16 million subscribers have been returned to the countrys digital reserves for reuse, said Truong Minh Tuan, Minister of Information and Communications.

Tuan credited the success of the drive to the co-operation between telecom companies and SIM card stores, and peoples awareness on the need to follow the law on SIM card registrations.

Creating an archive of SIM card users nationwide is necessary to secure national security and social order, the minister said. It will help reduce spam text messages that have become a huge annoyance to mobile users as well as guard consumer interests.

Five mobile network providers - Viettel, VNPT (VinaPhone), MobiFone, Gtel Mobile and Vietnammobile - had signed a commitment to recall pre-activated SIM cards from November 1.

To end the sale and use of unregistered SIM cards, the ministry is drafting an amendment to Article 15 of Government Decree No 25 that was issued in 2011.

The amendment will increase the fine imposed on network providers, distribution agencies and customers who violate regulations on registering, storing and using mobile phone subsribers information.

The general directors and directors of mobile and telecommunication enterprises will have to pay a fine of VN180-200 million (US$8,100 to 9,000) if their companies are caught violating contract procedures, general trading conditions, and rules on registering and storing mobile accounts information, the ministry said.  VNS
HCM CITY  Doctors at HCM City Paediatrics Hospital on Wednesday operated for seven hours to remove a large tumour that had spread to the brain of a 20-day-old infant.

The infant girl, weighing 3.5 kilos, was brought to the hospital last week with a congenital tumour.

Diagnostic imaging showed that the tumour was at risk of blocking an airway, which could lead to respiratory failure.

Dr Phan Minh Tri of the hospitals General Surgery Ward said that immediate surgery was needed.

The hospitals doctors planned to divide into two teams, including surgeons specialising in tumours in infants and those specialising in neurosurgery.

Initially, the surgeons specialising in infant tumours decided to remove the tumour on the neck and chin and the neurosurgeons the rest of the tumour.

However, in the surgery room, they discovered the tumour was too large and attached to many nerves. They changed their plan and worked together to operate for around seven hours.

The infant has recovered without a respiratory machine.

Dr ao Trung Hieu, the hospitals deputy head, said the tumours spread from the chin to the brain was a rare occurrence. A similar case occurred in the US in 2004.

If an ultrasound had been done while the mother was pregnant, the tumour would have been detected.

However, Le Hoai An, the mother, said that because of financial difficulties she had chosen not to have an ultrasound scan and pregnancy exam near the end of her pregnancy.  VNS
HCM CITY  Several major hospitals in HCM City are struggling to get crucially-needed special drugs because a legal hitch has suffocated supply. They say they might have to get around the law to ensure sufficient supply during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday and beyond.

Habit-forming drugs, psychedelic drugs, pre-substances, and radioactive drugs - falling under the particular group of medicines that requires enhanced management - are caught in the transitional period between old and new provisions of the Pharmacy Law, which takes effect starting from 2017.

In Viet Nam, even after a law takes effect, official instructions are issued before concerned agencies start implementing it.

Since the guidance instructions have not yet been issued for the new law, many drug suppliers have had no choice but to temporarily halt the sale of the special drugs, leaving hospitals scrambling to obtain them, from each other, if possible.

The Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City, a special centrally-run hospital, receives some 330 patients to its Emergency Room each day, almost half of them traffic accident victims. Besides 130-150 patients are operated on each day for various conditions.

However, the hospitals pharmacology department has scant supplies of specially-controlled drugs, including anesthetics and painkillers like Ketamine and Midazolam  particularly needed in traffic accident emergencies. The stock of drugs like diazepam and morphine sulfate is set to run out in a few days at most.

The Analgesia Department under the hospitals Oncology Centre has proposed many alternative drugs to the hospital management, but just one has been deemed acceptable.

Meanwhile, Cho Ray has petitioned the Ministry of Health for instructions on the supply of the special drugs, but has yet to receive a response.

Category V drugs that are of irreplaceable importance in treating patients, especially in emergencies, like Diazepam or Morphine (both as tablets and injections), Ketamine, Midazolam and Tramadol, are still proving very hard to obtain.

According to the hospital, in order to ensure an adequate supply for the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday and afterwards, the hospital has placed orders for the special drugs with contracted pharmacy companies as per a backup plan approved by the HCM Citys Department of Health, but to no avail.

Written approval

Both Central Pharmaceutical JSC No.1 (CPC1) and Central Pharmaceutical No.2 (Codupha) said they are currently not allowed to sell these drugs due to the amended Law on Pharmacys Clause 1, Article 34, which provides that only companies that have received approval in written form from the State management agencies can sell these drugs.

The 30/4 Hospital under the Ministry of Public Security shares Cho Rays plight.

Nguyen Van Khoi, Deputy Director of the 30/4 Hospital, said that at the beginning of the month, the hospital received a notice from Central Pharmaceutical No.1 announcing a temporary halt to the sale of specially-controlled drugs since the company is yet to get written approval.

Khoi said that since his hospital does not have the capacity to store large volumes, it has been suffering from a serious shortage of these drugs and the pharmacy department has had to negotiate and borrow from other hospitals. However, since other hospitals are not faring any better, their generosity is running thin and all sources are running dry.

In desperate cases, we have to resort to using alternatives, the effectiveness and the safety of which remain a concern. And we cant tell patients that they are being administered alternative drugs, Khoi said.

At the HCM City Medical University Hospital, stocks are likely to run out after a few weeks. The hospital is preparing a dispatch to send to the Ministry of Health regarding this issue.

According to the Health Ministry, only five pharmaceutical companies are qualified to import and sell the special-category drugs: Codupha, CPC1, Central Pharmaceutical No.3, Saigon Pharmaceutical Company (Sapharco), and HCM City Medical Import Export JSC (Yteco). These big five are allowed to supply said drugs to hospitals across the nation.

Bui Huu Hien, Deputy General Director of Codupha, said that without express written permission from the Health Ministry, their hands are tied even though we are not short of the specially-controlled drugsbut they have to remain in storage.

Hien said many hospitals are demanding the drugs, but he cant do anything, so he redirects them to the Agency of Drug Administration (under Health Ministry) to air their grievances.

Only after Tet

A representative from the Agency of Drug Administration said that the instruction decree will be issued, but only after the Tet holiday.

The decree on implementation of the amended Law on Pharmacy is still being reviewed by the government and is expected to be promulgated after Tet, he said.

But for some hospitals, this might be too late, because they cannot keep up their normal operations without these special drugs and may be forced to break the law.

The Tuoi Tre newspaper (Youth) has reported that a pharmaceutical company has dispatched urgent emails to hospitals in HCM City and other regions, including private clinics, saying the interruption in supply of specially-controlled drugs this month was due to an unexpected lapse in the implementation of State legislations.

Curiously, the emails also advised hospitals how to exploit a "loophole".

Basically, for the time being, the hospitals can still purchase the drugs they need, and the company will date the invoice December 2016 - prior to enactment of the amended Law on Pharmacy, making the purchase/selling supposedly legal.

Hospitals in dire need of the special drugs have said they might have to circumvent the law this way.

Hospitals under the management of HCM Citys Department of Health, anticipating problems in the transitional period between the old and the new law, have stocked up and managed to avoid the paucity of specially-controlled drugs that their counterparts under the management of Ministry of Health are suffering from.  VNS
DAVOS, Switzerland  Prime Minister Theresa May told the worlds 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 Trumps inauguration as US president, sought to reassure the World Economic Forum in Davos that Britains 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 Chinas 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 said he hoped investors would be reassured after May "set (her plan) out so clearly today".

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 on Thursday there "will be more job movement" out of the banks 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 Mays negotiating strategy is taking shape -- though they said the proof will be in her much-trumpeted trade deals.

Murray Rode, CEO of US-based Tibco Software whose European headquarters are in London, said May clearly meant to convey that "Britains going to be separate but global, so everybody calm down".

"But its 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 Britains 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.

Dont 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 Frances Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault.  AFP
WASHINGTON - Donald Trump became the 45th president of United States on Friday, ushering in a new political era that is cheered and feared in equal measure.

The 70-year-old Republican billionaire placed his left hand on a bible used by Abraham Lincoln and recited the 35-word oath spoken since George Washington, and then launched into a much-anticipated inaugural address.

"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," Trump told a crowd of hundreds of thousands massed on the National Mall.

"Together we will determine the course of America, and the world, for many, many years to come," he said.

"From this day forward, its going to be only America first."

Trumps inauguration caps the improbable rise to power of the Manhattan real estate mogul, who had never before held elected office, served in the government or the armed forces.

A crowd of hundreds of thousands looked on, including outgoing president Barack Obama and Trumps defeated election opponent Hillary Clinton -- who narrowly missed out on becoming Americas first female president.

"Ive been waiting for this for a long time," said Thomas Mendenhall, 68, a retired banker from Missouri. "We just want change."

Meteoric political rise

When Trump descended the escalators of his glitzy New York tower in June 2015, his run for office was dismissed and even mocked.

His staff, many shunned by friends for supporting a man who has been labeled a racist and bigot by his critics, will become power players in the White House.

In the primaries, Trump dominated a crowded Republican presidential field with smash-mouth rhetoric and star power. He rode that same wave of anti-elite sentiment to victory over Clinton in the November election.

For Trumps critics, there was disbelief that a man who 19 months ago hosted "The Apprentice" is now leader of the free world.

A short distance from the steps of the Capitol, where Trump was sworn in, police fired gas to disperse protesters. Stones were thrown and windows broken.

A 27-year-old financial worker from Tampa Bay in Florida, who did not want to give his name for fear of retaliation by his employer, said Trumps election victory had left him fearful.

"There is nothing to hope for except for grassroots efforts to oppose him," he said. A bigger anti-Trump rally is planned for Saturday.

Time-honored traditions

At 70 years of age, Trump is the oldest man ever to begin work in the Oval Office.

He has vowed to tear up Obamas policies and re-examine decades-old alliances with Europe and in Asia.

Beginning Friday, his team plans a rolling series of daily executive orders to roll back Obamas agenda.

But he enters office with a 37 percent approval rating, the lowest on record, according to a CBS News poll.

His inauguration was notably more sparsely attended than that of Obama in 2009 and 2013.

Many will look to Trumps inaugural speech for efforts to unify a country divided by politics -- and increasingly, by culture.

The most noted inaugural addresses had sought to lift Americans gaze up from the rancor and troubles of the day toward the horizon and a better tomorrow.

Inaugural addresses -- from Lincoln to John F. Kennedy -- echo across American history. Phrases like "malice towards none" and "ask not what your country can do for you" have been carved into the vernacular.

Trump aides are promising an address that is at once short -- at around 20 minutes -- and philosophical.

Earlier in the day, Trump had traced the steps of many presidents past, attending a prayer service at St. Johns Church before heading to the White House, where he was greeted warmly by Obama.

"Mr President-elect, how are you?" Obama asked his successor, after having deposited a letter in the Resolute desk and left the Oval Office for the last time.

After his speech, Trump will attend a luncheon inside the Capitol, before heading back to the White House to begin the business of governing. -- AFP
WATERLOO  A Black Hawk County jury has found a Waterloo man guilty of breaking into a home while armed with a revolver and chasing a man before firing a shot.

Jurors deliberated for part of Thursday before finding Tanzell Martrell Washington, 23, guilty of first-degree burglary, going armed and assault while participating in a felony following a day and a half of testimony.

Sentencing will be at a later date, and Washington remains in custody until then. The burglary charge carries up to 25 years in prison, and going armed and assault while participating in a felony are each punishable by up to five years in prison.

Assistant County Attorney Brad Walz said Washington phoned Aryon Appleby, the mother of his children, on Feb. 5 and then arrived at her home on Randall Street around 10:50 a.m. When she refused to let him enter, he kicked open the door and approached Allen Gary who was inside, authorities said.

Gary ran from the house, and Washington followed and fired a shot, Walz said. Gary wasnt injured and fled to another house.
CEDAR FALLS  A judge has given the green light for trial in the case of a Cedar Falls man accused of attacking two people with a knife in October.

Adam Scott Jacobsen, 29, is charged with two counts of attempted murder. But in November, a judge granted a stay in the case and ordered a mental health evaluation after Jacobsens attorney raised a competency issue.

Last week, Judge Andrea Dryer ordered the case be set for trial after Jacobsen was found competent to stand trial. A Feb. 14 trial date has been scheduled.

Authorities said Jacobsen stabbed Jeffrey Miller 24 times and Denice Bennett eight times before Bennetts boyfriend drew a pistol and ordered Jacobsen to the ground. The attack happened Oct. 17 at University Studios apartments where Bennett was an assistant manager and Miller and Jacobsen were tenants.

After the stabbings, Jacobsen told police God told him to kill demons, according to court records.

His mother said he has been suffering from schizophrenia, had been attempting to find placement in a care facility and was hospitalized in September and released about two weeks before the incident.
CEDAR FALLS  Vikki Brown has been marching since the age of 11. Shes not slowing down now.

Brown, now 65, marched with the Childrens Crusade in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963 as part of the civil rights movement. The Waterloo resident will join countless others across the nation Saturday in the Womens March.

Brown will be one of the speakers at the Des Moines rally  more than 600 marches are planned around the country along with the main event in Washington, D.C.  but she knows sometimes actions speak louder than words.

I can show you better than I can tell you, Brown said. She agreed to speak because, If theres anything that I can do to involve people, thats what Ive always done my whole life.

Brown was among about two dozen activists who met at the Cedar Valley Unitarian Universalists on Wednesday night to prepare for the rallies. More information about the events is available at https://www.womensmarchiowa.com/.

Some simply came to help make signs. Others will join Brown in Des Moines. At least one will be heading to Washington, D.C.

Moria Brown of Cedar Falls said now that shes retired from teaching she has the time to make the trek to the nations capital. She couldnt resist joining the cause.

I want to be there. I want to sense it. I want to be in the middle of it, Moria Brown said. Im doing it because Im able to do it, and willing.

She initially planned to join the march in D.C. to be a part of a group for healing purposes. Then she found fellowship among others in the Cedar Valley who were disappointed in the presidential election results.

But supporters stressed the rally is not solely a protest of incoming President Donald Trumps administration.

Not a protest

Julie Russell-Steuart of Reinbeck said she is going to Des Moines because of the mission statement of the Womens March, which focuses on protecting our rights, our safety, our health, and our families and recognizing the strength of the nations diverse communities.

Im not protesting, but I also feel like its sort of inescapable that this whole group and this march could be seen as a protest march. But  we want this to be an encouraging thing, especially as we have a lot of work to do, said Russell-Steuart.

She used her home printing press to produce signs that read Our minds, our bodies, our power.

Like many attendees, part of the reason she planned to attend is for her daughter and to protect abortion rights and womens health. Others focused on the desire to keep the Affordable Care Act and their support for womens rights, human rights and civil rights.

This is not something that were just doing for this one day; this is something that weve always been doing, Vikki Brown said.

There may be more momentum now because of unhappiness with the election results. This is something that is going to continue.

Going forward

Russell-Steuart said she hoped to learn more from the rally about how she can continue to stay active beyond Saturday.

Im sure there will be a lot of networking going on to figure out what we can do next, Russell-Steuart said.

Moria Brown plans to get more active, calling on lawmakers and speaking out on issues or legislation.

Erin Cornelius of Cedar Falls was active on Facebook before the election. She has continued her activism online after being incredibly upset at the election results. While she wont be able to march, Cornelius helped make signs, and more importantly, she is keeping people politically active in the community.

The group Direct Action Cedar Valley meets regularly at the Cedar Valley Unitarian Universalists. The meetings are at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays but will move to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays in February.

I think the next four years youre going to see a very active resistance and very active populace saying, Hey were not OK with these things, Cornelius said. Were protesting ... but its also active, asserting what are our rights and that we will not slide back as a country 100 years.
MARBLE ROCK -- The name of a woman killed in a car crash near Marble Rock on Friday has been released.

Troopers say Ronda Boekemeier, 46, of Rockford, died Friday when her northbound Chevrolet Traverse crossed the center line and hit a southbound Ford F-350 pickup.

The crash happened about 7 a.m. on Highway 14 between 270th and 280th streets.

The driver of the pickup, Rodney Tudor, 51, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, according to an Iowa State Patrol crash report.

His condition was not immediately available Saturday afternoon.

The crash is under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.
WATERLOO  Gunfire struck a home and a parked vehicle Wednesday night.

No injuries were reported, according to police.

Neighbors on Logan Avenue called 911 around 8:15 p.m. after hearing several gunshots and seeing people fleeing the area. A house at 707 Logan Ave. and a vehicle parked in the driveway were hit, according to the police report.

Officers found a number of spent shell casings in the street.

No arrests have been made.

Man charged in cannon death

MANCHESTER (AP)  An eastern Iowa man has been charged in the death of a woman who died after being injured by a homemade cannon.

Max J. Fenton, 29, of Greeley was charged Wednesday in Delaware County Court with involuntary manslaughter and released. Hes scheduled to appear in court Feb. 1.

The charges stem from the night of July 2, when court documents state Fenton fired an improvised cannon. Part of the cannon, which was made from a sawed-off barrel of a .50-caliber, black powder rifle, failed and sent fragments toward spectators.

Authorities say Lori L. Heims, 55, was hit in the head. She later died at University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics.
DES MOINES  Legislative Democrats say school officials are warning they face larger class sizes, teacher layoffs and other cutbacks even if they receive the 2 percent boost in state aid Gov. Terry Branstad has proposed.

Minority Democrats said Thursday K-12 schools have been underfunded for six years and are slipping  especially in rural areas.

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.

A survey of 140 school administrators found nearly 83 percent favor a boost in state aid to K-12 schools of 4 percent or higher in fiscal 2018. The survey of school superintendents found 71 percent envision larger class sizes, 61 percent expect teacher lay offs, 58 percent will reduce class offerings and 65 percent will delay purchases of textbooks and classroom materials if the state aid boost is 2 percent.

Part of the problem with the low funding has been our rural districts, and all of you know that when a school dies in a 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.

Republicans who hold majorities in the House and Senate are working to cut $118 million from the current years budget. They hope to set school spending by mid-February.

We continue to make very good progress, said House Majority Leader Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights, of the fiscal 2017 de-appropriations bill. I think were very close.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock, was optimistic lawmakers will soon turn their attention to school funding.

Branstad proposed a 2 percent boost for each of the next two fiscal years. Legislative Democrats said Thursday that is not enough, and they fear GOP legislators would set funding even lower.

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 Republicans are looking at major mid-year cuts to higher education when revenues are strong and reserves are full.

Dix said the state was put in this position by Democrats who previously controlled the Senate with a never-ending appetite for taxpayers money.

Thats what has really led to the situation that were in, Dix said. 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.
Q. Regarding the police captain and lieutenants with the city of Cedar Falls getting raises: Isnt this a major injustice to all the other city employees to have just these two positions in the police department signaled out to do a rate study and comparison on and then give them raises?

A. Cedar Falls Public Safety Director Jeff Olson responds: "The city identified a possible pay compensation difference between the police supervisors in Cedar Falls and other Iowa police departments. A salary compensation for the police supervisors was conducted and the compensation was considerably less. A comprehensive compensation study has not been conducted in Cedar Fall for city employees for over 20 years. The city may conduct such a study in the next year for other city employees."

Q. Who is the current public works director for the city of Cedar Falls? And what are his qualifications to hold this position?

A. City officials respond: Mark Ripplinger is currently the director. He has been employed with the city of Cedar Falls since 1990 and has held positions as planner, park division manager, director of human and leisure services and was appointed director of municipal operations and programs during a reorganization in 2014. Before being employed with the city, he practiced landscape architecture in the Chicago area and Des Moines. He holds a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture from Iowa State University and a master's degree in public policy from the University of Northern Iowa.

Q. Who won the $1,000 Thanksgiving giveaway?

A. The $1,000 winner was Joann Stryker from Billings, Mont.

Q. When someone says, "It's the best on the planet," does planet mean the whole world?

A. We think so, yes.

Q. How can I get hold of legislators Sandy Salmon and Craig Johnson?

A. Reach Salmon by phone at (319) 987-3021 or email at sandy.salmon@legis.iowa.gov. Reach Johnson at (319) 327-4713 or craig.johnson@legis.iowa.gov.

Q. Did the group who recorded "Sweet Home, Alabama" die in a plane crash?

A. It was first recorded by the band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Three members of the band did die in a crash in 1977. The band has toured and recorded since then with different combinations of musicians.

Q. Where are the Goodwill retail outlets in the area?

A. There are Goodwill stores at 4318 University Ave., Cedar Falls; 2332 Crossroads Blvd., Waterloo; 300 Enterprise Court, Independence; 13 S. Frederick Drive, Oelwein; and 13 S. Frederick Drive, Waverly.

Q. When do they plan to install street lights on University Avenue?

A. Cedar Falls Community Development Director Stephanie Houk Sheetz replies: "Streetlights are becoming functional as electrical work is being completed. So far, lights are working on the south side of University Avenue from Boulder to Dallas Drive as well on the north side from Dallas Drive to Grove Street. In the coming weeks more lights will be illuminated."

Questions are taken on a special Courier phone line at 234-3566. Questions are answered by Courier staff and staff at the Waterloo Public Library.
January 18, 2017

On Jan. 17, Irans moderate President Hassan Rouhani held a press conference on the one-year anniversary of the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Rouhani addressed a range of issues, including the implementation of the nuclear deal, the countrys economic situation and the termination of sanctions. He also responded to questions about rumors that the Guardian Council intends to disqualify his expected bid for re-election in May, the house arrests of the Green Movement leaders and US President-elect Donald Trumps disparaging remarks about the JCPOA.

In its Jan. 18 edition, the ultra-conservative Javan newspaper focused on Rouhanis reaction to a question about Trump: Things went out of Rouhanis hands and caused him to recite the Quranic verse But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you [2:216] for Trump, who has said that he doesnt like the JCPOA instead of bringing up legal reasons [for his opposition]. He [Rouhani] then said this historic sentence: The JCPOA is good for America, but he [Trump] doesnt get it.

Under the headline Wear [your] glasses, the hard-line Vatan-e-Emrooz on Jan. 18 noted the part of the press conference in which Rouhani sarcastically addressed domestic critics of the nuclear deal in saying, Some say we cant see the effects of the JCPOA: So wear glasses or cure yourself [of poor vision].

The hard-line daily then slammed Rouhani for his repetitive talk and the claim of the JCPOA affecting the economy and [peoples] livelihoods [positively].

Do not push us to fight the Guardian Council. Our relationship with the Guardian Council has always been good.  Do not pay attention to these rumors. Rouhani said laughingly in response to a question about his possible disqualification as a candidate in the upcoming May 2017 presidential elections. This answer led the conservative Sobh-e-No daily, which is close to Tehran Mayor and potential presidential candidate Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, to choose the headline Rouhanis Doubt. Of note, the conservative-dominated Guardian Council is tasked with vetting candidates.

It can be understood from the presidents answers that he himself has doubts about his candidacy in the [presidential] elections.  Many of the Reformist figures have recently said that Rouhani is their final candidate, but they also have emphasized on the matter that due to their fear of unexpected events, they are willing to have one or few candidates beside Rouhani, Sobh-e-No reported on Jan. 18.

Reformist newspaper Etemaad in its Jan. 18 edition focused on Rouhanis response to a question about the issue of the house arrests of the leaders of the Green Movement, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. We need the Islamic Republics consensus.  We are hopeful; we would like some issues to happen tonight and not tomorrow, Rouhani said at the press conference.

Moreover, Sadegh Zibakalam, an outspoken Tehran University professor, wrote in Etemaad on Jan. 18, Mr. President doesnt formally announce his decision to run in the coming presidential election because he knows that the attacks against the government and himself will increase. He also knows that [if he announces his bid for re-election] the hard-liners activities to prepare the ground for disqualification [in the May 2017 vote]  will increase. What is very important for Mr. Rouhani in the 2017 elections is to attract the gray votes. Of note, gray votes refer to the section of the Iranian electorate that usually does not intend to vote, but whenever it does turn out, it manages to shift election results, such as in the 2013 presidential elections that brought Rouhani to power.

Meanwhile, the Reformist Aftab-e Yazd newspaper praised Rouhanis approach in the press conference. Yesterdays press conference was successful and fruitful. The reason for this can be summed up in one point: President Hassan Rouhani is the man of dialogue and not monologue.  The head of the administration can explain his achievements once the situation becomes challenging, Aftab-e Yazd wrote Jan. 18.
past daily news Sep 13 (1) Sep 09 (15) Sep 06 (12) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (10) Aug 31 (17) Aug 29 (14) Aug 26 (13) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (12) Aug 19 (21) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (10) Aug 10 (10) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (10) Aug 06 (10) Aug 05 (8) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (14) Jul 29 (1) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (10) Jul 22 (11) Jul 19 (16) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (10) Jul 15 (13) Jul 12 (7) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (11) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (8) Jun 28 (7) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (8) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (9) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (9) Jun 18 (8) Jun 15 (9) Jun 13 (13) Jun 11 (11) Jun 09 (19) Jun 06 (10) Jun 04 (10) Jun 03 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (5) May 30 (5) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (7) May 26 (6) May 25 (4) May 23 (6) May 22 (6) May 21 (4) May 20 (7) May 19 (9) May 18 (4) May 17 (6) May 16 (5) May 15 (7) May 14 (3) May 13 (3) May 12 (9) May 10 (3) May 09 (7) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (5) May 05 (8) May 03 (9) May 02 (1) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (8) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (7) Apr 26 (12) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (8) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (5) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (1) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (2) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (2) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (10) Apr 04 (2) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (9) Apr 01 (7) Mar 31 (10) Mar 30 (6) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (10) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (10) Mar 22 (6) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (11) Mar 19 (8) Mar 18 (5) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (7) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (8) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (12) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (8) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (8) Feb 28 (7) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (6) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (1) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (2) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (6) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (6) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (2) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (8) Jan 30 (2) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (1) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (4) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (2) Jan 20 (2) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (6) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (1) Dec 31 (5) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (2) Dec 17 (1) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (2) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (7) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (2) Dec 08 (2) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (1) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (5) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (10) Nov 28 (6) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (6) Nov 19 (2) Nov 18 (5) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (5) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (9) Oct 30 (9) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (6) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (6) Oct 22 (4) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (4) Oct 12 (7) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (10) Oct 07 (1) Oct 06 (10) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (8) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (1) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (6) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (6) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (5) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (6) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (8) Sep 05 (6) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (5) Aug 31 (8) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (6) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (7) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (7) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (8) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (8) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (10) Aug 02 (9) Aug 01 (8) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (11) Jul 27 (10) Jul 26 (10) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (8) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (1) Jul 16 (10) Jul 14 (7) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (11) Jul 11 (7) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (8) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (6) Jul 03 (7) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (2) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (5) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (8) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (7) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (8) Jun 08 (8) Jun 07 (8) Jun 06 (10) Jun 05 (14) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (6) Jun 02 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (7) May 30 (2) May 29 (7) May 28 (7) May 27 (2) May 26 (4) May 25 (5) May 24 (4) May 23 (5) May 22 (5) May 21 (5) May 20 (3) May 19 (10) May 18 (6) May 17 (3) May 16 (6) May 15 (2) May 14 (3) May 13 (5) May 11 (1) May 10 (5) May 09 (3) May 08 (4) May 07 (2) May 06 (4) May 05 (6) May 04 (5) May 03 (5) May 02 (1) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (7) Apr 28 (8) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (14) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (1) Apr 21 (8) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (1) Apr 15 (8) Apr 14 (1) Apr 13 (7) Apr 12 (10) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (2) Apr 09 (2) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (6) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (9) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (11) Mar 23 (10) Mar 22 (9) Mar 21 (10) Mar 20 (11) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (7) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (9) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (13) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (6) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (9) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (8) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (7) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (9) Feb 08 (8) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (10) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (2) Feb 03 (8) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (5) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (7) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (7) Jan 26 (8) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (6) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (8) Jan 17 (12) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (8) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (6) Jan 10 (7) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (9) Jan 04 (9) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (8) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (1) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (4) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (12) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (7) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (1) Dec 15 (7) Dec 14 (10) Dec 13 (7) Dec 12 (12) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (6) Dec 08 (7) Dec 07 (12) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (13) Dec 04 (6) Dec 02 (8) Dec 01 (8) Nov 30 (6) Nov 29 (7) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (8) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (11) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (6) Nov 16 (11) Nov 15 (10) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (5) Nov 11 (12) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (14) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (11) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (11) Nov 03 (9) Nov 02 (10) Nov 01 (8) Oct 31 (12) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (11) Oct 26 (13) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (10) Oct 23 (8) Oct 22 (5) Oct 21 (11) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (6) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (9) Oct 13 (10) Oct 12 (11) Oct 11 (9) Oct 10 (10) Oct 09 (7) Oct 08 (5) Oct 07 (10) Oct 06 (9) Oct 05 (14) Oct 04 (9) Oct 03 (12) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (9) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (7) Sep 28 (13) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (7) Sep 22 (10) Sep 21 (12) Sep 20 (12) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (11) Sep 15 (8) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (8) Sep 12 (8) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (10) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (9) Sep 07 (8) Sep 06 (11) Sep 05 (2) Sep 04 (8) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (9) Aug 31 (9) Aug 30 (7) Aug 29 (9) Aug 28 (4) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (5) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (2) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (6) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (6) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (7) Aug 06 (7) Aug 05 (7) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (11) Aug 02 (6) Aug 01 (9) Jul 31 (11) Jul 28 (7) Jul 27 (11) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (1) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (2) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (8) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (7) Jul 15 (4) Jul 14 (2) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (10) Jul 11 (11) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (5) Jul 06 (6) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (6) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (3) Jun 30 (8) Jun 29 (5) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (11) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (7) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (6) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (6) Jun 09 (8) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (8) Jun 06 (7) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (7) Jun 03 (1) Jun 02 (9) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (8) May 30 (7) May 29 (5) May 28 (5) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (3) May 23 (5) May 22 (2) May 21 (3) May 20 (7) May 19 (11) May 18 (1) May 17 (7) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (4) May 11 (11) May 10 (2) May 09 (6) May 08 (6) May 07 (2) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (8) May 02 (4) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (13) Apr 28 (5) Apr 27 (7) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (2) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (9) Apr 21 (11) Apr 20 (2) Apr 19 (2) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (6) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (2) Apr 12 (9) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (6) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (10) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (9) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (6) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (8) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (10) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (6) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (6) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (9) Mar 08 (10) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (2) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (8) Feb 26 (9) Feb 24 (11) Feb 23 (8) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (8) Feb 20 (7) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (6) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (11) Feb 13 (2) Feb 12 (5) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (10) Feb 08 (9) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (2) Feb 05 (9) Feb 03 (7) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (7) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (5) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (7) Jan 24 (8) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (14) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (10) Jan 18 (11) Jan 17 (9) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (10) Jan 06 (8) Jan 05 (7) Jan 04 (9) Jan 03 (8) Jan 02 (5) Jan 01 (14) Dec 30 (13) Dec 29 (13) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (5) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (7) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (5) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (9) Dec 16 (8) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (8) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (17) Dec 09 (8) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (10) Dec 06 (12) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (8) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (7) Nov 30 (9) Nov 29 (6) Nov 28 (11) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (15) Nov 24 (7) Nov 23 (15) Nov 22 (9) Nov 21 (6) Nov 20 (11) Nov 18 (11) Nov 17 (13) Nov 16 (8) Nov 15 (13) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (7) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (13) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (6) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (8) Nov 03 (9) Nov 02 (8) Nov 01 (6) Oct 31 (10) Oct 30 (8) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (8) Oct 27 (15) Oct 26 (10) Oct 25 (10) Oct 24 (13) Oct 23 (9) Oct 21 (8) Oct 20 (13) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (8) Oct 16 (14) Oct 14 (9) Oct 13 (11) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (13) Oct 10 (7) Oct 09 (15) Oct 07 (7) Oct 06 (11) Oct 05 (18) Oct 04 (14) Oct 03 (1) Oct 02 (10) Sep 30 (11) Sep 29 (11) Sep 28 (11) Sep 27 (15) Sep 26 (7) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (11) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (17) Sep 20 (20) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (11) Sep 16 (10) Sep 15 (12) Sep 14 (9) Sep 13 (12) Sep 12 (14) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (8) Sep 09 (9) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (13) Sep 06 (15) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (11) Sep 03 (10) Sep 02 (12) Sep 01 (12) Aug 31 (14) Aug 30 (14) Aug 29 (8) Aug 28 (8) Aug 27 (9) Aug 26 (12) Aug 25 (6) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (12) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (6) Aug 19 (9) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (7) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (12) Aug 12 (15) Aug 11 (11) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (7) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (7) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (5) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (9) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (8) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (6) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (6) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (15) Jul 15 (14) Jul 14 (5) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (12) Jul 11 (8) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (11) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (10) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (10) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (7) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (7) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (11) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (14) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (8) Jun 09 (9) Jun 08 (11) Jun 07 (14) Jun 06 (16) Jun 03 (8) Jun 02 (12) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (7) May 30 (15) May 28 (7) May 27 (5) May 26 (21) May 25 (14) May 24 (10) May 23 (7) May 22 (8) May 21 (11) May 20 (5) May 19 (4) May 18 (10) May 17 (11) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (7) May 13 (12) May 12 (10) May 11 (7) May 10 (13) May 09 (4) May 08 (7) May 07 (3) May 06 (6) May 05 (9) May 04 (14) May 03 (7) May 02 (10) May 01 (10) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (9) Apr 28 (5) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (8) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (14) Apr 22 (16) Apr 21 (11) Apr 20 (7) Apr 19 (16) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (8) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (11) Apr 12 (10) Apr 11 (8) Apr 10 (12) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (13) Apr 07 (9) Apr 06 (11) Apr 05 (15) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (15) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (11) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (10) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (7) Mar 27 (12) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (8) Mar 24 (7) Mar 23 (15) Mar 22 (17) Mar 21 (9) Mar 20 (8) Mar 19 (4) Mar 18 (16) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (19) Mar 15 (13) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (20) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (11) Mar 09 (13) Mar 08 (13) Mar 07 (7) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (16) Mar 02 (16) Mar 01 (13) Feb 29 (8) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (16) Feb 26 (10) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (12) Feb 23 (14) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (8) Feb 19 (12) Feb 18 (12) Feb 17 (11) Feb 16 (8) Feb 15 (9) Feb 14 (7) Feb 13 (10) Feb 12 (11) Feb 11 (13) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (13) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (11) Feb 03 (7) Feb 02 (19) Jan 31 (21) Jan 29 (11) Jan 28 (10) Jan 27 (13) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (2) Jan 23 (8) Jan 22 (13) Jan 21 (11) Jan 20 (9) Jan 19 (13) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (11) Jan 15 (7) Jan 14 (13) Jan 13 (9) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (7) Jan 07 (6) Jan 06 (11) Jan 05 (7) Jan 04 (7) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (8) Jan 01 (5) Dec 31 (10) Dec 30 (9) Dec 29 (7) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (1) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (6) Dec 23 (6) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (6) Dec 20 (7) Dec 19 (13) Dec 18 (16) Dec 17 (10) Dec 16 (13) Dec 15 (11) Dec 14 (8) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (9) Dec 11 (10) Dec 10 (12) Dec 09 (10) Dec 08 (13) Dec 07 (7) Dec 06 (12) Dec 05 (8) Dec 04 (11) Dec 03 (12) Dec 02 (16) Dec 01 (14) Nov 30 (10) Nov 29 (11) Nov 28 (15) Nov 27 (16) Nov 26 (11) Nov 25 (9) Nov 24 (13) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (1) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (11) Nov 17 (11) Nov 16 (10) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (10) Nov 13 (14) Nov 12 (8) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (10) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (11) Nov 06 (12) Nov 05 (17) Nov 04 (12) Nov 03 (11) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (12) Oct 31 (11) Oct 30 (11) Oct 29 (10) Oct 28 (18) Oct 27 (16) Oct 26 (11) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (12) Oct 23 (11) Oct 22 (14) Oct 21 (12) Oct 20 (17) Oct 19 (12) Oct 18 (13) Oct 17 (15) Oct 16 (14) Oct 15 (10) Oct 14 (16) Oct 13 (12) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (8) Oct 10 (12) Oct 09 (21) Oct 08 (22) Oct 07 (19) Oct 06 (18) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (17) Oct 03 (13) Oct 02 (14) Oct 01 (13) Sep 30 (14) Sep 29 (15) Sep 28 (12) Sep 27 (11) Sep 26 (15) Sep 25 (13) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (10) Sep 22 (12) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (12) Sep 18 (12) Sep 17 (16) Sep 16 (21) Sep 15 (14) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (10) Sep 11 (16) Sep 10 (7) Sep 09 (8) Sep 08 (10) Sep 07 (7) Sep 06 (5) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (9) Sep 03 (8) Sep 02 (11) Sep 01 (10) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (10) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (8) Aug 25 (14) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (13) Aug 20 (9) Aug 19 (13) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (8) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (12) Aug 11 (9) Aug 10 (8) Aug 09 (14) Aug 08 (6) Aug 07 (1) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (8) Aug 04 (6) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (2) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (6) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (6) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (9) Jul 14 (2) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (1) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (13) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (7) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (1) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (9) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (3) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (7) Jun 17 (7) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (11) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (10) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (9) Jun 04 (8) Jun 03 (9) Jun 02 (6) Jun 01 (4) May 30 (7) May 29 (9) May 28 (13) May 26 (8) May 25 (5) May 24 (2) May 23 (8) May 22 (9) May 21 (7) May 20 (4) May 19 (6) May 18 (7) May 17 (8) May 15 (9) May 14 (5) May 13 (8) May 12 (6) May 11 (6) May 09 (7) May 08 (6) May 07 (11) May 06 (7) May 05 (4) May 04 (11) May 03 (5) May 02 (4) May 01 (9) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (9) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (10) Apr 22 (8) Apr 21 (9) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (4) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (6) Apr 10 (2) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (5) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (2) Apr 05 (2) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (7) Apr 02 (7) Apr 01 (12) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (2) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (2) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (4) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (6) Mar 20 (9) Mar 19 (9) Mar 18 (8) Mar 17 (9) Mar 16 (7) Mar 15 (11) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (12) Mar 11 (9) Mar 10 (12) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (5) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (11) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (8) Feb 27 (9) Feb 26 (9) Feb 25 (8) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (10) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (7) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (2) Feb 14 (8) Feb 13 (12) Feb 12 (8) Feb 11 (10) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (2) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (11) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (8) Jan 29 (12) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (8) Jan 26 (13) Jan 24 (8) Jan 23 (12) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (10) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (11) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (6) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (6) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (5) Dec 18 (8) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (9) Dec 15 (7) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (10) Dec 11 (9) Dec 10 (10) Dec 09 (11) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (9) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (8) Dec 02 (10) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (1) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (9) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (7) Nov 25 (12) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (8) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (6) Nov 18 (10) Nov 17 (12) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (12) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (8) Nov 10 (7) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (9) Nov 03 (6) Nov 02 (14) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (7) Oct 29 (9) Oct 28 (9) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (8) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (2) Oct 19 (11) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (7) Oct 15 (7) Oct 14 (8) Oct 13 (5) Oct 12 (8) Oct 11 (6) Oct 10 (5) Oct 09 (11) Oct 08 (10) Oct 07 (8) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (8) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (10) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (7) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (8) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (11) Sep 24 (15) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (9) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (9) Sep 18 (10) Sep 17 (10) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (8) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (7) Sep 04 (11) Sep 03 (7) Sep 02 (7) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (10) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (10) Aug 25 (6) Aug 24 (9) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (8) Aug 20 (12) Aug 19 (8) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (8) Aug 11 (7) Aug 10 (12) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (6) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (8) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (4) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (12) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (8) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (8) Jul 20 (6) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (8) Jul 17 (2) Jul 16 (7) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (9) Jul 13 (10) Jul 11 (9) Jul 10 (8) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (7) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (7) Jul 05 (10) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (5) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (1) Jun 27 (15) Jun 26 (10) Jun 25 (9) Jun 24 (16) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (12) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (8) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (13) Jun 12 (7) Jun 11 (14) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (7) Jun 06 (16) Jun 05 (7) Jun 04 (18) Jun 03 (12) Jun 02 (8) May 31 (3) May 30 (6) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (6) May 23 (4) May 22 (8) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (2) May 18 (9) May 17 (1) May 16 (5) May 15 (5) May 14 (7) May 13 (7) May 12 (7) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (5) May 08 (10) May 07 (4) May 06 (13) May 05 (4) May 04 (10) May 02 (2) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (9) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (9) Apr 25 (9) Apr 24 (7) Apr 23 (11) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (10) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (7) Apr 14 (11) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (9) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (6) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (10) Apr 03 (9) Apr 02 (9) Apr 01 (12) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (10) Mar 28 (7) Mar 27 (8) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (15) Mar 24 (11) Mar 23 (8) Mar 22 (7) Mar 21 (14) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (11) Mar 18 (11) Mar 17 (12) Mar 16 (8) Mar 15 (8) Mar 14 (13) Mar 13 (8) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (8) Mar 10 (7) Mar 09 (3) Mar 08 (12) Mar 07 (15) Mar 06 (16) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (12) Mar 02 (20) Feb 28 (11) Feb 27 (8) Feb 26 (11) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (14) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (8) Feb 20 (11) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (8) Feb 16 (11) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (10) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (10) Feb 11 (7) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (6) Feb 07 (5) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (5) Jan 29 (2) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (2) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (7) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (5) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (7) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (4) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (3) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (1) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (1) Dec 29 (5) Dec 27 (1) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (8) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (1) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (4) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (7) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (2) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (10) Dec 04 (9) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (2) Dec 01 (8) Nov 29 (5) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (5) Nov 26 (9) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (12) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (8) Nov 15 (7) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (12) Nov 11 (6) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (9) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (10) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (11) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (7) Oct 26 (7) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (7) Oct 23 (11) Oct 22 (2) Oct 21 (7) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (7) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (7) Oct 11 (20) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (21) Oct 07 (20) Oct 06 (34) Oct 04 (24) Oct 03 (21) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (7) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (5) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (5) Sep 26 (6) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (2) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (9) Sep 19 (11) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (6) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (8) Sep 12 (11) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (6) Sep 06 (10) Sep 05 (7) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (5) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (8) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (7) Aug 29 (10) Aug 28 (7) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (8) Aug 20 (8) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (7) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (4) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (6) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (12) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (10) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (6) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (7) Jul 23 (10) Jul 22 (8) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (7) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (10) Jul 16 (11) Jul 15 (5) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (9) Jul 11 (11) Jul 10 (12) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (8) Jul 06 (9) Jul 05 (10) Jul 04 (8) Jul 03 (10) Jul 02 (12) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (5) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (23) Jun 27 (18) Jun 26 (12) Jun 25 (14) Jun 24 (15) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (11) Jun 21 (15) Jun 20 (9) Jun 19 (8) Jun 18 (11) Jun 17 (7) Jun 16 (6) Jun 15 (6) Jun 14 (6) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (9) Jun 10 (10) Jun 09 (9) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (6) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (3) May 30 (5) May 29 (8) May 28 (7) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (8) May 24 (7) May 23 (6) May 22 (9) May 21 (6) May 20 (5) May 19 (6) May 18 (9) May 17 (10) May 16 (11) May 15 (5) May 14 (11) May 13 (6) May 12 (7) May 11 (7) May 10 (5) May 09 (3) May 08 (10) May 07 (8) May 06 (11) May 05 (5) May 04 (9) May 03 (3) May 02 (2) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (5) Apr 29 (8) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (9) Apr 25 (11) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (11) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (7) Apr 19 (10) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (10) Apr 16 (8) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (7) Apr 12 (11) Apr 11 (6) Apr 10 (7) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (9) Apr 05 (10) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (2) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (10) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (6) Mar 21 (9) Mar 20 (5) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (9) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (8) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (10) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (2) Mar 10 (1) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (6) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (9) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (2) Feb 17 (1) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (7) Feb 11 (2) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (5) Feb 08 (5) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (9) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (3) Feb 02 (10) Feb 01 (9) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (8) Jan 29 (5) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (7) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (8) Jan 15 (7) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (1) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (1) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (2) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (8) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (4) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (8) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (8) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (7) Dec 06 (7) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (6) Dec 03 (7) Dec 02 (1) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (8) Nov 28 (16) Nov 27 (7) Nov 26 (5) Nov 25 (2) Nov 24 (6) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (15) Nov 19 (8) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (7) Nov 14 (6) Nov 13 (9) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (8) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (5) Nov 08 (8) Nov 07 (9) Nov 06 (9) Nov 05 (1) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (8) Nov 02 (6) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (7) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (8) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (1) Oct 22 (6) Oct 21 (1) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (10) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (15) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (7) Oct 10 (1) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (8) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (7) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (8) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (13) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (8) Sep 25 (8) Sep 24 (8) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (9) Sep 20 (7) Sep 19 (8) Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (8) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (7) Sep 12 (7) Sep 11 (9) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (10) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (12) Sep 06 (13) Sep 05 (15) Sep 04 (5) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (9) Aug 31 (7) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (8) Aug 28 (11) Aug 27 (2) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (15) Aug 24 (6) Aug 23 (8) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (7) Aug 19 (2) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (9) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (7) Aug 07 (9) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (9) Aug 01 (10) Jul 31 (11) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (11) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (5) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (6) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (7) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (7) Jul 12 (8) Jul 11 (6) Jul 10 (14) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (9) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (8) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (14) Jun 22 (11) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (8) Jun 19 (7) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (12) Jun 15 (12) Jun 14 (10) Jun 13 (10) Jun 12 (9) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (12) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (12) Jun 06 (6) Jun 05 (7) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (8) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (8) May 28 (7) May 27 (4) May 26 (3) May 25 (5) May 24 (9) May 23 (16) May 22 (12) May 21 (11) May 20 (7) May 19 (10) May 18 (8) May 17 (8) May 16 (10) May 15 (8) May 14 (5) May 13 (1) May 12 (6) May 11 (9) May 10 (9) May 09 (10) May 08 (9) May 07 (6) May 06 (5) May 05 (7) May 04 (10) May 03 (7) May 02 (9) May 01 (10) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (9) Apr 28 (12) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (9) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (8) Apr 20 (9) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (2) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (10) Apr 14 (7) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (7) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (7) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (7) Apr 07 (10) Apr 06 (8) Apr 05 (8) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (6) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (11) Mar 30 (12) Mar 29 (16) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (10) Mar 26 (12) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (9) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (12) Mar 20 (14) Mar 19 (8) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (9) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (13) Mar 09 (8) Mar 08 (10) Mar 07 (12) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (2) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (12) Mar 01 (8) Feb 29 (11) Feb 28 (5) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (13) Feb 25 (10) Feb 24 (13) Feb 23 (10) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (18) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (5) Feb 16 (9) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (8) Feb 09 (5) Feb 08 (8) Feb 07 (10) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (11) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (12) Jan 30 (7) Jan 29 (7) Jan 28 (7) Jan 27 (12) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (11) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (12) Jan 20 (11) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (11) Jan 16 (9) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (9) Jan 10 (10) Jan 09 (5) Jan 08 (10) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (8) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (8) Jan 02 (7) Jan 01 (7) Dec 31 (10) Dec 30 (11) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (10) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (7) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (9) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (8) Dec 19 (5) Dec 18 (1) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (6) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (13) Dec 13 (8) Dec 12 (7) Dec 11 (9) Dec 10 (12) Dec 09 (7) Dec 08 (11) Dec 07 (9) Dec 06 (11) Dec 05 (10) Dec 04 (6) Dec 03 (8) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (14) Nov 30 (7) Nov 29 (8) Nov 28 (8) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (9) Nov 25 (10) Nov 24 (12) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (10) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (8) Nov 17 (9) Nov 16 (9) Nov 15 (12) Nov 14 (6) Nov 13 (9) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (10) Nov 09 (10) Nov 08 (7) Nov 07 (8) Nov 06 (10) Nov 05 (8) Nov 04 (7) Nov 03 (10) Nov 02 (11) Nov 01 (10) Oct 31 (5) Oct 30 (8) Oct 29 (8) Oct 28 (8) Oct 27 (11) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (10) Oct 23 (5) Oct 22 (14) Oct 21 (10) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (11) Oct 18 (13) Oct 17 (7) Oct 16 (6) Oct 15 (9) Oct 14 (7) Oct 13 (12) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (9) Oct 10 (8) Oct 09 (9) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (12) Oct 06 (8) Oct 05 (13) Oct 04 (11) Oct 03 (7) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (14) Sep 30 (12) Sep 29 (12) Sep 28 (11) Sep 27 (11) Sep 26 (7) Sep 25 (10) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (7) Sep 22 (8) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (7) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (14) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (11) Sep 14 (13) Sep 13 (11) Sep 12 (9) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (13) Sep 08 (11) Sep 07 (11) Sep 06 (16) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (8) Sep 02 (8) Sep 01 (7) Aug 31 (1) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (8) Aug 25 (5) Aug 24 (5) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (7) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (9) Aug 18 (7) Aug 17 (7) Aug 16 (10) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (12) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (14) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (13) Jul 28 (10) Jul 27 (6) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (12) Jul 22 (14) Jul 21 (6) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (12) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (6) Jul 15 (8) Jul 14 (15) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (10) Jul 11 (6) Jul 10 (6) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (6) Jul 07 (9) Jul 06 (15) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (10) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (11) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (11) Jun 24 (9) Jun 23 (10) Jun 22 (8) Jun 21 (8) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (15) Jun 17 (8) Jun 16 (13) Jun 15 (15) Jun 14 (11) Jun 13 (6) Jun 12 (15) Jun 11 (7) Jun 10 (7) Jun 09 (18) Jun 08 (20) Jun 07 (17) Jun 06 (9) Jun 05 (9) Jun 04 (12) Jun 03 (13) Jun 02 (14) Jun 01 (8) May 31 (13) May 30 (8) May 29 (6) May 28 (8) May 27 (17) May 26 (8) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (9) May 22 (4) May 21 (4) May 20 (11) May 19 (14) May 18 (6) May 17 (10) May 16 (4) May 15 (5) May 14 (28) May 12 (9) May 11 (17) May 10 (15) May 09 (12) May 08 (5) May 07 (4) May 06 (10) May 05 (8) May 04 (10) May 03 (5) May 02 (6) May 01 (8) Apr 30 (8) Apr 29 (12) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (11) Apr 26 (12) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (5) Apr 22 (10) Apr 21 (19) Apr 20 (13) Apr 19 (11) Apr 18 (11) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (12) Apr 15 (11) Apr 14 (17) Apr 13 (6) Apr 12 (16) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (1) Apr 09 (18) Apr 08 (14) Apr 07 (6) Apr 06 (10) Apr 05 (21) Apr 04 (12) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (13) Apr 01 (8) Mar 31 (10) Mar 30 (11) Mar 29 (10) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (12) Mar 25 (15) Mar 24 (10) Mar 23 (12) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (8) Mar 20 (4) Mar 19 (11) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (9) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (14) Mar 11 (13) Mar 10 (7) Mar 09 (9) Mar 08 (17) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (7) Mar 05 (13) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (14) Mar 02 (12) Mar 01 (18) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (2) Feb 26 (9) Feb 25 (13) Feb 24 (17) Feb 23 (13) Feb 22 (12) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (11) Feb 19 (16) Feb 18 (17) Feb 17 (15) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (15) Feb 14 (10) Feb 13 (8) Feb 12 (10) Feb 11 (15) Feb 10 (11) Feb 09 (13) Feb 08 (10) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (15) Feb 04 (15) Feb 03 (11) Feb 02 (14) Feb 01 (15) Jan 31 (11) Jan 30 (9) Jan 29 (19) Jan 28 (9) Jan 27 (9) Jan 26 (16) Jan 25 (19) Jan 24 (17) Jan 23 (8) Jan 22 (15) Jan 21 (9) Jan 20 (11) Jan 19 (7) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (12) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (14) Jan 12 (11) Jan 11 (13) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (20) Jan 07 (11) Jan 06 (11) Jan 05 (8) Jan 04 (14) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (7) Jan 01 (7) Dec 31 (14) Dec 30 (15) Dec 29 (7) Dec 28 (10) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (11) Dec 24 (9) Dec 23 (9) Dec 22 (15) Dec 21 (12) Dec 20 (11) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (16) Dec 17 (6) Dec 16 (12) Dec 15 (14) Dec 14 (11) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (10) Dec 10 (17) Dec 09 (11) Dec 08 (12) Dec 07 (16) Dec 06 (11) Dec 05 (5) Dec 04 (12) Dec 03 (15) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (12) Nov 30 (16) Nov 29 (7) Nov 28 (11) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (13) Nov 25 (16) Nov 24 (15) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (8) Nov 19 (9) Nov 18 (16) Nov 17 (11) Nov 16 (11) Nov 15 (10) Nov 14 (9) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (10) Nov 11 (12) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (6) Nov 06 (7) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (14) Nov 03 (10) Nov 02 (13) Nov 01 (9) Oct 31 (9) Oct 30 (11) Oct 29 (18) Oct 28 (13) Oct 27 (23) Oct 26 (12) Oct 25 (14) Oct 24 (20) Oct 22 (18) Oct 21 (18) Oct 20 (19) Oct 19 (12) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (18) Oct 15 (8) Oct 14 (11) Oct 13 (9) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (6) Oct 10 (7) Oct 09 (27) Oct 08 (14) Oct 07 (10) Oct 06 (9) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (10) Oct 03 (6) Oct 02 (9) Oct 01 (13) Sep 30 (12) Sep 29 (13) Sep 28 (8) Sep 27 (9) Sep 26 (8) Sep 25 (14) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (14) Sep 22 (20) Sep 21 (11) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (9) Sep 18 (14) Sep 17 (8) Sep 16 (17) Sep 15 (6) Sep 14 (11) Sep 13 (9) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (14) Sep 09 (12) Sep 08 (17) Sep 07 (12) Sep 06 (13) Sep 05 (9) Sep 04 (20) Sep 03 (16) Sep 02 (16) Sep 01 (10) Aug 31 (13) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (9) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (11) Aug 25 (10) Aug 24 (14) Aug 23 (12) Aug 22 (13) Aug 21 (10) Aug 20 (13) Aug 19 (15) Aug 18 (8) Aug 17 (10) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (11) Aug 13 (12) Aug 12 (15) Aug 11 (10) Aug 10 (17) Aug 09 (6) Aug 08 (13) Aug 07 (11) Aug 06 (13) Aug 05 (11) Aug 04 (11) Aug 03 (10) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (10) Jul 30 (21) Jul 29 (14) Jul 28 (13) Jul 27 (16) Jul 26 (10) Jul 25 (15) Jul 24 (17) Jul 23 (15) Jul 22 (15) Jul 21 (19) Jul 20 (17) Jul 19 (9) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (26) Jul 16 (18) Jul 15 (20) Jul 14 (16) Jul 13 (19) Jul 12 (11) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (13) Jul 09 (11) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (12) Jul 06 (16) Jul 05 (9) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (15) Jul 02 (11) Jul 01 (14) Jun 30 (13) Jun 29 (19) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (9) Jun 26 (16) Jun 25 (22) Jun 24 (17) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (15) Jun 21 (14) Jun 20 (8) Jun 19 (17) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (10) Jun 16 (17) Jun 15 (13) Jun 14 (14) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (13) Jun 11 (15) Jun 10 (25) Jun 09 (10) Jun 08 (23) Jun 07 (14) Jun 06 (20) Jun 05 (10) Jun 04 (11) Jun 03 (12) Jun 02 (21) Jun 01 (14) May 31 (10) May 30 (14) May 29 (8) May 28 (23) May 27 (20) May 26 (16) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (10) May 22 (18) May 21 (14) May 20 (12) May 19 (18) May 18 (14) May 17 (13) May 16 (4) May 15 (7) May 14 (16) May 13 (13) May 12 (8) May 11 (18) May 10 (8) May 09 (7) May 08 (13) May 07 (11) May 06 (15) May 05 (18) May 04 (17) May 03 (7) May 02 (5) May 01 (11) Apr 30 (19) Apr 29 (21) Apr 28 (18) Apr 27 (16) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (11) Apr 24 (9) Apr 23 (20) Apr 22 (23) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (16) Apr 19 (13) Apr 18 (6) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (16) Apr 15 (18) Apr 14 (13) Apr 13 (14) Apr 12 (9) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (16) Apr 09 (14) Apr 08 (12) Apr 07 (18) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (11) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (19) Apr 02 (17) Apr 01 (16) Mar 31 (16) Mar 30 (22) Mar 29 (16) Mar 28 (16) Mar 27 (19) Mar 26 (31) Mar 25 (25) Mar 24 (26) Mar 23 (27) Mar 22 (22) Mar 21 (22) Mar 20 (13) Mar 19 (21) Mar 18 (20) Mar 17 (24) Mar 16 (18) Mar 15 (9) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (29) Mar 12 (15) Mar 11 (11) Mar 10 (11) Mar 09 (20) Mar 08 (12) Mar 07 (6) Mar 06 (21) Mar 05 (22) Mar 04 (19) Mar 03 (9) Mar 02 (20) Mar 01 (11) Feb 28 (11) Feb 27 (27) Feb 26 (15) Feb 25 (18) Feb 24 (17) Feb 23 (19) Feb 22 (24) Feb 21 (10) Feb 20 (14) Feb 19 (25) Feb 18 (16) Feb 17 (19) Feb 16 (23) Feb 15 (8) Feb 14 (11) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (16) Feb 11 (12) Feb 10 (18) Feb 09 (12) Feb 08 (14) Feb 07 (8) Feb 06 (27) Feb 05 (28) Feb 04 (24) Feb 03 (17) Feb 02 (20) Feb 01 (23) Jan 31 (16) Jan 30 (20) Jan 29 (26) Jan 28 (17) Jan 27 (21) Jan 26 (24) Jan 25 (16) Jan 24 (14) Jan 23 (16) Jan 22 (17) Jan 21 (19) Jan 20 (21) Jan 19 (17) Jan 18 (13) Jan 17 (14) Jan 16 (10) Jan 15 (21) Jan 14 (16) Jan 13 (19) Jan 12 (30) Jan 11 (14) Jan 10 (11) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (23) Jan 07 (13) Jan 06 (21) Jan 05 (15) Jan 04 (18) Jan 03 (9) Jan 02 (12) Jan 01 (15) Dec 31 (18) Dec 30 (7) Dec 29 (13) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (6) Dec 25 (8) Dec 24 (28) Dec 23 (12) Dec 22 (12) Dec 21 (17) Dec 20 (19) Dec 19 (19) Dec 18 (22) Dec 17 (24) Dec 16 (17) Dec 15 (29) Dec 14 (22) Dec 13 (12) Dec 12 (22) Dec 11 (24) Dec 10 (25) Dec 09 (18) Dec 08 (15) Dec 07 (21) Dec 06 (24) Dec 05 (30) Dec 04 (28) Dec 03 (26) Dec 02 (22) Dec 01 (33) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (9) Nov 28 (18) Nov 27 (25) Nov 26 (17) Nov 25 (23) Nov 24 (27) Nov 23 (12) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (15) Nov 20 (23) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (24) Nov 17 (21) Nov 16 (20) Nov 15 (13) Nov 14 (15) Nov 13 (27) Nov 12 (23) Nov 11 (19) Nov 10 (21) Nov 09 (13) Nov 08 (16) Nov 07 (16) Nov 06 (32) Nov 05 (24) Nov 04 (20) Nov 03 (29) Nov 02 (12) Nov 01 (15) Oct 31 (20) Oct 30 (22) Oct 29 (27) Oct 28 (20) Oct 27 (23) Oct 26 (21) Oct 25 (15) Oct 24 (23) Oct 23 (26) Oct 22 (27) Oct 21 (28) Oct 20 (24) Oct 19 (13) Oct 18 (9) Oct 17 (30) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (20) Oct 14 (14) Oct 13 (17) Oct 12 (16) Oct 11 (8) Oct 10 (19) Oct 09 (22) Oct 08 (16) Oct 07 (18) Oct 06 (23) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (15) Oct 03 (21) Oct 02 (17) Oct 01 (22) Sep 30 (25) Sep 29 (20) Sep 28 (17) Sep 27 (13) Sep 26 (20) Sep 25 (15) Sep 24 (24) Sep 23 (23) Sep 22 (18) Sep 21 (20) Sep 20 (11) Sep 19 (24) Sep 18 (25) Sep 17 (25) Sep 16 (19) Sep 15 (21) Sep 14 (15) Sep 13 (10) Sep 12 (23) Sep 11 (23) Sep 10 (25) Sep 09 (25) Sep 08 (17) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (17) Sep 05 (14) Sep 04 (24) Sep 03 (16) Sep 02 (11) Sep 01 (19) Aug 31 (20) Aug 30 (11) Aug 29 (24) Aug 28 (24) Aug 27 (16) Aug 26 (26) Aug 25 (21) Aug 24 (15) Aug 23 (19) Aug 22 (15) Aug 21 (25) Aug 20 (27) Aug 19 (19) Aug 18 (24) Aug 17 (14) Aug 16 (10) Aug 15 (15) Aug 14 (16) Aug 13 (21) Aug 12 (30) Aug 11 (19) Aug 10 (8) Aug 09 (12) Aug 08 (17) Aug 07 (21) Aug 06 (26) Aug 05 (23) Aug 04 (21) Aug 03 (12) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (19) Jul 31 (21) Jul 30 (25) Jul 29 (29) Jul 28 (23) Jul 27 (17) Jul 26 (11) Jul 25 (21) Jul 24 (14) Jul 23 (15) Jul 22 (19) Jul 21 (15) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (10) Jul 18 (15) Jul 17 (22) Jul 16 (18) Jul 15 (21) Jul 14 (20) Jul 13 (7) Jul 12 (9) Jul 11 (29) Jul 10 (19) Jul 09 (17) Jul 08 (26) Jul 07 (21) Jul 06 (18) Jul 05 (14) Jul 04 (20) Jul 03 (17) Jul 02 (24) Jul 01 (23) Jun 30 (23) Jun 29 (18) Jun 28 (16) Jun 27 (16) Jun 26 (17) Jun 25 (23) Jun 24 (32) Jun 23 (29) Jun 22 (8) Jun 21 (17) Jun 20 (25) Jun 19 (28) Jun 18 (19) Jun 17 (25) Jun 16 (23) Jun 15 (9) Jun 14 (11) Jun 13 (14) Jun 12 (22) Jun 11 (19) Jun 10 (17) Jun 09 (15) Jun 08 (16) Jun 07 (7) Jun 06 (29) Jun 05 (27) Jun 04 (24) Jun 03 (22) Jun 02 (22) Jun 01 (13) May 31 (9) May 30 (26) May 29 (19) May 28 (15) May 27 (15) May 26 (23) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (24) May 22 (13) May 21 (21) May 20 (18) May 19 (16) May 18 (7) May 17 (12) May 16 (25) May 15 (24) May 14 (23) May 13 (19) May 12 (17) May 11 (8) May 10 (6) May 09 (14) May 08 (21) May 07 (26) May 06 (14) May 05 (14) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (24) May 01 (13) Apr 30 (15) Apr 29 (24) Apr 28 (24) Apr 27 (11) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (13) Apr 24 (27) Apr 23 (15) Apr 22 (21) Apr 21 (19) Apr 20 (17) Apr 19 (8) Apr 18 (20) Apr 17 (27) Apr 16 (27) Apr 15 (21) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (8) Apr 12 (7) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (22) Apr 09 (15) Apr 08 (15) Apr 07 (17) Apr 06 (14) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (12) Apr 03 (19) Apr 02 (17) Apr 01 (19) Mar 31 (25) Mar 30 (13) Mar 29 (9) Mar 28 (16) Mar 27 (23) Mar 26 (22) Mar 25 (17) Mar 24 (25) Mar 23 (16) Mar 22 (13) Mar 21 (24) Mar 20 (27) Mar 19 (20) Mar 18 (24) Mar 17 (17) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (20) Mar 13 (28) Mar 12 (30) Mar 11 (20) Mar 10 (21) Mar 09 (12) Mar 08 (8) Mar 07 (17) Mar 06 (20) Mar 05 (19) Mar 04 (15) Mar 03 (17) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (12) Feb 28 (16) Feb 27 (17) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (23) Feb 24 (15) Feb 23 (8) Feb 22 (10) Feb 21 (24) Feb 20 (14) Feb 19 (24) Feb 18 (19) Feb 17 (27) Feb 16 (13) Feb 15 (11) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (13) Feb 12 (13) Feb 11 (21) Feb 10 (16) Feb 09 (15) Feb 08 (10) Feb 07 (17) Feb 06 (21) Feb 05 (17) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (23) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (8) Jan 31 (17) Jan 30 (22) Jan 29 (23) Jan 28 (10) Jan 27 (24) Jan 26 (12) Jan 25 (9) Jan 24 (12) Jan 23 (19) Jan 22 (19) Jan 21 (14) Jan 20 (21) Jan 19 (12) Jan 18 (8) Jan 17 (20) Jan 16 (14) Jan 15 (23) Jan 14 (8) Jan 13 (20) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (18) Jan 09 (11) Jan 08 (18) Jan 07 (13) Jan 06 (12) Jan 05 (12) Jan 04 (11) Jan 03 (10) Jan 02 (9) Jan 01 (9) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (11) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (13) Dec 26 (15) Dec 25 (8) Dec 24 (6) Dec 23 (8) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (6) Dec 20 (14) Dec 19 (17) Dec 18 (14) Dec 17 (14) Dec 16 (13) Dec 15 (9) Dec 14 (9) Dec 13 (11) Dec 12 (16) Dec 11 (18) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (24) Dec 08 (11) Dec 07 (19) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (26) Dec 04 (15) Dec 03 (20) Dec 02 (17) Dec 01 (11) Nov 30 (10) Nov 29 (18) Nov 28 (21) Nov 27 (10) Nov 26 (22) Nov 25 (16) Nov 24 (12) Nov 23 (8) Nov 22 (18) Nov 21 (9) Nov 20 (17) Nov 19 (16) Nov 18 (16) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (9) Nov 15 (21) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (20) Nov 12 (16) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (9) Nov 09 (10) Nov 08 (16) Nov 07 (15) Nov 06 (18) Nov 05 (19) Nov 04 (16) Nov 03 (11) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (17) Oct 31 (17) Oct 30 (21) Oct 29 (9) Oct 28 (16) Oct 27 (6) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (16) Oct 24 (18) Oct 23 (14) Oct 22 (17) Oct 21 (10) Oct 20 (6) Oct 19 (8) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (12) Oct 16 (14) Oct 15 (19) Oct 14 (15) Oct 13 (11) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (10) Oct 10 (23) Oct 09 (13) Oct 08 (15) Oct 07 (20) Oct 06 (13) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (16) Oct 03 (17) Oct 02 (17) Oct 01 (20) Sep 30 (17) Sep 29 (9) Sep 28 (8) Sep 27 (14) Sep 26 (20) Sep 25 (19) Sep 24 (13) Sep 23 (11) Sep 22 (9) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (21) Sep 18 (12) Sep 17 (20) Sep 16 (16) Sep 15 (10) Sep 14 (6) Sep 13 (18) Sep 12 (14) Sep 11 (24) Sep 10 (17) Sep 09 (16) Sep 08 (16) Sep 07 (10) Sep 06 (20) Sep 05 (13) Sep 04 (23) Sep 03 (14) Sep 02 (12) Sep 01 (11) Aug 31 (11) Aug 30 (13) Aug 29 (18) Aug 28 (14) Aug 27 (21) Aug 26 (10) Aug 25 (8) Aug 24 (10) Aug 23 (17) Aug 22 (15) Aug 21 (14) Aug 20 (20) Aug 19 (20) Aug 18 (7) Aug 17 (9) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (12) Aug 14 (14) Aug 13 (19) Aug 12 (14) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (12) Aug 09 (7) Aug 08 (18) Aug 07 (16) Aug 06 (16) Aug 05 (20) Aug 04 (12) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (12) Aug 01 (14) Jul 31 (16) Jul 30 (16) Jul 29 (11) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (9) Jul 26 (17) Jul 25 (20) Jul 24 (17) Jul 23 (11) Jul 22 (18) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (14) Jul 18 (11) Jul 17 (15) Jul 16 (12) Jul 15 (10) Jul 14 (8) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (17) Jul 11 (18) Jul 10 (16) Jul 09 (13) Jul 08 (10) Jul 07 (12) Jul 06 (8) Jul 05 (16) Jul 04 (14) Jul 03 (17) Jul 02 (13) Jul 01 (16) Jun 30 (19) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (19) Jun 27 (21) Jun 26 (27) Jun 25 (23) Jun 24 (23) Jun 23 (12) Jun 22 (9) Jun 21 (18) Jun 20 (15) Jun 19 (24) Jun 18 (21) Jun 17 (13) Jun 16 (9) Jun 15 (9) Jun 14 (18) Jun 13 (24) Jun 12 (18) Jun 11 (23) Jun 10 (25) Jun 09 (24) Jun 08 (27) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (25) Jun 05 (30) Jun 04 (23) Jun 03 (22) Jun 02 (16) Jun 01 (17) May 31 (18) May 30 (19) May 29 (17) May 28 (23) May 27 (15) May 26 (10) May 25 (19) May 24 (16) May 23 (16) May 22 (27) May 21 (20) May 20 (26) May 19 (6) May 18 (8) May 17 (20) May 16 (8) May 15 (18) May 14 (5) May 13 (21) May 12 (9) May 11 (8) May 10 (12) May 09 (18) May 08 (11) May 07 (27) May 06 (12) May 05 (16) May 04 (19) May 03 (14) May 02 (18) May 01 (18) Apr 30 (25) Apr 29 (27) Apr 28 (11) Apr 27 (10) Apr 26 (18) Apr 25 (10) Apr 24 (29) Apr 23 (29) Apr 22 (14) Apr 21 (15) Apr 20 (20) Apr 19 (22) Apr 18 (16) Apr 17 (32) Apr 16 (12) Apr 15 (21) Apr 14 (21) Apr 13 (15) Apr 12 (13) Apr 11 (14) Apr 10 (16) Apr 09 (20) Apr 08 (36) Apr 07 (22) Apr 06 (11) Apr 05 (28) Apr 04 (20) Apr 03 (29) Apr 02 (32) Apr 01 (18) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (15) Mar 28 (22) Mar 27 (24) Mar 26 (17) Mar 25 (17) Mar 24 (13) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (15) Mar 20 (18) Mar 19 (19) Mar 18 (16) Mar 17 (10) Mar 16 (6) Mar 15 (18) Mar 14 (24) Mar 13 (18) Mar 12 (18) Mar 11 (17) Mar 10 (13) Mar 09 (12) Mar 08 (18) Mar 07 (25) Mar 06 (16) Mar 05 (16) Mar 04 (22) Mar 03 (17) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (23) Feb 29 (19) Feb 28 (25) Feb 27 (26) Feb 26 (23) Feb 25 (12) Feb 24 (13) Feb 23 (15) Feb 22 (26) Feb 21 (31) Feb 20 (12) Feb 19 (21) Feb 18 (15) Feb 17 (10) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (19) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (20) Feb 11 (9) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (28) Feb 08 (20) Feb 07 (22) Feb 06 (20) Feb 05 (19) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (16) Feb 02 (28) Feb 01 (37) Jan 31 (27) Jan 30 (31) Jan 29 (18) Jan 28 (14) Jan 27 (10) Jan 26 (18) Jan 25 (26) Jan 24 (34) Jan 23 (21) Jan 22 (21) Jan 21 (18) Jan 20 (18) Jan 19 (18) Jan 18 (26) Jan 17 (24) Jan 16 (23) Jan 15 (30) Jan 14 (20) Jan 13 (18) Jan 12 (24) Jan 11 (11) Jan 10 (23) Jan 09 (22) Jan 08 (17) Jan 07 (17) Jan 06 (9) Jan 05 (18) Jan 04 (15) Jan 03 (19) Jan 02 (14) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (15) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (7) Dec 26 (10) Dec 25 (16) Dec 24 (13) Dec 23 (16) Dec 22 (11) Dec 21 (26) Dec 20 (28) Dec 19 (14) Dec 18 (25) Dec 17 (23) Dec 16 (19) Dec 15 (22) Dec 14 (38) Dec 13 (26) Dec 12 (25) Dec 11 (27) Dec 10 (31) Dec 09 (15) Dec 08 (30) Dec 07 (31) Dec 06 (27) Dec 05 (38) Dec 04 (25) Dec 03 (27) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (36) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (17) Nov 28 (23) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (16) Nov 25 (14) Nov 24 (18) Nov 23 (21) Nov 22 (21) Nov 21 (24) Nov 20 (20) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (17) Nov 17 (17) Nov 16 (34) Nov 15 (25) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (21) Nov 12 (18) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1)
A survivor of six heart attacks and a brain tumor, a grumpy bear of a man, whom has declared Russia as his new and wonderful home. His wife is a true Russian Sweet Pea of a girl and she puts up with this bear of a guy and keeps him in line. Thank God for my Sweet Pea and Russia.
All of the materials used here are copyright Doug Stowe.

Photos of our students at work are published solely for the promotion of the Wisdom of the Hands program and

Other uses are strictly prohibited and copyright will be enforced.

Questions about Wisdom of the Hands can be addressed to
Answers Africa is one of a kind platform created for Africans both locally and in the diaspora and those seeking for more in-depth information about Africa. We have always focused on creating the highest quality informational contents right from the beginning. We share the most relevant information on the latest and trending news, events, people, and places in Africa.

We produce contents across various categories including Politics, People, Love and Romance, Nature, Entertainment, Technology and pretty much everything else that Africans may find relevant.

We aim to answer the most relevant questions about Africa in areas of entertainment, famous people, emerging technologies while we also engage with various distribution capabilities to connect with Africans in need of information who rely on our website to keep in touch with the world that is changing so fast.

These are some of the articles you may be interested in reading:

10 Famous TV Personalities Born In Ethiopia Ethiopia is a country best known for its fast athletes like Dibaba and Bekele, breathtaking models like Liya Kebede and of course Haile Selassie but there are also famous TV personalities who are doing a great job in entertainment and pushing the country to civilization. The following is a list of ten most famous TV ...

Top 10 African Authors of All Time The pace of present African literature is moving at a high-speed; more defiant in both style and tone than those of the great independence writers generation. Here, the subjects of taboo are widely explored. The emerging African authors of this generation are not afraid to go further afield for the literary fodder. Meanwhile, since the birth ...

Maina Kageni Biography  Daughter, Salary and Gay Rumors Maina Kageni is one of those Kenyans who has remained as interesting as ever in the eyes of the public. A strong Red devil fan and lover of football, the man is currently a Breakfast Show presenter with Mwalimu Kingangi on Nairobis Classic 105 Radio Station. Many questions have always emerged on the man in serious ...

Kalekye Mumo  Biography, Boyfriend and Salary Kalekye Mumo has been described as someone who is as vibrant as she is beautiful, a Kenyan radio queen, TV host and media personality, movie actress, Musician, businesswoman, and fashionista but what else is there to know about this Kenyan icon, Kalekye Mumo and her co-host Shaffie Weru have been among the most listened to radio presenters ...

Julie Gichuru Bio  Age, Husband & Children In Africa, women have a long history of bringing under control obstacles to keep their heads above the water. So, it comes as no surprise whenever African women are recognized and decorated across the continent and globe for performing brilliantly well in their various fields of endeavor. In Kenya for instance, a list of national ...

Jeff Koinange Biography  All About His Age, Wife  Shaila Koinange & Family Jeff Koinange is a well-known Kenyan journalist. He currently hosts Jeff Koinange Live on KTN. Koinange has served as a journalist in the United States and has also worked for a few U.S. broadcasters. He was born in Kenya but attended college in the United States, which may explain his accent. There are several interesting ...

Caroline Mutoko Biography  Age, Daughter & House Caroline Mutoko is a Kenyan radio presenter, famously known for hosting a morning breakfast show on Kiss 100 FM. The station is based in Nairobi and ranks among the highly-rated radio stations in Kenya with online streaming services as well. Learn more about the Kenyan-born journalist. Caroline Mutokos Age and Bio Born on January 4, 1973, Caroline is ...

The Most Stunning News Presenter In Kenya Discloses Her Real Age  You Would Not Believe It In modern African societies, it is often regarded as impolite or outright lack of disrespect to ask a woman of her age. We also have seen celebrities lie about how old they are when asked their age. People, mostly women have refused to let people know their real age, despite being public figures. The few ...

Demystifying Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies Biography, Husband & Education Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian novelist, non-fiction writer, short story writer and actress. As a seasoned Nigerian writer, she has been called the most prominent of a procession of critically acclaimed young anglophone authors that is succeeding in attracting a new generation of readers to African literature. She has been making Nigeria proud in the global scene ...

Wole Soyinka  Biography, Wife, Children, Family, Quick Facts Professor Wole Soyinka, a great and brilliant Nigerian writer and political activist, who was the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. The name, Wole Soyinka, is a household name both in Africa and beyond especially in the field of literature. With over 50 pieces of work, his writing includes poems, novels, memoirs ...

5 Most Vulgar Kenyan Radio Presenters It appears being vulgar is the real deal nowadays especially for the fact that the world is becoming more exposed and civilized. Sadly, but true, young people are constantly being exposed to images, discussions, and content that most people would deem detrimental to the African culture and moral statutes. This is because most of us ...

6 Sexiest News Anchors In Kenya Some news anchors have been stealing eyes every time they appear on-screen. Most of us hardly concentrate on the programme they present as our entire focus is usually on their striking physique and beautiful faces. It is common knowledge that Kenyan women are amazingly beautiful. From the celebrities to the everyday woman, they are all in ...

Interesting Oprah Winfrey Quotes To Keep You Motivated Oprah Winfrey is one of the worlds most powerful women in the media and business sectors. Her life is the typical success story that motivates and lifts ones morale. One amazing thing about this media mogul is her sincerity about past hurts, mistakes, healing, and success. The renowned talk show host and media personality is the first ...

Chinua Albert Achebe Biography- Family, Net Worth & Death Chinua Albert Achebe, of blessed memory, was a Nigerian prolific author best known for his inventive style of writing and simplicity of expressions. Famed as one of the finest writers Nigeria has ever produced, Achebe lived and died an international hero and a literary giant, who left behind unforgettable legacies and footprints in the sands of ...

Steve Harvey  His Wife, Kids & Height Steve Harvey is an American comedian, actor, radio and TV show host, producer and an author of different relationship advice books. Steve Harveys Early Life Born in Welch, West Virginia, on January 17, 1957, as Broderick Stephen Harvey, Steve was the last of five children. His family relocated to Cleveland when he was young and there, he attended Glenville High School from ...

Intriguing Things You Should Know About Danny Kokers Rise to Fame and Who His Wife Is Danny Koker is popular as the star of the History Channel reality TV series, Counting Cars. Prior to him appearing on the show, the TV personality was a musician who had embarked on a number of national tours with his rock group, Counts 77. He and his group have released quite a number of songs ...

Fun Facts You Didnt Know About Andy Cohens Rise to Prominence and His Partner Andy Cohen is one of Americas top media personalities who gained prominence after helping to bring the Bravo network back to life. He also hosted a couple of shows on the network, including the popular nightly series Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. After rising to the position of head of production and development at ...

Tracing Isha Sesays Career Until CNN, Her Worth And Why She Divorce Her Husband As far as journalists of African origin go, Isha Sesay is one of the most famous on the continent  and by extension, the world. The Sierra Leonean and British journalist has had a successful career since she joined the industry in 1998. In that time, she has worked for a host of major media ...

Open Secrets of How Joanna Gaines Balances Her Career With Being a Wife and Mother Joanna Gaines is the co-founder of Magnolia Homes, a business she runs with one goal: converting houses to homes. She doubles as the lead designer of the company which she co-owns with her husband, Chip Gaines. Lady Gaines gained massive popularity when she became a co-star with her husband on the HGTVs show, Fixer Upper. ...

Juicy Details of Ayesha Currys Love Story With Stephen, Her Family Members and Recent Pursuits When your husband is one of the greatest basketballers that the NBA has ever seen, then it bestows on you the status of a celebrity wife  and may not even demand that you do anything extra to maintain that status. However, Ayesha Curry, the wife of multiple NBA champion, Steph Curry, is not one ...

What Is Tarek el Moussas Ethnicity, Why Did He Divorce His Wife and Who Is He Dating? Tarek El Moussa has made himself one of the most recognizable men on reality television, especially to fans of HGTV. Thanks to his expertise in the world of real estate, Tarek has become a national star. But even to his hardcore followers, there are questions about Tarek El Moussa that remain unanswered, such as his ...

Fun Facts About Natalie Beckers Lonely Childhood and Eventual Career Success Natalie Becker is an actress of South African descent who became famous for her appearance in films like The World Unseen and The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior. A multitalented individual, Natalie is also a television/radio presenter. She is also a co-founder of the Thought Leader Global Media which she runs together with ...

Top 3 Female CNN News Anchors You Didnt Know Were Africans CNN is one of the leading news agencies in the world. The satellite and cable news network was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner and has been one of the best sources of news for a number of years. It also boasts of the best journalists and presenters all around in media broadcasting. The company is a ...

Channels That Aided Katie Pavlichs Growth as a Journalist and All About Her Marriage To Friedson If you have ever come across any Fast and Furious featuring Barack Obama, it is the handiwork of Katie Pavlich. The book which claims to have exposed Obamas bloodiest scandal and the shameless cover-up thereof, has been earning Pavlich much praise and fame ever since it was published in 2012. Nonetheless, Pavlich is more famed ...

Is Oprah Winfrey Married? Husband, Children, Biography, House, Facts Oprah Winfrey is a billionaire philanthropist, talk show icon, producer, actress, and writer. The media icon famously dubbed The Queen Of All Media owns and hosts the highest-rated television program in the media circle. Read more about the powerful television star below. Oprah Winfrey Biography Oprah was born as Orpah Gail Winfrey on January 29, 1954, to a ...

Who Is Arsenio Hall, What Happened To His Talk Show and Why Do Fans Think He Is Gay? He is one of the funniest beings to have graced the comedy constituent of the American entertainment industry. Arsenio Hall has a reputation for the rib-cracking disposition always portrayed in his comedy roles. He is not just a comedian; he is also an actor and a former talk show host for his popular show, The ...

What Is Woah Vicky Famous For and Who Are Her Family Members? Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Woah Vicky is one of those stars that have utilized the internet as a powerful tool to propel themselves to instant fame. The social media space, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc., offers lots of people the right opportunities and potentials to become superstars overnight. Not everyone achieves ...

Where Is Michael Strahan Since His Retirement From The NFL and Who Is His Partner? Michael Strahan is a retired American football player turned media personality. He played the defensive lineman position and holds the record for most sacks in a single NFL season. He also only played for the New York Giants throughout the entire 15-year professional career that saw him win a Super Bowl ring. In February 2014, ...

How Wendy Williams Went From Being a College DJ to Having Her Own Talk Show and More About Her Divorce Wendy Williams is a former radio personality, now talk show host, who is known for her outspokenness and brash no-nonsense attitude. She gained fame and notoriety for her on-air clashes with celebrities before moving on to host her own talk show. Since 2008, Williams has hosted the nationally syndicated television talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. ...

Who is Sunny Hostin? Her Husband, Family & Net Worth Sunny Hostin is no ordinary Latina  American lawyer but also a successful columnist, multi-platform journalist, and social commentator. A happily married woman and mother of two, Hostin is the Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst for ABC News and co-host of ABCs popular morning talk show, The View. She is a legal expert popularly known as a former ...

Who Is Robert Costa and Is He Married, Who Is His Wife? Robert Costa is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC who is regarded as being part of Americas next generation of journalists. The University of Notre Dame graduate, who is of Italian/Portuguese descent, has been lauded for his fresh political perspectives in an industry full of old heads. In addition to his work listed above, Costa ...

Team Valor Pokemon Go  7 Key Facts You Need To Know Team Valor Pokemon Go  The craze of the new game Pokemon Go is one that took the gaming world by storm sending teenagers and adults alike into a frenzy and one of its teams Team Valor, has proven to be instrumental in making it so. Before the game was created, Pokemon was a cartoon ...

Sheryl Underwood  Husband, Family & Net Worth She is known for her trademark smile which can be described as the brightest and broadest smile ever seen on planet earth. She is none other than Sheryl Underwood the comedian, actress, and TV host whose funny wits has left America in great awe. Although Sheryl has risen to become an important personality in the industry, ...

Team Mystic Pokemon Go: 7 Facts You Need To Know And Signs You Are One Team Mystic of the break out game Pokemon Go is a team that is full of sass and chivalry. With an enchanting monicker, Team Mystic stands out from the rest of its counterparts and deserves to take the crown as champion in the Pokemon gaming-verse. To be a member of this exceptional team of Pokemon battle ...

Exploring Guy Beahms Dr Disrespect Persona, Wife and Why He was Banned Permanently From Twitch Guy Beahm who is popularly known by his online alias  Dr DisRespect, is an award-winning Twitch.tv streamer. He has leveraged on the Twitch platform to become an internet personality that is quite widely known. His online success is just more proof that anyone who is good at what they do can attain celebrity status ...

Critical Facts About Lee Ann McAdoo  The Infowars Anchor Lee Ann Mcadoo is a conservative journalist and television host whose interests in conspiracies and astrology has established her as a famous American reporter. Often referred to as Wonder Woman, McAdoo is a reporter who works for InfoWars.com, a controversial right-wing website run by radio show host, Alex Jones. Who Is Lee Ann McAdoo? Lee Ann McAdoo was born on 7 ...

Millie Weaver  Age, Husband & Infowars Career Millie Weaver is an American model, journalist, political activist, and social commentator. The young and beautiful journalist rose to fame working as a reporter for a controversial right-wing website InfoWars.com. Also known as Millennial Millie, Weaver is a social media influencer with over 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 35,000 followers on Twitter. Who Is Millie Weaver and What Is ...

Is Jessica Tarlov Married? What Are Her Height & Weight? Jessica Tarlov is an American political consultant, strategist, and analyst whose influential and regular TV presence has made a popular figure. A good example of beauty with brains, Tarlov has appeared on various TV networks, mostly the FOX News Network where she is known for her liberal views on political analysis and insights. She is also the senior director ...

Who Is Kelly Rebecca Nichols  Alex Jones Ex-Wife? Kelly Rebecca Nichols is the ex-wife of controversial American radio show host, Alex Jones. She got nationwide attention following her divorce and subsequent custody battle with her estranged husband. Nichols, who worked with PETAs public relations department, was herself no stranger to controversies as she was involved in several publicity stunts of the non-profit animal rights ...

Who Is Bree Morgan  Cole Sprouse Ex-Girlfriend And What Is She Up To Now? Although Bree Morgan became famous through the Instagram, she also sapped some dose of popularity from Disneys sweetheart, Cole Sprouse of the Sprouse brothers. She is not only an Instagram star but also a YouTube vlogger whose popularity has long exceeded the ordinary level. Bree is conspicuously prominent on the internet and has her digital savviness ...

Does Vanna White Have Husband or Children, What Is Her Net Worth / Salary? For over three decades, Vanna White has been a household name, famous as the co-host and letter turner of the iconic NBC game show Wheel of Fortune. The talented and beautiful television personality is also an actress with several TV series and films to her credit. Since making her Wheel of Fortune debut in 1982, she has become one ...

Liz Wheeler  Biography, Husband & Net Worth Liz Wheeler is the kind of girl who sets the room on fire whenever she comes around. In this situation, however, she sets our screens on fire each time she appears as the host of One America News Tipping Point. She is, therefore, a presenter, publisher, consultant and a member of the Board of Zoning ...

Betty White  Net Worth, Children & Husband The entertainment industry will remain indebted to personalities like Betty White who brought something extra to the table and kept the world entertained for donkey years. The comedienne, actress, and writer graced the big screens in the early 50s as a show host and has been a delight since then. She is the queen of ...

Is Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Dead or Alive, What Are His Net Worth & Education? Everyone will always remember Bill Nye as the Science Guy. Besides his TV show Bill Nye the Science Guy, he is well-known for his Netflix show Bill Nye Saves the World which started airing in 2017 as well as his appearances in many famous media projects as a science educator. The star studied mechanical engineering ...

Is Cesar Millan Dead, Who Is The Wife & What Is His Net Worth? Cesar Millan is the famous dog whisperer who often stirs up mixed emotions. The Mexican-American is precisely speaking, a dog behaviorist; he has been in the game for over 25 years. His Emmy-nominated television series, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan further pushed his method and tactics into the limelight. The series was produced from 2004 ...

Is Thomas Sanders Gay and Does He Have A Boyfriend? By the time Vine was shut down in January 2017, Thomas Sanders was already popular within and beyond the internet community for his heavy involvements on the online video hosting platform. After the tragic shutdown of Vine impacted on the growing career of the multi-talented personality, he immediately switched over to YouTube where he continued to upload ...

Is Shepard Smith Gay, Who Is The Boyfriend & What Is His Net Worth? There are only a few media personalities who are as bold and confident as Shepard Smith. Apart from his impressive stint at Fox News Channel which includes but not limited to his classic news delivery, upfront stance on virtually every issue and much more; he loves his job as much as he loves his personality. Smith ...

Is Milo Yiannopoulos Gay? His Husband and Net Worth Milo Yiannopoulos is a popular writer, journalist, polemicist, public speaker, and political commentator who is also known as the founder of The Kernel, an online blog. He has been said to be among the list of 100 weird and influential people in the United Kingdom. He appeared on this list as a result of personal beliefs and ...

Does Ryan Seacrest Have A Wife Or Girlfriend, What Is His Net Worth? From radio to television, Ryan Seacrest is a household name and a force to be reckoned with in showbiz. The radio personality, television host, and producer is best recognized as the host of the popular TV talent search contest American Idol. Heres how the media personality who always knew what his lifes ambition was and diligently pursued ...

Is Anderson Cooper Gay, Who is The Boyfriend or Husband? For many, the thought of becoming a millionaire by writing and talking about other people appears unachievable but this is the reality of the prominent American journalist Anderson Cooper who gathered millions of dollars for conducting accurate political analysis and other vital reports on TV. He is the main anchor of the CNN news show Anderson ...

Is David Muir Gay or Does He Have A Wife, What Is His Salary? David Muir is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works for the ABC broadcast-television network and anchors the ABC World News Tonight with David Muir program while also co-anchoring the magazine program 20/20. The Ithaca College graduate, whose show has become the most-watched newscast in America, has covered stories from all across America and the world; reporting ...

Joel Osteen  Divorce Rumors, Net Worth & Family Members Joel Osteen is an American Televangelist, Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church based in Houston, Texas, a husband and a father of two. He is an author of many books, seven of which are New York Times Best Sellers and his televised sermons capture more than 7 million viewers per week and 20 million every month ...

Who Is Todd Chrisley? What To Know About His Children, Gay Rumors & Net Worth Premiered on the USA network in 2014, Chrisley Knows Best is one of the most watched family reality TV shows in the U.S. The series which is currently in its sixth season is centered around U.S real estate mogul Todd Chrisley and his family. The show reveals Todd the patriarch of the Chrisley family as a strict dad who rules ...

Who Is Shannon Bream Of Fox News? Her Husband, Children & Net Worth Shannon Bream who hosts the iconic primetime program started her journalism career in the late 1990s debuting as the evening and late-night news reporter for the CBS affiliate, WBTV. The beauty from America currently works for the Fox News Channel and she is best known for anchoring the primetime program. She also hosts Americas News ...

Is Troye Sivan Gay, Who Is His Boyfriend and What Is His Net Worth? Troye Sivan is an Australian singer and songwriter best known for songs like Happy Little Pill, Youth, Heaven (with Betty Who) and The Boyfriend Tag (with Tyler Oakley) which have all garnered him different awards and ranked on the Billboard Charts. Sivan, who was born in South Africa but now resides in the United States, is ...

Did iDubbbz Have Cancer, Is He Gay and Who Is His Girlfriend Now? iDubbbz is one YouTuber who has made a career out of courting controversy. Renowned for his absurdist channels and comedy video series, the Los Angeles based personality is the owner of two channels, iDubbzTV, and iDubbzTV2, as well as the brains behind comedy video series such as Content Cop, Kickstarter Crap, Gaming News Crap, and ...

Inside Greg Gutfelds Love Story With Wife Elena Moussa and Why Fans Thought He Was Gay Greg Gutfeld is a seasoned American television producer whose career in the media industry has spanned over a decade. He is a man of many talents who makes extra income through comedy, journalism, and editorial works. Gutfeld regularly appears on Fox News Channel as a panellist and co-host of the political talk show The Five ...

Works That Made Bo Burnham A Household Name and How Much He Is Worth Now One of YouTubes first viral stars and the worlds most exciting young comedian, Bo Burnham, has always amazed critics and comedy aficionados alike. Often regarded as the Justin Bieber of comedy, thanks to his fresh looks, floppy blond hair and hoodies, he has a multi-faceted career bigger than many comedians twice his age. It wouldnt ...

Is Louie Anderson Gay And What Is His Net Worth? Louie Anderson has one of the most abstract faces in the industry and equally knows how to use it to his advantage. He is not only a stand-up comedian but also an actor and television host who is known for his distinctive comic wits. Some of his notable projects include Family Feud, where he was ...

Is Don Lemon of CNN Gay, Who is His Partner and What Is His Salary? Don Lemon has risen to become one of the most recognizable faces on CNN over the past few years. The fiery journalist, who anchors CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, is liked and somewhat disliked for his strong and candid opinions on a variety of matters that do not just include politics but also race, significantly, matters that ...

Is Rachel Maddow Gay, Who is the Wife and How Much Does She Earn in Salary? Rachel Maddow is an award-winning American journalist, political commentator, and television news anchor. She is best known for hosting the popular nightly TV show The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Prior to this, she hosted a talk radio program on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010. As of now, the TV sensation co-anchors MSNBCs ...

Demystifying Pokimane  Her Real Name, Ethnicity & Boyfriend Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Pokimane Thicc is one of those stars who took advantage of the internet to make a name for herself. Given the unlimited potentials which the social media space offers, many people have been instantly propelled to fame just by posting creative online contents. Not only has ...

A Breakdown of Kris Jenners Net Worth, Sources Of Income and Relationships Over The Years Standing outside and looking in, Kris Jenner looks like the oil that greases the wheels of the entire Kardashian/Jenner machine. She has been dubbed a momager and rightfully so because she seems to have had a part to play in the trajectory of each and every one of her daughters individually and the Kardashian brand ...

Pursuits That Brought Liza Koshys Fame To its Zenith and Her Love Life Since David Dobrik Liza Koshy is an American actress who has leveraged YouTube as a platform to promote her comedy while also serving as a television host on occasions. She is talented and funny and has gathered a lot of fans from around the world. Koshy started on Vine in high school and was able to get millions of ...

Alex Aiono Biography  Inside The Life Of The American Singer Not everyone who started from the streets has attained the heights where Alex Aiono is currently. His story could be referred to as the perfect definition of rising from Grass to Grace. He came into the limelight after he started out as a YouTuber, singer, and producer. One fascinating thing about the young YouTuber is ...

Virginia Vallejo Biography And Her Love Story With Pablo Escobar Virginia Vallejo can be referred to as one of the oldest whistleblowers in history after her involvement with Pablo Escobar which made her famous. Over the years, many questions have been raised about her relationship with the drug lord and why she endangered her life to be with him despite his notorious acts. The death ...

Princess Love Bio  Ethnicity, Real Name & Parents For many people, Princess Love is simply Ray Js wife but there is so much more to this feisty lady than meets the eye. She is a star in her own right and has many feathers on her cap. Princess Love is a reality TV star, a model, video vixen, and fashion designer. She and her ...

Who is Papa Franku Also Known As Filthy Frank or Joji, Where is He Now? The social media as we all know today has given people the opportunity to be creative and innovative and at the same time, make something of themselves. YouTube is one of the known social platforms we have today that makes it possible for people to express their God-given talents and post videos they created to ...

Who Is Molly Qerim, How Did She Become a Famous Sports Anchor and Who Is Her Husband? Molly Qerim is an American sports anchor popularly known for moderating First Take, a highly rated sports talk show, on ESPN. Prior to joining ESPN, Qerim hosted Fantasy Live and NFL AM on NFL Network. It is quite obvious that the widely acclaimed television personality is in a class of her own when it comes ...

Safiya Nygaard  Height, Parents & Net Worth Safiya Nygaard is an American YouTuber, writer, content producer, and director who is popular for posting makeup, beauty and fashion videos on YouTube. Her videos regularly top at least one million views, thanks to her lively character as well as her willingness to experiment with outrageous outfits and different beauty products. Here are the things to ...

The Rigors of Sunlen Serfatys Career Journey Until CNN and Fun Facts About Her Personal Life CNN correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty is an Emmy Award-winning journalist known for covering a broad range of breaking news stories, national news, and Washington politics. She has been able to garner widespread recognition for herself which even goes beyond the sphere of her work. Her profile also increased with the extensive work she did in covering ...

Demystifying Jazz Jennings Real Name, Boyfriend & Family Of One The Youngest Transgenders Jazz Jennings is an unusual personality who became famous as a transgender activist and was recorded as the youngest documented public figure to be seen as transgender. She is also a YouTube personality and spokesmodel for brands, her fans, and other transgenders. She fought for acceptance in her high school with her super supportive family for over ...

Inside Fred Armisens Life  Ethnicity, Romantic Relationships and Gay Rumors Fred Armisen is an award-winning American comedian, he is also a writer, an actor as well as a musician. He was a cast member of the legendary comedy show, Saturday Night Live for 13 years and also one of the brains behind the successful satirical show Portlandia. Find out more about this incredibly talented guy ...

Ed and Lorraine Warren Biography: Cases, Kids, and Family Life Have you ever woken up with fear you could not explain, or felt a strange presence that made the hair at your nape rise or even experienced strange occurrences around you? Well, these were some of the promptings that made the well-known paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren delve into trying to explain the ideas ...

Truth About Tony Romos Wife, Kids and Life Since His NFL Retirement Tony Romo grew from the field as a quarterback to the screens as an American Football Analyst. He was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the richest football league in the world (NFL) before retiring. As a junior, he was honored as an All-Ohio Conference Member, an Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and ...

Who is Brittany Venti, The Controversial Game Streamer and YouTuber? In recent times, many people live stream themselves playing video games. This has become a popular pastime on the internet and many highly skilled gamers have become internet celebrities through this means. However, some of them rather than becoming renowned for their gaming skills and great commentary, have become controversial and infamous. A good example ...

Rob Dyrdeks Family: His Kids And Relationship With Wife Bryiana Noelle Flores A multi-talented star and an elite pro skateboarder, Rob Dyrdeks success story began at a remarkably young age. Yet another proof that schooling doesnt always correlate with success, Rob has established himself not just as a phenomenal sportsman but also as a successful entrepreneur. Besides perfecting his skill as a natural talent on the board, ...

xChocobars  Biography and Everything You Should Know About Her Having distinguished herself and recorded massive successes in an industry notably dominated by men, it is very safe to say that Xchocobars deserves all the attention and cash she makes from her career. A household name on Twitch (a smart live streaming video platform), the online-gamer is popularly known for streaming classic games such as Stardew ...

Everything To Know About Mary Padian, Her Boyfriend and Net Worth Mary Padian is a famous American television reality personality best known for her involvements on the Reality show Storage Wars. She also has her own shop called Mary finds where she displays her antique collections. Since her childhood, Padian has been a creative learner. At the time, she used to create new items out of reusable ones and ...

Betsy Woodruffs Family Life: Is She Married or Related To Bob Woodruff? An old name in the world of journalism, Betsy Woodruff has warmed her way into the hearts of many with her impressive talents. Through hard work, Woodruff has carved a niche for herself in a very competitive field. Betsy has strong family and work values and is also an advocate for equal opportunities for everyone ...

Matpat (Matthew Patrick)  Wife, Height & Net Worth As far as internet business is concerned, Matpat remains one of the most dynamic and seasoned figures. He boasts a wealth of experience that has helped him in growing his business from one level of greatness to another. Like most successful people, MatPat started out small but today, he makes millions of dollars from his ...

Facts About Ricegum  His Girlfriend, Real Name & Net Worth Ricegum is an online gamer and YouTube sensation who ditched college; took advantage of the digital era, and made a name for himself on the internet. Though he began as a gaming YouTuber, Ricegum soon gained recognition as a controversial internet star following his many diss tracks. Here is everything you need to know about the youngster ...

Joy Taylor Once Married MLBs Richard Giannotti  Inside Look At Her Love Life and Family The erosion of the sexist idea that women have no business in sports broadcasting created a host of women celebrities who attained fame outside of modeling and acting. One of them, Joy Taylor, a radio personality and TV host for Fox Sports 1, has been in the industry since 2009, becoming one of the most ...

What To Know About Conan OBriens Wife, Kids & Family Today The name Conan OBrien is one that jumps right at you almost immediately you start talking about the most popular television hosts in the USA and this is no surprise because the man behind that name has risen to become one of the most admired men in the business. Known for hosting the late-night talk ...

David Letterman  Net Worth, Wife & Son In all of American, one man whose face has been seen frequently by late night TV talk show lovers is none but David Letterman. The comedian and TV show veteran has been hosting late night talk shows for more than three decades. His Late Night with David Letterman show began on February 1st, 1982 aired ...

Demystifying Sssniperwolfs Family Background And The Boyfriends Shes Had Since she launched her eponymously named channel in 2013, Sssniperwolf has been on the rise when it comes to video game influencers. She is one of the biggest names in the online gaming subgenre of YouTube videos. Real name Lia Shelesh, she started with Call of Duty: Black Ops II but has diversified with other ...

Lester Holt  Wife, Family & Net Worth Lester Holt is a multiple award-winning journalist, newscaster, reporter, and actor who has worked for notable media houses like WCBS TV, CBS, MSNBC and among others. His remarkable feat in journalism has endeared him to the hearts of many and earned him some awards and recognitions. Read on to get acquainted with his biography, ethnicity, ...

What Is Louis C.K. Doing Now, Where Are His Family And How Much Is His Net Worth? It is not easy to make it in comedy. It takes more than a funny bone and the ability to elicit a few giggles from a listening audience. For all the complexities that go into making a successful career in comedy, Louis C.K, the Washington D.C-born comedian, did it. For years, he was at the ...

The Progression of Hoda Kotbs Career, Her Ancestry and Family Life Hoda Kotb gained fame as a television host and news anchor for NBC. She anchors the shows signature show Today, and it has been an excellent vehicle for her skills in front of a camera. Kotb has won several awards, including Daytime Emmys and Peabody Awards. Simply put, she is one of the most successful ...

Jerry Seinfelds Family: All About The Amazing Comedians Wife and Kids Apparently one of the highly important entertainers in America, Jerry Seinfeld is a man of many talents. A very funny man, he is considered to be one of the most successful comedians in the USA who has been in the business as a professional rib-cracker for more than 40 years. As an actor, he has ...

The Rigors Of Sarah Silvermans Rise To Prominence And Rundown Of The Men She Has Dated A comedian, writer, and actress, Sarah Silvermans art and craft is as unique as you would ever find. Her poignant use of comedy to discuss social issues such as race, sexism, politics, and religion has gained her an impressive following. As unorthodox as her style is, so is her life experiences. She previously suffered from epiglottitis ...

Who Is Hannibal Buress, Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend & Why Was He Arrested? Making people laugh when they are tense or not in the mood is a tough order and to ply the trade, it must indeed take some guts and expertise, this is what the humor maker, Hannibal Buress has been able to achieve and sustain after his inital teething process. The African-American is a screen writer, stand-up ...

The Success of John Mulaneys Career Efforts Since His Work On Saturday Night Live and Facts About His Wife John Mulaney had been working as a professional comedian for years before Saturday Night Live changed his status for life and like many who are now his fans, you probably did not know of him then. However, that changed when he joined the sketch comedy show in 2008. Since then, he has been one of ...

Jeff Dunham  Wife, Children and Net Worth Ventriloquism is a very subtle method of making an inanimate object (like a puppet, doll or dummy) appear to be saying words which are actually coming from the person (holding the inanimate object). In effect, the individual throws his/her voice to the puppet and can even appear to be having a conversation with it. Not ...

Ellen DeGeneres  Net Worth, Wife  Portia de Rossi & Parents Ellen DeGeneres is an American female standup comedian who has proven that whatever a man can do, a woman can also do. Since her journey as a standup comedian started in 1981, she has held swirl as one of the finest comedians America and the world at large has seen. She is often referred to ...

Revisiting Joan Rivers Death  The Daughter, Husband & Net Worth She Left Behind Joan Rivers was a renowned American comedian, TV host, writer, and actress. Her brand of comedy consisted of scathing one-liners and no individual or topic is spared. She hosted her own talk shows in the 80s and 90s and was a pioneer for women in stand up comedy. She was the first woman to host a late night ...

The Struggles of Margaret Chos Childhood, How It Influenced Her Career Growth and Love Life Margaret Cho is best described as a comic star who knows how to maneuver everything related to life into a rib-cracking joke. She is also known to criticize every social and political problem, especially those involving race and sexuality. Apart from her talents as a comic actress, she does amazingly well as a singer and ...

Where Is Eric Bolling Today? Who Is His Son & What Is His Net Worth? Eric Bolling who was once a notable figure on Fox News, is an American TV personality, an author, and versatile Journalist. As a political and financial analyst/commentator, he anchored discussions bothering on finance for Fox Business Channel. Here is everything there is to know about his career, family, and allegations that led to his exit ...

Who Is Chelsea Handler and Does She Have A Husband or Boyfriend? Chelsea Handler is one of Americas top female comedians. She is also an actress, writer, television host, producer, and activist. She is known to be very outspoken even with things that are very personal. In separate interviews with The New York Times, Handler revealed that she had an abortion twice when she was 16. She has authored five books ...

How Did Laura Lee Achieve Fame, How Much is She Worth and Who is Her Husband? Laura Lee is a popular American YouTuber, make-up artist and beauty blogger. From posting videos of her makeup routines on Instagram, Lee has transformed into a beauty influencer and a YouTube sensation. Today, her YouTube Channel has over 630 million views and 4.5 million subscribers. Asides having millions of followers across all social media platforms, ...

Madison Gesiotto Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Measurements Madison Gesiotto is no ordinary woman; although she excelled in quite a number of pageants and competitions while she was in school, it is her views on politics and issues in America that has made her name known to most people. She possesses beauty and intelligence in a seemingly equal measure and has been able ...

Who Is Lil Tay? Parents, Brother, Sister, Age, Net Worth, Ethnicity Child stardom is nothing new in the entertainment world. With the advent of social media, we have seen more stars made from the internet than ever before, and Lil Tay is one of them. Her uploaded rap videos trademark is cursing, swearing, cash-throwing, and use of obscene languages. Her fame went wild after she dropped ...

What To Know About Tig Notaros Wife, Kids and Family Today Tig Notaro is an American stand-up comic star, writer, actress, and radio analyst. Since she started her career in 2001, she has become one of Americas best comedians, particularly when it comes to observational comedy. One prominent aspect of her routine involves her family, which includes a wife and two children. Interestingly, Tig Notaro is part ...

Who Is Chantel Jeffries? What To Know About Her Age, Ethnicity & Net Worth Chantel Jeffries is a lady of many talents. Beyond being celebrated as a DJ, she has fared well as a model, an actress, musician, and as an artist. She first rose to fame on Instagram where she has a large following. However, in recent times, she has hit the spotlight for her rumored relationships with some ...

Is Ellen DeGeneres Married, Who Is The Brother  Vance DeGeneres and Family Members? Ellen DeGeneres is one of a kind celebrity in todays world as she has used her wealth for the greater good for many people. She has served a host of famous awards shows like the Grammy, Primetime Emmy and Academy Awards. Moreso, she is probably one of the most decorated entertainment personalities around the world and ...

Carli Bybel Bio  Height, Boyfriend & Net Worth Video blogging is now on the rise and YouTube is the place where most of it happens. If you are a lady who cares about her looks or a guy who likes to help his woman out with her looks, then one person whose name rings a bell when it comes to giving beauty tips ...

Who Is Lexy Panterra? What To Know About Her Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth Lexy Panterra is one of the YouTube personalities whose breakout came through the Twerk dance videos she posted on her social media handles and YouTube which has so far generated over 13 million views for her. From there on, she created her LexTwerkOut workout program in 2014. She is sure very talented as she as moved ...

Who Is AnneMunition? What Is Her Ethnicity & Does She Have A Girlfriend or Boyfriend? AnneMunition is a professional gamer and content creator of American origin. She is one of the most sought-after streamers on Twitch  a popular online platform for watching and streaming videos, especially video games. AnneMunition has almost half a million followers on Twitch and her channel has accumulated at least 13 million views. Her favorite games ...

Norm MacDonald  Former Wife, Son & Net Worth Recently, 59-year-old former Saturday Night Live stand-up comic Norm MacDonald caused a not-so-funny stir when he expressed his personal opinion about the #MeToo movement speaking in defense of Louis CK and Roseanne Barr. Following the backlash of his actions, he is diligently doing damage control for his questionable opinion by posting a public apology on ...

Inside Iliza Shlesingers Life With Husband and How Much She is Worth Now Witty, spontaneous, and truly humorous, Iliza Shlesinger is an American comedian who is clearly proving that the stereotypical claim that women are not really funny is not only incredibly wrong but completely outrageous. Having been in the game for more than 10 years, Shlesinger has grown bigger with each step, stunning fans with her incredible ...

Who Is Nessa Diab? Details of her Parents, Ethnicity & Relationship With Colin Kaepernick Nessa Diab has gained more fame as the girlfriend of different footballers than in her career. She is currently with the popular National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, and has stood by his side during his most trying times. Also known for her mononym, Nessa, she recently engaged in a tweet battle with the ...

Samantha Bee  Inside the Life of Full Frontal Comedian and Presenter We have over the decades seen various brands of humor and personalities who have walked the ropes. One of the formidable forces in the world of comedy is no other than the iconic Samantha Bee of the Daily Show who now runs her own television show on TBS channel. She is a Canadian-American political commentator, ...

What Happened To Jessica Williamss Boyfriend And Which Are Her Best Works? Jessica Williams is a woman who has a lot of feathers in her cap  and keeps acquiring more. The former senior political correspondent of the comic Daily Show, who is also a comedian and actress whose recent movie appearance include starring as a playwright just recovering from a recent split with her boyfriend, Damon, and ...

Who is Nicole Byer? Here are 5 Facts You Need To Know About The Comedian Nicole Byer, an American comedian, actress, and writer, made a name for herself after she played supporting roles on MTVs prank show Ladylike and the reality show Girl Code. The latter was a series that featured comedians who analyzed in minute details, all the issues that young women deal with daily, from period to dating, to weird friendship dynamics and questions about sex. Currently, ...

A Closer Look At Bart Kwans Ethnicity, Height & Personal Life Bart Kwan is one of few Asians who is known for being successful in the comic industry at an international level. His fame broke out after the YouTube channel which he created with his close pal Joe Jo garnered up massive followings. The talented duo has been running the channel since 2007 and their success ...

Heres How VanossGaming Achieved Fame Online, His Worth and Other Facts About The Gamer For many years, the decision to drop out of college to pursue an online career was considered to be foolish and self-destructive by conventional wisdom. It was no different when Evan Fong, popularly known as VanossGaming, dropped out of college to pursue a YouTube career. However, that radical move paid off, and he stands shoulder to ...

Desi Perkins  Ethnicity, Net Worth & Husband YouTube is littered with videos of makeup tutorials by different people but if you are interested in learning how to do your makeup like a pro, there is just one person on that platform who you must follow. She is none other than Desi Perkins! She is a popular make-up artist, Instagram star, and vlogger. Desi, ...

The Phases of Casey Neistats Pursuits and His Love Story With Candice Pool YouTuber, vlogger, filmmaker, and creator extraordinaire; these are just a few hats that Casey Neistat wears and the story of how he got here is incredible. A native of Connecticut, Neistat started out by making refreshingly-authentic short films and videos that featured content that was based on everyday life and called attention to serious issues. He ...

Connor Franta  Inside The Life of American YouTuber YouTube has produced a lot of young celebrities in modern times and Connor Franta happens to be one of them. Apart from being a YouTuber, the young American is also an entrepreneur, entertainer, and writer. His journey to fame began almost a decade ago when he started a self-named YouTube channel where he uploads content ranging ...

Rhett and Link  Bio, Who are Their Wives, Net Worth and Family Facts Rhett and Link refer to an American comedy duo who are very popular on YouTube. They are known for their comic songs, viral commercials, skits and the daily show, Good Mythical Morning. Good Mythical Morning is the most watched daily show online, averaging 100 million views in a month. The show has featured guests such ...

A Walk Through The Maze of Ryan Higas Career Pursuits And Relationship With Arden Cho Ryan Higa is not only celebrated as a YouTube star, but he is also famed for appearing on television screens as an actor and comedian. Nigahiga, his Youtube channel, has gathered over 20 million subscribers and billions of views with his different comic acts, short films, and music videos uploads. With the rise in his career, ...

What to Know About The Shows That Made Craig Ferguson a Star and His Family Ties Rising to the top of your profession can sometimes be a hard and difficult process. It requires days and nights of working consistently hard to be better than what you were yesterday. It requires not giving up when all of your experiences seem to be pushing you to quit. It is because of these challenges ...

David Dobrik Married Liza Koshy for One Month  Inside His Family and Relationships David Dobrik is a YouTube sensation who has garnered fame not just for his vlogs but his love life too. Given his career as a YouTuber, his channel is one place where he shares his romantic escapades. With a cute boyish look like his, this Slovakian young man is definitely a good catch, and not ...

Merrell Twins Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Boyfriend One of the beautiful things about modern life is social media. As rudimentary as it might seem, it could turn out to be the greatest thing that would be invented in the next 50 years because of its impact on human life. Very few tools have revolutionized human behavior and culture as much as social ...

Who Is Bunny Meyer, Is She Married & What Is Her Net Worth? Bunny Meyer is a YouTube celebrity who has amassed over 8.8 million subscribers with 1.5 million viewers on her channel. She is popularly known as Grav3yardgirl and is one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. She initially started out as a fashion designer and later chose the path of a YouTuber. Grav3yardgirl has used her knowledge on fashion, makeup, ...

Ninja  Inside The Life of The American YouTuber and Internet Personality Ninja is a talented video game player known for his mastery of Fortnite and other seemingly difficult games he plays with ease. The video gamer made a career out of what is ordinarily the hobby of many people and has since then amassed a huge online following. Find out about him here, including the controversies that ...

What Is Eva Gutowskis True Sexuality and How Did She Rise So Fast As an Influencer? Ever since Eva Gutowski joined YouTube in 2011, it has been an interesting journey for her, moving from one milestone to the other. Backed by an army of young women and teenage girl fans known as Evanators, she has risen to become one of the most-talked-about personalities in the digital stratosphere. She has also leveraged ...

Emma Chamberlain Biography  Age, Height & Net Worth Before now, people in the entertainment industry could only achieve popularity after many years of dedication and hard work but since social media came into the scene, massive success and overnight popularity became possible. That is the story of Emma Chamberlain who encountered fame as a fifteen-year-old. Emma is one of the many young people who became ...

Anna Akana  Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth There is a new crop of YouTubers known by their different contents with a very strong uniqueness that stands every one of them out, some upload video games, some fashion while some others have comedy video contents to showcase on their channels. Anna Akana has used her platform to showcase her comedy contents to the ...

Revealing Truths About Lilly Singhs Ethnic Background, Family and Her Relationship With Yousef Erakat Lilly Singh is an Indian-Canadian YouTube personality, actress, and comedian also known as Superwoman. She kicked off her YouTube career in 2010 with the launch of her channel IISuperwomanII and followed it up with a vlog channel in 2011. This paved the way for her fame and success which led to a world tour. The ...

Who Is Andrea Constand, Is She Married and What Is Her Connection With Bill Cosby? Many people got sexually molested but could not voice out due to the stigma victims suffer and what will become of them thereafter. Very few of the victims danm every consequence to seek justice and bring the perpetrator to the book, like Andrea Constand. She never got any media buzz, not until her friend cum molester; ...

Who Is Lazarbeam (Lannan Eacott)? Here Are Facts You Need To Know Lannan Eacott became a person of interest after his YouTube channel, LazarBeam pulled him to the limelight. Initially, he started with uploads of Madden Challenge videos before deciding to build his own channel in January 2015. Within the space of three years, his YouTube channel had gathered over 7 million loyal subscribers. Today, he has not ...

Puzzling Facts About Wengies YouTube Success and More About Her Fiance Among the many YouTubers who have succeeded in winning the hearts of millions of people is Wengie. She is a Chinese-Australian YouTube personality, vlogger, singer, and voice actress. Wengie is famous for a lot of things, from her simple life hacks, DIYs, craft ideas to fun experiments, tricks and pranks. Her content portfolio also includes hair tutorials, diet & fitness tips, lookbooks, ...

Is Jeffree Star A Billionaire and How Much Does He Make On YouTube? If looks can be deceptive then theres no other person who proves this maxim better than Jeffree Star. A quick look at Stars pictures would likely leave you wondering whether or not to tag him a male or female. But who says being controversial has to be a curse? For Star, his looks have caught ...

The Place of Rosanna Pansinos Career Hats In Her Rise To Fame and Facts About Her Personal Life There are a few phrases that could summarize Rosanna Pansinos rise to fame. None of them can do it better than the famous axiom, no knowledge is lost. Her popularity YouTube comes out of her foray into other professions, specifically acting. Although acting now occupies one of the major professional hats in Rosannas resume, it was ...

Muselk (Elliott Watkins) Biography  Age, Girlfriend and Net Worth The new and best in-thing in terms of career is video gaming and we have over time seen young men and women make massive income from an activity that was purportedly designed to serve as a hobby or a relaxation activity. One of such individuals is the Australian-born YouTube Celebrity and Twitch streamer, Muselk, whose ...

PopularMMOs Biography: 5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know We have over the years seen social media millionaires, especially on the YouTube social platform. These celebrities cum millionaires have made names for themselves after carving out niches on the internet, and a typical example of one of such exciting media personality on the YouTube is American Minecraft gamer and YouTube star, PopularMMOs whose channel ...

Jason Nash Once Married Marney Hochman  What To Know About His Ex-Wife and Kids The now-defunct video-sharing app Vine was the path that led Jason Nash to fame. With it, he built an audience of over two million followers, which he parlayed into a significant YouTube career. That move has seen him become one of the most popular personalities on the internet, with the cash income to go with ...

Where Does Dantdm Live? What Do We Know About His Net Worth, Wife and Brother? Most parents buy video games for their kids to occupy their time leisure, while other parents frown at their kids when they play video games. Despite the disparity, every parent would be proud of their child if he/she eventually turns a celebrity or millionaire through playing video games like Dantdm. Biography of Dantdm Dantdm was born Daniel ...

LaurDIY  Biography: 5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTuber LaurDIY is the YouTube channel of Lauren Riihimaki which she created on December 1, 2011, when she was still a college undergrad with the sole aim of giving Do It Yourself (DIY) as well as practical fashion and beauty tips to her followers. She has used the channel to establish herself as a YouTube personality ...

Lachlan Ross Power  Bio And Family Life Of Australian The YouTube Star It is amazing the varied sources of income that the internet has made possible in this day and age. Internet fame can get its holder a whole lot of monetary and social benefits, but it must be noted that it does not come easy or cheap. For those who desire fame, content is the sacrifice ...

Alfie Deyes  Bio and Net Worth: Everything You Need To Know Alfie Deyes is one internet personality you definitely would like to know about. He boasts of over 10 million subscribers on three of his YouTube channels and has three bestseller books to his name. He is probably the most renowned young personality on YouTube today and his vlogging empire continues to grow by the day. ...

Colleen Ballingers Love Story With Husband Erik Stocklin and How Much She Is Worth Now Colleen Ballinger is an American comedian and YouTuber who is a very funny, adventurous, and highly talented woman. She is also an actress, singer, and writer. Collen is widely known for her work on YouTube where she posts content on her channel, Miranda Sings. The comedian has gained many subscribers over the years and has ...

Who Are The Dude Perfect Members and How Much Are They Worth? Entertainment in the 21st century can be digested in many forms and with platforms like YouTube, the creators and purveyors of entertainment have been democratized. Today, one of the most popular platforms to exhibit ones creative talents is YouTube, even though there are other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, who suffer in comparison to YouTube because ...

Who Is Rudy Mancuso, What Is His Earning Power and What Do We Know About His Girlfriend? Rudy Mancuso started his internet journey on Vine. He would later transition to YouTube where he solidified his place among the internets most beloved comedic creators. He is now regarded as one of the renowned internet personalities in the world, with a presence in mainstream TV and film projects like Comedy Centrals Drunk History and ...

Vsauce (Michael Stevens) Biography and Net Worth: All You Need To Know The advent of YouTube and the internet as a whole revolutionized how human beings consume information. With each passing year, the percentage of learning that is done in a traditional classroom decrease as a seismic shift to internet-based learning happens in our education industry. From open courses online to YouTube classes and videos, there are ...

How did Jake Paul Make His YouTube Big Break and Who is His Wife? One of the most interesting Social Media personalities of the 21st century is the young and popular Jake Paul whose elder brother is the famed Vine star, Logan Paul. Jake has utilized the power of the internet to bring himself to the limelight with a channel named JakePaulProductions that has amassed up to six billion ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About Reaction Time (Tal Fishman)  The American YouTuber Before 2015, the leading meaning of reaction time was the amount of time it takes to respond to a stimulus, until Tal Fishman started his channel, Reaction Time on YouTube and the dominant meaning changed. Today, a google search of Reaction Time would deliver Tal Fishmans videos and YouTube channel link with a few physics ...

Grace Helbig  Net Worth, Boyfriend and Family Life of The YouTuber Grace Helbig is an American internet personality, comedian, actress, and writer. She became popular due to her daily vlog series, DailyGrace, which ran on My Damn Channel from 2008 to 2013. Helbig is also popular for her own indie series on YouTube, ItsGrace, which she launched in 2014. Her vlogs which feature random stuff such as ...

Mark Wiens Bio  Ethnicity, Wife and Parents Food is a great way to connect with people. We all love to eat, if not for the pleasure of food, the satisfaction of quenching hunger, and the very process of providing and sharing that food is part of the strongest bonds that bind humanity together. Maybe it is our historical connection to food, where ...

Is Filthy Frank Dead, What Happened To Him and How Much Is He Worth? As George Kusunoki Miller, he was a nobody. However, as Filthy Frank, George was one of the most famous internet personalities on the planet. The Filthy Frank Show, a sketch series on his YouTube channel, TVFilthyFrank, was one of the platforms most influential creations. He is the reason a crazy dance song, Harlem Shake, made it ...

CaptainSparklez Bio  Net Worth, House and Cars of The Famous YouTuber Sometimes, what society wants from its citizens is quite different from what the citizens want for themselves. This is evident in the life and career of video blogger and American YouTube personality, Jordan Maron famous for his YouTube channel CaptainSparklez. He dropped out of school after discovering his talent in playing an online game called Minecraft. ...

Who is Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg)? Here are Facts You Must Know Canadian Youtube personality, Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg) originally started out polishing and designing nails even before it became a trendy culture in the social media. Simply Nailogica started out her showbiz career in her early days as a child actress, acting in commercials for game and toy companies. Aside from acting, she is blogger, vlogger, specializing ...

5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Huda Beauty In the world of entrepreneurship, it is interesting when an individual has a mentor who he/she looks up to, this yield more productivity on the part of the individual. The iconic and rich American beautician and makeup artist Huda Kattan nicknamed Heida is the founder of the Huda Beauty blog which is number one Instagram beauty blog ...

Is Dino MasterChef Gay? Details About His Ethnicity, Girlfriend, Where He Is Now Food, for the better part of the early years of human life, was nothing more than what we needed for survival. There was no artistry or curation to the method of cooking. The scarcity of food left no room for artistic expression until we figured out agriculture and we could make as much as we ...

Who Is Gabbie Hanna And How Did She Become Famous? As the world shifts to digital media and depends more and more on streaming services for its news and entertainment content, YouTubers have become one of the leading creators in the new media world. Their understanding of the online audience: how to create, maintain, and increase followers, are all handy skills that have primed them ...

Jacksepticeye  Height, Girlfriend & Net Worth Jacksepticeye is a YouTuber and actor who gained popularity with a series of gaming videos he uploads on his channel to the delight of millions of his subscribers. He is Known primarily for his comic video game series titled Lets Play and his vlogs. His channel was formerly ranked 46th in the list of most subscribed ...

Chris Heria Personal Details: About His Wife, Height & Ethnicity Background In this generation, keeping fit has become one of the major criteria for being hale and hearty. In fact, most occupations these days are majorly concerned with ones body mass, weight and looks. Unlike the past where most people have to register in a gym to keep fit, social media has made it quite easy ...

Everything You Need To Know About Game Grumps Gaming is becoming incredibly popular on YouTube these days with game vloggers make millions of dollars out of them yearly. One of the most popular up-coming gaming YouTube channels is Game Grumps. The Lets Play series was created in 2012 and celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 18th, 2017. In six years of its existence, the ...

Daithi De Nogla Biography, Girlfriend and Net Worth YouTube has created an avenue for many to make wealth and become famous from the comfort of their homes while having fun. Many have built a career out of the platform, uploading numerous videos that have earned them the admiration of viewers across the globe. For Daithi De Nogla, he is loved for his humorous commentary on ...

Does Phoebe Robinson Have A Boyfriend or Husband and What Do We Know About Her Family? Phoebe Robinson is a New York-based comedian, writer, and actress. She is best known as the co-creator and co-host of the WNYC Studios podcast 2 Dope Queens. Just like some other female comedians, she never had any original plans of becoming a stand-up comedian even though, according to her, she took a class on a whim at Carolines on Broadway. After ...

Who Are Lex and Alana from Listed Sisters? What Is Their Ethnicity & Is the Show Cancelled? America is a country built on diversity. Everywhere you look all over the country, a countless number of immigrants or children of immigrants have become an integral part of the fabric of the country. From entertainment to business, immigrants are creating a niche for themselves and climbing to the summit of their respective professions. One ...

Riveting Facts About Danielle Lombard And What She Is Best Known For The American entertainment industry is one that provides many avenues for aspiring hopefuls to express their talents and become famous. From films to television shows and game shows, there is no shortage of ways for men and women who desire fame to pursue and earn it in the United States of America. Another tested medium ...

Unearthing New Details About The YouTube Success And Personal Life of Alex Burriss of Wassabi Productions Wildly hilarious and truly audacious, Alex Wassabi is an American YouTuber who has become a very popular face on the video-sharing platform after having garnered millions of subscribers over the years by keeping people glued to his channel with his witty parody video releases. If you have always loved parody videos, there is every chance ...

Everything You Need To Know About H2O Delirious H2O Delirious whose full birth name is reported to be Jonathan Gormon Dennis has successfully kept himself mystified by hiding his face behind the masks leaving his loyal fans speculating who he really is for many years. The American YouTube star is easily identified by the Jason Mask Style with make-up which he wears on his ...

Who Is HolaSoyGerman and What Happened To Him? German Garmendia has certainly seen it all when it comes to internet success. His channels, HolaSoyGerman and JuegaGerman are in the top twenty most subscribed channel on YouTube. The Chilean YouTuber found a way to tap into one of the worlds greatest inventions and make a living from it. He has been able to build ...

Who Are Glenn Becks Family, What Is His Net Worth And What Happened To Him? The American political commentary space is filled with different personalities. A few of them, through their rhetoric, charisma, and resources have been able to build a large following of men and women who listen to them for insight and direction for various political and social issues in the United States. For Conservatives, the story is ...

Following Charissa Thompsons Rise Through The Ranks Of Sports Casting and All About Her Boyfriend Superstar TV host and sportscaster, Charissa Thompson, has been hailed as one of the highest-profile women journalists in America, and the reason is there for all to see. She has worked for popular establishments such as Versus, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, GSN, and Big Ten Network. She currently hosts the popular pre-game show, Fox NFL Kickoff, ...

Is Chris Kattan Gay or Does He Have A Wife? What Is His Net Worth? Chris Kattan is a popular American comedian and actor. He has appeared in several comic movies and TV series such as The Middle, A Night at the Roxbury and Bunnicula. Kattan is, however, most popular for his six-year stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. During his time on the legendary show, he ...

Everything You Should Know About the Rise of Insta Star Claire Abbott and Why She Gave It All Up A lot of young Americans have shot into the limelight for uploading different kinds of videos on YouTube. Some of these young stars include Connor Franta, Desi Perkins, Emma Chamberlain, the Dolan Twins (Ethan and Grayson), and Claire Abbott. The latter became a social media celebrity for uploading sexy bikini pictures of herself on social media. Apart from ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTube Channel  h3h3Productions H3h3Productions is a YouTube channel that specializes on Comic responses or reactions of other contents or trendy stories. The celebrity couple that created the channel has over time racked up sizable views for their commentaries and contents. Even though they had their own fair share of copyright cases, thankfully they scored an unprecedented victory in all ...

Lilypichu Bio  Height, Brother and Love Story With Albert SleightlyMusical Chang Like most popular internet celebrities, Lilypichu is one of those Twitch streamers who spend their lives on camera. From daydreaming about the possibility of becoming a full-time professional streamer, she grew to live out her dreams on the popular live streaming platform where people play games, make crafts, and showcase their day-to-day activities. Given the rise of ...

KSI  What To Know About His Girlfriend, Brother  Deji Olatunji & Net Worth Assuredly, when Internet inventors Vint Cerf and Bob Khan created the technological masterpiece, they probably did not know how massive the creation will be harnessed by many for different purposes including as a platform for earning money through content creation. One of such person who smiles to the bank regularly today for spending time creating ...

The Interesting Progression and Highlights of Carrie Keagans Career as a Host and Actress Carrie Keagan has garnered huge fame through her various stints on television. She is not just your regular TV host but one with a difference. Keagan has hosted several high profile events and TV shows, including VH1s Big Morning Buzz Live and Fox News Channels Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. However, not many know she ...

The Gist On Elise Jordans Marriages And Her Rise To Prominence Political commentaries tend to be boring when it is handled by someone who does not have a knack for it. However, when you see the likes of Elise Jordan run the same commentary, you will have a lot of reasons to look forward to watching her again as the journalist is well-versed in the field ...

What Is Timmy Thick Best Known For and How Successful Is The Star? Thanks to the internet, many people whose talents would have ordinarily gone unnoticed have become famous. A very good example of this modern-day internet celebrity is Timmy Thick, an American social media star. He became popular on Instagram due to his penchant for posting raunchy pictures of himself. He also often posted videos of himself ...

What Does Heather Storm Do For a Living and Who Is She Dating? Reality Television is a great way to make a name for oneself as well as amass a fortune. Heather Storm can attest to this as she is one of those who have made a name and earned a lot from reality TV. She made her name appearing on shows like Car Fanatics, Awesome Autos, and, ...

Matt Carriker Biography  Net Worth, Wife & Height Unlike your regular veterinary doctor next door, Matt Carriker chose to spice up his noble profession with the unusual. Though he is known to many as a medical practitioner, Carriker is better renowned as a YouTube star and an animal lover. Having recorded huge successes on his various YouTube channels, the vet doctors name and ...

Jillian Mele of Fox News Career Achievements, Husband & Measurements There are quite a good number of presenters on radio and television who listeners and viewers may never wish to miss any of their shows because of their sensational golden voice, beauty or the special way or artistry they anchor their shows. Jillian Mele is one of such. She has been at the top of ...

Who is Gillian Turner of Fox News? Her Fiance or Husband and Net Worth Gillian Turner is well-known as a news correspondent for Fox News Channel but before she became a TV personality, she built an intimidating resume working for different institutions, including the American government. She served in different capacities at the White House National Security Council during the administration of former US Presidents  George W. Bush and Barack Obama. ...

Gloria Govan Bio  Age, Ethnicity & Height Even as Gloria Govan is famous as an American actress, author, a TV host, and reality television star, shes more popular as the wife of the former NBA player, Matt Barnes. She became known after appearing on the Florida version of the reality television series, Basketball Wives and later, Basketball Wives: LA  after Matt was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Sadly, ...

Michael Fishmans Interesting Start as an Actor and Why He Divorced His Wife of Many Years When one door closes, another one opens. As silly as that axiom may seem, it is the story of the resurgence of Michael Fishman, who plays D.J Conner on the popular show, Roseanne. Having played the character for several years as a child actor into his teenage years; when the show originally ended, Michael did ...

Who Is October Gonzalez  Tony Gonzalezs Wife? All You Need To Know October Gonzalez is a popular American TV host and media personality. Additionally, she is also a model. Gonzalez has hosted several TV shows such as Beat Shazam, Entertainment Tonight, and Rachel Ray. She has also featured in several reality TV shows. Gonzalezs fame is not just due to her profession but also because of her ...

Who Is Tony Berlin  Harris Faulkners Husband: His Children and Family Facts Tony Berlin is a popular American media guru. He has variously worked as a reporter, anchor, and producer for some of the biggest TV networks in America. They include CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC (where he hosted the popular Good Morning America). Berlin has now diversified into public relations and owns his own PR firm. ...

The Progression of Gianna Tobonis Journalism Career and Details About Her Marriage to Kyle Buckley Gianna Toboni may not be your ideal newscaster but her unusual reporting is what made her a household name. The American journalist is renowned for her hard-hitting and authentic reportage. A motivator and activist for total press freedom, Gianna loves to explore pervasive cultural issues. Not only does this unique and ambitious journalist call for all ...

Dog The Bounty Hunters Family Including Details of His Late Wife and Kids Popularly known as Dog, a name which he got from the television series, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Duane Chapman, an American bounty hunter, and one-time bail bondsman, went from being convicted for a felony to being a reality TV star. He was brought to the limelight following the capture of the convicted criminal, Andrew Luster in 2003 and this eventually made ...

Vicky Karayiannis, Chris Cornells Wifes Bio, Children and Family The world of showbiz is made up of different people who serve different roles, and function in a variety of capacities, and one of the most important people are those in the background. Publicists are undoubtedly one of these background people yet they are vital to the life and fame of most of our favorite ...

Joe Rogan Has A Step-Daughter and 2 Other Kids With Wife Jessica Ditzel  Meet His Family Joe Rogan is a popular American stand-up comedian and TV host. His journey to stardom began in the late 80s and has seen him host several shows, the most popular is the game show titled Fear Factor. The exciting show dares contestants to face some of their greatest fears and embark on challenging stunts. The ...

Josh Gates and Wife Hallie Gnatovich Have 2 Kids But Who Has the Higher Net Worth? Best known for his explorations and adventures, Josh Gates, is a television presenter with a voracious appetite for seeing the world and the beauties in it. Some of that beauty, however, is in his home, in the form of two children he shares with his wife, Hallie Gnatovich. Not excluded is their marriage which has lasted ...

Holly Sonders Wiki, Plastic Surgery & Why She Divorced Her Husband  Erik Kuselias After trying everything within her capacity to have a low key wedding, Holly Sonders was drawn to the public because of her husbands controversy at his workplace. Well, the two are rumored to be divorced but the article below will give more light on how true these rumors are. Meanwhile, Holly Sonders is yet to ...

Nadeska Alexis Bio  Age, Boyfriend & Net Worth Journalism is one diverse profession that allows the practitioners to choose their area of specialty, build a career on it by reporting the truth and facts which in the long run will distinguish them as deserving commendation and recognition among their peers. Some choose to specialize in political journalism, while to others it is sports ...

Media Platforms Charlamagne Tha God Has Explored and All The Controversies He Has Courted Charlamagne Tha God is an American on-air personality, radio presenter, and more recently, author. He is popularly known as a co-host on New York radios nationally syndicated show, The Breakfast Club, a program he has been hosting alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee since 2010. However, his early years had no connection to his current career ...

A Look At Jimmy Fallons Net Worth and Family Including His Wife & Kids Sometimes, a childs passion for something is a pointer to what he/she would become in the future. As a child, Jimmy Fallon was literally obsessed with watching the late-night comedy program, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Then, his parents would tape the clean parts for him to watch and later, he and his sister would re-enact sketches from the ...

Kay Adams Biography  Does The Sportscaster Have A Husband or Boyfriend? When you hear the phrase sports enthusiast, women are hardly the first group that comes to mind. Well, thats changing pretty fast. Especially with the rise of female sports analysts and broadcasters like Kay Adams who is famed for knowing more about sports than most men do. And why not, shes paid handsomely for it ...

Ben Shapiros Family  Meet His Wife, Kids and Sister Who is Popular for the Wrong Reasons A multi-talented man, Ben Shapiro is a man of controversial nature, an attribute that has made him an unusual public figure. An intellectual whose career path was clearly defined even before he became a man, the Jewish conservative commentator has always had his way with words. He became popular by sharing his critical and often ...

QVC Shawn Killinger Bio  Husband, Net Worth & Facts To Know Shawn Killinger is a prominent TV personality who has worked her way to the top. Though not initially a journalist by training, she defied the odds and today has established herself as a household name, as well as, worked alongside some industry legends. More than just being a reporter, newscaster, and anchor, heres all you ...

Liv Lo  Dissecting the Ethnicity, Parents and Personal Life of Henry Goldings Wife While many are aware that Liv Lo is the better half to Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding, only a few understand why his beautiful wife appears increasingly endearing to fans. A former model turned TV personality, and fitness star, Liv has an impressive resume which when combined with that of her statuesque spouse is considered a perfect ...

Stpeach Age, Husband and Other Facts About The Twitch Streamer Lisa Vannatta, famously known by her online alias, STPeach is a Canadian video game streamer cum vlogger who has garnered fame through her appearances on different video-sharing/social networking platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Twitch, Reddit, and Twitter. The beautiful lady got her career to a start in August 2015 when she joined the live streaming video platform, Twitch. She rose to ...

Insights into Seth Meyers Wife, Family and What His Net Worth Is Celebrities are mostly remembered and known for the work they do. For Seth Meyers, his career as a comedian, writer, actor, TV host, and producer is his biggest identifier. He was on Saturday Night Live SNL show as a head writer and cast member for more than ten years during which he built a reputation ...

Who Is Jessica Gadsden  Age, Net Worth & All About Charlamagne tha Gods Wife Jessica Gadsden is an American fitness coach as well as a personal trainer. She is better known as the spouse of popular American media personality, Charlamagne Tha God. Charlamange Tha God is a well-known TV and radio personality in the U.S. He has featured in several shows (both on the radio and TV) and is ...

Who Is Collins Tuohy  Michael Ohers sister ? Her Wedding, Husband & Net Worth Collins Tuohy is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, blogger, and social media personality. She is also better known as the adoptive sister of NFL player, Michael Oher, whose life story inspired the Hollywood blockbuster The Blind Side. The Blind Side tells the true life story of Oher who grew up in an impoverished background consisting of a ...

Eye-Popping Facts About The Personal Life And Career Success Of Sportscaster Heidi Watney Heidi Watney is a media personality who has created a niche for herself as a sportscaster. Starting out as a radio presenter, the brilliant young lady has gone on to work for several prominent sports networks, and currently, she is with the MLB. The sportscaster is also known to have been an avid sports lady right ...

Marty Lagina Bio  Siblings (Martina and Rick Lagina), Net Worth and Wife Marty Lagina is an American engineer and businessman who has risen to fame as a reality TV star. This is thanks to his involvement in the adventure TV series, The Curse of Oak Island. The Curse of Oak Island is a long-running TV series which airs on the history channel. The show aims to solve ...

Is Jordan Schlansky Just A Character or a Real Life Person and What Does He Do? The world of late-night television is an interesting one. Shows during that time are geared towards giving viewers comedic relief from a long day at work through interviews and comedy sketches. The often charismatic host of this show requires the balancing talent of a producer whose primary job is to deliver great episodes. It is ...

Heres How Wealthy Jimmy Kimmel Is From All The Phases of His Career, Marriages and Sons Health Jimmy Kimmel is a renowned late-night talk show host known for his charm, wit, and the A-list guests he features on his show. As the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! On ABC, Jimmy has been serving comedy to television viewers for years which played a pivotal role in launching him into mainstream fame and enabled ...

Natasha Bertrand Biography  Is She Married? Who Is the Husband & What Is Her Age? Natasha Bertrand is not just a young prominent journalist but a first-rate investigative reporter. With her natural beauty and smile, Natashas sharp, insightful political commentary also makes her a thorough reporter. Her sound political perspective and coverage in the country have made her a force to be reckoned with in the profession. Renowned for her ...

What Happened to Shane Kilcher? His Injury Update, Net Worth and More Shane Kilcher is well-known thanks to the Discovery Channel series Alaska: The Last Frontier. It is a show that documents the daily lives of the extended Kilcher family, people who live without plumbing or modern heating. The episodes follow their routines as they rely on hunting and farming for their nutritional needs as well as ...

Is Stephanie Gosk Gay or Lesbian, Who is the Wife or Partner  Jenna Wolfe? In August 2013, NBCs Today viewers were greeted with two shocking news. Today weekend anchor, Jenna Wolfe, announced that she was as a lesbian, introducing her partner as NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk, and said the two are expecting their first child. A long time has passed since then and certainly, a lot of things ...

Nikki Mudarris  Bio and Net Worth: 5 Interesting Facts You Need to Know Nikki Mudarris, also known as Miss Nikki Baby, is a reality television star, model and fashionista. Shes best known for VH1s reality TV series Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood. Her entrepreneurial skills enable her to create and run a successful lingerie line Nude by Nikki. Not only that, but Nikki has also successfully run the Las ...

5 Interesting Things You Need To Know About Kelly Nash Ever heard of the lady who gained national prominence for taking a selfie with a dangerous ball just a few inches away from hitting her? Its no other person than Kelly Nash, an American sports broadcaster currently working as host of The Rundown show which airs on MLB Network every weekday at 2 pm ET. ...

Understanding The Height of Fame John Oliver Achieved With The Daily Show and How He Met His Wife Without knowledge of who he is and his exemplary career, John Oliver cuts an unassuming figure of a regular man but he is one of the most influential personalities in America, especially on television. Since he began his career in 1998, he has been a loud and unapologetic agent of change, using his wit and ...

Why Did Big Chief Leave Street Outlaws, Where Is He Now And Why Did He Divorce His Wife? Justin Shearer, otherwise known by his professional name Big Chief is a famous street racer and television personality. He is famously known for being one of the main characters on the racing reality television series, Street Outlaws. Justin, who had been a significant part of the show since its premiere in 2013, appeared in a ...

Who is Josina Anderson of ESPN? Her Husband and Family Facts There has been a gradual paradigm shift in the world of sports which has today produced the likes of Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and other female athletes that are pulling great feats in different sporting fields. Their achievements have also been followed by the emergence of female sports journalists such as Jillian Mele, Eboni Williams, ...

Is Brittany Wagner Married, Who Is The Husband, How Old Is She? Brittany Wagner has been an inspiration to a lot of sports youngster. She has won the hearts of many athletic students with her role as a life coach and an academic counselor. She is well groomed in her career and has worked over a decade for The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and The National ...

Tati Westbrook Bio  Age, Husband & Net Worth With five videos dished out every week, alongside running her own brand, beauty guru, and YouTube superstar Tati Westbrook has proved to the world that theres utterly no impossibility or limit to whatever one is passionate about. Tati is best known for being the owner and manager of the worlds most-viewed beauty and lifestyle YouTube channel, ...

Cathy Areus Long Road to Becoming a Freelance Journalist and What to Know About Her Kids An American freelance journalist, news analyst, and author, Cathy Areu has built a lasting reputation for herself on cable television. Popular for her skillful and sassy presentation of professional views on varying topics including cultural and feminist issues, Cathy is an inspiration to many women across the globe. In addition to being a journalist, she ...

Tucker Carlsons Love Story With Wife Susan Andrews, their Children and Net Worth Today On the TV screens, Tucker Carlson is that fiery fellow who passionately dishes out his conservative and often controversial views on issues of national importance. Such brazenness has fetched him many enemies, especially on the left-wing, but it has also helped him cement a reputation as one of the foremost broadcast journalists in America. His ...

Paige Wyatts Net Worth, Boyfriend and Where She Is Now Paige Wyatt became popular after the Wyatt family began running the reality television show, American Guns. The Wyatt family comprises Rich Wyatt (father), Renee Wyatt (mother), Paige and Kurt Wyatt (children). Rich Wyatt originally ran a gun shop, the Gunsmoke Guns in Wheat Ridge, Colorado which is outside of Denver. The business which he ran together ...

The Progression of Howard Sterns Career As A Media Personality And Why He Divorced His First Wife Howard Stern is a legendary American radio host, who has also done some notable work as an actor, producer, author, as well as photographer. The radio personality achieved worldwide fame as a result of his self-titled radio program, The Howard Stern Show. As a professional radio personality, he has worked in different radio stations. Since 2006, ...

Lisa Joyners Biography  Ethnicity, Net Worth and Other Key Facts Lisa Joyner is an American Journalist, TV talk show host, and actress. Some of her well-known works are her correspondences for the Los Angeles based TV KCBS, inFANity show, Find My Family Show including her film and television appearances in Brimstone, American Sweetheart, The Bold and The Beautiful among others. Lisas passion for reconnecting people with their biological families ...

Amanda Balionis Rise Through the Ranks of Sportscasting and the Identity of Her Boyfriend Amanda Balionis is an American sportscaster currently working as a golf broadcaster for CBS Sports. Among so many of her works in the field of sports reporting, Amandas PGA Tour coverage seems to be the most popular so far. She covered the Super Bowl working with CBS Sports social media team in Atlanta, where she ...

Dissecting Charles Paynes Sexual Allegations, Its After Effects and More About His Wife Charles Payne had a respectable career as an analyst on Wall Street before he made the transition to television and became a contributor and later a host on Fox. In that time, his expertise has come under scrutiny, and he has been at the center of at least one major controversy. The major controversy in question ...

Erik Asla And Tryra Banks Split: Everything You Need To Know Tyra Banks and Erik Asla have called it quits! The couple, who began dating in 2013 and have a son named York Banks Asla, has decided to end what everybody taught was the perfect relationship. Neither person has come out to give a reason for the breakup, but what is obvious right now is that ...

What to Note About Dr Terry Dubrows Qualifications, TV Works and Marriage to Heather Kent In the realm of people that we expect to see regularly on our screens, medical doctors are closer to the bottom of the list. Aside from the fact that their work has little correlation with TV, they are presumably too busy to pursue life as TV personalities. Yet, a few of them have usurped this ...

Jessica Goch  Bio: 5 Things You Didnt Know About Ninjas Wife Jessica Goch is the Schofield-born American Social Media Influencer who has worked as a model but is now better known as a host and interviewer of prominent Electronic sports celebrities at popular gaming events/tournaments. The screen queen also serves as the manager of her famous husband Ninja aka Tyler Blevins whose exploits on Twitch and Fortnite has ...

CNNs Chris Cuomo Biography  Wife, Family & Net worth Chris Cuomo needs no elaborate introduction as he has starred graced many prominent Television cable networks and his voice has been heard through acknowledged radio shows. He is a television journalist and Lawyer who has previously worked for ABC News as Chief law and justice correspondent as well as a co-anchor on 20/20. If you still ...

Neil deGrasse Tyson  Family, Religion & Net Worth Neil deGrasse Tyson is a distinguished American astrophysicist and author who has been able to achieve so much after falling in love with astronomy at the age of 9. He has since attended and become an alumnus of prestigious universities such as Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia, and also recorded numerous achievements in his field of ...

Is Simon Cowell Gay? Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend and Why is He Famous? Simon Cowell is a well-known talent show judge, TV producer, entrepreneur and one of the most popular TV personalities that Britain has ever produced. In conjunction with his company, Syco, Cowell is the brain behind hugely successful talent hunt shows such as The X-Factor UK, The X-Factor US, Britains Got Talent, Americas Got Talent and ...

Everything To Know About Joanna Gaines Life With Chip Gaines, Their Business Pursuits and Kids Joanna Gaines and her husband Chip Gaines became celebrities after their television show Fixer Upper began airing back in 2013. The show which was about home renovation and decoration ran for about 6 seasons with a total of 79 episodes before the couple bade farewell to it in April 2018. Apart from their appearances on ...

Who Is Larry The Cable Guy? What To Know About His Wife And Net Worth Larry the Cable Guy is a self-professed country kid renowned for his trademark Southern accent and sensational catchphrase Git-R-Done! The famous comedian who talks about anything under the sun has gone on to become one of the most memorable characters in comedy history. Join us in unearthing lesser-known facts about the former on-air-personality, standup comedy superstar, movie ...

Who Is Patrick Starr, What Is His Net Worth and Gender? The make-up industry over the years has grown to become a billion dollar industry not just because there are probably more women wearing make-up but because a whole lot of men, especially the young ones, have become bold enough to wear it unlike before. A few of these men, like Patrick Starr, have even gone ...

How Did Chris Jansing Become a Senior Correspondent at MSNBC and Who Is Her Husband? An award-winning American television news reporter and journalist, Chris Jansing has succeeded in carving a spectacular niche for herself in the field of TV journalism. Outstanding for not just her excellence in journalism, Chris is also cherished for her incredibly gorgeous looks post 60! For close to four decades, Jansing has continued to soar in her ...

Jaclyn Glenn Biography  Age, Height & Ex-Boyfriend American Youtuber, Jaclyn Glenn, rose to prominence through her self-titled YouTube channel Jaclyn Glenn. She has remained an acclaimed atheist and continues to air her views on hot issues from politics, religion, animal rights, to atheism. During the heated 2016 US Presidential elections, Glenn featured in Hump Trump: Official Donald Trump Song. Her parallel acting career ...

Is Pat Sajak Married to a Wife or is He Gay With a Partner? Pat Sajak is one of the most popular TV game show hosts in America. He commenced his career as a radio disk jockey as well as a TV weatherman before being tapped to host Wheel of Fortune, the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States. Sajak has hosted the popular game show from 1983 ...

Nayyera Haqs Bio  What To Know About Her Husband, Parents And Family Nayyera Haq can take anyone on political debates as well as discussions on social issues affecting many. Her ability to masterfully deliver her stance on every issue or political debate has made her a regular face in morning and evening news media platforms. This is not a common feat especially for someone from her kind ...

Inside Guy Fieris Family With Wife, Kids and Sister Who Died of Cancer Over the years we have seen men dominate the kitchen and churn out amazing delicacies from it. Some do it way better than their female counterparts and one of such men is Guy Ramsay Fieri  an American TV host, celebrity chef, restaurant owner, bestselling author of four culinary books, and game show host. His ...

Meet Phil Mudd of CNN  The Former CIA and FBI Exec, Is He Married, Who Is The Wife? When it comes to discussing issues surrounding terrorism, American Counterterrorism and National Security Expert, Phil Mudd, occupies a globally significant position. He has voiced his interest in the fight against terrorism and insecurity on many popular media platforms, both print and broadcast, such as CNN, BBC, CBS, MSNBC, al-Jazeera, ABC, NBC, Fox, The New York Times, ...

Jim Hoffer: Biography, Wife  Mika Brzezinski, Children and Net Worth Jim Hoffer is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works as an investigative reporter for Eyewitness News, New York City. In his over two decades of investigative journalism, Hoffer has been at the front lines of several crucial stories from the 9/11 attack to the crash of American Flight 587 to the 2003 Blackout. On top of ...

The Ups and Downs of Erin Mcpikes Journalism Career and Other Facts About Her Personal Life Erin McPike is a journalist working for the Independent Journal Review (IJR) as a White House Correspondent but she gained widespread recognition for her coverage of general news. Whether its breaking news or some mainstream story, McPike has a reputation of baring the facts. As a journalist, her work as a White House Correspondent for Independent ...

Bert Kreischer Is Married To LeeAnn Kreischer With 2 Kids  Meet His Family Those familiar with Bert Kreischer mainly have the image of a large-bellied party man whose college life inspired the National Lampoon film, Van Wilder. It is an image that one would not naturally associate with a wholesome family. The standup comedian still maintains his wild party animal image on stage. But, back at home, he is ...

How Brendan Greene Became a Game Designer to Look Out For and Facts About His Failed Marriage The name Brendan Greene may not easily ring a bell in the larger society but for gaming enthusiasts, he is considered a god and this is because of his invention of the video game, Player Unknowns Battlegrounds, also called PUBG. Based on the popular last-man-standing/battle royale concept, Greenes creation has taken the gaming world by ...

WFAAs Sonia Azad Bio  Does The Reporter Have A Husband Or Boyfriend? Emmy Award-winning journalist and Health & Wellness reporter Sonia Azad is on the news segment News 8 Daybreak for the television station WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas, a channel which she joined in October of 2015. Besides her time on the news, Azad is also a marathon runner and a certified yoga instructor. She has covered major news ...

This Is Everything You Should Know About Caroline Heldman, Her Career Portfolio and Other Facts Love it or hate it, there is no escaping the fact that feminism has come to stay in our world. The movement has continued to garner momentum over the years and this is due to the sustained push by several women, and even men, including the likes of Caroline Heldman. A Professor of Politics at ...

Understanding The Enigma That Is Gavin McInnes, The Controversies He Has Stirred and All About His Wife Gavin McInnes is a polemical English-born writer and TV personality, who is best known for his racist and fascist ideologies, as well as his co-ownership of Vice Media and Vice Magazine. He is also an actor a
Jan 20, 2017 | By Benedict

Blue Origin, the aerospace company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is using 3D printing to build the BE-4, a next-generation rocket engine fueled by liquefied natural gas. The engine will power Blue Origins New Glenn orbital rocket and potentially a United Launch Alliance rocket too.

Christmas is an understandably busy time for Amazon, the online megastore and one-stop destination for media, electronics, and last-minute gifts that are guaranteed to arrive by December 24. But now that the festive season is over, founder Jeff Bezos can busy himself with other matters, such as his Washington-based aerospace manufacturing company, Blue Origin. According to Bezos, Blue Origin is currently hard at work putting the finishing touches on the BE-4, a new rocket engine that uses 3D printed parts.

In a mass email sent by Bezos this week, the billionaire entrepreneur and investor explained that the BE-4 uses several boost turbopumps in addition to its main pumps, will burn a mix of liquid oxygen and natural gas to deliver 500,000 lbs of thrust, and will help power the companys New Glenn launch vehicle. We already knew most of that. However, Bezos also says that 3D printing has played a key role in the production of the engine, which is perhaps more of an eye opener. Last year, Blue Origin president Rob Meyerson explained that the company had made a significant investment in 3D printing.

Our Ox Boost Pump (OBP) design leverages 3D additive manufacturing to make many of the key components, Bezos wrote this week. The housing is a single printed aluminum part and all of the stages of the hydraulic turbine are printed from Monel, a nickel alloy. This manufacturing approach allows the integration of complex internal flow passages in the housing that would be much more difficult to make using conventional methods. The turbine nozzles and rotors are also 3D printed and require minimum machining to achieve the required fits.

Whats more, in addition to powering Blue Origins own New Glenn launch vehicle, the partially 3D printed BE-4 may also be used on Vulcan, the forthcoming semi-reusable rocket being developed by United Launch Alliance (ULA). However, ULAa joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeingis currently weighing up whether to use the BE-4 or the AR-1, an engine being developed by Aerojet Rocketdyne (which, not coincidentally, is also using 3D printing in the production of its engine). Time will tell which machine gets the nod.

After successful testing of the Ox Boost Pump last year, Bezos says that the partially 3D printed device is nearing readiness. The OBP was first demonstrated last year in testing, where we validated its interaction with a main pump, the entrepreneur wrote. The second iteration of the OBP for BE-4 is now in test. Weve also just finished assembly of the unit that well install for the first all-up BE-4 engine test.

While it awaits on the ULA decision, Blue Origin is currently continuing with its suborbital test flight program for the New Shepard, a reusable spaceship powered by the hydrogen-fueled BE-3 engine. The BE-4 is being built to end American dependence on the Russian-made RD-180 engine.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

Maybe you also like:












Jan 20, 2017 | By Tess

Australian metal 3D printer manufacturer Aurora Labs announced this morning it has signed a non-binding Term Sheet with Sydney-based engineering firm WorleyParsons. The proposed partnership is seeking to combine Aurora Labs metal 3D printing products and technology with WorleyParsons wide network of contacts within the mining and infrastructure industries. The Term Sheet has been written for a period of at least 12 months, though as mentioned, it is not legally binding for either party.

As part of the non-binding agreement, both companies have said they will collaboratively focus on four key areas: the license and distribution of Auroras metal 3D printers, design and certification (Solutions Centre), the establishment of a print bureau, and powder production. Since the announcement of the Term Sheet this morning, Aurora Labs shares have seen a rise on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

The first key point in the agreement, license and distribution, proposes that WorleyParsons will become a non-exclusive distributor of Aurora Labs metal 3D printers and consumables. The companies also hope to establish a Solutions Centre, which will essentially be a business through which designs can be developed and sold to be used with Aurora Labs 3D printing products. According to the terms, The designs created in the Solutions Centre will be hosted or form part of a broader online designs catalogue to be developed by Aurora.

The proposed Print Bureau, as one can deduce, will be a 3D print service through which third parties can order prints made on Aurora machines. The designs for these prints would either come from the Solutions Centre or be the clients own designs. Lastly, both companies will also explore the possibility of creating a market for bulk and specialty metal 3D printing powders, which could be used with Auroras 3D printers.

In the released Term Sheet, WorleyParsons prudently reminds us that the agreement is non-binding, saying, Whilst Aurora is optimistic that a more definitive arrangement may be reached, there is no assurance that any legally binding agreement will be entered into or that any matter contemplated by the term sheet will be completed.

Perth-based 3D printing company Aurora Labs specializes in the development of metal 3D printers, printer software, and consumables. The company, which debuted on the ASX last summer, made an impressive start, raising AUD $2.8 million in its initial public offering, and stunned investors when its shares rose from an issue price of 20 cents a share to AUD $5.39 in November (closing at a respectable $3.52).

Posted in 3D Printer Company

Maybe you also like:












Mark your calendars: The California International Antiquarian Book Fair is celebrating its 50th anniversary on Feb. 10-12 at the Oakland Marriott City Center. As one of the largest and most prestigious book fairs in the world, this treasured annual exhibition is known for showcasing a fine collection of rare and valuable books in a three-day fair for history buffs, art buffs, and bookworms alike.





From California's beloved Harvey Milk's first (failed) campaign poster to a Polish post-WWII protest for peace following violence incited by fake news, to frames of celluloid from the first feature film in the world, the book fair features treasures from nearly 200 booksellers around the world. Whether you're looking for manuscripts, autographs, finely bound books, or more, this fair is the place to discover something newor something really, really old. Happy reading! // Feb. 10-12, 1001 Broadway (Oakland), cabookfair.com




When looking for a place to eat in Wine Country, "charming," "rustic," "al fresco," "quaint" spots abound. For foodies looking for something different, here are five out-of-the-ordinary restaurants to try. Who's afraid of ghosts?





Zina

Okay, so dining in a hotel lobby might seem strange. But with a romantic fireplace and cozy communal tables, Zina, inside the Ledson Hotel, is a perfectly beautiful space to mau on chef Yoshiharu Sogi's six-course tasting with inflections of Japanese, French, and Sonoma County. Dishes are exquisite, service is precise, and wine pairings are hyper localfrom the Zina Hyde Cunningham Winery tasting room onsite.

Pairing to try: Duo of Hama Hama oysters with 2013 Zina Hyde Cunningham Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc. // 480 1st St. East (Sonoma), ledson.com





Restaurant 1833

Want to eat in a haunted house? Who doesn't. Share your baby back rib eggrolls with the spirits in this recently renovated and reopened landmark restaurant known for its resident ghosts. Under the toque of new chef Jason Franey, well-heeled guests are served perfectly modern delights.

Pairing to try: Hand-cut pappardelle with young garlic, favas, pea tendrils, cherry tomatoes, and Nueske's lardons...with a Torrid Affair. The cocktail is made of Sombra mezcal, rhubarb shrub, honey, lemon, and Averna. // 500 Hartnell Street (Monterey), restaurant1833.com





Savannah Grill

The diner next to you may be an animal. At Safari Westotherwise known as the "Sonoma Serengeti"you can grub on ranch-style barbecue in the Elephant Room, the Savannah Cafe (decorated with African murals and artifacts), or on the patio where an African moto (fire pit) overlooks the feeding ground for giraffes. We promise the simple seasonal fare, made by real chefs with Wine Country ingredients, is far better than anything you'll find at the zoo.

Pairing to try: House-rubbed smoked chicken and slow-roasted pulled pork shoulder with South African beers. // 3115 Porter Creek Road (Santa Rosa), safariwest.com/savannah-grill





Timber Cove Inn

It's high times when you're dining at the edge of a cliff: In Jenner, Alexander's Restaurant sits high above the Pacific Ocean, and it's so close that you might feel nervous leaning toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. The menu reads straightforward Californian, but chef William Oliver puts true, terrific flavor in Sonoma Coast cioppino and Dungeness crab cakes, both stocked with local seafood.

Pairing to try: Wild mushroom risotto (foraged onsite!) and 2012 Wayfarer Pinot Noir, Fort Ross Seaview, Sonoma Coast. // 21780 North Coast Highway 1 (Jenner), timbercoveresort.com





Del Dotto

Lunch with pairings is ubiquitous in Napa Valley, but Del Dottoa small production family wineryis putting a luxurious twist on the deal. For $75, chef Joshua Schwartz rolls out five courses of delicacies like caviar, lobster, American Wagyu, and truffles...and then he serves it to you in a cave, complete with barrel tastings. Currently, the experience is offered only on select dates through August.

Pairing to try: Russian Ossetra caviar pave, with Russet potato and hen egg salad, and 2010 Bubbles Brut Sparkling Wine, Sonoma Coast. // 1445 St. Helena Hwy. South (St. Helena), deldottovineyards.com
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.
Azerbaijani forces made over 70 ceasefire violations in all parts of the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact by firing various caliber small arms and heavy machine guns, the defense ministry of Nagorno Karabakh told.

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 20, ARTSAKHPRESS: The ministry released a statement, saying: On January 19 and overnight January 20 Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire regime around 70 times in all parts of the line of contact, firing small arms  including large caliber heavy machine guns. Azerbaijani forces fired more than 1050 shots at Nagorno Karabakh posts. More intense violations occurred in the south-eastern and eastern parts of the line of contact, where Azerbaijani forces fired more than 300 shots from heavy machine guns.
It is heartbreaking to learn that your child with attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD) has become the victim of a bully. And unfortunately, some children are at greater risk of being bullied because of their ADHD. An inappropriate, or impulsive remark blurted out for the entire class to hear can attract the attention of a bully. And an impulsive retort by the student with ADHD to a bullys provocation may escalate the situation.

No child should have to spend a day of school feeling afraid, ashamed, or embarrassed. Fortunately, there are ways you can protect your child against bullying.

Is Your Child Being Bullied at School?

Children with ADHD may believe they bring bullying on themselves with their inappropriate behavior, or that there is nothing they  or their parents  can do about it. Even if your child knows that she can safely confide in you and her teachers, she may be hesitant to do so.

[Free Guide: Help Your Child Make Friends]

Kids with ADHD have an out of sight, out of mind approach to solving problems, so it may help to gently question your child about the social scene at school. Casually ask her who she is friendly with  and who shes not  and if shes happy with her social life at school. Your child may not even be aware that she is being targeted until you ask the questions that reveal it.

If you suspect that your child is the target of bullying, ask her teachers whether your childs social skills are contributing to any difficulties she may be having.

If They Are Being Bullied, Explain How Bullies Work

It is possible for your child to reduce his risk of being bullied  he just needs to understand what made him a target in the first place. ADHD can inhibit a childs understanding of social cues, so theres a good chance he doesnt even realize that his classmates may find his actions annoying or inappropriate.

Without excusing the bullys behavior, identify some of your childs actions-talking too much, clowning around at inopportune times, blurting out ill-chosen remarks  that might draw negative attention.

[When My Daughter Told Me She Was Being Bullied, I Didnt Believe Her]

Explain that he can avoid problems with low profile behavior, such as using a quieter voice, keeping his comments brief, and staying attuned to whether others are interested in what he has to say. Teach her the importance of maintaining a balance between observing and talking, and give her a signal when shes talking too much. Jot down these strategies on an index card she can keep in her backpack and review on her way to school.

Report the Bully: Talk to School Officials

If your child is being bullied at school, alert the teacher and school principal, providing as much detail as possible, as well as the names of any witnesses. If you believe your childs ADHD is related to the incident, make sure those in charge understand that. Request that your child not be questioned in the presence of the bully, as this can be intimidating.

Ask the principal to call the bullys parents, and be prepared to follow-up with a call of your own. Let the parents know that you are calling as a gesture of good will, since you would want to be similarly informed if they were complaining to the school about your child.

Parents of bullies are in the best position to stop bullying behavior, but only if we stand up and let them know about it.

A Bully by Any Other Name

Not all bullies fit the stereotypical profile of the unhappy, isolated kid with low self-esteem. Often, bullies come across as friendly, popular, and studious. Theyre skilled at concealing their bullying behavior  so much so that teachers perceive them as the nice kids.

This may confuse your child and further contribute to his difficulties.

[Read: What Kids Need When Classmates Reject Them]

SUPPORT ADDITUDE

Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.
James awards Maxwell Airman two Silver Stars

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James spent her final day in office honoring an Airman here Jan. 19, 2017.



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 Stars.



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, James said 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, James said. 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.
Air Force faces fighter pilot shortage

The Air Force is in the midst of a pilot shortage. While most platforms are affected by the shortage, the fighter pilot community has been hit the hardest.



In September 2015, the Air Force Chief of Staff directed a fighter enterprise redesign to focus on developing a strategy and implementation plan to ensure the Air Force has an enduring, proficient and sufficient fighter pilot force.



Senior Air Force leaders took time to discuss the topic during the annual Weapons and Tactics Conference at Nellis Air Force Base from Jan. 9-13.



The health of the fighter pilot community is bad, said Lt. Gen. Chris Nowland, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements (AF/A3). We focus on fighter pilots, but its not just [them]. We have a national pilot crisis. Essentially the Air Force, when it comes to pilot production, is going to have to change.



The past 25 years of continuous combat operations has taken a toll on the Air Force fighter community. Compounding the problem since fiscal 2014, losses of fighter pilots have exceeded the Air Forces annual production capacity.



Recruiting and getting people on to fly is not a problem, Nowland said. If you look across the Air Force, the quality of the individuals coming into the Air Force are some of the highest we ever had. That goes for the enlisted and officer force.



Our problem is capacity. Its how do we get the throughput up to produce the number of pilots we want. Its a supply and demand problem, Nowland continued. Air Education and Training Command is working hard on this problem, but its not something that can change overnight. There is a lot of infrastructure associated with it and the problem becomes complicated as you consider how to man to the increased capacity that we want to build.



While a complete fix of the shortage will be a long process, senior leadership have already begun aggressively attacking the problem and have several initiatives that will help fix some of the current issues as well as developing a long-term plan to rebuild the career field.



Senior leadership is extremely engaged, said Col. Jason Cockrum, the AF/A3 director of staff. They care deeply and are taking this very seriously. They know and appreciate the high operations tempo that our fighter forces have been operating at for the past 25 years, and recognize the new and emerging threats in the Pacific, Europe and the ongoing operations in the Middle East. They understand those demands and the requirements for a strong sustainable fighter force in the future.



According to Cockrum, the Air Force is taking a threefold approach to solving this problem by reducing the number of fighter pilot requirements, increasing retention of pilots currently serving and increasing the production of new fighter pilots.



Cockrum engaged in an open Q-and-A session with the pilot community that were in attendance at WEPTAC to get feedback on the issues causing the retention rate of pilots to decrease and how they can go about solving those issues.



Every time we go out and meet with pilots we learn something new, Cockrum said. We lean on our Airmen to give us feedback and provide us with the changes they would recommend. For example, we had a really good idea from the group we met with (during WEPTAC) and within about three hours after the meeting we had information back to the senior leadership in the Pentagon. In less than 24 hours the idea was pitched to Congress to see if the suggestion could be implemented as part of a future solution.



Much of the impact on the military flying community stems from the draw of commercial airlines, who have been hiring at an increased rate the past three years.



There are three pillars that a lot of people focus on when considering staying in the military; quality of service, quality of life and monetary compensation, Cockrum said. Nobody in the civilian sector can compete with quality of service. What Airmen go out and do every day for our nation, you just cant get that anywhere else. So we are focused on improvements related to quality of life and monetary compensation. We are not going to be able to compete directly with the airline industry on the monetary piece, but we are focusing on how we can ensure the other two pillars offset any differences offered by the civilian sector.
Chaplains a popular part of Yellow Ribbon

An Air Force Reserve chaplain traveled from one corner of the country to another to support a Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program event for the first time.



Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Patrick Travers, a Catholic priest and 25-year Air Force Reserve veteran, Travers performed mass twice the weekend of Jan. 14-15 and led several group discussions. He is an individual reservist assigned to an active-duty unit at Hurlburt Field, Florida, but resides 3,500 miles away in Ketchikan, Alaska.



He said that the rewards of service far outweigh the logistical challenges of getting to work at his unit or for this event, the first more than a dozen Yellow Ribbon will host through September.



It actually isnt as bad as it sounds, he said, its only about an hour and 45 minute flight to Seattle, then its on to Atlanta, then a brief flight to Florida from there. Once Im back in the lower 48, it goes a lot more smoothly.



This isnt the first time during the chaplains GI career that hes had a long commute to work. He was formerly a traditional reservist and flew more than 700 miles to Anchorage for monthly drill weekends. Although he only broke even paywise after paying for his flight, he said the rewards outweighed the sacrifice.



This ministry is so meaningful. To be able to be in places where people who need what we are able to give  some of the highlights of my entire ministry have been in the Air Force chaplaincy, he said.



Travers said he was happy to learn about  and support -- Yellow Ribbon, which promotes the well-being of reservists and their loved ones by connecting them with resources before and after deployments.



Its something that I think is tremendously valuable, especially for those about to deploy, he said Its easy to be caught by surprise by issues (relating to deployment). Most of the pastoral issues had to do with the family back home and stress caused by separation. To have something like this to prepare both the family, and the service member, is very valuable.



Enlisted chaplain assistants provide an informal bridge between the enlisted force and the chaplains, who are commissioned officers. Tech. Sgt. Austin Holland from Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, filled that role at the Florida event.



Were the eyes and ears of the Chaplain Corps. Enlisted (members) sometimes feel more comfortable talking to us first, before they talk to a chaplain, he said. We dont offer counseling, we help guide them to the where they need to go.



One of the draws of the chaplains table during Yellow Ribbon events is the numerous books and publications offered to participants.



The free inspirational literature and helpful publications are meant to help peoples spiritual and inspirational needs, and offer a way for them to continue their faith journey after the weekend is over, Holland said.



Among those whove been guided by chaplain assistants at a Yellow Ribbon event is Master Sgt. Carl Steele, a KC-135 Stratotanker crew chief at Grissom, Air Reserve Base, Indiana. He attended the Florida event with his wife, Rachelle, who credited a visit to the chaplains table for leading them to participate in the Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage session.



Led by Chaplain (Maj.) Joshua Kim of Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, the year-old program is a light-hearted seminar which explores the underlying dynamics of couples relationships in a humorous way.



Wed heard nothing but good things about the class, she said. I really havent laughed this hard in a long time. Chaplain Kim is amazing.



Pre- and post-deployment counseling are key offerings of chaplains at Yellow Ribbon events, which also include worship services during the weekend.



Travers, the priest from Alaska, led a breakout session on pre- and post-deployment issues that was attended by Tech. Sgt. Oshanda Erb, a flying crew chief for the 714th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The 19-year Air Force Reserve veteran is getting ready for her third overseas deployment. She attended with her partner, Irasel Bueno, to prepare themselves for the separation caused by her military job.



I like that he allowed everyone to ask different questions, Erb said. The most beneficial information is preparing to deploy and knowing what to expect.



The Yellow Ribbon event was Buenos first exposure to life in the military family.



Its very impressive, the unity, the support, independent of which breakout the message was still the same, theyre there not only for the member, but for the families as well, she said.



Yellow Ribbon began in 2008 following a congressional mandate for the Department of Defense to assist reservists and National Guard members in maintaining resiliency as they transition between their military and civilian roles.



Each year, the Air Force Reserve program trains 7,000 reservists and those closest to them in education benefits, health care, retirement information and more.



Another dozen are set with others expected to be added. Pre- and post-deployers should contact their unit Yellow Ribbon representatives for dates and locations.



(Sarracino is an individual reservist, serving as mobilization augmentee to the Public Affairs career field manager at the Pentagon)




Indians are very tolerant people. They try to go along and support the decision of the government, even if it causes some discomfort to them. When the government itself is confused, how can people be sure if demonetisation was a good or bad step to curb black money? Effects of note ban will be felt during the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab assembly polls. If BJP doesnt restore normalcy then people may vote against it. Note ban has slowed down economic activities as manufacturing activities have been disrupted. Many labours have become unemployed due to decline in manufacturing activities and they have returned home. They are unable to make both ends meet and struggling to earn their livelihood. Sectors such as handloom, handicrafts, textiles and carpet employ a large number of seasonal and migrant workers who do not have a bank account, and therefore, their wages are paid in cash. In some cases where firms were looking at capacity expansion, there are delays in construction work as contractors are seeking payments in cash in turn pay their workers.

On the other hand, demonetisation has made people cautions about spending their hard earned money. Now people rethink before buying a commodity. They have cut down unnecessary expenditure and are only spending money for meeting their day to day expenses. The demonetisation policy may lead to the economy slowing down particularly in the sectors primarily dealing in cash, but it would be a course correction for larger inclusive growth and greater push to Indian economy in the long-term. A few small-time workers, who are sole income earners of their families, have decided to accept payment in parts whenever their employer gets money. Note ban has hit farmers hard as they have no money to sow their crops. The government must take the Opposition into confidence while initiating such measures that cause largescale disruptions to peoples lives and livelihood systems.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a visionary leader but engaging in too much visualisation doesnt augur well for him. He is making tall promises but nothing is happening on the ground. Industrial production will increase and sustain cost and quality if we have well trained manpower. The government has announced awards for people adopting cashless transaction but it has failed to create enough jobs to address the issue of unemployment. We need expert pilots for civil aviation and Air force. Have you heard any visionary speaking about this topic? No, because it entails dedication and hard work. On the other hand, Modi hit out at opposition parties for criticising demonetisation and other policies rolled out by the government for the welfare of the poor. Agricultural and horticultural production must increase. How many ships we are building or dry docking in India? Indian citizens are intelligent and hard working. Their energies need to be channelised in the right direction and in an efficient manner.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
We recognize the important and valuable work of the Office in Yerevan and do not have plans or intentions to close it.

January 20, 2017, 14:42 OSCE Chairperson-in-Office: We do not have intentions to close Office in Yerevan

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 20, ARTSAKHPRESS: Austrian Foreign Minister, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office, Sebastian Kurz told the abovementioned to Mediamax news agency of Armenia.

The OSCE is a consensus-based organization, which means that all 57 participating States have an equal voice in all kinds of decisions  including those on mandates of field operations, said Kurz. Facilitating consensus as an honest broker is therefore one of the main tasks of any OSCE Chairmanship. This is why we promptly resumed consultations and negotiations after our Chairmanship started. The active, constructive engagement and support of each and every participating State is critical in this regard. In fact, it is our common interest and responsibility to guarantee the good functioning of the entire organization.

We are aware of the current speculations and assumptions on the field missions issue, and this interest is only natural. We recognise the important and valuable work of the Office in Yerevan and do not have plans or intentions to close it.

As reported earlier, the activities of the OSCE Office in Yerevan are temporarily hanging in the air until consensus is reached on the extension of its mandate.

According to the current practice, the mandates of the national offices of this organization are extended every year, and on the basis of consensus among the OSCE member countries.

Later, however, it became known that Azerbaijan is preventing this consensus. Subsequently, the then German Chairmanship at the OSCE issued a statement indicating that the reasons, which Azerbaijan had given for its blocking the extension of the mandate of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, were unfounded.
The Bombay High Court on Friday said it was very unhappy over the pace of progress in the Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare murder cases even as the probe agency CBI informed the court that Scotland Yard has refused to help in the forensic probe on the ground that there was no legal bond between the UK and India for sharing data.

In another development, the CBI submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists  Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi.

A bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and B P Colabawalla said it was very unhappy over the tardy progress in the murder probes.

The judges further said there was also no development in the proceedings of trial courts in Pune and Kolhapur which are trying Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases, respectively.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had informed the High Court earlier that it had sent forensic evidence to Scotland Yard to seek its opinion on whether same weapons were used in the murders of Dabholkar and Pansare in Maharashtra and the killing of another rationalist M M Kalburgi in Karnataka.

Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told a division bench hearing petitions filed by the families of the two slain rationalists.

CBI also submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists. This is the third ballistic report from a forensic lab, the other two being that of labs in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

The CBI, probing Dabholkars murder, and the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of state CID, probing the killing of Pansare, also submitted reports in separate sealed covers to the high court on the progress made in these two cases.

The judges perused the reports and asked the two investigation agencies not to reveal the contents to anyone, including media, as the probe was still on. SIT counsel Ashok Mundargi said, The probe in Pansare killing is on. We have identified two absconding suspects. The chargesheet has been filed and we are investigating further.

On a plea made by the two agencies seeking eight weeks time to conduct further probe, the bench deferred the matter till March 20. While Dabholkar was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015 in Kolhapur. He died on

February 20 that year. Prof Kalburgi was murdered on August 30, 2015.
With just a few hours remaining for Donald Trump to become the 45th President of the US, heres a bit about the Trumps, with notes on the roles each family member may play in the administration, according to media reports on Friday.

Melania Trump, 46:

Originally from Slovenia, Melania is Donald Trumps third wife. A former model, the couple got married in 2005 and welcomed their son Barron in 2006.

She has said that as First Lady she would like to be very traditional  like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy, The Guardian reported.

She also plans to combat online bullying and harassment. She will remain New York City instead of moving to Washington D.C. through the end of the school year with Barron and is expected to play a minimal role in the administration.

Only making select appearances to publicly support him  including her infamous speech at the Julys Republic National Convention which was largely plagiarised by outgoing First Lady Michelle Obamas speech four years earlier, The Independent daily said.

Donald Trump Jr., 39:

Donald Trump Jr. is the incoming Presidents eldest son with his first wife, Czech model Ivana Trump. He currently works alongside his brother Eric as a trustee of The Trump Organization.

According to sources, Trump Jr is not expected to have a role in his fathers administration.

He drew ire during the campaign for agreeing to an interview with a prominent white nationalist and for comparing Syrian refugees to Skittles candy, The Guardian reported.

He is married to model Vanessa Kay Haydon since 2005 and they have five children.

Ivanka Trump, 35:

Trumps eldest daughter also with Ivana, Ivanka is a fashion executive and manages projects including the recently opened Trump hotel in the Old Post Office building in downtown Washington D.C.

Ivanka converted to Judaism to marry businessman Jared Kushner, with whom she has three children.

Ivanka has been a stalwart by her fathers side throughout his two-year campaign, even while heavily pregnant. She was instrumental in softening his image to white female voters, The Independent daily said.

However, it is unclear what her exact role is, but unofficially, she will be the Presidents most trusted consultant.

Eric Trump, 33:

Donald Trumps youngest son with Ivana, Eric is set to manage the familys business interests over the next four years with his brother.

Arguably the most low-key member of the Trump family, he has been working as the Vice President of the Trump Organisation.

He wed Lara Yunaska in 2014 in a ceremony officiated by Jared Kushner. They have no children.

Jared Kushner, 36:

Ivankas husband, raised in New Jersey and the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, he has a bachelors degree from Harvard and a law degree from New York University, The Guardian reported.

He took over his familys real estate firm after his father was imprisoned on a federal felony conviction for witness tampering and tax evasion. Kushner is also owner and publisher of the New York Observer daily.

Kushner will take the role of senior adviser to the President in the White House.

Tiffany Trump, 23:

Tiffany is Donald Trumps daughter from his second wife, actress and TV personality Marla Maples. She is a recent University of Pennsylvania graduate and is not expected to have any role in her fathers administration.

Barron Trump, 10:

Donald Trumps only child with Melania is 10 years old and lives in the family penthouse with his mother in New York. Between his mom, a model, and his sister Ivanka, a fashion designer, Barron is fashion-forward for an elementary school kid: Melania has said that hes not a sweatpants kid, but likes to dress up in a tie sometimes like Daddy.

Barron was frequently absent from the campaign trail, since he was busy with his homework for his private school. Trump has said that Barron and his mother will initially stay in New York until the school year is over. After that, Barron will be the first pre-teen son to live in the White House since John F. Kennedy, Jr.
Months before his death, Osama bin Laden fretted about the Islamic State groups impatient, violent tactics and the fading of Al-Qaeda, documents released by the CIA Thursday showed. The latest release from the trove of documents found when Navy Seals stormed the Al-Qaeda chiefs secret Pakistan compound and killed him in 2011 show bin Laden trying to keep his terrorist followers around the world aligned in his war against the United States.

They also reveal a worried father warning his sons that they could be injected with electronic chips to track them, and advising Al-Qaeda soldiers in Northern Africa that it was okay to masturbate.

He also spent significant time trying to manage the handling of foreigners kidnapped by far-flung affiliates of his radical ISIS group.

And he showed a strong focus on affairs in his familys original homeland, Yemen, where a powerful new branch  Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)  was having a strong impact.

One letter to AQAP founder Nasir al-Wuhayshi warns not to move too fast against the government because conditions were not yet right anywhere to form an Islamic state that could govern effectively and resist attacks from outside.

Blood should not be shed unless we have evidence to show that the elements of success to establish the Islamic State and maintaining it are available or if achieving such goals is worthy of shedding such blood, he wrote.

There might be a huge reaction that could drag us into a real war.

Worried about Qaeda unity, focus

The documents  which appear to date mostly from around 2010  some written by bin Laden and others on his behalf, show the Al-Qaeda chief determined to keep his groups focus on the United States as its enemy.

The Ummahs enemies today are like a wicked tree, he wrote, using the term for the world community of Muslims. The trunk of this tree is the United States.

The letters also reveal that Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born Al-Qaeda cleric in Yemen, was a candidate to be named emir or chief of AQAP, with bin Laden asking for more biographical detail about him.

Osama bin Laden suspected Iranian officials might implant tracking devices in his sons, according to a document released Thursday in a batch of materials seized in a 2011 raid that killed the al-Qaida leader.

If they inject you with a shot, this shot might be loaded with a tiny chip, bin Laden wrote in an undated letter to his sons, Uthman and Mohammed, who were being allowed to leave Iran. 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.

In its final hours, the Obama administration released the last of three installments of documents belonging bin Laden that were collected during the raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
On Friday, the Amicus Curiae submitted 9 names for post of administrators in the BCCI in a sealed cover. The SC said it would appoint administrators for BCCI on Jan 24 from the list of persons given by amicus curiae Anil Dival and Gopal Subramaniam. The names given would remain a secret.

The central government on Friday jumped into the BCCI vs Lodha Committee matter with Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi requesting the Supreme Court of India to reconsider its decision on downgrading railways, services and the universities to associate members, thereby not allowing these members voting rights.

The Attorney General told the apex court that although BCCI is a private body; it partially affects the government too, further urging the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision as larger questions have not been answered in the judgment.

He reportedly said that the right of the state associations has been wrongly infringed under Article 19 (1) (c)  freedom to form associations. Although BCCI is a private body, but it partially affects Governments work too.

Rohatgi further said that that questions can be raised on the SCs judgement of 2016 which directed the implementation of Lodha reforms.

The amicus were asked to suggest the names of persons who could be best suitable as administrators for BCCI. The bench, also comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, agreed to consider the plea of Railways, Services and Association of Universities which lost the full memberships status and were downgraded as associate members.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for them, said that the judgement should be recalled and revisited as larger questions have not been answered.
In the week following Trumps controversial meeting with vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 1 , STAT contacted all 23 members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and asked whether they shared Trumps concerns about vaccine safety. The committee oversees public health, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and held a hearing 2 last February on the re-emergence of diseases that can be prevented by vaccines.

Most members of a key Senate committee are rejecting President-elect Donald Trumps skepticism about the safety of vaccines, which suggests Trump could face significant backlash in Congress if he seeks to advance the anti-vaccine movement from the Oval Office.

Eighteen senators, including eight of the 12 Republicans in the committees majority, expressed confidence in the US vaccination system and recognized the health benefits of vaccination.

Representatives for three lawmakers  Republicans Rand Paul of Kentucky and Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Democrat Michael Bennet of Colorado  did not respond to repeated requests for comment by phone and email.

Staff for two other Republicans, Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Richard Burr of North Carolina, declined to comment....

No senator who responded indicated any level of concern regarding US vaccine safety. Allegations about the dangers of vaccines have been thoroughly discredited3 by the current science.

Indiana Republican Todd Young did offer a measure of understanding to those opposed to or skeptical of government-mandated vaccinations.

As the father of four children, Sen. Young is persuaded by the scientific evidence in favor of vaccination and immunization, a spokesperson for Young said. However, he also understands citizens concerns anytime government expressly intervenes in health care decisions.

Other Republicans were straightforward in endorsing the health benefits of vaccination.

As a doctor, said a spokesman for Louisiana Republican Bill Cassidy, Senator Cassidy knows the US vaccine program is both safe and effective.

Some Democrats went a step further, criticizing Trumps comments on the issue.

Senators, both Republican and Democrat, defend the safety of vaccine program, according to this article.

But notice these names. 

Representatives for three lawmakers  Republicans Rand Paul of Kentucky and Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Democrat Michael Bennet of Colorado  did not respond to repeated requests for comment by phone and email.

Staff for two other Republicans, Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Richard Burr of North Carolina, declined to comment....

My message to all those senators who so enthusiastically endorse the mandated vaccine program: You have failed the children of America.

You willingly close your eyes to the thousands of parents who, for years, have come to rallies on Capitol Hill and to all those constituents who visited your offices and pleaded with your staff members to look into the damage from an unchecked vaccine schedule, damage that happened to their own children.

You defend vaccines, trusting in the assurances from health officials in the pay of the vaccine industry and from the pharma lobbyists sitting in your senate offices.

You willingly overlook egregious actions by our federal government.

In 2008 we learned that HHS conceded the claim of Hannah Poling whose vaccine injury included autism.

In 2011 it was made public that in over 80 cases, the U.S. Vaccine Court compensated victims of vaccine injury for autism.

Members of the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the people who approve and recommend vaccines to the states for mandate, have a web of money ties to the companies theyre supposed to regulate.

A top vaccine researcher at the CDC, Dr. William Thompson, admitted in 2014 that his agency ordered him to destroy study findings showing a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. He said he is willing to testify before Congress, but no one on the Oversight Committee will call for a hearing.

The studies that supposedly debunked a link between vaccines and autism are based partly on the questionable science from a Danish researcher who is currently under indictment by the U.S. government for 22 counts of wire fraud and money laundering. He is alleged to have stolen more than $1 million from a CDC grant to Denmark. His study on thimerosal and autism was the science used by the 2004 Institute of Medicine panel to dismiss a connection between vaccines and autism.

What has happened to the health of Americas children as a result of an ever-expanding, unsafe vaccine schedule will be the biggest medical scandal in our history. The truth is being exposed. In the end, senators who blindly parrot the safety claims from corrupt public officials will look like they helped cover it up.
By Kim Stagliano



In 2009, I wrote an article for Huffington Post (back when they would let autism-centric posts run) that asked, "What if the first child has autism?" My hope was that President Obama would make a difference for us. Here, 8 years later, the Federal government has accomplished precious little in terms of making life better for families facing the unbelieveable challenges of autism. We had a safety and wandering code added to medical codes - a good thing. But overall, we were slammed on vaccine safety, glossed over by the adulation of neurodiversity and our medical rights were diminished in state after state as draconian vaccine laws were passed, the most egregious which was SB277 in California.



Katie Wright Tweeted that her late Mom, Suzanne Wright, asked First Lady Obama more than a dozen times to talk to her about autism. "Sorry disappointed @Flotus. My Mom tried 19x 2 interest her in ANYThing autism. Obesity easier I guess." (See below)





President Trump is clearly willing to stomp on the third rail topics. His brash, eye popping leadership style (love it or hate it) makes him a wild card. Much of the nation is dead set against him as President. And yet, today, he becomes our President. Will President Trump help our community? I know there has been speculation about his handsome son and the possibility of some sort of diagnosis. I'm not inclined to guess or armchair diagnose. Not my style. He's a boy. Not a poster boy. Time will tell.



Here's the HuffPo piece I wrote.



As a Mom, one of the highlights of the inauguration was watching the first children, Miss Malia and Miss Sasha Obama, revel in their fathers day. They were poised and yet still childlike. Eyes bright. Smiles wide.

Their mother, our elegant new First Lady, was able to fully share the day with her darling daughters. Did you notice the glances and grins they shared? I sure did.

And then I became sad.

As an autism Mom, I thought about how different the day would be if the First Lady had a child with autism. Heres one scenario:

The First Lady is holding her childs hand tightly as they walk toward their seats, her smile tempered by the interference from her autismometer, the scanning system she uses at all times to gauge her childs mood, temperment, ability to manage the input and to anticipate a meltdown. In her other hand she holds a metal ring on which hang dozens of plastic cards with simple pictures and words. Its an odd accessory.

The boy is wearing a pair of bulky, Bose noise canceling headphones to help him tune out the roar of the crowd. His eyes are cast down to the floorboards.

The lines laid out before him capture his attention. He stops. He sits down.

A brief look of panic crosses his mothers face. She erases it. Then gently, lovingly signs, stand up.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2017 - Sam Clovis, Donald Trumps top farm policy adviser during the presidential campaign, will be leading the transition group installing his team and policy at the Agriculture Department.

Clovis, a co-chair of the Trump campaign, confirmed to Agri-Pulse that he would be leading the USDA transition team starting Friday.

Clovis served as a surrogate for Trump during the campaign, speaking to farm groups and also representing Trump in an October debate with Kathleen Merrigan, a former deputy agriculture secretary representing Hillary Clinton.

A former economics professor at Morningside College in Iowa, Clovis espoused views that sometimes broke with the GOP platform as well as conservative views in Congress.

During the October debate with Merrigan, Clovis said that nutrition programs should stay in the farm bill and that the way to reduce the cost of the nutrition assistance initiatives is to promote economic growth that will put more people to work, rather than cutting programs.

Clovis also said that irresponsible farming methods on marginal lands because of high commodity prices had contributed to the dead patch in the Gulf of Mexico, a reference to the hypoxic zone at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Clovis said the government needed to incentivize more conservation on the part of farmers.

Learn about the benefits of subscribing to Agri-Pulse. Sign up for your four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription.

Trumps landing team has included Brian Klippenstein, executive director of Protect the Harvest, who is expected to eventually return to Missouri.

Other landing team members include Carrie Castille, a former adviser to the Louisiana Agriculture Department; Lance Kotschwar, vice president for government and industry affairs at The Gavilon Group LLC, an agribusiness firm; Russell Laird, vice president of federal relations at the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp.; and Stephen Vaden with the law firm Jones Day.

#30
Jan. 20, 1937

Charles Burgdorf of Martville, Cayuga County, Monday night won the honor of being the youngest person ever granted the privileges of the floor in the state assembly.

Charles, young son of Assemblyman Andrew D. Burgdorf, was visiting his father in the chamber when the motion was made and carried unanimously.

Jan. 20, 1962

The Central HIgh School class of 1962 will present "Ten O'Clock Scholar" as its senior play.

The cast will include Andrew Maggio, Danny Fraher, Luisa Mercado, Peggy Weeks, Bob DeChick, Janet Salansky, Nick Kudla, Sue Melnick, Kathy Salvati, Pam Scarbrough, Joan Conti, Vinny Logan, Linda Newkirk, Roger Hooper, Judy O'Herron, Linda Borza, Judy Baran, Claudia Hollenbeck, and Rachel Carnicelli. Stage managers are Faye Hopkins and Marcia Tezyk.

Jan. 20, 2007

There is excitement in the air at both St. Luke's United Church of Christ and Calvary Presbyterian Church as they experience some new beginnings together. Since October 2006, they have been sharing in worship and fellowship, and it has proven to be a joyous growth experience for both churches. The Women's Guild and the Suns of St. Luke's (men's group) are growing with the addition of Calvary folks, and everywhere there is renewed fellowship and vigor.

As a result, a 10-member transition team (five members from each congregation), is busy exploring possibilities for future ministry and mission together. Among other things, this group is considering whether Calvary and St. Luke's should continue their experiment in sharing and, if so, what form this might take  including merger and federation or a new united congregation.

Jan. 20, 2012

Monique Wright-Williams has left such a large impact on the Booker T. Washington Community Center that board members have conceded theres no way to truly replace her when she leaves for a new job at the end of the month. Wright-Williams, who has worked as the centers executive director for the past nine years, is leaving for a new position with the Say Yes parental education program in Syracuse. Her last day in Auburn is Jan. 31, and her first day in Syracuse is Feb. 6.

Wright-Williams will serve as the Say Yes programs executive director for parenting education, where she will help parents promote their childrens education. The change will also allow Wright-Williams to be closer to home with her family, but she said it was still a tough decision to leave the students and staff at BTW.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2017  Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry promised senators today that he is capable of running the Energy Department and has changed some key beliefs since famously saying during a past presidential bid that the department should be abolished.

My past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking, Perry said at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. In fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination.

It wasnt enough to preempt a few lawmakers from bringing that statement up during the hearing.

While several Republican senators pushed Perry for reassurances that the Trump administration would support the coal industry, a popular Democratic theme was climate change.

Trump, who is scheduled to be sworn in as president on Friday, has called climate change a hoax, and Perry has previously said he didnt believe global warming was impacted by human activity.

But Perry took a different tack at todays confirmation hearing.

"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, he said in his opening testimony. The question is, how do we address it in a thoughtful way that doesnt compromise economic growth, the affordability of energy or American jobs.

That didnt satisfy several committee members, including Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary and was perhaps Perrys toughest questioner.

Sanders tried repeatedly to get Perry to respond on whether he thought climate change was a crisis, but ultimately failed.

We are in danger of spending god knows how many billions of dollars to repair the damage caused by pollution, Sanders said. Drought is becoming a major crisis and will impact agriculture in very significant ways  It is a global crisis that requires massive cuts in carbon and transformation of our energy system.

Like what you see on the Agri-Pulse website? See even more ag, rural policy and energy news when you sign up for a four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription.

For Republicans, and a lone Democrat, coal was a popular subject. Senators lamented what they said were efforts to kill the coal industry by the Obama administration, and Perry promised to look into ways to help the sector through Energy Department research.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., called on Perry to help steer more research dollars to make coal a greener fuel. As of 2015, 66 percent of the energy produced in America came from coal or natural gas, Manchin said, but complained that only 13 percent of research funds went toward studying those fuels.

Speaking to Agri-Pulse on the sidelines of the hearing, Manchin said he has discussed his concerns with Trump and believes he got his message across.

I think it will change  absolutely, Manchin said.

#30

For more news, go to: www.Agri-Pulse.com
WASHINGTON (AP)  Calling out Donald Trump on climate change, race, his treatment of women and more, protesters pitching diverse causes but united against the incoming president demonstrated in the early hours of Inauguration Day, intent on making their mark as Trump prepared to take office.

Spirited demonstrations unfolded at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police in riot gear helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now," ''Let Freedom Ring," ''Free Palestine."

At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay. Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organize the Disrupt J20 protest, said protesters wanted to show Trump and his "misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous" supporters that they won't be silent.

Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard.

The DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, had promised that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest when necessary.

More demonstrations were planned for later in the day. For one DisruptJ20 event, a march beginning at Columbus Circle outside Union Station, participants were asked to gather at noon, the same time as Trump's swearing-in as the 45th president.

The route for the march, which organizers called a "Festival of Resistance," ran about 1.5 miles to McPherson Square, a park about three blocks from the White House, where a rally featuring the filmmaker and liberal activist Michael Moore was planned.

"We're going to throw a party in the streets for our side," organizer David Thurston told reporters last week, adding that drummers, musicians and a float of dancers were planned for the march.

Along the parade route, the ANSWER Coalition anti-war group planned demonstrations at two locations.

Protesters and supporters of Trump clashed Thursday evening outside a pro-Trump event in Washington. Police used chemical spray on some protesters in an effort to control the unruly crowd. Hundreds gathered outside the National Press Club in downtown Washington, where the "DeploraBall" was being held. The name is a play on a campaign remark by Hillary Clinton, who once referred to many of Trump's supporters as a "basket of deplorables."

The demonstrations won't end when Trump takes up residence in the White House. A massive Women's March on Washington is planned for Saturday. Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbia's homeland security director, has said 1,800 buses have registered to park in the city Saturday, which could mean nearly 100,000 people coming in just by bus.

Jim Bendat, an expert on inaugural history, said significant protests surrounding Inauguration Day go back at least to 1913, when suffragettes marched down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Richard Nixon's first and second inaugurations drew memorable protests, he said, with demonstrators at the second inauguration angry about the Vietnam War. During President George W. Bush's 2001 inauguration, demonstrators along the parade route turned their backs as the president passed by and others held signs like "Hail to the thief," suggesting Bush had stolen the election from Democrat Al Gore. At least one egg thrown from the crowd hit the presidential limousine. In 2005, demonstrators disrupted Bush's inaugural address.

Bendat said it's to be expected that after such a contentious election, demonstrators will come to Washington to express their opinions.

"That's part of democracy, too," he said.
A new year, and so many photo contests to enter:

This week we noted that the deadline for the American Photography 33 competition has been extended to January 27, so you still have time to enter! The jury for the competition was also announced. Go here for more 
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 62F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 62F. Winds light and variable.
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter holds a Marine Corps Ka-Bar fighting knife while being interviewed in his Pentagon office, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017. The knife was given to him earlier in the day by his Senior Miltary Assistant Marine Brig. Gen. Eric Smith and was carried by Smith on all of his deployments. 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.
In a recent letter to the editor, Detective Brian Schenck, of the Cayuga County Sheriffs Office, wrote more than one common inaccuracy. However, the most concerning blunder was the statement, "Do not get behind the wheel if you have had too much to drink." Do I have to remind Detective Schenck that alcohol impairs judgment? Telling people who have been drinking alcohol, to assess their own sobriety, is unacceptable!

As far as I know, there is no internal alarm that sounds when a person's BAC (blood alcohol content) reaches illegal levels for driving (i.e. "too much"). Detective Schenck's use of the words "too much" is vague and invites dangerous errors to occur. Let's end BAC guessing games! If you've been drinking, you shouldnt be driving! That's the best advice and it's the advice law enforcement should be giving. On one hand, Detective Schenck acknowledges recent deaths from mixing alcohol and driving, but his naive-sounding advice is less than sufficient for helping to prevent future deaths or injuries.

I understand that the law permits a person to drink alcohol up to a certain point and drive without breaking the law. But just because something is permissible, doesn't make it wise. And with no way to accurately determine when that limit has been reached, and factoring in impaired judgment, it's best not to take the chance. "Drink responsibly?" There are lots of opinions about what THAT means  a lot of opinions lling the roadways with people whose opinions were wrong.

We must face the fact that we can't keep doing things the same way, and expect different results. The alcohol-related tragedies that have occurred in our region in recent years, and the astronomical number of DWI arrests should open our eyes to the fact that we need to make changes and "don't drink and drive" should make a comeback. Will everyone follow that advice? No. But law enforcement has a particular obligation and responsibility to give the BEST advice to keep people safe and, of course, THEY need to adhere to that advice, too.

It is disheartening to have people on the front lines of the war on DWI who, in various ways, could be sending detrimental messages, but I'm sure there are also heroes who ght the war with intelligence, boldness and common sense. The people who are not using those three things need to get off the front line!

Karen Everitt

Weedsport
ISIS Attacks YPG Security Center, Scores of Kurdish Fighters Killed

At least three Kurdish fighters of the People's Protection Units (YPG) were killed and several others were wounded in an attack by Islamic State's (ISIS) militants west of Raqqa, in northeastern Syria, military sources said on Thursday. "Daesh terrorists attacked one of our security offices in the Suwaydiya village west of Raqqa," the YPG leadership said in a statement, using another acronym for ISIS. "Three of our fighters lost their lives in the offensive," it said. The fighters were identified as Ferhad Haji [aka Brusk Kobani], Ahmed Hisen [aka Mazlum Kobani], and Bozan Mihemed [aka Zinar Kobani]. The three fighters were from the Kurdish city of Kobane participating in the battle for Raqqa. The same attack caused the injury of at least five YPG fighters. "ISIS used mortar shells and heavy machine guns during the offensive, that was aimed at impeding the progress made by the US-backed forces towards Raqqa city," YPG officer Habun Osman told ARA News. The YPG is a leading faction within the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), that are currently in fight with ISIS in Syria's northeastern Raqqa Governorate. The SDF, which includes allied Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian militias, concurrently announced that it has captured 2480 square kilometers, clearing 196 villages and dozens of farms and strategic hills in western Raqqa Governorate as part of the second phase of the US-backed Euphrates Wrath Operation. During the first phase of Euphrates Wrath, which began on November 6, the SDF liberated roughly 560 km
ALS Cargo Terminal Co (ALSC), based at Vietnams Noi Bai International Airport, has chosen the Hermes air cargo management system for its operations at the Hanoi hub.

Le Thanh Binh, ALSC deputy director, said: "Despite being a young cargo handler, ALSC has been serving around 10 prominent airlines, accounting for 30% of Noi Bai International Airports total international cargo handling volume.

Located adjacent to the ramp side at Noi Bai, ALSC has capacity for 200,000 tons per year.

Added Le Thanh Binh: Choosing Hermes is a significant step towards perfecting our services and conforming to international standards.

"ALSC, together with our partner Hermes, pledge to reduce total service time, while increasing information accuracy, speeding up the information retrieval process, improving real time service level monitoring capability, supporting the synchronization between Airlines and Customs systems, as well as creating the connecting environment for e-freight in the near future."

In the run up to this agreement, the Hermes cargo team visited Vietnam twice and arranged for the ALSC leadership team to visit another of its long term customers, PACTL in Shanghai, to see the Hermes system in action.

Hermes chief executive, Yuval Baruch, said: "ALS Cargo owns the most modern cargo terminal in Hanoi and we believe that the implementation of Hermes, viewed as the best CMS in the world, will help ALSC to provide better service, gain additional market share, increase revenue and profit.

ALSC will be Hermes third implementation in Vietnam and contributes to our strategic expansion in the region. Both companies come from professional excellence cultures and have mutually committed towards ensuring this project is a success. We are confident that this is the start of a long term partnership between both companies.

In April 2016, Air Cargo Services of Vietnam (ACSV) announced that it was to operate the Hermes air cargo management system in its freight warehouse at Noi Bai.

Share this story
City

 Sarah A. Flora, 28, 290 Grant Ave. Apt. 4, Auburn, was picked up Jan. 17 on a bench warrant.

 Ryan T. Cerone, 22, 13 Lafayette Pl. Apt. 2, Auburn, was charged Jan. 17 with criminal obstruction of breath and second-degree menacing.

 Margaret R. Sokol, 70, 68 Osborne St., Auburn, was charged Jan. 17 with petit larceny.

 James J. Oliver, 34, 175 Capitol St., Auburn, was picked up on a warrant Jan. 17 and charged with violating parole.

 Nathan E. Robinson, 33, 46 Parker St., Auburn, was picked up on a warrant Jan. 18 and charged with third-degree assault and second-degree criminal contempt.

 Justin E. Murphy, 26, 67 Olympia Ave., Apt. 142, Auburn, was picked up on a warrant Jan. 19 and charged with second-degree criminal degree, first-degree criminal contempt, fourth-degree criminal mischief and criminal obstruction of breathing.

County

 Scott M. Stockton, 29, Locke, was picked up on a warrant Dec. 20 and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of petit larceny, fourth-degree criminal mischief and second-degree burglary.

 Jason A. Ingleston, 38, Red Creek, was picked up on a warrant Dec. 21 and charged with second-degree burglary and petit larceny.

 Tara T. Waite, 25, Auburn, was charged Dec. 23 with fourth-degree criminal mischief and resisting arrest.

 Tonya C. Henry, 31, Victory, was picked up on a warrant Dec. 25 and charged with third-degree menacing, endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest.

 Robert C. Copeland, 45, Weedsport, was charged Dec. 27 with second-degree criminal contempt.

 Shawn M. Corts, 27, Rochester, was charged Dec. 27 with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

 Tiffany S. Jordan, 31, Ithaca, was charged Dec. 28 with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated first offense.

 Joshua P. Henry, 32, Ledyard, was charged Dec. 28 with petit larceny.

 Edward G. Wilber, 50, Auburn, was picked up on a warrant Dec. 29 and charged with driving while intoxicated first offense.

 Mara H. Engelmann, 60, Locke, was charged Dec. 29 with endangering the welfare of a child.

 Christopher A. Knapp, 25, Auburn, was charged Jan. 3 with second-degree criminal contempt.

 Rochelle N. Landon, 22, Newfield, was picked up on a warrant Jan. 3 with prostitution.

 Joshua T. Muth, 35, Fulton, was charged Jan. 11 with aggravated driving while intoxicated.

 Kevin L. Ellers, 20, Springport, was charged Jan. 13 with petit larceny.

State

 Peter Lakota, 54, Memphis, was charged Jan. 18 with third-degree identity theft.

 Matthew I. Booker, 34, Locke, was charged Jan. 18 with petit larceny.

 Rhiannon M. Whyte, 38, Auburn, was charged Jan. 19 with fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
January 20, 2017

Egypt's religious scholars are up in arms over a new film that takes on the nation's sheikhs and mosque preachers.

The film, called "Mawlana" ("Preacher"), has been screened at cinemas nationwide since Jan. 4. It has stirred up controversy among Islamic scholars who accuse its makers of tarnishing their reputation and call for it to be pulled from theaters.

"Works that address religious texts should be reviewed by religious institutions before being made into films," Shoukri el-Guindi, a member of the parliament's Religious Affairs Committee, wrote on Facebook. "Inside these institutions, there are wise people who love their religion and their homeland, not ones who only follow their personal interests."

He said religious scholars should not be turned into film characters and that their sanctity must be respected, asking, "Will the public follow these religious scholars if they are portrayed as lustful figures  and hypocrites?"

Starring Amr Saad and Dorra Zarrouk, the film tells the story of a mosque imam who becomes a celebrity TV host who issues fatwas followed by millions of people. The imam receives questions from his viewers during the show and then answers them in an eloquent but sarcastic manner. He ridicules a number of the fatwas issued in real life by a large number of Egypt's Salafist preachers, especially during the yearlong rule of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

The filmmakers say it tells the story of Egypt's 120,000 mosque imams. The work is based on a novel written by Ibrahim Essa, a journalist and TV host who recently ran afoul of the government for his continual criticism. The novel, also called "Mawlana," was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, the "Arabic Booker," in 2012.

The film is being screened at more than 60 movie theaters across Egypt. So far, it has taken in 6 million Egyptian pounds ($318,000).

However, some people say the film aims to strip reverence and respect from Islamic scholars.

"It is made with the sole aim of removing this reverence and respect from the scholars of Al-Azhar," Mansour Mandour, a senior official from the Religious Endowments Ministry, which controls the nation's mosques, wrote on Facebook. Nonetheless, Mandour added, the film shows how security agencies tried to control some sheikhs and used their vulnerabilities to force them to serve their interests during the reign of former President Hosni Mubarak.

The film coincides with calls for Al-Azhar and other Egyptian religious institutions to spearhead the reform of religious discourse, made in the past two years by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who believes that the move will help his country fight religious extremism and terrorism.

"Renewing religious discourse must, however, preserve the values of true Islam, but also eliminate sectarianism and address extremism and militancy," Sisi said in a 2015 speech at Al-Azhar.

A large number of nationally minded writers have joined him. Some of these writers tend to criticize Al-Azhar's curricula, accusing it of nurturing extremism.

Essa is one of these writers. He believes that reform should not be the job of Al-Azhar alone, but of all Egyptians, including the intellectuals.

Essa is out of the TV business now after his show was banned. Some people say he paid dearly for speaking out.

"Mawlana," he said, brings to light the contradictions in the mosque-preaching business.

The film's director Magdi Ahmed Ali said most of those who criticized the film were motivated by their hatred of Essa, not by faults they found in the film. "I didn't find any real criticism of the film," Ali told Al-Monitor. "I only heard views critical of Essa himself and his views." He said some people had criticized the film without even watching it.

The film, Ali said, sheds light on extremism and tries to show a lack of connection between it and the Islamic religion itself. He described this extremism as a "real danger" facing Egyptian society. "The film also shows that religion is sometimes misused by politicians," Ali said. "Anyway, the people who watched the film understand its message."

Ali, who also wrote its script, reported receiving phone calls from a large number of the nation's well-known preachers to congratulate him on the film's success.

Leading film critic Magda Khiralla praised "Mawlana," saying it should be viewed as a work of art, not as a platform for issuing fatwas.

"The film only talks about moderate Islam through the character of a young yet open-minded sheikh who tries to shatter misconceptions about the Islamic religion through logical dialogue," she told Al-Monitor. "Controversy over the film is expected only from those who view themselves as angels and persons without fault."
January 19, 2017

CAIRO  In a bid to preserve old mosques and protect them from being looted, the Standing Committee of Islamic and Coptic Monuments, affiliated with the Egyptian Ministry of State for Antiquities, decided Jan. 4 to move old mosque artifacts to the ministry's warehouses. Smaller items, such as niches, carpets and chairs, are taking priority as they are easier to steal.

The decision comes after six niches were stolen recently from Al-Rifai Mosque in Cairo's Citadel Square. On Jan. 1, the Ministry of Antiquities announced the disappearance of six out of 15 niches from the burial chamber of King Fuad I and Princess Ferial, the descendants of the Muhammad Ali dynasty. The niches, which date back to 1911, are made of sanded glass emblazoned with the seal of Khedive Abbas Hilmi II. They also bear a Quranic verse in Mamluk characters.

On Jan. 2, Minister of Antiquities Khaled al-Anani decided to form a commission to inventory the content of Al-Rifai Mosque and compare the findings with the ministry's records to check whether any original artifacts have been replaced by fake pieces.

In parallel with the inventory decision, Mostafa Amin, the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities affiliated with the Ministry of Antiquities, said Jan. 2 that legal procedures had been opened to investigate the incident and refer the matter to the Ministry of Interior and the general prosecutor's office to take over the investigation.

There have been several thefts at Al-Rifai Mosque. For instance, on July 24, 2012, thieves robbed the tomb of King Farouk after drugging the guards.

Mohsin Ali, then the head of the Islamic Monuments Department in the Ministry of Antiquities, said that an agreement was concluded between the Ministry of Antiquities and the Ministry of Endowments to entrust security companies associated with the armed forces with the task of guarding and protecting old mosques against theft and trespassing, and that 76 out of 128 old mosques will be secured initially, including Al-Rifai Mosque. However, the Ministry of Endowments did not implement the agreement. Now, four and a half years later, the mosque has been robbed again.

Al-Rifai Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Egypt with great archaeological importance, and it is a main tourist destination for visitors from around the world. The mosque has eight rooms that house 17 tombs, more than any other in Egypt, and the remains of several members of the royal family are buried here. The enormous mosque has decorations on the exterior walls, in addition to the giant columns at the outer gate.

Islamic monuments in Egypt are neglected and have been left vulnerable to robbers over the past years due to the conflict in the tasks and functions between the Ministry of Antiquities and the Ministry of Endowments. On Jan. 2, Anani called on Minister of Religious Endowments Muhammad Mukhtar to find a solution to the conflict between the two ministries.

On Dec. 14, 2015, then-Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh el-Damaty announced the theft of three niches from the storehouse of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, located in the al-Fustat area in old Cairo. The thieves managed to replace the niches in the museum with fake ones without the ministry noticing until after they were offered for sale abroad. One of the niches that belonged to Sultan Barquq was sold in an auction in London, while the two other niches that belonged to Sultan Hassan and Emir Selehdar were sold in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The ministry did not officially announce the recovery of these pieces.

On June 1, 2014, the cornerstone of the minaret was stolen from the Timraz Ahmadi Mosque in Cairo governorate. The minaret dates back to the Mamluk era and was built by Prince Timraz Ahmadi in 1472. The mosque is home to the Prince Timraz Ahmadi shrine.

On March 29, 2014, thieves managed to steal the monumental doors from the wooden minaret of Taghribirdi Mosque in Cairo governorate. The mosque was built in 1440 and named after Mamluk historian and writer Amir Taghribirdi.

On Oct. 27, 2013, thieves stole brass accessories from the main door of the Mosque of Sultan al-Muayyad in Cairo governorate.

Saeed Hilmi, the head of the Ministry of Antiquities Islamic, Christian and Jewish Heritage Department, told Al-Monitor, It is no secret that old mosques bear the brunt of the consequences of the weak security measures. The Ministry of Antiquities admits that there are two reasons behind this situation. There is primarily a conflict of tasks and functions between the Ministry of Antiquities and the Ministry of Endowments, as the full supervision of the old mosques should be entrusted to the Ministry of Antiquities before this ministry is held to account.

Hilmi said, Also, having specialized companies secure this large number of monuments costs the ministry huge amounts of money at a time when tourism is stagnant and the economy is ailing.

He added, This does not mean that the ministry should keep mum about this, but we are trying as much as possible to preserve the monuments and heritage, and we formed a commission to make an inventory of the artifacts inside all the old mosques as a start to register them in the ministry's records so that we can more easily recover such artifacts in the event of theft. Also, Minister Anani is in the process of concluding an agreement with the Ministry of Endowments to increase the number of security personnel in the vicinity of old mosques in a bid to counter robbery attempts.
January 19, 2017

Just how serious was Hamas' recent cyberspying foray into Israeli intelligence? It wasn't a full-fledged breach, but it was embarrassing.

Israeli Channel 10 reported Jan. 11 that the Israeli army and Shin Bet discovered that Hamas operatives had been communicating with Israeli soldiers and officers for months.

After being "outed" by the press, Israel's military admitted its soldiers had been duped, announcing that same day that Hamas had been able to tap dozens of phone calls between Israeli officers and soldiers after luring them to interact with fake Facebook accounts that appeared to be those of attractive women. Israel's long investigation revealed that the real faces behind the fake Facebook accounts belonged to Hamas operatives.

According to Israeli news reports, Hamas operatives had long conversations with their targets to get information about them and their military units. They convinced the soldiers to download a fake chat app containing malware, through which Hamas was able to obtain some sensitive information.

Khaled Safi, a Palestinian engineer specializing in communication networks, told Al-Monitor, Hamas operatives managed to download spying applications on the phones of Israeli officers and soldiers. The application is called a Trojan horse and can be controlled remotely. They listened to phone calls, read all incoming and outgoing messages and could turn on the phones cameras to see inside Israeli military sites on the borders with Gaza. No one knows how important and dangerous the information Hamas operatives were able to gather from soldiers [was], although Israeli intelligence has very advanced technologies it could use to do the same to the Palestinian resistance.

On Jan. 12, Israeli Channel 2 aired an interview with an anonymous soldier who said he had been lured by Hamas. A beautiful girl contacted me [on Facebook] and we started talking. After we got to know each other and I started trusting her, she asked me to download a special application for private messaging. I downloaded the application and it did not work, but I kept it on my phone and we went back to chatting on Facebook Messenger. It took me a while to discover that I had fallen into the trap and that I was chatting with a Hamas member.

The day after that interview, the Israeli army published a report on its website explaining the ruse to soldiers and telling them to be careful while using smartphones.

Islam Shahwan, a professor of security studies at al-Awda University College in Gaza and a former Hamas official, told Al-Monitor, The fact that Israel admitted this has one of two explanations: Either Hamas did indeed succeed in spying on Israeli soldiers, which raises questions about why Israel would actually admit to that and give Hamas [credit], or Israel is trying to exaggerate Hamas security and military capabilities and show Israelis that the movement poses a threat to their country, which could pave the way for a pre-emptive strike against it. Either way, Hamas has military sites all along the Gaza border and it can easily monitor the security situation in Israel without this kind of security breach.

It was remarkable for Israel to admit to the infiltration. It was also odd that Hamas didn't claim credit for what could be considered a security achievement for the movement, making it even more popular among Palestinians.

Al-Monitor tried to contact Hamas, to no avail. The movement isn't commenting yet.

That hasn't kept others from commenting, however.

Social media users had a field day under the hashtag #Hamas_Hacker. Most tweets made fun of the Israeli army and its "weak" intelligence capabilities. Some Hamas supporters, however, ruled out the Israeli narrative, claiming Hamas would not resort to such a cheap trick, which would contradict its religious values.

Mahmoud Mardawi, a Hamas member who was previously detained and released by Israel under a prisoner exchange deal in 2011 and who follows Israeli affairs closely, told Al-Monitor, Israel admitted to Hamas attempt [as a way to] to shed light on the dangers of technology and exaggerate how much harm it could cause Israels security. It wants its soldiers to be more careful while using smartphones  and wants to alert soldiers not to save secret and sensitive information and pictures of military sites on their phones, which could cause severe damage if hostile parties get their hands on them.

But a senior Palestinian official who refused to be identified told Al-Monitor, Cyberspace has become a battlefield between Palestinians and Israelis. Palestinians are attacking in three different ways. First, they are hacking into military networking groups, which are a source of security information. Second, they are securing information from Israeli soldiers through fake online dating. Third, Palestinian hackers have been hacking mobile phones of Israeli soldiers in order to locate their whereabouts, tap their calls and track their messages.

Hamas hacking has sparked much controversy within Israeli circles and debates. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said Jan. 13 that Hamas operatives used sophisticated technology along with Hebrew slang to appear more believable, and used 16 fake online identities to lure Israeli soldiers.

Amir Rababur, an Israeli military expert for Makor Rishon newspaper, said Jan. 13 that Hamas will not halt its cyberspace spying on Israel and that the Israeli army is well aware of the amount of effort Hamas is putting into intelligence work.

Alaa al-Rimawi, director of Al-Quds Center for Studies of Israeli and Palestinian Affairs, told Al-Monitor, Israel does not only fear that Hamas operatives would have access to military information, but it is also concerned that Hamas might move to the cyber-recruitment of soldiers and officials to help smuggle equipment into Gaza through Israeli crossings.

Yossi Melman, an Israeli journalist who specializes in security affairs, praised Hamas intelligence officers in a Jan. 12 article in Maariv newspaper for showing master hacking skills. He noted that Hamas has an electronic warfare unit with capabilities to be reckoned with.

However, IsraelDefense magazine begs to differ. In a Jan. 12 website story, reporter Amir Rapaport said Hamas' actions could have been accomplished by any novice hacker and "are a far cry from the cyberwarfare capabilities of Israel and other players in the global cyberwarfare arena." Rapaport called Hamas a "marginal player" in cyberwarfare, adding that the problem arose less from Hamas' skill and more from Israel's failure to properly educate its soldiers.

This is another round of confrontation between Hamas and Israel, one waged without bullets or bombs. The cyberspace battle is led by dozens of fighters from both sides, sitting behind computer screens and smartphones, dealing heavy blows to one another. Although there is no bloodshed, the leaked security and military information could cause a great deal of harm to both sides.
January 20, 2017

In death, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was able achieve something that had eluded him the last decade of his life: favorable coverage from Irans conservative and state-run media. Watching their effusive coverage of Rafsanjanis funeral, one could easily forget that these outlets had spent the better part of the last decade committed to destroying the elder statesmans political career. The editorial about-face, rather than being a result of a sensational media overcome with emotion over the death of a figure who played a central role in shaping the 37-year-old Islamic Republic, appears instead to have self-serving objectives  which does not bode well for Reformists and moderates hoping to ride Rafsanjanis legacy and popularity to electoral victories.

In Irans political world, Rafsanjanis four-decades-long political career has covered various, and even sometimes conflicting, identities: revolutionary activist cleric; right-hand man to the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini; powerful executive tasked with post-war reconstruction; and finally, surrogate of the fledgling Reformists and moderates. Conservative media outlets, which are sometimes backed by powerful conservative politicians and security organizations, seem intent on posthumously tacking on one more role to Rafsanjanis political legacy: that of a revolutionary committed to Khomeini, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and, ultimately, the Islamic Republic as it currently is.

For those who closely follow Iran, they would understand that in recent years Khamenei and Rafsanjani  sometimes referred to as the two pillars of the state  had disagreements about the direction of the Islamic Republic. Rafsanjani advocated better relations with the West, while Khamenei believes any drop in revolutionary fervor will lead to state collapse. Conservatives rallied around Khameneis message, while Reformists and moderates rallied around that of Rafsanjani. Yet if history is written by the victors, in the Islamic Republic of Iran, history will be written by those who live longer and are better financed. For conservatives and Khamenei, their history will take center stage when it comes to framing Rafsanjanis life.

Rafsanjanis true role in Iranian politics outweighed his official titles. He had political leeway to express controversial opinions due to his history within the political establishment. He would open up sensitive political discussions, giving the chance for Reformists and moderates to piggyback on those ideas without having to pay the political cost themselves. His comments in favor of a more open society and better relations with the West, such as his support for ending the "Death to America" chants, gave the space for Reformists to expound on these ideas with less risk of censure from conservatives.

Not only was Rafsanjani one of the key power brokers for the presidencies of Reformist Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005) and moderate Hassan Rouhani (2013-present), he was the biggest supporter of the nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers, which was perhaps the most significant event in the Islamic Republic since the end of the Iran-Iraq War in 1988. At one particular telling moment, when Irans conservatives were in near panic over the deal and lashing out daily at the Rouhani administration, Rafsanjani redirected their anger by accusing them of being one voice with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, who also vehemently opposed the deal. The tactic worked. Rather than attacking the nuclear negotiators, conservatives turned their focus to Rafsanjani. The editor of the conservative Kayhan newspaper, Hossein Shariatmadari, was so incensed by the accusation that he wrote a column in which Rafsanjani was described as no longer a pillar of the state.

Yet, after his death, Kayhan seems to have forgotten the harsh column. It also seems to have forgotten the various accusations it made against Rafsanjani after the contested 2009 presidential elections, when Rafsanjani did not condemn the protests in his Tehran Friday prayer sermon July 17 but instead indirectly criticized the crackdown and urged reconciliation. In contrast, during his Friday prayer sermon on June 19 after that election, Khamenei warned that those who protest were responsible for the blood that is spilled. But in death, borrowing a line from Khameneis public letter of condolence, the headline of Kayhan newspapers top story referred to Rafsanjani simply as the comrade of the supreme leader. The headline also referred to those who came out for his funeral as those who support the Guardianship of the Jurist, a misleading reading of the millions of mourners on the streets of Tehran.

Kayhan was not alone in its editorial U-turn. A number of newspapers linked to conservative politicians or the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps suddenly dropped all of their previous harsh criticisms. An article in Vatan-e Emrooz praised the first two decades of Rafsanjanis political life in the Islamic Republic and vaguely referred to differences in the last two decades. Irans state television, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), whose director is appointed by Khamenei, was so excessive in its coverage of Rafsanjanis funeral that some questioned why it hardly had any favorable coverage of Rafsanjani in the years before his death. Even hard-line Raja News accused the IRIB of distorting history in its attempts to gloss over key parts of Rafsanjanis political stances, especially with respect to the 2009 presidential elections.

The reframing by conservatives undoubtedly is intentional. It is an effort to bring Rafsanjanis legacy into the fold, to once again rebrand him as a pillar of the state, and most importantly, one in the vision of Irans conservatives. Rather than the untouchable statesmen who pushed the envelope on sensitive political topics, conservatives will rebrand him as a revolutionary who got in line behind the supreme leader. This reframing will rob Reformists of the opportunity of using Rafsanjanis numerous public statements to push their political agendas. It will also seek to demand that Reformists and moderates get in line behind both Khamenei and the conservatives who claim to speak on the supreme leaders behalf. Reformist and moderate media, who often are at the mercy of conservative forces in the security establishment and the judiciary, will have a difficult time pushing back against this narrative. Rather than using Rafsanjanis political legacy to their advantage, they are likely to waste considerable resources on the defensive, pushing back against the legacy presented by conservatives.
January 20, 2017

BAGHDAD  As Egypt and Saudi Arabia remain at odds, Iraq and Iran are making their moves to befriend the Land of the Nile and perhaps shepherd Egypt into the Axis of Resistance.

Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim al-Jaafari said recently that Egypt is the Arabs greatest, referring to the country's people, history and culture.

Habib al-Sadr, in a Dec. 28 speech as he assumed his position as the new Iraqi ambassador to Egypt, called Egypt "the backbone of the Arab world." He said the countries share similar pressures, and risks from armed groups, and from those commonalities arose the necessity of cooperation between the two countries."

When Sadr visited Cairo on Jan. 16, he said Iraq is keen to proceed with its agreement to export oil to Egypt, which the Saudis stopped supplying. Iraq will provide Egypt with 1 million barrels of Basra light oil each month.

Iraqi National Alliance parliamentarian Sadiq al-Mahna recently told Al-Monitor Iraq's influence is growing. In response to the question about whether Iraq will manage to include Egypt in the Axis of Resistance led by Iran, I would like to say that Iraq will manage to become a key player in settling affairs in its regional surroundings and in tipping the balance of power and opening international horizons to end the terrorist phase.

Also on the topic of the axis, Fatima al-Zarkani, another National Alliance parliament member, told Al-Monitor, It is likely that Egypt would join an alliance with Iraq, Iran and Syria to fight terrorism and to stop extremist thought from [harming] the region.

Relations between Iraq and Egypt are strategic on all levels  economic, security and political  according to Jaafari, Iraq's foreign minister. He agreed that rapprochement between the two countries could turn into an alliance or cooperation to face terrorist risks and economic crises.

Ambassador Alaa Youssef, official spokesperson for the Egyptian presidency, addressed the topic in statements published Dec. 22. He said that Jaafari, during his December meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, called for participation in a strategic project to fight terrorism. This call constituted a step from Iraq to improve relations with Egypt, after Iraqs ties with Saudi Arabia became tense.

A possible first step to include Egypt in the Axis of Resistance took place when Iran invited Egypt to the round of peace talks regarding Syria that were held in October in Lausanne, Switzerland. Iranian media had also noted that Egypt asked Iran to help it face Saudi Arabia.

Egypts distance from its alliance with Saudi Arabia and its rapprochement with Iraq brings it closer to Iran, which heads the Axis of Resistance.

On Nov. 1, the Citizen Alliance affiliated with the Islamic Supreme Council, led by Ammar al-Hakim, called for using the Iraqi-Egyptian rapprochement to form an alliance including Iran and Algeria to face the Sunni axis of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The Citizen Alliances call was among the proposals of influential Shiite political parties in Iraq that are part of the current government and the same alliance to which Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Jaafari belong.

Each member of the Axis of Resistance must participate officially and unofficially in the battle against armed groups fighting President Bashar al-Assads regime in Syria. Egypt had sent young men affiliated with its forces to the Syrian battle unofficially and became part of the conflict in Syria.

Iran is pushing to make Iraq the main broker of Egypts inclusion in the Axis of Resistance. This would allow Egypt to benefit from several resources it had been missing, like the oil it is now receiving from Iraq.

The Iraqi-Egyptian rapprochement will benefit Egypt more than Iraq, as their alliance might pull Iraq away from the Gulf Cooperation Council, specifically from Saudi Arabia, which has the final say in Gulf matters. Meanwhile, Egypt will enjoy as much oil as it needs at a lower cost, compared to Saudi pricing.

If Egypt joins the Axis of Resistance, whose stances in the Middle East are well known, it will make the axis stronger, as Egypt will be joining another key Arab state in the alliance  Iraq.

Irans influence on Egypt and Iraq will strengthen Iran's position facing Saudi Arabia, which has lost Egypt as an important ally in the region. This might stir new conflicts in some Arab states, specifically Egypt, which is likely to be the new stage of terrorist operations.
January 20, 2017

The extremist right-wing organization Lehava has launched yet another racist hate campaign, this time against drivers from the Egged bus company, which operates in the West Bank settlements of Maale Adumim and Kiryat Arba, among other places. Putting the Steering Wheel in Mohammads Hands Is Not Good, a flyer distributed by Lehava activists, claims that more than 90% of employees of the Egged Transport Co-Operative are residents of Jabal Mukaber, the East Jerusalem neighborhood of the Palestinian who drove a truck into a group of Israel Defense Forces soldiers in Jerusalem on Jan. 8, killing four of them.

The flyer directly addresses Malachi Levinger, head of the Kiryat Arba local council, charging that he is not doing anything to stop the employment of Arab drivers. Are you willing to take responsibility for a terror attack by the driver? Will our girls be able to make it home safely without being harassed? We dont want Mohammad putting the moves on the girls of Kiryat Arba.

Lehava was founded by Bentzi Gopstein, a student of the late anti-Arab radical Rabbi Meir Kahane, in 2014 during Israels Operation Protective Edge in Gaza. Its declared aim is to fight against what it calls the assimilation of Jewish women with Arab men. The group has stepped up its incitement over time. For example, it has called for a boycott of Arab stores and its members have sprayed hateful graffiti on the walls of churches and crashed an art festival in Jerusalem because a Catholic choir was performing.

Gopstein was arrested in December 2014 on suspicion of incitement to racism, and the police recommended prosecuting him. His on-call lawyer, the radical right-wing activist Itamar Ben-Gvir, claimed that Gopstein had been the target of political persecution and said the State of Israel should be commending him for the sacred work he was undertaking for its sake.

Ibrahim D., a resident of Jabal Mukaber who asked that his full name not be divulged, has been driving for Egged for two and a half years. Before that, he owned a cab. He told Al-Monitor that he had had enough of being harassed as a taxi driver and felt that passengers refused to ride with him because he was an Arab. I thought that as a bus driver, I would feel more secure and protected, Ibrahim said. But in recent months, even driving a bus has become a difficult and scary undertaking.

His brother Akram also owned a cab, working mostly in Jerusalem, and he, too, came to the same conclusion: Being an Arab cab driver in a town that had become radicalized was simply too dangerous. I started driving a cab at the age of 22, and today Im 64, Akram told Al-Monitor. I drove Jews around all my life, some of them became friends and regular customers who would always ask [the dispatchers] to be driven only by me. But tensions in the city have risen, and the hatred has increased. Not among my regular clients, mostly among young people, most of them with kippas on their heads. They look at me as if I have an infectious disease.

When he was offered a job at Egged, he did not hesitate. Akram sold his taxi and became a salaried bus driver. He says that in recent weeks, some people who did not look like real passengers started getting on the bus in Kiryat Arba, and rather than seeming intent on getting to their destination, they seemed interested in harassing him. They used to say to me, Hey Arab, whos the ass who allowed you to hold a steering wheel?, and I stayed quiet. I didnt answer. Ive been driving passengers for 40 years in the city, and Ive learned to let things like that pass.

What makes him the angriest, however, is that only a handful of passengers come to his defense and try to silence the harassers. Sometimes, some of the passengers join the cursing or just laugh in amusement, he said. Many times the word dog can be heard on the bus and Terrorist, get lost or Go to Syria and Let them all die.

Akram recounted that after the Jan. 8 attack, several young men got on his bus and cursed him. One even threw orange peels at him. All of a sudden, an older, ultra-Orthodox woman got up and yelled at them. She stood next to the drivers seat like a defensive wall, he recalled. I drove slowly because I was afraid she would fall. I said to her, Lady, its ok. You can sit down. Ill manage, but she refused. I saw her crying with all her heart, and I kept myself in check not to cry with her. When she got off at the stop in Kiryat Arba I said to her, Thanks and may God protect you, and she answered, You take care of yourself, and I ask your forgiveness.

His brother Ibrahim added that after each nightmare ride, as he describes the ones on which he is harassed, he reports the incident to his bosses at the bus company, but he claims a complaint has never been filed with police. We learned to live with this and hoped it would pass, but it hasnt, and its just gotten worse, he stated.

Ibrahim further said that passengers often get off the bus after realizing he is an Arab, even telling him that they dont ride with Arab drivers. Thats the extent to which the hate has gone to their head, he remarked. Akram said he can understand the fear of such passengers after the Jan. 8 attack, but added, Those who dont know [better] think that everyone in Jabal Mukaber can carry out a terror attack. I can tell you with certainty that 99% of the neighborhood residents were shocked and hurt [by the attack]. We live between two worlds. All of my family stays away from violence and trouble, but a cruel reality bedevils us and ruins our lives.

In the wake of the hate-filled flyer, the Egged drivers union lodged a complaint of incitement with the Jerusalem police. Judging from past experience, however, one can assume the Lehava activists will get away with it.
January 19, 2017

The legal-public struggle to evacuate the residents of the Bedouin locality of Umm al-Hiran started long before the decision to evacuate the illegal Amona outpost. However, the distressing results of the Amona evacuation cast its shadow over Umm al-Hiran as well. Despite all the appeals against the evacuation of Umm al-Hiran, the High Court of Justice passed a resolution in December that mandated evacuation by force. Nevertheless, the way that police and border guard forces raided the settlement this week in order to carry out the mission caused agitation throughout the entire Arab sector.

In the course of the Amona crisis and the attempts of the Israeli government to arrange an alternate outpost for the Amona residents, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned to Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and instructed him on Dec. 17 to immediately enforce laws against illegal construction in the Arab sector.

True, the police have no responsibility over the legal process of issuing and carrying out demolition orders of illegal structures. This power is held by the National Unit for Enforcing Planning and Construction Laws in the Planning Administration, which is subordinate to the Finance Ministry. Police forces are only supposed to secure the units inspectors. But in actual fact, ever since the onset of the demolition campaign mandated by Netanyahu, large police forces are sent to carry out demolition orders in the Arab sector. This is causing a crisis in Arab society, which views these acts as attacks directed against it by the Israeli establishment. This was the case last week in the course of the demolition operation in Qalansuwa on Jan. 10, and this week in Umm al-Hiran.

Of course this is connected to Amona, said Atiya al-Asam, chairman of the Regional Council of Unrecognized Bedouin Villages of the Negev. The wave of demolitions increased in the Bedouin sector after the prime minister incited the public when he talked about parity of demolitions. In fact, the residents of Umm al-Hiran are being evacuated in order to establish a Jewish locality instead of the Bedouin one. The Bedouin residents are being cast aside to a bitter fate. By contrast, I see that the Amona residents are being taken care of: Israel is building for them, arranging for them and giving a million shekels to each family. So where is equality?

Asam said that if the prime minister does not halt his incitement campaign against the Israeli-Arab population, the situation will deteriorate to a terrible and dangerous level that no one wants.

According to the police, in the course of the evacuation, Hiran resident Yacoub Abu al-Kiyan carried out a terror ramming attack, killing a policeman, Advanced Staff Sgt. Maj. Erez Levi. Police publicized a video clip taken from a security helicopter to strengthen their claim. The clip shows Yacoub Abu al-Kiyans vehicle racing toward a group of policemen.

I was there and I saw everything, Salim Abu al-Kiyan told Al-Monitor. Salim is a relative of Yacoub Abu al-Kiyan. Yacoub called me five minutes beforehand and told me, I dont want violence, Im running home to take my money, the suitcase and computer, and leave. That is also what he had in his car. He started driving, was shot before he hit the policemen and his car started to roll down toward the wadi. His head fell on the steering wheel, the horn stated to honk, and that was when the policeman was hit and killed.

According to Salim Abu al-Kiyan, police added insult to injury when, after the violent evacuation, they claimed that a vehicular terror attack had taken place and that the rammer was a member of the Islamic State (IS). Yacoub was a mathematics teacher, held in high esteem by his students in the Hura [village] school, he said. His brother is the principal of the school and all his other brothers are educators who believe that their role is to impart a good education to the younger Bedouin generation. We are talking about a model family; dont let anyone tell you that he was connected to IS. Thats baloney.

Other residents who were present on the ground during the evacuation also spoke to Al-Monitor. They said it seemed that the policemen acted as if they had received orders to conduct the demolition like a military operation. Therefore, any movement on the site looked to them like an attack. It is certainly possible that the policemen were tense and stressed because they had been prepared for a battle, and viewed Yacoubs innocent drive as a terror incident, Asam said. Prime Minister Netanyahu got everyone into a tizzy and continued to incite against all of us. And this is the result.

Salim Abu al-Kiyan added that such large police and border guard forces entered [the village], you would think we are enemies. As if [they] came to take action against terrorists. We were a group, standing next to the locality, and they ran toward us; they formed a circle and surrounded us. Another group of theirs went past us and created another circle closing us in, while their weapons were directed at our bodies. Their officers should have come and spoken to us before the demolition, instead of having policemen entering like maniacs. Then things would have looked very different.

Erdan and Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel reject the claim that no efforts had been made to come to an agreement with the villages residents. Ariel said that a long dialogue has been conducted with the Kiyan family over 13 years. We are after all the verdicts, period.  Negotiations with them came to an end after they submitted illogical requests. Plots of land are waiting for them in Hura. They were given the option of dismantling the site voluntarily, Ariel said.

In contrast, Asam said, People wanted to reach an agreement but the Authority [of Bedouin Settlement in the Negev] wanted to evacuate them to a neighborhood in Hura, a neighborhood that was not ready for them. We are talking about residents who were evacuated once already from their lands in the 1950s, and now again, in order to establish a Jewish locality in their stead. They would be thrown into Hura, into a neighborhood that has not been constructed yet. This is not equality, this is catastrophe!
January 19, 2017

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Following massive protests in the Gaza Strip over a lack of electricity, Qatar pledged on Jan. 15 to donate $12 million to purchase fuel for Gaza's sole power plant over a period of three months. Gaza's power outage crisis has culminated in recent days after three generators at the plant stopped operating, leaving residents with just four hours of power per day.

The Gaza Strip relies on three sources for electricity. The Israel Electric Corporation provides 120 megawatts daily in exchange for payment from the Palestinian Authority. This supply has not increased since 1976, even as the population in the Gaza Strip has grown to 2 million. Egypt provides the Gaza Strip with 32 MW daily, and Gaza's own power plant provides between 60 to 80 MW, though this figure is typically much lower, since the generators are often inoperable due to a lack of fuel.

The Gaza Strip needs about 400 MW per day to cover the electricity needs of its population, but at the very best it only meets 50% of that amount. The crisis has recently worsened as low temperatures hit the region, prompting residents to take to the streets Jan. 12 across the Gaza Strip to protest the crippling power shortages. But Hamas-affiliated security services dispersed the protests and launched a campaign of arrests and prosecutions targeting the organizers.

The largest protest was staged in Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, where protesters marched to the local headquarters of the electricity company run by Hamas. But the activists organizing the protest, as well as some protesters, were arrested.

Hamas security services are currently pursuing Mohammed al-Talouli, 24, a resident of the Jabaliya camp, under the pretext of his calling for protests. The right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by Article 2 of Palestinian Public Meetings Law No. 12 of 1998, which provides that citizens have the right to organize public meetings without being subject to restrictions.

Security services have stormed Talouli's family home several times searching for him, but Talouli is currently hiding out elsewhere.

Ahlam al-Talouli, Mohammed's sister, told Al-Monitor, Before and after the protests, we received four notices from the security services in the Gaza Strip summoning Mohammed to investigation at the security centers, but he did not appear before them since he did nothing against the law. The last time they broke into our house to search for him, on the eve of Jan. 13, they were carrying batons and they confiscated some of our personal computer devices.

The security services terrified the children in the house, said Ahlam. They identified themselves as members of Gazas General Investigation Department and internal security apparatus, but they had no legal search and arrest warrant issued by a public prosecutor, she said.

Saeid Lulu, 29, a Gaza City resident, was also summoned to the headquarters of Gaza's internal security apparatus. They summoned me on charges of inciting the protests that were staged in the city since Jan. 12 until Jan. 15, he said.

"I received a telephone call from the internal security apparatus on Jan. 14," he said. "They told me that they just wanted to talk to me for a few minutes. When I went to their office, they arrested me and subjected me to a lengthy interrogation from noon until 9 p.m. Their questions focused on the protests against the electricity cuts, and they accused me of mobilizing citizens to protest.

Lulu said that investigators confiscated and went through his mobile phone, looking for evidence to be used against him, such as any communications urging citizens to protest. They opened my personal mobile phone, which is still to this day in their possession," he said. "They searched everything on it but did not find anything that may convict me. They punched me in the face and stomach and verbally abused me.

The wave of arrests and interrogations stopped Jan. 16, following the intervention of a number of Palestinian parties. Despite the harsh tactics used to disperse and intimidate protesters in Gaza, Maher Abu Sabha, the undersecretary of Hamas Ministry of Interior, posted a message on Jan. 15 to the ministrys Facebook page, stating, The right to demonstrate and express ones opinion is guaranteed, provided it does not prejudice public property, lead to sabotage and create chaos. We are one with our people; we are facing the same crises.

The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) in Gaza warned in a Jan. 14 statement that the electricity crisis could have serious repercussions on Gaza's overall human rights situation. The commission denounced the extreme measures taken by security forces.

The ICHR is deeply concerned about the human rights violations that took place on Thursday, Jan. 12, in Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip," read the statement. "Security forces fired shots in the air trying to disperse the peaceful protests called by the youth movement demanding an end to the electricity shortage crisis in the Gaza Strip. The anti-riot police attacked a number of protesters, while security services subsequently raided the homes of some protesters and arrested a number of them.

Bahjat al-Helo, the ICHR's awareness coordinator, told Al-Monitor that the ICHR had followed up on 49 of the summons issued against activists. According to Helo, only 14 activists have been arrested so far, while nine homes were raided.

The arrests of protesters and activists, and the raids of their homes by the security services affiliated with the Ministry of Interior in the Gaza Strip, is a violation of the right to peaceful assembly and to freedom of opinion and expression," he said. "This undermines the Gaza authorities obligations and duties to respect citizens' rights and freedoms, and their service-related demands aimed to preserve human dignity.

The Gaza Strip protests are a bold sign of dissent that, for the first time, denounce the Hamas government, which has controlled the Gaza Strip for more than 10 years. But Hamas and its security services have their minds set on security measures like arrests and interrogations to resolve any such dissent.
January 18, 2017

The Russian military hosted Khalifa Hifter, the general loyal to the eastern Libyan government, onboard the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov on Jan. 11. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Hifter was given a tour of the aircraft carrier before holding a videoconference with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to discuss ways in which Russia can help with counterterrorism. Later, Hifter reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding to supply the Libyan National Army (LNA) with first-aid kits and essential medical supplies.

The Russian carrier was on its way from Syrian waters to its homeport in Russia when it stopped off the Libyan coast in Moscow's latest move signaling its support for the LNA and its commander and the broader Libyan coalition largely opposed to the internationally recognized, UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and the UN-brokered Libyan Political Agreement (LPA). Agilah Saleh, president of the House of Representatives in Tobruk and the coalition's political and nominal leader, visited Moscow Dec. 13 and met with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other officials. Saleh and Lavrov discussed the Libyan Political Dialogue process, implementation of the LPA, the Libyan economy, security and counterterrorism.

Russia is trying to politically dominate the Libya file on the international stage like it did with Syria. Despite Moscow's obvious support of the LNA and the eastern Libya-based authorities, Russia has tried to reach out to other Libyan factions and actors, including the GNA as well as Misratan leaders. There are reports that Moscow has extended invitations to GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj and Abdulrahman Swehli, president of the consultative State Council, to visit Moscow to discuss the Libyan peace process. Last June, Misratan Ahmed Maiteq, deputy president of the GNAs presidential council, visited Moscow accompanied by the GNA Defense Minister-designate Mahdi al-Bargathi and Foreign Minister-designate Taher Syiala. In December, the Russian ambassador to Libya, Ivan Molotkov, met with the GNA Defense Minister-designate Bargathi to discuss military cooperation, including the maintenance and upgrading of Russian military hardware in Libya.

Russia has not played a dominant role in Libya since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi. Rather, other powers, including the United States and Europe, and regional actors, including Egypt, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, have been heavily involved in Libyas post-Gadhafi transition. Russia has, however, remained focused and engaged in Libya and is now involved there as part of its geopolitical game and expansion of its influence in the Middle East. This is also in part due to Russian companies commercial interests.

It is estimated that prior to the 2011 uprising in Libya, Russian oil and gas companies and weapons manufacturers had signed contracts worth between $4 billion and $10 billion. Russias engagement in post-Gadhafi Libya took a new and active direction in May 2016, when 4 billion Libyan dinars were printed in Russia for the eastern-based government, led by Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani. It is likely that Russia will print more dinars for the eastern government in light of the ongoing cash crisis in the country. On the military front, Hifter has visited Moscow twice in the past seven months, meeting with the Russian foreign and defense ministers as well as Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev to seek support for LNA forces.

Russia has two distinctly different but possible options for engagement on the crisis in Libya. The first option is a soft approach, which involves diplomatic and political engagement with all the key Libyan stakeholders. This is an option because efforts so far by the United Nations, European countries and the United States have failed to produce a workable solution for the Libyan crisis. Russia has tried to reach out to all the Libyan parties, but without much progress until now.

There have been local reports of a Russian delegation visiting the city of Misrata at the time Hifter was hosted onboard the Admiral Kuznetsov. For some reason, however, the visit was not publicized and did not receive much attention from the media. Nonetheless, this approach could prove difficult for Moscow given the links and cooperation between some of Libyas key stakeholders, such as the GNA, forces from Misrata and Western countries, including Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. For such an approach to succeed, Russia would need to engage with the Western states actively involved and with influence and leverage over some of Libyas key players. Such cooperation, however, is hard to imagine given the current standoff between Russia and the West in Syria and Ukraine and Western sanctions against Russia.

The second option is an aggressive approach whereby Russia could choose to back Hifter and authorities in eastern Libya and help tip the balance of power in favor of the LNA to capture Tripoli and control most of Libya's territory and energy sources. The Admiral Kuznetsovs visit to the Libyan coast and hosting of Hifter onboard  which did not go unnoticed by Libyans or international media outlets  is a hint that Moscow is edging toward this option. This would mean greater involvement by Russia and require a significant amount of resources, which Moscow might not have given its heavy involvement in Syria and its suffering economy.

Moscows calculations might be different, however, in that its adventure in Libya could pay off by securing oil and gas, weapons and construction contracts if it came to be ruled by an ally. Furthermore, given Russia's ambitions for influence and expansion in the Middle East, Libya could become a geopolitical bargaining chip for Moscow against Europe. In such a scenario, Russia would start by providing technical assistance and expertise as well as training for LNA personnel and the eventual provision of new weapons once the UN weapons embargo on Libya is no longer effective or provide LNA with weapons through third parties. According to LNA spokesperson Ahmed al-Mesmari, Libya signed [arms] contracts with Russia worth 4.2 billion US dollars in 2009. Mesmari added, These contracts will be activated once the UN arms embargo is no longer effective.

Russia will likely become heavily involved in Libya in 2017 with extremely negative repercussions given the animosity between Russia and the West. Although Moscows ultimate moves remain vague, its intentions toward the West are obvious. Even if Russia cannot directly influence or control the direction of events in Libya, it can at least ensure prolonged instability with catastrophic consequences for Libya and the region.
January 19, 2017

DAMASCUS, Syria  At the Syrian Ministry of Information, where I and a fellow reporter recently were seeking authorization to travel to Qamishli, we were told we would also need the permission from the Political Directorate. The directorate is the press and information unit of the General Staff that controls the movements of foreign media inside Syria. A brigadier general behind the desk asked, Why do you want to go to Qamishli?

In Damascus, when you mention the area in northern Syria that until recently the Kurds called Rojava, suspicious looks are instantaneous. Although the Kurds accepted (not entirely willingly) the name change from Rojava to Democratic Federal System of Northern Syria, Arabs, Syriacs and Turkmens are still suspicious about Kurdish aspirations of autonomy.

In military and civilian political circles in Damascus, the Kurdish slogan of "democratic autonomy" is a prelude to a division. Syrians think the United States is playing games in that region, so eyebrows rise when you say you are going to Qamishli.

The general asked again, Why do you want to go to Qamishli? What is there? What do you hope to see there? Then the conversation went like this:

"Well, we have been to places like Aleppo and Homs. Why not to Qamishli? Isnt that also a Syrian city?"

"Sure it is, but it has problems, like security."

"Aleppo was more dangerous. We have contacts among the Kurds. They guarantee our security."

"Be that as it may ..."

Our permission had actually already been issued. The paper was on the generals desk; all we needed was his signature. But they just dont like to think about Rojava in Damascus. Even the travel agency wanted to see authorization from the immigration office before selling us a ticket to Qamishli, although the form we had from the Information Ministry was permission enough.

The brigadier in charge of foreign media said Turkey had destroyed Syria by supporting armed rebels and held Turkey responsible for the destruction and plundering of Aleppo. Anyone who meets a Turkish journalist in Syria immediately recalls the honeymoon in bilateral relations before 2011 and how Turkey shifted to supporting the armed opposition.

Another brigadier who was chatting with two Russian military officials in the same room joined the conversation.

Good relations between Turkey and Syria were for the benefit of both. People were making day trips across the border. Trade was booming. [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, by opening Turkeys borders to armed groups and giving them weapons and ammunition, caused enormous damages to both countries," he said.

"Look, I also get upset when I hear about suicide bombings in Turkey," he continued. "Nobody in Turkey knows how many safe houses are operated by groups such as [the Islamic State (IS)]. The security and stability of Syria means security and stability for Turkey. These two countries influence each other in many fields. If the Syrian economy is bad, the Turkish economy suffers. Dont misunderstand me  we have absolutely no problems with Turkish people. We know most of them support us. So what did Turkey gain from all this? Erdogan might have received funds from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but what did it [provide for] Turkey? Nothing.

As the conversation moved on, I thought it was the right time to ask whether the Damascus regime will accept democratic autonomy in Rojava and whether the Syrians approve of Erdogans policy of curbing the Kurds gains in Syria. The brigadier who was talking to the Russians answered, Our priority is to totally eradicate [Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, IS] and their allies from the Syrian scene. The Kurds are our citizens. We want to solve problems with them at the table. We have a single flag, the Syrian one. They had the Syrian flag before, and that is what they will have again.

Syrian military and civilian officials have the same reaction to the idea of a federation or autonomy in northern Syria: Neither is acceptable, but by improving the local administrations laws, some of the prerogatives of the center can be transferred to the provinces.

Sharef Abaza, a rare parliamentarian who was not reluctant to criticize the reign of former President Hafez al-Assad, spoke later with Al-Monitor about the autonomy issue.

In 1998, I addressed the parliament. I referred to the grievances of Kurds and said they must be allowed to preserve their language and culture. I said we could grant them autonomy in this direction, he said. Despite my insistence, my statement was not recorded in the parliamentary minutes. The regime cannot agree to autonomy or a federation. There is a law of local administrations. Some of the articles of the national constitution were suspended because of the 1973 war with Israel. The local administrations law was sidelined. We can amend some of its clauses and transfer central powers to the local authorities. Kurds have been oppressed. We have to find a way to improve their status. Nothing can remain as before.

While there are some who openly praise the model introduced by the Kurds, there are also those who strongly oppose the partnership the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) has developed with the United States.

A retired Syrian general who requested anonymity told Al-Monitor, The Kurds made a mistake. They should not have entered into such a relationship with the United States. In 2004, after the tension at Qamishli, we submitted a report to [President] Bashar al-Assad on the Kurds. We said we had to restore the rights of these people. After reading this report, Assad went to Qamishli and met with the Kurds. Some improvements were made in the status of Kurds who did not have citizenship. Yes, Kurds must be given their rights, but they should not abuse the opening up of the regime. They went too far by linking up with the Americans. The Syrian state cannot ever agree to an option of federation or autonomy, which will end up dividing the country.

On the way to Qamishli

In Damascus, just as I was giving up on my quest for permission to visit Qamishli, the approval came through. It was Friday. The highway to the Damascus airport and its numerous checkpoints was practically empty. There were few passengers in the terminal because it was the weekend. I was told domestic flights are usually full on other days.

When a foreigner travels from Damascus to other cities in Syria, it is like he is traveling abroad. Syrians love to record everything in massive black tomes. Our permission paper from the Ministry of Information was thoroughly checked at four different control points and recorded at length at every one. The officer at the desk could not grant permission to proceed. He passed the paperwork on to his superior. Although it is a domestic flight, passports and IDs were checked. I was told that this was to apprehend criminals or those avoiding military service.

But another official provided a different explanation: Many of our colleagues died from the rockets terrorists fired at the airport. Some of them were recruited by the army. We had staffing problems and decided to combine the domestic-foreign travel controls.

The Qamishli airport is a border gate to Turkey. The Syrian army controls nearby public buildings, a living quarters compound and the main road linking the compound to the airport. The Kurdish police force and YPG stay away. Even within Qamishli itself, those who want to travel from one end of town to the other use a complicated bypass road to avoid army checks. Syrian soldiers dont enter the Kurdish-controlled area in uniform and with their weapons.

The army-controlled highway from the airport is richly adorned with joint posters of Assad and Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. The walls are covered with portraits and slogans of father and son Hafez and Bashar al-Assad. The widespread slogan posted at the main road junction near the public offices: Defend Syria.

I asked two Syrian journalists how the Kurds interpret that slogan. They said its message is simple: Dont damage Syria. Defend it.

Beyond the army-controlled highway, things are different. The portraits of the Assads are replaced by the portrait of imprisoned Kurdistan Workers Party leader Abdullah Ocalan. Ocalan is considered the founder of the democratic autonomy idea.

Syrian Kurds, who are trying to design their own destiny, are now at a critical crossroads. On one side is Turkey, which is increasing its pressure on them and at times resorting to firepower. Farther east they have the government of President Massoud Barzani in Iraqi Kurdistan, which cooperates with Ankara and maintains an embargo on them. Finally there is the Syrian regime, which is distinctly unhappy with the Kurds plans for a federation and US partnership.

One should not underestimate the cards the Syrian regime can play against the Kurds. I am talking of provoking Kurds against Kurds and factors that could spoil the harmony among the Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, Syriacs, Armenians, Chaldeans, Circassians and Chechens, who are all part of the Rojava project.
SKANEATELES  The Skaneateles Central School District superintendent said one of the bus drivers from the district's contracted transportation service was arrested Thursday following an incident involving a Skaneateles student.

Scott Bennett, 41, of Mottville, was charged with second-degree sex abuse, forcible touching and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a news release form the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office.

Bennett was released on his own recognizance after being arraigned in Skaneateles Town Court.

Jon Seeber, of the sheriff's office, said an order of protection was issued for the student  who is a 13-year-old, according to Skaneateles Town Justice Charlie Major.

Superintendent Ken Slentz in a letter sent home to parents confirmed the charges and order of protection barring the driver from having contact with the student.

"To our knowledge, all actions taken by the driver took place after hours and not on the bus," Slentz said in his letter. This was confirmed by the sheriff's office on Friday.

Prior to the arrest, Slentz said, First Student placed the driver on administrative leave immediately after the district administration received a report from one of its employees who observed inappropriate actions by the driver with the student involved.

Slentz said the district is maintaining contact with the Skaneateles Village Police Department, the Onondaga County Sheriff's Abused Persons Unit, First Student and the family of the student throughout the investigations.

"In concert with the county, we will be providing support to the student involved as well as to the family and to those students who are otherwise impacted by this situation," he said. "As with any such incident, we will continue to review with First Student the procedures involved for hiring to ensure the safety and well-being of the students with whom the employees interact."
January 20, 2017

Turkeys National Education Ministry announced a new curriculum for secondary schools on Jan. 16. A draft of the curriculum will be discussed for a month, the ministry said, and criticisms will be taken into account before the final version is approved. Some aspects of the new curriculum, such as decreasing the amount of homework and allowing more time for play and socializing, seem like good ideas, but as usual, what made the headlines were the changes related to the culture war between Turkey's religious conservatives and secularists. Commentators from the latter camp focused primarily on the life and times of Ataturk, Turkeys secularist founder, being given less attention. Any secularist with a broad outlook should, however, be concerned about something else: the elimination of the theory of evolution from biology textbooks.

This change appears to be a reform based on advice given by Egitim Bir-Sen, a conservative, pro-government education union, to the ministry. Thus, The Beginning of Life and Evolution, the only chapter on evolution in the pre-college curriculum, will be excised from high school textbooks. The replacement chapter will be titled Living Beings and the Environment, and all references to Darwinian or neo-Darwinian theory will be removed. In other words, a Turkish high school graduate will learn nothing about one of the most important scientific theories, the one explaining the diversity of life on Earth as the product of common descent through gradual change and natural selection.

Why is Turkeys National Education Ministry taking such a dramatic step? The answer is obvious to anyone familiar with Turkeys culture war: Since the early 2000s, religious conservatives have had the upper hand in Turkey, and their distaste for the theory of evolution is well established. Many of them see the theory as corrosive to religious faith and want to protect young generations from such harmful ideas.

Wrestling over the theory of evolution in Turkey goes back to the late Ottoman Empire, which saw a period of relative freedom of thought. Self-declared materialist Ottoman thinkers, among them Abdullah Cevdet and Suphi Ethem, translated the works of evolutionary scientists, including the German biologist Ernst Haeckel. In turn, some Islamist Ottoman thinkers, like Ismail Fenni Ertugrul and Filibeli Ahmed Hilmi, wrote refutations of the school of materialism, raising arguments that also challenged the theory of evolution. In other words, they wrote dissenting opinions instead of calling on the government to silence opposing viewpoints.

In the more secular Republican era, the theory of evolution entered school textbooks and popular culture. It was often used in making ideological claims, going beyond a mere scientific theory. In the 1970s, the Marxist left adopted Darwinism as a cornerstone of its dialectical materialist philosophy. The right, perhaps understandably, began to see Darwinism and atheism as almost synonymous concepts. From the 1980s onward, translations of books by the new atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, added fuel to the fire. In response, Islamic creationism exploded in Turkey, often using arguments borrowed from Christian creationists in the United States.

Under the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the issue has repeatedly surfaced. In 2009, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) suspended the editor of its monthly magazine over a cover featuring Darwin. In 2013, TUBITAK stopped publishing books about evolution.

The elimination of the theory of evolution from high school textbooks seems to be the latest round in Turkey's century-old culture war. The religious conservatives behind the move probably believe that since they run the education system, they can purge it. There are, however, two important facts they seem to have overlooked.

First, the theory of evolution and atheistic interpretations of it are two different things (as is the case with many other scientific theories, including the Big Bang). There are scientists and thinkers in the West who view evolution as compatible with their belief in a creator. Moreover, Islamic civilization has its own tradition of evolution, with various medieval Muslim scholars having written about the common origin of the species centuries before Darwin. That is why John William Draper, a Darwin contemporary, referred to Darwins views as the Mohammadan theory of evolution.

Second, Muslim belief in evolution is not unheard of in modern-day Turkey. Such modernist theologians as Mehmet Bayraktar, Caner Taslaman and the late Suleyman Ates have popularized the idea. In The Creative Evolution Theory in Islam (2001), Bayraktar explains that for Muslims, evolution can be viewed as a process preordained by God to create species through natural means, just like God creates rain through natural means that are detectable by meteorology.

Regardless, even if one has a philosophical problem with the theory of evolution and views special creation as the explanation of lifes origins, what is the benefit of keeping students ignorant about the discussion? Even if Turkish students never hear about evolution in school, they will certainly come across it in popular culture. Therefore, from a conservative religious point of view, wouldn't it be wiser to teach students about a confusing theory along with explanations to make it less mysterious?

The advice to the National Education Ministry here would be as follows: Never take the theory of evolution out of the scientific curriculum. To the contrary, teach students the basics of the theory (and dont naively assume that the word theory means just an unimportant idea, because it is an idea that any educated person should know). Also teach students that there are scientific criticisms challenging the theory and that the theorys philosophical implications have been interpreted quite differently by various people, ranging from militant atheists to pious Catholics and Muslims.

Such a curriculum on evolution would not even go against the current governments vow to raise pious generations. It would just make pious students informed students as well, and it is better to be pious and informed than pious and uninformed.
Limestone County's largest healthcare project in recent memory will break ground today, creating jobs and providing medical services in the Athens area.

A rendering of the new outpatient surgery center at Athens-Limestone Hospital's Medical East campus near the U.S. 72-Lindsey Lane intersection. (Courtesy)

INKANA Development, OrthoSports Athens and Athens-Limestone Hospital will begin construction on a $25 million outpatient surgery center and medical office building at the hospital's Medical East campus on 22454 U.S. 72 in Athens.

The 75,000-square-foot expansion of Athens-Limestone Hospital's Surgery Department will include a three-story outpatient surgery center with six operating rooms, imaging and lab services, and physician office space.

Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks said the outpatient surgery center is just one project in development by the U.S. 72-Lindsey Lane intersection. A nearby private medical practice is under construction now, while Traditions, a 63-unit assisted living facility, is taking applications for new residents.

"That entire area is all really important for the growth and development and the quality of healthcare for all of the city of Athens and Limestone County," Marks told AL.com. "We're really excited about this opportunity today and what it means to our citizens."

Felicia Lambert, spokeswoman for Athens-Limestone Hospital, said the new facility will debut in spring 2018. Chapman Sisson Architects, Robins & Morton and Progress Bank are assisting with the project.

Alabama's medical Certificate of Need Review Board approved construction of the outpatient surgery center in 2015. It will be part of the Huntsville Hospital network, which includes hospitals in Huntsville, Madison, Decatur, Moulton, Red Bay, Sheffield, Russellville, Haleyville, and Winfield.

Athens-Limestone Hospital, an affiliate of the Huntsville Hospital since 2007, authorized a 40-year lease with the not-for-profit health system in 2016. The agreement allowed Huntsville Hospital to assume responsibility for Athens-Limestone Hospital's finances and daily operations.
An Irish restaurant is preparing to launch its first Alabama location in Huntsville.

Keegan's Public House will open before St. Patrick's Day on 200 Westside Square, Suite 60, near the Madison County Courthouse. It will be Keegan's first location outside of the Atlanta area, where it has four restaurants.

The terrace-level eatery will offer traditional pub fare, including bangers and mash, fish and chips and Shepherd's pie. It will also sell classic favorites like grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato bisque.

"This place isn't going to be a bar where you come in and forget the night," said Keegan's social media manager Catie Kilmury. "This will be a place where everybody can come."

An official opening date has not been set, but Kilmury said the site should debut before spring. The restaurant, operated by General Manager Britt Crossley, will seat more than 200, feature an outdoor patio and include a full-service bar with Irish and local craft beer.

The pub-style restaurant overlooking Big Spring International Park has been under construction for several months. Kilmury said they are working with Downtown Huntsville, Inc. to attract professionals, students and families from across the community.

"(Keegan's) is not just a bar that caters to a certain clientele," she said. "We cater to almost everybody."

Crossley will begin hiring staff for the new Huntsville location soon. Like Keegan's Public House on Facebook or visit their website for updates.
Here are the top stories in Alabama business for Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017:

The massive 20 Midtown development in downtown Birmingham has grown: the developers have bought the Liberty National Building for $3.6 million. First step: a $10 million asbestos abatement. The 16-story building has been empty since 2010.

--

Keegan's Public House will open before St. Patrick's Day on 200 Westside Square, Suite 60, near the Madison County Courthouse in Huntsville. It will be Keegan's first location outside of the Atlanta area, where it has four restaurants.

--

A Moulton catering business can no longer operate in Alabama after at least 77 people became sick following a Salmonella outbreak in Sheffield. The Alabama Department of Public Health announced Thursday that Darvin McDaniel of Indelible Catering has surrendered his food service permit.

--

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.

--

Check out this feature on Pell City's The Brook Besor, a coffee house with a Christian book and gift store in the back of the building. It's also a community meeting place.

--

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will close in May. Here's what will happen to the dozens of animals that helped made it happen.

--

Follow all of Alabama's business news here anytime.
Terri Sewell

Rep. Terri Sewell

(Joseph D. Bryant)

In a statement released Wednesday, Congresswoman Terri Sewell explained that she had prayerfully and with great deliberation decided not to attend the Presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.

She said she accepts the results of the election, but she simply cannot accept Trump's "blatant" disrespect toward her friend, mentor, colleague and civil rights icon, John Lewis - Democratic representative serving the 5th Congressional district of Georgia.

Trump struck back at Lewis earlier in the week on Twitter after Lewis said he doesn't view Trump as a legitimate president. Trump tweeted, "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."

Congresswoman Sewell feels Trump's being disrespectful toward Lewis is a direct assault on all of the brave men and woman in her Alabama district who fought, bled and died for the civil and voting rights of all Americans. Then she added that she will always stand with her constituents.

As a proud resident of Wilcox County, I fall within Ms. Sewell's district. I am disappointed in her decision not to attend the inauguration. She should have attended if for no other reason because there is not an extreme amount of difference between Trump's description of Congressman Lewis's district which includes Atlanta, and what the Black Belt is today.

Wilcox County still leads the state in unemployment and continues to be exceptionally dependent on government checks. The public education system is failing to adequately serve students, and just yesterday Dallas County was awarded a $300,000 grant by Governor Bentley to help fight violent crime wave in Selma.

Congresswoman Sewell's responsibilities, other than attending sessions of congress and voting, include representation and constituency service. She should have been at the inauguration smiling and participating, singing along to all of the American songs, because it was not John Lewis that she was supposed to be representing. She is serving her fourth term as representative of Alabama's 7th Congressional district and anytime a president is inaugurated - whether Democrat or Republican - she should be in attendance with all of the other dignitaries.

In her statement, Sewell extended an invitation to both President Trump and Congressman Lewis to visit Selma and walk hand-in-hand with her across the Edmond Pettus Bridge. It is her hope that President Trump will set aside differences and choose to build bridges embracing John Lewis.

It will not be John Lewis who Congresswoman Sewell, the governor and other state authorities appeal to on our behalf in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. It will be Sewell who will have to put aside her differences and build bridges on a federal level. Unless she plans to continue not to represent us, then it will be left to her constituents to build the bridges...and flooding is always possible in a land like ours where rivers run free.

Amanda Walker is a columnist and contributor with AL.com, The Thomasville Times, West Alabama Watchman, and Wilcox Progressive Era. Contact her at Walkerworld77@msn.com or at https://www.facebook.com/AmandaWalker.Columnist.
Bethlehem, occupied West Bank  Carrying a pair of borrowed speakers and an MP3 player, a group of 13-year-olds cut through the narrow, graffiti-stained alleyways of the Dheisheh refugee camp, rushing past painted murals of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces.

Upon reaching an abandoned, half-demolished building, they plugged their speakers into an electricity outlet next door and began to rap.

That was more than a decade ago, when five young Palestinians formed Bethlehems first-ever hip-hop group, in an effort to express their struggles in the towns largest refugee camp. Now in their mid-20s, the group known as Palestine Street  comprising Mohammed Azmi, Soud Hefawi, Diya Milhem, Hisham al-Laham and Ahmad Ramadan  have evolved to teach their skills to young Palestinians.

Their home, the densely populated Dheisheh camp, is often the site of violent confrontations, with rights groups citing the systematic targeting by Israeli forces of Palestinian youths in the camp.

Near the decrepit building outside Azmis home where the group first started to rap, the area is littered with heaps of rubbish and broken glass. The walls are coloured with graffiti that once shielded the group from a community they feared would not accept them.

People didnt like it at first, because they affiliated hip-hop with this bling-bling culture, Hefawi told Al Jazeera. But we were using the art to speak honestly about everyday life as Palestinians  By our rapping about our frustrations and hopes, people started to relate to us and see themselves in our words.

READ MORE: Music therapy for traumatised Palestinian children

Azmi said that a defining moment for the group, which inspired them to help other Palestinian youths, came in 2008 with the death of their friend, Qusay Afandi.

We used to play games, like all Palestinian children do, Azmi told Al Jazeera. Qusay used to come with us to a nearby Israeli military base, where we would touch the electronic security fence, set the alarms off and run away from soldiers.

Throwing stones at soldiers is a way of expressing yourself, a way of unleashing your frustrations ... When we discovered hip-hop, we used that same energy that used to draw us to the streets to throw stones. by Soud Hefawi, rapper

Sometimes, they visited the martyrs cemetery where Palestinians killed by Israeli forces were buried. Each teenager would sit quietly beside an empty grave that they had chosen for themselves. Just a few years later, Qusay would be buried in the very same grave that he had chosen.

As we started getting more into rapping and making hip-hop music, Qusay began spending more time throwing stones and playing the same games with the soldiers, Azmi said.

One cold day in the refugee camp, as the group members were outside Azmis home planning for a video shoot of their song Qafes el-Deffe (West Bank Cage), Qusay walked by and they exchanged what would be their final greetings.

The next day, Qusay was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers. His death made the group realise that if not for their music, they would have most likely met the same fate.

READ MORE: Rhythms of resistance

Throwing stones at soldiers is a way of expressing yourself, a way of unleashing your frustrations, Hefawi said. When you throw a stone at a soldier, you are demanding a better life. And when we discovered hip-hop, we used that same energy that used to draw us to the streets to throw stones.

Their hip-hop workshops, which have taken them from Dheisheh to refugee camps all across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, focus on teaching Palestinian youths to channel their anger and frustrations into rap music, while still standing up for Palestinian rights.

In partnership with a local NGO, Azmi and Milhem in 2013 began mentoring an all-female hip-hop group in Dheisheh camp, aiming to teach the girls the art of expression and to encourage them to share their individual experiences of being young girls in a Palestinian refugee camp.

Before their introduction to hip-hop, the girls told Al Jazeera from their small studio in Dheisheh that they were really shy  but the music has helped them to open up.

Once we were able to find our voices through hip-hop, we began expressing ourselves and talking about everyday experiences we have in the camp, Sophie Aissa, a 15-year-old member of the group, told Al Jazeera. But the community didnt accept us at first. It was strange for people to see young girls rapping.

Now, however, other girls in the camp want to rap just like us, 16-year-old Sireen Khaled interjected with a wide smile. Fatoom Shaheen, 15, said that other girls in the camp can relate to their messages: We want to encourage other young girls to believe in themselves, and show them that they can do things that no one expects. They can even rap.

The girls are now working on their first album.

Meanwhile, Palestine Street has continued to push messages of solidarity with Palestinians through its own verses. In one song, titled An Institutional Wedding, Azmi tackles the nonviolent politics of some NGOs in Palestine: Recommendations for new projects that soften the minds through peace and nonviolent culture, yet you are not allowed to talk about a child who died in Gaza  To my people, if you ever want freedom, these NGOs must go away.

Azmi believes that some NGOs gravitate towards the most active young Palestinians and offer to help them, but then they just drain their energy to sell the NGO.

I make sure to encourage the kids to think for themselves, and to never be influenced by these NGOs or anyone else, Azmi said.

I remind them of the importance, whether you are rapping or speaking, of expressing your opinion honestly  regardless of who is standing in front of you.
Americas journalists are truly and deeply sorry for their behaviour during the election. They are sorry they failed to see the simmering animosity and racism that helped Donald J Trump take the White House. They are apologetic for staying within their own social circles and ignoring disparate points of view. They have asked forgiveness for misleading the public into thinking that Mr Trump could never hold office and pledged that when he takes office on Friday, they will hold him accountable, come hell or high water.

Please  This behaviour isnt new.





For months, protests outside the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation transfixed the public, exposing US audiences to the elaborate political, environmental and cultural issues American Indians face. However, much of the reporting was superficial and journalists often failed to see the social or historical environments that created the incident at Standing Rock.

The battle ended in December when the US Army Corp of Engineers stopped construction, and since then little follow-up to the story has been made.

Granted, a few news outlets have expanded their scope to look at similar protests brewing across the country, notably opposition to the Trans-Pecos Pipeline in Texas, but the problem with looking for the next Standing-Rock-style pipeline protest is that reporters ignore all the other ways Indigenous people get screwed.

Injustice to Indigenous people

Take a look at the looming repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). When the act was passed in 2010, it permanently re-authorised the Indian Healthcare Improvement Act (IHCIA) and created a funding stream to the Indian Health Service through Medicaid expansion. With no plan on what will replace the ACA, there are grave implications for the IHCIA, potentially stripping $800m from the Indian health system that is by all measures underfunded, writes reporter Mark Trahant.

The Indian Health Service is funded by appropriations, Trahant reports. Congress sets the spending and the services are based on that amount. When there is not enough funding, services are rationed.





Created in 1955, the Indian Health Service provides medical care to tribal members across the US but has its origins in treaties made between tribal governments and the federal government: in exchange for land cessions, the US often agreed to provide services such as education, housing and healthcare. Today, those services are barely funded, but America stretches from sea to shining sea.

Energy development promises to offer even more twists and turns for tribal communities. Our new president Donald Trump is a friend and ally of the oil and gas industry and his choice for Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, is an ardent supporter of energy development.

While Zinkes record in Indian Country has been notable  he has supported tribal water rights, worked to secure grants and funding for tribes, and supported federal recognition of the Little Shell Tribe of Montana  he also supports an all of the above energy policy and is a strong advocate for American energy independence and reducing our reliance on foreign oil.

That probably spells more coal, oil, gas, fracking and pipelines, and when energy clashes with tribal sovereignty, energy tends to win.

Meanwhile the newly elected chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, North Dakota Republican Senator John Hoeven, is already raising eyebrows. Hoeven, like Trump, is a supporter of the Dakota Access Pipeline and has characterised DAPL opposition as unlawful and violent, needlessly putting people at risk including tribal members, protesters, law enforcement officers, construction workers, and area residents.

In other words, the man now responsible for overseeing matters important to the nations 567 federally recognised tribes has publicly, and actively, opposed hundreds of tribal governments and organisations adamant on stopping construction for the benefit of an oil company.

What does all this have to do with the Fourth Estate? It is more important than ever for journalists to focus on what Trumps administration is doing in Washington and to examine how government policies affect real people. Indian Country is a great example of where solid reporting is desperately needed, but for the industry to rededicate itself to the principles of journalism, radical changes must be made.

Journalism and diversity

Journalisms real weakness lies in its lack of diversity. Nationwide, about 26 percent of local police officers are people of colour. Nearly 22 percent of Congress are also of colour, but at daily newspapers and in radio newsrooms, minorities make up only 13 percent of employees. It is a little better in television newsrooms where 22 percent of journalists are people of colour, but compare that with national statistics where ethnic minorities account for nearly 40 percent of the population, the picture becomes clear: journalism isnt much different than any other institution of power in the United States.

If journalism hopes to survive, it must own up to its own inability to hire or hear diverse voices  the voices of a few million Indigenous people who may lose access to medical services, or the voices of Trumps many supporters.

OPINION: How media did and did not report on Standing Rock

But it must also own up to its own role as a colonial institution. Stories are routinely harvested from Native communities by non-Native journalists, exported to newsrooms and processed for the benefit of non-Native audiences. Sadly, the word Native can be substituted with nearly any other ethnic group in the country.

Is this the kind of model that promotes a strong, democratic institution? Do these practices make for an ethical profession? Can they be fixed simply? I think so.

With Donald J Trump as our new president, there will be more lies, more bizarre press conferences, and more ridiculous tweets. Meanwhile, budgets will be cut, new pipelines will be approved, environmental regulations will be loosened or slashed, and American citizens will be forced to deal with those impacts.

To see those affects, journalists wont need to see things differently, theyll need new sets of eyes everywhere, from immigrant communities to Indian Country.

Tristan Ahtone is an award-winning journalist and member of the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma. He serves as Vice President for the Native American Journalists Association.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
At least 40 fighters from Jabhat Fateh al-Sham killed in Aleppo province at a training camp attack.

At least 40 fighters from Jabhat Fateh al-Sham  one of the largest rebel groups fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad  have been killed in air strikes in Aleppo province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was unclear who carried out Thursdays raids in western Aleppo province since a US-led coalition, the Syrian regime, and Russia have all carried out strikes against Fateh al-Sham positions in recent weeks.





Warplanes, which may have been Russian or coalition aircraft, struck a Fateh al-Sham camp in Sheikh Suleiman, the Britain-based Observatory said.

A source in Fateh al-Sham confirmed to Al Jazeera that dozens had died in air strikes on a training camp in western Aleppos countryside.

Jabhat Fateh al-Sham split from al-Qaeda in July, a move analysts said was aimed at easing pressure from both Russia and the United States.

However the group is not party to a Russian and Turkish-brokered ceasefire that went into effect on December 30.

According to the monitor, the group has sustained major losses in recent weeks with about 100 of its fighters killed since the start of 2017.

Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Gaziantep near the Turkey-Syria border, said the latest air strikes signalled a change in the campaign against the group.

At least 10 senior commanders of the group have been killed among countless other fighters in Idlib province, she said.

This raises the question of whether there is a change in policy, or if theres more intelligence coming in from the ground pin-pointing where these leaders are.

READ MORE: Why are thousands of Iranians fighting in Syria?

In a separate development, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) demolished two monuments in the ancient city of Palmyra a month after recapturing it from government forces.

Maamoun Abdulkarim, Syrias antiquities chief, said on Friday that ISIL destroyed the tetrapylon  a 16-columned structure that marked one end of the ancient citys colonnade.

Yesterday [Thursday] we received satellite photographs from our colleagues at Boston University showing damage to the facade of the Roman amphitheatre, he told AFP news agency.

Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO, condemned the attack calling it a new war crime.

This destruction is a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity.

This new blow against cultural heritage  just a few hours after UNESCO received reports about mass executions in the theatre  shows that cultural cleansing led by violent extremists is seeking to destroy both human lives and historical monuments in order to deprive the Syrian people of its past and its future, Bokova said.

Before being forced out of Palmyra in a Russian-backed offensive in March last year, ISIL carried out a campaign of destruction at the citys UNESCO-listed world heritage site, razing treasured temples and towers tombs.

The Syrian conflict started as a largely unarmed uprising against Assads rule in March 2011. It has since morphed into a full-scale war that has left hundreds of thousands dead and more than half of the countrys prewar population displaced inside and outside of Syria.
Interior minister says a potential terror attack in Vienna averted with the arrest of the 18-year-old suspect.

Austrian authorities say they have arrested an 18-year-old man suspected of planning a bomb attack in Vienna.

Our police forces managed in quick time to arrest a suspect and so prevent a potential terror attack in the federal capital, Vienna, Austrias interior minister, Wolfgang Sobotka, said on Friday, shortly after police in the capital announced the arrest.

The suspect is an Austrian citizen with a migration background, who is 18 years old, Sobotka told a news conference. He said that possible indications that he may be planning attacks were being investigated.

There are individual indications that we have to investigate. There is one contact that is pretty clear and there are several indications that will be looked at intensively, Sobotka said.

Earlier, police spokesman Thomas Keiblinger told the Austria Press Agency that the man had been under observation after authorities received a tip from a foreign intelligence service, and was arrested on Friday afternoon in a Vienna apartment by a SWAT team.

The man has been in custody  There are still lots of things to clear up, Keiblinger told the Austria Press Agency.

Austrias Kronen Zeitung said the tip received had been that a group of Albanian Islamic extremists were planning an attack in Vienna between January 15 and January 30.

Police issued a public warning for people to be on alert at crowded public places and to inform police if they see any suspicious objects.

Police also increased the number of officers on the street.

Austria has been spared in the string of attacks suffered by other European countries but has increased security measures.
Worlds second-largest economy expanded by 6.8 percent from a year earlier in the three months ending in December.

Chinas economic growth picked up in the final quarter of 2016 but its full-year performance was the weakest in three decades as it heads into a potential trade battle with US President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump, who takes office on Friday, has promised to increase duties on Chinese goods, putting pressure on industries that employ millions of workers.

Supported by government spending and a property boom, the worlds second-largest economy expanded by 6.8 percent over a year earlier in the three months ending in December, up from the previous quarters 6.7 percent, government data showed on Friday.

READ MORE: Chinas Xi defends free trade in speech at Davos

Full-year growth was 6.7 percent, down from 2015s 6.9 percent  and the weakest since 1990s 3.9 percent.

A touch faster growth than expected, but no real change in trend, Bill Adams, of PNC Financial Services Group, said in a report.





Chinas economy has cooled steadily as communist leaders try to nurture domestic consumption and reduce reliance on trade and investment, but trade still supports millions of jobs. Government spending and a surge in property sales last year helped offset a 7.7 percent plunge in exports, but analysts expect the economy to cool further.

We do not expect this rebound to extend far into 2017, Tom Rafferty, of the Economist Intelligence Group, said in a report.

Export industries could face more pressure, raising the threat of politically dangerous job losses, if Trump goes ahead with promises to raise tariffs on Chinese goods.

In an implicit rebuke to Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphatically defended free trade in a speech on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. He said a trade war would harm all countries involved.

Still, a member of the cabinets economic planning agency on Friday expressed confidence.

I am hopeful that after his election, President Trump will consider the issue from the angle of mutual benefit and win-win and will develop the long-term, cooperative big country relations that have been formed between China and the United States, Ning Jizhe told reporters.

READ MORE: Chinas love affair with the dollar

Asked about the potential impact of action by Trump, Ning said China should maintain medium to high-speed growth.

Beijing has relied on repeated infusions of credit to prevent activity from slumping too fast, prompting warnings that the run-up in debt could lead to a financial crisis or drag on growth.

Chinese leaders have cautioned that the economic outlook is L-shaped, meaning once the downturn ends, growth is unlikely to rebound.

Property sales are booming, which has pushed up economic growth figures. But regulators are taking steps to cool surging housing prices and bank lending, which forecasters expect to depress this years performance.

Retail sales growth decelerated to 9.6 percent from 2015s 10.6 percent. E-commerce, one of the brightest spots in the struggling economy, soared 26.2 percent over 2015, but that was down from the previous years 33.3 percent expansion.

This week, the International Monetary Fund raised its China growth forecast for this year by 0.3 percentage points to 6.5 percent, citing a boost from government stimulus. But it warned rising debt increased the risk of a sharper slowdown.








US says air strike killed more than 100 al-Qaeda fighters just a day before President Obama left office.

A US air strike on Thursday targeting an al-Qaeda training camp in Syria killed more than 100 fighters, a US defence official said on Friday.

The strike took place just a day before the end of President Barack Obamas presidency and a day after more than 80 fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) were killed in US air strikes in Libya, according to the Pentagon.





The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the air strike in Syria was primarily carried out by a B-52 bomber and dropped 14 munitions.

The official added that the strike against the camp took place in Idlib province, west of Aleppo, and there was a high level of confidence that there were no civilian casualties.

A US-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes and supporting local forces in Syria to oust ISIL.

Commanders killed

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Friday that an air strike killed more than 40 members of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly al-Qaedas Syrian branch) in northwestern Syria.

It was not immediately clear if this strike was the same one to which the US defence official was referring.

A source in Fateh al-Sham confirmed to Al Jazeera that dozens had died in air strikes on a training camp in western Aleppos countryside.

Jabhat Fateh al-Sham split from al-Qaeda in July, a move that analysts said was aimed at easing pressure from both Russia and the United States.

However, the group is not party to a Russian and Turkish-brokered ceasefire that went into effect on December 30.

OPINION: Tough choices ahead as al-Nusra splits from al-Qaeda

According to the Syrian Observatory, the group has sustained major losses in recent weeks with about 100 of its fighters killed since the start of 2017.

Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Gaziantep near the Turkey-Syria border, said the latest air strikes signalled a change in the campaign against the group.

At least 10 senior commanders of the group have been killed among countless other fighters in Idlib province, she said.

This raises the question of whether there is a change in policy, or if theres more intelligence coming in from the ground pinpointing where these leaders are.

The Syrian conflict started in March 2011 as a largely unarmed uprising against President Bashar al-Assad and quickly emerged into a full-scale civil war.
The attack comes on the same day Turkey said it is no longer realistic to exclude Assad from a solution.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant reportedly killed five Turkish soldiers and injured several more in an attack in northern Syria, while Turkey announced that it is no longer realistic to exclude Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from a solution to the countrys five-year civil war.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) killed five Turkish soldiers and injured at least nine in a bombing in al-Bab, where Turkish-backed rebels have suffered casualties in a weeks-long bid to retake the town, according to the Dogan news agency.





Also on Friday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said it was no longer realistic to insist on a solution to the Syria conflict without Assad.

Ankara acknowledged last year that Assad is an actor in Syria but it is the first time a senior Turkish official has openly said it would be unrealistic to insist on the embattled leaders departure for any solution.

We have to be pragmatic, realistic. The facts on the ground have changed dramatically, Simsek told a panel on Syria at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Turkey can no longer insist on a settlement without Assad. It is not realistic.

Turkey, a vocal critic of Assad, has backed Syrian opposition rebels fighting to oust him since the complex conflict began with anti-government demonstrations in March 2011.

Blame squarely on Assad

As far as our position on Assad is concerned, we think that the suffering of Syrian people and tragedies clearly  the blame is squarely on Assad, Simsek said.

Turkey and Russia, which backs the Syrian government with military support, brokered a ceasefire deal between Assads forces and rebel groups in late December, but violence has recently escalated across the country, particularly around the capital.

OPINION: How far is Russia willing to go in Syria?

Turkey, together with Russia and Iran, are convening talks next week in the Kazakh capital of Astana to shore up a ceasefire in Syria.

At Davos, Simsek said there had to be a beginning in Astana to make sure the conflict stops.

For now at least the fighting has stopped, it is very, very critical because that is the beginning of anything else. The process is to make sure that we translate the current lull into a more lasting ceasefire initially, and then of course talk about more mundane stuff, settling the conflict.

Five years of fighting has left hundreds of thousands of Syrians dead, while more than half of the countrys prewar population has been displaced internally or fled the country.

Elsewhere on Friday, the United Nations condemned ISIL for the demolition of two monuments on sites in Syrias ancient city of Palmyra, calling the destruction a war crime and cultural cleansing.

In a statement, Irina Bokova, director general of the Paris-based UN cultural agency UNESCO, described the wrecking as a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity.

This new blow against cultural heritage shows that cultural cleansing led by violent extremists is seeking to destroy both human lives and historical monuments in order to deprive the Syrian people of its past and its future, Bokova said.

ISIL recaptured Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, from government forces on December 11 and the new devastation reportedly occurred earlier this month.
New York indictment accuses notorious drug dealer of using hitmen to carry out murders, kidnappings, and torture.

Mexicos government extradited drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to the United States where he is wanted on drug trafficking and other charges.

Guzman landed in New York late on Thursday to face federal narcotics trafficking and other charges.

A US law enforcement official told The Associated Press news agency that Guzman arrived following a flight from the Mexican border town Ciudad Juarez.

Guzman is expected to appear in a federal court in Brooklyn on Friday.

El Chapo  one of the worlds most notorious drug kingpins  twice escaped maximum-security prisons in Mexico, most recently in 2015 via a kilometre-long underground tunnel dug under the shower in his cell.

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 hitmen to carry out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

OPINION: El Chapo proves Mexico is failing

A defence lawyer said Guzman was extradited illegally and without notification. He called the transfer totally political on the part of the Mexican government.





It was while on the run for a second time, in the autumn of 2015, that he held a secret meeting with the actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo. The encounter was the subject of a lengthy article Penn published in Rolling Stone magazine 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 that he had turned to drug trafficking at 15 simply to survive. He is now in his late 50s.

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.

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 over to the US afterwards. A court denied Guzmans appeal and found his extradition was constitutional, the Mexican Department of Foreign Relations said.

Guzmans lawyers had fought extradition since his 2016 recapture and said on Thursday that the Mexican government sent him to the US to distract the public from nationwide protests over petrol prices.

It was illegal. They didnt even notify us, lawyer Andres Granados said. They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike. Its totally political.

WATCH: El Chapo  Worlds most wanted drug lord or folk hero?

Besides New York, Guzman faces charges in five other US jurisdictions, including San Diego, Chicago and Miami. He could face the possibility of life in a US prison if convicted.

After his most recent escape, he became something of a folk legend for a segment of Mexicos population for his defiance of the authorities. He was immortalised in songs known as narco-corridos, ballads about the drug trade and drug bosses.

Derek Maltz, who headed the DEAs special operations division until his retirement in mid-2014, said the timing of Guzmans extradition less than 24 hours before Donald Trumps inauguration as US president could be seen as a show of good faith by Mexico.
Chief of defence forces pledges allegiance to the new president Adama Barrow as deadlines for Jammeh to cede pass.

West African leaders gave Yahya Jammeh, who lost elections last month, until midday on Friday to hand over power and agree to leave Gambia or face military action carried out by the regional bloc ECOWAS.

Later however, Jammeh requested a four-hour extension until 4pm local time to cede, government sources said, according to the Reuters news agency.

It was not clear what he planned to do, though diplomats said his departure looked increasingly possible.

Red carpets were laid out at the airport in Gambias capital in what appeared to be preparations for a speech by Jammeh and a departure.

Gambias chief of defence forces Ousmane Badjie pledged his allegiance to the countrys new president on Friday, a major shift amid continued mediation to persuade defeated Jammeh to cede power.

The leaders of Guinea and Mauritania met with Jammeh in Gambia on Friday.





West African troops entered the country to bolster new President Adama Barrow  who was sworn-in on Thursday  but military operations were suspended a few hours later in favour of a final diplomatic push to convince Jammeh, who has stubbornly refused to to exit peacefully.

In his first media interview with Al Jazeera, Barrow urged Jammeh to leave the country and said he hoped that the 15 ECOWAS countries can find him a safe haven.

We cannot allow Yahya Jammeh to remain in Gambia, it will make our job difficult. Thats why all our negotiations is he leave Gambia, he can later come back. But as of now the political climate doesnt allow that.

I advise him in good faith to give peace a chance. It is about democracy.

Adama Barrow sworn in as Gambias president in Senegal

Gambias only land border is with Senegal. The regional coalition, which ECOWAS says involves 7,000 troops, entered from the southeast, southwest and north.

Jammeh started negotiations with ECOWAS on Thursday and agreed to step down. He demanded, however, an amnesty for any crimes that he may have committed during his 22 years in power and that he be permitted to stay in Gambia, at his home village of Kanilai.

Those demands were unacceptable, said Marcel Alain de Souza, head of ECOWAS.

Jammehs continued presence in Gambia would create disturbances to public order and terrorist movements, he said.





Support for the long-ruling leader has been crumbling. The army chief joined ordinary citizens celebrating in the streets on Thursday seven weeks after contested polls.

Diplomacy is a long road  it always has been and always will be  so every opportunity to find a resolution is the best means possible for the region, Robin Sanders, former US ambassador to ECOWAS, told Al Jazeera.

The last thing that West Africa needs is another conflict.

While there has been talk that a deal may include an amnesty for Jammeh, whose regime has been accused of various human rights abuses, Sanders said that this would set a bad precedent.

I am not in the camp of complete amnesty because what you do is signal additional impunity going forward with other leaders, not only just in the continent but across the world, she said.

READ MORE: Gambia  Four ministers resign from Jammeh government

Barrow was sworn in at Gambias embassy in Dakar, in neighbouring Senegal, on Thursday.

Celebrations erupted in Banjul, meanwhile, where tensions have run high over the crisis, especially since the declaration of a state of emergency by Jammeh made on Tuesday.

Barrow, a real-estate agent turned politician, had flown into Senegal on January 15 to seek shelter after weeks of rising tension over Jammehs stance.

At least 46,000 people have fled Gambia for Senegal since the start of the crisis fearing unrest, the UNs refugee agency UNHCR said on Friday, citing Senegalese government figures.
UNs Antonio Guterres concerned over new report saying nearly 6,200 children were recruited over a six year period.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed alarm at reports that children may constitute a large part of the force recruited and used by the armed al-Shabab group in Somalia.

In a report to the Security Council circulated this week, the UN chief said al-Shabab used children in combat, with nine-year-olds reportedly taught to use weapons and sent to frontlines. Children were also used to transport explosives, work as spies, carry ammunition or perform domestic chores, Guterres said.

It was estimated more than half of al-Shababs force were children,and at least 60 percent of the groups elements captured in Somalias semi-autonomous Puntland region in March 2016 were youngsters.

Some of those children said they were approached with the promise of education and jobs, he said.





Somalia has been trying to rebuild after recently establishing its first functioning central government since 1991.

However, the country is driven by clan rivalries and threatened by al-Shabab fighters opposed to Western-style democracy.

Thousands of kids recruited

While al-Shabab was the main perpetrator, the report said the Somali army and other groups also recruited and used children.

According to the report, a task force in Somalia verified the recruitment and use of 6,163 children  5,993 boys and 230 girls  during the period from April 1, 2010 to July 31, 2016, with more than 30 percent of the cases in 2012.

Al-Shabab accounted for 70 percent, or 4,213, of verified cases, followed by the Somali National Army with 920 children recruited, it said.

Guterres said he was deeply troubled by the scale and nature of grave violations against children in Somalia and their increase since 2015.

He urged all parties in the conflict in Somalia to stop recruiting children and committing violations against them and to abide by international humanitarian and human rights law.
Two swans were found dead in the coastal city of Aktau in the west of the country, Kazakh agriculture ministry says.

Kazakhstan has confirmed an outbreak of the highly contagious H5 bird flu virus in wild swans, by the Caspian Sea.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), citing a report from the Kazakh agriculture ministry, said on Friday that two swans were found dead in the coastal city of Aktau in the west of the country.

Different strains of bird flu have been spreading across Europe and Asia since late last year, leading to large-scale slaughtering of poultry in certain countries and some human deaths in China.

Last month, Slovakia also reported an avian influenza outbreak, and more than 22.5 million were culled in South Korea.

READ MORE: Bashar al-Assad Everything on table in Astana talks

The strain of flu found in birds sometimes migrates to humans, which could be fatal.

This has worried the public health community. Some predict a worldwide epidemic if human-to-human transition becomes possible, according to a study by Yale University.

Kazakhstan is due to host the Syria peace talks in the capital Astana on January 23.

Delegates from Turkey, Iran, Russia and Syrias opposition groups are descending into the country to discuss a possible solution to the six-year conflict.
How often does it snow on the beaches of the Mediterranean? The surprised residents of Spain and Algeria would tell you: Never. On Thursday, however, it did just that.

With a temperature just above 0 degrees Celsius, it started snowing in Murcia before midday and kept going for three hours, leaving a few centimetres on the ground. The average temperature in January in Murcia is 17C. There has been a temperature measured of -7.5C, but the last time snow was seen in the town was 1983.

The town of Murcia is a little inland but snow reached right down to the coast. In Cartagena, it has snowed three times in history, in 1914, 1926 and 1939, but not since. That makes the current snow a rare and surprising event. Torrevieja, just up the coast, received snow for the first time in 118 years.

Across the water, on the shores of Algeria, the weather was equally wintry.

Around the Bay of Bejaia it rained steadily on Tuesday, then heavily, eventually bringing snow to the ground. Bejaia itself measured 76mm of rain and the temperature hovered around 3C all day. Wednesday was drier but almost as cold. Thursday managed a temperature of 9C.

The worst weather moved west into Morocco. In the port city of Al Hoceima, Thursday was a cold and wet day. About 32mm of rain fell and the temperature only briefly got above 6C.

The driving force behind this rather long lived cold spell of weather in the western Mediterranean is a slowly revolving area of low pressure. It is not filling up quickly but is likely to spread rain and snow further up the Spanish coast and, by Sunday, along the French Riviera.
Relief efforts hampered by thick smoke as President Rouhani orders an immediate investigation into building collapse.

Emergency teams have struggled to rescue a group of trapped firefighters who were inside a high-rise building when it collapsed in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Iranian officials said on Friday that 25 people were still unaccounted for after the collapse of a 17-storey commercial building in Tehran on Thursday, in addition to 20 firefighters who were killed in the disaster, state TV reported.

Police have received missing reports of 25 people. We urge people to report if any of their family members that worked in the Plasco building is missing, a police official told the broadcaster.

Firefighters, soldiers, and sniffer dogs worked throughout the night on Thursday.

Tehran fire: 20 dead in Plasco building collapse

Pir Hossein Koolivand, head of Tehrans emergency services, blamed thick smoke for hampering rescue efforts.

The relief work is very hard. Removal of debris is going on in all parts of the building, but the thick smoke rising  is creating serious problems. It is still not clear how many people are trapped under the rubble, and not even one person has been pulled out.

The official IRNA news agency said one firefighter, who made it out of the building before it fell, died in a hospital from severe burns.

Some 84 people were injured in the fire, five of whom were still in hospital.

Each layer of wreckage removed from the scene was unleashing fresh smoke, causing problems for workers and sniffer dogs.

The removal of debris is more difficult than removing debris from a major earthquake because we are dealing with fire, smoke and lack of oxygen, said Red Crescent official Morteza Moradipour.

Immediate investigation

President Hassan Rouhani called for an immediate investigation, while city officials said the buildings managers ignored repeated warnings about fire hazards.

The building, which was Irans oldest high-rise and contained a shopping centre and hundreds of clothing suppliers, came down on Thursday after a four-hour blaze.

URGENT: Footage shows the moment of major commercial building collapses in Iran's capital Tehran after hours of severe blaze pic.twitter.com/89GPmRa3GU  Press TV (@PressTV) January 19, 2017

Iranians were in shock over the apparent loss of so many firefighters, with state television placing a black banner across the corner of the screen as a sign of mourning.
US President Donald Trumps inauguration speech, delivered to the nation outside Capitol in Washington, DC.

Here is Donald Trumps inauguration speech in full:

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.

READ MORE: Donald Trump sworn in as 45th US president

Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come.

We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.

Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent. Thank you.

Todays ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another  but we are transferring power from Washington, DC and giving it back to you, the American people.

For too long, a small group in our nations capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.

Washington flourished  but the people did not share in its wealth.

Politicians prospered  but the jobs left, and the factories closed.

The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.

Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nations capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes  starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you.

It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America.

This is your day. This is your celebration.

And this, the United States of America, is your country.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.

January 20th, 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

Everyone is listening to you now.

You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before.

OPINION: Native Americans expect nothing good from Trump 

At the centre of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.

These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public.

But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealised potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

We are one nation  and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

For many decades, weve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry;

Subsidised the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military;

Weve defended other nations borders while refusing to defend our own;

And spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while Americas infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.

Weve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind.

The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world.

But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.

From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.

From this moment on, its going to be only America First. America First.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.

We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

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.





We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.

We will get our people off of welfare and back to work  rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.

We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American.

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world  but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones  and unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.

When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

The Bible tells us, how good and pleasant it is when Gods people live together in unity.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones - and unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth. by President Donald Trump

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.

When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

There should be no fear  we are protected, and we will always be protected.

We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we will be protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger.

In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.

We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action  constantly complaining, but never doing anything about it.

The time for empty talk is over.

Now arrives the hour of action.

Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.

OPINION: The inevitable Trumputin divorce

We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.

We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.

It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American flag.

And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator.

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words:

You will never be ignored again.

Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together, we will make America strong again.

We will make America wealthy again.

We will make America proud again.

We will make America safe again.

And, yes, together, we will make America great again. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.
Prime minister will be first western leader to visit country since the recent deadly assault on its gas installations.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has arrived in Algeria for security talks, just two weeks after a hostage crisis at a gas plant in the Sahara.

Cameron was received on Wednesday by Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal and later also had talks with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the national APS news agency reported.

This was the first visit by a British prime minister since Algeria won independence from France in 1962.

Tackling extremism

Six British citizens are believed to have been among the 37 foreign hostages killed at the In Amenas facility. One Algerian and 29 gunmen were also killed.

What I want to do is work with the Algerian government and with other governments in the region to make sure that we do everything that we can to combat terrorism  David Cameron, British PM



Cameron would seek a partnership with Algeria on tackling extremism, reflecting growing concern in London about unrest in North Africa, the British leaders spokesperson said.

Cameron told reporters travelling with him that the gas complex attack and a French-led military operation in Mali reminds us of the importance of partnership between Britain and countries in the region.

What I want to do is work with the Algerian government and with other governments in the region to make sure that we do everything that we can to combat terrorism in a way that is both tough and intelligent, and uses everything we have at our disposal, which will make them safer, make us safer, make the world safer, Cameron said from Algiers.

What is required in countries like Mali, just as in countries like Somalia on the other side of Africa, is that combination of a tough approach on security, aid, politics, settling grievances and problems, he said.

An intelligent approach that brings together all the things we need to do with countries in this neighbourhood to help them to make them safer but to make us safer too.

Renew political dialogue

Cameron is accompanied by his national security adviser and a trade envoy, Downing Street said, while British reports said the head of Britains foreign intelligence service MI6 was also on the trip.

The talks are expected to focus on strengthening our security co-operation and seeing how we can work in partnership with the Algerians to deliver a tough, patient and intelligent response to tackle the terrorist threat, his spokesperson said.

A statement from the Algerian presidency called the visit a chance to renew political dialogue with Britain.

Six UK citizens are believed to have been among 37 foreign hostages killed at In Amenas facility [Reuters]

It would enable an exchange of views and analysis between President Bouteflika and his guest on a number of questions of common interest and on topics relating to current regional and international events, it added.

Britain expressed concern after the hostage crisis erupted that London had not been consulted before the Algerian authorities launched their military operation, but Camerons spokesperson played this down.

We were clear at the time we were disappointed not to be told about the initial rescue but the prime minister is looking forward to this trip to see how we can strengthen ties with Algeria, she said.

The visit was part of efforts to lead a coordinated international response to the evolving threat from al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which is operating from parts of the Sahel region, she said.

We want to stand side-by-side with countries in the region working together to overcome the threat.

After his arrival, Cameron placed flowers at the monument to martyrs of the Algerian war of independence at El Madania, overlooking the capital.
The porta-potty was my birthday present, Trina Hernandez said, barely containing her giddiness.

The 60-year-old Gainesville resident wasnt used to having running water. To flush her old toilet, the long-haired, quick-talking brunette would fill up a bucket and pour it down her bowl.

A few years ago, she was forced into homelessness after conditions at her house became too expensive to fix: Her floor consisted of a concrete foundation. Rust had worn away her bathtub. Wires hung from a hole in her wall.

She was forced to leave her home for a shelter.

But in October, volunteers with Rebuilding Together North Central Florida, a nonprofit that renovates unsafe housing, began construction at the home in the 1000 block of NW 55th St.

The organizations executive director, R.D. Bonner, said he remembered Hernandezs enthusiasm at the sight of the porta-potty, which would soon be replaced by a functional toilet.

When we first met Trina, she was filling a bucket outside, carrying it inside and using it to flush the toilet, he said. She was so excited when we brought in the porta-potty  imagine when we made her actual toilet functional.

Last week, Hernandez and her dog, Puppy, moved back into the home. By next month, the renovations will be complete.

Thomas Eckenrode, the project coordinator for Rebuilding Together, said he saw the hazards during inspections of Hernandezs home.

The electrical panel hadnt been updated in probably half a century, he said. There was exposed wire everywhere.

Hernandez said she moved from her home to Grace Marketplace, a homeless shelter in Gainesville, a few years ago because she couldnt afford the cost of renovations. But she was ready to go home.

Over the summer, Hernandez decided to apply to Rebuilding Together.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now

Alachua County Community Support Services referred Hernandez to the program and she fit the qualifications to become a client, Bonner said. In January alone, 96 people have applied to Rebuilding Together. He predicts 20 to 25 of those homes will get help from the program next year.

Due to shortages in funding and volunteers, Rebuilding Together cant help every person that applies, he said.

Bonner estimates Rebuilding Together received $30,000 for the project. He said half of the funding came from a county program that improves housing called SHIP, State Housing Initiative Partnership, and the other half was donated by Lowes and Wells Fargo.

Before volunteers could start renovating the home, R. Leon Electric Inc and J.W. Freeman Plumbing, LLC won competitive bids to resolve the dangerous electrical and plumbing issues, Eckenrode said. Then, volunteers helped repaint and install new flooring, kitchen cabinets and a toilet.

Everything had to be redone except the roof, he said.

He said Hernandez participated in the volunteer days and tried to be part of the renovation process.

Shes very understanding and so positive, Eckenrode said.

Eckenrode, who organized the projects volunteer days, estimates 85 to 90 volunteers participated. He said groups from Wal-Mart, Lowes, Rebuilding Togethers board of directors, Wells Fargo and UFs chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers volunteered.

Nicole Bohaczyk, vice president of the UF group, helped by painting the outside of the house, adding drywall in the kitchen and laying down flooring in one of the bedrooms.

She said the other students from the group loved working alongside Hernandez.

I think everyone really enjoyed talking to her, she said. She kept telling us to take breaks.

Hernandez said she plans to volunteer with Rebuilding Together once her home is complete.

I cant wait until I can go and give back at another house, she said.

Hernandez said she appreciated the help from volunteers that worked on her home.

Everyone has just been wonderful and understanding, she said. Im blessed there are truly angels that walk on Earth.

@merylkornfield

mkornfield@alligator.org

Trina Hernandezs home during the renovation on Monday. Rebuilding Together spent about $30,000 on construction.
Outside Gainesvilles City Hall on Friday, only the sound of cars driving by could be heard.

As Donald Trump held his hand on a Bible and was sworn in as the 45th president of the U.S., dozens of protesters shared in a moment of silence outside the government building.

Then they spoke up.

I wanted to come here to be involved, I think its important to let people know that were not alone, nobody is alone, said Kate Barnes, 37.

I came because Im very concerned about the Russian involvement in the election. Its very disturbing and I just think that something should be done about this. Its very obvious, said Ligia Ortega, 44.

I think people need to get over it. They need to wait until he makes a mistake until they pounce on him, because right now, it just looks like theyre all crying, said Brett Jaffe, 20.

Charles Hatcher Kim Wheeler, an anti-Trump protester, reacts to a speech given in front of Gainesville City Hall on Friday, January 20, 2017. Im scared of Trump, Wheeler said. Particularly his cabinet picks. We need people to stand up together.

About 150 people - most but not all in staunch opposition to Trump - attended the protest, organized by Gainesville: City of Resistance, a group created following Trumps Nov. 9 election win over Hillary Clinton.

Members of the community took turns addressing the crowd, some calling Trump an illegitimate president.

They chanted in unison: We resist and we stand united.

Barnes held a sign that read White supremacy sucks ass (not in a good way). Ortega held a sign that read Putins Puppet. Jaffe, near the back of the gathering, held a Trump sign.

As one administration makes way for the other, the divide between voters on either side of history was palpable.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now

Theyre wasting time, theyre being hypocritical and its gotten to the point where I know a lot of them are good people and have good hearts, but there are a lot of people in here that also cause trouble, Jaffe said.

Wearing a red Make American Great Again hat and waving a giant American flag, Kevin Lemos, 19, said he believes unity can be achieved, and Trump is the man to do it. He said Trumps policies will benefit every American.

I came to show support for the ideology he stands behind, and him as the commander-in-chief of the United States, the UF computer engineering freshman said.

Kevin Lemos, a 19-year-old computer engineering freshman and Trump supporter, talks to Kathy Concannon, an anti-Trump protester, about the proposed wall that Trump wants to build. Hundreds of people gathered in front Gainesville City Hall to protest the inauguration of President Trump.

A group of about 30 protesting UF students, participating in a walk-out, later joined the group after marching from campus to city hall.

On campus, students hovered around any TVs tuned to the inauguration.

Inside the Reitz Union, a group of about 100 students gathered to catch a glimpse of their new president.

Dominique Lindsey-Gonzalez, 21, said she felt unmoved, and even confused.

I guess I was hoping to feel more compassion or feel more moved, the UF sustainability studies senior said. I dont know what the common goal we are working towards is.

Kevin Lemos, a 19-year-old computer engineering freshman and Trump supporter, talks to the media as Susan Shapiro, an anti-Trump protester, holds anti-Trump signs in front of Gainesville City Hall on Friday, January 20, 2017. Theres two of them and hundreds of us, Shapiro said. Were here to stand up for our views on inauguration day.
A group of about 70 people celebrated Arbor Day on Thursday by planting a ceremonial tree with a golden shovel.

Gainesville celebrated the holiday and its 33rd year as a city recognized for being tree-friendly by planting 66 more trees at Evergreen Cemetery, said Anita Spring, the chair of the Arbor Day event.

Gainesville is designated as a Tree City USA, a distinction given by the Arbor Day Foundation to cities that meet certain standards of tree friendliness, or cities with plans to take care of trees, she said. Gainesville is one of the cities that has held the title longest in Florida.

She said Gainesvilles thriving tree population benefits the community.

We think that provides a large number of things to citizens in our area besides beauty, she said.

The annual celebration brought together multiple city departments to promote the importance of nature, said Bob Woods, the City of Gainesvilles communications and marketing director.

We have been very fortunate to live in a community that respects and understands the value of preserving our environment, Woods said.

Spring has been involved in planning Arbor Day events since 1994.

At the ceremony, each guest was encouraged to use the gold-painted shovel to scoop some of the dirt and help plant the tree, she said.

The community really participates in this, she said. Everyone enjoys it.

@romyellenbogen

rellenbogen@alligator.org

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now

Selena Patterson, a member of the City of Gainesville Beautification Board, helps her 2-year-old daughter, Scarlet, plant a tree for the City of Gainesville Arbor Day Celebration at the A. Quinn Jones House on Thursday. The Arbor Day celebration had live music, a light lunch and a free tree giveaway.
Two friends have spent the past year taking pictures of more than 3,000 pages of UF Student Government resolutions in an effort to create a database.

When completed, former student senator Max Klein and his friend, Keith Saint, will have catalogued 50 years worth of SG resolutions as a way to inform others about SGs history.

Its a really important resource for us to use, Klein, 20, said. I feel like no one knows the history (of SG) at all.

The resolutions, proposed by senators to share sentiments without mandating action, are a way of tracking past Student Senate opinions, the UF political science junior said. The goal is to eventually upload the documents to SGs website by the end of Spring.

Along with Saint, Klein said hes spent about 70 hours in Smathers Library photographing documents from archives with his Canon Rebel camera.

In September 2015, he posted examples of documents to his Facebook page, called UF Student Govtrack Project. In April 2016, he posted a spreadsheet listing about 900 titles of the resolutions hes collected.

Klein served as a District D senator during Summer 2015. In Fall 2015, he switched from

Access Party to then-newly formed Impact Party, representing District A as a way to see student government from both sides, he said.

While in Senate, regardless of his party, Klein said he was discouraged by the Judiciary Committee when he wanted to draft a resolution about issues beyond the university.

The committee, which approves proposed regulations and bills before they can be voted on in Senate, was reluctant to support controversial topics, he said.

Klein once proposed a resolution condemning states with holidays honoring the Confederacy, he said. He said he was told his resolution had to focus on only Florida for it to pass.

After he left Senate, Klein began looking through documents and found that past Senates approved contentious legislation on topics like the USSR and LGBTQ+ rights, he said.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now

Its a legacy that we should live up to, Klein said. Its not something that should be

forgotten.

Klein said he hopes the database will encourage students to vote in SG elections. Precious Ichite, a UF health education and behavior junior, said she believes SG is transparent, but a database of documents would make information readily available to students who either dont know they exist or wont spend time looking them up.

We have fast-paced schedules, so we may not have time to slow down and look at all of the resources, the 20-year-old said.

@paigexfry

pfry@alligator.org
Well, dear reader, today is the day we have been insurmountably hoping would never come  Inauguration Day.

For the past 72 days, I have tirelessly searched for a glimmer of hope in the alarmingly dim reality of Americas political future. I think it was around day 15 or so that I found the saving grace I was so desperately hoping to discover.

As an aggressively nasty woman, I, like so many of my liberal cohorts, was fully prepared to welcome an era of feminism and female empowerment following Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons election. As such, I was fully devastated when I woke up Nov. 9 and saw the election results.

However, after about 15 days of licking my wounds and surrendering in defeat to the misogynistic miscreant that will soon be leading our nation, I realized abdication of my ethical integrity and acceptance of a desolate fate for the feminist agenda is the absolute last thing this country needs.

As harebrained as it may sound, Ive come to the realization that Donald Trumps presidency is not going to hinder the feminist movement. It is going to advance it at the hands of the wildly impassioned  and incredibly nasty  women who are eager to defend it.

The fact that Trumps policy plans and overall character are so far from the feminist agenda is exactly what is going to push it forward. The nasty women of this nation are past their grieving periods and are starting to realize the same thing that I have: This presidency is our call to action.

If Clinton had won the election, so many feminists, including myself, would have celebrated for a few days and raved about the monumental victory we had just made, and that would have been the end of it. Sure, we would all have continued to support feminist ideas and to celebrate each piece of our agenda that Clinton pushed forward, but more likely than not, we would have felt no sense of urgency to actively continue our own efforts.

People, in general, become active when they sense a problem and when they think there is something they need to change. For a lot of feminists, our end-all-be-all was getting a female in the Oval Office. I had some sort of half-baked idea that if we could get a woman in the Oval Office, our job was done and everything would fall into place from there. Wed finally receive equal pay, Planned Parenthood would forever be protected and judges would start taking rape cases seriously.

As my far-fetched world of equality slips further away, my desire to fight and to defend the feminist agenda only grows stronger. I can see this fire building up in women and men  not only all across America, but all across the world.

Donations to Planned Parenthood have skyrocketed since the election. Protests, marches and sit-ins have popped up all over the country. People have utilized social media to get the word out about feminist issues and speak up against Trumps misanthropic ways. Social media groups like Pantsuit Nation, a group now composed of more than 3 million people, allow women and men to post their stories and share news of opportunities to further the feminist agenda.

Much to Trumps dismay, Im sure his victory in the recent presidential election has awoken a feminist revolution in our country. Women, men and even children are already fighting, and they will keep fighting until equality is achieved.

This is not to say, of course, that a Trump presidency is something to look forward to or that if youre a female, person of color or actually anyone other than a white male, you have nothing to worry about  you definitely do. We pretty much all have something to lose from a Trump presidency, but the feminist movement is not going to be stopped.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now

Abigail Miller is a UF journalism sophomore. Her column appears on Fridays.
Today, the nations 45th president will place his hand on the Bible, swear the oath of office and assume the presidency. In turn, Michelle, Malia, Sasha, Bo and Sunny Obama will leave the White House. From this day forward, well refer to Barack Obama as our former president.

It was an unprecedented election season. Republican candidate Donald Trump won the electoral college with 306 votes despite losing the popular vote to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton by 2.9 million votes. He won the presidency despite making headlines for demeaning remarks about women and divisive rhetoric against immigrants and Muslims, on top of mocking a disabled reporter.

Its surreal. And it is not normal.

Never before has a president been so poorly prepared for the Oval Office. And whats worse, hes surrounding himself with people who are just as concerning. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry was nominated as secretary of energy despite having called for the departments elimination in the past. Betsy DeVos stumbled through her Senate hearing for secretary of education, failing to distinguish proficiency from growth. It was a shameful reminder of how easy it is to hand-feed merited positions to grossly unprepared individuals.

And if theres one thing many citizens feel right now, its fear. Fear of a changing America, where Hispanics are expected to surpass the white majority by 2050. Fear of a president who could pack the Supreme Court with justices who limit our right to gender identity and love. Fear of our loved ones being forced to leave a county they have made their own, simply because of where they were born, who their parents were or what God they pray to. We all seem to fear the next four years.

Fear is dangerous. It can make us impulsive. It can make us silent. But it can also raise us up. Today, were asking you to embrace fear and create change. This weekend, more than 200,000 are expected to participate in the Womens March on Washington in protest of incoming President Trump. Thousands more are expected to join them at local rallies across the U.S., including one here in Gainesville.

If you feel fear, now is the time to act. Now is the time to figure out what values you hold and stand up for them. For our readers in college, whether it be UF or Santa Fe College, youre probably running into people whose opinions differ from your own. Its easy to label all who supported Bernie Sanders as socialists and all who voted for Trump as deplorables. But before you make judgements about other people, try to learn where theyre coming from.

So in the days, weeks and years going forward, we urge you to talk to others, figure out your own values and defend them. Hold a sign. March. Call your elected officials, whose numbers weve included below. Act in a way so visceral others will be forced to hear your voice. Remind us that you deserve to have your opinion heard. Do not let the cries of others drown out your right to speak.

If you choose not to act, you are letting them win.

If you choose not to fight, you are forfeiting your rights.

The choice is yours.

Florida elected officials

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now

Sen. Marco Rubio: Tallahassee 850-599-9100

Tallahassee 850-599-9100 Washington D.C. 202-224-3041

Sen. Bill Nelson: Tallahassee: 850-942-8415

Tallahassee: 850-942-8415 Washington D.C. 202-224-5274

Mayor Lauren Poe: 352-334-5000










English News United Nations Experts and the International Indian Treaty Council will visit Standing Rock to provide training and gather information on Human Rights Violations Resulting from Pipeline Construction

- 20 Janvier 2017





Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, North Dakota, United States: On January 20th 2017, Pavel Sulyandziga, Chairman of the United Nations (UN) Working Group on the issue of Human Rights, Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises and Grand Chief Wilton Littlechild, member of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples will arrive in North Dakota, USA at the invitation of Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault. They will be joined by representatives of the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) as well as the ACLU Human Rights Program who will participate in a human rights training workshop on Sunday January 22nd. A hearing to take testimonies on human rights violations resulting from construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline will be held on Monday January 23rd.



The UN Working Group on the issue of Human Rights, Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises was established by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to monitor implementation of the UN Business and Human Rights Principles which were adopted in 2011 by consensus of the HRC, including the United States. The Guiding Principles affirm the responsibility of corporations and businesses to respect human rights as well as the obligation of States (countries) to protect human rights and provide effective remedies for victims of violations which occur as a result of business activities. The Working Group has affirmed Indigenous Peoples right to Free Prior and informed Consent regarding business activities that could affect them. For more information on the mandate of the Working Group and the UN Guiding Principles click on http://cdn5.iitc.org/wp-content/uploads/BHR-InfosheetFINALENG_web.pdf or http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/WGHRandtransnationalcorporationsandotherbusiness.aspx.



The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has consistently expressed its opposition to DAPL construction in its current route, including in statements to the United Nations and in meetings with the company itself, citing potential devastating effects on the Missouri River and Lake Oahe, its primary water source, as well as sacred sites and Treaty rights. On December 4th 2016, the US Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit for DAPL to continue drilling under the river pending the completion of detailed Environmental Impact Study and the consideration of alternate routes. On January 18th the Department of the Army published the Notice of Intent to require an Environmental Impact Statement in the Federal Register. However, with the inauguration of a new pro-pipeline US President immanent, along with continuing attempts by DAPL to go around this process including in the courts, concerns remain.



In his invitation to Mr. Sulyandziga to carry out a visit to Standing Rock, Chairman Archambault expressed its importance to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe: Your official visit here will provide much needed international oversight regarding the actions of the corporation and the positions of the next US administration in addressing this matter.



The workshop on January 22nd and the hearing on the 23rd will each take place from 9 AM  5 PM in the Banquet Room of the Prairie Knights hotel and casino and are open to the community and public. Registration to provide testimonies will take place on site beginning at 8:30 AM on both days. For a detailed agenda click on: http://www.iitc.org/iitc-human-treaty-rights-training-workshop-hearing-january-22-23-2017-standing-rock-sioux-reservation/.



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)
WHEN: Friday, January 20



9:30 a.m. at the Department of Energy;



10:15am at the Department of Housing and Urban Development





WHERE: Beginning at 1000 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. (Department of Energy)







WHO: Hundreds of Indigenous women from Standing Rock, leaders of climate justice movements, veterans, women of color and allies gathering to defend the land, water, bodies, and homes from tremendous threats posed by the incoming administration.







WHY: The appointments of Rick Perry, Steve Mnuchin, and Ben Carson make clear the Trump administrations intention to ramp up the exploitation of land for private profit, wreaking devastation for the climate, for our water, and for our homes.



Until a week ago, Rick Perry was on the Board of the company driving the Dakota Access Pipeline, which threatened the water of 17 million people.

Trump has signaled his desire to re-enter an arms race, leading to a greatly intensified risk of nuclear war and to increased health threats in indigenous communities and communities of color where nuclear testing occurs.

Mnuchin, Carson, and Trump together will threaten the homes of both homeowners and renters. Mnuchin is known as the foreclosure king for the over 36,000 foreclosures he instigated during the financial crisis. With half of all renters facing unaffordable rents and evictions at all-time highs, Carson has stated that he plans to turn public housing over to private interests, which will only worsen the displacement and affordable housing crises faced by communities around the country.

Visuals: 75-foot banners, Indigenous women from Standing Rock, veterans, street theater to showcase threats posed by the Trump administration and what an alternative could look like  protecting the climate, land, and water for all people.


Donald Trump has said that he intends to drain the swamp, a laudable if formidable challenge given the resistance he is bound to meet. The DNC is preparing a war room to fight Trump on a variety of political and domestic fronts and the left is mobilizing all its divisions to prevent the new president from governing and, if possible, to force him from office. This could amount to a kind of civil war entailing massive protests and demonstrations punctuated by instances of violence, as has occurred in the past.

The left will throw everything it can at him: marches, fake news, uncorroborated allegations, hoaxes galore, borking tantrums, Twitter storms, unceasing volumes of calumny, character assassination, riots, classic Soviet-style disinformation -- every weapon in its copious arsenal of smear and malice. For the left is truly maniacal in its hatreds. Trump will have to be Trump to withstand the onslaught.

There is also the factor of complexity and coordination: the swamp consists of many bights and pockets of sludge-like detritus, each of which will require a designated task force to clean up and decontaminate. Indeed, there is a swollen political tribe of bog men and bog women peopling that swamp who need to be exhumed and displayed in public museums as emblems of the defunct -- that is, fired and in some cases prosecuted. (Lois Lerner, anyone?) Poet Seamus Heaney would have had a field day with the denizens of our contemporary Bogland.

And the bog, as noted, is vast, a series of interlocking polders, sloughs and fens that will require years of dedicated effort to pump and empty. The effort at cadastral detoxification must begin on Day One of his presidency, as Trump has promised, if it is to have any chance of success, for delay is often the prelude to amnesia. Trump has his work cut out for him fighting jobbery, timidity, self-interest and betrayal. What follows is a selective list of the sectors of infestation that need to be expunged. They are pretty well known but an agenda booklet is always helpful.

*****

Foggy Bottom or what we might aptly call boggy bottom. The State Department has long had leftist inclinations and a soft-on-jihad attitude, and will work tirelessly to undermine the new presidents authority. Its current Assistant Secretary and spokesperson John Kirby, a practiced liar, is its appropriate face. For the first time in living memory, it needs to be dealt with ruthlessly, downsized, rationalized and systematically purged. In other words, it must become a government agency and not a de facto government pursuing its own policy initiatives, which differ little or not at all from the Democratic Party line. Similarly, the Federal Civil Service needs to be shrunk and its budget drastically slashed, a move that appears to be on the books.

National Intelligence and the IRS. Both services have become increasingly politicized under the Obama administration, the IRS targeting conservative sites and magazines, and the CIA under rank incompetents and partisan actors like John Brennan and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, indulging in unsupported allegations regarding Russian hacking and plainly favoring the Democratic Party. These agencies must be thoroughly depoliticized, its top officials unceremoniously fired as Democratic Party toadies, ineptitude rooted out and bloat eliminated.

The UN. Violating its irenic origins, it has become a body of anti-American thugs, freeloaders and kleptocrats -- jackals, as Daniel Moynihan called its members -- occupying prime New York real estate and depending largely on American financial contributions to continue its operations. In a well-reasoned and historically-based argument, Bruce Thornton shows why the criminal and peculating UN is beyond reform. It should be immediately defunded if not abolished. It can maintain its Geneva headquarters, but it does not belong on American soil and does not deserve American cash. International resolutions can be passed through diplomatic channels on a nation-to-nation basis, in the same way as trade agreements can be negotiated.

The Two-State Solution. To undo the damage that Obama has wrought in harming and alienating Israel, a vital and dependable ally, a Trump administration should consider signing a mutual defense pact with the Jewish state, casting the failed two-state hallucination into the trash can, eliminating all aid to the Palestinians -- a regime of terror-enabling extortionists -- whether in the West Bank or Gaza, and moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem -- perhaps even to East Jerusalem. A revamped State Department should frankly acknowledge, as Zahir Muhsein of the Palestinian National Council told the Dutch newspaper Trouw as far back as 1977, that The Palestinian people does not existOnly for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian peopleto oppose Zionism. The Jewish people have a 3000-year history in the Holy Land. The PLO, however, was founded in 1964 in Egypt and a Palestinian entity was recognized by the Arab countries only at the 1974 Rabat Summit Conference. (See my essay A Mid-East Fiction for additional information.)

Entitlements. Legislation might begin by focusing on the Food Stamp program (SNAP), a necessary stand-by, but one that has been grossly abused since its introduction by LBJ, expanded at great cost to the Treasury and mired in food stamp trafficking. Its overhaul should determine: (a) those regions where it has been subject to unjustifiable exploitation and those where it is a legitimate fallback; and (b) act to reduce Federal largesse where appropriate. This would be a good place to start before considering other measures to curb an entitlement system designed to create a dependent population under the guise of battling poverty.

Foreign aid. Untold billions in foreign aid are simply wasted, supporting countries whose policies are clearly anti-American and whose ruling classes sequester these funds for their own benefit. The entire program needs to be re-thought.

Global warming. AGW is the greatest scam of our times. There has been no global warming for 21 years and the models used to predict climate change are demonstrably unreliable, if not actually fraudulent. Governments that levy carbon taxes are filling their coffers illegitimately. (See my Global Warning for a succinct analysis of the climate scandal.) Skepticism also applies to the renewable energy industry, which suffers from the Solyndra effect, and serves the interests not of the public but of an unaccountable cadre of cronies who profit from government grants and loans, agency funding and carbon trading schemes. The entire shakedown enterprise is due for a major debunking.

The fake news media. Modern journalism, says Daily Caller blogger Jim Treacher, is all about deciding which facts the public shouldnt know because they might reflect badly on Democrats. Lying to the public, whether by commission or omission, in an attempt to influence the outcome of elections or prevent their consequences is a violation of the SPJ Code of Ethics and should not be tolerated in a democratic society. News outlets with a record of purveying fake news should be put on notice that their presence at White House press conferences is no longer a given and that their participation will be carefully vetted.

Education. From K-12 to postgraduate university, the academy, generally speaking, no longer teaches but indoctrinates from the left. Students are treated like mental hosts for the implantation of Alien pods, which leave behind intellectual cadavers when the monsters emerge. A particularly harrowing example, as the National Association of Scholars reports, involves the study of Civics, which has been stolen by left-wing activists who smuggle their agenda into colleges. Instead of teaching students about how government works, the New Civics is all about diversity, environmentalism, the LGBT movement, global citizenship, and other liberal causes. The academy is engaged in circulating the shibboleths of the day, not in providing real education. Achievement is lower, even as grades are higher; jargon is more pretentious; and promises become ever more grandiose, writes Bruce Deitrick Price, who runs the education site Improve-Education.org. Professors of education who labor mightily to undercut education should be a national joke. But nobody is laughing.

The education paradigm is infected by the practices of professional ideologues who, as David French writes in National Review, have installed a ferocious new faith -- a social justice progressivism unrestrained by humility and consumed with religious zeal. The social justice meme has no business in the curriculum. Similarly, affirmative action and preferential hiring, still very much in place, must become a thing of the disreputable past. The Core Curriculum, which has pedagogically impoverished American students, must be scrapped. Title IX has to be quashed. And a scrupulous review of professional personnel at all levels should be undertaken to distinguish genuine teachers from propagandists, with a view to rewarding merit and deprivileging mediocrity and partisanship. The viability of tenure may also come under consideration. Tuition fees will need to come down, perhaps by decoupling Pell grants from tuition hikes, and the funding stick will have to be brandished mercilessly.

As Richard F. Miniter points out, the education boondoggle costs $620,000,000,000 annually, to regularly graduate functionally illiterate students. Despite the vicious attack by liberal/Left advocacy organizations -- the ACLU, the Interfaith Alliance, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and others -- on Trumps pick for secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, she seems the right person to drain this part of the malarial swamp afflicting the country. DeVos is all for school choice, the voucher system and open enrollment, which clearly foster educational achievement. May she prosper in this difficult job.

Obamacare. Some say this disaster, which has grown largely unaffordable and chaotic, should be revised; others believe it should be repealed. Obamacare cannot be saved and needs to be replaced by a free market system with selective and unobtrusive government oversight. As Jon Hall points out in an impeccably reasoned article, it is simply unaffordable, a drag on the economy and an unlimited claim on future revenue. The requirement to insure pre-existing conditions raises the cost of premiums astronomically, which thus entails the mandates, i.e., the use of force. Moreover, it is a giant step toward a single payer medical system, which has failed miserably wherever it has been implemented, including my own country, Canada. Obamacare was never about fixing the health insurance business [or] lowering premium prices, says Hall. It was about creating dependency, expanding the welfare state, and consolidating the power of central government. Its got to go.

Immigration. So much has already been written about the travesty known as immigration that suffice it to say Trump is right and his critics in the left-wing media and social justice sites are calamitously wrong. Two kinds of barriers need to be built: a physical wall/fence to keep out crime and disease imported by illegal aliens breaching the southern border (forget undocumented workers) and stringent vetting protocols to dramatically reduce Muslim immigration, from which cultural unrest inexorably ensues and from whose ranks the jihadists spring. Enough Americans have died from the violence associated with the creatures from the black lagoon sector of the swamp.

The Military. Obama has left Americas armed forces in worse shape than at any time since the Great Depression, observes Bruce Walker. Military capabilities have been severely degraded. Indeed, the armed forces have been scaled down, pussified, and transformed under Obama, as Rick Moran writes, into a gigantic social sciences lab. The government will even pay for some gender reassignment surgeries for trans soldiers. It seems that President Obama has cared more about imposing his cultural agenda on the military rather than winning wars. The uniform no longer commands respect or serves to reinforce esprit de corps. Muslim and Sikh soldiers can now wear the hijab or the turban. Adhering to the dictates of multiculturalism is more important than fielding a fighting force. The military has been routinely humiliated by the Russians buzzing an American ship, Chinese expansion into the Pacific or the Iranian taking of prisoners in the Gulf. There can be no doubt that the armed forces need to be honored, rebuilt and restored to their former position of world dominance if American prestige and security in an increasingly dangerous world are to be prioritized.

The Supreme Court. As everyone recognizes, the composition of the Supreme Court is critical to the sociopolitical direction the country will follow. As currently constituted, justices like Sonia Sotomayer (of wise Latina fame) and the ethically compromised Elena Kagan do not belong on so exalted an institution. Despite the opposition of Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, it is clear that Trump will have to fill the vacancy left by the death of Antonin Scalia with a worthy and reputable nominee and gradually steer the court toward a dispensation more in touch with traditional American values of procedural justice, individualism and freedom of speech and conscience. A recent poll suggests a large majority of American agree, preferring an originalist Constitution to the oxymoron of a living constitution -- which is anything a activist judiciary can make up or powerful interests regard as politically advantageous.

Iran. A powerful mix of muscular diplomacy and military threat will have to supplant the toxic alliance that Obama has cemented with the Iranian mullocracy. The lifting of sanctions, the facilitation of Irans nuclear program in more ways than one, and the paying of ransom for hostages have empowered the worlds largest state sponsor of terrorism and Americas number one enemy. This arrangement is very close to treason. Iran must be stopped in its tracks before the situation becomes irreversible.

The Republican Party. One of the major tasks that confronts Trump now is the renovation of his own party, which is also part of the swamp. True, Trump was not acting presidential in the earlier days of the nomination cycle, unable to restrain his sense of indignation over the lies, slanders and animadversions hurled his way by his own party competitors and conservative authors and editors. He was clearly provoked; his error was in prolonging the fracas via retaliations. But the fault rested primarily with the Party itself -- Mitt Romney, Marco Rubio, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, etc. -- who gave him little to no support, to put it mildly, and with his conservative assailants -- Jonah Goldberg, George Will, Bill Kristol, Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, etc. -- who maligned him at every turn. In effect, all these celebrated figures were busy shilling for Hillary.

Writing in American Thinker, Christopher West suggests that while we must unite and even forgive our wayward rank-and-file GOP brethren who chose not to support our efforts, we must never forget those who engaged in outright acts of treachery that jeopardized our cause and our nation's future. West is referring to those Republicans who had such a vested interest (emotional, financial, or otherwise) in maintaining the same stale policies that had long served their personal and business interests at the expense of the Republican electorate and their country. He is willing to forgive, to welcome rank-and-file Republicans back into the fold. Nevertheless, he concludes, We should never forget the transgressions perpetrated by the leadership of the NeverTrump movement.

But what does forgiving but not forgetting really mean? Are party loyalists, grass roots members and the Trump administration to reconcile with those who will not, as West writes, have our back when we face fire from the left and who will have our back only as long as it is professionally and personally expedient to do so? This doesnt make much sense. The Republican Party must undergo a comprehensive scouring and vetting to bring it back into contact with its voters. Similarly, fair-weather conservative commentators who acted in such a way as to promote a Clinton electoral victory should no longer be taken seriously. They are the intellectual pariahs of the right, whom Thomas Carlyle would have described as full of unwise intellect.

*****

Critics and detractors, like Canadian historian James Laxer, who thinks he understands the U.S. but has still to change his (red) diaper, plainly interprets the resurgence of a proud and vital America as a rearguard action by an atavistic and desperate old America. Adapting Lincolns phrase as the title of one of his books, A House Divided, Laxer associates the American right with the antebellum South. Is old America out of touch with the progressivist social and cultural transformation of the country? Or are Laxerian intellectuals merely swamp dwellers, bogmen of the left, divorced from the new American reality? The incoming administration will answer that question.

There is, obviously, a lot of swamp to tackle, both the individual zones of which it consists and the destructive ideology that filled it in the first place. It will take time, but each of the relevant departments and respondents assigned the mission should be given the green light to aggressively pursue a long overdue recovery program. After the creation of so brackish and festering a marsh, an act of radical cleansing across the board is the only way forward.

Mr. Trump, drain this swamp.
In my widely unread novel, Total Jihad (RavensYard, 2003)  the book is out of print, the publisher out of business  African-American members of Congress loyal to Rev. Louis. Farrakhan played a minor role in the separation of the United States from Israel and fragmentation of U.S. Jewry. Total Jihad was set in the future, beginning in 2007, when a neo-isolationist Democratic administration, led by a young, charismatic president, would join Europe in imposing a suicidal "peace" on Israel.

Given the Obama White House's recurrent pressure on Israel, one recalls comedian Judy Tenuta's signature tag line to one improbability after another: "It could happen!"

Actually, fragmentation between the Democratic Party and Israel, between the reflexive liberalism of most American Jews and the Jewish state  has been happening since the 1980s.

The leading contender for chairman of the post-Hillary Clinton Democratic Party is Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.). One of two Muslims in Congress, Ellison has disavowed his earlier connection with Farrakhan's anti-Semitic Nation of Islam. But he's more recently opposed additional funding for Israel's Iron Dome short-range missile defense system and signed a congressional letter portraying Israel's partial blockade of the Gaza Strip as punitive, among similar moves. His friendship with and campaign financial support from leaders of the Council on American Islamic Relations, a Muslim Brotherhood spinoff and unindicted co-conspirator in a 2009 terrorism funding trial (Hamas via the Holy Land Foundation), is of long standing.

The Anti-Defamation League reportedly certifies Ellison's rejection of anti-Jewish bigotry and his support for Israel, though retired ADL head Abe Foxman is not so sure. Foxman, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency says, sees Ellison's endorsement by party officials including incoming Senate minority leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) as symbolizing the Democrats' continuing difficulty with  Republicans say retreat from  reliable support for the Jewish State.

In the early 1980s, I worked as press secretary to U.S. Rep. Robert N. Shamansky (D-Ohio). Bob sat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Europe and the Middle East Subcommittee. One day, a delegation from our hometown Columbus Jewish Federation visited. These were the years of international  including U.S.  condemnation of Israel for bombing Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor, the U.S.-Saudi AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems planes) deal  which passed despite strenuous objection from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee  and Israel's war against the Palestine Liberation Organization in Lebanon.

After the meeting ended, I asked a Columbus friend what had been discussed. "The usual," he said  "abortion, church-state separation, the Moral Majority."

"Israel?"

"Of course," he replied. "But the sooner we get Israel out of the headlines, the more some of our folks will be able to focus on issues that really motivate them."

Shamansky lost re-election to a state senator named John Kasich in November 1982. I went to work for the Columbus federation's Jewish Community Relations Committee. We focused on pro-Israel activism; support for endangered Jewish populations in the Soviet Union, Ethiopia, and elsewhere; abortion; church-state issues; and inter-faith and inter-racial relations.

Participants at one of our "Black-Jewish Dialogue" lunches discussed the Rev. Jesse Jackson's 1984 Democratic presidential primary campaign. For some of the Jewish members, Jackson was nearly toxic. His "Hymie-town" reference to New York City and impromptu "We Shall Overcome" vocalizing with PLO leader Yasser Arafat during a 1979 visit to Beirut were all we needed to know.

But for the black participants, the reverend stood beyond reproach. Why, they wanted to know, had I circulated a New Republic article critical of Jackson as pre-luncheon reading? That day featured not dialogue, but parallel monologues, revealing a gap that in some respects would become a gulf. As Israel's enemies have refused to free it from the headlines, many liberals  Democrats and Jews among them  have tried to escape the heat in the political kitchen.

Before the 1988 presidential campaign, I was back in Washington, editing Near East Report, the weekly newsletter on U.S. Middle East policy and U.S.-Israel relations published in affiliation with AIPAC. Some of our lay leaders, including prominent Democrats, were dubious about the Middle East bona fides of the party's nominee, Gov. Michael Dukakis (Mass.). But senior staff was positively utzed by Democratic National Convention organizers' decision to allow James Zogby a televised speaking slot, even if not prime time.

Zogby had been active in the National Campaign to Defend Ziad Abu Eain, a Palestinian Arab fighting extradition to Israel, where he eventually would be convicted of participating in a fatal 1979 PLO terrorist attack. Zogby later co-founded the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee, which seemed to spend as much energy opposing the Jewish State as fighting anti-Arab bigotry, and founded the Arab American Institute. In 1988, he also was a member of the Democratic convention's platform committee.

That, like Jackson's strong showing (second to Dukakis, far ahead of Sens. Al Gore, Tenn.; Paul Simon, Ill.; and Rep. Richard Gephardt, Mo. in 1988's Democratic presidential primaries), was another straw in the wind. A few AIPAC staffers argued among themselves whether being pro-Israel would become an anomaly in a party less internationally minded, more likely to see Palestinian Arabs as an oppressed minority group, and more interested in social spending than defense.

Over the intervening decades, the trend clarified itself. As Politico reported this past March 29, Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vermont) and ten House members "asked the Obama administration to investigate claims that the Israeli and Egyptian security forces have committed 'gross violations of human rights'  allegations that infuriated Israel's leader, but, if proven true, could affect U.S. military aid to the countries."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired back that contrary to Amnesty International, on whose claims Leahy based his letter, Israeli troops defended the public against "bloodthirsty terrorists who come to murder them." According to Netanyahu, "this letter should have been addressed instead to those who incite youngsters to commit cruel acts of terrorism."

The ten House members on Leahy's letter? All Democrats, mostly members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Veteran pro-Israel lobbyists pointed out that in the past 30 years, the de facto "anti-Israel caucus" on the Hill had grown from roughly 15 to 20 to 30 or 40, mostly in the House. And the majority-minority party affiliation has flipped, from Republican-Democrat to Democrat-Republican. In fact, reflexively anti-Israel congressional Republicans have become an endangered species.

Among Democrats, though, that species has grown. By dint of repetition, conveyed from faculty lounges through mass media to kefiyeh-wearing "social justice warriors," James Zogby's worldview gains U.S. political ground. This view sees a repressive Israel, armed by the United States not primarily in American national interests, but rather mostly at the urging of American Jews, unjustly crushing aggrieved Arabs.

(When worn by Westerners, the kefiyeh is, as I have argued previously, a fashion statement. Not just a signal of "revolutionary cool," the kefiyeh, first popularized for non-Arabs by Yasser Arafat, states: Those who kill Jews are fashionable.)

This brings us to the instructive fates of those Jewish Democratic senatorial bookends Joseph Lieberman and Bernard Sanders.

Lieberman was a longtime senator from Connecticut, an observant Jew proudly positive about his heritage, conventionally liberal on domestic issues yet strong on defense and American intervention abroad when required. In 2000, he became the first American Jew on a major party presidential ticket, chosen as Sen. Gore's vice presidential running mate. Like then-senators Gore, Hillary Clinton, and John Kerry, Democrat Lieberman supported President George W. Bush's 2003 decision to invade Iraq. Unlike them, by 2006 he was championing, with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a troop "surge" to defeat a bloody insurgency and suppress a Sunni-Shi'ite civil war.

For that, his long and loyal party service notwithstanding, Lieberman had to go. The self-described liberal party brooks no dissent  that is, no dissent to the right. One can lean ever leftward, like Sanders, and be embraced by the party base. So, having lost the 2006 Connecticut Senate Democrat primary to a challenger from the left, incumbent Lieberman won re-election as an independent.

But the handwriting was on the wall, in neon. It would be Lieberman's last term.

The wall-writing got a soundtrack at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. Somehow, the platform committee had forgotten to include the 2008 and 2004 foreign policy plank declaring Jerusalem the "indivisible, eternal capital of Israel." This had been the Israeli government position  certainly in advance of any negotiated compromise with Palestinian leadership, the possibility of which remains vaporous  under recent coalitions led by Netanyahu's Likud Party. It was the view of many if not most pro-Israel Americans, including AIPAC, even earlier.

Convention organizers, noting the Jerusalem plank's omission, moved to include it by voice vote before adoption of the whole platform by delegates. Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, chairing the session, called for a vote. Stunned when the "nays" outnumbered the "yeas," he announced to a disbelieving floor that the outcome had been too close to discern. Amid muttering and jeers, he called a second vote. Again the "nays" had it, more loudly this time. Down came Villaraigosa's gavel. The chair still can't determine the result, he asserted, drawing catcalls. On the third vote, both yeas and nays loudly asserted themselves, with the latter dominant. No matter. The yeas had it, the chair declared, overruling the floor.

Party elders, no doubt concerned about potential unhappiness among pro-Israel voters in key states like Florida, Illinois, and New York, and in particular among significant Jewish donors, denied the base. One does not need the contrast between party treatment of Lieberman and the base's embrace this year of Sanders, who described J Street as a key source of his Arab-Israeli views, to recognize in the 2012 struggle over the Jerusalem platform plank a party establishment rear-guard action.

J Street is the "pro-Israel, pro-peace" lobby. Quotation marks are required, given that J Street was funded initially and covertly by the non- if not anti-Zionist, anti-AIPAC George Soros and almost invariably finds fault with Israeli counter-terrorism while minimizing if not excusing Palestinian incitement and rejectionism.

Sanders's strong challenge to former senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democrat presidential nomination highlighted the continuing erosion of bipartisan support for Israel and unraveling of the Jewish liberal-American Zionist connection. As columnist Charles Krauthammer noted, Sanders  unlike Lieberman  primarily expressed his Jewish affiliation negatively  that is, in Holocaust remembrance. Of course, many American Jews do likewise.

But Sanders also parroted false anti-Israeli propaganda about "disproportionately high" non-combatant Arab casualties in the 2014 Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. At the time, however, Gen. Martin Dempsey, then chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Israel went to extraordinary lengths to minimize civilian fatalities. If anything, Palestinian non-combatant deaths in Gaza had been "disproportionately low."

Sanders also nominated Zogby, Rep. Ellison, and Prof. Cornel West (described by The Washington Post as a "racial justice activist" but not also as an anti-Israel hysteric who has falsely alleged Israeli massacres of Palestinian Arabs and who supports the anti-Israel, anti-Jewish boycott, divestment, and sanctions [BDS] movement). The Vermont senator also, "privileging" his post-liberal-left affiliations over any Jewish ties, invited one of the leaders of Spain's anti-Semitic, far-left Podemos Party to be his guest as the Democratic Party Convention.

The Democratic Party does not harbor numerous anti-Israel, anti-Jewish local and national officials, as does Great Britain's once pro-Israel Labor Party. Bernie Sanders has not hosted and praised representatives of Hezb'allah and Hamas in Congress, as Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn has in Parliament. But the trend, hardly new, gathers momentum. The tie between American, especially Jewish, liberalism and pro-Zionism once was axiomatic. Now the growing contradiction between pro-Israel and illiberal progressive seems likely to stretch that tie until it snaps.

The writer is a Washington, D.C.-based communications consultant. Any opinions expressed above are solely his own.
Donald Trump often reprises the phrase "make America great again." "Great" is an adjective whose meaning is specific only within the context of its use. Relative to Obama's eight-year lecture and self-congratulatory tour, on balance, President Trump will make America better, but not great as it once was. We might have reached a threshold of divergent worldviews that will forever preclude our becoming again what we once were.

A nation, once a singularity, uniquely founded, a "city on a hill" among the nations of the world, has devolved into a nation in the midst of an ideological, sniveling and shouting civil war. Its founding documents and formed governing bodies reflected Christian values to those ends of living freely in responsible speech and action. Most importantly, they reflected the reality of human nature, which the Founders knew from observation needs wise and balanced governance commensurate with the liberty of the individual's pursuit of happiness. And God blessed that nation.

It's good to review the nut of our historic beginnings before no one remembers it anymore.

Judeo-Christian values were generally inculcated into the culture by the church, families, and education; people informed their lives by them. Though there was always present the individual freedom of thought and expression to reject the tenets of orthodox Christianity, most generally abided by them within the realms of civic discourse. De Tocqueville noted that there was a sense of common grace. But academia, culture, the family, and even churches lurched off into the weedy ditch of relative values. The seeds of the Enlightenment  "rational thought" and human pride, inherently anti-faith  had blown west and rooted. Though repeatedly built throughout history, they have always failed  another Tower of Babel. We have watched the bricks being carried in for over sixty years now.

Differences in the body politic in our nation's past were primarily in the processes and in the means to an end, but not in the goals that most had in common for themselves and the republic. That is no longer true. We've just come through eight years of lies, obfuscation, extreme partisanship, unconstitutional and unlawful actions, and divisive non-leadership. One can quickly tick off more than several scandals the "no-scandal" administration has had; ditto for the ISIS-inspired "no attacks" the administration has just claimed.

As others have, Newt Gingrich claims that Obama was first the anti-American president. But then, on what creditable basis did this man get elected...twice?

To the last half-century of fifty to sixty million abortions has been added the redefining of the basic and indivisible unit of societal fabric from history past  marriage between a man and a woman and the family that follows. Further attacks on natural distinctions have of late come from the American Psychiatric Association (APA)'s changing the diagnosis of the "transgender" individual from a disorder to an accepted (meaning no therapy needed  normal) "gender dysphoria" in the APA's Diagnostic and Statistics Manual. Does this follow science or an agenda to create a pseudo-reality? A Johns Hopkins psychiatrist, Dr. Paul McHugh, in his article "Transgenderism: A Pathogenic Meme" says this is wrong, that it is still a disorder, and that these individuals need therapy.

While the left is no monolith of thought or capacity  many who follow it seem to develop their opinions from watching Oprah; The View; or, hardly better, the alphabet media  it's clear that we've reached an effective threshold of a well funded, fulminating cabal of elites who hate the America that was and want to destroy the America that still is. It's no longer about the means or processes; it's about the endgame. True conservatives and the Marxist-socialist, post-modernist left no longer have anything in common other than both being intransigent, ideological opponents with completely different worldviews. Meanwhile, during Obama's run, the Republican establishment has been rope-a-doped and become terminally timorous in the face of the new Axis of Evil: the left-mainstream media.

Modernism and now post-modernism reject God, devalue the individual while suggesting equal outcomes for control, reject traditional values, and cannot admit to the black of evil or the white of truth on their gray-spectrum palette of values. Thus, the left construct their own reality and wishes it to dominate and control every aspect of life. Nothing matters but that goal  not the means or the words they speak toward that end. Speak a lie often enough, repeat it frequently enough, and it becomes the desired reality. Segregate speech into "go" and "no-go" political fashions, not by truth, civility, or appropriateness. Attempt to shame and intimidate by throwing out labels like racist, misogynist, Islamophobe, etc. Create crises for consolidation of power and control  e.g., climate change.

A good deal of the left are now flailing about in the throes of decompensation, as evidenced by their absolute and total post-election failure to understand what happened. Not only was Hillary Clinton arguably the worst presidential candidate ever nominated, but President Obama and his administration and policies were totally and utterly repudiated. That's not to mention that other part of the splenetic cabal: the alphabet media. But always being true to who he is, President Obama has continued his self-congratulatory, medal-awarding tour while intimating that Hillary and Russia were to blame for the election foozle.

During the last year and a half of the presidential campaign, "America's best days are still ahead of her" (paraphrase mine) was frequently heard, and President-Elect Donald Trump's chief slogan was "we're going to make America great again." It's doubtful without deep cleaning, though I hope I am wrong. A republic can stand and function only with a moral and informed voting citizenry.

As Thomas Jefferson put it: "Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever."
Now that President Obama is a former president, maybe Congress can now crawl out of their safe spaces and deal with the issue of what is meant by Article II of the U.S. Constitution: "No person except a natural born citizen ... shall be eligible to the Office of President."

In January 2016, Congressman Alan Grayson said he would sue Senator Ted Cruz over his eligibility to be president. Grayson told MSNBC that he would sue over Canadian-born Cruz's natural-born citizen status if the senator ever became the GOP nominee. Why? "Because the Constitution means what it says and says what it means." In February 2016, presidential candidate Donald Trump jumped into the fray and said he was "very seriously" thinking about filing a suit to challenge Ted Cruz's eligibility to be president. Senator Cruz's father is Cuban-born; his mother is American. "He was born in Canada, lived there for years." Mr. Trump's suit would have determined if his competitor was a "natural born citizen" as stipulated by the U.S. Constitution.

Under the straw argument that the U.S. Constitution doesn't define what is meant by "natural-born citizen," the media and Washington, D.C. Democrats embraced the media-driven new definition: "natural born citizen" simply means "citizenship due to place of birth."

During the 2007 election cycle, Democrats and the media buttressed Senator Barack Obama's eligibility to be president with an unrelenting campaign that having been born in Hawaii automatically made candidate Obama  a child of a British (Kenyan) national  a "natural born citizen" of the United States. Newspaper and magazine articles steered away from discussing how the son of a Kenyan national could be the next president of the United States. He was born in Hawaii, and that was sufficient. And if anyone challenged the assertion that "natural born citizen" simply meant "citizenship due to place of birth," he was branded a racist and bigot, or worse.

We need a law that enunciates that the constitutional phrase "natural born citizen" means what the Founders articulated those three little words to mean: "born of two American parents."

A child born of two foreign parents is a "natural born citizen" of their parents' country, per their country's constitution, and, if born in America, is not automatically an American citizen. If the Russian ambassador and his wife have a baby at the Georgetown University Medical Center the baby is a citizen of his parents' country  in this case, Russia. Little Vladimir or Baby Ivanka is not an American citizen. They are Russian citizens "by birth." If they wish, they can grow up and immigrate to the U.S. and apply for citizenship. If accepted, then they could become "naturalized" U.S. citizens.

A "natural born citizen" law has to clearly elucidate that naturalized U.S. citizens are not eligible to become president of the United States of America. The New York Post published an October 19, 2013 report claiming that Arnold Schwarzenegger is "mulling a push to change the section of the U.S. Constitution requiring presidential candidates to be American-born." Schwarzenegger was born in Austria to Austrian parents and in 1983 obtained his U.S. citizenship.

A child born of one foreign parent and one American parent, irrespective of where the child is born, is a national of two countries at the same time. From the U.S. State Department, "[t]he concept of dual nationality means that a person is a national of two countries at the same time. Each country has its own nationality laws based on its own policy. Persons may have dual nationality by automatic operation of different laws rather than by choice."

"Dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and a foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both countries. Either country has the right to enforce its laws, particularly if the person later travels there. Most U.S. nationals, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States."

A "natural born citizen" law has to clearly elucidate that a child of one foreign parent and one American parent falls under the concept of "dual nationality." Dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and a foreign country, the exact condition the Founders considered "improper and dangerous." It should be obvious anyone with dual nationality  due to his split allegiance  is not eligible to become president of the United States.

From the Federalist blog, under the old English common law, birth was viewed as enjoining a "perpetual allegiance" upon all to the king that could never be severed or altered by any change of time or act of anyone. England's "perpetual allegiance" due from birth was extremely unpopular in the American colonies, often referred to as absurd barbarism or simply perpetual nonsense. America went to war with England over the doctrine behind "natural-born subject" in June of 1812.

Children born of two American citizens, irrespective of where the children were born, are "natural born citizens," and unlike those children who were naturalized citizens or those with dual nationalities, they could even grow up to be president of the United States. They have allegiance only to the United States of America.

The Framers of the U.S. Constitution believed that a rogue president is one who has a split allegiance. At the time, about half of the new country was still somewhat loyal to the king. The Founders believed that a candidate for president was less likely to have a hidden split allegiance (to the crown) if he or she was the progeny of two American parents. Not a naturalized citizen. Not the child who held or could have held dual nationality. Only a child born of two American citizens. Also, citizenship is automatically conferred, irrespective of where that child is born.

President Obama acknowledges, through his two books, that he is the son of a Kenyan father and an American mother. The media and Washington, D.C. Democrats sufficiently obscured, redefined, and essentially adjudicated "out of court" the spirit and intent of Article II of the U.S. Constitution. Barack Obama, at the time of his birth, was a child who held or could have held dual nationalities. He was not a child born of two American citizens. He was an illegible candidate who was elected president.

A law needs to be passed to prevent another trampling of the U.S. Constitution.

Mark is the author of espionage thrillers.
Now that his time as president has come to an end, its time to ask what Barack Obama has done to the country, and how he has been able to do it.

Obama is the most left-wing president in American history. Never mind his speech at the 2004 Democrat National Nomination Convention, or during the run-up to the 2008 election, when he was presenting himself as a moderate.

Someone scrutinizing Obamas history, including his early years in and out of the U.S., his time in school, his stint as a Chicago community organizer, his law school experiences, and his political career as an Illinois state senator and a U.S. senator, should have recognized him for what he is: a radical leftist, steeped in Marxism, contemptuous of Americas Constitution, hostile to traditional values, and committed to Alinskyite notions of social justice.

Its stupefying to realize how little the Mainstream Media (MSM) vetted him before January 20 2009. Perhaps it is therefore understandable that some who could not, or would not, recognize Obama for what he was believed he was some kind of moderate capable of uniting the nation along post-partisan and post-racial lines.

Obamas term as chief executive has been disastrous for the U.S. in terms of both domestic and foreign affairs. There is no need to reprise the litany of Obamas deleterious policies. If one wants a partial glimpse of the damage Obama and his minions have done to our domestic institutions, read Yuval Levins article in the December 2016 issue of Commentary. His disastrous cuts to Americas military, and his commutation of Chelsea Mannings sentence show how little he cares about U.S. national security.

These terrible developments stem from his successes in fundamentally transforming the country.

One hopes that Donald Trumps presidency, along with GOP control of both houses of Congress, and perhaps even a future Supreme Court majority leaning rightward, will be able to offset the myriad damages the Obamians have inflicted in the last eight years. But if history teaches us anything, it is that once a nation has been fundamentally transformed, its very difficult to set it aright. Study, for example, the history of Rome from the Republics demise to the first decades of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, or that of Germany from the advent of Kaiser Wilhelm II to the end of the Hitler regime in 1945.

Yuval Levins article in Commentary also indicates that Trump may exacerbate damages already done by Obama. John Daniel Davidson wrote in The Federalist (January 9 2017) that Trumps presidency is already inducing some Republicans to love big government more.

It would be one thing if the damage done by Obama and his tong were strictly a matter of the accidental takeover of Washington by progressive elites in 2009. Were that the case, come January 20 2017 things could readily be set aright.

Alas, theres the rub.

The sad truth is that millions of ordinary Americans now vote to support left-wing candidates and the Democrat Party. From Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, to Obama in 2008 and 2012, and the Red Queen in 2016, leftists have drawn enough votes either to win the presidency, or to come perilously close to doing so. Leftists -- some, such as the Black Caucus because of race, others, such as Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Patrick Leahy, etc. out of some kind of ideological conviction -- occupy seats in Congress. Those types also draw substantial popular support.

It is small consolation to note that large slices of voters who back leftists live on the east and west coasts, in big cities, or work in government or the educational establishment. Like it or not, their votes count the same as people in small towns, rural areas, and/or flyover country.

If we are to prevent a future left-wing inspired fundamental transformation of America, as well as to begin dismantling whats already been done, we must understand why these people -- we already know who they are -- are inclined to back leftist candidates and the Democrat Party.

Undoubtedly, one reason why so many people vote left is because, for this or that reason, they are dependent upon some sort of government largesse. As Mitt Romney noted in 2012, 47% of the American populace receive some kind of government benefit, and are therefore unlikely to react favorably to the prospect of that beneficence being curtailed or eliminated. After four more years of Obamaism, that percentage may actually be higher. Republicans will find it hard to wean people from the government benefits bestowed during Obamas presidency.

Okay, start dismantling as much government largesse as possible. One assumes that is what some of the swamp draining notion amounts to. Get government out of people lives, and, presumably, theyll have less reason to vote for candidates and parties plumping for more big government.

But, even if it is possible, that will be only one step toward coping with Obamas successes.

We must acknowledge that millions of people not in the ruling class vote left for reasons other than the expectation of a quid pro quo.

Some do so because of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual preference, or whatever. Take 2016, as an example. No doubt some of those who voted for Hillary Clinton did so just because they wanted to see a woman elected president. Nothing one could say about the many flaws inherent in Mrs. Clintons character and background would keep those types from backing her.

The same was true in 2008 and 2012, when overwhelming percentages of African-Americans voted for Obama just because he identified as black.

Since Obama has further divided Americans into quarreling tribes, its unlikely that this pattern of voting behavior will change greatly in the near future. A candidate like Trump can substantially shift the particular tribes backing the major parties, but hes not likely to be a uniter. He will more likely continue the pattern of Americas chief executive being a divider.

We must realize that there are also people -- such as Hollywood trendoids, denizens of the MSM, leftist teachers and professors and their brainwashed acolytes -- who want to see Americas proverbial nose rubbed in the muck. Who, for example, lauded Obamas multiple apology tours during his presidency? Probably not many who read the American Thinker.

Americas haters have been around since at least the 1960s, and some even before then. Sadly, there has been a relatively small, but very influential, group of radicals who have rejected virtually every facet of American culture and politics for over half a century.

Granted, Obama leaves the Democrat Party in disarray. But parties have been in disarray before -- the GOP after Hoover and Goldwater, and the Democrats after McGovern and Carter -- but they come back. Todays Democrats just have farther to go than parties in the past.

Obamas real legacy is his damage to America, and, unless we find some way to peel portions of his backers away, there is a risk that another leftist could do it again.
As some in the left cheer the commutation of Oscar Lopez Rivera's sentence, their romantic choice of a political prisoner in the U.S., a real political prisoner was arrested in Cuba.

We are talking about Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, the well known dissident who got in trouble with the Castro regime years ago when he refused to perform abortions.

This is a report from Cuba:

Dr Oscar Elias Biscet has been arrested by the Regime once again. Dr Biscet was last seen by his wife around noon today as he was headed for an internet venue.

According to neighbors, the Regime's security agents mounted an operation near the intersection of 7ma and Santa Catalina in Havana, where they took him in the same police car used in his unlawful arrest last week, Patrol Car 228.

Shortly after leaving his home at noon his wife called his cell phone but calls were unattended.

After some inquiries neighbors confirmed the arrest and sting operation to his wife Elsa Morejon, who called me to inform us of the arrest. He was released later this evening.

Dr Biscet is the recipient of the US Presidential Medal of Freedom and a Candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.

He has served approximately 12 years in prison, as a prisoner of conscience for his opposition to the Cuban regime. He is devout Christian and a committed friend of Israel.
John Lewis recently said, "I think there was a conspiracy on the part of the Russians, and others, that helped him get elected. Thats not right. Thats not fair. Thats not the open, democratic process. Putting aside questions of whether or not Russia hacked at all, and the claim of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange that his "source is not a state party," there is nothing wrong with a foreign entity helping to disclose truth about public officials.

Investigative reporting is one of the most important contributions the press makes to democracy, according to Silvio Waisbord, author of Watchdog Journalism in South America: News, Accountability, and Democracy. "It provides a valuable mechanism for monitoring the performance of democratic institutions as they are most broadly defined to include governmental bodies, civic organizations and publicly held corporations," says Waisbord. But when media organizations fail to properly investigate these institutions, can the public get help from a foreign entity?

In this instance, WikiLeaks disclosed specific examples of corruption of the DNC by hacking the emails of the DNC. That corruption is firstly expressed in Hillary Clinton having a different position personally from the one she proclaims publicly, or in her words, "you need both a public and a private position." Such private positions that she didn't disclose publicly include her private support for fracking and her private opposition to the redefinition of marriage despite her public reversal.

Other examples include those of institutional corruption, such as how the DNC, which should be neutral in a democracy, helped Hillary Clinton win the primary when DNC surrogate Donna Brazile on two occasions leaked debate questions to Hillary Clinton, as well as leaking a private email on African-American outreach from a Sanders press representative to the Clinton campaign.

However, the deepest corruption exposed was a result of the paid speeches that the Clintons would make before, during, and after Hillary Clinton was in office. One such example is how a corporate donor got access to Hillary Clinton as secretary of state when he requested it. Another example is how Bill Clinton used Clinton Foundation staff to reach out to donors to the Clinton Foundation in order for them to funnel their dollars to him through private speaking fees. This is the clearest example of corruption, of privately benefiting from public office.

Yet all of this information was found by WikiLeaks, and not through the dogged investigations of the mainstream media. If it weren't for WikiLeaks, we would think Hillary Clinton's public positions were her private positions, that the DNC was perfectly neutral and that Hillary Clinton won her nomination fair and square, and that the sole purpose of the Clinton Foundation was AIDS research. If anything, WikiLeaks saved the election from the lies and deception of the Clinton campaign. So what if a foreign entity intervened?

There is a stark difference between foreign propaganda and foreign intervention that leads to more truth being exposed. The difference is that the first one is founded on a lie, and the second one is founded on the truth. There can never be enough truth in a democracy, and acts of civil disobedience in terms of hacking are necessary at times when so much truth has become obfuscated. We cannot say how much hacking is too much hacking  only when the rights of individuals have become so impugned that it outweighs the value of the hacking. In this instance, so much truth was revealed as to outweigh the rights to privacy and other rights of the DNC members. If the foreign intervention relied not on hacking, but on disseminating fake news as CNN does, then it would be foreign propaganda.

Foreign propaganda depends on a "subconscious manipulation of psychological symbols to accomplish secret objectives," according to Kenneth Osgoode. It has been described by historian Oliver Thomson as "the use of communication skills of all kinds to achieve attitudinal or behavioural changes among one group by another"  in other words, how to emotionally affect you so that you will hold a position not necessarily grounded in fact. An example of foreign propaganda would be a foreign entity saying, "The Democrats are weak, America is corrupt, your democracy is losing," etc. These would be baseless claims or be grounded in inadequate sources.

In this example, the truth is exposed by hackers, and no additional emotional matter is added to the information, nor is the information taken out of context. This is because, as WikiLeaks shows, Hillary Clinton is indeed corrupt. Democracy is not infallible, and it needs to be preserved by those willing to find the truth, no matter who they are.
The next four years will see the mainstream media perpetually deride the new president, his party, his accomplishments, and ultimately the greatness of America itself. They are on a suicide mission to destroy themselves by demonstrating they have no sympathy for the concerns and experiences of normal Americans.

The Huffington Post just provided a fine example of this. Writing about preparation for todays ceremonies, Jessica Schulberg demonstrated an incredible lack of knowledge:

During the preparation for Fridays transfer-of-power, a member of Trumps transition team floated the idea of including tanks and missile launchers in the inaugural parade, a source involved in inaugural planning told The Huffington Post. They were legit thinking Red Square/North Korea-style parade, the source said, referring to massive military parades in Moscow and Pyongyang, typically seen as an aggressive display of muscle-flexing.

Apparently Ms. Schulberg, her source, and her editors have never seen an Air Force fly-by at a Super Bowl. Its only the most watched television event every year, so how could they possible know about it?

The media cannot stop interpreting every move of Trump in the worst possible light. A military parade or fly-by is evidence of totalitarianism, and the people who cheer at the Super Bowl are idiotic dupes. That may play well in certain neighborhoods of Manhattan, San Francisco, Ann Arbor, and other enclaves, but it angers the public, which regards the military as our most trustworthy institution (in sharp contrast to the widely distrusted media).

I am laying in to a supply of popcorn as we watch the media self-destruct over the next 4 or 8 years.
What's the best way to delegitimize Donald Trump's inauguration? Play the Nixon card early and often.

Mentioning Richard Nixon in the same sentence as Donald Trump has been much in evidence this week, as the media tries to attack Trump by connecting him to the disgraced president.

To wit:

1. NPR notices that Trump's music picks are a lot like Nixon's. (So of course, Trump is exactly like Nixon, right?)

2. Time Magazine points out that the inauguration boycotts are just like boycots for you know who.

3. The L.A. Times says the best comparison to another president's inaugural address is (wait for it)...Nixon!

4. The Daily Beast answers the question, "Why Trump's Inaugural May Look a Lot Like Nixon's."

There were plenty of Trump-Nixon comparisons during the campaign and immediately after the election. So why the left's preoccupation with a president who served 40 years ago?

Bringing down Richard Nixon was the high point of post-World War II liberalism. The effort united the media, congressional Democrats, and mainstream and far-left liberal groups in a way that had not been duplicated before and has not been since.

It's not been for lack of trying. During the Iran contra scandal, Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee was absolutely gleeful, believing he could relive the glory of the Nixon days and bring down Ronald Reagan, too. The whole "Bush lied, people died" movement," led by Michigan Rep. John Conyers, sought to impeach George Bush for going to war in Iraq under false pretenses. (They also tried to bring Bush and some of his advisers up on war crimes.)

That the left failed to coalesce in an effort to remove these Republiucan presidents was largely because there are a helluva lot fewer leftists than there were in the early 1970s, and they simply don't wield the power they did back then.

But ginning up hysteria over Trump's ascension to the White House has been a lot easier by invoking the dark imagery from the Nixon administration and the prospect that Trump will act unconstitutionally. Of course, the left didn't mind when Obama issued extra-constitutional executive orders, but this is a Republican in office now, which makes a big difference  at least to them.

This deliberate attempt to undermine the new president by comparing him to a president who was accused of criminal acts won't achieve its goal of putting the image in people's minds of Trump and Nixon being equally bad. Most voters today weren't even born when Nixon was president, and even more don't know what he might have done wrong.

But reliving those heady days when the left brought down a president is too tempting to pass up.
My internist and his fellow doctors no longer trust me! Thanks to Obamacare, everyone is considered a fraud until proven otherwise.

My doctor is part of a larger practice with branches throughout the city and suburbs of Chicago. I recently fielded a phone call that requested  actually, ordered  that I bring photo identification with me to ensure that I am who I am.

I wondered why this sudden change in procedure, and then it dawned on me. Like so much of what has become aggravating, it was Obamas fault!

There are numerous reports of people being unable to afford going to their doctors because they cannot meet their deductibles. Even the New York Times admitted as much (Many say high deductibles make their health law insurance all but useless). Premiums are high, and if they are not, then your choices of doctors can be very limited (youd better know some obscure foreign languages), or your deductible can be so high you cannot afford to go to the doctor.

The solution? Necessity is the mother of invention.

Can it be that people are claiming to be friends or family members who have already met their deductibles? That some people are driven to engage in fraud in order to see a doctor?

The prospect of being a free rider in sprawling practices where you may get any doctor  and not necessarily one you know  may be tempting.

For example, the practice I go to for medical care has a clinic one can access when my particular doctor is not available or I have an emergency situation (and that can really be anything  I can stroll in at any time for any problem, such as strep throat, rash, etc.).

Can it be that Obama and the Democrats have compelled people to lie, cheat, and steal?

Democrats know how to do all three; they just dont know how to write good laws or run a government.
Still posted on the CNN website is a months-old interview that again reveals the stunning phoniness of todays hard-left Democrat-press complex.

In the clip, CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin referred to a gracious letter George H.W. Bush left for incoming President Bill Clinton on January 20, 1993. Citing the letter as an example of how bad blood can dissipate, Baldwin read a passage in which Bush welcomed Clinton to the White House as our president, with the word our underlined. When the pre-election segment was aired, news media pollsters were expecting Hillary Clinton to register a substantial Electoral College victory, and Baldwin asked Lawrence Hass, Al Gores former press secretary, If Trump loses and if Trump accepts the outcome, do you think Mr. Trump will acknowledge that she will be, to borrow the word our president?

Hass: I can only hope so because that has been the sacred tradition for more than 200 years. You know, Presidents traditionally leave letters of that kind to their successors. Now in the case of 1992 and 1993 in the transition there, the loser was the incumbent so he, in fact, very painfully but very graciously left that letter. Outgoing Presidents leave these letters to incoming Presidents, which highlight the special nature of American democracy. What I fear is that Donald Trump not only is undermining it at home but, keep in mind, we are a beacon of hope for people all over the world. They envy our system and it is irresponsible, both at home and as Americas role abroad, to cast unfounded doubt on this sacred system that has served us so well.

But something happened on the way to the forum. The wrong person won, so all this high-minded sanctimony was jettisoned immediately.

On the same CNN site was another news account, this one posted days before President-Elect Trumps inauguration, lauding the growing inaugural boycott, led by civil rights icon John Lewis, being staged by Democrat members of Congress.

Dont expect the White House to urge restraint in defense of the sacred tradition that calls for the respectful transfer of power. Now, according to Obama administration press secretary Josh Earnest, these boycotts are an expression of the divisions in the country right now, and U.S. representatives are freer to express their opinions.

In truth, Earnest believes that the rapidly diminishing numbers of Democrats remaining in Congress and in state houses across the land are so convinced of their own righteousness that the most revolting display of petulance is not only acceptable, but encouraged.

With thousands of anarchists conspiring to disrupt or curtail inaugural events, Democrats in Congress are essentially urging them on with their acidic behavior.

CNN did its part with a stunningly irresponsible report in which it wistfully speculated that Democrats might be able to maintain the White House if Trump were assassinated before being sworn in. Who would be in charge if an attack hit the incoming president ... just as the transfer of power is underway? It would be a designated presidential successor who, for security reasons, would not attend the inauguration, CNN reported. And the best part: [I]t wont be a Trump cabinet secretary ... it will be an Obama appointee.

The dangerous garishness of the Democratic Party and their sycophants in the press and on the streets of Washington, D.C. is as unprecedented as it is shameful.
Immediately after Donald Trump takes the oath of office at noon today, he will begin issuing a veritable blizzard of executive orders on a wide variety of issues.

Some of the orders will begin overturning many of President Obama's last-minute regulations. Others will deal with illegal immigration. In the coming days, more orders will deal with climate change, health care, and energy.

The new president will seek to place his imprint on the office and set the tone for the coming months as he looks to get a fast start to fulfilling his campaign promise to change the way things are done in Washington.

Reuters:

"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.

The howls of protest over Trump's trade policies will resound from Tokyo to Timbuktu. And pro-illegal immigration groups are already planning a "weep-in"  crying tears of anguish for all those illegal aliens who will lose their protections under Trump. (Note that Reuters refers to illegal aliens as "asylum seekers.")

These are just the opening salvos in Trump's war against business as usual. But he will need Congress for most of the way. Barack Obama was blocked by the courts in trying to impose his will through executive orders on issues like carbon emissions, immigration, and labor law. He will need all of his communication and negotiating skills to get most of the GOP House and Senate to go along with his plans.
If Democrats believe that the outcome of the election is the result of Russian hacks and FBI director Comeys actions, then it stands to reason that there must be millions of Hillary-leaning voters who changed their vote to Trump as a result.

So the big question to ask Democrats who make this argument is, where all the people who changed their Hillary votes to Trump, and how come those people arent shouting from the rooftops that they were duped by the Russians and FBI director Comey into voting for Trump? And why havent we seen any of these duped people telling their stories on every liberal drive-by media channel?

Well, if you really want to know where all the duped people are, you may be surprised to know that there are none. Thats right. None! If there were, the liberal media would have already rounded them all up and be broadcasting wall-to-wall coverage of their plight as victims of the newly found liberal victim status  voter information fraud.

The truth is, this argument is just another method liberals are using to cope with Hillarys loss to Donald Trump. So lets be nice and try to help them out.

OK, libs...breathe in slow and deep  now breathe out slow and easy and repeat after me  Make America Great Again. There you go...that wasnt so bad, now, was it? Dont you feel better? Itll be OK  President Trump promises  believe him!
Although the Mexican government is pretending that the timing was merely the product of its judicial machinery operating, the extradition of drug lord Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka El Chapo, was sudden and unexpected:

Mr. Guzmans extradition came suddenly, after nearly a year of appeals and legal procedures. Even his own lawyer was surprised. In an interview after the announcement by the Mexican government, the lawyer, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, said he had only just learned about the extradition. Indeed, he was at the prison where Mr. Guzman was being held, planning to see his client, when it was locked down for two hours. I was supposed to visit him today, he said. I know nothing of this.

The Mexican governments official statement portrays it differently:

The government of the Republic announces that today the Fifth Appellate Criminal Court in Mexico City ruled to deny the protection of the Federal Justice system to Joaquin Guzman Loera against the agreements made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 20, 2016, which permitted his extradition to the United States of America in order to be tried for various crimes, after finding that those agreements complied with constitutional requirements, the requirements of bilateral treaties and other legal rulings that are in effect and that his human rights were not and have not been violated by these proceedings, Mexicos government said in a statement.

This is just eyewash. At the very last opportunity to credit Obama with getting him here for trial, Mexico acted without warning. CNN acknowledges that the timing needs explanation:

The extradition may have been timed. Mexican authorities wanted to turn over Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel, before Friday's inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, a US official told CNN. Trump angered Mexico during his campaign by demanding it pay for a border wall.

But Mexico pretends otherwise:

A Mexican deputy attorney general, however, said Trump's pending inauguration "had nothing to do with it." "It was resolved today, and in terms of the international treaty, we had to immediately hand over the person requested by the United States," Alberto Elias Beltran said. "Not doing so would generate a nonfulfillment to the international norms, specifically with the treaty shared between Mexico and the United States."

So what does this tell us about the negotiations ahead over NAFTA; the border barrier system, aka the wall; and countless other issues?

Mexico has given up on trading extradition for concessions to Trump. Quite possibly, they realized that any attempt to use El Chapo as bargaining chip would be met by derision from a president who uses Twitter. Mexico knows that one source of leverage would be playing to the American public, cloaking itself in the mantle of an aggrieved party cruelly mistreated by a tyrant. The media is eager to feature heartrending stories of families torn apart by deportations and other horrors of any change in bilateral relations. This may be a card that it prefers to hold in reserve as it has its first official discussions with the Trump administration.

The coming talks with Mexico will be an extremely complex deal-making exercise. Both sides have the ability to hurt the other. But both also have a lot to protect and would be reluctant to damage their own interests in order to hurt the other.

Donald Trump got rich by striking complex deals that appeared to benefit all sides. Otherwise, they would not have signed the contract, granted the zoning variance, or taken other voluntary actions on the expectation of benefit.

Mexicos action yesterday signals a willingness to make a deal that will preserve its own vital interests while providing sufficient acceptable benefits to the United States. This represents an opportunity for the Trump administration.
Eighty-three year old amateur artist Cecilia Gimenez had nothing but good intentions when she turned her attention towards a deteriorating fresco of Jesus Christ painted on the walls of the Sanctuary of Mercy church, in the small Spanish town of Borja. The fresco titled Ecce Homo (meaning Behold the Man) was made by the Spanish artist Elias Garcia Martinez in 1930, and although the work was of little artistic importance, according to the general opinion amongst the press, because Martinez is not a great artist and his painting Ecce Homo is not a masterpiece, the fresco nevertheless held some sentimental value within the local community. So when the original paint on the fresco started flaking, Cecilia Gimenez, who had no formal training, took it upon herself to restore the ageing artwork.

The damaged fresco of Ecce Homo on the left, and the restored version on the right.

Gimenez began touching up the portrait, one brushstroke at a time over several years, with the knowledge of the parish priest and the church caretakers, until one day, in the summer of 2012, when she decided that the work needed a major overhaul. Halfway through her restoration, Gimenez went on an holiday, because the job was taking longer than she expected. She intended to complete it when she came back, but for good or bad, she never got the chance.

By the time she returned, her disastrous efforts had been discovered and Gimenez became a global laughingstock. The botched effort became the talk of the internet, inspiring a slew of memes and jokes. Journalists likened the restoration to Rowan Atkinsons Mr. Bean defacing Whistlers Mother. Some compared the painting to a blurry potato and a monkey. Others dubbed it Beast Jesus and Ecce Mono (Behold the Monkey).

Gimenez felt so humiliated that she cried for days and refused to eat, her relatives said. Eventually, she went to a psychiatrist and took medication. At one point, Garcia Martinezs heirs threatened to sue Gimenez for destroying the painting, but fortunately for her, they didnt follow through.

The original, undamaged painting (left), the damaged painting (middle) and Gimenezs restoration (right).

Now, by a strange twist of fate, the small obscure town of Borja have suddenly found itself on the international tourist trail. Every year, tens of thousands of curious visitors with a grotesque sense of humor come from the far corners of the world to see with their own eyes the tragic fiasco, and leave with souvenirs such as mugs and t-shirt printed with the new and improved Ecce Homo.

Cecilia Gimenez, whos restoration attempt was once ridiculed and mocked, is now a local celebrity. She hands out prizes for a competition of young artists, who paint their own Ecce Homo portraits. People recognize her on the streets and cry, 'It's Cecilia! It's Cecilia!' Shes even entitled to forty-nine percent of the proceeds that results from souvenir sales. The rest goes to the Martinez family.

Cecilia Gimenez might have failed to restore the painting, but she did manage to restore the fortunes of the town. The influx of tourist has helped stabilized the economy of Borja, which was reeling under the devastating recession that the rest of Spain has been suffering over the past several years.

For me, its a story of faith, said Andrew Flack, an operas librettist whos making a comic opera about how a woman ruined a fresco and saved a town. Its a miracle how it has boosted tourism.

Why are people coming to see it if it is such a terrible work of art? he asked. Its a pilgrimage of sorts, driven by the media into a phenomenon. God works in mysterious ways. Your disaster could be my miracle.

Mr Beans restoration of James McNeill Whistlers Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (Whistlers Mother), from the movie Bean, 1997.

An assortment of Ecce Homo souvenirs. Photo credit: NYPost

A collection of Ecce Homo memes on the internet.

Tourists line up to see Ecce Homo at the Sanctuary of Mercy church in Borja, Spain. Photo credit: NYPost

Sources: Artnet / Mail Online / NYTimes / Boston University
It seems like Nokia is planning to release a new tablet, following the companys Nokia 6 smartphone which was introduced earlier this month. According to a GFXBench listing, Nokia is working on an 18.4-inch tablet, and thanks to the source, we now get to check out the devices partial specs. Now, if this listing is to be believed, Nokias upcoming tablet will sport an 18.4-inch (2560 x 1440) display, along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of native storage. Qualcomms Snapdragon 835 64-bit octa-core SoC will fuel this phablet, along with the Adreno 540 GPU. The 12-megapixel camera will be available on both its front and back sides, and Android 7.0 Nougat will come pre-installed on the device it seems. 4G LTE, NFC and GPS will also be included in this tablet, according to the source.

Now, this surely comes as a surprise, the company just introduced their first smartphone under HMD Globals wing, and weve seen a number of rumors mentioning their upcoming Snapdragon 835-powered smartphone. Well, if this information is to be believed, Nokia might be working on a really powerful, and yet gigantic tablet. Most of you probably remember the Galaxy View, Samsungs 18.4-inch tablet, well, if this info is accurate, Nokia will release a similar tablet in the future, so you all know how huge it will be. HMD Global decided to purchase Nokia branding rights from Microsoft a while back, and the company now has a license to release Nokia-branded devices for the next 10 years. The company already announced that we can expect quite a few devices this year, and even though theyll focus on budget devices, like the Nokia 6, it seems like we might see some higher-end offerings from the company as well.

As some of you might already know, Nokia had introduced an Android-powered tablet back in November 2014, the Nokia N1. That tablet was actually quite solid, but its availability was quite limited, as it was basically never available outside of Asia, which disappointed quite a few people. Well, consumers are hoping that the companys new tablet will be available in far more regions, though it remains to be seen whether their next tablet will be as huge as GFXBench leads us to believe.
Canadian wireless carriers Telus, Videotron and Freedom started rolling out Android 7.0 Nougat to the HTC One M9 earlier this week, and they are now joined by Bell. According to a post on Bell Canadas HTC One M9 support pages, the carrier has now started rolling out the much-awaited update to HTCs 2015 flagship. That being the case, the only major Canadian carrier that is yet to start the Android Nougat rollout for the One M9 is Rogers. A post on the Rogers website says that the update is coming soon but doesnt go into any further details on the matter. Meanwhile, the incoming update from Bell ships with the firmware version 4.19.666.1 and includes some unspecified security patches.

Android 7.0 Nougat is only an incremental upgrade over its predecessor, but it does boast a few nifty little features such as native multi-window support, bundled notifications, and an improved implementation of Doze that was originally introduced by Google in Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It also brings a whole lot of new emojis and a Data Saver mode that will restrict specific apps from using data in the background. The Nougat update was already rolled out by HTC to unlocked models of the One M9 last month, a few weeks after the unlocked variant of the HTC One M10 received the update in the U.S. The Taiwanese company also promised to update the One A9 to Android Nougat at some stage in the near future, although devices released prior to the One M9 will not officially receive the update.

The HTC One M9 was released by the Taiwanese tech company in early 2015 with Android 5.0 Lollipop on board. It received the Marshmallow update last year, which brought a whole host of new features to the device, including Google Now on Tap. The One M9 is also one of the few HTC devices that receive security patches on a regular basis. Meanwhile, the major U.S. carriers are yet to release Android Nougat for the One M9 and it remains to be seen when they will finally get around to updating HTCs 2015 flagship to the latest major version of Android.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge owners who have purchased their smartphones on contract from AT&T may be in for a treat within the next couple of months as the wireless carrier is seemingly preparing for the release of Android 7.0 Nougat around the beginning of Spring. This information comes directly from an AT&T representative who shared this information with a customer who owns the Galaxy S7 Edge.

Both the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge have previously started receiving the Android 7.0 Nougat update in a handful of regions including the UK and China. Earlier this week, the Android 7.0 Nougat firmware was also available for download online for the aforementioned devices in the UK and the Czech Republic. Seeing how the international variant is making the jump to Googles more recent OS version, an AT&T customer and an owner of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge got in touch with customer support and asked about the chances of the AT&T variant receiving the Nougat update in the near future. Long story short, according to a customer representative at AT&T, the carrier has already started beta testing the update and is looking forward to releasing it in early Spring after final testing. If all goes well, its likely that AT&T will make Android 7.0 Nougat available to the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge owners within the next couple of months. However, given the source of this information, that timeframe shouldnt be considered official. Its not impossible for customer service representatives to get some information wrong sometimes, so this report should be taken with a grain of salt.

In any case, Samsung has already finished testing Android 7.0 Nougat on the international variant of the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge and the update continues to be distributed in select regions. The U.S. might follow suit and with a bit of luck, AT&T customers will enjoy some of Android Nougats new features fairly soon, including improved performance and battery life, new multitasking tools, reworked user interface elements, better notifications, a more customizable Quick Settings panel, and a handful of fresh additions specific to Samsungs proprietary user experience.
Ghosteks LG G6 case may show the phones final design, and although this still cant be confirmed to be the LG G6, the design of the phone as shown in these product images for the case match up with the design of the phone in previously leaked renders, suggesting that the design has been right since those renders initially surfaced. Whats interesting about this particular leak is that you can clearly see the back of the device, and it looks a whole lot like metal and not glass, and if thats the case then LGs G6 could have a removable back and a removable battery after all. Although, a glass back is not entirely out of the question as its still not clear what the material is thats being used.

In addition to giving a hint as to the material used for the back, one image of the case shows the bottom while highlighting the cases capped cutouts (as this is a waterproof case), and the cutout itself looks to be shaped like a USB Type-C port, which seems to further solidify LG using USB Type-C for the G6 as the charging and data transfer port. Something else to note though, is that the LG G6 has also been rumored to be waterproof, and if the phone is waterproof then it wouldnt necessarily need a cap for the open ports. That being said there may be nothing to read into with that last detail and the caps may just be there to add extra protection from the elements.

There are also two cutouts on either side of the charging port which you might think would suggest downward-facing dual speakers, but one of the images actually shows one speaker to the right of the charging port, while a mic seems to be what the cutout to the left of the charging port is for. The case also shows the phone with a metal frame, as well as a back-mounted fingerprint sensor sitting just below the camera module with dual camera sensors on either side of the dual LED Flash. The top view of the case also shows a 3.5mm audio port, so unlike some other devices, LG appears to be keeping the headphone jack so users wont be forced to use a USB Type-C to 3.5mm adapter. Although nothing is official until next month at LGs announcement, this certainly appears to be the LG G6. This would also be the second phone that Ghostek has leaked, as they recently unveiled a case for the Samsung Galaxy S8 back on January 11th.
Mobile World Congress will be coming up in just a little over a month and a half, and that means the mobile markets biggest brands are going to be unveiling their latest and greatest for 2017. This includes LG, who only just recently confirmed their press event for February 26th in Barcelona where theyre expected to unveil the LG G6, and although this in itself hasnt been confirmed by the company, its highly likely as they have been teasing a new phone for weeks, albeit cryptically and without actually mentioning the new flagship.

That being said, there is already quite a bit that can be suspected of the upcoming phone as there have been plenty of rumors, leaks, and more showcasing what LGs new G series flagship device is going to be like. All this has to be taken with a small grain of salt, but much of it is also quite possibly correct, and the only way to find out is to wait until LGs official unveiling next month. As mentioned above, LG has confirmed that they will unveil hardware on February 26th at 12PM local time in Barcelona, so it wont be long before they announce all the official details. With that said, lets go over what is thought to be known about the LG G6 so far.

Modularity

Advertisement

This first detail is not a rumor as LG have confirmed that they will not be going the modular route with the LG G6 like they did with their predecessor, the LG G5. While initial responses and opinions of the G5 and its new approach to features and function might have been exciting, it didnt last long and the LG G5 was unfortunately not a massive hit. Considering this, it would only stand to reason that LG was likely considering moving away from this, and its been known for a little while now that the LG G6 will not feature any modular attachments. This might be a disappointment to some, especially after the Moto Z family of devices took the modularity approach and ran with it, and executed it more successfully, but this time around it seems LG is keen to build all of the functionality into the core of the device, instead of manufacturing attachments that were referred to as friends to market alongside their flagship.

Design

While the design of the LG G6 is almost certainly going to have some inspiration from last years device, LG is also very likely to change the design just enough or even a little bit more than people might expect. While nothing is certain just yet, the LG G6 is thought to be coming with a glass back as well as a bezel-free display on the front. This would be a big departure from LGs past devices if true, as all of LGs phones, especially their flagship devices, have come with removable batteries, and if there is a glass back involved then a removable battery may not be in the cards for the LG G6. Glass would also be a departure in that LG has never worked with material before in regards to any part of the phone but the display. Glass could give the phone a more comfortable grip, though, and if contoured around the edges on the back then it could fit nicely in the hand.

Advertisement

While the LG G6 could very well come with a glass back still, judging by these rendered images that were leaked the device wont have a bezel-free display. Now, these arent final design images, so its entirely possible that parts of the design or even all of the design in these pictures could be incorrect, but the design does look very much like LGs 2016 flagship device, carrying design elements of the LG G5 such as the camera module, which sits in the exact same spot, and features the same shape as well as the same placement of the camera sensors and the LED Flash. Based on these particular images alone, the phone will have the charging port on the bottom while the SIM card slot resides on the right with volume and power buttons on the left, as well as the fingerprint sensor on the back. One thing that is also worth considering in regards to the body of the LG G6 is that LG could choose to stick with a metal back, which would allow them to keep the battery cover removable so as to keep the battery itself removable, and the back of the device in this image certainly could be metal. Again, though, these are just renders so things must be taken with a grain of salt, but metal would make more sense as a material than glass if they want a removable battery.

One other thing to also consider is an older rumor from around the beginning of December, which was the first mention of glass being used as a material. It was around this time that it was stated that LG would be looking to change the design up a bit with a glass back, and it was also stated that LG was planning to use a non-removable battery this time around. Considering this it may be entirely possible for LG to change things up and seal the battery inside. LG has also more or less hinted at the fact that the device will also be waterproof, and that the phone will be more durable and capable of withstanding drops or damage compared to past G series flagship devices. If LG decides to go with a glass back, then they may be looking to use Cornings Gorilla Glass 5 for the screen and the back of the device as this would lend a fair bit of strength and durability.

Advertisement

Update: 01/24/17

While yesterday afforded us a brief glimpse of what is probably the final design of the LG G6, at least from the top half, today has bright forth a full body picture of the phone as that full image has now leaked. As was expected, the G6 has some extremely thin bezels all the way around, likely making this LGs most stylish and attractive looking flagship device to date. Of course, that is purely going to be an opinion of each individual consumer and not all consumers will care for the design.

Update: o2/03/2017

Advertisement

When it comes to design, the LG G6 has more or less been seen out in the open, but what has been leaked up until the beginning of this week were just renders and press renders. Over the past week, an actual unit of the LG G6 has been seen out in public, once as a prototype, and once as what looks like a finished phone that was in someones possession being used. Although the press render that shows the full body image from the front is still the best look at the device in finer detail, this weeks image leaks of the actual device provide a look at what the real thing will look like.

Update 2: 02/03/2017

New leaked images have shown up which display the LG G6 from other angles. These appear to be actual leaked images of the device and not renders, with views of the phone from each side as well as the bottom and the back. It can be seen that the LG G6 is using USB Type-C, although this was already expected since its been show in previous leaks. These also showcase the device in a lighter gray color that looks to be Gunmetal, although its unclear if this is what LG will call it. As expected the phone will likely have one speaker and it will be placed on the bottom, and there will be a headphone port up top for plugging in headphones.

Advertisement

Update: 02/12/17

A new leaked image has shown up today which allegedly shows off a fully assembled front panel of the LG G6. While the leaked image hasnt been confirmed, it does match up design-wise with all of the other leaks about the phones design and features the slim bezels on the sides as well as fairly minimal bezels on the top and bottom as well.

Advertisement

Update: 02/14/2017

LG has sent out a teaser that is presumably hinting at the durability that can be expected from the phone. This wouldnt be the first time that durability has been rumored as its been suspected before, but this teaser comes from LG and is making a clear case for the phone being able to Resist more. Under pressure. That doesnt exactly mention what this refers to in regards to durability, but its likely that resist is referring to resisting more damage.

Advertisement

Update: 02/17/2017

This morning provided us with another look at the device from the front and from the back, although this time the phone is on and in the image that shows off the display you can see the G6 Always On Display feature. The image that shows off the back provides a good look at the phone in Silver.

The Specs

While the specifications, just like the design, havent been confirmed yet, most of the rumors do seem to be matching up at this point in time. Some of the earliest rumors have pointed to a 5.3-inch display for the LG G6, but LGs announcement of the new 5.7-inch QHD+ Super Wide LCD display suggest that this will be the screen used on the phone. Considering this, its likely that the phone is going to have a 5.7-inch display, and since the past two flagships have had a QHD display, the LG G6 will as well. The screen is said to be a 2.5D display so this may be the glass used. The phone is also rumored to support wireless charging which means itll be easy to set the phone down and give it some extra battery life without having to plug it in. Itll likely come powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 835 processor, and its been rumored to come with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM for the memory, while internal storage is likely to be 32GB according to current rumors, although its possible that LG could decide to bump up the internal storage to 64GB or offer it as an additional storage option, while also offering expandable storage via a microSD card.

Due to the numerous leaks its suspected that it will come with a dual camera setup, albeit without knowing the megapixel count or really any features the camera will come with. That being said, the camera will no doubt be better than last years LG G5 camera, and could be close to what was used on the LG V20 which is LGs most recent high-end device. LGs teaser video also mentions the term capture it all at once as one of the features that consumers have on their wishlist for an ideal smartphone, so this suggests that the camera will likely have a wide angle lens.

Update: 01/24/17

According to one of the latest rumors, the LG G6 will not ship with the Snapdragon 835 as was previously rumored, and is now thought to be shipping with the Snapdragon 821, Qualcomms most recent CPU that can be found within phones like the Google Pixel and Pixel XL. The reasoning for this is reportedly due to Qualcomms limited amount of supply for the Snapdragon 835 processor, of which Samsung is said to have already scooped up all of the stock for the Galaxy S8.

Update: 02/13/2017

LG has confirmed that the phone will be using a 32-bit ESS Quad DAC in the G6, meaning their next flagship will have a lot to offer to those who really love good sound quality on their devices for music and other types of audio.

Update: 02/14/2017

A new rumor states that the LG G6 will come with a battery that has least 3,200mAh for the battery capacity, which could signify a fairly long battery life for the phone if the software works well with the battery to optimize battery life for the user.

Battery Safety

One of the most recent rumors mentions that the LG G6 battery will be safe from overheating, a trait which, if true, is almost certainly a characteristic that LG would be developing due to the nature of the issues with the Galaxy Note 7 battery. The way LG apparently plans to achieve a battery that is safe from overheating is by using a heat pipe that will be able to divert the heat that is generated by the battery outward and away from the center of the device, thus allowing the phone to stay relatively cool, or at least cooler than it would be without it. The heat pipes used in the device will also reportedly be made of copper to help conduct the heat away and help it dissipate more quickly.

Release Date & Price

While Mobile World Congress is to be the stage for LGs official announcement for the LG G6, the launch date may come soon after as its rumored to be around March 10th, which would be about two weeks after the official launch as LG will be holding their press event on February 26th. Last years LG G5 was launched on April 1st in the U.S. which is almost a month later than this years rumored launch date, so it could go either way as a two-week window after the unveiling doesnt leave LG much time or room for error. It would however allow them to potentially beat Samsung to market and get out ahead of the Galaxy S8. As for the price, there hasnt been an exact figure thrown around yet but there is still plenty of time before Mobile World Congress which leaves a lot of room for a leaked price point.

Update: 02/03/2017

Just yesterday it was rumored that the LG G6 will be more expensive than the LG G5 was at launch, exceeding that phones cost by about $50. The LG G5 was around $650 USD when it launched, so the LG G6 could fall around $700 if the rumor is accurate.

Cases

So far there are two cases that has shown up in a leaked render. While the initial case leak itself is nothing particularly special it does point out a couple details of the LG G6 design, which showcases a dual camera setup and fingerprint sensor that match up with other leaked renders of the phone. This bolsters the possibility of the leaked designs being the final look of the phone and gives consumers a solid of idea of what to expect from the device once its officially announced.

This second case, which just leaked not too long ago, shows even more of the LG G6 then whats been leaked up until now, and while it seems to answer some questions it also seems to raise more. There is very clearly a dual camera setup with dual LED flash and a fingerprint sensor on the back, but the back also looks like metal for the material which doesnt match up with some of the previous rumors, so this only stirs up more confusion as to whether or not the LG G6 will have a glass back and no removable battery.

Update: 02/06/2017

More cases have leaked showing another clear look at the design of the LG G6, this time from VRS Design, and there are four different types of cases that look to be available sometime after the phone launches officially in the near future.

Update: 02/13/2017

A new set of cases have popped up that show off more of the phones design, but also that there will be more customizable options for protecting the phone if youre one to use a case.

The Wrap Up

Taking into account all of these details, its important to remember that nothing is certain or final until the day of, that day being February 26th. Having said that, all the most recent details and rumors are highly likely to be accurate and they make for a good start on what to expect from LG with their 2017 flagship smartphone. There are still no rumors on quite a few of the specifications, and there has yet to be any rumored pricing details, but those will come soon enough.
Mixing up what school a player went to occasionally happens, but saying that a prominent former college player went to one of his schools biggest rivals? Thats a little more rare, but thats what Kevin Harlan did on the TNT broadcast of Wizards-Knicks Thursday. Harlan said Washington guard Trey Burke, who shone at Michigan, was the former Big Ten player of the year at Ohio State:

Unsurprisingly, misassigning Burkes school that way got some backlash.

Oh no, Kevin Harlan. Trey Burke did NOT go to Ohio State.  Andy Glockner (@AndyGlockner) January 20, 2017

I wonder if this announcer knows how pissed @TreyBurke would be if he knew he just said "former player of the year out of Ohio State"..#HAIL  BG (@PaddyFrankie) January 20, 2017

Trey Burke, former Ohio State Big Ten player of the year? Are you kidding me?  AC (@Wolverinefan97) January 20, 2017

Haha the announcers just said @TreyBurke went to Ohio state We have straight fools commentating games this Thursday night.  Tyler Lee (@t_lee5) January 20, 2017

Yep, mixing up Ohio State and Michigan is not going to go over well with fans of either. Were just waiting for Jim Harbaugh to weigh in with a corrective tweet now

[Ben Koo on Clippit]
Samsung Electronics is reportedly seeking $429 million in damages from Japanese trading house Kuroda Electric and two other suppliers of LCD panels, according to a new report out of Reuters. Samsung reportedly filed an arbitration request with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in New York City after its three former partners stopped supplying it with LCD panels. Kuroda Electrics statement suggests that Samsung is demanding $429 million in damages from all three suppliers combined, though no further details on the dispute have been revealed.

While Kuroda Electric has not revealed the identity of the other two companies that stopped supplying Samsung with LCD panels, industry watchers are presuming Samsung is seeking compensation from Sharp and Foxconn. The two display makers stopped providing the Seoul-based tech giant with LCD panels in December, which makes them a likely target of Samsungs ICC filing. Their joint venture Sakai Display Products reportedly stopped supplying Samsung with LCD panels in January in an effort to challenge the companys dominance in the TV market. Industry sources claim that the consumer electronics giant purchased millions of LCD panels from Sakai Display Products for its TV sets in 2016, so the firms decision to drop its biggest client apparently made a large dent in Samsungs supply chain. The Seoul-based tech giant is now likely looking for now suppliers and is reportedly even willing to consider its domestic competitors as future partners.

While TVs arent Samsungs main source of revenue, theyre still generating significant profits on an annual basis seeing how the company has been the worlds largest television manufacturer since 2006. However, as former suppliers are now looking to challenge its market dominance, Samsung will have to find a way to negotiate new supply chains and continue producing large volumes of TVs if it wants to maintain its lead in this segment in the short run. In the grand scheme of things, the companys strategy is to transition its LCD offerings to OLED panels, which is why it has recently been selling off its LCD-making operations and found itself in need of third-party suppliers seeing how its TV division isnt migrating to new technologies as quickly as Samsung Display.
The upcoming Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) will be launched by a number of U.S. carriers including AT&T, Verizon, and U.S. Cellular, according to a relatively reliable tipster Evan Blass. The phone is expected to be released fairly soon and has already been leaked several times over the past few weeks. A device bearing a model number SM-J727 was recently cleared by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). According to previous reports, this particular Android smartphone will eventually be launched as the Galaxy J7 (2017) by Samsung, although that allegation has yet to be confirmed. The Galaxy J7 (2017) was also recently imported into India for testing purposes, as was suggested by a listing on the countrys import and export tracking website Zauba.

While the FCC listing didnt really reveal a whole lot about the Galaxy J7 (2017), earlier leaks have indicated that the upcoming Samsung-made handset will be a mid-range device mostly aimed at the prepaid market. According to previous rumors, the Galaxy J7 (2017) will feature a 5.5-inch display panel boasting a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. The phone is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 625 SoC which comes with an embedded 64-bit octa-core CPU clocked at 2.2GHz. The phone is also said to ship with 2GB of RAM, along with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter. The Galaxy J7 (2017) will reportedly carry a 3,000mAh battery and run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

While Samsung is expected to launch its upcoming mid-ranger globally, theres currently no word on when it will be released or how much it will cost. The company is believed to have set an ambitious sales target of around 100 million units for its Galaxy J-series, so it will be interesting to see how much this particular phone will contribute to the success of the companys 2017 Galaxy J lineup. Either way, its important to note that Blass doesnt say anything about T-Mobile or Sprint picking up the Galaxy J7 (2017), although it will be interesting to see if either of the carriers do so at some stage in the foreseeable future. More information on Samsungs upcoming Android smartphone will likely follow soon.
According to a new rumor, the Xiaomi Mi 6 will launch in mid-March, and its trial production will kick off in February. Now, this timeframe aligns with the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 in Barcelona, as Xiaomi is expected to introduce the Xiaomi Mi 6 during the tradeshow. Presuming that the Xiaomi Mi 6 will launch in mid-March, as in become available then, it is quite possible well see it announced at the end of February during MWC 2017. This also makes sense because its predecessor, the Xiaomi Mi 5, was introduced during MWC 2016.

Now, if a recent leak is to be believed, the Xiaomi Mi 6 will arrive in three different variants, the Xiaomi Mi 6 Premier, the Xiaomi Mi 6 Standard and the Xiaomi Mi 6 Youth, though these are all working titles, it is possible theyll be named differently. In any case, the Xiaomi Mi 6 Standard is said to be the most powerful Mi 6 handset, it is expected to sport an OLED QHD display with curved sides, ceramic body, 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM and Qualcomms Snapdragon 835 64-bit octa-core SoC. This handset will also, allegedly, come with a dual camera setup, and 256GB of native storage. The Xiaomi Mi 6 Standard will be similar to the Xiaomi Mi 6 Premier, but it wont sport a ceramic body (Xiaomi will opt for glass instead, most probably), and it will ship with only 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The Xiaomi Mi 6 Youth is said to be most affordable Mi 6 smartphone, as it will be fueled by the Helio X30 SoC, and sport 4GB of RAM and 64GB of native storage.

Now, if a recent leak is to be believed, the most affordable Xiaomi Mi 6 smartphone will cost 1,999 Yuan ($291) in China, while the Xiaomi Mi 6 Standard is said to cost 2,499 Yuan ($364). The most expensive Xiaomi Mi 6 model will set you back 2,999 Yuan ($437), if the leaked info is to be believed. The Xiaomi Mi 6 will ship with Android Nougat out of the box, and chances are Xiaomi will include their MIUI 8 OS instead of the MIUI 9 OS which has not been released yet, and chances are it wont be ready by the time Xiaomi Mi 6 lands, but well see.

Advertisement

Buy the Xiaomi Mi 5
Samsung aims to help fight color blindness with an app called See Colors. Although the app itself is certainly a big part of helping people with Color Vision Deficiency see the full spectrum of colors for the first time, Samsungs See Colors app is not the entirety of their efforts. Samsung has partnered up with a company called Colorlite to create the app and while it will work on smartphones, Samsung notes that it will also be available for their range of TVs that run on the Tizen software.

The app works by first analyzing the severity of the CVD that a person has, and its able to detect each person on an individual level so that it produces a personalized set of results. Once the level of CVD is detected the app that can then recalibrate the screen to adjust the spectrum of colors so that it appears the way a person with normal vision would see it, allowing the person with CVD to experience a world of colorful vibrancy unlike anything theyve ever experienced before.

Samsung mentions that See Colors is already now installed and available on every Samsung SUHD TV from 2016, while the smartphone app is available on the Play Store and the Samsung Galaxy Apps store, although the smartphone app is currently limited to Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria. They dont mention whether or not theyll be releasing the smartphone app to other regions, but it wouldnt be too far fetched to think that it may launch in other areas depending how well the app does where its currently available. Samsung might typically be a company who is associated with just technology, a company who makes TVs, phones, and home appliances, but they do much more than that in reality and although this effort ties into their TVs and phones, it has a much grander purpose. A large number of people are affected by Color Vision Deficiency, around 300 million, and it can have a lasting impact on a persons lifestyle. The goal with See Colors is to help enrich that lifestyle in whatever way possible. See Colors is also just the latest effort thats been added to Samsungs Launching People campaign, which they started a few years ago so they could demonstrate how their technology could improve peoples lives.

Advertisement

https://youtu.be/bAUgM20J8OI
Samsung has announced that they are preparing to hold a press conference to release all of the information that they and independent investigators have uncovered about what caused the catastrophic failure of thousands of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units, and they will be livestreaming the whole thing in English. Samsung has already made it known through a representatives statement to a news agency that they planned to unveil their findings regarding the Galaxy Note 7 on Monday, January 23, but they have now come forward to not only make an official company statement on the matter, but to announce the exact time that the livestream of the conference will begin. That time is 10 AM in their time zone, or 8 PM on January 22 EST.

Samsung has been investigating the cause of the catastrophic failures of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 units the world over since the entire sordid saga began soon after the phones release, but thus far has yet to announce the exact cause to the public. Many reports seem to agree that the battery may have been to blame, but Samsung came forward to dispute that back in September, at least when it came to Samsung Galaxy Note 7 handsets released in China; the Chinese release reportedly used a battery from a different provider. Samsungs full release on the matter come Monday will settle once and for all if the battery was responsible in any cases, and if so which ones.

The troubles with Samsungs second flagship device series, reportedly enough to make them consider getting rid of the Note lineup entirely due to bad press, began very soon after the phones release. A global recall order went out, and Samsung began issuing updates to cripple the remaining phones in the wild to encourage those holding them to return them. The phones have even been banned on most airlines, but a good amount of users still cling to them. The results of this investigation could be critical to the efforts of groups like the Note 7 Rebels, who work to not only keep their devices fully functional against Samsungs advice, but to use them as safely as possible; knowing the root cause of the explosions for certain could help them in figuring out how to keep the devices from going up in smoke.
Hwang Sung-soo, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics has been called for questioning over a developing corruption scandal in South Korea. The summon was issued by the Korean High Prosecutors Office on Friday with one of the offices representatives saying that Hwang is currently treated as a witness. Authorities gave no further details on the matter, and Samsungs representatives have so far been declining requests for comments.

Samsungs VP is the fifth top executive of Samsung Group that was called for questioning over a corruption scandal involving President Park and her confidante Choi Soon-sil whom the company allegedly bribed in exchange for her assistance over a 2015 merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries. Samsung Groups Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee was already labeled as a suspect by the prosecution, but the court denied to issue an arrest warrant for him yesterday. Regardless, Lee is now facing accusations of bribery, embezzlement, and perjury, the latter of which he allegedly committed during a December parliamentary hearing probing his involvement in the scandal.

President Park was already impeached by the South Korean parliament last month, but that decision has yet to be confirmed or overruled by the Constitutional Court. The President didnt admit to allegations that she allowed Choi  who holds no official position in the government  to have massive influence over various state affairs, including the 2015 merger of two Samsung Groups affiliates. As the National Pension Fund (NPS) was a major shareholder of Cheil Industries, it had to approve the merger with Samsung C&T, and Choi allegedly acquired that blessing after receiving $37 million in bribes from Lee. Like all other actors in this scandal, Choi also denied all accusations and is currently in jail awaiting trial. Samsungs officials previously admitted to financing some organizations connected to Choi but denied allegations that their financial contributions were in any way related to the controversial 2015 merger. The special prosecutors office currently said it isnt looking into charging any other executives at Samsung but said that stance could change in the future as more evidence is uncovered. Given the high-profile nature of this case, the investigation is bound to continue for some time.
With a series of three snow storms due to hit Flagstaff over the weekend, many scheduled events are being canceled and/or rescheduled. Daily Sun deliveries may be delayed. In the event your carrier cannot make a delivery that morning, the newspaper will be delivered the following day. This applies to our delivery of the Arizona Republic and Gannett products as well. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Here's an updated list of cancellations:

2:30 p.m.

Coconino Community College will close at 3 p.m. today in response to another anticipated heavy snowfall. In addition, the college will remain closed on Saturday.

Whether CCC will be open or on a delayed schedule Monday will be assessed Sunday as a new snowstorm is expected in northern Arizona. CCC administration will make a determination by 6 a.m. Monday. Visit coconino.edu or the CCC Facebook page for updates.

2 p.m.

Northern Arizona University will be closing the Flagstaff campus at 3:30 p.m. today. Classes that begin at or after 2 p.m. are canceled.

10 a.m.

CCC District Governing Board swearing-in ceremony: Although Coconino Community College remains on a regular schedule this morning, CCC will be canceling the District Governing Board swearing-in ceremony today at 4 p.m. because of the possibility of heavy snow later. CCC will be rescheduling the event and will send a new invitation to the community once a new date has been set.

Mountain School ArtWalk: Mountain School's inaugural ArtWalk, originally set for 6-7 p.m. today, has been canceled and will be rescheduled.

9:30 a.m.

The Mountain Express bus service: The Mountain Express service for the Arizona Snowbowl has been canceled for the day.

The Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transit Authority is consulting with Snowbowl on whether bus service to Snowbowl will run on Saturday and Sunday.

"Bottom line - safety first, and this is not a service that we can decide to cancel halfway through the day and leave people stranded. Thank you for your understanding," NAIPTA spokesperson Jacki Lenners said.

 The buses will enter the Fort Valley Parking Area at the base of Snowbowl Road and riders will board an Arizona Snowbowl shuttle for transportation to Hart Prairie Lodge.

 Mountain Express buses will depart the Fort Valley Parking area at 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. for transportation back to the Downtown Connection Center. It is recommended that all riders board an Arizona Snowbowl shuttle at Hart Prairie by 4 p.m. for transportation down Snowbowl Road to connect with the Mountain Express. Large crowds and inclement weather will make for slow going, and this will give riders plenty of time to ensure they make the connection.

See something, do something

The city of Flagstaff is asking residents to look out for the less fortunate when the temperature drops. City Manager, Josh Copley said one exposure death is too many in our community and we are committed to providing resources and awareness to reduce the risks of winter exposure.

The City of Flagstaff website, www.flagstaff.az.gov/dosomething, has a list of Flagstaff resources and information about weather exposure risks.

Ross Altenbaugh, the Executive Director of Flagstaff Shelter Services said the shelter provides emergency shelter and resources to individuals experiencing homelessness; regardless of faith, sobriety or mental health. Additionally, FSS operates a winter overflow shelter in area congregations. This additional shelter capacity allows shelter staff to welcome anyone in need of shelter on any given night during the winter. She encourage the community that if they see someone in need of assistance because of winter exposure to do something and if necessary notify the police department at 911 or non-emergency (928) 774-1414. Additionally, you can call the Crisis Response Network at (877) 756-4090 for local resources or a crisis mobile response.

Police Chief Kevin Treadway said our officers are dedicated to protecting our citizens and often provide coats to those in need as well as shelter information.

Flagstaff Fire Department Chief Gaillard said, the Flagstaff Police and Fire department work together and the Fire Department will dispatch an All-Risk Unit or the Community Alternative Response Truck if an individual is in distress due to exposure. CART is a unit that is designed to respond to non-emergency medical calls, such as public intoxication. Its staffed by Emergency Medical Technicians who can evaluate a person to see if they need more urgent care.

Avalanche awareness

The Coconino County Sheriffs Office and the Coconino National Forest are warning backcountry mountain travelers to be alert for potential avalanche hazards on the San Francisco Peaks. This includes side country area bordering Arizona Snowbowl Ski Area.

Avalanche mitigation and patrolling is conducted within the Snowbowl ski area, but there are no avalanche controls or routine patrolling in the forest outside of the ski area.

People venturing into mountainous terrain should carry avalanche rescue equipment such as a shovel, avalanche rescue beacon, avalanche probe, and winter survival gear. Do not travel alone and leave a detailed trip plan with a responsible person. Carrying a cell phone is recommended; however, it may not always work in backcountry locations.

Winter backcountry travel into the Kachina Peaks Wilderness Area from Arizona Snowbowl and Snowbowl Road requires a free annual backcountry permit. This includes the parking areas at FR 522 and Lamar Haines Wildlife Area. Backcountry permits are available in Flagstaff at the Peaks Ranger Station, 5075 N. Highway 89, and the Coconino National Forest Supervisors Office, 1824 S Thompson St. Permits will also be available at Arizona Snowbowls Agassiz Lodge weekend mornings once the ski area opens.

While there is no avalanche forecasting center for the San Francisco Peaks, the backcountry community can obtain a snowpack summary from the Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center at www.kachinapeaks.org. Natural avalanche activity had been reported on the San Francisco Peaks prior to this current storm.
Coconino County Supervisor Lena Fowler and the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) are hosting a series of community forums on the Navajo Nation this month. The meetings will gather public input on ways to diversify northern Arizona's economy in the face of job loss impacts created by the shutdown of at least one generator at the Navajo Generating Station.
Red and blue balloons rested on the ceiling of the restaurant and an inflatable elephant carried the theme of 2017, which the Flagstaff Republican Women deemed The year of the elephant stampede.

The groups first meeting of the year Thursday marked their celebration of the impending inauguration of Donald Trump. Hats reading Make America Great Again and red, white and blue clothing and accessories filled the room, and a mannequin of Donald Trump sat to the side.

Super patriots, it is a miracle that is happening tomorrow, Flagstaff Republican Women Chaplain Annie Booth said during the meeting invocation. I prayed for one, and I hope you all prayed for one.

Booth led the group in singing God Bless America before group president Joan Harris toasted the president-elect.

The group, which has about 28 active members, drew about 45 attendees to the Thursday gathering, including members, spouses and associate members who can be men or women who are active members of another club.

At the meeting, members and speakers discussed a variety of topics and interests in Flagstaff and statewide, mainly the minimum wage. Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Legislative Affairs Stuart McDaniel and former city councilman and now Coconino County Republican Party Chair Jeff Oravits spoke about the minimum wage and their opposition to Proposition 414, which was passed by voters in November.

Oravits also expressed his disappointment in the dozens of Democratic representatives who have announced they will not attend Trumps inauguration.

After the meeting, Oravits said he was not happy when Barack Obama was elected president in 2008, but said he accepted the presidency. He said now that Trump has been elected, he would like to see both Democrats and Republicans give Trump a chance to lead before casting judgment.

Im excited for a change, Oravits said. The nation needed a change in direction.

Oravits said so far he has been OK with Trumps picks for cabinet members, and said he is looking forward to seeing who Trump nominates to fill the Supreme Court vacancy.

I would like to see a conservative judge get nominated, he said.

As for the number of protests going on during and after the inauguration, both locally and nationwide, Oravits said he supports peoples rights to voice their opinion.

This nation is great because you have the First Amendment that gives them the right to march and to protest, Oravits said. I respect their right to do that. If theyre praying, I hope theyre praying for Donald Trump to lead the country well. I want him to succeed and I want the country to go in a positive direction.

Oravits said he thinks the United States has been taken advantage of around the world, and said he would like to see Trump stand up for the country. He said he would also like to see the countrys immigration system strengthened and the border with Mexico to be kept under control.

Trump won because the country wanted a big change, Oravits said. Thats why they didnt pick Hillary Clinton, or another Bush. This will be a totally different type of leadership.

Merle Henderson, the president of the Flagstaff Tea Party, said he did not start off the 2016 campaign season as a Trump supporter, but said the change didnt take much convincing.

As it turns out, I think hes going to be the only man to turn this country around, because hes not a politician, Henderson said.

Henderson said he was elated at the outcome of the election, and said he hoped Americans would gain back a feeling of patriotism he said had been lacking in recent years.

Henderson said so far he is impressed with Trumps cabinet picks.

I think hes doing a terrific job, Henderson said. Im just elated with his cabinet members and suggestions for Supreme Court.

Henderson said he would like to see Trump restore education while in office, which he said has declined.

Joy Staveley, the first vice chair of the Coconino County Republican Party, said she was not a Trump supporter originally but has been impressed by his cabinet choices.

Im impressed that they have solid business backgrounds, I think we need that in administration today, Staveley said. I think he has wisdom and intelligence that many of us didnt see at first, but it shows in his selections.

Staveley said she would like to see the Trump administration remove regulations and red tape for businesses, as well as lower personal and corporate taxes, which she thinks would help improve the economy. Staveley also said she would like to see Trump remove the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, and would like to see a reduction in the national debt.

Im optimistic, Staveley said. I wouldnt have said that during the primary. Trump has a very different personality, no one can deny that, but maybe thats what we need. I wish his opponents would give him a chance. This isnt Republican or Democrat, this is the country.
Downtown motorists, beware. Flagstaffs new parking permit system is coming. Flagstaff City Council got an update on the system Tuesday and unanimously approved the first reading of the ordinance. A second reading will be held in February.

According to the new parkflag.org website, the new $1 million parking permit system will be made up of kiosks that will be installed in the coming months. The system is expected to launch in May. There will be at least one kiosk for each side of a block. Visitors can pay for parking at any kiosk no matter where their car is parked. They can also use the smartphone app Whoosh!.

Parking in the downtown area and in the neighborhoods surrounding Northern Arizona University has been a perennial problem. Residents and shopowners have complained that downtown employees and college students take up many of the on-street parking spaces in these areas and leave their car there all day. This makes it difficult for residents to find parking on the street in front of their homes during the day and for customers to find parking for local businesses.

The new parking system is designed to cover the core of downtown Flagstaff, from Cherry Avenue to the north, Franklin Avenue to the south and from Humphreys Street to west and Elden Street to the east. Parking outside of the managed area is still free, unless a neighborhood block opts into the program. The two-hour parking limit within the parking system area will be removed.

The cost to park is a $1 per hour Monday through Saturday. Downtown visitors can park for free on Sundays and city holidays. Handicap parking will not be free and the kiosks and app only accept credit or debit cards. Motorists wanting to pay with cash will have to visit the Flagstaff Visitors Center, the Parking Office or a downtown business that will accept the cash and use the mobile app to pay for the customers parking. The app also charges a 35-cent administration fee per transaction.

The app can also be used to pay for more parking time. And, since the system uses a cars plate number instead of a parking spot number, you can move your car whenever you want to a new spot as long as you still have parking time available.

Businesses can also use the system to validate or pay for parking for their customers, if they wish. They can also use the system as an incentive to get customers to return by offering to pay for parking at the customers next visit.

The fine for failing to pay a meter or letting a meter expire is $35 for the first time and $70 for the second violation within one year of the first. The fine increases to $85 for the first time and $120 for the second if youre late in paying the fine. The fine continues to increase for each additional violation.

According to the website, the kiosks also fall under the citys aggressive panhandling ordinance. The ordinance makes it a misdemeanor to panhandle within 25 feet of a person engaging in any financial transaction.

The system also includes residential and employee/business owner parking permits. Around 300 employee parking spaces will be located on Agassiz, Verde and Elden streets, Cherry Avenue and the Phoenix Avenue and Lumberyard parking lots. The employee permits cost $45 per month and are awarded on a yearly basis. A business can register multiple license plates on one permit; however, only car can use the permit at a time. Individuals can also purchase an employee permit and there is a discount if you carpool.

Those interested in the employee permit will be entered into a lottery. The Parking Office will offer free EcoPasses on Mountain Line buses for those employees who do not have an employee permit. The city is also working with the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority on a new Park & Ride lot north of downtown.

The system will also reserve half of the available parking spots on a residential street for residents. One residential permit will be issued for each water meter on the property. In order to become part of the residential parking permit system, at least 51 percent of the property owners within a city block will have to petition the city to enter the system.

Its also $35 for the first violation and $70 for the second violation, if you park without a permit in a permit-only area.

The new parking system also includes fees for residential on-street parking. The first residential permit is free. A second residential permit is $250 per year and goes up $150 for each additional permit.

The money from the permits and kiosk fees will be put into a special fund that will be used to pay off the lease on the systems equipment, operate and maintain the system and purchase additional parking space. City staff estimates that the system will generate about $1 million per year.
Northern Arizona University officials announced Thursday that they had found a student who had been missing since Wednesday.

Matthew Miller, 19, was last heard from Wednesday evening, and was not in possession of a vehicle or wallet, NAU officials said. NAU spokeswoman Kim Ott said Miller was found at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday/
PHOENIX  A House panel agreed to ease the rules for when new cities and towns can be formed, a change in law that foes insist will harm the ability of existing communities to grow.

HB 2088 would create an exemption from laws which give cities the power to veto any new nearby incorporations. That power extends out six miles for cities of at least 5,000 and three miles for smaller towns.

Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, is pushing the measure specifically to give the opportunity for residents of San Tan Valley in northeast Pinal County to decide if they want to incorporate. That effort has so far been blocked by Florence.

Alex Vidal, lobbyist for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, defended that veto power, saying that buffer zone provides room to grow through annexation. He said what San Tan wants to do is incorporate right up to the border of Florence, effectively stopping its growth there.

But Vidal said this isn't a strictly local fight. He said this change, if it gets signed into law, sets the stage for similar incorporations  and similar limits on expansion of existing cities and towns  throughout the state.

Vidal's objections were not enough to keep the Committee from Local and International Affairs from approving it on a 4-3 margin.

It now goes to the full House which approved a virtually identical measure last year. But, since that time, more than 20 members of the 60-member chamber have been replaced.

San Tan resident Tisha Castillo said the approximately 100,000 residents of the area have a "right to decide our future.''

Farnsworth, who does not represent the area, agreed. More to the point, he said it's unfair to give Florence, with a population of about 26,000, veto power over what would be a much larger community.

Vidal argued that nothing in current law stops San Tan from incorporating  as a smaller town. He said all proponents have to do is draw lines that are at least six miles from Florence.

That brought questions from Rep. Isela Blanc, D-Tempe. She voted against the measure, saying she first wanted to see a map of what would and would not be allowed under existing laws.

Farnsworth said the opposition from Vidal's group, which represents the existing more than 90 cities and towns in the state, goes beyond their right to annexation.

He pointed out that Arizona provides a certain amount of revenue sharing each year, divided up among cities and towns based on their population. Farnsworth said if there is suddenly a new city with 100,000 people, that means less money for everyone else.

The measure now needs approval of the full House.
The Donald Trump Death Cult is open

Donald Trump is going to be assassinated  maybe. The media loves to think of how and when the US president will be murdered. Today, the day of Trumps inauguration, the Sun kicks things off. On Page 7 readers are told of THE SURVIVOR. This is the person who will take over as American leader should Trump and his VeePee be murdered.

The Sun has no idea who it is. But its exciting to think of two people being murdered an mystery Option C taken over.

The Mail says no specific threat has been revealed but a lone wolf could mount an attack.

The website Quora muses: What are the chances Donald Trump is assassinated in office if he were to become president? Before you read the answer note that Trump was democratically elected and Quora is a US site:

The odds are substantially greater if you include the likely assaults on the soft target members of the extended Trump family. Donald Trump is not the only high profile public Trump target; he has three wives (two former), four adult children, multiple public buildings and businessesFor better or worse, it is now likely to be open season on all things Trump, regardless of the name changes.

In the UK, the Daily Mail wondered: So whos going to assassinate Trump? Twitter erupts with calls for the Donald to be killed after he wins the election.

One man who wont murder Trump has been caught.

A man was arrested Tuesday in Miami Beach after posting a video online in which he vowed to kill President-elect Donald Trump at the inauguration. According to reports, the mans mother died on 9/11 aboard one of the hijacked airliners and she was later eulogized by Hillary Clinton. Dominic Puopolo Jr., calling himself LORD JESUS CHRIST on Twitter, tweeted the above video directly to the Secret Service, daring them to stop him. Yes Ill be at the review stand at the inauguration, and Im going to kill President Trump.  What are you going to do about it, Secret Service, he says in the video.

The Mail says Puopolo was a close family friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Suspect Dominic Puopolo Jr., 51, sat near Hillary Clinton when she delivered the eulogy at the funeral of Puopolos mother, Sonia, who died in one of the jets that flew into the World Trade Center on 9-11.

Hes out. Whos up?

Karen Strike

Posted: 20th, January 2017 | In: Politicians Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
What does it take to make a government legitimate? Legitimacy clearly goes beyond a simple strong man or congress saying so, or even a democratic election.

For the last eight years, the right has demonstrated their deep belief in the illegality or maybe even the acceptability of the Obama administration. Several examples: birth certificate questions, attempting to repeal the ACA some 60 times, state pressure to restrict a womens right to abortion, immigration restrictions for illegals or a religious sect, anti-LBGT legislation at the local level, inventive new laws to restrict the voting rights of minorities.

The rise in popularity of Fox News, Breitbart, Limbaugh, Falwell provided a conduit for partisan ideals. The peoples consent is primary. In an extremely contentious election Trump lost the popular vote by more than 3 million. The racist talk from the right alienates the consent of the black citizens. Those of Mexican descent will not give permission to a government bent on building a wall, returning immigrates to Mexico. Women are not going to support a President whose says Grab them by the .. Womens rights groups are livid with him about abortion.

Building a wall, tax reduction for the rich, anti- Muslim statements, immigration restrictions all fail to build consent of the governed. Legitimacy is derived from being helpful to the citizens, they give consent.

DAVID RUSSELL

Flagstaff
(ANSA) - Rome, January 20 - Italy's national healthcare system will widen the number of vaccines offered to different age groups across the country after the conference of Italian regions on Thursday gave unanimous approval to the national vaccines plan for the 2017-19 period. The new plan offers more vaccines as well as a number of free options not included in the previous plan.

It also evens out the national offer: a number of vaccines previously provided for free only by a few regions will be now offered across the country.

Following are details of the new plan, divided by age group.

CHILDREN: in the first year of life, free vaccination will be provided against meningitis B, which can be lethal, and rotavirus, which causes very serious gastroenteritis that can have serious consequences in young children. Vaccines against meningitis B (which is currently not free in most regions), will be provided with the first dose at three months and subsequent doses to follow.

In the second year of life, vaccination against chickenpox will be provided for free (it is currently free only in eight regions) as the disease can in some cases have complications and require hospitalization. The vaccination shot is given at 13-15 months together with the vaccine against the measles, rubella and the mumps, with additional doses to follow.

ADOLESCENTS: the Human Papillomavirus vaccine (Hpv), which is today free for teens, will be extended to males in order to eliminate the virus which is the most frequent cause of cancer at the cervix and mouth.

Teens will also be offered the ACWY vaccine that protects against four types of meningitis - A, C, W and Y.

SENIORS: the Herpes Zoster vaccine has been introduces for free. It has been estimated to lower by 65% neuralgia cases, one of the most frequent and debilitating consequences of the herpes.

The pneumococcal vaccine will also be offered by all regions.

It protects against pneumonia and meningitis.

The plan also provides for "renewed efforts" to promote flu shots for citizens over 65 years of age.

The new vaccines are in addition to those already offered: the vaccine against diphtheria, pertussis, polio, hepatitis b, tetanus, haemophilus influenza, as well as the vaccine against the measles, mumps and rubella and meningitis C.

The plan also sets as a target to maintain the country polio free, eliminate cases of measles and rubella and promote vaccination campaigns.

Italy's Higher Health Institute (ISS) has warned that Italy has registered a significant decline in vaccination coverage over the past few years with vaccination rates below 95% for polio, tetanus, dyphtheria and hepatitis B.

The percentage has dropped further for vaccinations of measles, mumps and German measles, with coverage as low as 86%, the ISS has said.


(ANSA) - Rome, January 20 - Italian Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina will on Monday speak to EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan about increasing urgent funds for farmers affected by the latest earthquakes.

The proposal will be to raise the sum contained in the EU budget from a current 23 million euros to 35 million euros to cover farmers' lost earnings and extend it to enterprises in the muncipalities hit by the latest earthquake. The aid would be paid out on the basis of the number of livestock owned prior to the earthquake with direct contributions for cows, pigs, sheep and horses. The first instalment of about 12 million euros will be paid by the end of February, with simplified cost-free procedures for farmers. The announcement came during a meeting on Friday at the Teramo prefecture to take stock of the emergency situation rsulting from the earthquake and bad weather conditions.

The second intervention would entail advance payment of 85% of rural development funds, broadening the previously granted EU authorization to farms in the areas just hit.


Mideast: protests in West Bank for US embassy in Jerusalem On Donald Trump's inauguration day

(ANSAmed) - JERUSALEM, JANUARY 20 - Hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated in Ramallah, Hebron and Nablus in the West Bank against the intention expressed by President-Elect Donald Trump, who is being sworn-in as president Friday to move the US embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.



The demonstrations, organized mostly by Fatah, the party of President Mahmoud Abbas, stated the opposition of the Palestinian leadership to the move. In Nablus, governor Akram Rujoub - quoted by the media in Ramallah - said the protest ''is the Palestinian national message to the world to clearly express that any such change by US politics'' means that ''there will not be a Palestinian State or national rights for the population''. ''This is the most dangerous message Trump could send'', he explained. (ANSAmed).




Cairo Museum of Islamic Art reopens in Cairo Restoration after 2014 attack completed

(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, JANUARY 20 - After restoration required after a bomb attack in January 2014, the Cairo Museum of Islamic Art reopened this week. The museum was inaugurated by Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Wednesday and there was a guided tour the following day for selected guests. The museum opened to the public on Friday and will be free of charge for the first two days. A car bomb on January 24 that had targeted the nearby Cairo police headquarters had resulted in the closing of the museum.



Four people were killed and 76 were injured in the attack, for which the Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis jihadist group claimed responsibility. The group has since become an ally of the Islamic State (ISIS) and is now known as Wilayat Sinai ('Sinai Province'). Egyptian Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany called the inauguration a ''victory by Egypt against terrorism'' and said that it showed the country's ability and will to repair the damage done. A statement noted that the bomb had destroyed the facade of the building, some pillars, display cases and artefacts as well as the nearby Egyptian National Library and Egyptian Archive. The museum contains rare wooden, metallic, ceramic, glass and crystal objects from all eras and from around the Islamic world, as well as Quranic manuscripts with silver ink calligraphy. The 25 galleries hold 4,400 works and Islamic coins, weapons, manuscripts and everyday objects such as musical instruments and toys were added during the restoration. The explosion had damaged 179 objects, 169 of which were unable to be restored. The Telegraph reported that ten mosque lamps made of glass could not be restored. ''Every piece is a work of art when you look at the details,'' American University of Cairo professor Shahinda Karim said, who led the tour. The inauguration ceremony was accompanied by a performance of whirling dervishes. Ministr Enany said that the country ''thanks above all the UAE and the USA, Switzerland, Italy and UNESCO for their contribution to the restoration of the museum.'' (ANSAmed).




3,156 migrants arrived in Europe via sea in 2017, IOM 234 died in attempting the crossing

(ANSAmed) - GENEVA, JANUARY 20 - The number of migrants and refugees that have arrived in Europe via sea this year thus far is 3,156, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports.



Some 234 have died in attempting to cross the Mediterranean towards Europe.



Over three quarters of the migrants and refugees arrived in Italy and the others in Greece.



IOM noted that 32,317 had arrived in the first 18 days of last year. (ANSAmed).




BERLIN - The number of families that have been reunited in Germany has risen last year by 50%, raising from the 70,000 visas granted in 2015 to 105,000 in 2016, Welt online reported Friday, citing the foreign ministry.



The number includes migrants who have joined family members with a German passport, continued Welt, but the most considerable number - some 73,000 visas - concerned Syrian and Iraqi families (24,000 in 2015).



The number of visas granted for families with minors was more reduced with ''only 3,200 granted in 2016'', Welt reported.
BEIRUT - ISIS has destroyed the facade of the ancient Roman theater of Palmyra, in central Syria, and the Tetrapylon, a colonnaded structure at the archaeological UNESCO world heritage site, Syria's official news agency Sana reported on Friday, without providing further details.

The Sana news agency quoted unnamed ''local sources'' in reporting about the destruction at Palmyra's Roman amphytheater. The report cannot be independently verified. Over the past few days, the Syrian Observatory for Human rights said that ISIS has killed 12 civilians and pro-government militants on the stage at the theater.

The execution was similar to one in 2015 when over 20 Syrian soldiers were killed by teenagers who were alleged members of the terror organization at the UNESCO world heritage site, according to the monitoring group.
ANSAmed - Weekly diary from January 23 to January 29

(ANSAmed) - ROMA, JANUARY 20 - Weekly diary of the main events scheduled in the Euro-mediterranean area from January 23 to January 29: MONDAY JANUARY 23 ASTANA - Talks seeking a solution for the war in Syria.



BARCELONA - Visit by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.



VALLETTA - Visit by European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans. TUESDAY JANUARY 24 BIARRITZ (FRANCE) - International Festival of Audiovisual Programmes (FIPA) (until 29/1). WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25 CAIRO - Anniversary of the 2011 uprising that led to the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. BRUSSELS - Visit by the president of the Spanish regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano Garcia Page.



BRUSSELS - Conference on trade and investment opportunities in Jordan. ROME - Meeting between Interior Minister Marco Minniti and regional presidents to discuss migration.



ROME - The Museo d'Arte Contemporanea will be hosting a show by Rafael Y. Herman entitled 'The Night Illuminates the Night' (until 26/3).



THURSDAY JANUARY 26 ISTANBUL - The Istanbul Tourism Exhibition (EMITT) begins (until 29/1).



ROME - Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI) conference on an Islamic liberation theology by Professor Farid Esack.



BRUSSELS - Eurogroup meeting.



BRUSSELS - European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker will be receiving Montenegro prime minister Dusko Markovic.



FRIDAY JANUARY 27 VARIOUS CITIES - International Holocaust Remembrance Day. SATURDAY JANUARY 28 No major events scheduled SUNDAY JANUARY 29 No major events scheduled (ANSAmed).




JERUSALEM - Hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated in Ramallah, Hebron and Nablus in the West Bank against the intention expressed by President-Elect Donald Trump, who is being sworn-in as president Friday to move the US embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.



The demonstrations, organized mostly by Fatah, the party of President Mahmoud Abbas, stated the opposition of the Palestinian leadership to the move. In Nablus, governor Akram Rujoub - quoted by the media in Ramallah - said the protest ''is the Palestinian national message to the world to clearly express that any such change by US politics'' means that ''there will not be a Palestinian State or national rights for the population''. ''This is the most dangerous message Trump could send'', he explained.
The capacity increase will cater to high demand during the peak summer season. The announcement comes as the Abu Dhabi-based airline completed five years of operations to the Maldives.



The summer expansion will be supported by a two-class A320 aircraft operating the route, with 16 Business and 120 Economy seats. The four extra flights each week will provide more options for local passengers travelling between Abu Dhabi and Male with an early morning arrival into the Maldives islands.



Overall connectivity to and from key destinations in the GCC and Europe will increase and, new two-way connectivity will be established from markets such as Edinburgh, Jeddah, Madrid, Moscow and Zurich.

Over the past five years, Etihad Airways has carried more than 450,000 passengers on the route, with the majority travelling to the Maldives from Abu Dhabi, the GCC and key European markets.
The event took place in the International Tourism Fair of Spain, FITUR, and will be followed by 12 months of global actions aimed at advancing sustainable tourism contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Co-presented by Max Forster, CNN, and Raquel Martinez, RTVE, the event underlined the immense socio-economic opportunities brought by the sector to all societies as well as its power to advocate for mutual understanding, peace and sustainable development worldwide.

Every day, more than three million tourists cross international borders. Every year, almost 1.2 billion people travel abroad. Tourism has become a pillar of economies, a passport to prosperity, and a transformative force for improving millions of lives. The world can and must harness the power of tourism as we strive to carry out the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development said United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in his message on the occasion of the International Year.

2017 is a unique opportunity for us to promote the contribution of tourism to achieving the future we want  and also to determine, together, the exact role we will have tourism play in the sustainable development agenda, to and beyond 2030. A unique opportunity to ensure that tourism is a pillar in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rifai, opening of the event.

With the launch of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development we once again emphasize that our nations all face common global challenges, which can only be resolved through advancing relations and furthering partnerships. By introducing this initiative, we have highlighted that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the focal point for future development, and will guide us to create long-term assets, and prevent relevant liabilities, said the Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 is an incentive to a foster social and political dialogue which can promote initiatives, investments and government actions leading to development and the fight against poverty said the vice-president of Honduras, Ricardo Alvarez Arias.

The 2030 Agenda considers sustainable tourism as a vector of development, job creation and the promotion of local culture and products. Tourism is part of the Sustainable Development Goals and contributes decisively to almost all 17 Goals through its impacts on fighting poverty, promoting decent jobs, improving gender equality and the livelihoods of young people or the fight against climate change said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Spain, Alfonso Maria Dastis.
Effective January 21, the twin-jet will be gradually deployed on scheduled flights from Tehran Mehrabad to each of Abadan, Ahwaz, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Kermanshah, Mashad, Tabriz, and Zahedan.
The Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Award recipients are determined by the Legends, including past honourees of the relevant categories. The "living legends of aviation" are people of remarkable accomplishment in aviation including: Entrepreneurs, innovators, industry leaders, record-breakers, astronauts, pilots who have become celebrities and celebrities who have become pilots. The legends meet yearly to recognise and honour individuals who have made significant contributions in aviation.



I am deeply honoured that the Living Legends of Aviation has selected me for the 2017 Lifetime Aviation Entrepreneur Award, said Ricci, who also serves as principal of Directional Aviation. This award truly is not just a personal honor, but also a reflection of the efforts of the thousands of talented and dedicated men and women at Nextant and the other Directional Aviation companies that I am proud to have been associated with during the past three decades.
The message was reiterated at Oman Airs major global conference held in Muscat on January 19, 2017.

Staff at the conference had the opportunity to recap on Oman Airs visions and values and have the chance to input on how these are communicated in the coming year. The focus was on achieving improved results and providing the best possible customer experience, despite the continuing unpredictability in the market.

The airline said in a statement:



Even in the context of increasing global volatility, economic downturn and drastically reduced Government support from over OMR 100 million to just OMR 20 million in 2016, Oman Air increased its contribution to Omans GDP by 6% last year to OMR 415 million. This is projected to grow further to a staggering OMR 900 million in 2017; creating employment opportunities to Omani nationals, bringing tourists to the Sultanate, building global connections and last but not the least, supporting small and medium enterprises.

This positive contribution to Omans economy can only be achieved by continuing to generate demand for Oman Airs expanding network, fleet and services. Continuing to differentiate will be a key focus for the coming year to ensure the airline maintains the positive revenue trajectory achieved over the last two years.

Increasing global competition and pressure from other carriers makes it imperative that Oman Air continues to stand out in an increasingly crowded market place. The airline has continued to prove its worth on the international stage in 2016 with a raft of industry awards to add to its growing collection.

Recent awards in 2016 include Worlds Leading Airline  Economy Class at the World Travel Awards in the Maldives, and Foreign Airline of the Year by Sector to the Middle East at the annual KLIA Awards, introduced in 2006 to recognize the best in Malaysian aviation industry. The coveted Signum Virtutis, the seal of excellence, from the Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards 2016 and winner for the best airline in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. The accolades are not limited to the passenger operation; Oman Air Cargo was also awarded Best Cargo Airline for Valuable Goods  North and East at the India Cargo Awards 2016 held in Delhi.

This growing international recognition creates demand for Oman Airs expanding network. Developments in the past year include: the introduction of a double daily service to London Heathrow; from five times a week, to daily flights to Paris and increased frequencies on other European routes. Manila, Jakarta, Singapore, Goa, Dhaka and Mashhad are other recent additions to the network. A major milestone at the end of 2016 was the introduction of Oman Airs first destination in China, Guangzhou, launched in December and the commencement of the four times weekly flight to Najaf, Iraq in November last year.

Network developments are continuing apace in 2017 with the revised flight agreement with the Government of India resulting in increased frequencies to five of Oman Airs 11 Indian destinations and news of a new four times weekly flight from Muscat to Nairobi, Kenya to be launched at the end of March this year. Also a new daily flight to Manchester, UK starting from May 2017 and the increase of services to Pakistan with the launch of a new Muscat to Peshwar flight later in the year.

Fleet expansion is critical to support the network expansion and 2016 saw the introduction of six brand new Boeing 737-800s joining the Oman Air fleet. Oman Air has operated B737s for many years and the aircraft provide the backbone of the airlines long and medium haul fleet.

With the addition of the new Boeing 737  800, Oman Airs fleet stands at 46. Currently Oman Airs fleet consists of four Boeing 787 Dreamliners, six Airbus 330-300s, four Airbus 330-200s, five Boeing 737-900s, 22 Boeing 737-800, one Boeing 737-700 and four Embraer 175s. Three more Boeing 737  800s are scheduled to join the fleet and this year, Oman Air will be unveiling new B787-9 Dreamliners and revamping the existing Airbus fleet.

In addition to fleet and network expansion, training facilities continue to be a major focus for Oman Air. In November last year the brand new Oman Air Flight Training Centre (OAFTC) was opened. This facility is the first of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman and enables Oman Air to provide their pilots and cabin crew with the highest standards of training, in accordance with civil aviation regulations and industry good practice.

Paul Gregorowitsch, CEO Oman Air, said: 2016 was a year of significant growth and I would like to give thanks to the guidance offered by, His Excellency Darwish Bin Ismail Bin Ali Al Bulushi, Minister Responsible for Financial Affairs and Chairman of our board, the Board Members, the effective management of our Chief Officers and the dedication of all our colleagues. Our progress in the past year could not have been achieved without the ongoing support of all our business partners. These include the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) in securing our increasing entitlements and the Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC) who tirelessly helped us to accommodate increasing flights and passenger numbers at a constrained airport; we look forward to the new passenger terminal opening later this year.

Together we are on a journey to become the best. Our objectives remain the same, where our financial performance needs to be improved further. These objectives have been facilitating Oman Airs tremendous growth, making money, increasing our market share as airline of first choice and ultimately running a safe airline. To think that this has all been achieved in the context of an increasingly volatile marketplace and decreasing Government support is a good achievement. I am privileged to be able to work with our dedicated and professional teams and partners and look forward to receiving their input to ensure that we continue on our successful path in 2017.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan on January 20 took part in the event dedicated to the Judicial System Workers Day, press service of the NKR Presidents Office told Armenpress.

In his speech, the NKR President said the judicial system is one of the important junctions of the leadership on which the NKRs reputation embarked on the path of democracy, its normal life course and the citizens welfare depend.

This is why our country gives a special place to the continuous development and improvement of the judicial system, raising the efficiency of the works of courts and strengthening the public trust towards that work, as well as professional preparedness and professionalism of judges, the NKR President said.

In connection with the professional holiday and for results shown at work, the NKR President awarded state awards and valuable gifts to a group of the system's workers.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. The core of Unity party leader Vartan Oskanians alliance is already formed and is being expanded, former FM Oskanian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service, stressing their goal is to form a wider alliance, and for that purpose simultaneous works are carried out with former defense minister Seyran Ohanyan.

We have completed negotiations with Seyran Ohanian, although I wouldnt call it negotiations because we both were on the same dimension, we had set the same issues and we see the same solutions. There is very harmonious cooperation here. Seyran Ohanyan will definitely have involvement in the alliance. Currently he isnt affiliated with the party, and I think it will be maintained so, because we have an issue of expanding the alliance, Oskanian said, adding that several parties have joined the alliance.

Speaking about their intentions of cooperation with Heritage party, Oskanian mentioned the fact that Heritage isnt in the alliance is associated with, as they say in the Heritage party, they dont have an inside decision.

The former FM says involving Raffi Hovhannisyan in the core of their alliance would be desirable. Lets wait and see the developments. I hope Heritage will also take part in the further expansion of the alliance, he said.

Oskanian didnt rule out their political cooperation with Gagik Tsarukyan. Although they havent yet met, Oskanian says by uniting they will definitely present a much powerful force, but simply because its prerequisites arent there yet, he cant say anything in that regard.

I dont have a problem with meeting Gagik Tsarukyan, Im sure so does Seyran Ohanyan, lets see what the process will bring. I am glad that he is returning, let him organize his alliance, then well see, Oskanian said.

Speaking on rumors about receiving support from 2nd President of Armenia, Oskanian said those reports are false, and Robert Kocharyan isnt anyhow associated with his alliance and doesnt have a desire to be involved.

He also added that former defense minister of Nagorno Karabakh Mr. Samvel Babayan currently has no role in the alliances activities.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Premier Karen Karapetyan visited the American University of Armenia on January 20.

As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Armenian Government, the Premier toured in the educational institution accompanied by the leadership of the University, familiarized himself with the current activities of the higher educational institution, its conditions and programs. Karen Karapetyan visited the library of the university, which serves not only the staff and students of the university, but is also open for the broader public. The Head of the Executive noted that by ensuring quality education and creating equal conditions, the country will necessarily record progress. But our aim is not simply recording progress, we are speaking about such a progress that will be tangible for any citizen, Karen Karapetyan said.

Afterwards, the PM met with the students and answered their questions. The PM noted that he is impressed by the American University, adding that he discussed with the universitys leadership how to create the same atmosphere in other universities of Armenia. Once I was asked how I see tomorrows Armenia. I had not prepared any answer to this question since I did not expect such a question. I gave the following answer: independent, safe, just and intellectual Armenia. This answer really reflects my worldviews and is not aimed at making a better impression for the audience. I am more than convinced that the component intellectual is very important for our country. If we fail in having educated citizens, we will not have a good country. Can we do that? Undoubtedly we can. For that reason our Cabinet will render maximal attention to the educational system, the Premier said.

Referring to the question of creating more attractive conditions for investments, the Head of the Executive noted that in order to attract investments it is necessary to have clear-cut, transparent, reliable and predictable conditions in tax, customs, judiciary, and legislative spheres. Do we have ideal conditions for that at the moment? Of course, no. We have a plan of how to reach that goal step by step. Moreover, recently we established the Strategic Initiatives Center majority of the members of the Board of Trustees represent the private sector from Russia, the USA, Diaspora, in the sidelines of which we will elaborate our strategies, vision, reforms. And one of the key responsibilities of the center will be changing the business environment. Here we do not need to invent a bicycle; we just have to ensure the conditions under which business will flourish, Karapetyan said, promising to spare no efforts to attract investments. He informed that next week investment programs for different spheres will be submitted to the Cabinet. He stated that for the first time the Minister of Culture has announced that culture also needs capitalization. In this regard, we know how to move forward, Karapetyan said.

PM Karapetyan also spoke about how to make Armenias educational system attractive for overseas students, touched upon fight against corruption. The students asked the Premier for some advice to those graduating the university. Be independent, vigorous and love your Fatherland. I wish you success, and be convinced that there is nowhere better for us than our country. If our country has shortcomings, we have to improve them, he answered.
Best Technology Products and Services

Would you like to submit an article in the Technology category or any of the sub-category below? Click here to submit your article.

Would you like to have your product or service listed on this page? Contact us.
The report draws on the evidence submitted from people including outgoing Arts Council England chair Peter Bazalgette, who warned that unpaid internships were the curse of the arts industry. He said there was an expectation that young people will work for less than the minimum wage, which he added was a major barrier for disadvantaged young people interested in accessing jobs in the creative industries.
Rather than diffusing controversy and polarisation, it seems as if statistics are actually stoking them. Antipathy to statistics has become one of the hallmarks of the populist right, with statisticians and economists chief among the various experts that were ostensibly rejected by voters in 2016. Not only are statistics viewed by many as untrustworthy, there appears to be something almost insulting or arrogant about them. Reducing social and economic issues to numerical aggregates and averages seems to violate some peoples sense of political decency.
By Dezan Shira & Associates

Editor: Harry Handley

Following Thailands 2014 coup, there were suggestions that the incoming military-led government would implement protectionist policies that would restrict investment into the country by foreign firms. However, in the years that followed there was a significant shift in the outlook of Thailands leaders. Barriers were lowered and restrictions reduced in a number of industries; this resulted in over US$9 billion of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2015.

Research from the Economist Intelligence Unit suggests that Thailand will continue to encourage inward investment over the next few years in order to push the economy towards high income status. This is highlighted by recent amendments made (and further amendments scheduled for 2017) to the Foreign Business Act  the predominant legislation governing foreign investment in Thailand. This article will outline the key points of the Foreign Business Act, including the recent update, and what this means for potential entrants.

Thailands Foreign Business Act

The Foreign Business Act was introduced in 1999, superseding the Alien Business Law (1972), and applies to all foreign businesses in Thailand. According to the Foreign Business Act, a business is considered foreign if it fits one of the following criteria:

It is established under foreign law

Half or more of its capital is owned by foreigners even if the company is incorporated under Thai law (as opposed to a Thai Limited Company in which a foreign party can own up to 49 percent)

Half or more of the value of the total capital being invested by foreigners even if more than half of the capital is owned by Thai nationals (put in place to block the use of Thai nominee shareholders)

RELATED: Corporate Establishment Services from Dezan Shira & Associates

The Foreign Business Act divides industries into three categories, based on the level of restrictions placed on that industry (the full list can be found at the end of this article). List One contains businesses that foreigners are not permitted to engage in for special reasons. These are completely closed to foreign investment and include a range of businesses from strategic industries such as newspapers and radio stations, to businesses related to religion (e.g. making Buddha images) which are prohibited in order to protect local customs and traditions. In addition, the Foreign Business Act prohibits foreign businesses from trading in land. This is in line with Thai Land Laws, which forbid the ownership of land by foreign individuals or entities. Nevertheless, foreign companies with substantial investments benefiting the Thai economy may be given special privileges by the Board of Investment.

List Two industries are restricted, meaning that foreign companies require prior approval and the issue of a license from the Minister in the Government Gazette. Further, no less than 40 percent of shares and positions on the board of directors in these industries must be held by Thai nationals. The shareholding percentage may be reduced to 25 percent in some cases, with the authorization of the relevant ministers. List Two businesses are categorized into the following three groups:

Group One: Businesses related to national safety or security (e.g. production of firearms)

Group Two: Businesses affecting traditional arts and culture (e.g. production of Thai musical instruments)

Group Three: Business affecting natural resources or the environment (e.g. rock salt mining)

Finally, List Three includes businesses in which Thai nationals are not yet ready to compete with foreigners. A wide range of businesses are covered by List Three, from construction to legal services. Similar to List Two, these businesses require a Foreign Business License. However, in this case the license is issued by the Director General of the Foreign Business Committee. Businesses in List Three are not required to have Thai shareholders, meaning that the company can be 100 percent foreign owned.

Although appointing Thai nominee shareholders (an unrelated third party who is registered as the holder of shares) may seem an attractive way to meet local shareholding needs without giving up decision-making power, the Foreign Business Act puts strict punishments on the table for those who attempt to disguise foreign ownership. Section 35 of the Act states that foreigners in violation of the nominee shareholding rules shall face a maximum of three years in jail or a fine of up to THB 1 million. Hence, it is advisable to avoid this situation completely and register the company correctly, either as a Thai Limited Company (maximum 49 percent foreign shareholding) or a foreign owned company, depending on the ownership structure.

The final point of note of the Foreign Business Act is the capital requirements for doing business in Thailand. Generally, the minimum registered capital required to start a business is THB 3 million. However, this can be reduced if the industry in question is being promoted by the Thai Board of Investment at the time of entry.

RELATED: The Guide to Corporate Establishment in Thailand Part 1

Recent amendments

The Thai government is working tirelessly to promote and realize its Thailand 4.0 model through which it hopes Thailand will become a high income and extensively connected smart economy. One aspect of this strategy is attracting foreign investment into business infrastructure and service industries such as banking and financial services. Accordingly, in 2016 regulations were loosened on banking (specifically, commercial banking and representative offices of foreign banks) and insurance investments. These previously List Three industries now no longer require a Foreign Business License issued by the Director General, making it easier and quicker to enter the market. Furthermore, plans are in place to extend this waiver to all financial services and telecommunications investments in 2017.

Alongside the aforementioned amendments, the Thai Board of Investment regularly promotes specific industries and fast-tracks investment approvals. This often includes the granting of permits to own land and easing of other Foreign Business Act regulations. As such, it is essential to keep abreast of current promotional activities and directives by government agencies in order to make the most of the incentives on offer.

Prohibited and restricted businesses in Thailand

List One  Foreign Investment Prohibited

Newspapers, radio broadcasting, and television broadcasting

Farming, animal husbandry, forestry, and fishery businesses

Extracting Thai herbs

Trade of Thai antiques

Making or casting Buddha images and alms bowls

Trading in land

List Two  Restricted (Requires Foreign Business License and 40 percent Thai shareholders and board members)

Group One  Businesses concerning national security or safety

Manufacturing, repair, or distribution of firearms, ammunition, etc.

Manufacturing, repair, or distribution of armaments, ships aircraft, or military vehicles

Manufacturing, repair, or distribution of any type of war equipment

Domestic land transportation, water transportation, or air transportation (including domestic aviation)

Group Two  Businesses that could have an adverse effect on culture and customs

Trading of Thai works of art or handicrafts

Wood carving

Silkworm rearing, manufacturing of Thai silk, silk weaving, or printing

Manufacturing of Thai musical instruments

Manufacturing of goldware, silverware, and other precious metal jewelry

Group Three  Businesses that could have an adverse effect on natural resources or the environment

Manufacturing of sugar from cane

Salt farming, including rock salt farming

Mining of rock salt

Mining, including stone quarrying or crushing

Timber processing for making furniture and utilities

List Three  Restricted (Requires Foreign Business License)

Rice milling and flour production from rice and plants

Breeding of aquatic creatures

Forestry from re-planting

Production of plywood, veneer, chipboard, or hardboard

Production of lime

Accountancy (Need for business license may be waived in 2017)

Legal services

Architecture

Engineering

Construction

Agency or brokerage

Auctioneering

Retailing and wholesaling

Advertising

Hotel Operation (excluding hotel management) and tourism

Sale of food and beverages

Other services



About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email asean@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight. 

Annual Audit and Compliance in ASEAN

For the first issue of our ASEAN Briefing Magazine, we look at the different audit and compliance regulations of five of the main economies in ASEAN. We firstly focus on the accounting standards, filing processes, and requirements for Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. We then provide similar information on Singapore, and offer a closer examination of the city-states generous audit exemptions for small-and-medium sized enterprises.

Human Resources in ASEAN

In this issue of ASEAN Briefing, we discuss the prevailing structure of ASEANs labor markets and outline key considerations regarding wages and compliance at all levels of the value chain. We highlight comparative sentiment on labor markets within the region, showcase differences in cost and compliance between markets, and provide insight on the state of statutory social insurance obligations throughout the bloc.

The Guide to Manufacturing in Indonesia

Choosing if, where, and how to establish foreign manufacturing operations in Indonesia can be a significant challenge. While the archipelagos vast diversity may initially seem daunting, a number of options are available which will allow entry and operations to be conducted in a seamless manner. In this issue of ASEAN Briefing, we discuss Indonesia as a hub for manufacturing within Southeast Asia, and provide guidance on how to select and establish operations within the country.
Market regulator says its also looking into allegations of insider trading at Tata Group companies, CNBC-TV18 reports.

Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry have been at loggerheads since latter was ousted as Tata Sons chairman.

Mumbai: In what could be yet another setback for Cyrus Mistry, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India has refuted allegations levelled by the ousted Tata Sons chairman against Tata Group companies.

CNBC-TV18 on Friday reported that Sebi believes there is no concrete evidence against Tata companies yet. Sebi said it took up the Tata-Mistry case at its board meeting on January 14.

Days after he was abruptly removed as Tata Sons chairman on October 24, Mistry had alleged fraudulent transaction worth Rs 22 crore in Tata Group's joint venture with Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia.

However, Sebi did not rule out an investigation into charges of insider trading. Sebi is looking into allegations of insider trading within Tata Group companies, the channel quoted sources as saying.

The National Company Law Tribunal on January 18 had rejected Mistrys contempt plea that alleged oppression and mismanagement at Tata Sons.

Mistry had also alleged that the Tata Sons overlooked minority interests at the Group. Earlier, NCLT had refused a relief to Mistry who wanted his ouster declared void and Tata Sons board disbanded.
Officials said it had informed the RBI about these alleged malpractices earlier.

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.

New Delhi: The Income-Tax department has written to the RBI informing it about the 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, 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 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.
Officers will gain touch with their near and dear ones only after the Union Budget is presented.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley taking part in the Halwa Ceremony to mark the beginning of printing of budgetary documents, in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

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.
Currently Rakesh Asthana, a Gujarat-cadre IPS officer of 1984 batch, is holding additional charge of director CBI.

New Delhi: Delhi police commissioner Alok Kumar Verma has been appointed director of the countrys premier investigating agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation. The post of director CBI was lying vacant for over a month following Anil Sinhas retirement on December 2.

Currently Rakesh Asthana, a Gujarat-cadre IPS officer of 1984 batch, is holding additional charge of director CBI.

This newspaper had first reported on December 26, 2016, that Mr Verma was the front-runner for the post. Mr Verma is the second Delhi police commissioner to become director CBI after Raja Vijay Karan.

Mr 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.

CJI Kharge is understood to have recorded his dissent note on Mr Vermas name during the meeting of the selection committee held on January 16, on the ground that the officer had never served in CBI.

Mr 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 (ITBP) Krishna Choudhary, director general of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Archana Ramasundram and Maharashtras director general of police S.C. Mathur.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the appointment of Verma as the new CBI director. His appointment will be for a period of two years from the date of assumption of charge of his office, said the press release issued by the department of personnel and training.

Mr Verma, 59, 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.

Mr Verma, 59, who belongs to Delhi, has worked in various positions with Delhi police, in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Mizoram and in the Intelligence Bureau. Before being appointed Delhis police commissioner, he was director general of Tihar prisons here. Mr Verma is the 27th director (including two acting chiefs) of the CBI.
Chandu from 37 Rashtriya Rifles had inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the LoC.

New Delhi: The minister of state for defence has lauded Pakistans latest stand on the release of jailed Indian soldier Chandu Chavan who had inadvertently strayed across the border last year and expressed hope for his safe return.

We are hopeful. Unfortunately, they (Pakistan) 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, minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre said here on Thursday, adding that it is difficult to precisely name 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 forumInitially the response was not good, but the latest response was quite good, the minister said. Chandu from 37 Rashtriya Rifles had inadvertently crossed over to the other side of the LoC on September 30.

Incidentally, Chavan hails from Bhamres Lok Sabha constituency of Dhule in Maharashtra.
The NIA, which is the countrys nodal agency for investigating counter terror cases, is also looking into the bank accounts

New Delhi: Investigations by the National Investigation Agency into activities of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the country has revealed that more educated youth were getting attracted towards the terror outfit as it has been effectively using the social media to radicalise Indian youth. Sources in the investigating agency said out of the 52 youth arrested by NIA last year in 12 ISIS related cases, at least 20 of the accused persons were either engineers or graduates while three were of them were post graduates or MCA.

Maximum number of arrests of 12 persons was made from Maharashtra, while 11 were from Kerala, 10 from Hyderabad, 5 each from Karnataka and West Bengal, 4 from Uttar Pradesh, 3 from Tamil Nadu, 2 from Rajasthan and one each from Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.

NIA sources said that as many as 80 per cent of the accused persons had formal education and schooling while the remaining 20 per cent went to a madarsa. This clearly shows that educated youth was being attracted to ISIS which is why the are focusing so much on use of social media. Interestingly, 30 of the accused arrested last year were from the middle income families while nine of them were from upper income group. Majority of the youth at least 28 are in the age group of 18-25 years while 20 of them are in the age group of 25-40 years, a senior official in the agency said.

Sources said the threat perception from ISIS remained high as it was still trying hard to radicalise youth and recruit them for subversive activities not just in India but in neighbouring areas also, particularly Bangladesh. Both NIA and the Intelligence Bureau already have specialised units to deal with increasing threat of ISIS and constantly monitor the cyber space for it also.

We keeping a very close watch on ISIS activities in the country. Though they are trying hard the terror group has so far not been able to establish a strong terror module here but they need to be kept under constant surveillance, the official added.

The NIA, which is the countrys nodal agency for investigating counter terror cases, is also looking into the bank accounts and some real estate investments by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik whose outfit, Islamic Research Foundation, has already been banned by the home ministry.
Tamil Nadu is gearing up for massive protests and a 12-hour bandh on Friday.

New Delhi/Chennai: While expressing the Centres inability to come to Tamil Nadus aid in quelling the widespread and escalating protests by promulgating an ordinance to allow the controversial bull-taming sport Jallikattu to take place as the matter is sub judice, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the same time told chief minister O. Panneerselvam that the Centre would be supportive of the steps taken by the state government.

While it was not clear what steps the Prime Minister was referring to, Mr Panneerselvam, soon after meeting Mr Modi, told reporters, We will soon take steps with the backing of the Centre for the holding of the sport All is well that ends well. Wait, good will happen.

Mr Panneerselvam had rushed to the national capital on Wednesday night and met the Prime Minister on Thursday amid widespread protests across the state over the sensitive issue.

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, and added, The Centre would be supportive of the steps taken by the state government.

But Mr Modis rejection of the states demand for an ordinance on Jallikattu triggered widespread anger in Tamil Nadu, which is gearing up for massive protests and a 12-hour bandh on Friday. Protesting youth blocked trains in several parts of the state and even vowed to return their Aadhaar cards as a sign of declaration that they were no more the citizens of India.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Thursday declined to intervene in the protests on Chennais Marina beach. Advocate N. Rajaraman had made an urgent mention before a Bench of Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, saying that the police was harassing the protesters and, in some cases, even denying them access to drinking water.

The CJI, while questioning why he had directly approached the top court, asked the lawyer to move the Madras high court.
Official statistics show that there are nearly 60,000 registered Kashmiri migrant families in the country.

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Thursday passed a resolution seeking the return of the displaced Kashmiri pandits and members of other four communities who were uprooted in the aftermath of the insurgency that erupted in the Valley in 1989-90.

The resolution was moved in the House, now holding its Budget Session in Jammu, the winter capital, by former chief minister and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah, who said: Besides pandits, people from other communities, including Sikhs, who also migrated from the Valley due to the turmoil, should return. This House should pass a resolution so that all those people return to Kashmir. Speaker Kavendra Gupta agreed, but said that a conducive atmosphere should be created for their safe return.

Responding to Mr Abdullahs demand, public works and parliamentary affairs minister 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.

The majority of the Valleys minority Hindu Brahmins called pandits fled their homes after Kashmirs Muslim youth turned to the gun and 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. Official statistics show that there are nearly 60,000 registered Kashmiri migrant families in the country. Of these, 38,119 are residing in Jammu, 19,338 are living in Delhi while 1,995 other families are settled in other states.

Sanjay K. Tickoo, president of Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS), which represents a few thousand pandits who stayed put when a majority of the community fled the Valley in 1990, disputes these figures. He says as many as 75,343 families (367,289 persons) had opted for migration from the state.

Mr Abdullah said: Today it has been 27 years since they (Kashmiri pandits and some Sikh and Muslim families) left the Valley. We should rise above politics and pass a resolution in the House for their comeback.

Independent MLA and leader of the regional Awami Itehad Party Sheikh Abdur Rashid, however, accused Mr Abdullah of trying to appease the pandits. While opposing the resolution, he said since no Kashmiri (Muslim) was opposed to the return of the pandits, there was no need to pass such a resolution, and that if Mr Abdullah or chief minister Mehbooba Mufti were really so concerned about the return of migrants, they should also speak about the thousands of families forced to migrate to other side of the Line of Control from Keran, Karnah, Uri, Poonch, Gurez and other border areas to escape the security forces atrocities.

State education minister and government spokesman Naeem Akhter said Kashmiri Muslims needed pandits more than the pandits need Kashmiri Muslims. There is an ethnic imbalance in a place where only one type of people live. Migration was a horrific part in our history, he told reporters outside the House.
SPs list includes candidates for 7 seats which the Congress holds at present, which has raised the hackles of party leaders.

Lucknow: After Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav declared the names of 191 Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates for the UP elections on Friday, fissures have appeared in his alliance with the Congress.

According to reports, the SPs list includes candidates for 7 seats which the Congress holds at present. Moreover, a senior leader from SP said that the ruling party in UP could offer at most 80 to 85 seats to the Congress to contest the polls in an alliance.

Reacting to the development, UP state Congress chief Raj Babbar said that there could be no alliance at the cost of Congress workers self-respect. We are a big party and we cannot compromise on our workers' interest, he said.

Other state Congress leaders refused to comment on the Samajwadi Partys list of candidates.

Samajwadi Party's Kiranmoy Nanda on Thursday said the Congress should ideally be given no more than 54 seats to contest. "Other than that we can give them 30-35 seats...First let the alliance happen," he said, emphasising that, "We haven't received anything from the Congress side yet."

The Congress currently holds just 29 seats in the UP Assembly and is looking to increase its tally substantially. Vice President Rahul Gandhi was on a 2-and-a-half month tour of the state, and the grand old party hopes to capitalize on the problems faced by people due to the demonetisation scheme introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh nemesis and Mulayam Singh confidante Shivpal Yadav, along with controversial UP minister Azam Khan has made it to the first list of 191 Samajwadi Party candidates released today.

The ruling party's first list of candidates covers the first three phases of the seven-phase polling beginning on February 11.

Shivpal Yadav will contest the elections from Jaswantnagar, the constituency sought for him by SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, it was declared on Friday.

Rakesh Verma, son of Rajya Sabha member Beni Prasad Verma, whose name had figured in Shivpal's list, however, has been replaced by Akhilesh loyalist Arvind Singh Gope, Minister and sitting MLA from Ramnagar seat (Barabanki).

Azam Khan will contest from his traditional Rampur seat while his son Abdullah Azam has been given ticket from Swar seat (Rampur district).

The highlight of the list is inclusion of names of several Akhilesh loyalists who were left out in an earlier list of candidates that his father Mulayam Singh Yadav had released last month.

The inclusion of Shivpal in today's list of candidates indicates reconciliation between father and son.

A defiant Akhilesh had last month announced his own candidates after his father's list did not accommodate many of his key aides.

After the Election Commission's order on Monday recognising Akhilesh as SP president and granting him use of the party's 'bicycle' symbol, Mulayam had handed over to his son a list of 38 candidates that he wanted the party to field. Among them was Shivpal.

In the list of candidates declared today, 52 are Muslims and 18 women.

Though Akhilesh has taken care not to include controversial figures, still the list carries the name of Vijay Singh, who was the main accused in the murder of BSP leader Brahmdutt Dwivedi. He has been fielded from Farrukhabad.

Atiq Ahmed, a mafia-turned-politician, who had been given ticket by Shivpal from Kanpur Cantt, has been dropped and in his place Mohd Hasan Rumi has been given party ticket.

Akhilesh was upset over inclusion of Ahmed's name in the earlier list that bore the stamp of Mulayam and Shivpal. Atiq had yesterday told reporters that he would not contest the 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 had said, adding he would work to strengthen the party and refrain from doing anything that will strengthen communal forces.

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 tickets.
Diego Garcia, was leased by Britain to the US for the military base two years before Mauritius got independence in 1968.

New Delhi: It was for the UK and Mauritius to reach an amicable solution on the Diego Garcia Island dispute, government sources said on Friday and asserted that the same was conveyed to British foreign secretary Boris Johnson during his talks with senior officials in New Delhi earlier this week.

There have been media reports that the visiting British foreign secretary raised the issue of Diego Garcia during his meetings in Delhi on January 18. The issue did come up in his discussions with senior officials. India made it clear that it has a long-standing and principled position on this subject. We also conveyed that it is for Britain and Mauritius to reach an amicable solution on this matter bilaterally, sources said, adding however that the issue did not come up during Mr Johnsons meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as was being projected by some reports.

Media reports from London had claimed earlier that Mr Johnson, who was in India on a three-day visit and attended the Raisina Dialogue on January 18, had raised the issue with PM Modi and had sought Indian assistance in resolving current tensions between the UK, the US and Mauritius over the future of the American military base Diego Garcia.

One of the Chagos islands in the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia, was leased by Britain to the US for the military base two years before Mauritius got independence in 1968. According to reports, the British relocated approximately 2,000 Mauritians living in Chagos to make way for the American base.

The lease expired recently, but has been renewed by London until December 20, 2036, much to the chagrin of Mauritius, which has threatened to take Britain to the International Court of Justice to resolve the dispute.
Life comes to halt as dawn-to-dusk strike gets unprecedented support in state.

Members of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) stop a train during a demonstration against the ban on the Jallikattu in Chennai. (Photo: PTI)

Chennai: Tamil Nadu shut down all activities Friday, closing shops and stopping public transport  buses, trains, autorickshaws and taxis  in support of the massive protests by students seeking revival of the bull-taming festival, Jallikattu.

Chennais arterial roads and commercial hubs wore a deserted look as at least two lakh people converged at Marina area.

The dawn-to-dusk strike called by various organisations, including trade unions, got unprecedented support across the state with all shops in every nook and corner voluntarily downing their shutters.

The suburban electric multiple units (EMUs), which usually operate during strikes, also did not operate, bringing life to a halt.

There were also no autorickshaws and taxis. Only a few buses operated as employees of transport unions stayed away from work, responding to a strike call by trade unions in support of the Tamil movement without a leadership.

The only mode of public transport was the Indian Railways-owned Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System (CMRTS), which brought people from other parts of the city to Marina.

The protests continued throughout the city and people came out in large numbers in the western belt, delta districts and northern Tamil Nadu, besides south Tamil Nadu, the hub of Jallikattu protests.

Tamils in other states of the country too gathered to raise their voice. Tamils living in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, the UAE, Algeria, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, the US and the UK, among others, gathered at public places to protest in support of their relatives in Tamil Nadu. They also sent messages on Twitter and other social networks.

All sections of society including doctors, lawyers, farmers and fishermen held protests expressing solidarity with the agitating students.

At least 2,000 mechanised fishing boat owners and thousands of country boat owners did not go out to sea in solidarity with the protesters.

In Rameswaram, all shops remained closed. Following the protests, Southern Railway announced full and partial cancellation of some trains, besides diversion of others.

Private schools were closed and people who were at home were glued to their television sets watching live coverage of the protests.
The customer Richard Procter posted a photo of the cup online about the issue

The cup of coffee with Richard's name was written as R R R Richard because he had a stammering problem that the barista noticed

People who stammer have been the butt of many jokes for so long now that it makes most of them immune to the people poking fun. Recently a barista took it a step further when he teased a stammering person by writing his name on the cup, the same way.

According to a report in the Metro, Richard Procter went to a Starbucks at Ashford International railway station in Kent to have his coffee; however he was surprised when the barista at the counter gave him his cup. The cup of coffee with his name was written as R R R Richard because he had a stammering problem that the barista noticed. The coffee chain which writes its customers name on the cup had a rather different approach to this one when the barista penned the name.

The treatment I received from one of [Starbucks] staff this morning was extremely offensive and humiliating, said Procter who owns an IT company. He also went on to say that it would definitely have not happened if it was a person with more obvious disabilities and it is not acceptable in public. When the photo went viral, Chief executive of The British Stammering Association (BSA) Norbert Lieckfeldt said: This is just another example of the ridicule and thoughtlessness that people who stammer face every day and which makes living your life with a stammer so hard.

Starbucks has been quick to apologise to Richard Procter and have also suspended the barista involved in the incident.
The petitioner had claimed that Delhi Government had spent over Rs 42 lakh by giving advertisements in 20 newspapers.

New Delhi: Delhi Police was on Friday directed by a court in New Delhi to file an action taken report on a criminal complaint seeking lodging of FIR against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly misleading people by saying that the municipal corporations were not under state's control.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Munish Markan called for the report from the officials of Karawal Nagar Police Station in North East Delhi after hearing arguments of the counsel for the complainant.

The court fixed the matter for April 15 for filing of the action taken report.

During the hearing, complainant Brijesh Shukla submitted in court documents relating to his claim that the Delhi Government had spent over Rs 42 lakh by giving advertisements in 20 newspapers which were allegedly misleading.

The complainant's counsel Rajesh Kumar had earlier informed the court that in an RTI reply, Delhi government has admitted that a total expense of Rs 42,01,405 was incurred in giving advertisements to the newspapers on October 30, 2015.

He had argued that public money was wasted for "spreading lies" and people were "misled".

The complainant has sought direction to the SHO of Karawal Nagar Police Station to register an FIR against Kejriwal under Section 406 (criminal breach of trust) of IPC.

The complaint has claimed that Kejriwal had come out with full-page advertisements in newspapers in October 2015, saying there were misunderstandings regarding a strike by MCD employees and that it was wrong to say that the corporations fell under the Delhi government.

"In November 2015, I filed an RTI with Delhi government which in its reply has said that the corporations are under its control. Action should be initiated against him (Kejriwal) for misleading people and spending public money for spreading lies," the complainant has said.

Shukla claimed he had also filed complaints with the Deputy Commissioner of Police and the Lieutenant Governor seeking lodging of FIR against Kejriwal for allegedly misappropriating public fund, but no action was taken.

Shukla had in September last year allegedly thrown ink at Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia outside the LG's office.
JLF has always attracted hordes of teenyboppers trying to catch a glimpse of Bollywood celebs who have become regulars here.

Jaipur: The 10th Jaipur Literature Festival 2017, filled with five days of unadulterated fun, and of course, books and ideas, kicked off in a different style with Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje joining hands with lyricist Gulzar, American poet Anne Waldman and mystic Sadhguru at inauguration of the event on Thursday.

Beginning with the soothing music of Shillong Chamber Choir, the overcrowded Diggi Palace, which hosts the event, turned into a mela as Gulzars voice reverberated on the Front Lawns. Marked by the presence of several literary heavyweights and book lovers, JLF has always attracted hordes of teenyboppers trying to catch a glimpse of Bollywood celebs who have become regulars here.

In his trademark style, Gulzars keynote address in his gentle and baritone voice began was full of metaphors that he is known for using in his lyrics and poetry. He spoke about his fear to give speeches, emphasised about need to remain grounded, dropped subtle hints about what he thinks about todays politics and most importantly why he writes.

Being a guest of honour is a tough job. I am used to recite my poem and leave but this time organizers have made me guest of honour and I dread it because delivering speech is difficult, he said. Phool kitni nhi oonchi tehni par khila ho lekin tabhi tak khila rahta hai jab tak ki jade mitti se judi rahti hain, he said. Similarly, he noted that if ones feet are not firmly placed on the ground, the ink in ones pen gradually runs dry. Therefore, he said, it is necessary to connect with the society.

Sadhguru, in conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy, focused on actions to stimulate ones mind and exploration of contemporary thought and vision. Paul Beatty, the first American writer to win Man Booker Award for his novel, The Sellout, a comic genius in the category of satire of US racial politics, drew the loudest applause from the large group of audience. Witty, caustic, funny and self-effacing at the same time, Beatty dispelled all myths about labels associated with books and authors.

Hailed to be the largest literary festival in the world, JLF continues to evolve and innovate. As William Dalrymple said, Festivals, like children, have their own lives as one, chooses the best location and time of year, plans and designs with the bright, the brilliant and the beautiful from across the world.
Obama will on Friday hand over several thousand US combat troops overseas to his successor, Donald Trump.

Washington: Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize may have confounded critics and created enormous expectations, but ultimately it had little influence on his refusal to get drawn into the bloodshed in Syria.

In accepting the prize on December 10, 2009, the young US president, elected only a year earlier, gave a steely speech about "war and peace," outlining what would become the pillars of his foreign policy.

He defended America's right to wage war provided it was "morally justified" and acknowledged the paradox that he was being honored a week after ordering 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan.

"War is sometimes necessary," the commander-in-chief, then fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, told the gathering in Oslo.

"Our actions matter and can bend history in the direction of justice," he said, warning that "consequences" must back diplomacy to beat repression.

But if the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were legacies of his predecessor, George W. Bush, Obama will on Friday hand over several thousand US combat troops overseas to his successor, Donald Trump.

Norway's Nobel committee -- heavily criticized for choosing a man yet to prove his worth -- at the time praised Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

Seven years later, Obama steps down "neither a pacifist, nor a warmonger" says Joseph Bahout, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace research center in Washington.

Red line

"He is a realist with a slight penchant for moralizing, but he's not an idealist," he added, calling Obama a proponent of one strand of American foreign policy doctrine.

The attitude that America should no longer be an automatic or zealous policeman of the world puts Obama closer to Trump than the more interventionist approach of George W. Bush or even Bill Clinton.

"The Nobel Peace Prize did not influence his (overseas) action," said Bahout, who believes Obama was governed by "instinct" in not dragging America into military conflicts.

Faced with the scale of the tragedy in Syria, which has killed more than 310,000 people and displaced millions since 2011, Obama has spoken of feeling responsible even if the window for intervention was limited.

"There hasn't been probably a week that's gone by in which I haven't reexamined some of the underlying premises around how we're dealing with the situation in Syria," he said last September.

But he told CBS News in an interview broadcast last weekend that he did not regret his famous "red line" speech about Syria's use of chemical weapons -- criticized by many of his opponents as a failure.

Speaking about possible US military action, he warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in August 2012 that "seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized" would be a "red line."

In 2013, the Syrian military used chemical weapons in an attack on rebel-controlled areas of Damascus, killing nearly 1,500 civilians, more than 400 of them children.

Obama doctrine

After a video caused outrage around the world, the United States, Britain and France prepared for imminent air strikes but Washington and London pulled back.

The United States instead reached an agreement with Russia to dismantle Syria's chemical arsenal. But Obama could not keep out of the war completely.

In September 2014 he forged an international bombing coalition to attack the so-called Islamic State group and other radical jihadist units in Syria while pursuing, in vain, a political solution.

But Obama's refusal to put US boots on the ground, apart from several hundred special forces, helped give Russia the military and diplomatic upper hand.

Amy Greene, a researcher on US foreign policy at Sciences Po in Paris, sees no link between Obama's Peace Prize and lack of intervention in Syria.

"Obama wasn't convinced that troops on the ground would improve the situation. It was a head of state's responsibility not to unleash Iraq take two," Greene told AFP.

But under Obama, the United States has drastically stepped up its use of drone strikes in undeclared wars in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, killing 2,581 "combatants" since 2009, according to a US intelligence tally in July.

"We can be sorry that he did not close Guantanamo Bay and that he used a lot of drones but this is a president who has acted according to his principles and his doctrine," said Greene.
Trumps odd views on the conduct of US foreign policy are a major cause of apprehension among world leaders.

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. Not an auspicious beginning for a man occupying the worlds most powerful position. 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 moral and political 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, though unverified, alleges that Russia might have compromised Trump by filming him frolicking with sex workers in a Moscow hotel; this has made the new President a security risk in the view of many US officials.

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. That makes one wonder about the credibility of a leader carrying such a huge baggage of scepticism.

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, thus deviating from Washingtons long-standing policy.

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 Palestinian land. His intended appointment of David Friedman, a pro-settlements lawyer, as his ambassador to Israel has provoked huge criticism even from US allies who see the move as a recipe for disaster that will fuel further violence in West Asia.

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 Americas Western allies.

China is another country that is feeling the heat of Trumps rogue foreign policy stance. 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. Over the last four decades, relations between the two countries have strengthened despite periodic hiccups.

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 regional and global 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 European Union. His public criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel for allowing more than one million immigrants into Germany has provoked a strong reaction from Bonn. Trumps election has encouraged the ultra-nationalist wave that is threatening European unity.

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 of 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 re-entering the international mainstream. There has not been any softening in Trumps anti-Muslim rhetoric as he prepares to take over the presidency. This is bound to strengthen Islamist militant groups like the ISIS and Al Qaeda.

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
Donald Trump has triumphed and now the show must begin in right earnest.

US President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address on the West Front of the US Capitol on Friday in Washington, DC, after he was sworn in by Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts. (Photo: AFP)

Donald Trump assumed office as Americas 45th President on Friday. Over 25 ears Sixteen years after the collapse of the erstwhile Soviet Empire in December 1991 and four Presidents in the interim period when the US regarded itself to be the only superpower in the world, the sheen today is off.

While any democratic nation is entitled to elect whosever they like, the one significant thing that Mr Trumps election underscores is the deep anxiety that Americans have about their future and what the complexities of the present world mean for the American way of life.

Immigration, the spectre of Islamic fundamentalism and the loss of its manufacturing base essentially to China were the three hot-button issues that politically correct establishment figures were unwilling to address. By taking these issues head-on early in the campaign, Mr Trump hit a raw nerve that resonated with the people a reality that mainstream media in the US refused to acknowledge. Thats all in the past.

Mr Trump has triumphed and now the show must begin in right earnest. What does the Trump presidency mean?

The first dilemma goes out to Southeast Asians  there is a perception that the Trump administration will not be as engaged in Southeast and even North Asia as earlier US administrations have been. In that event, a power vacuum will manifest itself which China will be eager to fill. If the spectre of Chinese domination grows, where does that leave Australia, India, Japan, South Korea and the littoral states of the South China Sea?

The second dilemma goes out to West Asians, or what is referred to as the Middle East. As Mr Trump surveys the swathe of territory from the Strait of Bosphorus to the Khyber Pass and beyond that to the Wagah border between India and Pakistan, it sees a region in deep turmoil. The Trump administration has already sent out some strong signals about the way it would want to shape the Israel-Palestine conflict, and though the recent Paris Conference on this festering sore of history was largely factitious, it remains to be seen as to how the new administration looking at the region with a fresh pair of eyes can come up with workable policy prescriptions.

The third dilemma goes out to the ayatollahs of nuclear proliferation, arms control regimes and disarmament soothsayers. Mr Trump has tweeted for a qualitative and quantitative expansion of the US nuclear arsenal. There has always existed a minor school of thought in the US that more is better in terms of nukes? The question that it raises what would such a world look like? Would it spark off an arms race again with a resurgent Russia? Would it compel some of the yet undeclared nuclear weapon states to go public? This would have profound implications on international security that are too horrendous to even contemplate.

The fourth and final dilemma goes out to cyber security mandarins. The recent general election in the US has challenged the fidelity of voting processes. The unanimous intelligence read of the intelligence boffins presented to Mr Trump have pointed to alleged Russian interference in the US election processes? Does it have implications for other democracies around the world, specially in Europe, where a round of critical elections are coming up? These are some of the larger issues that are not country-specific.

India so far has been pretty nonchalant about the Trump presidency. There is a general belief that while Democrats are more feted by the Indian political elite, strategic thinkers believe that Republicans are better to do business with. In the past eight years of the Obama presidency not a single big idea has either emerged or has been conceptually incubated by the two countries. Would the Trump-India engagement be any different?

The concerns of the Trump administration on the need to rein in ISIS, withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the lack of a conceptual framework vis-a-vis the Afghanistan-Pakistan paradigm are some of the areas to which Indian policymakers must apply their minds too. Does India fit into any of these concerns?

One of the frameworks that ostensibly attract the new American administration is the size of the Indian defence establishment and its intrinsic institutional capacity. This in no way applies to the procurement potential that in any case has seen an exponential jump in the past few years. It, on the contrary, has everything to do with projecting power and putting it to practical use.

India was called upon by a previous Republican administration to weigh in when Iraq was invaded by a multinational coalition in March 2003. Even then there was a BJP-led NDA government that was charged with the remit of steering the ship of the Indian state. However, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee wisely refrained from committing any Indian troops to that ill-advised venture. Would Prime Minister Narendra Modi respond differently if a similar call goes out regarding the ISIS?

Mr Vajpayee is a libertarian at heart; Mr Modis core beliefs are closer to some of the ideologically-driven foreign policy positions that the Trump administration may decide to take. Coupled with the desire to stride on the global stage, ignoring the reality that India is home to the second largest Muslim population that can proudly claim that none of them has even been remotely allured by the medieval caliphate vision of the ISIS, this government may inadvertently walk into a situation that can have domestic consequences as well.

The world of Mr Trump may be very different from what the world has so far encountered. It will after the inauguration have to constantly keep figuring out if the early morning tweets represent Mr Trumps personal view as opposed to a carefully-crafted inter-agency-driven American position articulated and executed in a calibrated manner. We surely do live in interesting times.
The PMs principal formulation on China also appeared to be out of kilter.

At the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi earlier this week, there was little in Prime Minister Narendra Modis fairly lengthy remarks on foreign policy that could have given the international gathering an insight into his governments approach to complex matters of our region and the world. The PM fell short of connecting the dots. Indeed, his observations on Pakistan and China  among our most consequential relationships  appeared to not take into account the developments which have made Beijing and Islamabad cooperate closely to New Delhis detriment. Those in our neighbourhood, declared Mr Modi without naming Pakistan, who support violence, perpetrate hatred and export terrorism, stand isolated and ignored.

Is that right? China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has stood foursquare behind Pakistan for many years, and in recent times has backed Pakistan even on terrorism, as evidenced by Beijings blocking of efforts at the UN to name Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar an international terrorist, which India and France push for.

With Beijing and Islamabad being gung-ho about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Beijing has begun giving strong political support to Islamabad on matters relating to terrorism. Pakistan will no doubt return the favour when it moves against all those within its territory who politically oppose CPEC, in spite of its much-vaunted potential for economic benefits to Pakistan, or at least its ruling elites.

The PMs principal formulation on China also appeared to be out of kilter. From the 1990s onwards, India and China have mutually agreed to carry on bilateral trade and economic interactions while working to resolve the boundary disagreements, progress on which appears imperceptible after two decades. Since then the relationship has come under strain on multiple fronts.

China has sought to block Indian shipping in the South China Sea, it has taken its road to Pakistan through Indian territory in high Asia, it has placed its troops in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, it has pitched for Masood Azhar not to be named a terrorist, and it has blocked repeated international attempts to make India a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. In each of these cases, barring activities in the South China Sea, Beijing and Islamabad appear to have acted closely together.

And yet, Mr Modis formulation is that it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences. He has also  and not for the first time  called on Beijing to be sensitive to Indias core concerns and interests. These urgings appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

The Indian leadership needs to show better footwork regionally in its dealing with Afghanistan, Iran and Russia to balance the negatives while the United States under President Donald Trump could remain enigmatic for some time.
Peltiers supporters consider their clemency request to Obama as their last chance for winning his freedom.

American Indian activist Leonard Peltier attorney, Martin Garbus, says they received a letter from the White House on Wednesday saying their application to commute his sentence to the 40 years hes already served has been denied.(Photo: AP)

Minneapolis: President Barack Obama has declined 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 declined.

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.
by Melani Manel Perera

The Archbishop of Colombo said that he was an "outstanding example of reconciliation." He spoke both Tamil and Sinhalese and lived in communion with both ethnicities. A relic exhibited for the devotion of the faithful. Foundations laid of the new national shrine dedicated to him.

Colombo (AsiaNews) - Card. Malcolm Ranjith, archbishop of Colombo, inaugurated 2017 as the year dedicated to St. Joseph Vaz, the Apostle of Sri Lanka and the country's first saint canonized by Pope Francis during the pastoral visit of 2015.

The ceremony was held on 14 January in the cathedral of St. Lucia in Kotahena in the capital, in conjunction with the closing of the Year of Mercy. Speaking to those present, the cardinal said: "St. Joseph Vaz was an extraordinary example of reconciliation for the Tamils and the Sinhalese, the two linguistic groups [and ethnic, ed] of Sri Lanka. He not only spoke both languages, but has lived peacefully with members of the two ethnic groups. "



The archbishop reported that the island's Catholic Church intends to publish more details "on his courageous work for Sri Lanka and for the Catholics in the world. Particular attention will be given to the fight against poverty and the growth of religious harmony among different religions and racial groups, virtues that St. Joseph Vaz embodied in full. "



On the inauguration day, a relic of the saint (a blue cotton jacket) was exposed for devotion in two places of worship: from 6 am to 4 pm, at the shrine of St. Anthony Kochchikade; from 9 pm to 4:30 in the afternoon, in the cathedral of St. Lucia, where it was carried in procession. From next March 31 the relic will be placed in the Basilica of Our Lady of Tewatte, the national Marian shrine.



For the occasion, the official hymn "Vandaneeyawu, Pujaneeyawu" composed J.K.S. Perera was also performed. The Cardinal urged the bishops and priests present to promote the song in all the parishes of the diocese during the year.



In the days following the various ceremonies were held on the territory and in the schools. In Maha Galgamuwa, in the central-west where there is a church dedicated to the Apostle, the foundation stone for a national shrine in his honor was laid.
The "special session" of the OIC focused on persecution of the Muslim minority in Myanmar. Najib Razak calls for the perpetrators to be "brought to justice." Bangladesh Minister: Respond to the question concerning citizenship.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Regional governments, international Islamic organizations and human rights activists are launching a new appeal to the government of Myanmar, to put an end to the tragedy of Rohingya Muslims. The Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak addressed the vertices of Naypyidaw, invoking the end of all forms of discrimination and attacks; the Muslim-majority countries, adds the premier, will take on the task of acting to stem this "humanitarian tragedy" of huge proportions.



"The killings must end," stressed Najib, during a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) requested from Kuala Lumpur to discuss the Rohingya emergency. "The persecution of fellow citizens, men and women - he added - for the simple reason that they are Muslims, has to end."



"We appeal to the government of Myanmar - said Najib - to put an immediate end to all discriminatory actions and attacks against Rohingya. And that the culprits are brought to justice."



In recent months, violent clashes have increased between the Myanmar military and what they call "a militant group of Muslim Rohingya" in Rakhine State.

The Rohingya are a Muslim group of just over one million people, originally from Bangladesh who live mostly in refugee camps scattered across Myanmar. The latter has refused to grant them citizenship.

As a result of the violence, at least 90 people have died and about 30,000 have been displaced since the beginning of October. Reports of widespread abuse have also emerged. The Tatmadaw continues to go from village to village clearing the territory of rebels. The Rohingya have complained of summary executions, arbitrary arrests, rapes, houses torched in a what the government has called clearance operations intended to strike those who have attacked Myanmar security forces.

The authorities flatly deny allegations of abuses and genocide, but they have prevented independent journalists and aid workers from accessing parts of the State.

Yesterday the foreign ministers of member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation got together for a "special session"in Malaysia to address the Rohingya crisis. The OIC represents 57 Muslim-majority states, with a combined population of 1.6 billion people. It acts as a "collective voice" in a Muslim world that is often divided.



The OIC ministers call for free access to Rakhine State to launch an independent investigation to shed light on the accusations of ethnic cleansing against the minority.



The meeting was held in the capital of Malaysia and lasted one day. In the resolution adopted at the end of the meeting, the representatives requested the OIC Secretary General Yousef al-Othaimeen deal with the Burmese Government for the formation of a delegation that has access to the area. In addition, Naypyidaw has to ensure the green light to the entrance of humanitarian aid. The organization also says it is ready to work with the United Nations and ASEAN [the association that brings together 10 countries of South-East Asia] to promote inter-religious dialogue in Myanmar Buddhist majority.



The Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Shahriar Alam finally requested repatriation to Myanmar and recognition of citizenship of the Rohingya refugees who have sought shelter across the border. According to data released by the government of Dhaka, at least 65 thousand people have crossed the border to escape the Burmese army repression. Of those, approximately 33 thousand are living in refugee camps and other 300 thousand are outside of these centers, in extremely precarious conditions.
by Kamran Chaudhry

The young Muslim was one of 2,000 people who attacked a Christian village in 2005, incited by radicals on false blasphemy charges. An interfaith youth group was set up in 2010. Pakistanis desperately need role models.

Lahore (AsiaNews)  Muhammad Akram was a teen when he attacked the Catholic Church in his home town. Now he promotes interfaith dialogue, starting with young people.

The university student was only 15 when he vandalised the Holy Spirit Church in Sangla Hill in Punjab, as a member of an angry mob of Muslims who wanted to punish the alleged desecration of the Quran by a Christian.

"Now I apologise to everyone, he told AsiaNews. I did it only because my friends and acquaintances were damaging the property (church)."

Akram spoke yesterday in Lahore at the annual dinner of the Youth Development Foundation (YDF), an organisation set up in 2010 in which he is a member. As one of 1,600 young people who trained with the foundation last year, he wants to effect change in Pakistani society with young people from every religious background.

The student took part in the action that devastated Holy Spirit Church in the Christian village of Sangla Hill.

On 12 November 2005, about 2,000 people looted and set fire to Christian properties in the village. The latter included three churches, a convent, two Catholic schools, the homes of a Protestant clergyman and a parish priest, a girls' hostel, a dispensary run by nuns and some private homes.

The attack was motivated by the false rumour that Yousaf Masih, a local Christian, had burnt pages of the Quran, an act that is punishable by death in Pakistan in accordance with the countrys blasphemy law.

Akram mentioned the sad fate of the Christian man, a semi-illiterate farmworker who was cleared of all charges and yet forced to abandon the village for fear of retaliation. He died a few years later alone, hidden somewhere.

The Muslim student is repentant of his actions and is currently on a tour to raise public awareness about tolerance and social action. He slams proclamations in mosques, whose only purpose is to lead to confrontations.

In his view, some "people have turned religious antagonism into their stock-in-trade. There is great profit in it, and many supporters can be attracted in a short period of time."

Shahid Rehmat, founder and executive director of YDF, acknowledges their work faces many challenges.

"When we call people to meetings, many think at first that we want to convert them, he explained.

Christian students fear Muslim youth. Social media and TV channels are full of stories that show the widening gap between the communities. But."

We do not discuss theology, the YDF director said. However, once people become friends, they discuss discriminatory laws without hesitation."

Many Muslim speakers, including politicians in power, appreciate the interfaith youth group.

"I seek forgiveness from young people because we have not been able to do much to put an end to intolerance in society, said Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, a member of the Punjab Assembly.

There are many differences between our sects. Our attitudes are opposite to those of the Prophet Muhammad. We desperately need role models.
by Nirmala Carvalho

Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) - In Orissa "ecumenism among Christians is a living reality, because it is a blood ecumenism" says Mgr. John Barwa, Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, intervening in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. He explains that it was the "circumstances", that is, the anti-Christian pogrom of 2008, "to make us united and ecumenical and to fight for peace and mutual development".



Msgr. Barwa continues: "The horrific anti-Christian violence united us all as Christians, followers of Jesus Christ. Our persecutors failed to distinguish between denominations, they only knew that we belong to Jesus, we love him, we are ready to die for him. "



The archbishop argues that the Hindu radicals targeted the Christian community in Orissa, and in particular those of Kandhamal district, because "our faith is visible and therefore the extremists have killed our people ... burned our churches and homes". "The cross of Christ  he adds - was proof that united us. This is ecumenism for us, and we, his people, we are proud of our ecumenical love, solidarity, unity and peace ".



Msgr. Barwa reports that there are frequent encounters between Christian leaders of all denominations: "We meet regularly and these gatherings are a sign of love and brotherhood in serving our people." With the ecumenical love, he suggests, "we can create a culture of peace and harmony, solidarity, unity and service for the good of all."



The prelate also reports that in Bhubaneshwar a common burial ground for Christians was identified. Then he points out that the "Catholic Church is at the service of all. For this, as Christians united by the love of Christ and for Christ, all our educational institutions, the social apostolate and those in the health field must not discriminate between Christians, not even against those who have persecuted us. "
by Mathias Hariyadi

Muslim student groups and Islamic organisations slam the event, want its cancellation. They demand respect for the "religious" feelings of the Muslim community. However, the event has been celebrated for years by the citys large Chinese community without causing any problems.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  Muslim student groups and members of moderate Indonesia Islamic organisations are protesting against a "pig food festival", the only one in the country, in Semarang, Central Java.

The culinary event is associated with the Lunar New Year and is promoted by local Chinese, who represent one of the citys important communities.

Local Muslim movements mobilised today, calling for the cancellation of the festival dedicated to the pig, an animal deemed impure and haram (prohibited) in Islam. They claim that the initiative, even if it is gastronomical in nature, ends up "promoting" intolerance.

The groups leading the protest, which include the youth wing of Muhammadiyah, and the Indonesian Islamic Students (HMI), went to police headquarters in Semarang to express their displeasure and demand the festivals cancellation.

The representatives of the Muslim groups asked police, which have the power to stop the event, to:

- cancel the pig food festival because it could spark intolerance since eating pork is banned among Muslims;

- remind city residents to respect the "religious" feelings of its Muslim residents;

- stop issuing permits for events that can potentially promote intolerance in the city.

Local sources point out that the festival, dedicated to the pig, has been celebrated on the eve of Chinese New Year in shopping malls in Semarang for several years without causing incidents or protests.

Protest broke out only this year as part of a rising tide of intolerance and persecution against non-Muslim Indonesians. Some recent controversial episodes evince this trend.

In one case, Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Ahok Purnama, a Christian, has been put on trial for alleged blasphemy.

Another involves a public servant in Bantul, forcibly reassigned from his job because some Muslim extremists did not like the idea of a Catholic holding office in a predominantly Muslim district.

More recently, indigenous Dayak in West Kalimantan prevented a radical Islamic leader with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) from getting off the plane that had flown him to the district.

Festival coordinator Firdaus Ali Nugroho noted that this years festival is set to last longer, from 23 to 29 January, and that everyone is invited to taste pork dishes, except Muslims who should stay away to avoid confrontations and protests.
"When God forgives, He forgets." "He forgets, He forgives. In front of a repentant heart, forgive and forget: 'I will forget, I will not remember their sins'. This is an invitation not to remind the Lord of our sins but to sin no more. "

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Change your heart, change your life" and "to change your belonging: never belong to high society, the spirit of the world, the nonsense of the world, only to the Lord", said Pope Francis at Mass celebrated this morning at Santa Marta

Taking inspiration from the Letter to the Hebrews, Pope Francis said the new covenant which God makes with us in Jesus Christ renews our heart. God renews all things from the roots, not only in appearance, he said. This new covenant has its own characteristics. First, he said, the law of the Lord is not an external way of acting; rather, it enters the heart and changes our mindset, as well as causing a change of heart, a change of feeling, of way of acting, and a different way of looking at things.

The Holy Father offered the example of a work of art, which an architect can behold either with cold envy or with joy and goodness. The new covenant changes our heart and allows us to see the law of the Lord with this new heart, with this new mindset. Consider the doctors of the law who persecuted Jesus. These men did everything prescribed by the law. But their mindset was distanced from God. Theirs was an egotistical mindset, focused on themselves: their hearts constantly condemned [others]. The new covenant changes our hearts and minds. There is a change in mindset.

The Lord, he added, goes ahead and assures us that God will pardon our iniquity and remember no longer our sins. At times, I like to think about joking with the Lord: You dont have a good memory! This is the weakness of God: when God forgives, He forgets.

He forgets, because he forgives. Before a penitent heart, He forgives and forgets: I will forget, I will not remember their sins. But this too is an invitation not to remind the Lord of our sins, that is, to not sin any more: You have forgiven me, you forgot. A change of life, a new covenant renews me and changes my life, not only the mindset and heart, but my life. To live without sin, far from sin: this is to recreate. This is how the Lord recreates us. In conclusion, the Pope spoke about the change of appearance. He said, We belong to God, other gods do not exist A change of mindset changes the heart, life, and appearance. He reiterated that this is the recreation, which the Lord makes even more glorious than the first Creation.

He then exhorted Christians to follow through with this covenant and to be ever true to it. The seal of this covenant is faithfulness, to be faithful to this work which the Lord has completed to change our mindset, to change our hearts. The prophets said, But the Lord will change your heart of stone into a heart of flesh: To change ones heart and life and to sin no more, not reminding the Lord that He has forgotten our sins.
After the death of President Islam Karimov, the new leader picks his new team to build a strong cabinet, seemingly more moderate than previous ones.

Tashkent (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Uzbekistans new president, Shavkat Mirzyaev, who was elected on 14 December 14 last year with 88.61 per cent of the vote, has started to name his cabinet, bringing back many of his former colleagues.

After the death of his predecessor, Islam Karimov, the new head of state seems determined to reshuffle the cabinet whilst avoiding political and administrative disruptions.

Mirziyaevs first new high-level appointment is Abdulla Aripov as prime minister. The latter was deputy prime minister for ten years before he fell out of Karimovs good graces in 2012 and was sacked over allegations of corruption.

The outgoing deputy prime minister, Rustam Azimov  who enjoyed close personal relations with the late Islam Karimov, and was well known inside and outside Uzbekistan  did not get the post of prime minister as some expected.

Azimov, who also lost his job as minister of finance, was given the post of deputy prime minister for macroeconomic development and foreign investments.

After gaining independence from the USSR in 1991, Uzbekistan began a process of privatisation that was slower and less aggressive than in neighbouring Kazakhstan.

Unlike the latter, Uzbekistan has had fewer oligarchs. One of them is Salim Abduvaliev, known in Uzbekistani as Salimboy (Salim the rich), his proven ability to influence the decisions of government officials viewed with disapproval by politicians.

Now, under Mirzyaev, "Salimboy" will become deputy president of the National Olympic Committee.

Uzbekistans security structure is undergoing changes at the top as well. The new president has asked several former ministers to join the new government.

One of them is Zokirjon Almatov, Interior minister during 19912005, who will now head a newly established commission to fight corruption.

Bakhodir Marlyubov, who replaced Almatov as Interior ministry between 2006 and 2013, will now head the ministrys academy.

Mirzyaev, who earlier this month criticised all top departments officials for their ineffectiveness, plans a series of internal reforms.
Dillion Harper Shares Her Favorite Porn Memory

Adult Star Dillion Harper Shares Her Favorite On-Set Memory

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

Welcome to Just The Tip, AskMen's weekly series where we interview the greatest adult entertainers to get their sex tips and understand why they are so successful. Call it the tip of the iceberg, if you will.

This week, we had the pleasure of speaking to the beautiful Dillion Harper:

How did you decide on your porn star name?

I wanted to have a boys name because I think it's hot when a girl has a boys name. My DVDs were coming out misspelled because I have always spelt it D-I-L-L-I-O-N, with the second "I," and the companies kept missing it. I had to start pronouncing it like Dillion like a Million so it stuck and slowly came up with Dillionaires to describe my amazing fan base!

Where can our readers follow you online?

On Twitter @TRDillionHarper and Instagram @DillionHarperExclusive

???Get me under your??? @fleshlight_official @fleshlight #Dillionaires  A photo posted by Dillion Harper (@dillionharperexclusive) on Dec 22, 2016 at 12:23am PST

Who is *your* favorite porn star?

There's so many to choose from but one of my favs would have to be Kendra Lust or India Summers. Females I would love to work with in the future would be Misty Stone.

What's your best porn memory/experience?

We once shot a We Live Together scene for Reality Kings produced at this huge mansion on Malibu Beach with to-die-for views and it was a GG (girl-girl scene) with Riley Reid.

What sex lesson did you wish porn co-stars knew?

Take a shower before and after your scene, use mouthwash and keep a positive attitude on set.

New Hair Don't Care?????? A photo posted by Dillion Harper (@dillionharperexclusive) on Jan 6, 2017 at 11:44pm PST

What porn move did you wish regular guys knew?

Standing while holding my legs and body as he lifts me up and down his c*ck!

What is the most important foreplay move for you?

Kissing and biting my neck and body all over gets me heated and in the mood. Whispering dirty things in my ear works too!

What is your favorite sex toy?

The Hitachi and the Sybian. For men, I also recommend my Fleshlight Crush available online and in stores.

Stock Up: Hitachi Magic Wand, $79.95 at AdamEve.com

Stock Up: Dillion Harper Fleshlight, $79.95 at Fleshlight.com

What's on your bucket list?

Id love to travel to Paris, Rome, Australia, Ireland, Italy, and Alaska. Skydiving and rock climbing and coral reef diving. You better believe there's going to be a lot of naughty in between travels.

Finally, anything to promote?

My website DillionHarperExclusive.com. Also, if you want to chat anytime I'm available on @Thechatstar.

AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use.
How Quitting Masturbation Helped Me Succeed

Five Ways Quitting My Bedroom Solo Time Helped Me Succeed

I was addicted to masturbation for over a decade and didnt even know it. But after failing in all three of my long-term relationships  and nearly losing my mind  I had to look for an answer. I ended up finding it in my own right hand.



Many people masturbate without untoward effects. But for people with addictive tendencies, like me, it becomes a form of escape. I realized I really had a problem when my friends called me out for looking at porn when we were clubbing at a hookah lounge.



Despite being with my pals, and despite the throngs of real-life women around me, I was zombied out over my iPhone in anticipation of my next bathroom break. Yikes.



So I gave up masturbation  cold turkey. And I havent regretted a day since.



Here are five ways ditching the habit made me a better man:

1. Giving Up Masturbation Boosted My Confidence

Of all the feelings floating through my mind after pleasuring myself, confidence was never one. Its because of the ease of the activity  masturbation didnt require me to step outside of myself, to grow as a human being, or to conquer any challenges.



I masturbated to feel good. But no amount of fleeting pleasure could make up for how it drained my confidence.



When I stopped using masturbation as a crutch, I had to focus all of my energy on confidence-boosters like working, exercising, learning, and being useful to others. Those actually made me feel good because I was doing good. And thats when my life really started.



2. Giving Up Masturbation Turned My Boredom Into Productivity

People dont schedule masturbation because we dont actually need it to thrive. I masturbated when I was bored, or stressed. It was an outlet for me. But there are tons of outlets that can vent stress and relieve boredom while improving your mind, your character, and your skills.



When I gave up masturbation, I had to fill my time creatively or Id go nuts. So I started writing. And journaling. And reading, and exercising, and a thousand other things that actually improved my life. I channeled all the energy I normally wouldve spent drooling over porn into building my career, and living a remarkable life.



I learned how to schedule my time so that I wouldnt feel the need to fill my life with confidence drainers.

3. Giving Up Masturbation Made Me Give First

Theres a universal truth that most people willfully ignore: the more you give, the more you get. But when it comes to our practical lives, we tend to forget that the gift is in the giving.



In all my hours of masturbating  there were hundreds  I never once thought of how I could serve others, or even help myself. The one thing the act of masturbation gave me was a hole that could only be filled with more sexual gratification. But after I stopped the habit, I reconditioned myself to give before I received.



I still had to make myself happy; I still had to feel satisfied. I just found different and more helpful ways of doing that. I trusted Id be given exactly what I needed to be happy if I focused on giving first.



Then I started writing articles to help people succeed in relationships. I got noticed by paying clients. And after a year I had a full-blown writing career that seemed to build itself. Shifting my focus from masturbation to action was a key part in my major life change.

4. Giving Up Masturbation Helped Me Work On Long-Term Strategy

Porn and masturbation are quick fixes; theyre easy. And if theres one thing Ive learned about life, its that its not easy. It requires long-term strategies and sacrifices, much like a career or a relationship.



Giving up porn and masturbation shifted my focus from the short term to the long term. It encouraged me to make sacrifices of temporary pleasure in order to gain lasting success. Its no coincidence that I launched my career and moved out of my parents house within a year of quitting.



5. Giving Up Masturbation Helped Me Grow More Disciplined

Our genitals are these insane pleasure buttons built into our bodies, always within reach, and always tempting. How could we possibly be expected not to touch?



Its all about discipline.



Everything good in life takes discipline to reach  like achieving your dream career, or building a lasting relationship, or parenting. Restraining ourselves from the instant pleasure of a quickie self-pleasure is a challenge to build our discipline and to succeed.



Giving up masturbation and porn was my way of putting down my foot to all the little things that kept me from my potential. If I could do this one ridiculously difficult thing, then every other thing would seem easy as pie. And thats pretty much how it happened.

RELATED: Can You Watch Porn Ethically? We Explore The Issue

After I quit, I had the discipline to say no to the easy outs and yes to the hard rights. Grinding at the keyboard for hours a day is always a challenge, but thats what it took for me to succeed as a writer. And that success only came after discipline became part of my identity. Ceasing masturbation was a big part of that.



Most people live average lives because they do average things  confidence-draining things. Things that make you complacent. For me, masturbating was the biggest contributor to my living a painfully average life. And when I traded it in for useful habits that made me feel good about myself, achieving success became much easier for me.



It might do the same for you, too.
Ashurst has attained the largest number of practice rankings of any firm in Australia for the second year running in the Chambers Asia Pacific Guide.The firm achieved Band 1 rankings in 12 practice areas and new or improved rankings in three practice areas in Australia. It also scored in 35 practice areas for Asia Pacific along with 157 individual rankings."To receive the largest number of practice rankings of any firm in Australia is a testament to the quality of our partnership and our exceptional team, commented Ashurst regional head Australia Phil Breden. Norton Rose Fulbright has announced a tie-up with South African law firm Keller Snyman Schelhase.The Cape Town-based firm which was established in 2012 will join NRF on 1February with Andrea Keller, Anton Schelhase and Lauren Fine joining NRF as directors.The combination will bring Norton Rose Fulbrights partners in the Cape to 33 and will boost its regional presence which includes offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Casablanca and Dar es Salaam and strategic alliances in Uganda, Burundi, Zimbabwe and Kenya.Nick Thomas is remaining in position as senior partner at international firm Kennedys following an uncontested ballot.Thomas joined the firm 40 years ago as a trainee and become senior partner in 1997. Since then, the firm has grown from 25 partners in 2 offices in the UK, to 197 partners across 27 locations, 17 of them international including Sydney, Auckland, Hong Kong and Singapore.The firm has recently added an office in Mexico and an Italian association to its expanding global coverage.Last year, eighties legends Duran Duran lost a legal battle with their publisher Sony/ATV in which they tried to regain control of some of their songs but a court ruled that English contract law prevented them from doing so, even in another jurisdiction.Now, Sir Paul McCartney is trying to get a better result with a lawsuit against Sony/ATV to ensure that he regains rights to certain Beatles songs in 2018. The package of songs was previously owned by Michael Jackson but was sold back to Sony/ATV by his estate after his death.The Hollywood Reporter says that McCartney has been serving termination notices under US copyright law, but following the defeat for Duran Duran he wants to ensure that he gets confirmation that he will regain rights to songs including Hey Jude and Yesterday.McCartney is represented by Morrison Foerster.
Free newsletter

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter service and well keep you up-to-date with the latest breaking news, cutting edge opinion, and expert analysis affecting both your business and the industry as whole.

Please enter your email address below and click on Sign Up for daily newsletters from Australasian Lawyer.
Most firms do not have cybersecurity and data privacy crisis management playbooks, general counsels reveal in a just-released study.In the recently released 2017 General Counsel Report from the Consero Group, only 18% of the GCs surveyed said their firms had the said playbooks, and only 17% are in the process of making one.This is despite the American and British general counsels being most worried about data privacy and cybersecurity risk, with 50% of respondents identifying it as the top area of risk for the current year.This is followed by operational risk with 36%, bribery and corruption risk with 29%, supplier risk with 27%, labour and employment liability with 23% and whistleblower concerns with 13%.Nonetheless, 60% said that their companies are prepared to defend against such attacks. The survey found that 25% of GCs report their companies experiencing a cybersecurity breach in the past 12 months. Among the GCs, 55% were very involved or involved in cybersecurity and data privacy matters and 38% reported being just somewhat involved.Meanwhile, GCs identified compliance and ethics management as their top area of focus this year, with 54% of respondents indicating the area as their top focus, followed by labour and employment with 29%, outside counsel management with 27%, litigation management with 18%, intellectual property management at 7%.If legal departments are constrained this year, GCs see access to budgetary resources as the top reason, with 41% picking it as a concern. Next are lack of buy-in from senior management and talent gap within the legal department, which tie at second with 19%, followed by regulatory compliance matters with 14%.Spending will increase in 2017, 44% of GCs surveyed said. The same percentage expected spending to be flat, while 12% said it will likely decrease.Most legal departments handled by GCs surveyed handled half to three quarters of legal work in-house. The survey found that 47% of respondents said that 51% to 75% of legal work is conducted in house, followed by 30% who said in-house teams handle 76% to all legal work.
More people than ever from China are expected to visit Australia in 2017 and next year, overtaking New Zealand as the country's largest international tourism market, research suggests.China is expected to be the largest source of both inbound arrivals and inbound expenditure, contributing 43% of total growth by 2024 and 60% in terms of expenditure, according to the forecast from the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). The rising numbers are attributed to a growing middle class in China where families now have the means to travel and it is now easier to apply for a visa to visit Australia and to get there with increasing flight choices.Overall numbers are also expected to grow from other Asian countries including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea.Meanwhile, Australia's largest traditional markets are also forecast to grow in 2017 and 2018 with New Zealanders attracted by an increase in air routes. While Brexit may affect the number of British people visiting Australia due to currency changes, a growth in numbers is still expected with major sporting events helping to keep numbers up.Overall, Australia's top five inbound markets of New Zealand, China, the UK, the US and Singapore are expected to provide 67% of the additional 5.2 million arrivals over the next 10 years. China alone is expected to contribute 43% of the growth.The momentum of international leisure1 travel to Australia is expected to continue over the next two years, with growth of 7.5% and 6.4% respectively.Holiday travel is forecast to increase by 8.4% and 6.7% while those visiting friends and is also expected to experience solid growth of 5.8% and 5.9% while more modest growth in predicted for business travel of 3.3% and 3% but this is after a fall of 4.8% in 2015.But the report warns that economic uncertainty around the world could hit the tourism market in Australia. The effects include the decision by the UK to leave the European Union and concerns about the policies that will be adopted by new American President Donald Trump.Tourism continues to be one of Australia's largest and fastest growing export earners, with exports increasing by 11.1% to $34.2 billion, the highest increase since Australia hosted the Sydney Olympics in the year 2000.
Hi Russell



I am confused when uploading the documents to the ACS website



In the Educational Qualifications section, The Engineering Degree that I have been awarded after completion of the 4 year course will be uploaded as Certificate or as Testamur ?



In the experience section ACS requires that experience in the same company, if done in 2 countries, should be split into 2 parts respectively

However, as I have only 1 certificate from the company for the entire period which includes working in both the countries, can I save the experience of the 2nd country also without uploading the same experience certificate twice



Thanks for advising
I doubt it. Health issues are judged on their danger to the Australian community and/or cost to the Australian community. If there are no ongoing costs of treating the condition then it should be an issue.
For the first time after its launch event organized on the occasion of the mens fashion week in Milan, the new limited edition Ducati Diavel Diesel (DDD) will hit the show for the public audience to see from up close.The DDD was conceived by the Ducati Design Center in partnership with Andrea Rosso, the Creative Director of Diesel, with the two design firms drawing inspiration from a post-apocalyptic retro-future universe. The result is mesmerizing to look at, as the bike features a brushed steel superstructure as well visible hand welds and rivets along with other neat details.Details such as tank covers, fairing, and seat cover passenger are examples of craftsmanship and style. The seat, made of genuine leather, is an exclusive and unique element of this Diavel, on which the pyramid symbol was created to identify the three Ds that identify the bike - Ducati, Diavel, and Diesel.You can have your own DDD for 24,990 starting this April, but you better hurry reserve one as there will be only 666 units made in total, each wearing a special metal plate to certify its authenticity.Along with this, Ducati has prepared another surprise. Were talking about the exclusive XDiavel customized by Roland Sands and showcased at the 76th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The bike will now arrive in Europe for the first time to showcase the customizers successful exercise in style.In total black, the Ducati stand at the Motor Bike Expo 2017 also houses all the motion of the Diavel family, XDiavel, and Ducati Performance accessories.
Known as a must-go experience for race attendees, Ducati Island is now considered the largest Ducati fan activation aside from WDW. The Biggest Party In The Paddock returns with the popular Ducati Company Store, presentations by Ducati Master Technicians, along with the companys official lifestyle performance partners.All the owner hospitality amenities that riders love will also be at the event, including Ducati Welcome Center, Ducati Gear Check, Ducati Owners Cafe, the Scrambler Land of Joy, and Ducati Fashion Models. Along with that will be displayed the new models from the Monster Scrambler , Diavel, and Multistrada series.This year brings a lot of new and exciting passions to the world of Ducati Island - from new Riders with Jorge and Marco to custom XDiavel garages and the offroad land of the Multistrada Enduro. More Ducati activities in Austin and Monterey will be announced as were nearing the main event.The tickets are already available, with a Three-day Ducati Ticket Package for COTA being offered at $220 while one for Laguna Seca will cost you $179 per person.What do you get for the money? Each Ducati ticket package will grant you a grandstand seat for all three days, Ducati motorcycle parking pass, exclusive track and paddock access, a parade lap around the COTA and Laguna Seca track as well as a commemorative Ducati gift.If you are a Ducati owner, you will automatically gain entry to the Ducati Owners Hospitality area and the ability to check your gear for free.
The latest step down this path sees the Swedish automaker inviting its staff to configure their Regeras. And since many of us enjoy relaxing before going to bed by playing the configurator game [insert your favorite brand here], we applaud the initiative.The hostilities kicked off earlier this month, when Angelholm's word-wielding man, Steven Wade, came up with a Purple Carbon example of the transmissionless machine:"Vox will laugh at me (as might a million others), but I've chosen a purple carbon exterior finish, with white striping and clear carbon side intakes. I'm a massive Prince fan (still grieving) and I've always loved our cars in purple. I was tempted to go with gold leaf stripes, like the purple/gold combination of chassis 7094, but I think the gold works better with paint rather than tinted carbon,"Since we're talking about the company's communications guy, the separate description dedicated to the cabin doesn't come as a surprise:"Inside I've gone for 'snow' leather with a basket weave pattern on the seats. Yes, anyone who got into the car would have to be impeccably clean. The stitching on these seats is blue, but it'd be purple on the real thing. White calipers behind my carbon wheels finish the look,"We're sure that, right now, many of you wonder who Vox is. We're talking about Mattias Vocks. When he's not assembling Koenigseggs, the man likes to come up with wicked projects such as the 600 hp 1967 Amazon, a Ferrari-slaying restomod that once held the title of Sweden's hottest Volvo - we added a video at the bottom of the page, to refresh your memory as far as the Prancing Horse brawl is concerned.The second Regera configuration came from Johan B, Sales Director for continental Europe and the Nordic countries. Spoiler alert - you should be prepared for a beverage-infused take on the matter:"Johan has chosen a Bordeaux tinted carbon finish with a clear carbon centre section accented by gold leaf striping. Johan has French roots and the deep red finish will be like driving around in a glass of fine French red wine (with no blood-alcohol content, of course!!) The interior is a creamy cappucino/coffee colour combination,"Sure, these configurations are but a dream, but we're talking about a dream that's part of the 80-unit hypercar magic surrounding the machine.This is the point where we'd normally ask you to go out and play. However, despite the idea of a Koenigsegg configurator floating around for quite a while now, it seems we still have some waiting to do before such a feature shows up.Meanwhile, US aftermarket wheel developer Vossen offers us an alternative, with the specialist's wheel configurator offering us a taste of such a process.
The cause of the extended intermission, which was followed by the cancellation of the first stage, was an accident that led to the death of a spectator. The incident occurred during Hayden Paddons run on the first special stage, which takes place in night conditions on the icy mountain roads.Paddon was close to the end of the stage when his car slid wide under braking before a left-hand corner. As the driver explained, the car caught some black ice, which made it snap sideways, and turned the crew into passengers. The Hyundai i20 WRC was sliding rear-first and hit a bank with the rear-right corner, Autosport notes.The impact led to a spin in the air, and it all stopped with the vehicle on its side. Hyundai s Motorsport team announced the crew was not injured, but everyone quickly learned that a spectator was injured.As you can view in the video embedded below and in the photo gallery, a man was squatting on the outer side of the left-hand turn, and it appears that he was the one that was struck by the Hyundai i20 WRC. The impact made the spectator pass out, and emergency services then rescued him and airlifted to a hospital in Nice. Unfortunately, the observer - who was initially believed to be a photographer -deceased at the hospital. It was later determined that the casualty was a spectator because he did not have any media credentials.We would like to note that motorsport is dangerous, and that sitting on the outside of a corner, even before an apex, is forbidden at any rally. The inside of a corner is equally dangerous in some cases, and the best idea is to keep your distance and observe things from a safe spot that is parallel to the course.Out of respect, Hyundai has decided to withdraw Hayden Paddon and John Kennard from the 2017 Monte Carlo Rally. The team and the crew are saddened to learn about the casualty, and have transmitted their condolences to the family and friends of the person involved.
FIA has just announced that every racing circuit included in the 2017 Formula 1 calendar needs to upgrade their tracks to make way for faster cars. The motorsports governing body is implementing several changes this season including revised aerodynamics and bigger tires. These new regulations are aimed at reducing lap times and increasing corner speeds.

Simulation data from FIA reveal that F1 2017 cars can race 40 kilometers per hour faster through some corners. FIA revamped a rule to accommodate wider cars and bigger wings. This move can result in speedier lap time compared to 2015.

According to F1 deputy race director Laurent Mekies, all tracks must comply with the revamped rule. Australian Grand Prix is the first to respond to the rule change since it is hosting the F1 2017 season's race opener at the Albert Park in Melbourne on March 24.

Mekies was interviewed at the Autosport International Show where he talked about the simulations used by FIA. "Every single team has been asked to provide simulations for their 2017 cars," he said. He added that "every single track is receiving from the FIA a request to upgrade based on that".

The Australian Grand Prix has already implemented a number of safety-related track revisions ahead of the 2017 Formula One's first race. Some of them include tire re-profiling at Turns 1,6, and 14 and the adoption of Tecpro high-speed barriers at Turn 12.

The revisions were based on the simulations given by FIA which provided instructions on additional tire buffers and inclusion of a high-speed barrier. The Melbourne circuit manufactured the tire buffers and acquired the Tec Pro barriers which cost them $100,000.

The track upgrade will see lap times lowered to three to four seconds and later breaking points of between 20 and 30 meters. The circuit will also see an increase of mid-corner speeds between 20 and 50 kilometers per hour.
The Japanese automaker took the 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon event to another level when it featured the Honda S660 Neo Classic prototype with a retro design. On top of which, the company also featured the mini-pickup concept but was labeled as a weird design by car enthusiasts.

Similar to the SEMA event, the 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon was an event where different brands in the automobile market showcased their top models in unique and distinct designs. Much like the Honda S660, its body kit and accessories were developed for the sole purpose of the event.

The Prototype. As reported by Car and Driver, the Honda S660 Neo Classic prototype was one of the most eye-catching models at the show. Although it had been sold in the US market, how the vehicle was featured at the 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon was distinct wherein the Kei-car class model was showcased with features that were only made available in Japan.

In other news, The Daily Star reported that the model had one of the best looks at the event with its turbocharged engine. With 600cc capacity, the short wheelbase of the model was deemed to be impressive since the performance updates were better than the Beat model.

Its unique front and rear-end designs, incorporated round headlights and tapered rear end which made it look similar to the classic 1991 Nissan Figaro. Taking last year's prototype design into the event, such features were bound to be made available in Japan markets soon.

The Downside. Although the previous model received positive feedback from car enthusiasts, the mini pickup concept incorporated into the Honda Acty did not impress the audience. Based on the T880 concept, the body had a unique split-tailgate design but had minimal haul developments. In fact, it was considered to be a poorly modified vehicle for its three-cylinder engine performance level was inferior compared to the Ridgeline, Chevrolet Silverado, or the Ford F-150. In other words, the vehicle lacked the mph that the audience was looking for.

The 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon featured several unique designs from different automakers. One of the standouts was the Honda S660 Neo Classic prototype but lacked the praises for the Honda mini pickup concept on the Acty vehicle.
After months of endless waiting, fans of the American multinational automaker Ford has finally released more details about the 2018 Ford Mustang. After some leaks, the 2018 Ford Mustang is now official.

From an outside perspective, the car looks even more muscular. It was also reported that there will be new advanced tech features.

The exterior of the 2018 Mustang will have a few adjustments when it comes to lightings. The front hood will get a new hood and grille. Plus, the whole Mustang line will now feature LED headlights.

At the back, there will also be LED taillights. The bumper will be slightly adjusted. As expected, the exhaust tips will also increase.

As for the performance, the 2018 Ford Mustang will have the Mustang's Performance Package which adds magnetorheological shocks. This feature adjusts damping forces whenever the conditions of the road changes.

Reports also say that all models will feature the updated shock absorbers and sway bars. As for the sound, this sweet ride can roar - thanks to its new active exhaust system.

For those who are wondering, the 3.7-liter V6 engine will not be associated with the 2018 Mustang lineup. Instead, the entry-level engine of this pony becomes a turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder.

If that is not enough, the option to step up to the GT model is available. It's powered by the Blue Oval's 5.0-liter Coyote V8. It will deliver better gas mileage and provide more power all thanks to the new system which combines port and direct fuel injection.

A six-speed manual transmission will also be available for both models, as well as Ford's new 10-speed automatic. There will be brand new equipment inside which includes a 12-inch digital LCD dashboard screen. Buyers will have the option to customize it for Normal, Sport and Track Models.

As expected, the Mustang will have the Sync 3 infotainment system offered with Sync Connect. This will allow the car owners to lock, unlock, locate and even start their ponies using their phones.

More cool features are added to help the driver. This includes autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist and lane-departure warning. Unfortunately, the price for the 2018 Ford Mustang has yet to be announced. But it is expected to go on sale worldwide in the fall.
Team Peugeot Total has built a brand-new machine to defend its Dakar title. The all-new Dakar challenge is based on an entirely new model of Peugeot 3008 DKR SUV that will be released soon. The new 3008 SUV is inspired by the latest evolution following the company's come back to Dakar after 25 years since 2015.

The 3008's drastic makeover is ready in an effort to add some glamor to Peugeot's dealers throughout the United States. The Peugeot 3008 DKR will be exposing the final racing costume together with the colors of partners Total, Red Bull, Sparco, and BF Goodrich.

The team is using a low-end torque in the 3.0-liter twin-turbodiesel V6 producing 340bhp and 800Nm of torque that will enough to keep that lightweight carbon fiber chassis hurtling towards its 124mph top speed. They also add a new restrictor on the engine as part of Dakar regulations which means it is around 20bhp down on the 2008 DKR and the 3008 DKR is even faster where it matters than its predecessor.

It also sticks with two-wheel drive. Its suspension geometry and dampers have been improved. A test program is also performed in taking in the grueling 15-day Silk Way Rally in order for the car to tackle the worst of the Dakar Rally.

Sebastien Criquet is Peugeot's senior exterior designer responsible for the aggressive lines of the both Peugeot 3008 DKR and the corresponding road car. The Dakar cars dimensions and features were governed by technical rules laid down by the sport's governing body but its inspiration is still very clear through a number of unique design cues.

Criquet revealed that the new car keeps the distinctive design language of the road car, but transports a rally context, and that is the dream job of any designer that when they create a car they always think of a competition version in the back of their mind.
The avionics industry will rise to the challenge of equipping the U.S. aircraft fleet with ADS-B Out by the Jan. 1, 2020, deadline says an industry leader. Ric Peri, the VP of government and industry affairs for the Aircraft Electronics Association, told AVweb in a podcast interview that as demand warrants, the industry will respond by working overtime, weekends and holidays to get the job done. Why does everyone keep asking this industry if the fundamentals of business apply to us as they do everyone else, he said. While many shops have one or two month backlogs at the moment, supply is essentially meeting demand. He said human nature dictates that most aircraft owners and operators wont spend the money until they have to and he expects activity to increase as the deadline approaches. This industry, like any other business, will ramp up as the demand warrants, he said.

Meanwhile Peri said he believes the FAAs $500 payment to 20,000 early adopters of the gear is working but not necessarily the way some might have expected. He said the vast majority of the 4,000 people who have applied for the money are doing avionics upgrades of which ADS-B is just a part because it makes sense to do it while the panel is apart. He said those planning to install the minimum to stay legal will inevitably wait until the last minute, including those planning to take the government incentive money. He said there will also be those who miss the deadline and will get caught up in the months after the deadline passes, likely when their next annual is due.
A Canadian company is expanding its unmanned test flights with plans to be the countrys first commercial drone-delivery operation by next year. Drone Delivery Canada of Ontario will soon begin flight trials at the Foremost Aerodrome in Alberta, headquarters of the Foremost Centre for Unmanned Systems  Canadas first government-approved drone test site. DDC, which has been developing drones at a site in Waterloo, Ontario, now wants to test flights beyond line of sight. The Foremost Centres recent approval for flights beyond line of sight opens up its restricted airspace for full-blown drone tests with 700 square nautical miles available up to 18,000 feet over a sparsely populated, open landscape with just two charted towers.

Big retailers including Staples and NAPA Auto Parts have agreements with DDC to develop drone-delivery capabilities similar to what Amazon recently began on a small scale in the U.K. Our clients foresee using this technology as part of their business logistics moving forward into the future, CEO Tony Di Benedetto told the Calgary Sun. Initially, we want to launch in rural Canada and then, over time, bring the technology closer to an urbanized area. An Ubergizmo report this week notes that the companys experiments so far have included 10-pound parcels and flights lasting up to an hour.
The Russian government is looking into the source of a military-grade drone discovered in the sand along the Black Sea. Media outlets in the region near the town of Anapa published photos this week of the mysterious 6-foot, black unmanned aircraft, which is missing part of its right wingtip but otherwise appears undamaged. Lettering on the fuselage, Direct Targets, and some numbers on the tail indicate its an DO-DT 25 drone made by Airbus Defence, but officials are awaiting confirmation of the model and are investigating its origin. Based on this model number, the drone appears to have been developed by Airbus defense arm for military target training. According to information on the Airbus Group website, it was first used by the German air force in 2003 for training exercises at a firing range adjacent to the Baltic Sea. It is equipped with jet propulsion and can fly up to speeds of about 240 knots.

The UKs Mirror, quoting Russian media outlets, reported on Thursday that rumors are circulating that the lost drone came from NATO training activities, but a source at the organization told the Mirror that it doesnt own any drones  yet but it will soon have a few drones of a different model. If our allies have lost any kit on a national flight  you would have to ask them, the official said. When shown a photo of the found drone, a German air force official told the Mirror: The flying object in the picture is definitely not in usage of the German Air Force.


Azerbaijan wants to buy more Russian weapons and is now negotiating with Russia for that purpose, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Thursday.

We are holding negotiations on new [arms] purchases, Aliyev told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti. You know better just how developed the Russian defense industry is.

We are mainly interested in the most advanced defense weaponry, new equipment, he said. This includes helicopters and defense systems, the whole complex. Its a permanent process.

Russia has already sold around $5 billion worth of tanks, artillery systems and other weapons to Azerbaijan in line with defense contracts signed in 2009-2011. Armenian leaders renewed and stepped up their criticism of those arms deals following last Aprils Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev rejected the Armenian criticism after visiting Yerevan later in April. He said that that Russia delivers weapons to both Armenia and Azerbaijan and thereby sustains the military balance in the Karabakh conflict.

In August, Russian President Vladimir Putin similarly dismissed a widely held belief in Armenia that Moscow has only increased the risk of another Karabakh war with its large-scale arms sales to Baku. Speaking after talks in the Kremlin with his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian, he implied that oil-rich Azerbaijan could have purchased offensive weapons from other nations.

Putin also argued that Russia has long been providing substantial military aid to Armenia, its main regional ally.

Armenia demonstrated new weapons recently acquired from Russia during a September military parade in Yerevan. Those included Iskander ballistic missiles. Sarkisian subsequently described the state-of-the-art missiles as a further deterrent against Azerbaijans possible attempts to achieve a military solution to the Karabakh conflict.
20 January 2017 13:07 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

International Media Center hosted a presentation of History of one press-conference film, initiated by Media Council, Trend Life reported.

Activities of national leader Heydar Aliyev have been comprehensively analyzed, and opinions of witnesses of the time were shown in the documentary.

Chairman of Media Council Aflatun Amashov, Executive Director of Fund of State Support for Development of Mass Media under the President of Azerbaijan Vugar Safarli, lawmakers, media managers and other guests attended the event.

Talking about bloody events of the January 20, 1990, Amashov reminded that on January 20 the Soviet army entered Baku without any warning and committed unprecedented tragedy on Baku streets.

"Power unit of Azerbaijan Television was exploded, and the television didnt work; Azerbaijani people were isolated. Voice of first support came from Moscow. On January 21, Heydar Aliyev came to office of Azerbaijani representation in Moscow, held press conference and expressed first political assessment of events. He demanded punishment of culprits of the events. Soviet Union wasnt yet collapsed then. After demonstration of great courage by Heydar Aliyev, world media delivered information about January 20 tragedy and Azerbaijani peoples voice of truth were brought to the attention of world community", said Amashov.

On the night of January 19-20, 1990, 137 people were killed, 744 were injured and 841 were illegally arrested after Soviet troops entered Baku. The Soviet troops also destroyed 200 apartments and houses, 80 cars, including ambulances, and a large number of private and public property.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 10:57 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement was discussed on January 18 at a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Austria Sebastian Kurz, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on January 19.

This question, among others, was discussed in the context of the transition of OSCE chairmanship to Austria, - said Zakharova.

Earlier, Kurz stated that Russia can help ensure the OSCEs ability to deal with the challenges facing the participating states by supporting measures to give it sufficient resources to fulfill its wide-ranging mandate.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign State with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years.

Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 14:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The negotiation process mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is ongoing for more than 20 years, has not give any result so far, said Ali Hasanov, Azerbaijans Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs.

Hasanov, addressing a meeting with famous French writer Gerard Cardon in Baku on January 19, noted that Armenias ex-president Robert Kocharyan and incumbent President Serzh came to power by spilling the blood of Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Touching upon the consequences of Armenias military aggression against Azerbaijan, the Deputy PM said that 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories was occupied, 1.2 million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons, Azerbaijans national and cultural values were looted, and the entire infrastructure destroyed.

He also spoke about the Khojaly genocide, which was committed by Armenian military forces in the town of Khojaly on February 26, 1992.

Hasanov reminded that the UN Security Council and other influential international organizations have adopted decisions and resolutions on liberation of the occupied Azerbaijani territories, and return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes. Unfortunately, these resolutions and decisions remain unfulfilled, Hasanov said.

The official also spoke about the measures taken to ensure descent life of the refugees and IDPs, and necessary conditions created for them.

But their main wish is to return to homelands said the Deputy Prime Minister.

In turn, Cardon highly appreciated the development he had seen in Azerbaijan.

The French writer noted that there is hunger and poverty in Armenia. People are leaving the country, and oppose the current regime, he said.

Cardon also spoke about his desire to write a book about Azerbaijani women. The writer said he had already carried out similar project in several countries around the world.

The work dedicated to Azerbaijani women, will be written in the form of a novel consisting of two parts, said Cardon. The book will reflect the lives of women, their role in the family, community, protection of their rights and other issues.

The writer also noted that he will write a book about the Khojaly tragedy on the basis of the collected material.

As a result of the Khojaly massacre 613 people, including 106 women, 63 children, 70 old men, were mercilessly killed, 487 people were injured, 1,275 civilians were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people is still unknown.

As a result of this act of genocide, eight families were completely destroyed, while 25 children lost both parents.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 10:19 (UTC+04:00)

By 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.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 10:24 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev visited the Alley of Martyrs on January 20, the Day of National Mourning, to pay tribute to the victims of the bloody January 1990 tragedy.

The president laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame memorial.

State and government officials, leaders of religious communities, ambassadors of foreign countries and representatives of international organizations functioning in Azerbaijan also attended the commemoration ceremony.

Hundreds of civilians were crushed or injured by the Soviet troops in Baku on January 20, 1990, on an order from the USSR leadership that was trying to maintain the Communist regime in Azerbaijan and strangle the national liberation movement.



The invasion was launched at midnight and was committed with brutality; even children, women and the elderly were not spared.

As a result of the intrusion of troops into Baku and regions of the country, 133 people were killed, more than 700 wounded, and about 800 illegally arrested.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 11:39 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijans Consulate General in Los Angeles hosted an event titled Stories of Heroism: Serving Your Nation with Courage & Honor, in cooperation with the Azerbaijani community in California on January 18, 2017.

Azerbaijans Consul General Nasimi Aghayev informed the attendees about Azerbaijans Black January tragedy of 1990.

On January 20, 1990, Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku was invaded by 26,000 Soviet troops, which, at the order of Mikhail Gorbachev and his Politburo, stormed the city and began shooting indiscriminately into the peaceful demonstrators. Hundreds of civilians were killed, including children, women and elderly; people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds, both Muslim, Christian and Jewish. And a thousand were wounded, he said.

The pretext was a massive popular uprising in the capital, calling for Azerbaijan's independence from USSR: proof that the Soviet authorities were presiding over a collapsing empire, and that Azerbaijan was leading the fight for independence, Aghayev continued.

However, the brutal regime utterly failed. After the massacre, a million people - young and old, men and women, Muslims, Jews and Christians - filled the streets to mourn the victims, defying the curfew and showing national solidarity. Heydar Aliyev, who would later become president and founder of modern Azerbaijan, fiercely condemned the bloodshed in Moscow. His defiance helped to inspire the Azerbaijani people and Aliyev became a leader of the struggle for liberty, the Consul General noted. A year and half later Azerbaijan restored its independence.

What was the reaction in the West to Black January? The Nobel Peace Prize for Gorbachev! 9 months after the massacre, the Nobel Committee awarded Michael Gorbachev the Nobel Peace Prize. The Committee justified its position by stressing Gorbachevs leading role in the peace process and his many and decisive contributions to peace. The Committee and its supporters decided to be oblivious to many egregious crimes Gorbachev committed, which had nothing to do with the notion of peace. Ironically, Alfred Nobel would not have been able to establish his Nobel Prize in 1901, had it not been the immense fortune he and his brothers made with oil development in Baku. And Alfred Nobel would not have been able to even dream that his Prize would one day be awarded to a man who turned the very city of Baku into a bloodbath, Aghayev said.

Since the restoration of independence, Azerbaijan has gone from strength to strength. Under the visionary leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has become an island of stability in an otherwise unstable region, and an important geopolitical power. Azerbaijan is the centerpiece of the Caspian oil and gas developments, vital for global energy security, as well as other regional megaprojects. Today, Azerbaijan's freedom is solid and irreversible, and we always remember the victims of the Black January tragedy  the true heroes of our national liberation, the Consul General concluded.

Then a short documentary on Black January prepared by Azerbaijans Consulate General was screened.

Following the documentary, Consul General said: Tonight we are also honoring another Azerbaijani hero, namely Mourad Ragimli, who lived in California, joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was killed in Iraq in January 2005 at the age of 20. He was a bright and talented young man. He could have gone to any other profession. But seeing the United States being attacked by terrorists on 9/11, he could not stand idly by. So he volunteered for the Marines and sacrificed his life for the United States and its liberty and freedom. Welcoming Mourads family members, including his father, grandfather and uncle, Aghayev thanked them for Mourads service and courage.

Then the floor was given to Mrs. Kimiya Mammadova, an activist of Azerbaijani community in California, who presented more information on Mourad, his family as well as the documentary My Little Brother dedicated to him.

Afterwards, the film My Little Brother was screened, which was received by the audience with much acclaim.

The event concluded with the mesmerizing performance of Azerbaijani national music by Vahid Bayat and Jamil Mammadli. At the end, a photo exhibition dedicated to the Black January massacre was presented to the attendees.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 12:02 (UTC+04:00)

A state-wide moment of silence was observed for the Black January victims at 12:00 (local time) across Azerbaijan on the day of national mourning on January 20.

Ships, cars, and trains sounded sirens throughout the country to remember victims of the January 20, 1990 tragedy.

Azerbaijanis have been visiting the Alley of Martyrs since early hours of January 20 to pay tribute to Azerbaijan`s valiant sons and daughters.

On the night of January 19-20, 1990, 137 people were killed, 744 were injured and 841 were illegally arrested after Soviet troops entered Baku. The Soviet troops also destroyed 200 apartments and houses, 80 cars, including ambulances, and a large number of private and public property.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Another session of the ad hoc working group, tasked to develop a convention on the Caspian Seas legal status, will be held in Baku in late January, Khalaf Khalafov, Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister, told reporters on January 20.

All countries confirmed their participation, according to the deputy minister. The working group will continue discussions on the still uncoordinated issues regarding the draft convention.

This meeting of the working group is of a preparatory character before the ministerial meeting, Khalafov said, adding that alongside the work on the preparation of the draft convention there also will be held discussions on other open questions.

The legal status have been remained unsolved during the past two decades, preventing development and exploitation of its disputable oil and gas fields and creating obstacles to the realization of major energy projects.

The Caspian littoral states  Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Iran signed a Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in November 2003.

Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use in July 1998. The two countries signed a protocol to the agreement in May 2002.

Moreover, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the Caspian Sea and a protocol to it in November 2001, and February 2003, respectively.

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea on May 14, 2003.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 10:35 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

By Dalga Khatinoglu

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 phase, 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.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 11:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

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 reported.

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. 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.

The report reads the employment rate of the economically active population is 94.8 percent, while the unemployment rate - 5.2 percent.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 11:28 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Irans Airports Company (IAC) signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding with German companies for expansion of Iranian airports, while talks are underway with French and Italian firms for cooperation in Irans airport projects.

The IAC signed an MOU with Munich Airports, Frankfurt Airport and Dornier Consulting International GmbH on Jan. 18 for cooperation in aviation sector, IRIB news agency reported.

The deal covers cooperation in various fields, including training human resources, optimizing the airports capacity, commercialization of the airports, providing financial resources for development of infrastructures, modernizing IT and navigation infrastructures, airport operations management and airport development.

Rahmatollah Mahabadi, head of the IAC, said the German side will finance construction of Tabriz airport terminal as well as new airports in Chabahar and Ahwaz in BOT (build-operate-transfer) and BLT (build, lease, transfer) financing arrangements.

Iran is planning to overhaul all its airport equipment to enhance safety and security level, he added.

Meanwhile, Mehr news agency quoted Gholamhossein Bagherian, IAC deputy director for planning and supervision, as saying that construction of an airport in Chabahar is not profitable, but necessary strategically.

Bagherian added that the IAC has held good talks with French and Italian investors for developing airports and building new airport infrastructures.

He expressed hope that the talks will be concluded by March 2017.

Bagherian added that Iran will hold public tenders for investment in Ahwaz and Chabahar airports construction, forecasting that Chinese, German and Japanese investors will most likely take part in the projects.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 13:13 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Foreign investment volume in Iran is likely to reach the point of $13 billion during the current fiscal year which is to end on March 21.

The country has already attracted $ 11 billion of foreign investment over the last ten months, said Hossein Salimi, the chairman of Iranian and Foreign Joint Venture Investment Association, affiliated to Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture.

Salimi further added that the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA / nuclear deal) encouraged foreigners to invest in Iran.

The landmark nuclear deal was signed in January 2016 with the world powers and allowed to remove the nuclear related sanctions against the Islamic Republic in exchange for curbing the countrys nuclear activity.

Overall, Irans economic outlook has improved since the deal.

Salimi claimed that the volume of foreign investment in the country increased by four times during the past Iranian calendar year as compared to the previous year.

To reach the economic growth of eight percent Iran needs to finance about 20 percent of its development projects through foreign investment.

Thus, Iran made up a plan to attract $43 billion in foreign investment over the next years.

The statistics of previous years show the falling trend in attracting foreign investment. The volume of foreign investment in the country reached $4.7 billion in 2012 which dropped to $3.1 billion in 2013 and $2.1 billion in 2014.

Bushehr and Khuzestan provinces enjoy the highest volume of foreign investment which mostly goes for energy sector. In 2012, provinces of Fars, Gilan, Tehran, Kerman, Mazandaran and West Azerbaijan ranked first to sixth place in attracting foreign investment in the country.

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani proposed a draft budget plan which suggests that the countrys economic growth over the next Iranian calendar year (starting March 21) will amount of 7.6 percent.

The World Bank has predicted that Irans economic growth in 2017 would hit 5.2 percent, 4.8 percent in 2018 and 4.5 percent in 2019.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 15:14 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Delegations of foreign ministries of Uzbekistan and Russia exchanged views on actual issues of bilateral cooperation in the framework of the CIS during next round of ministerial consultations held in Tashkent, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry reported.

The two sides also discussed preparations for the meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers in Tashkent.

Relations between Uzbekistan and Russia are characterized as strategic partnership in a wide range of interaction - in the political, economic and humanitarian areas.

The Russian Federation is one of the largest trade partners of Uzbekistan while Uzbekistan occupies the fourth place among the CIS countries on volumes of trade turnover for Russia.

The commodity structure of Russian exports to Uzbekistan include mineral products, machines, equipment and vehicles, metals and products from them, timber and pulp and paper products, chemical products, foodstuffs and agricultural raw materials.

The commodity structure of imports of basic supplies include such groups of goods as textiles and glassware, shoes, machinery and equipment and vehicles, foodstuffs and agricultural raw materials, chemical products, metals and products from them.

The largest Russian oil and gas companies operate successfully and effectively in Uzbekistan.

Over 900 joint enterprises with Russian partners, representative offices of 85 Russian firms and companies operate in Uzbekistan. The investment cooperation develops consistently. In recent years, Russian investment in Uzbekistan's economy amounted to more than $6 billion.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 13:54 (UTC+04:00)

By Nigar Abbasova

The Islamic Republic of Iran has managed to attract foreign investments to its Qeshm Free Economic Zone. Managing Director of the FEZ Hamid-Reza Momeni told IRNA that following the nuke deal signed in 2016 more than 10 countries expressed their readiness to invest in Qeshm.

He noted that the nuclear deal increased interest of investors in the Islamic Republic.

Qeshm Island is located a few kilometers off the southern coast of Iran, opposite the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Khamir and nearly 1,382 kilometers south of Tehran. The 135 km long island, which is the largest in the Persian Gulf, comprises a 300 square kilometer free zone.

Considerable oil and gas potential, access to marine port, existence of an airport capable to accept large-tonnage aircrafts make the Island a very attractive destination for investments, he said.

The official noted that investors from France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, Norway, Austria, Oman, UAE, India, and Kuwait have already visited the area and expressed their interest in it.

Representatives of Russian banks and insurance companies expressed a wish to open subsidiaries at the site, he mentioned.

Following years of limited access to external capital, the Iranian government spares no effort to attract FDI by offering attractive tax incentives, amongst other benefits.

---

Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
20 January 2017 14:16 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

The United States is reluctant to provide direct assistance to Turkeys operations inside Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with The Washington Post.

They are using my air base, and they are not giving air cover, Cavusoglu said of the US, which launches much of its own air operations against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Syria from Turkeys Incirlik base.

This week, Turkish and Russian warplanes for the first time flew joint strike missions in support of Turkish troops advancing on the IS positions in and around the northern Syrian town of Al-Bab, Cavusoglu added.

In late August 2016, Turkey, with the support of the coalition aircraft, launched an operation to liberate the city of Jarabulus in northern Syria from the IS militants. The operation was dubbed the Euphrates Shield.

Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed over 500,000 lives.

Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The IS, YPG and PYD are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
The state appeals court in Fresno has ordered a temporary stay on any work associated with the 24th Street widening project that would alter t
10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: Todays guide to the obscure, the possibly relevant and things in between
Joshua J. Whitfield is the pastoral administrator for St. Rita Catholic Community in Dallas and a columnist for The Dallas Morning News. Reach him at jwhitfield@stritaparish.net.
Speciality ingredients supplier Cornelius has appointed Adrian Barnfield as sales manager.

Barnfield has joined the business from CSM Bakery Solutions, where he was technical applications manager focusing on the industrial and retail markets.

Kerry Dodd, Cornelius business manager for health & nutrition, said Barnfield joined the business with a wealth of bakery experience in sales and technical roles acquired during his time with CSM UK, Warburtons and British Bakels.

His knowledge of the baking industry will be integral to the growth of the Cornelius health and nutrition business, assisting us to develop our presence in the market and adding further value to our key principals and customers, said Dodd.

Barnfield began his career as a test baker at RHM Research & Engineering, before moving into sales at a number of food ingredient research, development and manufacturing companies.

In October, Cornelius teamed up with New Holland Extraction to continue its development within Europe.
Food to go and casual dining businesses are being encouraged to use seasonal-themed packaging to mark special occasions such as Valentines Day.

Food packaging manufacturer Its a Wrap says it recommends that its customers incorporate seasonal trends into their greaseproof paper for serving and wrapping food.

Whatever it is you are wrapping or serving, make your product stand out from the crowd, added Its a Wrap sales co-ordinator Sam Cullinane.

Atlas Packaging, which works with clients including food and confectionery suppliers, said Valentines was an important occasion for the business.

Valentines Day is a big event for Atlas Packaging, with planning taking place months in advance, they said.

According to research carried out by Mars Inc, 33% of consumers choose baked gifts during the Valentines season.

Both businesses will be exhibiting at the Pro2Pac event, held at the ExCeL exhibition centre in London from 20 to 22 March this year.
Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

SouthGate will have a sexy Spanish flavour when it opens this spring thanks to Tapas Revolution.

The new restaurant is the brainchild of Omar Allibhoy  dubbed by Gordon Ramsay as the "Antonio Banderas of cooking".

Born in Madrid and trained by the legendary Ferran Adria of El Bulli, Omar arrived in the UK in 2008 to take over the reins at El Pirata Detapas in West London, quickly establishing it as one of London's best tapas restaurants and winning rave reviews. Whilst there, he was featured on Channel 4's 'Ramsay's Best Restaurant', and Omar's reputation as the "Antonio Banderas of cooking" was born.

"My passion for Spanish food is really at the heart of everything I do"

In 2010 he opened his first Tapas Revolution at Westfield Shepherd's Bush and it proved so popular that within a year he had opened a second at Bluewater in Kent and by early 2015 Omar decided that London was ready for its first stand-alone Tapas Revolution, bringing his interpretation of the lively and bustling Tapas bars of Madrid to Shoreditch.

Now the revolution has begun to spread outside of London with the opening of a Tapas Revolution in Birmingham and Sheffield. Bath and Newcastle will be the next two cities on Omar's horizon.

Omar said: "Tapas is more than food, it's part of everyday culture: food and life are always best shared.

"My passion for Spanish food is really at the heart of everything I do; my earliest memory is of watching my Mum in the kitchen cooking creme caramel. She was a great baker but a terrible cook so I took over the helm as soon as I was old enough.

"When I came to the UK I was shocked by the lack of Spanish restaurants and how rarely anyone I spoke to cooked it at home. I decided it was time to do something about it and so my Tapas Revolution began."

You can expect the menu to guide you on a culinary adventure across Spain, from breakfast in Barcelona to dinner in Seville. The menu is simply divided into fish, meat and vegetable sections, complemented with the best Spain has to offer in terms of charcuterie and our famous Jamon Iberico, hand carved to order by a skilled maestro jamonero.

Expect all the classics, such as tortilla, croquetas de jamon, calamares, chorizo cooked in Asturian cider and freshly-made Churros. There will also be 'Platos', large tapas dishes to share including Txuleton de ternera  Rib eye and Sirloin steak from 10 year old cows in the Basque region of Spain, grass fed and aged for 40 days giving a great depth of flavour.

So when is Tapas Revolution coming to Bath?

All we know is that Tapas Revolution will be opening in SouthGate in Bath this spring and we can't wait to check it out.

Tapas Revolution is currently looking for full-time bartenders, waiters and an assistant manager.

They say: "We are looking for passionate, energetic individuals who love all things Spanish and want us to help us drive the brand forward. Industry stars with a genuine love of food and drink, high standards of service, and who go the extra mile to make our customers happy. Individuals with a proven motivational and hands-on management style and a flair for training and developing team members in a fun and friendly environment."
The St. Petersburg man sentenced to life for the 2011 murder of a St. Petersburg police officer is scheduled for another resentencing hearing Friday.

This is Nicholas Lindsey's second attempt at getting his life sentence reduced.

Nicholas Lindsey serving life sentence for murder of St. Pete police officer

Officer David Crawford was killed Feb. 21, 2011 near Tropicana Field

Lindsey, now 22, has resentencing hearing Friday

Previous stories on the murder of Officer David Crawford

Defense attorneys for Lindsey are asking that his life sentence be reduced to a 40-year sentence.

Lindsey was found guilty in March 2012 of shooting and killing St. Petersburg Police Officer David Crawford on Feb. 21, 2011 near Tropicana Field. Lindsey was 16 at the time of the killing but was tried as an adult.

He is now 22.

The request for resentencing comes in light of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling affecting minors sentenced to life in prison. The January 2016 ruling declared that people sentenced as teenagers to mandatory life imprisonment for murder must have a chance to argue that they should be released from prison.

A judge upheld Lindsey's life sentence in 2013 during his first resentencing hearing.

Today's hearing comes on the heels of a scheduled hearing last week that was pushed back. A final decision from the judge is expected today.
Mayor Tory and his business mission will visit Netflix and other newer movie makers in Los Angeles next week. The mayor said today the group will be trying to attract business from some companies that have not done a great deal of business with Toronto in the past. So we are going to tell them about it, we are going to encourage them to come to Toronto.

Related
Birthday wishes

Call 281-422-8302 or email sunnews@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun.

Happy Birthday Wishes
The "big family" culture of Joseph's College is largely credited by staff and students to Bruce Nims, the late co-founder and the president of the college of cosmetology.

Nims passed away on Jan. 13. The Celebration of Life service is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Lincoln on Jan. 20, when the seven schools will be closed in his honor.

Nims was born in 1940 in Lincoln, where he continued his education and helped found Josephs College in 1965 with the late Joseph Cuva. Nims was a recruiter, manager, educator, financial aid director and president for the college.

Nims was also many other things: a husband, a father, a car enthusiast, a member of several organized boards and committees and, for some Josephs College staff members, a grandfather figure.

Two staff members of the Josephs College Beatrice campus look back fondly at Bruce, who just last month came to the campus in his usual friendly and talkative spirit.

Bruce was super down-to-earth, said Tara Fadipe, campus director of the Beatrice school. He had a great sense of humor. I could talk all day about Bruce.

Fadipe didnt talk all day, but sentence after sentence was a nice thought about Bruce and or a memory with him.

He always had a story for you, said instructor Tasha Beranek. He was very proud of his company, his daughters and his wife. He always wanted to know how you were doing and, if you had kids, how your kids are. He was very, very friendly.  A lot of people know him. He touched a lot of peoples lives.

Fadipe and Beranek spoke separately, yet they mentioned some of the same things.

Im sure everyone hes touched somehow, Fadipe said.

Fadipe called Nims a great story teller, and a very caring and very positive person.

He always had positive things to say, Fadipe said. Ive been here five years and he never had anything negative to say.

On the same day Fadipe found out her grandmother had four weeks left to live, Nims was at the Beatrice campus to promote her from instructor to campus director.

He sympathized with me and told a joke and brought me up, Fadipe said. He told me, I really think you can do this (new staff position).'"

Nims and his wife Lydia Jane would visit the Beatrice campus fairly regularly, sometimes for 15 minutes and sometimes for an hour and a half, Fadipe said.

At first it was once a month, Fadipe said. He was just here last month. He tried to visit every campus as often as he could.

Josephs College is one big family, Fadipe said. If the weather was bad, Nims would call the campus to check in and see if everyone was doing OK, she said. Hed wish them a merry Christmas and drop off gifts.

I hit a deer and he called me at home to see if I was alright and to see if my son was alright and to ask about my car, Fadipe said. And it wasnt just a quick phone call. We were on the phone for, like, 10 minutes. He was very concerned.

Beranek and Fadipe anticipate a full house at the Celebration of Life ceremony for Bruce.

Tomorrow is going to be a sad day, Fadipe said. Its going to be sad. Its going to be tough. But he would want us to keep going. Its business as usual on Monday, which is what he would want. Its sad and memories will be shared, and then well need to go on like he would want us to.

Nims graduated from Lincoln High School in 1959. After attending the University of Nebraska, he entered cosmetology school.

Nims served as the legislative chairman and later president for the Nebraska Association of Cosmetology Schools. Nims was also a member of the Lincoln Planning Commission, Private Vocational School Advisor Committee, Nebraska Coordinating Committee for Post Secondary Education, Board of Directors of the National Association of Accredited Cosmetology Schools, and State of Nebraska Cosmetology Board.
OMAHA  A federal appeals court has affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a Florida man against doctors at Nebraska's psychiatric hospital, where he was held for 20 years on a misdiagnosis.

John Maxwell Montin, 54, sued after being released from the Lincoln Regional Center in 2013, where he had been held since being found not guilty by reason of insanity of false imprisonment and a weapons count. Police had said Montin, who lived in Florida at the time, was delusional when he was arrested after he walked up to a rural house in 1993, declared it had belonged to his ancestors and he was taking it back.

Psychiatrists relied on that police report for the next 20 years in keeping Montin committed, even as he insisted he was not psychotic.

On Thursday, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal said Montin's malpractice claim was based on state law and, therefore, improperly filed in federal court. The appeals court also said that the doctors he sued are entitled to qualified immunity because they worked for the state.

For years, Montin's doctors said his denials that he was mentally ill was evidence that he was when they made annual reports to a judge, who ultimately decided that Montin was mentally ill and dangerous.

In 2012, an attorney for Montin persuaded a psychiatrist at the center to read a transcript of Montin's trial, which differed from the police arrest report. A year later, another psychiatrist at the center concluded that medication Montin was taking for back pain had led to temporary psychosis and the incident. He said when Montin stopped taking the medicine  before his 1993 trial began  the psychosis was gone.

Montin's attorney, Michael Gooch of Omaha, said Thursday he had not had a chance to read the opinion and couldn't comment on it.

But Gooch didn't hide his disappointment, saying that mistreatment of Montin by the Nebraska doctors was "longstanding and profound."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

When an expected 200,000 people gather Saturday at the Women's March in Washington, D.C., at least one Southeast Texan will be among them, while other locals will march in some of the hundreds of "sister marches" planned nationwide, including one in Beaumont.

Tiffany Maloney, owner of Beaumont's LoveYoga studio, said she is going to D.C. to participate not in protest of Donald Trump's inauguration but "to band together in solidarity with others."

The march, which will fill the same streets as Trump's inaugural parade today, is the model for at least 15 in Texas, where women are expected to gather to support a platform of causes ranging from reproductive rights to equal pay.

Among the speakers in D.C. will be Judith LeBlanc, Director of the Native Organizers Alliance, who was born in Beaumont.

Beaumont Women's March When: 10 a.m. Saturday Details: Begins at Betty Smith Creative Works, 2485 Calder Ave.; continues to First Street, along Calder to 11th Street, then back at the studio See More Collapse

LeBlanc has worked on national peace movement campaigns and works on planning and campaign development with Native groups, according to the organization's website.

More than 25,000 people have signed up to march in Austin, and more than 3,000 each in Houston and Dallas. Organizers of a Beaumont march expect 50 to 100 people to participate in their event Saturday, which will go down Calder Avenue.

Several locals are heading to the capital, including Selena Cryer, an ironworker who lives in Warren. While there, she plans to meet up with other women who work in industrial trades, and hopes to build momentum to encourage more women to enter the male-dominated field.

A group of eight women from Beaumont plan to attend Saturday's march, and a rally at the Capitol on Sunday celebrating the anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case on abortion, Roe v. Wade.

One of them, Amber Barnhill, an activist against domestic violence, said she is marching in response to a normalization of sexual assault and discrimination that she believes the presidential election unleashed.

"All the rhetoric with the election was just unbelievable sexism and rape culture," she said. "It's important for someone to still be saying, it's not OK."

The group had planned to go to Austin before the Beaumont march was announced, said Amber Crowe, but were glad to see that a Golden Triangle Sister March will also be held.

That march, led by friends Shelby Smith and Betty Smith, has grown quickly from the 15 participants that the two expected.

"There was nobody representing Southeast Texas, there's not a voice down here, and that really tore me up," said Shelby, who originally planned to march in Denton. "So we just decided to go on and organize a march down here."

The march begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at Betty Smith Creative Works at 2485 Calder Ave., and will continue to First Street, along Calder to 11th Street and end back at the studio.

"It will be peaceful, nonviolent and nonpartisan," Shelby said.

"I've had a couple women tell me they were feeling so alone and isolated." she said. "I'm hoping that out of this march we can find some sort of a coalition going forward."

Crowe said the environment in Southeast Texas "is not really friendly to activism" but hopes the weekend's events will build energy for more.

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/LizTeitz
As Republican congressional leaders take steps to tear down the ACA, Republican governors from across the U.S. on Thursday urged lawmakers to continue funding health benefits for millions of poor Americans, reports Reuters.

Specifically, the governors' expressed concern over what an ACA repeal would mean for the millions of people who gained coverage under a provision of the health law that expanded Medicaid eligibility to low-income people in participating states. If Medicaid expansion is cut and not replaced with a policy that will maintain the same coverage levels, at least 10 million low-income people could lose their health insurance, according to Reuters.

Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio, was one of 10 governors who met with Republican lawmakers in Washington, D.C. If the ACA is repealed, he suggested that people who gained Medicaid coverage under the law could instead be granted premium subsidies or tax credits for buying private health insurance, according to the report.

"It ain't gonna happen. Nobody's going to lose coverage," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said as he left the meeting, according to the report. Sen. Cornyn added that he thought Gov. Kasich had offered some "creative" ideas for handling Medicaid costs if the ACA is repealed.
Epic Systems is one of the most well-known names in the world of health IT.

As the EHR supplier for hospitals around the world, Epic has established itself without going public and with little marketing efforts. From its eccentric campus to its relationship with clients, here are 10 things to know about the company.

1. Epic was founded in a basement in 1979 by Judy Faulkner. With 1.5 employees, the company was originally called Human Services Computing but rebranded as Epic Systems in 1983, according to Isthmus. In its early stages, Epic and the precursor to American Girl utilized the same basement in a Madison, Wis., apartment.

2. Ms. Faulkner, a programmer, initially had no intention of founding a company. But after requests from clients, she chose to start a company based on the clinical data management system she'd created. At a meeting during the company's early stages, a client grabbed a dictionary and looked up the definition of "epic": "the glorious recounting of a nation's events." The group liked the name and decided to go with it. "Like the 'Iliad' or the 'Odyssey,' our electronic health records chronicle the story of a patient's healthcare over time," Epic's website quips.

3. Ms. Faulkner serves as Epic's CEO. As of Jan. 17, 2017, Forbes valued her worth at $2.2 billion. Last year, Ms. Faulkner ranked No. 3 on Forbes' list of "America's Richest Self-Made Women" and No. 79 on Forbes' list of "Richest People in Tech."

In 2015, Ms. Faulkner pledged 99 percent of her wealth to philanthropy by joining the Giving Pledge, a an initiative in which some of the world's wealthiest individuals pledge to donate the majority of their assets to philanthropy.

4. Located in Verona, Wis.  approximately 11 miles south of Madison  Epic's headquarters is unique. The company hired the architects who designed Disneyland to blueprint a creative campus, according to The Boston Globe. A sculpture of Humpty Dumpty sits on a wall near the entrance to the headquarters. Each section of the campus has a different theme, from farming to castles to New York City's Grand Central Station. The campus also features an enormous slide and treehouse for meetings.

Epic has even been lauded for its imaginative campus. In October 2016, the American Institute of Architects gave Epic an honorable mention in its annual TAP/CCA Innovation Awards. The Epic Deep Space Auditorium  which can seat up to 11,400 and was designed by Minneapolis-based Cuningham Group  received an honorable mention in the stellar design category.

5. Epic's campus is not only unique in its design  it's also unique in its sustainability efforts. To generate energy, Epic installed six wind turbines and 18 acres of solar panels. Its campus includes almost 350 acres of farmland that Epic lends out to farmers. For heating and cooling its buildings, Epic utilizes its thousands of miles of underground geothermal pipes.

6. Every five years, Epic employees are eligible for four weeks of paid time off. If employees decide to spend their time off in a country they've never been to, Epic will fund the trip for the employee and one guest. Thus far, Epic employees have headed out on more than 3,000 trips to more than 100 countries, including Israel, Antarctica, Germany, Zimbabwe, Japan and the Bahamas.

7. Approximately 190 million patients across the globe currently have a record in Epic's EHR system. Epic's software is used in a variety of clinical settings, including community hospitals, retail clinics, rehabilitation centers, academic medical centers and independent practices. Patients can access the software from their homes and their mobile devices.

8. Epic claims all of its customers currently interoperate and exchange 1.3 million patient records each day with other EHR vendors, government agencies, registries and each other.

Epic is a founding member of Carequality, an interoperability framework that's a collaborative of public and private organizations. However, Epic has refrained from joining certain market place collaborations that claim to be dedicated to interoperability, such as the CommonWell Health Alliance.

9. Epic clients appear less satisfied with and more "trapped" in their vendor relationships, according to the 2016 Black Book Inpatient EHR Surveys. The surveys gathered responses from EHR vendors between the second quarter of 2015 through the first quarter of 2016. Epic was one of the vendors in the "trapped" quadrant, which Black Book classified as customers with the intent to continue business with the vendor but dissatisfaction with some important aspect of the relationship.

The overall loyalty percentage for Epic customers dropped from 89 percent in 2015 to 80 percent in 2016. In addition, 98 percent of Epic clients reported they were renewing their current contracts yet only 72 percent said they would advocate for peers to also purchase the product.

10. At Epic's 2016 Users Group Meeting, Ms. Faulkner addressed two new initiatives the company has launched.

First, Epic partnered with AmericanUniversity of Beirut in Lebanon to help refugees with their healthcare. Through their collaboration, Epic and AUB are planning a system in which patients in Lebanon would receive their basic health information on a thumb drive and be able to share that information with patients and organizations in other countries.

In addition, Ms. Faulkner said Epic is launching an program to support federally qualified health centers. Epic will offer free licenses and maintenance to healthcare systems that supply tertiary, specialty and inpatient care to local FQHCs. For FQHCs that can't afford or are too busy to install Epic, Epic will be available to help with the installs. For health systems that have already extended Epic to an FQHC, Ms. Faulkner said Epic will work with them to potentially reduce the cost of software maintenance.
The following health IT vendor contracts and go-lives were reported within the past week.

1. Noom, a digital health company, unveiled versions of its diabetes prevention and weight management programs in Spanish.

2. Forward, a San Francisco-based startup, launched its first concierge medical practice Jan. 17, 2017.

3. Auxilio, a Mission Viejo, Calif.-based health IT company, acquired Austin-based CynergisTek for an initial value of approximately $26.8 million in combined cash, stock and seller debt.

4. McKesson Health Solutions' InterQual Criteria is accessible through the cloud-based implementations of InterQual Online, InterQual Anonymous Review and InterQual Transparency.

5. Burlington-based University of Vermont Health Network is hoping for state regulatory permission to implement a $112.4 million Epic EHR system.

6. Allscripts and ePatientFinder, a clinical trial site optimization company, released a new patient identification and analytics tool: GeoPrecise.
Google veteran Adrian Aoun and former Uber executive Ilya Abyzov co-founded Forward in 2016. The new start-up company aims to deliver high-quality  and high-tech  healthcare, reports Fast Company.

San Francisco-based Forward offers "direct primary care" services, a model that ditches of a fee-for-service payment plans and doesn't accept insurance, instead having patients pay a flat rate of $149 a month for their healthcare needs. The theory behind the model is that physicians can pay more attention to their patients without worrying about so many administrative tasks.

Mr. Aoun hopes to bring a high-tech flair to his direct primary care system, describing Forward's San Francisco facility as a "doctor's office that looks more like an Apple Store," according to the report. The startup offers members standard medical services, along with genetic screening tests, body scanners, wearable sensors, artificial intelligence software, and a homegrown electronic medical record system, reports Fast Company.

Forward's patients can also receive labs, travel vaccines and ultrasounds  X-ray services will be available in the near future.

Mr. Aoun expects Forward's monthly rate to decrease as the startup expands its customer base. For now, the company is offering some free memberships to individuals who can't afford the fees, according to the report.

More articles on health IT:

10 things to know about Cerner

Survey: 26% of health IT, medical device business associates have security certification

MIT, Harvard researchers partner for $27M AI ethics initiative
St. Louis-based Ascension named the Rev. Dennis Holtschneider executive vice president and COO, effective July 1, 2017, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

Currently, the Rev. Holtschneider serves as president of DePaul University in Chicago. He is also chair of Ascension's board, a role he will step down from on June 30, 2017. He has served as DePaul University's president since 2004. He announced his decision to leave the post in June 2016, though his contract was slated to expire in 2019. At the time, he said he would take a year off and return to DePaul as a tenured professor of education.

"We are grateful that [Rev.] Fr. Dennis Holtschneider has agreed to apply his determination, his vision and his skills in a more direct, day-to-day way to our ministry," said Ascension CEO Anthony R. Tersigni in a statement, according to the Chicago Tribune.
President-elect Donald Trump has asked Francis Collins, MD, PhD, to stay on in his role as director of the National Institutes of Health.

According to Science, NIH learned the news Thursday afternoon. "We just learned that Dr. Collins has been held over by the Trump administration," a spokesman said, according to the report, but it is not clear how long he will hold the role.

Because he was appointed by President Barack Obama, Dr. Collins submitted a letter of resignation to the administration after the 2016 presidential election. His resignation would have taken effect on Friday, according to Science.

On Jan. 11, Mr. Trump met with Dr. Collins and Republican Rep. Andy Harris, MD, of Maryland, who was being considered for the role. According to STAT, Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, a surgeon and founder of NantWorks, was also being considered.

Dr. Collins, who has been director of NIH since 2009, has faced a rocky road of late  an investigation into the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda in 2016 found the hospital was not in compliance with quality and safety standards. Dr. Collins responded by suspending production at two NIH facilities, halting clinical trial enrollment until problems were resolved, and restructuring leadership at the research hospital.

A group of senior physicians inside NIH have been critical of Dr. Collins, but the director enjoys support by Republican lawmakers, according to STAT.
The following is a roundup of recent events pertaining to hospital-union relationships, including strikes, legal battles, rallies and new contract agreements. All events were reported so far in 2017.

1. Unions ratify Yale labor deals

Unions representing service, maintenance, clerical and technical workers at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., have ratified new labor agreements, according to a New Haven Register report. Unite Here, which represents the workers, approved a five-year contract for 1,400 service and maintenance workers belonging to Local 35 and 3,600 clerical and technical workers in Local 34, according to the report.

2. Vermont LNAs demonstrate over staffing issues amid attempts to unionize

Licensed nursing assistants at University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington rallied to highlight their unionization efforts and advocate for better staffing, Burlington Free Press reports.

3. Providence Tarzana workers demonstrate over lost housekeeping jobs

Workers at Providence Tarzana (Calif.) Medical Center picketed to protest the hospital's decision to no longer contract out housekeeping work, reports Los Angeles Daily News. Providence Tarzana had contracted with Sodexo, but the hospital decided last October to create an internal environmental services department instead of continuing its outsourcing contract, according to a statement from the hospital.

4. Union nurses demonstrate over staffing issues at Tri-City Medical Center

Registered nurses at Oceanside, Calif.-based Tri-City Medical Center picketed over staffing issues, according to the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United.

5. Rhode Island Hospital employees picket updated policy aimed at eliminating 'excessive absenteeism'

Members of Providence-based Rhode Island Hospital's two unions picketed to challenge an updated attendance policy, reports Providence Journal. The updated policy, effective Jan. 1, applies to all employees at Providence-based health system Lifespan, of which the hospital is a part. The policy is intended to eliminate "excessive absenteeism," Lifespan said in a statement.

6. UC Davis employees demonstrate over wages near main campus and medical center

Approximately 80 people, comprised of University of California employees and union officials, demonstrated near UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento and the UC Davis main campus in Yolo County, reports The Sacramento Bee. The workers, represented by Teamsters Local 2010, include administrative assistants, preschool teachers, police dispatchers, collections employees and library assistants, according to the article.

7. Baystate nurses plan to picket as staffing disputes gum up contract talks

Nurses at Baystate Health's Noble Hospital in Westfield, Mass., planned a picket over contract negotiations, according to a Boston Business Journal report. The workers, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, have been in contract negotiations with management since February 2016.

8. Administrative and clerical workers strike near UC San Diego campuses

Administrative and clerical workers represented by Teamsters Local 2010 went on strike near UC San Diego hospitals in Hillcrest and La Jolla, reports The San Diego Union-Tribune. The strike is part of a systemwide work stoppage for the University of California.

9. Alhambra Hospital RNs vote to unionize

Registered nurses at Alhambra (Calif.) Hospital Medical Center voted to join the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, the CNA announced. The union said the vote was 60 for CNA to 52 for the hospital administration in a secret ballot vote conducted by the National Labor Relations Board. At the time, the CNA noted that a number of challenged ballots remain to be resolved by the NLRB.

10. University of Iowa workers sign letters calling for more pay, better staffing

The Service Employees International Union Local 199 is calling for better pay and improved staffing at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, reports The Gazette. The union, which represents thousands of employees at UIHC, including nurses, is currently negotiating a labor contract. Earlier this month, union members delivered about 400 letters to the office of UIHC CEO Ken Kates, demanding better working conditions, according to the report.

11. Nurses at Westchester Medical Center ratify new contract

After years of negotiations, registered nurses represented by the New York State Nurses Association ratified a new contract with Valhalla, N.Y.-based Westchester Medical Center. The 11-year agreement, effective April 1, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2021, resolves issues regarding salaries and benefits.

12. Nurses file NLRB complaint against Alhambra Hospital for allegedly interfering with unionization efforts

The California Nurses Association filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Alhambra (Calif.) Hospital Medical Center, claiming the hospital has infringed upon the rights of registered nurses to conduct a fair union election, according to a union announcement.

13. Nurses protest staffing issues amid Pocono-Lehigh merger

Nurses at East Stroudsburg, Pa.-based Pocono Medical Center and representatives of the healthcare union Jneso, which represents professional healthcare workers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, protested against layoffs and staffing changes, according to a Pocono Record report. The protest took place on the same day East Stroudsburg-based Pocono Health System celebrated its merger with Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network.

More articles on human capital and risk:

Unions ratify Yale labor deals

Vermont LNAs demonstrate over staffing issues amid attempts to unionize

6 healthcare organizations adding jobs
From executives of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems settling an investor suit for $60 million to University of Pennsylvania Health System agreeing to pay $845,000 to settle improper billing allegations, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.

1. Penn Health System settles improper billing allegations for $845k

Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania Health System agreed to pay the federal government $845,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations.

2. Walgreens to pay $50M kickback settlement

Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens agreed to pay $50 million to resolve allegations it violated the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act.

3. Appeals court reduces judgment against HCA to $188M in breach of contract suit

The Missouri Court of Appeals reduced a judgment against Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America by more than half in a breach of contract suit brought by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.

4. CHS executives ink $60M settlement in investor suit

A Tennessee federal judge approved a $60 million agreement Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems and its executives inked with investors to resolve breach of fiduciary duty allegations.

5. Norman Regional Health System in Oklahoma accused of billing fraud

A qui tam, or whistle-blower, complaint filed in 2014 and unsealed Tuesday alleges Norman (Okla.) Regional Health System, the system's former COO and six radiologists engaged in a fraudulent billing scheme.

6. US Supreme Court to hear Epic overtime case

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether companies can require employees to sign arbitration agreements preventing workers from pursuing group claims in court. The Supreme Court took three cases on the issue, one of which involves Verona, Wis.-based Epic Systems.

7. Federal court refuses to dismiss false claims suit against Prime Healthcare

A California federal court denied three motions brought by Prime Healthcare Services in a lawsuit alleging the Ontario, Calif.-based hospital chain violated the False Claims Act.

8. WellSpan York Hospital faces suit over heater-cooler-related infection risks

Twelve patients filed a civil lawsuit against WellSpan York (Pa.) Hospital that alleges the hospital failed to protect them from exposure to nontuberculous mycobacterium during open-heart surgery.

9. Patient allegedly steals physician's white coat to escape Texas hospital after arrest

A 33-year-old woman was charged with a felony after police say she took a physician's white coat and used it to escape police custody at UMC Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, Texas.

10. California physician accuses Molina of withholding payments for Medicaid services

Los Angeles-area physician Manuel Figueroa, MD, filed a putative class-action lawsuit against Molina Healthcare, claiming the Long Beach, Calif.-based insurer owes him money for Medicaid services he provided between Jan. 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2014.

More articles on health law:

Shire Pharmaceuticals settles landmark kickback case for $350M

Owner of pharmaceutical distributor pleads guilty in $100M fraud scheme

Cedars-Sinai sues HealthCare Partners over more than $6M in unpaid bills








The Missouri Court of Appeals reduced a judgment against Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America by more than half in a breach of contract suit brought by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, according to the Kansas City Business Journal.

HCA acquired Health Midwest, a 12-hospital system based in Kansas City, Mo., in 2003. The hospitals became part of HCA's Midwest Division. As part of the deal, HCA agreed to spend at least $450 million in capital improvements over the first five years it owned the hospitals.

The Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, which was formed with proceeds from the HCA-Health Midwest transaction, sued HCA in 2009, claiming HCA had reneged on its commitments regarding the capital improvements.

In December 2015, HCA was ordered to pay nearly $434 million to the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City for allegedly failing to fulfill pledges it made when it bought Health Midwest's hospitals.

HCA appealed the judge's order in January 2016. In its appeal, HCA argued it fulfilled its agreement to make $450 million in capital improvements by building new hospitals in Independence, Mo., and Lee's Summit, Mo.

On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals reversed part of the lower court's ruling, reducing the judgment against HCA from $434 million to $188 million. The court disagreed with the healthcare foundation's argument that the capital expenditure agreement applied only to improvement on existing Health Midwest facilities, according to The Kansas City Star.

"We are pleased the Missouri Court of Appeals held 'it is uncontested' that we 'spent in excess of $450 million during the five-year term following closing,' living up to our agreement to do so," Christine Hamele, an HCA Midwest spokeswoman, said in an email to the Kansas City Business Journal.

Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City Chairman Wayne Powell told the Kansas City Business Journal "HCF remains committed to our mission of eliminating barriers and promoting quality health for the underserved and uninsured in our region."

More articles on healthcare industry lawsuits:

CHS executives ink $60M settlement in investor suit

Federal court refuses to dismiss false claims suit against Prime Healthcare

Patient allegedly steals physician's white coat to escape Texas hospital after arrest
Englewood (N.J.) Hospital and Medical Center is providing lead tests to its workers, patients and visitors who entered the hospital since September 2015 after tests revealed high levels of lead in the hospital's drinking water, The Record reports.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection contacted Englewood Hospital last week and notified the facility about the elevated lead levels.

The action level for lead in drinking water set by the federal government is 15 parts per billion. The hospital told The Record Wednesday the highest level recorded at the hospital's campus was 1,206 parts per billion. The highest level was found in Englewood Hospital's physical therapy gym.

The hospital stopped using tap water after the DEP's notification and began using bottled water, shipments of tanked water and ice made outside of the hospital. Signs were posted above all sinks, faucets, ice machines and water fountains to alert hospital visitors of the issue, while faucets with high levels of lead were turned off, according to the report.
Researchers at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y., are learning a new language to communicate with the body and redefine treatment of disease and injury  the language of bioelectronic medicine.

Bioelectronic medicine uses device technology to control cell behavior by analyzing and reproducing signals sent by the nervous system to the rest of the body. By delivering calculated electronic stimulations through small devices implanted under the skin, researchers can modify organ function, unlocking the potential to treat inflammatory diseases or even restore movement in paralyzed patients.

Chad Bouton serves as vice president of advanced engineering for the Feinstein Institute  the research branch of Great Neck, N.Y.-based Northwell Health  and as the managing director of the institute's Center for Bioelectronic Medicine.

Prior to joining the Feinstein Institute's team in 2015, Mr. Bouton spent 18 years researching and developing biomedical technology at the Battelle Memorial Institute, the largest independent research and development organization in the world. Last April, a team of researchers led by Mr. Bouton pioneered a neural bypass technology that allowed a paralyzed man to regain hand movement after a small device was implanted in his brain.

Mr. Bouton spoke with Becker's Hospital Review about his career in biolectronic medicine and where he sees the field moving to in the future.

Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Question: What first sparked your interest in the field of bioelectronic medicine?

CB: I've participated in medical device research and development for almost 20 years. About 10 years ago, I became very interested in trying to decode brain waves, particularly in the motor area responsible for movement. We were working with study participants who had experienced a stroke or conditions like ALS. I started to realize if we could decipher some of these brain signals in people living with debilitating conditions, we could start to use bioelectronic technology to restore movement by rerouting signals in the brain. I became enthralled in the entire field, which combined my background in signal processing  now called machine learning  with medicine.

Q: What research are you currently working on at the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine right now?

CB: About 80 percent of the fibers in the Vagus nerve are sensory fibers that carry information from little receptors in organs throughout the entire body up to the brain. If you can stimulate and crack this neural code to learn the language of the nervous system, you can not only understand the messages going back and forth in the body, you can also learn how to speak the language.

To crack the neural code, we use machine learning  a branch of artificial intelligence that relies on computers and algorithms to decode neural messages and patterns. By listening in and understanding neural messages, we can then discover how to make adjustments for stimulations and create devices that close the loop, allowing the mind to send signals to the rest of the body, even in cases where a severed spinal cord has previously blocked this signal.

We have very specific projects in developing core technologies to help us better understand and recreate this language. One includes a high-resolution neural interface that allows us to tap into those signals and nerves. We're also looking at technology to listen in on brain signals. These are both going to be really important core technologies.

We're also developing biosensors to measure various body processes. For example, we could use biosensors as an internal glucose reader for people with diabetes, an area I'm really interested in. We believe we can use bioelectronic medicine to treat type 2 diabetes and maybe even find a way to treat type I, as well.

The ultimate goal is to create one tiny chip that can be implanted into a patient to listen to the brain and make necessary adjustments on its own. We hope to reach this within the next five to 10 years, depending on the condition or disease it's intended to treat.

Q: How do you think bioelectronics will affect the future of healthcare in terms of costs and quality of care?

CB: Bioelectronic devices could have a dramatic impact on quality of care and the ability to manage different diseases by monitoring biomarkers in at-risk patients. Listening to the body's clues, methods and signals, could help us better diagnose disease, create technology that could create real-time diagnostics, track the progress and recovery of a patient and warn individuals of risk for cancer, diabetes, etc.

Looking further into the future, there's been a lot of great research and work done in the area of paralysis. While there are some treatments for spinal cord injuries and strokes, there's still room for improvement. Bioelectronic medicine offers the opportunity to take state-of-the-art technology and advancements and combine them with a greater understanding of molecular biology to treat injuries and diseases in a completely new way.

Q: What excites you the most about the field of bioelectronic medicine?

CB: Two things: The fact that there seems to be no limit to what's possible in this field, but also the fact that at the end of the day, we can see the tangible effects we have on improving a patient's quality of life. We've opened up so many more doors for new treatment options for patients.

It's why I got involved in medical devices 20 years ago. I knew if we worked hard and created devices the right way, we could make things that had unlimited possibilities to help patients.

To access an interview with Kevin Tracy, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institute, click here.

More articles on supply chain:

Supply chain tip of the week: How to manage excessive drug price hikes

Drug shortage spurs FDA to allow use of topical gel approved in Europe

Novartis to consider more US investments amid Trump tax cuts
The Giants Causeway and Game of Thrones are huge draws for international visitors

The number of tourists visiting Northern Ireland from the Republic has risen by 10%, according to figures.

The number of overnight stays also increased by 1%, climbing to 4.6 million between October 2015 and September last year, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) said.

Overall spending by tourists increased by 10% during the period - rising from 747.9m to 820.9m.

The number of tourists from the Republic visiting family and friends, meanwhile, increased by around 33%.

Economy Minister Simon Hamilton said: "I am pleased that in the year to September 2016, visitors spent 821m in the local economy.

"Almost three-quarters of this, 74%, came from external visitors, making tourism worth 606m as an export business.

"This is an increase of 10% in overall visitor spend when compared to the year to September 2015.

"Tourism performance remains very positive as the momentum created over the last few years continues to build.

"The latest occupancy statistics up to November 2016 show that the record room occupancy levels experienced over the summer period have continued through the autumn.

"There was a 10% increase in bed spaces sold in hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs for the first 11 months of the year.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close I took this photo of the view over Strangford Lough to Scrabo Tower on my mobile - July 2016. I didn't notice the unusual cloud formation till after I'd taken the picture! Submitted by Jane Gregory I took this picture on my phone on Thursday 21st July 2016. It was sunrise in Crawfordsburn and is just as it was-Beautiful colours! Carol Rowney Photo taken at Drumcrow Jetty (known locally as Jason's Walk) July 2016. Taken on an iPhone 6+. Had to wait until the water settled as my Retreiver had just been in swimming. Keith Livingstone - Monea, Co Fermanagh. Slemish from the Nursery Road outside Gracehill on my walk over to my parent's farm - submitted by Lorraine Mulholland July 2016 Donegal cows graze along the shoreline of Carnboy Lough close to Carrickfinn with Mount Errigal in the distance on the hottest day of year, so far. Picture by Liam McBurney Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX Hugh McCloy, from Moneymore Co Derry took this picture of Lough Melvin Flangans Point, looking across the lough to the mountains Portrush beach - taken Mark McDougall This is a photo of the old St Lurach's church in Maghera - taken by Mark McDougall. Autumn 2015 St Johns Point Lighthouse, in Co Down. Taken November 2015 by Ivor Anderson Trevor Denton From Crumlin took this at the harbour in Buncrana. It will probably take more than a lick of paint to get this vessel shipshape again. Nov 2015 Newcastle Co Down. Taken November 2015 by Ivor Anderson Arranmore Island Co Donegal. Taken by Eamon Macthomais, Belfast. Picture taken at White Park Bay Beach, Antrim Coast by Colleen Buchanan, Newtownabbey Steven Hylands, from Banbridge took this picture of Clare Glen. You can see a herron in the distance waiting patiently to catch any fish swimming down stream! November 2015 A wonderful sunset high up in the Sperrin mountains. Taken in the Sperrin Mountains near Lough Fea by Steven Hylands Banbridge This was taken at Lough Fea outside Cookstown by Cathy McGuigan Draperstown. Autumn 2015 Sheep Island, Ballintoy, submitted by Gail Whyte, Belfast Mist rolling in over Binevenagh Mountain, Limavady. Picture Submitted by Eoin McConnell. Nov 2015 This photo along the North Down coastal path facing east over Belfast Lough shows a fairly rare phenomenon known as anticrepuscular rays, where the area of the sky directly opposite the setting sun appears to have rays coming from nowhere. (Photo by Denis Slattery) Ballycastle beach at midnight. By Eoin McConnnell Little Isaac Bradford (5) from east Belfast, plays in the water at Cranfield Beach, Carlingford Lough. Pictured by his dad, Andy Bradford. A stunning evening in Portstewart. Pic: Alannah Morrow A beautiful August day in Annalong, Co Down. By Paul Briggs from Portadown Ballintoy Harbour on the Causeway Coast, Co. Antrim on Saturday 25th July 2015. I live in Brussels, Belgium but I am from West Belfast. I was over visiting for the week with my Flemish boyfriend and his family. Submitted by Emma Rainey Victor Anton, from Alpharetta, GA USA, submitted this picture of Shane Castle, Randalstown. Summer 2015 I think this picture captures the tranquillity of Donegal. This was taken while holidaying at Dunfanaghy in July 2015. My son decided to have a paddle in the evening. Submitted by Andrew Tait, from Millisle. Martello Tower, Crohy Head, Maghery, County Donegal, summer 2015. Taken by Victor Anton, from Alpharetta, GA USA. The view from Arranmore Island looking back across to Donegal on July, 2015 . I live in Liverpool, I'm from Derry and was visiting Arranmore Island. Submitted by Martin McCauley The Giant's Causeway, Bushmills, Co. Antriim - Taken by Frank Ryan from Dublin, June 2015 Patrick Hughes captured this stunning shot of Armagh Cathedral View of the city of Derry as seen from Waterside area. Submitted by Frank Fleming June 2015 Holywood sunset - submitted by Derek Black June 2015 The road to mountains of mourne taken with an iPhon. Picture: Roy Goudie The old church yard Cookstown. Picture: Roy Goudie The mountains of mourne. Picture: Roy Goudie Buttercup Country lane Antrim: Picture Roy Goudie My young daughter Saoirse Hanna, aged 3, enjoying the view at Antrim Castle Gardens (June 10) on a brief visit from London.Submitted by Emmett Hanna Afternoon sunshine at Portavogie - taken by Ellen Thompson (Bangor) June 2015 Groomsport - taken by Ellen Thompson (Bangor) June 2015 Mother and father swans with their cygnets at Portavoe near Bangor- taken by Ellen Thompson (Bangor) June 2015 Strangford Lough, pictured by Phil Sloan The Mournes from Keel Point - Submitted by Glenn Millar June 2015 Sunrise at Ballymorran Bay, Strangford Lough - Submitted by Glenn Millar June 2015 Six Mile Water Antrim Castle Submitted by Maria Kouzinoglou from Athens, Greece. June 2015 Castle grounds Antrim Town.. Submitted by Maria Kouzinoglou from Athens, Greece. June 2015 Legananny Dolmen, Co Down by Carson Harte Armagh by Patrick Hughes Armagh by Patrick Hughes Sunrise over Belfast Lough. Taken by David Adams from the high rise flats in Rathcoole. A picture of Dawn at Cloonatrig taken from the jetty at Cloonatrig, Upper Lough Erne. Picture by Ernest Parker November 2014 About the picture - it was a day of sunshine and showers, clearly seen on the horizon. When and where - On the way back to Belfast City Airport after a wedding in Carlingford in July. Submitted by Annmarie Meredith, living in London This firey red sky was taken from my house in Derryboy. Picture by Scarlett Clarke. Sept 2014 Murlough Bay outside Dundrum. Sept 2014 - Submitted by Marie Gallagher Wheatear (female) in prime condition to depart shortly for that long flight back to its Winter Grounds in Central Africa By Christine Cassidy, Derry Coast line, Carrack A Rede. Taken during our annual family holiday 2014 - Andy Milford Port Ballintrae. Taken during our annual family holiday 2014 - Andy Milford Aurora borealis seen from Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, by Barry Lau I was driving along the Strangford Lough shore road (on a bird watching trip )two or three miles from Newtownards when I spotted this magical view of hay bales with the lough and Scrabo in the distance. I thought 'isnt Northern Ireland the most wonderful place to live?'. It was so beautiful and I had to stop and take a photo. By Noeni Bryars, Harmony Hill Lambeg. Whitepark Bay on the North Antrim Coast. Photo by David Fennelly Locals claim this building in Portbraddan, Co Antrim is the smallest church in Ireland. It was built 1950s as cow byre. Photo by David Fennelly 'This photo was taken from below Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge while I was on holiday'. Pic Andrew Carson, Westminster, Colorado Pans Rocks, Ballycastle Beach by Gordon Douglas Strangford Lough taken from Scrabo on a sunny June day, 2014. Pic Sam Brown, Comber Causeway coastal route. Pic Michela Dettori Stroove Beach and lighthouse Co Donegal with Lough Foyle & Binnevagh Mountain in the background - submitted by Christopher Tierney, Derry City Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. Pic Stephen Kerr from Carryduff Devenish Island- Co Fermanagh ...taken 1st July 2014..beautiful day out on Lough Erne....by Liam McClean from Omagh Mussendun: Peering west toward Downhill Beach from Mussendun Temple. Submitted by Barry Grayson, Los Angeles, CA. Oak Trees taken on 6th July at Redcastle Co Donegal looking with Lough Foyle & Binnevagh Mountain in the background - submitted Christopher Tierney This is the Waterworks otherwise known as the Donaghaguy Reservoir just outside Warrenpoint Co. Down at sunset the other night. It is a popular fishing spot with resident families of swans and ducks and has a walkway around it as well as the fishing piers. Submitted by Brian McCalmont Taken on the road down from Binevenagh looking down on to Downhill Beach - one of my favourite places in Northern Ireland. Submitted by Rodney Harrison Ballintoy harbour Evelyn McCullough Canoes at sunset, Belfast Lough by David J Campbell Ballywalter Harbour. Photograph by Tim Gaston Islandhill, Comber. Photograph by Tim Gaston Islandhill, Comber. Photograph by Tim Gaston Carrickfergus Castle by Martin Soutar - Carrickfergus Castle 'These photographs were taken during my morning walk on Gibb's Island, Killyleagh, Co Down. It really is a beautiful place' - Pic Laura Skinner 'These photographs were taken during my morning walk on Gibb's Island, Killyleagh, Co Down. It really is a beautiful place' - Pic Laura Skinner Kircubbin harbour. Photo by Tim Gaston 'These photographs were taken during my morning walk on Gibb's Island, Killyleagh, Co Down. It really is a beautiful place' - Pic Laura Skinner 'I took this image early one morning at Lough Eske during a stay at the Castle. This was our first trip to the castle and we had a wonderful time' - Pic Paul Jepps Titanic Belfast by Denny Huebner - 'I'm from from Florida in the US. Last summer we took a tour through Northern Ireland. We really enjoyed Belfast and the Titanic Museum' The Bangor Maritime festival, June 7. Pic Maureen Ross Jetty at Kinnegar. Photo by Tim Gaston Jetty at Kinnegar. Photo by Tim Gaston Ships at the Bangor Maritime festival, June 7. Pic Maureen Ross Peace Bridge in Derry by Tommy Barrett - 'This photo was taken from the Peace Bridge in Derry during the Lumiere Festival during the City of Culture year 2013' 'This picture was taken at Island Hill in May, 2014'. Pic Kellie Bell The Bangor Maritime festival, June 7. Pic Maureen Ross Castlewellan Forest Park. Pic Uel Henry Portaferry and Strangford by Larry Claxton. Larry said: "I took this photograph from Windmill Hill in Portaferry. It looks across to Strangford and the ferry is half way across the lough." Kircubbin Harbour at dusk by Catherine Stone. Catherine said: " I am originally from Carnalea, now living in Cheshire. I was across visiting my parents at the weekend. I was blown away at this beautiful sunset. I just had to take a photo." Portstewart Strand. Photo by submitted by Evelyn McCullough Ballycastle. Photo by submitted by Susan McConnell Albertbridge, Belfast by Peter Casey. Peter said: "I took this after hearing about the starling roost under the Albertbridge. They do this fabulous aerial display known as a 'murmuration' before they settle from the night." Samson and Goliath and the Blackford Dolphin oil rig. Photograph by Philip McCloy from Newtownabbey. Picture of Strangford Lough from Islandhill in April by Kellie Bell Portstewart by Michele Bell. Michele says: "I took this pic of my four nieces last August one evening as we had a walk on Portstewart strand. It was the end of a summer holiday up there. I love this pic as it reminds me of fun times in one of the most beautiful beaches." Bangor Marina. Photo by Josh Majury (13) Artigarvan, near Strabane. Photograph by Mervyn Donnell Peace Bridge, Derry. Photo by Tommy Barrett Carrickreagh Bay by Sean Smyth River Lagan, Belfast. Photo by Melissa Smyth. Melissa says: ", I took this image last year at the Chinese harvest festival. I love this image as when you look closely at the river you can see paper flowers with candles floating up the Lagan. Everyone is given their own flower and candle and you write on the bottom your hopes and dreams and if it floats up the river it will come true. It almost looks like a scene from a movie." Divis Mountain by Byron Paterson Brantry Lough, Co Tyrone. Photo by Hannah McKillion Ballycastle by Beverley Davidson View from the Blackford Dolphin Oil rig currently at Harland and Wolff. Photograph by Ian Wood. Ian said: "I took this sunrise picture at the end of my night shift. Thought it was pretty spectacular with such calm water and the reflection of the docks lights." Carrickreagh Bay, Lower Lough Erne. Photograph by Martin Clyde Sunset over the River Bann seen from Drumaheglis Marina and Caravan Park. Photo by Adam McVeigh Portrush West Strand. Photo by Evelyn McCullough Portrush. Photograph by Romana Pierzga Lough Fea, near Cookstown, on Easter Sunday evening. Photo: Ciaran Kelly Strangford. By Glenda Hemphill Strangford. By Glenda Hemphill The setting sun over Belfast Lough. Pic David J Campbell Crawfordsburn Beach. Pic David J Campbell A swan and her cygnets at the Lakeside Inn Car Park, Lake Road, Downpatrick. Pic Harry Thomson Crumlin Glen Waterfalls, Antrim by Romana Pierzga Lough Neagh, Antrim by Romana Pierzga The sun rising over Groomsport, Co Down. By David J Campbell Sheep in the snow, with Slemish in the distance. By Bill Guiller Rapeseed fields in Hillsborough, Co Down. By Ricky Thompson The Walled Garden at Bangor Castle, Co Down. By Maureen Ross Ballintoy Beach, Co Antrim. By Evelyn McCullough Carrick-a-Rede, Co Antrim. By Will Conroy Morning canter on Whiterocks Beach, Portrush, Co Antrim. By Evelyn McCullough Dunluce Castle, Co Antrim. By Emma Gornall from Belfast. Frosses Road, Co Antrim. Pic Bill Broadhurst Crawfordsburn Country Park - 'smoke on the water'. Pic David J Campbell Portrush and Ramore Head from the West Strand, Co Antrim. By Joan Eakin Bessbrook Mill pond with Camlough Mountain in the background. Pic John Patton Boats moored at Strangford Lough, Co Down. Pic Ed Luke Mountain Cornflower, taken on the banks of the Inver River, Larne. Pic Ed Luke Lusty Beg Island looking towards Enniskillen. Pic Bill Broadhurst High tide at Carnfunnock. Pic Brian McCalden Snowy hills above Ballygally. Pic Brian McCalden Lead Mines in Newtownards. Pic Eric Thompson Windy morning at Port Muck. Pic Bill Broadhurst The River Lagan at Lisburn on Christmas morning. By Gareth Baillie-Stewart Old St Aidan's Church, Benone, Co Londonderry. By Martin Rooney, Newtownabbey. The ancient Beaghmore Stone Circles, near Cookstown. Pic Liam McClean Donaghadee lighthouse, Co Down. By Angela Couzens from Victoria, Australia. Whitepark Bay: Pic Ricky Bamford The Mourne Mountains from Legananny Dolman, Co Down. By Margaret Whittock Beautiful noon in Carrickfergus. Pic Cathy Mullan Gibson's Point, Bangor, Co Down. By David J Campbell. Blackford Dolphin oil rig at Harland and Wolff. Pic David J Campbell Old Mill outside Portaferry, Co Down. Pic David J Campbell Carnfunnock. Pic Brian McCalden Samson and Goliath at Harland and Wolff. Pic David J Campbell Carnfunnock. Pic Brian McCalden Carnfunnock. Pic Brian McCalden 'The silver lady' at Titanic Belfast. Pic David J Campbell Dooey Beach, Donegal. Pic Pauline Lomax Dunfanaghy Famine Graveyard, Donegal. Pic Pauline Lomax Benone Beach. Pic John Hartin Beach close to Downings in Donegal. Pic Pauline Lomax Portstewart Strand. Pic Pauline Lomax Oxford Island. Pic Debbie Deboo This was taken while out on a walk along the North Down coastal path as the sun was setting. Pic David J Campbell The Giant's Causeway. Pic Debbie Deboo Taken at An Creagan when I went to photograph the local fungi. Pic Debbie Deboo Taken during a trip along the Antrim coast road. Pic Debbie Deboo Benone Beach. Pic John Hartin Binevenagh Mountain. Pic John Hartin Manann Mclir, the mythical Celtic god of the sea, overlooking Lough Foyle and Magilligan Point. Taken from Gortmore viewing point by Glenn Miles Roe Valley Country Park in snow. By John Hartin, Limavady. Mournes. Pic Brian McCalden An otter on the bank of the Sixmile River, Antrim by Jim McAlorum. Binevenagh Mountain. By John Hartin, from Limavady / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp I took this photo of the view over Strangford Lough to Scrabo Tower on my mobile - July 2016. I didn't notice the unusual cloud formation till after I'd taken the picture! Submitted by Jane Gregory

"That equates to almost 360,000 additional bed spaces sold compared to the same period in 2015."

There were 1.342 million trips to Northern Ireland taken by people in Great Britain, 735,556 from outside the UK and Ireland, 396,748 from the Republic and 2,129,491 from within Northern Ireland.

But spending by people from here and the Republic dropped by 3% and 7% respectively.

Tourism NI chief executive John McGrillen welcomed the broadly positive news.

"Some 2.4m was spent by tourists every day during the first nine months of 2016, a period that saw the opening of the newly extended Belfast Waterfront and an outstanding summer for Titanic Belfast, the Causeway Coastal Route and many other tourism attractions across the country," he said.

"Other contributing factors include the highly successful programme for the year of food and drink and, of course, more favourable exchange rates across the peak holiday season.

"This positive performance is supported by Nisra's January to September occupancy figures for serviced accommodation and Tourism NI's September Research Barometer.

"These both demonstrated increased demand within the sector during the time period, particularly over the summer period".

Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said: "We're kicking off our promotional programme for 2017 in a position of some strength, based on the success of 2016. Tourism Ireland will create 'standout' for Northern Ireland around the world.

"(It will) highlight iconic experiences such as Titanic Belfast and the Causeway Coastal Route (which includes the Giant's Causeway).

"We will continue our successful partnership with HBO, to highlight Northern Ireland - through the exciting events of Game of Thrones - on the global stage.

"Priority markets include Great Britain, mainland Europe, North America, Australia and developing markets.

"We will also continue to monitor the implications of Brexit on outbound travel from Great Britain."
Belleek managing director John Maguire looks on as master craftsman Brendan McCauley works on a figurine

The boss of Belleek Pottery has said it is "so far so good on Brexit" as the company anticipates a return to growth during its 160th anniversary year.

Managing director John Maguire told the Belfast Telegraph he was "delighted" with the company's performance, following a year of "extremely strong" sales.

"We expect to be back in growth this year as our performance has been extremely strong," he said.

"Our department stores performed well at Christmas and we are performing well online."

Despite losing multiple independent retail customers around the globe, Mr Maguire added: "I'm delighted to report we are in positive territory for this year."

It is an encouraging turnaround for the company, whose net sales dropped by 4.7% last year, down from 8.5m in 2015 to 8.1m in 2016.

The business managed to reduce its losses from 2.8m to just under 194,000 respectively and expects a return to profitability during the year.

Poor performance in North American markets was a contributing factor in the sales slump, but a combination of weak sterling - triggered by Brexit - and the launch of new product lines have had a positive impact on the Fermanagh-based manufacturing company.

"The stronger American dollar helps. Weaker sterling has been positive for Belleek and our export business in America. So far, so good on Brexit. It's also been very good for our visitor centre, from a tourism point of view," Mr Maguire said.

With more than 300 retailers in North America, the managing director is looking forward to showcasing Belleek's 160-year history in a one-hour show set to air on shopping channel QVC.

He is also excited about the roll-out of new product lines.

"We have a lot of new products for Christmas 2017," he said. "Our Belleek Living brand has been very successful and there will be more lines out very soon.

This year is a milestone year for the firm, which will be hosting events throughout the year with retailers and customers around the world.

As part of the celebrations the company has raided its vaults to recreate Belleek classic brands spanning from 1857 as a special, limited edition collection.

"The classic brand represents our 160-year history," Mr Maguire said. "We have released 16 items from our archive, each one representing a particular decade in our history."

Mr Maguire puts the company's success down to its ability to innovate and its dedicated workforce.
Up to 60 trains will be needed to transport passengers at around 225 mph

The search for a company to design, build and maintain high speed trains for HS2 has been launched.

Up to 60 trains will be needed to transport passengers at around 225 mph.

The contract, which is worth 2.75 billion, will be awarded in 2019.

Advance warning about the start of the bidding process was published on Friday by HS2 Ltd, the organisation responsible for developing the 55.7 billion project.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling described the search for a train manufacturer as "a major step" towards Britain getting a new railway which will carry more than 300,000 people each day.

Mr Grayling said building and maintaining the trains will be a "great opportunity for British-based businesses and suppliers" with the creation of hundreds of jobs.

He added: "W e have held discussions with UK suppliers to make sure they are in the best possible position to win contracts."

HS2 Ltd's managing director of railway operations, Chris Rayner, said: "We are looking for a supplier who is capable of delivering and maintaining some of the world's most advanced rolling stock, with designs putting the passenger at their heart to ensure seamless, accessible, fast and reliable journeys."

Construction work on phase one of HS2 from London to Birmingham will start in the spring, subject to its parliamentary bill getting royal assent in the coming weeks.

Phase one is due to open in December 2026, with a second Y-shaped phase launching in two stages.

Phase 2a from the West Midlands to Crewe will open in 2027 and phase 2b, from Crewe to Manchester and from the West Midlands to Leeds, South Yorkshire and the East Midlands, will begin operation in 2033.

The Department for Transport said 25,000 jobs and 2,000 apprenticeships will be created during the construction of HS2.

Hitachi Rail Europe will bid for the contract to build the HS2 trains.

The rail manufacturer is head-quartered in London and builds trains at its plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.

Its sales director, Nick Hughes, said: " Our HS2 trains would be built in Britain, for Britain, and combine world-leading Japanese Shinkansen technology with British manufacturing know-how.

"By building at Hitachi's facility in the North East, our high speed trains would bring together values of pioneering engineering, industry-leading reliability and innovative design.

"The trains will offer next generation passenger experience, utilising the latest smart and digital technologies."
Actors Ewan McGregor (front) and Ewan Bremner running through the streets of Edinburgh during the filming of Trainspotting 2 in July 2016

Choose life with nae regrets.

Choose to belatedly revisit one of the defining films of the mid-1990s, which shoved a dirty needle into the arm of Cool Britannia and stuck up two fingers to the notion that successful homegrown films could only be pristine period dramas or feel good romantic comedies.

Choose the holy filmmaking trinity of director Danny Boyle, screenwriter John Hodge and producer Andrew Macdonald, who induced that intoxicating rush of blood to the head 21 years ago.

Choose a narrative joint rolled from Irvine Welsh's novel Trainspotting and the sequel Porno, cut with whirling camerawork that propels embittered characters down a new rabbit hole of nihilistic desire.

Choose the reunion of a predominantly Scottish cast on location in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Choose vivid visual flourishes, projections, shadows and hallucinogenic flashbacks to realise each surrender to the siren song of addiction.

Choose another achingly hip and unabashedly retro soundtrack under the influence of award-winning Edinburgh band Young Fathers, Wolf Alice, Underworld and Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

Choose a multi-faceted portrait of modern masculinity - fathers estranged from children, impotent husbands, friends torn apart by betrayal - to sow the seeds of anguish and reminiscence.

Choose a flabby-bellied two hours rather than a lean 93 minutes of the original to follow Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) as he returns home to beg forgiveness from Spud (Ewen Bremner).

Choose revenge, the poison coursing through the veins of reluctant publican Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) when he discovers Renton is back in town.

Choose seething rage, which drips from the tongue of psychotic jailbird Begbie (Robert Carlyle) as he finally glimpses life without bars.

Choose a detour to the familiar breath-taking vista of Corrour rail station, framed by the rounded hill of Beinn na Lap, to pay tribute to those left behind.

Choose Spud as the trembling, emotional core, willing him to succeed as he struggles to sever ties to heroin and discover self-worth.

Choose a head-on collision of solemn memorial and wistful nostalgia, stoked by the words of Sick Boy's Bulgarian girlfriend, Veronika (Anjela Nedyalkova): "Where I come from, the past is something you forget. Here, it's all you talk about."

Choose the sinking realisation that the giddy high of the first time you watched Trainspotting - that breathless sprint down Princes Street to Iggy Pop's Lust For Life, the headfirst plunge into the worst toilet in Scotland, the needle drop of Underworld's Born Slippy - isn't going to be replicated.

Choose to stop being a tourist in the rose-tinted glow of that glorious past that became a cultural phenomenon.

Choose T2 Trainspotting, with reservation.
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.
Night moves: Ben Affleck juggled several roles  both behind and in front of the camera  making his new film

Last year, footage of Ben Affleck's sad face during an interview for Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice went viral. The film had been savaged by critics, and many wondered whether Affleck was regretting his return to the superhero universe following 2003's panned Daredevil.

Today, mention of the caped crusader doesn't invoke a look of melancholy, although Affleck admits he has a complex relationship with the character, or at least the costume.

"I have a love/hate thing with the suit, that's why I'm changing it," quips the 44-year-old, who's reprising the role for the upcoming Justice League movies, and is set to direct, as well as star in, The Batman, which he's also writing the screenplay for.

"I'm in the middle of putting a script together, and some artwork and conceptual stuff," he says. "It's the kind of thing you want to assemble to get a sense of the look of a movie. I'm really looking forward to it."

Affleck, whose broad 6ft 3in frame fills the small chair he's perched on, is asked regularly about the superhero, but remarks that "when I was trying to do Live By Night, no one ever asked me how that was going".

Live By Night is the new gangster thriller based on the bestselling novel by Dennis Lehane, which Affleck directed, produced and stars in, alongside Chris Messina, Zoe Saldana and Sienna Miller.

He also wrote the screenplay with Lehane, which marks their second collaboration following Gone Baby Gone a decade ago.

"It was a lot to take on. I wouldn't have been able to make this movie until I'd made the three previous (films)," admits Affleck, referring to 2010's The Town, 2012's Argo, which scooped the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture, as well as Gone Baby Gone.

"Live By Night was very elaborate and complicated and had to be designed well in advance, but I was working with some great actors and technicians," he says of the movie, which is set in Prohibition-era America.

There were "a lot of sleepless nights".

"You never know when you make a movie, either they coalesce somehow and the movie gods smile on you, or you just miss, and you never know what you're going to get," Affleck confesses.

There was never any doubt he would also appear in the film, however, as lead character Joe Coughlin, a man who returns from World War One determined to follow his own rules.

"I was comfortable doing that. I like the character, and I had a take on how to play him. I liked the idea of a guy who's very taciturn and withheld, an internal character. The more I've directed, the more I like minimalist acting, and anyway, I had fun," he says.

Joe enjoys a fair amount of success as an outlaw - much to his policeman father's chagrin - but keeps it "small-time, running around with other guys and doing little stick-ups".

But then he falls in love with the girlfriend of an Irish mobster, winds up in prison when a heist goes wrong and signs on with the Italian mob after his release.

He's despatched to Tampa and tasked with setting up a rum distillery in the Sunshine State of Florida.

The subject of immigration is one of the film's most poignant themes, and couldn't be more timely.

"Yes, it's become very topical again. I thought it was more dated perhaps than it turned out to be, but it shows these are still issues we're struggling with in our country," remarks Affleck who hails from Boston, where "everybody thinks they're Irish".

"One of the things I'm most proud about my country is that it really is built on immigrants," he adds. "By people who came from other places looking to make a better life for themselves, and you had this incredible patchwork quilt of cultures and ethnicities. Part of what this movie deals with is the white Protestant establishment's resistance to encroachments on their power."

As for what the next four years might hold following Donald Trump's inauguration, he simply offers: "Time will tell. I think it will be interesting to see."

Another notable theme is the relationship between parents and children.

At one point, Joe's father, played by Brendan Gleeson, warns his indifferent son that, 'What you put out in the world will always come back to you, but never how you predict'.

Affleck acknowledges "a number of my movies have had that theme, about children paying for the sins of their parents".

"I don't know why I'm drawn to that but I think there's something fundamentally interesting about the fact we're defined so much by who our parents are, and so little by who we are," he adds.

Affleck has three children - Violet (11), Seraphina (8), and four-year-old Samuel - with his ex, Jennifer Garner (they separated in 2015).

"I wouldn't want my children to be child actors, and I would not allow them to do that. I would want them to have a more normal and reasonable childhood," he says.

"If they wanna make those kinds of terrible choices once they get to be adults, they're free to do that, but it's not the kind of thing that I would be encouraging."

Affleck himself was a child actor, making his screen debut in 1981's The Dark End Of The Street.

He only really came to prominence in 1997, however, when he and pal Matt Damon walked away with the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting, which they also both starred in.

In the ensuing years, he's had roles in the likes of Armageddon, Shakespeare In Love, Pearl Harbor, Changing Lanes, Gigli and Jersey Girl, with varying degrees of success, before directing his first feature film.

"It seems like it's a lot of me doing a lot of the work, but the truth is, directing is mostly casting, and about who you hire in your crew," he notes, and despite taking on a myriad of roles on and off camera, he doesn't describe himself as "a control freak".

"But I'm definitely somebody who wants to work hard. I'm not doing this to do it in a half-arsed way, I'm doing this because it matters to me and I want to be good," Affleck say s.

"When you direct a movie, you have to own it and accept the criticism.

"There's no one to blame but you. So if you're gonna fall apart at the least little piece of criticism, you're probably not very well suited to this business."
Mel Gibson believes his Oscar-winning film Braveheart "woke something up" in Scotland during the country's debate over independence.

The Hollywood star, who played 13th century Scottish warrior William Wallace in the 1995 movie, said the decision t o devolve powers to Holyrood had been a "good thing" for Scotland.

But Gibson, 61, did not reveal whether he backed Scottish independence, saying he did not comment on the politics of other countries.

In an interview with the Press Association, Gibson said of Braveheart: "It certainly woke something up there in Scotland. I know they achieved partial autonomy for that and I think it was a good thing.

"I like to stay out of the politics of other people's nations so I won't go further."

The Scottish Parliament was created following the 1997 devolution referendum, while the 2014 vote on Scottish independence ended in favour of remaining part of the UK by 55.3% to 44.7%.

Gibson described Wallace as a "butcher" but said he saw similarities in Second World War hero Desmond Doss, the subject of his latest film Hacksaw Ridge.

Doss was the first conscientious objector to receive America's Medal of Honour after saving the lives of 75 men on a Japanese battlefield without carrying a gun.

"They're both men of conviction who were willing to die for what they believed," Gibson said.

"But Desmond was the pacifist, he wouldn't take another life, whereas Wallace was a butcher. He'd light people on fire.

"Desmond was far more evolved in solving the world's problems."

Hacksaw Ridge, which is up for five Baftas next month, marked Gibson's return to directing for the first time in a decade following a string of controversies in recent years including his controversial anti-Semitic rant in 2006.

The Lethal Weapon actor said he decided to return to work as a director because Hacksaw Ridge was a "story well worth telling".

"It's a war film but it's beyond that, it's a love story," he said.

"It's a man who goes to war with his core belief - love. He wants to help others and he considers others more important than himself. So in that way he's selfless, he sacrifices and he surely did.

"He saved many and the inspirational aspect of the story is huge so why wouldn't I tell a story like that? It's the pinnacle of heroism."

Hacksaw Ridge is released in UK cinemas on January 27.
The film sees the four main characters reunited in middle age (Sony Pictures/PA Wire)

Trainspotting's long-awaited sequel has won over most critics - although all agree it can never leave the same legacy as the original.

Ewan McGregor and most of the original cast have reunited with director Danny Boyle for the follow-up to the ground-breaking 1996 hit.

Based on the Irvine Welsh novel Porno, T2 Trainspotting is set in the present day with the main characters - Renton (McGregor), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Spud (Ewen Bremner) and Begbie (Robert Carlyle) now in middle age.

In the Guardian, Peter Bradshaw gives the film four stars , writing: "Reuniting the cast of Trainspotting for a new adventure 21 years on could have gone badly."

But he says that "Boyle and his four musketeers give it just the right frantic, jaded energy and manic anxiety".

He concludes that while "T2 isn't as good as T1", it "has the same punchy energy, the same defiant pessimism, and there's nothing around like this. This sequel was a high-wire act, but Boyle has made it to the other side".

Geoffrey Macnab writes in The Independent that, with Boyle describing Trainspotting as "Scotland's Star Wars", "the sense of anti-climax would have been huge" if the new film had been a disappointment.

Awarding the film five stars, he writes: "What's so impressive about T2 is how skilfully it manages to stay true to the spirit of the original while acknowledging just how much has changed in the intervening years."

The Telegraph's Robbie Collin gives the movie three stars.

He writes that "it's now impossible to work out whether it (the original film) was a product of its time or if the time was a product of it".

He adds: "There's no chance of its successor matching that legacy, but it won't tarnish it either: though the film feeds on its forerunner, it's worthwhile on its own terms."

The Scotsman's Alistair Harkness is less impressed.

"The best that can be said about the new film," he writes, "is that it hasn't completely tarnished the original."

Awarding the film three stars, he adds that it "certainly shows flashes of brilliance" but "Boyle's frenetic, collage-like directing style" gives "the film a trying-too-hard feel".

The Scottish Daily Record's Chris Hunneysett was more convinced, calling the film "an addictive hit of pure cinema".

While the film "won't capture the youthful zeitgeist the way Trainspotting did", the director " has created an unapologetically abrasive tale of longevity, loyalty and friendship", he writes.

Hollywood Reporter's Neil Young, like many other critics, complains that "women are very much on the sidelines, even more so than in Trainspotting".

And while many fans will be happy to enjoy the nostalgia, there is a "fundamental gulf in quality between the two films" which means that "T2 never threatens to find its own distinctive voice".
When Martin Clunes paid a visit to Australia's remote Norfolk Island, nearly 1,500km from the mainland, the local reaction took him by surprise. Doc Martin, it turns out, is a big hit Down Under and feverish fans of the Cornwall-set series - known affectionately as "Clunatics" - had gathered at the island's small airport to greet its star.

"I had never felt so famous. It was like being one of the Beatles," recalls Clunes, who plays grumpy doctor Martin Bamford in the gentle comedy-drama that's been running since 2004.

"They were literally screaming, 'Doc Martin' as I stepped off the plane. We saw 'We love Doc Martin' notices all around the island. A lot of Australians visit Port Isaac in Cornwall when we're filming."

Norfolk Island was one of 16 Australian islands the actor visited while making his new documentary, Martin Clunes: Islands Of Australia, which sees the former Men Behaving Badly star explore the exotic creatures, interesting pastimes and eclectic inhabitants of these lesser-known isles - from bush tucker and venomous snakes, to meeting a modern day Robinson Crusoe.

The 55-year-old's knowledge of the islands - of which there are more than 8,000 in total - was limited prior to making the three-part series.

"I've been to Australia a few times and I've actually been to some of those islands before with (Men Behaving Badly co-star) Neil Morrissey; in 1999 we did a thing called Men Down Under and we saw a fair bit of it. But most of them I had no clue about," he confesses.

It seems not all Australians know about their rich island heritage either. "One, when I said we were doing a thing about the islands of Australia, said, 'What, you mean New Zealand?'"

Clunes, who's visited locations including Mongolia and northern Japan for previous programmes, thinks "we're all fascinated by islands".

"There's something about it that magnifies elements of human nature, certainly of community, and of communal care. You see people are so strongly bonded together. Those of us who don't live on islands might say, 'I'd find that claustrophobic'," he notes.

During his travels, he met septuagenarian Dave Glasheen, who left behind a high-powered job in Sydney to live alone on the deserted Restoration Island after the 1987 stock market crash.

"He had the rug pulled on him and I can sort of see why it would work for him, to turn his back on everything that looked like it had let him down anyway. Everything he thought was constant wasn't, things disappeared and he lost control of his destiny," says Clunes.

"I guess if you find a little island, you are wholeheartedly responsible and no one else is going to affect your life and vice versa. But he's lonely."

Glasheen wasn't happy when his only companion, Polly the dingo, took a shine to Clunes.

"I had a bit of a thing with Polly," recalls the actor, who runs a farm at home in Dorset. "I was sleeping on the deck of an old, washed-up boat and Polly just came over; she really liked me. And Dave got a bit jealous."

Clunes, who received an OBE in 2015 for services to comedy and the Dorset community, also got to indulge his love of animals by snorkelling alongside an enormous whale shark.

"My brief was to stay close to the whale shark while this underwater camerawoman was swimming around me, getting footage," says the star, also a firm supporter of the Born Free Foundation. "I was completely mesmerised."

Back on home soil, he's still in touch with his co-stars from Men Behaving Badly, crediting the Nineties sitcom with "putting us all on the map".

"Caroline (Quentin) is my best friend and they live very near us in Devon. A couple of weeks ago, I went out with Neil. My daughter, Emily, says it took me three days to get over it, but I think it was two."

Morrissey recently appeared on Bear Grylls' no-holds-barred reality show Mission Survive, in which the TV adventurer challenges celebs to a string of "survival" tasks, including eating worms and drinking their own urine. Clunes wasn't a fan.

"I don't like the sneer culture. All those stupid things and then there's another shot of Bear Grylls not with them, sneering at them. And then, 'Look, watch me cross a rope'. I'd never seen it before and I just thought, 'That's not my kind of TV'."

Emily (17), who's hoping to become a horse physiotherapist ("She's seen showbiz enough to be bored rigid by it") and his TV producer wife, Philippa Braithwaite, both joined Clunes for part of his travels in Australia.

Travelling to some of the most far-flung, beautiful parts of the world for his TV work simply serves to reinforce his appreciation of home.

"It only increases how much I love living here and how lucky I am to live where I live," Clunes concludes.

"I get to go and see all these amazing things and I absolutely love that side of my job.

"But then I come home and I go, 'Look at this though'."
On Monday, I announced the Assembly election in Northern Ireland would be on Thursday, March 2.

Following the resignation of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness last week, I engaged intensively with Northern Ireland's political parties to establish whether any basis existed to resolve the tensions in the Executive without triggering this election.

My clear intent was to avoid a poll, but, sadly, despite everyone's efforts, no resolution could be found, and my statutory duty was to call an election.

I am dissolving the Assembly from Thursday, meaning MLAs have until the end of Wednesday to conduct any urgent remaining business before an election campaign begins.

I welcome the fact that agreement has now been agreed on a public inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive and that this can now go ahead.

The RHI Scheme is a clearly devolved matter.

It is therefore appropriate that it should be subject to an independent investigation established from Northern Ireland.

This should help to inject much needed confidence in the ability of the institutions to deliver and help set the tone for the election to come.

I urge everybody to co-operate fully with it and hope that it is able quickly and effectively to establish the truth of what happened.

The election on March 2 is about the future of Northern Ireland and its political institutions. Not just the Assembly, but all of the arrangements that have been put in place to reflect relationships throughout these islands.

I am clear that political stability is best delivered through a power-sharing devolved government at Stormont.

That is what the Government wants to achieve, and what the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland want.

Of course, the election will be fought robustly in the greatest traditions of our democracy.

However, it is vital the campaign is conducted respectfully and in ways that do not simply exacerbate tensions and division.

All candidates should remember that after the polls close they may well have to work closely with their opponents. The purpose of the election is to lead a partnership government committed to acting in the interests of all the people of NI.

It's incredibly important, too, that everyone in Northern Ireland registers to vote before the deadline of February 14, turns out on polling day and grasps the opportunity to take part and have their voice heard.

For my part, during the campaign I will be continuing to talk to the Northern Ireland political parties with the aim of securing the early return of shared government in Northern Ireland.

There is a relatively short period of time following the election - around three weeks - in which to form an Executive.

It is important that much of the groundwork is laid, so that we can return to shared government in Northern Ireland at the earliest possible opportunity.

I will also be keeping in close touch with the Irish government throughout this period, as appropriate.

Although an election has been called, Executive Ministers other than the First Minister and Deputy First Minister remain in place, and therefore we will invite the Executive to send representation to each of the Joint Ministerial Committee meetings on exiting the European Union, which will continue.

The Prime Minister has set out a very clear position on this Government's approach, and one of her key negotiating positions is the maintenance of the Common Travel Area, embracing the UK and Ireland, while protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom's immigration system, which is in all of our best interests.

And, to be clear, I am not contemplating any outcome other than the re-establishment of strong and stable devolved government.

Devolution remains this Government's strongly preferred option for Northern Ireland.

Nor would this Government be prepared to contemplate or countenance any form of Joint Authority with the Republic of Ireland.

In keeping with the principle of consent enshrined in the 1998 Belfast Agreement - there will be no change in Northern Ireland's status as part of the United Kingdom without the agreement of a majority of its population.

As the Prime Minister made clear this week, this Government believes in strengthening the bonds that unite our precious Union.

The priority must be politicians locally working together to strengthen the economies, to deal with the challenges and opportunities of EU Exit, and build a stronger, shared society based on respect for everyone.

For our part, the Government will continue to stand by our commitments under the Belfast Agreement and its successors.

We will do all that we can to safeguard political stability.

We will listen to and represent Northern Ireland's views on EU Exit, and we will work hard to secure progress on Legacy in a way that is fair, balanced and, crucially, proportionate.

I am clear I will always be a loud champion for the interests of Northern Ireland.

Over recent years, Northern Ireland has become a modern, dynamic and outward-looking part of the United Kingdom that's a great place to live, work, invest and do business.

This has taken leadership, courage and willingness to compromise on all sides.

Those hard-won gains must not and will not be lost, so we can continue building a brighter, more secure Northern Ireland that works for everyone.
I received a note from Scott, a farmer from Nebraska. It is a straightforward letter, Nebraska like. Ill just show you basically what he wrote:

Congressman Fortenberry,

My health care is $23,000 a year with a $20,000 deductable.

I have $46,000 in property taxes (on a relatively small farm.) Im paying $24,000 in state and federal taxes.

Corn is $3.09 a bushel.

This. Doesnt. Work.

Do Something!

Soon!

Scott is right. This is unsustainable. Such skyrocketing costs do not work for small business owners, for farmers, for many Americans facing the assault of unsustainable premium increases.

Catherine also wrote to me. She is a retired nurse. Due to preexisting conditions, she could not previously afford health care insurance. Now through subsidies she can. Catherine is also right.

Health care is complicated. To better assess the challenges, we have to segment the problem into digestible pieces. One group of people is being helped due to significant subsidies based upon their income. They are fearful of any change that would disrupt their care. At the same time, another group of people is left twisting in the wind. Although they are working, they do not qualify for Medicaid or subsidies, and their premiums are bigger than their house and car notes combined. They cant make it. No wonder there is so much anger.

Multiple ideas have emerged about restoring a vibrant insurance market that is affordable, competitive, and protective. A first order priority is to ensure no one is left behind. At the same time, those who have the greatest financial pain deserve another system. We will see progress on these fronts in the coming weeks and months.

As all of this policy dynamic unfolds, there is a topic which remains unaddressed. For a certain segment of the population, life expectancy is going down. We spend more on health care than ever before, and yet what are we achieving? In effect, the entire health care debate revolves around financing, drugs, and procedures; thus the entire debate is incomplete. Whether health care policy is run by big government, whether it is run by big business, or whether a new innovative system emerges that rightfully combines the best aspects of certain public subsidy and a truly vibrant market system, the issue is the same: we are still only talking about how to pay for drugs and procedures. Health is much more.

Better health demands a comprehensive concept of wellbeing, one that is more complex than standard medical practice. Wellbeing is nurtured in community. Access to good care, stable relationships, and a high quality of life are all central to this concept. Interestingly, some of the poorest people in America, with limited access to resources and health care, have some of the best health outcomes. This reality rises organically from intact community ecosystems that enable persons the freedom of commitment and interdependency.

This moment of government transition provides a chance to rethink the equation, giving people where they live the security of affordable health care insurance while also nurturing a greater sense of place, purpose, and participation, so that they can actualize community solutions. Im working on a new public policy concept called the Community Savings Account to facilitate and reward social health innovation.

Restoring a properly functioning and affordable health care systemwith a renewed focus on understanding the fullness of wellbeingcould create an exceptional outcome at a tough moment. Then both Scott and Catherine win.
It's no secret Jamie Dornan has superfans all around the world - but one Belfast radio presenter penned him a rap in a bid to get the actor's attention - and it worked.

Q Radio breakfast host Stephen Clements wrote a version of Eminem's rap Stan - which is about the gradual unravelling of a fan desperately trying to get in touch with their idol but feeling ignored.

Clements enlisted the help of outgoing First Minister Arlene Foster, Eamonn Holmes, Stephen Nolan and Chipmunk to get the Fifty Shades star's attention.

He says in the song: "When you're finished filming The Fall series 3 and you're thinking about what it could be like with me and your Fifty Shades and your red room of pain

"When all this stuff ends, just think Jamie we could have been friends."

And after a week of speculation as to whether the Holywood star would respond - Jamie replied.

He begins: "Dear Stephen, I'm sorry it took me so long to respond - I've been running around the world trying to convince people I'm James Bond.

"It would be good to meet up have a pint and see what you're all about - I just googled you there and it seems radio was a good shout."

Is Jamie giving his fans a clue about his next role?

Both Clements and Dornan are ambassadors for charity TinyLife - Northern Ireland's premature and vulnerable baby chairty.

The plea to get Dornan to reply was in a bid to raise vital funds for the charity.

To donate click here
Belfast Bikes are currently free to rent for the first 30 minutes

Free wheeling time on the Belfast bikes scheme is to be preserved following a council vote.

The first 30 minutes of the bike scheme are currently free, but a council proposal aimed to cut this in half to save 15,000.

On Friday the councils Strategic Policy and Resources Committee voted to stop the cut.

Alliance councillor Michael Long welcomed the decision saying the proposed savings werent enough to justify the change.

The Belfast bikes scheme has been hugely successful, whether improving peoples health, changing the infrastructure of the city or attracting more tourists, he said.

I hope todays vote means that success remains.

The proposed saving of 15,000 is not a large amount in relation to a budget of 150 million, particularly given the obvious benefits.

The 30 minutes free is one of the most appealing parts of the scheme, so I am delighted we have now saved that aspect. It is crucial we do not stop there but continue to help the scheme grow and expand, particularly more widely into suburban areas, as well as other locations in the city centre.

In September the Belfast Telegraph revealed the scheme could cost the council up to 200,000.

Despite attracting 4,000 annual subscribers since the launch in April 2015, the scheme has failed to cover maintenance costs as the council had hoped.

Its been suspected that savvy cyclists have reduced their costs by carefully planning their journeys not to go over the free 30 minute mark.

The current price is 20 for an annual subscription, 5 for three days. Alternatively they can be rented for 50p an hour, 1.50 for two hours, 2.50 for three hours or 4.50 for four hours.
Charles Hill at his home in Blacks Road with daughter Nuala just yards from where he beaten up

A grandfather told last night how he was dragged from his car and kicked in the head by a total stranger just yards from his front door.

Cancer survivor Charlie Hill (72) from west Belfast was on his way to see his doctor when the thug stopped his car, opened the passenger door and started throwing punches.

"I'd never seen this man in my life," said Charlie, who has lived in the Blacks Road area for more than 50 years. He was shouting in at me about people I'd never heard of, and then came round the front of the car to my door."

It was then things got even more terrifying when the thug opened the retired bus driver's door and pulled him out into the road.

"This man could kill," said Charlie, who suffers from diabetes. "I've had punches over the years and even been hit full smack with a hurling bat, but this was something else.

"I was knocked out and the doctors thought he might have broken my jaw.

"He has to be caught. Not just because of what he's done to me, but because he is dangerous. I'm a hard wee man from the Glens of Antrim, but if he attacked somebody else like he attacked me, they could be in very serious danger."

Luckily for Charlie, who is well known and loved in the area after more than 25 years of incredible charity work, the attacker was disturbed just as the situation was about to get even more serious.

"I'd only gone 30 yards from the door when this happened," said Charlie. "But my neighbour luckily drove up the road. God love him because he was worried to intervene - he's not a young man either and he wouldn't have been able to take this guy on.

"But he just stopped and wandered off down the road like he hadn't a care in the world."

Charlie's daughter Nuala said the family were horrified at what had happened.

"It's unbelievable that this happened right in the middle of the afternoon, unprovoked in broad daylight. We have no idea who this man was, but he was shouting about some family he said daddy knew. Daddy hadn't a clue what he was talking about."

Nuala said the whole community was in shock because of how well-known and liked Charlie is.

"Daddy had bowel cancer 27 years ago," she said. "And when he was in the hospital, the doctor joked with him, asking if he could find a spare 46,000 for a piece of equipment.

"Daddy said, 'If you can get me out of this hospital, I'll get you whatever you need.'" And that's when his charity work began. Not only did Charlie raise the 46,000 needed for a colonoscopy machine at the Royal Victoria Hospital, but he went well over his target. And after catching the charity bug, he carried on raising cash for charity. He also collected toys for a young Cork girl born with rare syndrome Tetra-amelia, and fundraised for leukaemia sufferers and victims of the Kosovo crisis.

"Daddy's a local hero, so for something like this to happen to him is shocking for everyone," said Nuala. "My mummy, who's under the weather at the minute, is absolutely devastated that he's been hurt. It was terrifying. But as usual, he's more concerned about other people than himself and wants to make sure this man is off the streets so he can't do something even worse to another innocent person."

Charlie said the man was around 5ft 7ins tall, about 40 years of age, well built, wearing a woollen hat, a navy jacket and jeans.
A major report into Historical Institutional Child Abuse in Northern Ireland has been published. Abuse victims group says report is vindication. Margaret McGuckin, whose brother was one of the victims of sexual abuse, said today is what victims have "waited a lifetime for". Margaret is pictured with Marty Adams. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

A major report into Historical Institutional Child Abuse in Northern Ireland has been published. Abuse victims group says report is vindication. Margaret McGuckin, whose brother was one of the victims of sexual abuse, said today is what victims have "waited a lifetime for". Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

A major report into Historical Institutional Child Abuse in Northern Ireland has been published. Margaret McGuckin, whose brother was one of the victims of sexual abuse, said today is what victims have "waited a lifetime for". Margaret is pictured with Marty Adams. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

A major report into Historical Institutional Child Abuse in Northern Ireland has been published. Abuse victims group says report is vindication. Margaret McGuckin, whose brother was one of the victims of sexual abuse, said today is what victims have "waited a lifetime for". Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press

Hundreds of victims of historic child abuse in Northern Ireland should receive state-backed compensation payments of up to 100,000, an inquiry has recommended.

Those abused in state, church and charity run homes should also be offered an official apology from government and the organisations that ran the residential facilities where it happened, the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry found.

Inquiry chair Sir Anthony Hart outlined a series of recommendations after he revealed shocking levels of sexual, physical and emotional abuse in the period 1922 to 1995.

He said the minimum pay-out should be 7,500 with the maximum amount given to those who had experienced severe levels of abuse as well as being transported to Australia in a controversial migrant scheme.

He said the organisations that ran the abusing homes should make a financial contribution to the Stormont Executive-run scheme.

Sir Anthony said the four-year inquiry found "evidence of systemic failings" in the institutions and homes it investigated.

"There was evidence of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, neglect and unacceptable practices across the institutions and homes examined," he said.

"The inquiry also identified failings where institutions sought to protect their reputations and individuals against whom allegations were made, by failing to take any action at all, failing to report matters to or deliberately misleading the appropriate authorities and moving those against whom allegations were made to other locations.

"This enabled some to continue perpetrating abuse against children.

"The inquiry found that those institutions that sent young children to Australia were wrong to do so and there were failures to ensure the children were being sent to suitable homes."

Expand Close Sir Anthony Hart led the independent Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Sir Anthony Hart led the independent Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry

The HIA report also rejected long-standing allegations that a paedophile ring containing British Establishment figures abused boys in the notorious Kincora boys' home in Belfast.

It also dismissed claims that intelligence agencies were aware of such a ring and covered it up in order to blackmail the high-profile abusers.

Three staff members at Kincora were found guilty of abusing residents in the 1970s but there had long been rumours that others, including civil servants and businessmen, were involved.

Expand Close House of horrors: The former Kincora Boys' home on the Upper Newtonards Road, Belfast / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp House of horrors: The former Kincora Boys' home on the Upper Newtonards Road, Belfast

Sir Anthony said the notion that Kincora was a homosexual "brothel" used by the Security Services as a "honey pot" to obtain compromising information about influential figures was without foundation.

Read more

Read More

The investigation also focused on the activities of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth.

During evidence sessions the inquiry heard lurid details about the activities of the serial child molester who frequented Catholic residential homes and was convicted of more than 100 child abuse charges.

Sir Anthony said despite knowing his history of abusing children, the Norbertine religious order moved Smyth to different diocese where he abused more children.

They failed to report the abuse to police "enabling him to continue his abuse", it found. The Order also failed to take steps to expel him from priesthood, said the inquiry.

The fate of Sir Anthony's compensation recommendation is mired in a degree of uncertainty, given the recent Stormont crisis has resulted in the collapse of the current powersharing executive.

The retired judge said the redress scheme needed to be set up as a "matter of urgency".

He also recommended that the Northern Ireland Executive should create a body called the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry Redress Board.

The board would receive and process claims and payments, said the chairman.

The inquiry also recommended that a "suitable physical memorial" should be erected in Parliament Buildings in Belfast or in the grounds of Stormont estate.

It also called for the creation of a Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse to offer victims support and assistance.

It recommended the provision of extra state funding to provide specialist care for victims.

PSNI response to the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry report

Commenting on the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry report, ACC Mark Hamilton, Head of the PSNIs Department of Legacy and Justice, said "The PSNI will take time to read the report in full and consider any learning from it however I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sir Anthony Hart and the panel for their hard work and commitment to this.

"We co-operated fully with the Inquiry, including declassifying tens of thousands of documents, to help ensure the panel could conduct a thorough examination of relevant material, and as such, we welcome todays report and fully accept the findings.

"I apologise unreservedly for the police failings that have been identified within this report. I acknowledge that there were a number of occasions when a thorough police investigation could and should have been brought about which may have prevented more children from becoming victims. I also regret that we did not show the same rigour that we brought to the investigation in 1980 which led to three people being charged with offences relating to Kincora, brought before the court and convicted in 1981.

"At that time the RUC, like other UK police services, had no specialist units or officers trained in investigating child abuse however, I would reassure everyone that our approach to dealing with child abuse has since changed radically, in line with best practice in modern policing.

"Today, we have specially trained officers within the PSNIs Public Protection Branch who work closely with our partner agencies on a daily basis to ensure a joined up approach to dealing with allegations of child abuse. This multi-agency approach is based on information sharing and joint police/ social care working which allows the agencies to effectively and promptly safeguard victims and potential victims."

Abuse chair hails courage of victims

The chair of Northern Ireland's public inquiry into historical child abuse has thanked victims for their "courage and determination" in giving evidence.

Retired judge Sir Anthony Hart hailed the bravery of the hundreds who gave evidence ahead of outlining the findings of the four-year probe.

At a publication event in Belfast, he said recalling their experiences would have been "painful and distressing".

"I thank them for their courage and determination," he said.

Evidence from hundreds of witnesses during 223 days of hearings outlined claims of brutality and sex abuse dating back to the 1920s in institutions run by churches and the state.

Sir Anthony has already indicated compensating victims will be among his recommendations.

But it is uncertain when action will be taken as crisis engulfs powersharing at Stormont and as new elections loom.

The public inquiry was ordered by Stormont's ministerial Executive following pressure from alleged victims and similar probes in the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere.

Read more
A Garda spokesman said the drugs have an estimated street value of 37.5 million euro (32.4m)

Irish police have seized a massive 37.5 million euro (32.4m) cannabis haul at Dublin Port.

The drugs are understood to have been hidden in farm machinery on board a ship which docked in the city.

Gardai and Revenue officers, in a joint operation against organised crime gangs, recovered the stash on Friday.

A Garda spokesman said: "This investigation resulted in the identification and interception of a consignment which arrived into Dublin.

"A subsequent search today has resulted in the seizure of 1,873 kilos (4,129 lbs) of herbal cannabis.

"The controlled drugs seized have an estimated street value of 37.5 million euro."

The Garda spokesman said investigations are continuing both in Ireland and internationally, linked to the significant seizure of drugs, which he said were destined for the Irish market.

Dublin's Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald commended both the Garda and Revenue on the seizure.

"Today's seizure, in particular, demonstrates their determination and resourcefulness in going after the activities of drugs gangs who seek to profit from causing such misery in communities through their deadly trade," she said.
Peggy McGuinness was worried about her son. It was 1972, and she had found an IRA beret and belt in his bedroom. Martin had just given up his job and the newspapers were describing him as the officer commanding the Provos' Derry brigade.

"His father is a welder, his brothers are at the bricklaying and carpentry but what will become of Martin?" she fretted.

Mrs McGuinness needn't have worried. Her son ended up something that even in her wildest dreams she wouldn't have considered - Deputy First Minister of a state he had once vowed to smash.

I interviewed him shortly after his appointment and he stressed how determined he was to build a strong relationship with Ian Paisley who had once demanded that the Sinn Fein leader be hanged. Mr McGuiness brushed it all away.

"I've called him a sectarian bigot, I think he's called me worse but I'll not repeat it!" he joked.

The two old enemies clicked instantly because, despite initial appearances, they weren't polls apart. Both were conservative family men who liked the simple things in life.

"Although, I'm not quite as religious as Ian!" Mr McGuinness quipped.

Both detested 'the devil's buttermilk'.

"I've a glass of wine at Christmas dinner but never more than two. I'd rather sit in the house with a mug of tea," Mr McGuinness said.

Understandably, unionists initially hated him because of the numerous IRA atrocities conducted on his watch. But at Stormont, and in meetings with ordinary people in the community, he won many sceptics over.

"Call me Martin," he declared at Stormont while other cabinet colleagues insisted on 'minister'. Security staff, porters, and canteen workers - you would be hard pressed to find one who had a bad word to say about him personally.

Protestant civil servants who had worked closely with him were visibly emotional as he packed up his belongings before Christmas.

While Gerry Adams talked about the need to "break these b******s", McGuiness told the Sinn Fein ard fheis that unionists should be "loved and cherished".

During his time at Stormont, he bit his lip in a way that other republicans facing provocation from the DUP's wilder wing would never do.

Indeed, his tolerance emboldened that party's leadership to the extent that they mistakenly believed that he would never press the nuclear button and collapse the Executive.

In interviews yesterday, Mr McGuinness spoke of how he wanted to spend time with his family, fighting his illness out of the public spotlight. That's entirely in keeping with what we know about him.

Although his four children are long grown-up, he told me that he would never have dreamed of spending the week in Belfast in order to avoid the 140-mile daily round commute from Derry. "I believe in going home every night," he said.

He has an exceptionally strong relationship with his wife of 42 years, Bernie Canning. Family is everything to him.

As Deputy First Minister, he travelled the world. But he said that his most special trip was a private one.

"I took my grandson to Paris when Derry City played Paris Saint-Germain. It was nothing to do with Sinn Fein or politics, just a family visit. We walked through the streets together and I thought ... this is so special."

Despite Mr McGuinness's illness and his amiable manner, which surprised many political opponents, he certainly shouldn't be sentimentalised.

The IRA informer, Frank Hegarty, whom he allegedly lured back home to his death in Derry, should have haunted him in the way Gerry Adams has been unable to shake the ghost of Jean McConville.

Mr McGuinness's departure will leave a huge gap in Sinn Fein's leadership in Northern Ireland.

In the Republic, the party is brimming with talent - Pearse Doherty, Peadar Toibin, Mary Lou McDonald, and Padraig Mac Lochlainn to name but a few.

Conor Murphy was once the clear front-runner to take over. Now he appears too dull for a dynamic political environment in which people want change.

Michelle O'Neill is emerging as the favourite. Her youth, gender, and lack of IRA baggage should appeal to a wide section of the electorate - at least for now. But she lacks the former Deputy First Minister's gravitas, and unionists will never find another more accommodating coalition partner than him.

Sinn Fein seems set for a good election. It won't be until the negotiations start and beyond, that the strong, steady hand of Mr McGuinness will be missed. Even the DUP may come to regret his departure.
Meet the Northern Ireland classroom assistant who makes up to 100 every time she posts on Instagram.

Stunning Ivona Moore (24) only set up her account on the social media platform a year ago, and now receives free products, and even gets paid to post.

The married mother-of-one promotes clothes, make up, accessories and food products and is set to attend Paris Fashion Week in the spring.

She puts her success down to being "very persistent" and now has more than 60,000 followers.

"I gradually got noticed when brands reposted my photos wearing their clothes or using their products," she said.

"I have only started making money from it recently. At first I started receiving free samples to promote on my Instagram, which is absolutely amazing. I still can't believe how lucky I am. Who wouldn't want free dresses and beauty products?

"I have also received a few emails asking how much I would like to get paid for a promotion. Then I found out about an app (TAKUMI) which has paid brand campaigns for social influencers/bloggers." Ivona has collaborated with brands such as AX Paris, Pretty Little Thing.com, Boohoo, Bed Head, Garnier and Elizabeth Arden. "Even though I get sponsored for a few posts I only share my honest reviews," she added. But she is not tempted to give up her day job yet.

"I'm married to the best man in the world (Gary) and have a two-year-old boy. As much as I love my clothes they will always be used as a kitchen paper towel. And my lip pencils are always used for floor drawings as Calvin is a little artist," she said. "I love the pupils and staff at the school where I work, and the schedule lets me spend more time with Calvin. When he goes to bed I work on my Instagram campaigns, collaborations and I try to answer all my emails."

Ivona was born in Lithuania but moved to Northern Ireland when she was 13. She is one of an increasing number making money by promoting products on social media. One of them, English woman Zoella (26) is thought to earn up to 50,000 a month through YouTube videos.

Ivona added: "Nowadays everyone is spending hours on social media, so why not invest your time in creating a blog or a structured social media account? I'm enjoying every minute."
The extraordinary story of a group of women held captive by a Maoist cult in London - including a woman from Northern Ireland - is the subject of a new documentary set to air next week.

Josephine Herivel from Belfast was one of three women held captive by Aravindan Balakrishnan in a small flat in Brixton, south London.

There, the women were subjected to decades of brainwashing, emotional and physical abuse.

Balakrishnan - known as Comrade Bala - convinced them that he had god-like powers and invented a supernatural force called 'Jackie' who, he said, could trigger natural disasters if his will was flouted.

The story only came to light in 2013, when Ms Herivel, the daughter of a Bletchley Park codebreaker and a musical prodigy in her childhood, called an anti-slavery charity asking for help to leave.

Specialist police then intervened and freed the women.

The women's remarkable story will now be told in a BBC2 documentary by acclaimed director Vanessa Eagle.

The programme, which tells the story of the collective from 1976 until the present, features interviews with two of the women who escaped, including 72-year-old Aisha Wahab, who was part of the group for 40 years, and Balakrishnan's daughter Katy Morgan-Davies, who was born in captivity.

Ms Herivel, who is still devoted to Balakrishnan, would not agree to take part in filming.

In the documentary, seen by the Daily Mail, Ms Morgan-Davies (now 33) describes how she and others in the cult were subjected to "shouting, cursing and physical violence" and how she was deprived of affection.

However, when asked if she hates her father, she responds: "No. I did used to hate him. I just felt completely powerless. But life is also very short. There is no time to be spent on hatred and anger."

She also expresses a wish to be reconciled with her father in the future "if he wants it".

On December 4, 2015, Balakrishnan was convicted of child cruelty, false imprisonment, four counts of rape, six counts of indecent assault and two counts of assault. He was finally jailed on January 29, 2016 for 23 years.

Speaking after his conviction, Ms Herivel told the Belfast Telegraph that she regretted contacting the charity.

She said she had spent three "joyful" days with Balakrishnan before he was jailed and that she was determined to clear his name.

"I was so happy to get the chance to speak to him," she said at the time. "He knows why I did it and is not angry with me. I spent three joyful days with him before he was wrongfully convicted.

"We talked a lot about our experience in the last two years. He is just so shocked by what has happened. He will survive prison and I will wait for him.

"I will rejoin him when he is released. I am just so angry about what has happened. It is a frame-up. He is such a good person. He is a genius. And I am going to do all I can to clear his name."

Ms Herivel, a former Methodist College student, first met the cult leader in the 1970s, when she was studying at the Royal College of Music in London. Shortly after their first meeting she dropped out of university and joined the cult.

She started working in a laundrette and shared her pay with the communist collective.

The Cult Next Door is on BBC2 on January 26 at 9pm.
Cezannes Vue Sur LEstaque Et Le Chateau dIf has been exported from the UK

Almost 300m of the UK's most cherished artworks have permanently left the country over the last five years.

They include a marble statue of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, valued at 9.6m, which a dealer wanted to export to the Republic.

The sculpture had stood in Syon House, the London home of the Duke of Northumberland.

Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund, said the export system was abused by wealthy buyers using "exploitable loopholes" and "gentlemen's agreements" to keep masterpieces out of public reach.

Also among the exodus of treasures since 2011 was a 50m Picasso - Child With A Dove - now thought to be in Qatar.

Important cultural objects bought by overseas collectors are typically issued with a temporary export ban, giving British dealers or museums a chance to match the price.

Some 32 "national treasures", worth a total of about 70m, have stayed in the UK this way since 2011-12, Arts Council figures show.

Recently, a New York-based buyer refused to sell a 30m Pontormo painting to the National Gallery despite the institution raising the asking price.

Dr Deuchar said this happens "time and again", adding: "Applying for an export licence, you have to promise if a museum raises a matching sum you will sell it to them.

"We (the Art Fund) want to see some proper legal muscle to a system currently based on gentlemen's agreements... the civil servants running it need to listen to people who have new ideas for change."

But leading art historian and dealer Bendor Grosvenor argued that Britain's export system was "probably the best in the world" as it balanced the rights of the public and private collectors.

He said: "Art is a global business... is it in the public interest for the State to effectively seize someone's private assets? Something about art brings out the socialist in everyone."

Mr Grosvenor added: "We sometimes think it must belong to the people."
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Canada

The Queen made her third public appearance of the year yesterday

The Queen received armfuls of presents during her 90th birthday year - from a massive bottle of Champagne to a purple bag of salt.

A list of the official gifts the monarch received to mark the milestone was published as the Queen joined fellow members of her local Women's Institute for a celebrity historian's talk - and an afternoon tea of cakes and sweet treats.

Looking relaxed and in good health, the Queen made her third appearance of the year after recovering from a heavy cold to spend the afternoon with Norfolk women she has known for decades.

The official gift list shows that then Prime Minister David Cameron and the Cabinet gave the Queen a crystal glass bowl, while the Royal Canadian Mounted Police presented the monarch with a horse called Sir John.

There was the usual birthday gift of a box of chocolates from the people and Government of Flanders, and a bottle of Champagne from the Executive Guild of Toastmasters - but it was a Nebuchadnezzar, which can hold 20 normal bottles of the wine.

Even the monarch's much loved pet corgis and dorgis were not forgotten, with four maroon-coloured padded small dog jackets, decorated with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead's coat of arms, presented by the borough where the monarch lives.

The Jockey Club gave the Queen, its patron and a lifelong equestrian fan, a brooch representing the Epsom area landscape and racecourse. A mohair teddy bear called Bertie holding a boater hat and wearing a blazer was a birthday gift from the Henley Royal Regatta president.

The more unusual presents included a purple bag of salt from the people of the British Virgin Islands, which was decorated with the picture of a woman collecting salt next to a palm tree and house, with the ocean, a boat and a mountain range in the background.

The Prince of Wales was presented with weird, wonderful and mundane gifts during his official foreign tours last year.

Charles was given a model of Mother Teresa, a make-your-own doll kit and a straw model of a man and woman dancing when he toured the Balkans with the Duchess of Cornwall.

The list also showed that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children were showered with presents during their recent trip to Canada.

William and Kate were given their own totem pole by the Carcross Tagish First Nation.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte were given dozens of soft toys, books, and other playthings by well-wishers.
A Belgrade man who admitted making trips to Washington to pick up meth for distribution in the Belgrade and Billings areas will spend about 10 years in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters on Thursday sentenced Edward Lee Donnes, 55, to 10 years and one month in prison for his guilty plea to a conspiracy count.

The judge noted Donnes role in a drug ring that brought an estimated 60 to 65 pounds of meth to the communities and said he admitted to making at least six trips to Washington.

Prosecutors said Donnes stored some of the meth in his storage shed and also distributed to a few people.

Donnes apologized to his family and told the judge that getting locked up may have saved my life. Donnes said he was addict and needed help.

Donnes has a previous federal drug conviction for which he was sentenced to 72 months, Watters said.

Donnes was indicted in a conspiracy in which prosecutors said the source and co-defendant, Juan Delgadillo-Meza, of Ephrata, Wash., worked with Donnes, Noel McDermott Morris of Billings and Bethany Ann Fairchild of Libby to bring meth to Montana from about 2014 to 2016.

The investigation led law enforcement officers to stop Delgadillo-Mezas vehicle on Nov. 5, 2015, as he was traveling near Manhattan. Fairchild also was in the vehicle.

Law enforcement served a search warrant on the vehicle and found a total of about two and a quarter pounds of meth.

Defense attorney Lisa Bazant recommended a mandatory minimum term of 10 years saying Donnes was an addict and that he worked primarily with Morris to maintain his addiction. A 10-year sentence was more than sufficient and would give Donnes hope for release and a return to his family, she said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan McCarthy recommended a similar term of 121 months, which was the low end of a guideline range. Saying the conspiracy wasnt Donnes first rodeo, McCarthy said Donnes, having a previous drug conviction, knew the consequences of getting involved in drug trafficking.

Morris was sentenced last November to more than 12 years in prison, while Fairchild recently pleaded guilty to a conspiracy count and is to be sentenced on April 26. Delgadillo-Meza is scheduled to change his plea on Feb. 2.
There was "no credible evidence" of a paedophile ring made up of members of the British Establishment using an east Belfast boys home to carry out abuse, Sir Anthony Hart has said while delivering his report on historical institutional abuse at a series of children's homes run by church and charity in Northern Ireland.

Retired judge Sir Anthony Hart chaired an independent panel, the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry, helped by a team of lawyers and researchers.

On Friday he delivered his 2,300 page-long, 10 volume report saying he had the full co-operation from state, religious orders and government in its making.

Sir Anthony Hart said: "Our terms of reference, unlike other current inquiries, were not limited to sexual abuse, we examined allegations of physical and emotional abuse and other failings to provide proper terms of care."

At the notorious Kincora boys home, where there were numerous allegation made of abuse, Sir Anthony said if an adequate RUC investigation had been carried out "those sexually abused after 1976 would have been spared their experience."

Read More

The inquiry investigated persistent claims that intelligence agencies covered up the crimes committed by a paedophile ring in the home in the 1970s in order to blackmail some alleged high-profile abusers from within the British Establishment.

However, Sir Anthony ruled this out saying there was no "credible evidence" such an operation was in existence.

Ahead of outlining his conclusions on the home, Sir Anthony said the Government's assurance that all files and evidence would be given to the inquiry had been "honoured".

Also among those to be singled out was the Sisters of Nazareth order which ran boys homes at Nazareth House and Nazareth Lodge in Belfast and Termonbacca and Bishop Street in Derry.

Sir Anthony said: "The largest number of complaints to the HIA related to four homes of the Sisters of Nazareth religious order. In each of the four homes some nuns engaged in physical and emotional abuse against children. Emotional abuse was widespread in all homes."

Turning to Rubane House which was run by the Catholic De La Salle order, Sir Anthony said children were subject to "excessive physical punishment" and fell victim to "physical assaults".

Four-hundred-and-ninety-three people gave evidence to the Sir Anthony Hart headed investigation over 223 hearings - some in Australia - which outlined claims of brutality and sex abuse dating back to the 1920s in institutions run by churches and the state.

Delivering his opening statement, Sir Anthony Hart said it was "clearly distressing and painful" for those taking part

"We hope in some way giving evidence helped those who were not listened to in the past," he said.

Sir Anthony said the investigation found many examples of good practice.

More:

Read More

Sir Anthony has already indicated that compensating victims will be among his recommendations, however the level of any compensation is to be decided by the Executive, which ordered the inquiry on the back of calls from victims.

Given the current political crisis, however, it remains to be seen if compensation will ever be agreed.

The inquiry was created in 2013 to investigate child abuse in residential institutions in Northern Ireland over a 73-year period, up to 1995.

It finished hearing evidence with an investigation into an alleged paedophile ring that operated at the notorious Kincora boys' home, east Belfast

Earlier, the expert panel heard lurid details about the activities of Fr Brendan Smyth, a serial child molester who frequented Catholic residential homes and was convicted of more than 100 child abuse charges.

Other former residents claimed some Catholic nuns at a Sisters of Nazareth children's home in Northern Ireland were sadistic bullies who did not do enough to protect residents from sexual predators.

A man alleged he was raped by a member of the Catholic De La Salle order of brothers using a piece of equipment for restraining farm animals. Police said sex abuse at Rubane House in Co Down was rife.

Children sent to Australia under a special transportation scheme were treated like baby convicts, witnesses said, deprived of their real identities and shipped without parental consent.

However, a health worker who visited Kincora said she was unaware of the abuse, while a lawyer told the public inquiry fewer than 2% of residents at a Catholic-run training school alleged mistreatment.

Others said they had been well cared for by overworked staff when they had nowhere else to go and when wider society had rejected them because they were born to unmarried mothers or were orphans.

Some were resident during the chaos of 1970s Belfast or Londonderry when The Troubles were at their fiercest.
Jeremy Corbyn will say he wants to replace the House of Lords with a Senate for the Nations and Regions

Independence would result in "turbo-charged austerity" for Scotland and a "glaring hole" in the cash for essential public services, Jeremy Corbyn has warned.

While First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said Prime Minister Theresa May's plan to take the UK out of Europe's single market "undoubtedly" makes a second referendum more likely, the Labour leader cautioned Scots against leaving the UK.

He also insisted the vote for Brexit could bring "opportunities" for Scotland, with the possibility of further powers being devolved to Holyrood.

Mr Corbyn said while "of course Scotland has the talent and ability to run its own affairs", he did not believe this "would be the best option for the Scottish people".

Since the 2014 independence referendum, the case for Scotland leaving the UK had "weakened", he claimed, citing the plunge in North Sea oil revenues as one reason for this.

Speaking out against independence in Glasgow, he insisted: "I t would lead to turbo-charged austerity and a glaring hole in the money required to fund essential services, and would not be in the interests of the people of Scotland."

His claim was, however, rejected by Ms Sturgeon, who branded it "rubbish".

The SNP leader tweeted: "If Corbyn wasn't leading such a pitifully ineffective opposition the Tories wouldn't be getting away with half of what they are."

Mr Corbyn said separating from the rest of the UK would "not tackle the underlying problems facing Scotland" such as poverty.

Independence would mean "p olitical power would lie with the Edinburgh establishment" instead of in London, but he stressed "economic power would remain south of the border".

He said: "O f the 250 largest companies in the UK, only 17 have their headquarters in Scotland.

"So, decisions about Scottish wages and salaries would be made in board rooms largely down south where the Scottish Government would have little sway."

The Labour leader said he could "empathise" with the 67% who "believe there is an 'establishment' in London that doesn't understand the problems faced by people living in Scotland".

He also said that 43% of Scots "agree that an Edinburgh establishment doesn't understand them either".

While he said "s ome people may say the UK only works for England, not Scotland", he went on to argue that " it isn't working that well for much of England either".

Mr Corbyn told the audience, including Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale: "2 20,000 Scottish children live in poverty. It's the same across our cities, small towns and rural communities in England."

He went on to say: "It is too simplistic to define Scottish challenges as being a national question while insisting issues in the English north are an economic question."

He accused the Tories of having "created an unbalanced Britain, between the rich and poor" and with power centred in Westminster and not in the "nations and regions" of the UK.

While 62% of Scots voted to remain in the European Union, he said Brexit could "provide us with the chance to redress that by fixing a rigged system that doesn't work for the majority of people".

Mr Corbyn insisted that after the UK leaves the EU it is "vital" the UK Government gives more powers to Holyrood, the assemblies in Wales and Northern Ireland and England's metropolitan mayors and local authorities.

"Brexit means we have to develop a long-term plan to build a fairer, more just country," he said.

"So, in two weeks' time, I will be holding a summit with European socialist leaders to see how best we can influence them to make a case in their own countries for a Brexit that works for Britain."

Labour is also to set up a people's constitutional convention - similar to the Scottish constitutional convention which campaigned for a devolved parliament in the 1990s - to look at how power can be spread across the UK.

While the Scottish Government has made clear staying in the single market is essential if a second independence referendum is to be avoided, with SNP ministers seeking a different arrangement from the rest of the country, Mr Corbyn said: "T he question of single market access is and has to be a UK decision."

He stressed, however, that Labour is "determined to make sure there is market access to Europe", adding that "around 50% of UK-wide trade is with Europe".
Some 2,000 people were trapped in their vehicles overnight as heavy snowfall cut off several roads in eastern Spain, authorities said.

The army's emergency unit said on Friday that it was distributing blankets and hot drinks to hundreds of people stranded on the A3 highway linking the capital, Madrid, to the coastal city of Valencia and on other roads in the region.

Soldiers and firefighters used snowploughs to try to clear the snow, managing to open A3 traffic towards Valencia, although it remained blocked towards Madrid.

Some train services in the region were also disrupted.

Heavy snow and rainstorms have hit many parts of Spain this week, with some eastern coastal tourist towns reporting their first snow in decades.

The Aemet weather agency said more snow and freezing temperatures were expected on Friday.

AP
Islamic State militants have destroyed the facade of a second-century amphitheatre in Palmyra, Syria (AP File/Hassan Ammar)

Islamic State militants have destroyed a landmark ancient Roman monument and parts of the theatre in Syria's historic town of Palmyra, the government and opposition monitoring groups said.

Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of Syria's antiquities department, said the militants destroyed the facade of the second-century theatre along with the Tetrapylon, a cubic-shaped Roman monument in the middle of the colonnade road that leads to the theatre.

Mr Abdulkarim said reports of the destruction first trickled out of the IS-held town late in December, but satellite images of the damage were only available late on Thursday, confirming the destruction.

The imagery, provided by the US-based American Schools of Oriental Research, show significant damage to the Tetrapylon and the theatre. The ASOR said the damage was probably caused by intentional destruction by IS.

Mr Abdulkarim said only two of the 16 columns of the Tetrapylon remain standing. The stage backdrop has sustained damage, according to ASOR.

State-run news agency Sana reported the damage and Syrian opposition monitors confirmed it but gave no immediate details.

The extremists recaptured the ancient town in December from government troops - nine months after IS was expelled in a Russia-backed offensive.

During their first stay, from May 2015 until May 2016, IS destroyed ancient temples including the Temple of Bel, which dated back to AD 32, and the Temple of Baalshamin, a structure of stone blocks several storeys high fronted by six towering columns.

The militants also blew up the Arch of Triumph, which was built under Roman emperor Septimius Severus between AD 193 and AD 211.

A Unesco world heritage site, Palmyra boasts 2,000-year-old towering Roman-era colonnades and priceless artefacts. Syrians affectionately refer to it as the "Bride of the Desert".

The extremists have destroyed ancient sites across their self-styled Islamic caliphate in Syria and Iraq, viewing them as monuments to idolatry.

A desert oasis surrounded by palm trees in central Syria, Palmyra is also a strategic crossroads linking the Syrian capital, Damascus, with the country's east and neighbouring Iraq.

Located 155 miles east of Damascus, the city was once home to 65,000 people before the Syrian civil war began.

Most Palmyra residents did not return after it was retaken by the government, and activists estimated the city is now home to a few hundred families.

Many of them tried to flee as IS recaptured the city in December.

On Thursday, reports emerged that the militant group killed 12 captives it held in Palmyra, some of them beheaded in the Roman theatre.

AP

Meanwhile, Unesco said about a third of the ancient city of Aleppo has been destroyed during the war in Syria.

The United Nations cultural organisation conducted an emergency mission from Monday to Thursday to assess damage at the World Heritage Site and reported "extensive damage" at the Great Umayyad Mosque, the Citadel and other historic buildings.

Unesco said "60% of the old city of Aleppo has been severely damaged, with 30% totally destroyed".

The group's envoys met Aleppo council members and non-governmental organisations and proposed that the ancient city should be declared an "emergency zone".

Pro-government forces recaptured Aleppo in December, ending rebels' four-year hold on parts of what was once Syria's largest and most important city.

AP
Heroes Versus Villains. That was the theme of the New Year's Eve party I recently attended. It was styled as a way of saying "goodbye and good riddance to this terrible year", the supposedly death-dealing, demon-electing disaster that was 2016.

I very nearly didn't go, and all because of that awful, vainglorious title. Heroes Versus Villains. It didn't exactly get me into the effervescent, Champagne-quaffing, party-going spirit, you know? I hate that kind of thinking because it automatically divides the world into lovely, reasonable, forward-looking and possibly even heroic people - people like us, essentially, the ones on the side of the angels - and evil, deluded, fascist-loving fools, which accounts for everyone else.

It wouldn't matter if this was just the title of a daft New Year's Eve night. But for too many people heroes versus villains - that tribal, cretinous impulse that insists on an absolute divide between good and bad - has become a way of life, a defining worldview.

With the good, enlightened people as the torch-bearers on white chargers, of course, bringing righteous light to the benighted masses. Or, more likely, trampling the masses down and giving them a good flaming on their backsides for daring to vote for Brexit, or even worse, for Donald Trump.

If they won't see sense we'll clearly have to show them the hard way who knows best, right?

The biggest, baddest villain of them all - at least in political terms - will become President of the United States today. Tomorrow this unhappy event will be followed by a gigantic protest, the Women's March on Washington, expected to be the largest mass mobilisation that America has seen in response to a presidential inauguration, according to one US commentator.

Hundreds of thousands of women, and maybe even a few men, will shout their opposition to Trump's misogynist reign. Many of them will be wearing pink hand-knitted 'pussy-cat' hats, intended as a riposte to Trump's obscene, hateful remarks about how he likes to treat women. Scarlett Johansson, Katy Perry and Cher are among the celebrities expected to attend.

In cities around the world, on the same day, people will be marching in solidarity with their American sisters (and brothers). Yes, even here in Belfast, though we have troubles enough of our own you might think without worrying about the imminent advent of the Trumpocalypse.

I have no problem with protests against Trump's sexist and racist agenda. Call him out on it, loud and long, if it makes you feel any better. Show your repudiation. Though I'd stop short of wearing one of those regrettable pink cat-eared hats: it's vaguely depressing that women of the liberal Left so often like to express their most heartfelt political views through the creative use of wool.

But in quite justifiably rallying to express their disgust at a Trump presidency, it's vital that protesters don't slip into a global orgy of virtue-signalling, holding themselves up to each other as paragons of decency, truth and enlightenment in contrast to the loathsome views of Trump.

Don't be anointing yourselves as heroes just yet. After all, almost everyone looks good when compared to the loud-mouthed, narcissistic braggart-in-chief.

And while Trump may be fair game, his opponents have got to stop issuing blanket condemnations of the people who voted for him. Loudly damning them all as villains - homophobes, racists, confused women suffering from 'internalised misogyny' - is patronising and wrong.

The American feminist writer Jessica Valenti is at the forefront of those who decry Trump voters. Valenti insists that vote-shaming is "a reasonable response by those of us who are disgusted, anxious, and afraid" and "there's nothing wrong with being made to feel ashamed for doing something shameful".

Apart from anything else, this is intensely counter-productive: who ever changed their mind because they were abused and hectored into it by somebody who's convinced they know better?

Valenti and her anti-democratic ilk should spend less time insulting half the American electorate and more time trying to find out the thinking behind their votes. Listening, instead of lecturing.

If they shut up for long enough, they might actually learn something. After all, 42% of American women cast their ballot for Trump.

If you aspire to change that fact, and want to avoid a second Trump term, you don't castigate people as dumb and deluded. You start by asking why?

Few of us are villains. Fewer still are heroes. Let's forget these dumb polarities and remember that we're all human.

Even Donald Trump.
Three men charged with walking on the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park in May pleaded guilty Thursday to the charges against them.

Canadians Charles Ryker Gamble, Alexey Andriyovych Lyakh and Justis Cooper Price Brown will all have to pay restitution and are banned from public lands in the United States for the five years they are on probation.

Gamble and Lyakh will have to serve seven days in jail as part of their sentence.

The men appeared Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Carman at the Yellowstone Justice Center in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyo.

Gamble and Lyakh both pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct by creating a hazardous condition and foot travel in a thermal area, as well as two charges of commercial photography without a permit, two charges of using a drone in a closed area and riding a bike in wilderness.

Their crimes occurred in the Yellowstone, Zion, Death Valley and Mesa Verde national parks.

In addition to their probation and jail time, the two men will both have to pay $2,000 in fines, restitution and community service payments to Yellowstone Forever.

Both must remove the photos and videos of public lands from their social media profiles.

Brown pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct by creating a hazardous condition and foot traffic in a thermal area. He must pay $3,500 in fines restitution and community service payments to Yellowstone Forever.

Gamble's attorney, Alex Rate, said his client and friends had been threatened and shamed on social media for what amounted to making bad decisions on a road trip. Their aim was to inspire people to explore the parks, and any money they made from the videos they posted was minuscule, Rate said.

"These young men have been through the wringer when it comes to public shaming," Rate said. "They understand the impact of their decisions and take responsibility for it."

Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk said in a statement that the penalties handed down Thursday "send a strong and poignant message about thermal feature protection and safety."

In November, a fourth member of the group, Hamish Cross, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct by creating a hazardous condition and foot travel in a thermal area.

Cross was ordered to pay more than $8,000 in fines, restitution, community service payments and fees, according to a news release from Yellowstone National Park. He will be on probation for five years and will also be banned from public lands managed by the U.S. Government for the duration of his probation.

Cross has a New Zealand passport, the complaint against him stated.

On May 16 someone reported to Yellowstone National Park rangers that they had seen the men walking on the thermal feature, according to the news release. Through videos posted on the group High on Life's social media accounts, rangers identified the individuals involved.
Six months after persuading Montana to pull the plug on favorable guaranteed rates for small solar farms, NorthWestern Energy is making the case for the much cheaper terms.

The states largest regulated utility this week implored the states Public Service Commission to cut the state-guaranteed price nearly in half, to $34 a megawatt hour.

Solar advocates say the proposed rate is unprofitable for potential small Montana solar farms, which a year ago numbered almost 100 but have produced less than a dozen actual projects.

The group Vote Solar says Montana's solar outlook is sunny if prices are reset to last Junes suspended rate, or something close to it.

On Wednesday, state regulators seemed skeptical. Commissioner Roger Koopman, of Bozeman, said solar just doesnt seem to match up with Montana weather conditions like winter cloudiness and snow, or months when state energy demand is highest.

During the time of year when Montana really needs energy the most, isnt solar going to be a poor performer? Koopman said.

Thomas Beach, an expert witness for Vote Solar, told Koopman the commissioners assumptions were false. June and July, two of Montanas highest peak energy months, are also two of solars best performing months. Beach suggested solar projects be paired with wind farms, which produce best during winter months.

Solars prospects in Montana dimmed last June when, at NorthWesterns urging, the PSC suspended the states a $66 per megawatt hour rate for the solar energy projects no larger than 3 megawatts  projects large enough to power 540 or fewer homes.

NorthWestern had argued that it didnt need solar energy and that its customers' utility bills would rise marginally if the rate intended to promote renewable energy development was enforced.

Solar companies balked. That $66 per megawatt hour rate was close to what NorthWestern customers pay for electricity from the utilitys hydroelectric dams. Hook-up applications from solar companies had been increasing since November 2014 as the cost of solar panels dropped significantly and the projects became feasible under the $66 rate.

NorthWestern blamed the state-set rate for interest in Montana development that wouldnt have been there otherwise.

One solar developer, FLS Energy of North Carolina, filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, arguing that it had reached terms with NorthWestern before the PSC killed the rate. FLS didnt have a contract, but argued it had agreed to terms with the utility.

FERC sided with FLS shortly before Christmas. States are required under federal law to set prices and contract lengths to promote alternative energy resources under the 48-year-old Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act. Utilities are supposed to be obligated to buy power from qualifying facilities under the states terms.

Wednesdays hearing was the first of a two-day debate about restoring the guaranteed rate, but doing so after both the rate and contract lengths were reviewed and most likely lowered to favor the utility.
Usman was just 4 when he was hurt in a shooting that killed his father in Thailands insurgency-stricken Deep South.

The boys injuries were minor but, four years on, the attack traumatizes him.

It feels like yesterday. It continues to frighten me, and I'm scared, Usman, now 8 years old, told BenarNews, asking his last name not be published.

He is among thousands of children who have been scarred or afflicted in some way by a decades-long separatist conflict in Thailands predominantly Muslim and Malay-speaking southern border region, according to local special education officials and human rights advocates.

Usman, who is from Yala province, was among youngsters, including some with physical disabilities, who attended a recent celebration of Childrens Day at a special education school in neighboring Pattani province.

All I want for Childrens Day is to be with my mother as long as I can, and I hope no such tragic incident is inflicted on anybody else. I hope that the sound of bombs and the sound of gun-fighting ceases, and I hope that one day I can forget that incident, he said.

Special children

Nearly 6,700 people have been killed in violence associated with the conflict since 2004.

The war has orphaned at least 6,000 children and made widows out of at least 3,000 women, according to the Southern Womens Peace Network to Stop Violence, a local NGO.

Since January 2014 alone, 89 people under the age of 18 have been killed, and another 478 have been injured in shootings or bombings in the Deep South, according to Duay Jai (with Heart) Group, a human rights advocacy group.

In addition, some 5,000 other children in the Deep South have been born with disabilities, according to Surat Boonrit, the director of special education programs in Pattani, who organized the Childrens Day event on Jan. 13.

The children who are directly affected by the ongoing violence received special attention from authorities, more so than ordinary children. This special attention is extended to the parents as well, Surat told BenarNews.

I am very happy to be part of this effort to bring some happiness to these children. They seem happy. Their parents, too. They received gifts and were allowed to demonstrate their skills, Surat said, choking back tears.

Artistic ambition

More than 300 children from 12 districts, accompanied by their parents, took part in the day-long celebration.

Asiyah Nasae (pictured), 6, who was born without arms, demonstrated her drawing skills at one of the centers booths.

My father sometimes carries me and sometimes I hop on one leg, Asiyah told BenarNews. If I have a wheelchair, I can help myself.

She expressed the wish that she be awarded a scholarship so she could prolong her education in the arts as well as get a wheelchair so my father can push me to school.
ein Google-Unternehmen

Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben

Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen

Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. Mit den gewonnenen Informationen mochten wir verstehen, wie unsere Dienste verwendet werden, und die Qualitat dieser Dienste verbessern.

neue Dienste zu entwickeln und zu verbessern

Werbung auszuliefern und ihre Wirkung zu messen

personalisierte Inhalte anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen

personalisierte Werbung anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen

Wenn Sie Alle ablehnen auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies nicht fur diese zusatzlichen Zwecke.

Nicht personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung werden u. a. von Inhalten, die Sie sich gerade ansehen, und Ihrem Standort beeinflusst (welche Werbung Sie sehen, basiert auf Ihrem ungefahren Standort). Personalisierte Inhalte und Werbung konnen auch Videoempfehlungen, eine individuelle YouTube-Startseite und individuelle Werbung enthalten, die auf fruheren Aktivitaten wie auf YouTube angesehenen Videos und Suchanfragen auf YouTube beruhen. Sofern relevant, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auerdem, um Inhalte und Werbung altersgerecht zu gestalten.

Wir verwenden Cookies und Daten, umWenn Sie Alle akzeptieren auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies und Daten auch, umWahlen Sie Weitere Optionen aus, um sich zusatzliche Informationen anzusehen, einschlielich Details zum Verwalten Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellungen. Sie konnen auch jederzeit g.co/privacytools besuchen.
Up to a half-dozen upcoming teleconferences will make it easy for Billings-area residents to lobby their legislators without leaving town.

Karen Moses of Billings asked legislators to raise her taxes if it means the state can help pay for early childhood education and reduce the financial hit to the Department of Public Health and Human Services.

When times are tight, she said, thats the time we should be investing in early childhood education. If you dont tend your crop until the end, there is not a lot you can do.

While theres no bill yet on funding early childhood education, my understanding is that it will not be a large program, said Rep. Kathy Kelker, D-Billings.

Together with education, health and human services is the majority of the state budget, and to ask them not to cut will force other departments to make drastic cuts, said Rep. Seth Berglee, R-Joliet. If you want an education bill to move forward, the money has to come from somewhere.

Rep. Sue Vinton, R-Billings, said that career and technology bills are on their way. Middle school students are the intended beneficiaries.

Many feel there is a huge need for educating our future workforce, said Vinton, the former chair of the Lockwood school board. Middle school is a great time to get kids engaged thinking about the career paths available to them.

Sen. Doug Kary, R-Billings, called highway and other infrastructure funding the sausage-making business.

Right now the pork and beef are on the table, but its very preliminary  the spices havent been mixed, and we dont know what exactly we are going to make, Kary said. The (Montana Department of Transportation) and contractors have been speaking to us. I dont think it will be grandiose  maybe some bonding. There will be a little bit of everything in the sausage being made.

Billings City Councilman Dick Clark, the councils representative on the Montana Infrastructure Coalition, lobbied the Billings-area legislative contingent to take a good look at infrastructure bills, including using a portion of the coal trust fund and boosting the gas tax by 10 cents per gallon.

Steve Arveschoug, executive director of Big Sky Economic Development Authority, asked lawmakers to keep an eye on bills surrounding the planned closure of Colstrip Units 1 and 2, not only for the job losses, but also on the reliable, affordable supply of power for industry. I dont think thats addressed in current proposed legislation, he said.

Asked about reducing Medicaid cuts in the wake of replacing the Affordable Care Act and protecting residents who rely on walking or biking to get around, Sen. Margie MacDonald, D-Billings, said her time on the House Transportation Committee convinced her that complete streets (which take into account non-motorized use) are essential, and I hope we wont abandon them at the Legislature.

After Bill Kennedy, a former Yellowstone County commissioner who now runs the Montana State University Billings foundation, made a pitch for maintaining the states open meetings law, MacDonald told him that the Senate Local Government Committee on Wednesday passed a bill that would allow counties with three county commissioners not to post meeting notices when two commissioners plan to attend the same event.

We really need that transparency, MacDonald said. That bill will soon be on the floor of the Senate.

Sen. Mary McNally, D-Billings, said that state legislators must wait until health care decisions are made by the incoming Trump administration and Congress before more is known about Medicaid funding.

Thats why you hear deafening silence from here, she said, as legislative participants were slow to answer the question.
In his last week at the helm of Montana State University Billings, Chancellor Mark Nook said that the school's handling of challenges, particularly with the budget, will set his successor up on solid footing.

Nook will take over as president of the University of Northern Iowa starting Feb. 1, after nearly three years at MSUB. His tenure was punctuated by looming budget cuts that began shortly after he stepped on campus.

"It was clear the enrollments had been down, and so the budget's going to be impacted by that," Nook said Wednesday. "And I think part of it is the way that I work, that I wasn't going to come in and say, 'This is what we're going to cut.'"

Nook was hired after an academic year that saw a $900,000 budget deficit. That fall, he and other administrators began building a biennial budget that included $4.4 million in cuts.

Enrollment at the university dropped 19 percent from 2006 to 2016.

In response, Nook preached not only recruitment but a focus on retention, a word he repeated throughout. While still implementing cuts this year, the current budget calls for a $760,000 transfer into those programs.

With a master's degree in astrophysics and a Ph.D. in astronomy, Nook said he tried to instill a data-driven approach to budgetary challenges.

During that time, Nook said that he approached the situation by being open about the issue at hand before moving forward. As a result, he said Billings has become a bigger supporter.

"Our relationships with the public, the community, have tightened," he said. "We've really reached out to our business partners and our community partners, the social organizations around town."

The most recent data from last fall showed a slight increase in freshman retention.

The future of MSUB

While enrollment was down again last fall, MSUB is looking to turn the corner with some new initiatives. Last year, the Montana University System Board of Regents approved an RN to BSN program for nursing students at City College to complete a four-year degree at the main campus. (Called the RN to BSN Completion Program, its designed for students who complete the associate degree in nursing at City College to transition toward a Bachelor of Science in nursing through MSUB.)

There's also a renewed marketing and outreach effort for the Yellowstone Science and Allied Health Building. Its construction is predicated on raising $5 million to match $10 million approved by the Montana Legislature four years ago.

Since that approval, fundraising has stalled and the project price tag continues to increase. The MSUB Foundation, headed by Bill Kennedy, is handling that effort.

University administrators have pointed to the building project as a boon to MSUB's image and academic offerings. But the effort has been overseen by many people.

MSUB has had three chancellors since 2010. Ron Larsen, most recently an associate provost at Montana State University in Bozeman, will assume the interim chancellor role next week.

As classes resumed for the spring semester Wednesday, Larsen met with Nook and Provost Robert Hoar. University Relations Director Aaron Clingingsmith said the process is going smoothly.

[We're] looking forward to seeing how Ron [Larsen] makes that transition and moves into the chancellor role, he said.

In addition to turnover at the top of MSUB, there have been three provosts since 2011 and three MSUB Foundation presidents since 2013.

While enrollment declines have been a symptom at the school, some have pointed to the Montana University System structure as a cause.

It's set up so that all universities are tiered beneath the two flagships: The University of Montana in Missoula and MSU in Bozeman. MSUB reports to the Bozeman campus in the chain of command.

One idea has been to release MSUB from that role to give it more autonomy.

Nook said he's worked in three university systems and all structures bring challenges. He said the formation and approval of the RN to BSN program was accomplished in part by working "closely" with MSU President Waded Cruzado.

I dont neccessarily see that its problematic with the structure that Montana has," Nook said. "I think it's really important that people embrace whatever the structure is going to be and figure out how to make that really work for the entire health of higher education in the state of Montana.

Moving forward, a committee will form to identify candidates for the next permanent chancellor. That process will involve officials from both MSU and MSUB.

Nook said he'll leave it to the next chancellor to outline a plan for the university, but he expects his retention goal of 65 percent of students by 2019 to stick around.

I think this is just a really great opportunity for someone to take an institution that has probably hit the bottom of its enrollment and is going to start to grow again," he said. "And a community that is ready to help it grow and move in the right direction.
The Electoral College (EC, for short) is one of the most undemocratic institutions to dis-serve 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. In 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016 the person elected president was not the candidate who the majority of people voted for.

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 more than 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: ... 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 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 percent of the 270 EC votes needed to give the compact legal force).

Senate Bill 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 a citizen initiative. 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 possible  by the popular vote of the people.

We the People need the NPVIC; we need to finally say to the EC: Youre fired!
With the Republic Day approaching, we were wondering if theres anything that you havent read in your history book, about Indias freedom struggle. Hop on to read the inspiring tales of few Indian freedom fighters.

Netaji Subhashchandra Bose

He was the one who built the Azad Hind Fauj organisation. Once Netaji appeared for a written examination for a job. He saw the question paper and got furious. One of the translation question in it read, Indian soldiers are generally dishonest. He immediately expressed his dissent. He said to the invigilator, It is impossible to answer this. The invigilator replied, Whoever refuses to answer, will not be able to get the job. Netaji angrily said, I would rather die of hunger, instead of bearing false allegations against my countrymen.

Lal Bahdur Shastri

hastriji was the 2nd PM of India. The story is of the time when Shastriji was in prison. No one was permitted to meet prisoners. After immense persuasion, the prison authority permitted Shastris wife, Lalitagauri to meet him. The guards allowed her without scrutinising. She gave him two mangoes which she had brought secretly and said to him, I know you like mangoes very much, that is why, I have brought them for you. He said, You shouldn't have done this. The security guards trusted you to come without scrutinising, but you broke their trust.



Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Bapu was the pre-eminent leader of the Indian Independence movement. He once stole some money from his fathers coat and regretted it. He then wrote a confession letter and handed it over to his dad waiting for a severe punishment. His father wept while reading the letter and took a promise from Bapu, that he would never do it again. Gandhiji kept his promise and never did this again. This helped him in adopting the

policy of non-violence and honesty.



Bhagat Singh

He was one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian Independence movement. He always dreamed of seeing India as a free nation. He left school, because there was an air to boycott government-aided institutions. At the age of 12, he saw the Jallianwala Baug massacre, which made him a determined child to free India. For his anti British acts, he was hanged at the mere age of 23.

Jawaharlal Nehru

The first PM of India, Jawaharlal Nehru was raised in a rich family. He studied law in England, but quit practice and joined the freedom struggle. Once while traveling in train, Nehruji overheard British General taking pleasure over the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Upon hearing the generals words, Nehruji vowed to fight against the British. And this incident changed the course of his life.
The Bible has been under attack in the western world for over 200 years but never more intensely than today. These attacks have taken different forms and have come from many different corners of the academic world, from philosophers, to scientists, to textual critics. In the specialized world of archaeology the attacks have increased dramatically in the past 50 years. Once a specialization filled with Bible believing individuals, the field of archaeology is now overrun with atheists and skeptics, agnostics and those committed to the destruction of the Bible as a source of true historical information.

These attacks on the Bible are a part of a sweeping movement in western culture. Spearheaded by academic elitists in the university and the public educational system, the news and popular media, and the entertainment industry, these revisionists cloak themselves with supposed objectivity, purity of motives, and the superiority of science over the "uninformed", "unscientific", religious community.

They regularly mock those who question their world-view and their conclusions by name-calling and the worst forms of anti-Bible and anti-Christian propaganda. They have powerfully infected the church by turning Bible believing Christians against the very Scripture which is the foundation of truth and life in this world. Instead of contending for the Bible, Christian academics, pastors, and lay-persons are making egregious accommodations to these destroyers of faith and truth.

In these days of intense spiritual battle, God has called ABR to step into the gap to contend for the truth and to assist the church in this critical hour. ABR is a non-profit ministry dedicated to demonstrating the historical reliability of the Bible and to give answers to questions being asked by believers and non-believers alike. We do this by using original archaeological fieldwork and research along with studies in other apologetic disciplines. We take on the bold claims of skeptics and critics. We challenge the bizarre anti-biblical propaganda that is purveyed upon the public as gospel through television and print media. We uphold the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is God's message for the salvation of all mankind!
For Immediate Release, January 19, 2017 Contact: Aruna Prabhala, (408) 691-6272, aprabhala@biologicaldiversity.org

Nancy Tamarisk, (707) 206-5238, napaquail@gmail.com Lawsuit Challenges Approval of Destructive Napa Vineyard Development Project Will Destroy Wildlife Habitat, Cut Down Thousands of Trees NAPA, Calif. The Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club filed a lawsuit today challenging the approval of a large vineyard development in the mountains east of the city of Napa. The project will tear up more than 300 acres of undisturbed riparian, oak and native grassland habitat and convert it into vineyards sprawled haphazardly across the 2,300-acre Walt Ranch property. The project, which was approved Dec. 19 by the Napa County Board of Supervisors, will also destroy vital habitat for threatened California red-legged frogs, valley elderberry longhorn beetles and endangered Contra Costa goldfields. If this luxury vineyard goes in, thousands of trees will be cut down, acres of wildlife habitat will be destroyed, new roads will be built, and limited water supplies will be depleted, said Aruna Prabhala, staff attorney and Urban Wildlands director at the Center. The project is the step in the wrong direction for the county, and the local community and wildlife will pay the price. The lawsuit outlines Napa County's violations of the California Environmental Quality Act, including inadequate review of the proposed vineyard's impacts on wildlife, water supply and greenhouse gases. The lawsuit raises concerns over the construction and alteration of more than 20 miles of roads and fencing that will reduce habitat connectivity and restrict wildlife movement; the use of harmful pesticides; the drawdown of local groundwater aquifers; and a host of other activities that will impair water quality in streams crucial to the survival of local salmon, reptiles and amphibians. The Sierra Club is filing this suit as an extension of Redwood Chapter's long tradition of forest and woodland protection, said Napa Sierra Club Chair Nancy Tamarisk. Worldwide, deforestation is the second strongest driver of global warming, and this degree of deforestation should be unthinkable in the context of our climate crisis. 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. The Sierra Club is a national, non-profit conservation organization headquartered in Oakland, California with over 1.3 million members. The Redwood Chapter of the Sierra Club has approximately 9,600 members who reside in the north coast region of California, including Napa County.
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
I love Montana, I love Montanas land, water, fish, and wildlife, and I love raising my son in Montana with my husband. Whether youre a hunter, angler, hiker, biker or star-gazer, theres so much to enjoy. In Big Sky Country, the sky is the limit. As a mom, I love that for my son and my soon-to-arrive daughter.

Unfortunately, President-elect Donald Trumps pick for the Environmental Protection Agency, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, could turn Big Sky Country into Big Smog Country. That worries me  it should worry all Montanans.

It especially worries me in my role as a childhood cancer support advocate in Montana. The World Health Organization classified outdoor air pollution as a carcinogen. We should do everything in our power to help reduce cancer-causing agents in the air we breathe. We need an EPA administrator who is committed to doing just that.

The EPA administrator is the countrys chief environmental and public health officer. He or she is charged with protecting us from contaminated air, land, and water. Above all else, the job requires someone committed to science and public health.

Scott Pruitts past, however, shows that he is committed to industry profits over the health of the American people.

As Oklahoma attorney general, Pruitt filed at least eight lawsuits against the EPA to block commonsense limits on pollution and to stop lifesaving public health protections. To understand why, look at his political fundraising. The fossil fuel industry contributed nearly $350,000 to Pruitts political campaigns.

Montana has a lot at stake. Pruitt is bad news for public health, clean air, and public lands. And for Montanans, that should be a deal-breaker.

More than 84,000 Montana adults and children live with asthma. Poor air quality is a contributing factor to debilitating asthma attacks. We cant afford to allow power companies to pollute our air without restrictions. We shouldnt send our neighbors on a preventable hospital trip just because the federal government didnt take steps to improve air quality.

We need an EPA administrator who will not only protect us from pollution  but who will tackle climate change as well. Like pollution, climate change impacts our health. It endangers our safety. It increases the risk of natural disasters.

Climate change wreaks havoc on our public lands as well. It can lead to an increased number of forest fires, drought conditions, and insect outbreaks that kill trees. Whether its Glacier National Park or the Custer Gallatin National Forest, we cant afford to neglect our natural treasures. In fact, in 2015 alone, visitors to Montana spent nearly $3.7 billion on tourism. We simply cannot squander away our most valuable economic assets.

The EPA isnt perfect and doesnt do everything right. What it does do right, however, is protect our air, our water, and our land from dangerous pollution. The EPA administrator should support those basic public health objectives.

As a mother and a Montanan, I urge Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines to vote no on Scott Pruitts nomination. As our U.S. senators, they have the responsibility to keep our air, water, and land clean, healthy, and safe for all the children in Montana to enjoy for generations to come.
PARIS - Strong cognac sales for French beverage giant Remy Cointreau cheered investors who poured money into the company's stock on Thursday.

Remy Cointreau shares surged by seven percent at the Paris stock exchange opening, before settling in at a more mellow 85.08 euros, up four percent on the day.

Earlier, the company reported a 4.7-percent rise in sales for the nine months to December to 836.7 million euros ($892.1 million).

Its cognac brand Remy Martin was the main driver for the increase, posting a 21-percent increase in turnover in the three months to December, the third quarter in the company's financial year which runs to March.

Early orders for Chinese New Year celebrations were behind much of the boom in cognac sales, the company said.

"This good performance highlights sustained growth in the group's brands in the third quarter, especially in the cognac division," brokers Gilbert Dupont said.

Third-quarter group sales came in four percent above analysts expectations, the Bryan Garnier brokerage noted.

Cointreau liqueur sales did well in France and the US, and made inroads into "new high-potential markets such as Greater China and Russia", Remy Cointreau said in a statement.
WASHINGTON: "Fake news" probably did not change the outcome of the US presidential election, according to a study of news consumption by voters.

123RF

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 Trump's 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 wasn't 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 28 November -- three weeks after the November 8 election.

Even though Facebook has brushed aside criticism over its role in the spread of fake news, the world's biggest social network has nonetheless taken a series of initiatives since November aimed at curbing the spread of misinformation and hoaxes.

Source: AFP
LOS ANGELES - Warehouse retail giant Costco has agreed to pay $11.75 million to settle allegations that some of its pharmacies improperly filled prescriptions for controlled substances, federal officials announced Thursday.

The US Justice Department had accused the retailer of filling prescriptions that were incomplete, lacked valid Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) numbers or were for substances beyond various doctors' scope of practice.

Costco was also accused of failing to maintain accurate records for controlled substances at its pharmacies. The charges concerned a four-year period between 2012-2015.

"Last year, over 50,000 Americans died as a result of drug overdoses, many of which were related to the misuse of prescription drugs," Louis Milione, the DEA assistant administrator, said in announcing the settlement.

The deal, which covers Costco's nearly 700 stores in the United States, was reached following a probe in the states of Washington, California and Michigan.

Authorities said Costco's lax system of control at some of its pharmacies was not simply a matter of oversight and probably led to prescription drugs reaching the black market.

"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," said Annette Hayes, the top prosecutor for the western district of Washington.

In order to remedy the lax controls at some of its pharmacies, Costco has purchased a new pharmacy management system that is expected to cost the company $127 million over five years. The settlement comes as the United States battles an epidemic of opioids that include the illicit drug heroin but also prescription pain relief drugs.
While conservation is as much a buzzword as almond milk, the last few months has seen strong and positive success stories emerging in conservation for Africa. I've rounded up the top conservation stories around the world that will help protect Africa's natural resources and wildlife in a big, positive way.

China to ban ivory sales in 2017

While this is only being implemented towards the end of 2017, China plans to ban all domestic ivory trade in the country. Ivory is a status symbol in China and prices can reach up to $1,100 (890) for a kilo. According to conservationists, about 20,000 elephants were killed in 2016 just to satiate the demand for ivory horn. Heres hoping this new legislation will curb the trade in the next year.

African grey parrots trading ban

The African Grey parrot is one of the most trafficked birds on earth. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted to ban the global commercial trade of the parrot. According to Dr Colman O'Criodain of WWF it's "a huge step forward" in protecting the bird.

"Fraud and corruption have enabled traffickers to vastly exceed current quotas and continue to harvest unsustainable numbers of African grey parrots from Congo's forests to feed the illegal trade," O'Criodain said.

Pangolins made it onto the most endangered list

Similar in appearance to an artichoke or a small dragon, the pangolin has finally made it onto the most protected species list. Sadly, its one of the most trafficked animals in the world for its meat and healing properties for Chinese medicine. All eight species of pangolins have been moved to Appendix I of CITES which aims to protect animals around the world.

TripAdvisor stopped supporting animal activities

The travel review website TripAdvisor will not be showcasing any suppliers who run unsustainable animal activities. Elephant rides, swim-with-dolphin experiences, and attractions that allow visitors to pet lions and other exotic animals are no longer going to feature on the website. The London-based animal welfare group World Animal Protection campaigned against TripAdvisor and gained attention with the help of National Geographics Wildlife Watch.

US banned imports from canned lion hunting

The United States has passed a law that the import of lion trophies taken from captive lion populations in South Africa is no longer allowed. According to CITES, US hunters have imported 2,582 lion trophies from South Africa, accounting for 55% of all South African trophy exports between 2010 and 2014. In order to get a permit, exporting nations like South Africa must provide clear evidence showing a benefit to conservation.

UAE bans keeping wild cats as pets

The new law in the UAE forbids any person to deal or own any type of wild, domesticated and dangerous animals. In October 2016, a video of five Bengal tigers swimming at the beach near the Burj Khalifa was filmed and went viral. Wild cats, including cheetahs, can now only be kept in zoos or rehabilitation centres.

Botswana bans elephant back rides

December last year was a good month for elephants. Botswana, who was one of the first countries in Southern Africa to ban hunting safaris years ago, has taken another positive step and banned all elephant back rides in the country. These activities harm elephants and lead to deformations and pain for these giant creatures.

Looking ahead

In 2017, Im hoping that some African countries that have been criticised for being notoriously ineffectual in enforcing legislation like Mozambique will step up and make changes that protect wildlife.
Green groups said on Thursday, 19 January, 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 $3bn 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 - 6,000km2 - 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 $16bn in losses to the archipelago's economy.

Source: AFP
International cruise line representative in Southern Africa, Cruises International recently announced that Seabourn Sojurn will return to Alaska in 2017 for the first time in 15 years.

On the Seabourn Sojourn, travellers will experience the wonders of Alaska: the towering virgin forests along the Inside Passage, the thunderous calving of glaciers and impressive humpback whales breaching in the Kenai Fjords. Youll stroll the plank catwalks of Ketchikans quirky Creek Street and marvel at the colourful, Russian-costumed New Archangel Dancers in Sitka. With Seabourn, youll also step ashore in tiny Klemtu, British Columbia, where the Kitasoo and Xai'xais townspeople greet you face to face, proudly display their ceremonial finery and familiarise you with a heritage thousands of years old. Youll glide up close to Misty Fjords glittering waterfalls in a Zodiac, and paddle a kayak on a wildlife-spotting expedition in tranquil Tracy Arm.

Take a multi-destination vacation

Seabourn's fleet comprises intimate, all-suite ships, carrying between 450 and 600 guests each, sailing to some of the worlds most desirable destinations at their peak seasons, including hidden gems where larger vessels cannot follow. With numerous ports visited, travellers have the option of a multi-destination vacation. For those seeking the private club atmosphere, Seabourn ships provide just that where members share expansive open decks, inviting social spaces, and with a crew to guest ratio of almost one-to-one, expect personalised attention.

www.cruises.co.za
The caretaker of a ranch near Grass Range admitted on Thursday to making meth for his own use but denied throwing a backpack containing a plastic bottle actively cooking meth out of his vehicle and onto a road near public lands.

David Lawrence Schein, 50, of Lewistown, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Billings to conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Susan Watters.

A plea agreement calls for two other counts to be dismissed at sentencing.

Federal prosecutors alleged Schein conspired with others to make methamphetamine and then dumped the waste onto Bureau of Land Management lands in Petroleum County. The activity ran from about April to September in 2015.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich said that in late September 2015, sheriffs office officials from Petroleum and Fergus counties along with BLM law enforcement officers and rangers responded to a reported dump of several plastic bottles that had been used to make meth. The dump site was on BLM lands adjacent to a ranch in Petroleum County.

The offices found several plastic bottles used to cook meth and other drug-making waste materials. As they were inspecting the site, Rubich said, Schein drove by in a truck.

Shortly after, it was discovered that Schein had thrown a black backpack out the window and onto the road, Rubich said. When agents approached the bag, they heard strange popping sounds emanating from it. They quickly discovered the bag contained another plastic bottle which was actively cooking methamphetamine, he said.

Officers pulled over Schein for traffic offenses and eventually arrested him, Rubich said.

Agents also went to the ranch where Schein had been living in a trailer. A search of the trailer turned up more plastic bottles cleaned in preparation for meth cooking, a variety of items covered in meth residue and a small amount of meth, Rubich said.

Investigators also examined records of pharmacies in the area and in Billings and learned that Schein and some of his associates were regularly buying the maximum amount of pseudoephedrine cold medicine that is allowed, Rubich said.

Pseudoephedrine is a common ingredient in the manufacture of meth. Regulators restricted the purchase of pseudoephedrine-containing cold medicine because it was being purchased in large quantities to make meth in home-grown labs.

In an interview with law enforcement, Schein admitted he had been cooking meth with the help of others, who bought cold medicine for that reason. However, Schein denied being the one who threw the backpack with the active cook onto the road, Rubich said.

During the hearing, Schein admitted to cooking meth for personal use. Others helped him by buying cold medicine at Albertsons grocery stores in Billings, he said.

Schein faces a maximum 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Watters set sentencing for May 4. Schein remains in custody.
Attending a show, exhibition or conference provides attendees with opportunities for businesses to connect with another, build relationships, make contacts and sign business agreements through such networking.

Devi Paulsen

We produce events for the business-to-business (B2B) trade sector, focusing on the built environment, agriculture, transport and infrastructure sectors in Africa. The main reason we do this is to provide great support for businesses. We provide the platform for businesses to be able to get in front of their customers quickly and in a short space of time, says Devi Paulsen, CEO, Hypenica.

Key reasons for events

Paulsen provides the five key objectives as to why these events are so important as a marketing channel and what you can gain by attending.

 Lead generation: companies generally attend a show, exhibition or conference because they want to generate new leads and fill their sales pipeline  Branding: Often companies that want to reinforce their brand identity to their key customers use this as an opportunity

 Thought leadership: This is important, especially in the conference context. Anybody who wants to position himself or herself as the key provider of a service or technology generally wants to be seen as a thought leader. Participation as either a speaker or panellist at a conference affords such as opportunity.

 Networking: Another important aspect of attending a show is the opportunity to network. People that want to network with their peers, customers or even their competitors, find the experience invaluable.  Product market testing: Businesses can exhibit or be a sponsor to test their product on the market through research. For example, how does the market respond to their new product or concept?

The greatest achievement is to see business taking place on the exhibition floor. We recently hosted the African Agri Investment Indaba 2016 in Cape Town, which was the first of its kind in Africa. Before we even started, we had brought in $2.6bn of agri projects and potential investors. For me that is what it is all about.

Preparation is key to the success of any event. Whether you are attending as a delegate or an exhibitor, you need to understand what you want to achieve. That way youre assured of a successful experience, concludes Paulsen.
Cape Town will play host to South Africa's first International Public Art Festival (IPAF) from 10-20 February, bringing art and art lovers out of the galleries and onto the streets.

The IPAF is just one part of the mission of newly set up NPO Baz-Art to use art to brighten peoples lives in every way. The project goes beyond showcasing existing work to creating new work, making neighbourhoods more beautiful and safer, teaching children how to be creative and stimulating new businesses and creating jobs.

In a nutshell the aim is to harness the power and creativity of art to improve peoples lives.

Creating and showcasing public art

The 10-day festival  which will be dedicated to teaching, creating and showcasing public art  will be the launch pad for various long-term projects. Children will be given art classes, neighbourhoods will be cleaned up and enhanced by large, well-maintained murals, unemployed people will be given training and opportunities and entrepreneurs will be supported as they set up spin-off businesses such as food stalls or galleries.

MoHassan

Baz Art is the love child, so to speak, of inspiration and relationships that developed around another business. During the process of creating, marketing and selling a craft beer, the founders of Baz Art say their eyes were opened to the power of art.

The founders, Alexandre Tilmans and Sebastien Charrieras, decided to throw the combined force of their skills, experience and passion into a project designed to uplift artists while transforming the communities around them and helping South African public art claim its rightful position in the global art world.

Festival goals

There is no shortage of talent, and local and global interest is piqued, yet there is no unifying international event that expresses and showcases the rich history, creativity, skills, diversity and style of South Africas public artists. IPAF2017 aims to fill that gap. The festival is designed with three goals in mind:

To position Cape Town as a global hub in the art world. To showcase, both locally and internationally, the work of South African artists including artwork created under the collaboration between Baz-Art and communities throughout the year. To uplift communities and make their neighbourhoods more beautiful, happier, safer and more inspiring places to live.



An initial budget of R3m has been created for the festival, which will be a celebration and a launch pad for various future projects that will ensure that public art has a respected place in the art world and in society in general.

Mak1ne Mandela

The inaugural festival is timed to fall between two prominent art events, the Cape Town Art Fair and That Art Fair. Attendees and artists from both events will be encouraged to participate in IPAF, which will offer different art and inspiration from what is on offer at the more traditional art events.

Local support

Baz-Art has the support of the local communities and authorities as well as interest expressed by local artists Mak1one, Mr Migo, Zola and Mohamed Mo Hassan.

The inaugural festival will be focused on the district of Salt River, one of the communities where Baz-Art is developing educational and economic activities to encourage inclusive community building and respect for the arts.

Each contributing artist will be given a space in Salt River to decorate as they choose. The murals will beautify the area, adding to Salt Rivers unique character, and bring pride to individuals behind the stories and those depicted in them.

Know Hope The Abstract Cause

A number of other activities are planned for the festival. There will be live painting by street artists, music, tattooing, face painting and street food. The festival will also be the launch pad of a programme of street tours. Local people will be trained to take guided tours of the neighbourhood focusing on public art.

Art classes at schools

A second key part of Baz Arts work, to be officially launched during IPAF2017, is art classes for school children. An initial budget of R1.2m has been earmarked to pay for weekly art classes at the first group of eight schools. Local artists will give classes and the cost of materials will be covered by funders.

Beyond education, Baz Art will initiate a number of other plans and partnerships to utilise public art to enhance areas through visual and moral upliftment, as well as creating direct employment and income.

Working with communities, schools, businesses and a wide variety of other organisations, Baz Art aims to help create an environment where art is used to improve peoples physical and social environments. Efforts will be focused on Salt River to start with but the expectation is that these will soon show their value and be expanded.

Focus on Africa

As much as this work will be focused on local communities and artists, particularly during the festival, a flagship of Baz Arts mission is to make Africa, starting with South Africa, an international hub for art. Baz Art will work with existing art fairs and events and create new partnerships with players around the world to build Africas profile.

There is a dedicated budget for South African artists to travel and take up fellowships and residencies abroad, as well as a pan-European travelling exhibition of work by South African street artists designed to generate cross-cultural communication, exchanges and other opportunities.

Purchase tickets from www.quicket.co.za | ipafest.co.za
The government is clamping down on the online distribution of malicious content without the consent of the person involved. Technological advances have seen a rise in online activities with experts warning that this will further trigger cybercrime.

Robert Churchill via 123RF

On Thursday, the justice ministry published the Cybercrimes and Cybersecurity Bill, which aims to criminalise cyber-facilitated offences such as unlawful access of information, interception of protected data, malware-related offences, distribution of pornographic material and cyberbullying.

Anyone found to have sent malicious messages including nude pictures, and those that among other things incite violence, are inherently false and aimed at causing mental, psychological, physical or economic harm could face criminal charges. This will put the sharing of information through digital platforms such as chat services and social media under the spotlight.

Senior state law adviser Sarel Robertse said the bill was not meant to prevent people from sharing pictures, but consent had to be given to share it further, he said.

Many people have fallen victim to cyberbullying and "revenge porn" with little legal recourse. "We are now criminalising this act," said Robertse.

Regarding child pornography, Deputy Justice Minister John Jeffery said it was "comprehensively criminalised in legislation and thereby addresses the current fragmentary approach". He said that making the internet safer and protecting the users of information communications technologies had become integral to the development of new services as well as governmental policy.

"We are confident that the bill will, to a large extent, address the current shortcomings in our law and will facilitate the effective prosecution of cybercrimes," Jeffery said.

The justice ministry plans to further investigate the criminalisation of identity theft, which it had removed from the bill following criticism from the public for it being too wide and also that it may have unintended consequences.

Jeffery said the criminalisation of identity theft would further be investigated and its criminalisation may at a later stage be considered. Many people have fallen victim to identity theft that had in some cases resulted in fraudulent activities being conducted under false names.

As some of the online cybercrime activities occur in different countries but with victims being South African organisations and individuals, Jeffery said the bill provided for procedures which would facilitate mutual assistance with other countries in the investigation of such criminal activities.

According to Robertse, law enforcement agencies would be given further training to equip them with the necessary information related to cybercrime.

Jeffery dispelled the notion that the bill would increase the government's power and give the State Security Agency power to control the internet. He said that the bill was a comprehensive attempt to tackle cybercrime and that this was part of the many steps taken to address the same cybercrime.

Source: Business Day
Redefine International, the FTSE 250 income-focused, UK-based property group and Israeli pension group Menora Mivtachim have sold four German office assets to a US private equity group for 106m (R1.53bn).

Redefine International CEO Mike Watters said his group was looking for value from other opportunities and that the lease on the German portfolio was nearing its end.

The assets, held in a joint venture with Menora Mivtachim, were disposed of as a portfolio via a share sale.

Redefine International owned 49% of the assets and the sale price was at an 8.6% premium to the book value.

Redefine International's net proceeds after debt were 24.9m, which included a performance fee of 2.4m. The proceeds would be reinvested into value-accretive opportunities and used to reduce debt.

"In line with our strategy to continuously improve the quality of our portfolio, these four offices were identified for sale. We are very pleased with the transaction having achieved an impressive 27% internal rate of return over the investment period," said Watters.

"The proceeds ... will be reinvested into value-accretive assets and used to effectively reduce debt," he said.

"This is in line with our stated aim and commitment to focus on delivering superior income-led total returns."

The properties are in Berlin, Dresden, Cologne and Stuttgart and are let to a German government-backed social insurance body, VBG.

The portfolio generated a total annual gross rental income of 8.1m, of which 4m was attributable to Redefine International. In 2012, the company entered into a joint venture deal with Menora Mivtachim to undertake co-investments in properties located in Germany.

Redefine International would source suitable investments, manage the acquisition process and provided asset management services.

Following the sale, Redefine International would no longer manage the assets.

Watters said Redefine International and Menora Mivtachim had worked well together and the companies would consider doing future business.

Like many other UK-based property funds, Redefine International has come under pressure of late due to currency volatility caused by the fallout from the UK's Brexit vote.

The UK voted in favour of an exit from the EU on June 23 last year, prompting a drastic fall in the share prices of various UK-based JSE-listed property stocks the following day.

Source: BDpro
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
With a number of wine farms being adversely affected by the recent spate of fires in the winelands of the Western Cape, the issue of risk in this sector has once again been brought to the fore.

Shehnaz Somers, head of commercial underwriting at Santam

Shehnaz Somers, head of commercial underwriting at Santam said the company is still assessing the damage and loss as a result of fires spreading to well-known vineyards and guest farms in the winelands and surrounding areas over the past month.

Our claims team is assessing about 50 claims related to the recent fires, most of which are related to buildings and vineyards but it is still too early to report on the exact extent of the damage. We know that last year, runaway fires destroyed vineyards in Stellenbosch Overberg Simonsberg and Kogelberg early in 2016 resulting in losses estimated at around R240,000 per hectare. This included the loss of income to the farmers and the additional labour costs required to re-establish the vineyards, says Somers.

Major impact and knock-on effect

Somers says it could take between five and seven years for an average wine vineyard to become productive again after a loss or significant damage. The loss of a vineyard can have a major impact and knock-on effect on the financial viability of the farm operation as a whole. The destruction of vineyards by fire, crime or weather-related events also has a significant impact on the overall production volumes which in turn places international exports and revenues - and ultimately the livelihoods of those communities engaged in the wine producing sector at risk.

South Africa has a rich wine heritage and is ranked among the top ten wine producing countries in the world, but for the individual wine farmer guarding against the various risks he or she may face is absolutely instrumental to the lifeblood of the business as well as the South African economy.

Currently, there are about 98,597ha of vines producing wine grapes under cultivation in South Africa  an area covering some 800km in length. Thanks to strong exports to large parts of Europe and America especially, the South African wine industry is a significant foreign exchange earner for the local economy. The South African Wine Industry Information and Systems (SAWIS) confirms that local revenues from the wine industry contributes more than R36bn to the national GDP and provides employment to more than 300,000 people.

Risk spread geographically

Most local wine farmers have insurance protection against weather-related incidents. Industry reports show that a number of them are still grappling with the consequences of a protracted drought in early 2016. Says Somers: Since the majority of local wine farms are not limited to one single varietal, a number of producers have more than one estate which is often spread over different districts or regions in order to get better diversity in the taste of their grapes. Resultantly, the wine producers risk is also spread geographically, which can serve to mitigate the risk somewhat.

The risks to the wine producer are also present in the supply and distribution chains to which he or she is inextricably linked. Somers explains that when it comes to insurance, the local wine industry presents some very particular risks. Apart from the standard cover for theft, fire and severe weather-related incidents, wine farming requires a type of specialist cover to provide financial security to the producer - from planting through to production, bottling and distribution. These risks include fire damage to plant materials, uprights and trellises as well as any loss of revenue or income that the farmer may suffer should his vineyard be destroyed by fire.

Available cover

Once the grapes have been harvested, risks originating from accidental damage or loss during the wine making process itself are covered through an accidental damage cover that offers protection should the wine become contaminated. Extended liability cover protects the farmer or wine producer against any additional legal liability or claims that may result from defective or contaminated products or in the event that it is recalled from shelves or export containers.

In 2016, Santam paid out 596 claims worth more than R9,4m to the wine industry. These claims were specifically related to agricultural assets. In many cases, the claims were as a result of fire, accidental damage or liability. The wine industry requires a highly specialised approach to insurance which is why we have a team of experts who are adept at their approach to this sector. We believe that safeguarding their revenues is pivotal to the long term sustainability of wine farming in South Africa and the economy as a whole, concludes Somers.
As part of Primedia Outdoor's investment in research expertise and innovative market intelligence, it set tracked and measured taxi movement over a three-month campaign period between February and April 2016 in three different regions.

The commuter market is South Africas largest consumer segment, comprising over 22 million people, so the research tracked 32 vehicles in Gauteng, 20 vehicles in KwaZulu-Natal and 15 vehicles in the Eastern Cape.

The main objectives of the case study were (i) to determine campaign coverage and (ii) to quantify opportunities to see (OTS). With advanced geo-spatial analysis, Primedia Outdoor calculated OTS based on the movement of taxis within set out target coverage areas.

Over the three months measured, the 67 taxis travelled 571,716 km - a distance equivalent to travelling the circumference of the earth 14.27 times. Of the total number of kilometres travelled, the campaign target areas that were covered during the campaign came to 206,225 km.

Looking at the target area coverage, the study showed that the campaign generated OTS of more than six million in a single month, with an aggregated OTS of 18 million over the total campaign period. This highlights the extraordinary ability of the branded taxi campaigns to offer high reach and frequency objectives.

Gauteng

In Gauteng, 32 vehicles achieved coverage of 14 campaign target areas, including Soweto, Mamelodi, Alexandra, Germiston and Roodepoort. Travelling 78,446 km, the total OTS in one month amounted to 4,279,307 within the campaign target areas. The taxis tracked in Gauteng travelled through major convergence nodes and densely populated areas.

Example of campaign target area coverage: Soweto

KwaZulu-Natal

In KwaZulu-Natal, the study tracked 20 vehicles reaching eight campaign target areas, including Pietermaritzburg, Durban, Newcastle and Blaauwbosch, among others. The total OTS achieved in one month was 1,426,813, with the taxis again travelling through major convergence nodes and densely populated areas.

Example of campaign target area coverage: Durban

Eastern Cape

Finally, in the Eastern Cape, the study tracked 15 vehicles, reaching seven campaign target areas. Yet again, the vehicles travelled through major convergence nodes and densely populated areas, providing an OTS of 568,244 within a month.

Example of campaign target area coverage: Port Elizabeth

Taxi branding campaigns are an appealing product offering, as they become moving billboards for brands. Ruchelle Barker, marketing intelligence manager for Primedia Outdoor, says, The case study confirms branded taxis ability to reach an extensive audience. Through the tracking of taxis, we have been able to demonstrate the ability of taxi branding to offer extensive coverage of strategically selected target areas.
BUJUMBURA, Burundi - 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 colourful 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.

"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 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 neighbouring 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, US 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 US, 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."

US 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."

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-Saharan 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.
Senditoo, a new mobile airtime startup, has started 2017 with ambitious plans to become one of Africa's fastest growing airtime transfer services.

Takwana Tyaranini

The company buoyed by funding secured in December, has started an aggressive marketing campaign to expand its share of the $3 billion global airtime market.

Guinean Ibrahima Soumano and Zimbabwean Takwana Tyaranini founded the company in March last year. Based in the UK the company allows users to send instant mobile phone top-ups to more than 140 countries across the world, including 39 in Africa.

The greatest need for people living and working in the diaspora is to stay in touch with their relatives and friends and be up to speed with important developments back home. With Senditoo, weve found a way to keep the African conversation flowing, in three easy steps: enter your number on our platform, make a payment and instantly, credit is received, co-founder Tyaranini explained.

With mobile phone penetration in Africa standing at around 67 per cent today, theres clearly a huge need for airtime to keep that flow of conversations going, he added.

Connected to over 400 mobile operators across the globe with a reach of 4.5 billion prepaid phone users, Senditoo is quite possibly one of the worlds largest airtime transfer networks.

In its short life span, the company has raised well over $350,000 in funding, with $329,690 of that coming as recently as December, led by three French investors  Thibault Launay, Romain Girbal and Celia Gremy. The three have interests and experience in emerging markets and telecommunications and are already involved in several ventures in Africa.

Building on previous impressive investments of approximately $350, 000, the new investment will go towards expanding Senditoo in Africa and position it as the leading airtime transfer service from Europe to the continent. To boost its ambitious plans, Senditoo aims to raise more than $2 million in funding in early 2017.

Encouragingly, there is an active pool of investors who are looking to the African market as the new frontier and seeking out viable opportunities to invest in. Research by start-ups portal Disrupt Africa shows that tech start-ups on the continent received a total amount of funding in excess of US$185.7 million in 2015.

The idea of starting the online mobile top-up platform crystallised after Tyaraninis business partner, Soumano, visited relatives in rural Guinea in April, 2015. Instead of carrying gifts to offer them, as is customary, Soumano bought some mobile airtime vouchers which he distributed among his relatives and their neighbours.

Seeing the impact made by that small gift of a few mobile minutes was a lightbulb moment for Ibrahima and when he returned to the UK, we immediately tucked into the idea. The result was the birth of Senditoo, which we initially named Ozaremit before rebranding it last October and launching it with a new API that allows us to develop new business-to-business partnerships, Tyaranini said.
HELENA, Mont.  The Montana Senate approved three bills Thursday that would change the state's rape laws, including the proof needed to prosecute cases and the penalties for teens convicted of having sex with younger teens.

The measures now go to the House for consideration.

One bill would lighten the prison sentences for teens convicted of sexual intercourse without consent for having sex with a 14- or 15-year-old, if it's a first offense and no force was used. The teens also wouldn't have to register as sexual offenders, under the measure.

The legal age of consent is 16 in Montana, but backers envision the bill as lightening the penalties for a 17-year-old in a relationship with a 15-year-old, for example.

"This bill is about teenagers who felt love for one another," said Sen. Sue Malek, D-Missoula, during debate on the measure Wednesday.

Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, objected that the change would conflict with the state's legal age of consent. Sen. Jedidiah Hinkle, R-Belgrade, said he wasn't comfortable with a change that could apply to an eighth-grade girl and a male college freshman, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.

A second bill, also sponsored by Malek, would allow a woman who has a child as from rape to terminate her rapist's parental rights through civil litigation if a judge finds convincing evidence that rape occurred. Malek said rape survivors who don't pursue criminal charges against their rapists could initiate civil litigation under the bill.

The third measure would eliminate the requirement that force has to occur to prove rape in court. That requirement presumes that rape survivors will resist their attackers, but many freeze and are unable to fight back, said Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, the bill's sponsor.

"It updates our statutes so it reflects our current understanding of how sexual assault takes place," she said.
CANNON BALL  Tensions have increased this week near the construction site of the Dakota Access pipeline, with repeated clashes between protesters and police ahead of Friday's inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, an unabashed fan of the $3.8 billion project.

Police used tear gas and fired bean-bag rounds to disperse crowds, and have arrested nearly 40 people since Monday, many of them on a bridge that has been the site of frequent confrontations, law enforcement officials said.

Demonstrators at the shrinking protest camp have voiced desperation and declining morale, citing weaker support from the local Standing Rock Sioux tribe that launched the effort last year and the backing that Trump, a Republican, will provide the pipeline once he takes office on Friday, Jan. 20.

"It's closing in on the inauguration, and people want to make sure that their voices are heard while they still have a chance," said Benjamin Johansen, 29, a carpenter from Iowa who has been at the camp for two months. "There's a very real possibility that once the new president is inaugurated, our voices won't matter."

This week's clashes between protesters and police are the most serious since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied an easement in December for the pipeline to travel under Lake Oahe.

Native Americans and environmental activists have said that the pipeline threatens water resources and sacred lands.

Members of the Standing Rock Sioux, whose reservation is near the pipeline, asked protesters to disperse following the Corps' decision, but around 600 remain in the main camp, now called Oceti Oyate.

The tribe is asking that the camp be evacuated by Jan. 29, and is offering an alternate site on reservation land that avoids any risk of flooding. Tribal leaders and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have warned about potential flooding at the protest site in early March.

The call for the protest to end has left those still on site in a darker mood, said Amanda Moore, 20, an activist with Black Lives Matter.

"We're stressed with Donald Trump's inauguration coming so soon, and feeling that we have to stop the pipeline now," she said.

Protesters and law enforcement faced off early Thursday morning on Backwater Bridge for the third straight night, with demonstrators throwing snowballs at officers and climbing onto a barricade before being pushed back.

Law enforcement fired a volley of bean bags and sponges at protesters at around 2 a.m., sending protesters fleeing from the ice- and snow-covered bridge, according to a Reuters witness. Police said they also used pepper spray.

The skirmish came as the Army began the process of launching an environmental study of the pipeline.

At least one protester was taken to the hospital, the Morton County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. Since Monday, 37 have been arrested, adding up to 624 since August.

"They come and say they want to pray and want us to fall back, then they get aggressive and try and flank our officers and get behind us," said Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's department. "What they say and what they do are two different things."

Both Herr and protesters conceded that communication between the two sides had deteriorated in past months.

Kalisa Wight Rock, a volunteer from Georgia working as a medic, said focus shifting away from the protest had left some feeling abandoned after the widespread attention the opposition to the pipeline garnered last year.

"A lot of people think this is over and that we're not still here," he said.
Jane Ifland is joining with 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 Women's 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 Highway, where there will be a reception. Groups including the NAACP, Planned Parenthood and American Association of University Women will be there to recruit new members.

The event is open to any person -- 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 didn't 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.

When asked what bigotry she was referring to, she ticked off several examples, including Trump's impersonation of Serge Kovaleski, a disabled New York Times reporter; his hot-mic comments about grabbing women's 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 in social justice efforts in Casper. There would be women's marches in Cheyenne, Denver and Washington, 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 women's 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 she'd never met before, who maybe had felt isolated in a reliably red state.

"I've 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 event's 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, we're not going to put up with hate."

Pedro and Ifland will both be attending a "sign-making party" at Backwards Distillery on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. Ifland said all are welcome at the event.

Ifland was still unsure about what she would write on her sign; she was considering "Liberty and justice for all." Pedro already decided on her slogan. It's 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, it's 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 station's 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.

"I'm counting on Americans to not inhibit free speech," Ifland said, "and I'm 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."
A pro-Roma organisation in Prague was threatened to be firebombed. According to Czech police this is not a criminal act

19. 1. 2017

cas cteni < 1 minuta





In December 2016 the Prague Pro-Roma organisation "Romea" made an official complaint to the Czech police that a person on Facebook threatened to firebomb their offices. The Czech Police has now informed Romea that the firebombing threat "is not a criminal offence" and it has therefore shelved any further investigation of the matter.



Source in Czech HERE

0
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 Wyoming's 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, Mead's spokesman. Events like the inauguration are good opportunities for Gov. Mead to meet members of the incoming administration, discuss Wyoming's 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 Trump's inauguration. She said she had sat on the platform behind the podium at President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009, even though she didn't 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.
The bus conductors from Yangon Bus Service bus-line No.6 committed the physical assault yesterday morning.

We have instructed [relevant officials] to take strong punitive action against the bus conductors who cannot adapt to the new system. One [of the two bus conductors] punched the woman. Another bus conductor tried to attack us by using a wheel chock, said the MP Wai Phyo Han, who was there at that time.

The two bus conductors were caught by police, traffic police, regional MPs and citizens, and handed over to Insein Police Station.
Speaking to Shan Herald today, a local source in Mong Hsu who wished to remain anonymous said, Villagers here were informed that the Tatmadaw [Burmese army] had ordered the SSPP/SSA forces to withdraw from their Nam Nab Base near Khojom village in Monghsu by this afternoon. Now, many local villagers have abandoned their homes and gone to seek shelter in Monghsu town.

On January 10, SSPP/SSA representatives met with Brig-Gen Htet Htun, the head of Central Eastern Command, which is based in Kholam Township, Shan State, to discuss plans for road construction in SSPP/SSA territory. The Burmese commander told SSPP/SSA representatives that he would reinforce his troop strength in the area whether the Shan militia approved or not.

According to an official from the SSPP/SSAs News and Information Department, who spoke to Shan Herald under condition of anonymity, the Tatmadaw ordered the Shan army to withdraw from the area before January 20 because they will bring reinforcements in.

Because of this [troop reinforcements], they ordered us and the local villagers to move out, said the official. This could lead to an outbreak of hostilities.

Apart from the Burmese military presence under Kholam command which is active in the area, more troops from Namsang Battalion No. 151, Kali Battalion 150, and Kunheng Battalion 524, as well as two security battalions have now been brought in, he said.

The SSPP/SSA representative said that the Burmese military had also beefed up its troop strength in Tangyan Township, Lashio District, near the SSPP/SSA base at Loi Je, a strategic mountain outpost.

We do not wish armed conflict, said a representative of the SSPP/SSA who was due to meet with government peace negotiator Thein Zaw today in Yangon. We have requested the Tatmadaw not deploy soldiers to build the road. Instead, they should employ civilians. But they did not agree.

We also requested a meeting with Gen. Yar Pyae in Naypyidaw but it didnt happen, so we proposed a meeting with U Thein Zaw today, he added. We want to solve the problem by political means.

He re-emphasized: We need to solve this problem immediately. Otherwise, fighting will break out and people will suffer.

The Burmese armed forces launched heavy offensives against the SSPP/SSA, including assaults on its Wan Hai Headquarters in Kesi Township, during the general election last year.

SSPP/SSA is a member of the United Nationalities Federal Council which has to date declined to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement, or NCA. The Shan militia previously approved state-level and union-level ceasefire accords with the former Burmese government administration headed by President Thein Sein.

By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
Weddings That Ended In Tragedy Pulse oi-Syeda Farah

Weddings are considered to be auspicious occasions. Every single minute is a celebration and it's all about sweet memories.

Amidst all this, there are those weddings too where tragedy struck.

Here in this article we are about to share the list of weddings that ended in tragedy.

Also Read: Unexpected Things That People Discovered In Their Backyards!

Check out the list, as these are some of the worst things that could happen to the new couple's families and friends...

Read on as this list will break your heart a bit!

Also Read: Lies You Were Told About Woman's Body

Bride Who Died In A Helicopter Crash This Brazilian bride's surprise entrance for her own wedding went tragically wrong when the helicopter she was in crashed! All this happened just minutes before she was about to take her vows. Unfortunately she died wearing her wedding dress and veil, along with three others.

Image Courtesy The Mother Of The Bride Was Killed This wedding turned into a tragedy when a eucalyptus tree collapsed on the bridal party posing for photos. Reports claim that the woman was the mother of the bride who got killed, and five people were injured.

Image Courtesy 20 Wedding Guests Died! At least 20 people were killed and hundreds injured at a wedding party. The third floor suddenly gave way and crashed through two storeys below. There were around 700 guests in the building at the time of the incident!

Image Courtesy The Father Of The Bride Who Died This father dropped dead of a heart attack just moments after finishing the first dance with his daughter at her wedding. This is one of the worst things that could happen in a wedding.

Image Courtesy 51 Wedding Guests Were Killed Nothing can be worse than what happened in this wedding! 51 guests were killed while dancing at a wedding in Gaziantep, Turkey when a suicide bomber walked in wearing an explosive belt. It took days to bury the victims as they were blown to pieces!

Image Courtesy

GET THE BEST BOLDSKY STORIES! Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 10:15 [IST]
Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado

Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION
U.S. Highway 83 could be named a research site for self-driving vehicles and lawmakers want to encourage development of autonomous vehicles in North Dakota.

Three weeks ago, the Central North American Trade Corridor Association, a organization hoping to create a 265-mile north and south route for self-driving commercial vehicles, submitted an application, with the help of the North Dakota Department of Transportation, to the U.S. Department of Transportation for a testing site designation.

We believe that we as the state of North Dakota have an opportunity here, said NDDOT Director Grant Levi. If we do this right, we can create economic opportunity for this state to get industry to come here.

With this opportunity and the rapidly growing autonomous industry in mind, Rep. Dan Ruby, R-Minot, introduced HB1202, which instructs NDDOT to adopt rules to regulate integration of advanced autonomous vehicle technology into the public highway system.

We want to make sure that we foster this industry and allow it to grow, but on the other hand we do realize there are some things that may have to be put in place at some point, Ruby said. What this will do would be to give DOT some authority to write administrative rules, if and when, in the next two years, we need to do that.

Ruby said, because the technology is developing so quickly, he doesnt want to make laws that would inadvertently stop it from coming to North Dakota, which is why hes suggesting an administrative rule instead, allowing for more flexibility.

We want the testing; we want the technology when its available and safe, he said. I dont want to put any burdens or roadblocks to the things that could take place with this technology ... So, thats why this is somewhat generic, somewhat general and we have to allow DOT to makes some of those decisions as we go.

But this generic approach is what has industry nervous.

Leighton Yates, a lobbyist for the Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers, and Tom Kelsch, a lobbyist, said the language in the bill was broad, without providing detail or direction for NDDOT in its rulemaking.

This approach is inconsistent with the approach applied in many other states," Kelsch said. States should instead be attempting to identify and remove existing impediments under state laws in order to welcome and encourage development growth of this new technology.

Yates said, for states wishing to promote autonomous driving technology, the key is having the right policy at the right time in the right place. He said USDOT has recently put out an autonomous vehicle policy as a guide for states, which he recommends North Dakota follow.

Comments by Ruby and Levi about legislative intent to foster development did put industrys concerns at ease to a certain extent.

I know the industry would love to see every state have pretty much the same regulations, Levi said, in order to prevent a multitude of different regulations to meet. He said the rules the state adopts will be consistent with federal guidelines in order to keep consistency, and the department will work with the industry in their development.

Levi said developers are looking for states with a variety of seasons and weather conditions, wide open spaces, small urban areas and a research support - for which North Dakota fits the bill.

And the state is already leading aerial autonomous technology, said Dave Blair of the CNATCA and the North Dakota Automated Vehicle Coalition.

North Dakota is uniquely positioned to be in the forefront for the testing of autonomous vehicles as the state is already a leader in testing and development of other technologies, he said. Now North Dakota is positioned to expand its efforts to include managing and advancing land-based automated vehicles testing along U.S. Route 83  We really think this could be another launching pad for our state.

Marlo Anderson, another CNATCA member, said he was initially unsure about the broad language of the legislation, but after hearing testimony, sees it as a "welcome sign for industry."

"I really feel like if we dont do something this session we will end up following this industry instead of being a leader," he said.
CANNON BALL  The district of Cannon Ball is asking all Dakota Access Pipeline protesters to leave the area and not set up a winter camp nearby.

"All the individuals at all the camps in and around Cannon Ball need to leave the district," residents wrote in a 10-point resolution passed during an executive session of a district meeting Wednesday night.

In particular, the district members are asking that no new camp be built in their area. This includes a winter camp just outside the town where protesters are supposed to move to avoid a flood. If such a camp is built or protesters are allowed to stay, the district members want federal law enforcement posted at town entryways to keep them out.

"The building of an alternative site for the camp(s) within the Cannon Ball District is not needed or wanted," according to a draft resolution. "If there is to be any kind of a 'site' for the commemoration of this historic event that took place with all the tribes, the people of Standing Rock need to vote on where, what and cost before any 'shanty town is built.'"

The district is asking the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council to assist them in implementing the resolution, and a meeting was scheduled about it for Friday morning, according to Cannon Ball District Chairman Robert Fool Bear Sr.

"The district wants the tribe to recognize that now they want to have a say, Fool Bear said. "We want whats ours, our rights as a district."

A draft resolution details a number of concerns, some of which were shared during the open part of the Wednesday meeting.

Residents say they are tired of the Backwater Bridge remaining closed due to ongoing protests there, because it is their primary route to work and hospital services. The Cannon Ball gym, used for sports, meetings and funerals, is in need of cleaning and repairs due to serving as an emergency shelter for protesters, some of whom continue to stay there. Also, residents are concerned about alcohol and drug use in the area, which they think is tied to the camps.

Patty Kelly, an elder who spoke at the meeting, said she often sees people driving on Army Corps of Engineers land and on her property near the Missouri River.

"Why doesn't the rules apply to them as they are applied to us?" Kelly asked. "It's not Sacred Stone camp no more. I just call it Stone camp."

The residents also contend that many of the strongest advocates have gone home and that part of the fight has been won in the courts.

"We are starting to win the battle legally, Cannon Ball Tribal Councilman Cody Two Bears said at the meeting. "What the tribe has to do now is to clean that area up."

Prior to the vote, Two Bears told residents the new camp would be like an "extraction zone" to transition people out of the area. He reminded the residents they could vote "no" on it, which they did.

Not everyone is on board with the resolution: About five of the 35 members present did not vote for it, according to local resident Jan Two Shields, 70, who was also at the meeting.

"Certain factions, all they want to do is cause trouble," Two Shields said in an interview Thursday. "As far as the ones that are here for a good cause and want to stay until the end, I'm for that."

The resolution applies to all of the protest camps in the area: Oceti Sakowin, Rosebud and Sacred Stone.

Since the resolution, the move to a new winter camp from the Oceti Sakowin camp has been put on hold, according to Tom Goldtooth, director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, a group that supports the camps and is helping to coordinate the move.

"Our concern is to recognize the concerns of the local community and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe," Goldtooth said Thursday night. "How do we balance that with the needs of the people who have traveled there from afar?"

Sacred Stone camp founder LaDonna Allard does not plan to close down her camp. She said Thursday that she plans to turn it into an "eco-camp to teach people to live on the Earth again" by summer. She contends that her camp will not flood and that most of the problems experienced by residents come from the other camps.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has told all protesters camping in flood zones that they need to pack up and move to the winter camp by Jan. 30, when they plan to bring in equipment to pack up waste and materials in preparation for early flooding expected in the region.

Two phone calls and a voice message to Standing Rock Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II were not returned Thursday night.
25 Years Ago-1992

Robert Dykshoorn has announced plans to seek a second term as Mandans mayor. He was elected to his first term in 1988, having served a previous term on the city commission.

North Dakota observed its first year of honoring the Martin Luther King holiday. Gov. George Sinner signed the bill in 1991, making North Dakota the 48th state to set aside the third Monday in January in honor of the civil rights leader assassinated in 1968.

Funerals this week:

Father Michael Mullner, 38, Bismarck, raised, educated in Mandan. Attended St. Paul Seminary, 1976-81. Ordained to priesthood for Diocese of Bismarck, 1981. Assistant pastor at Christ the King Church, 1981-82, then at Church of St. Leo, Minot. Was substitute pastor at Menoken, Hague, Minot, Dickinson, Hazen and Max. Served as chaplain at Trinity High School, Dickinson. Survivors include parents Mike J. and Cordella Mullner, Mandan, two brothers and one sister and their families, two grandmothers.

Joe J. Kary, 72, Mandan, raised, educated in Center area. Served in U.S. Army, 1941-45. Married Frances Schmidt at Fallon, 1946. Was part owner and operated Joes Bar, Mandan, 16 years. Worked for John Larson Construction and other area contractors, 16 years, retiring in 1984. Member of American Legion and N.D. Labor Union. Survivors include wife, three sons, two daughters and their families, three brothers and one sister.

Norman Hanson, 90, Almont, born in Norway, arriving in United States 1903. Raised, educated in rural Almont area. Married Nettie Olson at Sims, 1927. Moved to New Salem, worked for Deep Coal Mine. Worked for MDU, building powerline into Almont. Did carpenter work. Served on Feland School Board; secretary for Almont Commercial Club. Survivors include wife, one daughter and family, one brother, three sisters.

William Bill Wolf, 97, Center, raised, educated in Oliver County. Married Frances Hosek at Hannover, 1936. Farmed north of Center, retiring in 1964. A member of local school board for many years. Was an elder at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Hannover. Survivors include wife, two sons, one daughter and their families.

* * *

Temperature recorded Monday, Jan. 20: a high of 42 degrees above zero, 24 above for the low.

50 Years Ago-1967

A new Mandan business establishment opened its doors this month at 100 E. Main, corner of Main Street and Collins Avenue. The shop, known as Es Fashion Fabrics, is owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Thompson in partnership with their daughter, Edie, and will feature fabrics direct from the mills in Portland, Ore. The Thompsons have been Mandan residents since 1942. Mr. Thompson is assistant manager at the John Iverson Co., while Mrs. Thompson has gained a reputation as a fine seamstress in both Mandan and Bismarck. Their daughter is a graduate of Mandan High School and attended Concordia and Dickinson State College.

Area skiers braved the cold for an outing at Twilight Hills Ski Bowl. The bowl, located south of Mandan, reopened Jan. 7.

George Fors has been installed as the new president of the Mandan Kiwanis Club. He succeeds Ed Steinbruck. Other officers are Clarence West, first vice president; Harlan Junker, second vice president; and George Selinger, third vice president.

Patricia Hooper, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hooper, and Robert Green, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Green, both seniors at Mandan High School, were first-place winners in the Mandan Elks Youth Leadership Award contest, according to Hans Grunseth, chairman of the event. A total of 14 entries from Beulah, Hazen, Mandan, Selfridge and Solen were received. The contest was sponsored by Mandan Elks Lodge No. 1256.

Two teams of Northern Pacific workmen, who have been working over a year to lay railroad tracks across 40 miles of pasture and field, recently met to link the tracks near Fallon, marking the basic completion of a $10 million Mandan-to-Flasher railroad relocation project, which began the first of September 1965. The Corps of Engineers initiated the relocation project to move the tracks from the impoundment area of the Oahe Reservoir. The old track, which meandered along the Missouri and Cannonball rivers for 67 miles, linking Mandan to Flasher, will be abandoned in the spring. The new tracks shortened the way to 49 miles, a savings of 27 miles.

75 Years Ago-1942

William Bauknecht has been installed as commander of the Mandan post of the American Legion, succeeding C.E. Jorde. Other officers installed were Ernest Lidstrom, first vice commander; Frank Haider, second vice commander; Roy Dow, post adjutant; H.B. Uden, financial officer; and Carl Keidel, chaplain.

Checks were recently mailed by the secretary of the Mandan Park Board to the winners in the Christmas decorations of homes contest. Receiving the first prize of $10 was Leo Eckroth. Other winners were J.M. Hanley, H.C. Kinzel and Anton Johnson.

L.S. Schaff, who for the past two and a half years has operated the City Cafe, just north of the Palace Theatre, has opened a new restaurant at 408 E. Main St. The restaurant, having new modern fixtures, is located in a new brick building just completed by Schaff.

Steins Eat Shop, operated by Eddie Stein, is the latest addition to Mandans eateries. Stein has leased the building north of the Palace Theatre, and has had it completely redecorated with a horseshoe counter.

Funeral services were held this past week for Oscar R. Olson, 62, a resident of Mandan for 59 years and former Morton County sheriff. Born in Norway, Olson came to the United States with his parents and directly to Dakota Territory in 1882. After completing grade school, he worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad for six years before becoming the Morton Countys sheriff and deputy sheriff from 1911 to 1927. During the first World War, he also served on the county draft board. He is survived by his wife, the former Agnes Eckwortzel; daughter, Mrs. Lee Hemmerling; four sisters, Mrs. John Rovig, Mrs. Charles Rowe, Mrs. Hilda Larson, all of Mandan, and Mrs. Emma McCadams, Burbank, Calif.; and one brother, Anton Olson, Mandan.

100 Years Ago-1917

It appears that the State Supreme Court will soon be involved with the 'Cuss' Case that was tried at New Leipzig last August.

When Martin H. Weber of New Leipzig had a quarrel with Frederick R. Ewald and called the latter a s__ of a b__, he was arrested on the charge of using obscene language. At a hearing held at New Leipzig before Justice Pollard, Weber demanded a trial by jury, and this was granted. Morton County States Attorney Langer prosecuted, while Attorney Hogan of New Leipzig defended.

The argument of the defense was the epithet was not obscene. However, after deliberating for 12 hours, the jury decided it was and turned in their report to Justice Pollard who fined Weber $50 and costs, making a total of $127 as a fine for cussing.

Immediately upon hearing the verdict, Attorney Hogan, on behalf of his client Weber, filed a notice of appeal and furnished a bond of $500. As of January 1, the case is still on the docket to be heard by the Supreme Court.

125 Years Ago-1892

On Wed., Jan. 20, at 2:30 p.m., the thermometer recorded 15 degrees below zero.

Dealers in wood and coal wear a self-satisfied look on their faces nowadays which shows that the 25-below zero weather is perfectly satisfactory to them.

The new bank, which will be known as the State Bank of Morton County, will open its doors for business on Monday, Jan. 25. The officers of the new bank are: W.A. Lanterman, president; H.R. Porter, vice president; and C.A. Kinney, cashier.

There is in this town a large number of absolutely frost-proof pumps which proceed to freeze tight just as soon as theres a little spell of 20 below zero weather.

The Pioneer has heard that there are people here now in Morton County who think that they would be happier on 'the coast' than they are here. They seem to want to get away from the beautiful, clear, bright winter weather that weve been having, and spend their winters in the miasmatic, grip-laden, rainy atmosphere of Fairhaven in Washington state  or some other town on the Pacific coast. There is just no accounting for some peoples taste.
A few people are called Wild Bill. Those who enjoy stories of the West will immediately think of the gunfighter James Butler Hickok, the man killed while playing cards in a Deadwood, S.D., saloon. Experienced with the rowdy ways of the West, we might say Wild Bill Hickok lived by the sword and died by the sword.

Another Wild Bill, William J. Donovan, earned his moniker more honorably as a general fighting in both world wars. He performed with such distinction that today Wild Bill Donovan is the only person to have been awarded all four of the United States highest awards: the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Meda, and the National Security Medal. In addition, he wore the Silver Star and a Purple Heart. Later in life he founded and served as director of the Office of Strategic Services, a predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency.

Through the years there have been others in their local settings who answer to this nickname, but its a notable North Dakotan, Wild Bill Langer, who earns some attention for this piece. Without considering his ancestors or his early childhood history, well go to the beginning of his political career in Morton County, when he served first as an appointed assistant states attorney and then elected in his own right as the state's attorney. Bismarck and Mandan newspapers of the time attest to the spirited manner in which he performed his duties. After all, his law class at Columbia University voted him the man most likely to succeed so he had to set about proving himself.

His first day on the job as the elected state's attorney, he swore out 167 warrants for the arrest of bootleggers, proprietors of blind pigs and other lawbreakers. He had garnered a lot of support from the Womans Christian Temperance Union and repaid their trust by going after liquor supplies and sales during the prohibition era. A headline in 1914 blared Two Freight Cars Full of Fine Wine Picked Up in Hebron Raid. The large quantity reported at4,850 gallons, came from California wineries. Other areas of lawbreaking received his attention, too. The Sunday closing law was being ignored, which prompted him to close all the theaters and poolrooms in Morton County in 1915. That same year, with the power granted by a statute barring performance of servile labor on a Sunday, he ordered the arrest of eight laborers who were building a new post office building on this day of rest. In 1916 he ordered the arrest of 52 men on the charge of refusing to comply with the law and send their children to school.

A good many acres in Morton County had never been placed on its tax rolls, acres owned mostly by the Northern Pacific Railroad. He worked to get them taxed, but the railroad pushed back with the argument in district court and then the state Supreme Court that the state did not have the power to tax land that was part of a federal grant. The railroad lost and thousands of acres went on the county tax rolls. The Supreme Court went further and ordered the railroad to pay back taxes. Other counties were watching these proceedings, and with Langers victory, gained the benefit of new tax income, too. A prominent state historian, Elwyn B. Robinson, wrote, Langer had won a reputation throughout North Dakota as an enemy of the corporations.

In his first primary campaign, he demonstrated the ability to connect with the voters when he wrote his campaign literature in both the English and German languages. It was a simple enough act but thought to have helped him win. You see, he knew that the newly-arrived German immigrants didnt yet read English very well.

Wild Bill had only gotten started. Little Morton County couldnt confine his ambitions, so in the statewide election of 1916, he ran for and was elected to the office of attorney general. With an ever-present unlit cigar in his mouth, he proceeded to right the wrongs he found. Still a young man, he had most of his public career ahead of him and won the governorship and a seat in the U.S. Senate. Along the way he made enemies and found himself embroiled in a serious court case, but he won respect from those he helped.

Well take a look at more of that career in the next article. In closing, we can just say he made an impression on people at all levels. Harry Truman knew him from the Senate and once, when describing Winston Churchill to his daughter, Margaret, said, I did like old Churchill. He was as windy as Langer.
Students from FFA chapters across North Dakota attended the 212 and 360 leadership conferences, an activity of the national FFA organization.

Mandan FFA chapter members attended the event Jan. 7-8 in Bismarck.

The conference focused on taking students to the boiling point of leadership, hence the 212 degrees. At 211 degrees water is extremely hot but just 1 more degree takes it to the next level.

The event also focused on student development and helped FFA members become aware of their passions and virtues. FFA members attended sessions on discovering their passions and making positive decisions, setting SMART goals, and taking steps toward self improvement.

The 360 degrees took students full circle in terms of chapter leadership by focusing on the importance of vision and how to become a visionary leader. Students spent their time in sessions understanding the importance of vision, conducting a chapter needs assessment, crafting a vision plan for their local FFA chapter and developing a strategy to implement their vision.

This school year, more than 8,000 students across the nation will participate in a 212 or 360 leadership conference. The national FFA provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 649,355 student members who belong to the 7,859 local chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Aimee Dahm and Rachel Wingenbach joined Starion branch as accounting specialists in Mandan. They are responsible for balancing customer and general ledger accounts and performing various banking transactions.

Dahm is an accounting specialist II who graduated from Rock Valley Community College in Rockford, Ill., and has several years of banking, accounting and retail experience. Wingenbach is an accounting specialist I, she attended the University of Minnesota Morris and has several years of retail experience.
North Dakotans who experience a stillbirth are one step closer to being eligible for a one-time state tax deduction that could help them with the cost of medical and burial expenses.

The North Dakota House passed House Bill 1239 by a 90-0 vote Thursday. HB1239 would allow parents of a stillborn child to qualify for a tax exemption that families file for their living children, when they file a fetal death certificate. The tax exemption would be the year in which the stillbirth occurred.

This is more of an oversight in tax policy, Rep. Vicky Steiner, R-Dickinson, said. The child was not born alive, and, oftentimes, they also have burial expenses in this situation.

Steiner said a stillbirth has been defined in state statute for about 20 years and applies to such births that occur between the 20-week mark and full term. Those that occur prior to 20 weeks are classified as a miscarriage and wouldnt be applicable to HB1239.

Federal law doesnt allow for claiming stillborn children on those taxes but at least five states allow for a one-time tax credit or deduction.

Steiner, who was the bill carrier for HB1239 on the House floor, told lawmakers that, according to state vital statistics data, there have been 34 to 75 stillbirths per year from 2001 to 2015.

HB1239 passed without any debate.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/01/2017 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Fishing where the fish are, Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire told a group of local businesspeople on Thursday that they should look to Facebook to help meet their advertising needs.

Maguire helped kick off the mornings Brandon Chamber of Commerce co-hosted event titled Boost Your Business, during which Facebook Canada promoted their advertising tools for a crowd of about 200.

Maguires comments have drawn the ire of local news agencies, who question his support of a United States-based company over those that employ people in Westman.

Twitter image Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire, centre, is seen with representatives from Facebook Canada during a Brandon Chamber of Commerce-sponsored small business conference on Thursday.

Its disappointing a local political leader who we have representing us in Ottawa is not supporting local business, especially at a local chamber event, CKLQ and Star FM Radio general manager Cam Clark said.

The radio stations are a division of the locally owned and operated Westman Communications Group.

The Brandon Suns advertising department shared a similar sentiment on behalf of the news agency, which, while not locally owned, employs 42 full-time, five part-time and 175 distribution staff members  all local.

Responding to this criticism, Maguire clarified that he didnt intend to promote one format over another.

Businesses are voting with their dollars, he said. Not to take anything away, but the reality of the world today is that there are other media communications out there, and businesses are using them, and I think this was just an opportunity for Facebook to do that.

Maguire affirmed his support for local news agencies, clarifying that he spends his advertising dollars with various organizations, including local ones.

However, using Facebook has been effective in his line of work as a politician, he said, noting that its allowed him to gather immediate feedback on whatever issue he chooses to post about.

Maguire posts frequently on Facebook and Twitter, boasting 2,496 likes on Facebook and 3,119 followers on Twitter.

Following Thursday morning presentation, Maguire took to Facebook to continue his promotion of the online medium.

Companies who view social media platforms as an afterthought are bound to regret it, he wrote.

Consumers now expect to find information, compare prices and receive better customer service from the comforts of their smart phone or living room.

The Brandon Chamber of Commerce did not respond to a request for comment by press time on Thursday.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/01/2017 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The growing frustrations between rural landowners and night hunters in the southwest corner of the province is turning into a race war, according to Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister.

The premier made the comments during a speech he gave on Monday, to about 60 Progressive Conservative party members in Virden. Virden-based CJ-97 radio reporter Heather Reimer said three local media members were present during the speech.

CJ Radio general manager Bill Gade told The Brandon Sun that the luncheon was officially a party event, though for some reason media were not asked to leave.

Boris Minkevich/Winnipeg Free Press Premier Brian Pallister, pictured at the legislature on Wednesday, was referring to escalation tensions over night hunting when he said it is becoming a race war, according to his director of communications. Olivia Baldwin-Valainis also said that Pallister would rephrase given the opportunity.

Following an unrelated question from the floor, the premier segued into night hunting, and Reimer recorded this clip:

I think environmental and fiscal issues, I think (of them) the same way. We should all think sustainably, Pallister said. What is fair about going out and shooting at a pair of eyes in the night with a high-powered rifle? Whats sustainable about that?

Its just not right. It should stop. So what are we doing? Well, were organizing. Were organizing to bring indigenous people together to say the same thing I just said. Because its becoming a race war. And I dont want that. Thats not in anybodys best interest. Young indigenous guys going out and shooting a bunch of moose because they can? Because they say its their right? That doesnt make any sense  to me.

Pallister is also heard calling night hunting a dumb practice, and an unfair practice, and suggested that indigenous elders have been intimidated into staying quiet about illegal night hunting practices.

They need to come forward and they need to be involved in this discussions, he said. This is not how most indigenous people think. They think seven generations into the future.

The full audio clip can be heard at brandonsun.com.

Though night hunting is permitted for indigenous hunters on Crown lands or private lands where they have received permission, the practice of spotlighting  pointing artificial light into the eyes of big game at night to sop them in their tracks is illegal in Manitoba.

Yet in the past year rural landowners have alleged that a growing number of illegal hunters are abandoning the carcasses of big game and even livestock in various locations in the southwest corner of the province. That has prompted a rural backlash against night hunters, and fuelled concerns of vigilante retaliation.

Earlier this month, the province announced that Manitoba conservation officers had laid 49 night hunting and dangerous hunting charges in 2016 that will be prosecuted in the legal system, and they seized 14 vehicles and 44 long-barrel rifles. These totals are a large increase from 2015, when 25 night hunting and zero night hunting charges were pursued through the courts. Only five vehicles were confiscated that year.

Due to a prior commitment, RM of Pipestone Reeve Archie McPherson was unable to attend Pallisters Monday luncheon, but said he agreed in principle with the premiers comments regarding the practice of hunting at night.

All night hunting is unnecessary, McPherson said. Im dead against it. And the majority of people are. Theres no need for it. Nobody in the city would want somebody wandering around their home with a rifle in the middle in the night.

McPherson is one of several municipal reeves and councillors representing six municipalities who have urged the province to end the practice of night hunting once and for all. Its his hope, he says, that everybody needs to come together the province, First Nation and aboriginal communities and rural land owners  to find a common solution.

But in voicing his opposition to the practice, McPherson says he too has been accused of being racist against indigenous people.

I didnt want race to be involved in it whatsoever. Its about safety and the management of our wildlife. Everybody puts their own spin on it. And then when people feel threatened they mention race.

Scott Phillips, a hunter who serves as a councillor in the RM of Sifton, cautioned that rural landowners are protesting over safety concerns not matters of race. And while he supported what the premier had to say, he suggest that called it a growing race war was unhelpful.

I dont think he should have brought that out, Phillips said. That will just trigger the Dave Chartrands of the world  just fuel their fire.

When reached late yesterday afternoon, Manitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand expressed concern that the premier was buying into an ideology that he believes has been expressed by municipal council members in the region, and the Manitoba Wildlife Federation  that race is at the heart of the problem.

I think theres more than just a race war. Its not a race war, Chartrand said. Theres issues here. Theres peoples issues, theres safety issues, theres a variety of different things that are here. Its not about white versus indigenous. Its clearly a balance of issues that need to be looked at. And in order to do it right, weve got to stay away from that language ourselves.

The premier is the leader of Manitoba, and stands for all Manitobans, including me, as a Manitoban. But Im also the leader of my people, and I have to be told sometimes, be careful with your own words. You might be sending the wrong message.

Chartrand argued that the MMF has made overtures to the provincial government to talk about the practice of night hunting, in order to get proper consultations started across the province. Yet, to date, he says he has not had a response.

While open to discussions, however, Chartrand remained defiant when it came to any hint of the Tories taking away his peoples right to hunt.

Ill never allow this premier or any premier to trump my peoples rights. Never.

The Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Free Press reporter Nick Martin reached out to Mr. Pallisters office in an attempt to clarify the premiers comments. We were told that he was unavailable to comment directly as he was on his way to Costa Rica.

The provinces director of communications, Olivia Baldwin-Valainis, replied to questions regarding Pallisters race war comment by stating that there have been many reports of the escalating tension between rural land owners and night hunters. Baldwin-Valainis wrote that during a recent meeting between members of the provincial cabinet and municipal representatives facilitated through the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, it was evident that frustration is growing.

It is this dialogue and the escalating tensions that the Premier was referring to, she wrote. This issue is highly sensitive and tensions are quite high, particularly in the area where these comments were made.

The premier would rephrase given the opportunity.

Rural representatives from southwest Manitoba are slated to meet with Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox on Tuesday in Winnipeg.

 mgoerzen@brandonsun.com, with files from Nick Martin

 Twitter: @MattGoerzen
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/01/2017 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Farmers and weather walk hand in hand, with Manitoba Ag Days offering those in the agricultural industry both short and long-term forecasts.

Predictably, meteorologist Drew Lerners insights regarding the coming season received the greatest attendance, with the theatre he spoke in packed with those worried about spring conditions.

His optimism was clouded by the same uncertainty any weather forecast carries, sporadically interjecting his forecast by clarifying I think, with a healthy chuckle.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Drew Lerner, president and senior agricultural meteorologist of World Weather Inc. delivers a talk titled Will the Weather Extremes Persist on the Prairies? at the FCC Theatre in Westman Place during Manitoba Ag Days on Thursday.

Still, his optimism prevailed throughout.

This winter came late and hard, with a few jet stream patterns from the United States compiling in kind of a fluke, dumping heavy loads of snow in southern Manitoba and North Dakota in December.

Outside of California, this is the only place in North America hit quite this hard by snow, he said, noting that the December cold has been more widespread, Westman was treated to a unique level of precipitation.

It was a dense snow, too, he said, noting that the snow has amounted to about two inches of water.

While this sets the stage for disastrous spring flooding, the recent warm weather pattern we find ourselves in, during which fewer than two millimetres of precipitation has fallen in the last two weeks, improves things a bit.

If enough snow melts now, theyll be less to deal with in the spring, he summarized.

It will rain again a little later in the later spring, so our window of opportunity for improvement is going to be narrow, he said, noting that if enough snow carries over to the spring, well have problems.

The big thing is, in this part of the country, patience is going to be a virtue, he said, clarifying that we just wont know until spring.

Once summer comes around, those in Westman can expect slightly cooler temperatures and dryer conditions than weve experienced in recent years.

For now, however, all eyes are on how much snow melts prior to the big springtime melt, with Lerners mindset maintaining an optimistic viewpoint.

I really dont think were going to get a lot of new snow thats going to add to this and create a bigger problem, he said, adding I think with a laugh.

Where Lerners presentation centred on short-term weather patterns, International Plant Nutrition Institute member Tom Jensens presentation looked at the longer-term impacts of climate change.

In Westman, climate change isnt all bad, he said, clarifying that increasing CO2 levels are actually making the earth a greener place, overall.

At the same time, increasing temperatures will shift crops northbound  a process that has already begun.

While Jensen clarified that other conditions might also come into play, changing weather conditions are at least partially responsible for Manitoba tripling its corn output in recent years, he shared, noting that were also producing more soybean and other crops more conductive to warmer weather.

Canola, a cool season crop, might struggle in the coming years as it shifts northbound, Jensen cautioned, citing various other changes that will come as agricultural practices adapt to climate change.

There are some steps those in the agricultural industry can do to help mitigate the impacts of climate change, he said, listing the development of more efficient fertilizers, changes in feed to prevent cattle from burping, improvements in the handling of manure and a greater use of biofuel as examples.

He also holds out promise that the carbon tax might be funnelled toward the industry to keep costs related to these efforts low  a redirection that would be up to the provincial government.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/01/2017 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Stephen Stadnyk may no longer live on the streets of Brandon, but he wont forget those who do.

He will keep worrying, especially for those people who dabble in drugs.

Im not going to go away from them just because Ive stopped (being homeless). Thats not fair to them, Stadnyk said.

Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun Olivia Neufeld, prevention education consultant with the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, speaks about the dangers of fentanyl during a public meeting at Samaritan House in Brandon on Thursday.

Stadnyk attended an information session on the dangers of fentanyl on Thursday morning at Samaritan House in Brandon.

Stadnyk, who moved last year to a residence with Brandon Housing First Program, intends to share what he has learned with others.

After all, he still chats with people he met while homeless. Abandoning them because he stayed away from the bottle isnt fair.

If I go to somebodys party and somebody cant wake up, or they have low breathing or their heartbeat is slowing, I can stop them and actually know what to do.

Stadnyk was referencing illicit drug overdoses, a growing problem given the pervasiveness of fentanyl nationwide.

The synthetic opioid can be 100 times stronger than morphine and as much as 50 times stronger than heroin, according to figures from the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba.

Brandon police spokesperson Sgt. Dave Andrew said fentanyl is likely circulating on the streets.

We would be naive to think theres not any in the city, said Andrew, who noted the force is not aware of the drug being produced in Brandon.

In June 2016, Brandon police seized fentanyl, but, Andrew explained, nobody was charged in relation to the discovery.

The local chapter of Addictions Foundation of Manitoba hosted the public meeting Thursday. Olivia Neufeld, a prevention education consultant with AFM, led the discussion with a dozen community members.

Unlike in Winnipeg where fentanyl overdoses proved fatal, Brandon has so far escaped this misfortune. It doesnt mean the drug isnt around, though.

My guess is that if its in Winnipeg, its here, too, Neufeld said.

Even a smidge of fentanyl can be fatal. A deadly dosage is two mg of the drug, equal to two grains of salt, Stadnyk said.

Many overdoses occur when street drugs are laced with fentanyl. People recently hospitalized or incarcerated are at higher risk of overdosing because their tolerance drops rapidly after just a few days without.

If people discover someone overdosing, kits of naloxone, an antidote to fentanyl, will reverse the effects.

In Brandon, Home Health Care Pharmacy, Super Thrifty Pharmacy and the Shoppers Drug Mart on 18th Street

sell the remedy. Additional suppliers in Westman are Birtle Pharmacy, Dauphin Pharmacy and Hills East Drug Store in Portage la Prairie.

Neufeld said AFM is inundated with requests to offer information about fentanyl locally and have received inquiries on how to administer naloxone.

Thousands of the overdose-reversing packages have been distributed in British Columbia in response to their fentanyl crisis. An unprecedented 914 lives were claimed by illegal drug overdoses in 2016, a near 80 per cent jump from 2015, according to the provinces Coroners Service.

In Brandon, some community groups are being proactive in case the crisis reaches this region.

Samaritan House requested the meeting at its headquarters, said executive director Thea Dennis, and Carly Gasparini, general manager of Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, accepted Dennis invitation to learn more.

The more information publicized about fentanyl, the better.

If (fentanyl) hits Brandon the way its hit other communities in such a major way, we can be ready for it, Gasparini said.

Stadnyk believes he can be a lifeline by continuing to talk people on the streets who may be most susceptible to fentanyls potency.

Its why he took some fentanyl-warning posters to hang up at a downtown establishment.

Its a place where a lot of people are going to use.

 ifroese@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ianfroese
FARGO -- Out-of-state students attending public universities in North Dakota would see a hike in their tuition rates and find getting accepted more difficult under proposals being considered in the Legislature.

A pair of bills would increase the minimum tuition levels for resident students and set a cap on the number of out-of-state students who could attend North Dakotas 11 public colleges and universities.

House Bill 1264 would revise tuition reciprocity agreements with other states by imposing a minimum rate of 125 percent for nonresident students based on benchmarks from eligible states under the Midwestern Higher Education Compact or the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

A lower minimum, 115 percent, would apply to students from Minnesota. But a much higher tuition rate -- 200 percent -- would apply to nonresident students from other states.

Nonresident students accepted at any of the states campuses before July 1, 2018, would be exempt from the higher reciprocity tuition rates as long as they maintain their full-time status.

A companion measure, House Bill 1265 would impose caps, in the form of a ratio, on the number of new nonresident students that could be admitted under reciprocity agreements.

The caps would escalate, beginning in the 2018-19 academic year, when nonresident students cannot exceed 250 percent of the number of resident students admitted in the previous academic year. By 2025-26 and thereafter, the maximum number of nonresident students cannot exceed 150 percent of resident students.

Its non-trivial at the beginning and it gets pretty significant quickly, Chancellor Mark Hagerott of the North Dakota University System said Thursday. As its phased in over time, it will be a fairly significant impact.

Hagerotts office is still working on the fiscal impact of severely curtailing out-of-state students, but the chancellor said a preliminary analysis makes it clear the effects would be significant.

The proposals to restrict nonresident students will be harmful, especially for North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota, both located along the Minnesota border, he said.

For instance, Minnesota students help provide the critical mass of students to enable the flagship universities to offer specialized courses and majors, such as bioengineering, a new offering that is a collaborative effort between NDSU and UND.

But Hagerott and UND President Mark Kennedy said they support the policy of charging nonresident students higher tuition and ensuring that North Dakota taxpayers benefit from tuition reciprocity agreements.

Our first priority is North Dakota kids, Hagerott said. But the sad reality is we can only offer certain courses because there are enough Minnesota kids.

State Board of Higher Education policy already requires North Dakota public campuses to charge nonresidents more, Kennedy said.

We are for charging out-of-state students more, he said. Its a legitimate question to look at reciprocity and say, Is that beneficial to the state? 

Universities are economic engines for the state, and restricting nonresident students would be cutting at the core of their mission, Kennedy said.

I would just argue with the concept, he added. I believe there is no better way to energize economic vibrancy in a state like North Dakota than to build great universities. Universities provide an educated, well-trained workforce, and bringing in nonresident students helps to do that, Kennedy said.

Not all of those stay, but those that do stay add significantly to the states economy, he said. UNDs aerospace program, for example, trains pilots from across the country and abroad.

The aerospace program has been cited as a crucial asset by the Grand Forks Air Force Base, and by aviation and aerospace companies that are located near the base to work on unmanned aerial vehicle research and development, he said.

Without students from Minnesota and elsewhere, programs including aerospace would be significantly reduced or jeopardized, Kennedy said.

The North Dakota University System has 20,852 nonresident students, or 44.1 percent of the enrollment at the 11 campuses.

At UND, where 14,648 students are enrolled, 5,086, are from North Dakota, 4,934, are from Minnesota and 4,628 are from elsewhere. At NDSU, with an enrollment of 14,432, 5,960 are from North Dakota, 6,543 are from Minnesota, 839 are from other states, 851 are international students, and 239 are permanent residents.

NDSUs base tuition is $6,924 for North Dakota residents, $7,755 for Minnesota residents, $10,386 for students from states in a tuition exchange and $18,488 for nonresidents.

Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, the prime sponsor of both bills, was unavailable for comment Thursday. A spokeswoman for NDSU said the university would defer to Hagerott for comment on the bills, which had their first committee hearing Tuesday, but have not been acted upon.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/01/2017 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Next week marks the third year anniversary of First Draught! I cant believe its been that long and every week its an absolute blast getting to try out new beers with all of you.

One of my favourite things about this column is running into The Brandon Sun readers who happen to have tried a beer that I have suggested before. Sometimes they werent too keen on the beer (fair enough), but sometimes its readers who have discovered a beer that made them realize that all beer doesnt have to taste like watery corn mush  and, in some cases, ended up becoming beer geeks themselves.

Next week Ill be showcasing three of my favourite beers Ive reviewed over the past three years. Cheers to three years of beer memories.

Copper Cone Pale Ale

Utahs Epic Brewing has some interesting beers at the Liquor Mart. Their Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout ($19) was once described by me as simply holy good! I guess thats a good thing.

Now, Epic Brewings Copper Cone Pale Ale is available in Manitoba. Copper Cone is an aroma-rich, pale ale that may vary the hops, malts and even sometimes the yeast used. Typically this beer is an over-the-top pale ale with a deep copper colour and loads of dry hopping going into each batch. The fresh hop aroma of this beer makes it a standout.

Copper Cone pours a very heavy, murky-brown ale with a bit of a burnt orange hue to it. Theres a good amount of beige head that gradually goes down leaving a bit of lacing on the glass.

The aroma is a heavy, bitter pine-focused pale ale with a moderate amount of caramel sweetness  a bit reminiscent of a red IPA, a light amount of citrus notes (lemon and orange peel). But for the most part this is a bitter pale ale with hints of sweetness here and there. When I take my first sip, the initial impression is a sweet-caramel, malt-flavoured beer followed by a good deal of bitter and piney goodness. There are notes of biscuits, a light amount of nuttiness, a hint of honey, hint of grapefruit and a sharp bitterness at the very end.

Its been a long time since Ive had a truly bitter pale or India pale ale as most of them are going for a more tropical zest vibe now days rather than cringeworthy hoppiness. I was surprised to see that there was a good deal of true bitterness right from the beginning, but the bitterness disappeared a tad as soon as it warmed up a bit, allowing for more of a nutty, grapefruity and floral beer to take its place.

At $9.89 per 650 ml bottle (6.4 per cent ABV), its not worth the price tag, but a lot of it has to do with MLCC importing this beer with a low Canadian dollar. I do like that it is more bitter than many IPAs but I just dont think Ill buy this again. I do recommend fellow Hop Heads check this out while they still can as theres only a handful of bottles left at the downtown Liquor Mart.

Pint rating: 3 pints out of 5
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/01/2017 (2114 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG  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.

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. His column appeared in a recent edition of the Winnipeg Free Press.
GRAND FORKS  By the time the escort for the body of Rolette County Sheriffs Deputy Colt Allery reached Grand Forks Thursday, it stretched for what looked like a half-mile of ashen-faced drivers in squad car after squad car, blue and red lights flashing on an overcast morning.

Law enforcement from around North Dakota and beyond -- from Polk County, Minn., to the U.S. Border Patrol -- joined a procession for Allery as he was brought to medical examiners in Grand Forks. Allery was fatally shot following a car chase in North Dakotas Rolette County on Wednesday evening.

Area officials had already lined up their cars by the time the procession arrived, and as it rolled past, Cpl. Jason Kaiser of the Grand Forks Police Honor Guard raised a white-gloved hand to the brim of his hat, stock still at attention the entire time. When you go to work, he said moments before, you never know when something tragic might happen.

Allery, 29, was killed during a shootout with the driver of a 2015 Chevy Silverado pickup that had been reported stolen. A vehicle chase led Allery and three other officers near Belcourt, where both he and the driver of the pickup, who has not been identified, were killed. Earlier reports stated that both Allery and the driver were being transported to Grand Forks for autopsies.

Rolette County Sheriffs Deputy Keith Benning described an emotional drive to Grand Forks, recalling constant support along the way.

I got choked up with every flag, with every salute, Benning said. Every town we passed through, there was a firetruck.

Though Allery had only served with the sheriffs department for three months, he made an impression on Benning. He was always smiling, Benning said, a family guy who loved his children.

Every time you saw him, it was Hey brother, whats going on?  Benning said.

Allery had previously worked for the Rolla Police Department. Rolla Police Chief Joe Boehm said it was a stressful day, though he was happy to see so much support for the fallen deputy.

He was a good guy, Boehm said. He made everybody laugh.
Germany will do "whatever we can" to ensure a successful outcome to Brexit negotiations within the two-year deadline set down in the EU treaties, the country's finance minister has said.

Wolfgang Schauble said that a "cliff-edge" withdrawal from the EU without an agreed deal would be a disaster not only for the UK but also for Europe.

He played down suggestions - floated by Prime Minister Theresa May and Chancellor Philip Hammond - that the UK might find itself forced to adopt a Singapore-style low-tax low-regulation economic model to maintain competitiveness if it is frozen out of the European markets by the failure to reach a comprehensive free trade agreement.

And he said he expected Britain to remain a very important partner of the remaining EU and London to continue to be an important financial centre for Europe after Brexit.

Speaking alongside Mr Hammond on a discussion panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Schauble said that the PM's Brexit speech on Tuesday had provided the EU with clarity over the final outcome Britain is seeking from negotiations.

He acknowledged that the detailed talks would be "much more complicated than in the opening speeches", but said he believed a deal was doable.

"The German government will work in these negotiations always in the direction that we minimise any risk and damage for both of us. That's our position," he said.

Asked whether he was worried about the possibility of a "cliff-edge", the German finance minister said: "We are very concerned that it will not happen.

"We will not only be concerned, we will be engaged that it will not happen, because it would be a disaster for all of us.

"Now we can start to work and we will do whatever we can to avoid such a situation. I think it is possible to get it done."

Mr Schauble said he was not shocked by the prospect of the UK setting itself up as a low-tax centre off the shores of Europe.

"I can't really imagine that the UK - this great nation - would compare itself with Singapore," he said.

"Therefore I am not to be shocked.

"Philip Hammond and I totally agree we have to manage this decision by the British people of Britain in the best way to minimise or to avoid any damage for the UK as well as for Europe.

"For Europe, the UK remains a very important partner."

He added: "I am personally convinced that even after the negotiations have been done, London will remain an important financial centre for Europe."

Mr Schauble said the whole EU must respond to the lessons of the Brexit vote, which showed the need for reform to combat disillusionment with the European project and concern about the "disruptive changes" brought about by globalisation.

"The first reaction to the Brexit decision for me was that I cried," he said.

"The second reaction was that it is a wake-up call for Europe. We have a growing euroscepticism all over European member states."

Mr Schauble said the referendum result had so far had a positive impact on the UK economy and said he did not expect it to exert a negative influence on the eurozone during 2017.
Update 7.40am: The Health Minister is being asked to intervene amid a strike threat by SIPTU members of Dublin City Fire brigade.

A ballot for industrial action is currently underway, over a shortage of ambulances for the city and what the union claims is the council's refusal to resource four extra vehicles to meet demand.

SIPTU Sector Organiser, Brendan OBrien says the service answered 115,000 calls last year - with just 12 ambulances: "At the moment Dublin Fire Brigade Ambulance service responds to approximately 40% of the emergency calls nationally for ambulance assistance.

"The ambulances themselves coupled with the call and dispatch function, if the call and dispatch function was to be taken from Dublin Fire Brigade it would place an unsustainable and unmanageable additional work load on our colleagues in the national ambulance service."

Earlier: A ballot for strike action is underway among SIPTU members of Dublin City Fire Brigade.

It is over a shortage of ambulances in the city and what it claims is the council's refusal to resource four extra vehicles to meet demand.

SIPTU Sector Organiser, Brendan OBrien the situation's completely unacceptable, placing members of the community at risk, as well as placing unsustainable strain on DFB paramedics: "Unfortunately because of the actions of Dublin city council we have been given no option but to ballot for industrial action.

"We are in a consultative process with our members at the moment, the ballot will be conducted over the next number of weeks, obviously because of the different shifts, rosters and so on it takes a number of weeks to ballot everybody.

"We are balloting our members for industrial and strike action and that includes a full withdrawl of services."
A South African model, who starred in RTEs First Dates Ireland, has pleaded guilty to harassing celebrity chef Dylan McGrath.

Daphney Sanasie, currently of Jamestown Road in Dublin 8, was due to stand trial today but changed her plea this morning.

Daphney Sanasie starred in the first episode of First Dates Ireland under the name Federica.

The 26-year-old is living in Dublin but the court heard previously that shes almost finished her studies and is eager to move home to Cape Town.

After initially pleading NOT guilty to harassing Dylan McGrath on various dates in 2015, she was due to stand trial last September, but that was postponed until today to give the celebrity chef time to recover from a back injury.

When her case was called this morning, Judge Bryan Smyth was told a plea was forthcoming.

The judge said he had a personal difficulty in dealing with it because hes acquainted with someone involved in the case so he transferred it to another court where her sentence hearing is due to get underway this afternoon.
FARGO  Fargo Police Chief David Todd has posted a condolence note on his department's Facebook page to the Rolette County Sheriff's Department, which is mourning the loss of a deputy who was shot and killed in the line of duty Wednesday night.

"Our hearts, prayers and thoughts go out to the Rolette County Sheriff's Department in their incredible loss of Deputy Colt Allery," Todd wrote.

"As a department that has experienced a similar loss, we have offered our assistance in a number of capacities as they experience their shock and grief in the loss of a brother," added Todd, an apparent reference to the death of Fargo Police Officer Jason Moszer, who died after he was shot while responding to a domestic situation in February 2016.

Todd also asked for prayers for the Rolette County Sheriff's Department and for Deputy Allery's family. He said Fargo police "stand ready to help in any way we can."

Gov. Doug Burgum and his wife expressed his condolences in a statement: Kathryn and I offer our prayers and deepest condolences to the family of Deputy Allery, who made the ultimate sacrifice. Our hearts go out to his family, friends and law enforcement colleagues. We are deeply grateful for Deputy Allerys dedicated service and the unwavering commitment of all of our men and women in uniform who risk their lives every day to dutifully protect our citizens.

The governor also plans to order flags to be flown at half-staff statewide to honor Allery on the day of his interment.

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., also issued a statement on Allery's death: "Mikey and I send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Deputy Allery. Our peace officers put themselves on the line everyday to protect our citizens and keep our communities safe. Deputy Colt Allery, his fellow officers and their families deserve our enduring gratitude and recognition for performing this vital duty. We honor his service and sacrifice, and we will keep them in our thoughts and prayers."

U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., said: Deputy Colt Allery dedicated his life to law enforcement and protecting and serving North Dakotans as a uniformed officer for several different agencies  and we are deeply indebted to him and to his family for his bravery, service, and sacrifice. I send my most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to his family, his friends, his fellow peace officers, and his entire community in Rolette County. North Dakotas peace officers are the finest in the nation, and Deputy Allerys bravery in the line of duty exemplifies that commitment to community and our great state. His memory will live on through family and friends he touched, and through a community he so faithfully served.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said in a statement: Kris and I send our condolences to the family of Deputy Allery. This young man had a full life ahead of him and he sacrificed it to protect the citizens of North Dakota. He leaves a grieving family and an entire state deprived of a peace officer and hero. I ask all North Dakotans to show their appreciation today to our law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe.

Allery was fatally shot after he and other officers confronted the driver of a stolen pickup following a chase Wednesday night.

The suspect was also killed in the confrontation.
Infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been taken to a New York jail after he was extradited at the request of the US.

The convicted leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the world's largest drug trafficking organisations, who twice escaped from maximum-security prisons in Mexico, faces drug trafficking and other charges.

A plane carrying Guzman landed at a suburban airport. He was expected to make his first appearance in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Friday.

Mexico's Department of Foreign Relations announced Guzman was handed over to US authorities for transportation to the US earlier on Thursday.

The move came on the last full day of Democratic President Barack Obama's administration and a day before Republican Donald Trump's inauguration.

Guzman, who is in his late 50, was taken into custody by the US Drug Enforcement Administration in Ciudad Juarez, a border town across from El Paso, Texas.

He first escaped from prison in 2001 and spent more than a decade on the run before he was recaptured, only to break out again in 2015 via a mile-long tunnel dug to the shower in his cell.

The second escape was highly embarrassing for the government of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, and his officials were keen to hand Guzman to the US afterwards.

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 said Guzman still faces formal charges in 10 other cases.

He said when Guzman completes his sentence in the US he will return to Mexico where the prosecutions will continue.

Guzman's lawyers had fought extradition since his 2016 recapture and said on Thursday the Mexican government sent him to the US to distract the public from nationwide protests over petrol 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 US jurisdictions, including San Diego, Chicago and Miami. He could face the possibility of life in a US 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 immortalised in songs known as narco-corridos, ballads about the drug trade and drug bosses.

It was while on the run the second time, in autumn 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, just 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 aged 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.

The decision by Mexico to extradite one of its most prized prisoners to the US comes as Mr 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.
A mother and her son have been pulled out alive after an avalanche hit a hotel in central Italy on Wednesday.

They have been taken to hospital after they were freed from the rubble by firefighters.

Eight other survivors have been found; efforts to free them are on-going.

Spokesman Luca Cari gave the update from the Hotel Rigopiano in central Italy as rescue workers continued trying to extract survivors from the collapsed buildings in the resort north east of Rome.

Helicopters are ferrying the survivors to a hospital in Pescara on the Adriatic coast.

Rescuers said four bodies have been found since the avalanche struck on Wednesday afternoon.

News of the survivors boosted spirits two days after the massive snow slide buried around 30 people in the resort.

Video released by rescuers showed a boy, wearing blue ski trousers and a matching shirt, emerging from the hotel and crews mussing his hair in celebration.

Next was a woman with a long ponytail wearing red ski trousers. "Brava Brava!" the rescuers cheered.

The survivors appeared fully alert and walking on their own, but both were helped down to a stretcher for a helicopter ride out.

"This first news has obviously repaid all the rescuers' efforts," deputy interior minister Filippo Bubbico said.

Titi Postiglione, operations chief of the civil protection agency, said the survivors "can give us a series of indications to help with our intervention plan, information to understand what happened and help direct the search".

Rescue workers told RAI state television the survivors' conditions were remarkably good, and that they had survived thanks to an air pocket in the kitchen. They are being flown by helicopter to local hospitals.

About 30 people were trapped inside the luxury Hotel Rigopiano when the avalanche hit on Wednesday afternoon, with two people initially surviving the devastation and calling for help.

Search and rescue teams had maintained the hope of finding survivors even though the avalanche dumped up to 17ft of snow on the hotel.

The operations have been hampered by difficulty in accessing the remote hotel. Workers have been clearing a 5.5-mile road to bring in heavier equipment but it can only handle one-way traffic.

A convoy of rescue vehicles made slow progress to the hotel, blocked by snow piled 10ft high in some places, fallen trees and rocks.

The first rescue teams arrived on skis early on Thursday, and firefighters were dropped in by helicopter. Snowmobiles were also used.

Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, and the hotel phones went down early on Wednesday, just as the first of four powerful earthquakes struck the region.

It was not clear if the quakes triggered the avalanche, but emergency responders said the force of the massive snow slide collapsed a wing of the hotel that faced the mountain and rotated another off its foundation, pushing it downhill.

One of the survivors reported that the guests had all checked out and were waiting for the road to be cleared to leave. The snow plough scheduled for mid-afternoon never arrived, and the avalanche hit sometime around 5.30pm on Wednesday.

Prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into the tragedy, and among the hypotheses being pursued is whether the avalanche threat was not taken seriously enough, according to Italian media.

Farindola mayor Ilario Lacchetta said the hotel had 24 guests, four of them children, and 12 employees were onsite at the time of the avalanche.

- AP
Islamic State militants have destroyed a landmark ancient Roman monument and parts of the theatre in Syria's historic town of Palmyra, the government and opposition monitoring groups said.

Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of Syria's antiquities department, said the militants destroyed the facade of the second-century theatre along with the Tetrapylon, a cubic-shaped Roman monument in the middle of the colonnade road that leads to the theatre.

Mr Abdulkarim said reports of the destruction first trickled out of the IS-held town late in December, but satellite images of the damage were only available late on Thursday, confirming the destruction.

The imagery, provided by the US-based American Schools of Oriental Research, show significant damage to the Tetrapylon and the theatre. The ASOR said the damage was probably caused by intentional destruction by IS.

Mr Abdulkarim said only two of the 16 columns of the Tetrapylon remain standing. The stage backdrop has sustained damage, according to ASOR.

State-run news agency Sana reported the damage and Syrian opposition monitors confirmed it but gave no immediate details.

The extremists recaptured the ancient town in December from government troops - nine months after IS was expelled in a Russia-backed offensive.

During their first stay, from May 2015 until May 2016, IS destroyed ancient temples including the Temple of Bel, which dated back to AD 32, and the Temple of Baalshamin, a structure of stone blocks several storeys high fronted by six towering columns.

The militants also blew up the Arch of Triumph, which was built under Roman emperor Septimius Severus between AD 193 and AD 211.

A Unesco world heritage site, Palmyra boasts 2,000-year-old towering Roman-era colonnades and priceless artefacts. Syrians affectionately refer to it as the "Bride of the Desert".

The extremists have destroyed ancient sites across their self-styled Islamic caliphate in Syria and Iraq, viewing them as monuments to idolatry.

A desert oasis surrounded by palm trees in central Syria, Palmyra is also a strategic crossroads linking the Syrian capital, Damascus, with the country's east and neighbouring Iraq.

Located 155 miles east of Damascus, the city was once home to 65,000 people before the Syrian civil war began.

Most Palmyra residents did not return after it was retaken by the government, and activists estimated the city is now home to a few hundred families.

Many of them tried to flee as IS recaptured the city in December.

On Thursday, reports emerged that the militant group killed 12 captives it held in Palmyra, some of them beheaded in the Roman theatre.
FIFA have written to World Cup teams urging them to focus on the soccer in Qatar and not let the sport be dragged...
Church of the Brethren Newsline

January 20, 2017

Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed a grant of $50,000 from the Church of the Brethrens Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to support the next phase of response to devastation in Haiti caused by Hurricane Matthew. The storm hit the island on Oct. 4, 2016, as a powerful category 4 hurricane, causing widespread damage and considerable losses, and up to 1,600 deaths. In an effort to aid those affected by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, 31 families have received goats to replace some of their losses. The goat distribution was carried out with help from Brethren Disaster Ministries and lEglise des Freres dHaiti (Church of the Brethren in Haiti), reported Jeff Boshart of the Global Food Initiative (GFI). Each goat received a check up, deworming medicine, and vaccinations by a veterinarian, Paul Devilien, who used to work for CARE. The families received training in proper care of their new animals before taking their goats home. Dr. Paul worked with a GFI project in Bombardopolis with an Haitian organization called Cepaeb Bombardopolis Haiti. Many school children received training in animal care and then received their own goats. This was a passing on the gift project with older students giving offspring from their goats to younger students.

The United Nations has reported that 2.1 million Haitians were affected with 1.4 million needing humanitarian assistance and 750,000 needing longer term assistance. Those who have been affected have experienced significant losses of crops, damage to agricultural land, and losses of livestock.

An initial grant from the EDF provided emergency food, hygiene supplies, and clothing for children to 15 communities impacted by Hurricane Matthew. In a planning session with the Haitian Church of the Brethren, lEglise des Freres dHaiti, in November, Brethren Disaster Ministries staff created a comprehensive plan for a joint long-term recovery program to be carried out between BDM and the Haitian church. Ten Haitian church leaders will lead the response and recovery activities, which will focus on long-term recovery programing and medical support for disaster survivors.

Funds from this allocation will support medical clinics, animal distributions, and seed distributions.

For more about the ministry of the Emergency Disaster Fund go to www.brethren.org/edf .

Go to www.brethren.org/Newsline to subscribe to the Church of the Brethren Newsline free e-mail news service and receive church news every week.
Former Canberran Paul Knobloch, 39, was appointed ballet master of The Australian Ballet earlier this year after a long international career in contemporary and classical dance. Knobloch returned to his home town on Friday with the company's touring production Storytime Ballet: The Nutcracker. This condensed and narrated version of the Tchaikovsky ballet, choreographed by the company's artistic director, David McAllister, is intended to introduce young children to ballet. It opens at the Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre on Saturday.

The production, cast from the ranks of the Australian Ballet in a specially designed production with new costumes, has been touring since November. Knobloch said, "So many people have been inspired by it."

The Canberra theatre will be home to Australian ballet's Storytume ballet, The Nutcracker. Two dancers, Chantelle van der Hoek (in apricot) and Kelsey Stokes (in purple tutu). Photo by Karleen Minney. Credit:karleen minney

Knobloch himself began dancing when he was 12, inspired by seeing Mikhail Baryshnikov, on television. He began at the Canberra Dance Development Centre. When he was 16. he said, "I realised I could carve out a career at this" and received a scholarship to the Australian Ballet School. From there he went on to a dance career that included dancing the Nutcracker Prince at the English National Ballet and "a dream come true", dancing on the Paris Opera stage with Bejart Ballet Lausanne.

Now, although not retired from dancing, he said he had moved more into choreography and into imparting what he's learned to new generations of dancers.
Queanbeyan and Palerang's council merge will remain despite Nationals leader and deputy premier John Barilaro's pledge to put an end to the state-wide amalgamations.

In a press conference on Friday, the member for Monaro vowed "to put an end to the local government mergers in the bush".

Mr Barilaro cited the change of leadership as a chance for his party to be proactive in ensuring a new arrangement in the coalition. Credit:Katherine Griffiths

The controversial forced amalgamations policy was driven by Mr Baird and endorsed by the cabinet, despite widespread opposition.

"The policy of local government amalgamations has impacted 20 councils, 12 of which are in regional NSW, causing uncertainty and anger, and others are locked in costly legal action - that all stops today," Mr Barilaro said.
It's been described as "the marriage of two great loves  beer and yoga".

But do the two go together?

BierYoga classes  in which people form poses that incorporate drinking beer  will begin saluting the sun in Melbourne and Sydney this summer.

The concept began in America, with craft breweries inviting in yogis to imbibe during the downward dog, and has taken off in Germany.
Zhou's alphabet was not the first of its kind  a British system known as Wade-Giles was a popular Chinese transliteration tool in the early 20th century  but it was the first to acquire the imprimatur of the Chinese government. Taught in elementary schools throughout China, Pinyin acts as a kind of linguistic crutch, enabling students to learn the sounds of words through its 25-letter, four-diacritical-mark system before advancing to the memorisation and study of the characters themselves. "Without an alphabet you had to learn mouth to mouth, ear to ear," Zhou told Britain's Guardian newspaper in 2008. "It's a bridge to speech between Chinese people." Although Zhou  his full name is pronounced Joe Yo-Gwong  helped China better communicate within its borders and with the world at large, he did not escape the Cultural Revolution, a decade-long political campaign in which millions of Chinese were purged and persecuted. Born January 13, 1906, into a well-to-do family in the eastern city of Changzhou, Zhou was raised in a China where the Qing Dynasty still ruled, women bound their feet and men wore their hair in long braids.

He studied economics and linguistics at St John's University in Shanghai, one of the country's oldest Western-style colleges, before transferring to Guanghua University and graduating in 1927 to begin a career as a banker. Early in life, he also changed his given name: Born Zhou Yaoping, he took on the name Yaoguang, which means "to illuminate", because "he wanted it to be an indication of his bringing light" into the world, Mair said. Zhou married Zhang Yunhe in 1933 and studied for several years in Japan, returning to China after the escalation of the Second Sino-Japanese War. They settled in Chongqing, the country's wartime capital. While there, their 5-year-old daughter died of appendicitis. Zhou struck up a friendship with Zhou Enlai, a Communist Party official who hosted intellectual gatherings in the city and later became the country's premier. Zhou and his family moved to New York in 1946, where he represented the Sin Hua Trust and Savings Bank on Wall Street and twice met Albert Einstein on visits to Princeton University. ("I didn't understand relativity at all," Zhou later told China Daily. "So we just chatted about everyday things.")

Safely away from the violence of the Chinese Civil War, he returned to Shanghai to teach economics in 1949, just as the Communists seized power in Beijing. He returned to see his mother and because "I thought the country had been liberated, and had a new hope", he later wrote in an autobiography. The hope did not last long. In the mid-1950s, Mao embarked on a crusade against "rightists", presumed political enemies that included proponents of capitalism and economists such as Zhou. One of his students committed suicide; a good friend, he later told the Guardian, was imprisoned and also committed suicide. Zhou was spared mainly because of his friendship with Zhou Enlai, by then China's premier and who recalled the economist's fascination with linguistics and Esperanto, the global lingua franca. In 1955, he summoned Zhou to Beijing and tasked him with developing a new alphabet for China. Zhou resisted before deciding on a crucial career change. "I said I was an amateur, a layman, I couldn't do the job," he told NPR in 2011. "But they said, 'It's a new job, everybody is an amateur.'" Working with a team of about 20 people, Zhou considered more than 2000 writing systems, according to a 2004 account in the New Yorker. He eventually settled on a transcription system that used the Roman alphabet  a crucial point for Zhou, who later explained that he chose the Roman alphabet over Cyrillic (the alphabet used by China's ally, the Soviet Union) because of its predominance in the world.

"Perhaps it was due to my time overseas, but I always envisaged Pinyin being useful to foreigners, too," he told China Daily in 2009. "I still see it as a bridge between China and the rest of the world, a bridge between cultures." Pinyin was adopted by China's First National People's Congress on February 11, 1958. The writing system was later approved by foreign bodies including the United Nations, which formally acknowledged Pinyin in 1986. Zhou escaped the political purges of the 1950s  he told the Guardian that were it not for his linguistics background, he believed he "could have been imprisoned for 20 years" as an economist. But his business experience caught up to him during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and '70s. Deemed a reactionary, he was exiled to the Ningxia region of northwestern China in 1969, where he languished in rice fields before returning home to Beijing and his linguistics work in 1972. Zhou oversaw a translation of the Encyclopaedia Britannica into Chinese in the mid-1980s, and continued publishing books and scholarly articles on linguistics, Confucianism and Chinese history until shortly before his death.
THE ENCOUNTER

Sydney Opera House, January 19

Until January 28



Many archeologists believe that one of the main reasons early humans voyaged so deeply into underground cave systems was to exploit the acoustic properties of rock chambers for their music, storytelling and ritual.

Going upriver: Richard Katz in The Encounter at Sydney Festival. Credit:Gianmarco Bresadola

It is no accident, they say, that cave paintings of galloping bison and the like are found clustered in chambers with unusual acoustic properties  properties that can, for example, amplify clapping, the beating of instruments and chanting into a hypnotically transporting wall of sound.

Countless millennia later and using cutting edge digital technology this time, The Encounter transforms the Opera House's Drama Theatre into a similarly charged space.
Danica Weeks, whose husband was aboard the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, with their children, Lincoln, 4, and Jack, 22 months, in Sydney in March 2015. Credit:Janie Barrett Those involved with the search have become passionate. "We all want to find it. There's only one reason we are out there, it's not for fun. We really want to find it," a source inside the search effort said. The December ATSB report said: "The participants of the First Principles Review were in agreement on the need to search an additional area representing approximately 25,000 kilometres square." Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak with then Australian prime minister Tony Abbott at the start of the search. Fairfax Media understands that, in recent weeks, the search did venture into the new northern area to make cursory efforts to locate the wreckage. This is despite the governments' public stance that the effort would not go beyond the 120,000 square kilometres.

In a statement, the ATSB said the last active vessel's "search operations in the north were to complete its final swing and gather sonar data in areas that haven't previously been completed". Transport Minister Darren Chester insists cost has not been a deciding factor in suspending the MH370 search. Credit:Jamila Toderas Other observers are more hard-nosed about the merit of persisting with the search. Professor Jason Middleton, head of the School of Aviation at the University of New South Wales, said it was "not at all cost-effective at this stage to continue" and that money could be better spent elsewhere if advancing aviation was the objective. "If you're looking at aviation safety, you spend it proactively. You spend it on research and emerging technologies. That's going to give you better value for money than extending a search," he told Fairfax Media. "The public's going to be a lot safer as a result of that. There's no guarantee that if they found the wreckage they would be able to fully identify the cause or problem."

One reason: this long after the crash, the batteries in the black box flight data recorder could be dead. Abbott had conceded some limits to his commitment. "At some point, there might need to be a reckoning, there might need to be some kind of tallying," he said in April, 2014. But, according to the now frustrated backbencher, January 2017 is not the time. "Disappointed that the search for MH370 has been called off. Especially if some experts think there are better places to look," he tweeted on Tuesday. Voice370, a group formed to advocate for the families of passengers and crew, views the search extension as an "inescapable duty owed to the flying public in the interest of aviation safety". "Commercial planes cannot just be allowed to disappear without a trace. Having already searched 120,000 square kilometres, stopping at this stage is nothing short of irresponsible," the organisation said in a statement this week. The Australian government maintains "the suspension does not mean the termination of the search".

Some onshore analysis will persist until February. Groups around the world will continue to pore over available data. And there could be an accidental discovery or technological breakthrough. But, realistically, the underwater effort appears over. Its scale has been unprecedented. Equipped with a fleet of ships and aircraft and the best available technology - but lacked robust leads - the search crews were confronted with ocean depths of between 3500 and 6000 metres. They battled tropical cyclones and 20-metre waves. Because MH370 was registered in Malaysia, under international aviation convention, the country bears primary responsibility for finding the plane. As it is believed to have gone down in Australia's search and rescue region, the Abbott government assumed a leading role as well. Chester said any action to renew the search would be led by Malaysia. Danica Weeks, whose husband Paul was on board, is looking to them to save the day. "It just can't end like this. The Malaysian government promised to bring them home. If they think this will go away, it definitely won't," Weeks told Fairfax Media this week.

Malaysia echoes the view that a "credible clue" would be needed. Late this week, Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi promised "cash rewards in the millions" (of Malaysian ringgits - worth about 30 Australian cents) for any private body able to locate the fuselage. "We are opening up the options because the government of Malaysia is committed to continue the search," he said. Theories and questions about what happened have proliferated, from the compelling to the conspiratorial and downright deranged. Was it technical failure? Was captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah suicidal? Was a malicious government responsible? Was it terrorism? Did it glide in a controlled descent or did it come down rapidly? A leading proposal is the "ghost flight" theory: that the crew became unconscious, the plane flew on autopilot and eventually crashed in a rapid descent. Another is the "glide" theory, in which the pilot flew the plane in a controlled descent long after the fuel had run out. Some pilots have insisted that Shah must have carried out a murder-suicide. Ultimately, there is little certainty One high-profile development was the "flaperon" wing component that washed up on Reunion Island off the east coast of Africa in July 2015. An examination of it concluded that the plane dived rapidly, ruling out a controlled descent. Oceanic drift analysis of the part and other bits of debris found nearby also informed the search.
We've all been there.

It's your birthday. You're on a night out. You receive a present. Everything is delightful... until you have to figure out where to put it for the rest of the night.

First lady Michelle Obama, flanked by President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump, greets Melania Trump at the White House in Washington, Friday, January 20, 2017. Credit:Evan Vucci

Like a woman handed a bottle of wine in a gift bag she would certainly not be able to take into the pub, Michelle Obama just did not know what to do with the rather large present she received from Melania Trump before the Inauguration kicked off on Friday.
Mike Baird's resignation yesterday comes at the end of a tumultuous year for the once-popular Premier. Plunging approval ratings, ongoing controversy about lockout laws, and an embarrassing backflip on banning greyhound racing took much of the shine off his erstwhile twinkling, charming persona.

But it was his government's gutting of services for domestic violence victims in 2014 that put lives at risk, and continues to do so. SOS Women's Services, an advocacy group started when the Baird government first announced the Going Home Staying Home "reform", claim more than 80 specialist women's services closed as a result.

Mike Baird was often described as a conviction politician, but he was either lacking in conviction on women's safety, or the description was a misnomer. Credit:Nic Walker

It's difficult to understand the real reason behind Going Home Staying Home. Perhaps it really was conceived with the best of intentions, and as happens far too often a good idea was bungled by bureaucracy. Perhaps Mike Baird, a devout Christian and long-time friend of Tony Abbott, and his strongly Christian government, genuinely believed faith-based organisations were better placed to help women fleeing domestic violence than feminist organisations with decades of experience in supporting women.

Whatever the intention, the result was devastating for the community based shelters that were once available to women fleeing for their lives. And Baird, willing to backflip on greyhound racing when it became politically necessary, consistently defended his evisceration of decades of experience and knowledge in the domestic violence sector.
More than 10 councils in regional NSW are set to avoid further forced mergers after emboldened Nationals leader John Barilaro hit the brakes on one of Mike Baird's signature policies, the day after the Premier announced his resignation.

In a statement on Friday Mr Barilaro, the Deputy Premier, vowed "to put an end to the local government mergers in the bush".

Mr Barilaro's stance means cancelling the proposed mergers of Armidale Dumaresq and Guyra with Uralla and Walcha; Bathurst's merger with Oberon; Blayney's with Cabonne and Orange, and Dungog's merger with Maitland, Mr Barilaro's office said.

But it does not affect Shellharbour's merger with Wollongong, or the merger of Newcastle and Port Stephens, except insomuch as Dungog crosses Port Stephens' boundaries.
FARGO  Gov. Doug Burgum will attend Donald Trumps presidential inauguration on today in Washington, said governors office spokesman Mike Nowatzki.

The governor and his wife, Kathryn Helgaas Burgum, left Tuesday for the nations capital and are expected to return to North Dakota this weekend, Nowatzki said, noting that the couple paid their own travel costs.

Along with attending the inauguration and the festivities surrounding it, Burgum plans to meet with the states congressional delegation, members of the Republican Governors Association and federal agriculture, energy and public safety officials, Nowatzki said.

"We are excited that after the November election we have 33 Republican governors, President-elect Donald Trump and the immediate past governor of Indiana in Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who combined have the potential to usher in a new era of states' rights, Burgum said in a statement.

Burgum, a Republican who took office last month, endorsed Trump in May while campaigning for the governors seat. At that point, Trump had all but secured the GOP nomination for president.

With the presidential nomination process effectively over, Republicans must begin focusing on winning the White House. The stakes this November are too high to wait. It is essential for North Dakotas economy that the next president be a Republican, Burgum said at the time.

During their campaigns, Burgum and Trump both portrayed themselves as outsiders battling the establishment. And both touted their success as businessmen.

Voters are looking for a political outsider because the status quo isnt working for many Americans, Burgum said in May. We need business leaders in office that understand the changing economy.

North Dakotas congressional delegates, U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer and Sens. John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp, have all said they will attend the inauguration.
Emergency services have downgraded the warning for a fire on the Sunshine Coast to a watch and act.

However, a Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said on Friday night that the fire that had been burning out of control for more than a day at Coolum Beach was still a threat.

"Weather conditions are calming down, so fire crews are able to have a bit more control, but they are still working to contain it," she said.

More than 35 fire crews, including four water-bombing aircraft, were working to contain the blaze after a change in weather conditions caused it to flare up on Friday morning.
The words "Can't wait for your evening drink?" and "Wine o'clock?" accompany the post.

The Queensland Health Facebook account shared the quiz with a photo of a smiling woman holding a glass of wine, looking at a young girl holding a pencil - presumably inferring she was a mum watching her child.

Facebook users have mocked an online quiz designed to help people discover their relationship with alcohol.

Women have made jokes about a quiz designed to help people evaluate their relationship with alcohol. Credit:Marina Oliphant

Kate Fuller wrote: "I wouldn't have to drink so much if the Queensland government did something to address this heat wave. What's the point of having a government if you can't change the weather? Why am I even paying tax if not for a giant airconditioning dome, like the one on The Simpsons but with an exit? **swigs more gin and tonic**"

Yaz Porter supported the idea of a giant airconditioned dome, considering this week's sustained hot weather, writing: "Now that's something I'd be willing for them to tax me for. Pass the shiraz."

Kate Lindemann said: "And help with homework and cooking dinner. We need something to cope, stupid government!"

Others took note of the image of a mum with a child, with Chelsea saying "I'm a mother of a teething six-month-old in a heatwave... I drink wine once he goes to bed to stop me from going homicidal..." and Niki saying, "I probably drink the normal amount for someone with four kids under the age of 9. Chin chin [a toast] to every mother out there!"
As it happened: CBD horror, four dead, 31 hospitalised as car knocks down pedestrians

Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss

Our network

Open Navigation Menu Brisbane Times Subscribe
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.
Geneva: The death toll from an accidental Nigerian air strike on a refugee camp in the town of Rann has risen to around 90 people, and could be as high as 170, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said in a statement on Friday.

Tuesday's strike on the northeastern town in Borno state, which had Boko Haram militants as its target, has led to an investigation by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). The inquiry's report is due to be submitted no later than February 2.

Smoke rises from a burnt out shelter at a camp for displaced people in Rann, Nigeria, Tuesday January 17. Credit:Medecins Sans Frontieres via AP

The aid group, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said the higher figure of 170 comes from reports from residents and community leaders.

"This figure needs to be confirmed," said Bruno Jochum, MSF General Director, in the statement.
"The message I want to send is that Trump does not represent this country. He represents the corporate interests," said Jessica Reznicek, a 35-year-old Roman Catholic aid worker from Des Moines, Iowa, who was part of the protest but did not participate in the violence. Protesters are isolated by police following the deployment of pepper spray in downtown Washington. Credit:AP Not far from the White House, protesters scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminum chairs at an outdoor cafe. Bob Hrifko, a member of the Bikers for Trump group in town to celebrate the inauguration, was struck in the face when he tried to intervene. Police officers use pepper spray on anti-Trump protesters in Washington. Credit:AP

"I know, law and order and all that. We need more order. This ain't right," said Hrifko, who was bleeding from a cut under his eye. 'Shutting down the capital' Tea gas is used on demonstrators in Washington on Friday. Credit:AP Protesters had promised to shut down Washington for the inauguration, but the event went ahead with few hitches. The crowds did, however, slow crowds from entering onto the Mall and, in one spot, stopped them completely.

Police in downtown Washington on Friday. Credit:AP Just after 8.30am local time, police began redirecting people to other entrances, though police officials said they had not officially shut down any checkpoints. As protesters at the spot shouted "This is what democracy looks like," a Trump supporter countered. He pointed to the other side of the fence and said, "This is what democracy looks like but I can't get to it because of you!" Police use pepper spray on protesters in Washington. Credit:AP Michael Henning came from Dalton, Ohio, to see Mr Trump sworn in and said he was concerned with how the police handled the situation.

"We drove 20 hours and now we can't get in," he said. "Everyone should have just brought guns and had it out, I'd be happy if they just dropped a bomb on them." An American flag is set alight in front of the US Embassy in Mexico City on Friday. Credit:AP At another moment, just before 10.30am, a large group of black-clad protesters made their way south on 13th Street near K Street, throwing newspaper boxes and garbage cans into the street and setting them on fire. Some carried signs, including one that read: "No peaceful transition." Police cleaned up behind them as they marched, and authorities used chemical spray in an attempt to disrupt the vandalism. It is unclear how many protesters descended on the nation's capital for the inauguration, but law enforcement officials were bracing for more than 60 demonstration groups, both in support of and against Mr Trump.

About two dozen groups had received permits for specific gathering spaces for Friday and Saturday, when the Women's March will take over the streets. According to their permit requests, some of those groups on Friday were anticipating as few as 20 participants; others were planning for tens of thousands. 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. Thursday night, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the National Press Club in downtown Washington, where the "DeploraBall" was being held. They shouted obscenities and insults such as "racist" and Nazi" at those attending the celebratory ball on the eve of Mr Trump's inauguration, and at one point someone threw an object that hit a counter protester in the head. Officers directed chemical spray at the crowd multiple times after protesters began throwing trash at Trump supporters who were leaving the building. A group of about 100 LBGT activist marched past McPherson Square about 7.30am, some of them holding a banner that read: "Out of the Closet. Into the Streets." At a checkpoint neat 10th and E streets early on Friday, a group of women tied themselves together with purple yarn and sat down, blocking people from passing.

"Hey, hey, ho, ho! Donald Trump has to go!" the group of about 100 mostly young protesters said. "End white supremacy!" The protest continued until a large group of inauguration attendees  many dressed in suits and dress clothes  tried to push through the human barricade. People started falling to the ground and swearing until police officers helped create a lane for the attendees to pass through. Not all of the demonstrations on Friday were anti-Trump. Among those groups that requested permits for space are two organisations that support him: Bikers for Trump and Let America Hear Us, Roar for Trump. The latter was sharing Dupont Circle with a group that did not request a permit but set up there early Friday  DCMJ, which was formerly known as the D.C. Cannabis Campaign and was behind the successful effort to legalise marijuana in the District in 2015. The group, which started rolling joints this month, planned to hand out 4,200 before marching to the Mall. Once there, there was a plan to light up four minutes and 20 seconds into Trump's speech.

A 40-year-old pot grower named Josh stood near Dupont Circle on Friday morning, controlling the line, which stretched up Massachusetts Avenue. He said he had donated a half-pound of his own weed for the giveaway. "I'd appreciate it if you don't do any illegal here," he told the crowd. "If you want to do something illegal, take it down the block." Another organisation, the ANSWER Coalition, planned to host a large gathering at the US Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue. The group, which stands for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, planned to have a 28-foot stage and large sound system to showcase speakers and performers throughout the morning and afternoon. The main message was one of resistance to the Trump agenda.
Washington: Donald Trump being Donald Trump and politics being politics, much of what he promised for inclusion on his Day One to-do list, either will be executed by an order to be signed by Trump on Monday or will be acknowledged as an important, with a view to being addressed in the coming days, weeks or months.

Remember the urgency of building the Mexican border wall, ending the "war on coal", repealing Obamacare and branding China a currency manipulator  and by implication initiating whatever action such a declaration might require?

Without going into detail, Trump aides claim that as many as 200 draft executive orders are ready for the new President's signature and will be dribbled out in the coming two weeks, with the view to creating the sense of a Trump tsunami at work.

Here are some of Trump's designated must-dos:
With motorcades, pomp and pageantry, and uniformed marines festooned in gold and shiny buttons and bayonets, the purpose of America's presidential inauguration is simple: it is pure political theatre.

And while businessman-turned-president Donald Trump may still be finding his size 12 feet in the political arena, he took to the stage today a man in the space he finds most comfortable, playing the star of the show.

In terms of staging, you could not have set the scene more perfectly: the weather in Washington DC was damp and grey, and in California and New York, the two states arguably watching proceedings with the greatest measure of shock, it was appropriately pouring with rain.

Much like it was for many of the 44 men who came before him, Trump's swearing in as the 45th president of the United States came with its ritualistic touches: golden eagle-topped staves and a hand laid gently, and meaningfully, on the Bible.
WILLISTON -- Garrick Turners hopes of being one of the first to sell medical marijuana in Williams County were put on hold this week, at least temporarily, as the state Legislature considers delaying parts of the Compassionate Care Act until the summer.

But the Williston man is still hoping to eventually open a dispensary, and is looking to find others willing to invest in the venture as well as he found out the startup costs will be much higher than he expected with a $5,000 application fee and a $25,000 certification charge.

Turner, a father of three, and his wife Amanda, were originally hoping to draft a business plan along with another partner, but a look at the application and certification fees made it clear that operating a compassion center, or medical marijuana dispensary, requires more capital than what the three were expecting.

Once I read that I was like good Lord, that makes it somewhat out of reach for someone like me, Turner, 37, said in reference to a $5,000 application fee and a $25,000 certification charge. I am very worried that they are setting this up for the current dispensary holders that have a bank full of cash. I dont think theyre gearing it for the guy who wants to put money back into the community.

The Compassionate Care Act, or Measure 5, earned more than 60 percent of votes cast statewide in the November general election.

On Tuesday, the North Dakota Senate voted to delay portions of the bill in order to give the states Department of Health more time to formulate laws to regulate the distribution of medical marijuana.

Lawmakers said the move wasnt intended to slow the availability of the drug, rather, the delay is to allow for enough preparation time to make sure the process goes smoothly and safely.

The state House of Representatives is expected to vote on the proposal this week or next.

Meanwhile, Turner, who attended a Williams County Commission meeting on Tuesday with the intention of making specific inquiry into getting approval for a dispensary, is waiting for the outcome.

It will just be very hard for me to develop a solid business plan unless I know exactly what the state is going to do, he said.

There is nothing currently in county regulations in regards to the location of marijuana dispensaries, but it will likely be an issue that the planning and zoning commission will need to address in order to have something on the books going forward, county officials say.

Well probably have to put that in there, Williams County Commission chairman David Montgomery said. Right now were at the mercy of what the states going to do until the state defines the rules and regulations.

Now, the application process to operate a dispensary requires numerous steps, including proof of status as a nonprofit, a description of the facility and an outline of security measures.

Aware that reaction to the idea of a marijuana dispensary in a generally conservative area may not be completely positive, Turner said he hoped to sway opinions by donating profits back to the community.

I just figured it would get a much better reception if they were working with somebody who was willing to put the profits right back into the community, he said. I want more for this area and I would hope others do too.
Whitney Ruiz and her teenage son Zac watched Donald Trump's inaugural address from the National Mall, wearing Trump buttons, plastic ponchos and smiles. Massive crowds fill the national mall at Barack Obama's first inauguration in 2008. Credit:AP "I thought that was powerful," Ruiz, who travelled from San Angelo, Texas, said afterwards. She said she thought he would be a strong president, and "hoped he would be a godly man, and listen". "I like the things he says he's going to do - border security, military strength - I think Supreme Court nominations that will come through this presidency will be very important." A parked limousine burns during a demonstration after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Credit:AP

Despite the presence of protesters all over DC, Ruiz believed it would be possible for much of the division in the country to ease during Trump's term. "I hope that if conditions in the country continue to improve under his administration, it will calm tempers and make amends." Protesters hold signs against US President Donald Trump at the National Mall during the inauguration. Credit:Bloomberg The earlier section of Trump's address, with its dark references to "this American carnage", did not seem to stir the crowd. But the new President's emphatic pledge to always put "America first" drew a loud cheer, and the pledge to fight "radical Islamic terrorism" produced an enthusiastic roar. Mark, who declined to give his surname and said he was a Gulf War veteran, said Trump's win was a victory for all "the old school red-blooded Americans, who don't allow diversity to happen, don't obey globalists and believe everybody has the right to be sovereign".

A protester faces off with a line of riot police in Washington, DC, during the inauguration. Credit:AP The crowd on the Mall was dotted with protesters making silent statements - holding banners with messages like "Putin's Puppet" and "Keep Your Baby Hands Off My Rights". Tom Nason, 26, stood patiently in line for hours alongside Trump supporters with his "Dump Trump" sign waiting to enter the Mall before proceedings began. He said he wasn't at all nervous about being an outsider in the crowd, and was more fearful of the police than anyone else. A pile of burning newspaper machines at a demonstration against Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington. Credit:AP He said there would be a strong resistance to Trump. "It has to start now and not let up," he said.

Also waiting in line was Mike Shervock, from Virginia Beach, who said thought Donald Trump was going to be an "excellent president", perhaps even another Ronald Reagan. A lone silent protester on the sparsely populated National Mall just before Donald Trump's swearing in. Credit:Josephine Tovey Shervock voted for Obama in 2008, impressed with his message of hope and change, and says he still likes him as a person - "I'd have a beer with him" - but doesn't think things changed for the better during his presidency. He hopes Trump will be different. "I wanted change," he said. "Democrat, Republican, no - I just wanted overall change from the way things have been in the past." Evan Matheson dressed for the occasion at Donald Trump's inauguration. Credit:Josephine Tovey

He acknowledged how divided America was now about politcs, saying he'd experienced it within his own family, but believed Trump had it within him to turn things around. "I want to take him at his word that he wants to heal everybody," he said. Evan Matheson, 25, stood with a group of friends, wearing a Make America Great Again cap and a blue blazer adorned with white stars. While Matheson said he wasn't a fan of Trump's during the primary, he said that when it came down to a choice between Trump and Hillary Clinton - "who is obviously a criminal" - the choice was clear. "For a lot of people it will have meant a lot to them, a lot of people do feel left behind," he said of Trump's address. Vendors made the most of the opportunity - selling merchandise to both protesters and Trump supporters alike, some even from the same stand. Around the National Mall, Trump hats, flags, badges and teddy bears were all the rage. Over by the protests at Franklin Square, T-Shirts declaring "F-ck Trump" were being offered.
My husband is a court officer and volunteers in the police force. [Obama] didn't support law enforcement the way he did the community that felt they were being unjustly treated. I think he could have done a better job instead of pointing blame. Instead of saying we need to educate people on how to behave when they're being pulled over by police. I'm seeing a barrage of patients coming in from different countries. An Iraqi immigrant came in last night, he needs dialysis. He will never be productive in the US, he will always be dependent on Medicaid. I feel for him, I want to help him, but we have to take care of our own people first. Driving to work yesterday, I saw three homeless people. They need our help. If I turned down every candidate who objectified women, I'd vote for no one. A 'Good Man, Deep Down' Voter: Sandy Pearson, 48. Studying to be a mortgage broker. Home: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Trump's not a perfect man, by any means. He kind of reminds me of my ex-husband. I think he's a really good man, deep down. This guy has such potential, and I truly believe he cares about our country and wants to help everyone. I do read things on occasion that he tweets and I think, oh my word. I wish I could have had 10 minutes with him. Listen, Donald, you need to straighten up and stop with this foolishness. What he said about women was disrespectful. But I don't get offended like some people do. You get through the bad and you focus on the good. Basically these were our choices, and I felt he was the better choice, and I had to overlook the negatives and focus on the positives. At the very beginning of this election, I was leaning toward Bernie Sanders. I looked at all the candidates, what were their ideas to help our country out of debt and make our military strong and be there for our vets. I have so many friends whose health care costs have doubled and are having to get extra jobs just to pay their insurance. And I read all these things about people where their religious liberties are not being taken seriously. 'He Knows How to Build Things'

Voter: Deb Alighire, 44. Engineer and program manager at Mopar, a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Home: Clarkston, Michigan I'm very focused on bringing the plants back. In metro Detroit, waiters usually were younger people and during the time of hardship, the bankruptcies, it was very striking to me to go to a Papa Gino's and have a middle-aged man being a waiter. Usually these people would have some kind of job related to the automotive industry. I'm super excited about Trump. I believe he knows how to build things. My dad worked at a coal power plant for 39 years and they're freaked out about energy changing too quickly. I'm also concerned about immigration. I went to Minnesota and I had a Somali cabdriver who lectured me for 35 minutes to the airport about how women in the United States have too much freedom. My thought process on that is that I don't like seeing people going through the hardship they go through, but I don't want to go backward in the feminist movement, either. Taylor Davis: 'I think that Trump really cares about having high-skilled jobs back here' Credit:New York Times

Daughter of Engineers Voter: Taylor Davis, 27. Works in a small business. Home: Enfield, Connecticut I helped campaign for Obama and I was a die-hard Bernie supporter. When he backed Hillary Clinton, I couldn't get behind it. Both my parents are engineers. My mom was an engineer long before many women in the field. When the economy started faltering, she went from a very high position at Pratt & Whitney to being unemployed for a year, and that was heartbreaking. I think that Trump really cares about having high-skilled jobs back here, not necessarily the service industry. Do I think Trump's trying to send women back to the kitchen? No, his daughter is a great example. She ran the "Women Who Work" campaign long before he ran for president.

Didn't Like Him, Until a Rally Voter: Robin Mueller, 42. Preschool teacher. Home: Sterling Heights, Michigan I made up my mind for Trump at the last minute. Since my husband is in the military, I was concerned about having someone who didn't have military experience, didn't have the knowledge of dealing with world leaders. And I kind of thought he had a big mouth. But I had an eightyear-old who was totally on the Trump train. He talked me into taking him to a Trump rally. I expected him to be like what I'd seen on the news, saying hateful things. But his presence was very calming and I liked his talking points. We really are the middle class, and we kind of get swept aside. The first time she ran against Obama, I was all on board for Hillary Clinton. I really wanted to have a female president. I think that's important. But I'm not sure that's her. In the past, her stance on abortion was more the way I feel, just for the first trimester, then she did a 360 [sic]. She was here in the primary, having a debate with Bernie Sanders. He answered the question honestly. When they asked her the same question, she kind of danced around it. Then she went on The View and said she was for late-term abortions. Just take a stance, be honest. Same thing as with gay marriage, she wasn't for it, then she was. I'm 100 per cent for it. It's ridiculous the way we tell people who they can and cannot marry. Don't go back and forth. Don't pander.

I voted for Obama the last time. I don't agree with a lot of what he said, but I felt he was honest. A Racist? 'You Don't Know Me' Voter: Katie Holder, 39. Owns a weight-loss business. Home: Gulf Shores, Alabama I feel very, very badly for the people who are very scared for their way of life. From what I'm understanding, he's only really wanting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes to be deported, which I agree with. I feel bad for the lesbian and gay and transsexual community that fear for their way of life. From what I understand, he says he's not going to mess with that. Somebody called me a racist because I did vote for Trump. Hold on, you don't know me. Doesn't that make you a racist by calling me a racist when you don't know me? I'm looking for a brighter future for me and my children, and honestly I felt like our country was kind of at risk if we did elect Hillary.

Victoria Czapski: 'I don't want to live in a country where we have to worry about going to the movie theatre or the mall.' Credit:New York Times No Time for Political Correctness Voter: Victoria Czapski, 45. Works in education. Home: Sterling Heights, Michigan I felt he had what it would take to get the country back on track. Being PC was going to kill the country. He speaks his mind and because of that, he's not going to lie to you. I don't want immigrants, accepting them without doing the background checks. Are these people terrorists? I don't want to live in a country where we have to worry about going to the movie theatre or the mall. Let's be on the offensive, versus the defensive. We are a country based on immigrants. But I believe they should go through the process. My great-grandparents came here; they had to learn English. This is a Christian country. The whole bending over backward. He says what everyone's thinking and is afraid to say. That doesn't make anyone bigoted.

I'm not saying there are people out there who shouldn't be helped. I worked in the inner cities. They're on welfare. They make a certain amount of money and everything gets taken away. That amount of money is so low that they have no incentive to work. Why don't you allow them to gradually earn more money? Find a way to help people get over the hump. Can't Put Him in a Box Voter: Pam Cornett, 46. Formerly self-employed, now working in customer service. Home: Chattanooga, Tennessee I voted for Trump because I wanted change. I feel like our economy has totally tanked. People do not have disposable income. I feel the last eight years have been a joke. Obama was out for himself. I don't think he really respected the office. I think it was more about him being a celebrity than a president. Trump's a successful businessman, and I feel like that's what the United States needs to bring our economy back. I don't think Donald Trump is really Republican, to be quite honest with you. He's not in a box. One of the most attractive things to me is he can't be boxed. He wants to bring America back to what it was before. I don't think it's taking us back to women have no rights or slavery days.

Paula Filar: 'Benghazi. The emails. The IRS. She's a liar . . . I'd rather have someone there who doesn't need the money.' Credit:New York Times He Was Egregious, but She Lied Voter: Paula Filar, 71. Retired business owner. Home: Shelby Township, Michigan I thought if he would only have kept his mouth shut during the primary. About the way people looked, about their size. Really? About McCain. I mean, really? All of it was so egregious. I hated it, I cringed. All of that was bad, but it didn't stop me. And it's like Hillary has the right to talk about Trump when she stayed with a guy who was in the White House and took advantage of a young intern? Why would you stay with him? Benghazi. The emails. The IRS. She's a liar. The Clintons got wealthy because of their position. I'd rather have someone there who doesn't need the money. He's got a message. He's going to make a change. Her message was all him. All negative ads.

I spent a long time in the staffing industry here, worked with the automotive industry. We weren't competitive. That's got to be turned around. We have to have incentives for companies to keep their work here. Dark Suspicions Voter: Tangie Wooden, 44. Learning facilitator for Blue Cross of Tennessee. Home: Ringgold, Georgia When Trump became my only choice, I felt he was the lesser of two evils. I had major issues with Hillary as far as ethics was concerned. It seems she feels that she is above the law and nothing ever seems to stick. I didn't particularly like everything he was saying as far as building a wall, and doing this to immigrants. I looked at that more as bravado, his audience needed that to get the applause. But there are allegations about killing people who get in her way - Vince Foster, people like that. Someone who has a big bravado is not as concerning to me as someone who might kill people who get in her way.

Good Business Sense Voter: Kasia Riddle, 43. Substitute teacher. Home: Murfreesboro, Tennessee I run my household like a business, my classroom like a business. I expect him to run the country in such a manner. You don't pay more money out than you have. You want to have your budget under control. You want to know the people you're working with are above average. You want to pick the people based on what they can do, not on what they did for you. He's not getting large amounts from donors based on what you'll do for me later. Guzin Karides: 'I laughed Trump off like everyone else did.' Credit:New York Times A Voice for Women

Voter: Guzin Karides, 49. Homemaker, former attorney. Home: Virginia Beach, Virginia I laughed Trump off like everyone else did. Once I stopped laughing at him and started listening, I started to support him. I felt like once you got past the bluster, he really was interested in helping everyone. I do think having a secure border is very important. My father was a Muslim immigrant from Turkey, he went through the process. I don't agree with a ban on Muslims, but my father was very wary of Muslims who came over if they didn't have a reason to be here. He would support a full vetting, but not a total ban. I have always considered myself a feminist. For me, I want to be treated the exact same way. That's not the feel I get from feminists today, they want extra privileges. I gave up my first marriage so I could be a law partner and then I had to give up on my partnership so I could be a better mom. To say women are going backward would be wrong. Look at how much Trump hires women, how much he does rely on women, how much he relies on his own daughter. I'm sort of amazed by her. She may pull him more into the middle. She'll be a good voice for women.
Latest News Mortgage stress hits Australian households Learn seven ways to ease the interest rate burden, says broker

New investor strengthens Invoice Finance Group Partnership will provide funding, new products for SMEs

Steve Weston, former CEO of mortgages at Barclays Bank in the UK, has joined the advisory board of simplyaskit, a consumer financial startup which links consumers and financial experts through a digital platform.Prior to heading up mortgages and lending at Barclay Bank in 2012, Weston was the general manager of broker platforms for NAB . He returned to Australia in January 2016 and used his expertise to advise a number of businesses both here in Australia and internationally.Ryan said he was thrilled to have a senior executive and industry leader like Weston join the firm's advisory board.Consumers want experts to be genuine, reliable and trustworthy. Having someone with Steves experience and integrity on board, should give consumers confidence that they will have access to the right advice and expertise.Simplyaskit is an open community exchange which lets consumers to ask questions and find advice across a number of sectors including home loans, real estate and finance.It is a Q&A exchange where consumers can ask questions at their convenience, find the right advice, access the best expertise and interact with the experts answering their questions, Ryan told Australian Broker.The platform currently has 400 experts on its panel including a bit over 300 mortgage and finance brokers.As simplyaskit is open platform, all questions and answers are available to the public, Ryan said. This means that anyone can read over the questions posted and, if they see an expert they like, get in touch.As it is an open community forum, consumers can view all the questions and answers, they can see who is answering questions, their level of expertise and advice. They can access their profiles and view all their answers and any blogs or videos theyve posted. They can even start following them which allows the experts to communicate content directly to their followers.If they feel theyd like further assistance from the expert, they can click the Contact Me button which generates new business for the industry exper.In this way, brokers can elevate themselves and their advice digitally by engaging and interacting with consumers in a modern marketplace, he said.Because the platform is open to anyone, experts can respond to answers left by others on each question. In this way, those who are more experienced can comment on possible mistakes or oversights made by those newer to the industry.All the information is 100% transparent so it means if some answers are deemed light on information, then industry experts can correct the information which is a big win for consumers because they are getting the right advice and gaining access to the best expertise, Ryan said.We have made it far more engaging in that experts have a choice in how they can answer questions. They can use the traditional method of writing the answer or they can use the audio and video tools within the app itself. It is a great resource for industry experts to engage, elevate their profile and expertise on what is an open community platform  it isnt gated like other social mediums.This can make the platform a learning experience for brokers as they gain advice from those more with more expertise in the field, Ryan said.
Latest News Mortgage stress hits Australian households Learn seven ways to ease the interest rate burden, says broker

New investor strengthens Invoice Finance Group Partnership will provide funding, new products for SMEs

A new report by trends forecaster Hotspotting states that the number of apartments being sold off-the-plan in many major Aussie metropolitan areas  such as the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane  currently exceeds demand. This is dangerous for property investors because oversupply would force prices down.Property analysts widely consider oversupply to be a red flag for off-the-plan buyers because it puts downward pressure on prices. This in turn increases the risk of homes being worth far less than what their owners paid for them once construction is complete.Units in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta, compared to inner Sydney, posed an even greater risk to buyers because of already-falling sales volumes.Parramatta, in particular, is a concern, Terry Ryder, director of Hotspotting, told News.com.au. There is already a pattern of decline in sales but supply is still increasing. Its a very dangerous combination.On the whole, Sydneys oversupply concerns are more long-term, and are restricted to areas like Green Square, the CBD fringe, and Parramatta.According to Ryder, inner Melbourne posed the biggest danger for buyers. New supply in Melbourne has gone way over the top but many buyers are unaware of this, he said. The danger is that the risks arent glaringly obvious. In other markets, buyers may have a better sense of what theyre getting into.Apartment buyers in inner Brisbane face similar issues, and Ryder calls this area the countrys second most significant no-go area.Across capitals, developers have sought to remedy the supply imbalances by targeting foreign buyers, especially those from mainland China, in the hope that they would absorb the excess housing stock.Ryder says this strategy wont work because Australian and Asian banks have clamped down on foreign lending.Angie Zigomanis, analyst at BIS Shrapnel, agreed that foreign buying was on the decline, leading to softer demand overall. He noted that foreign demand was at its peak 18 months ago, but has since been on the decline.While the glut of inner city apartments throughout the country was worrisome, it was felt to a different degree in each capital. Inner Sydney is the only major CBD market where rising supply will not push down prices in the immediate future, Zigomanis said.
Latest News Mortgage stress hits Australian households Learn seven ways to ease the interest rate burden, says broker

New investor strengthens Invoice Finance Group Partnership will provide funding, new products for SMEs

US financial technology company SoFi has hinted at its plans to launch an Australian branch that offers mortgages and changes the banking world.The firm, which is based in San Francisco, has recently put out a LinkedIn job advertisement for a manager of mortgage operations in Sydney. It is also looking to hire a marketing manager and an operations manager.This would be the fintechs first office outside of the US where it has funded more than US$14 billion in student loan refinancing, personal loans and mortgages, reported the Australian Financial Review.The job ad says the new hire would preferably have non-bank lending experience and would be responsible for building out an in-house mortgage customer service and underwriting operation to serve SoFis new mortgage business line.This will include developing the operations, processing and underwriting functions as well as supervising mortgage originations at or ahead of target.SoFi recently raised US$1 billion of funding and has grown its staff from 150 to more than 800 over the past year. It offers a range of its own mortgage products which can be applied for directly via smartphone, reported The Economist in an article last year.Borrowers  or members as the fintech refers to them  are also showered with a range of other services. This includes being invited to parties to network, using SoFis offices for investor meetings and even tapping into the firms network to find employment.When contacted by Australian Broker, a SoFi spokesperson declined to comment about the companys future plans for Australia and its expansion into the local mortgage market.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

Friday Jan. 20 A new world

Take a break from the news and visit a crazy fantasy world, in which childish people with incredible power can be given control of an entire nation. The Syfy television show The Magicians, brings its world of Fillion to life for the next nine days with the Hall of Magic, a series of room filled with illusions and levitation.

210 pm at William Vale Retail Center (55 Wythe Ave. between N. 12th and N. 13th streets in Williamsburg, www.hallo fmagi cnyc.com ). Free with RSVP.

Saturday Jan. 21 Dame of thrones

After trying your hand at magic, see how a real wizard does it in The Tempest, Shakespeares play about a magician who rules a mysterious island. This all-female production, set in a womens prison, stars the amazing Harriet Walter as the wizard Prospero.

2 pm and 7:30 pm at St. Anns Warehouse [45 Water St. at New Dock Street in Dumbo, (718) 8348794], www.stann sware house.org ]. $26$61.

Sunday

Jan. 22

Getting cocky

Lets face it: 2017 isnt working out. Instead, we should switch to the lunar calendar and welcome the Year of the Rooster along with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, which will use music, dancing dragons, and fancy outfits to celebrate the new year and explain the zodiac that guides it.

Hit the books: Harriet Walters plays the wizard Prospero in The Tempest, now playing at St. Anns Warehouse. Helen Maybanks

3 pm Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College [2900 Campus Rd. between Hillel Place and Avenue H in Midwood, (718) 9514500], www.brook lynce nter.org . $25.

Tuesday Jan. 24 Feeling Blue Raincoat

An impressive array of artists will play secret chords tonight at Sincerely, L. Cohen, a tribute to recently departed folk icon Leonard Cohen. Saying goodbye will be Lucy Wainwright Roche (pictured), Sonic Youths Lee Ranaldo, Okkervil Rivers Will Sheff, Deer Ticks Ian ONeil, and many more.

7 pm at Music Hall of Williamsburg [66 N. Sixth St. between Kent and Wythe avenues in Williamsburg, (718) 4865400, www.music hallo fwill iamsb urg.com ]. $25 ($22 in advance).

Thursday

Jan. 26

Witch perfect

The second-greatest prank the Devil ever pulled is the Black Metal Dialogues, a fabled email exchange between fictional Satanic rockers Witch Taint and an unsuspecting Norwegian record label. Comedian Dave Hill, who started it all, will read from the exchange live, then perform as Witch Taint for the first time tonight.

8 pm at Saint Vitus (1120 Manhattan Ave. between Box and Clay streets in Greenpoint, www.saint vitus bar.com ). $8.
A bill that would put all of North Dakota on Central time and exempt the state from daylight savings time drew little testimony Thursday, but lawmakers said its a hot topic among their constituents.

Sen. Dave Oehlke, R-Devils Lake, said he proposed Senate Bill 2167 after hearing from people in his district who complained about difficulties adjusting to daylight savings time.

I just think its a good idea not to have to disrupt your life and change your clock every six months, Oehlke told members of the Senate Transportation Committee.

But committee members expressed concerns about how eliminating daylight savings time would affect communities like Fargo, Grand Forks and Wahpeton that straddle the border with Minnesota.

How do you address that along the eastern side of the state when just across the river they are on daylight savings time? asked Sen. David Rust, R-Tioga.

Committee Vice Chairman Jonathan Casper, R-Fargo, said hes received more emails and feedback on this bill than any other proposal before the Legislature this session.

Casper said at this point he opposes the bill out of concern about impacts to cities that border Minnesota, but he said the committee plans to continue studying the issue before making a recommendation.

Bismarck resident Dave Ludwig was among those who testified in support of the bill, noting that eliminating the need to change the clock would be better for children with set bedtimes and ranchers who rise early.

This is one of the dumbest things we do in our country, time change, Ludwig said.

Cal Klewin of Bowman, which is on Mountain time, said people outside of the state dont understand why North Dakota has two different time zones. Klewin noted its also confusing that Williston is on Central even though its further west of Dickinson that is on Mountain time.

Im jumping back and forth between different time zones all the time, Klewin said. I dont know what time it is.

Sen. Carolyn Nelson, D-Fargo, questioned what would happen if federally managed entities such as post offices and airports followed daylight savings time and North Dakota cities did not. Nelson said she wanted more information on the possible ramifications of the bill.

Rust noted that Dickinson voters have opposed switching to Central time and questioned why legislators should impose a change.

It kind of flies in the face of some local control, Rust said.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

Its a locally-sourced, artisanally made delight!

The new play [Porto,] now playing at the Bushwick Starr, has all of the elements that could make it an insufferable millennial romantic comedy. It is set in a mid-hyper-gentrification Brooklyn neighborhood, at a bar that used to be a medical supply store, lit by Edison bulbs and presided over by a foodie bartender with a neck tattoo who serves pickled pomegranates and bacon-wrapped foie gras, and who judges his customers orders. It could be, in playwright Kate Bensons brilliant coinage, boushy  bourgeois, and also douchey. (Or even just straight-up douchey.)

Instead, it is witty, thoughtful, and sweet, an intimate charmer that knows it cant avoid romantic comedy cliche entirely, and so embraces and repurposes the genre with clear-eyed affection for its characters, an eloquent narrator, a bracing dose of philosophy, and an occasional foray into the surreal.

The titular Porto (Julia Serna-Frest) is a classic rom-com sidekick: a zaftig woman with romantic disaster behind her, building her identity one solo drink at the neighborhood bar, one harmless flirtation with Raphael the waiter (Ugo Chukwu), and one good book (with a spare always in her bag) at a time.

Her friend Dry Sac (Leah Karpel) is the girl guys like: stunning, self-absorbed, more than a little obnoxious. Porto doesnt want to be lonely, or afraid, but she is. Dry Sac probably doesnt want to be annoying, but she is.

Reading out: [Porto] is a millennial rom-com, but presented with charm, wit, and a lot of drinking. Aaron RadioSilence

So when sexy bearded hipster Hennepin (Jorge Cordova) starts hanging out at the bar, the ensuing love triangle seems inevitable. Fortunately, [Porto] has a few more tricks up its sleeve.

It is a tightly structured play given its simplicity, with layered themes, well-managed tone shifts, and a rousing feminist debate over the soul of its heroine, along with an entertaining chorus of Dumb Bunnies  human-sized, male dumb bunnies.

Playwright Benson appears in the show as the lesser god who owns the bar and narrates the piece. She and director Lee Sunday Evans steer the cast through dangerous waters, avoiding both chirpy optimism and morose navel-gazing; offering grounded cynicism but not knee-jerk snark; and with a dash of whimsy without a hint of twee. This heartfelt show has some close shaves, but it makes the right call every time.

[Porto] at the Bushwick Starr [207 Starr St. between Wyckoff and Irving avenues in Bushwick, www.thebu shwic kstar r.org ]. WedSat at 8 pm through Feb. 4. $20.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

Police are looking for two louts who swiped $282 from a 9-year-old boy after luring him out of a Fort Greene department store on Jan. 10.

The dirtbags started chatting to the youngster inside the big-box store at the mall on Flatbush and Atlantic avenues at around 5:30 pm and then convinced him to leave the store with them, cops said.

Once outside, one of the jerks put his hand over the kids mouth while the other swiped the cash from his pants pocket, according to police.

Police ask anyone with information about the crime to call (800) 5778477, submit tips at www.nypdc rimes toppe rs.com , or text 274637 followed by TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
A Williston bookkeeper who stole at least $2.8 million from her employer was sentenced Thursday to 33 months in prison.

Daphney Harstad pleaded guilty to felony wire fraud in federal court in October after cooperating with an FBI investigation into her theft. The criminal charges followed a civil suit that she resolved for about $1.3 million, her attorney said in court Thursday.

According to a plea agreement, the 44-year-old woman bought luxury goods, including jewelry, on her personal credit card then repaid herself using company checks from 2006 to 2014. She bought from stores including Tiffany & Co., Nordstrom and Michael Kors.

"I truly believe someone who embezzled millions of dollars from her employer deserves to lose her freedom for some time," said U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland as he sentenced her at the low end of the guideline range.

Harstad apologized to the company and the court for what she called her "misguided action."

At her plea hearing in October, she told the judge she wasn't sure how it all started.

"I know at one time I did actually put a personal credit card for a company bill and then paid for it. And I think after that, it just kind of kept rolling and rolling and it got  it seemed like it was easier. I never knew how it would end. I guess my biggest fear was that it would end this way," she said, according to a transcript. "I got caught up in wanting more."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Hochhalter, chief of the criminal division, suggested in court she may have stolen more, but this was what the FBI could show in their investigation, as records prior to 2006 were unavailable. The civil suit against her claims she shredded records prior to quitting in 2014. Owner Tyler Goodman testified the company lost a total of about $5 million.

"After as many years as she worked there, the company trusted her," her former manager Georgene Beaustad told the court. "She put the company in a very bad situation because of her theft."

The federal courtroom in Bismarck was nonetheless packed Wednesday morning with her supporters.

Harstad's current employer, Rod Boldt, who supervises her at a farm equipment company in Williston, testified that she is "invaluable to our business at this time."

Her Fargo-based attorney Jesse Lange argued that she should get some leniency because she has a job, cooperated with authorities and has gotten some mental health counseling.

Hovland allowed her to voluntarily surrender to prison by March 17. Following her prison sentence, she will serve three years of supervised probation.
Yardley Friends Meeting at 65 N. Main Street in Yardley will host the documentary Organic Roots on Friday, November 18 at 7 p.m. Join director Al Johnson for a showing of this film followed by a discussion of the last 50 years of this movement. Organic foods are part of our life today and a tool in our concern for...
latest news

October 31, 2022

Buddy TV

In November, there are hundreds of new and returning TV showsit can be overwhelming to try and choose what to watch. That's why we've selected some of the best options...
The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has welcomed one of the largest independent timber merchants in Scotland, MGM Timber (Scotland) into membership.

MGM Timber was established in 1991 and has grown to become Scotlands local merchant of choice for both trade and retail customers. The company employs over 165 staff and has an annual turnover of over 42m.

Trading out of 12 branches across Scotland, MGM Timber has recently completed the purchase of Hamilton-based Robert Reid & Sons. Last year, the merchant announced ambitious expansion plans to open new branches in Aberdeen and Edinburgh and are currently looking for suitable premises.

Graham Bolton, BMF Scotland regional manager, said: We are delighted to welcome MGM Timber into the BMF. As a progressive and forward thinking company they are set to be an active and valuable BMF member in Scotland. I look forward to working closely with Brian Smith, sales director, and his team.

Brian Smith, sales director at MGM Timber, added: MGM Timber sees joining the BMF as a positive move for our company. The benefits the BMF can bring to us such as training and development, market data and networking will help us as we grow our company.
Marsh Industries has unveiled a campaign to help its UK merchant network raise money for local charities and community groups.

The company is encouraging merchant branches to get involved by displaying a fundraising Appeal Tank' on trade counters, with all the money raised going to a local charity or cause of their choice.

Steve Boyer, managing director at Marsh industries, said: The objective of the Marsh Merchant Appeal is to help our merchants and partners raise valuable funds for the causes they care about most. The Appeal also provides the opportunity to gain positive local and social media exposure while boosting corporate social responsibility and morale within the workplace.

Those who sign up will receive a Merchant Appeal Pack to kick off their campaign. The pack includes the Appeal Tank and a counter display accompanied by special merchant discount vouchers.

To sign up for the Marsh Merchant Appeal, contact Marsh industries on 01933 654582 or email marshappeal@marshindustries.co.uk.
Stelrad has taken on five apprentices as production technicians for a two-year period, as part of its drive to provide career opportunities to local young people, while introducing new blood into the business.

Forming a partnership with local training company RNN Training, the apprentices will divide their time between work based learning on the job at Stelrad and regular skills learning at Rotherham College.

Mark Evans, operational training and competency officer at Stelrad, said: For the first year, the apprentices will have set time periods across different departments. They start off in the office doing a few days with HR, one day with credit control and purchasing and so on, so they can see the whole Stelrad process in action, from the production of the material to distribution.

This varied and hands-on approach has proven popular with the apprentices, with the new learners commenting that the training was a good opportunity to understand all the different aspects of the business, which will give them an insight into which area they would like to progress into after their apprenticeship has been completed.

Mr Evans explains that the idea is to educate the apprentices in the broad spectrum of the inner workings of Stelrad, from raw material coming in to radiators being sent out at the end.

Having been an apprentice himself, Mr Evans understands the advantages of learning on the job. He said: Our operations director and our production manager trained as apprentices, as well as me. We all think its an ideal opportunity for these guys to develop themselves and their skills, and for us to invest in our local community.

RNN Training worked closely with Stelrad to find the right candidates for the apprenticeships: RNN Training has helped us a lot, especially in the selection process, continued Mr Evans. Ive been to Rotherham College a few times now and the facilities at the Dinnington Campus are really going to help these guys develop and learn.

Its allowing us to form a good partnership with a local college instead of having to go further afield. Its great for us and the apprentices that everything is on the doorstep.

Stelrad hopes to expand its apprenticeship intake in the future, branching out into different areas as the partnership with RNN Training progresses. Mr Evans said: Apprenticeships are the foundation stone of bigger and better things. So from this, were hoping to bring in an intake of four or five apprentices every year and the hope is that in three or four years time, itll be these guys who are training our other apprentices.

Charlie Grayson, business development manager at RNN Training, concluded: This new partnership with Stelrad is an important step in strengthening our connections with local employers and in ensuring that young people continue to learn and develop in an educational environment that suits them best. We look forward to continuing our work with Stelrad in the future.
Jewson has teamed up with Quest TV to give you the chance to win a host of top prizes, including 10,000 in cash.

In addition to the top cash prize, the nationwide builders merchant is also giving away six ultimate tank driving experiences to celebrate the new series of Combat Dealers.

The series, which returned for a new series on 10 January, sees a team of experts travel the world in search of rare World War II artefacts and objects they can restore and resell.

Visit www.jewsonquest.co.uk to be in with a chance of winning.
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.
With a population of 1.4 billion we are the third largest economy spending Rs 6 trillion on healthcare. Despite this huge spending Indias challenges are immense and there is still a need to address communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) affecting a greater mass especially in the semi-urban and rural areas.
Coming closely after the demonetization drive that has overwhelmed the citizens and the economy for the past two months, the 2017 is being awaited with bated breath. Expectations are high that the government would reward the common man with incentives and tax concessions to make up for the hardships suffered by them. In a nutshell, most analysts are expecting a feel good to have a balm-like effect on the country.
India is one of the top twenty markets for medical devices in the world and is growing at a rapid pace. At present, the industry is at a critical stage. The medical technology sector can make great contributions in terms of economic growth, job creation and enhanced innovation in a more conducive environment. The Make in India campaign is a major boon to the medical technology industry. At present, 70 percent of the medical equipments used in India are imported. With the government promoting the Indian manufacturers, we can significantly bring down the import dependency thereby reducing the costs.
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.
Cement manufacturer says it intends to challenge the Competition Commission of India's penalty on the company. The company has been fined Rs 29.84 crore by the competition watchdog. Six other too were penalised by the CCI on Thursday for more than Rs 200 crores for rigging of bids and cartelisation to get tenders floated by Haryana government.
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.
Fliers to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata from Delhi airport will have to go to Terminal-2 to board flights from the middle of next month.



GMR-led (DIAL) has asked IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir to shift operations from Terminal-1 (T1), out of which they currently operate. Reason: So that the expansion work of the terminal can begin. Airlines, especially low-cost carrier SpiceJet and GoAir, had been opposing the plan  in the works of sometime now  as they feel it would inconvenience travellers. They also claimed that asking them to shift would be preferential treatment to rival IndiGo, which had not been given such an instruction earlier.

On 19 January, DIAL Chief Executive Officer I Prabhakara Rao wrote to the heads of the three airlines that as there was no consensus between them over who would shift, all three would have to shift operations so that T1D could be decongested for expansion work.

After careful consideration, it has been decided that flights operating to BOM (Mumbai), BLR (Bengaluru) and CCU (Kolkata) of all three airlines will be shifted to Terminal-2 from February 15 and accordingly, all resources will be allocated to T2, Rao wrote.

The letter has been addressed to IndiGo President Aditya Ghosh, SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh and GoAir CEO Wolfgang Prock-Schauer.

The letter, reviewed by Business Standard, also mentions that the airlines were given an option to reduce flights in peak hours by 20 per cent and spread it to non-peak hours, which they did not agree to.

Multiple rounds of negotiations between the airport operator and the airlines failed. According to the original plan, the SpiceJet and GoAir were asked to shift to Terminal-2, leaving the entire Terminal 1D to IndiGo  the largest domestic airline by fleet size and market share. At present, low-cost domestic carriers IndiGo, Spicejet and GoAir operate from T1D, where as Vistara, AirAsia India and Air India operates from Terminal-3.

Airline officials, speaking off-record, said that such an arrangement was unprecedented and would lead to severe difficulties in operation and create confusion for the passengers.

An IndiGo spokesperson said they supported the development plan but would not agree to splitting operations. We will support of any effort to make things better without splitting our domestic operations in Delhi and creating inconvenience for our customers, he said.

The building (Terminal-2) is far from the main terminus. We have to give new directions to the passengers. There are costs of operations. Will the airport bear that cost? said a GoAir official.

We dont have any comments to make, a DIAL spokesperson in response to a detailed query.

SpiceJet spokespersons were not available to comment.

In his letter the DIAL CEO, however, mentioned it had invested Rs 100 crore to renovate T2 and it was ready to handle 12 million passengers a year. The number of passengers could be scaled up. The renovated T2 is at par with T3 and T1 in respect of facilities and comfort to passengers, he wrote.

According to the master plan of expansion, T1s area would be increased to 133,000 sqm from 53,000 sqm, and it would be able to handle 23 million passengers.

Ten aerobridges would be constructed and the number of boarding gates would be increased from eight to 25. Other low-cost domestic carriers would be shifted to Terminal 1 after the expansion.

DIAL also plans to construct Terminal 4, in the area where currently Terminal 2 is located. Terminal 4 would cater to full-service domestic carriers, such as Air India and Jet Airways.

Once T-4 is constructed, full-service domestic operations of Jet Airways and Air India and other such airlines will be shifted there and T-3 would only deal with international flights.

MOVING BASE, FOR A WHILE



Delhi airport has asked IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir to shift flight operations to Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata to Terminal 2

REASON FOR SHIFT



Upgrade of Terminal 1

MASTER PLAN



Increase passenger capacity: From 20 million currently to 35 million

From 20 million currently to 35 million Reconfiguring and increase of aircraft parking stand: From 10 aerobridges to 86

From 10 aerobridges to 86 Constructions: Metro link, with Phase 3 and Phase 4 of Delhi Metro

Metro link, with Phase 3 and Phase 4 of Delhi Metro A multi-level car parking

WHY AIRLINES ARE OPPOSING


Due to a rapidly changing economy and a range of excessive regulations from the federal government, the American coal mining industry is facing serious challenges. For states like West Virginia, the effects are particularly painful, as mining towns and communities struggle under a projected 23% decline in related jobs in recent years, leading vast numbers of residents to leave the state altogether.

Yet for Travis Lowe, pastor of Crossroads Church in Bluefield, West Virginia, the severe economic losses and doom-and-gloom forecasts didnt spell the end of the story. In some powerful reflections, Lowe draws heavily on Jeremiah 29:7, explaining how God showed him what it meant to be sent to his local economic community.

I realized that I had not been called to just pastor, but I had been called to a place: Bluefield, he writes. We thought through what it meant to be sent to our town and how we could seek its welfare. Through this cry, we began to minister in ways we had never imagined.

After meeting with a range of business owners in the church and local community, Lowe realized that the pain and frustration demanded a response. I sensed a deep-seeded desperation and a fear, he says. The economy in our mining town has been in a thirty year decline. They were scared that their life work was crumbling in front of them. I decided to try to help.

Although many churches would respond by simply coming alongside their congregants and community in prayer and solidarity, Lowe saw a much bigger role and responsibility. Yes, they were called to mourn alongside those who mourn and point the way to hope, but they were also called to move forward toward in tangible ways toward actual economic transformation.

How might the church spur the community toward a remembrance of their creative capacity, regardless of whatever economic or political circumstances may exist? How might the church help the community move forward, helping to develop new skills, new partnerships, new innovations, or new businesses?

Lowe explains what came next:

I began hosting meetings of business owners in our community. We would meet in the warehouse of one of the businesses, I would teach a business principle with a Gospel message, encourage them to do business with each other, share a meal (that is paid for by the hosting business), and pray for our community. These meetings, which began with just a handful of men from our church, quickly began to grow. Our community had a great need for hope and it just so happened that I knew the God of Hope. Business began to happen. To date, over half a million dollars worth of local business deals have been generated though these meetings. We have found unbelievable favor and influence in our community.

Lowe now talks regularly with roughly 100 business owners from the surrounding area, and has developed a formal network called REBUILD.REVIVE.THRIVE, which he describes as a local business owner think tank for the common good. Empty buildings are (slowly) beginning to fill, he explains, metallurgical coal is seeing a (limited) resurgence, and we are playing a part in launching new businessesIn Bluefields welfare, we are finding ours. Our church is beginning to sense a renewed purpose and responsibility.

Rather than responding to their disappointments and displacement by leaving the community altogether, many residents are staying to plant new seeds and new partnerships, creating value in new ways and expanding opportunities. This includes the development of their own Fab Lab, a platform from MIT that seeks to empower entrepreneurs and inventors and train workers in new skills and technologies:

We have chosen to establish a FABLAB, an initiative of MIT, in our community because we have recognized that the people of our area are makers but have only been trained on yesterdays tools. Our FABLAB will begin to train and resource makers to make in the modern economy and then turn them lose to create. This will be accomplished through partnerships with the local middle schools, high schools, and public and private colleges. Thereby giving creative power to those who feel powerless. We understand that poverty is not just a lack of money, poverty is shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and voicelessness, says Brian Fikkert. Through this initiative, we will be working to increase the quality labor supply (West Virginia is currently last in the nation in this category) and give marketable skills to a community with only 19.6% college attainment. We are also working with Bluefield State College, the nations oldest historically black college, to provide scholarships in engineering to young people who go through our program. But even more importantly we will be restoring dignity, hope, and power to our neighbors.

When it comes to living on mission  a buzzword thats commonly bandied about the church  it can be easy to quickly or only think of humanitarian trips to distant countries or economic development in urban areas, all of which is needed, of course. But Lowes story reminds us that the application of that same cultural engagement extends to our current communities and economic contexts, wherever they are and whatever they might currently look like  urban or rural, far or near, poor or prosperous.

This is all happening because we recognize that we have been sent to a place and are prayerfully working to see transformation, Lowe concludes. The road is still long and the way will not be easy but we have been sent here and are here to stay.
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.
Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) was on Friday fined 900,000 after a worker lost his leg in an accident, described as "completely avoidable" by a court, at one of the company's United Kingdom (UK) factories nearly two years ago.
SYSTEMS (Vivek Chaand Sehgal, chairman) Car parts maker and engineering group Systems Ltd has agreed to buy Finnish truck wire maker PKC Group for 571 million euros ($609 million).

"Combining the two will create a leading supplier of wiring systems and components for the worldwide transportation industry," PKC said in a statement.

In times when 'under-promise and over-deliver' is the order of the day, few would dare to place lofty targets before stakeholders. And those who do this successfully tend to create history. This is exactly what billionaire Vivek Chaand Sehgal, co-founder and chairman of the $6.9 billion Samvardhana Motherson Group, is in the process of doing.

Sehgal's journey in the world of business started at the age of 18, when he tried his hand at silver trading. In 1977, he set up Motherson along with his mother to manufacture power cables. His foray into the auto component sector began in 1983, when his company entered into a technical agreement with Tokai Electric (now Sumitomo Wiring Systems) to manufacture wiring harnesses for Maruti Udyog. In 1986, Sehgal formed his first joint venture with Sumitomo Wiring Systems, which led to the establishment of the group's flagship company, Systems. Motherson Sumi is now one of the largest auto ancillary in India.

Success is best measured in numbers and Sehgal's company is easily a chart-topper by this yardstick. Sehgal says that modern-day gurus have taught him three things: top-line vanity, bottom-line sanity and that there's no better reality than having cash in the bank. Even though the company began its journey in the automotive sector in the 1980s, the company has grown at breakneck speed since 2000. Its revenues have grown at a compounded rate of 44 per cent between 2001-02 and 2014-15, while profit has grown at 35 per cent. A large part of this growth has come inorganically. His future projection too is a mix of organic and inorganic drivers.

Corporate history may be littered with failed acquisitions and joint ventures, but Sehgal has built his empire through a string of acquisitions - seven at last count. Some of these were made when the world was struck by the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression. The first big acquisition was in 2009, When Motherson acquired the rear-view mirror business of Visiocorp plc UK and rechristened it Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec (SMR). This acquisition is relevant not only because it was made at the peak of the recession but also because the size of the company Sehgal was taking over was larger than his own. Today, SMR is one of the largest manufacturers of rear view mirrors in the world. This acquisition propelled the Samvardhana Motherson Group on to the world stage as an established global tier-I supplier.

In 2014-15 the company closed three other acquisitions - those of Stoneridge, a wiring harness business in the US; Minda Schenk, an interior and exterior plastic parts maker in Germany; and Scherer & Trier, an extrusion and hybrid parts maker, also in Germany.

The company has consistently achieved all the five-year targets it set for itself. After exceeding the $5 billion sales target in 2014-15, Motherson set a new target. Earlier this year, when investors pummelled the stock after Volkswagen was caught in a storm over its emission-cheating software - Motherson derives over 44 per cent of its sales from the Volkswagen group - Sehgal remained unruffled. He reiterated that the company was on course to clock revenues of $18 billion by 2019-20 and in the process, no customer, country or component would account for more than 15 per cent of sales. While there would be some impact on volumes in FY16 thanks to the Volkswagen issue, JM Financial expects consolidated earnings to grow at a compounded 35 per cent a year between FY15 and FY18, supported by 17 per cent annual growth in revenues and a 280-basis points margin improvement.

Given the company's past record of meeting aggressive targets, investors are buying into Sehgal's vision this time around too.

Setting high targets and achieving them have become a habit for Vivek Chaand Sehgal, chairman of the $7bn Samvardhana Motherson Group, and a man known for his deep-rooted belief in the Divine.
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.
A 42-year-old American has been arrested in Hyderabad on suspicion of circulating on the internet, police said on Thursday, adding that they were investigating whether any of the victims had been trafficked.
Hindus and Christians converted to Islam besides Muslims were among 52 people arrested for allegedly being ISIS terrorists, the 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 whe 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 extremism.
For Devita Saraf, founder and CEO of Vu Televisions, United States is like a second home and its brand new president Donald Trump as a father figure whom she finds inspiring.
Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app.

Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006.

Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more.

Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them.

26 years of website archives.
India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas will make its debut run in the Parade this year, the Indian Air Force (IAF) announced on Thursday.

Besides Tejas, the flypast will include Su-30 aircraft in Trishul formation and also a high speed run by a single Su-30, followed by vertical Charlie, which means the aircraft will virtually stand in the air.

Tejas has earlier flown at Indian Air Force Day last year, when its maneuvers left the spectators spellbound. It was also flown at the IAF's fire power demonstration Iron Fist, Aero India, and the Bahrain International Airshow.

At the Air Force Day, on October 8, 2016, the flight by Tejas included a steep pull right after the takeoff, that demonstrated the aircraft's ability to climb rapidly to desired altitude, with the aircraft standing vertical in air to the awe of the spectators.

The pilot also performed a loop, took a fast turn at a rate of approximately 20 degrees per second, and took turn at a speed as low as 160 knots, displaying the aircraft's capabilities.

In May 2016, it was flown by the then Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, when Raha carried out manoeuvers in the flying envelope of the aircraft, simulated air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks and assessed the advanced modes of the radar and helmet mounted display sight.

Indigenously developed Tejas fighter jet was inducted in the IAF in July 2016 with two aircraft. The plan is to increase the production of aircraft from the present eight to 16 aircraft each year.

While at present it has only an initial operational clearance, a Final Operational Clearance is likely to be accorded to the aircraft in a few months.

The IAF plans to induct 120 Tejas fighters to replace Mig-21s, including 100 of modified versions in its frontline fleet.

As a fourth generation aircraft, Tejas can fly at 1,350 km per hour and is comparable to the world's best fighters, including French Mirage 2000, American F-16 and Swedish Gripen.

As a single-engine, multi-role supersonic fighter, Tejas weighs 8.5 tonnes and can carry three tonnes of weapons, including air-to-air missiles, laser guided bombs, guns, conventional/retarded bombs and beyond visual range missiles.

--IANS

ao/pgh/vt
Elizabeth Hoekenga Whitmire has been named Director of Social Media for Alabama Media Group. The announcement was made today at the company's Birmingham office, by the company's VP of Content, Michelle Holmes.

Under Whitmire's leadership, Alabama Media Group has grown the largest and most engaged social audience in the state of Alabama, Holmes said, with more than 1.3 million followers across the company's brands.

Elizabeth Hoekenga Whitmire, Director of Social Media for Alabama Media Group

"Elizabeth is top-caliber talent with a deep understanding of audience and the ways people interact through a growing range of social media spaces. Her insights and leadership have helped us move to the forefront of modern media companies," said Holmes.

Whitmire has served in a variety of roles in the company, including features editor at The Huntsville Times, and audience innovation manager and senior managing producer for AL.com. She began her professional career at the TimesDaily newspaper in Florence, Ala.

As Director of Social Media, Whitmire will oversee the company's social media accounts; its life and culture content; as well as help develop and lead the company's newest brand, This is Alabama. Reporting to Holmes, she will work collaboratively with her, Director of Content Izzy Gould, Director of Digital Operations Bob Sims, Director of Video Justin Yurkanin and the managing producers and other staff in all areas of the AL.com content team in ongoing efforts to better engage with people across Alabama. She will be assisted by Managing Producers Rebecca Walker Benjamin, with a focus on social media, and John Hammontree, with a focus on op-eds and news outreach and engagement. Her appointment is effective immediately.

Elizabeth and her husband, AL.com columnist Kyle Whitmire, live in Homewood with their son, Ward.
Last January, a 21-year-old woman who worked in a small shop in West Delhi's Kirti Nagar area committed suicide. When police officials finally managed to get in touch with her mother in Assam 12 days later, she asked if her daughter's body could be sent home as she did not have the money to even buy a general class rail ticket to travel to the Capital.
The traditionally peaceful state of Tamil Nadu is on the boil. Since January 17, tens of thousands of college students have been protesting against the ban on conducting (a bull taming sport). The protests began at Marina beach, Chennai and have spread to other cities and regions of the state.
Pakistan on Friday asked India and the World Bank to inform it about all the dams and hydropower projects proposed to be built by India under the Indus Waters Treaty on the western rivers, and not just the two projects under dispute currently.

The matter was discussed during an inter-ministerial meeting presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday.

Ministers and other representatives of the ministries of water and power, foreign affairs and law and justice, the Attorney General's office and civil and military experts attended the meeting.

The meeting observed that the president of the World Bank had drawn up the lots for appointment of umpires for a court of arbitration before it had put on hold the process about two months ago.

"This meant that the World Bank was convinced and had accepted Pakistan's position," Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf claimed.

Pakistan said its stance was that not only the two schemes under dispute at the moment - the Kishanganga and Ratle projects - but technical and other details of all the upcoming projects should be shared with the World Bank and Pakistan, along with their designs and locations, so that Islamabad could examine them in a manner that they did not create problems every now and then and the treaty could function smoothly, said Ausaf.

The meeting also asked a taskforce led by the attorney general to formulate a strategy for future handling of the disputed projects.

Ausaf said the chief executive officer of the bank, Kristalina I Georgieva, who is second only in hierarchy to its president, would arrive on January 26 for deliberations on the subject.

He said the senior official was inducted into the World Bank group on January 2 and her visit to Pakistan would be her first trip outside Washington, which meant that the bank was attaching great importance to Islamabad's case.

At the same time, Ausaf said, it was decided that the bank must be reminded that it had a critical role to play and that it should honour its responsibilities under the treaty.

The Finance Ministry said that Pakistan viewed the treaty as a useful and time-tested mechanism for sharing water with India and that Islamabad had always abided by it.

It said it was in the interest of both countries that they continue to implement the terms of the treaty. In this spirit, Pakistan would continue to fulfil its obligations under the IWT. The contrasting stances of Pakistan and India were deliberated in detail at the meeting.

The treaty, signed in 1960, gives India control over the three eastern rivers of the Indus basin  the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej  while Pakistan has the three western rivers -- the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.

The IWT also sets up a mechanism, the Permanent Indus Commission, which includes a commissioner from each country.

The current dispute revolves around the Kishenganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric plants. India is building the plants on the Kishanganga and Chenab rivers, which Pakistan claims violates the IWT.
India pushed ahead with its decision to scrap banknotes even as the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) own board expressed concern whether the cash could be replaced quickly enough, the central bank has said in written testimony to parliament.

The revelation comes amid growing criticism about whether the central bank and the government had sufficiently assessed the potential fallout from the Nov 8 ban of about 86 per cent of the cash then in circulation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's shock move caused a severe cash shortage that brought large parts of the economy to a virtual standstill, as the central bank struggled to print new 500-rupee and 2,000-rupee notes to replace the old currency.

A copy of the private testimony to a parliament panel, seen by Reuters, showed the central bank had also warned the government of "possible inconvenience to the public for some time," among the potential consequences of the massive exercise.

Despite its own doubts, the testimony showed, the RBI board approved the plan to ban 500-rupee and 1,000-rupee notes, as it believed the move would rein in counterfeiting and reliance on cash, and pull unaccounted cash into the financial system.

"It might not immediately be possible to replace these notes fully in terms of both value and volume," the board felt at a meeting ahead of Modi's Nov 8 announcement, according to the central bank submission.

But the RBI's board ultimately believed that "corrective" action could be taken and decided to recommend the move, the document showed. The RBI also believed the impact of such an exercise would be "transitory", given its efforts to quickly replace the old notes, it said in the testimony.

The RBI's endorsement of the government action has drawn strong criticism from several former policymakers, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the architect of India's 1991 financial reforms and a former central bank governor.

The document also notes the proposal to ban the cash had come from the government, in a letter a day before the announcement that advised the RBI to "immediately" put the plan before its board for approval.

Under India's RBI Act, such a move was necessary.

The central bank did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comments on its submission to parliament.

Since Modi declared the ban, the central bank has been forced to announce a barrage of measures to soften the impact, including several high-profile reversals, undermining confidence in it.

In a letter to RBI Governor Urjit Patel, unions of central bank employees called such criticism "painful", and accused the government of steering decisions behind the replacement of the banned notes, saying that "blatantly encroaches" on the central bank's jurisdiction.

The government, however, has denied it was taking the decisions during the implementation, saying that it was merely cooperating with the RBI and reiterating that it fully respected the autonomy of the central bank.

Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said such cooperation was necessary, since it involved an unprecedented "exercise" and that the flurry of action showed India's flexibility in taking the necessary measures.

"They never had got an experience of this kind of a war-type situation," Goyal said, referring to the RBI. "So, every organisation which is doing this is doing it for the first time. You will learn as you go along."

Previous banknote bans have not had such a dramatic impact as they removed only a small fraction of cash from circulation.
The government has finalised 15-point eligibility criteria for banks operating in the state to handle the business and deposits of state public sector undertakings (PSUs) and state level autonomous societies (SLAS). The banks will be selected to do the business for 2017-18.
Post-demonetisation, Income Tax department has heightened scrutiny to plug any tax evasion and ensure that individuals and companies have not turned black money into white using the banking and financial system.
Two powerful US Senators have announced they will introduce a legislation which, if passed by the Congress, would give preference to foreigners studying in American universities, a move that will tighten the noose around the programme and could hurt Indian IT firms.


Japan is threatening to take India to the WTO over restrictions that nearly halved its steel exports to the South Asian nation over the past year, a step that could trigger more trade spats as global tensions over steel and other commodities run high.

Such action is rare for Japan. The world's second-biggest steel producer typically tries to smooth disputes quietly through bilateral talks, but with global trade friction increasing, Japan's defence of an industry that sells nearly half of its products overseas is getting more vigorous.

Besides concern over India's protection of its domestic steel industry, Japan is also worried about the more rough and tumble climate for global trade being engendered by incoming US President Donald Trump, and feels it must make a strong stand for open and fair international markets.

"We need to stop unfair trade actions from spreading," said a Japanese industry ministry official, explaining a December 20 request for WTO dispute consultations with India over steel safeguard duties and a minimum import price for iron and steel products.

India imposed duties of up to 20% on some hot-rolled flat steel products in September 2015, and set a floor price in February 2016 for steel product imports to deter countries such as China, Japan and South Korea from undercutting local mills.

"If consultations fail to resolve the dispute, we may ask adjudication by a WTO panel," the industry ministry official said. Such action could come as soon as 60 days - in February - after its consultation request was filed in December.

Tokyo says India's actions are inconsistent with WTO rules and contributed to the plunge in its steel exports to India, which dropped to 11th-largest on Japan's buyer list in 2016 through November, down from sixth-largest in 2015.

"We are following the WTO guidelines," said a top official at India's steel ministry, though adding that New Delhi is ready to sit across the table for trade talks.

As of Friday, the date of a WTO-led consultation had not been set.

Growing Global Trade Disputes

There has been a series of trade disputes over the past few years amid massive exports of cheap steel products from China, the world's top producer, with Vietnam, Malaysia and South Africa taking or planning measures to block incoming shipments.

China's steel exports dropped by 3.5% in 2016 to 108 million tonnes, still about as much as Japan produces in a year.

Japan is also monitoring its small volume of imports for signs of dumping, fearing that steel products with nowhere to turn because of import restrictions may head to it own market.

"All trade need to be fair. If there are trades that violate the rules, we will take necessary actions while consulting with our government," Kosei Shindo, chairman of the Japan Iron and Steel Federation, told a conference on Friday.

But in an environment where a new US president is threatening to tear up trade treaties and impose import duties in the world's biggest economy, Tokyo may be at risk of helping to set off a trade war it is trying to avoid.

"We may see a battle of trade litigations especially after Trump takes the helm in the US," said Kazuhito Yamashita, research director at Canon Institute for Global Studies.
Unsatisfied with the responses of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel to specific queries on demonetisation, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Friday asked him to furnish written replies to the concerns expressed by the members within two weeks and appear before the panel again.
Bank staff and employees unions have given a call to strike work on February 7 to highlight problems faced by them while implementing demonetisation and seeking an effective mechanism of recovery of huge bad loans.
The Alabama School of the Arts at University of Mobile will present a concert and master class by internationally known Belgian pianist Eliane Reyes.

Reyes is the first Belgian pianist to receive the insignia of "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" from the French Government. She is professor of piano at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and at the Paris Conservatoire National Superieur.

The concert will begin at 7 p.m. on Feb. 2 at Moorer Auditorium in Thomas T. Martin Hall on the University of Mobile campus. She will perform works by Ravel, Liszt, Bacri, Godard, Debussy, and Chopin. Admission is $10 at the door, and is free to University of Mobile students with a student I.D.

The public is also invited to observe Reyes teach a master class beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 in Moorer Auditorium. Admission is free.

For information, contact The Alabama School of the Arts at (251) 442-2383 or visit the University of Mobile website at umobile.edu.

Reyes' performances are described in London's Gramophone classical music magazine as "memorably refined, dexterous and committed," and in Piano Magazine as working "magnificently with tones that flow from a limber touch that tells a story."

A pianist prodigy, Reyes began performing at an early age. First trained by her mother, she proceeded to study at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, followed by the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden's class. She then studied at the Hochschule der Kunste in Berlin, the Mozarteum in Salzburg with Hans Leygraf, the Lemmensinstituut with Alan Weiss and the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris under the aegis of Michel Beroff, Brigitte Engerer and Jacques Rouvier.

She has won numerous international awards, including first prize in Ettlingen, Germany and first prize at the Cervantes International Piano Competition in Cuba. She was a finalist at the Montreal International Musical Competition, the Clara Schumann International Piano Competition in Dusseldorf where she was equally rewarded for chamber music, and at the Maria Canals International Music Competition.

She has given recitals and performed alongside Autistin Dumay, Ivry Gitlis, Misha Maisky and Jose van Dam.

Her discography consists of works by Nicolas Bacri, F. Chopin, C. Debussy, Benjamin Godard, F. Liszt, Michel Lysight, D. Milhaud, M. Ravel, A. Tansman. As a consequence, she obtained many awards such as "Pianiste Maestro" by the French magazine Pianiste, "Ring" by Classic Info, "Joker" by Crescendo Magazine and a "Supersonic" award from Pizzicat and notably from ResMusica, where she was awarded "La Clef d'or" for her solo recording of the 24 Intermezzi by A. Tansman. Eliane Reyes was nominated three times for the International Classical Music Awards.

University of Mobile is a Christ-centered liberal arts and sciences institution with a vision of higher education for a higher purpose, founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions through rigorous academic preparation and spiritual transformation. The university offers on-campus and online bachelor's and master's degree programs in over 40 areas of study. Founded in 1961, University of Mobile is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention and is located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama on a campus of over 880 acres.

For more information about University of Mobile, visit the website at www.umobile.edu or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.
Three bank employees' organisations are planning to conduct all India strike on February 7, 2017, seeking the and the government to address issues concerning demonetisation and bad loans.
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the developer of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), on Thursday asked to unblock transactions made on Flipkarts PhonePe app immediately, to which the bank said the app must first allow interoperability.

Flipkarts PhonePe app asks the user to open a UPI handle on the app. Users cannot use their UPI handles of other banks, say bankers. Flipkart and Yes Bank have come together to launch PhonePe.

An spokesperson said: A certain non-banking application is following a restrictive practice of allowing only users of its own UPI handle to make payments on its app. This is a clear violation of the UPI guidelines which mandate interoperability, wherein users enjoy the freedom to choose any UPI handle to make payments.

The statement said: NPCI has assured us in writing that this will get corrected very soon and the concerned app will allow interoperability. As soon as this is corrected, ICICI Bank will start allowing UPI transactions to resume on this App.

The biggest private sector lender had blocked transferring funds through the PhonePe app.

NPCI, in its statement earlier, had said ICICI Bank should free the transactions immediately.

We had a discussion with ICICI Bank and Yes Bank  the banker to PhonePe to review the matter and arrived at this, NPCI said, adding, we have also advised to adhere to the merchant on-boarding guidelines meticulously from the angle of interoperability of merchant app so that such disputes are avoided.

The idea behind the UPI is to make transactions easy and not keep them limited to the banking channels. Aadhaar-based apps developed by will tap in to the UPI system to execute deals.

Currently, non- and wallet companies are not allowed to participate in the UPI but they will be able to do so. Besides, wallet companies, once they turn into payments banks, will automatically get access to UPI systems.

State Bank of India has prevented its net banking customers from transferring money to Paytm. The lender has recommended its customers use the bank's wallet app SBI Buddy.




Civil Aviation Minister Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati and MoS (Home) Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurate the Digidhan Mela

The Union Minister of Civil Aviation Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati and Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Digidhan Mela (Lucky Grahak Yojana & Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana Programme) organized at Itanagar today. The mela is being organised with an aim to enable citizens and merchants to familiarize and adopt real time digital transactions.

Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati appealed to all the stakeholders to support in the digitalization of the economy. He also said that through digitalization we can ensure the transparency in the transactions and Union Government is willing to work with state government for the better future of the citizens.

On the occasion, Shri Kiren Rijiju said that the government has organized Digidhan Melas all over India to educate the people about digitalization.

He appreciated the Itanagar administration, banks and various Government Departments for organising and showcasing digital initiatives and facilities to the common man. The people should come forward and utilize the benefits of Dighidhan Mela, he added.




Devise a scheme for the benefit of SMEs: Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani to ATIRA





Government of India will facilitate Tangaliya weavers in purchase of looms, by providing them an assistance amounting to 90% of the price of looms. The Union Textiles Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani made this announcement yesterday evening, during her interaction with Tangaliya weavers in Surendranagar district of Gujarat. Upon listening to their concerns, the Minister also announced the formation of a special association of Tangaliya workers, which will work for their interest. Expressing appreciation for the Tangaliya embroidery, Smt. Irani said that the work needs to be marketed through international platforms; she requested the district administration to make proper arrangements for the same. The Minister appealed to fashion designers to use the Tangaliya art work for their fashionable garments. She also spoke of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, exhorting weavers to avail its benefits.









The Minister also visited Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association (ATIRA) , in Ahmedabad. Smt. Irani commended the achievements of the institute and directed the officials to devise a scheme for the benefit of small and medium industries.









Background

Tangaliya is a 700-year-old indigenous weave of Gujarat which employs an exquisite technique of weaving, using raw wool yarn. Read more about Tangaliya work here




Ministry of AYUSH and Advertising Standards Council of India sign MoU to co-regulate misleading advertisements in the AYUSH sector

In order to curtail malpractices in the advertisement of AYUSH drugs, the Ministry of AYUSH has signed a MoU with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). Addressing the cases of misleading advertisements with respect to Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy drugs, treatments and related services, ASCI will comprehensively monitor these advertisements across print and electronic media. The MoU was signed by Advisor (Ayurveda), Ministry of AYUSH Dr, Dinesh Chan Katoch and Chairman, ASCI Shri Srinivasan K Swamy in the presence of Secretary AYUSH Shri Ajit M Sharan at New Delhi.

ASCI has been given a self-monitoring mandate by the Ministry of AYUSH to identify potentially misleading advertisement in the AYUSH sector and process complaints through its Consumer Complaints Council (CCC). The Ministry of AYUSH will also redirect complaints against misleading advertisements they receive, to the ASCI, which will be reviewed using ASCIs code and guidelines. The MoU also requires ASCI to report to the Ministry of AYUSH, all advertisements in potential violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and Rules thereunder as well as non-compliance of ASCIs CCC recommendations for the Ministry of AYUSH to take further action.

Commenting on the partnership, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH Sh. Ajit M.

Sharan, said that the MOU is yet another important step taken by the AYUSH ministry to ensure that Indian consumers have access to safe and effective medicines. The arrangement would also ensure that any advertisement making claims for diseases and disorders, in violation of the existing regulations, are immediately brought to our attention.
Ministry of Railways Signs Joint Venture Agreement with the Govt. of Jharkhand

A Joint Venture Agreement was signed today i.e. 20th January, 2017 between Ministry of Railways and Government of Jharkhand for developing railway infrastructure in the State.

? This Joint Venture agreement for development of Railway Infrastructure will

? Provide active representation to States in the Planning and Implementation of Railway Infrastructure Projects

? Speed up the Development of Railway Projects on states priority

? Generate more financial resources through participation of State & other stakeholders in the project specific subsidiaries

? Government of Jharkhand has initially identified 3 projects viz., Namkum - Kandra, Giridih - Parasnath-Madhuban, Tori - Chatra Rail Line covering a length of 222 km at a cost of Rs. 2150 Crore for taking up through the proposed JV Company after establishing their viability, bankability and financial closure.

? Governments of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat have already signed JV agreement with Ministry of Railways.

? Government of Jharkhand with 51% equity is the 9th State which had agreed to form a Joint Venture Company with the Ministry of Railways.

? The present railway network density in Jharkhand is 17.64 Km per 100 square Km which is the best in India and way above the national average of 2.01 Km per 100 square Km.

? Signing of these JVs will go a long way in developing infrastructure in the State of Jharkhand.

? The average outlay to Jharkhand in Railway Budget was Rs.1544.3 crore during 2014-15 to 2016-17 which is an increase of 238% over the average outlay of 457.2 crore during 2009-10 to 2013-14.

BACKGROUND:

? Indian Railways has been playing a major role in national integration by connecting the remotest places and bringing people closer to each other. Railways receive a large number of demands for network expansion as a Railway line acts as an engine of growth for the area it serves.

? Railways have a large shelf of ongoing New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling projects needing about Rs 3.86 lakh crores to complete.

We have been trying to meet the aspirations of public within limited availability of funds.
Most outstanding trait of presidency its ability to question, discuss and debate every dogma, says President while inaugurating Bicentenary celebrations of Presidency University

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Bicentenary celebrations of Presidency University today (January 20, 2017) in Kolkata.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said the Presidency University is not merely a collection of buildings or an expression of language. The University stands for advancement, progress, thinking and questioning. The early students of the Hindu school from which the College and later the University emerged were known for their liberal thoughts, ideas, and philosophy as well as opposition to all prejudice.

The President said the Presidency College gave birth to and nurtured generations of students who went on to influence and change the course of our countrys history. What is most remarkable is that this institution which was established primarily to educate the lower bureaucracy of the colonial rulers, went on to not only question and reform everything archaic, but also emerged as the hot bed of ant colonial ideas and actions.

The President said established as a place for liberal, scientific and secular education based on western ideas of nationalism, this College became the institutional as well as intellectual manifestation of Bengali renaissance. Although Presidency continuously upheld academic excellence, its most outstanding trait lay in its ability to question, discuss and debate every established dogma. Be it socio-religious beliefs, political construct or ideological tenets, Presidency as an institution always dwelt upon the thesis and the anti thesis before arriving at the synthesis, that suited our nation the most.

The President said as a great institution of modern world, Presidencys biggest achievement has been its ability to inculcate a love for learning.

Not just learning that is contained within the scope of the text books and syllabus, but knowledge that is acquired by plunging into the depths of subjects. It is this eternal pursuit that produced luminaries such as Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Anandaram Barooah in literature. S N Bose, M N Saha, P C Mahalnobish, Amal Kumar Raychaudhuri, Shyamal Sengupta and Ashoke Sen in the field of basic Science. Amartya Sen and Sukhamoy Chakraborty in the field of economics and alumnus such as Dr Rajendra Prasad (The President of India), Muhammed Ali of Bogra (Prime Minister of Pakistan) and Abu Sayeed Chowdhury (The President of Bangladesh). The President said he was happy that this rich tradition is continuing and expressed the hope that it will continue to flourish.
President Inaugurates 28TH Dantan Gramin Mela -2017

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 28th Dantan Gramin Mela -2017 at Dantan, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal yesterday (19th January, 2017).

Speaking on the occasion, the President Pranab Mukherjee expressed concern over growing tensions and difference of opinion in society. Referring to the violence in different parts of the world, the President said the general trend of human society is for people to love each other and co-exist, not spread hatred.

Rural fairs like Dantan Gramin Mela promote brotherhood, harmony and peaceful co-existence among people. They reflect the eternal wisdom of rural areas and increase friendship amongst different sections of society.
Even prior to the formal start of what is likely to be a long tournament, the players are taking their seats at the poker table. Theyre puffing their chests, turning stone-faced, sternly glaring at each other in the eye. Theyre looking at the hand theyve been dealt and deciding what strategy to pursue. Winning does not depend on having a strong hand but rather on persuading your opponent that you do.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May has finally begun to elaborate on what she means by her mantra Brexit means Brexit. In a historic speech in London, May set out her 12-point plan for leaving the union.
Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump and his family looks on during the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington (Photo: PTI)
One of the key measures President Barack Obama used to develop climate policy could be under threat under President Donald Trump. The social cost of carbon, a dollar measure of how much damage is inflicted by a tonne of carbon dioxide, underpins many US and other energy-related regulations (and in the UK too, for example).
The nominee for US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said that the administration will not be soft on China and could declare the world's second-largest economy a "currency manipulator".

"I would," Mnuchin said when asked by lawmakers during his confirmation hearing if he would declare China a currency manipulator as promised by Trump during his election campaign.

"In regards to my view on China, I 100 per cent support the President's view, and that we need to look at China overall from a trade standpoint, and an economic standpoint, and a security standpoint," he told Senate Finance Committee.

Trump had during his campaign singled out China over its trade practices and had said he would negotiate a better deal for the US. And since his shock election in November, he has challenged Beijing over militarisation of the South China Sea, alleged currency manipulation and North Korea and threatening to up-end ties by offering greater political recognition to Taiwan.

During the hearing yesterday, the lawmakers too expressed concern over China's aggressive behaviour and trade practices.

Senator Sherrod Brown told Mnuchin: "I want to talk to you about China. I've never met a Goldman Sachs banker who wanted to get tough on China. Based on your Wall Street background and financial dealings, I'm concerned about just what I've seen in the past with bankers and what I would say is soft on China.

"Relativity Media is a Beverly Hills company invested in movies, among other things. When you were co-chair there during 2014 and '15, the company received investment from Chinese investors in the company's films and partnered with the government of the People's Republic of China to promote and distribute Chinese films," he said.

"China readily admits it wants to become more powerful by increasing its cultural influence in this country and expanding its financial stake in the US film industry. You were a board member of a company that partnered directly with the Chines government, that increased their influence in Hollywood. Were you - were you helping China expand its global power," Brown asked.

Earlier in his testimony, Mnuchin said he will use the Treasury Department's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence to stop the financing of terrorism.

"I will partner with other federal agencies in our shared goal of allowing our financial markets to operate safely and keep our citizens secure in the knowledge that we are working for them - 24/7," he said.

Mnuchin ruled out imposing a high tariff across the board.

"Where the president-elect has talked about, I've never heard him talk about 30 or 35 per cent tariffs across the board. I have heard him specifically say, well, if certain companies want to move their jobs, we're going to specifically put a tariff on them," he said.
Russian authorities have extended US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden's Russian residency permit by three years, the foreign ministry said on Friday.

Snowden's residence permit has been extended "until 2020," ministry spokesperson 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 US 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 sweep 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.
Protectionist policies from the new US administration of President Donald Trump will probably have a negative impact on the economy, overshadowing any positive gains from economic stimulus measures, the head of the Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Friday.

"Overall, it probably won't be net positive," Managing Director Christine Lagarde told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Mexico extradited drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States after his final appeals were rejected  handing US authorities a massive drug case on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration.

Guzman is the head of the Sinaloa cartel, which is accused of generating much of the deadly violence in Mexico and providing tons of drugs to the United States was extradited yesterday, and had twice escaped from prison.

He had been fighting his extradition ever since he was recaptured almost exactly a year ago in his home state of Sinaloa, following his second daring jailbreak.

The Mexican government "delivered Mr Guzman Loera to the authorities of the United States" after the Supreme Court and a court of appeals rejected his latest bids to avoid extradition, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

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 government did not say to which state Guzman was sent. CNN and ABC News reported that Guzman was headed to New York.

A US government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, would only confirm to AFP that Guzman was already on US soil.

The US Department of Justice confirmed the extradition in a brief statement, only saying that information about his initial court appearance would be "forthcoming," without saying where he would be held.

"The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the government of Mexico for their extensive cooperation and assistance in securing the extradition of Guzman," it said, adding that he had been charged in six separate indictments.

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 today, has publicly clashed with Mexico over trade and immigration issues. The Republican president-in-waiting has pledged to build a wall on the US-Mexican border.

Guzman's extradition caps a Hollywood-worthy cat-and-mouse game between Mexican authorities and the slippery drug lord, who escaped twice from prison.

He 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.

President Enrique Pena Nieto refused to extradite Guzman at the time, insisting that he would face justice at home.

But Guzman escaped from prison again in spectacular fashion just 17 months later.
The American street artist Shepard Fairey created a poster for Barack Obamas presidential election campaign. It was 2008 and the simple red, beige and blue stencilled image of Obamas face over the word HOPE quickly became the iconic image of the election, the rallying cry around which it was fought and won. It remains the enduring image of his presidency.
The end of the Aleppo crisis and Syrian ceasefire has produced an unlikely alliance. The relationship between Russia, Turkey and Syria is pivotal not only for the Middle East but also for global geopolitics.
As President Donald Trumps administration and policies take shape, Ashley Tellis, whom Washington Post identifies as Americas likely next ambassador to New Delhi, has urged Americas new president to continue former Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obamas policies towards Asia, and India in particular.
Today, Donald J Trump, the New York City real estate mogul whose outsider campaign led to an upset electoral victory becomes the 45th President of the United States.
Expressing gratitude to the American people, on Thursday wrote: "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." Obama recalled visiting a grief-stricken Charleston, South Carolina, church and watching scientists help wounded war heroes walk again.

The 44th US President shared a link on his Facebook post for anyone interested in keeping in touch with his work.

Here is the full text of his letter. It's a long-standing tradition for the sitting president of the United States to leave a parting letter in the Oval Office for the American elected to take his or her place. It's a letter meant to share what we know, what we've learned, and what small wisdom may help our successor bear the great responsibility that comes with the highest office in our land, and the leadership of the free world.

But 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. 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.

Throughout these eight years, you have been the source of goodness, resilience, and hope from which I've pulled strength. I've seen neighbors 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.

I've taken heart from the hope of young graduates and our newest military officers. I've seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch, and wounded warriors once given up for dead walk again. 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 recognized as equal to our own. 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.

I've seen you, the American people, in all your decency, determination, good humor, and kindness. And in your daily acts of citizenship, I've seen our future unfolding. I've seen you, the American people, in all your decency, determination, good humor, and kindness. And in your daily acts of citizenship, I've seen our future unfolding.

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.

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.
Midas Touch Investors Association has written to the market regulator and the merchant bankers of BSE's upcoming IPO saying a pending litigation has not been disclosed in the IPO documents.

In the letter , the association led by Noida-based Virender Jain has stated that certain important and material facts have been concealed and not-disclosed in the prospectus.
Post Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) coveted Mohan Vaidya commented against reservation, in a belligerent attack the Congress Party on Friday trained guns at the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) ideologue and said that this is a conspiracy of the saffron cadre to polarise votes on castiest line ahead of upcoming assembly elections.

Dubbing the BJP and the RSS as anti-Dalit and anti backward, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh polls both are attempting to divide votes.

"The entire nation must remember that even before the Bihar elections the similar statement made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat ji this is the sinister and the conspiracy of the BJP and the RSS to divide votes, to polarise the voters on the castiest lines," said Surjewala.

"Now that the UP elections are approaching BJP-RSS are playing the same game again. The truth is that PM Modi and the entire BJP government and the RSS are anti-poor, anti-Dalit and anti-backward. And this continues to be exposed time and again," he added.

The Congress leader further lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked him to tender and apology against the anti-Dalit remark and assure that no such attacks will be made by his party and its associates in the future.

"It is time that Prime Minister Modi should apologise and should give a solemn guarantee to the people of this country, that they including his party will stop indulging in such kind of attacks on the constitutional guarantee of reservation to our Dalits brothers and sisters and poor of this country," he said.

Echoing similar sentiments another Congress leader PL Punia said that similar kind of anti-Dalit statements were made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the time of Bihar elections, while adding that people of the nation are wll aware of BJP's attention and will give a buffeting reply to such mentality.

"Manmohan Vaidya ji who is a senior RSS leader has said that reservation should be ended. May it be the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) all are Anti-Dalits," said Punia.

"They have this anti-Dalit mentality, which is why they keep on making such comments. Before the Bihar elections Mohan Bhagwat ji made a statement against reservation, now this remark has come. This shows their mentality. The people know and understand everything very well and the result of this will reflect soon," he added.

After raising a storm post his statement quoting B.R. Ambedkar against continuation of reservation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue Manmohan Vaidya earlier today retracted his earlier comment saying that the organisation has always been in favour of reservation, adding that as long as differences in the society remain, such policies will exist as well.

"The RSS has clarified time and again that it has always been in support of reservation, as we believe that reservation was imposed in response to the discrimination being faced by certain sections of the society," Vaidya told ANI.

He further emphasised that reservation is a must, however, adding that it should not be based on the lines of religion.

"The second question was on giving reservation on the basis of religion, to that I responded that reservation on the basis of religion has not been a part of our history and if we do so, then this will only promote separatist ideology. So I suggested that instead of opting for reservation on the basis of religion we can give them better education. The Supreme Court and the high Court also have several times rejected the idea of reservation on the basis of religion," he added.

During an interactive session in the Jaipur Literature Festival he said that reservations for the SC and ST were introduced in a different context and it was provided in the Constitution to remedy the 'historical injustice' done to them.

"It was our responsibility. So, reservation for them has been there since the inception (of the Constitution). But, even Ambedkar has said its continuance in perpetuity is not good. There should be a time limit to it," he added.

Vaidya's remark comes as an embarrassment for the BJP as it comes days ahead of the assembly polls in five states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Punjab and Goa.

The opposition parties trained guns at the BJP and RSS post Vaidya's remark.

Congress leader Raj Babbar told ANI that said that the RSS is least concerned about the downtrodden and underprivileged sections of the society.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also lashed out at Vaidya while accusing the BJP and RSS of being anti-Dalits.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav cornered Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Vaidya's remark, while asserting that the BJP would face electoral defeat in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh after witnessing the same fate in Bihar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Just few hours ahead of the presidential inauguration, about 200 protesters shimmied and sashayed their way towards the house temporarily rented by Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

With glow sticks, hula hoops and rainbow flags, the protesters took a dance party to the street to oppose Pence's positions on LGBT issues, the Washington Post reports.

The group blasted Beyonce and other up-tempo tunes, dancing its way to the house Pence has been renting until he moves into the Naval Observatory after the inauguration.

"We want to send a strong message to Pence that we're a united queer community," said 23-year-old Firas Nasr, a protest organizer who lives in Virginia.

"The idea is to leave a mark that Mike Pence will never forget," the protester added.

As governor of Indiana, Pence had earlier signed a law allowing business owners to refuse service to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender customers. The legislation sparked a national uproar and threats of boycotts until the legislature reversed course.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Condoling the loss of lives of young children in a bus accident in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh,

President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday called on the state government to ensure full assistance to the bereaved families.

In his message to Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, the President said "I am saddened to learn about the loss of lives of young children in the tragic bus accident in Etah district of Uttar Pradesh."

"My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the accident. I am sure that the State Government and other agencies are taking necessary steps to provide all possible help to the bereaved families who have lost their near and dear ones as well as medical assistance to the injured," he added.

Earlier today, two officials of the state education department were suspended in connection with Thursday's school bus accident case in Etah.

Two FIRs have also been registered in Etah school bus accident case, against school administration and the other against the bus driver. A magisterial enquiry has also been ordered.

As many as 15 children were killed and over forty were injured as the bus rammed into a stationary truck on Thursday morning.

"The school was open against the ordersof the district administration" Uttar Pradesh Assistant Director General Police Daljeet Singh Choudhary, told ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condoled the passing away of the young children.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed his anguish over the tragedy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Like India, Japan to is getting decked up to celebrate 2017 as the year of Japan-India Friendly Exchanges, marking the 60th anniversary of signing of Cultural Agreement.

The Films Division of India, the Consulate General of Japan in Mumbai and the Japan Foundation have joined hands together to hold the screening feature length animation film 'Tomako Love Story' today, as part of FD Zone Screening.

The film, by well known Japanese animator Naoko Yamada, is a sequel to the popular TV animation series (2013) 'Tomako Market,' produced by Kyoto Animation.

The romantic comedy film, is a light-hearted depiction of the ordinary, but luminous everyday life of a mochi (rice cake) shop's daughter, highlighting her love with a childhood friend.

Honourable Consul General of Japan in Mumbai Yoshiaki Ito and Consul, Culture and Information, Junichi Kakuta will be present for the screening.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Do you wish to improve your performance along with salary? A new study finds that presence of high-performing co-workers, especially in low-skilled occupations, can improve an individual's earnings.

The researchers from University College London found that in low-skilled occupations such as waiters, warehouse workers and agricultural assistants, an increase of 10 percent in the average performance of co-workers raises a worker's wage by almost one percent.

The study, published in the journal American Economic Review, reveals that this effect is most likely driven by increased productivity because of pressure to keep up with better co-workers.

"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," said a researcher Dr Thomas Cornelissen.

"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," Cornelissen added.

They 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.

To get a better sense of this, the team 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.

The findings indicate 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.

However, the same rule did not apply, however, to high-skilled occupations such as lawyers, doctors and architects.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the wake of the recent unrest being witnessed at Hyderabad Central University (HCU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Friday raised concerns at the attempt being made to suppress the freedom of expression and speech in Indian universities and said it is imperative to guard this freedom "zealously".

Speaking at the Presidency University, Singh said "I believe every university must give the freedom to pursue knowledge even where the knowledge may be at odds with established intellectual and social traditions. We must guard this freedom zealously."

"Regrettably independent thinking and freedom of expression at Indian universities are now under threat. Political interference in university and academic appointment is highly short sighted," he added.

Noting that there is a rise in nationalist tendencies which are responding to populism and directing hatred, Singh said universities have a vital role to play as it is in the universities that would help citizens to distinguish fact from fiction and disregard propaganda.

"We must make every effort to protect the autonomy of our universities and to foster the right of our students to express ideas that powerful interest may not always agree with. True nationalism is found where students, citizens are encourages to think freely and speak freely and where dissent is encouraged and not suppressed," Singh said.

Singh further said there is a greater need for introspection and must think about how one can better one's willingness to engage with dissent and added that it displays a sign of inherent strength.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council on Friday unanimously passed a resolution for the respectable return of Kashmiri Pandits to Jammu and Kashmir.

On the 27th anniversary of exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution for their return to the Kashmir Valley.

Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah moved a resolution for the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the valley.

He also said all political parties should rise above politics and pass a resolution to create an atmosphere for their return.

The ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits was an event that occurred in the early 1990s when most of the Pandit families were forced to flee from Kashmir Valley due to the outbreak of terrorism.

An estimated one to eight lakh Pandits fled from Kashmir at that time.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Using the bull taming sport of Jallikattu as a weapon to launch a verbal attack against the Centre, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen or (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said India is a land of many cultures and not just one, and therefore, Uniform Civil Code (UCC) cannot be applied coercively.

"#Jallikattuprotest Lesson for Hindutva forces, Uniform Civil Code cannot be "imposed" this nation cannot have one CULTURE we celebrate all," Owaisi tweeted.

Tamil Nadu is cur conflict over Jallikattu.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president M.K. Stalin was taken into preventive custody for halting a train at Chennai's Mambalam Railway Station under the 'Rail Roko Agitation.'

The protests at Marina Beach have entered the fourth day, with protesters not ready to end the agitation till the ordinance on Jallikattu is passed.

However, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam earlier today urged the protesters to end their protest while announcing that a draft of ordinance has been sent to the Home Ministry, adding that it would be passed in one-two days.

Jallikattu remains stalled since May 2014 due to a ban imposed by the Supreme Court, which is due to deliver its verdict on a related case that has been reserved earlier.

The widespread pro-Jallikattu protests have lead to charges and counter-charges by political parties, even as the call for legal remedies to revive the bull-taming game is getting louder.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A federal judge recently gave a preliminary approval for a settlement of a class action lawsuit brought by animation workers against DreamWorks Animation.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh greenlit a 50 million dollar settlement after the workers claimed that the studio violated antitrust laws by conspiring to set animation wages via non-poaching agreements, Variety reports.

The named plaintiffs, Robert Nitsch, David Wentworth, and Georgia Cano, had already reached settlement agreements with Sony Imageworks and Blue Sky Studios.

Koh noted that DreamWorks Animation "has independently agreed to cooperate with plaintiffs in authenticating documents, and in not voluntarily producing any employee to testify at trial for any non-settling defendant."

Other defendants in the case are The Walt Disney Company, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and ImageMovers, whose cases are still pending.

The final fairness hearing is scheduled for May 18.

The roots of the anti-poaching agreements go back to the mid-1980s, when George Lucas and Ed Catmull, the president of Steve Jobs' newly formed company Pixar, agreed to not raid each other's employees.

Other companies then joined the conspiracy with agreements on such things as cold calling and notifying each other when making an offer to an employee of another company.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after Samajwadi Party ruled out alliance with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), party leader Juhi Singh extended her good wishes to the RLD, asserting that Congress and RLD can tell as why the latter didn't enter into grand alliance.

"Congress and RLD can tell as why the latter didn't enter into grand alliance because we always intended to contest the elections along with the parties which pitch for development of the Uttar Pradesh," Juhi Singh told ANI.

Singh further said that RLD is a strong party and extended her best wishes to it.

The Samajwadi Party yesterday ruled out tie-up with the RLD, putting an end to the speculation of grand alliance in the Uttar Pradesh.

"Yes we are entering into an alliance with Congress, seats will be announced soon. There were no talks with RLD," SP vice president Kiranmoy Nanda told ANI.

The decision regarding the alliance was taken in a six-hour meeting held by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav with senior SP leaders on Thursday.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on January 17 announced an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls under the leadership of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav also confirmed that the party will lock itself in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress.

Chaudhary Ajit Singh, who is carrying on the political legacy of his father and former Prime Minister of India, Charan Singh is founder and the president of RLD.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After raising a storm post his statement quoting B.R. Ambedkar against continuation of reservation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue Manmohan Vaidya on Friday retracted his earlier comment saying that the organisation has always been in favour of reservation, adding that as long as differences in the society remain, such policies will exist as well.

"The RSS has clarified time and again that it has always been in support of reservation, as we believe that reservation was imposed in response to the discrimination being faced by certain sections of the society," Vaidya told ANI.

He further emphasised that reservation is a must, however, adding that it should not be based on the lines of religion.

"The second question was on giving reservation on the basis of religion, to that I responded that reservation on the basis of religion has not been a part of our history and if we do so, then this will only promote separatist ideology. So I suggested that instead of opting for reservation on the basis of religion we can give them better education. The Supreme Court and the high Court also have several times rejected the idea of reservation on the basis of religion," he added.

Earlier today during an interactive session in the Jaipur Literature Festival he said that reservations for the SC and ST were introduced in a different context and it was provided in the Constitution to remedy the 'historical injustice' done to them.

"It was our responsibility. So, reservation for them has been there since the inception (of the Constitution). But, even Ambedkar has said its continuance in perpetuity is not good. There should be a time limit to it," he added.

Vaidya's remark comes as an embarrassment for the BJP as it comes days ahead of the assembly polls in five states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Punjab and Goa.

The opposition parties trained guns at the BJP and RSS post Vaidya's remark.

Congress leader Raj Babbar told ANI that said that the RSS is least concerned about the downtrodden and underprivileged sections of the society.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also lashed out at Vaidya while accusing the BJP and RSS of being anti-Dalits.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav cornered Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Vaidya's remark, while asserting that the BJP would face electoral defeat in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh after witnessing the same fate in Bihar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As Donald Trump assumes power tonight as the 45th president of the United States, former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai has suggested that the new administration should take a deep look at the Afghan policy and rectify the mistakes committed during the past 15 years.

Karzai said, "Obviously some things have gone wrong during this period. That is why we have not been able to defeat Taliban and other extremist forces despite our best efforts which yielded good results initially."

In conversation with Indian Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar as part of the second edition of the Raisina Dialogue here, Karzai suggested that the U.S. should sit together along with Russia, China and India to work out an effectively new policy.

The former president said that Trump's willingness to cooperate with Russia to fight extremists and terrorists would help fight terror more effectively in the region.

He added that U.S. ally Pakistan was itself responsible for the failure of Washington's Afghan policy, as it, through the ISI, encouraged and assisted regrouping of Taliban activists, who had gone back and settled in villages after losing power.

He alleged that Pakistan used religion to motivate the Taliban activists and supporters, as it had been doing in India and other neighbouring countries.

If the US had put stringent conditions for providing aid, it would have deterred the Pakistan leadership and army from assisting the Taliban, he noted, adding that "there needs to be change in the US policy, if it needs to succeed."

"Fundamental change in America is required," said Karzai, adding he was not against the BSA (Bilateral Security Agreement) with the US, but had only demanded that some conditions should be added to it.

He asserted that the U.S.' Afghan policy will not succeed if Washington continued the same Pakistan policy. Changing Pakistan policy is important for the US to see its Afghan policy succeed, he said.

He said Trump's expected good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin would help the region a lot.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Animal Rights activist

Gauri Maulekhi on Friday dubbed the ongoing protests over the bull taming sport Jallikattu as 'unjustified' and said that one should not make it an ego issue.

Maulekhi said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam has apparently assured the protestors that steps have to be taken and the protest has to be withdrawn.

"That again is completely misleading; the protestors should be educated that it is not the whole Pongal festival that has been banned but only a very small part of it which involves animal. That has been stopped and the rest of the harvest festivities can take place as it is. What is the point of sticking to some illegality and making it an ego issue? It is totally unjustified," she told ANI.

The sea of protesters continued to swell on the Marina beach in Chennai for the fourth day on Friday as supporters of Jallikattu staged their protest.

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.

The Supreme Court, which had banned the sport in 2014, today agreed not to pass any interim order for a week.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi mentioned the matter before the apex court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar.

"The Central Government and the state government are trying to solve the issue," Rohatgi told the apex court bench.

The submissions, which were made to the court by the Centre, were accepted by the apex court.

The apex court had earlier in its order banned Jallikattu by terming it as a 'cruelty' to the animal.

Urging the protestors to end their protest, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam has said that Jallikattu will return to the state in a couple of days through an ordinance or executive order that will be reviewed by President Pranab Mukherjee.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Reacting on the ruling out of a possible alliance with the Congress, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and a couple of smaller parties, senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Naresh Agarwal on Friday asserted that anything can happen in politics as it is not a game for everyone.

"Politics is a game which not everybody can play. Everything will come in front of you by evening. Nothing is impossible in politics," Agarwal told ANI.

With the uncertainty over the alliance, and a resolute decision on it to be announced by today evening, Agarwal said that the end decision lies with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

"The last decision rests with the Chief Minister. He is looking into the details of the alliance. Till now, no decision has been taken by him," he added.

In the latest development, the Samajwadi Party has ruled out tie-up with the Congress owing to the continuous delay by the latter in clearing its stand on the alliance.

The Congress, earlier on Tuesday announced its tie-up with the Samajwadi Party in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.

The development came a day after the party's 'cycle' symbol was retained by Akhilesh-led faction of the SP.

Speaking about grand alliance, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told ANI, "For now it is Congress-SP alliance. (We) will think about Mahagathbandhan in the coming days."

Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav had also confirmed that the party will lock itself in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the wake of the massive opposition being raised to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Combined Commander's Conference in Dehradun stating it is an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to take political advantage, the Election Commission on Friday said the visit would not be a public meeting, adding that no media briefing or announcement shall be made.

The response by the poll panel came after Congress' accusation against Prime Minister Modi of taking undue political advantage from the upcoming Conference.

The Commission also said that holding the Conference at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, is subjected to strict observance of following conditions.

"The official visit shall not be combined with any public meeting; No media briefing, media interaction, press release or announcement in connection with serving soldier or ex-servicemen which may affect the electorate in five poll going states including Uttarakhand shall be made," a statement read.

In a press conference held in Dehradun yesterday, Chief Minister Harish Rawat told reporters that the Prime Minister was attempting to breach the Election Commission's directive by using such meetings for political gains.

Rawat said it was strange the commanders' conference 2016, was being held now and that too in a poll-bound state.

The Chief Minister further 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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As US President-elect gears up for his swearing-in ceremony on Friday, multiple protests are expected across the country including near the inauguration viewing area.

A coalition of organisations 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, reports the Washington Post.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to mark the day with shouts, marches and onstage speeches and performances.

Demonstrators against US president-elect march along the inaugural parade route outside the Trump Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. Photo: Reuters





Protest groups organised 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 centre on racial justice.

The protesting groups will consist of people from the Muslim, Jewish and immigrant communities.

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.

The Woman's March on Saturday also is expected to draw thousands of protesters.

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.

Ben Becker of the ANSWER Coalition said that more than 45,000 people have indicated through social media an interest in joining the group's protest near the US Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor on Friday told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the cash crunch in the country post the November 8 demonetisation drive will normalise with the passage of time.

Sources said the central banking institution also informed the PAC that specific agencies like Financial Intelligence Unit and Income Tax Dept are looking into abnormal deposits.

Explaining demonetisation to the PAC members, the RBI Governor informed them about the efforts being made to normalise the situation of the cash crunch in rural areas. He also threw light on the efforts being made to normalise the situation in urban areas.

The RBI governor had earlier on Wednesday appeared before Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance over the same issue during which he failed to disclose the amount of money that returned to the banking system post demonetisation.

In a surprise move on November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the demonetisation of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has raised the issue of Kashmir with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, saying that the Kashmir issue is an international dispute, which remains on the agenda of the Security Council.

Sharif met UN chief Guterres on the sidelines of the Economic Forum at Davos on Thursday.

"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. India did not respond positively," Sharif said.

The Pakistan Prime Minister also raised the issue of Indus Water Treaty with the UN Secretary General.

"We look forward to your leadership and good offices and the United Nations has longstanding responsibility to play a role in the resolution of these issues", he said.

UN Secretary General assured the Prime Minister that he is fully cognizant of the sensitivity of the issues between India and Pakistan which has security consequences for the region.

Sharif said he was pleased to meet Guterres soon after assumption of Office of the Secretary General and that it gives him great pleasure to see the latter leading the premier international institution.

Guterres praised Pakistan's contribution for the United Nations and Peace-keeping operations as well as hosting millions of Afghan refugees.

He said that he will play a very constructive and positive role for the countries in the region including Pakistan.

Sharif recalled with great appreciation Guterres' inspirational role as the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees.

"Your visits to Pakistan in that tenure enabled you to understand our challenges in hosting millions of refugees", he said.

Assuring that Pakistan will support and cooperate to enable the Office of UN Secretary General to fulfill UN's mandate, Sharif said that Islamabad would also support his call for prioritising conflict prevention and sustainable peace

He invited the UN chief to visit Pakistan at earliest convenience and stated that his visit will showcase support and commitment to peace and progress in the region.

Sharif said that his government's foremost priority is to build a peaceful neighborhood and they are committed to lasting peace and security in the region and an environment conducive to economic cooperation, which is in the interest of all the people of South Asia.

"We are convinced that the welfare of the people of our region lies in economic progress and prosperity. This cannot be achieved if we are not able to resolve our problems and cooperate with each other", he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As protest over the lifting of ban on bull taming sport of Jallikattu mounts, members of South Indian Artists association, Nadigar Sangam on Friday came out weighing in to it.

Tamil Cine Association president Vishal Reddy and playwright and film actor S.V. Shekar along with others joined the protest.

Many other celebrities like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Surya, Vijay, Chiyaan Vikram came up in support of the ongoing protest in the state.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president M.K. Stalin was taken into preventive custody for joining the 'Rail Roko Agitation' at Chennai's Mambalam. He, was however, later released.

The DMK workers, in huge numbers, broke the barricading here while voicing their support for Jallikattu.

DMK MP Kanimozhi also held protest at Chennai's Egmore railway station in support of Jallikattu.

Meanwhile, in Rameswaram shops have been shut down supporting the same cause.

Marina Beach continues to witness large crowd thronging there in support of the sport.

A strike call has been given by traders, truckers and van and taxi operators, and private schools in many districts including Chennai have announced holiday today.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam earlier today, while announcing that the draft of the ordinance has been sent to the Home Ministry, urged the protesters to end their agitation.

Jallikattu remains stalled since May 2014 due to a ban imposed by the Supreme Court, which is due to deliver its verdict on a related case that has been reserved earlier.

The widespread pro- Jallikattu protests have lead to charges and counter-charges by political parties, even as the call for legal remedies to revive the bull-taming game is getting louder.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after Samajwadi Party ruled out alliance with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), the Janata Dal (United) said that the former should form alliance with the secular forces as JD(U) did during the Bihar elections.

"I believe that Uttar Pradesh elections are very important and the secular forces should be considered to form an alliance. This upcoming election is a sort of semi finals," JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav told ANI.

The Samajwadi Party yesterday ruled out tie-up with the RLD, putting an end to the speculation of a grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

"Yes we are entering into an alliance with Congress, seats will be announced soon. There were no talks with RLD," SP vice president Kiranmoy Nanda told ANI.

The decision regarding the alliance was taken in a six-hour meeting held by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav with senior SP leaders on Thursday.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, on January 17 announced an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls under the leadership of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav had also confirmed that the party will lock itself in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Industry advocates- Indian Angel Network (IAN), NASSCOM, TiE, Mumbai Angels and IVCA with Nishith Desai Associates have come together to propose tax changes for a more impactful Start up India Program, higher growth startups, increased job creation and increased contribution to the tax coffers.

The proposed changes could make a paradigm shift in India's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Startup India programme in January last year as part of a campaign to create a conducive ecosystem for startups to boost job creation.

The press conference, held on Friday here, was addressed by Saurabh Srivastava, Co-founder and Past Chairman NASSCOM, Co-founder of IAN, Nishith Desai - Founder, Nishith Desai Associates, Harish Mehta, Co-founder and Past Chairman NASSCOM, Board member IAN, Rajat Tandon - President IVCA and Naveen Raju - Executive Director - TiE Mumbai.

Following are the highlights of the sections and actions proposed --

1. Sec. 56 (2) of the Income Tax Act ('ITA'): The government's Startup India Plan has unleashed innovation and entrepreneurship. The impetus provided could become more impactful if investments raised by startups were not taxed. Section 56 taxes capital receipt any amount above the fair market as assessed by the ITO. Startup ventures, at the stage where angels invest, usually have no revenues or profits and the valuation is based on the potential and promise of the idea, the background and competence of the founding team, etc. and is usually a matter of negotiation between the founders and the angel investors. Apart from converting disallowed capital investment to income, the tax levied further stresses the cashflow of the statup. This results in the company raising more money at a low valuation.

Startup companies are already facing this retrospective taxation and such notices damages to investor confidence and results in lower fund flows. It would also impact India's rankings on the Global Innovation Index, Global Competitiveness Index and Ease of Doing unless steps are taken to correct this immediately.

The investors proposed solution is in line with the Government's innovative idea of Startup Certification. They proposed that the Government recognise and approve angel investor groups and startups raising money from these groups be exempted from Section 56, unleashing faster growing startups, create jobs and contribute to the tax collections.

"We believe that the government has taken some very positive and innovative steps for the entrepreneurial ecosystem including the startup certification program. However, Section 56 is retrograde and unfair and impedes the growth of innovative startups and job creation. Ring fencing startups raising money from recognised Angel Investor Groups, can make the Government's Startup India program alive," Saurabh Srivastava, Co founder & Past Chairman of NASSCOM, Co Founder of Indian Angel Network commented.

"A few initiatives will immediately create a viable pipeline of companies who can aspire to obtain registration as a startup and kickstart the FFS funded VCFs activities, these being tweaking of the startup definition, allow all follow-on investments in the VCU, by the fund, until the end of the life of the fund and leverage of SIDBI contribution to be capped. We urge the government to take these recommendations into consideration and together help build a more favourable startup ecosystem in our country," Rajat Tandon, President, Indian Venture Capital Association said.

Further, speaking on section 68, Rajat explained, "Any premium to fair value is generally added by AO as unexplained income in the hands of the company and is taxed as other income. In a start-up, BV is not the driver of value and hence a lot of them are facing this tax litigation where their investors have put in money at significant premium to book value."

2. MAT: Startup India program has given an income tax break to startups in three of the five years of its existence. The investor group proposed that it is only a small fraction of startups that would become profitable in the initial years. It would be more useful if the companies were exempted from paying MAT - tax on book profit. This was tax levied on unrealised profit and a startup is really paying from its stressed cash flows.

3. LTCG: Government's relaxation on Long-term Capital Gains from three years to two years on unlisted companies was widely lauded. However, considering that angel/early stage investors are taking a much higher risk when investing in startups compared to publicly listed companies, the investors proposed that LTCG for unlisted companies be at least aligned with that on listed companies at one year. This would still not be recognising the risk levels that angel/early stage investors take by investing in startups but it would bring parity. The taxation treatment for capital gains and the holding period should be the same for listed companies and unlisted companies where investments have been made by VC funds or recognised angel groups.

4. Section 115UB: The venture capital industry pointed out that tax was payable on the success of each company and the VC Fund was not allowed to carry forward this tax through the life of the Fund. This was unfair as while one company could give a return, the VC Fund could be a loss. Hence, the Investor in the VC Fund is unable to leverage the tax paid against one success against the overall loss that the Fund might make. The proposed solution was that tax paid by the Fund on the exit of one company be allowed for carry forward through the life of the Fund and be netted off against any loss.

5. ESOPs to Mentors: Deep engagement by mentors are critical for a startup and for a cash stressed startup, equity is the best way to compensate its mentor. Currently, non-employees and non-directors are not eligible for ESOPs. Investors proposed relevant changes be made to allow companies to issues ESOPs to mentors.

The early stage Investing industry spoke in a single voice proposing tax/regulatory changes which could put the startup ecosystem in high gear.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has congratulated Donald Trump after he was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on Friday, a move which is likely to infuriate China.

"Congratulations @realDonaldTrump. Democracy is what ties Taiwan and the US together. Look forward to advancing our friendship & partnership," Tsai tweeted.

Trump had angered China last year when he accepted a phone call from President Tsai Ing-wen.

The call was thought to be the first between the leader of the island and the US President since ties between the United State and Taiwan were severed in 1979, at Beijing's behest.

The US closed its embassy in Taiwan - a democratically-ruled island which China considers a breakaway province - in the late 1970s following the historic rapprochement between Beijing and Washington that stemmed from Richard Nixon's 1972 trip to China.

Since then the US has adhered to the 'one China' principle which officially considers the independently governed island part of the Chinese mainland.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tapzo, India's first all-in-one app, has integrated Swiggy, Freshmenu and Faasos, to enhance the value and convenience it provides to its users and become the go-to destination for food ordering. Tapzo had earlier partnered with Zomato in March 2016.

Tapzo is now the only app in India that provides the option of ordering from multiple food delivery companies i.e. Zomato, Swiggy, Freshmenu and Faasos on a single platform.

Ankur Singla, Founder and CEO, Tapzo said, "Our unique all-in-one app approach has touched a chord with the average Indian user. These partnerships get us closer to our mission of simplifying digital living for Indians. Ordering food on mobile typically requires checking multiple food apps to compare options and restaurants before ordering. Furthermore, most foodies love to experiment trying out different cuisines and dishes through various sources. Tapzo integrates all major food apps and make this super convenient."

Tapzo also expects that this move would enhance the overall demand for food delivery in India by introducing new users among its three million customer-base to the ease and convenience of ordering food online.

Srivats TS, VP, Marketing, Swiggy said, "We are delighted to partner with Tapzo, India's first 'All-in-one' app. This partnership not only enables Swiggy to expand its services to newer customers, but also strengthens Tapzo's proposition as the 'All-in-one' app in user's mind. Together, we are looking to grow the category and are working on expanding our service rapidly to their users."

Jaydeep Barman, Co-founder and CEO, Faasos said, "We are excited to partner with Tapzo as it is directly in line with our commitment to offer exciting food for consumers across India with a convenient ordering experience. As the largest food delivery player in the country, with 140 kitchens across 14 cities, this partnership was a clear win-win for both of us as the Tapzo user base would get access to great food options from Breakfast to Dinner."

Rashmi Daga, CEO of Freshmenu said, "In 2017, we will grow multi-fold and add newer kinds of food and cuisines to the menu. We have established ourselves in Bangalore and will now focus on acquiring customers in Delhi and Mumbai. In this regard, our partnership with Tapzo will help us acquire high-quality customers in new markets and make Freshmenu accessible to a larger audience.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Today at approximately 10

Prime Minister Modi has the highest number of followers among all leaders of state on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Google+.

His penchant for using technology and modern tools of communication is well-known as well as his use of technology in governance, to reach out and stay connected to citizens, especially the youth.

Followers on PM Modi's social media platforms

Social Media Platform No of Followers

Twitter 26.5 million

Facebook 39.2 million

Google+ 3.2 million

LinkedIn 1.99 million

Instagram 5.8 million

Youtube 5.91 lakhs

Prime Minister Modi has made many technology interventions in the past one of the most significant being Government of India's direct transfer of subsidies and benefits to the poor sections of society.

Rs. 1.5 lakh crore has been directly sent to about 32 crore beneficiaries.

The poor of India have been empowered to send and receive payments without the use of even mobile phones.

Prime Minister Modi's 140 character tweets help people get direct information, while separating the wheat from the chaff.

Twitter campaigns like #Sandesh2Soldiers, #MyCleanIndia, #IncredibleIndia, #SelfieWithDaughte are some of the trends Modi introduced on Twitter.

Prime Minister Modi keeps a tab on grievance redressal and systemic issues are taken up by him personally in every month's PRAGATI session.

The Prime Minister interacts with chief secretaries of states and senior officials of Central Government through technology in the PRAGATI session to find a solution to various issues.

The people can also contribute with ideas and suggestions on policies and other issues on MyGov.in.

The portal currently has close to four million members and is a global model in citizen engagement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Outgoing U.S. ambassador to India Richard Verma today met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"It was a pleasure to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today on the last day of my tenure as U.S. Ambassador to India. We spoke about a range of issues, and the substantial progress we have made in the U.S.-India relationship over the past two years," said an official statement from the U.S. embassy.

The statement said that the two sides discussed bilateral accomplishments in the area of clean energy, trade, defense, and people-to-people ties, as well as the broader benefits that our efforts have brought to the world.

"We reflected on the Prime Minister's address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama's visit to India as Chief Guest at India's Republic Day celebrations, and agreed that the U.S.-India relationship is stronger than ever," it said.

On Wednesday, outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama in a telephonic conversation with Prime Narendra Modi also expressed gratitude for the latter's support and contribution to the Indo-U.S. ties.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In an endeavour to increase the voter turnout in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the Lucknow district administration has announced lucrative offers to woo voters.

The scheme allows a 10 percent discount on edibles to movie tickets.

The voters can show the Ink mark and enjoy the discount. The validity of the availing the offer is from the February 19 to 21.

63.46 percent people cast their votes in the Lucknow district in the 2012 Uttar Pradesh elections.

This year the local administration is making all endeavours to increase this count to at least 75 percent.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With people not just in America but around the globe eager to follow Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony, here is how the most waited for event will unfold.

Donald J. Trump will take the oath of office outside the Capitol on Friday to become the 45th president of the United States. Expect plenty of pomp and a good deal of protest, too, as hundreds of thousands of people descend on Washington to mark the occasion.

The Schedule:

The official inaugural festivities commenced Thursday afternoon and will not wrap up until Saturday morning. Below are some of the highlights; and here is an expanded schedule.

The swearing-in ceremony starts at 11:30 a.m. on Friday with officials and other dignitaries gathered on the West Front of the Capitol. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. will administer the oath of office to Trump, who will then deliver his inaugural address.

Later in the afternoon, after reviewing the American armed forces, President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will lead the inaugural parade from the Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue, with thousands of military personnel representing each branch participating.

The Inaugural balls will kick off around 7 p.m. There will be two official inaugural balls on separate floors of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and the Armed Services Ball, which will be at the National Building Museum. Trump is expected to make remarks and take to the dance floor at all three.

On Saturday morning the Washington National Cathedral will host the traditional prayer service for Trump and Pence to begin their terms in prayer and reflection. The service marks the end of the official inaugural schedule.

Also, expected Saturday morning is the Women's March on Washington, which would be the week's largest protest action against Trump. The march begins with a rally at the base of Capitol Hill.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Clearing all uncertainties over an alliance with the Congress Party in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party on Friday released a list of 191 candidates for the first three phases of the assembly polls.

With the Congress maintaining suspense so far on whether it will ally with the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party has fielded its candidates even in those constituencies said to be the strong hold of the grand old party.

The Samajwadi Party has fielded Ashok Agrawal from Mathura, the constituency of Congress Legislative Party leader and sitting MLA Pradeep Mathur.

With the Congress not yet opening its cards on whether they would go for an alliance, the Samajwadi Party seems all set to contest the polls on its own. Interestingly, the list includes the Samajwadi Party candidates on eight seats where the Congress has sitting MLAs.

The other seats of Congress sitting MLAs where the Samajwadi Party has fielded its candidates include Bilaspur, Kidvai Nagar, Khurja, Syana, Kapur, Swar and Shamli.

There have so far been talks of the Samajwadi Party wanting to contest 300 of the 403 assembly seats in the politically crucial state while allotting the rest to the Congress. However, Samajwadi Party leader Kiranmoy Nanda's recent assertion that the Congress should ideally be given not more than 54 seats to contest makes it clear that the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh has decided to go solo.

"We plan to give 54 seats to the Congress, may give 25-30 more to them after discussions which is around 80 or so. We will fight on 300 plus seats. The number of seats to be given to the Congress is subject to adjustment and discussion let alliance happen," Nanda told the media in Lucknow.

What is worth mentioning is that former state president Shivpal Yadav, said to be a strong bete noire of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, also figures in the last, thereby indication that all is now well in Uttar Pradesh's first family.

Shivpal has been allocated ticket from Jaswantnagar from where he emerged victorious in 2012.

The constituency falls in Etawah district and covers Saifai, the native village of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Another party leader Arvind Singh Gop has been allotted the ticket in place of Beni Prasad Verma's son Rakesh Verma.

While senior Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal's son Nitin Agrawal has been given ticket from Hardoi, Azam Khan's son Abdullah Azam will contest from Suar (Rampur).

The list has several young candidates and new faces, seen as Akhilesh Yadav protegees who have been speaking about grooming a new generation of leaders in a party dominated by veterans.

Samajwadi Party leader Raghuraj Pratap Singh today said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will decide on alliance with the Congress. He, however, added that the Samajwadi Party is in a position to achieve absolute majority on its own in the electoral battle.

This latest political development comes a day after the Samajwadi Party ruled out an alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which was earlier tipped to be the third partner in the conglomeration for the seven-phase assembly polls.

Uttar Pradesh will elect a new 403-seat state assembly in seven phases on February 11, February 15, February 19, February 23, February 27, March 4 and March 8.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bharti Airtel rose 0.85% to Rs 319.25 at 9:33 IST on BSE after the company said that its board will meet on 24 January 2017, to consider raising funds by issuing bonds through private placement.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 19 January 2017.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was down 94.81 points, or 0.35%, to 27,213.79.

On the BSE, so far 8,644 shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volumes of 1.45 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 320.25 and a low of Rs 315.60 so far during the day.

The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 384.90 on 28 April 2016. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 282.30 on 29 January 2016. The stock had outperformed the market over the past 30 days till 19 January 2017, rising 4.77% compared with the 4.06% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 2.31% as against Sensex's 2.74% decline.

The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 1,998.70 crore. Face value per share is Rs 5.

Meanwhile, media reports sugested that Bharti Airtel has entered final stages of discussion with Norwegian telecom operator Telenor to acquire its local unit. The deal will be finalised by the end of February 2017, and that Airtel is a stronger negotiating position. Telenor, on the other hand, has been scouting for a buyer for a long time, reports added.

On a consolidated basis, Bharti Airtel's net profit declined 4.9% to Rs 1460.70 crore on 3.4% growth in net sales to Rs 24651.50 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

Bharti Airtel is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 18 countries across Asia and Africa.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Future Consumer rose 2.75% to Rs 22.40 at 11:53 IST on BSE after the company entered into a joint venture agreement with Tilda Hain India to manufacture and sell food products in the health and wellness category in India.

The announcement was made before market hours today, 20 January 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 92.33 points or 0.34% at 27,216.27

On the BSE, 4.38 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 5.61 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 23.15 and a low of Rs 21.90 so far during the day.

The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 25.40 on 29 June 2016 and a 52-week low of Rs 18.10 on 9 November 2016.

The mid-cap company has equity capital of Rs 997.50 crore. Face value per share is Rs 6.

Future Consumer said that the company has entered into a joint venture agreement dated 19 January, 2017 with Tilda Hain India, a part of Hain Celestial Group, Inc., New York, USA. The joint venture is for undertaking the business of manufacturing, marketing, trading, selling and distributing various food products in the health and wellness category such as chips, non-dairy beverages, straws and infant / toddler foods.

As per the joint venture agreement, Future Consumer and Tilda Hain India each shall hold 50% of the paid-up share capital of the joint venture company. Future Consumer and Tilda Hain India shall have the right to nominate three directors each, on the board of the joint venture company.

On a consolidated basis, Future Consumer reported net loss of Rs 16.17 crore in Q2 September 2016, lower than net loss of Rs 28.66 crore in Q2 September 2015. Net sales rise 30.6% to Rs 559.83 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

Future Consumer is India's first sourcing-to-supermarket food company by Future Group.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
MEP Infrastructure Developers rose 3.65% to Rs 42.55 at 10:06 IST on BSE after the company announced that its subsidiary has achieved financial closure for a road project in Maharashtra.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 19 January 2017.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was down 84.25 points, or 0.31%, to 27,224.35

On the BSE, so far 36,000 shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volumes of 42,291 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 43.60 and a low of Rs 41.75 so far during the day.

The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 50 on 23 September 2016. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 34 on 10 November 2016.

The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 162.57 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

MEP Infrastructure Developers said that the company's subsidiary MEP SANJOSE Arawali Kante Road has achieved the financial closure as per the concession agreement executed with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways dated 28 June 2016. This is for the rehabilitation and up-gradation of National Highway 66 to four lane with paved shoulder in Maharashtra under NHDP IV on hybrid annuity mode by tying up of project finance of Rs 266.84 crore.

On a consolidated basis, MEP Infrastructure Developers' reported net profit of Rs 62.42 crore in Q2 September 2016 as compared with net loss of Rs 11.23 crore in Q2 September 2015. Total income rose 22.2% to Rs 570.13 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

MEP Infrastructure Developers is one of the leading infrastructure operator and toll management company.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ruchi Soya Industries rose 14.35% to Rs 27.50 at 11:52 IST on BSE on media report the the company will enter into a marketing deal with Baba Ramdev promoted Patanjali Ayurved.

Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was down 92.75 points, or 0.34%, to 27,215.85.

On the BSE, so far 20.26 lakh shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volumes of 1.24 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 28.10 and a low of Rs 25.60 so far during the day.

The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 33.20 on 28 March 2016. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 17.75 on 25 May 2016.

According to the report, Baba Ramdev's Patanjali will start branding and marketing the edible oil produced by Ruchi Soya across its 13 facilities, which will ensure guaranteed sales to Ruchi Soya as well as cut its distribution and marketing costs.

This arrangement comes as a massive relief to one of the country's largest edible oil manufacturers with brands like Ruchi Gold and Mahakosh. Ruchi Soya owes almost Rs 10000 crore to banks, is contesting winding up proceedings initiated by IDFC Bank in Bombay Hight Court, and is yet to secure all 22 lenders approval to enter a joint venture with Adani Wilmar, the report suggested.

Net profit of Ruchi Soya Industries declined 77.92% to Rs 26.75 crore on 9.5% decline in net sales to Rs 4846.07 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015.

Ruchi Soya Industries is a leading manufacturer and marketer of edible oils, soya food, premium table spread, vanaspati and bakery fats.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Competition Commission of India

UltraTech Cement announced that the Competition Commission of India (CCI), in a reference filed by the Government of Haryana for alleged cartelization in August, 2012, has, on 19 January 2017 assed an order, which is uploaded on their web site, directing:

1. the Company and other opposite parties to 'cease and desist' from indulging in the acts / conduct which have been found to be in contravention of the provisions of the Competition Act, 2002, and

2. imposed a penalty of Rs. 68.3 crore on the Company, being 0.3% of the average turnover for the financial years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15.

The Company will take appropriate action after examining the Order fully.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The 29th edition of the Amazon India Fashion Week (AIFW) will introduce 16 fresh faces on the ramp for the Autumn-Winter edition.

The event will be held from March 15-18 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here.

"It was heartening to see an overwhelming turnout of participants and the immense capabilities they displayed. I would like to thank the distinguished FDCI jury for enabling these greenhorns to embark on a testing journey to success," Sunil Sethi, President, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), said in a statement, after the model auditions were held on Thursday.

FDCI -- India's apex fashion body -- conducted a campaign titled #GETNOTICED to audition new and aspiring models.

The jury comprised veteran designers JJ Valaya, Rina Dhaka, Varun Bahl, Gautam Rakha and fashion choreographers Asha Kochhar, Vidyun Singh and Saumya Rathore. Amazon shortlisted these 16 models from a nationwide search of close to 200 aspiring models.

"The #GETNOTICED campaign is our way to add newness by incorporating fresh faces into the existing pool of models, in turn, making new stars of tomorrow," Sethi added.

This season, Huawei ran a social media contest 'Hunt for the Face of Honour', in collaboration with the FDCI and shortlisted 26 young aspirants to be a part of the model auditions.

Six of the final shortlisted contestants were chosen to walk the ramp for the 'Honour Show' as part of AIFW.

--IANS

dc/rb/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
If you think that going incognito online will save you from being seen or noticed, you are wrong. According to researchers including two of Indian-origin, online behaviour can be identified by linking anonymous web browsing histories with your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles.

Researchers from the Princeton and Stanford universities found that anyone with access to browsing histories can identify many users by analysing public information from social media accounts.

"It is already known that some companies, such as Google and Facebook, track users online and know their identities," stressed Arvind Narayanan, Assistant Professor at Princeton University.

Researchers said that those companies, which consumers choose to create accounts with, disclosed their tracking. "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," added Narayanan.

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.

It was found that online advertising companies build browsing histories of users with tracking programmes embedded on web pages.

"Each person's browsing history is unique and contains tell-tale signs of their identity," wrote Sharad Goel, Assistant Professor at Stanford University.

The study is scheduled for presentation at the World Wide Web Conference 2017 at Perth, Australia in April.

--IANS

qd/na/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vice President Hamid Ansari on Friday said the must stand up to fear, seek information and speak out.

"It must not hesitate to tell the powers their errors in commission and omission. It is a fundamental function of the and a basic requirement for the functioning of a healthy democracy," Ansari said after giving away the C.H. Mohammed Koya National Journalism Awards 2016.

Speaking on the freedom enjoyed by the press in India, Ansari said: "In its 2016 assessment of press freedom in India, the Freedom House, Freedom of Press report, categorised India as 'partially free', with an overall score of 41 (out of 100)."

"The Press status report by the organisation Reporters sans Frontiers was even more critical, ranking India 133 out of 180 countries in terms of press vitality and freedom."

The Vice President said: "Freedom of is vital for accountability and transparency. It is a pillar of democracy, the rule of law and good governance and contributes to more inclusive and sustainable development, and in empowering citizens of our country."

The awards were instituted in the memory of former Chief Minister of Kerala C. H. Mohammed Koya.

--IANS

rs/ahm/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Brazil's President Michel Temer has mourned the death of Supreme Court judge overseeing the Petrobras scam, who was killed in a plane crash, a media report said on Friday.

Temer declared three days of national mourning in Brazil over Justice Teori Zavascki's death, Xinhua news agency reported.

Zavascki was in charge of the probe known as Lava Jato, or Car Wash, the massive kickback and corruption scheme involving many of Brazil's biggest companies, including state-run oil giant Petrobras.

Zavascki has played a crucial role in the inquiry that has implicated scores of politicians - including the current and former Presidents Michel Temer and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and several dozen other prominent politicians - and resulted in the jailing of the former head of the lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha.

"He was a good man and a source of pride for all Brazilians," Temer said.

"I join all Brazilians to regret the passing of a public man distinguished by his impeccable trajectory in defense of the law and justice," he added.

Former President Dilma Rousseff, who appointed Zavascki to the Supreme Court in 2012, also issued a statement mourning his death.

The Brazilian media reports said Zavascki had received threats in the past year, one of them he confirmed in June 2016, linked to his job investigating the corruption scheme involving government contracts with the private sector, especially Brazil's oil giant Petrobras.

His death in the Thursday plane crash came several days after media reported he was about to admit key testimonies implicating high-profile politicians.

At least three were killed out of the four people on board the plane flying from Sao Paulo to Paraty, about 260 km west of the city of Rio, according to Brazilian media.

The plane crashed into the sea during poor weather conditions shortly before landing in Paraty.

So far, there has been no evidence of foul play found in the crash.

--IANS

in/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel on Friday is learnt to have told a parliamentary committee that cash flow post demonetisation will normalise soon but might take longer in rural and remote areas.

He also said demonetisation would be beneficial for the economy in medium and long term.

Patel, according to informed sources, told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament the situation of cash flow in the country was "almost normal" in urban areas.

He added that efforts were on to improve the cash flow to rural and remote areas in the country.

"It will take a few more weeks for the situation to improve in rural and remote areas," the sources quoted him as saying.

They said Patel told the committee that demonetisation has short-term impact on the economy but would be beneficial in the medium and long-term.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 8 last year announced demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

The sources said members expressed concern over tax on online transactions.

Patel is learnt to have told the panel that RBI was trying to come out with a new mechanism to bring down online transaction costs and was in talks with all stakeholders including banks.

Asked by the members about several-fold increase in deposits in cooperative banks following demonetisation, Patel is learnt to have said the matter was being probed by Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND).

Earlier this week, the RBI Governor had told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance the new currency notes, worth Rs 9.2 lakh crore, were introduced into the financial system post demonetisation.

One of the PAC members told Patel there was a huge mismatch between the cash deposited and the actual cash in the cooperative banks.

To this, Patel said he has information on the issue and the matter was being investigated by FIU-IND.

--IANS

bns-ps/pgh/vm

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Anil Madhav Dave on Friday said the Centre wants a "permanent solution" to the contentious Jallikattu issue, adding that it will arrive at a decision by Saturday.

"The issue is under government's consideration. I had a talk with the Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) on the issue," he told a press conference here.

"We will bring everything in front of you in the shortest (possible) time; by today evening (Friday) or tomorrow (Saturday) we will reach a conclusion," he said.

"Give (us) some time. Let's wait for a day or two," the minister added.

He said the Centre is closely watching all developments on the issue.

In Tamil Nadu capital Chennai, protesters demanding holding of Jallikattu said on Friday that they will continue to protest across the state till the ancient bull-taming sport is held.

They said they are not satisfied with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam's assurance that Jallikattu would be held in a couple of days.

--IANS

sk/tsb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A seminar was held here in China on Friday to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Wu Jieping, a well-known Chinese medical scientist.

As one of the founders of Chinese urinary surgery science, Wu made remarkable contributions to the development of urinary surgery and medical science in China, Xinhua news agency reported.

Born in January 1917, Wu was also a former leader of the non-Communist party Jiu San (September 3) Society, and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the eighth and ninth National People's Congress (NPC).

He died in March 2011 at the age of 94.

In a speech addressing the event, Li Jianguo, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, on Friday recalled Wu's achievements in medical science.

Li called on people to learn from Wu's patriotism and sublime moral character, unify around the party and contribute to national rejuvenation.

Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, attended the commemoration seminar and met Wu's relatives.

--IANS

py/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Mizoram anti-corruption watchdog has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee lottery scam.

The People's Right to Information and Development Society of Mizoram (Prism) in a letter to Mizoram assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Lalruatkima said that the reported scandal must be handed over to the CBI.

"Comptroller and Auditor General of India's (CAG) audit report found huge irregularities in the state lottery. Considering the gravity ..., the probe by the CBI is urgently crucial," said the letter by Prism, which was released to the media on Friday.

The CAG in its latest report, presented to the state assembly recently, said that 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 state government during 2012-13 to 2014-15 received a paltry revenue of Rs 25.45 crore," the report added.

Meanwhile, Mizoram Finance Minister Lalsawta said that the state government did not lose a single penny in the lottery sale as per the agreement made with the lottery distributors.

Speaking to reporters here Lalsawta said as per the agreement made with distributors, the MGR to be deposited by distributors to the state government from lottery draw for the years -- 2012-13 and 2014-2015 was Rs 25.45 crore.

He said that lottery as of now is running in Mizoram based on model form of agreement, prescribed by the Union Home Ministry.

--IANS

sc/in/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Cuba will be importing more condoms from Thiruvananthapuram-headquartered HLL Lifecare Ltd, said a company spokesperson on Friday.

The HLL spokesperson told the media that it was from 2012 that Cuba began importing condoms, blood bags and intra-uterine devices from the company.

"In the previous calendar year, the total exports of HLL products to Cuba was Rs 11 crore and this calendar year we have set a target of Rs 20 crore," said the HLL spokesperson.

Interestingly, the announcement comes even as the average number of children in Cuban families have touched as low as 1.4 per family and planning to increase their population to 20 million by 2050 up from the present 11.2 million.

Ambassador of Cuba to India Oscar I. Martinex Cordoves visited the condom manufacturing facility of the HLL factory in the capital city on Friday and watched presentations, besides holding discussions with key company officials.

"India is a key country as far as Cuba is considered when it comes to imports. There are several things that we are dependent for and import," Cordoves told the media.

He also pointed out that the country is offering lots of stimulus packages to women and their target population in 2050 is fixed at 20 million.

"The health care system in our country is very good and today, the population of Cubans above 60 years is 20 per cent, with women having a life expectancy of 81 and men 78," said Cordoves.

--IANS

sg/nir/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said over 100 Aam Aadmi Canteens will be opened in the city after the successful trial of one such canteen.

The canteen was opened at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital here on Thursday. The hospital staff, patients and the people visiting the hospital can have good quality food for Rs 10 there.

"The canteen has been opened on a pilot basis and we will open Aam Aadmi Canteens all across the city at a big level. If the trial is successful, we will open 100 such canteens in the national capital," Jain told reporters here.

He said the pilot project would continue for a month in which, as of now, only lunch would be provided at the canteen.

Jain added that the government had promised to provide good quality food to people at very low cost which was being fulfilled.

"The food is prepared with machines and is hygienic. This pilot project will also give us an idea about the expenditure and subsidy to be given on this project for other canteens," Jain said.

Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC) vice Chairman Ashish Khetan in July 2015 had made the announcement that DDC had prepared a draft proposal on Aam Aadmi Canteens. The canteens were to be opened in two months but the project got delayed.

In March last year, Delhi government had allocated Rs 10 crore in its budget for Aam Aadmi Canteens.

--IANS

am-vv/pgh/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With Barack Obama's presidency in its final minutes, numerous House and Senate Democrats, along with Senator Bernie Sanders, and Senate Republicans took to social media to thank the 44th President of the US.

Senator Benjamin Louis Cardin from the Democratic Party tweeted: "Thank you President Barack Obama for all you have done for our nation and the dignity that you and your family have brought to the White House."

Democrat Lacy Clay said: "Thanks Mr. President #44always."

Gerry Connolly, also a Democrat, said: "Last Hail to the Chief for Obama makes me appreciate the virtues of grace and dignity amid all turmoil. America owes him a debt of gratitude."

Republican Jim Mc Govern also joined Twitteratis to thank Obama.

Republican Don Beyer tweeted: "It's been such a privilege to serve with you. For hope. For change. For everything you accomplished. Thanks Obama."

Marco Rubio, Senator for Florida, Republican party, said: "We also thank Barack Obama, Michelle Obama for your service to our country. May God bless you as you begin this new phase in your lives."

Jose E. Serrano, a Democrat from New York, also thanked the outgoing President "for your friendship and leadership"

--IANS

py/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Eight people have been found alive in Italy's Rigopiano hotel, two days after it was buried in an avalanche.

More than 30 people are feared dead after a wall of snow and rock slammed into the hotel in central Italy on Wednesday. Rescuers said the survivors had been found buried under snow, but had not yet been extricated. Two are children, BBC reported on Friday.

At least four people have been confirmed dead, and 20 are still missing, as the rescue effort continues in difficult conditions. Teams have been working at the scene for more than 24 hours in temperatures well below zero.

At first, it was thought there were only six survivors, but that was later revised to eight. Rescue teams requested helicopter support once they made the discovery, the Italian media reported.

Italy's Ansa news agency reported that a mother and daughter were rescued and taken to hospital. The initial six survivors were three men, two women, and a young girl, said reports.

They have spent at least 40 hours buried in the snow and rubble.

The avalanche struck on the Gran Sasso mountain range in Italy's quake-hit central Abruzzo, as guests awaited evacuation after a series of earthquakes in the region.

Holidaymakers were unable to leave as the roads were blocked and they were waiting for a snow plough. Last week, five metres of snowfall hit the Gran Sasso mountains.

A six-feet wall of snow and rock tore through the four-storey hotel, burying everyone inside and pushing the building 30 feet down the mountainside.

Rescuers on skis battled "apocalyptic" snow storms to reach victims in the village of Farindola on the lower slopes of Gran Sasso.

--IANS

soni/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Flick through interesting anecdotes from foreign travels; read the story of a war that is paralleled by disruption and the corruption it brought to Nepalese society. Also engage with the cultural, sexual scene, revolutions, and the music of the 1960s, and witness an intense battle of wills where school toppers overcome their demons only to unleash those lying in wait within others.

1. Book: My Life My Travels; Author: Sundeep Bhutoria; Publisher: Nine; Pages: 188; Price: Rs 399

"My Life My Travels" is a lively and engaging travelogue. Life in itself is an extraordinary journey but the journey of the external world is colourful, inimitable and more challenging than the internal world. All of us keep travelling from one place to another but travelling, and travelling with an insight, are two different things.

There has not been any limit to the travels abroad for the author in the last 15 years. Whenever he goes to a new place, he tries to compare its lifestyle, civilisation, traditions and discipline with those of our country. This book is a compilation of the anecdotes of his foreign travels.

2. Book: Kathmandu Days; Author: Chandra K. Bhatt; Publisher: Niyogi Books; Pages: 194; Price: Rs 395

For years, Nepal was ravaged by a civil war. On one side was the king and an elected government, on the other side were Maoist revolutionaries who terrorised the countryside. One night after years of war ended, most members of the Nepalese royal family were assassinated.

In reality, the Crown Prince shot all of them and then himself because he could not marry the woman he loved. The story that most Nepalese believe is that the King was assassinated because he was secretly working with the Maoists to destroy the government.

"Kathmandu Days" is a great novel for anyone interested in reading about political conspiracies.

3. Book: Harp; Author: Nidhi Dalmia; Publisher: AuthorsUpfront; Pages: 401; Price: Rs 295

Set in the context of the zeitgeist and idealism of the late 1960s, "Harp" is about love, longing and coming of age. The three main protagonists -- a young man travelling in a Europe-less-travelled including the Iron Curtain, a young woman who has a calling to music, and another young woman who has loved and lost once -- provide the frame of this narrative.

The book deals with journeys we make across countries, even as we embark on a private quest within to know ourselves better, and to seek what it is we really want from life.

Moving through India, Europe and the US, "Harp" follows the lives of these three young people as they engage with the cultural, sexual and student revolutions -- and the music of the 1960s.

4. Book: Toppers; Author: Aayush; Publisher: Penguin; Pages: 300; Price: Rs 299

At the elite Woodsville school, manipulation and lies reign supreme. In the quest for the coveted spot of Head Scholar, stakes are raised, sides taken and the student body is turned into a pawn in a vicious game played by the school's toppers.

Witness an intense battle of wills where the toppers overcome their demons only to unleash those lying in wait with others. Chaos and mayhem become weapons in their hands as the facades slowly begin to crumble. But in their fight to be the best, they forget one thing: that there is always someone better. Fast-paced, riveting and intense, "Toppers" is the edge-of-the-seat dramatic thriller you've been waiting for.

--IANS

mg/vm/sac

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
They say the easiest way to bring people together is to unite them against a common enemy; so I would like to propose that scientists declare Neptune a Hostile Planet.

All humans can then be enrolled in an anti-Neptune campaign, Trump can send angry tweets skywards and Rodrigo Duterte of the Phillipines can shoot at it. We'll be so busy waving our fists at the sky that peace will break out on Earth.

It won't even be that difficult. People will believe anything these days if you say it in the right "breathless internet factoid" tone of voice: "Amazing facts! Penguins can't fall over! Bald men can't lick their elbows! Planet Neptune identified as main cause of celebrity deaths!"

I tried out the idea on regular contributors to this column and one suggested that a more distant heavenly body be nominated for safety's sake. He said that in December, astronomers released the biggest-ever night sky catalogue, with an ID number for every star. This revealed that there were a billion-trillion stars in the universe, a staggeringly huge number, almost as high as the number of Snapchats my teenage daughter sends every day.

The distribution of ID numbers is huge at the moment. The Indian government has just announced a scheme to give ID cards to all 88 million cows and buffaloes in the country before the end of this year. This is not a joke. Since cattle often go out without their handbags, the cards will be stapled to their ears. As aforementioned teenage daughter recently mislaid her (human) ID card, perhaps the ear-stapling trick should be used more widely. Just a thought.

Anyway, that piece of news arrived on my desk at the same time as the Saudi Arabian authorities unveiled a plan to give registration numbers to camels. This also sounds like a joke but isn't. Until now, car-camel traffic collisions have resulted in only the cars being identified. By making camels identifiable, the system will be fairer, officials say. No doubt witty camels will register "4 legs better than 2" and "I poop on U" and other cheeky number plates.

At the same time, officials in New York recently announced that they have just completed a two-year programme to issue every tree in the city with an individual ID number. Again, we have the problem that trees rarely carry purses. So the authorities have put a map on the internet. If a tree forgets its ID card number, it simply looks up its location and it will find its number, its vital statistics (including trunk diameter) and a photograph.

The irony is that because of the very strong individual rights lobby in western countries, the authorities now have a highly detailed database of all the trees in New York (there are 683,918 of them) but know almost nothing about the humans there.

On the plus side, if terrorism spreads to our leafy friends, then New York's trees, or Arboreal-Americans to use the politically correct term, can be identified and tracked.

I hope that makes you feel safer. Because I have a feeling we are going to get some very bad news about the planet Neptune soon. Could someone kindly tell Presidents Trump and Duterte?

(Nury Vittachi is an Asia-based frequent traveller. Send ideas and comments via his Facebook page)

--IANS

nury/vm/sac

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In an obvious diplomatic faux pas, the Indian envoy to Myanmar, Vikram Misri, has been pictured along with top members of the banned NSCN-Khaplang faction, including its "military commander" Niki Sumi, who has a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head.

In the picture, posted by a cadre of the banned Khaplang faction on his Facebook page, Misri is seen smiling alongwith Niki Sumi and senior Khaplang member Isak Sumi, and European Union envoy to Myanmar, Roland Kobia. The picture was put on his Facebook page by Isak Sumi.

The picture was said to have been taken earlier this month in Lahe, in the so-called Naga Self Administered Zone in Sagaing region of Myanmar.

The Indian government banned the NSCN-Khaplang faction in November, 2015. Its leaders, including chief S.S. Khaplang and "military commander" Niki Sumi, were proscribed with bounties of Rs 7 lakh and Rs 10 lakh on their heads, respectively.

The Ministry of External affairs, however, sought to downplay what it said were "some casual pictures" taken on the occasion of Naga New Year. "It would not be appropriate to attach any significance to them," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup told IANS.

Ambassador Misri did not respond to an email sent to him by IANS.

Swarup said in response to a query that "the Indian Ambassador to Myanmar was present at a state level festival organised on January 13-15, 2017 in Lahe, in the Naga Self Administered Zone in Sagaing region of Myanmar. This festival was organised with the assistance of the Government of Myanmar on the occasion of celebrations of the Naga new year festival, which traditionally falls on January 15, after the harvest."

He said that "very high ranking dignitaries of the Myanmar government, including the President and many Union Ministers, Sagaing Region Government Ministers, and Ambassadors of several countries to Myanmar were present on the occasion.

"Various Naga leaders were naturally also present on the occasion and some casual pictures were taken with the visiting Ambassadors. It would not be appropriate to attach any significance to them," Swarup said.

The "Naga leaders" mentioned by Swarup belong to a terrorist association. On November 17, 2015, the NSCN-Khaplang faction was declared a terrorist organisation by the Central government, several months after it was held responsible for the ambush of an Indian Army convoy in Chandel district of Manipur, killing 20 of the soldiers in June of that year.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the killing of Indian soldiers by the banned organisation.

"S.S. Khaplang is head of the NSCN-K group and Niki Sumi is holding the charge of armed wing of the said group. They were closely associated with the decision to attack Assam Rifles personnel at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima on March 26, 2015, and subsequent string of attacks on armed forces including the attack on 6 Dogra Regiment Convoy in Chandel district of Manipur on June 4 killing 20 Army personnel," the NIA had earlier said in a statement.

(Rupesh Dutta can be reached at rupesh.d@ians.in)

--IANS

rup/sk/rn/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Indian citizen, who had sexually abused a child under 10 years, was convicted of fraud for not disclosing his crime to officials during the application process, according to authorities.

The federal prosecutor for Northern New York, Richard S. Hartunian, said on Friday that Gurpreet Singh, 37, was convicted by a federal court jury in Syracuse in New York State of unlawfully obtaining US .

The prosecutor's office said that Singh, who lived in Watertown, repeatedly affirmed to authorities that he had not committed a crime for which he had not been arrested.

But during the time he was applying for citizenship, he had abused the child and was ultimately convicted in a state court after he admitted guilt there, according to the prosecution.

"Singh deliberately failed to report his criminal activity because he knew he was not entitled to citizenship" and the citizenship service "would not have approved Singh's naturalisation application if the agency had known about his abuse of the child," the prosecutor's office said.

He will lose his US citizenship and faces a prison term when he is sentenced in May.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said on Friday the protests against the Jallikattu ban are a lesson for the Hindutva forces.

"Jallikattu protests, lesson for Hindutva forces," Owaisi said in a tweet.

He linked the demonstrations in favour of the ancient sport to the Uniform Civil Code saying that the code "cannot be imposed". "This nation cannot have one culture, we celebrate all."

Thousands of people in Tamil Nadu are protesting after the Supreme Court dismissed the state's plea seeking recall of its 2014 verdict banning Jallikattu.

--IANS

mg/in/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Massive protests across Tamil Nadu in support of Jallikattu, the bull taming sport, intensified on Friday with traders downing their shutters, taxi, auto-rickshaw and truck operators staying off the roads.

The DMK party has announced to hold protests on rail tracks which prompted the Southern Railway to cancel four trains and partial operation of few others.

State government employees have decided to take out a procession while the central government and public sector organisations functioned.

The bank unions have extended their support to the protests.

The movie industry has cancelled shooting and theatre halls would remain closed on Friday.

In some districts schools were also closed.

Thousands of youth sat through Thursday night in Chennai's Marina beach hoping for some good news from Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam who expected to arrive here on Friday from Delhi following his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As per available indications the state government is expected to come out with a law allowing conduct of 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 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.

In Madurai large number of youth are continuing their protest in support of the state's ancient sport.

--IANS

vj/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Industrialist Vijay Mallya will appeal against a Debt Recovery Tribunal order to recover Rs 6,203 crore along with interest from his properties for defaulting on bank loans to his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, a company official said on Friday.

"We will file an appeal against the DRT's order on Thursday after we get its copy," a Mallya-owned United Breweries (UB) Group's spokesman said.

Allowing a joint petition filed in June 2013 by a consortium of 17 banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI), the Tribunal's Bengaluru bench said the combined unpaid loans of Rs 9,091 crore, including compound interest, be recovered from the properties of Mallya and Kingfisher worth Rs 6,203 crore ($909 million).

Tribunal's Presiding Officer K. Srinivasan also directed Mallya's defaulter holding firms -- UBHL, Kingfisher Finvest and the airline -- to pay an interest of 11.5 per cent per annum on the due amount (Rs 6,203 crore) retrospectively since the case was admitted on July 26, 2013.

"As the Tribunal has decreed banks to recover the dues from the airline and its holding company (UBHL), it is for them (banks) to decide on how to go about it," a lawyer associated with the case told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Mallya can, however, appeal against the order in the Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal in Chennai after paying 50 per cent of the amount and interest as decreed by the DRT.

Since the loans were given against various sureties, including shares of the holding company and its assets as collaterals, the banks have to assess their value to recover the amount specified by the Tribunal, hinted the counsel.

"The Tribunal's debt recovery officer will decide on the recovery process in consultation with the banks and the guarantors to the loans," said the counsel.

Asked if the attachment includes properties the banks tried to sell but could not, the counsel said the debt recovery officer would decide on the list of properties.

The SBI and state-run Punjab National Bank had declared Mallya, the airline and its holding firm UBHL (United Breweries Holdings Ltd.) as "wilful defaulters" in 2015.

Besides the SBI, other state-run and private banks that gave loans to Kingfisher include Bank of Baroda, State Bank of Mysore, Axis Bank, Corporation Bank, Federal Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, IDBI Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, UCO Bank and United Bank of India.

The flamboyant 61-year-old Mallya is reported to be in Britain since he left India on March 2, 2016 after the consortium moved the Tribunal in February last year to expedite the hearing on its debt recovery petition.

--IANS

fb/tsb/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Friday said it was 'unfair on the part of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to defend RBI Governor Urjit Patel during the latter's grilling by a parliamentary committee on demonetisation.

Manmohan Singh, a member of the Standing Committee on Finance, came to the rescue of Patel by suggesting to him not to answer Congress leader Digvijay Singh's query on whether there could be chaos if the existing restrictions on cash withdrawals are removed.

Patel appeared before the Committee on January 18 to answer questions on the Narendra Modi government's November 8 move to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes.

"I respect him (Manmohan Singh) very highly, but I believe what he did was not fair," Dikshit, a former member of Parliament, said.

Dikshit, son of former Delhi Chief minister Sheila Dikshit, said it was imperative that MPs exercised their right to question so as to maintain accountability of institutions.

"MPs have the right to ask questions. If we do not trust our legislators with the right to ask questions and trust them with the knowledge from such answers, then who do we trust? How do we maintain accountability of the institutions?" Dikshit told News18 channel.

"Institutions that are not accountable lose both their credibility and their honesty. There are specific rules for the conduct and deliberation of these committees," he added.

--IANS

and/tsb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated on his becoming the US President and said he looked forward to working with him to further deepen India-US ties.

"Congratulations on assuming office as US President. Best wishes in leading USA to greater achievements in the coming years," Modi said in a tweet.

"Strength of the India-USA strategic partnership lies in our shared values and common interests," the Prime Minister said.

"Looking forward to working with President to further deepen India-US ties and realise the full potential of our cooperation," Modi added.

Modi's remarks came after Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of USA.
The 18-year-old Shayla Rudolph of Ohio who live-streamed the video of taping her two-year-old son to the wall has been arrested and charged with third abducting the boy, media reports said.

According to a report in FOX28, Rudolph's charges followed after the nearly 20-minute live video with her two-year-old taped to the wall was brought to the attention of police.

Detectives in Ohio had viewed the Facebook video on earlier this week, and the 18-year-old was arrested at her home on January 19 morning, and the child taken into custody by Children's Services.

The video shows a child crying in the background and then taped to the wall, with his head and arms affixed. His ankles and mouth also seemed taped.

The mother is then shown walking around a home, explaining how her son misbehaved and telling viewers, "Parents don't need to whoop the kids. All you got to do is tape them to the wall."

"On January 5, Children's Services says they contacted Rudolph about the video, which she claimed was a joke. Days later, another live video was posted with Rudolph telling viewers she heard from Children's Services and was now disciplining her son by having him stand in a corner," the report noted.

In the video, the accused is is heard saying that it was her son and she could hang him upside down if she wanted to.

--IANS

qd/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
North Korea on Thursday reiterated its threat to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile soon after Seoul warned that Pyongyang could test its new missile.

"Our ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) will be test-fired at a certain time and place which our leadership will decide," the Rodong Sinmun, a daily of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in an opinion section piece.

The daily also said the ICBM test is "a fair self-defence step to counter the US threat of a nuclear war" against the North, adding that the US tested this type of missile last year.

On Thursday, sources in Seoul affiliated with the Defence Ministry reported that Pyongyang has built and prepared for the launch of two intercontinental ballistic missiles, suggesting that North Korea is ready to test them in the near future, Efe news reported.

South Korean experts say Kim Jong-un's regime wants to fine-tune its new long-range missiles with an aim to show its strength in the face of US President-elect Donald Trump's impending inauguration.

The regime leader Kim Jong-un assured in his New Year speech that North Korean intercontinental experimental missiles are in the "final phase" of development.

The last time North Korea carried out a long-range projectile test was on February 7, 2016, which, together with a nuclear test carried out a month earlier, led to the UN imposing strict sanctions on the country.

Analysts consider it very likely that the North Korean regime will carry out new arms tests earlier this year to boost the development of its missile and nuclear weapons programme.

--IANS

ksk/sac

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Manmohan Vaidya, head of the RSS' communications department, sparked a row here on Friday, saying that no reservations should continue for a long time and that the reason behind the poor socio-economic status of the Muslims is because a vast majority of them belong to economically backward states.

In the closing session on the second day of the lit fest, "Of Saffron and the Sangha", Manmohan Vaidya and RSS joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale were participating in a discussion with journalist Pragya Tiwari, attended by Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje among others.

"It has been widely held that no reservations should continue for too long as it begins to be taken for granted. On Muslims, we have seen that 68-70 per cent of the Muslims live in Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which in themselves are very 'pichre' (backward) regions. So their poor socio-economic status is well understood.

"These issues are to be addressed within the community. What is keeping them behind. This should be done for all communities, not just for one," Vaidya said.

Elaborating further, he said: "The subject of reservation has been there for SCs/STs in a very different context. There should not be any reservation for any community for a long time. There should be more opportunities, more education for everyone but more than that is complete appeasement and that is what has been seen."

It is for the first time that RSS occupied a prominent place at the popular literature festival. It had drawn a flak on social media for this even before the festival began. JLF producer Sanjoy Roy told IANS that it was done to "maintain balance" and to ensure that "the festival is open to all voices".

--IANS

ss/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Claiming that he was "unaware" of any parleys on an alliance between the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, UPCC chief Raj Babbar on Friday said there will be "no alliance at the cost of honour and respect of party workers".

The yesteryear's Bollywood actor made light of the release by SP of two lists of 209 candidates, including on nine seats with sitting Congress legislators, saying "every party is within its rights to do so".

"I have come here to sign Form B of my party's candidates," he told media persons here.

The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) President said his party is a votary of an alliance with "like-minded smaller groups like the Peace Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal".

Earlier on Friday, the Samajwadi Party released within a period of few hours its first and second lists of 209 candidates for the assembly elections.

The alliance talks between the two parties hit turbulence in the evening when the SP released the names of party candidates for nine seats where Congress won in the 2012 assembly polls.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has already declined to a tie-up with Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal, upsetting the state Congress leaders.

As for SP Vice-President Kironmoy Nanda's statement that the Congress deserved not more than 54 seats, Babbar said: "The Congress deserves the love of the people."

The Congress is asking for 100-plus seats, something which the SP is now reluctant to give.

SP mentor Mulayam Singh Yadav is dead against any tie-up with the Congress but a group in the ruling dispensation is advocating it to ensure that the Muslim vote is not divided.

State Congress leaders are miffed over the attitude of SP counterparts and do not want to play second fiddle to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Raj Babbar especially shares cold relationship with the SP, specially the Yadav clan.

While he began his political innings in the SP many years ago, he had a bitter fallout as he defeated Dimple Yadav, wife of Akhilesh Yadav, in a Lok Sabha by-poll from Firozabad as a Congress candidate.

The wounds are still fresh in the minds of the SP leadership, insiders say.

With Akhilesh in full command of his party and his detractors falling in line, he is now learnt to be in a mood to play hard ball with the Congress.

"If things do not work out, we will say we tried our best for the alliance but we are willing to go alone as well," said a SP strategist close to the Chief Minister.

Elections to the 403-member Uttar Pradesh assembly will be held in seven phases from February 15 to March 8. The counting of votes will be taken up on March 11.

--IANS

md/tsb/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A number of opposition leaders on Friday slammed Rashtriya Swayemsevak Sangh (RSS) senior functionary Manmohan Vaidya's remarks against reservation.

Vaidya, head of the RSS communications department, said at Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) on Friday that no reservation should continue for long and the reason for the poor socio-economic status of the Muslims is that a vast majority of them belong to economically backward states.

Vaidya and RSS Joint General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale were participating in a discussion on "Of Saffron and the Sangha", at the JLF.

Reacting to Vaidya's remarks, Rshtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad said reservation is a Constitutional right, not a donation by a "casteist organisation like the RSS".

"RSS should analyse its own in-house reservation first. Why no Dalit, backward, lower caste or woman ever became RSS chief?" Lalu posted on his Twitter handle.

Janta Dal United (JD-U) Spokesman K.C. Tyagi said his party "strongly condemns such suggestions of interference in the current reservation policy", as it would "hamper the constitutional rights" of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward castes.

"Such statement made by BJP and RSS leaders fall against the spirit of constitution and also violates the constitutional article-part 4 of 46, which states about the promotion of educational and economic interests of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other weaker sections," Tyagi said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he would not let the "anti-Dalit" RSS and BJP end reservation at any cost.

"RSS has repeated today (Friday) that it is against reservations. BJP , RSS and Akalis are anti-Dalit. We won't let them end reservations at any cost," Kejriwal tweeted.

--IANS

mak-vv/pgh/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government on Friday assured the Patna High Court that participation of school children was not mandatory for the "human chain" in support of the state government's prohibition policy.

Bihar Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and Director General of Police P.K. Thakur appearing before the court assured it that there would be no "forcible participation".

A bench of the high court on Thursday had summoned both Singh and Thakur to appear on Friday to address the court's concern over any mandatory "participation".

They also reiterated that the state would "not force any one" for that matter to be a part of the endeavour, highlighting the state's dedicated effort to remain "dry"

After they appeared and explained the government's stand, the court said it would hear the case next on January 28.

This came as a big relief to the state government a day before the proposed event on January 21.

Earlier on Wednesday, hearing a petition filed by non-government organisation 'Forum for Public Interest Litigation', the high court sought the Bihar government's response on the matter.

The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Sudhir Singh gave the Thursday orders after it was not satisfied with the state government's reply filed by its Principal Additional Advocate General Lalit Kishore.

The Bihar government plans to form "the world's longest human chain of over 11,000 km" on Saturday to support prohibition of liquor in the state.

The court had also asked under which law the state government decided to order a halt to traffic on national and state highways for the programme.

The Nitish Kumar government had earlier asked all schools to facilitate their students to join the proposed human chain and ordered 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 would be used to click photos of the human chain, officials said.

Nearly 20 million people were expected to join hands across the state from 12.15 p.m. to 1 p.m., the officials added.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar imposed the liquor ban in the state on April 5, 2016.

--IANS

ik/in/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over 200 people gathered outside the US embassy in Manila on Friday to protest against Donald Trump's inauguration as the new American President and demanded the departure of American troops from the Philippines.

According to officials, the protesters displayed placards and shouted slogans against Trump and US imperialism, in a peaceful protest under the watch of around 200 police officers, Efe news reported.

Jordan Fonda, an 18-year-old student, said even if the US administration changes, its imperialist policies will continue to be the same or worse, trying to manage and control the Philippines.

"It's time for them to withdraw the troops," he added.

In October, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte had vowed to repeal existing military agreements with the US to end the presence of American troops in the country within the next two years, and had promised to follow an independent foreign policy.

Actress and activist Monique Wilson, one of the protest organisers, said they hope Duterte will fulfil his promise of an independent foreign policy, adding that the archipelago was a sovereign state and does not need to depend on the US.

Many demonstrators also expressed fear over Trump's ideas on immigration harming the nearly two million Filipinos living in the US, or those who were considering emigrating.

Jessica Antonio, secretary general of Bayan USA, a progressive Filipino association in the US, stressed Trump is anti-immigration and wants to deport many people, including Filipinos.

"Many Filipinos move to the US to earn money for their families and survive. If they reduce the quota of immigrants, poverty will increase here and many families will suffer," she said.

Trump will be sworn-in on Friday as the 45th President of the US.

--IANS

ksk/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
William Butler Yeats, one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature, has cast his shadow over the history of both "modern poetry" and "modern Ireland" for so long that his pre-eminence is taken for granted, it emerged during an intense session on the life of the late poet on the second day of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) here.

In the session titled "WB Yeats The Arch Poet," leading Irish historian Professor Roy Foster travelled beyond Yeats' "towering image as one of the 20th century's greatest poets to restore a real sense of his extraordinary life as Yeats himself experienced it -- what he saw, what he did, the passions and the petty squabbles that consumed him and his alchemical ability to transmute the events of his crowded and contradictory life into enduring art".

"Yeats never visited India but it is evident that right from the beginning, Hindu philosophy fascinated him. He deeply admired India and his devotion towards the works of Tagore is well known," said Foster, author of the first authorised biography of Yeats in over 50 years.Tagore first met Yeats during his third visit to Britain.

English painter William Rothenstein, overwhelmed by the rhetorical simplicity and philosophical gravity of Tagore's work, is said to have passed his poems to Yeats. And what next? The Irish poet reportedly burst into a torrent of praise on reading the manuscript: "If someone were to say he could improve this piece of writing, that person did not understand literature."

Later Yeats wrote the introduction to Tagore's "Gitanjali", which caught the imagination of the Western world.

"Yeats presented himself as a representative of his country's beliefs and that of his generation. This figure is so less understood even today. He is not just a poet but also a politician, a journalist a revolutionary and a theatre director," said Foster, a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA), the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) and the Royal Historical Society FRHS). He has delivered dozens of lectures on Yeats in several countries.

"He rediscovers Irish literature, always conscious of looking apart and different from the crowd. He moves from being an Irish Victorian to being an advanced modernist. He moves to a different world but throughout the process and even now he has always remained somebody who continues to make Irish culture richer," Foster said, as an attentive crowd listened patiently.

In favor of home rule, Yeats once compared Irish society to "a stagnant pond filled with junk, including the two old boots of Catholic bigotry and Protestant bigotry". Yeats believed that home rule could undam this pond, Foster said.

"Of course, this wasn't going to happen. The pond wouldn't be gently undammed by a constitutional act. It would be dynamited by a revolution," he said.

Yeats changed his public image from time to time so that he emerged, in 1922, as a prominent figure of a new nation, Foster said.

"Many of his early poems which seemed superficially simple are actually deep, deeper than most of us can ever comprehend. Yeats had an extraordinary ear for rhythm and as such, he believed that his own poetry should be chanted rather than recited."

"Yards and yards of scholarly research is yet to be written and decoded about the mysteries and the wide range of references and imageries that Yeats made in his work. As somebody growing up in a country facing a revolution, which would soon be free, in the new state of affairs, Yeats would soon emerge as a prominent figure, he always drew anger, strength and motivation from Ireland.

"His poems are so beautiful, in words and significance, because they came at a time when he was constantly changing his mind. He often had to rethink himself," Foster noted.

Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923 "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation".

(Saket Suman is in Jaipur at the invitation of Teamwork arts. He can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)

--IANS

ss/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Veteran Hollywood actor Robert De Niro while addressing an anti-Trump demonstration here said that the US President-elect "Donald Trump is a bad example of the country and this city".

De Niro, accompanied by actors Alec Baldwin and Mark Ruffalo, was the first to address the demonstrators in a Thursday night event that was held just half-a-mile from the Trump Tower.

The demonstation which was also attended by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, activist Al Sharpton and filmmaker Michael Moore, was meant as a "stand" against Trump on the eve of his inauguration on Friday.

The protest event was organised by Greenpeace and the liberal activist organisation MoveOn, reported hollywoodreporter.com.

The demonstrations were held outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower and was attended by thousands as the crowd stretched across at least five blocks from there.

As the first celebrity speaker to take the stage at the rally De Niro read out mean tweets about the President-elect, adding that he thought Donald Trump was "a bad example" of the US and New York city.

Baldwin spoke and inserted a few Trump impressions along the way, commenting on Trump and his cabinet picks.

"These people are a disgrace, but there is hope. Trump and Pence think you're going to lay down. That's one thing about New Yorkers: You don't lay down," he said.

Sharpton also roused the crowd as he spoke after Baldwin's speech and mimicked Trump.

He said: "This is Donald Trump's hometown, but the hometown folk do not behave like Donald Trump. America is already great, and we will make it even greater."

While Moore said: "We're at a very dangerous moment in history. As bad as you think it's going to be, it's going to be worse. The good news is there are more of us than there are of them."

Ruffalo cheered the crowd and said: "Man, I needed this. Did you need this? We're coming here tonight to protect something precious to us, and that's each other."

Cynthia Nixon offered a message to the LGBTQ community, saying that "We are not going back ... we are here, we are queer and we have no fear!"

Addressing the Muslims, Mexicans and "straight while males" in the audience Nixon said: "The LGBT community has got your back."

Actresses Shailene Woodley, Marisa Tomei and Julianne Moore and other activists were also there to support the cause.

--IANS

ks/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Korea, the US and Japan will hold joint maritime drills from Friday to enhance their capability to detect and trail North Korean ballistic missiles, a media report quoted the South Korean navy as saying.

The missile warning exercise would be conducted from Friday to Sunday in waters near the three nations, mobilising three Aegis-equipped destroyers, Yonhap news agency said.

South Korea's Sejong the Great destroyer, a 7,600-ton Aegis-equipped vessel, would be mobilised, together with the 8,800-ton USS Curtis Wilbur and Japan's Kirishima Aegis destroyers.

The exercise to jointly detect and trail the ballistic missiles would be the third of its kind since the first was held in June 2016 near the US island of Hawaii. The second was staged in November that year.

It is expected to strengthen missile defence (MD) cooperation between the three countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

Seoul and Washington agreed in July 2016 to deploy a US missile shield, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD), in the former's southeastern region by the end of 2017.

The THAAD deployment indicates South Korea in effect becoming a part of the US missile defence system. China and Russia have strongly opposed the installation as its X-band radar can peer into territories of the two nations.

A South Korean news agency cited Seoul's navy as saying that during the exercise, the three countries would share simulated military intelligences on missile detection and trail.

The three allies signed a trilateral military pact in December 2014, to share Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats.

South Korea inked a similar military intelligence pact with Japan in November 2016 despite opposition from the general public and its parliament.

Participating Aegis destroyers from the US and Japan were reportedly equipped with SM-3 interceptors that could shoot down incoming missiles at an altitude of over 500 km.

Citing unnamed US and South Korean sources, Yonhap reported on Thursday that Pyongyang already produced a new type of two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that were being mounted on mobile launchers.

Seoul's military believed that Pyongyang could test-launch its ICBM at any time when the leadership decides.

North Korean 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.

--IANS

in/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed not to pronounce its verdict on Jallikattu for one week in the wake of large scale protests in Tamil Nadu against the ban on the bull-taming sport.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar agreed to put the pronouncement on hold on a plea by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who told the court that "cultural passions" were running high in the state.

The apex court had in 2016 reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions by animal rights activist and organisations challenging a January 7, 2016 government notification taking out 'bulls' from the list of animals that cannot be exhibited or used for fights or races.

The notification was then stayed by the top court a week after its issuance.

The court was informed that both the Centre and Tamil Nadu were in touch and some measures were being taken to tackle the situation that surfaced in light of the harvest festival in which the ancient animal sport has special significance.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and sought his intervention for dealing with the situation that has erupted in a four-day long protest at the Marina beach in Chennai and also large scale protests in the rest of the state.

--IANS

pk/in/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the Hole Residency

Organizer: Linda Duvall

Deadline for Submissions  February 15, 2017





Have you always wanted the intensity of a day or 2 (or 3) in a large earthen hole with one other person?



In the Hole is a short-term residency located in an earthen hole on Treaty 6 territory in rural Saskatchewan, Canada. Each resident will spend 6 hours each day in this hole as a participant in this residency. Residents can come for one day up to a maximum of 3 consecutive days. There will be one person at a time at the Residency.



This residency coincides with a confirmed exhibition at PAVED Arts Saskatoon (424 20th St W, Saskatoon, SK S7M 0X4, running from May 5  June 17, 2017). Live video and audio streaming from the hole will be presented in the gallery in the city of Saskatoon 60 Km away for the duration of each residency day. Each participant in this residency will spend these 6 hours each day in the hole with the artist/organizer Linda Duvall and a video camera.



Submission Information

Dates of the Residency: May 5 to June 17, 2017

(any consecutive days Tuesday to Saturday)



1) State the length of time that you wish to stay  one, two or three days

2) State the dates of your availability in order of preference

3) On one page (maximum 400 words), state why you wish to attend this residency. Outline what contributions you might make to the project.

Please include a short bio and any website links within the one-page text.



Send submissions to  lindaduvallsk@gmail.com

Please put In the Hole in the Subject Line



More information at www.lindaduvall.com



Deadline for Submissions  February 15, 2017



Funding:

Funding is available to each resident in the amount of $50.00 per day for up to 3 days. In addition each participant will be provided with a food budget of $25.00 each day.

Each participant must find their own way to Saskatoon. Once you arrive in Saskatoon, we will provide free transportation to and from the site. Also included is accommodation in the form of single bedrooms and kitchen for cooking in a shared cottage near the site of the hole. You will be responsible for purchasing supplies and preparing your own food while in residence. If you wish to stay longer in Saskatoon, you will need to find your own accommodation there.

Thanks to Saskatchewan Arts Board and PAVED Arts for supporting this project.



Jurors

Felicia Gay  Curator, Wanuskewin Heritage Park  Gallery https://wanuskewin.com

Monique Blom  Saskatchewan-based performance artist www.moniqueblom.ca

David LaRiviere - Artistic Director of PAVED Arts, Saskatoon http://www.pavedarts.ca

Linda Duvall  Saskatoon based visual artist www.lindaduvall.com



Information about the Site of the Residency



This 6 foot-deep hole was dug in 2012, with a 5-foot walkway circling a central mound of earth. This hole has been hollowed out of thick prairie grassland with roots dangling overhead. Since then this space has been subject to ongoing weather events like rain, snow, hail and wind. Various transformations have occurred due to gopher and swallow incursions, and larger animals like deer, foxes, skunks and coyotes that discovered this sheltered space.

A space such as this hole can be approached from the perspective of the Anthropocene and ecology, spirituality and burials, secrecy or revelations, history and agriculture, and metaphor and symbol. This land is especially significant in terms of the history of Saskatchewan since there is no evidence that it has ever been tilled.



Content of time / Information about the Residency



The premise of this residency is that new knowledge comes from the concentrated interaction of people with varying knowledge bases and perspectives. This hole in the ground is a possible site for conversation, contemplation, making sounds, reading out loud, or being silent. This is also about duration, about spending extended blocks of time surrounded by earth and sky, and one other person. This residency is open to anyone with an interest in exploring this experience regardless of age, artistic, educational or cultural background. Accessibility can be discussed.

This immersive experience provides an alternative model for participating in a residency. In this model the organizer of the residency is an active contributor with the participant in the entire process. In the Hole provides a context for looking directly at collaboration within an experiential perspective.



For more info and some images, go to www.lindaduvall.com
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed not to pronounce its verdict on Jallikattu for one week in the wake of large scale protests in Tamil Nadu against the ban on the bull-taming sport.

A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra agreed to put the pronouncement on hold on a plea by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who told the court that "cultural passions" were running high in the state.

The apex court had in 2016 reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions by animal rights activist and organisations challenging a January 7, 2016 government notification taking out bulls from the list of animals that cannot be exhibited or used for fights or races.

The notification was then stayed by the top court a week after its issuance.

The court was informed that both the Centre and Tamil Nadu were in touch and some measures were being taken to tackle the situation that surfaced in light of the harvest festival in which the ancient animal sport has special significance.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and sought his intervention for dealing with the situation that has erupted in a four-day long protest at the Marina beach in Chennai and also large scale protests in the rest of the state.

--IANS

pk/in/sar

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Young actor Sooraj Pancholi says he was inspired by legendary Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger to work on his physique.

"I was 14 years old when I saw the documentary 'Pumping Iron'. It had Arnold Schwarzenegger and one of his primary competitors for the title of Mr. Olympia, Lou Ferrigno. When I saw that documentary, I took a decision to join the gym. That is where everything started off. He is one of my biggest inspirations and he always will be," Sooraj said here at the launch of Liv-Fit-Fitness on Thursday.

Sooraj, who was charged with abetting the suicide of actress Jiah Khan -- whom he was once dating -- says he remains happy due to fitness.

Asked about his advice to the youth, he said: "People ask me, 'Sooraj, you have gone through so much in your life, how do you keep yourself happy? How do you always smile and laugh?' They think it is because I come from a well established family... But the thing is that it is fitness that keeps me going."

On the professional front, the actor, who made his Bollywood debut with a remake of Subhash Ghai's 1983 film "Hero", is working on a new project helmed by Remo D'souza. It also stars Ajay Devgn, and it was reported that both actors will train for it under international stunt artistes in Germany for three months.

--IANS

iv/rb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Known for his sharp takes on Twitter and on other public platforms, Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor on Friday expressed his resentment at the naming of public structures after political figures, particularly from "one family", in a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival here.

Kapoor said that he feels it is injustice to several prominent figures from all other walks of life as roads, buildings, bridges and hospitals are all named after political leaders.

"There are so many structures and roads named after the Gandhi family in Delhi alone. Is it necessary to have it in such numbers? What purpose does it serve?"

"I was angry when I saw a bridge being named after Rajiv Gandhi. I mean it may be a way of paying respect, good that he was there but why name structures after him even now? Can you ignore the contribution of Lata Mangeshkar or JRD Tata? Why not name these structures after such figures rather than political leaders," Kapoor asked in response to a question on his controversial Twitter posts.

In conversation with author and professor of Indian Culture and Cinema at the University of London, Rachel Dwyer, Kapoor was here to discuss his just-launched book "Khullam Khulla."

"I have no complaints against any one family but when I saw structures being named after the family, it irked me because there are so many others like Lata Mangeshkar and JRD Tata who have contributed to Mumbai.

"Whichever political party comes, they name the structures and yojnas after them. I think the constitution should ban the naming of such structures after politicians," he said.

The 65-year-old actor also said that he has no political inclinations and does not wish to join any political party as he is "content, happy and satisfied" with his life.

Kapoor wished that more people from Bollywood and other walks of life came forward and expressed their concerns over important matters on social media.

Later, addressing a press conference here, Kapoor said that demonetisation has had no effect on Bollywood as there is no "stashed money" in the film industry.

"I can tell you Bollywood has not been affected by demonetisation. There is no stashed money there. It is the real estate and the black market that is, rightly, suffering," he contended.

Responding to a question on his inclination towards the presemt government, Kapoor said: "I have no political ambitions and I am not a BJP chamcha. I say and do what I feel is right. I spoke against the beef ban. I am not doing any chamchagiri," he mainatained.

(Saket Suman is in Jaipur at the invitation of Teamwork arts. He can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)

--IANS

ss/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actors such as Ajith Kumar, Suriya, Karthi and Trisha Krishnan were among the first to gather here for day-long fast organized by Nadigar Sangam - the South Indian Artistes Association - to express solidarity with youngsters protesting against the ban on Jallikattu.

Superstar Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay and double Oscar-winning composer A.R Rahman were also expected to attend.

"It would be a silent protest. Nobody will speak a word as they don't want the spotlight to shift on them from youngsters at Marina beach. The fast will continue till 5 pm in the evening," a source from Nadigar Sangam told IANS.

Protests have been taking place in the city since Monday against the ban on the popular and ancient bull-taming sport by the Supreme Court.

The Tamil film fraternity has actively expressed its support in favour of Jallikattu.

Actor Jayam Ravi, who participated in the protest on Thursday at the Marina Beach, tweeted: "I felt immense pride to be a part of a revolutionary movement last night at Marina. The atmosphere was electrifying and inspiring."

He further wrote: "To be honest, I intended to stay for half hour as I had to travel back to Tirupati to resume work today, but stayed back for hours out of sheer awe and admiration for the youth of my land.

Support in favour of Jallikattu has also come from neighboring industries.

Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu tweeted: "Jallikattu is the spirit of Tamil Nadu - bold and fearless. Proud to see such a statement of unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in."

He went on to say he admires the "way the students of Tamil Nadu have been standing up for the cause, relentlessly fighting for their roots and culture."

On Friday, all theatres across Tamil Nadu remain closed in support of the movement.

"Theatres will only function after 6 p.m. They will remain shut the entire day as it's important that all of us participate and support the cause," a member of Tamil Nadu Theatre Owner Association said.

--IANS

hp/dc/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than 300 information technology professionals from Tamil Nadu on Friday protested at the Infopark campus to demand the ban on Jallikattu be lifted.

Rallying on the main road in front of the Infopark campus, IT professionals and others working in nearby companies holding placards formed a human chain for some time in support of their demand before dispersing.

"No court or any government can intervene in this bull-taming sport, which has been part of the Tamil culture for ages. It should go forward...," an IT professional told the media at the spot.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court agreed not to pronounce its verdict on Jallikattu for a week in the wake of largescale protests in Tamil Nadu against the ban on the bull-taming sport.

--IANS

sg/tsb/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With its coffee beverage business already at peak, global coffeehouse chain Tata Starbucks aims to double tea beverage sales with the launch of its global flagship tea brand "Teavana" in the country, says the company's chief executive.

"We do believe we're going to do for tea in India what we've done for coffee around the world -- elevating the experience with amazing flavors and taste, high quality tea, and looking actually to double our tea sales within all of our stores," Sumi Ghosh, CEO of Tata Starbucks, told BTVi in an interview.

Ghosh said the launch of tea drinks in all of its 88 outlets in the country will provide people with a "choice of beverage".

"We believe it is a huge opportunity to customers who want more choice -- a tea beverage that they can be proud of within our amazing environment," Ghosh said.

He added that the company continues to see growth despite its November sales witnessing a dip immediately after demonetisation, especially in the stores at mall outlets.

"Our growth has continued. We are now at 88 stores, we are going to continue to grow the store count and seeing more customers choose Starbucks everyday," Ghosh explained.

"We are looking forward to find more avenues for growth as per number of stores, sales, profits and then providing more opportunities for each one of our partners (we call our employees partners) and creating more opportunities for them," he added.

--IANS

ppg/ksk/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Film: "The Crew"; Language: Russian film dubbed in English; Director: Nikolai Lebedev; Cast: Danila Kozlovsky, Vladimir Mashkov and Agne Grutide; Rating: *1/2

Sitting inert for over two hours watching computer-generated flames leap up into the sky to envelope a mid-air flight with passengers who obviously have a lot to worry about.

So do we, for that matter. "The Crew" is actually a Hindi potboiler from the 1980s masquerading as a Russian film. It comes as no surprise to know that the film is a remake of a Russian film from 1980s. Just why any filmmaker would choose to remake a big overblown potboiler with characters who appear to have walked out of Gulshan Nanda's Hindi novels in the 1970s, is a matter worthy of a search crew.

The film has dozens of characters, all under stress. The pilots look uniformly troubled, as though they watched Dean Martin pilot it up in the 1970 airborne disaster epic titled, what else, "Airport". "The Crew" very clearly owes allegiance to "Airport" and all the other in-flight disaster sagas which, in the remote past, shot scenes of air calamity with toy planes dangling from a cardboard skyline.

The realism level of "The Crew" is only marginally superior. The earthquake scenes from the location where our heroes rescue hysterical victims and then the mid-air rescue mission are all defined by some of the worst computer-generated special effects seen since Ramanand Sagar's 1970s war saga "Lalkaar".

The plot's "Big Bang" episode is when passengers from an imperilled plane are transferred mid-air into another flight, amidst loud squeals, screams and other noises. The performances are strictly of the look-at-me-I-am-in-an-epic quality. But epic, this ain't.

Solemn, sullen and static, the plot accommodates the emotional tantrums of the characters like travellers in a crowded bus making room for additional passengers who have just hopped on. In trying to interweave personal relationships into the adventure story, the film fails to find a middle ground between the feelings and the fireworks.

It's spread out clumsily into a hodgepodge of family ties being rekindled during the mid-air crisis, and hordes of junior artistes discovering their 'humanism' during the time of crisis.

The homilies on the spirit of survival and self-preservation are delivered with all the subtlety of two canines mating in the middle of the street oblivious of the staring eyes. Skip this one unless you are a sucker for 1980s' Bollywood potboilers.

--IANS

skj/rb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A film released this week about a boy from India who gets lost, lives the life of a slumdog and is finally adopted by an Australian family has got film critics here ecstatic.

"Lion", which stars Nicole Kidman, Roony Mara and Dev Patel, is seen as an emotional drama and one critic has advised that viewers take hand towels to the theatre.

What has won the heart of the critics, however, is the superior piece of acting by the young boy, Sunny Pawar, who, by the time he arrives in Hobart, "has lived through enough trauma for three lives".

The film is based on the real life story of Saroo Brierley, who wrote book about his life in India and his resurrection in Australia.

"Sunny Pawar, playing young Sheru, is exceptional. Director Garth Davis tells this part of the story with delicacy and classic technique, surrounding the child with huge spaces and people who might be angels or devils. Our identification with his plight becomes complete," says the Sydney Morning Herald.

In a review titled "Lost boy tale hits emotional payload", the Age critic writes: "Truly, Charles Dickens could not have written a more perfectly strange story than that of Saroo Brierley, the Indian boy lost on a train who has to find his way home again 25 years later... The first story has such simple beauty that you don't want it to end. The second has so much pain that less might have been more. The pain is also Dickensian, but the picture tends to dwell when it needs to rocket."

"Lion" surely has given Dev Patel, who also starred in "Slumdog Millionaire", a big leg up as he emerges as a major Hollywood actor.

--IANS

binoo/sac

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Demonstrators on Friday said they will continue their protests across Tamil Nadu till Jallikattu, the ancient bull taming sport, is held in the state.

They are not satisfied with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam's assurance that Jallikattu would be held in couple of days.

The protesting students at Chennai's Marina Beach and also at Madurai categorically declared that they would call off their protest only after it takes place.

The protestors refused to heed to the request of senior police officials here to disperse after they read out Panneerselvam's statement.

Panneerselvam on Friday said the state government would promulgate an ordinance to conduct Jallikattu and urged the demonstrators to withdraw their protests.

"The student protest is the culmination of the stand taken by the central government on various issues concerning Tamil Nadu like the Cauvery river water sharing, Jallikattu," R.Arul, secretary, Pasumai Thayagam, a non-government organisation (NGO).

Perhaps the centre's stand vis-A-vis Tamil Nadu on several issues was the tipping point for former World Chess Champion V.Anand to extend his support to Jallikattu and claim "Tamizhanda" (I am a Tamilian), Arul said.

"Normally people like Anand and others would always claim that they are Indians first," Arul added.

He said the central government-whether it is headed by Bharatiya Janata Party or the Congress-should accept the diversity of culture and civilisation that prevails in the country.

Arul also said there are no chances of the protest turning into a Tamil nationalist movement as those days are over.

"People are not supportive of such movements in Tamil Nadu," he added.

--IANS

vj/ksk/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration as the 45th President of the US on Friday, Billionaire investor George Soros said the incoming President was "going to fail".

During a speech here, the venue for the World Economic Forum, Soros on Thursday called Trump a "would-be-dictator", saying he was "gearing up for a trade war", Xinhua news agency reported.

A trade war would have "a very far reaching effect in Europe and other parts of the world", warned Soros, a supporter of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The "would-be-dictator ... didn't expect to win", he said.

He is going to fail "not because of people like me who would like him to fail, but because the ideas that guide him are inherently self-contradictory," Soros said.

The financial markets will "not do very well" due to the uncertainty caused by the Trump administration, Soros further predicted.

"Right now uncertainty is at the peak," Soros said, adding it was "impossible to predict exactly how Trump is going to act".

--IANS

py/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Recently, we have had a great deal of feedback from attendees commenting that ITEXPO in Florida (Yes, Florida, in February  and airfares are literally dirt cheap) has evolved to become THE communications event  for the Americas and beyond. We are humbled by the comments but the credit goes to my team who tirelessly looks to improve each event with fresh new content.

An analyst told me once that the show is so full of information that you run around like a chicken with your head cut off, except he said it Yiddish which made it sound more exotic.

I wasnt sure at the time if it was a compliment but in a way it is the testament that the show has so much important information that you really need a team to cover it all.

Over three days  February 8-10  you can attend workshops, sessions, keynotes, networking events and parties with the entire communications ecosystem. Most events take place at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

You really will learn all you need to about tech and telecom  all the trends, what is hot, what you need to sell and buy in 2017, etc.

We expect between 8000+ people in attendance for the events. Here are some of the highlights.

The 3-day ITEXPO experience is a carefully-crafted mix of education, networking, product research, and a little fun.

You can attend laser-targeted courses  some free with an Expo Plus pass  that prepare you to ask the right questions of vendors on the show floor.

Check out this list of workshops, seminars and presentations. These are in addition to the main ITEXPO Conference Program

To view the full ITEXPO agenda click here. Speakers are updated daily.

In addition to the great topics, we have some of the greatest speakers around Jonathan Adelstein heads up the PCIA and was a former FCC Chairman; IBMs GM, Strategy & Development, Jamie Thomas; Sumit Dhawan is Senior VP and GM of VMWare; and Peter Bailey, President & CEO of Vertical Communications.

VoIP pioneer Jeff Pulver joined us before at ITEXPO and we welcome him back again as a major speaker at the IDEA Showcase Startup pitch event.

To be honest, I should list all the speakers because we not only have a great intersection of tech and telecom companies but we also have people who know their topics cold and are generally compelling. BTW  if you every find a speaker you dont like  I invite you to contact me and let me know. But I digress  here is the complete speaker list.

You wont want to miss the IDEA Showcase where the startups are judged, the networking party or the $15,000 cash giveaway at the end of the show  must be present to win (see below for details).

Drawing #1  Thursday, February 9th, 5:00pm at IDEA SHOWCASE startup pitch event.

Attend IDEA SHOWCASE, Floridian Ballroom, 3rd Floor. Giveaway winners announced just before IDEA SHOWCASE voting. Each winner selects from the available prize packages.

Drawing #2  Friday, February 10th, 1:45pm in expo hall.

Includes $15,000 Grand Prize Giveaway!

If this wasnt enough, there is a complete IoT event happening at the same convention center  on virtually the same dates. Its called IoT Evolution Expo and it too is loaded with content. For example, its the only IoT Event where you can do all of the following under one roof:

Yes, this event too will have top speakers like Richard Soley of the OMG/Industrial Internet Consortium; J. Michael Palermo, Senior Alexa Evangelist; Lisa Peterson, VP Marketing and Connected Aircraft at GoGo Business Aviation; Ron Felice, Automotive Industry Architect, IBM Watson IoT; Fred Yentz, CEO, IoT Platforms, Telit; Uzair Siddiqui, Senior Product & marketing manager, IoT, Verizon; Ravi Srivatsav, Chief business development officer, NTT; and Chris Chang, Alien Technology  view complete list.

Here are more details on times and dates of keynotes and other important events.

We look forward to welcoming you to these events  it should be a fantastic start to our communications future and a fantastic 2017!

ITEXPO Registration

IoT Evolution Registration

P.S. Check me out as I moderate this cloud UC panel with the top names in the space. Thursday, February 9th, 2017 at 9:00 am.
US President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday nominated former Governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture, finishing all his cabinet selection before his inaugural ceremony.

"Sonny Perdue has embraced policies under which Georgia farmers have thrived, and he is ready to generate the same level of success on the national level," Xinhua news agency quoted Trump's transition team as saying in a statement.

"I am proud and honoured to be joining President-elect Trump's administration as his Secretary of Agriculture," said Perdue in a statement, adding he is going to "champion the concerns of American agriculture and work tirelessly to solve the issues facing our farm families in this new role."

Perdue, 70-year old, was born in Perry, Georgia. He served as Governor of Georgia from 2003 to 2011 and Member of the Georgia Senate from 1991 to 2001. Before that he ran a business of grain and fertiliser.

Some US environmental activists criticised Trump's selection, saying choosing a former fertiliser businessman as Agriculture Secretary will not help solve farm pollution that poisons drinking water.

Perdue's nomination still needs the approval of US Senate.

--IANS

lok/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Donald Trumps team of advisers pushed for tanks and missile launchers to feature at his inauguration parade, sources involved in his inaugural preparations said.

A report in the Huffington Post on Thursday cited the sources as saying that Trump had endeavoured to ensure that his first day as Commander-in-Chief is marked by an unusual display of heavy military equipment.

During the preparation for Friday's transfer-of-power, a member of Trump's transition team floated the idea of including tanks and missile launchers in the inaugural parade, a source involved in inaugural planning told the Huffington Post.

"They were legit thinking Red Square/North Korea-style parade," the source said, referring to massive military parades in Moscow and Pyongyang, typically seen as an aggressive display of muscle-flexing.

The military, which traditionally works closely with the presidential inaugural committee, shot down the request, the source said.

Their reason was two-fold, according to the report. Some were concerned about the optics of having tanks and missile launchers rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue. But they also worried that the tanks, which often weigh over 100,000 pounds, would destroy the roads.

"I could absolutely see structural support being a reason (not to use tanks)," a Defense Department official said. "DC is built on a swamp to begin with."

Defense Department spokeswoman Valerie Henderson declined to comment on the request for tanks and missile launchers, referring questions to the Trump transition team.

Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn told HuffPost that the presidential inaugural committee worked closely with the military "to render appropriate honours" for Trump's swearing-in. But he directed questions about "specific aspects" of the military's support to the Defense Department.

The Pentagon didn't reject all of Trump's ideas. At the request of the President-elect, there are five military flyovers -- one for each branch of the armed services -- planned for Friday's inaugural parade, Pentagon spokesman Major Jamie Davis told HuffPost.

The Air Force plans to fly four fighter jets: An F-35, an F-16, an F-22 and an F-15E. The Navy will fly four F/A-18 combat jets. The Army will fly four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The Marines will fly four V-22 Ospreys. And the Coast Guard, which was still finalising plans, was looking at flying four MH-65 rescue helicopters, Davis said.

Stephen Kerrigan, who held top positions in outgoing President Barack Obama's first and second presidential inaugural committees, said he was "shocked" to hear about the planned flyovers for Friday.

"It seems unnecessary and the optics don't seem appropriate... It's very Red Square," he said.

Traditionally, the military plays a big role in inaugurations, but not by display of heavy weaponry. The armed forces usually contributes "musical units, colour guards, salute batteries and honour cordons," said the report.

--IANS

soni/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election, deemed the biggest disruption among a string of similar unprecedented, unexpected developments, is actually a "mild correction" by the system in an attempt to preserve itself, contends Lebanese-American scholar of unpredictability and randomness Nasim Nicholas Taleb.

"(Trump's victory) was not a disruption but the system putting on brakes. Donald Trump's victory is to preserve the system, not disrupt it.... an attempt by the system to save itself by mild corrections," the outspoken essayist and author said at a session titled "A World of Disruptions" on the second day of the Jaipur Literature Festival on Friday.

On Trump's controversial utterances, Taleb stressed that he was running to be a president, "not an archbishop", adding the real danger was the growing power of multi-national corporations.

"The real disruption is the fact, never been seen before in history, of people getting rich without taking risks," he said.

Supporting him, renowned South Korean development economist Ha-Joon Chang argued that in economic terms, Trump's impact will be limited, due to international and bilateral agreements the US is part of.

"He is going to disappoint the people... then what?" posed Chang, the author of "Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism", "23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism" and "Economics: The User's Guide".

Bangladeshi author, activist and entrepreneur Sadaf Saaz admitted that Trump's victory had terrified and personally affected her and made her question her idea of America, but British Middle East expert Emma Sky said it was important to understand why he enjoys support.

"While liberals are horrified at his words and think him an abomination, his supporters do not take his words literally," said Sky, who also served as a political advisor to the US military commander in Iraq 2007-10 and her book "The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq" describes how American soldiers were like Trump's voters.

While contending that the Pax Americana or American leadership, which had been a feature of the post-Second World War world was dead, Sky said it was too early to write the US off.

"It is still a strong economy and only in relative decline," she said.

On what had triggered the chain of disruptions, Chang noted that the history of capitalism is always disruptive and the dangerous trend of the creation of a global elite unaffected by market forces, Sky contended it did not begin by 9/11 but the invasion of Iraq, Saaz to a interplay between the "local and the global" trends, while Taleb, always the maverick, said instead of focussing on geo-politics and capitalism, the effect of globalisation on culture should be understood.

"It is what I call the Harry Potter effect - the 'Winner take All' result. Monoculture not only destroys the scenery, it is also not sustainable.. systems collapse when they get too large".

Asked by moderator, Patrick French on what they thought the new disruptions would be, Saaz listed the war against extremism and climate change. Sky, noting climate change was taken, opted for "fragile masculinity", Taleb chose education in the Western world, and Chang for "angry people" missing out and advocated urged this be dealt with by abolishing tax havens, curbing power of financial markets to make companies seek short-term profit and making corporations pay taxes.

"Some companies building schools will not be enough," he said.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)

--IANS

vd/rn

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 21-year-old student of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was sexually assaulted allegedly by two Afghan nationals, police said on Friday.

Police said Twaab Ahmed, 27, an event manager and his associate, Suliman Ahmadi, 31, sexually assaulted the victim on January 12 at a friend's flat in Green Park area.

"They met the victim in a pub located at Hauz Khas Village and took her to a flat on the pretext of partying with some other friend. They later offered her a sedative-laced drink and committed the crime when she became unconscious" Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Chinmoy Biswal told IANS.

"After the victim complained to police about the sexual assault, Police arrested the accused persons, Twaab and Ahmadi. They were sent to judicial custody," Biswal said.

They were living in Delhi on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees card. Ahmed had been living in India since the last 10 years, while Ahmadi was living in India for the last two years, Biswal said.

--IANS

sp/ahm/dg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National Award winning filmmaker Rahul Dholakia, whose forthcoming Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Raees" is releasing on the same day as Hrithik Roshan's "Kaabil" says he is not worried about the date clash of the two films as about the high expectations that audiences have of his film.

"As a director, the release date is not in my hand. So, I am not worried about 'Raees' and 'Kaabil' date clash, but people's expectation," Dholakia said here.

"From the day we launched the trailer, people started expecting something extra special from the film, and rightfully so. It is a larger than life film starring actors like Shah Rukh, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Atul Kulkarni and some other fine actors of our time. I just hope we match that (expectation) and people love the film," he added.

After 150 drafts, five years of hard work and on location shooting in Gujarat and Dubai, "Raees" is ready to be out on January 25. The film also features Pakistani actress Mahira Khan. The movie is about a bootlegger and his run-ins with the police and political powers.

Dholakia said Shah Rukh's inputs helped immensely.

Sharing one memorable incident, he said: "There is a nice romantic scene where Raees holds Aasiya (Mahira) up and turns her around. So, Shah Rukh suggested taking it in a speedy frame and I agreed to that. After taking the shot, I checked the monitor and said, 'Isn't it too filmy?'

"I heard a voice from behind, and Shah Rukh said, "We're making a film only'. We actually kept that on final edit and it's a beautiful scene."

--IANS

aru/rb/vm

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indias cow belt seems to be in a state of amusement. It is struggling to comprehend the fuss at a South Indian beach over its holy animals male counterpart. And, it is not even about holiness. What the ban on Jallikattu seems to have evoked is a bond recognised by the nations founding fathers as strong as religion, if not stronger. It has stoked the fire of linguistic identity. Tamil, the language, Tamilan, the individual, and Tamilinam, the cultural identity have been the rallying calls for what is being described as Tamil Nadus Arab Spring moment.
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 (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.
There was vexation in the Congress party on its proposed alliance in Uttar Pradesh with the Samajwadi Party (SP) after the latter declared its nominees on nine Assembly seats won by the former in the earlier poll.
As the battle for the upcoming civic elections hots up, ruling alliance partners and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are trying to upstage each other by announcing sops for Mumbaikars.

President Uddhav Thackeray revealed a wide-ranging free health cover -- to be named after 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.
Government has filled 21,000 vacancies of police constables and would take steps to recruit 4,000 more, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said today.

Training of the recruited constables was underway, Parameshwara told reporters here.

To a query, he said there is no review system of service track record for IPS officers in the state like the one in Delhi.

However, the same will be thought of for implementation in Karnataka, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 22-year-old man, who had been crippled after an accident 11 years ago, started walking on his own again after a series of surgeries at a city hospital.

Gaurav Sharma had met with a major accident in January 2005 when he was going to attend a family function in Uttar Pradesh.

Sharma, then 11-year-old, saw his uncle and cousin die in front of him and later, he also lost his mother while he was in the ICU. Mentally and physically traumatised, he went through eight surgeries in the initial years which left him with a crutch, a fused hip and short left leg.

After years, Dhananjay Gupta, Director of Orthopaedics, Spine, Joint Reconstruction and Replacement Surgeon at Fortis Flt Lt Rajan Dhall Hospital, Vasant Kunj, suggested a series of surgeries in an effort to make him fully movable.

On May 5, 2016, Gaurav underwent his first surgery at the hospital and his final surgery was on September 9, when he was completely able to walk without support. Now Gaurav is undergoing physiotherapy to increase his muscle strength.

Gupta said, "There were a few key challenges. There was already a nail in his thigh bone preventing the placement of a hip prosthesis. In the first stage, the plan was to take out the nail from the thigh bone and then open the hip joint.

"Implant removal is always more challenging. Gaurav's case was also complicated as he already had multiple surgeries. After a month of successful hip-replacement surgery, he started complaining of fever and a small limp. An ultrasound suggested a localised abscess in the muscular plane."



Gaurav again underwent removal of all the implants as his infection level was high and units of blood were transfused along with specific antibiotics to help body fight infections.

"Once the infection settled, patient was again taken for hip arthroplasty surgery. This time the surgery was much smoother and swifter as his hip joint was already open and there was time to plan the implants and their placement," he said.

The post-op procedure went as planned and Gaurav was allowed full weight bearing from day one. All investigations are normal now post six months after the surgery.

Gaurav now walks unaided with a slight limp.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National Award winning Assamese and Bengali film actor and MP George Baker today recounted his experience during Chinese aggression in 1962 as he lit the muhurat lamp of a new film "SEEMA-the story untold" based on the border conflict.

Recalling his experience in 1962, Baker said, "It was a nightmarish experience for the people on the north bank of the Brahmaputra and it was particularly bad for the people of Tezpur, a sleepy little town those days".

"As the of the fall of Bomdila and the advance of the Chinese forces reached Tezpur there was utter chaos and confusion. The town was soon ordered to be evacuated. Crores of currency notes were burnt and sackfuls of coins dumped into the lakes," he recalled.

"Today I am immensely elated to come again to my birth place," said the BJP MP from West Bengal, who had made his foray into Assamese cinema in 1974 playing the protagonist in "Chameli memsaab" that won the National Film Award for best Feature Film in Assamese.

Baker played the role of Berkeley, a British planter who falls for a native girl, Chameli, (played by Binita Borgohain) and is later accused of murdering her.

Baker played the same role in the Bengali version of the movie.

"SEEMA-the story untold" is about the panic the people of that time experienced during the Chinese aggression.

The director of the movie, Hiren Borah, also wrote the story and script.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ruling AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala today held discussions with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and other senior party leaders here on the Jallikattu issue and 'advised' them on conducting the bull taming sport in the state.

Panneerselvam apprised Sasikala of his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi yesterday, where he had pressed for an Ordinance to allow Jallikattu, the party said.

An AIADMK release said Sasikala had asked Panneerselvam to meet the Prime Minister to expedite the process for allowing Jallikattu in the state.

She had also directed the party MPs to take up the matter with, among others, the President. They had earlier in the day met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

"Party Treasurer and Tamil Nadu chief Minister Panneerselvam met Chinnamma (Sasikala) and explained about his meeting with the Prime Minister regarding early conduct of jallikattu," the release said.

The AIADMK chief 'advised' Panneerselvam and others - Ministers Dindigul C Srinivasan, Edappady K Palanisamy, P Thangamani and S P Velumani on conducting jallikattu in the state, it said without elaborating.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha on Friday expressed confidence that national carrier Air India will register operational profit in the current fiscal.

"The civil aviation sector in the country is growing by 20 to 25 per cent and the sector has tremendous potential for growth," Sinha said.

Asked about the impact of on the sector, Sinha said there was no impact, rather the sector has recorded an increase in the passenger traffic by over 23.5 per cent in December, 2016.

To a query on whether would affect the performance of Air India, which had earned a profit of Rs 105 crore in the last financial year, but posted losses in the first two quarters of the current fiscal, the minister expressed confidence that it would register an operational profit even in the current fiscal.

"Across sectors, performance in first two quarters of a financial year remains low, while the performance records higher in the next two quarters," he said claiming even in the last fiscal, Air India posted losses in the first two quarters, but bounced back to earn a profit.

However, Air India's performance would also depend on fuel prices, the minister said.

Earlier, addressing the students of XLRI, Sinha described the civil aviation section as sunrise sector and said it has tremendous potentials for growth.

"It is an important sector for the growth of Indian economy," Sinha said, admitting it was difficult to establish new airports in the country owing land acquisition problems,



"So, the government has plans to enhance the capacity of existing terminals," he said.

Referring to the Centre's regional connectivity service 'UDAN', he said Jamshedpur would have a air-connectivity soon.

"We have received bids for improving regional connectivity from Jamshedpur and the Jamshedpur-Kolkata route is likely to be operational by February-March," he said adding, the bids for flight services on the Jamshedpur-Ranchi-Bokaro-Kolkata routes, was being examined.

Sinha said altogether 75 operational airports in the country and 43 unserved airports would be added up under the UDAN scheme.

There are large number of under-served airports, which will be brought under the scheme to improve regional air connectivity. "Bidding will take place every six months to cover these unserved and under-served airports in future," he said.
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has called for political engagement in India to ensure issues of education and healthcare are fully addressed to fight against social inequalities.

The 84-year-old leading Indian economist and philosopher said he would carry on doing his best through the trust he had set up after his Nobel Prize for Economics in 1998 to address social equalities in India.

"The work of the trust has got a lot of attention, so I think we have contributed to the diagnosis of the problem, which is important and necessary for solutions. I think there is need for political engagement on that," said Sen, addressing the South Asia Centre of London School Economics (LSE) yesterday to mark the release of a new edition of his seminal work on welfare economics titled 'Collective Choice and Social Welfare'.

In response to a question posed by PTI if he feels his work on welfare economics is as celebrated in action in India as his Nobel Prize achievements, he replied: "Well the simple answer is, no. Not only recently but I have been writing about issues of healthcare and education, particularly girl's education, for years.

"I try to do my best. With my Nobel money I set up a trust called the Pratichi Trust - there's a Bangladesh part and an India part. The India part deals with the issues of education and healthcare, mainly analysis. The Bangladesh part deals mostly with the issue of gender inequality, particularly training women journalists. The Indian part has been concerned with a rather larger set of problems and I will carry on doing my best."



The Thomas W Lamont University Professor and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, Harvard University, also expressed concerns over the election of US President Donald Trump despite winning less number of popular votes.

"The American context is complex. Trump is hardly the right person to speak for the poor... He has one of the lowest favourability ratings of anyone to become US President," he said.

The senior academic and author said the US elections and Brexit pointed to a phenomenon of public reasoning being "distorted" by fake .

"The entire Brexit debate was turned around on what the EU could be blamed for, claims which were exaggerated. It threw up the importance of epistemology for ethics. Democracy has to be a continuous process, the referendum should not have been taken as final word but more as a contribution to debate," he said.

"I do believe in European unity very much, given the two World Wars it reflects enormously important values. I feel there should have been more of a dialogue within Britain and Europe to find a more favourable outcome," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhaya, who was arrested in connection with Rose Valley chitfund scam, was today admitted to SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack as he complained of chest pain during his stay at the Special Jail at Jharpada here.

Sudip, lodged at the jail hospital, was first taken to the state-run Capital Hospital here in the morning.

However, the attending doctors advised to shift him to SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack, a jail staff said.

Bandopadhaya, who has been lodged at the Special jail, continued to stay at the jail hospital since January 12 along with another TMC MP Tapas Pal.

Sudip Bandopadhyaya was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days from January 12 as his bail petition was rejected by the CBI designated court here.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the chit fund scam, had arrested the four-time Lok Sabha member from Kolkata on January 3.

Sudip's TMC MLA wife Nayna Bandyopadhyay, had pleaded the court to allow her husband to stay in jail hospital due to his health condition.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has said he is willing to travel to the US where he fears prosecution on espionage charges, following the early release of whistle-blower Chelsea Manning's by outgoing US President Barack Obama.

Speaking from inside his Ecuadorean embassy hideout in London yesterday, the 45-year-old Australian national indicated that the issue would be up for discussion between now and May, when Manning is to be released.

"I have always been willing to go to the US provided my rights are respected," he said.

Assange has been hiding out in the embassy for more than four years after he was granted political asylum by Ecuador amid fears he will be extradited to the US and questioned over the activities of his controversial website if sent to Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault.

After years of stalemate, representatives from the Swedish prosecutor's office and Swedish police officers had last November agreed to be present whileAssangeis questioned by an Ecuadorian official based on a previously approved set of questions regarding the sexual assault claims.

Last week Wikileaks had tweeted: "If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition."



Obama had used his final days in office to announce that the former intelligence analyst would be freed early from her 30-year term for handing classified documents to WikiLeaks.

Assange is not officially wanted by US authorities but he claimshis name was on several warrants and subpoenas.

"If it takes me going to United States to somehow flush out this case and get the DoJ (Department of Justice) to either make a charge or extradition or to drop it, then we are interested in looking at that as well," Assange said in a web broadcast from his hideout.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The UN Security Council today expressed support for peace talks on Syria hosted by Russia, Turkey and Iran next week, but stressed they must not serve to sideline UN-led negotiations.

During a closed-door meeting, the council discussed the talks opening Monday in the Kazakh capital of Astana after the United Nations decided to send envoy Staffan de Mistura to the meeting.

Sweden's ambassador and council president Olof Skoog said the Astana talks could help shore up a ceasefire and "represent an important stepping stone coming back to UN-led talks in Geneva thereafter."



Western powers have for weeks questioned the purpose of the Astana talks and raised concern that they could open up a new track of negotiations to end the nearly six-year war in Syria.

"That concern may have been there," Skoog said about sidelining the UN-led process, but he added that the council was united in its position that the Kazakh talks must be in sync with the UN-led negotiations.

The United Nations is working to bring the Syrian government and the rebels to the table in Geneva on February 8.

The UN-led talks have broken down over disagreements on ensuring a transition in Damascus that would lead to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's exit from power.

Turkey, which backs rebel forces, for the first time conceded that a peace deal that excludes Assad from power might not be possible.

"Turkey can no longer insist on a settlement without Assad. It is not realistic," Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told a panel on Syria at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Assad told Japanese television that he hoped the rebels attending the Astana talks will agree to lay down their arms in exchange for an amnesty deal.

Turkey and Russia, which supports Assad, brokered a ceasefire on December 30, but clashes have continued while deliveries of humanitarian aid remain blocked.

The war in Syria has killed more than 310,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Outgoing US President Barack Obama today left the Oval Office for the last time, as he prepares for the inauguration of his successor Donald Trump.

Obama walked into the Oval Office holding a letter, which he placed on the Resolute desk -- a 19th century desk used by many presidents.

It is customary for the outgoing president to leave a personal note for his successor. Obama was to have morning tea with Trump before they make their way to the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Collective memory and memorialization are, in many ways, the bread and butter of those who build and legitimize states. In the era of the nation-State, significant shared experiences and the invention of tradition  to paraphrase Eric Hobsbawm[1]  based on these events are among the states core tools for building patriotic feeling, solidarity and social cohesion. For the former members of the USSR, the experiences instrumentalized are often within living memory. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, social unrest, civil disobedience and open hostilities created the perfect storm for the collapse of the Soviet system and the dissolution of the Union, giving rise to 16 new states from the Baltic Sea to the Bering Strait. In many of the capitals, confrontations between unarmed protestors and heavily armed soldiers were the catalysts for the end of Moscows sovereignty. This is certainly true for Kazakhstan in December 1986 and Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in 1989. It is also very much the case for Azerbaijan, as a pamphlet commemorating the events of 19-20 January 1990 demonstrates.



Cover of Gafkaz IRKs Shidlr. Baku: Publisher unknown, 1991? (Asian and African Collections)

Black January (Qara Yanvar), as the events of 19-20 January 1990 are known in Azerbaijan, occurred when Soviet troops bloodily repressed anti-government demonstrations in Baku. Moscow claimed that it was acting to quell nationalist passions following a flare-up of violence against Armenians in the country, as well as attempts at overthrowing the government of Soviet Azerbaijan. Whatever the reasons for the protests and the ensuing violence, between 133 and 137 people lost their lives on the two days. They are remembered today in the Memorial for Black January, erected in 2010, as well as in countless publications.

The entrance to Martyrs Alley, Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo  Michael Erdman

The British Librarys Turkic Collections contain one such pamphlet, entitled  (Shidlr, Martyrs), 10,000 copies of which were published in 1990 or 1991. The pamphlet is printed in black and white, with the cover type white against a black background. The symbolism of the colour scheme and the starkness of the type and arrangement are obvious, but even more interesting is the quotation that accompanies the title. It is an Azeri-language translation of Verse 154 of al-Baqarah, the Cow, the second sura of the Quran. The English translation reads: And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, They are dead. Rather, they are alive, but you perceive [them] not. This overtly religious approach to the victims of state violence marks a distinct and aggressive departure from Soviet orthodoxy regarding the place of religion in public life.



Portraits of the victims and final inscription, Gafkaz IRK, Shidlr

Such piety begs the question of just whom the pamphlet commemorates. The Quranic quotation makes specific mention of those who die in the way of Allah (    ); does this include non-Muslim victims of repression in the category of Martyrs? The answer appears to be no, given a brief overview of the photographs on the interior of the pamphlet. Although it is impossible to determine the self-identification of the victims and their relationship to Islam, a brief glance through the names associated to the images reveals that only those with non-Russian or non-Armenian surnames find their way among the Martyrs. It is obvious that there are fewer pictures in the pamphlet than the 133 or 137 deaths reported. Some are evidently unknown victims whose graves in Martyrs Alley are marked as Nmalum, or Unknown. Nonetheless, there are also individuals, such as Vera Lvovna Bessantina, whose image adorns the wall of Martyrs Alley, but not the collection of photographs of Shidlr.



Tomb of Vera Lvovna Bessantina in Martyrs Alley, Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo  Michael Erdman

The final page of the pamphlet informs us that Use shall be made of the aid for a monument honouring the memory of the martyrs. It is unclear whether the monument constructed in Martyrs Alley is the direct result of the campaign that this pamphlet was a part of, or if it was the product of a different effort by the public and the state. What is clear is that the Azerbaijani States commitment to multiculturalism and religious tolerance is manifest in the widening of the term Shidlr to all those who died in the events of 19-20 January 1990. This pamphlet, however, remains as a reminder of the raw and often uncontrolled approaches to religion, dissidence and the state that characterized the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the chaotic and messy transition from Soviet hegemony to national sovereignty.



Michael Erdman, Curator Turkish and Turkic Collections



---------------

[1] Hobsbawm, E. J. The Invention of Tradition (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992).
The third Bengal Global Business Summit witnessed several investment proposals flowing in on the first day from industrialists like Sanjeev Goenka, Pankaj Munjal, Rajan Mittal and Kishore Biyani, among others.

Chairman of R P Sanjeev Goenka group, Sanjeev Goenka, said his group planned to invest around Rs 10,000 crore in the state in the next few years in the FMCG sector.

"We will invest Rs 10,000 crore in coming years in FMCG segment, a new vertical for the group," Goenka said.

Purnendu Chatterjee of TCG, which has ownership control of Haldia Petrochemicals and MCC PTA India, said that his group would invest around Rs 1,000 crore in these two companies over a 16-month period, adding they were also looking for a foreign partner for a refinery.

Hero Motors Group CMD Pankaj Munjal said his group would set up a electric bicycle manufacturing unit in the state with a capacity of three million units per annum with export potential to Bangladesh, South Asia and Australia.

Kishore Biyani of Future Group said he would set up a state-of-the-art logistics hub at Burdwan, the only one after Nagpur.

Besides that, the group would set up an apparel manufacturing hub in the heart of Kolkata with an employment potential of 10,000 people.

Bharti Enterprises Vice-Chairman Rakesh Bharti Mittal said the group would be investing an amount of Rs 2,000 crore-Rs 3,000 crore over the next two years.

The group was also looking at creating women empowerment through Airtel Payments Bank in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AAP today came out strongly against RSS publicity chief Manmohan Vaidya's remark favouring a review of the reservation policy and said it won't allow the "anti-dalit" BJP and RSS suceed in their "nefarious designs".

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was quick to latch on the controversial remark, which could potentially help the party in Punjab, a state with over 30 per cent of dalit population.

"The RSS/BJP/Akalis are anti-Dalits. We will not allow their nefarious designs to succeed," he tweeted.

"The statement by RSS functionary is shameful. This is not the first example of RSS and the BJP being anti-dalit. There is no proof required after state-sponsored murder of (Dalit scholar) Rohith Vemula (who committed suicide). We condemn this," AAP's national spokesperson Dilip Pandey said, adding that such remarks also came up before the Bihar polls.

RSS's publicity chief Manmohan Vaidya today kicked up a row with remarks favouring a review of the reservation policy, saying even the architect of the Constitution B R Ambedkar had not favoured its continuance in perpetuity.

"Reservations for SC/ST was introduced in a different context. It was provided for in the Constitution to remedy the historical injustice done to them. It was our responsibility.

"So, reservation for them has been there since the inception (of the Constitution). But, even Ambedkar has said its continuance in perpetuity is not good. There should be a time limit to it," Vaidya told an interactive session at Jaipur Literature Festival.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a horrific incident, a 15-year- old boy has allegedly killed his eight-year-old schoolmate and chopped off his body into pieces here, police said today.

The victim, Deepu, and the accused -- who landed in the police net today -- were studying in the same school and belonged to adjoining villages in Uttar Pradesh.

During the preliminary investigations, the juvenile accused revealed that he took Deepu to his migrant house here in Sheikh colony on Sua road on the pretext of flying a kite last week, Deputy Commissioner of Police Bhupinder Singh said.

He then strangulated the victim and chopped off his body into six pieces. He packed his body in two gunny bags and threw in a vacant plot at Dugri road.

The accused removed the heart from the body and threw the organ inside the premises of his school, the officer said.

The accused told the police that he had a grudge against the school and wanted to defame the institution.

The family of the accused told the police that he was fond of eating fresh flesh of animals and on several occasions, chew his own skin, the officer said.

He said that investigations of this "sensitive case" were under progress. The weapon used in the crime was also recovered.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
British Prime Minister Theresa May said today that she believed US President Donald Trump "recognises the importance and significance of NATO", despite him days earlier dubbing the military alliance obsolete.

In an interview with the Financial Times, May said: "I'm also confident the USA will recognise the importance of the cooperation we have in Europe to ensure our collective defence and collective security."



The British premier is expected to visit Trump in the spring, according to Downing Street, although the FT reported that she could go to Washington as early as next month.

Earlier this week, before he was sworn in as president, Trump told two European newspapers he had long warned that NATO had "problems".

"Number one, it was obsolete, because it was designed many, many years ago," he said, referring to its Cold War, post-World War II origins.

"Number two, the countries aren't paying what they're supposed to pay."



In his inaugural address today, Trump said the United States had "subsidised the armies of other countries", highlighting a common course of friction in the 28-nation alliance.

In response to Trump's reported remarks about NATO earlier in the week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Europe has to take responsibility for itself.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
State-owned Canara Bank today reported nearly four-fold jump in net profit to Rs 321.8 crore for the third quarter of 2016-17 even though bad loans doubled.

The Bangalore-based lender had a net profit of Rs 84.9 crore for the October-December quarter of 2015-16 fiscal.

The bank's total income rose marginally to Rs 12,079.3 crore for the quarter under review, from Rs 12,050.6 crore in the year-ago period, Canara Bank said in a regulatory filing to exchanges.

The bank's gross Non Performing Assets (NPAs) or bad loans as a percentage of total advances rose to 9.97 per cent from 5.84 per cent in the same quarter a year ago.

Its net NPAs went up to 6.72 per cent from 2.42 per cent at the end of December 2015.

Gross NPAs in absolute terms rose significantly to Rs 34,338.65 crore as compared to Rs 19,813.44 crore at the end of December 2015.

However, total provisions, excluding for income tax, made during the third quarter rose marginally to Rs 1,484.57 crore as against Rs 1,428.85 crore in the year-ago period.

For the first three quarters of 2016-17, Canara Bank posted 17 per cent decline in profit at Rs 907.74 crore, as compared to Rs 1,092.67 crore in the year-ago period.

The bank's total income for the nine month period in the current fiscal stood at Rs 36,052.84 crore as compared to Rs 36,781.22 crore in the same period of previous financial year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking enactment of a special law with conditions by the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government for holding Jallikattu, saying it cannot issue such a direction.

"The court cannot issue such a direction," the bench, comprising Chief Justice S K Kaul and Justice M Sundar said while hearing a petition by K K Ramesh, Managing Trustee of Tamil Nadu Centre for PIL.

On a plea by advocate R Krishnamurthy for action against "illegal" gathering of a large number of people on the Marina beach here in support of Jallikattu, the bench said it is an administrative matter.

"It is a matter of administration..., approach the government," it said.

Ramesh, in his PIL, submitted that is a "bull-hugging" sport played in Tamil Nadu as part of Pongal festivities and is an old practice. Though it looked similar to Spanish bull-fighting, it was different in Tamil Nadu as the bull is not killed, he said.

The petitioner claimed many people had been killed in events over the past few years, but not a single bull had died or been harassed, proof of which was there in government records itself.

Ramesh submitted that the sport was held in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh during Sankranthi with even the chief minister and his family in attendance.

Referring to the ongoing agitation across Tamil Nadu opposing the ban, he contended that students have organised meetings and taken out processions, demanding lifting of the ban and that it was the bounden duty of the central and state governments to bring forward a special law.

He said that the ban had resulted in a steep decrease in the number of particular breeds of bulls in Tamil Nadu.

Ramesh said he was forced to move the court as his January 16 representation in this regard to the state and central governments had not elicited any response.

Dismissing the PIL, the bench in its order made it clear that any petition which is filed in the name of Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation cannot be maintained and "no such petition shall be maintained in this name and style".

"The name under which this organisation is being run creates a wrong impression in the public as if the organisation is a specialist only in filing public interest litigations. An organisation doing voluntary work and having expertise in a particular field may approach the court."

"We cannot allow an organisation to pick up the morning newspaper, find out what is the issue raised and file half-baked petitions without any knowledge of the subject or law and that too without any research on the subject."

"We are thus of the view that any petition which is filed in the name of the Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation cannot be maintained and no such petitions shall be maintained in this name and style."

The bench said the "lack of expertise" on the part of the petitioner is apparent from the fact that he has sought a direction to enact a special law. "We say so as it is the sole prerogative of the government to enact law."

The bench referred to a Supreme Court judgment as well as a judgment of the full bench of the Delhi High Court wherein it was made clear that the writ of mandamus can be issued only in a case where there is a statutory duty imposed upon a person and there is a failure to discharge that statutory duty and the same cannot be issued to the legislature to enact a particular legislation.

"This court is not empowered to issue such a direction as is sought by the petitioner and it is for the government and the legislature to take a call on the issue," the bench said.

The petitioner had sought a direction to the state and central governments to enact a special law for conducting with strict conditions.
The UK can neither "prescribe" a solution to the Kashmir issue nor act as a mediator, the British government has said, asserting that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting solution to the problem.

"India and Pakistan are both long-standing and important friends of the United Kingdom and we have significant links to both countries through Indian and Pakistani diaspora communities," Alok Sharma, UK's Foreign Office minister in charge of Asia, said during a debate on Kashmir in the Parliament.

"...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 the governments of India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution, taking of course into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people," he said, stating Britain's position on the issue.

"The UK will continue to encourage both India and Pakistan to ensure that channels of dialogue remain open as a means of resolving differences," he said yesterday.

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 motion in House of Commons had called on the UK government to encourage India and Pakistan to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution to the dispute.

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 the debate read, "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 read.

Nuttall concluded the debate by calling on Sharma to "reflect on the very many positive suggestions for future action" before calling for a vote on the motion, which the deputy speaker of the House passed in favour, saying "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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A car bomb exploded today near a mosque in Libya's second city of Benghazi, wounding 12 people including a former interior minister, medical and security sources said.

Ashour Shwayel, who served as interior minister in the government of former prime minister Ali Zeidan, and his son were seriously hurt in the blast, said the spokeswoman of Al-Jala hospital, Fadia al-Barghati.

A security source said the blast was caused by an explosive device placed inside a car parked near Abu Houraira mosque in the central Al-Majouri neighbourhood of the eastern coastal city.

Benghazi was the cradle of the 2011 revolution that toppled and killed veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

Libya has since fallen into chaos, with the UN-backed Government of National Accord based in Tripoli failing to assert its authority over the country.

The GNA is opposed by a rival administration that is based in Libya's far east and backed by military strongman Marshal Khalifa Haftar, whose forces are battling jihadists in Benghazi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after his appointment as Director of CBI, Alok Kumar Verma called on Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi here today.

The CBI Director-designate's meetings with the Home Minister and Home Secretary were courtesy calls and they exchanged pleasantries only, sources said.

Verma is expected to take over the charge of Director of CBI only after January 26 as he, as Commissioner of Delhi Police, is at the helm of affairs of the security arrangements for the Republic Day celebration in the national capital.

As CBI chief, Verma will have a fixed two-year tenure.

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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Government today told Delhi High Court that it will provide a new TB medicine to a Mumbai-based doctor who will be responsible to administer it to an 18-year -old girl suffering from a drug resistant form of the disease.

The decision was arrived at with the consent of the patient's father, following which an order was passed by Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva disposing of the plea to provide the new TB drug to the girl, on the basis of the terms and conditions arrived at between the two sides.

The new TB drug is one of the two optional medicines for her and is not openly available in the country.

The court also said the order has been passed under the peculiar circumstances of the case and should not be treated as a precedent.

As per the terms of the consent order which were taken on record by the court, the government said the patient's doctor will have to move an application before the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for permission to get the medicine, Bedaquiline, under "compassionate use basis" and the authority would process the same within 24 hours, if all requisite conditions are fulfilled.

Once the permission is received from DCGI, the doctor has to forward an application to the manufacturer, Janssen - a subsidiary of pharma major Johnson and Johnson - for importing Bedaquiline urgently on "compassionate use basis", it said.

Thereafter, the doctor would have to furnish a copy of DCGI's permission and the application to Janssen, to the DDG of Central TB Division "who shall make the full course of Bedaquiline available through KEM Hospital, Mumbai, to the doctor within two days thereof", the terms of the consent order stated.

The terms also state that as and when Bedaquiline is made available to the doctor by Janssen, on the basis of his application, it shall be handed over to KEM Hospital as and by way of replenishment of the stocks of the medicine.

Meanwhile, Lala Ram Swarup (LRS) Hospital clarified in the consent order that domicile or residence of the patient was not a criteria to determine eligibility for administering the drug under the conditional access programme.

During arguments, senior advocate Anand Grover told the court that the patient's doctor was determining a protocol for administering Bedaquiline with other drugs, after carrying out a fresh drug sensitivity test, as a doctor of LRS told them there have been cases of deaths, which went unreported, after Bedaquiline was given without a proper protocol.

During arguments, advocates Arjun Mitra and Aastha Jain,



appearing for the Centre, said the government was willing to give the medicine from its stock to the patient's doctor when he applies for it.

The government also said that the patient's doctor, Dr Zafir F Udwadia, would have to undertake that the medicine was being administered at his risk.

The patient, who was admitted at LRS, was recently moved to Mumbai, as the hospital had wanted to do more tests before administering Bedaquiline.

However, LRS hospital had later told the court that it was ready to administer the medicine to the patient under its supervision without carrying out any more tests.

The patient's father, Kaushal Tripathi, had claimed in his plea that his daughter meets the requirements under the WHO guidelines and Revised National TB Control programme for being treated by Bedaquiline.

LRS hospital had earlier defended its stand for more tests saying if Bedaquiline is given to a patient suffering from a drug-resistant variant of the disease without carrying out proper tests, it could lead to development of a strain which is resistant to this medication also.
During her Senate confirmation hearing , Betsy DeVos denied association with the Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation . This foundation has donated to groups such as the Family Research Council, which opposes same-sex marriage and is critical of the LGBTQ rights movement.

What do we know about her links to that foundation, which is named after her parents?

Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., brought up the foundation in this way:

Hassan: Its your mothers foundation. And you sit on the board?

DeVos: I do not.

Hassan: You do not? Okay. So when it made its over $5 million donation to Focus on the Family [which opposes gay marriage and on transgender issues advises parents to affirm your sons in their masculinity and your daughters in their femininity], you didnt know anything about it?

DeVos: My mother makes the decisions for her foundation.

Later, Hassan returned to the issue and highlighted federal tax documents (called Form 990s) from the foundation.

Hassan: I just wanted to clarify the issue of whether you are on the board of your mothers foundation. I have 990s up through 2013 where youre listed as the vice president and a board member. So was that just a mistake on your part?

DeVos: That was a clerical error. I can assure you I have never made decisions on my mothers behalf on her foundation board.

Hassan: So the listing that you are a vice president of the board is incorrect?

DeVos: That is incorrect.

DeVos also said she does not and has never supported conversion therapy for gay people, and that students should be able to attend schools free from discrimination.

In response to a question from us on Tuesday, Matt Frendewey indicated that irrespective of tax forms from prior years, DeVos was accurately addressing her current relationship to the foundation. (Frendeway is a spokesman for the American Federation for Children, the group DeVos led until recently.)

However, the 990 tax forms from the foundation list Betsy DeVos as a vice president from 2001 through 2014. A spokesman for the family, John Prescott, told BuzzFeed that DeVos was surprised to find herself listed as a vice president on the documents. And a Trump transition spokesperson reiterated DeVos comments to CNN. ProPublica also reported that on Jan. 13, Michigan state government received a request to remove DeVos name from some of the foundations paperwork , through a certificate of correction. (The certificate was filed by the state of Michigan on Jan. 17, the same day as the hearing.)



We called two people listed on the 990s to ask about any potential clerical error: Dan Fuller, listed as having prepared the 990 form for 2014, and MaryBeth Gernaat, whos listed as keeping the books for the foundation on the 990 form from 2012. Neither Fuller nor Gernaat responded to our requests for comment.

The Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation listed $22.8 million in net assets for 2014, and $5.1 million in total expenses and disbursements. Here are several of the groups the foundation donated to in 2014 with various links to education issues:

Acton Institute ($250,000): Some have accused the group of supporting child labor. An article appeared on the groups website for which the original headline included the phrase bring back child labor. But the author, Joseph Sunde, updated the post to say he did not support replacing education with labor, or sending kids into coal mines or other high-risk jobs.

Alliance Defending Freedom ($50,000): The group has filed lawsuits against transgender students rights regarding restrooms and locker rooms. In a suit against a Minnesota school district on behalf of parents, the group said that a transgender student acted inappropriately in a girls locker room.

Center for Urban Renewal and Education ($20,000): The Washington group seeks to address issues of culture, race and poverty from a Judeo-Christian conservative perspective.

Compass Film Academy ($15,000): The Compass College of Cinematic Arts in Grand Rapids, Mich., where DeVos lives, has a Christ-centered focus that fosters entrepreneurial success and serves as an asset on film and television shoots, and in executive studio and corporate settings.

Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund ($5,000): This group is associated with the Eagle Forum, which was founded by conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly and is opposed to gay marriage. The group also supports English-only education in schools and opposes the Common Core State Standards.

Gateways to Better Education ($20,000): Gateways was founded in 1991 to help public schools teach about the important contribution the Bible and Christianity make to the world. We give confidence to teachers and school administrators, and we help parents navigate the public schools so their children graduate with their faith and values intact, the group says on its website.

Intervarsity Christian Fellowship ($1,000): An evangelical ministry operating on college campuses, the group was founded in 1941.

Heritage Foundation ($1,000): The Washington think tank supports school choice, and opposed the Obama administrations guidance to schools on transgender students issued last year that said such students rights were covered by Title IX legal protections.

Kids Hope USA ($10,000): The group runs mentoring programs through church-school partnerships.

Mackinac Center for Public Policy ($15,000): The conservative-leaning Michigan-based think tank supports school choice, and specifically backs online charter schools.

Potters House Christian School ($25,000): This is a private Christian school in Grand Rapids. DeVos said during her Senate confirmation hearing that her visit to the school several years ago was a transformative experience and triggered her interest in education.

South Shore Youth Impact ($15,000): The Holland, Mich.-based group aims to provide a safe, encouraging, positive Christian environment for kids, teens and their families in our community while providing resources for a more hopeful future.

Students for Life of America ($5,000): The group aims to abolish abortion. Members of the group plan to attend the Womens March on Washington on Jan. 21, the day after Trumps inauguration.

Education Week Librarian Holly Peele contributed to this blog post.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Lok Sabha member Richard Hay today sought Centre's intervention, a day after the murder of a BJP worker allegedly by CPI(M) activists in the northern district of Kannur.

Hay, a nominated BJP member to the Parliament, also alleged there is no freedom in the state for parties like BJP to function democratically.

He has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention in the matter and enable democratic parties to "function smoothly".

"I would like to bring to your kind attention the alarming law and order situation in Kerala where almost everywhere BJP and RSS workers are attacked and killed. The situation is grim, grave and pathetic in Kerala where there is no freedom to democratically function for parties like BJP," he said in the letter which was also sent to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the Kerala Governor P Sathasivam.

"It is requested to kindly urgently intervene in this very serious matter so that peace prevails in the state and enable all democratic parties to function smoothly. Prima facie, it is understood that the ruling CPM party is involved in this gruesome killings and the government has miserably failed in maintaining law and order in the state," he added.

Earlier, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said a delegation of leaders would soon go to New Delhi to apprise the union government about the situation in the state and press for intervention.

BJP activist Santosh (52) was attacked in his house at Andaloor in Dharmadam in Kannur on Wednesday night. He died on the way to hospital. BJP observed a hartal in the district as a mark of protest yesterday.

In another incident, a country made bomb was hurled at the RSS Karyalaya at nearby Thaliparamba in the district yesterday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China's largest chip maker has announced it will invest USD 30 billion to build a new semiconductor factory, as the world's second largest economy seeks to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.

The state-owned Tsinghua Unigroup will open the facility in the city of Nanjing in eastern Jiangsu province, where it will mainly produce chips used in consumer electronics such as cellphones, cameras and computers, according to a statement posted Thursday on the company's official website.

The project "is of great significance to the independent innovation, large-scale production, and marketization of China's integrated circuit industry", the statement said.

The announcement comes after attempts by the company to take-over US chip makers Micron Technology and Sandisk were curbed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) over national security concerns.

Its ambitions to acquire American technology thwarted, Tsinghua Unigroup has shifted its focus to building plants in China, launching a USD 24 billion memory chip factory in Wuhan city last month, according to online site Sohu.

China was the largest market for semiconductors in the world in 2015. Its excessive dependence on imported chips has raised concern in Beijing over the country's national security, according to a report by the US Department of Commerce.

In 2014, Chinese authorities pledged 100 billion yuan (USD 14.6 billion) to support the industry, with the aim of building a "globally competitive semiconductor sector by 2030", according to two statements by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in 2014 and 2015.

In a speech on cyber security last April, Chinese president Xi Jinping warned that China must gain control of "core" technology, saying that leaving it in the hands of foreigners is "our greatest hidden danger."



The drive by China to expand its role in the market, long dominated by US firms like Intel and Qualcomm, has raised concerns in Washington.

A report to President Barack Obama by a presidential science panel last month warned that China is set to challenge American dominance in the industry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China today questioned the US ruling to levy heavy duties on several of its products and vowed to retaliate amid concerns of trade war between the world's top two economies under Donald Trump's presidency.

The US Department of Commerce decided on Wednesday to impose anti-dumping duties of 162.47 per cent for imports of amorphous silica fabric, 68.27 per cent for carbon and alloy steel and 493.46 per cent for ammonium sulfate from China.

The department also set final anti-subsidy duties ranging between 48.94 per cent and 165.39 per cent for imports of amorphous silica fabric, 251 per cent for carbon and alloy steel, and 206.72 per cent for ammonium sulfate from China.

The China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) vowed to take necessary measures to protect the rights of Chinese companies, state-run Xinhua agency reported.

MOC trade official Wang Hejun said that China questioned the US decision and investigation procedures on the three products, and the US authorities had ignored the evidence submitted by Chinese enterprises and deprived them of a right of defence.

He said that the US had abused trade remedy measures regardless of trade rules, and that China was gravely concerned. He added that Chinese companies in the industries were strongly dissatisfied with the decision.

Wang urged the US to abide by the World Trade Organization rules, strictly follow the investigation procedures and take trade remedy measures in a prudent, reasonable and restrained way.

The stiff statement came hours before Trump's inauguration.

For its part, China bracing for a likely showdown as 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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man accused of hatching a conspiracy to kill certain BJP leaders based in south India has been deported by the Saudi authorities to India.

The accused, identified as Syed Zakeer Raheem, was arrested by the Saudi authorities in May last year.

He was yesterday deported to Delhi from where he was taken into custody and taken to Hyderabad today, as per a release issued by National Investigation Agency (NIA).

He is accused in the case registered by Hyderabad Police regarding a conspiracy to kill certain BJP leaders, it said.

Raheem is brother-in-law of wanted terrorist Farhatuallah Ghori, presently in Pakistan, the release said.

Ghori is an absconding accused in a case relating to a conspiracy by terrorist organisations Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) of target killings of important personalities belonging to Hindu community in Bangalore and Hubli and thereby disturbing the communal harmony.

The Bangalore police had in 2012 registered a case in this regard. Later in the same year, the NIA took over the case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior CPI(M) leaders Md Salim, Sujan Chakrabarty and Kanti Ganguly were arrested along with several party workers when they staged a protest in front of Milan Mela ground, the venue of the Bengal Global Business Summit, here.

Police had a tough time controlling protestors as the CPI(M) workers, led by Ganguly, tried to enter the summit venue forcibly.

Ganguly was stopped and arrested later along with Salim and Chakraborty, a senior city police officer said.

The CPI(M) activists also blocked the EM Bypass near Parama Island in front the venue that led to a huge traffic jam in and around the area.

"Villagers have died in police firing in Bhangar during their protests against the sub-station project. The state has failed to protect them and instead provided protection to land mafias...

"They do not have the right to host such a business summit. This is the protest of common people," Chakrabarty alleged.

He alleged that police manhandled the protesters, not even sparing the women.

State Power Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said, "When Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is trying to promote the state, the CPI(M) staged such a protest. That is why they were alienated from the people."



Senior Trinamool Congress leader and state Panchyat minister Subrata Mukherjee condemned the protest programme, saying, "It is an attempt to tarnish the state's image."



"Political parties have the right to protest. This is not the right time to hold such a protest...They could have done it later... They are setting a bad precedent", he said.

One person was killed and another wounded at Bhangar early this week during protest against the construction of a powergrid sub-station.

The police denied that it had opened fire and said the person was killed in clashes that broke out between outsiders and the residents of the area.

The state government subsequently halted the project.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr has filed for divorce from his wife, Sara Kapfer.

The 49-year-old actor is putting an end to his marriage, after spending 22 years with his better half and childhood sweetheart, confirmed E! .

The "The People v OJ Simpson" star has asked for the joint legal and physical custody of the couple's ten plus daughter, Piper.

Cuba also assured that he is willing to give spousal support to Sara.

The legal development emerged after Sara filed for separation from Cuba back in August 2014.

According to her, the couple married on March 13, 1994.

Apart from Piper, the duo have two sons, Spencer and Mason, aged 22 and 20 years respectively.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government has decided to make a special financial provision in the upcoming Budget for setting up sufficient numbers of 'Chhath' ghats across the national capital.

The move is aimed at wooing Poorvanchali voters ahead of municipal elections slated for April.

Delhi Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Gopal Rai has called a meeting of all MLAs, along with officers concerned, on February 10 on the setting up of new 'Chhath' ghats in their respective constituencies.

"We have decided to make special provision of separate funds in the 2017-18 Budget to construct new 'Chhath' ghats so that there are sufficient numbers of ghats in the city," he said.

He said that a monitoring committee will be set up to look after the construction work and ensure their completion by October when 'Chhath' festival will take place this year.

Delhi has around 40 lakh Poorvanchali voters who play a key role in municipal elections.

The Irrigation and Flood Control Department has been appointed as the nodal agency which will build these ghats. Earlier, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) used to look after such works.

There were around 300 ghats at the time of 'Chhath' festival last year. Some of them are permanent structure.

During 'Chhath' festival, which is observed mainly by people from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, devotees offered prayer to the Sun god.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former RSS ideologue K N Govindacharya today said no mechanism was put in place to assess the impact of demonetisation and maintained note ban has led to migration of people from cities to villages due to lack of work.

"Demonetisation impactassessment mechanism was not put in place by the government. People from villages working in cities are returning home due to lack of work," he said.

Talking about economy, the former BJP General Secretary said the model of GDP-based growth will increase unemployment in the country.

Govindacharya was speaking to the media on the sidelines of inauguration of 4th National Students Parliament at the G H Raisoni College of Engineering here.

Taking potshots at the BJP's 2014 election slogan of ushering in good days, he said 'ache din' have come for Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate.

"They have got an opportunity to show their 'afsarshahi' (babudom). The Government should keep a tab and ensure bureaucracy does not act in an irresponsible manner."



Govindacharya said most of the people in the country support Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Asked about the difference between the Vajpayee and Modi Governments, Govindacharya said the current BJP-led ruling coalition should communicate more with the Opposition.

There is a lack of communication between the ruling party and the Opposition and this should change so as to build trust between them, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A distorted version of history has been taught in India by Left liberal historians who from the Nehruvian era have monopolised the intellectual space in the country, RSS ideologue Dattatreya Hosabale today claimed.

He also said religion must not be kept out of classrooms.

At an interactive session at Jaipur Literature Festival, he said there is a dire need to change the history being taught in India and the educational system which, according to him, should be based on the "ethos of the nation".

He questioned if history being taught is enabling the younger generation to help India occupy a covetable place in the committee of nations, which he himself answered "No".

"The demand to change history and education system has not been a demand of RSS alone. Other sections of the society have also been demanding this since independence. Commissions after commissions have been constituted regarding this. Our education system should be based on the ethos of the nation, on the right history of the nation," he said.

"There should be proper study of history and then it must be taught in schools. There have been several attempts to distort history. The history you read is not history. Historical facts should decide what history means.

"Left-liberals have dominated the academic and media circles and have never allowed others to present their version. Their tolerance can be gauged from the fact that they boycotted coming here after hearing that RSS people were participating in the session. That is their tolerance," he said.

"Aryan invasion is being taught to school students. The 'invasion' has been disproved by the BBC. Social scientists have said that no Aryan invasion took place."



Hosabale also batted for including religious teachings in classrooms.

"Religion should not be kept out of classrooms. Religious teachings and values need to be taught in our classrooms... The RSS and I do not believe that you become more rational by removing religion from classrooms. Universal values like compassion, and other such virtues and qualities, are found in religion. We must not keep religion out of classrooms but must discuss the manner of teaching religion.

Hosabale also said that the Varna system is outdated.

"It has outlived its purpose if at all it had any purpose in the first place. Constitution has to to abolish it. The debate over whether the caste system arose out of the varna system is still on."



Referring to the political violence in Kerala, he said, "RSS does not condone violence. If it is against any community, RSS has never supported it. However, if same people are out to attack RSS men, it's but natural for them to retaliate."



"RSS people are being attacked in Kerala for the past many months. What has government been doing there? Nothing has been done. Where are the so-called tolerant people? Why don't they speak up? We are law-abiding citizens and the government in Kerala is not performing its duties," he said.

(Reopens DEL 79)



When asked why RSS has not produced distinguished scholars and intellectuals, Hosabale said academic and media circles have been monopolised by Left-liberals for a long time and they have never allowed others to speak heir mind.

"After hearing that we are coming here that we are attending a session, they have boycotted it. This is the tolerance of these people," he said.

Hosabale gave examples of people like S L Bhyrappa and Narendra Kohli, who he said were not members of the RSS, but were speaking what RSS believe in.

RSS's publicity chief Manmohan Vaidya, who also participated in the session Meanwhile Vaidya said that people have strayed from the concept of Hindutva which is why there are a lot of problems in the country.

"The people showing intolerance in their behaviour are people who have rejected Hindutva. Hindutva never talks of uniformity. We all have to live together and celebrate diversity," he said.

He said the world secularism did not have to be included as there were already provisions in the Constitution.

"So-called minorities have all the rights in India which is unlike any other country in the world. The inclusion of the word secular was neither needed, demanded, debated or discussed," Vaidya said.
BJP today said DMK can "only" stage protests on the Jallikattu issue and the ruling party at the Centre alone can find a solution to the vexed issue.

Party's Tamil Nadu President Tamilisai Sounderrajan also welcomed Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's announcement that the state would amend the Prevention of Cruelty Act, 1960.

"You can only agitate, we only can find solution which you failed to accomplish while in power," she said referring to Stalin staging a rail roko protest here this morning as his party was a key constituent in UPA during the tenure of which the ban on the bull-taming sport was imposed.

"Hon'ble TN CM assures ordinance on Jallikatttu. Welcome initiative (sic)," she said in a Tweet.

"I appeal to youth volunteers and students agitating for Jallikatttu to call off the agitation on govt's assurances on TN ordinance soon," Sounderrajan said in another tweet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "assured all support" to Tamil Nadu government's action for conduct of Jallikattu, she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Donald Trump will address the nation Friday, right after taking the oath of office as president. So will he talk about education? And does it matter if he does?

I asked three experts in education and political science, from a range of perspectives. They essentially all said the same thing: Dont bet your latte money on a lot of talk about K-12.

Jay Greene, a professor of education reform at the University of Arkansas, said he also doesnt expect to hear much about K-12 Friday. But that doesnt really say much, one way or the other, about what education will look like over the next four years.

I strongly doubt that Trump will make any mention of education, Greene said. My general perspective on this is that the federal government is not that important when it comes to education policy. That has to be enforced and implemented by states and localities. Most of the money that the feds spend on K-12 flows by formula, Greene added. And he doesnt see those laws changing anytime soon.

For the most part, a Trump administration and Trumps pick of Betsy DeVos to be education secretary will not have a dramatic effect on the average students education in any way, he said.

And Pat McGuinn, a professor at Drew University, who studies the intersection of education politics, doesnt expect Trump to say much about K-12, in part because of the rocky performance of his education secretary pick, DeVos at her confirmation hearing Tuesday.

I dont think well hear too much about education in his inaugural speech--both because i dont think the issue is that much of a priority in his agenda and because after Devos poor showing at the confirmation hearing the other day, he may not want to draw attention to the issue or his nominee, McGuinn said in an email.

Jeff Henig, a professor of political science and education at Columbia Universitys Teachers College, agreed, but he added, you never know with Trump.

I dont think anyone knows what to expect, he said. If this was a more conventional president [with policy ideas similar to Trumps] it might be reasonable to expect some mention of education, linked to some broad notion of [school] choice but wrapped in a bow that plays up this as a unifying issue for American families. But this isnt a conventional president or a conventional inauguration.

Womens March

Trumps inauguration wont be the only big event on the Mall in Washington this week. There are plenty of teachers making the trip for the Womens March on Washington, an event on Saturday to protest Trumps agenda. At least 1,000 members of the National Education Association will be in town, for example.

Missy Rhodes, a 3rd-grade teacher at Hayshire Elementary School in York, Pa., will be getting on a bus at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday to make the two-hour trip to Washington. Back in the fall, Rhodes went door-to-door in her small southern Pennsylvania city , registering voters and doing other get-out-the-vote work to help elect Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee.

Rhodes liked a lot of Clintons ideas, but one of her biggest motivations was the fear of what a Trump presidency would mean for schools, especially those that serve a lot of poor kids and immigrants.

Three months later, her opinion of the real estate mogul hasnt changed much. She called Trumps nomination of DeVos absurd and said she was particularly baffled by her comment during her confirmation hearing that remote rural schools might need guns to protect themselves from grizzly bears.

She knows nothing about what a public school is like, Rhodes said.

But other teachers feel differently. Benjamin Coates, who teaches kindergarten in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, thinks Trump chose a great leader for the Education Department. Coates used to teach at a charter and is heartened that DeVos will support those schools and give the system a much needed shake-up.

Many low-income schools have been failing for so long. We definitely need change, he said.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
A day before it is to be inaugurated in Dehradun by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Election Commission tonight gave a go ahead to the Defence Ministry to hold Combined Commanders' Conference in the capital city of poll-bound Uttarakhand.

The Congress had complained to the Commission that BJP may use the event to influence former and serving defence personnel to gain an upper hand in the five poll-bound states -- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Punjab and Goa.

In his reply the Defence Secretary is learnt to have rejected such suggestions.

In a letter to the Defence Secretary, the Commission said it has "no objection" to holding the conference at Indian Military Academy Dehradun tomorrow.

It said the dignitaries attending the conference should "observe certain conditions".

"The official visit shall not be combined with any public meeting...No media briefing, media interaction, press release, announcement in connection with serving soldiers or ex servicemen, which may effect the voters in five poll going states, including Uttarakhand, should be made," it said asking the Defence Secretary to ensure compliance.

Top commanders of the three forces and senior officers of the government will attend the conference to discuss the security scenario of the country and decide upon future course of action.

It is usually held every year and inaugurated by the PM.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The British Council, in collaboration with The British Library and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai has brought First Folio - the first collection of plays by William Shakespeare - to India for the first time.

One of Britain's iconic documents is on display for Shakespeare's lovers in Mumbai from January 20 to March 8.

The collection was first published in 1623 as a bulky book of 900 words in London. It is significant because 18 of these plays would not have survived, and most of the other prominent plays would be known to readers only in the imperfect form.

At an event here to mark the exhibition opening, S Mukherjee, Director General, CSMVS said "Our New Year gift to the city of Mumbai is the chance to view Shakespeare's First Folio published in 1623, in an exhibition titled 'What's in a name?"



"This is the first time that this Folio will be travelling to India, in yet another successful partnership with the British Library, London. To make the occasion more meaningful, the CSMVS has organised a six-week-long festival of activity which will engage adults, children, schools, educational establishments, and community groups with the exhibition and create deeper, hands-on engagement with Shakespeare and his writings," he said.

Alan Gemmell, OBE Director, British Council India said, "India has always had a special association with Shakespeare as seen in the various adaptations and interpretations of his work over the years. Bringing First Folio to India is a special milestone in British Council's celebration of the legacy of the renowned playwright's work.

"With new digital projects and unique channels to connect the participants to Shakespeare, we hope that people will not only enjoy the experience but will also be able to engage with the Bard in a more meaningful way."



Jamie Andrews, Head of Culture and Learning at the British Library said, "We are delighted that this special copy of Shakespeare's First Folio will be going on display in Mumbai for the very first time. Sharing the richness of our collections with people across India is important to us and we hope visitors will take this unique opportunity to see this incredible world treasure up close."



The collection is being sought out by book collectors, libraries and museums as only 400 complete copies survive from the original print out of around 750, a release said.

This collection was first owned by King George III. In the late 20th century it was re-bound in burgundy goatskin as part of conservation treatments by the British Library.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A court here today sentenced four persons to rigorous imprisonment of 20 years in connection with the rape of a minor girl at Songaon village in the district last March.

District and Sessions Court Judge Urmila Phalke-Joshi convicted three youths under various sections of IPC and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act for the crime while another youth for criminal intimidation and abetment.

The court also imposed fine of Rs 5,000 on each convict and prescribed rigorous imprisonment of additional three years in case of failure to pay.

Public Prosecutor Dipshikha Bhide said the court examined the DNA reports to convicts Balu Dongare (19), Popat Rahire (28), Ramdas Lilke (32) and Shrawan Lilke (25).

Though Dongare, Rahire and Lilke actually committed the crime, the court held Shrawan guilty for criminal intimidation and abetment and handed him the similar jail term as given to his friends.

As per the prosecution, the incident occurred near a tree on the outskirts of the village when the girl was on her way to meet her brother who was working in a nearby field.

The court examined six witnesses during the trial.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gambia's chief of defense forces pledged his allegiance to the country's new president today, a major shift as mediation continued to persuade the defeated Yahya Jammeh to cede power.

Ousmane Badjie told The Associated Press the country's security services all support the newly inaugurated Adama Barrow and said they would not fight a regional force that was poised to push out Jammeh if talks failed.

"You cannot push us to war for an issue we can solve politically," Badjie said. "We don't see any reason to fight." Without Gambia's security forces and his Cabinet dissolved,



Jammeh was increasingly isolated as the last-minute talks continued at his official residence in the capital, Banjul, with the leaders of Guinea and Mauritania.

Adama Barrow, who was elected president last month, was sworn in yesterday, and the UN Security Council voted unanimously to approve the regional military intervention. The inauguration took place at the Gambian Embassy in neighboring Senegal for Barrow's safety.

The West African regional force, including tanks, moved in during the evening without facing any resistance, said Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS. At least 20 military vehicles were seen today at the border town of Karang.

The regional force included troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Mali, and they moved in after Barrow's inauguration and the UN vote.

Guinean President Alpha Conde arrived in Banjul with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. Mauritania has been mentioned as a possible home in exile for Jammeh. After a first round of talks, they broke for Friday prayers and resumed.

Conde will offer Jammeh the chance to step down peacefully, de Souza said.

Jammeh "has the choice of going with President Alpha Conde," he said, but if that fails, "we will bring him by force or by will."



Jammeh began negotiations yesterday with ECOWAS and agreed to step down, but demanded amnesty for any crimes he may have committed during his 22 years in power and wanted to stay in Gambia, in his home village of Kanilai, de Souza said. Those demands are not acceptable to ECOWAS, he added.

Jammeh's continued presence in Gambia would "create disturbances to public order and terrorist movements," said de Souza. ECOWAS wants Barrow to take power in Gambia without any security threats, said de Souza.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gambia's Yahya Jammeh agreed "in principle" to hand over power to President Adama Barrow, Mauritanian and Guinean sources said, but differences remained before a full deal could be reached.

Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and Guinea's Alpha Conde held several hours of talks with Jammeh yesterday in which they agreed he should step aside but not how and where he would live out his exile.

Troops from five African nations were stationed on the tiny nation's borders in the event the last-ditch talks fell through, as it was confirmed Conde would stay today to iron out remaining disagreements.

Jammeh has refused to recognise his defeat in presidential elections last month, and would be offered asylum in the country of his choice, Conde advisor Kiridi Bangoura said earlier in the day.

"Jammeh has accepted he will leave power. The discussions revolve around where he will live in exile and the conditions around that," a Mauritanian source close to the delegation in Banjul told AFP.

A highly-placed Guinean source said the country of exile had to be far enough away to stop Jammeh interfering in his country's affairs.

The three men met at Jammeh's seat of power, State House, and halted to observe Friday prayers together at a nearby mosque.

The Guinean source mentioned Equatorial Guinea as a possible option, while diplomats discussed the possibility of Morocco.

Jammeh has rejected President Adama Barrow's December 1 election win, despite huge pressure from regional powers and the UN, sparking a major crisis and sending Gambians and tourists -- vital for the tiny country's economy -- fleeing.

Isatou Touray, a top official in Barrow's coalition told AFP there was "no deal yet" but added: "I think he has to go, because he is compelled."



Barrow, who was sworn in at The Gambia's embassy in Dakar on Thursday, remained in Senegal awaiting the outcome of the talks, with hopes of taking over from Jammeh as soon as his safety could be guaranteed.

A Banjul-based diplomatic source told AFP the final deal would be "a joint statement between Barrow and Jammeh," but cautioned the mercurial strongman could "quite easily" change his mind.

That source spoke of a three-day grace period for Jammeh with foreign troops on standby until he definitively quits the country.

Barrow hailed a "victory of the Gambian nation" and demanded loyalty from his armed forces at his inauguration on Thursday.

An imminent military operation, dubbed operation "Restore Democracy", was suspended late Thursday to allow the final push to convince Jammeh to leave after 22 years at the helm of the former British colony.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mahatma Gandhi and Bhim Rao Ambedkar are complementary to each other, said Dalit writer Ajay Navaria today, while asserting that it was time for fellow writers from the community to break the stereotypical image associated with them.

"I see Mahatma Gandhi and Ambedkar complementary to each other. We are living in 2017 not in 1936. We are strenghtening our bonding with others. Why cannot we see a dream in the literary world to make a society where everyone is above the casteism?" Navaria said at a session at the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival here.

He said that Dalit writers, who have not yet shunned their traditional thoughts, should break out of their "depressing" image, and not run away from the fact that the current generation wants to hide their identity.

"Dalits are into their stereotypical image which has remained frozen for years and that needs to change. Dalits should look into their families... That their new generation is trying to escape from their social identity.

"A picture is presented that we have been victimized and tortured. I do not differ from such facts, but I feel it is time to change this image. We should fight for our rights but that should not stop us from changing our stereotypical image," he said.

The Hindi writer whose works highlight the hypocrisies and indignities of the caste system, was speaking at a session titled, 'Look Back in Anger: Writing and Remembering', said that literature does not perennially have to be anger-ridden.

"You may see anger in initial works of writers, be it Dalit or otherwise, but with the course of time, this anger transforms and vanishes from these writings," Navaria, who has penned several collections of short stories like "Patkatha Aur Anya Kahaniyaan", said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An inter-district gang, which stole batteries and copper wires from mobile towers, was busted today with the arrest of three of its members, including kingpin and proclaimed offender Lucky Masih, police claimed.

Masih of Kishangarh village, who is also wanted in six other cases, was arrested along with Parminder Singh alias Nona of Manakrai village and Mani Sharma of Adampur village, they said.

The trio was arrested near Panchhat village here when they were coming on a motorcycle, which did not have a number plate, police said.

The accused have been arrested under Section 379 (punishment for theft) of IPC, they said, adding their accomplices Manish and Gobinda of Ludhiana are at large.

During preliminary questioning, the accused have confessed to have been involved in 35 cases of stealing batteries and copper wires from mobile towers in Bhogpur, Adampur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts, police claimed.

Ten batteries and 50 kgs of copper wire were recovered from them, police said, adding they sold the stolen material to scrap dealer Amit Arora.

He will also be arrested, they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Setting the tone for Goa poll campaign, the BJP is trying to project its social schemes and infrastructure development in the state during last five years, in a bid to woo the voters.

Senior leaders, including Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, state Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, party's Goa unit president Vinay Tendulkar and others, have hit the poll campaign with the slogan "Once again BJP", during the corner meetings being held in the run-up to the elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address a rally in North Goa on January 28. BJP is also working out dates for party president Amit Shah's public meeting.

The ruling party is contesting on 36 out of the total 40 Assembly seats, and has extended support to Independents in four constituencies.

The BJP, which had a fallout with half-a-decade-long partner Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) recently, has refused tickets to three of its sitting legislators - Vishnu Wagh, Ramesh Tawadkar and Anant Shet.

The party has hit the poll campaign while banking on populist schemes like 'Ladli Lakshmi', providing one-time financial assistance to girls, 'Grih Adhar', giving monthly remuneration to the housewives, and various infrastructure projects like third bridge across Mandovi river, second bridge over Zuari and four/six laning of the National Highways passing through the state.

"Over 1.40 lakh people live with respect due to the Dayanand Social Security Scheme. They are getting monthly assistance of Rs 2,000 and other medical benefits," says the BJP's election brochure released recently.

The party is also trying to woo the voters by showcasing its 'Deendayal Swasthya Seva Yojana Scheme', a family health insurance initiative providing cashless hospitalisation in government and private hospitals.

"Over 2.3 lakh Goan families are feeling the comfort of health care with this scheme," says the poll brochure.

Among the achievements, the saffron party has also projected the Saligao-based state-of-the-art garbage treatment plant which was part of 'Swachh Bharat, Nitol Goem' (Clean India, Clean Goa) initiative.

The BJP has also credited itself with the construction of new airport at Mopa in North Goa and other projects, like the Electronic City in Tuem.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gold prices eased further at the domestic bullion market here today on lower demand from investors and stockists as well as poor local buying interest on the back of lower global cues.

Silver too cracked on speculative selling coupled with lower industrial demand.

Standard gold (99.5 purity) eased by Rs 15 to close at Rs 29,050 per 10 grams from yesterday's level of Rs 29,065.

Pure gold (99.9 purity) also moved down by a similar margin to end at Rs 29,200 per 10 grams against Rs 29,215 previously.

Silver (.999 fineness) fell by Rs 125 to conclude at Rs 41,485 per kg as against Rs 41,610 previously.

Globally, gold prices dipped as investors expect the US President-elect Donald Trump to calm markets with a return to conciliatory language in his inaugural address.

Spot gold was down 0.5 per cent at USD 1,199.09 per ounce at early trade, while the US gold futures fell 0.2 per cent to USD 1,199.50.

In other precious metals, silver shed 0.8 per cent to USD 16.87 an ounce.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Government has kick-started the process of strategic sale of 26 per cent equity in BEML, inviting bids from advisers on the issue.

The selected adviser would be required to manage the bidding process and assist government in fixing the range of the fair reserve price while considering the valuation of BEML -- the heavy equipment maker with presence in various sectors including defence.

"The Government proposes to engage Transaction Adviser from a reputed professional consulting firm, investment bankers, merchant bankers, financial institutions, banks. For providing Advisory services and managing the disinvestment process," the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) said while inviting bids.

Government holds 54.03 per cent in BEML and it intends to sell 26 per cent stake to strategic buyers. At the current market price of Rs 1,158.65 apiece, the stake sale would fetch over Rs 1,200 crore.

The valuation of the PSU would be based on the methods like discounted cash flow, relative valuation; and asset based valuation, it said.

Merchant banker/financial institution having experience of at least 5 years for providing advisory services for strategic disinvestment/strategic sale/M&A activities/ private equity investment transaction can put in their bids by February 15.

Bidders should have advised, handled and successfully completed at least one transaction of strategic disinvestment/ strategic sale/M&A activities/private equity investment transaction of the size of Rs 1,600 crore or more during the period from April, 2014 to December, 2016, said the bid document.

If the strategic sale goes through, BEML will be the first privatisation since sale of Jessop and Co in 2003-04 under the NDA government headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Established in May 1964, BEML operates on three major business verticals for associated equipment manufacturing -- mining and construction, rail and metro and defence and aerospace. Its turnover has risen to more than Rs 3,500 crore.

The PSU, under the administrative control of defence ministry, provides equipment support to Indian Army and other defence forces by manufacturing variants of Tatra vehicle for all terrain operation.

It also supports the aerospace operations by supplying ground support equipment such as Aircraft Towing Tractor, Multi Purpose Weapon Loader and Crash Fire Tender.

The government is targeting Rs 56,500 crore in disinvestment proceeds this fiscal. Of this, Rs 36,000 crore is to come from minority stake sale in PSUs and another Rs 20,500 crore from strategic stake sale.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


UPDATED

By Alyson Klein and Andrew Ujifusa

Washington, D.C.

In his first speech to the nation as president, the newly inaugurated Donald Trump painted a dark picture of an America that has left struggling middle-class families behind, including a public school system that spends big while getting poor results for students.

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves, Trump said in his address from the U.S. Capitol to a packed crowd of onlookers. But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists. ... An education system flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge.

Trump--who in his final campaign push promised to drain the swamp of special interests in Washington--also pledged to make Washington a place where the needs of people, not politicians, are paramount.

While they celebrated in our nations capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land, Trump said.

Trump, a real estate developer and reality television star who had never held public office, made no mention of school choice in his speech. But during the campaign, he pitched a $20 billion school voucher program. His choice of Betsy DeVos, a Michigan political mega-donor and school choice advocate, shows hes serious about expanding school choice now that hes in the White House. And the rhetoric in his inaugural speech suggests hell sell the proposal by making the case that public schools are failing.

Anne McCandless, an Advanced Placement government teacher at Providence High School in Charlotte, N.C., who brought her class to Washington to see the inauguration, said she felt stung by Trumps remarks.

Im offended because Im a 25-year veteran teacher and so he is telling me that I havent done anything, she said. Theres always room for improvement. Theres always room to change, but thats insulting.

Bobby Howard, a social studies teacher at Gainesville Middle in Georgia, who also attended the inauguration with his students, said the reality at his charter school doesnt match Trumps rhetoric.

I know he said the system is a disaster. I dont think its a disaster, Howard said. But he added that resources for education could be better distributed.

But Tom Macluskie, who retired in May after 26 years of teaching social studies at Gainesville Middle School, and joined his former colleagues and students on the mall Friday is hopeful that Trump can be a change agent.

I think hes going to do a very, very good job, Macluskie said. Hes definitely not politically correct, but that may work to his advantage. ... This is almost an experiment.

Complex Picture

Though Trumps inaugural rhetoric was harsh, the national picture on student outcomes is a complex one. Graduation rates are at an all-time high of 83.2 percent, and graduation gaps are closing between white and minority students. But in 2015, scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the nations report card, fell in math and reading for the first time in more than two decades.

On the funding side, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which focuses on reducing poverty and inequality, found that 35 states provided less overall state funding for education in 2014 than in 2008, before the recession hit housing prices, sending down waves of state and local budget cuts to school districts. In fact, in 27 states per pupil funding fell over the same period.

The federal government, which Trump will now control hasnt made up for those cuts. Since 2011, spending on major K-12 programs--such as Title I grants for disadvantaged students and special education--has been relatively flat.

Trumps populist rhetoric of bringing to change to Washington was a staple of his campaign speeches. But Jack Jennings, who served for decades as a top aide to Democrats on the House education committee said he found it hard to square those promises with his choice of DeVos, who he said stumbled to show her knowledge of basic education polices, such as federal education laws, in her confirmation hearing.

Im incredulous that he says hes going to bring about better schools with a small group of billionaires as his advisers, Jennings said. He says he is going to change schools with a woman who has no idea how schools operate.

But Jay Greene, a professor of education reform at the University of Arkansas, said while Trump used an obvious overstatement to describe the state of Americas schools, his views are pretty common.

It does seem to signal that he thinks the challenges in our education are not solved by increased spending, Greene said. And that is not an extreme view. Thats a common view, even if not the majority view.

Womens March

Trumps inauguration isnt the only big event happening in Washington this week. Thousands of womenincluding at least 1,000 union membersare headed to Washington for another event Saturday, the Womens March. Holly Daniels, a first grade teacher at Riddle Elementary in Lansing, Mich., plans to hop on a bus Friday night for a ten-hour trip.

We have a businessman as a governor in Michigan and it has not been good, Daniels said. Im concerned that were going to see things that have happened in Michigan at a national level, including an explosion of charter schools, cuts to education, and public health problems like the water crisis in Flint. A year later these people still dont have clean water. Im concerned about Donald Trumps [rhetoric] about women, sentiments about minorities.

Participating in the march makes me feel like Im doing something other than sitting at home and complaining, she said. Im looking forward.

Staff Writer Daarel Burnette II contributed to this report.

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as his wife, Melania Trump, and members of the Trump family look on during the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20.

--Patrick Semansky/AP

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Actor Gurmeet Choudhary, who has been part of adventure shows like "Khatron Ke Khiladi" and "I Can Do That", will be seen hosting an action and adventure series being made for the web.

"This is the first time that a hard-core action-based series is being made for the web. I love performing stunts, the more dangerous they are, the more I am driven. The best part about the series is that I will be performing each and every stunt before the contestants do it," Gurmeet said in a statement here.

There will be 12 contestants performing daredevil acts. After every successful stunt, the contestant will be given some prize money and the one who wins the finale will get Rs 25 lakh.

"We will find out which stunts can be performed and how safe they are because safety is my main concern. Since I have done stunts earlier, I have also given my ideas in designing them," Gurmeet said.

"The action masters are big there and during 'Khatron Ke Khiladi', I have done several stunts in Cape Town. So, the idea is to shoot the finale either in Durban or Cape Town," he said.

The makers are yet to fix the title of the web series.

The 32-year-old actor was last seen in "Wajah Tum Ho", which did not do well at the box-office.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A militant of Hamas was killed as a tunnel collapsed in the southern Gaza Strip today, his Islamist movement which rules the Palestinian territory said.

It said Yussef al-Agha died in Khan Yunis in the collapse of a "resistance tunnel", the type dug for military operations against Israel.

Last year, 22 members of Hamas's armed wing were killed "preparing equipment", the majority in a string of tunnel collapses, the group said last month.

Israel accuses Gaza militants of building tunnels for use to launch attacks against the Jewish state, and destroyed several during a devastating 2014 war with Hamas.

It says Hamas has since been rebuilding the network.

Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008 and the coastal enclave has been under an Israeli blockade for a decade.

"Attack tunnels" were a key weapon for Hamas during the last conflict in 2014, with a number of surprise raids inside Israeli territory.

Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, has also destroyed tunnels Palestinians use to smuggle commercial goods, cash, people and allegedly weapons.

Several Palestinians were also killed last year in tunnel collapses on southern Gaza's border with Egypt.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is happy that his latest release "Haraamkhor" has found its audience despite being a niche film.

The actor, who played the role of a teacher in love with his student, said the film's success proves that "indie" genre can work alongside big ticket releases.

"I'm thrilled that a film of the scale of Haraamkhor has done great for its space. It truly represents that both the big ticket films and those who are true indie in its genre can do well simultaneously.

"Haraamkhor was a special film for everyone involved and it's great to know now the press, audience and even exhibitors have liked the film and we have grown stronger in our second weekend. This all despite of not taking the usual route of doing expensive marketing or any set techniques of promotions," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
HarperCollins India is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a series of special promotions and activities, including the launch of a wide range of titles, collectibles and merchandise.

The celebrations began at the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival, which also completes 10 years.

HarperCollins India (HCI) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HarperCollins Worldwide and came into being in 1992.

As part of the anniversary celebrations at JLF, HCI has introduced colourful 'Hop On Hop Off' buses with their engines revving, and ferrying authors to the festival.

To celebrate a passion for storytelling, HCI launched a video created by Dentsu. The concept of the video narrates the relationship of books with readers.

There is a lot of content out there, waiting to be discovered and read, HCI said.

According to HCI CEO Ananth Padmanabhan, "It is a momentous year for HarperCollins. We turn 25 in India and 200 years globally, and we are using this occasion to celebrate our lifelong passion for storytelling.

"We made this short film about how books open up a world of infinite possibilities. We all have a story, we love stories and there is a certain joy in our relationship with books - we thought that this was a great way to say it!"



Also in Jaipur to celebrate the 25th anniversary is HC UK CEO Charlie Redmayne.

The celebrations will continue throughout the year, with a series of very special promotions and activities, including the launch of an exciting range of titles, collectibles and merchandise, the publishing house said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bombay High Court today said it was "very unhappy" over the pace of progress in the Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare murder cases even as the probe agency CBI informed the court that Scotland Yard has refused to help in the forensic probe on the ground that there was no legal bond between the UK and India for sharing data.

In another development, the CBI submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists --- Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi.

A bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and B P Colabawalla said it was "very unhappy" over the tardy progress in the murder probes.

The judges further said there was also no development in the proceedings of trial courts in Pune and Kolhapur which are trying Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases, respectively.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had informed the High Court earlier that it had sent forensic evidence to Scotland Yard to seek its opinion on whether same weapons were used in the murders of Dabholkar and Pansare in Maharashtra and the killing of another rationalist M M Kalburgi in Karnataka.

"Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases," Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told a division bench hearing petitions filed by the families of the two slain rationalists.

CBI also submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists. This is the third ballistic report from a forensic lab, the other two being that of labs in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

The CBI, probing Dabholkar's murder, and the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of state CID, probing the killing of Pansare, also submitted reports in separate sealed covers to the high court on the progress made in these two cases.

The judges perused the reports and asked the two investigation agencies not to reveal the contents to anyone, including media, as the probe was still on.

SIT counsel Ashok Mundargi said, "The probe in Pansare killing is on. We have identified two absconding suspects. The chargesheet has been filed and we are investigating further."



On a plea made by the two agencies seeking eight weeks time to conduct further probe, the bench deferred the matter till March 20.

While Dabholkar was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015 in Kolhapur. He died on February 20 that year. Prof Kalburgi was murdered on August 30, 2015.

The families of Dabholkar and Pansare today said they



were not happy with the progress in probe in the murder cases.

"The investigation agencies are very slow and the contents of forensic reports always reach the media first," their lawyer Abhay Nevgi said.

Outside the court after the hearing concluded today, the family members of Dabholkar, son Hamid and daughter Mukta, distributed pamphlets seeking arrest of the wanted accused.

Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of the slain rationalist Govind Pansare, staged a silent protest demonstration demanding arrest of the wanted accused.

Megha said not much progress had been made in the last two years in the murder cases. However, she refused to comment on the probe being conducted by the investigating agencies.

The judges today came down heavily on the CBI and SIT for slow progress in the investigations into the killing of the two rationalists -- Dabholkar and Pansare.

The bench, which is monitoring the investigations, also cautioned the agencies not to disclose any information about the cases to anyone, particularly to the media saying this would hamper probe.

On an earlier occasion, the bench had noted that delay caused by the probe agency would not only benefit the accused but would also give a bad impression to the society at large.

The probe agency had earlier told HC that it had sent bullets and empty shells recovered from Pansare's body and the crime scene to Scotland Yard to ascertain if there was any link between the Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi murders.

As Mumbai and Bengaluru forensic labs had given conflicting opinions, it also wanted a third opinion from another forensic lab. Hence, it had sent evidence to Ahmedabad forensic lab for its opinion. Its report was today submitted to the high court.
Delhi High Court today stayed the operation of AAP government's circular asking private unaided minority schools to accept admission forms based only on the neighbourhood or distance criteria, saying they are free to devise their own procedures and should be treated differently.

The bench, which has rapped the AAP government for issuing such notification "at the eleventh hour putting everyone in a chaos like situation", said the government in future should make an endeavour to frame such policy at least six months in advance, if not earlier.

"Prima facie the Delhi government notification dated January 7, 2017 is contrary to the constitutional mandate. This court is of the view that fundamental right of minority schools cannot be interfered with and their right to admit students cannot be taken away.

"Minority schools have the right of maximum administration which cannot be taken away by any terms of contract," Justice Manmohan said.

Pointing to the apex court verdicts safeguarding the rights available to minority-run institutions under the Constitution, the high court said, "treat them differently and the right to administer a minority school also contains the right to devise procedures for admission as long as they (procedures) are fair and transparent".

Granting interim relief to schools, it said, "keeping in view the decision of the Supreme court and this court, such schools are entitled to admit students according to their own procedures as long as they are fair and transparent and accordingly the impugned notification (of January 7, 2017) is stayed till further order of this court."



The court has now fixed the main petition for further hearing on March 21 by when it has asked Delhi government to file their affidavit.

The court was hearing a batch of petitions by some private unaided minority schools challenging the notification issued by the Delhi government.

Yesterday, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Directorate of Education (DoE), had told the court that they have left it open for minority schools to decide on admitting students, adding that "after admitting the minority students, whatever seats are left, on that we want them to apply the neighbourhood criteria".

The Delhi government had earlier said the distance criteria was a "priority gradation system" where first preference would be given to children within 1 km, then 1-3 km and then, if there was vacancy, to beyond 6 kms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bombay High Court has stayed an order of Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies cancelling the admission of a student.

Hearing the plea of the student, a division bench stayed the order of January 5 this year and asked the student to attend the college.

Justices S S Khemkar and P D Naik stayed the impugned order yesterday and issued notices to the Institute and Director of Technical Education to hear them on the issue raised in the petition.

The lawyers of the petitioner, Swapna Kode and Rizwan Merchant, argued that the institute had not given a hearing to the student, thereby violating his fundamental right.

Moreover, the order of the Institute did not give any reason for cancelling the admission, they argued and sought a stay on the impugned order.

The Institute said it had written a letter to the student alleging he had submitted a false caste certificate.

The High Court, observing that the student should have been given a hearing, stayed the order and issued notices to the respondents.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The presence of high-performing colleagues may improve an individual's earnings, suggests a new study which found that employee wages are not just linked to skills, but quality of co-workers as well.

Researchers at University College London (UCL) in the UK found that in low-skilled occupations, an increase of 10 per cent 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 said.

They 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.

"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," said Thomas Cornelissen, researcher at the University of York.

"For example, a US study showed that supermarket cashiers scanned shopping items faster when they worked the same shifts as fast-working employees," said Cornelissen.

"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," Cornelissen added.

"Moreover, our results show that improvements in performance due to co-worker quality raise a workers wages, something that hadn't previously been analysed," he said.

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.

The study appears in the journal American Economic Review.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mumbai-based home services startup Taskbob has shut shop without specifying any particular reason.

In an internal communication, Taskbob co-founder and CEO Aseem Khare said the company shut down its operations as of January 19 due to unforeseen circumstances.

"...Due to unforeseen circumstances, Taskbob will be shutting down its operations as of 19th January. All the orders already placed in the system will be duly processed," he said.

The number of employees impacted could not be ascertained.

While Khare did not spell out the reason for the closure, he indicated that the company was unable to build scalability and profitability.

"Even though, we could create a significant difference in customers', service providers' and teams' lives, a solid business is created only by building scalability and profitability. And to achieve those in a low margin business and in a tough external market proved unexpectedly daunting. More than what anyone could have expected," he said.

Set up in December 2014 by Khare, Abhiroop Medhekar, Ajay Bhatt and Amit Chahalia, the company had raised over USD 5 million in funding from IvyCap Ventures and Orios Venture Partners. It had also acquired Zepper, a Bengaluru-based home services startup.

The company, which had raised its last round of funding in February 2016, competed with the likes of UrbanClap and HouseJoy. It claims to have served over 1.5 lakh orders in the past 2 years.

Last year, some of the startups that shut shop included Snapdeal-backed PepperTap and AskMe. Thousands of startups have mushroomed across the country and many of them have successfully raised funding from investors in the last 2-3 years. However, high cash-burn forced many of them to scale down, shut operations or sell their business.

"...Even though Taskbob is shutting down operations, the Taskbob spirit will stay alive...We have shared the list of all Taskbob verified service professionals - across Electricians, Plumbers, Carpenters, Appliance Repairmen, House Cleaners, Car Cleaners, Drivers, etc on the Taskbob App.

These are carefully screened, background verified & police verified, trained and skilled. You could directly call them whenever you are in trouble next time," he said, adding "we will be back soon, better, stronger.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iranian officials said today they were losing hope of pulling any survivors from the rubble of a collapsed Tehran high-rise where around 20 firefighters were feared to have lost their lives.

Rescue workers, soldiers and sniffer dogs were still searching through the wreckage of the 15-storey Plasco building in downtown Tehran, which collapsed yesterday after a four-hour blaze.

But smouldering fires and smoke were complicating the search, and no survivors or bodies had been found.

"It is very unlikely that we will pull anyone out alive from the rubble," the head of Tehran's crisis management centre, Esmail Najjar, told the ISNA agency.

"Our goal is to recover the bodies of these martyrs without causing any damage," he added.

The government announced a national day of mourning on Saturday for the firefighters, with the cabinet releasing a statement "praising these great men of sacrifice".

Impromptu displays of solidarity and sadness appeared all over Tehran, with people leaving flowers outside fire stations and around the site of the collapsed building.

"I look at my daughter and wife and think of the families of the firefighters. The lump in my throat is suffocating me," read one of thousands of messages from shocked Iranians on Twitter.

The Plasco building was Iran's oldest high-rise and contained a shopping centre and hundreds of clothing suppliers.

"If the firefighters had not been there in time, if they had not searched inside to evacuate people, we would have had hundreds under the rubble instead of 20 firefighters," said brigade spokesman Jalal Maleki.

The ISNA agency said a total of 111 people were injured, of whom five were still in hospital.

One firefighter, who escaped the building before it collapsed, died in hospital today from severe burns, it added.

The head of Iran's chamber of commerce, Ali Fazeli, said an initial estimate of 15,000 billion rials (roughly USD 500 million) had been put on the financial damage.

"Unfortunately, a considerable number of shops in this building were not insured," he added.

The clothing suppliers were particularly full of stock in the run-up to Nowruz, the Iranian new year, which falls in March.

Tehran police chief Ghader Karimi said rescue workers were pulling safes and other items out of the rubble, and these were being kept in a special store at the site to return to owners.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A California state lawmaker wants to make sure students in the state know that Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election.

Democratic Assemblyman Marc Levine said hes introducing a bill that would require the state Board of Education to develop curriculum to cover the issue in history classes.

This legislation ensures that all California students will learn how the Russian government conspired to influence the United States Presidential Election to elect Donald Trump, says Levin in a news release.

In the months leading up to the election, documents from the Democratic Party were leaked to the public. U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Russia was behind the hacking, and Congressional leaders are calling for further investigation.

This is a threat to our democracy and must be treated with appropriate significance in American history, Levine says in his news release.

Jeremy Stoddard is an associate professor in the school of education at the College of William & Mary in Virginia.

He said Levines request that the incident be included in history lessons is a little surprising at this stage.

Its a bit early to try to put something into a curriculum, which is often a long process especially in a history curriculum, when the events are still going on, said Stoddard.

But he said teachers shouldnt shy away from the topic.

It could be engaged in as an ongoing issue in that this is what we know, this is the possible ramifications of it, said Stoddard. Even if the hacking did occur and they attempted to influence the election, its going to be really hard to know what the actual impact of any of that interference was in terms of the results. Its really hard to include it in the history books until we know more.

Of course, getting a new history book written and approved doesnt happen overnight. But Levine did assert that if he gets a law passed about lessons in Russian hacking it could influence the whole country.

California is the largest textbook market in the nation, he said in a news release. Textbooks approved in our state are used throughout the country. Through this legislation, we can make sure students in California and across the United States receive accurate information about the 2016 presidential election.

Stoddard said changing state standards or getting these lessons into a textbook would likely take a year or two. Then a lot would depend on when schools plan to adopt and order new textbooks.

More than likely, by the time this would actually come out in a textbook, wed probably know more information about it, said Stoddard. We could know it was a non-issue or that it was a bigger issue. Thats why I would say its a little rash right now.

Stoddard has studied how schools teach about September 11, 2001, and said this situation may be handled similarly when it comes to developing curriculum. He said after 9-11 many organizations produced curricula online that had the ability to react more dynamically to the situation than a textbook.

And American history teachers may have a lot of say in how this would be taught, especially since theyre expected to cover so much material.

Theyre covering everything from (the) pre-Columbus period through to the present, so how much time they can actually spend on any single event means the teacher is making choices, said Stoddard, who added that this topic might be covered better in a civics class as one of the things that can influence an election.

Levine is calling his bill the Pravda Act of 2017. Pravda was the official newspaper of the Communist party of the former Soviet Union.
Indian-Americans from across the country have gathered in the national capital for a presidential gala to celebrate the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States.

The gala organised by the Asian Pacific American Advisory Council and National Committee of Asian American Republicans was attended by Ambassadors from several Asian countries including the Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna.

Sarna will represent India at Donald Trump's Presidential inauguration today.

"This is a great celebration of Asian success. I am very happy that Indian-Americans are part of the successful large Asian community," Sarna said in his brief address at the celebrations.

Noting that he has a personal experience in how Indian-Americans play a role in strengthening India-US ties, Sarna said the Asian-American community play a major role in strengthening relationship with their home countries.

Top diplomats from South Korea, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka also spoke on the occasion.

"The new administration is looking to increase its relationship with the Asian countries. We should reach out to our friends in Asia. We will work to further and deepen this relationship," said Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee in his brief address.

Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Business Council said there is tremendous potential in India US business ties.

The new goal is to increase the bilateral trade to USD 500 billion per annum.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As the five-day talkathon of global elite wrapped up in freezing cold climes of Swiss Alps here today, world leaders foresaw a new normal for globalisation with a lot more 'inward focus' by various countries including the US, even as global economy appeared poised for a fresh growth era propelled by India and China.

With the narrative getting populated with populism and politics-driven possible 'black swans' emerging after polls in some major economies, calls grew louder for 'responsive and responsible governments' to tackle income and gender inequalities on a war footing.

While China emerged as an unlikely hero of capitalism after presenting itself as the new champion of globalisation, experts seemed to be a less convinced lot about that country becoming the new leader of global economy in place of the US.

From the impact of automation and artificial intelligence on jobs to concerns about the future of globalisation, discussions touched upon a raft of pressing issues.

At the closing plenary, award winning Pakistani documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, who is also a co-chairman of the annual meet, said it was good to see art included in the communications in Davos, and not seen as something separate.

As the first arts leader to become co-chair, Sharmeen said her experience was that there was lot of empathy and she also could see a feeling all around that there could be much more participation from women.

Bank of America Chief Brian Moynihan, another co-chair, said he could see some ideas on how sustainable development commitments can be met by for-profit enterprises. He applauded the theme of 'responsive and responsible governments'.

Another co-chair and Save the Children International CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt said sustainable development goals were focused extensively here at the WEF meeting and she was pleased to see business leaders showing interest.

Royal Philips CEO Frans Van Houten, who is also a co- chair, said he saw great preparedness from ministers and business leaders in discussions on what world needs to do.

Schmidt added her big realisation at Davos was economic globalisation is not working and that it needs to be fixed.

Referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech, she said that she felt we were witnessing "the week when the world turned upside down".

Sharmeen said one of the greatest things about Davos is



that everyone is approachable and it has become more inclusive and much more interesting.

Stating that the world today needs much more empathy, she said she has seen a lot of that, which is also her big take away from here.

Amid rising uncertainties on political as well as economic fronts in different parts of the world, India continued to be seen as "bright star" even as clamour picked up momentum for speedier reforms and decision-making process to catch up with neighbouring China.

Eminent banker Uday Kotak said India has an opportunity to be a "bright star" in such a "sober" global economic scenario.

At the concluding session today, WEF paid tribute to former Israeli President Shimon Peres who died last year.

WEF founder Klaus Schwab described Peres as a true global statesman and a person who truly embodied Davos culture.

He also remembered the day when Peres and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat came together on the stage at WEF Annual Meeting in Davos.

While discussions about Donald Trump's presidency in the world's largest economy and concerns over Britain's decision to leave the European Union continued to bother leaders gathered here, developmental issues also found their space, with stitching up of some partnerships, including for developing vaccines to deal with epidemics in a short time.

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.

Jinping said that globalisation is a "double-edged" sword but cannot be blamed for the world's problems, and pushed for greater role for emerging economies in governance of global institutions.

"Nobody will emerge as a winner in a trade war," he cautioned.

(REOPENS FGN 49)



Presenting a strong case for free trade, British Prime Minister Theresa May asserted that the UK would retain its internationalist approach despite Brexit -- a development that has sparked off uncertainties in the global economic order.

While a "new normal" is emerging where many countries would prioritise an "inward look" at their national policies, New Development Bank President K V Kamath said India is in a "sweet spot".

For taking forward the Asian growth story amid lingering global economic uncertainties, business leaders and economists felt that India and China have a great role to play by way of regional cooperation.

More than a 100-member strong Indian delegation including ministers, government officials and business leaders came to this snow-capped town for the WEF meet.

Showcasing India's potential, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "We are very friendly for investments and it is appropriate time to invest in India".

India's surprise move to demonetise old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes and its impact on the economy too was discussed at the WEF.

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emphasised that the government "owed" demonetisation to the nation and it had to do it to eradicate black money menace and bring hoarded cash back into the banking system.

Talking about the global context, noted economist Kishore Mahbubani said there is indeed a vacuum at the leadership position and it needs to be seen who fills it.

Favouring a free market economic model, billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani said distribution of wealth is a much easier problem once you have created it, so you should not constrain creation of wealth.

Mirroring stark income inequality in the society, a study by rights group Oxfam said India's richest 1 per cent now hold a huge 58 per cent of the country's total wealth -- higher than the global figure of about 50 per cent.

It found that just 57 billionaires in India now have same wealth (USD 216 billion) as that of the bottom 70 per cent population of the country.

Globally, just 8 billionaires have the same amount of wealth as the poorest 50 per cent of the world population.

Policymakers across the world must act now to check inequalities even as there is no "silver bullet" to contain this problem, IMF chief Christine Lagarde said.

Leaders at Microsoft, IBM and other top technology companies said there is a need to create "new collar jobs" as innovations would replace some jobs and existing employees would need to be re-trained amid artificial intelligence emerges as a key tool.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said artificial intelligence (AI) is moving on the right ladder and highlighted its importance in reviving the sluggish global GDP growth.

Confident that all concerns on it are being handled, he said the world is also going to move from supervised to "non-supervised" state.
The UN today led condemnation of attacks by Islamic State jihadists on two sites in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra, calling the destruction a "war crime" and "cultural cleansing."



In a statement, Irina Bokova, director general of the Paris-based UN cultural agency UNESCO, described the wrecking as "a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity."



"This new blow against cultural heritage... Shows that cultural cleansing led by violent extremists is seeking to destroy both human lives and historical monuments in order to deprive the Syrian people of its past and its future," Bokova said.

IS recaptured Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, from government forces on December 11 and the new devastation reportedly occurred earlier this month.

Syria's antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim told AFP in Damascus earlier Friday that local sources said IS destroyed Palmyra's tetrapylon monument, while satellite images showed damage to the facade of the city's Roman amphitheatre.

The tetrapylon, built during the rule of the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the third century, consisted of four sets of four pillars each supporting massive stone cornices.

The monument had suffered considerable damage over the centuries and only one of the 16 pillars was still standing in its original Egyptian pink granite. The rest were cement replicas erected in 1963.

The Roman amphitheatre dates to the first century and was used by IS for public executions during its occupation of the city between May 2015 and March 2016.

The jihadist group had already ravaged the city during the nine months it held the site before being forced out of Palmyra in a Russian-backed offensive last March.

Moscow today deplored the new destruction, with President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling it "a real tragedy from the point of view of cultural and historical heritage."



Asked whether the Russian military is likely to step in to recapture Palmyra for a second time, Peskov said only that: "Russian military continues to support the Syrians in battling terrorists."



For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, calling those who demolish world treasures "barbarians", added: "Such ideology and practice have absolutely no place in modern civilisation."



Also today, UNESCO said years of conflict in Syria had "totally destroyed" 30 percent of the historic Old City of Aleppo -- named a World Heritage Site in 1986 -- and around 60 percent of the quarter was "severely damaged."



The mission reported "extensive damage" to the Citadel, a fortress dating to the first millennium BC, and the Great Mosque of Aleppo, the largest and one of the oldest of the city's mosques.

The loss of east Aleppo was the biggest blow to Syria's rebel movement in the nearly six-year conflict, which has killed more than 310,000 people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The destruction by Islamic State jihadists of two key cultural sites in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra is a "war crime", UNESCO said today.

"This destruction is a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity," Irina Bokova, director general of the UN cultural agency, said in a statement following reports that IS destroyed Palmyra's tetrapylon monument and the facade of the city's Roman amphitheatre.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Health and Medical Education Asiea Naqash today said feasibility report for establishing the National Institute of Medicinal Plants (NIMP) in Bhaderwah is pending clearance from the Government of India.

Replying to a question by MLA Daleep Singh Parihar in the Legislative Assembly, the Minister said the two sites, Kotli village (50 kanals) and Basti village (100 kanals) in Bhaderwah,identified for establishing the NIMP were inspected by an Expert Committee of the Union Ministry of AYUSH in July 2015.

"The report of the Expert Committee has not been received by the state government till date despite assurances by the Union Minister of AYUSH during his visit to the state in October 2015," she said.

A case regarding the issue is also pending before the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, she said.

Legislators Neelam Kumar Langeh, Raja Manzoor Ahmed, Javaid Beigh raised supplementary questions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Seeking to ensure quality healthcare services, the Delhi government has initiated the process of getting all its hospitals accredited with With Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital obtaining a certification from an accreditation body.

The Pre-Accreditation Entry Level Certificate has been provided to the hospital in Malviya Nagar area by NABH (National Accreditation Board for of Hospitals & Health Care Providers).

Health Minister Satyendar Jain has directed the department to encourage and persuade all city government hospitals to obtain the NABH accreditation by achieving high quality patient care.

He said so far only major private hospitals had taken the lead in obtaining this accreditation and government hospitals, which cater to the health requirements of large number of people, must match the private hospitals in quality assurance for patients.

"Pt. MMM Hospital had applied for this Pre Accreditation Entry Level certificate from NABH in October 2016, and was assessed by the assessors designated by NABH on November 18, 2016," Jain was quoted as saying in a statement.

The hospital got the accreditation on January 17, and it will be valid for a period of two years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Decks were cleared tonight for promulgation of an ordinance by the Tamil Nadu government for conducting Jallikattu with the Union Ministries of Environment and Law giving their nod for it.

Sources said the proposal of the Tamil Nadu government was cleared without recommending any changes.

In the state government's draft ordinance, bulls will be denotified from the list of 'performing animals' in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had opined that by taking this route, the state can bring out an ordinance which is tenable legally.

Earlier in the day, the Environment Ministry had given its observations to the proposal sent by the Tamil Nadu government for lifting of the ban on bull-taming sport jallikatu and returned it to the Home Ministry for final decision.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi today said the protests over jallikattu were a "lesson" for the Hindutva forces.

Referring to the ongoing protests in Tamil Nadu against the ban on the bull-taming sport as a case in point, he said the Uniform Civil Code also could not be "imposed" in a diverse country like India.

"#Jallikattuprotest Lesson for Hindutva forces, Uniform Civil Code cannot be "imposed"this nation cannot have one CULTURE we celebrate all (sic)," Owaisi tweeted.

The Hyderabad MP has been opposed to putting in place a Uniform Civil Code and has said in the past that it would not help a diverse country like India.

"I have been consistently saying that a Uniform Civil Code is not good for the diversity and pluralism of this great nation of ours and diversity and pluralism are the ethos of this country. It is not going to help our country by having a Uniform Civil Code," he had said last year.

"For example, can an agreement be arrived at on what should be the inheritance policy according to the Mitakshara and Dayabhaga schools? Can we take away the cultural rights which the Constitution has given to Nagaland and Mizoram?," he had asked.

On Twitter, Owaisi wrote, "Jallikattu uprising indicates failure of political class in understanding the Tamil sentiment."



"People of Tamil Nadu by Uniting & coming together have forced the Modi &AIADMK govt to change law to overcome Supreme court judgment (sic)," he said in anothet tweet.

Tamil Nadu continued to be on the edge for the fifth day due to the ongoing protests by students, youths and other sections of the society demanding that the traditional bull-taming sport be immediately staged at Alanganallur, known as the epicentre of jallikattu, and at other places.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japan will carry out a tabletop exercise next week to simulate its response in the event of a military clash between China and Taiwan, Japanese media said.

The Self-Defence Forces will conduct drills from Monday through Friday with the US military participating as an observer, a Japanese government source told Kyodo .

The exercises, which do not involve actual troop deployments, assume that the US and Japan are responding to a military conflict, Kyodo said in its Thursday report.

A Japanese defence ministry spokesman declined to comment.

China's foreign ministry said Japan should keep out of what it called an "internal affair".

"I think this reflects that some people in Japan have a certain mentality that the last thing they want is a stable world," ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing in Beijing today.

"I want to emphasise that the Taiwan issue is an internal affair of China, and we hope that Japan will be very cautious with its words and actions...And not do anything that would undermine regional peace and stability."



Relations between China and self-ruling island Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade province, have become increasingly strained since Donald Trump's November election as US president.

China was 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's delegation from the inauguration.

Next week's drills will test Japan's military after a new law expanded its powers beyond strict self-defense -- a condition of a pacifist postwar constitution.

The legislation, which took effect in March, technically allows Japanese troops to engage in combat overseas if Japan's security is threatened.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
JK paper today said that it has exited from its JV, Oji JK Packaging Private Ltd, by selling its share to Japan-based Oji Holdings Corporation.

"The company has sold the shares held by it in Oji JK Packaging Private Ltd to Oji Holdings Corporation, Japan and has ceased to be a party to the aforesaid joint venture and the Joint Venture Agreement inter alios with Oji JK Packaging Private Limited," JK paper said in a BSE notification.

JK Paper had 20 per cent share in the JV, while rest 60 per cent was with Oji Holdings Corporation and 20 per cent with Japan-based Marubeni Corporation.

Based at Neemrana, the JV was manufacturing and selling corrugated box, corrugated sheet board, paper pallets etc.

Shares of JK Paper today closed marginally higher by 0.16 per cent at Rs 95 on BSE.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Googles commitment to student data privacy is again under scrutiny, this time over allegations that the company is violating a state consumer-protection law.

Last week, Mississippi state attorney general Jim Hood filed a lawsuit alleging that Googles policies and practices regarding online tracking of students remain unclear, despite the companys public pledge to not collect and use student data for commercial purposes, such as targeting advertisements to students.

The suit seeks to force Google to be more transparent about its free, web-based G Suite for Education service, used by tens of millions of students worldwide, including more than half of the roughly 500,000 K-12 students in Mississippi.

Through this lawsuit, we want to know the extent of Googles data mining and marketing of student information to third parties, Hood said in a statement. I dont think there could be any motivation other than greed for a company to deliberately keep secret how it collects and uses student information.

Google officials have not issued a response. They declined a request to be interviewed.

The Mississippi attorney general and Google have tangled before. Hood previously sought to investigate whether the company was aiding illegal music pirating and drug sales, an effort the company said was part of a smear campaign coordinated by Hoods financial backers.

Some state lawmakers have also sought to limit Hoods ability to file civil lawsuits.

In a letter to Mississippi superintendents , the attorney general asked schools to preserve evidence that could be relevant to the states suit, including contracts and communications with Google. Hood said schools will be left to determine for themselves whether to continue using G Suite for Education.

Concerns surrounding Google and privacy, involving both students and consumers , are nothing new, Danielle Citron, a law professor and privacy expert at the University of Maryland, said in an interview.

More transparency cant hurt, she said.

Google has a history with tracking people when they dont want to be tracked, Citron said. This lawsuit appears in some respects designed to force clarity, by uncovering through discovery and depositions what the company is actually doing.

A history of privacy complaints

Google is one of hundreds of companies to sign the Student Privacy Pledge , making a voluntary public commitment to not use students personal information collected through educational services for any kind of non-educational, commercial gain.

That commitment applies to its wildly popular G Suite for Education, or GSFE. Previously known as Google Apps for Education, the service includes student versions of widely used online applications such as Gmail, Docs, and Sheets.

In 2014, during a federal class-action lawsuit that was ultimately settled, Google acknowledged to Education Week that it inappropriately scanned and indexed the email messages of millions of students using the service. Google officials say the company has since stopped that practice.

It remains unclear, however, what happens to student users who login through GSFE, then venture out into non-educational sites and servicesespecially those operated by Google, such as YouTube and the companys online search engine.

In 2015, the privacy-advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a complaint against Google with the Federal Trade Commission, alleging the companys handling of such situations violated the commitments it made when signing the Student Privacy Pledge. Minnesota Senator Al Franken followed up with a request for information from Google leaders.

In response, Google acknowledged that it does collect and data-mine the personal information of students who ventured from Googles education services out to its consumer services, such as YouTube. The company said such information was not used to target ads, however. Its response left open the possibility that such student data might be used for other commercial purposes.

The FTC has not publicly taken up the complaint against Google.

A new lawsuit

Thats where the Mississippi attorney generals office comes in.

In its lawsuit, filed in Lowndes County Chancery Court, the state alleged that Google uses student GSFE accounts to track Mississippi K-12 students in order to build profiles that can be used for advertising. The state also accuses Google of failing to abide by its own privacy policies, terms of service, contracts, and agreements, as well as the public commitment it made in signing the Student Privacy Pledge. And it echoes a common complaint that Google requires schools and families to navigate a tangled web of policies and statements if they hope to understand what is being done with student data under different circumstances.

Due to the multitude of unclear statements provided by Google, it is impossible to know exactly what student information it is collecting and how Google is using that information, attorney general Hood said in a statement.

As a result, the Mississippi attorney general concluded, Google is engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices.

The state is seeking a court order that Google cease those practices and fully disclose its handling of student data.

The suit also says that Googles alleged violations justify civil fines of up to $10,000 for every G Suite for Education account opened in the state.

A push for more transparency

Some observers expressed skepticism about the suit.

The Future of Privacy Forum, the industry-affiliated Washington think tank responsible for the Student Privacy Pledge, reiterated its belief that Googles practices are consistent with its obligations under the pledge. In a blog post , the group noted that Google clearly states that no ads are served to students using G Suite for Education services. It also pointed out that school administrators must choose to let students use their school accounts to access Googles consumer services.

The Mississippi attorney generals office, meanwhile, has provided only limited information about how it determined that Google is tracking students, using their data to build profiles, and targeting them with ads. Officials tested several student accounts and a staff members account, according the offices public information officer. But they declined to provide any details about the nature of those tests, citing their ongoing investigation. The lawsuit itself contains no information demonstrating that any of Googles allegedly deceptive practices actually occur.

As a result, the suits legal prospects are unclear.

But even if the Mississippi attorney generals office doesnt win, its legal action could still prove significant, by calling fresh attention to lingering concerns about whether Google is being as transparent as possible.

For more than two years, the company has declined requests from Education Week to clarify its student-data-privacy practices.

And Hoods claim that Googles privacy policies for schools are confusing is spot-on, said Bill Fitzgerald, the director of the Education Privacy Initiative at Common Sense Media. There is a maze of overlapping and sometimes contradictory claims in Googles policies, Fitzgerald said. It requires technical and legal expertise to navigate through this web, and even then a lot remains unclear.

Streamlining those policies would be a great first step, Fitzgerald said. The company could also resolve a great deal of uncertainty, he said, by publicly explaining how it collects, stores, protects, and uses the data students generate when they venture out to sites and services beyond G Suite for Education.

Right now, he said, the company is essentially asking for schools trust.

I am always behind anything that brings additional clarity and encourages companies to be more transparent, Fitzgerald said. Whether this lawsuit is a good vehicle to make that happen, well have to see.

Photo: Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood addresses reporters last June in Jackson, Miss.--Rogelio V. Solis/AP-File

See also:
A 21-year-old student was allegedly raped by two Afghan nationals in south Delhi's Green Park area, police said today.

The victim, a second year BA (Honours) student of JNU, had gone to a pub in Hauz Khas village last week with her friend where she met one Twaab Ahmad alias Saleem, 27, an Afghan national, they said.

Saleem, who lives here along with his Afghan friend Sulaiman Ahmadi, 31, on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card, invited them to his house in Green Park for a party, a police officer said.

"When she went to Saleem's house along with her friend, Saleem's three friends -- Sulaiman, Siddhant and Pratyusha -- were present at his house. While her friend was dropped off at JNU, the girl came back to Saleem's house and they consumed alcohol," the officer said.

When the victim woke up in the morning, she saw Sulaiman forcing himself on her. She realised that Saleem and Sulaiman had sexually assaulted her when she was unconscious," he said.

The victim went back to her hostel in and narrated the incident to her two friends, who immediately took her to the police station. She was taken to a nearby hospital for medical examination.

On the victim's complaint, an FIR under section 376 (punishment for rape) read with 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC was lodged at the Safdarjung Enclave police station on January 12.

The accused, Saleem - an event manager, and Sulaiman, have been arrested and sent to judicial custody by a court, said the officer.
Fissures in the Mumbai Congress once again surfaced to the fore with AICC General Secretary Gurudas Kamat informing his supporters that he has withdrawn himself from poll campaign and selection of candidates and blamed MRCC chief Sanjay Nirupam's "negative attitude" for it.

In a message to his supporters today, Kamat said, "All applicants for Mumbai Municipal Corporation tickets are requested to contact their local MLA candidates and district Congress president to get party nomination as I have withdrawn from their entire exercise of selection of candidates and campaign due to negative attitude of Sanjay Nirupam."



A former city MLA has alleged that Nirupam appointed block presidents without consultations, while distribution of tickets was also being done without taking party's MLA candidates into confidence.

When contacted, Nirupam told PTI that the issue was an internal matter of the party and would discuss it after the civic polls.

"The party is focusing on the second stage of campaign to oust the Sena-BJP from the civic body. We are now focusing on fighting Sena-BJP," he said.

The Mumbai Regional Congress Committee chief said that on the directives of party vice president Rahul Gandhi, a procedure was put in place to select candidates, and leaders including Kamat gave their approval for it.

"All leaders have signed the document which was handed over to Rahul Gandhi. Candidates will be selected as per the given procedure," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Secretary of State John Kerry left the State Department for the last time as America's top diplomat, urging the agency's employees to carry on their work with enthusiasm and appealing to the incoming Trump administration to embrace creative diplomacy and international engagement.

Greeted by loud, raucous and sustained applause from a large crowd in the building's ceremonial main entrance, Kerry thanked department employees for their dedication yesterday.

"We did really good diplomacy," he said, citing what he called numerous significant achievements in fighting the Islamic State group, addressing climate change, sealing the Iran nuclear deal, prioritizing Asia-Pacific relations, supporting European allies and making Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine.

Kerry, who set a record for miles traveled during his four-year tenure as America's 68th top diplomat, thanked President Barack Obama for the privilege of serving, saying Obama had given him wide latitude to take risks in negotiating agreements or trying to start them.

"I want you to stay faithful to the notion that this building, all of you, that we together are going to continue to make ripples," he said. "We are going to continue to make ripples to sweep down walls of resistance to peace and justice and a better and safer world."



President-elect Donald Trump has assailed much of Obama's foreign policy record. Kerry said global turbulence was not due to any failure in leadership but was rather the result of profound transitions the world and its population are going through.

In an opinion piece published in The New York Times yesrterday, Kerry wrote: "My hope is that the turbulence still evident in the world does not obscure the extraordinary gains that diplomacy has made on President Obama's watch or lead to the abandonment of approaches that have served our nation well."



Kerry also criticized Trump's penchant for tweeting controversial statements.

"Diplomacy requires creativity, patience and commitment to a steady grind, often away from the spotlight," Kerry wrote. "Results are rarely immediate or reducible to 140-character bites. But it has helped build a world our ancestors would envy a world in which children in most places are more likely than ever before to be born healthy, to receive an education and to live free from extreme poverty." Kerry logged more than 1.4 million miles in the air over 596 days of travel, the State Department said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A techie from Kolkata was arrested by police here for allegedly cheating a city-based BTech graduate of Rs 1.5 lakh on the false promise of providing a job in a leading IT firm, police said.

"The accused, Sudarshan Swain, working in a software firm in Kolkata, was arrested on January 17. He had used the money collected from the victim to get his hair transplanted at a clinic in Park Street of Kolkata," Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat said.

The victim, a BTech graduate from Nagole area here, had lodged a complaint with police on December 15 last year stating that in November 2016, while looking for jobs online, he had sent his resume to one Tapan. The latter asked him to deposit Rs 50,000 for receiving a call letter for interview for the job in Zensar Technologies Ltd.

"Since the company is reputed, the victim deposited the money in an account number of a private bank that was provided by Tapan. After this, someone posing as an HR Manager of the IT firm took telephonic interview of the victim and he was again made to deposit Rs one lakh on the pretext of getting an offer letter," Bhagwat explained.

After getting the offer letter, the victim went to Zensar Technologies' office at Gachibowli here, but realised that the offer letter was fake, following which he lodged a complaint and a case was registered.

During the course of investigation, police found that the fraudsters had sent spoofed e-mails in the name of e-mail IDs of Zensar Technologies Ltd with a forged copy of offer letter, the CP said.

On January 17, Swain was apprehended from the hair transplant clinic and during the interrogation he confessed to have committed the offence along with his associate Tapan Kumar, who is absconding.

Further investigation into the case is on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Anirban Lahiri made a steady start with a three-under 68 that placed him Tied-34th at the end of the first round at the CareerBuilder Challenge in his second start of the new year on the PGA Tour.

Lahiri, who has a Top-3 finish in 2016-17 season with a third spot in CIMB Classic in Malaysia, had four birdies against one bogey in his round.

Playing at the Nicklaus course, one of the three being used for the tournament this week, Lahiri had just one birdie in his first 12 holes, but he had no bogeys either.

Starting on the tenth he had a birdie on 14th and his next birdie came on par-5 fourth hole, which was his 13th hole.

He dropped a shot on sixth, but picked birdies on seventh and another on closing ninth.

Rookie Dominic Bozzelli shot a 64 on the Stadium Course at PGA WEST, which is said to be the most difficult of the three courses to top the leaderboard.

The standout shot was when he holed out from 115 yards for eagle on the par-4 14th.

Jhonattan Vegas, the 2011 champion, was one behind at 65 along with Harold Varner III, Hudson Swafford and Patton Kizzire.

Vegas and Kizzire played PGA WEST's Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course, and Varner and Swafford opened at La Quinta.

Rain fell off and on in the morning and more was expected Friday, with the PGA TOUR moving the tee times up an hour.

Meanwhile, the 46-year-old Phil Mickelson, coming back after two hernia surgeries shot four-under 68, despite a poor opening shot, that saw him a provisional ball.

He scrambled for par and went on to card 68, which was fourbehind the leader.

Defending champion Jason Dufner shot a 70 at La Quinta.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A family of five Sri Lankan Tamils were found stranded by Indian fishermen off Arichal Munai in Dhanushkodi, police said today.

The coast guard and coastal marine police have been informed,they said.

It was not known how the family got stranded or whether were dropped by ferry operators at the fifth sand dune while transporting them to Rameswaram from Talaimannar.

Police said they would be brought here.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In his first visit to Delhi Police headquarters after assuming office, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal today stressed on the need to connect with youth and community for effective policing and to ensure the safety of woman and children.

During his discussion with senior officers, he observed that modern day policing is a challenging and a complex task in a mega city like Delhi and therefore, police must technologically upgrade itself on the one hand and build strong relations with the community on the other.

He directed officers to engage with youth and the community in a big way. "The youth have to be partners in our policing approach," he said.

He also stressed on "concept-based" policing and directed officers to look into the pattern of crime and trends.

He also took a round of the Central Police Command Room - C4i and the Police Control Room.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, the lone survivor and key witness in the 2006 Khairlanji massacre that had shaken the collective conscience, died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur today.

He was 62.

Bhotmange, a resident of Khairlanji in Bhandara district was admitted to ICU of a Nagpur-based private hospital in afternoon, where he died at around 5 PM.

According to police, heart attack was the prima facie cause of his death.

Confirming by Bhandara Superintendent of Police Vinita Sahoo.

"Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange died at around 4.40 PM today. His body has been sent for postmortem to ascertain exact cause of death," Sahoo told PTI.

She said Bhotmange was admitted in general hospital in Bhandara in afternoon after he complained of uneasiness. "He was shifted to a private hospital in Nagpur as his condition deteriorated," the officer added.

The Khairlanji massacre refers to the murders of dalits by members of an influential community in the small village in east Maharashtra.

On September 29, 2006, four members of the Bhotmange family, including two women, were hacked to death in Khairlanji, in the fallout of a land dispute.

The deceased included Bhotmange's wife, his daughter and two sons. The women of the family were sexually abused by the attackers before murder.

The incident had ignited massive protests by dalit community in the state.

There were allegations that the local police shielded the perpetrators of the crime.

The then Congress-NCP government handed over the probe to the CBI following lapses by the police in investigation.

A court in Bhandara had sentenced six persons to death and two others to life imprisonment on September 2008.

However, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court commuted the capital punishment to a 25-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) and prescribed RI for the similar period to two others.

The court had ruled out caste bias stating that the murders was the act of revenge.

Bhotmange had challenged the HC's verdict in the Supreme Court. The matter has been pending before the apex court since the last hearing held in August 2015.

After the murders, Bhotmange, who tilled a small piece of land, was provided a job in government and also a house in Bhandara city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Leading basmati rice firm LT Foods Ltd is targeting to double its turnover to Rs 6,000 crore by 2020 and is looking for growth organic as well as inorganic routes to become a FMCG company.

LT Foods has presence in over 65 countries with revenue of nearly Rs 3000 crore last fiscal. Its two major brands 'Daawat' and 'Royal' registered strong volume growth of about 25 per cent both in domestic and overseas markets in 2015-16.

"We expect a 8-10 per cent growth in our turnover during this fiscal. In volume terms, the growth is estimated at 20-25 per cent," LT Foods Chairman and Managing Director VK Arora told PTI.

Out of the total turnover expected this fiscal, he said about 60 per cent would be from exports.

"US is our biggest export market. We have become undisputed leader in American market with 45-50 per cent share in basmati trade," he said, adding that the company sells about 70,000 tonnes of basmati rice in US.

On growth plans, Arora said the company has chalked out strategy for growth both through organic and inorganic routes. The company is eyeing brand acquisition in both India and global markets.

"We are targeting to double our turnover by 2020. We have made growth. From leading basmati rice company, we want to become a FMCG company," he said.

On domestic market, the company's CEO Ashwani Arora said the company is a leading brand with a market share of 22-23 per cent.

Besides branded basmati rice, he said the company offers value-added staples and organic food, which is expected to contribute about Rs 100 crore in revenue this fiscal.

LT Foods, which has five manufacturing units in India, had last year acquired branded rice business of Hindustan Unilever focused in middle-east market. It had acquired Gold Seal Indus Valley and Rozana brands.

In November, LT Foods, entered into a JV with KAMEDA SEIKA of Japan to manufacture and market rice based snacks in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has acquired a majority stake in Turkey-based farm equipment company Hisarlar Makina Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim irketi (Hisarlar) for around USD 19 million (nearly Rs 129 crore), thus foraying into the European nation.

Under the transaction, which is expected to close by April 2017, Mahindra will acquire 75.1 per cent stake in Hisarlar.

"The association will help in growing the farm equipment business in Turkey and Europe," M&M today said in a statement.

The balance shareholding in the Turkish firm will be with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) (18.7%) and the founding Turker family (6.2 per cent), respectively, it added.

Further, as part of the transaction, Darby Converging Europe Fund III will exit its investment.

M&M Managing Director Pawan Goenka said: "Our strategy going forward is to globalise aggressively and also expand our portfolio to include various new categories of farm machinery. This acquisition is an important milestone in our globalisation journey."



Mahindra will invest 71 million Turkish lira (equivalent to around USD 19 million) in Hisarlar as fresh equity infusion into the company, giving it a 75.1 per cent stake.

The Mumbai-based firm will have majority in the board and control the management of Hisarlar, a key player in the agriculture machinery industry, tractor cabins and components for off-highway machinery.

"The acquisition of Hisarlar will enable Mahindra to expand its footprint in Turkey and Europe, making this entity a global manufacturing base for various farm implements and tractor cabins," said Rajesh Jejurikar, President and Chief Executive, Farm Equipment & Two Wheeler, M&M.

Hisarlar's revenue in 2015 was 208 million Turkish lira, with exports constituting around 35 per cent of sales.

The company has two production facilities in western Turkey and employs a total of about 820 people. It is the leader in the soil preparation category of implements with a 45 per cent market share in Turkey.

The company has strong brands in this segment, supported by a distribution network of 85 dealers across Turkey.

Besides agricultural machinery, the company manufactures tractor cabins and industrial components.

Turkey is the largest tractor market in terms of production and sales within Europe. During 2009-15, on an average, the tractor market stood at 48,450 units.

Turkey also has a 3 per cent market share in the agri-machinery industry globally. Agricultural mechanisation in Turkey is growing and the country is also an important market for combine harvesters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UPDATED

The chairman and CEO of H-E-B, a Texas-based grocery chain, is sinking more than $100 million into the launch of a new institute focused on improving school leadership in Texas public schools.

The Holdsworth Center for Excellence in Education Leaderships first program will start with six school districts in June. The initial group will be selected from a pool of 15 to 20 school districts, which will be invited to apply to be part of the program. The center is looking for applications from districts that already demonstrate a commitment to growing talent and a strong alignment of vision among the superintendent, cabinet, and school board.

All of the states districts will be able to apply in the future.

In their work with the Holdsworth Centers experts, school leaders in the programprincipals, superintendents, and other school administratorswill focus on areas such as change management, school board relations, and best practices in talent management, the center said this week in a news release.

The Austin American-Statesman reports that there will be no cost to the s

chool leaders attending the program. It will be split in three parts: one that will facilitate collaborative work by the superintendent and his or her leadership team; another for the principal and his or her leadership team, and a third for schools support staff.

The Holdsworth Center is about helping people be extraordinary in the job they are in today, Charles Butt, H-E-Bs chairman and CEO, said in the statement. In addition, we want them to re-invent the way future leaders are selected, developed, and supported within their districts so that when a position opens up, they have a tremendous bench from which to select the next super star.

The center is named after Butts mother, Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Butt, an educator and philanthropist who championed social justice.

Ruth Simmons, the former president of Smith College and Brown University, will lead the 17-member board of directors. The board is made up of high-profile leaders from education, business, and elsewhere, including Robert M. Gates, the former defense secretary and chancellor of the College of William & Mary; Elisa Villanueva Beard, the CEO of Teach for America; Ellen Moir, the founder and CEO of the New Teacher Center in Santa Cruz, Calif.; and Michael J. Sorrell, the president of Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas.

The center grew out of a convening nearly two years ago to examine innovative approaches to developing strong school leaders. The group behind the center also travelled overseas, including to Singapore, in search of proven models that led to positive changes in schools, according to the press release.

Image source: Charles Butt, the chairman and CEO of Texas-based H-E-B. Photos courtesy The Holdsworth Center for Excellence in Education Leadership.
Maharashtra has emerged as a key tourism source market in India for Australia with the continent country recording a 25 per cent growth in footfalls from the state for the year ended September 2016.

"Maharashtra has retained its position as a key tourism source market in India. As of year ended September 2016, Maharashtra has recorded an increase of 25 per cent in tourist arrivals," Tourism Australia said in a release.

Maharashtra also saw 18 per cent growth in spending by the tourists from the state, it added.

About 53,800 visitors from Maharashtra visited Australia, contributing AUSD 232 million (Rs 1,160 crore) to the Australian economy, with an average spend of Rs 2.15 lakh per person.

"We are delighted that all our focused distribution initiatives in Maharashtra have paid off, resulting in an increase in arrivals and spend from the state. Going forward, we are positive that our extensive analysis of the market, in tandem with our key distribution partners and airlines, will provide us with insights to to cater to the requirements of travellers from Maharashtra," Tourism Australia Country Manager, India and Gulf, Nishant Kashikar said.

Further, he said, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) movement has also witnessed significant growth from the Indian market with several domestic companies travelling Down Under for conferences and incentives.

"These numbers have included significant movement from Maharashtra as well," he added.

Overall arrivals from India for the year ended November 2016, were recorded at 2,56,400, an increase of 11.5 per cent compared to the same period the previous year, making India the ninth largest inbound market for Australia, according to data from Tourism Australia.

The Tourism Forecasting Committee (TFC) has predicted 2,65,000 visitors from India for the July 2016-June 2017 period, a 9.6 per cent increase against corresponding period in 2015-16, it said.

Arrivals from India are expected to perform well with an average annual financial year growth rate of 6.4 per cent through to the financial year 2021-22, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mahindra and Mahindra, which has registered five per cent growth in last fiscal is expected to sustain the growth this fiscal also and as part of two-pronged market strategy, it will focus more in rural market, which contributed 40 per cent of the firm's sales, a top company official said today.

The real propulsion of growth still comes from rural area, where nearly 30 per cent of vehicles are sold, Senior Vice-president, Sales and Customer Care, Automotive Division, Veejay Ram Nakra told reporters here.

As part of increasing rural penetration, the company has identified 3,000 tehsils, where it would open new dealership or workshop or service centres, so that the rural customers need not come to urban area for their needs, Nakra said.

There was also plan to open more quick service outlets on Highways, in association with Indian Oil Corporation, he said.

Despite slump in sales for a few days after demonetisation, which came back now, he said the company expected the rural economy to pick up in a few months, which will propel the demand for personal and commercial vehicles by next financial year.

Stating that the company at present has 300 dealers across the country, Nakra, here to inaugurate a new dealership Rajshree Autos Pvt Ltd, said it has also plans to increase its Compact Quick Service Centres from 130 to 300 in another 18 months.

Compared to Pan India growth of five per cent, Tamil Nadu, with 19 dealers, is witnessing the fastest 34 per cent growth, which also contribute about six and half per cent of national sales, Nakra said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A fugitive wanted for the brazen theft of an 86-pound bucket of gold flakes worth nearly USD 1.6 million off an armored truck in midtown Manhattan has been arrested in Ecuador, police has said.

US Homeland Security investigators and New York City and Ecuadorean police apprehended Julio Nivelo, who also uses aliases. In Ecuador, prosecutor Maria Aguirre said Nivelo would be tried in the country for theft. Ecuador does not permit extradition.

Nivelo was arrested Thursday after leaving the home of a relative, where he had been living, said police Col Carlos Coloma yesterday. Officials tracked him from New York through Florida, they said.

Defense attorney Faricio Garcia argued that immigration documents indicate that Nivelo wasn't even in New York at the time of the theft because he has been banned from entering the US since 2008.

Earlier, Ecuadoran police said in a statement that there was no registry of Nivelo entering the country legally, "and it is presumed that he did it in a clandestine manner at the border."



The gold hasn't been recovered. Surveillance cameras showed the thief swiping the 5-gallon bucket off the back of the vehicle in broad daylight on Sept 29.

A guard had briefly gone to the truck's cab, apparently to retrieve his phone. Pedestrians and vehicles streamed past.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Crime Branch today arrested a man who allegedly circulated an audio clip of his purported telephonic conversation with Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel by impersonating as a Police Constable.

According to Crime Branch officials, they have nabbed one Gopal Italia from Dhandhuka town of this district for allegedly impersonating as a police official and circulating the clip. Italia once served as a Police Constable.

Upon his arrest, Italia claimed he is now working as a clerk in the Prant (revenue) Office of Dhandhuka taluka after resigning as a Police Constable in 2015, said police.

"Italia was arrested on the charges of impersonating as a policeman and circulating the clip, for which, an FIR is also lodged against him," said a senior Crime Branch official.

The audio clip, which has been doing the round of social media platforms since the last few days, has a purported telephonic conversation of Italia and Patel.

In the purported clip, Italia, who identified himself as Gopal Patel and claimed to be working as a Constable with Madhavpura Police here, can be heard telling Patel that the recent ordinance to strengthen liquor prohibition law has failed to serve its stated purpose.

He purportedly told Patel the ordinance and subsequent crackdown by police on illegal activities related to liquor has only increased prices of alcohol.

When Patel asked him to work diligently to achieve the desired result of liquor law, Italia replied his seniors are not allowing him to do his duty properly.

According to Crime Branch, Italia may have done this out of mischief or to gain publicity.

"After the audio clip went viral, we lodged a case and started investigation suo motu as the person in the clip claimed to be a Constable. It seems Italia did this out of mischief or to become popular," said the official.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Today, more than ever, the media must stand up to fear, seek information and speak out, Vice President Hamid Ansari said today stressing that press has an important responsibility, particularly in a democratic polity, to hold power to account.

The media should "tell the truth to the powers that be, even if the powers that be have a habit of not liking this," he said while invoking Mahatama Gandhi.

"Today, more than ever, the media must stand up to fear, seek information and speak out. It must not hesitate to tell the powers their errors in commission and omission," Ansari said at a function here after giving away the C H Mohammed Koya National Journalism Awards 2017, instituted in the memory of former chief minister of Kerala.

"It is a fundamental function of the media and a basic requirement for the functioning of a healthy democracy," he said



A healthy, vibrant democracy not only creates the space for a free media, but rather it needs an impartial and independent media for its survival. Journalism as a professional calling is more than a mere job, it is a public good, he said.

"Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said on the eve of our independence, 'Freedom and power bring responsibility'. "The media has an important responsibility, particularly in a democratic polity, to tell the truth to the powers that be, even if the powers that be have a habit of not liking this," he said.

Ansari said Koya believed in using the media to bring about social awareness and change and his role in advancing the educational infrastructure in Kerala as education Minister is well-known.

"In this era of 'post-truths', where 'advertorials' and 'response features' edge-out editorials, we would do well to recall one of the greatest journalists that India has ever produced, and look at the ethos and principles that powered his journalism," Ansari said, referring to Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhiji was associated with six journals, and for two very influential weeklies, he was the editor. He published no advertisement, at the same time he did not want his newspapers to run at a loss.

He had gained considerable experience in South Africa, where he had taken over the editorial role of the 'Indian Opinion' in 1904 and published it in English, Tamil and Gujarati, sometimes running the press himself.

For Gandhiji, the three objectives of the press were-- One, to understand the popular feeling and give expression to it; to arouse among the people certain desirable sentiments, and to fearlessly expose popular defects, he said.

"We need a responsible press to hold power to account.

"That is why our founding fathers enshrined the freedom of press in the Constitution under the rubric of Article 19 (1)(A), subject only to reasonable restrictions in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, public order, decency, contempt of court, defamation and incitement to an offence," Ansari said.

Repeated judicial pronouncements have upheld this



freedom, underscoring that 'freedom of speech and of the press is the Ark of the Covenant of Democracy' because public criticism is essential to the working of its institutions, Ansari said.

Recently, the Supreme Court, terming liberty of thought and expression as 'cardinal', struck down the controversial Article 66 (A) of the IT Act as being unconstitutional for being violative of Article 19(1)(A), not saved by Article 19(2).

"The media, with its protections and rights, enjoys tremendous freedom. The media also has a transmutative power. It not only portrays reality but can alter the perception of reality itself," he said.

In its 2016 assessment of press freedom in India, the Freedom House, Freedom of Press report, categorized India as 'partially free', with an overall score of 41 (out of 100).

The Press status report by the organisation Reporters sans Frontiers was even more critical, ranking India 133 out of 180 countries in terms of press vitality and freedom.

"Freedom of media is vital for accountability and transparency. It is a pillar of democracy, the rule of law and good governance and contributes to more inclusive and sustainable development, and, in empowering citizens of our country," he said.

Former Defence Minister A K Antony was among those present.
Meghalaya government today handed over 178 laptops to meritorious students.

The students who were awarded the laptops had excelled in their studies in standard X and standard XII examinations in 2016 conducted by the state board, ICSE, ISC and CBSE.

Speaking on the occasion, state Information and Technology minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said education was a capital investment and a permanent asset to all.

"We honour your dedication and hard work with small gifts which we feel will send a loud message that we wish to build a sense of dedication and discipline among you," she said.

She said the IT department has been at the forefront in building IT skills in the state and have carried out a study to identify such skills required by students.

"We have designed and launched programmes for providing training to our students in line with the industrial requirements," Lyngdoh said.

Commissioner and Secretary D P Wahlang said the award which started in 2007, would also include CBSE class X students in next year's ceremony.

He observed that the trend has changed when earlier the top positions used to be captured mostly by students from urban areas, but now students from rural areas have also come to the fore front.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, 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 US to face drug trafficking and other charges.

Mexico's Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to US authorities for transportation to the US yesterday, the last full day of President Barack Obama's administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated.

The US Justice Department issued a statement confirming that Guzman was en route to the United States and expressed gratitude to Mexico for its cooperation.

A senior US official said the US Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas, and a plane carrying him departed for New York at 5:31 PM EST. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and agreed to give the information only if not quoted by name.

The convicted Sinaloa cartel boss has been held most recently in a prison near Ciudad Juarez. He was recaptured a year ago after escaping from a second maximum-security prison through a tunnel dug to his cell. He had fought extradition since then.

Guzman faces the possibility of life in a US prison under multiple indictments in six jurisdictions around the United States, including New York, San Diego, Chicago and Miami.

A federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York, where Guzman is expected to be prosecuted, accuses him of overseeing a trafficking cartel with thousands of members and billions of dollars in profits laundered back to Mexico. It says Guzman and other members of the Sinaloa cartel employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

He was first indicted by a US federal grand jury in July 2009. A superseding indictment was issued in May charging him and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada with a variety of drug, gun and money laundering charges as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise.

A Mexican Foreign Relations Department statement said a court had ruled against Guzman's appeal and found that his extradition would be constitutional.

The White House, which was down to a skeleton staff hours before Trump takes office, said it had no immediate comment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, one of the world's most notorious criminals, pleaded not guilty in the United States today to multiple drug trafficking, firearms and conspiracy charges.

Extradited to New York yesterday, the 59-year-old drug baron, who has twice escaped from jail in Mexico, was arraigned in a federal court in Brooklyn where he has been slapped with a sweeping 17-count indictment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UPDATED: Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen announced Friday that the states ACT scores, which it uses for federal accountability, have been called into question.

In a briefing to the state board of education, and then to the news media, Arntzen said she had learned from a whistleblower who contacted her legal team that the 2016 ACT results submitted to the federal Education Department, under her predecessor, Denise Juneau, did not meet state or federal reporting standards and misrepresented student proficiency.

Arntzen, who took office two weeks ago, said that in its 2016 submission to federal officials, Montana indicated that it had set proficiency levels on the ACT for Montana students, when in fact there are none. The state, Arntzen said, reported to the federal government that all Montana students were proficient.

Arntzen said that she is looking into the matter with the U.S. Department of Education, and that student data has not been compromised. She added that the state still views the ACT as valuable and plans to continue to administer it to students.

Reached Friday night, Juneau told Education Week that she did indeed submit a report to the U.S. Department of Education that showed 3s across the board for high school studentsproficiency, according to Montanas accountability ratings. She said she did so because the U.S. Department of Educations electronic submission system would accept only single-digit figures, a problem for ACT scores, which range from 1 to 36.

Montana didnt work with ACT to convert its score range to equivalents on the states 1 through 4 accountability system levels, Juneau said, so she submitted all 3s because we had to submit something. We couldnt leave those spaces blank. She assumed that the situation would get sorted out when the department responded to the report, she said. But the report was submitted in December, and Juneau left office by the end of the month.

Juneau said she held a transition meeting with Arntzen during that month, and many topics were discussed, but not the matter of the ACT scores. Juneau did not reach out to the federal education department to notify officials there that the 3s she reported were nothing more than placeholders, she said.

Juneau point out, however, that Montana never reported to the public that all high school juniors were proficient on the ACT. The ACT score reports published on Montanas website show schools average ACT scores, and the percentages of students at ACTs college-ready levels .

Sixteen states, including Montana, require all students to take the ACT. Montana is also one of a handful of states that use the college-entrance exam to measure high school achievement instead of a state test.
Mexican drug baron Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, one of the world's most notorious criminals, will be arraigned on drugs, firearm and conspiracy charges in New York today, one day after being extradited to the United States.S



His Sinaloa cartel is responsible for distributing hundreds of thousands of kilos of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana throughout the United States, reaping billions of dollars in profits, US prosecutors say.

Guzman was extradited from Mexico yesterday, flown to Long Island and transferred by convoy to a jail in New York under heavy armed guard.

"Today marks a milestone in our pursuit of Chapo Guzman," Attorney Robert Capers told a conference today.

"Mr Guzman will be arraigned later today in the United States district court right here in Brooklyn on a 17-count sweeping indictment," Capers added.

The charges include leading and continuing criminal enterprise for alleged drug trafficking from late 1989 to September 2014, with multiple allegations that Guzman used corruption and violence to maintain control of his organization and conspired to murder rivals of the Sinaloa cartel.

He will be arraigned on 16 additional charges, including drug importation, illegal use of firearms and money laundering conspiracy "related to the billions of dollars" that his organization amassed, Capers said.

If convicted he faces life behind bars in an American prison. Prosecutors are also seeking to obtain a $14 billion criminal forfeiture order against him.

"Guzman's destructive and murderous rise as an international narcotics trafficker, is akin to that of a small cancerous tumor that metastasized and grew into a full blown scourge that for decades littered the streets of Mexico with the casualties of violent drug wars," Capers told reporters.

The same scourge made US cities such as Miami and New York "ground zero for that epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s," Capers said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju today asked Arunachal Pradesh government to explore possibilities of bringing in more cargo flights as the state has immense potential in horticulture crops, floriculture and medicinal plants.

Addressing the 'Digi Dhan Mela' at Indira Gandhi Park here, the Union minister also expressed optimism that the state government would settle the issue of finding sites for the Green Field Airport in the state capital.

"We have gone around a 'ding-dong' battle for selection of the site for the proposed green field airport in the state capital," Raju said in a lighter vein.

He said a central team recently surveyed both the proposed airport sites at Karsingsa and Hollongi and his ministry is waiting for the report.

Raju said the detailed report and its submissions would be then forwarded to the state government for a final call and hoped that work on the airport would begin soon.

"Please exploit the forward looking policies of the state as well as central government for your own benefits," he said.

(REOPENS CAL4)



Referring to cashless transactions being promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union minister said, "Dishonesty which is pulling down the country could be eliminated through digital economy."



He said it was necessary that the country moved along with the government and they should work together for a better future.

Claiming that over Rs 40,000 crore was deposited in 'Jan Dhan' accounts across the country post-demonetisation, Raju said no rich man contributes to the nation but only the poor through their hard earned money.

"Quality of life needs to be improved and for this we need to contribute as well," he said.

He said unlike the previous regime, now Indian citizens with Aadhaar card could open a bank account without any hassle.

"Digital transaction has made life easy for the people. Your pocket can be picked, phones can be lost but not your thumb through which you can easily make cashless transactions," he added.
More than 40 fighters of former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front were killed in air strikes on their camp in northern Syria late, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it could not immediately specify who carried out the strikes in the western part of Aleppo province.

A US-led coalition as well as the Syrian government and its ally Russia have carried out strikes against Fateh al-Sham targets in recent weeks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Andy Murray and Roger Federer put on a masterclass today as they swept into the last 16 of the Australian Open, hoping to take advantage of Novak Djokovic's shock exit.

Murray swamped Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 and Federer humbled Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in just 90 minutes, maintaining his 100 percent record over his old rival at Melbourne Park.

Women's world number one Angelique Kerber also hit form as she dropped only four games against Kristyna Pliskova to race into a fourth-round meeting with America's Coco Vandeweghe.

Murray and Federer had both watched from afar on Thursday as Djokovic, the defending champion and six-time winner, suffered a stunning defeat to 117th-ranked Denis Istomin.

Querrey also upset Djokovic at Wimbledon last year but Murray, made a knight in Britain's New Year honours, never looked like slipping on any banana skins in round three.

He put Querrey away 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours, winning 77 percent of points on his first serve and facing only three break points in a clinical display.

The Scottish world number one also showed no signs of discomfort in his right ankle, after he rolled it painfully during his second-round win over Andrey Rublev.

"I felt better and better as the match went on in terms of my movement," he said. "The ankle was a little sore and I was a little tentative at the start but it got better and better through the match."



- Not the 'practice king' -



===========================



Federer, 35 and returning from an injury lay-off, said he even surprised himself with an imperious win over Berdych that left the Czech shaking his head as he departed.

"In practice things were going well, but I've never been the practice king. I was winning tons of sets," Federer said, adding: "It's been unbelievable. I did surprise myself."



Murray and 17th-seeded Federer are on course to meet in the quarter-finals, with the Scot next facing Mischa Zverev and the Swiss veteran up against Kei Nishikori.

Japan's Nishikori should provide a stern test for Federer and the fifth seed underlined his confident form by seeing off Slovakian qualifier Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, survived a four-set tussle with Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (9/7) and now faces Italy's Andreas Seppi, who ousted Steve Darcis of Belgium.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also came through in four sets against American Jack Sock and will play Briton Dan Evans, who beat Australia's Bernard Tomic 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3).

In the women's draw, Kerber finally got into her stride with a 6-0, 6-4 destruction of Kristyna Pliskova, the 58th-ranked twin sister of Czech fifth seed Karolina.

The German defending champion was an early loser at both of her warm-up tournaments and was taken to three sets in unconvincing wins in round one and two.

But Kerber clicked into gear against Pliskova, winning in just 55 minutes to set up a last-16 clash with America's Coco Vandeweghe, who ousted Canadian starlet Eugenie Bouchard.

"I'm looking forward to the next one. Yeah, I think that I find my rhythm to the tournament now," Kerber said.

Svetlana Kuznetsova outlasted fellow thirty-something Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 5-7, 9-7 and will next play fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Venus Williams beat Duan Yingying 6-1, 6-0 to end Chinese interest, earning a match with German qualifier Mona Barthel who overcame Australia's Ashleigh Barty in three sets.

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza was a 6-4, 6-2 winner against Anastasija Sevastova, setting up an encounter with Romania's Sorana Cirstea.
Myanmar's leadership was fending off a barrage of criticism today over the Rohingya crisis, which a UN rights official said was destroying hope for the country's first elected government in a generation.

More than 66,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh to escape a military crackdown in the north of Rakhine state, bringing accounts of rape, arson and mass killings at the hands of security forces.

The bloodshed has tarnished the image of the young government of Aung San Suu Kyi, which took power in March riding a wave of optimism after winning the first free elections in a generation.

Hopes the Nobel laureate would usher in a more open era after half a century of military rule have faded as the government has dismissed accounts of abuses as lies and "fake news".

Today, the UN's rights official for Myanmar warned the government's denials were destroying faith in Suu Kyi's fledgling administration.

"The government's response to all of these problems seems to currently be to defend, dismiss and deny," UN special rapporteur on Myanmar Yanghee Lee told reporters after a tour of the country, including a visit to Rakhine. "This response is not only counterproductive but is draining away the hope that had been sweeping the country."



The crackdown started three months ago after deadly raids on police border posts which Myanmar said were carried out by foreign-trained Rohingya militants backed by Middle Eastern money.

Lee condemned the attacks, but blamed the government for driving some to militancy. "If the affected population had felt that the new government would start addressing their situation and grievances then extreme elements would not have easily been able to hijack their cause," she said.

Myanmar has long faced international criticism for its treatment of the Rohingya, who are denied citizenship and live in conditions rights groups have compared to apartheid.

Most among Myanmar's Buddhist majority call them Bengalis -- shorthand for illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh -- even though many have lived in Myanmar for generations.

The recent crackdown has galvanised anger in the Muslim world and particularly nearby Malaysia, whose Prime Minister Najib Razak has accused Suu Kyi of allowing "genocide" on her watch.

Yesterday he used an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to call for an end to the "unspeakable cruelty" being unleashed against the Rohingya.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Indian navy will display the elite Marine commandos, submarines Kalvari and Khandheri, and war ship Chennai during the Republic Day Parade, showcasing its prowess in the high seas in form a tableau.

Apart from it, a model of P-81 Long time Maritime Patrol Aircraft, induction of which has greatly enhanced surveillance capability in high seas, will also be a part of navy's tableau for the R-Day parade.

Since the submarine arm of the Indian navy is celebrating its Golden Jubliee this year, 2017 has been declared as the 'Year of Submarines' by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba.

So, models of Kalavari class INS Kalavari and INS Khandheri will be displayed during the Republic Day parade, along with mannequins of Marcos, the elite commando unit of the Navy.

Submarine INS Kalvari is likely to be commissioned into the service by March this year while the second submarine INS Khanderi, which was launched or undocked last week, is expected to be commissioned by December or early next year.

Over the past five decades, the submarine arm of the navy has been decorated with one Maha Veer Chakra and Two Veer Chakras.

The naval marching contingent of 144 young sailors would be led by Lt Cdr Aparna Nair as contingent commander and Lt Mandar Kulkarni and Lt Vasu Yadav as Platoon Commanders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he wants relations with the United States to be "stronger than ever" after Donald Trump becomes president.

Netanyahu congratulated his "friend" Trump in a tweet before his inauguration, saying he was looking forward "to working closely with you to make the alliance between Israel&USA stronger than ever".

Meanwhile, Israel's leftwing newspaper Haaretz reported today that security services have presented Netanyahu with a series of scenarios about potential Palestinian violence if Trump follows through on his promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Such a transfer would break with the consensus of the vast majority of the international community, which does not recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Israel captured east Jerusalem during the 1967 war and later annexed it, declaring all of the city its unified capital.

Also today, Israeli forces arrested five Palestinians who were taking protesting in the occupied West Bank against Israeli plans to annex Maale Adumim, a settlement east of Jerusalem, activists said.

Rightwing Israeli politicians have said Trump's election is an opportunity to increase settlement building and push forward plans to annex Maale Adumim.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A senior commander of banned militant organisation ULFA was today arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

A senior trained cadre of ULFA(I), Gagan Hazarika alias Joydeep Cheleng, who was earlier arrested by Assam Police, was remanded in NIA custody after he was produced in a special court.

He was produced before a special NIA court in Guwahati from the Sivasagar District Jail on production warrant and taken into custody for six days, a press release issued by the NIA said.

"His arrest is likely to throw light on the activities of senior leadership of the ULFA including Chairman Mukul Hazarika and Commander-in-Chief Paresh Barua since he was closely associated with them during their visit/stay at camps of ULFA located in Myanmar," it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Terming demonetisation as a revolutionary step taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to curb black money and crackdown on terror activities, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju today claimed printing of fake currency across the border stopped abruptly post November 8.

"We will have to be prepared for the change which the Prime Minister is attempting," the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs said at the 'Digi Dhan Mela' at Indira Gandhi Park here.

He said it was the duty of every Indian to support Prime Minister Nardendra Modi in his crusade against black money and terrorism for development of the country.

He said in Arunachal Pradesh efforts should be made to implement digital transaction in all villages as soon as possible.

Lashing out at the opposition for alleging that Modi's decision for cashless transaction was made in a hurry as the people of the country were not prepared, Rijiju said for development of the country people need the change.

"How will the country with 130 crore population develop if black money is kept concealed? Even in the 21st century, many villages in the country have no proper road communication which is the greatest tragedy for India," he said, asserting that the Prime Minister's dream is for equal development across the country.

He said with the introduction of cashless transaction there would be some problems initially but people have to accept it to make their lives comfortable in the coming days.

"We have no time to stay behind develop nations in this digital era for which the Prime Minister has introduced cashless transaction to cope up with the changing economy," he said, adding that India is a big country and it would take time to make things better.

Rijiju also appealed to all legislators to cooperate with Chief Minister Pema Khandu to make Arunachal Pradesh a vibrant state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The apex students' body in Nagaland has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop the works on the border fencing between India and Myanmar in Noklak Sub-division of Tuensang district.

"We come to you through this representation with very great hope and high expectation to bring an amicable solution to the divisive border fencing between India and Myanmar"(sic), Naga Students Federation said in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister sent through the Governor's office yesterday.

The NSF expressed resentment against the border fencing along the international boundary between India and Myanmar.

Despite creation of the artificial geographical boundary, people in the region are peace loving and have been rendering much effort to maintain peace and tranquility along the area, NSF President Subenthung Kithan and Assistant General Secretary Kesosul Christopher Ltu said.

The NSF also sought the immediate intervention of the Prime Minister to address the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Seven years and $7 billion dollars later, the federal School Improvement Grants program seems in the final analysis not to have yielded much in terms of improved student achievement.

The Institute of Education Sciences on Thursday released its final evaluation of the program, which Congress killed last year.

Overall, we didnt find evidence that schools implementing SIG-funded models significantly changed student outcomes more or less than other similar low-performing schools, said Lisa Dragoset, a senior policy researcher for Mathematica Policy Research, who co-wrote the evaluation.

She cautioned that the overall findings dont necessarily mean that no student benefited from attending a SIG school. Maybe, but theyre still a far cry from the early results from the first two years of the program, in which about two-thirds of schools that began the improvement grants in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years showed boosts to their performance on state math and reading tests. By contrast, in the final evaluation, Mathematica and the American Institutes of Research found none of the programs four school improvement models led to significant gains in students math or reading test scores, graduation rates, or college enrollment, when compared to similar struggling schools who had not participated in the grants. Researchers had compared student achievement at schools that barely did or did not make the cutoff to be identified for turnaround under the grant.

There were such high expectations for the program when it first started, that these would become dramatically different and better schools, said Robin Lake, the director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington at Bothell. They didnt hit dramatically different; unfortunately, they didnt even hit better.



Tracking School Turnaround Practices

During the Bush administration, the SIG program funded state systems of support for improving schools. But with a massive infusion of cash from the federal economic stimulus in 2009, the Obama administration reinvented the grants as a means to pushand evaluatefour models to turn around chronically failing schools:

Transformation , which required replacing the principal and adopting a value-added evaluation system for teachers and leaders that included student growth, as well as overhauling the schools governance, instructional practices, and learning time, and incorporating community school practices;

, which required replacing the principal and adopting a value-added evaluation system for teachers and leaders that included student growth, as well as overhauling the schools governance, instructional practices, and learning time, and incorporating community school practices; Turnaround , which called for similar changes to the transformation model, but instead of implementing a new teacher evaluation system, it called to replace the principal and at least half of teachers outright;

, which called for similar changes to the transformation model, but instead of implementing a new teacher evaluation system, it called to replace the principal and at least half of teachers outright; Restart , which involved reconstituting the school under a charter organization; and

, which involved reconstituting the school under a charter organization; and Closing the school and enrolling its students in higher-achieving schools in the district.

Evaluators found that by 2013, SIG-funded schools used about three more of the 35 turnaround practices studiedsuch as extended learning time and comprehensive instructional reformthan other, similar schools, but the difference wasnt significant. Interestingly, nearly 9 in 10 of both the SIG-funded schools and other schools trying to improve made changes in instruction, like adopting a new curriculum. Fewer than half of SIG or other schools made operational flexibility changes, like giving principals more power over their budgets, hiring decisions, discipline, or school schedules.

That was in line with what Lake said she saw in an earlier study of turnaround practices at SIG schools in Washington. Not much had really changed in the schools, she said. They were being asked to do different things, but the fundamental culture of the school, organization of the school, the fundamental design wasnt reorienting toward dramatically higher intervention strategies, dramatically higher expectations, or dramatically better teacher training and support.

Moreover, schools that used SIG money were more likely than other schools to increase student learning time or create community-centered schools, but they also stopped using those practices faster than other schools did after a couple of years, suggesting they may not have been able to sustain the initiatives as well after the grant money ran out. In spite of general similarities, the study found schools that used SIG money to implement the turnaround practices tended to be poorer and in more urban districts than schools that implemented the practices on their own.

Dragoset suggested the lackluster results of the program might have been the result of more schools both in and out of the grant program adopting similar turnaround practices, or that the individual turnaround practices were not as well implemented in some schools.

In an interview with Time this week, former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan argued the SIG schools progress has been encouraging and that grant-funded high schools improved faster than all other public schools nationwide . The school improvement evaluation did find that middle and high schools that adopted a turnaround model had students with higher math scores than schools that adopted a transformation model, but Dragoset said it was not clear whether that meant the overall turnaround model was more effective than the transformation model. And there were no similar differences among the models in reading or for math in elementary schools.

As schools and states consider evidence-based approaches for turning around low-performing schools, its important for researchers to continue conducting rigorous studies to find out what works to improve student achievement, Dragoset said.

Lake agreed: The amount of money spent here was a lot, so contextually were talking about billions of dollars spent to little avail, she said. That should give all of us pause when it comes to big new interventions. We need to have an evidence base before we ask everyone to implement them.

Related:


Delhi High Court today stayed the operation of Delhi government circular on nursery admission norms regarding private unaided minority schools, telling the AAP dispensation to bring its own schools up to the mark before trying to impose their admission norms on private institutions.

"Your (Delhi government) public schools are down the line, where people do not even want to study free of cost. They are pathetic, where teachers do not even come," Justice Manmohan said and asked why Delhi government was not raising the standard of its school, and instead seeking to take over the autonomy of private schools.

"There is a huge gap in demand and supply. You raise the standard of your schools before interfering in the functioning of the private schools," the court said, adding that "you will be shocked to know that on ground level, none of the parents want to admit their children in your schools".

"Think about the future generation. Will government school help the next generation," the court said while staying the operation of the circular on nursery admission norms with regard to private unaided minority schools.

Staying the January 7 notification that makes it mandatory for private unaided minority schools to admit children in nursery in the unreserved category on the basis of neighbourhood criteria, the court which heard the matter through the day, said "they are free to devise their own procedures and should be treated differently".

The court, which rapped the AAP government's Department of Education (DoE) for issuing such a notification "at the eleventh hour putting everyone in a chaos-like situation including the parents whose wards are to be admitted in the current academic year", said the "government in future should make an endeavour to frame such policy, if any, at least six months in advance, if not earlier".

"Prima facie Delhi government notification dated January 7, 2017 is contrary to the constitutional mandate. This court is also of the prima facie view that the fundamental right of minority schools cannot be interfered with and their right to admit students cannot be taken away.

"Minority schools have the right of maximum administration which cannot be taken away by any terms of contract," it said, adding that "minority schools are entitled to admit students in their own manner as long as there is no mismanagement.

Pointing to the apex court verdicts safeguarding rights



available to minority-run institutions under the Constitution, the high court said, "treat them differently and the right to administer a minority school also contains the right to devise procedures for admission as long as they (procedures) are fair and transparent".

Granting interim relief to three private unaided minority schools, it said "keeping in view the decision of the Supreme court and this court, such schools are entitled to admit students according to their own procedures as long as they are fair and transparent and accordingly the impugned notification (of January 7, 2017) is stayed till further order of this court."



The court has now fixed the petitions for further hearing on March 21 and asked Delhi government to file their reply.

The Delhi government on January 7, 2017, came out with a circular on nursery admission that mandated private unaided schools -- built on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land -- to accept admission forms based only on the neighbourhood or distance criteria.

As per the circular, the minority unaided schools were asked to treat unreserved seats as open/general seats in which admission would be conducted on the basis of neighbourhood criteria.

Three premier private unaided minority schools had approached the high court against the circular, saying it has infringed their rights to admit students.

Meanwhile, the pleas filed by Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools, Forum for Promotion of Quality Education and some parents challenging the new nursery norms are being heard by the court on day to day basis.

The association has contended that the restriction in the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) allotment letters was "illegal, arbitrary, unenforceable and unconstitutional" and sought that it be quashed.

The court had in its interim order on January 13 allowed parents to fill up application forms of various schools based on the criteria set by them as well as the AAP government.
US President Barack Obama delivered an angry parting shot at Congress, berating Republicans for blocking his efforts to close the military prison facility at Guantanamo Bay.

The facility "never should have been opened in the first place" Obama said in a terse two-page letter yesterday. "There is simply no justification beyond politics for the Congress' insistence on keeping the facility open."



The Obama administration has conducted a flurry of last-minute transfers, and this week sent eight Yemenis and two Afghan inmates to Oman.

That brought the number of men remaining at Guantanamo down to 45, but in his letter Obama said only 41 remained. A US defense official confirmed the transfer of four additional detainees, but did not immediately provide details.

Obama struggled to find a solution to the vexed question of what to do with the forever detainees, and it is uncertain they could be convicted in a civilian court.

The outgoing president had tried to transfer many detainees abroad and bring the most high-value ones to the United States, but funding was blocked by Republicans and even some in his own Democratic party pushed back against closure plans.

Obama repeatedly said the controversial prison served as a "recruitment tool" for terrorist organizations and was a waste of money -- it currently costs about $7 million per detainee a year.

Obama's successor, President-elect Donald Trump, has vowed not just to keep Guantanamo open, but to boost the number of terror suspects housed there -- even raising the prospect of US citizens being sent to the facility.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Any "objective reading" of India's demand to designate a terrorist by the UN would lead one to support the case, a top US diplomat today said, in a clear message to China which repeatedly blocked India's efforts to get the JeM chief banned by the world body.

"We have to understand and work through what these objections are. Any objective reading of the case would lead one to support the designation (of Azhar by the UN Security Council)," US Ambassador to India Richard Verma told PTI in a telephonic interview on his last day in office in New Delhi.

He said the US was disappointed that the issue has not got through the Security Council yet, but refrained from directly speaking on if China was "siding with terrorism" in this case.

"We have been very proud with India to get additional designations in the United Nations. We have named additional entities in LeT and JeM to put additional pressure on these groups and actors. We think the right thing to do would be to designate them (Azhar and others) at the UN," he said.

"We are disappointed that we have not been able to do that."



Verma was, however, optimistic the Donald Trump administration will coordinate with India on the issues.

"I have every reason to believe the new administration will also move in a coordinated fashion (with India). We got to continue to work with all parties including those who have not been supportive of these designations in the past," he said adding, "we have to stay at it and not back off. It is a very important mechanism to hold people to account for their actions."



As a political appointee, Verma's term ends with President Barack Obama and Trump takes over as the 45th US President.

In the two years he has been in New Delhi, Verma, the first Indian-American to be appointed to the top US diplomatic position, said these have been best years for bilateral ties.

Responding to another question on cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, Verma said the Barack Obama administration has had a genuine and tough conversation with Pakistan.

"Terrorism is the biggest threat that confronts the US, people of India, and frankly the people of Pakistan and we have to stand together against this scourge. No one nation can solve those problems on its own. We have been united with our friends in India on ending cross-border terrorism," he said.

Verma said India and the US have been sharing more intelligence, adding the bilateral ties is on a "solid upward trajectory" and the relationship has demonstrated that it can create jobs in the world's two largest democracies and deliver economic prosperity and security.

"We have been having regular and tough conversations with leadership in Pakistan, to shut down the transit routes to shut down the safe havens and ensure that people who turn to violence are held to account," he said.

(Reopens FGN 14)



This would take continued co-operation of law enforcement, military and also co-operation to counter the extremist message so that the pull and potential of these groups restricts considerably.

Verma said India and the US "had significant gains in economic, defence and strategic co-operation, in clean energy and climate, in all areas that we have worked on."



"Both sides have worked very hard to get to this place."



He said the two countries now need to work to further strengthen the relationship. For instance, if the goal is to increase the bilateral trade to USD 500 billion per annum "we should aggressively work" to get there.

"If the goal is to improve the ease of doing business in India, we should work with our colleagues to ensure that tax and regulatory matters are resolved, intellectual property, I think, we made so much progress. If the goal is to expanding our co-production and co-development effort in defense, I think there are some really interesting projects that we could explore," he said.

It's for the new administration to decide what priorities it wants to place, he said. "I have laid out a few ideas. They would have to decide what's most importance to them."



Describing the list of accomplishments during the past two years, he said "we have broken every record that we keep" in measuring this relationship.

The two-way trade recorded USD 109 billion - a number five times greater than 10 years ago, a record number of Indian students were studying in the US, there has been a record nine meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama and more Americans travelled to India than ever before."



The defence sales numbers are the highest ever, he said further buttressing his argument.

"We cleared every major pending defense sale in the last two years. We broke through the barriers on civil nuclear deal. We expanded our co-operation in the Asia Pacific," he said.

At the same time, he acknowledged some of the issues were still pending.

"There is a robust potential agenda in front of the next administration. We made great progress. But more to be done."



India is now one of the largest US missions in the world, Verma said.

He said one of the great privileges for him was the opportunity to talk about his parents, grandparents and the experiences that he had in Punjab. "So I am not so far removed from the roots. We have been so warmly welcomed across the country," he said adding that he visited all 29 Indian states.

"And you can see it and feel it from the North East to South to the North West, all over the country and you can see the incredible discovery and innovations and hard work that people are doing," he said.

Verma said the states will play an important role in making India a world leader by 2030.

But he pushed back on the notion that India was not getting latest technology or military hardware from the US.

"I think, those are older arguments. When you look at actual records vast majority of business export and technology transfer to India have been license free and to the extent licenses are required, vast majority of licenses are approved," he said.

Major defence partner, which was granted to India by the US last summer, means that for the purpose of technology transfer, "we would treat India as it is our closest ally and partner," he said.

"We are now institutionalising something for future administrations," he said.
The 11-day Patna Book Fair will begin from February 4 with the theme - Skilled Youth-Progressive Bihar.

Patna Book Fair, which is normally held in the months of November or December every year, had to be deferred in 2016 due to Prakashotsav celebrations, the 350th birth anniversary of the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, which was being held at Gandhi Maidan, Centre for Readership Development Convener Amit Jha said.

The 11-day book fair organised by CRD would be held at Gandhi Maidan from February 4 to 14, he said.

Skill development of youths was a national agenda and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also outlined skill development as one of his 'seven resolves', Jha said.

"About 65 to 70 per cent youths visit the fair and that's why special focus has been laid on youths in this year's book fair," he said.

Around 700 stalls would be put up at the fair which would be spread over 75,000 sq ft area at Gandhi Maidan, he said adding, more than 250 publishers would participate in the fair, Jha said.

He said the entry fee of Jha for the 23rd Patna Book Fair would be Rs ten per person and entry for school children in uniform with ID cards would be free. The fair would also be free for differently-abled persons.

Patna Book Fair president H L Gulati said the fair was known for its huge crowd of book lovers and volume of sales.

"The speciality of the fair is that it attracts seven to eight lakh book lovers and sale volume is around Rs 5 crore," Gulati said.

He said demonetisation would not have any adverse impact on the sale of books at the fair as many publishers were coming with POS machines.

Besides, the organisers were having talks with the State Bank of India for installing ATMs at the fair ground, Gulati said.

CRD president Ratneshwar, accompanied by CRD secretary Amarendra Kumar Jha, said under the 'Nai Kitab' programme, a discussion on new and recently published books would be held, which would be graced by eminent writers and journalists such as Shazi Jama, Jatendra Mishra, Awadesh Preet and Shivdayal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telugu film star and Jana Sena party chief K Pawan Kalyan today came out in strong support of Jallikattu and cock fights saying a ban on these two was an "attack on Dravidian culture and integrity" and need to draw a for "moralistic madness".

"I have deep respect and reverence for our culture, animals and mother nature. Looking at the cows and roosters in my farm made me think about the ban on Jallikattu and kodipandem (cock fights) in Dakshin Bharath," he said in a series of tweets on the issue today.

"Somewhere, we have to draw a line for this 'moralistic madness' in our society. Otherwise it would be very difficult to keep our nation's integrity intact. Jana Sena urges the Central government to lift the ban on Jallikattu and Kodipandem," the actor said.

"Ban on Jallikattu and Kodipandem is an attack on Dravida culture and its integrity. This is how it is being viewed in Dakshin Hindustan.

"I had observed this deep hurt in people of Dakshin Bharat while I was shooting in Pollachi (Tamil Nadu) and during my political interaction in Andhra about the ban of their respective cultural events in recent times," Kalyan said.

"Government of India cited 'animal cruelty' as the reason for the ban in Jallikattu and kodipandem. If we truly consider this puritanical approach, then we have to examine the statistics of Indian beef export and poultry industry," he said and reeled out statistics.

India was the largest exporter of beef in the world, with 2.4 million tonnes of beef and veal exported in 2015.

"Brazil and Australia could export only 2 and 1.5 million tonnes respectively. And, beef export fetches almost $5 billion with 14 per cent growth rate every year. Interestingly, these top beef exporting firms are owned by Hindus and not Muslims," the film star claimed.

He wondered how "this kind of slaughtering" did not attract animal cruelty "just because we don't see it!!"



Kalyan questioned why the Animal Cruelty Act applied only to Jallikattu where the animals getting injured or killed was insignificant compared to the number of animals that had to be slaughtered for business.

Kodipandem has "deep religious significance" associated with Lord Kukkuteswara, a form of Lord Siva who came as a rooster to kill an asura (demon) called Gayasura, the Jana Sena chief said.

"Kodipandem is the cultural identity of Andhras. If the Central government is serious about enforcing Animal Cruelty Act, then it should ban poultry industry also, which produces around 8.4 lakh tonnes of poultry meat by killing millions of chicken," Kalyan said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Huge quantity of illicit liquor, allegedly being smuggled from Haryana to poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, seized at Apsara border in trans-Yamuna area of the city and one person has been arrested, police said today.

On specific information, a vehicle loaded with 150 cartons (7200 bottles of 180 ml) of liquor, was flagged down last evening near Apsara border by a police, DCP (Shahdara) Nupur Prasad said.

During the search, liqour being transported from Haryana to poll-bound Uttar Pradesh was recovered.

Jaideep, driver of the vehicle and a resident of Sonepat in Haryana, has been arrested, she said.

The driver told police that he and his associate Anil were allegedly involved in illegal sale of liquor, the DCP said, adding that Jaideep used to get Rs 500 from Anil for one round of smuggling illicit liquor.

The accused were involved in supply of liquor to Uttar Pradesh which is going to polls, said the officer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Measures under the graded response plan's 'very poor' category head, including blanket ban on garbage burning, firecrackers and closure of brick kilns, were today enforced across Delhi by the Supreme Court-empowered EPCA.

For NCR towns, measures enumerated under the 'moderate to poor' category were rolled out.

The Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority labelled Delhi's prevailing pollution level as 'very poor', meaning level of PM 2.5 is ranging between 121-250 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3) or PM 10 level is between 351-430 (ug/m3).

The corresponding safe standards of these ultrafine particulate matters are 60 and 100 respectively.

Brick kilns that have not adopted the advanced zig-zag technology, that helps reduce black carbon emission, will have to be shut across the region, EPCA member Sunita Narain said.

In its first meeting after the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was notified by the Centre, EPCA stopped short of enforcing other tough measures like hiking parking fees and blanket ban on diesel generator sets, due to shortcomings at the policy level.

It directed the Delhi government to come up with a parking policy and the city police to impose hefty fine on vehicles that are illegally parked by amending relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority Chairman Bhure Lal said it was necessary to ensure that there was no repeat of last November's smog episode in Delhi, which according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) was the worst in 17 years.

Delhi Environment Secretary Chandraker Bharti, who was also present in the meeting, said the Badarpur thermal power plant will remain shut even after the January 31 deadline if there is no "power crisis in the city".

Narain said Delhi has experienced a "much better" winter in terms of reduced pollution as the coal-based plant has not been operating since the severe smog episode in November.

During the meeting, which was attended by officials of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, EPCA ordered an "intense drive" against polluting vehicles over the next 15 days.

The EPCA chairman directed the Delhi government to procure more smoke detectors to challan visibly polluting vehicles and begin vacuum cleaning of roads on a larger scale.

"There is 100 per cent mechanical sweeping in Greater Noida. Noida is also doing good in this respect. Why cannot Delhi do the same?" Narain asked.

The toughest measures including the odd-even scheme and construction ban, that are to be enforced when air pollution reaches 'emergency' level did not figure in the deliberations.

"We will have to enhance the capacity of the local pollution control boards. The ground reality is complex especially in NCR town and the mechanism to enforcing it would be highly challenging," an official said.

The EPCA officials also flagged the volume of dust in Gurgaon's air and underlined the need to go for increased tree cover and other dust control mechanism along roads.

Lal and Narain will take stock of the ground reality over the next few weeks and to assess the awareness on GRAP among lower level officials.

Narain made it clear that marriage ceremonies should not be expempted when it comes to the ban on DG sets. The Delhi government was also asked to come out with a list of the exemptions in this regard.

Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana were asked to prepare a list of commercial and industrial establishments that have been granted the consent to operate DG sets and submit to EPCA.

"The fly ash at the Badarpur plant should be transported out starting February 1 in special flyash containers," she said.

A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) official explained that pollution data from all the monitoring stations would be taken into account in preparing a comprehensive Air Quality Index of the city, which would further be shared with all the implementing agencies of the plan.

"This data will also be shared with the Met department which will put out pollution forecast of up to three days along with weather readings," the official said.
Nepal's incumbent government led by Prachanda would not be toppled until the local level elections are held, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba said today.

A new government would be formed after holding local elections tentatively in March, said Deuba talking to reporters in Chitawan, a central Nepal town.

There was a tacit understanding between Deuba and Prime Minister Prachanda some six months ago to share the remaining 18 months of Parliament tenure turn by turn while forming the coalition government led by Prachanda with the backing of Nepali Congress.

The Constitution amendment bill would be endorsed only after passing election-related bills, Deuba said adding that the local polls dates would be announced soon after passing the bills.

The former Prime Minister said that all elections at local, provincial and federal levels were essential for implementation of the Constitution.

Otherwise, it would push the democratic system into a crisis, he warned.

Deuba said that the Constitution amendment proposal was forwarded with a view to addressing the demands of the Madhesi people.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prince William, the second-in-line to the British throne, today confirmed he will be quitting his job as an air ambulance rescue pilot to focus on his royal duties on behalf of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth "full- time".

The Duke of Cambridge will also move his family to Kensington Palace in London from their current family base in Anmer Hall, Sandringham.

The 34-year-old has told East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) that he will not be renewing his two-year contract with them when it lapses in a few months' time in the summer.

In a statement, Prince William said: "It has been a huge privilege to fly with the East Anglia Air Ambulance.

"Following on from my time in the military, I have had experiences in the job I will carry with me for the rest of my life and that will add a valuable perspective to my Royal work for decades to come.

"I would like to thank the people of East Anglia for being so supportive of my role and for letting me get on with my job when they have seen me in the community or at our regions hospitals.

"I would especially like to thank all of my colleagues at EAAA, Babcock, and Cambridge Airport for friendship and support. I have loved being part of a team of professional, talented people that save lives every day.

"My admiration for our country's medical and emergency services community could not be stronger," he said.

William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, will make the move to London so that their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, can begin a new school and nursery, respectively, in the British capital.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Illinois schools have to cover more than 16,000 teacher absences every week and the states substitute teacher shortage is exacerbating the problem, according to a survey of nearly 400 districts released on Tuesday. On any given school day, the findings showed, about 600 K-12 classrooms dont have a teacher to lead them.

The survey was conducted by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools . Chicago Public Schools, the states largest district, did not participate in the survey.

Association president Jeff Vose called the survey results sobering and said that the state needs to find more ways to bolster the ranks of back-up teachers.

Now that we know this is a significant problem in our schools, we need to work to make it easier for qualified people to become substitute teachers, he said in a statement, referring to the states strict licensing requirements and costly licensing fees.

Earlier this month, the state took steps to address the substitute teacher shortage. On January 6, Governor Bruce Rauner signed legislation that aims to attract more candidates by allowing the states board of education to grant licenses to teachers with comparable out-of-state qualifications. It also reduces substitute licensing fees from $200 to $150, enables those with four-year degrees in any subject to apply, and makes returning to the classroom part-time easier for retirees.

Lifting these burdens will allow experienced educators quicker access to the classroom without compromising on quality, said Secretary of Education Beth Purvis in a press release .

Of course, Illinois is not alone in its efforts to tackle the substitute teacher shortage. This week I wrote about the nationwide sub shortage and the extraordinary efforts in several districts to enlist teachers who could lead a classroom at a moments notice. Some districts are outsourcing the recruitment of subs to staffing agencies that can work on tackling the problem year-round. Agencies like EDUStaff in Michigan and Source4Teachers in Pennsylvania are advertising on highway billboards. Source4Teachers takes outdoor advertising a step further with ads on bus shelters and on the buses themselves.

My article, however, doesnt touch upon the effects of substitute shortages on schools, though the stress on schools came through in the reporting. Some schools report that full-time teachers cant take time off to do their required professional development. Others report calling on support staff to cover for absent teachers. Principals often have to step in, too.

The principal of Marvine Elementary in Bethlehem, Pa., Karen Gomez, calls on her support staff (reading specialists and teachers of special education and English learners) when a teacher is out sick. Regardless of who she chooses, 35 kids arent getting the small-group help they need.

The support teacher prepared lessons for her students that she can no longer teach, said Gomez. Instead she has to study a lesson plan another teacher left behind. The students most in need of help stay in their regular classroom and dont get specialized instruction. Everybody loses.

Gomez says the Substitute Staffing Service, another agency that provides back-up teachers to Pennsylvania school districts, appears to be working out. Last year at Marvine, there was no substitute to cover classes 40 percent of the time a teacher was absent. The result was that every one of the support staff had to be pulled seven times each. So far this year, each of the support teachers has been pulled to cover an absent teachers class only twice.

Principal Gomez employs another strategy that has proven effective. Whenever she hears from classroom teachers that a substitute followed through with lesson plans and did a good job of managing the class, she lets that sub know. I say, I understand you did a great job. Please come back. We would love to have you.

Photo: Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools
Outgoing US President Barack Obama has said that he is "proud" to cut short the sentences of as many as 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes, arguing that they deserved 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," Obama wrote in tweet yesterday.

With this, the total number of commutation by him stands at 1,715, highest by a US President the history, the White House said.

"The vast majority of these men and women are serving unduly long sentences for drug crimes," White House counsel Neil Eggleston said.

"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," he said.

In a surprise move on Tuesday, Obama cut short the 35-year sentence of Chelsea Manning, a transgender solider convicted of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks.

The decision was slammed by President-elect Donald Trump's Republican.

Later, Obama defended it 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 his final conference on Wednesday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Centre is mulling linking neighbouring countries like Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal through the railways.

This was announced here on Friday by Railway Minister at a programme where an agreement was signed between the Indian Railways and UNESCO.

"We have neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal. We have a very cordial relationship with them. We want to increase railway connectivity with these countries. We are trying to develop it," Prabhu told reporters.

"If a circuit can be made connecting these neighbouring countries, it will increase interaction, tourism, trade, employment and connectivity," he added.

Prabhu said work was on to connect all the eight state capitals of the north-east, so that the tourism potential of the region gets a boost.

Horticulture, floriculture, handicraft of the region would get a bigger market after the state capitals are connected with the rest of the country, the railway minister said, adding that he would visit Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the next two days.

Prabhu said investments of Rs 3-3.5 lakh crore would be made in the railways while the amount had been Rs 35,000-40,000 crore a year earlier. This will bring development in the functioning of the railways, he added.

On the railways going digital, Prabhu said an app has been



launched about five-six days ago for which no smartphone was needed. The app could be used for reservation and cancellation of train tickets.

One can reserve a ticket even after the chart has been prepared, he said, adding that the TTEs at some places have been given an equipment to handle such cases.

"This way, corruption will end and the income of the railways will grow," the railway minister said.

For any emergency like medical ones, arrangements have been made to look into the matter within 15-16 minutes of lodging a complaint via Twitter or Facebook, he said.

Prabhu said, arrangements have been made to clean a coach within 15 minutes of a complaint being lodged, "but we need people's cooperation in this regard. Passengers should not litter (stations and trains) and think that it is the responsibility of the railways to clean the mess".

Efforts were on to quicken these services, he said. To a question, the minister said accidents had reduced "substantially".

"You (media) reported that two recent accidents were due to sabotage. So, they cannot be called normal accidents. We are taking a huge step towards safety. We are running a campaign throughout the country to go into each and every aspect of safety which is priority number one and non-negotiable," he said.

A trust agreement was signed between the Ministry of Railways and UNESCO in the presence of Prabhu to develop the Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan for Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

The railway minister thanked Union minister and local MP SS Ahluwalia and Gorkha Territorial Administration Chief Executive Bimal Gurung for this, adding that the agreement would help conserve the heritage.

As per the plan, Prabhu said, the IRCTC portal would be promoted in the tourism circuit to exploit the tourism potential of Darjeeling and neighbouring areas.

The skills of the locals would be developed with the help of the Ministry of Skill Development, so that the local artisans and tribals get a bigger market, he added.

Prabhu also flagged off the Howrah-Yesvantpur Humsafar Express from Howrah station via remote control from Darjeeling.

He dedicated various other projects of the Eastern and the South Eastern Railway to the people.
The apex consumer commission has directed the Western Railway to pay a compensation of over Rs 68 lakh to a man, who suffered 100 per cent disability in a freak accident at a railway station in Maharashtra, apart from bearing his entire medical expenses.

The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has asked the railways to pay the compensation to Maharashtra native Vinod Sharma, while dismissing its plea against Maharashtra state commission's order, saying the Consumer Protection Act is a beneficial legislation, specially enacted for protection of the consumers for an additional remedy.

"The Consumer Protection Act is a beneficial legislation, specially enacted for the protection of consumers and provides an additional remedy in the shape of Section 3 of the Consumer Protection Act, which clearly lays down that the provisions of the Act shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of the provisions of any other law for the time being in force," the consumer bench headed by member B C Gupta said, dismissing the railways' plea challenging the jurisdiction of the fora.

According to the complaint, on May 13, 2010, Sharma was injured when a heavy wooden plank/sleeper fell on his head, while he was on platform at Churchgate Railway Station, causing grievous brain injury and multiple skull fracture with spontaneous unconsciousness.

He remained admitted at a Mumbai hospital from May 13, 2010, to September 9, 2010, for brain/skull surgery.

The state commission concluded that Sharma was not in a position to do any work and his functional disability was 100 per cent after perusing a report by a panel of doctors appointed by the state commission to examine Sharma.

The state forum had directed the railways to pay Rs 62,87,040 as compensation, Rs 5 lakh for his pain, suffering, mental agony and loss of amenities and Rs 15,000 as cost of litigation to him.

During the hearing, the railways apprised the apex consumer commission that they had spent around Rs 28 lakh for the man's medical treatment.

The department also contended that the case did not fall under the jurisdiction of the consumer fora and the proper forum for the purpose was the Railway Claims Tribunal, as the injury had been effected on the railway premises itself.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Rana Daggubati is another star from today supported the protests for bull taming sport of Jalikattu in Tamil Nadu, saying it is amazing to see people come together to support their tradition.

"Jallikattu is a part of Tamil Nadu's culture. The protest that is going on there in support of Jallikattu at the Chennai's Marina beach is very touching. It is in the right direction," Rana said at a press conference in the second day of Jaipur Literature Festival here.

The "Bahubali" actor said that the people of Tamil Nadu are united in support of their tradition.

The state is witnessing widespread protests again a ban on Jallikattu and the Tamil film industry has come out in support of the protesters.

Daggubati along with the film producer SS Rajamouli were present in JLF to promote the second installment of the film.

Rajamouli said part two is not the end of "Babubali" and people should hope for part three as well.

"We just cannot stop with part two. We have just finished it. We want to continue with its next part and hopefully there will be Babubali-3," Rajamouli said.

He said "Bahubali" will bring its actors fame similar to "Sholay".

"'Sholay' became an epic after 15-20 years of its release and people talk about it. The kind of fame its makers and actors got, I hope the same will be for us," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than 72 days after demonetisation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said it still does not know the "exact number" of junked currency notes that were in circulation and it is still "reconciling" the number of notes that were deposited back.

In a written submission to Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the central bank said: "The exact number of Specified Bank Notes (SBNs) withdrawn from circulation is being worked out."



The response came even as Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal had on December 2 told Parliament in a written response that currency notes worth Rs 15.44 lakh crore (17165 million pieces of 500 notes and 6858 million pieces of 1000 notes) were in circulation on November 8.

RBI Governor Urjit Patel along with Deputy Governor R Gandhi and other senior functionaries appeared before the PAC, headed by former union minister and senior Congress leader K V Thomas, for oral evidence on 'Review of Monetary Policy'.

Sources said the RBI was asked about the "total number" of the scrapped currency deposited in banks after November 8.

In its reply, RBI is understood to have informed PAC that the exchange of the currency took place at thousands of bank branches and post offices over the 50 days demonetisation period. The collected notes were deposited in 4,000 currency chests.

"It (number of notes) is pending finalisation as of now, as physical verification and reconciliation are underway," said sources quoting the RBI's reply.

RBI informed the panel that its Board meeting which recommended withdrawal of legal tender of Rs 500/1000 notes was held on November 8 at 5.30 pm.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced about the demonetisation in his address to the nation at 8 pm on the same day after Cabinet's approval.

The Members of Parliament in the PAC were also informed by the RBI that the matter related to demonetisation was under discussion between the government and the RBI for "some months", following which the proposal was placed before the Central Board of RBI on November 8 for consideration.

The Board recommended the proposal to the government.

The Board meeting was attended by Governor Patel, two Deputy Governors (R Gandhi and S S Mundra), and five Directors of RBI -- Nachiket Mor, Bharat N Doshi, Sudhir Mankad, Shaktikanta Das and Anjuly Chib Duggal.

Sources said another director N S Vishwanathan (Deputy Governor) did not attend the meeting as he stayed back in Mumbai for "strategic reasons" to brief the bankers first hand immediately after the decision on demonetisation was taken.

Another director, Natarajan Chandrasekaran was abroad at the time of the meeting.

(REOPENS DEL61)



In its submission to PAC, RBI has also said that it had indicated to the government that there could be possible inconvenience to the public as replacement of currency would take time.

However, it was felt that demonetisation would help in dealing with problem of counterfeit currency and push people to use digital mode of payments.

It was also pointed out that legal tender character of old Rs 500/1000 notes was cancelled by the government with effect from mid-night of November 8, 2016 under Section 26 (2) of the RBI Act on the recommendation of the RBI's Board.

While the conduct of the monetary policy is a function of the RBI, but it is different from the action taken by the government for withdrawal legal tender character of the notes.
A 35-year-old woman was attacked by a Rottweiler dog when she was returning after dropping her daughter to school in south Delhi's RK Puram area.

The incident happened yesterday when Minakshi, a resident of Munirka, was on her way home, a senior police officer said.

The woman told police that as she entered the colony the rottweiler dog came towards her and pounced on her.

She raised an alarm and the dog's owner, Sanjeev Joshi, who was standing at a distance, came to the spot and tried to control the dog, said the officer.

However, the woman told police that the dog couldn't be controlled and after freeing himself from his owner, he attacked the woman again, he said.

Eyewitnesses said they didn't help the woman since they were scared of the dog, who was "quite ferocious", said the officer.

Meenakshi works as a saleswoman and lives with her family at a rented house in Sector-4 in the area.

Police were informed about the incident today, following which the dog owner was booked and he will be questioned soon.

Police are talking to the woman to know the sequence of events. The doctors, who attended to the woman, told police that she had suffered severe injuries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Britain's Royal Navy have been brought in to dispose of a suspected World War II bomb discovered in London's River Thames close to parliament, police said.

"The Royal Navy are now in attendance and will safely remove and dispose of the ordnance over the next few hours," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement yesterday.

The involvement of the armed forces came hours after police temporarily evacuated Westminster underground station, which serves the Houses of Parliament.

The rush hour shutdown also saw the closure at around 5:15 pm (local time) of Westminster Bridge, in the shadow of parliament's Big Ben clock, and Waterloo Bridge, both of which have since reopened.

"Further temporary road closures are expected to be necessary throughout the night as the ordnance is dealt with. The majority of these will be in central London," police said.

The ordnance was spotted after coming to the surface of the water in the tidal flow of the Thames, a police spokesman told AFP.

It was found in the river by Victoria Embankment, close to Horse Guards Avenue where the Old War Office Building is located, which was used by the British government during World War II and was bombed.

More than 12,000 metric tons of bombs were dropped on the British capital during the war, according to London's Imperial War Museum.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen's Red Sea coast have killed at least 29 rebels over the past 24 hours, military sources said today.

The strikes hit two military camps, an ammunition depot and an arms transporter in Hodeida province, the sources said. Around 20 fighters and renegade troops were also wounded.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in support of beleaguered President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

But despite its massively superior firepower, the rebels and their allies still control the capital Sanaa and much of the central and northern highlands as well as the Red Sea coast.

Pro-government forces launched a major offensive earlier this month aimed at ousting the rebels from Dhubab district at the southern end of the 450 kilometre long coastline.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
State Bank of India (SBI) on Friday raised Rs 5,680.99 crore by issuing preferential shares to the government.

The Committee of Directors for Capital Raising of accorded approval to allot 21.07 crore equity shares on preferential basis to the Government of India, the bank said in a regulatory filing to stock exchanges.

Shares were issued at a price of Rs 269.59 per unit of face value of Re 1 each, including a premium of Rs 268.59 per unit for a total consideration of Rs 5,680.99 crore.

The fund infusion is part of total capital support of Rs 7,575 crore to fixed for the current financial year.

On Thursday, the Ministry asked the country's largest lender to initiate regulatory process to receive the remaining 25 per cent, or Rs 1,894 crore, capital support. The government is expected to provide the remaining amount to the bank by March 31.

The government, in July last, had announced a total capital infusion of Rs 22,915 crore to 13 PSU banks, including SBI, PNB and IOB, in this fiscal to enhance their lending operations.

The Ministry had alloted 75 per cent of the amount initially while the rest was withheld.

"Consequent upon the above exercise, 75 per cent of the amount collected for each bank is being released now to provide liquidity support for lending operations as also to enable to raise funds from the market," Ministry had said in a statement then.

The remaining amount, to be released later is linked to performance, with particular reference to greater efficiency, growth of both credit and deposits and reduction in the cost of operations, it had said.

The funds raised by will help meet global risk norms under Basel III.

As of quarter ended December 31, 2016, the equity held by the government in SBI was at 61.1 per cent.

Shares of SBI closed 2.83 per cent lower at Rs 251 on BSE on Friday.

Meanwhile, another public sector lender Union Bank of India approved allotment of equity shares on preferential basis to Government of India for an amount aggregating up to Rs 541 crore.

Further issue and allotment of equity shares on preferential basis to the Government of India for an amount aggregating up to Rs 180 crore including premium subject to approval.

The government had approved Rs 721 crore capital infusion in Union Bank of India for 2016-17 and the allotment is being done on the basis of 75 per cent in the first phase and 25 per cent in the second phase which should be complete by March 31.
Supreme Court today sought to know from the Centre and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) about the status of 1538 cases of banned Ponzi schemes which have been referred to other agencies for investigations.

A bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud asked the government and the market regulator to file affidavits giving the details of such cases and action taken thereof.

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh said SEBI had passed interim orders against 299 entities, including 76 Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) and 223 Deemed Public Issues (DPI).

He said over 1000 cases, which do not fall under the jurisdiction of SEBI, have been transferred to other agencies which have jurisidiction over them.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for NGO 'Humanity Salt Lake' alleged inaction on the part of the government in regulating chit fund schemes resulting in multiple scams across the country.

He said that despite regulations being in place, these were not implemented properly and SEBI should be directed to investigate all the cases.

"The regulations are there and SEBI Act has also been amended. We cannot burden SEBI with all the cases. Whatever job Parliament has decided to give, it is being done and what has been given to others, they will do," the bench said.

It said if the petitioner has any objection with regard to any work not done properly, then a representation could be made to the concerned authority to highlight the issues.

SEBI in its affidavit had earlier informed the apex court that ponzi schemes did not fall under its regulatory purview and only the state governments concerned can control them.

The stock market regulator had also said banned activities cannot be regulated by any regulator and just be stopped if it is intimated about such schemes or it takes suo motu cognisance.

SEBI had also told the apex court in its affidavit that it has been "alert and proactive in tackling the menace of unauthorised money mobilisation".

The market regulator further said that "during last three



years, on completion of examination with respect to the applicability of the SEBI Act, 1992 and regulations, SEBI passed interim order against 299 entities, including 76 CIS and 223 Deemed Public Issues (DPI)," it said.

SEBI said that it has referred 1657 cases to various agencies as activities of these entities did not fall in its regulatory purview.

It had said that in some cases, recovery proceedings could not be initiated due to stays granted by Securities Appellate Tribunal or intervention by other courts, while in cases where recoveries are initiated, further progress was hampered due to multi-agency attachments.
Penalty for Running From the Police

The police power to detain and arrest suspects is fairly broad, with a few general limitations. If police officers have a reasonable suspicion that you've committed a crime, they may attempt to arrest you, and evading that arrest may be a crime in and of itself.

Depending on the circumstances and the state statute involved, the penalties for resisting or evading arrest can be severe. Here's a look at some general principles when it comes to running from police, and the possible consequences.

Police Limits

While police officers are permitted to stop someone on a public street and ask questions, individuals are equally entitled to refuse to answer any such questions and walk away. In order to actually detain or search someone on the street, cops need a "reasonable and articulable suspicion" that the person engaged in criminal activity.

In order to arrest someone, police either need a valid warrant or some narrow exceptions to the warrant requirement must exist. Police may arrest felony suspects in a public place -- if the circumstances make it reasonable to do so -- or those who commit misdemeanors in an officer's presence. If the reason for the arrest is valid and the arrest itself is legal, it is a crime to resist or evade arrest. (While some courts have ruled that you can't be charged with a criminal attempt to escape if the arrest was unlawful, for your safety you should probably follow officer instructions and challenge the arrest in court later.)

Punishment for Leaving

States may vary in how they define arrest or police custody, the circumstances needed for conviction if you're evading arrest, and the penalties involved. Under Texas law, "[a] person commits an offense if he intentionally flees from a person he knows is a peace officer or federal special investigator attempting lawfully to arrest or detain him." Evading arrest or detention is a misdemeanor in the Lone Star State, but can be a felony if the person fleeing has prior convictions, uses a vehicle to escape, or causes someone's death while escaping.

In Florida, resisting, obstructing, or opposing any officer or "other person legally authorized to execute process in the execution of legal process or in the lawful execution of any legal duty, without offering or doing violence to the person of the officer, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree." As misdemeanors, both are punishable but up to one year in jail, though fines may vary.

Your best bet, if charged with a crime or otherwise facing arrest, is to go to an experienced criminal defense attorney instead of going on the run.

Related Resources:
on Friday refused to direct the Centre to place before it the minutes of the meeting of a high-powered committee, comprising the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of Opposition, which has selected Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma as the new CBI Director.

"It (direction to call for minutes of the meeting) is not within the ambit of this writ petition. As far as this writ petition is concerned, it is over now," a bench comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and A M Khanwilkar said.

The apex court said this after it was informed by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the appointment to the post of CBI Director has been made and senior IPS officer Alok Kumar Verma has been appointed.

The Centre also ruled out the demand by the NGO, Common Cause, seeking a direction to it to place before the bench the minutes of the meeting of the high-level panel on the matter.

"Where is the question of placing the minutes of the meeting now? A decision has been taken and order has been issued. Why are you (Bhushan) pushing for something which is over? There is no question of placing the minutes of the meeting," Rohatgi told the bench, which disposed of the plea.

Mehta also told the bench that the committee comprises the Prime Minister, CJI and the Leader of Opposition and "their wisdom cannot be questioned" like this.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, urged the bench to direct the Centre to place before it the minutes of the meeting of the committee.

"Let them place the minutes of the meeting. Last time the Attorney General had said they would place the minutes of the meeting before the court," he said.

Bhushan also told the bench that the minutes have to be seen to ascertain whether the new appointment has been made by following the law and procedure laid down by the apex court earlier.

He claimed that the meeting of the selection committee was not convened in December despite the fact that the earlier CBI Director Anil Sinha had retired on December 2.

However, his arguments did not cut much ice with the bench which reminded him that there was a "change in guard" at the helm of CJI also. Bhushan also raised the issue of appointment of Rakesh Asthana as an interim CBI Director allegedly without following the prescribed procedure, but the bench said now "nothing survives in this writ petition" as the Centre has informed it that a new person has been selected.

He also said there have been media reports that there was a dissent in the selection of Verma as the CBI Director and therefore there was a need to place on record the minutes to see how the decision was taken.

Alok Kumar Verma, the Delhi Police Commissioner, was yesterday appointed as the new CBI Chief and 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 the CBI.

Earlier, the Centre had rubbished the claim that services of senior IPS officer R K Dutta, who was overseeing probe in 2G and coal scams, was curtailed in a "malafide" manner and asserted that the provisions governing the probe agency had been complied with.

Rohatgi had also opposed the contention that there was malafide in shunting out Dutta from CBI and appointing Rakesh Asthana as the interim Director.

The apex court had on December 9 last year sought the Centre's response on the plea challenging the appointment of Asthana as the interim director of CBI after shifting of Dutta by curtailing his tenure in the agency.

The petition had alleged that the Centre took a series of steps in a "completely mala fide, arbitrary and illegal manner to ensure that Asthana was given the charge of CBI director".

Asthana, an IPS officer of 1984-batch, was elevated as CBI's Additional Director on December 2 when its Special Director R K Dutta, who was reportedly among the frontrunners for the top post, was shifted to the Ministry of Home Affairs as Special Secretary.

The plea had claimed that the government did not convene a meeting of the selection committee, even though it was fully aware that Anil Sinha was going to demit office of CBI Director on December 2.

It had alleged that the government had "prematurely curtailed" Dutta's tenure and transferred him to MHA on November 30 just two days before Sinha was slated to demit office.
The Bombay High Court today said it was "very unhappy" over the pace of progress in Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare murder cases even as the CBI informed the court that Scotland Yard has refused to help in the forensic probe on the ground that there was no pact between the UK and India for sharing such data.

Today, CBI also submitted, in a sealed cover, a report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists, including M M Kalburgi in Karnataka, the third such report, the other two being those of Mumbai and Bengaluru labs.

CBI, probing Dabholkar's murder, and the SIT of state CID, investigating killing of Pansare, also submitted separate reports in sealed covers to the court on the progress made in these two cases.

A bench of justices S C Dharmadhikari and B P Colabawalla observed that it was "very unhappy" over the tardy progress in investigation, and also noted there was no development in the proceedings in courts in Pune and Kolhapur, trying Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases respectively.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told the bench, hearing petitions filed by the families of the two slain rationalists, that, "Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases."



The CBI had earlier told the court that forensic evidence was sent to Scotland Yard to seek its opinion if same weapons were used in the murders of Dabholkar and Pansare in Maharashtra and Kalburgi in Karnataka.

The judges perused the reports and cautioned the probe agencies against revealing the contents to anyone, including media, as the investigations are still on.

SIT counsel Ashok Mundargi said, "The probe in Pansare killing is on. We have identified two absconding suspects. The charge sheet has been filed and we are investigating further."



On a plea made by the two agencies seeking eight weeks time to conduct further probe, the bench deferred the matter till March 20.

While Dabholkar was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015 in Kolhapur. He died on February 20 that year. Prof Kalburgi was murdered on August 30, 2015.

Last month also, the High Court had come down heavily on CBI for inordinate delay in the investigation and said it was "bungling up" the probe.

Virendra Tawde, an alleged member of right wing group Sanathan Sanstha was arrested on June 10 last year by CBI in the Dabholkar case. He was also arraigned as accused by CID in the Pansare case.

Another member of the Sanstha, Samir Gaikwad, was arrested by the SIT in connection with the Pansare murder case in September 2015.

The family members of Dabholkar and Pansare also again



voiced their unhappiness over the "lack of progress" in probe in the cases.

After the hearing concluded, Dabholkar's son Hamid and daughter Mukta distributed pamphlets outside the court seeking arrest of the accused.

Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of Pansare, staged a silent demonstration demanding arrest of the accused.

"The investigation agencies are very slow and the contents of forensic reports always reach the media first," their lawyer Abhay Nevgi said.

On an earlier occasion, the bench had noted that delay caused by the probe agency would not only benefit the accused but would also give a bad impression to the society at large.

As Mumbai and Bengaluru forensic labs had given conflicting opinions, the investigating agency wanted a third opinion. Hence, it sent evidence to Ahmedabad forensic lab, whose report was today submitted to the court.

The state CID, probing the Pansare murder case, had earlier this year filed a petition in the high court seeking stay on the trial till a forensic report from Scotland Yard Police laboratory was obtained.

The CID petition had sought a stay from the high court on framing of charges against Gaikwad. The HC had then granted the stay.
A section of bank trade unions have threatened to go on a day-long nation-wide strike on February 7 to press various demands including complete removal of restrictions imposed during period and safeguarding the autonomy of the Reserve Bank of India.

"It was expected that the government and the RBI would take necessary steps to mitigate the problems faced by the banks and the public but even now, we find that there is acute shortage of cash supply to the banks with the result that branches are not able to honour even the restricted payment of Rs 24,000/100,000 per week," AIBEA General Secretary C H Vekatachalam said.

Apart from All India Bank Employees' Association( AIBEA), other unions which will be part of the strike are All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) and Bank Employees Federation of India.

Unions are also demanding publishing names of individuals who have defaulted in paying loans of Rs 1 crore and above so that stringent measures could be taken to recover bad loans.

Other demands of banks include ensuring autonomy of RBI in cash management, compensation to family of general public, bank customers and bank staff who lost their lives in the aftermath and payment of overtime to employees and officers for their additional effort during the 50-day period.

He added that the government is interfering by appointing officials to monitor cash management which is affecting the autonomy of RBI. Cash management falls under the sole jurisdiction of RBI, he said.

"Humiliated" by the events since demonetisation, even RBI employees had written to Governor Urjit Patel protesting the operational "mismanagement" of the note ban exercise and the government impinging the apex bank's autonomy.

In a letter, the employees said that the autonomy and image of RBI has been "dented beyond repair" due to mismanagement and termed the appointment of a senior Finance Ministry official for currency coordination as a "blatant encroachment" of the RBI's exclusive turf.
Talks of a pre-poll alliance between saffron allies Shiv Sena and BJP for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls made no headway today as the leaders of both sides blamed each other for "derailing" the ongoing talks and put the ball in the chief minister's court for a final call.

Hinting at a breakdown, senior Sena MLC Anil Parab said, "We have put forth what we had to say. Now, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should clear his stand on the alliance."



Meanwhile, BJP sources also hinted at a possible split with both the alliance partners going solo for the February 21 polls.

Parab and senior Sena Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai called upon the BJP to rein in its leaders from criticising the Sena as repeated barbs could derail the talks.

Parab said they had conveyed their displeasure to Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray about the BJP leaders' verbal diatribes against the latter.

"If allegations are going to be levelled against our party president, then we cannot tolerate it. Talks are over from our side and there will be no next meeting between Sena and BJP leaders," he added.

Countering Sena's demand to rein in BJP politicians from criticising its leaders, state Minister for School Education Vinod Tawde, one of the negotiators from the BJP side, said, "Anil Parab says they did not criticise any BJP leader through 'Saamana' (the Sena mouthpiece). We also did not criticise any Sena leader. We only slammed the contractors. Why did it sting you (Sena)?"



Commenting upon the breakdown in the talks, he said, "We were supposed to give a list for yuti (alliance) today. There was supposed to be a meeting, but Sena says no and that too I came to know through the media. Discussions on yuti are not done through the media."



Tawde said the BJP was "positive" about the alliance "right from the first meeting".

"For the sake of the alliance, myself, state party chief Raosaheb Danve and other senior ministers took part in the talks from the BJP side. But, the Sena sent junior people like a divisional chief, a former MLA for the discussions. Still, we persisted with the discussion. We had expected senior leaders like Subhash Desai, Ramdas Kadam to take part from the Sena side," he added.

Meanwhile, Parab said on one hand, BJP leaders were



criticising Sena leaders and on the other, the chief minister was talking about an alliance between the two parties.

"This is double speak of the BJP. They (BJP) should ask their leaders to stop these loose talks," the Sena MLC said.

Senior Sena MP Anil Desai too echoed similar sentiments arguing that the BJP should rein in its leaders or else, the continued tirade could derail the alliance talks.

Parab claimed that the Sena did not make any personal criticism of any BJP leader through 'Saamana'.

He, however, said, "But, in the last two years, various allegations have been levelled against 13 BJP ministers. Allegations have also been levelled against Vinod Tawde, Prakash Mehta and Ashish Shelar who are coming for the talks with us."



"If we want to talk of transparency, we should start from there. Sena is exercising restraint, the BJP too should do the same," Parab added.

Even as Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has set a January 21 deadline to wrap up alliance and seat-sharing talks for the February 21 polls, there is no sign of any progress in the talks between the leaders of both the parties or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Thackeray as yet.

Thackeray has already announced that he will clear his stand on alliance and how to contest the BMC polls in his address to Shiv Sainiks at Shanmukhanand Hall on January 23, the birth anniversary of late Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

(Reopen BOM19)



Meanwhile, BJP leaders told
A day after Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution for the return of displaced Pandits to the Valley, hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani today said while they welcome their return, separate settlements were unacceptable.

The separatist leader said the resolution in the assembly was a "political gimmick" and "we won't allow such colonies and will oppose as already stated by the Hurriyat".

In a statement here, Geelani said, "We will welcome return of Pandits to the Valley. However any separate colony for their settlement is unacceptable."



He said Pandits "are a part of our society and we have always asked them to return and we will welcome if they are willing to settle within us and in our society.

"However, we will resent any decision about separate colonies and it will be opposed by one and all."



In a significant development yesterday, the Assembly passed a resolution for creating a conducive atmosphere for the return of the Kashmiri Pandits who were forced to leave the Valley 27 years back after militancy erupted.

Today, the Legislative Council followed suit and unanimously passed the said resolution.

The state government yesterday asserted it will go ahead with the proposal of setting up transit camps for the displaced community.

Last Monday, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had also slammed those opposed to transit accommodation for Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, and questioned how the return of "our people" could bring about a demographic change.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Writer of popular TV series "Sherlock," Mark Gatiss, says they will never replace Benedict Cumberbatch as the lead.

Gatiss said the show is special and they cannot think of anybody other than the British actor, who can do justice to the character, reported Digital Spy.

"We couldn't do it without him, of course not. We couldn't



recast Sherlock. It's not a show we're just churning out. It's a special thing and we couldn't do it without Benedict," the writer said.

Gatiss, who also plays Sherlock's brother Mycroft on the BBC series, went on to describe Cumberbatch, 40 and co-star Martin Freeman as "the definitive Holmes and Watson of our age".

"I don't think you need to argue that," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Samajwadi Party's announcement of candidates for nine seats currently held by it came as a bolt from the blue for the Congress tonight which failed to specify whether the grand secular alliance in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh was on or off.

Senior party spokesperson Ajay Maken merely described as "unfortunate" the action by the SP and steered clear of questions from reporters whether the tie-up with the party led by Akhilesh Yadav was continuing.

Insisting that alliance with SP was concluded in talks with Akhilesh, Maken said the Congress would wait for further talks on the issue between AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

"This alliance was concluded earlier with none other than SP National President Akhilesh Yadav and leaders of the Congress and now again we are getting in touch with Akhilesh Yadav because it was with him that the alliance earlier was concluded.

"It is unfortunate... We were expecting that the seats and other... Technical details which were agreed upon and concluded upon between Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leaders should be honoured," Maken said.

He spoke in similar vein to a volley of questions at the AICC briefing indicating that the party was shell shocked by the sudden action from the Samajwadi Party. He did not answer a query whether Akhilesh has "crossed all limits" by the action, which has come as a "googly" for the Congress.

Talk in AICC circles was that Akhilesh had agreed to give as many as 121 seats to the Congress and that he appears to have come under BJP pressure.

In Lucknow, SP National Vice President Kironmay Nanda accused Congress of not giving any positive response to the party on alliance issue and said it could give the party only 85 of 403 Assembly seats.

The SP leader also said if the Congress wanted to defeat BJP, it should accept SP's formula of seat-sharing.

When asked whether it has become difficult to forge alliance with Congress now, he said, "It will be too early to say so. We still want an alliance with Congress but on our own conditions. Poll process has already started and SP cannot wait for a long time."



Prospects of a grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh appeared uncertain earlier as SP and Congress had aired divergent views on inclusion of RLD headed by Ajit Singh.

SP has been ruling out inclusion of Ajit Singh's RLD in the alliance despite his party having some influence in Western Uttar Pradesh. Congress had been pitching for its inclusion and was planning to give some of its seats to RLD.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sri Lanka has failed to attract bids from international airlines to privatise its loss-making flag carrier, but will continue its efforts to salvage the company, a minister said today.

The government received nine offers for Sri Lankan but none were from a major international airline operator, State Enterprise Development Minister Kabir Hashim said.

"We are still evaluating the proposals, but we are keen to have an airline of international repute that can also bring in traffic that will help our tourism industry," the minister told reporters in Colombo.

Of the proposals received, the government has shortlisted three, including one from TPG, a San Francisco-based private equity firm.

Hashim is heading a new three-member ministerial panel to decide the future of Sri Lankan which has debts and accumulated losses of over USD 2 billion.

"The new committee was appointed to explore other options," the minister said. "We don't know yet what those options are, but we want to get a good international (airline) partner very soon."



Official sources said the government was keen to attract a big operator from the Middle East or Asia.

Late last year, Sri Lankan cancelled the previous government's order to lease four brand new Airbus A350-900 long-haul aircraft after paying a penalty of $115 million to aircraft leasing giant AerCap.

Minister Hashim said a separate order of four Airbus A350-900 planes will also be cancelled. Those were scheduled to be delivered after 2020.

Former president Mahinda Rajapakse ordered all eight planes as part of a USD 2.3-billion re-fleeting programme for the airline, which is now being investigated for corruption.

Sri Lankan was profitable before Rajapakse cancelled a management agreement with Emirates in 2008 following a personal dispute.

The carrier had refused to bump fare-paying passengers and give their seats to Rajapakse's family members.

An angry Rajapakse removed the Emirates-appointed CEO of Sri Lankan from the post and replaced him with his own brother-in-law, who had no airline experience, and is now under investigation for corruption.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) was today fined 900,000 pounds after a worker lost his leg in an accident, described as "completely avoidable" by the court, at one of the company's UK factories nearly two years ago.

A trial at Birmingham Crown Court was told that the delivery driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into another car at JLR's Solihull plant in the West Midlands region of England in February 2015.

The worker was crushed between two vehicles and his right leg had to be amputated.

"A worker has been left with life-changing injuries that were completely avoidable. It was only good fortune that prevented this from being a fatal accident," John Glynn, an inspector with the UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE), told the hearing.

JLR has since introduced a buffer zone to reduce the risk of a similar accident.

The HSE said its investigation found that the company had failed to ensure that the driver of the Range Rover, who was covering the shift, was familiar with normal procedures.

The firm had also failed to separate workers on the production line.

Two other employees had suffered minor injuries in the accident.

As well as the fine, the Tata Group firm will also have to pay 49,868 pounds in legal costs.

"Jaguar Land Rover is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all employees, and strives to continuously improve working conditions.

"We accept the decision and continue to work closely with the HSE to ensure that all reasonably practicable measures are in place to protect our employees," JLR said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu on Friday came out strongly in support of amid groundswell in Tamil Nadu for the conduct of the bull-taming sport.

Describing as the "spirit of Tamil Nadu", Mahesh Babu took to twitter and hoped the voices of the protesters are heard.

#Jallikattu is the spirit of Tamil Nadu - bold and fearless.  Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) January 19, 2017

" is the spirit of Tamil Nadu  bold and fearless," said the actor, son of veteran film personality Krishna.

"Proud to see such a statement of unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in. Especially admire the way, the students of Tamil Nadu have been standing up for the cause, relentlessly fighting for their roots and culture. Hope their voices are heard. I support the spirit of Tamil Nadu," Mahesh Babu, who grew up and studied in Chennai, said in a series of tweets.

A string of celebrities including Rajinikanth, A R Rahman, Kamal Hassan, Telugu film star K Pawan Kalyan, chess wizard Viswanathan Anand to name a few, have already expressed their support for the sport.

Tamil Nadu is witnessing massive protests over the issue of Jallikattu. Lakhs of students and youths are holding peaceful protests across the state, while agitators in Madurai, the main area which has been hosting Jallikattu sport for centuries, have stopped trains pressing for their demand.

Businesses, theatres, schools and transporters have declared a day-long strike today supporting the demand for immediate permission to hold Jallikattu events.
Are Texas Personal Injury Ads Causing Harm to Patients?

Doctors v. Lawyers

No, it's not a lawsuit or an Alien v. Predator movie.

It's a real-life drama unfolding in Texas, where personal injury attorney ads have prompted doctors to fight back. With a survey showing lawyers advertise there more than most places in the country, doctors have mounted their own public relations campaign. Their slogan:

"Don't let a lawyer be a doctor."

Conducted on behalf of the Texans Against Lawsuit Abuse, the survey found that more than eight in ten doctors believe the lawyer advertisements are leading patients to question their medications. Also, apparently one in three patients stop taking their medications and suffer the health consequences.

Sick of Lawsuits

"As physicians, it's our job to keep our patient's health the top priority, but personal injury lawyers are only thinking about turning patients into plaintiffs," said Dr. Christine L. Canterbury, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist. "Patients should be cautious about what they believe from these ads and think about who is providing them the information and why."

Canterbury, who is president of the Bay City Area Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, condemned the growing practice of personal injury lawsuit ads being passed off as actual medical advice. She said personal injury ads pose a health threat to patients who believe them without consulting a physician.

SickofLawsuits.org, an online network of people against personal injury lawsuits, claims that 360,000 attorney ads focused on medical devices and medicines in 2015. Thirty of those people stopped taking their medications because of the ads; two of them died and two were paralyzed, the website says.

Lawyer Marketing

According to a report from the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, trial lawyers spent almost $900 million on advertising in 2015. It grew by 68 percent over the previous eight years.

Texas, California, and Virginia were the most saturated markets for broadcast advertising. Akin Mears, Morgan & Morgan, Pulanski & Middleman spent the most among legal advertisers -- about $25 million each on television commercials in 2015.

The report said that lawyers spent the most on prescription drug claims, followed closely by medical devices and asbestos/mesothelioma.

Effective lawyer advertising is never easy, and you certainly can't please everyone. But there are best practices to keep in mind for legal advertising in the digital age.

Related Resources:
Narada editor Mathew Samuel today claimed before the Calcutta High Court that a delay of two years in making public 'sting' tapes allegedly showing Trinamool Congress leaders taking money was due to a party MP, who took over the ownership of the company which had given him the assignment, refusing to release the tapes.

Hearing of the three PILs seeking a CBI investigation into the Narada sting tapes showing senior TMC leaders allegedly taking money concluded today and the court reserved its order.

Samuel's counsel Arunabha Ghosh submitted before a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborty that though the sting was done in 2014, it could be released in public only in 2016 as K D Singh, a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP, had taken over the ownership of Tehelka.Com, which assigned him to do the 'sting operation' while it was under a previous management.

Ghosh submitted that Singh had refused to release the videos and as such he had later taken those back from Tehelka.

Narada was later formed of which Samuel is the editor and then the sting videos were released in March, 2016.

Counsel for TMC leaders, including state Cabinet ministers Sovan Chatterjee, Subrata Mukherjee, Suvendu Adhikari, MP Kakali Ghosh Dastidar and former minister Madan Mitra have vehemently opposed the pleas for a CBI probe and one of the main grounds cited by them is the delay.

The counsel have claimed that release of the sting videos allegedly showing the TMC leaders accepting money were purposely timed just before the Assembly elections in West Bengal with the motive to malign the ruling party in the state.

Counsel for CBI, on a query by the division bench on whether there was any legal hurdle in conducting a preliminary probe, submitted that as the central investigating agency was governed by IPC and CrPC, it had the statutory power to make a preliminary enquiry if the court directs.

The bench had during earlier hearings asked the state government and the counsel for the leaders whether they were amenable to a preliminary inquiry by CBI into the sting tapes to establish if any offence was committed.

They objected to the suggestion claiming that no offence had been committed and claimed that the petitioners could not show that any demand had been made for money on a promise to do something for the money giver.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
To stop "restrictive practices" adopted by building owners who give preference to a particular telecom service provider, regulator recommended that exclusive contracts that prohibit access to other players be treated as "violation" of licence norms.

"Indulgence into exclusive contract prohibiting access to other Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) may be treated as violation of the licence agreement or registration," said in its latest recommendations on 'In-Building Access by Telecom Service Providers'.

has also suggested that TSPs and infrastructure providers be mandated to share in-building infrastructure (optical fibre and other cables, ducts) with other TSPs, in large public places, commercial complexes and residential complexes in "transparent, fair and non-discriminatory manner".

It said that generally "restrictive practices" adopted by building owners for giving TSPs access to their buildings based on commercial interests had forced its hand and necessitated the policy intervention.

"In many cases, these owners enter into exclusive agreement with one of the TSPs for providing telecom services to dwellers and deny access to other TSPs, thus creating an artificial entry barrier for other TSPs.

"Such practices not only limit competition, it also leaves no choice to consumers except to avail services from the TSP with whom the contract is done," Trai said justifying the need for bringing out specific recommendations in this regard.

It further said that suitable provisions for the creation of Common Telecom Infrastructure (CTI) inside the building should form part of the Model Building Bye-Laws.

"The essential requirement for telecom installations and the associated cabling should form part of National Building Code of India (NBC), being amended by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)," it said.

Completion certificate to a building should be granted only after ensuring that the CTI as per the prescribed standards, is in place.

Access to building including CTI facilities should be available to the TSPs on a "fair, transparent and non-discriminatory manner" and minimum three TSPs or infrastructure providers should have presence in the building.

To lay cables or install telecom infrastructure inside the building, TSP and infrastructure providers require permission of the owner of the building, and have to further pay a negotiated amount for the access to the premises.

"A need was felt for policy intervention and to evolve a framework applicable to in-building facilities to enable the telecom operators to obtain efficient access on reasonable terms and conditions," it said.
A day ahead of his inauguration as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump arrived in Washington today, leaving New York City that has been his home and bears the real estate tycoon's imprints.

The Republican billionaire, 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!"



Earlier, 70-year-old Trump 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.

Trump's plane touched down at the Andrews air base around 12:08 (local time) in the afternoon.

Trump's family, including his daughter Ivanka, her husband Jared Kushner, his sons Don and Eric, their wives and young children descended the military plane first.

Trump and his wife Melania were greeted by senior military officials as they left the aircraft and got into a heavily secured motor car. The motorcade waited at the tarmac for a few minutes before leaving the air base.

Trump's motorcade will undertake the 20 minute drive from the air force base into Washington DC. Trump will stay at the Blair House, the official Guest House of the President of the US.

Joined by his family, 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.

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 Trump 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 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.
Kicking-off the official engagements ahead of his inauguration, US President-elect Donald Trump and his family attended a Church Service here.

Trump, his wife Melania, his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, his sons Don and Eric and their wives arrived at the St John's Church for a service. Rev Robert Jeffress preached to Trump at the Church service.

The Trumps will go to the White House where the Obamas will welcome the incoming President and have tea with him.

Following the meeting with Obama, Trump and his entourage will then head to the Capitol for the inauguration festivities and pageantry before being sworn-in as the 45th President of the US around noon. Trump will be administered the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts.

After the swearing-in, the Obamas will depart for California, while Trump and his family will head for the inauguration day parades and inaugural balls, part of the pageantry that accompanies the swearing-in of the new leader of the most powerful country in the world.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hours before taking oath of office as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump today laid wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknowns at the Arlington National Cemetry here as a host of performances kicked off his inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial hall.

Trump laid the wreaths along with Vice President-elect Mike Pence. The two men put their hands on their hearts as an army drummer played taps.

The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to service members whose remains were never identified.

The President-elect's family, including his wife Melania Trump, children and grandchildren, were also present during the wreath laying ceremony.

Trump was greeted by a large crowd who lined up the streets along the way.

Meanwhile, incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus announced the appointment of additional staff for Trump after he takes charge tomorrow.

"These exceptional individuals will play key roles in supporting President-elect Trump's America-first agenda," Priebus said.

The incoming White House staff of 17 includes Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary Rob Porter, Deputy Assistant to the President Sean Cairncross, Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief Digital Officer Gerrit Lansing.

The list also named Sarah Huckabee Sanders as the Principal Deputy Press Secretary, Michael Ambrosini as the Special Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of the Chief of Staff.

Another Special Assistant to the President and Assistant to the senior advisor would be Avrahm Berkowitz and Deputy Press Secretary would be Stephanie Grisham.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
When President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the US today, this will be the 58th formal presidential inaugural ceremony since 1789.

In all, US Presidents have been sworn into office 70 times - usually in public, sometimes in private following the death or resignation of a President, or because Inauguration Day fell on a Sunday. Notably, the US Senate oversaw the first 28 Inaugurations of both the President and Vice President.

But it was in February 4, 1901, that the Senate approved a concurrent resolution to create the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC).

The Senate and House of Representatives then appointed members on February 5, 1901. Since then, all Inaugural Ceremonies at the US Capitol have been organised by the JCCIC.

However, a separate Presidential Inaugural Committee, appointed by the President-elect, has the responsibility for all official inaugural events other than those held at the Capitol Hill.

The military also plays a role with the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, which coordinates all military participation and support for the Inaugural Ceremonies.

Although the US Constitution specified the oath to be taken by the President, the Framers of the Constitution provided that Congress would determine when and where the inauguration would take place.

America's interest in inauguration has grown over the decades. By late 1820s, what had typically been a small, indoor ceremony moved outdoors, allowing more people to witness this important event first hand.

By the end of the 19th century, the Presidential Inauguration had evolved into an elaborate day-long event, marked by parades, fireworks, luncheons, and glamorous Inaugural Balls.

As per the schedule, the vice president-elect Mike Pence would be sworn in first, followed by Trump at noon local time.

Following the swearing in JCCIC will host a congressional luncheon for the new President and the Vice President.

Approximately 200 guests including members of their families, the Supreme Court, Cabinet designees, and members of Congressional leadership are expected to attend the event in Statuary Hall.

The First President George Washington dined alone after his inauguration in 1789, but in the modern era, the JCCIC has hosted a luncheon at the Capitol following the swearing-in ceremonies.

After the newly elected President has taken the oath of



office and delivered his Inaugural Address, he is escorted to Statuary Hall in the US Capitol for the traditional Inaugural Luncheon. As the 20th century progressed, White House luncheons became more and more elaborate.

In 1945, President and Roosevelt played host more than 2,000 guests in what would be the last White House post-Inaugural Luncheon. In 1949, Secretary of the Senate Leslie Biffle hosted a small lunch for President Truman in his Capitol reception room.

They dined on South Carolina turkey, Smithfield Ham, potato salad, and pumpkin pie. In 1953, the JCCIC began its current tradition of hosting a luncheon for the President, Vice President and their spouses, Senate leaders, JCCIC members, and other invited guests by holding an Inaugural Luncheon for President Dwight D.

Eisenhower and some 50 guests in the Old Senate Chamber. Since then, the JCCIC has organised a luncheon celebration at 14 Presidential Inaugurations.During the Inaugural Luncheon, it is traditional for the President and Vice President to be presented with gifts by the Congress on behalf of the American people.

The President and Vice President will each be presented with a framed official photograph taken of their swearing in ceremony by a Senate photographer, as well as flags flown over the US Capitol during the Inaugural Ceremonies.

For the 8th consecutive Inauguration, Lenox Corporation has created the official Inaugural gifts from the American people, given to the new President and Vice President of the United States.

After their swearing in, President Donald Trump and Vice President Michael Pence will be presented with custom-made, one-of-a-kind engraved crystal vases at the Inaugural Luncheon.

The Presidential crystal bowl shows an image of the White House on one side overlooking the Jefferson Memorial on the opposite side. The Vice Presidential crystal bowl depicts the US Capitol building overlooking the Lincoln Memorial on the other side.

Each bowl has a compass rose cut into the base with the points of the compass aligned correctly with the buildings etched into the crystal.

The bowls are made of lead crystal and are 12 inches across, and will be placed on top of black cherry wood bases that bear an inscription of the date and occasion engraved into silver plaques. After Congressional luncheon the new President and the First Lady would participate in a parade to the White House, a relatively new tradition.

Eisenhower's 1957 Inauguration included close to 9,000 military personnel. President Kennedy's 1961 Inaugural parade consisted of more than 15,000 military and civilian personnel and took more than three hours to pass the reviewing stand.

During the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, President Obama became the first African American US President with the attendance of approximately 1.2 million people.

In 2013, there were 8,917 total parade participants. There were also 1,580 military members, who made up the "street cordon" to line the 3,856 yard long parade route to render honours to the Commander-In-Chief as he passed from the Capitol to the White House in 2013.
Donald Trump's swearing-in today was the 58th formal presidential inaugural ceremony since 1789, when US' first president George Washington was inaugurated.

In all, US presidents have been sworn into office 70 times -- usually in public, sometimes in private following the death or resignation of a president, or because Inauguration Day fell on a Sunday.

Notably, the US Senate oversaw the first 28 inaugurations of both the president and the vice president. But it was on February 4, 1901, that Senate approved a concurrent resolution to create a Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC).

The Senate and House of Representatives then appointed members on February 5, 1901. Since then, all inaugural ceremonies at the US Capitol have been organised by JCCIC.

However, a separate inaugural committee, appointed by the president-elect, has the responsibility of all official inaugural events, other than those held at the Capitol Hill.

The military also plays a role with the Joint Task Force- National Capital Region, which coordinates all military participation and support for the inaugural ceremonies.

Although US Constitution specified that the oath is taken by the President, its framers provided that Congress would determine when and where the inauguration would take place.

America's interests in the inauguration has grown over the decades. By late 1820s, what had typically been a small, indoor ceremony moved outdoors, allowing more people to witness this important event first hand.

By the end of 19th century, the presidential inauguration evolved into an elaborate day-long event, marked by parades, fireworks, luncheons, and glamorous Inaugural Balls.

According to schedule, vice president-elect Mike Pence was sworn in first, followed by Trump and the JCCIC hosted a Congressional luncheon for them. Nearly 200 guests including members of their families, the Supreme Court, Cabinet designees, and members of Congressional leadership are believed to have attended the ceremony in Statuary Hall.

In 1789, first US President George Washington dined alone after his inauguration, but in the modern era, the JCCIC has hosted a luncheon at the Capitol after the ceremonies.

Traditionally, after the newly elected president has taken the oath and delivered his inaugural address, he is escorted to Statuary Hall in the US Capitol for the inaugural luncheon.

As the 20th century progressed, White House luncheons have become elaborate.

(Reopens FGN 42)



In 1945, President Franklin D Roosevelt hosted more than 2,000 guests in what was the last White House post-inaugural luncheon.

In 1949, Secretary of Senate Leslie Biffle hosted a small lunch for President Harry S Truman in his Capitol reception room. They dined on South Carolina turkey, Smithfield Ham, potato salad, and pumpkin pie.

In 1953, JCCIC began its current tradition of hosting a luncheon for president, vice president and their spouses, Senate leaders, and other guests by holding an inaugural luncheon for Dwight D Eisenhower in the Old Senate Chamber.

Since then, JCCIC has organised a luncheon celebration at 14 presidential inaugurations. During the inaugural luncheon, it is traditional for the president and vice president to be presented with gifts by the Congress on behalf of the American people.

The president and vice-president will each be presented with a framed official photograph taken of their swearing-in ceremony by a Senate photographer, as well as flags flown over the US Capitol during the inaugural ceremonies.

For the 8th consecutive inauguration, Lenox Corporation has created the official inaugural gifts from the American people, given to the new president and the vice president.

After their swearing-in, President Trump and Vice President Michael Pence will be presented with custom-made, one-of-a-kind engraved crystal vases at the luncheon.

The presidential crystal bowl shows an image of the White House on one side overlooking the Jefferson Memorial on the opposite side. The vice presidential crystal bowl depicts the US Capitol building overlooking the Lincoln Memorial on the other side.

Each bowl has a compass rose cut into the base with the points of the compass aligned correctly with the buildings etched into the crystal.

The bowls are made of lead crystal and are 12 inches across, and will be placed on top of black cherry wood bases that bear an inscription of the date and occasion engraved into silver plaques. After Congressional luncheon the new President and the First Lady would participate in a parade to the White House, a relatively new tradition.

Eisenhower's 1957 inauguration included close to 9,000 military personnel. President John F Kennedy's 1961 inaugural parade had more than 15,000 military and civilian personnel and took more than three hours to pass the reviewing stand.

During the 2009 presidential inauguration, President Barack Obama became the first African-American US President with the attendance of approximately 1.2 million people.

In 2013, there were 8,917 total parade participants. There also were 1,580 military members, who made up the "street cordon" to line the 3,856-yard-long parade route to render honours to the Commander-in-Chief as he passes from the Capitol to the White House in 2013.
Within few hours of Donald Trump becoming the 45th President of the United States, his official presidential twitter account attracted more than five million followers.

As of today afternoon, the 45th President of the United States was not following anyone and had only one tweet in his account. In his maiden tweet, Trump gave Facebook link of his live inaugural speech.

Till early this morning, the official twitter account of the President of the United States was handled by Barack Obama, who passed on the baton to Trump exactly at noon.

All the tweets of Obama in his capacity as the US President has now been archived under a new account @POTUS44.

At the time of archiving, Obama's official twitter account had 13.9 million followers. This is far less than the 80.9 million followers on his personal account.

POTUS44 account is now being maintained by National Archives and Records Administration.

The brief introduction of Trump on his official twitter account says that 45th President of the United States is "working on behalf of the American people to make our country great again."



Tweets may be archived, it says.

Trump, of late has generated lots of and controversies from the series of tweets he writes every day, and mostly early in the morning.

His personal twitter account @realdonaldtrump has 20.7 million followers. He has written 34,300 tweets after joining this social media in March 2009.

On his personal account, he follows 42 accounts mostly those of his family members, Trump organisations, a few journalist and Republican leaders.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who joined the micro blogging site in January 2009 -- less than three months before Trump - has 26.5 million followers. He has tweeted - 13,800 times -- far less than that of Trump.

The twitter account of the Prime Minister of India has 15.6 million followers and has 13,700 tweets.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a bid to promote Aadhaar-based payment system, especially in rural pockets, UIDAI has favoured "incentives" for shopkeepers using the biometric mode for digital transactions, in line with commission given by banks to Business Correspondents.

"If a merchant is using Aadhaar-enabled payment systems then he should be put at par with Business Correspondent and whatever facility and commission is available to the Business Correspondent, he should be paid on the same lines," Ajay Bhushan Pandey, CEO of UIDAI, told PTI.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is the nodal body responsible for rolling out the Aadhaar programme in the country.

"We are saying wherever you do not have business corespondents, supposing a merchant is able to facilitate payment directly from the Aadhaar-linked bank account, then there has to be a system in which the merchant should get the incentive," he said.

Doing this would be a win-win for banks too, Pandey said.

"It is beneficial for banks also, because banks do not have to hand over that much cash to the Business Correspondent...It is a win-win situation," he added.

Pandey said that incentivising shopkeepers who adopt the biometric payment system would also "remove an extra layer" as consumers today approach banks, ATMs or business correspondents for withdrawl of money to purchase items such as ration.

"Once this incentive is given, it will give a solid push to digital payment particularly to those sections who do not have access to cards, smartphones, or internet banking. This section of the society will be best dealt, in this manner," he said.

Noting the current incentive for Business Correspondent is up to one per cent of the transaction value subject to cap of Rs 15, Pandey said where incentivising merchants is concerned banks could fix the modalities depending on transaction volumes.

"So far as the banks are concerned nothing is changing... the banks were paying this kind of commission to the Business Correspondents and they will continue to pay at similar levels," he pointed out.

Pandey said that discussion to this effect is on with all major banks. "They are also evaluating. They also need to take a considered decision. This is the beginning it will take some time," he said.

Aadhaar-based payment system is currently being used by 1,10,000 business correspondents for disbursing cash, and is also being utilised in Common Service Centres to pay for various services.

Digital payment channels like mobile wallets, USSD and RuPay have seen massive uptake and rise in transactions post demonetisation on November 8. Even in case of Aadhaar-enabled payment system, the volume of transactions have jumped 2.5 times post demonetisation from 6 lakh a day before November to 15 lakh transactions per day at present.

Asked when would 'Aadhaar Pay' be made available to



merchants for facilitating cashless transactions using biometrics, Pandey said pilot project in the area of PDS has already been initiated in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

But the time-frame for the full rollout would depend on banks which have to enrol the merchants and also undertake outreach programmes.

On the integration of the Aadhaar-linked payment system with BHIM app, he said, "The technical work is currently going on...It may require a few more weeks. Aadhaar Pay app will become part of BHIM app but customer experience will be the same".
Demonstrators across the UK are mobilising to register their protest against Donald Trump as he takes over the mantle of US presidency from Barack Obama.

A banner reading 'Build bridges not walls' was draped across London's iconic Tower Bridge by protesters who also held up signs saying 'Act Now'.

At Westminster Bridge near the House of Parliament, protesters draped banners saying 'Migrants welcome here' and 'Migration is older than language'.

A total of 10 bridges in the British capital werethe scene of protests, which referenced Trump's much-hyped plans to build a wall with Mexico.

Other cities across the UK are also holding similar 'Bridges Not Walls' protests.

The actions are part of a global protest, with the Bridges Not Walls movement declaring, "Today we're dropping banners off bridges around the world, pledging hope for the future and to take a stand against the rise of the far right."



"We won't let the politics of hate peddled by the likes of Donald Trump take hold," the group said in a statement.

A major women's march is planned in London and other parts of the UK tomorrow along with many other countries to register their protest against Trump's controversial sexist remarks that emerged during his election campaign.

The UK's Stand Up To Racism group is also set to hold a protest outside the US embassy in London, with similar events planned at consulates and American centres in Swansea, Wales, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, among other parts of Britain.

The 'Stand Up To Trump' protests are also backed by a number of British MPs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It was for the UK and Mauritius to reach an "amicable" solution on the Diego Garcia Island dispute, government sources said today and asserted that the same was conveyed to the British Foreign Secretary during his talks with senior officials here recently.

The sources also suggested that the issue did not come up during British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as was being projected by some reports.

"There have been media reports that the visiting British Foreign Secretary raised the issue of Diego Garcia during his meetings in Delhi on January 18. The issue did come up in his discussions with senior officials.

"India made it clear that it has a long-standing and principled position on this subject. We also conveyed that it is for Britain and Mauritius to reach an amicable solution on this matter bilaterally," they said.

According to reports, Johnson, who was in India on three- day visit and attended "Raisina Dialogue" on January 18, had raised the issue with Modi and had sought Indian assistance in resolving current tensions between the UK, the US and Mauritius over the future of the American military base Diego Garcia.

One of the Chagos islands in the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia was leased by Britain to the US for the military base two years before Mauritius got independence in 1968. After initially denying that the islands were inhabited, British officials forcibly expelled approximately 2,000 Mauritians living in Chagos to make way for the American base.

The lease expired recently, but has been renewed by London until December 20, 2036, much to the chagrin of Mauritius, which has threatened to take Britain to the International Court of Justice to resolve the dispute.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Blaming government officials for the delay and cancellation of projects, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti today said sometimes it becomes difficult to get things done from bureaucrats.

"Ground water board office was proposed to be set up here (Raipur) for a long time. Land was available, but money was being wasted...Bureaucrats are birds locked in cages and they don't come out of it. If (we) bring them out, then they come slowly," she said.

She was speaking at the opening ceremony of first Asian Seminar on Water and Land Management for Food and Livelihood Security here at the agriculture university.

The minister was apparently referring to the delay in setting up National Water Training and Research Institute of Central Ground Water Board, of which she laid foundation stone at Naya Raipur.

"Anything can get cancelled from them (bureaucrats), but nothing can be initiated by them. Cancellation is so easy, restriction is so easy (from bureaucrats), but generation and creation is so tough and difficult...For this 56-inch chest is needed," she added.

Speaking to reporters on the sideline of the event, she later clarified thatbureaucrats work within the framework of law enacted by the law makers.

"It's easy to cancel many things. But it is tough to start somethings, as they (bureaucrats) work within the cage of rules framed by us. When we leaders ask them to do any work (in public interest) surpassing the laid down norms, it becomes difficult for them and they become reluctant," she said.

She added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked bureaucrats to introspect and the ministers were also told to get involved in that and the presentation were held at PM's residence. "This is for the first time bureaucrats, politicians and public are working together, so that work can be carried out in public interest without any hindrance," she added.

When asked about the Mahanadi river water dispute between Chhattisgarh and Odisha, she said both the states should take into accounts concerns of each other.

"There is no ban on projects of Chhattisgarh and Odisha (over Mahanadi river). I will tell Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, which I have already told Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh and water resources minister Brijmohan Agrawal that both the states should take care of each others' concerns," she said.

She also dismissed as "baseless" the charges that since BJP is in power in Chhattisgarh, the Centre has been overlooking the interests of Odisha over Mahanadi issues.

"Confusion has been created by Opposition through misleading statements like that Chhattisgarh, being a BJP-ruled state, has got Centre's support, which is completely wrong. The Centre under PM Modi works as a team India and there is no question of discrimination or partialty against any state," she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uncertainty clouded prospect of an alliance between the Samajwadi Party and Congress in UP after the state's ruling party today announced a list of candidates for 210 seats, including nine currently held by Congress, which called the action "unfortunate".

The announcement of the list of SP nominees followed Tuesday's statements by UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and senior Congress leader in-charge of the state Ghulam Nabi Azad indicating a pre-poll tie-up was a foregone conclusion.

As the SP released the list of candidates, who included Shivpal Yadav, the estranged uncle of Akhilesh, and fielded nominees for seats represented by the Congress in the assembly, its vice president Kiramoy Nanda said the party was yet to get a "positive response" from Congress on the alliance issue.

He said SP was prepared for an alliance with Congress, for which it could spare 85 of the state's 403 seats and not more. Nanda made it clear that though his party favoured a pre-poll pact with Congress, it had to be on "our own terms".

Samajwadi Party, which is not on the same page with Congress on the issue of inclusion of RLD, said if that party wanted to defeat BJP, it should accept SP's formula of seat-sharing.

"Under this formula, SP would give those seats to Congress on which its candidate were in first place or seats where SP was at third, fourth or fifth spots," SP National Vice President Kironmay Nanda told reporters here after SP released its list of 191 candidates.

"Thus, Congress will get 54 seats. But if it (Congress) talks seriously, we can also give them 25-30 additional seats. The maximum seats we can give to them will be 85," he said.

Noting that the main objective of SP was to defeat BJP in the Assembly polls, he said, "For this, we are trying for alliance with Congress but till now we have not got any positive response from them."



When it was pointed out that in today's list SP has fielded candidates on various seats on which Congress candidates had won 2012 polls, Nanda said, "If alliance takes place, SP will withdraw its candidates from those seats."



Sources said RLD wanted more seats than what SP was ready to part with.

Congress reportedly offered some 20 seats to RLD chief Ajit Singh's son Jayant Choudhary, who is in touch with party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

According to insiders, Singh has said he will not accept less than 30 seats and was now contemplating going with some other parties like JD(U).

To a query on tie-up with RLD, Nanda said, "There was no talk with RLD on alliance."



When asked whether it has become difficult to forge alliance with Congress now, he said, "It will be too early to say so. We still want an alliance with Congress but on our own conditions. Poll process has already started and SP cannot wait for a long time."



In Delhi, senior Congress spokesman Ajay Maken termed as "unfortunate" the SP's decision to declare its candidates for seats held by Congress but parried questions about whether an alliance between the two parties would materialise.

Maken said,"This alliance was concluded earlier with none other than SP National President Akhilesh Yadav and leaders of the Congress and now again we are getting in touch with Akhilesh Yadav because it was with him that the alliance earlier was concluded.

"It is unfortunate...Technical details which were agreed upon and concluded upon between Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leaders should be honoured."



The SP has been ruling out inclusion of Ajit Singh's RLD in the alliance despite his party having some influence in Western Uttar Pradesh. Congress, however, wanted its inclusion and was planning to give some seats from its quota to RLD.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a drive to ensure compliance of model code of conduct, police have seized Rs 6.82 lakh cash in separate incidents during checking of vehicles in the district.

According to Circle Officer Hariram Yadav, police intercepted a car near Bhagela check post on Delhi-Dehradun highway in the district last evening.

Rs 3.59 lakh cash was seized when two Ghaziabad-based occupants Daleep Panwar and Deepak failed to provide valid papers.

They were on their way to Tehri from Ghaziabad.

In another incident, Shamli police intercepted a car and seized Rs 3.23 lakh cash at Jalalabad check post on Delhi Saharanpur highway in Shamli district last night.

The occupant Manoj Kumar failed to provide valid documents to justify movement of cash.
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly today witnessed uproar and noisy scenes over the issue of molestation of a medical student allegedly by a senior doctor and later staged a walkout in protest against the government's "failure" to take stern action against the accused.

Congress Legislative Party leader Nawang Rigzin Jora sought a reply on the action taken by the government in the case and why the accused doctor has not been terminated from services.

As the opposition National Conference (NC) and Congress members were up in arms in support of the demand for termination of the doctor, Minister of State for Health Asiea Naqash intervened and told the House that the accused has been put under suspension and a probe has already been ordered.

On this, the members of opposition hit out at the government for allegedly shielding the doctor and expressed dissatisfaction over the action taken against him.

However, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Rehman Veeri asked them to calm down and said the government is awaiting the inquiry report and the matter is sub-judice.

Unsatisfied by the reply, NC and Congress staged a walkout from the House.

The state government had constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the allegations of molestation against the senior doctor at Government Medical College (GMC) hospital in Jammu.

Minister for Health and Medical Education Bali Bhagat had informed the Upper Housein the first week of January that government has constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the incident.

The Health Minister informed the house that an FIR has already been registered against the accused, even as a departmental inquiry instituted to probe the allegations has been asked to submit its report within 10 days.

The minister said the accused doctor has been put under suspension pending inquiry. He said the law will take its own course and the guilty will face action as per law.

The Jammu and Kashmir Government yesterday placed the doctor under suspension a week after he was booked on charges of alleged molestation of a final year student of MBBS.

"Sanction is hereby accorded to the placement of Bhupesh Khajuria, Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine, Government Medical College, Jammu under suspension with immediate effect," a government order read.

Khajuria, who was the Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine,was booked on December 27 following a written complaint by the student.

She had alleged that the doctor called her to his room on the pretext of discussing the result of her examination and tried to molest her. She somehow managed to run out of his room and then contacted her parents.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A small US city today filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, the maker of the pain reliever OxyContin, accusing the company of helping fuel an opioid crisis that has devastated the town.

"There is clear evidence that Purdue ignored their responsibility to stop the diversion of OxyContin into the black market, directly leading to the heroin crisis on our streets today," Ray Stephanson, the mayor of Everett, in the western state of Washington, said in announcing the suit.

"Their drive for profit caused this epidemic, which has overwhelmed our treatment and emergency systems."



The first-of-its-kind civil suit asks that the drugmaker be made to pay the costs of handling the crisis as well as punitive damages.

The Connecticut-based drug firm has previously been accused of misleading doctors and patients about the addictive nature of OxyContin, a prescription drug that often leads to heroin abuse.

The company agreed to pay more than USD 600 million in fines in 2007 for minimizing the risks of its blockbuster pain reliever pill.

The suit filed by city officials in Everett, which has a little over 100,000 residents, accuses Purdue of allowing OxyContin to flood the city's streets in total disregard for the community's wellbeing.

"Purdue placed profit over the health and safety of our community, and we can see the tragic results of that decision throughout Everett," Stephanson said. "We've already invested significant taxpayer dollars to deal with impacts of opioid addiction in our city, and we know that substantial additional resources will be needed to deal with this crisis in the coming years."



City officials said the epidemic is affecting residents from all walks of life.

"We only have a 16-bed detox center in our county right now... But on any given day we have 10 times that many people detoxing in our jail," city spokeswoman Meghan Pembroke said. "The scope of the problem is so big that without additional resources, we don't feel like we're going to make significant progress."



A representative for Purdue told AFP in a statement that the company shared public officials' concerns about the opioid crisis and was committed to help find solutions.

"Although OxyContin accounts for only two per cent of all pain-related opioid prescriptions, Purdue is an industry leader in abuse deterrence as we were the first pharmaceutical company to develop an opioid medication with abuse-deterrent properties," Bob Josephson said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Making pizza great again! A restaurant owner in the US created the perfect recipe to celebrate Donald Trump's inauguration -- a 'Trump Pizza' -- made from Italian cheese, Russian caviar and topped with gold.

To honour Trump on the Inauguration Day, a Tampa, Florida, pizza shop owner has created a unique pie which he is calling the "Donald Trump Pizza."



"It's Italian cheese, flour, American gold, Russian caviar. We blend it all like New York City, all the cultures and everything in one pie," Leo Bunjaku, owner of Due Amici in Ybor City, was quoted as saying by Fox 13.

Bunjaku moved from New York to Tampa to open his restaurant two years ago. He said since immigrating to America from Albania, he has admired Trump.

"He's an inspiration to everybody who's in business," said Bunjaku.

He and his son got the idea to design a Trump-inspired pizza while hosting an election night watch party at his restaurant.

Replacing the typical pepperonis and tomato sauce, the cheese is covered in red and black caviar with edible gold flakes shaped into a letter "T" for Trump.

"It tastes absolutely delicious. I mean, we've never had it before, caviar in pizza, or gold. But the saltiness of caviar and the smoothness of the cheese and the dough, it just blends so beautifully together," Bunjaku said.

The 'Trump Pizza' is served with a bottle of champagne. Customers interested in ordering the package can expect to pay a few hundred dollars.

Bunjaku planned to give slices away for free on Inauguration Day.

Bunjaku said he is also considering adding the Trump pizza to his regular menu, but he would likely create a version that can be sold at a more affordable price so anyone can try it.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special court today extended till February 2 the judicial custody of LIC agent Anand Chauhan, charge sheeted in the money laundering case involving Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

Special Judge Vinod Kumar passed the order after Chauhan was produced before the court from Tihar Jail here.

The court also fixed February 2 for further scrutiny of documents after the Enforcement Directorate submitted that it has provided all the documents filed with the charge sheet, which were sought by the accused.

The court had on September 7 last year taken cognisance on the charge sheet filed against Chauhan, while asking ED to provide him a copy of the final report and other documents.

The charge sheet was filed for offences under sections 3 (money-laundering) and 4 (punishment for the offence) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Act.

Chauhan was arrested from Chandigarh on July 9 last year under the provisions of PMLA on the grounds that he was allegedly not cooperating with the probe.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union minister and BJP's Punjab Election in-charge Narendra Singh Tomar today called upon the electorate to vote for the SAD-BJP government again in Punjab for its security and safety.

Addressing series of election rallies for Som Parkash Kainth, party candidate from Phagwara, Tomar, the Union Steel and Mines minister said that a border state like Punjab had many typical problems which could be solved only by strengthening the hands of PM Narendra Modi and electing SAD-BJP government headed by Parkash Singh Badal for third consecutive time.

Pleading with Punjabis to shun 'chhutbhayia' (cheap and small-time) types of political leaders and opportunists like Congress leaders, Tomar warned the electorates that security and safety of this border state would be endangered in case they were misled by these 'chhutbhayias'.

In brief chat with newsmen, Tomar claimed that there was no anti-incumbency at play in Punjab.

"Some talks about it are heard only because the alliance had ruled for ten years", he maintained.

"But we will perform a hat-trick in state as anti- incumbency won't affect the alliance because of the unprecedented development done by SAD-BJP government, metamorphosing cities like Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and giving new look to villages", he claimed.

On PPCC chief Captain Amarinder Singh's claim that the alliance will hardly win 20 seats, Tomar quipped that Amarinder had penchant for telling "white lies".

Addressing rallies at Gobindpura, Chachoki, Hargobindnagar, Tomar alleged that even 70 years after Independence, the wedge between rich and poor had increased due to Congress policies.

"It was only Modi government that had decided to provide houses to 5 crore house less poor people by 2022", he said.

He also talked of women empowerment, employment to youths and skill development programmes of Modi government.

Accusing Congress, AAP, BSP, SP leaders of "doublespeak", Tomar said that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati and Arvind Kejriwal spoke against PM Narinder Modi's policies and demonetisation just to hog media headlines.

He branded Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi as a master of "nautankis" (theatrics).

"AAP Convener Arvind Kejrwal was a round the clock liar who began and ended his day with new lie every day", he said.

"The flame of Congress was flickering before getting extinguished while AAP was a party of 'barsati meindak' (rainy season frogs) who made cacophony without doing anything worthwhile", he remarked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
His movies have had political undertones and have often run into some trouble but filmmaker Rahul Dholakia says his intention behind "Raees" was to make a controversy-free film.

Dholakia's film "Parzania", about a missing boy in Gujarat riots, had to face an unofficial ban in the state owing to it's topic during its release.

His follow up film "Lamha" was set in Kashmir and explored the story of an intelligence agent investigating people responsible for the extremist attacks there.

"'Raees' has got less politics because I wanted to make a non-controversial film," Dholakia says about the crime- thriller, set in 1980s Gujarat.

"That was a decision I made. The film does have undertones of politics but I thought why fight so much for every film, let's take a break and do something non-controversial. But I didn't know it will get into a controversy," Dholakia told PTI in an interview.

The film tells the story of bootlegger Raees Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) whose business is challenged and eventually thwarted by a police officer played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

The film, however, did run into a controversy owing to its Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, whose presence in the film was opposed by MNS after the Uri attack.

"You don't intend to make a controversial film, that's not the agenda. Who wants it? It's not worth it with regards to health, money, and risk. But when it becomes controversial, you have to defend your film," the director says.

Though "Parzania" had to face severe issues, the film eventually bagged the National Award.

When asked if one can make a film on politics sans any controversy, Dholakia says, "I doubt. It will be a bit difficult now, especially because of the social media. If you really want to make a political film, just get off social media for sometime. Don't let that affect you."



"Raees" is scheduled to release on January 25, exactly a decade after "Prazania" hit the screens on January 26, 2007.

"It is an amazing coincidence. When I got to know, I said 'wow' this is an uncanny conincidence," Dholakia says.

The director feels his journey has been good so far but says his only complaint is that he takes too much time to make films.

"I take too much time to make my films because I do a lot of research, re-writes. I really enjoyed the journey of 'Raees'. Somewhere, it is similar to Parzania because the spirit of making it is independent, though it is not an indie film. Everybody is involved in the film.

"While working on Raees, we all became a film just like the cast and crew during Parzania. So the spirit has taken over. Though Raees is a commercial, popular film with punches and all, it retains the spirit with which I began. I feel very satisfied.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Xnet, a wonderful Spanish activist group, has created the Anti-Corruption Complaint Box, a whistleblowing platform for the city of Barcelona that allows people to file anonymous claims in a Globalleaks repository, with their anonymity protected by Tor.



These best-of-breed tools for anonymity and accountability have often been the subject of government complaints and threatened crackdowns, but in Barcelon, the city government has endorsed the Complaint Box, advising Barcelonans who know about corruption to safely report it by using the platform. It's the first time a municipal government has endorsed Tor.

Xnet, as part of the Citizens' Advisory Council of the Barcelona City Office for Transparency and Best Practices, launches this Anti-Corruption Complaint Box highlighting the following features: *

What this digital device is, and how to use the new facility managed by the Barcelona City Hall, inspired by similar mechanisms already operating in civil society (for example, the XnetLeaks mailbox), and implemented with advice from members of Xnet who have also set up a working relationship with the GlobaLeaks platform. * The debate on what anonymity entails is one of the most up-to-date and relevant themes of the digital age, especially in the wake of Edward Snowden's revelations and, accordingly, we explain why Xnet has insisted on the need to guarantee true anonymity in a project like the Barcelona City Anti-Corruption Complaint Box which combats corruption and other damaging practices that threaten good governance in the city of Barcelona. *

Xnet provides for journalists and citizens a FAQ service regarding the Box, explaining how it works, describing tools (for example Tor) which guarantee anonymity, and all the details relative to the first project of this type whose use is recommended by public institutions, and explains how this can be done.

Xnet installs a Whistleblowing Platform against corruption for the City Hall of Barcelona  powered by GlobaLeaks and Tor friendly

[Xnet]
A weaver died today after allegedly consuming poison at Jamalpur in Burdwan district with the family attributing the tragedy to his inability to fund his son's higher education.

A police officer said Basudeb Das (53) succumbed at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital today after allegedly consuming poison at his residence on January 15.

Das' wife Mita said the father became depressed after her son, who had scored high marks in Secondary Examinations, informed he could not pursue his chosen stream without a particular amount as fee.

However, the father failed to mobilise the amount due to financial problem, the woman said.

After some hours, Das was seen groaning inside the room where he was alone and a half-empty bottle of pesticide found on his side, the officer said adding he was rushed to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital on January 15.

He expired today.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Capturing the essence of a book in a different language is tricky business, as the meaning of the original text can often be misinterpreted by those not familiar with its cultural context, celebrated Tamil writer Perumal Murugan said today.

Speaking at a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival here, Murugan, along with another renowned Tamil writer Imayam, talked about the importance of communication between writers and translators, and the difficulty in making sure that the "life" of a book is carried over into the translation.

Highlighting his point, Murugan narrated an incident when a word in one of his works was translated into something completely different.

"In a translation of one of my works, I used the word 'Kaadu', which in the context of the story meant an agricultural field. But in the translation, it got changed to 'forest', as that is its meaning generally. This happened despite there being references made to farming work in the story, showing that it was a straight translation made without proper understanding," he said.

"If translators interact with writers more, they would probably make less mistakes. If they don't interact, then the possibility of making errors becomes higher," he said.

Imayam, meanwhile, appeared sceptical about the efficacy of a translated work in conveying the original to the readers.

"Translating is something that is very tough. Besides this, the fact is that there are very few good translators around. I feel it is impossible to capture the 'life' of a book in a language different from the original," he said.

Both writers were also asked about the state of freedom of expression in India, and both had markedly different responses.

"I feel India is much better than other countries. I feel that I can criticise people like Modi and Jayalalithaa, and reach home safely, which would not be the case in other places where there are severe restrictions," said Imayam.

Murugan said he simply had no wish to comment on the subject, a response that spoke volumes.

However, the writer did thank the festival organisers for "standing by him" during the controversy around his book "One Part Woman" by conducting a few sessions in his support.

"In January 2015, when the controversy was in full bloom, there was an event in JLF in my support. I was able to come and attend this year, just because of the support then," he said.

Murugan also said that with the proliferation of technology, students have got a lot more access to books than in the past. Earlier, we would have had to wait a long time for a reaction to our books. Now, the speed of responses have become faster, which shows that there is a lot more interest in literature.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid a debate on the future of globalisation, WTO and trade ministers from various countries, including India, today called for greater engagement at global level and push for inclusive growth with better domestic policies without resorting to trade barriers.

Underlining that trade barriers would actually destroy jobs rather than creating them, they observed that increase in trade globally has led to higher economic growth and greater employment generation.

Swiss Economic Affairs Minister Schneider Amman said the meeting focussed on trade issues and other matters.

First, ministers noted that protectionism is not the right approach for trade and it should be made more inclusive.

They also emphasised the need to build on successes of last two ministerial meetings and ministers have agreed to increase their engagement levels.

"We went through a very intensive and constructive meeting to prepare for the December meeting in Beuones Aires," he said.

Amman was speaking at a press conference here at WEF after an informal ministerial meeting of WTO attended by representatives from 29 countries, including from India, ahead of the next ministerial meeting in Argentina.

Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Shouwen Wang, EU's Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom, Brazil's Vice Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs Amb Carlos Cozendey and Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kentaro Sonoura were among the participants.

WTO's Director General Roberto Azevedo said 2017 is an important year for WTO and clearly trade is very high on agenda here at WEF and it has helped revive growth as well as create jobs.

Obviously trade has to be inclusive and we need better domestic policies to get people who have lost job get back job. But putting up trade barriers would not help it. They will destroy jobs actually rather than creating jobs, he said.

(REOPENS FGN 35)



According to Azevedo, global rules provide for checks on unfair trade practices today.

The WTO is beginning the year on positive note as the trade facilitation agreement is on course to come into force. Today we got Nigeria approval and expect more going ahead to bring it into force, he said.

When asked whether he was worried about Donald Trump administration proving to be detrimental for the global trade talks, Azevedo said, "I am worried 24 hours a day because I have challenges all the time but good thing is there are also opportunities".

Hoping that the US will play a conducive role, he said, "let's wait what kind of trade policies are going to shape up under the new administration".

Trump will be sworn in as the 45th US President today.

On a new proposal from EU and Canada regarding a new multilateral investment dispute settlement mechanism, Azevedo said this new idea came up this morning at a separate informal meeting just before the WTO meet and many ministers wanted to know about it.

There are also some who expressed concern about it and a few even appeared ready for it, he added.

However, the final view was that we have heard this idea and we will think about it and discuss without any concrete proposal to decision being reached.

Sitharaman was also present at that meeting.
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Several listed Chinese steel companies expect to either return to profit or log a strong rise in net profit for 2016 due to improving product prices as the government attempts to cut excess capacity, and cost control efforts.

Shanxi Taigang Stainless Steel Co Ltd expects to swing back to black in 2016 with a net profit of between 1.05 billion yuan ($152.78 million) and 1.25 billion yuan, it said in a filing to the Shenzhen stock exchange on Friday.

In 2015, Taigang Stainless Steel logged a net loss of 3.71 billion yuan as the sector suffered from overcapacity.

"Our company strengthened operations by improving our product quality and cutting costs. The sector is also turning around, which helped the company return to profitability in 2016," it said in the statement.

Earlier in the week, Gansu Jiu Steel Group Hongxing Iron & Steel Co Ltd and Hang Zhou Iron & Steel Co Ltd said they were set to emerge from losses to log a profit for 2016.

On Tuesday, Baoshan Iron & Steel Co Ltd (Baosteel), the country's largest listed steel maker, said it was forecasting a net profit rise of about 770 percent from 1.0 billion yuan a year ago, sparking a strong rise in its stock a day after.

Baosteel attributed its profit forecast to cost cuts and also comes as it merges with smaller rival Wuhan Iron and Steel Co Ltd to form Baowu Steel Group.

Apart from curbing excess capacity, China's government also increased spending to help boost its economic activity last year also spurred demand for steel in the world's top consumer and producer.

($1 = 6.8725 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Lee Chyen Yee in Singapore, editing by David Evans)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Angeline Ong and Sujata Rao

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - India's biggest lender by assets, State Bank of India, could tap capital markets next fiscal year to raise up to $1.5 billion, its chief said on Friday, though it first needs to complete a planned merger with its subsidiary banks.

In an interview with on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Arundhati Bhattacharya also said the lender would look to raise funds from stake sales in its life insurance unit that could list in a year to 18 months, and by paring its holding in UTI Asset Management Co, which is also looking to go public.

"We do plan to raise some capital. However, this is also dependent on the fact that there is a merger that we are planning to do," said Bhattacharya, 60, who has been at the helm of SBI as its chairman since late 2013.

SBI, which is merging its five subsidiary banks with itself and also taking over a small state-run lender for women, previously expected the merger to be completed by March.

The deals could now get delayed by a quarter, Bhattacharya said, as banks are still busy replacing withdrawn banknotes after India's sudden move in November to cancel 86 percent of its currency. India's fiscal year starts in April.

"As long as the merger is not over and done with, it could be difficult to approach the capital markets," Bhattacharya said, adding the lender could look to raise between $1 billion and $1.5 billion from the markets.

SBI last sold shares in January 2014 to raise $1.2 billion.

Bhattacharya said activities were "slowly getting back to normal" as effects of the banknote ban subside, although it would still take until the end of February to fully gauge the impact.

Bhattacharya hoped recent lending rate cuts by banks including SBI, after they were flush with billions of dollars of deposits following the banknote ban, would help "kickstart" credit growth, which is hovering near two-decade lows.

"We feel that credit growth will pick up ... definitely by the second half of next (fiscal) year we should see substantial pick up," she said.

Ratings agency Fitch estimates India's banks will need about $90 billion to meet global Basel III rules which are due to be fully implemented by March 2019.

Indian banks face a March deadline from the country's central bank to identify and make provisions for the troubled assets.

But Bhattacharya said: "It's unlikely now to be finished by March 2017, but probably in another quarter or two it should be at least many of the large ones would have found some kind of resolution."

BNP Paribas Cardif, SBI's partner in its life insurance arm, was no longer interested in picking up 10 percent more in SBI Life at current valuations, Bhattacharya said.

The two sides had been in talks over the stake after India allowed higher foreign holdings in the insurance sector. In separate deals, SBI last month agreed to sell stakes in SBI Life to KKR and Temasek

($1 = 68.1400 Indian rupees)

(Writing and additional reporting by Devidutta Tripathy in Mumbai; Editing by Mark Potter)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
HELSINKI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India-based car parts maker and engineering group Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd has made a 571 million-euro ($609 million)offer to buy Finland's PKC Group, a maker of wiring harnesses for trucks, the companies announced late on Thursday.

At 23.55 euros per PKC share, the offer price is 51 percent above PKC's last closing share price. The shares were up 48 percent at 23.11 euros by 0917 GMT on Friday.

"(PKC) are experts in the commercial vehicle segment and we are strong in passenger vehicles, so there's a tremendous amount of synergies that can be created," Motherson Chairman Vivek Chaand Sehgal told a conference in Helsinki.

Shares in Motherson Sumi, which also makes rear view mirrors, bumpers and dashboards and is valued at around $6.7 billion, rose as much as 4 percent on Friday.

The proposed acquisition will double the revenues from Motherson Sumi's wiring harness business, G.N. Gauba, chief financial officer, told .

Motherson has set a target to achieve annual sales of $18 billion by 2020, up from total revenues of $5.7 billion in its last fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2016.

The deal is likely to be financed using Motherson Sumi's own cash and undrawn bank credit, Gauba said, adding it would finalise the funding plan once the acquisition is approved.

PKC, which last year had sales of about 846 million euros ($900 million) and a core profit of 64 million euros, said its board backed the offer.

"We consider approval of the offer very likely and the price per share very good," market analysis firm Inderes said in a note to investors.

($1 = 0.9401 euros)

(Reporting by Jussi Rosendahl and Tuomas Forsell, Additional reporting by Aditi Shah in New Delhi; Editing by Leslie Adler, Greg Mahlich)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Devika Krishna Kumar

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices edged higher on Thursday, but swelling U.S. crude stockpiles limited the rebound from a one-week low after the International Energy Agency said oil markets had been tightening even before cuts agreed by OPEC and other producers took effect.

The IEA said that while it was "far too soon" to gauge OPEC members' compliance with promised cuts, commercial oil inventories in the developed world fell for a fourth consecutive month in November, with another decline projected for December.

Brent crude ended the session at $54.16 per barrel, up 24 cents or 0.45 percent after closing down 2.8 percent in the previous session. U.S. crude settled 29 cents, or 0.57 percent, higher at $51.37 a barrel, having dropped to a one-week low on Wednesday of $50.91.

A stronger U.S. dollar also limited oil's advance.[USD/]

Prices tumbled to session lows after U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed crude inventories rose unexpectedly last week as refineries sharply cut production.[EIA/S]

The data also showed much larger-than-expected builds in gasoline with inventories of the motor fuel on the U.S. East Coast swelling to the highest weekly levels on record for this time of year, when refiners typically begin storing barrels ahead of summer driving season.

Oil prices have gyrated this year, as hopes for output cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers have alternated with fears of a sharp rebound in U.S. shale production.

"Oil speculators appear caught between rising U.S. production and inventories, and flow from OPEC, which seems to indicate production cuts are in place," said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

"In our view, U.S. production gains mitigate oil production cuts amongst other oil producers, limiting potential oil market gains."

The head of the IEA, Fatih Birol, said in Davos, Switzerland, that he expected U.S. shale oil output to rebound by as much as 500,000 barrels per day over the course of 2017, which would be a new record.

OPEC, which is cutting oil output alongside independent producer Russia, wants a lasting partnership with Moscow, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al Falih told . He said the deal need not be extended for a full year if the market rebalances.

The IEA sharply raised its 2016 demand growth estimate, and said the data indicated that rising demand was slowly tightening global oil markets.

Still, analysts said OPEC and other producers must cut output as promised, as a resilient U.S. shale industry could add barrels to the market.

"Discipline and strict adherence to the new quotas will be needed probably throughout 2017 and beyond to see the long-awaited and sustainable rebalancing finally arrive," PVM Oil Associates analyst Tamas Varga said.

(Additional reporting by Scott DiSavino in New York, Libby George and Christopher Johnson in London, Naveen Thukral in Singapore; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Mark Potter)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Karolin Schaps

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up for a second day on Friday on expectations that a weekend meeting of the world's top oil producers would demonstrate compliance to a global output cut deal, but a larger than expected rise in weekly U.S. crude stocks capped gains.

International benchmark Brent crude prices were up 58 cents at $54.74 a barrel at 1214 GMT.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were trading up 52 cents at $51.89 a barrel.

"Prices were pushed down a bit too far and hopes will rise that the OPEC/non-OPEC meeting this weekend will show that these producers actually give some proof that they cut production," said Hans van Cleef, senior energy economist at ABN Amro.

A weekend meeting in Vienna of members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and some producers outside of the group, including Russia, will establish a compliance mechanism to verify producers are sticking to a deal to reduce output, OPEC's secretary general told .

However, higher than expected crude oil and gasoline stocks in the United States weighed on prices on Friday.

U.S. crude inventories rose unexpectedly last week as refineries sharply slowed production, while gasoline stocks soared amid weak demand, the Energy Information Administration said on Thursday.

Crude inventories rose 2.3 million barrels in the week to Jan. 13, compared with analyst expectations for an increase of 342,000 barrels.

The data showed much larger than expected increases in gasoline stocks, with inventories on the U.S. east coast, the biggest demand region, swelling to the highest weekly levels on record for this time of year, when refiners typically begin storing barrels ahead of the summer driving season.

Adding to bearish was the continuing rise in oil production from Libya, which is exempt from the producers' output cut deal. Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said production had now climbed to 722,000 barrels per day, resuming its rise after poor weather had caused a small dip.

Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB Markets, said Brent crude was starting to move into a trading range centred around $55 a barrel as the production cut deal had placed a floor price of $50 a barrel, while U.S. shale oil producers were capping the upside at $60 a barrel.

"As a new consensus is starting to form, the fog around the oil market balance is starting to clear and the oil price is likely going to start to stabilize," he said.

(Additional reporting by Naveen Thukral in Singapore; Editing by Greg Mahlich and Elaine Hardcastle)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Commercial Feature is a Business Standard Digital Marketing Initiative.

The Editorial/Content team at Business Standard has not contributed to writing or editing these articles.

For further information, please write to assist@bsmail.in
In 2015, Mark Zuckerberg (who insists that privacy is dead) bought 100 acres of land around his vacation home in Hawaii to ensure that no one could get close enough to spy on him.



The Zuckerberg estate on Kauai North Shore engulfs several smaller pieces of land deeded in the 1800s  kuleana lands that were granted to native Hawaiians. The owners of this land are entitled to easements through Zuckerberg's property, so they can reach their own.

Zuckerberg has filed "quiet title" lawsuits to force the owners of more than 100 of these parcels to sell to him. His lawyer says it's the easiest way to figure out who has title to these family lands so he can make them an offer. Hey, when I want to find out who someone is, I always sue 'em.

The cases target a dozen small plots of so-called "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-1800. Some of the people who own, or who are believed to own, lands targeted by Zuckerberg's suits are descendants of the original owners of the kuleana land. 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 two acres of land in 1894.

Facebook's Zuckerberg sues hundreds of Hawaiians to force property sales to him

[Dan Mangan/MSN]

(via /.)
The effect of automation has started reflecting on the operations of IT behemoth Infosys.

The firm has "released" 8,000-9,000 employees in the past one year due to automation of lower-end jobs, its human resources head Krishnamurthy Shankar told The Economic Times.



The employees have been tranferred to more advanced projects, Shankar added.



With more automation set to take place, the pace of hiring is expected to come down over time, Shankar said.

With companies adopting automation and artificial intelligence globally, the effect on the low-skilled jobs will be felt significantly in the near future.

ALSO READ: Future will be even more disruptive, Vishal Sikka tells Infosys employees



According to US based research firm HfS Research, by 2021, 9 percent or about 1.4 million jobs will be lost globally, with Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States also taking hits.

India will also be affected with 6.4 lakh low-skilled jobs to be hit in the next five years, the report said, signaling a likely gloomy employment scenario across the Indian IT majors.





Infosys on January 13 reported a 7 per cent growth in its consolidated net profit at Rs 3,708 crore for the October-December quarter of the current fiscal. The IT major revised its current fiscal constant currency revenue guidance to 8.4-8.8 per cent against 8-9 per cent estimated earlier. The Bengaluru-headquartered firm's net profit stood at Rs 3,465 crore in the corresponding three months a year ago.
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. 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 s ucceeds, she said.
India is a country of 1.2 billion and almost one fourth of deaths every year are due to cardio vascular diseases. Experts say the number of angioplasties involving either drug eluting stents (DES) or bare metal stents (BMS) are less than 6.5 lakhs a year, one of the lowest in the world.

The stent market in the country is only just over Rs 3,000 crore and there are only about 20 manufacturers. Of these, multinational Abbott controls almost 40-50 per cent of that market.

Of these, just three - Abbott, Boston Scientific and Medtronic - supply USFDA (the US Food and Drug Administration) approved products, which is mandatory for many corporate hospitals having international accreditations to use. Though a medical device, it is regarded as a drug in India and is treated as a drug, which helps NPPA to control its prices.

The NPPA estimates while the margins of the manufacturers are low, the distributors take 13 per cent to 200 per cent margins and the hospitals hike prices in the range of 11 per cent to 654 per cent. Based on data from the manufacturers, the regulator estimates actual prices of stents vary from Rs 22,000 to Rs 68,000. But the patients pay minimum Rs 1.2 to Rs.2.2 lakhs on such surgeries.

The distributors argue they have to stock about 50 different stents from each of these manufactures (which increases their inventory costs) as specifications for patients are different. They have to pay to the manufacturers or importers without much credit period.

As against this, the hospitals pay only after 90-120 days cycle. Whether their claims are right or not, it is fact that hospitals charge exorbitantly for the surgery and are reluctant to use stents from outside hospital pharmacies, citing complexity of the surgery and standards of the medical equipment.

In a recent issue, K.M. Gopakumar, a Delhi based public health expert complained to various medical and human rights authorities in Kerala against the Kochi based Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences for overcharging prices of stents. His father, a heart patient, was asked to pay Rs.2.85 lakh as the cost of three cardiac stents.

Gopakaumar was ready to provide the same stents directly purchased from the distributor at a price of Rs.80,000, but the hospital was adamant and finally he had to pay Rs.1.7 lakhs. Such instances reveal the nexus involving manufacturers-distributors and hospitals.

But can the NPPA move to cap stent prices really help patients to undergo such life saving surgeries at lesser costs? It is an unlikely scenario, say healthcare experts. The hospitals can charge the same surgery costs to compensate by hiking other components of the angioplasty 'package' like room rent, medicines, surgery fee etc, they cite.

In reality, the authorities should look at bringing down surgery costs as a whole, not alone a medical device used in such costly life saving procedures.




As many as 43 unserved airports in the country are expected to be thrown open to commercial flights from next month in a phased manner, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said on Thursday.

He disclosed that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had received 43 initial proposals from 11 bidders for 190 routes under the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN.

The government's ambitious UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Naagrik) scheme, under which fares have been capped at Rs 2,500 for a one-hour flight , aims at boosting air connectivity to and from these small airports in regional cities and towns and making flying more affordable.

Sinha said based on the first phase of bidding for airports, the UDAN scheme is going to be a game changer, as it will increase the total number of operational airports in the country to 118 from 75 at present.

He said the government hopes to have the first flight under UDAN in February as several airports like in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and Cooch Behar in West Bengal are ready to go. The bids for the routes would be finalised by February 3, he said.

In all, 55 airports, which have either no operations or limited operations, would have regular flights now, Sinha said.

"We believe the first regional flight can take off some time in February itself because there are 12 underserved airports as well. These airports have flight service and will only be adding flights to them," he said.

Airports such as Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jalgaon and Cooch Behar, and Pant Nagar are some of the airports which are ready to go now and just need operators to launch flights, Sinha said. "We will expect that these airports start getting utilised almost immediately as soon as the operator is there," he added.

Sinha, however, declined to give details of the bidders, saying, we are inviting counter bids at this stage and once the counter bids come, the bidders may change, the routes may change as well.

This is just the first round and as other rounds are in progress we will massively expand our aviation network, he said it's also a great outcome for the large national airlines as they would have more traffic coming into important hub airports.

According to the Civil Aviation Ministry, Maharashtra has the highest number of unserved airports at 19, followed by Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh at 11 each. Similarly, West Bengal and Karnataka have seven such airports each which do not have one single flight operations.The routes will be awarded to bidders who quote the lowest Viability Gap Funding (VGF) requirement.

Under UDAN, the participating airlines would be extended VGF -- that would be jointly funded by the Centre and the state government concerned. The government has already started charging Rs 8,500 levy per departure of flights on major routes to finance the VGF. However, airlines have challenged the charging of the levy in court.

He said the Government has already received some of the funds in the RCS and that Government is expecting cooperation from other airlines to participate in that.
OGDEN, Utah (AP)  State leaders have announced plans to add electric vehicle charging stations along 1,500 miles of highway running through Utah, Wyoming and Idaho.

The leaders joined Utahs Rocky Mountain Power on Wednesday in announcing that the utility received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for the electric transportation initiative.

The money will go toward building charging stations every 100 miles along Interstates 15, 90, 70 and 84. Executive Director of the Utah Governors Office of Energy Development Laura Nelson says the state will also contribute $10 million to the project.

James Campbell with Rocky Mountain Power says the utility is also working on an incentive program that would allow businesses to operate and own the charging stations.

Construction is expected to begin this summer.
Firefighters were called to a two-alarm fire early Thursday morning at a home in Clarkston. The fire was reported at 12:27 a.m. near 163 E. Center St.

According to emergency radio traffic, the homeowner called 911 after finding the fire burning in the homes basement. All of the occupants were able to escape the home safely but one of the familys cats died in the blaze.

Clarkston Fire Chief Brooks Dufner said crews are still investigating but believe the fire started near the homes wood burning stove.

The fire is believed to have been caused by combustibles, placed too close to the wood burning stove, explained Dufner.

First responders arriving on the scene reported heavy flames coming from a basement widow, prompting the second alarm.

Firefighters were able to attack the fire from the outside before moving into the interior of the home and extinguishing the blaze.

The fire caused significant damage to the home, initial estimates over $200,000. The displaced homeowners were able to stay the night with family.

Dufner said firefighters believe there werent any working smoke alarms in the home and the family is lucky they were able to make it out safely.

Firefighters are urging all residents to have working smoke alarms on all levels of their homes, and to make sure fire hydrants near your homes are clear of snow and ice.

Firefighters from Clarkston, Newton, Lewiston, Richmond, Smithfield and the Cache County Fire District all assisted in the firefighting efforts.

<hr /><p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
CAMEROUN :: Consortium Leaders says the international community will not turn a blind eye to the plight of West Cameroonians

The Chairman of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium and Vice President of the Bar Association, Barrister Agbor Felix Nkongho have told a sea of Francophone army generals and judges from the military tribunal in Yaounde that the international community will not turn a blind eye to the plight of British Southern Cameroonians. The Anglophone leader urged the United Nation, the European Union and the governments of the United States and Great Britain to unite in support of the persecuted minority in Cameroon.

Barrister Agbor Balla Felix made the remarks as he was being interrogated by highly placed Francophone military officials today in Yaounde. Balla Felix further condemned the Biya regimes handling of the Anglophone problem observing that the Consortium has made genuine recommendations to Yaounde over the matter. The Leader also censured the killings and massive arrest going on in Southern Cameroonians and called on Etoudi to focus on getting a swift solution to the crisis gripping West Cameroon.

We gathered that in the presence of Barrister Ben Muna, the Francophone interrogators attempted to put a charge on terrorism on the Leader including what they described as the Leaders trade in hate speech. Barrister Agbor Balla Felix pointed out that West Cameroonians have been deprived of their inalienable right to citizenship while facing systematic discrimination, violence and hatred from the political elites of Francophone Cameroun.

British Southern Cameroonians are dying appalling deaths and the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime is not anywhere near to end its crackdown on the Anglophone community. The Leader made a short submission at the tail-end of the interrogation stating that West Cameroonians have suffered appalling deaths, and those that have lived through Francophone military atrocities have witnessed or endured unspeakable cruelty.

Southern Cameroons is one of the most persecuted minorities in Africa. Tens of thousands of its citizens are asylum seekers in Europe, the US, Canada and the Middle East. The Francophone government has constantly denied full citizenship to the Anglophone Cameroonian and imposes some form of restrictions on their movement. For instance, the Republic of Cameroon has four international airports and none of them is located in the Anglophone zone. Hydroelectricity power dams in the Anglophone region were shut down and the Anglophone communities now rely on power from dams in the Francophone areas.

Since 2016, the Francophone dominated army has carried out many operations in Southern Cameroons using air power that claimed the lives of many Southern Cameroonians. In recent days, there have been numerous reports of arbitrary killings, rapes and other atrocities against British Southern Cameroonians. Thousands have fled to neighboring Nigeria in the face of the crackdown.
| BY Ricki Green |

Archibald / Williams has announced today that it has hired three new staff in account management following its recent growth spurt.

Katy Dixon joins as senior account director and will head up the News Ltd account including The Australian. Prior to joining the agency Dixon was senior account director with Moon Communications and before that was freelance business director with Droga5 Sydney. Before joining Droga Dixon ran The Times and The Sunday Times News International business whilst at CHI & Partners in London, managing a team of account managers, account executives and producers across several parts of the account. She also worked for AIS London.

Says Dixon: Im extremely excited to be part of a young and entrepreneurial agency like Archibald / Williams and its great to be working with Stu again.

Ben Kassel joins the agency as senior account manager. Prior to this he was with Ogilvy in Sydney working on the American Express business, and before that was with JWT in Germany and TBWA in London.

Natalie Martin joins as account manager. Martin was previously with Saatchi & Saatchi followed by The Works in Sydney, and prior to this she was with McCann Erickson in the UK.

In further news Archibald / Williams has also promoted Keely Robards to account director. Previously senior account manager, Robards has been working with Stuart Archibald and Bram Williams for a few years having first joined them in New York in 2010.

Says Robards: Having worked with Bram and Stu since A/W first opened its doors, Ive been lucky enough to be involved in brave and insight-based campaigns for a broad range of clients. A/W breeds high quality work and Im thrilled to have the opportunity to take a more prominent role.
"All we needed was a spark and our bird going through the powerlines causing them to arc and ignite his feathers has dropped to the ground alight and into the grass."
Despite the fall in fines, police warned last week that the number of drivers breaking the law this month was "beyond comprehension" after 480 traffic-infringement notices and cautions were issued in the first 11 days of January.
It was not until January 13 this year that the man presented to Gungahlin police station saying he wanted to talk about Meche, as he had recently met the lord and wanted to confess. When he was taken to the interview room, it's alleged he produced a plastic bag which he said held the drug ice, and a syringe.
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.
Cablevision Argentina says it is laying the groundwork to meet the surging demands for high-speed internet and video offerings including video on demand, digital video recording and delivering original content to any device connected to the internet.

In order to launch our new IPTV project, Flow, and give our customers anytime and anywhere access to the programing they want it was crucial to have the right infrastructure in place, said Guillermo Fiorenza, head of transport and network solutions at the cable operator.

Argentina announced a major reform to its telecommunications policy earlier this month.

Cienas solutions give us the flexibility, scale and confidence to know we can seamlessly deliver this new service to our customers and meet the growing demand for years to come.

Cablevision Argentina, which operates in 12 provinces and 90 cities across Argentina, will use Cienas converged packet optical solutions for both cable services and its internet service provider (ISP) division, Fibertel.

The company has 3.5 million cable TV customers and more than 2 million broadband customers, running on a 50,000km network. Cablevision has an intercity backbone of over 9,500km.

Demand on Cablevisions metro network has increased by 50% a year, says the company. Over-the-top and multiple screen services such as its Flow service are driving more traffic to the network and creating new opportunities for unpredictable demands, it adds.

As carriers like Cablevision Argentina evolve their offerings and introduce new innovative applications, it puts significant pressure on their networks, said Fabio Medina, Cienas general manager for Latin America and its vice president of sales.

Our converged packet optical solutions give Cablevision Argentina a reliable and modernised infrastructure that can keep up with their customers growing expectations for the latest on-demand services.

The platform also doubles the capacity of Cablevision Argentinas metro network while reducing costs, space and power needs, said the companies. The cable operator will be able to upgrade from 200Gbps to 400Gbps when needed.
The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning will share bandwidth in the 1.3GHz range between the countrys three mobile carriers, KT, SK Telecom and LG Uplus.

Ministry official Choi Young-hae said: The ministry will form a team within this month to work on allocating 5G bandwidth and come up with the detailed plan.

The plan was finalised during a government meeting this week presided over by finance minister Yoo Il-ho, the ministry said, according to the Yonhap news agency.

The ministry did not say how much bandwidth would be set aside for 5G applications in the 1.3GHz band. Spectrum in the 1.3GHz range does not appear to have been used for mobile telephony in the past: most services use 900MHz and below, and 1.7GHz and up. GPS satellites use 1.38105GHz.

The ministry said it had been in talks with South Koreas mobile carriers, as well as technology firms, including Samsung and LG, to draw up the plan aimed at taking the lead in the mobile network technology.

South Korea has a long-held ambition to launch  or at least to demonstrate  the first commercial 5G services at the 2018 Winter Olympics, which will be held at Pyeongchang on 9-25 February 2018.
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.
Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) has invited applications for the posts of Deputy Manager and Personal Assistant to director posts on a contract basis. Interested and eligible candidates can apply through the IBPS official website.

Name of Post

Deputy Manager & Personal Assistant to Director

No of posts: 1

Location

Mumbai

Eligibility

Educational Qualification

Candidates should have completed their 12th

Good typing skill in English and Hindi.

Age Limit

Those who are aged less than 63 years can apply.

Experienced candidates have an advantage over getting selected.

Selection Procedure

Selection will be a basis of written test

Payscale will be based on industry standards.

Dates to Remember:

Last date to apply for the post is 25-1-2017

How to apply:

Candidates can apply on prescribed format of application form along with attested copies of documents and necessary certificates. Candidates are requested fill all information and details carefully at the time of application form filling and send through the proper channel address given below.

Address:

The General Manager- Administration Institute of Banking Personnel Selection IBPS House, Plot No.166, 90 ft DP Road Off Western Express Highway, Kandivali (East) Mumbai 400 101

About IBPS

IBPS is one of the most competitive examinations in India with a selection ratio of 1 out of 1000. The Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), an autonomous body, conducts the recruitment process for banks in India through common written tests.

IBPS exam is the common written test (CWE), conducted by Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) for recruitment of various banks in India. The CWE, an objective type exam is held separately for each post. The test aims at assessing candidate's speed, accuracy and academic expertise with a blend of modern technology.

IBPS conducts bank exam for four different posts namely (I) Probationary Officer, (ii) Clerk, (iii) Regional Rural Banks Officers Scale I, II, III, Office Assistant and (iv) Specialist Officer for HR, Law, IT, Marketing, Management and Agricultural Field Officer.

Admit Cards for IBPS SO CWE SPL VI Released: Download Now!
IIM Bangalore will host a round table on 'Creative Sustainability: As Artistes See It' on January 22 (Sunday), 2017, at the campus on Bannerghatta Road. The workshop, led by Prof. A. Damodaran, the IPR Chair at IIMB, proposes to bring together film directors, leading performing artistes, actors and others.

What the workshop offers?

The focus of the workshop is on how films and other visual arts, that include classical performing arts, can contribute to the idea of creative sustainability.

The workshop will discuss

the idea of creative sustainability as artistes see it

perspectives of directors and artistes on sustainability in performing arts and cinema (both minimalist and non-minimalist)

the role of minimalism in realizing the goal of creative sustainability

if a synthesis of both strands promises a more decisive move towards creative sustainability

how innovative creative organizations can strive to make a transformative difference

if technology promotes creativity and creative sustainability

if creation is a matter of expression or that of essence

how creative organizations can survive and contribute to the sustainability agenda.

Speakers

A panel of distinguished speakers will discuss 'Musings on Creative Approaches to Sustainability'. The speakers include

Padma Shri awardee and acclaimed director, screenwriter, producer Adoor Gopalakrishnan

Award-winning film director Girish Kasaravalli

Padma Bhushan awardee and Indian classical dancer and choreographer Alarmel Valli

Actor and theatre personality Sanjna Kapoor

Art historian and curator Zasha Colah

Founder and former Executive Director India Foundation for the Arts Anmol Vellani

Odissi danseuse Sharon Lowen

Actor, director and screenwriter Pawan Kumar

Award-winning film maker and screenwriter Vipin Vijay

Prof. A. Damodaran will moderate the panel

Agenda of the workshop

The day's highlights include a documentary, 'Door to Adoor', by Girish Kasaravalli

heatre personality Sanjna Kapoor will speak on 'Spinning Creative Ventures: The Junoon Saga'. There will be a kathakali performance by Margi, an organization dedicated to the revival of kathakali and kutiyattom, through the Gurukula system of training.

XLRI Hosts Conference on Social Entrepreneurship
Sometimes its good to be reminded of just how good a car is by giving it go once more. In the case of the Mitsubishi Xpander, its the smal...
Looking at the world through the eyes of the Web
Despite Lexus rounding out its model range with the LC coupe and the all-new LS flagship unveiled in Detroit, there are still plenty of potential gaps within the range.



The Japanese automaker could expand its lineup by adding not only a subcompact crossover (the popular choice), but also a three-row crossover and a broader range of F-badged performance cars  perhaps even a Tesla-rivaling all-electric model.

According to Lexus General Manager Jeff Bracken, the automaker is forgoing as much as 70,000 vehicles in terms of yearly sales by not exploring the subcompact and three-row crossover segments alone.

Of course, plugging these gaps wouldnt automatically mean that sales would go up as expected. The reason for that would be that a three-row crossover might take away some sales from the mid-size RX, whereas a subcompact offroader might interfere with NX sales.

We do think theres room to fill some gaps that still exist for Lexus, said Bracken during the Detroit Auto Show.

One gap thats of major interest to him is the subcompact crossover segment, where Lexus could jump in with a vehicle based on the UX Concept presented at last years Paris Auto Show.

Thats a gap we are watching very closely, added Bracken. Were very fixated on trying to move that conversation forward with our parent corporation. Bracken also added that his company is giving up 25,000 to 35,000 annual sales by not competing in the subcompact crossover segment.

Sales could also be boosted by additional F performance models, which is something Bracken is well aware of, as reported by Autonews.

We still have performance gaps to fill, and we can do that really well with the F. We feel weve been missing it on the higher end when it comes to passenger cars.

As for a move towards full-electric vehicles, it would be quite a departure for Toyota Motor Corp, which has been skeptical of EVs, preferring instead to build gasoline-electric hybrid cars.

PHOTO GALLERY
Federal auto-safety regulators have ruled out Teslas Autopilot system in the much-reported fatal Model S crash that killed Joshua Brown eight months ago.



Following its investigation, regulators also said that the electric automakers Autopilot-enabled vehicles dont need to be recalled, despite the system coming under fierce criticism following the crash and later causing concerns throughout the industry about the rapid development of self-driving technologies.

Although regulators ruled out Autopilot as the cause of the crash, NHTSA spokesman Bryan Thomas did highlight the limitations of the system saying that it can only be relied on in some driving scenarios, reports the New York Times.

Not all systems can do all things. There are driving scenarios that automatic emergency braking systems are not designed to address, Thomas said.

In the May 7 2015 crash, Browns Model S struck a tractor trailer that crossed in front of the vehicle. After investigating the crash, Tesla said Autopilot failed to recognize the white truck against the bright sky.

Although Autopilot failed to prevent the crash, investigators concluded that Brown had at least seven seconds to notice the truck and brake. He did neither and as Autopilot performed as designed, it was ruled that it wasnt defective.

While the NHTSAs investigation has concluded, a separate investigation into the crash is still being pursued by the National Transportation Safety Board.

PHOTO
Employees at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Virginia have been forced to count almost 300,000 pennies after a local resident decided to settle his beef with them.



Nick Stafford says that he decided to inconvenience the DMV by paying the $2,697.14 tax bill to register his two new vehicles purely in pennies. The pennies filled five wheelbarrows and ultimately had to be counted by hand by DMV employees for 12 hours after their coin-counting machine broke.

In a statement, Stafford said that he has been at war with the DMV since September when he tried calling the local office about where he should register his sons Corvette as he owns multiple houses in the area.

After attempting to reach the Lebanon DMV, Stafford was redirected to a customer call center. Unhappy about this, he made a Freedom of Information Act request to get a direct line to the DMV. Upon receiving this number, he rang and was told the number wasnt for public use. While he was eventually given his answer, Stafford went on to request the direct numbers of nine other local DMVs, reports the Bristol Herald Courier.

It shouldnt matter if you pay $300 per year in income taxes or pay $300,000 per year in income taxes like myself, because the backbone of a free democracy/republic begins with government transparency, period, he said.

Note: Screencaps courtesy of the Bristol Herald Courier.



PHOTO GALLERY
Photo: Getty Images

Are you part of the sandwich generation?

Do you find yourself trying to juggle the needs of your children and your aging parents at the same time?

According to Statistics Canada, an average of three in 10 Canadians are both raising children and responsible for the care of their elderly parents.

The new province-wide poll by Insights West, says that nine in 10 British Columbians who make up the sandwich generation say they are facing challenges in providing care.

The poll results certainly confirm what most of us have been hearing at backyard barbecues and community functions for a while now, said Daniel Fontaine, CEO for the BC Care Providers Association.

Most of the people in the poll said they have difficulty finding time to visit their aging parents due to their busy work schedules.

The sandwich generation also said they face challenges in keeping informed about the health status of a parent and affording the costs associated with caring for them.
Photo: Facebook

Many Canadians plan to watch Donald Trump's inauguration as the next U.S. president Friday on television screens, through online feeds or with friends at a local pub, but some say they will deliberately ignore the spectacle.

For Glen Pye, a Toronto business owner, it's a historic event made even more appealing by Trump's persona.

"You're getting a guy who is pretty colourful and says lots of crazy things," he said. "It certainly upsets the status quo."

Pye, 64, plans to gather with colleagues at The Longest Yard, an eatery in the city's west end that will be broadcasting the inauguration.

While he doesn't call himself a Trump supporter, Pye said he's intrigued by the president-elect.

"You can't have someone like that forever but once every 100 years maybe it's good to have someone come in like that," he said. "Even though I'm not necessarily aligned with all the views he has, I'm glad he's coming in."

Trump enters the White House with the lowest approval rating of any new U.S. president of the modern era.

Over the course of the campaign that eventually resulted in his victory, Trump was accused of sexual assaults that he denied, railed against Muslims and immigrants, promised to build a wall along the Mexico-U.S. border and has threatened to scrap NAFTA, among other things.

Protesters have vowed to jeer him on the inauguration day parade route and a larger women's march is planned for Saturday.

The landscape has Pye predicting an inauguration day that will be memorable.

"There's lots of potential for crazy things to happen," he said.

Daniel Erikson, a spokesman for the group Canadians for Donald Trump, said he will be monitoring multiple livestreams of the inauguration. The 38-year-old from Calgary is currently in Abu Dhabi for business but said his travels won't stop him from taking in the event.

"It is a transitional moment. It's something that does echo through history, especially when it's a precedent-setting thing," he said. "To see somebody who is a business magnate taking the reins of the most powerful economy in the world should be interesting to watch."

Some Canadians, however, see Trump's inauguration as a chance to mount a personal protest against a politician they strongly disagree with.

"I just can't stomach it," Linda Bawn, 60, said of Friday's ceremonies. "I'm going to watch Netflix, I'm going to be on Twitter, but I'm just sickened. I just cannot watch it."
Photo: CTV

UPDATE: 10:50 p.m.

An instructor and a student have survived a small plane crash just north of the airport in Duncan.

Bill Yearwood with the Transportation Safety Board says the Cessna 172 from the Victoria Flying Club clipped some power lines and crashed in a farmer's field on Thursday afternoon.

Yearwood says live power lines near the crash site hampered the rescue efforts, but both people in the plane are alive and were able to speak to rescuers before the power was shut off.

First responders were able to remove the female pilot from the downed aircraft and she was airlifted to hospital with unknown injuries, while the male student was treated at the site.

Yearwood says it's still unclear if the plane was taking off or if it missed the approach to the airport.

He says the board is assessing the crash and will likely send investigators to the scene of the crash.

UPDATE: 3:20 p.m.

The Transportation Safety Board confirms two people were on board a Cessna 172 that crashed near Duncan Airport.

A pilot and an instructor from the Victoria Flying Club were on board when it went down in a field after hitting power lines, TSB spokesman Bill Yearwood told CTV.

One occupant was able to get out out of the aircraft without assistance, but the other was trapped inside, but alive.

Two air ambulances and three ground ambulances responded to the crash scene.

ORIGINAL: 2:40 p.m.

A small plane has crashed near Duncan Airport after striking power lines.

Fire crews are responding to the crash scene, just north of the airport, CTV reports.

Details are few, but businesses in the area say a small plane struck high-voltage lines and went down.

BC Hydro confirmed its lines were struck, causing a brief power outage in the area.

The severity of the crash and condition of the pilot is not yet known.

The Transportation Safety Board is looking into the incident.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
Photo: The Canadian Press

The fate of four men accused of using a derelict cargo ship to smuggle hundreds of Tamil asylum seekers into Canada was placed in the hands of a jury on Thursday.

The 12 jurors began their deliberations in the case of two Canadians and two Sri Lankans who have pleaded not guilty to organizing or assisting the 2010 voyage of MV Sun Sea.

The Sun Sea left Thailand in July and arrived in B.C. waters five weeks later, carrying 492 Sri Lankan Tamils intent on claiming refugee status.

The Supreme Court of British Columbia heard that the vessel crossed the Pacific Ocean without a formal crew, despite being unseaworthy and designed only for coastal travel.

"It is important that you consider the evidence in relation to each of the accused separately," Justice William Ehrcke told the jury in his final instructions.

"For each accused, ask yourselves, 'What evidence is there that that man did the things that the Crown alleges?' "

Kunarobinson Christhurajah, Lesly Emmanuel, Nadarajah Mahendran and Thampeernayagam Rajaratnam are each charged with violating the Immigrant and Refugee Protection Act by organizing, inducing, aiding or abetting the illegal entry of 10 or more people into Canada.

Mahendran and Rajaratnam are Canadian citizens who were not aboard the vessel. Both are accused of being agents who met with migrants in Bangkok and arranged their journeys across the Pacific.

Throughout the trial, legal counsel for Christhurajah, Emmanuel and Rajaratnam argued their clients acted for humanitarian reasons, either to assist their family members or to help fellow asylum seekers.
Photo: File photo

An instructor at the RCMP's training depot in Regina has been charged with assault for allegedly punching a man through the window of a vehicle.

The alleged attack happened last September outside the city's airport while the officer was off duty.

Cpl. Philippe Marcel Cleroux was arrested in December.

The 37-year-old was released from custody and is to appear in court Jan. 30.

The RCMP says Cleroux continues to work as an instructor in the police defensive tactics unit.

Spokeswoman Caroline Nadeau says the nature of the charge does not interfere with his job.

"A code of conduct investigation has been initiated by the RCMP, possibly leading to disciplinary measures," she said Thursday in an emailed statement.
Photo: Flickr/BC Gov't

The BC NDP won't get support from the Liberals to ban corporate and union donations to the province's political parties.

New Democrat Leader John Horgan asked Premier Christy Clark on Thursday to support a bill he plans to introduce in the legislature next month.

Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson delivered the Liberals' reply, saying the party will reject the NDP bill.

Horgan has been critical of Clark's fundraising, saying that just 1.5 per cent of donors to the Liberals accounted for half of the $12.3 million raised by the party last year.

He said the top 185 donors gave an average of $37,000 each to the Liberals.

"We need to take big money out of politics," he said, noting that those 185 donors gave $6 million to the B.C. Liberals and 26 gave half of that total.

"That's an abuse, I believe, of wealth and affluence and it's having an impact on our democracy. That's why we need to change the law."

The NDP has introduced similar bills before and all have failed.

Wilkinson told reporters that the Liberals are in favour of transparency in the public funding of elections.

"Political parties are a necessary part of our system and they need to raise money to operate and we favour a system whereby there is complete disclosure on a timely, urgent basis so the public know who is funding political parties."

The Liberals released 2016 figures on the donations it received last week and it announced the party will begin posting the information online within 10 business days of receiving a donation.

Transportation Minister Todd Stone, who is also the Liberal party's campaign co-chairman, said the move was made to be transparent and accountable.

The party has been criticized for holding exclusive fundraising events with access to Clark where tickets can cost up to $20,000 each.

The Liberals pay Clark an extra $50,000 a year for the work she does for the party throughout the year.

"Since she became premier, she will have received almost $300,000 as a result of her fundraising activities," Horgan said. "I believe that's wrong and we need to change that."
Photo: The Canadian Press Robert Bateman

Mounties are asking for help in finding art worth almost $750,000 that was stolen from a storage location in a small town in northwestern Alberta.

RCMP say more than 70 pieces, including prints and statues, were being moved to an undisclosed auction house when they were stolen in Fairview on Sept. 22.

The art includes prints by Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman.

Other prints by U.S. wildlife artist Stephen Lyman and sculptures by American artist Frederick Hart are also missing.

Cpl. Gord Hughes of Peace River RCMP says the name of the owner of the art won't be released.

Hughes also won't say where the art was being transported from or where it was going.

"We're asking for anyone with information about the artwork, its location or who took it to call their local RCMP detachment."

The Bateman prints stolen include "Shadows of the Rainforest," "Wolfpack in Moonlight" and "New Territory."

One of the Hart sculptures taken in the heist includes "Divine Milieu" valued at $11,850.
Photo: CTV The Moby Dick fish and chips restaurant's White Rock location.

A condo council on Vancouver's waterfront is named in a civil lawsuit over allegations it refused to lease space to a fish and chip restaurant called Moby Dick partly because of an offensive word in its name.

Mengfa International Resources alleges in its notice of claim that the condo council overseeing the commercial property it owns defied its own legal advice while opposing the opening of a Moby Dick franchise.

The lawsuit says when Mengfa attempted to lease the site to the franchisee, the association responded with a list of objections, including claims that the name of the restaurant contains an offensive word.

The statement of claim says the company and franchise operator have worked with the condo council since mid-July but they were unable to satisfy sign or renovation requirements, despite legal advice to the council that its demands violated B.C.'s Strata Property Act.

Mengfa is asking the Supreme Court of British Columbia to either remove the current members of the condo council, appoint an administrator to handle the council's work or allow the lease to Moby Dick to proceed.

None of the allegations have been proven in court and the condo council has not yet filed a statement of defence.

Lawyers for the condo council couldn't be reached for comment.

The statement of claim says the council also refused to allow the lease because Moby Dick's signage and brand name would harm the council's image, allowing the restaurant to operate in the location would depreciate the value of its property and there would be increased litter and a potential for odour and fumes from the restaurant.

The Moby Dick restaurant near the beach in White Rock, B.C., has won numerous people's choice and community awards since it opened in 1975.

Its website makes references to the great white whale named Moby Dick in Herman Melville's classic novel of the same name.
Photo: Contributed

A South Okanagan property home to bighorn sheep will be one of the prime beneficiaries of this summer's Earth Wind Fire fundraising event for the Nature Trust of B.C.

The trust is working to conserve 35.4 hectares on the east side of Skaha Lake.

The property is adjacent to its existing Skaha Lake complex, included in the 6,491-hectare McTaggart-Cowan/NsEkIniwt Wildlife Management Area.

The topography is ideal for bighorn, being generally steep with some flat benchlands and lower grasslands, with mixed forest at the mid-level and rocky terrain at higher elevations.

Bighorn are considered vulnerable and at risk in B.C.

A major concern is fragmentation of habitat and preserving corridors between them.

The trust has acquired more than 1,795 hectares for bighorn sheep and other species, including the Peachcliff Conservation Area, Vaseux Lake and Okanagan Falls grassland.

The Skaha Lake parcel is located in two of the most endangered biogeoclimatic zones: bunchgrass and ponderosa pine. It's also an important habitat for the white-throated swift and western rattlesnake.

It would be an infill piece, surrounded by conservation lands to the north and east, with Eastside Road to the west, and a housing development to the south.

The trust is working to raise the final $175,000 to complete the project.

The Earth Wind Fire event takes place June 24 at the Delta Grand in Kelowna.
Photo: Avalanche Canada

The avalanche danger in British Columbia is high this week but conditions are expected to calm down a bit heading into the weekend.

Due to a variety of factors, the risk of avalanches in B.C. mountains is high across much of the province, specifically in the regions of the North Rockies, North Cariboos and North Columbia, prompting a special public avalanche warning from Avalanche Canada.

Recently we've had a big warm up and that's been a big part of the reason why we've had enhanced avalanche activity, as well as some new snow, in places some rain and some high winds, said James Floyer, forecasting program supervisor with Avalanche Canada. So if you put all of that together it's not surprising we're seeing enhanced avalanche activity at this time.

Floyer says temperatures closer to the Okanagan are expected to begin cooling again starting Friday, which should help bring some increased stability to the local snowpack.

As we see the snow die down, as we see the temperatures start to cool, we will start to see a diminishing amount of avalanche activity and a diminishing risk to humans travelling into the mountains., he said. By the weekend we might be down to a moderate avalanche danger ... so fairly manageable for the most part as long as people are a little bit diligent.

Floyer encourages those who are travelling in the backcountry this weekend to read the updated avalanche forecast, carry avalanche safety gear and go out with a mindset to ease into things a little bit gently and gradually.

Floyer says the areas with the highest risk of avalanches will be steeper, aggressive terrain at higher elevations and slopes that have been affected by winds.

Avalanche forecasts by region can be found on Avalanche Canada's website.
Three Canadians will be banned from federal lands for five years after pleading guilty to walking on a sensitive hot spring in Yellowstone National Park and other crimes at parks across the Western U.S., park officials said Thursday.

Charles Gamble, Alexey Lyakh and Justis Price Brown pleaded guilty during a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Carman at the Yellowstone Justice Center, officials said.

The men were from the group High on Life SundayFundayz. An investigation last spring into the group's travels revealed violations of park rules at Yellowstone, Zion, Death Valley and Mesa Verde national parks and Utah's Corona Arch and Bonneville Salt Flats.

The defendants also used drones in closed areas, rode bikes in a wilderness area and took commercial photographs without a permit, according to authorities.

In addition to being banned from public lands, Gamble and Lyakh were ordered to serve a week in jail and pay more than $2,000 in fines, restitution and community service payments. Brown agreed to fines and payments of more than $3,500, officials said.

Two other men  Hamish Cross and Parker Heuser  pleaded guilty in the case in November.

The defendants posted video and selfies of their travels on social media. Several are from Vancouver and have a clothing line they promote.

Gamble's attorney, Alex Rate, said his client and friends had been threatened and shamed on social media for what amounted to making bad decisions on a road trip. Their aim was to inspire people to explore the parks, and any money they made from the videos they posted was minuscule, Rate said.

"These young men have been through the wringer when it comes to public shaming," Rate said. "They understand the impact of their decisions and take responsibility for it."

Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk said in a statement that the penalties handed down Thursday "send a strong and poignant message about thermal feature protection and safety."

An Oregon man died last June when he left a designated boardwalk and fell into a scalding hot spring at Yellowstone.
Photo: Google Maps

Modern technology made for a quick rescue of three men who got lost on a ski trip in the Kootenay backcountry this week.

Salmo RCMP received a call Wednesday from a Nelson resident, who said her boyfriend had activated an emergency distress signal on his satellite-based tracking device.

She had dropped her boyfriend and two friends off at the Bombi Summit between Salmo and Castlegar on Sunday. The three men were planning a five-day ski and snowboard tour of the backcountry along a pre-planned route.

While they had backcountry ski experience, it was their first overnight expedition. The trio kept in touch with the woman via SPOT, a satellite-based messaging and GPS device.

On the third day of the trip, she received an emergency signal from SPOT that the three were lost. The devices coordinates showed they had strayed off the planned route.

Search and Rescue was contacted and crews searched into the late evening. On Thursday morning a search helicopter found the three men alive and well. Officials say they had brought shelter and supplies with them in the event of an emergency.

The men were transported to Nelson.
Photo: Vimeo

A Vancouver man has died in a skydiving accident in Arizona.

Thomas Koessler, 28, died when a jump went wrong Wednesday, over Eloy, Ariz..

CTV reports Koessler collided with another jumper and was knocked out in mid-air.

Local sheriffs say his parachute deployed automatically, but he made a hard landing as he was unconscious and unable to control the chute.

He died of injuries in the impact.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: The Canadian Press

The federal Liberal party says it's debt-free, roughly 14 months after sweeping to power in 2015, thanks largely to new members who signed on as supporters during an aggressive fundraising campaign.

In a letter to the party's national board, party president Anna Gainey says the Liberals paid off the remaining $1.9 million it still owed from the election campaign that put Justin Trudeau in the prime minister's chair.

The letter, sent to board members late today, says the debt was paid off as of last month, and also notes that the party has enlisted an additional 50,000 members since opting in May to waive membership fees.

The Liberals spent a little more than $40 million during the campaign, Liberal national director Jeremy Broadhurst estimated shortly after it was over.

Since then, the party has been emailing supporters and potential donors at every turn, encouraging them to out-donate the Conservatives, who had shown they were adept at garnering grassroots support.

Gainey says the fundraising paid off, with the Liberals surpassing the Tories with individual donations from 35,000 people through six consecutive quarters, averaging $43.26 each.

"Our strong grassroots fundraising efforts, the elimination of our campaign debt in 2016, and the 50,000 Canadians who have joined us as new registered Liberals are all important milestones that ensure we are starting off 2017 as a fast-growing and ever more inclusive political movement," she writes.
Photo: CTV

UPDATE: 5:50 a.m.

Police have safely removed and destroyed a pipe bomb from a vehicle in East Vancouver.

Just before 9 p.m. Thursday night, Vancouver police conducted a traffic stop on East Cordova Street near Hawks Avenue.

The driver allegedly told the officer he had a home-made pipe bomb in the vehicle, so the VPD's Explosive Disposal Unit was called to the scene. The pipe bomb was located, considered dangerous, and safely destroyed, says Const. Jason Doucette.

The 33-year-old man from West Vancouver was the only person in the vehicle, and he remains in police custody as the investigation continues.

ORIGINAL: 11:20 p.m.

The Vancouver Police bomb squad is responding to an incident in Vancouver.

Details are few as the incident is still unfolding.

However, CTV is reporting a large police presence on Cordova Street in East Vancouver.

Traffic is being rerouted around the area, which is cordoned off with police tape.

The bomb squad is focused on a Mercedes vehicle with its four-way flashers blinking.

A robot has been sent in to investigate the vehicle.
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 11:30 a.m.

With cheers of joy, rescue crews pulled survivors from the debris of an avalanche-crushed hotel in central Italy on Friday, boosting spirits two days after the massive snow slide buried some 30 people at the resort. At least two children were among the 10 people found alive.

The news sent relatives of the missing rushing from the rescue operations centre in the mountains to the hospital on the coast in hopes that their loved ones were among the lucky few to be found.

And it buoyed rescue workers who had already located four bodies from the avalanche that slammed Wednesday into the luxury Hotel Rigopiano, 180 kilometres northeast of Rome, and dumped up to 5 metres of snow on top of the resort.

"Today is a day of hope. There's a miracle under way," said Ilario Lacchetta, mayor of the tiny town of Farindola, where the hotel is located.

ORIGINAL: 7 a.m.

Rescue crews located up to eight people alive in the kitchen of an avalanche-crushed hotel in Italy on Friday, an incredible discovery that boosted spirits two days after the massive snow slide buried around 30 people in the resort.

Video released by rescuers showed a boy, wearing blue snow pants and a matching ski shirt, emerging from the structure and crews mussing his hair in celebration.

Next was a woman with a long ponytail wearing red snow pants. "Brava Brava!" the rescuers cheered. The survivors appeared fully alert and walking on their own. Both were helped down to a stretcher for the helicopter ride out.

"This first news has obviously repaid all the rescuers' efforts," deputy interior minister Filippo Bubbico said.

First word of the discovery came about 11 a.m., news met with exhilaration after at least four people had already been found dead since Thursday.

"We found five people alive. We're pulling them out. Send us a helicopter," a rescuer said over firefighters' radio, overheard by Associated Press journalists who were making their way on foot toward the disaster site.

Later, the number rose to eight people, including two children, Italian news reports said.

Titi Postiglione, operations chief of the civil protection agency, confirmed six people were located, but the numbers were fluid: She said two had been extracted already and crews were working to get another four out of the rubble.

These survivors, she said "can give us a series of indications to help with our intervention plan, information to understand what happened and help direct the search."
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 4:25 p.m.

President Donald Trump quickly assumed the mantle of the White House and began setting up his new administration on Friday, signing a bill that allows retired Gen. James Mattis to serve as his defence secretary, as well as the nomination papers for his other Cabinet choices.

Less than an hour after delivering a stinging rebuke of the political status quo in his inaugural address, Trump sat in an ornate room steps from the Senate floor to officially assemble his core team. Flanked by Vice-President Mike Pence and congressional leaders, he praised each of his nominees as he signed the papers and handed out the pens he was using. He also engaged in banter with his new congressional rivals, including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

Trump also signed a proclamation declaring a national day of patriotism, according to a tweet from White House spokesman Sean Spicer.

Although Trump campaigned on promises to get to work immediately, he has since backed off some of his promised speed, downplaying the importance of a rapid-fire approach to complex issues that may involve negotiations with Congress or foreign leaders. Trump has said that he expects Monday to be the first big workday, his effective Day One.

Far fewer people attended Trump's inauguration Friday than his predecessor's swearing-in eight years ago.

Photos of the National Mall from President Barack Obama's inauguration in January 2009 show a teeming crowd stretching from the West Front of the U.S. Capitol all the way to the Washington Monument. Photos taken from the same position on Friday show large swaths of empty space on the Mall.

Thin crowds and semi-empty bleachers also dotted the inaugural parade route. Hotels across the District of Columbia reported vacancies, a rarity for an event as large as a presidential inauguration. And ridership on the Washington's Metro system didn't match that of recent inaugurations.

Meanwhile, hundreds were arrested after rioting broke out at a protest in Washington.

UPDATED: 9 a.m.

President Donald Trump has been sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

"Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many many years to come," he said.

"We are transferring power from Washington, D.C., to the people. This moment is your moment, it belongs to you. This is your day, this is your celebration, and this  the United States of America  is your country."

He said that foreign industry and military has been enriched at the cost of U.S. industry and military. He said America has defended other countries' borders, and not its own.

"That is the past and now we are looking only to the future," he said.

Trump said he had a message for other countries: "From this day forward it's only going to be America first, America first. Every decision will be made to benefit American workers and American families."

Mike Pence has been sworn in as vice-president.

Capping a morning of inaugural pomp and pageantry, Trump became president at the U.S. Capitol Friday. His ascent puts Republicans in control of the White House for the first time in eight years.

Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Trump and his wife, Melania, were greeted at the White House by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama for the traditional private meeting of outgoing and incoming presidents and their spouses. Posing for photos on the North Portico, the couples exchanged hugs as Barack Obama chatted about the demands of protocol.

Trump has pledged to upend many of Obama's major domestic and national security policies, including repealing his signature health care law and building a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border. But he's offered few details of how he plans to accomplish his agenda, often sending contradictory signals.

People flocked to the nation's capital for the inaugural festivities, some wearing red hats emblazoned with Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. But in a sign of the deep divisions Trump sowed during his combative campaign, dozens of Democratic lawmakers were boycotting the swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill.

One Democrat who did attend was Hillary Clinton, Trump's vanquished campaign rival, who smiled tightly as she took her seat among the dignitaries alongside her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

All of the living American presidents were attending the swearing in ceremony, except for 92-year-old George H.W. Bush, who was hospitalized this week with pneumonia. His wife, Barbara, was also admitted to the hospital after falling ill.

People were lined up at security checkpoints before dawn to take their places in this quadrennial rite of democracy.

"I'm here for history," said Kevin Puchalski, a 24-year-old construction worker who drove from Philadelphia. "This is the first president that I voted for that won." His big hope: Trump builds that promised wall on the U.S.-Mexican border. "Keep the illegals out," he said.

Protesters, too, were out in force, in some cases slowing the progress of visitors passing through checkpoints. Police in riot gear were deployed around the city to keep the peace in the peaceful transfer of power.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Rescue teams worked through the night to try and reach trapped firefighters and other victims after a commercial building collapsed in Iran's capital and killed at least 30 firefighters.

Scores of workers and dozens of trucks were searching the ruins Friday, a day after a historic high-rise building in the heart of Tehran caught fire and later collapsed.

The building was home to more than 500 garment and clothing workshops, their offices and warehouses, and was full of chemical materials, authorities said. Thursday's disaster stunned the city and firefighters and others openly wept on the streets, holding each other for support. Dozens of people lined up to donate blood.

"The smoke is a sign of continuation of the fire under the rubble," said Saeed Sharifizadegan, head of Tehran's fire department.

Workers were digging several tunnels from buildings next door to reach the basement of the collapsed building. Teams of rescue dogs were at the site, too.

Meanwhile, reports said Behnam Mirzakhani, one of the hospitalized firemen, died from severe injuries in a Tehran hospital.

A total of 84 people were injured with only five of those were hospitalized, said Pirhossein Kolivand, head of the country's emergency department.

Authorities described the building as having a weak structure and it was built more than five decades ago. The fire was the worst in Tehran since a 2005 blaze at a historic mosque killed 59 worshipers and injured nearly 200 others.
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 4:15 p.m.

Washington, D.C.'s police chief says 217 people have been arrested after riots during inauguration protests.

Six officers have been injured in the mayhem.

UPDATE: 1 p.m.

Protesters registered their rage against the new president Friday in a chaotic confrontation with police who used pepper spray and stun grenades in a melee just blocks from Donald Trump's inaugural parade route. Scores were arrested for trashing property and attacking officers.

Several spirited demonstrations unfolded peacefully at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read, "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now," ''Let Freedom Ring," ''Free Palestine."

But about a mile from the National Mall, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of downtown businesses including a Starbucks, a Bank of America and a McDonald's as they denounced capitalism and Trump. Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters and eventually cordoned off protesters at 12th and L streets in northwest Washington.

The confrontation began an hour before Trump took the oath of office and escalated several hours later as the crowd of protesters swelled to more than 1,000, some wearing gas masks and with arms chained together inside PVC pipe. One said the demonstrators were "bringing in the cavalry."

When some crossed police lines, taunting, "Put the pigs in the ground," police charged with batons and pepper spray, as well as stun grenades, which are used to shock and disperse crowds. Loud booms echoed through the streets about six blocks from where Trump would soon hold his inaugural parade.

Some protesters picked up bricks and concrete from the sidewalk and hurled them at police lines. Some rolled large, metal trash cans at police.

Police said in a statement that the group damaged vehicles, destroyed property and set small fires while armed with crowbars and hammers. Peter Newsham, the interim police chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, said the group caused "significant damage" along a number of blocks and that more than 90 people were arrested and charged with rioting.

UPDATE: 11:30 a.m.

Police in the nation's capital have again clashed with demonstrators  this time with a larger group than earlier in the day

Local media have reported upwards of 90 people have been arrested during the protests so far.

Well over 1,000 protesters are in the streets of downtown Washington. Authorities are again using pepper spray, and some demonstrators appear to have difficulty breathing.

Some in the crowd are throwing cups, water bottles and objects  including chunks of concrete. Some protesters have rolled large steel trash cans at police.

ORIGINAL: 8:30 a.m.

Police deployed pepper spray in a chaotic confrontation blocks from Donald Trump's inauguration Friday as protesters registered their rage against the incoming president.

Spirited demonstrations unfolded peacefully at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read, "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now," ''Let Freedom Ring," ''Free Palestine."

But at one point, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of downtown businesses as they denounced capitalism and Trump. Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters and eventually cordoned off the protesters, who shouted, "Hands up, don't shoot," as a helicopter hovered overhead.

The confrontation happened about an hour before Trump's swearing-in at the Capitol.

Closer to that scene, lines for ticket holders entering two gates stretched for blocks at one point as protesters clogged entrances.

Earlier, the DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, had promised that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest when necessary.

Trump supporter Brett Ecker said the protesters were frustrating but weren't going to put a damper on his day.

"They're just here to stir up trouble," said the 36-year-old public school teacher. "It upsets me a little bit that people choose to do this, but yet again it's one of the things I love about this country."

At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay. Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organize the Disrupt J20 protest, said protesters wanted to show Trump and his "misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous" supporters that they won't be silent.

Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard.

Most Trump supporters walking to the inauguration past Union Station ignored protesters outside the train station, but not Doug Rahm, who engaged in a lengthy and sometimes profane yelling match with them.

"Get a job," said Rahm, a Bikers for Trump member from Philadelphia. "Stop crying snowflakes, Trump won."

Outside the International Spy Museum, protesters in Russian hats ridiculed Trump's praise of President Vladimir Putin, marching with signs calling Trump "Putin's Puppet" and "Kremlin employee of the month."

More demonstrations were planned for later in the day. For one DisruptJ20 event, a march beginning at Columbus Circle outside Union Station, participants were asked to gather at noon, the same time as Trump's swearing-in as the 45th president.
Photo: DriveBC Highway 3 near Christina Lake

Highway 3 will be closed for a few hours today in both directions in the West Kootenays for avalanche control.

DriveBC warns of the closure five kilometres west of Paulson Bridge between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, Highway 1 is reduced to single-lane alternating traffic near the junction with Highway 12.

For more highway information, visit DriveBC.
Photo: Conservation Officer Service

Shooting a cow moose has landed a couple of suspected Shuswap poachers in hot water.

On Thursday evening, area conservation officers responded to a tip from the RAPP (Report All Poachers and Polluters) line that a female moose had been illegally shot near Salmon Arm.

CO Tanner Beck said two people were located along with the dead moose and are facing possible poaching charges.

They are not in season right now, said Beck of the female moose that can only be shot during hunting season  which is over  and only with a limited entry ticket.

Beck said the matter is still under investigation and could not say what charges the unidentified suspects are facing. The carcass, two firearms as well as other hunting-related items used in the commission of the offence were confiscated.

Provisions in the Wildlife Act allow for a poachers hunting licence to be cancelled for up to 30 years, following conviction.

A poacher may also be subject to a fine and/or imprisonment, which could be:
Photo: The Canadian Press

Prince William will soon leave his job as an air ambulance helicopter pilot to spend more time on royal duties.

Kensington Palace said in a statement Friday that William, his wife Kate and their two children will spend more time in London and less time at their country home in Norfolk.

William will stop his work with the East Anglia Air Ambulance service in the summer.

The move will enable three-year-old Prince George to start school in London in the fall.

Officials say William and Kate will still have their primary residence in Norfolk but will have more time to represent Queen Elizabeth II at numerous events.

The 90-year-old queen still maintains a busy public schedule but has in recent years cut back on some of her charity appearances.
Photo: File photo Education Minister Mike Bernier

The provincial government spent $2.6 million over 15 years in a losing legal battle fighting the British Columbia Teacher's Federation in court over cuts the province made in 2002.

The Supreme Court of Canada overturned a BC Court of Appeal decision in November, declaring the province had violated teacher's bargaining rights when they took language governing class size and composition out of their contracts in 2002 and passed a law denying teacher's the right to bargain those issues in the future.

About $1.7 million of the total was spent on internal staff lawyers while just over $900,000 was spent on external lawyers.

The BCTF says they will not release how much they spent on the legal battle until they have told their own members at their annual general meeting in March.

What is important now is that we are at the table with the BCTF talking about how to ensure we are dealing with the complexities that came out of the courts decision, and to ensure we come up with an agreement that offers the best path forward for students, said Education Minister Mike Bernier in a statement.
Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

The City of Penticton has delayed its budget, again.

In a statement posted the city website, incoming city manager Peter Weeber said budget deliberations are now being planned for later in February, instead of starting next week as anticipated.

I am new to the organization and I need more time to work through the 2017 financial plan with the management team, said Weeber. I understand the delay may cause some inconvenience and I didnt come to this decision lightly.

Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said the decision was ultimately the new city managers to make.

Essentially, he wants the chance to put his stamp on it, and its something he needs to live and action.

This is the 2017 budgets second delay; the first dates in November were pushed back so the city could learn more about its infrastructure deficit.

In a grand scheme of things, Jakubeit says the city doesnt legally have to file a budget until April.

In years past, weve done it in the spring later in the year, he said, noting that council will deal with any community group grant requests on a case by case basis in the interim.
Photo: Twitter

Preliminary results of water testing taken downstream from the site of a diesel spill on the North Thompson River show no detectable petroleum hydrocarbons.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District took the samples on Wednesday, one day after a semi crashed into the river.

The results mean "there has not been any detection of diesel in the Vavenby water system," the district said in a press release Friday.

However, users remain under a "Do Not Use" order, as issued by Interior Health.

Prior to lifting the order, TNRD must continue regular sampling and develop a remediation plan for the water system.

Samples used for the tests were taken at the Vavenby water intake, a stand pipe by a nearby sawmill, and at the community reservoir. Water samples will continue to be taken and monitored over the coming days.

Vavenby residents can continue to pick up bottled water at the local firehall.
Bowalley Road Rules



The blogosphere tends to be a very noisy, and all-too-often a very abusive, place. I intend Bowalley Road to be a much quieter, and certainly a more respectful, place.

So, if you wish your comments to survive the moderation process, you will have to follow the Bowalley Road Rules.

These are based on two very simple principles:

Courtesy and Respect.

Comments which are defamatory, vituperative, snide or hurtful will be removed, and the commentators responsible permanently banned.

Anonymous comments will not be published. Real names are preferred. If this is not possible, however, commentators are asked to use a consistent pseudonym.

Comments which are thoughtful, witty, creative and stimulating will be most welcome, becoming a permanent part of the Bowalley Road discourse.

However, I do add this warning. If the blog seems in danger of being over-run by the usual far-Right suspects, I reserve the right to simply disable the Comments function, and will keep it that way until the perpetrators find somewhere more appropriate to vent their collective spleen.


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?"

Read more.
Photo: Colin Dacre

Penticton RCMP have confirmed the body found on Jan. 17 near the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory was the victim of a homicide.

The 27-year-old male victim is from the Kelowna area.

Investigators are unable to comment on the cause of death, pending an autopsy scheduled for Jan. 23.

Police have also been unable to link a stolen torched truck found along Highway 3A early the same morning to the homicide. The truck was stolen from West Kelowna on Jan. 6, 2017.

Although the RCMP continue to investigate this stolen truck because of its proximity to the deceased, at this point, it is unknown if there is a connection between these incidents, said Cpl. Janelle Shoihet in a media release.

Anyone who may have information about either incident is urged to contact the Penticton RCMP at 250-492-4300 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
The document first spends a paragraph on cohabiting couples and those who are only civilly married. "These situations call for 'pastoral care that is merciful and helpful,'" say the bishops. The document goes on to say that if, during the discernment process between a priest and a couple, the priest has a "reasonable doubt" about the validity of the first marriage, then the priest should advise the couple to seek a declaration of nullity. The bishops then move on to advise priests what to do with a couple who have no recourse to a declaration of nullity: In a nutshell, discern until they believe they are "at peace with God." When this happens, the couple "cannot be precluded from participating in the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist." The bishops make reference to notes 336 and 351 of Amoris Laetitia.

Throughout the document, the bishops tell their priests that not all cases are the same, that there are a variety of situations, and so on. But they never offer guidance for a case in which the couple must do the hard work of obeying what the Church has taught for two thousand years. With the exception of two sentences that give lip service to continence, the bishops tell their priests that it is "humanly impossible" to obey God in sexual matters.

In truth, the bishops of Malta, and other bishops around the world who go about exclaiming that it's impossible to obey God regarding sex, are setting in motion two very destructive ideas. First, they undermine obedience to God in all areas of life, and circumvent the suffering necessary for holiness. Second, they are setting the stage for class division within the laity.

Undermines Obedience and Circumvents Suffering

If a person can't control his sexual impulses, what can he control? Are we not the Church of the living God? Have we not the Scriptures and the Councils of the Fathers, and the examples and testimonies of the saints who have gone before us? Yet the bishops of Malta believe we are impotent, powerless, and subject to the whims of our sexual drives.

In Session VI, Chapter XI of the Council of Trent, the Fathers write: "For God does not command impossibilities, but by commanding admonishes thee to do what thou canst and to pray for what thou canst not, and aids thee that thou mayest be able."

In Session VI, Chapter XI of the Council of Trent, the Fathers write: "For God does not command impossibilities, but by commanding admonishes thee to do what thou canst and to pray for what thou canst not, and aids thee that thou mayest be able." The entire history of the Church testifies to this. Men, women, and children, young and old have sought and found the grace of God in order to live chaste and humble lives.

It is not that we don't have the capacity to obey, it is that we are presumptive and self-indulgent. I do not relish exposing my sins and failings, but I know well of presumption and self indulgence. As I wrote recently in The Treachery of Divorce, divorce was offered to me as a door to hope and happiness, an answer to my emotional and mental suffering. It was supposed to bring healing. But this decision, which I naively assumed would solve my problems, betrayed me. Divorce was treacherous. Twenty-two years later, I still reap the results of foolish and shortsighted decisions.

Divorce only multiplied my suffering

A person's philosophical view of happiness and suffering, obligation and sacrifice, is where it all begins. At the heart of what these bishops and others have called a "merciful" path is a frenzied desire for happiness and for the avoidance of pain and suffering, supposing that these people have suffered enough. This stands in direct contrast to the Scriptures, the Fathers, and the saints, whose premise is that suffering is not something to be avoided at all costs  one can learn to live through it. And happiness comes primarily from love and self-sacrifice, not by seeking the fulfillment of my personal desires. For two thousand years, the Church has proclaimed Christ, who calls us to suffer.

These instructions by the bishops of Malta not only have the potential to undercut obedience to all that Christ asks, they also circumvent his path to holiness for his people  which is a path of suffering. I remember a few years ago, while we were in the annulment process, praying for the priests and the people in the tribunal who had our case, entrusting them to God, knowing that God through his Church has created a fitting path for people in my situation. For me to bypass that road and rely on my personal "discernment" would be to recapitulate my first sins, which is an evasion of God's way for my way.

In an address to the diocesan clergy of Aosta in July of 2005, Pope Benedict XVI said this to a question about communion for the divorced and remarried:

We must suffer with them, because they are bearing an important witness and because we know that the moment when one gives in "out of love," one wrongs the Sacrament itself and the indissolubility appears less and less true....



The second point that we should teach and also make credible through our own lives is that suffering, in various forms, is a necessary part of our lives. I would call this a noble suffering.

Thanks be to God for the Council of Trent, which reminds me, as the Scriptures everywhere proclaim, that Christ works in us  that with grace I can obey God. Session VI, Cannon 18 of the Council of Trent states: "If anyone says that the commandments of God are, even for one that is justified and constituted in grace, impossible to observe, let him be anathema."

Class Division within the Laity

By telling people that they cannot obey God in this area, the bishops undermine the human dignity of the working classes, and degrade their morality further.

Obedience, suffering, and grace is for all of us. One of the glories of Catholicism is its unity amid diversity. The community that gathers before the altar for Mass is variegated: race, sex, heritage, economic and social standing, education, and Christian maturity. This unity centered on Christ stands in direct opposition to the stratification and division we find in the world.

In his book and film series Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith, Bishop Robert Barron tells how this unity of "rich and the poor, both the educated and the uneducated, both the housekeeper and the grande dame ... kneeling side by side" impressed Dorothy Day when she was considering her conversion. And then he tells this scenario which has stayed with me since I first time heard him tell it:

The Catholic historian Christopher Dawson upon telling his mother that he was converting to the Catholic faith from his native Anglicanism was met with this response: "It's not so much the doctrines that concern me; it's that now you'll be worshipping with the help!''

Bishop Barron goes on to say that "both Dorothy Day and Mrs. Dawson intuited the properly subversive nature of the way Catholics gather for prayer." But it's not just when we gather for prayer. Catholicism is subversive because it preaches the gospel to all mankind and calls all mankind to friendship with Jesus Christ.

The teaching of the bishops of Malta, by contrast, stratifies the faith. Bradford Wilcox, in his National Affairs essay "The Evolution of Divorce," discusses social science data showing a class divide in the percentage of Americans marrying and divorcing. He writes:

Marriage is increasingly the preserve of the highly educated and the middle and upper classes. Fewer working-class and poor Americans are marrying nowadays in part because marriage is seen increasingly as a sort of status symbol: a sign that a couple has arrived both emotionally and financially.

The essay goes on to discuss the divorce divide:

College-educated Americans have seen their divorce rates drop by about 30 percent since the early 1980s, whereas Americans without college degrees have seen their divorce rates increase by about 6 percent. ... This growing divorce divide means that college-educated married couples are now about half as likely to divorce as their less-educated peers.

Wilcox writes that "both cultural and economic forces are at work" in widening the marriage and divorce divides. The teaching of the bishops of Malta sets up a cultural environment that will exacerbate both divides. Social science data have shown that the decline in morality affects the working classes to a greater degree than the upper-middle and upper classes. By telling people that they cannot obey God in this area, the bishops undermine the human dignity of the working classes, and degrade their morality further. They feed a preconception that "ordinary" people cannot obey God, and therefore cannot be good Christians. These ideas will have consequences, and not just for church attendance.

Jesus said: "if any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lost it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." The document of the bishops of Malta hinders the people of God by redirecting them from their crosses. For what will it profit a man if he gains access to the sacraments by forfeiting the true path to holiness?
AFC Champions League 2017 contenders Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia have signed Syria international Omar Kharbin on loan from UAE outfit Al Dhafra.The 23-year-old started his professional career in 2011 with local club Al Wahda before joining Al Dhafra last year.The Damascus-born winger first represented his nation at U-17 level, before becoming a full international in 2012.Kharbin, who is expected to play as a second striker for Al Hilal during the six-month loan deal, has made 31 appearances for his country and scored 13 times.Al Hilal are in Group D of the 2017 AFC Champions League and will begin their campaign against Qatars Al Rayyan on February 21.Photo: Lagardere Sports
News / International

by SkyNews

Donald Trump has announced plans to develop a missile defence system to protect the US against attacks from Iran and North Korea.Within minutes of his inauguration as US President, Mr Trump's administration said it would develop a "state of the art" system.It did not provide details on whether the missile defence system would differ from those already under development, how much it would cost or how it would be paid for.In a policy statement on the White House website, Mr Trump's administration said the move was part of its strategy to "rebuild our military".On the President's campaign website, Mr Trump's team said it would invest in the system to "meet growing threats" and "counter the ballistic missile threat from Iran and North Korea".The policy announcement comes just a day after reports that Pyongyang was readying a test of a new, upgraded intercontinental ballistic missile prototype.According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, news of the test appeared to have been intentionally leaked by North Korea to send a "strategic message" to Mr Trump.A US intelligence official told Reuters the exercise "would more likely be a test of Trump than a test of a delivery system", adding: "If they really want to poke him, they'll do it right away."In further measures, Mr Trump's administration said it would reverse cuts to the defence budget and "submit a new budget to Congress outlining a plan to rebuild our military".It added: "We will provide our military leaders with the means to plan for our future defence needs."Meanwhile, references to climate change have been deleted from the White House website and replaced with Mr Trump's "America First Energy Plan".The policy outlines intentions to scrap the "harmful and unnecessary" Climate Action Plan and Waters of the US rule brought in by Barack Obama.It adds that the US has been "held back by burdensome regulations on our energy industry".
Uganda: two new plants in Tororo by 2018

20 January 2017

After previously only being home to one cement plant (Tororo Cement), 2018 will see Tororo District welcome at least two new plants.

By the end of 2017, Simba Cement of Kenya will have completed a grinding plant on the Tororo-Mbale highway. Simba Cements new plant will have the capabilities to produce in excess of 1Mta.

Hardly a kilometre from the site, Hima Cement is expected to have started production on its US$40m (UGS144bn) plant by June 2018, which will see Himas production capacity increase from 0.9Mta to 1.9Mta.

Speaking about the development, Tororo Cement Process Manager, Peter Karanja, said: We are the market leaders controlling 60 per cent of the market share. We are also setting up a bigger plant that will double our production. Tororo Cement will be expanding its own capacity in the area with an investment valued at US$50m, raising capacity from 1.8Mta to 3Mta.

According to Daniel Petterson, CEO of Hima Cement, Tororo presents an opportunity for better access to limestone. The access to limestone is mainly in Moroto, where Hima is exploring. By 2018 the company expects to have determined the quantity of limestone and secure mining lease.

Additionally, the northeastern part of Uganda is one of the remaining areas in the country with viable limestone deposits, which may offer some explanation for the expansion drive around Tororo.

The construction sector in Uganda is rebounding as shown by the sustained increase in demand for cement; currently at 10 per cent per year. Our capacity expansion drive aims at meeting this demand for not only within Uganda but the regional market as well, Mr Petterson said.

Ugandas domestic consumption of cement is estimated at 2.2Mt. However, the existing factory capacity is about 2.6Mt. Another 100,000t is imported from Kenya, United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia, among others.

According to Ugandan State Minister for Industry, Michael Werikhe, the increased expansion of factories presents opportunities for Uganda to export to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and South Sudan. The increased production levels should also facilitate the reduction in cement prices.

Last year we released a rise in prices of cement driven by reduced production by the factories. With the increased factories and expansion, we hope there will be a reduction in prices of cement that will translate into lower costs of construction, said Peter Lokeris, the State Minister for Minerals.

Published under
News / National

by Staff reporter

A 60 year-old Inter-Africa driver has been jailed for an effective 12 months after a bus he was driving was involved in an accident that killed four people.Esigodini magistrate Mr Tawanda Muchemwa jailed Makawa Ronald Hamuzofi for culpable homicide following the October 2016 accident that occurred in Esigodini.The bus was heading to Bulawayo from Chipinge when it was involved in a head-on collision with a Mazda Demio at the 47km peg along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo road.Hamuzofi had pleaded guilty to culpable homicide.In passing sentence, Mr Muchemwa said Hamuzofi's conduct was grossly negligent resulting in the death of four people."The accused person despite that he has been a driver for the past 18 years was grossly negligent because it was raining and he tried to stop to pick a passenger and applied emergency brakes. This resulted in the bus encroaching to the other lane killing four people on the spot and injuring 52 others who were on board," said Mr Muchemwa.The magistrate sentenced Makawa to 18 months imprisonment, but suspended six months on condition of good behaviour within the next five years.Prosecuting, Mr Jafta Nyika told the court that on October 2 last year at the 47-kilometre peg along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo road, Hamuzofi negligently drove an Inter-Africa Yutong bus with 62 passengers on board.Mr Nyika said the bus swerved to the right side of the road colliding with the Mazda Demio resulting in the death of the driver and three other passengers in the car.The prosecutor said Hamuzofi's negligence included "failing to keep a proper lookout in the circumstances, failing to act reasonably when an accident seemed imminent, travelling at an excessive speed under the circumstances and failure to keep the vehicle under proper control."In mitigation, Hamuzofi through his lawyer Mr Thulani Ndlovu of Sansole and Senda legal practitioners said he was travelling below the designated speed of about 60 kilometres per hour and was not grossly negligent."The circumstances that led to this charge are unfortunate in that the accused applied brakes intending to pick a passenger on the left who was being drenched by rain but the bus swerved to the right, a situation that can be attributed to the fact that the road was wet," said Hamuzofi.In addition, Hamuzofi said he was a breadwinner with seven children and has to live with emotional stress, pain and suffering for contributing to the death of another human being.He said he had already lost his job of 18 years and had no prior conviction.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) leader, Joice Mujuru yesterday said her party had become the latest target of President Robert Mugabe's violent campaign and the ruling party's nemesis, Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T was enjoying a rare reprieve.In a final throw of the dice to drum up support for her party candidate, Kudakwashe Gopo, ahead of tomorrow's parliamentary by-election in Bikita West, Mujuru said Mugabe's Zanu-PF had resorted to offering cash to senior officials in her party, as part of its infiltration shenanigans."We hear that among our war veterans in the party, someone was given $90 000 so that they keep quiet. Such is the level of Zanu-PF infiltration, which has targeted us more than the MDC-T," she said."They are no longer worried about the MDC-T, but the focus is now on us."Zanu-PF has spared no efforts in a vicious war of attrition against Tsvangirai since the turn of the century, but Mujuru's emergence on the political scene with her liberation war credentials presents a new challenge for the party.Mujuru also came face to face with Zanu-PF electoral gamesmanship ahead of her rally, as the ruling party scheduled several meetings in the constituency to hand over farming inputs and food aid, as a counter-attraction to stop people from going to Mujuru's do.A visibly-exasperated Mujuru accused Mugabe of turning the country into "a nation of beggars and abusing this for political gain"."When we were coming from Masvingo, we saw several groups of people at different places waiting to receive food handouts from Zanu-PF, yet the party claims to have taken land," she said."Mugabe talked about the $15 billion diamond theft, as if it was 15 cents that had been stolen. It seems as if it's something that can be envied to give people food handouts. Zimbabweans do not take pride in being spoon-fed."Bikita West presents Mujuru's party its first test in an election and could be used as a barometer to gauge how she is likely to perform in next year's general elections.Mujuru twisted the knife into her former boss further claiming the former guerilla leader had "sold out" and thrown out of the window the ideals that drove tens of thousands of Zimbabweans to fight colonialism."At independence, we thought we had removed oppression, which was mainly white rule. But now Mugabe has turned into the face of black oppression. He has disregarded the liberation war ethos," she said."Mugabe only pretends to give importance to the war through talking. We all know how all saw how the treatment of war veterans changed over the years. They started saying lots of things about war veterans."Mujuru likened Mugabe to former Russian dictator, Joseph Stalin. Gopo is facing five other contestants, who include Zanu-PF's Beauty Chabaya, National Constitutional Assembly's Madock Chivasa, Tanyaradzwa Terrence Makumbo of the Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe, two independent candidates, Heya Shoko and Innocent Muzvimbiri.The seat fell vacant last year after Munyaradzi Kereke (Zanu-PF) was slapped with a 10-year jail term for rape.
News / National

by Staff reporter

VICE-PRESIDENT Phelekezela Mphoko stunned President Robert Mugabe and senior government officials at a high-level meeting when he said cabinet was full of thieves while also calling for the dissolution of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc).During the meeting, held on December 20 before Mugabe went on annual leave in the Far East, Mphoko called for the dissolution of Zacc, arguing it was being used as a political tool to target a few senior government officials when the entire cabinet was corrupt.Mphoko was apparently angry that Zacc was pursing Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo while leaving out other corrupt ministers."Mr President, Zacc must be disbanded. They have become a political tool for some among us. Why is Zacc going after one minister when this room is full of thieves?" queried Mphoko, before gesturing: "There are thieves all over in this room."Government officials who attended the meeting said a stunned Mugabe chuckled, but did not respond.Moyo is being pursued by Zacc over the alleged abuse of over US$400 000 from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef). It has since emerged that some of the funds were used to fund Zanu-PF activities and projects in his Tsholotsho North constituency.Mphoko and Moyo are key members of the G40 faction, which has coalesced around First Lady Grace Mugabe.The G40 faction believes Zacc is being used by Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa's backers to hound his political opponents.Moyo has publicly disclosed that he used the money to sponsor the Zanu-PF Youth League's million-man march, apart from buying bicycles for chiefs in his Tsholotsho North constituency."The million-man march was not a Zanu-PF event. It was a national event in solidarity with the President as head of state & government!" Moyo tweeted in October, after being asked by his followers if using Zimdef funds for Zanu-PF activities was not tantamount to abusing state resources.Moyo has also taken to Twitter, alleging he was being pursued as part of a tribal and succession agenda."No to tribal capture of state institution," he tweeted in October. Factionalists, successionists and tribalists reckon they get away with corrupting and abusing institutions and due processes. "Everyone knows who the thieving tribalists and murderers are. If you do not know them you are a fool or one of them. Down with tribalism."
Sign up for our newsletter
News / National

by Simbarashe Sithole

Sex workers are flocking Jumbo mine in Mazowe Mashonaland Central where illegal miners (Makorokoza/Gweja) are reported to be scrambling for the juice act and paying handsomely.When Bulawayo24.com visited Jumbo mine there was a queue of illegal miners waiting to pay for sex in a dilapidated house where a number of sex workers conduct their duties.The sex workers there do not have any privacy as they can accommodate many clients under one roof."We are here for business these guys have to queue for the juicy act and if we try to have privacy our business will not go well," said Martha from Glendale."Hookers there are charging $5 for a quick and have said night acts do not pay compared to short time hence they are only conducting short time acts.The miners have said the rains have come up with good fortune as the gold is easily detected and easy to collect."We are getting the gold easily due to have rains so as part of leisure we spend on these hookers just a $5 note is nothing when it comes to serious mining," said Diva Gwara.
Opinion / Columnist

Obama's appointment to the White House was celebrated by Africa more than the Americans themselves. It was the expectant hope that a black man would fare differently and be sympathetic towards fellow black men. An expectation Obama never cared to entertain!Unlike what the African expected, like his predecessors, the Washington "arrogance" seem engraved in every American president descending from George Bush to the outgoing Barack Obama, Obama managed to live up to the American hegemony above anything else.Obama administration's hypocrisy smells to high heaven and back. As most of us thought he was seized with handing over power to Donald Trump, his devilish mind couldn't allow him to go without extending sanctions to Zimbabwe!On his renewal of sanctions towards Zimbabwe, United States president Barack Obama's justification was engraved in a notice titled "Continuation of the national emergency with respect to Zimbabwe" published by the White House on January 13, 2017. US president Obama claimed that the actions of the Government of Zimbabwe "contributed to deliberate breakdown of political and economic instability in the Southern African region"."The actions and policies of these persons continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States," said President Obama."For this reason, the national emergency declared on March 6, 2003, and the measures adopted on that date, on November 22, 2005, and on July 25, 2008, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond March 6, 2015," read the notice.Apparently President Mugabe is a threat to US foreign policy!Which foreign policy are they talking about here, if not American hegemony? And after all, who is America to police morality when democracy is decaying at their doorstep?America speaks of human rights abuse, yet they are going about invading and abusing other nations' rights!Other countries unfortunate enough to receive a similar hostile goodbye pack from Obama were known American rivals Cuba and Russia.If America cares so much about the rule of law in Zimbabwe, why don't they borrow a leaf from EU and uplift these illegal sanctions, seeing that the desired impact of the sanctions haven't been achieved two decades down the line.Recently, the EU resumed direct aid to the government of Zimbabwe after noting progress in reforms that included the new constitution.Prior to this, the EU had again gradually started easing the embargoes since 2009 when the Zimbabwe formed an inclusive government.Clearly, the EU had initially conceded to big brother Americas' dictates without scrutinizing the situation on the ground before realizing that it wasn't worth it.If at all, the sanctions were intended for President Mugabe, his alleged top brass allies and inner circle, government and quasi-State institutions, why then hasn't the desired effect been felt since 2001. If the desired goal hasn't been attained in sixteen years, what then will one year seek to achieve, if it's not an issue of Obama seeking last minute relevance.Despite evidence that these embargoes were affecting ordinary Zimbabweans, America maintains renewing these supposedly punitive measures.Even the opposition parties acknowledged the illegal sanctions being futile. "These sanctions have not had the impact that was expected by the people because our understanding was that these sanctions were a travel ban but you will find that Mugabe is all over New York," said MDC-T deputy spokesperson and Bulawayo East legislator Thabitha Khumalo.Obama's government claimed that the intention was to punish President Mugabe for alleged rights abuses and electoral fraud, which they have always purported by word of mouth with nothing concrete to show for it.The hostile move was also extended due to Washington's national emergency policies at perceived threats in Zimbabwe among other countries including Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, Libya, and Ukraine, which purported to support terrorism.US in 2001 enacted the controversial Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZDERA) in attempts to force a change in the country.According to Professor Jonathan Moyo, Obama's reign has nothing to show for his term in office hence these are merely the last kick of a useless dying horse."A new (Donald) Trump administration is taking over (this) week and that presents an opportunity for the US and Zimbabwe to reset their relationship and re-engage in pursuit of mutual interests. This calls for a new pragmatism. It's better to be optimistic about that prospect than to worry about Obama whose approach to Africa has been shameful and disastrous," he said.
Opinion / Columnist

Dancase. B. Gideon is a freelance writer based in Harare

After the November 2016 United States of America presidential elections, the American establishment that was fronted by the losing presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, Mrs Hillary Clinton, has demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt to outsiders that it fears and holds on fast to intense disgust of the presidential election victory of Donald Trump, the USA's president-elect.The American establishment fears and hates the Trump presidential election victory to the extent that it has become justifiable and pressing for the world, and Africa in particular, before confirmation of Mr Trump on January the 20th as the USA's 45th president, to draw some critical lessons from the USA as a 'paragon' of democracy.Africa should learn that the unmistakeable and emphatic fear and disgust of Trump`s presidency currently being displayed by the American establishment adds to the list of the pushing reasons why the United Nations should have been reformed yesterday.If the anti-Trump presidential election win demonstrations that swept across some parts of America had gone beyond control, who would have intervened except a reformed United Nations?(This is not to say that the anti-Trump inauguration disturbances might not occur between now and January the 20th if a 5 January New York Times opinion piece accurately reflects the ''outrage" felt by the USA establishment and the agencies it has been controlling for years now:'' The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th USA president is just two weeks away, so now is the time to begin making plans to send him the strongest signal that your opposition to the presidency he foreshadows will not be pouting and passive, but active and animated. Now is the time to begin making your plans for the anti-inauguration.")It should be unthinkable to both promoters of peace and even war-mongers that a veto-wielding power of the United Nations such as the USA and its vaunted stature in global affairs should be seen as seeming not to respect its own presidential election result.But now it is justifiably thinkable.Africa should learn that there is little or absolutely nothing to be learnt about democracy from the USA and its agencies that unleash shrill voices purportedly to school Africans in upholding democratic principles before, during and after the holding of national elections; the USA, after all, does not practise what it tells others about democracy.One could be excused for hoping that the American non-governmental organisations that play democratic saints during the holding of African national elections have compiled interesting reports before, during and after the Trump presidential election win.If Africa sent, on invitation, its team of election observers to the United States of America, now is the time for it to release, or circulate more ardently, the African Union's report to let the people know the team's observations: were the USA elections free and fair? Did the American voters express their will freely without the exertion of foreign interference? Was the AU invited as an election observer?!In Africa, even the rats and cockroches, know that the USA, in one way or the other, loves to be the final arbiter of whether or not African national elections were free and fair, whether or not the voters freely expressed their will. Never mind the fairness of the arbiter where the election results go against the American interests.Sadly, some African countries still wait for the United States to directly endorse their national elections as democratic for election results to be final and acceptable, and for the new government to be regarded as legitimate. Yet it is stubbornly clear that there is absolutely nothing special to be learnt from the USA about democracy in light of want is unfolding in America as Trump nears confirmation as the 45th USA president on January the 20th.If the American establishment fronted by Hillary Clinton during the USA presidential election could express such deep hatred and " outrage" against the electoral win of one of their own, Donald Trump, would an Iraq, or Libya, stand a chance?It becomes clear to observers that the ruthless potency of the force that drove the USA to depose or distabilize democratically elected governments around the world was grossly underestimated before partly because it was often hidden behind democratic drivel and abject lies.Africa, through the African Union, should urgently review and design mechanisms to counter foreign interference, in all its subtle forms, in its electoral systems as defined by the member country's constitutional positions.Urgency in reviewing, designing and putting in place informed mechanisms to counter foreign interference before, during and after future presidential elections in Africa, any election to fill any public office for that matter, should, in the context of vision 2063, be driven by the palpable realisation that even the United States of America, the 'paragon' of democracy, does not condone any form of foreign interference in the operation of its sovereign electoral system.Although no concrete evidence was produced to support the accusation of Russian interference in the USA presidential elections, the 'hacking' talk itself involving Washington and Moscow, inadvertently demonstrates to Africa the importance of holding national elections without any foreign interference.Africa should stand up and fight against foreign interference in the running of its national elections and candidates defeated in national elections when they have conceded defeat, which is an honourable act in itself, should conduct themseves after the announcement in a manner that clearly gives peace and development a chance.It does not matter whether one is in the US or Africa, media reports should never be taken as Divine verses, especially before, during and after the holding of national elections.The media could be used for sinister ends too.One hopes that since we are now in the 21st century, the Americans will not subvert Donald Trump's presidency thereby turning themselves into their own enemies, or terrorists; they should respect themselves and those who respect them by accepting the result of their own electoral system.
Haifaa Al-Mansour Tells Saudi Women's Stories: 52 Weeks Of Directors

You think being a director in Hollywood is hard? Try making a film in a country which has little interest in women in general, no film industry, or movie theaters.

Thats what Haifaa al-Mansour, a Saudi Arabian, faced when she decided to make films. In addition, Saudi Arabias sharia law places restrictions on women, but al-Mansour made her first feature film, Wadjda, within the confines of her governments laws and strict censorship. It was the first Best Foreign Language Film entry to the Academy Awards from Saudi Arabia and while it made the short list, it wasnt a final nominee.

ADVERTISEMENT

Haifaa al-Mansour

Saudi Arabia outlawed movie theaters in the 1980s, but al-Mansour grew up watching VHS tapes of American, Chinese, and Bollywood films. They took me away from my hometown, the little world Im in, and they showed me life, people fighting for their country and falling in love, al-Mansour said.

Al-Mansour said she didnt realize she wanted to be a filmmaker until after college. She also holds a masters degree in directing and film studies from The University of Sydney. I moved back to Saudi and started working and I felt so invisible as a woman. Nothing against me, really, but it is the culture. It weighed me down. And I felt I needed some kind of way to vent.

Wadjda (right) and her mother at home

She made several shorts before attempting a feature-length work. For her first short, she enlisted the help of her sister and brother. After it was finished, she sent it to a small competition and got accepted. When she attended the festival, she said it was a turning point. People started talking to me all of a sudden and asking what I think of stuff. It gave me that voice and I really enjoyed making films, so naturally it progressed after that. But I really made films because I was trying to find my voice, I was trying to find a space that I would inhabit as a person and express my opinions, she said.

In 2005, she made a feature-length documentary, Women Without Shadows, in which she interviewed Saudi women about their role in the countrys society. In Saudi, women are required to wear a full abaya (headscarf) that covers their hair and face. Some areas of the country are more liberal than others in regards to womens dress code. (Riyadh, where Wadjda is set, is more conservative.) Although many women wear the traditional black abaya, they come in a variety of colors and styles, some even feature cartoon characters.

Men and womens worlds are additionally separated due to religious practices. For example, women pray separately from men. If a husband has male friends over, they will usually stay in a separate room from the women and she cannot let them see her out of her abaya. (Again, this depends on how strict the area or even sometimes a family is in regards to sharia law.)

In order to obey sharia law, women cannot be seen working outside by men, which means when al-Mansour was filming Wadjda, she often had to stay in the van for exterior shoots, and direct her crew over the walkie talkies and confer with actors in the van in between shots.

Haifaa Al Mansour directing Wajda

Wadjda gets its title from the main character, a pre-teen girl growing up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A bit of a rebel and tomboy, Wadjda (Waad Mohammed) attends a conservative school, but wears Converse with her school uniform. While she wears an abaya, it does not cover her face and is always falling off to expose her hair. (A full abaya is not usually worn until women reach puberty.) Wadjdas mother (Reem Abdullah) works at a school that requires a three-hour commute every day. Her driver is rude and always complains that she is late. Wadjda talks back to him, saying hes the one who is late. Wadjda is content to buck the system. Her goal is to save up enough money to buy a bicycle. (Her mother says she cant ride a bike, she wont be able to have children.)

Wadjda excels at math but is frequently in trouble for her behavior at school. She sells bracelets she makes to the other girls in order to earn money for her bicycle, but is caught. She agrees to take a letter from an older girl at the school to her brother who is waiting outside. Later, Wadjda is asked about whether she was involved in the situation, because it turns out the brother was actually probably the girls boyfriend and theyve run off together. Despite her troubles at schools, she decides to enter a school contest on the Koran, mostly because the prize money is enough to buy her bicycle.

ADVERTISEMENT

Things arent perfect for Wadjda at home, either. She hears her parents fighting about whether her father is going to marry again because her mother cant provide him with a son. (There were complications during birth and her mother almost died.) Most of the film, her father is not present or only around occasionally.

Not only is the film a coming of age story, but it examines the world Saudi women occupy, whether its someone who tries to change the rules and buck the system like Wadjda or someone who is trying to fit in and go along with the system, like her mother.

Haifaa Al Mansour directing from the production van

Al-Mansour says she isnt someone who set out to break taboos. I try to do things that make me happy, and thats how I got into film. I wasnt trying to be the first female filmmaker. I wasnt trying to shoot the first film in Saudi or anything. I was just trying to make a film that I love and enjoy and find a voice of my own.

She said that her intention wasnt to speak out for Saudi women, but she simply wanted to tell their stories because she knows they are untold. I have so much access and I wanted to tell stories about the world I belong to, to the rest of the world.

Wadjda

It appears that Al-Mansour is also interested in telling other womens stories, too, as she has signed on to direct A Storm in the Stars, a film about Mary Shelley, which will star Elle Fanning.

This post originally appeared on laurencbyrd.wordpress.com and is reprinted with permission.

Top photo: Still image from Wadjda

More from BUST

How Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins Became The First Woman To Direct A Superhero Movie

'The Babadook' Director Jennifer Kent Faces Her Shadow Side: 52 Weeks Of Directors

Helen Hunt Couldn't Get Roles After Her Oscar  So She Got Behind The Camera

Lauren C. Byrd is a freelance writer and blogger. After leaving Tennessee post-college, she has lived in Los Angeles, update New York, Queens, and Los Angeles again. She loves to talk about women in film, but also cares about good TV, documentaries, podcasts, true crime, journalism and social justice.
- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions
These Are the Unhappiest States in America

You may not think your state affects your happiness, but experts agree location plays a role. A WalletHub report analyzed 28 happiness factors  like adequate sleep, volunteering, and hours spent at work  to uncover the unhappiest states, including the most miserable state in the Southwest (page 9) and the most troubled state in the South (page 18).

18. Michigan

Happiness rating: 49.52

49.52 Worst score: overall Emotional & Physical Well-Being (34th place)

Although Michigan ranks fifth in the fewest work hours  contributing to its decent Working Environment ranking (26th place)  it struggles in the personal wellness category. We estimate the Great Lakes State floats in the middle of health factors like adequate sleep and adult depression.

Next: At least this coastal state is beautiful.

17. South Carolina

Happiness rating: 48.26

48.26 Worst score: overall Emotional and Physical Well-Being (38th)

To arrive at the overall ranking, states received scores in three categories: Emotional & Physical Well-Being, Work Environment, and Community & Environment. South Carolina has a strong Community & Environment category (13th place), which makes sense; its a beautiful place. But its not enough to keep the Palmetto State off our list of the most unhappy states.

Next: At least this state can celebrate college football.

16. Ohio

Happiness rating: 48.19

48.19 Worst score: adequate sleep rate (46th)

The Buckeye State ranked right in the middle (No. 25) for Community and Work Environment  not so bad. But its other categories scored poorly. Notably, its worst subcategory score indicates residents dont get nearly enough sleep.

Next: At least this state is home to the most delicious maple syrup.

15. Vermont

Happiness rating: 48.18

48.18 Worst scores: overall Community & Environment ranking (48th)

Vermont is a mixed bag; it ranks as the No. 1 safest state in the U.S.  a huge accomplishment. However, the Green Mountain State falls toward the bottom of so many other categories, it cant recover. With the fewest work hours of any region, its residents struggle to create positive communities.

Next: This state has the highest rate of a mental health disorder.

14. Oregon

Happiness rating: 48.05

48.05 Worst score: highest share of adult depression (50th)

Oregon residents work the fewest hours (2nd place) and participate in sports the most (3rd place), which seems like a recipe for happiness. However, the Beaver State struggles with depression. Maybe its the weather; Oregon only has 144 sunny days a year.

Next: Your personal and work lives are starkly different in this state.

13. Maine

Happiness rating: 49.81

49.81 Worst score: overall Emotional and Physical Well-Being (36th)

Despite Maine ranking second of all states in safety, it ranks low in the personal wellness category and doesnt do too hot in the Community & Environment category either. Surprisingly, if you live in Maine, you likely have a pretty satisfying professional life. The Pine Tree State ranks 10th of all states in Work Environment.

Next: Would you work more hours to live in a beautiful state?

12. Wyoming

Happiness rating: 48.90

48.90 Worst score: highest suicide rate (48th), most work hours (48th)

Maybe its the gorgeous mountain scenery; Wyoming ranked decently in Community & Environment (22nd of all states). However, the Cowboy States high suicide rate and harsh amount of work hours hurt its happiness.

Next: At least this state has a great music scene.

11. Tennessee

Happiness rating: 46.13

46.13 Worst score: overall Emotional and Physical Well-Being (41st)

Despite a high Work Environment score (8th place), Tennessee is in the bottom 20% of states for its Emotional and Physical Well-Being and Community & Environment rankings. The Volunteer State could elevate its happiness by focusing on volunteering in the community, among other things.

Next: At least this state serves delicious green chile.

10. New Mexico

Happiness rating: 43.35

43.35 Worst scores: lowest income growth (47th), highest long-term unemployment rate (50th)

Known for its art, nature, and culinary scene, the Land of Enchantment has some pros. But its happiness rate is not one of them. In addition to facing a huge Work Environment problem, New Mexico has the 47th highest suicide rate and 46th highest divorce rate.

Next: At least this state has a jazzy music scene.

9. Missouri

Happiness rating: 42.76

42.76 Worst score: overall Emotional and Physical Well-Being (45th)

Missouris main issue may be its mediocrity. Hold on  were not saying the Show-Me State is a terrible place. They have jazz music, gorgeous lakes, and a great sports scene. But Missouri lands in the middle of so many important rankings, it cant recover, especially in the Emotional & Physical Well-Being category.

Next: The economy of this state is killing its residents happiness.

8. Mississippi

Happiness rating: 41.63

41.63 Worst scores: least safe (50th), low volunteer rate (49th), low sports participation (49th)

With a dismal Work Environment ranking, Mississippis economy is struggling. On top of this hardship, residents face a high divorce rate (47th place), scarily unsafe neighborhoods, and little help from volunteers in the community.

Next: At least this state is home to beautiful horses.



7. Kentucky

Happiness rating: 39.42

39.42 Worst scores: highest share of adult depression (47th), lowest adequate sleep rate (48th)

The Bluegrass State is sad and sleepy  and it contributes to their poor ranking as the 48th worst state for overall Emotional & Physical Well-Being. They squeeze into the top half of states for the other two categories (19th best for work, community, and the environment), but its not enough to get off the list of unhappiest states.

Next: This sweet home state isnt so happy.

6. Alabama

Happiness rating: 39.35

39.35 Worst score: overall Emotional & Physical Well-Being (46th)

With a low sports participation rate (45th place), Alabama struggles in the Well-Being category. It doesnt do much better with its other rankings (43rd place in Community & Environment, 39th place in Work Environment), landing the Heart of Dixie in the middle of the top 10 unhappiest states.

Next: Lucky number 47  or not.

5. Oklahoma

Happiness rating: 38.89

38.89 Worst score: least safe (48th)

Oklahoma became the 47th state in 1907; it also ranks a poor 47th place in Emotional & Physical Well-Being. Sooners live in unsafe communities (48th place), but at least theyre financially safe, with a 3rd-place finish for high income growth.

Next: The worst Community & Environment ranking in the U.S.

4. Alaska

Happiness rating: 38.21

38.21 Worst scores: highest suicide rate (49th), most work hours (50th)

Ouch. Alaskans work more hours than any other state and face the second-highest suicide rate in the country. Although a beautiful place to visit, the Last Frontier has the worst Community & Environment ranking. Alaskas upside  the second lowest long-term unemployment rate  isnt enough to turn around its Work Environment ranking (49th place).

Next: The worst Work Environment ranking in the U.S.

3. Louisiana

Happiness rating: 37.15

37.15 Worst scores: lowest volunteer rate (46th), highest divorce rate (49th), least safe (49th)

Contributing to its ranking at the worst Work Environment in the U.S., Louisianians work more hours than anyone else. They dont feel very safe in their communities, theyre more likely to get divorced, and they dont seem to love volunteering. Ouch.

Next: The worst Emotional & Physical Well-Being ranking in the U.S.

2. Arkansas

Happiness rating: 36.61

36.61 Worst score: overall Emotional & Physical Well-Being (50th)

Given its Well-Being score, its no surprise Arkansas has the third-highest share of adult depression (48th place) and lowest sports participation rate (50th place). The bright side: It just squeaks into the top half of states for its Community & Environment.

Next: This state is the unhappiest in America.

1. West Virginia

Happiness rating: 33.42

33.42 Worst scores: highest share of adult depression (49th), lowest adequate sleep rate (49th),

Depression and lack of sleep clearly affect happiness, as evidenced by West Virginia, the unhappiest state in America. The Mountain State scores nearly last in the Well-Being and Work categories (49th and 48th respectively).

Of course, having a statewide low ranking doesnt mean all individuals are automatically unhappy. Based on my extensive research, I would say that intentional positivity is the key to a happy life, explains Carolyn M. Youssef-Morgan, Redding Chair of Business at Bellevue University.  Positivity is a choice, she added, explaining that roughly 40% of happiness is determined by our ability to consciously choose contentment.

Erika Rawes and Ali Harrison also contributed to this report.

More from The Cheat Sheet:
The incoming President Trump doesnt see eye-to-eye with the Democrats on just about anything. But if there is a bit of overlap, its probably in that Americas infrastructure is in need of some TLC. This was something brought up at various times throughout the presidential campaign, with the idea being that increased infrastructure spending should help spur local economies. Infusions of federal funding will help create jobs and solve transportation and logistical issues.

Trump, as with any president, will assume office with a number of big infrastructure projects already in various stages of development. A new report from Barclays outlined 10 that Trump should target specifically that should have a significant economic impact and generate heaps of jobs in the interim.

Though Trump has outlined his own plan for increased infrastructure spending and development, its unclear as to whether he intends to actually implement that plan. Or if he could sell his ideas to Congress. These, and others are some of the key issues Barclays report points out with Trumps plan.

As the report reads, a lack of clarity on total spend, past ineffectiveness of stimulus efforts, timing of implementation, pushback from Congress, are all things to take into consideration.

From the report, here are 10 big infrastructure projects that are underway as President Trump enters the White House.

1. The Gateway Project, New York

Type: Passenger rail

Budget: $7.5 billion

Status: Planning

The Gateway Project, or Gateway Program, is a large-scale expansion of passenger rail capacity in the New York City area. Project partners include Amtrak, the state of New York, and the state of New Jersey, among others. The project aims to modernize, update, and rebuild many of the existing rail components in the area, as populations continue to grow. Given some high-profile rail accidents in recent years, it seems this is a project likely to push through with public support.

2. Texas Central Railway, Texas

Type: High-speed rail

Budget: $10 billion

Status: Conceptual

This projects goal is to build high-speed rail and bullet trains to serve Texas. The state is home to many large cities, which are also fairly spread out. The aim is to make an affordable, fast way for commuters to get to and from different parts of the state.

The approximately 240-mile high-speed rail line will offer a total travel time of less than 90 minutes, with convenient departures every 30 minutes during peak periods each day, and every hour during off-peak periods, the projects website reads.

Is it likely to happen? Sooner or later, most likely.

3. Jasper Ocean Terminal, Georgia & South Carolina

Type: Port & logistics

Budget: $4.5 billion

Status: Planning

The Jasper Ocean Terminal project would provide deepwater access in ports along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina. The aim is to boost the local economy by expanding the port to allow for container ships to load and unload. The project is in its planning stages, and some reports say that it could be in business by 2025. Hopes are that the port could create 1 million jobs and provide $9 billion in tax revenue to both Georgia and South Carolina.

4. Gordie Howe International Bridge, Michigan

Type: Highway & bridges

Budget: $2.1 billion

Status: RFW released July 2015

A bridge named after an all-time hockey great? How could people from Michigan and Canada refuse? The Gordie Howe Memorial Bridge is already under construction and will connect Detroit, Michigan to Windsor, Ontario by spanning the Detroit River. Planned completion is in either 2019 or 2020.

5. California High-Speed Rail, California

Type: High-speed rail

Budget: $68 billion

Status: Construction

Texas isnt the only state that wants high-speed rail service. California is also vying for federal dollars for a $68 billion high-speed rail line, which will connect Anaheim/Los Angeles and San Francisco via a 220-mph bullet train line. As in Texas, the rail line is intended to speed up travel between the two cities while generating economic growth and jobs.

6. I-70 Mountain Corridor, Colorado

Type: Highway & bridges

Budget: $3.5 billion

Status: Planning

Interstate 70, as it heads up into the Rocky Mountains near Denver, Colorado, is in need of some upkeep. The I-7- Mountain Corridor project is a long-term vision for the 144-mile route on I-70 through Colorados mountains includes a broad program of transit, highway, safety, and other improvements. Implementing planned improvements will increase capacity, improve accessibility and mobility, and decrease congestion along the corridor, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

7. Port of New Orleans, Louisiana

Type: Port & Logistics

Budget: $1.2 billion

Status: Procurement

This project would expand and revitalize parts of the Port of New Orleans. Like ports in other cities, the Port in New Orleans is a source of major economic activity. The goal is to attract more business to the area, bringing in jobs and tax revenues.

8. Port Authority Bus Terminal, New York

Type: Urban mass transit

Budget: $8 billion

Status: Planning

Another large-scale undertaking in the New York City area, the Port Authority Bus Terminal project aims to revamp and renew the existing structure. There are a number of different designs being considered, and the project remains in the planning phase. Its goal is to help modernize and speed up service, and to keep people moving as populations continue to grow.

9. Puget Sound Gateway Project, Washington

Type: Highway & Bridges

Budget: $2.8 billion

Status: Planning

The Puget Sound Gateway Project would entail the expansion of two local highways in the Seattle-Tacoma area. As the region grows in population, traffic and other infrastructure woes need to be expanded to accommodate the regions needs. This project would make major improvements to relieve traffic congestion and improve freight mobility, the Washington State Department of Transportation said. The Gateway Program is the key to enhancing the states economic competitiveness, both nationally and globally, by connecting the states largest ports to key distribution centers in King and Pierce counties and to eastern Washington.

10. Bay Delta Conservation Plan Tunnels, California

Type: Water & Wastewater

Budget: $25 billion

Status: Planning

This project would help with water conservation and wastewater in the Bay Area in northern California. Water from the Sierra Nevada mountains flows through the Sacramento area via a series of deltas, before ending up in the Pacific Ocean. The project would create giant tunnels to help water flow from the Sacramento River to intake stations. Its very expensive, and evidently, very controversial.

More from Money & Career Cheat Sheet:
Merck announced that OPV modules, jointly developed with BELECTRIC OPV GmbH, received the Innovation Award Architecture + Building at the BAU 2017. The BAU is the world's leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems. It has proven itself as an efficient international contact and business platform for the construction industry. The exhibited, active solar films produced by BELECTRIC OPV under the brand name OPVIUS are using Mercks latest generation of lisicon materials and were optimized for building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).



To meet the 2050 CO 2 emission targets, nearly zero-energy buildings will become generally mandatory in the EU from 2021 on. To reach these new standards the use of renewables will be essential and BIPV, meaning active electricity generation in the building envelope, will be a key enabler.

Organic photovoltaics constitute an important and highly promising technology in the world-wide adoption and integration of photovoltaics (PV) into buildings. OPV is a fundamentally different approach compared to classical PV, and uses cost effective and eco-friendly roll-to-roll manufacturing. The printed OPV modules are thin and flexible laminates, which are easily added to a variety of construction materials and are compatible with standard glass lamination process. In addition, the larger inherent freedom of design and versatile adaptability also allow OPV to better serve functional and aesthetic demands from architects compared to classic PV technologies. Examples are the unique choice of colors, shapes and degrees of transparency, which strongly improve the prospects to comply with preferred facade designs. Furthermore, the flexible and light-weight nature of OPV allows the straightforward compatibility with upcoming membrane architecture and other light-weight solutions.



David Muller, Head of Marketing Photovoltaics at Merck, says, Building integrated PV will play an essential role in future energy-efficient buildings, but existing solutions often do not satisfy the needs of architects. We are particularly encouraged by the decision of the jury of renowned architects to acknowledge OPV for satisfying both design and functionality.



Organic PV is no longer an R&D topic. Together with further specialized partners, we have realized several reference projects with completely different requirements and setups in the last several years, explains Mr. Hermann Issa, Director of Business Development and Sales at Belectric OPV GmbH. Working with our partner Carl Stahl, we have integrated OPV active laminates into the Solar Trees for the German Pavilion at the EXPO 2015 in Milan. Additionally, with BGT (Bischoff Glastechnik AG) we have installed laminated OPV module in the glass facades of different buildings while together with Taiyo Europe we have integrated OPV in ETFE membranes. This shows the nearly endless possibilities OPV can offer.
University of Iowa physicist Usha Mallik is at the forefront in the search to confirm the existence of a particle believed to give mass to all matter. Her group helped build and operates a sub-detector at the Large Hadron Collider, a particle accelerator in Switzerland, to search for bottom quarks, which are thought to appear when a Higgs boson decays.

A University of Iowa physicist is at the forefront of the search for a missing particle that could prove whether the Higgs boson--believed to give mass to all matter--exists.

Usha Mallik and her team used a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to help build a sub-detector at the Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest and most powerful particle accelerator, located in Switzerland. They're running experiments on the sub-detector to search for a pair of bottom quarks--subatomic yin-and-yang particles that should be produced about 60 percent of the time a Higgs boson decays.

Evidence of these bottom quarks would confirm the existence of the Higgs boson, sometimes referred to as the "God particle." The Higgs' apparent discovery in 2012 seemed to support the Standard Model, the prevailing theory in physics about how the laws governing the universe work.

But since that find, there's been a hitch: The bottom quarks expected to arise from a Higgs boson's decay have yet to be seen, and scientists need that to happen to know for sure the Higgs, in fact, exists.

"Until we're sure whether it's a Standard Model Higgs or an imposter mixed with another kind of Higgs, we are desperate to learn what is beyond the Standard Model. The Higgs is our window beyond the Standard Model," Mallik says.

Still, the quest remains complicated: A Higgs boson is created about once in 10 trillion tries. Moreover, Higgs bosons decay into other particles almost instantly after they are produced, which makes detecting and defining their decaying constituents--such as the bottom quarks--even more challenging.

Mallik and her team hope to observe bottom quarks by following the post-collision clutter that arises from the decay of the Higgs or other new heavy particles similar to it.

"It's basically identifying, picking that needle in the haystack while not getting fooled by something else," says Mallik, who spent the past academic year at ATLAS, one of four particle detectors at the Large Hadron Collider. "That is the challenge."

Mallik, three postdoctoral researchers, a graduate student, and a software engineer from the UI have all been at ATLAS sifting through the voluminous data produced by the collisions. Their work is funded through the High Energy Physics program, part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

Anindya Ghosh, a first-year UI graduate student from India joined Mallik's group in 2015 after hearing her speak the year before at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India. Ghosh worked with the ATLAS experiments over most of last summer.

He calls it "a fantastic place" to be, with hundreds of scientists, students, and teachers joined in the same quest.

"It's a really great opportunity for a new student like me to learn from the experts," Ghosh says.

The attempt to understand the underpinnings of the universe--and human existence--has always fascinated Mallik.

"It's always interested me," she says. "How did we come into being? What led to our universe? It's a fundamental question in many forms."
People wait at an official ride-hailing pick-up zone for companies like Uber and Lyft at Chicago's Navy Pier inJune 2016. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Uber Technologies Inc. agreed to pay $20 million to settle a U.S. Federal Trade Commission lawsuit over driver compensation claims and its auto leasing program.

The FTC sued the San Francisco-based ride-hailing startup Thursday, saying Uber made false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims about how much drivers could earn on the service. The agency alleged Uber made similar misrepresentations about its vehicle financing program.

Advertisement

In its complaint, the FTC said Uber's practices "have caused its drivers to suffer millions of dollars of injury." Uber didn't admit to or deny wrongdoing in its settlement.

"We're pleased to have reached an agreement with the FTC," Matt Kallman, an Uber spokesman, wrote in an e-mailed statement. "We've made many improvements to the driver experience over the last year and will continue to focus on ensuring that Uber is the best option for anyone looking to earn money on their own schedule."

Advertisement

With a valuation of $69 billion and a presence in almost every country, Uber has helped define what's become known as the gig economy, in which smartphone owners work as contractors rather than full-time employees. Uber advocates for the flexibility of this arrangement, saying drivers can set their own hours and work for as much or as little as they'd like. But governments and labor advocates around the world have challenged the company, saying it takes advantage of workers and doesn't offer them the rights typically afforded to official employees.

The FTC complaint laid out several examples the agency said were false or misleading. In 2015, Uber's website said the median annual income for a driver on its UberX service was $90,000 in New York City and $74,000 in San Francisco. The complaint alleged that the actual median income for drivers in New York was $29,000 less than Uber claimed and $21,000 less in San Francisco from May 2013 to May 2014.

The FTC also cited Craigslist ads that Uber used to recruit drivers, some of which said: "Make $20/hour." In Boston, Minneapolis and Philadelphia, fewer than 10 percent of drivers earned the advertised hourly wage, the suit said, citing data Uber provided to the FTC.

In Chicago, Uber said drivers could make $21 an hour, but less than 20 percent of drivers made that much, according to the compliant.

"Many consumers sign up to drive for Uber, but they shouldn't be taken for a ride about their earnings potential or the cost of financing a car through Uber," Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. "This settlement will put millions of dollars back in Uber drivers' pockets."

Uber's leasing program previously said drivers could "own a car for a little as $20/day," or $140 a week. However, the median weekly payment for Uber drivers who entered into a lease from November 2013 to April 2015 was more than $200, according to the complaint. The FTC said more than 5,000 drivers entered into deals to finance cars through an Uber leasing program during that period.

The agency alleged that at the time Uber was making these claims, it knew they were false and acknowledged as much in communications with at least one auto company. The complaint said Uber advertised the leases as having unlimited mileage but that the agreements imposed annual limits and penalized drivers who ended their leases early.

The case is Federal Trade Commission v. Uber Technologies, 17-00261, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (San Francisco)

Advertisement

With assistance from Eric Newcomer and David McLaughlin. Blue Sky Innovation staff contributed.
Laurie, left, and Andy Freivogel work on their laptops Jan. 18, 2017, at their home in Oak Park. Both are self-employed, have asthma and are worried about a possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which they rely on for insurance coverage. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

The Affordable Care Act and working people are linked in ways that are often overlooked. But with the health care law likely to be repealed by a Republican-controlled Congress under President Donald "Obamacare is a Disaster" Trump, it's worth looking at  and caring about  the worry and confusion many workers now endure.

Whatever your opinion on the ACA, it gave many entrepreneurial people the ability to strike out on their own and leave full-time jobs with companies that provided health benefits.

Advertisement

Private insurance was always available for freelance workers or small-business owners, but the premiums could be prohibitive, particularly for people with pre-existing conditions, and the coverage was often subpar.

The ACA, even with its many flaws, opened the door for people to work on their own terms  to start businesses or to stitch together careers as freelance or gig workers.

Advertisement

Now, with no clear sense of what would replace the ACA if it is repealed, workers across the country who rely on Obamacare are in limbo and, in many cases, thinking a return to full-time company work might be required.

The ACA allowed Andy Freivogel to leave a full-time job with Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea in Chicago, one that provided him and his family with health care, and start his own internet technology company in 2014.

His wife, Laurie, is an artist with an established business of her own.

Andy and Laurie and one of their two children have asthma, but they were still able to get coverage for about $700 per month.

"It would've been impossible to buy that before, with pre-existing conditions" he said. "We wanted to build something for ourselves that is possibly an enterprise we can hand off to the kids or something we can build up and sell off to someone, kind of a last Hail Mary of our careers."

Obamacare hasn't worked flawlessly for the Freivogels. They had to switch to a different insurance company and the family's monthly premium has gone up to almost $1,200 per month.

But both say it's still far better than anything they could have gotten pre-ACA. And they're worried the whole system could soon be on the way out.

"I've been angry at elections, but I've never been scared," Laurie said. "I'm scared for my children."

Advertisement

Andy is having to consider the future of the company he launched, which provides IT services to independent retailers.

"I'm already thinking, 'What are my options for getting a full-time job that will allow me to get benefits?'" he said. "If one of us has to do it, it'll be me. And if they say repeal is going to take effect in 2017 or 2018, then I have to start looking for that job now, because those jobs are going to be hard to find."

Last week, I tweeted out a request to speak with people who do freelance work or run their own businesses and rely on Obamacare. Responses came in from across the country, by the dozens. And most of them mirrored the worry currently felt in the Freivogel family's suburban Chicago home.

Wendy Grahn and her daughter recently opened a shared commercial kitchen in Chicago. More than 30 independent food companies use that space.

Grahn, who is diabetic, worked in a corporate setting for three decades, staying longer than she wanted because of health insurance coverage.

"When the ACA came about, it was a driving factor in making a career change and opening a business," she said. "I don't think the ACA is perfect, not at all. But it's a start. So my preference would be to fix the parts that aren't working rather than scrapping the whole thing."

Advertisement

But she can see the writing on the wall, at least at this moment: Republicans seem determined to do away with the ACA, and they've been unable to provide a detailed plan for its replacement.

"The only option that's out there, they want to take that way from me," Grahn said. "It makes me look ahead thinking I have to change everything and go back and get a corporate job to get insurance. I makes me worried that I might need to close down the new business and not give it a chance to get going."

I understand that people have been hurt by Obamacare, because of everything from premium and deductible increases to having to switch doctors. But people also have been helped, and the path we're on right now puts everyone  those hurt and those helped  in a cloud of uncertainty and half-baked political promises.

Emily Lallouz is a 34-year-old freelance casting producer in Los Angeles. She's pregnant, due in April, and worried.

"It's hard to prepare and plan for something that is so uncertain," she said. "Nobody knows what's going on. I'm due in April. What could even happen between now and then? Will I be able to go to these important doctor's appointments that I need to?"

Meg Craig is a 30-year-old kidney donor covered by the ACA through the nonprofit organization where she works in Chicago. (Craig also does freelance editing, sometimes for the Chicago Tribune.)

Advertisement

Working Lunch Weekdays Get the latest business news headlines, delivered to your inbox midday weekdays. >

"If the pre-existing condition clause goes away, I'm essentially uninsurable," she said. "I don't have plans to leave, but if I had to think about being able to pay for the cost of health care and it wasn't feasible at this place or any other, I can't just be uninsured. I don't want to be forced into a situation like that. I love what I do, I want to keep doing it and I don't want insurance to be the thing that forces me out."

That's a key point in all this: The need for affordable health insurance shouldn't be the reason people have to stay in jobs they don't want. That stifles creativity, increases stress and decreases productivity.

It's a lose-lose scenario, not to mention a morally questionable one.

I know Obamacare needs fixing. And perhaps it does need to be scrapped and replaced with something else.

But working people like the Freivogels and Grahn and others deserve clarity  quickly. Republicans have been criticizing and getting in the way of the ACA since its inception. They've had eight years to come up with a sensible replacement that will perform even better.

It's time to show American workers a replacement plan. And if Republicans can't do that, it's time to get to work at making the ACA better.

Advertisement

TALK TO REX: Ask workplace questions  anonymously or by name  and share stories with Rex Huppke at rhuppke@chicagotribune.com, like Rex on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rexworkshere and find more at www.chicagotribune.com/ijustworkhere.
McDonald's "vendor village" at 200-210 N. Carpenter St. will be just a few minutes' walk north of the new headquarters building. (Sterling Bay rendering)

McDonald's so-called vendor village  a 12-story building intended to house McDonald's suppliers who are relocating with the burger chain to the West Loop  has been approved by the Chicago Plan Commission.

McDonald's is set to move into a new headquarters building at 110 N. Carpenter St., the site of Oprah Winfrey's former Harpo Studios, next spring. That 600,000-square-foot, nine-story building is under construction. The world's largest burger chain, currently operating out of a sprawling 40-year-old campus in Oak Brook, said last year that it expected some of its suppliers to make the move downtown with it.

Advertisement

Sterling Bay, the developer for McDonald's new headquarters, also is behind the 224,000-square-foot vendor village, which will be at 200-210 N. Carpenter St., just a few minutes' walk north of the new headquarters building. The neighborhood is alternatively known as Fulton Market and West Town.

The supplier building, approved Thursday by the Plan Commission, received more backlash from neighbors than the McDonald's headquarters building did.

Advertisement

At the headquarters' ceremonial groundbreaking, Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, thanked residents of the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood for their lack of opposition to that project.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 6 Developer Sterling Bay unveiled plans for McDonald's Fulton Market headquarters June 22, 2016. The burger chain is slated to move to the site in spring 2018. The area where it is located is variously known as Fulton Market, West Loop and West Town. (Sterling Bay rendering)

When the $47.2 million 200-210 N. Carpenter project was introduced, neighbors formed a group to oppose the project and several other tall buildings planned for the low-lying neighborhood.

"Neighbors whose homes will be buried by the proposed 210 N. Carpenter and other buildings remain concerned about developers and city not thinking about long-term neighborhood sustainability, street safety and value of compromised homes," the group, Friends of Fulton Market, said in a statement last month.

McDonald's will bring about 2,000 employees to the neighborhood when it relocates. The supplier building will bring about 960 jobs, according to the mayor's office.

Andy Gloor, managing principal of Sterling Bay, said he is in deep discussions with many possible tenants for the building but declined to comment further.

The supplier building plan still requires approval by the City Council, expected later this year.

sbomkamp@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @SamWillTravel
Patient Ken Werner gives his health information to Nurse Practitioner Yana Dymarskiy before getting a flu vaccine Sept. 19, 2013, at a Walgreens health care clinic in Wheeling. Patients who have insurance coverage through their employers are using such clinics more often, according to a report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)

Illinois residents with tender throats and agonizing earaches are increasingly heading to store clinics  not just their doctors  for treatment.

Nationally, the rate of visits to retail clinics among people with Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance almost doubled over the last five years, according to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. That's despite concerns from some physicians and policymakers that patients may receive better care from doctors familiar with their needs and medical histories.

Advertisement

People with insurance through their employers drove that increase. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois  the state's largest health insurer  saw an 11.7 percent increase in the rate of retail clinic visits by patients with insurance through their employers between 2014 and 2015. The rate of visits by people with individual insurance grew much more slowly nationally  and in Illinois declined by 4.5 percent between 2014 and 2015, according to the data.

Store clinics often are found in pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS, and also can be in grocers and big-box stores like Target and Wal-Mart. Nurse practitioners often staff them, treating conditions such as bronchitis and the flu.

Advertisement

More people are using the clinics because they're so convenient, said Dr. Stephanie Vomvouras, vice president and chief medical officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. They're often open on weekends and evenings and accept walk-in appointments.

"The out-of-pocket cost is lower and they're just sort of an easy way to get seen for minor conditions like flu, earache, minor things of that nature," Vomvouras said.

On average, a patient will pay $35 out of pocket for a visit to a retail clinic for an upper respiratory condition, compared with $37 for a doctor's office and $377 for a visit to the emergency room for the same condition, according to the report.

Dr. Kaveh Safavi, head of the health practice at consulting firm Accenture, said more people are flocking to retail clinics for the same reasons they're also turning to workplace clinics and telemedicine: People are looking for the least expensive way to get care close to home and work.

But in 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics advised parents against taking their children to retail clinics, saying in a news release they "do not provide children with the high-quality, regular preventative health care children need." The academy said if parents must use retail clinics, they should consider only using clinics that have relationships with their children's pediatricians.

Some physicians and policymakers say people are better off going to their doctors who know their histories and what they might need in the future.

"For example, a child who presents to their (primary care physician) with an earache, could also receive a needed immunization, and an adult who sees their (primary care physician) because of a cough could also have their diabetes medication adjusted," according to a 2010 article published in the journal Health Affairs. "These ancillary but important services may be missed if a patient presents to a retail clinic."

The Health Affairs article also noted that some worry the growth of retail clinics will take business from primary care doctors, undermining them financially.

Advertisement

A 2015 report by Accenture predicted more than 2,800 retail clinics would dot the country by this year  an increase of 47 percent since 2014.

CVS Health has more than 1,100 retail clinics across the country, including 56 in Illinois  and it's still expanding. CVS Health hopes ultimately to grow to 1,500 clinics, said spokeswoman Amy Lanctot. Deerfield-based Walgreens has about 400 retail clinics nationally, including 56 in the Chicago area owned and operated by Advocate Health Care.

Accenture's Safavi said doctors realize that to compete with retail clinics and other health care services, they have to make their services more convenient. He said he expects retail clinics likely will evolve as well, eventually replacing nurse practitioners with medical assistants who will work with patients and convey information to doctors working remotely.

Vomvouras, of Blue Cross, said she's taken her own kids to retail clinics for minor conditions because they're often open when her regular doctor's office is not.

"They're not the end-all-be-all, and they don't meet every need and they don't replace a physician's office," Vomvouras said. "They're just another venue that people can get certain limited types of care in a time when they need it. It extends access."

lschencker@chicagotribune.com

Advertisement

Twitter @lschencker
A mysterious Skittles spill on a rural highway in Wisconsin is taking another twist, with Mars saying it doesn't know why the discarded candy might have been headed to become cattle feed.

The case began when a Wisconsin sheriff posted on Facebook this week that "hundreds of thousands of Skittles" had been found spilled on a highway. Later, he updated the post to say the candy had fallen off a truck on its way to be cattle feed.

Advertisement

Only red Skittles had spilled out, and Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt joked in the post that it would be difficult to "Taste the Rainbow" in its entirety. The incident gained attention after CNN wrote about it, citing a report from a local affiliate.

A variety of food byproducts are commonly used for animal feed, and Skittles maker Mars Inc. says it has procedures for discarding foods for that purpose. However, the company says the Skittles in question came from a factory that doesn't sell unused products for animal feed.

Advertisement

"We don't know how it ended up as it did and we are investigating," Mars said.

Company spokeswoman Denise Young said the Skittles were supposed to be destroyed because a power outage prevented the signature "S'' from being placed on the candies. She said Mars planned to contact the sheriff's office and the farmer to find out more.

Schmidt said one of his deputies had come across the spill and sent him photos, which he posted on Facebook. He said the Skittles spilled from a box that started to disintegrate in the rain, and about half of them got out. The Skittles on the ground did not have the standard letter "S'' on them, he said.

The sheriff said he has spoken to the farmer, but did not have his phone number. Schmidt did not respond when asked by email for the farmer's name.

Linda Kurtz, a corporate environmental manager at Mars, said the company sells unused candies and ingredients to processors that incorporate them with other materials to make animal feed. She said Mars does not sell directly to farmers, and its procedures follow Food and Drug Administration regulations.

Kurtz said Mars determined the spilled Skittles came from its plant in Yorkville, Ill., which does not sell products for animal feed. The other U.S. plant that makes Skittles, in Waco, Texas, sells to a local processor that melts them down into syrup.

Josh Cribbs, a cattle nutritionist and director of commercial development for the American Maine-Anjou Association, which promotes a particular cattle breed, said that the food byproducts that get used for cattle feed vary depending on what's available in the region and particular time of year. In places like Texas, for instance, Cribbs said citrus rinds are common.

Cribbs said a specific product would not be used alone, but be mixed with other ingredients to achieve a particular nutritional profile.

Advertisement

"You might think, 'Oh my gosh, they might be eating a Skittle.' In reality, that piece of candy is being broken down," he said.

Associated Press
Turns out overdraft fees are still big money makers for some banks. So much so that the former CEO of a mid-sized bank named his boat after the fee.

That's only one of the ways that bank employees celebrated the money they made from overdraft charges, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau against TCF National Bank.

The government's consumer watchdog alleges that lofty sales goals drove the Minnesota-based bank to mislead hundreds of thousands of consumers into signing up for overdraft services. Consumers typically face overdraft charges of about $35 when they use their debit cards to spend more money than they have in their accounts. Federal rules put in place after the financial crisis prohibit banks from charging the fees on debit purchases or ATM withdrawals unless consumers opt in to the program. But the CFPB alleges that TCF violated those rules.

The agency said the bank made it seem as if overdraft services were mandatory for new customers by presenting them at the same time that customers were asked about mandatory services they had to agree to if they wanted to open an account. The move doubled the rate at which consumers were opting in to the service, according to the CFPB.

Federal rules also required banks to ask existing customers if they wanted to opt in to overdraft services. But the agency says TCF used vague language to have existing customers agree to overdraft services. For instance, existing customers were asked if they wanted their check cards to "continue to work as it does today." If they said "yes," then that was taken to mean that the customer had opted into the overdraft program.

At one point in 2014, some 66 percent of TCF customers had opted in to overdraft charges, about three times as much as other banks, according to the CFPB.

Branch employees were given various incentives to encourage customers to sign up for overdraft fees, according to the lawsuit. In 2010, managers at large branches were offered bonuses up to $7,000 for getting a high share of new customers to opt in to overdraft. Those bonuses were phased out, but some employees were told to aim to have 80 percent of new customers opt in to overdraft programs.

Bank executives celebrated the program's success by throwing parties when they reached certain milestones, such as having 500,000 people opt in to the charges, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit is in line with recent efforts from the CFPB to crack down on robust sales goals they say can lead to unnecessary costs and other harm for consumers. In September, the agency fined Wells Fargo for a scheme in which employees opened sham accounts for customers without their permission in order to meet sales goals and earn bonuses. And in November, the CFPB issued a memo warning financial companies against sales incentives that may lead to fraud.

The TCF case presents a few lessons for anyone with a checking account:

Know what you're signed up for. Although overdraft programs are optional, many people don't know they're signed up for the services until after they've overdrawn their accounts. Some 52 percent who said they paid overdraft fees in 2013 were either not aware that their bank charged overdraft fees or only learned of the charge after the fact, according to a 2014 report from Pew Charitable Trusts. If you're not sure whether you're enrolled in an overdraft program, call your bank to find out.

Track your balance. Sign up for alerts so that you can receive a text message or email any time your account balance falls below a certain amount. Check your balance before a purchase, and note any other checks or bill payments that may be pending.

Link to a savings account. Consider linking your checking account to a savings account so that you can have money deducted from the savings account when you're short in your checking account. There will still be a charge for this, but the fee is usually less than what you might pay for a traditional overdraft charge.
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.'s plan to win U.S. antitrust clearance for its acquisition of Rite Aid Corp. hasn't satisfied officials at the Federal Trade Commission, according to people familiar with the matter.



With just a week left before the companies' deadline to complete the deal, FTC lawyers aren't sold on Walgreen's proposal to sell 865 drugstores to Fred's Inc. to get approval to take over Rite Aid, said two people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are confidential.



That runs counter to the sentiment of investors, who have grown optimistic that the deal will get done. The spread between Walgreen's offer price of $9 a share and Rite Aid's current price has fallen to less than 50 cents from a high of $2.57 reached on Nov. 3.

The $9.4 billion transaction would merge the No. 2 and No. 3 pharmacy chains in the U.S., vaulting the combined company past CVS Health to become the leading drugstore chain by number of stores. It would also expand its prescriptions business. FTC officials are concerned the sale doesn't go far enough to preserve competition that would be lost in the tie-up, one of the people said. It isn't clear whether the staff has made a formal recommendation, that person said.



The commission is unlikely to complete its review by the companies' Jan. 27 deadline to close the deal, the second person said. If the deal doesn't win antitrust clearance, Walgreens would have to pay Rite Aid a termination fee of $325 million or $650 million "in certain circumstances," according to a company filing.



In October, Walgreens said it was "confident" it would close the deal early this year as it postponed the merger deadline from Oct. 27 because its discussions with regulators were taking longer than anticipated.



Spokesmen for Walgreens, Rite Aid and the FTC declined to comment. Fred's chief financial officer Rick Hans, reached by phone, declined to comment.



The FTC has been scrutinizing the proposed tie-up for more than a year. The review continues as the agency is poised to be reshaped under the Trump administration. Trump will have three empty seats on the commission, including the chairman's post, to fill after Chairwoman Edith Ramirez steps down on Feb. 10.



Trump's adviser for the transition is Joshua Wright, a conservative law professor with a laissez-faire approach to antitrust enforcement who says mergers rarely harm consumers and can often generate benefits for consumers -- including lower prices and higher quality.



Under the Obama administration, the FTC has paid particular attention to competition in the health-care sector to protect consumers, targeting hospital mergers and deals that postpone the market entry of generic drugs.



The FTC carefully assesses buyers of assets to determine whether the acquirer can restore competition. It hasn't always made the right call. Divestitures ordered by the FTC in Albertsons takeover of Safeway and Hertz Global Holdings's acquisition of Dollar Thrifty both failed.

Advertisement

In 2014, the FTC ordered Hertz to spin off its Advantage Rent A Car business to a company owned by an industry veteran and Macquarie Capital. Four months after the commission closed its investigation and signed off on the acquisition, Advantage filed for bankruptcy.



The buyer of divested supermarkets in Albertsons' takeover of Safeway collapsed after acquiring those stores.



CVS Chief Financial Officer David Denton said at a conference earlier this month that Fred's won't be a viable competitor over time.
Deerfield-based Walgreens has agreed to pay $50 million to the federal government and states to settle allegations that it illegally gave discounts to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to encourage them to fill their prescriptions at Walgreens.

The federal anti-kickback statute prohibits giving anything of value to people covered by Medicare, Medicaid or Tricare in an effort to gain their business. The government alleged that Walgreens enrolled hundreds of thousands of those consumers into its Prescription Savings Club, which gave members discounts on drugs and rebates on other Walgreens-branded products such as household, baby care and grocery items.

Advertisement

Walgreens knew it could not allow beneficiaries of government health insurance programs into the Prescription Savings Club, and it published materials saying they were ineligible, according to the government. Yet Walgreens marketed the program to them and paid employees $1 to $5 for each customer enrolled without checking whether customers were covered by Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE, the government alleged. Tricare is the government's health insurance program for the military.

Walgreens admitted that it enrolled people in government health insurance programs into its discount club as part of the settlement agreement announced Thursday by the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York.

Advertisement

"We entered into this agreement to avoid the delay, expense and uncertainty of litigation, and did so without any admission of legal liability," Walgreens said in a statement. "We continue to offer discounts on prescriptions through our Prescription Savings Club to eligible patients."

Walgreens has agreed to pay $46.2 million to the federal government and $3.79 million to states to settle allegations it violated state fraud laws.

Whistleblower Marc Baker, a former Florida Walgreens pharmacy manager, brought the lawsuit against Walgreens in 2012, and the government joined it. Under the federal False Claims Act, whistleblowers are entitled to a portion of whatever money the government is able to recover. Baker will get $9.7 million, according to the settlement agreement.

lschencker@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lschencker
Ikura temaki (quail egg, salmon roe and wild rice) is one of the dishes at Kitsune, which means "fox" in Japanese. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

After a year of waiting, we can all exhale: Acclaimed chef Iliana Regan is finally unlocking the doors to her latest project, Kitsune Restaurant and Pub, today.

Known for her work with foraged ingredients at Michelin-starred Elizabeth in Lincoln Square, Regan now turns her palate toward Japanese food.

Advertisement

Joining Regan as culinary director and head of research and development is Justin Behlke, who holds those same titles at Elizabeth. He's also behind hyper-seasonal pop-up Thurk.

Reservations to Kitsune are already booked through its first few weeks; when you are able to get one, don't expect anything flashy or splashy. The 24-seater is a modest restaurant focused on highlighting Midwestern produce and Japanese techniques to create smart-yet-approachable dishes.

Advertisement

"When I started thinking about Kitsune," says Regan, "I started with an idea for a ramen shop, but then the ideas started to evolve  we realized that the philosophies, the techniques of Japanese cooking are things we already practice at Elizabeth." That evolution, in turn, became Kitsune, a place "we can learn about this cuisine and fine-tune our techniques."

The restaurant's Instagram feed shows a quiet riot of striking, simply presented dishes. "The focus is on deeply layered flavors," says Behlke. Yes, ramen is on the menu  a wildly fragrant tonkotsu ramen ($18) with a sticky, savory-sweet slab of pork belly, for instance  but you'll also find a modest tasting portion of uni in a shocking shade of orange, coated with an explosive squeeze of yuzu juice ($12).

Traditional Japanese dishes like okonomiyaki (a kind of savory pancake, $16) and wagyu beef ($60) also show up on the menu, but for the chefs, it's almost what you don't see that make up the essence of the restaurant.

"In Japan, cuisine is all about the initial product," says Behlke. "Japanese food is rooted in this deep respect for nature and seasons, and it shows in the high-quality ingredients."

"It's about the simplest preparation, letting the ingredients be."

Both Regan and Behlke are soft-spoken and thoughtful, which comes across in their food and in their discussion of Kitsune's mission. I sat down with the chefs to get to the heart of their work.

On seasonality:

Seasonality is more than just a buzzword to Behlke. "You can go anywhere in the world and have a great, seasonally appropriate meal, but in Japan, it's finding that product that is at its peak. I want to bring that sensibility here."

Advertisement

For example, tomatoes: "Summer tomatoes are great from July to September, but there's a window in August when they're just so delicious. That's where I want to focus my energy, knowing when a product is having its moment."

One of Behlke's major tasks is building a pantry of items, from miso and myriad pickled items to soy sauce and amino acids, to punch up those seasonal ingredients.

On intentionality:

The mission at Kitsune is to create a restaurant model that's self-sustaining and supports the work of everyone involved: farmers, producers, employees, guests. "We're trying to think about the people we're supporting. Restaurants are an ecosystem, so how do we support these endeavors?"

The pantry, for instance, goes beyond having products and ingredients on hand. Behlke and Regan want to innovate and share techniques and ideas with staff and partners  say, for soy-free miso made from adzuki beans, lentils, black chickpeas or nuts.

The pair are also tackling food waste, trying to create a sustainability loop within the restaurant by creatively using scraps and other byproducts. When Behlke began curing egg yolks, rather than toss the whites, he fermented them over four to five months to create a bronze, clear sauce  as a result of fermentation, the egg's proteins have broken down, so the sauce "doesn't coagulate when you heat it up. It's very umami-forward, and it can flavor broths or act like a dipping sauce."

Advertisement

Vegetable scraps, too, find their way in the vegan ramen. The cuttings are charred into an ash and mixed into the dough, "creating a really earthy, kind of sweet flavor," says Behlke. "It also adds an interesting black color to the noodles."

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

Hopefully, "these intentional choices create a sustainable system," he says. "If we can reuse everything, even scraps, maybe that means we can buy one less product, which will create money to get health insurance for our employees, or add up to other goals, whatever they are. If you don't start thinking about things differently, nothing is ever going to change."

On "authenticity":

In an age where the latest restaurant buzzword is "authentic," the chefs don't shy away from claiming no authority on Japanese cuisine. "We're not trying to be a Japanese restaurant, but we're influenced by the cuisine, the technique and the deep history," Behlke says.

"(Japan) is a place I've always looked to for inspiration," adds Regan. "I crave and love and have become enamored of it. I can't put this cuisine front-and-center at Elizabeth, but here, I can explore the Japanese aesthetic and sensibility."

"There are things we'll never master," says Behlke. "But we share these same core values (as many Japanese chefs)  respecting great products and simplicity  and can apply them to a new context."

Advertisement

4229 N Lincoln Ave., www.kitsunerestaurant.com

jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @joeybear85






Another day, another anti-Trump beer from a Chicago brewery.

To mark Inauguration Day, a pale ale from Illuminated Brew Works called Trumpty Dumpty will be tapped at The Green Lady (3328 N. Lincoln Ave.), a Northside bar that has already expressed its displeasure with the new president.

Advertisement

The beer comes on the heels of beers from 5 Rabbit Cerveceria (Chinga Tu Pelo; the brewery also pulled a beer from Trump Tower) and Spiteful Brewing (Dumb Donald).

All sales from the Trumpty Dumpty keg, which will be tapped at 4 p.m. Friday, will be donated to Planned Parenthood, The Green Lady announced on social media.

Advertisement

Hopleaf (5148 N. Clark St.) also will be donating 10 percent of its Friday sales to Planned Parenthood after declaring itself a "Trump-free zone" on Inauguration Day. Nearly 5,000 people "liked" the announcement and 1,000 shared it.

The bar followed up Thursday evening with a post that said, "If only a small fraction of those who have responded positively to our post about tomorrow come in, we'll be overwhelmed. We were thinking that we'd be a (quiet) afternoon TV-free alternative for those who want to chill out a bit. It seems to have grown beyond that considerably."

In November, The Green Lady pledged to dump all MillerCoors products after the election due to Pete Coors' support of Trump.

jbnoel@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @joshbnoel






If John Gardner is to be believed, then there are only two plots in all of literature: "A person goes on a journey" and "A stranger comes to town." In her sweeping, deep and strikingly compassionate second novel, "Lucky Boy," Shanthi Sekaran weaves these two elemental narratives with emotionally arresting aplomb.

One of the novel's paired protagonists, 18-year-old Solimar Castro-Valdez, or Soli, bravely sets off on the fraught journey to cross the border from Mexico to the United States, only to arrive without legal permission and unexpectedly pregnant. Her parents pay a smuggler to help her leave her tiny, forlorn village, Santa Clara Popocalco, because it "offered no work, only the growing and eating of a few stalks of corn," and because she "wanted California, and she wanted it badly enough that anyone who threatened to take it away  would have to be ignored."

Advertisement

The other protagonist, 35-year-old Kavya Reddy, decides that  in spite of possessing a beautiful Craftsman bungalow with her husband, Rishi, as well as a satisfying a remunerative career as a chef  she needs to embark on the journey of motherhood for her life to feel complete. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she feels such intense cultural and personal pressure to reproduce that sometimes, amid her struggles with fertility, "She vaguely and irrationally worried that the infant supply would be tapped out by other lucky women  that in the great heavenly handout, no babies would be left for her."

In Berkeley  where Soli ends up at the home of a cousin, Silvia, who claims to be "high-tech" and "doing well," and where Kavya and Rishi make their home  the stranger who ends up bringing their lives irrevocably together is Soli's new and unanticipated son, the lucky boy of the novel's title.

Advertisement

To call him lucky is not an ironic gesture on Sekaran's part, but it's also not an uncomplicated one. Much of the book's conflict hinges on how fortunate he is to be loved fiercely by two women  his mother, from whom he is taken when she winds up in an immigration detention center after a traffic stop, and Kavya, who fosters him, intending to adopt him and make him her own. Sekaran's handling of this situation, though humanistic and ultimately uplifting, does not oversimplify or sugarcoat the wrenching difficulty of such a situation.

Soli becomes "Alien 127676" in the detention camp, where "Prisoners slept head to toe, and at night, they shivered." Meanwhile, Ignacio, her "Nacho," becomes "Iggy" in the home of Kavya and Rishi, who have been duly warned that "there's a chance  a good chance" that his mother will return for him and that "long-term placement here is not a certainty."

Topical and timely, but thankfully neither pedantic nor preachy, Sekaran's book invites the reader to engage empathetically with thorny geopolitical issues that feel organic and fully inhabited by her finely rendered characters.

Because of the way Sekaran examines the vagaries of economic inequality and the messiness of love in addition to the intricacies of immigration and adoption, "Lucky Boy" would make a promising pick for a book club. The circumstances feel well-researched, but Sekaran never lets that research get in the way of what is, at its core, a gripping story.

The sentences themselves are beautiful too, as when she writes: "Why did people love children that were born to other people? For the same reason they lived in Berkeley, knowing the Big One was coming: because it was a beautiful place to be, and because there was no way to fathom the length or quality of life left to anyone."

And while the book certainly is, as Gardner might have it, about journeys and strangers, above all it is about vicissitudes of luck comforting and unjust, good and bad. Sekaran offers her audience the opportunity to consider chance itself  the accidents of circumstance we don't want to acknowledge as defining our fates, preferring instead to insist we are the ones in control.

Kathleen Rooney's second novel, "Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk," has just been published by St. Martin's.

'Lucky Boy'

Advertisement

By Shanthi Sekaran, Putnam's Sons, 480 pages, $27






In 2013, Sarah Moshman and Dana Michelle Cook packed a minivan with camera equipment and a film crew and drove from Los Angeles to New York, capturing the stories of 17 remarkable women along the way: an astronaut, a brewmaster, an architect, an admiral and more.

The road trip lasted a month. The impact, they hope, will last a lifetime.

Advertisement

They turned the stories into a documentary called "The Empowerment Project," and they've spent the past three years showing it in high school auditoriums and college lecture halls, in cities across the country, in countries around the world  from Haiti to Holland, from Rwanda to Australia.

On Tuesday, it was released on iTunes and Amazon.

Advertisement

"The film encourages girls and young women and young men to think about what they would do if they weren't afraid to fail," Cook, who lives in Lakeview, told me.

In preparation for the road trip, they launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds. When the campaign reached its goal, they asked the 404 people who'd pledged money to tell them whom they'd like to see profiled. The suggestions poured in.

"We especially wanted to focus on the STEM fields  science, technology, engineering, math  because not only are women underrepresented in them in real life, they're also underrepresented in media portrayals," said Moshman, who grew up in Evanston. "You don't see a lot of female scientists in movies or on TV."

Operating with the belief that girls can't be what they can't see, the crew got to work.

They tracked down Molly Barker, the Charlotte, N.C.-based founder of Girls on the Run, astronaut Sandy Magnus and Michelle Howard, the first black woman to command a U.S. warship and the first woman to reach the rank of four-star admiral.

They profiled U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, chef Mary Nguyen and mathematician Ami Radunskaya, who tells them, "I solve systems of nonlinear differential equations, and I love it."

After showing the film, Cook and Moshman lead their audiences in discussions about what they can achieve.

"We've seen with our own eyes the power of looking someone in the eye and saying, 'You can do anything, and here are 17 examples of that,'" Cook said. "We're so grateful to be able to listen and observe and really be the vessel for these important conversations."

Advertisement

I spend a lot of time considering what my kids see and hear about women and from women.

"Empowerment Project" crew members pose with Adm. Michelle Howard, the first woman to reach the rank of four-star admiral. From left: Alana Fickes, Vanessa Crocini, Sarah Moshman, Howard, Dana Michelle Cook and Ashley Hammen. ("Empowerment Project")

In my own field, male bylines outnumber female bylines in almost every major newspaper, according to The Status of Women in the U.S. Media, a 2015 report from the Women's Media Center. Men are quoted in front page stories three times as often as women.

Opinion writers are overwhelmingly male. The OpEd Project looked at the three biggest newspapers and the four major syndicators of opinion columns and found 143 columnists were male; 38 were female.

We're not conditioned to hear women's voices and opinions and stories outside a very limited realm  mostly within the home. It's the reason I get mail every week telling me to fix my hair and pay more attention to my children. It's why my business reporter colleague just received a note admonishing her to behave "more like a woman."

Women are upending stereotypes and breaking glass ceilings left and right. We outnumber men in college, we're the primary earners in 4 out of 10 families, we now hold 21 of the seats in the U.S. Senate  more than ever before.

But we don't hear women's voices nearly as often as we hear men's  in the news media, in movies, in books.

Advertisement

And that's what I love about "The Empowerment Project."

"There are so many inspirational women out there," Moshman says in the documentary's trailer. "But why is it sometimes so hard to see them?"

Their film makes it less so.

"Some of the girls come up to us and talk about how they feel inspired to pursue that class they were afraid to take or go for that degree they've been thinking about," Cook said. "Other times, months will pass, and we'll get an email, 'I saw your film a year ago, and I wanted you to know I was inspired to make this change.' It's just the most amazing thing."

The next time my kids and I are settled in for an "American Ninja Warrior" binge  our current source of empowerment programming  I'm going to suggest we take in 17 stories of women who overcame obstacles of a different, but no less daunting, sort. Seventeen stories of dreams achieved.

Seventeen stories that remind us what it means to behave like a woman.

Advertisement

hstevens@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @heidistevens13

RELATED STORIES:

In Chicago and beyond, a movement to mark Inauguration Day with service

Chicago political gurus team up to help more women run for office

10 people I met in 2016 who give me hope for 2017






WASHINGTON  Patriotism came in a shade of pale blue cashmere and matching suede gloves.

Because this presidential election was so terribly fraught, even the subject of fashion became a matter of political debate, moral outrage and pained circumspection. It was, of course, First Lady Melania Trump who was at the center of all this angst and indignation because her inaugural attire -- in all its possibilities -- is expected to set the tone for the day and, perhaps, introduce the mythology that will come to define the administration for years to come. A host of designers announced preemptively that they would not dress her -- or associate themselves with her -- because they did not want to lend their support to her husband administration, of which she is a representative. Other designers said creating a wardrobe for her was a matter of patriotic duty. And many were simply quietly sorting out their thinking.

Advertisement

Ultimately, for the historic swearing-in ceremony, Melania Trump chose a sky blue, Ralph Lauren Collection cropped, cutaway jacket and mock turtleneck dress.

And just like that, the controversy shifted from a boil to barely a simmer. The First Lady chose wisely. She selected a designer whose place in history is already secure. This inaugural ensemble will be a footnote in his professional story, not the essence of it. But more important, Lauren is a designer whose entire aesthetic is rooted in a kind of glorious, soft-focus Americana. He has also donated $13 million to save and protect "The Star-Spangled Banner" and to educate the public about its history. In 2014, he was presented with the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal for his patriotism, entrepreneurship and philanthropy during a ceremony at the National Museum of American History.

Advertisement

He has accommodated both Democrats and Republicans, most recently serving as Hillary Clinton's most reliable clothier during the campaign. To witness her rival being sworn in as the 45th president, she turned once again to Lauren, choosing a white, jewel-neck suit and a cream-colored cashmere coat. And on a personal note, Lauren's son, David, is married to Lauren Bush -- niece of George W. Bush.

Ralph Lauren is possibly the most bipartisan American designer working today.

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton arrive at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20 for the inauguration of Donald Trump. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

"The Presidential Inauguration is a time for the United States to look our best to the world. It was important to us to uphold and celebrate the tradition of creating iconic American style for this moment," read a statement from the company.

The style of Melania Trump's coat has been compared to that worn by Jackie Kennedy, but it is also a silhouette that is classic and sophisticated. It was a perfect color -- serving as a gentle spot of light on a drizzly, dreary day. It also gracefully referenced our nation's flag without transforming Melania Trump into one. (In contrast, presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway wore a red, white and blue Gucci coat with rows of medallions, a bright red hat and red leather gloves. The ensemble looked precisely like a costume, but more than that, it made one wonder if she considers patriotism a competitive sport.)

A fashion historian once noted that the inaugural ballgown is akin to a wedding dress. It is a bit anachronistic as a gesture, but still compelling in its significance. As far back as 1889, the inaugural gown was already political. President Benjamin Harrison wanted his constituents to buy American, and so his wife Caroline's dress was a trifecta of Americana: the silk was designed in Indiana, the fabric woven in upstate New York and the dress itself made in the Big Apple. In 1977, Rosalynn Carter's vintage gown -- one pulled from her own closet -- underscored Jimmy Carter's message of frugality and homespun style. He was, after all, "Jimmy," not James. Jackie Kennedy's fashion signaled worldly savoir-faire. And Michelle Obama's inaugural wardrobe -- in both 2009 and 2013 -- spoke of diversity, inclusiveness and the country's creative economy.

At the Capitol, Melania Trump looked polished and poised and very much like herself. She has not been seen very often since the election -- or even during the campaign. But the style was in keeping with what they public has come to expect thus far: the clean lines, the body-conscious style, the luxury. The ensemble reflected the formality of the day and quietly offered up a shade of hopefulness.

One wishes that her husband had been as polished, but then that is not his style. And so, his suit jacket was flopped open; the pants were too long. And the tie. The bright red tie hangs down to its usual position -- far below the reaches of his belt.

The new first couple arrived in Washington on Thursday. At Joint Base Andrews, they stepped off a military jet and into the center of the whirlwind of transformation as they moved from private citizens to public servants. Melania Trump was dressed in a cadet-style overcoat with its rows of black buttons marching along her torso. She walked and stood -- and stood -- in a pair of sleek black pumps with limousine heels. For much of the public, it was the first glimpse of her since the day after the election when she had strolled with her husband through the Capitol. She was wearing black then, too.

Advertisement

The couple accepted greetings from well-wishers on the tarmac and then they were off -- first to a luncheon with transition officials and incoming staff and then to a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Despite it being another overcast day, Melania Trump wore large black sunglasses in the manner of so many bold-face names who try to hide in plain sight with the help of a pair of designer aviators.

On Friday, there were no sunglasses. No more anonymity. There was no more hiding.






Outgoing U.S. Sen. Mark Kirksaidhe's seriously thinking of starting his own lobbying firm, or, as he called it, a "strategic consultancy." (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

WASHINGTON  He's been bounced out of the U.S. Senate, but will Mark Kirk's landing spot be just down the road at Washington's home of lobbying, K Street?

Speaking Thursday night at the Heartland Ball, a bipartisan celebration of the presidential inauguration for Illinoisans in D.C., the former U.S. senator told Chicago Inc. that he's seriously thinking of starting his own lobbying firm, or, as he called it, a "strategic consultancy."

Advertisement

Though Kirk said he hasn't made a final decision on what the next chapter of his life will be, he said, "I'll probably set up a firm of my own to work with my expertise on behalf of large employers in Illinois to ensure that they are well represented in Washington, D.C."

Kirk said he expected to open offices both in D.C. and in his hometown of Highland Park, and that he had "two unique angles."

Advertisement

He'd represent "big Illinois outfits in Washington, and also in Beijing," he said, adding that he is planning to go to Beijing "under the sponsorship of the Chinese government."

"They regularly bring over retired senators, so there's seven or eight of us going on an exchange visit to China," he said.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

"I've already talked to Boeing," he said, adding that he had discussed President-elect Donald Trump's Twitter rant against Boeing with the company.

Asked by a reporter if President Barack Obama had ever invited him to fly aboard Air Force One, built by Boeing, Kirk responded, "No, white Republicans don't get invited to go on those kind of trips."

Attempts to reach a White House spokesman for Obama on Thursday night were unsuccessful.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth  who was on the receiving end of a strange racial comment from Kirk during a campaign debate in the fall  was unimpressed with Kirk's plans, noting that she'd spoken out in the past about the revolving door among politics, public service and big money lobbying.

But "I think Mark is going to do what Mark Kirk's going to do," she said.

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Advertisement

Twitter @kimjnews
WASHINGTON  It didn't take long for President Donald Trump 's new administration to take a swing at Chicago.

Just moments after Trump was sworn in, his team hit the go button on a revamped White House website that highlights the "thousands of shootings in Chicago last year alone."

Advertisement

Though Chicago didn't get a mention in Trump's inaugural speech, the reference to the city was made on the section of the White House website titled "Standing up for our law enforcement community."

"The dangerous anti-police atmosphere in America is wrong," it states. "The Trump Administration will end it."

Advertisement

Chicago Police union president Dean Angelo welcomed the words from the Trump administration regarding police officers, telling Chicago Inc. in a phone interview.: "I think it's pretty clear you don't want to support law breakers, you want to support law enforcement.

Washington is the only other city singled out for its violent crime problem by the Trump administration, though both D.C. and Chicago are outside the top 20 nationwide for per-capita homicide rates.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

"Our job is not to make life more comfortable for the rioter, the looter, or the violent disrupter," the White House website states. "Our job is to make life more comfortable for parents who want their kids to be able to walk the streets safely. Or the senior citizen waiting for a bus. Or the young child walking home from school."

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 157 President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up alongside first lady Melania Trump at the Salute To Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. At left is Army Staff Sgt. Joseph A. Medina and second from left is Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Catherine Cartmell. (Alex Brandon / AP)

It adds, "President Donald Trump will fight for the safety of every American, and especially those Americans who have not known safe neighborhoods for a very long time."

The latest comments about Chicago come just a week after the U.S. Department of Justice issued a damning, sweeping report that found the city's police officers are poorly trained and quick to turn to excessive and even deadly force, most often against blacks and Latino residents, without facing consequences.

A spokesman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel did not immediately comment on Trump's statement.

Trump routinely used Chicago's homicide problem as a cudgel on the campaign trail, saying he knew a cop who could fix the city's problem "in one week."

That'll be Jan. 27, then.

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimjnews
Psychic Andrew Anderson predicts that during President Donald Trump's first term we will see the U.S.-Mexico border wall be built, more terrorism in the U.S. and Trump's re-election. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

When politicos and pundits have consistently failed to predict the fate of incoming President Donald Trump, why not consult the spirits and the stars?

I asked local psychics to glimpse into the future to see how Trump, that most unpredictable of political figures, will govern over the next four years. Though their predictions tend to be vague, all foresee plenty of drama and turmoil ahead.

Advertisement

"We're going to look at a president who broke so many rules  a very brash, abrupt person," said Susan Rowlen, who does psychic consultations in Oak Brook. "He has all his ideas, but he doesn't really have a clue how to put them in force."

Rowlen said her predictions come to her as feelings stirred by spirits  "cheat sheets from the afterlife," she calls them  and that they concern more than politics: The ascension of Prince Charles to the British throne and another Cubs World Series victory will happen in the next few years, she said.

Advertisement

But with many of her clients concerned about what Trump's leadership will mean, she has asked the spirits for guidance. Their verdict contains prophecies both welcome and alarming.

First, the good news.

The economy will take off under Trump, a real estate tycoon who sees almost everything as negotiable. The stock market will climb, with energy companies, small stocks and precious metals proving to be particularly good investments, she said.

"The way he approaches it is everything is a deal," she said. "He has a completely different vision than President Obama."

But that wheeler-dealer sensibility will also get him into trouble, she said. While he will keep more manufacturing jobs inside the U.S., the price of consumer goods will rise as a consequence. Meanwhile, one Cabinet pick after another will flame out  as many as seven will leave their posts within two years, she said.

"He'll go through people in his Cabinet like we go through underwear," she said.

World events will offer plenty of challenges too. She predicted more countries leaving the European Union, outbreaks of diseases yet unknown to the public and further crises with Syria and North Korea. Russia, though, won't be much of a threat, she said.

That's not exactly how Andrew Anderson sees it. The Hoffman Estates man who describes himself as a psychic medium said Trump's relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin will reveal itself to be more tangled than either man has owned up to.

Advertisement

Anderson, too, sees trouble ahead with Iran and Syria, with ground troops soon to be dispatched to Syria. Trump will indeed carry through with his promise to build a wall along the Mexican border, Anderson said, though Mexico will not pay for it.

And the wall won't keep ISIS operatives out of the country  some are already here, he said.

"He's going to be aggressive with ISIS," Anderson said. "He'll be tested early, I feel."

Anderson  who said he has foreseen disasters including the Sandy Hook shootings, the Boston bombings and various plane crashes  agreed that Trump will be good for the economy and will see more jobs created than any of his predecessors.

Trump also will be a calmer and better president than his many detractors believe, Anderson said, and his unorthodox leadership methods will be adopted by others. He predicted that Trump will be re-elected despite a blizzard of bad publicity.

"He will be the most sued president in history," Anderson said. "There are more lawsuits coming."

Advertisement

Kathryn Forestal, who operates Readings by Kathryn in Chicago, had a different prediction. She said Trump will not make it through even one full term, leaving via impeachment or voluntary retirement or some other unusual route.

"He's very erratic," she said. "He's going to do something to break the law, and that's going to get his empire tumbling down."

Forestal, who said her specialty is sensing a client's health problem before it is diagnosed, is a reader of tarot cards and also gets visions out of the blue. She dislikes Trump but said she tried to prevent that from tainting her foresight, which she described as being akin to "spiritual photos" that must be pieced together.

Despite the grim mosaic produced by her mediations on Trump, one that includes scandal and possibly war, she said there will be some good too.

"Here's what I'm getting: I think some of his attitudes are going to be a little more flexible when he really sees what the world is like, because he doesn't know what it's like," she said. "I think he'll do some humanistic things for this country.

"He likes to be a celebrity, and no matter what he says, he wants people to think well of him. He may do something to surprise us."

Advertisement

jkeilman@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @JohnKeilman
Tamika Mallory, right, co-chair of the Women's March on Washington, talks during an interview with fellow co-chairs Carmen Perez, left, and Linda Sarsour, Jan. 9, 2017 in New York. The march will be held Jan. 21, 2017, the day after Donald Trump's inauguration. (Mark Lennihan / AP)

Until two of my daughters announced a night-before sleepover for their children, I couldn't wrap my head around the Women's March on Chicago.

Then I discovered that other family members planned on joining them Friday evening for a Sabbath dinner. After the traditional blessing of the wine and bread, the grown-ups would explain to the kids why they'll carry signs Saturday protesting the inauguration of an American president.

Advertisement

The very idea turned me red with anger. Not toward them, but him.

How dare Donald Trump impose such an impossible task on my daughters!

Advertisement

Girls and women prevail in my brood. Of my 20 children and grandchildren, 14 are female. That makes us hypervigilant about inoculating the younger ones against the female stereotypes my generation grew up with. We correct boys who think that anatomy makes them superior to girls.

I was raised on the inverse proposition. "May my father's memory be for a blessing," as we say, but if a car cut him off, he'd yell: "Woman driver!" He never looked to see if that was true.

Children see the world in black and white. Explaining to them what a president does is easy. From their perspective, he's the teacher. We are his students. He is a good guy. That's why he is in charge.

So how do we tell them that, in this case, it's more complicated?

They'll see a man on television with his hand on a Bible, swearing to "faithfully execute the office of President of the United States." We might hope that they won't recognize him as the same man who bragged about grabbing a woman's private parts.

Good luck with that. Little kids are like sponges, and my grandchildren are surrounded by news freaks. Their elders might muffle their response to televised images of Trump saying or doing outlandish things. But the little ones take note.

Our 10-year-old grandson draws political cartoons satirizing Trump's antics. So his cousins know the slurs and ethnic put-downs with which he littered the campaign trail:

Mexicans, being rapists and criminals, have to be contained behind a great big wall.

Advertisement

Muslims should be subject to extreme vetting.

John McCain endured an enemy's torture, but he's not a hero, because he was captured.

By Trump's example my grandchildren might think that there is nothing wrong with berating a beauty queen for putting on weight.

Or that it's OK to parody the jerky movements of an impaired reporter. Why not? Trump refers to journalists as "scum."

Children know it's wrong to tell a lie. What are they to make of Trump, who claimed that Obama wasn't born in the United States and shouldn't be president?

Trump only dropped the patently false accusation for the sake of his political ambitions. But I didn't hear him say, "I'm sorry."

Advertisement

When they were toddlers, I drilled my children in those two little words. They did the same with their children, also passing along "please," "may I," "excuse me," "thank you" and "you're welcome."

Those phrases don't seem to exist in Trump's vocabulary. It's rich in praises  for himself: He knows more about ISIS than the generals. He is so smart that he doesn't need intelligence briefings.

Other people he dismisses as "losers." And this from a guy who has declared bankruptcy several times. Who stiffs contractors who build his casinos. Who shelled out $25 million to settle lawsuits by alums of Trump University who felt they were ripped off by bogus courses and pie-in-the-sky promises.

My daughter-in-law is Dominican-American. How can she explain to her two sons why Trump would nominate for attorney general a U.S. senator who said: "Almost no one coming from the Dominican Republic to the United States is coming because they have a skill that would benefit us and indicate their likely success in our society."

Those boys know that their mother is an electrical engineer who worked as a nanny while in graduate school. She helped put her brother through college, and sent money back home so her mother could own a home.

It's no wonder that one of that woman's sons puts his anger into political cartoons. One has Trump saying: "All I got from my father was a measly million dollars."

Advertisement

Don't get me wrong: This doesn't mean I hope Trump flops as president. I wish him all the good luck in the world. If he can bring back jobs that have been outsourced, I'll say: "Thank you!" Ditto if he can better protect us from deadly terrorist attacks.

But first, he has to face up to the burden he put on my daughters. He needs to acknowledge what they went through explaining to their children his misdeeds and foul language.

Doing that couldn't be simpler. All it would take is saying: "I'm sorry. Please excuse me."

rgrossman@chicagotribune.com
President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up alongside first lady Melania Trump at the Salute To Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. At left is Army Staff Sgt. Joseph A. Medina and second from left is Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Catherine Cartmell. (Alex Brandon / AP)

Someday, Donald John Trump's portrait will hang in the White House gallery.

He will be in the company of some of America's most admired presidents  George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt. But what will history have to say about Trump?

Advertisement

The story of his presidency begins today. How it unfolds is up to him.

Many Americans are unimpressed by the preface. A presidential campaign tainted with bigotry, misogyny and hatred is not the kind of storyline that intrigues and holds us spellbound. It is the kind of introduction that makes us wary.

Advertisement

So multitudes of Americans of every race, ethnic group and religion did not travel from the tiniest corners of the nation to see Trump sworn in the way we did for Barack Obama eight years ago. Instead, we prepared to march in solidarity in Washington and cities all over America to demand more from our new president than he has promised to give.

In 2009, we stood shoulder to shoulder by the thousands  young and old, rich and poor  in the blistering cold, absorbing each other's strength and radiating the optimism that the election of the first African-American president ignited in us.

We were proud to have accomplished such a milestone in our nation's history. It was a symbol of progressiveness, tolerance and of our faith in democracy. Now we fear that this Inauguration Day marked a roadblock in our journey, one that forces us to turn around and retrace our steps.

So on Inauguration Day 2017  perhaps the brightest one in Trump's life  our television sets went dark and our radios, silent. We didn't cheer the arrival of this great America that Trump has championed. We vowed to never sit idly back and allow it to form.

None of us wants to see our great nation fail. Though skeptical of our new leader, there is nothing we'd like more than to stand proudly behind him and lend our support. But how can we believe in someone we cannot respect?

President Trump is now the most powerful man in the free world. But that does not make him the most respected. Respect isn't something that comes automatically with the presidential title. Respect is bestowed only when it is earned.

It doesn't mean that we have to agree with every decision the president makes. But we have to believe that whatever he does is for the good of our country. Right now, some of us aren't sure that Trump will do right by every American. In spite of what he says, we question whether he has the nation's best interest at heart.

An inaugural address full of promises about uniting the country does nothing to bring Americans closer. We have heard too many meaningless words already.

Advertisement

Photos with rapper Kanye West, comedian Steve Harvey or Martin Luther King III in the lobby of Trump Tower won't convince African-Americans that Trump is sincere about fixing urban neighborhoods.

If Trump really wants blacks to believe that he cares about crime and is a champion for justice, he should appoint an attorney general who believes in equality. Not Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, who allegedly has referred to the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, founded by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as "un-American" and joked about the Ku Klux Klan being "OK."

If Trump believed that children are the backbone of America's future, he would appoint an education secretary who will fight to make public education a pathway out of poverty and despair. Not someone like Betsy DeVos, who is clueless about public schools and thinks that enforcement of the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act should be left up to the states.

If Trump believed in America, he would fight for the rights of young people brought here without legal documents, so they can remain in the only country they know as home. He would understand that from the moment immigrants landed in the New World, "Dreamers" have been the seeds of the American family.

If Trump truly wanted to make America great, he would swallow his pride and acknowledge his mistakes. He would forget about asking Congress to fund a wall along the Mexico border. He would demand economic parity and pay equity for women. He would fight to uphold the civil rights of lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender Americans. He would embark on a mission to ensure that Muslims, Christians, Jews and every other religious group could practice their faith without fear of reprisal.

Until Trump earns the respect of the majority of American people, he will continue to be our most popular meme. We will poke fun at his tweets and laugh out loud when Alec Baldwin portrays him as a bumbling idiot on "Saturday Night Live." But it will be a nervous laughter, an attempt to conceal the fear that Trump ignites in us.

Advertisement

Many of us are convinced that Trump will never have what it takes to make America great. But deep inside we're hoping he'll take hold of his story and allow history to someday prove us wrong.

dglanton@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @dahleeng
The federal judge presiding over former state Rep. Aaron Schock's fraud trial recused herself Thursday, agreeing with his defense attorneys that several issues could create an appearance of bias  including that Schock as a congressman had a role in events that cost her a superior position.

U.S. Judge Sue E. Myerscough unsealed a Jan. 12 letter from Schock's attorneys asking her to step down from the case. The letter notes that Schock, working with former Sen. Mark Kirk in 2011, asked the president to sign a commission for Judge James E. Shadid before one for Myerscough. That gave Shadid seniority that allowed him to become chief judge for the Central District of Illinois over Myerscough, the letter said.

Advertisement

Schock's attorneys also noted Myerscough in 2008 considered running for Congress in the same year and district that Schock first ran; and that Myerscough's daughter is engaged to a lawyer who works in the same firm as Schock's defense team.

In her ruling, Myerscough insisted she could remain impartial but agreed the facts could cause the public to question her judgment. She referred the case to Chief Judge Shadid for reassignment to a different jurist.

Advertisement

"The Court appreciates defense counsel bringing the information to the Court's attention," Myerscough wrote. "The Court does not believe that those facts in any way affect the Court's impartiality. Nonetheless, this information, through no fault of the Court, creates a cloud over the Court continuing to preside in this case. Therefore, the Court will recuse on its own motion."

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 32 Former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock appears March 6, 2019 after his scheduled hearing at the U.S. Dirksen Courthouse in Chicago. Federal prosecutors have agreed to drop all charges against him if he pays back money he owes to the Internal Revenue Service and his campaign fund. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Schock, a Peoria Republican who quit Congress in 2015, was indicted by a federal grand jury Nov. 10 in Springfield on 24 counts of wire and mail fraud related to misuse of campaign and taxpayer dollars.

The letter from Schock's attorney, George J. Terwilliger III, said a judge must recuse herself in a case if "an objective observer could reasonably question her impartiality" not because there is "evidence of any actual bias."

Terwilliger said the prosecution recently handed over emails from March and November 2011 showing how Schock and Kirk took steps to ensure Shadid would win the chief judge position instead of Myerscough because of paperwork.

Earlier in the proceedings, Myerscough denied Schock's motion for a venue change to Peoria.

First elected in 2009, Schock resigned amid criticism over his lavish spending, including far-flung travel and office renovations.

echerney@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @ElyssaCherney
Louis S. Cohen's body was foundburned in Chicago's River North area. He was a veteran real estate attorney. (Foley & Lardner LLP)

A badly burned body found on the floor of a River North parking garage early Tuesday has been identified as a 60-year-old real estate attorney, officials said.

He was identified as Louis S. Cohen, of the 200 block of Ivy Lane in Highland Park, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. An autopsy Wednesday was pending and did not determine a cause and manner for Cohen's death, the office said.

Advertisement

Just before 6 a.m. Tuesday, police and fire crews responded to a fire in the 11th floor of a parking garage in the 300 block of North LaSalle Drive and found the body on the floor.

The cause of the fire was unknown. Police were conducting a death investigation. Arson detectives also were called to examine the scene.

Advertisement

Cohen's firm, Foley & Lardner LLP, 321 N. Clark St., issued the following statement on its website.

"It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our friend and colleague, Lou Cohen.

"Lou joined the firm's Business Law Department eight months ago as part of our Real Estate Practice from Locke Lord. He was formerly with DLA Piper for 27 years.

"Lou was an accomplished and well-known real estate attorney in Chicago and the Midwest. His ability to manage complex real estate transactions was a great service to our institutional and other major real estate clients. He had a strong legal mind and made great contributions to our office in the short time he was with us."

Chicago Tribune reporter Megan Crepeau contributed.
Robinson "Rob" Molina, 23, went missing Jan. 18, 2017, from Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood. (Provided by the Chicago Police Department)

Chicago police are asking for the public's help in finding a man who went missing Wednesday in the Jefferson Park neighborhood.

Robinson "Rob" Molina, 23, was last seen near Northwest Highway and Foster Avenue. He was wearing a blue Comcast XFinity shirt, black XFinity sweater, black pants and black shoes, police said.

Advertisement

He is described as black-Hispanic with a medium complexion, black hair and brown eyes. He is 5-foot-7 and weighs about 170 pounds, police said.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact police with the Area North Special Victims Unit at 312-744-8266.
Members of the Chicago Police Department work at the scene of a fatal officer-involved shooting in the 12300 block of South Wallace Street on Jan. 20, 2017, in the West Pullman neighborhood of Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

An off-duty Robbins officer on Friday morning shot and killed an armed robber who tried to take off in the officer's car on Chicago's Far South Side, police said.

The dead man was identified as Joshua D. Jones, 20, of the 12200 block of South Lowe Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Advertisement

An autopsy Saturday determined Jones died from a gunshot wound to his back, and the death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The south suburban officer was on the West Pullman street in the 12300 block of South Wallace Street around 6:50 a.m. when a person approached him, announced a robbery and pulled a gun, according to a law enforcement source.



The robber took the officer's keys and was about to get into the car when the officer fired at him, the source said. The person was dead at the scene.



Police recovered the robber's weapon, according to the source and Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

Advertisement

Relatives of the victim declined to comment at the scene.

The body, covered by a white sheet, was on the grass at Wallace and 124th streets. As officers lifted the blood-stained sheet, a woman in the crowd cried out for her boyfriend.



Other officers searched around a black sedan parked on Wallace near where the person was shot. The driver's side window appeared to be partially lowered.

Safe Passage workers helped schoolchildren with backpacks around the crime scene.



Stephen Fabiyi, principal of Metcalfe Elementary Community Academy, which is about a block from the shooting, coordinated with the Safe Passage workers how his students would get to class. There are about 400 children who attend the school, which is visible from the crime scene.



"When we have children who have to walk by a dead body, that's a concern for me," he said.



The school planned to play uplifting music at the beginning of the day and was trying to find out if any students were related to the person who was shot.



He said students have been curious about what happened, but he anticipates some might not want to delve into it too deeply.



"When an issue this fresh happens, they try to avoid the topic," he said.



A woman, who did not want to be identified, said she heard three or four gunshots in the neighborhood. She was half asleep and thought the noise was coming from her television. It wasn't until after she heard sirens that she realized something happened.



"But that's what it was," she said. "It was this."
WASHINGTON  Raymond Elliott said he was a rare Republican among his colleagues when he used to visit Washington to lobby on behalf of the National Association of Postal Service Supervisors.

But Friday, Elliott, 73, found himself among political allies as he watched Donald Trump give his inauguration speech in front of the U.S. Capitol.

Advertisement

"I thought it was fantastic," said Elliott, the clerk of Atkinson Township, east of the Quad Cities. "You listen to that speech and if everybody participated in what he has to say  that includes the politicians  I think we'll have a great place to live.

A number of Trump backers from Illinois  a solidly blue state where President Barack Obama started his political career  made their way to the National Mall on Friday to watch their candidate be sworn in as president. Some expended a fair amount of cash and energy to get there.

Advertisement

Northern Illinois University graduates Michael Milner and Korey Wenstrup each spent $600 on plane tickets to Washington, then almost missed what they came for when Milner's alarm didn't go off. They skipped breakfast, donned their "Trump" T-shirts and hurried off, only to find themselves confronted along the way by protesters who taunted them as "Nazis."

Milner, a Montreal native who immigrated to the United States more than 10 years ago, said he was not pleased to hear protesters cry out: "Donald Trump hates immigrants."

He said he responded, saying, "I'm from Canada." Protesters responded with "Oh, you don't count," he said.

The angry exchanges with protesters were mostly forgotten by the time Trump had completed his speech, which both men praised. "It's still sinking in," Wenstrup said of the inaugural address. "It's like pure joy today."

"What President Trump said really resonated," said Milner, a 28-year-old from Aurora. "You know the people are taking our country back and we're going to be in charge for once. I finally feel like when I go to work every day there's someone else waking up, taking care of our country every day and going to work every day. And that's a change that is much needed."

It was their first inauguration, but, Wenstrup said, "it will not be the last."

Jack Matlock of Bloomington, Ill., sported a leather University of Illinois jacket and a Trump cap  "so nobody here messes with me," he said with a laugh.

Matlock and his wife, Kim installed a 10-foot Trump sign in their yard early in the campaign and said they never doubted that their candidate would win. Friday was their second time seeing Trump, who made a campaign stop in Bloomington.

Advertisement

"We voted for Trump because he didn't have a political agenda," said Jack Matlock, 66, a business analyst for State Farm who got tickets near the front of the crowd from his congressman, U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis.

Trump's remarks on crime and violence resonated with the couple, who took seriously the president's vow that "this American carnage stops right here and stops right now."

"The crime in Bloomington is a big problem," Kim Matlock said. "And he's going to fix national security."

Several members of the House from Illinois joined a Democratic boycott of the inauguration, among them U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston, who in a statement gave a sour assessment of Trump's speech.

"His populist rhetoric is a big con  but reality has a way of catching up," said Schakowsky, who plans to participate in the Women's March on Washington on Saturday. "He is right that this is a time for action. Action by everyone who truly represents the interests of ordinary Americans."

Republican state Rep. John Cabello, of Machesney Park, was predictably more enthusiastic, and said Trump was speaking in his address to "the people that elected him."

Advertisement

"I think people are very tired of the way things were going and how they've been being treated and looking forward to that stopping and putting America first," said Cabello, one of few Illinois elected officials who actively supported Trump during his controversial candidacy.

Asked how he expects Trump to make good on the promise to stop crime in places like Chicago, Cabello urged patience.

"He's been president now for about three hours. We've got to give him a little bit of time," Cabello said. "Let's let him be in for a while, see what his crime plans are, see what his educational plans are, because all this ties in together.

Both Democratic U.S. senators from Illinois attended the speech. Sen. Tammy Duckworth issued a statement saying she is "ready to work with the new administration to jump-start our economy, create good-paying jobs for Illinoisans and make significant investments in our infrastructure."

Sue Vallee, 78, who lives in Highland, Ill., northeast of St. Louis, got good seats at the inauguration thanks to her son-in-law, Rod Blum, a two-term Republican congressman from Iowa.

Vallee said she has no regrets about seeing Obama wave goodbye to the White House. "I'm glad it's over," she said of his administration. "I'm looking forward to change for the better. I don't want the country to go down any more."

Advertisement

A light rain fell at times during the morning but that didn't bother Dick Uihlein and his wife, Liz, of Lake Forest. He wore a black ball cap that read: "01.20.17. just can't wait!"

Uihlein, a longtime GOP megadonor and the CEO of Uline, with his wife attended a candlelit dinner with Trump at Union Station on Thursday and had an inaugural ball on Friday's night's agenda. Uline is shipping, industrial and packaging materials firm.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Liz Uihlein said she felt "the lightness of being" to attend the inauguration. "I'm so happy," she said. "Less government regulation coming, I hope."

One of the rare people in the crowd displaying outward neutrality was Marine Cpl. John Heinlein, 21, of Elgin, an usher for the ceremony. He declined to identify which candidate he had supported, but gave a strong hint after volunteering instead that he was a Cubs fan.

Watching the team win the World Series was "pretty amazing," he said. "But this is about as amazing as that was."

kskiba@chicagotribune.com

Advertisement

kgeiger@chicagotribune.com

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

________________________________________
Two organized demonstrations in Chicago on the day of Donald Trump's inauguration merged into a single if splintered downtown protest with crowds chanting in opposition to the new president as they marched through the streets.

After speeches at Daley Plaza, protesters took to the streets and a large crowd gathered at Wacker Drive and Wabash Avenue, across the Chicago River from Trump Tower. Police stopped them from crossing the river to get to the skyscraper.

Advertisement

The protest broke into many smaller groups as darkness fell and demonstrators marched down in no discernible pattern.

Ten men and six women involved in the protests were arrested, Chicago police said. They face charges ranging from disorderly and reckless conduct to aggravated battery. Additional information about the people who were arrested was not available.

Advertisement

Loop streets were taken over by the crowd and shut down to traffic, but many nearby motorists honked in approval. There was some opposition, with one man shouting at the crowd, "If he gives Bernie (Sanders) a position, will you all go home?"

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 33 Kelly Johnson and Dillon Novak hold signs during a protest of the inauguration of Donald Trump as president on Jan. 20, 2017, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

At one point, a tuba band belted out an improvised version of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall," yelling, "Hey, Donald! Leave us all alone." While largely peaceful, there was scattered vandalism as garbage cans were overturned and a bank window was smashed by a man with a hammer.

At Daley Plaza, as the day's protests began, Diane Kasnick, 59, of Downers Grove, held up a rainbow flag with the word "peace" on it. She said Trump has "unleashed some really mean stuff." She said she planned to get on a bus later Friday to join the Women's March on Washington on Saturday.

"It's a show of force saying, 'We are watching.' There are more of us that voted against him, and we are watching to see what you're going to do," Kasnick said of the protests. "If we don't like what you're going to do, we are going to protest, we are going to call our senators and representatives, whatever we need to do so that legislation does not get through."

Anti-Trump administration protesters start at the Daley Center Plaza and march through downtown Chicago. (Grace Wong / Chicago Tribune) (Grace Wong / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

The protest drew participants from all walks of life: young and old, academics and laborers, even parents who paraded with children on their shoulders.

Carolyn Hall, a graphic designer, said she came out to help boost the spirits of like-minded Trump opponents.

"People's rights are going to be overturned, and we can't give up," Hall said.

Christian Olson, a Realtor, said he stopped in a 7-11 before the protest and wrote "I am ashamed to be American today" on a bag, which he wore outside the Daley Center.

Advertisement

One speaker turned Trump's signature border-wall proposal into a rallying call. "There will be a wall," she said, "but it will be a human wall of resistance."

The new president already has an acrimonious relationship with Chicago, dating at least to a campaign rally in the spring at the University of Illinois at Chicago that was abruptly canceled when a large crowd of Trump opponents showed up.

Trump and city officials also are poised for a showdown as the administration has threatened to cut funding for sanctuary cities. Trump has made immigration a central point of his campaign, vowing to build a wall on the border with Mexico and ramp up deportations.

Shortly after Trump took office, the White House website was revamped to include a reference to Chicago crime.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

"The dangerous anti-police atmosphere in America is wrong," it states. "The Trump administration will end it."

In Daley Plaza, Pablo Solorzano, 37, of McKinley Park, looked down at his 4-year-old daughter and tried to teach her how to say a chant that the protesters had been reprising through the afternoon.

Advertisement

"Can you say, 'Si se puede?'" Solorzano said to daughter Olivia Solorzano, who was sitting in a puzzle-print stroller. She blushed and giggled.

Olivia's mother, Misty Villafuerte, 39, shifted the signs she was carrying from one hand to the other. One of them was a red heart that read "Love Trumps Hate," and the other, "Not Mein Fuehrer!!"

Students and community members staged a walkout and rally at the University of Illinois at Chicago to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, 2017. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune) (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

"We want to teach her to fight for her rights," Villafuerte said. "The decisions that can be made in the next four years, like the (selection of Supreme Court justices), decisions on the environment, decisions about her school funding, all these decisions could be made in the next four years and even after he's gone, those decisions will be impacting her."

gwong@chicagotribune.com

gpratt@chicagotribune.com
Community leaders, law enforcement officials and juvenile detention center residents shared their plans Thursday on how to decrease violence in the Chicago area, especially among young people.

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans said more people need to listen to the children who are being affected and take their needs and opinions into consideration instead of arresting, prosecuting and imprisoning them.

Advertisement

Evans called for "restorative justice," in which juvenile offenders who complete work assigned by a judge can have their records expunged.

"As they come back to the community, they come back as accomplished citizens," Evans said. "Not as a terrorist or somebody you need to be afraid of."

Advertisement

John Hannah, pastor of New Life Covenant Church and a former juvenile probation officer, called on the attendees to "put a demand" on their community and to work collaboratively with those around them. He gave an example of how he saw a need in the community, told his congregation and then filled that need through their donations.

"You cannot do this alone," Hannah said. "When you find the right partners, you can make it happen."

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Eight residents of the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center shared their need for adult male mentorship and summer and after-school programs, and their dreams of completing their education. Some of them talked about how they felt unsafe in their neighborhoods and how their relationship with law enforcement needed to be strengthened.

Nigel, 17, from Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood, suggested pairing youths in the community with police officers to deepen understanding between the two groups. Leonard, 17, of Riverdale, asked police officers to stop racial profiling. Arturo, 18, of the Archer Heights neighborhood, suggested that programs continue to be funded long term instead of having short runs. Their last names were not disclosed during the panel discussion.

With their comments in mind, a panel made up of members of law enforcement and the judiciary discussed efforts at reducing violence. The 10 panelists talked about the need for collaboration between departments, open dialogue with the community and the challenge of easy access to guns and ammunition.

A third panel made up of community leaders, including religious and medical organizations, echoed many of the same sentiments, saying that young people want to be heard and supported.

"We need to help our young people feel like they are connected," said David Kelly, executive director of Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation. "They're part of our family, they're part of our community and nothing they do or say is going to change that."

gwong@chicagotribune.com

Advertisement

Twitter @GraceWong630
Chicago taxpayers again are likely on the hook for millions of dollars to settle a lawsuit filed against the city by a former prison inmate who alleges his murder confession was tortured out of him by a detective who had worked under former Chicago police Cmdr. Jon Burge.

A $4 million settlement in the case filed by Shawn Whirl, who spent nearly a quarter-century behind bars before his release in late 2015, will be considered Tuesday the City Council Finance Committee  which routinely recommends approval of settlements presented by Law Department attorneys. The full council would then vote Wednesday.

Advertisement

Law Department spokesman Bill McCaffrey said Friday that the city would have nothing to say about the case until Tuesday's meeting, when an outline of the case allegations and developments will be presented to aldermen. Flint Taylor, an attorney for Whirl, would say only that he's hopeful the council will approve the settlement.

Whirl was convicted in 1991 of shooting to death a taxi driver who was the married father of three children. He accused former Chicago police Detective James Pienta  who had earlier worked under Burge  of extracting his confession through torture. Whirl alleged that while handcuffed to a ring on a wall in an interrogation room, Pienta slapped him, scraped a key across an existing wound on his leg and put a potato chip bag over his head to stifle his screams until he agreed to a confession that was fed to him.

Advertisement

In October 2015, Whirl walked out of a downstate prison a free man after an appellate court determined the case against him was "nonexistent" without his confession, and prosecutors elected not to retry him. Earlier, the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission, formed to investigate allegations of abuse under Burge, found Whirl's allegations of torture credible.

Whirl's suit states that "the miscarriage of justice" in his case "was part of a pattern of systemic torture and physical abuse of African-American suspects" under Burge, who was named an "unsued co-conspirator." Also listed in that category was former Mayor Richard M. Daley, who was Cook County state's attorney, then mayor, during the Burge era.

The city and county to date have paid out more than $111 million in settlements, judgments, reparations and legal fees in cases stemming from the Burge era, according to a tally kept by Taylor, whose law firm has brought numerous such suits. Included in that figure are $5.5 million in city reparations approved in 2015 to compensate victims of abuse from the Burge era.

Burge and detectives under his command were alleged to have tortured and abused more than 100 suspects into falsely confessing to murder and other crimes in the 1970s and 1980s. Although Burge was never criminally charged over the torture allegations, he was convicted in federal court in Chicago in 2010 on perjury and obstruction of justice charges for denying in a lawsuit that he knew of the abuse. He was released from prison in late 2014.

Also Tuesday, the Finance Committee will consider a $750,000 settlement in a case brought by the estate of Willie Miller, who was 25 when police fatally shot him in April 2010. Police said Miller had pointed a gun at them when they approached a large crowd causing a disturbance in East Garfield Park. Case records indicate a gun was found in a yard about 15 feet from Miller but could not be linked to him through fingerprints.

And aldermen will consider a proposed $495,000 settlement in a case brought by George Ferguson, a longtime night watchman at a city facility who alleged that he was fired in 2012 after being refused reasonable accommodations to compensate for his muscular dystrophy.

hdardick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @ReporterHal
Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno and Democratic Senate President John Cullerton, seen here in 2014, are looking for ways to break the Springfield stalemate. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Illinois Senate leaders have set Wednesday as a target date for passage of a sweeping plan aimed at moving the state past its lengthy budget gridlock, believing a quick vote could quell growing lobbying efforts against it and put pressure on a noncommittal Illinois House.

Speaking Thursday to the Chicago Tribune editorial board, Democratic Senate President John Cullerton and Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno also critiqued political positions taken by their fellow party leaders key to the long, ongoing stalemate.

Advertisement

Radogno said she would use a "different tactic" than attempts by the Gov. Bruce Rauner-funded state Republican Party to demonize Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. Cullerton rebuked Madigan's dismissal of Rauner's requirement that items not directly tied to budget-making must be considered in a grand package, calling it "semantics."

The one-hour editorial board session of the bipartisan Senate leaders underscored their efforts to try to secure outside support for a massive package that, while still evolving, would hike personal income taxes, impose a new tax on sweetened beverages, authorize six new casinos, borrow $7 billion to pay overdue bills, freeze property taxes for two years, alter the way state money goes to local schools, and change state worker pensions and workers' compensation rules.

Advertisement

"There's lobbyists out there working against us and we have to overcome that," Cullerton said. He said he and Radogno agreed the proposals should start moving in Senate committees Tuesday with floor votes anticipated for Wednesday  the day Rauner is scheduled to deliver his State of the State address.

"We're not negotiating with the House or the governor," Cullerton said. "We're trying to see if we can get a bill out of one chamber. If this passes, I would hope that the speaker and (House Republican leader Jim) Durkin would replicate our efforts and pass their own agreed bill and then we could reconcile those two so we could send something to the governor."

Radogno said the package was born of frustration from rank-and-file members on both sides in the Senate and concerns that the state's fiscal problems were "undermining" efforts to improve Illinois' economy.

"The problem is we're in a horrible place right now and I think we need to focus on how we get out of it because if we don't get out of it now, it's not going to get easier. It's going to get more expensive for the people who live here," she said.

But the go-it-alone efforts by the Senate leadership to try to end to the nearly two-year battle over reaching a comprehensive state budget run counter to usual political practices. Lawmakers pushed to cast politically difficult votes in one chamber usually want assurances bills will pass in the other.

So far, however, there is little indication how the House under Madigan would deal with the Senate plan. Madigan has offered proposals that would cut corporate tax rates, require all businesses to pay at least some tax and impose a tax surcharge on income of $1 million or more.

Cullerton said he and Radogno are "open" to any comprehensive plan the House may adopt. But he said the Senate plan is "actual legislation  it's more than a framework. It's going to be real close to what any final package would contain: reforms and revenue."

"This is not a game. This is real serious," Cullerton said, adding that "people are going to vote. It's going to be part of the permanent record."

Advertisement

Madigan has repeatedly refused to consider items in what Rauner calls his turnaround agenda that would weaken collective bargaining rights and make it more difficult for workers to claim job-related injuries. Such changes would affect organized labor and civil trial attorneys, two major Democratic allies.

Cullerton, however, said Madigan's refusal was "semantics" and that issues in the Senate package, including local government consolidation and workers compensation, "are things we vote on all the time."

The wealthy Republican governor largely bankrolled GOP attempts in the Nov. 8 election to erode Madigan's legislative majority with ads portraying the longtime speaker as a root cause for the state's problems. The state Republican Party, which got two-thirds of its money from Rauner last year, continued the attacks on Madigan after the election.

"He has his own political team and I'm not part of that political team," Radogno said of Rauner. Asked if she agreed with the attacks on Madigan, a key player in any compromise, Radogno said, "I might use a different tactic. I would use a different tactic."

"There's plenty of blame to go around," she said. "I'm really not focused on whose fault it is."

The Senate leaders acknowledged portions of the package were still under discussion, including changes in workers' compensation, and that it was unlikely a plan to overhaul the way the state spends money for schools  the subject of a task force Rauner created  would be ready Wednesday.

Advertisement

Both said they were reviewing revenue and spending estimates from the governor's budget office that contended the package would result in a $4.3 billion budget deficit by July and a $2.3 billion deficit the following year.

Radogno said she did not consider the release of the spending estimates as Rauner trying to tamp down the Senate's progress.

"I will take the governor at his word, his public comments have been that he wants to see this process continue and see where we can get," she said. "And those have been his public comments. Those have been his private comments to me. He has never said, 'Don't do this.'"

Both Senate leaders said that consideration of imposing a first-of-its-kind Illinois tax on services to raise revenue had been reviewed but discarded because of potential constitutional problems.

Still, Cullerton said a service tax may be looked at in the future as a potential source of revenue for a public works construction program to build and repair highways, bridges, public transit, water and other infrastructure projects.

rap30@aol.com

Advertisement

Twitter @rap30
The White House on the last night of the Obama presidency on Jan. 19, 2017. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

WASHINGTON  Eight portraits lined the entrance to the lower level of the hotel lobby where the Illinois State Society put on its inaugural celebration Thursday evening. None of them depicted the man who will assume the presidency Friday.

Among the familiar faces were Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, Hillary Clinton, Sargent Shriver, Barack and Michelle Obama, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan  political figures each with roots in Illinois.

Advertisement

As several hundred people mingled beneath Illinois State Fair ribbons and alongside giant postcards depicting Illinois scenes, Demetra DeMonte, Illinois' Republican national committeewoman, remarked that the state's lack of a connection to the incoming president was no big deal.

"Connections come, connections go," DeMonte said.

Advertisement

Still, the low-key scene was a stark contrast from four years ago  and four years before that  when the Illinois-themed event was at the center of the celebration of a president who hailed from Chicago and who'd cut his political teeth in the halls of the Illinois Capitol.

This time around, the incoming chief executive's ties to the state go little beyond the eponymous hotel and condominium tower that looms over the Chicago River. Unlike the Obama administration, which was stacked with Chicagoans, Donald Trump's White House is light on influence from the Land of Lincoln, which went decidedly Democratic in the presidential election.

In the GOP-controlled Congress, Illinois' clout is down as well after voters sent two Republicans packing, including a U.S. senator, making the delegation more Democratic at a time the party is deeply out of power.

All that combined with the absence of a number of Illinois political players from this year's inaugural festivities signals the relative lack of clout that the state is likely to have during the Trump administration.

Four years ago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel hosted a late-night bash with actress Eva Longoria, featuring music by bluesmen Buddy Guy and Keb' Mo', to celebrate his former boss' second term. It was the hottest ticket in town.

This year, Emanuel won't be in Washington for the inaugural festivities, despite making the trek to the district earlier in the week to participate in a presidential celebration of the World Series champion Cubs; huddle with Vice President-elect Mike Pence, a former congressional colleague; and take part in a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting.

Likewise, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner also is skipping the events. Rauner maintained a chilly stance toward his party's standard bearer during the campaign  though it didn't stop Democrats he's feuding with from running attack ads trying to tie him to Trump last fall  and kept his distance during the transition. The governor explained his decision to skip the inauguration as a matter of competing priorities.

"People understand in Washington and around the country that Illinois has big challenges," Rauner told reporters this week when asked if his decision to skip the inauguration would have bad consequences for the state. "And they know and respect the fact that I am 100 percent focused in Illinois, working on getting a balanced budget with structural change to the system and they respect that, and they appreciate it."

Advertisement

As he has done in the past, Rauner stressed that he has "friends in the Trump administration."

"I do have very close, good working relationships with a number of incoming members of the Trump administration as well as members in his transition team," Rauner said, without naming names.

One of them is Nick Ayers, who was a major player in Rauner's successful 2014 governor bid. Ayers headed Pence's vice presidential campaign and is a key aide on the former Indiana governor's transition team. Ayers also was an aide to former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, whom Trump nominated for agriculture secretary.

Republican political strategists Nick Ayers and Kellyanne Conway arrive at Trump Tower, Dec. 8, 2016 in New York City. As a major player in Gov. Bruce Rauner's successful 2014 governor bid, Ayers is a connection between Illinois leaders and the Trump administration. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)

Another is Lindsay Walters, a former Rauner campaign staffer who worked in the administration before joining the Republican National Committee's press shop. Walters is now a special assistant to the president and deputy press secretary.

Illinois' Republican establishment has changed greatly since the last time the GOP celebrated the installation of a new Republican president in 2001, when George W. Bush began his first term.

After eight years of a Democratic White House under Bill Clinton, Illinois Republicans were ready to party. Then-Gov. George Ryan and U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald were joined by GOP members from the General Assembly among a crowd of 3,500 at the Illinois State Society gala. Since then, Ryan served time in federal prison for public corruption and Fitzgerald ended his time in the Senate after a single term.

Advertisement

Then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, escorted Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to the Capitol steps for their swearing in. Hastert is now serving a 15-month prison sentence after he was convicted of financial crimes in connection with allegations of child molestation.

By contrast, this year the state's highest-ranking member of Congress, Sen. Dick Durbin, is in the minority party. The state's highest-ranking Republican, Rep. John Shimkus of Collinsville, was listed as a host of a Friday night after-party at a popular Washington, D.C., bar, but some of his staff was unaware of his involvement in the event.

So by recent measures, enthusiasm for the incoming Trump administration is less intense among the Illinois delegation than it has been in the past. Aside from the political differences  two-thirds of the delegation are Democrats  uncertainty about Trump's policies also has driven reticence, said Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley of Chicago, one of a handful of House members from Illinois who is skipping the festivities.

"It's hard to imagine that we would have any other person taking over the White House with as close a relationship as we have had the last eight years with President Obama," Quigley said. "We don't know what to expect. It's hard to tell how Illinois will fare. Which one of (Trump's) blustery statements did he really mean?"

State Rep. John Cabello, one of the few elected Republicans from Illinois who aggressively backed Trump, said he expects the new president to deliver more money to improve roads and airports than did Obama during his two terms.

"What stature?" said Cabello, of Machesney Park near Rockford, when asked if the state would suffer from its diminished stature in Washington. "Even with the eight years of Obama, what has he done for our state? I was expecting some pretty great things out of him, to help our state. Where was it?"

Advertisement

Indeed, Chicago and Illinois stand to gain, or lose, depending on which Trump policies gain traction. Trump has vowed to boost funding for infrastructure, and Illinois' roads and public transportation systems are in need of upgrades. But Trump also has threatened to cut off federal funding to sanctuary cities, like Chicago, which don't fully cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

With Obama's departure, Illinois is losing more than just the star power of the presidency. Having a home-stater in the White House rippled through the ranks of the federal government and made things easier for people like Durbin.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 13 Rahm Emanuel, from left, David Axelrod, director of health reform Nancy-Ann DeParle, presidential legislative adviser Phil Schiliro and President Barack Obama talk health care in the Oval Office on Nov. 7, 2009. (Pete Souza / White House)

"A senator who makes a call to the Department of Transportation ... may find out that the person on the other end of the line used to live a block or two from the 'L,'" Durbin said. "That brings with it a familiarity with the issues, and a positive lean in the direction of that state. That advantage is clearly gone, and we're now in competition with every other state."

Also not helping the state's sway in Washington, Durbin said, is what he described as an unusual stance taken by Rauner, who has shied away from the capital city.

"In the past, the governor of Illinois would visit on an annual basis and give a list of priorities to the delegation," Durbin said. "This new governor doesn't do that. I haven't had any direct conversation with him about his priorities in Washington."

Even so, many Illinois Republicans and some Democrats were on hand Thursday night to mark the final evening of the Obama presidency ahead of the first day of Trump's tenure.

Advertisement

White-gloved waiters at a pre-dinner reception passed cold shrimp and Dijon chicken appetizers as a jazz trio sounded out "Chicago" and a Lincoln impersonator, George Buss of Freeport, posed for snapshots with giddy Illinoisans.

Some members of the state's congressional delegation struck hopeful notes about Trump and some of his Cabinet designees.

New Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates singled out Commerce pick Wilbur Ross for his concern about foreign countries dumping steel in the U.S. She also noted Rick Perry, tapped for Energy, had called Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory "jewels in the national crown." But she worried about the impact that repealing the Affordable Care Act would have, particularly on rural hospitals now helped by the expansion of Medicaid under the health care overhaul.

Republican Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton was enthusiastic about Trump's tax code overhaul, saying corporate inversions had hit Illinois hard and tax laws as written were "crushing" his constituents.

While officially a gathering aimed at celebrating Illinois, the inauguration-eve gala was also an opportunity for Illinoisans to wine and dine with familiar faces before heading off into the broader national political scene for a weekend of events that will involve mingling with power brokers from all over the country.

Among those Illinoisans attending who will have some clout with the new administration is Ron Gidwitz, a businessman who led Trump's Illinois campaign fundraising effort. Gidwitz has been in Washington for much of the week, attending major events featuring Trump, including a dinner with many of Washington's foreign diplomatic corps where he sat with Trump's nominee for housing secretary, Dr. Ben Carson.

Advertisement

Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson contributed from Chicago.

kgeiger@chicagotribune.com

kskiba@chicagotribune.com
Mayor Rahm Emanuel is looking to Wall Street to borrow money as part of his budget plan. (Nancy Stone, Chicago Tribune)

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

A slew of Illinois companies sponsored Thursday night's Inaugural Heartland Ball, a gala put on by the D.C.-based state societies of Illinois, Ohio, Missouri and Wisconsin.

Advertisement

The Illinois State Society listed a series of sponsors: $25,000 from Abbott Labs and Motorola Solutions; $15,000 from ADM, Monsanto and CME Group; $10,000 from Constellation Brands and Molina Healthcare; and $5,000 from Abbvie and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock.

On Thursday morning, we noticed the sponsor list also included the Illinois Senate Democrats at the $5,000 level. The ball is a nonpartisan event, so that was a little odd. Senate Democrats said they would inquire. By the afternoon, the Senate Democrats had disappeared from the Illinois State Society website.

Advertisement

Organizers expected as many as 1,5000 guests at the Marriott Marquis. Tickets were $500 for dinner and the ball and $300 for just the ball. You can read more about the event here.

Among those Illinoisans in attendance who will have some clout with the new administration is Ron Gidwitz, a businessman who led Donald Trump's Illinois campaign fundraising effort. Gidwitz has been in Washington for much of the week, attending major events featuring Trump, including a dinner with many of Washington's foreign diplomatic corps in which he sat with Trump's nominee for housing secretary, Dr. Ben Carson.

Others scheduled to be part of the Illinois contingent include national and local conservative fundraiser Richard Uihlein; business consultant Robert Blackwell; state Republican chairman Tim Schneider, a Cook County commissioner; Richard Porter, Illinois' Republican national committeeman; Trump assistant commerce secretary nominee Todd Ricketts of the Cubs-owning family; prominent Marion businessman Harry Crisp; and Jack Dorgan, a Rosemont trustee and member of the state GOP central committee.

Also in town is Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar, a member of the state GOP central committee, who hosted a Trump fundraiser; and David MacNeil, the CEO of Bolingbrook-based WeatherTech auto parts who backed Trump after initially supporting Jeb Bush. (Rick Pearson)

What's on tap

*Mayor Rahm Emanuel will talk about Plan Commission approval of a McDonald's "vendor village" building in Fulton Market.



*Gov. Bruce Rauner has no public schedule.

*President-elect Donald Trump is set to take the oath of office about 11 a.m. Central time, with festivities to begin before that.

What we're writing (Busy news day edition)

*Illinois preps for diminished D.C. stature as Trump replaces Obama; state's inaugural ball lower-key than in years past.

*Chicago's top lawyer resigns amicably but amid controversy.

Advertisement

*Chicago's poor credit rating boosts taxpayer tab for borrowing by tens of millions.

*Illinois Senate leaders want to grab momentum for massive budget plan next week.

*Ex-Sen. Kirk may open D.C./Highland Park consulting firm.

*Former top cop Garry McCarthy says he's unsure why he was subpoenaed in Jackson divorce.

*Dennis Hastert seeks repayment of $1.7 million in hush money from sex-abuse accuser.

*With Trump as president, international students ponder future in U.S.

Advertisement

*Another location change for Chicago Women's March as larger crowd expected.

*Juvenile detention youth, law enforcement talk about how to stop violence.

*CTU stages anti-Trump demonstrations at schools throughout Chicago.

*University of Illinois trustees approve tuition freeze.

What we're reading

*Off-duty cop called 911 after shooting: 'I had to shoot him.'

*Lawyer suspended from federal court for lewd, misogynistic comments.

Advertisement

*Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' Guzman is extradited to U.S.

From the notebook

*Obama friend Ald. King leads money race: The Obama family friend whom Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed to a vacant City Council seat is outpacing her challengers in the fundraising arena for next month's special election.

Ald. Sophia King, 4th, had nearly $104,000 in her campaign fund at the end of the year, according to quarterly campaign finance reports filed with the state this week.

During the three-month period, King raised nearly $50,000. Notable contributors included former Chicago Public Schools board President David Vitale, who gave $5,000; fellow Obama friend Dr. Cheryl Whitaker, who gave $500; and Deputy Mayor Andrea Zopp, who also gave $500.

Since the start of the year, she's raised another $14,000 in large contributions, including $2,000 from city Treasurer Kurt Summers.

Advertisement

Real estate attorney Ebony Lucas raised nearly $28,000 during the last quarter of the year, but also spent much of it  including $6,000 for a campaign billboard  leaving her campaign with $11,500 when the year closed. Her biggest contribution, for $10,000, came from TLC (rental) Management Co. She has reported receiving one large contribution of $1,000 so far this year.

Attorney Gerald Scott McCarthy reported having nearly $14,000 in his campaign account at the end of the year, after raising nearly $21,000 during the last quarter of 2016. He's received $2,000 in large contributions since then.

Attorney Marcellus Moore Jr. reported having less than $2,800 in his campaign account, after raising about $1,300 during the quarter. He's received another $1,000 in a single large contribution since then.

Activist Gregory Seal Livingston reported raising $27.32 during the last quarter. Since then, he received $2,500 from Blair Hull, a businessman and onetime Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Emanuel appointed King to the 4th Ward post seat in April, after Will Burns resigned the post to take a job with Airbnb. The special election will determine who serves out the final two years of Burns' term. (Hal Dardick)

*Burke has millions: Southwest Side City Council powerhouse Ald. Edward Burke wouldn't be on the ballot again until 2019, and if he chooses to run for his 12th full term representing the 14th Ward, he likely would face token opposition, if any.

Advertisement

But that hasn't stopped Burke, the longest-serving alderman and chair of the council finance committee, from continuing to raise huge sums of campaign cash. According to finance reports filed this month, the three campaign committees Burke controls  Friends of Edward M. Burke, the 14th Ward Regular Democratic Organization and the Burnham Committee  brought in $498,342 since Oct. 1.

The three funds now contain a total of about $11 million, including $6.5 million in four investment accounts. That's an impressive war chest for any politician, and a massive one for an alderman. (John Byrne)

*Staffers with Illinois ties join Team Trump: Former aides to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam have joined the Trump administration.

Lindsay Walters, a veteran of Rauner's campaign and the opening year of his term, will be a special assistant to the president and deputy press secretary and adviser to the press secretary, according to a news release from the incoming administration. Walters was a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee after her time with Rauner.

Also landing a gig with Trump is Gerrit Lansing, who worked as new media director for Roskam earlier this decade and was named deputy assistant to the president and chief digital officer.

*The Sunday Spin: On this week's show, Chicago Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson's guests are Pat Brady, former Illinois Republican chairman; K. Sujata, CEO of the Chicago Foundation for Women; and David Yepsen, former director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University. The "Sunday Spin" airs from 7 to 9 a.m. on WGN 720-AM.

Advertisement

Follow the money

*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.

Beyond Chicago

*How Trump's will to win led to Friday's inauguration.

*Treasury nominee corrects leaving $100 million in investments off paperwork.

*How the White House changes residents in a matter of hours.

*George H.W. Bush remains hospitalized.
Malia Obama's gap year is truly taking shape.

Starting next month, the 18-year-old daughter of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama who graduated from Sidwell Friends last May but won't attend Harvard University until fall will intern for Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein in the super-producer's New York office.

After the inauguration activities Friday, the Obama family will head to Palm Springs for a vacation after which Malia will get to work, according to the Hollywood Reporter. During past school breaks, Malia, who has a noted interest in film (and whose parents' first date was captured in the indie flick "Southside With You"), has interned for the Halle Berry CBS series "Extant" and Lena Dunham's HBO comedy "Girls."

Since the East Wing announced Malia's plans to take a gap year, an increasingly popular year off between high school and college, the Obamas' oldest daughter has maintained something of a low profile. Except of course for that carefree cameo at Lollapalooza in August.

But Obama watchers knew it wouldn't be long until the 18-year-old got to work (remember little sister Sasha, 15, had to skip her dad's farewell speech because of a test the next day). Recently the New York Times reported Malia's secret trip to Bolivia in November, where the teenager spent more than a month and a half trekking through Bolivia and living with a local family.

Her time working for Weinstein will no doubt be a tad more glamorous, although she's no stranger to making coffee runs like every other intern.

The choice of the Weinstein Co. may not have been mere happenstance. Remember when Michelle Obama closed out the 2013 Oscars by presenting the Best Picture award from the White House? That appearance had Weinstein, a major Obama donor, written all over it.

There's no word yet on which part of the film company Malia will work in, but the Hollywood Reporter is leaning toward the marketing department. The Weinstein Co. did not respond to a request for comment.
This image posted online on Dec. 11, 2016, by the Aamaq News Agency, a media arm of the Islamic State group, purports to show a general view of the ancient ruins of the city of Palmyra, in Homs province, Syria, with the Citadel of Palmyra in the background. Islamic State group militants destroyed a landmark ancient Roman monument and parts of the theater in Syria's historic town of Palmyra, the government and opposition monitoring groups said Jan. 20, 2016. (AP)

BEIRUT  Islamic State militants have destroyed parts of the second-century Roman amphitheater and an iconic monument known as the Tetrapylon in Syria's historic town of Palmyra, the government and experts said Friday.



It was the extremist group's latest attack on world heritage, an act that the U.N. cultural agency called a "war crime." A Syrian government official said he feared for the remaining antiquities in Palmyra, which IS recaptured last month.



Also on Friday, Turkey's military said IS killed five Turkish soldiers and wounded nine in a bomb attack in northern Syria.



Turkey is leading Syrian opposition fighters in an offensive against the IS-held town of al-Bab in the Aleppo province, a push that has been bogged down since mid-November. Since its military intervention, Turkey has lost 54 soldiers in Syria, most of them in the al-Bab offensive.



After suffering several setbacks in Syria, IS has gone on the offensive reclaiming ancient Palmyra in December and launching an attack on a government-held city and military air base in Deir el-Zour in eastern Syria.



On Friday, the state news agency SANA said seven civilians were killed when IS shelled a residential area in the city of Deir el-Zour.



However, IS remains under pressure in northern Syria from Turkey and U.S-backed Kurdish forces, as well as in neighboring Iraq where Iraqi troops backed by the U.S.-led coalition are fighting to retake the city of Mosul from the militants.





In this picture taken April 14, 2016, the Palmyra citadel is seen in the background as Syrian families load their belongings onto a bus in the town of Palmyra in the central Homs province, Syria. (Hassan Ammar / AP)

Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site that once linked Persia, India, China with the Roman empire and the Mediterranean area, has already seen destruction at the hands of the Islamic State group. The ancient town first fell to IS militants in May 2015, when they held it for 10 months. During that time, IS damaged a number of its relics and eventually emptied it of most of its residents, causing an international outcry.

Advertisement

Palmyra fell again to the group last month, only nine months after a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive was hailed as a significant victory for Damascus.



On Friday, Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of Syria's antiquities department, said reports of the recent destruction first trickled out of the IS-held town late in December. But satellite images of the damage only became available late Thursday, confirming the destruction.



Abdulkarim said militants have destroyed the facade of the second-century theater, along with the Roman-era Tetrapylon  a set of four monuments with four columns each standing at the center of the colonnaded road leading to the theater.



Satellite imagery obtained by the Boston-based American Schools of Oriental Research, or ASOR, show extensive damage to the Tetrapylon. DigitalGlobe satellite imagery also shows damage to the theater facade.



ASOR said the damage was likely caused by intentional destruction from IS, but the organization was unable to verify the exact cause.



IS extremists have destroyed ancient sites across their self-styled Islamic caliphate in Syria and Iraq, perceiving them as monuments to idolatry.





This image from Dec. 11, 2016, made from militant video posted online by the Aamaq News Agency, a media arm of the Islamic State group, purports to show a general view of the ancient ruins of the city of Palmyra, in Homs province, Syria. Islamic State group militants destroyed a landmark ancient Roman monument and parts of the amphitheater in Syria's historic town of Palmyra, the Syrian government and opposition monitoring groups said Jan. 20, 2017. (AP)

UNESCO's director-general, Irina Bokova, said the new destruction in Palmyra amounted to a war crime.



"The Tetrapylon was an architectural symbol of the spirit of the encounter and openness of Palmyra - and this is also one of the reasons why it has been destroyed," she said in a statement.

Advertisement

Abdulkarim told The Associated Press that only two of the 16 columns of the Tetrapylon remain standing.



The Palmyra Tetrapylon, characterized by its four plinths that are not connected overhead, had only one original ancient column, said Abdulkarim. The 15 other columns were modelled after the ancient one and installed by Palmyra's 81-year old distinguished antiquities scholar Khaled al-Asaad, who was killed by IS militants when they were controlling the town the last time. The militants hung his body from a Roman column.





It was not immediately clear if the original column survived the destruction, Abdulkarim said.



ASOR said new stone debris was scattered across the center stage from damage to the stage backdrop that is also the facade of the theater.



During their first stay in Palmyra, IS destroyed ancient temples  including the Temple of Bel, which dated back to A.D. 32, and the Temple of Baalshamin, a structure of stone blocks several stories high and fronted by six towering columns. The group also used the theater for public killings and posted chilling videos of the slayings.



The militants also blew up the Arch of Triumph, built between A.D. 193 and A.D. 211.





Spokesman for Russian President Dmitry Peskov said Syrian troops are continuing their efforts to take back Palmyra. Peskov called the new destruction "barbaric," saying that it is a "real tragedy for the historic heritage."



On Friday, Syria's state news agency said government forces and allied troops have clashed with IS militants south of Palmyra, part of a new week-old offensive to reclaim the city.



Abdulkarim said he fears for what remains of the city's ancient relics.



"When Palmyra fell for the second time, we shed tears because we expected this terror," he said. "Now we are destined to see more terror if (IS control of Palmyra) continues."



Palmyra, with its 2,000-year-old towering Roman colonnades and priceless artifacts, was affectionately referred to by Syrians as the "Bride of the Desert."



A desert oasis surrounded by palm trees in central Syria, Palmyra is also a strategic crossroads linking the Syrian capital, Damascus, with the country's east and neighboring Iraq. Located 215 kilometers (155 miles) east of Damascus, the city was once home to 65,000 people before the Syrian civil war began.



However, most Palmyra residents did not return after it was retaken by the government. Activists estimate the city is now home to a few hundred families. Many residents tried to flee as IS recaptured the city in December.



On Thursday, reports emerged that the militant group killed 12 captives it held in Palmyra, some of them beheaded in the Roman theater.

Associated Press
President Donald Trump walks to his swearing-in ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan.20, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Pool / Getty Images)

Just moments after President Donald Trump took the oath of office Friday, the official White House website was transformed into a set of policy pledges - and absence of them - that offered the broad contours of the Trump administration's top priorities, including fierce support for law enforcement and gun owners' rights to defend themselves, the disappearance of the outgoing White House's policy page on climate change and a notable lack of any directives involving former president Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.

Otherwise, Trump's first day as the nation's chief executive was largely ceremonial. The president took several executive actions after he was sworn in at noon, the most notable being to overturn a recent mortgage-fee reduction - geared at helping first-time and low-income home buyers - that Obama announced last week and that called for the Federal Housing Administration to cut its annual borrowing fee by a quarter of a percentage point.

Advertisement

The issues page of Trump's White House offered no new plans or policies but rather a rehash of many of his most prominent campaign promises - a signal to the nation that Trump, more pragmatic than ideological, plans to implement at least the key guideposts of his campaign vision.

His policies include plans to both withdraw from and renegotiate major trade deals, grow the nation's military and increase cyber-security capabilities, build a wall at the nation's southern border and deport undocumented immigrants who have committed violent crimes.

Advertisement

"Our job is not to make life more comfortable for the rioter, the looter, or the violent disrupter," read the law and order section, which calls for "more law enforcement" and "more effective policing." "Our job is to make life more comfortable for parents who want their kids to be able to walk the streets safely. Or the senior citizen waiting for a bus. Or the young child walking home from school."

The new White House website updated almost simultaneously as Trump retreated inside the Capitol to sign a series of largely perfunctory executive actions, including a waiver for retired Gen. James Mattis to lead the Defense Department, despite having only been retired for three years. Without the waiver, federal law would have prohibited Mattis from serving as defense secretary until he had been retired from military service for at least seven years.

Trump's official website differed in both style and tone from that of his predecessor. The site repeatedly referred to the former businessman as "Mr. Trump," not "President Trump," whereas Obama went by "President Obama" on his administration's website. (Vice President Pence is referred to by his office, rather than as "Mr. Pence"). And Trump's biographical page devoted significant space to boasting about his electoral win - from the 17 Republican primary rivals he vanquished to what he called his "truly national victory and a historic movement."

Strikingly absent from the six issues the website highlighted - and from his speech Friday - was anything on repealing or replacing Obamacare. The issue was a defining feature of his campaign, and aides have signaled he may begin the process of undoing the law in a series of executive actions he hopes to sign in the early days of his presidency.

Nor did Trump mention health care among a set of goals he articulated in his inaugural speech's pledge to end what he termed "American carnage" and improve the fabric of life for the nation's citizens. The closest he came was to include among his scientific aspirations "to free the Earth from the miseries of disease."

During his campaign and afterward, Trump has pledged that fundamental changes to the health-care system would be a first priority. In a speech outside Philadelphia six days before the November election, Trump vowed to abolish the Affordable Care Act before he was sworn in. "Have to do it," he said. "I will ask Congress to convene a special session so we can repeal and replace."

Last week, both chambers of Congress approved a budget resolution that was the first legislative step toward repealing the 2010 law, which was the centerpiece of the Obama administration's health policies. But health care was not among a half-dozen issue areas listed on the new WhiteHouse.gov website that debuted shortly after noon on Friday.

The climate change web page that existed under Obama was not replaced on the Trump site, with scant mention of climate change under the new president's energy plan. Also gone or not immediately replaced were the web pages the previous administration had devoted to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals; people with disabilities; and civil rights more generally.

Advertisement

Trump's entire campaign was largely a repudiation of Obama, and a new Republican administration is unlikely to have the same set of issues and priorities as an outgoing Democratic one. But the missing issue pages were particularly alarming to Democrats and activists, especially after a vitriolic campaign in which Trump drew criticism for seeming to mock a disabled reporter and being insensitive to the needs and rights of minority communities.

The Trump administration did not respond to requests for comment on the missing issue pages.

On energy, Trump vowed to eliminate "harmful and unnecessary policies" such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the United States rule. The first represents a variety of efforts Obama had pursued to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while the second is a rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency to protect not only the largest waterways but smaller tributaries that others believe should fall under the jurisdiction of states rather than the federal government.

The initial Trump website also did not devote a separate section to immigration, another central tenet of his candidacy, though it mentioned immigration under the law enforcement section. Despite rumors within the immigration advocacy community that one of Trump's initial executive actions could be to revoke Obama's protections for the so-called "Dreamers" - undocumented immigrants brought to the country as young children - his website so far focused only on big-picture enforcement and security goals.

"He is dedicated to enforcing our border laws, ending sanctuary cities, and stemming the tide of lawlessness associated with illegal immigration," read part of the immigration section.

The new administration's language echoed Trump's tough rhetoric on the campaign trail, including his promises to strengthen the law enforcement community, crack down on he views as a broad range of trade violations and potentially forge alliances with countries long considered dangerous rivals, like Russia.

Advertisement

"Finally, in pursuing a foreign policy based on American interests, we will embrace diplomacy," read part of Trump's policy vision. "The world must know that we do not go abroad in search of enemies, that we are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies."

Melania Trump, the first lady, also received a biographical overhaul. Her web page featured a black and white glamour shot of her, and touted her QVC jewelry line and modeling career, describing the many high fashion photographers with whom she has worked and the glossy magazines for which she has posed (Vogue and the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, among others).

The first lady's biography also correctly stated that she began college at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, her home country, but never graduated - a fact that was misstated during the campaign.

Only at the very end of her page did Melania offer a glimpse of the sort of first lady she might be: "Mrs. Trump cares deeply about issues impacting women and children," read the biography, "and she has focused her platform as First Lady on the problem of cyber bullying among our youth."

The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein and Steven Mufson contributed to this report.
Information on the science of human-caused climate change has begun to disappear from Wisconsin state government websites.

According to local news reports, both the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Public Service Commission have either altered or removed web pages devoted to global warming in recent months. And some of these changes suggest the existence of a scientific debate about the causes of climate change.

Advertisement

In late December, blogger James Rowen pointed out a change in the wording of a state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) web page devoted to climate change and the Great Lakes. The current version of the page reads, "As it has done throughout the centuries, the earth is going through a change. The reasons for this change at this particular time in the earth's long history are being debated and researched by academic entities outside the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources."

The wording suggests that, while climate change exists, there's still a scientific debate surrounding its causes. In fact, repeated studies indicate that there's a near-universal scientific consensus on the idea that human activity -- namely, the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere -- are the primary driver behind modern climate change.

Advertisement

But as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel pointed out, archived versions of the website from earlier in 2016 show that the page previously supported the scientific consensus. A previous wording reads, "Earth's climate is changing. Human activities that increase heat-trapping ("green house") gases are the main cause."

As the Journal Sentinel points out, a small Wisconsin newspaper has taken credit for spurring the recent changes to the DNR website. The Lakeland Times recently published an article suggesting that "DNR officials have been publicly stating for at least three years that the causes of climate change are debatable. That prompted The Times to ask again, in a Dec. 19, 2016, interview with DNR secretary Cathy Stepp and deputy secretary Kurt Thiede, why the climate change page was never changed." According to the newspaper, the web changes were made shortly afterwards.

According to the Journal Sentinel, DNR spokesperson James Dick confirmed that The Lakeland Times called attention to the web page and noted that the agency "does not have the capacity to independently evaluate the causes of climate change. We leave that to the scientists/researchers working in that area."

But these may not be the only climate-related changes the DNR has made to its website. The Journal Sentinel claims the agency has also removed information related to former Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle's Task Force on Global Warming, which he established in 2007 in an effort to reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions. Web archives suggest that certain web pages devoted to the former task force, including a copy of its final report outlining a strategy for reducing global warming, once existed and have now been removed. Additionally, the Journal Sentinel recently discovered that a page on global warming previously housed by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission and mainly containing information related to the former global warming task force has also disappeared entirely. An archived version of the page can be viewed here.

According to the newspaper, Public Service Commission spokesperson Elise Nelson said in an email that "the page in question appears to have been recommended for removal in 2014, en masse with 98 other pages, as part of a long-term website cleanup and maintenance effort."

Representatives from both the Department of Natural Resources and the Public Service Commission did not respond to additional requests for comment from The Washington Post.

Other state web pages, which have not been recently altered, still present scientifically accurate information on climate change. Despite the recent action by the DNR, the agency's web page on waste management currently acknowledges that methane emissions produced by landfills can have significant effects on the climate, noting that "We now have a clearer understanding of the role waste and materials management plays in global climate change and, most importantly, the opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the waste and materials management sphere."

Another DNR web page devoted to environmental education for children explains the science behind the greenhouse effect and notes that rising atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases are largely driven by human activities. Still, the page also claims that "There's a lot of debate going on about global warming. Some scientists say it's nature's way -- something that has happened in the past and will likely occur again. Others say global warming is occurring faster because of human beings and that human beings can stop it, or slow it, if they so choose."

Advertisement

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services website also has a page devoted to climate change, which links to a report just released this month on the link between climate and health. That said, the report focuses on the health impacts of global warming and does not specifically address the role of human activity in causing it to begin with.

The recent changes to the DNR website have been met with criticism from Wisconsin scientists. A group of University of Wisconsin faculty members recently published an open letter outlining their concerns.

"Rapid changes in climate are threatening public health, safety, and natural resources," they wrote. "Failing to accurately inform the public about these threats and the opportunities to reduce them, violates the trust we place in our public institutions. Even more disturbing, the Wisconsin DNR is repudiating its own long-standing tradition of applying the best available science in the public interest."

This is hardly the first time in recent years that the Wisconsin state government has come under fire for environmental reasons. In 2015, the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands voted to ban its staff from communicating about climate change. Following backlash from Democrats and climate activists, the board later modified the ban to prohibit only advocacy or lobbying for climate change policies.

In 2015, former DNR employee Sally Kefer told Scientific American that discussion of climate change was also being suppressed within the agency. "I was being told to quit contacting the communities to determine their level of interest in having a discussion about climate adaptation," she reportedly said.

And Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has repeatedly met with criticism over his environmental policies, including Wisconsin's involvement in an ongoing lawsuit against the Clean Power Plan.

Advertisement

For now, it's unclear whether the recent web changes are related to any long-term efforts to change state policies surrounding the communication of climate change. But it looks like more changes may still be coming. The Journal Sentinel reports that it recently queried the DNR about its waste management web page, which still contains information about the role of greenhouse gas emissions in global warming.

The newspaper reports that a spokesman responded, " Thank you for bringing that landfill page to our attention. Now that you have, we'll take a look at it and see if it needs updating."
Shane Bouvet tries to talk his son into getting dressed at their home in Stonington, Ill. Bouvet, a single father living paycheck-to-paycheck, had to scramble for good clothes to wear for Donald Trump's inauguration. (David Zalaznik / For The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON  The former security guard from rural Illinois walked into a tent behind the Lincoln Memorial and gave a bear hug to the man who would soon become the most powerful leader in the world.

"Hey Donald Trump," said Shane Bouvet, with all the casualness of a 24-year-old.

Advertisement

The president-elect beamed back: "This is the greatest guy."

The unlikely meeting occurred after Trump said he read a profile of Bouvet in The Washington Post and was impressed by his story. Bouvet, a struggling single father, had spent nights working and days volunteering on Trump's unlikely presidential campaign.

Advertisement

The volunteer efforts earned Bouvet an invite to an inaugural ball. But just weeks ago he was unsure he could pay for a proper suit and shoes to wear for the festivities. A friend stepped in and bought a suit and got the shoes donated.

Now, improbably, it was the night before the swearing-in and Bouvet had picked his way past the Secret Service and was hanging out with the president-elect, top Trump advisers Reince Priebus and Stephen Bannon and the first-lady-to-be, Melania Trump. The meeting occurred in a holding room just minutes before Trump was to take the stage for pre-inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

Tears welled in Bouvet's eyes. Trump signed an autograph for Bouvet. Then, they decided to call Bouvet's father back in Stonington, Illinois.

"Hey Dad," Bouvet said with the call on speakerphone. "I'm with Donald Trump."

"Hey Don, you have a great name," Trump laughed, complimenting Bouvet's father on the name they shared. "You have a good boy."

After the call, Trump signed an autograph for Bouvet's 4-year-old son. Trump asked Bouvet if he was still with the mother of his child. Bouvet said no, and the thrice-married Trump said "that happens."

Then he looked at the autographs he had scribbled, and made a prediction: "After that, she'll have you back. You'll be a great celebrity."

Eventually, Trump and his staff posed for photographs with Bouvet and offered him a round of applause. At the very end, Trump put his hand on Bouvet's back and told an aide: "Send him a check for $10,000."

Advertisement

Bouvet broke down and cried.

With that and a round of goodbyes, an aide ushered Bouvet out of the tent. Bouvet wiped tears from his eyes as he melted back into the tens of thousands that had gathered for the concert.

"Did that just happen?" he asked out loud.
U.S. counterintelligence officials are sifting through intercepted communications and financial data as part of a wider look at possible ties between the Russian government and associates of President-elect Donald Trump, officials said.

But while it has been clear for months that a broad investigation is underway, what remains murky - even to lawmakers receiving closed briefings - is its scope and target. It is unclear if the intercepts being examined have any connection to the Trump campaign.

But the investigation adds to the uncertainty surrounding Trump's relationship with Russia even as he is sworn in as U.S. president. U.S. intelligence agencies have already concluded that Russia interfered in the election to help Trump win.

FBI Director James Comey has been chastised by Democratic lawmakers for refusing to even acknowledge that it was investigating alleged links between Trump or his associates and the Kremlin.

Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has been under FBI scrutiny for some time, including for allegations of illegal financial dealings in Ukraine, current and former U.S. officials said. Manafort has done business in Russia and Ukraine.

The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, CIA and the National Security Agency, which intercepts phone calls, emails and other electronic communications of foreigners overseas, are also involved in the probe, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it is an ongoing matter.

McClatchy and the New York Times first reported on details of the investigation.

Manafort was forced out of the campaign in August in the wake of slipping poll numbers for Trump and news reports about his financial dealings with pro-Moscow leaders in Ukraine in which he is alleged to have received millions of dollars in secret cash payments.

Manafort, a veteran GOP political operative, was hired last spring to work with Trump's campaign of political neophytes to be a voice of experience. But Manafort was not a typical Washington political hand. He was also a global deal-maker with ties to business and political leaders linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Manafort, in a response to the Times, said he had no contact with Russian officials and had not directed any others to have such contact.

In congressional testimony, Comey has been cagey on whether there is an active investigation of Trump associates and their possible ties to Russia. His answers left the impression that a probe of some sort was underway, but his refusal to be more direct has frustrated Democrats who were outraged by Comey's comments late in the election on the FBI's probe of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.

During a hearing earlier this month, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked Comey whether the FBI has investigated "reported relationships" between "individuals associated with the Trump campaign" and "the Russians."

Comey replied that he "would never comment on investigations, whether we have one or not in an open forum like this."

Comey's position drew a derisive response from Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who said, "The irony of your making that statement here I cannot avoid."

The FBI chief then tried to qualify his answer, saying that "we sometimes think differently about closed investigations," referring to the Clinton probe, "but he asked me if I had any pending investigations and we're not going to talk about that."

The Washington Post's Tom Hamburger contributed to this report.
On the eve of his inauguration, President-elect Donald Trump boasted to campaign donors about his election victory and the hard work behind it and touted an incoming Cabinet "the likes of which has never been appointed."

An upbeat Trump delivered meandering remarks Thursday night at a black-tie "candlelight dinner" for donors at Union Station that capped off a day of inaugural activities in advance of his swearing in as the nation's 45th president on Friday.

Advertisement

Trump began by reminiscing about "this beautiful map" that emerged on election night, one that showed him with more electoral votes than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, despite his loss in the popular vote.

"There were a lot of red states that weren't supposed to be red," Trump told the crowd. "That was some big victory. .. Records were set that haven't been beaten since Ronald Reagan."

Advertisement

He also cited another factor in his victory: "I think I outworked anybody who ever ran for office."

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 157 President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up alongside first lady Melania Trump at the Salute To Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. At left is Army Staff Sgt. Joseph A. Medina and second from left is Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Catherine Cartmell. (Alex Brandon / AP)

Trump predicted Republicans would pick up seats in Congress in two years and said that when he seeks reelection in 2020, "we're going to win the old-fashioned way: We're going to win because we did so well" in office.

With several of his Cabinet nominees facing rough confirmation proceedings in the Senate, Trump declared that "the other side is going absolutely crazy."

Because of ethical issues and other concerns, Senate Democrats are attempting to slow down the confirmation of several of Trump's nominees, a dynamic that Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, complained about earlier Thursday.

"There's not a pick that I don't love, and if there was, I'd tell you right now," Trump said of his 21 Cabinet nominees.

He singled out his final nominee -- former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue for agriculture secretary -- saying he had been sold on his qualifications weeks ago.

But Trump said he continued to interview people, including some who were "politically correct" -- an apparent reference to pressure Trump received to add a Latino or another woman to his Cabinet.

He said he remained sold on Perdue in part because he is a farmer, which other nominees were not.

Advertisement

Trump also offered shout-outs during the dinner to several people who had helped him during the campaign, including his daughter, Ivanka, who was in attendance.

Trump said his daughter had "married very well," a reference to her husband, Jared Kushner, whom Trump has hired as a senior adviser in the White House. Kushner's portfolio will include the Middle East.

"I sort of stole her husband," Trump told the crowd. "He is so great. If you can't produce peace in the Middle East, nobody can."

Trump also praised outgoing Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus, who will become White House chief of staff when Trump is sworn in at noon on Friday.

Even though Priebus had to remain neutral in a Republican primary in which there was a crowded field, "I always felt like he favored me," Trump said.

The president-elect also summoned his campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway -- or "my Kellyanne," as he called her -- up to the stage.

Advertisement

Trump praised Conway's ability to appear in hostile television interviews and more than hold her own.

"She gets on and she does destroy them," Trump said. "Thank you, baby, thank you."

CBS Miamis Eliott Rodriguez reports.

Before departing, Trump also relayed his earlier inaugural events on Thursday, including a wreath laying at Arlington Cemetery.

"It was so beautiful," Trump said of the event, adding that there were "so many people."

He also said the crowd at a "welcome concert" at the Lincoln Memorial had vastly exceeded his expectations and that he was not getting enough credit for the remarks he delivered there.

"The big one is tomorrow at around 12," Trump said, referring to his inaugural speech.

Advertisement

"It may rain, it may not rain," Trump said. "I don't really care."

He cited one advantage to a potential downpour: "People will realize it's my real hair."
Frank H. "Bud" Paschen, 80, owned F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen, ranked in 2016 as the fifth largest construction company in Chicago (Max Kolin / Chicago Tribune)

Frank H. "Bud" Paschen, whose family's roots in Chicago contracting go back to the early 20th century, ran a company that played an integral role in major infrastructure projects throughout the region.

"Bud Paschen was an extraordinary person who built one of the nation's largest general contracting companies while at the same time sharing his good fortune with people who needed help," former Chicago Public Schools board President Gery Chico said. "He touched so many people's lives and we are all better off for it."

Advertisement

Paschen, 80, died of natural causes Dec. 12 at his home in Jupiter, Fla., said his stepson, Tony Trost. He had homes in Jupiter and in northwest suburban Hebron.

Born and raised in Evanston, Paschen graduated from Evanston Township High School and then earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1959 from Northwestern University.

Advertisement

In 1902, Paschen's grandfather, Frank, and his great-uncle, Henry "Dude" Paschen, started Paschen Brothers and Co. with backing from Paschen's great-grandfather, a tuck pointer. By the 1940s, the company had been renamed Paschen Contractors. Bud Paschen joined his family company as a teenager, working as a laborer, and continued to work for the company during college in the estimating department.

After graduating from Northwestern, Paschen signed on full time with the family company. In 1974, he joined a rival company, S.A. Healy, where he ran the building department. Not long afterward, he started his own company, F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen.

The company's early work included handling the remodeling of post offices in the Midwest. Other work involved renovating, rebuilding and repairing bridges, libraries, health care facilities, highways, municipal buildings, religious institutions, transit systems and wastewater treatment facilities.

In particular, some of the company's better-known projects have included rehabilitating the North Michigan Avenue bridge, building a canopy at O'Hare International Airport's Terminal 1 and renovating Terminal 2, building a parking garage and additions to a concourse at Midway Airport, working on the reconstruction of Wacker Drive, renovating 14 Brown Line stations, eight Blue Line stations and the CTA's 95th Street terminal, and upgrading the Calumet Water Reclamation plant.

Paschen in particular was proud of pioneering the use of minority subcontractors, including on large projects at Kennedy-King College and Chicago State University. That paved the way for growth in minority-owned construction companies in Chicago.

"Bud knew how to build a talented and dedicated staff, and the bottom line was that Bud was a brilliant businessman," Trost said. "Bud built companies but, more importantly, he built up people for years."

Public historian Terry Fife, whose Chicago-based History Works company has been working on a history of the various Paschen organizations, said Paschen "did things his own way and on his own terms."

"He said, 'I'm going to do it my way and I'm going to stay in the same (industry),'" Fife said. "And up until really recently, he insisted on going out into the field."

Advertisement

F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen president and CEO Jim Blair called Paschen "forward-thinking" and was always looking to stay diversified, "so if there was a downturn in one market segment, we could count on other segments of the market."

"He specifically looked for challenging projects (such as Wacker Drive)," Blair said. "And he had a good sense for the direction of the construction industry. And finding opportunities was intuitive for him; he always seemed to be  able to capitalize on opportunities."

By 2016, F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen ranked as the fifth largest construction company in Chicago.

Paschen's philanthropic pursuits included churches, missionaries, schools and orphanages worldwide, Trost said. He also supported Joey's Angels, a chapter of the Chicago-based Leukemia Research Foundation. An employee of his, Larry Mix, lost a son to leukemia in 1996, prompting Paschen's involvement.

A first marriage ended in divorce. In addition to his stepson, Paschen is survived by his second wife of more than 22 years, Dianne; four daughters, Debora, Jeanne Cooper, Mary and Elisabeth Fry; one son, Frank; one other stepson, Paul Trost; one adopted son, Daniel Ndede; 22 grandchildren; three great-granddaughters; and one sister, LaVerne Finney.

Services were held.

Advertisement

Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
My childhood in western Michigan was rather ordinary, I suppose.

Together with my Dutch-imported family, I'd gather on weekends at the local Christian Reformed Church, eating piles of imported Voortman wafer cookies while plotting how to best install a theocracy in our unsuspecting Midwestern state.

Advertisement

During the week, at my Christian high school, we'd secretly boil a big pot of oliebollen  traditional Dutch doughnuts that, to be honest, aren't as good as regular ones  and cook up a menu of ideas to destroy the American education system.

In our free time, we'd do our best to enforce repressive and arbitrary laws in our small, idyllic, largely Dutch town, marching in lockstep as we aimlessly purchased windmill-shaped tchotchkes and engaged in the occasional public shaming. The tallest tulip, after all, always gets cut!

Advertisement

I kid, I kid. But if you read the panicked media coverage of Betsy DeVos, the Christian Michigander nominated to be our nation's next education secretary, you could be forgiven for thinking that this is how things shake out daily in America's Calvinist Dutch heartland.

"Betsy DeVos wants to use America's schools to build 'God's Kingdom,'" bellowed a Mother Jones headline Tuesday. DeVos, a "socially conservative Christian," represents "the worst of the school choice movement," declared Graham Vyse of the New Republic. Because of her conservative Christianity, DeVos is a "religious zealot" and "doesn't belong in a government job in which separation of church and state is crucial," huffed Michelangelo Signorile on the Huffington Post.

In case it's never happened to you, it's both amusing and illuminating to see your childhood home inflated into a quietly sinister and exotic locale. The wide-eyed Mother Jones reporter, Kristina Rizga, leads her story with a list of the draconian rules of Holland, Mich.  Grass clippings must be picked up! Fences must be maintained!  while failing to mention, say, Los Angeles' recently overturned beach-Frisbee ban or the existing high-heel ban in California's Carmel-by-the-Sea.

An analysis from Newsweek, meanwhile  subtly titled "Betsy DeVos is coming for your public schools"  examines the conservative Calvin College, DeVos' alma mater, like a newly discovered, mysteriously abandoned, alien time machine: "Any attempt to forecast what DeVos might do as the nation's education secretary must begin here, at this college of 4,000 that bids its students to act as 'Christ's agents of renewal in the world.'" Oh dear! What could this terrifying credo possibly inspire students to do?

In DeVos' case, it may have inspired her to donate millions upon millions of dollars to charitable causes, including health care, the arts and, yes, school choice.

DeVos has long supported charter schools and vouchers, which would indeed shake up the public school system as we know it, allowing parents to send their children to schools beyond the confines of their district or ZIP code  confines that are currently dictated by how much money a family has to spend on a house in the "right" neighborhood. In this government-sponsored stacking of the deck, rich kids almost always win, and poor kids often lose.

For those who wail about the separation of church and state  an argument often aimed at vouchers or, to a lesser extent, education tax credits, which can be used to pay for private or religious schools  it's worth pointing out that we're talking about the taxpayers' own money. This money is helpfully taken by the state, wound through the system, skimmed off the top and then returned at a lower rate. It's also worth pointing out that widespread school choice  and the ability of parents to send their children to schools that echo their religious or personal beliefs  would defuse many of the child-related culture wars wreaking havoc today.

Alas, school choice is scary stuff, especially for those entrenched in the current system. In this realm, DeVos' Christianity isn't the only tool used to whip up alarm. "The best argument against Betsy DeVos can be made with a single word," Newsweek opined. "Detroit." The Motor City, as the narrative goes, is plagued with failing schools, and school choice has simply made them worse.

Advertisement

That's certainly news to many in Detroit. "DeVos is a sound choice, and would strive to improve education for all kids," the Detroit News Editorial Board wrote on Jan. 12, cautioning against "the hysteria surrounding the West Michigan native, fanned by teachers unions." As The Wall Street Journal pointed out over the weekend, "charter students in Detroit on average score 60 percent more proficient on state tests than kids attending the city's traditional public schools. Eighteen of the top 25 schools in Detroit are charters, while 23 of the bottom 25 are traditional schools." Oh.

If the horror show surrounding DeVos' nomination is any indication, there's a lot at stake in the school-choice wars. But when it comes down to it, for most people, failing or unjust schools are a heck of a lot scarier than devout Christians with a penchant for charitable giving. When it comes to expanding educational opportunities, simply shouting, "The Christians are coming! The Christians are coming!" probably isn't going to fly. Let's hope it doesn't.

Heather Wilhelm is a National Review columnist and a senior contributor to The Federalist.

National Review

Related articles:

Betsy DeVos vs. the education status quo

Advertisement

Mitt Romney op-ed: Betsy DeVos a smart choice for education secretary

CTU stages anti-Trump demonstrations at schools throughout Chicago
The recent U.S. Department of Justice report that criticizes policing here focused on the Chicago Police Department during the tenure of Superintendent Garry McCarthy. Mayor Rahm Emanuel fired McCarthy during a public uproar as the Laquan McDonald case unfolded. Justice says McCarthy wasn't available to be interviewed; McCarthy says Justice didn't contact him. But he reacted to what he sees as shortcomings of the federal report during an 80-minute meeting Thursday with the Tribune Editorial Board. Here are excerpts, edited for length and clarity:

1) On the DOJ findings: I know a little bit about investigations after 35 years in policing, and if you're going to investigate policies and practices of the Chicago Police Department, you should start with the individual who implemented them, and that's me. You all know  the amount of changes, and the thought process that went behind them, and the reasons why we implemented the things that we did. Almost none of that is reflected in that report. I've seen a lot of reports from DOJ on civil rights investigations into police departments. When they got here on Dec. 7, 2015, I could have told you exactly what that report was going to say. It's almost a fill-in-the-blanks type of investigation, where they come knowing what they're going to say. They go out and get testimonials from individuals to reinforce what it is that they want to say.

Advertisement

2) On policing and civil rights: In the last eight years, the Department of Justice will tell you very frankly that they've opened more civil rights investigations into police departments than any other time in United States history. Are we worse at violating civil rights now than we've been in the past? All the indications from the evolution of policing would say no. I believe there's a huge influence of political pull in this particular investigation.

3) On crime and police stops: For 2013 and 2014, we did an analysis of crime complaints  not something that comes from a police officer, this is a crime victim who gets robbed, who gets beat, somebody steals a car, does a burglary, whatever the case may be. Our two-year analysis shows incredibly close percentages to who, when and where crime is happening and who, when and where we are stopping people. Now, the Department of Justice has adopted the standard of population demographics in a city as what you should compare your "stop" data to, and they say that we're disproportionately stopping African-Americans. For example, DOJ's view would be that in Englewood, our most violent community and which is 97 percent African-American, we should be stopping 32 percent of white folks  which is not going to have an impact on crime. But what we call data-driven policing, the Department of Justice calls systematic racism. That's a big issue for policing that needs to be clarified.

Advertisement

4) On numbers vs. anecdotes: If officers use excessive force, they need to be prosecuted if appropriate. Or, if their conduct is outside of policy, they need to be disciplined or trained, whatever the case may be. But to make a blanket statement that the Chicago Police Department doesn't care about black and Latino lives on the West Side, what? That's what this report (essentially) says. The way you should properly draw conclusions is you interview people, you look at data, and you say, "Well, this is jumping off the page, let's dig into this." But they didn't really do that. They didn't do data analysis. They interviewed people, took testimonials and drew their conclusions from that. That's a problematic investigation.

5) On CPD training: The department is in line with the state training standards. They didn't talk about that. They didn't talk about the fact that during my tenure, we added an extra training cycle for the officers. The ongoing training that I just referred to  adding the extra training cycle is not just about shooting a gun, it's about use of force and tactics. It's about when I changed CPD policy on shooting into vehicles. So you can always recommend more training. But if you say that the training is inadequate, then you've got to say that the standards of the Illinois State Training Commission are inadequate.

6) On policing nationwide: How much of the conversation in this country right now about policing actually involves the police departments? It's a conversation, I've said, about law enforcement that doesn't involve law enforcement. If you take the individuals that I know from the Major City Chiefs Association, which is the top 67 jurisdictions across the country, you're going to find a very progressive, forward-thinking, well-educated, well-informed, criminologist-type police leader  not the tribal-type leaders that we used to be. And I think that none of that is reflected in the issue of whether or not we're policing more professionally or less professionally.

7) On his relationship with Emanuel: I don't think it's up to me to blow up the mayor. I think it's in bad form. I think it would be unprofessional. He's made decisions that I disagree with. I used to fight with him, privately, all the time. But he also gave me the most incredible opportunity of my police career, which was to come here and run this department.

Garry McCarthy, former Chicago police superintendent who was fired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, says, "I used to fight with (Emanuel) privately all the time," during a meeting with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board on Jan. 19, 2017. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune) (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

8) On CPD's performance: The things that we were doing were reducing crime while making less arrests. I'm very aware of the issue of mass incarceration. We don't arrest everybody. We arrest the right people at the right place at the right time to reduce crime. Making less arrests, getting better results, getting more guns at the same time. We had back-to-back years of 50 percent reductions in complaints against officers from civilians. It's just beyond comprehension to me that this report went forward, the investigation went forward, in the fashion that it did without bringing all of that  or some of that, even  to light.

9) On officers guilty of misconduct: Do you know that the Police Board overturned 75 percent of my recommendations for termination while I was the police superintendent? Seventy-five percent during my tenure. One of the things that I really liked is that the report identified the dysfunctional nature of the discipline system in Chicago. I recognized that in 2012 and went to the mayor. You have the Police Board that is the final determiner for discipline for 30 days or more suspension, right? You've got, at the time, IPRA (the Independent Police Review Authority), which is now COPA (the Civilian Office of Police Accountability), conducting the investigations into police uses of force. And then you've got a negotiation, if you will, between the head of IPRA and the police superintendent of whether we agree on what discipline should be. And then I can only make a recommendation to the Police Board for termination. And those recommendations were overturned so many times.

10) On the code of silence in policing: The fact is, it's not OK. I presume you know that I spent a couple years as a captain in Internal Affairs in the NYPD (New York Police Department). I terminated people for lying during investigations, and that's a standard that I stand by: If you lie, you die. That's something that we need to push, and we need to push hard. It's not OK.
My wife and I welcomed Mike and Debbie for dinner at our California home Tuesday night. Our longtime friends are not alarmists, and they are not liberal Democrats. They are in fact the sort of genuine "moderate middle" voter that most consultants would die to have in a focus group: smart, caring, connected in their community, successful parents and employers.

I'm more conservative than they are. I voted for Donald Trump, and they did not. Our conversation was probably similar to one going on around a million tables in America.

Advertisement

Mike and Debbie are genuinely worried. Anxious. Even distressed by the inauguration of President Trump. I did my best to allay their fears, to point to people such as retired Gens. James Mattis and John Kelly, headed to the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, respectively, to Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., and former Sen. Daniel Coats, R-Ind., on the national security team, and to my friends Scott Pruitt and Andy Puzder, nominated to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and Labor Department, respectively.

Discount the rhetoric, I argued. Pruitt's not a "climate denier." Puzder is an evangelist of opportunity, a true believer in small business and successful employer-employee relationships. The vice president-elect, Mike Pence, is a wonderful man, I explained, a conscientious person of compassion and action. I stressed how incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus possesses a perfect skill set for the job that James Baker defined in President Ronald Reagan's first term, and that he could grow into it. Trump has assembled a superb team and is daily adding more talent to it.

Advertisement

I even made the case for why they could rely on Jeff Sessions  as an experienced Justice Department veteran and senator and, more important, a man of superb character  to take care as attorney general that the laws are faithfully executed. The new justice of the Supreme Court  whether the extremely able William Pryor or another rock-solid originalist  will not change the court's direction. Even if Trump secures a second or even third Supreme Court appointment, the Obergefell decision decreeing same-sex marriage the law of the land will not be overturned.

My arguments led to some feigned, hopeful smiles. Still, I know I did not persuade. People of moderate dispositions are unsettled by Trump's approach, and the single word they use is "temperament." This is a cultural clash as much as an ideological one. The president-elect is Jacksonian in his thunders, not Lincoln-like in his appeals regarding "malice toward none, with charity for all." Trump is loud and proud and big and bold and full of scorn for his opponents. That very nature carried him to his win. It isn't going to change.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 157 President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up alongside first lady Melania Trump at the Salute To Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. At left is Army Staff Sgt. Joseph A. Medina and second from left is Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Catherine Cartmell. (Alex Brandon / AP)

Trump is the temperamental opposite of President Barack Obama. Imagine changing the temperaments of your next-door neighbors as radically as we are about to change those of our president. Even if you grew to like the new folks, it would take some getting used to.

Those alarmed by Trump should recognize that those personality characteristics do not define the entire man or his agenda for the next four years  and that, in fact, there are good reasons to welcome the brashness. The vast, suffocating bureaucratic state has grown so powerful and utterly muffling of genuine ideological diversity that we need to break the ice forming over the national conversation. Trump is Thor's hammer in that regard. It could get loud, but we could also end up hashing some hard things out.

Finally, there is this: The Constitution is very, very strong. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., not to mention the independent judiciary, represent significant checks on Trump, who, as Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn likes to point out, has never raised a word against the Constitution's design or institutions. Governors such as Arizona's Doug Ducey didn't like being pushed about by Obama, and they won't like it any more if Trump is doing the pushing. The media  asleep and smiling through much of the past eight years  woke up with a hangover and a backache, and are in a collective mood to go full Sam Donaldson. Terrific. Checks and balances.

So, if you are among the Mikes and Debbies  good people and great Americans  please relax and give it a chance. Trump intends to do good things for a great country and to do them via constitutional means. He is open for business on America's behalf.

When Trump declared his candidacy, I immediately purchased the rights to a new website: TrumpTheMusical.com. I expect it will get used. And I suspect it will have a happy ending. Really.

Washington Post

Advertisement

Hugh Hewitt hosts a nationally syndicated radio show and is author of the forthcoming "The Fourth Way: The Conservative Playbook for a Lasting GOP Majority."

Related articles:

Donald Trump still can't escape Hillary Clinton

A statistical look at the nation Trump inherits

Mr. Trump, help us rebuild our inner cities

Why feminists should accept Melania Trump
About 200 members of the Women's Coalition marched south on State Street from Wacker Drive on May 15, 1971, to the Civic Center demanding equal opportunity, free child care and free abortions.

About 200 members of the Women's Coalition marched south on State Street from Wacker Drive on May 15, 1971, to the Civic Center demanding equal opportunity, free child care and free abortions. (James Mayo, Chicago Tribune)

Rival demonstrations often mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that decriminalized abortion, but this year's could be especially heated.

The 44th anniversary of the ruling Sunday follows the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, a Republican who once was "pro-choice" and now says he is "pro-life"  using the common but loaded labels that separate those who favor a woman's right to abortion and those who believe the procedure should be prohibited.

Advertisement

In part because Trump will get to fill the Supreme Court seat still vacant after Justice Antonin Scalia's death in 2016, the emotional heat around access to legal abortion is rising again.

Before the 1973 decision, terminating pregnancies was a monopoly of back-alley abortionists. Some were medically competent, others were butchers, and a desperate woman couldn't be choosy. In Chicago, as in most parts of the U.S., a woman who wanted to terminate her pregnancy had few safe options  unless she found her way to the Jane Collective, a medical underground that emerged on the city's South Side.

Advertisement

Officially, it was the Abortion Counseling Service of Women's Liberation. But the name scarcely conveys how it enabled thousands of women to safely end an unwanted pregnancy in those final years that abortion was illegal.

One of the group's founders had an abortion during a time when it could be performed only if pregnancy endangered a woman's life. She barely got doctors and hospital officials to sign off on hers, even though she had cancer. But another aspect of the process troubled her too.

"Through that whole experience, there wasn't one woman involved. It was men  the doctors, the hospital board  controlling my reproductive rights and condemning me to death," she told Laura Kaplan, author of "The Story of Jane," a history of the collective.

In Kaplan's book, that woman was given the pseudonym "Jenny." Other members were similarly disguised to protect their subsequent careers. What they had done may have been laudatory to some, but it was illegal. Kaplan, who belonged to the collective, appears in her book as "Kate."

As for Jenny, the group's evolution addressed her concerns about entrusting a woman's health issues almost exclusively to men. The Jane Collective began as a referral service, putting pregnant women in touch with reliable abortionists. By the time it closed, female members of the collective were trained to perform abortions. The women hadn't been to medical school, but their skills were attested to by a doctor who risked his license by doing post-operative checkups on the clients.

That doctor, a gynecologist, had trained at Cook Country Hospital where poor women often wound up after being operated on by back-alley abortionists. He contrasted that with women whose abortions were performed by Jane's members.

"From my examinations, these women were not maltreated and had no ill effects," he told Kaplan. "Their periods had returned; they were in good health; they had no complaints. All that says is that one does not need to be a doctor. You only need good training to do an abortion."

The Jane Collective's abortions weren't the first performed by Chicago women who weren't doctors. A 1918 Tribune headline read: "U. of C. Professor Says Midwife and Abortionist Are Synonymous." The accompanying story attributed that definition to Dr. Rudolph Holmes, who also fought to remove ads for abortionists from Chicago newspapers. It also quoted a Northwestern University doctor who said infant mortality rates wouldn't be reduced "until the general public realizes that child birth today is not a normal function but a pathological one."

Advertisement

The Jane Collective had a different take on pregnancy: The only non-normal thing about it were laws that denied access to birth control and abortion, thus robbing a woman of choice. It wasn't until 1965 that the Supreme Court overturned a Connecticut law that made it a crime for a woman to use birth control devices, or to ask a doctor to prescribe them.

"We are for every woman having exactly as many children as she wants, when she wants, if she wants," Jane's founders proclaimed. "It's time that the Bill of Rights applied to women."

Jane was founded in 1969, in Hyde Park, home to the University of Chicago, and a neighborhood where progressive ideas were welcome. Some came to the group bearing the conviction from the civil rights movement that securing justice sometimes requires defying unjust laws. Others were feminists who were bored by endless meetings, eager for action.

Kaplan referenced her own path to an African-American spiritual. "All I know is that one day my eyes were opened, like in 'Amazing Grace': Was blind but now can see," she wrote.

She and other members  usually about 20  quickly found that the actual work was less poetic. Rumor had it that some of the Chicago abortionists were tolerated by the cops, purportedly because unwanted pregnancies occur in police families. But there was no guarantee that wouldn't change.

"You're going to wind up in jail," one member's husband warned. "You'll be a felon."

Advertisement

It was also commonly assumed that the mob controlled the abortion market. That posed a problem because the Jane Collective aimed at reducing the cost of the medical procedure, and negotiating with gangsters could be dicey. The going price was $600  a fortune to clients from poor nearby neighborhoods.

Plucky women, Jane's members dangled the prospect of volume to abortionists in return for discounts. The bait was taken by a man in Cicero who called himself a doctor. The women quickly learned that many abortionists' medical titles were self-awarded.

After cutting several deals with abortionists  some were guaranteed 10 cases a week to bring the price down to $500  Jane's women realized they were trapped in an unholy alliance: They were do-gooders. The abortionists were rapacious. So a few of the members dreamed of cutting the "doctors" out and doing the procedures themselves.

A West Coast man who had learned to perform abortions befriended the women of Jane. He trained Jenny, who served as his nurse, to do the procedure. She trained other women, and soon the Jane Collective became an abortion provider for as many as 60 women a week.

Assistant State's Attorney Allen C. Engerman, left, and Lt. Edward Barry of the State's Attorney's police, pose in October 1961 with instruments and medicines confiscated from an attempted abortion at 712 N. Dearborn St. in Chicago. (Dante Mascione, Chicago Tribune)

Then disaster struck: Jane's facilities were raided by police, who kept asking: "Where's the doctor?" They couldn't imagine the women they arrested were performing abortions. The Jane Seven, as they were dubbed, were indicted by a grand jury  but spared a trial only by the Supreme Court's timely legalization of abortion in 1973.

After the court decision, the women of the Jane Collective pondered what to do with their covertly acquired skills. A female doctor offered them a place in her office. "Could we still do abortions?" they asked. She said yes, but her lawyer said: "Within the law that would be impossible."

Advertisement

So they went their separate ways. One of the members, a woman of means who lived in a Frank Lloyd Wright house, said that had she not been a part of Jane, she might have "gone to my grave sweeping the floor and vacuuming."

She hosted a farewell party, attended by the West Coast man who had trained Jenny. He spoke of his time working with the Jane Collective: "There was a movement and I was part of it. I liked that."

rgrossman@chicagotribune.com
Syrians evacuated from the embattled Syrian city of Aleppo during the ceasefire arrive at a refugee camp in Rashidin, near Idlib, Syria, on Dec. 20, 2016. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia, Iran and Turkey are ready to act as guarantors in a peace deal between the Syrian government and the opposition. He spoke on Tuesday after a meeting of the three countries' foreign ministers in Moscow. (STR / AP)

"Mr. President, your legacy will depend on what you do in Syria," I said to President Barack Obama as I shook his hand during an event in the White House in the summer of 2013.

He grew more attentive. I told him about my recent medical mission to Aleppo, the attacks on hospitals and civilians by the regime of Bashar Assad and urged him to do something. At that point, fewer than 100,000 people had been killed in Syria, and there were only about 1 million refugees and few small-scale chemical weapons attacks.

Advertisement

Obama leaned forward, smiling, and said, "My legacy will be determined by other things also." I answered without hesitation, "But Syria will be important, Mr. President."

I remembered the encounter as I read the "exit memo" Obama wrote to his fellow Americans. President Obama was looking back on the past eight years. Syria, one of the worst humanitarian disasters in our lifetime, was not mentioned. Obama touted carefully his successes in the economy, health care and Iran nuclear deal, among other things, while completely ignoring Syria.

Advertisement

As a physician and humanitarian who has spent the past six years helping in medical relief in Syria and neighboring countries, I saw the impact of Obama's policy, or lack of policy, on the ground. I saw it in the faces of countless helpless refugees in the Zaatari camp in Jordan and in the Greek camps during my medical missions. Among them was a child with a rare muscle disorder who was struggling to breathe in his hot tent in northern Greece. His family, like tens of thousands of desperate Syrians, took the perilous trip across the Mediterranean Sea to flee the brutality of war.

I saw it in the screaming of children as they were pulled from under the rubble of their destroyed houses. Among them was Abdullah, a 12-year-old victim of a barrel bomb in Aleppo. He suffered a traumatic injury to his chest, and we had to insert a chest tube to drain the blood without painkillers or anesthesia. He was screaming in pain.

Many areas in Syria were, and still are, under siege and daily bombardment, mostly by the Assad regime. There is a shortage of food and medicine.

I saw the impact through the desperate calls of my colleagues in other parts of Syria, struggling to resuscitate victims of nerve and chlorine gas attacks.

I saw it in the unprecedented "forced evacuation," a more gentle term for ethnic cleansing, of more than 250,000 people from their neighborhoods in Aleppo. Among them was Bana Alabed, 7, who (with her mother's help) tweeted to the outside world while she was under siege in her city.

The Syrian crisis has been an utter failure of Obama's foreign policy. Since the civil war's start in 2011, the United Nations estimates about 400,000 Syrians have been killed and nearly 12 million displaced. The crisis has created more than 4.8 million refugees.

Aerial drone footage depicts destruction in Aleppo. Oct. 10, 2016. (Aleppo Media Center) (Handout)

How did Obama's policy fail? Early in 2011, and in response to the brutal clampdown on early peaceful demonstrations by Syrians, Obama stated that Assad had lost his "legitimacy." But he failed to support his statement with proactive policies to force an early political transition.

Words have power, especially if they are uttered by the leader of the free world. As Robert D. Kaplan wrote recently in The New York Times, "only if we project power can our values follow along."

Advertisement

Syrians believed Obama's words. Thousands of them went to the streets demonstrating against the brutal Assad regime. They believed naively in the lofty ideals that Obama articulated, but they were very disappointed. The regime responded with extreme brutality, and the U.S. did too little to stop it.

Vladimir Putin, Iran and Assad called Obama's bluff and gained the upper hand, while the U.S. lost credibility and influence. The U.S. was not included in the last cease-fire talks among Russia, Turkey and Iran following the disaster of Aleppo.

Meanwhile, millions of Syrian refugees have been fleeing barrel bombs, chemical weapons and air strikes. The refugee crisis has destabilized the European Union and given rise to anti-refugee sentiment, xenophobia and Islamophobia, which have contributed to the rise of extreme-right political parties across Europe.

President Obama refused to listen to his advisers, allies and critics. Among them were prominent Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress, leaders of allied countries and experts in foreign policy.

As he is trying to cement his legacy, Obama has been minimizing the deleterious consequences of his policies in Syria, while suggesting that he was successful by not being sucked into the quagmire of yet another crisis in the Middle East.

I doubt that history and the millions of Syrians who have lost everything will agree with his measure of success.

Advertisement

Dr. Zaher Sahloul is a critical-care specialist from Chicago, founder of the American relief Coalition for Syria and a volunteer in the Syrian American Medical Society.

Related articles:

We have been with Syria's children. Their suffering must end.

Aleppo highlights Obama's disastrous Middle East policy

Requiem for Aleppo
In 2013, nearly 50 Chicago public elementary schools closed. But high schools were spared at the recommendation of a school-closing commission. Consolidating high schools would imperil students by forcing them to cross gang boundaries or move to schools where rival gangs ruled, the commission warned.

That decision  and years of Chicago Public Schools leaders who deferred school closings  has left the district with a costly problem: high schools that are largely empty yet still open, draining resources at the cash-parched CPS.

Advertisement

In the 2015-16 school year, CPS had 15 district-run high schools that were less than one-third filled by the 20th day of classes, the Tribune's Juan Perez Jr. and Jennifer Smith Richards reported. Nearly three dozen high schools out of a total of 87 were less than half full, based on the same CPS formula. Most of those buildings could hold more than 1,000 students.

CPS finally may move to consolidate. Several South Side high schools may be shuttered in the next few years to be replaced by a new neighborhood school, possibly in Englewood.

Advertisement

CPS has set aside $75 million in construction funds but hasn't yet committed to any site or even to building the school.

If it does, the district will have to outline a plan to safely transfer students to a new school across gang turf. It can be done. In 2013, the district worked with Chicago police and community groups to set up Safe Passage routes, ushering more than 11,000 students to new schools without major incident. Moreover, many students from Englewood already travel several miles outside of their neighborhood attendance boundaries to attend charter schools and other stronger schools.

The district's halting steps to consolidate several high schools reflect its fiscal and enrollment reality.

In 2016, CPS lost 10,936 students, the steepest yearly decline in more than a decade. More schools must close as the district's enrollment drops.

The district has borrowed to the hilt and can't afford to keep underused schools open. CPS faces a $215 million budget shortfall because Springfield has failed to come through with pension reforms that would release funding. The fiscal crisis doesn't end this year. Those annual pension bills continue to mount.

The key question: Does CPS really need to spend millions building a new high school? If there are so many schools hollowed out and ready to be closed, how about renovating and repurposing an existing South Side campus? Wouldn't CPS' scarce resources be better spent on new programs and better educational opportunities for students at an existing campus, not on new bricks and mortar?

One likely factor in the decision: The memory of the uproar caused by the 2013 school closings. People protested the shuttering of neighborhood schools, even if they were lousy, and even if CPS promised to send the displaced students to better schools. The outcry prompted Mayor Rahm Emanuel and CPS leaders to vow a five-year moratorium on more closings. That was a huge mistake because CPS administrators need maximum flexibility to deal with plummeting enrollment and a perpetual cash crunch.

The mayor and school leaders aren't eager to stir community anger anew, this time over high school closings. We imagine a sparkly new campus  either in Englewood or in Chinatown, as neighborhood leaders there have urged  would help ease the sting of closing several others.

Advertisement

If CPS wants to build a new school, however, CEO Forrest Claypool first has to convince Chicagoans that there are no plausible alternatives. Whether new construction or a renovation job, the mission remains: Ensure that high school students trapped in mediocre, half-empty high schools find a better education, and a safe haven, wherever they land.
A woman is vaccinated at a health center in Conakry during the first clinical trials of the VSV-EBOV vaccine against the Ebola virus on March 10, 2015. An ebola vaccine tested in clinical trials is "up to 100 percent effective" in protecting against the deadly virus, the World Health Organization reported in a study published on December 22, 2016. (Cellou Binani, AFP/Getty Images)

In 2014 the world held its breath as Ebola rampaged through Africa, killing thousands with gruesome efficiency. World Health Organization officials warned that the virus could ramp up to overwhelm Africa, then spread across the globe, straining hospitals and public health systems.

There was no cure for Ebola. And no vaccine  until now.

Advertisement

A few weeks ago, researchers announced they've developed an Ebola vaccine that proved 100 percent effective against one of two major strains of the virus in a major trial. An international consortium published that spectacular finding in the medical journal the Lancet, confirming earlier preliminary results.

A vaccine with a mouthful of a name  rVSV-Zebov  confers swift Ebola immunity after a single dose.

Advertisement

The Lancet study covered 11,841 residents of Guinea in 2015. None of the nearly 6,000 people who got the vaccine came down with Ebola 10 or more days later. Researchers found 23 Ebola cases among thousands of others who were not immediately vaccinated.

After decades of fitful progress to create an effective vaccine, this is a triumph for researchers, for African public health officials, for the World Health Organization and for Merck, which manufactures the vaccine.

"While these compelling results come too late for those who lost their lives during West Africa's Ebola epidemic, they show that when the next Ebola outbreak hits, we will not be defenseless," said lead author Marie-Paule Kieny, the World Health Organization's assistant director-general for Health Systems and Innovation.

So have we triumphed in the war against Ebola? Not yet. The new vaccine works against only one of those two most common strains of the virus. Ideally, a vaccine would safely protect against all strains. And the Merck vaccine may or may not confer long-lasting protection.

Still, public health officials are so confident about this vaccine that they have already created an emergency stockpile of 300,000 doses should Ebola flare again. That's smart. The arsenal of treatments against Ebola is thin. The best way to fight it is to vaccinate widely.

A just-released report from the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy and the Wellcome Trust outlines the steps that remain to license and use effective Ebola vaccines. It warns researchers and policymakers that there are still gaps in preparedness for the inevitable next outbreak. The report also exhorts health officials around the world to maintain a "sense of urgency ... so our collective vision of ending Ebola as a major threat to public health can be realized."

For many years, Ebola would emerge from the jungle, kill with startling swiftness, then slink back into the mists. As it retreated, so did the urgency to create a vaccine, or to find new drugs to combat the scourge. Not this time. That ultimate Ebola vaccine to cover all strains is still in development. It can't come too soon.

The World Health Organization was alarmingly slow and ill-prepared to battle Ebola. The new report calls for the creation of a "dedicated consortium focused on 'championing' Ebola vaccines and resolving remaining key issues." Good idea. A new public-private effort  with WHO input but independent leadership  could ensure that Ebola never again threatens the world.
The road to destroying Islamic State goes through Raqqa in northern Syria, the group's nerve center and its de facto capital. The Syrian Democratic Forces, a contingent dominated by Syrian Kurdish fighters, surround the city, poised and waiting. Waiting for what? The right arms  armored vehicles, rocket launchers and machine guns  to do the job.

Former President Barack Obama put off arming the Kurds, instead passing on the decision to his successor, President Donald Trump. The new commander in chief has talked tough about handling Islamic State, with his campaign pledge to "bomb the s--- out of them." That's a reckless tack  indiscriminate Russian bombing raids in Aleppo destroyed another Syrian city and killed hundreds of civilians. There's something far more effective Trump can do: Arm the Kurds.

Advertisement

It's not, though, a simple decision. Turkey, which plays a major role in the war, has plenty of incentive to take down Islamic State: IS-linked attacks on an Istanbul nightclub Jan. 1 and on Istanbul's international airport last June killed, collectively, more than 80 people. But Ankara regards as terrorists the Syrian Kurds waiting to pounce on IS militants in Raqqa. Turkey may do more than denounce a Trump decision to arm the Kurds  it could attack the Kurdish fighters the U.S. is relying on to help retake Raqqa. The Obama administration balked at arming the Kurds because of Turkish opposition.

Does Trump have any other options? Yes, and they're all bad.

Advertisement

He could deploy American troops to liberate the city. But after Afghanistan and Iraq, the American public has little appetite for another faraway ground conflict that costs the lives of U.S. soldiers. And Syrians who loathe Islamic State and its barbarism could turn their anger toward what they view as an unwanted American incursion. Outgoing Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told The Associated Press this week, " we would risk turning people who are currently inclined to resist (Islamic State)  potentially into resisting us, and that would increase the strength of the enemy."

Or, Trump could tell the poorly armed Syrian Democratic Forces to take the fight to Islamic State with the weapons they have. That's a bloodbath in the making. As with other IS-held cities, Raqqa is likely fortified with networks of trenches, booby traps and car bombs. If Islamic State fighters fend off the Kurds and hang on to Raqqa, the group's leaders could parlay the victory into potent online fodder for luring new recruits.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 142 Syrians evacuated from the embattled Syrian city of Aleppo during the ceasefire arrive at a refugee camp in Rashidin, near Idlib, Syria, on Dec. 20, 2016. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia, Iran and Turkey are ready to act as guarantors in a peace deal between the Syrian government and the opposition. He spoke on Tuesday after a meeting of the three countries' foreign ministers in Moscow. (STR / AP)

The right choice is equipping the Kurds with what they need to win in Raqqa. Trump probably does need at least the tacit acquiescence of Ankara. Yes, that's a hard sell: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to veer his country, a NATO member nation, away from the West and into the orbit of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the fight against Islamic State, the Kremlin has hardly been a help. Putin paints the Islamic State as an enemy to be eradicated, but almost every move he makes in Syria is about keeping Bashar Assad's regime in power. Russia has largely left the task of Raqqa to U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

Can Trump get his pal in the Kremlin to nudge Erdogan into allowing the Kurds to be armed? It would be heartening to see Trump's talk of a new day in relations with Russia actually yield results.

There's urgency to the question of arming the Kurds. Islamic State is on the run. The battle to retake the group's other primary stronghold, the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, has been plodding and bloody  but it's succeeding. With U.S. backing, Iraqi forces now have control over that city's eastern half.

In sum, the U.S. and the rest of the Western world have the momentum against Islamic State. IS has lost roughly half of the territory it controlled after it seized a wide swath of land across northern Syria and Iraq in 2014. Forging ahead in Raqqa, with the arms to get the job done, would feed on that momentum. Lying back would squander it.

Related articles:

President Obama, why did you let us down in Syria?

Advertisement

IS in Syria destroys part of Roman theater in Palmyra

Syrian president says he's ready to 'negotiate everything' with rebels

John McCain op-ed: We have a stake in Syria, yet we have done nothing
Donald Trump once mused, "I love the poorly educated," and he's demonstrated this with his nomination of Betsy DeVos for secretary of education. DeVos struggled to answer questions related to key aspects of the educational system. She appeared puzzled by the mention of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which requires schools in all 50 states to provide appropriate education to students with disabilities. She has neither administrative nor even parental experience with the student loan process. She lacks the ability to differentiate between the concepts of "proficiency" and "growth."

DeVos cannot even make up for her experience shortcomings with a confident vision for American education. Her testimony was filled with vague, noncommittal answers, raising concern students will be left to fend for themselves in cases of for-profit university abuses (like Trump University), and campus sexual assault investigations.

Advertisement

If DeVos does not have enough confidence in her ideas to articulate her positions, why should we have confidence in her to properly lead American education? If she will not do her homework (how ironic!) to prepare for the biggest job interview in her life, why should we expect her to be up to the enormous responsibility of managing the billions of dollars in the Department of Education's budget? I urge all Illinois citizens to call on Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth to vote "no" on this appointment.

 Sara Kurganov, Lisle
President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up alongside first lady Melania Trump at the Salute To Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. At left is Army Staff Sgt. Joseph A. Medina and second from left is Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Catherine Cartmell. (Alex Brandon / AP)

Facing the looming realities of President Donald Trump, media outlets have been chewing nervously on an unusual question: How do we cover this guy?

Of course, one would be hard-pressed to name any president who has made reporters' lives easy. But no president until now has been known to taunt the press  and urge his supporters to join him  as eagerly and unpredictably as Trump has done.

Advertisement

The chilliness in Trump's media relations almost iced over amid reports a few days before his swearing-in that press secretary Sean Spicer was considering pulling news media offices out of the White House. After reporters put up a howl, Trump said in the friendly confines of "Fox & Friends" that he had decided not to move the press briefings, even though he wants more room to invite more reporters. The reporters, he said in a mocking tone, will "be begging for a much larger room very soon. You watch." Ha, ha.

What anti-media mischief will he try next? He's banned some news organizations from covering him. He has openly praised the idea of loosening libel laws to make it easier to sue media.

Advertisement

He has flouted the norms of regular pool reporting and news conferences. He herded reporters into a pen at his campaign rallies and jeered them as "scum," "absolutely dishonest" and other choice Trumpisms, just to thrill the crowd.

Such antics only underscore the goofy relationship between Trump and media that Salena Zito captured so well in her Trump coverage for The Atlantic: "(The) press takes him literally but not seriously; his supporters take him seriously but not literally."

Zito described an old and vastly underappreciated quirk of human nature. Journalists are conditioned to value facts as closely tied to one's credibility. Trump talks like a stand-up comedian or family yarn-spinner. He mangles facts that sound to willing ears like he has touched a deeper truth.

So how, the media community asks, should reporters cover the presidency of Donald Trump who, as a recent Columbia Journalism Review observed, operates like a media organization himself?

I think that, despite the new bells and whistles of this digital age, the fundamentals of covering presidents or any other public servant still apply.

 One, we should be adversarial without being hostile  even as the newsmaker and his or her followers are calling us "scum" and other unkind things.

 Two, dodge his distractions. Trump has been promoting his name as a valuable brand across multiple platforms since the 1970s. He is a master of distraction.

Notice how he became agitated over the politics of Broadway's "Hamilton" cast on a day when his angry tweets conveniently turned the spotlight away from his $25 million settlement of fraud charges by customers of Trump University. ?

Advertisement

Notice how his stubborn refusal to take a question from CNN's Jim Acosta during a live news conference distracted from the issue in the question: Intelligence chiefs, CNN said, had presented a 35-page dossier to President-elect Trump and to President Barack Obama that suggested Russia's Vladimir Putin had gathered compromising information from spying on Trump's visits to Russia.

The media should keep its eyes on the prize. Focus on the story that's most important, not just click-bait for eyeballs on the web.

 Three, it is not a "media conspiracy" for reporters to band together in pursuit of accountability from public officials. When a president refuses to take an important question from one reporter, the next reporter should offer up the same question.

Something close to that Spartacus-like uprising occurred in September. When Trump allowed only photographers, not reporters, on his "press" tour of his new Washington, D.C., hotel, major television networks refused to use the pictures or videos.

That's the spirit. Reporters are not obligated to give free publicity to Trump's hotel. Try to limit journos and they tend to turn with increased vigor to potential stories the newsmaker is least likely to want publicized.

As a former city editor of mine used to bark: Don't get mad. Get nosy!

Advertisement

Clarence Page, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/pagespage.

cpage@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @cptime
When it comes to the presidency of Donald Trump and how he'll do, Aurora University freshman Trevor Kelly said America needs to give the new commander in chief a chance.

"I think people are concerned because he's not a traditional politician and they fear the unknown," said the Mokena resident. "In the end, this is about the transition of power, and I like to watch history."

Advertisement

Kelly was joined by about 500 others at Aurora University's Crimi Auditorium on Friday morning, when the school held a panel discussion featuring faculty before viewing the swearing-in of the 45th president of the United States.

Students attended for a variety of reasons, ranging from a class requirement where they had to sign in first, to having eighth-graders from the STEM school on campus sit in the balcony.

Advertisement

"I don't have a lot to go on at this point, but I'm disappointed about the election because I feel a lot of people are going to suffer," said freshman Monica Rios, of Aurora. "The panel here knows more than a lot of us do, and I hope President Trump will do well for the country."

Brianna Barker, a sophomore from Waterman, said that Trump at this point deserves the benefit of the doubt.

"I know he's not a traditional candidate as he comes to this from the business side, but we need to find out how someone can rule who has not been a lifelong politician," Barker said.

Steve McFarland, vice president of communications, said the university's intent was "to have substantive conversations about issues that are important" and allow students the chance to process "significant political and world events."

A 20-minute panel discussion during the event, led by Toby Arquette, executive director of the Dunham School of Business and Public Policy, featured history professor Gerald Butters, assistant professor of political science Matt Dabros and Rebecca Sherrick, president of Aurora University.

The panel was also joined by Tom Cross, former Illinois House minority leader, who said he was there "to answer questions about the process, policies and politics."

"This is entirely for students to address issues, and we know some of the kids here are dealing with some anxiety due to the immigration issues that have been raised and also the economy," Cross said. "The students here are dialed in, but so is the whole country. My main message to them is to remember to vote throughout their life. Many didn't this time because they didn't like either candidate or figured that Clinton was going to win anyway."

Butters said he believed it was the intent of Sherrick to have a forum "where issues could be discussed whether people were comfortable or not."

Advertisement

"This is a particularly difficult time in the country as polls are showing that 48 percent disagree with how Trump is handling things so far and he has only a 38 percent approval rating," Butters said. "Those figures are the lowest in modern times. There is also the feeling of waiting and seeing whether it was just rhetoric regarding the pledges that were made."

Arquette said the event "was to celebrate the role of the inauguration and not about whether people agree or disagree."

"We can still come together, and this is about the transition of power in our democracy," he said.

Dabros called Friday's events "symbolic" in that it once again portrayed one of the hallmarks of our democracy.

"This is one of the defining aspects of our democracy and is something that other countries who claim to be democratic don't always have," Dabros said. "Regardless of whether you were for Trump or Clinton, this is a testament to our country and its institutions."

Kelly agreed that Americans sometimes take the inauguration and its symbolism for granted.

Advertisement

"I think this gives insight to our political process, and to me, it's great just to witness history," the student said.

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
Russia  and its relationship with America and President Donald Trump  was in the spotlight in Aurora during a recent program at Aurora University.

Mark Soderstrom, an assistant professor of history at Aurora University, offered a program entitled "Making America/Russia Great Again? Nostalgia and Democratic Discourse."

Advertisement

Soderstrom's presentation featured film clips as well as a number of slides that showed Trump tweets and media cartoons related both to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump.

Aurora University President Rebecca Sherrick introduced the faculty speaker by telling the audience she and others like her "were from the duck-and-cover generation."

Advertisement

"When we were growing up, we practiced ducking and covering our heads in school in preparation for a Russian nuclear attack," Sherrick told the audience. "Given the intensive dialogue that is now going on, this geopolitical event is a significant one, especially given the reactions people are having."

Soderstrom said he wasn't going to dwell much on events like Russia's alleged hacking activities and its role in the recent election, but rather focus more on the history of Russia and how Putin uses populism.

"Regarding the election and the hacking  people are familiar with that, and it's an important story  but if you look at Russian history, both Putin and Trump have hit people by using nostalgia to gin up support," Soderstrom said. "Putin himself is legitimately popular thanks to the economic growth his country has enjoyed, although they have been in a recession the past two years. He has deftly told stories about the Russian empire and given people something to identify with."

Soderstrom argued that a lot of Putin's message harks back to an imagined "Russia of the good old days."

"The 1990s were the worst time for (many) Russian people in their lifetime, and both Trump and Putin play the politics of nostalgia," he said. "Putin likes to refer to the 19th century and the imperial period, while Trump talks about 'making America great again' but doesn't say what the good old days were."

Sarah Herbik, of Oswego, said she has been taking classes from Soderstrom "for four years" and wanted to hear her professor's perspective as opposed to that from journalists.

"We know that Dr. Soderstrom knows Russian history and that the media sometimes controls stories," Herbik said. "It's hard at times to know what the truth is."

Mitch Carter, of Plano, said he has a different perspective on Russia as he is a third-generation Hungarian-American.

Advertisement

"My grandfather was born in Hungary, and I identity with that part of my heritage strongly," Carter said. "I've known for years that Russia enjoys meddling, and they are now. As far as what will happen from this point, it's hard to predict, but getting any kind of historical perspective is good."

Freshman Jocelyn Rosales, of West Chicago, said she thought it "was weird that Trump and Putin are supposedly good friends" and that it was strange after President Barack Obama ordered Russian diplomats be sent back to Russia.

"I generally feel there is a lack of trust about what we hear and feel that some of the things that have happened aren't just coincidence," she said.

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.

This article has been updated to clarify points in the sixth, eighth and ninth paragraphs.
Gang graffiti has been found at a number of sites in Geneva.

The Geneva Police Department is asking residents to be vigilant in monitoring their neighborhoods for suspicious or unusual activity. Police continue to investigate the vandalism that took place Jan. 13 to 15 after spray-painted symbols and words referencing various gangs were found on properties throughout Geneva.

Advertisement

Graffiti was reported at:

 Stop sign at Oak and Kane streets;

Advertisement

 Home's vinyl siding and garage door 0n the 100 block of South Harrison Street;

 Garage door on the 0-99 block of Crissey Avenue;

 Fence on the 0-99 block of Kane Street;

 Wood siding of garage on the 800 block of Center Street;

 Fence on the 600 block of Richards Street;

 Fence and sign on the 300 and 400 blocks of East State Street;

 Stop and street signs at North and Illinois streets;

 Brick building on the 600 block of North Street.

Advertisement

"The Geneva Police Department is taking these illegal activities very seriously and understands residents see this as an affront to their community. This type of graffiti will not be tolerated in Geneva," Police Chief Eric Passarelli said in a news release. "People who see vandalism taking place should immediately call 911 and allow police to investigate the incident."

Police have worked with property owners to remove the vandalism as quickly as possible, according to the release.

Anyone with information regarding the graffiti should call the Geneva Police Department at 630-232-4736.
A Montgomery Village Board member pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of disorderly conduct.

In exchange for the plea, Stephen Jungermann will receive six months of supervision, will have to perform 30 hours of public service and gave an apology to the family who accused him of swearing during an August confrontation over late-night fireworks.

Advertisement

Jungermann, who is running for re-election, was charged with three counts of disorderly conduct, all misdemeanors, after an Aug. 15 argument with a family on the 2100 block of Kathleen Court, according to Montgomery police.

Jungermann, who lives on the 2100 block of Emma Court, was arrested and charged after the residents signed complaints against him, according to police. He was released on his own recognizance.

Advertisement

Jungermann was scheduled for a bench trial to begin at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Kendall County Courthouse in Yorkville.

"We were set for trial," said Kendall County State's Attorney Eric Weis. "When we got to court, the defense attorney and I spoke about the case with the assistant handling the case, and we felt discussing it with the judge prior to trial was a good strategy.  After the judge's recommendation, (Jungermann) decided to enter a plea of guilty."

To Jungermann's understanding, the charge will drop off his record once he completes his supervision, he said.

With the case resolved, Jungermann said he can finally tell his side of the story.

"For months, I have had to bite my tongue," Jungermann said. "Now that this is over, I can talk and say, 'This is what happened.' "

Montgomery police received a fireworks complaint at 11 p.m. Aug. 15 from the 2100 block of Kathleen Court, where an officer could not find any evidence of fireworks, according to police.

Jungermann told police that fireworks had gone off in the area and that another resident told him fireworks had been shot toward a house, according to police reports obtained by The Beacon-News.

"It startled both me and my wife awake," Jungermann said. "About five minutes later there was another incidence of fireworks and  I actually saw the flashes, so I got out of bed."

Advertisement

Jungermann said his backyard faces Griffin Drive, and he saw two teens he couldn't identify shooting fireworks at a house, then running north on Griffin, he said.

"I saw a crime being committed," Jungermann said.

Jungermann said he got in his car and drove south on Griffin and down Kathleen Circle, where he saw a man walking his dog. He said he stopped his car and asked if the other man had seen fireworks.

"He goes, 'Yeah, they were just shooting fireworks at my house,' " Jungermann said.

The man gave Jungermann the address of the suspected fireworks shooters, and as Jungermann pulled into the cul-de-sac, he saw a handful of teens running for cars, he said.

A man told police his teenage son had been having a bonfire with friends when Jungermann arrived and confronted some of them about shooting fireworks, "swearing at them and calling them names," according to police reports.

Advertisement

In their complaints, the family said Jungermann "knowingly alarmed and disturbed" family members by driving to their home after 10:30 p.m., yelling profanities at a teen and his friends, and "refusing to leave," according to copies of the complaints.

In statements to police, family members said Jungermann repeatedly swore at them and at a police officer who responded.

In his own statement to police, Jungermann acknowledged using profanity but said it was not directed at the teen and that he didn't go onto the family's property during the argument.

"I said, 'Are you the (expletives) that were shooting fireworks at houses?' " Jungermann said.

Jungermann pulled over to the side of the road and called police, he said.

He saw one kid get on the phone, apparently calling his dad who was at work, Jungermann said.

Advertisement

"The dad comes home," Jungermann said.

The men shook hands and introduced each other, Jungermann said.

"I tell him what's going on," Jungermann said. "He tells me it can't be any of these guys."

The man had his son come over to where the men were talking, and in the meantime a police car pulled up, Jungermann said.

Around that time, the mom, whom Jungermann thinks was asleep before, came out of the house.

"The dad, the son and I are standing in the middle of the street still having a normal conversation, and she comes out and she starts yelling at me," Jungermann said.

Advertisement

The officer talked to Jungermann and the family separately, he said. Jungermann told the officer he couldn't identify either person who was allegedly shooting off fireworks but knew it was someone at that party, Jungermann said.

"I am talking to the officer and saying I want you to inform them on how the village ordinance works about fireworks," Jungermann said. "You don't have to be the one shooting them off. If you're there, you can be considered guilty because it's illegal in the state of Illinois."

Jungermann didn't identify himself as a board member to the responding officer but did call the police chief the next day and told him what had happened, Jungermann said.

Less than a week later, Jungermann got a call from the Police Department saying the family wanted to file charges of disorderly conduct against him for cursing at the teen, he said.

Jungermann said his apology is real. But he also thinks the teens behind the fireworks owe the community an apology, he said.

"If I did something that offended them, I apologize," Jungermann said. "But once again, we go back to this accountability issue."

Advertisement

Instead of letting police handle the situation, Jungermann took it upon himself to investigate, Weis said.

"If you're overstepping your authority or putting yourself in a position where you are acting as the police, those situations can get out of hand," Weis said.

The judge mentioned that as an elected official, Jungermann is held to a higher standard and should handle situations such as this with more professionalism, Weis said.

"Should I have cursed at the kids? Probably not," Jungermann said. "They looked older than they were. But I think most people in my situation being startled awake ... you would be a little annoyed as well. And maybe I am in a position being a Village Board member where I know more about some of the issues going on in the west side."

Jungermann serves on the Village Board in a seat that expires in 2017, according to the village website. He previously served as chairman of Montgomery's Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals, according to the website.

If anything, Jungermann said, this case has made him more determined to address issues he sees affecting west side subdivisions.

Advertisement

"I am still running for re-election," Jungermann said. "This makes me even more resolved at trying to find a solution to the problems that are happening in the west side."

hleone@tribpub.com

Twitter @hannahmleone
The Kendall County Food Pantry is at 208 Beaver St. in Yorkville. (Tony Scott / The Beacon-News)

For months, board members and other volunteers with the nonprofit Kendall County Food Pantry waited for word on the Yorkville police investigation into the possible theft of as much as $200,000 in pantry funds

During that time, the facility was renamed the Kendall County Community Food Pantry, a new corporation with a new board of directors.

Advertisement

When the pantry's former treasurer and his late wife's father were indicted Tuesday on theft charges, it came as confirmation the food pantry may have been wronged, but now it's up to the courts to determine how and, if so, how much, said board chairman Greg Witek.

"For six months, there was no news," Witek said. "Now that there is news, everybody is encouraged things are moving forward this is just another step in the process to get to a point where, in a perfect world, we all would like to see that the funds are paid back."

Advertisement

A grand jury indicted both Kenneth M. Spaeth and William T. Crowley Tuesday in Kendall County on charges of theft or unauthorized control of between $10,000 and $100,000, alleging each "knowingly exerted unauthorized control over property of the Kendall County Food Pantry."

The allegations against Spaeth span Dec. 1, 2013, through April 30, 2016, while those against Crowley are for July 1, 2013, through March 31, 2016.

Pantry board members are considering a civil suit and other possibilities to seek restitution depending on the outcome of the criminal trial, Witek said.

However, with many long-time pantry associates still reeling from Maria Spaeth's drug overdose death weeks after police announced their investigation, and given how the community looked up to the Spaeths, pantry officials aren't exactly celebrating.

"Certainly everyone is feeling better that the wheels of justice are rolling forward," Witek said. But, "None of us want to fist bump there is nobody here that's walking around town with pitchforks. Because there is a relationship that has gone on for a long time with the family, there is a care and a concern for the family."

That concern extends to the Spaeth children, Witek said.

"There are kids in this family and they have to go through this," Witek said. "If we could figure out a way the kids weren't impacted (but) regardless of who is embarrassed, who is harmed in this process, our responsibility is to our clients."

Bail for both Spaeth and Crowley was set at $25,000 and warrant orders were issued for their arrests, according to the indictments.

Advertisement

Spaeth, 55, was arrested on a warrant Tuesday at his address on the 1300 block of Park Place, Sandwich, according to Kendall County Sheriff's Office reports. Spaeth posted the $2,500 cash bond Tuesday.

To Witek's knowledge, Crowley was arrested in Arizona, he said.

Yorkville police began investigating the possible theft of up to $200,000 from the pantry in early June after more than one volunteer reported suspicious transactions and possible theft of funds from pantry accounts.

As part of the theft investigation, the Yorkville Police Department served search warrants June 1 on both the Kendall County Food Pantry building and a personal residence in Kendall County, according to officials.

Spaeth and his late wife, former Kendall County Food Pantry Executive Director Maria Spaeth, both resigned from their positions June 7.

Maria Spaeth died of a prescription drug overdose weeks after she resigned, according to the DeKalb County Coroner's Office.

Advertisement

In July, Kendall County State's Attorney Eric Weis, who served on the food pantry's executive board until May 2014, signed a motion to appoint a special prosecutor in the Kendall County Food Pantry investigation. On Jan. 13, Charles M. Colburn of the Office of the State's Attorney's Appellate Prosecutor signed an oath of office to serve as special prosecutor in the case.

Weis on Thursday said he suspects there is a possibility he may be called as a witness in the trial since he served on the pantry's board, but deferred most questions to Colburn.

Colburn did not immediately return a message left with his office seeking comment.

hleone@tribpub.com

Twitter @hannahmleone
Kaneland teacher Tina Schertzer and sixth-grader Nia Liakas look over the list of books that so far have been gathered for Harter Middle School's Rosedale Reading Project. (Denise Crosby / The Beacon-News)

Tina Schertzer's classroom at Kaneland's Harter Middle School in Sugar Grove is a hotbed of activity over the lunch hour these days.

In between bites of sandwich and salad, the room full of sixth-graders who meet here beginning at 12:20 p.m. are working on committees for what's been dubbed the Rosedale Reading Project.

Advertisement

But like all good ideas, this effort to raise 1,000 new books for an impoverished community 630 miles away has grown so much larger  and more personal.

The seed for the idea sprouted when Schertzer learned that a friend's daughter-in-law's father  did you follow that?  was a doctor in Rosedale, a small Mississippi town so poor that when he tried to retire, he couldn't find anyone willing to take over his practice.

Advertisement

In addition to healthcare hurdles, the town's tiny library had a leaky roof and empty book shelves.

And so, last fall Schertzer and her language arts students began laying the groundwork for the Rosedale Reading Project, with a goal of gathering 1,000 new books to be delivered to this town of about 1,800 residents that where the average household income is less than $16,000.

Like so many good ideas, this Kaneland project began to grow. Not only is Schertzer's class involved, the project has been embraced by all the Kaneland School District elementary schools. And she recently reached out to the high school to see if students there want to jump on the book wagon.

What started as a campaign to collect new (and in some cases gently-used) books for middle school students has been expanded to pre-K through 12. And, not willing to stop there, Schertzer and company are also appealing to the entire Kaneland community in the hopes of gathering books for adults, too.

Even more impressive, under the guidance of Schertzer and fellow teacher Kevin Hagan, the students have taken on leadership roles with this project by forming committees  public relations, community outreach, video/media, website, even budgeting to figure out the cost of getting those books to Rosedale.

According to Schertzer, their research early on led them to a young educator named Jeremiah Smith, who arrived in Rosedale through the Teach for America Corps and decided to stay to form the Rosedale Freedom Project as a way of addressing the lack of opportunities kids there face and teaching them how to be leaders.

Kaneland students are now working in conjunction with this three-year-old nonprofit to also raise funds for its struggling Resource Center, which, because of budget constraints, is open only one day a week, but where kids can take advantage of tutoring, fitness activities and mentoring to help prepare them for a more successful life.

Rosedale and Harter students will also be exchanging video clips and oral histories so the two communities can get better acquainted. While this Mississippi town may not have the same racial makeup or financial resources as Kaneland, both are rural communities with rich histories and a tremendous amount of pride, said Hagan.

Advertisement

Harter and Rosedale teachers are also working to connect their students more directly, likely the old-fashioned pen-to-paper "pen pal way," noted Schertzer, as Rosedale doesn't have the technology that kids here take for granted.

And there's more. Once those 1,000 books have been delivered, Kaneland students are going to embark on Stage II of the project: raising $1,000  about 20 percent of the total cost -- to help bring 10 youngsters from the Rosedale Freedom Project to Chicago this spring, where they will present their oral histories and photograph displays at universities. The Freedom Fellows are already scheduled to spend March 13 at Harter School.

Sixth-grader Abbey Mondi, who is student president of the project, and her classmate Ryan Agrim, head of public relations, say their eyes have not only been opened to the needs of others and how fortunate they are, there's a lot of satisfaction in knowing this feeling is being passed along to others, adults included.

"When I told my mom I was going to be a leader (for the project)," said Ryan, "she cried."

Dcrosby@tribpub.com
Melinda Beck and her 11-year-old daughter Scarlett of Montgomery are leaving "bright and early" Friday morning to attend the women's march in Washington, D.C. (Beck family)

Melinda Beck didn't wait long.

As soon as the 45-year-old Montgomery wife and mom heard about the women's march in Washington, D.C., in the days following Donald Trump's unexpected presidential win, she put the wheels in motion to join protesters.

Advertisement

And "bright and early" Friday morning, Beck will get behind the wheel of her car to head to the nation's capital, with her daughter Scarlett by her side, she said.

Her 13-year-old didn't want to make the trip, but the youngest, whom Beck described as "11 going on 30," insisted on accompanying her because "she wanted to be part of history."

Advertisement

Beck plans to stop in Indianapolis to pick up a friend before continuing the trek to Washington. But another larger block of travelers, about 50 women from Kane and McHenry counties, are taking a different route to this national protest that is expected to reach into the hundreds of thousands.

This Fox Valley group, who range from teens to grandmas, are boarding a chartered bus that will leave the Illinois Education Association office on Point Boulevard in Elgin at 6 p.m. Friday. According to Corrine Pierog, she and the other women will sleep on the bus, arriving in Washington on Saturday morning, about two hours before the 10 a.m. march.

Whether they are going by plane, car or bus, or whether they are marching in our nation's capital or in downtown Chicago, many women from the Fox Valley feel the urge  and the urgency  to join the throngs of protesters who want, as one woman told me, "to counter what we believe is coming."

For Pierog, who unsuccessfully ran against state Sen. Jim Oberweis for the 25th Senate District seat in November, what's most concerning "is the disrespect that has been show to women" by this new administration, she said. And these women's marches  rallies, protests, whatever you want to label them  are a chance to stand up to a bully and a "boys club" they say can no longer be allowed to exist.

"Our leaders," she said, "need to hear our voices."

Stephanie Weber, of North Aurora, who took part in a women's march with her then-eighth-grade daughter at the nation's capital more than 25 years ago, is like many I spoke with: disappointed and disillusioned that women are still fighting this same battle we thought had been won years ago.

But this protest is not just about women. Weber, 69, longtime executive director of Suicide Prevention Services, is marching in Chicago on Saturday because she feels the need "to surround myself with like-minded people" who are fearful about the direction this country is heading when it comes to tolerance, justice and equality for all.

Like Weber, Beck is also joining in the protest because, as she sees it, "the cork has been pulled" on all forms of bigotry that has quickly led to a breakdown in kindness, even civility toward each other, she said.

Advertisement

Even when she's out running errands, Beck insists, she sees this erosion. "We need to get in touch again, person to person," she said, "and begin to rebuild community."

And it's not just women who will be showing up to protest. Aurora resident Vincent Martin, an information technology engineer from Aurora, is heading to downtown Chicago with another man who volunteers with him as escorts at Planned Parenthood in Aurora.

"As a black man, I've had to fight for equality my entire life," he said, "so I understand where these women are coming from."

Martin is also a father to four daughters who and said he believes strongly there is a "bright line" that runs from women's health issues, including reproductive control, to their economic futures, which in turn benefit society as a whole.

There's got to be more to Saturday's events, however, than headline-making rallies. Those I spoke to say they must return from these marches with new friends, new ideas and goals that will empower others and keep this grass-roots movement strong and cohesive.

Martin, who believes the many progressive groups already out there need to start working together instead of for their niche causes, wants to get more involved with the state's NAACP chapter, for example.

Advertisement

Beck, who has always kept in touch with her legislators but wants "to do more than write letters," sees this march as "an outdoor convention" of sorts  a place to make connections, to find out what groups are out there or what groups need to be formed in order to push forward, she said.

Weber said she hopes these marches will encourage people to "hunker down"  to do things on a small scale in their own communities, including keeping a closer eye on local politics.

For Pierog, it is highlighting the need for a local women's political action group to empower like-minded candidates of both genders.

And for 41-year-old Jena Abrahamsen, Saturday is a generational wake-up call.

The Batavia resident is heading to downtown Chicago on Saturday with a group of fellow teachers and students  both male and female  from Downers Grove North High School because she believes too many women of her age group have taken for granted the sacrifice made by their own mothers.

This administration's blatant disregard for women, she said, is not only a wake-up call but also a call to action, not just for her generation but for the future of her 5-year-old daughter.

Advertisement

"Tension creates activism," she said. "We want this current administration to know we are not invisible."'

Karen Peck, a Naperville resident, is hopping on a "rally bus" to Washington with a small group from DuPage Unitarian Universalist Church because she's convinced the "best way to fight for America, short term, is political," with change, she added, as a longer-term goal.

"My voice, my words are my tool for love," the 56-year-old Peck said. "If they sound like fighting words, that's because love, and my values, are worth fighting for."

dcrosby@tribpub.com
Illinois Rep. Elaine Nekritz talks with Greenhouse co-owners, Mitch Kahn and Matt Darin (back to camera) at the medical marijuana dispensary in Deerfield on Dec. 12, 2015. (Brian O'Mahoney / Pioneer Press)

Inside the Professional Dispensaries of Illinois office in Buffalo Grove on a weekday earlier in January, Joseph Friedman assisted a man whose elderly mother was considering medical marijuana for the first time, explaining the different options and its effects.

Meanwhile, another customer buzzed in and out of the lobby to pick up her newest shipment of medication before quickly exiting.

Advertisement

Even on weekdays, the scene inside the medical marijuana dispensary is much more crowded than when the business first opened in the final weeks of 2015. Friedman said more are beginning to consider the budding medical marijuana industry in Illinois as an effective way to relieve pain and other ailments.

"It's just overwhelming," Friedman said of his start in the medical marijuana business. "But every day is an adventure."

Advertisement

Since the first dispensaries opened in Illinois in early November of 2015, the first full year of operation for many dispensary owners involved numerous ups and downs, according to owners in the Lake County area and industry experts.

Dispensary owners have said they've had to overcome the stigma related to marijuana especially when dealing with government regulators and banking institutions hesitant to finance businesses in the industry.

The federal government still considers marijuana illegal even as some state legislatures debate legalizing the drug for medical and recreational use.

This past November, voters in four states approved measures to allow recreational use of marijuana while four other states voted to legalize marijuana for medical use, according to NORML, a marijuana advocacy group.

Patients in Illinois also were slow to embrace the statewide medical marijuana pilot program in the initial months of 2016, dispensary owners said. The dynamics created financing challenges as dispensaries worked to develop a base of customers throughout 2016.

"We had some very slow days," Mahja Sulemanjee, community outreach director for Greenhouse, said of the early months after opening a Deerfield dispensary in late 2015.

The Deerfield office served about 50 patients at the start of 2016, he said. Greenhouse's Deerfield location, along with two others in Morris and Mokena, now works with about 1,000 patients total, Sulemanjee said.

At Professional Dispensaries of Illinois in Buffalo Grove, the dispensary went from having 19 patients at the start of 2016 to servicing about 300 patients by the end of the year, Friedman said.

Advertisement

Statewide after a slow start, the medical marijuana program grew steadily during each month despite a relatively small number of patients.

At the end of 2016, about 14,770 patients in Illinois qualified for the program and spent about $36.27 million throughout the year at dispensaries, according to state figures. To begin 2016, about 4,000 patients were approved for the pilot program.

Despite retail sales totaling multi-million dollars at all Illinois dispensaries, both Professional Dispensaries of Illinois and Greenhouse reported losing money in 2016 after a slow start to the year also marked by difficult interactions with banks, both Friedman and Sulemanjee said.

Both dispensaries had challenges setting up bank accounts for the businesses before finding the downstate Bank of Springfield, which handles accounts for numerous dispensaries in Illinois, according to Friedman and Sulemanjee.

Since the federal government considers marijuana illegal, banks under the oversight of the FDIC generally haven't wanted to work with businesses in the medical marijuana industry, Friedman said.

"Banks have always had concerns about dealing with products that are against federal law," he said.

Advertisement

Professional Dispensaries of Illinois also routinely updates its bank about its business. The Buffalo Grove dispensary sends two to three reports every week to the Bank of Springfield, detailing recent transactions and the amount of marijuana the business has in stock, Friedman said.

The challenges with banks and drawing in patients are some of the more common issues dispensaries throughout Illinois had to deal with in 2016, said Ali Nagib, assistant director of the Illinois chapter of NORML.

But there also has been few overt problems since the pilot program in Illinois launched.

Police have said they haven't seen any significant issues with dispensaries and not a single patient has had his or her license rescinded for trying to use the marijuana for illegal purposes, according to a Chicago Tribune report this past November.

In Buffalo Grove, Village President Beverly Sussman recently said police also haven't had any issues with the local dispensary.

Like with any startup industry, the first dispensaries that opened up Illinois have to navigate an unfamiliar landscape but in a more challenging environment since marijuana long has been considered illegal, Nagib said.

Advertisement

But the businesses have positioned themselves well enough in 2016 for future success while advocacy groups like NORML work with state lawmakers to advance other marijuana proposals, he said

"These groups are going to have time to react, and they're going to have a seat at the table," Nagib said. "Can I see a scenario where they get totally hosed? Yeah, and the way that would happen is if they don't step up and protect their own interest."

The courts also took steps recently to try and expand the pool of eligible patients in Illinois.

Courts have ordered the state to add or consider adding seven new qualifying medical conditions to the list of 41 already approved. The office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat, is appealing those orders to avoid expanding the number of eligible patients.

If those conditions  including common ones like migraine headaches, osteoarthritis and intractable pain  are ultimately allowed, they would make marijuana available to many more people.

Earlier this summer, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner also signed a law that added post-traumatic stress disorder and terminal illness as qualifying conditions, and extended the medical marijuana program until mid-2020, while allowing doctors to certify that a patient has a qualifying condition without recommending marijuana.

Advertisement

The program extension and growing list of qualifying conditions all point to an industry gaining a foothold in Illinois, according to dispensary operators and industry experts.

"No one's making silly money, but we're starting to cover our expenses a little more easily," Friedman said. "It's a great industry to be in, but we're nowhere near where we could be."

rwachter@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer
They were caught unawares, which, in retrospect, is both understandable and an understatement.

On Tuesday, Jan. 24, 1967, just two days before Mother Nature socked northern Illinois with the worst single snowfall to date, the temperature in Chicago was a record 65 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Advertisement

Even the following day, forecasters were calling only for "a chance of snow."

But by early morning on the 26, around the time Dirk French was getting ready to deliver newspapers on his bicycle, the prediction had changed to "heavy snow warning, with accumulations of 4 inches or more by this afternoon."

Advertisement

"I was 13 and living in Dolton at the time," said French, now a Homewood resident. "I started that morning like I would any morning. I had three papers to deliver  The Sun-Times, the (Chicago) Tribune and the Harvey Tribune, a Star newspaper. I remember it was snowing hard when I got on my bike. By the time I finished, there were many inches on the ground. I had to finish the route walking.

"I wondered if we'd even go to school that day," he recalled. "We did."

But like a lot of schools across the area, Roosevelt Junior High dismissed students early.

"I would have also delivered the Daily News that afternoon but those papers never made it to my house," French said.

By afternoon, French and everyone else in the Chicago area realized that the next time the papers hit the porch, snow would blanket the front page.

Indeed, the Friday Tribune blasted in caps across the top: "Record snow grips city," with the subhead: "10 Die; Schools Close; Zero Predicted."

Snow and wind

The Blizzard of '67 still stands as Chicago's worst snowstorm, said Mike Bardou, meteorologist in the National Weather Service's Chicago/Romeoville office. "In terms of snowfall and wind, it was the highest single event snowstorm we've had in Chicago," he said.

Advertisement

Together, with a devastating tornado that ripped through Oak Lawn just months later, 1967 remains northern Illinois' worst weather year yet, in terms of fatalities and destruction, Bardou said.

The Oak Lawn Public Library has opened "A Blanket of White: The Blizzard of 1967," a gallery exhibit on the storm that includes images and artifacts. The library also is preparing a larger display on the tornado.

"When people talk about the tornado," said Kevin Korst, the library's local history manager, "they usually recall that snowstorm was just a few months before. Those two crises seem to go hand in hand."

Korst said the blizzard impacted the south suburbs much the way it affected Chicago.

"It started snowing in the morning, but predictions weren't that outrageous, so people went about their day," he said. "By afternoon, people started realizing how bad it was going to be. Everyone tried to get home but the snow had worsened and everything came to a standstill.

"Cars were stranded so people left them. The next day, people couldn't get to work, kids couldn't get to school. Businesses were shut down," he said. "It took several days of clearing to get the streets open enough for people to use them."

Advertisement

The weather service report, written by now-retired longtime meteorologist Jim Allsopp, states: "By the time it was over, 60 people were dead and there was an estimated $150 million in business losses (about $904 million in 2006 dollars). The 1967 snowstorm probably caused the biggest disruption to the commerce and transportation of Chicago of any event since the Great Chicago Fire of 1871."

The storm, which dropped 23 inches of snow, slowed and eventually stopped public transportation, creating a nightmare for commuters, many of whom had to walk or hitch rides home or spend the night elsewhere.

Rick Boehm's dad was able to catch a train out of Chicago on the IC electric line, but couldn't get home to Hazel Crest from the station.

"He spent the night with my grandmother and walked home from there the next morning," said Boehm, who is today village manager for Palos Park.

Jim Ward, who was living in Tinley Park at the time, recalled that drivers didn't fare much better than workers relying on public transportation.

"My neighbor's daughter got stuck in the snow. My dad and a bunch of neighbors drove up together to help her. They all got stuck and ended up staying inside the Tinley Park bowling alley for three days. My mom probably wasn't really happy. They ended up walking over to the mental health center to get more food because the bowling alley ran out," Ward said. "People just abandoned their cars, didn't pull them to the side or anything. So the plows weren't able to get through."

Advertisement

Ron Adams was a postal carrier and volunteer fire fighter in Homewood at the time. By mid-afternoon Thursday, he said, it was clear the area was headed for record snowfall. For those struggling to get work done, time seemed to evaporate.

"I parked my car at the middle of the route, where I usually went to lunch. When I got back, I looked at my watch and it was quitting time. I'd only gotten half of the route done," Adams recalled. "I felt bad about it and went back to post office and apologized to the post master who was standing on the loading dock. He said, 'Oh, don't worry about it, everybody else went home at noon.'"

Because mail trucks couldn't get into the area, regular postal service didn't resume for a few days, Adam said.

Pitching in

At Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, longtime nurse Joan Murphy said, "It just kept snowing, snowing and snowing."

Murphy started at the hospital in 1965. Two years later, she was working in the coronary intensive care unit, one of three wards in the unit. Her friend worked in the medical ICU.

Advertisement

Murphy said she and her friend walked down California Avenue to get to work that day. One of the hospital's directors, who was in charge of payroll, skied in, while an admitting manager and his wife were brought down 95th Street on a garbage truck, Murphy said.

"I reported at the time to Sister Margaret Christina Hoban. She was in charge of operations, which included environmental services, xrays, labs, all these different departments. She also had food service. Sister Margaret came over with a group of the sisters and they started making oatmeal and toast for the patients in the little kitchens in the nursing units. It was just awesome," Murphy said.

Despite the chaos outside, Murphy said, the hospital staff rallied quickly, setting up cots in the basement and offering scrubs to employees who opted to stay and work through the storm.

"The employees rose to the challenge," she said. "It was a wonderful time for teamwork and we learned a lot about the importance of emergency preparedness."

The Emergency Room was a busy place that day and the days following, she said. "Once a patient got to the ER, they soon realized they were going to be admitted because there was no way to get home," she said.

Late Thursday night, Murphy walked home. "It took forever to get to 97th and Washtenaw," she recalled.

Advertisement

It also took a long time for normalcy to return to the area.

"I would say three weeks later we were still shoveling out because there was nowhere to put it all," she said.

Leslie Vanderwarren, of Oak Lawn, was 18 at the time. A graduate of Oak Lawn Community High School, she was attending Bloom Community College (now Prairie State) in Chicago Heights but not on that day.

"We couldn't even get down our block," she said.

Vanderwarren remembers an ambulance trying to make its way down 93rd Street to deliver insulin to a resident at the far end of the block.

"It was low-slung, like a hearse, so it got stuck. It couldn't go forward or backward. We were putting kitty litter down, anything we could think of to dig it out," she said.

Advertisement

"Our end of town we had just been incorporated into Oak Lawn and we still had Columbus Manor Fire Department volunteers. A lot of them were 18, 19 and 20. They were running the two to two-and-a-half blocks to get to this man," she said.

A real snow day

For many children, the storm marked the first official snow day that led to all kinds of outdoor adventures, from building forts and walking atop snow-blanketed cars to riding the drifts from rooftops all the way to the ground.

"If you were home or somewhere safe," Vanderwarren said, "it was kind of fun because people couldn't go to work or school but it was not cold. So, we were out there making snow angels and building forts and having snowball fights."

People walked down Ridgeland Avenue with sleds to get to the A&P, she said. "They were walking right down the middle of the street."

Dirk French's wife, Elaine French, said: "My dad was a carpenter working on the South Side of Chicago."

Advertisement

After the snow began to fall hard, he began walking and hitching rides back to what used to be the A&P (Walt's today) on 183rd Street, she said.

Elaine French was a fourth grader at St. Joseph School in Homewood then. She recalled how she and her brother pulled a sled across a field to meet their father at the store.

"We shopped with him and on the way home my dad pulled us on the sled," she said.

She also recalled how she and her brother devised a sled route that followed the snowdrifts from the top of their house's roof to the ground.

The NWS report states that with the airports and local transportation shut down, and 20,000 cars and 1,100 CTA buses stranded, residents across the city and suburbs walked to stores to stock up on bread and milk. Helicopters were used to deliver medical supplies and sleds and snowplows brought expectant mothers to hospitals, but at least a dozen babies were born at home, the report states.

Looting became a problem in some parts of the city and heating oil supplies ran low because trucks couldn't get access to buildings.

Advertisement

Dirk French and his friends chanced upon an abandoned Hostess truck on Sibley Boulevard.

"We were happy as clams. We grabbed fruit pies and cupcakes and brought them all home," he recalled. "Our moms were a bit upset with us, thinking it was thievery. They became less upset after they saw the truck sit there for a good week or more."

French also recalled walking with a group of dads and kids on Friday to a local convenient store to buy supplies.

"The snow was so deep and drifted so high that at one point we were walking on a big drift and we heard this kind of crunching sound. We dug down and realized we were walking on top of an automobile. We all laughed," he said.

Jim Ward's baby brother, John, was born on Jan. 10, 1967 and was scheduled to be baptized the Sunday following the storm.

"My mom and dad were so intent on doing it. But they were the only ones in church. The Godparents couldn't even make it," Ward recalled.

Advertisement

The blizzard gave then-teenager Linda Rosenthal an audience she might not have had otherwise.

"I was in a play at the JJC (Jewish Community Center) on the South Side," she said. "And we ended up having a mob of people come to see the show because there was nothing else to do but you could walk to the JCC."

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Rosenthal, today a clinical psychologist living in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood, was a student at Bowen High School at the time.

"Up to that point I can't remember CPS (Chicago Public Schools) ever closing. No matter how cold it was or how hot it was or how much snow we got, your mother just said, 'Get your boots and go.' So, having school closed was a huge, huge deal."

By Saturday the 28th, the NWS report states, Chicago was beginning to dig itself out. Commuter trains were running and CTA buses were operating most lines.

"The city sent a workforce of 2,500 people with 500 pieces of equipment out to clear the streets. Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan sent heavy equipment to help with the snow removal. But the thousands of abandoned vehicles hampered the clean up. Snow was hauled by dump truck to the Chicago River. O'Hare finally opened around midnight Monday, allowing people who had been stranded for days to finally get home," the report states.

Advertisement

But, much to the joy of Rosenthal, French, Ward and many others, most schools didn't reopen until the following Tuesday.

dvickroy@tribpub.com

Twitter @dvickroy
Patrick Hoban, former economic development officer for downstate Decatur, has been hired as Tinley Park's new economic development manager.

Hoban begins Feb. 6. His hiring was approved by the Village Board at its meeting Tuesday.

Advertisement

He will replace Ivan Baker, who stepped down last July to take the job of chief executive of the Economic Development Corporation of North Central Illinois. Baker had been with Tinley Park since 2003.

Hoban is a certified economic developer and has spent 10 years in various economic development positions, Tinley Park said in a news release announcing his hiring.

Advertisement

Trustees also approved the village's strategic plan, which lays out short-term and long-term goals for village officials. Finalizing a master development plan for the former Tinley Park Mental Health Center property and advancing development in the downtown business district are among the plan's objectives.

The board also approved hiring Site Design Group to provide a landscape plan for the stormwater detention pond the village plans to build on property donated by Panduit Corp. The company will receive $28,190 for the work.
As Will County forges ahead with three major building projects, it is doing so without help from the Public Building Commission.

The lack of involvement by the commission has some county officials discussing whether the panel should even exist, officials said.

Advertisement

Officials discussed the issue Tuesday during a county capital improvements committee meeting regarding the future of the tax funded, appointed commission that was created to oversee construction and maintenance projects for Will County and Joliet. It has financed and handled such projects as the expansion of the Will County jail, additions and renovations to the Sunny Hill Nursing Home, remodeling of the existing courthouse, and the construction of the River Valley Justice Center for juveniles.

The county board's capital improvements committee decided to oversee its three most recent construction projects  the new public safety complex, new courthouse and a new health department facility, and financed them with a $275 million bond issue.

Advertisement

Last August, the PBC's interim director Joe Ward asked the committee to turn the projects over to the commission but was turned down. At that time, Board Speaker Jim Moustis, R-Frankfort Township, one of five PBC members, said he told the group to prepare for these projects and they didn't.

With the committee taking "such an active part" in the current projects, many are questioning the need of the PBC, Joe Mikan, a consultant and former county executive, said at Tuesday's meeting. Mikan oversaw the recently completed Sunny Hill renovations.

The PBC played a "crucial role" in financing the construction of the River Valley center in 1996 when the county was limited in its borrowing power by the tax cap, Moustis said.

"What the (capital improvements) committee does today is what the PBC did in the past. We have to question the future of the PBC," he said.

The commission includes three appointees from the county and two from Joliet, and maintains an office with one full and two part time staff members. Over time, its levy has been reduced from $5 million to $500,000, Moustis said.

He suggested allowing it to be "dormant," in case it is needed in the future.

It was created by referendum and, if eliminated by a resolution approved by both the county and Joliet, it would require another referendum to bring it back, officials said.

There are 10 years remaining on a lease for the River Valley Justice Center, shared by Will and Kankakee Counties, and that may have to be renegotiated. County officials also have to determine the annual costs to operate and maintain that center, which has been the responsibility of the PBC.

Advertisement

Capital improvements chairwoman Ragan Freitag said later that her committee wanted to be more involved in these current "very important projects," referring to the public safety complex, courthouse and health department.

"There is a lot of money involved and we want to be able to answer to our constituents," she said.

Dave Tkac, who has an extensive construction background, was hired as deputy chief of staff for Will County Executive Larry Walsh, and has taken on the role of "owner's agent," Freitag said.

"Dave is doing an awesome job," she said. Her committee also increased its meetings from once to twice a month to keep the projects moving forward.

On Tuesday, the construction team reported that even though the new public safety complex may have lost a few days with the windy, rainy weather, it is still on track to be completed by the end of December.

The building is 16 percent complete, Nicole McElroy, project manager for Leopardo Construction told the committee.

Advertisement

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

The project has been expedited, with some crews working Saturdays, to complete the building by the end of the year, so work on the new courthouse can begin in the spring of 2018.

The design team  with Leopardo as construction manager, DLR Group as designers, and Farnsworth as the commissioning agent  have "put a lot of effort" into working on the building economically and expeditiously, McElroy said.

"It is really a team effort," she said, noting that they meet weekly and talk daily.

According to McElroy, 20 days were built into the schedule to accommodate weather delays and to date, they have used 12. The structure will be soon under a tarp, which will "drastically reduce" any weather delays, she said.

By Feb. 3, the design of the courthouse is expected to be completed, with cost estimates a month later, Tom Leonard of Gilbane Construction said.

Some of the sheriff's employees have been temporarily housed in the former First Midwest Bank building at Ottawa and Jefferson. They will move into the public safety complex when its finished, and the bank building will be demolished to make way for the new courthouse.

Advertisement

slafferty@tribpub.com
A south suburban mayor has responded to an OSHA complaint alleging police officers dealt with dirty and unsafe workplace conditions, calling the claims unfounded.

Police officers in Chicago Heights allegedly contended with workplace hazards, according to a letter the Illinois Department of Labor sent to Mayor David Gonzalez on Jan. 9.

Advertisement

The state told the mayor it was notified of the alleged hazards on Jan. 8. The letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Daily Southtown, asked Gonzalez to respond in writing by Jan. 24 to the allegations.

Alleged hazards included a strong odor of sewage in the basement of the Police Department at 1601 S. Halsted St.; light fixtures with exposed wires hanging from the ceiling of the office where detectives work; and a parking lot not being salted during icy conditions.

Advertisement

The list of alleged workplace hazards also claimed officers had to contend with "dried blood and other bodily fluids left unclean in (a) lockup area and in the back seat(s) of squad cars.

"Officers transport vicious dogs in rear seats of squad cars when animal control is unavailable without a protective barrier between the officer and the animal," the letter stated.

Animal feces were left in squad cars, the complaint claimed. Squad cars allegedly lacked first aid kits, flares and fire extinguishers.

The claims alleged the safety of officers was being put at risk.

"Squad cars have been left with safety systems down and officers still had to drive them," the letter stated.

The state told Gonzalez it didn't know whether the claims were true and did not intend to conduct an inspection at this time. Rather, the state requested Gonzalez "immediately investigate the alleged conditions and make any necessary corrections or modifications."

Gonzalez shared with me the city's response, dated Jan. 19. He was reluctant at first to provide a copy. He wanted the state to have a chance to first review the response. But he said the claims were so outrageous he wanted the city's response to be known.

The building's sewer system had a blockage, but repairs have been completed and the odor problem has been eliminated, the response stated.

Advertisement

Maintenance staff clean the lockup area daily and squad cars are examined at the change of every eight-hour shift, the city said. Vehicles are removed from service "for significant safety or operational issues."

The claim about officers having to transport vicious dogs is unfounded, the city said. No such mandate to transport animals exists.

"It is completely within an officer's discretion and comfort level as to when he does take a dog into custody and/or transport such animal," the city said.

The claims about exposed wiring in the detective office and unsalted parking lots were unfounded, the city said.

The city inspected squad cars and determined emergency supplies were outdated, the response said. The city will spend $4,000 to buy new fire extinguishers and other supplies, it said.

I spoke by phone Thursday with two Chicago Heights police officers who declined to elaborate on the workplace safety claims raised in the OSHA complaint.

Advertisement

The Illinois Department of Labor is charged with ensuring safe and healthy working conditions for public and private sector employees in accordance with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

In his 2015 annual report to Gov. Bruce Rauner, Illinois Department of Labor Director Hugo Chaviano said his agency is responsible for the workplace health and safety of the state's 713,982 public sector employees.

"Any public employee in the state of Illinois has the right to file a hazardous working condition complaint with Illinois OSHA," Chaviano said in his report to the governor.

The state responds to every complaint, though not always with on-site inspections. Personal visits are mandated in cases of death or serious injury. The state investigated when firefighters and public works employees were hospitalized after sustaining injuries on the job. The department conducted nine investigations of on-the-job deaths in 2015.

In Evanston's Fire Department, an employee was hospitalized due to illness after coming in contact with bird droppings, the labor director informed the governor.

"Illinois OSHA conducted a total of 548 public sector inspections in calendar year 2015," Chaviano's report states.

Advertisement

The director pointed out to the governor how a state law includes protections for whistleblowers, who cannot be subject to employment discrimination or retaliation for filing OSHA complaints.

The director's report indicates the department's mission is to resolve workplace safety concerns without having to resort to legal measures or other punitive action.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"Monetary penalties are not normally issued along with the first notice of citations for public sector employers in Illinois," the report states. "These sanctions are reserved for employers who do not meet abatement time frames or who have repeat or willful violations of the same standards."

The jobs of first responders are inherently dangerous. Police officers, firefighters and others potentially put their lives on the line every shift. One never knows when beginning a workday if an assailant will shoot a police officer, or if a firefighter will face a life-threatening situation that day.

Given these inherent dangers, no police officer should have to work in a squad car without fully functioning safety systems. Procedures should always be followed for dealing with health risks, such as potential exposure to bodily fluids.

Every office employee has a right to work in a safe environment where electrical and plumbing systems function properly. Common sense would dictate  and you would think the threat of legal liability would encourage  that employers take reasonable steps to clear snow and ice and show regard for the safety of their employees during the winter.

Advertisement

First responders have enough on-the-job concerns to worry about in course of executing their duties. Routine workplace safety measures shouldn't have to be among them. The claims concerning Chicago Heights, if true, hopefully are being resolved.

tslowik@tribpub.com

Twitter @tedslowik
Cambridge Lakes Charter School in Pingree Grove has announced they will be celebrating the annual National School Choice Week, Jan. 22 to 28.

"We are celebrating in a number of ways," said Julie Skaggs, CLCS principal of lower schools. "Each day will have a different theme that students can dress up for. They will also take part in writing activities to highlight the great things going on at CLCS. During our traditional dance party on Friday, students will be learning the official 2017 National School Choice Week dance."

Advertisement

A video of the dance steps can be viewed at: https://schoolchoiceweek.com

"On Monday, Jan. 23, we will be holding an open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.," Skaggs said. "All classrooms will be open for current and potential families to view. There will be an art show and live music. We may even have a surprise dance performance by the staff."

Advertisement

The goal of National School Choice Week, according to its website, "is to raise public awareness of all types of educational options for children. These options include traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, online learning, private schools and home schooling."

Denise Moran is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
The hibach and sushi restaurant known as Kiku at 7020 Huntley Road, Carpentersville has been rebranded as Masa. (Mike Danahey / The Courier-News)

A decade-old Carpentersville restaurant has rebranded and revamped its mostly-Japanese menu.

The spot at 7020 Huntley Road, (and not too far east of Randall Road), formerly known as Kiku Sushi & Hibachi now calls itself Masa Sushi & Hibachi. While the old name meant chrysanthemum, the new means honest, straightforward or truthful, co-owner and general manager Dalton Braddy said.

Advertisement

"The thought was, with new members of the family running the restaurant, a new name was in order, a reboot to Kiku 2.0," Braddy said.

He is considered part of the family -- not by birth but by familiarity -- headed by Cory and Ivy Li, who also operate Japanica Steakhouse Hibachi Restaurant & Sushi Bar in Tallahassee, Fla. Braddy said he frequented that spot, became good friends with the couple and wound up working for and with them for two years before heading to the Fox Valley.

Advertisement

Cory Li had worked in the Milwaukee and Chicago markets, which is how the couple wound up opening a restaurant in Carpentersville.

"Ivy coaxed me into coming here," Braddy said.

In late August, Kiku closed for a month or so to remodel, putting in new tables and a sumo wrestler-themed mural. Some work still needs to be done, including replacing menu covers and the big letters spelling "Kiku" hanging on the wall behind the sushi bar.

Changing the signs on the outside of the building took longer than expected, given the paperwork and village requirements, Braddy said. Now, the restaurant is trying to let patrons know it's up and running again by texting those who had placed carryout orders, building Masa's social media presence and website, and filming a cable TV commercial.

The menu has been revamped, too, keeping some signature dishes and sushi rolls, and adding other choices. There is a lunch menu, too, with specials, and bento offerings as well.

"Bento loosely means lunch box," Braddy said. Those boxes can come filled with Japanese, Chinese or Korean cuisine.

While the outdoor sign notes hibachi and sushi, the restaurant's website calls the eatery Masa Steakhouse. Braddy explained that in Japan the term doesn't mean the same as here in the United States, where it involves slabs of beef of various cuts served up with baked potatoes and small side salads.

At Masa, steak is on the menu, served hibachi style, meaning prepared tableside on a hot grill with, sliced and diced with vegetables and a bit of a floor show from a chef. While there are some differences, the term hibachi is similar and in some cases synonymous to Japanese teppanyaki-style grilling, Braddy said.

Advertisement

"We pride ourselves with our authentic technique and dishes and in serving quality food over quantity," he said.

mdanahey@tribpub.com
Haegar artware was on the shelves of the Haeger Museum before the East Dundee facility shut down. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

For those looking to get their hands on a piece of the Haeger Potteries collection, save the date.

The public will have a final opportunity to peruse more than 2,000 one-of-a-kind pieces from almost every decade the 145-year-old Haeger Potteries was in business during an auction slated for 10 a.m. Feb. 24 at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, 1338 W. Lake Street in Chicago.

Advertisement

Previews will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 21 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 22 and Feb. 23.

Objects up for auction, according to a news release, range from small decorative items to the vase that got Haeger Potteries entered into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1976. The vase stands more than 8 feet tall and weighs more than 650 pounds.

Advertisement

In 1871, David H. Haeger bought the business, at 7 Maiden Lane, in East Dundee, as a brick manufacturing company. The Great Chicago Fire proved to be a boon for the company, as D.H. Haeger Brick and Tile Works created bricks to help rebuild the city.

With the help of his son, Edmund, David Haeger began transitioning the company from brickmaking to artisans and the company was eventually renamed Haeger Potteries.

One of the earliest works to be offered in the auction includes a Haeger Pottery vase marked 1914, which is listed as one of the earliest examples in the collection, the release said. It has a presale estimate of $150 to $250.

By 1938, the third generation of the Haeger family continued the legacy of the company by appointing Edmund's son-in-law to general manager, the release said. Joseph F. Estes developed Royal Haeger, a highly successful line of pottery. In the late 1970s, his daughter, Alexandra "Lexy" Haeger Estes, became president until the company closed in July 2016.

First placed into production in 1941, the Royal Haeger line is perhaps best known for its black panther figure. Several will be offered at the auction with estimates of $150 to $400.

Eric Olsen was later chief designer from 1947 to 1972. Olsen contributed to the Royal Haeger line of pottery and was famed for his creation of a dramatic bull figure, originally produced in 1955. One such example will be offered with a presale estimate of $150 to $250.

For information about the auction, go to http://www.lesliehindman.com/sale/haeger-pottery-collection/.

Erin Sauder is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
Elgin Police Explorer Elizabeth Harkins (left) takes part in a scenario in which Police Officer Miriam Uribe potrays a woman who is arguing with her sister about a boyfriend, Wednesday. (Mike Danahey / The Courier-News)

The Elgin Police Explorer Post 1445, which came under scrutiny in January 2016 after James Rog, the civilian animal control officer and leader of the post, was arrested after an internal investigation, appears to have weathered the storm.

About two dozen young people gathered with a group of police officers Wednesday night in an upstairs training room at the Elgin Police Headquarters for a weekly session.

Advertisement

The Explorers divided up into two groups to head to sessions where teams of three would act in scenarios where they were officers responding to calls involving domestic situations.

"Don't be afraid to make a decision," Officer Robby Soberano told the group. "But afterward be ready to explain why you made that decision."

Advertisement

In June, Rog, 36, of South Elgin, pleaded guilty to theft, a class A misdemeanor, and was sentenced to conditional discharge in an agreement with prosecutors, according to a state's attorney's news release.

Rog paid restitution and had to obtain an evaluation for a gambling addiction. He had been facing two class 3 felony counts of theft and two class 3 felony counts of official misconduct when he was arrested last year.

Prosecutors presented evidence that between July 2012 and November 2015, Rog withdrew more than $6,000 from an account he established without authorization. He was the only person with access to the account, prosecutors said.

Rog, a 14-year city employee, had been placed on administrative leave in November 2015 after the Elgin Police Department launched a review of its Explorer program following a situation in Fox Lake, where officials say a police officer killed himself to cover up theft from that town's Explorer program.

After Rog's arrest, the Elgin Police Department revised its policies and formalized its practices for the post, Police Cmdr. Ana Lalley said.

The change was put in place to prevent what happened in the Rog situation.

"We don't do fundraisers anymore," Lalley said.

Lalley was assigned to the group to put other checks and balances into place, as well. Among those were revising a program manual that hadn't been changed in more than 10 years, and having a standard operating procedure for running the group.

Advertisement

Those interwoven documents allow for a hierarchy that now oversees the Explorer program, which is a career-related Boy Scouts of America offering that the Elgin Police Department has been involved with since 1978. Elgin's manual states members may be 14-21 years old and have graduated from eighth grade.

Lalley is at the top of the post's executive board organizational chart, with Sgt. Kevin Senne the lead adviser and Sgt. Eric Echevarria, Lt. Chris Jensen and Parking Control supervisor Brooke Rzeppa advisers. A set of associate advisers reports to each adviser.

Lalley said the mission statement for the board "is to serve as role models and provide superior mentoring, training and career planning for youths interested in a law enforcement career." Having more officers involved on the board also allows for another check on the system, she said.

The program is funded with $15,000 from the city's budget, as it has been every year since 2014.

The program also has been capped at 50 members. Senne and Lalley said there are 46 members currently, with six of those at the beginning level of the program. More than half the participants are female, they said.

Lalley and Senne also said that members no longer have to pay a $25 fee to join the Scout-related offering and don't have to buy their uniforms. Youths who were members after the Rog matter broke were refunded such expenses.

Advertisement

Senne said in 2016 he set up better communication with the Boy Scouts' Three Fires Council and is meeting with them on a quarterly basis. Police met with parents of Explorers after the Rog story broke, Lalley said, and meetings with such parents now are scheduled twice a year  with parents invited to come and watch the lessons their children are learning.

In July, six Explorers, with two adults supervising, headed to a national competition in Arizona. Two Elgin teams of three took part in judged exercises in scenarios dealing with crisis negotiation, officer down, traffic stops, and calls for domestic situations, Senne explained.

The topics also served as lessons in the Wednesday classes, he said, with the advisers and Senne rotating who heads the classes.

The post also has its own youth leadership board, Senne said, and those members help run Wednesday sessions. They also have administrative duties and reports to file related to Explorer activities.

Explorers also provided the city with more than 1,970 community service hours in 2016, according to a report Senne filed about the group in December. Tasks involve playing McGruff the Crime Dog at gatherings and traffic and other details at concerts in Festival Park, the Fox Trot run and the city's Fourth of July festivities, Senne said.

The service hours are an example of a return on the $15,000 annual investment the city has been making, Lalley said.

Advertisement

Toward the goal of encouraging Explorers to pursue law enforcement careers, the city also now allows those who have put in four years and 400 hours with the group and an associate's degree to take the test to become a police officer.

Chris Jones, an Elgin officer who was in the department's Explorer program, noted its value past introductory training for potential police.

"Even if someone doesn't wind up becoming a police officer, the program shows the importance of teamwork and volunteer service," Jones said.

Elgin Community College students Elizabeth Harkins, 20, Omar Velasquez 18, and Elgin High School senior Ali Reynolds, 18, intend to become police officers. Harkins has served in posts on the youth leadership board, which Velasquez is its current president and Reynolds its vice president.

The Rog matter and police controversies in the news in recent years have not deterred the three from their goals.

"Like the saying goes, if you want change, be the change," Velasquez said.

Advertisement

Velasquez said that police officers he has met note have talked about the bond between officers and with the community, and they are still happy despite things in the news, remain upbeat and love their jobs.

Harkins and Reynolds said the community aspect of being a police officer is an appeal of the job for them.

"There is good in doing this work," Harkins said.

mdanahey@tribpub.com
Shirley Sadjadi, an immigration attorney in downtown Elgin, said she plans to leave Friday for Saturday's Women's March in Washington D.C. (Janelle Walker / The Courier-News)

For 22 years, Shirley Sadjadi has been "boots on the ground" as an immigration attorney, helping families in the Elgin area receive legal resident status while also annually lobbying Congress.

On Saturday, Sadjadi plans to have her boots on the ground in Washington, D.C., again. She and her daughter are leaving Friday to drive to the capital and participate in Saturday's Women's March on Washington.

Advertisement

Once she gets back, Sadjadi said, she plans on changing her "boots on the ground" approach to political activism by becoming more involved with grass-roots groups.

For the past 10 years she has been political on a federal level. Sadjadi has lobbied in Washington with the American Immigration Lawyers Association on the group's National Day of Action.

Advertisement

"I usually went to the Republicans" from the Illinois delegation to plead the case for immigration reform, Sadjadi said.

Those meetings were always civil, and Sadjadi was trained with talking points for those gatherings.

"They are all very cordial, but I feel right now like that is a waste of our energy. We need to start local  start at the bottom," Sadjadi said.

Leading up to the November election, many of her clients were concerned, even scared that their cases  already lingering in the court or bureaucratic system  would be further delayed. Other clients given reprieves through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals are concerned they will face deportation, she said.

After the election, her political activism seems more important than ever, Sadjadi said.

On the day after the election, Sadjadi's office took the day off.

The next morning, there were 60 voicemails waiting, almost all from new clients looking for help to stay in their adopted country, she said.

She said she was depressed following the election.

Advertisement

"It took me five weeks to stop crying every day," Sadjadi said.

A psychologist friend told her she was experiencing grief. It has been hard to get past that grief because it starts anew each day as she works with clients  some who have had their immigration cases linger since the late 1990s, Sadjadi said.

Deciding it was time to find a local outlet, Sadjadi attended a Fox Valley Citizens for Peace and Justice meeting. She had gone to them before, and it was common just to have a handful of people attend. After the election, those numbers were closer to 100 people.

She's had conference calls with her immigration attorney group and has met with other local lawmakers to talk about what can be done moving forward.

"Where can my energy best be used?" she said.

Right now  and because her 18-year-old daughter also wanted to go to the women's march  that energy is going to the event.

Advertisement

"She was very angry after the election," Sadjadi said. While they could have chosen to attend the Chicago march, or one set for Elgin, they decided on going to what could be a historic women's protest, she said.

She was also motivated to march after listening to President-elect Donald Trump's first news conference.

Things he said were attacks on freedom of the press and other civil liberties, Sadjadi said.

"It just unnerved me," she said.

Sadjadi isn't the only person from her law office on Chicago Street in downtown Elgin who is leaving for the march. Five of her 11 officemates are planning to attend.

Diane Hernandez, one of the office's legal assistants, said she is also driving to the capital with a group of four other friends.

Advertisement

For Hernandez, the event is about supporting other women like her, she said. Hernandez came to the U.S. illegally, crossing the border with her family when she was 8 years old. Hernandez is now a U.S. citizen after marrying a citizen in 2001  when she was 17 years old.

Hernandez said she is marching for her sisters who are not living in the U.S. legally and her daughter who is.

Once Sadjadi gets back, she will go back to helping her clients navigate the system. But her personal causes will be different, she said.

"I want to get more local because it is bigger than immigration now. If our civil liberties are in danger, if the press is not allowed to tell the truth without being thrown out  then all of us are screwed," she said.

Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
School District U46 board member Cody Holt will be one of the hundreds of thousands attending the inauguration in Washington D.C.

The Elgin native received free tickets from an unknown source, he said. Holt speculates it was from a congressman or local GOP leadership. It was a last-minute decision, though, as he received his tickets on Monday.

Advertisement

"I'm stoked about it, to be honest," he said.

Holt will cut it close, as he drives out with a friend Thursday night following a fundraiser. The drive is under 11 hours, he said.

Advertisement

"We should get there about 9 a.m.," Holt said. "He's getting sworn in around noon. But yeah, I think we're going to make it."

"I supported Trump," Holt said. "He wasn't the perfect candidate in aspects of being a conservative, but we knew what we were getting from Hillary. I'm looking forward to a peaceful transition to a new administration. I think this will is one of the best things that you can witness, a peaceful transition from one presidency to another."

Former Elgin mayoral candidate and Republican Joseph Galvan was in Washington D.C. for the inaugural events, his fourth visit to such proceedings, all for Republican presidents.

Galvan said he already had attended a Latino Coalition event and would be going to the Hispanic Ball Thursday night. When reached, he was leaving the Freedom Concert near the Lincoln Memorial that featured Toby Keith and others.

He said he was anticipating hearing Trump speak about uniting America on Friday.

"The election was very divisive, so I'm looking forward to hearing about him bringing the country together," Galvan said. "I want to hear how he will bring jobs back. HUD also needs a shakeup. I think there will be a lot of good things happening over the next four years."

Of Trump's plans to build a wall, Galvan recalled a border check he experience between Mexican states he experienced in his travels.

"That was within a country. We're a sovereign state and need to protect our borders. It's not anti-immigrant, but to make sure people are coming here legally," Galvan had.

Advertisement

Galvan said he also believes Trump shares family values with people of Hispanic descent.

raguerrero@tribpub.com

mdanahey@tribpub.com
With Kane County residents identifying mental health as a top issue, an online portal listing ways to get help is being developed by the health department's action team.

Michael Isaacson, director of community health, said at a recent Public Health Committee that he expects the portal to be available for public feedback by February.

Advertisement

"This is very much in a draft stage, but we are moving in the right direction," Isaacson said.

The 2014 Community Health Improvement Plan had 26 percent of residents surveyed listing mental health as the number one health-related issue in the county, he said. Chronic disease, including obesity, income and education and substance abuse ranked at the top of concerns.

Advertisement

Hospital admission data from 2014, the most recent available, shows mental illness is the top reason for hospitalization around the county, Isaacson said, ranking above admission for heart disease, uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, pneumonia and injury.

Substance abuse is considered under the broad umbrella of behavioral health, along with mental health, officials said. A specific problem with substance abuse is heroin addiction, considered an epidemic, Health Department Executive Director Barbara Jeffers said.

Heroin deaths have been on the rise in Kane County since 2010. The top five municipalities for heroin deaths between 2009 and 2014 were Aurora, with 43 deaths, Elgin, 27 deaths, Geneva, 7 deaths, St. Charles 6 deaths, Batavia, 3 deaths and South Elgin, 3 deaths.

"You can see some unsettling trends here as we see an increase of heroin deaths in Kane County," Isaacson said. "Obviously, this is a very large issue in our community."

Committee members asked Isaacson to gather figures from 2015 and 2016.

The health department spent $57,000 to purchase Narcan, a medication that reverses overdoses, for all police officers to use, Jeffers said. Narcan has saved 35 people, she said.

"There is more work to do, but without that (Narcan supply), our numbers would be greater," Jeffers said.

The health department aims to get more Kane County residents treatment for mental health by the year 2030 and reduce hospital visits by 15 percent, Isaacson said.

Advertisement

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
Students in Bartlett High School social studies teacher Larry Pahl's fifth-period class watch President Donald Trump get sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on Friday. (Rafael Guerrero / The Courier-News)

Given the uncertainty of precisely when Donald Trump would officially be sworn in Friday as the 45th president of the United States, Bartlett High School social studies teacher Larry Pahl kept an eye on his computer live-streaming the inauguration and another on the first-floor wing he was monitoring during his free period.

By the time President Trump closed his inaugural address, Pahl was back in his third-floor classroom greeting students at the start of his fifth-period class. Unlike his first classes of the day, Pahl could finally address and discuss the significance and magnitude of Friday's inauguration with his students.

Advertisement

"And now it's happened: Donald Trump is our president," he told his class.

The students, for the most part, were skeptical of what was to come in the next four years, and they critiqued the structure and message of the president's inaugural address.

Advertisement

"He has said a lot of things (over time)," Raquel Landeros said. "I'm just hoping he actually does them."

The president's speech, centered around the themes of "America First" and returning power to the people, could have been better, the students said.

"His whole speech was cliche until the very end" of the 10-minute clip they saw, said student Ivory Scalise.

Most of these students did not see the end of Trump's address, as students were walking in to the class at that point. Trump gave his closing remarks, which included his campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again." One student could be heard saying that he knew the catchphrase would make an appearance.

Pahl defended some of Trump's speech, noting that some lines rivaled other all-time great speeches.

"I think Trump had a couple of that quality. But he's just not as charismatic" as others when he delivers them, Pahl said.

Blake Busch, also a senior, added that "he did a good job at appealing to his audience" but seemed to not cater to notable critics, like Democrats or more traditional Republicans.

What happens next is uncertain, students added. His speech portrayed a vision of American exceptionalism, which students noted can be both a good and bad thing.

Advertisement

"It feels like he's looking down at other countries," said student Harry Bretz.

"I'm just afraid something will happen with other countries," added Mary Ovan.

In the end, Pahl was glad his students opened up about the major milestone.

"The problem is not the cacophony of the ceremony, it is getting students interested enough to talk," he said.

raguerrero@tribpub.com
Eugene Cernan, the last man to set foot on the moon, didn't necessarily want that to be his distinction, maintained Bart Benjamin, the former director of Triton College's Cernan Earth and Space Center, which bears the astronaut's name.

"He was really disappointed that America didn't return to the moon in his lifetime," said Benjamin in a phone interview. "He was the last man on the moon, but he would have preferred not to have been the last man on the moon in his lifetime. He really wanted to go back to the moon, possibly Mars, and he thought that America should maintain the leadership we had in the Apollo era and keep it going in that direction."

Advertisement

Triton College officials mourned the loss of the astronaut who died Jan. 16 in Houston at the age of 82.

The astronaut had strong ties to the area, growing up in Bellwood and Maywood, and attending Proviso East High School.

Advertisement

The Cernan Center, which opened on Triton's campus in 1974, two years after Cernan's walk in space, features a planetarium that displays programs on a wide range of topics, including astronomy and space exploration.

In the lobby area, Cernan's Apollo 10 spacesuit is included among the exhibits.

Benjamin hosted Cernan a half dozen times during his tenure at the center's director, he said, and struck up what he called "a kind of professional relationship" with the astronaut, getting a chance to see his different sides.

On the one hand, "he certainly was the person who was a test pilot, with the qualities of someone who could do things most people can't do, and he had the fearlessness and the drive and the ambition and the feeling of invincibility," befitting the larger-than-life personalities described in Tom Wolfe's 1979 book "The Right Stuff," Benjamin recalled in a telephone interview.

But he also had a softer side  "almost a spiritual side"  perhaps from his experience viewing earth as a small orb in space, Benjamin said. In that regard, "he was a very kind man, he was a very generous man  he loved young people and wanted to do everything he could do to inspire them, to follow their dreams and dream big."

In his own life, Cernan's big ambition initially was to fly airplanes, a dream nurtured very young, watching newsreels in local theaters, of pilots landing and taking off from aircraft carriers, Benjamin said.

Paradoxically, "he never knew he would have the opportunity to fly in space because that was a nonexistent profession when he was young," Benjamin observed.

He said Cernan tried to instill that can-do spirit when he spoke to young people, as he often did. Every few years, when Cernan would return to the center and give presentations to members, he would also do something for the public, Benjamin recalled.

Advertisement

"We had assemblies at the time, when we brought in hundreds of school children to our larger gymnasium, and he would talk to them and try to tell them what it was like to be in space, what it was like to walk on the moon," Benjamin said. "Then he would become a little philosophical about the lessons he learned as an astronaut, that they could apply to everyone. He had that message, you don't have to be an astronaut to do great things, you don't have to go to the moon."

But he stressed the importance of having a goal, something to strive for, and would stay after presentations, sharing his enthusiasm, Benjamin said.

Other members of the Triton community also paid tribute to Cernan.

"For a man who achieved so much beyond the confines of our planet, he was a remarkably down-to-earth person who cared a great deal for his fellow man," said Mark Stephens, chairman of the school's board of trustees, in a statement. "Beyond his historical role as an explorer of space, he was a strong advocate for education and the future of America's youth. It was an honor to call him a friend, and I will miss him."

"We are incredibly fortunate to have Captain Cernan as an ambassador of Triton College and a role model for our students for so many years," said Mary-Rita Moore, Triton College's president. "He is the embodiment of a lifelong learner, which is what strive for each of our students to become. His legacy will live on forever."
The Whole Foods Market in south Evanston will close around March 19, store officials have confirmed.

The store's 20-year lease has expired and officials decided not to renew it, said Allison Phelps, a spokeswoman for Whole Foods. The Evanston South store sits on the corner of Chicago Avenue and Greenleaf Street.

Advertisement

"With the age of the building and our other three newer stores so close to this location it made sense to close," said Phelps in an email.

Two of those stores are in Evanston, at Chicago Avenue and Church Street and on Green Bay Road at Jenks Street. Whole Foods also has a store in the nearby Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago.

Advertisement

The Green Bay Road location was the latest one to open, welcoming customers in July 2015.

Phelps explained that the employees of the closing store would not lose their jobs.

"All our team members will be offered jobs in one of our existing 26 Chicagoland locations at their same rate of pay," she said.

She did not disclose how many employees there are at the Evanston South store.

Evanston city manager Wally Bobkiewicz said the city and property owner are already looking at options for the soon-to-be-vacant space.

"I think there's lots of options, that area of Evanston is a prime place to be," Babkiewicz.

Those could include another food store or even replacing the building with single-family homes.

The current grocery store is near a Walgreens drug store, car dealership and Trade Joe's grocery store, among other amenities.

Advertisement

"All those things taken together make it pretty attractive," Babkiewicz said.

gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GenevieveBook
Applications for the Citizen's Police Academy offered through the Glenview Police Department are being accepted until Feb. 3, officials said.

The 10-week program gives Glenview residents "a sense of the department" as they learn about and experience different aspects of the department, from how it investigates traffic crashes to a use of force demonstration, said Sgt. James Foley, who is coordinating the program. Participants can sign up for a ride-along with a police officer as part of the free program, he said.

Advertisement

Participants will also hear presentations from representatives of Cook County's medical examiner and coroner's office and the juvenile justice system throughout the program, Foley said. Each lesson is led by a member of that respective department; for example, a dispatch officer will teach the lesson on dispatch services, he said.

"It's intended to give (residents) an overview of all the departments and different tasks within the department, and what we do on a daily basis," he said.

Advertisement

Foley said he has received 22 applications for the 30-slot program as of Jan. 20.

The Glenview Police Department started the Citizen's Police Academy about six years ago, and the program has received positive remarks on evaluations from previous participants, Foley said.

The program ends with a graduation ceremony, where participants are presented with certificates, he said.

The Citizen's Police Academy will be held on Thursday nights from March 2 through May 4 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Foley said. Residents can fill out an application found on the Village of Glenview website and turn it into the Glenview Police Department, according to the website.

akukulka@chicagotribune.com

Twitter: @Akukulka11
Wang Guoqin gets Creation Award of the Year at the Third Spring Festival Poetry Gala in Beijing on Jan 13. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

Many Chinese poets say that this year will be special for them, a view echoed by Wang Guoqin, a poet and critic who said "poetry is the light ahead in the dark tunnel of my life", after receiving the Creation Award of the Year at the Third Spring Festival Poetry Gala for his book Talking About Poetry From Zhishi Studio.

The gala in Beijing organized over Jan 13-14 by the Qu Yuan Society of China brought together poetry enthusiasts from Beijing, Xi'an, Nanjing, Kaifeng and Shenyang.

Coincidentally, just over 100 years ago, Chinese poetry underwent a drastic change with poetry collections being published in new styles, free in rhythm and lines, com-pared with traditional verses often preset with tones, rhymes and the numbers of characters.

But questions still abound a century later.

At an event in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, on Jan 8 in the presence of guests from the province, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, Qiu Shuhong, whose latest honor is the World Chinese Poetry Award's gold prize, proposed that 2017 be made the Year of Chinese Poetry to celebrate the birth of "new poems".

"Let's ask ourselves: How is new Chinese poetry faring? What is it like today? Where is it heading?"

Some answers can be found in Wang's book, said the honorary president of the Poetry Institute of China, Zheng Bonong, at a Beijing forum the same day.

"The beauty of traditional poetry can't be ignored even in times full of uproar for money and pleasure," he told the forum marking the institute's 30th anniversary, which discussed Wang's book.

Yet the "sophistry" of traditional poems is keeping many young people away.

"Creation is a trend," says Li Baoguo from the institute, adding that "it is sourced from a whole generation".

Wang himself started a new style that combines ancient tones and rhythm with freer lines in 1987. The style, which acquired the name duci in 1990, has followers in many cities.

Wang, deputy publisher of Henan Literature and Arts Press, also established a society for poetry creation and organized four biennial contests. The award winners of the contests over the eight years include Ma Kai, vice-premier and a former state councilor, Lin Feng from Hong Kong and Chen Tingyou from Beijing.

Commenting on the events, Ding Guocheng, deputy editor-in-chief of Chinese Poetry magazine, says: "Such explorations in poetry writing and theory are very valuable.

"The history of poetry is about creation in form and style, and our era has to locate its own pulse for historical distinction that can with-stand the test of time."
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.
You are here: Home

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.
You are here: Home

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.
You are here: Home

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.
China's maternal mortality rate declined to 199 per 1 million population last year, despite a rising number of births brought by the universal second-child policy, the country's top health authority said on Friday.

The figure for 2015 was 201 per 1 million, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Meanwhile, mortality rates for children under 5 decreased to 10.2 per thousand last year, Ma Xiaowei, deputy minister in charge of the commission, told a news conference.

He said various measures taken by health authorities to cope with the universal second-child policy, which was adopted at the beginning of last year, had helped bring down the maternal mortality rate.

These measures, which included establishing extra emergency response centers and providing more training to staff at the grassroots level, will be intensified over the next two years, when births are expected to peak, Ma said.

In the first half of last year China's maternity mortality rate reached 183 per 1 million population, a rise of more than 30 percent compared with the same period in 2015.

The number of babies born in the first half of last year was 8.31 million, a rise of 6.9 percent over the same period in 2015, the commission said.

It estimates that more than 3 million women at higher risk will become pregnant in China every year for the next few years, a rise of 30 percent from the period before the adoption of the second-child policy. This will pose sustained pressure to hospital facilities and staff, and may result in more higher risk births, the commission said.
Political and business leaders gathered together at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week to discuss the most pressing issues facing our planet and seek constructive and innovative solutions to them.

Digital finance is already the lifeblood of our global financial system. But it also gives us a platform to do so much more. We believe digital finance could also support life-saving efforts to address today's environmental challenges, helping to deliver green investments and encourage environmentally friendly lifestyles.

At stake are the world's ecosystems on which we depend, and the need and opportunity to create an inclusive green economy that provides decent jobs for all. Financing sustainable development will require tens of trillions of dollars over the coming decade, mainly private capital that has to be directed to sustainable infrastructure, such as clean energy, resilient agriculture and low carbon cities.

Green finance has risen quickly on the international policy agenda, catalysed by China's leadership during its G20 presidency. In his opening speech at the start of the two-day G20 Summit on Sept 4 last year, President Xi Jinping said the G20 had drawn up action plans in multiple fields, including sustainable development, energy efficiency and green finance, each of which he said, should be implemented seriously. Now, Italy is advancing the cause of green finance through its G7 presidency, as is the current president of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson of Fiji. And countries across the world are building ambitious national green and sustainable finance roadmaps. Banks, pension funds and insurance companies are integrating climate and wider environmental risks into their financing decisions.

Converging with these positive developments is the impact of digital finance on the financial system itself. Financial techfrom mobile payment platforms to crowd sourcing and blockchainwill revolutionize the financial landscape. And fintech is not a solitary disruptor. It is part of a broader technological ecosystem that includes big data, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things. Together, they will digitally connect the natural world with physical goods and financial flows and assets. Tomorrow's citizens will be able to choose what to consume based on the environmental footprints of products and services. It is possible to imagine everyone having personal natural capital accounts that in turn form a basis for money itself.

Actually, such futures are already today's experiments. ANT Financial Services Group has launched a function that provides individual users of its Alipay mobile payment platform with personalised carbon accounts based on algorithms that translate an individual's carbon-saving activities conducted via the payment app into an estimate of their carbon footprint. Users are rewarded with "green energy" for reduced carbon use, which is translated into carbon-offsetting commitments by ANT. In the first four months of the trial, 54 million Chinese users have signed up and saved sufficient carbon to create an obligation to plant over 760,000 trees in Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Digital finance has the potential to also cost-effectively finance the greening of millions of small businesses. It could be used to accelerate the evolution of green capital markets in developing countries. And there is no reason why a new generation of crypto currencies, underpinned by blockchain, should not be based on green criteria.

The UN Environment Programme and Ant Financial hope that our Green Digital Finance Alliance, launched this week in Davos, will provide a platform that brings together the world's most innovative digital finance players to catalyse ambitious initiatives to green tomorrow's global economy.

Erik Solheim is United Nations Environment Programme executive director and Eric Jing is CEO of Ant Financial.
 Flash

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.
 Flash

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.
 Flash

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.
 Flash

A massive avalanche apparently triggered by a series of earthquakes one day earlier on Thursday battered an Italian ski resort and left as many as 30 hotel guests and staff members missing.

The region of Abruzzo, east of Rome, has been battered in recent months by three separate sets of intense seismic activities since August last year.

More recently, the region has suffered from record low temperatures and heavy snowfall that cut off phone and electric service to many isolated cities and towns, with lots of roads made impassable by heavy snowdrifts.

Early Thursday, those factors combined when hundreds of tons of snow, ice, and mud from the slopes of the 2,912-meter-tall Gran Sasso became dislodged and crashed down to rip the four-star Hotel Rigopiano from its foundation, pushing the building downhill and burying it beneath tons of snow and debris.

Because of the heavy snowfall and the impacts of the avalanche, ambulances were not able to get closer than 9 kilometers from the hotel, though rescue workers were able to arrive on foot, by snowmobile and with helicopters.

As of late Thursday local time, the authorities recused two survivors, one of whom was treated for frostbite, and found three dead bodies. As many as 30 more, including several children and infants, were unaccounted for.

As night fell, searches began shifting their focus from rescuing survivors to recovering the dead.

Civil protection officials reported late Thursday that only two bodies had been recovered, though some Italian media reports put the number as high as six.

"With the sun setting and temperatures dropping, the worry is that if there are any more survivors, they could risk freezing to death," Giovanni Bianchi from Italy's civil protection squad said in an interview.

With access to the devastated property restricted, searches were slow, employing hand tools and dogs. The search area was large, with some parts of the hotel found hundreds of meters from the remnants of the hotel structure.

A video taken inside part of the structure and shown on Italian television displayed hallways were crammed with snow, ice, mud, and fractured parts of the structure itself, with holiday decorations still hanging from the walls.

Experts said further aftershocks and more avalanches remained a possibility. "This is an extremely complex situation," Titti Postiglione from the emergency department for the region of Abruzzo, said in a brief televised interview.

The Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farindola, is only about 150 kilometers from Rome, making it a popular destination for travelers from the Italian capital seeking a short break.

Gilberto Petrucci, an assessor for the nearby town of Penne, said the entire region is suffering.

"We can't take much more; we are on our knees," Petrucci told Xinhua. "Penne has 13,000 residents and we are cut off because the roads are closed."

Schools in the area were closed until at least Monday, and most non-essential businesses also shuttered. Freezing temperatures and more snow are in the forecast for the coming days.

Wednesday's series of earthquakes included at least a dozen temblors measuring more than 5.0 on the Richter scale.

The quakes caused widespread structural damage in Abruzzo and minor damage as faraway as Rome, but before the avalanche there was just one death: a man in his 80s who perished when the roof of his farmhouse collapsed on him.
 Flash

Visitors from the Chinese Academy of Sciences at the University of Birmingham.Visitors include Professor Zhang Zhibing, deputy director of the Universitys China Institute (4th from right) and Professor Dr. Guo Liang-Hong (6th from right). [Courtesy of University of Birmingham]

Environmental experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) visited their counterparts at the University of Birmingham on Jan. 18, 2017, to continue work on a research partnership that could help solve major problems facing both countries.

Just two weeks after an inaugural joint workshop in Beijing, discussions continued in Birmingham about how joint research could help to reduce the health threat posed by severe air pollution blighting the Chinese capital and other major cities in China.

Researchers also explored ways in which to combine expertise in chemistry, hydrology, toxicology and biology to solve problems associated with pollutants that are increasingly threatening China's natural fresh water ecosystems that over 1.3 billion people depend on.

China's Ministry of Environmental Protection describes its waters as toxic, estimating that 60% of China's rivers, and 80% of underground wells, suffer from pollution to such an extent that they can no longer be safely used as drinking water.

The UK visit also saw University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) representatives agree in principle to work with their Birmingham counterparts to establish a postgraduate programme that would see students awarded joint PhD and Masters degrees from both universities.

Professor Jon Frampton, deputy pro-vice-chancellor and director of the University of Birmingham's China Institute, said: "China's problems were once our problems - the environmental issues faced by the Chinese people are similar to the problems created by Britain's own industrial revolution."

"As a global 'civic' university, we have a responsibility to enriching the life of our home city and the wider world. We are proud to welcome our partners at the Chinese Academy of Sciences to the University of Birmingham, as we continue to work together on finding common solutions to shared problems.

"We believe our joint efforts can make a significant contribution to helping China balance economic development against environmental health protection."

The inaugural joint workshop on January. 5 at the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Beijing, was opened by University of Birmingham Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir David Eastwood and former Vice President of CAS Professor Li Jinghai and involved eight Birmingham scientists.

Professor Dr. Guo Liang-Hong, principal investigator of the Research Group of Environmental Bioanalysis for State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology (SKLECE), said: "Environmental Sciences is a multi-disciplinary field requiring people with backgrounds in chemistry, biology and medicine. Inter-disciplinary collaboration is vital and our visit to the University of Birmingham has presented us with many opportunities in this field. I'm sure that there will be many opportunities for us to work closely together in the future."

The visit strengthens existing links between the University of Birmingham and CAS. It sees Chinese and British researchers continue working together strategically to plan how they can make a greater impact in environmental sciences in the UK and China. They plan to do this by developing long-term programmes in collaborative research, staff/student exchanges and developing new technologies.

The visitors received a tour of environmental research facilities at the University's College of Life and Environmental Sciences, as well as an overview of the work at the Centre for Computational Biology (CCB) and Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR).
BEIJING - 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.
China's corn output was up 4.1 percent in the 2015-16 marketing year (September 2015 - August 2016) despite a government-led drive to reduce corn acreage, the Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday.

During the period, the country produced 22.4 million metric tons of corn and imported 3.2 million tons - a 41.9 percent year-on-year decrease - according to the ministry's agricultural supply and demand estimates.

In November 2015, the ministry announced its plan to cut corn acreage by close to 670,000 hectares in 2016, as the country came under mounting pressure to reduce its corn stocks.

China consumed about 19.4 million tons of corn during the 2015-16 market year, up by 5.8 percent year-on-year.

The ministry predicts that the country's soybean acreage will reach 71.6 million hectares for the 2016-17 market year, up by 566,000 hectares from the previous year.

It said soybean output could increase 7.7 percent for the next market period and reach 12.5 million tons, mainly as a result of government-led efforts to encourage the growing of soybeans in the country's northeastern areas.

The price for domestic soybean should remain buoyant this year as a result of supply constraints, it added.

The ministry announced in April that China's soybean acreage would increase over the next five years, with more farmers encouraged to switch from corn to the more lucrative crop.
KGT International Trading Co Ltd, a global commodities joint procurement platform in China, is gearing up its expansion in cross-border e-commerce business, by cooperating with the APEC E-commerce Business Alliance.

KGT signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the e-commerce business alliance on Thursday, saying it will work closely with the alliance to seek more opportunities in cross-border e-commerce business with APEC members.

"Our goal is to build a global cross-border e-commerce platform that offers mutual benefits for all members. China can sell commodities to all other member states. And those states can also sell their brands to China and each other via the platform." said Liu Ming, president of KGT International Trading Co Ltd.

Under the agreement, the Beijing-headquartered company aims to help small- and medium-sized companies in China to participate more easily in global commerce and enable Chinese consumers to shop without limitations.

Hu Yang, secretary general of APEC E-commerce Business Alliance, said both sides will have access to more international resources via the cooperation.

"We will knock down trade barriers for the development of Chinese small- and medium-sized companies. And the further development of cross-border e-commerce will offer consumers more choices of international brands."

As the Spring Festival is on the way, KGT also launched an international brands festival on the same day, offering a wide range of international commodities, including food, cosmetics, wines and daily necessities.

Founded in 2014, the company has established strategic cooperation with Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Southeast Asian countries.

By the end of 2017, KGT plans to open 30 outlets in China.
BEIJING - 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).

In the next five years, China expects to attract $600 billion of foreign investment, import $8 trillion of goods and invest $750 billion 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.
KIEV - The Ukrainian government will focus on deepening the country's trade ties with China this year, a senior cabinet official has said.

"Expanding and strengthening the trade relations with China is our priority for 2017," Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Natalia Mykolska said on her Facebook late Wednesday.

In particular, the Ukrainian government will send a trade mission to China this year and step up efforts to create new platforms for the intensification of business contacts and exchanges, she said.

According to Mykolska, Ukraine targeted to boost trade volume with China by $2 billion in 2017.

The Ukrainian statistics showed that the trade turnover between China and Ukraine increased by 5.3 percent last year to $6.51 billion.

Out of the total trade volume, Ukraine's imports stood at about $4.68 billion, while exports took some $1.83 billion.
MADRID - 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.
GUANGZHOU - 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 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 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.
SHIJIAZHUANG - A steel mill in the Serbian city Smederevo has turned a profit, ending a seven year loss, after being taken over by China's Hesteel Group last year, according to the Chinese iron and steel manufacturing conglomerate.

The steel mill, which started operations in 1913, was a State-owned Serbian enterprise, but fierce international competition and poor management was leading it to closure, until it changed to Hesteel Serbia after a 46-million-euro ($49 million) purchase by the Hebei-based conglomerate in April 2016.

By the end of December Hesteel Serbia was turning a profit, after November earnings before taxes and interest, ending the mill's consecutive seven year loss, Hesteel told Xinhua.

Since the take-over, the Chinese steel giant has engaged managerial and technical personnel to help the 5,000-employee Smederevo mill tackle problems in management, equipment, technology and craft.

Yu Yong, chairman of Hesteel Group, said that it had taken only half a year for Hesteel Serbia to turn a profit, an illustration of the advantages that China has in iron and steel.

The steel mill in Smederevo is expected to produce 2 million metric tons of steel in 2017, according to the Chinese group.

Yu said Hesteel would invest $120 million in the steel factory in 2017, as it did in 2016, for new equipment and technology, adding that it was expected to generate revenue of $800 million and profit of $20 million.

Hesteel Group, he said, would further strive to tap into the potential of the century-old Serbian steel mill, making Hesteel Serbia a competitive company in both Europe and globally as well as an exemplary model of China-Serbia cooperation.

The group had earlier announced that it would continue to respect local customs and cultural traditions, and follow a local-centered principle to bring in advanced technological and managerial expertise for rapid growth of Hesteel Serbia.
Alexander Lukashin, head of global public affairs in Aeroflot-Russian Airlines, speaks at a news conference in Beijing on January 19, 2017. [Photo/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

With substantial growth of passengers between China and Russia, China has become an increasingly important strategic market for Aeroflot, said Alexander Lukashin, head of the company's global public affairs, on Thursday in Beijing.

"We have always regarded China as one of the most important markets and we believe that the bilateral political, economic and cultural relations between China and Russia would be continuously strengthened in the future," said Lukashin.

With 258 aircraft flying to 153 destinations in 51 countries, Aeroflot-Russian Airlines, the largest airline in Russia, carried 1.13 million passengers to or from China 2015.

At present, Aeroflot has two flights to Beijing, two flights to Shanghai, one flight to Hong Kong departing from the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow daily and 11 flights weekly to Guangzhou.

"China is one of Aeroflot's top key markets. Beijing and Shanghai are some of the most popular routes. The passenger traffic on or from the Chinese destinations is continuously growing," added Lukashin.

According to the China National Administration, Russia was the third-largest outbound destination for Chinese tourists during the National Day holiday period in 2016.

In the first nine months of 2016, China became the No 1 non-Commonwealth of Independent States country in terms of visitors to Russia.

"Cooperation between Russia and China has been actively improving in recent years, and increasing numbers of Chinese open up Russia and see it as a great destination, for unique cultural experience, leisure and shopping," said Lukashin.

China has become the world's largest outbound tourism market and the world's fourth-largest tourist destination, China National Tourism Administration said in December.
By An Baijie in Geneva and Zhang Yunbi in Beijing | China Daily | Updated: 2017-01-20 08:20

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan (left) presents a medal for outstanding service to first lady Peng Liyuan as UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe looks on. [Photo/Xinhua]

The World Health Organization renewed its appointment of first lady Peng Liyuan as goodwill ambassador for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis on Wednesday.

Peng was first appointed an HIV/AIDS ambassador by the Ministry of Health in 2006, and her role went global in June 2011 when she was first appointed WHO goodwill ambassador.

"The past 11 years have made me realize that love is our best vaccine for fighting diseases," Peng said at a Geneva ceremony hosted by the WHO to extend her service and recognize her work.

Peng was invited to the ceremony by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe.

Chan presented Peng a medal, and Sidibe presented a certificate and trophy for outstanding achievement in promoting prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

The first lady noted that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

It offers free HIV testing and consultations and, for pregnant women who test positive, free medications and therapies to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the virus, she noted.

"Such policies have yielded remarkable achievements, and the number of people who have died or suffered from discrimination because of such diseases has consistently decreased," Peng said.

Because China has made profound progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, the award was presented to both the first lady and the government, said Mamadi Diakite of the UNAIDS office of security and humanitarian affairs.

Experts noted that Peng has made a real difference, adding a personal touch to her role as a UN goodwill ambassador. Her ability to educate and reach out to people has been an effective way to combat HIV and tuberculosis, they said.

Working with government departments as well as NGOs, she has raised funds for children's education and medical treatment.

She also has been praised for visiting with those who are most affected by illness.

In March 2013, Peng met children with AIDS during a visit to the Republic of Congo, where she hugged a baby who had tested positive for HIV, helping to dispel fears of transmission through casual contact. She also donated computers, toys and bags to the children there.

In March 2016, Peng visited migrant construction workers in the suburban Tongzhou district of Beijing and provided information on how they could prevent the spread of tuberculosis.

Contact the writers at anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn and zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn
By An Baijie in Geneva and Mo Jingxi in Beijing | China Daily | Updated: 2017-01-20 08:21

President Xi Jinping called for the United Nations to play a stronger central role in global governance and uphold multilateralism in the face of global threats and challenges.

He made the remarks in Geneva on Wednesday when meeting with Peter Thomson, president of the 71st UN General Assembly, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the UN Office at Geneva.

China will stick to multilateralism, safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and back the organization playing a bigger role in maintaining world peace and promoting common development, he said.

As the most universal, representative and authoritative intergovernmental organization, the UN should strengthen its role instead of retreating in the face of challenges, Xi said.

He also said that economic globalization, as a result of the growth in productivity and the tide of history, should be better guided and managed to unleash more positive effects.

"The interests of all countries are shared and their fates are connected. The old way of chasing profits and hegemony must be abandoned and replaced with a new path of coordinating relationships and interests with institutions and rules," Xi said.

"The reason that China launched the Belt and Road Initiative is to share development opportunities and results with other countries," he said.

Thomson and Guterres both said that China has long played a positive, leading role in tackling climate change, poverty relief, sustainable development and peacekeeping.

The UN is willing to work with China to promote world peace and development, and realize the goal of building a community of shared future for mankind, they said.

After the meeting, Guterres presented Xi with the historical documents that record Premier Zhou Enlai's attendance at the Geneva Conference on the Korean Peninsula and Indochina in 1954 and a copy of the original UN Charter signed by country representatives in 1945.

Xi and Guterres unveiled a cloisonne vase that was a gift from the Chinese government to the UN at the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Shen Yongxing, a researcher in world history studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Xi expressed China's unequivocal position on global governance when the world is faced with the rising trends of anti-globalization, unilateralism and protectionism.

"All countries should join hands to fight against anti-globalization trends and address the sluggish economy," Shen said, saying that the Belt and Road Initiative has demonstrated the benefits of multilateralism.
By An Baijie in Geneva and Wang Xiaodong in Beijing | China Daily | Updated: 2017-01-20 08:28

China and the World Health Organization agreed on Wednesday to jointly implement a health project based on the Belt and Road Initiative.

President Xi Jinping and Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, watched as the two sides signed a preliminary agreement at WHO headquarters in Geneva. The WHO is the first global organization of the United Nations to have agreed to such a project with China.

China welcomes the WHO to jointly establish a "health Silk Road", Xi said, adding that China would like to work more closely with the WHO in fulfilling the UN's 2030 sustainable development goals and assisting developing countries.

Chan spoke highly of China's contributions to the work of the WHO and the country's role in global health governance.

The WHO would like to work with China in an effort to improve the health of the people along the route of the initiative, she added.

"The agreement is a result of decades of successful partnership between China and the WHO in global health cooperation," the WHO China office said in a statement on Thursday. "This includes sending 1,200 medical workers in response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa, and China's recent contribution to WHO efforts to distribute medical supplies in Syria and to WHO emergency medical teams, a newly established program to ensure a more flexible and rapid response to national outbreaks and disasters."

The agreement brings to the international realm the same pledge Xi made last year in the Healthy China 2030 plan, which puts health at the core of domestic development, the WHO said.

The WHO looks forward to working with member countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative to help emphasize health in economic growth strategies and decision-making, as well as supporting expanded health services delivery and disease prevention and control, it said.

Liu Peilong, director of the Global Health Department at Peking University, said the agreement is a milestone. "It will extend the bilateral cooperation to countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and ... contribute to global health security," he said.

Wang Longde, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a former vice-minister, said, "Intensifying cooperation with the WHO can help China realize its own health target, and it contributes to improved health globally."

China will host the first Belt and Road Initiative international forum in Beijing in May, which is part of China's efforts to make globalization more inclusive and beneficial to all, Xi said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. The initiative helps connect China with nations in Europe, Asia and other areas via infrastructure and trade.

Contact the writers at anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn and wangxiaodong@chinadaily.com.cn
Future Mobility Corp signs a framework memo with Nanjing government in Nanjing, Jiangsu province on Jan 19, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cm]

Future Mobility Corp signed a framework memo with the local government of Nanjing Economic and Technological Development Zone in Jiangsu province on Thursday, and announced an investment plan of 11.6 billion ($1.68 billion) yuan for a plant with 300,000-unit annual production capacity.

The first phase of the FMC plant would start its trial production in 2019 to manufacture 150,000 units of mid-size premium fully electric smart sport utility vehicles. The product is set to launch in the Chinese market at a suggested price starting from 300,000 yuan.

"The FMC plant in Nanjing ought to be a high quality plant for our high quality premium positioned products. The plant will be constructed to fit into the 'Made in China 2025' strategy and the Industry 4.0 standard," Carsten Breitfeld, CEO and co-founder of FMC, told a news conference.

When asked about the nation's manufacturer permit, he said, "We are on schedule to obtain the approval of new energy vehicle production by 2019. It's challenging, but we are quite confident and ready."

China is issuing the permits to produce the new energy vehicles to those who meet the criteria in critical fields, including research and development, production, testing and experience.

The new energy vehicle maker has the product's core parts developed all by itself, including the power train and the software controlling unit, according to Breitfeld.

Daniel Kirchert, Future Mobility's chief operating officer, said, "FMC is a China-based automaker with strong international expertise, and will be manufacturing cars to be shipped all over the world, including the United States and European markets.

"We are working on a meaningful project that is to make a China originated premium car with global influence."

FMC is accelerating its research and development for the massive production, and planned to unveil its driving concept car in 2018.
Web celebrities use smartphones to live-stream a running event in Shenyang, Liaoning province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Chinese smartphone vendors are ratcheting up the prices of their products, as they wrestle with rising component costs and the mounting pressure to increase profits.

Meizu Technology Co increased the starting price of the Note 5 to 999 yuan ($145) at the beginning of this month, an increase of 100 yuan from when it was released in December.

The price tags of handsets by LeEco are 80 yuan to 280 yuan higher this month than their release prices.

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and Xiaomi Corp also followed the trend, adjusting the prices of their products.

The trend dovetails with local smartphone players' efforts to seek greater opportunities in the high-end market.

But Xiang Ligang, a smartphone expert and CEO of telecom industry website cctime.com, said the latest price jump was chiefly driven by the rising cost of smartphone components.

"Due to the continuing depreciation of the yuan, the cost of smartphone storage, display and chips have all gone up because the orders are all processed in dollars," he said.

Lu Weibing, president of Gionee Communications Equipment Co Ltd, said in December that the cost of smartphone storage has jumped by 20 percent since the second half of 2016.

Jessie Ding, a Shanghai-based smartphone analyst at consultancy Canalys, said insufficient supply of key parts, such as OLED display, also weighs on the balance sheets of smartphone vendors.

"Most OLED displays are imported from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. It is difficult for domestic companies to mass-produce high-end parts in the short term," Ding said.

But, the price surge won't damp consumers' willingness to upgrade their handsets.

"The Chinese market is shifting to replacement users. They are willing to pay more for a better gadget but are pickier on design and services," she added.
BEIJING -- 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."
TAIYUAN -- Two people were found dead in a benzene tank truck Thursday, a day after the vehicle plunged into a river in North China's Shanxi province, local authorities said.

The tank truck carrying 25 tonnes of highly hazardous crude benzene broke through the guard rails of a bridge and plunged into the Fenhe River in Xinjiang county, Yuncheng city, after colliding with a bus on the bridge, according to the city government.

Benzene is a colorless carcinogenic compound used to manufacture plastics. It is known to damage blood production in humans.

The tank was pulled ashore Thursday afternoon after the benzene inside was transferred into another tank, removing a potential major pollution source for four counties downstream, the city government said.

A small amount of leakage was reported. Local environmental protection authorities are calculating the amount.

Local authorities in three counties downstream have built 31 lines of defence with activated carbon to absorb leaked benzene and prevent it from flowing into the Yellow River.
Top officials in Linfen, Shanxi province, have been summoned by the country's top environmental authority due to their poor performance in controlling sulfur dioxide pollution, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection has suspended approving new projects in the city.

The ministry summoned the city's leaders, including Mayor Liu Yuqiang, on Thursday, while suspending the granting of environmental impact assessments for projects in the city as punishment for their poor performance in air pollution control.

Linfen has been put in the spotlight due to its frequent alarmingly high concentrations of sulfur dioxide, which have exceeded 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter four times since Jan 4, based on data from the China National Environmental Monitoring Center.

The national standard is 60 micrograms per cubic meter, with the World Health Organization stating that high levels of sulfur dioxide can harm the respiratory system.

The average concentrations of sulfur dioxide in Linfen in 2016 increased by 29.7 percent compared with 2015, the ministry said, adding that other major airborne pollutants, including PM2.5 and PM10, also soared last year.

Air pollution in the city has gradually worsened in the past two years, the ministry said. The city government failed to issue timely alerts for severe sulfur dioxide pollution, and did not take effective measures to reduce the pollution or implement controls in coal-fired boilers and plants as required, it added.

The ministry named and shamed some companies for excessive emissions of pollutants or failing to cease operating equipment to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions, which is considered a major reason for the severe pollution in recent days.

For example, Ruide Coking Co in Linfen has discharged excessive levels of sulfur dioxide, and emissions of a highly toxic gas emitted by the plant were 97 times higher than national standards.

The mayor said he is deeply sorry for the severe air pollution and lack of controls implemented by the government, promising to take stricter action to reduce emissions.

All exposed polluters will face daily fines, which have no upper limit, and the city is required to submit a comprehensive improvement plan within 20 days.

In 2015, 96.7 percent of 338 monitored cities saw sulfur dioxide emissions meet national standards, with an average concentration level of 25 micrograms per cubic meter, according to ministry data.

Shanxi is home to many cities that failed to meet national standards. In addition to Linfen, cities such as Jinzhong and Taiyuan have also seen severe sulfur dioxide pollution.
Employees of the Shanghai branch of the German company Brose participate in a team-building activity at the Village 127 French Bakery and Cafe. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

The Village 127 French Bakery and Cafe in downtown Shanghai had been operating in an understated way for about a year and a half before a media report sparked a storm of unfavorable comments from members of the public.

The report, published by the Shanghai Observer on Dec 1, World AIDS Day, was intended to combat HIV/AIDS-related stigma. It explained that most of the cafe's employees had been born to families affected by HIV/AIDS in the inland provinces, and stressed that the employees were healthy.

The story also featured heartbreaking accounts of how the "AIDS orphans" lived with the stigma of their parents' illness.

The cafe's owner, To Chung, said he had never deliberately concealed his employees' sad stories; he just didn't want them to be labeled as dangers to society.

"I hope the quality of the bread is the first draw for customers to our cafe and bakery, and in addition, some may want to show support after learning about our charitable activities," said the Hong Kong native and former Wall Street banker.

However, in the wake of the report, the bakery was bombarded with mixed feedback and business declined.

Heads held high

"HIV/AIDS is less of a medical problem in China nowadays, but people who are AIDS-impacted, irrespective of whether they or their parents are HIV-positive, are still stigmatized. We cannot control what people think about us, but we have to live with our heads held high," To said.

The cafe, located on West Nanjing Road, sells French bread, coffee and simple set meals. The main objective is listed on the wall: all of the profits go to the Chi Heng Foundation which helps AIDS orphans in rural areas, most of them orphaned in the 1990s when their parents died after being infected via transfusions of contaminated blood.

Chi Heng, or "wisdom in action", is registered as a charity in Hong Kong, and since 2002, it has helped more than 20,000 students from HIV/AIDS-affected families.

The cafe, a social enterprise initiated by the foundation, is named for the 127 children who made up the first group of AIDS orphans to receive an education in the first year of Chi Heng's charitable work.

Shen Jie, who works nearby, said she and her colleagues have dubbed it "the cafe of love" and visit often.

"The food rarely differs between restaurants, but the stories behind their food are very different, so I'll continue to support this great project," she said.

Zhang Jing, a barista, said many of the customers were regular visitors, but new faces used to appear every day, drawn by the cafe's food and charitable activities.

The situation changed after the Shanghai Observer report. Yu Fengjiang, a manager at the cafe, said thousands of negative comments appeared online and members of staff were plagued by threatening phone calls. People even visited to complain about the cafe's existence.

"In terms of revenue, we made about 5,000 yuan ($719) a day before (the report), but now it's around 3,000 yuan. We used to sell 40 to 50 set lunches a day, but the number has fallen to 30 or fewer. The fact that AIDS-impacted orphans work here leaves a shadow in some people's minds, although our workers don't have HIV/AIDS," Yu said.
Before age 27, To Chung was vice-president of a Wall Street investment bank, but latterly his life has been dominated by a desire to help children from families affected by HIV and AIDS.

The turning point came when To was appointed to the bank's Hong Kong office to identify investment opportunities in rural China.

During his trips to the interior, he visited villages ravaged by the illnesses.

"I never thought people in such a small place could suffer such painful misery. Almost every family had people who were HIV-positive, and everyonefrom seniors to childrensuffered from poverty, disease and discrimination," said To, who was born in Hong Kong, but emigrated to the United States as a teenager.

The conditions he encountered in the rural areas led to many sleepless nights, prompting him to take action.

He quit his job and founded the Chi Heng foundation in 2002 to fund education and provide living expenses for young people with at least one parent who had died of AIDS.

Around 60 percent of the beneficiaries have been admitted to universities, while others have become mechanical engineers, nurses and chefs, To said: "I've been educating our AIDS orphans to work hard at school and college to develop skill sets and not be a burden on society. We should live and work with dignity."

During the current academic year, the foundation is supporting more than 9,000 students, but the biggest difficulty it faces is raising more money as the number of students rises and they move up through the grades.

"The average cost per child has increased dramatically in the past few years. Supporting a student in primary and secondary school is very different from helping a student at university," he said.

Although he spends about 30 percent of his time raising funds, To would prefer to spend the majority of his time providing direct services at the cafe.

"People won't give you money just because you give money to others, and people will only give you money because you're providing a good program," he said.
A child receives treatment at Beijing Children's Hospital in December. DING SHAN/CHINA DAILY

Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province have been urged to better integrate their medical resources to improve the quality of health services for all residents in the region.

"Better integration would increase efficiency and help control medical expenditure, so that people can get quality, safe and sustainable basic health services," said Wang Yixin, a professor of general medicine at Beijing Anzhen Hospital.

She was speaking at a discussion during the annual session of the Beijing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the top advisory body, which concluded on Tuesday.

"Integration would help address the issue in Beijing, home to most of China's top hospitals, of hospitals being overloaded with patients, which puts a great strain on resources and makes it difficult for people to receive medical care," Wang said.

Thirty percent of patients at all major hospitals in Beijing in the first half of 2016 were from outside the capital, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning. More than 7 percent were from neighboring Hebei.

At the Beijing Children's Hospital, for example, doctors receive more than 10,000 patients a day during peak seasons, with more than 70 percent of the patients coming from outside Beijing.

This means patients often have to wait hours to see a doctor, sometimes resulting in clashes between medical staff and patients.

Yue Changhai, a member of the China Association of Medical Equipment and the CPPCC Beijing Committee, suggested the city government take measures to guide top hospitals that receive most patients from outside Beijing to establish branches in neighboring areas.

"Such a measure would help control the number of patients flowing into core areas of Beijing and ease traffic congestion," he said. "Meanwhile, it would make hospitals less crowded and enable them to provide more people with quality services."

The Beijing municipal government is encouraging major hospitals in urban areas to relocate some facilities to the suburbs. Beijing Friendship Hospital, for example, is building a hospital in Shunyi district, while its original site downtown is being scaled down.

Health officials have also encouraged hospitals to cooperate with clinics in neighboring areas such as Baoding and Zhangjiakou, both in Hebei, to help improve the hospitals' service quality and capability.

Wang said hospitals in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei should make full use of information technology to establish an online medical platform covering the whole region to promote coordinated development of healthcare.

The government should also make more favorable policies for medical cooperation and integration in the region, she added, such as encouraging experts from big hospitals to provide training and services at community health clinics.
Customers visit a stall in Cangzhou, Hebei province, in September after some vendors transferred to the city from the Beijing Zoo clothes market.[FU XINCHUN/CHINA DAILY]

Vendors moved to neighboring cities said new business is weak

Beijing planners will continue to unclutter the capital by shutting down or relocating businesses that do not serve a core function, according to the city's Government Work Report for 2017.

Among the key tasks is moving more traders from the sprawling Beijing Zoo markets as well as closing more than 500 low-end manufacturers and polluting companies, Acting Mayor Cai Qi told the annual session of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, the city legislature, as he presented the report on Saturday.

Beijing has identified itself as a center for four core functions: politics, culture, international communication, and science and technological innovation.

"According to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integrated development plan, the capital will take a big step to remove all noncore functions this year," Vice-Mayor Li Shixiang said at a news conference on Sunday.

The city government will release guidelines on how the newly empty land can be used, he said, adding: "It will initially be used to improve roads, and for new parking lots and community services. After that, it will be considered for its potential for economic growth, such as developing high-end industries. The basic principle is to use the land in a better way, avoiding low-end repetition."

Wholesale markets have played an important role in the city's development for decades, Li said, but they no longer fit with Beijing's development, while the valuable land they occupy "should be used for more urgent needs such as public services and high-technology research".

The Beijing Zoo clothes market began in the 1980s and over the years swelled to about 13,000 stalls covering more than 300,000 square meters. The market generated 20 billion yuan ($2.9 billion) in revenue in 2016, according to the Xicheng district government.

However, the market was blamed for causing severe traffic congestion and was considered unfit for the capital's downtown area.

Authorities announced in 2014 that it would be relocated, with traders moved to Shijiazhuang, Baoding and Cangzhou, all cities in neighboring Hebei province.

Lu Yan, director of the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, told China Daily that more than half of the market was relocated in 2016, with the rest to be moved this year.

One trader who still runs a stall near the zoo said the markets in Shijiazhuang and Baoding have done well, but that vendors who have transferred to Cangzhou have complained of weak business.

"I'm due to move out in 2017, but I'm now considering whether to keep working in the business or find something else to do," said the trader, who did not want to be identified.

Lu responded by saying that it will take time for the relocated markets to regain their popularity. "The Beijing Zoo market developed over 30 years. We need patience," he said.
File photo of Ying Yong. [Photo/VCG]

Ying Yong was elected mayor of Shanghai on Friday, the local legislature said.

The election was held on the last day of the annual session of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress.

Ying, 59, a native of Xianju county in Zhejiang province, had been serving as Shanghai's deputy Party chief since June 2014 and was elected executive deputy mayor in September.

Previously he had worked as the president and Party chief of the higher people's courts in Shanghai and neighboring Zhejiang province.

Shanghai's legislature approved the resignation of Yang Xiong, the city's previous mayor, on Tuesday.
File photo: Shen Jinlong.

The People's Liberation Army Navy has appointed a new commander  60-year-old Lieutenant Admiral Shen Jinlong.

In a news release distributed by the PLA Navy on Friday, Shen spoke in a video conference with officers and sailors of the 25th Escort Fleet in the Gulf of Aden in his new capacity as PLA Navy commander.

That means he has replaced Admiral Wu Shengli, 71, to take charge of the largest navy in Asia. Although the Navy did not disclose when the transition took place, observers believe it was this week.

Shen, a Shanghai native, had been commander of the 10th Destroyer Flotilla under the North Sea Fleet and then commander of the Navy's Lyushun Logistic Support Base.

In 2010, he was appointed president of the Dalian Naval Academy and promoted to the rank of rear admiral. The next year, he became president of the Naval Command College in Nanjing.

In the summer of 2014, Shen led three warships to take part in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise in Hawaii. After the exercise finished, the ships paid a 5-day visit to San Diego, California.

He was named deputy commander of the South Sea Fleet as soon as he returned to China in August that year. In December 2014, he replaced Lieutenant Admiral Jiang Weilie, who was named deputy chief of the PLA Navy, to become the fleet's commander.

He was promoted to lieutenant admiral in July.

Shen's predecessor, Wu Shengli, joined the PLA in 1964 and graduated from the former PLA Surveying and Mapping Academy. He was captain of several frigates and destroyers and gradually moved up through the ranks of the Navy.

Wu was commander of the South Sea Fleet before taking the job of deputy chief of general staff in 2004. In April 2006, he was named commander of the PLA Navy. He is the second longest-running commander of the PLA Navy, surpassed only by Xiao Jinguang, who was the Navy's chief from 1950 to 1980.

The last time Wu appeared in media reports as the PLA Navy's commander was on December 28 when he attended a symposium that marked the eighth anniversary of the Navy's escort mission in the Gulf of Aden.

Wu is still a member of the Central Military Commission, the country's highest military organ, but his new duties remain unknown.
A record 343 million Chinese are planning to travel during this year's Spring Festival holiday, 13.6 percent more than last year, according to the China National Tourism Administration.

Popular overseas destinations include the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asian counties, Xue Yaping, a senior official with the administration said on Friday.

As for domestic travel, destinations in southern China such as Sanya in Hainan province, Shenzhen in Guangdong province and Xiamen in Fujian province are popular among those who live in the colder north, while cities in the northeast are also attracting many tourists looking for ice and snow.

According to Xue, 36 percent of tourists will travel by plane during the seven-day Spring Festival holiday, which begins on Jan 27.
WUHAN - Wang Xiaodong was elected governor of central China's Hubei Province on Friday.

The election was held at the fifth session of the 12th Hubei Provincial People's Congress.

Wang was appointed acting governor of Hubei in September 2016.

Wang, born in 1960, is a native of neighboring Jiangxi Province. He worked in the provincial governments of Jiangxi and Guizhou before moving to Hubei in December 2011.

Jiang Chaoliang was elected head of the standing committee of the Hubei Provincial People's Congress on Friday.
The People's Liberation Army Navy has a new commander, 60-year-old Vice-Admiral Shen Jinlong, according to the Navy.

Shen, in the capacity of the PLA Navy commander, had a video chat on Friday morning with officers and sailors of the 25th escort fleet to the Gulf of Aden, according to a Navy news release.

That means he has replaced Admiral Wu Shengli, 71, to take charge of the largest navy in Asia. Although the Navy did not disclose when the transition took place, observers believe it occurred in the past week.

A senior researcher with the PLA Navy who asked not to be named said Shen was chosen because he has rich experience gained through posts in front-line combat units, institutes and a major fleet's commanding body.

"He has theoretical and practical knowledge and front-line commanding experience, and he is just 60. These make him a suitable choice," the senior researcher said.

"However, Shen is facing many challenges, since the Navy now has heavier responsibilities in safeguarding the country's maritime interests and dealing with threats and interventions," he added.

The researcher said he expects the new commander to continue to improve the Navy's strategies, tactics and weapons and to keep honing its joint operation capabilities.

Admiral Wu, Shen's predecessor, was captain of several frigates and destroyers and gradually moved up through the Navy's ranks.

Wu was commander of the South Sea Fleet before taking the job of deputy chief of general staff in 2004. In April 2006, he was named commander of the PLA Navy.

He is the second-longest-serving commander of the PLA Navy, exceeded only by Xiao Jinguang, who was the Navy's chief from 1950 to 1980.

In Wu's tenure, the Navy went through a massive expansion in terms of armaments, capabilities and operational scope.

When he took over the Navy in 2004, most of its ships and submarines were old and incapable of matching their US or Japanese counterparts, while most of the Navy's exercises were conducted in China's coastal waters.

In the past 10 years, the Navy took delivery of about 100 advanced ships and submarines as well as a large number of new aircraft.

It commissioned around 20 new ships in 2015 as well as last year and is believed to have deployed several new-generation nuclear submarines during this period.

The Navy now has a carrier battle group, which just completed a long-distance, live-fire drill in the Western Pacific Ocean and South China Sea.

The Navy's aviation force has carried out several long-range, combat-ready drills.

Moreover, the Navy has gained extensive experience of large, sophisticated operations through its active participation in escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and multinational naval exercises in the past several years.

The last time Wu appeared in media reports as the PLA Navy's commander was on December 28 when he attended a symposium that marked the eighth anniversary of the Navy's escort mission in the Gulf of Aden.
Premier Li Keqiang meets with Scottish-American chemist Sir James Fraser Stoddart, winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in chemistry, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. WU ZHIYI/CHINA DAILY

More foreign talent is welcome to China for innovation work and business, and the government will step up support in such areas as granting "green cards", project applications and intellectual property protection, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday.

The country will also "relax market access, attract more foreign investment and learn advanced technologies and management", Li told a gathering in Beijing of outstanding foreign experts working in China.

One week ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year, Li attended the annual event to send greetings and collect wisdom on how to boost China's innovation-driven growth and reinforce its soft power.

Speaking to the scholars and corporate leaders, Li expressed China's strong hope to "fully tap into wisdom and creativity of every individual".

The aim is to nurture new dynamism to propel economic growth, upgrade traditional industries and boost the transformation and upgrading of China's economy, Li said.

Sir James Fraser Stoddart, the Nobel Prize winner in chemistry for 2016 who now works at Tianjin University, suggested that China establish a long-term program to support creative young researchers and their teams.

Foreign experts make more than 600,000 visits to China each year, according to Zhang Jianguo, head of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.

China's problems in attracting brainpower from overseas include its lack of top-tier talent in cutting-edge domains and its insufficient attraction to high-end talent, Zhang told People's Daily on Wednesday.

Denis Depoux, Asia deputy president and senior partner of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, said China has become an innovation powerhouse, as a growing domestic market and middle class are fueling "incredible creativity and business model ingenuity".

Olaf Kastner, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, said that the world appears to be in a transitional period in which staying competitive is even more difficult, and it is in this context that Germany has embarked on its Industry 4.0 initiative.

"China is progressing with China 2025, a far-reaching strategy to lift production structures and qualities to the next level. It holds a lot of similarities to the German initiative. Both concepts are similar and striving to foster intelligent production," Kastner said.
Editor's note: To relieve travelers from long lines or congested traffic during their long journey back to their hometown to enjoy the traditional Chinese festival with their families, here are some tips to make the travel comfortable.

A screenshot from Taobao.com shows people waiting in line with a portable stool. [Photo from Taobao.com]

Portable stool

Price: tens of dollars

The portable stool can be folded into size of a cup and stored in a pocket. Though it is small in size, a single stool can hold a weight of around 100 kg. It is undoubtedly a good choice when one has to stand and wait in a long line or in a crowded waiting room.
EU leaders on Wednesday welcomed clarity from the United Kingdom 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.

May's speech "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 EU.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he feared the two-year negotiation period 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 said.

"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."

'Not in a hostile mood'

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 favorable for Great Britain than current membership in the EU," Robert Fico said.

"Negotiations over Brexit will be very tough and painful and it would be wrong if (remaining EU members) emerged weaker and Britain stronger."

(China Daily 01/20/2017 page12)
BBC hosts Si King and Dave Myers experience the travel home on bikes in the documentary. [Photo/Mtime]

Chinese New Year is a time when the modern and traditional are brought together to celebrate a tradition even older than the Great Wall of China.

It is a celebration many living outside China may have heard of, but may not truly know. With the help of the documentary masterminds at the BBC, the veil can finally be lifted.

BBC's documentary Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth, has gone viral on the Internet in China, attracting more than 68 million views on one of the country's major streaming website.

The China-UK co-production, released on Feb 29, 2016 for the Year of the Monkey, resurfaced once more this year, for its depth and the emotions it brings along.

The three-episode documentary, namely Migration, Reunion and Celebration, is an eye-opener for most audiences in the West, and a tear-jerker for those in China.
Chinese acrobats perform at the Chinese New Year gala, Christchurch, New Zealand, Jan 16, 2017. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

A Chinese Lunar New Year gala was held in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Jan 16. About 800 government officials, representatives and local people attended the event.

Around 30 acrobats and artists from Wuhan performed a series of acrobatics and dances, which dazzled the locals.

The performers will tour in other places around the country the following month.
[Photo provided to China Daily]

When a foreign chef arrives in China for a guest stint in a restaurant kitchen, the first adventure is usually at customs. Most bring a suitcase  or two  full of ingredients they fear won't be available in the Chinese mainland.

When Frederik Bizat arrived in Beijing last week, the only food in his bags was 2 kilograms of French black truffles. He's taken over the kitchen at Flo Maison through Sunday, where hes present two mouth-watering set menus, including one driven by the fragrant black fungi.

For other produce, he wasn't worried.

"Flo is a fine French restaurant that has been around for years," he says. "I know there is good expertise at sourcing ingredients."

Bizat normally runs the kitchen of Michelin-starred Les Trois Soleils de Montal, in the town of Saint-Cere in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France. He's not one of those Michelin chefs who parachutes into Asian kitchens often  the owner of Flo spends a lot of time in his part of France, and persuaded Bizat to bring his deft balance of delicate flavors and textures to Beijing last year. Now hes back for a second stint, while his own restaurant is closed for winter holidays. His wife, Florence, who runs "the front of the house" in France is with him in Beijing, greeting guests as they arrive in the Flo Maison dining room.

"This is my vacation," he says with a smile.

Beijing diners may think they are on holiday this week too. One menu starts with a delicate amuse bouche, thin slices of foie gras, slightly sweet on toasted cracker. It was a welcome change from the overwhelming wedge of foie gras many chefs find irresistible to flaunt. The same grace with goose liver comes in the first course, a ravioli with a foie-gras filling that doesn't overwhelm the dish's other flavors.

Next came St. Jacques Pacific scallops with celeriac cream and black truffle, followed by New Zealand lamb saddle with garlic cream and aubergine.

The dessert is a gloriously light passion-fruit mousse, with coconut sherbet, citrus, mango and crispy tuille. The tropical fruits are an example of Bizat's embrace of Asian ingredients  and eagerness for carefully selected seasonal produce wherever he is. Ginger, kaffir lime juice, Thai basil and a sauce of white miso appear elsewhere on the menu.

The four-course Les Trois Soleils menu described here is 688 yuan plus service charge; the five-course Black Diamond Truffle menu is 988 yuan ($143).

Through Sunday at Flo Maison, 18 Xiao Yun Lu, Chaoyang district. 010-6595-5135.
[Photo provided to China Daily]

The China Association of Health Promotion and Education has launched a charity project to raise the public's awareness on the threat of precocious puberty, a health condition that causes early sexual development in children.

A child whose body begins puberty and starts changing into that of an adult too young  usually before 8 in girls and before 9 in boys  are considered having precocious puberty, and the experiences often have negative impact on the child's adult height potential and psychological health.

Still unknown to the medical community of its causes in many cases, the condition is a common endocrine disorder among children, and is having an increasing incidence rate in China, according to the association.

Nationally, the prevalence of the disorder is 0.43 percent, but is higher in developed areas. In big cities such as Shanghai, the disorder prevalence is about 1 percent.

However, Chinese society is not fully aware of the disorder, and only one third of the patients ever seek medical advice, according to the association.

The charity project plans to select 20 hospitals and 20 schools nationwide as education bases, where medical experts and volunteers will organize education programs for the public to know more about the disease.

Related:

Exercise on weekends may also significantly reduce death risk: Study

Mediterranean diet can help keep brain healthy: Study
Actress Tao Hong [Photo provided to China Daily]

Brand New China, which promotes clothing, furniture and household articles by Chinese designers, and Serve for China, a project to improve the environment and speed up poverty alleviation in poorer areas of China, jointly held a charity event in Beijing on innovation in the villages.

The event displayed products of farmers, who benefited from the project, Serve For China, and Qin Yuefei, the founder of project, shared his ideas and achievements of the project as well as calling for attention of the impoverished rural areas.

Qin has been working in a remote rural township since completing his studies in Yale University in 2010. His nonprofit aims to empower village chiefs and rural entrepreneurs across China and help startups through the project's online crowdfunding service.

Brand New China, a brainchild of media celebrity Hong Huang, opened its first store, gathering more than 150 Chinese designers, at Beijing's popular Sanlitun area.

Related:

Hotel group strives to bring back children's smiles in Asia's remote areas

Pastry cooks participate in charity bazaar in Paris
A file picture dated 14 March 2015 shows a person demonstrates the look and feel of new operating system Windows 10 for Smartphones and at the Microsoft stall at the CeBIT technology fair in Hanover, Germany. [Photo/IC]

Political and business leaders gathered together at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week to discuss the most pressing issues facing our planet and seek constructive and innovative solutions to them.

Digital finance is already the lifeblood of our global financial system. But it also gives us a platform to do so much more. We believe digital finance could also support life-saving efforts to address today's environmental challenges, helping to deliver green investments and encourage environmentally friendly lifestyles.

At stake are the world's ecosystems on which we depend, and the need and opportunity to create an inclusive green economy that provides decent jobs for all. Financing sustainable development will require tens of trillions of dollars over the coming decade, mainly private capital that has to be directed to sustainable infrastructure, such as clean energy, resilient agriculture and low carbon cities.

Green finance has risen quickly on the international policy agenda, catalysed by China's leadership during its G20 presidency. In his opening speech at the start of the two-day G20 Summit on Sept 4 last year, President Xi Jinping said the G20 had drawn up action plans in multiple fields, including sustainable development, energy efficiency and green finance, each of which he said, should be implemented seriously. Now, Italy is advancing the cause of green finance through its G7 presidency, as is the current president of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson of Fiji. And countries across the world are building ambitious national green and sustainable finance roadmaps. Banks, pension funds and insurance companies are integrating climate and wider environmental risks into their financing decisions.

Converging with these positive developments is the impact of digital finance on the financial system itself. Financial techfrom mobile payment platforms to crowd sourcing and blockchainwill revolutionize the financial landscape. And fintech is not a solitary disruptor. It is part of a broader technological ecosystem that includes big data, artificial intelligence, and the internet of things. Together, they will digitally connect the natural world with physical goods and financial flows and assets. Tomorrow's citizens will be able to choose what to consume based on the environmental footprints of products and services. It is possible to imagine everyone having personal natural capital accounts that in turn form a basis for money itself.

Actually, such futures are already today's experiments. ANT Financial Services Group has launched a function that provides individual users of its Alipay mobile payment platform with personalised carbon accounts based on algorithms that translate an individual's carbon-saving activities conducted via the payment app into an estimate of their carbon footprint. Users are rewarded with "green energy" for reduced carbon use, which is translated into carbon-offsetting commitments by ANT. In the first four months of the trial, 54 million Chinese users have signed up and saved sufficient carbon to create an obligation to plant over 760,000 trees in Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Digital finance has the potential to also cost-effectively finance the greening of millions of small businesses. It could be used to accelerate the evolution of green capital markets in developing countries. And there is no reason why a new generation of crypto currencies, underpinned by blockchain, should not be based on green criteria.

The UN Environment Programme and Ant Financial hope that our Green Digital Finance Alliance, launched this week in Davos, will provide a platform that brings together the world's most innovative digital finance players to catalyse ambitious initiatives to green tomorrow's global economy.

Erik Solheim is United Nations Environment Programme executive director and Eric Jing is CEO of Ant Financial.
A person sits in a field in China's Yunnan province, a photo by Italian photographer Enrico Barletta. [Photo/IC]

A TRAVEL AGENT in Southwest China's Yunnan province posted a notice saying that it was not accepting bookings from residents from certain places. Beijing News commented on Thursday:

The travel agent said that bookings from tourists from Henan and Hunan provinces in Central China and Guangdong province in South China could not be accepted because there are no discounted tickets for flights from these areas. It is obviously not true as the airlines are not discriminating against passengers from certain provinces. If the airlines were to selectively choose their customers in such a way, they would be violating the law.

The bias against people from these provinces visiting Yunnan is due to their relative reluctance to spend money during their trips. Or because they are troublemakers in the eyes of the travel agents because of past complaints.

In contrast, people from the northern areas are more welcome due to their "generosity". Travel agents also classify them into different levels, according to the experience of the travel agents, tour guides, and the shop owners conspiring with the travel business dealers.

When the tour guides take the tourists into a shop, they have usually made a deal to split the money spent by the tourists. The hidden rule is the deeply rooted problem in the travel business, reflected in the profit-driven industry practice.
Attendant Huang Huixin helps a passenger to get off the special train K4186 for migrant workers at Quxian Railway Station in Quxian County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Jan. 14, 2017. The train, during its 2,084-km-long journey from Fuzhou to Sichuan's Guang'an, took over 2,500 migrant workers home at Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces in over 27 hours.[Photo by Jiang Kehong/Xinhua]

AN INCREASING NUMBER OF MIGRANT WORKERS, particularly those born in the 1980s and 1990s, are choosing to celebrate Spring Festival in the cities where they work instead of returning to their hometowns. Guangzhou Daily commented on Wednesday:

It is understandable that younger migrant workers choose to spend the holiday far away from home as the annual travel rush makes traveling a challenge at this time of year.

For those migrant workers who choose not to go home, they are granted the "luxury" of touring the less crowded cities they may not otherwise have the time to explore.

Their staying out during the holiday also means there is less of a labor shortage in the big cities during Spring Festival, which has previously been the case, and it relieves some of the pressure on the nation's railways.

In return, mega-cities such as Beijing and Shanghai should take the opportunity to help their migrant populations develop a better sense of belonging. The options are plenty: Free admission to local attractions, organized reunion dinners, and complimentary health checks, for example.

Helping migrant workers and their families to get accustomed to urban life and eventually settle in cities would make a major difference to their lives. Non-local youngsters are usually more inclined to seek permanent residence in the big cities and have a stronger urge to fight for it. They should be offered better welfare, be it medical services or education resources.

That many urban governments have made some progress in loosening the restrictions on local household registration is a laudable step forward. They are also making efforts to grant non-local citizens fairer access to public services.
A man walks at the main entrance of the congress center where the World Economic Forum takes place in Davos, Switzerland, in this file photo taken on Jan 18, 2016. [Photo/IC]

The 47th World Economic Forum (WEF) held this week in Davos, Switzerland was notable for the statement of intent by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Xi became the first Chinese leader to address the WEF, laying out his vision for the future of the global economy, and defending globalization from charges that it had benefited some more than others.

American President-elect Donald Trump, on the other hand, made his statement through his silence on the event, instead sending Anthony Scaramucci a top advisor. At the WEC, Scaramucci continued Trump's hostile posture, warning China that America could fight and win a trade war with the country.

But Xi's speech at the Davos forum was what most international observers had come to watch.

The sight of a leader of a country once largely closed to international trade arguing for the continuation of the process of globalization, and promising to open his country up further to foreign investment contrasted sharply with the absence of leadership by the United States the country that has most aggressively promoted free trade and "Washington Consensus" policies for developing countries.

Yet explaining to the losers of globalization why they should keep faith with free trade and open markets is a tough sell. How do you explain to a worker in one country why they should lose their job to a worker in a country with lower wages? Vague promises of retraining and financial support aren't likely to cut it.

But it isn't just economic grievances that are challenging the process of globalization. In countries across the world issues such as crime, immigration, political correctness, and nationalism are propelling politicians to power who see globalization as a problem  not a solution.

Millions of workers in Western countries have seen their jobs move to developing economies. Cheaper imports in the shops of developed countries are useless if many workers can no longer earn the money to buy them.

Trump, along with other leaders who oppose aspects of the global economy, has simplistic solutions to complex problems. Jobs are not simply going to flood back to the United States because Trump commands it. His extensive threats of tariffs, while undoubtedly lending some protection to American industries, will invite retaliatory tariffs by foreign countries.

This new international landscape leaves an opening for China. Through policies such as the country's One Belt and One Road initiative, and by playing a positive and constructive role in global affairs, China can aim to take up the mantle of global economic leadership.

Globalization has benefited millions of people, yet political consent for it is collapsing in some of its key proponents. Yet without dealing with the problems caused by globalization, it will be a shrinking band of countries and politicians that continue to argue for it. And few will be listening.

James Skinner is a contributing editor at China Daily with an MA in International Relations. He has a particular interest in British and American politics, as well as global security issues.
A Davos logo is seen before the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland January 15, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

This third week of January, 2017 is one overflowing in ironies that will long be remembered. It is full of sea changes in which history performed flip flops and somersaults leaving the world noticeably transformed from many decades that preceded it.

This week reminds me of Margaret MacMillans 2002 award-winning book Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World but oddly only as a tangential mirror image of it. This is because this week the world as we knew it has gone and been supplanted by a new paradigm hardly imaginable a year ago.

Three events make my point. The attendance of President Xi Jinping for the first time, along with senior Chinese officials, at the World Economic Forum, together with his much anticipated keynote address and visits to various multilateral organizations. United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa Mays announcement that Brexit will be a clean one marked by untying the many knots that bound it to the European Union. The third is the inauguration of one of the most enigmatic Presidents in the history of the United States, Donald J. Trump.

A year ago it would have been hard to imagine, as memorialized in President Xis Davos keynote, that China would assume the mantle of leadership in globalization, opposing protectionism and promoting free trade. But thats exactly what he said. And in tandem, the State Council announced that the Chinese government would liberalize policies on foreign investment in Chinese banks and other financial institutions.

Although some may still quibble with the purity of Chinas open trade policies, there is no doubt that the US abdicated its leadership as of todayby renouncing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and handed China its global leadership role on a silver platter. And to give credit where credit is due, Xis One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative begun in 2013 was prescient. China is occupying the moral economic high ground in the world now and can further capitalize on being there. More than forty countries and international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China, and Chinese companies are responsible for more than $50 billion in investments resulting in significant job creation at home and abroad under OBOR.
A Chinese worker installs signs on a giant rock in front of the headquarters building of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing, January 12, 2016.[Photo/IC]

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, 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 China's response to the growing needs of the Asian communities for infrastructure development. This initiative is in line with China's declared aim of making greater contribution to international development endeavours, 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 $ 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 $2.5 trillion according to one estimate.

The Belt and Road initiative is in line with the Chinese President's vision of 'building a community of shared interests, destiny and responsibility.' It is a part of China's 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 Assembly's 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 $ 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. $34 billion earmarked for energy sector projects, Pakistan's GDP will be strengthened by 2pc 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 endeavour. 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 neighbours 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 (Pakistan)

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and don't represent views of China Daily website.
Recaptured drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted by soldiers at the hangar belonging to the office of the Attorney General in Mexico City, Mexico January 8, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

MEXICO CITY  Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, 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 US Thursday to face drug trafficking and other charges.

Mexico's Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to US authorities for transportation to the US on Thursday, the last full day of President Barack Obama's administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated.

The US Justice Department issued a statement confirming that Guzman was en route to the United States and expressed gratitude to Mexico for its cooperation.

A senior US official said the US Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas, and a plane carrying him departed for New York at 5:31 p.m. EST. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and agreed to give the information only if not quoted by name.

The convicted boss of the Sinaloa cartel, one of the world's largest drug trafficking organizations, had been held most recently at a prison near Ciudad Juarez. He was recaptured a year ago after escaping from a second maximum-security prison through a tunnel dug to his cell.

The 2015 escape was highly embarrassing for the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand the headache off to the United States afterward. Guzman's lawyers have fought extradition since his recapture.

"It was illegal. They didn't even notify us," said lawyer Andres Granados, who accused the government of extraditing his client to distract from nationwide gasoline protests. "They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike. It's totally political."Guzman, who is in his late 50s, faces the possibility of life in a US prison under multiple indictments in six jurisdictions around the United States, including New York, San Diego, Chicago and Miami.

A federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York, where Guzman is expected to be prosecuted, accuses him of overseeing a trafficking cartel with thousands of members and billions of dollars in profits laundered back to Mexico. It says Guzman and other members of the Sinaloa cartel employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

He was indicted by a US federal grand jury in July 2009. A superseding indictment was issued in May charging him and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada with a variety of drug, gun and money laundering charges as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise.

The Mexican Foreign Relations Department's statement said a court had ruled against Guzman's appeal and found that his extradition would be constitutional.
Im excited to share a photo diary of my 2017 visit to London and Paris with Eurostar! After I returned from Octobers visit to London and Amsterdam (you can find a London Guide here and an Amsterdam Guide here), I was beyond thrilled when Eurostar offered the opportunity to come back to London and take the train to Paris. A dream beyond my imagination!

When I traveled to Europe for the first time in college, we took the train to travel between Italy, Switzerland and France. It was so easy and left me incredibly jealous that getting around the U.S. isnt as swift! On this trip, we first landed in London for a quick bit before heading to Kings Cross to explore the growing area of London. Then we quickly hopped on the Eurostar train to head to Paris. The check-in process to boarding the train took under 30 minutes, and I especially loved that you take your suitcase with you to stow away in an area on your section of the train. It makes the entire process even easier (and much faster).

In just over two hours we were arriving in Paris, and honestly it felt like 30 minutes because we were served a full lunch (including wine and dessert!) and there was complimentary wifi onboard (unlike my 8-11 hour flights). My sweet sister got to planning our day in Paris while I emailed away, and having that time to work only made the rest of our day go even smoother. We actually got so comfortable on the train that when the attendant shared we would be in Paris in 10 minutes I was like wait, that cant be us, we just got on the train!

The train station to our hotel was under 15 minutes, and my sister and I couldnt get over how easy it was. This was actually her first train ride in Europe, and we are already talking about all the other places wed like to visit. Eurostar also offers rides to Belgium (along with direct routes between London and Lyon, Avignon and Marseille in the South of France), and will soon be offering a ride to Amsterdam. If only we had that back in October  I so much prefer trains over planes!

I cant even begin to explain what an incredible experience this was to share with my sister. I know we created lifelong memories together, and it was no surprise that she was the perfect travel companion. Of course we have taken countless trips together, but not just the two of us, so it was such a fun and special experience! I think we gave my mom and sis-in-law major FOMO though so clearly the four of us need to plan a trip together in 2017.

Eurostar St. Pancreas International Station

The Louvre

I love you written in over 300 languages.

Musee de lOrangerie

Sainte Chapelle

Palais Royal

photo by Gabi Alves Photography

If youd like more information on what I would recommend doing in London, you can check that out here. I plan to share a full post on what we saw, ate and where we stayed while in Paris  so expect to see that next week!

And if youre wondering where some of these outfit pieces came from you can shop most of them here.

Thanks so much for reading  XO 

Brought to you by Eurostar
Workers prepare for the inauguration of US President-Elect Donald Trump at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, January 19, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Over the past several months, Chinese have been paying an unprecedented amount of attention to American politics  on social media and at dinner tables. On Friday, a group of them will stand at the west front of the Capitol Building to see Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

"They are not here just to see a new US president or a businessman who becomes a president. They are here to see Trump," said Yang Jingzhu, founder of AmeriChina, which partners with US charities to bring Chinese clients willing to pay a high price as a charity donation to attend exclusive American events, including the Academy Awards and Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting.

"Unlike those annual occasions, this is a one-time historical event," she said.

Yang started marketing a $15,000 package to the official inauguration ceremony and the formal ball two days after Trump won the election.

Ding Chenling from Beijing is one of Yang's clients. He is the founder of Redbang, a Chinese internet celebrity consulting firm, and has written a commentary on the Trump phenomenon. The piece has been read by millions.

"I'm here to see Trump and to see how divided America is," said Ding, who had studied in the US as an exchange student 20 years ago. "I want to see how much has America changed."

LLL International Travel, a New York-based travel agency, is leading a group of Chinese businesspeople to participate in the inaugural events. A few of the people are on Hurun's China Rich List, though the agency declined to disclose their names.

"They want to witness this historical moment because Donald Trump is a very controversial figure. There is lots of curiosity," said Susan Chen, marketing manager.

"Secondly, it may be helpful for their business in the future. They can say, I attended the inauguration' if a conversation with the US comes up or so. And it's personal branding too," she said.

Yang said she expects to see a good number of Chinese, many of whom could be businesspeople, at the show. Tickets are available from various unofficial channels  individuals, travel agencies and organizations  if one is willing to pay for it.

"Many of my friends from China showed interest in it," said Daniel Lou, president of Long Innovations International Group and a New York-based Trump supporter.

"It's a good opportunity for networking and experiencing first hand the changes in American society, and to explore business opportunities," he said.

Chinese Americans also will be represented at the ceremony, including supporters, businesspeople and community leaders.

In a WeChat group, some 100 Chinese-American Trump supporters were discussing the plans for their victory trip. They rented Airbnb homes together, invited newcomers to crash on their sofas and shared the latest announcements on road closures and tips for parking and taking the metro.

Ding said he has met many Chinese Americans in business in Washington who hope to figure out where their country is heading in trade and other areas.

"It's a turning point in history. People are looking at how it goes," said Yan Xiaozhe, executive director of the Chinese Association of Iowa. "I want to hear Trump's speech. I also want to see protests on Saturday."

Contact the writer on hezijiang@chinadailyusa.com
Carolyn Hanna, a supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump from the Bahamas, smiles during an Inaugural Concert at the Lincoln Memorial at the National Mall in Washington, US, January 19, 2017, one day before Trump's inauguration as the nation's 45th president. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - Rob Cortis calls it the "Trump Unity Bridge" - a bulky, metal 45-foot structure welded to two wheels and bedecked with red, white and blue signs echoing President-elect Donald Trump's campaign themes.

He has towed it more than 20,000 miles (32,000 km) across the country. But as he arrived in Washington on the eve of Trump's inauguration on Friday as America's 45th president, he struggled to navigate the city's crowded potholed streets.

"I've been on dirt roads that are smoother," said Cortis, who lives in Michigan.

Things are no smoother for Washington - a city with a history of welcoming its White House occupants - following one of the most polarizing elections in modern US politics. Nowhere in the country did the Republican Trump get less support, winning just 4 percent of the vote in the District of Columbia in the Nov. 8 election.

On K Street, best known for its well-heeled lobbyists, about 200 protesters chanted: "No Trump ... no fascist USA." Nearby, Trump supporters - some draped in red, white and blue shirts, hats and jackets - declared their unwavering support for the New York businessman.

Denise Hendrickson, 51, a nurse who moved to Washington when Democratic President Barack Obama took office eight years ago, walked the streets on Thursday with a sign thanking him for his service and proclaiming: "We Already Miss U." As she moved down the sidewalk, she invited Trump supporters to talk, promising hugs to anyone who was willing.

One man wearing Trump's signature red "Make America Great Again" hat just smiled, took a picture and moved on. Then a middle-aged woman, also in Trump gear, approached to talk. After a few minutes, the two women hugged.

"This city is bummed out, it's a Democratic city," Hendrickson said.
A video of Donald Trump's granddaughter reciting a Chinese poem for a Lunar New Year party went viral last year, illustrating for some that affluent families are still keen on having their children learn Chinese, no matter what the political differences are between China and the US and despite Trump's anti-China rhetoric.

Arabella Kushner made headlines in November when her mother Ivanka Trump shared the video of her reciting the Chinese poem Sympathy for the Peasants for a Spring Festival party from earlier in 2016, with people further digging up another video posted nearly two years ago of the child "working hard" on her Sunday morning Chinese lessons.

"So-called 'rich folks', whether they feel China will play a friendly, positive role or negative role in the [US-China] relationship, [they know] it would benefit their children to learn their language because it provides the kind of access and provides opportunities in a whole different way," said Jeff Wang, director of China learning programs at the non-profit Asia Society.

"They're very straightforward.The usual suspects, they still think that China will be a major player, US-China relations will be a major factor. Their kids are incredibly articulate: they want to be lawyers, they want to be business people, they want to be in the trenches, and they know language will afford them that access," he added.

At the Avenues independent school for students in grades K-12, where annual tuition is $49,250 and thousands more in fees, language immersion is part of the curriculum. Students can choose to study Chinese or Spanish, and from age 3 to the fifth grade, students alternate between learning in English and learning in either Chinese or Spanish.

Nancy Schulman, director of early education at the school in Manhattan, said that the response to the language immersion has been "incredible," with about 600 students choosing the Mandarin track.

"Parents do this for multiple reasons. Obviously China is a very fast, important economy in the world and certainly there are parents who are looking forward to opportunities for their children in the future, to be able to participate in a global economy that is important in the world," she said.

"Many [parents] were bornor have worked or were raisedin another country and have an interest in expanding the idea of what it means to be a global citizen for themselves and for their children also," she added.

There are approximately 200,000 students in the US studying Mandarin, a number that President Barack Obama's administration wants to increase to 1 million by 2020 through the One Million Strong initiative, a successor to the 100,000 Strong initiative founded in 2009, whose goal was to get 100,000 US students studying Chinese. The goal was surpassed in 2014.

"Anecdotally, the demand has never been higher in terms of interest that the foundation has incoming from students who are seeking more information to find out more opportunities in China," said Eugene Huang, acting CEO of the US-China Strong Foundation, which was initially known as the 100,000 Strong Foundation before it was renamed last year.

Huang emphasized that students expressing interest in studying Mandarin don't come from just the privileged class, "those who go to Ivy League institutions or other institutions that are 'the elite' in this countrywe're seeing demand from historically Black universities, we're seeing interest from community colleges and other places where you wouldn't expect the interest to be in China, but it's there."

During his presidential campaign, Trump called the Chinese government a currency manipulator, threatened to impose tariffs on goods imported from the country, one of the US' leading trade partners, and repeatedly vowed to get tough on China. And concerns over a possible trade war between the US and China have increased since Trump's election to the presidency in November, but people in the education field said they expect that it won't diminish interest in learning Chinese.

"For families with means to explore and access resources to ensure their kids chance to stay successful, I think the political rhetoric won't keep them from doing so," said Shenzhan Liao, director of education at the China Institute.

"I think regardless of the political climate, learning Mandarin, and the cultural understanding it opens to, is about developing and enhancing one's ability to understand the world with a fuller picture in mind," she said.

China Institute offers language-learning programs at its downtown Manhattan location for adults and children, teaching roughly 300 students per semester, according to Liao.

"China Institute has been around since 1926, and the political [climate between US and China] over the past 90 years has gone up and down given the world context," she said.

"I think regardless of the political climate, learning Mandarin, and the cultural understanding it opens to, is about developing and enhancing one's ability to understand the world with a fuller picture in mind."

Contact the writer on amyhe@chinadailyusa.com
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May attends the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 19, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

DAVOS -- 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 in Davos.

"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.
Nepal's top diplomat in China welcomed more Chinese investors to take advantage of immense opportunities in his country and appealed for more Chinese people to travel to the country ranked by Lonely Planet as the world's fifth best tourist destination for 2017.

Speaking at a seminar on Investment Opportunities in Nepal in Beijing on Thursday, Nepalese Ambassador to China Leela Mani Paudyal highlighted the technical, human and financial capabilities of China in building infrastructure, including energy networks, and its efforts to bolster common prosperity in the region under the One Belt, One Road initiative.

"You can link with Nepalese enterprises to develop products and services according to the need of the Chinese market and help promote that product in China," he told entrepreneurs from different various provinces.

Referring to the Lonely Planet listing Nepal as a top tourist destination for 2017, the ambassador appealed for more Chinese tourists to go to Nepal and enable the tourism industry to boost the economy after the 2015 earthquake that claimed the lives of more than 8,000 people.

The ambassador also discussed the "Investment Summit" to be organized by the government of Nepal on March 2-3 as a mega event in Kathmandu and invited entrepreneurs to participate in the summit.

Li Yunyan, executive chairman and secretary general of the Belt and Road Ambassadors Forum Committee (AFC) said that Nepal is one of the most attractive investment destinations and urged the entrepreneurs to explore investment opportunities.

Speaking at the seminar, Li Debiao, former ambassador of China to Nepal, said that choosing Nepal as an investment destination would be the right decision as it has adopted solid investment policies, ensuring safety and security and the business environment there is favorable.
The White House is seen in Washington, US, January 19, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

It is said that the US news media take Donald Trump literally but not seriously, while his supporters take him seriously but not literally.

When the New York real estate tycoon takes office today as the 45th president of the United States, the world will listen carefully to the message coming from his inauguration speech. Especially China.

Unlike his recent predecessors, Trump is seen as full of uncertainty and unpredictability by the rest of the world, including many foreign policy experts on China-US relations.

As president-elect, Trump broke a four-decade US diplomatic protocol in early December by speaking on the phone with Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen. He told The Wall Street Journal last week that the "One China" policy is negotiable.

During his presidential campaign, Trump talked about slapping 45 percent tariffs on Chinese exports, triggering wide concern about a possible trade war between the world's two largest economies. He has also vowed to name China a currency manipulator once in office.

The 70-year-old Trump has also caused anxiety among US traditional allies by saying that Japan should pay more for the US military stationed there. Early this week, he called NATO obsolete.

Michael Pillsbury, a senior fellow and director of the Center for Chinese Strategy at Hudson Institute and an adviser to Trump's transition team, noted that Trump mentioned in his 2016 campaign book Great Again his admiration for China's negotiation skills, and said he wanted to appear "unpredictable" to the Chinese.

"In this, he has richly succeeded," Pillsbury wrote in his Jan 13 article posted on Hudson's website.
Our guiding belief at the foundation is that all lives have equal value. It just so resonates for me. It fits perfectly with my own view that all the learning I had done to become a medical doctor didn't matter if I didn't make a contribution to basic social justice.

That's why all of us at the foundation work hard with our partners every day to reduce the kind of inequity preventing the poor from fully enjoying the benefits of economic development and social progress. Sadly, today there are still too many people missing out. So this year's theme of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos is particularly appropriate - and especially urgent - when it comes to the global health and development agenda.

We need to accelerate the pace of innovation in order to end poverty, hunger and disease by 2030

In just a short space of time, the world has made extraordinary progress at a pace unmatched in human history: Maternal deaths cut by nearly half, child mortality and malaria deaths cut by half, and extreme poverty cut by more than half.

Progress like this is why we can now set ourselves new goals, such as ending poverty, hunger and disease by 2030, which just a generation ago were thought to be unattainable. We know now what's possible with public support and political will. But reducing the numbers by half, great as that is, means that we are still only half way done.

So let's not kid ourselves. For all the amazing progress, we need to step up the pace of investment and innovation to make good on the promises we've made to the world's poorest and most marginalized people because many challenges  old and new  remain.

For instance, tuberculosis is still one of the world's top 10 causes of death, and the world's leading infectious killer. The polio virus has re-emerged in Nigeria. And the widespread outbreaks of Zika and Ebola exposed the world's inability to effectively detect, respond to, and prevent the spread of pandemics.

Pandemics are a growing global threat  and we are unprepared for them. As Bill Gates says, if anything is going to kill 10 million people in the coming decades, it is far more likely to be a highly infectious disease than a conventional war. We don't know what epidemic will come next, who it will affect or how long it will last. What we do know is that there will be one.

The good news is that we also know what we have to do make the world safer, healthier, and more equitable. And we know it is within our power to do it. We just need to rise to the challenge.

Responding to these challenges requires global collaboration and leadership, and continued investment in innovation and R&D. Innovation in science has the potential to mitigate threats as fast as they emerge but only if governments and the private sector continue to invest in health R&D. We need to bring governments, businesses, international organizations and civil society together to drive progress.

Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, is a model for how this kind of co-operation can be achieved effectively  and produce stunning results. Since 2000, Gavi has supported 73 countries to immunize 500 million children, along the way preventing more than seven million deaths.

This success is why we are incredibly optimistic about a new initiative that we and our partners are launching at Davos, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Vaccines are critical tools in fighting disease outbreaks, but traditional approaches to developing and deploying vaccines are often too slow to prevent emergencies. This new approach will accelerate vaccine research and development so that we can get ahead of epidemics.

We are really excited about the potential of a public-private partnership that pools funding and technical expertise. With CEPI, we're confident that we can solve market failures and overcome regulatory hurdles so that we can tackle the biggest threats to global health security. But it will only be successful if governments make sustained investments in R&D, and as citizens, we need to show our support for innovation that drives human progress.

China has an important role to play in fighting some of the biggest challenges in global health and development

We have some really big ambitions for the progress we can make on global health and development, which is great. But if we're going to get there, we need to speed up the innovation cycle, generate good ideas more quickly, and turn those ideas into products more efficiently.

To do all of this, the world needs China. Chinese innovation encompasses new applications for traditional medicines, advances in sequencing technology, and breakthroughs in vaccine R&D. Global health innovation requires full Chinese participation. That only stands to reason.

We can't afford to shut ourselves off from the best minds, the best ideas, the best approaches - no matter where in the world they come from. We don't want to leave any doors closed in solving these big problems. And if you're not actively involving a country as vast as China, that's leaving an awful lot of doors closed.

We know that one of President Xi's stated aspirations is to build an innovation-driven economy. When he and Madam Peng met with Bill and Melinda Gates in Seattle in September 2015, one of the main topics was their shared commitment to advancing R&D in global health and development. And during a trip to China in October 2015, I visited several R&D centers and companies and saw with my own eyes how life sciences, computer science and big data have been organically integrated.

China is now the world's second largest country in terms of R&D investment. It has a proven track record in tackling public health issues at scale such as malaria and polio, and has also shown clear potential for developing and manufacturing world-class, affordable drugs and health products.

One exceptional example is a Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine developed and manufactured in China through partnerships among China Biotech Corporation, PATH and our foundation. To date, more than 250 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed outside China. The price of the vaccine is only a fraction of that of similar products sold in developed markets, making it ideal for use in low-income countries and regions.

Last year, we launched the Global Health Drug Discovery Center in collaboration with Tsinghua University and Beijing Government, which is focused on addressing the health needs of developing countries by accelerating the discovery and development of innovative drugs at an affordable price. The reason why we chose China as the home for this important initiative is China's strong capacity for innovation and rich pool of talented scientists and technicians.

2017 marks the tenth year of the Gates Foundation's presence in China. Over the past decade, our programs have expanded from helping China address domestic health challenges in HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and tobacco control to also include supporting China in playing an increasingly important role in tackling global challenges. Underlying all these programs is our confidence in China's potential for promoting global health and development, and our job is help unlock such potential so the world can make good on our collective 2030 agenda.

The author is the Chief Executive Officer of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Donald Trump's "unofficial press office", his Twitter account, is attracting the attention of Chinese netizens as he prepares for his inauguration as the 45th president of the United States.

The New York real estate developer is a big fan of Twitter and has sent more than 34,000 tweets since he registered in 2009. His tweeting continued even after he won the presidency in November, with controversial comments, many of them targeting China.

He accused China, in some of those tweets, of manipulating its currency, challenged the one-China policy and defied China's efforts on the Korean Peninsula issue.

Trump said in one tweet: "We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back, -let them keep it!" after China seized a US underwater drone in the South China Sea. That elicited a response from Chinese twitter user @xnlxxbb who sent a smiling expression package (picture with text) that said "Hum, go on boasting, I'm listening".

Chinese netizens even created a twitter tag #asktrumpfirst to quiz the "70-year-old man who is addicted to the internet", as they put it.

User @The2ndtuitui asked "If it is OK to know how to dye my hair the same color as yours?". Another Twitter user @isabel_atwood asked Trump "If it is ok to end this term earlier", with a picture of Pikachu (a rodent Pokemon) sighing.

If Trump wanted to be even more well known, then @KurtwantPS2 recommended he sign up on Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, because he "will become a famous star in China".

While there is an amusing aspect to Trump's tweets, some believe it is just for show while others argue that they serve a valuable purpose of gauging opinion.

Yuan Shiying, a 22-year-old college student said: "We should not view Trump too simply", although a lot of her classmates think his outspoken personality is kind of cute.

"If he is not a cautious man, then he couldn't become a shrewd businessman and a politician. I think some of his immature behavior' may be a trick to cover his real intentions," she said.

Liu Yangqing, a researcher working for a think tank, believes that Trump is deliberately revealing some of his opinions through Twitter to test the waters of public opinion.

An NBC-WSJ poll released on Wednesday shows that many Americans don't like Trump's Twitter tirades and 69 percent of them called his habitual tweeting a "bad thing".

Not surprisingly, Trump responded, you've guessed it, by tweeting "The same people who did the phony election polls, and were so wrong, are now doing approval rating polls. They are rigged just like before."

Contact the writher on mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn
The full list of jury members for the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest, organized by Rossiya Segodnya under the patronage of the Russia's Commission for UNESCO, has been published on the contest's official website.

The jury consists of distinguished representatives of the Russian and world photography communities, including Andreas Trump, director of photography at Stern magazine, Ian Landsberg, Independent Media's photo editor, Arianna Rinaldo, Artistic Director of the Cortona On The Move international festival (Italy), Natalia Grigoryeva-Litvinskaya, chief curator and founder of the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography, Vladimir Pesnya, Rossiya Segodnya special photo correspondent and winner of the 2016 World Press Photo Contest, Chen Qiwei, president of Xinmin Evening News and head of newspapers and digital media at Shanghai United Media Group, and Varvara Gladkaya, photo editor and photography teacher at the School of Visual Arts.

Entries are accepted at stenincontest.com until March 22, 2017. The awards ceremony and the opening of the contest's photo exhibition will be held on September 14, 2017, in Moscow.

Ian Landsberg, photo editor at Independent Media: Andrei Stenin International Photo competition is a powerful incentive to young visual storytellers around the world to capture and document not only the sad realities of conflict and disaster, but also the hopes, aspirations and dreams of the people they documenting. Founded on the precepts of courage and professionalism, as portrayed by slain Russian photojournalist Andrey Stenin - after whom the competition is named  the contest provides the international exposure and visibility needed by young photojournalists eager use their artistry and ingenuity to make a difference in the lives of others.

Vladimir Pesnya, Rossiya Segodnya photojournalist and World Press Photo winner: For any creative person, it's important to hear words of encouragement and the appreciation of colleagues and outstanding professionals, especially at the start of your career when it's easy to get discouraged and decide that it's all beyond you. Recognition at a major international competition is great support for a young photographer. I am convinced that the contest, named after my colleague Andrei Stenin, has high standards for photojournalism and will serve as a springboard for many young photojournalists.

Chen Qiwei, Editor-in-Chief of Xinmin Evening News:

It is a great honor to be a judge of the Andrei Stenin Press Photo Contest 2017, and work together with many internationally renowned masters in the field of photography.

The contest provides a platform for outstanding young photographers to display, communicate and promote. The contest in 2016 was a great success, and I hope to see even more and better works this year. I also hope the exhibition of winning entries this year in Shanghai will help more Chinese people to learn about these young photographers and feel the beauties their works possess

The contest is open to participants aged 18 to 34. It is Russia's only international platform for discovering new photojournalists and supporting young professionals. The 2017 contest will include four categories in which young photographers can vie for awards: Top News, Sports, My Planet, and Portrait: A Hero of Our Time. Following the voting, the jury will award prizes to the top three in each category and present a Grand Prix award.

The 2016 contest received 6,000 entries of young photojournalists from 71 countries. Winning photographs have been exhibited in Moscow, Istanbul, Cape Town, Shanghai, Beijing, Cairo, Berlin, Rome, Maribor and Ljubljana. The Grand Prix in the 2016 contest went to Italian photographer Danilo Garcia Di Meo for a photo series about paralyzed young woman, Letizia. The series won the hearts of the jury and, as a result, Letizia made her first ever foreign trip to Russia to tell her story in person and inspire people in similar situations.

The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest aims to support young photographers and to draw public attention to the challenges of photojournalism in today's world. It is a platform for young photographers - talented, sensitive and open to all things new - who draw our attention to the people and events around us.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Up to 16 police were killed as militants stormed police checkpoints in Miwand district of the southern Kandahar province on Friday, a local official said.

"A group of Taliban rebels attacked some security checkpoints in Sarabaghal area of Miwand district at around 03:00 am local time today triggering gun battle which lasted for a while during which 16 police personnel including commander of checkpoints Sardar Wali were martyred," said the official.

Nearly two dozen Taliban fighters were also killed and some others injured in the firefight, the official said.

Meanwhile, Samim Khapalwak, spokesman for Kandahar provincial government, has confirmed the fighting in Miwand district, saying the clash occured in "Sarabaghal locality early morning during which several enemies" had been killed. Khapalwak, however, declined to make comment on the possible casualties of security personnel.

However, Qari Yusuf Ahmadi who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit in the southern region, in contact with media, claimed that the armed militants inflicted huge casualties to police personnel in Miwand district.

Kandahar, the former stronghold of Taliban militants, has been the scene of insurgency over the past several years.
BEIJING - China on Friday expressed positive expectations for the upcoming dialogue on Syria issues scheduled in Astana, Kazakhstan next Monday, saying that it hoped the talks would set a sound foundation for the Syrian talks in Geneva.

"China is positive about all proposals and plans that will be conducive to the political solution to the Syria issues," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying at a daily press briefing.

Hua said that China supported the United Nations' role as the main channel of mediation on Syria issues, and thought the upcoming dialogue in Astana was a useful supplement to the Syrian talks in Geneva.

She said that China hoped the Syrian government and the oppositions could eliminate differences, accumulate mutual trust, and push forward the political process to accomplish success, adding that the Syrian government and the oppositions should take part in the Geneva talks without preconditions.

"China takes a fair and objective stance on the issues, and supports the peace talks in Geneva," said Hua. "China will continue its efforts for an early realization of lasting peace and stability in Syria."

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 in Astana was later announced.

As part of diplomatic efforts to peacefully end the years-long civil war in Syria, the UN will convene a new round of Syrian talks in Geneva on Feb 8.
DAVOS, Switzerland - On the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration, Billionaire investor George Soros said Thursday the US President-elect is "going to fail".

During a speech in Davos, the venue for the World Economic Forum, Soros called Trump a "would-be-dictator", saying he was "gearing up for a trade war".

A trade war would have "a very far reaching effect in Europe and other parts of the world," warned Soros, a supporter of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The "would-be-dictator ... didn't expect to win," said Soros.

According to Bloomberg Television reports, Soros said "I personally am convinced that (Trump) is going to fail."

He is going to fail "not because of people like me who would like him to fail, but because the ideas that guide him are inherently self-contradictory," Soros said.

The financial markets will "not do very well" due to the uncertainty caused by the Trump administration, Soros further predicted.

"Right now uncertainty is at the peak," Soros said, adding "It's impossible to predict exactly how Trump is going to act."

The United States is holding the quadrennial presidential inauguration ceremony on Friday when Trump will be sworn in as the country's 45th president.

Trump on Thursday nominated former Governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture, completing his entire cabinet selection before his inaugural ceremony.
PENNE, Italy - Eight people were found alive on Friday two days after being buried under a massive avalanche that hit a luxury mountain hotel in central Italy, a Civil Protection official said.

Titti Postiglione told reporters that two of the survivors had already been pulled clear of the snow and debris which destroyed the isolated Hotel Rigopiano on Wednesday. Rescuers were digging to free the remaining six people.

"Finding these people gives us further hope there are other survivors," Postiglione said.

More than 30 people, including four children, were in the building when the avalanche slammed into it, officials said, reducing much of it to rubble and spreading debris across the valley floor.

Two men who were outside the hotel at the time managed to escape the wall of snow. Officials have confirmed that two bodies have been removed from the site, while Italian media said two more corpses had been located.

One of the survivors found on Friday was a young girl, Deputy Interior Minister Filippo Bubbico said, who is helping coordinate rescue efforts at the scene.

The group were found in the hotel kitchen area which was not crushed by the tonnes of snow that obliterated much of the four-storey building, media said.

Helicopters have been dispatched with equipment and doctors to help extract and evacuate the survivors.

The disaster struck the hotel in the Gran Sasso park late on Wednesday afternoon amid a driving snowstorm, just hours after four earthquakes with a magnitude above 5 rattled the area.

As much as 5 metres (16 ft) of snow covered much of what is left of the hotel, said Walter Milan, a member of the Alpine Rescue service who was on the scene. Only sections of the spa and swimming area were intact, he said.

An investigation into the tragedy has been opened by a court in Pescara amid accusations that the emergency response was slow. The first rescuers arrived amid a snow storm on skis early on Thursday morning, some 11 hours after the avalanche.

Giampiero Parete, a chef who was a guest in the hotel, had gone to his car to get headache pills for his wife when the avalanche struck. His wife and two children, aged six and eight, are still missing.

Parete called his boss, Quintino Marcella, with his cell phone at 5:40 pm on Wednesday, just after the avalanche had struck, asking him to call for help.

"He told me: 'The hotel has collapsed'" Marcella said in an interview with RAI state TV, adding that the local prefecture did not immediately believe him. He kept calling until he was assured help was on the way some two hours later.
President-elect Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday. Photo by AP

It was still dark in Washington, DC, at 6:20 am on Friday as Sage Sopko and his friend Jonathan Kingery walked out of the Metro Center rapid transit station wearing red caps emblazoned with "Make America Great Again".

That was the campaign slogan of New York real estate billionaire Donald Trump, who was inaugurated around noon on Friday as the 45th president of the United States.

Sopko and Kingery, both of whom are students at Illinois State University some 1,200 kilometers away, had skipped school for the inauguration.

"We are Trump fans," Sopko said. "If we skip school, this would be the best time to do it."

Kyle Houk, from Cincinnati, Ohio, also emerged from the Metro station. "I am very excited today," said Houk, who previously attended three Trump rallies in Ohio.

The Metro was unusually crowded early on Friday morning. So were the streets, where National Guard soldiers stood at checkpoints and huge concrete traffic barriers had been installed.

With Republicans now in control of the White House and both houses of Congress, around 70 Democratic lawmakers announced this week that they would not attend the inauguration ceremony.

Many demonstrations for or against Trump had been scheduled for Friday and over the weekend. The largest protest, Women's March on Washington, is set for Saturday morning and was expected to draw around 200,000 people.

Li Haidong, a professor of US studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said the new US president will face challenges.

"The first year after Trump takes office, he might push the wheel of history back  because he has anti-globalization policies in terms of economy and security," Li said.

But Ning Jizhe, chief of China's National Bureau of Statistics, said he expected stronger China-US economic cooperation after Trump is sworn in.

Ning told a news conference in Beijing on Friday that he believed Trump would consider issues from the perspective of developing mutually beneficial ties and would advance the long-lasting cooperation between the two major economies. "I am hoping for that," he said.

Jin Canrong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, said, "Overall, there is no need for China to be over-worried about Trump. Instead, Beijing should keep calm."

Contact the writers at chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
US President 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, US, January 20, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Donald Trump took power as the 45th president of the United States on Friday and pledged to pursue "America First" policies in an inaugural address that was a populist, anti-Washington rallying cry.

Sketching a bleak vision of a country he said was ravaged by rusted-out factories, crime, gangs and drugs, Trump indirectly blamed his predecessors in the White House for policies that helped the establishment at the expense of struggling families.

He said the inauguration represented not just the peaceful transfer of power from one party to another. "We are transferring power from Washington, DC, and giving it back to you the people," he said.

"For too long," he said, "a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs."

He vowed to reverse that trend and make America first. "The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer."

"From this moment on, it's going to be America First," the Republican told hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the grounds of the National Mall after taking the oath of office on the West Front of the US Capitol.

"The time for empty talk is over," he added later. "Now arrives the hour for action. Do not allow anyone to tell you it cannot be done."

Four past US presidents, three Democrats and a Republican, sat nearby. Scattered street protests erupted against Trump elsewhere in Washington.

"Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families," Trump said, describing the country's social and economic ills as "American carnage."

Trump, 70, takes over a country divided after a savage election campaign. A wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star, he will set the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad.

Trump's inaugural address revisited the themes of the campaign rally speeches that carried him to an improbable victory on Nov 8 over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who attended the ceremony with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Under pressure to unite the country after the bitterly fought campaign, Trump said that through allegiance to the United States, "we will rediscover our loyalty to each other" and called for a "new national pride" that would help heal divisions.

Abroad, Trump signaled the possibility of a more aggressive approach to Islamic State militants than his immediate predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama.

"We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and united the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth," he said.

After repeating the 35-word oath of office, Trump stretched his arms wide and hugged his wife, Melania, and other members of his family. Ceremonial cannon blasts fired.

The transition from a Democratic president to a Republican took place before a crowd of former presidents, dignitaries and hundreds of thousands of people on the grounds of the National Mall. The crowd stretched westward on a cool day of occasional light rain.
People participate in a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump across from Trump Tower in New York City, U.S., January 20, 2017. [Photo / Agencies]
Ukrainian officials have agreed to renovate an old army airport near the city of Uman and open it to commercial flights, including from Israel.





The renovation, reported on Monday by the news site Life, is made possible thanks to a $140 million investment by unnamed parties from the United states. The opening of an airport near Uman, situated 120 miles south of Kiev, has the potential of redirecting from the international airports of Kiev and Odessa tens of thousands of Jewish pilgrims who visit Uman to be near the gravesite of the 18th-century luminary Rabbi Nachman of Breslav, a sprititual father of the Breslav hasidic movement. Some 25,000 pilgrims come on Rosh Hashanah alone.





The pilgrimage often has created friction between the predominantly Israeli new arrivals and locals, many of whom resent the cordoning off by police of neighborhoods for the pilgrims.





The Ukrainian lawmaker Maxim Polyakov last month said he had brokered a meeting between Ukraine's trade minister, Stepan Kubiv, and "investors from the United States and Israel," Life reported. They had "discussed the international airport construction project in the city of Uman," Polyakov said at the time.





In the whole of 2016, approximately 50,000 pilgrims came to Uman, with 90 percent of them passing through Kiev's main airport.





The number of flights from Israel and other countries with a substantial number of pilgrims has been rising steadily as well, according to Life. In 2014, Boryspil International airport in Kiev saw 167 such flights with approximately 25,000 pilgrims compared to 302 flights and 45,000 pilgrims last year.





But building a special airport for the pilgrims is not financially viable for the Ukrainian state without foreign investment, according to life. In 2016, revenues from inbound pilgrims totalled in at $350,000.





Uman locals and tourism professionals often complain that the pilgrims do not bring in enough currency to even cover expenses connected to cleaning up after Rosh Hashanah. Many of the pilgrims consume only kosher food, which they will buy only from Israelis and other Jews who set up shop in Uman permanently or ahead of the Rosh Hashanah influx. According to various reports, Israeli crime bosses are also involved in trade in Uman.





Separately, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, a body affiliated with the Chabad Hasidic movement, announced the opening of two synagogues in Ukrainians prisons: The IR-86 penitentiary in the western city of Vinnitsa and IR-12 in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, the news site Jewish.ru reported Wednesday.





There are currently some 200 Jewish prisoners in the Ukrainian prison system and rabbis are working in seven of the prisons, Rabbi Zeev Vinogradov was quoted as saying.





The opening of the synagogue in Vinnitsa colony came at the initiative of an inmate, Vladimir Pedko, who for many years independently studied Judaism in prison, the rabbi said.




EPB's venture into phone, television and Internet continues to boost its electric side - putting $11.8 million in profits onto the ledger already this fiscal year.

Greg Eaves, chief financial officer, said the profit by the end of the fiscal year should be between $18 million and $19 million.

Electrical sales have been doing well on their own. Mr. Eaves said sales in December were five percent above budget as there were $52.45 million in revenues.

Net income for the month was $2.4 million.

EPB is $7.9 million ahead for the electric portion thus far in the fiscal year.

David Wade, president, said EPB now has 88,000 TV customers - far above initial projections.

The fiberoptic debt is expected to be paid off sometimes this year. At one time, EPB was paying it down by more than $1 million per month.

Mr. Wade said the utility has been having to put more capital into set top boxes with new HD offerings.

He said it is envisioned that with new technology the boxes will go away as the move continues toward streaming of video content. He said, "We see a lot of momentum in that direction," which he said will be a plus for EPB.
(Photo : Getty Images) The book was apparently written by APA Hotel Group's Chief Executive Officer Toshio Motoya under his pen name Seiji Fuji.

Advertisement

One of Japan's biggest hotel chains APA Hotel Group has sparked a controversy in China following a report that one of its local hotels is storing a book that claims the 1937 Nanjing massacre was a complete "fabrication."



The book was apparently written by APA Hotel Group's Chief Executive Officer Toshio Motoya under his pen name Seiji Fuji. The book says that China's claim of a death toll of 300,000 is absolutely "absurd."



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

He challenged this figure by claiming that the population of Nanjing, which was then the capital of China, was only 200,000 in 1937.



An excerpt from the book reads that there were "absolutely no records such as diaries, letters, or photographs by people from a third country...who witnessed the massive killing."



The Chinese government has voiced its displeasure over the open distribution of the book in Japanese hotels.



A statement issued by China's foreign ministry said that this book proves that "some forces within Japan refuse to squarely face history and even attempt to deny and distort history."



The controversial book came to the attention of Chinese people after two tourists displayed the book in an online video, which quickly went viral on the Chinese Weibo. The video gained more than 95 million views with many calling for an immediate ban on the book.



Several Chinese companies have stated that henceforth they would nHt reserve rooms in APA hotels unless the book is removed and the CEO issues a public apology for his remarks.



However, APA Hotel has refused to soften its stance saying that the views expressed by its CEO were based on factual findings and are intended to present a "true interpretation of modern history."



The 1937 Nanjing Massacre is a Painful Part of China-Japan History



The Nanjing massacre represents what China claims is Japan's wartime aggression against its country. The massacre took place during the second Sino-Japanese War fought between 1937 and 1945.



According to Chinese historians, Japanese troops pounded Nanjing and carried out a ruthless massacre that left 300,000 people dead, with China claiming that the massacre is one of the deadliest in human history.



However, Japanese historians, as well as the government, has refused to accept these claims. Some claim that the Nanjing massacre never took place at all, while others claim that China has exaggerated the death toll to defame Japan.



Advertisement

TagsNanjing Massacre, Japan, China and Japan, china
(Photo : Getty Images. ) The cargo train covered a 7,500 to 8,000-mile distance in nearly 18 days passing through seven countries including Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium, and France.

Advertisement

China's first freight train service to the United Kingdom arrived at its final destination at Barking's rail freight terminal in East London on Wednesday. The cargo train embarked on the historic London journey from China's Yiwu in Zhejiang province more than two weeks ago.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

The cargo train covered a 7,500 to 8,000-mile distance in nearly 18 days passing through seven countries including Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium, and France. It finally arrived in the UK through a channel tunnel.



China started the historic freight train service with a long-term goal to boost its export market, which has already started sliding due to the economic recession. The Asian giant is running a similar cargo train services to several European countries, with London being the 15th European city on its ever expanding rail network.



The London train carried 34 containers, out of which 10 containers were offloaded in Germany's Duisburg city, while the rest were taken off at the Barking terminal. Most of the containers reportedly contained socks and other commodity items.



However, certain media reports claim that the train which arrived in London is not identical to the one that left Yiwu city two weeks ago. This is probably because the train may have been changed in Russia as larger rail gauges are used in the country than other countries included on the route.



The London cargo train as well as China's other "expanded rail network" will become part of the ambitious One Belt, One Road project. Through this ambitious project, the Chinese government wants to revive the traditional silk route to bolster trade activities with Eurasia and Central Asian countries.



The One Belt, One Road project, also known as Silk Road Economic Belt, is one of the pet projects of President Xi Jinping and was officially unveiled in September 2013.



Advertisement

TagsChina Cargo Train, China - UK Freight Train, China - London Cargo Train, china
(Photo : US Navy) U.S. Marines' F-35B lands aboard the USS America.

Advertisement

The first Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter squadron deployed outside of the United States now at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni in Japan is preparing to join a series of aerial war games with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) and the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

The stealth jets belong to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121), also known as the "Green Knights," departed their former base at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona on Jan. 9 with the first fighters arriving at Iwakuni on Jan. 11. The remaining six stealth jets will be delivered in June by the USS Wasp (LHD-1), a Landing Helicopter Dock amphibious assault ship of the U.S. Navy.



"The transition of VMFA-121 from MCAS Yuma to MCAS Iwakuni marks a significant milestone in the F-35B program as the Marine Corps continues to lead the way in the advancement of stealth fighter attack aircraft," said the United States Marine Corps in a statement.



VMFA 121 flies the Marine Corps version of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, the F-35B. This variant is short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) the jet that will replace current inventories of both the F/A-18 Hornet and the AV-8B Harrier II in the fighter and attack roles.



VMFA-121 will be the first F-35 squadron permanently based in Japan. Lt. Col. J.T. Bardo, commanding officer of VMFA-121, said Marines with the squadron are both excited and honored to be part of this move.



"The arrival of the F-35B embodies our commitment to the defense of Japan and the regional security of the Pacific," said Maj. Gen. Russell Sanborn, the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing commanding general.



"We are bringing the most advanced technology to the Pacific to respond to the wide range of missions we take part in and provide greater support to our regional allies."



Iwakuni is home to a Marine F/A-18D Hornet squadron and a squadron of KC-130J Hercules tanker-transport aircraft, along with a number of aircraft from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.



In addition, two more Marine Hornet squadrons are normally on temporary rotations to Iwakuni at any one time under the Unit Deployment Program (UDP).



The Green Knights and their F-35Bs will join in regional joint exercises this year throughout the United States Pacific Command's area of responsibility, including the biennial exercise including Forager Fury in Guam and Exercises Ssang Yong and Max Thunder in South Korea.



Advertisement

TagsF-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121), Green Knights, USS Wasp, Japan, Lt. Col. J.T. Bardo, Maj. Gen. Russell Sanborn
(Photo : Indian Army) Russian-made Indian Army T-90S tanks on parade.

Advertisement

The Indian Armed Forces' "Cold Start" warfighting doctrine makes a nuclear war against Pakistan all but certain and is arousing fierce debate in government and military circles.



The controversial Cold Start Doctrine prepares the Indian Armed Forces for a short, intense and "blitzkrieg" war against Pakistan. It posits the rapid mobilization of the Indian Army's armored regiments and infantry divisions, and is based on the questionable assumption a rapid seizure of Pakistani territory across the Line of Control by massive armored attacks will deter Pakistan from launching nuclear counter strikes in retaliation.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

This strategy will allow the far larger Indian Army to annihilate the Pakistan Army in a series of massive conventional battles.



The Indian government and military are united in publicly stating Cold Start doesn't exist, but the ongoing rearmament of the Indian Armed Forces and current military exercises by the Indian Army seem to indicate otherwise.



India claims that what it does have is what it calls a "Pro-Active Conventional War Strategy," which some observers insist is Cold Start by another name.



"(The) essential risk (of the Cold Start doctrine) is that of triggering a nuclear exchange," said Rahul Bhonsle, a retired Indian Army brigadier general who is now a defense analyst.



Other military analysts labeled Cold Start as a destabilizing doctrine by its very nature since it unrealistically assumes India can invade Pakistan without triggering a nuclear war.



The Cold Start Doctrine essentially prepares for the next war against Pakistan, which will emerge on short notice; will be of short duration and will be fought at high tempo and intensity.



"The doctrine would mean combined operations by air, land and sea forces, which will require greater coordination," said Nitin Mehta, an Indian defense analyst.



If Cold Start does become doctrine, it means India will have to acquire specialized weapons and equipment to realize its goals of a blitzkrieg campaign. India already has the nuclear bombs and missiles needed to fight a nuclear war.



India on Dec. 26 conducted a fourth successful test of its Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a road mobile, canister-launched weapon capable of delivering its payload of nuclear MIRVs (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles) to targets anywhere in China and Pakistan.



Indian military analysts believe Cold Start's emphasis on a blitzkrieg will mean the Indian Army will have to fight a network-centric warfare for which it is neither equipped nor trained.



The army will also need more armored vehicles (tanks, armored personnel carriers and self-propelled guns), and will also have to upgrade its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities along the LoC.



In all, these changes will require massive investments of money, resources, personnel and time.



Newly-appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat early this year said the Indian Army is prepared to simultaneously fight a two-front war against Pakistan and China, a statement that left some Indian military observers shaking their heads in incredulity.



"As far as armed forces are concerned, we are tasked to be prepared for a two-front war and I think we are capable of carrying out our task in whatever manner that we may be asked to do by the political hierarchy," said Gen. Rawat.



"We want peace at borders because civilians lose the most."



Gen. Rawat said while India and its army want to maintain peace and tranquility at the borders with china and Pakistan, it will not "shy away" from using its power "in any form."



Despite its controversial premises, the Cold Start doctrine will be considered by the armed forces.



An anonymous senior Army officer told Indian media Cold Start "will be discussed in the near future between the top military leadership as part of a new war doctrine."



The Indian government, however, has issued no comments on Cold Start, or even acknowledges it exists.



Whether it exists or not won't matter since discussions about Cold Start will inflame military tensions with China and Pakistan. One analyst even claimed Cold Start will be given a different name such as preemptive defense to make it appear less threatening to China and Pakistan.



But there is the chance Narendra Modi's government will adopt Cold Start for the simple reason it has nothing else to consider.



Advertisement

TagsCold Start, warfighting doctrine, Indian Armed Forces, blitzkrieg, Pakistan, Pakistan Army, Pro-Active Conventional War Strategy
(Photo : USAF) B-2 dropping bombs.

Advertisement

In an unusual action, the United States sent two of its Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bombers from the U.S. mainland to bomb ISIS camps on the outskirts of the Libyan seaside city of Sirte, a mission that might have killed up to 100 of the Islamic militants.



The two stealth bombers flew all the way from their base at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to rain bombs on two ISIS camps located 45 kilometers southwest of Sirte.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

This city was liberated from ISIS control on December 5, 2016 by forces of the Libyan Government of National Accord supported by U.S. airstrikes as part of the U.S. Operation Odyssey Lightning.



The bombers unleashed over 100 gravity bombs onto both camps, killing anywhere from 80 to 100 ISIS fighters, many of whom were known to have escaped the fall of Sirte in December.



One U.S. Air Force officer described the bombing mission as "a huge success." It took the B-2s 30 hours to cover the 9,300 kilometer distance from Missouri to Libya.



Each B-2 can carry over 40,000 pounds of bombs and other munitions. That translates into over 80 500 pound bombs.



This mission was the first time the B-2s have seen combat since March 2011. The stealth bombers also flew this mission over Libya, but in support of the first wave of airstrikes in Libya during the NATO-led military intervention.



"The United States remains prepared to further support Libyan efforts to counter terrorist threats and to defeat ISIL in Libya," said Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook.



"We are committed to maintaining pressure on ISIL and preventing them from establishing safe haven."



U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the ISIS fighters fled to the remote desert camps "in order to reorganize, and they posed a security threat to Libya, the region and U.S. national interests."



The airstrikes were authorized by President Barack Obama and are considered an extension of Operation Odyssey Lightning, the U.S. campaign that carried out almost 500 airstrikes against ISIS in Libya until the mission officially ended on Dec. 19, 2016.



In addition to fighters that fled Sirte, individuals at the camps the U.S. believed were actively involved in planning attacks in Europe or were involved in previous attacks were killed.



"We need to strike ISIL everywhere they show up" said Carter.



Advertisement

TagsNorthrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, United States, ISIS, Sirte, Libyan Government of National Accord, Operation Odyssey Lightning, U.S. Air Force, Defense Secretary Ash Carter, President Barack Obama
(Photo : Getty Images) Beijing has said it would not take Trump's bullying sitting down and has vowed to hit back if he starts a trade war

Advertisement

China is preparing retaliatory measures it would take in the face of a possible trade war with the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump.



Although China's President Xi Jinping, in his speech at the annual Davos World Economic Forum this week, warned that nobody would benefit from a trade war, the Chinese government is said to be quietly getting ready for one.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

In a news conference on Wednesday, the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham) said that Beijing is prepared for the eventuality of a trade war with the new Trump administration.



Ready



"China is threatening to, and is preparing to, take steps in retaliation," said Lester Ross, chairman of the policy committee of AmCham.



China's Ministry of Commerce had earlier downplayed Trump's repeated rhetoric against Beijing. Shen Danyang, a spokesman for China's trade ministry, had insisted that the power transition in Washington would not affect Sino-US ties which he described as "interdependent."



Despite assurances from Shen, Ross said Beijing had been quietly making retaliatory moves against Washington after it announced last week that it was raising taxes on imported dried grains from the US.



Bullying



China's Ministry of Commerce had also raised its anti-dumping tax on imports from the US from 38 percent to between 42.2 and 53.7 percent.



The ministry pointed out that China's refusal to engage in a war of words with Trump over trade does not mean it would take his bullying sitting down.



"This is a way of saying, 'We don't want to get into a row with you, but we will take action,' " Mei Zinyun, a researcher at the ministry, said. "Trump will need to pay the price should he want more trade friction."



Trump had attacked China early on in his presidential campaign, calling Beijing a "thief" and a "currency manipulator." He vowed to slap a 45 percent tariff on all imported China-made goods as punishment for the country's alleged "unfair trade practices" if he becomes president.



The US president-elect recently picked hardline critics of China to head a trade council, signaling the start of a complicated relationship between the two sides under Trump, according to Mei.



Advertisement

TagsSino-US trade war, china, Washington, American Chamber of Commerce in China, Trump administration, President Xi Jinping
(Photo : AndrewBurton/GettyImages) China has taken strong steps to curb Bitcoin operations in the country.

Advertisement

China has taken strong steps to curb Bitcoin operations in the country. The government authorities undertook a series of investigations into the working Bitcoin exchanges in China. It found that several practices were in contravention to existing laws.



It is reported that the government has instituted ban on margin trading. Earlier this week, it was announced that the government had found BTCC guilty of extending illegal margin loans. However, the exchange denied any such occurrence.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

BTCC CEO Bobby Lee told Reuters that the exchange had already stopped offering margin loans last week. He also said that the exchange is operating normally. Lee said that the exchange is contemplating instituting trading fees. However, this step would require extensive deliberation with authorities.



Huobi and OKCoin told the South China Morning Post that they have stopped margin trading in Bitcoin. Shanghai based Paper.cn had reported that both these exchanges had failed to set up proper anti-money laundering systems. They were also reportedly providing margin funding to the customers.



The People's Bank of China had earlier stated that it had also found BTCC acting beyond the scope of business. it was also found providing shadow finance to its clients. The central bank had sent its teams to three major Bitcoin exchanges in the country on Wednesday



China is wary of the use of such cryptocurrency, which is believed to be aiding anonymous capital outflow from the country. It is reported that China accounted for more than 98 percent of the global Bitcoin trade in the past 30 days



Advertisement

Tagsbitcoin, BTCC, The People's Bank of China
The 2017 Greater Chattanooga Rump Run 5K and Fun Walk for Colon Cancer Awareness will take place on Saturday, March 11 at Enterprise South Nature Park in Chattanooga.Now in its fifth year, the event allows Chattanooga area runners, walkers and colon cancer survivors to come together and raise awareness about the importance of early colon cancer screening, while providing support for those affected by the disease.Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers for men and women in our area, said Dr.Shauna Lorenzo-Rivero, colorectal surgeon and chair of the Greater Chattanooga Colon Cancer Foundation. We want the community to understand the ways to reduce the risk of developing colon cancer. We also want to spread the word that early detection is key  and if caught early, colon cancer is treatable and beatable.Funds raised will advance the Greater Chattanooga Colon Cancer Foundations efforts to increase awareness of colorectal cancer, improve access to screenings and offer support to those touched by the disease in the greater Chattanooga region.The Greater Chattanooga Rump Run is presented by University Surgical Associates, Erlanger Health System, Memorial Health Care System and Parkridge Health System. Sponsors include Galen Medical, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Diagnostic Pathology Services, Pathgroup, Myriad Genetics, First Tennessee, Digestive Care and Management, Henderson, Hutcherson, McCullough, Physician Surgery Center, Medtronic, Chattanooga Endoscopy Center, Karl Storz Endsokope, David Collins, MD, Diagnostic Imaging Consultants, Suntrust Private Wealth, Tennessee Oncology, Miller and Martin, Groome Transportation, and Puckett EMS.Participants may register online through March 10 at www.rumprun.com or on race day at the race site beginning at 7:30 a.m. A survivor recognition will take place at 8:50 a.m. The timed 5K will be held at 9 a.m. and the Fun Walk at 9:30 a.m., followed by the awards ceremony. Pre-registration costs are $30 online, and the day-of registration fee is $40. Children 10 and under are $10.Volunteers are needed to help make the Rump Run a success. Call 423-757-0730 or go to www.rumprun.com to sign up to assist on race day.
(Photo : SIG Sauer) SIG Sauer P320 Full Size.

Advertisement

Germany's SIG Sauer GmbH has been awarded a $580 million contract by the U.S. Army to produce a modified version of its Full Size SIG Sauer P320 semi-automatic pistol as the Army's new service pistol.



The announcement on Jan. 19 meant SIG Sauer had won the United States Military Modular Handgun (MHS) System Competition, which lasted all of 10 interminable years.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

The pistol to be developed by SIG Sauer will become the Army's new XM17/M17 pistol. The Army has asked SIG to make certain modifications to the pistol.



The U.S. Department of Defense is expected to buy some 500,000 of the new SIG pistols. The Army is expected to acquire 280,000 Full Size pistols and 7,000 of the Sub-Compact version.



The Navy, Marines and Air Force are expected to order 212,000 of the SIG handguns.



SIG Sauer defeated Glock, Inc., FN America and Beretta USA, maker of the current M9 9 mm service pistol, in the MHS competition. In 1985, the Beretta M9 beat the SIG P226 to become the Army's service pistol.



"We are both humbled and proud that the P320 was selected by the U.S. Army as its weapon of choice," said Ron Cohen, SIG Sauer CEO.



"Securing this contract is a testimony to SIG Sauer employees, their commitment to innovation, quality and manufacturing the most reliable firearms in the world."



SIG Sauer has a U.S. subsidiary, SIG Sauer of Exeter, New Hampshire.



The Army launched its XM17 MHS competition in 2005 to replace the M9 9mm pistol. While extremely reliable, the M9 gained an adverse battlefield reputation as a weapon lacking in stopping power.



One of the major goals of the MHS competition was to adopt a pistol chambered for a more potent round than the current 9 mm. The U.S. military replaced the .45 caliber 1911 pistol with the M9 in 1985 and began using the 9 mm NATO round at that time.



The civilian version of the SIG Sauer P320 comes in 919 mm Parabellum; .357 SIG; .40 S&W; .45 ACP and .380 ACP. Some sources, however, claim the Army selected the 919 mm Parabellum version.



"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," said the Army in a statement.



Advertisement

TagsSIG Sauer P320 semi-automatic pistol, U.S. Army, service pistol, SIG Sauer GmbH, United States Military Modular Handgun (MHS) System Competition, Ron Cohen, XM17/M17 pistol
(Photo : PLAN) Launch of a J-15 from the Liaoning.

(Photo : PLAN) The guided-missile frigate CNS Hengshui fires its close-in weapon system during a live-fire training exercise.

(Photo : PLAN) The guided-missile destroyer CNS Kunming.

Advertisement

The first two weeks of January was especially hectic for the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force (PLANSF) as it held two major live-fire training exercises a week apart in the disputed South China Sea.



The obvious show of force was meant to convey the image of Chinese naval strength to China's two major naval opponents in Asia: the U.S. Navy and the resurgent Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Over the past few years, the United States has transformed Japan into an unsinkable aircraft carrier on which it's based its most advanced combat aircraft, including the first squadron of Lockheed Martin F-35B Joint Strike Fighters deployed outside the United States.



The stealth jets belong to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 (VMFA-121), also known as the "Green Knights."



This squadron departed its former base at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona on Jan. 9 with the first fighters arriving at Mrine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on Jan. 11. The remaining six stealth jets will be delivered in June by the USS Wasp (LHD-1), a Landing Helicopter Dock amphibious assault ship of the U.S. Navy.



"The arrival of the F-35B embodies our commitment to the defense of Japan and the regional security of the Pacific," said Maj. Gen. Russell Sanborn, the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing commanding general.



"We are bringing the most advanced technology to the Pacific to respond to the wide range of missions we take part in and provide greater support to our regional allies."



Iwakuni is also home to a Marine F/A-18D Hornet squadron and a squadron of KC-130J Hercules tanker-transport aircraft, along with a number of aircraft from the JMSDF. In addition, two more Marine Hornet squadrons are normally on temporary rotations to Iwakuni at any one time.



On the other hand, Japan continues to speed-up the already hectic pace of its military expansion as it rearms to deter China. In December 2016, it approved a record defense budget of $42.5 billion for the 2017-2018 fiscal year beginning April.



The increase in the defense budget is the fifth straight in the five years since Shinzo Abe became Prime Minister in December 2012.



Among the highlights of defense spending for the coming fiscal year are $619 million for new submarines with improved sensors. The new subs will expand Japan's fleet to 22 submarines from 16.



There's also $749 million for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) to purchase six more F-35 stealth fighters. JASDF will base its first F-35 squadron at its Misawa Air Base north of Tokyo.



In the face of this military might, the two live fire exercises in the South China Sea conducted by 12 PLANSF warships led by China's only aircraft carrier, the CNS Liaoning (CV-16), seem inconsequential.



The Liaoning led a five-ship squadron in practicing carrier strike group drills that also involved the launch and recovery of Shenyang J-15 carrier-borne, multi-role fighters.



A week later, a seven-ship squadron of the South Sea Fleet consisting of destroyers and frigates conducted a live-fire exercise at an undisclosed location in the South China Sea and practiced combat operations, including anti-submarine and air-defense.



This squadron consisted of the guided missile destroyers CNS Kunming (172); CNS Hefei (174), CNS Lanzhou (170) and CNS Haikou (171).



There were also the guided missile frigates CNS Hengshui (572) and CNS Liuzhou (573), along with the comprehensive supply ship Honghu (963).



Advertisement

TagsPeople's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force, PLANSF, South China Sea, U.S. Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Lockheed Martin F-35B Joint Strike Fighters, unsinkable aircraft carrier
(Photo : TASS) Russia's Yu-74 ultra-maneuverable Hypersonic Glide Vehicle .

Advertisement

Russia is frantically searching for new materials to protect the hypersonic missiles it's developing from being destroyed by the superheated plasma cocoon created by their flight.



Russia has made hypersonic weapons a defense priority, especially with the opening of NATO's first defensive missile shield in Romania. When completed, NATO's missile defense system will extend from Greenland in the far north of Europe to the Azores Islands in the south. Another missile defense system will become operational in Poland by 2018.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

In response, Moscow in July 2016 revealed plans to reactivate one of its old Dnepr missile bases near the Black Sea. The base will be equipped to intercept ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles out to a range of 3,200 kilometers.



Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said Russia is searching for new materials to develop its hypersonic weapons.



"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," said Borisov.



Borisov's remarks seem to indicate Russia's hypersonic weapons development program has run into trouble after announcing in August 2016 that its Yu-74, a hypersonic glider is ready for war.



The new ICBM intended to carry it won't be ready until 2020 at the earliest, however.



Russian media says this ultra-maneuverable Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) can bridge the 2,500 kilometer air distance from Moscow to London in 13 minutes and can penetrate NATO's missile defense system. The Yu-74, which can be carry a thermonuclear warhead, is also capable of penetrating the U.S. THAAD missile defense system.



Its ability to pierce western defenses is due mostly to its speed. The Yu-74 tears through the air at Mach 10 (12,400 km/h).



Once released into orbit, the Yu-74 zooms back to Earth towards its target and assisted by gravity attains hypersonic speed. A Yu-74 glider can be equipped with a nuclear warhead, electronic warfare systems or false target simulators.



This hypersonic nuclear warhead will serve as the payload of Russia's new RS-28 Sarmat (or Sarmatian) SS-X-30 intercontinental ballistic missile. Russian sources claim this ICBM can carry up to 24 Yu-74s but western sources say a Sarmat's payload can consist of 10 heavy warheads or 15 lighter ones, or a combination of warheads.



Advertisement

TagsRussia, hypersonic missile, Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov, Yu-74, THAAD, RS-28 Sarmat
(Photo : Kim Kyung-Hoon-Pool/Getty Images) European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini (L) shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on May 6, 2015 in Beijing, China.

Advertisement

In contrast to US President-elect Donald Trump's anti-globalization rhetoric, China has thrown its full support behind EU integration.



According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, China hopes to see a Europe that is open and prosperous, and to remain stable and united in the face of global challenges, reported the China Daily.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

Hua's comments were in response to Trump's statement wherein he hailed the decision of Britain to leave the European Union or what has been referred to as "Brexit." Since he started campaigning for the presidency, Trump has been very vocal over his support for Brexit, which is in stark contrast to China's full support for EU integration.



"Brexit is going to end up being a great thing," the business magnate turned politician told the Times in London in an interview last Monday, adding that he believes "others will leave" the EU.



Trump's comments have stirred impassioned responses from European leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel who said that "Europeans hold our destiny in our own hands." For his part, French President Francois Hollande said the EU "does not need external advice."



According to Feng Zhongping, vice-president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, Trump's comments is an indication of his lack of support for European integration, which is actually a cornerstone of European policy since the end of World War II.



Meanwhile, China has re-affirmed its support for EU integration, as the Central Government's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday expressed hopes that Britain and the European Union could reach a "win-win" agreement on Britain's looming disengagement from the economic bloc, reported Reuters.



This developed after Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain "would quit the EU single market when it left." Although May promised her country's partners that she would exert efforts to facilitate access to European markets, Britain would work towards forging free trade deals with countries beyond Europe.



As China has reiterated its support for EU integration, the Asian economic powerhouse is closely monitoring future negotiations on Britain leaving the EU.



Advertisement

Tagschina, EU, China support for EU integration, EU integration
(Photo : Wang Zhao - Pool/Getty Images) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang prepares to meet Kyrgyzstan's Prime Minister Sooronbay Jeenbekov (not in picture) during the World Economic Forum on June 27, 2016 in Tianjin, China.

Advertisement

China has recently been making a strong pitch for globalization, as President Xi Jinping called on countries across the globe to "boost open economies."



During the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, Xi emphasized that this move can be a major solution to "global sluggishness," reported the China Daily.



Like Us on Facebook

Advertisement

"Practicing trade protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room. It seems to have screened wind and rain, but it also isolates one from sunshine and air," Xi remarked at the international forum in Switzerland.



"Staging a trade war will only hurt both sides," he added at the gathering that was attended by key political and business leaders.



According to China's president, globalization should not be blamed as the main reason for global sluggishness but "regional conflicts." Xi pointed out the slowdown in global trade actually stems from several factors, particularly the current refugee crisis in the Middle East and North Africa.



However, the Chinese leader admitted that globalization can be a "double-edged sword," adding that it is a challenge on how to expand the "cake of the global economy" at a stage wherein the traditional economic engine is starting to lose steam.



Xi noted that China has not only emerged as among the major beneficiaries of globalization, but has also helped in fueling the process by contributing about 30 percent to global growth.



"China will not envy others, nor will it complain if others benefit from China's development," he stressed. In the meantime, Xi's participation at the Davos Economic Forum shone the spotlight on the Asian leader, as US President-elect Donald Trump prepared for his inauguration, according to Fox News.



Some believe that the Chinese president stole the show, as he made a strong case in favor of globalization and its numerous benefits.Xi described those who negatively view globalization as "misguided," describing globalization as "a force for good" because it has helped to make the world more interconnected.



He likewise underscored the major role of China in promoting globalization, pointing out that his country's rapid growth has been the engine for sustained economic development.



Advertisement

Tagschina, globalization, China World Economic Forum, World Economic Forum
Boko Haram militants attacked a refugee camp on Thursday, killing an estimated 170 people.

The people living in the camp, as well as the humanitarian aid workers there, have faced tragedy upon tragedy. Earlier this week, the Nigerian army carried out airstrikes meant to target Boko Haram, but instead ended up bombing the refugee camp, killing at least 52 people.

After the airstrike devastated the camp, over 100 Boko Haram militants wreaked further havoc on the refugees and aid workers, according to Fox News.

Soldiers reportedly tried to keep the militants out, but were largely unsuccessful. The Red Cross reported that nearly 90 people have been taken from Rann in Borno state to Maiduguri city so they can receive medical care.

"At least 52 people were killed and 120 wounded," said Tim Shenk, a spokesman for Medecins Sans Frontieres, a medical charity. "The organization's medical and surgical teams in the region are preparing to treat evacuated patients," he added.

Nigerias air force has promised to investigate the governments inadvertent bombing of the camp.

There are 43,000 people living in the camp, taking refuge from the seven-year scourge of terror Boko Haram has been carrying out in the region.

Publication date: January 20, 2017
People in the West African nation of Gambia are facing a time of political turmoil, and Christian leaders are calling for prayer as the tension escalates.

Even just as America has undergone a peaceful transition of power, Gambian people are hoping their country can do the same.

Gambian president Yahya Jammeh has been in power for 22 years. Recently, troops from the neighboring nation of Senegal moved into Gambia and tried to force Jammeh to step down and make way for the newly-elected leader, Adama Barrow, to take office. Citizens are worried that the conflict could end in violence.

This is a day no Gambian will ever forget in ones lifetime, Barrow said. This is the first time since Gambia gained independence in 1965 that Gambians have changed their government through the ballot box.

However, Jammeh and his government are fiercely resisting the transition of power.

"Thousands of Gambians have already come across the border into Senegal and they are facing a difficult situation," said Pastor Gabriel Sagna, president of the Evangelical Fraternity of Senegal. "Many of them left without any of their belongings."

Sagna is urging Christians in Senegal, Gambia, and around the world to pray that this political unrest would not end in war.

"Please join us in prayer as we ask the Lord for His Spirit of peace to blow across Gambia and that the suffering and political crisis would come to a peaceful end," Sagna said.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: January 20, 2017
Were having to write this two months before Inauguration Day. But one doesnt need the gift of prophecy to project that Christians will divide over the new administration. Each side, in an attempt to support or challenge an unprecedented and tenuous administration, will inevitably find itself at odds with others. Some Christians will call for eternal vigilance, looking for signs that the new president is promulgating yet another injustice. Others will be tempted to defend his every move. Inevitably, the rhetoric will drift toward the apocalyptic and remain mired in the partisan, and the name that will continue to be above every other name will be Donald Trump.

Love your neighbor means we all are called to engage in our nations public life in one way or another. But when cultural engagement leads to ecclesial divorce, something has gone seriously wrong. More than ever, we evangelical Christians are finding it hard to live under the same roof. When asked about the family, we sneer, Were not like those Christians, those hardly worthy of the name. Some have even filed for divorce with the evangelical adjective.

Can we then be mystified when news pundits and social media mavens identify us only by our allegiance toor repudiation ofthis king or that, instead of the King of kings? Some Christians have claimed that the evangelical vote for Trump has set back the cause of the gospel 50 years. Others are equally sure the gospel would have been set back by a different election outcome. One wonders if our raised fists and ugly rhetoric directed at brothers and sisters is the real scandal.

The early Christians took a decidedly different approach, under a regime that is ...

1

You have reached the end of this Article Preview You have reached the end of this Article Preview To continue reading, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital access.

Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
In-Town Gallery recognizes February as the month of romance, love and giving as "Art to HART" gives the artists an opportunity to help provide materials for participants at the HART Gallery. In-Town Gallery artists are donating art supplies during the month to share with Hart Gallery.

A donation box will be set up for creative materials and a receptacle for cash contributions and gift cards as well. The public is invited to participate. The First Friday reception will be held Feb. 3 from 5-8 p.m. at 26A Frazier Ave. The public is invited to come celebrate the month of love, giving and sharing with the In-Town Artists.

HART Gallery is a 501 c3 not-for profit organization with the mission of offering homeless persons and other non-traditional artists an opportunity to create and sell their artwork for their benefit. Additionally they teach classes at other agencies around town which serve low-income seniors, at-risk inner-city youth and others who face both physical and mental challenges. Growth of the project extended to Memphis this past year where they opened another facility. Locally, they have expanded to include an art expression class which is focused on art as a healing process. The Community Kitchen is profiting from art classes to relieve job related stress.

Owner, Ellen Heavilon, says the ability to create does so much for the morale of people who feel beaten by life that they often gain enough confidence to move on to jobs and into their own homes. There are many examples, Ms. Heavilon says, of extreme gratitude and the discovery of their own sense of purpose.

For more information on the HART Gallery visit its website at hartgallerytn.com.

Suggested donations are acrylic paint in non-primary colors, acrylic paper, watercolor paper, sharpies, all colors, paint pens, glue, gesso, modge podge, canvases, all sizes, gel medium, matte and glossy varnish, Art Creation gift cards, Hobby Lobby gift cards, checks or cash.

The featured, front wall gallery area will exhibit In-Town Gallery artists sharing space with paintings from some HART Gallery painters. A variety of 2-D and 3-D offerings include a sophisticated wrap by Irene Catlin.

Donations to HART Gallery may be dropped off throughout the month of February. In-Town Gallery, at 26A Frazier Ave. on the North Shore, is open every day, year round, except for major holidays. Hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday and util 8 p.m. on First Fridays. Call 2267-9214, visit www.facebook.com/intowngallery.
With a new president, Donald Trump, entering the White House, there has rightfully been a lot of discussion about our outgoing presidents legacynot least when it comes to matters of faith. To be sure, Barack Obamas legacy in this area is both complex and important to understand for the future of our nations politics.

However, as a Christian, I believe we must not only think of how politicians interact with religious issues, but also how we ourselves interact with politicians and the work they do. What is the legacy of Christian witness in the Obama years, and what lessons can we learn to apply in the Trump era?

Here are three recommendations, based on my personal experience in the Obama White House.

When it comes to faith and policy, take politicians words seriously.

A certain kind of cynic tends to think that political wisdom consists of discrediting everything a politician says. On this way of thinking, realism demands that we understand that politicians have a motive for everything they suggest, and therefore nothing should be taken at face value. This approach was a major hindrance to the efforts of conservative Christians during the Obama years.

Partisanship played a major role in hardening this posture. A deep antagonism toward Democrats from Religious Right groups filtered down to the average Christian as a general distrust of Democrats, including Obama. When you consider the eagerness of some Christians to take even the slightest Trump utterance on judges or family values as a sacred promise, the partisan nature of (at least some) distrust toward Obama becomes clearer still.

A better approach would have been to take the Presidents words seriously, to make clear that Christians ...

1
Donald Trump has tapped a record number of evangelical leaders to participate in the interfaith prayer service held at the Washington National Cathedral the day after his inauguration.

The National Prayer Service, hosted at the Episcopal cathedral Saturday morning, will feature two former presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, the granddaughter of Billy Graham, and Greg Laurie, the evangelist behind the popular Harvest America crusades, among a total of 26 faith leaders.

Representatives from Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Mormon, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, and Bahai traditions are also participating in the event [full list below].

Jack Graham, Ronnie Floyd, and David Jeremiah are all Southern Baptists and members of the president-elects evangelical advisory board, and Cissie Graham Lynch stated during the election that she would be unapologetically voting for Trump. Her father, Franklin Graham, is among the clergy praying at the inauguration ...

1
Today, on the steps of the United States Capitol, Donald John Trump will place his left hand on a Bible and swear to faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States for the next four years. Most incoming presidents in US history have done the same, although each has chosen his own passage to swear by. 1 Corinthians 13 was the choice of Franklin D. Roosevelt at all four of his inaugural ceremonies. Jimmy Carter chose to swear on the exhortations of Micah 6:8. At his second inauguration, Abraham Lincoln, keenly aware of the disgrace of brothers and neighbors turning their weapons on each other, chose not one but three passages concerning the judgments of God.

That the Bible appears at such a momentous national ceremony testifies to the United States broad Judeo-Christian heritage. It also serves to remind those with eyes to see that no ruler rises or falls except by the hand of God, who judges the nations and will continue to judge ours over the next four years. Watching the televised ceremony with its pomp and circumstance, we might begin to believe that political leaders hold the keys to the future and to our fate, as Americans and as Christians. But the ceremony belies the reality that all power of earthly rulers is fleeting. They and their campaigns can be laid to waste by a mere word from the Lord (Isa. 40:23; Isa. 34:12; Ps. 107:40; Luke 1:52).

Inauguration Day comes for many Americans with hope that our political leaders will redirect the country in the right direction. For many other Americans, the day seems a harbinger of violent ideologies that will pose a real threat to their livelihood in the next four years. But for Christians of all political stripes, the day is simply a new ...

1
Roe vs. Wade and America's Covenant with Death "Your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand" (Isaiah 28:18).



Contact: Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas,



DALLAS, Jan. 20, 2017 /



What is the cause of this decline according to the "experts" of this article? They assert, "contraception played the biggest role by preventing unintended pregnancies."



What is missing from this limited perspective? There are a myriad of reasons that suggest Roe vs. Wade is going the way of every bloody tyranny of men. First, it is important to note just because surgical abortions are down, that does not mean all abortions are down. Just like the German holocaust switched methods of mass destruction to be more efficient in their extermination programs, so it is with the American holocaust.



The Germans changed from gunning down their victims to chemical warfare. The gas chambers replaced the gun. Why this change? German soldiers were experiencing trauma in gunning down the innocent to fulfill Hitler's "Final Solution" policy. As abortion mills continue to shut down, Americans are also turning more to the chemical solution to ease their consciences and yet continue the massacre.



Secondly, in 1991, there were 2167 free standing death camps that dotted the American landscape defiling our land. Today, there about 500 that remain. What accounts for this aspect in the battle between life and death? Simply, it has been gentle Christians living out their faith at the gates of hell, their local abortion mills. Jesus promised, "I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).



Thirdly, the article also neglects to report that more young people are getting involved to end Roe vs. Wade that targeted their generation for destruction. This younger generation is determined not to make the same mistakes as the "pro-life movement" of the past. They are not interested in regulating abortion; they are rising up to abolish abortion NOW!



They are working with elder statesmen in the battle to spread the Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates that encourages the end of abortion at the state level. They are calling on Governors, Attorney Generals, Legislators, and Sheriffs to ignore Roe vs. Wade for the lawless decision it was and do their duty to defend the rights of the preborn neighbors.



Lastly, they are introducing bills at the state level that constitutes abortion as murder with the proper penalties applied. All this signals that it is not if, but when, the American holocaust ends and our nation once again honors the first and foremost right enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, which is the right to life.

Share Tweet Contact: Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas, Operation Save America , 254-715-3134DALLAS, Jan. 20, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- As America approaches another year acknowledging the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision, headlines like these declare, "The U.S. abortion rate has hit its lowest point since the procedure became legal nationwide in 1973, according to a new study." Jenna Jerman, a public health researcher at the Guttmacher Institute states, "We saw declines in abortion in almost every single state."What is the cause of this decline according to the "experts" of this article? They assert, "contraception played the biggest role by preventing unintended pregnancies."What is missing from this limited perspective? There are a myriad of reasons that suggest Roe vs. Wade is going the way of every bloody tyranny of men. First, it is important to note just because surgical abortions are down, that does not mean all abortions are down. Just like the German holocaust switched methods of mass destruction to be more efficient in their extermination programs, so it is with the American holocaust.The Germans changed from gunning down their victims to chemical warfare. The gas chambers replaced the gun. Why this change? German soldiers were experiencing trauma in gunning down the innocent to fulfill Hitler's "Final Solution" policy. As abortion mills continue to shut down, Americans are also turning more to the chemical solution to ease their consciences and yet continue the massacre.Secondly, in 1991, there were 2167 free standing death camps that dotted the American landscape defiling our land. Today, there about 500 that remain. What accounts for this aspect in the battle between life and death? Simply, it has been gentle Christians living out their faith at the gates of hell, their local abortion mills. Jesus promised, "I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).Thirdly, the article also neglects to report that more young people are getting involved to end Roe vs. Wade that targeted their generation for destruction. This younger generation is determined not to make the same mistakes as the "pro-life movement" of the past. They are not interested in regulating abortion; they are rising up to abolish abortion NOW!They are working with elder statesmen in the battle to spread the Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates that encourages the end of abortion at the state level. They are calling on Governors, Attorney Generals, Legislators, and Sheriffs to ignore Roe vs. Wade for the lawless decision it was and do their duty to defend the rights of the preborn neighbors.Lastly, they are introducing bills at the state level that constitutes abortion as murder with the proper penalties applied. All this signals that it is not if, but when, the American holocaust ends and our nation once again honors the first and foremost right enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, which is the right to life.
home US Abortion rate in America hits lowest level in four decades

A new report published by the Guttmacher Institute on Tuesday revealed that the abortion rate in the U.S. has reached its lowest level since the procedure was legalized in 1973.

The total number of abortions dropped below a million for the first time, according to the study. The census conducted by Guttmacher indicated that there were 958,700 abortions performed in 2013 and 926,190 in 2014.

The abortion rate peaked at 29.3 in 1980 and 1981 while the total number of abortions reached 1.6 million in 1990.

The authors of the study speculated that the availability of contraception and the recently adopted restrictions on abortion contributed to the decline which stretches back to the early 1980s.

Americans United for Life (AUL), a group that helps state legislators pass pro-life laws, cited policies protecting the unborn as well as technology in explaining the trend.

AUL Acting President Clark Forsythe noted that the images produced by the ultrasound were a contributing factor in lowering abortions.

"Such pictures are worth more than a thousand words when it comes to helping people understand whose lives are on the line," Forsythe said in a statement, according to Baptist Press.

Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), attributed the decline to the work of pro-life advocates across the nation. He stated that the pro-life community should continue working against the abortion industry despite the downward trend.

"While a lower rate is undoubtedly good news, the violent taking of the life of even one unborn child ought to cause us to weep and redouble our efforts to protect every human life and contend against the predatory abortion industry," Moore told the Baptist Press.

The Guttmacher Institute, which is affiliated with the abortion rights movement, noted that the reduction in abortion clinics may also be a contributing factor.

The report noted that abortion clinics made up 16 percent of all abortion facilities in 2014, but it performed 59 percent of all abortions. Between 2011 and 2014, the number of abortion clinics fell by 17 percent.

The study conducted by the institute was based partly on estimates, but it covers all 50 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which also published a report showing a decline in abortion rates in December, does not require states to provide information on abortions. California, Maryland and New Hampshire did not submit data to the CDC.
home World Central Asian pastor defiantly preaches the Gospel despite death threats from extremists

A Central Asian pastor refused to back down from spreading the Gospel despite receiving constant death threats from Islamic extremists. Through his determination, his church started to grow.

Pastor Amin, who leads a large church in an undisclosed location in Central Asia, thought it would be his last moments on earth when he had an encounter with Islamic extremists.

"I am a faithful Muslim . . . so I have to participate in jihad," his would-be assailant told him in a threatening tone, according to Open Doors USA.

The pastor tried not to show even the slightest bit of fear, although his heart was beating wildly. "Kill me if you must. Here I am!" he defiantly told the two extremists who intended to attack him. The jihadists were dumbfounded by the pastor's courage and calmness. They were not able to inflict violence upon the pastor as though God had put a shield around him.

The news about the Pastor Amin's boldness was heard throughout the region. He continued preaching the Gospel to Muslims and distributed Bibles as well as Christian literature in youth evangelistic trips.

"My place is here, preaching the gospel to Muslims," he said. "If you love Christ, you follow Him and do His will. If you love and follow Christ, you will not be afraid," he added.

His church, which consists mostly of former Muslims, has grown as a result of his boldness and dedication to the Gospel. He has established a rehab center for drug addicts and alcoholics. He has also operated missionary schools and summer camps for Muslim children.

He still receives death threats regularly, but it has not changed his determination to bring Muslims to Christ. According to Open Doors USA, he has asked Christians to pray not to be removed from danger, but to be strengthened so that he could continue preaching the Gospel.

Open Doors has provided Pastor Amin's church with Bibles and Christian literature donated by Christians.

The organization recently released its World Watch List of 50 countries where persecution of Christians is the worst. Islamic extremists still remain as the most deadly force for Christians across the globe, according to Open Doors and its supporters in Congress.
home World Mexican Christian families booted out of their homes and forced to live in wine cellar

Seven Christian families were forced to live in a cramped wine cellar after they were evicted from their homes in the western Mexican state of Jalisco because they refused to recant their faith.

The families had to leave their homes on Jan. 26, 2016 after almost 2,000 residents voted to evict them for religious reasons, according to World Watch Monitor. They had been living in various temporary shelters provided by the government since the eviction. Their most recent dwelling place is a wine cellar, which offers extremely limited space for 30 people to cook, eat and sleep.

Rosa Blanca VAzquez de la Rosa recalled the night when she and her two children were forced out of their house and expelled from Tuxpan de BolaAos.

"They put us in the vans and abandoned us right there outside the village, at Las Banderitas crossing, with nothing at all but the clothes we had on when they came," she narrated.

She said that her husband was at work when the indigenous chiefs came to their house. She has tried to visit her village once, but she had to leave almost immediately.

The families had faced threats of eviction from the community for several years. In 2008, Baptist Convention of Guadalajara had successfully fought for the rights of the family to remain in the village, but the council later ruled that they had to leave.

Christian charity Open Doors' Latin America analyst Dennis Petri questioned whether the vote to evict the families was legal.

"The indigenous chiefs claim it was, since they have the authority, as protected by the federal constitution, to govern based on their indigenous uses and customs," he said.

"At the same time, the federal constitution also guarantees freedom of religion and human rights a you can't just force someone out of his home, for whatever reason, including religious reasons. This is what is at stake here: a conflict between contradictory rights that need to be balanced," he continued.

He asserted that the state government does not know how to decide on the case, and it is now just trying to gain time, hoping that the group would give up and move on to somewhere else.

Last month, Pedro Faro Navarro, director of the Fray BartolomA de Las Casas Human Rights Centre, accused the government of being in denial regarding the thousands of evangelical Christians that were forced out of their homes due to their beliefs.

The NGO called the Mexican Commission for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights has reported that there have been over 287,000 cases of forced internal displacement in the last five years. However, the UN-accredited National Human Rights Commission has only recorded around 35,000 cases. Navarro disputed both figures, adding that many families had to leave their homes but nobody came to count them.
home US Planned Parenthood lied about training employees to identify child sex traffickers, says former manager

A new investigation has revealed that Planned Parenthood has failed to fulfill its promise to train its employees to identify child sex traffickers.

In 2011, undercover journalists posing as pimps went to Planned Parenthood to find out how the employees would react to sex traffickers seeking its services, including abortions. The videos resulting from the investigation by pro-life group Live Action showed that the employees from seven different facilities were willing to help sex traffickers cover up abuses of young girls.

Following the release of the videos, Planned Parenthood said that it was retraining thousands of its staff to identify child sex traffickers. However, a follow-up investigation by Live Action revealed that the abortion chain trained its staff to identify undercover journalists instead.

Former Planned Parenthood manager Ramona Trevino said that she initially believed that the abortion organization was willing to fix the problem. However, her views quickly changed after she attended a manager training meeting.

She narrated that she became perplexed when the Planned Parenthood speaker played the previous undercover videos about the abortion chain.

"As time went on, I raised my hand and said, 'I'm confused. When are we going to actually begin the retraining? What can I do as a manager to take this information back to my staff and enforce policies and procedures that would help protect women?' [The Planned Parenthood speaker] immediately shot me down," Trevino told Live Action.

She said that the presenter told her, "We are not here to talk about that, Ramona. We are here to teach you how to identify if you're being videotaped, or recorded, or entrapped in any way."

Planned Parenthood also claimed that it had reported the suspected sex traffickers. But the public documents obtained by Live Action revealed that only Arizona, out of five states visited by the undercover investigators, had records showing Planned Parenthood reported anything to authorities.

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards sent a letter to then-Attorney General Eric Holder regarding the sex trafficking scandal. However, the letter failed to correctly identify all the states visited by the investigators posing as sex traffickers.

The letter also claimed that the employees "made it clear" to the traffickers that they would comply with the law and report them to law enforcement. But Live Action pointed out that the employees never made such a statement to the investigators in the video.

Trevino said she was "so disgusted" because Planned Parenthood responded to the scandal by teaching its employees to watch out for investigators and whistleblowers. "I couldn't see how Planned Parenthood could ever redeem themselves after that," she remarked.
home World South Sudanese Pastor deported from Sudan for evangelizing

A South Sudanese pastor has been ordered to leave Sudan last month because of his evangelistic and church activities.

On Dec. 6, Pastor Koat Akot of the Sudan Pentecostal Church was told by Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) to leave the country within 72 hours, according to Morning Star News. The official said that he was not wanted in the country because of his church activities.

Akot, who has established three churches in the Khartoum/Omdurman area, left the country under pressure on Dec. 9.

The church leader was initially detained on Nov. 18 when the NISS authorities learned that he was leading worship services. After detaining and questioning the pastor, the authorities ordered him to report to their offices daily for three weeks.

During the interrogation, the NISS officials accused him of working for Non-Governmental Organizations and ordered him to reveal the sources of his financial support.

"I told them I was not working for foreign NGOS," said Akot. He added that the officials showed him a list of Christians and churches that were being monitored in an attempt to bully him. His laptop, digital camera and smartphone were confiscated by the officials.

According to the U.S. State Department's 2015 International Religious Freedom Report, Sudanese law does not explicitly prohibit proselytizing, but the criminal code criminalizes acts that encourage Muslims to leave Islam.

Akot insisted that he entered Sudan legally with a valid passport. South Sudanese people are still allowed to live in Sudan, following the secession in 2011. Apart from those who chose to remain, some have fled to Sudan after the eruption of South Sudan's civil war in 2013 and 2016.

Many foreign Christians have been expelled from Sudan since 2012. The government has bulldozed church buildings based on the pretext that they belonged to South Sudanese people. The authorities have also threatened to kill South Sudanese Christians who refused to leave or cooperate with them in their efforts to find other Christians.

Sudan has been designated as a Country of Particular Concern by the U.S. State Department since 1999 due to its treatment of Christians and human rights violations. It is currently ranked as the fifth most difficult country to live as a Christian in the Open Doors World Watch List.
home World Zimbabwe pastor arrested for prophesying death of Robert Mugabe

A Zimbabwe pastor was arrested by the authorities after he predicted that President Robert Mugabe would die on Oct. 17 this year.

Philip Mugadza was initially charged with undermining the authority of the president but one of his lawyers said that the police changed their mind. The pastor was later charged with causing offence to persons of a particular race or religion.

"I am here for the prophecy I gave out that the President will die in October 17," Mugadza told journalist inside the Harare Police station before he was charged, according to The Telegraph.

Mugadza noted that October 2017 was a "very special date, because of the number seven and at the same time, 2017 collides with 37 years by which Zanu PF has been ruling this beautiful nation of Zimbabwe. It is not to say that I am glad to announce this but, I am just saying it because that's what God told me."

When he appeared before the Harare Magistrates' Courts on Wednesday, he complained that he was detained beyond the stipulated 48 hours.

"We have a preliminary complaint, that the accused's rights were infringed as he was arrested on Monday at 9am and was brought to court at 10:12am yesterday," said Gift Mtisi, who is one of Mugadza's lawyers.

Mtisi said that the pastor could face a fine of US$300 or a maximum of six months in prison, or both.

Mugadza first caught media attention in December 2015 when he staged a one-man protest against Mugabe at the Victoria Falls resort during a national conference of the ruling Zanu-PF party. In April last year, he chained himself to a pole while holding a Bible in one hand and a cross on another.

In October, Mugadza submitted a petition to Pope Francis, asking him to excommunicate Mugabe, who is known to be a Catholic. He stated in the petition that Zimbabweans have been subjected to "unimaginable levels of poverty" under Mugabe's rule.

Last November, he was arrested after wrapping himself up with the national flag during a protest. He was charged with displaying the flag without seeking the permission of the government.
145,000 Indian Children Without Support As Compassion's Funds Cut Off By Government

Child sponsorship charity Compassion has told its supporters its work in India is on the point of collapse. The charity announced the news in an email to its 130,000 sponsors of Indian children last Friday, as Christianity Today reports.

Compassion has worked in India for the past 48 years, it has 580 staff working across the country, supporting 145,000 children. The charity sends approximately $50 million a year in humanitarian aid to its Indian partners.

However, in 2011 India changed its Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) so that it could regulate NGOs receiving contributions from abroad. Despite concerted efforts by the charity and high-level representations by the US government, it can no longer receive funds from outside the sub-continent, and so its operations will have to cease.

"Since we can no longer distribute funds to our field offices, we have just had to notify our India country staff that we must formally close our field offices in India by March 15," the email said.

"Should nothing change, that means an end to our sponsorship program in India in the next 60 days."

While the change in regulations is promoted as a way of controlling corruption and money-laundering, campaigners believe the restrictions on Compassion and other Christian charities are part of a move against them inspired by the Hindu nationalist movement that has become dominant particularly since the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014.

Compassion's lead attorney Stephen Oakley previously told the US House Foreign Affairs Committee: "What we're experiencing is an unprecedented, highly coordinated, deliberate and systematic attack intended to drive us out."

Open Doors now rank India at number 15 on a list of places where it is hardest to be a Christian. "Of the 64 million Christians in India, approximately 39 million experience direct persecution," they said.

An official statement by Compassion on its tatus in India has not yet been given.

There may be some hope for the children that the charity can no longer serve. Compassion spokesperson Becca Bishop said: "[The children] may have lost Compassion's support, but they haven't lost the support of their local church.

"Those churches, if they have the funds, may still be able to carry out a lot of the services."
700 Fine For Artist Who 'Defiled Church' By Doing Press-Ups On The Altar

A German artist has been fined 700 after he was accused of defiling a place of worship by doing press-ups on a church altar.

Alexander Karle, 38, posted a video of the stunt  performed on the altar of St John's Basilica  on YouTube and it was later displayed at an art centre.

The performance piece was called 'Pressure to Perform'. According to Catholic News Agency (CNA), Karle said he wanted "to study the links between religion and the need to conform to high standards of the time".

However, the parish brought charges against him.

"The Christian faith expects to be treated with respect," local priest Father Eugen Vogt told newspaper Zeitung fur Saarbrucken.

He insisted it was an act of "provocation and offence."

Karle was initially fined 1,500 for disturbance of religious activities and illegal entry in a church domain closed to the public, CNA said.

The prosecutor argued that Karle had "consciously and intentionally used the altar for purposes other than intended and performed physical exercise, having climbed upon it with his shoes on".

But the fine was at a later trial reduced to 700.

Karle said his stunt was not an attack on the Church, but "a democratic right to freely express our opinion through artistic interventions".

"In the beginning, the Catholic Church's emphasis was on non-materialism, that is, for instance 'It is not the issue of the holy altar itself, but of what the altar stands for.' And that has changed," he told Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.

"Today, we've got a situation when material things are more worthy than people or feelings. I wanted to bring it to the public attention, by combining the two things in a way which hasn't been seen before and which could trigger a broad discussion."
God Bless America: The Hopes And Fears Of Evangelicals Under Trump

Having an American wife, I spend quite a bit of time stateside. Last week I was in New York, catching up with friends, learning about the great social transformation work of Tim Keller's Redeemer Church in Manhattan and worshipping with the amazing Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. I had a wonderful time, but the truth is my political mind was distracted by events over at Trump Tower.

President Trump. How did that happen? I still can't quite get my head around it. And why did the key evangelical vote so decisively swing behind him? He hardly represents family values and moral formation.

The answer is probably related to the fact that, although the Church bridges the Atlantic, there is a huge gulf between our respective modes of political engagement. While UK Christians are scattered across all the main parties and positions, in the US they are very much concentrated on the right and in the Republican Party. This wasn't always the case. Post Jimmy Carter, the capture of the Church by the right was made possible by a dogged, liberal purge of Christianity on the left. This alienation of the religious vote has propelled the Democrats down an ever-narrowing secular road. The result is that today, American society is neatly divided between the liberal/secular and the conservative/religious.

As the bitter presidential election contest showed, this 'culture war' shows no signs of a ceasefire. Indeed, for US Christians the battle-lines are clearer than ever. Most notably, following the federal redefinition of marriage, the election was fought against a backdrop of a litany of high-profile legal cases in which religion and LGBT rights clashed. With tensions heightened by Obama's presidential diktat for states to enforce transgender bathroom laws and Team Hillary's anti-Catholic statements, it was perhaps unsurprising that Democrats suffered such a defeat at the hands of the religious  especially with so many opting for what they believed was the 'least worst' candidate. Sadly, from my observations of the debates and comment in the US media, it seems that the Democrats remain unwilling to review their religion-alienating policies. So, this situation looks set to continue for the foreseeable future.

So, where does this leave the US evangelicals who voted for Trump? They may be relieved to have stopped Clinton, but what can they expect from a Trump administration? Given the erratic nature of the "the mud-slinging mogul with a complicated hair-do and a flair for the dramatic", it seems that they are viewing their new president with a mixture of expectation and trepidation.

Expectations relate to the delivery of the many grand promises made by Trump in the election. Alongside pledging an economic revival, 'the Donald' made strong public commitments to protect and promote religious freedom; review the controversial Roe v Wade abortion law judgment; and perhaps most significantly, de-liberalise the Supreme Court Justice appointments. Given the direct appeal of these pledges to the US evangelical Church, I discern a cautious optimism, which may need to be matched by patience and holding him to account.

In other policy areas, it seems that US evangelicals are less optimistic. Notwithstanding concerns about foreign policy and trade, these trepidations relate largely to Trump's character flaws and his egoism. His faith  or lack thereof  is related to a warmth for Christianity and the Bible, with a rejection of any need to repent.

Most seriously perhaps, alongside his denigration of women, the political scapegoating of ethnic minorities and the pledge to build a wall along the length of the US-Mexico border represents a particular challenge for a US Church that is increasingly black and Latino in flavour. Following Trump's astonishing tirade against Mexicans at the launch of his campaign I recall my Latino wife being visibly shaken.

Political opportunism is nothing new, and American politics has always been a brutal affair, but to maintain Church support (and social order) Trump will need to resist playing the race card in this way. After all, if he adopts just another form of the identity politics that characterises the left, he can expect a similar catastrophic effect. The Church vote mirrored a number of more general US demographic voting patterns in relation to age, class and urban/rural distinctions. However, in order to maintain broad evangelical support it is likely that he will need to reach out beyond his core white evangelical vote, because the US Church is changing.

Not far from Trump Tower is my wife's spiritual 'home'  Times Square Church. Established by David Wilkerson, this remarkable fellowship of thousands now has a global gospel focus. With 105 languages represented, it has above the main entrance the words from Revelation 7: "every tribe, tongue and nation". Hopeful, confident, unafraid of political engagement and yet with a strong focus of the saving and transforming gospel of Jesus, over the last six months, from the pulpit of this church I've heard sobering analyses of the challenges facing America accompanied by strong criticisms of both Obama and Trump. Here is a model of Church that welcomes, integrates and mobilises all for the gospel. A true model of diversity to re-fire the cooling US melting pot.

Let's hope, pray and work to see the Democrats find this kind of faith again, and that President Trump's American dream has a similar unifying and hopeful vision  "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all".

Dr David Landrum is director of advocacy for the Evangelical Alliance.
Holy Spirit 'Stirring' In War-Ravaged Aleppo As Muslims Seek Refuge in Christian Prayer Tents

Amid the devastation and carnage in the Syrian battleground city of Aleppo, the Holy Spirit is "stirring."

The inspiring statement was aired by Steve Van Valkenburg of Christian Aid Mission who reported some amazing developments in an otherwise desolate landscape where people are still desperately trying to survive the ongoing civil war, Mission Network News reported.

Van Valkenburg said the problems in Aleppo are still enormous: little food and water supply, high prices of whatever food is being sold, intermittent electricity even in the midst of winter, no jobs, no law and order, and gangs roaming the streets at night among other dangers.

"Basically, the attitude of the people is that they're scared. They're not sure what's going to happen," Van Valkenburg said. "The government is not sure who to trust. The government doesn't know if there are militia members just mixed in with those who are fleeing, and people who stayed behind may be actually militant members and may be pretending to be regular citizens. So there's a lot of door-to-door and searching by the government and a lot of just not being sure if the person next to you may be a suicide bomber."

Against this backdrop, Christian Aid ministry partners have erected prayer tents throughout Aleppo where Muslims are welcome to join their Christian brothers and sisters in praying, Van Valkenburg said, adding that many Muslims have been coming in.

"Many people are ... at their wit's end, they have heavy burdens, and they're afraid and they're looking for somebody to come and help them. So even though they may be Muslims, they still are looking for somebody who will give them solace," he said.

During these prayer sessions, the missionaries share the Gospel and hand out Bibles and tracts to their Muslim guests.

Christian Aid ministry partners have also set up evangelistic programmes for children that have been drawing "thousands of people," said Van Valkenburg.

The children come with their parents, and they are given Bible colouring books that tell Bible stories. The children and their parents also get to watch gospel films and are given Bibles as well, he said.

All these activities have the approval of the Syrian government, which even provides security for the people there, he added.

Van Valkenburg said what the residents of Aleppo need the most right now are heating materials and supplies amid the cold of winter.

He said one ministry is bringing in hot water bottles and blankets for the shivering residents.

Van Valkenburg urged Christians worldwide to pray for the people of Aleppo. If they feel moved to give, donors may get in touch with Christian Aid through its website, he said.
Islamist Extremists Are Killing Christians in Syria Who Refuse to Deny Jesus, Pastor Reveals

Nearly six years after the civil war erupted, Syria continues to be awash in the blood of its helpless and innocent people, Christians among them, with no end in sight.

Shocking accounts of the killings and other atrocities being committed by Islamist extremists on Christians have all become common, sometimes to the point of nausea and stupor.

In the latest first-hand account of the nightmarish situation in the war-ravaged country, a pastor recently told The Christian Post that Syria is "being torn apart," with Christians being killed for choosing to follow Jesus and staying behind to help victims.

"Evil is all around us," Pastor Edward said. "We can touch evil and feel it. It is heavy on our hearts."

But amid the brutality of war, Christians have demonstrated astounding faith, remarkable bravery and utmost selflessness.

For instance, Edward recalled a Christian man named George who chose not to hide in the homes of Muslims when the extremists came into the neighbourhood looking for Christians. George bravely showed himself to the extremists after telling his mother what Jesus said, "If you deny me I will deny you."

The militants killed George. "His mother was not even allowed to bury his body," the pastor said.

Edward also remembered his friend, a doctor, who decided to stay in his community to treat the wounded and the sick, Christian or not, even though he had all the opportunities to leave for safer grounds.

"He could have gone to safety, but he chose to specifically stay to help others. He was taken by Islamic extremists and on camera, was killed. The video is so shocking and it gives me great pain," Edward said.

The pastor said despite all the horrors of war, he is encouraged to see Isaiah 60, that speaks of the glory of Zion, taking form in the war-torn land. "The light rises up on the church and His glory is on the church," Edward quoted part of the biblical verse.

The pastor also confirmed that, yes, the reports are true that thousands of Muslims are turning to Jesus Christ in the midst of the bloodshed.

He said he personally knew a Muslim couple who embraced Jesus after comparing the Bible with the Quran, the Islamic holy book.

"The more they studied, the more they came to realise that they wanted to follow the God of the Bible who taught love, kindness and forgiveness," Edward said.
Monster Or Messiah: How Should The Church Respond To Donald Trump?

Today Donald Trump will be sworn in as the president of the United States. Despite winning the election back in November, it's a startling reality that many are still struggling to reckon with. Trump has sharply divided the Christian community, with some delighting in his victory while others despair.

As Christians across the world look ahead to the unknown, how should they think, act, and pray under a Trump administration? Can groups that disagree also find ways to unite and learn from one another? Here are three kinds of Christian response to the reality of Trump.

"The Trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend"

If the statistics are anything to go by, many US Christians will be celebrating today. After all, white evangelical Christians voted for Trump by an overwhelming majority. Some may have been more enthusiastic than others, but Trump's win came at a time when conservatives have often lamented religious decline and the advance of secularism. Evangelicals must be grateful that in what many see as a culture hostile to faith, they got the man they voted for. Trump has promised conservative justices for the Supreme Court and support for evangelicals on key social issues such as abortion and religious freedom. Many Christians see his Vice President Mike Pence as an even better example of a faithful conservative advocate.

Key Trump supporters like James Dobson, theologian Norman Geisler and televangelist Paula White represent enthusiastic support of the Trump administration. White has been dubbed Trump's "spiritual adviser" and will give an invocation prayer for him at the inauguration today. White enthused that Mr Trump has "a heart for God, a hunger for God".

Franklin Graham has supported Trump without officially endorsing him. He said that ahead of Trump's victory, he sensed that "God was getting ready to do something to change the direction" of America, and was intervening to "stop the godless, atheistic, progressive agenda from taking over our country".

Graham also called for a reversal of the division that has come to define American politics. Whatever one's politics, such an ambition is surely one that any Christian can embrace.

#NeverTrump

Despite his success among evangelicals, many influential Christians denounced Trump during the election and since. Influential Southern Baptist Russell Moore vehemently opposed Trump on account of his character and conduct, and called on others to do the same. Moore was something of a voice in the wilderness, and received criticism from other southern Baptists who didn't share his views. Another influential conservative pastor, John Piper today described Trump as "morally unqualified" to serve as president and denounced him on several counts.

Perhaps unsurprisingly those on the more progressive end of the Christian spectrum have voiced emphatic dissent about the advent of Trump. Rachel Held Evans has tweeted almost daily about how Trump's victory effectively endorses his abusive rhetoric, particularly towards minorities and women, and undermines the witness of Christians who once said that 'character counts'.

If you want to know how our culture responds to men who abuse, demean & objectify women, look no further than the Capitol steps on Friday.  Rachel Held Evans (@rachelheldevans) January 18, 2017

Some Christians will be joining the Women's March in Washington DC tomorrow, marching for women's freedom, equality, and respect, and taking a stand against the presidency of one considered by many to be emblematic of misogyny.

Writer and activist Jim Wallis has spoken emphatically about the need to oppose the injustice that he sees Trump standing for. He has called the Church to renewed activism and protection of "the other" that Trump's rhetoric against minorities threatens. The President of the Episcopal Church in the US urged prayer and protest in response to Trump.

Now the election season has passed, there is a sense that even the more vocal critics recognise the need to pray and serve toward the ends they wish to see, not simply complain. The Church across the world has much to learn from its socially conscious, politically minded advocates who labour for the oppressed and long for justice. President Trump may help the Church remember what it actually stands for.

A third way?

Trump incites rage in some, optimism in others. His outspoken, abrasive style means that people tend to love him or loathe him. Some however, find themselves in that rare middle ground, still waiting to see what the future holds.

Voices like that of theologian Wayne Grudem may represent those who voted for Trump out of necessity, and now wait nervously to see what will happen. They may be cautiously optimistic, believing that despite his foibles, Trump may be able to generate some positive changes on issues such as the economy and mass-unemployment.

Influential Christian thinkers like Tim Keller have thus refrained from giving either political endorsement or damning critique, and perhaps in our divided age such a decision is actually quite wise. Mark Galli, editor of Christianity Today, has written about the need to resist polarisation, instead seeking reconciliation, good disagreement, and focusing on the true King of Kings.

The question of how Christians will respond to Trump is in many ways the question of how we will respond to each other. In both cases, there will be many complex factors and feelings involved. In both cases, hope and prayer will be vital. In both cases, the life and future of the Church will depend on one man, but his name isn't Donald J Trump.
Pope Francis: Christians Face Daily Battle With Satan

Christians must every day resist the devil and flee from temptation, Pope Francis said on Thursday.

During early morning mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Pope said Christians who say they are never tempted are "not Christian; they are ideological".

According to the Catholic News Service, as Christians come close to God, the devil "wages a war within you... This is why Paul talks about Christian life as a battle, a daily battle."

But Jesus came "to destroy Satan, to destroy his influence on our hearts", he added.

The Pope has been vocal in talking about the devil ever since his election to the papacy.

In his first major address as Pope, he said: "Let us never yield to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day."

In a homily in 2014, he reminded his audience of the reality of the devil in modern day life. "The devil also exists in the 21st century, and we need to learn from the Gospel how to battle against him" he said.

He urged Christians not to be "naive" about Satan's tactics.

"The spirit of evil does not want us to become holy, it does not us to bear witness to Christ, it does not want us to be disciples of Christ," he said.
The Gambia Explainer: What Will Happen Next?

As one president cedes power peacefully in the USA, on the other side of the world it is taking 16 neighbouring countries and the might of the UN to try and persuade Yahya Jammeh to do the same.

The extraordinary power struggle in The Gambia is passing by relatively unnoticed amid the protests and tensions around Donald Trump's inauguration.

But thousands have fled the West African country and foreign tourists were hurriedly evacuated as tensions rose in the last days with many fearing violence and a possible civil war.

The dispute centres around Jammeh, the president since he successfully led a coup in 1994.

He lost last month's elections to Adama Barrow, who is now recognised by The Gambia's neighbours and the international community as the new president.

After initially accepting the result of the election Jammeh launched a challenge in the country's Supreme Court, claiming irregularities around the election process and alleging some of his supporters were blocked from voting.

The electoral commission accepted some of the results it initially published had contained mistakes but they did not affect the result.

Jammeh says that because the legal process is ongoing, it would be unconstitutional for Barrow to assume office.

Retaining power means he cannot be prosecuted under for alleged abuses he committed during his 23-year rule.

But 16 other West African leaders have united under the regional bloc Ecowas to insist Jammeh steps aside.

Barrow was sworn in as president at the Gambian embassy in neighbouring Senegal on Thursday.

Shortly afterwards Senegalese troops entered The Gambia to threaten Jammeh. He was given until 1200 GMT on Friday to step down, otherwise military action would follow.

At the same a United Nations security council resolution unanimously backed the action against Jammeh although it should be by "by political means first" and made no mention of force.

Senegal, which surrounds the much smaller Gambia, has been mandated to use force if necessary by the Ecowas leaders. Aircraft, troops and a warship have also been deployed by Nigeria, raising fears of an all-out conflict.

Jammeh is heavily supported by his military's elite regiment, most of whom are of the same ethnicity as him .

The army chief is also a strong loyalist but he has been quoted as saying he would not risk his men's lives in a political dispute.

Jammeh remains in State House and is heavily protected by the elite troops who have sworn to defend him. But it is much less certain whether the other army regiments would come to his aid, with local correspondents suggesting many want a peaceful solution.

Barrow has ordered the army to remain in their barracks and said those who defend Jammeh will be considered rebels.

But earlier this week Jammeh tried to strengthen his position by fixing a parliamentary vote to declare a state of emergency in The Gambia and extend his presidency by three months to cover that.

Because the vote was while he was legally still president, it is technically valid under Gambian law. So The Gambia now has two presidents. But other states have ignored the vote and said because Barrow won the election fairly he should go ahead and take power. Without the extension Jammeh's presidency officially ended on Wednesday at midnight.

Troops entering The Gambia had paused their advance to allow Jammeh to quit peacefully. But now the deadline has passed they are closing in on Banjul, the capital.
The One Stumbling Block Every Christian Will Need to Overcome to Attain Spiritual Maturity

What is spiritual maturity and how do Christians gauge it?

Spiritual maturity is defined by the website All About God as the growth in knowledge and understanding of God's Word attained by Christians. As their knowledge grows, their penchant for sin decreases and they will have more Christ-like qualities. Their faith and trust in God will find a significant boost as well.

Attaining spiritual maturity sounds like a wonderful thing, but not everybody gets it. The progress of some believers may be much slower compared to their neighbours, friends, or even family members, according to Faith Wire. Even though they're doing all the right things such as praying, going to church, and reading the Bible, there's no guarantee that they will become spiritually mature

So what gives? For Christian speaker, poet and hip-hop artist Jackie Hill Perry, there's one thing Christians need to conquer. "I think the stumbling block to a lot of people's maturity is the idea that sanctification is just going to magically happen isolated from any effort or discipline," Perry said in a video posted on her Facebook page.

She referenced the Bible and suggested that Christians "work out your salvation with fear and trembling that's not theoretical. Literally work out what God has started within you. What God has begun within you because of the gospel."

If Christians feel frustrated because of the slow movement of their journey, Perry said they should blame no one but themselves. "God is not the one to blame for your immaturity," she said, adding that it would help if people continuously rely on the Word of God.

One netizen asked Perry how Christians can overcome their "lack of zeal" for God's Word. The insightful woman answered, "I believe faith is the source of zeal. A lack of zeal for God must reveal a blindness to His glory as revealed in the scriptures. Therefore to reverse it means to be like the psalmist who thirsted for God (Psalms 42) because he recognised that His soul NEEDED God. The needy Christian is the zealous Christian."
'There's a God Up There': Last Man on the Moon Who Marvelled At 'Majestic' Earth Passes Into Eternity

The last man to have landed and walked on the moon has left Earth againthis time for good.

Apollo 17 Astronaut Eugene Cernan passed away on Monday in a hospital in Houston, Texas surrounded by family members as a result of "ongoing health issues," according to a statement by his family posted on the NASA website. He was 82.

Cernan is best remembered for the statements he made describing his last mission to the moon in December 1972. In a 2007 NASA Oral History Project interview, Cernan stated that standing on the surface of the moon he felt like he was looking at the Earth from "God's front porch," adding that the experience convinced him of the existence of God, according to God Reports.

"Science and technology got me there, but when I got there and I looked back home at the Earth, science and technology could not explain what I was seeing nor what I was feeling," he said. "You look at the Earth, and it very majestically yet mysteriously rotates on an axis you can't see but must be there. There are no strings holding it up. It moves with purpose. It moves with logic."

Cernan said in space one could clearly see the design and fine-tuning of the universe with God's fingerprints all over His creations.

"The Earth doesn't tumble through space; it moves with logic and certainty and with beauty beyond comprehension," he said. "It's just too beautiful to have happened by accident. There has to be somebody bigger than you and me that put it all together. There's no question in my mind that there's a Creator of the universe. There's a God up there. Someonesome being, some powerplaced our little world, our sun and our moon where they are in the dark void.

"The scheme defies any attempt at logic; it's just too perfect and beautiful. I can't tell you how or why it exists in this special way, but I know, because I've been out there and I've seen the endlessness of space and time with my own eyes."

Cernan admitted that although he was raised as a Catholic, he was not "an incredibly religious person."

He also clarified that his statements were not of a religious but of a spiritual nature.

"Religion is man-made," he said. "The Creator I'm talking about stands above all those religions. I believe you can address that Creator in any way you want."
Chicago Cop Charged With Murder Of Unarmed Man Will Await Trail From Home

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 19, 2017 9:05PM



Lowell Houser, CPD handout

The Chicago cop charged with first-degree murder in the off-duty shooting death of an unarmed man has been released and placed on electronic monitoring while he awaits trial.

Prosecutors in bond court on Thursday argued for Lowell Houser, 57, to be held without bail, but Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. ruled Howell released on his own recognizance in advance of his criminal court date.

Houser, a 28-year veteran of the Chicago police department, was charged Wednesday with the murder of Jose Nieves. Nieves, 38, was shot and killed on Jan. 2, at around 9:30 a.m. after an altercation escalated, police said. Houser was identified as the shooter on Wednesday, when murder charges were filed by the office of Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx.

Prosecutors said on Thursday that Houser had pulled a gun and threatened Nieves during a run-in just weeks before the shooting. That argument seems to dovetail with family statements to the media after the shooting. 911 calls had been made before about that gentlemen pulling out his gun at my brother," Nieves sister told WGN.

Nieves and a friend were moving in boxes on the morning of the shooting. According to the Sun-Times, Assistant States Attorney Lynn McCarthy said in court that Houser asked Nieves friend, Why are you helping him? Are you his mother? You know he treats women badly? (Houser had a female companion who lived in the same building as Nieves, prosecutors reportedly said.) Nieves at some point later told Houser to address him directly.

A neighbor later heard a loud altercation and saw Nieves and Houser arguing. A short time later, he heard three loud bangs, McCarthy said, according to reports.

Houser called 911 and told the dispatcher, A gentleman tried to attack me. I had to shoot him, McCarthy reportedly said.

Houser's murder charge and bond court appearance follow closely on the release of the Department of Justice's scathing findings in their investigation of the Chicago Police Department.

The murder charge comes in the wake of the Department of Justices scathing findings in a 13-month investigation of the Chicago Police Department.
'Most Importantly, We Will Be Protected By God.' Donald Trump Inauguration

"We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we will be protected by God." Donald J Trump, Inauguration, Jan 20 2017

8.00pm

The full text of the Inauguration prayer by Paula White, pastor of the New Destiny Christian Centre:

We come to you, heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus with grateful hearts, thanking you for this great country that you have decreed to your people. We acknowledge we are a blessed nation with a rich history of faith and fortitude, with a future that is filled with promise and purpose.

We recognize that every good and every perfect gift comes from you and the United States of America is your gift, for which we proclaim our gratitude.

As a nation, we now pray for our president, Donald John Trump, vice president, Michael Richard Pence, and their families. We ask that you would bestow upon our president the wisdom necessary to lead this great nation, the grace to unify us, and the strength to stand for what is honorable and right in your sight.

In Proverbs 21:1, you instruct us that our leader's heart is in your hands. Gracious God, reveal unto our president the ability to know the will, your will, the confidence to lead us in justice and righteousness, and the compassion to yield to our better angels.

While we know there are many challenges before us, in every generation you have provided the strength and power to become that blessed nation. Guide us in discernment, Lord, and give us that strength to persevere and thrive.

Now bind and heal our wounds and divisions, and join our nation to your purpose. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, the psalmists declared.

Let your favor be upon this one nation under God. Let these United States of America be that beacon of hope to all people and nations under your dominion, a true hope for humankind.

Glory to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

7.12pm

President Trump delivers his first tweet from @POTUS. Barack Obama hasn't lost his 13.9 million followers. He and they can still be read, along with his tweets from his time as President, @POTUS44.

6.45pm

Senate Chaplain Barry Black delivers the invocation at the Inaugural lunch at National Statuary Hall in Washington.

"Eternal Lord God, our refuge and strength, we praise you that we have nothing to fear. We can stand fearlessly during this season of peaceful transition, because we know your providence will prevail."

6.00pm



@realDonaldTrump returns to Twitter, via Facebook:

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain...https://t.co/cZKkrGXLSi  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2017

5.50pm

The full text of President Donald J Trump's inauguration speech:



Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.

Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come.

We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.

Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.

Today's ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another  but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.

For too long, a small group in our nation's Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.

Washington flourished  but the people did not share in its wealth.

Politicians prospered  but the jobs left, and the factories closed.

The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.

Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation's Capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes  starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you.

It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America.

This is your day. This is your celebration.

And this, the United States of America, is your country.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.

January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

Everyone is listening to you now.

You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before.

At the centre of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighbourhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.

These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public.

But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealised potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

We are one nation  and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

For many decades, we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry;

Subsidised the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military;

We've defended other nation's borders while refusing to defend our own;

And spent trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.

We've made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind.

The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world.

But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.

From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.

From this moment on, it's going to be America First.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.

We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

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.

We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.

We will get our people off of welfare and back to work  rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.

We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American.

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world  but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones  and unite the civilised world against Radical Islamic Terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.

When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

The Bible tells us, "how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity."

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.

When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

There should be no fear  we are protected, and we will always be protected.

We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger.

In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.

We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action  constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

The time for empty talk is over.

Now arrives the hour of action.

Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.

We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.

We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.

It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag.

And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words:

You will never be ignored again.

Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together, We Will Make America Strong Again.

We Will Make America Wealthy Again.

We Will Make America Proud Again.

We Will Make America Safe Again.

And, Yes, Together, We Will Make America Great Again. Thank you, God Bless You, And God Bless America.

5.45pm

Barack and Michelle Obama leave Washington DC.

The Trumps escort former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as they depart Washington, DC https://t.co/ZNwf9XAORM  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 20, 2017

5.25pm

"In the bible, rain is the sign of a blessing. And it started to rain Mr President when you came to the platform."

Franklin Graham, of Samaritan's Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, prays: "There is one God and one mediator between God and man - and that is Christ Jesus."

"It's my prayer that God will bless you, your family, your administration, and may He bless America."

"Its my prayer that God will bless you, your family, your administration, and may He bless America." -@Franklin_Graham to President Trump pic.twitter.com/v7972PITAr  BGEA (@BGEA) January 20, 2017

"There is one God" - @Franklin_Graham at today's inauguration of President Trump and VP Mike Pence. @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/igxp6ocZ5l  Kimberly Hunt (@10NewsHunt) January 20, 2017

5.20pm

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean and Founder of the Simon Wisenthal Centre prays that justice will be dispensed to the needy and the orphan.

5.05pm

"One heart, one home, one glorious destiny."

Donald Trump, President, delivers a powerful inaugural address.

His adminstration "will eradicate completely" radical Islamic terrorism "from the face of the Earth".

WATCH: In inaugural address, President Trump says will eradicate 'radical Islamic terrorism' from 'the face of the earth' pic.twitter.com/l1mW0ctzRK  Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) January 20, 2017

"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," he said.

"The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now."

He pledged:

"We will be protected by the military and law enforcement - and most importantly, we will be protected by God."

WATCH: President Trump says today the power is given back to the people. Watch his inaugural address here: https://t.co/t0hRANZ8kE pic.twitter.com/soJvfUONtL  Reuters Top News (@Reuters) January 20, 2017

American TV personality Larry Elder sums up the speech in two words: "God is back!"

Summary of Trump's Inaugural Speech in two words: "God's back!"#Inauguration  Larry Elder (@larryelder) January 20, 2017

Nigel Farage tweets that he means every word:

A very strong speech by @POTUS. He means it.  Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 20, 2017

5.00pm

Donald Trump places his hands on two Bibles - his family Bible and Lincoln's Bible - and is sworn in:

"I Donald J Trump do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States, so help me God."

Meanwhile, evangelist Franklin Graham asks people to pray for former President George Bush and his family after he was rushed to the hospital due to an acute respiratory problem, and has had to miss the inauguration.

4.50pm

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sings America The Beautiful after Mike Pence is sworn in as Vice President

4.35pm

A reading from Matthew 3, after which Donald Trump's spiritual adviser Paula White prays. She begins "in Jesus name" and ends with "in the name of Jesus Christ." She references "this one nation under God."

4.30pm

How should we feel about the inauguration of the new President? Krish Kandiah has some thoughts in his latest commennt for Christian Today.

Earlier today, Krish led BBC Radio 4's daily Act of Worship and reflected on the new President:

He said:

"With a ceremony and an oath and many festivities the baton of responsibility for governing the United States will confer to seventy-year-old billionaire Donald John Trump. The oldest and richest American imcoming President in history

"The result of last year's election has been marked with controversy. When Time Magazine proclaimed Donald Trump to be their man of the year they described him as president of the Divided States of America. But he is by no means the first controversial leader the world has ever seen. The Bible records the history of community leaders from prophets and priests to judges and kings, all sorts of unlikely people who were placed in a position of power. Some brought peace, some brought division.

"Some ruled wisely, others selfishly. King David, one of Israel's most celebrated leaders, abused his position committing adultery and murder with a royal cover-up that we would probably call Bathsheba-gate today. While the worst leaders such as the despotic Pharaoh of Moses' time committed atrocities that would have led to genocide, had God not stepped in to intervene.

"Throughout the rocky history of the Old Testament, the hope is maintained that one day a leader would arise who would rule with honour, dignity and grace, who would not abuse his position of power, but would bring global peace.

"The hope of the promised Messiah became particularly poignant to those Jews living in Israel in the first century under the harsh occupying rule of the Roman invaders. But when Jesus begins his ministry and his disciples begin to recognise that he could be the one they had been waiting for, two of them at least try to take advantage of the situation."

He went on:

"While James and John jockeyed for Vice-Presidential status, Jesus explains to those who claim to be his followers that leadership in God's kingdom has very different values to those they are used to. A position of power is not for personal benefit. It is about serving others, even at great cost. This could not have been made clearer in Jesus' own inauguration. There was no pomp and ceremony as Jesus laid down his life for the sake of his people. There was no glitz and glamour as he ushered in his kingdom, bleeding and suffocating to death on a Roman cross. There were no military bands, no balls, and no celebrity performers. Jesus renounced all his privileges in order to make global freedom and peace possible, so that all who believed in him could be forgiven and reconciled to God.

"As my children put it, quoting a Spiderman film: "With great power comes great responsibility." Jesus models the ultimate expression of this marvellous axiom as he goes on to fulfil his mission: "The son of man did not come to be served but to give his life as a ransom for many."

4.20pm

Donald Trump arrives and greets the Obamas

4.25pm

Gateway People's Robert Morris tweets a photo of Family Talk radio host James Dobson praying over new Vice President Mike Pence, a devout evangelical Christian.

4.20pm

South Baptist Russell Moore, who has been a strong critic of the new President, calls on Christians to pray for Donald Trump.

4.10pm

Donald Trump has not tweeted for four whole hours!

Wheaton College prof Ed Stetzer is among those hoping this might be a new start - or should that be a new ending.

It'd be awesome if, during his big speech, President Trump announced he was discontinuing the use of his personal twitter account. #hoping  Ed Stetzer (@edstetzer) January 20, 2017

4.05pm

New figures just published showing large falls in abortion and abortion facilities. One issue expected to surface in Trump's administration is Roe v Wade, the anniversary of which on Sunday coincides with some of the inauguration celebrations.

Why are abortion numbers falling in the United States? What will happen now w Roe v Wade #inauguration https://t.co/pbi1O3vz8X pic.twitter.com/WDcn8qKsta  Christian Today (@ChristianToday) January 20, 2017

3.45pm

Former president Jimmy Carter, raised a Baptist and the first man in the White House to describe himself as "born again", arrives at the inauguration.

Former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/epnsx4AhDR  CSPAN (@cspan) January 20, 2017

About a million people have turned out, fewer than for Barack Obama. The day is also being marred by violence and protests.

3.40pm

The forecast for the celebrations is gloomy, with showers today then rain on Sunday and Monday. This did not trouble Trump, who said:

"It may rain, it may not rain. I don't care. It doesn't matter. If it really pours, that's ok. Because people will realise it's my real hair."

3.35pm

As the inauguration proceeds, some Christians will be in mosques in a stand against Donald Trump and some of his statements about Muslims. They are encouraging others of similar persuasion to join them and at least seven Christiaan groups are taking part. Progressive Christians Uniting of Los Angeles began the initiative, calling on Christians to stand in solidarity with their Muslim neighbours in their newsletter this month.



3.30pm

David Landrum, who has an American wife and has just been in New York, visiting Tim Keller's Redeemer Church in Manhattan and worshipping with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, comments for Christian Today: "President Trump. How did that happen? I still can't quite get my head around it. And why did the key evangelical vote so decisively swing behind him? He hardly represents family values and moral formation." The advocacy director of the Evangelical Alliance says there are no signs of a ceasefire in America's "culture wars". Many evangelicals are not optimistic, he reports: "Notwithstanding concerns about foreign policy and trade, these trepidations relate largely to Trump's character flaws and his egoism. His faith  or lack thereof  is related to a warmth for Christianity and the Bible, with a rejection of any need to repent."

3.20pm

Monster or Messiah - how should the Church respond to Donald Trump? A reflection from Christian Today writer Joseph Hartropp.

3.15pm

This morning, our reporter Harry Farley reports that a Muslim call to prayer will be heard at the interfaith inauguration service in Washington National Cathedral tomorrow. Imam Mohamed Magid of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center, also known as the ADAMS Center, in Virginia, will issue the call and is one of 26 people to offer prayers or readings at the National Prayer Service after the swearing-in ceremony. Read it all here.

2.30pm

The sun rises over the Capitol on Inauguration day.

2.15pm

What do we know about the faith of the new President of the United States?
Why Are Abortion Numbers Falling In The United States?

Significant falls in the number of abortions and of abortion facilities have been revealed in separate surveys.

According to a survey by the Guttmacher Institute, a sexual and reproductive health policy body, abortion numbers have fallen to their lowest level since the mid-1970s and by 14 per cent since 2011 alone.

They are now below one million for the first time since 1975.

A second survey by the conservative Christian pro-life group Operation Rescue shows abortion facilities have also been steadily declining. In 1991, there were 2,176 surgical abortion facilities in the compared to 517 today, a decrease of 76 per cent. Since 2011, the numbero of facilities has declined by 23 per cent.

The Guttmacher Institute survey is released this week but is based on statistics up until the end of 2014.

At the same time, the UK's Christian Institute is reporting that pro-life Bill which bans abortions from taking place after 20 weeks of pregnancy has been passed in the US state of Kentucky. Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, a Republican, signed the measure after it had been overwhelmingly approved in the state House and Senate. Bevin also signed a separate Bill that requires pregnant women to be given an ultrasound and receive a description of their unborn baby before going through with an abortion.

The American Civil Liberties Union, a radical pro-LGBT lobby group, has filed suit to challenge this pro-life measure.

Both surveys come shortly before Sunday's 44th anniversary of the contentious Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973 that disallowed any ban on abortion before the viability of the foetus, generally held to be at 24 weeks. Liberals fear there could be a Supreme Court attempt to overturn Roe v Wade under Donald Trump's administration.

Hillary Clinton's support for abortion was one of the factors that cost her the evangelical Christian vote.

In the third presidential debate during the campaign, Clinton said she supported the provisions set by Roe v Wade to regulate abortion on the basis of the life and health of the mother. Controversially, she added: "The kinds of cases that fall at the end of pregnancy are often the most heartbreaking, painful decisions for families to make."

No one is able however to give a definitive explanation for the decline.

Improvements in contraception are believed to be among the reasons.

Megan Donovan, Guttmacher senior policy manager, said women should be empowered to access contraceptive services. "Empowering women to prevent unintended pregnancies and plan their families is both a human rights priority and smart public health policy," she said.

Operation Rescue said the question no one seems to be able to definitively answer  and the authors of the survey did not address  is why?

The organisation's president Troy Newman added: "When abortion clinics close, lives are saved.

"When there are no abortion businesses in a community actively marketing abortions to women, abortions decrease. Abortion businesses create a fake 'need' for women to get abortions through aggressive marketing campaigns. Take away the supply, and we find there is little actual demand."

There are currently more than 5,250 pregnancy help centres in the US that offer free assistance to pregnant women. These centres outnumber abortion facilities by more than 10 to one.
Interior designer Alidad, famous for his opulent and elegant interiors, on a set of Chinese porcelain pieces that he finds reassuringly welcoming

Im not an expert on Chinese porcelain, but I love blue and white. I bought these three objects  two sprinklers and a vase  as a single lot. I spotted them in the catalogue and thought they looked like a bit of fun. I was assuming they were much larger, because I didnt really look at the description properly. So when I saw them at auction I thought: my God, they are tiny. But that made them even more appealing to me, because they are so sweet.

I just like the shapes of them, and the fact that they dont obviously belong with each other. I prefer things to be eclectic; I am not keen on obvious symmetry. These date to the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty  the 17th century  which in European art was the bold baroque period.

I am more interested in the sprinklers than the vase; I assume they would have been filled with rosewater. If they were used for perfuming a room in China, how did this happen? At what point would they have been brought out? At the door when guests arrived, or when they sat down? Maybe somebody knows these things, but I dont want to go into it too deeply. I feel it is more interesting to keep the possibilities floating. But I like the ritual of welcome that the sprinklers imply.
I had only one wish: to help Le Corbusier get the recognition he deserved

Le Corbusier: Important Works from the Heidi Weber Museum Collection will form a centrepiece of the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale , the first auction in the 20th Century season in London (28 February10 March)

Heidi Weber first met Le Corbusier in the summer of 1958 at Cap Martin on the Cote dAzur. The encounter marked the beginning of a close and remarkably productive partnership between the pair. With passion and determination, Weber embarked on a number of collaborative projects with Le Corbusier, from the successful commercial adaptation of his furniture designs to publishing his graphic works and nurturing the market for his art. I had only one wish: to help Le Corbusier get the recognition he deserved for his paintings and sculptures, she once said. Weber also funded the construction of his last building, the Heidi Weber Museum  Centre Le Corbusier on the shores of Lake Zurich in Switzerland, which was completed in 1967, two years after Le Corbusiers death.

Described variously as the leading ambassador, spiritual heiress and mentor of Le Corbusier, Heidi Weber was, in Le Corbusiers own words, a monster of perseverance, devotion and enthusiasm. She developed an unparalleled collection of his work, from the elegant, rigidly structured Purist compositions of the late 1910s and early 1920s, to the exuberant multi-hued creations of his later years. The diversity that characterises Le Corbusiers oeuvre can be seen in the three oil paintings, tracing Le Corbusiers career from the 1920s to the 1940s, and four works on paper that feature in the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale and Works on Paper sales in London during 20th Century season at Christies (28 February to 10 March).

The selection of three oil paintings and four works on paper demonstrates the range and plasticity of Le Corbusiers oeuvre, and reveals an artist who constantly defied definition

Although Le Corbusier regarded himself first and foremost as a fine artist, he rarely exhibited this side of his practice, choosing instead to keep it hidden from critics and a wider public. One of the first to recognise the importance of his painting, drawing and sculpture, Weber dedicated herself to the promotion and dissemination of this aspect of his work.

Open a larger version of this image Le Corbusier (1887-1965), Accordeon, carafe et cafetiere, 1926. Oil on canvas. 51 x 35 in (130.2 x 88.9 cm). Estimate: 1,500,000-2,500,000. This work is offered in the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 28 February at Christies London.  FLC/ ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2017

Created in 1926, Accordeon, carafe et cafetiere (estimate: 1,500,000-2,500,000) shows the growing complexity of Le Corbusiers pictorial vocabulary as he reached the heights of his mature Purist style. Having co-founded Purism alongside Amedee Ozenfant in 1918, Le Corbusier spent much of the early half of the 1920s refining his still life compositions to best reflect the theories of order and purity which underpinned the movement. He reduced forms to pure geometric shapes, and minimised his use of colour to a palette of restrained hues. Following his break with Ozenfant in 1925, however, Le Corbusiers paintings became decidedly less rigorous in their formulation. The artist moved away from the strict geometry of forms which had characterised his earlier work, introducing increasingly dynamic shapes and bright colours. Key among the developments that occurred during this period was Le Corbusiers expansion of the types of objects he included in his still lifes.

Open a larger version of this image Le Corbusier (1887-1965), Femme grise, homme rouge et os devant une porte, 1931. Oil on canvas. 57 x 44 in (146 x 114 cm). Estimate: 1,200,000-2,000,000. This work is offered in the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 28 February at Christies London.  FLC/ ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2017

Produced during a period of intensive experimentation in his painting, Femme grise, homme rouge et os devant une porte (1931, estimate: 1,200,000-2,000,000) highlights the emergence of several key motifs in Le Corbusiers work. From the voluptuous curves of the nude female body, to the symbolic open hand at its centre, the composition features a series of themes that would prove essential to Le Corbusier throughout the rest of his career. At its heart stand two monumental figures, the man and woman of the title, their forms appearing to almost melt into one another. To their left, a fragmented bone  one of the artists so-called objets a reaction poetique (objects with poetic effect)  appears in a series of segments, its form almost completely abstracted as the artist explores a variety of cross-sections and different profiles. The bright colouring and amorphous forms of this portion of the painting lend the scene an almost Surrealist air, particularly when contrasted against the neighbouring figurative elements, and point towards the art of his Parisian contemporaries. The inclusion of both this natural, found object and the human figure in Femme grise, homme rouge et os devant une porte reflects the increased importance of nature in Le Corbusiers art at this time, as he broke away from the constraints of his earlier Purist style.

Open a larger version of this image Le Corbusier (1887-1965), Nature morte et figure, 1944. Oil on canvas. 44 x 57 in (113.8 x 145.5 cm). Estimate: 1,500,000-2,500,000. This work is offered in the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 28 February at Christies London.  FLC/ ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2017
Works from the personal collection of Barbara Lambrecht

Seminal paintings by Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet and Kees van Dongen will lead the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 28 February, and benefit the Rubens Prize Collection held in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Siegen

I began my collection in the early 1970s, and have lived with Impressionist masterpieces, explains Barbara Lambrecht, celebrated patron of the arts and philanthropist. Works by female artists Berthe Morisot and Eva Gonzales, as well as striking examples of early Impressionism by Monet and the bold colours of Fauvists such as Dufy and van Dongen, have brought me great joy. Works from Barbara Lambrechts personal collection will lead the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 28 February, which launches the 20th Century season of sales at Christies in London (28 February9 March). All the works offered from the collection will be displayed at Christies on King Street in London from 2328 February.



Open a larger version of this image Berthe Morisot, Femme et enfant au balcon, 1872. Estimate: 1,500,000-2,000,000. This work is offered in the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 28 February at Christies London

Highlights include two important oils by Berthe Morisot, who, in an art world dominated by men, defiantly pursued a career as an artist in the latter half of the 19th century. Morisot painted the world around her with constant innovation. She was a founding member of the Impressionist group, and exhibited with them in all but one of the group exhibitions between 1874 and 1886. Exemplifying the artists nascent Impressionist style, Femme et enfant au balcon is composed with a combination of spontaneous, softly feathered brushwork and areas of fine, exquisite detail. In many ways a breakthrough work of the artists early career, the painting was held in such high regard by Morisot that she executed a small copy of it in watercolour, which now resides in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Open a larger version of this image Berthe Morisot, Femme en noir, 1875. Estimate: 600,000-800,000. This work is offered in the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 28 February at Christies London

Femme en noir (1875, estimate: 600,000- 800,000), also known as Avant le theatre, was most likely included in the Second Impressionist Exhibition of 1876, and is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated works of Morisots career. Further highlights from the collection include Claude Monets Les Bords de la Seine au Petit-Gennevilliers (1874, estimate: 2,000,000-3,000,000), painted in the immediate aftermath of the ground-breaking first Impressionist exhibition in 1874.

Les deux anges by Kees van Dongen (1907, estimate: 400,000-600,000) exudes a raw sensuality, which dominated his art at this time. Shocking to contemporary audiences, the works eroticism brought the artist a certain degree of notoriety as a painter of lustful sirens. Pablo Picassos Lluis Alemany with a House in the Background (1899-1900, estimate: 300,000-500,000), dates from the beginning of his career, just ahead of his first trip to Paris.

Open a larger version of this image Kees van Dongen, Les deux anges, 1907-09. Estimate: 400,000-600,000. This work is offered in the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 28 February at Christies London
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Donald Trump doesn't take the oath of office until Friday, but the party has already begun in Washington, D.C.

The president-elect's wife, adult children and at least some of their kids were at Trump's side as inauguration festivities got under way on Thursday. But one key family member was a no-show: Trump's 10-year-old son, Barron. He was a hot topic on Twitter and Facebook. His absence even sparked #WheresBarron.

PROTESTS, CELEBRATIONS: Keep up with the latest in inauguration news

After a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and an inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial, social media users wondered why the youngster wasn't with his family. (Remember when Sasha Obama's absence from her dad's farewell speech set off a firestorm? Turns out the 15-year-old had to get ready for a test at school the next day.)

Here's just a few observations about Barron:

I am sorry to see that #BarronTrump is missing from tonight's festivities. What an awesome moment he's missing.  Lisabeth Donley

The boy's whereabouts are unclear, at least to the media. He was spotted, however, arriving in Washington. On Thursday night, as he thanked his children during a black-tie dinner for campaign donors in D.C., Trump mentioned "Barron was at home."

His mother, first-lady-to-be Melania Trump, has made it clear that she intends to keep Barron's life as normal as possible. She has even delayed their move to the White House. Mrs. Trump and Barron will remain in New York City until he finishes the school year. She's leaving D.C. after the inauguration to go back to the Big Apple.

SO LONG, OBAMA: Celebrities' farewell tweets to the outgoing president

Maybe Barron's getting a lot of rest for the big weekend ahead. Or maybe, like a lot of other kids, he prefers playing video games instead of hanging out with adults at long ceremonies and fancy dinners.

While he wasn't around on Thursday, we're betting young Barron, who will be the first boy in the White House since John F. Kennedy Jr., will be front and center at the swearing-in on Friday.
Chicago Inauguration Protests Begin With Student Walkouts

By aaroncynic in News on Jan 20, 2017 6:47PM



As inauguration protests in Washington, DC heated up early this morning, students at schools across the Chicago area also prepared to stage walkouts and join larger marches happening downtown later today.

About 200 UIC students walked out beginning at 10:30 a.m. this morning and assembled for a rally on the quad of the school. Many carried signs reading sanctuary campus now as the crowd chanted Donald Trump has got to go! Our photographer Tyler LaRiviere was there to capture some of the scenes.



Like many who have organized and participated in protests since election day and even prior students said rhetoric from the newly sworn in president and his administration has made many feel unsafe and concerned for their futures.

Theres so many things that are terrifying, said Jaylene Morrison. What hes going to do as far as schooling and repealing Obamacare/the Affordable Care Act. So many people depend on his decision and their lives might be ruined.

In addition to also being concerned about the repeal of the ACA and Trumps stances on education, which include nominating Betsy Davos , a billionaire Republican with limited experience in public education that has strongly advocated for education privatization efforts for Secretary of Education, student Eric Dirks said that the rhetoric coming from the Trump administration was terrifying.

His hate speech is terrifyingit incites violence everywhere and makes people think any racist bigotry or behavior of any sort is alright and puts a lot of people in danger, said Dirks.

Juan Rojas, a member of Student and Graduate Awareness, the group that organized the demonstration, said that they hoped the protests would mobilize people into action.

We want to take the awareness we know that UIC students have for a lot of the issues that are going to be prevalent in the next four years and turn it into action, said Rojas. He added:

Its hard to summarize (which issues are the most important) because its a sweeping variety. One key point though is that Trump is not interested in being a president for all of us. Hes shown that in his 100 day agenda, his cabinet picks, the policies he pushes and how he ran his campaign. If hes not going to work for all of us, were going to work for ourselves and make change happen.

Towards the end of the demonstration, a handful of Trump loyalists attempted to agitate the protesters, who chanted them down with not my President.



Meanwhile, several other student groups across Chicagoland are planning walkouts throughout the day. The Chicago Students Union is calling for Chicago Public Schools Students to walkout after 7th period. The nomination of vastly unqualified cabinet members like Betsy DeVos and the President's promises to deport their undocumented brothers and sisters has sparked widespread resistance, the group said in a morning press release.

Students at Glenbard East High School in suburban Lombard also plan to walk out shortly before 1 p.m., and will later host a rally and march after school at 2:30 p.m.

Many of those who participated in the walkouts say they will join marches and rallies downtown this afternoon, one of which begins in Daley Plaza at 3:00 p.m.
A Houston man sentenced to life imprisonment following his 2005 conviction for narcotics trafficking is among those whose sentences were cut by President Obama.

In 2005, a federal judge in the Western District of Louisiana handed down the sentence to John Timothy Cotton, now 51, following his conviction for Continuing Criminal Enterprise. But, instead of spending his remaining years behind federal prison bars, President Obama on Thursday commuted Cotton's sentence to 30 years. Now, his sentence will end in 2035

Cotton was the head of a multi-state drug ring based in Houston that brought in an estimated $43 million dealing crack cocaine in several states, including Texas and Louisiana. He also once hired a voodoo priestess for protection from federal agents, the Associated Press reported at the time of his conviction.

He is now being held at the El Reno Federal Correctional Institution in Oklahoma.
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
Entergy Texas presented New Caney Independent School District with an award for the district's energy consumption savings during the New Caney ISD school board meeting Monday, Jan. 16, at Texan Drive Stadium.

The award recognized the district's energy consumption savings achieved as one of the participant school districts in an Entergy Solutions Energy Efficiency pilot program called Resource Management Services, which helps find cost-free solutions to improve energy efficiency.

"We were invited into the RMS program as a pilot program for Entergy," said Paul Batchelder Jr., New Caney ISD director of facilities and energy management. "We were one of three school districts selected in the state of Texas to be a part of that, mainly because of our efforts in energy conservation up to that point."

The New Caney ISD energy program has been around since 2010.

"Since that time, we've seen a 22 percent on-average, per-year reduction in utility costs, which yields anywhere between $600,000 and $800,000 in savings a year," Batchelder said. "When you add it all up, I believe we're approximately $65,000 short of $5 million. In a couple of months, we're going to roll over $5 million in utility costs avoided over the life of the program."

According to Batchelder, the district's involvement with the RMS program is a way to continue pushing New Caney ISD toward increased energy efficiency.

"I have a team of people who are constantly asking the same question: what are we doing to improve," Batchelder said. "It's about trying to stay involved with groups that will facilitate that conversation and that thought process. That's exactly what I'm trying to do, not just sit back and say, 'We're good at this percentage.' I always want to see if we can get a little bit better or save a little bit more."

Phillip Lanier with Entergy Texas commended Batchelder for his efforts to reduce energy consumption in the district in 2015-2016 through RMS. Lanier stated the energy savings were roughly equivalent to preventing the burning of 45,000 gallons of gasoline from the area's environment.

"We're very proud of what Paul has done in the district," Lanier said. "Thank you for taking this leadership in energy reduction."

For more information about New Caney ISD, visit www.newcaneyisd.org.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg paid $100 million for a slice of seclusion on Kauai, but the promised peace and serenity failed to materialize, reports the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Two years ago, the tech titan purchased the 700 acres of beachfront land to create a secluded family sanctuary, according to Forbes.

Within Zuckerberg's island oasis are a few dozen parcels of land owned by locals, who have the right to cross through Zuckerberg's private domain.

To circumvent the alleged affront to his family's privacy, Zuckerberg has filed a series of lawsuits through multiple companies with the intention of forcing his neighbors to sell their land at a public court auction to the highest bidder.

Zuckerberg reportedly filed lawsuits against a few hundred people  some living and some dead, but many of whom have owned the land for generations.

The move, which is referred to as "quiet title and partition," is not uncommon in Hawaii, where land ownership is sometimes foggy.

Much of the land involved in the Zuckerberg lawsuits is "kuleana," defined as "parcels granted to native Hawaiian tenant farmers between 1850 and 1855," according to Harvard Law. Frequently, these lands were passed down through generations, often without documentation.



According to the Star-Advertiser, quiet title sales often result in below-market prices. Considering Zuckerberg had an estimated net worth of $44.6 billion last year, if the properties do go to auction, he certainly has the means to become the highest bidder.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

While the University of Texas may have Matthew McConaughey, the University of Houston has its fair share of famous faces too.

Brent Spiner, also known as Lieutenant Commander Data from Star Trek, was recently honored by the University of Houston.

The H-town native was named the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, an honor he discussed with a university spokesperson.

COMING SOON: Real-life Star Trek tricorders are about to start consumer testing

I'm very pleased to be receiving it," Spiner said. "My experience with the University of Houston was so positive. In fact, I wish I had been there for my entire college experience  I went someplace else first and then transferred."

Spiner said the last time he visited the University of Houston was in the 1970s, when he returned to campus to visit his girlfriend and was arrested for failing to pay $200 in unpaid parking tickets.

"That's my lesson to all the young students: pay your parking tickets, or you could wind up in the slammer, and believe me, it's no fun," said Spiner.

PRESIDENTIAL PICKS: President Obama's Favorite Movies and TV Shows in Office

Aside from paying parking tickets, Spiner also gave some advice for future generations of UH students.

"Take the college experience seriously, and learn as much as you can," said Spiner. "If you really love what you're doing, then pursue it professionally, and if you think you could do something else, do that."

Check out the gallery above for a look at other famous faces from the University of Houston.

Above: Scientists plan to visit world made entirely of metal.
'Chinga La Migra' Banner Draped Across Overpass On Inauguration Morning

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 20, 2017 4:05PM

Protests were already mobilizing in full force in Washington D.C. ahead of Donald Trump's official swearing in; and similar demonstrations are set to kick off here in Chicago later this afternoon and into the night.

But the locals weren't exactly sitting on their hands on Friday morning: this "Chinga La Migra" banner was spotted on Friday morning on a West Side overpass. The anti-immigration police sentiment is no doubt a reflection of fears of an anti-immigrant crackdown under Donald Trump.

The Tweet was sent by a group advocating for a student walkout scheduled for 10 a.m. with a meet-up in Wicker Park.
An accused murderer is facing new charges after authorities say he bashed his head into an x-ray machine while in custody.

Darrius Nichols, 22, was originally arrested in 2015 after he allegedly opened fire on a crowd outside a Texas Southern University student apartment complex, killing one person and wounding another.

Though Nichols was a student at the time of the shooting, both victims were not, according to Houston police.

After the slaying, Nichols was charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, both felonies.

But he was released in May after a few months behind bars - and he stayed out on an ankle monitor until a judge revoked his bond on Wednesday, according to court documents.

Later that day, after a medical screening at the inmate processing center, he caused $100,000 of damage by "ramming his head into the imaging screen of the x-ray machine," according to court papers.

As a result, he broke the machine into two pieces, damaging the computer component, the mounting bracket and the adjustment mechanism, according to Sheriff's Office spokesman Thomas Gilliland.

He was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief and is still being held without bail.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Houston Senior Police Officer Ed Lem issued a warning to the crowd of students gathered around him.

"You're going to hear some explosions," the HPD SWAT officer said Thursday, moments before a gas gun thumped behind him. "Don't worry. It's just a training device."

The SWAT team explosives practice was part of a damp, cold day of learning for about two dozen special police cadets, many of them just out of high school and attending Taiwan's Central Police University.

The students' visit to the Houston Police Department's training academy as part of an 18-day visit to Houston to study American law enforcement, English immersion and culture before they graduate and move into supervisory roles in Taiwan's police, fire and emergency medical services.

The goal of the exchange is to expose the cadets to the philosophies of American policing, said Dr. Hsiao-Ming Wang, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Houston-Downtown who arranged the tour. Wang was a former special agent in Taiwan's Ministry of Justice before moving to the U.S. several decades ago to continue his studies here.

"[In Taiwan] we consider effectiveness more than human rights," he said, explaining that he hoped seeing American policing in action would help them be better first responders in Taiwan. "Each student is a seed. [I hope] they will bring the law enforcement/democracy model back to Taiwan."

On Thursday, his wards watched members of HPD's Cadet Class 230 practicing at the academy's gun range and performing tactical driving training, and observed the department's SWAT team practice responding to a simulated hostage situation.

More than a half-dozen of the cadets will join Northeast patrol officers on ride-alongs later this week, said Capt. Greg Fremin.

For many of the cadets, the trip to the training academy was an introduction to weaponry not available in Taiwan, where they said officers are usually only equipped with handguns or batons.

Pin-Ping Hsieh, a 27-year-old firefighter pursuing her master's degree at the academy, said she was particularly impressed by the department's use of TASERs, which aren't used widely in Taiwan.

"The tactics and devices don't appear in my country," Hsieh said.

Sheng-Wen Huang, a 19-year-old freshman, was most impressed by the demonstration from the SWAT team.

"It really surprised me a lot," he said, explaining that in Taiwan, police are more constrained in their actions they take when trying to save hostages' lives.

The experiences have also gone beyond policing, the students said.

Huang, who is studying a foreign affairs track, was struck by Houston's diversity.

"In Taiwan, there are many immigrants," he said. "But Texas has more different people from every country."

Yu-Chieh Su, a 20-year-old freshman studying information technology, said he appreciated the chance to work on his English. He hoped to return to the U.S. at some point to study coding as he pursues a career in cyber security.

Like Huang, he was impressed by the SWAT team's demonstration. He also appreciated a chance to see everyday Houston, he said.

"I've met many interesting people - a Turkish Uber driver who told a lot of jokes," he said.

He paused for a moment, then remembered the steak and hamburgers he'd had earlier in the week.

"And the food here is delicious!"
A prison chaplain has admitted smuggling tobacco and cigarettes behind bars and selling them to inmates.

Eric S. Patrick, 42, pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official before a federal magistrate in Beaumont, officials said Thursday.
Police have identified a 39-year-old man who died after he was found injured lying in a street late Thursday night in south Houston.

The man was spotted about 9:30 p.m. in the 13300 block of Regal Oaks Bend, said Sgt. James Rhodes, a homicide investigator with the Houston Police Department.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A former Austin high school teacher charged with having improper relationships with two students is scheduled to have a court hearing Friday, according to KXAN.

Haeli Wey, 29, who was arrested Dec. 17, 2015, allegedly had sex with two different 17-year-old Westlake High School students after she met one on a missionary trip in Africa and another at a summer camp, arrest affidavits state. She is due Friday morning in Travis County District Court.

BEST SCHOOLS: Niche ranks the best private schools in Texas in 2017

As reported by mysanantonio.com, one of the victims told police he had sex with Wey about 10 times after they met in Africa in 2015. After returning to the U.S., he would sometimes go to her house for sexual encounters and other times they had sex in her car, according to arrest documents.

Wey is also accused of sending him photos of herself in her underwear and nude, documents state.

That relationship reportedly broke up when the student learned that Wey allegedly had sexual contact with another student she went hiking with at a summer camp. That student told authorities he didn't realize she was a teacher until he saw her at school.

GOOD PEOPLE: Most fascinating Houstonians of 2016

According to arrest records, Wey told the second student to delete messages she sent him and not to let anyone look at his phone.

She was released on bond, according to online court records.

In recent years, Texas has had one of the nation's highest rates of improper relationships between teachers and students. On Jan 13, former Aldine school district teacher Alexandria Vera was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a long-term sexual relationship with a 13-year-old boy, who allegedly impregnated her.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Class with a dash of Texan flavor descended onto the Washington, D.C., area on Thursday night as the nation awaited the swearing-in for President-elect Donald Trump.

The Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Ball sold about 10,000 tickets and is one of the largest unofficial events tied to presidential inaugurations.

FIRST-SON MYSTERY: Where is Barron Trump? Social media wants to know

"Our great state of Texas treasures the process by which Americans can exercise their right to cast their ballots for the next President of the United States," Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, wrote on the event's website. Williams is president of the Texas State Society of Washington, D.C., and the party's planner.

"As such, we look forward to celebrating the outcome as one of the many momentous occasions to tip our hats and kick up our boots!" Williams wrote.

Tip their hats and kick up their boots is exactly what ball goers did on Thursday. Tickets for the ball fetched $275 for Texas State Society members and $300 for non-members.

The Texas State Society of Washington, D.C., is a "bipartisan organization that was formed in 1904 to foster and encourage a fraternal spirit among Texans and friends at our nation's capital," according to an online explanation of the group.

The Beach Boys was the ball's musical headliner and celebrities, such as reality-TV personalities Dog the Bounty Hunter and Willie Robertson of "Duck Dynasty," were scheduled to make appearances.

Click through the slideshow above to see photos from the ball.
WASHINGTON  At the back of an American Legion Post near the Capitol building, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, sat quietly at a folding table, while a broadcast of the presidential inauguration played on the screen behind him.

Just up the street throngs of President-elect Donald Trump's supporters piled onto the National Mall for the swearing-in ceremony. On Thursday, Gonzalez said, he made the decision to boycott the inauguration after Trump failed to nominate a single Hispanic to his Cabinet, as well as an incident in which he said a group of Hispanic students visiting Washington from South Texas were spat on.

"It's like going back to the 1950s," he said. "I was just elected in November. It's certainly disappointing not to be at my first inauguration as congressman. But I felt it was the right thing to do."

In all, six Texas Democratic congressmen are boycotting the inauguration, including Rep. Al Green, of Houston, Rep. Joaquin Castro, of San Antonio, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, of Austin, Rep. Filomena Vela, of Brownsville and, in a late addition Thursday night, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, of Houston.

They declared the American Legion Post in Washington's Capitol Hill neighborhood their unofficial headquarters, an anti-Trump watching party that also served as a rest stop for those in town for the ceremonies.

It was quiet much of the morning. The silence broke when two couples from Brownsville walked in to pick up tickets given them by Vela. They identified as Republicans and said they wanted to be present "for a part of history."

For Democrats around the country, the question of whether to attend has been a tricky one. Vela said his decision was based on a sense that an aura of racism hung over the new administration.

"At the very least, Donald Trump has turned a blind eye to racism and through his words emboldened people," he said.

The question of whether Jackson Lee would attend was left open all week. But in a statement Thursday, she said she would not attend, citing Trump's comments on the Russian cyber-attack on the Democratic Party and civil rights.

"The call for unity and the embracing of all Americans simply did not come," she said. "This is not a boycott. This is an act of conscience."
WASHINGTON  Dozens of House Democrats planned to stay away from Friday's inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump  including five of the 11 Texans in Congress. But Houston Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee decided to split the difference.

She issued a lengthy statement on the eve of the swearing-in suggesting that she would not attend "the ceremonial inaugural" event. "I am not boycotting this ceremonial inaugural event," she said. "I have decided in good conscience I cannot go!"
AUSTIN The inauguration of Donald Trump as the nation's president sparked protests in the Texas capital city Friday, including hundreds of University of Texas students voicing anger or fear for what the next four years could bring.

Police officers in Austin stopped traffic on several main roads while student protesters moved through the university toward downtown.

"No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA," they chanted while shutting down Guadalupe Street, one of the main roads that run along campus.

Some more than 200 students gathered in front of the University of Texas Tower to watch members of the Revolutionary Student Front, an anti-capitalist student group, demonstrating with signs reading, "Drown fascism in a sea of resistance" and "All power to the people."

Students watching the protest largely outnumbered those protesting, but some stood in the crowd with signs that read, "Bridges not walls" and, "My body, my choice. No man owns me."

UT sophomores Colin Christopher and Belinda Busogi were among the onlookers. Both students voted for Hillary Clinton and were disappointed by the results of the election.

"The mood has changed from anger to despair," Christopher said. "Today, it's anger."

Busogi said she showed up to observe the protests.

"It's kind of concerning to me what the next four years are going to be like," Busogi said. "It's sad that we have to get used to (the protests)."

Several fights almost broke out between protestors and onlookers. At one point, a man on a bike held up a sign that read "Legalize weed. Make America great again," borrowing a slogan Trump used throughout his campaign. Protestors ripped up the sign while the man pulled out a pipe and began smoking with a crowd gathered around him.

David Green, a UT freshman and Trump supporter, showed up to the protest in his red "Make America Great Again" hat.

Green said although he disagrees with the protestors, he respected them for fighting for what they believe in. However, he couldn't get to close to the group.

"If I get within about six feet, someone will grab my hat and throw it into the crowd," Green said.

The crowd of students are expected to march to the One Resistance gathering at Auditorium Shores scheduled for 5 p.m.

At the Texas Capitol, ten artists, actors and activists sprawled out on the sidewalk. Behind them was another actor standing on a box wearing a Donald Trump mask, busy getting upset on Twitter as four people in white masks, dark suits and skull arm bands stepped over the supposedly dead bodies.

That was the scene at the Texas Capitol Friday afternoon as Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. More protests are scheduled in the Capital city throughout the day.

The demonstrators, who call themselves The Demolitionists, refused to give their names, but said they they have deep concerns over who has leverage over Trump.

Around the corner, seven gun owners carried semi-automatic weapons, posing for pictures next to a woman with a sign reading, "The majority has spoken you got Trumped."

The gun owners said they were on the lookout for mayhem, should protesters turn violent and begin shattering store windows or lashing out over frustration with the new president.

"We know we're not cops, we're just here," said James Everard, of Fort Hood, with a Vepr 12 shotgun hanging from his shoulder and a Glock 19 on his waist.

Another, CJ Grisham, president and founder of Open Carry Texas, offered pacifiers to help anyone "emotionally unhinged" because of the inauguration "to help them calm down. It always worked for my kids."
Illinois Lawmakers Defend Inauguration No-Shows, Slam Trump's Speech

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jan 20, 2017 8:18PM

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) was one of the several Illinois lawmakers who skipped President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Fridayand judging from her review of his (Bane-plagiarizing) speech, it looks like she's happy with her call.

President Trumps populist speech promised to return power to the American people. Which people? Schakowsky said in a statement, before agin registering her displeasure with the president's controversial picks for Secretary of Education and Attorney General.

"His populist rhetoric is a big conbut reality has a way of catching up," she added.

My statement on President Trump's Inaugural Address pic.twitter.com/aE5VLzbjBj  Jan Schakowsky (@janschakowsky) January 20, 2017

Other representatives from Illinois who chose not to attend Trump's swearing-in include Reps. Luis Gutierrez, Dan Lipinski and Mike Quigley.

Gutierrez's camp said reaction from his constituents was huge and overwhelmingly positive. We usually get a lot of haters calling and trolling the Congressman on Facebook and Twitter because he is Latino and has been outspoken on immigration, guns, Planned Parenthood and other issues, Douglas Rivlin, the Congressmans Director of Communication, said in a statement earlier this week,but the response has been overwhelmingly positive to his familys decision to skip the inauguration. Congressman GutiArrez apparently articulated what a lot of people are feeling with his comments that Trumps rhetoric on women, people of color and people of different religions made it such that he did not want to attend the inauguration. So many people have called with their messages of support, especially women. Our phones are ringing off the hook.

However, Illinois' two senators, Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both Democrats, were in attendance at the inauguration on Friday.

Durbin explained his decision to attend, by way of statement:



My presence is an acknowledgement that once again America has achieved what so many nations have failed to do: peacefully transition to new leadership. Absent clear and convincing evidence that the new president was not legitimately chosen, it is critical to a democracy that those who lose the election acknowledge the choice of the American electorate.

Translation: I'm a senator and have a much bigger voting bloc, so lemme just get through this.

A representative for the Illinois Democratic Party did not immediately return request for comment. This post will be updated as necessary.

Update, 3:45 p.m.:

Tammy Duckworth was diplomatic in a statement released on Friday afternoon, praising the peaceful transition of power, pledging to work with the new administration where possible and pledging to fight attempts to roll back civil rights:


This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 AL DRAGO/NYT Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Clem Murray/TNS Show More Show Less 3 of 3





AUSTIN -- A cringe-worthy joke it was, for sure, but conservative Texas Republican Rick Perry and liberal U.S. Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota nearly brought down the house during Perry's confirmation hearing in Washington.

"Thank you so much for coming into my office. Did you enjoy meeting me?" deadpanned Franken, the former Saturday Night Live comedian. Perry responded: "I hope you are as much fun on that dais as you were on your couch."
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.
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.
We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.
You are here: Home

China's State Council has issued a plan on educational development for the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), which aims to achieve major progress by 2020.

China will comprehensively deepen its reform in the education sector to provide support for nation-building goals, according to the statement signed by Premier Li Keqiang.

The document detailed key tasks, including improving education quality and fairness, and optimizing allocation of resources.

Efforts should be made to improve ideological and moral education, raise students' sense of social responsibility and their practical skills and abilities in innovation, it said.

More resources should go to poor and remote areas, and equal access for the children of migrant workers and impoverished families should be guaranteed.

It also stressed coordinated development of education in rural and urban areas, calling for speeding up the development of modern vocational education.

It said non-government funded education should be encouraged and standardized, adding that social resources and private capital are welcome.
You are here: Home

In an extraordinary case of blood donation, the fates of the donor and beneficiary became tied together for life, reported Chongqing Morning Post.

Lin Xiaofen (R) and her boyfriend have another kind of relationship  blood receiver and donor. [Photo from the web]

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."
McGhee Named Vice President of Workers Comp, BETA Healthcare Group

BETA Healthcare Group, a professional liability insurer of hospitals in California and workers compensation coverage for over 40,000 healthcare workers in the state, named Dave McGhee vice president of Workers Compensation.

In his new role, he will oversee all aspects of the Workers Compensation program

Prior to joining BETA, McGhee was the CEO of ALPHA Fund, a California joint powers authority that merged with BETA Risk Management Authority on January 3, 2017, for more than 14 years and the CEO of the Association of California Healthcare Districts for more than 5 years. His prior work history includes significant experience as a controller and treasurer.

Next Level Administrators Promotes Wagner to Vice President of Claims

Next Level Administrators, a data-focused claims administration organization, announced the promotion of Lisa Wagner to vice president of Claims. In her new position, Wagner will continue to oversee nationally the claim management, claim operations, compliance and client relations areas for the firm.

Wagner holds her all lines adjuster license in multiple states and has received a Board Certification in Workers Compensation designation. Over her 25-year insurance career, Wagner remains involved in many industry-related associations and conferences. She is an active committee member of the Florida Workers Compensation Institute and has been an invited speaker at the WCI education conference numerous years.

Tolson Named Crawford U.S. Property & Casualty CEO

Atlanta-based Crawford & Company, a global independent provider of claims management products and services to insurance companies and self-insured entities, 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 companys U.S. field operations and catastrophe services groups.

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.

Tolson holds the Associate in Claims (AIC) and Chartered Insurance Operations Professional (CIOP) designations.

W. R. Berkley Corporation Announces Executive Appointments

W. R. Berkley Corporation announced the appointments of Melissa M. Emmendorfer as senior vice president  insurance risk management, Mir Mazhar as senior vice president  chief project officer, and Jonathan A. Schriber as senior vice president  underwriting. All appointments are effective immediately.

Emmendorfer most recently served as vice president  insurance risk management of W. R. Berkley Corporation, having joined its reinsurance operating unit Berkley Re America as senior vice president in 2009. She has more than 25 years of experience in the property and casualty reinsurance industry.

Mazhar is an experienced technology executive, senior program manager and business transformation professional with 20 years of global experience at preeminent international consulting firms. He has a strong track record of delivering business efficiencies through technology modernization for large-scale transformational initiatives.

Schriber has been with W. R. Berkley Corporation for 10 years and most recently served as chief underwriting officer of the Reinsurance segment. He joined Berkley Re America in 2007 as executive vice president and chief administrative officer, was named its president in 2008, and was appointed its chairman in 2015. Schriber has more than 20 years of experience in the property and casualty reinsurance industry.
Akron City Center Hotel

The Akron City Center Hotel closed in mid-December.

(Shane Wynn)

AKRON, Ohio - The Akron City Center Hotel has quietly and abruptly closed its doors, after posting on its website it was undergoing renovation.

The longest-open hotel downtown had been under the gun to make repairs required by the Akron Fire Department to its fire suppression system after a series of citations were issued, beginning in August 2015. Hotel owner Jack Saheid told officials then there was no money for those repairs.

Inspections are documented as taking on Sept. 15, 2015; Jan. 25, 2016; April 12, 2016 and Jan. 10, 2017, when inspectors found the hotel closed.

A anonymous complaint in October said:

the elevators weren't working correctly

the emergency lights weren't working

the smell of smoke and marijuana filled the building

That led to a citiation. Another citation in November listed several fire suppression system deficiencies, including:

fire strobes that were missing or needed repaired

smoke detectors in need of repair or reconnection

batteries past the four-year mark that need replaced on several floors and the lobby.

The 40-year-old hotel, at 20 W. Mill St. in downtown Akron, has struggled financially for years, even after the sale of Quaker Square transformed that hotel into a University of Akron residence hall. At times it was associated with the Radisson and Ramada chains.

That is, in part, because the hotel was no longer part of a chain, said Dave Lieberth who serves on the board of the Akron Summit Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Franchises give hotels higher visibility and draw greater numbers of guests because they can offer travelers more benefits, Lieberth said.

At one point during the Great Recession, Saheid approached the city for assistance, said Lieberth, who served as a deputy mayor at the time. Saheid estimated the facility would require about $4 million in upgrades. But with few financial institutions lending money, the hotel continued to fall into disrepair.

A jazz-themed hotel is slated for downtown, and a new Marriott opened downtown last year.

No one knows if the City Center will reopen. Yelp reviewers have given it 1.5 stars.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily newsletter, with 10 top Akron stories delivered to your email at 5:30 a.m. Monday-Friday.
bus-tour-cuyahoga -falls.jpg

As part of planning to reopen Front Street, Cuyahoga Falls city officials, business owners and residents got on a bus Friday, Jan. 20 for a two-day tour of three nearby cities with downtowns similar to the Falls.

(Jeff Stroup)

Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters wants residents' opinions about the city's current downtown and their vision about what it could be.

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio - City officials, business owners and residents hopped on a bus Friday to check out similar cities with successful downtowns, as it revaluates reopening its struggling Front Street pedestrian mall to traffic.

On the two-day tour, mayors and city officials will take walking tours, panel discussions and other conversations to. Group members, who are paying for their own food and lodging, will post on the city's social media outlets using #transformdowntownCF.

"The whole goal is to get the public involved in this process," said Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters.

In November, the city began working with a5, a Chicago-based branding and digital consulting firm whose president, John Harris, was born in Cleveland. The branding firm will record the trip through video and photos to later share with Falls residents.

a5 has worked with all three cities on the bus tour:

Oak Park, Illinois

Valparaiso, Indiana

South Bend, Indiana

"The idea is to learn from and take away some inspiration from the communities and bring that back to the Falls and apply it to a resurgent, reborn and vibrant downtown," Harris said.

a5 also worked on projects during downtown Kent's revitalization.

The city closed Front Street to traffic in 1978 as shopping malls became popular and drew business away from traditional downtowns. Now, the Falls brings crowds to Front Street for riverfront concerts series and special events, such as Oktoberfest. The city wants to revitalize the area outside of festivals, too.

Reopening Front Street to traffic is expected to draw developers and retail entities to downtown, which in turn will draw residents and visitors of all ages to the city.

With the river providing recreational opportunities, 115,000 cars per day passing the city on Ohio Route 8 and the gates to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park next door, attracting people back to downtown makes perfect sense, Harris said.

Keeping residents in the loop during the process is also important.

"In the end, that's my job, to do the research," Walters said. "But it's the public's job to share their opinions."

To that end, a5 has held a series of small meetings and plans to visit community locales in the next couple weeks to interview residents. A public meeting is planned for Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. at the Falls Natatorium. The city will provide an update on the project and allow residents to give feedback.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily newsletter, with 10 top Akron stories delivered to your email at 5:30 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Save

Save
Criminal damaging & endangering, Engle Road: The driver of a minivan said someone shot or threw an object at his passenger-side window, shattering it.

It happened at about 2:30 p.m. Jan. 4. The man was driving on Engle near Glenway Drive. He was not injured. Police checked the man's vehicle but didn't find the object used to break the window. No other vehicles were nearby when the window shattered.

Disorderly conduct, Snow Road: A Texas man, 53, was arrested at about 9 p.m. Jan. 4 after he urinated in an elevator at Holiday Inn Express, 16330 Snow.

The man, a guest at the inn, was drunk. He tried to open doors to several locked hotel rooms. When police arrived, they escorted the man to his room and asked him to stay inside. However, shortly afterward, they found him stumbling in the hallway.

Grand theft auto, Snow Road: A 2004 Mazda 626 was stolen at about 5 p.m. Jan. 3 from the parking lot of Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership, 15029 Snow.

The victim had left the vehicle unlocked and running and was in Aaron's for about 30 minutes.

Grand theft auto, Brookpark Road: A 2004 Jeep Liberty was stolen between 8:30 p.m. Jan. 3 and 10:55 a.m. Jan. 4 from outside an apartment building. The unlocked Jeep contained a microwave oven, kitchen items and clothes.

Grand theft auto, Smith Road: A 2016 Kio Rio was stolen at about 8:15 p.m. Jan. 3 from the parking lot of Circle K, 5878 Smith. The victim had left her keys inside the unlocked vehicle while in the store.

Trespassing, Snow Road: A University Heights man, 45, was arrested at about 11 p.m. Jan. 7 after he refused to leave Howard Johnson Inn, 16644 Snow. Hotel management had asked the man to leave because he argued about his bill.

Theft, Brookpark Road: Car keys were stolen at about 2 p.m. Jan. 5 from Planet Fitness, 5755 Smith Road. The victim later found that someone had rummaged through his vehicle but nothing was stolen from inside.

Theft, Smith Road: Two males stole two cases of beer at about 7 p.m. Jan. 2 from Marc's Deeper Discount Store, 5725 Smith Road. A store worker saw it happen. Police searched the area but didn't find the males. The theft was recorded on security video.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, Pike Boulevard: A Lakewood woman, 27, was arrested at about 3:30 a.m. Jan. 11 after police caught her driving while drunk. Police had pulled over her car because she stopped in traffic, and drove erratically.

Theft, Elmdale Road: A wallet containing less than $20 was reported stolen at about 11 a.m. Jan. 8 from a resident in East Park Retirement Community, 6360 Elmdale.

Theft, Paulding Boulevard: An air conditioner was reported stolen at about 5:30 p.m. Jan. 3 from the outside a vacant home.

Sudden illness, Holland Road: A prisoner in Brook Park jail was taken to Southwest General Health Center in Middleburg Heights at about 3:40 p.m. Jan. 3. The prisoner - a 31-year-old Cleveland man - had complained of chest pains.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit the crime and courts comments section.
Police officers stand guard near Capitol Hill one day before U.S. presidential inauguration ceremony in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 19, 2017. Some 28,000 in personnel are expected to be deployed here for the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, according to local media's report. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

On Friday Jan. 20 Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States of America. This will bring to an end a very strange 72-day period in international relations.

It is well known that American election campaigns often contain some rather extreme and alarming rhetoric, and generally it is understood that this is aimed at a domestic audience and does not necessarily point to what the incoming President will actually do in office. But, once the election is over, the President-elect usually tries to smooth over any damage that may have been done by the campaign rhetoric and emphasizes stability and a degree of continuity.

Trump has not done anything like that. As he sees it, he was elected as the anti-continuity candidate, defeating a former First Lady and Secretary of State. One of his first promises made after winning the election, stated in such uncompromising terms that one can hardly envisage him going back on it, was to abandon the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), one of the central planks of the Obama Administration's trade policy.

It is in this context that we should view one of the most disturbing actions of this period (from China's point of view): the telephone call Trump made to Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan. It was not only the breaking of a decades-long taboo on direct contact between top Western leaders and the Taiwanese authorities that disturbed the Chinese government; it was the suggestion that this gesture might presage a complete turnaround in U.S.-China policy and a fatal undermining of the "one-China policy."

I doubt very much whether Trump's phone call represents a serious wish to snub China. When he spoke to Tsai, he was formally a private citizen with no government position. Thus he will have thought - and China's moderate but firm response would seem to confirm this - that it would be an interesting experiment during the pre-inauguration period. After Friday, he will not try any such dangerous stunts. I think we will see a much more careful and sober Donald Trump, one who will wish to see the relationship between the world's two greatest economic powers on an even keel.

Over the long term, however, China will have a lot to think about concerning one of the more consistent of Trump's foreign policy declarations: his clear indication that he seeks rapprochement with Russia. There is of course no reason why improved U.S.-Russia relations need to interfere with the good working partnership that China has built with Russia in recent years; but maintaining the Beijing-Moscow axis will not be quite so straightforward once the two countries are no longer so frequently driven into a common cause by criticism of America.

The same goes for other countries that have drawn closer to China and Russia as a result of American pressure and criticism on issues such as "human rights." Last year there was a major row between President Obama and the newly-elected President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte. After Obama criticized Duterte's radical anti-drug policy, the latter announced a turnaround in Philippine foreign policy and a reorientation towards China and Russia. It could be that the new approach promised by Trump, with less inclination to interfere with domestic policies, will win friends - or at least reinforce existing alliances - in the East Asian region.

And this will be the real issue for China during the Trump presidency - the future of alliance systems in the Pacific. Trump has said some not entirely friendly things about America's allies in Northeast Asia, notably Japan and the Republic of Korea; he has made it clear that the U.S. wishes to see greater contributions from allies to their own protection (this applies to Western allies as well). Does this imply that he is really prepared to distance himself from what have always been seen as U.S. commitments in the region? I doubt it, but he has not yet made himself clear.

We will know more from Jan. 20 onwards, if only because after that date what Mr. Trump says on international affairs will carry the official seal of the Presidency and can no longer be disregarded as just throwing ideas around on social media as an experiment. Trump's use of his pre-inauguration period has not been conducive to a feeling of security regarding the world's future. It can only be hoped that the program he sets out in his inauguration speech leaves his administration's intentions a little clearer than hitherto.

Tim Collard is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/timcollard.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
Economy

Ohio's job growth rate trails the U.S. job growth rate. However, that doesn't necessarily mean the state is failing at creating employment opportunities for its residents, according to a Cleveland Fed economist.

(Associated Press photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - One thing is almost always certain when Ohio's monthly jobs report is released today: The state's job growth rate trails that of the nation.

But Ohioans should not necessarily worry, says a Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland economist. Hal Martin says Ohio may not need for its job growth to match that of the United States. This is for a few reasons, including that Ohio's working-age population is increasing more slowly than the nation as a whole. The working-age population includes residents who are at least 16 years old.

"The recent trends of Census data - from 2011 to 2015 - show that the growth of the working-age population has been about 1 percent per year in the U.S.," he said. "In Ohio, it has been just about 0.3 percent."

In a brief published last week on the Cleveland Fed's website, Martin looked at just how slow job growth in Ohio could be before it increased the unemployment rate.

"You need a certain number of jobs in order to avoid having the unemployment rate go up," he said. "By adding more jobs than is required, you might actually see the unemployment rate fall."

At least since the end of the recession, Ohio's job-growth rate has consistently been below that of the nation. For example, between December 2015 and December 2016, the U.S. job growth rate was 1.58 percent, according to George Zeller of Cleveland, an economic research analyst. For Ohio, it was 0.63 percent.

Ohio's jobless rate was 4.9 percent in December. That is within the "normal" rate for the rate of unemployment in Ohio, according to research by the Cleveland Fed. (The U.S. unemployment rate for December was 4.7 percent.)

Martin looked at three factors he says impact how much job growth is needed to keep Ohio's unemployment rate steady. These factors are the working-age population, net in migration into Ohio and the rate of labor force participation. The labor force participation rate, or LFPR, represents the percentage of the population that is either employed or unemployed, but actively seeking work. He looked at job growth in Ohio and portions of the three other states comprising the Cleveland Fed, also known as the Fourth District. The portions of those states are eastern Kentucky, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia's northern panhandle. Job growth in the Fourth District was lower than that of the U.S.

"Ohio, for example, experienced a steady outflow--more workers moving out than moving in--from 2000 through 2015, while Kentucky and West Virginia have had intervals of both positive and negative net in migration," Martin wrote in his paper. "When more people migrate into a state, that state needs to add jobs in order to hold the unemployment rate steady."

Martin's research doesn't probe why Ohio's net in migration lags that of the nation. For example, were Ohio residents relocating to other states because they couldn't find jobs here? Zeller said not exploring the reasons for the state's low net in-migration was a missed opportunity.

"The too slow job growth causes the slow in migration and the fast out migration," Zeller said in an email. "Thus, the net migration is negative. The slow job growth causes the population net migration loss, not the other way around as the Fed falsely claims.

"If overnight, we create 100,000 new jobs, then we will have many tens of thousands of in-migration of workers, and the rapid out migration will slow sharply," Zeller wrote. "But, lacking the 100,000 new jobs, we still have had substantial levels of out migration and slow in migration."

Ohio's aging population also contributes to the state not needing to increase the number of jobs at the same rate of the nation, Martin said. The median age in the U.S. is 37.2 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In Ohio, it's 38.8.

Martin said a higher percentage of older workers could influence the labor force participation rate.

"As Baby Boomers retire, for instance, part of the reason for the decline in the labor force participation rate is that there is this bump of people who are reaching retirement age, and they are choosing not to work."

Ohio's labor force participation rate in December was 62.1 percent, while the U.S. was at 62.7 percent. Nationwide, especially since the recession, high numbers of working-age workers dropping out of the labor force has perplexed economists and other experts.

In his paper, Martin offers five employment growth scenarios, based on in-migration and the labor force participation rate. In one, for example, Ohio's working age population increases by 0.33 percent per year with the labor force participation rate remaining constant. As a result, the jobless rate would remain the same and the state would gain more than 1,500 jobs per month.

In another scenario, the unemployment rate would remain the same if Ohio follows national labor force participation rate trends and net in migration falls to -0.21 percent. Under this scenario, Ohio's unemployment rate would remain the same even though the state would lose 970 jobs a month.

Follow: @OPinfo
oeffalogo2017.gif

Leading organic farmer, Jim Riddle, and a prominent foe of genetically engineered food, Robyn O'Brien, will be keynote speakers at this year's annual conference of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, Feb. 9-11 in Dayton.

Jim Riddle

Robyn O'Brien

Educating and supporting young farmers and urban farmers is the theme of the conference, which offers a series of workshops specifically geared to beginning farmers or those about to expand their operations. Planting and management of crops, water quality, business planning, safe handling of organic approved pesticides and other topics will be discussed in more than 70 workshops.

Others include organic grain production, on-farm poultry processing, soil fertility, bee health, local meat co-ops, foraged food and combating food waste.

"Urban Agriculture has the ability to transform our urban and blighted communities by becoming a practical solution," said Clarence Bunch, associate director at Central State University's Cooperative Extension Service.

The annual meeting dedicates all its programming to sustainable farming - done for the health of the environment, the farmers and consumers.

Riddle, a Minnesota berry farmer, has been an inspector for organic certification and spent several years on the National Organic Standards board of the United States Department of Agriculture. He has also devised ways for farmers to better afford organic certifications.

O'Brien is a former financial and food industry analyst and author of "The Unhealthy Truth," a popular book about the health effects of food additives and manipulations.

This year's conference moves to Dayton after many years in Granville. Dayton Convention Center will host most of the events. A trade show, meals, kids' and teen conferences are part of the weekend.

Registration fees are $90 for the intensive, pre-conference session on Thursday, focused on growing high-nutrient food and working smarter on the farm, and $225 for the Friday and Saturday sessions. Discounted prices are available for OEFFA members, students and children. For more information, and for registration through Jan. 23, go online. The OEFFA offices can be reached at 614-421-2022.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 17, 2017. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

When China announced that President Xi Jinping would make an appearance at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, it immediately became the highlight of the conference. This was the first time the Chinese president would visit Davos. Moreover, as was announced, President Xi came to Davos with a simple message - to defend globalization and call for an open international economic system.

A few years ago this would have been very surprising news, but at present it is rather logical. The development of China in the past four decades has been a product of reform, opening up and gradual integration with the international system. China has been one of the greatest benefiters of the liberal economic order and the ever-deepening globalization. Moreover, China is still benefitting from this system, while its traditional supporters are turning away from it.

The Chinese president went to Davos at a critical moment. The main creator of the current world order - the United States - is seeing Donald Trump become president with a promise to reverse the integration of his country with the rest of the world. The role of the U.S. in the creation of the current world order can hardly be exaggerated. It was the U.S. that stood after the Second World War as the most powerful country in the world's history. Yet, the U.S. did not decide to build a direct rule over the world - instead, they institutionalized the system, which they felt would work well for them.

This was the system of free trade whereby American products would find their way across the world, leading to benefits for American companies and raising the living standards of U.S. citizens. As a matter of fact, this system also allowed for the rest of the world to develop and even catch up with the U.S. However, today the U.S. feels that the system they created now works better for other parts of the world than it does for them.

And they are not alone in this way of thinking. The U.K. is undergoing its own wave of isolationism by institutionalizing the Brexit. On the continent, there are growing fears that Brexit and Trump are not the end of the current protectionist wave. If another European country decides to follow the U.K. and leave the EU, the survival of the united EU will be questioned more than ever.

It's hardly a surprise that when Chinese President Xi Jinping called for defence of globalization in Davos, most of the audience warmly welcomed his remarks. At the same time, there are doubts being voiced around the world. Is China really going to defend the current status quo? Will "globalization with Chinese characteristics" be as beneficial as the previous system?

As was mentioned, the defenders of open international economic systems were first of all opening themselves. Not only did they benefit from being able to export their own production to the rest of the world, their massive markets also served as a bottomless sea of purchasing power for developing production in other parts of the world.

Currently, economic systems of developed countries are still more open than China's, and this is to some extent driving the isolationist calls there - Trump makes the link most explicitly. It is highly important and worthy that China rhetorically stood up for an open economic system, and it will probably have a positive effect. However, more steps should follow. In the present context, it would be extremely efficient if China continues liberalizing its own market, creating opportunities for foreign countries to participate in the development of China and in the process contributing to their own development. It would be much more difficult for the current dissatisfied members of the global order to build barriers when China is going the other direction both rhetorically and practically.

Dr. Richard Q. Turcsanyi is a director of Stratpol - Strategic Policy Institute in Bratislava, deputy director of Institute of Asian Studies in Bratislava and assistant professor at Mendel University in Brno.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
 Flash

Russia has invited the United States to a multilateral meeting on Syria scheduled for Monday in Astana, Kazakhstan, a senior Russian diplomat said Thursday.

"We have extended an invitation signed by our Kazakh friends," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was quoted as saying by the RIA-Novosti news agency.

Mediators and Syria's conflicting factions are expected to meet in Astana to seek a settlement of the chronic crisis, which has claimed more than 300,000 lives and displaced nearly 11 million others.

Earlier in the day, Bogdanov, who is also a special envoy of the Russian president for the Middle East and North Africa, met with the U.S. ambassador in Moscow, John Tefft, to discuss preparations for the Astana meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed the hope that representatives of the upcoming U.S. administration would come to Astana for the first official contact between Russia and the administration of Donald Trump.
F-35C aircraft as seen from deck of the USS George Washington in August 2016 during testing off Virginia coast.

America's top military contractors have literally been playing defense against Donald Trump, trying to shore up support for key contracts just as they are preparing to report fourth-quarter earnings.



Trump has used his bully pulpit as president-elect to criticize large contractors for program delays and costs he considers out of control, and it has meant Lockheed Martin and Boeing investors have seen occasions when those stocks felt the jabs.

"Even when you have contracts in place, there's going to continue to be pressure to execute on time, on budget and deliver even more than you promised," said Moody's analyst Russell Solomon, who covers the aerospace and defense industry.



The CEOs from Lockheed and Boeing have met separately with Trump in an attempt to allay his concerns about certain contracts.

Trump has criticized Lockheed's F-35 stealth fighter program, including during his Jan. 11 press conference when he said the F-35 is "way, way behind schedule and many, many billions of dollars over budget." Lockheed stock slid as much as 1.8 percent the day he took the swipe  and it wasn't his first time going after the aircraft.

Indeed, Trump's first slap at the F-35 was tweeted on Dec. 12, when he lashed out at the program's "out of control costs." Lockheed shares slid more than 4 percent in early trading that day.

As for Boeing, Trump tweeted Dec. 6 about its new 747 Air Force One aircraft: "costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order." Boeing stock fell as much as 1 percent in premarket trading that day but did manage to recover.



Given Trump's eagle eye for defense program spending, there is a possibility of new acquisition reform inside the Pentagon, and that could hurt contractor profitability.

"We think President Trump will continue to be outspoken on better pricing for defense programs with cost overruns, publicly encouraging companies involved to cut costs," Credit Suisse said in a research note Thursday. "While this greater emphasis on cost controls could result in a temporary dislocation of share prices, it is still very unclear how effective a Trump administration could be at reforming the acquisition process and adversely impact pricing and margins on certain programs. Even if there is some success on this front, it likely would not flow through to contractor financial results for some time."



There also are other reasons to be positive about the sector, according to analysts.

"Our DC discussions reaffirmed our view that there is strong consensus for higher levels of defense spending, although the mechanics to undo sequestration (Budget Control Act) are still to be determined," UBS analyst David Strauss said in a note Wednesday.

Analysts say obsolescence with some of the older equipment in the military arsenal is driving a portion of future spending as well as Trump's overall pledge to rebuild the armed forces.



"In the last defense spending cycle, I think we underinvested," said Richard Safran, Buckingham Research Group director of equity research. "We're playing a little catch-up ball in this spending cycle."



Safran expects the sequestration budget caps will be repealed to help fund some of the increased defense spending. Trump has already said he will ask Congress to do just that.
There's "a lot of nervousness" in the entire Asia-Pacific region ahead of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's inauguration later in the global day, said former U.S. ambassador to China, Gary Locke.

Speaking to CNBC's Squawk Box, Locke said the regionincluding nemesis Chinawas waiting to see exactly what the new administration would do amid Trump's tough talk on trade.

"A lot of people are simply waiting," he added. Locke was ambassador to China from 2011 to 2014 in the Obama administration.

Trump has ratcheted up the rhetoric against the world's second largest economy in the last few week and has appointed China hawks into his administration, raising questions about his intents.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will visit China in May to attend a multilateral summit, China's foreign ministry said on Thursday, making his second visit to Beijing since taking office as he seeks to further distance himself from Washington.

Duterte has carried out a stunning U-turn in Philippines' foreign policy since assuming office last year, making overtures towards China while berating traditional ally the United States.

In a statement issued after Duterte met China's Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin in Manila on Tuesday, the Chinese foreign ministry said Duterte said he was pleased with how ties had developed since he came to China last year.

"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 paraphrased Duterte as saying, without elaborating.

The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs said it could not immediately confirm the comments were made as no ministry officials were present at the meeting.

Both sides agreed that territorial disputes in the South China Sea were a "small part" of bilateral relations and to set up a bilateral consultation mechanism to deal with issues that arise in the region, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday at a regular press briefing.

China has given few details about the summit, but diplomatic sources in Beijing say the government is expected to invite a large number of foreign leaders to attend.

China has dubbed a series of infrastructure projects stretching across some 60 countries as the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, based upon resurrecting the old Silk Road that once connected China with Central Asia, Europe and beyond.

Duterte reiterated last month he wanted to avoid confrontation with China and saw no need to press Beijing to abide by a July ruling on China's claims in the disputed South China Sea that went in favor of the Philippines.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.


 Flash

Britain would fight for free markets, free trade and globalization, British Prime Minister Theresa May said Thursday.

"It is about embracing genuine free trade, because that is the basis of our prosperity," she said in a special address at the 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"The challenges and opportunities before us require us to look outward, in a spirit of cooperation and partnership."

"That is why I want the UK to emerge from this period of change as a truly global Britain," May said.

Her remarks came two days after her keynote speech outlining her plans for leaving the European Union.

In a decisive speech on Tuesday that sets a course for a clean break with the EU, May promised to quit the EU 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".

In Davos, Theresa May reassured the audience that Britain is 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 explained.

May also said that Britain was a country in control of its own destiny.

"Forces that underpin the rules-based international system ... are somehow at risk of being undermined," she said.

"The sense among the public is that mainstream political leaders have failed to hear their concerns for too long."

In May's view, this sense of failure was one explanation for the Brexit vote, in which British citizens decided by referendum last June to leave the EU.

Referring to hard economic realities faced by ordinary citizens, May urged fellow proponents of free trade to confront and respond to these concerns and offer a new approach.

"We must work together to shape new policies and approaches that demonstrate their capacity to deliver for all of the people in our respective countries," she insisted.

"I want that to be the legacy of our time, to use this moment to provide responsive, responsible leadership, that will bring the benefits of free trade to every corner of the world," she said.

The World Economic Forum is a Swiss nonprofit organization. It holds its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
watch now

Jim Cramer is in favor of the stock market getting a sell-off out of its system this week, so investors can stop freaking out. In fact, he is sick and tired of hearing investors say that president-elect Donald Trump will be so unpredictable that the stock market cannot trust him. "It is like they are saying get ready for four years of non-stop turbulence  I am more confident than that," the "Mad Money" host said. If earnings can still boost stocks and takeover rumors can drive them higher, then Cramer considers any pullback in the averages to create a buying opportunity.



President-elect Donald Trump speaks at the Chairman's Global Dinner at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Kevin Dietsch | Pool via Bloomberg | Getty Images

Cramer blames Amazon for the success of Netflix and Tesla . In particular, it is why the short-sellers are losing billions of dollars every day on their bets against the two companies, he said. "They just don't understand the Amazon factor, meaning you may not see what is causing all the love for either company, that love is tangible and palpable," Cramer said. It is also the reason why both stocks continue to break out to new levels that most didn't believe was possible. "Both Netflix and Tesla, like Amazon, require you to think outside the box of traditional fundamental analysis in order to accurately value their stocks," Cramer said. So, blame the nontraditional love for Tesla and Netflix on Amazon. Cramer likes Amazon and Netflix, but remained cautious on Tesla. Just don't short these names, because that would be foolish in Cramer's book of rules.

Source: DexCom
Mobile payments are so 2016.

That's the belief of one start-up that is hoping consumers will ditch the device altogether and use their fingerprints instead.

Touche, a startup based in Singapore, raised $2 million last June and is launching in restaurants and stores this year, allowing consumers to sign up with their fingerprints and attach their aliases to a credit card, which would enable them to use their fingerprint on any Touche device globally.

But the devices are only at a handful of venues thus far, while the consumer adoption rate has yet to be seen.

While more and more airports globally are requiring biometric information, it is less clear how willing customers will be to hand over their fingerprints for the promise of more convenience.

"Is it their concern? I'll be lying to say no," Sahba Saint-Claire, founder of Touche told CNBC. "But I've had ladies in their 60s registering, millennials registering, and professional people in suits registering, so I think the solution we're talking about transcends age, gender and race."

Consumer interest seems to be growing, though. According to a study by Visa last year, two-thirds of consumers in Europe said they wanted to use biometrics when making payments, while half believed that payments will be easier and faster using the technology.
Japan's Kirin Holdings and Heineken of the Netherlands are in discussions about a possible purchase of the Kirin's Brazilian beer operations, the Dutch brewer announced Friday/

Earlier, Japan's Nikkei reported that Heineken could pay pay around 100 billion ($869 million) yen for the deal, which could happen as soon as this year.

However, in a statement issued Friday, Heineken cautioned that there was "no certainty that an agreement will be reached."

Kirin began operations in Brazil, the world's third largest market for beer, in 2011, after acquiring Schincariol, a Brazilian brewery. However, the economic slowdown in the country in recent years has made competition among brewers stiff, Nikkei said.

Nikkei also stated that Kirin is expected to make losses under the Heineken deal in the tens of billions of yen.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.


With President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration less than a day away, investors are anxiously waiting to see what new regulations could influence bank outlooks.

However, for David Ellison, a portfolio manager for Hennessy Large Cap Financials Fund, he's more concerned with rates changing.

"Companies are earning good money now, and there is tremendous amount of money to cut costs and right-size the business. You built the business on a 30-year decline in rates," Ellison told CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Thursday. "That's why they're so big, because the asset prices always went up. Now you're going to build a business on flat to up rates, which means a totally different business and that's what we're moving towards."



Ellison said he believes that higher rates could lead to better stocks in the future.

"If you have rates move higher, the stocks will do better and earnings will go up because the core business will get better," Ellison said. "Doesn't matter what regulation happens, doesn't matter what happens with credit, it matters with rates. This is a rate play."



But in regards to regulation, Ellison doesn't support repealing the Dodd-Frank Act like several others on Wall Street are advocating for the Trump administration do. Instead, he hopes the reforms and policies will be just be "incremental changes."

"I think we've had a lot of new regulation the last five or six years. A lot of it has been good, some of it maybe has been a bit of overreach," Ellison said. "I'm not a big fan of going back to where we were, certainly because i don't want to go through '08, '09, and '10 again. I think whatever they do, I hope they slow the process down, let people digest it and make incremental changes that are really just tweaking it."
The Panasonic logo is displayed atop the Panasonic Center Tokyo showroom in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016.

Panasonic aims to extend its partnership with electric car maker Tesla Motors beyond batteries and into self-driving technology, as the Japanese conglomerate continues to shift its focus to the automotive business.

The electronics maker has placed automotive applications at the center of a growth strategy that targets corporate clients at the expense of low-margin consumer goods, where low-cost Asian rivals have diminished the dominance of Japanese firms.

Panasonic is the exclusive supplier of batteries for Tesla's Model S, Model X and upcoming mass market Model 3, and plans to contribute $1.6 billion to Tesla's $5 billion battery factory.

"We are deeply interested in Tesla's self-driving system," Chief Executive Officer Kazuhiro Tsuga said in an interview on Thursday. "We are hoping to expand our collaboration by jointly developing devices for that, such as sensors."

One candidate would be so-called organic photoconductive film CMOS image sensors currently under development at Panasonic, which enable high-speed sensing of moving objects without distortion, Tsuga said.

Panasonic aims to add such technology to an automotive business that also includes cockpit displays and navigation systems. It targets annual sales of 2 trillion yen ($17.43 billion) for that business in the year through March 2019, from 1.3 trillion yen in the year ended March 2016.

As well as automotive, Panasonic and Tesla work together in solar energy. The Japanese firm last month said it plans to invest more than 30 billion yen in a Tesla factory making photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.


With the U.S. Capitol in the background, 'Trump' flags fly on top of a merchandise stand on North Capitol Street

The "Fast Money" traders discussed stock market moves to make ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday.

Trader Guy Adami said the collective thought for inaugurations is to buy into the swearing-in ceremony and sell the inauguration.

After Trump was elected, the stock market surged but the three major indexes closed lower on Thursday. The Dow closed 70 points lower, falling as much as 100 points earlier in the session.

Adami also says the market could make back its losses and hit the psychologically significant Dow 20,000 benchmark once he is sworn in.

Trader David Seaburg said if the sell-off continues, he's looking for opportunities in the financials and he said he sold United Airlines and took profits on Thursday.

Trader Karen Finerman said she likes United Rentals , because of Trump promise to invest in infrastructure.

Trader Steve Grasso said he likes Monsanto , Time Warner and NXP Semiconductors because he expects their mergers to go through in the new administration.

Adami said he likes Tesla , citing a positive 2016. Adami said shares will reach an all-time high in 2017.
Rising cement prices were offering a clear signal that China's economic growth will remain stable for the year ahead, said Mo Ji, chief economist for Asia ex-Japan at Amundi, on Wednesday.

She noted that cement offered a more accurate gauge of China's economic activity given its short shelf life. In contrast, commodities such as iron ore which are closely tracked to predict China's economic fortunes can also move due to financial arbitrage, not just changes in demand and supply conditions.

"It can only be stored one month. If there is no on-the-ground activity, how can the cement prices go up? It's really demand," she said, adding that meant infrastructure and other construction was continuing.

Amundi had around 1.0 trillion euros ($1.068 trillion) under management as of the end of September.

China's spot cement price was around 272 yuan ($39.61) a ton by mid-January, compared with an average regional price of as low as 206 yuan a ton in the first quarter of 2016, according to data from Credit Suisse.

Among other commodities, iron ore saw its price more than double in 2016 to around $80 a metric ton, despite China's port stocks climbing to a two-year high, although the government of Australia, a major exporter of the metal, said in early January that it expected prices to fall as much as a third this year.
Apple is suing Qualcomm for roughly $1 billion, saying Qualcomm has been "charging royalties for technologies they have nothing to do with," an action the chip maker sharply dismissed as groundless.

The suit follows the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against Qualcomm earlier this week over unfair patent licensing practices.



Shares of Qualcomm, which had been up 1 percent earlier in the day, were were down nearly 2.5 percent by the closing bell.



Apple says that Qualcomm has taken "radical steps," including "withholding nearly $1 billion in payments from Apple as retaliation for responding truthfully to law enforcement agencies investigating them."

Apple added, "Despite being just one of over a dozen companies who contributed to basic cellular standards, Qualcomm insists on charging Apple at least five times more in payments than all the other cellular patent licensors we have agreements with combined."

Apple also alleges that once it began cooperating with Korean authorities' antitrust investigation of Qualcomm, the company withheld $1 billion in retaliation. Korean regulators fined Qualcomm $854 million for unfair trade practices in December.

Apple shares were little changed.

Here's the full Apple statement:



"For many years Qualcomm has unfairly insisted on charging royalties for technologies they have nothing to do with. The more Apple innovates with unique features such as TouchID, advanced displays, and cameras, to name just a few, the more money Qualcomm collects for no reason and the more expensive it becomes for Apple to fund these innovations. Qualcomm built its business on older, legacy, standards but reinforces its dominance through exclusionary tactics and excessive royalties. Despite being just one of over a dozen companies who contributed to basic cellular standards, Qualcomm insists on charging Apple at least five times more in payments than all the other cellular patent licensors we have agreements with combined.



To protect this business scheme Qualcomm has taken increasingly radical steps, most recently withholding nearly $1B in payments from Apple as retaliation for responding truthfully to law enforcement agencies investigating them.



Apple believes deeply in innovation and we have always been willing to pay fair and reasonable rates for patents we use. We are extremely disappointed in the way Qualcomm is conducting its business with us and unfortunately after years of disagreement over what constitutes a fair and reasonable royalty we have no choice left but to turn to the courts."

In a statement, Qualcomm said that while the company was still in the process of reviewing the complaint in detail, it felt that Apple's claims were "baseless."

"Apple has intentionally mischaracterized our agreements and negotiations, as well as the enormity and value of the technology we have invented, contributed and shared with all mobile device makers through our licensing program," Qualcomm Executive Vice President and General Counsel Don Rosenberg said in the statement.

"We welcome the opportunity to have these meritless claims heard in court where we will be entitled to full discovery of Apple's practices and a robust examination of the merits."

 CNBC's Josh Liption and Megan Hawkins contributed to this report.
Banks pulling out of the U.K. post-Brexit would not impact Europe's financial stability, according to a top official at Germany's central bank.

Several lenders in the U.K. are reportedly exploring the possibilities of relocating at least part of their businesses operations to other European cities in order to maintain their services throughout the bloc.



"What we are interested in is that the single rule book prevails and that it doesn't really matter from a financial stability point of view whether banks who want to relocate, relocate to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris or Dublin... it should make no difference," Andreas Dombret, a member of the executive board at Deutsche Bundesbank told CNBC on Friday.

"I'm pretty convinced there will be not one winner but there will be some sort of fragmentation in the relocation. We expect actually, and I personally expect, for those banks who do want to relocate to make a decision in the first half of this year," he added.

UBS , HSBC and Goldman Sachs have all warned that jobs and business operations may have to move away from London after Brexit. Dombret stressed he was confident financial markets would be able to adapt to the changes, should they occur, and that euro zone companies would not be disturbed.
 Flash

The Iraqi military said its troops freed Telkief, a town north of Mosul, from Islamic State (IS) group militants on Thursday.

Iraqi special forces are seen after defeating Islamic State militants in the eastern side of Mosul, Iraq, on Jan. 19, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

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.
An employee works on the interior of a Boeing Dreamliner 787 plane on the production line at the company's final assembly facility in North Charleston, South Carolina, U.S., on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016. Travis Dove | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Boeing aircraft and U.S. soybeans may be among U.S. goods targeted by China if bilateral trade tensions escalate and Beijing retaliates against U.S. tariffs threatened by president-elect Donald Trump's administration. Capital goods - including aircraft manufactured by Boeing, turbines for power generation and transportation equipment - are an 'obvious candidate' for retaliation, wrote Eurasia Group analysts Evan Madeiros and Michael Hirson in a report on January 18. "Beijing will target sectors it believes will resonate politically with the Trump team, including sectors that touch Trump's political base," the analysts wrote. Beijing would approach alternative suppliers in Latin America for agricultural goods and in Europe for commercial aircraft should trade relations with the U.S. sour, former U.S. ambassador to China Gary Locke told CNBC on Friday. "Chinese airlines do not have to buy Boeing planes, they can buy Airbus ," Locke said. "The list goes on and on, and that will cost American jobs, good paying jobs."

watch now

Steven R. Okun, director of public affairs at the American Chamber in Commerce in Singapore said U.S. businesses exposed to China will lobby hard against a hawkish position on trade, arguing it would threaten, not protect U.S. jobs. "Every company should be doing something to show what the tie-ins are between trade and job growth in the U.S.," Okun said. "When I was at UPS, we did an economic study showing access to China increased employment in the U.S. For every 40 daily international packages processed in the UPS system, that would create another incremental UPS job, most likely in the U.S.," Okun said. Okun added: "If you want to make in and hire in America, you've got to sell America outside the borders as well." If that message fails to resonate, U.S. agricultural exports to China may be in the firing line should a protectionist rhetoric spiral into an outright trade war. China may have already taken pre-emptive action. Beijing increased punitive tariffs on January 12th on imports of a U.S. animal feed ingredient known as distillers' dried grains (DDGS) from levels first proposed last year. China accounts for over 50% of U.S. DDGs exports and annual exports are worth $2 billion.

watch now
As the world's elite settle into a snowy, icy week of panels and cocktail parties in Davos, they'll have a lot to worry about: a nationalist wave is upending the global system. They're also looking more optimistic about their businesses than they were a year ago. In its annual survey of almost 1,400 chief executives, the audit and professional services firm PwC found the majority are now concerned that protectionism, not free trade, is on the rise, alongside skepticism of big businesses on both the left and right. More from Buzzfeed:

Maker Of $34,000 Drug To Pay $100 Million Over A Monopoly Price Hike

Russians Are Trying To Figure Out Donald Trump Too

Rick Perry Is Now A Big Fan Of The Energy Department

"Over the last couple years, what you see is an increase in the amount of concern around geopolitical risk, uncertainty that is more pronounced," PwC's global chairman Bob Moritz told BuzzFeed News. The other major issue that's come to the attention of business chiefs recently, Moritz said, was the public's perception of what they do, especially on social media.

"They're taking an extra step to say how does this play in the eyes of the public," Moritz said. "That consideration is definitely higher on the the management team's agenda than before." 59% of the CEOs polled were concerned about protectionism, including 64% in the US and Mexico. PwC said that the CEOs they talked to "question whether globalization has done anything to close the gap between rich and poor or mitigated the issue of climate change." Some 58% said "it's become harder to balance globalization with rising trends in protectionism."

Flags flying ahead of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting on 'Responsive and Responsible Leadership' in Davos, Switzerland Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
There are three key topics that markets will be especially sensitive to following Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday, CNBC's Jim Cramer said.

1. The North American Free Trade Agreement



"Anything that touches NAFTA could be considered to be good for people who are in the workforce if you're not looking at the later consequences of having to pay more for a certain product," Cramer said on "Squawk on the Street."

During his campaign, Trump called NAFTA the "worst trade deal ever" and threatened to levy a 35-percent tariff on Mexican-assembled autos and other goods. Trump has since primarily aimed his criticism at automakers who transfer production to Mexico from the United States.

2. The Trans-Pacific Partnership

Trump spent much of his campaign promising he would pull the U.S. out of it on his first day as president.

A Trump transition policy advisor reportedly said TPP "is dead," but said Trump will move quickly to pursue bilateral trade agreements.

Trump's pick for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, said he was not against the trade deal but shared some of Trump's view.

3. Healthcare

"I expect an immediate assault on the price of healthcare," Cramer said. "I think the details will be shy. I think it will once again be somewhat like what we saw against the autos, picking on companies."

Republicans in congress have taken steps toward the repeal and replacement of Obamacare. Trump has said a plan to "repeal-and-replace" Obamacare would be submitted after the Senate approved his nominee, Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., for secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.
President-elect Donald Trump boards the elevator to the lobby after meetings at Trump Tower in New York City on January 16, 2017. Dominick Reuter | AFP | Getty Images

Soon-to-be President Donald Trump loomed large over the World Economic Forum in Davos this year, casting a shadow more imposing than any from the surrounding Swiss Alps.

The headline act this week was the first-ever visit of a Chinese premier, who helped fill the void left by the plethora of no-show Western leaders.

In an attack on the anti-globalization rhetoric that has led to the election of Trump, Xi Jinping told a packed audience on Tuesday: "It is true that economic globalization created new problems, but this is no justification to write off economic globalization altogether. ... Rather we should adapt to and guide economic globalization, cushion its negative impacts and deliver its benefits for all countries." He never mentioned Trump by name, but it was clear where the Chinese leader was targeting his words. Others were more direct.

watch now

Billionaire investor and globalist George Soros rebuked Trump in a Bloomberg interview Thursday calling him a "would-be dictator" who "is going to fail." Fellow financial guru Nouriel Roubini slammed the "inconsistent" policies of Trump and predicted that a potential renaissance for U.S manufacturing would never succeed. Meanwhile, departing Vice President Joe Biden implored the media to not interpret his speech as a direct blast at Trump, but there was no mistaking that his words about Russia and Vladimir Putin on Wednesday were a sharp counter to Trump's cordial statements about the Russian president.

It's unlikely that Trump himself will ever take the journey to the annual event in the Swiss mountains, especially after a campaign trail last year built on anti-globalization rhetoric and the condemning of big business and the bashing of political elites.

watch now
As the Trump administration moves to repeal and replace Obamacare, many other federal benefit programs are still weighing too heavily on the government's checkbook, former Sen. Jim DeMint told CNBC on Friday.

"We can't keep spending more than we're bringing in, and we've got to do something about the debt, because just the debt service is going to probably double over the next five to seven years," the Republican president of the conservative Heritage Foundation said.

"We can cut $10 trillion over 10 years and I don't think anyone would notice it, because most of these programs are wasteful and not working," he said on "Squawk Box."



DeMint said some of this waste comes from entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.

"I would prefer to be able to keep my private insurance when I retire and let Medicare pay some, for it to help me. Medicare could save, and I could get a choice that I prefer. That doesn't take away the safety net that people want to stay on the current system, but I think there are a lot of less expensive choices with entitlements that people would prefer."

Ahead of the inauguration, the main federal program congressional Republicans and the Trump team have been targeting has been the Affordable Care Act. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal and replace the plan to ensure better coverage for those enrolled.

DeMint has been helping Trump throughout the transition, specifically with his impending nomination of a Supreme Court justice to replace the late Antonin Scalia.

"The process has been reassuring," DeMint said. "I think we are going to get a justice much like Scalia who has proven to make ... good, solid constitutional decisions, and that should come in the next couple of weeks."

On Jan. 3, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a fiery statement to Republicans saying Senate Democrats would not settle on a Supreme Court nominee unless the candidate was an especially strong pick. Still, DeMint was optimistic.

"I think Mitch McConnell, Republicans, and the Trump administration will do everything they can to cajole some Democrats into helping them," DeMint said of the Senate majority leader.



"And I think once there's debate, it's likely they'll pick a justice nominee who's already been confirmed by Democrats for lower court," he continued. "I feel really good that we'll be able to maybe turn the tide on where we've been going the last eight years."
Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Bristol-Myers Squibb  The drugmaker's shares are under pressure, after the company decided not to seek accelerated approval for a new lung cancer treatment. It still expects the treatment  a combination of its immunotherapy drugs Opdivo and Yervoy  to be approved in the second half of 2018.

General Electric  GE matched estimates with adjusted fourth-quarter profit of 46 cents per share, but revenue came in below Street forecasts as the energy business remained under pressure.

Procter & Gamble  The consumer products giant earned $1.08 per share for its latest quarter, beating estimates by 2 cents a share. Revenue came in above estimates, as well. The company also increased its full-year 2017 organic sales growth guidance.

IBM  IBM reported adjusted quarterly profit of $5.01 per share, 13 cents a share above estimates. Revenue was slightly above Street forecasts, but fell for the 19th consecutive quarter. IBM did report a 33 percent increase in its cloud business, as it continues its transition away from its older businesses.

American Express  American Express missed estimates by 7 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of 91 cents per share. Revenue came in above forecasts and the financial services company raised its 2017 earnings outlook. CEO Kenneth Chenault said the market environment continues to be "very challenging," but that the company's growth initiatives are making progress.

Domino's Pizza  The stock was upgraded to "overweight" from "sector weight" at KeyBanc, on optimism about sustainable growth for the pizza chain. KeyBanc is particularly optimistic about the company's strong move into digital ordering.

Wells Fargo  Wells Fargo is merging its international business with its wholesale banking operation. International head Richard Yorke was named chief operating officer for the newly constituted wholesale banking unit.

Las Vegas Sands  Las Vegas Sands will pay nearly $7 million to end a five-year investigation into alleged corrupt practices. The probe had centered on the casino operator's relationship with a consultant operating in Macau and in China. Las Vegas Sands was not charged with a crime and the settlement does not contain any admission of guilt.

Alphabet  Alphabet's Google unit is pushing its own products to top spots in search results, according to a Wall Street Journal study. Those products include everything from Pixel phones to Nest smart thermostats. Separately, Pacific Crest is rating both Alphabet and Facebook "overweight" in resumed coverage, based in large part on increased ad pricing.

JPMorgan Chase  Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon received a 3.7 percent raise in compensation for 2016, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Dimon received a salary of $1.5 million and incentive-based compensation of $26.5 million, paid in both cash and stock.

Target  The retailer promoted executive Rick Gomez to chief marketing officer, a position that had been vacant since August, when Jeff Jones left to take a job at Uber.

Regions Financial  The regional bank matched estimates with profit of 23 cents per share, with revenue also essentially in line. Regions did see an increase in net interest margin, a measure of lending profitability.

SunTrust Banks  SunTrust came in 2 cents a share above estimates, with quarterly profit of 90 cents per share. Revenue was in line with forecasts. SunTrust did see a drop in profit over a year earlier, thanks in part to higher expenses.

Schlumberger  The oilfield services giant matched Street forecasts with adjusted quarterly profit of 27 cents per share, while revenue beat estimates. Schlumberger saw strength in the Middle East and North America, but performance was weaker in Latin America.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story gave an inaccurate year-over-year earnings comparison for General Electric.
If the new U.S. administration doesn't tread carefully in its dealings with Mexico on issues like trade, Mexico's 2018 elections could result in cooling relations between the United States and its southern neighbor, former U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez told CNBC on Friday.

"How they do things are very important," Gutierrez said of President Donald Trump's White House team. "I'm worried about what happens to Mexico's elections in '18. If we bully them, we could end up with [an] anti-American populous."

On Thursday, one day before the Trump's inauguration, two high-level Mexican government officials said they would be meeting with Trump administration officials.

The likely topic of discussion will be the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump has vowed to renegotiate as a top priority when he takes office.

"These are unintended consequences that we've got to think through," Gutierrez insisted.
Facebook briefly withdrew posting privileges for state-run broadcaster Russia Today on Thursday prompting a backlash from the media outlet as its coverage of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration was put at risk.

The RT's Facebook page was initially handed a 72-hour suspension on Thursday following a copyright complaint which concerned a video stream of Barrack Obama's last press conference as U.S. President.

"We were blocked while live-streaming Obama's final press-conference. Such things happen because (for ex.) some other news media live-streams carry the same shots and feed, and Facebook considers this a copyright violation," RT posted on its Facebook page on Thursday.

The RT website defended the use of the video stream which it claimed was a legitimate feed from the Associated Press. However following a complaint, Facebook opted to suspend RT's posting privileges although denied the block was related to Trump's inauguration.

"All the features for this page owner have now been restored. We are looking into the reasons behind the temporary block," a Facebook spokesperson told CNBC on Friday.

The video stream had been available copyright free from the White House.
This article is part of a series on the "Future of politics." The series investigates the "Trump effect" on policy, political parties, future candidates, their campaign style and the overall political environment in 2017 and beyond. See the whole series here.



The post-election narrative (the one before Russian influence, anyway) is that Donald Trump came to the Rust Belt and spoke to concerns about deindustrialization in a way that really resonated with voters.

If there is even a nugget of truth to that narrative, Democrats should take heart. Though they lack power across the federal government and in the majority of statehouses, there is an unconventional way Democrats could gain a foothold in red-state America:



Come to the heartland, roll up your sleeves, and help build the Silicon Prairie.



I live in the Silicon Prairiespecifically in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, one of America's most troubled cities. But while we have our challenges, we also have one of the nation's fastest growing startup communities.



In fact, across the Rust Belt multiple cities have made entrepreneurship a focus of civic renewal.



Even the poster child for American deindustrialization, Youngstown, Ohio, has gotten in on the act. I recently visited Youngstown and met with James Cossler, CEO of the Youngstown Business Incubator, who told me about the incubator's strategy to make Youngstown a hub of advanced manufacturing.



The Rust Belt has significant challenges, but the picture of red-state America as a desperate, jobless, rusted-out, opioid-addicted hellhole is wrong. There are good things happening herejust not for the Democratic Party, which has seen its presence shrink and nearly disappear in recent decades.



That wasn't always the case, and you don't have to go all the way back to FDR to see an electoral map with a lot of blue in the middle. As recently as 1996, Democrats won Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Tennesseestates not won by a Democrat since. But you can't change electoral math by turning back the clock, and this past election tells us there isn't a lot of enthusiasm for Clintonian centrism.
Joe Spencer has seen plenty of booms and busts in his hometown of Detroit over the years running his small business, Louisiana Creole Gumbo since 1983. He watched as the auto industry imploded and housing collapsed, and he grit his teeth through the subsequent recession. But these days, things are looking up for his resilient restaurant, famous for its gumbo served five ways. It hit $1.2 million in sales last year, leading him to open a second location. Now one thing is on his mind: How Donald Trump stands to impact the economy, and what might that mean for endeavors like his around the country. "He's supposed to be business-friendly," Spencer says, adding he's impressed with Trump's direct negotiation tactics with big automakers like GM and Ford to keep jobs in the U.S. "I feel as long as the auto industry does well, we will do well here in Detroit."



Joe Spencer has co-owned his business, Louisiana Creole Gumbo, in Detroit since 1983. Kate Rogers | CNBC

He's closely watching action on minimum wage, and believes its "key" that people have health insurance. But mostly, Spencer is hopeful about the businessman-turned-President. "I hope they continue to encourage businesses to invest in this country, to continue to expand employment here," he says. "If they can hold the line, I think it will be good for the economy." Detroit is located in Wayne County, Michigan, which backed Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November election. However, a tight race, the state went to Trump, turning red for the first time since 1988. Opinions from the small-business set on Trump in the Motor City area range widely. They've experienced their own comeback recently. The Kauffman Foundation found some 73 percent of new entrepreneurs in the Detroit metro area in 2016 were starting companies not out of necessity but because they saw an opportunity in the marketplace to do so. And the city reported last year that more than $3 billion had been invested in Detroit's downtown since 2013. 125 restaurants and retail locations opened up in that time period.





Some residents, like Tom Agosta, co-owner of Angelina Italian Bistro, are skeptical. His restaurant, like Spencer's, has weathered economic storms: He opened his doors in October 2008, a time he calls "make or break" for the business. Today, consumer confidence is on the rise, and Agosta feels concerned the Trump Administration, which is set to be the richest in history, might lose sight of how changes in policy would impact a small company like his. "Deregulation isn't always a good thing. Look at the housing industry," he says. "It never trickles down to the common man." "I don't know how much billionaires know about how the common person lives."

Siblings Kathryn and Christian Birky launched their business Lazlo, making sustainable high-end men's shirts, three years ago. Kate Rogers | CNBC

Nearby, at Lazlo, a retail start-up that makes sustainable, high-end men's clothing, owner Christian Birky shares that concern. The company primarily sells online, and it hires formerly incarcerated men to sew the shirts, underlining Birky's belief that entrepreneurs have the power to enact change through their business models. Now 26, Birky says the Affordable Care Act allowed him to remain on his parents' health insurance plan as he launched his business.
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.

British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 19, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

"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.
Following are excerpts from a CNBC interview with Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, from the World Economic Forum 2017 with Julia Chatterley.

JC: So there's a lot of people being quite critical about the lack of European leadership representation here in Davos this year. And yet here you are. Why did you think it was important to be here?

MR: For two reasons: First of all this is an opportunity to get in touch with some of the thinking in other parts of the world and to discuss with many other leaders how things are developing and secondly it is a chance to speak with many businesses. Businesses who want to set up shop in the Netherlands or who are already active in the Netherlands, sort of a relationship development. And in that sense that creates jobs in the Netherlands. Jobs in the Netherlands. Of course my first role is to create jobs for my country.

JC: What were you hearing about your country and about the upcoming election? What were people saying to you?

MR: Well the general mood about them is positive. We had the biggest drop in unemployment in many years in 2016. Our growth rate is now the highest of the European Union except for Spain and Romania. We had to put in place many savings, people acknowledge this so they are saying your economy is resilient, we are the fourth most competitive economy in the world. Number one of the European Union. So in many instances many people are telling me we want to invest in your country. So that is very positive.

So you've also made some comments about Brexit and everybody's been talking about Brexit while we've been in Davos here. But your your statements were pretty potent. You said that the UK people were choosing to become poorer in order to control 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 are consequences that you have to face up to and they wanted to do this because they wanted to control migration.

Do you really believe that the UK people wanted to be poorer, they chose to be poorer? I think that is wrong to say that...

But they had a clear choice. I still remember David Cameron three weeks before the referendum give me a ring and saying the debate is shifting from the economic argument, which he was winning, shifting to the migration argument. And clearly he was losing on that argument. And I always told him, I was on BBC and other instances, and I told people, this is a clear choice if you want to have more control on migration that will work against economic growth. You will get poorer by doing that. And the sad thing is that I believe at the end of the day that net immigration into the UK will not come down because also in the future they will need many workers also from Eastern Europe to fill the many vacancies.

Let's say you are right actually and the UK people did say you know we'd be happy to be poorer in order to control immigration. That says a great deal about the structure of the EU at this moment surely.

Well I'm not sure that they were happy to be poorer but at least the choice was on the table. It was very clear on the table and people said well we don't believe these numbers, we just want to regain sovereignty. Within the European Union we are all sovereign because we all can leave. We all can influence the decision in many instances we have veto rights, so that's always been sort of silly argument that the UK want to regain its sovereignty by leaving the European Union. That was silly anyway.

Your finance minister Dijsselbloem said today he expects massive unemployment by 2037. The U.K.'s going back to the 70s.

But I think he's right. I spoke today with many international institutions. Companies. Banks. Big, big organizations who are really thinking, not thinking, they're in the decision faze of leaving the U.K. Leaving London. Leaving the city. So this is big.

Do you think it's delusional out there because at the moment if you look at the way the markets looking at Brexit. It doesn't look that bad. It doesn't look like the UK is going in that direction at this moment. Are people are delusional, we haven't seen the impact yet. What is it?

In the short term when your currency is devaluating against other currencies then of course you will have a short term economic benefit going out of that. But this is all short term. Look what it is doing to savings, pensions savings, private savings what it will do to the longer term to the strength of the economy. So I'm afraid that Dijsselbloem what totally right here.

Are you going to make it difficult for the U.K. to sign some kind of agreement with the EU here?

I don't hope so. I mean it is the right of the UK to trigger this famous Article 50 to leave the EU. I'm totally and fundamentally against them doing it. But it is their sovereign right. It means that we need to have a thorough fair negotiations between the EU and UK. And I would not like to talk in terms of punishing etc. but we will have to find a way out where they will leave the internal market and they want to have some sort of relationship with Europe in the form of free trade agreements but that it will be considerably less impactful than the current arrangement

JC: Because you want to also send a message to your own population don't you? Because there are some out there arguing that actually you are using the same kind of language here that failed David Cameron and is also the same kind of language that the populists use. You're scaremongering about Brexit because you're concerned about the right wing party in your own country looking like they're going to win the election. How do you respond?



Well in the Netherlands nobody, almost nobody, is in favour of an exit. Maybe there were, let's say 20 or 30 percent in the polls were in favour before Brexit. But after the people in the Netherlands and many other countries have seen what happens in the United Kingdom in terms of trade, the currency, constitutionally, politically, economically nobody of course wants to do that. The Netherlands is the second most interconnected country in the world after Singapore. So being part of the single market is crucial. We have 2.1 million jobs directly linked to the effect that we have this international interlinks position. And 70 percent of those jobs come out of the membership of the European Union so it vital for us.



JC: And yet the strongest support in your country at this moment is for a right wing party, a skeptical party. So there's a contradiction in what you're saying.



We have to see what the outcome of the election will be. I of course will fight very hard to come to a different outcome and I'm fairly optimistic that I will succeed but



JC: Do you deny you're scaremongering here?



Absolutely I'm just stating the facts and the fact that people are worried in my country is not because of Europe. They are worried because of what happened in the last four years. We had to put in place huge savings, reforms and people question, some people question, whether the political, the politicians are there for them because they had, they feel they had to pay the price for the recovery. And I want them also now to participate in the recovery itself.



JC: So you're saying



And secondly they're worried about migration and not from Eastern Europe. They're worried about the refugees coming from Syria, the North of Africa and luckily last year we were able to come to a deal an agreement with Turkey which has halfed the amount of refugees coming into the Netherlands compared to 2015.



JC: More people are dying though, crossing the Mediterranean. It's not a great solution?



Well crossing the Asian sea, there are almost no people dying so the deal with Turkey is holding. But you're absolutely right. We now need to focus on the north of Africa. We need to close similar deals with countries in the north of Africa like we did with Turkey so that people can stay there in safe camps. We are also willing to invest there in terms of education and some future outlook for the people there and to prevent them to come to the European Union and they will not be eligible for asylum anyway because the large majority of them are economic migrants.



JC: So what you're saying, just to make sure I'm clear on this, is that what we're seeing in the Netherlands now is a backlash against you effectively and your policies rather than a backlash against Europe.



It's a backlash against the fact that people feel they had to pay the price for the recovery. And I now want them to be part of that recovery so that's my next, that is why I want to continue in office because it is my passionate belief that I want to have everybody in the Netherlands now to be participating in a success. And secondly, the refugee crisis, there we have half the numbers. But now we have to be very clear in the Netherlands itself, when you come from outside, what are the Dutch values, what are our liberties, what is our history? And when you come as a refugee, we can host you, not in the numbers we saw last year, at a considerably lower number, but still you have to accept that you have to deal with our society and make adjustments in terms of what you are willing to do being part of that society.



JC: You've ruled out forming any coalition with the Freedom Party. So you would rather not trying at least dilute their influence by working with him, you'd rather step away?



Now there are three reasons for that. The one, for me personally, a very strong one was the fact that he left the government, he was in a support role in 2012, it was when the crisis really started to hit the Netherlands and he threw our country into an election campaign for more than four months because he left basically the coalition. And he didn't want to take responsibility for tough measures. And I cannot accept that. Secondly he has questioned the independence, the independent judges in the Netherlands, the independent judiciary and this is a core value. And thirdly he has talked about, for example, Moroccans in the Netherlands that he wants fewer of them. So when you talk in general numbers, people coming to the Netherlands, I can understand that. But when you talk about people in the Netherlands with a Dutch passport in many cases, this is absolutely not acceptable and running against basic values of my society.



JC: Final question, because I know you have to go. How do you turn this around? How do you turn the polls around between now and the election?



Well of course polls are constantly changing. And when I'm in discussion with people in the streets, which I'm doing constantly, people are telling me 'we want to be part of the recovery, we want to feel that the Netherlands is, at the macro level, doing better at the micro level of my personal life, I want to really feel this that my children get a job, that my pension is in good shape, that the health sector is delivering what it needs to deliver' and that's what I'm working on. And I'm absolutely convinced these policies are the best policies for the Netherlands and I will fight passionately to bring it to a good result and see you next year in my present capacity.


The head of the nation's biggest bank says he's ready to work with President Donald Trump.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, in a statement shortly after Trump took the oath of office, said the 45th president's enthusiasm for economic development is encouraging.



"The swearing-in of a new president represents a moment of opportunity for America and all Americans," Dimon said in a statement he released as the chairman of the Business Roundtable. "The United States is well positioned to build on the momentum the U.S. economy is already showing. President Trump and the new Congress have both identified economic growth and job creation as top priorities, and America's business leaders fully agree."

The roundtable is a consortium of CEOs working together to promote responsible public policy and economic growth.
A veteran of Google's search team is headed to Uber.

Amit Singhal tweeted on Friday that he was "catching the next ride of [his] professional journey" at Uber. Singhal retired as the executive in charge of search at Google in February after 15 years at the company. His new role will be senior vice president of engineering, Uber said in a statement.

"As I dug deeper into how Uber works, it became pretty clear that this is one of the hardest  and therefore most fun  computer science and engineering challenges in the world today," Singhal wrote on his blog.



Singhal created patented technology for Google's hallmark search engine, including ways to display more than one "first" search result, and ways to better detect filler words like "a" and "the" in a search query. Singhal was also a crucial to creating some of Google's newer search features, like the ability to search for flights and speech recognition.

In addition to search, Google is also a pioneer in the online mapping industry. Singhal's move to Uber comes at a time when voice-activated searches and assistants are increasingly making their way into the car. The ability to hail an Uber has come to Amazon's Echo and Apple's Siri over the past year.

"I love Amit's excitement for solving complex computer science problems and his passion for helping improve people's lives through technology," Uber CEO Travis Kalanick posted on Facebook. "The team at Uber, myself included, will learn a lot from him, and I can't wait for him to get started."


London will remain a property "safe haven" despite Brexit with the falling pound attracting foreign buyers, the CEO of a top real estate firm, told CNBC on Friday.

Following the U.K.'s vote to leave the European Union last June, Sterling fell sharply. A fall in sterling makes it cheaper for overseas buyers to purchase goods in Britain.

Christian Ulbrich, chief executive of JLL, said the Brexit decision caused "uncertainty, " but he sees 2017 showing a rebound in the London property market.

"There's one thing that will always be around, London is the place in the world, the safe haven of the world, and we have seen it how the Chinese investors are coming in  and they will continue to do so, so we will see hopefully that rebound," Ulbrich told CNBC in a TV interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Luxury motor yachts sit at their harbor moorings in Ilha district beyond the city center skyline in Luanda, Angola

Angola's capital city Luanda is the priciest city for expatriates to relocate to this year, according to a study conducted by Movinga, a moving services start-up.

Living costs for the first month of living in Luanda were $3,259.32, slightly higher than costs incurred from living in New York ($3,084.75) and San Francisco ($3,050.10.)

Data points used to calculate the monthly average living costs in each city comprised of averages for monthly rent for a one-bedroom property close to the city, phone data plan, food and drink, and a monthly transportation pass.

Zurich, London, Hong Kong, Sydney, Singapore, Tokyo and Seattle rounded up the 10 most expensive cities to live in for expats, according to the Relocation Price Index.

The most affordable cities included Medellin, Bucharest and Tunis, where living costs for the first month averaged only $397.80.
watch now

watch now

watch now

watch now

Police fired tear gas on the streets of Washington, D.C., and arrested at least 200 people as protesters angry over the inauguration of President Donald Trump smashed windows of businesses, upended trash cans and scuffled with cops. "Donald Trump is a racist!" shouted one woman nearby Trump as he was sworn in as president on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. She was quickly led away by authorities.

A protester is dragged away from a public access point to the National Mall on 14th Street NW prior to the inauguration on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. Getty Images

The business targeted in the capital's downtown included a McDonald's , branches of Bank of America and Wells Fargo, and a Starbucks , whose window were all smashed.

Agitators among the hundreds of people protesting on streets also broke windows of parked cars ahead of the inauguration, threw bricks at police cars and set fires in trash cans.

One protester was seen on video swinging a long metal pole at a police officer. The cop gave chase to the man, spraying some kind of liquid at him, but the man turned and jabbed at the officer again to ward him off. At least two police officers suffered minor injuries "from coordinated attacks by members of the group that were attempting to avoid arrest," D.C. Police said, according to NBC News. Tweet Video posted on Twitter showed shards of broken glasses spread across the sidewalks, and mask-clad activists pushing over garbage cans, with one of those activists toting a black flag with the "A" symbol for anarchy.
There is a sense from the market that President Donald Trump is going to enact policies that will be good for stocks, noted investor Mohamed El-Erian told CNBC on Friday.



However, that's not the only signal the market is sending.



"There's a very clear message form the market. It embraces the pro-growth elements of President Trump's policies  tax reform, deregulation, infrastructure, and it is concerned about the protectionist tendencies," the chief economic advisor at Allianz said in an interview with "Closing Bell."



Trump, who was sworn in as the nation's 45th president Friday, has promised to curb regulation, cut taxes and spend on infrastructure.



However, he struck a populist tone during his inaugural address, pledging to put "America first" and repeating campaign pledges to push companies to return jobs to the U.S.

"We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs," Trump said. "Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every breath in my body and I will never ever let you down."



Stocks rallied before the inauguration but then waffled after Trump gave his speech. They ultimately ended up, but off the day's highs.



Adam Parker, U.S. chief equity strategist at Morgan Stanley, is optimistic that there are "plenty" of opportunities to be found in the market right now.



"There will be much more earnings growth because of the policies, eventually," he said. "The question will be does the price-to-earnings ratio offset that a little bit."



Parker told "Closing Bell" he's bullish on the growth prospects in biotech. He also likes oil services companies and thinks utilities look attractive.



However, he's cautious on consumer discretionary stocks, because he feels multiples can contract, and on infrastructure stocks, which have run up "a ton" since the election.



 CNBC's Patti Domm and Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.



Disclaimer
First lady Melania Trump wore a powder blue dress and coat, designed by Ralph Lauren , to Friday's inauguration.

Tweet 1

Her outfit featured matching long gloves and shoes, and drew comparisons to Jackie Kennedy's style.

Tweet 2

In fact, in a now-prophetic 1999 interview with The New York Times, Melania  then dating Donald Trump  said she would see Kennedy as a role model should she ever make it to the White House as first lady. The two would not marry until 2005.

Previously, numerous designers had come out saying they would or would not dress Melania for the inauguration. Those who refused include Sophie Theallet, Marc Jacobs, Derek Lam, Timo Weiland, Tom Ford, Phillip Lim, and Humberto Leon.

Ralph Lauren also dressed Hillary Clinton, who attended the inauguration with her husband former President Bill Clinton.



Despite the bipartisan support for Ralph Lauren, the company's stock merely nudged higher in trading Friday. However, the American designer could see a boost down the road. A nearly $3,000 Roksanda dress Melania wore at the Republican National Convention sold out within hours of her appearance, as did the black-off the shoulder gown designed by Roland Mouret that Melania wore to the first presidential debate last September.


watch now

With college costs soaring and $1.3 trillion in student loans outstanding, a handful of colleges have carved out a unique spot in academia. For starters, the costs of attendance are $0. Getting in is no small feat. Each school is geared to determined young scholars eager to challenge themselves throughout their college career. In return for a degree at no cost  and with no debt burden - the commitment they require, even after graduation, is steep. "These are particular kinds of schools that are not for every student," said Robert Franek, editor in chief at The Princeton Review, but "for those students that fit into this cohort, it will be such a great coup." Feeling up for the task? Then here are the nine institutions that cost absolutely nothing:

Berea College

This small school in Kentucky has a singular mission: to attract underprivileged students committed to working hard. Only those who have financial need are admitted, and every student is awarded a four-year scholarship and a laptop. Tuition costs: $0. The catch? There is no slacking off  classroom attendance is mandatory and every student must work on campus for a set number of hours every week. The scholarships also don't cover room and board or other expenses, although additional financial aid is available to help with those costs.

Berea College Campus. L.H. | Flickr CC

College of the Ozarks

Dubbed Hard Work U, this is one of the hardest Midwestern schools to get in to, with an 8 percent acceptance rate. Students don't pay a penny for tuition. Scholarships and grants completely cover the cost of tuition at this Christian school in rural Missouri. The catch? Every student is required to work 15 hours a week plus two 40-hour weeks as part of the school's Work Education Program. Although there is no tuition, underclassmen must still pick up the tab for room and board and other expenses.

College of the Ozarks-Branson Missouri. Jerry and Pat Donaho | Flickr CC

Deep Springs College

This incredibly small all-male liberal arts college is in California's remote High Desert. Although obtaining a spot is highly competitive, every student is awarded a scholarship that covers tuition and room and board. Since Deep Springs is a two-year school, many graduates transfer to elite schools after completion. The catch? The college admits only 22 to 25 men a year, on average, and the school's academic demands are intense. This is a "very nontraditional college experience, and students must forgo a lot of the comforts of a typical college dorm," said David Soto, co-author of the Princeton Review book, Colleges That Pay You Back. .

Deep Springs College students vote on issues of governance during student meeting, the meeting which decide everything from when to harvest to whom the college should hire to teach often last until late into the evening. Spencer Weiner | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images

U.S. Air Force Academy

In addition to free tuition, students receive a stipend to cover all other costs at this prestigious academy in Colorado. In exchange, there are very high standards for applicants and students straight through to graduation. After four years, graduates are commissioned as second lieutenants in the Air Force. The catch? Each cadet will owe at least five years of service as an active duty officer after graduation, although many opt to stay in the military for much longer.

Cadets toss their hats in celebration after becoming newly commissioned first lieutenants marking the 45th graduating class at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Getty Images

U.S. Coast Guard Academy

This Connecticut-based academy is also very selective and rigorous. Many students study engineering and environment science during the highly structured four-year program. Aside from purchasing uniforms, all students receive scholarships to cover tuition and room and board.

The catch? Students must commit to five years of service after completing their schooling. About 80 percent of cadets go to sea after graduation.

While docked in Portsmouth, N.H., the USCGC Eagle received Coast Guard Academy cadets. Coast Guard News | Flickr CC

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Tuition, room and board, uniforms and books are all covered at this service academy in New York. It's known for having the hardest academic standards but the widest variety of career options of all the service academies. After graduation, cadets can enter any branch of the armed forces as an officer.

The catch? Every graduate must maintain their merchant marine officer's license for six years and there is a service obligation, which varies depending on what type of job they choose.

Merchant marines walk to class at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY, on August 01, 2016. Yana Paskova | For The Washington Post | Getty Images

U.S. Military Academy  West Point

This highly competitive military academy has a 9 percent acceptance rate. Students are focused and work hard without exception. In return for a stellar education and training, West Point is fully funded. Students receive free tuition in addition to a stipend of about $10,000 a year. After their years of service, many graduates go on to successful careers in politics and business, Soto said.

The catch? Graduates must serve at least five years of active duty and three years in the reserves.

New cadets stand in formation during the Oath of Allegiance ceremony during Reception Day at the United States Military Academy at West Point, June 27, 2016 in West Point, New York. Getty Images

U.S. Naval Academy

The Navy picks up the tab for tuition and room and board for all students at the Yard in Annapolis, Maryland. Midshipmen are highly motivated and disciplined, and many go on to have prominent careers within and outside the military.

The catch? All graduates must serve at least five years as an officer followed by the reserves.

Mahan Hall displays banners for the War of 1812 exhibit at the United States Naval Academy in Annaplois. Loop Images | UIG | Getty Images

Webb Institute

Founded by the shipbuilder William Webb, this little engineering college in New York is tailor made for those who want to pursue a very specific career. Every student receives a full scholarship to cover tuition to study naval architecture and marine engineering. Because of the school's reputation, graduates are highly employable. In fact, there generally is a 100 percent placement rate after graduation.

The catch? There is only one academic major and one degree offered at this institution and "students eat, sleep, study ship design," said Soto.
 Flash

Adama Barrow was sworn as Gambian president on Thursday at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, capital of Senegal.

Adama Barrow (1st L) is sworn in as Gambian president at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, capital of Senegal, on Jan. 19, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

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.

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 recognized 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 Jan. 17.

The armies of Senegal and ECOWAS are positioned along the Gambian border for a possible military intervention.
Russian President Vladimir Putin Sasha Mordovets | Getty Images

The inauguration isn't just a big day for Donald Trump. Vladimir Putin probably thinks it's a big day, too. With an outgoing administration saying that Putin wants to upend the Western world, and an incoming president saying the Russian strongman could make a good American partner, more people than ever want to understand: What makes Putin tick? What, exactly, does he want?

"Victory for Vladimir Putin is dying in his sleep while still in power. I mean that quite sincerely," said Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, professor of political science at New York University and author of "The Dictator's Handbook." "Leaders want to stay in power. He is very good at staying in power." Putin has immediate political goals, Bueno de Mesquita said, "but those are secondary, and it's important to understand that those are secondary."

Putin will do all in his power to try to reassemble, in some way, Russia's influence over the countries of central Europe that were formerly Soviet states Skip Vallee former U.S. ambassador to Slovakia

Putin, Bueno de Mesquita said, boosts and protects his personal power first and foremost by rewarding the people who support him and who are also his closest threats: other Russians in the military, government bureaucracy and industry. And among industries in Russia, the most important by a long shot is the largely nationalized energy sector. The country is what political scientists call a "petrostate," meaning that it depends on oil and gas exports in order to remain solvent. Russia's economy was crushed in 2014 by a plunge in oil prices and sanctions slapped on the country by the Obama administration and America's Western European allies after Russia took over part of Ukraine. Putin watched his country's gross domestic product crater by a staggering 40 percent between 2013 to 2015, and it has edged even lower since. Russia's GDP is less than Italy's or Canada's, though those countries have only a fraction of Russia's population. Stephen Sestanovich, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former U.S. ambassador-at-large for the former Soviet Union, said Putin's "immediate goal seems to be some sort of get-out-jail-free card  an end to all the steps that Europe and the U.S. took to counter his aggression in Ukraine."

watch now

Putin has limited say about the global price of oil. But Trump's entry into the White House could be Putin's moment to revitalize his country's economy through new partnerships with U.S. companies and new demand from European businesses, which have not been able to sell their goods to Russia due to the current sanctions  if the sanctions go away.

That's especially important now, because the big economies of Europe have taken steps to cut their dependence on Russian energy. "Russia, of course, would like to have as big an oil and gas market for itself as possible. But this is something that Russia has lost in part. The dependence of European countries on Russian gas has decreased  and Europe has worked on that," said Maria Lipman, a visiting lecturer at Indiana University's Russian and East European Institute and the editor-in-chief of the Russian journal Counter-point. It's critical to Putin that he maintain as much influence as possible over his closest export markets. Russia's immediate neighbors are mostly militarily and economically weaker than Russia, and so more susceptible to Putin's whims than a Germany or a France is. "Putin will do all in his power to try to reassemble, in some way, Russia's influence over the countries of Central Europe that were formerly Soviet states," said Skip Vallee, former U.S. ambassador to Slovakia from 2005-2007.

While everybody is saying they are surviving with sanctions, let me tell you every morning Putin is praying for sanctions to be lifted, and every evening he is praying for sanctions to be lifted. Bill Browder head of Hermitage Capital
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn said he was surprised by parts of Donald Trump's inaugural address Friday, particularly the newly inaugurated Commander-in-Chief's broadside against the political establishment.

As a candidate, Trump ran against the established party grandees of both major parties, a challenge he stuck to in his first speech as president.

"Donald surprised me coming on so strongly about the establishment. I admire him for doing that," Icahn told CNBC on the sidelines of the inauguration parade.

"I admire him for not just trying to say, 'Wow. Let's smooth it over. Let's be buddies.' I mean, he came on extremely strongly and he's giving you a look at what the future, I think, is going to be," Icahn added.

Trump said this particular Inauguration Day was special because it marked the transfer of power, not just between parties, but from Washington, D.C. to the people.

"For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have bore the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth ... That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment," Trump said in his inaugural address.

Trump's inauguration is a "major, major watermark" in U.S. history because it marks a "secular change in our government," Icahn argued.

Icahn, Trump's special advisor on regulatory reform, said he expects the 45th president of the United States to take a confrontational approach, to some extent. Yet he argued that may be a good thing because it will promote change.

"I think you have to break up this establishment. You have to stop the perception which we have in this country that the government is at war with business, that the government doesn't like business and that's what you've had for eight years with Obama," Icahn said.

The billionaire investor has been a vocal opponent of regulation, some of which he called "literally crazy" or "idiocy."

Icahn, a major fossil fuel investor, has frequently criticized Obama administration energy restrictions. He told CNBC in a recent interview that he supported Trump's choice of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who has battled the Obama administration EPA and expressed doubts about how much humans affect climate change.

Icahn previously said the EPA was one of the worst-run agencies he had ever seen.

 CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump revealed his top policy priorities on the updated White House website immediately following his inauguration Friday with some differences from promises he made on the campaign trail.

Notably, the White House website commits even more strongly to Trump's prediction for 4 percent economic growth under his administration:

"Since the recession of 2008, American workers and businesses have suffered through the slowest economic recovery since World War II. The U.S. lost nearly 300,000 manufacturing jobs during this period, while the share of Americans in the work force plummeted to lows not seen since the 1970s, the national debt doubled, and middle class got smaller. To get the economy back on track, President Trump has outlined a bold plan to create 25 million new American jobs in the next decade and return to 4 percent annual economic growth."

This compares to his campaign site, which said, "Boost growth to 3.5 percent per year on average, with the potential to reach a 4 percent growth rate."

On NAFTA the White House website says:

"President Trump is committed to renegotiating NAFTA. If our partners refuse a renegotiation that gives American workers a fair deal, then the President will give notice of the United States' intent to withdraw from NAFTA."

It seemed to surprise some on social media that the strong language about NAFTA from Trump's campaign website is now on the official presidential site.

His campaign web site said, "NAFTA will be renegotiated to get a better deal for American workers. If our partners do not agree to a renegotiation, America will withdraw from the deal."

Interestingly, there is no mention of China on the new White House trade policy page. Trump's campaign site promised to name the Asian country a "currency manipulator." No such language is used on WhiteHouse.gov.



Surprisingly, health care is not listed under WhiteHouse.gov's "Top Issues."


In contrast to the smooth and orderly transfer of power in the U.S., military forces had to enter the small African nation of The Gambia this week in order to help the new democratically-elected president take office.

What's happened?

The Gambia held presidential elections in December last year, in which long-term incumbent Yahya Jammeh, who has held power for 20 years, lost to opposition leader Adama Barrow.

Jammeh initially conceded his defeat. However, on December 9th, he changed his mind and rejected the result. Jammeh has declared a state of emergency and tried to get the country's Supreme Court to overrule the results of the election. Earlier this week, several of his government's ministers resigned over his failure to concede defeat.

MOUSSA SOW | AFP | Getty Images

Why have troops entered the country?

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gave Jammeh a deadline of January 19th to step down, otherwise they would militarily intervene unless he stepped down. The African Union added that it would stop recognizing Jammeh from the 19th.

As the deadline passed, troops from Senegal entered the country. Nigeria has also committed troops, aircraft and a warship to the mission.

Will there be much conflict?

There is unlikely to be a prolonged period of violence, according to Sean Smith, West Africa analyst at global risk analysis company Verisk Maplecroft.

"Even among the regular armed forces, there are very few people who appear willing to risk their lives for Jammeh," he told CNBC via email.

"Jammeh is completely isolated diplomatically and has very little popular legitimacy in The Gambia."

Workers prepare to remove an electoral poster of Gambia's outgoing president Yahya Jammeh on December 4, 2016. Seyllou | AFP | Getty Images
The Apple chip provider reported adjusted fiscal first quarter earnings of $1.61 per share on revenues of $914 million, above the $1.58 per share earnings estimate and revenue of $903 million expected by a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate.

Skyworks jumped 13 percent in its best day since July 18, 2014. On a weekly basis, Skyworks climbed 13.2 percent for its best week since September 2016.

Shares of Apple supplier Skyworks Solutions surged Friday after the chipmaker posted better-than-expected earnings and announced a $500 million buyback program.

The semiconductor company also announced a stock repurchase program. The $500 million buyback plan replaces a $400 million program previously announced in July 2016, and will be funded through the company's working capital. Skyworks' board also approved a dividend of 28 cents per share.

On a conference call following the earnings report, CEO Liam Griffin highlighted the company's work with other popular phone companies like Samsung .

"We launched multiple devices across Samsung's entire portfolio and gained momentum in China, with key wins at market leaders Oppo, Vivo, Meizu and Xiaomi," Griffin said. "All of these wins were captured by resulting the growing complexity and performance requirements inherent in today's advanced mobile architectures."

 CNBC's Anita Balakrishnan contributed to this report
It's moving day. People moving in, people moving out. And, either in anticipation of the new family living in that big old neoclassic home, or suffering the aftereffects of an extended hangover from a rally that seems to have ended ages ago, equities have been edging lower since the year began, mothballing the Dow 20,000 countdown clock. The 10-year , on the other hand, is on its way to round-tripping its record-breaking sell-off with yields again climbing as the economic data continues to showcase a strengthening economy and a more hawkish Fed . In concert with the January rally in U.S. Treasurys has been the profit-taking in financials despite strong earnings reports and forward guidance. While this may have been the trigger, jettisoning some bank positions that rose 20 percent over two months after lagging the market for a decade should be no more of a surprise than Angelina Jolie letting go half her position in Brangelina. To me, though, that's shortsighted. Why pay the taxes on the trade when you are only going to reposition the stocks as rates climb and the curve steepens. I get it  they won't ever have the earnings power that they did but they don't need it to trade higher from current levels. So the week has been  well, kind of boring. One of those weeks when you don't bother to look at your screen all that often; when you spend your time putting together the decision tree based upon varying scenarios, each dependent upon how the new administration moves forward. Sure there were some things to do but nothing had moved all that much  aside from the 10-year  that would motivate me to drastically reposition or add exposure. Well, not entirely true. Against my better judgment, I initiated a small trading position in Macy 's and traded steel on the short side. Why to both? Likely because it has been a while since I have done something really dumb and wanted to get back in touch with my inner self. It's a pair trade, I guess: M is over-hated (with a 5 percent yield) while X is over-loved with a valuation that is unjustified, a domestic infrastructure plan that won't happen so quickly, a strong dollar, Wilbur Ross speaking of tariffs that already exist and China's inability to fund more infrastructure. I may be out of the trades by the time you read this. In terms of positioning, hedge funds had a modest decrease in net exposure coming into 2017 and an increase in overall gross. The industrial, energy and tech trade was alive and on the other side, health care and retail continued to look for friends in a hostile environment. (Addendum: I covered X and remain long M. It has been a day and a half so chill.) OK, I fess up. I can't avoid it anymore. Should have addressed it upfront. I've been hiding. Took a break from writing the weekly over the last month or so. Been maniacally focused and incredibly busy as we launch a new fund  most attractive profile I've seen (only for accredited investors). Plus, I didn't have all that much additive to say because  well, how could I? There weren't any substantive new inputs; just the election-era ones being recycled. But now is when the rubber begins to hit the proverbial road. And there should be no doubt that President Trump  he has been sworn in as of this writing  is going to hit the road in fifth gear. Investors will too. While most outwardly reflect cautiously upon the market's valuation, perhaps equally uncertain of the ability of a Washington newcomer to execute on truly bold plans, they also understand that another year of ceding performance to passive investing brings them one step closer to forsaking stock trading for trading down from the Tesla to the Chevy Volt. As a result, professionals have to play whether they want to or not so the question is where? Lately, they have found it in the tech-heavy Nasdaq, which has been the star this year, arguably as much a momentum trade as anything else since earnings reports have yet to catalyze the move. In terms of positioning, hedge funds had a modest decrease in net exposure coming into 2017 and an increase in overall gross. The industrial, energy and tech trade were the favored long plays and on the other side, health care and retail continued to look for friends in a hostile environment. In other words, it is a momentum-driven market on both sides with the question being, are algos leading, following or just going along? Gauging investor sentiment in the market, not the outdated AAII poll that is a reflection of mostly retired folks who move their retirement accounts around as often as Bill Belichick wins a best-dressed award, but real conversations with institutional investors, would lead you to believe that they would rather be in cash or a seller. The point is that what people say and what they do are two different things. My view is that, because missing out on the market is not an option, investors will be investing and are generally bullish. It will be rocky and will start slow. In fact, I'm sitting in a reasonable amount of cash. Valuations are at best, "fair," and perhaps stretched, but what if? What if tax reform does happen or at least moves forward? What if NAFTA is renegotiated without rhetoric in a way that is fairer to the U.S. rather than building on our $60 billion deficit to Mexico? That isn't very meaningful but it is a message. What if President Trump continues to be able to tweet about saving jobs? And what if the protesters, who are, frankly, being ignored and fade away like the OWS crowd (in case you forgot  Occupy Wall Street). And what if President Trump gets too busy to tweet about every slight. ... You get the picture  could be a helluva ride. Remember, the market is a discounting mechanism so just need to see some progress and I think we will. First up is the repeal of a number of executive orders; the number mentioned has been 200 but not sure anyone understands the impact of that on the markets. Repeal of Obamacare will go forward which will again pressure the pharma companies and biotech. These stocks have been mixed but I wouldn't be involved. Too many other areas to focus on. And this won't be a Boeing situation where the CEOs of Merck and Eli Lilly can show up at the White House, vow to hold prices and case closed. Nope, those days are gone  in fact they never were. Trump isn't like one of the top people who I worked with at Lehman where the last person he spoke with who had the catchiest sound bite was the one he listened to. He will see this to the finish line. The big one is what matters to us all, tax reform. That's what I am waiting for. As soon as I am convinced that the timing is this year and the plan is crystallized (will the interest deduction be in the final proposal, state and local tax deductions, etc.), I may get a bit more excited about things. And what if infrastructure ... (Mr. Weiss is the managing partner of Short Hills Capital Partners, a hedge fund advisory firm and asset manager primarily established to invest on behalf of one of the industry's most successful hedge fund managers. He has held senior management positions at SAC Capital, Salomon Brothers, Lehman Brothers and MSW Asset Management. He is the author of two investment books and a novel, is a visiting teaching fellow at UNC's graduate business school, Kenan-Flagler, and a CNBC contributor appearing regularly on "The Halftime Report.")

President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office. Jim Bourg | Reuters
The Capitol Building in Washington D.C. Getty Images

Of S&P 500 companies reporting earnings so far, tax reform is the most talked about policy change, according to FactSet analysis published Friday. Forty-two firms have posted quarterly results as of Wednesday, and FactSet said 11 discussed tax policy in their conference calls. Six of those 11 said lower taxes would would benefit their customers, clients or themselves, the analysis said. Goldman Sachs was among them: "... to the extent to which tax rates come down, we're a beneficiary. But obviously, changes in tax policy can be a huge catalyst for how all of our clients think about deploying their capital, strategic decisions." Delta Air Lines , FedEx , Comerica , Cintas and Paychex also spoke positively of tax reform, the report said. President Donald Trump has proposed cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent. While the final figure is likely to be somewhere in between, analysts expect reductions in the tax rate to boost companies' revenues, and consequently their earnings.





27 of 42 S&P 500 companies discussed "Trump" or "administration" during their Q4 earnings calls



Note: Companies that cited or discussed a potential border tax were counted under "Trade Policy" and not "Tax Policy." Numbers do not total 27 because some companies discussed multiple policy topics. Not all the discussion around tax reform has been positive, however. Retailers and oil refiners have spoken against a proposed "border adjustment" tax plan that would increase their costs, since those industries bring product from overseas to sell into the United States. The border adjustment idea would tax imports but leave exports untaxed. General Electric , which was not included in the FactSet study, said in its conference call Friday that "border adjustability" would not affect what the company pays in taxes overseas. GE also said that most of the tax policy discussion so far "is all speculation" and "what GE wants, and what we think is most important (for) competitiveness for U.S. companies, is essentially a competitive tax rate."

watch now
Instead, Trump spoke much as he had on the campaign trail, delivering a message that helped propel him to surprising wins in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Those victories helped drive him to 306 electoral votes and the White House in November despite losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million.

Some analysts said they expected a more hopeful and unifying message from Trump, especially as he takes office with some of the lowest approval ratings of any president in modern American history.

The gloomy address, in which Trump portrayed a broken America littered with shuttered factories and rampant crime, left investors puzzled. The Dow rose around 100 points before Trump's speech but initially gave up half those gains after the speech.

Trump, in a brief inaugural address that spoke of rampant "American carnage," said both that he would send government back from Washington to the people and that the government would now take on a more muscular role in dictating the terms of trade while rebuilding crumbling infrastructure.

Newly inaugurated President Donald J. Trump took office on Friday with a dark, populist message that surprised investors and left conservatives unsure exactly what they would get from the new White House.

President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC.

"We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our product, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs," Trump said. "Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength."

And the America he described was not one of 4.7 percent unemployment and rising wages  as official statistics show  but one on the verge of collapse. "Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted out factories, scattered like tombstones across the across the landscape of our nation," Trump said in laying out his vision of hellscape America. "This American carnage stops right here and stops right now."

Some conservatives who did not back Trump during the campaign are now left trying to square his pledge of stripping power from Washington while also setting up the federal government as a major arbiter of the economy.

"Trump: 1. Power from DC to you. 2. Government will build everything, interfere in trade, guarantee you a job. These cannot both be true," tweeted conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.

Market analysts were left somewhat stunned by the address, which seemed to be a missed opportunity for Trump to broaden his appeal to the tens of millions of American who remain deeply unnerved by his ascension to the presidency.

"Overall that was a more protectionist and nationalist speech than I expected," Megan Greene, chief economist at Manulife Asset Management, told me on Friday. "Rather than unifying the country after one of the most divisive elections in U.S. history, he highlighted how bad things are in the U.S. economy and engaged in scaremongering, which was consistent with his campaign."

Other analysts noted that the speech did not exactly clarify for investors what Trump's legislative priorities would look like. "Typically you think of inaugural addresses as uplifting, big-picture speeches," Jack Ablin of BMO Private Bank told me.

"Investors came into it worried about specific mentions of America first and confrontational rhetoric and that's exactly what they saw. It was confrontational both domestically and internationally. And there were not a whole lot of specifics that investors could sink their teeth into."

Overall, the speech suggested that Trump does not believe he needs to change anything to improve his dismal standing with the public. According to the Real Clear Politics average, Trump has a 41.8 percent favorable rating to 49.9 percent negative. Trump himself has rejected these numbers as phony, equating them with pre-election pulls suggesting he would lose to Hillary Clinton.

But these are national polls. And the national polls were mostly correct in predicting Clinton would carry the national vote by a couple of percentage points.

So there is no reason to think Trump is actually more popular than these polls show. And the favorability ratings will matter as Trump begins the business of governing. He has already clashed with Republicans on Capitol Hill over plans to repeal Obamacare and the structure of corporate tax cuts. If congressional Republicans believe Trump to be a widely unpopular president they will feel more emboldened to press their own agenda over his.

Trump will also have a tougher time selling his unilateral plans to change immigration and trade policy if his personal ratings remain low. Trump had an opportunity to start his administration on a positive, uplifting note. He chose not to take it.

Ben White is Politico's chief economic correspondent and a CNBC contributor. He also authors the daily tip sheet Politico Morning Money [politico.com/morningmoney]. Follow him on Twitter @morningmoneyben.


"Trade is becoming the lightning rod for every problem that every country has on earth", but we must stop viewing it in isolation, the executive director of the International Trade Center has urged.

In an impassioned interview with CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Arancha Gonzalez claimed that trade had become the scapegoat for global divisions and economic inequality but said more attention should be paid to the role of domestic policies.

"I think the problem we have in some developed countries is that trade opening, which has been generally good, has not been accompanied by the right domestic policies," she said, listing retraining, skills, education, infrastructure and suitable taxation policies amongst these.

"For every two jobs lost to trade, eight are lost to technology."

She added that trade was responsible for lifting one billion people out of poverty and asked "which people are going to say trade is not good?"
The word "global" was mentioned 18 times in Theresa May's 12-point BREXIT plan unveiled earlier this week, during which she pledged to be the best friend of Europe while becoming an even bigger player on the world stage. When the Prime Minister took this pitch to Davos, she lent an ear to those who have been left out of the the immense prosperity enjoyed by the jet-setters in the Swiss Alps.



She admitted that "talk of greater globalization can make people fearful." But rather than seize on these anxieties for her own political gain, May is offering Britons a future with open-borders and tolerance, where people are no longer governed by fear.



It marks a stark contrast to Trump's policy platform of building walls and imposing tariffs along the border with Mexico. The trouble with Trump's protectionist prescription is that it won't improve the plight of the blue-collar worker, who he aims to protect. According to the non-profit Center for Automotive Research, withdrawing from NAFTA and introducing a 35 percent tariff on imported cars and parts would cause vehicle prices to spike and at least 31,000 US auto manufacturing jobs to be lost.



The truth is, as Theresa May told CNBC in Davos: Globalization creates jobs and prosperity. You only need to look at the international footprint of Trump's vast business empire and the makeup of his billionaire cabinet to realize that the president-elect shares this belief. Investors and voters alike would be well served if President Trump followed in Theresa May's footsteps by giving his base a bit more of what they need, as opposed to telling them what they want to hear.



That applies to Inauguration Day as well as Twitter. Trump may have mastered the 'Art of the Deal' but he could learn a thing or two from Theresa May about the Art of Discretion. The Prime Minister struck down criticism that she lacks a plan in her Brexit speech, saying "It's not my job to fill column inches with daily updates, but to get the right deal for Britain."



There have been numerous parallels drawn between the shock EU referendum vote and Trump's road to the White House. A candidate Trump even predicted we would be calling him "Mr Brexit" one day.

But as the U.K.government sets down a path toward a more global, competitive and open Britain outside the European Union, it appears those parallels are starting to diverge.It will be up to the 45th President of the United States to decide whether America First means America Alone, or whether to make the U.S.-U.K. special relationship great again.
Will Donald Trump make the Cabinet great again?

Recent reports suggest that once in office, the president may delegate a great deal of policymaking authority to his 15 Cabinet secretaries, rather than managing things hands on or through White House staff.

Trump is planning to give his Cabinet "unusually wide latitude," Politico's Josh Dawsey and Andrew Restuccia reported earlier this month, citing sources close to the transition. They added that Trump's own role would likely be that of a "chairman-of-the-board style manager," focusing on "high-profile issues, publicity and his brand."

More from Vox:

The 4 most powerful people in Washington are white men again

Photos: the crowd at Donald Trump's inauguration vs. Barack Obama's

Hillary Clinton wore white  a symbol of women's suffrage  to Trump's inauguration

This would come as a contrast to the increasingly White Housedominated systems recent presidents have set up  and that secretaries have chafed at, viewing many White House staffers as overly political and power-hungry micromanagers. "Never has the job of Cabinet secretary seemed smaller," Glenn Thrush wrote in a 2013 feature on President Obama's team.

For a president who has little interest in the nitty-gritty of policy, this seems to make a whole lot of sense. Why not let the Cabinet secretaries  many of whom are successful businessmen or generals  run their own shops? That would bring different voices into the policymaking process rather than centralizing power in the White House yet again.

Here's the problem: This has been tried before, several times, and it never seems to work out. "My reaction is that that will last until the first few Cabinet meetings," says Andrew Rudalevige, a political science professor at Bowdoin College.

Indeed, from Richard Nixon through Obama, nearly every new president has come into office vowing to empower his Cabinet, but eventually ended up reining them in and empowering the White House instead.

That's because there's a structural problem here: The president and his White House team are charged with coming up with an overall strategy for the administration's success, but each Cabinet official tends to end up primarily concerned with his or her department's particular set of issues. This is a recipe for conflict. For example:

Some Cabinet secretaries go off message and earn the White House's ire by creating inconvenient headlines.

Other secretaries become viewed as having "gone native," advocating for their own department's interests over what the White House sees as the greater good.

Fights over personnel are constant, with the White House wanting to install loyalists to the president and Cabinet officials seeking their own people. (We're already seeing some under Trump.)

Some Cabinet secretaries lose out in power struggles with White House staffers, who themselves naturally want more influence in the administration.

Eventually, recent presidents have generally concluded that a having a Cabinet full of independent actors is more trouble than it's worth. And while it's not impossible for Trump to defy this historical trend, he'd have to solve some serious incentive problems  and be a strikingly good manager  to pull it off.

"The Cabinet" isn't really a thing anymore



New presidents with little experience in the executive branch often idealistically believe they can use the Cabinet better than their predecessors, either through greater delegation or by relying on it as an advisory body.

Nixon initially pledged to "strengthen the Cabinet," Jimmy Carter said he believed "in Cabinet administration of government," and Ronald Reagan said the Cabinet would be his "inner circle" and "almost like the board of directors," as Rudalevige recounts in The Presidency and the Political System.

But using the full Cabinet as an advisory body is hard in practice. For one, it's too big these days  there are 15 full department secretaries and seven other Cabinet-level officials. More importantly, the various secretaries often have little relevant knowledge or experience about the issues their counterparts in other departments are facing. So as a rule, modern-day Cabinet meetings have been purely for show.

As a result, Cabinet secretaries end up being less attuned to the political, strategic, and messaging priorities of the White House. That's in part simply because of where they sit and whom they see and talk to every day. It's also in part due to their own bureaucratic incentives and self-interest.

"The reality is that Cabinet secretaries' duties and inclinations often put them on a collision course with White House staffers, who are trying to rein them in and harness them to presidential priorities," writes James Pfiffner, a public policy professor at George Mason University.

"Presidents making these decisions at the start of their terms are starting at the lowest point of knowledge about how bureaucracy works and how the government works," says Matthew Dickinson, a political scientist at Middlebury College. "But then you get into the governing details, and you realize you've delegated authority to, say, Betsy DeVos, who's decided to pick a fight with the teachers unions, or Rex Tillerson, who's gone out pursuing a solution to the Mideast problem that's contrary to what you want."

It's easy for Cabinet secretaries to step on the White House's message



In early 2009, President Obama was desperately trying to woo rural red-state Democratic senators, knowing he'd eventually need their votes for his health reform bill. His White House staff knew this was one of the president's top priorities, and that other issues  like new gun control legislation  would have to take a back seat.

Attorney General Eric Holder, however, didn't get the memo. Back during the campaign, Obama had said he'd push for renewing the expired ban on assault weapons. So when Holder was asked about the topic at the press conference, he said the administration planned to do just that. And as Daniel Klaidman recounts in his book Kill or Capture, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was not exactly happy about it:

Emanuel was furious. He slammed his desk and cursed the attorney general. Holder was only repeating a position Obama had expressed during the campaign, but that was before the White House needed the backing of pro-gun Democrats from red states for their domestic agenda. The chief of staff sent word to Justice that Holder needed to "shut the fuck up" on guns

The conflict between Holder and Emanuel  which recurred again and again on various topics over Obama's first two years  is just one example of how a well-meaning Cabinet secretary can end stepping on the White House's preferred strategy or message of the day.Thrush's piece on the Cabinet contains a similar tale about Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who committed the awful crime of publicly discussing climate change when the administration wanted to focus on jobs.

Neither Holder nor Chu was trying to undercut the president or his positions. But the Senate math on health reform and the White House message of the day on the economy just weren't at the forefront of their minds, since they were spending more time on their own issue areas. So they end up being viewed as troublemakers by a monomaniacally focused White House.

"If you are letting the Cabinet do what it wants, you will have lots of different stories, and it's harder to control the narrative of your administration," Rudalevige says. For Donald Trump in particular  who always wants to be the center of attention  he may not be so thrilled if his Cabinet secretaries keep making news that he doesn't like.

Many Cabinet officials get "captured" by their departments



But some Cabinet clashes with the White House have deeper roots than a simple lack of message discipline. When appointees go off to head their respective departments, many suddenly ... change.

"It's quite standard for political appointees to come in and then be exposed to the mission of the agency, and have senior staff brief them, to learn something about the agency and enlarge their perspective. And they end up moderating some of their views," Harvard law professor and former Obama climate adviser Jody Freeman recently told Vox's Brad Plumer.

And in the most extreme cases, these appointees become viewed as championing their department's interests, or the interests of the constituents the department is closest to, over the president's own priorities.

This effect can sometimes be rather comical. During the Nixon administration, Caspar Weinberger served as budget director and loved spending cuts so much he was dubbed "Cap the Knife." But when he was moved to head the Defense Department under Reagan, he suddenly grew to love defense spending increases so much that some renamed him "Cap the Ladle."

Nixon aide John Ehrlichman referred to this phenomenon as "going native." He had a point, Rudalevige argues, writing that "presidents constantly and correctly worry that department heads have divided loyalties  [that] the secretaries may become champions of the department as an institution." He adds: "Departments owe too much to too many political actors for presidents to fully trust their chiefs' motives or advice."

Who gets to pick Cabinet officials' subordinates?



The president of the United States is responsible for filling more than 4,000 executive branch positions  many of which are sub-Cabinet posts strewn around the various departments, and therefore subordinate to the Cabinet secretaries.

Naturally, Cabinet secretaries would like to have a major say in who will be working for them. But appointments are one of the president's most important powers. On the one hand, they serve the classic patronage role of rewarding supporters. On the other hand, the president wants people who will work for him rather than against him in key jobs.

Furthermore, there are structural reasons for the White House and Cabinet to disagree on sub-Cabinet appointments. The secretaries fear the White House "will weigh too heavily the political service of the appointee and will neglect the expertise, managerial ability, and compatibility of the nominee with the other executives in the department," Pfiffner writes for the Presidential Transition Project. Conversely, "the White House staff tends to suspect that Cabinet secretaries are likely to recruit people who are loyal to the Cabinet secretary but not necessarily to the president."

Presidents who give away a great deal of their appointment power to their Cabinet secretaries quickly usually regret it (as both Nixon and Carter did). "They wind up with departments that aren't necessarily on the president's page, but rather working for each Cabinet office," Rudalevige says. "You can argue from a technocratic competence perspective that that's a good thing. But from the president's perspective, he's trying to herd 4 million cats toward his preferred policy outcomes, and [the appointment power] is not really a resource he can afford to give away."

The Reagan transition, meanwhile, took a different approach  carefully vetting appointees in the White House personnel office, making sure those chosen would be loyal to the president and would work to carry out his agenda. "We wanted our appointees to be the president's ambassadors to the agencies, not the other way around," Reagan aide Ed Meeselater wrote.

Similar conflicts are already taking shape under Trump. The Washington Post's Josh Roginreported earlier this month that Defense Secretary-designate James Mattis and the Trump transition team were having "an increasingly acrimonious dispute" over DOD jobs. The Trump people didn't want "NeverTrumpers" rewarded with jobs, while Mattis was unimpressed at the names they were offering him instead.

The White House staff naturally wants power and control for themselves  and many truly are closer to the president



Finally, delegation to the Cabinet often doesn't work out in practice because the White House staff doesn't want it to work out. Those staff members tend to be ambitious people who want influence and control, and often they're both physically and substantively closer to the president than the Cabinet secretaries are.

This is the case for Trump as well. His White House is filled with campaign loyalists such as chief strategist Steve Bannon, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway, and National Security Adviser Michael Flynn  as well as the president-elect's own son-in-law, Jared Kushner. So when they claim to speak to the president and to know what he would want, their claims will sound plausible.

Meanwhile, out of all Trump's Cabinet appointments, he appears to be personally close to just a few  such as Steve Mnuchin at Treasury (his campaign fundraising chair), Wilbur Ross at Commerce (a longtime friend), and Jeff Sessions at Justice (who often traveled with Trump during the campaign). Many of the others  like Rex Tillerson and James Mattis  Trump barely knows. A few he seems to have barely spoken to.

In theory, delegation of substantial power to the Cabinet could work if the president empowers people he fully trusts in those positions and is comfortable making do with only a weak White House staff. Neither appears to be the case for Trump.

"If the president can set priorities that are widely shared by those who work for him, the management process is much easier," says Dickinson. "If he doesn't, that leads to competing power centers and rivals."

Such competition has often led to a midterm shake-up, in which the president concludes his administration is a mess and decides to solve it  by centralizing more power in the White House.
Protesters chained themselves to the front doors of Uber's offices in San Francisco as Donald Trump was inaugurated on Friday, San Francisco local media reported. Employees were reportedly unable to enter the building, which also houses payments company Square, through the front door.

Reporters from the San Francisco Chronicle, radio stations KPFA and TV station KCBS, and protesters themselves captured images of the scene.

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is one of several technology executives that's part of Trump's Strategic and Policy forum. Protesters' signs read, "Uber collaborates with Trump."

An Uber spokeswoman told CNBC: "As a company we're committed to working with government on issues that affect riders, drivers and the cities where we operate. Just as we worked with the Obama Administration, we'll work with the Trump Administration, too."

The protest was one of many, mostly peaceful demonstrations across the country, though protesters in Washington DC smashed windows of businesses.

Tweet: Protestors block entryway of @Uber building in #SF #InaugurationDay

Tweet: Market Street between 10th and 11th streets shut down #SF #InaugurationDay



Tweet: Arrests happening at side doors of @Uber. Cops blocking street where arrests are happening. #j20 #aptp #rebelcitiesrising

Tweet: Music joins protestors outside Uber Hq on market st in solidarity of #InaugurationDay #j20resist. Hundreds protest across nation.@KPFANews

Tweet: Blocking Uber headquarters as part of anti-Trump protests. Traffic on Market St in #SanFrancisco blocked @KCBSNews

Tweet: Uber protest
Just after Donald Trump takes the Oath of Office later today, he will begin what is probably going to be the most anticipated and closely watched inaugural address in modern history. But while Trump's path to the presidency was built on everything you can define as unprecedented in U.S. politics, there are some messages from past inaugural addresses that the new president could  and maybe should  resurrect to prove he is still part of a continuing American tradition.

Let's face it, most inaugural addresses are simply rhetorical victory laps. They usually include a line or two about unity, and that's about it. But this time, there is real mystery about Trump's policies for the next four years and there are also a lot very anxious people who will be listening more carefully than usual.

To that end, and in the interest of perhaps saving the Trump speech writing team a little time, there are five quotes from past inaugural addresses that President Trump could use today without changing a word. And making things better, each of them work in accordance with the overall messages Trump sent throughout most of his campaign:

1-2: On national defense, channel JFK

"We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed."



"In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility--I welcome it." (John F. Kennedy, 1961)

President Trump is going to be portrayed as a hawk based on his many statements and his appointment of General James "Mad Dog" Mattis as Defense Secretary. Using President Kennedy's strongest words on American defense from his inaugural address would prove to the nation that hawkish words and policies should be bipartisan in the face of Islamic terror, Chinese and Russian adventurism, and all the instability that entails.

3-4: Use Jackson and Reagan to define the government's role in the economy

"It would seem to me that the spirit of equity, caution and compromise in which the Constitution was formed requires that the great interests of agriculture, commerce, and manufactures should be equally favored, and that perhaps the only exception to this rule should consist in the peculiar encouragement of any products of either of them that may be found essential to our national independence." (Andrew Jackson, 1829)

"Idle industries have cast workers into unemployment, human misery, and personal indignity. Those who do work are denied a fair return for their labor by a tax system which penalizes successful achievement and keeps us from maintaining full productivity." (Ronald Reagan, 1981)

Trump has already spent a great deal of the transition period working with several companies in different industries to boost their investment in America and American jobs. But that's created more than a little trepidation for some who worry about too much government intrusion. By quoting Jackson, Trump can make the point that Washington has favored some industries over others for far too long. Blaming taxes and regulations for driving manufacturing out of this country can be done in the context of quoting Jackson's admonishment not to hurt any American industry.

The Reagan quote is one of the best justifications for tax cuts, especially in the face of all the criticism that they only favor the rich. The simple idea that taxes hurt those who make the least amount of money from their labors is still very compelling.

5: Soothe the country with a nod to Democracy's endurance

"There are men who believe that democracy, as a form of Government and a frame of life, is limited or measured by a kind of mystical and artificial fate that, for some unexplained reason, tyranny and slavery have become the surging wave of the future -- and that freedom is an ebbing tide. But we Americans know that this is not true." (Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1941)

The nation is not only divided along the usual partisan conservative/liberal lines right now. It's also divided between those who believe the country has a new president who does not believe in democracy and those who think he simply seeks to disrupt government as usual. President Roosevelt's promise in the quote above about the strength of democracy was meant to bolster a nation about to go to war with fascist dictators in Germany, Japan, and Italy. But it's a message that works today for those very worried anti-Trump protesters and the Trump supporters alike. Yes, the nation and its democratic process will survive no matter what Trump or the most radical anti-Trump activists try to do. But FDR's message is also important today for our enemies to hear, just as it was meant for Hitler, Hirohito, and Mussolini to hear in 1941. There are still too many foreign leaders who promote tyranny and slavery who should know that democracy and democratic nations will beat them every time.

Will Trump use any of the above quotes? It's likely that he at least will paraphrase the ideas contained in at least one or two of them. This time more than any other in his very public life, the whole world will truly be watching.
Hillary Clinton backer Warren Buffett told CNBC on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration that the billionaire real estate mogul has the "most important job in the world."



"America works," the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway said. "I've said this before. It'll work wonderfully under Hillary Clinton, and I think it'll work fine under Donald Trump."



At a red carpet event Thursday night in New York for a new HBO documentary about his life, Buffett told CNBC the United States has the "secret sauce."



"It doesn't work all the time perfectly," the billionaire investor and philanthropist said, "but you just look at where we go, milestone after milestone. Never bet against America."



With that mantra as a guiding principle, Buffett said, "we're almost always a buyer of stocks over time."



Reiterating his call to invest for the long haul, Buffett acknowledged that he doesn't know where the stock market will go in the next "10 days or a year or two years."



But one thing he said he does know: "It's going to be higher 10 years, 20 years from now."



"There will be hiccups from time to time in the economy," he cautioned. "[But] we'll do well over time."



The HBO documentary "Becoming Warren Buffett," premieres on Jan. 30. It tells the story of the Oracle of Omaha's rise to become one of the most revered businessman in the world.



Buffett told CNBC: "This is a story about my dad and my first wife, and also about my second wife, who all really put me together, saved me. So I think people will see a different side of me than they've seen before."


Donald Trump is just hours away from becoming president.

It is arguably the most stunning political development in the history of the country.

Trump is a bombastic businessman-turned-reality-television star. Nobody, including himself, at the outset, thought Trump was going to win. After he first announced his run, he said he had a 10 to 20 percent chance of winning.

He was seen as a sideshow in the Republican primaries until the very moment he won the nomination. He was seen as a long shot in the general election until the night he beat Hillary Clinton in the voting booths.

And, now here we are, moments away from Trump being sworn in as president.

Which is why it's a good time to revisit a December comment made by Barry Diller, IAC's chairman and a Trump antagonist.

"Let us see what this is like. It is, kind of, a grand experiment," Diller said In an interview with CNBC.

This is the best summation of what is about to happen.

For years, business leaders have complained about government being too slow or unfriendly to business.

We now have a real businessman leading the country. And not only is he leading the country, he has stacked his administration with business leaders  the CEO of Exxon, the COO of Goldman Sachs, the CEO of Hardees and Carl's Jr. were picked for key roles. Also in the mix, we have the CEO of media company Breitbart, the CEO of OneWest bank, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who ran his own media company and a real estate business.

Successful business people  especially at the levels where these men operated  aren't accustomed to having a boss. Now, all of them work for Trump, who works for the American people. They also have to navigate the gnarly world of Congress, which is something they never had to deal with in their private enterprises.



Never before have we seen business people take over our government. This is a grand experiment.
A march on Washington calling for the Trump administration to respect the rights of women is being copied by activists all over the world.

The "Women's March on Washington" is expected to draw two hundred thousand women and men to the U.S. capital on January 21 the day after President-Elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

Organizers say on their website that the march will send a bold message to the government on their first day in office.

"In the spirit of democracy and honoring the champions of human rights, dignity, and justice who have come before us, we join in diversity to show our presence in numbers too great to ignore," the mission statement reads.

According to a National Park Service's list of First Amendment permit applications, organizers expect 200,000 people to attend.

The organization's website identifies at least 616 cities across the world where similar copycat marches will take place on the same day, with a further 1.3 million people forecast to attend.

Marches are expected in major cities such as London, Kolkata and Sydney but smaller events are also listed to take place in less obvious locations such as Iraq, the Congo and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Although titled as a women's march, organizers say the march is "for any person, regardless of gender or gender identity, who believes women's rights are human rights."

March organizers have said the march is not anti-Trump but rather a call to highlight the rights of women, LGBTQ and other groups suffering discrimination.

The march's agenda also wants an Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The original movement was started by Teresa Shook, a retired attorney and grandmother in Hawaii who asked Facebook friends if they were interested in protesting the Trump inauguration.

Within a short spell the interest was so great that several veteran protest organizers working on behalf of minority groups were enlisted to help.

The main march in Washington begins at 10.00 a.m. on Saturday January 21.
SYRACUSE, N.Y.  U.S. Representative John Katko (RCamillus) says hes concerned that we dont have a full plan yet to replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, in Congress.

I hear aspects and bits and pieces, Katko said when asked what hes heard about a possible replacement for the health-care law from the incoming Trump administration.

He spoke to reporters on Wednesday ahead of his remarks at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown on New York State Canal Systems designation as a national historic landmark.

Until we get one, Im going to be holding firm on my current position, he added.

Katko, who represents New Yorks 24th Congressional District, on Jan. 13 voted against the first measure in the U.S. House of Representatives that could jumpstart the repeal process.

The budget resolution, which passed both the House and U.S. Senate, will allow Republicans to use a process known as budget reconciliation to roll back major parts of the health-care law having to do with the federal budget with a simple majority vote. It prevents a filibuster in the Senate.

Katko was one of just nine Republicans in the House who voted against the measure. Central New Yorks other three GOP House members  Elise Stefanik, Claudia Tenney, and Tom Reed  all voted yes.

Katko explained his vote in a statement his office issued later that day, saying he voted no because there has been no clear plan laid out to replace Obamacare.

I completely agree with President-elect Trump that repeal and replacement should occur at the same time. This is a view that is shared by a clear majority of Americans. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to come up with a clear, viable, and effective replacement plan. When that happens, hopefully in the coming weeks, I will happily join my party in repealing Obamacare.

Katko went on to say that he has been very clear on his stance since he started campaigning for Congress.

I have always maintained that it should either be radically restructured or replaced. Obamacare is a deeply-flawed law that has led to rising premiums and fewer options for consumers. If left unreformed, it will collapse in the coming years. However, I believe before this flawed law is repealed, a viable plan must be ready to replace it in order to ensure that millions of Americans do not lose coverage overnight, he said.

Attending inauguration

The Syracuse Congressman plans to attend Fridays inauguration of Donald Trump as the nations 45th president.

Ive never been to an inauguration, so Im really thrilled and honored. My familys excited about it as well, Katko told reporters.

He also doesnt have any concerns about attending the event, but he hopes people on both sides  will put down the swords and just rally around the fact that hes going to be our president  and hope that hes successful for the good of the country.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@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.
President Donald Trump's administration has outlined some of its agenda, and has said nothing as far as supercomputing is concerned. Will it participate in the global race to develop an exascale supercomputer? It's been silent on this.

The supercomputing race is going to turn very real for the Trump administration. An exascale supercomputer -- a 1,000 petaflop system -- will likely be delivered somewhere in the world before Trump's first term ends. This may be a Sputnik moment for the new administration.

The stakes appear high. Supercomputing is seen as critical to national competitiveness because research and product development are increasingly done virtually. Europe and China, in particular, want to use their own, homegrown technologies to create exascale systems. They see this as a way to improve the ability of their IT sectors to compete with U.S.-based companies.

China and Japan both have plans to deliver an exascale system by 2020. Europe is well in the race and has targeted 2022, but it could deliver something earlier.

China is using its own microprocessors, and one of the systems in development in Europe uses ARM chips. Europe has committed 700 million (US$749 million) to supercomputing research, and plans to have a system "based on EU technology" by 2022, it reported in a document last year.

The Obama administration didn't move as swiftly on exascale as some in the supercomputing community would have liked. While development of the next generation of supercomputers did eventually become a priority, the system delivery target date is 2023-24, well behind China and Japan.

But in the final weeks of the Obama administration, a new plan emerged to produced the first exascale system by 2021.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Exascale Computing Project "is now a 7-year project, not a 10-year project, but it will cost more," said Paul Messina, a computer scientist at the Argonne National Laboratory and head of the project, in an email Thursday.

The improved timeline was accomplished by tightening parts of the schedule and increasing the budget. According to DOE planning documents, the cost range with the new schedule is $3.5 billion to $5.7 billion. The previous estimate, for the longer time frame, was $3.1 billion to $5.1 billion. But the Trump administration and Congress will have to go along with the changes.

The world's fastest system today is in China and is capable of speeds of about 125 petaflops. A petaflop system can perform one quadrillion arithmetic operations per second.

The goals of the U.S. exascale project are to "contribute to the economic competitiveness of the nation" and "support national security." But another goal is to develop a software stack, in collaboration with vendors, that can be used on smaller systems by industry and academia, according to planning document.

This will help ensure "continued American leadership in architecture, software and applications to support scientific discovery, energy assurance, (nuclear) stockpile stewardship, and nonproliferation programs and policies," the documents state.
Graeme Archer is a medical statistician, a former winner of the Orwell Prize for blogging, and was recently a speechwriter for a Cabinet Minister.

OK, so I promise you were not doing pop psychology; were going to discuss that idiot professor, the Home Secretary, and her hate crime incident. But I need to take a detour with you first and it is unavoidably personal. In the first two years of secondary school, I was bullied relentlessly. I learned three things.

While bullying is instigated by a ringleader, the vast majority of bystanders live up to their name, and side with the bully; no matter how precious their self-image of I am a good person. Students, teachers, friends who were quite willing to talk with me in one classroom would melt away when it kicked off again.

Secondly, there is nothing you can say or do which will satisfy the bully. Stay aloof; try to engage; attempt to befriend: the bully attacks. Accept the biggest lie that bullied children are told  one that makes me spit with rage  and fight back: the bully attacks. Remember the definition of bystander, mate! Youre on yer ain.

Final lesson. The reaction of the bullied, to the bullying, is hatred. There is not volume available in the physical universe in which to contain the hatred I felt for my tormentor. I day-dreamed of reading that hed been run over and killed.

Well, I got over it, but it took luck (University) and the gift of love (which had seemed quite impossible, some sort of myth, at that godforsaken school) before I could re-set the dial towards trust in the intentions of strangers.

Thats enough, now; enough. Now we can begin.

On Thursday evening, scrolling through Twitter, I came across a tweet from a Guardian journalist, in which she derided Michael Gove for the language hed used to describe an attendant in Trump Tower. Mr Gove had said the man was African American, and was wearing white cotton gloves.

The replies to her tweet brought 1980s Ayrshire back into view. Hundreds of bystanders joined in, to vomit their abuse at Gove. Suddenly many recent phenomena made sense.

What was this, but bullying? And what was Goves crime? He had written a fact: he met someone who was African American and who was wearing white cotton gloves. But it didnt matter what he said: the bullies had decided he was guilty, guilty of racism. Thus the verbal declension of the modern Left:

I bravely speak truth to power.

Youre a bit of a populist.

He is an out-and-out racist.

Once the bullying starts, it doesnt matter what the victim says or does, remember? Statements of fact? Truth? But: Everythings deconstructible man, like, Derrida, right?.

Thats why that physics professor felt his assertion about the Home Secretary was justified. Its also why Warwicks professors of history, for Gods sake, put their names to a letter which accused the Prime Minister of being a Nazi:

[At the Conservative conference ] the PM notoriously stigmatized migrants as citizens of nowhere  Theresa Mays racist remarks  eerily echo[es] the 1930s in Germany.]

I dispassionately describe objective reality.

You are influenced by the Murdoch press.

She is a Nazi.

And the physicist who reported the Home Secretary for hate crime, for wanting more British apprenticeships? I prefer Govian logic to Guardian sneering, so lets indeed be factual. The professors a fat idiot, yes. But mostly hes a bully.

Yet, weirdly, the Home Secretary bears some responsibility for all this. Page 37 of the Home Offices Action Against Hate report  to which Rudd put her name, just a few months ago  contains the following definitions of hate crimes and/or incidents (Ive added some emphasis):

A hate crime is any criminal offence ([and a hate incident is any non-criminal incident]) which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a persons race or perceived race[/religion/sexual orientation/transgender status/disability].

A charter for bullies. The ratchet  from legitimately ensuring that employers dont reject candidates due to their ethnicity, to successfully having the Home Secretarys speech recorded as a hate incident  has been inexorable. And its all due to identity politics.

Dont believe me about the ratchet? Remember the spike in xenophobic hate crime  mostly self-reported incidents, just like the professors  blamed on Brexit? An LGBTQWhatever pressure group claims that there was also a massive rise in crimes against gay people in the same post-Brexit period.

It takes a particular form of illogic to say that a trend in something that can have nothing to do with Brexit is proof that the disreputable statistics about xenophobia are definitely due to Brexit; but, again, bullies dont give a toss about how to weigh evidence. Unsurprisingly, depressingly, those Warwick historians agree: Since bigotry loves company, we should not be surprised that homophobic attacks have increased, they intone, a failure of inductive reasoning that would shame an undergraduate statistician.

Im not arguing that hate crime doesnt exist, or dont matter; quite the reverse. Ian Baynham was kicked to death, because he was gay. Bijan Ibrahmimi was slaughtered and burned, because he was foreign. Both deaths made me sick.

But so too did the vicious murder of Alan Greaves, who was neither gay nor foreign. When did we decide that the psychopathology of the criminal deserved its own special seat in the witness stand? If savagery against gay people is an aggravated offence by dint of that adjective (gay), then savagery against people who are not gay must be, by stone-cold logic, less of an offence. (I dont expect Warwick historians to follow such reasoning; never mind.)

Reject this horrific logic, this calculus of suffering, Home Secretary. Hate Crime predicated on specific categories of people is the worst sort of identity politics; it is illogical; it energises  and vindicates  over-privileged academics in love with their own version of truth. But reject it for one reason more important than any other: for the good society.

Im nothing special  Im way more than a bit of a bore. The point of describing my long-forgotten childhood was that third lesson: that the injustice of a system which ignored systematic bullying filled me with hatred.

While government tolerates a system which favours one victim over another on the basis of random categories of identity; when it sponsors definitions of crime that are, literally, evidence-free  then slowly and surely those being bullied  anyone who thinks that stating a fact cannot be racist, for example  might likewise become filled with hatred about the unjust bullying to which they are subjected.

Hatred against whom? I suspect the answer to that question is both obvious, as well as what the middle-class progressives  whove quite enjoyed their years of virtuous, thoughtcrime bullying  fear the most.
Yesterday Alex Bell, formerly head of policy and speechwriter to Alex Salmond, wrote in the Guardian that Theresa May had called Sturgeons bluff over Brexit.

As he pointed out, the Prime Ministers high-profile speech had set out that the UK would be leaving the Single Market. Nicola Sturgeon had previously indicated that this would lead her to seek a re-run of 2014s referendum on Scottish independence.

That was already a climbdown  the initial cause was protecting Scotlands place in the EU  but as Bell notes, the First Minister appears to have backed off again, simply saying that such a poll was now more likely even than it had been before. He adds that Sturgeon has to name a date for another independence referendum or risk seeing her authority bleed away.

But thats where a flaw slips into his analysis, or at least his language: the First Minister cant name a date. The constitution is a reserved issue, as Ive pointed out before. Sturgeon can demand a second referendum, but she cant call one.

This fact is very often met with the observation that Westminster is very unlikely to block a second referendum should the Scottish Government call for one, so were justified in behaving as if the power were Sturgeons to command. But even if the Government were presumed to grant a referendum if requested  and I agree they would  that latter assumption is wrong.

Before any vote Westminster and Holyrood would need to negotiate, just as last time. Some of the issues could likely be decided by 2014s precedent but the idea that neither side will try to implement lessons they learned last time out is surely for the birds. Likewise the two parties will need to agree on a timetable, the Scottish Government cant just pick one that suits them best.

Delay means no rushing through a decision during a short-term emotional surge, and longer for the nationalists new proposals for how independence would work (should they ever emerge) to be scrutinised and subject to events.

Of course, some will argue that May had better just accede to all of Sturgeons initial demands or face a reckoning at the ballot box. But most of those people predicted that such a response would follow Brexit, and many are in any case simply commentators who want the SNP to win.

The idea of a seething Scottish public just waiting to take offence on the Nationalists behalf has been a powerful tool in the SNP arsenal, but the available evidence suggests that those voters who do feel that way are already voting for them.

Not to mention the fact that David Camerons experience has already highlighted the poor yields of over-generous concessions in this field, or that May seems to be a more robust unionist even than he.

Would any of this matter? It could well, if the result is close  and absent a bolt from the blue and a huge swing towards independence close looks to be the trigger Sturgeon will need to settle for if a referendum is to be chanced at all.

And should the battle be lost a second time? The Canadian example suggests that central government would be a lot more assertive about its constitutional prerogatives before it was challenged a third.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Residents of South Glengarry braved the freezing rain and icy roads to meet at Irvine Hall in Williamstown. There Dolytech representative Neil Knudsen explained the results of his companys study. With out a doubt, he said. Closing the schools in this area will cost the Township almost $7 million annually.

In terms of jobs, Doyletechs report predicts that the area would lose 20 jobs if the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) follows through with the plan it has laid out in its Pupil Accommodation Review (PAR).

If the PAR passes the final vote by the school board on March 23, then S.J MacLeod Public School and Char-Lan District High School would close effective June 30.

The residents of South Glengarry have been heavily involved in the consultation process setup by the UCDSB on the school closure issue and have also strongly opposed the move.

The UCDSB has proposed to close schools across its region, including in SD&G. Five of the six counties of SD&G, including South Glengarry have hired Doyletech to conduct impact studies on the school closures.

Neil Knudsen told the assembly on Thursday night, that South Glengarry will be particularly hard hit by the school closures.

The lost jobs would mean a loss of $49, 000 to the tax base of the municipality in addition to the loss of nearly $7 million to the economy. The entire budget of South Glengarry Township is $15 million.

Knudsen said that if families move away from the area because there is no high school the economic blow could rise to $8 million.

On top of this, the exodus could cause a permanent excess in houses on the retail market in the area, which will lower everyones housing prices.

Knudsen and Doyletech also looked at the effect on the children.

Children currently going to Char-Lan could expect a bus ride of over an hour one-way to get to school. Knudsen said that this would have a serious negative effect not just on their education, but also on the economic productiveness of the area as many of them help their parents on their farms.

Knudsen shot down suggestions that a bigger school will create more educational opportunities for students.

We found that these increased opportunities often arent taken advantage of, he said.

Sally Phypers of the Save Char-Lan team told the assembly some plans they were going to present to the school board to demonstrate how Char-Lan can continue to be viable and innovate for the future.

One is to have Virtual Classrooms. Virtual classrooms will allow teachers to teach interactively and remotely and reach a multitude of students at once. To make the Virtual classrooms work however, timetable alignment would have to be encouraged so that class times at different schools match up together.

Phypers said that the families living in the Char-Lan Feeder group of S.J MacLeod, Williamstown Public School and Char-Lan had been the most responsive to the school board about their PAR, with the response being mostly against their proposal.

The biggest solution that has been presented to the school board is to combine Char-Lan and Williamstown Public into a single campus K-12 school.

Phypers commented that Stephen Sliwa, the UCDSBs Director of Education had remarked on how close Char-Lan and Williamstown Public were to each other.

Although as Director of Education he should be already familiar with the schools, he had said that he had forgot that Char-Lan and Williamstown Public were right across the street from each other, she told the meetings attendees.

Jennifer MacIsaac of the Save Rothwell-Osnabruck group visited the Save Char-Lan meeting to tell them some of the advantages of K-12 schools.

The biggest benefit she explained to the meeting was the continuity in education and the sense of community that students develop by attending the same school, with the same students and teachers for 14 years.

The final public Accommodation Review Committee meeting will be at General Vanier in Cornwall at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 23. Those who want their voices heard are encouraged to attend.
Close

New reports suggest that cannabis oil may be more beneficial than harmful in treating cancer wounds. According to a case report published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, a cancer patient's wound has been reduced in size.

In 2016, Dr. Vincent Maida, an associate professor in Division of Palliative Care at the University of Toronto, first treated a Canadian patient suffering from oral cancer who has a large hole on his check. Before his initial visit to Maidan's clinic, the unnamed 44-year-old patient took opioid medications that failed to reduce severe pain in his cheek. The patient also suffered constipation and drowsiness as side effects of the opiates.

Maidan then prescribed medical cannabis oil to the patient for his cancer wound. He used it four times a day for almost a month. The patient then reported that the hole on his cheek has stopped growing and that the size of the wound has been reduced by five per cent. Maidan believes that ancient cultures have been using cannabis extracts on wounds.

There are no scientific evidence that cannabis oil may help in wound treatment, especially for cancer patients, as there are not actual studies conducted as well. Only one study done in human intestine cells growing in lab dishes suggests that cannabinoids may enhance wound closure.

Dr. Anita Gupta, vice chair of the Division of Pain Medicine at Drexel College of Medicine in Philadelphia, said that while it is interesting that cannabis oil worked in reducing the wound of the Canadian patient, the reason of its efficacy is still not clear. Gupta theorized that the oil may have reduced the inflammation of the cancer wound.

Geoff Munro, Alcohol and Drug Foundation National Policy manager, said that there is no doubt marijuana is harmful. Recreational cannabis smoking will likely increase risk of schizophrenia and trigger heart attack. Researchers are still conducting studies to know more about the benefits of cannabis oil in treating cancer wounds.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

Findings from a recent study reveal that Mandarin-speaking children are more advanced than English-speaking children in terms of processing musical pitch. If that is so, will learning Mandarin make your child a better musician?

The researches from the University of San Diego cautions "Tiger Parents" not to ditch music lessons for Mandarin lessons just yet. The implications of their study go beyond determining who has a leg up musically. In actuality, the study tackles how different cognitive skills affect each other during early age particularly between language processing and musical pitch processing.

The study, published in Developmental Science, conducted an experiment with young children between the ages of three and five. Half of which are native Mandarin speakers and the other half, native English speakers. The 180 children were tested on tasks involving pitch contour and timbre discrimination.

The results of the experiment show that Mandarin-speaking children were more advanced at processing musical pitch than their English-speaking counterparts. On the other hand, all children performed the same on the timbre discrimination task.

This just proves that children who are exposed to tone languages, like Mandarin, Thai, Yoruba, and Xhosa, are better at distinguishing different kinds of musical pitches. This is because tone languages are able to convey information and emotions by putting different emphasis on the same word being used. Paying close attention to different pitches in their language, children exposed to tone languages naturally develop better musical pitch processing skills.

According to the researchers, the findings of their study supports the Pitch Generalization Hypothesis where it states that "tone languages drive attention to pitch in nonlinguistic contexts, and suggest the language learning benefits aspects of music perception in early development." In other words, the kind of language a child speaks affects how the child perceives music at an early age.

The researchers add that in order to be a better musician, one still needs to study music. On the other hand, learning a language might not directly affect musical inclination but in itself offers different advantages for the individual.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

It's been over a year since the world Health Organization declared the Zika Virus as a global health epidemic. Countless campaigns have been raised to fight off the epidemic, yet health care professional expressed their frustration as they claimed to have lost the fight against Zika Virus.

The Zika Virus, which came from a mosquito bite originated in Latin America, which eventually reached most parts of the globe including Asian countries. The World Health Organization already ended the virus' emergency status as it was mentioned that the epidemic is already controlled, but it did, however, leave a tragic aftermath.

Thousands of infants were born with microcephaly after their mothers have been infected with Zika virus. The birth defect causes babies to have small heads, which affects their brain growth. The epidemic may have caused casualties among thousands of women, but there was also the notable success that took place all throughout the fight against the virus.

New York Times mentioned that scientists are already on their way in terms of coming up with a vaccine against Zika and ways to kill the mosquitos without using harsh chemicals. Despite these negative movements, however, health care providers and some government officials expressed their dismay in regards to the fight against Zika.

It was mentioned that WHO may have declared Zika as a global epidemic on the first of February, but ended it early on November 18 of the same year. Another notable downfall that was mentioned is the people in the minority groups, those of which who lived in the slums that were unprotected as WHO focused on the tourists' protection.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention already confirmed Zika virus cases in the United States, especially in Florida over the past months. CDC also listed safety precautions in avoiding Zika virus on their website as they continually fight to end the spread of the virus.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

Adults in China who have diabetes may lose 9 years off their life expectancy, a new study suggests.

Published in the journal JAMA, the new study on Chinese people found that those diagnosed with diabetes before 50 years old, lived an average of nine years less than those without the condition. Moreover, the slashed off years increased to 10 years for patients living in rural areas.

Previous researches on diabetes have been in high-income countries were people with diabetes are well-managed. However, in China, the rate of people with the condition quadrupled in recent years, with an estimated 100 million adults now affected, Medical Xpress reports.

Because of this marked increase, a team of researchers at the University of Oxford and Peking University set out to examine the link between diabetes and mortality in China. The study included 512,869 people ages 30 years old to 79 years old, from 10 areas in the country between 2004 and 2008. The researchers followed up for cause-specific mortality until 2014.

Diabetes And Longevity

Type 2 diabetes, the type linked to being overweight, is known to double the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Long-term complications of diabetes include cataracts in the eyes, kidney disease like diabetic nephropathy and nerve damage.

Type 2 diabetes can also affect the large blood vessels, causing plaque to eventually build up and potentially leading to stroke, vessel blockage in the legs called peripheral vascular disease and heart attack, Endocrine Web reports.

The new research, however, provides the most concrete figures to date, demonstrating that those diagnosed with diabetes by 50 have a doubled risk of dying before they reach 75 years old.

"Among adults in China, diabetes was associated with increased mortality from a range of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular diseases, and the risk of dying was greater among those with diabetes who inadequately treated the condition," Dr. Zhengming Chen, lead author of the study, said as reported by Diabetes.co.uk.

"Although diabetes was more common in urban areas, it was associated with greater excess mortality," he added.



See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

Children with special needs are often being limited when it comes to learning. One stigma attached to them is their capability to learn multiple languages, as some argue that children with special needs should not become bilingual as they struggle with developmental disability.

An international research focusing on children with Language Impairment, Down Syndrome, and Autism Spectrum Disorder and their capability to stay and remain bilingual all throughout their lifespan. Contrary to the statement that children with special needs are not capable of learning a second language, researchers proved otherwise.

Psychology Today had an interview with the principal investigator, Elisabeth Kay the Raining Bird of Dalhousie University in Canada, it was discussed that children with special needs have unique learning abilities that are yet to unfold.

Elisabeth Kay explained that one of the greatest fears that most families and professionals point out is the fact that children with special needs might have a hard time learning two languages. It was mentioned that children with special needs are already having a hard time learning one language, let alone a second one that might possibly end up with the child not being able to talk at all.

"This is a myth and it has been debunked through studies of typically developing children and children from our three groups" Kay explained during the interview. "Children with developmental disabilities, regardless of diagnosis, can and do become bilingual, but, unfortunately, many professionals and families are not aware of these research findings. "

Teacher Vision pointed out that children with learning disabilities are definitely capable of being bilingual. Their capabilities to learn and to be taught are often based on their age, their degree of disability, intellectual capacity, and level of proficiency in their first language.

Children with special needs have their own skills are yet to unfold, thus parents and care givers should be keen when it comes to enhancing their skills.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

Ana-Alecia Ayala died on Wednesday after her long battle with cancer. She has inspired people all over the world with a viral video of her dancing while she was undergoing chemotherapy.

She shared her battle through social media and after posting the video in October, #JuJuOnThatChemo became an internet sensation

"We just wanted to inspire and motivate people in my position to not see cancer as such a depressing, sad, death sentence," Ayala told FOX4News in a previous interview. "We also wanted to encourage people/loved ones/caregivers to get out of their comfort zones (as my chemo buddy Danielle did for me) and laugh, sing, dance through the pain! Laughter has really been the best medicine for me!"

In the video she danced with her friend Danielle Andrus to the song "JuJu On The Beat." She had tubes and other medical equipment strapped to her body while dancing. That landed them a chance to be on TV as they were invited to Ellen DeGeneres' show at Los Angeles, according to NBC.

"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 on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

Ellen donated $20,000 from Shutterfly to help with her medical expenses. The #AnaStrong hashtag became a trend after that.

Ana was a 32-year-old wife and a mother to a little girl from Dallas. On December 2015, she was diagnosed with a rare form of uterine sarcoma. In July the following year, doctors found another tumor in her spleen, but she didn't let that get her down.

"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.

She died on Wednesday and her #JujuOnthatChemo video had over 9 million views on Facebook as of Wednesday afternoon.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in New Jersey has switched to bottled water and tank water throughout its eight-building campus after its water has been tested to contain high levels of lead.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) contacted Englewood Hospital and notified it about the elevated lead levels.

On Dec. 21, 2016, water samples from some of the hospital's buildings were found to contain lead that exceeds the federal action level of 15 parts per billion. The highest level recorded at the campus was 1,206 parts per billion, the Record of the USA Today reports. Thus, the center stopped using water from its taps and opted to use bottled water and tank water instead.

The hospital is providing lead tests to its workers, patients, and visitors who entered the hospital since September 2015. Hospital officials said that they would especially encourage children under 6 and anyone who was pregnant to get tested.

According to CBS Local, the hospital has set up a hotline for patients with concerns.

Effects Of Lead To The Health

Lead is a naturally-occurring toxic metal found in the Earth's crust. Its widespread use has resulted in human exposure in many parts of the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that lead is a cumulative toxicant that can affect multiple body systems and is specifically harmful to young children.

When the human body is exposed to lead, it is distributed to the brain, liver, kidney and bones. Moreover, lead in the bone is released into the blood during pregnancy, posing serious health threats to the developing fetus.

Children, those under 6 years old, are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead and can suffer profound and adverse health effects. Lead can affect the development of the brain and nervous system. In the long run, lead poisoning in adults may include an increased risk of high blood pressure and kidney damage.

Pregnant women who were exposed to high level of lead may lead to stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth, minor malformations on the fetus and low birth weight.



See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

Theranos, a blood-testing startup was embroiled in a string of controversies last year. Now, the company's last laboratory failed a regulatory inspection, prompting its closure.

Theranos' CEO Elizabeth Holmes has experienced being a promising CEO of a rising blood-testing company in Silicon Valley with a value of $9 billion at one point. However, after releasing tens of thousands of inaccurate blood tests, the company is now experiencing a mountain of lawsuits, with Holmes being banned from the blood-testing industry.

The company hadn't disclosed that its second laboratory failed an inspection. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the government agency responsible for regulating clinical laboratories, said that it concluded its inspection Sept. 29, 2016, just a few days prior to the company shutting down all of its clinical laboratories on Oct. 5, 2016.

The latest inspection found that the company had more blood tests getting voided in addition to the others it had previously voided over the past two years.

"After months of careful consideration, and prior to CMS's unannounced inspection in Arizona, Theranos decided to close its laboratories," David Taylor, Theranos' general counsel said as reported by the Business Insider.

"Theranos has been responding to the deficiencies raised by CMS and will continue the process of revising or voiding test results as appropriate until we are satisfied that we have taken all necessary remedial action," he added.

Theranos' Promising Start

The blood-testing company promised to identify diseases from just a single drop of blood through its revolutionary hardware, Edison. It was such a groundbreaking technology that popular pharmacy Walgreens partnered with the company to offer wellness centers inside its stores, Engadget reports.

The company's popularity and credibility, however, dwindled in 2016 when they released faulty and voided laboratory results. The company faces many lawsuits especially that the health of its consumers suffered as a result. The customers made health decisions based on voided laboratory results.

The whistleblower, Tyler Shultz, found that when the company tested its Edison machines, any inconvenient data or those that conflicted with the company's narrative were discarded. He added that company paperwork would say that the technology is 95 percent accurate but in reality, it was just 65 to 80 percent.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

A new study says that taking antidepressants during pregnancy may heighten the risk of having a baby with birth defects.

Published in the British Medical Journal, a team of researchers at the University of Montreal found the risk, which is 6 to 10 percent compared to 3 to 5 percent in women who do not take the drugs, is highly enough to release caution to those taking the drugs.

"In pregnancy, you're treating the mother but you're worried about the unborn child, and the benefit needs to outweigh the risk," Anick Berard, senior author of the study, said in a press release.

The new study raises more concerns about the increasing number of pregnant women taking antidepressants, as these drugs were found to double the risk of major congenital malformations in infants, Montreal Gazette reports.

However, Berard also cautioned pregnant women against stopping their medication and said that they should consult their doctors first.

Study's Findings

To land to the findings, the team looked at 18,487 depressed women in the Quebec Pregnancy Cohort, a longitudinal, population-based grouping of 289,688 pregnancies recorded from 1998 to 2009. Out of the women assessed, 3,640 or 20 percent took antidepressants in the first three months of pregnancy.

The first trimester of pregnancy is a crucial period where the organs of the fetus are developing. The intake of antidepressants during this period may interfere with serotonin intake by the fetus, which could lead to various malformations. This is because serotonin during early pregnancy is important for the development of all embryonic cells. Any alteration in the serotonin signaling process may possibly result in a wide spectrum of malformations, the study notes.

In Quebec alone, approximately 135,000 Quebec women get pregnant each year. Of those, about 7 percent show some signs of depression while less than one percent suffers from severe depression.

Berard noted that depression is on the rise worldwide and can be particularly serious during pregnancy. With this rise, doctors, psychiatrists, and obstetricians are prescribing more antidepressants than ever to pregnant mothers. In fact, in the study, the proportion of expectant mothers on antidepressants in Quebec doubled, from 21 users per 1,000 pregnancies in 1998 to 43 per 1,000 in 2009.



See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

In labor law, an individual's wages are equivalent to or at par with the individual's skills and fit for the job. By doing a better performance than others in the workplace, the individual can earn added bonuses or benefits. However, a recent study found that a person's wages are not only affected by an individual's performance but also by his or her co-workers.

Previous research examining productivity in the workplace only focused on peer effects in productivity either in a controlled setting (laboratory) or in a real world setting but referring to a specific job role or firm. The study, conducted by a team of researchers from University College London, examined the peer effects in wages in a large local labor market.

The researchers combed through wage records from administrative social security for millions of workers and their co-workers in a large metropolitan area of Germany. The study looked at records for 330 professions over a 15-year period.

The study, published in the journal American Economic Review, found that on average over all occupations, low-skilled occupations feel a larger peer effect on wages. The effect is said to be half the size of those identified in similar studies on productivity. This is caused by the increased in productivity because the worker has to keep up with a high-performing co-worker.

Moreover, the researchers found that work performance improvements due to a high-performing co-worker not only raises the individual's wages but also the quality of work done. In a real world setting, the researchers observed that a good worker rub-off their skills, performance and work quality to co-workers and even improves wages received.

But in the absence of the good worker, the co-workers left behind slide back on their performance and work quality which leads to the stagnation of work performance and wages.

The researchers explain that productivity effect of the good worker is more closely related to peer pressure. And the peer pressure or the peer effect also makes an impact on the workers' wages.

On the other hand, high-skilled occupations are not as affected by peer effects on wages. This is because working practices among high-skilled workers differ from each other. It is also due to the fact that most high-skilled workers don't really have the time and energy needed to fully socialize in their workplaces. In addition, different tasks and goals needed to be achieved are different for every worker employed in high-skilled occupations.

The findings of the study can be applied to different aspects of a company in order to achieve optimal productivity without sacrificing workers' wellbeing. The company can also tailor policies and training targeted to ensure the best options for everyone within the company.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Close

Accounts for online use are typically protected from unauthorized access through passwords and other online defense and security practices. However, a recent study found that these defenses cannot prevent hacking as most Facebook accounts are commonly hacked by the friends and family of the account owner.

The researchers from the University of British Columbia examined how social insider attacks against Facebook accounts have become common and who are the most likely victim or perpetrator of these attacks. Furthermore, the researchers also examined the reason behind the attacks, how perpetrators conduct the attacks and the repercussions of social insider attacks on both the victim and perpetrator and the security implications of these actions.

The study, entitled "Characterizing Social Insider Attacks On Facebook", was divided into two parts. The first part examined the frequency of social insider attacks against Facebook accounts. The researchers conducted a list experiment format survey using Amazon's Mechanical Turk service (MTurk). A total of 1,308 U.S adult Facebook users participated in the study.

The second part of the study strived to qualitatively understand the reason behind social insider attacks and its particulars. Anonymous written stories about past experiences with social insider attacks were submitted by the participants. A total of 45 stories were collected and were further paired down to 35 stories. Participants were paid one dollar to four dollars per story and depending on how well the story is written as an incentive.

The results of the study found that 24 percent of the participants have carried out social insider attacks and that 21 percent were knowing victims. Social insider attacks particularly snooping is prevalent on among younger people. Heavy phone users who also store some information on their phones are most likely to become victims of the social insider attack.

On the other hand, people who are active on social media are least likely to become victims of social insider attacks as these people are more tech savvy and more vigilant in regards to the information they keep on their phones. In addition, as age increases, the likelihood of doing social insider attacks decreases.

The researchers found that social insider attacks are either premeditated or opportunistic. Opportunistic attacks happened due to the victim's negligence and situations that separate the victim from his or her device(s).

Premediated attacks are planned attacks where the perpetrator go to great lengths to access the victim's Facebook account like installing key-logging software just to steal the victim's password.

Fun, curiosity, jealousy, animosity, and utility motivates the perpetrators of social insider attacks. Attacks motivated by fun, curiosity, and utility is seen as of no to little consequence to the victim.

On the other hand, attacks motivated by jealousy and animosity usually lead to the severance of the relationship between the victim and perpetrator. Sometimes persons of authority are called on to fix the violation but usually, the victims deal with the problem themselves.

The study concludes that social insider attacks are a common occurrence. No security practices can prevent these attacks as most perpetrators are people close to the victim and oftentimes, the victim's own negligence enables perpetrators to do their attacks.

The researchers suggest that people should be more vigilant when it comes to their devices most especially when these devices contain sensitive information.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
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.
The madness started when a Michigan school board treasurer named Andrew Kehoe killed his wife and blew up his farm with dynamite, which detonated simultaneously with explosives he planted at the nearby Bath Consolidated School. As rescue workers arrived on the scene, Kehoe showed he was playing for keeps by pulling up in a truck filled with even more explosives and blowing himself up, killing the rescuers as well. In total, 58 people were injured and 45 killed -- as many fatal victims as Columbine and Virginia Tech combined. All this, in a tiny village of 300 residents. He killed 1/6th of the population.

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

As crazy as this sounds, the massacre could have been a lot worse. Subsequent investigation found Kehoe had planted additional charges at the school, which he had planned to detonate as well. Tip to teachers: If you see a crazed man carrying massive amounts of dynamite around school grounds, maybe don't just offer him a casual high five and be on your way?

Continue Reading Below Advertisement



"You go talk to him."

"Hell no, you see how much dynamite he has? You tell him."

So, why did he do it? Apparently, he was upset about high taxes, losing the town clerk election, and, oh yeah, he was fucking nuts. Obviously, the U.S. invested heavily in mental health after the disaster, and nothing like this ever happened again.
Following the film's release, Fassbender was asked where his inspiration for his intense performance had come from. Did he study the life and public appearances of Steve Jobs? His only response : "I studied Ashton Kutcher." That is, the guy who also played the Apple bigwig in a reviled 2013 biopic, Jobs . They should have given him the Oscar nom.

1 Nobody Knows If Bill Murray Will Be In A Movie Until The First Day Of Shooting

Bill Murray is a sprite, playfully flitting from one adventure to the next, wandering wherever the wind and alcohol take him. This isn't just Bill Murray in his downtime; this is Bill Murray all the time. Ol' Bill refuses to employ an agent, and he sure as hell ain't doing a casting call. So how do the biggest directors in Hollywood get a hold of the business's most mercurial actors? They dial an 800 number, of course. The fabled number doesn't even have a voice message; callers are met with an impersonal beep before pleading their case for one of the world's most beloved actors to please put in an appearance in their movie, maybe, if he feels like it.

TMZ Phones are Bill Murray's #1 enemy.

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

Whether or not Murray intends to participate in a film is then entirely up in the air. Historically, directors and casting managers would have no idea whether or not their request would be granted until filming began and Murray randomly strolled onto set. When Chris Elliott was offered the role of Ernie McCracken in 1996's Kingpin, it was under the strict condition that should Murray show up, he would be immediately fired. Amazingly, Elliott agreed to those terms, and was offered a small cameo when Murray flipped a coin or whatever and decided to take the part.

MGM It was the opposite of a Cinderella story.

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

Paul Feig went through the exact same process almost 20 years later when he attempted to bring Murray onto the Ghostbusters remake for a cameo. Right before filming was set to begin, Feig began wondering if he too would need to find a backup actor willing to be booted should the silver-screen nymph materialize. It was probably easier to get Harold Ramis to show up, and he's dead. The crew wasn't entirely sure whether or not Murray was officially attached until he manifested on set, blessing the production with his presence. It sounds like a chaotic way to do business, but there's something reassuring in Murray's unique approach to life. He lives and works on his own terms, and no overdressed Hollywood bigwig will ever change that.

For more instances where actors would've had broken arms than be in a film, check out 5 Famous Actors Who Hate Their Most Iconic Roles and 21 Famous Characters That Actors Wish They'd Never Played.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and check out 6 Famous Characters That Are Secretly Insults, and other videos you won't see on the site!

Follow us on Facebook, and let's be best friends forever.
Channel programs News

IT Executives Afraid To Admit Trump Inaugural Participation, Partners Say Political Talk Is Off Limits With Customers

CRN Staff

Share this

A senior executive for one of the top computer companies in the world says normally he would proudly proclaim his participation at the historic inauguration of an incoming president, but not this year.

The executive, who is attending one of the inaugural balls and did not want to be identified, said the political divisiveness in the country is at such a fever pitch that he is not willing to publicly acknowledge his participation in the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States. The executive said he fears that such a disclosure would hurt his company or subject him personally to a negative backlash from colleagues or even friends and family.

"It's a very polarized environment right now in America," said the executive. "There are people who think this is going to help businesses and then there are people who think it is a disaster. There are not many people in the middle."

[Related: Solution Providers Hopeful Trump Presidency Will Bring Tax Relief, Health Care Fixes And Regulatory Reform]

That senior technology executive is not alone. Tech executives and solution providers say politics is usually a topic they try to avoid with customers, but in the current political climate, it is taboo.

Among the tech companies that when contacted by CRN would not comment on whether their executives were participating in the inauguration are: Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, CenturyLink, AT&T, Comcast, Sprint, T-Mobile, Arista Networks, Juniper Networks and Splunk.

Among the companies confirming that their chief executives were not attending were: IBM, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Cisco, Brocade Communications, Avaya.

Kevin McDonald, executive vice president and Chief Information Security Officer at Alvaka Networks, an Irvine, Calif.-based solution provider, said he's spoken to others in the tech industry who fear telling anyone that they supported Trump. Many people in the industry are likely afraid to attend the inauguration because "there are cameras everywhere, and they don't want to be seen there," he said.

"People are convinced they should be afraid to have a personal opinion and to support who they want," McDonald said. "If you are not already well-established in your career or in your reputation in tech, there are people who will hold [supporting Trump] against you."

McDonald said he voted for Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, but is personally organizing an inauguration-related party on Friday at a restaurant in Tustin, Calif. "It's not a Trump celebrationit's more, 'Hey, let's get together and deal with the idea that a new president is coming in one way or the other,'" said McDonald, who said that several people had un-friended him on Facebook as a result of posting about the party.

A Verizon spokesman said a "few members" of the carrier's federal government affairs team might "attend some inaugural activities, but overall our representation as a company this year is no different from what weve done during past inaugurations."

A top executive for a government solution provider who supported Trump and has done business in the Beltway for 12 years, said speaking in defense of Trump has left his son not speaking with him after a Christmas celebration ended with a political disagreement and his son walking out the door. "We are still not speaking," he said.

At the same time, the solution provider executive said he has felt sick sitting in meetings when Trump is bad-mouthed by a customer. "I didn't say a word and felt bad about it afterward," he said. "I work with these people. I need to have a relationship with them. I just don't want to get into it. There are people that talk about how liberal they are but don't want to hear your opinion. They are a one-way street. They are convinced they are right and they know what is best for the rest of the country. They are elitist and think anyone who voted differently is stupid."

The solution provider executive said he was disturbed by the political climate and especially the congressmen that refuse to attend the inauguration. "You can't start out a new presidency by having a congressman say that Trump is not a legitimate president," he said. "That sends the wrong message to the people who want to see a unified country."

Jim Turner, president of Hilltop Consultants, a Washington, D.C.-based managed service provider whose clients include legal firms, trade associations, and lobbyists, told CRN he would be volunteering to escort VIPs from their busses to the inauguration.

"Whether you love or hate Trump, or love or hate Hillary, I see this as an incredible opportunity to attend the inauguration," Turner said. "After my shift from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. is done, I'm free to enjoy the rest of the activities."

Turner got the opportunity when visiting a friend and client in 2015 who suggested they attend a local Trump rally. "I had been watching both Trump and Clinton, and was interested in hearing what Trump had to say," he said. "So I registered for the rally, and got in his database. Around New Year's Eve, I got an email asking if I would be interested in volunteering. I filled out the application, filled out a security clearance form, and sent in my headshot, and now I'm going."

Turner said he is not a political person and tries to stay independent. "I'm not politically active, except that as president of our homeowner's association I need to sometimes interact with the county government," he said.

Turner hopes that post-inauguration, people, in general, will settle down a bit. "People are either overly worried or overly optimistic," he said. "But things never turn out as people think they will. People are always concerned about new administrations. That makes for easy headlines. So for me, volunteering at the inauguration is an opportunity to see what's happening for myself."

Another person excited about attending the Trump inauguration is Dave Braun, CEO and owner of Nexsyis, an Indianapolis, Ind.-based developer of specialized software for the medical and auto repair industries.

Braun told CRN he got his invite thanks to his wife, Chalene Braun, who was active in the Women For Trump movement in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan. "I'd like to say I got the invite because of something I did, but it wasn't," he said. "I like the honor of being there, and am looking forward to the entertainment that follows."

Braun said he is optimistic about the future under the Trump administration. "As a small business owner, I want to see Obamacare repealed and replaced, and a lessening of tax and administration burdens," he said. "I also hope to see the appointment of the right Supreme Court Justice. I want to see a more balanced court. My cohorts and co-workers also want to see a solid immigration policy."

Dave Sobel, senior director of community and field marketing at SolarWinds MSP, an Austin, Texas-based provider of technology to MSPs, told CRN via email that he lives in the Washington D.C. area and has for a couple of days seen the lockdown from the Trump inauguration impacting traffic and life in the city.

"Several friends that work downtown are already planning to work from home  one amusing story is that the garage [one friend] uses will have concrete barricades starting [Wednesday] at 10 p.m., so if she parks there she won't get out until Sunday," he wrote.

With the Friday inauguration and Saturday protest marches, much of the city will be closed until at least Sunday morning, Sobel wrote. "Also of interest  Uber and Lyft have announced they will geofence the closed area, and not do any pickups there on Thursday until it's clear. I'm staying far, far away from the city," he wrote.

Michael Goldstein, CEO of LAN Infotech, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. said he expects the divisiveness in the country to fade with Trump economic policies creating more jobs in America, improving the financial fortunes of businesses and individuals.

"We have to give everything a chance to settle down," said Goldstein. "Everyone took this election so personally. Tomorrow is either a good day or a bad day depending on which side of the political fence you are on. But all political feelings aside, it comes down to dollars and sense. We all have businesses to run or mortgages to pay. I think things are going to get better for the country and all of us. Just like President Obama said at his last press conference, 'We're going to be OK.'"
Cloud News

Google Appoints New Chief To Lead Stepped-Up Cloud Charge

Joseph Tsidulko

Share this

Google has appointed Bertrand Yansouni,who previously worked under Google Cloud Executive Vice President Diane Greene at VMware. as its new global channel chief.

The appointment comes with Greene, the highly respected former co-founder and CEO of virtualization powerhouse VMware, driving a stepped-up channel charge to grab share from rival Amazon Web Services and Microsoft.

Yansouni, who previously led the partner program at big data startup Cloudera, joined Google in November, leading global partner sales and alliances for Google Cloud Platform- the vendor's Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service products.

He recently replaced Murali Sitaram as Google's channel chief and has already begun meeting with Google solution providers, sources said. Google, Mountain View, Calif., could not be reached for comment as of press time

Yansouni's elevation to the top channel job is further evidence of Google's pivot in focus from its G Suite Software-as-a-Service portfolio toward the infrastructure products that compete directly with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, said a Google solution provider who asked not to be identified.

"I'm not surprised that somebody from Cloud is taking the helm," the solution provider said. "The messaging we are starting to hear is more around Google Cloud, of which G Suite is a part."

Yansouni spent four years as the channel chief at Cloudera, a Hadoop vendor based in Palo Alto, Calif. Before that he was vice president of worldwide field operations at Delphix, with roles earlier in his career at Riverbed, Spyglass, SAP and IBM, according to LinkedIn.

Between 2002 and 2005, during Greene's tenure as CEO of VMware, Yansouni was director of channel sales for the virtualization vendor. Greene now leads Google's cloud division, overseeing the company's channel efforts and enterprise strategy.

With Greene leading the enterprise channel charge, Google last year notched a series of customer wins that doubled its revenue and began a channel expansion.

That included a blockbuster Google Cloud Platform deal with Apple  a deal with market-shaking ramifications that was first reported by CRN.

Apple, in fact, became Google's biggest customer ever, taking hundreds of millions in revenue from rival Amazon Web Services. The deal marked a major turning point for Google.

Greene also initiated a rebranding of Google's enterprise division from Google For Work to the simpler moniker of Google Cloud, which she said better reflected the provider's enterprise maturity.
Mobility News

Review: Lenovo's Phab 2 Pro Augmented-Reality Smartphone Could Be A Game-Changer For Professionals

Kyle Alspach

Share this

During CES 2017, Lenovo allocated a whole wing of its demo area just to show off a smartphone.

Yes, a Lenovo-branded smartphone. And yes, this device needed a lot more space than a typical phone would require showing its capabilities.

That's because this phone, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, is all about interacting with the world around youmodeling it, measuring it, and even changing it (on the screen, at least).

[Related: Lenovo Partners Intrigued By Augmented-Reality Smartphone From Lenovo, Google]

Released in early November, the Phab 2 Pro is the first device to leverage Google's augmented-reality technology, Tango, which features sensors for depth perception and motion tracking.

The months since its release have seen a flurry of Tango-specific apps hit the Google Play Store. In our tryout of the Phab 2 Pro, the one thing that's most clear is that the deviceand Tango technology in generalwill succeed or fail on the apps that are developed for it.

So far, though, we're impressed with the apps that have come out, and we think the Phab 2 Pro could be a worthwhile investment for professionals that focus on interior spaces.

The case for consumers is less clear. While there are some cool Tango games availableFury of the Gods and Ghostly Mansion were two that we likedthe Phab 2 Pro is potentially an embarrassingly large consumer phone with a display of 6.4 inches.

But as a device for professionals, who will likely appreciate the large screen size, the Phab 2 Pro makes a lot of sense. Perhaps the next generation of the device ought to come in two sizesa large size aimed at professionals and a smaller version for gaming-oriented consumers.

The specs are solid for a phone priced at $5004GB of RAM, a speedy octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor, a huge batteryall of which are needed to support the Tango AR technology.

In our tryout, the technology itself mostly worked smoothlysurprisingly well, actually, for the first crack at a brand-new type of device.

In our view, the standout app for professionals so far is Matterport's Scenes, an app for 3D capture of objects and rooms.

With the app you can relatively quickly create a 3D model of an entire room just by moving the phone arounda major feat for a free smartphone app.

You can then view the room from all angles and take measurements within the saved file of the model.

Construction contractors and interior designers, for instance, may stand to save a lot of time and effort with the Scenes app.

Some other Tango apps are also available for measuring room interiors and objects, as are apps for virtually placing furniture or redecorating a room (including apps from Wayfair and Lowe's).

As Lenovo and Google are no doubt expecting, the Phab 2 Pro is mostly appropriate for early adopters, whether they be gaming and gadget-loving consumers or interior-oriented professionals.

The modest $500 price of the phone, however, would seem to open it up to many businesses that are looking to experiment with tapping AR and 3D for their work.
The Cigar Coop Person of the Year Award is awarded to a person(s) in the cigar industry that has made a significant impact. This could be over the course of a year or from a lifetime achievement perspective. For 2016, we give the award posthumously to Carlos Fuente, Sr.

Fuente, Sr passed away on August 5, 2016 at the age of 81. Known as Don Carlos, Fuente Sr. combined hard work and forward thinking and grew Arturo Fuente Cigars into one of the largest family-owned cigar companies in the world. He was a man of character and a true ambassador to the cigar industry. He was someone who was widely respected by his industry peers, who came out and paid tribute to him at the time of his passing.

He also gave back to the community in many ways  as demonstrated when he and his family launched the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation.

While Santiago in the Dominican Republic became an adopted home for Fuente, Sr. and his family, he always remained dedicated to his home town of Ybor City in Tampa, Florida. In fact, this past March, part of Ybor Citys Second Avenue was officially renamed to Carlos Fuentes Way.

Shortly after his passing, Fuente, Sr.s final blend was released with the Casa Cuba Divine Inspiration. The concept of this cigar came when Fuente Sr. had a dream about a modified version of the Casa Cuba blend. Fuente Sr became inspired to make what he dreamt about into reality. At that time, Fuente Sr. was not able to travel to the Dominican Republic to work on the blend. Instead, he was able to phone into the factory and give direction on what needed to be done. The end result was the Casa Cuba Divine Inspiration, a wonderful addition to Arturo Fuente Cigars Casa Cuba line.

We salute this role model and innovator as the 2016 Cigar Industry Person of the Year.

When Fuente Sr. passed away, we recapped some of the highlights of his career:

In the 1950s Fuente Sr. started working for Arturo Fuente Cigars, the company founded by his father Arturo Fuente. At the time Arturo Fuente Cigars was a small operation. He started in sales, an area he had no experience with. Fuente Sr. started opening more accounts in the State of Florida and selling cigars on credit. He then established distributorships in both Miami and Manhattan. By 1956, Fuente Sr. was viewed as the face of the company. When his father retired, he purchased the company from his family for one dollar. In the 1960s, he opened a two story factory in Ybor City, Florida. Fuente Sr. worked many long and late hours, and according to biographic information on the companys web-site, Fuente Sr.s wife Anna said If you cant come home, well go with you, and she joined Fuente Sr. working in the factory. Over the span of a one year span, Fuente Sr. grew the factorys staff to one hundred people. By 1965, he moved the company into the Charles the Great building on 22nd Street in Ybor City. In 1962, Fuente Sr. was visiting Cuba and heard rumors of a trade embargo. He purchased a three year supply of Cuban tobacco at $250.00 per bale and took it back to the U.S.. When the embargo became a reality, Fuente Sr. received many financially lucrative offers for his Cuban tobacco, but turned them down. As he started to use the Cuban tobacco, Fuente Sr. started planning for the future when that tobacco supply would run out. The release for Flor de Orlando would be the first handmade cigar to not include Cuban tobacco. There were struggles in the 1970s  particularly in the post Cuban tobacco U.S. market. Rising labor costs forced Fuente Sr. to go to Nicaragua and Honduras and open factories there. However that resulted in more struggles. In 1978, during the Nicaraguan revolution, the Fuente factory was burned down in Nicaragua. Not only did he lose his factory, but Fuente Sr was forced. to flee the country. In 1979, another fire struck  this time in Honduras and resulting in another factory loss. As a result, the Ybor City location now shouldered the production load. In 1980, not able to continue to keep up with labor costs in the U.S., Fuente Sr. and his family went to the Dominican Republic, where they would open up Fuente LTD in Santiago. By this time, Fuentes son Carlos (Carlito) Fuente, Jr. was now taking a more active role in the company. The company grew into what is today one of the largest family-owned vertically integrated companies in the cigar business. In 1986, there was the partnership with J.C. Newman Cigar Company that formed. At the time, the Fuente operation were now well entrenched in the Dominican Republic. Under that partnership, the Newmans would take over the Fuentes Tampa-based machine-made operation while the Fuente family would start producing premium hand-made cigars for Stanford Newmans company. One project Fuente Sr. and Stanford Newman worked on was La Unica  the first premium handmade bundled cigar. At the same time, the Newmans would begin to distribute Arturo Fuente products. This would help enormously grow the footprint of the Fuente brand. Its a partnership that exists to this day. Of course there are iconic cigar releases that Fuente Sr. has been a part of. The Flor Fina 8-5-8 was made by Fuente Sr. in tribute to his father Arturo Fuente, who had passed away in 1973. There was also the Hemingway  which was introduced in the early 1980s. In the post-Cuban cigar market, the figurado and perfecto shaped had nearly vanished. The introduction of the Hemingway not only reinvigorated the perfecto / figurado in the U.S. market, but helped grow the company into a global brand. Of course he had his hand in the Don Carlos blend. It was introduced in 1976, and now has been a staple brand for four decades. In the 1990s, came another risk  the challenge of growing a premium wrapper in the Dominican Republic. Fuente Sr. stood by his son as he created an all-Dominican puro with a wrapper grown at Chateau de la Fuente, the familys tobacco farm. The result was the creation of Fuente Fuente Opus X  and the rest is history.

Previous Winners

2014 Hans-Kristian Hoejsgaard and Jim Young (Davidoff)

2015 Abdel J. (A.J.) Fernandez

2016 Carlos Fuente, Sr.

* We will also reveal the other names who were up for the 2016 award in a follow-up article.
The Week Ending Jan. 20

Topping this week's roundup of companies that had a rough week is Arista Networks, which suffered a setback in its ongoing patent infringement battle with Cisco Systems.

Also making the list this week were Avaya for its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, Oracle for being sued by the U.S. Labor Department for alleged discriminatory hiring practices, Qualcomm for being sued by the Federal Trade Commission for alleged antitrust practices, and Nutanix for taking a stock price hit in the wake of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise deal to acquire SimpliVity.

Not everyone in the IT industry was having a rough go of it this week. For a rundown of companies that made smart decisions, executed savvy strategic moves  or just had good luck  check out this week's 5 Companies That Came To Win roundup.
Six Christian women were arrested by government authorities in China for holding a Bible study.

China Aid reports that the women were taken into custody on Jan. 10 after authorities broke into the church where they were holding a Bible study around 10:30 a.m. The women were charged with holding an illegal religious meeting.

A pastor of the church where the women were meeting told China Aid:

We rented a room in the county for regular gatherings. The religious affairs bureau posted a notice, accused us of illegally [gathering], and threatened to ban our church. We did not stop the gatherings; on the contrary, we kept on meeting. The officers from the government departments came and took away our doormat, but we managed to get it back. After about 30 or 40 minutes, they simply walked in and began to grab our chairs. The [Christian] brothers tried to stop them, and the officers began to shove us away and beat us up. They took our stuff away in the end.

Each woman has been sentenced to 10 to 15 days in prison for organizing and participating in unauthorized religious activities.

Persecution of Christians has been increasing in China, and it has now become risky for Christians in most places in the country to meet to worship or hold Bible studies.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: January 20, 2017
Misconfigured Rsync instances across multiple servers has led to a data breach at a Canadian ISP, exposing sensitive information and affecting all of their customers.

For those unfamiliar with the tool, Rsync (remote sync) is commonly used by hosting providers, ISPs, and IT departments to backup data between servers. The ISP in question, KWIC Internet in Simcoe, Ontario, fixed the Rsync problems after being notified by Salted Hash, but it isnt clear how long the companys customers were exposed.

The misconfigured Rsync servers were discovered by Chris Vickery, a security researcher for MacKeeper who has worked with Salted Hash on a number of stories in the past, including the discovery of 191 million voter records and the Hello Kitty data breach. Via email, Vickery shared his latest findings with Salted Hash last week.

Initially, Vickery discovered databases belonging to Annex Business Media, a publishing firm with offices in Simcoe and Aurora, Ontario. One of the exposed Annex databases stood out to him, as it contained the data from the 2015 Ashley Madison data breach. The other databases contained customer information (names, email addresses, etc.) and various business related information.

Salted Hash reached out to Annex Business Media and asked about the Ashley Madison records, as well as to inform them about the more recent security problems, but the company didnt respond to questions.

Additional digging led Vickery to discover that Annex was just one part of a larger data breach, one that affected all of KWIC Internet's customers.

I quickly realized that this one is going to be a real mess for someone to clean up and quite a headache to determine all the affected parties, Vickery told Salted Hash.

In all, there were terabytes of KWIC data exposed by the breach. The information inside the leaked databases included credit card details, email addresses, passwords, names, home and business addresses, phone numbers, email backups, VPN details and credentials, internal KWIC backups, and more.

The KWIC archives also included a common PHP shell named r57, and a PHP-based DDoS tool, suggesting that the company had been hacked at some point prior to leaking their backups to the public.

There are dozens of SQL database backup files and thousands of email backup directories containing everything from internal KWIC staff login credentials to police warrants for ISP subscriber information, Vickery said.

Other customers exposed by the KWIC data breach include at least one law firm, Norfolk County (norfolkcounty.ca), United Way (unitedwayhn.on.ca), and Greenfield Dental Health Group (greenfielddentistry.ca).

In March of 2016, Malwarebytes researcher Jerome Segura discovered a KWIC customer, Norfolk General Hospital, had a compromised Joomla install that was being used to distribute Ransomware.

When Segura reached out to contact the hospital about the incident, they didnt respond right away because the notification was viewed as a sales pitch. KWIC thought a second Malwarebytes notification was a Phishing attack.

KWIC hosts the hospitals website, but doesnt develop it or maintain it.

During an interview about the Ransomware incident, Jim Carroll, business developer for KWIC, told CBC News its usually website developer that would deal with issues of security and left the security discussion at that.

There are a number of unknowns connected to this incident, including the root cause, the number of people and businesses affected, and again - the length of time the data remained exposed to the public.

Other questions focus on the PHP shell scripts and DDoS tools, why were they there? How did they get there? Was the KWIC website hacked, and if so, do they maintain their own development or outsource it?

KWIC was contacted immediately after Salted Hash was informed about the data breach. It took multiple attempts, as the company doesn't have phone support after 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays (they're closed Sunday), but KWIC eventually responded via email.

Twenty-four hours after being notified, the company stated the Rsync issues were fixed, However, they haven't answered any of the other follow-up questions asked by Salted Hash.

On Tuesday, via email, the company said an audit was underway and affected customers would be notified once it is complete.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said he stands by an earlier pledge to face trial in the U.S., but he is first urging federal investigators to name the exact charges against him.

"I stand by what I said," Assange stated during a webcast on Thursday. "We look forward to having a conversation with the DOJ (U.S. Department of Justice) about what the correct way forward is."

Assange previously made his pledge on the condition that President Barack Obama grant clemency to Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. soldier who was jailed for disclosing sensitive documents to WikiLeaks back in 2010.

On Tuesday, Obama commuted Mannings sentence. She'll now be released in May, after service nearly seven years behind bars. However, Obama said his decision had nothing to do with Assange's offer, even as the U.S. may be building a case against the WikiLeaks founder for publishing government secrets.

Assange is currently hiding out in the Ecuadorian embassy in the U.K., where he's been granted asylum. Swedish officials have attempted to extradite him over alleged sexual offenses, and the FBI has suggested in court documents that it's pursuing a case against Assange for his involvement with WikiLeaks.

However, the DOJ on Wednesday declined to comment on the matter and wouldn't say whether the U.S. government is even seeking Assange's extradition from the U.K.

On Thursday, Assange said the U.S. is deliberately hiding details of the charges against him to prevent his lawyers from effectively fighting back.

"I am confident about winning any U.S. case that is respecting the law in the United States," he said. "WikiLeaks is a publisher, and as a publisher our activities are protected by the First Amendment."

Despite his earlier pledge to travel to the U.S., Assange noted that Manning won't be released until May. Before that time, he hopes to have "many discussions" with the Justice Department.

"I've always been willing to go to the United States, provided that my rights are respected," he said. "Because this is a case that should never have occurred. It's fundamentally unjust."

However, Assange called Manning's release a "strategic victory" when the Obama administration has cracked down on journalists and whistleblowers circulating sensitive information.

"If it takes me going to the United States to somehow flush out this case  then we are interested in looking at that as well," Assange said.
Contributed photo

EASTON  A Massachusetts man was arraigned in court Thursday on charges of harassment and violation of a protective order for allegedly sending text messages to a local woman.

The victim notified police on Jan. 1 that she had received the texts from Joseph Uglietto of Belmont, Mass., despite a court order that he not contact her in any way.
The Salt Lake TribuneJanuary 18, 2017HB99  Plural-marriage supporters plan to point at kids who could lose parents if they are jailed for polygamy.Earlier this month, in the living room of a South Jordan home, politically-engaged polygamists met to discuss two things.First, according to people who attended the meeting, the group explored ways to combat HB99, the latest bill seeking to clarify that polygamy is a felony in Utah.Then the group, which calls itself the Principle Rights Coalition, talked about a larger goal: how can it persuade the Legislature and voters to permanently decriminalize polygamy?"I'm under no illusions," Joe Darger, who has three wives and who attended the South Jordan meeting, said in an interview Friday. "This is a long-term battle."The coalition is increasing its manpower for that fight. Darger said polygamists without a church affiliation, like his family, attended the meeting, and so did political activists who don't practice polygamy but see it as a civil right.When the Utah Legislature convenes Jan. 23, Principle Rights plan to be ready to hold rallies and launch social media campaigns opposed to HB99 and to testify against the bill in hearings.Throughout it all, the polygamists and their allies plan to put the focus on family. Keeping polygamy a felony punishable by up to five years in prison leaves parents at risk of going to jail and keeps children afraid they will lose their father and mothers, HB99 opponents plan to argue."I look forward to the day when I get to have the same rights as everyone else," said Heidi Foster, a member of the polygamous Davis County Cooperative Society, also known as the Kingston Group, who attended the coalition meeting.In an October poll by The Salt Lake Tribune and the Hinckley Institute of Politics and conducted by Dan Jones & Associates, voters were opposed to decriminalization.
County-specific poll may foretell whether Pa. is going blue or red
Everyone who works in the NHS knows the system is in meltdown. The crisis is not just a temporary seasonal affliction brought on by the harshness of winter, but an accelerating slide towards disaster, symbolised by lack of hospital beds, long waits in A&E departments and an ever-increasing demand on GPs.

I have been an NHS doctor for more than two decades, having come to Britain from Germany in the mid-Nineties.

The health service used to be one of the best features of this country. It deserved the widespread admiration it received, not only for its principle of equality of treatment for all, but because of its standards of care.

I have been an NHS doctor for more than two decades, having come to Britain from Germany in the mid-Nineties

But in recent years I have seen a drastic decline. It is no exaggeration to say that the service is now on its knees. The explanations for the crisis are clear.

Theres the soaring demand through the growth in the elderly population and immigration; the failure to recruit enough staff and to ensure that additional money gets to frontline services, rather than disappearing in the evermore Byzantine management layers of the NHS; plus the costly impact of medical advances and the justified expectation of the public to be able to benefit from them.

Just as important is the waste of resources through inefficiencies, misguided priorities and continual structural change.

As a GP, I am constantly frustrated by the burden of paperwork as a result of top-heavy, interfering bureaucracy. We dont have good management in the NHS, but micro-management.

Yet there is another cause of the crisis. It is one that is hardly ever mentioned because of political sensitivities, yet it is causing real difficulties in practices such as mine.

The grim sight of a line of nine trolleys with patients in a bleak hospital corridor in an Welsh A&E unit

I am referring to the problems created by the number of patients who are unable to speak English, even if they have lived in this country for a long time.

The language barrier means that the NHS sometimes struggles to offer an effective service to such patients.

Moreover, there is the additional strain on resources because of the need to use interpreters or translation phone lines, as laid down by NHS policies.

Consultations with non-English speakers tend to be twice as long because everything has to be spelt out slowly or repeated through others. As a result, there is less time available for other patients.

This is now a major issue in our increasingly multi-cultural society, especially in urban areas where migrant communities have been encouraged  in the name of celebrating diversity  to hang on to the tongue of their native lands.

On the patient list at my own practice in the heart of Lancashire, I would estimate that close to three-quarters of people live in a household in which English is not the first language.

Of these, around a quarter  most of them older Asian women  dont speak any English.

Some argue that this is not really a problem and that in a spirit of tolerance the NHS, along with other public services in Britain, should just adapt.

Only this week, Cambridge University professor Wendy Ayres-Bennett said that British people should think of integration as a two-way street and learn some of the community languages of the UK, such as Polish, Punjabi and Urdu.

Conversely, when the Government put forward the suggestion this month that migrants should have to undergo compulsory English language courses, there was a predictable outcry amid accusations of racism against newcomers.

Pictures taken showed a nine-strong queue of desperately-ill people waiting to see a doctor at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Wales

But I find this negativity absurd. Learning English represents empowerment, not oppression.

The real bigotry is exercised by those who want to trap migrants in their enclaves, preventing them from enjoying all the richness that Britain has to offer. What could be more culturally chauvinistic than denying people the tools with which to participate in our society and communicate with their fellow citizens?

As a migrant myself, I feel particularly strongly about this.

When I arrived here from Germany more than 20 years ago, I didnt for a moment think that I could manage in this country by sticking to my native German. I never expected official documents to be translated into German, nor interpreters to be laid on for me. I felt it my duty to develop a good command of English, especially once I began to work in the NHS.

A few years ago, I was offered an attractive job in France. I was certainly tempted, not least because the pay and conditions were better than in the NHS. But in the end I turned it down.

The main reason was my insufficient command of French, which I feared would be a detriment to my professionalism.

Jeremy Hunt earlier this month begged people to stay away from crisis-hit hospitals

My husband, a surgeon, wanted to work in Belgium during his training. Despite most Belgians being fluent in English, he learned the language before taking a post there. Yet today in my job in Lancashire, I continually face language difficulties of a different kind.

The British state should never have wilfully allowed this form of mass social exclusion to develop. It is bad for patients  and bad for the NHS.

On a regular basis, I conduct consultations with middle-aged Asian women who do not speak a word of English despite having lived here for decades.

To provide a translation, they will often bring along one of their children, who is sometimes as young as seven. How can a child be expected to understand complex, adult health problems?

At my practice we have several multilingual receptionists who occasionally help with interpreting. But that means taking them away from their other busy duties.

One alternative is to use the NHSs translation telephone helpline. But it is very expensive at a time of over-stretched funding, and makes consultations extremely long-winded because every exchange has to be repeated. Even worse, I am not always confident that the translators have the full medical knowledge to grasp what I have I said and to relay the information properly to my patient.

In fact, this danger was confirmed to me once when I was using the language line with a patient, and then, at my request, one of our reliable multilingual receptionists was able to come into my room.

Immediately, she established that the helpline had mistranslated my advice.

Nor are the language difficulties confined to GP practices.

Peter Lai, 60, featured in a BBC documentary on Wednesday, was taken down to the operating theatre to prep for surgery but at the last minute was told there wasn't an intensive care unit bed available post-op

I am aware of many cases where a non-English speaking patient, requiring an interpreter, has been booked for a hospital appointment. Then the interpreter has not turned up, so the appointment has had to be postponed: a further waste of time and money.

Yet, NHS policy states that no relatives should be used for translation and every patient needing help must be provided with an interpreter in person or via telephone.

If everybody in the NHS adhered to this policy, the healthcare for this group of patients would grind to a halt or the cost for translation services would explode.

All this would be resolved if people who want to access taxpayer-funded services are required to speak English. That is why I support compulsory classes. At present, it is far too easy for some residents to lead entirely separate lives, wholly divorced from the British mainstream.

An Asian person in my Lancashire home town can have an Asian doctor, an Asian solicitor, watch Asian TV and shop in Asian stores, effectively treating England as a foreign country.

That is no way to build a cohesive society with a shared set of values because the inequalities are extending into the next generation.

Peter had been waiting all day at the hospital to see if there would be a bed available so his surgery could go ahead

Children growing up in non-English speaking families cannot get the same help with their homework as their classmates. Teachers cannot talk to parents easily when there are problems, so these children are disadvantaged even if they speak English very well.

So how can non-English speakers be made to attend such classes?

Well, there is one straightforward way: entitlement to receive welfare could be made dependent on a willingness to learn English.

A refusal to do so could lead to the withdrawal of benefits.

Those who want to receive subsidies from the taxpayer should not be allowed to avoid their basic duties as citizens.

For too long, the British state has bankrolled social exclusion, and one of the results has been to increase the strain on the NHS. The current crisis means we must now take a more radical approach.

Dr Schmitgen is writing in a personal capacity.
Plenty of Americans have threatened to flee the country over Donald Trump's presidency, but one woman has detailed what it is really like to move to Canada over politics.

Tiffany Balducci, 32, moved from Michigan to Ontario, Canada after George W. Bush was re-elected for a second term, and now that Trump has been named the 45th President of the United States, she is working on her paperwork for Canadian citizenship.

'I tell my friends all the time, I found my American dream by moving to Canada,' Tiffany wrote in an essay for Cosmopolitan.

Life-changing decision: Tiffany Balducci moved from Michigan to Ontario, Canada, after George W. Bush was re-elected for a second term

Making it permanent: The 32-year-old has lived in Canada since 2008, and she started working on paperwork to become a citizen after Donald Trump was elected president

'I look at my friends and family in the United States, and regardless [of] if they have degrees or were in the military or whatever their background, many are struggling.'

Tiffany noted that many people in the US are working multiple part-time jobs without benefits or a pension and struggling to pay back crippling student loan debt, and while these issues exist in Canada, she said it doesn't seem to be to same extent.

The librarian said working in Canada has given her a pension, paid holidays, educational stipends, and paid one-year parental leave, as well as a 'good paying job where my education is valued'.

Freedom of speech: Tiffany is pictured carrying a sign for the Canadian Union of Public Employees

Happy as can be: Although she is unable to visit her family as much as she would like, Tiffany said living and working in Canada has given her a better life

Tiffany said she was a student at a small liberal arts college in Michigan when former President George W. Bush was in his first term, and she recalled how she and her friends would talk about applying for jobs in Canada if he got re-elected following the Iraq invasion in 2003.

TIFFANY BALDUCCI'S PROS AND CONS OF LIVING IN CANADA Pros: The librarian said working in Canada has given her a pension, paid holidays, educational stipends, and paid one-year parental leave, as well as a good paying job where her education is valued. Tiffany said she also loves how everyone in Canada has access to health care. Cons: Tiffany noted that the American dollar is higher than the Canadian dollar, and while she gets paid in Canadian money, she has to pay her bills in the States in US currency. She admitted that there were times she was unable to leave the country to visit her family in the US because of her temporary work permit. Tiffany also griped that she doesn't have access to the same US shows on Hulu and Netflix. Advertisement

Eight years ago, Tiffany was finishing her master's degree in library science, when she realized that because of the North American Free Trade Agreement her career as a librarian would allow her to work in Canada or Mexico with a permit.

After a job interview in Oshawa in January 2008, Tiffany moved to Canada with her then-boyfriend a month later, and has been living there ever since.

However, she did admit there were some downsides, recalling that there were times when she was unable to leave the country to visit her family because of her temporary work permit.

She noted that the American dollar is higher than the Canadian dollar, and while she gets paid in Canadian money, she has to pay her bills in the States in US currency.

Tiffany also wishes that she had access to the same shows on Hulu and Netflix, but she loves how every person in Canada has access to health care.

'I just don't understand how Americans think it's normal to need GoFundMe pages for surgeries and funerals,' she wrote.

And Tiffany readily admitted that she doesn't stick up for the US when Canadians question what Americans are thinking  particularly over the election of Trump.

'I just explain that the reason why I'm in Canada is because I'd rather be in Canada than the United States,' she said.
Bill Turnbull moved into his home with his wife Sesi nine months ago and they knocked two houses into one

1 OFFICE ROMANCE

My wife Sarah, or Sesi, and I moved here nine months ago  its two houses knocked into one  and now we couldnt imagine living anywhere else. I met Sesi when I was a reporter and she was a producer on the Radio 4 Today programme in the 1980s.

We had an office romance which we tried to keep quiet, but when we went public it turned out everyone knew anyway! Here we are with our three children Henry, Will and Flora, who are now 28, 27 and 25, at the top of the World Trade Center in 1997.

2 KING OF THE SOFA

This marzipan figure was on top of the farewell cake I was given when I left BBC Breakfast after 15 years last February.

Sesi had the bright idea of spraying it with hair lacquer to stop it falling apart, and it reminds me of many happy hours spent on the red sofa. I dont miss the early starts  I used to tumble out of bed at 3.30am  and people tell me I look better now.

But I do miss the friends I made. Together we made the show more watchable and warmer and we had a lot of laughs.

3 DEAR DOGGIES

Our two black Labradors  Nina whos ten and Bonnie whos six  are cousins and, very unusually for Labs, they both have little white flashes on their chest.

Theyre great company and very well-travelled. They must have clocked up 50,000 miles on the motorway over the years.

Ive always loved dogs  both Sesi and I had dogs when we were children  and were getting another in the spring because Bonnie would be bereft if shes left alone when Nina moves on, so to speak.

4 THE BEES' KNEES

Ive been making honey for the past 15 years and my bees usually produce about 40-50lb of the stuff each year, although one year they made an astonishing 250lb.

I give away jars to friends and sometimes auction them off for charity  the record for one jar is 10,000, so you can see its precious stuff!

Like every beekeeper Ive been stung plenty of times  on the ear, the eye, the hand, the arm, all over  but believe me, its worth it: theres nothing more delicious than your own honey.

5 FOOTBALL MAD

I have happy memories of playing Subbuteo as a kid, and being a Wycombe Wanderers fan I particularly treasure this figure dressed in their colours.

Ive been going to see the Blues since my two boys were in their teens. The mighty Wanderers had an amazing FA Cup run in 2001 when they reached the semi-finals but there hasnt been a great deal of glory since then, to be honest: weve been promoted twice and relegated three times, but as we say, Wycombe til I die!

6 WAUGH STORIES

Im a big fan of all Evelyn Waughs novels, and I particularly treasure this copy of Scoop  about a fictional foreign correspondent in the 1930s  because it was given to me for my 50th birthday by a very good friend.

A lot has changed since the books hero William Boots day, but when I travelled abroad with a TV crew in the 1980s we still had to take around 20 cases for all the equipment.

I remember in Panama once a wheel came off the taxi we were in, and we had to flag down a passing truck.

The album Bill Turnbulls Relaxing Classics is out now on Sony Classical. His Classic FM show is on every Saturday and Sunday, 10am-1pm
Advertisement

A home by the sea might conjure up the image of a simple fisherman's cottage or a rustic hideaway by the shore.

But some of the world's most incredible seaside dwellings, including an futuristic Austin Powers structure built into the side of a cliff face in Spain and a Nova Scotia home inspired by two ships in dry dock, are world's away from a humble beach hut.

Tonight's episode of BBC Two's The World's Most Extraordinary Homes features the stunningly elaborate dwellings built by people who wanted the sound of the sea in their home.

The show sees actress Caroline Quentin and award-winning architect Piers Taylor travel the world to visit the stunning structures built with the water practically lapping at their front door and meet with the owners and architects brave enough to take on the challenge of creating a home in challenging landscapes.

Scroll down for video

House on the Cliffs in Spain is an unconventional structure built into a steep cliff face secured by metal rods to keep it in place, which features in tonight's episode of The World's Most Extraordinary Homes on BBC2 presented by Piers Taylor and Caroline Quentin

HOUSE ON THE CLIFFS, SPAIN

Anchored into a steep cliff face overlooking the Mediterranean by large metal rods, the extraordinary building is complete with a cantilevered terrace offering maximum sea views and a swimming pool, as well as an unusual Gaudi-esque zinc tiled roof.

Designed as a three-bedroom holiday home, the open plan ground floor follows the steep slope of the cliff and is connected to a terrace and a swimming pool, while second floor bedrooms offer an uninterrupted sea view.

Presenter Caroline quips of the unconventional design and interior: 'Its like an Austin Powers movie set. This is comedy.'

The only slightly conventional element is the kitchen area with a dining table fixed rigid into the floor, along with unusual white plastic seats that double up as plant pots in the living area.

The roof was the most complex to build for the architects, GilBartolome, who won a competition with their pitch to build the house.

A large portion of the budget was spent on foundations for the house to be built on the scree which was not solid enough to hold the structure.

The house had to be built backwards - from the top to the bottom  to stop it falling, and was secured using a micro pile system which involves driving steel rods 16m deep into the cliff face to secure foundation.

The two structures jut out over the shoreline like two ship coming in to dock. Named 'Two Hulls' they sit on the Atlantic coast in Nova Scotia

TWO HULLS, NOVA SCOTIA

This Canadian coastline home was inspired by two ships in dry dock that sit dramatically parallel to the shore line.

Each 'hull' is an individual living and sleeping areas and the two are connected by a corridor created by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects.

The entire steel structure is clad with a wooden shell and has glass throughout, and the cantilevered trusses were designed to peer over the coast, allowing the sea to pass underneath.

The owners, Marcellio and Sylvia fell in love with the area and wanted a secluded retreat on the edge of the Atlantic coast - but it was so remote there wasnt even a road.

It took an entire year of planning and construction to build the access road to the house, with the architects having to dynamite a lot of the road, while destroying the least amount of trees possible, leading to a very windy path.

Caroline is in awe of the Two Hulls home in Nova Scotia, Canada, where as Piers isn't sold on the unique house

CABIN LYNGHOLMEN, NORWAY

Caroline and Piers arrive by speed boat for a two day stay in the secluded four bedroom house built on a beautiful island off the coast of Oslo.

The CEO of a large Norwegian shipping firm, who drives the boat says of the unusual location: 'I wanted a place with privacy and scenery and a shelter from the wind.'

The one-storey house is built from timber and covered with concrete to withstand the extremes of weather as well as the salty atmosphere.

A 1960s cottage that previously stood on the site meant the architects were restricted to building the house within the 100sqm footprint.

The secluded island retreat two miles west of Oslo is only accessible by boat and is slotted within the rocks

Caroline and Piers stay for two days at the island retreat which took 18 months to build and the family use just for the summer

They had to abide by strict planning laws when building next to the protected rocky shorelines, and the result is that the water is in spitting distance.

Architect Sven Lund explained that the build took a long 18 months for the small space as they went through two extreme winters.

It was impossible to get to during the cold weather and builders were limited to just seven hours a day of light and had to bring materials across from the mainland by a truck on a barge towed by a boat.

The family only live there throughout the summers to enjoy the weather and quality time with the children away from the busy daily work life.

The World's Most Extraordinary Home airs tonight on BBC Two at 9pm
A mortified mother has asked for advice after accidentally sending a racy photo of herself to the wrong person.

The woman turned to Mumsnet to ask others for help on Thursday.

She revealed that she had been drinking and had attempted to send a saucy selfie to her partner, but something went wrong.

Uh-oh: A mum asked for advice after accidentally sending a racy photo to the wrong person

'Drunken selfie': The woman accidentally forwarded the photo meant for her partner to her mum and co-worker

'Drunken "selfie" (not of my face) sent via Whatsapp few days ago to [my partner]. Deleted from my album. Thought I was safe,' the mum explained.

Some days later, her partner sent her a text saying she sent the picture to him again on Whatsapp, and asked if she was looking for a 'repeat'.

'I've checked and it's been sent to my three most recent contacts. One to my partner, two to my mother (fine I'll brazen that one out), three to a man (manchild) I work with.'

Are there any ways to recall a text? Unfortunately not, unless you're using a specific app

'Sorry it's too late!': Mumsnet users told the woman it was too late to delete the photo once it was sent

CAN YOU GET BACK A TEXT SENT TO THE WRONG PERSON? With Whatsapp, text and iPhone messages, there is no built in feature to recall a message. There are a number of apps on the market, like TigerText and Protect Your Privates, let you un-send a message-but only if it's sent via that app. If you're prone to texting things you regret after a couple of drinks, there are also apps that allow you to block certain contacts for a certain amount of time, like during a night out. Advertisement

The woman then asked if there was any way to get the photo back so her colleague didn't see it, but was informed that once it's sent there is no way to retract the message.

Panicking, the mum asked for advice on what to do, with many others giving suggestions on how to rectify the situation.

'If your face isn't in the picture lie and say it's spam, you and all of your contacts have been bombarded with porn pictures etc,' one woman suggested.

But the mum said that she had a tattoo visible in the photo so that wasn't an option.

Another user suggested simply owning up to it might be the right idea.

'If I were you I'd send manchild a message "Oh s**t, sorry to have embarrassed you, that was obviously meant for my partner, however, I'm glad it was you I accidentally sent it to because I know you're not the type of a*se to pass it on,"' she suggested.

'Try to guilt/shame him into not sharing it.'

'Lesson learned': The mum said that she wouldn't be taking racy selfies or drinking again (stock image)

The embarrassed mum floated a couple of ideas, like trying to steal her co-worker's phone and delete the text, or blaming it on her children messing about on the app.

In the end the co-worker saw the photo before the mum could send an excuse, but dealt with it with humour, saying he guessed it was meant for her partner and signing of with a 'lol'.

The mum had advice for her fellow women: 'Don't send dodgy pictures and you'll be fine,' she wrote.

'Even though I deleted them from album I hadn't deleted them off my whatsapp convo. Next to the original pic is an arrow that forwards that image on. Lesson learned.
Having a baby isn't cheap.

For first time parents, the cost of doctors visits, ultrasounds and setting up a nursery can come as a shock.

But Melbourne-based financial expert Scott Pape, a father himself, told parents having $10,000 in the bank and skimping out on some luxuries should remove most of the financial strain.

In his blog, The Barefoot Investor, he revealed the lessons he had learned from welcoming his first son into the world.

Start saving! Financial expert Scott Pape says would-be parents should have $10,000 saved to cover the costs of having a baby (stock image)

'Think of having a baby as like starting a business,' he told readers.

'There are significant upfront costs that can be amortised over subsequent product releases, but these upfront costs are really going to hit you.'

Scott's figure comes from Medibank's estimation that the cost of giving birth in a private hospital is $8,500 - before paying an obstetrician and other extras such as nappies.

He told readers he and his wife had tried both public and private, and he advocated heavily for the public system.

'We've got one of the greatest public health systems in the world, and youre already paying for it,' he said - noting it was also free to give birth in a public hospital.

Public or private? The Melbourne-based financial whiz says he prefers public as 'you're already paying for it', but having a $10,000 buffer should cover parents in both cases (stock image)

But while he advocated for the cheaper option, he maintained would-be parents should have their baby buffer stocked up to at least $10,000 regardless, to cover unexpected costs and doctors visits.

For parents trying to make the most of their baby buffer, the Melbourne-based investor also recommends being aware of how much you're spending on basic items.

Though he initially dropped a fortune on an all terrain state of the art stroller, after a fire destroyed it he reverted to a cheaper model - costing just $25 from Kmart.

He also told readers to look into their entitlements and make the most of them.

What else can you get? Scott advised soon-to-be parents to know what they are entitled to in terms of Parental Leave Pay, which covers mums and dads for a total of 18 weeks combined

Centrelink will pay parents $672.60 per week for 18 weeks as Parental Leave Pay. Of that 18 weeks, fathers are eligible to take two of them under Dad and Partner Pay, or the mother can take the full 18.

Some employers may also contribute, whether it be a leave payment of their own, or by topping up the Centrelink payment to reach the parent's full salary.

Scott said parenthood, especially first-time parenthood, will throw even the most prepared of people, so it is important to watch your finances.

'The first 12 months of being a parent are stressful. You have no idea what youre doing,' he explained.

'Theres very little sleep (at least in the beginning). You basically surrender yourself and serve the baby.

'The best gift you can give yourself in that first year is not having to fight or worry about money.'
A mother has shared a photo of her young son crying over his first wet bed, and claimed the accident was caused by 'faulty' new Coles Comfy Bots nappies.

Natasha Banfield, 24, from Sydney, shared the heartwrenching picture of her son Theodore crying to the Coles Facebook page.

She said her little boy, who is 20 months old was left 'very confused and upset', after the incident.

Crushed: Theodore, who is almost two, had his first wet bed this week. His mother claims it was due to a change in the design of Coles' Comfy Bots nappies.

The new design of nappy claims to be 'new and improved', but outraged mothers have claimed the nappy is 'faulty', 'awful' and 'useless'.

Ms Banfield told Daily Mail Australia she spent an extensive amount of time searching for the right nappy before finding Comfy Bots.

When the product changed, she said she searched for a reasonably priced alternative.

'It's frustrating, I'm a single mum and can't afford premium brands,' she said. 'So when I found comfy bots - the old style - I was really happy!'

Not impressed: Natasha Banfield, 24, told Daily Mail Australia she did not like the design of the new nappies

The 24-year-old claims since the design of the nappy changed, the product is 'useless'.

'It is half as thin, with no stretchy waist band at the back. My son is 13.5 kilos and the 13-18 kilo size is too small for even him,' she said.

'It's a very obvious cost cutting labelled as 'new and improved' - I wish they'd just put the price up instead. The product is actually faulty - it doesn't trap any wee.'

Coles, meanwhile, has disputed this - with a spokesman telling Daily Mail Australia: ' 'The new and improved Comfy Bots outperformed the old Comfy Bot across 14 different attributes which included softness, ease of use, comfort and absorbency.'

Shedding weight: Other mothers have posted to the Coles Facebook page that the nappies have almost halved in size since the change

Depleted: Another mum noted the lack of elastic waistband at the back, which Ms Banfield pointed out is an invaluable tool for preventing blowouts

However, Ms Banfield, who is expecting her second child, says she will now split her shopping to find another brand of affordable nappies.

'No one likes inconvenience when they have small child, and I'm heavily pregnant too,' she said.

'But I need to find an alternative ASAP, before any more leaks occur.'

Other posters to the Coles Facebook page noted similar issues, with one mother claiming she also had seen leakage and blowouts as her children used the 'new and improved' product.

Kelly Andersen said she had been shopping at Coles just so she could grab the nappies, but would be finding a new supermarket.

Please change! Mother Kelly Andersen said she had been shopping at Coles specifically because of the nappies, but has experienced leaks and blowouts since the design changed

Under fire: Coles Comfy Bots nappies (pictured) have 'halved in size' and are 'useless', parents claim

Another woman, Geelong-based Natalie Wass, said her daughter suffered a rash from the new nappies, which she claimed 'basically disintegrated when wet'.

Ms Wass said she had dashed back to her local store to grab the last of the old style, and was hoping her beloved Comfy Bots would be back on the shelves by the time she ran out.

A Coles spokesperson said while the customer feedback, which has been complemented with a change.org petition, would definitely be taken into consideration, the company was happy with the product.

Falling to pieces: Geelong mother Natalie Wass says the nappies had 'basically disintegrated' when they were wet and had given her daughter a rash

'Our new and improved Comfy Bot nappies were launched in December following extensive testing with existing customers who said they preferred the improved Comfy Bot nappy over the old nappy across all sizes,' they told Daily Mail Australia.

'The new and improved Comfy Bots outperformed the old Comfy Bot across 14 different attributes which included softness, ease of use, comfort and absorbency.

'Additionally, the Crawler, Toddler and Walker unisex nappies are now being made in Australia, where previously they were made in Thailand.

'We are confident that our new range of nappies provide superior technical performance across liquid retention, dryness, tab strength and elasticity but we certainly welcome any further feedback from customers.'

Coles also claimed sales of the nappies have spiked since the product was released in stores, leading the company to believe they have been popular with customers.
Researchers have said that lap band surgery for obese teenagers should be the 'first option' to aid in weight loss after a study on its impact.

The study, led by University of Adelaide researchers along with the Flinders Medical Centre, found there were 'significant benefits' to the procedure.

Lap band surgery has proven controversial, especially when performed on young people, with doctors having differing opinions on the subject.

A study, led by University of Adelaide researchers along with the Flinders Medical Centre, found there were 'significant benefits' to lap band surgery

The latest research, published in the Obesity Surgery journal, is the first to study the short and medium term effects of lap band surgery on teenagers.

It followed 21 severely obese teenagers between 14 and 18 years who had the surgery in South Australia.

'Australian revised National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines for obesity management say that lap band surgery should be considered in adolescents with severe obesity,' the researchers said in a press release.

'That is with a body mass index (BMI) over 40 kg/m2 or over 35 kg/m2 (weight/height2) with the presence of obesity-related diseases and who dont respond to medical treatment.'

However researchers did specify that lap band surgery was recommended specifically for obese teens

The research found that the weight and BMI of the teenagers improved significantly after the surgery.

However researchers did specify that lap band surgery was recommended specifically for obese teens.

'We are talking about a group of adolescents with severe obesity and significant health and psychological problems related to their increased weight  this is not for everyone,' Paediatric Endocrinologist Dr Alexia Pena said.

The study also found that the BMI and weight reduction among participants was greater than if the teens just used medication or lifestyle

'Lap band surgery is reversible and allows time for adolescents to mature to make a more informed decision on a permanent surgical procedure if required later on in life. This is not the case for other surgeries currently offered for obesity management.'

The study also found that the BMI and weight reduction among participants was greater than if the teens just used medication or lifestyle.

'The median BMI reduction of 10 kg/m2 with the lap band is a good result when compared to BMI reduction using the few medications available or lifestyle measures, which is around 1-3 kg/m2,' Dr Pena explained.
Paula Gowland was inside hanging curtains at the start of June 2014 when her life changed forever.

The mum-of-three from the Sunshine Coast was standing on the end of her bed trying to hang up the freshly washed curtains when she fell.

'As I reached forward I slipped off the bed,' Ms Gowland told Daily Mail Australia. 'I landed on my feet but because of the angle I broke my left leg in four places.'

Paula Gowland (pictured right) was hanging curtains at her home when she fell and broke her left leg in four places

The mum-of-three (right) had to have her leg amputated after infection set in and surgeries were unable to save it

The mum was rushed to hospital, where she was told she needed surgery. The following day she had external fixations put in her leg to hold the bones together.

'But the night after the surgery, between midnight and 9am something went wrong,' she explained.

Over the next three and a half months, Ms Gowland had six different operations at a private hospital to try and save her leg. All, however, were unsuccessful.

Shine Lawyers is now representing Ms Gowland in pursuit of damages in relation to the level of care she received in the private hospital.

Shine Lawyers have lodged a Part One notice of claim against the private hospital and a visiting orthopaedic surgeon who performed the initial procedure and was in charge of her care at the hospital.

The claim does not involve the amputation procedure but rather the alleged failure to diagnose compartment syndrome which led to the need for an amputation.

On hearing the news she need her leg amputated Ms Gowland said: 'I was in shock'.

'It was just a broken leg and now they were going to have to amputate it.'

Ms Gowland first had her led amputated below the knee (left) and then above the knee (right)

The doctors wanted to amputate the leg above the knee, but Ms Gowland sought a second opinion.

She found a surgeon in Sydney who said he would amputate below the knee, giving the mum much better functionality.

But after the surgery, Ms Gowland battled 12 months of infections, and ultimately had to have an-above knee amputation as well.

She spent six weeks in rehabilitation in Sydney learning how to walk again, which she said was 'the hardest thing' she's ever done.

The mum spent six weeks learning how to walk again at a rehab centre (pictured), which she said was the hardest thing she's ever done

'I finally got out of hospital November 2016, after being in there for essentially two years,' Ms Gowland explained.

But although the mum was finally free of infection and able to go home, the last two and a half years had a huge impact on her family.

'My family was falling apart. My husband hit rock bottom,' she explained. 'We lost our business.

'My kids have had a pretty tough time, emotionally and financially. They had to learn how to grow up a bit on their own.'

The mum said that the last few months since she's been home has been all about rebuilding her relationships with her family, but it has been incredible difficult.

'Its been quite heartbreaking for me as a mum, to cope with everything. I was once an employee, a businesswoman, a mum to three happy children,' Ms Gowland said.

'Losing my business, having three unhappy children and a husband who is struggling, it's been really difficult.'

Now Ms Gowland is focusing on her family and rebuilding her relationships with them

Now Ms Gowland is focusing on her family, as well as getting a new prosthetic leg.

'I want to raise awareness about the amount of money required for an amputee to walk,' she said. 'The government supplies me a leg that is worth $15,000.'

'But for me to walk properly I need a micro-processing leg, which start at $35,000. The leg that has been prescribed for me, what I need as a busy mum at my age, costs $85,000.'

To try and raise the money for the leg she needs, friend Bruce Campbell is organising a fun run from the Sunshine Coast to Noosa on May 26.

For now, Ms Gowland is just happy to be home with her kids and husband, saying every day is better than the last.

If businesses want to help sponsor the run for Ms Gowland, they can call Bruce Campbell on 1300 828 026.
She's almost as famous for her love of a bouncy blow dry as the Duchess of Cambridge.

But Kim Murray, 29, ditched her usual gleaming curls for a messy up-do to cheer on her husband Andy Murray at the Australian Open today.

A fresh-faced Kim, who sat one seat away from her mother-in-law Judy Murray at Melbourne Park, had piled her hair into a casual bun to watch the world number one take on Sam Querrey.

Kim wore her hair in a messy bun as she watched her husband take on the USA's Sam Querrey at the Australian Open

Tennis fans are more used to seeing Kim courtside with a mane of gleaming curls

Kim, who is mum to 11-month-old Sophia, wore a white top and a khaki jacket over a short black skirt that showed off her tanned legs.

The 29-year-old accessorised with a laser cut tote bag and a pair of cat eye sunglasses.

Andy's mother Judy Murray, 57 was also there to cheer on her son in a quilted jacket.

The two women's cheers clearly did the trick - Andy defeated his US opponent in straight sets.

Andy's mother Judy Murray was also in the crowd cheering on her son at Melbourne Park

A tanned kim wore a short black skirt and a patterned white top with a casual khaki jacket

Kim appeared to be in good spirits on the fifth day of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park

The 29-year-old progressed smoothly to round four of the Australian Open after beating Querrey 6-4 6-2 6-4.

Murray, who is the top seed, will now go on to face Germany's Mischa Zverev, the world number 50.

He's hoping to finally win the tournament after finishing as the runner-up five times.

Kim claps in the crowd as Andy Murray takes on the American Sam Querrey at Melbourne Park

Kim sat close to her mother-in-law Judy Murray, who was photographed cheering on her son

Judy and Kim pumped their fists in delight as Andy set about defeating his opponent
The father of disgraced Miss Belgium has defended his daughter after she became embroiled in a damaging race row, just days after she won the beauty pageant crown.

Stunning Romanie Schotte replied I know alongside a poo emoji after a follower used the word n**** to refer to a black man pictured sitting behind her in a picture she took and posted on Instagram.

The 19-year-old tried to defend herself by claiming she could not be racist because her businessman father Christof Schotte mainly works in Africa.

Miss Belgium 2017 Romanie Schotte, 19, from Bruges has found herself at the centre of a race row after using a 'poo' emoji on Instagram which some people branded 'racist'

Today Mr Schotte tried to explain his daughters actions, and claimed that she used the offensive emoji to express her surprise that the man had photo-bombed her selfie picture  and had not intended to insult him or cause offence.

Speaking to MailOnline from his office in Bruges Mr Schotte said: Romanie is not a racist. We are an open family who welcome people from all different backgrounds.

Romanie used the emoji to say oh s***. She was surprised that this man had worked his way into her picture.

She certainly did not want to cause any offence.

Addressing the controversy, Miss Schotte insisted: 'I am open to all cultures and people. My father mainly works in Africa, therefore how on earth could I afford to be racist?'

Miss Schotte appeared to have disabled comments on her Instagram page following the controversy. The teen was crowned Miss Belgium in Adinkerke on Saturday night

Mr Schotte told MailOnline that as an international energy consultant he has worked all over Africa, particularly Uganda and Rwanda.

He added: Romanie does not travel with me because I go there for work. But we have an open, tolerant philosophy in the family. And her brother Lorenz spent a year living with a family in Morocco.

She said; if anyone felt offended by something that I wrote or said then I apologise. But she is not a racist.

In fact Romanie has been on TV to apologise for any offence. She has said if anyone was offended by the tweet then she is sorry. The audience applauded her and a black man asked to have his picture taken with her and she agreed.

In the statement released via Miss Belgium's organisers the teenager insisted she was 'not racist'.

One of Miss Schotte's followers commented 'that n******', it has been reported, to which the pageant queen, who was crowned last weekend, replied: 'I know' alongside a poo emoji

Angry protesters inundated Miss Schotte's Facebook page with the 'poo' emojis - although she insisted she had used the icon in the context of 'a chocolate ice cream'

Miss Schotte has been criticised by angry protesters on social media, while an online petition calling for her to be 'decrowned' has attracted more than 6,800 signatures.

She said: I am open to all cultures and people. My father mainly works in Africa, therefore how on earth could I afford to be racist?

Mr Schotte said his daughter had been exonerated of any wrong-doing by the Miss Belgium pageant authorities who had decided not to mount an investigation into the affair.

He added: But I told Romanie this has to be a lesson to you. A week ago she just a university student who was about to do her exams. Now she is a public person and she has to watch every step she takes.

Mr Schotte, whose firm Bewise advises organisations how to achieve the most efficient electricity use, claims the row was created by jealous, bitter French speakers who are upset that a [Dutch-speaking] Flemish girl had won the Miss Belgium title for the fourth consecutive year.

Miss Schotte has been inundated with poo emojis from angry protesters on social media, while a petition on change.org calling for her to be dethroned has attracted 500 signatures

The controversy comes less than a week after Miss Schotte was was crowned Miss Belgium during a gala evening at the Plopsa Theatre on Saturday night

The father-of-three told MailOnline: This whole row is created by a group of people from the [French speaking] south of the country who are angry because a [Dutch-speaking] Flemish girl has won the title again.

They are using this issue to try to divide the country along language lines like they always do.

But you need to work hard to win the Miss Belgium pageant.

Romanie has been out doing social work, meeting people at football matches and really working hard to try to win the competition. The [French-speaking] candidates from the south thought they could just sit there and wait for the title to fall into their laps.

Since the alleged remarks, Miss Schotte has been inundated with poo emojis from angry protesters on social media, as well as an online petition calling for her to be 'decrowned'

Miss Schotte, pictured at last weekend's pageant final, told the Belgian press that she had used the emoji in the context of ' un cornet de glace au chocolat ' (a chocolate ice cream)

Romanie, who studies Business Management at Gent University, was a rank outsider for the 2017 Miss Belgium title.

Mr Schotte claimed his daughters critics had been desperate to find a way to discredit her and had trawled through her social network sites.

The picture was taken on a bus in Brussels in May last year [2016], he told MailOnline. These people even worked out which bus it was. They were trying so hard to find something bad about her.
A man whose brushes with death inspired him to gamble on a new career now heads up a multi-million pound business that lets him stay for free in luxury houses around the world.

After becoming stranded in the Andes and then dangerously ill in Thailand within the same year, traumatised traveller Andy Peck, 46, hit on an idea that combined his love of globetrotting with the therapeutic power of pets - house-sitting for holiday makers and caring for their cats and dogs at the same time.

Not only has the concept allowed Andy and his co-founder fiancee Rachel to stay in stately homes in Ireland and rustic French chateaus free of charge, their Brighton start up TrustedHousesitters now has 300,000 members in 140 different countries.

Andy Peck, seen with his fiancee and TrustedHousesitters co-founder Rachel Martin, was inspired to start the business after two brushes with death

This dreamy French chateau in Avignon is among the properties listed on the website

'We've had some amazing experiences,' said Andy's fiancee Rachel, 42, who along with Andy still goes on house sits six years after they launched the business.

'Like looking after Alfie the labradoodle in a New York penthouse, and Socky the terrier next to a stunning vineyard in a traditional stone house in Bordeaux.

'So we get to indulge our love for travel, while at the same time learning more about how to make the business grow,' she said.

Members of TrustedHousesitters are either home owners in search of people to look after their homes while they are away, or pet lovers looking for an alternative way to travel.

They pay an annual fee of 89 to be on the website, which has listings that range from looking after a cat in Cornwall to a herd of alpacas at a Canadian eco-lodge, but after that the vast majority of house-sits take place without any money changing hands, Andy says.

The owners of this contemporary home in Brisbane, Australia, are also members of the site

A picture-perfect country cottage in the Cotswolds that could have been lifted from a movie

Killegar, a sprawling property in Wicklow, Ireland, appears on the house and pet sitting site

'As well as the joy of being able to spend time with pets, the breadth of properties on the site clearly adds to the appeal,' said Andy.

'We have castles and penthouses and manor houses all over the world, from New York to New Zealand.

'The amazing thing about going on a pet sit is how you instantly become part of the local community - I've had the thing where I've been walking a dog through a town that I've never visited and total strangers start talking to me just because they know the owners of the dog.'

The stunning view from the living room of a home in Avalon, Australia, listed on the site

A fairytale French chateau is among the homes listed on Brighton-based TrustedHousesitters

A glimpse at the interior of a French chateau in Bordeaux which house sitters can look after

Andy Peck says the concept allows animal lovers an alternative way to travel

The idea for the business came about after keen traveller Andy had two near-death experiences in 2010.

He was struck by altitude sickness in the Andes and became separated from his group.

He was eventually found by another group of trekkers who helped him through the perilous 18-hour journey to the nearest hospital.

'As I was recovering I couldn't stop thinking about how precarious life is and how I needed to do something meaningful with my life,' Andy said.

Fancy living in stately splendour in the Irish countryside? House and pet sitters can care for magnificent Killegar in Wicklow

The Irish stately home is listed on the site alongside New York penthouses and mansions

He returned to the UK, sold his small publishing business and flew to Thailand to contemplate his future, but encountered more misfortune when he contracted an immune system disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome.

After five weeks spent in hospital in both Thailand and the UK, a weak and traumatised Andy, after reading about the therapeutic power of animals, arranged to house sit a property in Spain and care for the owner's dog, Dave.

'It's no exaggeration to say that Dave changed my life,' he said.

'I realised that everyone should have the chance to spend time with pets, but of course it is not always practical.

'Then I saw a way to make it happen.'

Andy and his now fiancee Rachel Martin sold almost everything they owned and spent two years house-sitting their way around the world as they got the business off the ground.

TrustedHousesitters member Kathy Robinson is seen outside her home in Rutland with her pet dog George

TrustedHousesitters co-founder and Andy's fiancee Rachel Martin is seen on the beach with a dog she cared for in Spain

Andy says the concept allows property and pet owners to travel stress-free, and gives animal lovers an alternative way to travel

Since being set up in 2011, TrustedHousesitters has now become the world's largest house-sitting site.

'It is about so much more than saving money,' said Andy.

'Looking after someone's pet while you stay in their house is so much more rewarding than staying in a hotel.'

He says the benefits for home and pet owners include being able to travel stress free and avoiding forking out for kennels, or having to rely on family members to care for their pets when they're away.

The site uses a combination of free and paid-for digital verification processes to reassure members, and digital references are always requested prior to committing to a sit.

Typically home owners match themselves with potential sitters via the site, then arrange to speak over Skype before eventually meeting at the property ahead of the owner's departure.

'I've made life long friendships through house sits, and had experiences I would never have dreamed of having otherwise,' Andy said.

'The fact that Rachel and I have also been able to make a successful business out of it really is a dream come true.'




Dame Judi Dench is mourning the death of her older brother who inspired her to take up acting.

Peter Dench, who has died aged 91, along with his younger brother Jeffrey, who passed away in 2014, were pupils at St Peter's School, York, where they both performed in Antony and Cleopatra.

The Oscar nominee has said she was inspired to pursue an acting career act while watching the pair perform in the school play when they were younger.

Peter Dench (right, pictured with Dame Judi, left, and brother Jeffrey, centre) inspired his siter to take up acting - he has now died aged 91

Dame Judi Dench is mourning the death of the second of her two brothers who inspired her to take up acting, after he appeared in a school production of Antony and Cleopatra

Dr Dench chose to follow in his family's footsteps and work in medicine - but always admired his sister's stage, TV and film career, his son Simon said.

He lived to see his famous sister at the National Railway Museum in York last autumn, playing Queen Victoria in a scene for a new film, Victoria and Abdul.

In a 2014 interview with the Mail on Sunday, Judi said: 'My eldest brother Peter is always trying to persuade me of the joys of retirement, but that plays no part in any of my future plans.'

Judi's other brother Jeffery Dench, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for five decades, died aged 86 in March 2014.

Their father Reginald was a GP in York, and Peter decided to follow in his footsteps, studying medicine at Cambridge before serving as a doctor for the Green Howards during National Service.

In a 2014 interview with the Mail on Sunday, Judi said: 'My eldest brother Peter is always trying to persuade me of the joys of retirement, but that plays no part in any of my future plans'

He was one of the first medics ever to use a military helicopter while the army was dealing with the Malayan conflict, the family said.

He married Daphne, a French refugee living in York, six months before he went to Malaya and they spent three years apart.

On his return to York, he worked at a maternity hospital for a year before becoming a GP, working at various local surgeries.

His practice was based for about a decade within the family home in Rawcliffe Lane, with his wife fielding night calls.

Dr Dench also served for many years as a doctor in the Territorial Army, as a Colonel in the 250 Field Ambulance based at Hull, and would go away with the TA for a fortnight each year.

He was the Queen's guest at Buckingham Palace in her 1977 Silver Jubilee Year to receive the Territorial Decoration, awarded for long service.

Dame Judi as Ophelia in a production of Hamlet in 1957. She is said to have pursed a career in acting after seeing her two brothers perform in a school production of Antony and Cleopatra

When he retired, he decided to work as a guide at York Minster. His family said he had vowed never to take another exam after qualifying as a doctor, but had to take one to become a guide.

There was one question bothering him and he came downstairs in the middle of the night to look in his books to find the answer, and admitted he had never done that with a medical dilemma.

He passed the exam and worked at the Minster until his mid-80s, regularly doing the Wednesday afternoon shift.

His wife Daphne died in 2013 after 63 years of 'extremely happy' marriage, the family said on a statement at the time.

Dr Dench, who is also survived by a daughter Louise remained fit and active until very recently, walking on Sandsend beach, near Whitby, on New Year's Day.

Dr Dench's funeral will take place at York Crematorium on February 3.
Queen Letizia of Spain shocked when she stepped out with seemingly grey locks earlier this week and it appears she was back to her glossy brunette best on Friday.

The 44-year-old looked glamorous in a lilac, silver bell embellished dress and blazer at an event in Madrid, Spain.

The royal, who displayed what looked like freshly dyed hair, was handing out the Tomas Francisco Prieto Prize to the Japanese artist Mitsuo Miura.

Queen Letizia unveiled her glossy new brown locks in Madrid after shocking with a seemingly silver mane earlier this week

Lighting at the high-profile event earlier this week left the glamorous brunette with a grey tint to her hair

The prize was established in memory of Chief Engraver of the Royal Mints of King Carlos III.

Recipients are those from the contemporary art scene and the winner gets the chance to design a medal on a topic of their choice.

A limited edition collection of 225 copper, 40 silver and two gold medals will then be produced and given to Queen Letizia at the ceremony.

Following the ceremony, an exhibition featuring the artwork of the previous year's winner is unveiled.

The 44-year-old looked glamorous in a lilac, silver bell embellished outfit at an event in Madrid, Spain

The mother-of-two showcased her trim legs and toned body in the chic outfit as she joined artists at the event in Madrid, Spain

Recipients are those from the contemporary art scene and the winner gets the chance to design a medal on a topic of their choice

Earlier this week, Letizia stepped out in a chic knee-length coat, pale pink blouse and cropped trousers as she attended a tourism conference - but lighting at the high-profile event appeared to leave the glamorous brunette with a grey tint to her hair.

Letizia, who was joined by her husband King Felipe VI at the launch in the Spanish capital, wore her hair in a loose side parting, adding a pair of leaf-themed gem earrings to complete her look.

Following the ceremony, an exhibition featuring the artwork of the previous year's winner is unveiled

The mother-of-two and her 48-year-old husband were attending the opening of the FITUR International Tourism Fair, and were joined by key figures in the country's tourism industry.

More than 9,672 companies from 165 countries are taking part in the event, which runs until 22 January.

Letizia, who is mother to Princess Leonor, 11 and Princess Sofia, nine, wed King Felipe VI in 2004.

She married into the Spanish monarchy following a successful career as a journalist and newsreader.

She was previously married to Alonso Guerrero Perez, a writer, but the pair divorced after just a year and by 2003 Letizia had announced her engagement to Felipe, then the Prince of Asturias.

King Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 in favour of his 48-year-old son, now King Felipe VI.
Advertisement

Ivanka Trump kicked off the morning in a demure navy Carolina Herrera coat before joining her sister Tiffany in suffragette white for their father Donald's inauguration.

Earlier in the day, the 35-year-old donned a simple, yet elegant Carolina Herrera navy wool tweed coat over a navy wool flannel high neck dress as she joined her family at St. John's Church on Friday morning. After the service, she headed to the Capitol and underwent a quick outfit change before the inauguration.

Ivanka looked radiant in an asymmetrical white coat and matching white pants as she strut through the Capitol before arriving on the platform for the swearing in ceremony.

Scroll down for video

Ivanka Trump and her half-sister Tiffany both wore suffragette white to their father Donald's inauguration on Friday

Ivanka accessorized her white coat with an American flat pin on the corner of her lapel, and she carried black leather gloves in her hand

Ivanka put her hand on her little sister's back as they smiled at each other before the inauguration

She smiled and waved as she walked beside her husband, Jared Kushner, at the start of the parade this afternoon

Look at grandpa! For part of the walk, she held her son Joseph - who looked adorable in a blue coat -by the hand

She also took a turn carrying baby Theodore, who was bundled up in her arms

Ivanka accessorized her coat with an American flag pin at the corner of her lapel, and she styled her long blond hair in loose curls around her shoulders.

Unlike her older sister, Tiffany opted to wear the same custom-made, double-breasted coat by Taoray Wang that she wore to the church for her father's swearing in ceremony.

Ivanka was all smiles as she walked through the crowd, and the First Daughter stopped to chat with President Barack Obama and the First Lady, Michelle.

At one point, her husband Jared Kushner, 36, sweetly rubbed Ivanka's arms as they prepared for the inauguration.

Ivanka and Tiffany's elegant white coats helped them stand out in the crowd

People couldn't help but stare at Ivanka as she walked down the stairs in her all-white ensemble

Ivanka and her older brother Donald Jr. are pictured walking onto the platform together

Tiffany, Donald Jr., Ivanka, Donald Jr.'s wife Vanessa, and Ivanka's husband Jared (from left to right) are pictured in the crowd

Both Tiffany and Ivanka opted for natural-looking make-up and pink lips for the historic event

Jared, who is his father-in-law's senior adviser, sweetly rubbed Ivanka's arms before the inauguration

Both sisters decided to wear contrasting color shoes, while Melania went with a blue to match her blue coat

Tiffany wore British shoe designer Aruna Seth's green suede ankle booties, which feature butterflies on the sides

Trump's wife Melania, their 10-year-old son Barron, and his half-siblings, Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany all stood on stage with him while he was sworn in, and after they shared a group hug and kisses.

After the ceremony, the whole family gathered to watch President Trump sign documents; however, Ivanka and Jared's five-year-old daughter Arabella looked less than impressed as she leaned over the desk with her chin in her hands.

The Trumps then went on to enjoy the inaugural luncheon at the National Statuary Hall, where Melania and Trump's former Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, were seen shaking hands.

Although Ivanka converted to Judaism when she married her husband Jared, she and her husband were first photographed on Friday morning walking into the Episcopalian church as a show of support for the President-elect.

Ivanka and Jared were flanked by Secret Service detail as they followed her family, walking side by side. Jared matched his wife with a similar wool coat, which he wore over his gray suit.

The businesswoman left her long blond hair down around her shoulders, and it appeared that they left their three children, Arabella, Joseph, and Theodore, with their nanny for the morning event.

Ivanka and Tiffany stood behind their stepmother Melania, their brother Barron, and President Barack Obama

The mother-of-three chatted with First Lady Michelle Obama while with her sister-in-law Vanessa and Jared

Ivanka had a megawatt grin as she happily shook hands with President Obama before the ceremony

Although Ivanka and Jared are both Orthodox Jews, The Jerusalem Post reports that the couple has received rabbinic permission to travel by car on Friday evening following the inauguration.

Jewish law states that driving or riding in cars is prohibited on the Sabbath; however, the Hebrew principle pikuach nefesh, or protection of life, overrides the rule in life-threatening situations.

According to the outlet, Mark Zell, chair of the Republican Party in Israel, stated during an interview with Kol Barama radio that the couple has been granted special permission by a rabbi to use a vehicle because of 'safety' concerns.

Ivanka's half-sister Tiffany, Trump's only child with Marla Maples, was photographed walking into the church with her Democrat boyfriend Ross Mechanic.

President Obama spoke to Ivanka, Barron, Donald Jr., Melania and Tiffany at the ceremony

President Donald Trump took the oath of office from U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (R) with his wife Melania, and children Barron, Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany (from left to right) at his side

Trump enjoyed a group hug with his wife and his children on stage, while Vanessa and Jared clapped for their father-in-law

President Trump and his Wife Melania and the rest of the Trump family watch the Inaugaration Parade from the White House

Touch up: Glamorous Melania looked every inch the First Lady as she sat through the parade

'Standing here, the magnitude of this day, and the new job ahead, really hits home!' Eric wrote when he shared this photo of him and his wife Lara

'Got greeted by the cutest Trump supporter just now after an amazing ceremony at The Capitol,' Donald Jr. wrote when he shard this Instagram photo of him and his daughter Chloe

Her husband Jared had been holding Theo, but passed him off to mom when their three-year-old son Joseph wanted to be picked up, too

Joseph seemed to be on his best behavior but didn't last long on his feet

Ivanka tottered on high heels for the walk, as did Lara and Tiffany

Unlike her older sister, the 23-year-old recent college graduate opted for a bright white coat for the first event of the day.

Ivanka and Tiffany's brother Donald Jr. and his wife Vanessa walked into the church with their two oldest children, Kai and Donald Trump III, while their brother Eric was accompanied by his wife Lara.

After the church service, the family headed to Capitol Hill together.

Vanessa donned a vibrant maroon coat, while Lara opted for a lavender number featuring black buttons and black piping around the sleeves.

President Trump was surrounded by his family and his grandchildren as he signed documents after the inauguration

Ivanka and Jared's five-year-old daughter Arabella looked unimpressed as she played with a pen on the desk

Ivanka walked with her arm around Jared's as they headed to her father's inaugural luncheon at Statuary Hall in the Capitol

Style star: Earlier in the day, Ivanka wore a Carolina Herrera navy wool tweed coat over a navy wool flannel high neck dress

The two were first photographed walking into St. John's Church before they joined their family at the Capitol

Tiffany arrived at the Capitol with her boyfriend Ross Mechanic, who is a registered Democrat

Ross also joined Tiffany at the service held at St. John's Church, and they were photographed walking in together

Donald Jr. was there with his wife Vanessa, and their eldest two children, while Eric walked in with his wife Lara

Vanessa donned a wine-colored coat for the momentous event, and she is pictured arriving at the Capitol with her husband and children

The day before, the family had arrived at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Trump's private plane before heading into the nation's capital.

Trump's children were there to support him during his luncheon for GOP lawmakers before watching him and Vice President-elect Mike Pence lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington Cemetery.

Later that night, they enjoyed a black tie pre-inauguration dinner Washington D.C.'s Union Station. Ivanka looked stunning in a white cap-sleeved Oscar de la Renta gown featuring a large black bow on the back, and she and Jared happily posed for a photo together before the event.

While the mother-of-three opted for classic black and white, Tiffany sparkled in an Anne Bowen beaded ivory number with metallic belt.

Ivanka modeled a black and white gown while posing with her husband Jared ahead of Thursday night's pre-inauguration ball

Ivanka's white and black cap-sleeved gown featured a large bow on the back

The mother-of-three held her baby boy Theodore as she stepped off her father's plane with her family on Thursday afternoon
Southwest Airlines crews turned plane cabins pink in support of the Women's March in Washington D.C.

Passengers shared pictures on social media of pink-lit mood lighting as hundreds of thousands of people headed to Washington D.C. for tomorrow's march following President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration today.

Krystall Parrish, who flew from Chicago yesterday for the protest event, wrote on Instagram: 'When your Southwest flight crew celebrate a plane full of kickass women and men going to the Women's March by lighting it up.'

Mood lighting: Southwest Airlines turned its aplane cabin pink in support of the Women's March on Washington

Celebration: Airline cabin crews turned the aisles of their Washington-bound carriers pink in a nod to its Women's March passengers

Passengers said the lights were well received - prompting cheers in the cabin of one plane.

Jennifer Moran wrote on Twitter: 'Southwest turns on the pink lights and a loud cheer erupts.'

Bianca Davis Mecoli, from Madison, Wisconsin, told of the scenes on her plane to D.C.

Her home state voted for Donald Trump and was one of the keys in his defeat of Clinton.

'This morning my plane was full of strong, motivated women attending Women's March. This contagious, empowered spirit is exactly why I march,' she tweeted.

Southwest Airlines said the pink lighting is not a 'company-wide initiative' but that flight crews sometime use mood lighting to cater for passengers.

Illuminated: Protesters cheered as the lights came on and some shared pictures of the cabin on social media

'While we're unaware of details surrounding specific flights, our flight crews celebrate, commemorate, acknowledge and share in special moments with our customers all the time.

'Some of our aircraft are equipped with mood lighting and while this was not a company-wide initiative, at times, our flight crews will adjust the lighting for a customer or group of customers traveling on their flight,' a spokeswoman for the airline said.

More than one million people are expected to take part in tomorrow's Women's March in marches around the world.

Over 600 different marches are set to take place across 58 different countries.

However pro-life women have voiced anger at being banned from the D.C. event.
Nicola Walker reveals she is worried that people will 'get sick of' her

Nicola Walker is still coming to terms with being one of televisions in people  those actors who appear to be in pretty much everything.

Thanks to an unfortunate quirk of scheduling, just over a year ago the Last Tango In Halifax star was also playing a copper on BBC1 and ITV at the same time, with psycho-thriller River and cold-case drama Unforgotten going out over the same few weeks.

For many it served only to show what a versatile actress Nicola is (her two cops were very different, the one in River being a ghost for starters) but she says she worried that people might get sick of her.

I was doing a play in New York when they both started going out, so some of it went over my head. But I got quite a lot of emails from my family saying, Its like youre on telly every night!!!! with lots of exclamation marks, she laughs when we meet on the north London set of the second series of Unforgotten.

I did worry that people might get a bit sick of me, but what can you do? I dont know any actor who would have turned down either of those scripts.

The curse of her own popularity is a problem shes inherited from Olivia Colman, who found herself in the same position a few years ago when she was appearing in all sorts, from Rev and Broadchurch to Twenty Twelve and Peep Show.

But Nicola, 46, also seems to have inherited Olivias mantle as the most brilliant British character actress on TV at the moment, and if Olivias recent success at the Golden Globes, where she won Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Night Manager, is anything to go by, Nicola has nothing to worry about.

The first series of Unforgotten was a huge ratings success in the autumn of 2015. When the bones of a young man were found beneath a demolished house after 39 years, four main suspects whod all had contact with the dead man came under investigation by Nicolas character DCI Cassie Stuart and her partner DI Sunny Khan, played by Sanjeev Bhaskar.

She returns for a new series of Unforgotten where she plays Cassie alongside Sanjeev Bhaskar as Sunny

The discovery of the unlikely killer was a rare water-cooler TV moment, and Tom Courtenay won a BAFTA for his performance as wheelchair-bound Eric Slater.

The second series once again features a body, this time discovered in a suitcase in the River Lea in London. The detectives discover that it belonged to a depressed man called David Walker who vanished in 1990, and again they have four main suspects who all have secrets.

Nicola thinks the show has struck a chord with viewers because they discover things alongside the detectives. Its satisfying to watch a story where you feel like youre a fly on the wall, she says.

It takes us a long time to identify the body, and then uncover the suspects secrets. We follow ideas that seem totally credible, but then they turn out to be completely wrong.

'Plus theres a proper end to the stories; there are no tricks. I think people also like the fact that our characters arent troubled souls. We laugh at the fact that by not being mavericks they are mavericks in this genre.

Nicola as Gillian alongside her co-stars in The Last Tango of Halifax

An Essex girl whose father was a scrap metal dealer, Nicola started acting when a friend at Cambridge got her to audition for the universitys famous Footlights theatrical club. She then spent ten years as a jobbing actress before landing her breakthrough role as Ruth Evershed in Spooks in 2003.

These days shes sometimes offered jobs without having to audition for them, although even that can be scary, she admits. It can be a poisoned chalice, the gift of a job without an audition, she says.

When you start acting you worry that the producers are saying to themselves, Oh no, shes not doing it the way we thought she would because they didnt have a taste of what they were going to get.

Best known for portraying quiet, nervy characters, Nicola has a similar manner in real life too, pausing over questions and changing her mind mid-sentence. When her nerves get too much for her she often takes solace from her friend and Last Tango In Halifax co-star Sarah Lancashire.

Sarahs very good at giving encouragement, she says. So if Ive done a day at work where I think, That didnt go well, Ill send a text to her and she fires one back with something very positive but also slightly offensive. Im absolutely in love with Sarah, shes a good person to have in your corner.

The pair were recently back together for the Christmas special of Last Tango, in which Nicola plays the troubled Gillian and Sarah her stepsister Caroline.

With Sarah also having the lead role in Happy Valley, another show written by Last Tango creator Sally Wainwright, the two have been paving the way for middle-aged women in primetime cop shows.

I think Sarah is a big reason why suddenly there are lots of women fronting police shows, says Nicola. Happy Valley showed there was an appetite to see women in those roles. For so many years the best a woman could hope for was to be the sidekick.

'But I think theres a drive from audiences to see more women up front, and Im pushing for it as well. I want to watch telly that reflects the world I see. And we have a fascination in this country with crime stories, dont we?

A fourth series of Last Tango was promised as the credits rolled on series three two years ago, but Sally Wainwrights been so busy writing Happy Valley, detective series Scott & Bailey and her drama about the Bronte sisters To Walk Invisible which was shown at Christmas, shes struggled to find time to get back to Halifax. But Nicolas keen to return to her tortured character Gillian.

She murdered her husband. Shes always burning bridges because shes full of self-loathing, she says. Now she doesnt know whether shes able to have a normal relationship.

In the meantime Nicolas planning a rare few months off with her family, actor husband Barnaby Kay and their ten-year-old son Harry. Theres nothing chalked in for me which is probably a good thing after all the things Ive had on recently, she laughs. But its always accompanied by anxiety; what if people stop liking me?

Unlikely Nicola, highly unlikely.

Unforgotten is on Thursdays at 9pm on ITV.
Designer Rick Owens showed his Fall 2017 menswear collection in Paris this week, and the designer seems to have taken a utilitarian route to his new ensembles.

Male models came down the runway tied up in outfits that looked strikingly like sleeping bags strapped to their bodies, with puffy shapes bundled in odd places.

'You know, I wanted it to be voluptuous and flamboyant,' he told Vogue. 'but then I look at it: It definitely is about strapping yourself in for a bumpy ride.'

New clothes: Rick Owens showed his menswear collection for Fall 2017 on Thursday

The line's a snooze: The designer seems to have been inspired by sleeping bags

The sleeping bag-like material was strapped to several models

He said the collection 'is about strapping yourself in for a bumpy ride'

Several of the models also had their long hair matted in front of their faces

Also big in the collection were pairs of pants that appeared to be made from tarps

Also coming down the catwalk were plenty of wide-leg pants in a variety of fabrics, from a crinkly tarp to the shiny material that goes into making ski pants.

The designer calls the collection 'Glitter'  though there is no sparkle in sight  and styled models with long, matted hair and occasional pale white make-up.

'I wanted to kind of get away from the doom. My last few seasons have been about doom: How do you negotiate things, and things changing, and handling that gracefully. But . . . this cycle ends up being a continuation of the other cycle,' he said.

The tarp pants looked like they were sewn together at the last minute with rough edges

The bulky styles definitely made a big statement on the Paris runway

Each of the models was draped in several layers of clothing

Rick Owens said the name of the collection is Glitter though there is no glitter in it
Newly-minted First Daughter Ivanka Trump has celebrated her father Donald's inauguration by sharing a sweet photo of her family on their way to the inaugural parade.

The 35-year-old took to her social media accounts on Friday afternoon to share a photo of her and her husband Jared Kushner, 36, in a limousine with their two eldest children, Arabella and Joseph.

Later, she and the rest of her family walked the parade route before settling into seats to celebrate their dad's big event.

Ivanka Trump took to Instagram on Friday to share a photo of her and her husband Jared Kushner heading to the inaugural parade with their children Arabella and Joseph

The 35-year-old was all smiles as she walked with her three-year-old son Joseph in the parade

The doting mom made sure to check on Joseph during the walk

Ivanka waved while Jared held their nine-month-old son Theodore in his arms

The Trump children proudly cheered on their dad as he enjoyed his moment

Ivanka looked poised in her Oscar de la Renta ensemble as her brother held her nephew up high behind her

Ivanka's brother's Donald Jr. and Eric also took time during their hectic schedule to post photos of themselves enjoying the momentous day with their families.

The businesswoman's photo sees her and her husband sitting across from their children, who are all dressed up just like their parents.

'Heading to the parade! #inauguration,' she captioned the image; however, her children seem to be more interested in the technology in front of them.

While Ivanka and Jared are smiling for the camera, Arabella just looked up from the tablet that was in front of her, and three-year-old Joseph didn't even bother to do that.

Only Barron sat and rested as the rest of the family stood up and applauded

'Got greeted by the cutest Trump supporter just now after an amazing ceremony at The Capitol,' Donald Jr. wrote when he shard this Instagram photo of him and his daughter Chloe

'Standing here, the magnitude of this day, and the new job ahead, really hits home!' Eric captioned this snapshot of him and his wife Lara at the Capitol

Ivanka (far right) Theodore as she stood outside her father's limo at the inaugural parade

Arabella walked alongside her mother as she held Theodore firmly on her hip

For part of the walk, Ivanka held both Arabella and Joseph, who completed a red, white, and blue family picture

President Trump and First Lady Melanie led the family during the celebratory parade

The little boy was too busy playing with a smartphone to pose for the family picture.

Although Ivanka and Jared are both Orthodox Jews, The Jerusalem Post reports that the couple has received rabbinic permission to travel by car on Friday evening following the inauguration.

Jewish law states that driving or riding in cars is prohibited on the Sabbath; however, the Hebrew principle pikuach nefesh, or protection of life, overrides the rule in life-threatening situations.

According to the outlet, Mark Zell, chair of the Republican Party in Israel, stated during an interview with Kol Barama radio that the couple has been granted special permission by a rabbi to use a vehicle because of 'safety' concerns.

Once at the parade, the entire family smiled as they walked down the street together.

The family then watched the rest of the parade from the main viewing stand

Ivanka's husband Jared had been holding Theo, but passed him off to mom when their three-year-old son Joseph wanted to be picked up, too

Ivanka, Joseph, and Barron were all given front seats to the parade with their dad, while Tiffany and the older sons sat in the second row

Everyone seemed to enjoy the spectacle as they sat up above the parade route

Ivanka kept a huge smile plastered on her face, beaming happily for the crowd

Tiffany chatted with her sister-in-law in the seats behind Ivanka

Some of the smaller children got a lift from their parents, with Ivanka's husband Jared carrying baby Theodore for the first stretch. Soon, though, he'd handed Theo off to Ivanka and picked up their three-year-old son Joseph.

The family then piled into the prime seats to watch the proceedings, with Trump standing up to wave to the crowds while his children clapped and cheered him on.

Ivanka, who will be taking a role in her father's White House, and her husband Jared, who will also play a part, were honored with front row seats next to Trump and Melania. On their other side was Ivanka's younger brother Barron.

Tiffany, Eric, Don Jr., and the young men's wives and children also sat in the second row. Tiffany's boyfriend Ross Mechanic, who was on hand for festivities earlier in the day, did not join them in the seats of honor.

Earlier in the day, Ivanka made waves with her stunning white, asymmetrical coat and matching pants, and it looks like her daughter inherited her sense of style.

She also sat by as her father and husband chatted during the event

Trump's children Ivanka, Tiffany, Barron, Eric, and Donald Jr. are pictured entering the stage before the inauguration

President Donald Trump took the oath of office from U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (R) with his wife Melania, and children Barron, Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany (from left to right) at his side

Donald Jr. took to Instagram to post a photo of his dad being sworn in and a message about the 'incredible experience'

Eric's wife Lara shared a snap from the inauguration and the caption: 'Surreal. So Proud.'

Ivanka and Tiffany both opted to wear suffragette white with contrasting shoes, while Melanie stunned in a pale blue Ralph Lauren ensemble

Arabella looked darling a red wool coat with a bow around her neck and matching red tights and shoes. Despite the history moment, the little girl didn't look too impressed as she watched her grandfather Donald sign documents after his inauguration.

President Trump was surrounded by his family and grandchildren during the moment, and being front and center did nothing for Arabella. The kindergartener was leaning on the desk with her chin resting on her chin, while she touched one of the spare pens with other.

After the inauguration, Ivanka's older brother Donald Jr., 39, shared an Instagram picture of himself posed with his two-year-old daughter Chloe.

'Got greeted by the cutest Trump supporter just now after an amazing ceremony at The Capitol. #inauguration #trump45 #trump #maga #usa #america,' he wrote.

Donald Jr. and his wife Vanessa took their two eldest children, Kai and Donald III, to the service at St. John's Episcopal Church on Friday morning

President Trump was surrounded by his family and his grandchildren as he signed documents after the inauguration

Ivanka and Jared's five-year-old daughter Arabella looked unimpressed as she played with a pen on the desk

Ivanka carried Theodore on hip and held Arabella's hand after her father, President Donald Trump, formally signed his cabinet nominations into law

Ivanka modeled a black and white gown while posing with her husband Jared ahead of Thursday night's pre-inauguration ball

The mother-of-three held her baby boy Theodore as she stepped off her father's plane with her family on Thursday afternoon

Both of them have wide smiles in the snapshot, and Chloe looks happy to be reunited with her dad after the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Eric, 33, took a moment to snap a selfie with his wife Lara before posting it on his Twitter page.

'Standing here, the magnitude of this day, and the new job ahead, really hits home! #Inauguration,' he wrote.

Lara, Eric's wife, added to a photo from the inauguration: 'Surreal. So proud.'

Don Jr. simply shared a photo of his father being sworn in, adding the caption: 'It doesn't get any more surreal than this for me. Just an incredible experience and honor to be there. #trump45 #trump #maga #usa #america.'

While Don's wife Vanessa hasn't posted anything on Instagram today, she did write earlier int he day on Twitter: 'Congratulations to my father in law @realDonaldTrump ! Your grandkids and I are so proud of you ! President Trump. [sic]'
Hospital staff calling in sick costs the NHS more than 1 billion a year, shocking new statistics show.

Overworked paramedics, nurses and midwives are being forced to take time off to cope with the current crisis, experts have warned.

Despite having a budget of 116.4 billion, a range of services are constantly being scuppered to help combat its growing deficit.

And this increasing pressure on staff to make up for the slashes is forcing the NHS to waste their own diminished budget on providing sick pay, MailOnline can exclusively reveal.

A breakdown of NHS statistics shows that staff calling in sick cost the health service more than 1 billion each year

Research, commissioned by totaljobs, analysed data on the number of sick days taken by those who work in the health service in England.

They found illnesses obtained by the nursing, midwifery and health visiting sector were the biggest burden.

Their combined sick days cost more than 442 million - despite them not even having the highest absence from work rates.

Instead, qualified ambulance staff - under increasing amounts of pressure due to the ongoing crisis - reported the greatest number of sick days.

But they were responsible for just 28 million of the NHS' outgoings for poorly staff.

And ill healthcare assistants and other support staff, who had the second highest absence rates, were found to cost the NHS 319 million.

Overworked paramedics, nurses and midwives are being forced to take time off to cope with the current crisis, experts have warned

A further 198 million was splashed out on providing sick pay to admin staff while those in the scientific, therapeutic and technical sector deprived the health service of a much-needed 45 million.

However, the overall figure of 1.1 billion could be higher as data on doctors was not included, the researchers said.

THE TRUE COST OF NHS SICKDAYS Nurses, midwives & health visiting staff 442,610,242 Scientific, therapeutic & technical staff 138,070,947 Qualified ambulance staff 28,852,474 Healthcare assistants & support staff 318,625,565 NHS infrastructure support staff 198,573,167 TOTAL: 1,126,732,395 Source: NHS Digital Advertisement

Dr Judith Johnson, a clinical psychologist at the University of Leeds, told the MailOnline: 'Due to rising demands on the healthcare system combined with funding shortfalls, healthcare staff are reporting unprecedented levels of stress and burnout.

'Poor mental wellbeing in staff is linked with poorer quality and safety of patient care, poorer patient experience and is financially costly.

'Research to better understand how we can support healthcare staff wellbeing is sorely needed.'

Researchers used the most recent publically accessible figures on the NHS Digital website showing the average sickness rates for each staffing group.

The team reached their figures by dividing the full time equivalent basic rate of pay of each department of staff and divided it by 366 days - due to 2016 being a leap year.

Daily rates were then multiplied by the number of days lost to provide a rough estimate of sick pay provided by the NHS.

Responding to the research, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, said: 'NHS staff now feel more comfortable about reporting the kinds of stress and wellbeing issues that can lead to other illnesses.

Qualified ambulance staff - under increasing amounts of pressure due to the ongoing crisis - reported the greatest number of sick days

'There is now more specialist support for the health of our people, but there is also more pressure on the NHS, which impacts on employees, and we are urgently seeking solutions to that issue.

'Ongoing support will be needed to sustain staff fitness and reduce absence levels, which have been relatively stable in the NHS for many years.'

A Department of Health spokesperson said: 'The health and wellbeing of NHS staff is vital in ensuring they are able to give provide the best care to patients.

A&E DEPARTMENTS HIT BREAKING POINT A&E departments are struggling to cope with the increasing pressure, statistics showed last week. More than four in 10 hospitals in England have declared a major alert in the first week of 2017, the NHS said. While nearly half of trusts believe their emergency units are being overwhelmed due to bed shortages. Overall, 226 serious alerts were issued by hospitals experiencing major pressures in the first six days in January. Advertisement

'Employers across the NHS should ensure staff are properly supported to maintain their health and wellbeing and when off sick, offered appropriate help to return as quickly as possible.'

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.

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.
law enforcement agencies have been warned of possible attacks in Punjab, Uttarakhand and UP, all states that will go to assembly elections next month. (Pictured Sukhbir Singh Badal)

Intelligence agencies have warned that politicians in the poll-bound state of Punjab as well as in Jammu and Kashmir could be potential targets for Islamic and Sikh terror outfits during the election season.

According to sources, law enforcement agencies have been warned of possible attacks in Punjab, Uttarakhand and UP, all states that will go to assembly elections next month.

Police has been asked to step up patrol at rallies and other events.

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti Sayed have been identified as high-value targets by Sikh and Islamic terror groups, the alerts suggest.

Although Mufti is not associated with elections, she has been identified as a high-value target due to unrest in her state in the past year.

Although Mufti is not associated with elections, she has been identified as a high-value target due to unrest in her state in the past year.

Top officials associated with security arrangements for elections and counting in these states have already held several rounds of meetings.

They have also been asked to brief security personnel on ground to ensure maximum security cover, said officials.

According to one input, a Lashkar-e-Taiba module has been specifically formed with a task to destabilize electoral process in these states.

Another alert based on the disclosures made by a youth affiliated to Islamic State has also revealed plans to target a number of BJP/RSS functionaries and leaders.

It is suspected that Lashkar has formed a six-member fidayeen module to target top political leaders.

To execute the plan, LeT is trying to subvert security personnel associated with VIP security to extract information about the movement of their intended targets, said officials.

Security forces have been cautioned to ensure personnel put on VIP security duties should be subjected to regular security vetting to check any adverse antecedents/affiliations.

There are also reports that Punjab CM and his son Sukhbir may also be targeted as Sikh militant groups are unhappy with them.

Europe-based members of Sikh extremist groups Babbar Khalsa -Germany, Sikh Federation Germany, Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar and other pro-Khalistan elements from Europe have in the past reportedly unanimously decided to boycott the visit of SAD-Badal leaders to their countries.

Badal is facing crisis on account of the alleged inability to resolve long pending issues like the water dispute with neighbouring states.
The Islamic State could be planning an attack on Delhi courts around the Republic Day, sources told Mail Today quoting a fresh input by the Intelligence Bureau.

According to the sources, ISIS sympathisers, who have been hiding in Delhi for some time now, are planning to target Delhi's courts and legal buildings.

Intelligence reports claim that the sympathisers and have already done a recce of the District courts and the High court, for a planned attack.

Cops said they have stepped up vigil outside courts due to the threats

Intelligence Bureau has shared a specific input with Delhi Police that ISIS is planning to target Delhi courts during Republic Day.

Modi has been ISIS's target because the radical Islamists believe that he did not do enough to protect Muslims

Officials said that while it was earlier thought that ISIS radicals are mostly based in the southern parts, recent efforts to track ISIS footprint have found that their sympathisers are also spread all over northern India.

Several cells linked to ISIS are now on the radar of law enforcement agencies.

Sources further said that the attack in the Capital could be a Pathankot-like attack.

There have also been strong inputs that it could be a Nice-style attack, in which a cargo truck was deliberately driven into crowds celebrating Bastille Day on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France, resulting in the death of 86 people and injuring hundreds more.

Commenting about the shifting of the target from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to courts and other places, a senior police official while requesting anonymity told Mail Today: 'This time ISIS is targeting the public to hit the Indian government.'

Modi has been ISIS's target because the radical Islamists believe that he did not do enough to protect Muslims from the bloodshed, but he has been cleared of any complicity in the violence.

A senior Delhi police official said that Delhi Police has done the most sensitive arrangement for the Republic Day celebration and is ready to handle all the situations.
In a significant ruling at a time when it is examining the validity of triple talaq sanctioned by Muslim personal law, the Supreme Court has said divorce decrees granted by ecclesiastical tribunals, popularly known among Christians as 'church courts', have no legal sanctity.

A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said ecclesiastical courts had validity in English jurisprudence where a state religion was prevalent, but in a democratic society, there was no place or need for such courts.

It said only courts under Indian Divorce Act can grant divorces for Christians.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Bengaluru-based octogenarian Catholic advocate Clarence Pais, who has sought legal sanctity for divorce decrees granted by church courts

The court was hearing a petition filed by Bengaluru-based octogenarian Catholic advocate Clarence Pais, who has sought legal sanctity for divorce decrees granted by church courts.

He pleaded that marriage and divorce among Catholic Christians were governed by the church, and in the absence of its recognition by the law, unsuspecting men were facing prosecution for bigamy.

'We cannot override the law,' said the bench as it reminded Pais that the issue had been settled by a 1996 ruling in Molly Joseph vs George Sebastian case.

It had ruled that 'unless Divorce Act recognises the jurisdiction, authority or power of ecclesiastical tribunal (sometimes known as church court), any order or decree passed by such tribunal cannot be binding on the courts which have been recognised under the provisions of the Divorce Act to exercise power in respect of granting divorce and adjudicating in respect of matrimonial matters'.

A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said ecclesiastical courts had validity in English jurisprudence

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 because such divorces are not recognised by the criminal and civil courts.

Many Catholic Christians, who married after getting divorce from Christian courts, faced criminal charges of bigamy because such divorces are not recognised by the criminal and civil courts. (Picture for representation)

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 the Indian Penal Code.

But the court was not convinced.

Solemn past cases under divorce act

In a 1996 divorce case Molly Joseph (wife) Vs George Sebastian (Husband), Supreme Court had ruled that 'a Christian marriage can be declared null and void only by a decree of Court as provided under the Indian Divorce Act.

In that case the court ruled: 'Unless Divorce Act recognises the jurisdiction, authority or power of ecclesiastical tribunal (sometimes known as church court), any order or decree passed by such tribunal cannot be binding on the courts which have been recognized under the provisisns of the Divorce Act to exercise power in respect of granting divorce and adjudicating in respect of matrimonial matters'.
The official figures for the most popular car colours of 2016 are out.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders revealed the top 10 most selected tones for new cars registered on Friday.

A record number of new models were purchased in the UK last year, but can you guess which paint option was most selected?

10. Yellow - 12,431 cars

Yellow has returned to the top 10 for the first time in three years, though it had a minimal increase in sales of 0.1 per cent. Of the 2,692,786 cars registered in 2016 just 12,431 were yellow, making up less than 0.5 per cent of the total market share.

9. Brown - 15,244 cars

After make something of a comeback in the last couple of years, buyers are now rethinking if brown really is the best paint option. A 40 per cent decline in selections compared to the year previous backs up this theory. It might work for mud-clad 4x4s like this SsangYong Rexton, but not for many other car types.

8. Orange - 17,429 cars

With colour choice having a direct impact on the resale value of cars, we're surprised orange is still gracing the top 10. A total of 17,429 models registered were orange, and carmakers are taking to the tone again for 2017. Both the Honda Jazz and new Nissan Micra (pictured) will be available in the palette.

7. Green - 27,740 cars

British racing green might have been one of the top choices in years gone by, but times have changed. Just one per cent of the nation's new models are selected in this paint scheme. While 27,740 sales sounds fairly good, the sixth most popular colour was selected on almost 10 times as many vehicles.

6. Silver - 273,220 cars

And that colour is silver. With metallic paints costing extra on just about all mainstream cars these days, buyers might be slightly less obliged to choose silver. The numbers suggest so, with a 7.5 per cent decline in sales compared to 2015.

CAR COLOURS: BIGGEST WINNERS AND LOSERS IN 2016 GOING UP  Pink may still be a niche colour choice, but last year demand grew 82.7% to 3,527 units.  A 44% rise in demand for Bronze cars saw a record 8,902 people spec the colour in 2016.  Turquoises popularity grew fourfold last year, from just 792 registrations in 2015 to 2,718. GOING DOWN  Is browns time in the top 10 coming to an end? Demand fell -40.1%, dropping it one place to ninth.  Appetite for beige fell -27.6% to under 10,000 for the first time since 2000 with 8,426 cars registered. Silver saw the biggest volume decline, falling 22,209, with 273,220 buyers compared with 843,870 in 2004.

5. Red - 303,789 cars

Back in the mid to late '90s red was the second most selected car colour. It might not be as popular today, but in the last 20 years it has only been out of the top 5 twice (2011 and 2012). It is one of the most popular no-cost colour options you can get on new models today, but that still hasn't helped it climb the table.

4. Blue - 414,160 cars

One colour that is in demand is blue, with 414,000 new vehicles selected in this tone. It means more than one in 10 new cars is this shade, helped by a 7.2 per cent increase in demand. Like red, it's often offered as a 0 paint option by motor brands.

3. Grey - 465,579 cars

Of the top 10 most chosen colours, grey has had the biggest spike in interest. A handsome chunk of 465,579 new models were chosen in this tone, up 13 per cent on last year. It's traditionally a favourite for buyers of premium models but even sporty cars like the Mazda MX-5 (pictured) look appealing in the shade.

2. Black - 542,862 cars

Black is back on trend, it appears. A total of 542,862 cars were purchased in the shade, just 9,467 fewer than the best-selling colour. A 6.5 per cent increase in demand meant one in every five cars bought were black in 2016. Many manufacturers now have a black special edition range - Honda is celebrating the final run of Civic Type R models with this dark number.

1. White - 552,329 cas

White maintained its position as the UKs most popular new car colour for the fourth year in a row. More than half a million new car buyers chose the colour last year  a fifth of all registrations  although figures show its popularity is starting to fade with demand falling by 2.1 per cent, the first drop since 2005.

White has been the most chosen colour since 2013, but black looks set to give it a run for its money this year. Two decades ago, green was the top choice

The biggest increase in the top 10 was grey, with a 13% jump in sales compared to 2015. At the opposite end of the spectrum was brown, down 40%

White is now rarely a 0 colour choice

There is the assumption that white is the most-selected option because it is free of charge unlike metallic paints, which tend to cost extra.

However, research conducted by This is Money last year found that car makers demanded extra money for white paint on all but two of the 10 best-selling cars in the country.

Mini, for example, was offering 'Pepper White' as a no cost option this time last year. That might explain why it was the most selected colour on the hatchback during 2016. However, you now have to pay 475 if you want this very same colour when ordering a new model today.

Below, we've listed the top 10 most bought cars of 2016 and listed what the most popular colour choice is for that model - based on SMMT figures. We can then tell you if this is a free of charge colour choice provided by the manufacturer or one you have to pay extra for, and how much.
Im planning a trip to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and its slightly cheaper to book two separate flights, one from London to Amsterdam with a low-cost airline and second from Amsterdam to Rio, rather than booking the entire journey with one airline.

If I go for the cheaper option, rather than booking the whole flight with one airline, am I still entitled to the same compensation should something go wrong on the flight?

I am slightly concerned that if my first flight is delayed and I miss my connecting flight I will have to fork out for a new ticket myself.

Will I be covered by the airline if this did happen? Or would I need to book and pay for a new flight myself and then claim the money back through my travel insurance policy?

Flights booked separately with different airlines have different compensation rules

Rebecca Rutt, of This is Money, replies: If youre booking a long flight its likely to cost quite a bit and therefore understandably you are looking at the best ways to try and save money on the overall cost.

While two separate flights on long-haul journeys may be cheaper than booking with one airline, there are risks involved which you need to be aware of.

This is because if your first flight is delayed and you miss your second flight, you wont be entitled to compensation from the airline. You also will only be able to claim for a delayed flight for the first leg of the journey, if it arrives at least three hours late.

We asked the Civil Aviation Authority to clarify the situation. A spokesperson said: When a passenger books separate connecting flights with two different airlines they can only claim compensation for the delay to the first leg.

So in your case, the passenger can only claim 250 for the delay of more than three hours from London to Amsterdam (the maximum compensation for a short-haul flight) providing of course the delay was the airlines responsibility.

'Unfortunately, the passenger will have to book (and pay for) new flights for the second leg as they missed the flight.

'If the passenger had booked a single through ticket, the airline would be responsible for organising an alternative flight for the second leg. If the delay was the airline's fault the customer would also need to be compensated based on the delay at the final destination so that would be 600 if it was more than four hours late for a long haul flight.

Under EU rules airlines must pay compensation for heavily delayed flights as set out in Regulation (EC) 261/2004.

The amounts available start from 250 (212) for flights of less than 1,500km long which are delayed by at least three hours and go up to 600 (509) for flights of more than 3,500km between an EU and non-EU airport, delayed by at least four hours.

However, airlines wont always pay out if 'extraordinary circumstances' apply such as severe weather or strikes. But in your case you can only claim if the first leg is delayed and it was the airlines fault.

This won't apply if you've booked the entire flight with one airline but end up having two separate flights with different airlines. For example if you've booked the entire trip, from London to Rio de Janeiro via the British Airways website, but then one of your flights ends up with a different airline, you will have the same rights as someone who had booked a single flight with British Airways for the entire distance.

If your flight is cancelled however, you do have rights, no matter how you booked the flight or which airline it is with.

You should be given the option of a refund for any part of the ticket you havent used or if you still want to travel the airline must find you an alternative flight. If you do decide to choose an alternative flight the airline needs to offer you care and assistance which includes food and drinks and may stretch to overnight accommodation if necessary.

To claim compensation for delayed flights you must be at least three hours late arriving

You could also use your travel insurance to cover the expense if you need to buy a new flight.

Travel insurance is designed to cover you if things go wrong including delayed or cancelled flights. However how much compensation youre entitled to will depend on your insurer and the terms and conditions of the policy.

We asked Direct Line what its policy was for delayed passengers and it said: In the event a holidaymaker misses the departure of a connecting flight due to a scheduled flight running late, Direct Line will cover each insured traveller for up to 600 for alternative accommodation and travel expenses. For missed departure within the UK, holidaymakers are covered for up to 200.

However, this isnt standard across all insurers as when we also asked Axa what its policy was, it said passengers would only be covered if their policy included travel disruption cover. It says this is included as standard in many of its policies, or is available as an add on.

A spokesperson said: In this scenario AXA would provide cover for both the outward and inward journeys, providing the customers policy included Travel Disruption Cover.

'This would provide cover if they fail to arrive at the departure point in time to board their flight (including flights that are booked separately) due to: the failure of the public transport (including previous flights), strike, industrial action or adverse weather conditions or being involuntarily denied boarding because there are too many passengers for the seats available and no other suitable alternative flight could be provided within 12 hours.'
For those who associate Argos with cheap jewellery and cut-price electronics it might come as a surprise, but Buckingham Palace is one of its best customers.

New boss John Rogers, who took the helm after the store chain was bought by Sainsburys in a 1.3 billion deal last year, is keen to dispel its downmarket image.

The store in Camden High Street in London, he says, delivers frequently to Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. So what does Her Majesty order? Toasters, Tupperware, one of the sovereign rings for which Argos is famed?

Success: Argos chief John Rogers is aiming to turn around the catalogue retailer

And does a footman come to thumb through the catalogue? I cant say whether it is actually the Queen, he says. They order online.

His discretion is admirable, but what about those deliveries to Westminster  are MPs putting some cheeky Argos purchases on expenses?

I dont know, he laughs. The challenge delivering to both those places is security; that can be onerous. In London there are a lot of celebrities who are customers. I cant say who they are but some are very famous.

Some are famous for being famous, he adds, with an air of mystery. The point is we are now stocking upmarket brands such as Apple and Bose, so the snobbery is starting to go away.

Whether we admit to it or not, 70 percent of the population shops in Argos at least once a year.

Rogers domain includes not only Argos, but also the non-food divisions of Sainsburys.

The two combined have turnover of 6bn a year, making it probably the biggest fashion and general merchandise retailer in Britain.

So he has a retail empire that could pack a punch. But as the demise of BHS shows, life is not easy for the likes of Argos, the once much-loved high street favourites that have let themselves slide into drabness.

How can the jovial Rogers, previously the finance chief at Sainsburys, persuade customers to shop at Argos when they could go to Amazon for convenience and value, to John Lewis for top-notch service, to AO for white goods  the list goes on.

He says the attraction of Argos is that it is often quicker than Amazon. It can offer fast-track delivery so customers can order from 20,000 items and have them delivered within four hours for 3.95.

He adds: We are very competitive on price. If you compare us with some department stores, we will be cheaper. And we are convenient.

If you order by 6pm your goods will be with you by 10pm in 90 per cent of the country. With Amazon you cant get same-day delivery in 90 per cent of the UK.

The secret is what he calls its hub and spoke system. This means that hubs at larger stores such as Camden act as warehouses for smaller ones nearby  the spokes.

Because Argos has hundreds of stores all over Britain, it has outlets closer to more customers, in contrast with Amazon that has only a dozen warehouses in the UK.

That will enable him to beat Amazon at its own game, because he will be able to make super-quick deliveries to many more customers.

We can offer fast-track delivery in a very tight time window right across the country, not just in a select few urban areas like the competition, he says.

Following the deal with Sainsburys, Argos concessions will be opened in larger stores. The idea is that customers will use the supermarket outlets to collect deliveries, and possibly buy a few groceries while they are there.

Concessions: Argos will be opened in larger Sainsburys stores. The idea is that customers will use the supermarket outlets to collect deliveries.

By the same token, people picking up some cat food might be tempted into Argos to buy a telly or an Xbox.

There will also be seven mini-Habitat outlets in Sainsburys stores by the middle of next year, as the supermarket acquired the once ultra-trendy furniture brand as part of the takeover. Our strategy is to be there whenever and wherever customers want us, he says.

Rogers, 48, is very charming and approachable, but behind the jolly exterior there is a core of obsession about Argos that may well propel him to be the next chief executive of Sainsburys.

Many in the City tip him as the successor to Mike Coupe, the current boss of the supermarket chain.

One point in Rogers favour is that hes frighteningly intelligent  quite literally a rocket scientist, who started his career as a missile designer with BAE Systems.

He works gruellingly long hours, frequently with a 5am start, followed by touring stores with a gimlet eye for any shortcomings, then meetings before admin in the evenings.

Its too soon to say whether Rogers hard work will bear fruit, but early signs are that it is paying off.

In the key Christmas period over the 15 weeks to January 7, sales at Argos were up 4 per cent, compared with a static performance at new parent J Sainsbury. We were very pleased with the performance but not surprised, Rogers says.

He carried out no fewer than 14 dry runs for Black Friday weekend, the beginning of the Christmas shopping spree, and visited 40 stores in the week running up to the big day.

Rogers is also looking at expanding Sainsburys Tu fashion range. The clothing is only in about 120 stores, so it is a hidden gem. We can grow that business online, and combine it with Argos fast-track delivery, so if you have a party dress emergency we could solve it.

This is all very different from the dowdy old days of Argos, when customers would leaf through a dog-eared catalogue, fill in a paper slip with a broken-tipped biro someone else had chewed, hand it over the counter and wait for the item to arrive about 20 minutes later.

The decor was grey, the atmosphere evocative of East Germany in 1983.

The catalogues are still there, though the pages are now embossed in plastic so they look much smarter. Most customers are using the browsers, which look like tablet computers, to order their goods.

Branching out: Rogers is also looking at expanding Sainsburys Tu fashion range - in stores and available online

Rogers tries to show me how slick the operation is, but is tripped up as it takes him three goes to spell Peppa Pig properly. It just shows my kids have grown up, he says.

Despite the automation, customers are very attached to the catalogue, which was launched in 1973 with more than 20m copies printed at its peak.

Argos tried removing it from some stores, but sales fell so it was reinstated. The catalogue is great for browsing if you dont know exactly what you want, says Rogers.

Argos currently has 840 stores and has opened 30 new outlets of a planned 250 in Sainsburys, which has 1,500 shops nationwide. Rogers expects to hire about 1,000 people on top of the 30,000 already working at Argos.

The stakes are high. Supermarkets are struggling in an economy where incomes have stagnated and discount chains such as Aldi and Lidl are all the rage.

Sainsburys purchase of Argos was an attempt to establish a heavyweight online operation that pits it against Amazon, which is storming into online groceries with its Fresh service.

The supermarket group is planning to invest about 135 million in Argos over the next three years. Rogers has a big incentive to make it work if he is to prove the City pundits right and take over from Mike Coupe.

Is that his next big opportunity? I really have to get my head down. UK retailing is incredibly difficult, he says. If I dont make this a success, there might not be a next opportunity.
Matthew Freuds annual party on Wednesday was attended by David Cameron, George Osborne and Microsoft nerd Bill Gates.

It was held at the art nouveau Schatzlap Hotel, a former sanatorium a thousand feet above town where tuberculosis sufferers could be kept quarantined from the rest of society.

Some think it preferable this hellish rabble were kept quarantined from the rest of society, but thats unkind.

Parting: Davos brings top guests from everywhere

Beard alert: BT boss and David Hasselhoff lookalike Gavin Patterson is cultivating a rakish salt n pepper beaver. Gorgeous Gavs edgy new Winter/Spring look is provoking quite a few matronly blushes around the Kongresszentrum.

Sadiq Khans moaning about Brexit is unbecoming of the London Mayor. No doubt his remarks found favour with pro-EU bankers at Morgan Stanley, whom he addressed on Wednesday evening.

The investment bank has been good to Labour, providing Tony Blairs son Euan, his former Sherpa Jonathan Powell and ex-chancellor Alistair Darling with gainful employment. Maybe theyll find a berth for Sadiq one day.

Big cheese: WPP boss Sir Martin Sorell attended the British Business Leaders lunch

Yesterdays British Business Leaders lunch was a Whos Who of city grandes fromages.

Among those gathered at the Belvedere Hotel were WPP boss Sir Martin Sorell, BTs Sir Mike Rake, BAE head honcho Sir Roger Carr and various other FTSE100 Chiefs.

Also there the looking like a muntjac in the headlights: Prince Andrews workshy daughter Beatrice.

How was she?  Sweet and very humble, says a fellow guest. So unlike her father.

Re the British Business Leaders lunch, chancellor Philip Hammond was asked by guest: When you see all these people before you, do you see citizens of the word or citizens of nowhere?

Hammond deadpanned: Personally, I see citizens of the U.K. Phils eyeballs flickered in quiet satisfaction at his response. Meanwhile, his interlocutor, EU groupie Lord Mandelson, curled his lip tartly.
A Mariah Carey concert has led to a corruption investigation after James Packer allegedly gifted free tickets to the head of an Israeli intelligence agency.

Yosef 'Yossi' Cohen allegedly attended the pop diva's concert as Packer's guest in Rishon LeZion, south of Tel-Aviv, in August 2015, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Packer reportedly invited Cohen to convince him to leave his Israeli government role at the National Security Council and instead work for the casino mogul at his company Blue Sky International.

A Mariah Carey concert has led to a corruption investigation after James Packer allegedly gifted free tickets to the head of an Israeli intelligence agency

Yosef 'Yossi' Cohen (pictured) allegedly attended the pop diva's concert as Packer's guest in Rishon LeZion

Packer and Carey were dating at the time, but broke up in November last year.

Cohen, 56, turned Packer down and became head of Israeli intelligence agency Mossad four months later.

But the Israeli Civil Service Commission is investigating the allegations he breached rules by accepting a valuable gift.

A wider corruption investigation targeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brought Blue Sky to the attention of investigators, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Packer and Carey (pictured here in Israel) were dating at the time, but broke up in November last year

Packer joined Carey for her 2015 tour of Israel, watching her perform her catalogue of hits

The investigations allegedly showed Mr Packer foot the bill for international flights for Mr Netanyahu's son Yair, 25, to jet around the world.

Packer joined Carey for her 2015 tour of Israel, watching her perform her catalogue of hits.

They were engaged in January 2016 before they parted ways in November.

Daily Mail Australia has approached Mr Packer for comment.
This is the bizarre moment a man jumped off a motor tricycle and leapt on a car in east China.

According to a nearby traffic policeman, the unidentified man was in the middle of an argument with his mother who was driving the motor tricycle at the time.

There were no reported injuries and no charges have been made, as stated in TVB news, a news broadcaster in Hong Kong.

Odd: The man can be seen lying on the bonnet of the car after jumping out of the bike

Surveillance footage caught the moment the incident occurred in Wuhu, China's Anhui province.

A small white SUV can be seen waiting in front of the traffic light.

At the same moment, cars from the right hand side can be seen driving across.

A motor tricycle drove past and a man can be seen jumping off the vehicle and running towards the SUV.

Soon after, the traffic lights turned green and cars started to move.

The man was hit and knocked onto the windscreen, lying on the bonnet of the car.

The driver wand down the window and gestured at him to go away however the man stayed on the bonnet.

Paused: The cars can be seen waiting at the traffic lights in China's Anhui province

What is going on? A police officer approaches the man to try and give him assistance

A nearby policeman witnessed the moment and took part in the investigation.

Traffic officer Wu Andong told reporters: 'The driver was confused and thought the man was one of the staged crash criminals. He did not move and so did the man.'

The man explained the incident was purely an act of anger.

He had a quarrel with his mother who was driving the motor tricycle.

Wu added: 'It is very lucky that the car was stopping at the traffic light. Things can go very serious if the car is moving fast.'

The man was given a verbal warning and released after.
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 US-Mexican border and roll back outgoing President Barack Obama's policies.

Trump arrived in Washington on a military plane with his family a day before he will be sworn in during a ceremony at the US 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.

Scroll down for video

Aides said Donald Trump would not wait to to sign executive actions that can be implemented without the input of Congress after his inauguration on Friday. He's pictured above greeting the 'Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration' at Lincoln Memorial on Thursday

Trump plans to visit the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia on Saturday.

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 US election campaign, before later accepting the verdict.

Trump also likened US intelligence agencies to Nazi Germany.

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 issues.

It was not clear, however, 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.

The strategy to sign executive order has been used by other presidents, including President Barack Obama, in their first few weeks in office. Pictured above, workers install a presidential seal at the site of the Commander in Chief inaugural ball for President-elect Donald Trump in Washington

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 added.

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.

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.

Trump, pictured with wife Melania on Thursday, could sign executive orders on several issues, including health care, climate policy, immigration and energy

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.

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 New York Jets owner Woody Johnson as US ambassador to Britain.

Trump will be sworn in as the next President of the United States at the US Capitol on Friday. The Capitol is pictured above on Thursday

'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 US-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.
An Oregon man accused of groping a 13-year-old girl on a flight from Dallas to Portland pleaded guilty Thursday.

Chad Camp, 26, accepted an agreement with prosecutors that will require him to register as a sex offender for 15 years.

Camp, of Gresham, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman to making an indecent sexual proposal to a minor and assault with intent to commit abusive sexual contact of a minor.

Chad Camp pleaded guilty Thursday to making an indecent sexual proposal to a minor and assault with intent to commit abusive sexual contact of a minor

Camp was scheduled to be sentenced May 3 with a recommendation for a 14-month prison term and credit for time already served, Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Edmonds said.

FBI agents arrested Camp after his June flight landed at Portland International Airport.

Authorities said an American Airlines flight attendant delivering snacks early in the flight noticed Camp's hand in the girl's crotch area, and a tear falling down her face. The flight attendant then separated the two.

Camp was returning to Oregon after completing a residential treatment for alcohol dependency in Florida.

A witness told police Camp had at least four mixed drinks during a layover in Dallas.

In court Thursday, Camp acknowledged having a 'large amount' of alcohol before sitting next to the girl.

Camp said: 'I invaded her space, touching her in her thigh and her groin area.

'I had inappropriate conversations with her. My words were fairly considered to be indecent. What I did was wrong in all respects.'

The girl was flying as an unaccompanied minor, and her family has filed a $10million lawsuit against American Airlines.

The family's attorney claims Camp repeatedly groped the girl for half an hour before a flight attendant noticed a single tear rolling down her cheek and made him change seats.

The girl was flying as an unaccompanied minor, and her family has filed a $10million lawsuit against American Airlines (file photo)

Attorney Brent Goodfellow told KOIN 6: 'They didn't make him move, they let him sit there until she was abused for 30 minutes,' he told the station.

'From what I understand she was the only child on the airplane that evening, so it would have been pretty easy to take a few small steps.'

American Airlines charges a $150 unaccompanied minor service fee each way for children aged five to 14.

It is meant to ensure children are 'boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendant, chaperoned during connections and released to the appropriate person at their destination', the website's policy reads.

Goodfellow told People: 'This was 30 minutes of hell for this child. She didn't know what to do.

'The family paid an extra $300  $150 each way  for her to fly as an unaccompanied minor. They expected that the airline would protect her.'

American Airlines said in a statement to CNN: 'American cares deeply about our young passengers and is committed to providing a safe and pleasant travel experience for them.

'We take these matters very seriously and have cooperated fully and immediately with law enforcement officials in their investigation of the suspect.'
A teenager is facing charges for throwing a small dog 30 feet off a South Florida bridge after she claimed dogs could fly.

A Jack Russell Terrier mix miraculously survived its fall, after its unidentified owner said 'dogs can fly' before tossing the family pet from a bridge in Palm Beach County on Wednesday.

Authorities say the 16-year-old will face animal cruelty charges for the incident at Blue Heron Boulevard Bridge, in which the eight-year-old dog, named B.J., suffered a dislocated leg.

B.J. fell nearly 30 feet after its 16-year-old owner threw him off a Palm Beach County bridge in Florida on Wednesday. The young woman claimed dogs could fly before tossing him

The Jack Russell Terrier mix suffered a dislocated leg and will not be returned to its owner

The teen was observed by witnesses laughing, taking off her clothes and casually swimming in the water afterwards, reported CBS 12.

She was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation.

B.J. was initially adopted in 2010 from a rescue shelter and will not be returned to its owner.

Capt. David Walesky of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control told the Palm Beach Post that the 30-pound black and white dog suffered significant pain and was in serious but stable condition.

B.J. was initially adopted in 2010 from a rescue shelter. The teenager will face animal cruelty charges

A lifeguard comforted the injured dog after it was found yelping and in serious pain

'He's not completely out of the woods yet,' Walesky said of the animal, which was being cared for by Animal Care and Control.

A lifeguard comforted the injured dog after it was found yelping and in serious pain.

A witness said: 'We had to turn away. It was just horrible to see a dog in so much pain and shock.'
Britain has lost nearly 300million worth of its cherished artworks over the past five years. Pictured is Pablo Picassos early period painting Child with a Dove

Britain has lost nearly 300million worth of its cherished artworks over the past five years due to exploitable loopholes in the system, an arts charity has warned.

Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund, claimed institutions in the UK do not have enough power to stop wealthy overseas buyers exporting many of the countrys most precious works abroad.

Among the artworks lost is Pablo Picassos early period painting Child with a Dove - worth around 50million - that had once hung in the National Gallery.

Despite being in the UK since 1924, it is now understood to be in Qatar after being sold in 2013.

Important cultural objects bought by overseas collectors are typically issued with a temporary export ban if they are deemed national treasures.

This gives British dealers or museums a chance to raise enough funds to match the price and keep it in the country.

However once the time is up, the seller is not obligated to give it to the UK institution  meaning they can still choose to sell it abroad.

Dr Deuchar said the current gentlemens agreement between sellers and UK institutions was being abused and called for proper legal muscle to stop the loss of Britains treasured masterpieces.

Since 2011, some 41 national treasures with a total value of 278million were given licences to be exported out of the country.

While 32 artworks  worth around 70million  have remained in the country, according to the Arts Council.

In 2015, an art dealer from New York decided to sell Pontormos Portrait of a Young Man in a Red Cap which had hung in the National Gallery, London.

The then culture minister Ed Vaizey put a temporary export bar on the portrait to allow the gallery time to try and raise funds to buy it.

The Picasso painting, worth around 50million, had once hung in the National Gallery. It is now understood to be in Qatar after being sold in 2013

But despite matching the 30million price tag, the dealer has since refused to sell it to the institution.

Dr Deuchar said this happened time and again, adding: Applying for an export licence you have to promise if a museum raises a matching sum you will sell it to them.

We (the Art Fund, which helps raise funds to keep such works in britain) want to see some proper legal muscle to a system currently based on gentlemens agreements ... the civil servants running it need to listen to people who have new ideas for change. Temporary export bans are placed on artworks that are classed national treasures - meaning that their departure from Britain is considered a loss due to its historical importance, appearance or scholarship.

Among the artworks lost in recent years are Raphaels black chalk drawing Head of a Young Apostle, which was part of the Chatsworth House collection in Derbyshire, before being exported to the US for 29.7million.

Others include Francesco Guardis oil on canvas piece Venice: A View of the Rialto Bridge from the Fondamenta del Carbon, which had once hung in the Royal Academy of Arts before being sold for 26.7million and exported to Switzerland.

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: The UKs cultural export controls helps to keep national treasures, such as TE Lawrences dagger and Jane Austens ring, in the country.

While its not possible to save every object, the system is designed to strike the right balance between protecting our national cultural heritage and individual property rights. Not all of those in the industry believe the current system is flawed, however.

Leading art historian and dealer Bendor Grosvenor argued that Britains export system is probably the best in the world as it balances the rights of the public and private collectors.

He said: Art is a global business ... is it in the public interest for the state to effectively seize someones private assets? Something about art brings out the socialist in everyone. We sometimes think it must belong to the people.

Germany recently tried to tighten up their laws and there were truckloads of art leaving the country. Its a case of be careful what you wish for...
Philip Hammond has claimed blocking skilled migrants from Britain after Brexit would be like 'shooting our kneecaps off'.

The Chancellor, speaking at a panel at the World Economic Forum, said tighter migration control after Brexit would not be implemented in a way that damages the economy.

Mr Hammond has repeatedly intervened on the Brexit debate to urge caution on how the number of people arriving in Britain are reduced.

Philip Hammond, pictured att the World Ecnomic Forum in Davis today, has warned Donald Trump's inauguration represents a bigger threat to confidence in Europe than Brexit

At the event in Davos he said: 'There is no immigration system that we will introduce that I can conceive of which will be intended or designed to cut off the flow of highly skilled, highly paid people, academics, or indeed qualified students,' he said.

'That would be exactly shooting our kneecaps off before we have even started.'

Mr Hammond added: 'It is very important to the British people that we control our borders, but most of them do not want to use that control to shut the borders, they simply want to have the control.

'We can't accept' continued uncontrolled migration from countries such as Bulgaria and Romania.

'What we've said clearly is that we cannot accept the principle of free movement.'

In other remarks today, Mr Hammond has warned Donald Trump's inauguration represents a bigger threat to confidence in Europe than Brexit.

The Chancellor, speaking in Davos at the World Economic Forum, said anything that changed the 'status quo' was unsettling.

Mr Hammond said the prospect of a change to the US 'security umbrella' inevitably impacted the EU.

The new remarks, just hours before President-elect Trump's inauguration, come a day after he launched a thinly-veiled attack on populism as a 'fool's paradise'.

Speaking at a panel discussion about Brexit Mr Hammond said: 'Brexit has introduced uncertainty.

'I think the change of administration in the US has introduced an even bigger piece of uncertainty for the European Union.

'Anything that changes the settled status quo of a Europe that lives with Russia as a neighbour, but lives under a protective U.S. security umbrella as it does ... will play into the dynamics of the European Union.'

The Chancellor, speaking in Davos at the World Economic Forum, said anything that changed the 'status quo' was unsettling

Asked about Mr Hammond's comment, Mrs May's spokesman declined to comment before adding: 'We have a very close relationship with the United States and we will continue to do so.

'We are long standing allies and friends, very close partners in trade, security, defence and we are looking forward to working with the President-elect and his team.'

Mr Hammond also greeted IMF managing directir Christine Lagarde at today's gathering

In other remarks at today's event, Mr Hammond said the UK's exit was not just about negotiating a free trade deal, and could involve talks on migration policy and interim arrangements.

'There will be many transitions involved these will take many years.'

Mr Hammond said the government was still on track to meet this 'rigid timeframe', adding that by the end of March 2019 he expected to 'at least' have agreement on the 'broad principles of the end state that will exist'.

He repeated his warnings to Europe that Britain would 'reinvent' itself into a low tax economy if the EU tried to leave it out in the cold because of Brexit

Wes Streeting MP, supporter of Open Britain and member of the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, said:

'This is a welcome dose of realism in contrast to the unrealistic rhetoric of earlier in the week.

'The man who runs our economy understands it would be a calamitous act of self-harm for us to turn our back on a deal and penalise British businesses and shoppers with higher prices.

'In his heart, Philip Hammond knows the Government have chosen to abandon the best trading relationship with the EU and his head is telling him even a second-best arrangement will take longer than two years to sort out.'

Open Britain supporter Wes Streeting welcomed Mr Hammond's remarks in Davos

Mr Hammond's remarks have repeatedly raised eyebrows during this week's gathering in Davos.

Although he did not mention the incoming US President by name, the Chancellor said there were no easy options for governments around the world in the face of mounting discontent.

Mr Trump, who will be sworn in today in Washington DC, swept to power on a tidal wave of populist support, partly rooted in criticism of globalisation and free trade.

It came as another Cabinet minister, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, also issued a coded attack on the new President over his stance on Russia.

Speaking yesterday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Hammond admitted that vast swathes of the population had become 'disillusioned'.

'Of course, it is possible to mask the effects of change in the short term,' the Chancellor said.

'But politicians who take the populist route will find it a very short road.

'There is no sustainable future for a developed economy in protectionism, subsidy, and high debt.'

He added: 'That means facing up to the fact that we have some hard graft ahead. Populism is a fool's paradise.'

Although he did not mention the incoming US President by name, the Chancellor said there were no easy options for governments around the world in the face of mounting discontent

On the eve of Mr Trump's inauguration, Sir Michael flew into Kiev, Ukraine, to reassure the nervous ally as it fights Russian aggression in the region.

He said the UK was sending a 'clear message' that its support for the country would not falter.

In an apparent swipe at the incoming President, he said: 'The values of freedom and democracy cannot be traded. Britain is stepping up on the global stage and standing firm with our Ukrainian friends.'

His comments follow No 10 panic after the president-elect proposed dropping economic sanctions against Vladimir Putin in return for nuclear arms reductions.

Currently, sanctions will only be lifted if Russia pulls its troops out of Ukraine and ends its support for local rebels.

Critics slammed Mr Trump for suggesting Ukraine's independence could be 'traded' for a deal on the reduction of nuclear weapons.

But Sir Michael made clear that Britain would not sacrifice Ukraine's sovereignty  setting the UK on a collision course with the new US leader.

Announcing British troops would continue training Ukrainian counterparts for another year, he added: 'The UK is sending a clear message that we are committed to defending democracy across the world and support Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.'

Ukraine has been fighting pro-Moscow rebels and Russian troops in the east of the country in a three-year conflict which has left nearly 10,000 dead.

The UK Government's greatest fear is that the president-elect will develop a close relationship with Mr Putin, a former KGB spy, when he enters the White House.

Such a relationship could shake up the world order and risk leaving Britain out in the cold.

These fears were heightened when Mr Trump suggested in an interview with former Cabinet minister Michael Gove this week that he could do a deal with Putin, even if the Russian leader refuses to back down on Ukraine.

His comments sent shockwaves across the Foreign Office and Britain's allies, who fear an emboldened Putin could launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In his wide-ranging speech in Davos the Chancellor also said technology posed a threat to the workforce  with skilled and unskilled employees facing losing their jobs to machines.

It is thought that the rise of the robots puts administrative, clerical and production staff most under threat.

Cabinet minister, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon (left), also issued a coded attack on the new President over his stance on Russia, led by Vladimir Putin (right)

Mr Trump, who will be sworn in today in Washington DC, swept to power on a tidal wave of populist support, partly rooted in criticism of globalisation and free trade

Some even claim that entire professions, such as accountancy, could be pushed to the brink of extinction as developments in computers make the roles redundant.

Mr Hammond said: 'Over the coming years our economy and our social structures will have to cope not only with the impacts of globalisation but also with the quickening pace of technological change.

'On the positive side, many of the new disruptive technologies are being developed in the UK.

'We will be investing over 8billion of public money ... annually by the end of the decade, ensuring that what is invented in the UK and discovered in the UK gets developed and commercialised in the UK, and, yes please, ultimately taxed in the UK.

'But that won't in itself protect us from the impact of first unskilled and then skilled workers finding their jobs disappearing.

Indeed, looking at the relative speed of development of recent advances, for example in computerised medical diagnostics on the one hand and driverless vehicles on the other, it could well be the case that it is skilled workers that face the earliest challenge to their jobs.'

Bank of England Governor Mark Carney previously said 15million Britons could be put out of work by robots.
A former bikini model 'fears for her safety' after launching a $400,000 lawsuit against the Queensland Police.

Renee Eaves, a social justice advocate on the Gold Coast, launched the lawsuit against the Queensland Police Service after her Right to Information request allegedly revealed officers had viewed her personal file more than 1,400 times.

Ms Eaves said she planned to move house after discovering some of the officers accessing her file have histories of misconduct, The Courier-Mail reported.

A former bikini model 'fears for her safety' after launching a $400,000 lawsuit against the Queensland Police

Renee Eaves, a social justice advocate on the Gold Coast, launched the lawsuit after her Right to Information request allegedly revealed officers had viewed her personal file more than 1400 times

Ms Eaves is unable to comment on the lawsuit but she has previously taken the QPS to court for unlawful arrest in 2011 and won a significant pay-out.

She had been forcibly removed from her home while heavily pregnant and arrested for an alleged traffic incident.

Her recent legal action is against the state of Queensland and five police officers after lodging a complaint with the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) last year.

The former bikini model has previously spoken out against the treatment she's faced with the QPS, believing her work with victims of police brutality put her 'under the microscope'.

Ms Eaves (pictured in the 1999 Miss Bikini World competition) is unable to comment on the lawsuit

The former bikini model has previously spoken out against the treatment she's faced with the QPS, believing her work with victims of police brutality put her 'under the microscope'

She says the organisation has taken little action after her Right to Information request revealed Queensland police had allegedly viewed her Q PRIME file 1475 times since 2006.

'It felt like someone was looking through my underwear drawer daily,' Ms Eaves told Daily Mail Australia at the time.

Ms Eaves claims no one has taken a statement from herself after lodging the complaint with the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) last year.
President-elect Donald Trump's decision not to appoint any Latinos to his Cabinet is drawing fierce criticism from Hispanics, who call it a major setback for the nation's largest minority group.

But his aides hit back Thursday, saying that the country should focus on whether or not Trump hiring is 'the best and the brightest' than taking a 'narrow' view.

Sean Spicer, who will be White House press secretary tomorrow, said the issue was being looked at wrongly.

'It is a priority but I think it is a very narrow way to look at it to say: "If you don't appoint people to this particular position that's a problem,' he said at a press briefing on Thursday morning.

'The No. 1 thing that I think Americans should focus on is, "Is he hiring the best and the brightest? Is he hiring people that are committed to enacting real change?"'

Trump announced former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue on Thursday as his choice to lead the Agriculture Department, ending hopes that the last open spot would go to a Latino nominee.

Defense: Sean Spicer spoke out after criticism was raised by Hispanic politicians at the lack of Latinos in the Trump cabinet

But Spicer said there was a commitment to diversity.

'What you're seeing and you're going to continue to see not just through the Cabinet but through the entire thing is a diversity in gender, diversity in thinking diversity of ideology,' he said.

'It's not just about skin color or ethnic heritage, but you look at the totality of this Cabinet: an Indian-American; an African-American; an Asian-American; it's about a lot of things.'

He also said that critics should wait for the final administration to be complete, pointing out that there are 5,000 political appointments in total.

The lack of Latino appointments means no Hispanic will serve in a president's Cabinet for the first time in nearly three decades.

'I never thought I would see this day again,' said Henry Cisneros, Housing secretary under President Bill Clinton.

'There are multiple, multiple talented people, from heads of corporations to superintendents, he could have selected. There really is no excuse.'

The nonpartisan National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials had started a public campaign to convince Trump to nominate former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, a Republican, to the Agriculture post.

'This is a disaster and setback for the country,' NALEO executive director Arturo Vargas said. 'The next time a president convenes his Cabinet there will be no Latino perspective.'

The move also drew condemnation from the League of United Latin American Citizens, the nation's oldest Hispanic civil rights organization.

'Trump has broken with the bipartisan precedent of past presidential administrations and has missed a major opportunity to shed the racial and ethnic divisiveness that were hallmarks of his presidential campaign,' LULAC National Executive Director Brent Wilkes said.

Hilda Solis, who served as Labor secretary under President Barack Obama, said Trump's failure to select any Latino nominees is 'more than an oversight.'

'I don't think he forgot to appoint a Hispanic. That's unfortunate,' Solis said.

Solis said having Hispanics in the Cabinet is important because they often step out of their department roles to offer different perspectives. 'I did that often,' she said. 'Especially on immigration and health care.'

Newly elected Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., the nation's first Latina senator, called Trump's lack of Latino appointments, 'beyond disappointing,' especially after he ran 'a divisive campaign that often demonized the Latino community.'

But New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, a Republican and the nation's only Latina governor, brushed off the appointment complaints.

President-elect Donald Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania Trump, waves as they arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, ahead of Friday's inauguration. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

'The president-elect gets to choose whomever he wants to choose for his Cabinet,' said Martinez, who openly clashed with Trump during the presidential campaign. 'Even though I'm a female Hispanic, I have always said that the person who has the greatest merit and who is the best and brightest should hold those positions.'

For most of the nation's history, Hispanics have played informal, yet largely small roles in advising U.S. presidents. For example, Francisco Perea served as a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico and was a close friend of President Abraham Lincoln. He was seated near the president's box at Ford's Theatre when Lincoln was assassinated.

Latinos began pressing for more visible representation in the executive branch shortly after World War II and the return of Mexican-American veterans.

Medal of Honor recipient Macario Garcia took a low-level position in the Veterans Administration at the urging of activists and President Harry Truman.

Providencia Paredes and Carlos McCormick served as close aides to President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jackie Kennedy.

Cabinet Hispanics: Hilda Solis was Labor Secretary under Obama from 2009 until 2013, while Bill Richardson was Bill Clinton's energy secretary from 1998 until 2001

They advised the couple on how to reach out to Latino voters in the 1960 campaign, when new Mexican-American voters helped swing a close election.

Dr. Hector P. Garcia, a Texas physician and another WWII veteran, was tapped by President Lyndon Johnson as the alternate ambassador to the United Nations to push better relations with Latin America. Later, President Jimmy Carter nominated Houston activist Leonel Castillo as commissioner of immigration.

A Latino finally was appointed to a Cabinet position in 1988, at the tail end of President Ronald Reagan's second term.

Lauro Cavazos, a Democrat, was confirmed as Education secretary and continued to serve for part of President George H.W. Bush's term.

Since then Latinos have had a presence in Democratic and Republican administrations from Surgeon General Antonia Novello, under Bush, to Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, under Obama.

Former Energy secretary and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson - a Democrat - whose mother was from Mexico, said the lack of appointments by Trump is telling.

'It is deeply disappointing that the president-elect is ignoring the fastest growing and economically dynamic community in the country,' Richardson said. 'Maybe it is payback for his dismal showing with Latinos in the general election.'

Edward Lujan, a former chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico and brother of former Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan Jr., said he also was disappointed there won't be any Hispanics in Trump's early Cabinet.
Outgoing NSW Premier Mike Baird has revealed he spent the first night after announcing his shock retirement away from his loved ones.

Mr Baird revealed on Thursday he would be stepping down from the role so he could spend more time with his family, including his mother, father and sister, who are all unwell.

However, in his first interview since the announcement, he said he had not celebrate with his family on Thursday evening.

Outgoing NSW Premier Mike Baird revealed he spent the first night after announcing his retirement from politics, away from his family

Mr Baird made the shock announcement on Thursday, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family, especially his sister and parents who are unwell

In his first interview since declaring he would step aside, the NSW Liberal leader praised his wife Kerryn for her 'unrelenting' support

'I wasn't with the family last night, I was with my team,' Mr Baird told Nova radio hosts Fitzy and Wippa.

'But I did see them later on, but the kids were already out with their friends so they've moved on,' he joked.

During the interview the outgoing premier also praised his wife for her 'unrelenting' support, and spoke about his daughter Laura's upcoming wedding.

'My wife has been an unbelievable support in this,' Mr Baird said of Kerryn.

Mr Baird spoke to Nova radio hosts Fitzy (left) and Wippa (right) on Friday morning

'I mean I can't begin to describe the challenges that shes faced, and her encouragement and support has just been unrelenting.'

Their daughter Laura, 20, recently got engaged to her boyfriend Levi, and Mr Baird admitted he was 'getting emotional' thinking about walking her down the aisle.

He also touched on the topic of his successor, with the radio hosts asking whether loyal Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian would be the new premier and Liberal party leader.

Mr Baird played the question off, saying it was up to the party room to decide, but he seemed quietly confident saying he would support her.

He was gifted with a Midnight Oil shirt at the end of his interview
A seven-month-old American child has been rescued following a dramatic high-speed car chase and shoot-out between two carjackers and police in Sao Paulo.

One of the villains shot at cops before losing control of the vehicle and crashing.

Mercifully, the baby was found unharmed in the abandoned vehicle in an incident that could have gone tragically wrong, said police.

Scroll down for video

Deborah (left) and William (right) Bonacci were on holiday in Brazil where they were introducing their seven-month old baby girl to family members. Mrs Bonacci is Brazilian, but the couple live with their child in Carmel, New York. The trip turned into a terrifying ordeal as their car was snatched with their child on board by bandits near Sao Paulo

The parents, an American father and Brazilian mother, who live in Carmel, New York are on holiday in Brazil.

The family's trip turned into a terrifying ordeal as their car was snatched with their child on board by armed bandits on Wednesday night in Vila Alpina, east zone of the city.

The family were returning from a trip to the coast and stopped off to visit a relative when the assault happened.

As they were saying goodbye, two armed men appeared and demanded the keys to the couple's car.

Pictured- the carjacking taking place: The family were returning from a trip to the coast and stopped off to visit a relative when the assault happened. As they were saying goodbye, two armed men appeared and demanded the keys to the couple's car. The pair agreed to hand over the vehicle but were unable to rescue their trapped child. Passing cops on a routine patrol, spotted the assault in progress but as officers approached, the criminals, who were already behind the wheel, made their get-away. Distressed mum Debora Bonacci said she pleaded with the thieves to let her take her child

The pair agreed to hand over the vehicle but were unable to rescue their trapped child.

Passing cops on a routine patrol, spotted the assault in progress but as officers approached, the criminals, who were already behind the wheel, made their get-away.

Distressed mum Debora Bonacci said she pleaded with the thieves to let her take her child.

She said: 'I told him [the villain] that we have a little girl. I shouted "For God's sake, let me get my daughter".

'But the moment they saw the police they panicked. The back door was open and I tried to get my child out but I couldn't. I was being dragged along with the car as I tried to grab my daughter. I ran after it but they drove off with the car door open.

'I was in absolute despair at that moment as I watched my child being driven away by the criminals,' Mrs Bonacci said.

The five-kilometre car chase sped through streets into the Sao Caetano do Sul neighbourhood and lasted for about 15 minutes, police said.

During the high-velocity pursuit, the criminals shot at the cops. Officers said they did not return gunfire because of the risks to the baby.

The carjackers were only stopped when they lost control of the vehicle in Sao Caetano do Sul.

A video of the crashed car was recorded by a local resident who filmed the scene from his apartment window. He was surprised to hear a child crying in an abandoned and battered car, which still had its light on, in the street late at night.

The unnamed man said: 'The baby sounded really distressed and I was concerned about what was going on. I was about to call the police when they turned up and got the child out the car. I saw an officer comforting and rocking the baby.'

The suspects had already fled on foot.

One of them, Caue Vinicius Painelli de Brito, 19, broke into a nearby house and took two women hostage holding them at gunpoint. He later gave himself up and was seen being taken in for questioning as it emerged he has a criminal record for robbery and receiving stolen goods.

His weapon was displayed as evidence by detectives as the badly damaged car was towed away.

The other criminal escaped and is still on the run.

The family who are in Brazil to introduce their child for the first time to relatives admitted they were beside themselves with worry during the terrifying ordeal.

Suspects fled the scene on foot. One of them, Caue Vinicius Painelli de Brito, 19, (pictured after being arrested) broke into a nearby house and took two women hostage holding them at gunpoint. He later gave himself up and was seen being taken in for questioning as it emerged he has a criminal record for robbery and receiving stolen goods. His weapon was displayed as evidence by detectives as the badly damaged car was towed away. The other criminal escaped and is still on the run

Mrs Bonacci said: 'This was our worst nightmare. Our innocent baby, just seven months old, was at the mercy of these bandits and we didn't know what the outcome would be.'

Fortunately, the crying child was found safe and unharmed still strapped in her chair on the back seat of the car. She was quickly reunited with her parents.

Dad, William Bonacci, thanked police and said he is not traumatised by the incident.

He said: 'This was a truly scary episode and I am obviously relieved everything has turned out fine in the end. But this incident won't leave me traumatised and condemning the violence in the country.

'The police did a great job and I am realistic that there are some bad people in Brazil. But overall Brazilians are welcoming and good people,' he said.

Military police officer, lieutenant Juliana Freitas, was the first to reach the baby.

She said: 'The child was so scared and crying with all her might. But I could see she had not been harmed. I picked her up and comforted her, rocking her gently to calm her down. I then handed her to her father.'

A relieved, Mrs Bonacci said: 'We have to thank God and the police who acted quickly so that nothing bad happened to our daughter. Our baby is doing fine and that's what matters.'
A van in regional Victoria has been pulled over by police who found six animal activists in the back of it along with 42 allegedly stolen chickens.

The animal activists allegedly stole the chickens from a poultry farm in Drouin, Victoria, and are all now facing possible animal cruelty charges, 3AW reports.

Police are considering making animal cruelty charges against the animal activists because the chickens were found in the van stuffed in backpacks and shopping bags.

Animal activists allegedly stole the chickens from a poultry farm in Drouin, Victoria (stock image)

The van driver and his six passengers were questioned by police and then released pending summons.

Officers were initially called to an industrial estate at Weerong Road in Drouin at midnight amid reports that three suspicious vehicles were in the area.

Police reportedly later followed a hiace van, intercepted it and found six people hiding in the back with 42 allegedly stolen chickens.

The group, who are reportedly animal activists, allegedly took the chooks from a poultry farm in Drouin in West Gippsland.

The chickens were found in the van stuffed in backpacks and shopping bags (stock image)

'We were quite surprised, because they [the five people] were all lying on top of each other wearing black clothing or camouflage,' Acting Sergeant Danny Carbonar told 3AW.

It's believed the six people in the back as well as the driver are from Melbourne, and allegedly stole the chickens from a nearby poultry farm because they were unhappy with the conditions the chickens were living in.

The chickens have since been returned to the poultry farm unharmed.
The population of the Falklands Islands could have been relocated to Scotland under a secret CIA plan, it has been revealed.

The US planned to step in and hand the islands to Argentina following the 1982 invasion.

Early indications by the CIA pointed to Britain 'underestimating' the Argentinian military in a war which was fought 8,000 miles away from London.

The US planned to step in and hand the islands to Argentina following the 1982 invasion

CIA top secret papers reveal that security bosses prepared to offer islanders the choice of relocating to Scotland or to stay and become Argentinian citizens

The then chairman of the National Intelligence Council, Henry Rowen, wrote the plan which was one of 12 million documents published on the CIA's website this week

CIA top secret papers reveal that security bosses prepared to offer islanders the choice of relocating to Scotland or to stay and become Argentinian citizens.

The then chairman of the National Intelligence Council, Henry Rowen, wrote the plan which was one of 12 million documents published on the CIA's website this week.

Rowen writes: 'For a period of three years the inhabitants of the Falkland Islands will be given a chance to consider whether they wish to remain on the Falkland Islands or whether they wish to relocate to an area of British jurisdiction, either in the UK or elsewhere under British sovereignty, with a relocation grant of $100,000 per person.'

He adds it is 'likely that many residents will find this sufficient inducement to relocate to some other area, perhaps in Scotland or elsewhere where conditions may be similar to the Falkland Islands'.

'Any residents who do not wish to relocate will be free to remain and become Argentinian citizens at the end of three years.

'The cost of the relocation grants to be paid to any residents of the Falkland Islands wishing to relocate elsewhere will be borne fifty/fifty by the Argentinian and British governments.'

Last month Argentina and Britain agreed to identify the bodies of 123 Argentine soldiers buried on the Falkland Islands

Early indications by the CIA pointed to Britain 'underestimating' the Argentinian military in a war which was fought 8,000 miles away from London

The cost of relocating the islanders would not be exceed half that of the cost Britain spent dispatching troops to the region, the paper, which was addressed to Paul Wolfowitz, a Department of State advisor to Ronald Reagan.

The CIA document, titled 'Solution to the Falkland Islands crisis', added that Argentina would also have to pay penalties to Britain for damage caused during the invasion.

Last month Argentina and Britain agreed to identify the bodies of 123 Argentine soldiers buried on the Falkland Islands.

The two countries, which went to war over the islands in 1982 and have had strained relations for decades, also agreed to try to increase the number of flights to the remote islands.

Britain has been keen to improve relations with Argentina since pro-business President Mauricio Macri took over from Cristina Fernandez in December, although Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over the islands.
Refugees fleeing war-torn Syria and Iraq have experienced their first day out at an Australian beach.

Syrian refugee Joseph Ghazal was one of about 100 Syrian and Iraqi refugees who took to the beach in Caloundra, Queensland on Wednesday, to experience the best of what Australian summer has to offer.

Mr Ghazal said he and his family lost everything five years ago and were forced to flee the war-torn country to escape danger.

Scroll down for video.

Syrian refugee Joseph Ghazal (pictured) was one of about 100 Syrian and Iraqi refugees who took to the beach in Caloundra, Queensland on Wednesday

'We left everything because (there was) death around us, everything (was) bad,' he told ABC News.

The beach trip was organised by refugee agency MDA, an independent organisation which helps to settle refugees in Queensland.

Patil Stepan, 13, moved to Queensland two months ago and already called Australia home.

'It is very beautiful and I am very happy. I love my new home in Australia,' she said.

Syrian refugee Jean-Pierre Ghazal also joined the swarm of excited beach-goers on Wednesday.

He said it was a long-awaited reprieve from the pain and suffering he endured in his home-country.

'Actually being at the beach for the first time in Australia is very amazing. Everyone's chilling out, stress free, trying to forget the bad stuff,' he said.

Children experience their first day out at an Australian beach after fleeing war-torn home countries

Syrian refugee Jean-Pierre Ghazal (pictured) said it was a long-awaited reprieve from the pain and suffering he endured in his home-country

While a new life in Australia offered them an escape from war, it also presented new dangers for the refugees.

Caloundra surf lifesaver Emily Neal said they were at higher risk of danger in the ocean because they did not grow up learning the ins and outs of beach safety.

'As they are from other countries that aren't exposed to the beaches like we have in Australia so (we're) just really emphasising the point of swimming between the flags,' Ms Neal said.

More than 11 per cent of drownings across Australia in 2016 and 40 per cent of drownings in Queensland over the past decade were people born overseas.
Outspoken radio host Alan Jones says frontrunner Gladys Berejiklian is a 'bad choice' for NSW Premier following Mike Baird's shock resignation.

The conservative 2GB broadcaster- who is recovering from surgery overseas - called into his programme to accuse the NSW Treasurer of organising 'the numbers before Baird had made the announcement.'

'Before [Baird's] announcement was made, the Gladys Berejiklian forces were already ringing up and doing deals so that this would all be a fait accompli,' he said.

'It's all being stitched up.'

Outspoken radio host Alan Jones (pictured) says frontrunner Gladys Berejiklian is a 'bad choice' for NSW Premier following Mike Baird's shock resignation.

Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian (left) has announced she will run for the state's top job following NSW Premier Mike Baird's (right) resignation

The shock jock - one of Baird's most candid critics - also slammed the outgoing NSW leader's decision to 'cut and run' the coveted role over his family's health.

'Across NSW people would say ''What about the families who have been ruined by the greyhound ban  [and] gone broke because of the lockout laws?'' Jones said.

'Michael Baird has cut and run.'

Mike Baird chose family over politics, sensationally quitting two years and nine months into the job.

The shock exit, made in an announcement via social media on Thursday morning, was largely because of the serious health challenges his parents and sister were facing, Mr Baird revealed.

Ms Berejiklian has confirmed she will be running for the NSW Liberal Party leadership and premiership.

But the radio host says she is not capable to handling the leagcy Baird leaves behind, including the controversial lockout laws and council amalgamations.

'[Gladys Berejiklian] is not across these issues in a million light years.'

Mike Baird chose family over politics, sensationally quitting two years and nine months into the job

Ms Berejiklian has confirmed she will be running for the NSW Liberal Party leadership and premiership, it's unclear if she will face any challengers

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, Ms Berejiklian said she was saddened by Mr Baird's decision to leave politics and that he was 'inspiring leader' and a 'man of enormous integrity'.

'Today is Mike's day - but I would like to make it clear that I will be standing for the leadership.'

The current deputy leader was reportedly seen having coffee with Mr Baird just hours before he dramatically announced he was quitting politics.

It's still unclear if the treasurer will face any challengers but it's believed Transport Minister Andrew Constance has been sounding out support for a tilt.

Planning Minister Rob Stokes ruled himself out of the race on Friday morning.

'What has been clear in my mind is, as we approach the halfway mark of this term and indeed six years into government, it's time for us to refresh, to reset our goals towards the 2019 election and beyond,' Mr Baird told a packed press conference in Sydney shortly after the unexpected announcement.

The conservative 2GB broadcaster- who is recovering from surgery overseas - called into his programme to accuse the NSW Treasurer of organising 'the numbers before Baird had made the announcement'

The current deputy leader was reportedly seen having coffee with Mr Baird just hours before he dramatically announced he was quitting politics

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, Ms Berejiklian said she was saddened by Mr Baird's decision to leave politics and that he was 'inspiring leader' and a 'man of enormous integrity'

After a lot of deliberation over the summer with his wife Kerryn, the premier said he decided the refresh would not include him at the helm.

'After 10 years in public life, three years as treasurer and three years as premier, I think now is the right time to do this,' he said.

The former Sydney investment banker would not speculate on his future employment but confirmed he had been approached by the private sector several times 'over the years'.

Mr Baird's resignation will trigger a by-election for the seat of Manly in Sydney's north.
The suspect accused of killing Det. Jerry Walker has been identified as Rudy Garcia, 46

The suspect accused of killing Texas police officer Jerry Walker during a six-hour standoff with police has been identified as a schizophrenic who may have been off his medication, his brother said.

The man, 46-year-old Rudy Garcia, who lived in the Little Elm house on Turtle Cove where the Tuesday afternoon shooting happened, was found dead inside. Police have not said if Walker died in police fire or by his own hand, reported WFAA.

The cause of death has also not been released.

Detective Jerry Walker died when the armed man opened fire from inside the house.

He was a father-of-four and an 18-year veteran of the department.

Detective Walker was an 18-year veteran of the force and a father of four children

Garcia's brother, Jerry, told CBS 11 that his brother lived in the house with his mother and grandmother, and he suffered from schizophrenia and was 'hearing voices'.

Jerry said he believed the suspect was not taking his medication at the time the shooting happened.

He said his brother would often sit outside in his backyard with his gun, and was paranoid that people were watching him.

Members of the public left flowers outside of the Little Elm police department in honor of Detective Walker

Rudy Garcia, 46, had a criminal history that included arrests in 2010 and 2014 and parole violation in 2007

Authorities say the incident began about 3pm Tuesday with the report of a man armed with a long gun in his backyard.

Denton County sheriff's Lt. Orlando Hinojosa says when officers arrived, the man screamed at them from the yard.

As officers withdrew, the man ducked into the house and fired from a window, striking Walker. Officers outside the house returned fire. Garcia was later found dead inside of the home.

Detective Walker died at Denton Regional Medical Hospital on Tuesday night.

Walker, above, was one of the officers who responded to reports of a man with a gun on Tuesday afternoon in Little Elm

Also present during the shooting was Garcia's grandmother, Avelina, who said that her grandson seemed fine most of the day and was listening to headphones.

She said the shooting started as she was on the phone with her daughter, AnnaMarie, who is Garcia's mother.

'All of a sudden, we heard a bunch of shooting,' she told the outlet. 'One after another. Boom, boom, boom.'

AnnaMarie had also gotten a call while she was at work that a man on her block had a gun. She didn't realize the man was her son, Rudy.

Despite Garcia's brother saying the suspect would sit outside with his gun, AnnaMarie says she didn't realize her son owned a weapon.

'I am so against guns in my home,' she told CBS 11. She also insisted that her son was taking his medication for schizophrenia. She did admit he was paranoid about people watching him or hacking into his computer or phone.

She said he was not violent and usually was on his computer or sleeping.

One of his Facebook posts says another person's Facebook account has been 'hacked by old Hollywood and the CIA not excluding the Illuminati.'

Walker was shot from inside of the house by Garcia, said police, and rushed to Denton Regional Hospital but died Tuesday night

Avelina said she lost the companion she would spend every day with, and the family is extremely sorry for Walker's family.

'[Detective Walker] helped a lot of people in Little Elm and Im truly sorry for his loss,' said AnnaMarie.

Garcia had a criminal record including a parole violation in 2007 and two assault cases from 2010 and 2014, according to CBS 11.

His brother, Jerry, said he wanted the police department to know he was sorry for what happened.

'I feel for your loss. My brother is gone, too. Its like a no-win situation for anybody and I hope that theres no bad blood between us,' he told the outlet.

He told WFAA: 'It's also an awful thing that happened to my brother by losing his mind.'

The family has not been allowed back into their home and say they do not know if they want to live there anymore anyway.
A major breakthrough in the way prostate cancer is diagnosed could save the lives of thousands of men.

Potential sufferers should be given MRI scans as soon as suspicions are raised by doctors, a study suggests.

The 315 screening test doubles the rate at which dangerous tumours are spotted. And it would slash the number of men subjected to painful biopsies by a quarter.

The British trial has been welcomed as the biggest advance in prostate cancer diagnosis in 30 years. NHS officials are already examining the findings, which could herald a major change in the way middle-aged men are assessed for the disease.

A major breakthrough in the way prostate cancer is diagnosed could save the lives of thousands of men

Angela Culhane, of the charity Prostate Cancer UK, said: This is the biggest leap forward in prostate cancer diagnosis in decades, with the potential to save many lives.

Some 100,000 middle-aged men thought to be at risk of prostate cancer are given a biopsy every year, usually after a blood test has picked up raised levels of prostate-specific antigen, known as PSA.

But the procedure is notoriously painful, inaccurate and comes with a risk of side-effects including infections and bleeding.

In a Government-funded trial of 576 men, led by University College London and involving 11 UK hospitals, experts found using an MRI scan before a biopsy had much better results.

According to the findings, published last night in the Lancet, doctors could immediately send 27 per cent of men home without needing a biopsy.

That would spare 27,000 British men a year the ordeal of unnecessary probes.

For the rest, doctors were able to conduct the biopsy with far greater accuracy, using the MRI scan to sample directly from suspect tissue rather than targeting a random area.

As a result, they were able to correctly diagnose 97 per cent of aggressive tumours, nearly double the 48 per cent correctly diagnosed with biopsy alone.

Some 47,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK each year, but the severity of the disease varies hugely.

Rapid treatment for men with aggressive forms of the cancer is vital.

Delays can prove deadly and 11,300 men die each year from the disease.

Disease that kills 11,300 men a year Prostate cancer is the most common male cancer, killing 11,300 men each year. Only 22 per cent of men with aggressive forms of the disease survive for ten years if they are diagnosed late. Treatments include surgery, radiotherapy and hormone therapy  and the quicker they are carried out the better. Theres no national screening programme, but men over 50 are eligible for a blood test that gives doctors an idea of risk. Men who get a positive results are currently sent for a biopsy. But it does not differentiate between tumorous and healthy tissue, and is essentially a random sample. Symptoms do not usually appear until the tumour is big, making better testing vital. Signs of the advanced form of the disease include needing to urinate frequently. Those with slow-growing tumours are increasingly urged to have no treatment, and simply told to have six-monthly scans. Advertisement

Experts said many of these deaths could be avoided using the MRI scans as aggressive tumours could be picked up earlier and treated.

The scans could also reduce the number of men a year who are overtreated  undergoing unnecessary surgery or radiotherapy for small tumours that may never have turned dangerous.

Researchers calculated that scans could reduce the estimated figure of 20,000 by 5 per cent, sparing 1,000 men the ordeal.

Study leader Dr Hashim Ahmed, of University College London, called for MRI tests to be made available for all men.

He said: Our study found that using the tests could reduce over-diagnosis of harmless cancers by 5 per cent, prevent one in four men having an unnecessary biopsy, and improve the detection of aggressive cancers from 48 per cent to 93 per cent.

Fellow researcher Professor Mark Emberton said it was the biggest advance since PSA tests and biopsies were first widely used 30 years ago.

NHS watchdog NICE has been waiting for some time for the results of the trial and last night confirmed the findings would influence its guidance for prostate testing.

A spokesman said: In light of new evidence we have decided to update some of the recommendations.

Potential sufferers should be given MRI scans as soon as suspicions are raised by doctors, a study suggests

If guidelines were changed tomorrow, 32 per cent of men in Britain would be able to access a suitable MRI at their local hospital.

Protate Cancer UK admitted a roll-out would not happen overnight but said urgent action was critical.

At 315 a scan, the technique is expensive, but this would be offset by reducing the number of biopsies, which cost 311 a time.

Professor Stephen Langley, consultant urological surgeon at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, said many urologists already use MRIs, but the new trial gives the technique the seal of approval.

He said: I would like all urologists to be able to provide men with more clarity as to the stage of their disease and the treatments required if clinically significant cancer is detected, or the chance to avoid unnecessary biopsy if it is not.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt hailed the study as another example of the Governments commitment to making Britain world leaders in cancer care and research.
Nearly every hospital in England is failing to hire enough nurses to ensure patients are safe, new figures reveal today.

Some 96 per cent of hospitals are not meeting their own 'safe staffing' targets on wards  and the situation is deteriorating.

The 'worrying' analysis, based on data from 224 NHS hospitals, also suggests nurses are being increasingly replaced by cheaper, unqualified healthcare assistants.

And it paints a damning picture of the crisis on hospital wards  with one nurse warning that conditions are 'desperately unsafe'.

Some 96 per cent of hospitals are not meeting their own 'safe staffing' targets on wards  and the situation is deteriorating (file photo)

The study by the Health Service Journal revealed that 214 hospitals  or 96 per cent  failed to meet their own safe nurse-staffing levels for daytime shifts in October 2016. Some 190  85 per cent  did not hit their targets for night-time shifts.

One nurse told researchers of being left in charge of 16 vulnerable patients. Another said: 'Corners are cut and safety is compromised daily  we just do a really good job of covering it up.'

Experts say a nurse should look after no more than eight patients at once, or four if they are seriously ill.

One nurse revealed a worrying new tactic of makeshift beds being crammed on to wards at the last minute. They said these had no oxygen supply  or call bells to summon help.

Of conditions on one ward, another said: 'Skill mix was desperately unsafe for a normal shift. I felt sick to my stomach.' Others said nurses were in tears on most shifts.

The crisis has been blamed on both the Tory and Labour governments failing to train enough nurses to care for an increasingly ageing population.

This has led to a severe shortage of British nurses and hospitals have resorted to recruiting overseas staff, mainly from Portugal, Spain, the Philippines and India.

But since 2015, it has become even harder for hospitals to fill rotas as a result of Government rules banning them from hiring expensive agency nurses.

The 'worrying' analysis, based on data from 224 NHS hospitals, also suggests nurses are being increasingly replaced by cheaper, unqualified healthcare assistants

Charmaine Briggs let off steam on Facebook after a member of the public asked why she would want to be 'just' an HCA

There are just over 284,000 nurses working in the NHS and this has increased since 2009, but critics say it is not enough to meet demand, especially with the NHS facing unprecedented pressures.

Janet Davies, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said last night: 'This is yet more evidence that there are too few nurses caring for patients, putting people at serious risk.

WE'RE THE ONES WITH PATIENTS 24/7 BLASTS HEALTH ASSISTANT Charmaine Briggs let off steam on Facebook A healthcare assistant has written a furious defence of her role  saying the hospital workers are the ones with patients '24 hours a day'. Charmaine Briggs let off steam on Facebook after a member of the public asked why she would want to be 'just' an HCA. The 23-year-old from Taunton, Somerset, wrote: 'We are the ones changing the beds, changing our own clothes for the fourth time due to other people's bodily fluids, the ones mopping up the nosebleeds and cleaning commodes on a loop. 'We are up close and personal with our patients  we hold their hands when they fear the unknown, we listen to them when they need someone to talk to, we've cried with them. 'We work around the clock 365 days of the year, we sometimes sit with patients who have no family so they simply don't pass away alone. 'It is physically and emotionally challenging, and one day you'll need that help from 'just a health care assistant' not just when you're old, you don't know what tomorrow holds.' Her post has now been shared more than 40,000 times and has more than 135,000 Facebook 'likes'. Miss Briggs, who is training to be a nurse, hit out following comments from a man who overheard a conversation between her and a friend. 'I had a little rant on my status to let off steam and it just got shared more and more and more,' she said. Advertisement

'It is no surprise that the NHS is in crisis. Some members have told us they are facing the worst conditions ever this winter, with many questioning whether they can even continue nursing.'

Hospitals have been obliged to publish staffing levels since April 2014, under guidelines brought in by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in response to the damning inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire Hospital scandal, where hundreds died from neglect.

To prevent the tragedy occurring elsewhere, hospitals were urged to hire more nurses and publish monthly data on staffing levels on the NHS Choices website. Yet these are standards that hospital managers have set themselves  they decide how many nurses they think they need across all wards to ensure patients are safe.

Today's damning analysis reveals the worst-affected hospitals had only three-quarters of the nurses on duty that they needed.

Dewsbury and District Hospital recorded staffing levels of 75 per cent, while Pontefract Hospital was at 77 per cent. Both are part of the struggling Mid Yorkshire Hospitals trust which is more than 20million in the red.

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: 'These new figures show that almost every hospital in England is now short of nursing staff. Tired, overworked nurses cannot be expected to continue providing the quality of care which patients need.

'The Government needs to do much more to make sure nursing remains an attractive profession and to ensure that our hospitals can get in place the number of nurses they need to keep patients safe.'

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said the figures were 'really worrying'.

Controversially, the figures show that almost half of hospitals ended up hiring more healthcare assistants than they had initially planned. Healthcare assistants (HCAs) are staff with no medical training nor qualifications who are meant to do washing and dressing.

There are thought to be about 300,000 working in the NHS and surveys have shown they are being increasingly asked to administer drugs.

Professor Peter Griffiths, an expert in the healthcare workforce at the University of Southampton said: 'If that becomes a long-term approach to filling gaps you could very easily delude yourself that you're maintaining safety because you're maintaining numbers.'

The Department of Health said: 'We expect all parts of the NHS to make sure they have the right staff, in the right place, at the right time to provide safe care  that's why there are already almost 26,000 extra clinical staff, including almost 11,400 additional doctors and over 11,200 additional nurses on our wards since May 2010.'
The grandmother of a three-year-old boy who nearly drowned when his mother left him alone for 'one second' in a backyard pool has labelled the flotation device he was wearing as 'ridiculous'.

Zack Daniels, 3, was pulled unconscious from a backyard pool in Seven Hills in Sydney's west, on Wednesday by his mother who found him trapped under a 'cheap Kmart floatie'.

'My daughter thought she can turn her back for one second because she knew he was in a floatie but it tipped him upside down. How does that happen? That is ridiculous.' Irena Ekes told The Daily Telegraph.

Zack Daniels, 3 (pictured), was pulled unconscious from a backyard pool in Seven Hills in Sydney's west, on Wednesday by his mother who found him trapped under a floatie

Reports suggest that Zack's mother had turned her back on the toddler to hand out ice blocks to his siblings and was right next to the pool when he submerged.

Ms Ekes also said that the 'cheap' flotation ring which was bought at Kmart trapped Zack underwater.

Zack was discovered just after 12pm at a home in Seven Hills, Sydney's west, and at least five paramedics treated him on the scene.

He was discharged from the Childrens Hospital at Westmead on Thursday and told his grandmother that he was 'all better now'.

Ms Ekis, told the Blacktown Sun the boy had been wearing an inflatable floatie in the pool when his mother had left him alone for 'two seconds'.

'She [the boy's mother] went inside to get him an ice block. When she came back the floatie was on top of him,' Ms Ekis said.

A three-year-old boy has been pulled unconscious from a backyard pool in Seven

At least five paramedics treated him on the scene after he was pulled from the water

'I can't believe it. He is such a happy boy who loves water.'

'It's terrible. I never want my grandkids to have a pool ever again.'

A Careflight helicopter was dispatched and the three-year-old was rushed to hospital.

A NSW ambulance spokesperson said the boy been submerged for 'some time'.

Officers said neighbours began performing CPR on the boy after pulling him from the water.

Paramedics took over CPR efforts after they arrived as he lay next to a trampoline in the yard.

The above-ground pool appears to be located in the rear corner of the property.

Blacktown Local Area Command are investigating the incident.
Despite a tendency to talk about herself in the third person like a monarch  we have undertaken from the very first day in the job...  Andrea Leadsom is proving a reasonably competent Environment Secretary, at least at a parliamentary level.

When little-tested Mrs Leadsom was promoted last summer, after making it to the last two in the Tory leadership contest, doubters feared she would become a political liability. But she pretty much coped okay at Environment Questions on Thursday morning.

Her customary manic optimism (all that crinkling of pollyanna-ish eyes and pinging of ecstatic smiles) had been reined in maybe a little. This was a relief because the House was in quite silly enough a mood already, MPs competing to see who could be most sycophantic in wishing Speaker Bercow happy birthday.

Andrea Leadsom, pictured at the Conservative Party Conference, repeatedly stressed the exciting possibilities that she saw in Britain being able to do its own trade deals once out of the European Union, writes Quentin Letts

Mrs Leadsom ignored that frivolity. Instead she repeatedly stressed the exciting possibilities, as she saw them, of Britain being able to do its own trade deals once we are out of the European Union. Where backbenchers with constituency interests saw problems, she saw opportunities.

As a free and sovereign parliament it will be for us to decide on trade deals, she said, defiantly upbeat in manner. It is sobering to remind oneself how we surrendered those rights to the EU for years. What an extraordinary exercise in self-belittlement the EU was.

Oliver Colvile (Con, Plymouth Sutton, and Devonport) told a preening Squeaker live long and prosper  the Vulcan greeting used by Mr Spock in Star Trek. Hansard stenographers will have been grateful that Mr Colvile did not resort to the Vulcan language version, dif-tor heh smusma. Mr Colvile later moved to the high politics of looking after hedgehogs.

Nigel Huddleston (Con, Mid-Worcs) took a more mordant approach to the Bercow anniversary, telling the Speaker to enjoy the dash between the dates on your tombstone. Hes a cheery soul, that Huddleston. On the ministerial bench, listening to the various suck-ups who were noting Bercows birthday, Therese Coffey fought to keep expressions of nausea from her face.

Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, celebrated his birthday yesterday. He is pictured speaking at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday

Miss Coffey was yesterday corrected by Mr Bercow for using the (perfectly proper) word uncontrovertible. She may quietly regard the Speaker as an interfering egomaniac. Further evidence of this came later when he made a Speakers Statement about how the House of Commons had come 28th in some survey of best places to work if you are gay, lesbian or trans-gender. Well, yippee, but did it really require a three-minute oration from a Bercow who plainly regarded it as a personal triumph?

This week has seen a certain amount of slippage for the anti-Brexit Remainers. We had Theresa Mays speech, Donald Trump talking of an early Anglo-American trade deal, and the first signs from Brussels that its negotiators understand they need to maintain access to the British market.

It was striking yesterday that blanket anti-Brexit hysteria was on the wane. Barry Sheerman (Lab, Huddersfield) yelled about the new industrial, agricultural devastation but Opposition voices were more interested in lobbying the Government about specifics of, for instance, a free-trade deal with New Zealand.

The likes of Helen Goodman (Lab, Bishop Auckland), Angela Smith (Lab, Penistone & Stocksbridge) and Tim Farron (Lib Dem, Westmorland & Lonsdale) feared that cheap lamb from New Zealand could hit British hill farmers. Mrs Leadsom said that current levels of farming subsidy would continue until at least 2020. Labour frontbencher Rachael Maskell started bleating hard. Mrs Leadsom dealt with her as firmly as a sheep-shearer forcing a wriggly ewe on to her back to have her tender parts shorn.

This concentration by MPs on the possibility of more New Zealand lamb imports represents both a progression in the political psychology  they now seem to accept that Brexit is going to bring a re-ordering of our trade arrangements  and an example of Parliament getting into detailed debate about Brexit.

Whatever the Supreme Court says on Tuesday, that was never not going to happen.
Markeith Loyd, 41, was arrested in Orlando on Tuesday night when he crawled from an abandoned home where he had been hiding following a nine-day manhunt

Police have released aerial footage of the moment an alleged Florida cop killer was arrested, which appears to show officers kicking him as he laid on the ground.

Markeith Loyd, 41, was arrested in Orlando on Tuesday night when he crawled from an abandoned home where he had been hiding following a nine-day manhunt.

He is accused of shooting dead Orlando Lt. Debra Clayton on January 9 outside a Walmart as she tried to apprehend him over the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon on December 13.

Police said Loyd resisted arrest on Tuesday and that force was used to bring him.

Loyd, who was hospitalized due to injuries sustained in his arrest, was pictured in his mugshot with a battered face and a bandage over his eye.

Police helicopter footage shows Loyd crawling from the home on his stomach before officers surround him and appear to kick him in the head several times.

Orlando Police Chief John Mina said a use of force investigation is underway over the arrest. He said Loyd was wearing body armor at the time and officers were concerned he could have been hiding something inside.

Scroll down for video

Police released aerial footage of the moment Loyd was arrested on Tuesday, which appears to show officers kicking him as he laid on the ground

He was pictured lying face-down on the road as officers surrounded him. Police said Loyd resisted arrest on Tuesday and that force was used to bring him

Mina said Loyd resisted arrest by not putting his hands behind his back. He added that they found a large bag of ammunition beneath him.

Loyd appeared with his eye bandaged and flanked by two police officers in an Orlando courtroom on Thursday to face the charges where he screamed 'f*** you' at the judge.

'They done took my eye, broke my nose, broke my jaw,' Loyd complained, swearing as he described crawling out to the road to be arrested.

He claims he didn't resist arrest.

'I crawled out to the mother*****g road, so how did I resist?' he said.

'I didn't resist s***. They just did that s*** and tried to hide it from the news people, but I'm here right now.'

Loyd has been charged with first-degree murder and the unlawful killing of an unborn child in the December 13 death of ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon.

He is also accused of fatally shooting the cop but has not yet been charged.

Markeith Loyd, suspected of fatally shooting an Orlando police officer, attends his initial court appearance Thursday wearing an anti-suicide smoke

Loyd spoke out of turn and told the judge 'F*** you!' during the appearance on charges of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend

He declared that many of the accusations against him are 'made up' and complained that he was roughed up during his arrest

Most suspects appear with a lawyer and remain silent while the judge reads the charges in these initial hearings. But Loyd said he planned to represent himself, and stridently disputed the charges.

'First of all, I got questions to ask,' he said before launching into the rant.

The judge told him: 'You're here for first appearances on a warrant, sir.'

'Y'all making up s***,' Loyd said. 'Like I just went in there and shot this girl. Y'all portray this s*** to the news people like I just went in and shot this girl.'

'Other guns were found on the scene. A gun was pulled on me first,' he claimed.

Local television stations showed Loyd with a bloodied face when a half-dozen officers and deputies took him into police headquarters on Tuesday.

He told a crowd that authorities had 'beat him up'.

Loyd was hospitalized until Wednesday night before he was jailed.

'I believe that our entire community is going to breathe a sigh of relief at this point,' Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said after Loyd was taken into custody.

'They will sleep better knowing tonight that...this maniac is off the streets.'

Police said that Loyd (pictured Tuesday) resisted arrest and force was used to bring him in

Loyd (left in his mugshot) is accused of fatally shooting Orlando Lt. Debra Clayton (right) on January 9 outside a Walmart while he was a fugitive from justice

Loyd is also charged with the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon (pictured)

Orange County Judge Jeanette Bigney ordered Loyd held without bond.

In court, Loyd dismissed any notion of guilt in Dixon's death.

'Her little brother got dropped off while me and her were standing there talking. There was all other kinds of s*** that happened,' he said.

The judge cautioned him several times that the hearing wasn't the forum for such an outburst, but he continued anyway.

Bigney then confirmed that Loyd was speaking under oath, and said 'everything you say is being recorded, sir.'

'I'm not finished talking because y'all been making up s*** the whole time,' Loyd responded. 'And then y'all make stuff about my family, lock them up.'

He went on to speak in defense of three people who were arrested as accomplices for allegedly helping him evade arrest  and placed himself at the Walmart store where the officer was shot.

'I received nothing from nobody. I went to Walmart myself to buy food nobody was doing nothing for me,' he said.

'Wasn't nobody doing nothing for me.'

At that point, the judge interrupted him. 'Sir, we are here addressing only one case.'

Law enforcement said that authorities surrounded a house at 1157 Lescot Lane in Metro West Orlando and ordered Loyd to surrender Tuesday just before 7pm

Video of Loyd being brought out of police headquarters emerged showing his bloodied face

Police say Loyd was armed with these two weapons, one of which has a 100-round capacity, when he was apprehended Tuesday evening

A second law enforcement officer, Orange County Sheriff's Deputy First Class Norman Lewis (pictured), was killed in a motorcycle crash after joining the massive manhunt

A boot lies on Pine Hills Road on Monday after Lewis, an 11-year veteran, was struck by a van while responding to the manhunt for Loyd

Police officers carry Lt Debra Clayton's casket on Saturday during her funeral

Loyd was wanted in connection for the murder of Dixon and allegedly shot Clayton when she received a tip that he was at the Walmart parking lot and approached him.

After the officer's shooting, police arrested three people for aiding Loyd in escaping capture after allegedly killing Dixon on December 13.

Another officer, Deputy Norman Lewis, was killed in a motorcycle accident when he joined in the manhunt for Loyd.

Loyd was seen being escorted out of the Orlando Police Department on Tuesday extremely bloodied, with bandages covered his eyes, head, and left cheek.

Mina said Clayton, 42, was a 'committed' officer and 'a hero' who gave her life to the community she loves.

'To put her handcuffs on the bad guy that she was trying to catch when she was killed was significant and meaningful to her family, its meaningful to her OPD family as well,' he said.

She was married and had a college-aged son. She also grew up in the Orlando area, and enjoyed mentoring young people.
Donald is dancing his way to the White House as he counts down his time to presidency.

The President-elect's inauguration festivities kicked off Thursday at the Lincoln Memorial when he addressed the crowd and promised to make America 'greater than ever before'.

When Lee Greenwood performed his signature song God Bless the USA', Trump couldn't help but sing along.

Video of the inaugural celebrations show the soon-to-be commander and chief burst out and sing along to the lyrics while Greenwood is performing.

Scroll down for video

When Lee Greenwood performed his signature song God Bless the USA', Trump couldn't help but sing along

Video of the inaugural celebrations show the soon-to-be commander and chief burst out and sing along to the lyrics while Greenwood is performing

The concert also included a speech from Oscar-winning John Voight, followed by performances from Lee Greenwood, 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'.

During the festivities he was shown many times dancing and clapping along. After each performer finished, he clapped and embraced them.

Also present for the big concert were Trump's four oldest children and three oldest grandchildren. His son Barron did not attend.

The concert also included a speech from Oscar-winning John Voight, followed by performances from Lee Greenwood (pictured), 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'

Lee Greenwood, center, performs at the 'Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration' pre-inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial to thousands of viewers

During the festivities he was shown many times dancing and clapping along. After each performer finished, he clapped and embraced them

Following all of the performances, 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.

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.

Following all of the performances, 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 will be sworn into the presidency on Friday morning at noon by Chief Justice Roberts

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.

The famed Radio City Hall Rockettes are among those performing during the Friday morning inauguration ceremony.

Though the dancers are not all being forced to perform during the celebrations, The American Guild of Variety Artists, the union which is meant to protect the girls, said that any plans for the women to refuse to perform at the show are invalid.

Pearl's now deleted Instagram post that outlined her dissatisfaction of being drafted in to play at Trump's swearing in ceremony

After the decision was made, dancer Phoebe Pearl posted a tirade against the next president that gained a lot of attention.

The post was a photo of her performing and a cartoon caption saying 'not my president.'

The New York City-based performer wrote on Instagram that she was 'embarrassed and disappointed' to appear at the event.
Almost 600,000 pensioners have no-one to talk to except when they go to the supermarket, a charity report warned yesterday.

It revealed that one in 25 older shoppers rely on a visit to a big name store for company and conversation.

Millions more see a supermarket shop not as a means to stock up on groceries, but as a reason to get out of the house.

Almost 600,000 pensioners have no-one to talk to except when they go to the supermarket, a charity report warned yesterday (file photo)

The estimates, produced by Age UK, come at a time when stores are coming under growing pressure to do more to help elderly customers.

The report said that around 600,000 people aged over 60 would have no-one to talk to if they did not visit a supermarket. The figure dependent on shops for human contact is similar to estimates of numbers who routinely spend all day alone.

A further 2.5million over-60s, calculated from the survey of 2,241 carried out for the charity, see a trip to the supermarket as a reason to go out as opposed to a chore.

Age UKs Caroline Abrahams said: A friendly chat with a member of staff working at the till or walking the shop floor can brighten up an older persons day and do much more good than most of us would ever guess.

We would like to encourage every supermarket, and everyone who works in one, to be outgoing and cheerful with their older customers.

In return they will earn the loyalty as well as the gratitude of many older people and they will also hopefully make their day at work more satisfying too.

Millions see a supermarket shop not as a means to stock up on groceries, but as a reason to get out of the house (file photo)

The call for supermarket workers to devote time to older customers follows a series of studies pointing to the connection between shopping and the health and happiness of older people.

A report from the University of Hertfordshire last autumn called for supermarkets to set up slow-lane checkouts for isolated pensioners, where they would have time to chat.

It also suggested senior shopping hours at quiet times, and special offers to be aimed at customers aged over 60.
Nigel Farage and the so-called 'Bad Boys of Brexit' have hosted their first boozy Washington DC party ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration.

The former Ukip leader, who was the first British politician to meet Mr Trump after his election win, toasted the billionaire tycoon in front of a rowdy crowd.

He said: 'Brexit was great but Trump becoming president is Brexit plus, plus, plus. He is the only man I've ever met in my life who has made me feel like an introvert'.

Earlier he posed with Lord Ashcroft, Governor of Mississippi Phil Bryant and Arron Banks outside the historic Mayflower Hotel in the city last night.

Mr Farage later attended a lavish party at the five-star Hay-Adams Hotel on Thursday evening to celebrate Mr Trump's inauguration.

The 400 guests at the British-hosted event, which included around 100 US politicians, were handed Champagne and mini portions of fish and chips.

Tribute: Nigel Farage, who was the first British politician to meet Mr Trump after his election win, toasted the billionaire tycoon in front of a rowdy crowd at a Washington party

Bad Boys of Brexit: Nigel Farage is joined by Andy Wigmore, Lord Ashcroft, Governor of Mississippi Phil Bryant and Arron Banks outside their Washington party last night

Friends: Lord Ashcroft, Governor Bryant, Judge Jeanine Pirro, Mr Farage and Andy Wigmore pose up

Guests at the DC drinks party were handed mini portions of fish and chips at the British organised event

The view of the White House from the Bad Boys of Brexit party - another party on Saturday could be attended by President Trump

In a speech to the packed room he said: 'Brexit was great but Trump becoming president is Brexit plus, plus, plus. He was right when he said it was a movement - but a movement can't exist, or flourish, without a leader. And Trump is the only man I've ever met in my life who has made me feel like an introvert.

Judge Jeanine Pirro poses next to a pile of Bad Boys of Brexit books

'He is a larger than life personality. When he was given the rule book for how you run for president he tore up the book and threw it out of the window. And I guess, when I look back in the years to come, perhaps the greatest joy of 2016 was that realisation, as state after state in the mid-West went red, just to see the faces of those democrats.

'I've spent most my life in politics being regarded, I suppose, as the patron saint of lost causes.

'Through most of my life, what happens in America in terms of social trends or developments, we follow four or five years later. America is the leader. Now I would like to think in my own little way that what we did with Brexit was the beginning of what is going to turn out to be a global revolution and that Trump's victory is a part of that'.

Mr Farage said: 'We've had Brexit and perhaps that contributed just a little bit to things changing in the USA and who's to say that bandwagon won't continue to roll in 2017 across much of Europe.'

He will attend Mr Trumps inauguration later today.

It came as Mr Farage said Donald Trump's inauguration will be historic because it marks a 'significant change in direction' for America.

The former Ukip leader is attending the ceremony in Washington DC, where Mr Trump arrived on Thursday as he prepares to be sworn in as US president.

After arriving in the US capital, Mr Farage said: 'I get a sense of the history, and that this particular inauguration is a very significant one because in so many areas it marks a significant change in direction. I'm very excited about it.

Mr Farage was reportedly hosting last night's event with Ukip donor Arron Banks, but he insisted he was a guest and said Mr Trump was not expected to show up.

'It's to celebrate the fact that in 2016 we saw this dramatic change in politics,' he said.

'I suppose the party is the international dimension in all this'.

Lord Ashcroft posted this picture of the party, whose guests also heard a speech from Mr Farage

Nigel Farage poses with Ted Malloch, who is tipped as leading candidate to become Donald Trump's ambassador to the EU promises 'game-changing'

Farage with Brexiteers including Leave backer Aaron Banks (centre blue suit), Andy Wigmore (far left), Michael Ashcroft (second left)

Mr Farage will attend a lavish party at the five-star Hay-Adams Hotel on Thursday evening to celebrate Mr Trump's inauguration

Mr Farage was a guest of Mr Bryant after the US politician invited him to attend a Trump rally in Jackson, Mississippi in August.

Mr Trump hailed Mr Farage as a 'great guy' during an interview with The Times earlier this week.

Mr Farage is attending the inauguration ceremony on Friday as a guest of Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, who first invited him to a Trump rally in Jackson, in the state back in August.

Mr Trump hailed Mr Farage as a 'great guy' during an interview with The Times earlier this week.

Inauguration events started on Thursday when Mr Trump and Vice President elect Mike Pence laid wreaths at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Watched by Mr Trump's family they placed a wreath in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns, which commemorates the nation's unidentified war dead.

A concert - dubbed the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration - is due to take place at the Lincoln Memorial later.

Country stars Lee Greenwood and Toby Keith and rock band 3 Doors Down will perform at the event amid reports Mr Trump has struggled to attract famous names to take part.

Broadway star Jennifer Holliday pulled out of the concert, citing concerns raised by fans from the LGBT community.
A brazen thief has been caught on camera stealing an elderly woman's purse from right under her nose in a supermarket.

Police posted the video to social media in the hope of identifying the suspect.

The footage, shot at a shopping centre in Mundaring, Western Australia, on January 14, shows a woman twice reaching into the shopper's handbag.

The 79-year-old female victim is seen eyeing produce while her handbag sits in front of her in a shopping cart.

A brazen thief was caught on tape stealing a woman's purse at a WA supermarket

Security footage shows a woman twice reaching into a shopper's handbag

Another woman, wearing black tights, a black cardigan and a leopard-print headscarf, is seen briefly touching the handbag, walking in a circle around the shopping guard, and then pouncing again.

On the second try, the woman manages to pull an item out of the handbag and then quickly walks away.

Police say the victim's purse was stolen in the incident.

In an update on the WA Police Facebook page, cops wrote:

'We have received some excellent info so far & the phones are running hot at Crime Stoppers!'

No arrests had been made as of Friday, a police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

The 79-year-old female victim is seen eyeing produce while her handbag sits in front of her in a shopping cart
Kenyan prosecutors have vowed to press on with the prosecution of a British aristocrat accused of smuggling cocaine despite reports that the case would be shelved for lack of evidence.

James Warui, the chief prosecutor in the high-profile case, rejected any suggestion of malicious prosecution and said the case against Jack Marrian, the grandson of the sixth Earl of Cawdor, would go ahead.

Despite public concerns raised by anti-drug authorities in the United States and Spain, he insisted the case against the Marlborough College-educated businessman was strong.

The chief prosecutor in the high-profile case, rejected any suggestion of malicious prosecution and said the case against Jack Marrian (pictured)

Mr Marrian was held after 220lbs of cocaine was discovered in a shipment of sugar his company was moving from Brazil to Uganda, via Kenya.

Born in Britain, the defendant - whose ancestral home is Cawdor Castle in Scotland, the setting for Shakespeares play Macbeth  has lived in Kenya since the age of four.

The aristocrats lawyers are this week due to produce in court a letter from the US Drug Enforcement Administration written in August last year, a month after the seizure.

The letter is thought to commend the local authorities for their role securing the illicit cargo at Mombasa port but assert that the owner of the sugar consignment, Mr Marrians Uganda-based Mshale Commodities, could have had no knowledge of the 4.5m of drugs inside.

Lawyers for the 31 year-old, whose mother is Lady Emma Campbell, argue that he was just the fall guy in a sophisticated and well-established form of drug smuggling known as rip-on, rip-off which involves smugglers stowing their drugs in cargo belonging to others and recovering it on arrival at its destination.

But Mr Warui told the Daily Mail yesterday that the responsibility for proving Mr Marrian knew nothing about the cocaine rested with the businessmans legal team.

The onus is on Marrian to show us that he was not responsible for the packing of the carrier.

The prosecutions duty is only to show that the carrier with his shipment contained drugs, he said.

The Director of Public Prosections has no intention of dropping the case.

Born in Britain, the defendant - whose ancestral home is Cawdor Castle in Scotland, the setting for Shakespeares play Macbeth  has lived in Kenya since the age of four

Its a strong case, its a case about a container belonging to Mr Marrian.

He suggested the prosecution may now call local DEA agents to give evidence in the trial about the claims made in their letter.

If the DEA man were to come as a witness we will be asking him how sure he can be that Marrian didnt put the drugs in, he said.

Before Christmas, another letter emerged suggesting that Kenyas anti-drugs police had recommended to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions that the case against him be shelved for lack of evidence linking him to the crime.

However, the DPP issued a statement saying he refuted any suggestion the case be dropped and that his prosecutors would call 19 witnesses in the trial.

Mr Warui said if compelling evidence emerged during the trial of Mr Marrians innocence, the DPP could reconsider.

Even if we were to withdraw the case, it would not be because it was a malicious prosecution, it would be because we were giving him the benefit of the doubt. Its still a possibility, he said.

Mr Marrian, who is out on bail with a 529,000 of financial guarantees by his family, appeared at the law courts in the Nairobi slum of Kibera yesterday in good spirits.

He was accompanied by a friend, his father David Marrian, an artist, and his fathers girlfriend.

Mr Marrian was raised in an affluent part of Nairobi and educated at a prestigious international prep school with three-time Tour de France winner, Chris Froome, before going on to study at the elite Marlborough College, where the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Eugenie were students, and later the University of Bristol.

Mr Marrian was raised in an affluent part of Nairobi and educated at a prestigious international prep school with three-time Tour de France winner, Chris Froome

For the last eight years he has worked in Africa running a string of sugar and commodity companies.

Police arrested Mr Marrian and his co-accused, Roy Francis Mwanthi, a clearing agent based in Kenya, in dawn raids on their homes in July after discovering the cocaine following a DEA tip-off.

Yesterday, Mr Warui opened his case by calling a scientist from the governments chemical laboratory who displayed several sachets of white powder and confirmed the drugs seized had been tested and confirmed as cocaine.

On the 8th August 2016 the evidence was received and examined at the government chemist department. The whitish powdery substance in the 90 sachets were all analysed and found to be cocaine, a narcotic drug, the scientist told the court.

The trial continues today, when the head of the police investigation into the high-profile case is due to give evidence.
Animal lovers have called for a boycott of an upcoming movie produced by Steven Spielbergs studio after behind-the-scenes footage emerged of an apparently terrified dog being forced into rushing water

Animal lovers have called for a boycott of an upcoming movie produced by Steven Spielbergs studio after behind-the-scenes footage emerged of an apparently terrified dog being forced into rushing water.

The video shot shows a German Shepherd struggling to get away from his handler at the edge of a pool full of swirling water.

He aint gonna calm down till he goes in the water, you just gotta throw him in, voice 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, which celebrity website TMZ said was shot near Winnipeg, Canada, during the movies production, ends with the dog going under the surface.

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.

Lisa Lange, vice president for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said: 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.

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.

Another Canada-based group, Animal Justice, said it had filed a complaint with Canadian 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, a lawyer and executive director of Animal Justice.

American Humane, the organization that oversees animal safety on film sets, said it was investigating the incident.

Universal Pictures, which is releasing the movie starring Dennis Quaid later this month, could not be reached for comment.

But in a statement to TMZ, the company said 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.
The 47-year-old killed by a crocodile at a notorious crossing in Northern Territory is not the first to have is life claimed by a huge beast lurking in the water there.

At least 120 saltwater crocodiles call the six kilometre area south of Cahill's Crossing, in Kakadu National Park, home - as 40-year-old Kerry McLoughlin found to his peril in 1987.

He was out fishing on the river with his son when he fell into the water.

He threw a beer can at a ravenous 5.1-metre croc as it approached him, but he was unable to escape up the riverbank, with the animal taking him down and decapitating him.

Scroll down for video

At least 120 saltwater crocodiles call the six kilometre area south of Cahill's Crossing, in Kakadu National Park, home - as 40-year-old Kerry McLoughlin (fishing, right) found to his peril in 1987

At least 120 saltwater crocodiles call the six kilometre area south of Cahill's Crossing (pictured), in Kakadu National Park, home

Cahill's Crossing (pictured) is found on indigenous land to the east of the national park and is notoriously difficult to cross

Cahill's Crossing is found on indigenous land to the east of the national park and is notoriously difficult to cross.

It passes over the East Alligator River, which is known to be infested with at least 120 saltwater crocodiles, and is littered with signs instructing people not to wade through it on foot.

The flooded crossing is a bottleneck for barramundi, attracting vast numbers of saltwater crocodiles.

People, often tourists, regularly get stuck at the flooded crossing after underestimating the water's depth.

Just last month, seven people had to be rescued by park rangers after their 4X4 broke down in the middle of the river.

The group were forced to clamber onto the vehicle's roof and shout for help until finally a passer-by heard them and called the emergency services.

There was outrage in 2013 when a man was spotted dipping a baby into the water

Nine-month-old Dexter was pictured splashing about in the dangerous river after his mother's partner took him into the water

The flooded crossing is a bottleneck for barramundi, attracting vast numbers of saltwater crocodiles

People are free to drive over the river crossing in 4X4s but police strongly warn against crossing on foot.

One thing that is also highly discouraged is swimming in the infested river.

So understandably there was outrage in 2013 when a man was spotted dipping a baby into the water.

Nine-month-old Dexter was pictured splashing about in the dangerous river after his mother's partner took him into the water.

The site is littered in signs instructing people not to go near the water on foot, but that did not stop another woman who was seen goading a crocodile with a flip flop last year.

The woman, who was accompanied by a tiny pet dog, was seen whacking her sandal and shouting 'come on!' at a crocodile that was just metres away from her.

The number of crocodiles at Cahill's Crossing has grown so high that drivers are now warned to give way to crocodiles that are walking over the ford.

Crocodile numbers in the Northern Territory have skyrocketed to an estimated 100,000 since crocodile hunting was banned in 1971.

The site is littered in signs instructing people not to go near the water on foot

The number of crocodiles at Cahill's Crossing has grown so high that drivers are now warned to give way to crocodiles that are walking over the ford

Seven people were rescued from the exact same spot last month after their vehicle broke down on Cahills Crossing. Rescuers are pictured at the scene

The 47-year-old man killed on Thursday was dragged underwater by a 3.3-metre crocodile.

The man's body was found about two kilometres downriver hours later and the 'very protective' crocodile had to be shot dead so the body could be safely retrieved, police told Daily Mail Australia.

The man's injuries were 'consistent with being taken by a crocodile', police said, and his body has been taken to Darwin to determine his cause of death.

The man is believed to be from the nearby indigenous Gunbalanya community, the ABC reported.

'Cahill's Crossing is notorious for crocodiles and to walk across it to me is just foolishness,' NT Police Duty Superintendent Bob Harrison said.

'The area's noted for crocodiles on the causeway and there are signs there saying don't go in the water. Unfortunately they did and that was the result', he told Sky News.

'You are tempting fate, knowing the size of the crocodiles in that area,' Mr Harrison told ABC Radio Darwin on Friday morning.

Parks and Wildlife Commission NT crocodile management chief ranger Tom Nichols told News.com.au that 'people just need to be aware this time of year'.

'They know better. They know crocodiles are in that area but people do silly things unfortunately.

'We get tired of saying it, it is just another timely reminder that people just have to be aware the river systems do contain crocodiles.'
A 29-year-old New Zealand man has taken to social media to ask if he should lose his virginity to a prostitute.

With his 30th birthday around the corner, the man is concerned his 'V card is still unpunched.'

'I'm turning 30 years of age on Feb 17. Up until this point, I've never been with anyone and I'd really like to avoid becoming a wizard in a month,' the man posted on Reddit.

A 29-year-old New Zealand man has taken to social media to ask if he should lose his virginity to a prostitute (stock image)

With his 30th birthday around the corner, the man is concerned his 'V card is still unpunched'

'I live in Auckland and I work nights so have pretty much zero social life. I'm also chubby and cannot speak to girls for the life of me.'

The man has tried 'his hardest' with Tinder and other dating websites but even with the occasional match the virgin says he has 'no idea what to say' to women.

'Thought I'd get over this in my teens but unfortunately video games got in the way and I never really got around to it. 30 years alive and my V card is still unpunched,' the man wrote.

'Do you guys think it would be a good idea to just sort of get it over with? Not going to lie, it's probably going to boost my confidence a bit and get me some experience points. Do they even have escorts that specialise in this kind of thing?'

Since seeking advice on Thursday the man has received hundreds of responses, with most in support of the idea and others sharing their experiences with paying for sex.

'Totes bro. IMHO getting over this initial hump (heh) with a pro will be your best way forward,' one Reddit user wrote in response.

The man said video games often get in the way of meeting women (stock image)

Since seeking advice on Thursday the man has received hundreds of responses, with most in support of the idea and others sharing their experiences with paying for sex

However others warned him against losing his virginity to a sex worker

'The first sex may not be great, but it does get better and can be amazing. I agree not much will change, however it may give him some confidence that he is capable of being physically intimate with a woman,' another wrote.

However others warned him against losing his virginity to a sex worker.

'Be wary, some girls may find this fact of your sexual history to be a turn off,' one person said.
It could be a scene from a warzone - crumpled and bloodied pedestrians lay in the streets while desperate medics tend to them and survivors wander around in a daze.

But in fact this is Melbourne's CBD, shown minutes after a crazed driver ploughed through crowds of innocent shoppers, leaving four dead and at least 25 hurt.

Among the dead is thought to be a baby boy, ripped from his pram and dragged down the street before the car was finally stopped when police shot 26-year-old driver Dimitrious Gargasoulas, who is now in custody.

In the video, provided by Melbourne's Most Wanted Lads, part of the boy's crumpled pram can be seen laying next to a set of traffic light, with the child nowhere in sight.

This is the horrific aftermath in Melbourne's CBD on Friday after a deranged motorist ploughed his car into crowds of shoppers, killing four and injuring at least 25

Bloodied pedestrians were filmed lying in the street as members of the public, police officers and medics rushed to treat them

Witnesses reported hearing a mother screaming: 'Where is my baby?'

Disturbing footage shows the pram surrounded by other victims, some sitting up while medics tend to them, while others lay motionless on the pavement.

One woman lays on her side with cuts visible on her legs, while another man has a towel pressed to a bleeding wound on the side of his head.

In video which Daily Mail Australia has elected not to publish, a young girl can be heard screaming for her mother while passerby attempt to treat her.

A car was seen pulling doughnuts in front of Flinders Street Station before heading down Swanston Street, where this footage was taken, and mounting the pavement

Witnesses said the driver of the car was screaming 'f*** the world' before deliberately driving down the pavement and hitting shoppers

Dimitrious Gargasoulas, 26, has been arrested and is now in police custody pending charges

In the most traumatic scene, a young boy can be seen laying on his side with blood streaming from his head as several paramedics attempt to treat him.

Police believe Gargasoulas, who identifies as a Greek Muslim Kurd online, stabbed his brother in Windsor early on Friday, before making his way into the city.

There, he allegedly drove a car erratically around in front of Flinders Street Station before beginning his rampage.

Video shows a maroon Holden pulling doughnuts in front of the station before taking off down Swanston Street.

A pram was dragged 100 metres through the middle of Melbourne's city centre by the car involved in today's horrific rampage, witnesses say

Some of the pram appeared to still be attached to the front of the red vehicle after it was finally brought to a halt

There, CCTV shows horrified pedestrians fleeing as the vehicle mounts the pavement and drives straight towards them.

The car then turned left on to Bourke Street where the driver rampaged through the mall, before police stopped it near Elizabeth Street.

Officers shot the driver before he was dragged out an arrested.

Witnesses described the chaotic scenes that unfolded before them.

Father-of-two Stephen O'Brien, 52, told Daily Mail Australia that he was walking out of Bourke Street Mall with his seven-year-old son when he saw the car 'travelling uncontrollably'.

'I heard a lot of screaming first. Then I saw the van accelerate down the mall. The police were chasing him

Police arrested a man wearing nothing but red underwear following the incident in Melbourne

Three people have died and at least 25 others have been injured after the car ploughed into them in central Melbourne. Pictured, people mourning

'I saw a man carrying out CPR on a guy and then the police moved us on.

'My wife said she saw the guy get hit. He did a complete somersault in the air and landed on his back.

'He looked pretty bad. His face was covered in blood. It looked like a civilian was trying to given him CPR. His face was absolutely mangled. Then we saw they had a blanket over him.

'Its upsetting for me and my seven-year-old son saw it too. He asked, "why did they do it?".'
The opportunity of a lifetime to live and work for six months on a private island in the middle of nowhere has been offered to lucky couples who can prove they are in an 'established relationship'.

The illusive role of caretaker of Maatsuyker Island, 10 kilometres off the coast of Tasmania, has now become available.

The 460-acre isle is only accessible by helicopter and notorious for its cold, wet and windy weather.

The island's lighthouse, which was built in 1891, used to require manual operation but is now automatic - freeing up residents' time during their stay

The only sign of human life on the island is a lighthouse built in 1891, a meteorological observation office, ex-light keepers' house and a helipad.

Despite this, the job has garnered the attention of hundreds of keen couples, ready to wave goodbye to the daily grind and disappear off the grid for the better part of a year.

The job requires basic maintenance of grounds and buildings, land management work, and weather observations for the Bureau of Meteorology.

Volunteers would live on the island for six months, with no means of transport back to civilisation and just one helicopter visit three months in, to deliver basic supplies.

Volunteers would live on the island for six months, with no means of transport back to civilisation and just one helicopter visit three months in, to deliver basic supplies

But that has not dissuade hoards of people from expressing their interest on social media.

'Let's quit our jobs and just watch the sun go down and the moon come up for half a year,' one punter said.

'Ah the tranquillity, I wish' and 'send the helicopter I'm keen' others said.

While up close and personal with the wildlife, applicants have been forewarned about a catch or two.

Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service said there was no internet on the island, very little heating, AM radio and access to a temperamental landline phone.

However the lighthouse is automated, a luxury past residents were not lucky enough to have.

South Australia's Jane Tilley said it was the most isolated experience she could imagine, but it was 'amazing'.

'It gets very windy there but it is beautiful. As isolated as you can get really,' she said.

Ms Tilley also gave insight into the ins and outs of the job.

'This is the view that the Maatsuyker Island lighthouse keeper had to look forward to each day before his job was made obsolete in 1991. It's not a bad office,' CareerGypsie posted on Instagram

Despite the harsh conditions, the advertised job has had huge amounts of people expressing interest online

'When I was there we got paid a wage as light keepers as well as the wage from the Bureau of Meteorology (which isn't that great  more like a part time wage),' she said.

'And you do weather observations every three hours.

'The phone used to drop out a lot and we had a radio which we used every day to contact Bruny Island.'

But despite the apparent lack of comforts, Ms Tilley said the nature was a draw-card.

'It's lush and green and there are interesting walks,' she said.

Due to the isolation and remoteness of Maatsuyker Island, applicants need to prove they 'have spent time together in a remote setting' and 'are able to work well together'.

'Accordingly, submissions from people with an established relationship are much preferred,' the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service said.

For more information, or to apply, visit Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service.
Two British adventurers have battled chronic sleep deprivation to break the record in an Atlantic rowing race dubbed the worlds toughest.

Angus Collins and Alex Simpson, both 27, barely mustered two hours uninterrupted sleep in over a month during the 3,000-mile contest.

Along with Californian team-mates Jason Caldwell and Matthew Brown, they battled cabin fever and the worst the elements could throw at them as they took on the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

Jason Caldwell, Alex Simpson, Matt Brown and Angus Collins celebrated breaking the record in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge rowing race

Their fatigue was so severe that they even suffered vivid hallucinations at times.

The Latitude 35 team left La Gomera in the Canary Islands on a 29ft carbon fibre vessel on December 14 and landed in Antiguas English Harbour in the Caribbean yesterday to a heroes welcome.

They gingerly took their first steps on land for 35 days and 14 hours to be greeted by members of their families, having recorded the fastest crossing in the races two-decade history.

Describing suffering hallucinations while at sea, sales and project manager Mr Collins, from Burnham in Buckinghamshire, said: Alex was talking to me for 20 minutes and I had no idea - I was just tripping for 20 minutes.

I thought he had a granny hitting him with a stick and he was trying to fend her off with his oar.

The team started from La Gomera, in the Canary Islands, on December 14 at 11.30am

The team, Latitude 35, spent over 35 days on the water often getting less than two hours uninterrupted sleep as they battled cabin fever and the elements to win the race

Mr Collins said the race record was not mentioned on board, adding: Weve got a big thing on the boat about superstition - so I dont say anything about times, records, I hate it.

We tried to keep it as quiet as possible and I dont think we fully admitted it until yesterday.

Mr Simpson, an investment broker from London, said their success was largely down to good self-discipline - although he fell asleep on shift as he struggled to adjust to rowing through the night.

He said: Weve all probably done things that might have annoyed another person. We never raised it, always let it go. It was a respect that that person was struggling so you let it go.

Latitude 35 were raising funds for military charity Headstrong.
It is hard to imagine how the build up to todays inauguration of Donald Trump as 45th President of the United States could have been more acrimonious or mired in controversy.

A dossier claiming Russian agents filmed Mr Trump in a hotel with prostitutes The president-elect at war with the CIA... Women claiming he molested them At times it has resembled a political thriller beyond credibility.

Meanwhile, Democrats are already talking about impeachment and today, hundreds of thousands of protesters are expected to descend on Washington.

It is an astonishing contrast with eight years ago when President Obama came to office on a wave of hope and expectation as the first African-American President.

It is hard to imagine how the build up to todays inauguration of Donald Trump as 45th President of the United States could have been more acrimonious or mired in controversy

Democrats are already talking about impeachment and today, hundreds of thousands of protesters are expected to descend on Washington

But with his country more indebted than ever and racial tensions on the rise, what domestic legacy can the outgoing President claim, apart from costly healthcare reforms?

Indeed, in Britain wont he mostly be remembered for his indifference towards the Special Relationship, and his shameful claim during the EU referendum campaign that this country would be at the back of the queue for a post-Brexit trade deal.

As for the luvvies and liberal political classes on both sides of the Atlantic wailing and gnashing their teeth, they should ponder whether the election of a brash billionaire in his place is in fact the outgoing Presidents biggest legacy?

The Mail, for its part, gives President Trump a cautious welcome, although not without some significant reservations.

It is impossible to make firm judgments about that spy dossier, although it says much about Mr Trumps past, and his attitude to women that  if true  they would hardly seem out of character.

It is an astonishing contrast with eight years ago when President Obama came to office on a wave of hope and expectation as the first African-American President

More significantly, he is confronted with trying to fulfil impractical or undesirable campaign pledges, despite having never before held public office and with few friends in Congress.

Hopefully he will focus on his more sensible promises, such as cutting taxes and red tape, addressing corporate abuses and rebuilding relations with Russia while taking on Islamic State (something his predecessor signally failed to do).

But it is Mr Trumps approach to Brexit Britain which gives this newspaper most cause for optimism about the next four years and raises the prospect of a new era for US/UK relations.

There was much to applaud in an interview this week which showed him to be both a sincere Anglophile and hugely proud of his Scottish roots.

Instinctively, he understood why so many people voted for Brexit.

People, countries want their own identity and the UK wanted its own identity, he said.

And who could argue with his assessment that Angela Merkels decision to throw open Germanys borders to a million migrants was a catastrophic mistake.

Most importantly, he said he wanted a trade deal with the UK done very quickly.

What a contrast with President Obamas contempt for Britain.

For Theresa May, this will add credence to her pledge to walk away from Brexit talks if the EU tries to punish the UK.

The Mail, for its part, gives President Trump a cautious welcome, although not without some significant reservations

On Nato, isnt President Trump right that Europe should start paying for its own defence, instead of relying on the US?

His position allows Mrs May to leverage our military might and intelligence capability in Brexit talks.

In their first conversation, the incoming President pointedly referenced the relationship between Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.

We can only hope he and Mrs May can emulate that personal bond and political alliance  which helped end the Cold War.

We must also hope that President Trump grows into the job and, like Reagan, proves the sneering Left completely wrong.
The man who police say stole $1.6 million in gold flakes from the back of a truck in the middle of Manhattan has been arrested in Ecuador, where he is from.

Julio Nivelo, 53, also goes by the name David Vargas, and is believed to have grabbed the 86-pound barrel from the back of an armored car on September 30th of last year.

The man, who police believe is Nivelo, was captured on CCTV walking past the unguarded pail twice before stopping and looking at it thoughtfully.

Scroll down for video

Julio Nivelo, who is believed to have grabbed the barrel from the back of an armored car, has been arrested in Ecuador

Julio Nivelo, 53, also goes by the name David Vargas, and is believed to have grabbed the 86-pound barrel from the back of an armored car on September 30th

Footage then shows him grabbing the pail from the van and running away with it down the street.

Federal Homeland Security Investigations agents helped capture Nivelo in Ecuador, according to New York Daily News.

The daring crime occurred in broad daylight on West 48th Street in New York City's busy Midtown area, not far from Time's Square.

Footage from the theft shows a man walking along the treet and then loitering around the truck, which was open at the back.

Police have described Nivelo as a 'career criminal', according to the Daily News, and he has been linked to at least seven other similar thefts between May and August.

Sources told the Daily News that his other crimes include stealing jewelry from a courier truck, camera equipment from a car, and clothing and glasses from a Fed Ex Truck.

He has been deported four times to Ecuador in 1994, 2001, 2005, and 2008, cops said.

Police have described Nivelo as a 'career criminal', according to the Daily News, and he has been linked to at least seven other similar thefts between May and August. Sources told the Daily News that his other crimes include stealing jewelry from a courier truck, camera equipment from a car, and clothing and glasses from a Fed Ex Truck

Caught gold-handed: Police are looking for this man, who they say stole $1.6m of gold flakes from the back of a truck in the middle of Manhattan at the end of September

It is believed that the guard briefly stopped watching over the truck and went into its cab to retrieve his cellphone when the theft took place.

Footage shows him as he thinks nobody is watching, reaching into the vehicle and lifting down the heavy bucket containing the gold flakes.

Afterwards, he is captured on camera hurrying along the sidewalk as he struggles with the stolen goods.

Golden opportunity: Police captured the man on video. In the footage he walks past the truck, loops around to take a better look, and stands for a moment, apparently pondering his crime

Take the flakes: The man then reaches up and grabs the five-gallon bucket of gold flakes, before walking off into the street

Gold fingers: The sticky-fingered gent then walks up the street - visibly struggling with the 86lbs of flakes he's just pilfered. He's now believed to be in Florida

At one point, he even places the five-gallon bucket on the ground, to give his arms a rest from the heavy load.

But after a short rest, he picks up the bucket again and disappears into across the street.

Police say the thief lugged the gold flakes up the street, taking an hour to complete what would normally be considered a ten-minute walk.

He then hopped into a white van and fled. Officers say they believe the thief didn't know what was contained in the bucket.
Advertisement

The man who allegedly ran over and killed four people while rampaging through Melbourne had posted on Facebook Ill take you all out and stole the vehicle after threatening to gouge the owners eyes out.

The driver of the car, identified as Dimitrious 'Jimmy' Gargasoulas, is a Melbourne local who was charged with family violence offences last weekend and was out on bail when he ploughed through crowds in the city centre on Friday.

Gargasoulas, 26, has a history of mental health and drug abuse issues and police say he was also involved in a domestic stabbing incident at 2am on Friday.

After attacking his brother, Gargasoulas is accused of storming into his mother's ex-boyfriend, Gavin Wilson's, housing commission apartment and demanding the keys to his Holden Commodore.

The 76-year-old said Gargasoulas came into his flat with a Bible, set it alight and threw the burning book into his face before threatening to gouge his eye out.

'He asked me twice for (the keys) and I said "no, I'm not giving it to you",' Mr Wilson said in an interview with Seven News.

'Then he put his hand in my eye and started pressing. He said "Give them to me or I'll gouge your eye out", so I said "OK, OK".'

The 26-year-old man responsible for the rampage in Melbourne's city centre on Friday has been identified as Dimitrious Gargasoulas (pictured)

Earlier in the day the accused driver had confronted Gavin Wilson (Pictured) by throwing a burning Bible in his face and demanding the keys to his Holden Commodore. Mr Wilson said he handed over his keys out of fear for his life

The red car that smashed through pedestrians is pictured crumpled on the path after police brought it to a stop

The mangled wreckage of half a pram was found (pictured) 100 metres up the street and a mother was heard shouting 'where is my baby?'

Mr Wilson said he threw the burning Bible on the floor and Gargasoulas punched him.

Gargasoulas then drove into a street crowded with pedestrians in Melbourne's city centre during the lunchtime rush on Friday, killing at least four people, including a child, and injuring around 20 others, police said.

Among the four people killed were a man in his 30s, a woman in her 30s, and a young child.

Officers had earlier in the day tried to intercept the vehicle, but called off the chase before he entered the downtown area because he was driving so erratically and they feared a chase through the city might endanger the community.

Gargasoulas is now in hospital after being shot in the arm by police, who dragged him from the vehicle.

Shocking mobile phone footage captured the moment the maroon vehicle performed burnouts outside Flinders Street Station before driving into crowds of shoppers on busy Bourke Street at about 1.30pm.

Gargasoulas was wearing nothing but red underwear when he was detained by police at the Elizabeth Street end of the mall. He remains under police guard in St Vincent's Hospital and is yet to be questioned.

An insight into his disturbed state of mind has been granted via recent posts on his Facebook page, which claim he was not Greek Tongan, but rather: 'Greek islamic kurdish ANGEL OF CULT' (sic).

He also posted: 'I'LL TAKE YOU ALL OUT ... YOU NEED AN ARMY TO TAKE ME'.

Gargasoulas, known as Jimmy, is pictured, left, with a tank and, right, in Melbourne. Just days before the rampage, Gargasoulas had posted on Facebook: ILL TAKE YOU ALL OUTYOU NEED AN ARMY TO TAKE ME.

Mr Gargasoulas recently posted on his Facebook page: 'I'LL TAKE YOU ALL OUT ... YOU NEED AN ARMY TO TAKE ME'

On January 14, the 26-year-old posted on Facebook 'I know exactly how to take you DOGS down'

Gargasoulas recently posted on his Facebook page claiming he was not Greek Tongan but rather: 'greek islamic kurdish ANGEL OF CULT' (sic)

A man dressed only in red underwear was arrested by police officers. He is believed to be the driver of the car that hit pedestrians, in Bourke Street

Part of a pram was still trapped on the bonnet of the car when it finally came to a stop when police shot the driver the arm

During the horrific rampage a child was thrown from a pram which was dragged 100 metres down the street after getting stuck on the bonnet of the maroon car.

The baby's mother watched in horror - as people ran for their lives in the ensuing chaos - and she was heard desperately begging: 'Where is my baby?'

Half the pram was later found further up the road by the mall at a pedestrian crossing on William Street and the baby is believed to be in a critical condition.

'A male deliberately drove into pedestrians in the Bourke Street mall, and we currently have three deceased and at least 20 injuries,' police said earlier on Friday. They later updated the number of injured people to 24 people. Of those 24, four are children.

One of the four victims killed in the massacre is believed to be a 10-year-old Jewish girl, with her mother and sister in critical condition in hospital, according to Jewish News.

At least 25 people were injured in the terrifying chaos on Bourke Street on Friday afternoon. Pictured is a woman being loaded into an ambulance

Members of the public helped medical staff and police treat a person injured in the horrific incident in Melbourne

Medical equipment covered the sidewalk as at least 25 people were treated for their injuries. Some were seen being carried into ambulances

Members of the public are seen here receiving medical assistance. A police officer looks at the camera

A witness, Renee, said she heard a 'loud thud' as three people were hit in front of her eyes.

'I saw the car on the footpath and I saw the people out of the corner of my eye fly in the air... There were three or four contorted bodies on the ground,' she said.

'I could see the people on the footpath that had been run over.'

Sharn Baylis told The Age she gave CPR to a man who could not be saved.

'[The driver' was going around 60km/h but it seemed faster... People were literally just flying like skittles, bouncing off the bonnet and smashing into the shops,' she said.

Police have confirmed it was not a terrorism related incident.

At 2am on Friday, Gargasoulas is believed to have stabbed his brother in Windsor, in Melbourne's south east, after reports of an argument between the two, according to Nine News.

Police at the scene as the investigation into the circumstances of the carnage began on Friday afternoon. The empty pram that had been dragged along the street was seen next to a woman's handbag

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the offender had become known to police following multiple incidents.

'He is not on our books as having any connection with terrorism and we're not regarding this as a terrorism-related incident. What we do know of the person is there is an extensive family violence history involved,' Chief Commissioner said.

'He has come to our attention on many occasions in the past. We have mental health and drug-related issues in the background of this particular person.

CHILDREN INJURED A baby has died, and four other children are being treated at the Royal Children's Hospital. A three-month-old is currently in the operating theatre. A two-year-old is in intensive care. A nine-year-old is being treated for limb injuries. A 12-year-old is also in hospital. Advertisement

'He has been coming to our attention more recently over recent days in relation to assaults, family violence-related assaults.'

Pedestrian access has been closed on Bourke Street between William and Swanston Streets. Police said the situation had been contained, but have requested that people avoid the area.

Emergency services in Melbourne are overwhelmed, with paramedics put on Code Red meaning anyone available to work must do so, and a number of hospitals on Code Brown, meaning medical staff were braced for an emergency.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews addressed the media and said he was proud of the way emergency services and Victorians responded to the 'evil' criminal act.

'We are so proud of our emergency services, so proud of Victorians who, in the midst of this, stepped forward to help their fellow citizens and we are all confident that we are bigger and stronger and better than this evil criminal act today,' he said.

The car was seen driving erratically outside Flinders Street Station before heading up Bourke Street Mall and eventually being stopped at Elizabeth Street

The maroon vehicle was seen doing burnouts outside Flinders Street Station around lunchtime on Friday

'People were running out of the way, they were going very very fast' a witness said

Police were seen guarding the scene as Melbourne CBD was shut down following the tragedy

People are seen hugging on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth street after the car ploughed through pedestrians

Terrifying CCTV shows the moment the car speeds along the street near pedestrians

Father-of-two Stephen O'Brien, 52, told Daily Mail Australia that he was walking out of Bourke Street Mall with his seven-year-old son when he saw the car 'travelling uncontrollably'.

'I heard a lot of screaming first. Then I saw the van accelerate down the mall. The police were chasing him

'I saw a man carrying out CPR on a guy and then the police moved us on.

'My wife said she saw the guy get hit. He did a complete somersault in the air and landed on his back.

'He looked pretty bad. His face was covered in blood. It looked like a civilian was trying to given him CPR. His face was absolutely mangled. Then we saw they had a blanket over him.

'It's upsetting for me and my seven-year-old son saw it too. He asked, 'why did they do it?'.'

Ambulance Victoria confirmed a number of people have been injured

Police said the situation had been contained, but have requested that people avoid the area

Two Asian women stop in the road for bizarre tourist photo after the rampage Tourists have been seen posing for photographs at the scene where a car fatally ploughed into pedestrians in Melbourne's city centre. An image shows two women striking a pose in between police cars as stunned passer-by watch on, metres away from where the horrific rampage killed three people. An Asian woman in a white shirt, a designer hat and sunglasses was spotted having her photo taken. Callous tourists have been seen caught posing for cheery photographs at the scene of the rampage Advertisement

'People were running out of the way, they were going very very fast,' another witness, Rebecca Russo, told The Age.

'I saw him hit a few people. I saw bodies flying into the air.'

Other people said they heard a boom and gunshots, with one man telling Sky News there was 'a hell of a lot of blood'.

'There's someone on the middle of the ground and there's blood all over the street,' Rishi Hathiramani, a CBD shopkeeper, told AAP.

'I've seen accidents but never this bad.

'It's pretty brutal.'

'A heap of people ran into my store, it was horrible. Half of my staff are in tears,' a Strandbags manager told AAP.

City office worker William Mulholland said he came out of a laneway and saw a number of bodies lying on the pavement receiving CPR from police and emergency workers.

Police and emergency services at the scene after a car hit pedestrians in Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne
Two women who accused former president Bill Clinton of sexual misconduct have been pictured together at Donald Trump's pre-inauguration dinner.

Juanita Broaddrick and Paula Jones were among the women who sat alongside Trump during a press conference in October when they shared their sex victim stories involving Clinton.

Broaddrick, a 74-year-old retired nurse, posted a photo on Twitter of her with Jones at the inaugural gala in Washington on Thursday night.

Juanita Broaddrick (left) and Paula Jones (right) were pictured together at Donald Trump's pre-inauguration dinner on Thursday after they accused Trump of sexual misconduct

'Paula and I are having a blast at this first gala. Awesome,' she wrote alongside the photo.

Broaddrick accused Clinton of raping her in a hotel room when he was the Arkansas attorney general in the 1970s. She also accused Hillary of threatening her to stay silent.

She first made her story public in 1999 but remained a vocal critic of the Clintons throughout Hillary Clinton's election campaign. She had labeled Bill Clinton and 'abuser' and Hillary Clinton an 'enabler.'

Bill Clinton's lawyers called her claim 'categorically false'.

Broaddrick, a 74-year-old retired nurse, was one of four women invited by Trump to speak at a press conference ahead of the second presidential debate in October

Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick and Kathy Shelton were given prominent seats by the Trump campaign for his debate against Hillary Clinton

Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick, Donald Trump, Kathy Shelton and Paula Jones held a photo-op in St. Louis, Missouri in October before the second presidential debate

Jones won an $800,000 lawsuit settlement while Bill Clinton was in the White House, accusing him of sexual harassment.

She said she was an Arkansas state clerk in 1991 when Clinton exposed himself to her and asked for oral sex, and tried to kiss her in a hotel.

The case brought to light the president's affair with Monica Lewinsky and led to his impeachment, in which he was acquitted by the Senate.

Both Broaddrick and Jones were invited by Trump to the second presidential debate last year where they publicly condemned the Clintons.

'Mr Trump may have said some bad words, but Bill Clinton raped me. And Hillary Clinton threatened me. I don't think there's any comparison,' Broaddrick had told a room full of reporters.

They were then seated just feet away from Hillary during the debate.

FLASHBACK: Juanita Broaddrick's encounter with Bill Clinton was in 1978, when this picture was taken
Caitlyn Jenner arrived at the pre-inauguration dinner Thursday evening amidst rumors she will share a dance with the President-elect.

The 66-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashian vet wore a navy tassel dress to the celebratory dinner.

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 arrived at the pre-inauguration dinner Thursday evening amidst rumors she will share a dance with the President-elect

Trump spoke during the dinner to thank donors and members of his family and celebrated himself as a the hardest working candidate to have ever run for office.

He gave thank yous to his most trusted staff and made jibes at Hillary Clinton, speaking ahead to Friday's swearing in ceremony, joking that if it rains, at least the jokes about his gravity-defying hair might stop.

'It may rain, it may not rain. I don't care. It doesn't matter. If it really pours that's OK because people will realize it's my real hair.

'It might be a mess but they're gonna see it's my real hair.'

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.

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

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 Republican party is often seen to be broadly unsupportive of LGBT rights.

The Republican party is often seen to be broadly unsupportive of LGBT rights, and 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

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.
After earning nearly $10,000 in two months as an Uber driver, Jordan Marchant is enjoying the sweet taste of success that's helped him launch his ice-cream business.

The 35-year-old entrepreneur only opened the doors of 'Whip It Good' three weeks ago, but it is rapidly growing a devoted following among residents in Bondi, in Sydney's east..

But as customers chow down on the coconut soft serve, little do they know they have ride-sharing service Uber to thank.

Jordan Marchant, 35, (Pictured in black jeans) earned nearly $10,000 in two months as an Uber driver to help start up his ice-cream business

The long hours spent behind the wheel for Uber has been a key component in Mr Marchant's success

As customers chow down on coconut soft serve at 'Whip It Good', little do they know they have ride-sharing service Uber to thank

Mr Marchant says the idea to drive Uber was planted after chatting with a driver in Perth, but it wasn't until he and girlfriend Niranya Livingstone, 36, decided to take their business to Australia's east coast that he decided to become one himself.

'We sold the business June 2016, and the idea was to go from a market stall to a bigger store,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'We originally decided to set up in my girlfriend's hometown of Auckland, but on the way we went to Sydney for two days and fell in love with Bondi.'

The couple went home and sold everything, packing up the car and drove across the Nullarbor Plain and all the way to Bondi to set up their store, which makes ice-cream out of coconut water and coconut cream  making it suitable for people with food intolerances.

'We subleased the building but things were slow to process and the money was getting lower and lower, that's when I applied to be an Uber driver.'

'Without that money we would have been in deep s***'.

'Whip It Good' makes ice-cream out of coconut water and coconut cream  making it suitable for people with food intolerances

Mr Marchant and his girlfriend Niranya Livingstone, 36, packed up the car and drove all the way to Bondi to set up their store

Through Uber, Jordan has been able to spread the word of his new business to riders, some of who have actually helped 'Whip It Good' come to life

Mr Marchant met an 'amazing Estonian woodworker' through Uber who actually helped build the store

The 35-year-old entrepreneur only opened the doors of ' Whip It Good ' three weeks ago, but it is rapidly growing a devoted following amongst the Bondi locals

Another happy customer shows off her dairy-free ice-cream from 'Whip It Good'

The store began as a market stall in Western Australia in June 2015

And while the service has been a welcome source of income for the business owner, the hours can be long.

'This morning [Friday] I was up at 5am and I drove until 10.30am, and then I had a sleep.

'Then I might drive again tonight from 5pm until midnight or so.'

Through Uber, Jordan has been able to spread the word of his new business to riders, some of who have actually helped 'Whip It Good' come to life.

'It's been really awesome, I found a guy through Uber who actually helped build this store.

'This amazing Estonian woodworker came in and helped create the interior.

'You get to know someone quite well and learn a lot about each other during that 30 or so minute drive and you usually end up chatting about what you do.'

As the ice-cream business grows, Mr Marchant plans to phase out the driving, but he doesn't plan on stopping completely.

'At the moment we're taking it as it comes and get the store up and running.'

'Whip It Good' is night-time focused operation - offering people a place to chat and mingle rather than having to go to a pub.

As the ice-cream business grows, Mr Marchant (pictured) plans to phase out the driving, but he doesn't plan on stopping completely
Police have reopened the investigation into the disappearance of three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer - who vanished from a shower block almost 50 years ago.

Investigators now believe there is a link between the abduction and a home for for troubled teenage boys.

Former staff and residents of the Mount Penang Training School, north of Sydney, have been urged to come forward.

The shocking murder of three-year-old Cheryl Grimmer (pictured with her father, John) could finally be solved 47 years after detectives found a new lead in old case files

In a statement released on Friday, police said anyone with a link to the detention centre in the early 1970s could unknowingly have valuable information about the case.

Cheryl Grimmer was just three when she vanished from outside a beach shower block at Fairy Meadow Beach in Wollongong, New South Wales, on January 12, 1970.

A ransom note for $10,000 was sent to Cheryl's parents three days later but no one showed up to collect the money.

Despite a massive search at the time, police were unable to recover the toddler, who is believed to have been murdered.

Former staff and residents of the Mount Penang Training School (pictured), on the NSW Central Coast, have been urged to come forward

Investigators renewed their appeal for information in December last year and claim to 'have had a large response from the public since'.

'The investigation is definitely progressing and it's appropriate that we follow up various leads to determine whether they're relevant to the case,' Detective Inspector Ainsworth said.

'One of those lines of inquiry means someone associated with the boys' home back then might be able to help us.'

Australian police revealed in December they believed the youngster was kidnapped by a teenage boy - who would now be in his early 60s.

This ransom note for $10,000 was sent to Cheryl's parents after three days but no one showed up to collect the money where police dressed as council workers lay in wait

He was seen running towards bushland from the area where Cheryl vanished.

He was described by police as caucasian, aged between 16 and 17, about 152cm tall with a medium build, brown hair, blue eyes and fair complexion.

The suspect was missed on the day and though they would not reveal many details, investigators are 'confident [they] are on the right track'.

'We are calling this a breakthrough in the investigation. It's something that was missed over the years,' Detective Sergeant Damian Loone told the Daily Telegraph.

The vital clue was found by reviewing many boxes of old case files looking for leads the original investigation missed or didn't follow up on.

Scroll down for video.

Ricki Grimmer, centre, pictured with his brothers, Stephen, second left, and paul, right, along with Detective Inspector Brad Ainsworth, left, said he still blames himself despite being only eight at the time of his sister's disappearance in January 1970

Their renewed interest followed a re-enactment of the Grimmer family's day at the beach in December, in a bid to convince the killer to turn themselves in.

'It's time to come clean and absolve yourself and tell us what happened on that day  and, more importantly, for the family. If not for yourself, do it for them,' Sergeant Loone said.

Cheryl's brother Stephen Grimmer, 52, revealed in December last year that his parents Carol and John died without ever knowing the truth.

Stephen, who has two other brothers Ricki and Paul, told how the three of them had never stopped looking for their little sister, according to The Times.

Carol died three years ago, and on her deathbed made the brothers promise to find out what happened the day she went missing during a family trip.

Cheryl was abducted in a Madeline McCann-style case (pictured) - who disappeared in 3 May 2007 who disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz

Ricki Grimmer told a press conference during a re-enactment of the disappearance at Fairy Meadow Beach, where Cheryl was last seen: ' Heartache decisions I made on the day were wrong. I shouldn't have left. What do you say? What do you do? It's affected me all my life'.

'Everyone says it wasn't my fault but come and stand where I'm standing, see what it feels like.

'Just let us know where she is, give us something so we can mourn. It's cost me and my family everything.'

It is believed she was taken while she was alone in the female changing room.

The family, which emigrated from the UK in the late 1960s, was living in a hostel near the beach at the time of the abduction.

Her three brothers Ricki, Stephen and Paul have called on the killer to hand himself in.

Cheryl disappeared from outside this beach shower block near Wollongong on January 12, 1970, and despite a massive search no sign of her was ever found

Cheryl was at the beach with her mother Carole and brothers Ricki, eight, Stephen, six, and Paul, five, when the four children were sent to the showers at about 1.30pm.

A few minutes later Ricki ran to his mother and said Cheryl wouldn't come out of the shower block, but by the time they got there she was gone and never seen again.

'She was gone in just a minute or two. It's something I still live with every day,' Ricki, 54, said last week.

There were myriad conflicting reports of who took her and subsequent sighting and theories, none of which panned out.

Some said a man in an orange swimsuit lifted a girl to drink at a fountain before running off with her, another witness saw her being driven off in a white car.
Controversial politician David Leyonhjelm has been slammed on social media for a tweet he made about Friday's incident in Melbourne where a crazed driver ploughed into pedestrians.

Three people have died and dozens more are injured after a speeding car 'sent people flying in the air' in Melbourne's city centre during the lunchtime rush.

At least 20 people have been injured after being struck by the car that drove into a crowd of shoppers on busy Bourke Street.

Scroll down for video

Controversial politician David Leyonhjelm (pictured) has been slammed on social media for this tweet relating to Friday's tragic incident in Melbourne

However, when the news first broke the pro-gun Mr Leyonhjelm tweeted: 'Probably one of those semi-automatic assault cars.'

The anti-gun control Liberal Senator was then blasted on social media for the tweet.

'Your comment is appalling,' one person tweeted. While another said: 'Delete your account scumbag.' The polarising politician was also called a 'cretin' and a 'coward' among other things for his remark.

Stephen O'Brien, 52, a town planner and father of two described the horror he witnessed as he walked along the street with his son.

Police stand over a man who is believed to be the driver of a car that hit pedestrians in Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne

Men dive out of the way as the man driving a maroon Holden speeds through Bourke Street in Melbourne

Terrified pedestrians hug each other on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Street

Mr Leyonhjelm was heavily criticised on Twitter for his comment

The anti-gun control Liberal Senator (pictured) was blasted on social media for his reaction

He described how he saw the car travelling uncontrollably and heard a lot of screaming first, before the maroon Holden accelerated down the mall with the police chasing it.

Only minutes later he came across a scene he would rather forget however.

'I saw a man carrying out CPR on a guy and then the police moved us on. My wife said she saw the guy get hit. He did a complete somersault in the air and landed on his back,' Mr O'Brien told Daily Mail Australia.

'He looked pretty bad. His face was covered in blood. It looked like a civilian was trying to given him CPR. His face was absolutely mangled. Then we saw they had a blanket over him.

'Its upsetting for me and my seven-year-old son saw it too. He asked "why did they do it?".

A man dressed only in red underwear was arrested by at the Elizabeth Street end of the mall afterwards.

Emergency services help an injured pedestrian into the back of an ambulance

Another casualty of Friday's shocking incident is attended to on Burke Street in Melbourne

The controversial politician was called a 'cretin' and a 'coward' among other things

An injured pedestrian is taken from the scene on a stretcher by emergency services

Witnesses reported hearing gunshots ring out through the city centre.

One witness told ABC radio he saw the car travelling along the footpath.

'It was a maroon Commodore travelling easily 70km/hr on the footpath. We heard thumps and there was people flying everywhere,' he said.

Another witness was in the Deloitte building on Bourke Street and saw a suspect under police guard.

'The suspect is lying on his back, he's cuffed,' he told 3AW.

'There's a crashed car... completely wrecked and over the top of that car was a pram.'

He said he also saw a child being stretchered off by paramedics.
A two-month-old dairy calf named Gigi has sold for over a quarter of a million dollars, breaking the Australian record.

The Holstein heifer calf was sold for $251,000 at the International Dairy Week World Wide Sires sale in Tatura, Victoria on Wednesday.

Gigi, owned by Callum Moscript and Declan Patten from Lightning Ridge Genetics in Gippsland, Victoria, was bought by US firm Sexing Technologies.

A two-month-old dairy calf named Gigi (pictured) has sold for over a quarter of a million dollars, breaking the Australian record

The next highest price paid for a calf in Australasia was $112,000 also set by Lightning Ridge Genetics.

Mr Patten said he was trying to breed more efficient dairy cows while feeding them regular food.

'We're trying to make a more profitable cow. It's also better for the environment,' Mr Patten told The Age.

He purchased Gigi's embryo along with three others from a US Company for $20,000 in 2016.

Mr Patten said he hoped to breed and sell the other embryos.

The American company that bought Gigi plans to transport her back to the US.
A tour company being sued over the death of a British tourist says she only had herself to blame.

Zoe Woolmer, 23, died after falling down a cliff during a Northern Territory expedition in 2014.

In response to a lawsuit by her family, the tour company wrote that Woolmer's decision to climb down onto a ledge over a 15-metre drop at Kings Canyon was associated with an 'obvious risk of harm,' according to court documents obtained by NT News.

Zoe Woolmer, 23, died after falling down a cliff during a Northern Territory expedition in 2014

In response to a lawsuit by Ms Woolmer's family, the tour company wrote that her decision to climb down onto a ledge at Kings Canyon was associated with an 'obvious risk of harm'

'Several members of the tour group chose not to climb onto the ledge,' the company wrote. 'As the risk of falling was obvious, the [company] had no duty to warn of the risk.'

In the reply, filed on Monday, the company wrote that Ms Woolmer '[failed] to take reasonable care for her own safety.'

It said tour guide Rebecca Gethen gave instructions on how to safely climb down to the ledge, which is a popular spot for taking pictures.

Ms Woolmer's parents argue the company had a duty to 'take reasonable care to ensure the deceased's safety during the tour, not to place her in a situation of danger and to warn her of dangers,' according to NT News.

Before her death, Ms Woolmer was living in Sydney on a 12-month working visa. She went to King's Canyon as part of a three-day tour of the Watarrka and Uluru-Kata Tjuta national parks

It said tour guide Rebecca Gethen gave instructions on how to safely climb down to the ledge, which is a popular spot for taking pictures

Ms Woolmer's parents argue the company had a duty to 'take reasonable care to ensure the deceased's safety during the tour, not to place her in a situation of danger'

The company was fined $140,000 last June after pleading guilty to failing to comply to their work health and safety duty, NT News reported.

Before her tragic death, Ms Woolmer was living in Sydney on a 12-month working visa. She went to King's Canyon as part of a three-day tour of the Watarrka and Uluru-Kata Tjuta national parks, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Her fall caused severe injuries to the skull, brain, back, pelvis and shoulder blade, and she died soon after rangers responded to the accident, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Donald Trump's transition team thought about having tanks and missile launchers in the mogul's inaugural parade, a source said Thursday.

A member of staff brought up the idea of a military parade similar to displays of power seen in Russia and North Korea, an insider involved in inaugural planning told the Huffington Post.

But the military turned down the idea in part because they were concerned about the image of tanks and missile launchers parading down Pennsylvania Avenue, the source said. They also feared the heavy equipment might damage the roads in Washington, DC.

The president-elect has vowed to show off the country's military in parades - and even though his inaugural march might not feature heavy machinery, it will involve more military honors than usual.

A member of Donald Trump's team thought about having tanks and missile launchers in the president-elect's inaugural parade, an insider said Thursday. Trump is pictured with his wife Melania arriving for his pre-inaugural concert

'They were legit thinking Red Square/North Korea-style parade,' an insider with knowledge of inaugural preparations told the Huffington Post.

It seemed to make sense that the military would refuse out of concerns for the city's roads, according to a Department Of Defense official.

'I could absolutely see structural support being a reason [not to use tanks],' the official said.

Trump's inaugural parade will still have five military flyovers, a Pentagon spokesman told the website.

Each flyover will represent a branch of the forces - the Air Force, the Navy, the Army, the Marines and the Coast Guard.

The military refused in part because heavy tanks could destroy the roads in DC, the source said. An M4A3 Sherman tank is pictured in a file photo being brought for an exhibition

Politician Stephen Kerrigan, who worked on both of Obama's inaugurations, found the idea of having five flyovers shocking. 'It seems unnecessary and the optics don't seem appropriate,' he said. 'It's very Red Square.'

Trump however is determined to show off the country's military during his presidency.

'Being a great president has to do with a lot of things, but one of them is being a great cheerleader for the country,' he told the Washington Post.

'And we're going to show the people as we build up our military, we're going to display our military.

'That military may come marching down Pennsylvania Avenue. That military may be flying over New York City and Washington, DC, for parades.

'I mean, we're going to be showing our military.'

Friday's military flyovers will serve as training for pilots who need to fly a required number of hours per month.

The team thought about having a parade such as the ones organized in Russia (file picture) as massive displays of military power, according to the insider
The mayor of Jerusalem has praised Donald Trump as a 'friend' while slamming outgoing U.S. president Barack Obama accusing him of 'surrendering' to radical Islam.

Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat released a video on Thursday ahead of Trump's inauguration urging people to welcome him when he is sworn in as president.

The video launched an online campaign, titled Israel Welcomes Trump, encouraging Israelis to sign a petition urging the incoming president to stay true to his promise to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Scroll down for video

Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat released a video on Thursday ahead of Trump's inauguration praising him as a 'friend' and urging people to welcome him when he is sworn in as president

'My fellow citizens, during the last eight years, the Obama administration has pushed for a settlement-building freeze, has surrendered to the Iranians and radical Islam and has abandoned Israel to a hostile U.N. resolution,' Barkat said.

'This week President Donald Trump enters the White House. Let's all welcome him together as our friend and thank him for his intentions to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

'Join me in signing a letter supporting President Trump's decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem and his decisions supporting Israel. Let's make the U.S. and Israel relationship great again!'

The video features a clip of Trump speaking on stage at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobby in Washington where he said: 'We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem.'

The video features a clip of Trump speaking on stage at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobby in Washington where he said: 'We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem.'

The video launched an online campaign, titled Israel Welcomes Trump, encouraging Israelis to sign a petition urging the incoming president to stay true to his promise to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

Transferring the embassy to Jerusalem would be a highly symbolic and politically charged act. The fate of the east Jerusalem is at the heart of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Virtually all embassies to Israel are located in or around Tel Aviv.

Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in a move that is not internationally recognized. It claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, as the capital of their future state.

Moving the embassy to Jerusalem would signal U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move that would infuriate Palestinians, break decades of American policy and distance the U.S. from most of the international community, including its closest allies in Western Europe.

The Palestinians condemned the idea.

Trump has said previously he would like to broker a peace deal, but he has given few details on how he hopes to do so.

The last round of U.S.-mediated peace talks collapsed over two years ago.
Model and TV presenter Laura Csortan has called in top media lawyers to fend off rumours about the paternity of her baby.

The former Australian Miss Universe has long kept the identity of the father of newborn Layla Rose a secret.

In recent weeks Ms Csortan retained law firm Mark O'Brien Legal to defend her from swirling speculation.

TV presenter and model Laura Csortan has welcomed her newborn baby girl into the world

Ms Csortan has shown off her newborn bub and spoken about her to magazines

Ms Csortan has shared adorable pictures of the baby - including this one this week

Sources said she denies the paternity allegations, as does the man allegedly involved.

There has been persistent speculation over the father's identity - even before she became a mother for the first time on November 17.

'He (the father) respects my decision (to have the baby), and when the baby's older I'm happy with her finding out who the father is,' she told Woman's Day last year.

'I'm going into this with an open mind'.

The one-time Great Outdoors presenter regularly shares happy moments with her child to her nearly 23,000 Instagram followers - from first swims to cuddles.

Ms Csortan first announced her pregnancy in a magazine last June and stressed she was going to be a single mother.

'It's exciting,' she was quoted saying. 'It was unexpected but I'm very happy about it.'

Ms Csortan, a former presenter of The Great Outdoors, is seen during a red carpet appearance

She celebrated her baby shower in September and gave birth just days after her 40th birthday in November.

'Welcome to the world my angel,' Ms Csortan said in an Instagram announcement.

She said then it was 'amazing receiving so many messages from other single mums and likeminded women'.

She 'never felt a love quite like it', she wrote.

Ms Csortan was called and emailed for comment.
A hundred staffers are gearing up for a long day of work on Inauguration Day, as they embark on a frantic five-hour sprint to transform the White House into Donald Trump's new home.

The Obamas are scheduled to leave the residence for the last time at 10:30 am, setting off the clock for employees in charge of the country's highest-profile move.

Only residence staffers are allowed to move items in and out of the White House for security reasons, meaning the White House's carpenters, electricians and other staffers will take on movers' responsibilities for the day.

About a hundred people will get the home ready by the time the Trumps arrive, between 3:30 and 5 pm. This involves moving in the new first family's furniture, but also making sure that they feel right at home, stocking the bathrooms with their favorite brand of toothpaste and the pantry with their preferred snacks.

Picture frames that once displayed photographs of President Barack Obama now sit empty in the West Wing of the White House as staffers prepare for moving day

Some work has been done in advance (as the empty frames pictured above show) but the bulk of the move will happen on Inauguration Day in a five-hour time frame

'We always remember that the house still belongs to the current president up until the time the new person raises their hand and takes the oath,' Reid's predecessor Stephen Rochon told the Washington Post.

The day will actually begin at 4 am, when permanent staffers and some contractors get ready for work. Kitchen employees will be exempt from moving duties as they will have many mouths to feed on Inauguration Day.

Chief Usher Angella Reid has designed this year's game plan. It is her first transition but many White House staffers have gone through a presidential move-in before.

Things might take an emotional turn around 8:30 am, when the first family says goodbye to the staffers who have assisted them for the past eight years.

Workers were seen moving boxes out of the White House Thursday, during Obama's last full day at his Washington, DC residence that will become the Trumps' home

Employees are careful not to make the first family feel like they're being pushed out, but some preparation (pictured Thursday) happen before Inauguration Day

Changing the White House from the Obamas' home to the new Trump residence will take five hours and involve about 100 workers on Friday (some are pictured Thursday)

President Barack Obama and his family will then exit by the North Portico and will be driven in limousines to the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony.

Preparations have begun and staffers were seen removing boxes from the White House on Thursday.

A photo of the inside of the presidential residence showed empty picture frames on the wall, indicating that the Obamas' pictures have been removed.

MOVE OUT TIMELINE 4 am: White House staffers and contractors arrive 8:30 am: The first family says goodbye to the employees 10:30 am: The Obamas leave and a five-hour moving marathon begins 3:30 pm: All must be ready for the Trumps, who might arrive between 3:30 and 5 pm Source: The Washington Post Advertisement

But staffers typically take care not to make the first family feel unwanted. Items belonging to the incoming president and his relatives might be discreetly stored in areas such as the China Room.

At 10:30 am, after the Obamas go, staffers will pack away any remaining items. Two moving trucks will pull up in front of the White House - one to take away the Obamas' possessions, the other to bring in the Trumps' items.

'It's very busy  you are on your feet constantly, making sure things are going in the right place and in the right way, and there is very little time to spare,' White House curator Betty Monkman told the New York Times.

'The housekeeper and maids are all getting the clothes in the closet and cosmetics and toiletries in the bathrooms, the kitchen staff is preparing the food. There is a lot going on.'

Two moving trucks will pull up - one to whisk away the Obamas' belongings, and one to bring in the Trumps' items. A moving truck is pictured in 1993 outside of the White House

Heavy duty: In 1961, three 40-foot trailer trucks left DC's National Archives for Abilene, Kansas, transporting the official and personal papers of President Eisenhower

Employees will clean the house, prepare the bedrooms, and stock up the kitchens and pantries.

'Mrs Obama's priority that day was getting the girls' rooms settled in time for bedtime that night,' former staffer Amy Zantzinger said about Obama's arrival, when daughers Malia and Sasha were 10 and 7 respectively.

A florist will bring in fresh flowers, new shoes will be installed in the bowling alley, and new movies will appear in the theater.

'The entire house has to be just the way the incoming family wants it,' former chief usher Stephen Rochon told USA Today.

The most important room, however, is the Oval Office.

'That's the first thing the president wants to see,' former Chief Usher Gary Walters said. 'That first impression sends a message to the American people about what's important to this president.'

The new first family is expected to arrive between 3:30 pm and 5 pm. Reid will tell Trump: 'Welcome to your new home, Mr. President' as he enters the White House.

Meanwhile, the Obamas will move to their new house in the Kalorama neighborhood, where they will begin their post-presidential life.
A young family have been booted out of a Melbourne theatre because they brought their three-month-old son.

Beth Caple and her partner took their son George to the Princess Theatre to watch the Book Of Mormon on Thursday.

But after breastfeeding George, only five minutes into the show, staff told Ms Caple producers had asked that she leave.

'I was thrown aback,' Ms Caple told 3AW.

Beth Caple and her partner took their son George to the Princess Theatre to watch the Book Of Mormon on Thursday

But after breastfeeding George, only five minutes into the show, staff told Ms Caple producers had asked that she leave (stock image)

Marriner Group own Princess Theatre. The group's general manager Glenn McGuinness said the mother was not asked to leave, but producers were concerned about the baby's safety.

'The mother chose to leave very soon after the start... she definitely was not asked to leave, she left voluntarily,' he said.

Ms Caple said her son didn't cry but conceded taking an infant to the theatre could be a risk.

She has emailed the production company requesting a refund for their tickets, the Herald Sun reported.

'An apology would be nice,' she said.

Book of Mormon creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone at a premiere after party

Marriner Group own Princess Theatre. The group's general manager Glenn McGuinness said the mother was not asked to leave, but producers were concerned about the baby's safety

The Book Of Mormon which opened on Broadway in the US in 2011 is already one of the most successful musicals of all time with nine Tony Awards and a Grammy to its name.

It made it's debut in London's West End in 2013 where it has also received outstanding reviews.

The show is a satirical musical that pokes fun at the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and follows two Mormons as they attempt to share their scriptures with a remote African village.
Advertisement

A recreation of a protective deity destroyed by ISIS and a sculpture of a scoop of ice cream topped with a drone are in line to be the next artwork displayed on Trafalgar Square's famous Fourth Plinth.

The space is currently home to Really Good - a 23ft-high bronze hand doing a thumbs up gesture - which has divided opinion and has been dubbed phallic by some onlookers.

Organisers have now unveiled maquettes of the proposed works to sit on the Fourth Plinth in 2018 and 2020.

One of the proposed sculptures, The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist by US artist Michael Rakowitz, is a recreation of Lamassu, a winged bull and protective deity which was destroyed by ISIS in Iraq in 2015.

Another work, The End, by British artist Heather Phillipson, is a sculpture of a scoop of ice cream, topped with a cherry, a drone and a fly.

The End, by British artist Heather Phillipson, is a sculpture of a scoop of ice cream, topped with a cherry, a drone and a fly

One of the proposed sculptures, The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist by US artist Michael Rakowitz, is a recreation of Lamassu, a winged bull and protective deity which was destroyed by ISIS in Iraq in 2015

High Way (left), by Mexican artist Damian Ortega, is 'a playful and precarious construction' of a truck, oil cans, scaffold and a ladder, while the Emperor's Old Clothes (right), by Raqs Media Collective, features a robe

A visitor views 'Untitled' by Huma Bhabha, on display at the National Gallery, London, which has been shortlisted for the next Fourth Plinth commission in Trafalgar Square

The drone will remain static but passers-by will be able to use their mobile phones to live-stream what the camera-equipped drone can see.

The works also include a figure, inspired by sci-fi films by New York-based artist Huma Bhabha.

High Way, by Mexican artist Damian Ortega, is 'a playful and precarious construction' of a truck, oil cans, scaffold and a ladder, while the Emperor's Old Clothes, by Raqs Media Collective, features a robe.

Some of the most memorable Fourth Plinth sculptures over the years have included Marc Quinn's sculpture of Alison Lapper, who was born with no arms, Yinka Shonibare's scaled-down replica of HMS Victory, contained in a glass bottle, and Katharina Fritsch's blue fibreglass sculpture of a cockerel.

Antony Gormley created One & Other in which people - including a man who posed naked - took it in turns to spend an hour on the plinth.

The Fourth Plinth is funded by the Mayor of London, with support from Arts Council England.

A statue of Lamassu was infamously destroyed by ISIS forces after the terror group captured Mosul Musuem, as it descecrated artefacts it deemed un-Islamic

The drone incorporated into Heather Phillipson's artwork will remain static but passers-by will be able to use their mobile phones to live-stream what the camera-equipped drone can see

Maquettes of the proposed works will be on display in the Annenberg Court of the National Gallery until March 26 and the two artists who have been selected by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group will also be announced that month

The space is currently home to Really Good - a 23ft-high bronze hand doing a thumbs up gesture - which has divided opinion and has been dubbed phallic by some onlookers

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'The variety of the exciting proposals unveiled today demonstrates the way in which artists react so differently to Trafalgar Square.

'I'm delighted to see that the shortlisted commissions are not just from the UK but from around the globe, a clear sign that London is open to creativity.'

Maquettes of the proposed works will be on display in the Annenberg Court of the National Gallery until March 26 and the two artists who have been selected by the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group will also be announced that month.

The plinth, built in 1841, was meant for a statue of King William IV but stood empty because of lack of funding. More recently, it has hosted various commissioned artworks on a temporary basis.
Tommy Rhattigan was one of 12 siblings growing up in poverty in Hulme, Manchester

A child beggar has revealed how he fled through a window aged seven after the Moors murderers lured him to their home with bread and jam in the 1960s.

Tommy Rhattigan, who was one of 12 siblings growing up in desperate poverty in Hulme, Manchester, was taken to the house of Myra Hindley and Ian Brady.

He was asked by Hindley to their home in Gorton for a jam buttie and thought she was being kind until she started to 'speak sharply' when he arrived there.

Mr Rhattigan, now 61, told the Daily Mirror that he smelt alcohol on her breath and had an 'overwhelming sense of panic, down in the pit of my stomach'.

Speaking to reporter Rachael Bletchly, he added: 'I got to my feet quietly and tried to open the sash window. It got stuck - I felt sick and thought I might faint.

Moors murderers: Mr Rhattigan was taken to Ian Brady and Myra Hindley's house in the 1960s

Investigation: Police and volunteers search Saddleworth Moor in the South Pennines in October 1965 for the bodies of the children killed by Brady and Hindley

'Then it shot up making a loud noise and Hindley cried, "Little s***s" out the window. I heard someone running then I felt a hand grab at my right foot.

'But momentum kept me going and I dropped to the ground on the other side, just as I heard the bolt from the back door as Brady came after me.'

Mr Rhattigan then leapt over the back wall and fled to safety, describing the horrifying incident as a 'lucky escape that has haunted me all my life'.

Brady and Hindley murdered five children aged between ten and 17 - Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans.

Probe: Police investigate the Moors murderers' crimes at Holmfirth in West Yorkshire in 1965

Saddleworth Moore: Brady and Hindley murdered five children aged between ten and 17

The murders took place from 1963 to 1965, and the couple were jailed for life in 1966. Hindley died in prison in 2002, while Brady is still in Ashworth Hospital.

Last month Brady, who Britain's longest serving prisoner, revealed in a note to a journalist that he is dying from a terminal lung and chest condition.

Brady, who is held at a high-security psychiatric hospital after being diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic in 1985, said he has been bedridden for two years.

Mr Rhattigan has written about his experiences in a book called '1963: A Slice of Bread and Jam', which is published by Mirror Books and comes out next Thursday.
Russia says it is working on a new range of laser, plasma and electromagnetic weapons as well as hypersonic missiles which would be able to hit a US aircraft carrier before the Pentagon even realised it had been fired.

The Kremlin's Deputy Defence Minister Yuri Borisov said yesterday: '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.'

A hypersonic weapon is a missile which travels at Mach 5 - five times the speed of sound - and it would enable the Russians to strike a target thousands of miles away within minutes.

Tass reported that Mr Borisov told journalists at the Russian Academoy of Sciences that Moscow: 'We expect an especially serious breakthrough in the field of laser issues, electromagnetic weapons and so on.'

Russia is not the only country working on laser weapons. American arms company Raytheon says it is hoping to develop a laser weapon (pictured) for the US Marines

The US and China are also believed to be working on laser weapons, which have the advantage of not running out of ammunition.

In 2010 the American arms giant Raytheon demonstrated a laser weapon which was able to shoot four drones out of the sky and in 2014 the US Navy carried out several laser tests in the Persian Gulf.

But Mr Borisov said Russian scientists were also working on future weapons which were 'based on physical principles never used before in this field'.

He said: 'Coming next are completely new principles of troop operations' control because today one who learns to detect the enemy quicker and give the target designation - and all this has to be done in real time - is the one who actually wins.'

Old hat: Russia has flexed its muscles in recent years in the Crimea (pictured, right) and in Aleppo, Syria (left) but the Kremlin says it is now working on a whole new generation of weaponry

Painting a picture of a computer games-style world where the winner of a military conflict was the country who could operate complex weapons systems quickest, he said war decisions which previously took hours or even days were now down to minutes and 'soon these will be seconds'.

He said: 'We 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 organised 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.'

Laser weapons have previously been seen as being in the realm of science fiction - like here in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (pictured)

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has been investing billions in modernising his country's armed forces in recent years as an increasingly frosty 'new cold war' broke out with America under the Obama administration and its Nato allies, especially Poland and the Baltic states.

Donald Trump, who last weekend said NATO was 'obsolete, is being inaugurated as President today and one of the first tasks he will have will be to decide whether to compete with Russia in the new arms race or try to 'make peace'.

Earlier this week Russia's Defence Ministry released a video showing soldiers in snow-camouflage firing the Tor system, which is designed to protect buildings from missile attack.

But the Tor could be used against anti-tank missiles in a war situation and it would even take out the Paveway laser-guided 'bunker buster' bomb which has been dropped by US planes during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Military veterans gathered at the office of Sen John McCain on Thursday to protest against the appointment of ExxonMobil oil tycoon Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.

The group of nine veterans live streamed the protest on Facebook, calling Tillerson's an 'irresponsible pick'.

McCain was reportedly in the building at the time, but wouldn't meet with the veterans, who stood in formation in his office.

Seven of the veterans, who had ties to the group Iraq Veterans Against the War and the environmental group Greenpeace, were arrested after Capitol police were called.

Nine military veterans occupied Sen John McCain's office on Thursday to protest the appointment of ExxonMobil oil tycoon Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State

Seven of the veterans were arrested after Capitol police were called following hours of occupation

McCain, who is chairman of the Senate's Armed Services committee, said earlier this week that he is still undecided about voting for Tillerson

Tillerson stepped down from his position of CEO at Exxon after being chosen for the secretary of state by Trump last year

'We have a real concern about an oil executive becoming secretary of state,' Matt Howard, a Marine Corps veteran who served during the Iraq War, told Business Insider.

'We know that this has been an industry and a person that has used the military to subsidize his own ability to make profit,' he added.

Howard claimed that Tillerson, who stepped down from Exxon after being chosen by Trump last year, would be a threat to national security if appointed. When he was CEO, Exxon had business deals with Iran, Syria and Sudan.

'This is clearly an irresponsible pick for secretary of state,' Howard said. 'And we really want to see Sen McCain make the right decision and reject his confirmation as secretary of state and encourage other members to reject him.'

Staffers for the Republican senator from Arizona can be seen on the livestream trying to stop the veterans from filming, citing senate rules.

The group of nine veterans live streamed the protest on Facebook, calling Tillerson's an 'irresponsible pick'

McCain's office and staffers allowed the veterans to exercise their right to protest for hours, but when the office tried to close for the day, the group refused to leave

Because the veterans refused to leave the office, Capitol police followed protocol and arrested those who remained

The veterans involved had ties to the group Iraq Veterans Against the War and the environmental group Greenpeace

'I did not sign up to protect oil or the interest of people lining their pockets,' one woman can be heard saying in one video.

'Exxon is not a friend of the United States,' another veteran is heard saying.

McCain's office and staffers allowed the veterans to exercise their right to protest for hours, but when the office tried to close for the day, the group refused to leave.

Capitol police followed protocol and arrested seven veterans.

'Sen. McCain appreciates the professionalism of the U.S. Capitol Police and all that they do to protect senators, staff and visitors to the U.S. Capitol,' a McCain spokeswoman wrote in an email to Stars and Stripes.

National Advisory Committee Member at Iraq Veterans Against the War Antonia Juhasz attended the protest and took photos during the occupation.

She documented the occupation on Facebook, saying that the veterans waited 'for hours' to speak with McCain.

The veterans livestreamed the protest on Facebook, although staffers could be heard telling them to stop recording

One woman involved in the protest is Rev Shawna Foster (left and right), who says that because Exxon is 'wrapped up in sanctions', Tillerson 'cannot be expected to place the greater good over his and his companys profit'

Juhasz wrote: 'They waited for hours peacefully and respectfully in the Senators office hoping to meet with the Senator - who was there, and chose not to speak with or meet with them - before the staff called the police, who arrested seven of the Veterans.'

McCain, who is chairman of the Senate's Armed Services committee, said earlier this week that he is still undecided about voting for Tillerson, because he once received a friendship award from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Monday, McCain said he was leaning toward Tillerson's confirmation, just 'barely,' after talking with him personally about Putin.

'I think [Tillerson] is a good man,' he told The Hill. 'I just want him to have an understanding of the moral dimensions of Vladimir Putin in particular, and the slaughter that he has inflicted.'

He later said on CNN that he hasn't made up his mind.

'When I see what Vladimir Putin has done in the way of literally committing war crimes intentionally,' he said, citing bombings of hospitals and civilians, 'then I question the recipient of a friendship award with Vladimir Putin.'
A fast food restaurant has been fined nearly 1m after a catalogue of errors left two employees from two branches with agonising burns from boiling hot gravy.

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) worker Joshua Arnold was scalded across both arms when a boiling tub of gravy tilted and spilled as he took it out of a microwave oven at the Teesside Retail Park restaurant in Stockton.

The then 16-year-old had paper towels put over his injuries and was sent to hospital alone in a taxi instead of an ambulance.

Teesside Crown Court heard how two bosses rushed to see how he was, then made a phone call to ask what first-aid they should administer.

Joshua Arnold (left) suffered severe burns (right) at the KFC branch in Teesside Retail Park in 2014

Joshua was burned at the KFC branch in Teesside Shopping Park, Stockton

Stephen Uttley, prosecuting, told the court how Joshua kept his arms under running water for 20 minutes and was told to put wet paper towels over his injuries.

The towels dried over the raw burns, and had to be peeled off in an agonising procedure at hospital - where he had been sent by himself.

After Joshua's accident, CCTV footage shows him at one point sitting on he floor as he nurses his injuries, and colleagues dodging around him.

The accident took place in July 2014 and was followed by a similar one at nearby branch in Wellington Square, also in Stockton.

The court heard during the second incident, in December 2015, a more experienced worker, Heather Storer, was also burnt by scalding-hot gravy.

Mr Uttley said she suffered third-degree burns to her right arm, hands, chest and stomach as she lifted a tub from the microwave.

Judge Sean Morris heard how neither employee used gauntlets to protect themselves from injury as the fast food company guidelines dictate.

Joshua, now 19 and working in a duty free shop at Stansted Airport, has settled on an out-of-court compensation package with KFC.

Joshua now works at duty free shop in Stansted airport

He said he had never been shown any guidance on how to carry out the hearing up task safely, and had done it just once before, supervised.

The court heard how there should have been two green gloves and a spare set at all restaurants, but there was just one at Teesside Park.

Mr Uttley told Judge Morris how at Wellington Square, CCTV footage and Ms Storer's statement indicate there were no gauntlets at all.

The company admitted two charges of failing in a duty of care to employees, and was also ordered to pay 18,700 in court costs.

Sada Naqshbandi, defending, said: 'I want to apologise to both, and express regret for their injuries and suffering.'

In the UK, the company has 880 restaurants - 235 owned by them, and the rest franchises - and has an annual turnover of around 450m.

Miss Naqshbandi said: 'It is not a case where there has been cost-cutting at the expense of safety, or where there has been concealment of any nature.'

Miss Naqshbandi told the court how the company employs a specialist health and safety team, and there are now warning stickers in microwaves.

Ms Storer had worked at Wellington Square and a branch at Wolviston service station of the A19, and had seen many people not use gloves.

In a statement, she said: 'There seems to be a complete inability to use any personal protection equipment. It doesn't seem to be there.'

Heather Storer was injured while working at the KFC in Wellington Square, Stockton

Imposing fines totalling 950,000, Judge Morris said: 'It was lucky it wasn't worse. It was just luck. Kitchens are dangerous places.

'The two cases are similar in that burns occurred as a result of inadequate supervision and the inadequate provision of safety equipment.'

Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's cabinet member for access, communities & community safety, said: 'This is a huge fine that sends out a very clear message that all food business operators have a duty to ensure the health and safety of their employees and provide them with suitable training.

'Kentucky Fried Chicken (Great Britain) Limited did not maintain this responsibility and as a result, two of its employees suffered extremely painful but preventable injuries.

'Environmental Health officers conducted a very thorough investigation into these two very serious incidents, which has enabled us to bring this prosecution.

'Our officers are also available to offer advice to businesses and their employees on health and safety issues in the workplace.'

Rob Swain, chief operating officer for KFC UK and Ireland, said: 'The safety of our team members is hugely important to us, so we were shocked by what happened.

'We have robust processes and procedures in place, but on these occasions, they were not followed and we have accepted the prosecution.'
Advertisement

An 82ft banner unfurled from Tower Bridge was among the signs of protest today as thousands of Britons showed their opposition to Donald Trump.

Large groups, including pop star Lily Allen, gathered outside the US Embassy in London as Trump took the oath to become the 45th President of the USA today.

There were also rallies in Brighton, Manchester and Edinburgh, where protesters donned Trump masks to make their opposition to the new President known.

The placard reading 'Act Now! Build Bridges Not Walls' was revealed on the bridge in London at 8.30am today, and similar banners were placed on every major bridge across the River Thames as far as Vauxhall.

Scroll down for video

It descended into violence and chaos as pro-Trump supporters clashed with protesters in central London

Lily Allen joined thousands of protesters at the Donald Trump protest at the US Embassy in London

Large groups of protesters made their feelings known outside the US Embassy in London after Donald Trump was sworn in as President of the USA

Thousands of protesters gathered in central Bristol to protest against the new US President Donald Trump

More than 1,000 protesters held up placards outside the US Embassy and cheered as speakers from campaign group Stand Up To Racism vowed to unite against the President 'shoulder to shoulder'.

The crowd chanted: 'Hey, ho, sexist Trump has got to go.'

Among those present was Lily Allen, who has been an outspoken activist for left-wing causes.

Mother and daughter Alice, 50, and Georgina Yelland, 14, from Kingston, Surrey, said they were worried about someone with no political experience running the White House.

Thousands of people made their voices heard as they joined fellow anti-Trump marchers through London's streets

'No to Trump, no to war': The protest in Bristol is part of a series of events across the world aimed at expressing disproval at today's inauguration

'Dump Trump, kill Brexit': Around 1,000 people are thought to have attended a similar protest in Glasgow and another 500 in Manchester, while in Edinburgh protesters marched from the foot of North Bridge to the US Consulate

More than 200 banner-drops were expected to take place around the world, in cities including Brussels, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Toronto, Sydney and San Diego

The banners tackled issues raised by the then-president-elect on his campaign to reach the White House, including race, immigration and women's rights

The crowd chanted 'no fascist USA, no Trump, no KKK' and 'hey, ho, sexist Trump has got to go' - but as some disagreed with one another, fights ensued

More than 1,000 demonstrators made their way through the streets of London holding banners declaring, 'Stand up to Trump'

A protester dressed as a clown is pictured holding a placard bearing the slogan, 'Not my clown' during the demonstration

More than 1,000 protesters outside the US Embassy cheered as speakers from campaign group Stand Up To Racism vowed to unite against the President shoulder to shoulder

A pro-Trump supporter fights with a furious protester in Oxford Street, amid the ongoing protests

Lily Allen was among the thousands who turned out to protest against Trump taking office as the new US President

'Trump is the dumbest person I know' claimed one of the placards outside the US Embassy in London today

Alice said: 'I just fail to believe that somebody like Donald Trump is in power with no political experience.

'It's not a good idea, we wanted Bernie Sanders to win.'

Mum Alice said: 'He says racist and sexist things, he was voted in because there is a lot of poverty in America and someone like Trump appeals directly to their concerns.

'He appeals to people's darker sides.'

The Metropolitan Police confirmed to MailOnline that no arrests have been made in the capital during anti-Trump rallies.

Protesters from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament called for activists to lobby against a nuclear arms race

'He appeals to people's darker sides': A crowd of more than 1,000 gathered outside the US Embassy in London to protest against Donald Trump becoming US President

Campaigners waved placards outside the US Embassy in protest at Trump becoming the 45th US President today

Large groups have gathered in Manchester to show their opposition to Donald Trump becoming President of the US

An anti-Trump banner in Manchester, where a protest is being held this evening against the new US President

Large crowds gathered outside the US Embassy in London, where they chanted slogans and made their opposition to Donald Trump clear

'Trump is our tragedy' claimed the message scrawled on an American flag and displayed outside the US Embassy in London today

Protesters donned Trump masks and held up placards calling on Americans to stand up for racism

Children were among those who took part in the protest against Donald Trump outside the US Embassy today

Californian Katie Golden, who was among the protesters in London, held up a placard saying: 'Dear Queen, we are sorry. Take us back? Love America.'

The 27-year-old said: 'Today is the day the wrong people became rulers for our nation.

'Trump represents everything about my country that is wrong and the Americans who voted against Trump are realising that the country we think we are part of is not the America on the world stage.

'There are millions of Americans whom he does not represent, I am thinking now of Muslims, Lesbians and LGBT people. I am worried for myself but also for Hispanics and African Americans, I'm concerned that they are no longer protected.'

Cedric Smith, 57, from Los Angeles said: 'The people who voted for Trump are looking for a myth.

'They want black people to know their place and to go back to the 1950s.

'Trump is the rich kid who grew up with everyone hating him, we know him as the celebrity who said 'you're fired' and now the stupid people have put him in charge.'

Campaigners in Edinburgh accused Trump of racism, mysogony, transphobia and greed as thousands turned out across Britain to make their opposition known

Protestors wore Trump masks as they congregated outside the US Embassy during the inauguration ceremony

A protester in Edinburgh at a rally against new US President Donald Trump, who took office in Washington DC today

A demonstrator rips up a picture of Donald Trump during a protest held today in Edinburgh after Trump became US President

The Tower Bridge protest was expected to be mirrored by every major bridge across the River Thames as far as Vauxhall.

Demonstrators hang a banner that reads 'Act Now! Build Bridges not Walls' from Tower Bridge during the protest today

The new US President was branded a 'shameless clown' as protest groups demonstrated against Donald Trump's election win

Campaigners in Edinburgh protesting against new US President Donald Trump after he was sworn in today

Demonstrators hang a banner that reads 'Migrants Welcome Here' from Westminster Bridge during the protest this morning

The UK protests joined other demonstrations in cities around the world as Mr Trump is sworn in as US president, with the largest protest in Washington DC tomorrow when 200,000 people are expected to join a women's march.

Demonstrators have already clashed with police officers outside a pro-Trump rally in the US capital last night, having gathered outside the National Press Club to oppose a group of Trump backers staging a 'DeploraBall'.

This was an event named after Hillary Clinton branded them a 'basket of deplorables' during the election. Police appeared to use pepper spray to disperse the protesters while smoke was also seen filling the street.

Officers announced later that a man had been charged with conspiracy to commit an assault. Security officials have expressed concerns about possible clashes between Trump supporters and opponents.

Demonstrators hold a banner that reads 'Build Bridges Not Walls' on Ironbridge in Shropshire during a Trump protest

Ironbridge in Shropshire is a misty sight as demonstrators hold a banner in a protest against the inauguration of Mr Trump

The protest in the Shropshire town of Ironbridge is one of many being held across Britain and in other countries today

Ironbridge - the world's first iron bridge which was erected over the River Severn in 1779 - was the site of a protest today

A man passes a banner reading 'Build bridges not walls' that has been displayed on a bridge on North Parade in Bath

A bus travels past the banner in Bath, which is part of a series of events aimed at expressing disapproval at Mr Trump

The Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants group unfurled this banner outside Brighton train station as part of the protest
Advertisement

Travellers from all over Britain including My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty have lined the streets to pay tribute to 'the Queen of the Gipsies' who died from cancer at the age of 62.

Doherty, 57 - who won Celebrity Big Brother 8 - was among mourners who flocked to St Kentigerns RC Church, in Fallowfield, Greater Manchester, to attend the funeral of Ellen McDonagh, a prominent member of the travelling community who was 'known across England'.

The popular mother-of-six, who also had 40 grandchildren, was diagnosed with cancer in her kidneys, which spread to her bowel and her lungs. She died in hospital earlier this month.

Dozens of mourners have lined the street to pay tribute to a grandmother of 40 known as the Queen of the Gipsies after she died from cancer. Friends and family are seen carrying her coffin into the church

Paddy Doherty (right), who starred in My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and won Celebrity Big Brother 8, was one of those who attended the funeral. He is pictured with Paul Hilton and Michael Murmilo from Leech's funeral directors

Travellers from across the UK and Ireland flocked to St Kentigerns RC Church, in Fallowfield, Greater Manchester, to attend Ms McDonagh's funeral. Mourners are pictured lining the street

A family member said the mother-of-six was known across Ireland and England and 'everyone had respect for her'. Mourners are pictured lining the cortege procession route in Fallowfield

The popular woman (left), who had 40 grandchildren, was diagnosed with cancer in her kidneys, which spread to her bowel and her lungs. She leaves behind a partner, having lost two previous husbands

She leaves behind a partner, having lost two previous husbands, one of whom died in a car crash.

Her family said she was well known in the traveller community and was living in a house in Levenshulme, Manchester, at the time of her death.

A family member said: 'She was very well known in the Irish traveller community. Her nickname was Queen of the Gipsies.

'She had such a hard life. Her first husband was killed tragically. Her second husband was killed tragically in a car crash. She brought up six kids on her own.'

Her family said Ms McDonagh was well known in the traveller community and was living in a house in Levenshulme, Manchester, at the time of her death. A huge crowd of people turned out at the funeral to pay their respects (pictured)

A relative said everyone had been left 'devastated'. They said: 'You would go to her - she would always be there for you'. Pictured are mourners lining the street to pay their respects to Ms McDonagh

The funeral took place on Thursday. Pictured above is an image of Ms McDonagh when she was younger inside the hearse

A family member said her nickname was 'the Queen of the Gipsies'. Pictured are flowers with the words 'Mammy' which were laid next to the coffin in the hearse

The family member added: 'She was known across Ireland and England. Everyone had respect for her and always said what a good woman and person she was. You would go to her - she would always be there for you.

'She loved her children to bits and her grandchildren, we have all been left devastated.

'My family are going to be suffering now and left with no mother or father. Her husband has been left devastated.'
A health visitor raised concerns about the wellbeing of a toddler just weeks before he was killed by his mother's boyfriend - but her fears were ignored by her bosses.

The childcare professional had urged her managers to put Kieron Barley, 22 months, from Birmingham, on a Child Protection Plan. However, the request was rejected by two of her managers.

Weeks later, he was killed by his mother Louise's boyfriend, Craig Lewis, in a horrific attack in 2011.

Lewis broke Kieron's back and the toddler spent the last weeks of his life in agony after medical staff failed to diagnose the fracture.

Kieron was in and out of hospital for four days after Lewis smashed him into the ground in a fit of anger.

The missed opportunity to potentially protect Kieron was revealed in a controversial Serious Case Review, which has taken more than five years to publish.

His mother Louise Barley (left), 28, was jailed for 15 months for child cruelty, and Lewis (right), 34, was sent to prison for eight years for manslaughter in April 2014

The childcare professional had urged her managers to put Kieron Barley, 22 months, from Birmingham, on a Child Protection Plan

The damning report also criticised a doctor at Birmingham Children's Hospital for failing to raise the alarm after discovering suspicious bruising on Kieron shortly before he died.

The tragedy bears haunting echoes of the death of Baby P in Haringey, North London  another case in which doctors failed to diagnose a broken back.

His mother Louise Barley, 28, was jailed for 15 months for child cruelty, and Lewis, 34, was sent to prison for eight years for manslaughter in April 2014.

Kieron died in June 2011 after being subjected to appalling physical abuse by cocaine-user Lewis at the family home in Denshaw Road, Kings Heath.

A post-mortem examination said the youngster had suffered two serious injuries towards the end of his short life - a spinal fracture and a serious brain injury.

The Serious Case Review report was first commissioned by the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board in September 2011 and quietly published last year.

But the board has refused to accept its full findings, citing the long delays to the criminal case as one issue which may have led to inaccuracies in the findings.

The Serious Case Review lays bare failings over the death of Kieron, stating his death was 'neither predictable, nor preventable' but that there was 'undoubtedly considerable learning for all agencies'.

The toddler, the report said, had suffered development difficulties but enjoyed a loving upbringing for his first 20 months, when he and his mother had lived at a relative's home.

But a violent incident at the home saw a health visitor recommend him for a Child Protection Plan in March 2011.

Kieron Barley with his mother Louise, who was jailed for 15 months for child neglect after her son's death

Yet, despite her concerns for the toddler, the request was rejected by a manager at Birmingham City Council's Children's Social Care department.

The decision was approved by a reviewing team leader.

The report says: 'The Senior Practitioner appeared to believe that if Louise Barley obtained her own accommodation then all risks/concerns will be reduced to manageable proportions, but this appears a massive leap of faith.'

The report said the assessment was 'superficial at best and grossly optimistic in terms of Louise Barley's capacity to safeguard Kieron, while the Team Manager's authorisation of this piece of work is less than robust.'

It concludes: 'The response of Children's Social Care to the Health Visitor's referral.. can only be described as inadequate.

'In response to a safeguarding referral, in which the referrer indicates her belief that the threshold for making a Child Protection Plan is met, the Senior Practitioner makes two telephone calls (one back to the Health Visitor and one to Louise Barley) and then closes the case having decided that the only issue is one of housing and that can be dealt with by other agencies.'

Kieron died in June 2011 after being subjected to appalling physical abuse by cocaine-user Lewis at the family home in Denshaw Road, Kings Heath

It added the implications of Kieron being subject to a Child Protection Plan (CPP) was 'significant' as it would have seen the role of Craig Lewis come under 'greater scrutiny'.

The CPP would also have meant Kieron's subsequent visits to Birmingham Children's Hospital would also have faced more scrutiny from medics, which could also have flagged up concerns about his visits and injuries.

Louise Barley had moved into her own home in Denshaw Road in May, 2011, and Lewis effectively moved in with her, the report said.

But within days little Kieron had suffered a serious assault.

On May 17 he was taken to Birmingham Children's Hospital, where a doctor failed to raise the alarm despite seeing bruises on his back.

The report said the junior member of the medical team 'failed to follow appropriate safeguarding procedures.'

It added: 'As a consequence there was no adequate scrutiny of the bruises (the explanation that it was caused by straps in a high chair lacked credibility) and an opportunity to intervene under safeguarding procedures was missed.'

The report said consideration had been made as to why 'an otherwise competent doctor (who had undergone child protection training) failed to even seek advice from senior colleagues on this occasion but, other than workload issues leading to personal error, could identify no other specific reason.'

Kieron was taken to the hospital again on May 28, 29, 30 when doctors failed to notice he had suffered a broken vertebrae, but they received no criticism in the report.

It stated that: 'Kieron did have a top-to-toe examination and this gave rise to no concerns that suggested a need for a full skeletal survey.

'The examination of the spine revealed no tenderness and gave the doctor no reason to request a further x-ray.'

Kieron Barley died after receiving the brunt of two attacks by his mother's boyfriend which caused him 'catastrophic damage'

The mother and her boyfriend had also lied to doctors during the visits.

The report contains a series of recommendations, many of which have already been followed.

They include Birmingham Children's Hospital placing laminated charts headed

'Patterns of Bruising in Accidental and Non-Accidental Injury' in strategic locations within the hospital.

Other recommendations had included better screening of child protection referrals, more communication between agencies and GPs, and better liaison between health visitors and mental health workers.

The report concluded: 'Kieron's death was a tragic result of the behaviour of his mother's partner towards him, and her collusion with it (however willing or unwilling).

'Professionals could not have identified there was a risk to him however effective their practice.

'However, his death has provided us with learning, which we are committed to using to improve the experiences of children and their families in similar circumstances and to better ensure similar circumstances do not arise again.'

TIMELINE OF ABUSE May 28, 2011: Lewis slams Kieron to the ground because he is not walking. Kieron goes to Birmingham Children's Hospital where doctors fail to detect his broken back. May 29, 2011: Kieron taken back into Birmingham Children's Hospital after screaming and vomiting but is discharged. May 30, 2011: Kieron taken back to Birmingham Children's Hospital where doctors diagnose possible gastroenteritis. June 19, 2011: Lewis again attacks Kieron and hurls him into his cot causing bleeding on the brain. Kieron rushed to Birmingham Children's Hospital. June 22, 2011: Kieron dies of massive injuries. July 7, 2011: Lewis and Barley appear in court charged with causing or allowing Kieron's death. April 4, 2014: Lewis jailed for eight years after admitting manslaughter and causing death of a child. Barley jailed for 15 months after admitting child cruelty. Advertisement

Yet Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board said it could not accept all the criticisms in the report.

It said: 'Regrettably the Board were unable to fully accept the report's findings and recommendations.

'The Board takes the view the report is unfairly unbalanced in the emphasis it places on the role of Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

'It also does not meet the required standards in terms of accuracy, the presence of clear hindsight bias and objective analysis based on evidence.'

But the Board had concluded: 'There is no doubt that some things could have been done differently, in order to improve Kieron's life experiences, but this would have had no direct bearing on his death; there is valid and important learning for the Board and its partners as a result of the review.'

In a statement to the Birmingham Mail Jane Held, independent chair of the multi-agency BSCB, said: 'Although Kieron died in 2011 the reason the serious case review (SCR) has not been published until now is due to a number of factors: a long and complex criminal investigation; the emergence of new crucial facts about Kieron's death at the trial and the need to improve the content and accuracy of the SCR.

'It is important to recognise that Kieron's death was neither predictable nor preventable.

'Although there is considerable learning for all agencies involved with Kieron, none of those agencies did anything that contributed to the reasons for his death.

'A number of recommendations were made and have been implemented. We know they have made a difference to practice which is very different to how it was in 2011.'

She added: 'Kieron's death was tragic and our thoughts are with Kieron's extended family.

'The people responsible for Kieron's death have been held to account.

'Kieron died because of his mother's partner's behaviour, and her collusion in this.
ISIS militants have destroyed the historic Tetrapylon and 'significantly damaged' the Roman Theater at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Palmyra, in Syria.

Satellite images, taken on January 10, show the monuments of huge cultural importance lying in ruins after the jihadist group recaptured Palmyra on December 11, 2016, when Syrian armed forces pulled out.

The ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiative (ASOR CHI), which documents the cultural heritage of Syria and northern Iraq, said: 'ISIL executed prisoners around the archaeological site, destroyed the Tetrapylon and part of the Roman Theater.'

Scroll down for video

This satellite image, taken on January 10, shows the significant damage caused to the Roman Theater and Tetrapylon (noted with red arrows) in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Palmyra

This satellite image shows the Tetrapylon and Theater prior to recent damage. The photo was taken on December 26, 2016

The Tetrapylon in Palmyra was once a grand platform with four columns at each corner topped by a massive corinth. It is pictured before it was blown up by ISIS

The damage to the ancient structures occurred between December 26, 2016 and January 10, 2017, ASOR CHI said.

'The Tetrapylon appears to have been intentionally destroyed using explosives. Two columns remain standing, but the majority of the structure has been severely damaged and column drums and debris are visible on the ground around the structure,' it said.

'The Roman Theater has sustained damage to the stage backdrop, primarily in the area of the Porticus. New stone debris is scattered across the center of the stage,' ASOR CHI added.

ISIS terror chiefs sparked a global outcry when they started destroying Palmyra's treasured monuments, which they consider idolatrous, after first taking the city in May 2015.

The unfinished Roman amphitheatre (pictured before it was damaged by ISIS), which dates back to the 2nd century CE, contained low level seating reserved for the elite

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra is pictured with a red box denoting the area of new damage. The Temple of Bel and Baal Shamin were previously destroyed by ISIS

Palmyra: Syria's 'Bride of the Desert' Palmyra, situated about 130 miles northeast of Damascus, is known by Syrians as the 'Bride of the Desert'. It was an important caravan city of the Roman Empire, linking it to India, China, and Persia. Before the outbreak of Syria's conflict in March 2011, the UNESCO site was one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Middle East drawing 105,000 visitors a year. A picture taken on March 14, 2014, shows the famous Arch of Triumph (front) and a partial view of the ancient oasis city of Palmyra. Islamic State extremists have since blown up the famous Arch of Triumph Tourists take pictures at the ancient Palmyra theater on April 18, 2008, before the war in Syria broke out The whole of Palmyra, including the four cemeteries outside the walls of the ancient city, has been listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO since 1980. Global concern for Palmyra's magnificent ancient ruins spiked in September 2015, when satellite images confirmed that ISIS had demolished the famed Temple of Bel as part of its campaign to destroy pre-Islamic monuments it considers idolatrous. Unesco described the temple as one of the best preserved and most important religious edifices of the first century in the Middle East. In October last year, the jihadists blew up the Arch of Triumph, dating from between 193 and 211 AD, as they pressed a campaign of destruction that Unesco has said constitutes a war crime punishable by the International Criminal Court. Advertisement

The terrorists dynamited the Palmyra temples of Baal Shamin and Bel, as well as funeral towers and a triumphal arch, which had stood for 1,800 years in the oasis city described by the U.N. cultural agency as a crossroads of cultures since the dawn of humanity.

The group used Palmyra's ancient theatre as a venue for public executions and also murdered the city's 82-year-old former antiquities chief.

The now obliterated Tetrapylon was once a grand platform with four columns at each corner topped by a massive corinth, built to make the main route through Palmyra appear more harmonious.

'This type of Tetrapylon is called a tetrakionion, in which the four corners of the structure are not connected overhead,' ASOR CHI explained.

Each of the four groups of pillars in the tetrapylon supports 150,000kg of solid cornice.

Before it was destroyed by ISIS only one of the original pink Egyptian granite columns was still standing - the others were modern reproductions.

A plume of smoke rises over the Baalshamin temple in Palmyra in a photo released on August 25, 2015 on a social media site used by Islamic State militants. Arabic at bottom reads, 'The moment of detonation of the pagan Baalshamin temple in the city of Palmyra'

Residential neighbourhoods in the adjacent modern town, where 70,000 people lived before the war, were found deserted and damaged when the Syrian army recaptured Palmyra last year

Syrian soldiers stand on the ruins of the Temple of Bel in the historic city of Palmyra after reclaiming it from ISIS last year

Government army soldiers climb their way to the top of Fakhr al-Din al-Maani Citadel last year to place a flag

Destroyed statues at the damaged Palmyra Museum are pictured on Monday, March 27, 2016, after the Syrian army reclaimed the city

Many sculptures (for example the one pictured) were destroyed by ISIS but a secret deal between the government and ISIS bosses may have led to some treasures being saved last year

Palmyra (pictured here before it was captured by ISIS) is an ancient city of Semitic origin that dates back into prehistory. It was known as caravan stop for travellers crossing the Syrian Desert back in the second century BC. The city is mentioned in the Bible as Tadmor in to chronicles

Meanwhile, the unfinished Roman amphitheatre, which dates back to the 2nd century CE when Palmyra was once one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world, contained low level seating reserved for the elite.

It was one of the best preserved Roman theatres in Syria and is 'ringed by a colonnaded portico which opens onto a colonnaded street leading to Palmyra's Southern Gate,' ASOR CHI said.

The UN on Friday led condemnation of attacks calling the destruction a 'war crime' and 'cultural cleansing.'

In a statement, Irina Bokova, director general of the Paris-based UN cultural agency UNESCO, described the wrecking as 'a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity.'

'This new blow against cultural heritage... shows that cultural cleansing led by violent extremists is seeking to destroy both human lives and historical monuments in order to deprive the Syrian people of its past and its future,' Bokova said.

Moscow on Friday deplored the new destruction, with President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling it 'a real tragedy from the point of view of cultural and historical heritage.'

Asked whether the Russian military is likely to step in to recapture Palmyra for a second time, Peskov said only that: 'Russian military continues to support the Syrians in battling terrorists.'

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, calling those who demolish world treasures 'barbarians', added: 'Such ideology and practice have absolutely no place in modern civilisation.'

Also Friday, UNESCO said years of conflict in Syria had 'totally destroyed' 30 percent of the historic Old City of Aleppo - named a World Heritage Site in 1986 - and around 60 percent of the quarter was 'severely damaged.'

The mission reported 'extensive damage' to the Citadel, a fortress dating to the first millennium BC, and the Great Mosque of Aleppo, the largest and one of the oldest of the city's mosques.

The loss of east Aleppo was the biggest blow to Syria's rebel movement in the nearly six-year conflict, which has killed more than 310,000 people.

Last year International Criminal Court judges jailed a Malian jihadist for nine years for demolishing Timbuktu's fabled shrines in the first such case to focus on cultural destruction as a war crime.
A Starbucks barista was suspended after 'humiliating' a man who struggles with a stammer by allegedly writing his name as 'RRR...ichard' on his order.

Richard Procter says he was handed the cup in the Starbucks at Ashford International railway station in Kent by the callous barista last Friday morning.

The employee appears to have daubed Mr Procter's name around the lip of the cup with extra letters and an ellipsis to indicate where he struggled with a speech impediment.

Richard Procter (pictured left) says he was handed the cup that mocked his speech impediment (pictured right) in the Starbucks at Ashford International railway station in Kent

Mr Procter, who runs an IT company in Kent, complained to the Starbucks UK Facebook page.

He wrote: 'The treatment I received from one of the [Starbucks] staff was extremely offensive and humiliating.

'Would this be acceptable to a person with more obvious disabilities? I highly doubt it.

'Yes I have a speech impediment, and have been subjected to many jokes over the years, of which most I can handle, however there are many people that struggle to cope in public and this could be extremely upsetting for them.

'This is not unique but for some reason some of society think it's acceptable behaviour.

'The only difference in this instance is that I was handed the proof instead of having to listen to the comment.'

The 42 -year-old, from near Rye in Essex, added: 'You get jokes about it through childhood, adolescence and at work and you become thick skinned to it.

'You get to a point and think 'hang on a minute, you're taking the mick out of me'.

The coffee shop employee appears to have daubed Mr Procter's name round the lip of the cup with extra letters and an ellipsis to indicate where he struggled to say his name

'It's one thing to have people say things to you but then doing it and handing it back in my face on a cup is something else.

'My parents said that the stammer developed when I was five, it's just one of those things you're dealt with in life.

'It [the stammer] generally comes down to confidence. Occasionally when someone catches you unaware the pressure can build up and it's a case of trying to deal with it. There are certain ways of getting round it by saying different words, but you can't change your name.

'I tend to struggle with 'r's and 's's.' I didn't notice anything until I sat down on the train with my drink, I was taken aback.'

Mr Procter said that people with stammers are portrayed as either being simple or the butt of jokes.

'If you look through TV shows and films people with stammers are generally seen as the funny character who's seen as someone simple,' he said.

'I contribute to society just as much as anyone else.'

Chief executive of The British Stammering Association (BSA) Norbert Lieckfeldt said: 'This is just another example of the ridicule and thoughtlessness that people who stammer face every day and which makes living your life with a stammer so hard.

'We know that stammering is a physical, neurological disability, covered by the Equality Act - one is left wondering what kind of service others, for example people with cerebral palsy, can expect from Starbucks?

'BSA is working hard to educate service providers, employers and others to ensure this kind of discrimination becomes a thing of the past.'

Mr Procter, who runs an IT company in Kent, said: 'The treatment I received from one of the [Starbucks] staff was extremely offensive and humiliating'

Deputy chief executive of Disability Rights UK Sue Bott CBE said: 'I'm shocked to see this photo.

'This treatment is clearly in breach of the Equality Act 2010 as it is direct discrimination.

'If the individual concerned wishes to pursue a legal case we would be happy to put them in contact with a suitable lawyer.'

A Starbucks spokesman said: 'We were disappointed to hear of this customer's experience and have been in touch directly to apologise.

'The actions of the partner involved were unacceptable and they have been suspended pending further disciplinary action.

'We aim to provide a warm and welcoming environment for all of our customers, and plan to provide additional awareness training for our store partners in future.'
These two zebras preened each other's coats at the same time in an impressive display of teamwork.

Each animal burrowed deep into their partner's fur to remove dirt and root around for ticks.

Visitors can be heard laughing at the display of equine solidarity at Taigan Safari Park in Crimea.

Each animal burrowed deep into their partner's fur to remove dirt and root around for ticks

The animal without visible stripes is likely to be young, as zebras are born with brown coats that later become black and white.

In September 2015, the safari park announced a series of 'special events' which allowed visitors to tour its grounds at night - and even stroke the lions.

Head conservationist Oleg Zubkov said he wanted to attract as many people as possible in an attempt to draw attention to breeds that are dying out.

Visitors were invited to pet the animals in an area lit only by the headlights of the tour guides car.

The zebra without visible stripes is likely to be young, as they are born with brown coats that later become black and white

Taigan Safari Park has 50 lions, which are overseen by experienced keepers to ensure visitors are safe.

It is also home to 1,500 other animals and birds - which can be observed by visitors in the daytime from specially fenced off areas.


Prosecutors have demanded six years in jail for an ISIS-obsessed Muslim schoolgirl who slit the throat of a German policewoman when she was stopped in a routine check.

The officer nearly died after being attacked by the 16-year-old, who has Moroccan parents.

The girl, identified only as Safia S, was convicted this week of attempted murder and supporting a foreign terrorist organisation.

Safia S (pictured) was said to be furious and frustrated that she could not join ISIS in Syria and took out her anger on a German policewoman

A second suspect, identified as Mohamad Hasan K, 19, was charged with failing to report the planned assault which left the police officer fighting for her life.

Prosecutors are demanding three years behind bars for the German-Syrian national, when sentences are handed down next Friday.

Safia was 15 when she pulled a knife from her clothing in February last year when she was stopped during a routine police check at Hannover main railway station.

Police said later the teenager was 'frustrated' because she could not get to Syria to fight with her jihadist idols.

Prosecutors said at the trial - which was held behind closed doors because she is a juvenile - she was 'motivated by members of ISIS in Syria to commit this act'.

Police said at the time: 'As she was politely pulled to one side to confirm her identity a knife appeared lightning quick in her hand and our colleagues had little chance to defend themselves. This was an Islamic attack against our officers.'

One officer suffered a huge knife wound to her throat and was only saved by an emergency operation lasting several hours.

The police spokesman said: 'It is a miracle that she survived at all.

The attacker was ice cold. Her only worry was that her headscarf was rumpled and she wanted to put it straight German police spokesman

'The attacker was ice cold. Her only worry was that her headscarf was rumpled and she wanted to put it straight. It was nothing to her if the police officer lived or died.'

Police said she was radicalised into jihadism in Germany in November 2015 and admitted under questioning she wanted to travel to the Middle East to fight with ISIS.

Although she made it to Turkey, her mother brought her back to Germany.

But ISIS ordered her to carry out an 'act of martyrdom' when she arrived home.

She told Mohamad Hasan K, who was already aware of her trip to Istanbul, about her plans to kill the policewoman but he did not inform the authorities.

Germany endured four attacks within a week in July, including two assaults claimed by ISIS, provoking a furious debate about security and asylum seekers.

Prosecutors say Safia belonged to a network of young followers of ISIS in Hannover.
Saudi al-Qaeda suspect Abu Zubaydah was kept confined in a coffin-sized box for hours on end in a prison in Thailand in August 2002

A batch of newly disclosed CIA torture documents reveal discrepancies in the accounts of suspected terrorist Abu Zubaydah and the agency.

The Saudi al-Qaeda suspect was kept confined in a coffin-sized box for hours on end in a prison in Thailand in August 2002.

The new documents provide new details about its methods of banging suspected terrorists' heads into walls, keeping them in tiny cells and subjecting them to waterboarding.

To describe the interrogation techniques, the CIA use bland descriptions such as 'water treatment was applied', while Mr Zubaydah provides a far more graphic account of the practices deployed.

He was kept for 15 days during which he was repeatedly waterboarded, slammed into walls and threatened.

Describing his interrogation, the CIA said he had 'water treatment', his 'sleep was disrupted throughout the night' and an 'interrogator wrapped the rolled towel/neck around the subject's neck'.

However Mr Zubaydah described his interrogation in more vivid terms.

Lawyers acting for Mr Zubaydah, as well as Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri (pictured) are asking federal judges to ensure the 2014 CIA report is not destroyed

He told his lawyer in 2008, in a narrative that has now been declassified: 'He started banging my head against the wall with both his hands. The banging was so strong that I felt at some point that my skull was in pieces. I had this abnormal feeling in my skull. And every time I fell he would drag me with the towel which caused bleeding in my neck.'

Describing the waterboarding, he said: 'Water was continuously poured and flowed over my face was indeed aimed at giving me the feeling of drowning and my chest was just about to explode from the lack of oxygen.'

Referring to his cell, he said: 'I spent countless hours [inside]. The very strong pain made me scream unconsciously. The humiliations, the terrorizing, the hunger, the pain, the tension, the nervousness and sleep deprivation lasted for some time.'

Eventually, after 15 days, the interrogators concluded Mr Zubaydah 'had not provided significant actionable info beyond previously provided details.'

The CIA programme - known internally as Rendition, Detention and Interrogation - took place from 2002-07, during the presidency of George Bush.

The new documents include details not discussed in the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation into the torture program that was released in 2014. Speaking at the time, chairwoman Dianne Feinstein described the CIA's actions as a 'stain on US history'.

The latest documents come at the same time as a legal battle is ongoing over the potential fate of the still-classified, full version of the 2014 report, the New York Times reported.

Lawyers acting for Mr Zubaydah, as well as Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the suspected mastermind of the bombing of the USS Cole in October 2000 and other maritime terrorist attacks, are asking federal judges to order the executive branch to deposit a copy of the full report with the judiciary to make sure the Trump administration and congressional Republicans do not destroy it.
There is nothing worse than being caught out when it starts to rain and there is nowhere to stay dry.

And this mantis used his initiative and managed to stay dry by sheltering under a mushroom in an Italian forest.

The hilarious image was snapped by Italian photographer Roberto Aldrovandi, 47, in the woods near Reggio Emilia in northern Italy.

The mantis shelters under the mushroom while trying to stay dry during a rain shower in Italy

It shows the insect sheltering under the plant praying for the passing shower to be over so he could be on his way.

Mr Aldrovandi said: 'The insect does not fly and do not scare easily so it is easy to approach and with patience you can make some decent photos.'

And clearly the Mantis Violin, which originated in India, isn't camera-shy.

In other pictures taken by the photographer, the Mantis it is seen standing next to other fungi seemingly striking a perfect pose for the camera.

The hilarious images were snapped by Italian photographer Roberto Aldrovandi in the woods near Reggio Emilia

In other pictures taken by the photographer, the Mantis it is seen standing next to other fungi seemingly striking a perfect pose for the camera

Mr Aldrovandi uses standard macro photography equipment to capture the jaw-dropping shots.

The camera operative is something of a bug expert, which would explain his high standard of work.

He added: 'You must have a lot of patience and constancy. It takes a lot of study to learn their behaviour.'
An Orthodox Archbishop has caused controversy with his violent baptism methods.

The Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, has been filmed roughly dunking tiny babies into a baptismal font, both legs-first and headfirst, in yesterday's celebration of the Epiphany.

Holding the infants firmly between his hands, the 84-year-old Russian forcibly spins the children round, splashing them into the water at a high speed.

The Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, has been filmed roughly dunking tiny babies into a baptismal font, both legs first and headfirst, in yesterday's celebration of the Epiphany

Holding the infants firmly between his hands, the 84-year-old Russian, forcibly spins the children round splashing them into the water at a high speed, seemingly without a care for the baby's well-being

Needless to say, all the little ones have panic written all over their face as they are plunged under the water, and burst into tears afterwards.

According to Euronews, the patriarch blessed 780 children in the ceremony in Tbilisi using this rather violent method.

Ilia II conducts mass baptism ceremonies four times a year as a solution to address Georgia's declining birth rate.

In late 2007 he offered to personally baptise any child born to a family that already has at least two children, as long as the new child was to be born after his announcement.

This has allegedly spurred a national baby boom, as to be baptised by the Patriarch is a great honour. According to various polls, he is considered the most influential person in Georgia.

Many people have criticism the Patriarchy's rough methods, calling them: 'cruelty', 'abuse', 'evil', 'shameful' and 'insane'

According to Euronews, the patriarch blessed 780 children in the ceremony in Tbilisi using this rather violent method

Needless to say, all the little ones have panic written all over their face as they are plunged under the water, and burst into tears afterwards

He also becomes a godfather to every child he baptises, meaning he now has roughly 30,000 godchildren.

However many people have criticism the Patriarchy's rough methods, calling them: 'cruelty', 'abuse', 'evil', 'shameful' and 'insane'.

Ex-Soviet Georgia is overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian and less than 1 percent of the population is Catholic, according to government figures.

The Georgian Orthodox Church is one of the more conservative in the Orthodox world.
When Brendan Curran popped into a Tesco store, he was probably hoping that the most exciting thing to happen might be finding a few decent discounts.

But he was astonished after spotting a photo of another bearded man - who looked exactly like him - on a poster advertising a ham sandwich.

'Iain' had the same hair, bushy beard and glasses as Mr Curran, and the picture of him advertising a 'proper croque monsieur' prompted the shopper to contact Tesco.

Amazing likeness: Brendan Curran spotted a photo of another bearded man - who looked exactly like him - on a poster at an unknown Tesco store advertising a ham sandwich

He tweeted the supermarket to say: 'Here! Tesco if you've cloned me, a heads up would've been nice. Any chance Iain can cover my shift at work tonight?'

Mr Curran told Mirror Online: 'It's all a bit surreal. I had it sent to me by a lot of friends. I was taken aback by the likeness.

'I run a nightclub and a lot of folk were confused as to why I was masquerading punting sandwiches for a supermarket.'

He added that he had been talking about his doppelganger on the radio and heard that the story had been covered as far away as Florida.

Social media post: Mr Curran tweeted the supermarket to say: 'Here! Tesco if you've cloned me, a heads up would've been nice. Any chance Iain can cover my shift at work tonight?'

Mr Curran told the website's reporter Joshua Barrie: 'It's bizarre that it's picked up so much attention but it's funny. My friends are enjoying it.'

The advert is part of a Tesco campaign called Food Love Stories, which looks at how 'Iain' once had the croque monsieur on a trip to France with his father.

It has since become their favourite weekend lunch and they have added wafer-thin roast turkey to the recipe in an attempt to make it even more tasty.

A Tesco spokesman has been contacted for comment by MailOnline.

Do you have a doppelganger? Please email: pictures@mailonline.co.uk


Jailed, again: Romanian career criminal Florin Fechete, 33, exposed himself to a 12-year-old schoolgirl before lifting up her skirt

A sexual predator who entered Britain after serving eight years for attempted murder in his native Romania targeted a 12-year-old as she walked her dog.

Career criminal Florin Fechete, 33, was released from jail and went to the UK only to expose himself to the schoolgirl before lifting up her skirt.

The child, who cannot be named, has been left so traumatised she is too afraid to leave the house on her own, a court heard.

Fechete, of Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, admitted sexually assaulting the girl on September 26, last year, and was jailed for 15 months.

After serving his sentence he is expected to be deported.

Jeremy Evans, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that the girl was walking her dog in Sheffield Street, Scunthorpe, at 7am.

She was in her school uniform and was wearing her school tie, with a coat on.

Fechete approached her from behind, pulled down his trousers, exposed himself and lifted up her dress. He thrust his groin area into her bottom briefly.

'The victim turned around and screamed and scuttled off with her dog on the lead,' said Mr Evans.

Fechete said nothing and made no threats. The girl was helped by members of the public. She was left shocked and scared.

'A young girl on the street has been targeted,' said Mr Evans.

Her mother later said: 'She is now afraid to go to school on her own.'

Abuse: The girl was walking her dog in Sheffield Street, Scunthorpe, pictured, at 7am when the sex attacker pulled down his trousers and grabbed her

Fechete was arrested at 7.15am on October 3 after police investigated following a description of his clothes.

Fechete had eight convictions in his native Romania, including being jailed for eight years in September 2002 for attempted murder.

That incident involved a confrontation with his partner in which he poured liquid in a hallway and set fire to a rug.

He threatened her with a knife and the fire was put out but she doused herself with the liquid in an attempt to scare him.

But he used her lighter to set her clothes alight.

'She was able to roll in the snow outside to extinguish the flames,' said Mr Evans.

Richard Lunn, mitigating, said that Fechete conceded that his actions towards the girl were of a sexual nature.

'It was a momentary loss of all control,' said Mr Lunn.

'He does not seek to minimise his actions or the effect on the complainant.

'He is genuinely remorseful and emotional. He has had medication and counselling while in custody.'

Fechete had been in custody since October 4.

Recorder Bryan Cox QC told Fechete: 'She was obviously startled and frightened and I readily accept that she has been affected by these events and she will carry the memory of them for many years to come.'

Fechete was given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and must register as a sex offender for 10 years.

After the hearing, Mr Evans said, in a statement for the Crown Prosecution Service: 'This defendant, who has a previous conviction for attempted murder in his home country, is clearly a serious threat to women and children.

'He has now been sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment. He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and was placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

'This underlines the severity of his offending and I hope the sentence Fechete received is of some comfort to the victim and her family. Our thoughts remain with them.'
Four years before his release from prison, and eight years before being elected South Africa's president, Nelson Mandela was called a 'mythical figure' and a 'socialist' by CIA agents who performed research into what would happen if the political figure was not incarcerated.

The report made by the Office of Leadership Analysis noted in the 1986 documents that Mandela 'already had well-established views' when he was arrested in 1962.

'During 24 years of imprisonment he has become an almost mythical figure to blacks, embodying their aspirations and goals and becoming a symbol for black strength and black resistance to the white regime,' the documents, which have been released by the CIA as part of the Freedom of Information Act.

The CIA released 13 million pages of declassified documents online on Wednesday.

The Mandela report, written on September 26, 1986, suggests that many South African blacks viewed Mandela as a 'president in waiting' in a post-apartheid South Africa.

The report on Nelson Mandela (pictured in 2008), written on September 26, 1986, suggests that many South African blacks viewed Mandela as a 'president in waiting' in a post-apartheid South Africa.

The agents' predictions were right: Mandela was elected president in 1994, four years after his release from prison. He was in office until 1999.

Mandela, who died in 2013 aged 95, was arrested in 1962 for conspiring to overthrow the state.

He was arrested while posing as a chauffeur delivering his employer to Johannesburg, having snuck back into the country to continue the ANC's campaign against apartheid.

Most believe the arrest was the result of a tip-off rather than the police stumbling across one of the country's most wanted men, and some point to the CIA.

During the Rivonia Trial, he and others sentenced to life in prison.

In the end, Mandela served 27 years in prison, traveling from Robben Island to Pollsmoor Prison to Victor Verster Prison.

Mandela was arrested in 1962 for conspiring to overthrow the state. He served 27 years in prison after being sentenced to life

Amid worldwide pressure for his release as well as a fear of a racial civil war, President F.W. de Klerk released Mandela in 1990.

Mandela and de Klerk then negotiated for an end to apartheid and organized a multiracial general election in 1994, which led Mandela and the African National Congress to victory.

But in 1986, four years before his release, Office of Leadership Analysis, for the Secretary of State's Advisory Committee, evaluated Mandela's political ideologies and what South Africa would be like if he was released.

The heavily censored nine-page report, which was first released to the public in October 2012, was titled: 'Nelson Mandela: What if Alive and Well and Free in South Africa?'

Officials had been considering Mandela's early release because they feared the political leader, who was 68 years old at the time, might die in jail.

They believed that his death could 'trigger massive upheavals and would intensify national criticism'.

At the time, Mandela had refused State President P.W. Botha's offer of release in exchange for his 'renunciation of violence', according to the report, and Mandela said his release must be unconditional.

'Mandela, who was in his midforties and already had well-established views when he entered prison in 1962, is an African nationalist and socialist,' the document reads. 'Although time and incarceration have undoubtedly had their impact, his fundamental political philosophy has not changed.

In the end, Mandela served 27 years in prison, traveling from Robben Island (pictured above) to Pollsmoor Prison to Victor Verster Prison. Amid worldwide pressure for his release as well as a fear of a racial civil war, President F.W. de Klerk released Mandela in 1990

At the time of the report, Mandela had refused State President P.W. Botha's offer of release in exchange for his 'renunciation of violence', according to the report, and Mandela said his release must be unconditional. Pictured above, Mandela and Botha speak in 1996

'Before his imprisonment Mandela worked closely with many South African Communists (most of whom were not black), but the evidence on whether he is a Communist, although not conclusive, tends to support his claim that he never joined the South African Communist Party.'

The report says that if Mandela were to be released from prison 'without conditions', he 'very likely would immediately emerge as the acknowledged leader of most South African blacks' and reassume a top position in the ANC.

The documents suggest that Mandela would seen to dismantle apartheid and 'support the suspension of violence'.

'He would probably leave some room for compromise, particularly concerning the role of whites in a black-ruled South Africa,' the document reads.

Despite being jailed for more than 20 years at the time of the report's publication, the CIA says that Mandela is still identified as a leader in the ANC.

'He has also become a 'cause celebre' for international critics of the South African Government.

His image has been transformed from that of a prominent leader of a protest movement to that of the unofficial "president-in-waiting" of postapartheid South Africa,' documents read.

At the time, Mandela viewed his remaining in prison as a better way to serve blacks in South Africa than a conditional release would, according to the report.

Mandela was elected president in 1994, four years after his release from prison. He was in office until 1999. Pictured above, Mandela and his then-wife Winnie Mandela raise their fists 11 February 1990 in Paarl to salute cheering crowd upon Mandela's release from Victor Verster prison

The report states: 'He evidently calculates that his continued imprisonment keeps international attention focused on the South Africa problem and discredits government reform efforts that do not include him.

'He also probably believes that, if Pretoria released him unconditionally, it would be prepared to negotiate with him.

'We expect given his statements, that Mandela would insist that his release be accompanied by the legalization of the ANC.'

The document, most of which still remains censored, includes a full breakdown of what the CIA believes would happen if Mandela was released and Pretoria negotiated.

While Mandela has been linked to the Communist party many times over the years, he always denied belonging to the party.

Following his death in 2013, the South African Communist party said he was a member of their central committee at the time of his arrest, though this was disputed by his family.

News of the Mandela documents come as the CIA announced that 13million pages of declassified documents - almost 800,000 files - have been released online.

Reports include information on UFO sightings and psychic experiments, according to BBC.

The release of the documents, which previously were only accessible at the National Archives in Maryland, came after efforts from freedom of information advocates and a lawsuit against the CIA.
Peace retreat at St. Benedict

SCHUYLER -- A one-day retreat, Peacemaking, will be held Feb. 4 at St. Benedict Center, with Sister Mary Ann Schmieding, SSSF.

Using scripture and insights from Catholic and other traditions, participants will learn what can be eliminated from life and what actions can be taken to make life better as well as those around them.

The program fee is $30, with lunch available at the center for $10.50.

For more information, call 402-352-8819 or visit christthekingpriory.com.

FBI probing center threats

CHICAGO (AP)  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.

Response coming for supremacists

HELENA, Mont. (AP)  A delegation of Orthodox Jewish rabbis from the U.S. and Canada is thanking Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and state leaders for defending a northwestern Montana Jewish community that was the target of threats and harassment by white supremacists.

The rabbis say they plan to counter the threats by sending four students from Whitefish to visit Poland's Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial museum and by mailing the first five books of the Torah to every Jewish family in Montana.

The delegation met with Bullock and Republican legislative leaders Wednesday in the state Capitol. From there, they plan to travel to Whitefish and meet with Jewish community members.

The resort town became a focal point for white supremacist anger after the mother of white nationalist leader Richard Spencer said a local real estate agent pressured her to sell her property in town.

Blaze destroys E. St. Louis church

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP)  Members of an East St. Louis congregation are hoping to rebuild after a large blaze destroyed their church.

East St. Louis Fire Chief Jason Blackmon says the Saturday night fire engulfed the whole structure of the Christ Redeemed Missionary Baptist Church . The cause of the blaze is unknown. Blackmon described it as "almost like a big warehouse fire." He says the fire started in the back of the church and took firefighters about five hours to get under control.

The building previously was St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church before the current church took over in 1978. The congregation has about 30 active members.

The church's pastor, the 90-year-old Rev. Dewitt Rhodes, stood next to the church's smoldering remains Sunday morning. He called the church "a centerpiece for God's work in the neighborhood."

Vatican rejects Malta attempts

VATICAN CITY (AP)  The Vatican is striking back at the Knights of Malta, rejecting attempts to discredit its commission investigating the ouster of a top official of the ancient aristocratic lay Catholic order.

In a sharply worded statement Tuesday, the Holy See said it "reaffirms its confidence" in the commission appointed last month by Pope Francis to report on the "present crisis of the central direction" of the order.

The statement added that the Vatican "counts on the complete cooperation of all in this sensitive stage"  a reference to the order's refusal to cooperate with the investigation on grounds of its sovereign status.

The order's leader suspended Albrecht von Boeselager as grand chancellor over a condom distribution scandal involving the Knights' charity branch.
A Japanese mayor has apologised after staff at his city's welfare department wore jackets that branded benefit cheats 'dregs'.

The jackets also bore the acronym SHAT - although it is not clear whether the designers knew the letters spelled out an English swear word.

The jackets were made for the department's 'eradication' team, and feature a crest on the front and a passage of text in broken English text on the back.

The jackets say the team chasing benefit fraudsters will 'punish injustice', and carry the sentence: 'If they try to deceive us for gaining a profit by injustice, 'WE DARE TO SAY, THEY ARE DREGS!'

The jackets have a passage of text in broken English text on the back, which describes benefit cheats as 'dregs'

Mayor Kenichi Kato has apologised to residents of the city of Odawara

The jacket's crest bears the initials for the Seikatsu Hogo Akuobokumetsusuru Team (SHAT) - the name translates as 'team to eradicate evil.'

The acronym SHAT also appears in large letters above the text on the back.

Employees paid for the jackets themselves and wore them during visits to people's homes in the central Japanese city of Odawara, the Asahi Shimbun reports.

The jackets were reportedly made in 2007, with 28 staff members owning one, but they have only recently attracted complaints after they were noticed by local media.

Seven department officials have now been disciplined over the garments, and Mayor Kenichi Kato issued an apology to the city's residents, saying: 'Whatever the reason might be, it was an inconsiderate and inappropriate expression.'

City officials said the jackets were meant to boost the team's morale after an incident in 2007 when a man attacked three welfare department employees after losing his benefits.
This Frisbee owner faced the prospect of a long walk after his toy was rolled by the wind across a frozen lake - and just kept on going.

The disc skittered across the ice for almost a minute and a half before coming to a halt in a reed bed.

Shea Gunther was out skating on a lake in Maine when he tossed the toy to see how it would fly in the wind.

The disc skittered across the ice for almost a minute and a half before coming to a halt in a reed bed

The captain of local Frisbee team Falmouth Rogue told the BBC: 'I noticed how the wind would catch an errant throw.

'So I turned my camera on and threw it into the wind so it would skitter. And skitter it did.'

As it happens, the Frisbee was invented 60 years ago this month by a Second World War fighter pilot called Fred Morrison.

Discs had of course been thrown long before that, but Mr Morrison was the first person to make one out of plastic.
Liberal politician David Leyonhjelm has defended a controversial tweet he wrote about a crazed driver who killed four people in Melbourne.

The crossbench senator has defended using the deadly incident to make a statement about guns, after he tweeted: 'Probably one of those semi-automatic assault cars'.

Four people died and at least 20 were injured after a rogue car ploughed into pedestrians in Melbourne's Bourke Street Mall on Friday afternoon.

Senator Leyonhjelm defended the tweet on Friday, saying said the outrage 'only emanates from those who are too stupid to get it'.

Scroll down for video

Controversial politician David Leyonhjelm (pictured) has defended this tweet he wrote relating to Friday's tragic incident in Melbourne, after he was slammed on social media

Four children, including a three-week-old baby and two-year-old were among the injured.

The Liberal Democrat, an outspoken supporter of gun owner rights who favours easing restrictions on guns, has come under fire for using the incident to suggest it's people, not objects, that kill.

'Probably one of those semi-automatic assault cars,' he tweeted as the disaster unfolded.

His comment has prompted hundreds of angry replies, with many calling on him to resign for making jokes about the disaster as families wait to find out if loved ones have been injured or killed.

Police stand over a man who is believed to be the driver of a car that hit pedestrians in Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne

Men dive out of the way as the man driving a maroon Holden speeds through Bourke Street in Melbourne

'Your comment is appalling,' one person tweeted. While another said: 'Delete your account scumbag.' The polarising politician was also called a 'cretin' and a 'coward' among other things for his remark.

'My comment referred to the 'rogue' car, as if the driver is irrelevant,' he said.

'It's people who commit crimes, not inanimate objects.

'The same argument applies in the debate about firearms.'

Terrified pedestrians hug each other on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Street

But his comment angered many, who took to Twitter to criticise the senator.

Barrister and human rights activist Julian Burnside tweeted: 'So ignorant, and in such bad taste. The tragedy is that Leyonhjelm is in our parliament. He disgraces our parliament and himself.'

Former journalist and commentator Mike Carlton said: 'Leyonhjelm is a grub. That is all.'

Mr Leyonhjelm was heavily criticised on Twitter for his comment

The anti-gun control Liberal Senator (pictured) was blasted on social media for his reaction

Greens Leader Richard Di Natale has called on Senator Leyonhjelm to apologise.

'This is a tragedy and not the time for crass political point scoring,' Senator Di Natale said.

'Senator Leyonhjelm needs to pull his head in and apologise for his insensitive comments.'

Stephen O'Brien, 52, a town planner and father of two described the horror he witnessed as he walked along the street with his son.

He described how he saw the car travelling uncontrollably and heard a lot of screaming first, before the maroon Holden accelerated down the mall with the police chasing it.

Only minutes later he came across a scene he would rather forget however.

'I saw a man carrying out CPR on a guy and then the police moved us on. My wife said she saw the guy get hit. He did a complete somersault in the air and landed on his back,' Mr O'Brien told Daily Mail Australia.

'He looked pretty bad. His face was covered in blood. It looked like a civilian was trying to given him CPR. His face was absolutely mangled. Then we saw they had a blanket over him.

'Its upsetting for me and my seven-year-old son saw it too. He asked "why did they do it?".

A man dressed only in red underwear was arrested by at the Elizabeth Street end of the mall afterwards.

Emergency services help an injured pedestrian into the back of an ambulance

Another casualty of Friday's shocking incident is attended to on Burke Street in Melbourne

The controversial politician was called a 'cretin' and a 'coward' among other things

An injured pedestrian is taken from the scene on a stretcher by emergency services

Witnesses reported hearing gunshots ring out through the city centre.

One witness told ABC radio he saw the car travelling along the footpath.

'It was a maroon Commodore travelling easily 70km/hr on the footpath. We heard thumps and there was people flying everywhere,' he said.

Another witness was in the Deloitte building on Bourke Street and saw a suspect under police guard.

'The suspect is lying on his back, he's cuffed,' he told 3AW.

'There's a crashed car... completely wrecked and over the top of that car was a pram.'

He said he also saw a child being stretchered off by paramedics.
Donald Trump wrote to Theresa May this week as he prepared to be sworn in as President of the United States.

No 10 revealed the letter to the Prime Minister today just hours before the historic inauguration at the US Capitol.

The letter was a response to a Christmas gift from Mrs May of a speech by Winston Churchill on the special relationship between Britain and America.

Mrs May's official spokesman refused to reveal the content of the letter but did emphasise the Prime Minister's eagerness to get down to work with Mr Trump - pointing out she would visit Washington 'shortly'.

Theresa May is 'looking forward to working with' President-elect Donald Trump and has received a letter in response to her Christmas gift, it was revealed today

Mrs May sent Mr Trump, pictured at a dinner last night as the inauguration festivities began, a copy of a Winston Churchill speech to emphasise the special relationship

The revelation came hours after Chancellor Philip Hammond warned in Davos that Mr Trump's election was causing greater uncertainty in Europe than Brexit.

Mrs May's spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister has spoken a couple of times to the President-elect and has written to him.

'She has received a letter from the President-elect and will be meeting with him shortly.'

Asked about Mr Hammond's comment, the spokesman declined to comment before adding: 'We have a very close relationship with the United States and we will continue to do so.

'We are long standing allies and friends, very close partners in trade, security, defence and we are looking forward to working with the President-elect and his team.'

Speaking at a panel discussion about Brexit at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Hammond said: 'Brexit has introduced uncertainty.

'I think the change of administration in the US has introduced an even bigger piece of uncertainty for the European Union.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson congratulated Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence after their inauguration ceremony today

Within seconds of Mr Trump finishing his inauguration speech tonight, Mr Farage praised him on Twitter, writing: 'A very strong speech...he means it'

Chancellor Philip Hammond, pictured in Davos today, has warned at the World Economic Forum that the change of power in Washington represents greater uncertainty to Europe than Britain's Brexit vote

'Anything that changes the settled status quo of a Europe that lives with Russia as a neighbour, but lives under a protective U.S. security umbrella as it does ... will play into the dynamics of the European Union.'

Other leading UK politicians expressed unease at Mr Trump's inauguration today.

Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said many people would be 'nervous' at the day's events.

He said: 'We will see which Donald Trump turns up at the inauguration - is it going to be the one who says he will bind America together or the one that rages on Twitter at three o'clock in the morning?

'The problem with Donald, of course, is a character problem. It's what happens when somebody disagrees with him or somebody says no to him.'

Mr Trump, pictured at the Lincoln Memorial last night, will be sworn in as the President of the United States at 5pm UK time

Mrs May is expected to fly to Washington DC within weeks for her first face-to-face meeting with the new President, pictured on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with his family

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: 'Trump's journey to the White House was the most divisive, vulgar and illiberal presidential campaign in memory, and judging by his actions since, these traits are sure to continue during his Presidency.

'Of course the UK must continue to engage with the US on matters of mutual concern, but Theresa May must not to damage our national integrity and values by bowing down to a bully.'

Mrs May has scrambled to build ties with the incoming administration after Mr Trump's shock general election victory in November.

The Prime Minister sent her top aides on a secret mission to Trump Tower before Christmas to broker a meeting.

The date has not been revealed beyond 'the spring' but Mrs May could fly to Washington in as soon as a fortnight.
Video footage shows the moment a man was rescued after falling into a toilet ditch in northern China.

The unfortunate incident occurred in Hohhot, the capital city of Inner Mongolia.

The man, allegedly drunk, was found unconscious in a toilet pit and sent to hospital in an ambulance following his rescue.

Firefighters placed a rope around the man's body and dragged him out of the toilet ditch

It's unclear as to how long the man had been in the ditch for.

The video posted on Chinese website Ylread showed a team of seven firefighters looking into the lavatory and searching for the man.

The lavatory did not have any lights and were narrow inside.

Wearing masks and a head torch, firefighters used a rope to conduct the rescue.

The firefighters secured the man by placing a rope around his body.

The man was knocked out after falling into a toilet ditch in a tiny brick lavatory in Hohhot city

Firefighters managed to drag the man out and two-third of his body was covered in faeces

Firefighters wrapped him in a blanket to cover the off-putting stench from the stools

According to reports, the allegedly drunk man fell down the pit and was believed to have been knocked unconscious.

He failed to respond when firefighters shook him.

They pulled him to the side and dragged him out of the ditch slowly.

The whole rescue lasted an hour.

A team of at least seven firefighters were required to help lift the man out of the ditch. Paramedics and a doctor were on standby.

The unconscious man was covered in feces and was carried onto stretcher and examined by the doctor.

It is unclear if the man has suffered any injuries.
Parents who left their three children including a baby, in a hot car for nearly half an hour in 28C temperatures were fined $1,000.

Mubashar Shakoor, 34, and Zarqa Hastam Khan, 29, pleaded guilty to locking the children inside while the car was parked at a Sydney shopping centre in December, reported 7 News.

A passerby at St Marys Shopping Village heard the baby crying and told security, who called police. The children were hot and distressed but uninjured.

A father (pictured) and mother who left their three children including a baby, in a hot car for nearly half an hour in 28C temperatures have been fined $1,000

Mubashar Shakoor, 34, and Zarqa Hastam Khan, 29, (pictured) pleaded guilty to locking the children inside while the car was parked at a Sydney shopping centre in December

Mr Shakoor claimed to officers at the time he had only been gone for 'five minutes', before his wife arrived eight minutes later.

Ms Khan said she had 'gotten distracted when buying milk' when she was held up in a queue and continued shopping.

Their lawyer asked that they only be given a good behaviour bond, but Magistrate Stephen Corry refused, saying 'putting young kids at risk is a serious offence'.

'These children were vulnerable, they can't look after themselves, especially during a period of hot weather,' he said in Penrith Local Court.

'With a young child they are at risk in a confined space.'

Outside court the couple's lawyer offered an explanation of only: 'They should not have done that, but unfortunately it happened.'
Labour was in renewed chaos over Brexit today after it emerged leader Jeremy Corbyn has not issued orders to his MPs to back the start of official talks.

The Government is expected to lose a Supreme Court case on Theresa May's power to trigger Article 50 of the EU treaties without a Commons vote.

If the defeat is confirmed on Tuesday, Mrs May is expected to immediately legislate - potentially meaning votes on Brexit could be called within days.

Mr Corbyn said yesterday that Labour would not block Article 50 in remarks widely interpreted as a 'three line whip' on his MPs.

Such an order means shadow ministers are expected to resign if they defy the leader's instructions.

But a source in Mr Corbyn's office today insisted no orders have been given.

Jeremy Corbyn, pictured today in Glasgow, will not give whipping orders to his MPs until any draft law on Article 50 of the EU treaties is published

Mr Corbyn is in Glasgow on his first visit to Scotland in 2017 as the party searches for a solution to its political malaise north of the border

The Labour leader does not plan to oppose the legislation from going ahead but the source warned: 'We will seek to amend the Bill if it doesn't reflect our priorities for the negotiations.'

The Government is thought to have drafted a single-clause Bill explicitly handing the power to invoke Article 50 to the Prime Minister.

The draft law could be introduced to Parliament soon after the Supreme Court delivers its judgement and potentially passed within days depending on ministers' timetable.

But amendments could potentially cause delay - particularly if Government and opposition whips cannot agree on a schedule for debates.

Mr Corbyn is facing a rebellion from his MPs.

Ian Murray, Labour's only Scottish MP, today confirmed to the Herald he would vote against Article 50, while Mike Gapes, a London MP, has also vowed to vote no.

The Guardian reported yesterday as many as four shadow cabinet members wanted to vote against Article 50.

The report prompted shadow business secretary Clive Lewis to break cover and say 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.

The new position comes after remarks made by Mr Corbyn yesterday which were widely interpreted as indicating he would use his strongest 'whip' to order his MPs to back Brexit

In the remarks which triggered the latest bout of Labour uncertainty, Mr Corbyn had told Sky News: 'It's 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.'

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 don't 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.'

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

Tory MP Dominic Raab, pictured, blasted Labour for 'plotting to vote to ignore' June's Brexit vote and accused the party of disrespecting democracy

One shadow cabinet minister told The Guardian: 'I'm 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 don't think we should vote to trigger Article 50.'

Tory MP Dominic Raab said: 'Labour backed the EU referendum  members of Jeremy Corbyn's 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.

The former head of Britain's 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.

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
Labour will rush to hold their two by-elections next month in a bid to avoid humiliating defeats, it emerged today.

Party insiders have revealed that both votes - in the Cumbria seat of Copeland and in Stoke, Staffordshire - will be held on February 23.

By holding them early Labour hopes to scrape to victory and prevent opposition parties having time to mobilise and flood the constituencies with resources.

The Tories are favourites to win the Copeland seat, which Labour won by 2,600 votes, while Ukip poses a strong threat in Stoke Central, where it finished just 5,000 votes behind Labour in 2015.

And Ukip leader Paul Nuttall is expected to stand in the seat, left vacant by the shock resignation of moderate Labour MP Tristram Hunt last week.

Labour will rush to hold their two by-elections next month in a bid to avoid humiliating defeats for under-fire leader Jeremy Corbyn, pictured in Glasgow today

The Tories and Ukip will seek to exploit Labour splits on immigration and its approach to Brexit.

Voters in both seats voted overwhelmingly for Brexit, which Labour opposed.

The two by-elections were triggered after the resignation of two of Mr Corbyn's most outspoken Labour critics.

Mr Hunt, who was once tipped to be Labour leader, is quitting the Commons to run the Victoria and Albert Museum and took a parting swipe at Mr Corbyn's fledgling leadership.

Copeland MP Jamie Reed quit after 12 years in the Commons to take a job at the Sellafield nuclear plant in the constituency, which many voters in the seat depend upon.

The two by-elections were triggered after the resignation of two of Mr Corbyn's most outspoken Labour critics Tristram Hunt, left, and Jamie Reed, right

The Tories aim to exploit Mr Corbyn's opposition to nuclear power and have already circulated leaflets in the seat.

Mr Nuttall has so far refused to rule out contesting Stoke Central, in which Ukip finished second at the general election in 2015.

But yesterday it was reported that he had decided to fight in the contest and the party is expected to pour its resources into winning its second Parliamentary seat.

Ukip leader Paul Nuttall, pictured, is to run for the Stoke Central seat that will be left vacant by the resignation of Tristram Hunt

Ukip will announce its candidate for the Stoke Central seat tomorrow.

Candidates had until 5pm last night to throw their hat into the ring ahead of the official selection on Saturday.

Challenged on BBC Radio 4 Today programme about the by-election earlier this week, Mr Nuttall said: 'You'll have to invite me back in a couple of days.'

The Stoke by-election is set to be a hotly contested battle over Brexit on a patch where nearly seven in ten voters backed Britain leaving the EU.

Mr Hunt remains the MP today because he has not yet completed the arcane process necessary to disqualify him from the Commons.

In his resignation letter Mr Hunt wrote that there were 'very few jobs' which would have convinced him to stand down. He added: 'The post of director of the V&A  the world's greatest museum of art, design and performance  is just that.'

Moving to the museum, in South Kensington, is likely to mean a significant pay rise from his current salary of 74,962.

His predecessor, Martin Roth, was paid a salary of around 150,000 as part of a total package worth up to 230,000.
America urged Saddam Hussein to attack Hafez al-Assad's Syria because of the closure of Iraq's oil pipeline, a secret 1983 intelligence report has revealed.

A report, by former senior CIA official Graham Fuller, said the US should consider 'urging Iraq to take the war to Syria', noting that Saddam was 'fighting for his life' in the Iran-Iraq campaign.

Through the closure of the pipeline, Mr Fuller said Syria had a 'hammerlock' on US interests in both Lebanon and in the Gulf.

America urged Saddam Hussein to attack Hafez al-Assad's Syria because of the closure of Iraq's oil pipeline, a report has revealed

With that being the case, he said the US should consider 'sharply escalating the pressures against Assad' from three border states hostile to Syria - Iraq, Israel and Turkey.

Faced with 'three belligerent fronts', Assad would probably be forced to abandon his closure of the pipeline, the report claimed.

It hoped it could convince Iraq to co-operate as the closure of the pipeline had brought the country 'to its financial knees', impelling it towards dangerous internationalization of the war in the Gulf.

It noted that Iraq might not 'readily wish' another campaign but said Syria was already fighting a one-front war in Lebanon and could 'ill-afford to broaden' its conflict.

It also said Syria was struggling to keep control over a population that detested the Assad regime.

It went on to say Iraq had enough military airpower to devote up to one half of its air force against Syria.

By demanding the reopening of the pipeline, Iraq would have the support of 'virtually every Arab state, except Libya', the report said.

A report, by former senior CIA official Graham Fuller, said the US should consider 'urging Iraq to take the war to Syria', noting that Saddam was 'fighting for his life' in the Iran-Iraq campaign

The report added that if the US wanted to 'rein in Syria' it needed to do so by showing 'real muscle' and highlighted the need to strike a 'sharp blow' to Syria's prestige.

Elsewhere, the report stated that Israel should 'welcome the chance to humble Assad' by raising tensions among Syria's Lebanon front without actually going to war. It said Assad was now Israel's greatest problem, not Iraq.

Lastly, it said that Turkey, angered by Syrian support to Armenian terrorism, to Iraqi Kurds and to Turkish terrorists operating out of northern Syria, had often considered launching unilateral military operations against terrorist camps in northern Syria.

It said the use of all three states was essential to enacting change and forcing Assad to back down.

It hoped it could convince Saddam (pictured in 1983) to co-operate as the closure of the pipeline had brought the country 'to its financial knees'

Bringing in Iraq, it said, was the most challenging aspect of the plan.

To do so could only be done by a 'reorientation of US policy towards Iraq' and might include 'more active US participation in supplying high-tech items' to Iraq's modernization efforts.

It concluded by saying that the US might need to give more support to Iraq in the war against Iran.

The Iraq-Iran war started on September 22, 1980 and did not end for eight years.

Saddam had invaded because of a territorial dispute over the Shatt al-Arab, the waterway which formed the boundary between the two countries.

He also felt threatened by the Islamic revolution which had brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power in Iran the year before.

But they viewed Saddam as a brutal tyrant and he underestimated their devotion to their new leader.

The war finally ended with a UN-brokered ceasefire which was accepted by both sides.
A paedophile ring run by British Establishment figures did not abuse boys in the notorious Kincora boys' home in Belfast - but there were hundreds of children who were attacked by sex offenders led by a paedophile priest, a major report said today.

Inquiry chairman Sir Anthony Hart said the VIP gang claims are not supported by credible evidence and insisted the abuse did not extend beyond the three guilty staff members.

Some victims were alleged to have been abused by figures including the late Liberal MP Cyril Smith, Cabinet ministers, clergymen, pop stars, spies, judges and members of the royal household.

Sir Anthony denied this happened at Kincora but did say that there was widespread sexual abuse of children and police investigations in the mid-1970s were 'inept, inadequate and far from thorough'.

He said authorities in Belfast were guilty of a 'catalogue of failures' and said if a proper investigation had been undertaken many victims might have been spared.

Hundreds of victims should be offered a tax-free lump sum compensation payment, Sir Anthony said, this would be at least 7,500 with the amount rising according to the severity of the abuse.

A paedophile ring run by British Establishment figures did not abuse boys in the notorious Kincora boys' home in Belfast - but there were hundreds of children who were attacked, a major report said today.

Retired High Court judge Sir Anthony Hart said hundreds of victims should be offered a tax-free lump sum compensation payment of at least 7,500 each

He said: 'Our inquiry has not found any credible evidence to show that there was any basis for the allegations that have been made over the years about the involvement of others in sexual abuse of residents at Kincora or anything to show that the security agencies were complicit in any form of sexual abuse in Kincora for any purpose'.

Inquiry chairman Sir Anthony Hart said the notion that Kincora was a homosexual 'brothel' used by the Security Services as a 'honey pot' to obtain compromising information about influential figures was without foundation

Those abused in state, church and charity run homes should also be offered an official apology from government and the organisations that ran the residential facilities where it happened, the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry found.

Inquiry chair Sir Anthony Hart outlined a series of recommendations after he revealed shocking levels of sexual, physical and emotional abuse in the period 1922 to 1995.

He said the minimum pay-out should be 7,500 with the maximum amount given to those who had experienced severe levels of abuse as well as being transported to Australia in a controversial migrant scheme.

He said the organisations that ran the abusing homes should make a financial contribution to the Stormont Executive-run scheme.

Sir Anthony said the four-year inquiry found 'evidence of systemic failings' in the institutions and homes it investigated.

'There was evidence of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, neglect and unacceptable practices across the institutions and homes examined,' he said.

'The inquiry also identified failings where institutions sought to protect their reputations and individuals against whom allegations were made, by failing to take any action at all, failing to report matters to or deliberately misleading the appropriate authorities and moving those against whom allegations were made to other locations.

'This enabled some to continue perpetrating abuse against children.

'The inquiry found that those institutions that sent young children to Australia were wrong to do so and there were failures to ensure the children were being sent to suitable homes.'

Brave: Historical abuse victims arrive to hear the findings of a major report into historical institutional child abuse in Northern Ireland

Edward McCann, who claims to be a historical institutional abuse victim over a period of 40 years, protested outside in Belfast today

Sir Anthony said the Government's assurance that all files and evidence on Kincora would be given to the inquiry had been 'honoured'.

The Stormont Executive and those institutions which ran homes where historical child abuse took place should offer a 'wholehearted and unconditional' apology to hundreds of victims in Northern Ireland, a major inquiry has recommended.

Northern Ireland's Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry also dismissed claims that intelligence agencies were aware of such a ring and covered it up in order to blackmail the high-profile abusers.

Three staff members at Kincora were found guilty of abusing residents in the 1970s but there had long been rumours that others, including civil servants and businessmen, were involved.

Inquiry chairman Sir Anthony Hart said the notion that Kincora was a homosexual 'brothel' used by the Security Services as a 'honey pot' to obtain compromising information about influential figures was without foundation.

Key findings in landmark NI abuse inquiry Sir Anthony Hart's report said: :: The former head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, was part of an investigation which 'effectively silenced' an alleged victim of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth. :: Smyth's crimes were ignored to protect the good name of the Church. :: Institutions where systemic failings happened may be asked to contribute to the compensation payments. :: A public apology should be issued to the victims. :: No credible evidence was found to show that the security services were complicit in exploitation of sex abuse at Kincora boys' home in East Belfast or that prominent Establishment individuals were involved. Sir Anthony said: 'We believe it is now time to finally lay these unfounded myths to rest.' :: A scheme for sending child migrants from institutions to Australia after the Second World War was 'gravely defective' and lessons from previous similar operations were ignored. The homes relied on unrealistic assurances about the conditions in homes in Australia. :: Some individuals provided excellent care and in the last three decades up to the 1990s there was an improvement in physical conditions. Advertisement

He added: 'There is no credible evidence to support any of these allegations.'

The investigation also focused on the activities of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth.

During evidence sessions the inquiry heard lurid details about the activities of the serial child molester who frequented Catholic residential homes and was convicted of more than 100 child abuse charges.

Sir Anthony said despite knowing his history of abusing children, the Norbertine religious order moved Smyth to different diocese where he abused more children.

They failed to report the abuse to police 'enabling him to continue his abuse', it found. The Order also failed to take steps to expel him from priesthood, said the inquiry.

Sir Anthony wrote: 'For the Norbertine order and for others outside the order in positions of responsibility in the church, their overriding priority throughout was to protect the good name of the church and at all times to prioritise Father Smyths interests, instead of doing what was best for the children abused by him.

'By doing so they were prepared to ignore their responsibilities under the canon law of the church and their obligations under the criminal law as well as their moral responsibilities to the victims of his abuse, thereby allowing him to continue to abuse children far and wide for many decades.'

The fate of Sir Anthony's compensation recommendation is mired in a degree of uncertainty, given the recent Stormont crisis has resulted in the collapse of the current powersharing executive.

The retired judge said the redress scheme needed to be set up as a 'matter of urgency'.

He also recommended that the Northern Ireland Executive should create a body called the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry Redress Board.

The board would receive and process claims and payments, said the chairman.

The inquiry also recommended that a 'suitable physical memorial' should be erected in Parliament Buildings in Belfast or in the grounds of Stormont estate.

It also called for the creation of a Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse to offer victims support and assistance.

It recommended the provision of extra state funding to provide specialist care for victims.

Kincora has been repeatedly linked to a paedophile ring containing Britain's most rich and powerful.

A former Army Intelligence officer claimed in 2015 that MI5 covered up the sexual abuse of boys in the notorious Kincora home.

Brian Gemmell, a former captain in the Intelligence Corps, said spy chiefs ordered him to 'stop digging' when he reported a possible paedophile ring at the Northern Ireland children's' home.

He spoke out during a meeting with Richard Kerr, who claimed he was one of three youngsters trafficked from the home before being molested by 'very powerful' figures in a Westminster paedophile gang.

He claimed he was sexually abused by politicians and other senior figures at the Dolphin Square apartments in Pimlico and Elm Guest House, in Barnes, west London.

'Credible' allegations surrounding the murder of three boys by the VIP paedophile ring are being investigated by Scotland Yard.

MI5 has been accused of covering up child abuse to enable it to gather intelligence during the Troubles and to protect Establishment figures involved in the crimes.

Mr Gemmell said he presented a report on allegations of abuse at Kincora to a senior MI5 officer in 1975 but was told to quit his probe.

Speaking to Mr Kerr on Channel 4 News, he said: 'That's the thing that hits me - that if I really pushed the thing through, you could have been rescued. I'm sorry.'

Investigation: Public hearings were held into 22 of the institutions - facilities run by the state, local authorities, the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland and Barnado's.

His disclosure strengthened calls for the Irish case to be covered by the Westminster abuse inquiry announced by the Home Secretary.

Mr Kerr also told how he suffered abuse at Kincora children's home in Belfast, where victims have accused MI5 of blocking police inquiries.

He said he and two other boys were then trafficked to London in 1977, where they suffered further abuse in two locations.

He said he endured his most violent ordeal at Elm Guest House in Barnes, south-west London.

'I was tied up here. I do remember that. I don't know why I was tied up, but I was tied up with my hands behind my back,' he told Channel 4 News.

'They took photographs. Other men were there. Other men came into the room. It wasn't just this one man.' Mr Kerr, who now lives in Dallas, Texas, made a highly emotional return to London last month to visit the scenes of his alleged abuse for the first time in over three decades.

He claimed he was also taken to the exclusive Dolphin Square apartment complex in Pimlico, where police are investigating allegations that a Conservative MP murdered a young boy.

He said: 'I remember going in with this guy. He told me to sit down and relax and explained about his [drinking] glasses.

'He had Waterford Crystal and he wanted me to have a brandy, and we had a small one. And then we had a sexual encounter.' Scotland Yard has said allegations surrounding the murder of three boys by a VIP paedophile ring linked to Dolphin Square are 'credible and true'.
A top Russian microbiologist formerly in charge of the country's repository of the planet's most deadly diseases and viruses - including smallpox, Ebola and Marburg - has vanished without trace.

Professor Ilya Drozdov, 63, a scientist with knowledge of Moscow's bio-warfare secrets, has been put on Interpol's wanted list, suggesting the authorities fear he has gone abroad, according to reports.

For five years he was head of world famous Russian State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology, Vector, in Koltsovo, Siberia, a secret institute under heavy guard.

Professor Ilya Drozdov, ex-director of Vector State Research Centre, is a wanted man after disappearing without a trace

This centre produced smallpox on an industrial scale, while also weaponising Marburg, as part of the Soviet biological weapons programme, it has been reported.

In recent years Vector has been involved in efforts to find cures and antidotes to killers such as bubonic plague, anthrax, hepatitis B, HIV and cancer.

There has been no comment from Russian police over where they think Drozdov is now, or, for example, if they fear he has fled to the West or a country that might wish to exploit his expertise.

But the Interior Ministry confirmed he is on their wanted list and faces immediate detention if he can be found.

A medical unit is pictured at Russian State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology, Vector, in Koltsovo, Siberia, a secret institute under heavy guard

A scientist is pictured carrying out an experiment at Vector State Research Centre

In recent years Vector has been involved in efforts to find cures and antidotes to killers such as bubonic plague, anthrax, hepatitis B, HIV and cancer. A scientist is pictured working at the centre

A court decision this week in Novosibirsk ordered Drozdov to be arrested 'in absentia' over alleged fraud, in a mysterious case linked to Vector which was only launched four years after he left the research centre, one of Russia's most heavily guarded sites, reported The Siberian Times.

The case accuses him of misappropriating around 27,000.

After leaving Vector in 2010, he returned to the southern Russian city of Saratov, where he had earlier headed another major complex called Russian Scientific Research Anti-Plague Institute 'Microbe', providing protection against dangerous deceases like bubonic plague, anthrax, and cholera.

Colleagues at Vector claimed that as director he paid 'exorbitant' salaries to executives, while laboratory workers received 'humiliatingly low wages'.

Vector holds one of only two sources of smallpox in the world - the other is in the US - under an international agreement.
Isaiah McCoy, 29, who waived his right to a jury trial, bowed his head and wept after a judge declared him not guilty in the 2010 killing of 30-year-old James Munford

A former death row inmate in Delaware has been acquitted of all charges after being retried for a drug-related killing.

Isaiah McCoy, 29, who waived his right to a jury trial, bowed his head and wept after a judge declared him not guilty in the 2010 killing of 30-year-old James Munford.

He had served six and a half years on death row since his arrest.

McCoy was convicted and sentenced to death in 2012, but Delaware's Supreme Court ordered a new trial, citing errors by the judge and prosecutor at trial.

The Supreme Court also criticized the prosecutor for 'pervasive unprofessional conduct.'

McCoy, who has a long criminal history, maintained his innocence in the case.

He was accused of shooting Munford to death during a drug deal in the rear parking lot of the Rodney Village Bowling Alley on May 4, 2010.

The deal was supposed to be for 200 ecstasy pills and crack cocaine, but during the transaction, McCoy pulled out a gun and shot Munford, according to prosecutors.

The Kent County judge who retried McCoy noted that there was no physical evidence linking McCoy to the crime.

He also said the two alleged accomplices gave contradictory testimony against him.

After walking free, McCoy told Delaware Online: 'I just want to say to all those out there going through the same thing I'm going through 'keep faith, keep fighting'.

'Two years ago, I was on death row. At 25, I was given a death sentence  and I am today alive and well and kicking and a free man.'

He added that he planned to spend the next days with his daughters and to let his new situation sink in.

'Give myself some time, and then I'll be ready to tackle the world,' he said.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice said prosecutors were disappointed by the verdict from Kent County Superior Court Judge Robert B. Young.

A spokesman said: 'While we are disappointed with the outcome of this case, we respect the decision of this court. This was a difficult case and the court indicated the basis for its decision at the time of the verdict.'
A Maine man, who was convicted of killing his girlfriend and her two young children, asked for mercy before a judge imposed three life sentences Thursday.

Keith Coleman, 29, received the maximum penalty for strangling 36-year-old Christina Sargent, 10-year-old Duwayne Coke and 8-year-old Destiny Sargent at a home in Garland, 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 on December 20, 2014.

Keith Coleman (pictured in court) 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 a home in Garland

Police said Coleman (left) told them that he chased down and strangled Sargent's (right) children because they'd witnessed their mother's death. The three bodies were found on December 20, 2014

Coleman didn't receive the death penalty because Maine is one of 19 states without it. Sargent is pictured with her daughter, Destiny Sargent

Coleman didn't receive the death penalty because Maine is one of 19 states without it.

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.

Coleman's attorneys have indicated that they intend to appeal to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

In December 2014, police found the three bodies of inside the family's trailer by Penobscot County sheriff's deputies, who had been alerted by worried relatives.

Jurors heard a taped confession from Coleman, who was arrested a day after the bodies were found. 'I did it. I don't want to say that word but I did it. I killed my girl,' he said through sobs. Then he clarified he killed the children Duwayne Coke (right), 10, and Destiny Sargent (left, 8

Coleman (in court) told the judge Thursday that he's been painted as a 'monster' but that he's remorseful. 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

In December 2014, police found the three bodies of inside the family's trailer (pictured) by Penobscot County sheriff's deputies, who had been alerted by worried relatives

He was arrested on December 21, 2014, in Bucksport and has been held without bail since then.

Coleman's ex-girlfriend Amanda Ellis told the Bangor Daily News that he and Sargent, who was her cousin, had been together since January 2012.

Ellis, who has a three-year-old with Coleman, said he had a history of domestic violence, including several instances in which he tried to strangle her and pulled a knife on her.

Coleman's criminal record includes two arrests in 2011 and 2013 on outstanding warrants, and a conviction in October 2011 for growing marijuana.

He was found guilty of all charges in November 2016.

After jurors announced their verdict, Sargent's mother Mary Worster told WVII-TV that her daughter 'was looking for love'.

'And she thought Keith was it. So he took that love and he killed her with it, and my grandkids.'
A 'stupid' fisherman who kicked a policeman for warning him against swimming near a monster crocodile has been slapped with a $700 fine.

Mitchell Graham Delane, 32, was taking a drunk dip with a friend in Cairn's Trinity Inlet, in Queensland, on November 2 last year when an officer warned him the 4m predator had been seen in nearby mangroves.

After eluding the officer in the water, the father-of-two was eventually cuffed by a senior constable when he kicked out at the officer, report sCairns Post.

Mitchell Delane kicked a policeman for warning him against swimming near a monster crocodile

The Cairns Magistrates Court heard Mr Delane was uncooperative when he saw police approaching, after a friend told him to 'swim away and hide.'

Acting Magistrate Scott Luxton blasted Mr Delane for wasting the police's time, declaring his heavy intoxication was no excuse.

'There's no other way to describe it, it's just stupidYou just had to get out of the water for your own safety.

He said police had been more than reasonable under the circumstances, urging him to start acting his age.

'Police resources that could have been spent perhaps on more urgent situations get tied up with, essentially, your and your crewmate's stupidity,' he said.

On Thursday a Northern Territory man was killed by a 3.3-metre crocodile while attempting to walk over a notorious flooded river crossing

Mitchell Graham Delane, 32, was swimming drunk with a friend in Cairn's Trinity Inlet on when an officer warned him about the 4m predator
A school shooting in Ohio left one student in critical condition as police said the 17-year-old gunman intended to harm more people.

Logan Cole, 16, was shot multiple times at the West Liberty Salem High School as the gunman opened fire in the hallways on Friday morning, theSpringfield News Sun reported.

The 17-year-old gunman, a fellow student, was pinned to the ground by staff members and taken into custody without incident, police said.

Scroll down for video

Logan Cole, 16, was shot multiple times at the West Liberty Salem High School as the gunman opened fire in the hallways on Friday morning

A suspect is in custody after a student was shot Friday morning at West Liberty-Salem High School in West Liberty (pictured, anxious parents picking up their children)

Students said they heard gunshots break out on the K-12 school campus about 50 miles outside of Columbus just as classes began on Friday morning.

Cole was wounded with a shotgun and taken to the Nationwide Children's Hospital in critical condition although family members say he has stabilized.

Staff members at the school restrained the suspected gunman and minimized the number of victims until deputies arrived at the scene, according to10TV.

Cole was not the intended target of the shooting, which was meant to harm more people, Champaign County Sheriff Matthew Melvin said.

The suspect, who has not been identified, has been charged with felonious assault, according to 10TV.

Students said they heard gunshots break out on the campus on the K-12 school campus just as classes began on Friday morning

Cole remains in the hospital in critical but stable condition. The gunman was taken into custody without incident. Both were students at the school

Courtesy WHIO

Cole's family released a statement that solicited prayers for Cole, as well as the gunman and his family.

It read: ' We are thankful for the Lords protective hand on our son. We are also grateful for the outpouring of support from our family, friends, and community.

'We would like to ask for continued prayers for Logan. Also, wed like to encourage prayer for the community, the other student, and his family.

'We are certain they have been deeply hurt as well. We are confident that God has a purpose and plan through this tragedy.'

Cole was not the intended target of the shooting, which was meant to harm more people, Champaign County Sheriff Matthew Melvin said. Pictured, deputies giving a press conference

The school was on lockdown for several hours and students were transported on buses to the Lions Club Ball Park about three miles away, where they were picked up by friends and family.

A State Highway Patrol spokesman says troopers were helping parents with student pickups as the sheriff's office handles the investigation.

The superintendent's office didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.

A student, Avery Seymour, told WDNT, she heard gun shots but thought it was noise from nearby construction.
Melania Trump made it very clear that she will be a fashion- forward First Lady, selecting a stunning baby blue dress and jacket for her husband Donald's inauguration ceremony.

The public got their first glance at Melania's perfectly-tailored look when she departed Blair House alongside her husband on their way to St. Johns Church on Friday morning, before she stood by his side as Trump took the oath of office.

Melania, 46, later shed her jacket for lunch before putting it back on for the parade, beaming even as she walked for miles in her matching 5-inch heels.

The new First Lady also accessorized her outfit with a clutch and elbow-length gloves that were all the same hue of blue.

Melania kept everything else simple, choosing to play up her natural beauty by sweeping her hair into a loose undo and wearing no jewelry other than a pair of massive diamond solitaire studs.

Her decision to wear a pale color and the silhouette she chose made it immediately clear that Melania was channeling Jacqueline Kennedy, who wore a similar tan outfit back in 1961 when John F. Kennedy was sworn into office.

And for the big day, Melania turned to one of Hillary Clinton's favorite designers - Ralph Lauren.

Scroll down for video

Flawless: Melania Trump selected a baby blue dress and jacket for her husband's swearing in ceremony (above leaving mass on Friday morning)

Former Fist Lady: Melania's decision to wear a pale blue and her choice of gloves made it immediately clear that she was channeling Jacqueline Kennedy (above being escorted to her seat ahead of the ceremony on Friday)

All eyes on her: Melania stood out from the rest of the Trump family, who is appears dressed in more muted tones so that Melania could shine

New role: Melania's Ralph Lauren look is just her first outfit of the day, with the new First lady set to reveal her gown for the ball later (above holding her husband's childhood Bible for the swearing in)

Ecstatic: The back of Melania's double-sided cashmere dress with jacket showcased how perfectly tailored the outfit was for her

Waterproof: Melania somehow managed to stay completely dry throughout the day despite the rainfall

Looking after her guy: Melania adjust Barron's tie ahead of his father's swearing in on Friday

President Trump and his Wife Melania and the rest of the Trump family watch the Inaugaration Parade from the White House

Just right: Melania Trump fixes her hair as she watches the Inauguration Day parade

Touch up: Glamorous Melania looked every inch the First Lady as she sat through the parade

Inspired: The silhouette that Melania chose (left) was remarkably similar to the one worn by Jackie Kennedy at her husband's 1961 inauguration (right)

Enter front and center: melania makes her way on to the main stage at the inauguration on Friday

She pulled out a clear umbrella when rain started to fall during her husband's speech

She greeted her husband with a kiss when he arrived just after she did

She also gave former First Lady Michelle Obama a peck on the cheek during the ceremony

Melania beamed on the dais - made extra radiant by her sizable diamond earrings

The couple looked serious as they stood together before the parade began Friday afternoon

The couple walked side by side, with Barron out in front, during the inaugural parade

Melania waved to the crowd as she and Trump made their way to the White House

The new First Lady clearly got into the spirit of things as she grasped Trump's hand and pointed at the crowd

The couple seemed to have a blast as they walked through the street lined with supporters

Although the White House will be Michelle's official resident as the First Lady, she does not plan to call 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home

Melania will stay behind in Trump Tower to take care of Barron while Trump works in DC

The family said they do not want to disturb Barron's schooling as the reasoning for not moving him to DC with his father

But Melania will stay in DC tonight and dance with Trump to Frank Sinatra's My Way at the inaugural ball

After arriving at the official tribune, Melania sat alongside Trump and Ivanka to review the marching band during the inaugural parade

Trump and Melania watched the parade behind bulletproof glass after walking the streets

Melania's double-faced cashmere creation consists of a mock-turtleneck dress, over which she wore a short jacket with three-quarter length sleeves that featured a bold collar that clasped at the neck with a cutaway.

The outfit held well together throughout the day's festivities, which began with a coffee and tea ceremony with the Obamas at the White House.

Melania then headed to the Capitol to watch her husband be sworn in as the President of the United States.

After they said their goodbyes to Obama and Michelle, the Trumps made their way to the President's Room in the Senate.

It was there Trump signed his cabinet into law and gave Melania a quick kiss on the cheek.

The two then toasted one another as they had a brief moment of rest at a luncheon before the inaugural parade kicked off.

Melania looked regal as she stood beside Trump, her windswept undo still intact as they walked through the streets of Washington DC toward the White House.

Although 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will be her official residence as First Lady, Melania has already revealed she will be staying in New York with Barron.

Melania could be spotted applying lipstick as the long day of events continued on Friday

Changing it up: Melania removed her coat later in the day for the inaugural luncheon after her husband's swearing-in ceremony (above)

Deep breath: Melania and Donald were finally given a few moments to relax at the luncheon

Smell the roses: She sat alongside Trump and Abigail Perlman, the wife of Senator Roy Blunt

A toast: Melania joined Pence and others as they raised a glass to their new president

Melania smiled at her husband as Trump reached for her during the toast

The two shared a tender moment as they clinked their glasses together during the lunch

Catching up: Melania was quick to greet her husband's political opponent Hillary Clinton with a handshake and a smile

Going strong: Despite starting her day just before 8am, Melania still looked perfect at mid-afternoon (above)

Crowded house: The old administration prepares to leave as the new administration prepares to take office

Final thoughts: Barack Obama, private citizen, speaks with President Donald Trump just before he departs for Palm Springs

Force of nature: Melania braves the wind alongside her husband Donald, Vice President Mike Pence and Karen Pence as they watch the Obamas leave DC

The foursome were then hit by a gust of wind as they posed to take a photograph

Parting ways: The Trumps walked the Obamas to their waiting helicopter that would be taking them to the board a government plane

And he is off: Former President Barack Obama waves farewell as he departs Washington DC on Friday

Changes: President Trump and the First Lady hold hands as they make their way to the inaugural luncheon

Trump gave Melania a kiss on the cheek as he formally signed his cabinet nominations into law

Melania then left the President's Room of the Senate to make her way to the luncheon

The news that Melania had chosen a look from Ralph Lauren was revealed shortly after she was first seen in the outfit on Friday.

'With the historic swearing-in of her husband, Donald J. Trump, as the 45th President of the United States, the First Lady -elect will become Americas new First Lady wearing an American designer who transformed American fashion,' said Melania's spokesperson in a statement.

The suede gloves Melania wore were also Ralph Lauren Collection.

Melania previously wore Ralph Lauren on election night, choosing one of the designer's pantsuits for her husband's victory celebration in New York City.

The shade of blue was remarkably similar to Tiffany blue it was later revealed as Melania presented a gift from the jeweler to Michelle Obama when her and Donald met the outgoing president and his wife at the White House.

That gesture came as Tiffany and other retailers near Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue have complained that the increased security required for the new first family is negatively impacting their sales.

Melania got some help from a US Marine as she arrived at the Capitol before the ceremony

Passing the torch: Michelle Obama and Melania pose together after meeting at the White House on Friday morning (above)

From the 44th to the 45th: Michelle let Melania shine by dressing in an understated crimson dress for the ceremony

Bearing gifts: Melania was photographed exiting her vehicle at the White House with her gift for Michelle

Warm welcome: Both Obamas graciously greeted Melania and Donald when they arrived at the White House

Clash of colors: Melania's blue was most certainly not a Tiffany blue it was revealed when she presented Michelle with a box from the jeweler (above)

Catching up: Melania and Michelle had a brief conversation while their husband s spoke

Helping hands: The Obamas escort Melania into the White House ahead of the inauguration ceremony

Both the statuesque First Ladies wore stilettos to further accentuate their tall frames

There were multiple designers who said that they would not dress Melania once her husband became president.

Initially, most fashion houses did their best to not comment on the matter, with French designer Sophie Theallet the first to publicly state Melania would not be offered any of her wears.

'As an independent fashion brand, we consider our voice an expression of our artistic and philosophical ideas,' the company said in a letter back in November.

'The Sophie Theallet brand stands against all discrimination and prejudice.'

Soon after, Tom Ford found himself embroiled in the controversy due to comments he made on The View.

Not a hair out of place: Melania beamed for the cameras as she exited church on Friday morning (above)

Fits like a glove: The look was designed by Ralph Lauren and is double-faced cashmere mock-turtleneck dress that is being worn under a short jacket with a bold collar

Gloveing it: Melania matched every single part of her look perfectly, from the shoes to her gloves and clutch

Picture perfect: The 46-year-old made the decision to keep everything else simple, choosing to play up her natural beauty by sweeping her hair into a loose chignon

Announcement: The news that Melania had chosen a look from Ralph Lauren was revealed shortly after she was first seen in the outfit on Friday

'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, 55, then told Behar and the other hosts that he would also not be dressing Melania while she was in the White House, saying his clothes are 'too expensive' for a first lady to wear because they have to 'relate to everybody.'

Day to night: Melania wore a black coatdress on Thursday afternoon (left) before changing into a figure-hugging gown by Reem Acra (right)

Former first lady's first walk: Michelle Obama wore a bold lace dress and coat from American designer Isabel Toledo back in 2009 at her husband's first inauguration (above)

Politicians on parade: For Bill Clinton's first inaugural parade back in 1993, Hillary wore a round blue hat with the turned-up brim and checked skirt suit

Politicians on parade: For Bill Clinton's first inaugural parade back in 1993, Hillary wore a round blue hat with the turned-up brim and checked skirt suit

Hollywood in DC: Nancy Reagan opted to wear a red dress and coat with matching hat by Bill Blass in 1981

Ford's designer wears were not 'too expensive' for Michelle Obama 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.

In the wake of Ford's comments, Trump said that his good friend Steve Wynn had stopped carrying Tom Ford products at his Las Vegas resort.

Trump told 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.

Flawless: Melania Trump selected a baby blue dress and jacket for her husband's swearing in ceremony

No problem: There were multiple designers who had said they would not dress melania

Former Fist Lady: Melania's decision to wear a pale blue and her choice of gloves made it immediately clear that she was channeling Jacqueline Kennedy

Center of attention: All eyes were on Melania as she and Donald entered St. Johns Church on Friday morning

First lady favorite: Hillary Clinton is also a big fan of Ralph Lauren, and frequently wore his pantsuits on the campaign trail

Big day: There has been much speculation since Trump was elected back in November regarding what designer Melania would wear to the inauguration

Strutting her stuff: Melania also chose Ralph Lauren on election night, wearing one of his pantsuits when her husband was elected president

Trump 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.'
Boris Johnson held talks with Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi today amid concerns about allegations of human rights abuses in the country.

The Foreign Secretary said 'many challenges remain' in Burma and the country's transition to democracy was not yet complete.

He was due to raise concerns over the military's hard-line crackdown on Rohingyaon rebels.

But Mr Johnson praised Ms San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Burma, for the swift progress that her National League for Democracy has made since taking office nine months ago.

Boris Johnson held talks with Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, left, amid concerns about allegations of human rights abuses in the country

International concerns have focused on the status of the minority Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, which has been the location of a military offensive in recent months.

Mr Johnson, on a two-day trip to Burma, met Ms Suu Kyi in the capital Naypyidaw and will also hold talks with home affairs minister, lieutenant general Kyaw Swe.

In Rangoon he will hear directly from members of the Rakhine Commission, representatives of both communities and civil society leaders from ethnic groups to discuss the peace process.

The Foreign Secretary said: 'Burma's transition to democracy is not yet complete but it is worth reflecting on just how far Burma has come since Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party took office just nine months ago.

'Launching a major new peace initiative, establishing a commission led by Kofi Annan to resolve tensions in Rakhine, and releasing more than 300 political prisoners are positive steps.

'It is clear that many challenges remain and full reform will take time.

The Foreign Secretary said 'many challenges remain' in Burma and the country's transition to democracy was not yet complete as he met Aung San Suu Kyi today

Mr Johnson, on a two-day trip to Burma, met the country's de facto leader Ms Suu Kyi, left, in the capital Naypyidaw and will also hold talks with home affairs minister, lieutenant general Kyaw Swe

'The UK, as a long-standing and long-term friend to Burma, will continue to offer its fullest support. I look forward to seeing Burma continue to develop into a country where there is peace and prosperity for all its people.'

In the Commons on Wednesday, Foreign Office minister Alok Sharma said: 'We have of course been deeply worried by the flare-up of violence in Rakhine state since an attack on police posts on October 9 by unknown assailants-presumed to be Rohingya militants.

'While we condemn the attack and recognise the right of security forces to carry out security operations to root out the perpetrators, we remain deeply concerned by the conduct of the army in its response.'

He told MPs Mr Johnson would 'strongly put the case on humanitarian issues from a UK perspective'.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Burma State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi met today at her residence in Naypyitaw for a meeting last more than two hours.

'They spoke about the close links between Burma and the UK and a range of issues including Burma's economic and government reforms, UK support for Burma's health and education sectors, and how both countries could further mutually beneficial business opportunities.

'The Foreign Secretary also expressed concern about the situation in Rakhine state and in other areas which have seen recent military action.

'He restated the British Government's support for the peace process led by the State Counsellor and the UK's readiness to assist in addressing the humanitarian situation in Rakhine.'

Boris Johnson is greeted by leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw today
Jaimie Ayer, of Bradenton, was arrested for allegedly providing teenagers alcohol and engaging in sexual activity with teenage boys at her daughter's house party

A Florida woman has been accused of giving alcohol to teenagers and engaging in 'sexual acts with juveniles' at her daughter's house party.

Jaimie Ayer, of Bradenton, returned home to her daughter's house party on December 23, 2016.

Ayer, 40, socialized with the teenagers and allegedly provided them alcohol.

An arrest report said: 'Jaimie continued to socialize and drink with the minors, eventually telling a boy that she needed to shower and that he should come help her.'

She was later allegedly caught by party-goers having sex with two teenage boys aged 16 and 17.

Her daughter witnessed the illicit activity, the arrest affidavit said.

Ayer was arrested on three counts of unlawful sexual activity on Wednesday, January 18, Bradenton Patch reported.

She was drunk when she was arrested, the arrest affidavit stated.

Detectives are investigating whether there where up to three more victims in the case.

Her bond was set at $22,500 and she remains in Manatee County Jail.

Anyone with information relevant to the case is asked to contact the sheriffs office at 941-747-3011.
The mother and stepfather of dead Queensland toddler Mason Jet Lee are facing new charges of cruelty to children.

Anne Maree Lee, 27, and William Andrew O'Sullivan, 36, will appear in Caboolture Magistrates Court on February 6 charged with one count each of cruelty to children.

Police will allege the pair, who are already in custody charged with manslaughter, failed to provide adequate medical assistance to the 22-month-old between December 23, 2015 and February 13, 2016.

The mother and stepfather of dead Queensland toddler Mason Jet Lee (pictured) are facing fresh charges of cruelty to children

Anne Maree Lee, 27, (left) and William Andrew O'Sullivan, 36, (right) will appear in Caboolture Magistrates Court on February 6 charged with one count each of cruelty to children

Mason died at a Caboolture home, north of Brisbane, in June 2016 as the result of inflammation from a ruptured small intestine.

He had been vomiting for five days before his death and had widespread bruising, reported the ABC.

He was taken to McDonald's for burgers instead of the hospital at 3am just days before he died, and was seen on a neighbour's CCTV footage coming home from picking up fast food in the early hours of June 7.

Ryan Hodson - one of three people charged with the toddler's manslaughter - is heard directing him.

Police will allege the pair, who are already in custody charged with manslaughter, failed to provide adequate medical assistance to the 22-month-old (pictured) between December 23, 2015 and February 13, 2016

'Come on c***, you walk like a spastic,' he said.

'Hurry up and grab your f***ing bottle. Mason, get here if you want your f***ing bottle.'

Hodson was released on bail in August.

Mason (right) died at a Caboolture home, north of Brisbane, in June 2016 as the result of inflammation from a ruptured small intestine

Police allege Mason suffered traumatic injuries the day before his death and ultimately died of peritonitis - the result of a fungal or bacterial infection caused by an abdominal injury or an underlying medical condition.

The toddler's death prompted an investigation into Queensland's child safety system.

Three child safety service centre staff were stood down and twelve others faced disciplinary action.
Workers at Theresa May's favourite restaurant have told how they jumped for their lives out of upstairs windows when the curry house was targeted by arsonists.

Staff who live above Malik's in Cookham, Berkshire woke up in terror last month after someone poured petrol through the restaurant's letterbox and started the blaze.

The owner today offered a 10,000 reward to catch the culprits as he released photos of the inside of his devastated premises.

Fire tore through Malik's restaurant after arsonists poured petrol through the letterbox

This was the scene inside the devastated restaurant after the blaze last month

Chef Shaheed Khan, 49, said he was fast asleep upstairs when the arson attack gutted the ground floor of the renowned Indian restaurant and would have been killed were it not for his colleagues.

He was awoken at about 1.30am to the sounds of work colleagues screaming 'fire, fire' but when he opened his bedroom door he said he couldn't see through the thick smoke.

'I feel very, very lucky to be alive,' he said today.

'If I had stayed asleep for another few minutes I would have died. The smoke was so thick I couldn't see anything and it just kept getting worse.'

Six members of staff living upstairs, including Mr Khan, had to jump from a window.

He added: 'It was scary looking out. I don't know how we managed it to do it but everyone was just so scared, everyone was crying. I've had trouble sleeping since then. I always leave the light on now because I'm scared to turn it off.

'There was just so much smoke coming from downstairs. It was very, very scary.'

Staff who live upstairs had to jump out of windows to escape the inferno below them

The owner has now put up a 10,000 reward for information leading to a prosecution

Mr Khan has worked at the restaurant for more than 14 years and had been spending two days a week there and the rest of the time in Aldgate, east London, with his wife and three children.

Over the years he has served a number of famous faces including local MP Theresa May, who once told an interviewer that his restaurant was her favourite.

Mr Khan said: 'Mrs May enjoys anything from medium to mild but nothing too spicy.'

Restauranteur Malik Ahmed is now offering a reward of up to 10,000 for information leading to a prosecution of the arsonist.

He said: 'Someone put something through my letterbox to accelerate the fire and they let it spread to the people upstairs. This was an attack on my staff, it's very shocking.'

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said that detectives were still hunting the arsonists behind the December 6 blaze and appealed for help from the public to try to solve the case.

The restaurant is in Theresa May's Maidenhead constituency and is popular with the PM
An 'adorable' nine-year-old girl was killed by a bullet that authorities believe traveled through her father and into her chest when three men opened fire during a home invasion in Cincinnati.

Alex Thompson was struggling with a gunman, who had forced his way into his home Wednesday evening.

While he was trying to grab the gun, several shots went off and his daughter, Alexandrea Thompson, was struck in the chest by a bullet, her aunt, Andrea Thompson told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

'She was behind her dad. She was probably scared,' Alexandrea's aunt said. 'She ran behind him instead of running away.'

Alex Thompson was struggling with a gunman, who had forced his way into his Cincinnati home around 5.30pm on Wednesday. While he was trying to grab the gun, several shots went off and his daughter, Alexandrea Thompson (left and right), was struck in the chest by a bullet

The incident occurred when three men arrived at the family's Mount Auburn house around 5.30pm. Mr Thompson was shot in the hand, arm and abdomen, and it's believed the bullet that struck Alexandrea may have gone through her father's body first

Mr Thompson was shot in the hand, arm and abdomen, and it's believed the bullet that struck Alexandrea may have gone through her father's body first.

The incident occurred when three men arrived at the family's Mount Auburn house around 5.30pm.

Alexandrea lived at the home with her father, his fiancee and as many as nine siblings and step-siblings, relatives told the Enquirer.

Police said at least three men were seen leaving the home, by witnesses who said they left in a white two-door car that was possibly a convertible.

After the shots were fired, Alexandrea's older sister ran to where the shooting happened and picked up her sister.

Andrea told the Enquirer that Alexandrea was bleeding and 'breathing real hard' as her 15-year-old sister cradled her. 'She took her last breath in her sister's arms,' she said.

The fourth-grader was pronounced dead at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Her father was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center where is listed in critical condition, according to WLWT.

After the shots were fired, Alexandrea's older sister ran to where the shooting happened and picked up her sister. Alexandrea (left and right) was bleeding and 'breathing real hard' as her 15-year-old sister cradled her, her aunt said

A makeshift memorial (pictured) was placed on the steps of her family's home. The community gathered together after the shooting and several faith leaders are hoping to raise at least $9,000 toward a reward for information leading to an arrest

Alexandrea's classmates remembered her 'welcoming' personality on a poster board after learning of her death. This note was left at the makeshift memorial in front of the family's home

Mr Thompson's mother, Catherine Thompson, told the Enquirer, that her granddaughter 'was a very sweet, adorable child'. 'She was so adorable.'

Alexandrea was described as a bright leader at her charter school, Mount Auburn International Academy.

Students, faculty and staff struggled to understand how the little girl with the big grin who gave strong hugs, will never come to school again.

Claudia Ehrle, the school's interim director, called Alexandrea a natural leader: 'She led by example.'

Her classmates remembered her 'welcoming' personality on a green poster board after learning of her death.

Some wrote, 'I love you sissy,' while others said, 'you will always have a special place in my heart'.

Grief counselors were at the school Thursday for any of its 431 students who needed to talk.

A makeshift memorial was placed on the steps of her family's home.

According to the Enquirer, several faith leaders are hoping to raise at least $9,000 toward a reward for information leading to an arrest.
A serial pervert is behind bars after sending bestiality chat to a fake 13-year-old girl he travelled over 200 miles to meet.

Ronald Young was duped by paedophile hunters into thinking he was swapping messages with an underage female he befriended over a teen chat site.

The 63-year-old, who claimed he was 18, said he wanted the schoolgirl to meet his friends and talked about a sex act involving his pet.

Within weeks, Young, who was already on the sex offenders' register due to past convictions, travelled by train from his home in Scotland to meet his young victim.

Ronald Young was duped by paedophile hunters into thinking he was swapping messages with an underage female he befriended over a teen chat site

The 63-year-old, who claimed he was 18, said he wanted the schoolgirl to meet his friends and talked about a sex act involving his pet

He was confronted on arrival at Newcastle Central Station by members of Dark Justice, who trawl the internet to expose paedophile activity.

Young, of Motrose, Scotland, tried to get away but was held by the hunters until the police arrived.

Prosecutor Jonathan Devlin told Newcastle Crown Court: 'He was on a chat site. Dark Justice made it clear almost immediately he was speaking to a 13-year-old-girl.

'The defendant said he was 18, then later changed to 28. The defendant is, in fact, 63.

Young was confronted on arrival at Newcastle Central Station by members of Dark Justice, who trawl the internet to expose paedophile activity

Young was convicted of having indecent images in 2013 and given a community order with a sex offender programme requirement

'He said he wanted her to meet his five friends and spoke of [performing a sex act on] his dog.'

Young was convicted of having indecent images in 2013 and given a community order with a sex offender programme requirement.

In 2014, he was given a suspended jail term for arranging to meet an underage girl at Waterloo station in London.

Young tells the 'girl' that he doesn't share photos - before she informs him he already has one as his profile picture

He was made to undergo a further programme and given a sexual harm prevention order.

Young admitted attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and breach of a sexual harm prevention order in relation to the latest offences.

The court heard despite the intensive intervention he has undergone, he remains a 'high risk of sexual reconviction'.

Judge Edward Bindloss sentenced him to a total of two years and three months behind bars.

The judge told him: 'You clearly thought she was a 13-year-old female. You spoke about what you were going to do when you met with her. You were grooming her.

'You planned to carry out sexual acts on meeting her.

'The sexual offenders programme has not helped you resist this sort of behaviour. The sexual harm prevention order has not stopped you talking in the way described.'

Jane Foley, defending, said the only mitigation she could properly advance was Young's guilty pleas.
If you try to see the plus side, then this home has a bedroom, kitchen and shower.

But, unfortunately, they're all in the same very small room - meaning it's possible to make a cup of tea and then wash up your mug later on without even leaving bed.

And although the property in Stoke Newington, North London, is available for 530 a month - relatively modest for the capital - you don't even get your own toilet.

This first floor 'studio flat' Stoke Newington, North London, is available for 530 a month

The flat in a large house has a bedroom, kitchen and shower - all in the same very small room

The home for a single person is a first floor bedsit situated in a large Victorian house on Belgrade Road, which has an average property value of 650,000.

Available since Monday, the flat comes with a shared toilet and laminated floor and is said to have decent transport links and be close to shops.

The description on Zoopla says: 'Rent-a-Home presents this first floor bed-sit situated in a large Victorian house, GCH.

The home is located on Belgrade Road, which has an average property value of 650,000

Available since Monday, the flat comes with a laminated floor - and has a kettle on the side

'Own cooking facilities, shower in the room but you share toilet, laminated floor. Good for transport and very close to shopping amenities.'

There are three train stations within a 12-minute walk of the flat - Dalston Kingsland, Dalston Junction and Rectory Road, all on the London Overground.

And anyone who wants to live there and commute can make it to the likes of Oxford Circus, Stratford or the City of London all in less than half an hour.
As El Chapo touched down in New York following the astonishing news he had finally been extradited to the US, Sean Penn was seen dining in Los Angeles.

Nearly a year to the day after Penn published his infamous interview with the notorious drug lord, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman, the two men were on opposite sides of the coast.

As a handcuffed El Chapo was taken to a maximum security federal prison in Manhattan, Penn dined at the upscale Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.

Although they had once shared swigs of tequila in the jungle while El Chapo was on the run, the actor and the drug lord's worlds now couldn't be further apart.

Scroll down for video

Sean Penn was spotted dining in an upscale Los Angeles restaurant on the night news broke that El Chapo was being extradited to the US

As a handcuffed El Chapo was taken to a maximum-security federal prison in Manhattan, Penn dined at the upscale Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica

US authorities escort Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman from a plane to a hangar at the Long Island McArthur Airport on Thursday night

But on October 2, 2015, they collided. With Penn touching down in Mexico to meet El Chapo and write what would become a heavily-criticized Rolling Stone piece.

El Chapo had agreed to be interviewed by Penn in a meeting that was set up by Jane the Virgin actress Kate del Castillo.

It was the first and only interview the Sinaloa cartel leader granted after escaping from a maximum security prison through a tunnel just months earlier.

Penn used the bulk of his Rolling Stone piece to describe, in minute detail, how the meeting came to be and his trip to visit El Chapo.

The Academy Award-winner remarked that he and Castillo were not blindfolded on the plane as they made their way to the drug lord's hiding place.

'Any experienced traveler might have been able to collect a series of triangulated landmarks to re-navigate the journey,' he wrote.

'But through his faith in Kate, whom he'd only ever known through letters or BBm, are we enjoying an unusual trust,' Penn added, speaking of El Chapo.

Penn was spotted walking out of the restaurant, a cigarette dangling from his fingers, on Thursday night

El Chapo's extradition comes nearly a year to the day Penn's heavily-criticized piece and interview with the drug lord was published in Rolling Stone

Penn then went into length as he described the moment he first laid eyes on the 'world's most famous fugitive', as he called the drug lord.

'There is no doubt this is the real deal. He's wearing a casual patterned silk shirt, pressed black jeans, and he appears remarkably well-groomed and healthy for a man on the run,' Penn wrote.

'He opens Kate's door and greets her like a daughter returning from college.'

'After greeting her, he turns to me with a hospitable smile, putting out his outstretched hand.'

'I take it. He pulls me into a "compadre" hug, looks me in the eyes and speaks a lengthy greeting in Spanish too fast for my ears.'

The actual interview portion of the article was short, with snippets of El Chapo telling Penn about how he turned to drug trafficking at the age of 15 as a means of survival.

'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,' he said.

'That is what I can tell you.'

El Chapo had agreed to be interviewed by Penn in a meeting that was set up by Jane the Virgin actress Kate del Castillo (pictured together)

It was revealed that Castillo (pictured) and El Chapo had been exchanging text messages for months before the secret meeting

El Chapo also told Penn that he hadn't done drugs in the last 20 years and that he wouldn't change the world if he could because 'for me, the way things are, I'm happy.'

But that happiness was fleeting for the drug lord, who was captured during a shootout that killed five of his associates just three months after meeting Penn.

El Chapo fled the safe house through a sewer tunnel, only to be recaptured hours later.

Penn's article was published a day later.

More than a year after his capture, El Chapo touched down in New York at the Long Island MacArthur Airport around 9.30pm on 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.

The delivery of El Chapo to the US came just hours before Donald Trump's inauguration was set to begin.

The notorious drug lord is seen in this picture with Mexican authorities before he boarded a plane to the US

Guzman is pictured arriving in Long Island, from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where he is received by US authorities to be brought before the courts

A group of agents escort Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman from a plane to a waiting motorcade at Long Island MacArthur Airport

DEA officers are seen leading El Chapo through the airport after he was extradited to the US

Many believed the timing was not a coincidence, but a message from the Mexican government.

'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 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

A motorcade carrying Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman arrives at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York

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.

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.

It is being reported the cartel kingpin will be sent to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, before appearing in court on Friday.

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.'

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

'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.

He said he did not think Mexico put 'a whole lot of thought' into the timing of the extradition.

The drug lord could potentially face life in prison as a result of the indictments.

The announcement comes just days after his lawyer claimed a prison guard was sexually harassing El Chapo on a daily basis.

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.
Advertisement

Former President Barack Obama got in a final dig at his successor on Friday as he said goodbye to his staff and the nation.

Just moments before boarding the same airplane that served him as Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday, Obama told former staffers that their democracy doesnt end with the beginning of the new administration.

This is just a, this is just a, little pit stop. This is, uh, this is not a period, this is a comma, in the continuing story of building America, he said to laughter, searching for the appropriate words.

The Obamas are off to California on Special Air Mission 28000, the military aircraft known as Air Force One when the presidents riding on it.

They pulled away from Joint Base Andrews, located just outside of Washington, this afternoon as the new president and his wife attended a congressional luncheon.

Awaiting them at Andrews were 1,800, mostly former members Obama administration, including Denis McDonough, Obamas former chief of staff; Valerie Jarrett, a family friend and senior adviser in his administration; Susan Rice, his national security adviser; Neil Eggleston, his White House lawyer; Eric Holder, his first attorney general; Gina McCarthy, the former EPA administrator; Jeff Zients, Obamas National Economic Council head; Jen Psaki, the departing White House communications director; and Josh Earnest, his final spokesman, accompanied by his two-year-old son.

Barack Obama peers out toward the White House as he is flown on Executive One, the helicopter known as Marine One when it carries the president, after departing from the US Capitol on Friday.

Obama waves as he boards the helicopter to take him to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly after Donald Trump's inauguration

Barack Obama (left) and Michelle Obama (right) wave goodbye just moments before boarding Special Air Mission 28000, known as Air Force One when the president flies on it, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland

The Obamas are off to California, their first vacation as a former first couple in over eight years

Obama shakes the hand of a supporter while another cries moments before the former president departs at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday

Barack and Michelle Obama hold hands as they walk on the red carpet toward their waiting plane while an honor guard stands by

Just before boarding the plane, Obama gives one last salute as an honor guard sees him off at the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews on Friday

Barack Obama places his hand on Michelle Obama's back as the two climb the stairs toward Special Air Mission 28000

Former president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, are greeted by staff and guests before boarding the Boeing 747

Supporters of former President Barack Obama wave as he and his wife, Michelle, depart Joint Base Andrews

Obama is seen above hugging a supporter before he and his wife depart for their vacation in California

Obama gives a high five to a young supporter as staff members bid the former president farewell at Joint Base Andrews

Obama's former press secretary, Josh Earnest, and his young son, Walker, watch as Obama departs Joint Base Andrews

Obama was welcomed with the chant that defined his 2008 candidacy: Yes we can!

This has never been about us. It has always been about you, Obama told his staff in the farewell address. And all the amazing things that happened over these 10 years are really just a testament to you.

The former president told them, You proved the power of hope.

His wife, Michelle Obama, became teary-eyed as her husband delivered his parting message to the country and to the people diligently worked to enact his agenda.

Networks cut him off five minutes in, split screening with a video feed of President Donald Trump signing his first set of executive orders.

Before they did, Obama noted that he and Michelle had been milking this goodbye thing.

So it behooves me to be very brief, he said. NO! his audience shouted in response.

Obama took to Twitter, where he will now use just one Twitter handle, @BarackObama, how that @POTUS has been taken over by President Donald Trump

Obama recalled the success of their political movement and how a whole bunch of his would-be staffers were really young.

And you decided to believe. And you knocked on doors, and you made phone calls, and you talked to your parents  who didnt know how to pronounce Barack Obama, he said with a grin.

And you got to know each other, and you went into communities that maybe you'd never even thought about visiting and met people who, on the surface, seemed completely different than you, didnt look like you or talk like you or watch the same TV programs as you.'

Yet once you started talking to them, it turned out that you had something in common, and it grew, and it built, and people took notice. And throughout, it was infused with a sense of hope, he said.

The two-term president who was constitutionally mandated to vacate office at 12 pm today said his supporters didnt flock to his candidacy for higher office in 2007 because of blind optimism. It wasnt naivety. It wasnt willful ignorance to all the challenges that America faces. It was hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty.'

You proved the power of hope. And throughout this process, Michelle and I, weve just been your front men and women. We have been the face, sometimes the voice out front on the TV screen and the microphone. But this has never been about us.

The former president said he and Michelle could not be prouder of their support staff. I could not be prouder. This has been the privilege of my life, and I know I speak for Michelle, as well, he said. And we look forward to continuing this journey with all of you. And I cant wait to see what you do next. And I promise you Ill be right there with you.

He closed his remarks with his signature thank you, everybody, one last time. Yes we did. Yes we can. God bless America, he said, waving to the crowd with each hand.

Obama walked over to his wife, who was standing on stage behind him, and shook her hand, giving her a kiss on the cheek, too.

They left the stage one after another and walked through the airport hanger, the former president stopping for a few hellos and pictures, to the blue and white aircraft that would take them to their next destination  a family vacation.

They held hands, climbed the stairs and posed together at the top, putting a happy face on their exit and signing off with a wave.

The Obamas came to Andrews from the US Capitol on Executive One, the helicopter thats called Marine One when it carries the president.

Hand-in-hand the Obamas walked to the copter, the newly sworn in president and first lady, Donald and Melania Trump, at their side.

They gave former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden hugs and said goodbye to them before getting in.

At the top of the steps of the aircraft, the former president turned around to face the photographers and gave another big goodbye wave to the nation, a gesture he made earlier in the day, as well, while he spoke to reporters who covered his historic presidency one last time.

The Obamas climb the steps to board the plane as onlookers take out their phones to capture a piece of history

The Obamas officially became former president and former first lady on Friday, as Donald Trump took the oath of office to become the nation's 45th commander-in-chief

A teary-eyed Michelle (left) and Barack hear the national anthem at a hangar in Joint Base Andrews just before boarding Air Force One for the final time

'Michelle and I, we've really been milking this goodbye thing,' Barack Obama said before he and his wife boarded Air Force One

You proved the power of hope, Obama said. And throughout this process, Michelle and I just have been your front men and women'

Barack Obama waves as he boards Marine One and departs the Capitol for Joint Base Andrews just moments after President Donald Trump took the oath of office

Obama gives the final wave after he was escorted to the helicopter by President Donald Trump (bottom right) and First Lady Melania Trump

Trump and Obama share some parting words before the now-former president boards the helicopter and leaves Washington

The two couples were cordial in their farewells. President Trump shares some words with Michelle Obama while Barack Obama says goodbye to Melania Trump

The helicopter was parked in front of the US Capitol to escort the Obamas to Joint Base Andrews in nearby Maryland

Obama and Trump are seen heading toward the helicopter followed by Pence and former Vice President Joe Biden

From left: First Lady Melania Trump, Karen Pence, President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, and Jill Biden wait on the steps of the Capitol before the ceremonial departure

The Trumps and the Obamas smile as they talk on the steps of the Capitol just prior to the Obamas' departure

Tight security was seen surrounding the area as the Obamas wait to depart on Marine One

Obama boards the helicopter after bidding farewell to Trump, beginning a new chapter in his life

The Trumps and the Pences wave goodbye as the helicopter carrying the Obamas lifts off from the US Capitol in Washington on Friday

From left, Paul Pelosi; his wife, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi; Judy McCarthy, her husband, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy; Janna Ryan; and her husband, House Speaker Paul Ryan watch as former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama depart Capitol Hill in Washington on Friday

Marine One takes off to transport the Obamas to Joint Base Andrews with an honor guard and hundreds of lawmakers looking on

People watch and take photos with their smartphones as Executive One lifts off from the US Capitol, carrying Barack and Michelle Obama

Obama's historic exit marks the end of his eight-year presidency, as Trump takes over following his election victory on November 8

The military helicopter carrying the Obamas takes off from the US Capitol and heads to Joint Base Andrews in nearby Maryland

Obama and Trump shake hands and have a semi-embrace after Trump gives his inauguration address after taking the oath of office

Obama and hundreds of other dignitaries, including current and former lawmakers as well as past presidents and vice presidents, watched Friday as Trump and his running mate, Mike Pence, took the oath of office.

A few hours earlier, Obama gave a final wave to the reporters who covered his historic presidency as he walked out of the Oval Office for the final time this morning.

'How's it going?' he asked reporters watching his departure.

The exiting president told his press pool he was 'of course' feeling nostalgic as he ends his tenure at the White House and gave the American people one last 'thank you.'

Obama walked outside the office he occupied for eight years for the last time nearly three hours before he was to turn over power to Trump, who has committed himself to repealing much of Obama's political legacy.

He attended to one last bit of business before leaving the historic office: penning a note for his successor  then leaving it in the desk which Trump will sit behind for the first time in several hours.

The now-former president could be seen putting a white envelope into the right-hand drawer of the Resolute desk, which is made from wood salvaged from a British Navy vessel and handed to then-President Rutherford Hayes in 1880.

The note was visible in images taken from outside the Oval Office.

In doing so, Obama was following a tradition of providing encouragement for what has been called the toughest job in the world.

George H.W. Bush set the standard with a note to Bill Clinton after his own defeat where he said he and the nation were rooting for the former Arkansas governor.

Obama has tried to set his own standard for a respectful transfer, refusing to sanction boycotters despite a bitter election, the defeat of his hand-picked successor, and charges of Russian interference.

Official White House photographer Pete Souza snaps the final pictures of Barack Obama's presidency. Here Obama is seen as he leaves the Oval Office one final time

Obama told reporters upon leaving the Oval Office that he was nostalgic. When asked if he had anything to say to the American people, Obama said: 'Thank you

President Barack Obama waves to the cameras as he exits the Oval Office for the final time as president on Friday

Obama and his successor, Donald Trump, emerge from the White House at approximately 10:50am local time in Washington

Obama and Trump walked together into a motorcade that took them to Capitol Hill for the inauguration and Trump's swearing-in as the 45th president

Obama is seen holding Trump's arm as the two men approach the motorcade that would drive them to Capitol Hill

Obama allows Trump to enter motorcade first and then follows him as he leaves the White House for the final time as president

The president will watch the inauguration along with every other living president except for George H.W. Bush, who is hospitalized in Texas

Obama is seen as he prepares to leave a note for his successor at the desk of the Oval Office

After Obama leaves the note for Trump (left), he left the Oval Office and strode along the colonnade, walking casually along the side of the White House as he prepared to join First Lady Michelle Obama, DonaldTrump, and Melania Trump

Obama plants a kiss on the cheek of his wife, Michelle, just moments before the couple welcome Trump and his wife, Melania

Obama (far right) and his wife, Michelle (far left), welcome Trump (second from right), his wife, Melania (second from left) at the White House

The note, however, is not being disclosed  although previous notes have now been published, including the one Obama was sent by his predecessor George W Bush.

Stepping outside the office, Obama gave a wave while holding a solemn expression on his face, a famed Jasper Johns flag painting visible inside the glass paneled door.

He strode along the colonnade, walking casually along the side of the White House as he prepared to join Michelle Obama and Trump, along with incoming first lady Melania Trump.

The Trumps were at the White House for a traditional coffee between the outgoing and incoming first families.

'Congratulations,' Obama told his successor as the Trumps walked up the steps to the North Portico of the White House.

'You'll get used to the protocol,' Obama told them as the four posed for a picture.

Melania Trump presented Michelle Obama with a large gift box with the famed flue colors of Tiffany.

The store announced this week that had suffered losses, in part due to disruptions at the flagship 5th Avenue store related to police protection around Trump Tower.

When they were done, Obama gently put his hand on Melania Trump's back to guide her inside the historic White House her husband will now occupy. Melania Trump plans to live in New York with her son Barron while he finishes the school year.

Just before leaving office, Obama posted four tweets on his Twitter account. 'It's been the honor of my life to serve you,' the outgoing president tweeted (above)

'I won't stop,' Obama tweeted. 'I'll be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by your voices of truth and justice, good humor, and love'

Obama posted a link to the Obama Foundation. The link is to a video of the Obamas talking about what's next for the soon-to-be-former first couple

'I'm still asking you to believe - not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours,' Obama tweeted. 'I believe in change because I believe in you'

A man is seen above moving boxes out of the White House on Thursday, Obama's last full day at the official residence

Only residence staffers are allowed to move items in and out of the White House for security reasons

The Obamas released a final video where they thanked the nation 'from the bottom of our hearts' for the 'privilege' of serving  and spoke of their plans for the future.

'First, we're gonna take a little break. We're finally gonna get some sleep, and take some time to be with our family, and just be still for a little bit. So we might not be online quite as much as you're used to seeing us,' FLOTUS says.

Chiming in to plug their future foundation, POTUS says that while it will be located on the South Side of Chicago, it will have projects around the world and they need input on first tasks.

'It's going to take all of you to make it a reality,' Obama says. 'As I've said many times before, true democracy is a project that's much bigger than any of us. It's bigger than any one person, any one president, any one government. It's a job for all of us. It requires every day sustained effort from all of us.

'The work of perfecting our union is never finished. And we look forward to joining you in that effort as fellow citizens.'

On Obama's Twitter account, the outgoing president posted four tweets vowing to remain involved in public life and thanking the American people for giving him the opportunity to serve them.

After their coffee, Trump and Obama were seen leaving the White House at approximately 10:50am local time.

The two men entered a motorcade that transported them to Capitol Hill for inauguration festivities.

It was the last time that Obama left the White House as president.

Obama's exit was the culmination of a long day of work for hundreds of staffers who embarked on a frantic five-hour sprint to transform the White House into Trump's new home.

Only residence staffers were allowed to move items in and out of the White House for security reasons, meaning the White House's carpenters, electricians and other staffers took on movers' responsibilities for the day.

Photos of Obama and his family that for years lined the walls of corridors in the West Wing are now blank and empty

A picture of Barack Obama still hangs on the wall on Thursday, one day before Donald Trump takes the oath of office and officially moves in

About a hundred people will get the home ready by the time the Trumps arrive, between 3:30 and 5 pm

A moving box stands in the corner of former White House press secretary Josh Earnest's office on Thursday

About a hundred people will get the home ready by the time the Trumps arrive, between 3:30 and 5 pm.

This involves moving in the new first family's furniture, but also making sure that they feel right at home, stocking the bathrooms with their favorite brand of toothpaste and the pantry with their preferred snacks.

The day actually began at 4 am, when permanent staffers and some contractors get ready for work. Kitchen employees will be exempt from moving duties as they will have many mouths to feed on Inauguration Day.

Chief Usher Angella Reid has designed this year's game plan. It is her first transition but many White House staffers have gone through a presidential move-in before.

Things took an emotional turn at around 8:30 am, when the first family said goodbye to the staffers who have assisted them for the past eight years.

Staffers were seen removing boxes from the White House on Thursday.

A photo of the inside of the presidential residence showed empty picture frames on the wall, indicating that the Obamas' pictures have been removed.

But staffers typically take care not to make the first family feel unwanted. Items belonging to the incoming president and his relatives might be discreetly stored in areas such as the China Room.
Donald Trump did not attend Nigel Farage's boozy Washington party last night but TV executives were queuing up to meet him to discuss the extraordinary story of Brexit.

US TV giant HBO, makers of Sex and the City, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos and The Wire, reportedly believe the tale of the UK leaving the EU could produce similar sizzling drama.

It would likely be based on the new book The Bad Boys of Brexit: Tales of Mischief, Mayhem & Guerrilla Warfare in the EU Referendum Campaign, written by Farage's friends Arron Banks and Andy Wigmore.

HBO executives were among the 400 guests at the five-star Hay-Adams Hotel and reportedly met Mr Farage about turning his Brexit exploits into a big budget six-part series, according to The Times' Red Box.

Bad Boys of Brexit: Nigel Farage, Arron Banks (far left) and Andy Wigmore (back, centre), pictured with Lord Ashcroft (right) and Governor Phil Bryant (centre left) have reportedly spoken to TV producers about a six-part series

Big hit: HBO are the makers of Sex and the City, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos and The Wire

The show would chronicle some of the most extraordinary scenes of the referendum and the fallout before and after the June 23 vote.

This would include the so-called Battle of the Thames when a flotilla of pro-Leave fishing boats was goaded by one carrying Bob Geldof.

The moment where Mr Farage conceded defeat early on referendum night - before toasting an historic victory only hours later - would also figure highly on producers lists.

David Cameron's resignation, Theresa May's ultimatum to Europe and Mr Farage's burgeoning friendship with Donald Trump in the aftermath would most likely be featured.

But it is not clear who would play the former Ukip leader.

The ex Ukip leader, the millionaire backer of the Leave campaign Arron Banks and his PR man Andy Wigmore, author of the Bad Boys of Brexit book.

MailOnline has contacted HBO for comment.

This month Mr Wigmore admitted it could also be turned into a movie by a Hollywood giant.

Earlier this month it emerged that Warner Bros, the studio responsible for the Man of Steel Superman film, is said to be keen to snap up the rights to the story of the former Ukip leader and his millionaire backer Arron Banks.

The film would be based on Mr Banks colourful diary of the referendum campaign, called The Bad Boys of Brexit.

Nigel Farage is joined by Andy Wigmore, Lord Ashcroft, Governor of Mississippi Phil Bryant and Arron Banks outside their Washington party last night

Tribute: Nigel Farage, who was the first British politician to meet Mr Trump after his election win, toasted the billionaire tycoon in front of a rowdy crowd at a Washington party

Andy Wigmore, a spokesman for Mr Banks, said: We have had some very serious Hollywood people in touch with us who are going to buy the rights to the book. They want to buy the option on it.

Judge Jeanine Pirro poses next to a pile of Bad Boys of Brexit books, which could be the subject of a TV series or a Hollywood film

Producers from Warner Bros are also hoping to meet Mr Farage and Mr Banks during their visit to Washington for Donald Trumps inauguration today.

Mr Wigmore said that while the producers have done a bit of research... effectively that book is like a screenplay so half the work has been done for them. He added that any cash made from the film would go to charity.

Mr Wigmore said: It is not like it is something we would personally benefit from. The Bad Boys of Brexit: the film. It is a comedy.

Last night Nigel Farage and the so-called 'Bad Boys of Brexit' have hosted their first boozy Washington DC party ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration.

The former Ukip leader, who was the first British politician to meet Mr Trump after his election win, toasted the billionaire tycoon in front of a rowdy crowd.

He said: 'Brexit was great but Trump becoming president is Brexit plus, plus, plus. He is the only man I've ever met in my life who has made me feel like an introvert'.

Earlier he posed with Lord Ashcroft, Governor of Mississippi Phil Bryant and Arron Banks outside the historic Mayflower Hotel in the city last night.

Mr Farage later attended a lavish party at the five-star Hay-Adams Hotel on Thursday evening to celebrate Mr Trump's inauguration.

The 400 guests at the British-hosted event, which included around 100 US politicians, were handed Champagne and mini portions of fish and chips.

Mr Farage will attend a lavish party at the five-star Hay-Adams Hotel on Thursday evening to celebrate Mr Trump's inauguration

In a speech to the packed room he said: 'Brexit was great but Trump becoming president is Brexit plus, plus, plus. He was right when he said it was a movement - but a movement can't exist, or flourish, without a leader. And Trump is the only man I've ever met in my life who has made me feel like an introvert.

'He is a larger than life personality. When he was given the rule book for how you run for president he tore up the book and threw it out of the window. And I guess, when I look back in the years to come, perhaps the greatest joy of 2016 was that realisation, as state after state in the mid-West went red, just to see the faces of those democrats.

'I've spent most my life in politics being regarded, I suppose, as the patron saint of lost causes.

'Through most of my life, what happens in America in terms of social trends or developments, we follow four or five years later. America is the leader. Now I would like to think in my own little way that what we did with Brexit was the beginning of what is going to turn out to be a global revolution and that Trump's victory is a part of that'.
Justin Warren, 31, was arrested after admitting to attack his uncle Robert Perry, 57

A Texas man is in critical condition after his nephew bludgeoned him with a hammer and saw.

Justin Warren 31, was arrested after he admitted to attacking his uncle and veteran Robert Perry, 57.

The pair had a verbal argument while doing roof work on a home on Knoll Ridge Circle in Wilmer, 15 miles south of Dallas, on the morning of January 11.

The argument escalated when, according to Warren, Perry came at him with a saw, KHOU reported.

Perry, a veteran, was working on a roof in Wilmer, Texas when the pair got in an argument that escalated to the point of Warren bludgeoning him with a hammer and cutting his face

Perry was flown to hospital in Dallas. As he is a veteran, he normally goes to a VA Hospital and does not have insurance. His wife Nancy set up a GoFundMe to help pay his costs

Warren responded by attacking Perry with a hammer before cutting his face with a saw.

Perry was flown to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, where he required multiple surgeries.

Warren, who was not injured, told police that he 'got high and killed someone' and, thinking he'd killed his uncle, later said: 'I guess I need an attorney.

'No I don't! I will sign a statement against myself.

'I killed my uncle! I beat him with a hammer, then cut him up with a Skil saw.'

Warren thought he'd killed his uncle. He has been charged with aggravated assault and his bond is set at $200,000

Perry's wife Nancy wrote: 'Robert is the sweetest, most loving man I've ever met....He is my world, my best friend'

Warren has been charged with aggravated assault and his bond is set at $200,000.

Perry's wife Nancy set up a GoFundMe page to help with his medical bills.

She wrote that he does not have insurance because he is a veteran and generally gets V.A. Hospital treatment.

She added: 'Robert is the sweetest, most loving man I've ever met.

'He would never hesitate to help anybody, even a stranger in need.

'He is my world, my best friend.

'I don't think he remembers what happened to him, but he will be devastated when he learns that the person he was trying to help, a member of his own family, did this to him.'

The page has raised nearly $4,000 so far.
A City stockbroker who duped friends out of 1.2 million in a Ponzi scheme when he got out of his depth was jailed today for six years.

Stephen Greig, 73, earned a good living as an associate for top investment company Charles Stanley - one of the oldest firms on the London Stock Exchange.

Using his word as his bond, the old school trader persuaded victims to hand over sums of up to 500,000 for fictional investments, offering a 7.5 percent return.

He forged letters on Charles Stanley headed note paper to tell them how well their investments were doing and even paid dividends.

Stephen Greig duped ten victims out of 1.2 million in a Ponzi scheme between 2006 and 2012

But Greig, of Shrivenham in Swindon, was living a lie.

From 2006 he was using money entrusted to him by old friends saving for their retirement to pay back earlier investors, while helping himself to some of the cash.

Between 2006 and 2012, ten victims, including Maidstone Rotary Club, lost a total of 1.2 million.

The Old Bailey heard they have been reimbursed by Greigs former employer after he pleaded guilty to a string of fraud charges.

Jailing him for six years, Judge John Bevan QC told him: I am genuinely sorry that you, as a 73-year-old man of hitherto good character, find yourself facing sentence for a series of serious frauds, but you have brought it on yourself.

From 2006 to 2012, a long period, whilst in a position of trust as a stockbroker trusted with large sums of clients money, including friends of yours, you abused that and continued to do so as what was to some extent a Ponzi scheme escalated.

He added: You were out of your depth and unable to face what you had done by setting yourself unachievable targets and you could not face reality even when you were arrested as regards your work or your family.

I accept you are now full of remorse for the victims and your family. You regret your behaviour and the failure to ask for help when you should have done and you have now ended up with nothing apart from a small pension.

The court heard Greig had worked as a stockbroker all of his life and landed a job at Charles Stanley in 1986.

He began investing in the mid-Nineties and Greigs barrister Jon Swain said it was initially a successful venture.

But he claimed the combination of his clients sleep disorder and the financial crash got him into a complete mess.

Prosecutor Gareth Underhill explained: Mr Greig was a stockbroker and the victims were persuaded to invest significant sums of money in investments which in fact did not exist.

The court heard he created fictional investment funds with legitimate-sounding names such as Charles Stanley Capital Bond.

He targeted victims including his long-term friends, many of whom were saving for their old age.

William Doody invested 500,000 from the pension fund of his family cosmetics business, while 73-year-old pensioner Alan Siveright paid him more than 387,000.

They received regular correspondence on Charles Stanley headed note paper updating them on the gains of their investments.

But the prosecutor said: In fact, no investments were made by Mr Greig.

The victims money was used by Mr Greig to support his own lifestyle and to pay off previous investors and to pay interest upon earlier investments.

He continued: By the middle of 2006, the Crown say it is apparent Mr Greig was in fact running a Ponzi scheme, taking new investment funds from clients - not to invest as he claimed in those named bonds or funds - but to pay back previous investors with whom he had guaranteed returns that clearly he could no longer meet.

The total loss was about 1.2million across all of the investors named on the indictment.

The judge said it was not a case where Greig lived an absurd lifestyle and prosecutors could only point to 60,000 that he transferred to himself.

Greig even sold family properties and used the proceeds to prop up the scheme.

His barrister said: It was not a scheme in which he set out to enrich himself, this was simply taking money from one investor to try to the difficult position he had got himself in.

It is obviously a tragedy for everyone concerned. Those investors who lost their money, happily it seems, are being compensated for such.

Greig pleaded guilty to 13 counts of fraud and two charges of obtaining money transfers by deception at an earlier hearing.
George Osborne will take on a lucrative role at the world's biggest asset manager, it was revealed today

George Osborne has taken on a lucrative role at the world's biggest asset manager, it was revealed today.

The former Chancellor is joining the Blackrock Investment Institute as a senior adviser, where he will join up with his ex-chief of staff Rupert Harrison.

The part-time role at the American asset manager is set to earn Mr Osborne a six-figure sum, which will add to the growing income he earns outside of the Commons.

Mr Osborne, who famously told the British public 'we're all in this together' as he oversaw six years of austerity, slipped the announcement out as the world's attention was on Donald Trump's inauguration as US President.

He said he wanted to use the role to 'go on learning, gaining new experience and get an even better understanding of the world'.

And in an echo of his statements as Chancellor, Mr Osborne pledged to deliver 'better outcomes for pensioners and savers' in his role with Blackrock.

He expects to spend a day a week working for Blackrock despite continuing as a sitting MP.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell blasted Mr Osborne for taking on the lucrative role: 'The timing on this is disappointing, sneaking it out on a Friday just before the inauguration of President Trump seems like it was done in an attempt to hide the announcement.

'It looks like the former Chancellor also seems to think that after Theresa May's speech this week its looking like a Banker's Brexit is what the Tories have in mind for our country.

'But in the communities that have been hit hardest by his austerity policies of the last six years, people will wonder, are we all still in it together?'

Strict rules apply to stop former ministers using confidential information learned in government in their new jobs and the appointment was approved by the business appointments committee Acoba.

The former Chancellor is joining the Blackrock Investment Institute as a senior adviser, where he will join up with his ex-chief of staff Rupert Harrison, who responded to the announcement by joking on Twitter: 'So, I have a new adviser...'

Earlier this week George Osborne was pictured with the Clooneys (second left and centre), Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam (left) and journalist Tina Brown (second right) at a lavish reception at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland

Blackrock said Mr Osborne will not engage in any lobbying of the British government.

Mr Osborne will remain as MP for Tatton but the appointment will raise more questions about his role outside of politics.

He has already earned more than 600,000 on the lucrative speaker circuit since being sacked as Chancellor in the summer. It is eight times his MP's salary of 75,000.

BII: THE WORLD'S BIGGEST ASSET MANAGER Blackrock Investment Institute (BII) is the largest asset manager. It handles more than 4btn of client money and has become one of the most powerful financial companies in the world. It works hard to form strong partnerships with governments across the world, although George Osborne will not will not engage in any lobbying of the British government. BII's appointment continues a long tradition of high-profile political appointments to financial firms. Former prime minister Tony Blair pocketed what is thought to be hundreds of thousands after taking an advisory role at JP Morgan after quitting Downing Street. He joined the American investment bank just a year after leaving Number 10. His successor Gordon Brown sits on the global advisory board at investment manager Pimco. Earlier this week, former foreign secretary William Hague also joined Citigroup as an adviser. Advertisement

The latest edition of the register of MPs interests revealed he raked in a staggering 120,000 for making just two speeches in a week.

Announcing his appointment at Blackrock, Mr Osborne said: 'I am excited to be working with the BlackRock Investment Institute as an advisor.

'BlackRock wants better outcomes for pensioners and savers - and I want to help them deliver that.

'It's a chance for me to work part-time with one of the world's most respected firms and a major employer in Britain.'

He added: 'The majority of my time will be devoted to being an MP, representing my constituents and promoting the Northern Powerhouse.

'My goal is to go on learning, gaining new experience and get an even better understanding of the world.'

Mr Harrison, who was a key adviser to Mr Osborne throughout his time at the Treasury before joining Blackrock as an economic analyst last year, joked on Twitter today: 'So, I have a new adviser...'

Mr Osborne will start his new part-time role with the asset manager on February 1.

A spokesperson for Mr Osborne dismissed claims he had deliberately timed the announcement to clash with Mr Trump's inauguration.

His appointment follows a string of fellow political heavyweights rocking up at financial firms.

Former prime minister Tony Blair pocketed what is thought to be hundreds of thousands after taking an advisory role at JP Morgan after quitting Downing Street.

Earlier this week, former foreign secretary William Hague also joined Citigroup as an adviser.

BlackRock chairman Laurence D Fink said: 'George has a unique and invaluable perspective on the issues that are shaping our world today.

The former Chancellor George Osborne is joining the Blackrock Investment Institute as a senior adviser, where he will join up with his ex-chief of staff Rupert Harrison, pictured left

In November, Mr Osborne collected a gong after David Cameron made him a companion of honour - visiting Buckingham Palace for his investiture between two trips to New York

'At the centre of our mission is helping people around the world save and invest for retirement, and George's insights will help our clients achieve their goals.'

Earlier this week Mr Osborne rubbed shoulders with the global elite at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

He was pictured with the Clooneys at a lavish reception in the Swiss resort but raised questions over his fashion sense as he chose to wear trainers with his suit as he stood alongside his more stylish guests.

In a rare public appearance since being thrown out of No 11, Mr Osborne was among a host of celebrities and power brokers attending the Davos summit.

Ex-Prime Minister David Cameron is also believed to be in Davos, and the two men are believed to have lined up lucrative corporate speaking engagements.

Former Labour premier Gordon Brown was also spotted at the lavish gathering - but he channels income to charity via a foundation created with his wife Sarah.
Advertisement

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have welcomed President-elect Donald Trump and future first lady Melania into the White House for a tea and coffee reception.

The president shook Mr. Trump's hand as he approached the front entrance of the White House.

'Mr. President-elect, how are you? Good to see. Congratulations,' he said.

The Obamas each greeted Melania, who presented them with a Tiffany blue box wrapped in a white bow, with a kiss, taking her gently in their arms. 'So nice to see you. How are you?' the president asked her.

As they did so, the president-elect saluted two marines guarding the North Portico.

Fumbling with the box Melania Trump had given her, Michelle Obama gave the gift to her husband, who passed the box off the gift to an aide nearby.

They're here: The Trumps greet the Obamas - bearing a gift for their predecessors

First ladies kiss: Melania Trump brought a Tiffany & Co. gift to hand over to Michelle Obama

Happy to be here: Donald Trump gave his signature thumbs up as Michelle Obama greeted Melania Trump

All smiles: Michelle Obama and Melania Trump share a moment before entering the White House

Extending the hands of friendship: Barack Obama prepares to shake hands with his successor, who is shortly becoming the 45th president

Thumbs up: Donald Trump stood next to wife Melania and gave a thumbs up to crowds before entering his new home

Meet and greet: The outgoing first family exchanged pleasantries with the president-elect and the incoming first lady

Welcome: As Donald Trump shook hands with Barack Obama, Michelle Obama put her right hand on his left arm to greet him

Greeting: The outgoing First Lady is kissed by Donald Trump while the outgoing President embraces Melania

Line-up: President Obama could be heard asking the president-elect: 'How was church?'

The group posed for a portrait before heading inside for their reception that's also being attended by Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill and Vice President-elect Mike Pence and his wife Karen.

Obama asked his successor before they went in how a church service was this morning that he attended with his family. 'Good,' Trump told him.

The Bidens welcomed the Pences with smiles and hugs moments before the Obamas came out to greet the Trumps.

'Guys, we gotta get in. The next guy's coming,' the vice president said after posing for photos for several seconds with his wife, who wore a hot pink dress, and Mr. and Mrs. Pence, each wearing black coats.

An emotional Michelle Obama appeared to force a smile as the new president and his wife arrived at her home.

Her husband gave her a kiss, hamming it up for the cameras. She wiped a piece of lint off his shoulder as they took their positions. She wore a burgundy dress with black belt and her hair in a bun. Her husband had on a blue suit and blue tie.

On the red carpet: President-elect Trump and President Obama chatted while their wives smiled and Michelle put her arm around Melania's waist

Tradition: The Obamas will not be returning to the White House after the swearing-in ceremony

Present time: The Trumps brought a blue gift box from Tiffany's of New York, whose store is beside Trump Tower - and which as complained about lost revenue because of security there

Tradition: The Obamas invite their successors in for tea before the inauguration

The Trumps pulled up a moment later in a black SUV, the president-elect in the seat of honor on the right, and his wife, clad in baby blue Ralph Lauren cashmere, on the left.

In addition to the presidential families, the White House says that Senator Roy Blunt, Chairman of Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, his spouse, Elaine Chao, Trump's nominee for cabinet secretary, Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democrat Leader, Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, the House Majority Leader and Nancy Pelosi, the House Democrat Leader are at the White House for the closed-press coffee.

After their refreshments the Obamas and Trumps will exit the White House the same way the president-elect and his wife entered and ride to the Capitol together in the presidential car for Trump's swearing-in ceremony.

The Obamas will not return to the White House once they leave for Trump's swearing in ceremony this am.

They'll fly to Andrews Air Force Base in a Marine helicopter and make their way in the presidential aircraft - not flying as Air Force One as the president is not on board -to Palm Springs, California, for vacation.

President Trump and his wife will remain at the Capitol for a luncheon with lawmakers, following Pennsylvania Avenue back to the White House after they're finished. They'll watch a parade with friends and family from bullet-proof viewing stands in front of the White House before adjourning to their new home for several hours ahead of tonight's inaugural balls

Welcome: The First Couple escorts President-elect Donald Trump and Melania into their new home

One last kiss: Barack Obama kisses his wife Michelle as they wait for the arrival of the Trumps

Last touch: Michelle Obama removed lint from her husband's suit as they waited for the Trumps

Look of love: President Obama and Michelle share an intimate moment as they wait for Trump and Melania to arrive

Salute: Joe Biden salutes his successor Mike Pence while his wife Jill waits to greet her successor

Say hello: Joe Biden and his wife Jill welcome Vice-president elect Mike Pence and his wife Karen to the White House

Transition: Mike Pence and his wife Karen are all smiles with their predecessors as they exchange pleasantries

Final goodbye: An emotional President Obama waves as he leaves the White House for the final time

On the way: Joe Biden and Mike Pence leave the White House to attend the inauguration ceremony
To the editor:

I enjoyed your article about the adverse effects of repealing the Affordable Care Act. We should hope that our politicians study the benefits and the remaining problems of health care in depth rather than simply buy into the political hype and spin. While you did touch on many of the direct effects, there are many other benefits that go unseen and in some cases misunderstood.

Even those who do not obtain their insurance through the exchanges still enjoy significant benefits. The Affordable Care Act was passed because the previous system was speeding toward dysfunction, if not collapse. Repealing it will only bring back the far greater problems that preceded its passage.

First, the law has removed lifetime caps that were standard before. This means insurance companies can no longer stop paying when you are fighting an expensive illness. Secondly, insurance companies can no longer discriminate on the basis of pre-existing conditions. This means that no matter what previous illnesses you were or are still dealing with, that illness can no longer be a barrier to obtaining health insurance. This also means children with expensive health conditions can be insurable for their entire lives.

Third, it prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender, so women will not have to pay more than men for coverage. Fourth, it means children can remain on their parent's policy until they are 26. Fifth, it closed the notorious donut hole which saddled seniors with high drug costs. Finally, it extended the life of the Medicare trust fund and provided free preventative services for seniors.

In total, well over 1.5 million Nebraskans benefit one or more ways. This is the time for Congress to engage in deliberate thought and objective analysis. All sides need to work together to forge a better solution.

Tom Havelka

Columbus
Advertisement

Donald Trump extended an olive branch to Hillary Clinton on Friday afternoon in the form of a 30-second standing ovation for his political nemesis after a luncheon with members of Congress.

And at long last, she offered a broad smile.

Trump's moment of generosity came after Clinton, the Democratic Party's unsuccessful White House candidate, braved an inauguration ceremony that she had expected would mark the beginning of her own presidency.

She and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, sat through that ceremony stone-faced, betraying little of the regret and disappointment that comes along with losing the world's most consequential election.

Adding insult to injury, a pocket of Trump supporters in the crowd chanted 'Lock her up!' when the Clintons were introduced.

Scroll down for video

'I'd like you to stand up': President Trump asked the audience at the luncheon to give the Clintons a standing ovation

'I was very honored': Trump thanked both Bill and Hillary Clinton for coming to the swearing-in

Thanks: Hillary Clinton gestured to the President and to the rest of the attendees at the luncheon as they clapped

Praying: Bill and Hillary Clinton prayed with the President-elect as he and the First Lady were honored at the Capitol with a luncheon

Smiling at last: The difference in the Clintons' mood was clear as they left the Capitol

First standing ovation: This was the scene as the Trumps arrived for the luncheon at the Capitol

President Donald Trump is seen gripping the hand of his rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton, who attended today's inauguration as a former first lady

Hillary Clinton and President Donald Trump meet face-to-face at the inaugural luncheon inside the U.S. Capitol Building today

President Donald Trump embraces ex-President Bill Clinton as first lady Melania Trump greets Hillary Clinton, her husband's general election rival

I looks...: Hillary Clinton made no attempt to smile as Donald Trump waited to be sworn in

Watching the swearing in: Hillary Clinton was in her seat as Donald Trump stood to take the oath of office which she had wanted to

Fixed stare: Hillary Clinton remained frozen-faced as the 45th president was sworn in by Chief Justice Roberts

Unsmiling: Mike Pence reached across to shake hands with Hillary Clinton as he made his way from the podium

Hand of greeting: President Obama reached across to greet Hillary Clinton with a handshake

Working the line: President Obama reaches across to shake hands with the woman who will not succeed him

A fixed grin for the victor: Hillary Clinton watches as Donald Trump walks past her then kisses his wife Melania before being sworn in as 45th president

Sending an email: Hillary Clinton used her smart phone as she waited for the swearing in

Keep your grin fixed: Hillary Clinton was careful not to let her expression slip was the president-elect - in his final moments before becoming president - went past her

Glum and glummer: The Clintons walk through the Capitol towards their seats on the podium to watch Donald Trump's arrival

Downcast: The Clintons were grim faced as they stood on the platform

Warp up dear: Bill Clinton helped his wife put on a poncho as the rain began just after President Trump was sworn in

Getting ready for the rain: The former First Lady reached for a see-through poncho as the ran began to fall

Watching history: Hillary was situated between her husband Bill and successor George W. Bush to watch the swearing-in

This was her moment: Hillary Clinton's expression told the story as Donald Trump arrived on the podium and was greeted by President Barack Obama. Minutes later, he became Presidenrt Trump

Could have been mine: Bill and Hillary Clinton stood hand in hand,their faces betraying their feelings about the ceremony

Greeting: Hillary did not embrace Michelle Obama, her successor as First Lady

The eyes have it: George W. Bush seems amused as Michelle Obama is greeted by Hillary Clinton

Fixed stare: Hillary Clinton walked through the Capitol looking ahead to the stage where she expected she would be standing

Cheerier Bill: The former president was more relaxed than his wife as he walked to the podium

Should have been me: Hillary Clinton wore a white coat over a white pantsuit for the Inauguration and was accompanied by her husband Bill. All the living presidents except George H.W. Bush are present

Holding on carefully: Hillary Clinton grasped the handrail as she walked down the stair to the riser on the west portico of the capital

That slogan, which made its debut at the Republican National Convention, later became an unavoidable anti-Clinton campaign battle cry.

Trump seemed to erase it all with a gesture that was beamed around the world.

'I was very honored  very, very honored  when I heard that President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Clinton was coming here today,' Trump told lawmakers packed into Statuary Hall inside the U.S. Capitol.

'And I think it's appropriate to say. And I'd like you to stand up. I'd like you to stand up.'

Trump kept the sustained applause going by clapping enthusiastically himself.

'And honestly,' he added, 'there's nothing more I can say, because I have a lot of respect for those two people.'

The president had already shaken Mrs. Clinton's hand at the start of the traditional lunch event as they came face-to-face.

That moment closed a chapter in American political history that saw Clinton's aspirations swamped by Trump's populist victory.

Bill Clinton remained glum during the noontime inaugural swearing-in. Hillary looked glummer, telling a wordless story of how she felt.

Some Democrats, including many in Congress, questioned the Clintons' decision to attend, saying it tended to validate President Trump at the very moment their party aims to ostracize him.

Trump had it both ways in less than 24 hours, mocking Clinton during a dinner speech before figuratively embracing her.

Following a Thursday night candlelight dinner inside Washington's Union Station, he jabbed at the Clinton campaign for planning a fireworks display in New York City when they thought they had the presidency locked up.

Ultimately, Team Clinton canceled its fireworks permit as Election Day closed in.

'They spent $7 million on fireworks. And they canceled it  and that's because history has proven that if you're going to lose, you don't want fireworks, right?' Trump joked.

Grip and grin: Bill held Hillary by the left elbow as the Clintons walked out of the Capitol and into the open

Long walk: Bill and Hillary went along the same route as they would have expected to walk if she was becoming 45th - and second Clinton - president

Relax: George W. Bush seemed to be breaking the tension as he made a thumbs up prompting the Clintons to finally laugh

Fixed grin: Hillary managed a smile for those she was passing as she made her way to her seat

Good to see you: One friend apparently raised Clinton's spirits as she entered the podium

It could have been: Hillary Clinton's expression made clear her thoughts about the place on the podium she found herself at

Breaking the tension: George W. Bush was all smiles on the podium - unlike Hillary Clinton

At last, a wave: Hillary perked up as the former first couple waited for the inauguration to begin. Dick Cheney. George W. Bush's vice-president, was behind them with his wife Lynne

White House memories: Hillary Clinton exchanged words with George W. Bush as they stood together waiting for Trump

'And that was a good sign.'

Hillary showed up in a white pantsuit and coat, alongside Bill and their daughter Chelsea, for an appearance she never thought she would make without hearing 'Hail to the Chief' played in her honor.

And she used Twitter to issue a veiled to rebuke to those who boycotted it - saying: 'I'm here today to honor our democracy & its enduring values. I will never stop believing in our country & its future.'

Clinton won points from a former adversary for bucking up for the occasion.

'I think it takes a lot to show up in that situation after the kind of campaign that was run against her,' said Tad Devine, a top adviser to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who challenged Clinton in the Democratic primaries.

Devine said Clinton's attendance 'is [a] testament to her strength of character. I really think she should be praised.'

Trump famously castigated Mrs. Clinton repeatedly as 'Crooked Hillary,' interrupting her during debates and projecting a generally belligerent attitude as he unseated the would-be first female president.

On Friday afternoon he also praised the military men he recruited to join his cabinet, including retired Gen. James 'Mad Dog' Mattis  and hinted that Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer would warm to him.

'Those generals are going to keep us so safe,' Trump said.

'They're going to have a lot of problems, the other side. They're going to look at a couple of them. This is central casting. If I'm doing a movie, I'd pick you, general.'

Trump pointed to Mattis and declared that he is 'doing really well. Even  even Chuck likes General Mattis, and General Kelly.'

'We're going to have four great years, hopefully, of peace and prosperity,' the new president told the lawmakers. 'And we'll be working very, very hard.'

And we're all dealing together. We all want the same thing. We're all good people,' he added.

'Whether you're a Republican or Democrat, doesn't make any difference. We're going to get along.'
A court in France has ordered a man to pay 3,500 in compensation to an overweight eight-year-old boy who he referred to as a 'fat pig' on Facebook.

The man made the comments on a public Facebook post when he said the 'fat pig child that had been fed on burgers' was responsible for his wife's back injury.

He made the comments a year ago after his wife, a housekeeper in the southern French city of Beziers, hurt her back helping the child, named only as Evan, who was in a wheelchair for a hip injury.

The housekeeper was forced to take time off work due to the injury, and posted about her situation on Facebook, France Bleu reports.

The man described the boy as a 'fat pig child that had been fed on burgers'

Her husband replied with a public comment, in which he said the 'fat pig' child was to blame for her ordeal.

The man wrote: 'My wife just tried to lift up some kind of fat pig that had been fed on burgers. I'd have made the fat bacon run.'

The case came to court after other parents at the Evan's school showed his mother, Jennifer Martinez, the Facebook post.

The channel also reports that Evan found out about the post, and was upset by the comments.

'He ran away from the school gates in tears and said he wanted to change schools,' his mother told the channel.

He made the public comments on a Facebook post his wife had written

'I felt sick. This is my own son. I lost sleep about it.'

Given the nature of the dispute, the family was not able to file a complaint with police, but instead summoned the man to criminal court in a private prosecution.

The unnamed man was ordered to pay a 1,000 fine and 4,000 in damages.

Ms Martinez added: 'I would have liked an apology at first, but what I wanted to do is to annoy him as he bothered us.

'[I want] to support my son, and show that [the man] does not have the right to call a child a fat pig.'
Canadian mother-of-three Karine Gagne, 23, allegedly had sex in the bathroom with a 15-year-old American teen on a Bahamas cruise

A 23-year-old Canadian mother-of-three is behind bars after she allegedly had sex in the bathroom with a 15-year-old on a cruise in the Bahamas.

Karine Gagne was on the Norwegian Cruise Line ship with her co-workers at a company that sells adult-themed products when she met the teen at a bar and casino area on the boat.

Shortly after meeting the teen, who was reportedly a 6ft 1in American with a beard, Gagne allegedly had sex with him in the bathroom.

The teen's mother was present at the bar when she saw her son exit the bathroom with Gagne and immediately called police, according to CTV Montreal.

Bahamian law states that a 15-year-old cannot legally consent to sexual intercourse.

Gagne was arrested on January 5 and has been charged with sexual assault against a minor.

She has been in jail in the Bahamas for the last two weeks, according to The Tribune.

Chantale Auclair, Gagne's mother, said the teen had lied to her daughter about his age.

Gagne was on a cruise with her co-workers at a company that sells adult-themed products when she met the teen at a bar and casino area on the boat

Gagne's three children are aged three, four and five. This family portrait was taken in 2013. It does not appear as though Gagne is married

'She asked him how old he was and he told her was he was 18,' Auclair told The Canadian Press.

Auclair said Gagne told her the two had met at the bar while the ship was docked in in Great Stirrup Cay. They began to chat and danced together.

'At one point, it went further,' Auclair said. 'They went to the bathroom and they did what they wanted to do.'

Gagne had been on the cruise with her co-workers and manager to celebrate reaching sales objectives at their company, according to the Brantford Expositor.

The American teen reportedly pleaded for his mother not to report Gagne to authorities.

Auclair flew to the Bahamas to see her daughter and said they were only able to speak together for about an hour.

'I cried, I cried so much,' she said.

Gagne was arrested on January 5 and has been charged with sexual assault against a minor

She has been in prison in the Bahamas for the last two weeks awaiting a February court date

'But I told her I didn't come for nothing, that we weren't close for nothing. She is more than my daughter, she is my confidante.'

Auclair said Gagne is especially worried about her daughters, who are aged three, four, and five. They are currently back in Quebec.

'She said, "Mom, I don't want them to think I abandoned them,'" Auclair said.

Auclair is now raising funds to pay for legal costs, possible bail and a plane ticket home for her daughter, who she said works two jobs.

The concerned mother said it remains unknown how the teenage boy was able to enter an area reserved for those aged 18 and up on the Norwegian Cruise Line ship.

'I'm not blaming anyone,' Auclair added. 'I just want her to get out of there.'

A spokesman for the cruise line told Daily Mail Online that they do not comment on pending investigations.

Gagne could face up to seven years in prison if convicted.
Gwinnett County Assistant District Attorney Christopher Quinn, 46, was arrested on pandering and racketeering charges as part of a massive prostitution bust

A Georgia assistant district attorney who was arrested in large-scale prostitution sting earlier this month was caught on camera having sex with a prostitute, according to warrants.

Gwinnett County prosecutor Christopher Quinn, 46, who was one of 56 people arrested in the sting, was a 'member' of the 'Gold Club' being run out of Savannah at Park Place Apartment homes on Perimeter Center East, located just across the street from the Dunwoody Police Department.

He is accused of going on to the club's website to set up an appointment, then having sex with a prostitute in December.

Police haven't revealed how Quinn was allegedly seen having sex on camera, but also identify him by his licence place.

Quinn turned himself in to Dunwoody police on Tuesday and was booked on charges of misdemeanor pandering and violation of Georgia's 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.'

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

Porter said Quinn, who is married, has been placed on suspension with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.

The prosecutor's 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 two high-end escort services were operating out of apartment complexes in Dunwoody and Atlanta.

A second escort service, called Lipstick and Shoes, was allegedly housed in another residential building in Dunwoody and two housing complexes in Atlanta.

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.

'Masterminds': Sam Crenshaw (left) and George Moore (right) have been identified by police as the alleged leaders of the prostitution ring

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 Attorney's Office, prosecuting some of the highest-profile cases, including the 2008 murder trial of courthouse shooter Brian Nichols.

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.

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
Treasury Secretary nominee and former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin said he would increase the size of the Internal Revenue Service during his confirmation hearing yesterday.

Mnuchin, who has found recent success as a Hollywood producer, said he would also modernize the government agency's technology at his hearing before the Senate Finance Committee.

Mnuchin, 54, said that IRS staff numbers have declined by 30 per cent over the past few years.

Scroll down for video

Steven Mnuchin, Donald Trump's nominee for Treasury Secretary, said he would increase the size of the Internal Revenue Service

Mnuchin said he would also modernize the government agency's technology at his hearing before the Senate Finance Committee

He told the hearing: 'Especially for an agency that collects revenues, this is something that Im concerned about,' the Daily Caller reported.

The number of employees fell by 16 per cent between 2010 and 2015, according to the IRS, and has fallen by 31 per cent since 1997 according to the National Treasury Employees Union.

The number of IRS employees fell by 16 per cent between 2010 and 2015 and its 2016 budget was $900million less than that of 2011

Its budget in 2016 was $900 million less than its budget in 2011, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Mnuchin said: 'I can assure you that the president-elect understands the concept of "we add people, we make money."'

He added: 'That's a very quick conversation with Donald Trump,' Bloomberg reported.

The IRS has most recently been attacked by House Republicans, who since 2010 have sought to cut its budget.

House Speaker Paul Ryan called for 'a streamlined structure' for the IRS in June 2016 while 2016 presidential candidate Ted Cruz called for abolishing the government agency altogether.

In 2015, the IRS collected more than $3.3trillion and issued more than $403bn in tax refunds, according to its Data Book.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, a Republican, said: 'A simplified tax code will allow for a more streamlined IRS, and will require a reassessment'

Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat, said the 'Mnuchin rule' provides for Mnuchin's as-yet-unsubstantiated claim that Trump's plans would not give absolute tax cuts to the upper class

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, a Republican, said: 'A simplified tax code will allow for a more streamlined IRS, and will require a reassessment of the agency's budgetary and personnel needs.'

Mnuchin also discussed his plan for a middle-class tax cut - as independent analysts say Trump's proposals would mostly give tax cuts to the wealthy.

Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat, said the 'Mnuchin rule' provides for Mnuchin's as-yet-unsubstantiated claim that Donald Trump's plans would not give absolute tax cuts to the upper class.

Mnuchin, left, meets with Senate Finance Commitee Chairman Orrin Hatch, right, before the start of the Committee's hearing on Mnuchin's nomination yesterday

Mnuchin said: 'Any reductions we have in upper-income taxes will be offset by less deductions so that there will be no absolute tax cut for the upper class'

Wyden argued that the repeal of Obamacare - which has an investment income tax - might immediately give the wealthy a tax cut.

Mnuchin told CNBC: 'Any reductions we have in upper-income taxes will be offset by less deductions so that there will be no absolute tax cut for the upper class.'

The nominee was also asked about his record on foreclosing homes and disclosing financial assets.

Mnuchin, while running OneWest bank, was accused of failing to do enough to keep people from losing their homes and was called by some a 'foreclosure machine.'
Supportive family members packed a pretrial hearing for Bresha Meadows, 15, who is accused of shooting her father, whom some family members say was abusive.

Bresha, then 14, allegedly shot and killed Johnathan Meadows, 41, in the head as he lay sleeping shortly before 4am on July 28 in the family's Warren, Ohio home.

Bresha is charged with aggravated murder and would be tried as a juvenile, which means if convicted, she could be out of a juvenile facility by age 21, according to Fox 8 Cleveland.

Johnathan Meadows (pictured), was allegedly shot and killed by his 14-year-old daughter, Bresha, after years of domestic violence

Bresha (pictured) allegedly told her mother 'You're free' after police say she shot her father

Bresha's mother, Brandi, says the teen needs to be released from the detention center where she is currently being held.

'She needs help. She is not getting the help she needs being locked up,' she told the outlet.

A hearing will be held on Friday to determine whether she's released on bond. Almost 27,000 people have signed a petition to free the teen.

'She made multiple desperate pleas for help throughout her young life. Despite her best efforts, Bresha could not find an alternative to keep her family and herself safe. We must stop punishing people who survive abuse and offer real alternatives for safety from violence,' said the petition.

Brandi has said that the family had suffered abuse from Johnathan for years and that he would get drunk and menace everyone with a gun. 'I wasn't strong enough to leave,' she told Fox 8. She said her daughter was a 'hero.'

Meadows' brother, James Blount (left), said the murder 'had nothing to do with abuse', and his sister, Lena Cooper (right), said he was killed 'in his sleep'

Bresha allegedly shot her father with his own .45 caliber gun and then told her mother 'Now mommy, you're free,' one of Bresha's aunts, Sheri Latessa, told WKBN.

The girl's attorney, Ian Freidman, says that his client was terrified of her father and trying to save her mother.

However, Johnathan's sister, Lena Cooper, does not think the teen should be released.

'My niece needs help. She shouldn't be out walking around. I love her. But there is something wrong here. A child doesn't just shoot her father. She has psychological problems,' she told Cleveland.com.

She also denies that her brother would abuse the family.

'That's what's so disheartening... this was cold and calculated, my brother was murdered,' she told Fox 8. 'He was murdered in his sleep, there were no signs of abuse or anything else in that house.'

His brother also didn't believe claims of abuse. 'This had nothing to do with abuse,' James Blount told the outlet.

'No. He drank a little bit, he had the way he did things, but my brother wouldn't.'

Mourners were seen outside a church on Friday to farewell the 41-year-old father

Bresha Meadows, 15, has been charged with aggravated murder after shooting 41-year-old father Johnathan in the head just before 4am on July 28

Brandi Meadows, the girl's mother and wife of the dead man, has praised her daughter - calling her a 'hero' and saying she 'saved' the entire family

Brandi Meadows, who was married to Johnathan for 18 years, has since praised her daughter for helping the family escape him.

Speaking through tears, she told Fox 8: 'I am so sorry she had to go through this. She is my hero. She helped me; she helped all of us so we could have a better life.

'She is my hero; I wasnt strong enough to get out and she helped me.'

Meadows was allegedly shot by his daughter while they were inside their family home (pictured)

Bresha's lawyer said the girl was born into an abusive home and often witnessed her mother being abused at the hands of her father.

He said that the father would often drink, and used the firearm to keep those living in the house afraid of him.

Martina Latessa, a Cleveland police officer another of Breshas aunts, said Johnathan kept the family isolated from others, effectively imprisoning them away from help.

Latessa said that Bresha was 'born into a nightmare from day one', and even tried running away to her house for help, but the authorities insisted they could not act against Johnathan.

Brandi admits that she was completely terrified of her husband, and felt powerless to act against him for fear of retaliation.

Sheri Latessa, one of Bresha's aunts, said the family had suffered years of abuse at Johnathan's hands and after the shooting Bresha had turned to her mother and said 'you're free'

Johnathan was shot once in the head in the early hours of July 28 at his home in Ohio (pictured) before dying of his injuries

In 2011, Brandi filed for a protective order in order to keep her husband away from herself and her children. She also said she had been to a hospital 15-20 times over the years due to abuse, according to Cleveland.com.

Police records show that officers were called to the property after reports that Johnathan had tried to kill Brandi and their three children.
A spectacular fireworks display on the eve of Trump's inauguration turned heads for the wrongs reasons when the pyrotechnics appeared to spell out 'USR' instead of 'USA'.

The gaffe prompted Twitter users to joke that Putin had 'hacked' the show, and that the letters stood for 'United State of Russia'.

The Russian president has been accused by several agencies of interfering in the election to engineer a Donald Trump victory.

The US president-elect has ignored an intelligence report, which claimed Vladimir Putin influenced the election to help him win.

Trump insisted Russian hacking had 'no effect' on the outcome of the race for the White House and dismissed suggestions voting machines had been tampered with.

He made the strongly-worded denial just 10 minutes after he met with intelligence chiefs to discuss meddling by the Kremlin.

The classified report he was shown stated that Putin 'ordered' a stealth influence campaign last year aimed at influencing the U.S. presidential election.

A firework display on the eve of Trump's inauguration appeared to spell out the letters 'USR' instead of 'USA'

The gaffe prompted Twitter users to joke that Putin had 'hacked' the show

The official findings of the NSA, FBI and CIA were that Putin 'ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election.'

The fireworks lit up the skies over Washington DC on Trump's final night before becoming president, after a pre-inaugural concert held by the incoming leader.

Footage of the event shows the fireworks filling the skies over the Lincoln Memorial in the US capital, taking the shape of the stars and strips of the American flag, as well as the three huge letters.

The Russian president has been accused by several agencies of interfering in the election

Trump himself even tweeted a picture of the questionable fireworks alongside a message thanking those who had attended the 'Make America Great Again!' concert.

The 70-year-old was filmed singing along at the event, which was headlined by Toby Keith.

Some joked the pyrotechnic letters stood for the 'United State of Russia' while others joked they spelled out a version of the old acronym for the Soviet Union, USSR.

Jack Chamberland tweeted: 'Not again...looks like Russia has now hacked the fireworks display at Trump's inauguration concert #USR'.

Others suggested the move had been a deliberate one by those running the fireworks

While another Twitter user said: 'Break out the vodka. The fireworks just spelled out #USR instead of USA. Thank you Russia aka USSR. #trumpinauguration #LincolnMemorial.'

Other suggested the 'mistake' had been a deliberate move by those in charge of the firework display.

Kusy Sane tweeted: 'Actually full respect the the fireworks guys. That's genius. #USR'
Nigel Farage has been hired by the American Fox News Channel as a pundit, it was announced today.

The former Ukip leader will offer 'political analysis' across the network - one of the most-watched news channels in the US. He already has his own nightly show on UK radio station LBC.

Mr Farage has become an increasingly visible figure in America since Donald Trump was elected President in November and has appeared on US TV numerous times.

And within seconds of Mr Trump finishing his inauguration speech tonight, Mr Farage praised him on Twitter, writing: 'A very strong speech...he means it.'

Nigel Farage was in a jubilant mood as he celebrated Donald Trump's inauguration as US President in Washington

Nigel Farage, pictured at a Trump inauguration celebration party in Washington DC last night, has been hired by the American Fox News Channel as a pundit, it was announced today

Nigel Farage praised Donald Trump's inauguration speech seconds after he finished. The former Ukip leader attended the ceremony in Washington DC

The new US President and Mr Farage was the first British politician to meet the Republican after his election victory.

Mr Farage, who the US President calls 'Mr Brexit', is in Washington today to attend the inauguration.

The channel said in a statement today: 'FOX News Channel (FNC) has signed former United Kingdom Independence Party Leader (UKIP) Nigel Farage as a contributor.

'In this role, he will offer political analysis across FNC and FOX Business Networks (FBN) daytime and primetime programming.'

Last night Mr Farage and the other members of the so-called 'Bad Boys of Brexit' hosted their first boozy Washington DC party ahead of Mr Trump's inauguration.

The former Ukip leader, who was the first British politician to meet Mr Trump after his election win, toasted the billionaire tycoon in front of a rowdy crowd.

He said: 'Brexit was great but Trump becoming president is Brexit plus, plus, plus. He is the only man I've ever met in my life who has made me feel like an introvert'.

Bad Boys of Brexit: Nigel Farage is joined by Andy Wigmore, Lord Ashcroft, Governor of Mississippi Phil Bryant and Arron Banks outside their Washington party last night

Friends: Lord Ashcroft, Governor Bryant, Judge Jeanine Pirro, Mr Farage and Andy Wigmore pose up

Guests at the DC drinks party were handed mini portions of fish and chips at the British organised event

Earlier he posed with Lord Ashcroft, Governor of Mississippi Phil Bryant and Arron Banks outside the historic Mayflower Hotel in the city last night.

Mr Farage later attended a lavish party at the five-star Hay-Adams Hotel on Thursday evening to celebrate Mr Trump's inauguration.

The 400 guests at the British-hosted event, which included around 100 US politicians, were handed Champagne and mini portions of fish and chips.

In a speech to the packed room he said: 'Brexit was great but Trump becoming president is Brexit plus, plus, plus. He was right when he said it was a movement - but a movement can't exist, or flourish, without a leader. And Trump is the only man I've ever met in my life who has made me feel like an introvert.

The view of the White House from the Bad Boys of Brexit party - another party on Saturday could be attended by President Trump

'He is a larger than life personality. When he was given the rule book for how you run for president he tore up the book and threw it out of the window. And I guess, when I look back in the years to come, perhaps the greatest joy of 2016 was that realisation, as state after state in the mid-West went red, just to see the faces of those democrats.

'I've spent most my life in politics being regarded, I suppose, as the patron saint of lost causes.

Judge Jeanine Pirro poses next to a pile of Bad Boys of Brexit books

'Through most of my life, what happens in America in terms of social trends or developments, we follow four or five years later. America is the leader. Now I would like to think in my own little way that what we did with Brexit was the beginning of what is going to turn out to be a global revolution and that Trump's victory is a part of that'.

Mr Farage said: 'We've had Brexit and perhaps that contributed just a little bit to things changing in the USA and who's to say that bandwagon won't continue to roll in 2017 across much of Europe.'

He will attend Mr Trumps inauguration later today.

It came as Mr Farage said Donald Trump's inauguration will be historic because it marks a 'significant change in direction' for America.

The former Ukip leader is attending the ceremony in Washington DC, where Mr Trump arrived on Thursday as he prepares to be sworn in as US president.

After arriving in the US capital, Mr Farage said: 'I get a sense of the history, and that this particular inauguration is a very significant one because in so many areas it marks a significant change in direction. I'm very excited about it.

Mr Farage was reportedly hosting last night's event with Ukip donor Arron Banks, but he insisted he was a guest and said Mr Trump was not expected to show up.

'It's to celebrate the fact that in 2016 we saw this dramatic change in politics,' he said.

'I suppose the party is the international dimension in all this'.

Mr Farage was a guest of Mr Bryant after the US politician invited him to attend a Trump rally in Jackson, Mississippi in August.

Mr Trump hailed Mr Farage as a 'great guy' during an interview with The Times earlier this week.

Lord Ashcroft posted this picture of the party, whose guests also heard a speech from Mr Farage

Nigel Farage poses with Ted Malloch, who is tipped as leading candidate to become Donald Trump's ambassador to the EU promises 'game-changing'

Farage with Brexiteers including Leave backer Aaron Banks (centre blue suit), Andy Wigmore (far left), Michael Ashcroft (second left)

Mr Farage will attend a lavish party at the five-star Hay-Adams Hotel on Thursday evening to celebrate Mr Trump's inauguration

Mr Farage is attending the inauguration ceremony on Friday as a guest of Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, who first invited him to a Trump rally in Jackson, in the state back in August.

Mr Trump hailed Mr Farage as a 'great guy' during an interview with The Times earlier this week.

Inauguration events started on Thursday when Mr Trump and Vice President elect Mike Pence laid wreaths at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Watched by Mr Trump's family they placed a wreath in front of the Tomb of the Unknowns, which commemorates the nation's unidentified war dead.

A concert - dubbed the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration - is due to take place at the Lincoln Memorial later.

Country stars Lee Greenwood and Toby Keith and rock band 3 Doors Down will perform at the event amid reports Mr Trump has struggled to attract famous names to take part.

Broadway star Jennifer Holliday pulled out of the concert, citing concerns raised by fans from the LGBT community.
US Army private Chelsea Manning who leaked classified documents to WikiLeaks will reportedly lose her transgender benefits under the terms of her commutation.

In one of his final acts as President, Barack Obama allowed Manning to go free nearly 30 years early ahead of her scheduled release in 2045.

Manning leaked classified government and military documents to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. She will now be let out in May.

Private Manning, 29 - who was formerly named Bradley - was stationed at the time in Iraq, and later said she leaked the documents after becoming increasingly disturbed by evidence of the US military's sometimes brutal behaviour towards civilians in the country.

Chelsea Manning who leaked classified documents to WikiLeaks will reportedly lose her transgender benefits under the terms of her commutation

While in prison, the Army had been providing Manning with treatment for gender dysphoria, including hormone treatments.

That was included in the terms of the sentence imposed on her in 2013.

However she will lose her transgender benefits if she is dishonourably discharged.

Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith told USA Today: '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.'

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.

Ms Smith added that Manning would also be prevented from receiving Veterans Affairs Department benefits under that status.

The outgoing US president used his final hours in the White House to allow Manning to go free nearly 30 years early

The Army agreed to allow Private Manning to receive treatment for gender dysphoria after she had made two suicide attempts at the male military prison where she is being held at Fort Leavenworth, in Kansas.

The UN had denounced her detention as a form of torture.

Chase Strangio, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney representing Manning, said the president's action 'quite literally save Chelsea's life.'

Manning thanked the outgoing president 'for giving me a chance'.

WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange said last week he would accept extradition if Manning were freed.

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 would be protected.

In a live online audio news conference, 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's not going to be commuted (until) May. We can have many discussions to that point.'
Revere Police Detective Marcos Garcia is charged with beating his girlfriend's son

A Massachusetts cop decorated for heroism has been charged with beating his girlfriend's five-year-old son.

Revere Police Detective Marcos Garcia pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday to charges including assault and battery on a child.

Garcia, 32, was awarded for heroism last year for removing two victims from a car crash in the town roughly five miles from downtown Boston.

But prosecutors say his gallantry did not extend to his home, which he shared with his girlfriend, who is a fellow police officer, and her two sons, ages five and eight.

Garcia flew into a rage at family dinner on January 12, claim prosecutors, and accused the younger boy of not eating his food fast enough.

The veteran detective then stripped the young boy, handcuffed him and beat him with his hands and then a belt, say prosecutors.

To cover up the vile beating, Garcia allegedly told the two boys to claim that the younger brother had fallen down the stairs.

The abuse came to light the next day, claim prosecutors, when the injured five-year-old asked for a Band-Aid from the school nurse, who saw extensive injuries and immediately called 911.

Garcia said nothing in court on Thursday as he listened to the graphic charges, and was released on $5,000 bail.

Garcia (pictured left) said nothing in court on Thursday as he was arraigned on charges including assault and battery on a child. Garcia was released on $5,000 bail.

Detective Garcia (circled) is show at the ceremony last year where he was decorated for heroism after rescuing two people trapped in a vehicle

The detective has been placed on paid administrative leave by Revere police, as has his police officer girlfriend, sources said.

Neighbors of the two cops expressed disgust and horror at the charges.

'It shows, sometimes you never know what's going on around, behind closed doors,' neighbor Chuck Kelley told NBC Boston.

Garcia refused to comment when approached by reporters outside court.
A police officer was busted attempting to groom a 12-year-old girl online in a sting operation by his own colleagues.

PC Nicholas Pool, 29 - who is currently suspended from Cumbria Constabulary - made contact with the girl, who he thought was 12 years.

But instead a court heard she was in fact an undercover officer who was scouring chatrooms and the web trying to track down predatory paedophiles.

At Carlisle Crown Court Pool, from Penrith, Cumbria, spoke only to confirm his name and enter his pleas

Today Pool has admitted three charges of attempting to incite a girl aged under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

At Carlisle Crown Court Pool, from Penrith, Cumbria, spoke only to confirm his name and enter his pleas.

The court heard all the incidents occurred last year on November 27, December 11 and December 12.

A previous hearing was told one of the offences was in Penrith, with the other two in nearby Ulverston, Cumbria.

PC Pool, 29 - who is currently suspended from Cumbria Constabulary - made contact with the girl, who he thought was 12 years (file image)

Cumbrias most senior judge, Peter Davies, adjourned the case for pre-sentence reports until March 8.

However barristers for both the prosecution and defence agreed that Pool, who showed little emotion as he sat in the dock, would still not be ready for sentence on that day.

No application for bail was made and he was remanded in custody.
Advertisement

Following President Trump and first lady Melania Trump saying goodbye to the Obamas as a military helicopter whisked the outgoing first family away, members of Congress and other political dignitaries gathered in Statuary Hall for the traditional inaugural lunch.

The meal always seems to force political rivals to break bread  and today's luncheon was no different.

As the new president entered the great hall, that used to serve as the chamber for the House of Representatives, he gripped hands with Hillary Clinton, the Democrat he bested in November, as she attended the inauguration alongside her ex-president husband.

During the remarks portion of the lunch, he asked the audience to stand and clap for the former secretary of state.

'I was honored, I was very, very honored when I heard that President Bill Clinton, and Secretary Hillary Clinton, was coming today,' Trump said. 'And I think it's appropriate to say.'

'And I'd like you to stand up, I'd like you to stand up,' he said. 'And honestly there's is nothing more I can say because I have a lot of respect for those two people.'

Scroll down for video

First lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump have their first meal as the first family, breaking bread with political rivals including Hillary and Bill Clinton

President Donald Trump is seen gripping the hand of his rival, Democrat Hillary Clinton, who attended today's inauguration as a former first lady

President Donald Trump embraces ex-President Bill Clinton as first lady Melania Trump greets Hillary Clinton, her husband's general election rival

President Trump was presented with two photos of his inauguration during the remarks portion of today's inaugural luncheon

The first and second families are seated at the head table at today's inaugural luncheon in Statuary Hall

The luncheon is held on Capitol Hill in Statuary Hall - where each state contributes two statues

Top Trump surrogate Rudy Giuliani is seated at the inaugural luncheon next to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut

Jared Kushner, who will serve in Donald Trump's White House, and first daughter Ivanka Trump walk through the Capitol Building en route to the inaugural lunch

Sen. John McCain is attending today's inaugural lunch. He was also on hand in 2009 when President Barack Obama had just been sworn in, having beaten McCain two months before

The new president's place setting at the inaugural luncheon, which takes place inside the Capitol Building after the swearing-in ceremony

Placecards are straightened at the head table at today's inaugural luncheon inside the U.S. Capitol Building

Servers stand by waiting for guests to arrive in Statuary Hall for the traditional inaugural luncheon that follows the swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill

In 2009, Sen. John McCain and Hillary Clinton both dined with new President Obama, who had beaten them in the general and the primary, respectively.

DONALD TRUMP'S INAUGURAL LUNCH MENU Starter: Maine lobster and gulf shrimp with a saffron sauce and peanut crumble Second Course: Grilled Seven Hills Angus beef with a dark chocolate and juniper jus and potato gratin Dessert: Chocolate souffle with cherry vanilla ice cream Advertisement

There was less drama in 2013, as Mitt Romney, an ex-governor and not a member of congress, didn't attend the swearing-in.

On the menu to start was Maine lobster and gulf shrimp, with a saffron sauce and peanut crumble.

The main course consisted of Grilled Seven Hills Angus beef with a dark chocolate and juniper jus, pared with a potato gratin.

Finally, diners will be offered a chocolate souffle with cherry vanilla ice cream.

All three wines being served at the luncheon are from California, a state that went heavily for Clinton.

And none of them are from Trump's eponymous winery, located outside of Washington, D.C., in Northern Virginia.

The new president does not drink alcohol.

Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri, welcomed the crowd to the luncheon. He and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer were the chairs of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which oversees the Capitol Hill portion of the inauguration.

Each state contributes two statues to Statuary Hall and Blunt started the programming pointing out new additions, including conservative icon Barry Goldwater and civil rights leader Rosa Parks.

'She is, of course, seated rather than standing, as she should be,' he noted of Parks.

Later at the luncheon, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy informed Trump that he would be gifted the flag that was flying over the U.S. Capitol when he was being sworn in.

President Donald Trump greets the crowd at the Inaugural Luncheon, many who are political rivals

President Trump admires a photo of him being sworn in as president during the Inaugural Luncheon

House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi shakes President Trump's hand at the luncheon

Sen. Bernie Sanders hugs his wife Jane O'Meara Sanders at the luncheon after the presidential inauguration

A table is prepared for President Donald Trump before the Inaugural Luncheon with members of Congress in Statuary Hall

Waiters set up the dining hall for the Inaugural Luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

Waiters put final touches on the table settings before the Inaugural Luncheon

A waiter polishes a plate before the Inaugural Luncheon where President Trump ate with other dignitaries

Workers prepare the grand dining room for President Donald Trump's Inaugural Luncheon

House Minority Leader, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, gifted a flag to Vice President Mike Pence, reminding the Congressional audience that he was 'one of the House of Representatives' own.'

Pence served in Congress before becoming the governor of his home state.

Next up was Schumer, who noted how he had celebrated his daughter's wedding recently.

'That's when I learned though that nothing's official until there's a photo of it,' he said, before presenting Trump with two large photos of his inauguration.

In 2009, the luncheon made bigger news than it usually does when Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy suffered a seizure at his table. Kennedy had been battling brain cancer, a disease he succumbed to in August of that year.

Sen. Robert Byrd, who was also in failing health, was so disturbed by what happened to Kennedy he was also wheeled out of the luncheon.

Byrd passed away the following year.

President Trump, his family and other dignitaries dined at the Inaugural luncheon in Statuary Hall

The luncheon menu included Maine lobster and gulf shrimp with a saffron sauce and peanut crumble as the main course

Diners had the choice of three different wines, all from California. President Trump does not drink alcohol

A worker polishes the ceremonial gifts for the new President and Vice President before the Inaugural Luncheon
In the end, it rained on Trump's parade.

The VIP guests who were lucky enough to score a seat on the main stage for Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony got a bit of an unwelcome surprise on Friday when it began to shower during his remarks.

That sudden rain sent a sea of perfectly-coiffed and expensively-attired members of the political elite rushing for their umbrella and ponchos, hoping to remain dry.

Some, like Melania Trump, had no trouble at all dealing with the rain, while for others it was more of a struggle.

Hillary Clinton was forced to rely on her husband Bill to help he rout, with the former president crafting a makeshift bonnet out of a plastic poncho to cover his wife's hair.

And George W. Bush was photographed as he engaged in what appeared to be an epic struggle with his rain gear.

Scroll down for video

Inclement weather: A rain shower interrupted Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Friday (Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden huddle under an umbrella while George W. Bush looks on from beneath a poncho)

Rough time: George W. Bush was photographed as he struggled with his poncho

Undercover: Bush seemed content for a bit with the poncho draped over his head while he watched the ceremony

Gone George: At one point, the entire upper half of Bush's body disappeared behind the plastic

Toss up: The former president seemed uncertain as to whether or not he wanted to keep his head or suit dry with the rain gear

All's well that ends well: After his lengthy poncho struggle, Bush emerged with a giant grin on his face

Bush it seems could not decide what part of his body he most wanted to keep dry, a choice forced upon all guests it seems as they were each given just one poncho.

The exception to that was Melania, who popped open a clear umbrella the second it started to sprinkle.

At first, Bush covered his suit with his poncho. He then decided to cover his head instead with the plastic protective wear.

Finally, Bush put both his head and torso inside the poncho, making it impossible for him to see what was happening at the ceremony.

When he then eventually removed the poncho, Bush had a large grin on his face.

The public was also being pelted with rain as they assembled on the Washington Mall for the ceremony, but many did not seem to mind one bit.

Quite a few people were both wet and crying as Trump delivered his address on Friday.

And while the rain was less than ideal, guests did get to enjoy one of the warmest inauguration days in recent memory, with a temperature of 48 degrees by the time Trump spoke.

And Melania was not the only guest who got an umbrella, with Michelle Obama also being afforded that luxury.

She chose to share her umbrella with Dr. Jill Biden as the two ladies sat in font of Hillary, who had Bill's handmade bonnet.

Second-class citizens: The three former presidents in attendance - Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton (above) - were only given ponchos for themselves and their wives

Civalry: Bill fashioned a bonnet out of his poncho and placed it on Hillary's head to help keep her from getting wet (above)

Chic and dry: Melania had no issues with the rain thanks to the umbrella she was given at her seat (above)

Washout: The public was also being pelted with rain as they assembled on the Washington Mall for the ceremony

Melania had managed to ignore the rain earlier in the day as she attended mass at St. Johns Church and then headed to the White House.

This despite the fact that she was dressed for the most important day of her life.

The public got their first glance at Melania's perfectly-tailored baby blue look when she departed Blair House Friday morning alongside her husband on their way to mass at St. Johns Church on Friday morning.

Melania accessorized her outfit with a pair of heels, clutch and elbow-length gloves that were all the same hue of blue.

The 46-year-old then made the decision to keep everything else simple, choosing to play up her natural beauty by sweeping her hair into a loose undo and wearing no jewelry other than a pair of massive diamond solitaire studs.

Melania's decision to wear a pale blue and her choice of gloves made it immediately clear that she was channeling Jacqueline Kennedy, who wore a similar outfit back in 1961 when John F. Kennedy was sworn into office.

And for the big day, Melania turned to one of Hillary Clinton's favorite designers - Ralph Lauren.
A teenager sneaked up to a sleeping subway rider in New York and lit the man's arm on fire early Friday, according to police.

The strange attack took place at 2.30am in a nearly empty car on the G Train, as the train pulled into the station at Court Square, its northern terminus in Queens.

A 30-year-old man had dozed off on the train while listening to music on his headphones, when police say Christopher Jackson, 18, crept up to the sleeping man.

With brazen disregard for public safety, the teenager lit the sleeping man's coat on fire and slunk away on the otherwise empty car, police say.

Christopher Jackson, 18, was arrested early Friday after allegedly setting a sleeping man's arm on fire on the G Train in Queens (file photo)

'I just lit a man on fire,' a transit worker then overheard Jackson boasting to a pal on his cellphone, according to the New York Daily News.

The transit worker called cops and halted the train in the station to prevent Jackson from escaping.

Cops rushed to the scene and arrested Jackson for arson, reckless endangerment, and assault.

The victim was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Hospital three miles away in Manhattan, where the man was treated for second and third degree burns to his right arm and hand.

Jackson has 10 prior arrests on various charges, according to the New York Post.

Notably, he was busted on October 19 for setting a garbage can and fence ablaze in Queens, and charged with arson and reckless endangerment, sources said.

Cops also pinched Jackson for slashing a car tire with a box cutter on December 6.

In 2015, while a student at Queens Vocational and Technical High School in Long Island City, Jackson was arrested for fighting a fellow student, age 15.
Advertisement

Donald Trump's grandchildren stole the show as they stood by their grandfather throughout Friday's inauguration festivities.

Donald Jr and Vanessa Trump's children, Chloe, 2, Donald III, 7, Spencer, 4, Kai, 9, and Tristan, 5 surrounded Trump in the President's Room at the US Capitol. They watched as he signed his first executive orders - and Tristan flashed smiles at the camera before turning away.

Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner stood by the new president with their children, Arabella, five, Joseph, three, and nine-month-old Theodore. Trump's youngest son, Barron, aged 10, was even seen playing peek-a-boo with his nephew Theodore inside the US Capitol.

The grandchildren stayed involved in the day's celebrations as they later marched with their family in the inaugural parade that took them from the Capitol to the White House.

Scroll for video

Don III (Donald Jr's son) was spotted on the dais at the Capitol between his two parents, unlike his younger siblings

Eric Trump was seen with his wife Lara Yunaska, alongside Tiffany and Ivanka holding baby Theo at the parade

Ivanka walked with her three-year-old son Joseph, who was sporting a navy blue pea coat, during the inaugural parade

The three-year-old toddler, who is the second of Ivanka and Jared's three children, walked alongside his mother

Jared Kushner walks out with his wife as he holds baby Theo who is wearing a grey coat over his red onesie

Donald Jr walked in with his wife Vanessa and their sons Spencer (left) and Don III (right) with Tristan and Kai behind them

Donald III (Donald Jr's son) turned to look at his grandfather as the new president and First Lady arrived at the parade. Also pictured, far left, are Kai Madison (Donald Jr's daughter) and Trump's son Barron

Kai Madison (pictured, second from left, next to her father Donald Jr) was in the viewing stand with the rest of the family

Donald III (right, Donald Jr's son) and Kai (second from right, Donald Jr's daughter) stood behind Barron in the stand

In the evening, Donald Jr shared this photo of himself with his wife Vanessa and their children Don II and Kai in one of the presidential limousines, which Donald Jr described as 'like mixing a limo with a monster truck'

Donald Trump was surrounded by his family and grandchildren, from left to right: Kai (Donald Jr's daughter), 9, Spencer (Donald Jr's son), 4, Donald Trump III (Donald Jr's son), 7, Arabella (Ivanka's daughter), 5, and Tristan (Donald Jr's son), 5

President Donald Trump's mini-me, Barron, showed off his uncle skills while playing with Ivanka's son, Theodore, as she held him and laughed

Uncle Barron Trump is seen playing with nephew Theodore as Kai (Donald Jr's daughter, far left) and Arabella (Ivanka's daughter, second from left) look up at their grandfather

It wasn't long before the little tots were squirming and making faces while Trump signed orders nominating his cabinet. Pictured from left to right are Kai Madison (Donald Jr's daughter), Spencer (Donald Jr's son), Don III (Donald Jr's son), Arabella (Ivanka's daughter) and Tristan (Donald Jr's son)

The cute grandchildren are seen reaching for the president's pens. Pictured left from left to right are Don III (Donald Jr's son), Spencer (Donald Jr's son), Arabella (Ivanka's daughter) and Tristan (Donald Jr's son). Tristan is also pictured right

Tristan (center), the five-year-old son of Donald Trump Jr, flashes a smile at the camera, while standing next to his cousins, from left to right Kai Madison (Donald Jr's daughter), Don III (Donald Jr's son), Spencer (Donald Jr's son) and Arabella (Ivanka's daughter)

Donald Trump formally signed for his cabinet picks with a set of multiple pens at his desk as part of a presidential tradition.

According to TIME, signing executive documents and legislation with different pens date back as far as Franklin Roosevelt's presidency.

In 2010, Barack Obama used 22 pens to sign the Affordable Care Act.

During the ceremonial signing, Nancy Pelosi received the pen the President used to nominate Tom Price.

But his cute grandchildren weren't able to keep their hands off them either.

Barron arrived at the US Capitol early Friday morning to prepare for his father's inauguration, a day after missing out on pre-inauguration festivities.

First Lady Melania was seen making sure her son's tie was perfect before Trump gave his inaugural address.

Are we done yet? Arabella (left, Ivanka's daughter) plays with the president's pens as he signs his first documents. Tristan (Donald Jr's son) is seen next to her turning his back at the camera

Still not over: The new POTUS continues with the ceremonial signing as Arabella (Ivanka's daughter) fidgets with a pen. Tristan (Donald Jr's son) seems to walk away

Arabella (Ivanka's daughter) wore a red coat accentuated with a large bow and coordinated with her baby brother Theo's onesie (he is pictured at the back in Ivanka's arms)

Cheese! Little Tristan Trump (Donald Jr's son) makes a silly face at the camera while his grandfather signs documents

But even Tristan's interest in the situation eventually waned. Pictured from left to right are Kai Madison (Donald Jr's daughter), Spencer (Donald Jr's son), Don III (Donald Jr's son), Arabella (Ivanka's daughter) and Tristan (Donald Jr's son)

Don III (Donald Jr's son, pictured smiling at the camera beamed but some of the little ones appeared a bit tired. Pictured from left to right are Kai Madison (Donald Jr's daughter), Spencer (Donald Jr's son), Don III (Donald Jr's son), Arabella (Ivanka's daughter) and Tristan (Donald Jr's son)

Kai (Donald Jr's daughter, left) rested on her arm leaning over the table, seeming still interested after her brothers walked away. Also pictured, second from left, is Ivanka's daughter Arabella. Ivanka is seen in the back holding baby Theodore, who is getting the uncle treatment from Barron

Baby Theo, Ivanka's youngest child with Jared Kushner, seemed quite interested in his grandfather shaking Speaker Paul Ryan's hand

Barron looked over his father's shoulder as the new president signs cabinet nominations as the 45th POTUS. Arabella (Ivanka's daughter) is pictured left watching on while Ivanka holds her son Theodore in the background

Ivanka Trump took to Instagram to share a picture of her and husband Jared Kushner and their children, Arabella and Joseph on their way to the inauguration parade

Donald Trump Jr shared an Instagram with his daughter Chloe saying: 'Got greeted by the cutest Trump supporter just now after an amazing ceremony at the capital'
A Tunisian migrant who allegedly seduced a married middle-aged British charity boss in the Calais Jungle has vowed that he will reach the UK.

Mohamed 'Kimo' Bajjar, 27, had a year-long affair with Clare Moseley, 46, who runs Care4Calais, according to friends.

Married Mrs Moseley conducted the affair while reportedly telling volunteers not to have sex with migrants in Calais, according to reports which she has disputed.

But she dumped toy boy Mr Bajjar after he threatened to send pictures of them together to her husband, Benjamin, 38, according to friends.

Coming to Britain: Divorced Tunisian migrant Mohamed Bajjar, 27, pictured, allegedly conducted a year-long affair with Clare Moseley while he was working as a translator at the Care4Calais charity Mrs Moseley founded

Romance: Mrs Moseley, 46, pictured, was vocal in her belief that volunteers should not have sex with migrants - despite having a romance with Mr Bajjar, it has been claimed

Now former market trader Mr Bajjar who is living above a bar in Calais, boasted to a friend: 'I will get to Britain soon', the friend told MailOnline.

The Tunisian, from Sousse, who has posed as a Syrian fleeing ISIS, reportedly swept Mrs Moseley, a former accountant off her feet while working as a translator for the charity she founded.

Relationship: Calais charity chief Mrs Moseley, pictured with pop star will.i.am, is said to have had a year-long relationship with the Tunisian migrant

He was provided with a British mobile phone number, which he still uses, and drove a black Audi belonging to his middle-aged lover before their relationship went sour earlier this month, a friend said.

Mrs Moseley ended the affair when she feared he was ripping her off after he demanded cash to send to his family, The Sun reported, after which he allegedly resorted to blackmail.

She apparently returned to Britain to smooth things over with her husband at their 700,000, five-bedroom house in Merseyside, but has since returned to Calais.

For the past five days, Mr Bajjar has been to work at the Care4Calais warehouse because he has told them that he is unwell, migrant charity workers said.

But he has been spending his time socialising with female volunteers and other migrants at his Calais flat, where he was pictured smoking out of an upstairs window.

Mrs Moseley had reportedly demanded that volunteers do not have sex with the migrants but later allegedly broke her own rule by starting a romantic relationship with her assistant.

When confronted over the alleged relationship she 'it's complicated'.

Fling: Mrs Moseley, pictured, ended the affair when she feared he was ripping her off after he demanded cash to send to his family, it was reported, after which he allegedly resorted to blackmail and threatened to send photos of them together to her husband

Wed before: It has emerged that this is Tunisian Mr Bajjar's second romance with a British woman. He married a woman from Greater Manchester in Sousse, in 2015, in an alleged attempt to net a British passport

A friend said: 'She fell for Kimo in a big way. Everyone on the camp knew about them.'

The middle-aged former accountant was slammed by friends, with one saying: 'If it's true it's sickening that she has been so vocal about volunteers not having sex with migrants.'

It has emerged that Mrs Moseley was the Tunisian's second romance with a British woman. He married a woman from Greater Manchester in Sousse, in 2015, in an alleged attempt to net a British passport.

The woman applied for a divorce after he asked her for 1,500 to pay for a UK visa, it is claimed.

Mrs Moseley courted attention when she wrote an article for the Guardian about how she left behind her husband and 700,000, five-bedroom house in Merseyside to found migrant charity Care4Calais in 2015.

The newspaper later named her one of 'Six Women who made 2015'.

Toyboy: Mr Bajjar, pictured left, was provided with a British mobile phone number, which he still uses, and drove a black Audi belonging to his middle-aged lover before their relationship went sour earlier this month, a friend said. He lives in a flat above a bar in Calais, pictured right

Camp relationship: When news of the alleged relationship broke, Mrs Moseley returned to her 700,000 family home on the Wirral, Merseyside, for talks with her account husband, Ben

In her article, Mrs Moseley said she set up her charity after despairing at negative portrayals of migrants in the press.

'These are not people who have come here by choice to take advantage of our generosity. That's a caricature,' she wrote.

'I left behind my business and my husband and family. It's been hard for them, but they know it's something I just have to do.'

She added: 'I spend most of the day at the camp, face-to-face with refugees Some of the most emotional moments are when people who have received supplies thank me, despite not knowing the language.'

Of Mrs Moseley, a former accountant, a friend said: 'She fell for Kimo in a big way. Everyone on the camp knew about them.' But she was slammed by friends, with one saying: 'If it's true it's sickening that she has been so vocal about volunteers not having sex with migrants.'

She concluded: '[The migrants] are not our enemies. They're friends in desperate need. I'm just glad I can lend a hand. You can too.'

In September volunteers in the Jungle claimed on social media that the migrant camp was awash with prostitution, underage sex and volunteers who had multiple migrant partners.

When approached by MailOnline over the alleged camp romance, a Care4Calais spokesman said:

'Our priority remains to support and protect refugees in Calais, many of whom are fleeing unthinkable violence and horror, and this will not distract us from that vital mission.'
The suspect in the slaying of his pregnant ex and a police officer was hoisted to safety by cops after threatening to jump from a New Orleans bridge.

Dramatic photos show Sylvester Holt, 32, clinging to the Crescent City Connection bridge as officers dropped a rope to him and tried to talk him down.

The sheriff of a New Orleans suburb said Holt was in critical condition Friday after ending the hourslong standoff by shooting himself in the chest.

He had been threatening to jump from New Orleans' bridge over the Mississippi River.

During the standoff he admitted shooting Simone Veal and Westwego Officer Michael Louviere, both of whom lived in Marrero, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said.

'He indicated he had a pretty good idea they were dead,' the sheriff said at a news conference Friday night.

Sylvester Holt, left, is lifted off the ledge of the Crescent City Connection by an officer on Friday

Rescue workers went down to get Holt, who was on a girder below and to the side of the bridge roadway when the shooting happened

Holt is seen pleading with officers while standing on a ledge of the Crescent City Connection before he was hoisted to safety

During negotiations Holt shot himself once in the chest, according to trooper Dustin Dwight. Above Holt is brought to safety

Holt, pictured left, shot himself once in the chest on Friday evening. Holt is believed to have shot his wife Simone Veal and off-duty Louisiana police officer Mike Louviere, 26, pictured right

Trooper Dustin Dwight said Holt was taken to University Medical Center, the area's Level 1 trauma center, after shooting himself once in the chest.

If Holt survives, he will face first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Veal, 32, and Louviere, 26, plus a charge of feticide, Normand said.

The late evening press conference capped a tumultuous day that began with a frantic 911 call from Veal to authorities saying that she'd just been shot and ended with the shooting suspect fleeing to the busy New Orleans bridge, holding traffic captive.

Holt is seen speaking with officers during the standoff. During the negotiations 'he indicated he had a pretty good idea they were dead', police said at a news conference Friday night

Holt had previously been romantically involved with Veal and had recently found out she was pregnant with a new boyfriend's child. he is pictured during the standoff

Normand said Holt had previously been romantically involved with Veal and had recently found out she was pregnant with a new boyfriend's child.

Police said Veal was his ex girlfriend but according to the New Orleans Advocate Veal and Holt married in 2012.

Holt went Friday morning to Veal's house and an altercation ensued during which he shot her several times.

Holt then looked for Veal's boyfriend as the woman fled in a car with Holt eventually catching up to her.

'Witnesses said Sylvester Holt was ramming his truck into Simone's car and firing shots into the car' before the vehicles stopped at the intersection where Louviere found them, Normand said.

Louisiana authorities say she had been chased down in a vehicle by the shooter, who killed her as she lay on the ground after crashing her car. the scene is pictured above

The officer had just gotten off duty and was on his way home when he pulled over to help. Veal's car was significantly damaged and she was on the ground, Normand said.

Holt shot then shot Louviere in the head as well, Normand said, praising the officer.

'He was doing the right thing for the right reasons at the right time,' Normand said.

Holt later fled the scene, and an intense manhunt ensued. Authorities later spotted Holt on a bridge spanning New Orleans' east and west banks. Louisiana State Police spokeswoman Melissa Matey says authorities spent hours negotiating with Holt.

'All those attempts failed. At approximately 5.30pm Holt shot himself in the chest,' she said.

Louviere is survived by his wife and two children. He had served in the Westwego Police Department since July 2015 and formerly served as a Marine in Afghanistan

This was not Holt's first run-in with the law. He was the subject of restraining orders obtained by several women since 2012, Normand said.

And he'd also been arrested in September after being accused of rape. But Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. said the rape charge was later dropped after the woman repeatedly told authorities she wanted to withdraw the charge, though she still alleged that he had raped her. Holt was released from jail on Jan. 7.

Connick said Holt contended the sex was consensual.

Louviere, a first-year officer who had led his recruit class, may have spoken to Holt before Holt pulled a gun, Normand said.

According to Westwego Police Chief Dwayne Munch Louviere helped patrol Baton Rouge after the deadly shootings in that city and helped patrol neighboring Denham Springs after August's historic flooding.

Officer Mike Louviere, 26, was shot and killed after he stopped to help at the scene of a car crash while he was coming home from work

Munch said he had also served with the Marines in Afghanistan and was a rising star likely bound for a job at a larger agency.

'We knew we wouldn't have him for long. We just didn't know he would be gone this soon,' Munch said.

Louviere is survived by his wife, and their daughter, 4, and son, 1.

Munch said he and a doctor broke the news to Louviere's wife at a hospital that her husband had died.

'That was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do,' the chief said.

Friday's shooting comes after a sharp increase last year in the number of police officers killed in the line of duty  including a pair of deadly ambushes in Louisiana and Texas.

On July 7, a sniper in Dallas killed five law enforcement officers and wounded nine others at the end of what had been a peaceful rally against police brutality. Less than two weeks later, a lone gunman shot and killed three law enforcement officers and wounded three others in an attack outside a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, convenience store.

On Wednesday, authorities arrested a man accused of fatally shooting an Orlando, Florida, police officer outside a WalMart on Jan. 9.

Holt was released from jail on January 7 after prosecutors declined to bring a rape charge against him.

District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. says the woman who accused him told investigators repeatedly that she wanted to withdraw the charge, though she still alleged that he had raped her.

Connick says Holt said the woman had agreed to have sex with him.

Veal's mother told the Advocate, 'She was my baby.'

Veal, 32, died from multiple gunshot wounds in the incident in Marrero, a suburb of New Orleans.
Advertisement

Thousand of protesters launched a violent rampage just blocks away from the White House as Trump haters smashed store windows, set fire to cars and threw bricks at police - who arrested more than 200 before nightfall.

Heated clashes broke out in McPherson Square and along K Street as hundreds of riot police fired tear gas and drew their nightsticks to contain the masked mob.

As the rioting unfolded, Trump and his family were arriving at a review stand at the White House to see the end of the inaugural parade.

Militant anti-Trump protesters gave a foretaste of what could follow during the violent outbreaks, which has so far seen 217 people arrested and at least six police officers injured.

Scroll down for video

A limo was set on fire after masked protesters wearing all black threw a flare into the vehicle. They had reportedly run up to the car and smashed its windows in D.C. following Trump's inauguration

Riot police have arrested nearly a hundred people for the explosive protests in the streets of D.C. Washington police said numerous individuals were charged with rioting

Police use pepper spray on the mob of protesters in McPherson Square. A violent rampage started just two blocks from the White House in the square and along K Street

Rioters set off multiple fires as they confronted police as protests over Trump turned ugly

Rioters set fire to a limousine and scrawled 'We the people' on the side of the vehicle

More than 95 people have been arrested so far during the riots. Hundreds of protesters dressed in black marched through the streets of D.C. breaking windows and hurling projectiles

Police have arrested nearly 100 anti-Trump protesters on Friday. Rioters hurled rocks and other debris at a Starbucks Cafe window as they ran through the streets on in protest of President Trump

Just before the parade started, clashes broke out between 400 to 500 stone-throwing protesters and riot police in McPherson Square - just blocks from the parade in honor of newly sworn-in president.

As Trump's motorcade wound its way up Pennsylvania Avenue in the parade to the White House, protesters also descended on Franklin Square Park where they graffitied a stretch limo before setting the vehicle ablaze right outside the Washington Post building.

'Groups of people started gathering around the limo. There was a sense of something going to happen. People were shouting 'it's going to blow'. We tried to move them back,' DailyMail.com columnist Katie Hopkins, who witnessed the ordeal, said.

'The inauguration parade for the president is just blocks away from where all this is happening.'

Hopkins said the anarchists set things ablaze and started throwing bricks, stones and rocks.

'These people are here for this purpose - these guys are here for the fight,' she said.

SWAT team police in full riot gear moved in spraying pepper spray in a bid to disperse the rioters. Among those where hit were Hawk Newsome, leader of Black Lives Matter in New York.

City police chief Peter Newsham said at least 217 people were arrested and would be held overnight before appearing in front of a judge.

'The charge is rioting,' he told reporters. 'Our intention going into this event was to make zero arrests, and unfortunately they forced our hand.'

Meanwhile, prominent white supremacist Richard Spencer was sucker-punched by a masked protester in the street while giving an interview to journalists.

A protester burns one of Trump's Make America Great t-shirt just hours after he was sworn in as president

Anti-Trump demonstrator set a 'Make America Great Again' hat on fire as masked, black-clad protesters carrying anarchist flags smashed windows and scuffled with riot police in D.C.

A man stands naked facing police and the offices of the Washington Post in protest against Trump's presidency

Police officers move protesters away from a car that was set on fire during protests near the inauguration of President Donald Trump

Thousands of protesters descended on Franklin Square Park (pictured) before setting a stretch limo ablaze

Protesters run from tear gas and pepper spray in McPherson Square as they protest the Inauguration of President Donald Trump

A young male rioter kicked in a car's windshield as fellow protesters watched on

A Washington D.C. Metro Police Officer arrests an anti-Trump protester, after a confrontation that led to several dozen protesters being cornered and then arrested for vandalism

A Trump supporter was seen trying to pull an American flag out of a fire lit by a protester just hours after the inauguration

Protesters swarmed the streets in Washington as they set fire to mutliple trash cans

A protester burns a Donald Trump shirt during the demonstration downtown Washington as passersby look on

Most of the noisy protests - including an array of anti-racist, anti-war, feminist, LGBT, pro-immigration and marijuana legalization groups - were peaceful.

But some protesters had earlier dragged trash cans into the road before setting them on fire. Vendors selling Trump T-shirts suddenly started offering them as 'fire fuel, and set them alight.

One police van retreated quickly, reversing a whole city block at high speed after a rock smashed through its window but within minutes reinforcements arrived as a SWAT team in full riot gear blocked K Street and threatened to pepper spray yelling demonstrators.

A rock also hit a Secret Service vehicle forcing it to beat a hasty retreat.

Thugs dressed head-to-toe in black with their faces completely hidden urged the mob to gather pieces of paving stone to use as missiles.

Vandals set the limo afire after totally trashing it smashing its windows and scrawling graffiti on its side, leaving its horn constantly blaring.

Broadcaster Larry King said that while he was in a studio, the windows of his SUV were smashed by protesters.

'Protestors in DC smashed the windows of my hired SUV & many other cars. I was working in-studio & am ok, but my driver is a bit rattled,' he tweeted.

Smoke billows from a burned out limo set ablaze by anti-Trump rioters in Washington. Officers cleared the area from the flaming car

A nurse rinses pepper spray out of the eyes of a young anti-Trump protester who got sprayed during a clash with D.C. Metropolitan Police

Police in riot gear deployed pepper spray and made arrests after protesters smashed the windows of downtown D.C. businesses

Outside the offices of The Washington Post, D.C. police face off with rioting protesters

Police kept watch as firefighters put out a limousine fire after the vehicle was destroyed by anti-Trump protesters

A rioter wrapped in a rainbow flag walks very close to the police line as protests turned violent in Washington

A TV truck was also smashed as the mob ignored calls to stop from one section of the crowd who said the new administration wanted them to riot.

'Please stop. This is not ok,' pleaded one young woman. 'This is what they want. They will eat this up.'

The protesters shouted 'F... Trump,' calling his new administration 'fascist' and 'illegitimate.' They brandished placards variously denouncing the new president as racist, homophobic and anti-women.

Police blasted them with tear gas and stun grenades and several women claimed they had been maced as they struggled with tears seeping from their eyes.

Riot police chased the group, some openly promoting anarchy, down 10th and E streets, about a mile from the Mall.

More than 500 people, many wearing masks and handkerchiefs over their faces, marched through the center of DC.

They attacked cars and shop windows, smashing glass panes at a Bank of America branch, a McDonald's outlet and a Starbucks shop.

Luis Villarroel from Virginia dropped passengers off near the corner of 13th and K Streets NW then parked in front of the Washington Post building.

He got out of his Lincoln MKT limo when he heard loud noises and 'hundreds of masked men' coming his way. He said the protesters 'threw food at him' and started beating his limo. They threw a flare inside the limo, which is still visible on the seat.

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts and sparked riots around the city

Starbucks Cafe customers take cover from shattered glass as anti-Trump protesters broke a window as they ran through the streets

Protesters run from police during a demonstration where nearly a hundred people were arrested for rioting

Police face off with protesters against those who have smashed windows and shouted insults against the 45th president

Activists leave the site of a limousine which was set ablaze during a protest against Trump. Someone wrote on the side of the burning limo: 'We the People'

An angry protester faces off with a line of riot police during a demonstration in D.C.

Unruly protesters were pursued by riot police who used flash bang grenades and pepper spray to subdue the crowd. Several windows were broken including a McDonald's restaurant's

Police managed to funnel the protesters away, but security was stepped up for this afternoon's Presidential parade.

D.C. police reported that two uniformed officers sustained minor injuries and police vehicles were damaged in the riots.

President Trump began his reign at the White House today greeted by rain and vast empty spaces at his inauguration.

Unlike the inauguration ceremonies for former President Obama where crowds filled the Mall past the Washington Monument, Trump's acceptance speech was greeted by far less spectators.

As he spoke areas at the back of the Mall were empty and the three second delay in his words reaching those at the back only added to the low key atmosphere.

There were muted cheers and very little chanting to greet the President among the spectators that stood with space to walk freely behind them.

Police amass near the parade route, where President Trump will walk after taking the oath of office. Hundreds of demonstrators have gathered along the route with signage and chants to protest Trump's presidency

A police officer falls to the ground as another shoots pepper spray at protesters demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the inauguration

Riot police used flash bang grenades and pepper spray to subdue the destructive crowd

Sparks fly as protesters clash with police right before the inauguration parade. More than 500 people are reported to be involved in the destructive riots

Many thousands missed President Trump's acceptance speech due to heavy security filtering and roads being blocked and people being made to walk the entire length of the Mall before being allowed access.

FBI agent Dan Sacchini and his wife Dea missed the speech because of the time it took to enter the public viewing area. But they they did enter, they were able to walk freely towards the front.

Mr Sacchini said: 'I am not surprised that this place isn't full because the country has been devided over this President.

'I did not vote for him, but I respect the position of President. The inauguration is an example to the world of democracy.

'My wife was born in Mexico, but she voted for Trump. We respect each other's views and that is what today is about.'

Activists run after being hit by a stun grenade while protesting against Trump on the sidelines of the inauguration

Demonstrators supporting the Standing Rock Sioux tribe block a security checkpoint where inauguration attendees would normally enter the National Mall. Several more protests are planned around downtown D.C. throughout Trump's inauguration day

The riots in D.C. in response to Trump's inauguration have led to nearly a hundred arrests. Several windows were broken including a McDonald's restaurant's

But construction worker Michael Collins, who witnessed Obama's second inauguration, said: 'A lot of people don't like Trump and couldn't bring themselves here.

'I missed his speech but I don't really care. Obama will always be my man. When he did his inauguration thing, this place was one big party and it ain't quite that here.'

Police were on full alert against violent protests and officers deployed tear gas in the center of DC close to a Macdonalds when anarchists confronted them.

Several arrests were made including one man who was pinned down by five officers, blood oozing from his forehead, after behind apprehended near a security gate.

President Donald Trump takes the Oath of Office at his inauguration on Friday morning

Trump's inauguration attendance was not as expected and the National Mall sat half-empty (left) compared to Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration turn out (right), which saw an estimated 1.8million people on the below freezing day

Past inaugurations saw higher attendance numbers. According to D.C. Metro's ridership statistics, only 193,000 trips were taken by 11am on Friday morning, compared to 2013 when 317,000 people had used the public transportation

As anti-Trump demonstrators attempted to block the way to the parade walk and smashed up shop windows, supporters and protesters alike flocked to Washington D.C. for inauguration day.

Attendance was not as expected and the National Mall sat half-empty compared to Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration turn out, which saw an estimated 1.8million people on the below freezing day.

The half-empty ceremony, which expected a turn out of 900,000 people, saw temperatures in the 40s and some rain was expected.

Past inaugurations saw higher attendance numbers. According to D.C. Metro's ridership statistics, only 193,000 trips were taken by 11am on Friday morning, compared to 2013 when 317,000 people had used the public transportation.

In 2009, numbers reached 513,000 and Bush's 2005 ceremony had 197,000 rides.

Demonstrators came from across the US to voice their objection President Donald Trump - despite being a tiny minority compared to vast crowds there to hail him. Some said they would also have protested Hillary Clinton.

Protests became violent and destructive as shop windows were smashed out in retaliation to Trump being sworn in on the steps of Capitol Hill.

Several thousand inauguration-goers were held up for an extra hour by just a handful of animal rights protesters who blocked an entry point at 7th Street and D600nw and were met by soldiers and police with dogs.

Rain is expected to drizzle out around 3pm, just in time for the parade. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has said more than 3,000 police officers from other regions and 5,000 National Guardsmen will be in attendance

U.S. President Donald Trump waves to the crowd immediately before taking the oath of office as protests begin to break out around Washington D.C.

Crowds listen as President Trump delivers his inaugural address after taking the oath of office as they brave the rainy weather

Protesters demonstrated near the parade route where Trump will walk after taking the oath of office

Those who had come to voice their anti-Trump views repeatedly shouted 'Let us in' as the rain came down and senior police officials gathered to examine how best to solve the situation.

One protester who held up the lines brandished a placard which read : 'Queers for human and animal rights.'

Alena Chavez, 20, a student who had traveled from San Francisco, California, said: 'Trump needs to learn how to respect women, all races and religions and understand that we know he will not make a great President.'

Due to the expected downpour, the National Park Service has revised its policy on umbrellas.

It eased up on the 'no umbrella' rule, allowing collapsible 'totes'-style umbrellas along the parade route and on the National Mall.

On the Capitol grounds regular umbrellas are still prohibited in any ticketed area.

The nation's soon-to-be president joked about the chance of a downpour. 'That's OK,' Trump told campaign donors at an event Thursday night, 'because people will realize it's my real hair.'

'Might be a mess, but they're going to see that it's my real hair,' he said.
Notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman pleaded not guilty Friday to multiple drug trafficking, firearms and conspiracy charges in a Brooklyn court.

The 59-year-old drug kingpin and infamous escape artist, who has twice broken out of jail in Mexico, appeared unshackled in the packed federal courtroom in Brooklyn dressed in blue prison scrubs and appearing haggard, just hours after his extradition to New York.

Security at the courthouse was stepped up to levels used for terror suspects, with officers armed with assault rifles and bomb-sniffing dogs.

A calm-looking Guzman spoke softly, addressing Magistrate Judge James Orenstein in Spanish as 'yes, sir' and speaking through an interpreter while holding his unshackled hands behind his back.

He entered the not guilty plea through his court-appointed lawyer after being slapped with a 17-count indictment, which include charges of leading a continuing criminal enterprise for alleged drug trafficking from late 1989 to September 2014.

Scroll down for video

'Not guilty': Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman (r) and defense attorneys Michael Schneider (c, r) and Michelle Gelernt (c, l) are seen in this court sketch in Brooklyn Friday

A caravan of police vehicles shuttles Guzman across the Brooklyn Bridge from a court appearance in Brooklyn to a Manhattan jail facility Friday

Security agents guard the US Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn where the arraignment of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman took place Friday

Security agents guard the US Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn during the druglord's court appearance

The courtroom was packed with spectators and members of the media during El Chapo's arraignment's Friday afternoon

Guzman will be held without bail in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan, considered one of the most secure lockups in the United States that has handled terror suspects and mobsters.

'It is difficult to imagine another person with a greater risk of fleeing prosecution,' prosecutors wrote in court papers.

Prosecutors described Guzman as the murderous architect of a 30-year-long web of smuggling, brutality and corruption that made his Sinaloa cartel a fortune while fueling an epidemic of drug abuse and related violence in the U.S. in the 1980s and '90s.

'He's a man known for no other life than a life of crime, violence, death and destruction and now he'll have to answer to that,' US Attorney Robert Capers told a news conference after hailing El Chapo's extradition as a 'milestone.'

If found guilty, Guzman stands to spend the rest of his life behind bars in a maximum security prison.

Judge Orenstein set February 3 for the next hearing in the case, which he described as complex. Any trial is expected to last weeks and involve many witnesses.

Arriving at a jail in downtown Manhattan the night before 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

Handout picture released by the Mexican Interior Ministry on January 20, 2017, shows Joaquin Guzman Loera aka 'El Chapo' Guzman (C) being escorted by US Drug Enforcement (DEA) personal as he is extradited to the United States on January 19

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

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.
Advertisement

The dignitaries watching Donald Trumps inauguration on the Capitol Hill dais in Washington, DC, are witnessing history up close  and are having a good time while doing it.

Arizona Senator John McCain was seen giving the bunny fingers to an identified member of the audience.

McCain arrived at the inauguration with his friend, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

The friendship is notable given the vast ideological differences between the longtime Republican, McCain, and the social democrat Sanders.

President Donald Trump (far left) holds up his right hand and takes the oath of office, administered by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts (far right). First Lady Melania Trump (second from left); her son, Barron (third from left); her stepdaughter, Ivanka; her stepson, Eric; and her other stepdaughter, Tiffany, look on

The dignitaries watching President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration on the Capitol Hill dais in Washington, DC, are witnessing history up close  and are having a good time while doing it. Mike Pence is seen above taking the oath of office

Arizona Senator John McCain gives 'bunny ears' to a man posing for a photo with Senator Elizabeth Warren (left, behind the photo taker) and Senator Debbie Stabenow (right)

Senators Bernie Sanders (left), John McCain (second from left), Elizabeth Warren (center) and Debbie Stabenow (R) attend the inauguration ceremonies at the US Capitol in Washington

McCain and Sanders pose for a selfie with Senator Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota senator, at the US Capitol on Friday

McCain (left) speaks to former Vice President Dan Quayle (right) as Sanders (foreground) looks on

Huma Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, arrives near the front steps of the Capitol Building before the inauguration

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who lost in the Republican primary to Trump, arrives for the inauguration in Washington

Rex Tillerson (right), the former ExxonMobil executive picked by Trump to be his secretary of state, attends the inauguration along with his wife, Renda

Steven Mnuchin, the former Goldman Sachs executive who faced a bruising confirmation hearing on Thursday from Senators who will be asked to approve his nomination as treasury secretary, was in attendance with his wife

Michael Flynn, the retired general picked by Trump to be his national security adviser, wears a somber look before the inauguration

Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, Hillary Clinton's running mate, arrives for the inauguration wearing a smile

Steve Bannon, appointed chief strategist and senior counselor to Trump, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington

Former Vice President Dick Cheney (left) and his wife, Lynne, were also on hand to see the inauguration

Just minutes before he steps down as president, Barack Obama greets the justices of the Supreme Court. Above he shakes hands with Clarence Thomas

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Bryer (far right) assists Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (second from left) with a rain poncho during inauguration ceremonies

Trent Lott, the former Senate Majority Leader, gestures as he escorts his wife, Patricia, to their seat

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (far left), his wife Callista Gingrich (second from left), former Speaker of the House John Boehner (second from right), and his wife Deborah Boehner arrive on the West Front of the US Capitol on Friday

McCain was also seen conversing with former Vice President Dan Quayle.

Other notable figures in the audience include Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and former Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne.

Huma Abedin, a senior aide to Hillary Clinton, was seen near the east front steps of the Capitol Building before Trump was sworn in.

Another key figure from the Clinton campaign who was in attendance was Tim Kaine, the Virginia senator who was picked to be the Democratic nominee's running mate.

A number of newly appointed aides who will be advising Trump were also in attendance.

Steve Bannon, who on Friday officially became a chief strategist for President Trump, was on hand to view the festivities.

Michael Flynn, the former general who was appointed national security adviser by Trump, also was there at the Capitol.

Rex Tillerson, the former ExxonMobil executive who was tapped to be secretary of state pending confirmation by the Senate, was on hand with his wife, Renda.

Steven Mnuchin, the former Goldman Sachs executive who faced a bruising confirmation hearing on Thursday from Senators who will be asked to approve his nomination as treasury secretary, was in attendance with his wife.

The Supreme Court justices were also on hand.

Barack Obama, the now-former president, was seen shaking hands with Justice Clarence Thomas.

In one photo, Justice Stephen Bryer is seen assisting Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with a rain poncho.
Lowanda Tyler-Jones 'violated state law by directing her staff to cheat on state assessments,' the Mississippi Department of Education said this week (May 2016 photo)

An ex-elementary school principal 'violated state law by directing her staff to cheat on state assessments,' the Mississippi Department of Education said this week.

Lowanda Tyler-Jones was previously the principal at Heidelberg Elementary School in Clarksdale.

Mississippi's Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education determined on Thursday that Tyler-Jones had broken the law, state officials said in a release.

They said the commission 'made the unanimous decision to deny Tyler-Jones' application to renew her administrator license and prohibit her from applying for any educator license for 20 years'.

Tyler-Jones had previously attributed the power of prayer to a jump in student test scores at the finish of the 2013 academic year, according to the Clarion-Ledger.

The newspaper said it published an article in 2014 about cheating allegations at the school. The state would investigate that year.

State officials said Thursday in the release: 'The investigation into allegations of cheating at Heidelberg began in May 2014.

'Former Heidelberg Elementary School teacher Frances Smith-Kemp was the first to be served with a complaint alleging she was involved in testing irregularities. Smith-Kemp surrendered her teaching license on July 28, 2015 for two years.

'The Licensure Commission suspended former Heidelberg Elementary School Tetra Winters' license on [November] 18, 2015 for five years.

'A third teacher's license expired while under investigation, and the teacher has not sought to renew the license.'

Lowanda Tyler-Jones was previously the principal at Heidelberg Elementary School in Clarksdale, Mississippi (pictured)

Tyler-Jones started as the school's principal in 2012, and got a new job in July 2016, when she was named the communications coordinator of a magnet school program in the district, according to the Associated Press.

Her administrator's license expired in June 2016 and she had tried to have it renewed in July, it was reported.

Tyler-Jones and her lawyer skipped the Thursday hearing, the Clarion-Ledger said.

State officials said: 'Tyler-Jones' licensure hearing began in May 2016. The process was delayed by multiple continuances and extended questioning of witnesses by Tyler-Jones' attorney.

'In addition, Tyler-Jones and her attorney attempted to stop today's hearing by attempting to unilaterally withdraw from participating and failing to appear without the Licensure Commission's authority.'

The Clarksdale Municipal School District posted this photo on Facebook in February 2014, when Tyler-Jones was named the administrator of the year

A former teacher told the commission she left her job because Tyler-Jones' instructions made her physically ill, the Clarion-Ledger reported.

She claimed that she and a fellow teacher were instructed by Tyler-Jones to pace students and keep them on the same page.

Students were supposed to mark answers in booklets and teachers were to check them before they went on an answer sheet - and teachers who spotted incorrect answers in booklets were to tap student desks, the newspaper explained.

Tyler-Jones' lawyer Lisa M. Ross told the Clarion-Ledger her client intends to appeal, and said that civil court is a possibility.

Ross said: 'She has maintained from day one that she never encouraged anyone to cheat. And that no one ever told her anyone engaged in cheating.'

State officials had recommended Tyler-Jones be kept from reapplying for a license for at least a decade, but the commission deliberated and chose 20 years, the newspaper explained.

State superintendent of education Dr. Carey Wright said in a statement: 'Because of Ms. Tyler-Jones' actions, children in Clarksdale were deprived of the educational services they needed, and in some cases, students fell far below grade level without any intervention.

'The Commission's decision to bar this former educator from applying for any type of educator license for 20 years speaks volumes about the seriousness of her offense and the consequences the Commission determined.'
The 19-year-old fled naked when Pedro Evangelou, 42, preyed on her at his flat in Islington, north London after meeting her in a nightclub

A devil-worshipping rapist who attacked a teenage girl in his satanic chamber bedroom has been jailed for nine years.

The 19-year-old fled naked when Pedro Evangelou, 42, preyed on her at his flat in Islington, north London after meeting her in a nightclub.

But Evangelou, who has a pentagram tattooed into his forehead, caught her and snarled:I havent f***ing finished with you yet, were going to do all the positions, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

Evangelou dragged her back up the stairs to his room telling her: Ive got a gag and handcuffs.

The room was a shrine to the devil, decorated with satanic posters and crammed with books on black magic.

Evangelou has occult tattoos all over his body and wears a pendant made of single human tooth.

The rapist showed no trace of emotion as prosecutor Hugh French read a victim statement from the victim to the court.

She said: It will be with me for the rest of my life. Its still hard for me to comprehend Im here.

I remember thinking Im never escaping, thats what he told me. Not even sleep can provide an escape, his face haunts my nightmares.

It was no surprise when I was diagnosed with post traumatic distress disorder.

She added that she had struggled with work since the attack, and was no longer comfortable around men.

Evangelou, was found guilty of sexual assault and rape after a trial at the same court in November of last year.

Andrew Collings, defending said he could not be certain about her suffering PTSD.

He said: Ive seen no medical evidence of that.

He is nothing if not stoic about the position he finds himself in. He is coping within the prison environment.

The flat which hes been residing in for almost 40 years will be lost as a result of this.

I would urge your honour not to pass consecutive sentences.

Judge Brendan Finucane QC jailed Evangelou for nine years for rape, with one year concurrent sentence for the sexual assault.

He said: On that night in June 2016 you met the complainant at a club.

You had clearly acknowledged each other before but this time you struck up a conversation.

Evangelou has occult tattoos all over his body and wears a pendant made of single human tooth

The complainant, perfectly willingly, interested in your beliefs as a Luciferian, and your bikes, a Harley Davidson, agreed to go back to your flat.

You spent a time drinking and smoking cannabis. You came up behind her and grabbed her.

Eventually she got down the stairs completely naked. You then dragged her back up the stairs.

She banged on a window for help to get the attention of a neighbour, indeed that neighbour called the police.

She was really scared.

The court heard the teenager managed to get most of her clothes and eventually escaped.

Judge Finucane added: She ran onto the street, where she was found collapsed and panicked.

She has suffered very greatly indeed as a result of what you did to her.'
The pope called on Trump to be guided by the 'rich spiritual and ethical values' that have shaped US history

The pope has called on Donald Trump to be guided by the 'rich spiritual and ethical values' that have shaped US history as he takes office.

He is one of many world leaders reacting to the inauguration of Republican Trump as the 45th President of the USA.

While many leaders have sent messages of congratulations to Trump, Germany's Vice Chancellor has warned of a 'rough ride' ahead and said his election is the result of 'bad radicalisation'.

In a personal message to the new head of state, Pope Francis said: 'Under your leadership, may America's stature continue to be measured above all by its concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need.'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has branded Trump a 'friend' and said he is looking forward to 'working closely with you to make the alliance between Israel&USA stronger than ever'.

Netanyahu has been briefed, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports, by security services on the potential for Palestinian violence if Trump follows through on his promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) has branded Trump a 'friend', while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he intends to meet the new US President 'at the earliest possible occasion'

The prime minister of Japan - one of America's closest allies - congratulated Trump and said he wants to strengthen the 'unwavering' ties between the two nations.

In a statement issued minutes after Trump took the oath of office, Shinzo Abe said he looks forward to meeting Trump again 'at the earliest possible occasion'.

Reports in Japan state that Abe may visit the US in late January.

World leaders have sent messages of congratulations to Donald Trump after his inauguration as President of the USA

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto (pictured with Trump in August last year) said the two countries should 'work to strengthen our relationship'

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto tweeted his congratulations to Trump.

He wrote in Spanish: 'I congratulate President @realDonaldTrump in taking office. We will work to strengthen our relationship with shared responsibility.'

But former President Vicente Fox was scathing about the new US head of state, tweeting: 'Speaking of allegiance, Trump? Speaking of greatness? Speaking of success? America was already great and succesful [sic], then you happened!'

Trump's election victory has sparked security concerns in eastern Europe, where officials fear his pro-Russian views could hurt the region's interests.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement welcoming Trump to office

In a statement Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: 'Together, we benefit from robust trade and investment ties, and integrated economies, that support millions of Canadian and American jobs.

'We both want to build economies where the middle class, and those working hard to join it, have a fair shot at success.'

And he added: 'We look forward to working with President Trump, the US Administration, the 115th Congress, and officials at the state and local levels to restore prosperity to the middle class on both sides of the border, and to create a safer and more peaceful world.'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was at an art gallery in Potsdam during the inauguration ceremony

Instead of watching the inauguration, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited an art gallery in Potsdam.

In the hours after Trump's inauguration, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel warned against protectionism and said Germany would have to brace itself if the US starts a trade war with China.

He told public broadcaster ZDF: 'I think we have to prepare for a rough ride.'

Gabriel added that Trump's election was the result of 'a bad radicalisation'.

Merkel has not spoken publicly about Trump today, but after his November election win, she said relations between the two countries would only work if he upheld 'the dignity of man, independent of origin'.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured the day of Trump's election win in November, was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Trump on his win

Celebrations were held in Moscow to mark Trump's inauguration as President of the USA

In Russia, celebrations have been held to mark Trump's inauguration.

Russian nationalists held an all-night party at what used to be the main Soviet-era post office in Moscow.

To the east, in the city of Zlatoust, craftsmen released a limited series of silver and gold commemorative coins, engraved with 'In Trump We Trust'.

After Trump's election win, Putin called for relations between the two superpowers - which had been strained during the Obama regime - to be rebuilt.

News agency Interfax reported that the Russian Parliament burst into applause after Trumps victory was confirmed.

Putin was later pictured sipping on a glass of champagne at a meeting for foreign ambassadors in Moscow.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his best wishes to Trump

In a speech in the Kremlin, Putin stated: 'We have heard the pre-election statements by then-candidate (Trump), which were directed at rebuilding relations between Russia and the US.

'We understand that this will not be an easy path considering the unfortunate degradation of relations.

'But Russia is ready and wants to restore full-fledged relations with the US.'

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enthusiastically welcomed the new US President, writing on Twitter: 'Best wishes in leading USA to greater achievements in the coming years.'

Foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski said Poland felt neglected by former President Barack Obama in the early years of his administration.

Trump has caused unease in Central and Eastern Europe nations that he might sacrifice their security needs at a time they are especially fearful of Russia.

Linas Linkevicius, foreign minister in Lithuania, said some of Trump's statements have been 'confusing', but he said he is not jumping to any conclusions.

Earlier this week Chinese President Xi Jinping invoked the Gettysburg Address to take aim at Trump's trade plans.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he said economic development is 'of the people, by the people and for the people,' quoting the iconic Abraham Lincoln speech.

President Xi also spoke against protectionism which lies at the heart of President-elect Trump's trade policies.

'No one will emerge as a winner in a trade war,' he said in his speech at the economic event.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has congratulated Trump as he takes office

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a statement posted in his name on the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, congratulated Trump.

He added: 'I look forward to working with him for the sake of peace, security and stability in a world that is troubled and in a region that lives a tragic era, and to contribute to creating a safe future for everyone.'

Former NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen, now an adviser to Ukranian President Petro Poroshenko, said in a telephone interview with Reuters: 'I had hoped and also expected a more internationally oriented speech. Instead we got a very domestically oriented, anti-establishment speech.

'As president of the United States, he should also realize he has become the leader of the free world - that's why people all over the globe are watching his inauguration speech. And that's why I had hoped that he would also address the need for determined American global leadership.'

French President Francois Hollande has yet to address Trump's inauguration. After the Republican's election win in November, Hollande gave a lukewarm response, saying it heralded a period of 'uncertainty'.

He said: 'I congratulate him as is natural between two democratic heads of state. This American election opens a period of uncertainty.'

He said France would be vigilant and frank in talks with the new White House administration.
Bitter trolls attacked Karen Pence and her choice of Inaugural ball gown - claiming it was a 're-purposed wedding dress'.

The wife to Vice President Mike Pence, took her moment on stage at the Indiana Society Ball to pay homage to her Hoosier roots and her relationship to her husband in a pretty white dress.

However, some thought the gown made by an Indiana designer belonged at a different event, stating 'Target had dressed her'.

Karen Pence, wife to Vice President Mike Pence, was mocked online over the white gown she wore to the Indiana Society Ball on Thursday night. People on social media called it a 're purposed wedding gown'

Twitter users took jabs at Mrs Pence, comparing her to the 'stunning' Melania Trump

One user suggests that the former First Lady of Indiana was dressed by superstore chain Target

The mother-of-three called upon the same Indiana designer who was behind her 1985 wedding dress to design something for the big night.

Twitter users were unforgiving of Mrs Pence's fashion choice and compared her to 'stunning' former model Melania Trump.

One user joked that while 'Tom Ford refuses to dress Melania Trump' superstore chain 'Target is only too happy to dress Karen Pence'.

The Second First Lady went for an understated yet classic look, while First Lady Melania Trump went bold in a shimmery, golden gown.

Twitter users were unforgiving of Mrs Pence's fashion choice and compared her to former model Melania Trump

Karen and Mike Pence at their 1985 wedding. She used the same designer of her Indiana Society Ball gown that made her wedding dress

The gown was designed by Ball State University graduate Joyce Hittesdorf, who was behind Mrs Pence's bridal gown.

Hittesdorf and other members of the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals were responsible for the 're-purposed wedding dress' and Mrs Pence's attire during in the inauguration swearing-in ceremony.

The designer told the NY Daily News that she was 'confused' by the wedding dress remarks.

She said: 'It's been a really fun experience, even though not everybody liked it we knew that was going to happen but we're still enjoying it.

'I think it's clearly not a wedding dress.'

Moses Somekhian, Karen Pence's hair stylist for both the ball and the inauguration Friday, told the Indy Star that Mrs Pence's style is 'very simple and elegant.'

The mother-of-three called upon the same Indiana designer that made her 1985 wedding dress to make a gown for the ball
A father who beat his three-year-old son to death has been granted full parole after serving a five-year prison sentence.

James Peter-Paul pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the beating death of his son, Matthew Peter-Paul Tucker, in October 2010 at their home in Indian Brook, Nova Scotia. He admitted to beating his son, but said he didn't mean to kill him.

His son was found to have died from a ruptured pancreas and he also suffered blunt force trauma to the head and was covered in bruises.

Little Matthew was only three when his life ended after a beating by his father, James Peter-Paul, who said he did not mean to kill him

James Peter-Paul pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of his three-year-old son, Matthew (right)

In January 2012, Peter-Paul was sentenced to eight years in prison and applied for parole in May of last year, and he was granted full parole Friday, according to CTV News.

Documents said that Peter-Paul had remained engaged in his rehabilitation, had accepted responsibility for his actions, and understood the factors that led to him beating his son.

Peter-Paul has 'a higher number of antisocial traits' and is a 'moderate' risk to reoffend said parole documents, but he was given full parole Friday after serving five years

Documents also said he was a moderate risk to reoffend, reported the outlet.

He was also said to have a 'high number of antisocial traits.'

The boy's mother, Allisan Tucker, had been horrified in 2012 at his eight year sentence after he was able to plea down.

'I think it's a joke,' she told CTV. 'I don't think it's justice for my son. I think that by the time Jaime gets out, he might not even be 40. My son didn't live to see four.'

Matthew's mother, Allisan, is horrified by his short sentence and says her ex is a 'monster'

Peter-Paul was 29 when he was sentenced, meaning her prediction came true.

'I think he's a monster,' she said at the time. 'I hate him.'

The boy was living with his mother at the time of the assault, but his father was looking after him while she went to Toronto for a business meeting. Her ex lived with his girlfriend and his other children.

Tucker says she had visited her ex's house and everything seemed fine and Matthew always seemed happy there.

Originally, Matthew's death was attributed to a fall in the bathtub, said his website, Justice4Matthew. But over time, bruises and breaks in his body that could not have come from a fall were discovered by the coroner.

The maximum sentence for Peter-Paul's manslaughter conviction is 10 years.

'If only everyone could get off of murder charges simply by saying 'Oops, my bad,' said the website.

Peter-Paul was first released on limited parole to a residential facility in August 2016, a little over four years after his sentencing, according to according to Truro Daily, a move that Tucker unsuccessfully fought to prevent.

'If they do give him parole, I'm going to be really confused and really hurt,' Tucker told CTV News at the time.
Posing on the roof of London's Millennium Dome, they look like any other young couple enjoying a big night out. It's a Saturday evening in September, and the duo are five months into a whirlwind romance.

Having met via a dating website, they had formalised their relationship in June, in a series of images posted on the photo-sharing network Instagram. One showed them cuddling in bed, with the 23-year-old man (who'd just departed for a fortnight's summer holiday) playfully grabbing his scantily-clad, 21-year-old companion by the neck.

'My man and I having cuddles before he left,' she wrote. 'It's going to be a tough two weeks without him. I love you baby xxx.' Another image showed the lovers holding hands, fingers intertwined, while the young man's pet puppy, a black cross-breed called Louell, rested his chin on her naked thigh: '#mummydaddyandbaby #familylife #myboys' read her caption.

Posing on the roof of London's Millennium Dome, Corrie McKeague and his girlfriend April Oliver look like any other young couple enjoying a big night out

Yet a long shadow has now been cast over these scenes of domestic bliss.

For the man in the pictures is Corrie McKeague, the RAF serviceman at the centre of perhaps the most bizarre manhunt in recent years.

He disappeared six days after the romantic weekend break in London, during a night out in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in which he wore the same pink shirt and white jeans. He drove there in his blue BMW convertible, which he left in a pay-and-display car park.

The night saw him visit two bars, before being asked to leave a nightclub by bouncers because he'd 'consumed enough alcohol'.

He then visited a takeaway, before falling asleep for two hours in a shop doorway. Then, at 3.25am, he was recorded on CCTV film walking into a loading bay behind a branch of Gregg's.

Soon afterwards, in a town dotted with security cameras, McKeague vanished. He's not been seen since.

Detectives are baffled, saying the chances of him managing to slip out of the centre of the cathedral town without being caught on camera are as low as one or two per cent.

A huge PR campaign, run by his family, and with thousands of supporters on social media, has failed to shed any light on the mystery. Adding to the intrigue, meanwhile, are recent revelations about McKeague's relationship with his 21-year-old lover, April Oliver.

Despite extensive media coverage of McKeague's disappearance, her existence was kept quiet for months.

Her profile was mysteriously removed from the RAF man's social media accounts, while his family described him as 'happily single'.

Having met via a dating website, they had formalised their relationship in June, in a series of images posted on the photo-sharing network Instagram

That all suddenly changed on January 10, when Oliver gave a TV interview making the shock announcement that they were not just a couple, but that she was pregnant with his child.

The plot then thickened considerably on Thursday when it also emerged that both Oliver and McKeague had for some time been living an astonishing double life, trawling the internet looking for casual sex with strangers.

McKeague had been active on a website called Fab Swingers since 2014, when he'd created a profile saying he wanted to arrange anonymous liaisons with straight and lesbian couples and single women aged between 18 and 60.

The site listed among his interests 'blindfolds', 'making videos', 'group sex' and 'SM [sadomasochism]'.

He then set up a second, joint account with Oliver in August, declaring, 'We are a young couple but we know what we want' and listing a string of depraved sex acts they wished to carry out with random men and women. Their profile carried a photo of a woman wearing lingerie.

Its existence was reported in the Mail after the RAF man's mother, Nicola Urquhart, revealed details in a statement on a Facebook page dedicated to his disappearance called 'Find Corrie'.

A photo on the RAF Gunner's Fab Swingers profile that he shares with April Oliver

Around the same time, McKeague's brother, Darroch, described the 'dating sites' as 'just irrelevant' to his disappearance.

However, the police appear to take a different view, saying that McKeague's use of Fab Swingers is now 'part of our investigation'. It emerged yesterday that they are interviewing contacts the couple made on the site.

That is not surprising, given the inherently dangerous nature of the sexual encounters that McKeague appears to have pursued.

A typical one is chronicled in an endorsement carried on his page on Fab Swingers, which is illustrated with a topless photo of the RAF man next to the caption 'hello all, come say hi'. Dated April 15, 2016 (when he was supposedly dating Oliver), it was written by a 28-year-old woman from Cambridge using the moniker 'pinupchick88' who describes herself as 'quite brutal'.

She recalled their encounter by saying that McKeague 'turned up looking and smelling amazing, didn't take long for me to take his clothes off, and he didn't disappoint!'

McKeague then posted a review on her page saying 'met this lovely lady yesterday, she was straight down to business' before graphically describing a series of unconventional sex practices.

P olice are now investigating about 20 other 'friends' whom he knew via the website, including eight women, four transsexuals or transvestites, two men and six couples. Of particular interest is believed to be 'Oriental-transvestite', a user of Fab Swingers who claims to live in East London, not far from the Millennium Dome.

McKeague's unconventional sex life has prompted speculation that his disappearance could be linked to a casual liaison on the night he vanished. Such an encounter could either have occurred in Bury St Edmunds, or somewhere he travelled after possibly being picked up in a car.

His mobile telephone was traced to a spot near Barton Mills, a village 12 miles north-west of the town (and a well-known location where strangers meet for alfresco sex), in the early hours of that morning.

It was moving at a speed consistent to being in a vehicle, though stopped transmitting at around 8am, suggesting that it either ran out of batteries or was destroyed.

Detectives are also looking at claims that McKeague was active on Grindr, an app used by gay men for casual hook-ups. It made headlines during last year's trial of serial killer Stephen Port, who drugged and murdered four men he met on the site.

Missing Corrie McKeague, who has not been seen since disappearing in September last year

In October, a month after his disappearance, a member of the public exchanged messages with a user of Grindr called 'BiLad21' who had what appeared to be a previously unpublished image of McKeague as his profile picture.

Screenshots of the account, set up two years earlier, were reported to the police shortly afterwards. It remains unclear if the picture or the page was genuine.

McKeague's family deny speculation that he might be gay, and his Fab Swingers profile described him as 'straight'.

The date of the alleged Grindr sighting has nonetheless prompted another explanation for McKeague's disappearance: that he might be alive and well, having decided for some reason to deliberately vanish.

On September 28, just three days after going missing, his uncle, Tony Wringe, pleaded for information on Fill Your Boots, a Facebook chatroom for the Armed Forces.

It read: 'Corrie is my nephew and the family are genuinely worried now. He was out on the p*** in Bury on Friday night and hasn't been seen since. He's been suffering with depression recently  so who knows . . .'

The post was shared by 1,600 people. However, it was deleted from the site a couple of months later, without any explanation.

Military sources confirm that McKeague, who joined the RAF in October 2013 and served as a gunner in the RAF Regiment, had been given time off to be treated for mental health problems. Yet they say that treatment took place some time ago and he was 'jovial as far as we are aware'.

McKeague's mother, meanwhile, has denied her son was at all emotionally troubled, writing on Facebook this week: 'Quite a few people have asked if Corrie was suffering from depression and or mental health issues. NO he wasn't.'

That post has also since been deleted.

This curious episode highlights another strange feature of the manhunt  just how many of the public statements made since McKeague vanished appear to have subsequently been either contradicted or quietly removed.

Take, for example, whether he might have come to grief while attempting to drunkenly walk home to RAF Honington, the base where he lived about eight miles away. Initially, this was seen as the most credible explanation for his disappearance.

On September 28, Suffolk police said: 'He's known to go on nights out with his friends and make his way back to wherever he's based on foot. Our belief is that he's attempted to walk from Bury to RAF Honington.' Five days later, they repeated this line.

McKeague's mother initially appeared to agree. In mid-October, she was reported to have said: 'He did not regularly walk the long distance back to his base, but had done so in the past.'

However, on November 8, she posted on Facebook: 'Corrie has NEVER walked back from Bury to Honington.'

Similar apparent inconsistencies  assuming she was accurately quoted by the newspaper  are also evident in public comments she's made regarding her son's love life.

In October, she described him as 'very happily single', but then reacted to reports of his relationship with April Oliver in another (subsequently deleted) Facebook post, saying they were in a casual relationship: '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.'

Details of Corrie McKeague's swingers profile have been revealed after his mother confirmed the RAF gunner and his 21-year-old girlfriend were members of the Fab Swingers website

The joint profile appears to describe Corrie as Big C and his partner as little C as well as their personal details interests

Quite how those remarks can be squared with Oliver's varied social media posts (which describe McKeague as her 'boyfriend' and date back to June) is anyone's guess.

This week, McKeague's mother also wrote a post on Facebook (again later deleted) discussing Oliver's decision to go public about her pregnancy.

'Last week, April had to publicly tell the world about her private life, something we all tried to keep private for both her and their baby, predominately at April's insistence . . . Sadly others would not leave her alone . . . She was really left with no choice as it was coming out anyway.'

Again, that version of events seems at odds with other comments.

For on December 21, when McKeague's mother said that the intention was to keep Oliver's pregnancy 'private', the latter had publicly announced it on Instagram, with a picture of her belly along with the caption: 'Little blob I love you xxx.'

Meanwhile, there have been a series of fallings-out between McKeague's family and Suffolk police. They stretch back to early December, when his mother (who works as a police liaison officer in her native Scotland) told the BBC that officers were failing to investigate his disappearance properly.

The family has since raised more than 50,000 via a crowd-funding website to pay private investigators to look into the case.

They are believed to now be scouring McKeague's social media accounts, plus his profiles on dating sites. It emerged on Wednesday that his Fab Swingers page had been active last weekend, leading to speculation that he was alive  only for police to establish that the account was in fact being accessed by his family.

Missing RAF gunner Corrie McKeague and his 21-year-old girlfriend April Oliver (pictured together) were members of a swingers club, the serviceman's mother has revealed

Of course, the disappearance of a loved one is understandably stressful, and some erratic behaviour is perhaps to be expected by those close to McKeague.

Equally, his family can be forgiven for attempting to protect his privacy. But five months after he vanished, there remain important unanswered questions.

Why, for example, have none of the friends who, it was said, he was out with on the night he vanished been named or spoken publicly?

Why have no RAF colleagues discussed their missing comrade, or made pleas for information?

Why, if he intended to go on a drunken late night out, did McKeague park his BMW in a pay-and-display car park where he'd have to collect it by 9am the following day  rather than find a free parking space a short walk away?

Above all, why are so many astonishing revelations continuing to emerge?

For with every new detail we uncover, the less the disappearance of Corrie McKeague appears to make sense.
Terror: One of the adapted drones is pictured here

Drones armed with grenades are being used by Islamic State to blast Iraqi forces and target refugees trying to flee Mosul.

RAF pilots have been tasked with hunting down the weaponized devices amid fears they could also be used to find UK troops in the war-ravaged nation.

Typhoon warplanes blitzed a base packed full of the drones and their barbaric operators using 500lb laser-guided bombs last week.

The use of the small armed remotely piloted aerial vehicles marks a change of tactics by the militant group which is struggling to keep control of Mosul.

The improved weapons consists of a plastic tube attached to a consumer camera drone to carry explosives.

Former US special forces officer, Mitch Utterback, who discovered the devices, told the Mail: Iraqi forces are very, very concerned about these.

My concern is them being used to target specific, high-ranking officers who are leading the ground combat against Islamic State.

He said the devices electronics had been modified to release grenades.

The drones can drop a single 40mm rifle grenade - which could kill or injure within a five meter radius, he added.

With the precision guidance of the camera, they can and are used to directly target troops in the open he added.

An RAF source said: These devices are mainly being used for surveillance purposes.

They could potentially find western forces on the ground that are helping local troops on their way into Mosul.

The drones are difficult to shoot down, but new weapons are being developed to blast them out of the skies.

Devices are being developed to block the radio signals they require to be controlled.

The battle for Mosul  the groups last remaining stronghold in Iraq  has been raging for weeks.

It could take months until Iraqi forces regain control of the city, in which women and children are trapped.

An MoD spokesman said: During the battle for Mosul, small armed remotely piloted aerial vehicles with grenades have been used by Daesh... to harass Iraqi troops.

The battle for Mosul  the groups last remaining stronghold in Iraq  has been raging for weeks

They said there were reports suggesting they have also been used to target civilian refugees.

Two million people have been freed from IS tyranny in the last year as UK and coalition forces made major progress in kicking the group out.

The RAF carried out almost 1,200 strikes through 2016, at the most intense sustained pace in 25 years and second to the US in number of missions flown.

Earlier in the week, Sir Michael said: In a controlled and precise manner the RAF are taking out Daesh and working hard to minimise casualties in a very difficult dense urban environment.

Working with Allies we will keep momentum, push Daesh out of Mosul, encircle Raqqa and eventually end Daeshs reign of terror.
The Trump Administration's General Services Administration will reveal on Monday whether the Trump Organization is in violation of its government lease on its new luxury hotel in Washington, a top Oversight Committee Democrat said tells DailyMail.com.

President Trump made the new Trump International DC hotel, which is located in a building leased from the government, a fixture of his campaign  holding press events there, attending an inaugural luncheon there on Thursday, and getting out of his protected limo in front of the hotel during his inaugural parade.

Now, the government must decide whether he is in breach of the lease as president, due to a provision in the contract dealing with federal employees.

Trump got out of his armored limousine to walk by the hotel during his inaugural parade

A provision of the lease bars any elected official from being admitted to 'any share or part of this Lease'. Trump pictured during his inaugural address on Friday

'We'll know Monday, because that's when they go back to work,' Rep. Elijah Cummings, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee told DailyMail.com.

'In other words, the moment he was sworn in, he breached the lease. Because you can't be an elected official. So GSA is supposed to make some kind of determination on Monday,' Cummings said.

GSA didn't provide immediate comment about whether it was readying a decision.

Watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint on Friday, citing the lease, immediately after Trump took the oath of office Friday.

'Unless GSA has received new information demonstrating President Trump no longer owns Trump Old Post Office LLC, and there is no evidence it has, it is now time for GSA to initiate the process for establishing that President Trump's company has breached the lease and is in default,' the group's executive director, Noah Bookbinder wrote in the complaint.

'CREW requests that GSA initiate this process by immediately notifying Old Post Office LLC that it is in breach of the ground lease,' he added.

'The lease bans elected officials from benefiting to avoid conflicts of interest with their duties,' Bookbinder said. 'We know Trump likes to renegotiate contracts for better deals. If that happened here, it will be the President negotiating against the government he leads. His best interests are not the same as those of the American tax payer

The 60-year-lease from the federal government is for $180 million.

The lease states: 'No  elected official of the Government of the United States  shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom.'

The letter asks the government to kill the lease if Trump is still an owner.

Trump said at his only press conference since the election that he would maintain his business holdings and transfer them to the control of his children.

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee says the agency will issue a decision on Monday, the first business day of the Trump administration. Crowds pictured outside the hotel

A separate issue is whether Trump's ownership of the hotel would violate the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which prohibits gifts from foreigners and foreign governments.

GSA issued a release after Trump's press conference saying it was seeking 'new information' about the hotel's business structure.

'GSA understands that an announcement has been made to change the business structure of the Trump Organization,' the agency, which Trump now heads, said in a statement.

'We are seeking additional information that explains and describes any new organizational structure as it applies to the Old Post Office lease,' the agency continued, The Hill reported.

'Upon receipt, consistent with our treatment of any contract to which we are a party, we will review this new organizational structure and determine its compliance with all the terms and conditions of the lease.'

According to Politico, Trump officials argue that the provision is meant to target elected officials who are in office at the time a contract is being negotiated, not those who are elected afterward.
A Chinese woman claimed she had been attacked by her best friend who was jealous of her good looks.

The young woman, known as Tian, said she had recently spent around 60,000 yuan (7,000) undergoing plastic surgery in Hangzhou, eastern China.

She said her friend of five years, who she shares a house with, attacked her because the operation had made her look too pretty, according to media.

Before the attack: Tian, from China, said she had spent 7,000 undergoing plastic surgery

After the attack: She said her best friend had attacked her, leaving her face damanged

Tian, who is originally from Guizhou Province, said she had felt satisfied with the outcome of her plastic surgery, reported People's Daily Online, citing a news clip from Zhejiang Television Station.

The woman told a reporter that she had been very happy with the 'white skin, big eyes and high nose bridge' the surgery had given her.

On the night of January 15, Tian was assaulted by her best friend, Hu, and sustained serious scars on her face.

She said Hu, who is also her lodger, had been envious of her good looks since her surgery.

Tian claimed that Hu had initiated the fight. They dueled three rounds that night, according to Tian.

Tian was clearly angry towards her friend as she told Zhejiang Television Station: 'She is old and ugly.'

She added that Hu had intended to damage her face so that she would have to receive plastic surgery one more time.

Tian said she had been happy with the 'white skin, big eyes and high nose bridge' after the expensive surgery

She added that her friend Hu had intended to damage her face so that she would have to receive plastic surgery one more time

During a separate interview, Hu told the reporter that Tian had also assaulted her during the fight. She said she had also sustained multiple wounds on her face, neck and chest.

Hu explained that she had also had plastic surgery on her face, and would have to fix the scars.

According to the woman, she had been enraged by Tian who had teased her poor financial situation, leading her to initiate the fight last Sunday.

She did not comment on whether or not she had wanted to disfigure Tian on purpose.

Tian has reported the case to the police in Hangzhou.

Further investigation is being carried out.
Astronomers are investigating a planet just outside of Earths solar system that could have the right conditions to support life.

Known as Wolf 1061c, the planet sits right within the habitable zone, and is close enough for scientists to conduct ongoing studies.

But, it is positioned close to the inner edge of this region, meaning it could be subjected to extreme heat that becomes trapped in its atmosphere, spurring a runaway greenhouse effect.

An artist's impression of an exoplanet is pictured

GOLDILOCKS ZONE In astronomy and astrobiology, the habitable zone is the range of orbits around a star in which a planet can support liquid water. This habitable zone is also known as the Goldilocks zone, taken from the childrens fairy tale. The temperature from the star needs to be 'just right' so that liquid water can exist on the surface. The boundaries of the habitable zone are critical. If a planet is too close to its star, it will experience a runaway greenhouse gas effect, like Venus. But if it's too far, any water will freeze, as is seen on Mars. Since the concept was first presented in 1953, many stars have been shown to have a Goldilocks area, and some of them have one or several planets in this zone, like 'Kepler-186f', discovered in 2014. Advertisement

Researchers from San Francisco State University focused on planets of the Wolf 1061 system just 14 light years away.

There are three planets known to exist in this nearby system, and one lies within the habitable zone.

To better understand the conditions of this planet, Wolf 1061c, the researchers measured the star around which it orbits.

Its position in this zone, coupled with its proximity to Earth, makes Wolf 1061c an attractive candidate for the search for life.

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, said San Francisco State University astronomer Stephen Kane.

Even within the habitable zone, it must sit in a spot thats just right  also known as the Goldilocks zone.

If the planet is too far away from its parent star, it might be too cold, and consequently freeze any water.

According to Kane, the latter situation is what happened on Mars.

If its too close, though, it would be too hot.

This can generate a runaway greenhouse effect as heat is trapped in the atmosphere.

Many believe this is what happened on Venus, which is thought to have once had oceans that evaporated and trapped heat within the water vapour.

This, in turn, makes the surface even hotter  now, Venus can hit 880 degrees Fahrenheit.

Given Wolf 1061cs position near the inner edge of its habitable zone, the scientists say it could suffer the same fate.

Its close enough to the star where its looking suspiciously like a runaway greenhouse, Kane said.

Many believe this is what happened on Venus (pictured) which is thought to have once had oceans that evaporated and trapped heat within the water vapour. Given Wolf 1061cs position near the inner edge of its habitable zone, the scientists say it could suffer the same fate

And, the team also noted that its orbit changes at a faster rate.

This could be a sign of chaotic climate.

It could cause the frequency of the planet freezing over or heating up to be quite severe, Kane said.

Still, this doesnt entirely rule out the possibility of life.

According to Kane, one possible scenario would be that the short time scales of the orbit changes cool the planet off.

With the launch of new, powerful telescopes in the coming years, including the James Webb Space Telescope, the researchers say they will be able to better assess the atmospheric conditions of exoplanets to find out if life could really exist.
Advertisement

The image of the atomic bomb and accompanying devastation in Hiroshima is seared into many people's minds.

Now a terrifying interactive map lets you see what the terrible effects of nuclear fallout might look it if a similar bomb was to be dropped on your location.

The creator of the map, called WouldISurviveANuke.com, says that it is designed to show that 'there really is no surviving a nuclear war.'

The interactive map has several options that users can choose from, including the location, the type of weapon of mass destruction used, and the number of cities affected.

The type of destruction ranges from a 'dinosaur ending meteor' to a 'Fatman' 18 kiloton nuclear bomb.

When testing the map using the MailOnline office as a location, it was found that a Peacekeeper 350 kiloton nuclear bomb in London would result in second degree burns.

When testing the map using the MailOnline office as a location, it was found that a Peacekeeper 350 kiloton nuclear bomb in London would result in second degree burns

But a Tsar Bomba 50 megaton nuclear bomb in London would result in near certain death.

And if a dinosaur-ending meteor was to hit London, the whole of the UK, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and most of France would die.

Speaking to indy100, Britton Matthews, the Seattle-based creator of the interactive map said: 'WouldISurviveANuke.com actually started as a joke.

The map suggests that if a Tsar Bomba 50 megaton nuclear bomb was dropped in London, it would result in death for most of the capital

If a dinosaur-ending meteor was to hit London, the whole of the UK, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and most of France would die.

'I developed it by myself over a weekend five years ago.

'In addition to telling you how bad your burns will be in the nuclear fall out, the website also throws up helpful tips in the form of gallows humour.'

But while Mr Matthews started the website as a joke, he added that the point of the map was to prove that 'there really is no surviving a nuclear war.'

If an 18 kiloton nuclear bomb was dropped in New York, the damage would spread all the way across to Jersey City and over to much of Brooklyn

According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, nine countries together possess around 15,000 nuclear weapons. This image shows the detonation of a nuclear bomb at a test site, with the distinctive mushroom cloud visible

Cities around the world, including Sydney (pictured left) and Los Angeles (pictured right) would be wiped out if a nuclear bomb was dropped

According to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, nine countries together possess around 15,000 nuclear weapons.

The US and Russia maintain roughly 1,800 of their nuclear weapons on high-alert status  ready to be launched within minutes of a warning.

Most are many times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945.

A single nuclear warhead, if detonated on a large city, could kill millions of people, with the effects persisting for decades.

Russia and the US are thought to possess 93 per cent of the world's nuclear arsenal, with Europe potentially caught in the crossfire. This photograph shows the terrible effects of atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on 6 August, 1945
You might think you've covered your tracks online, but your Facebook feed could be used to reveal your identity.

A new study shows it's possible for companies to know your name your name and link it to your web activity by gathering data from you Facebook and Twitter.

The research raises fresh concerns about online privacy, adding to a growing number of ways tracking companies may be able to learn more about individual web users.

You might think you've covered your tracks online, but your Facebook feed could be used to reveal your identity, a new study shows

Researchers from the universities of Stanford and Princeton detailed their discovery in a paper due to be presented at the 2017 World Wide Web Conference Perth, Australia.

'We show that browsing histories can be linked to social media profiles such as Twitter, Facebook or Reddit accounts,' they wrote.

Privacy mode on web browsers disables browsing history and the web cache.

This means you can the web anonymously without storing local data that could be retrieved at a later.

It is however, still possible to identify commonly visited websites by associating the IP address at the web server.

But researchers say there may be an easier way.

Arvind Narayanan, an assistant professor of computer science at Princeton, told Tech Xplore that companies - including Google and Facebook - track users.

They also disclose this tracking information to third parties.

The team found that companies with access to browsing histories could identify users by looking at public information displayed on open social media accounts.

'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,' he said.

Focusing on publically available information only, the team created an algorithm to compare anonymous web browsing histories with links appearing in people's unprotected social media feeds.

The research raises fresh concerns about online privacy, adding to a growing number of ways tracking companies may be able to learn more about individual web users

They found their code was able to detect patterns among the groups of data and use them to identify users.

'We show theoretically, via simulation, and through experiments on real user datathat de-identified web browsing histories can be linked to social media profiles using only publicly available data,' they wrote.

'Our approach is based on a simple observation: each person has a distinctive social network, and thus the set of links appearing in one's feed is unique.

'Assuming users visit links in their feed with higher probability than a random user, browsing histories contain tell-tale marks of identity,' they added.

While the researchers' method is not perfect and relies on unprotected social media feeds, it offers a chilling warning of how privacy can be breached online.

The experts wrote: 'We evaluate this strategy on simulated browsing histories, and show that given a history with 30 links originating from Twitter, we can deduce the corresponding Twitter profile more than 50 per cent of the time.'

And their success rate was even higher when they analysed web browsing information from 374 volunteers, identifying 70 per cent of them by comparing their web history to millions of public social media feeds.

The scientists concluded: 'Since our attack attempts to find the correct Twitter profile out of over 300 million candidates, it isto our knowledgethe largest scale demonstrated de-anonymisation to date.'
A crack in Antarctica that is more than 100 miles (160km) long has grown by another 6 miles (9.6km) in just over two weeks.

This adds to the 11 miles (17km) advance in September, creating a 17 mile (27km) total increase in less than a month.

The crack has created a chunk of ice half the size of Jamaica which is breaking away from West Antarctica.

Scroll down for video

A crack in Antarctica that is more than 100 miles (160km) long has grown by another 6 miles (9.6km) in just over two weeks. This adds to the 11 miles (17km) advance in September, creating a 17 mile (27km) total increase in less than a month

KILLER CHASMS The first chasm, which had lain dormant for more than three decades, began opening up in 2012, and by the following year it was expanding at the rapid pace of one mile per year. On October 2016, a second crack appeared some 10.5 miles (17 km) to the north of the research station. Researchers conclude that they are unable to predict with certainty what will happen to the ice shelf during the forthcoming Antarctic winter and beyond. Advertisement

Covering 1,900 square miles (5,000 square km) and nearly 100 storeys deep, the formation is poised to snap off from Larsen C ice shelf, creating 'one of the largest icebergs ever recorded,' the researchers said.

A widening rift running is now running the length of the finger-shaped, 350-metre (160-feet) -thick ice block, satellite images revealed.

'The rift is likely to break off in the next few months - if it doesn't, I'll be amazed,' said Adrian Luckman, a professor at Swansea University in Wales, and leader of Britain's Project Midas, which tracks changes in West Antarctic ice formations.

'It's so close to calving that I think it's inevitable,' he told AFP.

In late December, the rupture had already extended by 11 miles (18km), leaving the future iceberg connected along only a small fraction of its length.

Just by itself, the gargantuan ice cube will not add to sea levels, the consequence of ice sheet disintegration that most worries scientists.

The real danger is from inland glaciers.

The crack has created a chunk of ice half the size of Jamaica which is breaking away from West Antarctica. Pictured is the progression of the crack since November 2010

Yesterday, the Halley VI Research Station was forced to close its Antarctic research base amid rising fears it could fall into a huge ice chasm. Shocking new drone footage shows just how massive the growing crack in the ice is

The development of the rift length and width, up to January 19 is shown in these graphs. The West Antarctic ice sheet, where Larsen C is located, holds enough frozen water to raise global oceans by about six metres (20 feet)

Ice shelves float on the sea, extending from the coast, and are slowly fed by glaciers from the ice sheet on land.

They act as giant brakes, preventing the glaciers from sliding directly into the ocean.

The West Antarctic ice sheet, where Larsen C is located, holds enough frozen water to raise global oceans by about six metres (20 feet).

If the glaciers held in check by Larsen C spilt into the Antarctic Ocean, it would lift the global water mark by about 10 centimetres (four inches), the researchers said.

The nearby Larsen A ice shelf collapsed in 1995, and Larsen B dramatically broke up seven years later.

Recent studies have suggested that climate change may already have condemned large chunks of West Antarctica to disintegration, though whether on a time scale of centuries or millennia is unknown.

The breaking off, or calving, of ice shelves occurs naturally.

But global warming is thought to have accelerated the process.

The Halley VI Research Station was last week relocated 14 miles across the Brunt Ice Shelf, amid fears in could slide into an encroaching fissure in the ice shelf. This map shows the current location of Halley VI, its future location, and The Crack, labelled as Chasm I

The base will be broken up into its eight modules and moved further inland by large tractors

Warming ocean water erodes their underbelly, while rising air temperatures weaken them from above.

The ice block currently separating from Larsen C contains about 10 percent of the ice shelf's mass, Luckman said.

'We are convinced - although others are not - that the remaining ice shelf will be less stable than the present one,' Luckman said in a statement.

Man-made global warming has lifted average global air temperatures by one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

The world's nations have undertaken in the Paris Agreement, inked in the French capital in December 2015, to cap global warming at 'well under' two degrees Celsius (3.5 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial era levels.

Last week the Halley VI Research Station was forced to close its Antarctic research base amid rising fears it could fall into a huge ice chasm.

Shocking new drone footage has also been released that shows just how massive the growing crack in the ice is.

The worrying footage has forced the British research base to relocate 14 miles (22 km) across the Brunt Ice Shelf and close its doors for the winter.=
It is set to be a monumental battle for the next generation of smart assistants.

Samsung has fired the latest salvo in its AI phone battle with Apple, revealing more details of Bixby, it's competitor for Siri.

The AI is said to have visual search capabilities to analyze the images, identify objects and performing optical character recognition on visible text.

Scroll down for videos

Although the Samsung Galaxy S8 reveal is around the corner, many users are still feeling the burn from the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. However, the firm may redeem itself, as the flagship smartphone is rumored to have an assistant more powerful than Apple's Siri

SAMSUNG'S BIXBY Bixby could be used for a wide variety of functions in a similar way to Apple's Siri. The latest rumors suggests Bixby will have visual search capabilities to analyze the image, identify objects and performing optical character recognition on visible text. Once activate, a search tool will appear allowing users to search for specific objects or use optical character recognition to process any text you point the phone at. And will be equip with a high degree of interconnectedness to other applications For example, the technology will show you where to buy an object in and image and can also complete the transaction for you. And will be activated once users open the handsets camera app. Advertisement

The latest rumors were first revealed by SamMobile, which stated that the Galaxy S8s camera app will be home to Bixby  users activate the AI simply by opening the app.

Once activate, a search tool will appear allowing users to search for specific objects or use optical character recognition to process any text you point the phone at, Michael G with SamMobile explained.

Samsungs AI is being compared to Google Goggles, which has similar functionalities such as object and text recognition.

However, Bixby will be equip with a high degree of interconnectedness to other applications.

For example, the technology will show you where to buy an object in and image and can also complete the transaction for you.

Its believed that the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus will be the new home for Bixby, but will perhaps make its way to other devices in the future.

Samsung is expected to unveil its new line on Mach 29, which is said to have an edge-to-edge screen.

And because the screen will cover nearly 90 percent of the front, the home button may not be in its traditional spot.

Other rumors suggests that it will be positioned on the side of the phone, allowing users to quickly access Bixby and other exciting features.

A leaked image claiming to be the Galaxy S8 hit the web earlier this month and it shows the end-to-end screen.

The home button and capacitive navigation keys are also missing, suggesting a fingerprint scanner is either on the back or embedded under the glass.

A leaked image from earlier this month shows an end-to-end curved display  a feature many rumors have suspected. The home button and capacitive navigation keys are also missing, suggesting a fingerprint scanner is either on the back or embedded under the glass

MORE GALAXY S8 RUMORS New renders of what could be Samsung Galaxy S8 surfaced in October and they suggest the device will incorporate a dual-lens camera design and remove the home button for an edge-to-edge screen. It's speculated that Samsung could design a fingerprint-sensing display or place the feature behind the tempered glass. Because levels of concentration will be increased with a 'full screen', pictures and videos should be much clearer and even go so far as to produce a 3D effect. Rumors suggest that pixels of the dual-cameras will support 16 megapixels and 8 megapixels. Another new addition to the Galaxy S8 could also be an upgraded Application process (AP) that corresponds to handset's brain. Sources say Samsung is going to start mas-producing 10-nano Snapdragon 830s, which will be used for Galaxy S8, at the end of this year at the earliest. The artist impression also shows the handset in four vibrant shades of red, blue, purple and yellow - another feature yet to be seen by Samsung users. Advertisement

For many Samsung customers, the Galaxy S8 isnt just the firms next phone, but a chance for the smartphone maker to redeem themselves for the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco.

And although other rumors speculate the handset wont be out until February, it has been one of the most talked about devices for the past few months.

Weibo shared the latest picture of the device, and unlike others, this image is not an artists impression.

Keeping with the previous rumors, the phone appears to have tossed out all of the on-screen buttons, reports SamMobile.

The decision to remove the home button is a move to increase the screen-to-bezel ration.

However, because of these missing features SamMobile questions if the photo is a product of some Photoshop wizardy.

Typically, when you head into settings, they dont automatically hide, reports Josh L.

On the other hand, Samsung could have developed a full-screen mode that manually activates, which allows for an end-to-end screen.

Keeping with previous rumors, the Galaxy S8 appears to have tossed out all of the on-screen buttons. The decision to remove the home button is a move to increase teh screen-to-bezel ration - unlike previous models like the Galaxy S7 (pictured)

If this is in fact true, then users would simply swipe up from the bottom of the screen and the keys will appear.

In addition to what the Galaxy S8 could look like, other rumors reveal Samsung is anticipating a high demand once the handset hits the market.

Unnamed sources told South Koreas Electronic Times that the firm has set an initial production target of 10 million Galaxy S8 smartphones, reports Reuters.

WHAT CAUSED THE FIRES? Ms Shedletsky and colleagues took apart one of the phones and found it did not leave enough space for the battery to swell when it expanded during charging. 'When batteries are charged and discharged, chemical processes cause the lithium to migrate and the battery will mechanically swell,' the blog says. 'Any battery engineer will tell you that it's necessary to leave some percentage of ceiling above the battery, 10% is a rough rule-of-thumb, and over time the battery will expand into that space. 'Our two-month old unit had no ceiling: the battery and adhesive was 5.2 mm thick, resting in a 5.2 mm deep pocket.' The researchers said this flaw could have been overlooked when Samsung engineers developed the phone. Advertisement

Samsung is counting on the S8 to rejuvenate sales after it scrapped the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones last year in one of the biggest product safety failures in tech history  however, they have yet to shed light on the cause of the exploding phones.

While Samsung originally put the problem down to the battery manufacturing process, reports earlier this week claim there was a fault in the phone itself.

The latest reports say the fires were caused by an 'aggressive' design flaw that squeezed the phone's battery pack to dangerous pressure levels.
They can be manipulative and callous, and are known for their grandiose behaviour, but according to a new study, psychopaths may be lacking in intelligence.

The new findings could put to rest the ongoing Hannibal Lecter myth, revealing that psychopaths from all walks of life tend to score significantly lower on intelligence tests than the average person.

The researchers say this could help to build a more accurate understanding of psychopathy, and whether it can be treated.

The new findings could put to rest the ongoing Hannibal Lecter myth, revealing that psychopaths from all walks of life tend to score significantly lower on intelligence tests than the average person. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter is shown in a scene from Red Dragon

THE 'DARK TRIAD' Narcissism: Tendencies of attention-seeking, charm, vanity, grandiose yet low self-esteem, and a willingness to manipulate others. Machiavellianism: Coldness, immoral thinking, long-term manipulation, blunt practicality, and hunger for money, success or power. Psychopathy: Antisocial behaviours, thrill-seeking, manipulation and impulsivity. Advertisement

Since the release of the book and film The Silence of the Lambs, psychopaths have commonly been portrayed as highly-intelligent individuals, like the fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter.

But, with the exception of a few real offenders who did have this trait  like Ted Bundy  experts say its more common for the opposite to be true, according to New Scientist.

Psychopaths are impulsive, have run-ins with the law and often get themselves hurt, Brian Boutwell of St Louis University and one of the authors on the study, told New Scientist.

That led me to think theyre not overly intelligent.

In the study, published pre-print to bioRxiv, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of the results of 187 published studies analysing the link between intelligence and psychopathy, including data on those in prison as well as successful psychopaths.

Many studies in the past have noted an overlap between psychopathy and low intelligence when it comes to violent and criminal behaviour, the researchers explain.

The set which they examined included data on 9,010 participants, with 4,321 being antisocial and 4,689 making up the control group.

For the most part, the studies relied on IQ as a measure, and the researchers found that the effect of the association between psychopathy and intellectual functioning was robust.

While characters like Hannibal Lecter would have you believe that psychopaths tend to be eerily clever, the analysis revealed this is largely not the case.

Many studies in the past have noted an overlap between psychopathy and low intelligence when it comes to violent and criminal behaviour, the researchers explain. A scene from American Psycho is pictured

The results of the current meta-analysis produced a small, but significant effect size suggesting that individuals who score higher on measures of psychopathic traits tend to score lower on measures of IQ, the researchers wrote.

According to the authors, the findings suggest there really is an overlap between these traits.

And, they say it could affect the way they are treated within the criminal justice system.

If they have low intelligence, you could say that they are likely to offend again, or you could say that if they have cognitive difficulties, a lengthier prison sentence is not going to help them, Boutwell told New Scientist.

You could make the argument in either direction.
They have the power to shape continents and create and destroy cities.

Now, researchers have solved the mystery of how the Earth's tectonic plates are powered.

Researchers say heat from deep in the planet's core drives the movement of the megaplates, in a find that could revolutionise earthquake predictions.

Scroll down for video

Researchers say heat from deep in the planet's core drives the movement of the gigantic tectonic plates, in a find that could revolutionise earthquake predictions.

The new findings also challenge the theory that underwater mountain ranges known as mid-ocean ridges are passive boundaries between moving plates.

The findings show the East Pacific Rise, the Earth's dominant mid-ocean ridge, is dynamic as heat is transferred.

'We see strong support for significant deep mantle contributions of heat-to-plate dynamics in the Pacific hemisphere,' said David Rowley, professor of geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago, who led the research.

'The implication of our work is that textbooks will need to be rewritten'.

His team came to the conclusions by combining observations of the East Pacific Rise with insights from modeling of the mantle flow there.

'Based on our models of mantle convection, the mantle may be removing as much as half of Earth's total convective heat budget from the core,' Rowley said.

WHAT ARE TECTONIC PLATES? Tectonic plates are composed of Earth's crust and the uppermost portion of the mantle. Below is the asthenosphere: the warm, viscous conveyor belt of rock on which tectonic plates ride. The Earth has fifteen tectonic plates (pictured) that together have molded the shape of the landscape we see around us today Earthquakes typically occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates, where one plate dips below another, thrusts another upward, or where plate edges scrape alongside each other. Earthquakes rarely occur in the middle of plates, but they can happen when ancient faults or rifts far below the surface reactivate. These areas are relatively weak compared to the surrounding plate, and can easily slip and cause an earthquake. Advertisement

'Heat from the base of the mantle contributes significantly to the strength of the flow of heat in the mantle and to the resultant plate tectonics.'

The researchers estimate up to approximately 50 percent of plate dynamics are driven by heat from the Earth's core and as much as 20 terawatts of heat flow between the core and the mantle.

'The consequences of this research are very important for all scientists working on the dynamics of the Earth, including plate tectonics, seismic activity and volcanism,' said Jean Braun of the German Research Centre for Geosciences, who was not involved in the research.

The research could have broader implications for understanding the formation of the Earth, Braun said.

The most recent supercontinent, Pangea (Greek for 'All Lands'), formed about 300 million years ago with Africa at its centre

'It has important consequences for the thermal budget of the Earth and the so-called 'secular cooling' of the core.

'If heat coming from the core is more important than we thought, this implies that the total heat originally stored in the core is much larger than we thought.

'Also, the magnetic field of the Earth is generated by flow in the liquid core, so the findings of Rowley and co-authors are likely to have implications for our understanding of the existence, character and amplitude of the Earth's magnetic field and its evolution through geological time,' Braun added.

THE NEXT SUPERCONTINENT Researchers have predicted that a new megacontinent - Amasia - will form in the next 250 million years. North and South America will crunch together, with the Caribbean Sea and Arctic Ocean disappearing, while Asia will join the Americas, according to new simulations from Yale University researchers and Japan's Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. North and South America will crunch together, with the Caribbean Sea and Arctic Ocean disappearing, while Asia will join the Americas This will happen because of the movement of the earth's tectonic plates - the enormous plates of the earth's crust that have drifted together and apart over hundreds and millions of years. The research, published in the journal Nature, is based on a theory called Orthoversion - after a supercontinent breaks up, the continents initially drift apart but become trapped within a northsouth band of subduction  where one plate dips below another. On our present-day Earth this band is the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the new supercontinent will form. To test the model, researchers used paleomagnetic data  records of the Earth's magnetic field preserved in rocks  to study variations in the rotation of the Earth with respect to its spin axis. The research is based on a theory called Orthoversion - after a supercontinent breaks up, the continents initially drift apart but become trapped within a northsouth band of subduction  where one plate dips below another. On our present-day Earth this band is the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the new supercontinent will form Advertisement

The research has also been supported by a paper published in the journal Geology by Dr Masaki Yoshida, a geologist based at Japan's Agency for MarineEarth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC).

The most recent supercontinent, Pangea (Greek for 'All Lands'), formed about 300 million years ago with Africa at its centre.

It began breaking apart into the seven continents of today with the birth of the Atlantic Ocean about 100 million years later.

Researchers believe Pangea is the third or fourth supercontinent in Earth's history.

Its immediate predecessors were Rodinia - which formed about 1 billion years ago - and Nuna, which formed about 1.8 billion years ago.

The idea of continental drift was introduced by German scientist Alfred Wegener in 1912, to explain how the shape of Earth's countries looked suspiciously like jigsaw pieces that would fit together.

The Earth's surface is formed from seven major and several minor tectonic plates that wander around at speeds varying from a few millimetres to two centimetres a year, the same pace that a human nail grows.
Around 45,000 years ago, huge 1,000 pound kangaroos, 2-ton wombats and 25-foot long lizards roamed around Australia.

But within 2,000 years of humans colonising Australia, 85 per cent of the country's large wildlife had been wiped out.

The entire process took less than 2,000 years to complete.

The researchers suggest that humans may have hunted these animals to extinction - and even if humans killed one mammal per person per decade - it could have caused the extinction of a species in just a few hundred years.

Scroll down for video

A group of Australian megafauna species during the pleistocene era, drawn by Peter Trusler, an Australian palaeoaritst based at Monach University, Australia.

WHAT KINDS OF MEGAFAUNA WERE THERE? Around 45,000 years ago, huge 'megafauna' species roamed around Australia. But researchers have found that shortly after humans arrived in Australia, more than 85 per cent of these megafauna went extinct. Some of these animals included: 1,000 pound kangaroos.

2-ton wombats.

25-foot-long lizards.

400-pound flightless birds.

300-pound marsupial lion.

Volkswagen-sized tortoises. Advertisement

According to the researchers, some of the megafauna that roamed Australia 50,000 years ago included 1,000 pound kangaroos, 2-ton wombats, 25-foot-long lizards, 400-pound flightless birds, 300-pound marsupial lions and Volkswagen-sized tortoises.

The researchers, based at Monash University in Victoria, Australia and the University of Colorado Boulder, used information from a sediment cored drilled off the coast of Southwest Australia, in the Indian Ocean.

They used the sediment cores to help reconstruct what the climate and ecosystems were like in Australia at the time.

The sediment core is a type of time record of our planet - it contains chronological layers of sediment blown off from earth and into the ocean.

The core includes dust, pollen, ash and spores from a fungus called Sporomiella - which grew on the dung of plant-eating mammals.

The core allowed the researchers to look as far back as 150,000 years ago, spanning Earths last ice age (60,000 to 20,000 years ago).

The researchers found fungal spores from plant-eating animal dung in the sediment core from from 150,000 years ago to about 45,000 years ago - when the amount of spores dropped dramatically.

Professor Gifford Miller, a professor of geological sciences at CU Boulder and co-author of the study published in the journal Nature Communications, said:

'The abundance of these spores is good evidence for a lot of large mammals on the southwestern Australian landscape up until about 45,000 years ago.

Around 45,000 years ago, huge megafauna species roamed around Australia, including wombats weighing 2 tons

'Then, in a window of time lasting just a few thousand years, the megafauna population collapsed.'

Professor Miller said that more than 85 per cent of Australia's megafauna weighing over 100 pounds went extinct shortly after the first humans arrived in Australia.

The ocean sediment core showed the southwest is one of the few regions on the Australian continent that had dense forests both 45,000 years ago and today, making it a hotbed for biodiversity, said Professor Miller.

'It's a region with some of the earliest evidence of humans on the continent, and where we would expect a lot of animals to have lived,' Professor Miller said.

'Because of the density of trees and shrubs, it could have been one of their last holdouts some 45,000 years ago.

'There is no evidence of significant climate change during the time of the megafauna extinction.'

Some of the animals that existed in Australia 50,000 years ago included 25-foot long lizards. Pictured here is a Gould's Goanna lizard in Kakadu National Park, Australia

But scientists have debated what exactly caused these megafauna extinctions

Some researchers say the large animals could not have survived changes in climate, including a shift about 70,000 years ago when most of the southwestern Australian landscape went from a wooded eucalyptus tree environment to an arid landscape with very little vegetation.

Other researchers have suggested the animals were hunted to extinction by Australia's earliest immigrants who had colonized most of Australia by 50,000 years ago.

Professor Miller said it could have been caused by a combination of overhunting and climate change.

Professor Miller said the extinction could have been caused by something called 'imperceptible overkill.'

THE PLEISTOCENE - THE LAST ICE AGE At the time of the Pleistocene, the continents had moved to their current positions. The Pleistocene era spanned from 2.6million to 11,700 year ago. Many ice ages took place during this time - the most recent one was from about 60,000 years ago until 20,000 years ago. At one point during the Ice Age, sheets of ice covered all of Antarctica, large parts of Europe, North America, and South America, and small areas in Asia. In North America they stretched over Greenland and Canada and parts of the northern United States. The remains of glaciers of the Ice Age can still be seen in parts of the world, including Greenland and Antarctica. There was a lot of movement over time, and there were about 20 cycles when the glaciers would advance and retreat as they thawed and refroze. The major effects of the ice age are erosion and deposition of material over large parts of the continents, modification of river systems, creation of millions of lakes, changes in sea level, development of pluvial lakes far from the ice margins, isostatic adjustment of the crust, and abnormal winds. It affects oceans, flooding, and biological communities. The name Pleistocene is the combination of two Greek words: pleistos (meaning 'most') and kainos (meaning 'new' or 'recent'). It was first used in 1839 by Sir Charles Lyell, a British geologist and lawyer. Source: University of California Museum of Paleontology and NOAA Paleoclimatology. Advertisement

A 2006 study by Australian researchers indicates that even low-intensity hunting of Australian megafauna - like the killing of one juvenile mammal per person per decade - could have resulted in the extinction of a species in just a few hundred years.

In another discovery in 2016, Professor Miller used burned eggshells of the 400-pound bird, Genyornis, as the first direct evidence that humans actually preyed on the Australian megafauna.

'The results of this study are of significant interest across the archaeological and Earth science communities and to the general public who remain fascinated by the menagerie of now extinct giant animals that roamed the planet - and the cause of their extinction - as our own species began its persistent colonization of Earth,' said Professor Sander van der Kaars, a researcher geologist at Monash University who led the study.
An exotic trip to the Maldives might do your mind a world of good, but the lengthy flight could do some serious damage to your body.

Headaches, constipation and an increased risk of cancer, organ damage and diabetes are common complaints of people who spend too long sitting down, according to several studies.

And as the race for ever longer distance flights continues, MailOnline Travel looks at some of the ways that your body can be affected by these journeys.

Scroll down for video

Short-term effects of flying

Flying long-haul is great when you get to an exotic destination but it could have unwanted health implications (file photo)

Constipation

Sitting down for long periods of time can make you constipated as your metabolic rate and digestion slows due to the inactivity.

You will probably also experience bloating and become gassy after long periods in the air.

Headaches

Air cabins are notoriously dry and you might find yourself severely dehydrated.

This alone is enough to give you a headache but it could be compounded by the cabin pressure.

One study published in Sage Journals revealed that shortly before landing, some people can experience severe headaches.

This is attributed to the difference in pressure between the cabin and the sinuses.

Jetlag

Anyone who has flown long-haul has experienced jetlag, which is as a result of the body's internal hormones being out of sync with your new time zone.

Sleep is regulated by the hormone cortisol, which varies in levels according to the time of the day.

When you land in a new time zone, your body will take a few days to adjust to producing the right level of cortisol at the right time.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

DVT has long been associated with sitting still for extended periods of time and many experts advise passengers to get up and walk around the cabin during a long flight

Sitting still for extended periods of time has long been associated with DVT, which kills thousands of people every year.

The condition occurs when blood clots develop within the deep veins of the legs, causing pain and swelling.

According to the American Heart Foundation, long periods of immobility in cramped spaces, low cabin pressure and dehydration can all contribute towards the likelihood of a passenger getting DVT.

It can be fatal when the clots break off as it can block blood vessels or travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, such as the lungs, the heart and brain, and cause havoc there.

Long term health implications

An analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reviewed 47 previous studies into the effects of sitting down for long periods of time.

It revealed that increased instances of cardiovascular disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes were among the long-term impacts on health.

While these are not only associated with long haul flights, your journeys can certainly increase the risks.

Diabetes

An article from the Harvard Medical School said that while there is no clear indication of why sitting for long periods of time affects your body in this way, some research has shown that it negatively affects sugar and fat metabolism in the body.

According to Dr. I-Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, both of these could impact diabetes and heart disease risks.

There has also been research showing that prolonged sitting can lower your body's response to insulin, according to the Washington Post, which in turn could lead to diabetes later in life.

Heart disease

Sitting for extended periods of time can cause your entire body to slow down.

Over the course of years or even decades, this could cause a build up of cholesterol and increase blood pressure.

Both of these can cause heart disease in the long run.

Cancer

Journeys that travel closer to the North Pole have greater exposure of UV and cosmic rays

In terms of cancer, it's likely to be due to the increased exposure to radiation and UV rays.

Passengers are exposed to tiny amounts of radiation from cosmic rays on every flight.

These are energetic particles from space, made up of protons, that increase with the length of time of the flight and the proximity to the North Pole.

Flying on a roundtrip from New York to Los Angeles (2,451 miles) three times per year for example, would expose passengers to the equivalent of three chest X-rays, or about 100 microSieverts.

A trip from New York to Beijing (6,828 miles) can easily exceed that.

Similarly, passengers can be exposed to unusually high levels of UV rays in the air.

Abi Cleeve, MD at UltraSun UK told MailOnline Travel: 'At high altitude, over 54 per cent of UVA rays penetrate glass, making pilots spending long periods in the cockpit up to twice as likely to develop melanoma.

'In fact, 56.6 minutes in the air is equivalent to 20 minutes on a tanning bed.'
He's been in show business for almost 70 years.

But Harry Belafonte isn't slowing down, even as he nears 90 years old.

He has announced a new project which will celebrate the upcoming milestone birthday with an album release that will underscore part of his life's work  fostering racial harmony.

Captstone: Harry Belafonte, 89, has announced a new project which will celebrate his upcoming milestone 90th birthday with an album release that will underscore part of his life's work  fostering racial harmony (pictured here in November 2016)

A multi-ethnic children's choir will perform a version of his classic Island In The Sun for a new anthology of his music, When Colors Come Together: The Legacy of Harry Belafonte. The album is set for release on February 24.

He co-wrote the song for the 1957 film Island In The Sun, in which he also starred.

The film generated controversy at the time for its exploration of race and interracial romance.

Musical reboot: A multi-ethnic children's choir will perform a new version of his classic Island in the Sun for a new anthology of his music, When Colors Come Together: The Legacy of Harry Belafonte

Controversial: The film generated controversy at the time for its exploration of race and interracial romance

'Most of the things that fuel prejudice, that fuels hate... are contrived,' Belafonte, who turns 90 on March 1, said in a release.

'The differences that exist between us should be things that attract us to one another, not alienate us from one another.'

Belafonte has been a longtime civil rights activist, marching with the likes of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He is an honorary co-chair of the Women's March on Saturday in Washington.

Historically significant: Belafonte has been a longtime civil rights activist, marching with the likes of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

On Tuesday, he took to the stage at Purdue University to express his concern about the upcoming Trump presidency, according to USA Today.

The Hollywood legend spoke in dire terms: 'No time has been more conflicting for me than this moment, the ending of civilization is what's at stake.'

Belafonte originally endorsed Bernie Sanders before backing Hillary Clinton in the presidential election.
It might be snowing heavily and freezing cold outside.

But Sophie Monk can always find time to don a bikini, even when facing -14 degree temperatures on her getaway to the beautiful Canadian mountains.

Monk, 37, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a photo of herself putting on a busy display as she escaped the bitter cold inside her chalet's luxurious hot tub.

Scroll down for video

Bliss: Sophie Monk has shared a photo of herself relaxing inside a hot tub while on a skiing vacation in Canada

'What I'm best at on a ski holiday', Monk captioned the image.

Wearing a tiny black bikini and with her hair tied up, the movie star and radio host 's ample cleavage was well and truly on display.

The blonde beauty was seemingly thrilled to be able to defrost her body, smiling as she posed for the shot inside the tub.

It was a far cry from a similar hot tub photo she posted just days earlier in which she showed off a hilarious photo of her intense sunburn after a day on the slopes.

Fail! Just days earlier Monk took to Instagram to post a hilarious sunburn fail snap that had her looking - quite literally - red in the face

Last resort: The model has had quite a few mishaps on her trip, including forgetting to put her washing in the dryer leaving her with only a jacket to wear (pictured)

Freezing! Monk has endured incredibly cold conditions on her ski trip to the Canadian mountains

Again with a bikini on and her hair pulled back, Monk revealed her bright-red skin as she shot a less-than-impressed look to camera.

'Might wear sunscreen tomorrow,' she captioned the funny image, including a laughing emoji.

Her trip away with best friend Oscar Gordon got off to a horror start for the model.

Not cold enough? Seemingly undeterred by the weather, Monk posted a video to Instagram of herself wearing minimal clothing and diving into a pile of snow

Embracing it: Monk jumped face first into a large pile of snow, before emerging with the white ice all over her face

Prior to her sunburn Monk suffered another mishap, losing her passport at an airport not long after arriving in Canada.

Sophie shared the moment it was returned to her by staff on her Instagram Story, before later sharing a shot of herself settled into her accommodation and posing by the fireplace in a busty ensemble.

The former Bardot member has been co-hosting KIIS FM's Summer Fling in recent weeks and recently confessed she wants to find a new man in 2017.
They've been friends for some time and were pictured hanging out together in Beverly Hills back in October.

But Brooklyn Beckham, 17, and Sofia Richie, 18, both headed to Bloomsbury Bowling in London on Thursday night.

The teen pair were no doubt keen to catch up after not being seen together for a while and were pictured heading home together in the back of a car.

Scroll down for video

Has Sofia been bowled over by Beckham? Richie flashed her abs in a crop top as she headed to Bloomsbury Bowling with Brooklyn Beckham

Just friends? The teen pair were no doubt keen to catch up after not being seen together for a while and were pictured heading home together in the back of a car

Of course, the duo have plenty in common, with both being part of world-famous showbiz families.

Sofia's father is legendary singer Lionel Richie, 67, while her sister is socialite and former reality star Nicole Richie, 35.

Brooklyn's father is former England footballer David Beckham, 41, while his mother is Spice Girls singer turned fashion designer Victoria, 42.

They also have the experience of high-profile relationships in common, with Sofia enjoying a brief romance with pop prince Justin Bieber, 22, in the summer of 2016, while Brooklyn dated actress Chloe Moretz, 19, over the same period.

Close: Brooklyn and Sofia were also pictured hanging out together in Beverly Hills back in October

Cool: The daughter of legendary crooner Lionel Richie, looked typically trendy in a sophisticated black coat over a cropped white top which exposed a glimpse of midriff

Dressed to impress: Brooklyn looked casually cool in his jeans and retro style Wrangler T-shirt

Topping it off! He kept warm with a funky beanie hat

Sofia headed to the lanes after spending the first part of her evening at Wonderland magazine's pop-up shop in 192 Piccadilly.

The daughter of legendary crooner Lionel Richie, looked typically trendy in a sophisticated black coat over a cropped white top which exposed a glimpse of midriff.

She teamed the items with a pair of baggy blue jogging bottoms and black ankle boots.

The pretty blonde styled her hair in a simple middle parting and wore it sleekly tucked behind her ears.

Fashionista: Earlier in the evening, Sofia graced the launch of Wonderland magazine's pop-up shop in 192 Piccadilly

Stylish: The daughter of legendary crooner Lionel Richie, looked typically trendy in a sophisticated black coat over a cropped white top which exposed a glimpse of midriff

Model material: She teamed the items with a pair of baggy blue jogging bottoms and black ankle boots

Looking good: The pretty blonde styled her hair in a simple middle parting and wore it sleekly tucked behind her ears

Sofia gave her lips a slick of deep red which emphasised her plump pout and decorated her peepers with lashings of mascara.

While Brooklyn teamed a Wrangler T-shirt with jeans and a 'Pure' beanie hat.

MailOnline has approached a spokesperson for both Sofia Richie and Brooklyn Beckham for further information.

She posed with pals Vas J Morgan and DJ Jodie Harsh, producing a sultry stare in between their two smiles.

Chillin': Sitting on a desk, she rested her arm over a copy of the magazine and propped her chin up with her other arm to feign boredom

Hanging out: Sofia posed with pals Vas J Morgan and DJ Jodie Harsh, producing a sultry stare in between their two smiles

Back off: Earlier in the evening, Sofia was snapped arriving at the event

Arrival: Sofia is part of the new crop of young teens and twenty-somethings using social media to elevate their status

Sitting on a desk, she rested her arm over a copy of the magazine and propped her chin up with her other arm to feign boredom.

Sofia is part of the new crop of young teens and twenty-somethings using social media to elevate their status.

She, along with celebrities like the Jenner and Hadid sisters, Nicola Peltz, and Hailey Baldwin have been given a boost into the world of Hollywood thanks to their famous parents.

By association, they have caught the attention of magazine editors and designers who fill their pages and runways with the new crop of stars.

Sofia's older sister Nicole also rose to fame via their father, and she, along with Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, were arguably paved the way for the current generation of Instagram and Twitter stars.

Strutting her stuff: She, along with celebrities like the Jenner and Hadid sisters, Nicola Peltz, and Hailey Baldwin have been given a boost into the world of Hollywood thanks to their famous parents

Sexy slither: Sofia flashed a peek of her stomach in her trendy ensemble

Eyes down: By association, they have caught the attention of magazine editors and designers who fill their pages and runways with the new crop of stars

Back-packing: Sofia swung a black and red backpack as she left the event

Fame by association: Sofia's older sister Nicole also rose to fame via their father

Bendy: Nicole, along with Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, arguably paved the way for the current generation of Instagram and Twitter stars such as Sofia

Skull-fia! Sofia sported a sweeping black jacket with a gold skull emblazoned on the back

Hometime? Sofia decided to call it a day and head back to her car as things came to a close

After party: The paps took once last shot at snapping the blonde as she climbed into her vehicle

All eyes on her: The teen starlet hogged the attention during the night out

Low-key: Brooklyn sported a much more shy demeanour as he headed home

Hit with the ladies: The teen counts French model Sonia Ben Ammar, 17, and actress Chloe Moretz, 19, as former flames

Riding solo: Brooklyn cut a lone figure as he exited Bloomsbury Lanes Bowling Alley

Over it: The young star looked ready for bed

Woman in black: Naomi Isted was also in attendance at the shop launch in a lacy black top, skinny ripped jeans and killer heels
By day she's a mother-of-two and by night a co-host on hit show The Project.

But it seems Australia can't get enough of Carrie Bickmore set to host a new national radio show, joined by comedian and long-term friend Tommy Little, who has been a regular alongside her on the hit Channel Ten show.

The 36-year-old will be given the reins to the 3pm-4pm slot on 2DayFM in Sydney and FoxFM in Melbourne, and across the Hit network nationally.

Scroll down for video

Radio stars: Carrie Bickmore and comedian Tommy Little will take to the airwaves each from 3pm-4pm each weekday as part of a new national program on the Hit Network

The Gold Logie winner worked on Perth radio for close to a decade after getting her start in 1999, and said she was excited about making her return.

'I love that immediate interaction you get with listeners and the unpredictability that comes with it,' Bickmore said in a statement.

'I am really looking forward to having some fun talking about the things I'm passionate about and find amusing.'

Little, who has recently taken up the reins as host of Whose Line Is It Anyway, began working on community radio in 2008.

At home: Bickmore spent close to 10 years working on radio in Perth before making the move to television

Busy: The mother-of-two will now have to balance her radio, TV and parenting commitments

Funny man: Little (left) spent years working on both commercial and community radio in Melbourne before getting his big break and moving into mainstream TV

From their he went on to work for commercial stations across Melbourne before venturing into television.

Little said he was looking forward to working with Bickmore - who he described as the 'best'.

'I can't wait to return to radio with my mate Carrie. She is the best' Little said.

Excited: 'I am really looking forward to having some fun talking about the things I'm passionate about and find amusing,' Bickmore said of her return to radio

'She's caring, lovely and professional. l plan to be the opposite of those things. We're going to have a lot of fun together!'

Executives for Hit Network said they had been working with Bickmore on crafting the show to her liking, hoping to incorporate her 'realness' and 'compassion'.

The pair will kick off their radio show on February 13, and will be followed by popular duo Hamish and Andy.
She's the brunette beauty who was Miss Universe Australia in 2015.

And on Thursday, Monika Radulovic was once again on the international stage, attending the launch of luxury watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen's new line in Geneva, Switzerland.

Monika made sure to stand out at the event in a red lace dress.

Scroll down for video

Timeless beauty: Australian model Monika Radulovic stunned at an IWC Schaffahausen launch in Gevea, Switzerland on Tuesday

The thigh-skimming number put Monika's flawless physique on display, revealing her long legs.

The 5 ft 9 stunner added to her height with a pair of nude-coloured pumps.

Looking every inch an international model, Monika's dark locks were left out and styled into loose curls for the occasion.

She's one to watch! Monika's international profile is rising and she was all smiles at the event for the luxury Swiss watchmaker

Dazzling accessories: Monika accessorised with a $25,300 watch and her sparking engagement ring

The 26-year-old accessorised with an IWC Schaffhausen watch that appeared to be the 18-carat gold and diamond edition from the brand's Portofio line, which retails for a cool $25,300.

And, perhaps more strikingly, the star also wore her sparkling engagement ring.

Monika has been engaged to her beau Alesandro Ljubicic for three years, and brought her fiance along with her to the event.

He's a lucky guy! Monika's fiance, Alesandro, beamed as he cuddled up to his model beau

'Time really does fly when you're having fun': Monika and Alesandro have been engaged for three years, but despite the pair's expensive timepieces that aren't watching the clock when they're together

Clearly happy to be on the arm of the stunning beauty, Alesandro, who is an artist and entrepreneur, cut a cool figure in a grey suit.

To celebrate three years as an engaged couple, Monika recently took to Instagram, writing, 'Wow, time really does fly when you're having fun.'

She continued, 'And my gosh do we have fun- my daily life is pretty much constant laughing with @alesandroljubicic by my side. He is HILARIOUS!!!'

At the event, Monika also shared a snap to Instagram showing off her trim pins, writing, 'So happy to be here at #SIHH2017 with @iwcwatches'.

It's the second event for the brand that Monika has appeared at in the Swiss city.

The beauty also appeared at a gala dinner for the watchmaker, stunning in a silver gown.
She's the Australian actress known for her star turns on the red carpet.

But on Thursday, Cate Blanchett was making a very different walk as she marched for equality in New York City.

The 47-year-old was there as a part of The Ghostlight Project, a movement dedicated to highlighting inclusion and compassion for everyone regardless of differences.

Scroll down for video

Using her star for good: Cate Blanchett joined The Ghostlight Project's protest march for equality in New York City on Thursday

Family affair: Cate was joined by her family including young daughter as she braved the cold conditions at the protest

The striking blonde braved the northern hemisphere winter in a pink knitted had and heavy coat.

The mother of three carried a child in her arms, most likely her adopted daughter Edith.

Cate wore a serious expression as she gathered with the massive crowd in Times Square.

Like mother, like daughter: The striking blonde braved the northern hemisphere winter in a pink knitted had and heavy coat, while her young daughter also rugged up

Having fun: The 47-year-old smiled and laughed with her young daughter who appeared in a cheeky mood, stealing her mother's beanie from off the top of her head

Key values: Mother and daughter held a torch as they protested for inclusion and compassion for all

Doting mum: Cate smiled and laughed as she placed the beanie back on her daughter's head

It's not the first time that the Oscar-winning actress has lent herself to a cause.

In May last year, Cate was named a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, visiting Syrian refugee families in Jordan on behalf of the global organisation.

The striking beauty told UNHCR she felt compelled to take on the role because she was a mother.

Working for change: It's not the first time that the Oscar-winning actress has lent herself to a cause

Helping refugees: In May last year, Cate was named a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador

On the ground: Cate visited Syrian refugee families in Jordan on behalf of the global organisation

'There has never been a more crucial time to stand with refugees and show solidarity,' Cate said.

'... It feels like we're at a fork in the road, do we go down the compassionate path or do we go down the path of intolerance?'

In Australia, Cate has also been an outspoken advocate for more action on climate change, boldly fronting a carbon tax media campaign in 2011.

Closer to home: In Australia, Cate has also been an outspoken advocate for more action on climate change (Pictured in 2010 as work began installing solar panels on the Sydney Theatre Company building)

She joined a Sydney march of 20,000 in 2006, calling on the Australian government to do more on climate change.

While promoting her movie Blue Jasmine in 2013, the actress spoke of the importance of equality for women.

'I feel that all of the steps forward that we've made ... a lot of those have been rescinded,' she told Sky News.

'Conservatism is affecting the way women perceive who they are in the world.'
Horizon: Clean Eating - The Dirty Truth

Rating:

Spy in the Wild

Rating:

Dont play with your food! If youre old enough to recall when fish fingers, frozen peas and Smash were your five-a-day, youll remember that ominous warning from the school dinner hall.

Playing with your food meant hiding the greens under the potato, and cutting off the burnt bits. Playing with your food again meant a cuff round the ear.

These days, for the social media generation, playing with your food is the whole point. Its about arranging the ingredients in perfect patterns on the plate, taking a pristine picture and posting it onto Instawitter or Twitbook.

Chef and clean-eating advocate, Ella Mills, with Dr Giles Yeo who claimed the fad is dangerous in a rather long-winded episode of Horizon yesterday, Christopher Stevens writes

Dr Giles Yeo tried photographing his breakfast for Horizon: Clean Eating  The Dirty Truth (BBC2). But he didnt seem to be taking it very seriously. His snapshot showed a fried-egg-and-sausage bun, with a mug of builders tea.

Really, Dr Giles, youre missing the point. You are not supposed to showcase a meal that any normal human being might want to eat.

Instead, its all a visual metaphor for your moral virtue. The more organic your almond butter quinoa looks, the purer your soul must be. Carbs and processed meat are sinful  they might kill you, but youll never get to heaven.

So much about the clean food fad, which promotes gluten-free veganism, is frightening. Disciples of cooks such as the Hemsley sisters, Jasmine and Melissa, and Ella Mills of the Deliciously Ella brand, can become obsessed with food  tracking down ingredients, preparing them, photographing them . . . even feeling guilty for swallowing one bite too much.

In an era of eating disorders, all this healthy food may be fuelling mental illness. Put bluntly, anyone neurotic enough to snap a kale salad has probably got a screw loose.

Dr Giles wasnt interested in the psychological aspect. He focused on the scientific claims, pasting up photographs of the leading suspects  chefs, gurus and quacks  and drawing connections between them with a marker pen.

CLIFFHANGER OF THE WEEK In a shocking twist at the end of Unforgotten (ITV), we saw the suspects meeting secretly  and realised they must all have been complicit in the murder of that long-dead nightclub owner. But does this mean his wife is in the clear? Im not so sure . . . Advertisement

Its the same technique used by DI Humphrey Goodman on Death In Paradise. Sadly for Dr Giles, his investigation didnt take him to the Caribbean, but he had fun trekking around America in a Mustang.

At one moment, he was in the back seat of a convertible, waving his arms around as he explained the connection between cholesterol and grain. The next, he was pulling up at his destination, in the drivers seat . . . and there was no one else with him in the car.

This was so bizarre that I found it hard to follow his arguments. Was he being towed? Did he steer from the back via remote control?

He met some odd coves on his travels. One was an anti-wheat evangelist who launched into a stream-of-consciousness rant in a roadside diner, and looked ready to kill the waitress who interrupted him with a menu.

Another was Grand Poobah of clean food, Professor T. Colin Campbell, who was 83 and appeared more dead than alive.

The ugliest was a sweaty man called Robert Young, who quoted the Bible and Koran to back his claim that bicarbonate of soda (on sale at his health centre for 475 a session) helped reverse cancer.

By the end of the documentary, Dr Giles was angry and emphatic: the fad for clean is dangerous. But it took him a long time to reach the point.

Producers of BBC1s wildlife series Spy In The Wild subtly hid cameras in unassuming objects resulting in some fascinating footage of animal behaviour

In contrast, Spy In The Wild (BBC1) got straight to business. The producers hid cameras in a succession of increasingly ingenious objects, and filmed fascinating wildlife behaviour.

They invented spy rock, spy ostrich egg and even spy termite mound. But spy walnut was less successful  a squirrel ate it.

The yuckiest, and most amazing, was spy grub  a fat larva, as big as your thumb, in the crevice of a rotten tree in New Caledonia, far out in the South Pacific.

The worlds brainiest crows live there, and they fish for grubs with twigs. From inside the log, we watched a bird hooking and extracting larvae with the precision of a surgeon.

Then it swallowed the meal in a single gulp. You wont catch clever crows playing with their food.
Promises, Promises (Southwark Playhouse)

Rating:

There is something of the dirty old raincoat about Promises, Promises, a 1968 musical based on Billy Wilders film The Apartment.

A bumbling junior accountant allows his male bosses to use his Manhattan flat for romantic assignations. This is the era of overweight guys chasing slender typists, the women simpering into the arms of whisky-drinking slobs.

Promises, Promises is a 1968 musical based on Billy Wilders film The Apartment. Pictured are Gabriel Vick as Chuck and Daisy Maywood as Fran

In their slinky Sixties dresses, they strike minxy poses and sashay off stage like catwalk models. It is not a show, we can deduce, likely to find favour with the more dogmatic sort of feminist.

Sensitive new man that I am, I wondered if I should be reporting this disgraceful chauvinism to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Yet with music by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David and a nicely surreal script by Neil Simon, the evening has its moments.

Southwark Playhouses revival, directed by Bronagh Lagan, also has two pleasing romantic leads in Gabriel Vick (who plays Chuck, the handsome young accountant) and Daisy Maywood (a waitress he saves from the clutches of his companys brutish personnel officer, Mr Sheldrake).

Connoisseurs of wobbly sets will be in their element. Simon Wellss design is a flimsy effort, the whole thing shaking when doors shut. It would not have disgraced an episode of Crossroads.

Props went flying. A shutter became stuck and a not-quite-invisible stagehand could be seen desperately wrestling with it. Quick! Bring on some pot plants to create camouflage!

Add to this a fluffed cue for a song (I Say A Little Prayer) that had in fact been dropped from the show to pare back an already punishingly long evening, and we were, at times, teetering close to unintended farce. Good oh! It adds to the gaiety.

It is not a show likely to find favour with the more dogmatic sort of feminist, says Quentin Letts

The actors, some of whom may have been recruited from the local rugby clubs 3rd XV, glued faintly nauseous grins to their faces and stuck admirably to their task.

Other structural weaknesses are no fault of this production. The shows one original hit, Ill Never Fall In Love Again, does not come until the last quarter and the first half-hour or so is crying out for a memorable number.

Things dont approach cruising altitude until Chuck and nasty Mr Sheldrake (powerfully voiced Paul Robinson, who does a good glinty eye) sing Its Our Little Secret.

Although I Say A Little Prayer had been omitted from this version, it did retain another Bacharach hit A House Is Not A Home, which was crowbarred in after the shows original run. This ensures that you head for the interval humming a good tune.

Alex Young does a jolly turn as a vampish married woman. John Guerrasio is droll as a wise-cracking doctor who helps the unhappy young lovers overcome adversity.

And the enterprise recovers itself to end in a touching manner, Mr Vicks noble Chuck telling Miss Maywoods gamine Fran that he adores her, and she telling him she wouldnt mind hearing that a little louder.

Winter Solstice (Orange Tree, Richmond)

Rating:

Boris Johnson caused a continental tizzy this week with a wisecrack about World War II, but liberal, EU-approved voices are just as happy to shout Nazi!, arguably in a more intolerant way.

The German embassy is promoting the first British production of Winter Solstice, a much-vaunted play by Roland Schimmelpfennig. The show has been part-sponsored by Germanys official cultural beacon, the Goethe Institut. This, plainly, is a work Berlin wants us to see.

A seemingly charming old stranger turns up at the house of stressy middle-class yuppies Albert and Bettina. He likes classical music, has links with Paraguay, seems wary of foreigners, approves of nationalism and proposes a toast to the next 1,000 years. Yes, Volks, hes a living ghost of the Nazis.

The first British production of Winter Solstice is on at the Orange Tree in Richmond. Pictured is Laura Rogers as Bettina

The first two thirds of this show can be enjoyed as an acid satire on modern liberalism. Albert and Bettina (Dominic Rowan and Laura Rogers) are neurotic, unfaithful to one another, so frozen in the social aspic of liberalism that they can not accept the obvious: that old Rudolph, their visitor (Nicholas Le Prevost), is an armlifter.

Winter Solstice is directed with alienation technique  ie, without much effort at lifelike staging. The actors sit around trestle tables, using plastic household items to represent props.

The child of the household is never seen, but we are invited to imagine her in the room. Later we hear her disembodied (American) voice.

In the last half-hour or so, the story becomes hard to follow. Albert discovers the courage to tell the Nazi to get lost, or does he? Suddenly he is back among us, shouting about Jews. There is some elusive symbolism about a Christmas tree. It all ends in a bit of a self-indulgent mess.

Mr Le Prevost is a lovely actor, but I wonder if he is quite the man to play the troubling figure of Rudolph.

The unrelenting middle-classness of the whole thing also becomes stifling. It might have been more interesting to see a play depicting blue-collar attitudes in Chancellor Angela Merkels Germany.
Her latest Resident Evil film premiered in Tokyo in December and since then Milla Jovovich has embarked on a global tour to promote the final installment in the sci-fi action franchise.

After stops in Mexico, Los Angeles, Taiwan and South Korea, she arrived in Germany Thursday.

The 41-year-old wore a semi sheer black blouse with lacey collar that revealed her lacey black bra and was left partially unbuttoned.

Globe-trotter: After stops in Mexico, Los Angeles, Taiwan and South Korea, Milla Jovovich arrived in Berlin for the German premiere of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Thursday

She paired the stylish top with a calf-length black leather skirt that featured loose pleats and heeled black boots.

Her short dark hair was worn in a feathered look tucked behind the ears.

Her brows were arched with dark brown pencil and she wore charcoal shadow on her eye-lids with back mascara.

Milla added some rosy blush and cherry red lip color.

Made up: Milla's brows were arched with dark brown pencil and she wore charcoal shadow on her eye-lids with back mascara. She added some rosy blush and cherry red lip color

Ready to roll: The actress, 41, reprises her role of Alice in the final installment of the sci-fi action horror franchise

All black: She wore a semi sheer blouse with lacey collar that revealed her black bra and she paired it with a calf-length leather skirt that featured loose pleats and heeled black boots

The actress was joined at the Berlin premiere by her husband Paul W.S. Anderson.

Anderson wrote the screenplay for all six of the Resident Evil movies and directed four of them including Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.

Milla reprises her role of Alice in the final installment and finds herself in a race against time as the Umbrella Corporation prepares for a final strike against the remaining survivors of the apocalypse.

The film also stars Ali Larter, Shawn Roberts, Ruby Rose, Eoin Macken, William Levy, and Iain Glen.

Side by side: The actress was joined at the Berlin premiere by her husband Paul W.S. Anderson
Jackie (15)

Rating:

Even for those of us who cant remember what we were doing when we heard that President Kennedy had been shot, in my case on account of being only two years old at the time, the assassination still holds an almost hypnotic power.

Pablo Larrains film (the accomplished Chilean directors first in the English language) attempts to exploit our never-ending fascination with the events of that fateful November day in Dallas in 1963 by approaching it from an unfamiliar angle.

What was the experience like for JFKs wife, Jackie (superbly played by Natalie Portman)? Not just in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, his brains splattered all over her pink Chanel suit, but in that first week of sudden, stupefying widowhood as she tried to come to terms with her loss?

That Jackie should be released in the UK today, on the day President Trump is inaugurated and his wife Melania becomes First Lady, is surely happenstance rather than design

That Jackie should be released in the UK today, on the day President Trump is inaugurated and his wife Melania becomes First Lady, is surely happenstance rather than design. But it does rather raise the question of whether Mrs Trump will cast an enduring spell over us, like Mrs Kennedy did. We can probably assume not.

That said, Larrain and his screenwriter Noah Oppenheim are so captivated by the spell that at times they forget to imbue their drama with, well, drama.

Jackie arrives here trailing lots of rhapsodic five-star reviews, not to mention a growing clamour for Portman to get an Academy Award.

But I thought it a rather self-indulgent piece of film-making, and downright dreary in places, such as in Jackies endless consultations with her Irish priest (John Hurt in fine, frowning form) about the existence of God.

Jackie arrives here trailing lots of rhapsodic five-star reviews, not to mention a growing clamour for Portman to get an Academy Award

It doesnt help, by the way, that Jackie speaks in a breathy, somewhat simpering whisper that belies her emotional froideur. I have no doubt that its an uncannily accurate vocal impersonation by Portman, but it is far more irritating than seductive.

A classy supporting cast includes Peter Sarsgaard as Robert Kennedy, Greta Gerwig as Jackies social secretary, and Richard E. Grant as her interior design consultant. But the film is framed by an interview Jackie gives to a Life magazine journalist (Billy Crudup) just a week after the assassination.

Already she is massaging the Kennedy image for posterity, chain-smoking but instructing him that his readers must not be told she has a cigarette habit. What does emerge powerfully is how strong and smart she is beneath the layers of vulnerability.

Pablo Larrains film attempts to exploit our never-ending fascination with the events of that fateful November day in Dallas in 1963

But she is much easier to admire than to like, and really that goes for the picture as a whole.

Still, it expertly captures that sense of a wider world in turmoil, with nobody quite knowing what would happen next, as in the wake of 9/11. Only very occasionally does it make the mistake of anticipating the future, as when the journalist assures her that decades from now, people will remember your dignity. That, I think, is a line meant for us, not her.

Like the woman herself, and like Portman, Jackie is lovely to look at. It has oodles of style and originality.

Larrain cleverly replicates a famous televised tour round the White House from 1961, and uses songs from the musical Camelot to underscore the Kennedy myth. But I emerged from the cinema more enervated than enlightened, and not at all sure whether the film had shed light on the strange mystique of Jackie Kennedy, or made it more unfathomable still.
When this mommy kicks up her heels, she really kicks up her heels - literally.

January Jones partied so hard that she had to ditch her shoes in the middle of her Las Vegas celebration.

The actress and her friends had an epic ladies' night out on Saturday as the Mad Men star turned 39.

Birthday girl: January Jones celebrated her 39th birthday in las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday

January recently said she did not need a man and proved it on Saturday night as she was joined by her sister Jina and six other girlfriends for a party that spanned two casinos and multiple venues.

The girl gang - most of whom are moms - kicked off their night at with drinks at CliQue Bar & Lounge at The Cosmopolitan.

The group posed up for snaps and had some beers and a few shots to get the night started.

January and her posse sipped on Don Sandia shots which are cucumbers hollowed out with tequila, lime, and watermelon mixed up inside them.

Girls' night: January recently said she did not need a man and proved it on Saturday night as she was joined by her sister Jina and six other girlfriends for a party that spanned two casinos and multiple venues

Cheers: The girl gang - most of whom are moms - kicked off their night at with drinks at CliQue Bar & Lounge at The Cosmopolitan

With some pre-dinner drinks under their belt, the X Men star and her pals headed back to Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino for dinner at Kumi Restaurant and Bar where they feasted on sushi and enjoyed some more child-free time.

Of course being in Vegas means hitting the casino floor and that is exactly what the ladies did.

In a video posted by January's friend Diana Armstrong-Bruns, the group literally strutted their way onto the gambling floor.

An insider tells DailyMail.com that January showed off her skills at the blackjack tables.

Strut it out: Of course being in Vegas means hitting the casino floor and that is exactly what the ladies did

The star decided not to worry about a poker face, telling those near her she loves card games and is great at numbers, the source said.

And she was right, with the star winning 'quite a bit' as her friends cheered her on.

Not only was Lady Luck with the birthday girl, but she was looking fantastic.

For her celebration, the 39-year-old wore a plunging black dress with white stars on it.

Party dress: Not only was Lady Luck with the birthday girl, but she was looking fantastic in a black and white dress

How low can she go: The 39-year-old showed off lots of cleavage and her bra in the saucy frock

The frock was so low that the star's bra and plentiful cleavage was exposed.

Not done with their night yet, the ladies hit up the famed LIGHT nightclub where dancing on the couches was mandatory for those in the party.

While she was brought a giant bottle of champagne by a scantily-clad waitress January unusually opted for something a little different at her table.

An insider tells DailyMail.com the star sipped on Bud Light beer instead of the usual fruity connections on offer.

Dance time: Not done with their night yet, the ladies hit up the famed LIGHT nightclub where she star danced so hard she needed to swap her heels for slippers

Having a ball, January made a beeline to the dancefloor and even had the DJ play her favorite song, Star Boy by The Weekend.

The insider tells the DailyMail.com: 'She was dancing so much that the team at LIGHT Nightclub actually went and grabbed January slippers so she could ditch her stilettos.'

The actress topped off her night by screaming as her Tiffany blue cake arrived and she bit a huge chunk out of it before staff had a chance to cut it, the source reveals.

January does not get a lot of big nights out that are not red carpet related as she is raising son Xander as a single parent.
She's gone from a model search in Girlfriend magazine to a bonafide Hollywood star.

And any remaining doubts about Ruby Rose's A-list credentials have now been abolished as she was pictured receiving a kiss on the cheek from Vin Diesel.

The Australian actress, 30, starred alongside Diesel in recently released action movie xXx: Return of Xander Cage and appeared more than comfortable in his presence on the set of Young Hollywood Studio this week.

Scroll down for video

A-list friends: Ruby Rose (right) has received a kiss on the cheek from Hollywood action star Vin Diesel (left) during an interview with Young Hollywood Studio

Sitting side by side throughout the interview, both Rose and Diesel regularly laughed as they spoke about their time on set.

The pair then posed with their arms crossed to create an X, before the long-time action hero swooped in to give Rose a kiss on the cheek.

It comes just days after the Orange Is the New Black star revealed she and Diesel talk to one another on FaceTime multiple times each week.

During a pre-recorded interview for Channel Ten's The Project on Wednesday, Ruby Rose revealed she often turns to him for advice.

Action stars: The xXx: Return of Xander Cage co-star's have been revealed to be very close in recent weeks after spending time together on the set of the movie

Jovial mood: The pair showed they're not always serious by enjoying a laugh during their chat

xXx: The Hollywood stars then posed for a photo showing crossing their arms into an 'X'

'We FaceTime about four to five times a week,' Rose told the program.

'I called him [Vin Diesel] before I had the Ellen Show [appearance one week ago],' Ruby revealed.

'He's filled with advice... we FaceTime four to five times a week.

'Vin is one of the most unique, special people I've ever met. He's an endless abundance of love and sort of acceptance.

'We FaceTime about four to five times a week': During a pre-recorded interview in London for Channel Ten's The Project on Wednesday, Ruby Rose, 30, revealed she often turns to her xXx: Return of Xander Cage co-star Vin Diesel, 49, for advice

Support: 'Vin is one of the most unique, special people I've ever met. He's an endless abundance of love and sort of acceptance,' the actress continued to gush

'And support that he just gives out to people,' she continued.

The co-stars also have great banter.

Speaking to Nova's Smallzy's Surgery on Wednesday, Ruby told Kent 'Smallzy' Small she competed with Vin Diesel, to see who could bulk up the most.

'I look like Wolverine!' Ruby revealed her shock over her buff appearance in xXx as she told Kent 'Smallzy' Small on Nova's Smallzy's Surgery, about the extreme lengths she went to, to prepare for the action role

No rest: Describing herself as a 'workaholic,' Ruby said she exercised constantly to bulk up for the action role

Couldn't compete: The actress also admitted to Smallzy she couldn't quite measure up to Vin, explaining: 'His arms are the size of my head'

Describing herself as a 'workaholic,' Ruby said she worked out constantly to bulk up for her action role in xXx: Return of Xander Cage.

Fortunately the gruelling regime was made more enjoyable as she competed with Vin to see who could make the most progress.

'We trained very competitively to see who could bulk up the quickest ... we were training, training, training, and it got to the point were I couldn't bulk up anymore,' Ruby said.

A lot of kale: A vegetarian, the petite beauty revealed she had to consume an enormous volume of greens and protein shakes, to get the energy needed to gain muscle

Rising star: Ruby's hard work in the gym and in film is paying off as she is set to have a great year in Hollywood

A vegetarian, the petite beauty revealed she had to consume an enormous volume of greens and protein shakes, to get the energy needed to gain muscle.

But the results paid off when The Orange Is The New Black star's buff appearance was revealed.

'When some of these photos came out for X and when we did press I look like Wolverine!' Ruby gushed.
Roxy Jacenko may run a PR business reported to be worth in excess of $13 million.

But that doesn't mean the 36-year-old is too good to fly economy.

Especially when she and her pals caught the flight because the blonde bombshell craved a specific Gold Coast restaurant's Toothfish for lunch.

Scroll Down For Video

Woman of the people! PR queen Roxy Jacenko (in red), whose business is worth a reported $13 million, was snapped flying economy on a spontaneous trip to get lunch

The mother-of-two treated herself to a ladies long lunch at the lavish Burleigh Fishouse on Friday, documenting her flight to get to the out-of-state restaurant online.

In one image, Roxy flashed a 'v' sign to camera, presumably in reference to the Virgin Australia plane she was aboard, as she was pictured in what clearly appeared to be economy seating.

The picture included her two lunch-date travel companions, with the blonde trio getting all dolled up for the hour-long flight.

The beauty looked stunning in a pleated red dress, grinning knowingly to camera as if she was the instigator of the crazy idea.

Is the private jet in the shop? Acknowledging the flight choice, and her friend's apparent surprise, Roxy hilariously captioned the picture 'And she thought she was going Private !!! Hahahaha'

Her gal-pals looked equally amazing, with Gemma Oldfield kitted-out in a versatile blue-and-white wrap.

Holly Asser went contemporary in a little black dress, smiling on from across the aisle of the budget flight.

'When you fancy toothfish for lunch >> Burleigh Heads for the day is an excellent idea.' Roxy captioned the snap.

An earlier image showed her friend walking on the tarmac towards the rear stairway to board the jet, her lithe legs accentuated in stiletto heels.

Girl squad! When the well-dressed bubbly blondes arrived at their destination, they made sure to post a group selfie flaunting their anticipatory pre-lunch grins

Acknowledging the flight choice, and her friend's apparent surprise they weren't aboard a private jet, Roxy hilariously captioned the picture 'And she thought she was going Private !!! Hahahaha.'

When the bubbly blondes arrived at their destination, they made sure to post a group selfie flaunting their anticipatory pre-lunch grins.

Fans were quick to notice the rarity of the occasion, with one commenting: 'Hahaha remember last time you were in economy seats on a commercial aircraft.'

Not present: The super-mum appeared to leave the kids at home for the spontaneous trip, after having a beach day with the self-professed 'A team' the day before

'How could I forget!!!!!!' Roxy replied.

While it's not clear what mode of transport the personality will be taking on the way home, fans should note that the Patagonian Toothfish at the popular seafood restaurant will set the trio back $58 a head.

The super-mum appeared to leave the kids at home for the spontaneous trip, after having a beach day with the self-professed 'A team' the day before.

How much? While it's not clear what mode of transport the personality will be taking on the way home, fans should note that the Patagonian Toothfish at the popular seafood restaurant will set the trio back $58 a head




A giant monster is wrecking havoc in Seoul, South Korea - and it turns out Anne Hathaway's character is the reason behind it's destruction.

In a new trailer for the upcoming sci-fi thriller Colossal, Anne, 34, plays Gloria, a woman who realizes she is somehow in full control of the deadly monster's movements.

It's a power Gloria is completely shocked to learn she possesses, and so she attempts to convince her friends she is in full control of the monster by dancing suggestively while they watch video of the beast.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

They both have moves: Gloria (Anne Hathaway) dances suggestively to prove to friends in a hilarious new trailer for Colossal that she inadvertently possesses the power to control a destructive monster

Sheer terror: A giant monster is wrecking havoc in Seoul, South Korea - and it turns out Hathaway's character may be the reason behind it's destruction

'Gloria, you've got to see this!' her friend exclaims as he watches the monster on a laptop. 'It's dancing!'

'It's dancing, like....?' Gloria says, trying to get her friends to make the connection between her dance and the monster.

'Holy,' Gloria's friend, played by Jason Sudeikis, says in realization.

The trailer begins with a scene of inhabitants of Seoul running for their lives as the monster tears through the city, destroying buildings and roads.

The proof is in the pudding: Oscar (Jason Sudeikis) and friends watch as the monster dances exactly as Gloria does

What do you think? Hathaway grins broadly as she demonstrates the unusual link

Horrific: Citizens of Seoul watch in shock as the monster begins to wreck havoc on their city

Gloria can't believe what she's seeing as she watches the madness unfold on television.

'I was just watching the news, and I think I'm in shock. A giant monster just materialized over Seoul', a dumb-founded Gloria explains to her friend over the phone.

'That happened like nine hours ago!' Gloria's friend replies. 'You're just hearing about it!? What have you been doing all day?'

Shock: Gloria calls up a friend, panicked after watching the monster wreck havoc on Seoul

Testing it out: Hathaway raises her friend to see if the monster will follow suit

Oh no: It is then that Gloria begins to connect the dots, as she anxiously watches the monster on television and sees how it responds as she moves her own body

Gloria's friend ponders the strange behavior of the monster.

'Do you ever notice how it keeps destroying everything in it's path, but it never looks down?' he observes. 'It's like it's being operated by a remote control.'

It is then that Gloria begins to connect the dots, as she anxiously watches the monster on television and sees how it responds as she moves her own body.

Gloria raises her hand and gasps as the monster does the exact same thing on television.

Colossal is scheduled for release on April 7 and also stars Dan Stevens and Tim Blake Nelson.

Tragic: News captures the monster leaving a path of destruction

Unbelievable: Gloria gasps as the monster does the exact same thing she does on television
They're the stunning pair who were named couple of the year by Maxim Australia in 2016, celebrating the award with a steamy topless photo shoot.

And the Bachelor's first ever lesbian couple, Tiffany Scanlon and Megan Marx, are continuing to flaunt their amazing bodies, sharing equally revealing bikini photos with their fans on Friday.

The photos come after Megan revealed they are forced to constantly rebuff sexual advances for threesomes and men who claim they can turn them straight.

Scroll down for video

Babes! The Bachelor's first ever lesbian couple Tiffany Scanlon and Megan Marx both posted sexy bikini snaps to Instagram on Friday. Tiffany is pictured here

Flashing her washboard abs, Tiffany showed off her taut beach body in an artsy black and white photo.

Looking down at her feet, the revealing swimsuit revealed some cleavage and her tanned limbs.

The blonde beauty is currently preparing to join her lady love in Bali, where the two are moving in together.

Looking good! Megan shared a similarly beachy photo that same day, wearing the same yellow bikini she was pictured in earlier this week

Tiffany accompanied the beach picture with an inspirational quote for her followers.

'I'm certainly no poet but this came to me last night and I wanted to share it to show that everything in life is a lesson and every cloud has a silver lining,' she captioned the photo.

'Have a fabulous Friday!'

Megan shared a similarly beachy photo that same day, wearing the same yellow bikini she was pictured in, earlier this week.

Moving on! Tiffany is preparing to join her lady love in Bali, where the two will move in together

The striking blonde flaunted her cleavage and toned tummy as she posed arms in the air.

Showing off her quirky personality, Megan added a bizarre caption to the photo: 'What if God is actually a chicken Food for thought.'

The couple's bikini snaps come after Megan fired off an open letter, blasting men who constantly approach the couple for threesomes.

Unusual meeting: Tiffany met Megan while they were competing for Richie Strahan's affection on The Bachelor

In the open letter, published by Popsugar, Megan said she finds it bizarre how men who are complete strangers think it is OK to solicit the couple for a threesome.

She recalled that the last time she had been propositioned was at an event, the fifth time that night.

'I gave the fellow in question  who was dressed neatly in linen boat pants and a pale blue Hilfiger shirt  a good stare, and said, "That's a pretty rude question, don't you think?"' Megan wrote.

Unwanted: The couple's bikini snaps come after Megan fired off an open letter, blasting men who constantly approach the couple for threesomes

'Apparently I can't take a joke and am "uptight," but I've decided to continue to be totally unfunny and deny sexual advances from strangers. Sorry not sorry, a**hole.'

The Western Australian beauty also label the constant quips from males who offer to 'turn her straight' offensive.

'What you're actually saying is that you could "turn me" from an all-sex-attracted woman into a cheater,' Megan said.
She's the bikini model with over 73,000 followers on Instagram.

But there was no filter required for Ashley Hart on Friday as she shared a striking make-up free selfie.

The 26-year-old showcased her natural beauty and flawless complexion in the candid photograph.

Scroll down for video

Natural beauty! Ashley Hart stunned in a flawless makeup-free selfie as she announced her return to the United States after spending the holidays in Sydney

Ashley also announced plans to return to the US after spending the holidays in Sydney and Melbourne.

She wrote in the caption: 'Bye bye beautiful Australia!!! Thank you for the best trip Home! I love you.'

The Australian stunner let her blonde wavy locks down for the photo, enhancing her striking features further.

Homecoming: Ashley be returning to the USA shortly, where her husband Buck Palmer (L) and model sister Jessica Hart also live

Ashley be returning to the USA shortly, where her husband Buck Palmer and model sister Jessica Hart also live.

Meanwhile, the siblings confirmed on Tuesday they are working together on a health and wellness project.

But Ashley and Jessica did not reveal any further details during an interview with The Daily Telegraph.

Model material: Ashley (R) told The Daily Telegraph earlier this week that she will partner with her older sister sister Jessica (L) to work on a health and wellness project

'I can't say much more than that for now,' Ashley said. 'But it is exciting to be working with my sister again'.

The famous siblings are both known for their healthy and free-spirited lifestyles, so the new venture should come as no surprise.

While Jessica remained in America for the festive period, Ashley flew back to Australia to spend time in Melbourne and Sydney.
On Wednesday, she flaunted her incredible physique in an unmissable red bikini.

And it seems PR queen Roxy Jacenko is so thrilled with the photos of herself at Sydney's Bondi Beach - first published by Daily Mail Australia this week - that she is using one as her new Instagram profile picture.

Having recently lost 10kgs through a strict fitness regime, the Sweaty Betty PR founder looked incredible as she splashed about in the water with her two children.

Scroll down for video

Papped! This photo of Roxy Jacenko in a red bikini at Sydney's Bondi Beach - published by Daily Mail Australia earlier this week - is now the PR maven's new Instagram profile picture

She's snap happy! The Sweaty Betty PR founder, 36, decided to use the paparazzi photo as her latest social media avatar on Friday

Jacenko, 36, smiled happily as she waded about with her children in the water and played on the sand.

Flaunting her washboard abs and svelte physique in a bright red bikini, it's little surprise Roxy chose to use it as her Instagram avatar.

The picture of her looking confident with minimal make-up will now be a familiar sight to her 143,000 social media followers.

The Sydney publicist showed off ample cleavage in the triangle top, while flaunting her pert derriere in a pair of tie-side bottoms.

Woman of the people! PR queen Roxy Jacenko (second from right), whose business is worth a reported $13 million, was snapped flying economy on Friday before a spontaneous lunch trip

Usually rocking a wrist full of diamonds, Roxy kept her accessories to a minimum, with a single gold Cartier bangle on her right arm.

She completed her beach look with her trademark black Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses.

Roxy was joined by her daughter Pixie, five, and two-year-old son Hunter as she cooled off in the Sydney heatwave.

But after a day of fun in the sun it was back to work on Friday, as Roxy jetted off to Queensland's Gold Coast for lunch.

She took to Instagram to share her trip north before treating herself to a long lunch at the lavish Burleigh Fishouse.
Nina Dobrev and Jordana Brewster brought the glamour to the LA premiere of XXX: The Return of Xander Cage on Thursday night.

Nina, 28, stars in the movie that sees Vin Diesel return as the agent he first debuted in the original 2002 actioner XXX.

Jordana, 36, was at the premiere to support her Fast & Furious co-star and friend of 15 years.

Knockouts: Nina Dobrev and Jordana Brewster brought the glamour to the LA premiere of XXX: The Return of Xander Cage on Thursday night

Nina rocked a strapless black gown with a silver and gold thread embellished bodice and white and gold star decals at the hips.

The number was split to the thigh on one side and she added a pair of silver pumps.

She wore her shoulder-length dark hair with a side parting and styled in loose curls.

Stunner: Nina, who stars opposite Vin Diesel in the movie, rocked a strapless black gown with a silver and gold thread embellished bodice and white and gold star decals at the hips

Lovely look: Nina's frock was split to the thigh on one side and she added a pair of silver pumps. She wore her shoulder-length dark hair with a side parting and styled in loose curls

Effortlessly beautiful: Jordana showed up to support he Fast & Furious co-star and friend Diesel in a sleeveless black sheath dress with a funky gold and silver pattern down the front

Jordana looked effortlessly fabulous in a sleeveless black sheath dress with a funky gold pattern down the front.

She added silver sandal heels and wore her long raven hair with a center parting and tucked back behind her ears.

Also on hand for the big night was TV personality Julianne Hough who was almost unrecognizable with a long dark blonde plait and penciled in brown brows.

Sheer style: Julianne Hough wore a sheer midnight blue gown that revealed her underwear and a long gold plait

The former DWTS judge wore a sheer midnight blue gown that revealed her underwear.

The wraparound number allowed her to flaunt her legs and was fastened at the waist with a wide black belt.

The film's star Diesel wore black skinny pants and black t-shirt with a white jacket.

He had opted out of the 2005 XXX sequel State Of The Union, ceding the lead role to Ice Cube.

Back in action: The film's star Diesel wore black skinny pants and black t-shirt with a white jacket

Fun time: Diesel laughed as he snapped a selfie with Samuel L. Jackson who has starred in all three XXX films

Gang's all here: Diesel, Jackson and Ice Cube posed together; Cube replaced Diesel in the 2005 sequel to the 2002 original and appears in the third installment

Cube, who returns for this new film, and Samuel L. Jackson, who appeared in all three installments of the franchise, were both on hand Thursday night to celebrate the action thriller's release.

Diesel's leading ladies Ruby Rose, Deepika Padukone and Hermione Corfield also dressed to kill for the red carpet.

It's the first big Hollywood outing for English actress Corfield who looked absolutely stunning in a gray jumpsuit slit to the waist with a sheer bodice.

It featured a wide satin waistband and flared legs and she added a pair of gray pumps with bows.

Big night: English actress Hermione Corfield looked absolutely stunning in a gray jumpsuit slit to the waist with a sheer bodice

Gorgeous: Deepika Padukone wore an off-the-shoulder pale pink floor-length gown

Classic: It featured a long scarf that fell from the shoulder on one side and pooled in a small train on the floor as she posed for photos

Padukone wore an off-the-shoulder pale pink floor-length gown.

It featured a long scarf that fell from the shoulder on one side and pooled in a small train on the floor as she posed for photos.

Co-star Ruby Rose stood out from the crowd in a shiny backless gold dress slashed to the waist at the front.

Shiny look: Ruby Rose stood out from the crowd in a shiny backless gold dress slashed to the waist at the front

The silky number revealed the Orange Is The New Black star's legs and feet encased in sparkly gold heels.

She wore some unusual make-up with blue lips and bizarrely arched eye brows.

Naked legs were a theme of the night with Colombian actress Ariadna Gutierrez showing up with her left leg front and center in a scarlet red number.

Out there: Naked legs were a theme of the night with Colombian actress Ariadna Gutierrez showing up with her left leg front and center in a scarlet red number

The outfit had a nude sheer bodice from which fell swathes of material making voluminous sleeves and a bodice with skirt.

Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen, who takes on Diesel in The Return Of Xander Cage, arrived on the red carpet arm-in-arm with his wife Cissy Wang.

Yen was dressed in a shiny gold dinner jacket with a white shirt, black bow tie and black dress trousers.

Wang wore a metallic strapless bodice with a ballerina-style black knee-length skirt and silver pumps.

Chinese co-production: Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen, who takes on Diesel in The Return Of Xander Cage, arrived on the red carpet arm-in-arm with his wife Cissy Wang.

Veteran showbiz anchor: Maria Menounos tagged along for the ride in a white mini skirt and wet look black jacket

Guests: Jessica Szohr struck a pose in a black feathery jacket while rapper Ludacris showed off his style sense with a fedora

Acting couple: Tony and October Gonzalez also turned out for the premiere
It is not every year your sister celebrates turning 24.

So no wonder Bella Thorne was living large as she treated her beloved sibling Dani to a birthday night out in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Their big night out came after the Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Road Chip star celebrated her sister in her favourite fashion - by posting a revealing bikini photo on social media.

Scroll down for video

Sister act: Bella Thorne treated her sibling Dani to a birthday night out in LA on Thursday

Lovely pair: Bella also shared a saucy bikini snap of them to mark her sister's big day

The 19-year-old touchingly captioned the arresting Instagram image, where she is pictured playing air guitar: 'Happy birthday to my one and only rockstar.

'So glad I spend every day with you Dani. You are the rocks on my beach. I love you.'

And perhaps Bella was paying tribute to punk giants the Sex Pistols as she larked around after headed to Gracias Madre in West Hollywood.

For it very much a case of never mind the bollards when the Shake It Up star leapt on top of a concrete ball to strike a cheeky pose.

Party girls: They looked ready to live large on their night out on the town

Never mind the bollards: Bella harnessed the spirit of punk when she leapt on a concrete ball

All that Pilates is doing some good after all: She showed good balance as she larked around

But it was clearly her sibling's big night, and she seemed to be revelling in the fact she was the family member at the centre of attention for a change.

Bella had opted for a rocker look, donning a leather biker jacket, torn jeans, crop top and garish blue beanie hat.

Her sister, who is also trying to make it as an actress, went for a louder ensemble of powder blue fur jacket, patched jeans and rainbow boa and matching gloves.

She certainly seems to have had a great day, with Bella even sharing an image of her sharing a smooch with her beau over her birthday cake.

Getting her hit: She was carrying a cup of coffee as she got ready to burn the midnight oil

Loving it: Dani was revelling in the fact she was the centre of attention for once

Bella has been busy on social media in recent days - leaving her baying horde of Twitter followers in a state of shock with a provocative post.

Sharing a series of image purportedly showing her ex-boyfriend Gregg Sulkin's manhood, which is circulating on social media, the actress was quick to insist that the nudes were doctored.

She tweeted: 'Haha I'm telling you this isn't greggs d**k (sic).'

The bizarre message sparked a barrage of comments from fans, including a series of memes featuring shocked faces.

Dynamic duo: She shared a clip of them warming up before going out with some dancing

Causing a raspberry ripple: Bella stuck her tongue out as the fun reached new levels

Selfie obsessed: Thankfully she resisted the temptation to ask the mirror who is the fairest of them all
The world watched in horror as she was wrongly named Miss Universe in 2015 and was forced to hand over her crown to the first runner-up.

But Ariadna Gutierrez proved the nationally televised faux-pas didn't hinder her ability to command attention as she arrived at the Los Angeles premiere of xXx: Return of Xander Cage at the Chinese Theater on Thursday.

The Colombian actress and beauty queen, 23, oozed sex appeal in a striking scarlet gown, which bared every inch of her toned legs with a saucy thigh-high split.

Scroll down for video

Sexy: Colombian beauty queen Ariadna Gutierrez, 23, commanded attention in a risque gown at the Hollywood premiere of xXx: Return of Xander Cage at the Chinese Theater on Thursday

The bardot-style gown bared her flawless decolletage and skimmed her sensational physique, which helped her earn the title of Miss Colombia in 2014.

Ariadna - who is playing the role of Lola in the action thriller - braved a potential wardrobe malfunction as she bared her toned legs with a risque hip-level split.

The model boosted her already statuesque height with a pair of open-toe silver heels as she posed up a storm on the red carpet.

Her brunette dip-dyed locks were styled into a chic bun high on her head, allowing her striking features to take prominence.

Scarlet woman: The actress oozed sex appeal in a striking scarlet gown, which bared every inch of her toned legs with a saucy thigh-high split

Brave statement: Ariadna - who is playing the role of Lola in the action thriller - braved a potential wardrobe malfunction as she bared her toned legs with a risque hip-level split

Commanding attention: The model boosted her already statuesque height with a pair of open-toe silver heels as she posed up a storm on the red carpet

Showing off her razor sharp cheekbones as she took photos and signed autographs, Ariadna sported a different demeanour than she did just over a year ago.

The beauty, who bears a striking resemblance to Colombian actress Sofia Vergara, was named Miss Universe after a glittering culmination of swimsuits and evening gowns in December of 2015.

However, four minutes later her celebratory smiles turned to despair as host US comedian Steve Harvey sheepishly announced they had the wrong winner.

Harvey took to the stage, the shame already evident on his face, and told the crowd: 'Folks, I have to apologise. The first runner-up is Colombia.'

What a beauty: Her brunette dip-dyed locks were styled into a chic bun high on her head, allowing her striking features to take prominence

Pleasing the people: Ariadna ensured to make time for her fans as she signed autographs

Having the last laugh: The rising star was flooded with movie offers and modelling gigs after her embarrassing pageantry mishap

Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach stared wide-eyed at the audience, her lip quivering as Miss USA whispered into her ear and she realised what exactly those words meant.

Speaking off the devastating moment to Colombia's W Radio, the 5 ft 10 in star revealed: It will be forever on the video that the Miss Universe was Colombia and I felt the same even though it lasted just three to four minutes.'

'It was a very big injustice. It was humiliating for me and for all people in Latin America in the auditorium,' she continued.

'I have been disconnected, I haven't received any phone calls, just a few people have been able to contact me and it is because I needed to grieve for what happened that night.

Leading ladies: (L-R) Nina Dobrev, Ruby Rose and Deepika Padukone also dazzled on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage on Thursday

Let me take a selfie: Vin Diesel and Samuel L. Jackson snapped a selfie on the red carpet

Short-lived success: After being crowned Miss Colombia in 2014, Ariadna went on to wow at the internationally televised Miss Universe pageant where she was announced as the winner

Sad turn of events: However, four minutes later her celebratory smiles turned to despair as the crown was taken from her and given to Miss Philippines after the wrong results were read

'It is been so hard for me. I had always been dreamed about being Miss Universe. I dreamed to give that joy not only to my family but also to all Colombia, but I have to continue my life.

However, it seems like Ariadna is now having the last laugh as movie offers and modelling gigs flocked her way after the embarrassing incident.

One of which was for xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, which she jetted out to the Dominican Republic in March of last year to film.

Meanwhile, the stars for the eagerly anticipated flick were out in full force for premiere - including Vin Diesel, Ruby Rose and Deepika Padukone.

'It was humiliating': She has since spoken of the moment, telling Colombia's W Radio,'it was a very big injustice'




Her elder sibling has become renowned for her love of a good knees-up.

And it seems that Lottie Moss isn't just emulating Kate's career plan, as the rising model headed out to party in London on Thursday - making it two nights on the trot.

The 19-year-old model cut a seriously stylish figure in a leg-flashing playsuit, as she headed to the famous Bodo's Schloss night club in Knightsbridge with a pal.

Scroll down for video

48 hour party people? It seems that Lottie Moss isn't just emulating Kate's career plan, as the rising model headed out to party in London on Thursday - making it two nights on the trot

The blonde beauty looked nothing short of immaculate as she headed out to the Alpine-style restaurant and disco - favoured by Sloanies.

Slipping into a slinky black one piece, the Calvin Klein model straddled the line between breezy and chic.

With a plunging neckline, accentuated by wrap-around detailing, Lottie ensured there was a tantalizing hint of decolletage on display.

Pins on parade: The 19-year-old model cut a seriously stylish figure in a leg-flashing playsuit, as she headed to the famous Bodo's Schloss night club in Knightsbridge with a pal

And, always keen to put her most fashionable foot forward, the London-born beauty teamed the play suit with a pair of knee-high boots.

Adding a chic seasonal touch to her look, the model threw on a warm furry coat - presumably to keep the chill winter weather at bay.

She kept her accessories to a practical minimum for her night out on the tiles, however, her play suit featured a statement choker.

Wearing her long blonde locks loose and in a teased and tousled manner, the Vogue cover girl allowed her golden mane to frame her pretty features.

Playing around with style: Slipping into a slinky black one piece, the Calvin Klein model straddled the line between breezy and chic

A hint of skin: With a plunging neckline, accentuated by wrap-around detailing, Lottie ensured there was a tantalizing hint of decolletage on display

Best foot forward: And, always keen to put her most fashionable foot forward, the London-born beauty teamed the play suit with a pair of knee-high boots

Keeping her make-up minimal and natural, she only chose to accentuate her eyes and lips with a flash of mascara and lipstick.

The model was joined on her night out by a pal, who rocked a more understated - but still chic - look.

Lottie's outing came just hours after she sent social media wild, sharing a rather daring lingerie snap on her Instagram account.

The rising model flaunted her catwalk queen figure in a racy maroon two-piece, which put the three edgy swallow tattoos on her torso on full display.

Sizzling star: Lottie's outing came just hours after she sent social media wild, sharing a rather daring lingerie snap on her Instagram account

Lottie stood at an angle to highlight her toned stomach as she seductively held on to the side of her skimpy bottoms.

The starlet - who is currently dating Made In Chelsea's Alex Mytton, 25 - proudly showed off her inking, which she had done in August of last year.

Her blonde tresses cascaded forth, while her camera hid most of her pretty features in an attempt to exhibit her knock-out physique.

Opting not to state the obvious, Lottie captioned the snap: 'Thanks for ur dusty mirror Frankie.' (sic)

Move over, Kate! The model showcased her catwalk credentials as she enjoyed a girls' night out in London on Wednesday evening - the first of two in a row

Meanwhile, the stunner showcased her catwalk credentials as she enjoyed a girls' night out in London on Wednesday evening - the first outing in two nights.

The photogenic star looked chic and sophisticated in an all-black ensemble as she dined with Made In Chelsea star Emily Blackwell, 20, at Bunga Bunga in Battersea.

Lottie oozed glamour as she opted for a glittering semi-sheer blouse, which offered a glimpse at her toned midriff.

Keeping the winter chill at bay, the catwalk queen wore a luxurious fur gilet paired with figure-hugging black jeans slashed at the knees.

The blonde finished off the look by styling her golden locks in loosely tousled curls, which framed her pretty, heavily made-up face.

Party time: The blonde looked chic and sophisticated in an all-black ensemble as she dined with Made In Chelsea star Emily Blackwell, 20, at Bunga Bunga in Battersea

Cheers to that! Lottie treated her 96,000 Instagram followers to a peek of her glamorous night out as she posted a snap of herself elegantly sipping on a cocktail inside Bunga Bunga

Emily looked like she had gone a little overboard with the fake tan as she showed off a very golden complexion.

The brunette beauty flashed an eyeful of her plentiful cleavage as she opted for an extremely low-cut blouse, which she paired with a fur-covered cream overcoat.

The pair looked in high spirits as they strutted into the London hotspot, wearing matching peep-toe boots.

Lottie treated her 96,000 Instagram followers to a peek of her glamorous night out as she posted a snap of herself elegantly sipping on a cocktail inside Bunga Bunga.

Chic: Lottie - who is dating Emily's co-star Alex Mytton, 25 - oozed glamour as she opted for a glittering semi-sheer blouse, which offered a glimpse at her toned midriff

Work it: Keeping the winter chill at bay, the catwalk queen wore a luxurious fur gilet paired with figure-hugging black jeans slashed at the knees

The snap, which received over 3,000 likes, was simply captioned: 'On Wednesday we drink cocktails'.

Lottie was not joined by her boyfriend Alex Mytton, who she has been dating since October last year.

The model has been linked to several very different suitors prior to her relationship with Alex - having enjoyed lunch in June with pop star Conor Maynard, and flirting with Geordie Shore star Ricci Guarnaccio on Twitter.

Lottie and Made In Chelsea star Alex met through her ex-boyfriend Sam - who mingles in the same set as the brunette hunk and his reality star pals.
Jessica Origliasso confirmed her relationship with Ruby Rose in November.

And on Thursday, Jessica and her sister Lisa showed their support for Ruby at the LA premiere of her new film, xXx: Return Of Xander Cage.

The identical twins, who form Australian pop duo The Veronicas, opted for rather different styles on the red carpet.

Scroll down for video

Here come the girls! On Thursday, Jessica and Lisa Origliasso showed their support for Ruby Rose at the Los Angeles premiere of her new film, xXx: Return Of Xander Cage

Lisa looked lovely in a yellow chiffon dress with a ruffled hem and a daringly low-cut neckline.

The 32-year-old singer pinned her hair back and wore a dark shade of lipstick.

Meanwhile, Jessica went for a contrasting look in a long, black plunging gown.

Fashion forward: The identical twins, who form Australian pop duo The Veronicas, opted for rather different styles on the red carpet

Unlike her sister, she wore her hair out and to the side.

Lisa took time out at the LA premiere to congratulate her longtime friend Ruby on Instagram.

'There's no words to fully express how proud & in awe I am of this beauty & her immeasurable talent,' she wrote.

Canary: Lisa looked lovely in a yellow chiffon dress with a ruffled hem and a plunging neckline

'She possesses effortless class and an aura of old Hollywood star power.'

She finished: 'Couldn't have been more excited to watch her shine tonight beside the best of the best.'

xXx: Return Of Xander Cage is out everywhere this month.
Jesinta Campbell and Lance 'Buddy' Franklin have declared their support for marriage equality.

The married couple posed in front of a rainbow-coloured map of Australia featuring the word 'Equality'.

'LOVE IS LOVE,' wrote Buddy, who shared the photo to Instagram on Friday.

Support: Jesinta and Buddy Franklin showed their support for marriage equality on Friday

Jesinta, 25, followed by posting the same photo to her own account, writing in the caption: 'WE BELIEVE IN EQUAL LOVE!!!'

The David Jones ambassador and her AFL star husband, 29, were quickly showered with praise from their followers.

'Oh Jesinta you and Buddy are so great to stand up for progressive issues that affect so many Australians without any power of their own,' wrote a fan.

Progressive: The David Jones ambassador and her AFL star husband, 29, were quickly showered with praise from their followers. Pictured at the 2016 Brownlow Medal ceremony

Another wrote: 'Love your work Buddy and love your wife and love that you guys are representing progressive issues that affect so many Australians without a voice.'

Jesinta and Buddy married in November in a private ceremony in the Blue Mountains.

She wore a tulle dress by Vera Wang as the couple exchanged vows in an outdoor ceremony at Mount Wilson.

Marriage: Jesinta and Buddy married in November in a private ceremony in the Blue Mountains

The couple had previously postponed their wedding, which was originally scheduled to take place in January 2016.

Buddy proposed in December 2014 with a custom 4.5 carat diamond ring by Nader Jewellers after 14 months of dating.

Jesinta first rose to fame in the Miss Universe 2010 beauty pageant while Buddy is considered one of the best AFL players of the modern era
She welcomed her baby boy into the world last week, and Stephanie Davis has been enjoying every moment of her life as a mother since.

Giving her fans a glimpse of her prolonged labour, the 23-year-old actress shared a video of herself having contractions at home as she tried to 'bring him along'.

The post, shared with her 688,000 followers on Friday sees the former Hollyoaks star dancing around to Zayn Malik's Mind Of Mind before experiencing some contractions.

Scroll down for video

A quick flashback: She welcomed her baby boy into the world last week, and Stephanie Davis has been enjoying every moment of her life as a mother since

THE moment: Giving her fans a glimpse of her prolonged labour, the 23-year-old actress shared a video of herself having contractions at home as she tried to 'bring him along'

Stephanie - who claims her ex-boyfriend Jeremy McConnell is the father - shared the snap of herself going into labour last week.

But clearly determined to treasure every single moment of her pregnancy the former Celebrity Big Brother gushed about the moment the contractions started.

She captioned the short clip: 'Just found this. Didn't even see this. The day my contractions started.

'Was dancing about the living room to bring him along, knackered and ready to pop hehe I look mahhooosive. Now Hes here and one week old today!! His umbilical cord fell off and he's had a big wee on mummy [sic].'

When it all stated? The post, shared with her 688,000 followers on Friday sees the former Hollyoaks star dancing around to Zayn Malik's Mind Of Mind before experiencing some contractions

The video shows Stephanie dancing around to former flame Zayn Malik's hit, Pillowtalk, when all of a sudden the star slumps into a chair clutching her tummy with a pained look on her face.

Earlier on in the day the actress revealed she cried with happiness when the stump attached to her son's belly button, which connects the placenta to the foetus, dropped off - exactly a week after he was born on January 13.

Taking to her Twitter account on Friday, the brunette beauty said: 'OFFICIALLY ONE WEEK OLD!Celebrated by his umbilical cord fallen off and a big wee on mummy Tears of happiness My world! My baby boy [sic].'

Hurts? Stephanie - who claims her ex-boyfriend Jeremy McConnell is the father - shared the snap of herself going into labour last week

Happy: She captioned the short clip: 'Just found this. Didn't even see this. The day my contractions started. Was dancing about the living room to bring him along, knackered and ready to pop hehe I look mahhooosive. Now Hes here and one week old today!

Did the tunes help? The video shows Stephanie dancing around to former flame Zayn Malik's hit, Pillowtalk, when all of a sudden the star slumps into a chair clutching her tummy

She was discharged from hospital three days ago with her little bundle of joy, whose name is not yet known, and she squealed with excitement at the fact she and her newborn can now start the first chapter of the rest of their lives together.

While her ex-boyfriend Jeremy, 26, has said that he will be happy to take on the role of father if a paternity test proves him wrong, another reality lothario, Joshua Ritchie has said he could also be the father.

The former Love Island star, 21, has claimed he's been in contact with the former Hollyoaks actress, 23, who gave birth late last week after a gruelling 48-hour labour.

In response to a Twitter troll, the Ex On The Beach star said: 'Steph isnt going favourite your tweet you beggy ugly f*****g mug! Ive spoke to Steph you ugly c**t.'

Dad? While her ex Jeremy, 26, has said that he will be happy to take on the role of father if a paternity test proves him wrong, another reality lothario has said he could also be the father

Rumour has it: Joshua Ritchie, 21, has claimed he's been in contact with Stephanie Davis - after admitting his worries that he could be her newborn's son

He posted the Tweet after the user claimed Joshua was trying to steal the spotlight and get publicity from Stephanie's pregnancy.

After Stephanie gave birth, the Bolton-born model tweeted her to wish her congratulations.

He wrote on Sunday: 'congrats on your new born babe.. Hope your all well and healthy take care'.

MailOnline has contacted reps for Joshua and Stephanie for comment.

In contact? Stephanie gave birth late last week after a gruelling 48-hour labour

Cheeky: The EOTB star posted a very revealing shot in the shower with Jasmin Walia's ex Ross Warwick

It comes as he reportedly claimed he is 'worried' that Stephanie Davis' baby son, who was born last week, could be his.

The pair were last linked in May and the reality star told The Sun: 'I slept with Steph nearly a year ago.

'Im worried  she could be turning up on my doorstep with the baby any time soon.'

However, Stephanie has always insisted that her former flame Jeremy McConnell is the father of her baby.

MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for both Stephanie Davis and Joshua Ritchie for comment.

Joshua's words came after a Facebook live chat for The Sun in which he discussed who he would get with on the show.

He said: 'Jasmine Walia. She's a rocket. Vicky Pattison. She's a rocket. Stephanie Davis... already got with her.'

'She could be turning up on my doorstep with the baby': Ex On The Beach star Joshua Ritchie claims he's 'worried' Stephanie Davis' tot is his

Blast from the past: The pair were last linked in May and the reality star said: 'I slept with Steph nearly a year ago' - however, Stephanie has always insisted the baby belongs to her ex Jeremy McConnell

Sweet: The former Hollyoaks actress, 23, re-tweeted a picture posted by her best friend Jay Roberts, who she has chosen to be the tot's godfather

While it's unclear whether or not Joshua was joking with his remarks about Stephanie, no doubt she will be focusing on her new role as a mother.

Stephanie continued to give fans a glimpse into her life as a new mother online.

The former Hollyoaks actress, 23, re-tweeted a picture posted by her best friend Jay Roberts, who she has chosen to be the tot's godfather.

The picture showed him tenderly touching the baby's feet while he still wore his hospital nametag.

He captioned the image: 'Welcome to the world godson. I promise to love and care for you for the rest of your life.'

Stephanie announced the birth of her baby with another image of her newborn's feet.

She gushed in the caption: 'The day my world became complete.

Welcome! Stephanie announced the birth of her baby with another image of her newborn's feet last week

Taking a swipe? While the star is focusing on her new role as a parent, her CBB ex Jeremy McConnell has been continuing his wild ways on a trip to Thailand

'I've been overwhelmed & so in love with you. Words could never describe. Thank you for all your support!'

While the star is focusing on her new role as a parent, her CBB ex Jeremy McConnell has been continuing his wild ways on a trip to Thailand.

While he has long denied that he's father of Stephanie Davis child the Irish appeared to be celebrating the birth of his rumoured love child with the disgraced Hollyoaks actress.

In a video obtained by the Mirror Online, the 26-year-old former Celebrity Big Brother star can be seen looking bleary eyed as he parties in Thailand with pals hours after his ex gave birth.

MailOnline have reached out to representatives of Jeremy for comment.

The videos shared on a friend's Snapchat see Jeremy swigging beers, play-fighting and partying at a club.

In the stream of clips, believed to have been recorded hours after Stephanie gave birth to a baby boy, Jeremy and his friends seemingly ridicule and taunt the former CBB star.

One clip which shows Jeremy swigging form a beer as he collapses on a bed is captioned: 'Get the kid a physcoligist (sic)'.

Not thinking of her: In a video obtained by the Mirror Online , the CBB, 26, star can be seen looking bleary eyed as he parties in Thailand with pals hours after his ex gave birth

The caption appears to be a dig at Stephanie as the caption seems to be a miss-spelling of 'psychologist'.

However, a source close to Jeremy denied it was aimed at the new-born, saying: '

'The text on the snap chat "Get the kid a ..." is referring to Jeremy as the kid and is personal joke between friends.

'It has been completely taken out of context and is certainly not aimed a Steph's son.'

Lashing out? In the stream of clips, believed to have been recorded hours after Stephanie gave birth to a baby boy, Jeremy and his friends seemingly ridicule and taunt the former CBB star

Later on the evening the former Beauty School Cop Outs cast-member is seen dancing at a party shirtless.

As he dances and plays up for the camera a caption on the clip alludes to Jeremy being the father - something he categorically denied in June.

Spinning around and pulling faces in the snippet, a caption above Jeremy reads: 'Yes, a son.'

Whetting the baby's head? Later on the evening the former Beauty School Cop Outs cast-member (pictured with Stephanie in April) is seen dancing at a party shirtless

Not a care: A fellow reveler said: 'Jeremy doesn't seem to care too much about becoming a dad, it was as though he didn't have a care in the world'

A fellow reveler told the Mirror: 'Jeremy doesn't seem to care too much about becoming a dad, it was as though he didn't have a care in the world.

'How insensitive to share such a video saying her baby needs therapy, my heart breaks for Steph. Even if it was made in jest, it's pretty disgusting.'

Jeremy is still refusing to confirm he's the father of his estranged ex Stephanie Davis' baby boy - despite her finally giving birth on Friday.

Not about her: A source close to Jeremy said: 'The text on the snap chat "Get the kid a ..." is referring to Jeremy as the kid and is personal joke between friends'

The Irish model revealed he was 'delighted' for his former flame after she welcomed her new bundle of joy after a reported 48 hours in labour - but still echoed his former denial of the baby being his.

Jeremy addressed the issued of the child's paternity on Twitter shortly after the news broke, writing:

'I am delighted that Steph has safely had the baby, of course if he is my son I will absolutely step up and do what I can to support him.'

'Any timescale for that is in Steph's hands now. I did reach out to her some weeks ago but didn't hear back,' Jeremy explained the situation further.

'I am delighted': Jeremy McConnell, 26, congratulated his ex Stephanie Davis after she gave birth on Friday but still refused to confirm he was the father

Jeremy and Stephanie embarked on a toxic romance after meeting on CBB a year ago which culminated in a bitter split shortly before she announced she was expecting his child - claims he vehemently denies.

She has maintained constantly throughout her pregnancy that Jeremy is the father, yet the Dubliner has lashed out at her claims and insisted he wants a paternity test upon the arrival of the little boy.

Speaking about the saga, the actress told new! magazine: 'Jeremy knows the truth. I'm keeping (the DNA test) private. I'll sort that with him. If I could have done one straight away, I would have, but it was too dangerous for the baby.'

'If he is my son I will absolutely step up': Jeremy revealed he will do his best once he's confirmed as the father of the newborn (Pictured February 2016)

Meanwhile, just weeks before Stephanie gave birth, Jeremy had told the Daily Star: 'I was in a position where we broke up for a period of time. I found out she was pregnant, but in the meantime I knew she was with other people.'

'I can't do anything while the baby's in there,' he explained. 'When it comes out I would step up to the plate. All I want is clarification. If I find out it's mine I'll be the best dad.'

A source close the star told MailOnline: 'Jeremy has tried to contact Steph on a number occasions but he hasn't heard back.

'If he is the father then of course he going to do step up and do the right thing.'

Tumultuous times: The former lovers have had a bitter back-and-forth war of words since splitting up

In the past: The couple found love in the Celebrity Big Brother house back in January 2016

Meanwhile, a representative for Stephanie confirmed her happy news to the MailOnline on Friday, stating: 'We are delighted to confirm that our client Stephanie Davis gave birth to a baby boy on Friday. Mother and baby are doing fine.'

The former Hollyoaks star, whose baby's name is yet to be revealed, is believed to have been in labour for a gruelling two days.

As Stephanie's labor went on, a source told The Sun: 'The baby's taking his time, but we're hoping that he will arrive today. Steph is so excited that the day has finally come that she will meet her son.

'At the moment she is focusing on welcoming her little boy - her priority is his safe delivery and spending some quality time with him.'

The birth comes after a close pal of Jeremy defended the inked hunk for jetting off to Thailand for a lad's holiday, despite his ex's due date being imminent - saying he's within his rights to take the break as he has nothing tying him down.

He's finally here! The former Hollyoaks star, whose baby's name is yet to be revealed, is believed to have been in labour for a gruelling two days

'No ties': Pals of Jeremy McConnell have reportedly defended the Irish model for going on holiday to Thailand with his friends as his ex Stephanie prepares for the birth of their child

'Jeremy is simply having a well deserved holiday in Thailand with his pals,' the source told The Sun. 'I'm not sure why he's getting so much grief for posting a selfie of him having a drink.'

Despite, Jeremy's long-haul trip, the star is ready to come back at a moments notice, with his representative telling MailOnline: 'Jeremy is currently in Thailand enjoying a short holiday with friends, which has been booked for sometime.

'He has an open return ticket should he need to return to the UK before the end of his trip'.

The reality star has certainly been enjoying himself since splitting with Stephanie - and was most recently accused of sleeping with a fan's girlfriend after a nightclub appearance after a barrage of Twitter direct messages were revealed.

And Jeremy he also set tongues wagging again as he enjoyed a steamy New Year's Eve kiss with a mystery blonde earlier this month.
She juggles motherhood with her blossoming TV career.

But actress Pia Miller has made it clear that her two young sons come first.

'I'd say first I am a mother and that has always been and always will be my priority,' she told The Daily Telegraph.

Motherhood first: Home And Away actress Pia Miller said that her two young sons come before her career - and admits she's in no rush to chase her Hollywood dream

Pia was just 19 years old when she had her first child Isaiah, who is now 13.

She also has another son, 10-year-old Lennox, with her ex-husband Brad Miller. She announced her split with the former AFL player in late 2015.

Pia, who plays Kat Chapman in Home And Away, said she's enjoying living in the moment and has no plans to try her luck overseas

Hollywood can wait! Pia, who plays Kat Chapman in Home And Away, said she's enjoying living in the moment and has no plans to try her luck overseas

Unlike other Home And Away stars who left the soap to chase Hollywood fame, Pia isn't actively looking for that next step in her career.

'If an opportunity presents itself, I will totally look at that, but I am very happy where I am,' she confessed.

'My boys are comfortable and happy and they've integrated really well into their friendship groups and social groups and at school, so I am in no rush to jump on a plane to La La Land,' she added.
She was a regular on the Sydney gossip pages during her high-profile engagement to James Packer in the late '90s.

And Kate Fischer - now known as T'ziporah Malka - could be making a comeback on the third season of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

The Daily Telegraph claims the former socialite is one of the famous names 'being bandied about' as potential contestants.

She's back? Kate Fischer (now known as T'ziporah Malka) is rumoured to be making a showbiz comeback on the upcoming season of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

The publication also mentions Marcia Hines and David Spade as possible candidates.

T'ziporah, 42, is no stranger to reality television, having appeared on the weight loss series Celebrity Overhaul in 2006.

In the same year, she also took part in the singing competition, It Takes Two.

Reality queen: T'ziporah is no stranger to reality television, having appeared on the weight loss series Celebrity Overhaul in 2006

Singing her praises! She also took part in the Channel Seven singing competition, It Takes Two

In November, the Sirens actress signed a management deal with notorious celebrity agent Max Markson.

It is claimed he has already negotiated several magazine deals for the former model.

On Friday, the Herald Sun reported that retired Collingwood star Dane Swan will be entering the South African jungle.

Coming soon: The third season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! is scheduled to air on Network Ten on January 29

The Brownlow Medal winner, 32, is reportedly flying to the South African jungle after finishing his holiday in Bali.

Dane announced his retirement from the AFL last year after suffering a foot injury during a round one clash against the Sydney Swans.

The third season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! is scheduled to air on Network Ten on January 29.
She is one of the hottest imports from the Netherlands. And on Friday Romee Strijd proved why as she shared two new Instagram photos.

The 21-year-old Victoria's Secret model looked flawless as she pouted and posed on the beach in Miami for a secret photo shoot.

In one of the captions the Vogue cover girl wrote, 'Morning vibes.'

On top: Romee Strijd shared two new Instagram photos. The 21-year-old Victoria's Secret model looked flawless as she pouted

Beach chic: The blonde catwalker wore a black crop top with white daisies that was also low-cut. Eigthties style high-waisted jeans rounded out the Elle magazine favorite's look

The blonde catwalker let her blonde locks flow easily down her shoulders. Her pout was painted a bright pink. And she had on a 1970s inspired pair of orange tinted sunglasses that were aviator style and oversized.

The doll also wore a black crop top with white daisies that was also low-cut.

Eighties style high-waisted jeans rounded out the Elle magazine favorite's look.

Texting: When Romee landed in Miami, she took a selfie in a town car while she blew a pink bubble

Selfish: Earlier she posed in her hotel. Strijd showed off her incredibly toned tummy as she wore a black bra and sweat outfit and held onto a coffee cup

The star was barefoot as she stood in the sand with a tree behind her.

The stunner has been in Miami to work with pals Sara Sampaio, Josephine Skriver, Lais Ribeiro and Elsa Hosk on what looks to be a Victoria's Secret shoot.

The ladies were seen at a mansion modeling lingerie.

Her pals: The stunner has been in Miami to work with pals Sara Sampaio, Josephine Skriver, Lais Ribeiro and Elsa Hosk on what looks to be a Victoria's Secret shoot

When Romee landed in Miami, she took a selfie in a town car while she blew a pink bubble.

She had on a strapless top and looked nicely tanned for the shoot.

Earlier she posed in her hotel. Strijd showed off her incredibly toned tummy as she wore a black bra and sweat outfit and held onto a coffee cup.
She's known for living life in a bikini.

But on Thursday, Alessandra Ambrosio swapped the swimwear for a rose gold silk wrap dress to attend the Elyse Walker dinner in celebration of the designer's launch of her new line.

The 35-year-old catwalk queen looked glamorous rockin' her touched-up fringe and thigh-high boots as she showed up to support her friend at the Sunset Tower in Los Angeles.

Pretty in pink: Alessandra Ambrosio, 35, swapped the swimwear for a silk wrap dress to attend the Elyse Walker dinner on Thursday in LA

The international supermodel has walked the runways of Giorgio Armani and Christian Dior, and at Thursday's event she modeled a ready-to-wear piece from Walker's exclusive new The Perfext fashion line.

Posing on a blush pink coloured couch, Ambrosio opted to go bra-less as she slipped into The Perfext Elyse Wrap Dress ($1,100).

She flaunted the silky number's sky-high slit, which showcased her vacation-tanned mile-long legs.

Stunner: She flaunted the silky number's sky-high slit, which showcased her vacation-tanned mile-long legs

Styled by Chloe and Marie-Lou Bartoli - stylists to the stars - the Brazilian beauty wore black suede thigh-high boots with a four-inch heel that added height to her already impressive 5ft9in frame.

She matched a thick black choker to her trendy footwear.

Her other accessories included a delicate white gold sunburst necklace and matching bangles.

Creative friends: At the event, the mother-of-two photographed with the ladies of the evening, Walker (R) and her partner Sable Banoun (L)

Bronze beauties: She also struck a pose with stylist Shea Marie

At the event, the mother-of-two photographed with the ladies of the evening, Walker and her partner Sable Banoun.

She also struck a pose with stylist Shea Marie.

While enjoying the evening, Ambrosio took to Instagram - where she boasts 7.9million followers - to share a sizzling photo of herself on the same couch.

She captioned the snap: 'Back to my LA nights...#LAwoman.'

The process: The Victoria's Secret Angel documented her glam session prior to the dinner on Snapchat

The Victoria's Secret Angel documented her glam session prior to the dinner on Snapchat.

Celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta gave Ambrosio a pinky-peach look with a pink-nude lip using a lip liner by Kylie Cosmetics.

Hairstylist Marcus Francis touched up her sun-kissed brunette tresses with a fresh fringe, inspired by the French actress Jane Birkin.

Natural beauty: Hairstylist Marcus Francis touched up her sun-kissed brunette tresses with a fresh fringe, inspired by the French actress Jane Birkin

Also in attendance at the fashion-forward event were E!'s Catt Sadler and The Rich Kids of Beverly Hills star Morgan Stewart.

Upon her return from a well-deserved getaway to her home country of Brazil, Alessandra appears to be back to focusing on her own fashion line, Ale by Alessandra.

The bombshell posted a promotional photo to her Instagram account flashing some flesh in a red romper from her collection.
She posed in front of the Walt Disney World Resort castle with her then-husband Harry Needs during their honeymoon.

But Rebecca Adlington, 27, has recreated the very same picture with her adorable 19-month-old daughter, Summer, in the Florida theme park, two years later.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the Olympic medalist posted a side-by-side shot of the two near identical snaps with a touching message to her beloved child.

Scroll down for video

Reminiscing: Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Rebacca Adlington posted a side-by-side shot of herself posing with daughter Summer at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, beside a honeymoon picture of herself with now ex-husband Harry Needs, taken two years ago

The professional swimmer wrote: 'Two and half years ago I came to Disney not knowing I was a couple of weeks pregnant.

'Was amazing to go back today with Summer. She is the best thing that's ever happened to me #holiday,' she continued.

Despite splitting from her husband last year, it seems Rebecca is still on good terms with him as she recently gushed over her daughter taking after her father, Harry.

The sweet snap which featured a smiling Summer was captioned: 'Great day at Crayola Experience yesterday! Summer loved all the drawing and art stuff, taking after her daddy! @harryneeds #holiday #florida'.

Cute! Despite splitting from her husband last year, it seems Rebecca is still on good terms with him as she recently gushed over her daughter taking after her father, Harry

The original: Rebecca wed fellow competitor Harry in Leek, Staffordshire, in August 2014 after dating for three years, but the couple sadly separated in 2016

The touching message comes just weeks after the blonde admitted she was ready to say goodbye to 2016 and that she had shed her last tear for that year.

Clearly ready to move on to 2017, the Olympic medalist fiercely wrote to her 491,000 Twitter followers: 'I've shed my last tear of 2016. Now it can go do one.'

The tweet was met with an influx of support from her fans - with one follower comforting her that 'a new beginning starts tomorrow', while another reassured she was a 'strong, successful & beautiful' woman.

Next posting on her Instagram page, Rebecca admitted that the year had seen 'a lot of lows' as well as highs, but that she was looking forward to seeing her daughter grow as she approaches the age of two.

Like mother, like daughter: Rebecca's daughter frequently features on her Instagram account

She later added: 'I hope 2017 brings health, happiness and laughter. Would be nice to go a week without crying too. I can't wait to see my daughter grow and learn more.

'She has made me smile everyday this year and I can't wait to share even more amazing memories with her.'

Rebecca wed fellow competitor Harry in Leek, Staffordshire, in August 2014 after dating for three years, but the couple sadly separated in 2016.
She's been a keen advocate for women's right and gender equality in Hollywood.

And in a searingly honest interview Natalie Portman has taken a swipe at 'films that try to be feminist', complaining that they don't show women as humans.

Speaking to The Guardian's G2 section, the Jackie star, 35, said that to make Jackie Kennedy a real women she had to let her feel a range of emotions and be 'human', not just 'tough'.

Scroll down for video

'It's not allowing women to be human': In a searingly honest interview Natalie Portman has taken a swipe at 'films that try to be feminist', complaining that they don't show women as humans

Sitting down to talk about her latest film, the Israeli-born actress admitted that Hollywood films often failed to portray feminists in the correct light.

Speaking about her time crafting and getting in touch with her character on her latest movie.

'A lot of films that try for a "feminist" portrayal will just make a woman be really tough,' the star explained. 'Well, thats not feminist because its not allowing the woman to be a human being. No ones just tough.'

Expanding on the point she added that the view that everything would be better if women ran the world is wrong.

She's human: Speaking to G2, the Jackie star, 35, said that to make Jackie Kennedy a real women she had to let her feel a range of emotions and be 'human', not just 'tough'

Asked if female leaders were better than men, she said: 'No. Were human beings. There are good ones, there are bad ones, and everyone is going to be a mix of everything.'

However, it would seem that she feels the film industry especially has a long way to come in terms of gender equality.

'Every year its exclusively male-directed, written and filmed movies that were talking about in awards season. Not that men shouldnt be making films,' she explained, adding:'Its just crazy that there is such a minority of womens voices out there.'

This is not the first time she has expressed her views on the way she believes Hollywood favours men above women.

'A lot of films that try for a "feminist" portrayal will just make a woman be really tough,' the star explained. 'Well, thats not feminist because its not allowing the woman to be a human being. No ones just tough'

Not equal: She also voiced concerns that women were left out when it came to awards season: 'Every year its exclusively male-directed, written and filmed movies that were talking about in awards season'

In an interview with Marie Claire UK, the Oscar-winning actress revealed her pay cheque 2011's No Strings Attached was much less than that of co-star Ashton Kutcher's.

However, she said she found it hard to complain because even her more modest salary was still 'a lot'.

She said: 'Ashton Kutcher was paid three times as much as me on No Strings Attached.

'I knew and I went along with it because there's this thing with "quotes" in Hollywood.

'Ashton Kutcher was paid three times as much as me': The actress recently revealed her pay cheque 2011's No Strings Attached was much less than that of co-star Ashton Kutcher's

'I wasn't as p***ed as I should have been. I mean, we get paid a lot, so it's hard to complain, but the disparity is crazy.'

The star has recently made the move back to Tinsel Town following two years of living in Paris with Benjamin Millepied and their five-year-old son, Aleph.

Natalie, who is now pregnant with the couple's second child, is one of the biggest female actresses in Hollywood and has once-again been tipped for Oscar gold.

Jackie could bag her another of the most coveted prizes in Hollywood, with the star taking on the role of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis - the wife of President John F. Kennedy.

The film takes place following the assassination of the President in 1963, and sees her fight through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband's legacy.

Another star turn? Natalie, who is now pregnant with her second child, is one of the biggest female actresses in Hollywood and has once-again been tipped for Oscar gold thanks to Jackie
She is facing eviction from the Gramercy Park townhouse she has been living in with her two children.

And Jules Wainstein appeared tense as she was spotted out in New York on Friday, puffing on a cigarette after dropping off five-year-old Jagger and three-year-old Rio at school.

The 35-year-old RHONY star, who is in the middle of a contentious divorce from estranged husband Michael, donned a camouflage jacket and coffee colour leggings.

RHONY star Jules Wainstein appeared tense as she was spotted out in New York on Friday, puffing on a cigarette after dropping off five-year-old Jagger and three-year-old Rio at school

She wore black leather high-tops and swept her brunette locks back in a casual bun.

After dropping off her children the reality star patiently waited on the sidewalk for an Uber to pick her up.

Jules' lawyer Allan Mayefsky appeared in a Manhattan Supreme Court Wednesday and questioned her ex's spending habits.

According to Page Six, Jules said she is is facing eviction from the apartment she's currently living in with the couple's children while Michael is reportedly off partying.

'We wonder how he's paying his expenses, your honor, he seems to be doing OK, living fine . . . traveling to Florida, hosting dinners.' Jules lawyer Allan Mayefsky said.

Legal woes: She is facing eviction from the Gramercy Park townhouse she has been living in amid the contentious battle with her estranged husband and his reported failure to make payments

According to Mayefsky, Michael owes Jules a lot of money, including $20,000 in child support and $34,190 in rent, which is why Jules is getting the eviction notices.

'There are eviction notices outstanding for my clients two floors of their residence  not the third floor, which is [the husbands],' Mayefsky said.

Michael is apparently taking his pilot's license in Florida, urging the judge to ask 'Why are we pursuing pilots license instead of paying child support?'

Michael's lawyer denies the claims.

The judge reportedly ordered Michael to pay Jules $25,000 and a further hearing has been arranged for next month to determine if Michael will face jail time or a fine for not paying his family.

Sporty casual: Jules donned a camouflage jacket and coffee colour leggings

He was previously ordered to make his first support payment to Jules on September 30 but has maintained that he's broke and that his business is suffering thanks to bad press.

It isn't the first time the duo have fought over money since parting ways last summer.

In November, the couple were in court fighting over Jules' spending habits.

TMZ reported at the time that in court Michael painted Jules as a prolific spender, saying she burned through $2,000 on Uber rides in two weeks, and racked up a $40,000 American Express bill last year.

Home at risk: According to her lawyer Michael owes Jules a lot of money, including $20,000 in child support and $34,190 in rent, which is why Jules is getting the eviction notices

The couple is deep in debt, Michael's lawyer Leia Richardson told the court, noting that they have three maxed out credit card accounts and an Upper East Side property on the brink of foreclosure.

Venture capitalist Michael's net worth previously had been reported as $25 million.

Jules - who told the court she took in $60,000 as a newcomer on the Bravo last season, 'was then trying to keep up with her peers on the show,' and spending beyond her means, Richardson said, according to the NY Post.

For her part, Jules has said that Michael, 44, leaves their two children with a nanny during their stays with him, and shouldn't get more visitation with them than every other weekend.

Jules and Michael got married in 2008 and official filed for divorce in July 2016.

Jules joined the cast of The Real Housewives Of New York City for season eight that concluded last year and she isn't returning for the new season.

The couple's marriage problems played out on the show during the only season Jules was a regular.
She's walked some of the biggest and best fashion shows in the world.

But Karlie Kloss can turn any sidewalk into a catwalk.

The 24-year-old model took a walk on the wild side in leopard print boots as she stepped out in New York City on Friday.

Catwalk queen: Karlie Kloss took a walk on the wild side in leopard print boots as she stepped out in New York City on Friday

The former VS model showcased her long lean legs in tight-fitting cream cropped skinny jeans.

Her grey sweatshirt read Vitamin D, although there didn't appear to be much of it breaking through the clouds in the city.

Looking flawless make-up free, Karlie brought a wide smile and a designer handbag as her perfect accessories.

Stunning: The former VS model showcased her long lean legs in tight-fitting cream cropped skinny jeans

And the busy star certainly has plenty to be happy about as she continues to juggle her modeling career also being the face of Swarovski and Carolina Herrera's Good Girl campaign while studying at New York University.

She has also been all about business lately - running her coding company, Kode With Klossy.

She spoke to Fast Company, for whom she recently graced the front cover, and discussed how she found her passion for app and coding.

Busy: She shared a moodily lit shot on her Instagram

Karlie said: 'I follow my nerdy passions, even if they are kind of unexpected.'

Adding: 'Being true to yourself, as cheesy as that sounds, is important. If you don't enjoy what you're doingif you're pretending to be something you're notthen it's not sustainable.'

The Chicago-born stunner began spreading that interest to younger ladies, launching her own free summer coding program for girls ages 13 to 18.

She also shares coding tidbits via her YouTube channel, Klossy, on a playlist titled, 'Coding is a superpower! #CSforAll.'
She's one of five beautiful Victoria's Secret Angels heating up Miami for a photoshoot.

Lais Ribeiro showed off her delightful derriere as she stripped down to very skimpy undies before posing for the cameras on a lawn on Thursday.

The gorgeous 26-year-old Brazilian, who stands a statuesque 6ft 1ins tall, was joined by a bevy of beauties - Elsa Hosk, Josephine Skriver,Sara Sampaio and Romee Strijd.

Rear view: Lais Ribeiro showed off her delightful derriere as she stripped down to very skimpy undies before posing for the Victoria's Secret cameras on a lawn at a Miami hotel Thursday

Fab from the front, too: The gorgeous 26-year-old Brazilian, who stands a statuesque 6ft 1ins tall, was one of five VS Angels at the photoshoot

All were in various states of undress, but none of the delicate bras and pants on show were quite as revealing as the set that the brunette strutted her stuff in.

However, Josephine Skriver's white lace two piece could certainly give Lais a run for the money.

The 23-year-old blonde, who hails from Denmark, showed off plenty of booty in the high-cut pants. She smoothed her hair into an updo as she chatted with the crew.

Posing with her pal: Lais, who stands a statuesque 6ft 1ins tall, and blonde bombshell Elsa Hosk, who hails from Sweden, smiled and pouted

Enjoying a rest: The pair sat on a four-poster bed shaded from the sun by white linen as the 28-year-old played with her friend's brunette tresses

Hat-a-girl: The 5ft 10ins raised her titfer high into the air as she stood on tip-toe

Stretching out: Elsa showed off her beautiful booty in nude panties

Elsa Hosk was conservatively dressed by comparison. The 28-year-old Swedish blonde modelled a cream balcony bra and matching panties that were cut to just below her tummy button

Portuguese stunner Sara Sampaio wore a rose coloured set that featured boy shorts.

The 25-year-old's long brunette tresses cascaded over her shoulders as she walked around a swimming pool.

Rockin' it out: Elsa and Lais danced on the lawn at their hotel

Watching the fun: Angels Sara Sampaio and Josephine Skriver lay by the pool

Booty call: Josephine, 23, who hails from Denmark, looked stunning in a lace two piece that was almost as revealing as Lais' undies

Flashing her fab body: Sara, 25, modelled a peach coloured bra and pants set

Meanwhile, 21-year-old blonde Romee Strijd, who hails from the Netherlands, shared a series of Instagrams from Miami.

The girls hung out together by the pool and on loungers.

Lais and Elsa shared a double swing with a canopy and then got up to dance with each other.

Josephine and Sara lay on their tummies by the pool and watched the action as they chatted.

Easy breezy: The beautiful brunette's hair fanned out in a gust of wind. The Portuguese Angel is the shortest of the five models, standing 5ft 8ins

Catching some rays: Sara stretched out next to Josephine to work on her tan
She may be the youngest Olsen sister, but Elizabeth Olsen has more than proven she's star material.

The 27-year-old arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, there to attend this year's Sundance Film festival.

The Liberal Arts star looked ready for the chilly weather, sporting an elegant camel coat and little makeup while making her way through the airport.

Sundance kid: Elizabeth Olsen arrived in style to the Salt Lake City Airport on Friday, there to attend the annual Sundance Film Festival

Silk sensation: The California native sported slinky silk pants as she was lead through the terminal with a film festival employee

The Martha Marcy May Marlene lead glowed as she was escorted through the terminal by a festival employee.

Elizabeth's fresh face accentuated the star's striking green eyes and sweet pout.

She did her best to combat the cold, keeping covered with a lovely camel colored coat with a fur collar.

Golden girl: The Godzilla actress's long blonde locks looked flowing at the airport

Beneath the overcoat, the Godzilla actress kept chic and comfy in a pair slinky silk pants.

She finished off her airplane attire with a long pendant necklace and pointed boots.

The LA native's golden locks were flowing as she held a houndstooth carry-on left the airport to be whisked away elsewhere.

Carry-on chic: The Park City bound starlet carried a handsome houndstooth purse before being whisked out of the airport and on to the next thing

Elizabeth is en route to Park City, Utah for the premiere of her latest film Wind River at Sundance.

The crime thriller follows an FBI agent investigating a murder on a remote Native American reservation.

Wind River is the directorial debut for actor Taylor Sheridan and receives a wide release on January 21.

Look who's here! Pierce Brosnan was spotted in Salt Lake City, Utah on Thursday
She's been keeping a low profile lately as she takes a step back from the limelight.

But Jennifer Love Hewitt emerged on Friday and got caught in a downpour as she visited a salon in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Los Angeles.

The 37-year-old star protected her freshly coiffed locks in a white waterproof jacket and wrestled with the hood in windy conditions a she headed to her car.

Protecting the 'do! Jennifer Love Hewitt braved heavy rain in Los Angeles on Friday as she left a hair salon

Jennifer teamed cuffed jeans with some grey chucks and a blue padded vest.

The actress' last TV appearance was on Criminal Minds in 2015, as she seemingly takes a break from showbiz to focus on her young family.

Jennifer, who is wed to actor Brian Hallisay, also 37, welcomed son Atticus in June 2015.

The couple, who met on show The Client List, also have a little girl, Autumn James, three.

The actress opened up about how much she loved being pregnant in an interview in 2015.

Keeping covered: The 37-year-old actress did her best to keep her freshly styled locks protected from the downpour as she headed to her car

Keeping it practical: Jennifer kept it comfortable in cuffed jeans and a padded vest over waterproof jacket

'Being pregnant is completely freeing,' she told American Baby magazine while pregnant with Atticus.

'When I was expecting Autumn, I ate everything I saw. I told myself, "Oh there's a doughnut - I should have that."

'Now with this second pregnancy, I know the baby really doesnt "need it." So I eat healthy foods in general, but I also indulge in little things that I crave.'

'Your body changes so much, and there's a sensuality about that,' Jennifer added. 'I say accentuate the fact that your legs look thinner than they ever have, and your boobs look great: Work it!'
Melania taps little-known Hispanic designer for inaugural debut

Melania Trump on Thursday picked a little-known New York designer of Hispanic descent and daughter of a wounded veteran, for her first outfit celebrating husband Donald's presidential inauguration.

The choice of a knee-length, black coat from Norisol Ferrari for her visit to the Arlington National Cemetery was something of an inspired choice for Trump, who has been criticized in the past for favoring high-end European clothes.

A string of designers have refused to work with the incoming first lady because of her husband's divisive politics, making her sartorial choices for his inaugural events even more closely watched than usual.

Melania Trump takes part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia on January 19, 2017 MANDEL NGAN (AFP)

"God, I hope we can be a less angry nation," Ferrari told Women's Wear Daily, saying she did not agree with designers who wanted to boycott Trump.

"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," she told WWD.

The designer, who was born in the United States and is of Colombian and Venezuelan descent, said she was "honored" to dress Melania Trump, who will on Friday become only the second foreign-born first lady in US history.

"Mrs Trump's visit to Arlington was particularly poignant for me, as my biological father is a wounded veteran. His experience and the lifelong disabilities he sustained, affected my family deeply," she told WWD.

Ferrari declined to say how she voted in last year's election, in which much of the fashion industry supported Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, and said she appreciated the exposure.

"I'm an independent designer, female-owned business, a first-generation minority woman," she told WWD.

"Women in general don't get opportunities like this in fashion. I'm very fortunate to one have such a beautiful muse."

Clever choice or not, the 46-year-old former model was heavily criticized on social media for appearing grumpy, hiding behind dark sunglasses at the cemetery and arriving in Washington from New York looking funereal.

But US media did gush over the green cascading coat and matching dress worn by her 35-year-old step daughter Ivanka, who unlike Melania is moving straight to Washington with her husband, Jared Kushner, an incoming White House advisor.
MH370: what's next in hunt for missing airliner

The official search for MH370 may have been called off but experts believe the missing airliner will one day be found, perhaps either by deep-sea miners or treasure hunters lured by a huge cash reward.

After spending almost three years and US$150 million on a deep sea hunt for the Malaysian passenger jet in the remote Indian Ocean off western Australia, top aviation investigators have been forced to admit they have come up with nothing.

More questions than answers have arisen since the Boeing 777 vanished and relatives of the 239 dead fear that China and Malaysia are admitting defeat in the face of one of the world's most enduring aviation mysteries.

The official search for MH370 may have been called off but experts believe the missing airliner will one day be found MANAN VATSYAYANA (AFP/File)

The only physical evidence has been debris recovered on western Indian Ocean shorelines and the discoveries, far from the official search, have prompted next-of-kin to embark on their own inquiries in Madagascar.

Treasure hunters may also get involved, perhaps through the offer of a multi-million-dollar prize, said former US Air Force aviator Ronald Bishop from Australia's Central Queensland University.

"Sometimes private firms work a bit better," Bishop said, noting they were likely to believe witnesses until they could be disproven.

In contrast, government agencies tended to be more quick to dismiss witnesses' evidence "if they are a little bit over-the-top", he told AFP.

Australia's transport minister Darren Chester stressed this week that the search could be revived if there is "credible new evidence" pinpointing MH370's location, thereby leaving the door open for future operations.

For oceanographer Erik van Sebille of Imperial College London, the new field of deep sea mining could prove to be the key to one day stumbling across MH370's watery grave.

- 'Some point, somehow, somebody' -

Searching for debris under the oceans has always been a challenge because electromagnetic radiation such as radar and X-rays do not work in seawater, leaving only sonar or light and cameras from submersibles operating very close to the seabed.

"It is easier to point a telescope to Mars than to look at our own ocean floor," van Sebille told AFP.

"With deep sea mining... that means there's now a commercial incentive to go and have a very close look at the ocean floor for the first time ever... and at some point, somehow, somebody might stumble upon the black box or a significant part of the plane."

Former US Federal Aviation Administration official Michael Daniel, now an air investigator and consultant, told AFP that it did not need to be governments who take the lead in re-examining the evidence.

Private firms, lawyers and non-governmental organisations could step in on behalf of grieving families.

He said it was time to reassess all the evidence.

"I do think that the investigation needs to reboot in certain areas, for example in the criminal investigation area," Daniel said.

"There are still many questions and areas remaining open.

"What is the motive or why would an aircraft be deviating from its flight plan? There's really no lead in that area other than the aircraft deviated," Daniel said of one of the central puzzles.

The lack of a final resting place and a clear explanation for the disappearance of the Kuala Lumpur to Beijing flight have spawned theories including a Taliban hijacking, a meteor strike and even a diversion by the CIA.

Investigators have pursued leads of a possible hijacking, rogue pilot action or mechanical failure.

Relatives from Malaysia and China, where most of the passengers came from, are also suspicious of their governments, believing authorities are hiding something.

"We are not convinced the plane crashed into the sea. Where is the evidence?" Malaysia's Selamat Omar, whose son Mohamad Khairul Amri Selamat was on board, told AFP.

"Until the plane is found, we will not accept that our son is dead."

Bishop remains optimistic that the plane will eventually be found, giving closure to families.

"The Titanic took until the '80s to find," he said of the search for the ocean liner that struck an iceberg and went down in the north Atlantic in 1912.

"I really think we're going to find (MH370) eventually."

More questions than answers have arisen since the MH Boeing 777 vanished and relatives of the 239 dead fear that China and Malaysia are admitting defeat in the face of one of the world's most enduring aviation mysteries MANAN VATSYAYANA (AFP/File)
Croc kills Australian man at dangerous river crossing

A large crocodile has killed a man at a notorious crossing on the East Alligator River in northern Australia, police said Friday.

Official guidelines warn against trying to walk over Cahill's Crossing which has seen numerous attacks and was swollen by recent rains.

Despite danger signs, the 47-year-old from a remote community in the Northern Territory waded across behind two women on Thursday afternoon.

Australia is home to freshwater and saltwater crocodiles with the more feared 'salties' growing up to seven metres long WILLIAM WEST (AFP/File)

"The two females made it across, however the male was reported missing a short time later," police superintendent Warren Jackson said in a statement.

Authorities shot dead the 3.3-metre (11-foot) crocodile and recovered the man's body about two kilometres (1.2 miles) downstream near Kakadu National Park.

"Cahill's Crossing is notorious for crocodiles and to walk across it to me is just foolishness," duty superintendent Bob Harrison told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"You are tempting fate, knowing the size of the crocodiles in that area."

Australia is home to freshwater and saltwater crocodiles with the more feared "salties" growing up to seven metres long.

Saltwater croc numbers have exploded since they were declared a protected species and a spate of recent attacks has reignited debate about controlling them.

Government estimates put the national population at around 100,000.

They only kill an average of two people each year, but several high-profile attacks, including a woman snatched in May during a late-night swim off a beach in Queensland state, have renewed calls for culls.
Extradited Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' arrives in US

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.

Joaquin Guzman aka "El Chapo" is escorted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement personal as he is extradited to the United States on January 19, 2017, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

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.

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."

Mexican drug lord extradited to the US Adrian Leung/John Saeki (AFP)

Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman aka "El Chapo" sits in a chair while waiting to be extradited to the United States on January 19, 2017 MEXICAN INTERIOR MINISTRY (Mexican Interior Ministry/AFP)
Bin Laden documents: worry over IS tactics, 'aging' Al-Qaeda

Months before his death, Osama bin Laden fretted about the Islamic State group's impatient, violent tactics and the fading of Al-Qaeda, documents released by the CIA Thursday showed.

The latest release from the trove of documents found when Navy Seals stormed the Al-Qaeda chief's secret Pakistan compound and killed him in 2011 show bin Laden trying to keep his jihadist followers around the world aligned in his war against the United States.

They also reveal a worried father warning his sons that they could be injected with electronic chips to track them, and advising Al-Qaeda soldiers in Northern Africa that it was okay to masturbate.

Before his death in 2011 Osama bin Laden was trying to keep his jihadist followers around the world aligned in his war against the United States, newly released documents show FAROOQ NAEEM (AFP/File)

He also spent significant time trying to manage the handling of foreigners kidnapped by far-flung affiliates of his radical Islamic group.

And he showed a strong focus on affairs in his family's original homeland, Yemen, where a powerful new branch -- Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) -- was having a strong impact.

One letter to AQAP founder Nasir al-Wuhayshi warns not to move too fast against the government because conditions were not yet right anywhere to form an Islamic state that could govern effectively and resist attacks from outside.

"Blood should not be shed unless we have evidence to show that the elements of success to establish the Islamic State and maintaining it are available or if achieving such goals is worthy of shedding such blood," he wrote.

"There might be a huge reaction that could drag us into a real war."

- Worried about Qaeda unity, focus -

The documents -- which appear to date mostly from around 2010 -- some written by bin Laden and others on his behalf, show the Al-Qaeda chief determined to keep his group's focus on the United States as its enemy.

"The Ummah's enemies today are like a wicked tree," he wrote, using the term for the world community of Muslims. "The trunk of this tree is the United States."

The letters also reveal that Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born Al-Qaeda cleric in Yemen, was a candidate to be named emir or chief of AQAP, with bin Laden asking for more biographical detail about him.

Bin Laden registered his doubts at the same time, noting that "here we trust the people after we send them to the front line and test them."

Awlaki, whose writings inspired numerous converts to the jihadist cause, was killed by a US drone strike in September 2011.

A letter written by one of his aides suggests bin Laden's rising frustration over his organization nearly a decade after the shock 9/11 attacks on the United States.

Bin Laden "talked about the fear of our organization aging, and reaching decrepitude like other organizations," the letter said.

But the jihadist leader also had time for personal advice for Al-Qaeda fighters in Northern Africa bound by "unfortunate celibacy" because of a lack of available wives.
Top seed Kerber hits form in Australian Open romp

World number one Angelique Kerber say she is fired up for a last-16 clash with America's Coco Vandeweghe after blowing away Kristyna Pliskova at the Australian Open on Friday.

The German defending champion, who was taken to three sets in her opening two rounds, smashed hapless Czech Pliskova 6-0, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena as she finally got into her stride.

She now faces the racquet-smashing Vandeweghe, who ended the campaign of Canadian comeback queen Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Germany's Angelique Kerber hits a return against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova during their Australian Open third round match, in Melbourne, on January 20, 2017 WILLIAM WEST (AFP)

"It was not so easy today, she is a tough opponent who serves well and hits the ball strongly. I tried to stay focused until the last point," said Kerber.

She watched some of the Vandeweghe-Bouchard match, which preceded hers, and said she would be ready for the American on Sunday.

"I think it will be a little bit similar to today, but of course, I mean, Coco is a tough opponent. She played good today," she said.

"I know that she's serving good, as well. I have to move good, be ready, bring a lot of balls back, but also be aggressive as well, like I can play."

Bidding to become the first woman to successfully defend an Australian title since Victoria Azarenka in 2013, Kerber had a tough time in her opening two rounds.

It followed an indifferent build-up to Melbourne with early exits in Brisbane and Sydney this month. But she is starting to find her groove with the quarter-finals now in sight.

"I'm ready for every single match every single day. This is what counts, because I know that this is the only way to play good tennis, especially (over) two weeks," she said.

The 35th-ranked Vandeweghe threw a temper tantrum in her second-round clash against Pauline Parmentier, slamming her racquet into the ground three times when she gave away a break point.

But the fiercely competitive American largely kept her emotions in check against Bouchard, only throwing down her racquet once, but not smashing it.

- Blown wide open -

Despite having to slog through three sets against the Canadian -- battling back after her high-flying career plunged into a tailspin -- the confident American said she always expected to win.

"It was kind of expected, in my mind, to get the win and to get the victory and to move a step closer to achieving what I want to achieve for this year and also this tournament," she said.

She added that she never considered that she might lose a match, and that she would apply the same mindset to the clash with Kerber.

"If you're already thinking you're going to lose to anybody, you have already lost before you have taken a step out there and played the first point or started the warm-up," she said.

The women's draw at Melbourne Park has been blown wide open with the early upsets of third seed Agnieszka Radwanska and fourth ranked Simona Halep.

But worryingly for Kerber, Serena Williams -- the woman she beat in last year's final, and then replaced as world number one -- is still in the hunt and looking ominous.

Williams, chasing a 23rd Grand Slam title, raised a lone index finger after her round two win on Thursday in a gesture many interpreted as the American indicating she still considers herself number one.
'Dump Trump', say Philippine protesters

Hundreds of Filipinos converged on the US embassy Friday to denounce Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration as president of the United States, accusing him of sexism, racism and xenophobia.

Chanting "Dump Trump", the protesters from leftist groups also expressed concerns that Trump was a threat to the millions of Filipino immigrants living in the United States.

"It is alarming to know that an accused sexual predator, a known racist, sexist, xenophobic man is assuming the presidency of the strongest capitalist country in the world," Joms Salvador, secretary-general of women's group Gabriela, told AFP.

Activists burn US flags during a rally at the American embassy in Manila on January 20, 2017, ahead of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration TED ALJIBE (AFP)

"The decades of struggle of women across the world to fight for their rights is threatened by Trump's presidency."

The roughly 300 people who gathered near the US embassy in Manila held placards with the message "@realDonaldTrump hands off Filipino immigrants" and "Trump you're trash". They symbolically dumped photos of Trump in the rubbish bin.

Trump defeated the Democrat's candidate Hillary Clinton after a divisive campaign in which the real-estate billionaire vowed to deport millions of illegal migrants and faced multiple accusations of sexual harassment.

"We are very concerned about Filipino workers in the US dealing with a rise of racism. Some Filipinos there are getting paranoid about their personal safety and their job security," Salvador said.

The Philippines, a former American colony, has strong cultural and economic ties with the United States. The two are bound by a mutual defence treaty and US forces have for many years helped the Philippines on various security issues.

However leftist groups have long railed against the United States for exporting its capitalist model and for what they see as continued American domination of the Philippines.

Protesters at Friday's rally also burned an American flag as they reiterated their longtime demands for US troops to leave the Philippines and the tearing up of what they called "unequal" military agreements.

Bilateral relations have soured under firebrand Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a self-declared socialist who has pivoted his nation's foreign policy towards China and Russia since taking office nearly seven months ago.

In Hong Kong a man chained himself to the gate of the United States consulate Friday afternoon in protest over Trump's inauguration.

Refusing to give his name or nationality but identifying himself as "Snufkin", the bearded man in his late 30s said Trump "represents everything bad in the world".

"Sometimes it feels like we are in 1933 or 1934 again," he told AFP, saying he was protesting because he wanted to be on the right side of history.

Police detained the man after releasing him from a bike lock around his neck and a chain around his torso which he had used to attach himself to the exterior gate of the consulate.
Myanmar army detains Kachin Baptists who helped journalist

Myanmar's army has detained two Kachin Baptist leaders for giving journalists information about a church allegedly hit by military airstrikes, accusing them of spying for insurgents.

The two men, named by the army as Didi Naung Latt and Langyaw Gamsai, were arrested on December 24 in northern Shan state, where thousands have fled weeks of heavy fighting between the army and armed rebels.

In a statement announcing their arrest late Thursday, the army chief's office accused the men of being "recruiters, informers and rumour-mongers for insurgents," including the Kachin Independence Army.

Activists demonstrate during a show of support for Myanmar military personnel engaged in fighting in the country's northern Kachin state, in Yangon, in December 2016 YE AUNG THU (AFP/File)

Some 4,000 people have been displaced since the fighting erupted between the military and four major armed ethnic groups in November, including the powerful KIA.

The unrest has rippled across Shan and Kachin states, threatening the next round of peace talks between the government, military and ethnic groups scheduled for February.

The arrest of the two religious leaders -- Kachin has a large Christian community -- has caused grave concern in an area where the army has long faced accusations of unlawful killings, torture, rape and forced labour.

Rights groups said they were detained for showing a local photographer damage to a Catholic church in Mong Ko.

Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights this week said the "disappearances raise grave concerns for the safety of the two men and witnesses to the incident".
Hopes fade for trapped Iran firefighters after high-rise collapse

Iranian officials said Friday they were losing hope of pulling any survivors from the rubble of a collapsed Tehran high-rise where around 20 firefighters were feared to have lost their lives.

Rescue workers, soldiers and sniffer dogs were still searching through the wreckage of the 15-storey Plasco building in downtown Tehran, which collapsed on Thursday after a four-hour blaze.

But smouldering fires and smoke were complicating the search, and no survivors or bodies had been found.

Emergency personnel search on January 20, 2017 for victims in the wreckage of the 15-storey Plasco building in the capital Tehran, which collapsed the previous day ATTA KENARE (AFP)

"It is very unlikely that we will pull anyone out alive from the rubble," the head of Tehran's crisis management centre, Esmail Najjar, told the ISNA news agency.

"Our goal is to recover the bodies of these martyrs without causing any damage," he added.

The government announced a national day of mourning on Saturday for the firefighters, with the cabinet releasing a statement "praising these great men of sacrifice".

Impromptu displays of solidarity and sadness appeared all over Tehran, with people leaving flowers outside fire stations and around the site of the collapsed building.

"I look at my daughter and wife and think of the families of the firefighters. The lump in my throat is suffocating me," read one of thousands of messages from shocked Iranians on Twitter.

The Plasco building was Iran's oldest high-rise and contained a shopping centre and hundreds of clothing suppliers.

"If the firefighters had not been there in time, if they had not searched inside to evacuate people, we would have had hundreds under the rubble instead of 20 firefighters," said brigade spokesman Jalal Maleki.

- One confirmed death -

The ISNA news agency said a total of 111 people were injured, of whom five were still in hospital.

One firefighter, who escaped the building before it collapsed, died in hospital on Friday from severe burns, it added.

The head of Iran's chamber of commerce, Ali Fazeli, said an initial estimate of 15,000 billion rials (roughly $500 million) had been put on the financial damage.

"Unfortunately, a considerable number of shops in this building were not insured," he added.

The clothing suppliers were particularly full of stock in the run-up to Nowruz, the Iranian new year, which falls in March.

Tehran police chief Ghader Karimi said rescue workers were pulling safes and other items out of the rubble, and these were being kept in a special store at the site to return to owners.

President Hassan Rouhani has called for an immediate investigation, with city officials saying the building's managers ignored repeated warnings about fire hazards.

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 alleged ties to Israel and executed after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Tehran building collapse Laurence CHU (AFP)
Saudi-led air strikes kill 29 Yemen rebels

Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen's Red Sea coast have killed at least 29 rebels over the past 24 hours, military sources said on Friday.

The strikes hit two military camps, an ammunition depot and an arms transporter in Hodeida province, the sources said. Around 20 fighters and renegade troops were also wounded.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in support of beleaguered President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

In March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes against Iran-supported Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies after the rebels overran much of Yemen Fayez NURELDINE (AFP/File)

But despite its massively superior firepower, the rebels and their allies still control the capital Sanaa and much of the central and northern highlands as well as the Red Sea coast.
Anti-Trump protesters, attendees clash at Washington 'Deploraball'

Hundreds of protesters demonstrating against Donald Trump clashed with guests leaving an event in honour of the new US president in Washington late Thursday, prompting police to use chemical spray on the crowd.

The protesters, who heckled guests and shouted foul language at people leaving the "Deploraball", also burned protest signs, creating a smoke-filled scene in front of the National Press Building, where the event was held.

Dozens of police, many in riot gear, were on scene, with some trying to help ball-goers, dressed in tuxedos and evening dresses, leave the area as demonstrators chased them down the street.

A woman throws her fur coat over her head outside the National Press Club in Washington, DC on January 19, 2017 as protesters shouted at them as they left the "Deploraball" event in honour of new US president Donald Trump PAUL J. RICHARDS (AFP)

Although largely peaceful at first, the protest grew more ragged as the night drew on.

Several prominent members of the so-called "alt-right" movement reportedly organized or were to attend the event, held on the eve of Trump's inauguration.

"They don't care about diversity, they don't care about different people, they don't care about homosexuals, they don't care about women, most importantly to me, anyway, as a woman," protester Alex Christopher, who traveled to Washington from West Virginia, told AFP.

Brandon Bourg, a 22-year-old law student attending the "Deploraball" from Louisiana told AFP: "You know -- First Amendment, freedom of speech, freedom to be violent, it's good."

"Violence solves things... but I mean, we're the ones that won in the end," he said.

The name of the event is a play on Hillary Clinton's campaign statement criticizing half of Trump's supporters as a "basket of deplorables."

Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday, with an estimated 800,000 people expected to gather on the National Mall to watch.

Small demonstrations have already popped up across the city center with protesters declaring Trump illegitimate. A much larger rally is planned for Saturday.
Algeria's Islamists unify ranks ahead of April poll

Algeria's Islamist parties are joining forces ahead of April parliamentary elections in hope of reversing a long political decline and having a greater say in the future of the North African country.

But they face a firmly anti-Islamist government and an electorate with bitter memories of violence between Islamist militants and the state in the 1990s, which left an estimated 200,000 people dead.

The vote comes amid growing security and economic challenges along with speculation around who will succeed 79-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika -- although experts say the real decision lies in the hands of the country's secretive elite.

Three leading Islamist parties in Algeria said they were forming a "strategic" alliance ahead of the April parliamentary elections FAROUK BATICHE (AFP/File)

Three leading Islamist parties -- El Binaa, the Front for Justice and Development (FJD) and Ennahda -- said in December they were forming a "strategic" alliance for the election, ahead of a full merger later in 2017.

In early January, the Movement for the Society of Peace (MSP), which has links to the Muslim Brotherhood, and a splinter group, the Front for Change, said they would reunite.

That could bring Algeria's fragmented Islamist movement together into just two parties ahead of the April poll, the exact date for which has not yet been announced.

"They do not expect great successes in the next election, so they are trying to gather themselves and form a common force," said political scientist Rachid Tlemcani.

Islamist parties in Algeria have realised that political Islam in its various forms has lost public support, he said.

Moderate Islamists have been forced to negotiate a difficult balancing act since the violence of the 1990s.

A radical movement, the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), had been poised to win a parliamentary election in 1991 when the army stepped in to cancel it, prompting many FIS members to take up arms.

The "black decade" of violence that followed created divisions that last to this day.

- Joining forces -

The Islamists' previous experience shows that joining forces in elections is no guarantee of success.

At the last parliamentary election in 2012 following Arab Spring-inspired street protests, Islamist parties hoped they could replicate the gains of their peers in Egypt and Tunisia.

The MSP, which was part of the government, left it and joined forces with Ennahda and El Islah to fight the election.

But they suffered the worst electoral defeat in their history.

A coalition led by Bouteflika's National Liberation Front (FLN), which ruled Algeria under a single-party system from independence in 1962 until the early 1990s, kept its grip on power.

When Bouteflika controversially stood for a fourth term in a 2014 presidential election, Algeria's three main Islamist parties boycotted, calling it a "sham".

But the boycott did little to improve their fortunes.

Political scientist Rachid Grine said that since Bouteflika first came to power in 1999, Islamist parties had been nearly wiped out.

However, "if the elections are honest, the Islamists will be... among the winners," he said.

MSP head Abderezak Mokri, one of the country's most senior Islamist leaders, told AFP that taking part in the April poll was imperative.

He said his party would not call for street protests or a boycott.

"We refuse to throw oil on the fire because we want a peaceful political transition in the interest of Algeria," he said.

He said Algeria's economic and social difficulties would mean growing public opposition to the government.

That could play in the Islamists' favour, and experts suspect that if the MSP does well, it could join the next government alongside the FLN.

Mokri said the challenge facing Islamist parties was to become less of a fragmented movement.

Islamist leader Abdallah Djaballah, Ennahda's founder who later set up the FJD, agreed.

"Union is a necessity", he told AFP.

"We will meet the MSP soon and see what we can do together".
The 5 previous West African military interventions

West African nations have a long history of sending their military forces to intervene in neighbouring countries, under the umbrella of a regional cooperation bloc.

Created in 1975, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) focuses mainly on resolving regional conflicts.

In the case of The Gambia, where ECOWAS has temporarily suspended a military operation, the bloc has thrown its support behind the new President Adama Barrow.

A Senegalese soldier wearing the colours of the ECOWAS force. This picture shows troops arriving in Abidjan on 18 January 2002 GEORGES GOBET (AFP/File)

The group has 15 members, of which eight are francophone (Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo), five anglophone (The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone) and two Portuguese speaking (Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau).

The organisation is dominated politically and economically by regional powerhouse Nigeria.

Here's a look at the five main foreign interventions carried out since 1990:

- Mali -

On January 11, 2013, following a UN Security Council resolution, the bloc authorises the immediate deployment of an intervention force aimed at helping Mali retake its Islamist-controlled north.

The same day, the French military launches Operation Serval to back the Malian army and drive back the Islamists, who are pushing south towards Bamako.

The West African force comprises 6,300 men, including 2,000 from Chad, which is not an ECOWAS member. The Chadian soldiers were on the front line alongside French soldiers in fighting the insurgents.

On July 1, 2013, the ECOWAS force is absorbed by the UN's MINUSMA stabilisation force in Mali, which is currently 13,000 strong.

- Guinea-Bissau -

West African troops are deployed in May 2012 to help the political transition after one of the nation's many coups.

They have since served with a mandate to protect public figures and institutions.

The force consists of more than 600 police officers and paramilitary gendarmes from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

Already in February 1999, a lightly armed ECOWAS force was deployed to help resolve the crisis in the insurgency-hit country, but withdrew several months later after failing to prevent a resumption of fighting and the overthrow of the head of state.

- Liberia -

In August 1990, ECOWAS sends a force of several hundred men to Liberia to intervene in a civil war ignited eight months earlier.

The ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group, or ECOMOG, quickly grows to nearly 20,000 soldiers.

Although generally described as a peacekeeping force, ECOMOG is soon called on to take more responsibilities for maintaining order.

In early 1997, more than seven years after the war started, ECOMOG carries out a major disarmament operation, paving the way for multi-party elections in July.

The last ECOMOG soldiers leave Liberia in October 1999.

In August 2003, a new ECOWAS mission, ECOMIL, is deployed in Monrovia, the capital, which had been under siege by rebels for three months. Restricted to some 3,500 soldiers, the force is unable to deploy across the whole of the country and transfers its contingent to the United Nations.

- Sierra Leone -

ECOMOG's Nigerian contingent drives a 1997-98 military junta, the Revolutionary United Front, from Freetown and reinstates president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. The RUF later invades Freetown on January 6, 1999, before being expelled two weeks later by ECOMOG troops.

The West African intervention force, which has up to 11,000 men in Sierra Leone, officially winds up its mission in May 2000 and is replaced by the UN peacekeeping force, formed to guarantee the Lome peace accord of July 1999, which ended the civil war.

- Ivory Coast -
Myanmar faces barrage of criticism over Rohingya crisis

Myanmar's leadership was fending off a barrage of criticism on Friday over the Rohingya crisis, which a UN rights official said was destroying hope for the country's first elected government in a generation.

More than 66,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh to escape a military crackdown in the north of Rakhine state, bringing accounts of rape, arson and mass killings at the hands of security forces.

The bloodshed has tarnished the image of the young government of Aung San Suu Kyi, which took power in March riding a wave of optimism after winning the first free elections in a generation.

More than 66,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh to escape a military crackdown in the north of Myanmar's Rakhine state

Hopes the Nobel laureate would usher in a more open era after half a century of military rule have faded as the government has dismissed accounts of abuses as lies and "fake news".

On Friday, the UN's rights official for Myanmar warned the government's denials were destroying faith in Suu Kyi's fledgling administration.

"The government's response to all of these problems seems to currently be to defend, dismiss and deny," UN special rapporteur on Myanmar Yanghee Lee told reporters after a tour of the country, including a visit to Rakhine. "This response is not only counterproductive but is draining away the hope that had been sweeping the country."

The crackdown started three months ago after deadly raids on police border posts which Myanmar said were carried out by foreign-trained Rohingya militants backed by Middle Eastern money.

Lee condemned the attacks, but blamed the government for driving some to militancy. "If the affected population had felt that the new government would start addressing their situation and grievances then extreme elements would not have easily been able to hijack their cause," she said.

Myanmar has long faced international criticism for its treatment of the Rohingya, who are denied citizenship and live in conditions rights groups have compared to apartheid.

Most among Myanmar's Buddhist majority call them Bengalis -- shorthand for illegal immigrants from neighbouring Bangladesh -- even though many have lived in Myanmar for generations.

The recent crackdown has galvanised anger in the Muslim world and particularly nearby Malaysia, whose Prime Minister Najib Razak has accused Suu Kyi of allowing "genocide" on her watch.

On Thursday he used an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to call for an end to the "unspeakable cruelty" being unleashed against the Rohingya.

His comments drew an angry response from Myanmar, who said he was hijacking the situation in Rakhine to further his own political agenda.

Najib is "is using Myanmar for his own political interests, against the principles of ASEAN," deputy director of Myanmar's foreign ministry, Aye Aye Soe, told AFP, citing the Southeast Asian bloc.

"They criticise us without hesitation based on news reports from different places, including news from unreliable sources, without discussing the issue like a good neighbour. We are deeply sorry about this."

Myanmar's stateless Rohingya Gal ROMA (AFP)
Turkey says not 'realistic' to exclude Assad from Syria deal

A senior Turkish official said Friday it was no longer "realistic" to insist on a solution to the Syria conflict excluding President Bashar al-Assad, just three days before new peace talks.

Turkey acknowledged last year that Assad remains an important actor in Syria but the remarks were the first in which Ankara has openly envisaged a deal which does not include his ouster.

"We have to be pragmatic, realistic. The facts on the ground have changed dramatically," Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told a panel on Syria at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Turkey said it was no longer "realistic" to insist on a solution to the Syria conflict without President Bashar al-Assad - (SANA/AFP/File)

"Turkey can no longer insist on a settlement without Assad. It is not realistic."

Simsek's comments come as Turkey, a vocal critic of the regime in Damascus, sponsors talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Monday, together with key Assad allies Russia and Iran to shore up a ceasefire in the war battered country.

Turkey has backed Syrian opposition rebels fighting against Assad since the complex conflict began with anti-government demonstrations in March 2011, even saying previously that his days were numbered.

Simsek appeared to reflect a policy shift away from Turkey's long-held position of being against Assad having any role when the conflict ends, though he still blamed him for the war's carnage.

"As far as our position on Assad is concerned, we think that the suffering of Syrian people and tragedies clearly... the blame is squarely on Assad," Simsek said.

Turkey recently hosted talks between Russia, which backs Damascus with military support, and Syrian opposition fighters.

- 'Beginning in Astana' -

Russia and Turkey have become closer after repairing ties last summer that had frayed following the downing of a Russian war plane on the Syrian border in November 2015.

Ankara and Moscow brokered a ceasefire between Assad's forces and rebel groups in late December, but violence has again escalated across the country, particularly around the capital.

At Davos, Simsek said there had to be "a beginning in Astana" to make sure the conflict stops.

"For now at least the fighting has stopped, it is very, very critical because that is the beginning of anything else," he added.

"The process is to make sure that we translate the current lull into a more lasting ceasefire initially, and then of course talk about more mundane stuff, settling the conflict."

In an unprecedented incursion in August last year, Turkey waged a military operation against Islamic State (IS) jihadists and also Kurdish militia to back up pro-Ankara rebels.

There has so far been no indication of clashes with Assad's forces or that Turkey plans any offensive against regime-held territory.

- No 'secret bargain' -

Russia has generally steered clear of sharp criticism of the Turkish offensive. And officials in Ankara dismiss talk of any secret "bargain" with Moscow over Syria.

Five Turkish soldiers were killed in an attack in northern Syria blamed on IS jihadists, local media reported Friday, quoting the Turkish military.

Another nine soldiers were wounded in the bombing in Al-Bab, where Turkish-backed rebels have suffered heavy casualties in a weeks-long bid to retake the town from IS, the private Dogan news agency said.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said destruction by IS jihadists at Syria's ancient city of Palmyra was disturbing.

"What is happening (in Palmyra) is a real tragedy from the point of view of cultural and historical heritage," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow.

"Barbaric actions of the terrorists are continuing."
Trump begins inauguration day activities with church service

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday attended the first event of his jam-packed inauguration day -- a prayer service just hours before he takes the oath of office.

Trump, his wife Melania and his adult children arrived at St. John's Church near the White House for what was expected to be an hour-long service before he heads for morning tea with outgoing President Barack Obama.

The sermon will be given by Southern Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress, who has drawn sharp criticism for his inflammatory remarks about Muslims, Mormons, Catholics and gays.

US President-elect Donald Trump (L) and his wife Melania leave St. John's Episcopal Church on January 20, 2017 Nicholas Kamm (AFP)

Jeffress, who leads the First Baptist Church in Dallas, once accused outgoing President Barack Obama of "paving the way" for the Antichrist, and has called Islam an "evil religion."

Vice President-elect Mike Pence and his family were also to attend the service.

Jeffress tweeted a picture of himself in front of St. John's with the message: "Delivering sermon for Trump/Pence private family service at 8:30am CT. Topic: 'When God Chooses a Leader' from Nehemiah."
Syria's ancient Palmyra: five things to know

Syria's ancient city of Palmyra, where archaeological treasures are under renewed attack by Islamic State group jihadists, was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1980.

IS jihadists first seized Palmyra in May 2015 and began to systematically destroy the central city's monuments. They were driven out in March 2016 but captured the town again last December.

Before the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, the city of 1,000 columns and a formidable necropolis of more than 500 tombs attracted over 150,000 tourists a year.

Syria's ancient city of Palmyra was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1980 JOSEPH EID (AFP/File)

- Prosperous past -

Although the precise date of its founding is unknown, Palmyra's name is referred to on a tablet dating from the 19th century BC as a stopping point for caravans between the Mediterranean and the east.

It was during the Roman Empire -- beginning in the first century BC and lasting 400 years -- that the oasis city rose to prominence.

Despite being surrounded by desert, Palmyra developed into a wealthy metropolis thanks to trade in spices, perfumes, silk and ivory from the east.

- Why is it special? -

Known to Syrians as the "Pearl of the Desert", Palmyra boasted temples, colonnaded alleys and elaborately decorated tombs that were some of the best preserved classical monuments in the Middle East.

Situated 210 kilometres (130 miles) northeast of Damascus, its name means City of Palms. It is also known by the Arabic name Tadmor, or City of Dates.

Built on the Western model, "you could almost compare it to Rome", according to Marielle Pic, head of Oriental antiquities at the Louvre museum in Paris.

The city's temples were built after it was declared a free city by Roman emperor Hadrian in 129 AD, which allowed it to collect its own taxes.

"One of the characteristics of Palmyra are the tall, multi-storey tower tombs in which the sarcophagi were laid," Pic says.

- Queen Zenobia -

In the third century, Palmyrenes beat back the Romans in the west and Persian forces in the east in a revolt led by Zenobia, who became queen after her husband died in mysterious circumstances.

By 270 AD, Zenobia had conquered all of Syria and parts of Egypt. Her forces advanced into what is now Turkey before they were defeated by the Roman emperor Aurelian near Antakya.

- IS occupies Palmyra -

IS, which considers statues of humans or animals as blasphemous, overran Palmyra on May 21, 2015.

Three months later, the jihadists beheaded Palmyra's 82-year-old former antiquities chief Khaled al-Assaad and launched a campaign of destruction against treasured monuments.

They destroyed the ancient shrine of Baal Shamin.

In September, they attacked the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel, a gem of classical architecture.

In October, IS blew up the Arch of Triumph, which dates from around 200 AD.

It also destroyed a dozen of Palmyra's best preserved tower tombs and the famed Lion of Al-Lat outside the city's museum.

The jihadists used the city's ancient amphitheatre as a venue for public execution-style killings, and destroyed a prison where the regime of Hafez al-Assad, father of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, killed hundreds of detainees in 1980.

- Palmyra reclaimed, lost again -

Syrian government forces, backed by Russian warplanes, recaptured the city on March 27, 2016, but IS fighters stormed back in on December 11.
Violence mars anti-Trump protests in Washington

Masked, black-clad protesters carrying anarchist flags smashed windows, lit fires and scuffled with riot police Friday in downtown Washington, blocks from the parade in honor of newly sworn-in President Donald Trump.

Washington police arrested at least 217 people for acts of vandalism committed on the fringe of peaceful citywide demonstrations against Trump's inauguration.

Just before the parade started, clashes broke out between 400 to 500 stone-throwing protesters and riot police, who responded with tear gas -- the second violent flare-up in the space of a few hours.

A protest sign is pictured before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC ZACH GIBSON (AFP)

As Trump's motorcade wound its way up Pennsylvania Avenue in the parade to the White House, protesters just a few blocks away set a parked limousine on fire after smashing its windows.

An AFP reporter saw National Guardsmen donning helmets and bullet-proof vests, as protesters blocked traffic and set trash cans ablaze -- chanting "Not my president" and "We resist President Trump."

City police chief Peter Newsham said at least 217 people were arrested and would be held overnight before appearing in front of a judge.

"The charge is rioting," he told reporters.

"Our intention going into this event was to make zero arrests, and unfortunately they forced our hand."

Meanwhile, prominent white supremacist Richard Spencer was sucker-punched in the street while giving an interview to journalists, according to footage of the incident circulating online.

"No serious damage," Spencer said on Twitter. "I can take a punch."

As the 70-year-old Trump, his supporters and top dignitaries gathered on the National Mall for the swearing-in ceremony, throngs of his opponents also converged on the US capital.

Most of the noisy protests -- including those by an array of anti-racist, anti-war, feminist, LGBT, pro-immigration and marijuana legalization groups -- were peaceful.

But the protesters were intent on being heard -- massing at the city's Navy Memorial Plaza, along the parade route, and letting out a deafening roar as the presidential limousine known as "The Beast" drove by.

"Not my president!" they yelled, as the pro-Trump crowd in bleachers across the street chanted "USA!"

Protesters along the route waved banners reading: "Try to deserve this office," "Obama cares, Trump scares," or "Make America Sane Again."

Another group unfurled a giant banner reading "Shame" outside the Trump Hotel -- right near the spot where the president briefly stepped out of his limo to walk the parade route.

- 'No fascist USA!' -

Newsham attributed the sporadic outbreaks of violence to "a small group that wanted to disrupt the inauguration."

"We have significant damage in a number of blocks in our city," he said, while adding: "It's a very, very small percentage of those folks who came here to peacefully assemble in our city."

Black-clad groups with anarchist and anti-fascist banners could be seen moving quickly on the outskirts of the main protests.

Marchers, some red-eyed from pepper spray, chanted: "No deportation, no KKK, no fascist USA!"

Several demonstrators were carrying batons and other weapons, police said, while at least one protester was hurt and was seen receiving treatment for a head wound.

The front windows of some businesses including a Starbucks and a Bank of America were smashed to pieces.

The majority of protests in the city were peaceful -- whether people came to register anger, dissent or dismay at Trump's election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Some insults were thrown as groups of Trump supporters passed by protests en route to hail their hero, but the two sides kept largely apart.

- 'Not the nation we want' -

Protesters said they feared Trump would be an extremist president, taking a hardline approach on everything from immigration to gutting public services.

John Zangas, a longtime Washington resident, said it felt like the city was "under siege" given the number of police on the streets.

"This should be a momentous occasion, not one where flash-bang (noise grenades) and tear gas are deployed against citizens," Zangas said.

Demonstrations were not limited to the nation's capital, with protestors taking to the streets in cities including Chicago, New York and Atlanta.

Thousands clogged downtown Chicago to march in front of the city's highrise condo-hotel bearing Trump's name. The protest stayed mostly peaceful, with police reporting a minor skirmish that resulted in two arrests.

Julie Vogl, 54, voiced concern over the president's calls to ban Muslim's from entering the country and deport undocumented immigrants.

"I hope he proves me terribly wrong," she said. "We don't believe in what he said."

"It's not the nation we want."

Police and demonstrators clash in downtown Washington after a limo was set on fire following the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 20, 2017 SPENCER PLATT (GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP)

Demonstrators set fires as they confront police in protest against the inauguration of US President Donald Trump on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC Gaspard Le Dem (AFP)

Anti-Trump protesters walk with a flag through a park in downtown Washington, DC on January 20, 2017 on the day of the swearing-in ceremony for President Donald Trump Daniel SLIM (AFP)

Demonstrators protest against US President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2107 Jewel SAMAD (AFP)

Demonstrators protest the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC
Afghan female orchestra strikes closing note at Davos

Afghanistan's first all-female orchestra brought the curtain down on this year's World Economic Forum on Friday with a culture-crossing performance that overcame tradition and death threats in their homeland.

Zohra, an ensemble of 35 young musicians aged 13 to 20, some orphans or from poor families, performed before a Davos audience more in tune with talk of deal-making than the strains of Afghan classical music.

Some sat on the floor, barefoot and cross-legged, some on chairs, all in traditional dress with head-scarves, as they performed a mix of Western and South Asian instruments: stringed, wind and percussion.

Zohra, an ensemble of 35 young Afghani musicians aged 13 to 20, some orphans or from poor families, performed before a Davos audience with a mix of Western and South Asian instruments FABRICE COFFRINI (AFP)

The programme itself fused the two musical traditions, and included a moving rendition of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy", the anthem of European unity.

Behind them was a photo backdrop showing a snow-capped mountain range that could have passed for the Swiss Alps or the Hindu Kush.

Conducted by Negina Khpalwak, who will be celebrating her 20th birthday on the return flight from Europe, the girls have overcome death threats and discrimination in the deeply conservative war-torn country to play together.

Ahmad Sarmast, the musicologist who founded Afghanistan's National Institute of Music and the Zohra orchestra, expressed his profound pride as his charges took the Davos stage.

He told the audience that they represented a "beacon of hope", and embodied "the positive changes that have accumulated in the last 13 years" since a US-led invasion drove the Taliban from power.

Music was banned during the Taliban's repressive 1996-2001 rule and is still frowned upon in much of Afghan society, which is tightly segregated by gender.

At 18, Zohra violinist Zarifa Adiba has already performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and before coming to Europe, expressed hope that she might get to meet her heroine Michelle Obama in Davos.
Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' pleads not guilty in US

Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, one of the world's most notorious criminals, pleaded not guilty in a US court Friday to a raft of firearms, drug trafficking and conspiracy charges that could see him jailed for life.

Less than 24 hours after being extradited by Mexico, the 59-year-old drug baron looked tired as he stood in blue prison scrubs flanked by his US public defenders for the brief, 10-minute hearing in a federal court in Brooklyn.

US prosecutors say Guzman's Sinaloa cartel is responsible for distributing hundreds of thousands of kilos of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana throughout the United States, reaping billions of dollars in profits.

Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "El Chapo" Guzman (C) is escorted in Ciudad Juarez by the Mexican police as he is extradited to the United States

They hailed his extradition as a milestone in efforts to bring Guzman to justice, rushing out the announcement in the final hours before Republican President Donald Trump took the oath of office.

It caps a Hollywood-worthy cat-and-mouse game between authorities and the slippery drug lord, who escaped spectacularly from prison twice -- in a laundry cart in 2001 and through a tunnel under his shower in 2015.

His feats turned him into a legend of Mexico's underworld, with musicians singing his praises in folk ballads, but his cartel controlled a massive international drugs distribution network and presided over deadly turf wars.

Guzman spoke softly in court on Friday, addressing Magistrate Judge James Orenstein in barely audible Spanish as "yes, sir" through an interpreter while holding his hands behind his back.

He has been slapped with a sweeping 17-count indictment that includes criminal enterprise dating back decades from 1989 to 2014, drug importation, illegal use of firearms and money laundering conspiracy.

"We enter a plea of not guilty on his behalf," said one of his defenders.

It remains how quickly a trial will get underway in a massively complicated case spanning multiple jurisdictions. The next hearing was set for February 3.

- Life behind bars -

If found guilty, Guzman stands to spend the rest of his life in a maximum security US prison. Prosecutors are also seeking to obtain a $14 billion criminal forfeiture order against him.

"He's a man known for no other life than a life of crime, violence, death and destruction and now he'll have to answer to that," US Attorney Robert Capers told reporters on Friday.

The drug baron, whom US prosecutors said was known to carry a gold-plated AK-47 assault rifle and a diamond-encrusted handgun, had campaigned against extradition since being recaptured last January following his second jailbreak.

Mexico's government said it agreed to extradite Guzman after the United States pledged not to seek the death penalty at his trial and had accepted a US request to impose additional charges against him.

President Enrique Pena Nieto had previously refused to extradite Guzman, but changed tack after the drug lord's latest escape in July 2015.

But questions have also been raised over the timing. Trump, who takes office on Friday, has publicly clashed with Mexico over trade and immigration issues and has pledged to build a wall on the US-Mexican border.

One of Guzman's lawyers, Silvia Delgado, told Milenio television that she was surprised, calling the extradition "illegal" with another petition pending.

Homeland Security Special Agent Angel Melendez gave a dramatic account of Guzman's arrival at MacArthur Airport the night before and US authorities have stressed that Guzman will have no means of escaping a US prison.

- Cancerous tumor -

"As he deplaned, as you looked into his eyes, you could see the surprise, you could see the shock and to a certain extent you could see the fear... that he is about to face American justice," Melendez said.

"I assure you no tunnel will be built leading into his bathroom," he added.

Prosecutors say Guzman rose to infamy after fending off competition from Colombian cartels to oversee a drug trafficking network from the Pacific to the Atlantic, keeping "an army of hitmen at the ready" to protect his empire.

He is charged in six indictments throughout the United States, and the Mexican foreign ministry had also approved extradition bids from California and Texas.

"Guzman's destructive and murderous rise as an international narcotics trafficker, is akin to that of a small cancerous tumor that metastasized and grew into a full-blown scourge that for decades littered the streets of Mexico with the casualties of violent drug wars," Capers said.

Guzman was first captured in Guatemala in 1993, only to escape from a maximum-security prison in 2001.

Mexican marines backed by the US Drug Enforcement Administration arrested him in 2014, but he escaped again 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.

Security agents guard the US Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn where the arraignment of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was set to take place January 20, 2017 Don EMMERT (AFP)

Robert Capers, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, discusses the extradition of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, to the US, during a news conference on January 20, 2017 in New York Don EMMERT (AFP)

Handout picture released by the Mexican Interior Ministry on January 20, 2017, shows Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "El Chapo (R) sitting in a chair as he is extradited to the United States on January 19, 2017 Handout (Mexican Interior Ministry/AFP/File)
Astana talks on Syria must not sideline UN

The UN Security Council on Friday expressed support for peace talks on Syria hosted by Russia, Turkey and Iran next week, but stressed they must not serve to sideline UN-led negotiations.

During a closed-door meeting, the council discussed the talks opening Monday in the Kazakh capital of Astana after the United Nations decided to send envoy Staffan de Mistura to the meeting.

Sweden's ambassador and council president Olof Skoog said the Astana talks could help shore up a ceasefire and "represent an important stepping stone coming back to UN-led talks in Geneva thereafter."

A Syrian man walks past a destroyed building in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of the capital Damascus, on January 20, 2017 Abd Doumany (AFP)

Western powers have for weeks questioned the purpose of the Astana talks and raised concern that they could open up a new track of negotiations to end the nearly six-year war in Syria.

"That concern may have been there," Skoog said about sidelining the UN-led process, but he added that the council was united in its position that the Kazakh talks must be in sync with the UN-led negotiations.

The United Nations is working to bring the Syrian government and the rebels to the table in Geneva on February 8.

The UN-led talks have broken down over disagreements on ensuring a transition in Damascus that would lead to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's exit from power.

Turkey, which backs rebel forces, for the first time conceded that a peace deal that excludes Assad from power might not be possible.

"Turkey can no longer insist on a settlement without Assad. It is not realistic," Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told a panel on Syria at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Assad told Japanese television that he hoped the rebels attending the Astana talks will agree to lay down their arms in exchange for an amnesty deal.

Turkey and Russia, which supports Assad, brokered a ceasefire on December 30, but clashes have continued while deliveries of humanitarian aid remain blocked.
Peacekeepers leaving Sudan's Darfur found with arms: UN

The United Nations peace mission in Sudan's conflict-wracked Darfur region said Friday it had opened an inquiry after one of its units was found leaving the region with weapons.

"Members of the security section discovered weapons and military equipment in the baggage of a unit of peacekeepers during a routine changeover at El Fasher" airport in northern Darfur, a spokesman from the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said.

The force "immediately informed Sudanese authorities and opened an inquiry," spokesman Ashraf Issa said.

The UN Security Council last year extended the mandate of UNAMID until the end of June 2017 over fierce opposition from the government in Khartoum ASHRAF SHAZLY (AFP/File)

The UN Security Council last year extended the mandate of UNAMID until the end of June 2017 over fierce opposition from the government in Khartoum.

About 20,000 troops and policemen from more than 30 countries are currently in Darfur, a region of the size of France but UNAMID did not reveal the nationality of the unit found with weapons.

The UNAMID mission was first deployed in Darfur in 2007, a compromise between Western calls for a fully-fledged UN peacekeeping mission and Khartoum's insistence on an African solution.

Violence erupted in Darfur when ethnic minority rebels rose up against President Omar al-Bashir, accusing his Arab-dominated government of marginalising the region.

Bashir mounted a brutal counter-insurgency and at least 300,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 2003, the UN says. Another 2.5 million have fled their homes.
Serena, Nadal set sights on week two

Serena Williams will attempt to join sister Venus in the Australian Open last 16 on Saturday, as Rafael Nadal looks to show who's boss against exciting young gun Alexander Zverev.

The American 22-time Grand Slam winner faces compatriot Nicole Gibbs as she tries to keep up her momentum towards the tournament second week, after two comfortable wins so far.

Williams, who lost last year's final to Angelique Kerber, said she had been trying to channel positive thoughts as she targets a seventh Australian title, which would give her an Open-era record 23rd major.

Serena Williams, who lost last year's final to Angelique Kerber, faces compatriot Nicole Gibbs as she targets a seventh Australian title PAUL CROCK (AFP/File)

"I know that being Serena on the court is in a way being calm, which is in my name, but always having that fire as well," she said, explaining her approach.

"I think, most of all, being confident."

If Williams gets past Gibbs, the second seed will next play either 16th seed Barbora Strycova or 21st seed Caroline Garcia.

Another veteran gunning for more Grand Slam glory is Spain's Nadal, who is attempting to improve on an injury-riddled 2016.

The 14-time Grand Slam winner's comeback will be given a testing examination by top-rated Zverev, who is hoping to join older brother Mischa in the last 16.

"He is of the best players of the world, without a doubt, today," Nadal said of the German teen.

"His potential is so, so high. I know I have a very tough match, and I know I need to play my best if I want to have chances."

If the German beats the 2009 champion, the Zverevs would become just the third pair of brothers to reach the round of 16 at a Grand Slam in the Open era.

Gene and Sandy Mayer at 1979 Wimbledon, and Emilio and Javier Sanchez at the US Open in 1991 were the others.

Giant-killer Denis Istomin is back in action, keen to build on his stunning upset of six-time Australian champion Novak Djokovic in the last round.

He faces Pablo Carreno Busta, seeded 30, on an outside court, with the winner due to meet either Richard Gasquet or Grigor Dimitrov, who play in the evening on Rod Laver Arena.

The Zverevs are two of three Germans to reach the third round, along with Philipp Kohlschreiber who takes on sixth seed Gael Monfils on Margaret Court Arena.

In an intriguing women's match, Britain's ninth-seeded Johanna Konta meets former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, with both players in fine touch.

"It will be an incredibly tough one. Every round so far has been," said Konta, who made the semi-finals last year.

US Open finalist and fifth seed Karolina Pliskova has a late match on Margaret Court Arena against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, while sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova is up against Ekaterina Makarova.
US wants S.Korea to arrest brother of former UN chief Ban

US government prosecutors have asked South Korea to arrest a brother of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon indicted in New York on charges of bribery, an official confirmed Friday.

An indictment unsealed on January 10 accuses Ban Ki Sang, a senior executive in a South Korean construction company, and his son Joo Hyun Bahn, a Manhattan real estate broker, over the attempted $800 million sale of a building in Hanoi.

During a court hearing in a federal court in New York on Friday, an assistant US attorney said a request had been made for the arrest of Ban.

The brother and newphew of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, seen in April 2016, are charged with corruption, money laundering and conspiracy MOLLY RILEY (AFP/File)

The suspect, who was an executive at Keangnam Enterprises, a South Korean construction company, has not yet been arrested, the prosecutor told the court.

Ban's brother stepped down from the helm of the United Nations on January 1, replaced by former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres. Bahn is the former UN chief's nephew.

Both relatives are charged with corruption, money laundering and conspiracy.

US prosecutors allege that the international bribery conspiracy took place between March 2013 and May 2015 in relation to the attempted sale of a commercial and residential complex in Hanoi, built and owned by Keangnam.

The plot focused on an attempt to get an official from an undisclosed Middle Eastern kingdom to purchase the property.

The father and son agreed to pay an initial bribe of $500,000, wired to an account in New York from South Korea in April 2014, followed by a payment of $2 million upon completion of the sale, prosecutors said.

US citizen Malcolm Harris, accused of masquerading as a go-between and also indicted, pocketed the bribe which he frittered away on personal luxuries, US prosecutors say.
Rally protests another term for Burkina Faso prez

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP)  Police used tear gas on Tuesday to disperse an opposition protest in Burkina Faso's capital, as tensions increase ahead of a vote this week on whether the country's longtime president can seek another term.

Thousands of people who say President Blaise Compaore has been in power long enough rallied in the capital of Ouagadougou, chanting "27 years is enough" and "we do not need a referendum."

Compaore has been in power since 1987. Under the current rule, he would not be able to run again once his current term expires next year.

In this photo taken on Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, Woman holding a wooden spoon protest with others during a rally against the longtime president that seeks another term in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Police used tear gas on Tuesday to disperse an opposition protest in Burkina Faso's capital, as tensions increase ahead of a vote this week on whether the country's longtime president can seek another term. (AP Photo/Theo Renaut)

The parliament votes Thursday on a bill that calls for a constitutional amendment that would increase term limits. If the measure passes by a simple majority, a referendum will be called on the subject, but if it passes with a three-quarters majority, the constitution can be amended without a referendum. The measure looks likely to pass after a smaller party threw its support behind the ruling party this weekend.

But opposition leaders have vowed to prevent parliamentarians from getting to the chamber on Thursday, raising tensions in a West African country known for its relative stability and economic growth in a volatile region.

In Washington, the U.S. State Department raised concerns about the proposal and singled out Burkina Faso security forces in urging the country to debate the issue peacefully.

Term limits "provide an important mechanism to hold heads of state accountable, ensure peaceful and democratic transfers of power, and give new generations the opportunity to compete for political office and elect new leaders," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement Tuesday.

Tuesday's protest was largely peaceful until some began pushing against the barricades and threatened to move toward the parliament. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, which had mostly gone home by the afternoon.

There were smaller rallies around the country, and protesters in one area attacked the regional headquarters of the ruling party. No one was hurt.

---

Associated Press writer Lara Jakes contributed to this report from Washington.

In this photo taken on Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, Woman protest with others during a rally against the longtime president that seeks another term in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Police used tear gas on Tuesday to disperse an opposition protest in Burkina Faso's capital, as tensions increase ahead of a vote this week on whether the country's longtime president can seek another term. (AP Photo/Theo Renaut)

In this photo taken on Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, Woman protest with others during a rally against the longtime president that seeks another term in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Police used tear gas on Tuesday to disperse an opposition protest in Burkina Faso's capital, as tensions increase ahead of a vote this week on whether the country's longtime president can seek another term. (AP Photo/Theo Renaut)
AP FACT CHECK: Australian police didn't raid koala 'brothel'

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  A story shared on social media that claimed police rescued koalas from an underground animal "brothel" in Australia is false.

The account posted by notallowedto.com and other sites said federal agents had arrested more than 40 people from a privately owned petting zoo at the town of Pinjarra in Western Australia state over allegations of bestiality and animal cruelty.

The story described the raid as the biggest crack down on an animal cruelty in Australia's history.

The Australian Federal Police said in a statement on Friday its officers were not involved in such an operation.

Western Australia Police, which would have jurisdiction in such a raid, said in a statement: "We believe this to be fake news."

Photographs published with the story do not depict koalas rescued in such a police operation. They are images of a koala hit by a car in Queensland state and a koala being treated for burns sustained in a wildfire in South Australia state.

___
Haiti president-elect dismisses money laundering allegations

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  Haiti's president-elect says money laundering accusations that have swirled around him for months are a smear campaign by political enemies.

Jovenel Moise is a businessman from northern Haiti who was ex-President Michel Martelly's preferred successor. He won the November election and is due to be sworn in next month.

This week, opposition senators called for an internal report by a Haitian financial intelligence agency to be investigated before his Feb. 7 oath-of-office ceremony. The report leaked last year suggested that Moise possibly laundered money.

Moise denies any wrongdoing. He asserts that institutional weakness and "jealousy" by political enemies are behind the accusations.
The Latest: De Niro, Moore join hundreds at Trump protest

NEW YORK (AP)  The Latest on the pre-inauguration demonstration by actors and others in New York (all times local):

7:50 p.m.

City mayors, actors and hundreds of New Yorkers have gathered outside a Donald Trump building for a pre-inauguration demonstration.

Organizers said the Thursday event outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower near Central Park was meant to express concern about the president-elect's plans.

Director Michael Moore urged the crowd to regularly call their representatives in Congress, giving out a switchboard number.

The mayors of New York City and Minneapolis also joined the rally.

Actor Alec Baldwin, who portrays an exaggerated Trump on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," briefly did his impression for the crowd. He says Americans wary of Trump's policies should become more civically involved.

Trump is in Washington, D.C. His swearing-in ceremony is Friday.

___

3:45 p.m.

Robert De Niro, Sally Field and others plan to join the mayors of New York and Minneapolis to rally cities to chart their own course on health care, climate change and other issues during Republican Donald Trump's administration.

Organizers of the Thursday demonstration, set in New York on the eve of Trump's presidential inauguration, say they expect thousands of people, including a growing list of actors, musicians and dignitaries. Greenpeace, Planned Parenthood and MoveOn.org are also involved.

Actor Mark Ruffalo says in a statement that communities across the country have the "power to protect people and the environment" and to unite to oppose what participants see as harmful policies Trump may advance.

Demonstrators will gather in front of Trump International Hotel and Tower in Manhattan.
Timing of Mexico drug lord's extradition seen as political

MEXICO CITY (AP)  Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's abrupt exit to face charges in the U.S. marks the probable end of the career of Mexico's most notorious drug cartel boss, and a delicately timed gesture by Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, who faces a new and hostile U.S. administration.

Observers differed on whether Guzman's extradition was a final-hour salute to outgoing President Barack Obama, or a gesture of obeisance to incoming President Donald Trump. Pena Nieto is already deeply unpopular, in part for his perceived mishandling of Donald Trump's tough rhetoric on Mexico.

Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran said at a Thursday night news conference that the timing was due to a court ruling, not politics.

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)

"It was resolved today, and we under terms of the international treaty had to make the handover immediately," he said.

But many considered the timing to have been carefully planned.

"It could be a coincidence, but I think that's unlikely," Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope said, noting it came the last full day of Barack Obama's presidency and hours before Trump's inauguration.

"They could not send him after Trump was inaugurated because the interpretation would have been that of a tribute," Hope said. "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."

Others saw it as a reward to Obama and a shot across the bow of Trump, who has called immigrants coming illegally from Mexico criminals and "rapists" and vowed to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it.

"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," said Michael Vigil, the former head of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "They wanted Obama to take credit. They wanted to send a message to Trump that they won't be bullied."

Samuel Logan of the business and security consulting firm Southern Pulse said it also probably involved practical concerns. Guzman has escaped twice from Mexican prisons, and Pena Nieto has more pressing concerns on his hands like the fast-rising Jalisco New Generation cartel, known as the CJNG.

"There might be some political aspirations in it, but I think it's more about cleaning up what loose ends he (Pena Nieto) can so he can focus on what is much more concerning, the CJNG," Logan said.

A senior US official speaking on condition of anonymity said Mexico's legal system gave the Mexican government a small window of opportunity to extradite Guzman, and it quickly took it. The window  during which Guzman's lawyers could have filed other appeals  was a matter of hours, so tight that the official acknowledged there was nervousness on both sides of the border.

One Guzman lawyer, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, said the extradition violated due process. He told the Radio Formula station that he planned to file a complaint with the Inter-American Human Rights Commission.

Guzman's departure came the same day Mexican officials announced high-level talks Jan. 25-26 in Washington. The discussions will include Mexico's newly installed top diplomat, Luis Videgaray, and key Trump administration officials such as chief of staff Reince Priebus, son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and senior adviser Stephen Bannon.

Hope said the timing also sends a message that Mexico is serious about anti-drug cooperation regardless of who occupies the White House.

Sen. Miguel Barbosa of the leftist opposition Democratic Revolution Party seized on the extradition to take a swipe at Pena Nieto. He said it was apparently the only choice after Guzman twice pulled off embarrassing escapes from maximum-security lockups.

"We should not celebrate that the Mexican state was not capable of processing the greatest criminal that has ever existed in Mexico and was not capable of guaranteeing his incarceration," Barbosa said in a statement.

Pena Nieto currently has the lowest approval ratings for any Mexican leader in the polling era. Besides his handling of Trump, Mexicans are also angry about corruption, rising drug gang violence and a Jan. 1 deregulation that led gasoline prices to spike by as much as 20 percent.

Another of Guzman's lawyer, Andres Granados, accused the government of trying to distract the public.

"They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike," Granados said. "It's totally political."

Some Mexicans feared Guzman's extradition to the United States, where he will surely be kept from communicating with underlings, could unleash a cartel power struggle and more bloodshed.

"All the different bands are going to start fighting among themselves, no? Drug traffickers, to see who ends up being No. 1," said Roberto Lascurain, an architect in Mexico City.

Guzman associate Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is believed to be running the cartel following "El Chapo's" recapture last January. Some analysts believe Guzman's sons may have also taken on increased roles.

Raul Benitez, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said Guzman's offspring may try to challenge for control in what "could be a negotiation without violence, or a war with machine guns."

However, Vigil predicted that the operations of Guzman's Sinaloa cartel are unlikely to be affected.

"Most cartels have a vertical structure, but ... Sinaloa has a horizontal one with cells that operate in a semi-autonomous manner," Vigil said. "They have a strong bench. They have a respected leader in Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada."

On Twitter, some saw humor in Guzman's extradition the day before Trump takes office.

"'They're sending the worst, they're bringing drugs, they're criminals,'" tweeted Jorge Guajardo, Mexico's ambassador to China in 2007-2013, echoing Trump's comments about illegal immigration. "Ok, you won. Here's our very worst, El Chapo."

U.S. presidential transitions have been used by foreign countries before to send a political message. On Jan. 20, 1981, only minutes into the presidency of Republican Ronald Reagan, Iran freed 52 American hostages it held for 444 days after the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

A deal between Iran and the U.S. to unfreeze billions of dollars in Iranian assets in exchange for the hostages had been largely reached under outgoing Democratic President Jimmy Carter. But while Carter greeted the hostages on their landing in West Germany, it was Reagan who announced their freedom to cheering Americans.

___

Associated Press writers Mark Stevenson and E. Eduardo Castillo and AP video journalist Lissette Romero in Mexico City and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed to this report.

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. According to Mexico's Foreign Ministry, Guzman has been extradited to the United States on Thursday, Jan. 19 2017. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran speaks to the press about the extradition of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the U.S. in Mexico City, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. 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. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

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)

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)

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)
The Latest: French Open champion Muguruza into 4th round

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)  The Latest from the Australian Open on Friday (all times local):

11:30 p.m.

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza has advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Anastasia Sevastova.

Spain's Garbine Muguruza serves to Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

The pair had played twice before  both on hardcourts last year  and Muguruza won them both in straight sets.

Muguruza has matched her best previous results in Melbourne. She lost in the fourth round in 2014 to Agnieszka Radwanska and in 2015 to eventual champion Serena Williams.

The seventh-seeded Muguruza will next play Sorana Cirstea, who beat American Alison Riske 6-2, 7-6 (2) earlier Friday.

___

11:10 p.m.

Roger Federer and Tomas Berdych continued their 12-year rivalry on the tennis court with a predictable result  a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 victory for Federer.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner won for the 17th time in 23 matches against Berdych and handed the Czech player his sixth consecutive loss between the pair.

The 10th-seeded Berdych had beaten Federer twice previously at Grand Slams, and he was considered a big threat to the 17th-seeded Federer, whose ranking has dropped following six months off because of a left knee injury.

But Federer looked completely at ease and never faced a break point in the Rod Laver Arena match.

Federer will play Kei Nishikori in the fourth round.

___

10:10 p.m.

Kei Nishikori advanced to the fourth round at the Australian Open for the sixth straight year with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Lukas Lacko, a qualifier ranked 121st.

The 2014 U.S. Open finalist has not lost to a player ranked outside the top 100 since he was beaten by 179th-ranked qualifier Daniel Evans in the first round at the 2013 U.S. Open.

Fifth-seeded Nishikori will next play the winner of Friday's later match between 17-time major winner Roger Federer and Tomas Berdych.

___

8:55 p.m.

Daniel Evans reached the fourth round at the Australian Open for the first time and achieved his best Grand Slam result with a 7-5, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3 ) win over Bernard Tomic, knocking the last Australian male out of the singles draw.

The match was suspended in the 10th game of the third set on Evans' serve when heavy rain began to fall, forcing organizers to close the roof on Hisense Arena.

Evans took a 5-3 lead in the tiebreaker, set up match point with a reflex volley winner, then clinched it when Tomic netted a forehand.

Evans, who lost the Sydney International final last week to Gilles Muller, has had a tough time in previous years at the Australian Open. He qualified for the main draw but lost in the first round last year, and lost in the second round of qualifying in both his two other attempts to qualify in 2010 and 2014.

The 26-year-old Evans will play 2008 Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the fourth round.

___

7:10 p.m.

Duan Yingying's first look at Venus Williams on a tennis court was a short one: Williams beat the Chinese player 6-1, 6-0 in 59 minutes to open the night program at Margaret Court Arena.

Duan said after her second-round win that she'd never seen the veteran American play, and that she'd rely on her coach to analyze video footage of some of Williams' past matches.

Any advance scouting didn't appear to help.

Williams will next play the winner of Friday night's match between Mona Barthel and Ash Barty.

___

5:55 p.m.

Former Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is back in the round of 16 after defeating Jack Sock 7-6 (4), 7-5, 6-7 (8), 6-3.

Sock and compatriot Sam Querrey were the last American men left in the draw and both lost within moments of each other on Friday. Querrey was defeated by No. 1 Andy Murray.

Tsonga, the 12th seed, maintained his impressive streak against American opponents at Grand Slam tournaments  he's won 11 straight matches since Andy Roddick beat him at the 2007 Australian Open.

Tsonga lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2008 final at Melbourne Park.

The last two Tsonga wins came against Sock  he also knocked Sock out of the U.S. Open last year in the round of 16.

___

5:50 p.m.

U.S. Open champion Stan Wawrinka has advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open, overcoming a slow start to beat Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7) at Rod Laver Arena.

Wawrinka, the 2014 champion at Melbourne Park, reached the round of 16 for the fifth consecutive year. It was his eighth win in a row over Troicki.

The fourth-seeded Wawrinka served for the match at 5-4 and again at 6-5, but was broken by Troicki.

Wawrinka will next play Andreas Seppi, who beat Steve Darcis earlier Friday.

___

5:40 p.m.

Five-time finalist Andy Murray is through to the fourth round of the Australian Open for the ninth straight year, beating Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

Murray didn't appear to show any side effects from the right ankle injury he sustained during his last match.

At 4-4 in the first set, Murray broke Querrey's serve, the final shot coming when the Scotsman lifted a lob over the head of the 1.98-meter (6 foot-6) Querrey. The ball dropped well inside the baseline and Murray held serve in the next game to clinch the first set.

Murray, who will next play Mischa Zverev, has lost every final he has contested at Melbourne Park, four of them to Novak Djokovic. Djokovic lost in the second round on Thursday, leaving the opposite side of Murray's draw wide open.

___

3:20 p.m.

It was third time lucky for Svetlanta Kuznetsova at the Australian Open  she served for the match three times before beating Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 5-7, 9-7 to advance to the fourth round.

Kuznetsova, who won the 2004 U.S. Open and the 2009 French Open, served for the match at 5-4 in the second set and again in the third but was broken both times by former No. 1 Jankovic.

She broke Jankovic's serve at 8-7 in the third, then held service on four consecutive points to clinch the match in 3 hours, 36 minutes.

Kuznetsova will next play another Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who beat Elina Svitolina 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

___

3:00 p.m.

Defending champion Angelique Kerber won the first eight games and went on to beat Kristyna Pliskova 6-0, 6-4 to advance to the fourth round.

Kerber, who beat Pliskova's twin sister, Karolina, in the U.S. Open final last year, next plays American CoCo Vandeweghe, who beat former semifinalist Eugenie Bouchard earlier Friday.

___

1:35 p.m.

American CoCo Vandeweghe is the first woman through to the fourth round at Melbourne Park, defeating former semifinalist Eugenie Bouchard 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Vandeweghe rallied from a break down in the third set and fought off four more break points at 4-all before closing out the match in 2 hours, 22 minutes. She reached the fourth round at the Australian Open for the first time.

Vandeweghe's new doubles partner, Martina Hingis, cheered her on throughout the match. Afterward, the American joked that Hingis might scold her for playing "too long to be fresh for the doubles."

The American is ranked higher than Bouchard, but the Canadian has been playing well and aiming to get back to the fourth round at a major for the first time since 2015.

Vandeweghe next plays the winner between top-seeded Angelique Kerber and Kristyna Pliskova, who play later Friday.

___

11:15 a.m.

A rainy morning gave way to mostly cloudy skies on Friday as defending champion Angelique Kerber and top-seeded Andy Murray prepare for their third-round matches at the Australian Open.

Kerber was scheduled to play Kristyna Pliskova in a Rod Laver Arena match, while Murray, who injured his ankle in his second-round match, was set to play Sam Querrey at Hisense Arena.

Four-time champion Roger Federer, coming back from six months on the sidelines with a left knee injury, was set to play Tomas Berdych in a night match on Rod Laver. It will be the sternest test the 17-time major champion has faced since returning to tournament play.

Singles matches began on time on the main show courts.

Switzerland's Roger Federer makes a backhand return to Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Japan's Kei Nishikori stretches out for a return shot to Slovakia's Lukas Lacko during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Britain's Daniel Evans celebrates a point win over Australia's Bernard Tomic during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

United States' Venus Williams questions a line call while playing China's Duan Yingying during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga celebrates after defeating United States' Jack Sock in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka stretches out for a return shot to Serbia's Viktor Troicki during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Britain's Andy Murray gestures while playing United States' Sam Querrey during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova tosses the ball to serve to Serbia's Jelena Jankovic during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Japan PM pledges 'unchanging' allegiance to US under Trump

TOKYO (AP)  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that he plans to visit the U.S. as soon as possible to meet with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking on the eve of Trump's inauguration, he called the U.S.-Japan alliance an "unchanging principle" for his country's foreign and security policy.

His urgency to meet Trump reflects worries in Japan about how Trump's "America first" policy will affect U.S. commitments to the Asia region, as well as fallout from any heightened tensions with China and North Korea.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers his policy speech during a Diet session at the lower house of parliament in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Abe said Friday that he plans to visit the U.S. as soon as possible to meet with President-elect Donald Trump. Speaking on the eve of Trump's inauguration, he called the U.S.-Japan alliance an "unchanging principle" for his country's foreign and security policy.(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Abe was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after the U.S. election, making a stop in New York in November on his way to Latin America.

"The Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of our country's foreign and security policy, in the past, present and in the future," Abe told parliament in an annual policy address. "It's an unchanging principle."

Abe said he wants to meet Trump to deepen that relationship further. Trump will be sworn in as president Friday.

"I plan to further strengthen the bond with new President Trump," Abe said. He didn't give a specific date, but local media reports have mentioned late January as a possibility.

In the speech at the parliament, Abe also said the two allies, enemies in World War II, have a responsibility to show "the power of reconciliation" as they work together to contribute to global peace and prosperity.

Abe reiterated his concerns about "heightened tension" in the region amid China's increasingly assertive maritime activity, and pledged to step up cooperation with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including India, Australia and those in southeast Asia.

He said he wants to keep the U.S. troop presence on the southern island of Okinawa as "deterrence."

During his election campaign, Trump demanded that Tokyo pay more of the cost to keep the 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in the country under a bilateral security pact, threatening to pull them out otherwise.

He has not said that after being elected, presumably following repeated reminders by Japanese officials that Japan makes significant host-nation contributions.

Experts say Japan has benefited from its alliance with Washington largely because of the U.S.-led world order. With some worried about how that could change under a Trump administration, Japan should do its utmost to convince his administration that the alliance is important for both sides.

"I guess we took American internationalism too much for granted ... It has always been, at least after World War II, the bedrock of the international order. And I would say that Japan was the country that benefited from the existence of this world order the most," said Toshihiro Nakayama, a Keio University international politics professor.

He said Japan needs to get Trump to convince his people that America should remain committed to the region so they don't retreat into isolation.

"We have to convince the Americans to stay committed in this region," Nakayama said. "What we have to do is convince the Trump team that for you as well, Japan is the best choice."

___

Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi

Find her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mari-yamaguchi

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers his policy speech during a Diet session at the lower house of parliament in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Abe said Friday that he plans to visit the U.S. as soon as possible to meet with President-elect Donald Trump. Speaking on the eve of Trump's inauguration, he called the U.S.-Japan alliance an "unchanging principle" for his country's foreign and security policy.(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers his policy speech during a Diet session at the lower house of parliament in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Abe said Friday that he plans to visit the U.S. as soon as possible to meet with President-elect Donald Trump. Speaking on the eve of Trump's inauguration, he called the U.S.-Japan alliance an "unchanging principle" for his country's foreign and security policy.(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Japan's Emperor Akihito reads a statement to formally open the ordinary Diet session at the upper house of parliament in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Japan's Emperor Akihito reads a statement to formally open the ordinary Diet session at the upper house of parliament in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Japan's Emperor Akihito sits before opening the ordinary Diet session formally at the upper house of parliament in Tokyo, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
Gore stays mum on Trump meeting, says 'it's not the last'

PARK CITY, Utah (AP)  Former Vice President Al Gore said that while he wouldn't divulge specifics about his December conversation with Donald Trump, it wasn't "the last conversation."

Speaking to a packed auditorium in Park City following the premiere of the climate change documentary "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power," which kicked off the 33rd Sundance Film Festival Thursday, Gore said that he's seen a lot of people who started out as climate deniers change over time.

"Whether he will or not remains to be seen," Gore said of Trump, whose inauguration as president was Friday. Trump has decried climate change as a hoax. Gore also noted that "two days after that meeting he appointed someone to the EPA who I don't think should be heading the EPA."

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is interviewed at the premiere of the film "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power," at the Eccles Theater during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

"But this story has many chapters to unfold here," Gore said

"An Inconvenient Sequel," which comes 10 years after "An Inconvenient Truth," follows Gore through a year in his life as he tries to effect change through education  whether it's private individuals or world leaders. Gore travels from the changing Jakobshavn Glacier to the flooded streets of Miami to connect the dots of how global warming is impacting the world in real ways.

At one point, Gore even says that every night on the evening news is like "walking through the Book of Revelations."

And yet Gore remains hopeful. The film, directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, makes sure to intersperse dire power point slides illustrating how the world is getting hotter with ones showing the progress in solar energy use. He also shows the solidly republican town of Georgetown, Texas which has made enormous strides in embracing renewable energy because of its cost efficiency.

Gore, on stage, said that he had just flown in from Davos, Switzerland, where he saw business leaders and heads of state at the World Economic Forum treating climate change as their top priority as well.

Sundance founder Robert Redford introduced the film at the start, noting that Gore has been a very good friend for "many years."

"A few years ago, there was a moment when politics and the Supreme Court was not very kind to Al," Redford said. "I think what they did drove him away from politics, but it drove him toward film and I think that's to our benefit ... he could work both sides of the street, so to speak, and he has and he's done it beautifully."

Paramount Pictures has already acquired "An Inconvenient Sequel" for a July 28 release.

"We want this movie to recruit others," Gore said. "Every single one of us, we have to do more."

The Sundance Film Festival runs through Jan. 29.

---

Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, left, poses with Bonni Cohen, center, and Jon Shenk, co-directors of the film "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power," at the premiere of the film at the Eccles Theater during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore talks to reporters at the premiere of the film "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power," at the Eccles Theater during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Robert Redford, founder of the Sundance Institute, addresses the audience at the opening night premiere of the film "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power," at the Eccles Theater during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore poses at the premiere of the film "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power" at the Eccles Theater during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, right, listens to introductory remarks for the film "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power," at the premiere of the film at the Eccles Theater during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Gambia's defeated leader agrees to cede power, leave

BANJUL, Gambia (AP)  Gambia's defeated leader Yahya Jammeh announced early Saturday he has decided to relinquish power, after hours of last-ditch talks with regional leaders and the threat by a regional military force to make him leave.

"I believe it is not necessary that a single drop of blood be shed," Jammeh said in a brief statement on state television. He promised that "all the issues we currently face will be resolved peacefully."

He did not give details on any deal that was struck, and it was not immediately clear when Adama Barrow, who beat Jammeh in last month's election, would return from neighboring Senegal to take power.

Soldiers roll back the red carpet near a parked Gambian Presidential aircraft on the tarmac of Banjul's airport Friday Jan. 20, 2016. The leaders of Guinea and Mauritania have arrived in Gambia's capital in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to get defeated President Yahya Jammeh to cede power to Adama Barrow who was sworn in as Gambian President Thursday. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

But the speech signaled an end to the political crisis that has seen this tiny West African nation caught between two men claiming to be in charge. Late Friday, Barrow declared that "the rule of fear" in Gambia had ended.

Shortly before Jammeh's address, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz told reporters that a deal had been reached and that Jammeh would leave the country. He and Guinean President Alpha Conde had handled the talks.

A State House official close to the situation said Jammeh would leave within three days, possibly on Saturday with Conde, who was spending the night in Gambia's capital, Banjul. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak about the situation to press.

The famously mercurial Jammeh at first shocked Gambians by conceding his election loss to Barrow, but with the possibility of prosecution hanging over him for human rights abuses alleged during his 22 years in power, he decided to change his mind. Barrow was inaugurated Thursday at Gambia's embassy in Senegal because of concerns for his safety.

The defeated Gambian leader, who first seized power in a 1994 coup, has been holed up this week in his official residence in Banjul, increasingly isolated as his security forces abandoned him and he dissolved his Cabinet.

Defense forces chief Ousmane Badjie on Friday told The Associated Press that Gambia's security services now support Barrow and would not oppose the regional force that was ready to move against Jammeh if he refused to step down.

"You cannot push us to war for an issue we can solve politically," Badjie said. "We don't see any reason to fight."

The force, including tanks, had rolled into Gambia without facing any resistance, said Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS. At least 20 military vehicles were seen Friday at the border town of Karang.

The force included troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Mali, and they moved in after Barrow's inauguration and a unanimous vote by the U.N. Security Council to support the regional efforts.

Fearing violence, about 45,000 people have fled Gambia for Senegal, according to the U.N. refugee agency.

Jammeh earlier had agreed to step down but demanded amnesty for any crimes he may have committed while in power and wanted to stay in Gambia, in his home village of Kanilai, de Souza said Friday. Those demands were not acceptable to ECOWAS, he added.

In his address early Saturday, Jammeh expressed "infinite gratitude to all Gambians" and said not a single person had been killed during the political crisis. "Our decision today was not dictated by anything else but by you, the supreme interest of our Gambian people, and our dear country."

Even before Jammeh's address, some of Gambia's diplomatic missions began switching their allegiance to Barrow, while a growing number of African nations announced they no longer recognized Jammeh.

"We embrace and support the new president Adama Barrow," said Almamy Kassama, an official at the Gambian mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in an email.

Banjul remained peaceful as the political crisis played out. Senegalese radio station RFM reported 30 Gambian soldiers had crossed into Senegal to join the regional forces.

Soldiers at checkpoints in Banjul appeared relaxed Friday, with one telling visitors, "Welcome to the smiling coast."

Late Friday, Barrow addressed members of Gambia's diaspora and urged them to return home and rebuild their lives. "I wish to congratulate all of you and welcome you to the new Gambia," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Babacar Dione and Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal; Elias Meseret in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and Cara Anna in Johannesburg contributed.

Senegal soldiers providing security at their gathering point on the Gambia boarder with Senegal at the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. The chief of Gambia's defense forces pledged his allegiance Friday to the new president, while the leaders of Guinea and Mauritania tried to persuade the defeated one to cede power in the West African nation. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

A Gambian Presidential aircraft is parked on the tarmac of Baunjul'a airport, in Gambia, Friday Jan. 20, 2016. The leaders of Guinea and Mauritania have arrived in Gambia's capital in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to get defeated President Yahya Jammeh to cede power to Adama Barrow who was sworn in as Gambian President Thursday. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Local children watch Senegal soldiers providing security to their local gathering point at the Gambia border with Senegal at the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Gambia's defeated President Yahya Jammeh must cede power by noon Friday or he will be dislodged by a regional force that has already moved into the country, West African officials said. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Senegal soldiers providing security at their gathering point on the Gambia boarder with Senegal at the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. The chief of Gambia's defense forces pledged his allegiance Friday to the new president, while the leaders of Guinea and Mauritania tried to persuade the defeated one to cede power in the West African nation. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

A Senegal soldier passes local children near the Gambia border with Senegal in the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Gambia's defeated President Yahya Jammeh must cede power by noon Friday or he will be dislodged by a regional force that has already moved into the country, West African officials said. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

A convoy of Senegal soldiers en route towards the Gambia boarder with Senegal near Karang, Senegal, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Senegalese troops 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. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Local children, foreground, look toward Senegal soldiers at the Gambia border with Senegal at the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Gambia's defeated President Yahya Jammeh must cede power by noon Friday or he will be dislodged by a regional force that has already moved into the country, West African officials said. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

A Senegal soldier passes local children near the Gambia border with Senegal in the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Gambia's defeated President Yahya Jammeh must cede power by noon Friday or he will be dislodged by a regional force that has already moved into the country, West African officials said. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

A Senegal soldier patrols at the Gambia border with Senegal in the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Gambia's defeated President Yahya Jammeh must cede power by noon Friday or he will be dislodged by a regional force that has already moved into the country, West African officials said. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Senegal soldiers on a street at the Gambia border with Senegal at the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Gambia's defeated President Yahya Jammeh must cede power by noon Friday or he will be dislodged by a regional force that has already moved into the country, West African officials said. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Senegal soldiers provide security at their local gathering point at the Gambia border with Senegal in the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Gambia's defeated President Yahya Jammeh must cede power by noon Friday or he will be dislodged by a regional force that has already moved into the country, West African officials said. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

A convoy of Senegal soldiers en route towards the Gambia boarder with Senegal near Karang, Senegal, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Senegalese troops 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. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

A convoy of Senegal soldiers en route towards the Gambia boarder with Senegal near Karang, Senegal, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Senegal's army spokesman says its troops have entered Gambia to get former leader Yahya Jammeh to cede power to the country's newly inaugurated president. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

A convoy of Senegal soldiers en route towards the Gambia boarder with Senegal near Karang, Senegal, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Senegalese troops 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. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Gambians cheers in Serrekunda Thursday Jan. 19, 2017, after watching Adama Barrow be sworn in as Gambian President on a television broadcast from the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. Former President Yahya Jammeh's mandate expired on Thursday after he lost elections in December, prompting Senegalese troops to enter the country. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Gambians listen to news at to the Gambia border with Senegal, near Toubakouta, Senegal, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Senegalese troops 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. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

A convoy of Senegal soldiers driving towards the Gambia boarder with Senegal near Karang, Senegal, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Senegalese troops charged into neighbouring Gambia late Thursday to support the country's newly inaugurated president, while longtime ruler Yahya Jammeh showed no sign of stepping down. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Gambians cheer in Serrekunda, Gambia, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, after watching Adama Barrow be sworn in as Gambian President on a television broadcast from the Gambian Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. Former President Yahya Jammeh's mandate expired on Thursday after he lost elections in December, prompting Senegalese troops to enter the country. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
'Miracle underway': Rescuers pull out avalanche survivors

FARINDOLA, Italy (AP)  After two days huddled in freezing cold, tons of snow surrounding them in the wreckage of the avalanche-demolished hotel, survivors greeted their rescuers Friday as "angels." Among the 10 people pulled out alive was a plucky 6-year-old who just wanted her favorite cookies.

But for the loved ones of at least 16 others still trapped in the doomed mountain resort in central Italy, the agonizing wait to learn their relatives' fate dragged on.

"Whoever had good news is happy," said Francesco Provolo, the prefect of the nearby town of Pescara, where the survivors were taken to a hospital.

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)

"Who didn't have good news...," Provolo's voice trailed off as he was joined by people at the hospital who looked upset.

Cheers of "Bravo! Bravo!" rang out early Friday as the first survivors were pulled from the debris, boosting spirits two days after the massive snow slide buried some 30 people. Four children were among those found alive, though the fate of the parents of one of them remained unknown as rescuers dug on.

"Today is a day of hope. There's a miracle under way," declared Ilario Lacchetta, mayor of the tiny town of Farindola, where the hotel is located.

Before the rescues, four bodies had been discovered earlier in the rubble of the luxury Hotel Rigopiano, in the Gran Sasso mountains 180 kilometers (115 miles) northeast of Rome, where the avalanche dumped 16 feet (5 meters) of snow on top of the resort Wednesday.

Relatives of the missing rushed from the mountain rescue operations center to the seaside hospital where the survivors were taken for treatment in hopes that their loved ones were among the lucky few to be found.

First word of the survivors came around 11 a.m. when a boy wearing blue snow pants and a matching ski jacket emerged through a tunnel dug in the snow more than 42 hours after the avalanche struck.

It was Gianfilippo Parete, the 8-year-old son of Giampiero Parete, a chef vacationing at the resort who was outside the hotel when the deluge hit and first sounded the alarm by calling his boss.

Emergency crews mussed the boy's hair in celebration. "Bravo! Bravo!" they cheered.

Next to emerge was the boy's mother, Adriana Vranceanu, 43, wearing red snow pants and appearing alert as she pointed toward the wreckage where her 6-year-old daughter, Ludovica, was still trapped. Mother and son were taken by stretcher to a helicopter for the ride out.

They were then reunited with Parete at the hospital in Pescara, suffering from hypothermia and dehydration but otherwise in good health.

"They had heavy clothes," said Dr. Tullio Spina, director of the hospital's intensive care and anesthesia unit. "They had ski caps to cover themselves. They remained away from the snow and cold, they were always inside the structure. That's why the hypothermia wasn't severe."

Ludovica, in a fuschia-colored top and dark snow pants, was rescued several hours later and asked for cookies: Ringos, an Italian version of Oreos, said Quintino Marcella, the restaurant owner who rallied the rescue after getting the phone call from her father.

He said the little girl, her brother and mother "are great. Of course, they are worn out after two nights and two days without anything, in the cold."

Some 30 people were believed trapped inside the hotel when the avalanche hit after days of winter storms that dumped nearly 10 feet (three meters) of snow. The region was also rocked by four strong earthquakes on Wednesday, though it was not clear if they set off the avalanche.

As the rescue work continued, relatives of the missing gathered anxiously at the Pescara hospital waiting for word of their loved ones.

"I just hope that my niece and her boyfriend will make it out of there," said Melissa Riccardo. "We came to see if she was here."

A few erupted in frustration at an evening news conference.

"The only news I have has been from the internet. They haven't given me anything direct," said Domenico Angelozzi, awaiting news of his sister and brother-in-law.

The number of survivors found and extracted evolved over the course of the day.

Marco Bini, a member of a police squad participating in the rescue, said the team opened a hole in the hotel roof Thursday night but "heard nothing." Still, they pushed on, following a floor plan of the hotel until they found signs of life.

Upon seeing their rescuers, the survivors "called them angels," he said.

"They weren't in a lot of space" but it was enough to survive, an area probably protected by the snow, Bini told Italian state TV.

Late Friday, civil protection chief Fabrizio Curcio said 10 people had been found alive: Five who had been extracted, including the four children. Rescuers were working to remove the rest, he said.

"A beautiful feeling. Wonderful. I can't describe it!" marveled Simona Di Carlo, aunt of Edoardo Di Carlo, after hearing word that he was among the children rescued, although his parents remained missing.

Rescue crews said a group of survivors was found in the hotel's kitchen area in an air pocket that formed when reinforced cement walls partially resisted the avalanche's violent power.

"It's probable that they realized the risk and took protective measures," firefighter Giuseppe Romano said.

Prosecutors opened a manslaughter investigation into the tragedy and were looking into whether the avalanche threat was taken seriously enough, and whether the hotel should have been evacuated earlier given the heavy snowfall and forecasts.

"That hotel... should it have been open?" prosecutor Christina Tedeschini was quoted by the ANSA news agency as saying. "If the people wanted to leave, what prevented them from doing so?"

Parete, the survivor who sounded the alarm, said the guests had all checked out and were waiting for the road to be cleared so they could evacuate. But the snowplow never arrived and the avalanche hit around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

In addition, pleas for a rescue team initially went unheeded by Italian authorities. Marcella, Parete's boss, said his call to the Pescara prefect's office was rebuffed because the hotel had informed it a few hours earlier that all was OK there.

He persisted with other emergency responders and eventually someone took his information seriously and mobilized the rescue some two hours later.

Tedeschini said the delay was "a relevant theme that we will look into."

The operation has been hampered by fears of triggering new avalanches and building collapses onto possible survivors trapped in the rubble.

Workers have been clearing a seven-kilometer (5.5-mile) road to bring in heavier equipment, but the mountain road can handle only one-way traffic and is covered with snow and fallen trees and rocks.

The force of the massive snow slide collapsed one wing of the hotel and rotated another off its foundation, pushing it downhill.

An Alpine rescue team was the first to arrive at the hotel on cross-country skis after a seven-kilometer journey that took two hours. They found Parete and Fabio Salzetta, a hotel maintenance worker, in a car in the resort's parking lot.

The mountainous region of central Italy has been struck by a series of quakes since August that destroyed homes and historic centers in dozens of towns and hamlets. A deadly quake in August killed nearly 300 people. No one died in strong aftershocks in the region in October, largely because towns had already been evacuated.

___

Barry reported from Pescara. AP writers Nicole Winfield and Frances D'Emilio contributed from Rome.

A woman gets assistance after being pulled from the debris of the hotel that was hit by an avalanche on Wednesday, in Rigopiano, central Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. With cheers of joy, rescue crews pulled survivors Friday from the debris of an avalanche-crushed hotel in central Italy, boosting spirits two days after the massive snow slide buried around 30 people at the resort. At least two children were among the 10 people found alive. (ANSA via AP)

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 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)

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 Firefighters/ANSA via AP)

A rescue helicopter approaches the area in Rigopiano, central Italy, where a hotel has been buried under an avalanche on Wednesday, to recover some people who have been reportedly extracted alive from the debris, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo Gregorio Borgia)

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 Firefighters/ANSA via AP)

A Coast Guard rescue helicopter flies to the avalanche-hit area where a hotel is buried under the snow, near Farandola, central Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Rescue crews located up to eight people alive in the kitchen of an avalanche-crushed hotel on Friday, an incredible discovery that boosted spirits two days after the massive snow slide buried around 30 people in the resort. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

A rescue helicopter flies towards the area hit by an avalanche, seen on the mountain's crest in the background, which buried a hotel, near Farindola, central Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Rescue crews located up to eight people alive in the kitchen of an avalanche-crushed hotel on Friday, an incredible discovery that boosted spirits two days after the massive snow slide buried around 30 people in the resort. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

A rescue helicopter flies above a convoy of rescue operation vehicles on a cleared road that leads the Hotel Rigopiano, near Farandola, central Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Rescue crews located up to eight people alive in the kitchen of an avalanche-crushed hotel on Friday, an incredible discovery that boosted spirits two days after the massive snow slide buried around 30 people in the resort. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

A rescue helicopter approaches the area in Rigopiano, central Italy, where a hotel has been buried under an avalanche on Wednesday, to recover some people who have been reportedly extracted alive from the debris, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo Gregorio Borgia)

A rescue helicopter approaches the area in Rigopiano, central Italy, where a hotel has been buried under an avalanche on Wednesday, to recover some people who have been reportedly extracted alive from the debris, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo Gregorio Borgia)

A view of the mountains' crest in the area of Rigopiano, central Italy, where a hotel has been buried under an avalanche on Wednesday, some people who have been reportedly extracted alive from the debris, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo Gregorio Borgia)

Rescue helicopters approach the area in Rigopiano, central Italy, where a hotel has been buried under an avalanche on Wednesday, to recover some people who have been reportedly extracted alive from the debris, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo Gregorio Borgia)

A rescue helicopter approaches the area in Rigopiano, central Italy, where a hotel have been buried under an avalanche on Wednesday, to recover 6 people who have been reportedly extracted alive from the debris, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo Gregorio Borgia)

Italian firefighters search for survivors after an avalanche buried a hotel near Farindola, central Italy, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Rescue crews are continuing the painstaking search for some 30 people trapped inside a remote Italian mountain resort flattened by a huge avalanche. (Italian Firefighters/ANSA via Italian Firefighters)
Afghan official says 2 foreign insurgents arrested in raid

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  An Afghan official says four Taliban have been killed and two insurgents, with suspected ties to the jihadist group the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, arrested in a raid in northern Afghanistan.

The movement has become increasingly active in northern Afghanistan in recent years.

The overnight raid took place in Afghanistan's Sar-i-Pul province, Zabiullah Amani, the spokesman for the provincial governor said Friday.
Danes can also fight militants with Iraqi troops

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  Denmark has extended the mandate of an undisclosed number of special Danish troops training Iraqi troops fighting Islamic State group, to also fight militants.

Defense Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen said Friday's decision to allow troops fight "in the Iraqi-Syrian border area" was taken in response to request by the international coalition that Danes joined in October 2014.

Hjort Frederiksen said "it is vital" the international coalition push the Islamic State group "from all sides."

The opposition Social Democrats, Denmark's largest party, support the decision that must be approved in a formal vote in the 179-seat Danish Parliament. No voting date was immediately announced.
Guilty plea by man in $3M Connecticut jewelry heist

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP)  A Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty for his role in a kidnapping and the theft of about $3 million worth of merchandise from a Connecticut jewelry store.

Timothy Forbes, of Allentown, entered his plea Thursday in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport.

Federal prosecutors say the 35-year-old Forbes was one of five men involved in the April 2013 heist.

Four of the men broke into a Meriden apartment, bound the four occupants, and forcefully brought two of them to the Fairfield jewelry store where they worked. There they met Forbes. After they stole about $3 million worth of watches, jewelry and loose diamonds, Forbes served as the getaway driver.

Forbes faces life in prison at sentencing, scheduled for April.
The Latest: Lawyer for El Chapo: No evidence of wrongdoing

NEW YORK (AP)  The Latest on Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman facing drug trafficking and other charges in the United States (all times local):

3:40 p.m.

A U.S. lawyer for Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman says he hasn't seen any evidence that indicates Guzman has "done anything wrong."

U.S. attorney Robert Capers, right, speaks during a news conference, announcing charges for Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman as the murderous architect of a three-decade-long web of violence, corruption and drug trafficking, Friday Jan. 20, 2017, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Extradited Thursday from Mexico, Guzman was due later Friday in a federal court in Brooklyn. Prosecutors have sought to bring him to a U.S. court for years while he made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run in Mexico. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Attorney Michael Schneider said Friday that Guzman and his lawyers look forward to addressing the drug-trafficking and other allegations against him in court. Schneider also suggests they're also interested in exploring whether Guzman's extradition was appropriate.

Guzman is charged with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings. Through his court-appointed lawyers, he entered a not-guilty plea Friday in a Brooklyn federal court.

He's being held without bail.

As the convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman has repeatedly been imprisoned and escaped in Mexico. U.S. authorities have pursued him for years.

He was extradited Thursday.

___

2:30 p.m.

Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has made an appearance in a New York City courtroom, where a federal public defender entered a not-guilty plea for him.

A hush fell over the Brooklyn courtroom moments before Guzman entered Friday. He looked dazed and wore a dark blue T-shirt, dark blue pants and sneakers.

An indictment charges Guzman with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.

Guzman answered questions through an interpreter standing to his right and said he could understand the judge's English.

No bail was sought.

Prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty as a condition of the extradition of Guzman, who's the convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel.

___

11:05 a.m.

U.S. officials say they didn't learn until Thursday that Mexico was extraditing drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

U.S. Attorney Robert Capers in New York says prosecutors weren't aware it was going to happen but were nonetheless prepared for it.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Blanco thanked Mexican officials "for their unwavering support" and "their commitment to justice."

Prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty as a condition of the extradition.

The U.S. is seeking a $14 billion forfeiture order as part of its prosecution.

The convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel was awaiting an arraignment in Brooklyn. The case is a joint prosecution with the U.S. attorney in Miami.

Guzman's lawyer says his extradition is politically motivated.

___

10:30 a.m.

A U.S. attorney in New York says the government is seeking a $14 billion forfeiture order as part of its prosecution of the notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

The convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel was brought into a Brooklyn courthouse Friday to await his arraignment.

U.S. Attorney Robert Capers spoke at a press conference about the joint prosecution with the U.S. attorney in Miami.

He likened the drug trafficking to a cancerous tumor that spread, leading to "misery" for legions of Americans.

An indictment charges Guzman with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.

Guzman has twice escaped from maximum-security Mexican prisons, most recently in 2015.

His lawyer says his Thursday extradition was politically motivated.

___

8:30 a.m.

Notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is in a U.S. courthouse, two decades after he was first sought by federal authorities.

The convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel was brought into a Brooklyn courthouse on Friday to await his appearance before a federal judge.

An indictment charges Guzman with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.

Guzman has twice escaped from maximum-security Mexican prisons, most recently in 2015 via a hole in the floor of his cell shower.

His lawyer says his Thursday extradition was politically motivated.

Now in his late 50s, Guzman was first indicted in Southern California in the early 1990s.

___

1:15 a.m.

Notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman will stand in a U.S. courtroom, two decades after he was first sought by federal authorities.

The convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel is expected to appear in a Brooklyn federal courthouse Friday.

An indictment charges Guzman with running a massive drug trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.

Guzman has twice escaped from maximum-security Mexican prisons, most recently in 2015 via a hole in the floor of his cell shower.

The brazen slip was highly embarrassing for the Mexican government. Guzman has fought extradition since his recapture last year.

His lawyer says his Thursday extradition was politically-motivated.

Now in his late 50s, Guzman was first indicted in Southern California in the early 1990s.

U.S. attorney Robert Capers, center, speaks during a news conference, announcing charges for Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman as the murderous architect of a three-decade-long web of violence, corruption and drug trafficking, Friday Jan. 20, 2017, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Extradited Thursday from Mexico, Guzman was due later Friday in a federal court in Brooklyn. Prosecutors have sought to bring him to a U.S. court for years while he made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run in Mexico. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

U.S. attorney Robert Capers, left, speaks during a news conference, announcing charges for Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman as the murderous architect of a three-decade-long web of violence, corruption and drug trafficking, Friday Jan. 20, 2017, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Extradited Thursday from Mexico, Guzman was due later Friday in a federal court in Brooklyn. Prosecutors have sought to bring him to a U.S. court for years while he made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run in Mexico. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

The motorcade with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman arrives at Brooklyn Federal Court on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in New York. Guzman is expected to appear in federal court in New York today. He was brought to the United States from Mexico Thursday night to face drug trafficking and other charges. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

The motorcade with Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman leaves Brooklyn Federal Court on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in New York. Guzman is expected to appear in federal court in New York today. He was brought to the United States from Mexico Thursday night to face drug trafficking and other charges. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

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)

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)
'The Hobbit' book returned after 38-year unexpected journey

ITHACA, N.Y. (AP)  A hardbound edition of "The Hobbit" is back on the shelves at a New York library nearly 40 years after it was checked out by a reader who traveled the world as a Marine.

Bob James tells WSTM-TV in Syracuse (http://bit.ly/2jwoC2Q ) that he checked out the J.R.R. Tolkien book from the Tompkins County Public Library in Ithaca before enlisting in the Marines in 1979.

The book became so popular with his fellow Marines that there was a waiting list. James believes the book was passed along to Marines and sailors serving aboard at least eight different ships in the western Pacific.

He brought the book the home after getting out of the Marines and held onto it until Monday, when he returned it to the library.

The library didn't charge him any late fees.

___
Police: Suspect in double slaying in critical condition

GRETNA, La. (AP)  A man accused of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend and a police officer was in critical condition after ending an hourslong standoff by shooting himself in the chest, the sheriff of a New Orleans suburb said Friday.

During the hours when Sylvester Holt, 32, was threatening to jump from New Orleans' bridge over the Mississippi River, he admitted shooting Simone Veal and Westwego Officer Michael Louviere, both of whom lived in Marrero, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said.

"He indicated he had a pretty good idea they were dead," the sheriff said at a news conference Friday night.

Sylvester Holt, bottom right, pleads with officers as while standing on the ledge of the Crescent City Connection Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in New Orleans. Holt was wanted in the connection with the shooting of his wife and a Westwego police officer. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

Trooper Dustin Dwight said Holt was taken to University Medical Center, the area's Level 1 trauma center, after shooting himself once in the chest.

If Holt survives, he will face first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Veal, 32, and Louviere, 26, plus a charge of feticide, Normand said.

The late evening press conference capped a tumultuous day that began with a frantic 911 call from Veal to authorities saying that she'd just been shot and ended with the shooting suspect fleeing to the busy New Orleans bridge, holding traffic captive while he negotiated with police for hours before shooting himself.

Normand said Holt, who was later identified as the shooter, had previously been romantically involved with Veal and had recently found out the woman was pregnant with a new boyfriend's child.

Holt went Friday morning to Veal's house and an altercation ensued during which he shot her several times.

Holt then looked for Veal's boyfriend as the woman fled in a car with Holt eventually catching up to her.

"Witnesses said Sylvester Holt was ramming his truck into Simone's car and firing shots into the car" before the vehicles stopped at the intersection where Louviere found them, Normand said.

The officer had just gotten off duty and was on his way home when he pulled over to help. Veal's car was significantly damaged and she was on the ground, Normand said.

Holt shot then shot Louviere in the head as well, Normand said, praising the officer.

"He was doing the right thing for the right reasons at the right time," Normand said.

Holt later fled the scene, and an intense manhunt ensued. Authorities later spotted Holt on a bridge spanning New Orleans' east and west banks. Louisiana State Police spokeswoman Melissa Matey says authorities spent hours negotiating with Holt.

"All those attempts failed. At approximately 5:30 Holt shot himself in the chest," she said.

This was not Holt's first run-in with the law. He was the subject of restraining orders obtained by several women since 2012, Normand said.

And he'd also been arrested in September after being accused of rape. But Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. said the rape charge was later dropped after the woman repeatedly told authorities she wanted to withdraw the charge, though she still alleged that he had raped her. Holt was released from jail on Jan. 7.

Connick said Holt contended the sex was consensual.

Louviere, a first-year officer who had led his recruit class, may have spoken to Holt before Holt pulled a gun, Normand said.

Louviere is survived by his wife, and their daughter, 4, and son, 1.

According to Westwego Police Chief Dwayne Munch, he had served with the Marines in Afghanistan and was a rising star likely bound for a job at a larger agency.

"We knew we wouldn't have him for long. We just didn't know he would be gone this soon," Munch said.

Munch said he and a doctor broke the news to Louviere's wife at a hospital that her husband had died.

"That was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do," the chief said.

Friday's shooting comes after a sharp increase last year in the number of police officers killed in the line of duty  including a pair of deadly ambushes in Louisiana and Texas.

On July 7, a sniper in Dallas killed five law enforcement officers and wounded nine others at the end of what had been a peaceful rally against police brutality. Less than two weeks later, a lone gunman shot and killed three law enforcement officers and wounded three others in an attack outside a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, convenience store.

On Wednesday, authorities arrested a man accused of fatally shooting an Orlando, Florida, police officer outside a Wal-Mart on Jan. 9.

Munch, Westwego's police chief, said Louviere helped patrol Baton Rouge after the deadly shootings in that city and helped patrol neighboring Denham Springs after August's historic flooding.

"Typical Michael," the chief said.

___

McConnaughey reported from New Orleans. Associated Press staffers Michael Kunzelman in Baton Rouge and Rebecca Santana and Jonathan Bachmann in New Orleans contributed to this report.

Sylvester Holt, left, is lifted off the ledge of the Crescent City Connection by an officer Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in New Orleans. Holt was wanted in the connection with the shooting of his wife and a Westwego police officer. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

Sylvester Holt, bottom left, pleads with officers while standing on a ledge of the Crescent City Connection Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in New Orleans. Holt was wanted in the connection with the shooting of his wife and a Westwego police officer. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

This undated photo released by the Westwego Police Department shows Westwego police officer Michael Louviere. Louviere and a woman he was helping were shot and killed Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 in a New Orleans suburb, and authorities were searching for a man who had been involved with the woman, officials said. (Westwego Police Department via AP)

Sylvester Holt, left, is rescued by an officer Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in New Orleans. Holt was wanted in the connection with the shooting of his wife and a Westwego police officer. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

Sylvester Holt, bottom left, lays on a ledge of the Crescent City Connection Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in New Orleans. Holt was wanted in the connection with the shooting of his wife and a Westwego police officer. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)

Sylvester Holt pleads with officers while standing on a ledge of the Crescent City Connection Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in New Orleans. Holt was wanted in the connection with the shooting of his wife and a Westwego police officer. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)
With no deal on convicted killer, police slam US-Cuba pact

TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  The head of New Jersey's state police has criticized a law enforcement deal reached between the U.S. and Cuba, because it doesn't require the return of a woman convicted of killing a state trooper.

Col. Rick Fuentes said Thursday that the information-sharing agreement announced this week burned Barack Obama's last opportunity to negotiate for the return of fugitives including Joanne Chesimard before he leaves office.

Fuentes says he will work with Donald Trump to negotiate for her return after he is inaugurated.

"By burning the last bridge to this administration's opportunity to gain their negotiated return, families who have long suffered the consequences of their terrorist acts and law enforcement everywhere in this country have been shown the back of the hand," Fuentes said. "An ignominious torch has been passed to the next president."

Joanne Chesimard was convicted in 1977 in the death of Trooper Werner Foerster during a gunfight on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973. She was sentenced to life in prison but escaped and traveled to Cuba, where Fidel Castro granted her asylum and she has been living under the name Assata Shakur.
Myanmar admits detaining pastors, suspects rebel links

YANGON, Myanmar (AP)  Myanmar authorities have announced the army detained two Kachin Baptist pastors whose disappearance raised concerns for their safety among human rights groups.

The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported Friday that the office of Aung San Suu Kyi, the country's leader, said that the two men were suspected of recruiting and spying for Kachin ethnic rebels, as well as spreading false information on their behalf.

The two had disappeared last month after showing journalists a Catholic church allegedly damaged in airstrikes by Myanmar government forces. A government spokesman had previously said that the military denied detaining the two men.

The Defense Ministry said Thursday it detained the men secretly for security reasons and in accordance with the law.

Langjaw Gam Seng, 35, and Dumdaw Nawng Lat, 65, were summoned to an army base in Shan state in northeastern Myanmar on Dec. 24, according to Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights.
Austria arrests an attack suspect in Vienna

BERLIN (AP)  Austrian authorities say they have arrested a man on suspicion he was planning an attack in Vienna.

Police spokesman Thomas Keiblinger told the Austria Press Agency the man had been under observation after authorities received a tip from a "foreign intelligence service," and was arrested Friday afternoon in a Vienna apartment by a SWAT team.

Austria's Kronen Zeitung reported the man was an Albanian national who entered the country on Friday. It said the tip received had been that "a group of Albanian Islamic extremists" were planning an attack in Vienna between Jan. 15 and Jan. 30.
On first day, Trump signs health care executive order

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump quickly assumed the mantle of the White House on Friday, making his first executive order one aimed at his predecessor's signature health care law and swearing-in members of his national security team to his Cabinet.

Hours after delivering a stinging rebuke of the political status quo in his inaugural address, Trump sat at the president's formal desk in the Oval Office as he signed the order that White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said was aimed at "minimizing the economic burden" of the "Obamacare" law.

The order notes that Trump intends to seek the "prompt repeal" of the law. But in the meantime, it allows the Health and Human Services Department and other federal agencies to delay implementing any piece of the law that might impose a "fiscal burden" on states, health care providers, families or individuals.

President Donald Trump leaves the President's Room of the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2107, after he formally signed his cabinet nominations into law. He is joined at far left by his wife, first lady Melania Trump and daughter Tiffany Trump. At far right is Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, with White House counsel Donald McGahn, second from right. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, Pool)

Moments later, Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office to Defense Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, the first members of Trump's Cabinet to clear Senate confirmation.

The swearing-in ceremonies came amid a hectic set of activity late Friday, before Trump was to attend three inaugural balls. As Trump signed the paperwork, the White House announced Priebus had sent a memorandum to agencies and departments outlining guidelines for slowing regulations.

Asked about his first day as president, Trump said, "It was busy but good  a beautiful day."

Although Trump campaigned on a detailed 18-point plan of things to do on Day One, he has since backed off some of his promised speed, downplaying the importance of a rapid-fire approach to complex issues that may involve negotiations with Congress or foreign leaders. Trump has said that he expects Monday to be the first big workday, his effective Day One.

On Friday, he switched between the official business of governing and the pageantry of his inauguration, making his first official moves as president in an ornate room steps from the Senate floor. Flanked by Pence and congressional leaders before his congressional luncheon, Trump praised each of his Cabinet nominees as he signed the papers formalizing their nominations. He also engaged in banter with his new congressional rivals, including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

Trump also signed a proclamation declaring a national day of patriotism, according to a tweet from White House spokesman Sean Spicer.

Priebus' memo says that agencies shouldn't submit any regulations to be published in the Federal Register unless a Trump-selected agency head approves it. That appears to mean that some regulations that had been approved by President Barack Obama's administration would be halted. It also freezes any regulations that are already in the pipeline to be published and allows time for other pending regulations to be reviewed by Trump's administration.

The memo is similar to one that Obama's chief of staff issued the day Obama was inaugurated in 2009.

Before Mattis could be confirmed by Senate, Trump had to sign a bill passed by Congress last week granting a one-time exception from federal law barring former U.S. service members who have been out of uniform for less than seven years from holding the top Pentagon job. The restriction is meant to preserve civilian control of the military.

Mattis, 66, retired from the Marine Corps in 2013. Hours later, he was confirmed by the Senate as Trump watched his inaugural parade from a stand outside the White House. The Senate later confirmed retired Gen. John Kelly to lead the Homeland Security Department.

There were others signs his new government was up and running. Federal websites and agencies immediately began reflecting the transfer of power, and WhiteHouse.gov was revamped for Trump's policy priorities as pages about LGBT rights and the Obama administration's climate change plan were eliminated.

Shortly after Trump became president, the Department of Housing and Urban Development suspended the Obama administration's planned reduction of mortgage insurance premium rates, a move that had been intended to make buying a home more affordable.

More significant policy announcements are expected in the early days of the Trump administration.

Trump's spokesman has said the president intends to withdraw from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, which he views as detrimental to U.S. businesses and workers. He has also promised to renegotiate the two-decades-old Clinton era North American Free Trade Agreement or withdraw from it.

Given Trump's opposition to Obama's immigration actions, he could also cancel the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which has protected about 750,000 young immigrants from deportation. The program also offered those immigrants work permits.

Trump also faces an early choice of naming a Supreme Court justice to fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Trump has said he will announce a nominee in about two weeks.

Other issues poised to receive early action include energy, where Trump is likely to undo regulations on oil drilling and coal, and cybersecurity, where he has already said he will ask for a report on the strength of the nation's cyber defenses within 90 days of taking office.

___

Associated Press writer Alicia A. Caldwell contributed to this report.

___

On Twitter follow Ken Thomas https://twitter.com/KThomasDC and Josh Boak: https://twitter.com/joshboak
Michigan says 38 underperforming public schools could close

LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Michigan announced Friday that it plans to close up to 38 underperforming schools in Detroit and other urban communities, potentially affecting 18,000 students and marking the first time that the state could close traditional public schools explicitly for academic reasons.

Despite the announcement, some schools likely will remain open. State officials next will determine whether a closure would be an "unreasonable hardship" for children with no better schools to attend. Lawsuits challenging any closures also are likely.

The announcement came in conjunction with the release of Michigan's school rankings, which are based on standardized test results, students' improvement over time and the gap between the best and worst pupils. Michigan law says the state can close schools that have been in the bottom 5 percent for at least three consecutive years if other forms of state intervention have not worked.

Students walk outside Pershing High School, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in Detroit. Pershing is one of up to 38 schools in Detroit and other urban communities that the state hopes to close, potentially affecting 18,000 students and marking the first time that the state could close traditional public schools explicitly for academic reasons. Despite the announcement, some schools likely will remain open. State officials next will determine whether a closure would be an "unreasonable hardship" for children with no better schools to attend (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

State-ordered closings appear to be rare nationally. Texas has closed entire school districts for failing to meet attendance and other standards. Other cities such as Detroit and Chicago have closed several schools at a time to address falling enrollment, sparking protests for safety and other reasons.

Fewer than half of states have school accountability systems that allow for closures and the option "has been used infrequently by states," said Jennifer Thomsen with the Education Commission of the States. "It seems to happen more at the individual district level."

Twenty-five of the schools targeted for closure are in Detroit, a predominantly black city with the worst academically performing school district of its size in the U.S. The rest are in cities such as Kalamazoo and Saginaw.

The plan drew sharp criticism from teachers' groups.

"Simply closing schools and upending the lives of students won't fix any problems if the root causes are adequately addressed," said Steven Cook, president of the Michigan Education Association, the state's largest teachers' union.

The move follows attempts by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder to use state law to exert near-total state financial control of some cities, resulting in successfully guiding Detroit through bankruptcy but also the man-made Flint water disaster.

In 2015, Snyder took over the office charged with turning around the lowest-performing schools by transferring its functions to a department that reports to him instead of the elected state Board of Education. He cited unsatisfactory progress and said no schools in the bottom 5 percent had been placed in a state turnaround district as authorized under a 2009 law.

The law lets the state impose one of four intervention models, including closure, if a school's "redesign" plan is not working. Last week, a GOP state senator introduced legislation to repeal the intervention law, calling it defective and in need of a fix now that state powers are being used more aggressively.

In deciding which schools will actually close, state officials in the coming weeks will look at whether there are nearby schools that rank higher academically and could handle additional enrollment.

"Our goal is to make sure that every kid in the state of Michigan has access to a quality education so they have the skills necessary for a high-wage job, a career or college. That's the only way really to end multi-generational poverty for a large majority of the children in the schools that we're serving," said Natasha Baker, the state's school reform officer.

The Education Achievement Authority, the state-run entity that was intended as a turnaround district for Detroit's lowest-performing schools when Snyder created it in 2011, said it was disappointed to see eight of its 14 schools on the list for possible closure. Sixteen schools on the list are in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, while another is a separate charter school in Detroit.

"Today's public announcement comes without input from districts, educators or community. This should make us all question the validity of this action," said Education Achievement Authority Chancellor Veronica Conforme.

She and Chris Wigent, executive director of the Michigan Association of School Administrators, said the state used flawed data. State assessments have changed every year since the 2014-15 academic year, "so there is no consistent data upon which to base these closings," Wigent said.

Until Friday, the state had only once before ordered school closings for academic reasons. Those closures in 2010 and 2011 involved two charter schools, which are independent public schools that are especially prevalent in Detroit. Other charters have been closed by universities and others who run them.

The state's charter school group, the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, backed Friday's announcement.

"Nobody likes to see a school close, but we support the state taking this responsibility seriously," said Dan Quisenberry, president of the group. "Our kids deserve better."

___

Williams reported from Detroit. Associated Press writers Will Weissert in Austin, Texas, and Don Babwin in Chicago contributed to this report.

___
Mars investigating Skittles said to be intended for cattle

NEW YORK (AP)  A mysterious Skittles spill on a rural highway in Wisconsin is taking another twist, with Mars Inc. saying it doesn't know why the discarded candy might have been headed to become cattle feed.

The case began when a Wisconsin sheriff posted on Facebook this week that "hundreds of thousands of Skittles" had been found spilled on a highway. Later, he updated the post to say the candy had fallen off a truck on its way to be cattle feed.

Only red Skittles had spilled out, and Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt joked in the post that it would be difficult to "Taste the Rainbow" in its entirety. The incident gained attention after CNN wrote about it, citing a report from a local affiliate.

A variety of food byproducts are commonly used for animal feed, and Mars says it has procedures for discarding foods for that purpose. However, the company says the Skittles in question came from a factory that doesn't sell unused products for feed.

"We don't know how it ended up as it did and we are investigating," Mars said.

Schmidt said one of his deputies came across the spill and sent him photos, which he posted on Facebook. He said the Skittles spilled from a box that started to disintegrate in the rain, and about half of them got out. The Skittles on the ground did not have the standard letter "S'' on them, he said.

The sheriff said he spoke with the farmer, but declined to immediately give the farmer's name and did not respond when asked by email how the office connected the Skittles with the farmer.

Mars spokeswoman Denise Young said the Skittles were supposed to be destroyed because a power outage prevented the signature "S'' from being placed on the candies. She said Mars planned to contact the sheriff's office and the farmer to find out more.

Linda Kurtz, a corporate environmental manager at Mars, said the company sells unused candies and ingredients to processors that incorporate them with other materials to make animal feed. She said Mars does not sell directly to farmers, and its procedures follow Food and Drug Administration regulations.

Kurtz said Mars determined the spilled Skittles came from its plant in Yorkville, Illinois, which does not sell products for animal feed. The other U.S. plant that makes Skittles, in Waco, Texas, sells to a local processor that melts them down into syrup.

Josh Cribbs, a cattle nutritionist and director of commercial development for the American Maine-Anjou Association, which promotes a particular cattle breed, said that the food byproducts that get used for cattle feed vary depending on what's available in the region and particular time of year.

Cribbs said specific byproducts would be mixed with other ingredients to achieve a particular nutritional profile.

"You might think, 'Oh my gosh, they might be eating a Skittle.' In reality, that piece of candy is being broken down," he said.

___
Prince William to leave job as air ambulance pilot

LONDON (AP)  Prince William will soon leave his job as an air ambulance helicopter pilot to spend more time on royal duties.

Kensington Palace said in a statement Friday that William, his wife Kate and their two children will spend more time in London and less time at their country home in Norfolk.

William will stop his work with the East Anglia Air Ambulance service in the summer.

Britain's Prince William talks as he attends the inaugural Endeavour Fund Awards ceremony in London, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. The Fund Awards ceremony will showcase endeavours from the past year, and celebrate excellence through awarding prizes to outstanding individuals who have excelled in their Endeavour Fund sporting challenges, and look forward to exciting future projects in 2017. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, pool)

The move will enable 3-year-old Prince George to start school in London in the fall.

Officials say William and Kate will still have their primary residence in Norfolk but will have more time to represent Queen Elizabeth II at numerous events.
Rockets hit Istanbul police station and ruling party office

ISTANBUL (AP)  Suspected left-wing militants fired light anti-armor weapons Friday at an Istanbul police station and at the ruling party's local headquarters, officials said. No one was injured in the attacks.

The first rocket hit the garden wall of the city's main police station, the city's governor said. The second pierced the wall of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) headquarters in the city's Sutluce neighborhood but failed to explode, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Mehmet Mus, a senior AKP legislator, told parliament the attacks were the work of a banned far-left group, the Revolutionary People's Liberation Army-Front, or DHKP-C. The group has carried out a series of violent attacks in Turkey, including a suicide attack on the U.S. embassy in Ankara in 2013 that killed a security guard.

A Turkish police officer secures a road near Istanbul's main police headquarters, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. A Turkish media report says a rocket-propelled grenade was fired near the headquarters but that it missed the building. There was no further information on the incident, which comes at a time when Turkey has suffered a series of deadly attacks carried out either by the Islamic State group or Kurdish militants. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Friday's attacks came as parliament was debating constitutional reforms that aim to expand the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office.

Istanbul Gov. Vahip Sahin said a "large scale" police operation was launched to catch the assailant or assailants.

Turkey has suffered a series of deadly attacks carried out either by the Islamic State group or Kurdish militants.

Turkish police officers secure a road near Istanbul's main police headquarters, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. A Turkish media report says a rocket-propelled grenade was fired near the headquarters but that it missed the building. There was no further information on the incident, which comes at a time when Turkey has suffered a series of deadly attacks carried out either by the Islamic State group or Kurdish militants. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

A Turkish police officer secures a road near Istanbul's main police headquarters, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. A Turkish media report says a rocket-propelled grenade was fired near the headquarters but that it missed the building. There was no further information on the incident, which comes at a time when Turkey has suffered a series of deadly attacks carried out either by the Islamic State group or Kurdish militants.(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
US prosecutors: No bond for suspect in Jamaican lottery scam

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  U.S. prosecutors want a Jamaican man who's accused of masterminding a multimillion-dollar lottery scam to be held without bond pending trial in North Dakota.

Lavrick Willocks, 27, on Friday made his first appearance in U.S. District Court since being arrested in Jamaica two months ago. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clare Hochhalter warned there is no reason for Willocks to stay in the United States if he is released from jail.

"The defendant has no ties here, no means of support. He's a Jamaican national," Hochhalter said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Miller ordered Willocks held pending a detention hearing, which will likely take place next week.

Willocks, who appeared alone in court with hands and feet handcuffed, requested a public defender, saying he has barely $15,000 and no assets. Miller ordered him to fill out a financial affidavit and the judge must now determine whether Willocks qualifies for a court-appointed attorney.

Authorities allege the sophisticated schemes Willocks spearheaded bilked more than 70 mostly elderly Americans out of more than $5.6 million. When he was arrested in a Kingston hotel on Nov. 5, authorities say they found more than $10,000 in U.S. cash in his room, along with electronics and jewelry.

The lottery scam case began in North Dakota in 2011 when prosecutors say a Harvey woman was defrauded out of $300,000 after receiving a call from a man who told her she had won $19 million and a new car, and needed only to pay taxes and fees.

More than a dozen people have been charged in the case. One of Willocks' co-defendants, Sanjay Williams, was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

___
Bio Box: The life of drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman

Federal prosecutors have charged the infamous Mexican cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in a U.S. court with running a massive drug trafficking operation. Here's a brief history of the man Mexican officials extradited to the United States two decades after he was first indicted in an American court:

___

Full name: Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Lorea.

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)

Nicknames: "El Chapo," which is Spanish slang for "Shorty."

Age: Believed to be in his late 50s.

Birthplace: La Tuna, Sinaloa.

Early years: Guzman has said he started selling drugs at age 15 to survive.

Drug empire: American and Mexican officials say Guzman took over the Sinaloa cartel in the 1980s, controlling heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking.

Intel: Prosecutors say Guzman sometimes carried a gold-plated AK-47 rifle and a gold-and-diamond-encrusted .45 mm handgun.

First arrest and escape: Guzman was arrested in Guatemal in 1993 and sentenced to 20 years for drug offenses and murder, but he escaped from prison in 2001.

Second arrest and escape: Guzman was captured by Mexican special forces in 2014 and sent to a Mexican maximum-security prison. He escaped in July 2015 via a milelong underground tunnel leading to a shower in his cell.

Media: While on the lam after his second prison break, Guzman conducted an interview with actor Sean Penn for Rolling Stone magazine.

Extradition: Guzman was recaptured after a gunfight with Mexican marines in January 2016. Despite his lawyers' efforts to fight extradition, he was taken to New York by the Drug Enforcement Administration on Thursday night.
Sailor Lane Righter, 8, was found unresponsive on the afternoon of New Year's Eve after using her father's revolver to shoot herself

A police officer has been suspended without pay after being charged with leaving his personal .357-caliber revolver loaded and unsecured on a shelf before his eight-year-old daughter shot herself.

Kenneth Righter, of Stratford, New Jersey, was charged with three counts of child endangerment as well as the disorderly persons offense of storage of firearms of if minors may have access, Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo Said.

The girl, Sailor Lane Righter, was found unresponsive on the afternoon of New Year's Eve.

One of her brothers called 911, and said 'We need help now.

'My mom went upstairs and found her, she told me to call 911, she's not breathing.'

He then told the dispatcher that the family was going to bring her into the emergency room reported Philly.com.

Sailor, 8, pictured with her mother and father. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family, and Righter (right) went to the prosecutor's office voluntarily Thursday and is cooperating with police

Her mother took her to the hospital, where she was eventually pronounced dead from her wounds.

Righter's other children were 14 and 17 at the time of the shooting.

Authorities haven't said how who was holding the gun when the shooting occurred, but have concluded that only family members were in the house at the time of the shooting. Her father, however, was not home.

'This is a very, very difficult time for the family, and this doesn't make it any easier,' said Dennis Wixted, an attorney representing Righter.

'But we'll address it through the context of the system.'

Wixted said Righter went to the prosecutor's office voluntarily Thursday. The case will now be presented to a grand jury.

Kenneth Righter (pictured kissing his daughter, Sailor), was charged with three counts of child endangerment as well as the disorderly persons offense of storage of firearms of if minors may have access after Sailor allegedly shot herself New Years Eve

Sailor (pictured) was taken to the hospital by her mother after one of her brothers called 911. She died from her wounds.

The Stratford Police Department's most recent annual report lists RIghteras an assistant firearms instructor, among other assignments.

He has worked with the department since 2004.

Righter passed firearms training several times, and scored 100 per cent last year with his personal revolver, the same weapon allegedly tied to Sailor's death.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in honor and to help support the Righter family.
Officials: Mexican activist had fled, shot when he returned

MEXICO CITY (AP)  Human rights officials said Friday an indigenous environmentalist leader shot to death over the weekend had fled his community almost 10 years ago and was killed when he returned to visit a sick relative.

Isidro Baldenegro, a leader of the Raramuri indigenous group, which is known to the outside world as Tarahumara, was the second winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize to be slain in two years.

The U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner and Mexico's National Human Rights Commission said Baldenegro left the community of Coloradas de la Virgin after receiving threats and was shot when he returned Sunday.

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)

Baldenegro, 51, led an anti-logging campaign in the Tarahumara mountains, which are home to some of northern Mexico's last old-growth forests.

"This killing is another alert about the vulnerable situation" that activists in Mexico suffer, said Jan Jarab, the Mexico representative of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The office said in a statement that three other anti-logging activists in Baldenegro's community were killed last year. Baldenegro's father, Julio Baldenegro, an activist who opposed logging, was slain in 1987, a killing that remains unsolved.

Isidro Baldenegro was jailed in 2003 for alleged illegal arms and marijuana possession, but the charges were dropped a year later after prosecutors said police committed abuses. At the time, Baldenegro accused influential local loggers and ranchers of persuading the police to trump up charges against him.

In an interview in jail in 2003, Baldenegro said, "If one of us dies for some reason, other people will carry on the struggle."

Authorities have said Baldenegro was shot to death by a 25-year-old man at his uncle's home. Prosecutors in northern Chihuahua state say they have identified the killer and are searching for him.

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.
The Latest: New Mexico files lawsuit over faulty air bags

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  The Latest on New Mexico's lawsuit against air bag maker Takata (all times local):

2:45 p.m.

New Mexico is suing Japanese manufacturer Takata and a long list of automakers in connection with the sale of cars with dangerous air bag inflators.

FILE - In this May 4, 2016, file photo, visitors walk by a Takata Corp. desk at an automaker's showroom in Tokyo. New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has announced a lawsuit against Japanese manufacturer Takata and a long list of auto makers in connection with the sale of cars with dangerous air bag inflators. The attorney generals office argues in a lawsuit being filed Friday, Jan. 20, 2017 that the manufacturers had a duty to ensure their products were safe and that concealment of air bag defects amounted to unfair, deceptive and unconscionable trade practices under New Mexico law. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File)

Attorney Hector Balderas' office filed the lawsuit Friday afternoon in state district court, saying the manufacturers had a duty to ensure their products were safe and that concealment of air bag defects amounted to unfair and deceptive trade practices under New Mexico law.

The state is seeking a jury trial as well as civil penalties.

A Takata spokesman declined to comment on the litigation.

Takata already has agreed to pay $1 billion in fines and restitution as part of plea agreement with the U.S. Justice Department over the yearslong scheme to conceal the deadly defect in its inflators. It also faces class-action lawsuits as well as litigation filed last year by the state of Hawaii.

___

3 a.m.

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has announced a lawsuit against Japanese manufacturer Takata and a long list of automakers in connection with the sale of cars with dangerous air bag inflators.

The attorney general's office argues in a lawsuit being filed Friday that the manufacturers had a duty to ensure their products were safe and that concealment of air bag defects amounted to unfair, deceptive and unconscionable trade practices under New Mexico law.

Takata already has agreed to pay $1 billion in fines and restitution as part of plea agreement with the U.S. Justice Department over the yearslong scheme to conceal the deadly defect in its inflators. It also faces class-action lawsuits as well as litigation filed last year by the state of Hawaii.

A Takata spokesman declined comment Friday.
Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, Mexicos most notorious cartel kingpin, has been extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking and other charges.

Mexicos Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to US authorities for transportation to the US on Thursday, the last day of President Barack Obamas administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated.

Two senior US officials confirmed that Guzman  who twice made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run as the countrys most wanted man  was on his way.

Soldiers leave the airport after the extradition of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Mexicos government says infamous drug lord El Chapo is currently on a plane to the United States. https://t.co/YjNRkaBvK6  Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) January 19, 2017

One said the US Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, and a plane carrying him departed for New York at 5.31pm local time.

New York is one of several US jurisdictions where Guzman faces charges.

The convicted Sinaloa cartel boss has been held most recently in a prison near Ciudad Juarez.
Almost 300 million of Britains most cherished artworks have permanently left the country since 2011.

Stephen Deuchar, director of the Art Fund, said the export system was abused by wealthy buyers using exploitable loopholes and gentlemens agreements to keep masterpieces out of public reach.

Among the exodus of treasures was a 50 million Picasso  Child With A Dove  now thought to be in Qatar.

Child With A Dove by Picasso (Succession Picasso/PA)

Important cultural objects bought by overseas collectors are typically issued with a temporary export ban, giving British dealers or museums a chance to match the price.

Some 32 national treasures, worth a total of about 70 million, have stayed in the UK this way since 2011-12, Arts Council figures show.

But a New York-based buyer has so far refused to sell a 30 million Pontormo painting to the National Gallery despite the institution raising the asking price.

Dr Deuchar told the Press Association this happens time and again, adding: Applying for an export licence you have to promise if a museum raises a matching sum you will sell it to them.

A gold and gem-set ring owned by Jane Austen (DCMS/PA)

We (the Art Fund) want to see some proper legal muscle to a system currently based on gentlemens agreements  the civil servants running it need to listen to people who have new ideas for change.

But leading art historian and dealer Bendor Grosvenor argued that Britains export system is probably the best in the world as it balances the rights of the public and private collectors.

The Self Portrait by Sir Anthony van Dyck (DCMS/PA)

He said: Art is a global business  is it in the public interest for the state to effectively seize someones private assets?

Something about art brings out the socialist in everyone. We sometimes think it must belong to the people.

Germany recently tried to tighten up their laws and there were truckloads of art leaving the country. Its a case of be careful what you wish for

Artworks are classed as national treasures if their departure from Britain would be considered a loss on one or more of three criteria: historical importance, appearance and scholarship.

A Young Apostle, a study by Raphael (DCMS/PA)

Dr Grosvenor added: Theres the downstream fact that 80% of art in public collections is never on display but in storage.

In fact, theres a sensible argument to say a work in private hands is more likely to be loaned and seen by people.

In total, 41 national treasures with a total value of 278 million were given export licences from 2011-2016.

Rembrandt Laughing by Rembrandt van Rijn (DCMS/PA)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said: The UKs cultural export controls helps to keep national treasures, such as TE Lawrences dagger and Jane Austens ring, in the country.

While its not possible to save every object, the system is designed to strike the right balance between protecting our national cultural heritage and individual property rights.
A man has been killed by a crocodile while trying to cross a flooded river in the northern Australian wilderness.

Police said the 47-year-old was wading through the East Alligator River in the Northern Territory with two women when he disappeared near the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park.

The women made the crossing safely then reported the man missing.

A crocodile (PA)

Death  Cahills Crossing The body of a 47-year-old male was recovered around 7.00pm yesterday following an incident at... Posted by Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services on Thursday, January 19, 2017

Police and rangers found his body downstream late on Thursday near an 11ft crocodile.

The crocodile was shot dead and the mans body was taken to the city of Darwin for a post-mortem.

Media reports say the three lived in a nearby Aboriginal community.

Cahills Crossing is a renowned fishing spot for prized barramundi, but it also attracts crocodiles as well as anglers.

The authorities are frustrated by the risks some people take near the river despite an angler being decapitated by a large crocodile at the crossing in 1987.

The signs are saying not to swim or even go in the water at Cahills Crossing. Theres been a lot of media attention around that crossing. People continue to do it, Police Sergeant Bob Harrison said.

The tragedy is the first fatal crocodile attack since a 46-year-old woman was taken during a late-night swim in the World Heritage-listed Daintree National Park in Queensland state in May last year.

Since crocodiles became a protected species under federal law in 1971, numbers in the Northern Territory have exploded from 3,000 to an estimated 80,000 to 100,000.
Nigel Farage says Donald Trumps inauguration will be historic because it marks a significant change in direction for America.

The former Ukip leader, who was the first British politician to meet Mr Trump after his election win, is attending the ceremony in Washington DC as a guest of Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant.

After arriving in the US capital, Mr Farage told the Press Association: I get a sense of the history, and that this particular inauguration is a very significant one because in so many areas it marks a significant change in direction. Im very excited about it.

Nigel Farage (Yui Mok/PA)

.@Nigel_Farage tells @PA that Donald Trump's inauguration will be historic because it marks a "significant change in direction" for America.  David Mercer (@DavidMercerSky) January 19, 2017

In terms of Americas place in the world and its direction, what is happening  is very significant indeed.

Im very, very pleased that post-Brexit we got involved in this.

Mr Farage attended a lavish party at the five-star Hay-Adams Hotel on Thursday evening to celebrate Mr Trumps inauguration.

It was reported that he was hosting the event with Ukip donor Arron Banks but Mr Farage insisted he was a guest and Mr Trump was not expected to show up.

At the Hay Adams with Gov Bryant and Nigel Farage pic.twitter.com/oS3L3Q205l  Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) January 20, 2017

Its to celebrate the fact that in 2016 we saw this dramatic change in politics, he said.

I suppose the party is the international dimension in all this.

Weve had Brexit and perhaps that contributed just a little bit to things changing in the USA and whos to say that bandwagon wont continue to roll in 2017 across much of Europe.

Mr Farage was a guest of Mr Bryant after the US politician invited him to attend a Trump rally in Jackson, Mississippi in August.
The Prince of Wales has renewed his call for global action on man-made climate change, describing it as the wolf at the door.

A long-standing and vocal campaigner on the issue, Charles said steps must be urgently scaled up, and scaled up now.

The Prince issued the plea in his new Ladybird book on climate change co-authored with former Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper and Emily Shuckburgh, a climate scientist at the British Antarctic Survey.

The Ladybird book on climate change co-authored by the Prince of Wales (Penguin/PA)

In the foreword, Charles states: I hope this modest attempt to alert a global public to the wolf at the door will make some small contribution towards encouraging requisite action; action that must be urgently scaled up, and scaled up now.

The book comes as America ushers in a president who has labelled climate change a hoax by the Chinese to undermine US manufacturing and pledged to pull out of the worlds first comprehensive climate treaty, the Paris Agreement.

In 2012 Donald Trump tweeted: The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive.

A year later he wrote: Ice storm rolls from Texas to Tennessee  Im in Los Angeles and its freezing. Global warming is a total, and very expensive, hoax!

Children should not be hit with climate propaganda, and Prince Charles should not write on contentious issues: https://t.co/OxuczWoKxQ  Roger Helmer (@RogerHelmerMEP) January 15, 2017

Charless guide, published by Penguin, is based on the books for children created in the 1960s and 1970s.

The rebooted format features tongue-in-cheek titles for adults such as The Mid-Life Crisis, The Hipster and The Hangover.

However the Princes guide, which carries an illustration of people escaping rising floodwaters in Uckfield, West Sussex, in 2000 on its cover, is not so frivolous.

The book explains the history, dangers and challenges of global warming and explores possible solutions with which to reduce its impact.

Mr Juniper said the Prince insisted the text was peer-reviewed for rigour and he remained deeply involved at every stage.

He wanted to present something everybody can read that cuts through some of the deliberately confusing misinformation thats been put out there over the years, which I know he is very frustrated about, he told the Daily Telegraph.
Ellis Genge has been recalled to Englands squad for their RBS 6 Nations title defence just weeks after being dropped by Eddie Jones.

Genge broke into the national set-up last year, made his debut as a replacement against Wales in May and was an ever-present on the fringes of the team for the remainder of 2016 only to be axed from the Elite Player Squad on December 31.

BREAKING | Your England squad for the 2017 RBS 6 Nations...



Full story: https://t.co/CMoSA7L53p#CarryThemHome  pic.twitter.com/STvxRq3tgt  England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) January 20, 2017

Strong performances for Leicester against Munster, Saracens and Wasps have catapulted the combative front row back into contention, however.

Ellis Genge (Richard Sellers/PA)

Also present, having missed the two-day training camp in Brighton earlier this month, are flanker Jack Clifford, centre Henry Slade and lock Joe Launchbury.

This time last year I said that the long-term strategy for England is to develop a side who can be the most dominant team in world rugby, Jones said.
Mark Hughes pursuit of Saido Berahino could end in more frustration after he admitted hopes of a deal this month are fading.

The Stoke manager has been a long-time admirer of the West Brom striker but has not been able to prise him away from The Hawthorns.

Baggies boss Tony Pulis described Stokes offer as nowhere near what West Brom are looking for and the lack of progress is concerning Hughes.

Mark Hughes (Anna Gowthorpe/EMPICS)

 PRESS SNIPPETS...



Mark Hughes discusses transfer speculation, full @ManUtd press conference coming up shortly.#SCFC pic.twitter.com/8ZRPt1DIGM  Stoke City FC (@stokecity) January 20, 2017

He said: It sways from one end of the scale to the other. I said last week or the week before I was more confident that something might be done. Its fair to say weve probably swung the other way again.

There hasnt been any progress for quite some time and, if Im honest, it doesnt look like there is going to be too much progress in the following days.

I might be wrong, things might change very quickly, but people seem to be very entrenched in their views and their positions. When that happens its very difficult to move it forward.

Hughes, meanwhile, insisted playmaker Bojan Krkic has not expressed a desire to leave the Britannia Stadium.

The Spaniard has only started six games all season and has been linked with a move to Middlesbrough.

Hughes said: We saw something in the press saying that if there was an opportunity hed like to leave. He hasnt said that to me.

Hes our player, hes involved in the squad tomorrow so hes part of what were doing. I think there have been enquiries but nobodys come back with any bids  we wouldnt encourage them to be perfectly honest.

If they do come in, maybe then Bojan or his advisor would want to discuss that. But were not at that point at the moment.

 Mark Hughes' @ManUtd press conference is now available to watch in full on the #SCFC YouTube channel https://t.co/0QrGEeGZW0  Stoke City FC (@stokecity) January 20, 2017

Hughes welcomes his former club Manchester United to the Britannia Stadium on Saturday with both sides in decent form.

The Potters have won their last two Premier League games while Uniteds nine-match winning run was ended by a draw with Liverpool last time out.

Stoke will be confident of taking something having claimed seven points from nine against United at home in their last three meetings, while they also held Jose Mourinhos side to a draw at Old Trafford earlier this season.

Were playing them when clearly theyre on a good run of form and the team is shaping up to be what you envisage a Jose Mourinho team should look like, said Hughes.

 @GianneImbula says he is now focused on working hard in order to impress Mark Hughes, #SCFC fans and regain his starting place. pic.twitter.com/ul39U3ylWQ  Stoke City FC (@stokecity) January 20, 2017

You can see signs that thats forming as we speak. Itll be a big test. Its maybe a game we can enjoy. Theres an expectation that Man United will come here and make it difficult and maybe win.

Well clearly have something to say about that and have done in recent seasons. We can maybe express ourselves a little bit more and really have a go and thats what Ill be emphasising to my players.

It could be a big day for two strikers.
Andy Murray believes the decline of Novak Djokovic has been exaggerated and insists the Serb is just a victim of his own success.

Murray beat Sam Querrey to move into the Australian Open fourth round on Friday, less than 24 hours after Djokovic had crashed out to wildcard Denis Istomin.

Djokovics exit leaves Murray in pole position to claim his first title in Melbourne and continues the 29-year-old Serbs dip in form since winning his fourth grand slam in a row at the French Open last year.

Andy Murray (Adam Davy/PA)

One step closer....@andy_murray marches into the 4th round of the #AusOpen with a dominant 6-4 6-2 6-4 win over Sam Querrey  pic.twitter.com/XosPfpADfy  Team GB (@TeamGB) January 20, 2017

A third round defeat at Wimbledon, to Querrey, was followed by a first round loss at the Olympics. Djokovic reached the final at the US Open in September but was outplayed by Stan Wawrinka.

Asked why he thought Djokovic was struggling, Murray said: I mean, struggling by the highest standards. But compared with most players, its not been that bad really.

Obviously I think for him the early loss at Wimbledon and here would be disappointing. Hed want to play his best in the majors.

But he still won the Masters Series in Canada. He was in the final at the US Open. He was in the finals of the Tour Finals. He beat four or five top-10 players in the Tour Finals. He won the tournament in Doha last week.

He has played some really good stuff over the last six or seven months too. Its just not been as consistent as what it was the three years before.

But how anyone is expected to keep up that level for their whole career, its just unreasonable to expect that of anyone. Theres been a couple of surprising results, for sure, but on the whole, its not been that bad.

Murray will play Germanys Mischa Zverev on Sunday and is now heavy favourite to win the Australian Open given he has reached the final here five times and four times lost to Djokovic.

But the Scot insists he is not feeling any extra pressure as a result of his rivals defeat.

January 5 - Istomin loses to world no.191 Christian Garin in Bangkok



January 19 - Istomin defeats world no.2 Novak #Djokovic at #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/CH0TItiXPv  #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 19, 2017

Obviously I was surprised. Novaks record here speaks for itself. Hes had incredible success here over the years, Murray said.

But for me, it doesnt change anything unless I was to potentially reach the final because I cant play Novak in the fourth round or in the third round. I dont worry about that really.

Obviously, if you get to the final, then it has an effect. A lot of the times when Ive been in the final here, Ive played against him and had some tough ones.
Victims of historic child abuse in Northern Ireland should receive state-backed compensation payments of up to 100,000, an inquiry has recommended.

Those abused in state, church and charity run homes should also be offered an official apology from government and the organisations that ran the residential facilities where it happened, the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry found.

Inquiry chair Sir Anthony Hart outlined a series of recommendations after he revealed shocking levels of sexual, physical and emotional abuse in the period 1922 to 1995.

He said the minimum pay-out should be 7,500 with the maximum amount given to those who had experienced severe levels of abuse as well as being transported to Australia in a controversial migrant scheme.

He said the organisations that ran the abusing homes should make a financial contribution to the Stormont Executive-run scheme.

Sir Anthony said the four-year inquiry found evidence of systemic failings in the institutions and homes it investigated.

Sir Anthony Hart

There was evidence of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, neglect and unacceptable practices across the institutions and homes examined, he said.

The inquiry also identified failings where institutions sought to protect their reputations and individuals against whom allegations were made, by failing to take any action at all, failing to report matters to or deliberately misleading the appropriate authorities and moving those against whom allegations were made to other locations. This enabled some to continue perpetrating abuse against children.

The inquiry found that those institutions that sent young children to Australia were wrong to do so and there were failures to ensure the children were being sent to suitable homes.

The HIA report also rejected long-standing allegations that a paedophile ring containing British Establishment figures abused boys in the notorious Kincora boys home in Belfast.

It also dismissed claims that intelligence agencies were aware of such a ring and covered it up in order to blackmail the high-profile abusers.

Three staff members at Kincora were found guilty of abusing residents in the 1970s but there had long been rumours that others, including civil servants and businessmen, were involved.

The former Kincora Boys home in Belfast

Sir Anthony said the notion that Kincora was a homosexual brothel used by the Security Services as a honey pot to obtain compromising information about influential figures was without foundation.

The investigation also focused on the activities of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth.

During evidence sessions the inquiry heard lurid details about the activities of the serial child molester who frequented Catholic residential homes and was convicted of more than 100 child abuse charges.

Sir Anthony said despite knowing his history of abusing children, the Norbertine religious order moved Smyth to different diocese where he abused more children.

They failed to report the abuse to police enabling him to continue his abuse, it found. The Order also failed to take steps to expel him from priesthood, said the inquiry.

The fate of Sir Anthonys compensation recommendation is mired in a degree of uncertainty, given the recent Stormont crisis has resulted in the collapse of the current powersharing executive.
Outgoing US president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have urged Americans to contribute to their plans for a living, working centre for citizenship in Chicago.

A two-minute clip entitled Whats Next From Barack And Michelle Obama was posted to the Obama Foundation page as the inauguration of Mr Obamas successor, Donald Trump, edged closer on Friday.

In it, the Obamas thank Americans from the bottom of our hearts for giving them the privilege of being the countrys First Family.

They also invite viewers to help them progress with plans for the Obama Presidential Centre, set for Jackson Park on Chicagos South Side.

Mr Obama says: More than a library or a museum, it will be a living, working centre for citizenship. Thats why we want to hear from you.

Tell us what you want this project to be, and tell us whats on your mind.

(Evan Vucci AP/PA)

The Obamas ask for information about inspiring young leaders, organisations and companies.

Its going to take all of you and your ideas to make it a reality, Mr Obama says.

As we look forward, I want our first steps to reflect what matters most to you. Share your thoughts with me at https://t.co/fGUxlpLVue.  President Obama (@POTUS44) January 20, 2017

According to its official website, the Obama Foundations ambitious project will include a presidential archives library, a museum on the Obama presidency and issues of our time, as well as other programs.

It will also serve as the organisations home and ideally function as a warm, engaging, and welcoming place that will inspire people globally to assume their civic duty.

The South Side was announced as the intended site for the centre in May 2015.

I'm still asking you to believe - not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours. I believe in change because I believe in you.  President Obama (@POTUS44) January 20, 2017

Mr Obama pledged not to personally raise funds for the project during his term in office.

But first on the list is getting some sleep and taking a break with the family, and just be still for a little bit, Michelle says.
Hundreds of thousands of people have joined womens marches in London and Washington DC as protests were held around the world following President Donald Trumps inauguration.

At least 500,000 people gathered for a rally outside the US Capitol building while organisers, including the Womens Equality Party, said an estimated 100,000 descended on central London on Saturday as similar events were staged in Edinburgh, Bristol and cities across the US.

Celebrities Katy Perry, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Schumer and Patricia Arquette were expected to be among the demonstrators at the Washington event.

Ugly Betty star America Ferrera, who helped organise the march, told the crowd: Its been a heartbreaking time to be both a woman and immigrant in this country. The platform for hate and division assumed power yesterday.

Thanks for standing, speaking & marching for our values @womensmarch. Important as ever. I truly believe we're always Stronger Together.  Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 21, 2017

Madonna's f-bomb in her Washington #WomensMarch speech just aired live on CNN. Three times. And then they cut away.  Lesley Goldberg (@Snoodit) January 21, 2017

But the president is not America. His cabinet is not America. Congress is not America. We are America and we are here to stay.

Before the event, former Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman said she was taking part in the march with her two daughters, her sister and her niece.

Inaugur...what?



President Trump must feel pretty small today.#WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/i2au0JcVq1  Nicholas Kitchel (@nicholaskitchel) January 21, 2017

She told the Press Association: I feel that the election was somewhat of a feminist issue. I feel like the best of us was bested by not the best of them.

Many of the women in Washington wore pink knitted hats with cat ears  a reference to comments made by Mr Trump in a 2005 leaked video in which he bragged about grabbing women by the pussy.

Marches also took place in other UK cities including Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, Liverpool and Cardiff, with thousands turning out.

Wonderful to be part of a group standing up for what we believe in today #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/xfjJLLo0kp  Katherine Bryant (@Katherine_Coach) January 21, 2017

Beginning at the American Embassy in London, the London Womens March made its way around the streets of the capital and to a rally in Trafalgar Square.

The movement states on its website that the US election proved a catalyst for a grassroots movement of women to assert the positive values that the politics of fear denies.

Organisers called for people to join them as part of an international day of action in solidarity on President Trumps first full day in the Oval Office.

Protesters carry placards in London (Charlotte Ball/PA)

People across all ages and genders descended on Grosvenor Square holding a rainbow of placards with slogans such as dump Trump, reject hate, reclaim politics and no to racism, no to Trump.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and his wife Saadiya were in Trafalgar Square while celebrities including ex-England rugby captain Chris Robshaw and Iron Man 3 actress Rebecca Hall were spotted among the throngs of people.

Labour MP Harriet Harman was joined on the march by friend and American-British playwright Bonnie Greer.

Protesters carry placards in Bristol (Ben Birchall/PA)

Referring to outgoing US president Barack Obama, Ms Harman said: Its just a shame they have a two-term limit, isnt it?

Ms Greer warned that Mr Trumps presidency was not a joke, adding: This is for real and I think this march demonstrates that London understands that.
Stoke have completed the signing of striker Saido Berahino from West Brom for an initial 12million on a five-and-a-half-year contract.





Welcome to the Red and White side @SBerahino



Everybody at #SCFC can't wait to see you in action! pic.twitter.com/iJSq77nlYv  Stoke City FC (@stokecity) January 20, 2017

The former England U21 international agreed terms on the deal at the bet365 Stadium on Friday evening after the Potters came to an agreement with Albion.

The 23-year-old had been a target for Stoke for the past three transfer windows.

The fee could rise to 15million with add-ons but he will be unavailable for Saturdays clash with Manchester United.

Stoke boss Mark Hughes was delighted to finally land the 23-year-old, who hit 23 Premier League goals in 105 appearances for the Baggies.

 #SCFC boss Mark Hughes is glad to finally get his man and believes @SBerahino has a bright future ahead at the bet365 Stadium. pic.twitter.com/wU5lP4LYhU  Stoke City FC (@stokecity) January 20, 2017

Hughes told Stoke City Player: Its been a bit of a saga but we have managed to get it over the line, thankfully.

At times it appeared like it wasnt likely to happen but, as always with these kind of deals, you have to be patient and hope that all the work you have done throughout the talks pays off.

It did appear like it was stalling somewhat and I suggested that this morning, but that was based on my knowledge of the deal at that time.

Evidently, it gained a fair amount of speed this afternoon and we have been able to conclude the deal, which we are all absolutely delighted about.

To @WBA fans, thanks for the support and love you have given me down the years. It's now time for me to move on and make some new memories pic.twitter.com/dTc5Hx725B  Saido Berahino (@SBerahino) January 20, 2017

Hughes believes Berahino can thrive with the Potters and added: He has a lot of untapped potential clearly, he is a player of good talent and somebody who has a lot of growth in the game still to come.

He has already displayed his talents in the Premier League and proven that he can score goals at this level, which was a real attraction not only to us, but also to a lot of other clubs who were interested in him.

I just feel that he has the potential to be the striker that we have been looking for for a long time  he is capable of creating chances and he is certainly capable of converting chances too.

We are going to give him the stage to perform now, and he needs to embrace that, which I am sure he will.

 'Let's make some memories'@SBerahino has a message for all you #SCFC fans



 pic.twitter.com/m0zWvtIb5f  Stoke City FC (@stokecity) January 20, 2017

Hughes, meanwhile, insists playmaker Bojan Krkic has not expressed a desire to leave Stoke.

The Spaniard has only started six games all season and has been linked with a move to Middlesbrough.

Hughes said: We saw something in the press saying that if there was an opportunity hed like to leave. He hasnt said that to me.

Hes our player, hes involved in the squad tomorrow so hes part of what were doing. I think there have been enquiries but nobodys come back with any bids  we wouldnt encourage them to be perfectly honest.
Nigel Farage has taken up a post as a political analyst on American right-wing news channel Fox News.

The former Ukip leader will contribute to the main channel and the Fox Business Networks daytime and primetime programmes, the broadcaster announced.

Nigel Farage is live and hes taking your calls on LBC https://t.co/XOQV1ZHr13 pic.twitter.com/X7tpfUN1tN  LBC (@LBC) January 9, 2017

It comes shortly after he was given his own nightly show on UK radio station LBC.

Nigel Farage

Mr Farage is one of Britains most prominent supporters of new US president Donald Trump and boosted his profile across the Atlantic during frequent appearances at the Republicans rallies in the election campaign.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson voiced his hopes for the continuation of the special relationship between Britain and America as he congratulated Donald Trump following his inauguration as President.

"I want to offer my warmest congratulations to President Donald Trump."



Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson pic.twitter.com/76FayM4gKP  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) January 20, 2017

In a message on Twitter sent minutes after Trump completed his inaugural address, Mr Johnson said: Congratulations to @realDonaldTrump @POTUS on his presidential inauguration day. Look forward to continuing strong UK  US bond.

The Foreign Secretary also sent congratulations to vice-president Mike Pence, adding: Look forward to working together #specialrelationship.

A very strong speech by @POTUS. He means it.  Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 20, 2017

But Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron had more pressing engagements than watching the swearing-in ceremony, tweeting a picture of himself delivering Lib Dem campaign leaflets, with the message: Apparently theres something on telly, but I found something better to do instead

Prominent Labour MPs questioned how Theresa Mays aim of striking a free trade deal with the US would work given Mr Trumps America first strategy.

Apparently there's something on telly, but I found something better to do instead... pic.twitter.com/5wdN7YJxv7  Tim Farron (@timfarron) January 20, 2017

David Lammy tweeted: From now on its America first. Every decision on trade will be made to benefit Americans. Hmm  looking forward to this trade deal, then.

Jess Phillips said: Sounds like hes really gonna be great for UK trade #inaguration.

Not so much God bless America as God help America. #Inauguration  Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) January 20, 2017

Chris Bryant said: From this day forward its going to be America First. Im not sure a UK trade deal with Trump will be very mutually beneficial.

Mr Bryant added: This is the most embarrassingly vacuous speech I have ever heard. Its cod nationalism.

Incredible, unprecedented inauguration speech by President Trump.

Smart crowd will hate it, ordinary Americans will be cheering him on. pic.twitter.com/dklWDsgyBB  Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 20, 2017

Speaking from Washington DC, former Lib Dem leader Lord (Menzies) Campbell of Pittenweem said: President John F Kennedy and Robert Frost it was not.

It was a speech from the stump rather than the assumption of the most powerful political office in the world.

Those who voted for Donald Trump will have loved it but those who did not will find little to comfort them.

Sadly it foreshadowed American isolationism under President Trump with little to satisfy American allies across the world, including the United Kingdom.

In a statement, Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson said: I want to offer my warmest congratulations to president Donald Trump on acceding to the most important political office in the world and I know that billions of people will be willing him to succeed in the months and years ahead in the very great challenges that he faces.
As Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, the White House website was taken over by the new administration.

Here are the main policy issues the Trump presidency will be prioritising that are listed on the new site.

Donald Trump

America First Energy Plan

Mr Trumps plan focuses on freeing America from dependence on foreign oil and accessing Americas own vast untapped reserves.

He also hopes to embrace the shale oil and gas revolution, and revive Americas coal industry.

While the administration will be committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan, it does acknowledge the need for responsible stewardship of the environment.

Protecting clean air and clean water, conserving natural habitats, and preserving our natural reserves and resources will remain a high priority, the website says.

America First Foreign Policy

New White House website promises Trump administration will "engage in cyberwarfare"#Inauguration pic.twitter.com/0GQoIzpF7K  Stephen Jones (@SteveJonesPA) January 20, 2017

The website is unequivocal that defeating ISIS and radical Islamic terrorism will be Mr Trumps highest priority. The administration is prepared to pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations to achieve this.

The president also intends to rebuild a shrunken US military  because he knows that our military dominance must be unquestioned.

However, he warns that America will not seek enemies abroad, but will embrace diplomacy while pursuing a foreign policy based on American interests.

Bringing Back Jobs And Growth

Mr Trumps plan is to create 25 million new American jobs in the next decade and return America to 4% annual economic growth.

He intends to lower rates for Americans in every tax bracket, simplify the tax code, and reduce the US corporate tax rate.

Drawing on his business background, he will help to protect small businesses from Washingtons job-killing federal regulations.

Making Our Military Strong Again

The website vows to keep America ahead of the competition, noting we cannot allow other nations to surpass our military capability.

The administration will put resources into safeguarding America against the emerging battlefield of cyberwarfare, it notes.

It also highlights the importance of medical care, education and support for those serving, veterans and their families.

Standing Up For Our Law Enforcement Community

The Trump Administration will be a law and order administration that will end the dangerous anti-police atmosphere, this section reads.

Any gun control reform seems unlikely, with the section noting the presidency will support citizens ability to protect themselves.

A wall to stop illegal immigration, gangs, violence and drugs is to be built, while illegal aliens with violent criminal records inside America will be deported.

Trade Deals Working For All Americans

Sounds like he's really gonna be great for UK trade #inaguration  Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) January 20, 2017

That was sarcasm  Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) January 20, 2017

Trade policies will be implemented by and for the people rather than by Washington elites.

Drawing on his lifetime of negotiating experience Mr Trump will reject and rework failed trade deals including the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Theresa May has said Donald Trump is committed to strengthening the special relationship between Britain and the United States after the president promised to put America first.

Mr Trump sowed doubt about his willingness to strike a post-Brexit free trade deal with the UK, which the Prime Minister hopes will offset any economic hit caused by leaving the European Union.

In his inaugural address, the president promised that every decision on trade will be made to benefit American workers and American families.

But Mrs May said that from our conversations she knows Mr Trump wants to advance links between Britain and the US.

Theresa May insists "from our conversations" she knows Trump is committed to advancing special relationship, despite talk of "America first"  Arj Singh (@singharj) January 20, 2017

Following his speech, she said: I congratulate President Trump on taking office today.

From our conversations to date, I know we are both committed to advancing the special relationship between our two countries and working together for the prosperity and security of people on both sides of the Atlantic.

I look forward to discussing these issues and more when we meet in Washington.

"From now on it's America first. Every decision on trade will be made to benefit Americans." Hmm - looking forward to this trade deal, then.  David Lammy (@DavidLammy) January 20, 2017

Mrs May is expected to visit Mr Trump in spring.

Earlier it emerged Mr Trump had written to Mrs May after she sent him a copy of a landmark wartime address given by Winston Churchill stressing the need for close Anglo-American relations.

Downing Street would not go into the details of the letter, but said part of it referred to the gift of the Churchill speech sent shortly after Christmas.

Mr Churchills address was made following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941, and in it the war-time prime minister expressed his hope that the British and American people would walk together in majesty, in justice and in peace.

In a letter sent with the address, Mrs May said she hoped the feeling of unity and fraternal association between the two countries was as true today as it has ever been.
West Ham have completed the signing of Southampton defender Jose Fonte for a fee of 8million.

Jose has joined the Hammers from Southampton on a 2 and a half-year contract, for a fee of 8m. #WelcomeFonte pic.twitter.com/sTmPsN6XsX  West Ham United (@WestHam) January 20, 2017

The 33-year-old, who won Euro 2016 with Portugal last summer, has put pen to paper on a two-and-half-year deal, with the option of a further year.

Fonte told West Hams official website: I signed for West Ham because they are a great club and a very big club. They have a lot of fans and I have known for a number of years how passionate they are.

Jose Fonte

The 63 centre-half has made 154 @premierleague appearances, keeping 51 clean sheets and scoring seven goals. #WelcomeFonte pic.twitter.com/Az9CzqHTjH  West Ham United (@WestHam) January 20, 2017

Fonte made 288 appearances in his seven-year spell at St Marys and was the last remaining member of the Saints side that rose from League One to the Premier League.

The centre-back was linked with a number of clubs following Portugals triumph in France but has opted to move to London Stadium and admitted Hammers boss Slaven Bilic played a big part in his decision.

#WelcomeFonte



We are delighted to announce the signing of UEFA Euro 2016 winner Jose Fonte! pic.twitter.com/PudfxHud0e  West Ham United (@WestHam) January 20, 2017

He added: The manager was also a very big influence. I thought that he really wanted me and that he sold me the project and the ambition of the club.

I also have part of my family living in London and they are big West Ham fans. It just made sense for me at this stage to join West Ham.

It is a new challenge and a new beginning and I am looking forward to it.

Capped 20 times, Fonte started all four knockout matches as @selecaoportugal won UEFA Euro 2016.#WelcomeFonte pic.twitter.com/Vw7mTbDGsT  West Ham United (@WestHam) January 20, 2017

With the way that West Ham is going we can only look to be challenging in the top eight.

West Ham are a massive club and it is an exciting challenge and it should be for everyone. We all need to get together and start working.
Russia state fund chief sees alliance with OPEC lasting years

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A senior Russian official, who last year was first to predict that Moscow could cut oil output in tandem with OPEC, believes such cooperation can now last for years, strengthened by cross border investments between Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Last year Kirill Dmitriev, who runs Russia's $10 billion state Direct Investment Fund and has close ties to the government and the Kremlin, spoke about a possible joint action after meeting Saudi officials at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Russia agreed to cut output together with OPEC last month and Dmitriev, a former investment banker from Goldman Sachs , now says it is only the beginning of a long-term alliance between the world's two biggest oil exporters.

"This is the trend of the future. For a long period of time it was not possible because of political obstacles. But today this trend is strengthening including because of Russia's active role in the Middle East," Dmitriev told Reuters.

Russia is effectively fighting a proxy war with some key OPEC members such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in Syria after Moscow sent its planes and troops to help President Bashar al Assad win a multi-year conflict.

But despite huge political tensions with some key OPEC members, Russia was able to find a compromise with the Organisation over cuts. Also in December, key Saudi ally Qatar agreed to invest 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in buying shares in Russian state oil major Rosneft.

"We are building a factory of trust when we do one, two, three deals which will lead to big, important energy alliances. To a big extent what we are seeing today is OPEC 2.0 because it is not OPEC alone anymore but OPEC plus Russia," said Dmitriev.
Clashes as hardliners demand missing Pakistanis face blasphemy charge

By Syed Raza Hassan

KARACHI, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Hardline religious protesters threw stones at supporters of five missing Pakistani activists on Thursday and demanded that police charge the missing men under a blasphemy law that carries a mandatory death sentence.

The liberal activists, who have posted blogs criticising the political influence of the military and speaking up for the rights of religious minorities, have all gone missing separately since Jan. 4, and it is unclear what happened to them.

Shortly after their disappearances, blasphemy allegations against them appeared on social media and in a complaint to police.

Critics of Pakistan's blasphemy laws say they have long been used by individuals and religious groups to settle disputes.

About 100 members of a little-known religious group, Tehreek Labaik Ya Rasool Allah, arrived at the local press club in the port city of Karachi and started hurling stones at people gathered there to support the missing activists.

They chanted slogans asking police to file blasphemy cases against the missing activists and carried banners that read: "Beheading is the punishment of blasphemers."

The activists' supporters were forced to withdraw into a nearby building.

"We persuaded the religious activists to withdraw," police officer Aurengzeb Khan said. "Their leader then held prayers for the prosperity of Islam and called on the members to leave."

Friends, family and supporters of all five men deny they have blasphemed, and have denounced the campaign to press that charge, which could endanger their lives were they to reappear.

The interior ministry said on Thursday that police had not registered a blasphemy case, although police in Islamabad confirmed on Wednesday that a formal complaint had been made by a lawyer.
Trump to visit CIA headquarters on Saturday -transition official

WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (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 Trump's visit to the CIA's sprawling campus was to swear in U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo, a Kansas Republican, as the spy agency's 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 Senate's 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.
Mexico seizes over a tonne of cannabis on boat from San Diego

MEXICO CITY, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Mexico's navy said on Thursday it had seized over a tonne of marijuana on a boat in northwestern Mexican waters that sailed from the U.S. city of San Diego.

The vessel, known as "LOGOS," was apprehended in the waters off the northwestern beach town of Rosarito, in Baja California state, just a few kilometers south of the U.S. border, the navy said.

A Mexican man was found on board, along with 1,100 kilograms (2,425 lbs) of marijuana.

Where the boat was headed and where the marijuana was grown were not known, the navy said.

Mexico has been exporting weed to its northern neighbor for decades, but in rare cases, moneyed Mexican weed fans have imported potent U.S. pot strains.

California in November voted to legalize recreational marijuana. A handful of U.S. states have legalized recreational marijuana use, although it remains illegal under federal law.

California's relatively liberal stance toward the drug has put pressure on Mexico to update its drug laws.

Pena Nieto said in 2014 that Mexico could not pursue diverging paths with the United States on marijuana. Last year, he submitted a bill to close the gap on U.S. legislation. But his own lawmakers have been reluctant to follow his lead.

In 2015, Mexico's Supreme Court set the ball rolling in a landmark case, granting four people the right to grow and consume weed, and inspiring hope for change.

Pena Nieto last year proposed decriminalizing possession of up to 28 grams of marijuana for personal use, and said it would allow people jailed for holding up to that amount to go free.

But senators in his Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) put the initiative on ice, saying it "requires a greater analysis," and only backed medical marijuana use.
China 2016 property investment rises 6.9 pct y/y, sales jump to 7-year high

By Yawen Chen and Kevin Yao

BEIJING, Jan 20 (Reuters) - China's real estate investment rose 6.9 percent in 2016, official data showed on Friday, as national sales posted their strongest annual growth in seven years thanks to a furious property boom in top-tier cities.

Real estate investment, which directly affects about 40 other business sectors in China, is considered to be a crucial driver for the economy. China's economy expanded 6.7 percent in 2016, meeting expectations, official data showed on Friday.

But analysts take divergent views on whether the red-hot property market will remain a major growth driver in 2017, given that authorities implemented a series of buying and ownership restrictions in hot markets to prevent a sudden correction damaging the broader economy.

Friday's data shows market players remained relatively optimistic about the resilience of the housing market, partially due to low inventories and firm demand in top tier cities, despite softer price growth.

Growth in property investment quickened significantly in December to 11.1 percent, from an increase of 5.7 percent in the previous month, according to Reuters calculations, even as house prices showed signs of further cooling in some major cities.

"I don't think anything in terms of property investment has taken a hit even with current policy controls. It's a much longer-term process and not policy-sensitive," said David Ji, Head of Research for China at property consultancy Knight Frank.

Ji said a lack of investment options in China makes buying property still a much-desired way to channel additional income.

"The government faces a dilemma. On one hand they try to slow prices on the demand side. On the other hand, property developers will still head to the hot markets to develop. It's also in line with local governments' interests to garner land revenue," Ji said.

"Unless the government introduces something more drastic such as a property tax. But it has been talked about for years and faced heavy local resistance," he added.

A change in the international environment, evidenced by the uncertainties created by incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, has also meant China is likely to have to look inward for growth drivers, where property still comes in handy.

"I'm not sure this year is the year that the Chinese government really wants to clamp down on the property market. The international environment has changed," Ji said.

China depended heavily on the property market and record government spending to drive growth last year. Chinese banks extended a record 12.56 trillion yuan ($1.82 trillion) of loans in 2016, half of which was in mortgage loans.

Some analysts, also concerned about possible U.S.-China trade tensions and further implications of Brexit, believe property will drag on China's economy later in 2017.

Tom Rafferty, The Economist Intelligence Unit's regional manager for China, said he "does not expect this rebound to extend far into 2017", when a slowdown in the property market, among other factors, ought to drag again on demand and output.

Sources have told Reuters that Beijing is prepared to accept a more modest growth target of 6.5 percent this year as leaders seek to tackle a mountain of debt built up over years of heavy official borrowing to fund stimulus campaigns.

Nin Jizhe, head of the National Statistics Bureau, told a news briefing on Friday that China's property market would maintain "healthy development" in 2017.

New housing starts, a telling figure of property developers' confidence in the market, rose 12.5 percent in December compared to a year earlier, quickening from November's 3.3 percent rise.

Sales volumes also improved, despite restrictions on home-buying in China's biggest cities. NBS data showed, in December alone, growth in sales measured by floor area quickened to 11.8 percent from a year ago, compared to a 7.9 percent rise in November.

Inventories of commercial housing remain another headache as they only fell 0.03 percent in 2016 versus a year ago, signalling the sheer scale of the difficulty in shrinking China's large glut of unsold homes - especially in smaller cities.
Romania - Factors to watch on Jan. 20

Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Friday.

DEBT TENDER

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.

CEE MARKETS

Central European government debt yields mostly rose on Thursday after Fed signals of continuing U.S. rate hikes and Czech central bankers played down speculation they would rush to end the crown cap.

ENERGY TRADER

Transenergo COM, Romania's fourth largest energy trader has filed for insolvency. Traders margins' have been hurt by low power prices and higher mobility, as well as risks taken on the spot trading platform. Ziarul Financiar

JUSTICE DECREE DRAFTS

Below are reactions to government plans to grant prison pardons and decriminalise some offences through emergency decrees that could weaken an anti-corruption drive.

- The opposition Save Romania Union (USR) will file a simple motion against Justice Minister Florin Iordache after the release of the emergency decrees. USR said the draft decrees serve the interests of people who hold public office and not those of society, which needs to limit corruption.

- The opposition Liberal Party is considering filing a no confidence motion against the ruling Social Democrats after they proposed changing justice law via emergency decrees that they said are an "attack against Romania's European project," party leader Raluca Turcan said on her Facebook page.

- Chief anti-corruption prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi told news agency News.ro that some of the proposed changes would make it impossible for prosecutors to investigate some offenses committed by by public clerks and dignitaries.

- A new protest against the decrees has been announced for Jan. 22 in cities across Romania.

- Think tanks and human rights groups, including Expert Forum, the Institute for Public Policy and Funky Citizens have expressed concerns about the content of the decrees, as well as the plan to modify justice legislation untransparently and without consultation.

- More than 3.700 prisoners would benefit from the decree that grants prison pardons, Romania's national penitentiary administrator told state news agency Agerpres. Romania has 27,559 prisoners and a capacity of just 18,985. The crime relapse rate stood at 38 percent.

For the long-term Romanian diary, click on

For emerging markets economic events, click on

For an index of all diaries, click on
Holiday on ice as coal mines get skates on to beat Beijing curbs

By Meng Meng and Josephine Mason

BEIJING, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Chinese coal miners are so determined to cash in on a window of high prices that many are slashing holiday leave for workers and raising pay through the Lunar New Year celebrations before government introduces limits on output again.

Prices in China, the world's biggest coal user, have slipped back 16 percent from their two-year peak of 610 yuan ($88.83) per tonne two months ago, but they are still profitably high after a couple of barren years for miners.

"At current price levels, we would love to have 73 hours in a day, so that we can produce as much as possible," a private coal mine owner based in Wuhai, Inner Mongolia, told Reuters.

That urgency reflects a broad expectation among analysts and mining executives that Beijing will order them to reduce output after the festivities, once winter heating demand has peaked.

In April 2016, with many miners failing to turn a profit, government ordered mines to limit the number of days they operate each year to 276 days from 330 as part of its effort to cut inefficient surplus capacity.

By November, however, it was forced to ditch that policy to avert a winter energy crisis after a double-digit percentage drop in output triggered a sharp rally in prices.

Now miners are determined not to be caught on the hop, and are racing to get their coal to market, aware that Beijing still aims to slash 500 million tonnes of output by 2020, just over 16 percent of current levels.

Major producers including Shanxi Kaijia Energy Group, ChinaCoal and Shandong Yulong Group in Shandong, Hebei, Shanxi and Shaanxi, are allowing workers an average of seven days' leave for the festival this year, according to China Sublime Information Group, which surveyed 30 companies.

That is well down on the last two years, when prices were below break-even for many miners, who in response typically gave workers a generous 45-60 days off for the occasion, mining executives and analysts said.

"In 2015 and 2016, most of the coal mines we visited were shut down starting Jan. 1. This year, they are postponing the holiday to as late as January 27," said Zhang Min, coal analyst at Sublime.

GLOBAL IMPACT

Reuters spoke to five coal mines in Inner Mongolia, China's largest producing region, and they, too, said they had cut leave to around 10-20 days for the festivities, which officially begin on Jan. 27 and last for a week, down from about 30 days in 2016.

Two of them said they were raising wages by 30 and 50 percent through the period, too.

The consequences for such price fluctuations are felt globally, as the fundamentals of China's coal market determine world prices. Last year international miners boosted shipments to China by a quarter as Beijing's output restraints drained supply.

"Price fluctuations in the domestic Chinese market as policymakers adjust output and prices to their desired levels will likely be a key driver of the international markets over the months ahead," said Adrian Lunt, commodities research head at Singapore Exchange, in a note.

But this year, though analysts and mining executives expect government to announce restraints again before March, they think policymakers will take a more flexible approach, chastened by the wild price lurches in 2016.

Lunt said Beijing may be prepared to tweak the limits if prices breach certain thresholds around 535 yuan per tonne, which was the basis price for annual supply contracts that miners signed with utilities.

In the meantime, workers in the industry are in two minds about their employers' big push.

"I cannot make the reunion with my family until the Lunar New Year eve. That's unusually late for me," said Li Zhuang, a coal worker in Inner Mongolia, who will travel about 1,000 kilometres (625 miles) back to his family home in Shandong province.

"The good thing is each of us get around 6,000-9,000 yuan in extra bonus this year," he added. ($1 = 6.8672 Chinese yuan renminbi)
Malaysia to offer reward for missing Flight MH370

By Praveen Menon

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 (Reuters) - 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.

'NOT HAPPY'

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.

MH370's disappearance echoes the 2009 loss in the Atlantic Ocean of an Air France jet, a two-year search for which exhausted the resources of the French BEA accident agency.

Planemaker Airbus and Air France agreed to participate in funding the final two stages of the search, which ran into about a third of the total underwater search costs of 80 million euros.

Abdul Aziz said the MH370 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.

An Australian official said the ATSB had not asked Boeing to provide funds, only technical help.

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.
Swedish telco Telia explores takeover of Denmark's TDC -paper

STOCKHOLM, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Telecom operator Telia is considering a bid for Denmark's TDC, which is itself exploring a takeover of Swedish cable TV firm Com Hem, Dagens Industri (DI) reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources.

Telia's Danish operations have suffered from weak profitability and pressure on revenues for years in a small market which is seen as having too many players.

The European Commission rejected a tie-up between the Danish units of Telia and Telenor in 2015 due to potential price increases.

Telia and TDC both declined to comment on the DI report, in which Telia CEO Johan Dennelind said that the company's profitability in Denmark was not good enough.

"We need to look at different alternatives," the paper quoted him saying. "We have not excluded anything."

Copenhagen-listed TDC, with a market capitalisation of 30 billion Danish crowns ($4.3 billion), would become one of the biggest acquisitions ever by a listed Swedish company if the Telia deal were to go through, according to the newspaper.

Telia, which is valued at just above four times more than TDC with a market capitalisation of 159 billion Swedish crowns ($17.74 billion), would be likely to have to finance a deal through a rights issue, DI reported.

Sweden holds a 37 percent stake in Telia, but has not said whether it would back a deal.

To avoid being bought by Telia, TDC is separately considering a bid for Swedish cable TV firm Com Hem, DI said.
British protesters tell Trump from Tower Bridge: "Build bridges not walls"

By Alistair Smout and Luke Bridges

LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - A banner reading "Build bridges not walls" was draped across London's Tower Bridge as part of several protests in Europe and Asia on Friday against the inauguration of Donald Trump as U.S. president.

Soon after sunrise, activists on the bridge, with its two Gothic-style towers, held up pink letters reading "Act now!" while others beside parliament unfurled banners saying "Migrants welcome here".

There were also demonstrations in Japan, the Philippines and Belgium, where hundreds of people held a minute's silence, lighting candles in Friday evening's bitter cold and holding signs defending women's rights.

In the Scottish capital, banners on Edinburgh's North Bridge read "Women rise up" and "There is no Planet B" - a reference to Trump's perceived lack of interest in combating climate change.

Later, after the inauguration ceremony, several hundred people gathered outside the U.S. embassy in London, chanting and singing protest songs.

"I'm deeply, deeply saddened and embarrassed," said one of them, Kim Grey, 40, from Texas. "I'm here because I think the majority of Americans who didn't vote for him need to see the solidarity around the world ... that he's unfit, he's unacceptable."

Trump opponents were angered by his comments during last year's election campaign about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims, and his pledges to build a wall on the Mexican border.

In Tokyo, several hundred people, most of them expatriate Americans, marched along a downtown street holding electric candles or placards reading "Love Trumps Hate" and "Women's Rights Are Human Rights".

In the Philippines, about 200 demonstrators from a Philippine nationalist group rallied for about an hour outside the U.S. embassy in Manila.

Some held up signs demanding U.S. troops leave the Philippines while others set fire to a paper U.S. flag bearing a picture of Trump's face.

At the rally in Brussels, people held up signs saying "Proud to be a Pussy" and "We will fight Like a Girl".

"I have a wife and three daughters; I have a vested interest in the equality of women," said Protestant pastor Murray Frick, 62. "I am afraid of a big step backwards in terms of dehumanising groups of people ... about my home country losing its moral compass."

Julie Chasin, a 42-year-old teacher originally from New York who has lived in London for a decade, joined the Tower Bridge protest.

"Yes Donald Trump is President, but he still needs to protect everybody's rights," said Chasin, a Democrat. "It's scary. I hope he's kept in check. I hope everyone who is telling me not to worry, and saying that we have a strong system of checks and balances, I hope that it's true".

SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE

Trump's supporters, who admire his experience in business and see him as an outsider who will take a fresh approach to politics, were also marking his inauguration in London.

Some 200 of them gathered under the gaze of a life-sized cardboard figure of Trump to celebrate at an exclusive club near the Ritz hotel.

As he completed the oath, the room broke into a standing ovation complete with high-five celebrations. "I was expecting him to win," said businessman David Pattinson. "It was the same with Brexit in how the polls got it wrong."

In Moscow, Russians hoping Trump will usher in a new era of detente welcomed his inauguration. Russian nationalists held an all-night party at what used to be the main Soviet-era post office in Moscow.

Sellers of traditional matryoshka nesting dolls have added Trump dolls to their popular line-up of items carved in the likeness of President Vladimir Putin, Bolshevik revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, ex-President Mikhail Gorbachev and Josef Stalin.

And craftsmen in the city of Zlatoust, east of Moscow, have released a limited series of silver and gold commemorative coins, engraved with "In Trump We Trust" - an allusion to the phrase on U.S. banknotes "In God We Trust".
Britain's Johnson to visit Myanmar, says democratic transition not yet complete

LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who will visit Myanmar on Friday, said the former British colony's transition to democracy was not yet complete but that Britain would offer its full support as a friend.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has faced criticism abroad for her government's handling of a crisis in the Muslim-majority Rakhine region, where soldiers have blocked access for aid workers and are accused of raping and killing civilians.

"Burma's transition to democracy is not yet complete but it is worth reflecting on just how far Burma has come since Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party took office just nine months ago," Johnson said in a statement.

"The UK, as a longstanding and long term friend to Burma, will continue to offer its fullest support," he said. "I look forward to seeing Burma continue to develop into a country where there is peace and prosperity for all its people."

On the visit, the first to Myanmar by a British foreign minister in five years, Johnson will meet leader Suu Kyi, members of the Rakhine Commission and leaders of different ethnic groups to discuss the peace process.
Germany says helped broker ceasefire for valley near Damascus

BERLIN, Jan 20 (Reuters) - German diplomats helped broker a ceasefire between the Syrian government and rebel forces in a mountainous valley near Damascus, a deal designed to restore water supplies to the capital, the German foreign ministry said on Friday.

The agreement, first reported by German news magazine Der Spiegel, is aimed at giving opponents of the Syrian government an opportunity to withdraw from the Wadi Barada valley to the rebel-held province of Idlib.

It was not immediately clear when the ceasefire was due to take effect, with unconfirmed social media reports citing continued shelling in the area.

Der Spiegel said the agreement called for experts to be allowed to repair a pumping station damaged by the fighting, which would allow water service to Damascus to be restored.

It said the German diplomats got involved at the request of opposition officials, helping broker the ceasefire agreement through their contacts and the exchange of information.

Last week the local governor said that engineers had entered the town where the water station is located to carry out repairs as part of a wider agreement that included the departure of some rebels from Wadi Barada.

But the plan was derailed after armed men killed the head of a negotiation team who was overseeing the agreement and repairs, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.
BlackRock hires former UK finance minister Osborne as adviser

By Trevor Hunnicutt and William James

NEW YORK/LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Former British finance minister George Osborne, who lost his job after Britain's vote to leave the European Union, will join BlackRock Inc as an adviser next month, the world's largest asset manager said on Friday.

Osborne, 45, became the country's youngest finance minister in more than 100 years when he was appointed in 2010 to spearhead an austerity drive by the Conservative-led government following the global financial crisis. He was widely considered a likely future prime minister.

A prominent campaigner for Britain to remain in the EU, Osborne remains a member of parliament.

Osborne will work as a part-time senior adviser to the BlackRock Investment Institute, an arm of the asset manager that serves as a think tank on investment strategy.

In its recent outlook for 2017, the group warned about "a forest fire of populism around the world," and said that it may become increasingly hard to generate high returns from investing.

Osborne resigned as finance minister shortly after the June "Brexit" vote that roiled markets.

"George has a unique and invaluable perspective on the issues that are shaping our world today," BlackRock Chief Executive Larry Fink said in a statement.

Osborne will advise on European politics, Chinese economic reform, and the impact of low investment yields and other trends on retirement planning, according to the statement.

The role was approved by the British government's Advisory Committee on Business Appointments on the condition that Osborne did not draw on privileged information he received as finance minister and that he refrain from personally lobbying the government on behalf of BlackRock or its clients until July 2019.

"It will be written into your contract that you will not be expected to be involved in any work for, or seek work with, the UK Government," a letter from the committee said.

BlackRock managed $5.1 trillion at Dec 31.

Osborne's appointment continues a long tradition of high-profile political appointments to financial firms. Former prime minister Gordon Brown sits on the global advisory board at investment manager Pacific Investment Management Co (Pimco) as does former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Brown's predecessor Tony Blair joined JPMorgan Chase & Co in 2008 shortly after leaving office.
GLOBAL LNG-Asian supply weighs on prices, Europe firmer

By Oleg Vukmanovic and Mark Tay

MILAN/SINGAPORE, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Asian spot LNG prices fell sharply this week, with a pick up in supply forcing a Russian producer into accepting lower bids, while prices in southern Europe held firm.

The Asian price of LNG for delivery in March fell to $8.00 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), traders said, 25 cents below last week.

In a week of thin trade, the sale of two shipments loading in March from Russia's Sakhalin II export plant - fetching $8 per mmBtu - was a key price marker even though the winning bid appeared to be an outlier, according to some trade sources.

Rival bids may have been as much as 70 cents below the winner, indicating the depth of bearish sentiment after production restarts from Angola and Australia last week boosted supply.

More supply is also being offered from Exxon Mobil's Papua New Guinea, Indonesia's Donggi-Senoro, Angola, Abu Dhabi as well as Australia's AP LNG, Gladstone and North West Shelf projects.

And added supply feeding into Cheniere Energy's Sabine Pass liquefaction plant may indicate a new production line, known as Train 3, is nearing completion, according to analysts.

However, some traders indicated a potential unplanned outage affecting Qatargas Train 1, which mainly supplies Spain and Japan, although this could not be confirmed and Qatargas did not respond to requests for comment.

If confirmed, it could tighten supply in Japan and exacerbate exceptionally tight markets in Spain that are already sending gas prices surging.

This week, commodity trader Gunvor emerged as the winner of Pakistan's five-year supply tender, having submitted by far the lowest bid (expressed as a percentage of a barrel of crude oil) of 11.6347 percent.

Italy's Eni won the portion of the tender seeking supplies over 15-years with a 12.29 percent bid.

"The market is focusing on all the tenders that were issued this week," a Singapore-based trader said, adding deal activity was thin.

Europe, in particular, was receiving attention as its markets stayed globally competitive due to a supply drought in southern France and cold weather sweeping Spain.

The pole reversal - with Spain and France ousting Asia as the top bidding market - looks set to reduce incentives for sending unsold shipments from the United States and other Atlantic producers to the Far East, as markets closer to home increasingly offer better returns, some traders said.

A force majeure at Algeria's Skikda export plant running into its fourth week is partly to blame for a drought of LNG deliveries into the south of France, lifting prices.

Cold weather in Portugal may have contributed to Galp Energia picking up an Angolan shipment.
Death of Brazil judge to delay political corruption probe

By Anthony Boadle

BRASILIA, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The death of a Supreme Court justice handling corruption accusations against dozens of Brazilian politicians will not derail the country's biggest ever graft probe but will delay it, handing valuable breathing space to President Michel Temer.

Justice Teori Zavascki was killed in a plane crash on Thursday, just weeks before he was due to unveil explosive testimony from executives at engineering group Odebrecht SA that is expected to implicate as many as 200 politicians in a vast kickback scandal.

Postponing the fallout from evidence that could incriminate powerful political figures in his coalition gives the president more time to push through reforms to generous pension and labor rules and restore business confidence in a country stuck in a two-year recession.

"This can give Temer more room to move ahead with his reform agenda in Congress but Zavascki's death won't stall or change the course of the investigations," said Thiago de Aragao, partner at ARKO consultancy that advises corporations and banks on investment in Brazil. "It will just pause it for a while."

Temer, who has himself been named by one defendant as a recipient of illegal campaign funds, has said he will rapidly appoint a new justice who, under Supreme Court rules, would take over Zavascki's cases.

The nominee would have to be confirmed by the Senate, which could take weeks if not months after Congress returns from its Christmas recess in February.

The new judge would then need to get up to speed on the sprawling corruption investigation, dubbed Operation Car Wash, which is centered on bribes and political kickbacks from state-run companies, principally oil company Petroleo Brasileiro S.A., commonly known as Petrobras.

"Zavascki was ready to resolve Car Wash promptly and take decisions that would clear up who could stay in government or Congress and who had to go," said Ives Gandra Martins, a constitutional lawyer in Sao Paulo.

Those decisions will be delayed until at least March or April, Martins said, preventing Brazil from turning the page on a corruption probe so massive and complex it paralyzed public sector construction projects and deepened the recession.

'GOT TO BE QUICK'

That is too long for some Brazilians who want to know which of their leaders were embroiled in the scandal that involved at least 6.4 billion reais ($2 billion) in bribes for contracts with state-run enterprises.

In Brazil, federal politicians and other senior officials can only be tried by the Supreme Court.

Given the public's suspicion of politicians, the Supreme Court should opt for a rule that in urgent cases lets it name a replacement from its ranks, rather than wait for Temer's nominee, said left-leaning Senator Cristovam Buarque.

"Any presidential choice would be questionable," Buarque said in a telephone interview. "It has got to be quick. Brazil cannot wait another six months. We want to know what happened and who should be punished."

At least one justice on the 11-seat court, Marco Aurelio Mello, has come out publicly in favor of one of his peers immediately taking charge of Car Wash.

Though he was appointed by impeached former President Dilma Rousseff, the 68-year-old Zavascki had gained a reputation as independent and willing to target corrupt politicians of any stripe, including Rousseff's Workers Party.

Police are investigating the crash in which a small, twin-prop plane that was carrying him plunged into the sea south of Rio de Janeiro during heavy rain.

'BAD FOR BRAZIL'

Zavascki's replacement will have to approve hundreds of plea deal statements by defendants that are expected to shake Brazil's political establishment to the core.

Temer has already lost four cabinet members to corruption allegations. Several other ministers and leaders of his PMDB party in Congress have been named in Odebrecht plea deals, raising concern about the survival of his government.

Odebrecht S.A. is the holding company for the group's interests, which include 14 subsidiaries.

"In the short-run, any delay works in Temer's favor because it will put off the instability that the new accusations will bring," said Roberto Dias, a constitutional law professor at the FGV think tank in Sao Paulo. "But it's bad for Brazil."

For Brazilians dismayed by the scandals that Car Wash has uncovered, Zavascki's death - whether an accident or not - was just the latest reason to lose faith in their institutions.
The working community in Sri Lanka held a protest opposite the American Embassy in Colombo today against the Anti-Climate and Anti-Muslim beliefs held by US President elect Donald Trump. Pix by Nisal Baduge
The recent death of three patients within a span of 48 hours at ward 69 of the Kandy Hospital forced a temporary closure of the ward, causing much alarm over a possible outbreak of a deadly virus. Hospital authorities suspected the patients had died of Influenza (A) H1N1. Two patients were reported to have succumbed to the virus while the third death was caused by an advanced stage of pneumonia. Taking immediate action, hospital authorities introduced swift measures to contain further spread of the virus within the hospital.

Director of the Kandy Hospital Dr. Saman Ratnayake, speaking to the , said the patients in ward 69 were isolated as an emergency measure. The ward was not closed, the patients were temporarily isolated until the ward was sterilised, Dr. Ratnayake clarified, adding that the ward was reopened following its disinfection. Measures have also been implemented to halt the spread of the virus to other wards.

Questioned about the number of patients diagnosed with the deadly virus, Dr. Ratnayake said at present 4 patients were identified as having been infected with the virus. The three female and one male patients who have tested positive for the virus are being monitored closely by authorities. Dr. Ratnayake who denied the possibility of the virus developing into epidemic levels, assured that the hospital and its staff were well equipped to manage and contain the virus.

Influenza A (H1N1) virus emerged in 2009, with the World Health Organisation declaring the rapid spread of the disease a global pandemic. According to the WHO it is a new re-assortment that has never before circulated among humans. The disease, previously known as swine flu, is transmitted mainly through droplets disseminated by unprotected coughs and sneezes. Short-distance airborne transmission of influenza viruses may occur, particularly in crowded and enclosed spaces. Hand contamination and direct inoculation of virus is another possible source of transmission. Manifestations of H1N1 influenza are similar to those of the flu. Patients have symptoms of acute respiratory illness, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, fatigue, diarrhea

and vomiting.

The first death in Sri Lanka caused by H1N1 was reported in 2009. The victim, a 16-year-old boy, also from Kandy, succumbed to the virus while doctors believed that his immune system which had been compromised by other severe illnesses was more likely the cause of death. Since then, there have been a number of positive cases identified across several parts of the island with many fatalities reported. Nevertheless officials insist that the disease has thus far spread only in cluster stage over the past years.

The also spoke to the Director General of Health Services Dr. Jayasundara Bandara, who ruled out the possibility of the spread of the H1N1 virus. We had a three year surveillance programme to monitor the prevalence of the disease. The virus has been highlighted in the public recently, following the unfortunate deaths reported at the Kidney ward of the Kandy hospital. However we have issued a circular in this regard in 2013, detailing how the virus must be tackled at state hospitals, Dr. Bandara said.

The Director General of Health Services added that the disease is not a new phenomenon. We have observed the prevalence of the disease during the cold season, especially from September to February. The disease is known to have adverse effects on pregnant women, children and those who already have low immunity due to other health conditions. In such cases, the virus which is usually self- limiting and presents itself as a flu-like illness, can even develop to pneumonic stages. For a small percentage of patients, this may result in severe outcomes, Dr. Bandara explained.

Asked of provisions employed for a possible outbreak of the virus, Dr. Bandara said hospitals had been provided with the necessary staff, knowledge and drugs, to counter such an escalation. Speaking of the situation at the Kandy Hospital, Dr. Bandara said the situation had been brought completely under control. However, he cautioned visitors to the hospital to take necessary precautions against seasonal influenza and added that visitors to the hospital must be controlled.

Our attempts to contact the Infection Control Unit of the Kandy Hospital on numerous occasions failed. However, learned that the hospital staff was advised against divulging information pertaining to the disease and the deaths at ward 69 by hospital authorities.

According to Dr. Samitha Ginige of the Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health, there have been no further developments reported in relation to the deaths at the Kandy Hospital. The condition is under control and there are no further developments. Officials have employed all necessary precautions to contain the disease, Dr. Ginige said. Asked if there were reports of clusters of the disease from other parts of the island, Dr. Ginige said an unusual number had not been reported thus far. Throughout the year, there are reports of a few patients having contracted the virus. This is not unusual. We cannot label such numbers as an outbreak because every year there is a slight increase of the number of patients diagnosed with the (A) H1N1 virus from the period between October to January, Dr Ginige added.

Saying that there was no cause for alarm over an outbreak of the infectious agent, Dr. Ginige warned however that people should remain vigilant about symptoms of the virus such as continued flu symptoms and breathlessness. He added that such individuals should maintain good health and avoid crowds where they could be exposed to the risk of contracting the disease. The Health Ministry and the Epidemiology Unit have implemented all necessary measures in hospitals islandwide to address any possible outbreak of the disease, Dr. Ginige assured.
Set up for the ceremonial piling work

Blue Mountain Apartments, part of the Blue Mountain Group, held the ground-breaking ceremony of its most iconic development project and one of the biggest such projects to-date  Achilleion, Colombos first 7 star luxury apartment complex, on 19th of January, amongst a distinguished gathering of several diplomats, VIP guests and other distinguished members of the corporate community. Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka  Minister of Megapolis and Western Development was the chief guest at the ground-breaking ceremony. Scheduled for completion in 2020, the mega project is valued at Rs. 30 billion, and will usher in never-before seen levels of innovation and opulence to the heart of Sri Lankas capital.

Commenting on the successful ground-breaking ceremony of Achilleon, Dr.Hiran Hettiarachchi (MBBS-Colombo & MBA-Australia), Group Chairman of Blue Mountain said, It gives me great pride to commence construction on Achilleion, such a definitive and iconic project that will herald a new chapter in the industry and crown the citys skyline. The exciting appeal of the project is evident by the fact that over 50% of apartments, were sold before construction began. Apart from the high return on investment of this project, Achilleion will set the stage for new high value properties in Sri Lanka, while boosting our appeal to attract foreign investors. We are a proud Sri Lankan company and look forward to delivering the spectacular project in 2020.

Dr.Hiran Hettiarachchi  Group Chairman of Blue Mountain accompanying Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka  Minister of Megapolis and Western Development while he examines the design

In this project, Blue Mountain Apartments partnered with the renowned Singapore-based Palmer and Turner Group and interior design firm Index. Achilleion was recognised at the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2016/2017, one of the regions top awards shows that is dedicated to acknowledging exceptional real-estate projects across the region.

The complex will be built on a land which is valued at Rs. 2.34 billion, which is one of the biggest land acquisitions in Sri Lanka in recent history. The project site is located in Bambalapitiya, Colombo 4 in close proximity to Colombos main shopping centres, schools, restaurants and supermarkets. Its proximity to the Indian Ocean and the stunning vistas it will offer residents makes it a compelling investment.

Achilleion will deliver discerning home-owners cutting-edge facilities, which have been incorporated into the propertys iconic design. In order to ensure that residents always travel in style, the complex will offer access to a rooftop helipad and a private helicopter for the use of the residents. A fleet of 5 Mercedes Benz luxury cars will also be available for residents to use at their leisure.

Dr.Hiran Hettiarachchi  Group Chairman of Blue Mountain elaborating on the project to Karunasena Hettiarachchi  Secretary to the Ministry of Defence

This state-of-the-art complex will also feature Sri Lankas first-ever sky bridge, the tallest sky restaurant by sea and an infinity pool, which will offer breath-taking views of the Indian Ocean and the vibrant Marine Drive stretch. Other facilities include a 24-hour medical centre  the first of its kind to operate in a private residential complex, a comprehensive library and a private theatre.

The 50-storey twin tower apartment complex will consist of 584 luxury units of one, two or three bedroom apartments, duplexes and two penthouses with more than 85% of the apartments enjoying the glorious view of the Indian Ocean. No expense has been spared to enhance every aspect of the complex to ensure that the project value remains high. The apartment units (with one, two and three bedrooms) will feature smart technology, chic and lavish interiors and the finest fittings.

Given the massive response from interested investors since it was unveiled, Blue Mountain advises interested parties to reserve personalised tours on: 0714260260 prior to visiting the site, so that the companys executives can ensure prospective buyers truly experience the grandeur of Achilleion. Earlier this year, Achilleons show apartment was unveiled  rising 100 ft above sea level, believed to be the tallest stand-alone show apartment in the world.

Dr.Hiran Hettiarachchi  Group Chairman of Blue Mountain explaining the thought process behind the structural design to Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka  Minister of Megapolis and Western Development while he examines the design

Richard Soon  Director, Palmer & Turner Group, Singapore, Hon.Dayasiri Jayasekara  Minister of Sports, Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka  Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, Dr.Hiran Hettiarachchi  Group Chairman of Blue Mountain

Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka  Minister of Megapolis and Western Development addressing the gathering

Set up for the ceremonial ground breaking ceremony

(L-R): Richard Soon  Director, Palmer & Turner Group, Singapore, Dr.Hiran Hettiarachchi  Group Chairman of Blue Mountain, Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka  Minister of Megapolis and Western Development, Hon.Dayasiri Jayasekara  Minister of Sports, Vinesh Athukorala  Group Chief Executive Officer of Blue Mountain

Dr.Hiran Hettiarachchi  Group Chairman of Blue Mountain addressing the gathering

The ceremonial piling work

Accolades and awards of Blue Mountain  Achilleion
DAVOS AFP /Jan19, 2017- Asia will push ahead with a Chinese-supported free trade agreement if Donald Trump follows through on pledges to ditch the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), global leaders in Davos were told Thursday.



Speaking at the World Economic Forum, a panel of regional experts said Asia must be prepared for a world in which the United States will take a back seat in global trade while China assumes a bigger leadership role.



Trump, who takes office on Friday, has promised to tear up existing free-trade deals and withdraw from the TPP negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama. Trump has also said he will focus on creating employment at home and threatened to impose punitive measures on companies that move business overseas at the expense of local jobs.



We really have to prepare ourselves for a very different world where America -- instead of becoming the cheerleader for trade -- becomes in some ways the biggest obstacle to trade, said Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.



Mahbubani praised Chinese President Xi Jinpings speech at Davos on Tuesday in which he warned against blaming globalisation for the worlds ills or retreating behind protectionist walls.
With Sri Lanka facing one of its worst ever droughts, largely due to climate change consequences, the national government has thankfully planned ahead for this and is implementing urgent and effective ways to overcome the crisis.



In the latest step yesterday, President Maithripala Sirisena, who is leading the countrywide battle against the drought, urged private sector institutions to join the power saving campaign by switching off promotional and decorative electric lights. The President has also set up a high-powered task force to deal effectively with issues that may arise from the drought where Sri Lanka is receiving only one third of the rainfall it got at this time of the year, though the newly-inaugurated United States President Donald Trump is still insisting that Climate change is largely a hoax made in China.



While religious groups are praying for rain and hopefully expecting miracles, the task force and other officials are implementing plans which vary from communities being allowed to take only drinking water from drying reservoirs, to removing taxes for the import of rice to stabilise the prices of our staple food, the bath patha. The government has also intensified plans to find creative alternatives to hydro-power to maintain the national electric grid. The three-day Youth Climate Summit began in Sri Lanka yesterday and we hope the hundred eco-friendly university students attending it will come up with some innovative solutions.

According to Meteorological Department Chief Lalith Chandrapala, new technology system enabled the weather watchers to predict the oncoming drought months ahead, thus giving the government enough time to prepare disaster management and damage control measures. We have a rainfall deficit and it is likely to stay that way until the next monsoon in June and July, the Weather Chief said. According to him, in some districts, rainfall has been 30 to 40 per cent of normal levels and about 800,000 people have been directly affected. Some of these districts are part of Sri Lankas once overflowing rice bowl.

According to DMC officials, the lack of rainfall severely affected paddy rice production in the last growing season. Only around 300,000 hectares out of a possible 800,000 were cultivated, largely because of lack of irrigation water. But DMC officials and the Weather Chief say reservoirs that will provide water for the next growing season, which starts in March, need to be at least half filled by that time to support a normal harvest. We hope urgent plans would be implemented to restore thousands of these reservoirs which are marvels of ancient engineering and a manifestation of Sri Lankas ancient environmental wisdom.



According to officials, the lack of water is likely both to hurt agriculture and cut into supplies of vital hydro-power. Already, as a result of drought, the country is getting 80 per cent of its electricity from coal and oil and only 11 per cent from hydro-power. Normally, at this time of the year, the country would get at least 40 per cent of its electricity from hydro-power, according to the electricity board. According to Power and Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, the government is also prepared to enter into short-term power-supply agreements with private companies to meet any further drop in hydro-power production capacity.

The government has also launched a national power and water conservation programme and we hope eco-friendly citizens will rise beyond party politics or affiliations and act for the common good of the country.



As an act of unity with those who are suffering without freshwater for drinking and other essential purposes, we need to consciously cut down on the amount of freshwater we use. For instance, when washing the hands or utensils, taps should be opened only half-way or less. Our shower bath times could be cut down by about five minutes. To water the plants, we could use water that is collected after washing food items or utensils. As we have said earlier, some families could also think of contacting the authorities and installing rainwater harvesting equipment in their homes. Thankfully, India is donating rainwater harvesting equipment to 1,000 houses in the Northern Province, which is one of the areas worst affected by the drought.

If each of us could save ten litres of water a day, the daily saving would be about 200 million litres and those little drops of precious water could make a mighty ocean.
The return of a young woman who had disappeared during the 1988-89 insurrection created a sensational issue in Giraulla in Gampola yesterday and she became the cynosure of a crowd gathered.

The young woman Padma Kumari who had been 18 years of age when she disappeared is 43 years old today. The Grama Niladhari of the area said her next of kin had even received compensation for her from the Ganga Ihala Korala Divisional Secretariat.

After her marriage the woman had settled in her husbands house at Kohombamada area, but her marriage life lasted only three months due to the death of her husband who was abducted by four masked men and was shot dead in a tea estate.

Relating her harrowing experience after the death of her husband she said that she left the area in fear of any possible threat to her life and settled in the house of a relative in Nawalapitiya.

However the relative handed me over to a house in Colombo where I had to work as a servant for 26 long years facing hardship. I was not allowed even to attend my fathers and brothers funerals. I had to look after two children in that house. One of them is now 30 years and the other is 26 years. Last Monday 16, I managed to flee from that house. When I returned home no one in the household could not make me out. Ultimately my brother identified me from my identity card. she said.

She requested the authorities to take legal action against the individuals who kept her for 26 years as a servant by force and those responsible for her husbands death.

The Nawalapitiya Police that initiated investigations into the incident admitted her last morning to the Nawalapitiya Hospital for medical examination. (Suranga Rajanayake)
In an interview with NDTV, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe disclosed plans to create an economic region integrating Sri Lanka, the five southern states of India and Singapore.

The Premier, who is in Switzerland to attend the Davos Economic Forum, said discussions have already begun for the project with the Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India scheduled to be signed this year.

Our intention is to create a platform for value addition and logistics in Sri Lanka. We will come into more agreements with Singapore, China, the ASEAN, Japan and Bangladesh, he said.
Sri Lankas largest education exhibition and Job Fair  EDEX Expo will be held on 20-22 January 2017 at BMICH Colombo, and on 27-28 January 2017 at Kandy City Centre (KCC), Kandy. The twin expos will be the 29th and 30thin the continuing series.

EDEX Expo 2017 will encompass a platform of local and global convergence, offering choices, and options in realising opportunities in school-to-work transition, careers and sustainability.

The events esteemed sponsors in the Platinum category are; ANC Education, NIBM and NSBM. Itsvaluable Gold Sponsors are CINEC Campus,Royal Institute of Colombo (RIC), Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA),Saegis Campus,Kaatsu Highly Advanced Medical Technological Training Centre (KIU) and American International Campus (AIC).

The Job-Fair Sponsor will be DialogAxiata PLC. The Entrepreneurship Zone Sponsor will be Bharti Airtel Lanka.The Print Media Partner with the widest outreach island-wide will beAssociated News Papers of Ceylon Ltd (ANCL). The Official Courier will be Citypak.

The Prime Ministers Office, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education and Highways Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training, Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have given key endorsements. The Strategic Partners are Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and Employers Federation of Ceylon. (EFC)

Envisioned to empower Sri Lankan youth to be globally competitive, the focus will be on career paths such as the global phenomenon, the 4th Industrial Revolution, enabling 'smart' devices such as Robots, Drones, self-driven cars to take the limelight.

EDEX Expo 2017 will witness the participation of key post-secondary educational stakeholders, comprising over 250education exhibition booths, representing local and foreign universities and institutes from over 20 countries.

International presence will be augmented with country pavilions from Japan, Malaysia, India, and France. Direct or local representatives from leading Universities in Australia, USA, UK, Russia, Turkey and Singapore, will enhance the value of Expo further.

The Job Fair will create a conduit between Job Providers and Seekers, will comprise over 40 stalls.Uploading CVs to edexcareers.lkis encouraged.The Psychometric Testing Centre,in collaboration of the Sri Lanka Career Guidance Academy will provide the youth yeoman service in guiding youth on the right career paths.

The novel and a significant feature at this years Expo will be the EDEX Entrepreneur Zone, where aspiring youth will be provided expert advice on starting their own business and establish themselves in gainful employment.

EDEX Nenapahana, the outreach programme, invites donors to enrich the lives of rural school children by donating new books and other equipment for use of school-life.

A number of competitions at EDEX Expo 2017 will attract youth to register online through web site www.edex.lkand win an Airline Ticket.

For further details please contact the EDEX Secretariat. Tel: 0768 204978/ 55 21 497. Email:sales@edex.lk
Sri Lanka should first worry about the barriers to trade inside the country before entering into far reaching trade pacts with other countries as bureaucracy and administrative and information inefficiencies among other things have put a cap on the progress of the countrys exports, opines a top economist.

In a clear reference to the proposed free trade agreements (FTAs) by the coalition regime as a remedy to ailing exports, Nishan de Mel, the Executive Director of Verite Research questioned if the countrys political masters have in fact diagnosed the problems the exporters are facing and if right medicine is being prescribed.

Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama this week told reporters in Davos that Sri Lanka would finalise trade pacts with China, Singapore and India before June this year.

We used to think that all our problems or many of our problems have to do with how our exports are treated when they arrive at foreign destination.

So, wouldnt it be good to get back to GSP Plus? Would that help our exporters? If only we could sign a trade deal with India - ETCA - wouldnt that help us? What about another trade agreement with China, Korea, Singapore?

We have multiplied our ambitions in terms of reducing the constraints and problems our exporters face on the other side of the border when our goods arrive in other countries, when in reality most of the issues lying for decades inside the country, de Mel told the 22nd Annual General Meeting of National Chamber of Exporters this week.

According to research carried out by Verite, exporters face four types of barriers. They are barriers faced inside the foreign country, barriers at the border of the foreign country, barriers at the domestic border and the barriers within the home country even before the exports reach the border. I want to argue today that we must re-think seriously that barriers we face inside our own border before we worry about FTAs and the speck of dust that is in the foreign border, de Mel added, making a strong case for domestic reforms.

It was only last week Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, Advisor to the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department of the Asian Development Bank prescribed the political masters to follow the right sequence in getting in to FTAs by prioritising domestic structural reforms.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan exporters are facing excessive amount of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) both at the border and inside the border, when exporting to India in spite of having a two-decade old FTA with India.

But the coalition government seems determined to push for much deeper trade with India, disregarding the existing NTBs amid mounting public opposition.

Outlining the internal export barriers, de Mel said Sri Lanka has been reeling with an acute problem of efficiency because of the delay in bureaucracy at all levels of the state sector.

For instance Sri Lanka has been trying to process documents electronically and accept e-signatures since the mid 1990s, but failed to get the project off the ground for over two decades.

According to de Mel, this is not due to the absence of the required law to that effect, but due to non-implementation of the law by the bureaucrats.

Processing electronic documents and accepting e-signatures makes an exporters life much easier and also significantly results in lower costs.

Even a tiny little African country like Senegal accepts electronic signatures.

Sri Lanka has been systematically falling behind. And these are administrative and informational problems that we are facing inside our own country that prevent us from making progress, de Mel remarked.

Sri Lanka passed a law on electronic document processing and acceptance of e-signatures back in 2006 but the bureaucracy who are tasked with implementing the law has resisted it for over 10 years.

According to statistics presented by de Mel, Malaysia has seen the document processing time being reduced from 12 hours to 15 minutes after migrating into electronic processing. Besides, the cargo turnaround time has also come down from 4 days to 2 days.

Highlighting another shortcoming, de Mel said Sri Lanka does not have a national trade portal, which is a basic necessity for the exporters to access the important changes in policies and procedures.

He pointed out that such portals are available in less developed countries like Bangladesh, Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia.

Sri Lankas export earnings have been in a downward spiral from around 33 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2000 to 12.7 percent of GDP in 2015.

However, the countrys policy makers have come up with lofty targets to triple the exports earnings from the current US $ 10 billion to US $ 30 billion in just less than 4 years.

Making another shocking revelation, de Mel said Sri Lankas post harvest loss in agriculture trade is anywhere between 20 percent to 40 percent, which must be addressed on a priority basis as such could not be solved with any number of FTAs that the government is mulling to enter into with.
AFP: Post-Brexit Britain will keep its doors open to skilled foreigners who attend the best universities, finance minister Philip Hammond said yesterday as the country bids to regain control over immigration.

Hammond made his assurance at a World Economic Forum panel in Davos, after he was confronted by an Oxford University professor about the potential fallout of Britains divorce from the EU on research and academia.

Philip Hammond

The political debate in the UK around migration is not about computer scientists, academics and brain surgeons, its about the other end of the economic spectrum, the chancellor of the exchequer said.

Pushing out the high skilled would be exactly as youve suggested, shooting our knee-caps off before weve even started (negotiating Brexit) and we are not going to do that.

Brexit will likely deprive British academics of EU research funds and make entry into Britains universities a more cumbersome process for Europeans.

But Hammond said the brightest and the best would always be welcome.

What we have had to do is clamp down on people coming, graduating from frankly low-quality institutions and then taking non-graduate level jobs, he said.

Anyone with a degree from Oxford and who has a graduate-level job has the right to remain in the UK, said Hammond, himself an Oxford graduate.

Hammonds comments came a day after British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke in Davos in an effort to persuade top executives and opinion-makers that Britain was still open for business despite the Brexit vote of last June.

On Tuesday, May said Britain would quit the EUs common market but insisted in her Davos speech that the country would open up to the world as a whole.

Hammond told the panel: There might be a few people in the UK whose vision is a closed economy where migrants dont come in, but that is absolutely not the majority view.
MOSUL AFP Jan19, 2017 - Iraqi forces battled the last holdout jihadists in east Mosul Thursday after commanders declared victory there and set their sights on the citys 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.



Iraqi forces were still fighting there on Thursday, flushing out fighters from the Islamic State group 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.
By Palitha Ariyawansa

Japanese Entrepreneurs are ready to invest in development and business activities in Sri Lanka, said Chairman of the Japan-Sri Lanka Commerce and Industries Federation Fukugi Shimabukuro speaking to the media recently.

Fukuji who is on a visit to the island for the purpose of exploring possibilities of setting up energy development projects said that leading entrepreneurs in the field of energy products from Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka regions had joined with their organization.

He lauded the Sri Lankan Commerce and Industry Chamber saying that it performs a pivotal role. The Federations senior Vice Chairman for the SAARC region, Ajith Waththuhewa said that he assisted in the setting up of this federation in Japan. He pointed out that Sri Lankan entrepreneurs could visit Japan in the future and have the opportunity of gaining knowledge in advanced technological projects. He expressed their desire to launch solar power and wind power projects in Sri Lanka.

It is aimed to provide employment to a large number of persons in Sri Lanka through these projects and thereby strengthen them economically.

He emphasized that they are presently owning 1700 energy projects in Japan which are environmentally-favourable, and the Japanese government is keen in establishing, environmental-friendly energy development projects instead of depending on atomic energy. With the onset of the Tsunami and its devastation, nuclear plants blowing up and the catastrophe Japan underwent, had driven Japan towards relying on eco-friendly projects.
Daily Mail/ 19 January 2017- North Korea is preparing to test another missile, with the countrys 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.

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.
The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde held discussions with the Sri Lankan delegation led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on the sidelines of the 5-day World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting held in Switzerland this week. Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka in Geneva Ravinath Ariyasinghe, Prime Ministers Additional Secretary Saman Athaudahetty were also present at the discussion.

Pic by Pradeep Pathirana
New Zealand and Sri Lanka will open diplomatic posts in each other's nations and are considering a free trade agreement, the New Zealand's trade minister said on Friday.

New Zealand trade minister Todd McClay and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed officials to consider a framework to boost economic ties, which could result in a free trade deal, McClay said in a statement after the two met this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"Sri Lanka and New Zealand are complementary economies. There is potential for greater trade both ways," said McClay, and added that any deal could include "other like-minded nations."

New Zealand, a small island nation heavily dependent on international trade, is closely watching developments as growing U.S. protectionism threatens the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) signed by 12 nations last year, which incoming President Donald Trump has pledged to abandon.

Wellington is focussing on getting a number of new trade deals and existing pact upgrades off the ground, including one with the European Union.

McClay has also said it would be "interesting" to see whether momentum builds around the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, an Asian trade pact that includes China and India, if the United States pulls out of the TPP.

Trade with Sri Lanka is currently modest, at NZ$307 million in the year to October 2016. Sri Lanka is a major buyer of New Zealand's main goods export, dairy products, with exports last year worth NZ$240 million. (Reuters)
Cabinet approval has been sought to establish a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Hub terminal and Storage at the Trincomalee Port for export by Energy World International Ltd, a leading company headquartered in Hong Kong, it is learnt.

It is also seeking approval to hand over a 30 acre land on lease for 30 years to the company. This global company submitted a business proposal first way back in 2012 to seek approval. However, the Attorney General observed that the scope of the project was in conflict with the Sri Lanka Electricity Act.

Later, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority sought this Company to establish a joint venture with the local authorities for investment. The proposed investment is US $ 300 million.

A Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee and a project committee will evaluate the proposal for this project and submit recommendations.(Kelum Bandara)
RT.COM/19 Jan, 2017- Russia has already invited the United States to take part in the upcoming talks on Syria, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the press. As I said yesterday, we have already invited [the US], Lavrov told journalists in Moscow on Thursday. US officials have been invited to the international meeting on the Syrian settlement which 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.
Former deputy minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne was released on bail by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lal Ranasinghe Bandara today.

He was released on a cash bail of Rs. 25,000 with two sureties of Rs. one million each.

He was arrested by the CID on charges of misappropriating Rs.12 million belonging to the Negombo Fisheries Harbour Corporation.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gunaratne's cousin, Upul Chandana Kumarasinghe, who was also a suspect of the same case, surrendered to the court this morning and was remanded till February 3. (Shehan Chamika Silva)
From left: Gamini Wethasinghe and Keerthi Dissanayake

Pic by Nisal Baduge

By Chandeepa Wettasinghe

PeaceAir Pvt Ltd, one of the three shortlisted candidates of the bids for the management of SriLankan Airlines (SriLankan) yesterday held a press conference to express its frustration over the bid evaluation process, which they charged was not transparent.

Please inform the public of our bids because someone is trying to hide our bids and our documents. No one gave comprehensive bids like us, PeaceAir Chairman Gamini Wethasinghe said yesterday, and said that he has a feeling to this effect, even though he is sure that PeaceAir should win the contract.

He added that the government was supposed to open up SriLankan Airlines for due diligence from PeaceAir and its consulting partners Lufthansa Consulting and Privatair, but that this is yet to happen.

Meanwhile, he said that he has no idea about what State Enterprises Development Minister Kabir Hashim will discuss at the press conference about SriLankan tomorrow. Mirror Business has received an invitation from the State Enterprises Development Ministry for a press conference on SriLankan Airlines, which is to be held today (20th).

PeaceAir CEO Keerthi Dissanayake said that PeaceAir has arrived to remove the debt burden of SriLankan from the government and the people of Sri Lanka.

The government cant invest money. So we have come in. Were willing to put in US$ 5.5 billion. No one in their right mind would say no, unless theres a better offer, and with 40 years of experience, I can say that this is the best offer, he said.

He noted that US$ 1.25 billion will be utilized to purchase up to 70 percent of SriLankan shares, 90 percent of SriLankan subsidiary Mihin Lanka airline shares, and 100 percent of the SriLankan Catering shares, of which US$ 1 billion is for the settlement of the airline groups debts.

Further, he said that US$ 1.75 billion will be used to purchase 25 more new aircraft; Airbus 380s, Boeing 787s and Boeing 747s, while another US$ 250 million will be used as working capital.

So, we dont want to let go of the current SriLankan employees. We want to train and hire more to operate these aircraft, he said.

Under phase 2, for which US$ 2.2 billion has been allocated in the proposal, Wethasinghe said that 50 more aircraft will be purchased and added to SriLankan through its future parent PeaceAir.

He further added that he was currently in negotiations with his funding partners based in Monaco and Switzerland for investing a further US$ 3.3 billion, bringing the total investment to US$ 8.8 billion, but refused to mention who the investors were, despite calling for transparency from the government.

He alleged that SriLankan was making large profits but due to poor past management, which had entered into operational leases of aircraft instead of outright purchasing them, aircraft leasing companies are siphoning all the profits out of SriLankan.

We will definitely purchase new aircraft and look at converting operating leases to lease purchase options or immediately purchase aircraft to replace the current operating leases with the same type of Airbus aircraft, as funds are available to proceed in this direction, Dissanayake added.

PeaceAir is intent on making SriLankan into a global airline that is larger than the likes of Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, Wethasinghe said.

The current management of SriLankan is cutting down the airlines routes in order to make it into a regional airline.

Along with the bid for the management contract of SriLankan, PeaceAir is also bidding to purchase 80 percent of shares of Mattala International Airport for US$ 200 million, with further payments which would place the full payment for Mattala Airport at US$ 500 million.

Wethasinghe said that PeaceAir will utilize Mattala as a hub for airline operation, cargo and logistics as well as maintenance and engineering.

He said that PeaceAir has been in existence since 1992 and that it has operated in partnership with airlines in Europe, Middle East and Australia since 1998.
Concerns over shortlisted candidates having no international airline operation experience

Claims processes transparent

Open to divesting over 50 percent if consortium includes locals

Kabir Hashim Pic by Waruna Wanniarachchi

By Chandeepa Wettasinghe

The government would go for a fresh round of bidding for the management contract of SriLankan Airlines if the Prime Ministerial Committee tasked with choosing a finalist is not able to do so within the next 1-2 weeks, Public Enterprise Development Minister Kabir Hashim said yesterday.

During the last meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management, the Prime Minister said that if a suitable candidate cannot be chosen from the shortlist, a new committee headed by myself and comprising of Malik Samarawickrama and Sarath Amunugama should call for fresh bids, he said.

Hashim said that currently a Special Committee appointed by Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe is evaluating the three shortlisted candidates, and the results would be known in 1-2 weeks.

The shortlisted candidates are the American private equity firm Texas Pacific Group (TPG), Supergroup which has connections to the Maldives, and PeaceAir which is owned by a local, but funded by partners from a number of countries including Switzerland and Monaco.

These 3 companies have no experience in operating an international airline but TPG is one of the best business restructuring companies, Hashim said.

He noted that airline companies such as Qatar Airways which had held initial discussions with the government on acquiring SriLankan last year, had not shown interest when bids were called.

Hashim added that of the 9 initial bids, only these 3 companies had met the initial conditions of the expression of interest, and that the shortlisted companies now have to prove their ability to fund the acquisition of a minority share in SriLankan, and agree to other government conditions.

PeaceAir, which this week refused to disclose how it has generated US$ 8.8 billion in funding it has pledged to invest in SriLankan, had alleged that the bids are being rigged, and that no one in their right mind would refuse US$ 8.8 billion it is offering.

The government is currently looking for support for the countrys foreign reserves.

It had also said that PeaceAir would undertake the US$ 1billion in accrued losses the government would have to write off if the management contract is won by any of the other bidders. Further, it had alleged that the government is delaying the due diligence process for the shortlisted candidates.



Hashim however said that the process is very transparent, and that the bidders are free to start due diligence processes after contacting the bid manager, the state-owned National Savings Bank.

Meanwhile, he said that the government is looking for the winner of the management contract to purchase a minority share of the airline, although the degree of ownership will depend on negotiations.

We want SriLankan to retain the national carrier status. So the government will own 51 percent, he said.

However, he also added that if the winner of the contract is a local company, or if a foreign entity that wins the contract is willing to form a consortium with a local company, the government is open to discussion on divesting more than 49 percent of the shares.

However, he said that the government is not willing to divest 100 percent of SriLankan shares.

PeaceAir said that it is looking to acquire 70 percent of SriLankan shares.

SriLankan has accumulated losses amounting to nearly US$ 1 billion at the end of the 2016 financial year, while its liabilities also reached a similar figure, according to its latest annual report.

Hashim backs Weliamuna Report

Creating fresh controversy within the national carrier, Public Enterprise Development Minister Kabir Hashim yesterday said that the Weliamuna Report which highlighted corruption and mismanagement in SriLankan Airlines is accurate, unlike claims made by SriLankan Chairman Ajith Dias.

Dias had recently said that there had been no financial misappropriations within SriLankan as stated in the Weliamuna Report and that the allegations in the report, created by eminent attorney J. C. Weliamuna, contained rumours and personal information which no one should be airing out in public.

That is his (Dias) opinion. Everybody has a right to an opinion, but I am not in that state of mind.

I think that the Weliamuna report has merits and it has to be implemented, Hashim said during a media briefing.

However, he also admitted that his opinion may be wrong, and that Dias opinion may be right.

The Weliamuna Report had contained the salacious details of the lives led by relatives of Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the expense of the national carrier.

It had also contained allegations of wide-scale corruption and mismanagement undertaken by the Former Presidents relatives as well as staff members of SriLankan.

That report makes allegations against past misconduct within SriLankan. Inside this (SriLankan) there is a mafia, Hashim said.

He noted that the Criminal Investigations Division has started investigations into the allegations made in the Weliamuna Report, but said that he was not aware if the mafia is trying to stall such investigations.



Its taking time, like all the other investigations. These are complex cases. Im sad that within SriLankan, there needs to be changes to management for the airline to be clean. The airline isnt clean enough, but I wont give up either, he added.

However, Hashim stressed that he will enact changes and punish wrongdoers using the correct procedure, no matter the delays in following such processes.

Otherwise people will say that these are acts of political revenge, he said.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Jeyaram Trotsky yesterday allowed the prosecution to send the CCTV footage relating to the suspicious vehicle that chased Thajudeen's vehicle on the day he was found dead, to the Colombo University for further examination.

Deputy Solicitor General Dilan Ratnayake informed court the prosecution was in need of getting more clarified details about the unidentified vehicle that had chased Wasim Thajudeen's vehicle.

The Prosecution also said the DNA test report on the recovered 19 femur bone pieces and seven bone pieces of the chest area at the SAITM laboratory by the CID was still pending.

Earlier, the CID and a team of experts searched the SAITM Laboratory based on information revealed during the investigation that the former JMO Ananda Samaraseka had dispatched few body parts of Wasim Thajudeen to the SAITM.

Then the recovered body parts were sent to the 'Genetech' to conduct a DNA test using DNAs of Thajudeen's mother.

Additionally, in line with the earlier court order, the Sri Lanka Medical Council submitted a comprehensive report in court informing the current progress of the inquiry conducted by the council against former chief JMO Ananda Samarasekara on the irregularities reported during the first autopsy of the late Thajudeen.

The prosecution said that the suspects -- former SDIG Anura Senanayake and former Narahenpita Crimes OIC Sumith Perera -- had been charged under Sections 113 (Conspiracy) and 32 (Liability for act done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the Penal Code, and that according to the provision in Section 13 of the Bail Act, a person who had been charged with an offence punishable with death or with life imprisonment, shall not be released on bail except by a judge of the High Court.

The former SDIG and the former Crimes OIC have also been charged with causing the disappearance of evidence, fabricating false evidence, using it to shield the offender and conspiring under Clauses of 189,198 and 296 of the Penal Code.

Considering that the suspects had already filed revision bail applications in the High Court, Additional Magistrate Jeyaram Trotsky re-remanded the suspects till February 2.(Shehan Chamika Silva)
Donald John Trump was sworn in Friday as the 45th president of the United States, taking office on a day that has featured smaller crowds and more subdued ceremony than previous inaugurations  but still ushers in a transformative shift in the countrys leadership.

Trump, 70, was administered the oath by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. His wife Melania Trump stood at his side. The oath was given using two Bibles  one from President Lincolns inauguration, and another that Trumps mother gave him in 1955.

Earlier on Friday morning, Trump met with outgoing President Barack Obama at the White House  an Inauguration Day tradition, made more unusual this time by the two mens history.

Trump, a real estate businessman and reality-TV star, began his rise in conservative politics by essentially calling Obama a liar and an illegitimate president: Trump insisted for years that Obama was born in Kenya. Obama was actually born in Hawaii, as Trump conceded late in the 2016 campaign. Obama, in turn, had mocked Trump at a televised White House Correspondents Association dinner in 2011.

Now, they met at the White House door, one going in and one going out.

The two men and their wives took a motorcade to the U.S. Capitol, through empty streets.

Around them, there were sporadic clashes between police and protesters around Washington. In several instances, news video showed black-clad protesters  some carrying symbols of anarchist groups  smashing shop windows and overturning newspaper boxes.

Earlier Friday morning, the Trumps attended a service at St. Johns Episcopal Church near the White House, continuing an Inauguration Day tradition. One of the preachers was Robert Jeffress, a Southern Baptist minister who is pastor of a Dallas megachurch, and who has made inflammatory condemnations of both Mormonism and Islam in the past.

Jeffress, who grew close to Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, said on Twitter that his sermon would be entitled, When God Chooses a Leader. Trump left the service about 9:30 a.m. He mouthed Thank you to supporters as he climbed into an SUV.

[Live updates on the inauguration of Donald Trump]

Before Trump and Vice President Mike Pence took their respective oaths, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)  who oversaw inauguration preparations on Capitol Hill  offered a brief speech praising the American tradition of peaceful transfer of power.

Commonplace and miraculous, Blunt called it, recalling the early, key transitions between early American presidents of different parties. That made inauguration ceremonies, Blunt said, not a celebration of victory, [but] a celebration of democracy.

After that, a series of Christian ministers offered Bible verses and prayers. Samuel Rodriguez, a California minister, chose to read from the Sermon on the Mount, including Jesus promise that God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the earth.

President Trump will attend a luncheon at the Capitol Friday afternoon, and his inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue will begin about 3 p.m. That parade is supposed to last about 90 minutes  which would make it one of the shortest inaugural parades in recent history.

Signs of the transfer of power were evident throughout the morning.

Before 9:30 a.m., TV footage showed Obama leaving the Oval Office for the last time, before he and the first lady held a pre-inauguration tea with the Trumps. Obama smiled as he walked down an exterior hallway, in view of cameras. Any last words for the American people? a member of the press called out. Thank you, Obama said.

Soon after, the Trumps arrived at the White House, greeting the Obamas and presenting them with a gift  a box wrapped in the distinctive light blue of high-end jeweler Tiffany & Co. The Obamas seemed briefly perplexed about what to do with it, with the president looking in vain for someone to hold the box while the new first couple and the old took a photo together.

Since Trumps election, both men have tried to mend their relations, including with a high-profile meeting days after Trumps stunning election.

On the White House steps, the bitter history between Trump and Obama went unmentioned. Obama asked Trump, How was church? and they turned to go inside.

Trumps swearing-in will give Republicans control of both the White House and Congress for the first time since 2006. The new president has promised to undo some of the most significant pieces of Obamas legacy  including his signature health-care law. But Trump also enters office with a significant amount of uncertainty, since he has repeatedly contradicted other Republicans  and himself  on major questions about how immigration, taxes, health care and other issues will be handled in the new administration.

Trump takes office as the least-popular new president in 40 years, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Forty percent of Americans view Trump favorably, which is 21 points lower than the rating with which Obama will leave office.

But Trump won the election, and so this will be his day. The stage  and the country  he had sought to command will be his, at last.
On July 22, 1970, while walking along the upper corridor of the Chemistry Department at Peradeniya, a tall undergraduate saw bottles of Nitrobenzene being shifted from the store by a lab attendant, through the closed windows of the laboratory. This happened to be the day prior to the SSQ practical examination at Peradeniya for the Special Chemistry batch. The undergraduate crept into the library to read Vogels organic Chemistry Practical manual and immediately contacted the rest of his batchmates for a discussion. He was certain of the upcoming practical the following day and informed all his batchmates of the expected reaction, the difficulty of getting the intermediate product and how to face the practical Examination successfully the following day.

That was Ranjith Guruge who had the ability and sincerity to convince and share his knowledge with his colleagues without jealousy or competition, unlike most other undergraduates of the day. He was intelligent and had the ability to grasp the subject by listening and reading. He was not a bookworm but had a great deal of imagination and a vast knowledge of the finer points of practical chemistry. He had the ability to find solutions to difficult chemical reactions and had gotten the opportunity in a foreign University research team he would have gone into new inventions. If not for his extracurricular activities, he would have ended up as a brilliant University Don. However, the Universitys loss was the industrys gain.

It has been nearly five weeks since Ranjith passed away, finally losing his battle with the dreaded cancer he suffered from during the last two years.

"At the faculty, he was very interested in the welfare of students."



I have associated with him for almost fifty years since my school days at Mahinda College, Galle and at the University of Peradeniya as batchmates and later in life as a close friend. I wish to pen down this appreciation as a mark of tribute to a brilliant Chemist, innovator and socio-political analyst with a clear vision. I certainly miss our long telephone conversations on the current socio-political events in Sri Lanka and rest of the world.

Ranjith Talpe Guruge was born in Sitinamaluwa in the Beliatta electorate as the eldest child of late Mr. and Mrs. T.G. Sirisena, landed proprietors and rice mill owners. He received his primary and secondary education at St Servatius College, Matara, Mahinda College and Richmond College, Galle. At the University of Peradeniya, he graduated with a special degree in Chemistry and later successfully obtained a Masters of Business Administration from the Post-Graduate Institute of Management of the University of Sri Jayawardenapura.

He married Doctor Kalyani Gomes in 1978 and was the father of three wonderful children, two sons and a daughter. He was very happy that all three children studied well and became qualified as independent professionals. Kalyani and the children supported him and looked after him during his final two years as a united family. He was really lucky to have such a dedicated wife and children.

After a short stint as a Demonstrator at the Chemistry Department of the University of Peradeniya in 1973, Ranjith spent one year as a Chemistry teacher at Nalanda College, Colombo. In 1975 he joined the Ceylon Steel Corporation as a Research Officer and showed early signs of brilliant chemical innovation in producing Iron Oxide pigments, a by-product of waste from the steel production process. At that time, with import restrictions, the corporation had a ready market for the pigments manufactured by his technique derived from locally designed and assembled equipment. However, with the removal of import restrictions by the J.R. Jayawardene administration, this product lost the market. At the same time, Ranjith left the Steel Corporation for greener pastures as a Paint Chemist with Ceylon Paint Industries. Subsequently, he joined Masons Mixtures Ltd under Browns Group where he served as Production Manager till August 1983, when Ranjith was given the opportunity as Resident Manager in charge of the Rice Bran Oil Plant of Unilever in Minneriya. Later he shifted to the Unilever head office and sharpened his knowledge in the fine techniques of soap and toothpaste production which stood in good stead during the latter part of his career as a Technical Consultant to Swadeshi Industries, Antler Group and Link Natural Products to name a few. He initiated his own soap manufacturing operation in a factory he established at Kurunegala, which he operated even during the final stages of his life while bedridden. Ranjith Guruge practically never retired from his professional life until his untimely death.



However, Ranjith will be best remembered by many of us for his student activities at the University of Peradeniya, where he was sometimes the most hated and sometimes the most loved student by his colleagues, as well as seniors and juniors, in all faculties during the 1968-1972 period.

Since our first year, we were involved in student politics, whether in the Science or Arts Faculty. The JVP affiliated Samajawadi Sangamaya tried to capture power by opposing them. Guruge should be remembered for the contribution he made during the crucial Arts faculty Election in 1969 when we managed to put forward Ranjith Samaranayaka as a common front candidate against Somasiri Kumanayaka of the JVP.

He was also engaged in SLFP politics in Kandy, working closely with late Hector Kobbekaduwa, G.B. de Silva, Anurudhdha Ratwatte, Monty Gopallawa and D.M. Jayaratna in their respective electorates during the 1970 elections. At the faculty, he was very interested in the welfare of students. When he represented the Science Students Union as a committee member, he was instrumental in opening a better canteen for the students. He was also very interested in national harmony and had good relations with Tamil students.

In fact, when he received an opportunity to participate in third-year industrial training, he opted to go to Paranthan Chemicals Corporation. He recall the time he spent with Tamil workers during weekends with nostalgia. In fact, later in his life, with his association with the Tamil weekly, Janavegam, he would visit the north and east with N. Shanmugaratnam and B. Sriskandadas, two prominent senior Tamil student leaders.

He would visit Karainagar often, due to his close association with late V. Ratai, working with the minority Tamil population in the north, the Harijans.

As an industrial chemist, he imparted his knowledge to anyone who sought his advice and spent several hours in libraries to upgrade his knowledge on modem developments. He was talented in utilizing used and discarded equipment to produce the products he wanted to manufacture. Whenever he travelled abroad, he visited closed factories and purchased used equipment, which he brought to Sri Lanka and assembled to meet his requirements. He was a versatile man who imagined things beyond the ordinary. In fact, Mr. Ananda Jayasinghe, Chairman Antler group told me at his funeral that, even during the last few months of his life he was planning on expanding his soap manufacturing activities.

Ranjith was socially involved in the Peradeniya University Alumni Colombo Chapter from the inception. He never missed our batch get-togethers and used to be in touch with colleagues and friends through telephone and social media. He had a photographic memory and would talk about various past incidents. Im sure that to most of our friends, his early death was a shock. He was very well looked after by his family during his illness in the latter stage of his life. He probably knew his plight and was expecting the inevitable. During the last stages of his life, he was engaged in meditation under the influence of a Bhikku he used to associate with and was a Dayaka of Mettarama temple at Bambalapitiya. I hope and pray that Ranjith will not suffer in future lives and attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana. Friends of Ranjith Guruge, at the initiation of Dr. Athula Attygalle, have decided to launch a scholarship programme in his memory to a deserving Chemistry undergraduate as a mark of respect.

C.W. Jayasekera, on behalf of the Alumni Association of the Peradeniya University, Colombo Chapter and the University of Peradeniya Science Alumni Association.
World capitals are preparing themselves for the uncertainty that a Donald Trump presidency is set to unleash. Ahead of the January 20 inauguration, Beijing, which has been the target of Trumps ire in recent weeks, has been carrying out quiet under-the-radar assessments this past month by different government departments, analysing the pitfalls and opportunities that a Trump administration could bring. Biggest on the list of Chinas concerns is the possibility of a trade war.

Trump has threatened to impose a 45 per cent tariff on Chinese imports and to label China as a currency manipulator, accusing it of devaluing its currency (although most economists agree that the Yuan is now actually overvalued, not undervalued as it was a decade ago).

Trump has threatened to impose a 45 per cent tariff on Chinese imports and to label China as a currency manipulator. [Photo: Mail Today]

Chinas mandarins appear confident that they have enough in their arsenal to deter Trump, or to inflict pain on the US economy should they need to. So while the Finance Ministry is coming up with its analysis on what countermeasures Beijing could deploy on the currency front, the Commerce Ministry is assessing duties that Beijing itself could impose should Trump spark a trade clash.

Chinas richest man, Wang Jianlin, whose Wanda group owns a range of businesses in the US from hotels to multiplexes, reminded Trump that he employs tens of thousands of Americans in his businesses. In recent days, Trump seemed to somewhat change tack from his talk of trade punishments by welcoming Chinese Internet icon Jack Ma, who founded the Alibaba group, at Trump tower, leading one official to remark Trump cannot shake one hand while trying to rip off the other as much as he seems to value unpredictability.

In Davos, Xi Jinping launched a robust defence of free trade at a time when Donald Trump is talking of closing borders. [Photo: Mail Today]

In Beijings assessment, its biggest trump card, pardon the pun, is its market. From billions of dollars of orders for Boeing, to a massive market for companies such as Apple and even Starbucks, Beijing is aware it can make life very difficult for Americas biggest companies should it choose to. The feeling is Trump can also bring opportunities for Beijing. And it appears willing to seize them, judging by the unprecedented appearance of President Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum in Davos this past week  the first by a Chinese head of state in the symbolic home of free trade and capitalism when there is growing uncertainty about global leadership.

At Davos, Xi launched a robust defence of free trade and globalisation at a time when Trump is talking of closing borders, presenting the incongruous sight of the head of the Communist Party of China emerging as the worlds leading advocate for open markets.

Pursuing protectionism is like locking oneself in a dark room, Xi said. 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, he said, not referring to Trump but leaving little doubt about the target of his message. Xi didnt stop there, quoting a Chinese proverb that says: People with petty shrewdness attend to trivial matters, while people with vision attend to governance of institutions. Xi pledged China would import $8 trillion of goods in the next five years and invest $750 billion overseas.

Wait and watch is certainly the mantra in Beijing as Trump takes office. The sense is that not every tweet or threat by Trump the candidate is likely to become policy under President Trump. It is policy that China will react to. And its officials say they are more than prepared.
It is hard to think of two contemporary political leaders as different as Donald Trump and Lee Kuan Yew. The latter was looked up to by world leaders as Platos epitome of the "philosopher king", the grand master of global geopolitics. It is hard, on the other hand, to think of any world leader looking up to the former for anything in particular.

Yet there seems to be one issue where the views of Donald Trump and Lee Kuan Yew, surprisingly, converge, and that is the issue of the migration of Mexicans and Hispanics into the US.

The views of Donald Trump and Lee Kuan Yew, surprisingly, converge, on the issue of the migration of Mexicans and Hispanics into the US. (Credit: Reuters photo)

In an interview with Graham Allison and Robert Blackwill, when Lee Kuan Yew was asked if he believed that the US was in systemic decline, he strongly denied it, saying that despite whatever economic difficulties the country was currently facing, he believed that it would prevail in the long-term, because it had historically demonstrated an enormous capacity for renewal and revival. It would, he maintained, be a big mistake to bet against the US in the long-term. Yet Lee had areas of concern.

He believed, for example, that one of the key drivers of Americas dynamism was its essentially White Anglo-Saxon character. And he said that whether the US continued its global dominance or not depended largely on the continuance of that essential character. Never one to shrink from sounding politically incorrect, Lee had said that he believed that a strategic danger to US was the large number of Hispanics coming into the country, which might gradually eclipse its vital Anglo-Saxon culture.

In an interview with Tom Plate and Jeffrey Cole, Lee reflected, Long-term for America, if you project another 100 years, 150 years into the 22nd century, whether you stay on top depends on the kind of society you will be. Because if the present trends continue, you will have a Hispanic element in your society that is about 30 per cent, 40 per cent. So the question is, do you make the Hispanics Anglo-Saxons in culture, or do they make you Latin American in culture? . If they come in dribs and drabs and you scatter them across America, then you will change their culture. But if they come n large numbers, like in Miami or California, and they stay together, then their culture will continue and they may well affect the Anglo-Saxon culture around them. That is the real test.

The issue of Hispanic immigrants, as presented by Lee Kuan Yew, is therefore a strategic issue, carefully considered, and accompanied by rational plan to address it; the issue, as viewed by Trump, appears to be simply racist.

And that is the difference.

The key to global power

While the dilution of the USs cultural character may indeed be a long-term threat to its global power, it is vital, on the other hand, that the country should keep attracting - and successfully absorbing  immigrants, with the all the talents they bring in. In fact, if we look to history, all successful empires have succeeded because they have been able to embrace people from diverse races, languages, cultures and religions.

This has been as true of the US empire, as it was of, say, the Roman empire or any of the Muslim empires of the past. If the US has been successful in projecting its power globally, it is because of its dynamic, innovative economy and technology  and that has, in turn, been made possible by the talent it has been able to attract from around the globe.

In the scenario of the future, the contests between great powers will increasingly be technological and economic contests, rather than military ones, and any aspiring power  like China, for example, or India  must therefore compete for talent to drive its technological and economic engine. The geopolitical stakes will, thus, hinge largely on a race for global talent. And unless the US is willing and able to compete in that race  with the appetite for diversity that it entails  it will slowly lose the larger race for global power.

It is not surprising, therefore, that some of Americas most visionary businessmen, including Bill Gates, George Soros and Warren Buffet, have been pushing the US for a few years now to further open up its immigration policies (and this business support for immigration, interestingly, frequently cuts across Democrat-Republican divide).

The captains of US industry obviously seem to know something that Trump does not.

Ask Warren Buffet

Warren Buffet, one of the most vocal supporters of the immigration cause, has a thought-provoking take on this issue of economic growth and innovation, versus the kind of knee-jerk protectionism that Trump evidently stands for. In his well-known annual letter to his shareholders last year, Buffetwrote that productivity is the all-important factor in Americas economic growth over the past 240 years. He then pointed to four industries in which his company has held a stake  three very successful, and one unsuccessful. The successful ones were insurance, freight and utilities, where productivity gains in recent times  driven, of course, by technology  have led to enormous benefits to society.

The unsuccessful industry, on the other hand, was a once-flourishing handcrafted shoemaking business. Yet, because of global megatrends, the locus of that industry shifted, inexorably, to Asia, and the shoe company had to shut down, putting 1,600 skilled workers in a small Maine town out of work permanently. This kind of disruption, unfortunate as it is, is simply a fact of todays life, given the issue of productivity, and its joined-at-the-hip twin sister, technology. But the solution, Buffet points out, is not Trump-style protectionism but, rather, intelligently designed safety nets.

The great irony is that if "Make America great again" is merely a crude "Make America hate again", it will lead to the exact opposite of what the President-elect has in mind  and to the inevitable decline of a once powerful empire over the next couple of decades.
By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman



The Road to the Kentucky Derby will continue this Saturday with a competitive renewal of the $200,000 LeComte Stakes (gr. III) at Fair Grounds, a race that has produced many Kentucky Derby starters in recent years, including Mo Tom, Tom's Ready, Destin, War Story, Vicar's in Trouble, Oxbow, and Golden Soul. Time will tell if any of the 2017 LeComte contenders will go on to run in the Kentucky Derby, but they look like a promising group of horses with the potential to achieve success on the Derby trail. Let's take a look at the race!

LeComte Stakes (gr. III)

With the unbeaten Saint's Fan likely to scratch due to a poor post position draw, a field of eleven is expected to start in the LeComte, a race with no clear standout favorites. You can make a case for pretty much every horse, and finding the winner will be no easy task.

However, it's interesting to note a couple of trends that we've seen in recent editions of the Lecomte Stakes. For one, shippers from other tracks--primarily Churchill Downs--have dominated the winner's circle, with four winners (three from Churchill) in the last five years. Additionally, horses carrying top weight have had more success than you might expect, frequently winning under 122 pounds while conceding as many as six pounds to the other runners.

With these facts in mind, Guest Suite looks like the horse to beat. After finishing a decent third sprinting in his debut at Ellis Park (finishing behind the twice Grade 1-placed Wild Shot) Guest Suite stretched out to 8.5 furlongs and easily won a maiden race at Keeneland, pulling away to win by 2  lengths over a good field that included recent Oaklawn maiden winner Hence.

Stepping up into stakes company, Guest Suite faced early Derby favorite McCraken in the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs, and while he was no match for McCraken, Guest Suite ran well to finish third. He rebounded powerfully in his fourth and most recent race, cruising to a decisive 6 -length win in a one-mile allowance race at Churchill Downs.

Judging from the competition he has faced and his excellent runs at Churchill Downs, Guest Suite looks poised for a very big run in the LeComte Stakes. His human connections have enjoyed strong success in this race--trainer Neil Howard has won it twice while jockey Robby Albarado has ridden four winners--and Guest Suite fits well in terms of Beyer speed figures.

Somewhat surprisingly, Guest Suite is 5-1 on the morning line and isn't the race favorite. That honor has gone to Untrapped, who will make his two-turn debut in the LeComte after a pair of good efforts sprinting at Keeneland at Churchill Downs. In his debut, Untrapped had a troubled start and was far back early on before rallying to finish second, beaten six lengths by the future Smarty Jones Stakes winner Uncontested. Off of that effort, Untrapped was favored to break his maiden going 6  furlongs at Churchill Downs and did so by a decisive 5  lengths, showing much more speed than in his debut.

The big question is whether Untrapped can handle the extra distance and second turn of the LeComte Stakes. His sire, Trappe Shot, was a sprinter, but Untrapped could gain some stamina from the dam side of his pedigree, as his half-sister was a two-time winner going a mile and Untrapped's broodmare sire is Giant's Causeway, generally a source of stamina. Racing for the team of trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., Untrapped's speed and ability to rate off the pace could help him get first run at the leaders turning for home, and from there, he could be tough to catch.

Trainer Larry Jones has won this race three times and could have another big chance with Running Mate, who opened his career with two easy wins before faltering in the six-furlong Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds. His performance that day was a bit dull that day, but he has the pedigree to stretch out in distance and might very well thrive going two turns.

One longshot that has really caught my eye is Totality, who won his debut at Churchill Downs before finishing fifth in a competitive two-turn allowance race at the same track. Most recently, he contested the $300,000 Remington Springboard Mile, where he found himself trying to close ground into a very slow pace. Although he was no match for the front-running winner Cool Arrow (who closed the final quarter-mile in :24.18), Totality was the only horse in the race that didn't lose ground against Cool Arrow in the final two furlongs, staying on gamely to finish second by 3  lengths.

I don't think we've seen the best that Totality has to offer, and if he gets a quicker pace than he did in the Springboard Mile, Totality could be a legitimate threat to hit the board at 12-1.

Other horses that could draw wagering support include Shareholder Value, the winner of a 1 mile and 70-yard Fair Grounds allowance race on December 26th, and Takeoff and Arklow, the 1-2 finishers in a Fair Grounds maiden special weight at the same distance on the same day. Interestingly, the maiden race featured modestly quicker fractions and a significantly faster final time, suggesting that Takeoff and Arklow might be very good horses. Of the pair, I narrowly prefer Arklow, who had to wait for racing room on the far turn while Takeoff got away with an easy lead. Once Arklow got clear, he closed resolutely and fell just a length short of victory--I think that's an effort he can build on in the Lecomte, and he's appealing at 10-1 on the morning line.

So to recap, I'm going to take Guest Suite as my choice to win and hope that his proven ability against high-class rivals at Churchill Downs will help him prevail in this competitive race. For the exotics, the late-running pair of Totality and Arklow are the two that intrigue me most at large prices, with Running Mate and Untrapped the logical candidates to be part of the pace and hang around for a good finish.

Now it's your turn! Who do you like in the LeComte Stakes?

*****

The Unlocking Winners Road to the Kentucky Derby Handicapping Challenge is back for a third consecutive year! Please be sure to post all entries, prime horses, and stable additions on the official contest page. Thanks, and enjoy the racing!

*****

J. Keeler Johnson (also known as "Keelerman") is a writer, blogger, videographer, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. He is the founder of the horse racing website www.theturfboard.com.
Delek US Holdings, Inc. engages in the integrated downstream energy business in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Refining, Logistics, and Retail. The Refining segment processes crude oil and other feedstock for the manufacture of various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, asphalt, and other petroleum-based products that are distributed through owned and third-party product terminal. It owns and operates four independent refineries located in Tyler, Texas; El Dorado, Arkansas; Big Spring, Texas; and Krotz Springs, Louisiana, as well as three biodiesel facilities in Crossett, Arkansas, Cleburne, Texas, and New Albany. The Logistics segment gathers, transports, and stores crude oil, intermediate, and refined products; and markets, distributes, transports, and stores refined products for third parties. It owns or leases capacity on approximately 400 miles of crude oil transportation pipelines, approximately 450 miles of refined product pipelines, an approximately 900-mile crude oil gathering system, and associated crude oil storage tanks with an aggregate of approximately 10.2 million barrels of active shell capacity; and owns and operates ten light product distribution terminals, as well as markets light products using third-party terminals. The Retail segment owns and leases 248 convenience store sites located primarily in West Texas and New Mexico. Its convenience stores offer various grades of gasoline and diesel under the DK or Alon brand; and food products and service, tobacco products, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and general merchandise, as well as money orders to the public primarily under the 7-Eleven and DK or Alon brand names. It serves oil companies, independent refiners and marketers, jobbers, distributors, utility and transportation companies, the U.S. government, and independent retail fuel operators. Delek US Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee.
Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates through Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farms in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V..

Read More
Dr. Allen A. Dunstan

Dr. Allen A. Dunstan passed into eternal peace on Saturday, January 14th 2017. Allen, a son of the late Kenneth and Thora Mae Dunstan was born December 20th 1947 in Meadville, Pa. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1966. He enlisted in the Army in 1967, where he was awarded a purple heart, a good conduct medal, a Vietnam gallantry cross with palm unit citation badge and a national defense service medal. He also won numerous military sharpshooting competition. Returning from the military, he earned his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Mansfield University, his Masters degree in education and his PHD in Psycho Educational Processes from Temple University. While in college he wrote the curriculum for the Mansfield school district. He was a champion of education for underprivileged and special needs children also for adults to continue their education.

He retired from the Federal Government, working at the Navel Depot in Mechanicsburg, Pa in 2002.

Allen was a member of the Military order of the purple heart which grants scholarships to children of veterans killed in the line of duty. He was also a member of the American Legion, the NRA, the Masons where he was a Master Mason in the Eureka- West Shore Lodge 302, F. & A. M., and the Shriners, and a 37 year member of Mensa. An accomplished artist, he was a member of the Mechanicsburg and Harrisburg art associations, donating many of his paintings to charity auctions. Allen was blessed with a brilliant mind, a great sense of humor and a caring heart.

He is survived by his loving wife of 40 years, Helen; two sisters, Lynn (Chip) Campbell and Dawn (Rick) Fleischer, both of Ellwood City; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother Bill Dunstan. Visiting hours were held Thursday, January 19th at the MARSHALL FUNERAL HOME, 200 Fountain Ave, Ellwood City, with Rev. Ray Medina officiating. Full military rights were be conducted by the Veterans Honor Guard. Interment took place in Holy Redeemer Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Humane Society.

Online condolences may be sent to marshallsfh.com.
The nations capital is expected to be filled with hundreds of thousands of observers who will attend the inauguration of the 45th U.S. president Donald Trump.

While the vast majority are in Washington to celebrate the big event, some of them will be protesters and are planning to do all they can to disrupt the events of the day.

Get

Warning: Undefined variable $CompanyName in /home/acctdp/public_html/wp-content/themes/responsalambre/single.php on line 65

alerts:

A coalition that calls itself the DisruptJ20, after the inauguration date, says that people participating in actions its organized will try to shut down or at least cause delays at different checkpoints entering the location of the inauguration ceremony.

The intention is blocking the checkpoints, which said organizers could results in the risk of being arrested.

The goal is massive protests and shutting down the ceremony if possible, but if not, then to make it as difficult as possible for the new president to start his term.

One event being held by the protesters will be a march that will start outside Union Station at Columbus Circle. Participants in that have been asked to arrive at noon, which is the time Trump will be sworn in.

The march, which its organizers have called Festival of Resistance, will be 1.5 miles long and end three blocks from the White House at McPherson Square. At the square, a rally is to be held with Michael Moore a liberal activist and filmmaker on hand.

Along the office route of the parade, Trump will likely see many demonstrations. ANSWER Coalition an anti-war organization is going to demonstrate in two places along the route.

Protesters as well as Trump supporters clashed Thursday night outside an event in the capital for Trump. Police had to use chemical spray on a few of the protesters while trying to bring the unruly crowd under control.

The demonstrations will not end when the new president takes office. A huge womens march is planned in Washington for Saturday. The events organizers estimate that 200,000 people are going to attend the event.

The homeland security director for Washington, D.C., Christopher Geldart said that 1,800 buses registered to park Saturday in the city, which means close to 100,000 people were arrive by bus.

These protests are not something new. Both of the inaugurations of Richard Nixon drew huge protests and a recent inauguration of George W. Bush in 2001 saw protesters turn their backs as the presidential limousine passed by.
RELX PLC provides information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers in North America, Europe, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Risk; Scientific, Technical & Medical; Legal; and Exhibitions. The Risk segment offers information-based analytics and decision tools that combine public and industry specific content with technology and algorithms to assist clients in evaluating and predicting risk. The Scientific, Technical & Medical segment provides information and analytics that help institutions and professionals to progress in science and advance healthcare. The Legal segment provides legal, regulatory, and business information and analytics that help customers in decision-making, as well as increases the productivity. The Exhibitions segment is involved in the events business that combines face-to-face with data and digital tools to help customers learn about markets, source products, and complete transactions. The company was formerly known as Reed Elsevier PLC and changed its name to RELX PLC in July 2015. The company was incorporated in 1903 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
InterXion Holding N.V. provides carrier and cloud-neutral colocation data center services in France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. The company enables its customers to connect to a range of telecommunications carriers, cloud platforms, Internet service providers, and other customers. Its data centers acts as content, cloud, and connectivity hubs that facilitate the processing, storage, sharing, and distribution of data between its customers. The company offers colocation services, including space and power to deploy IT infrastructure in its data centers; a range of output voltages and currents; connectivity services that enable its customers to connect their IT infrastructure to exchange traffic and access cloud platforms; and systems monitoring, systems management, engineering support, and data backup and storage services, as well as installs and manages physical connections running from its customers' equipment to the equipment of its telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers, Internet exchange customers, and other customers. It provides its services to telecom operators, Internet service providers, and content delivery networks; content and cloud providers; and enterprises through direct sales forces, as well as through tradeshows, networking events, and industry seminars. As of December 31, 2018, it operated 51 carrier and cloud neutral colocation data centers in 13 metropolitan areas in 11 countries. The company is also involved in real estate management/holding businesses. InterXion Holding N.V. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands.
Jim Downing could not believe what had happened to his happy home of nine years.

Japanese torpedoes had ripped open the side of the USS West Virginia, causing the battleship to sink into the mud of Pearl Harbor.

Explosions touched off fires that burned topside right down to the waterline. The deck was cluttered with dead bodies and debris by the time he had arrived in the midst of the second wave.

I have tried to organize my thoughts, said Downing, now 103, recalling his memories of the Dec. 7, 1941 sneak attack that brought America into World War II.

The first thing was surprise. Peace negotiations were underway. We thought there wasnt going to be any war until the talks broke down. We were not on alert.

The next thing I experienced was fear that the next plane that came in would get its angle right and cut me down with machine gun fire. My third emotion was anger that our political and military leaders had allowed us to get caught like that. The next thing after that was resolve that we would never get caught napping again.

But for Downing, the overarching emotion  the one from which he drew the most inspiration  was a sense of pride in his fellow Americans.

Our men responded without consideration of their own lives, said the retired Navy lieutenant who lives in Colorado Springs. They saw what needed to be done and they did it.

There were many heroes that day from the boat crews who rushed in to rescue sailors trapped in flaming oil to the civilians who stood in line to donate blood for the wounded.

Downing was a witness to it all. This survivor of Pearl Harbor was at the Carlisle Barracks Tuesday morning speaking to local members of the Navigators, a worldwide Christian ministry he had helped to organize.

Following the prayer breakfast, Downing was the guest of honor at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Middlesex Township. Over the weekend, he had visited cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Im on a tour, said the Kansas City native who had stops planned for Penn State University and Elizabethtown College.

God as a refuge

Downing first joined the Navy in 1932. Within a year, he was a gunners mate assigned to turret two of the main battery of the battleship West Virginia.

The vessel was home for much of his early years in the service until Dec. 7, 1941 when the world changed and his life took a dramatic course towards a greater faith in God and the human spirit. Downing has compiled his memories in the book The Other Side of Infamy: My Journey through Pearl Harbor and the World of War.

Sunday, Dec. 7, began with a breakfast of eggs and bacon prepared by Morena, his wife of five months. The couple was staying at the home of friends who lived in the Kalihi Valley on the island of Oahu in what was then the territory of Hawaii.

The Downings were leaders in the Navigators, a fledgling ministry. The home was the local headquarters of the faith community. Saturday night was spent in an evening prayer meeting attended by seven Navy men and an Army corporal.

The first hint of disaster was the distant rumble of explosions followed by smoke on the horizon. Then a voice came over the radio announcing the island was under attack by an unknown enemy. Minutes later, the man came over the radio with news the attackers were Japanese and that all military personnel were ordered to report for duty.

Jim Downing piled into a car bound for the Navy base at Pearl Harbor. As he left, his wife shouted Deuteronomy 33:27  a Bible verse that reads The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

A car ride that normally took 20 minutes was cut short by a sense of urgency. From his vantage, Downing could see Japanese planes dive bomb and strafe ships in the harbor.

My eyes were focused on my home, the West Virginia, he recalled during an interview with The Sentinel Tuesday afternoon. She took nine torpedoes. It was an unbelievable sight.

Saved from the flames

The attack on Battleship Row had cracked open armored hulls causing oil slicks to spread over the anchorage. Here and there, the fuel had caught fire with tragic results.

The saddest thing I saw that morning was sailors being blown off their ships, Downing said. They came up with a thin film of oil on their bodies. Just like human torches ... They were burned to death.

Boat launches normally used to transport crews to ships were pressed into service as rescue vessels to fish men out of the drink. Downing made for a ferry landing that would take him over to Ford Island located in the center of the harbor. He needed to report to the West Virginia that was moored along the island outboard of the battleship USS Tennessee.

Amid the din of battle came the sound of a single aircraft engine swooping down from above. It dives at us from an angle and banks, startlingly low, perhaps forty feet above the ground and eighty feet away, Downing wrote in his book. Its olive drab in color, so for an instant I think its one of ours.

The image freezes in my mind  the cockpit cover off, the pilot, goggles on, focused, so close that even his eyes and teeth are visible, smoke emitting from the machine guns. I drop to the ground at the same time that the sound of machine gun fire reaches my ears. The plane roars past, I turn my head. The plane levels out, revealing a rising sun under its wing. On the dirt road behind me, dust rises from a trench dug by bullets.

Fate had intervened somehow to spare Downing from an early grave. But the Day of Infamy was not over. There was plenty of horror left. Once across to Ford Island, Downing made for the Tennessee, but there was a complication. The only way across to his ship was for him to slide down the barrel of a 5-inch gun mount on the Tennessee.

It was kind of scary, Downing recalled but he had something else to worry about. Every ship had ready ammunition stored topside in lockers. The fire on the West Virginia was drawing closer threatening to ignite these shells and to cause secondary explosions. So I took a hose from the Tennessee to keep the flames away from the lockers, Downing said.

Helping with closure

As he held the hose steady under one arm, Downing used his other hand to check on the bodies lying around him. He knew most everyone onboard the West Virginia because he also served as the postmaster of the ship.

My thought was their parents will never know what happened, Downing recalled. So I started to memorize their identification tags with a view of writing their parents.

Downing stayed on station for the better part of an hour trying to keep down a fire that kept flaring up. From his vantage, he could see what remained of the battleship Arizona after a bomb blast had ignited its forward magazine.

They were blown up by their own ammunition, Downing said. It looked like a volcano because the fire was so hot and so high. The heat had weakened the steel causing the ship mast to bow over. The Arizona would burn for three days straight.

Downing could also see the battleship Oklahoma that had capsized during the attack trapping sailors stuck down below in an upside down maze of steel compartments. He was there when the first rescue attempts were made to cut through the bottom of the hull to free the sailors from a watery tomb.

Later that day, Downing went to visit a friend who was wounded trying to escape the battleship California. The Navy had set up a special triage and care unit outside the base hospital to treat burn victims.

Taking on the job of postmaster, Downing went around with a notebook to the wounded men to ask them for a home address and to dictate a short message to their loved ones.

They were in a lot of pain, he recalled. Im sure many of them were heavily sedated. Most of them died that night, but it was a joy to be able to write down their closing words to their family.

What was inspirational to Downing was the optimism of the dying men. There was not a single complaint or criticism. Instead, there were messages like Dont worry about me ... Ill be fine and Ill see you over Christmas.

Ordinarily, when theres a death, the parents get a cool letter ... Your son died in action, but no details, Downing said. I was able to give their family a little bit more detail. The thought was this approach could help with the healing.

After the infamy

For weeks after Pearl Harbor, Downing was busy forwarding holiday mail to Navy sailors who were assigned out to other ships in the fleet while salvage operations ramped up in Pearl Harbor. He was also tasked with returning Christmas mail to the families of sailors who died during the attack.

From Hawaii, Downing was transferred stateside to train to be a gunners mate onboard the new battleship South Dakota. But the Navy was so impressed by his test scores they made Downing an instructor of crews training on a new 5-inch anti-aircraft gun mount being installed on ships throughout the fleet.

Downing served out the rest of World War II in Washington, D.C. He eventually became a lieutenant in command of his own ship the USS Patapsco. While at sea in 1954, his ship was showered with radioactive ash from the hydrogen bomb test in the Bikini Atoll. Downing later became an adviser to the Brazilian fleet and an assistant professor of naval science at the Merchant Marine Academy.

He retired from the Navy in 1956, but would the next 22 years working for The Navigators ministry with job titles that include vice-president and chairman of the board. Today, Downing is a speaker and is still involved with the ministry as a volunteer.

As for the West Virginia, the battleship was salvaged from the mud of Pearl Harbor, patched up and transferred stateside for a major repair and refit. She would rejoin the US Pacific Fleet just in time to exact revenge against the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944.

The West Virginia was among the Navy ships invited to participate in the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945. The ship was sold for scrape in 1959.
At a time when division seems rampant across the country, a sophomore at Carlisle Area High School is asking the community to come together to celebrate what they have in common rather than what separates them.

Michael Smith said the idea for Saturdays event started to form in early December when he and his friends started to notice the division in the community, so they decided to organize an event to bring people together.

The Carlisle Unity Rally will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday on the steps of the Old Courthouse on the Square in Carlisle. It will feature multiple speakers, including Mayor Tim Scott as well as teachers, students and Dickinson College professors. Mike Dempsey will provide music for the event.

While the rancor around the recent election served as a catalyst for the idea for the rally, Smith said the rally is to bring people together, which is why we want to have a non-partisan, non-political event.

Having seen the transcripts of the speeches to be offered at the event, Smith said he can confirm they are not political. Rather, the participants will discuss ways that they have seen unity in the town and the ways that they have been able to bring people together.

Were trying to highlight the positive in the community, Smith said.

Reaction to the rally has been largely positive, and Smith hopes that people who attend will take away a similarly positive attitude.

Keep your heart open to other people and dont block anyone out because you have different beliefs or culture, he said.
Updated at 9:52 p.m.

Albemarle County Public Schools Superintendent Pam Moran unveiled her budget request for the 2017-18 fiscal year, a 4.7 percent increase over the current year, to the School Board on Thursday.

In the request, which Deputy Superintendent Matt Haas assisted with, Moran is asking the board for $8.1 million in new expenditures, the majority of which is focused on salary increases, contributions to the state retirement system and addressing rising health care costs, as well as funding for a new initiative.

The total budget expenditures in the FY 2017-18 request come out to $180.8 million, a 4.7 percent increase from the previous year and 15.8 percent higher than the actual budget four years ago. Projected revenues also have increased by 4.3 percent from last year to $180.2 million.

The projected funding gap at this time is $691,261, which is lower than the $1.5 million projected gap at this stage in last years budget process. Part of the reason for the smaller gap is an improvement in state revenues, as well as an uptick in local property values, Jackson Zimmermann, director of finance for the county schools, said in an email.

Of the $8.1 million in new expenditures in Morans budget request, $2.4 million would go toward increases in spending to accommodate 2 percent raises for teachers and staff. It also includes $1.5 million in increased contributions to the Virginia Retirement System and $1.2 million to cover rises in health care premiums.

The major new initiative built into the budget request would boost programs designed to close achievement and opportunity gaps among students. The initiative, referred to as Equity and Access, asks for $1.277 million in funding.

Haas talked the most about this item during the presentation, and along with Moran highlighted some of the ideas behind the initiative and areas that have led them to where they are now.

Among those are increases in particular student demographics. In the last 10 years, the school division has seen an overall 8 percent increase in the student population, but an increase of 67 percent in economically disadvantaged students and 37 percent in those who are learning English.

These demographic shifts are highest at Agnor-Hurt, Cale, Greer and Woodbrook elementaries, which are all located in the urban ring of the county.

Haas and Moran said throughout Thursdays meeting that the problem theyre addressing is not that they have increases in these demographics in students, but that they are seeing disparity in the gaps of data as compared with other students that need to be addressed.

According to data collected by the county schools, economically disadvantaged students in the school division make up nearly 30 percent of total student population, but nearly half are chronically absent, more than half have received out of school suspensions and fewer than 6 percent are identified as gifted learners.

What we are after is, we cant solve the problems of the world or even of childrens homes outside of school, Moran said. But what we can do is to try to leverage the supports inside our schools that help kids develop the social and emotional competencies they need to be successful members of the community, to work with others, to be able to pay attention and focus on their academic learning work so that they can achieve success in school just like their peers that perhaps are resourced differently in their homes.

On top of funding for professional development in the initiative is a request for $493,600 for a Social-Emotional-Academic Development, or SEAD, team that would provide support and services to at-risk students. The team would serve elementary schools in the urban ring.

These would be boots on the ground, specialized staff, Haas said after the meeting. The composition of the team will be developed based on the gap data at those schools. So, if youre seeing a large group in a particular school with English as a Second Language students, then perhaps one of the members needs to be a bilingual newcomer support person.

After the meeting, Haas said the smaller funding gap is beneficial moving forward in the budget process because it allows the division to incorporate new initiatives and continue to fund ongoing ones. One example of that is the final phase in an effort to bring all school nurses in the county up to full-time status, which is included in the budget request.

Its always positive when you can move forward and keep growing and enhance your services, but at the same time we want to try really hard to maintain the level of service that everybodys accustomed to, he said.

School Board members did not voice any questions for Moran and Haas after the presentation, but the board will hold several meetings in the coming weeks focused on the budget request as it is finalized and sent to the Board of Supervisors.

Budget work sessions are scheduled for Jan. 24, 26 and 31. The Jan. 31 meeting will include a public hearing. A budget meeting has been set for Feb. 7 if needed, and the board plans to finalize the budget request on Feb. 9.

More information on the 2017-18 budget process can be found at k12albemarle.org under the School Board page.
RICHMOND  After some debate, a bill that could help mitigate some of the deadly side effects of Virginias raging opioid epidemic has made a step forward in the General Assembly.

The House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee on Thursday referred to the House Appropriations Committee a bill that would legalize syringe services programs in Virginia.

The bill  brought forward by Del. John M. OBannon, III, R-Henrico  would allow the Virginia Department of Health to provide clean equipment like needles and syringes to injection drug users in areas throughout the state where the opioid epidemic is particularly strong.

Syringe services  also known as needle exchange programs  are part of a public health effort to prevent outbreaks of hepatitis C or HIV caused by the opioid epidemic  or to mitigate existing outbreaks.

Comprehensive harm reduction is helping people stay alive and preventing complications while we get them into treatment, Dr. Marissa Levine, the state health commissioner, told the committee. People who enter [syringe services programs] are five times more likely to actually get help for their underlying addiction.

The rate of hepatitis C has already skyrocketed in Virginia. In 2015 there were 8,000 cases in the state, compared with only 2,800 cases in 2010.

During the committee meeting Dr. Laurie Forlano, the state epidemiologist, said that more than 9,000 acute cases of hepatitis C will probably be counted in Virginia in 2016, and Levine said that is almost certainly an underestimate.

The problem is that were losing this battle, OBannon told the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee. One in every 100 to 200 citizens has hepatitis C in Southwest Virginia.

There was some push back to the bill, largely from Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle, who voted against sending it to the House Appropriations Committee. He questioned how syringe services programs would help remedy the opioid epidemic.

If anything, we will be providing the needles that people will use to kill themselves, he said.

He repeatedly asked how many of the deaths related to opioids are caused by hepatitis C and HIV, arguing that the vast majority of deaths are caused by overdoses and not the infectious diseases.

The No. 1 risk factor for hepatitis C is injection drug use, Forlano responded. While its not an immediate or acute death, its a very serious and life-threatening illness. HIV is also viewed in that category, as well.

The state has yet to see a significant rise in the rate of HIV, which is likely because, of the two blood-borne diseases, hepatitis C travels more quickly through injections than HIV.

Last year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report identifying the hundreds of counties in the country where an HIV outbreak is likely to occur, based on a similar situation in Scott County, Indiana, where an HIV outbreak was preceded by a rise of hepatitis C in 2015.

Eight of the counties are in Virginia: Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, Lee, Wise, Tazewell, Patrick and Wythe.

OBannon told the committee that his bill is not a statewide initiative. Instead, the syringe services programs would only be implemented in counties where the Department of Health deems them necessary based on information like morbidity data.

Del. Christopher P. Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, said the syringe services programs would not only protect injection drug users from HIV or hepatitis C, they would also prevent those deadly infections from spreading to the general population.

According to the bill, in addition to providing injection drug users with free, sterile equipment, the programs would provide them with education on addiction treatment and counseling.

The bottom line issue is we have an addiction problem, and the needle exchange is one tool ... to help get people the help they need, Levine said.
RICHMOND  Virginias wine industry had a $1.37 billion economic impact on the state in 2015, and the industry added sales, production, jobs and grape-bearing acres from 2010 to 2015, according to a new study released Thursday.

The study, commissioned by the Virginia Wine Board and completed by accounting and consulting firm Frank, Rimmerman + Co., says the economic impact of the wine industry grew 83 percent from $747 million in 2010, when the last impact study was conducted.

The number of wineries in Virginia increased 30 percent to 261 in 2015 from 193 in 2010, while wine production grew by about 60 percent in the same period to 1.7 million gallons bottled in 2015.

While vineyard acreage in Virginia has steadily increased over the past five years, yields and crop value have varied dramatically, the study said. If Virginia is to gain traction and continue to produce enough wine in-state to meet increasing consumer demand, the industry will need to continue increasing the available grape-bearing acreage as well as improving overall quality.

The study estimates the retail value of Virginia wine sold at about $129 million in 2015, up from $73 million in 2010. More than 95 percent of Virginia wineries are small, producing less than 10,000 cases a year, and a majority of Virginia wineries sell their wine directly to consumers through winery tasting rooms.

Wine, grapes and related industries accounted for 8,218 jobs in Virginia with wages of more than $291 million in 2015, up from 4,753 jobs with $156 million in salaries in 2010.

Wineries themselves provided employment for 1,813 full-time equivalent jobs in 2015, with a payroll totaling about $36.4 million.

The study says the wine industry has contributed to additional visitors to the state, putting the number of wine-related tourists at about 2.25 million in 2015, an increase from 1.62 million in 2010. Wine-related tourism expenditures grew to $188 million in 2015 from $131 million in 2010.

In 2015, Virginia had about 338 commercial grape growers with combined plantings of 3,300 bearing acres. The acreage rose from 2,700 in 2010.
RICHMOND  Richmond-based investment advisory firm Thompson Davis & Co. is asking that a lawsuit filed by a widow against the firm and its employees for financial mismanagement be dismissed.

Lynne Kinder filed the lawsuit seeking $9 million in Richmond Circuit Court in November, alleging Victor Dandridge III, an Albemarle County resident and partner at Thompson Davis & Co. from January 2012 until this past summer, had drained $5.2 million from the family fortune between 2007 and 2016.

Dandridge  along with his wife, Ann Claiborne Dandridge, and Thompson Davis  are listed among the defendants.

The suit alleges that William Davis Jr., the CEO at Thompson Davis, as well as former and current compliance officers Kevin Rutherford and Walter Young, were aware that Dandridge had been illegally managing the assets of multiple clients for years, as Dandridge was never registered or licensed to do so by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Thompson Davis, on behalf of Davis, Young and Rutherford, requested in a response this week that the suit be dismissed and settled through arbitration. The companys in-house hedge fund, Seven Hills Management, and its manager, Seven Hills Partners  also named as defendants  asked that the suit be dismissed.

The firm argues that such disputes should be settled through arbitration because Kinder signed several agreements and forms agreeing that all controversies which may arise between the client and adviser or any of its officers, employees or agents, concerning any transaction of the construction, performance or breach of this or any other agreement between client and adviser shall be determined by arbitration.

Unlike in court, where a jury or judge rules in favor of one side over another, an arbitrator chosen by the parties would oversee the dispute. Their decision rarely can be appealed.

Dandridge, in his own response last week to the allegations of 13 counts of financial misconduct, admitted to rerouting some of Kinders funds to keep his sinking businesses afloat. He shouldered much of the blame and repeatedly denied the involvement of colleagues at Thompson Davis, his wife and his father.

Dandridge offered to help manage the assets for Kinder after his longtime friend, 41-year-old Carr Lanier Trey Kinder III, died of a heart attack while riding his bike on New Years Eve 2005.
CHARLOTTE  North Carolina-based home improvement retailer Lowes said its told approximately 2,400 full-time workers that they will be laid off.

A statement from the store said the majority of the cuts are at the store level, with other cuts occurring at distribution centers, customer support centers and vice presidents at the companys corporate office in Mooresville.

There are three Lowes in the area  in Albemarle County, Ruckersville and at Zion Crossroads. The company has not disclosed how many local employees will be affected.

The company said it is providing severance and outplacement resources to displaced workers.

Lowes CEO Robert Niblock told employees in an email that 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.

Lowes also announced Bob Hull was retiring as chief financial officer. Marshall Croom, who has been with Lowes for two decades, will succeed Hull as CFO on March 3.
About 50 University of Virginia students showed up to the Rotunda to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump on Friday morning.

The students, some of whom walked out of class to be at the demonstration, held signs and chanted anti-Trump slogans before marching across the Lawn to Robertson Hall.

The next four years will require commitment from all of us, said Wes Gobar, a third-year student who helped to organize the event.

If we do not commit to active citizenship, our fundamental rights  and the services we expect from the government will be compromised, Gobar said.

Hannah Borja, a second-year student, asked protesters to help advocate for students who are undocumented immigrants.

Many of these students are protected by an immigration policy, implemented by former President Barack Obama, that shields some people brought to the U.S. illegally as minors from being deported.

Trump has not yet committed to a stance on the policy, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Borja said these students are unsure of their future under the new administration.

These students are just as [much] a part of UVa as you or I, Borja said, speaking on the steps outside the Rotunda.

The idea that your life could be ripped out from under you while youre going to class  that messes with you as a person, she said.

The demonstration took place without any incident.

Before the protest, the UVa administration  which did not respond to requests for comment on the demonstration  advised deans of each of the schools about the students plans.

Students are allowed to take part in the demonstration, read a letter from Thomas C. Katsouleas, the universitys provost, as long as they do not interfere with day-to-day operations, endanger anyones safety or result in destruction of property.

As the day unfolds, if you are concerned that events are becoming disruptive to operations in your area, you should contact the University of Virginia Police Department, read the letter, sent on Thursday night.

The protest kicked off a day of teach-ins and workshops at UVa, led by faculty members and community leaders, including Charlottesville City Councilor Wes Bellamy.

The workshops were meant to teach students how to get involved in politics and effect change at the local level.

Brian Balogh, an associate professor of history, marched with students from the Rotunda to Robertson Hall, where he led the first teach-in, which discussed how to be active in local politics.

Speaking before the teach-in, Balogh said it is crucial that students pay attention to what is happening in their own neighborhoods.

[Local politics] is where everything starts; its where political leaders get their start, he said. Its where you change things that affect your life directly.

Balogh encouraged students to get involved in the boring work of local politics  getting involved in community organizations, electing local politicians and starting grassroots movements. Thats how Republicans gained so much clout at the state and local levels, Balogh said, and its how liberals can begin making the changes they want to see.

This is what politics is about, he said.
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

Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs

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 ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

Category: Economy & Banking Current Affairs - 2022  Government Schemes Current Affairs  States Current Affairs

Topics: Electronics  electronics manufacturing  Electronics Manufacturing Cluster  electronics manufacturing clusters  Maharashtra

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 ..

Category: Current Affairs Quiz - 2022: Daily Objective Current Affairs MCQ Quiz

Tags: 2022  Current Affairs Quiz - November

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  ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

Category: Today's News Headlines

Topics: 2022  Current Affairs  Current Affairs: News Headlines  Headlines  Latest News Headlines  News Headlines  Today's News Headlines  Top Headlines  Top News

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 ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

Category: Economy & Banking Current Affairs - 2022  States Current Affairs

Topics: data centre  Economy of Uttar Pradesh  Greater Noida  Uttar Pradesh

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 ..

Month: Current Affairs  November, 2022

Category: India Nation & States Current Affairs

Topics: Citizenship  Citizenship Act 1955  Citizenship Act 1955 and Provisions of Indian Citizenship  Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)  Ministry of Home Affairs  persecuted religious minorities
Initial reaction to word that some University of Virginia students and faculty members are staging a walkout to protest the Trump inauguration might be one of sympathy or censure, depending on your political viewpoint.

Our primary view is that students and faculty should stay in class and work toward their primary goal: obtaining and imparting education. Students then can work for a better world, politically or otherwise, in fields of their choice.

But our overall theme of the past year and more has been about nothing if not the value of taking a second look  and a third and a fourth, if need be. From Charlottesvilles Civil War statues to students previous reactions to Donald Trumps election, weve counseled combatants to try to understand the viewpoint of the opposite side. Few issues in life are simple and straightforward. Meanwhile, a measure of maturity is the ability to tolerate conflicting ideas.

So wed like to point out that, whether you approve of todays protest or not, the organizing group has gone to quite a bit of effort to ensure that it is more than just a mindless, knee-jerk reaction.

Mass Prep, a coalition of UVa student activist groups, has called for a walkout just before noon today, Inauguration Day. But students are being urged to do more than just walk out.

Mass Prep is holding a brief rally at the Rotunda, and then sponsoring a series of teach-in events on topics such as immigration, climate change and race relations.

A spokesman said the workshops will teach students how to get involved in politics and advocacy work now ; how to advance their progressive agenda now . In other words, to encourage them not to wait until they have a degree and go to work in the fields of their choice. Thats admirable.

Heres the downside: Students are unlikely to hear anything that challenges their assumptions. Instead, they may well have their assumptions reinforced.

But theres also this to be considered: The protest is being conducted at the university founded by a man who helped found our country and who imbued it with many of its guiding principles. Among those is freedom of speech. It would be hypocritical of us to tell students at Mr. Jeffersons University that they shouldnt speak out about their beliefs.

Finally: Having appropriate outlets for protest is one way to prevent resentments and disaffections from escalating unreasonably. This is in fact one of the reasons the Founders supported free speech.

Student spokesman Wes Gobar says the walkout should not be considered an excuse to get out of class or be perceived as a concession to overly sensitive students.

All we ask is that people dont treat this as a normal day and they try to understand whats happening ... and they continue to be active citizens over the next four years.

Thats a reasonable, and reasoned, request.
Former President George W. Bush poetically described Vladimir Putin as trustworthy, adding that he looked into Putins soul. As cited by The Washington Post:  I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy, Bush said in remarks he later regretted. ... I was able to get a sense of his soul  (Dec. 1, 2015).

Subsequently, Mr. Putin illegally annexed Crimea, sent Russian troops into eastern Ukraine and came to the aid of the Syrian dictator and helped bomb eastern Aleppo back to the Stone Age and, in the process, killed thousands of innocent men, women and children. Hospitals and sanctuaries were targeted as Mr. Putin and his military ruthlessly employed air power to achieve their goal.

In addition, a Russian surface-to-air missile made its way into the hands of Russian-sponsored Ukrainian rebels, which they used  according to an investigation  to shoot down a Malaysian passenger jet, killing 298 on board.

So much for Putin being trustworthy.

New President Donald J. Trump has been fatuously singing the praises of Mr. Putin, calling him a great leader and saying, "I always knew he was very smart."

He and Vice President Mike Pence have even elevated him over President Obama, suggesting that Putin's a better leader.

Whether or not any American admires Barack Obama, he is our president while he's in office.

And Mr. Trump should not give praise to a totalitarian, murderous dictator and former communist KGB agent devoted to imperiling the "enemy  the United States. It is naive and irresponsible.

It is difficult to comprehend a world-class con man falling for Putin's false flattery and borderline adulation. But flattery is manna to Mr. Trump's soul and what many psychiatrists and psychologists say is textbook "narcissistic personality disorder."

This is a very dangerous and threatening situation to our nation. We need clear-headed leadership to understand what Mr. Putin is up to, not someone singing the praises of this evil man.

As Mr. Putin goes about his goal of restoring the Russian empire and making Russia great again, he is playing Mr. Trump like a pawn

I think if Mr. Trump were to ask the frightened and threatened people of Poland, Latvia, Estonia or Lithuania how they are seeing Mr. Putin, he might have a different assessment.

To paraphrase an earlier comment about another American president: Putin is playing chess, Trump is playing marbles.

Harry A. Tenney

Charlottesville
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
According to a draft budget, Orange, Madison, Greene, Louisa and Fluvanna counties will see an increase in their funding contributions to the Central Virginia Regional Jail (CVRJ) in fiscal year 2018.

The draft budget, approved as such by the CVRJ Authority last Thursday and subsequently sent to the localities, totals approximately $14.5 million, an approximately $170,000 or 1.18 percent increase over the current years budget. It requests approximately $9 million from the five counties the jail serves, approximately $2.5 million more than the current years budget.

Each localitys individual share of the collective contribution is based on its average inmate population over a three-year period. This doesnt equal individual prisoners, but rather inmate days. With an average population of 37,644, Louisa carries 34.48 percent, or approximately $3.1 million of the collective $9 million contribution. Louisa has had the highest average population and has been the top contributor among the localities for several years.

Coming in second is Orange, with an average population of 26,457, which is actually an increase of just under 3,000 over the current year. The locality carries 24.23 percent, or approximately $2.2 million of the total.

Next is Greene with 18,453 inmates and 16.9 percent or $1.5 million; followed by Fluvanna, 15,510 inmates and 14.21 percent or $1.3 million; and Madison, 11,110 inmates and 10.18 percent or $918,000.

Currently, Louisa contributes approximately $2.2 million to the jail, followed by Orange at $1.4 million, Greene at $1.1 million, Fluvanna at $987,000 and Madison at $711,500.

However, the jump in the contributions should come as no surprise to the localities, all of which received a five-year funding forecast in early 2016. That forecast actually had the localities pitching in approximately $250,000 more than the allocation including in the draft budget.

Based on the forecast, each [locality] is coming in a little lower except for Orange [County], CVRJ Finance Director Teresa Miller said. Overall, its about $250,000 less than what we had projected.

Miller said the major reason for the increase is the decrease in federal funding. Up until 2009, the localities didnt fund the jails operational costs because of the revenue that was generated in housing federal prisoners.

With approximately 222 federal prisoners in fiscal year 2006, the jail generated just over $3.7 million in federal revenue. However, that number continued to drop with a steady decline of approximately $400,000 a year through fiscal year 2010 when the decline tapered off. However, it picked back up again in fiscal year 2012 and has continued. As of fiscal year 2016, there were only 44 federal prisoners housed at CVRJ, generating just over $800,000 in federal revenue.

Because of the drop, localities started picking up a piece of the tab in fiscal year 2009, funding $1.05 million collectively. As the federal revenue has decreased, the total collective contribution from the localities has had to increase. To try to offset the impact, the jail authority pushed to use a portion of the fund balance for the budget a few years ago, with approximately $3.1 million used in fiscal year 2016 and approximately $1.9 million used in fiscal year 2017. The current draft budget includes $500,000 in fund balance monies to balance the budget.

That isnt a sustainable plan though because that well is running dry. Miller said theres about $1.8 million left in the fund balance after the draft budgets $500,000 pull. That money will need to pay for a roof replacement at the jail which is likely to run around the $1 million mark.

The jail isnt generating revenue, she said. Housing federal prisoners is what built that balance [and] thats gone.

Where have all the federal prisoners gone? According to CVRJ administration, requests have been made to the U.S. Marshals Service for additional inmates to at least meet the budgeted housing number, but the response has been that the federal judges are just not sentencing. As of this month, the jails average daily federal inmate population is 25. If the jail took the position that it could house at least 20 federal inmates, the issue becomes if it will be able to keep its federal exemption.

According to Code of Virginia, if a regional jail was constructed with more federal dollars than state or local dollars, a federal exemption is applied. For CVRJ, this principle was true in that the federal government funded two former expansion projects. The exemption protects funding it that it doesnt allow for state revenue to be deducted for housing federal inmates. However, with the upcoming reimbursement for the recently completed expansion project, the tables have flipped and the state has funded more of the construction than the federal government. Thus the jail could lose its exemption and a portion of state revenue along with it. Without the exemption, it doesnt make sense to house even the 20 federal prisoners, Miller said, explaining the jail likely wouldnt even break even, much less earn any revenue.

CVRJ Superintendent Frank Dyer said jail administration has met with the compensation board to discuss obtaining a partial exemption, but is still waiting for a response. Therefore, no federal government revenue has been included in the budget.

Other revenue included in the budget includes approximately $242,000 in funding from jail sources including work release and housing inmates from non-member jurisdictions. As a side note, it isnt likely that the latter could make up for the loss in funding associated with the declining federal inmate population. Miller said most other jurisdictions participate in their own jails and arent sending out inmates while Culpeper County jail, which has sent inmates before, has made no commitment to do so.

Also included in the budget is approximately $4.8 million in state revenue, including money for housing state prisoners and funds received for salaries and benefits.

On the expenditures side, there are no planned salary increases or adjustments saved for an amount set aside for unknown insurance increases ($145,290), although jail authority members discussed adding one in order to maintain employees and not become a training ground for other higher paying jurisdictions. There are also small decreases in administration costs (-$6,269) and information technology (-$45,107) with the latter being due to a savings created by hiring an in-house IT technician who has saved substantially on contracts. There are also small increases for required training ($14,318) and the purchase of tires ($7,202) with a decrease in security (-$3,929). An increase in medical has been included ($555,932) because jurisdictions have routinely been exceeding the budgeted amount due to inmates needing medical attention for mostly pre-existing conditions (heart problems, dialysis, cancer treatments, etc.). A decrease has been budgeted in food services due to the completed purchase of some kitchen items (-$31,200) with the establishment of a work release fund ($22,900) for better budgeting. The fund was created using monies pulled from other department budgets. Theres also an increase in building and grounds ($68,073) due to increase costs for HVAC contracts; a decrease in capital outlay (-$535,486) due to completed equipment purchases and the parking lot project and a $50,000 decrease in debt service, which will be paid off prior to the adoption of the budget.

The only capital purchases in the budget are a washing machine at $10,000, an HVAC replacement at $40,000, handheld radios at $3,000, a telephone system replacement at $50,000, two vans at $70,000, an electronic management record system at $42,000 and hardware and software upgrades at $40,000.

The budget was approved as the draft unanimously by jail authority members in attendance and will be discussed again at subsequent meetings.
WASHINGTON  Calling out Donald Trump on climate change, race, his treatment of women and more, protesters pitching diverse causes but united against the incoming president demonstrated in the early hours of Inauguration Day, intent on making their mark as Trump prepared to take office.

Spirited demonstrations unfolded at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police in riot gear helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now," ''Let Freedom Ring," ''Free Palestine."

The DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, had promised that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest when necessary.

Lines for ticket holders entering two gates stretched for blocks at one point as protesters clogged entrances.

Trump supporter Brett Ecker said the protesters were frustrating but weren't going to put a damper on his day.

"They're just here to stir up trouble," said the 36-year-old public school teacher. "It upsets me a little bit that people choose to do this, but yet again it's one of the things I love about this country."

At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay. Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organize the Disrupt J20 protest, said protesters wanted to show Trump and his "misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous" supporters that they won't be silent.

Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard.

More demonstrations were planned for later in the day. For one DisruptJ20 event, a march beginning at Columbus Circle outside Union Station, participants were asked to gather at noon, the same time as Trump's swearing-in as the 45th president.

The route for the march, which organizers called a "Festival of Resistance," ran about 1.5 miles to McPherson Square, a park about three blocks from the White House, where a rally featuring the filmmaker and liberal activist Michael Moore was planned.

"We're going to throw a party in the streets for our side," organizer David Thurston told reporters last week, adding that drummers, musicians and a float of dancers were planned for the march.

Along the parade route, the ANSWER Coalition anti-war group planned demonstrations at two locations.

Protesters and supporters of Trump clashed Thursday evening outside a pro-Trump event in Washington. Police used chemical spray on some protesters in an effort to control the unruly crowd. Hundreds gathered outside the National Press Club in downtown Washington, where the "DeploraBall" was being held. The name is a play on a campaign remark by Hillary Clinton, who once referred to many of Trump's supporters as a "basket of deplorables."

The demonstrations won't end when Trump takes up residence in the White House. A massive Women's March on Washington is planned for Saturday. Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbia's homeland security director, has said 1,800 buses have registered to park in the city Saturday, which could mean nearly 100,000 people coming in just by bus.

Jim Bendat, an expert on inaugural history, said significant protests surrounding Inauguration Day go back at least to 1913, when suffragettes marched down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Richard Nixon's first and second inaugurations drew memorable protests, he said, with demonstrators at the second inauguration angry about the Vietnam War. During President George W. Bush's 2001 inauguration, demonstrators along the parade route turned their backs as the president passed by and others held signs like "Hail to the thief," suggesting Bush had stolen the election from Democrat Al Gore. At least one egg thrown from the crowd hit the presidential limousine. In 2005, demonstrators disrupted Bush's inaugural address.

Bendat said it's to be expected that after such a contentious election, demonstrators will come to Washington to express their opinions.

"That's part of democracy, too," he said.
The Cabinet includes 16 members, and features 15 department heads plus the vice president. Other senior officials enjoy Cabinet rank. All the secretaries occupy important posts and lead massive organizations. Four members, outside the vice president, possess extraordinary status. Their ranks include the secretaries of state, treasury and defense as well as the attorney general.

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine recently announced he will vote for Donald Trumps nominee for Defense but against his nominee for State. Kaine serves on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees. His decisions matter.

Regarding Defense he says:

I will support the nomination of Gen. James Mattis to be secretary of defense. In his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday, he demonstrated a clear-eyed view of our current national security environment and a deep appreciation for the challenges facing U.S. servicemembers and their families. I believe he is well-prepared to lead the Department of Defense and provide the incoming administration with wise and strategic counsel on matters of national security.

I recognize the normal rule that a secretary of defense should be a person who has not served in the military for at least seven years and believe that we should not make an exception to that rule except in unusual circumstances. But the security challenges facing this country, my deep concerns about some members of the incoming administrations national security team and General Mattis solid commitment to building strong civilian/military understanding, as evidenced by his recent book on the subject, warrants making an exception in this case.

Regarding State, Kaine explains:

I will oppose the nomination of Rex Tillerson as secretary of state. He has a notable record of business success and a laudable commitment to civic affairs. But he did not demonstrate the awareness, judgment or independence I expect from our nations chief diplomat. I asked Mr. Tillerson to respond to a series of investigative articles suggesting that ExxonMobil had long understood the connection between CO2 emissions and climate change but chose to wage a public campaign to misinform the public about this scientific consensus. This issue is directly relevant to Mr. Tillersons potential work as secretary because of the American commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement. It is also directly relevant to Virginia, a state seeing troubling climate effects such as sea level rise in Hampton Roads.

Mr. Tillerson would not answer my repeated questions about what he knew about this during his 40+ years as an executive and CEO of the company. And when I asked whether he lacked the knowledge to answer my questions or was refusing to, he responded a little of both. His refusal caused me to question whether he could set aside the interests of ExxonMobil to execute the duties and responsibilities of the office to which he was nominated. This concern was heightened by his discussion of the U.S.-Russian relationship, his refusal to strongly condemn atrocities committed by Vladimir Putin and Roderick Duterte, and his repeated efforts to downplay ExxonMobils efforts to lobby against sanctions legislation.

The U.S. needs a secretary of state who can put the interests of the nation above any other loyalty. Mr. Tillerson did not give me confidence in his ability to fully do that.

Kaine made two good calls. Mattis boasts a sterling resume. He follows in the tradition of George Marshall. Mattis understands the ISIS threat and Americas proper response; his appreciation of NATO counters Trumps ignorance. We trust him. Although our initial editorial on Tillersons nomination reserved final judgment, his selection troubled us. His testimony did not overcome our concerns. Multinationals such as ExxonMobil engage in compelling business; they also appear to have foreign policies of their own. The nations interests do not necessarily come first. ExxonMobils record does not reassure us. The company has been too eager to accommodate Vladimir Putins Russia. The business community in general has not promoted human rights with zeal. Organized labor boasted a stronger record during the cold war. A banner for Polands Solidarity flew from the front of the AFL-CIOs national headquarters. To ExxonMobil, profits come first. This is not automatically wrong yet is not reassuring in national diplomacy. Blood oil has a questionable impact as well.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a horror classic. Kaine has cast light in the darker regions.
KCR  BJP      : -      ;       
The Farmington Regional Chamber of Commerce met for the monthly Business and Community Luncheon on Thursday at the Centene Center.

The featured speaker for the event was Bruce Williams, president of US Tool Group.

US Tool Group is the largest cutting tool reconditioning company in North America as well as one of the largest integrated suppliers in the aerospace industry, providing supplies for programs such as the joint strike fighter, F18 Fighter Jet and C17 transport as well as most commercial and private aircraft manufacturers.

The company has more than 100 locations throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico with more than 850 employees. The company moved its headquarters to Farmington in April of 2013, where more than half of the employees are located.

US Tool was founded by Bruces father, Paul G. Williams, in 1958 as a cutting tool reconditioning company.

His idea was to recondition cutting tools for mostly McDonnel Douglas in St. Louis, he said. As time went on, he learned he could expand the business to a nation-wide business reconditioning cutting tools.

More than 500,000 cutting tools are processed by the company each week.

Today, Im proud to say, weve grown to be the largest reconditioning company in the world by probably a factor of at least double or triple, he said.

The business has grown to include material and supply servicing to its customers.

A 1966 graduate of Bonne Terre High School, Williams would graduate from Georgia Tech in 1970 with a degree in electrical engineering, working for Anheuser-Busch in the engineering department after graduation.

In 1975, Williams moved back to the area to join his fathers business in Desloge, a place that he says was great for the company to begin and grow.

His son, Brent, now makes the third generation in the company.

Part of what makes the company so successful, Williams said, is the mindset of the company.

Were an engineer-minded company, he said. A lot of our competitors are more sales-oriented and they dont get into the details of cutting tools.

Major customers include Airbus, Spirit, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, among others.

The company also creates foam tool boxes used by manufacturers to keep track of tools  particularly when working on aircraft.

(Maintenance personnel) have to prove when they come off the airplane that theyve taken every single tool out of the airplane, he said. When one is missing, the yellow shows.

The company also has industrial vending solutions and integrated supply.

We basically supply all the manufacturing supplies that Northup Grumman, for example, and SpaceX and Bombardier and all these companieseverything they use in the manufacture of their airplane, but not the actual parts of the airplane, he said, explaining that includes cutting tools, abrasives and respiratory safety items among others.

The machines work much like a typical food vending machine. The employee scans a badge, tells the computer what item they need and dispenses the item.

The advantage of that is it cut downs on waste, he said. The supervisor  gets a report every month that shows what each person used and they are held accountable for it.

The companys IT system does a sweep of the nearly 1,000 machines each night to determine what has been sold and needs to be replenished.

Williams shared the story of the machines used by the SpaceX Company that were destroyed following the failed launch of a rocket on Sept. 1 of last year. Staff from US Tool Group were able to attend a later successful launch.

We got the contract about eight months ago where they took off with the rocket, delivered the satellite  and land just like Buck Rogers, he said.

Two of the vending machines at the launch area at the time of the failed launch were destroyed, which Williams said led to an interesting conversation with the accounting department.

They came in my office and said we got a notification that two of these machines were ruined at SpaceX. What do we mark down in the books as what happened? Williams said. I said put down they were burned up in rocket explosion.
The St. Francois County Commission held a budget hearing recently where County Auditor Bret Burgess went over the upcoming years budget and changes made from last years budget.

At the late December meeting, Burgess started off with details in regard to the budget and he said the County General Revenue Fund Estimated Income for 2017 is $6,329,854.05 plus a projected 2016 year-end cash balance to be carried over into 2017 of $3,821,083.71.

The year-end cash balance does not include the following unencumbered cash balances: $238,839.96 set aside for emergencies as required by Missouri Law and held in a separate Emergency Fund; $1,808,157 that is being held in the General Stabilization Fund with another potential transfer of $300,000 available to be transferred over in 2017, said Burgess. The 2017 Revenue is up primarily due to the end of the year cash balance that came in higher than anticipated and the new five-year average of sales tax income evaluation used.

Burgess explained for General Fund budgeting purposes, the $3,821.083.71 year-end cash balance is the only cash balance listed in the General Fund Budget as a Partial Prior Year Revenue line item.

Please note, this is always stated or at least has been by me, we are only recording this cash on hand as a revenue line item for budgeting purposes, said Burgess. In order to show a balanced budget with our new budgeting software we have to record a cash balance from prior year as a revenue line item. However, our year end financials will reflect prior year revenue as cash and it will not be recorded as revenue. Revenue will only reflect new monies received during the current fiscal year.

Burgess said the County Auditors Office recommends beginning with an unencumbered operating cash balance equal to or greater than three months of the annual General Fund Budgeted Expenses.

This does not include the general Stabilization Fund Balance, however the Emergency Fund is allowed to be included in this amount, stressed Burgess. Therefore, the 2017 General Fund Budget exceeds this beginning operating cash balance recommendation of $1,989,535.20 or 25 percent with a beginning operating cash balance of $2,431,645.20 or 30.5 percent of the 2017 total general Fund Expenses.

Burgess directed the commission to look at their budget and view the first page which showed the general fund. They could see how, as he stated, the prior year revenues is really cash on hand. Because of how the system is designed, it requires it to reflect that so they could have a balanced budget.

In total, on page three of the revenue side of the General Fund Budget, we are reporting $10,150,947.76, of course $3,821,000 of that is cash on hand being moved forward, said Burgess. That is an anticipated dollar amount and it could be a little higher, but that is what we are projecting as of right now.

Burgess added the 2017 General Fund Budgets Estimated Expenses are $7,958,141.15 which is $510,970.20 above the 2016 General Fund Budgeted Expenses. The increased expenditures are largely due to the following new budget appropriations.

In this budget $200,000 is set aside for a possible new real estate acquisition and its first year operating expenses based on budgeting, said Burgess. Next, $172,000, which is approximate, to cover increases in health insurance premiums and that again, is just for general revenue. Its over from last year. Lastly, $100,000, approximately, to cover increased operating costs of the county coroner with the loss of his previous facility and some increased staffing needs in the IT Department.

Burgess went on to say that there are some additional minor expenses, which are mainly from health insurance expenses in each department. The new software allows them to do easy year-by-year comparisons.

With the implementation of the new Tyler Software Incode, we are now better positioned to understand our annual budgeting, make year-to-year comparisons, and by adding up to date line items we now have a much clearer picture of how county tax dollars are being spent, said Burgess.
Missouri is one step closer to becoming a right-to-work state, after the House voted 100 to 59 in favor of the legislation Thursday in Jefferson City. It now moves to the state's Senate where the legislation is expected to pass easily.

Should the bill  sponsored by Republican 148th District Rep. Holly Rehdern  becomes law, employees in Missouri will no longer be required to pay union fees. The bill also includes language allowing for criminal penalties for anyone violating the proposal.

While there have been previous attempts to pass similar legislation in the state for years, now that the GOP holds a super-majority in the legislature and newly-elected Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, a Republican who campaigned on passing right-to-work in the state, it seems likely to succeed this time.

Although right-to-work is strongly supported by most Republican legislators, local state representatives Kevin Engler, R-Farmington; Mike Henderson, R-Bonne Terre; Paul Fitzwater, R-Potosi, and Elaine Gannon, R-De Soto, all voted against the bill.

Still, while the legislators didn't favor the bill's passage, the general consensus was that it is all but inevitable and that right-to-work is going to be the law of the land in Missouri.

"I've been consistent throughout," said Rep. Engler. "I represent a union district  Ste. Genevieve County  and I voted against it, but it's inevitable. In the past the legislature just passed it with enough votes that when it got vetoed by the governor, they couldn't override it. Now he needs 82 votes and he had over 100, so I would imagine it will go into effect.

"If it's going to happen, it needs to be part of job creation. To do that we've got to do tort reform, we've got to do workers compensation reform, we've got to do unemployment insurance reform and discrimination lawsuit reform. So it's got to be part of a bigger picture. I've recruited jobs, tried to get people to come to our area. Companies want to know about those other things just as they want to know about right-to-work."

Rep. Fitzwater said, "We were just a small group of Republicans that stood steadfast and supported the working families, especially those in our area. I had some of the representatives come up to me and say, 'What are you doing?' I said, 'Representing my constituents.'

"I come from a family of unionized workers. My dad was a Teamster, my brothers are union concrete finishers and I actually worked for the union myself when I was working during the summers. The largest number of people who contacted me about this issue, they didn't want right-to-work. It takes a lot of courage to stand up against your party. People don't realize that. You have to take the heat from that.

Fitzwater said that some who have contacted him have complained about his campaigning for Greitens in his run for governor, knowing that the political novice made it clear he was pro-right-to-work and would sign it into law if he were elected.

"What was I supposed to do ... campaign for Chris Koster?" Fitzwater asked. "I don't think so. That was one issue I disagreed with Greitens on and I let him know that up front. I just think people are fearful right now because it's going to be something new.

"My son-in-law called me from Texas  he works for the union down there and he asked me, 'What are people panicking for?' He said, when it came to Texas, the unions got stronger. Their membership grew. I'm not a pessimistic person and I hope the unions will stay strong because I believe they do some of the best work and stand behind what they do. That's important to me."

Rep. Mike Henderson stated that he is unequivocally against right-to-work and voted against it twice.

"I don't think it's good for the constituents in my district," he said. "We have a lot of union households who earn a very good living working for the unions. I believe one of the things you have to do when you are elected to office is look at your constituents and go with them.

"I think it is going to pass. That's going to happen. I've been answering many, many emails and I have been honest with my constituents for a week and a half, telling them that I understand, but the bill's got the votes. It's going to pass. I also told them I wouldn't support it and I wouldn't vote for it  and I didn't."

As all eyes turn to the Missouri Senate to see what happens with the bill, Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington, intends to hold strong against its passage, but also sees the writing on the wall.

"I have always opposed and voted against right-to-work and paycheck protection and I will continue to do so," he said. "I will look for ways to lessen the impact for what the right-to-work language has at this point. One of the points in there is a penalty clause for an employer who wants to maintain a union shop.

"We want to see if we might negotiate that out. If a business wants to operate as a union shop, they should have that right just as much as one that doesn't want to operate as one. I think it's important that we keep it a fair and balanced playing field."
The Madison County Chamber of Commerce met Jan. 12 for their monthly meeting at Black River Electric Cooperative in Fredericktown.

The chamber discussed its new phone line and website, as well as an upcoming meet and greet.

The chambers newly-developed website is found at www.madisoncountycc.com and its new phone number is 573-783-2604.

The chamber will hold a meet and greet for the community at Southern Oaks Country Club today to continue its dialogue with residents. The event will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and will include refreshments.

The next chamber meeting will take place at Black River Electric Cooperative in Fredericktown on Feb. 10 at 8:30 a.m.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I've always harbored a secret dream of opening a restaurant. I always told myself that it is improbable, and there's no money in the business unless you make it big. I know it's a cutthroat industry, but I think I could make it work with the right guidance. Would restaurateurs even be willing to spill some of their secrets to me? I don't have any mentors, and I want to do this the smart way. -- Restaurant Dreamin', Milwaukee

DEAR RESTAURANT DREAMIN': Congratulations on preparing to make your dream come true. This is fantastic. You should know that it is rare for people to take action to make their dreams come true. Good for you.

Now, how to do it? Yes, you should reach out to restaurateurs in your neighborhood to ask for an information interview. Some owners will be open to your questions. But don't stop there. Look for a class in restaurant management so that you can learn the nuts and bolts of starting and growing a restaurant. There are so many details that need to be in place -- from location to cuisine to chef to wait staff to decor to insurance, you name it. Do the research on the front end so that you are as prepared as possible.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friends and I have committed to camping at a country music festival in a few weeks. I camped as a child and teen, so I know that it won't be glamorous, but we will create some great memories. Right after we purchased the camping passes, our friend "Angelica" told us that she would actually rather book a private hotel room and would just have us contact her and meet her at the gates every morning. I don't roll like that. I think if she is going to exclude herself, she should be finding us. What do I say to Angelica so she doesn't get her way? -- Not Waiting Around, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

DEAR NOT WAITING AROUND: You absolutely can turn this around to be more of a responsibility for Angelica. Have her come with you when you set up camp so she knows exactly where it is. Agree to a time for her to meet you at your campsite in the morning. Make it clear that if she is not there at that time, she will have to call or text you to find out where you are. Do not agree to meet her at the gate. If she needs a pass to enter the campgrounds, let her know she has to purchase one so that she can move independently.

The point here is that Angelica's desire for creature comforts in a hotel room is perfectly fine, but it should not require you or members of your group to coddle her in any way. If you establish ground rules for everyone, she will have to accept them.

Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106
Free Event

Please enter through Gate 3 or Gate 9 (the McLin Gym entrance). Doors open at 5.30pm.

For more than 50 years, former CBS News anchor and 60 Minutes correspondent Dan Rather has been the embodiment of the intrepid broadcast journalist. From the Kennedy assassinationwhere he was the first to break the news that the president had been killedto the Indian Ocean tsunami, he has covered every major story of our time with distinction and a fierce dedication to hard news. For his unparalleled devotion to his craft, he was named the 2012 recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Rathers datelines have been as far-ranging as Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, China, Russia, and Cuba. He was the last reporter on the air when the Chinese Army moved in with force during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest. He has interviewed Mikhail Gorbachev in Red Square and Fidel Castro in Cuba.



On the domestic front, Rather has covered every presidential campaign since 1952. He was White House correspondent for CBS News during the administrations of Presidents Johnson and Nixon. During the 1960s, as chief of the CBS southwest bureau, he reported on the Civil Rights struggle in the South.



He stayed on the air for 18 consecutive hours following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.



Rather was the first American network anchor to report from Iraq after the fall of Baghdad. He broke the shocking story in 2004 of the Abu Ghraib prison abuses, for which he was recognized in 2005 with the prestigious Peabody and Sigma Delta Chi awards. In 2011, he received the CPJ Burton Benjamin Memorial Award for his work as an original supporter in defending independent reporting.



After leaving CBS News, Rather pioneered a cable news magazine program that produced more than 300 hours of award-winning news and documentary programming. His production company has developed projects that include an interview program, documentaries, and digital video content.



Most recently, Rather was played by Robert Redford in the critically acclaimed drama Truth, released in theatres in October 2015.



Rather is a prolific author, having written, co-written, or contributed to several books. His entertaining memoir, Rather Outspoken: My Life in the News, was published in 2012.
Country

Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
New Delhi: Shares of Axis Bank plunged 6.5 per cent today after the company reported a sharp 73 per cent decline in December net profit. The stock tanked 6.54 per cent to Rs 452.05 on BSE.

At NSE, it declined 6.43 per cent to Rs 452.65. The stock was the biggest loser among blue-chips on both the Sensex and the Nifty during the morning trade. Heavy loan losses continued to impact Axis Bank's profitability, with a 73 per cent decline in December net at Rs 580 crore, but the third-largest private lender said the "peak of the pain" is done with. The Shikha Sharma-led bank had posted a net profit of Rs 2,175 crore in the year-ago period.
Despite slump in sales for a few days after demonetisation, which came back now, he said the company expected the rural economy to pick up in a few months.

Coimbatore: Mahindra and Mahindra, which has registered five per cent growth in last fiscal is expected to sustain the growth this fiscal also and as part of two-pronged market strategy, it will focus more in rural market, which contributed 40 per cent of the firm's sales, a top company official said today.

The real propulsion of growth still comes from rural area, where nearly 30 per cent of vehicles are sold, Senior Vice-president, Sales and Customer Care, Automotive Division, Veejay Ram Nakra told reporters here.

As part of increasing rural penetration, the company has identified 3,000 tehsils, where it would open new dealership or workshop or service centres, so that the rural customers need not come to urban area for their needs, Nakra said.

There was also plan to open more quick service outlets on Highways, in association with Indian Oil Corporation, he said. Despite slump in sales for a few days after demonetisation, which came back now, he said the company expected the rural economy to pick up in a few months, which will propel the demand for personal and commercial vehicles by next financial year.

Stating that the company at present has 300 dealers across the country, Nakra, here to inaugurate a new dealership Rajshree Autos Pvt Ltd, said it has also plans to increase its Compact Quick Service Centres from 130 to 300 in another 18 months.

Compared to Pan India growth of five per cent, Tamil Nadu, with 19 dealers, is witnessing the fastest 34 per cent growth, which also contribute about six and half per cent of national sales, Nakra said.
Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry have been at loggerheads since latter was ousted as Tata Sons chairman.

Mumbai: In what could be yet another setback for Cyrus Mistry, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India has refuted allegations levelled by the ousted Tata Sons chairman against Tata Group companies.

CNBC-TV18 on Friday reported that Sebi believes there is no concrete evidence against Tata companies yet. Sebi said it took up the Tata-Mistry case at its board meeting on January 14.

Days after he was abruptly removed as Tata Sons chairman on October 24, Mistry had alleged fraudulent transaction worth Rs 22 crore in Tata Group's joint venture with Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia.

However, Sebi did not rule out an investigation into charges of insider trading. Sebi is looking into allegations of insider trading within Tata Group companies, the channel quoted sources as saying.

The National Company Law Tribunal on January 18 had rejected Mistrys contempt plea that alleged oppression and mismanagement at Tata Sons.

Mistry had also alleged that the Tata Sons overlooked minority interests at the Group. Earlier, NCLT had refused a relief to Mistry who wanted his ouster declared void and Tata Sons board disbanded.
The government on September 21 decided to merge rail budget with the general budget

New Delhi: The Ministry of Railways has sought Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) of Rs 50,000 crore for 2017-18, though the Finance Ministry is likely to agree for only Rs 40,000-45,000 crore, a senior government official said.

"They (Railways) have sought Rs 50,000 crore as GBS, and I think they might get Rs 40,000-45,000 crore...In fact, the railways does not have capacity to absorb more than Rs 30,000 crore," the official said.

Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) of Rs Rs 40,000 crore was announced in the 2015-16 Rail Budget. However, the Finance Ministry for the current year had slashed it to Rs 28,000 crore, citing slow spending pace.

Ending 92-year-old tradition, the government on September 21 decided to merge rail budget with the general budget and agreed in-principle to advance the date of its presentation in Parliament on February 1.

The government has also decided to do away with the Plan/ Non-Plan expenditure classification in Budget 2017-18 and replace it with 'capital and receipt.'
ICICI Lombard is a joint venture formed in 2001 between ICICI Bank, Indias second largest bank, and Fairfax, which is led by Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa.

Mumbai: Fairfax Financial Holdings is in early talks to sell 25 percent of Indias largest private general insurer ICICI Lombard in a deal that could fetch up to $1 billion, as the Canadian firm looks to cash out and start a new insurance joint venture, sources familiar with the matter said.

ICICI Lombard is a joint venture formed in 2001 between ICICI Bank, Indias second largest bank, and Fairfax, which is led by Canadian billionaire Prem Watsa.

Fairfax, which owns a 35 per cent stake in the venture, has seen the value of its investment surge over the past five years, as Indias general insurance market and ICICI Lombard have grown at a compounded annual rate of over 16 per cent.

Vehicle ownership in the country has surged and the market remains under-penetrated. Reducing its stake to 10 per cent will allow the Canadian firm to start a new general insurance joint venture in India, which it aims to do, one of the sources said, adding foreign investors cannot own more than 10 per cent of two insurance companies, as per Indian regulations. PE firms, including Blackstone Group and KKR & Co, as well as some Canadian pension funds have expressed interest in Fairfaxs stake, the sources said.

ICICI may also look to sell a 10 per cent stake in the unit at the same time, one source said. Buyers are likely to pay a larger premium for a stake in ICICI Lombard if they are able to get as much as a third of the firm, the sources said.

Two sources said a deal is likely to be finalised in the next two months.

Fairfax may redeploy some of the proceeds to fund its takeover of Swiss insurer Allied World, a source said.
Udai has sought incentives for shopkeepers using the biometric mode for digital transactions, in line with commission given by banks to business correspondent.

New Delhi: The number of digital financial transactions made through UPI and Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) mode has grown exponentially by 3,574 per cent and 10,603 per cent respectively till January 18, according to MoS (electronics and IT), P.P. Chaudhary on Friday.

Even as to promote Aadhaar-based payment system, especially in rural pockets, UIDAI has sought incentives for shopkeepers using the biometric mode for digital transactions, in line with commission given by banks to business correspondents.

If a merchant is using Aadhaar-enabled payment systems then he should be put on par with business correspondent and whatever facility and commission are available to the business correspondent, he should be paid on the same lines, said UIDAI CEO, Ajay Bhushan Pandey.

Noting the current incentive for business correspondent is up to one per cent of the transaction value subject to a cap of Rs 15, Mr Pandey said where incentivising merchants is concerned banks could fix the modalities depending on transaction volumes.

Mr Pandey said that incentivising shopkeepers who adopt the biometric payment system would also remove an extra layer as consumers today approach banks, ATMs or business correspondents for withdrawal of money to purchase items such as ration.

Meanwhile, Mr Chaudhary said that the digital payment will generate a transparent economy and enhance direct and indirect tax collection. We can assume there can be a rise of 25 per cent of the direct taxes and this money could be used in shoring up infrastructure to bridge the divide between rural and urban, he said at an Assocham conference.

Mr Chaudhary said that currently about 74 crore debit and credit cards are being used, while about half a billion population is using the internet, there are 102 crore mobile phones, 110 crore Aadhaar and more than 20 crore Jan-Dhan accounts, so the complete ecosystem has already been put in place for using digital payment mode.

He said that the Bhim app has witnessed several million downloads in the country in just a few days. With further updates of applications to be released in the coming few days, we expect it to become the mainstay for undertaking financial transactions throughout the economy sooner than envisaged earlier.
Akshay Kumar was last seen in the very successful 'Rustom'.

Mumbai: Akshay Kumar loves his fans but he wants them to be safe as well.

The actor, who's gearing up for the release of his highly anticipated 'Jolly LLB 2,' his first release after the very successful 'Rustom,' has been busy with the film's promotions.

The actor, however had a bittersweet shock, when a fan showed up, all the way from Haridwar. But when it got revealed that the man had cycled through his strenuously long journey, Akshay wasn't too impressed.

He did have a good few moments with the innocuous man, even sharing a picture on his Instagram feed. However, he didn't forget to warn his fans against attempting such stunts.

'Jolly LLB 2,' helmed by Subhash Kapoor, stars Akki alongside Huma Qureshi, Annu Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla.
The tension between comic actor Sunil Grover and Vishal Mishra, the producer and director of Coffee with D, has now reached a flashpoint as Sunil claims he was not allowed to see the film. The movie had been mired in controversy from the word go, about the portrayal of Dawood Ibrahim and Vishal claims Sunil wanted to run amok with scissors to avoid controversies.

Says Vishal, Why should I let Sunil see the film, when he wanted to personally edit out all the scenes with Dawoods controversial dialogues? The filmmaker claims that the actor, who plays a journalist in the movie, had cowed down after allegedly receiving threats from the underworld. He was instructed to eliminate those dialogues about Dawood, or else hed face another kind of elimination. He wanted to personally edit out all the scenes that form the crux of the movie, adds Vishal. The filmmaker says he would rather brave the underworld than remove those scenes. I cannot reduce my film to an ineffectual condition, just to appease the threatening elements. Sunil can afford to mess with the film, I cant.
Chennai: As PETA faced pro-jallikattu protesters' ire for opposing the bull taming sport, Tamil film star Dhanush today said he was not part of the animal rights advocacy group and described as an "insult" an award given to him by the NGO a few years ago.

"A few years ago, PETA honoured me for being a vegetarian. I now consider it a grave insult. I regret it," he on being chosen as PETA's "Hottest Vegetarian" in 2012.

Dhanush said neither he nor any of his family members were part of PETA, adding if someone claimed anything contrary to that it was a "rumour."

He urged the Centre to remove bulls from the 'performing animals' category and thus ensure jallikattu was held in the state.

Though he had many fans, he was now a fan of Tamil youth, who were spearheading the pro-jallikattu protests, Dhanush said, adding, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should promulgate an ordinance to allow the sport.

He lauded the youth for carrying out peaceful and dignified protests.
Rajinikanth had also spoken up against the ban in the past. (Source: Twitter)

Mumbai: With growing outrage over the Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu, the protest by scores of students and professionals at Chennai's Marina beach has gained momentum. Tamil cinema actors, including superstar Rajinikanth, also joined the protest at the Nadigar Sangam.

Actors like Suriya and Ajith have also joined in, in the ubiquitously booming silent protest against the ban on the traditional bull taming sport.

Also read: SC admits Centre's request, not to pass Jallikattu verdict for a week

City lawyers and traders have also extended their support to the cause. Markets were shut and transportation came to a standstill through the course of the day.

Composer AR Rahman had also said that he would be observing a fast today as a mark of silent protest.

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.

Also read: Will bring ordinance on Jallikattu, draft ready; Centre is coordinating: TN CM

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.

In a bid to defuse the swelling street protests, Tamil Nadu government today said it will issue an ordinance to ensure the conduct of Jallikattu sport in a day or two and has submitted a draft of it to the Union Home Ministry.

After discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and consultations with legal experts, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam announced this morning that the state government will amend a Central act on Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to allow conduct of Jallikattu in the state with Centre's backing and urged protestors across the state to withdraw their agitation following the likelihood of the bull taming sport to be held in a "day or two."
Rating:

Cast: Vladimir Mashkov, Danila Kozlovsky, Agne Grudyte, Katerina Shpitsa

Director: Nikolai Lebedev

Nikolai Lebedevs The Crew is a film about the honour and duty that bind the crew of every airline. With films such as Neerja and Sully still fresh in our memory, Russias two cents on the bravery of flight crews is not exactly a breath of fresh air. The protagonist, Alexey Gushchin (Danila Kozlovsky), is a courageous and self-righteous pilot, who keeps getting fired from his job because of his proclivity to defy the chain of command and walk where his moral compass points. His sensitivity towards the injustice that prevails in the world, which ultimately denies many suffering souls an opportunity to get rescued from crisis-hit zones, causes him to get evicted first from the Russian border, then the Air Force, and then again, air transportation.

Helped by his unnatural talent as a pilot and his father  a well-respected aircraft engineer  he is finally recruited as an apprentice pilot to Leonid Zinchenko (Vladimir Mashkov). For one entire hour, the film glosses over his flying skills as well as his budding romance with another pilot, Alexandra Kuzmina (Agne Grudyte). The second half puts the flight crew to test when, on a rescue mission, they land on an island where a volcano is about to erupt. After thinking on their feet, they depart on two separate planes, one of which runs out of fuel mid-air. More heroics and daredevilry follow, which can put Rohit Shettys staple stunt of having one man straddle two cars to shame.

Watching this film does not feel very different from watching a telenovela: the camera zooms in to exaggerate emotions; violins strum in the background as soon as a character sheds a tear; there are unrelated, mindless minor characters; and sheer bad acting. The film, however, for all its flaws, tries to comment on the nature of courage and selflessness that tends to clash with authority. Gushchin wants to transport toys to children in war-torn zones, but has to unload in the face of a major storm, although the plane also carries two brand new cars for elite politicians. In another instance, a big-shot on board the first class lights up cigarette and consequently gets into a brawl when Gushchin tells him that rules are rules.

Gushchin, unsurprisingly, gets reprimanded. In scenes reminiscent of Clint Eastwoods Sully, a committee sits to review the actions of our protagonists, overlooking the fact that they had just saved over two hundred passengers. One scene that stands out is a conversation between Gushchin and his father on the nature of patriotism. Gushchin, an impulsive, petulant, but sensitive man, has a rather narrow idea of patriotism. His father corrects him: patriotism is not about idle babble or flag-waving, or doing heroic things, but about letting your country flourish. Our protagonists do become heroes, saviours, almost martyrs, but ultimately, it is the owner of the airline who rules the day. Bureaucracy wins, and their country, like every other in the world, does not flourish, the common citizen be damned.

The writer is programmer, Lightcube Film Society
Director V.V. Vinayak, who directed Chiranjeevis comeback film, Khaidi No. 150 is all set to direct another actor from Chiranjeevis family  Sai Dharam Tej.

The discussions are almost over and the project may be announced at any time. Sai Dharam Tej is excited about this project as he is eagerly waiting to work with Vinayak. He knows that Vinayak is a big director and will project him well to appeal to the masses, says a source.

The actor is presently doing the film Winner directed by Gopichand Malineni and playing a cameo in Nakshtram. His next project will be with Vinayak and may start around March.
Tamannaah okayed the Telugu version after listening to the story that was adapted to the local sensibilitie: Source

We had earlier reported that actress Tamannaah has been roped in to play the role of Kangana Ranaut in the Tamil remake of Queen. It has now emerged that after elaborate discussions and story readings, the actress will be seen in the films Telugu remake as well. Interestingly, both the versions will have different directors.

Revathy will helm the Tamil and Malayalam versions of the film, while Ramesh Aravind will direct the film in Telugu and Kannada. Amala Paul and Parul Yadav have been roped in for the lead roles in Malayalam and Kannada respectively, shares a source, adding that Tamannaah is yet to sign on the dotted line.

She agreed to be a part of the Telugu version too after listening to a narration once the story was adapted to the local sensibilities. Tamannaah likes how her role has shaped up despite a couple of changes, the source adds.

Amy Jackson reprises the role of Lisa Haydon from the original for all the four versions. An official announcement is still awaited.
Despite the fact that Bedaquiline - a medicine used to treat Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MTR TB) - hurriedly introduced last year with the motive of making India TB-free, it continues to be in trial and is still available only in six centres in the country. (Representational image)

Chennai: Despite the fact that Bedaquiline - a medicine used to treat Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MTR TB) - hurriedly introduced last year with the motive of making India TB-free, it continues to be in trial and is still available only in six centres in the country. A young girl from Patna was recently denied the Miracle Medicine for TB despite being in dire need.

Though the drug falls under the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP), as of now, it is used in only six centres around the country in order to check its feasibility, said Dr Sunil Khaparde, deputy director general, ministry of health and family welfare, Government of India. When the medicine was initially launched, the patient would have to stay in Tambaram  the only centre in the state where the eligibility test is conducted  for two months for initial treatment. However, now, it just takes two weeks. Following the test, the patient can continue his treatment at the district training office at his district, said former state TB officer Dr Lakshmi Murali.

Referring to the case of the 18-year-old girl from Patna, Dr Mohan Natarajan, scientist and head of the clinical department, National Institute for Research in TB, said, As the medicine is still under the trial period, it is not readily available. If the medicine was available and not given to the patient, we could claim that she was denied the same.

Though the efforts of doctors and scientists in working towards eradicating the disease are being applauded, the need for a more accessible scheme that would provide those, especially in the rural population, with sustainable treatment is felt urgent by the public. Though another medicine called Delamanid was also introduced last year, experts say it may not do any good until infrastructure is stepped up.
Lebanese born former porn star Mia Khalifa made waves a couple of years back by appearing in a porn video wearing a hijab and has a worldwide fan following despite having bid adieu to the world of porn. She also made news with her witty comebacks to silent those who slammed her on the social media.

After a long time, Mia Khalifa is again in the news for something bizarre as her response to a fan who tattooed her face on her leg created a buzz on the internet. She slammed the man called Alexander Skate from Portugal and went on to call him an idiot.

She was apparently unhappy about the way the tattoo was done and made it clear that marking ones body permanently with her face was not flattering or cool, telling him to explain it to a future significant other.

Mia wrote,

First of all, you're an idiot. Second of all, my eyebrows are uneven. Third of all, what kind of two-for-one special did you get this tattoo on? I look like I just crawled out of the depths of hell nose first. What kind of dumbass would permanently mark their body with this? This isn't cool or flattering... you're an idiot lol. Good luck explaining this to any future significant others. Idiot.

Y'all, I found a piece worse than the Cowboys SB LI Champs tat. Hope he didn't expect a "thank u" from me. I will not condone this fuckery. pic.twitter.com/NmsI0XFcaI  Mia Khalifa (@miakhalifa) January 16, 2017

She also tweeted later to make it clear that she didnt appreciate such actions by her fans.
There are many people who face people who make fun of them for the disabilities they suffer every day and while some can deal with it, many cannot. A barista at took the whole idea of teasing to another level when he poked fun at a customer for stammering by writing his name with a stammer.

According to a report in the Metro, Richard Procter went to a Starbucks at Ashford International railway station in Kent to have his coffee; however he was surprised when the barista at the counter gave him his cup. The cup of coffee with his name was written as R R R Richard because he had a stammering problem that the barista noticed. The coffee chain which writes its customers name on the cup had a rather different approach to this one when the barista penned the name.

The treatment I received from one of [Starbucks] staff this morning was extremely offensive and humiliating, said Procter who owns an IT company. He also went on to say that it would definitely have not happened if it was a person with more obvious disabilities and it is not acceptable in public. While the photo went viral, Chief executive of The British Stammering Association (BSA) Norbert Lieckfeldt said: This is just another example of the ridicule and thoughtlessness that people who stammer face every day and which makes living your life with a stammer so hard.

Starbucks has been quick to apologise to Richard Procter and have also suspended the barista involved in the incident.
Hyderabad: Troubled by the alleged harassment of a stalker, a 16-year-old girl committed suicide in Meerpet. Venkatesh, who stays in the victims neighbourhood, had been pressuring her to accept his proposal.

Police said the victim was staying with her aunt in Lenin Nagar under Meerpet police station limits, and was working as a maid in the area. Srikanth, who works in a marble stone unit, started stalking her while she was on way to work and home.

One day, while she was on way home, he proposed to her. She rejected his proposal and went her way.

But Srikanth did not give up and continued to harass her.

Unable to bear his harassment she informed her aunt about Srikanth, who also warned him to stay away, but the harassment increased.

Fed up with Srikanths harassment the girl hanged herself at her aunts house on Wednesday evening.

Based on a complaint from her aunt, police registered a case against Srikanth under Sections 306 and 354-D and section 11 (iv) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

The police handed over the girls body to the family after post-mortem. Meanwhile, the police has set up teams to nab Srikanth who is on the run.
Bengaluru: JDS MLA of Magadi legislative constituency H. C. Balakrishna, verbally abused a police Circle Inspector and threatened that his party workers will assault policemen. The Kudur police have registered an FIR against the MLA and his supporters in this connection.

The incident took place on Wednesday, when the MLA visited Kudur police station to demand the arrest of Congress party workers, who allegedly assaulted JDS workers in two separate incidents.

On Saturday, a procession of deities was held in Ayyandalli village in Kudur police station limits and clash erupted between JDS and Congress workers and four JDS workers were assaulted. Again on Sunday, some Congress workers had reportedly assaulted JDS workers.

Though FIRs were registered in the case, the police have not arrested the accused. The JDS MLA along with his supporters had gone to the Kudur police station to demand the arrest of accused in both the cases.

While Magadi Circle Inspector H. L. Nandish, under whose jurisdiction the incidents took place, was assuring the MLA that police would definitely arrest those involved in the case, the MLA lost his cool and started abusing the inspector. He shouted at the inspector that the police were not arresting the Congress workers, as the party is in power in the state.

I know why you are not arresting the accused, the Congress government has castrated policemen. It is more than four days and you have not arrested a single person. You better suspend the sub inspector, I wont even ask you to arrest the accused, the MLA shouted at the inspector. When the inspector objected, the MLA abused him addressing him in singular. Later, the MLA came out of the station and addressed the party workers.

We have given time till Monday to arrest the accused. If there is no action, a massive protest will be held. We dont know what will happen that day. Our workers would lay siege to the police station, or assault the sub inspector, or assault the inspector, I dont know, the MLA threatened.

Taking serious note of the MLAs rowdy-like behaviour in the station, the IGP of the Central Range Seemanth Kumar Singh directed the Ramanagar police to register a case against him. Soon, the Kudur police registered an FIR against the MLA and his supporters, based on a complaint filed by inspector Nandish.

Ramangara SP Ramesh B told Deccan Chronicle, We have registered an FIR and booked the MLA and his supporters for assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace and other sections. As far as the assault cases are concerned, the accused are absconding and they will be arrested soon.
A 43-year-old daily wage worker was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting his 14-year-old daughter (who is now pregnant) at Uthukottai in Tiruvallur district on Wednesday. (Representational image)

Chennai: A 43-year-old daily wage worker was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting his 14-year-old daughter (who is now pregnant) at Uthukottai in Tiruvallur district on Wednesday. Uthukottai police arrested the man identified as Mohan, a resident of Uthukottai, based on the complaint of the girls aunt through an NGO.

The girls aunt learnt about the pregnancy when she visited her a few days back. The woman took her to hospital to confirm that the girl was pregnant. When she learnt that the girls father was behind her pregnancy, shocked relatives approached police through an NGO volunteer and submitted a complaint against her father. Police interrogated and arrested Mohan and a court remanded him in judicial custody after he was produced before a magistrate court in the city.

Police said Mohan was married to Kanchana, who is mentally ill. The couples elder daughter is being brought up in a relative's house while the younger daughter stays with them. Mohan, an alcoholic, started sexually abusing his daughter from July last year and his regular sexual assaults made her pregnant.
Hyderabad: Osmania University (OU) police arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly videographing a woman while she was taking bath.

The suspect S. Venkatesh, kept his mobile phone hidden inside his neighbours washroom.

However, the woman saw the phone and alerted her family, police said.

Police said Venkatesh was living in a rented place in Manikeshwar Nagar and preparing for competitive examinations.

On Thursday he sneaked to one side of his neighbours house and kept the mobile phone near the ventilator from outside. He wanted to record the woman taking bath. However, the woman saw the phone and alerted the police, said an officer.

After the arrest, Venkatesh confessed to the crime. Venkatesh belongs to Tirumalgiri in Suryapet district and was staying in Hyderabad since a year.

A case was booked against him for voyeurism and for outraging a womans modesty.
He said that out of the 3 kg which they claim to have smuggled from Odisha, police could seize only 450 grams. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: An MBA student studying in a city engineering college and two others who were selling ganja to engineering students were caught by Rachakonda police on Friday.

The suspects are Prakash Chandra, 24, studying MBA at the St Mary's Engineering College, Kumar Sanu, 25, working for a medical decoding company and Vijay Singh, 27, working as a chef in Mount Opera.

Police recovered 450 grams of the 3 kg ganja which they had smuggled from Odisha sometime back.

Based on a tip off, police arrested the trio and found shocking facts.

Prakash and Kumar hail from Odisha while Vijay belongs to Rajasthan.

A few months ago, Prakash, while coming from Odisha brought with him 3 kg ganja by train and started selling it to customers at Rs 200 a sachet of 8 to 10 grams. The Hayathnagar inspector said the trio were addicted to ganja but after understanding trade secrets they became peddlers and started smuggling it.

He said that out of the 3 kg which they claim to have smuggled from Odisha, police could seize only 450 grams.

They would have already sold it in institutions located in the surroundings. These people are only a small part of a huge racket which is in business since years. More people are suspected to be involved in the racket, he said.

Police arrested the trio and recovered ganja worth Rs 20,000 weighing 450 grams.

Investigations revealed that Vijay Singh who works as a chef in Mount Opera maintained a customer base which contains names of frequent visitors to the resort and also students from surrounding colleges.

Customers used to approach him and Prakash would deliver the stock to them. Kumar also helped Vijay and Prakash in selling ganja.
Hyderabad: A 37-year-old plumber who claimed to be Parents Association President and a member of a RTI NGO and harassed a school principal sexually was arrested by Cyberabad police on Friday.

The suspect was identified as Hanmakonda Upendra Chary. Police said Upendra threatened the managements of schools and demanded money from them.

Upendra approached the 35-year-old victim in October while she was in the school and introduced himself as President of the Parents Teacher Association and a member of an RTI NGO and asked her to show school records. He abused and misbehaved with her, after which she lodged a complaint with the police.
Hyderabad: A Vizag-based techie who came to Hyderabad to meet his brothers was stabbed by two youths during a brawl over a missing wallet at a bar in Kukatpally on Thursday night.

Raviteja who suffered serious injuries was hospitalised. The police booked an attempt to murder case against the youths.

Police said that Raviteja who works for Oracle came to Hyderabad two days ago to meet his brothers Praveen and Rohith who stay at Kukatpally. On Thursday night the trio came to the KB Bar near the Kukatpally Y Junction.

While consuming alcohol, Raviteja went to adjust the TV volume, and when he returned to his table he found his wallet missing from the table. He started searching for it on the floor.

Meanwhile, he saw Vishanth and Naveen who were sitting in the next table leaving. He intercepted them, and asked about his purse. They denied knowledge of it, and when he continued to question them, an argument broke out between the duo and Raviteja and his brothers. One of them broke a beer bottle and stabbed Raviteja in the stomach and other body parts. They also injured Praveen who went to help Raviteja, Kukatpally inspector K. Purusho-tham said.

Based on a complaint from Praveen, police registered an attempt to murder case and launched a hunt for the suspects.

Police found that Vishanth was working as a sales manager for a mobile service provider and Naveen as a mechanic in an automobile showroom till a few months ago and is now jobless.

Police also found that a CCTV camera in the area where the fight took place had broken down.

Raviteja is being treated at a private hospital, and is out of danger.

A hunt is on to nab the suspects.
New Delhi: After strong objections from New Delhi, global online vendor Amazon has stopped selling flip-flops with Mahatma Gandhi's image on its website. This comes a few days after the company pulled out doormats with the Indian national flag on it from its Canadian website.

On Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, You would recall my earlier statement that following External Affairs Minister (EAM)'s tweets, our Ambassador in Washington had been instructed to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third party vendors, they should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments. We have been in touch with Amazon both in Washington as well as in Delhi and we have had constructive conversations. 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.

Mahatma Gandhi flip flops (Photo: Amazon.com)

Swarup said that he was referring to the flip-flops (with Mahatma Gandhi's image on it) as the offending item which has now been pulled out by Amazon. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier received several complaints about Amazon selling these flip-flops.

Amazon had conveyed its regret to India over a third-party seller in Canada offending Indian sentiments by selling doormats in Canada with the Indian flag on it on the Amazon site in that country, adding that it has already pulled out the item from its website.

This had come after Swaraj had threatened to revoke the visas of all officials of Amazon as well as not grant any visas henceforth to them unless the company apologised for selling these offensive doormats.
Pune: Yoga guru Ramdev on Thursday 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?"

Also: Watch Baba Ramdev wrestle Olympic medalist

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."
Lucknow: The alliance between Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) for the Uttar Pradesh polls starting February 11 is already in trouble after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav came out with a list of 191 candidates.

According to reports, the SPs list includes candidates for 7 seats which the Congress holds at present. Moreover, a senior leader from SP said that the ruling party in UP could offer at most 80 to 85 seats to the Congress to contest the polls in an alliance.

Reacting to the development, UP state Congress chief Raj Babbar said that there could be no alliance at the cost of Congress workers self-respect. We are a big party and we cannot compromise on our workers' interest, he said.

Other state Congress leaders refused to comment on the Samajwadi Partys list of candidates.

Samajwadi Party's Kiranmoy Nanda on Thursday said the Congress should ideally be given no more than 54 seats to contest. "Other than that we can give them 30-35 seats...First let the alliance happen," he said, emphasising that, "We haven't received anything from the Congress side yet."

The Congress currently holds just 29 seats in the UP Assembly and is looking to increase its tally substantially. Vice President Rahul Gandhi was on a 2-and-a-half month tour of the state, and the grand old party hopes to capitalize on the problems faced by people due to the demonetisation scheme introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh nemesis and Mulayam Singh confidante Shivpal Yadav, along with controversial UP minister Azam Khan has made it to the first list of 191 Samajwadi Party candidates released today.

The ruling party's first list of candidates covers the first three phases of the seven-phase polling beginning on February 11.

Shivpal Yadav will contest the elections from Jaswantnagar, the constituency sought for him by SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, it was declared on Friday.

Rakesh Verma, son of Rajya Sabha member Beni Prasad Verma, whose name had figured in Shivpal's list, however, has been replaced by Akhilesh loyalist Arvind Singh Gope, Minister and sitting MLA from Ramnagar seat (Barabanki).

Azam Khan will contest from his traditional Rampur seat while his son Abdullah Azam has been given ticket from Swar seat (Rampur district).

The highlight of the list is inclusion of names of several Akhilesh loyalists who were left out in an earlier list of candidates that his father Mulayam Singh Yadav had released last month.

The inclusion of Shivpal in today's list of candidates indicates reconciliation between father and son.

A defiant Akhilesh had last month announced his own candidates after his father's list did not accommodate many of his key aides.

After the Election Commission's order on Monday recognising Akhilesh as SP president and granting him use of the party's 'bicycle' symbol, Mulayam had handed over to his son a list of 38 candidates that he wanted the party to field. Among them was Shivpal.

In the list of candidates declared today, 52 are Muslims and 18 women.

Though Akhilesh has taken care not to include controversial figures, still the list carries the name of Vijay Singh, who was the main accused in the murder of BSP leader Brahmdutt Dwivedi. He has been fielded from Farrukhabad.

Atiq Ahmed, a mafia-turned-politician, who had been given ticket by Shivpal from Kanpur Cantt, has been dropped and in his place Mohd Hasan Rumi has been given party ticket.

Akhilesh was upset over inclusion of Ahmed's name in the earlier list that bore the stamp of Mulayam and Shivpal. Atiq had yesterday told reporters that he would not contest the 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 had said, adding he would work to strengthen the party and refrain from doing anything that will strengthen communal forces.

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 tickets.
Chennai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said DMK can "only" stage protests on the Jallikattu issue and the ruling party at the Centre alone can find a solution to the vexed issue.

Party's Tamil Nadu President Tamilisai Sounderrajan also welcomed Chief Minister O Panneerselvam's announcement that the state would amend the Prevention of Cruelty Act, 1960.

"You can only agitate, we only can find solution which you failed to accomplish while in power," she said referring to Stalin staging a rail roko protest here this morning as his party was a key constituent in UPA during the tenure of which the ban on the bull-taming sport was imposed.

"Hon'ble TN CM assures ordinance on Jallikatttu. Welcome initiative (sic)," she said in a Tweet.

"I appeal to youth volunteers and students agitating for Jallikatttu to call off the agitation on govt's assurances on TN ordinance soon," Sounderrajan said in another tweet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "assured all support" to Tamil Nadu government's action for conduct of Jallikattu, she added.
A video grab of women's garments recovered from the spot where they were were allegedly raped.

Chandigarh: Rapping the Haryana police for denying that any rapes took place at Murthal in Sonipat during the Jat agitation last year, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday said that there was enough evidence to prove that women were raped.

According to reports, the court cited the recovery of womens underwear and witness accounts, and claimed that there was enough evidence to prove that rapes had indeed taken place during the Jat quota agitation that happened early last year.

The HC observation came after the amicus curiae Anupam Gupta accused the Special Investigation Team appointed by the Haryana police of working for the defence, and 'working in lack of good faith'.

The police earlier dropped charges against five men held in the case citing that DNA samples did not match those that were recovered from the crime scene.

Directing the SIT to submit an affidavit before the trial court in Sonipat, saying that charges against the accused were not dropped and the investigation was still in process, the HC also asked the police to to bring the culprits to justice to instill public confidence.

The HC noted that two witnesses, including a taxi driver, had seen women being dragged out of their car into the fields. One of the witness statements read that "three-four boys dragged a girl from her hair and arm near a car ahead of his vehicle to bushes near Sukhdev Dhaba. She was screaming for help."

The High Court had taken suo motu note of the matter after a report in a local daily on the alleged rapes. The bench had appointed senior advocate Anupam Gupta as amicus curiae to assist the court in this matter.

The next hearing of the case is on February 28.
Hyderabad: The Hussainsagar lake police rescued two persons from committing suicide in different incidents.

On January 18, P. Satyadevi, 63, jumped into the lake as she was suffering from psychiatric problems. She was rescued and admitted to Gandhi hospital.

On January 19, a 23-year-old girl tried to commit suicide after a quarrel with her mother.

However, the lake police acted in time, rescued her and sent to Bharosa counselling centre.
The Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009, was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2014 on the ground that the event of jallikattu would violate a couple of provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. (Photo: FIle)

New Delhi: Pressing for an ordinance for conducting Jallikattu, AIADMK MPs on Friday met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who assured them that the Centre will take action so that the Tamil Nadu government could promulgate it in the next few days.

The MPs, led by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, requested the Home Minister to intervene to ensure promulgation of an ordinance to end the ban on the conduct of Jallikattu.

Read: SC admits Centre's request, not to pass Jallikattu verdict for a week

"The Home Minister has assured us that the file on ordinance will be processed as early as possible so that the ordinance can be promulgated in next two-three days," Thambidurai told PTI.

In a memorandum, the AIADMK MPs said that the ban on Jallikattu is against the fundamental, religious and cultural rights of the people of Tamil Nadu, especially when such bulls and cows are treated as a part of their own family and are worshipped and no way they are being ill-treated.

Read: Will bring ordinance on Jallikattu, draft ready; Centre is coordinating: TN CM

"We request you to kindly intervene in the matter immediately to promulgate an ordinance lifting the ban on conduct of Jalikkattu, amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, de-notifying bulls from the notification of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to unable us to preserve our rich culture and tradition," the memorandum said.

After discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and consultations with legal experts, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam announced this morning that the state government will amend a Central act on Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to allow conduct of Jallikattu in the state with Centre's backing.

In view of this, he urged protesters across the state to withdraw their agitation because of the likelihood of the bull taming sport to be held in a "day or two".
R. Logesh, 17, of Satya Nagar in Salem, suffered a severe shock, when he climbed atop a train and came in contact with an overhead high voltage electric line.

Salem: Jallikattu protests that gained strength in Salem district by disciplined gathering of crowd seem to change course on Thursday with frustrated students blocking trains and climbing cell phone towers to make suicide bids. In an unfortunate incident, R. Logesh, 17, of Satya Nagar in Salem, suffered a severe shock, when he climbed atop a train and came in contact with an overhead high voltage electric line.

Hundreds of spirited students blocked a train bound to Karaikal from Bangalore near the government hospital and climbed on its roof shouting slogans against the state and central governments. As the protests were underway, Logesh unknowingly held the overhead high voltage electric cable and suffered a severe shock. He was thrown away in the impact, police said. The other students immediately rushed him to the government hospital, where he is battling for life with severe burns.

At Mulluvadi Gate, more than 10 students climbed a cellphone tower and threatened to commit suicide. They refused to climb down for a long while despite persuasion by police and social activists. With growing support for students protest, Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Association President Kumarasamy said that four lakh lorries will stay off the road from 6am to 6pm in the state on Thursday.
The clashes between the youth and security forces took place shortly after Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid and adjoining localities in downtown Srinagar. (Photo: PTI/ Representational Image)

Srinagar: Groups of youth on Friday indulged in stone-pelting on law enforcement agencies at various places in Kashmir valley during separatist sponsored general strike.

The clashes between the youth and security forces took place shortly after Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid and adjoining localities in downtown Srinagar and Sopore township of north Kashmir's Baramulla district, officials said.

However, no one was injured in the clashes which were still continuing when last reports were received.

The separatist amalgam, comprising of both factions of Hurriyat Conference and JKLF, had called for a general strike and protests after Friday prayers as part of their agitation in support of their demand for right to self-determination and against the civilian killings last year.

Normal life was disrupted across Kashmir in response to the strike call as shops and business establishments remained closed while public transport was minimal.

The separatists, who have now scaled down the strikes from five days a week to once a week, had on January 14 issued a fortnight protest programme till the end of this month, asking people to observe strike only on Fridays and January 26 as a "black day".

The separatists are spearheading the agitation since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir on July 8 last year.

The unrest in the Valley has left 86 people dead and thousands others, including 5,000 security personnel, injured.
Of the 37 trips he has made by air, his visit to Gujarat on August 18 last year to pay his last respects to a paramapujya swamiji proved to be the most expensive as it cost the state government Rs 14.23 lakh.

Bengaluru: The state may be reeling under a severe drought, but this has not stopped Governor Vajubhai Vala from spending a whopping Rs 3 crore on heli-hopping to various destinations and on special flights for both official and personal reasons in a mere 20 months.

Of the 37 trips he has made by air, his visit to Gujarat on August 18 last year to pay his last respects to a paramapujya swamiji proved to be the most expensive as it cost the state government Rs 14.23 lakh. He spent another Rs 9.7 lakh the same month to participate in a temple programme in Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh, going by documents received by RTI activist, Narasimha Murthy, who shared them with Deccan Chronicle.

The documents reveal that the Governor travelled for 46 days between October 4, 2014 and August 30, 2016, using JMP air charters for his trips.

But the information was not easy to come by, claims the activist, who was reportedly denied it by the Governors office and had to write to the office of President to get it.

The Governors office refused to give the information saying it would be subjudice as a case was pending in the Supreme Court between former Goa Governor, SC Zameer and Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, he said, adding that after he approached the President, his application was forwarded to the state Home department and then the Chief Secretary. The information was finally provided by the Department of Administration and Reforms (DPAR) on December 30, 2016.
Unions are also demanding publishing names of individuals who have defaulted in paying loans of Rs 1 crore and above. (Photo: Representational Image)

New Delhi: A section of bank trade unions have threatened to go on a day-long nation-wide strike on February 7 to press various demands including complete removal of restrictions imposed during demonetisation period and safeguarding the autonomy of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

"It was expected that the government and the RBI would take necessary steps to mitigate the problems faced by the banks and the public but even now, we find that there is acute shortage of cash supply to the banks with the result that branches are not able to honour even the restricted payment of Rs 24,000/100,000 per week," AIBEA General Secretary C H Vekatachalam said.

Apart from All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), other unions which will be part of the strike are All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA) and Bank Employees Federation of India.

Unions are also demanding publishing names of individuals who have defaulted in paying loans of Rs 1 crore and above so that stringent measures could be taken to recover bad loans.

Other demands of banks include ensuring autonomy of RBI in cash management, compensation to family of general public, bank customers and bank staff who lost their lives in the demonetisation aftermath and payment of overtime to employees and officers for their additional effort during the 50-day demonetisation period.

He added that the government is interfering by appointing officials to monitor cash management which is affecting the autonomy of RBI. Cash management falls under the sole jurisdiction of RBI, he said.

"Humiliated" by the events since demonetisation, even RBI employees had written to Governor Urjit Patel protesting the operational "mismanagement" of the note ban exercise and the government impinging the apex bank's autonomy.

In a letter, the employees said that the autonomy and image of RBI has been "dented beyond repair" due to mismanagement and termed the appointment of a senior Finance Ministry official for currency coordination as a "blatant encroachment" of the RBI's exclusive turf.
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party's announcement of candidates for nine seats currently held by it came as a bolt from the blue for the Congress tonight which failed to specify whether the grand secular alliance in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh was on or off.

Senior party spokesperson Ajay Maken merely described as "unfortunate" the action by the SP and steered clear of questions from reporters whether the tie-up with the party led by Akhilesh Yadav was continuing.

Insisting that alliance with SP was concluded in talks with Akhilesh, Maken said the Congress would wait for further talks on the issue between AICC General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

"This alliance was concluded earlier with none other than SP National President Akhilesh Yadav and leaders of the Congress and now again we are getting in touch with Akhilesh

Yadav because it was with him that the alliance earlier was concluded.

"It is unfortunate... We were expecting that the seats and other... technical details which were agreed upon and concluded upon between Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leaders should be honoured," Maken said.

He spoke in similar vein to a volley of questions at the AICC briefing indicating that the party was shell shocked by the sudden action from the Samajwadi Party. He did not answer a query whether Akhilesh has "crossed all limits" by the action, which has come as a "googly" for the Congress.

Talk in AICC circles was that Akhilesh had agreed to give as many as 121 seats to the Congress and that he appears to have come under BJP pressure.

In Lucknow, SP National Vice President Kironmay Nanda accused Congress of not giving any positive response to the party on alliance issue and said it could give the party only 85 of 403 Assembly seats.

The SP leader also said if the Congress wanted to defeat BJP, it should accept SP's formula of seat-sharing.

When asked whether it has become difficult to forge alliance with Congress now, he said, "It will be too early to say so. We still want an alliance with Congress but on our own conditions. Poll process has already started and SP cannot wait for a long time."

Prospects of a grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh appeared uncertain earlier as SP and Congress had aired divergent views on inclusion of RLD headed by Ajit Singh.

SP has been ruling out inclusion of Ajit Singh's RLD in the alliance despite his party having some influence in Western Uttar Pradesh. Congress had been pitching for its inclusion and was planning to give some of its seats to RLD.
Chennai: Animal activists in the state are upset with the state administration and political parties for not supporting their cause and feel unsafe due to the growing outrage against welfare organisations. It is unfortunate that now a section of people call us anti-Tamils. We have been practising peace and animal welfare for past so many decades, said S. Chinny Krishna, vice chairman, Animal Welfare Board of India.

The worst part is that in a democratic country those who had lent their voice in support of voiceless animals are now threatened with dire consequences. I am also sad for whatever was trolled against actor Trisha," he said. "Several volunteers particularly women who have been involved in rescue of cattle and dogs are now being ill-treated and inflammatory comments are posted against them in social media. Is this our culture?" asks Arun Prasanna, founder, People for Cattle in India.

Vested interests are now targeting animal activists without understanding the science and facts. Our volunteers in the past few years have saved more than 1,600 cattle including cows but today we are portrayed as money launderers, he rued. Animal activism is beyond Peta and bulls. We are practicising what Mahatma Gandhiji preached - The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals - but today due to misrepresentation of facts, anger against jallikattu ban is directed against animal lovers, he said. There are threatening phone calls to us by our own brethren who are supposed to protect us from cattle mafia, he rued.
CHENNAI: Muthu Tiffin Centre on Velachery 100 feet road might look like an ordinary place to dine at, but for the past two days its owner, Muthu, has been feeding a thousand people three times a day at the Marina. It is not as a mark of diffidence to support the jallikattu protests but because he has been cooking only to provide food for the protestors at various locations in Chennai.

Providing the supplies is a group of IT professionals, who are having the food prepared distributed in packets to those protesting at Marina Beach, and in areas like OMR and Chromepet. We distributed tea and breakfast in the morning, and are now going to distribute dinner, said a volunteer, Malesh Kumarapillai, adding that the group had roped in auto drivers to help distribute the food.

G. Jeeva, another volunteer, said: We provided the raw materials to Muthu and he has closed the shop to prepare food to be distributed among the protestors. Initially, when we were distributing food at Marina, a number of visitors were eating it instead of the protestors. Now, we have scheduled the distribution such that food reaches those it is intended for. Strengthening the spirit are activists like Abdul Ghani K, who along with his volunteer group, is distributing food and also ensuring that the Marina beach, which is strewn with litter after protests, are cleaned by the end of the day.

Sheikh Shahul Hameed, proprietor of Dimoraa food chain in Alandur, has been supplying food for protestors for the past two days. Tomorrow, most hotels will be closed in support for Jallikattu but I will keep my unit open to make food for the protestors, he told DC. Office-goers are also not giving a thought before missing office to volunteer at Marina beach. Along with my six friends, I distributed breakfast and lunch today and we are now proceeding to distribute dinner, said Pavendran P.

Chennaiites living in other cities, like Coimbatore, though are missing the spirit prevalent in Chennai, are doing their bit. I saw the magnitude of protests in Chennai on TV. As I went out to protest at the VOC Park nearby, my friends and I saw the need to give food to protestors. So, we have been buying and distributing food packets, said an IT professional from Coimbatore.

Supporting college students protesting on the busy OMR are colleges like St Josephs, which has been providing food to these students. We have supplied over 10,000 food packets, water and medical facilities to students from various colleges participating in the protest outside our campus, said a spokesperson from St Josephs.
CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modis rejection of the state's demand for a central ordinance on jallikattu has triggered widespread anger in Tamil Nadu gearing 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 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 women 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 Rajnikanth, 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 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.
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Amaravati: Telugu film star and Jana Sena party chief K Pawan Kalyan on Friday came out in strong support of Jallikattu and cockfights saying a ban on these two was an "attack on Dravidian culture and integrity" and need to draw a for "moralistic madness".

"I have deep respect and reverence for our culture, animals and mother nature. Looking at the cows and roosters in my farm made me think about the ban on Jallikattu and kodipandem (cock fights) in Dakshin Bharath," he said in a series of tweets on the issue today.

"Somewhere, we have to draw a line for this 'moralistic madness' in our society. Otherwise it would be very difficult to keep our nation's integrity intact. Jana Sena urges the Central government to lift the ban on Jallikattu and Kodipandem," the actor said.

Read: Rajinikanth, Ajith join protest against Jallikattu ban at Nadigar Sangam

"Ban on Jallikattu and Kodipandem is an attack on Dravida culture and its integrity. This is how it is being viewed in Dakshin Hindustan.

"I had observed this deep hurt in people of Dakshin Bharat while I was shooting in Pollachi (Tamil Nadu) and during my political interaction in Andhra about the ban on their respective cultural events in recent times," Kalyan said.

"Government of India cited 'animal cruelty' as the reason for the ban in Jallikattu and kodipandem. If we truly consider this puritanical approach, then we have to examine the statistics of Indian beef export and poultry industry," he said and reeled out statistics.

Read: SC admits Centre's request, not to pass Jallikattu verdict for a week

India was the largest exporter of beef in the world, with 2.4 million tonnes of beef and veal exported in 2015.

"Brazil and Australia could export only 2 and 1.5 million tonnes respectively. And, beef export fetches almost $5 billion with 14 per cent growth rate every year. Interestingly, these top beef exporting firms are owned by Hindus and not Muslims," the film star claimed.

He wondered how "this kind of slaughtering" did not attract animal cruelty "just because we don't see it!!"

Kalyan questioned why the Animal Cruelty Act applied only to Jallikattu where the animals getting injured or killed was insignificant compared to the number of animals that had to be slaughtered for business.

Kodipandem has "deep religious significance" associated with Lord Kukkuteswara, a form of Lord Siva who came as a rooster to kill an asura (demon) called Gayasura, the Jana Sena chief said.

"Kodipandem is the cultural identity of Andhras. If the Central government is serious about enforcing Animal Cruelty Act, then it should ban poultry industry also, which produces around 8.4 lakh tonnes of poultry meat by killing millions of chicken," Kalyan said.
CHENNAI: As thousands of people increasingly gather at Marina to support jallikattu, some volunteers are spending nights to ensure that some of the massive litter of food and water packets is cleared up. Green activist Abdul Ghani K along with his group of volunteers has been playing his part in trying to contain waste at the beach to a minimum level. Since it is crowded during the day, for the past two days we have been cleaning the beach at midnight and early morning. The waste is collected and kept together in sacks so that the beach remains clean to an extent, he told DC.

Kannum Pongal had already left the beaches dumped with the waste and at Marina, the protest has worsened the situation. Ilavarasan V, a student of SRM University, said, The demonstrators at the beach are in lakhs and the dustbins are not even a hundred in number. The garbage left over at the end of the protest will be a severe problem later. So, we decided to clean it ourselves. A corporation worker near Marina said that it would be a hectic work for them to clean the beach. They are refraining from clean up of the beach, as it would again be in the same shape after a few hours.

Youngsters in the hot sun and at night are taking turns to collect trash, including wrappers, poly bags, covers, water packets, water bottles, and food packets. Every college group participating in the protest has a group of volunteers who pick up the dropped waste in the area. The garbage is then collected in sacks and kept near the dustbins, for corporation workers to collect it.

Lokesh S., a student of RMK College, clearing the area near Kannagi Salai told Deccan Chronicle, We are supporting jallikattu but not at the cost of making the beach unclean. We are collecting the garbage we throw, from roads till the beach line. Marina is our pride, ensuring cleanliness is our responsibility.
Hyderabad: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday said that the sudden protests in favour of Jallikattu is a lesson for the Hindutva forces.

Referring to the protests for Jallikattu, Mr Owaisi observed in a tweet that Uniform Civil Code cannot be imposed in the country as this nation cannot have one culture. We celebrate all.

The Hyderabad MP has consistently opposed UCC stating that uniform civil code is not good for the diversity and pluralism of this great nation as diversity and pluralism are its ethos. It is not going to help our country by having UCC.

He tweeted that People of Tamil Nadu by uniting and coming together have forced the Modi and the AIADMK governments to change the law to overcome the Supreme Court judgment.

Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Owaisi said that his party completely supports the Jallikattu and the peoples protests in Tamil Nadu against ban on Jallikattu.
Surat: Self-styled godman Asaram's son Narayan Sai, currently behind bars in a rape case, moved a court here on Thursday 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.
Thiruvananthapuram: The syndicate standing committee of Kerala University will examine the affiliation status of the Kerala Law Academy Law College, Thiruvananthapuram, as there was still no clarity on its status. The college has been listed as private but the affiliation rules of the university provides for only government, aided or self-financing category, and not private.

Standing commitee chairperson P. Rajeshkumar told Deccan Chronicle that the committee has decided to appoint a commission with all committee members as members to visit the college on January 24 for a sitting where students, teachers and parents can appear and provide evidences on allegations against the college. However, the decision has to be ratified by the syndicate meeting to be held on Saturday. The college was established before the concept of the self-financing colleges was introduced in the state.

However, the college stayed away from the direct payment agreement in 1972 which all aided colleges had entered into for ensuring that salary of teachers and non-teaching staff is paid by the government. Law Academy paid the salaries from its own funds like self-financing colleges do. However, while teachers of self financing colleges are not allowed to vote in the elections to the senate and syndicate, some teachers at Academy have been included in voters list.
Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance ran into rough weather on Friday when the Samajwadi Party released two lists of 210 candidates without waiting for a formal announcement of its alliance with the Congress.

The Samajwadi Party said that there had been no positive response from the Congress regarding the alliance. The party will also release its manifesto on Sunday.

Samajwadi Party vice- president Kiranmoy Nanda said that his party would not give more than 84-85 seats to the Congress which actually should get only 54 seats on the basis of its performance in 2012.

The Samajwadi Party also announced candidates on nine seats that are presently held by the Congress. Mr Nanda said that the Congress had not claimed the sitting seats. He also made it clear that the assembly seats in Amethi and Rae Bareli would remain with Samajwadi Party.

UP minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh told reporters that the Samajwadi Party did not need an alliance and was capable of contesting and winning elections on its own.

The announcement of the list sent the Congress leaders into a huddle in Delhi and UPCC president Raj Babbar who had reached Lucknow in the afternoon, was asked to stay back in the state capital itself.

Talking to reporters he said, The respect of the party workers is the respect of the party. He said that the alliance had not yet been called off but declined to comment on the Samajwadi Party naming candidates for the western UP seats that their party holds.

Akhilesh gives Shivpal a ticket

The first list of the Samajwadi Party includes Mr Shivpal Yadav, the estranged uncle of Chief Minister and national president of Samajwadi Party Akh-ilesh Yadav. He has been given a ticket from his traditional Jaswant-nagar seat.

His son Aditya Yadav is not in the list and Karhal in Mainpuri  the seat he wanted to contest from  has been given to another candidate.

The name of Aparna Yadav, younger daughter-in-law of Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, also does not figure in the list.

Senior UP minister Mohd Azam Khan is the party candidate form Rampur while his son Abdullah Azam is the candidate from Swar. Nitin Agarwal, son of SP MP Naresh Agarwal is the party candidate from Hardoi.

UP minister Arvind Singh Gope has been given his ticket from Ramnagar in Barabanki, replacing Rakesh Varma, son of SP leader Beni Prasad Varma.

Rakesh Varma has been named as the candidate from Kaiserganj but Mr Beni Prasad Varma told reporters that his son would not contest from Kaiserganj because he had been working in Ramnagar. Rakesh is likely to contest the Ramnagar seat as an independent.

Shivpal loyalists who have been denied tickets include Rampal Yadav, MLA from Sitapur who had openly criticized the chief minister last year and was subsequently expelled.
New Delhi: Having burnt their fingers with the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal and Janata Dal (United) are now open to supporting Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to stop the BJP from forming the next government in Uttar Pradesh. The RLD-JD(U) combine, with other smaller parties, has already decided to contest the polls on their own in all 403 Assembly seats.

According to sources, the two parties never considered BSP as a communal party and in order to stop the BJP, they were ready to support Mayawati. The sources cited how the BSP and the SP had come together in 1993 to form the government to stop communal forces.
Donald Trump assumed office as Americas 45th President on Friday. Over 25 ears Sixteen years after the collapse of the erstwhile Soviet Empire in December 1991 and four Presidents in the interim period when the US regarded itself to be the only superpower in the world, the sheen today is off. While any democratic nation is entitled to elect whosever they like, the one significant thing that Mr Trumps election underscores is the deep anxiety that Americans have about their future and what the complexities of the present world mean for the American way of life. Immigration, the spectre of Islamic fundamentalism and the loss of its manufacturing base essentially to China were the three hot-button issues that politically correct establishment figures were unwilling to address. By taking these issues head-on early in the campaign, Mr Trump hit a raw nerve that resonated with the people a reality that mainstream media in the US refused to acknowledge. Thats all in the past. Mr Trump has triumphed and now the show must begin in right earnest. What does the Trump presidency mean?

The first dilemma goes out to Southeast Asians  there is a perception that the Trump administration will not be as engaged in Southeast and even North Asia as earlier US administrations have been. In that event, a power vacuum will manifest itself which China will be eager to fill. If the spectre of Chinese domination grows, where does that leave Australia, India, Japan, South Korea and the littoral states of the South China Sea? The second dilemma goes out to West Asians, or what is referred to as the Middle East. As Mr Trump surveys the swathe of territory from the Strait of Bosphorus to the Khyber Pass and beyond that to the Wagah border between India and Pakistan, it sees a region in deep turmoil. The Trump administration has already sent out some strong signals about the way it would want to shape the Israel-Palestine conflict, and though the recent Paris Conference on this festering sore of history was largely factitious, it remains to be seen as to how the new administration looking at the region with a fresh pair of eyes can come up with workable policy prescriptions.

The third dilemma goes out to the ayatollahs of nuclear proliferation, arms control regimes and disarmament soothsayers. Mr Trump has tweeted for a qualitative and quantitative expansion of the US nuclear arsenal. There has always existed a minor school of thought in the US that more is better in terms of nukes? The question that it raises what would such a world look like? Would it spark off an arms race again with a resurgent Russia? Would it compel some of the yet undeclared nuclear weapon states to go public? This would have profound implications on international security that are too horrendous to even contemplate. The fourth and final dilemma goes out to cyber security mandarins. The recent general election in the US has challenged the fidelity of voting processes. The unanimous intelligence read of the intelligence boffins presented to Mr Trump have pointed to alleged Russian interference in the US election processes? Does it have implications for other democracies around the world, specially in Europe, where a round of critical elections are coming up? These are some of the larger issues that are not country-specific.

India so far has been pretty nonchalant about the Trump presidency. There is a general belief that while Democrats are more feted by the Indian political elite, strategic thinkers believe that Republicans are better to do business with. In the past eight years of the Obama presidency not a single big idea has either emerged or has been conceptually incubated by the two countries. Would the Trump-India engagement be any different? The concerns of the Trump administration on the need to rein in ISIS, withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the lack of a conceptual framework vis-a-vis the Afghanistan-Pakistan paradigm are some of the areas to which Indian policymakers must apply their minds too. Does India fit into any of these concerns? One of the frameworks that ostensibly attract the new American administration is the size of the Indian defence establishment and its intrinsic institutional capacity.

This in no way applies to the procurement potential that in any case has seen an exponential jump in the past few years. It, on the contrary, has everything to do with projecting power and putting it to practical use. India was called upon by a previous Republican administration to weigh in when Iraq was invaded by a multinational coalition in March 2003. Even then there was a BJP-led NDA government that was charged with the remit of steering the ship of the Indian state. However, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee wisely refrained from committing any Indian troops to that ill-advised venture. Would Prime Minister Narendra Modi respond differently if a similar call goes out regarding the ISIS?

Mr Vajpayee is a libertarian at heart; Mr Modis core beliefs are closer to some of the ideologically-driven foreign policy positions that the Trump administration may decide to take. Coupled with the desire to stride on the global stage, ignoring the reality that India is home to the second largest Muslim population that can proudly claim that none of them has even been remotely allured by the medieval caliphate vision of the ISIS, this government may inadvertently walk into a situation that can have domestic consequences as well. The world of Mr Trump may be very different from what the world has so far encountered. It will after the inauguration have to constantly keep figuring out if the early morning tweets represent Mr Trumps personal view as opposed to a carefully-crafted inter-agency-driven American position articulated and executed in a calibrated manner. We surely do live in interesting times.
The Supreme Courts ruling that Christian personal law cant override the Divorce Act upholds the principle that personal laws cant take precedence over laws enacted by the legislature. The primacy of law, even over personal laws of those of a particular religion, is restated all over again. Usage and custom cant prevail over the force of a specific Act of Parliament or of a state legislature. This is also a very modern view of marriage and divorce, one that should apply to everyone, Its also about gender equality and womens empowerment. The economic dependence of women on men in India cant be allowed to become a bogey men use to remarry. Personal ties are complex, and no one can predict the steadfastness of marriages. What must be removed is the ease with which Indian men find shortcuts to getting a divorce.

The petitioner, a Catholic, raked up triple talaq in his defence of the canon law code, under which ecclesiastical courts gain jurisdiction in marriage and divorce. But triple talaq is also being re-examined threadbare. The Madras high court recently held that talaq certificates by qazis lack legal sanctity. Such papers may help divorced women remarry. But, fundamentally, as a society, we should back marriage as the bedrock of civilised human behaviour, and everything should be done to promote the family ethic. The sooner the triple talaq issue is resolved at the national level, the better it would be for modernity to prevail over customs that are fast losing relevance in our post-modern society.
At the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi earlier this week, there was little in Prime Minister Narendra Modis fairly lengthy remarks on foreign policy that could have given the international gathering an insight into his governments approach to complex matters of our region and the world. The PM fell short of connecting the dots. Indeed, his observations on Pakistan and China  among our most consequential relationships  appeared to not take into account the developments which have made Beijing and Islamabad cooperate closely to New Delhis detriment. Those in our neighbourhood, declared Mr Modi without naming Pakistan, who support violence, perpetrate hatred and export terrorism, stand isolated and ignored.

Is that right? China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has stood foursquare behind Pakistan for many years, and in recent times has backed Pakistan even on terrorism, as evidenced by Beijings blocking of efforts at the UN to name Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar an international terrorist, which India and France push for. With Beijing and Islamabad being gung-ho about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Beijing has begun giving strong political support to Islamabad on matters relating to terrorism. Pakistan will no doubt return the favour when it moves against all those within its territory who politically oppose CPEC. The PMs principal formulation on China also appeared to be out of kilter. From the 1990s, India and China have mutually agreed to carry on bilateral trade and economic interactions while working to resolve the boundary disagreements. Since then the relationship has come under strain on multiple fronts.

China has sought to block Indian shipping in the South China Sea, it has taken its road to Pakistan through Indian territory in high Asia, it has placed its troops in PoK, it has pleaded for Masood Azhar at UN, and it has blocked repeated international attempts to make India a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. In almost all of these cases, Beijing and Islamabad appear to have acted together. And yet, Mr Modis formulation is that it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences. He has also  and not for the first time  called on Beijing to be sensitive to Indias core concerns and interests. These urgings appear to have fallen on deaf ears. The Indian leadership needs to show better footwork regionally in its dealing with Afghanistan, Iran and Russia to balance the negatives while the US under President Donald Trump could remain enigmatic for some time.
The Xiaomi Redmit 3S Prime is available at Rs 8,999 and the deal on this is only active between 9:30am to 10:30 IST for Amazon India Prime members.

E-commerce giant Amazon has officially kicked off its Great Indian Sale where numerous smartphones, accessories and other consumer electronics are available on discount and cash back offers.

The Prime subscribers have special access to the Amazon sale. Among the notable smartphones that are available on discount are Moto G4 Plus, OnePlus 3T, Moto G4 Play, iPhone 5S, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Prime, Moto X Force, Xiaomi Redmit 3S Prime and more.

The Xiaomi Redmit 3S Prime is available at Rs 8,999 and the deal on this is only active between 9:30am to 10:30 IST for Amazon India Prime members. The Xbox One 1TB Console Tom Clancys The Division Bundle and the Xbox One 1TB Console 3 Games Holiday is available at Rs 24,990 between 1:30pm to 2:30pm IST.

The Moto G4 Plus (16GB variant) is available at Rs 11,499 and the 32GB variant is priced at Rs 13,999. The Moto X Force (32GB variant) is available at Rs 21,999. The Moto G4 Play is available at Rs 7,999 and the Lenovo ZUK Z1 is available at Rs 10,999.

The OnePlus 3T is available at Rs 2,000 cash back offer. Furthermore, the Lenovo Phab 2 Plus can be purchased at Rs 13,999 and the iPhone 5S (16GB) is available at Rs 15,999. The Canon EOS 1200D 18MP Digital SLR camera is available at Rs 22,999. You can check out more offers on their official website.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Apple will introduce support for wireless charging in its next-generation smartphone iPhone 8, confirmed a report from Chinese-language Commercial Times.

Citing industry sources, Commercial Times in its report confirmed a Taiwan-based Lite-On Semiconductor has entered the supply chain for the next-generation iPhone 8 by providing GPP bridge rectifier for the support of fast wireless charging.

In the statement to the Commercial Times industry sources said that Lite-On Semi has obtained half of the orders for GPP bridge rectifier that will be used in the wireless charger for the upcoming iPhone.

Other than this, the iPhone 8 is rumoured to have AMOLED display, and offer highest level of water-resistance under IP68 certification.

Apple will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year due to which the next Apple iPhone is expected to be a revamp model of the traditional iPhone design. Although, the firm has not confirmed its name and date of release, going by the earlier Apple iPhone models and launch date Apple will likely launch iPhone 8 in September this year.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Donald Trump flashes a thumbs up during the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Photo: AP)

Washington: Donald Trump took power as the 45th president of the United States on Friday and pledged to end what he called an "American carnage" of rusted factories and crime in an inaugural address that was a populist and nationalist rallying cry.

Striking a defiant tone, Trump said American workers have been devastated by the outsourcing of jobs abroad.

"From this day forward its going to be only America First, the Republican told thousands of people gathered on the National Mall to see him take over from Democrat Barack Obama.

With Obama and three other former presidents sitting nearby, Trump accused previous U.S. administrations of enriching Washington at the expense of struggling American families.

Underscoring the deep divisions in the country, protests against Trump turned ugly in downtown Washington. Black-clad activists smashed store windows, blocked traffic and fought with police in riot gear who responded with tear gas and stun grenades. Police said more than 200 people were arrested.

Aerial pictures of the crowds of Trump supporters on the Mall showed a much smaller turnout at midday on Friday than that in comparable photos from Obama's first inauguration in 2009. Estimates of Friday's crowd size were not immediately available from police.

The inaugural address was vintage Trump, with plenty of material gleaned from dozens of campaign rallies he staged last year on the road to victory on Nov. 8 over Democrat Hillary Clinton, who attended the ceremony with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Trump said the United States has enriched foreign industry at the expense of American companies, subsidized the armies of other countries while letting the U.S. military become depleted, and spent trillions abroad while allowing infrastructure at home to crumble.

"The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world," he said.

Trump accused the Washington establishment of protecting itself but abandoning regular citizens who have suffered from poverty and crime.

"This American carnage stops right here and stops right now," he said. "Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families," he said.

Trump, 70, takes over a country divided after a savage election campaign.

The grim vision of America he often paints is belied by statistics showing low levels of unemployment and crime nationally, although Trump won many votes in parts of the nation where manufacturing industry has been badly hit.

While Trump positioned himself as a champion of working Americans, the Tax Policy Center non-partisan think tank estimates that his tax proposals would not only add $7.2 trillion in U.S. government debt over the first 10 years, but are skewed to help the wealthiest Americans.

Hours after taking the oath of office, Trump, who repeatedly promised to repeal Obama's signature health-care law, signed his first executive order, directing U.S. agencies to delay, waive or grant exemptions from any provisions of the Affordable Care Act deemed burdensome for states or individuals.

Republicans in Congress hope to repeal the health care law, also known as Obamacare, and replace it.

Sitting behind the presidential Resolute Desk, Trump signed the order in a hastily arranged ceremony. In the Oval Office, which Obama vacated Friday morning, gold drapes had already been hung in place of crimson ones.

World concern

Trump's election was greeted with concern by many countries around the world, in part because of the potential for an isolationist foreign policy.

In an interview after Trump was sworn in, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said, "What we heard today were high nationalistic tones."

"I think we have to prepare for a rough ride," Gabriel told public broadcaster ZDF, adding that Europe should stand together to defend its interests.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto congratulated Trump on his inauguration, but cautioned that the sovereignty, national interest and protection of Mexicans would be paramount.

Mexicans have been angered by Trump's pledge to build a wall along the southern U.S. border to keep out illegal immigrants, and to make Mexico pay for it. Trump has also frequently criticized U.S. companies that have manufacturing operations in Mexico.

U.S. stocks closed higher on Friday in a modest advance, marking the first time in more than 50 years that a new commander-in-chief has been welcomed by a rising equity market on his first day in office.

Pope Francis urged Trump to be guided by ethical values, saying he must take care of the poor and the outcast.

In Moscow, Russians hoping Trump will usher in a new era of detente celebrated his inauguration. Russian nationalists held an all-night party at what used to be the main Soviet-era post office in Moscow. In the city of Zlatoust, craftsmen released a limited series of silver and gold commemorative coins, engraved with "In Trump We Trust."

Islamic State

Trump signalled the possibility of a more aggressive approach to Islamic State militants. "We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth," he said.

The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly voted on Friday to confirm retired General James Mattis as defence secretary and retired General John Kelly as homeland security secretary, making them the first Trump Cabinet nominees to be approved. New Vice President Mike Pence swore both in Friday night.

After repeating the 35-word oath of office in the ceremony, Trump stretched his arms wide and hugged his wife, Melania, and other members of his family. Ceremonial cannon blasts fired.

The Trumps rode in a heavily armoured limousine to lead an inaugural parade to the White House. The couple and their 10-year-old-son, Barron, hopped out of the limo and walked part of the parade route, waving to cheering well wishers.

Later, they watched some of the parade from a reviewing stand built on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House.

Trump takes office with work to do to improve his image.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed him favourably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition.

Trump's rise, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Obama's eight years in office, raises a host of questions for the United States.

Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and he has vowed to impose a 35 percent tariff on imports from U.S. companies that went abroad.

More than 60 Democratic lawmakers stayed away from the proceedings to protest Trump.

Many demonstrators will participate in a "Women's March on Washington" on Saturday. Protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad.

Quick action

Trump's to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the U.S. Congress, they can approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the U.S. economy, as well as repeal and replace Obamacare.

"He's going to inject a shock to the system here almost immediately," Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.

Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn.

Trump's critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came only in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million.

Trump's critics also point to the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republican's favour. Trump has acknowledged the finding - denied by Moscow - that Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election.
American Indian activist Leonard Peltier attorney, Martin Garbus, says they received a letter from the White House on Wednesday saying their application to commute his sentence to the 40 years hes already served has been denied.(Photo: AP)

Minneapolis: President Barack Obama has denied a clemency request by Indian-American 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.
President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump shake hands following their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington.(Photo: AP)

Washington: President-elect Donald Trump has asked roughly 50 senior Obama administration appointees to remain in their posts after his inauguration to ensure continuity in government, his incoming White House press secretary said Thursday.

The officials include the highest-ranking career officials at key national security agencies like the Pentagon and state department.

Deputy defence secretary Robert Work and Americas third-ranking diplomat, Under secretary of state for political affairs Thomas Shannon, will serve as acting chiefs of their agencies until successors for the top jobs are confirmed by the senate, Trumps spokesperson Sean Spicer said.

Thursdays announcement comes after weeks of questions about how Trumps team is managing the presidential transition, although it may not address broader concerns about what officials at many federal agencies have said is a lack of communication with the incoming team.

Such concerns are natural in presidential transitions. But the confusion among officials at national security agencies could have consequences, given their international engagements. The rest of the world doesnt pause while Washington determines its chains of command.

Work will likely helm the defence department for only a matter of hours. Trumps selection for the Pentagon, retired Gen. James Mattis, is expected to be confirmed on Friday shortly after the inauguration ceremony, along with retired Gen. John Kelly for secretary of homeland security.

Senate debate on Trumps choice for CIA boss, former Rep. Mike Pompeo, is expected to start Friday. It is unclear if Pompeo will receive an immediate confirmation vote.

At the state department, Shannon will be in charge until at least until next week as a Senate vote on Trumps choice for secretary of state, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, isnt expected until Monday or Tuesday.

Also staying will be Brett McGurk, the Obama administrations point-man for fighting the Islamic State group, Nicholas Rasmussen, the National Counterterrorism Centre director, and Adam Szubin, the treasury departments top official for terrorism and financial intelligence.

Spicer said Chuck Rosenberg, the drug enforcement agency administrator, and Susan Coppedge, the state departments ambassador-at-large to combat human trafficking, would be left in place for the transition.

A full list of Obama appointees asked to remain was not immediately available.

It also wasnt clear if the Trump administration would accept an invitation to attend Russian-supported Syria peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Monday.

Trump has made a great point about seeking closer cooperation with Moscow on counterterrorism and security matters. Obamas special envoy for Syria, Michael Ratney, has indicated he is willing to attend, but the transition team hadnt instructed him to make the trip. Spicer said an announcement was expected soon.

As in previous transitions, U.S. embassies and consulates abroad headed by noncareer, presidential appointee ambassadors will transfer to the most senior career diplomat present until the new administration fills the top posts.

The transition team has largely yielded on matters of national security to retired Gen. Michael Flynn, Trumps national security adviser, and Jared Kushner, the president-elects son-in-law. But the circle will have to be expanded once the new administration assumes the full responsibility of government.

When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, the Senate confirmed seven Cabinet members on Inauguration Day. Republicans and Democrats are still negotiating over Trumps picks, and Mattis and Kelly may be the only ones to make it through Friday.
President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive to a VIP reception and dinner with donors in Washington. (Photo: AP)

Washington: Indian-Americans from across the country have gathered in the national capital for a presidential gala to celebrate the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States.

The gala organised by the Asian Pacific American Advisory Council and National Committee of Asian American Republicans was attended by Ambassadors from several Asian countries including the Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna. Sarna will represent India at Donald Trump's Presidential inauguration today.

"This is a great celebration of Asian success. I am very happy that Indian-Americans are part of the successful large Asian community," Sarna said in his brief address at the celebrations.

Noting that he has a personal experience in how Indian-Americans play a role in strengthening India-US ties, Sarna said the Asian-American community play a major role in strengthening relationship with their home countries.

Top diplomats from South Korea, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka also spoke on the occasion.

"The new administration is looking to increase its relationship with the Asian countries. We should reach out to our friends in Asia. We will work to further and deepen this relationship," said Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee in his brief address. Mukesh Aghi, president of the US India Business Council said there is tremendous potential in India US business ties. The new goal is to increase the bilateral trade to USD 500 billion per annum.
Shivanand Maharaj of New Jersey, along with Enrico Rubano, 48, were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, US Attorney Preet Bharara said. (Representational Image)

New York: Two persons, including a 36-year-old Indian-origin consultant, have been arrested for allegedly conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with a false invoicing scheme that defrauded health and retirement funds of about USD 3.4 million.

Shivanand Maharaj of New Jersey, along with Enrico Rubano, 48, were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, US Attorney Preet Bharara said.

As alleged, over a period of six years, Maharaj and Rubano generated hundreds of invoices for work they had not performed, which Rubano, in his role as co-head of information technology for the funds, approved for payment.

The two were arrested yesterday and presented before US Magistrate Judge Andrew Peck.

According to the complaint, from 2008 through October 2015, Rubano was the co-head of information technology for the funds and had the authority to approve the payment of invoices from third-party vendors.

Beginning in 2009, and continuing through 2015, he and Maharaj devised a scheme in which companies they owned or controlled submitted to the funds invoices for millions of dollars in information technology services that were never performed.

Rubano also received kickbacks from Maharaj. Between 2009 and 2015, the two falsely billed and fraudulently received from the Funds at least approximately USD 3.4 million.

They are charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
New York: Madonna, an outspoken critic of President-elect Donald Trump, is trying to put a positive spin on his Friday inauguration.

"He's actually doing us a great service, because we have gone as low as we can go," she said Thursday night. "We can only go up from here, so what are we going to do? We have two choices, destruction and creation. I chose creation."

The superstar, dressed in all black and wearing a shirt that read "Feminist," spoke at the Brooklyn Museum with artist Marilyn Minter about art in a time of protest, among other things, in a discussion moderated by author and poet Elizabeth Alexander, who performed a work at the first inauguration of President Barack Obama.

A clip of author James Baldwin, an inspiration of Madonna's, played before the talk, as did her 2013 short film, Secret Revolution, dedicated to people whose rights have been abused and denied.

On the eve of Trump becoming president, both Madonna and Minter vowed to lead protests against him, including attending Saturday's Women's March in Washington.

"This is the most frightened I've ever been," Minter said. "The most qualified candidate who ever ran was defeated by the most unqualified candidate who ever ran, and it's all because of misogyny."

Madonna said that while she was "horrified" Trump won the election over Hillary Clinton, she now believes it was necessary.

"I do believe that Trump was elected for a reason, to show us how lazy and un-unified and lackadaisical and taking for granted we've become of our freedom and the rights that we have as Americans," Madonna said. "I feel like people forgot what was written in the Constitution."

She added: "They always say it's darkest before the dawn and I feel this had to happen to bring people together, so let's get this party started."

It wasn't all political talk. Madonna talked about her early days in New York, hanging with artists like Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, and how her kids are not the least bit impressed with her iconic career.

"They want nothing to do with it," she said. "I always say with my kids, every day is a small crucifixion."

Madonna also explained why she considers herself a feminist.

"I believe that women have the right to be treated with the same human rights as men," she said. "I feel like we are still very far behind.
Guzman is the head of the Sinaloa cartel, which is accused of generating much of the deadly violence in Mexico and providing tons of drugs to the United States. (Photo: AP)

Mexico City, Mexico: Mexico on Thursday extradited drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States after his final appeals were rejected -- handing US authorities a massive drug case on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration.

Guzman is the head of the Sinaloa cartel, which is accused of generating much of the deadly violence in Mexico and providing tons of drugs to the United States.

He had been fighting his extradition ever since he was recaptured almost exactly a year ago in his home state of Sinaloa.

The Mexican government "delivered Mr. Guzman Loera to the authorities of the United States" after the Supreme Court and a court of appeals rejected his latest bids to avoid extradition, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

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 government did not say to which state Guzman was sent. CNN and ABC News reported that Guzman was headed to New York.

A US government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, would only confirm to AFP that Guzman was already on US soil.

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-in-waiting has pledged to build a wall on the US-Mexican border.
Manila, Philippines: Left-wing and Muslim activists urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in a noisy protest to keep his promise of charting a foreign policy independent of America by staying away from Donald Trump who after he is sworn in as president on Friday.

The more than 200 protesters burned a U.S. flag near the U.S. Embassy in Manila and called for an end to the presence of American troops in the country. They held up signs, including one that read "Donald Trump don't mess with the Philippines."

The protesters said they find Trump more alarming than Barack Obama because of his offensive remarks against immigrants and Muslims.

"Obama sugar-coated imperialism but Trump has shown an in-your-face kind of imperialism," said protest leader Renato Reyes of the left-wing Bayan group, adding Duterte "should stick to his independent foreign policy."

Duterte blasted Obama for criticizing his deadly crackdown against illegal drugs but congratulated Trump in a phone call. He sent his national security adviser and press secretary to attend Trump's inauguration.

Troops prevented the activists from getting close to the U.S. Embassy's main gate.
Houston: A restaurant owner in the US created the perfect recipe to celebrate Donald Trump's inauguration - a 'Trump Pizza' - made from Italian cheese, Russian caviar and topped with gold.

To honour Trump on the Inauguration Day, a Tampa, Florida, pizza shop owner has created a unique pie which he is calling the "Donald Trump Pizza."

Read: Live: Donald Trump set to be sworn in as 45th US President

"It's Italian cheese, flour, American gold, Russian caviar. We blend it all like New York City, all the cultures and everything in one pie," Leo Bunjaku, owner of Due Amici in Ybor City, was quoted as saying by Fox 13.

Bunjaku moved from New York to Tampa to open his restaurant two years ago. He said since immigrating to America from Albania, he has admired Trump.

"He's an inspiration to everybody who's in business," said Bunjaku.

He and his son got the idea to design a Trump-inspired pizza while hosting an election night watch party at his restaurant.

Replacing the typical pepperonis and tomato sauce, the cheese is covered in red and black caviar with edible gold flakes shaped into a letter "T" for Trump.

"It tastes absolutely delicious. I mean, we've never had it before, caviar in pizza, or gold. But the saltiness of caviar and the smoothness of the cheese and the dough, it just blends so beautifully together," Bunjaku said.

The 'Trump Pizza' is served with a bottle of champagne. Customers interested in ordering the package can expect to pay a few hundred dollars.

Bunjaku planned to give slices away for free on Inauguration Day.

Bunjaku said he is also considering adding the Trump pizza to his regular menu, but he would likely create a version that can be sold at a more affordable price so anyone can try it.
Washington: Donald Trump, who takes the oath of office tomorrow as the 45th President of the United States, on Friday 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.
Washington: 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.
A family of Central American migrants on route to the US. (Photo: AFP)

San Pedro Sula, Honduras: Donald Trump has promised to make America a fortress against immigration by building a wall on the country's southern border.

But as one group of Honduran migrants deported from Mexico vows, no matter what kind of a barrier he builds, "we will still try to get over it."

That was the pledge from 13-year-old Lizbeth Paredes, returned to her country with dozens of others after their failed bid to make it across the US border to the Latin version of the American dream.

The 8th-grade student left Honduras in January together with her 38-year-old mother Gloria and two cousins, aged 10 and 12.

The family had wanted to make it into the United States before Trump takes power, promising to build his wall along the 3,200-kilometer (2,000-mile) border with Mexico.

But Mexican migration officials caught them riding in a truck in the state of Tabasco and sent them back.

They were among the 88 adults and children who arrived in Honduras's second city of San Pedro Sula by bus on Wednesday.

Although they didn't make this time, Lizbeth insisted -- her eyes shining and her hair in a ponytail -- they would try again and succeed.

She hoisted her backpack on her shoulders and joined her family entering a center for migrant children and families.

'We want a better life'

More than a million Hondurans live in the United States, most of them with no legal residency papers.

They are a vital source of revenue for their country, sending home $4 billion in remittances last year -- nearly 20 percent of Honduras's gross domestic product.

Trump's plan for a wall has prompted a flood of Hondurans to leave for America, encouraged by traffickers warning it's better to try now than face greater obstacles later.

Thousands of Central Americans attempt to trek to the United States every year, fleeing vicious gang violence and poverty in their home countries.

Another child, a 15-year-old boy who gave his name as Kevin Flores, also predicted a wall would do little to stem the flow.

"We go because we want a better life, to be someone," the small boy with wavy brown hair said.

It was his mother's idea to try for the United States, he said. After leaving their village of Entrada Copan last Sunday, they, too, were caught by Mexican migration officials.

Aminta Lopez, 41, said she had attempted to make the journey from her home in the capital with her sons, aged five and eight, to flee the ruthless gangs that lord over entire neighborhoods.

"The idea was to go now because later there will be the wall that will stop people passing through," she said. "But I will have to try again in any case."

Her plan is to make it to the US state of New Jersey, where her brother Israel has been living for 18 years. But that will mean having to successfully dodge the Mexican officials who put an end to her first attempt.

A perilous trek

Estimates put the number of people leaving Honduras for the United States every year at between 80,000 and 100,000. Hundreds die on the way, many of them parched in the Mexican desert or murdered by criminal gangs.

They emigrate for lack of work, to study, escape the gangs or be reunited with relatives, humanitarian groups say.

Of the 8.7 million people in Honduras, close to seven out of 10 live in poverty.

The country is one of the most violent on the planet, with a murder rate of 60 per 100,000 inhabitants -- more than six times the world average calculated by the World Health Organization.

The wave of migrant children trying to get into America caught international attention in 2014, when more than 60,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America's Northern Triangle countries -- Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador -- were recorded at the US border.

Mexico deported 10,028 Honduran children last year, many of them traveling with no adult, according to a report by the non-governmental group Casa Alianza.

The group said that 65,475 migrant children from Mexico and the Northern Triangle were detained on the US border between October 2015 and October 2016.

But with no sign conditions at home will improve in the foreseeable future, determination remains undaunted.

"What is there to do?" Lopez says. "We have to go back" and try for America again.
People hold placards as they gather during an anti-Trump rally in Madrid, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Donald Trump took the oath of office as the 45th President of the United States. (Photo: AP)

Washington: The District of Columbia police chief says 217 people have been arrested and charged with rioting and six officers suffered minor injuries during demonstrations against President Donald Trump.

Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham provided the update at a news conference Friday.

Meanwhile, protesters in downtown Washington linked arms, facing off from the police line and chanting, No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA.

Metropolitan police have deployed streams of pepper spray against demonstrators marching along the streets of the nations capital  a disgruntled parallel to the ongoing inaugural parade.
This handout image received courtesy of Doctors Without Border (MSF) shows people standing next to destruction after an air force jet accidentally bombarded a camp for those displaced by Boko Haram Islamists, in Rann, northeast Nigeria. (Photo: AFP)

Geneva: A botched air strike by the Nigerian Air Force earlier this week on a camp for people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency killed at least 90 people, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) aid group said Friday.

Most of the victims of the strike in the country's northeast on Tuesday were women and children, MSF said. Nigeria has said an air force board of inquiry will investigate the incident.
Lowgate: 38-year-old Michala Pyke, a woman from Lowgate in the United Kingdom (UK) and her drug dealer boyfriend John Rytting administered a cocktail of drugs to Pykes 4-year-old daughter Poppy Widdison, eventually causing her to die of a heart attack.

According to mirror.co.uk, the couple have been awarded 13 years in prison by a local court for the crime, which took place in 2013.

Pyke and Rytting murdered the girl since she was being an 'inconvenience' to their relationship.

Toxicology reports said that the girl had significant amount of methadone for a period between 2 to 6 months before her death.

While sentencing, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, told Pyke, "You are a malevolent and manipulative woman who finds it easy to lie and deceive. You are utterly unfit to be a mother."

When her boyfriend, Rytting was sentenced, he responded saying, "Whatever."

Defendant attorney Katherine Goddard said Pyke had the realisation that she was responsible for her daughter's death, at least "morally".

Claiming that her client is "a damaged and troubled individual", Goddard said, "Until Michala Pyke began the relationship with John Rytting, however difficult life was, Poppy was generally well cared for and those in positions of authority and responsibility were content with the levels of care she received."

"But it was at the start of that relationship, a relationship that was toxic in every sense of the word, which brought out the worst in Michala Pyke."

Rytting's attorney Timothy Robert QC, said, "Michala Pyke had primary caring responsibility for her daughter and it's not without significance that the scientific evidence indicated that, over a six-month period, there had been an ingestion of prescribed drugs."

Pyke and Rytting were awarded 13 years in prison on charges of child cruelty for keeping Poppy in a house where controlled drugs were within the reaches of the child and for making her consume prescription and/or controlled substances.

Rytting was also charged with possession of cannabis with intent to distribute.
Islamabad: Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) proposes to send human rights observers to Kashmir in March to assess the situation there, Pakistan claimed on Friday.

Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement that Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz met OIC Secretary General Yousef Al-Othaime on the sidelines of the Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The OIC Secretary General "informed" Aziz that under instructions from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is the current Chair of the organisation, a "delegation of the OIC's Independent Human Rights Commission will be paying a visit" to Jammu and Kashmir in March.

"The OIC is also requesting India to allow the delegation to visit" Jammu and Kashmir, the statement said.

India has maintained that IOC, a grouping of 57 Muslim countries, has no locus standi in the Kashmir issue. The statement further said Aziz briefed the OIC about the alleged human rights violations in Kashmir in the past five months.

Aziz thanked the Secretary General for convening the Extraordinary Session of the OIC Foreign Ministers on the Rohingya issue and invited him to isit Pakistan.
Two powerful US Senators have announced they will introduce a legislation which, if passed by the Congress, would give preference to foreigners studying in American universities, a move that will tighten the noose around the H-1B visa programme and could hurt Indian IT firms.



The bill - to be introduced by Senator Chuck Grassley and Dick Durban - will require US Citizenship and Immigration Services to prioritise for the first time annual allocation of H-1B visas. It will ensure the "best and brightest" students being educated in the US receive preference for an H-1B visa, a statement issued by the Senators said.



The preference system also gives a leg up to advanced degree holders, those being paid a high wage, and those with valuable skills, it said. "Congress created these programmes to complement America's high-skilled workforce, not replace it. Unfortunately, some companies are trying to exploit the programmes by cutting American workers for cheaper labour," Grassley said.



"We need programmes dedicated to putting American workers first. When skilled foreign workers are needed to meet the demands of our labour market, we must also ensure that visa applicants who honed their skills at American colleges and universities are a priority over the importation of more foreign workers," he said. "Our bill takes these steps to ensure that the programmes work for Americans and skilled foreign workers alike," said Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.



The legislation restores Congress' original intent in the H-1B and L-1 visa programmes by increasing enforcement, modifying wage requirements and securing protections for both American workers and visa holders. "Reforming the H-1B and L-1 visa programmes is a critical component of fixing our broken immigration system and must be included in comprehensive immigration reform legislation," Durbin said.



"For years, foreign outsourcing companies have used loopholes in the laws to displace qualified American workers and facilitate the outsourcing of American jobs. The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act would end these abuses and protect American and foreign workers from exploitation. I thank Senator Grassley for partnering with me on this important bipartisan legislation," he said.



The bill among other things would crack down on outsourcing companies that import large numbers of H-1B and L-1 workers for temporary training purposes only to send the workers back to their home countries to do the same job. Specifically, it would prohibit companies with more than 50 employees, of which at least half are H-1B or L-1 holders, from hiring additional H-1B employees, the statement said.



The proposed legislation gives the Department of Labour enhanced authority to review, investigate, and audit employer compliance with programme requirements, as well as to penalise fraudulent or abusive conduct. It requires the production of extensive statistical data about the H-1B and L-1 programs, including wage data, worker education levels, place of employment and gender.



According to the Senators, the bill clarifies that working conditions of similarly employed American workers may not be adversely affected by the hiring of the H-1B worker, including H-1B workers who have been placed by another employer at the American worker's worksite. In addition, it explicitly prohibits the replacement of American workers by H-1B or L-1 visa holders. These provisions address the types of abuses that have been well-documented in recent press reports.



In addition, the bill includes several reforms of the L-1 visa programme. These include establishment of a wage floor for L-1 workers; authority for the Department of Homeland Security to investigate, audit and enforce compliance with L-1 programme requirements; assurance that intra-company transfers occur between legitimate branches of a company and don't involve "shell" facilities; and a change to the definition of "specialised knowledge" to ensure that L-1 visas are reserved only for truly key personnel.


Pressing for an ordinance for conducting Jallikattu, AIADMK MPs today met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who assured them that the Centre will take action so that the Tamil Nadu government could promulgate it in the next few days. The MPs, led by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, requested the Home Minister to intervene to ensure promulgation of an ordinance to end the ban on the conduct of Jallikattu.



"The Home Minister has assured us that the file on ordinance will be processed as early as possible so that the ordinance can be promulgated in next two-three days," Thambidurai told PTI. In a memorandum, the AIADMK MPs said that the ban on Jallikattu is against the fundamental, religious and cultural rights of the people of Tamil Nadu, especially when such bulls and cows are treated as a part of their own family and are worshipped and no way they are being ill-treated.



"We request you to kindly intervene in the matter immediately to promulgate an ordinance lifting the ban on conduct of Jalikkattu, amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, de-notifying bulls from the notification of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to unable us to preserve our rich culture and tradition," the memorandum said.



After discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and consultations with legal experts, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam announced this morning that the state government will amend a Central act on Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to allow conduct of Jallikattu in the state with Centre's backing. In view of this, he urged protesters across the state to withdraw their agitation because of the likelihood of the bull taming sport to be held in a "day or two".


The Bombay High Court today said it was "very unhappy" over the pace of progress in Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare murder cases even as the CBI informed the court that Scotland Yard has refused to help in the forensic probe on the ground that there was no pact between the UK and India for sharing such data.





Today, CBI also submitted, in a sealed cover, a report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists, including M M Kalburgi in Karnataka, the third such report, the other two being those of Mumbai and Bengaluru labs.



CBI, probing Dabholkar's murder, and the SIT of state CID, investigating killing of Pansare, also submitted separate reports in sealed covers to the court on the progress made in these two cases.



A bench of justices S C Dharmadhikari and B P Colabawalla observed that it was "very unhappy" over the tardy progress in investigation, and also noted there was no development in the proceedings in courts in Pune and Kolhapur, trying Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases respectively.



Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told the bench, hearing petitions filed by the families of the two slain rationalists, that, "Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases."



The CBI had earlier told the court that forensic evidence was sent to Scotland Yard to seek its opinion if same weapons were used in the murders of Dabholkar and Pansare in Maharashtra and Kalburgi in Karnataka.



The judges perused the reports and cautioned the probe agencies against revealing the contents to anyone, including media, as the investigations are still on.



SIT counsel Ashok Mundargi said, "The probe in Pansare killing is on. We have identified two absconding suspects. The charge sheet has been filed and we are investigating further."



On a plea made by the two agencies seeking eight weeks time to conduct further probe, the bench deferred the matter till March 20.



While Dabholkar was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015 in Kolhapur. He died on February 20 that year. Prof Kalburgi was murdered on August 30, 2015.



Last month also, the High Court had come down heavily on CBI for inordinate delay in the investigation and said it was "bungling up" the probe.



Virendra Tawde, an alleged member of right wing group Sanathan Sanstha was arrested on June 10 last year by CBI in the Dabholkar case. He was also arraigned as accused by CID in the Pansare case.



Another member of the Sanstha, Samir Gaikwad, was arrested by the SIT in connection with the Pansare murder case in September 2015.



The family members of Dabholkar and Pansare also again voiced their unhappiness over the "lack of progress" in probe in the cases.



After the hearing concluded, Dabholkar's son Hamid and daughter Mukta distributed pamphlets outside the court seeking arrest of the accused.



Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of Pansare, staged a silent demonstration demanding arrest of the accused. "The investigation agencies are very slow and the contents of forensic reports always reach the media first," their lawyer Abhay Nevgi said.



On an earlier occasion, the bench had noted that delay caused by the probe agency would not only benefit the accused but would also give a bad impression to the society at large.



As Mumbai and Bengaluru forensic labs had given conflicting opinions, the investigating agency wanted a third opinion. Hence, it sent evidence to Ahmedabad forensic lab, whose report was today submitted to the court.



The state CID, probing the Pansare murder case, had earlier this year filed a petition in the high court seeking stay on the trial till a forensic report from Scotland Yard Police laboratory was obtained.



The CID petition had sought a stay from the high court on framing of charges against Gaikwad. The HC had then granted the stay.
Supreme Court today refused to direct the Centre to place before it the minutes of the meeting of a high-powered committee, comprising the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of Opposition, which has selected Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma as the new CBI Director.





"It (direction to call for minutes of the meeting) is not within the ambit of this writ petition. As far as this writ petition is concerned, it is over now," a bench comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and A M Khanwilkar said.



The apex court said this after it was informed by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the appointment to the post of CBI Director has been made and senior IPS officer Alok Kumar Verma has been appointed.



The Centre also ruled out the demand by the NGO, Common Cause, seeking a direction to it to place before the bench the minutes of the meeting of the high-level panel on the matter.



"Where is the question of placing the minutes of meeting now? A decision has been taken and order has been issued. Why are you (Bhushan) pushing for something which is over? There is no question of placing the minutes of the meeting," Rohatgi told the bench, which disposed of the plea.



Mehta also told the bench that the committee comprises the Prime Minister, CJI and the Leader of Opposition and "their wisdom cannot be questioned" like this.



Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, urged the bench to direct the Centre to place before it the minutes of meeting of the committee. "Let them place the minutes of meeting. Last time the Attorney General had said they would place the minutes of the meeting before the court," he said.



Bhushan also told the bench that the minutes have to be seen to ascertain whether the new appointment has been made by following the law and procedure laid down by the apex court earlier.



He claimed that the meeting of the selection committee was not convened in December despite the fact that the earlier CBI Director Anil Sinha had retired on December 2.



However, his arguments did not cut much ice with the bench which reminded him that there was a "change in guard" at the helm of CJI also.
Independent thinking and free expression in Indian universities "are now under threat", former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today alleged, targeting the Centre.





The Congress leader said the recent attempts to interfere with free expression of the student community in Hyderabad Central University and JNU were of particular concern and termed suppression of peaceful dissent as "inimical to learning" and 'undemocratic'.



"Regrettably, independent thinking and free expression in Indian universities are now under threat. Attempts to suppress peaceful dissent are not only inimical to learning but also undemocratic," 84-year-old Singh said while speaking at the bicentenary celebration of Presidency University.



"True nationalism is found where students, citizens, are encouraged to think and speak freely where dissents are encouraged and not suppressed. It is only by constructive engagements ..we can truly build a stronger, more cohesive and sustaining democracy in our country," Singh said and also made a veiled reference to Hyderabad University student Rohit Vemula suicide issue.



The former Prime Minister said that political interference in universities and in appointments in academic institutions was highly 'short-sighted'. "We must make very effort to protect the autonomy of our university and to foster the right of our students to express ideas," he said.



Singh said, "We are witnessing around the world a rise of nationalist tendencies, populism and hatred against backward classes and minorities in disregarding reason and rationality .....but these tendencies could be extremely destructive.



He emphasised, "We must protect India from this trend and universities have a vital role in this regard."



Singh, who wanted to be a teacher but got into politics 'by accident', said, "I believe that every university must give the freedom to pursue knowledge even where the knowledge may be at odds with established intellectual and social traditions. We must guard this freedom very zealously."
The UK can neither "prescribe" a solution to the Kashmir issue nor act as a mediator, the British government has said, asserting that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting solution to the problem.





"India and Pakistan are both long-standing and important friends of the United Kingdom and we have significant links to both countries through Indian and Pakistani diaspora communities," Alok Sharma, UK's Foreign Office minister in charge of Asia, said during a debate on Kashmir in the Parliament.



"...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 the governments of India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution, taking of course into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people," he said, stating Britain's position on the issue.



"The UK will continue to encourage both India and Pakistan to ensure that channels of dialogue remain open as a means of resolving differences," he said yesterday.



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 motion in House of Commons had called on the UK government to encourage India and Pakistan to commence peace negotiations to establish a long-term solution to the dispute.



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 the debate read, "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 read.



Nuttall concluded the debate by calling on Sharma to "reflect on the very many positive suggestions for future action" before calling for a vote on the motion, which the deputy speaker of the House passed in favour, saying "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.
As Americans prepare to welcome Donald Trump as their 45th President, a large number of protesters gathered in the national capital to voice their anger and hold demonstrations against what they alleged the divisive policies of the new administration.





At one of those protest outside the National Press Club, the police had to use pepper spray to disperse people who had gathered against what it called "the Alt-Reich" outside "DeploraBall" inside the building.



Police had to use pepper spray as some of the protesters set off smoke devices in the middle of the crowd.



"Impeach the predatory president," read one of two messages projected onto the building's facade, according to NBC News.



One of the protesters burned a Trump hat, it said.



Anti-Trump signs and banners were seen even early in the morning as thousands of his supporters made their way to the US Capitol this morning. "They are white supremacist fascists," a volunteer Desba Rojas was quoted as saying by The Los Angeles Times.



Rojas said her goal was "to stop them from getting into office, and if they get into office, sopping them before they can consolidate" power.



A large number of left protesters under the banner of DisruptJ20 planned a march towards the inauguration venue and display anti-Trump sign along the parade route. So did another antiwar and anti-racism group.



Ahead of the inauguration, Pew Research center in its latest survey said the public sees a country deeply fractured along partisan lines.



The national survey found finds that fully 86 per cent describe the country as more politically divided today than in the past, while just 12 per cent say the US is no more divided.



Several dozen lawmakers including Indian-American Pramila Jayapal have decided against attending Trumps inauguration.



Outgoing US President Barack Obama did not comment on his party lawmakers boycotting the inauguration.



However, the Trump Transition Team said there is a nationwide enthusiasm for the new president, which is evident of thousands of people converging to the US Capitol.



Protesters told the media that they fear a different kind of government now. "The alt-right's vision for this country is not the one that we need. I'm out here tonight because I want to be part of the resistance efforts happening this week, and the resistance that'll be happening the next four years," Sarko Sarkodie, 26, who lives in Washington, told CNN.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi today said the protests over jallikattu were a "lesson" for the Hindutva forces.





Referring to the ongoing protests in Tamil Nadu against the ban on the bull-taming sport as a case in point, he said the Uniform Civil Code also could not be "imposed" in a diverse country like India.



"#Jallikattuprotest Lesson for Hindutva forces, Uniform Civil Code cannot be "imposed"this nation cannot have one CULTURE we celebrate all (sic)," Owaisi tweeted.



The Hyderabad MP has been opposed to putting in place a Uniform Civil Code and has said in the past that it would not help a diverse country like India.



"I have been consistently saying that a Uniform Civil Code is not good for the diversity and pluralism of this great nation of ours and diversity and pluralism are the ethos of this country. It is not going to help our country by having a Uniform Civil Code," he had said last year.



"For example, can an agreement be arrived at on what should be the inheritance policy according to the Mitakshara and Dayabhaga schools? Can we take away the cultural rights which the Constitution has given to Nagaland and Mizoram?," he had asked.



On Twitter, Owaisi wrote, "Jallikattu uprising indicates failure of political class in understanding the Tamil sentiment."



"People of Tamil Nadu by Uniting & coming together have forced the Modi &AIADMK govt to change law to overcome Supreme court judgment (sic)," he said in anothet tweet.



Tamil Nadu continued to be on the edge for the fifth day due to the ongoing protests by students, youths and other sections of the society demanding that the traditional bull-taming sport be immediately staged at Alanganallur, known as the epicentre of jallikattu, and at other places.


Donald Trump has been sworn in as United States 45th President. This marks the start of an era in the US politics that is widely expected to be controversial and confrontationist. He has entered the White House with a 40% approval rating, according to a CNN/ORC opinion poll conducted on the eve of his inauguration, the lowest for any US president at the start of his presidency. The honeymoon period of previous American presidents with voters have lasted for at least a few months into their presidency. Not so with Trump. His honeymoon with voters appears to have ended even before it began. Trumps inauguration has triggered a wave of uncertainty at home and abroad. Many Americans are understandably worried about the implications of a Trump presidency for Americas democracy, its institutions and processes. Will these institutions survive his style of functioning, his contempt for dissent and reluctance to consult experts in policy making decisions? Worryingly, he has done little to distance his business interests from public office. His appointment of his son-in-law as a senior adviser has raised eyebrows as have his nominees for key cabinet positions. His cabinet is stacked with billionaire CEOs, known for running business corporations and brazenly violating laws than for administrative experience in running a government.



Politicians are known to moderate their positions once they occupy office but Trump is unlikely to do so if his conduct and comments in the run-up to his inauguration are any indication of what lies ahead; his unseemly response on Twitter to Congressman and civil rights icon, John Lewis, indicates that he will continue to use his tweets to diminish, delegitimise and denigrate critics and those with different views. This is hardly presidential behaviour. Importantly, he continues to hold on to the controversial views he aired during the election campaign on issues like torture, immigration, Muslims etc. He continues, for instance, to harp on building a wall to keep Mexicans out of the US.



There are institutions such as Congress that can restrain Trump from following through on some of his controversial campaign promises. The question is whether a Republican-dominated Congress will do so. It is expected to go along with Trump with regard to repealing the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, for instance, which Republicans across the board are opposed to. Where Trump and many Republicans are likely to differ, such as how aggressively the government should probe Russias role in the presidential election, deal-making with the President can be expected; Republicans will cede ground to Trump to advance the larger Republican agenda. With Trump in the White House, the US seems poised for uncertainty ahead.




The Central governments decision to set up a committee on the subsidy being given to Haj pilgrims every year is welcome, but the committees brief should go beyond what is given to it. The subsidy is mainly in the form of discounted Air India fares to Saudi Arabia. The need to subsidise the pilgrimage has long been a matter of debate. But no government has shown an indication of correcting this wrong policy which is being followed for many years. Even when setting up the committee, the governments claim was that it was not meant to stop the subsidy but to find ways and means to make it more economical and efficient. It is not for a secular state to extend subsidies for religious pilgrimages. The government should set up the necessary infrastructure and increase facilities at pilgrim centres within the country for those who travel there. In the case of pilgrimages to holy places outside the country, it can provide travel facilities and good consular services to pilgrims. But financing their travel is wrong on principle.



The Supreme Court had in 2012 directed the government to phase out Haj subsidy in the next 10 years, and said that the money could be used for the social and economic development of the Muslim community. The court wanted the subsidy to be stopped not because it was against the Constitution and the law, but because it cannot be justified on the basis of Quranic teachings. Haj is a duty for Muslims but it should be undertaken only by those who can bear the expenses on their own. So it is against the religious tenet to subsidise it and to accept such a subsidy. But the idea has become mixed up with politics and governments are unable to discontinue the practice. The practice of subsidy has wrongly been extended to Hindu pilgrimages too. Many state governments extend subsidy for Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage. This too is wrongful and inappropriate use of public funds.



About Rs 850 crore is spent on Haj subsidy every year. With Saudi Arabia increasing Indias Haj quota, the spending will also be higher. The government spends some money on related activities also. All this can be better used to promote the education of Muslim children and for the health and welfare of the community. The community is backward in terms of all socio-economic indicators. The Sachar committee has already highlighted this. Subsidies, as political sops, will not reduce backwardness and deprivation. Many Muslim leaders like MIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi do not support the idea of Haj subsidy. The country and the community can well do without it.




The Scotland Yard has not been able to help Indian agencies investigating the murders of social activists and rationalists Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and

M M Kalburgi, the CBI told the Bombay High Court on Friday.





During the hearing before a bench comprising Justices S C Dharmadhikari and B P Colabawalla, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who is representing the CBI, said, The Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries (India and the UK) on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help....



Dabholkar (67), a rationalist and anti-superstition activist, founded the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti. He was shot dead on June 20, 2013, by two gunmen near the Omkareshwar temple in Pune.



Pansare (82) was a rationalist and CPI leader. Pansare and his wife Uma were attacked by two motorcycle-borne youths on February 16, 2015, near their residence in Kolhapur. He died four days later.



Kalburgi (76), a noted scholar and writer, had run-ins with right-wing Hindutva groups over the years. He was shot dead on August 30, 2015, at his residence in Dharwad.



The CBI suspected that the same weapon was used in all the killings, and hence had sought information on forensics and ballistics from the Scotland Yard.
After years of operating with sub-optimal strength, the submarine arm of the Indian Navy is set to induct two brand new submarines in the next 12 months, while starting the trial for the third one.





The first two Scorpene class submarines  to be named INS Kalvari and INS Khanderi  are likely to be commissioned this year, while the third, INS Vela, would be released into water for trial by the end of 2017, Rear Admiral Mohit Gupta, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff in charge of submarines, said here on Friday.



While Kalvari has almost finished its trials, Khanderi was released into water last week, paving the way for the sea trial.



Six French-origin Scorpene submarines are under construction in a Rs 18,798-crore project at the Mazgaon dock under technology transfer from DCNS.



Their delivery date is more than three years behind the original schedule.

All of them are likely to be in service by 2020.



Delay in project

After an initial setback, the submarine project was delayed further owing to the unavailability of torpedoes following the involvement of the weapons supplier Finmeccanica in a defence scam relating to the purchase of VVIP helicopters for the Indian Air Force.



To tide over the crisis, the navy has now decided to arm the new submarines with torpedoes from its existing stock as the defence ministrys decision to purchase new torpedoes from a foreign vendor would be time consuming.



We will commission them fully armed, said an officer.



Once inducted, these submarines would form the core of the navys conventional submarine arm, said Gupta. India currently operates 13 old diesel-electric submarines and two nuclear-powered ones. Four of the 13 boats would be refitted to increase their service life.



On the contrary, China is reported to have close to 80 submarines, including more than 10 nuclear-powered ones, some of which have begun to dock at Pakistani ports, triggering concerns in India.



The Indian Navys submarine arm gathers strength at a time when a top US commander publicly aired his worries on China flexing its military muscles in the Indian Ocean region.

India should be concerned about the increasing.



Chinese influence in the region, Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the US Pacific Command, said here on Wednesday.


Unmindful of the objections by agitating students and youths over their participation in the Jallikattu stir, the film fraternity observed a day-long fast on the issue.





Under the banner of Nadigar Sangam, film stars Rajinikanth, Ajith, Suriya and Dhanush participated in the silent protest. The actors wore black shirts and avoided mikes or loudspeakers in the premises.



Security was beefed at the venue, where only bonafide members of the association were allowed to take part in the strike. Rajinikanth arrived at 11 am and was seated in the front row, interacting with a few fellow actors.



Representatives from various trade bodies like the Cinematographers Union, Film Employees Federation of South India, Directors Association and small screen artistes participated.



Lawyers also joined the stir on Friday by boycotting courts, after calls by organisations like the Madras High Court Advocates Association.



Meanwhile, the statewide strike call by trade unions and industry associations affected life across Tamil Nadu.



Roads wore a deserted look in many districts, including Chennai, as shops, hotels and business establishments were closed to express solidarity with the agitating Jallikattu supporters.



More than four lakh lorries stayed off the roads, hurting the transport of essential commodities like vegetables and milk.



Except for a few government buses, autos, private buses, share autos and call taxies stayed off the roads, putting public to hardship.



Suburban train services in Chennai were partially hit as the Opposition DMK held a rail roko. For the second consecutive day, schools and colleges were closed, with universities postponing their exams by a week.



However, government milk supply and bank services remained unaffected.


From the next academic year 1.4 crore students in government schools will get flavoured milk in flexi packs under the state government's flagship programme, Ksheera Bhagya.





The project will be launched on an experimental basis in Tumakuru and Mangaluru. Once fully operational, the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) will supply 12 lakh litres of milk a week to all government schools. At present, the KMF supplies 20,000 tonnes of milk powder.



According to KMF chairman P Nagaraju, flavoured milk in flexi packs will be supplied from their units in Tumakuru and Mangaluru. Besides these, two more units nearing completion in Belagavi and Koppal will also be utilised.



Following complaints that students didn't like powdered milk because of the smell, the government had asked the KMF to supply flavoured milk. There were also health concerns because of unhygienic preparation using locally available and unfiltered water.



According to Nagaraju, the education department was apprehensive about buying flavoured milk because of increased transportation charges.




The outgoing US envoy to India, Richard Verma, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bid farewell as his tenure came to an end on Friday with the change of administration in Washington DC.





We spoke about a range of issues, and the substantial progress we have made in the US-India relationship over the past two years, Verma said after meeting the prime minister.



We reflected on the prime ministers address to a joint session of Congress, president (Barack) Obamas visit to India as chief guest at Indias Republic Day celebrations, and agreed that the US-India relationship is stronger than ever. I thanked the prime minister for his leadership and vision and said a personal farewell, said Verma.



Since Verma was a political appointee, his tenure as US ambassador to India ended with Obama leaving the White House.



Countries brought close

My own story is but one example of the countless journeys that have brought our countries so close. The son of a teacher from Jalandhar (Punjab) who travelled to the United States with little more than a certainty that America would welcome him, I was nurtured by American open-heartedness, served in its military, and educated in its traditions of opportunity for all, Verma said.



My mother, a first-generation immigrant, spoke with an accent, wore Indian clothes, cooked Indian food, and retained her religious and cultural traditions, said Verma.


Eight of 10 members of the RBIs central board had advised the government to withdraw Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, the banks governor Urjit Patel said on Friday.



Just a few hours



The board met at 5.30 pm on November 8, just two-and-a-half hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the dramatic note ban announcement, Patel told Parliaments Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Congress leader K V Thomas.

Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram had claimed only three directors had backed the demonetisation decision, raising questions over the autonomy of the central bank.



The board meeting was attended by Governor Patel, deputy governors R Gandhi and S S Mundra, and five directors of the RBI  Nachiket Mor, Bharat N Doshi, Sudhir Mankad, Shaktikanta Das and Anjuly Chib Duggal.



Strategic reasons

Patel informed the committee that deputy governor N S Vishwanathan, also a member of the board, had stayed back in Mumbai for strategic reasons to brief bankers personally immediately after the decision was taken.



Another director, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, was abroad at the time of the meeting.

Members of the PAC wanted the RBI to probe abnormal transactions seen in co-operative banks after demonetisation was announced.



Members gave examples of how new bank accounts had been opened by co-operative banks, and dormant accounts were flush with funds after November 8.



Patel said the income tax department had seized Rs 474.37 crore between November 9, 2016, and January 4, 2017, of which Rs 112.29 crore was in new currency.



He also said no counterfeit currency notes (in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination)

had been seized by agencies under the Central Board of Excise and Customs between November 8 and December 30, 2016.


The government on Friday barred co-operative banks from accepting deposits under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY).





The decision comes amid reports of massive irregularities in the account books of these lenders after the November 8 demonetisation. The amnesty scheme, aiming to lock part of unaccounted income in long-term deposits, was notified last month. It is open till March 31.



According to its original provisions, anybody declaring undisclosed income could pay a tax of 50% and park 25% in a four-year deposit in any bank. About Rs 16,000 crore was deposited in co-operative banks after the note ban.



But after Fridays decision, co-operative banks will not be eligible to receive such deposits. It is clarified that co-operative banks are not authorised banks to accept deposits under PMGKY, 2016, an official statement said after the government amended an earlier notification dated December 16, 2016.



Holders of unaccounted cash will have to pay tax and then fill up a bank challan to benefit from the four-year deposit scheme. Authorised banks have to electronically furnish details to the revenue department the next working day to enable verification before the deposit is accepted under PMGKY.


Legislative Assembly Speaker K B Koliwad has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveying to him the resolution of the House seeking his intervention in resolving the Mahadayi water dispute.





The Assembly had passed a resolution in the Belagavi session on December 1 last seeking the Prime Ministers intervention and calling a meeting of the chief ministers of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra to resolve the Mahadayi dispute.



This apart, Water Resources Minister M B Patil is scheduled to hold a meeting with the states legal team representing the Cauvery river water issue in the Supreme Court in Delhi on Saturday. He will discuss the hearing in the Supreme Court on the Cauvery issue from February 7.






Yet another BJP leader has spoken out against its state president B S Yeddyurappa, albeit a little diplomatically. On Friday, it was the turn of former minister and MLC V Somanna to hit out at Yeddyurappa.





Somanna told reporters in Bengaluru on Friday there was no question of him quitting the party but at the same time, he said Yeddyurappa should get rid of the coterie around him.



I am disappointed with the developments in the party. Yeddyurappa lends an ear only to those close to him. Yeddyurappa has changed, we want the old Yeddyurappa back, he said.



Somanna said there will always be differences in the party and a true leader can always sort them out. Former deputy chief minister R Ashoka said Yeddyurappa and senior leader K S Eshwarappa should sort out their differences themselves. He said the party central leaders had taken note of the differences between Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa.



He said several leaders are planning to raise the issue at the two-day state executive meeting scheduled to be held in Kalaburagi from January 21.



Earlier, Somanna, Ashoka and three other MLAs M Krishnappa, Umesh Katti and Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri, who had come to attend a legislature committee meeting at Vidhana Soudha, held a closed-door meeting in one of the committee rooms of the state secretariat.



It is said Ashoka tried to convince Somanna that he should not quit the BJP.




The Congress is now going whole hog in Punjab to woo voters with pep talks and some words of wisdom from the Punjabi diaspora.





More than 400 NRIs from the United Kingdom and Canada have come out in support of the Congress in Punjab and are preparing to join the partys poll campaign towards the weekend.



They will meet party vice president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi before they set off for various places in Punjab.



While around 250 NRIs under the aegis of the Indian Overseas Congress, UK, are arriving over the next two days, more than 150 NRIs are also coming from various parts of Canada to be part of the Congress campaign next week.



Amanpreet Aulakh of the Indian Overseas Congress (Canada) is among those who have already reached India, the party said.



Taking agenda forward

Aulakh said: NRIs from Canada will help to take the partys agenda forward on the ground across the state.



Daljit Singh Sahota, the Indian Overseas Congress (UK) president, in a letter to Dr Karan Singh, chairman of the Congress Foreign Affairs Cell, said the NRIs from the UK will travel to Punjab to campaign for the Congress candidates.



The NRIs will move from one constituency to another in a hired bus to spread the message for the Congress, said Sahota, adding that they had requested Rahul Gandhi to flag off the bus from New Delhi on January 23 or 24.


Liquor baron Shiv Lal Doda, an accused in the murder of a Dalit youth in Abohar in Punjab, had filed his nomination as an independent candidate.





The gruesome murder of Bhim Tank, a Dalit youth in Abohar, a little over a year ago had led to widespread outrage, especially among Dalits in Punjab. The matter was even raised in the Rajya Sabha.



Lodged in jail, the accused Doda, who is among the top three wealthiest candidates in the poll fray, was planning to contest the elections from behind bars.



On Friday evening, he backed out in support of BJP candidate Arun Narang from Abohar. But the incident has given enough fodder to the Congress, which took to the streets protesting the atrocities on Dalits, to drub the ruling dispensation for its anti-Dalitacts.

Despite Dodas decision to be out of poll fray by Saturday, the incident is likely to impact the decision of voters.



Tank, whose legs and arms were chopped off and strewn around, was murdered at Dodas farmhouse in the area.



Doda, who owes allegiance to the Akali Dal, was pitted against Congress candidate Sunil Kumar Jakhar, who is the son of slain former Punjab MLA and former Madhya Pradesh Governor Balram Jakhar. Dodas electoral plans came to light following a raid inside the jail early this month.



An illegal meeting with supporters, chaired by Doda inside the jail, was exposed during the raid. The assistant jail superintendent was suspended. About 25 people, including some members of the ruling SAD, were also booked.






The state government will contemplate providing a separate quota for children of pourakarmikas in elite private schools, especially institutions with residential facilities.





Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya told reporters in Bengaluru that the proposal to have a sub-quota for children of pourakarmikas under Right to Education (RTE) had been sought by various welfare groups of civic workers.



The government is keen that there should be such a quota. The modalities will be discussed at a meeting convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pertaining to all issues concerning pourakarmikas on February 3. Top officials of the social welfare, finance, education and urban development departments will be present at the meeting, Anjaneya said.



The Tamil Nadu model, where such a sub-quota has been introduced for children of civic workers, will be studied.



He said the government will bear the admission fees of children of pourakarmikas. Most of the parents are out all day at work. If the children of such civic workers are admitted to residential schools, not only will they get quality education but their day-to-day needs will also be taken care of, Anjaneya said. He said the government will talk to school managements in this regard.



The minister said the February 3 meeting will also dwell at length on regularisation of contract pourakarmikas in the state. He said the state government is committed to improving the living conditions of pourakarmikas by providing them with health, education and other facilities. Labour suppliers exploited contract pourakarmikas by not paying minimum wages and social security benefits, the minister said.



Government jobs will be provided to a family member of those pourakarmikas who died while cleaning manholes, he said.


Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday released the partys first list of 191 nominees for the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.





The list covers the candidates for the first three phases of polling in the western and central UP districts.



The list which bore chief ministers stamp of authority includes his uncle Shivpal. But over three dozens of Shivpals supporters have been denied nominations indicating that the chief minister was in no mood to accommodate his uncle and his father Mulayam Singh Yadavs loyalists.



Shivpal has been fielded from his traditional Jaswant Nagar seat. However, his son Aditya Yadav has been denied nomination.



Akhilesh also denied ticket to his stepmother Sadhna Guptas relative Pramod Gupta, who was the partys legislator from Bidhuna Assembly constituency.



Senior leader and Rajya Sabha member Beni Prasad Verma, a Mulayam loyalist, suffered a jolt after his son Rakesh Verma was denied candidature from Ramnagar seat. Akhilesh has fielded his close confidante Arvind Singh Gope from the seat.



Akhilesh loyalists have refuted the allegations that the chief minister has denied nominations to Shivpal supporters to take revenge. Tickets have been given on the basis of winnability and image of the candidate, said leader Rajendra Chaudhary.


The much-talked about electoral alliance between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress in Uttar Pradesh has come under a cloud after the SP fielded its candidates for seats where the Congress had emerged victorious in 2012 Assembly polls.





The SP, which released its first list of 191 candidates for the first three phases of polling in the western and central UP districts, has left only 18 seats for the Congress. In all, polling will be held for 209 seats in the first three phases. In what is being perceived here as a pressure tactic following the Congress unreasonable demand for over 100 seats, the SP fielded its nominees for nine seats, which were won by the Congress in 2012.



SP vice president Kironmoy Nanda told reporters here on Friday that his party was in favour of an electoral alliance with the Congress but it has not received any positive response from the Congress so far. He also indicated that the SP could withdraw its nominees from the seats where the Congress had emerged victorious last time.



The Congress had won 28 seats in 2012 and finished runner-up in 26 seats. It deserves 54 seats. But we are ready to give it 84-85 seats, he said.



Nanda also made it clear that the SP would contest all the seats in Amethi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and four of five seats in Raebareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of Sonia Gandhi. The Congress has sought all the seats in the two districts.



The Congress appeared stunned over the development.



It is unfortunate that out of 191 seats which were declared today (Friday) by SP, 8 seats belonged to the sitting Congress MLAs, AICC spokesman Ajay Maken said.



AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad went into a huddle with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Priyanka Vadra also joined the deliberations. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar was rushed to Lucknow to talk to Akhilesh.






Karnataka registers 23.2% of child marriages reported in the country, according to the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR). The state is also among the top 10 in the country in reporting child marriages.





Kripa Amar Alva, chairperson, KSCPCR, told reporters on Friday that the state had been either in the eighth or ninth position in the country with respect to child marriage, according to the National Health Mission.



She added that child marriage was mostly prevalent in parts of North Karnataka with a majority cases reported from Dharwad, Belagavi, Bagalkot and the surrounding districts. The highest numbers are from Yadgir.



She said the practice is prevalent in certain communities and added that a sizeable number of Gujjar marriages are also reported in the state.



Gujjar marriages



Explaining the practice of Gujjar marriages, she said, Men from Gujarat and Rajasthan buy out young children by paying families Rs 10,000 in the name of marriage. They take them to their hometowns and abandon them. This could lead to more complicated issues such as trafficking and flesh trade.



Members of the commission added that teenage affairs leading to child marriage are on the rise.



There is a rise in youths eloping. Though parents are aware of it, they make no attempt to stop it fearing it might mar their image in society.



The Commission for Protection of Child Rights will launch a campaign to prevent child marriages at Vidhana Soudha on Saturday by chief minister Siddaramaiah.



Website



The commission is also launching a new website Kare where complaints on a range of problems from education, visitation rights, child labour, ragging, corporal punishment and others can be filed.



The platform serves as a connect between 10 departments including education, labour, women and child welfare and the department of health and family welfare. Complaints lodged on the website are channeled to the departments concerned.



Alva said, For instance, if someone lodges a complaint pertaining the education department, it would be sent to the DDPI. If it is unattended, the matter gets escalated to the DC.




The Centre and Tamil Nadu are ready with an ordinance to defuse the Jallikattu crisis.

The ordinance treats the bull-taming spectacle as a local sport, and incorporates provisions to protect the animal from cruelty.





The Centre forwarded the ordinance to President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday evening. He is expected in Delhi late in the night, after his engagements in West Bengal.



The ordinance seeks to denotify the bull from the performing animals protected under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Even as aides to the Attorney-General and the state Advocate-General said the ordinance would need the consent of the President under Article 213, home ministry officials said it would first have to go to the Tamil Nadu Cabinet. The Cabinet is expected to meet on Saturday to formally clear the ordinance.



Article 213 of the Constitution says the Presidents approval is necessary before the governor promulgates an ordinance on a subject covered by a central law, but also falling within the powers of the states.



The ordinance incorporates stipulations outlined in the Prevention of Cruelty Act, a central law, and treats Jallikattu as a local sport that, as a subject, falls under the domain of the state.



The apex courts decision came in response to an appeal by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, who said the Centre and the state were keen to defuse the crisis by Monday.

The Centre and the state government also want preparations for the Republic Day parade at the same location off Marina Beach.



For the last four days, the place has witnessed massive protests, demanding the return of the bull-taming festival.



Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Panneerselvam said the ordinance would be sent for Mukherjees approval to help bring back Jallikattu within a couple of days.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told Panneerselvam that he appreciated the cultural significance of Pongal and Jallikattu, but the case was before the Supreme Court.



He had, however, promised to support Tamil Nadu in whatever steps it took.

Panneerselvams decision to cancel his return to Chennai after his meeting with Modi, and his discussions with Subramonium Prasad, the states Additional Advocate-General, led to a flurry of activity.



A draft of the ordinance was finalised with the help of legal experts and officials drawn from the Union ministries of law, home and environment and forest.


Armchair travelers will have a field day with a new photography exhibit on display at Del Mars Herbert B. Turner Gallery at Southfair.

The exhibit features 64 photographs by San Diego photographer Michael Orenich, focusing on images from Mongolia, Cuba and Morocco. Also included are shots from Greece, Italy, Spain and France.

The photos went on display this month, and the exhibit will continue through March 4. A grand reception, open to the public and billed as black-tie optional, will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28. The gallery is located at 2010 Jimmy Durante Blvd.

One unique aspect of the gallery is that the artworks, in this case Orenichs photos, are housed in glass-fronted display cases in the complexs inner courtyard. That means the gallery is essentially open at all hours of the day and night, as the viewing area is outdoors and not enclosed in the building.

The complex, which houses a number of businesses, including a fitness center, was designed by the gallerys namesake, architect Herbert B. Turner, who during his career designed some 50 homes and commercial buildings in Del Mar. The complex and gallery are now owned by Rachel Turner Thomas, the architects daughter.

Herbs wishes were to always use this space for local artists to display their work, said Bob Coletti, who, along with Orenich, has been coordinating exhibits at the gallery for the past year.

In 2016, the gallery hosted a series of themed exhibits, on such topics as equine and surf art, with each show featuring the works of multiple artists. This year, the gallery will host solo shows, the first of which features Orenichs photography.

It requires a large body of work, said Orenich of the solo exhibit.

For this exhibit, Orenich chose works primarily from the countries of Mongolia, Cuba and Morocco.

He considers himself to be a narrative photographer, meaning, Im trying to communicate elements of the culture.

Orenich traveled to remote areas of Mongolia in 2013, getting around by jeep with a driver, translator and a British photojournalist.

The group flew into the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, then embarked on a 300-mile journey, partly over roads and partly across country, Orenich said. Their destination was an Eagle Festival, where participants showed off their skills working with trained eagles in hunting and horsemanship. The festival also included such competitions as archery, camel racing and flogging, in which female riders whip their male counterparts, while both partners are on horseback, Orenich said.

The striking scenes show the hunters with their raptors, and also the gorgeous backdrop of snow-streaked mountains, as well as the round tents, called gers or yurts, where the nomadic herders of Mongolia reside.

Orenichs Morocco scenes show village life, as well as classic desert scenes of rolling sand dunes. In order to find pristine landscape unmarked by footprints or jeep tracks, he engaged a guide to take him into Algeria, in a conflict zone, he said, which required a trip first by Land Rover, then by camel.

He spent two days photographing the dunes, and the results of his labors are hanging in the Turner Gallerys display cases.

Visitors can arrange to purchase any of the photographs by contacting the artist directly via email which is posted at the gallery.

Orenich said his prints sell for between $350 and $900 apiece, and include custom frames and museum glass.

Orenich first took up photography in the U.S. military in the 1960s, and continued to snap photos as a hobby during his career in the semi-conductor industry. Upon his retirement 13 years ago, he said, he began devoting all of his time to photography.

In addition to his own photo expeditions around the globe, Orenich teaches photography. An upcoming class will be offered at a Michaels crafts store, he said.

For more information about the Turner Gallery and its exhibits, visit www.hbtgallery.com.
A group of local kids are hoping to raise national awareness for global warming in a letter- writing campaign to President-elect Donald Trump, beginning on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.The effort, called Kids4PlanetEarth, began late last year when mothers Ann Wycoff, a journalist, and Heidi Dewar, a marine biologist, decided more people should be aware of the climate change and invited their children to help spread the word.

I think Heidi and I were both concerned about whats going on with the environment, and particularly with the new administration coming in if they were going to address climate change, Wycoff said. Weve been hearing different opinions on how much theyre supporting the idea and notion of climate change. ... We knew the kids cared as well.

The group watched the documentary Before the Flood to learn about the potential dangers of climate change, including dying populations, the spread of infectious diseases and more extreme weather events, like hurricanes and intense heat waves.

Dewar added the next generation will suffer more than we will if nothing is done now.

This led to the children deciding to write letters and send in drawings regarding their feelings on climate change to the White House. Their mission has since spread to ambassadors in other states, and more than 10,000 people have pledged so far to send in letters, according to the groups website, kids4planetearth.org.

The goal is to have one million letters sent to Trumps office by Earth Day on April 22.

It just shows that global warming is a serious issue, said Madeline Carlson, 14, an eighth grader at Earl Warren Middle School in Solana Beach. One of the issues that really got to me is, since we live on the coast, the warmer temperatures are melting glaciers... and causing the water levels to rise. That can cause flooding in beach towns like Solana Beach.

She was also concerned with the population of polar bears dropping dramatically.

Luke Halpern, a 13-year-old eighth grader at The Bishops School in La Jolla, said he was concerned about less snow melt.

He said that affected him directly because his family owns a cabin in the Sierra mountains.

Luke said he decided to appeal to Trumps business side in his letter.

Theres a large market in renewable energy sources, so I thought that maybe if he saw that he would decide there was a good business opportunity and maybe be willing to take more initiative, he said.

The ultimate goal is for Trump to be aware of global warming, said Olivia Wheadon, a 13-year-old eighth grader at Earl Warren. About 97 percent of scientists believe human activity is causing significant climate change, according to Kids4PlanetEarths research.

I dont want [Trump] to think global warming isnt the most important thing we have to deal with right now, Olivia said.

Dewar said it was essential for the kids to get involved so they know that, even though they cant vote yet, their voice still matters.

Its certainly very encouraging because its their planet and almost more so than ours at this point, she said. To see them sort of take the reigns and push things in the right direction through advocacy is great to see. I think in the long-term, people feel a bit disconnected from politics, so to start at this early age is important. I think thats as important as the whole climate change issue.
Isaiah McCoy walks out of H. R. Young Correctional Institution as a free man.

Isaiah McCoy, a death row prisoner for years, walked out of the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington and into his young daughters' embraces on Thursday night just hours after a judge found him not guilty of murder in his second trial.





Outside the prison's barbed wire fence and heavy doors, McCoy, 29, became emotional as he reunited with his girls and with the team of attorneys and an investigator who helped get him acquitted of the 2010 killing of 30-year-old James Munford.





"I just want to say to all those out there going through the same thing I'm going through 'keep faith, keep fighting," McCoy said. "Two years ago, I was on death row. At 25, I was given a death sentence  and I am today alive and well and kicking and a free man."





A spokesman for the Department of Justice said prosecutors were disappointed by the verdict from Kent County Superior Court Judge Robert B. Young.





While we are disappointed with the outcome of this case, we respect the decision of this court. This was a difficult case and the court indicated the basis for its decision at the time of the verdict," spokesman Carl Kanefsky said.





The path to McCoy's acquittal has been long.





He was accused of shooting Munford to death during a drug deal in the rear parking lot of the Rodney Village Bowling Alley on May 4, 2010. The deal was supposed to be for 200 ecstasy pills and crack cocaine, but during the transaction, McCoy pulled out a gun and shot Munford, according to prosecutors.





A jury found McCoy guilty in June 2012, but the Delaware Supreme Court later overturned his conviction and death sentence.





The court did so because former Deputy Attorney General R. David Favata belittled McCoy and lied to a judge during the death penalty trial, the court said.





Favata made demeaning comments about McCoy's choice to represent himself, such as "I have been to law school, your honor. I understand the rules" and The trouble with dealing with somebody with a limited education and no legal education is he doesnt clearly understand what hes reading," according to court documents.





Favata also, while in the presence of McCoy during a court recess, spoke about "Omerta," an Italian mafia code of silence. Favata said he would put a detective back on the stand to tell everyone that McCoy was a snitch and added that McCoy could have trouble back in prison after the other inmates learn he is a snitch, the documents said.





McCoy alerted the judge to the comments, but Favata denied them. Then, the prothonotary, who was in the room and overheard Favatas comments, was disturbed that Favata lied to the judge and wrote a note saying McCoy was telling the truth. Favata eventually admitted the comments were meant to be heard by McCoy, according to court documents.





The judge attempted multiple times to rein in Favatas behavior, but it was not until July 2015 that Favata was suspended from the bar for six months and one day for what the court called "unprofessional conduct." Favata had already retired from the state in March of that year.





With McCoy facing a retrial because of the conduct, Deputy Attorneys General Greg Babowal and Steve Smith gave him the option to plead guilty to manslaughter and a weapons charge, which would have carried a sentence of five to 50 years in prison. He refused the deal and proclaimed his innocence.





"He trusted the judge to look at the evidence, and the judge looked at the evidence and saw the two accomplices were not credible," McCoy's attorney, Herbert Mondros, said.





The trial opened last Monday with accomplice, Deshaun White, taking the stand. White, who received a sentence reduction for his cooperation in the case, is serving a 13-year prison term at the Sussex Correctional Institution for charges related to Munford's death.





Attorney Michael Wiseman, also representing McCoy, spent hours questioning White on inconsistent stories he gave to law enforcement and a jury in McCoy's first trial.





At one point in the week-long trial, it looked as though the judge would recuse himself from the case and order a mistrial after McCoy allegedly made a comment to a corrections officer that he would have sex with and rob the officer's wife.





After contemplating the issue over night, the judge allowed the trial to continue and issued the verdict in the case around 2 p.m. Thursday. The judge noted the law on accomplice testimony and found the witnesses told conflicting stories that were uncorroborated by evidence.





Mondros said McCoy was extremely emotional as the verdict was read in court.





"Imagine a guy who had just spent the last six-and-a-half years on death row, in isolation, to now be essentially exonerated," he said.





Mondros also was on a team that represented another death row inmate, Jermaine Wright, who was freed last year. Wright spent 20 years on death row before the Supreme Court overturned his 1991 conviction for the killing of 66-year-old Phillip Seifert, a liquor store clerk. He was allowed to plead not contest to second-degree murder on the eve of his retrial.





Mondros, Wiseman and investigator Phil Primason met McCoy outside the prison about seven hours after the verdict was read. They loaded boxes of legal documents into the car, as McCoy hugged and laughed with his daughters.





McCoy said he planned to spend the next days with his daughters and to let his new situation sink in.





"Give myself some time, and then I'll be ready to tackle the world," he said.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!

Source: Delaware Online , Jessica Masulli Reyes, January 19, 2017
By Natalie Gallon

19 January 2017 (CNN)  An indigenous activist who protested against illegal logging in Mexicos Sierra Madre mountains has been killed, highlighting the dangers that Latin American environmentalists face. Isidro Baldenegro Lopez, 51, a leader of the Tarahumara people and fervent environmentalist  was shot dead Sunday at his uncles home in the town of Coloradas de la Virgen in the state of Chihuahua, according to Mexican state-run news agency Notimex. He was shot at least six times by a gunman, who fled the scene along with the weapon, the Chihuahua prosecutors office said. The police have launched an operation to capture the suspect. In 2005, Baldenegro Lopez won the Goldman Environmental Prize for his dedication in organizing peaceful protests against illegal logging. He was a fearless leader and a source of inspiration to so many people fighting to protect our environment and indigenous peoples rights, the Goldman Environmental Foundation said in a statement Wednesday. [] Global Witness, an organization that seeks to expose corruption and environmental abuse, said 2015 was the deadliest year on record, citing the killings of land and environmental defenders  people struggling to protect their land, forests and rivers. A report from the group documented 185 killings across 16 countries in 2015. It found this figure was more than double the number of journalists killed in the same period. [more]
Indonesia: open letter on anniversary of first executions under President Widodo -- Amnesty International.



On the occasion of the second anniversary of the resumption of executions under President Joko Widodo, On the occasion of the second anniversary of the resumption of executions under President Joko Widodo, eight organizations have written to the Indonesian authorities to bring to their attention ongoing concerns on the use of the death penalty in Indonesia.





The organizations renew their calls on the countrys highest authorities to immediately establish a review of all death sentences with a view to commutation, and to establish a moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty, as essential first steps towards its abolition.

On the occasion of the second anniversary of the resumption of executions under President Joko Widodo, I am writing on behalf of the undersigned organizations to bring to your attention our ongoing concerns on the use of the death penalty in Indonesia. We renew our calls on the countrys highest authorities to immediately establish a review of all death sentences with a view to commutation, and to establish a moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty, as essential first steps towards its abolition.





The first executions since Joko Widodo became President were carried out on 18 January 2015, when six prisoners were shot by firing squads. Since then, 12 more have been executed, including most recently on 29 July 2016. All the executed prisoners, who included three Indonesians and 15 foreign nationals, had been convicted of drug-related offences.





The authorities had selected for execution on 29 July a further ten people, but at the last minute granted them a stay of execution to allow for their cases to be reviewed to ensure that there is no judicial and non-judicial error, in the words of Attorney General M. Prasetyo later on the same day. (1)





While the stay of execution was a welcome development, our organizations remain deeply concerned that human rights violations have tainted the cases of several of the 18 prisoners executed in the past two years; that the stay of execution granted to the ten prisoners in July was only a temporary measure; and that the review of the cases does not appear to be mandated to an independent or impartial body, nor will it apply to all existing death sentences which have been imposed.

Breaches of fair trial safeguards and other human rights violations

Research findings by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komisi Nasional Hak Asasi Manusia, Komnas HAM) (2) and additional research carried out by Amnesty International, (3) ICJR (Institute for Criminal Justice Reform), (4) and other human rights organizations, point to systemic flaws in the administration of justice in Indonesia and violation of fair trial and other international safeguards that must be strictly observed in all death penalty cases.

In several of the cases examined in the context of this research, defendants did not have access to legal counsel at crucial stages of the process, whether from the time of arrest or at different stages of their trial and appeals. In some cases the police ill-treated them to make them confess to the crimes or countersign police investigation dossiers used as evidence in court. Several prisoners were brought before a judge for the first time only when their trials began, months after their arrest. Some of them did not receive legal assistance when appealing against their conviction or sentence, or did not even submit an appeal application because they were not informed by their lawyers of their right to do so.

In some cases in 2015 and 2016 executions went ahead despite the courts having accepted prisoners applications to submit appeals, which had not yet been heard by the courts. Despite the clear prohibition under international law on the use of the death penalty against persons who were below 18 years of age at the time of the offence, or who have a mental or intellectual disability, our organizations documented that claims which two prisoners made in relation to being under 18 and mental disability were not adequately investigated, resulting in the unlawful imposition of the death penalty and, in one of these cases, execution.

The death penalty also continues to be used extensively for drug-related offences, even though these offences do not meet the threshold of the most serious crimes, which, pending abolition, is the only category of crimes for which the death penalty can be imposed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Indonesia is a state party.

Establish a moratorium on all executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty;

Establish an independent and impartial body, or mandate an existing one, to review all cases where people have been sentenced to death, with a view to commuting the death sentences;

In particular, in all cases where the death penalty has been imposed for drugs offences or where the trial did not meet the most rigorous international fair trial standards, or in cases where the procedures were seriously flawed, offer a retrial that fully complies with international fair trial standards and which does not resort to the death penalty.

The case of Yusman Telaumbanua

Among those currently on death row in Indonesia is Yusman Telaumbanua, who was arrested together with another man and detained on 14 September 2012 for the murder of three men in April 2012 in the North Sumatra province. They were detained for at least four months before appearing before a judge at the first trial hearing on 29 January 2013. It was not until this hearing that the two men received legal assistance when the District Court appointed the same legal team to act for both of them.

Anyone arrested or detained on a criminal charge has the right to competent and effective legal counsel as soon as they are deprived of liberty and at all stages of criminal proceedings, including during the preliminary investigation, before and during the trial and appeals. If they cannot afford to pay, a lawyer must be assigned to them free of charge. In cases which can lead to the death penalty, the authorities have a particular obligation to ensure that the appointed lawyer is competent and effective.

During the police interrogation, Yusman Telaumbanua did not have a legal counsel assisting him. He could not speak Indonesian, the language used during the investigation, and could not read or write. Yusman Telaumbanua told his current lawyer that during this period of custody he and his codefendant were beaten and kicked on a daily basis by police officers, or by detainees ordered by the police. Although his current lawyers have submitted a complaint to the police, to date there has been no independent investigation into these allegations.

When delivering the indictment, the prosecutor sought life imprisonment for the two men. Their lawyers representing them at that time, however, asked the judges to sentence them to death, although both Yusman Telaumbanua and the other man asked the judges for lenient sentences. Based on their first lawyers request, the Court eventually sentenced them to death. Neither of the men submitted an appeal to a higher court, as they did not know they had the right to do so and the lawyers then representing them did not inform them of this right.

Furthermore, according to the police, Yusman Telaumbanua was born in 1993. However, he claims he was born in 1996, which means he would have been under 18 years old at the time the crime was committed and at the time when he was sentenced to death. He does not have a birth certificate as births are not usually registered in his village of origin. His current lawyers managed to gather information from his family and village neighbours, who confirmed that he was born in 1996. A group of forensic radiology experts instructed by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights established that Yusman Telaumbanua was between 18 years and 4 months and 18 years and 5 months of age at the time of the examination in November 2015.

Establish an independent and impartial investigation into the allegations of ill-treatment, and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice in fair trials;

Ensure protection of the best interest of the child as required by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Indonesia is a state party, and, in cases such as Yusman Telaumbanuas, where the age of the defendant(s) is disputed, to give them the benefit of the doubt;

Establish an independent and impartial body to review Yusman Telaumbanuas death sentence, with a view to its commutation.

New opportunities for human rights and abolition of the death penalty

The Indonesian Parliament is currently examining proposed amendments to the Indonesian Criminal Code, which include some proposals to move away from the death penalty. Our organisations were encouraged by President Widodos statements on 5 November 2016 that Indonesia wants to move towards abolition. (5)





At a time when more and more countries are abolishing the death penalty and 141 in total are now abolitionist in law or practice, the proposed legislative reforms represent a unique opportunity for Indonesia to uphold human rights and end human rights violations associated with the use of the death penalty.





There is no conclusive evidence that capital punishment has a unique deterrent effect. Statistics from countries that have abolished the death penalty show that its absence has not resulted in an increase in the crimes previously subject to capital punishment. Furthermore, evidence has shown that punitive policies have had little influence on the prevalence of drug use.





Our organizations oppose the death penalty in all cases and under any circumstances as a violation of the right to life, recognized by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.





Our organizations renew our calls on the Indonesian authorities to take the opportunity of the reform of the Criminal Code to abolish the death penalty from national legislation.





I remain at your disposal should you wish to discuss this matter. A copy of this letter will be sent to Mr. Wiranto, Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security Affairs; Mr. Bambang Soesatyo, Chairperson of the Commission III of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI); and Mr. Imdadun Rahmat, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM).

- end -

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!

(click here to download the pdf):TO:Teten MasdukiChief of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP)Gedung Bina GrahaJl. Veteran No. 16Jakarta PusatDKI Jakarta 10110Indonesia19 January 2017Dear Chief of the Presidential Staff OfficeOur organizations call on the authorities to:Our organizations call on the authorities to:Yours sincerelyJosef BenedictCampaigns Director, South East Asia and the Pacific Regional OfficeThis letter is co-signed byAmnesty InternationalElsam (Lembaga Studi dan Advokasi Masyarakat/Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy)Human Rights Working Group (HRWG)ImparsialInstitute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR)KontraS (the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence)LBHM (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Masyarakat/Community Legal Aid Institute)PKNI (Persaudaraan Korban NAPZA Indonesia/ Indonesian Drug Users Network)-------------------------------------------------------------------(1) Relief for Indian national as Indonesia suspends execution of 10 convicts, Wio News, 29 July 2016, available at http://www.wionews.com/world/relief-for-indiannational-as-indonesia-suspends-execution-of-10-convicts-3532 (2) Komnas HAM issued two reports in 2010 and 2011. The 2011 report was based on a research mission conducted between September and December 2011 into 17 prisons in 13 provinces, during which 56 death row prisoners were interviewed. The 2010 report was based on a monitoring mission to 10 prisons in five provinces and on interviews with 41 death row inmates between September and October 2010.(3) Amnesty International, Flawed Justice-Unfair trials and death penalty in Indonesia (ASA 21/2434/2015), October 2015, available at https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa21/2434/2015/en/ (4) Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR), Overview on Death Penalty in Indonesia, 2015, available at http://icjr.or.id/data/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Overview-onDeath-Penalty-in-Indonesia.pdf (5) Indonesia moving towards abolishing death penalty: Widodo, SBS, 5 November 2016, available at http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/11/05/indonesia-movingtowards-abolishing-death-penalty-widodo
This Is What Karan Johar Has To Say About Actor Fawad Khan!
It's just more freedom fries ******** clara.



The righties will go to any lengths to justify the illegal war based on proven lies started by a Republican president.



This isn't about condemning Manning, it's about defending Bush.



Who is the one along with the majority of that administration that should have occupied that prison cell Manning did.



Manning was a patriot and hero to his country for exposing those Bush lies.



The traitors were the Bush administration, who is also guilty of murder for every combat death that occurred in that war.



That same deflection was used in the Benghazi incident.



There is no low, low enough for bottom feeding right wingers that will use any attempt, or sink to any amount of sleaze to cover for the Bush administration, or any general officer that was connected to it.



Every right winger on this board needs to burn their discharge papers, if for no other reason to honor the KIA's in Iraq.



Which i'm sure they would figure out a way to dishonor any of them if it meant defending George W. Bush, or anyother Republican President that doesn't deserve the title war time president.
A biomedical scientist who dedicated more than 40 years to supporting people in Essex with diabetes has died.

Chelmsford-based Ann Uzzell  the friendly face of diabetes in the local area  set up a support group in 1974 after her three-year-old daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

She helped transform care and support for those with the condition around Essex, and raised thousands of pounds for the charity Diabetes UK.

A highlight of her dedicated work was the opening of the Broomfield Hospitals Diabetes Centre in 1998, which provided specialist care for people with both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Speaking to the Braintree and Witham Times newspaper, Anns daughter Joanne said: When I was first diagnosed there were no support groups, helplines or the likelihood of knowing someone in your area in the same position.

Being a biomedical scientist helped mum to develop her knowledge and expertise of the condition. Arranging meetings, raising money and awareness is something she did and she also ensured anyone affected by diabetes was made welcome and encouraged to come to her informative meetings.

I know that for many people across Essex, through her role in the group with many as chairma, Mum was the friendly face of diabetes and a source of both extensive knowledge and comforting support.

Laurence Barker, Diabetes UK Eastern Volunteer Development Manager, said: We were very saddened to hear the sad news of Anns death. We are so grateful to Ann for her tireless support to Diabetes UK as a whole and the Chelmsford and District Group in particular.

Two years ago Ann was also one of a very small number of volunteers to be awarded a long service medal celebrating over 20 years as a volunteer.
Apple wants to start assembling iPhones in India but has sought tax exemptions and benefits from the government

Apple wants to start assembling its iPhones in India but the company is seeking heavy concessions from the Indian government for the same. As per reports, Apple had been asking the Indian government to wave off the local sourcing norms for setting up its retail stores here and now it is asking for financial concessions as well.

Apple is scheduled to meet government officials next week and Bloomberg reports that the Cupertino-based iPhone maker is asking for a 15-year tax exemption on imports of components and other equipments. Apple iPhone sales are slowing down in China and the United States, two big markets for the company. In order to continue growth, Apple wants to boost its business in India, the second largest smartphone market in the world.

"We would like Apple to set up base in India," Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister for Information Technology said on Wednesday, without disclosing the company's negotiating stance.

The Indian government has already relaxed its rules for setting up single-brand retail stores in India. The single-brand retail store setup demands 30 percent local sourcing in India. With the relaxed norms, technology companies can operate their stores for three years before meeting that requirement. However, Apple wants more than relaxation with norms. According to Indian Express, Apple is demanding full exemption from duties on manufacturing and repair inputs including components and capital equipment.

Apple doesn't manufacture devices on its own but rather contracts them to Foxconn and Pegatron. Apple is considering partnering with Taiwan's Wistron Corp. for manufacturing iPhones in India, notes Bloomberg. Wistron has an assembly unit in Bangalore where iPhones could be assembled initially before adding suppliers including Foxconn to fulfill demands. Apple CEO Tim Cook met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit in May to discuss company's prospects in India. Apple officials have met government sources several times in the past to discuss its plans to setup retail stores and a manufacturing unit in India. Apple's market share in the past dipped below 2 percent in India. The company enjoys significant success in the premium smartphone category, but that space enjoys very niche market share. By agreeing to Apple's demands, India will be forced to offer similar benefits to other brands like Xiaomi and Samsung.

Apple executives are scheduled to meet government officials on January 25 where the company is expected to push for relaxation on local sourcing and import duties.
Password security is hitting new lows with each passing year and 2016 was no different. According to Keeper Security, the most popular password in 2016 was 123456, a whopping 17% of the 10 million passwords analysed by the company. This was the same case in 2015 and it seems like the stupidity of internet users is at its peak, at least as far as password security is concerned.

As per Keeper Securitys findings the top 25 passwords of 2016 constitute over 50% of the 10 million passwords available on the public web. If the most popular password of 2016 wasnt astonishing enough, the other nine in the Top 10 list provide no respite. The second position on the list was claimed by the abominable 123456789, followed by qwerty on number three. The list of 2016s most popular passwords becomes more dismal as 12345678 takes the fourth position, while 111111 claims the fifth spot. You can see the entire list in the image below.

This state of password security is shameful in a day and age where hackers are increasingly using more sophisticated methods of cracking email and website security. In fact, 2016 may have been one of the biggest years for high profile hacks. Popular public figures who faced the wrath of hackers in 2016 range from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Google Chief Sundar Pichai, Katy Perry to Channing Tatum, and even Ex US Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Key individuals aside, hackers also targeted social media accounts of multinational organisations like Netflix and Disney. Although, those accounts were hacked just to apprise the companies of the sad state of their security measures. Perhaps one of the most prominent password breaches of 2016 was that of 1 billion Yahoo accounts, exposing the names, email addresses and passwords of Yahoo users.

Just in case it seems difficult to connect to these global examples, India also saw its share of celebrity hacks. A hacker group called Legion accessed Twitter and email accounts of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, journalists Barkha Dutt, Ravish Kumar and disgraced business tycoon Vijay Mallya.

After all this, 2016 should have set a precedent for not using weak and rehashed passwords, instead netizens proved to be dumber than ever. Keeper Security notes, The list of most-frequently used passwords has changed little over the past few years.. That means that user education has limits. While its important for users to be aware of risks, a sizable minority are never going to take the time or effort to protect themselves. IT administrators and website operators must do the job for them. The report goes on to state that Four of the top 10 passwords and seven of the top 15 on the list mentioned above, are six characters or shorter, making them easily accessible through brute-force cracking software and hardware that can unscramble those passwords in seconds. Protection against such reckless passwords is as much the onus of website providers as it is of users.

Spam emails are also to blame for some of the passwords on this list. According to Security expert Graham Cluley, the presence of seemingly random passwords such as 18atcskd2w and 3rjs1la7qe on the list indicates that bots are using these codes repeatedly, when they set up dummy accounts on public email services for spam and phishing attacks. Email providers could do everyone a favor by flagging this kind of repetition and reporting the guilty parties, notes the Keeper study.

Password novice? Heres what you can do

So how can you save yourself from making the foolish choice of using a memorable, yet weak password? The basics of password security include the following -

Never use the same password for multiple accounts

Frequently change all your passwords

Use a mix of letters, numbers and symbols

Do not use personal information such as date of birth, family names, etc

Enable 2-step verification wherever possible

Never openly store your passwords on your smartphones or tablets

With this, we hope 2017 is a better year for password security. Remember, you may have nothing to hide, but that doesnt mean you and your information is not vulnerable. A hacked password can result in many ugly situations including threats, financial losses and even blackmail. So be wise and go change your password right now!
Beauty, as they say, depends on how you perceive it. The vast space has eons of mysteries tucked away in distant corners, much of which we have not yet set sight upon. However, our greatest scientific and engineering efforts are reaching out to see the farthest, darkest corners of outer space with greater panache than ever before. In this instance, what we witnessed at the beginning of 2016 was something that scientists and researchers are stating was a hypernova, or a superluminous supernova.

For reference, a supernova itself is a sight to behold. It is the sharp, violent death of a star when it finally runs out of its fuel, emitting immense amounts of energy and light out and shining its brightest, before eventually fading and burning out. Yet another type of supernova occurs when two white stars, bigger than our dwarf star the Sun, collide with each other, leading to the instability of their cores and a subsequent thermonuclear reaction. These, as held by researchers, have a characteristic type of luminance, hence forming a metric in the scaling of supernovae.



The most beautiful moments are also the most violent

The latest type, however, is rarer, and incomprehensibly more hostile. Superluminous supernovae, as the name itself suggests, is something that is far more violent and hostile than the average death of a star. These are brighter than the brightest, compounding immense amounts of force and energy at the point of explosion. They also occur across multiple stages, and the overall phenomena has only recently come to light.

That itself is not really surprising, seeing how the first superluminous supernovae are estimated to be only about a few billion light years away from us. What is it, that makes such gargantuan creations in outer space? How are they formed, and what are the forces that are at play there? The research has only about begun, but from what has been found, superluminous supernovae are as mesmerising as their very name.

What is a superluminous supernova?

Quite literally, a superluminous supernova is the explosion of a star that is multiple times brighter and more violent than that of a standard explosion. These are typically about 100 times brighter than a supernova, and from what researchers have revealed so far, occur mostly because of exceptional circumstances - collision of giant stars or exceptional thermonuclear explosions being the more common of exceptional cases.

Although we have observed a number of stellar deaths leading to this phenomenon, the entire range of causal factors is not yet known. Out of the four broad categories into which supernovae are classified, researchers have at least experienced the corresponding superluminous phenomenon of three types. This relatively new field of research has hence kept the precise postulates under research, but nevertheless, we do seem to have a fair idea of what these comprise.



Now you know what happens when two stars collide

Superluminous supernovae typically last for over six months, as compared to the duration of 2-3 weeks for a standard supernova. The reactions, too, are different in nature, and far more titanic than the standard incident of the death of a star. Multiple causing factors have been identified, of which we will talk about in the next section. These are also believed now to be a significant source of gamma ray bursts in the cosmos, although concrete outtakes are yet to be derived of it.

As against a typical supernova, the superluminous supernovae are said to feature two sections in the stellar explosion. Before the major explosion that sustains over months and shines consistently brighter than its surrounding galaxy for a much longer span, there is a smaller, initial explosion - a starter ignition of sorts - that leads to a subsequent dip spanning over a few days. It is following this that there is a surge in the energy and light emission of the superluminous supernova.

This entire procedure is what makes this phenomenon rare, extremely volatile and unusual. There are even more titanic explosions across our galaxies far, far away (not akin the Death Star, of course) that shine even brighter. For instance, an explosion observed by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASASSN) was from a source that takes light 3.8 billion years to reach, and was reportedly twice as bright as the largest known superluminous supernova.



A giant star was torn apart to create the brightest galactic observation yet

The reason of this explosion is now being attributed to the impact of a gargantuan black hole that literally ripped a massive star apart, to create light and energy that is 570 billion times higher than the Suns peak light and energy radiation. While this will indeed go down as the death of a star, and technically fall under a superluminous supernova, our speculations would say that this is certainly an infrequent occurrence. If not, though, then we have forces that are far greater than what we have known of, till date.

This, to sum up, is a superluminous supernova. The violent death of a massive star, catalysed by anomalous elements to form fireballs of energy that is way beyond standard comprehension. How do they occur, though?

This is how they are formed

Before we begin, it is essential to understand that the causal factors of a superluminous supernova are highly unusual, and as such, have been pegged as possibilities. Not always can the exact reason of the formation of a superluminous supernova be understood in accordance to their type, simply because of their highly complicated structure and massive parameters of the explosions.

A supernova typically forms when the core of a star collapses to give rise to a gravitational pullback of energy. When this happens, there are multiple times when the core is too heavy, and the cores explosive propulsion is not enough to eject the outer shells of the star. This leads to a silent death of a star that ends up forming black holes.

Supernovae are formed only when the core of the star weighs between 5 and 15 times the mass of our star, the Sun. When the gravitational collapse of such a star begins, a faint supernova is produced when the star has slow rotational rate. The slow speed ejects smaller jets to outer orbits over short distances, thereby forming the essence of a standard, or in our case, a faint supernova.



The force is literally quite strong here

Considering the chemical constituency of the dying stars in our examples are constant, a superluminous supernova will occur only when the star has very fast rotational speeds. This leads to light and energy being spewed far beyond the outer shells as the core falls through in gravitational collapse, and these jets of light and energy are relative in magnitude to the rotational speed. This is what makes a more usual superluminous supernova, which also leads to long outbursts of gamma rays.

However, there are further questions within the primary postulate of stellar explosions leading to superluminous supernovae. While the mass and rotational speeds do contribute to the formation, the chemical constituency is also a major deciding factor on the feasibility of titanic explosions. Typically, a star that ends up in a superluminous supernova has higher metallicity alongside the standard Hydrogen-Helium composition, which further leads to very high surface temperatures and luminosity at death. It is this that makes them shine brighter and at significantly higher temperatures for sustained durations, in which it surpasses the energy given out by a standard supernova.



When birthplace meets death

While the previous model explains superluminous supernovae with high gamma ray outbursts, the other explanation is of stellar deaths that do not contribute to gamma outbursts. This one is fairly similar to the SN2005gl supernova observed in 2005, and the more recent, still-under-debacle ASASSN-15lh explosion. The reason for the formation of superluminous energies here is the consistent observation of how these stars are embedded within corresponding nebulae - a highly proactive galactic zone rich in circumstellar material. These are the elements that give birth to a star, and upon its death, the energy jets react with the matter to create visible shockwaves of stellar energy. Interestingly, the formation of superluminous supernovae from circumstellar matter do not necessarily depend on the constituency of the star, but more on its spatial arrangement.

There are other observed processes in the formation of massive supernovae, as well, but they get increasingly rarer. For instance, super-massive stars in the order of 260 times the mass of Sun give rise to particles and antiparticles upon explosion. The existence of opposing matter leads to extremely rapid partial collapse of the core, which further causes simultaneous fusion of matter aided by gravity, all of which leads to the complete death of a star, and an extreme magnitude of energy and light repulsion that can be as much as one hundred times more intense than the highest standard supernova. The process has not yet been confirmed in interstellar space, seeing that the sheer size of stars that can have such reactions are not present in our immediate universe.

The birth of a magnetar, as explained by Matthew Smith, post-doctoral researcher at the University of Southampton to Phys.org, can also be a plausible reason behind the birth of a superluminous supernova. The phenomenon would involve the birth of a rapidly spinning neutron star, preceded by extreme heat and energy followed by rapid cooling. While the rapid cooling observation would be somewhat against a superluminous supernova, the observations are so far being studied to collate further information, before inferring.

Probability and geometry

The core collapse model also goes beyond probability factors of understanding superluminous supernovae. Cosimo Inserra and his team from Queens University, Belfast, have obtained spectropolarimetric data on recent hypernova observations to affirm that despite an asymmetric, spherical pattern of the stars in explosion, the formation pivots around a primary axis, and the polarisation of matter changes in time and wavelength.

This coincides with the core-collapse model of a stars death, further proving that while superluminous supernovae have been much recent discoveries, they have actually been an ancient phenomena, and may not even be as rare going beyond our present, engineering limits.

A new milestone for space research

While not much have been attributed to the impact of superluminous supernovae in terms of terrestrial impact, they do contribute further to the study of black holes, neutron stars and the core reactions in massive stars. It also lends basis to the study of gamma radiation bursts, which till the turn of the millennium was a matter completely shrouded in mystery. Even with the plausible explanations, the matter of short-duration gamma bursts still remain in question, and the hypernovae only contribute to long-duration bursts.



Now this wont ever happen Hopefully

While hyper-size star theories still remain in question because of the rarity, a possible massive gamma radiation burst has already been attributed to the second-largest extinction ever on Earth, during the Hirnantian Age of the Ordovician Period, more than 440 million years ago. While this was only ever a hypothesis and no concrete evidence was found, it may have been on the impact of a massive stars violent death due to matter-antimatter collision.

Our immediate future seems to be more secure, and mankind has far greater threat of extinction from global climate change than from an imminent hypernova. With every discovery we escalate to a new height of stellar explosion force that exceeds previous gargantuan figures significantly. The ongoing research on superluminous supernovae is a major milestone for space research, because of these very titanic forces at play. These aptly define the endless borders of space, and how practically infinite can the titanic nature of forces be.
Barring the 77-inch version of this TV, the LG Signature OLED65E6T is the best television money can buy today. Unfortunately, few of us have Rs. 5,77,900 to spend on such a TV.

LG Signature OLED65E6P detailed review

Of all its high end televisions in India, LGs Signature OLED series is like the holy grail. Its OLED panels set it apart, and at least until we get to see how Sonys OLED panels work out, this is the best picture quality money can buy.





It costs Rs. 5,77,900 - only. That alone means neither you nor I know a lot of people who can actually buy this. However, the Signature OLED65E6T is a glowing example of what future TV technology will be. LG doesnt just use an OLED panel, this is also the only television in India that supports both Dolby Vision and HDR.

Build and Design

With that said, lets get the simple things out of the way. The Signature OLED65E6T may be the best looking television buy. OLED panels can be thinner than LCDs and LG uses this to make a TV that is literally all screen.

There is a non-detachable Harman Kardonn soundbar attached at the bottom, but everything else is almost paper thin.

The screen also has a ambient light filter on it, to avoid reflections. Youll know this is important once you see the TVs black levels, and the filter does a really good job of avoiding reflections, too.

Ports

HDMI: 4

USB 3.0: 1

USB 2.0: 2

Digital Audio Out: 1

Component: 1

Composite: 1

LAN: 1

All the ports on the TV are on back of the soundbar unit. This actually is a good arrangement, allowing you to hide wires easily. Theyre also easier to reach this way, once you know where they are.

All four HDMI ports are 4K HDR capable and support HDCP 2.2. You will, of course need compatible HDMI 2.0 cables, though.

Picture Quality

As far as picture quality is concerned, OLED panels currently enjoy a place of their own. The LG Signature OLED 65E6T delivers rich and natural colours, with deeper than deep blacks. The panel can turn off individual pixels, making black levels 0 for up to 50% brightness. Even beyond that, black levels rise only slightly.

You will need to turn off LGs TruMotion feature at first. With it turned on, the TV tends to deliver picture that is too smooth. Otherwise, theres no motion blur to talk about.

But all of that was expected from a TV at this price. Whats truly exciting is its handling of 720p and 1080p content. Streaming 720p or 1080p on Netflix is clean and the TV scales content very well. In fact, even 480p content can be passed off satisfactorily, although we would not recommend watching a lot of such content.

Further, the LG Signature OLED65E6T shows little noise to speak of. You may be able to see some noise, most likely caused by dithering, on some content, but youll need to be really close to the TV for that. Normal viewing distance works fine for almost any kind of content.

Testing via our colorimeter, the TV returns black levels of 0 on 0%, 25% and 50% brightness. 84% and 86% of the NTSC and AdobeRGB colour gamuts are represented, respectively.

This means skin tones or natural scenery look as natural as they can. Youll see the TVs black levels at work on scenes where the colour dominates. For example, the white text flowing in space at the beginning of Star Wars movies, or in movies like Gravity, where the background is predominantly black. The TV also does well on the almost-black settings that you see on Netflixs Daredevil series.

HDR

A problem specifically applicable to India right now is the availability of HDR content. While you could buy such content off websites like PlayAsia, not many would have the required players, HDMI cables etc. for it. You could stream 4K HDR content on Netflix, but you will need a stable 24Mbps Internet connection for it.

That said, if you are able to get HDR content to watch, the LG TV will look good. To its credit, it is tough to discern the difference HDR makes on the OLED panel. Blacks are generally good anyway, so making them even deeper is tough to really appreciate. Having said that, good HDR video still makes a difference, producing more colours and better contrast. You may not be able to tell the blacks apart, but the overall contrast is quite noticeably better.

Contrast ratios on the OLED panel are usually so high that what we see on regular high quality video on this TV is close to HDR TVs that weve reviewed before. Samsung and Sony have set high standards, but the LG OLED beats them hands down.

Audio Quality

A problem with thin TVs like these and especially LGs OLEDs has been audio quality. We have noted low audio levels on its TVs earlier. However, the Harman Kardonn soundbar solves that.

Audio is loud enough to fill large rooms and bass levels are high. However, audio quality isnt quite as detailed as the Sony X9350D television. Explosions, as on Hawkeyes arrows in the first Avengers movie, arent as wholesome as that TV.

Nevertheless, the OLED65E6T sounds good for regular TV viewing. Its loud and provides decent audio quality.

Magic Remote and WebOS

In our opinion, LGs Magic Remote is one of the best ways to navigate around a TV. The remote basically replicates a computer mouse, with a cursor moving on screen. It may take a bit of getting used to, but once you do get used to it, youll swear by it. However, it is worth mentioning that AndroidTVs touch-based remote is a little easier to get used to.

Further, LGs WebOS development seems to be stalled. While it looks and feels the same, and is fast, it still needs more apps. LG has added support for well known streaming apps, like Netflix, Amazon Prime and even the WWE Network, but the content store is still largely void of a lot of apps.

Bottomline

Yes, its price tag makes it quite unattainable. However, the LG Signature OLED65E6T is definitely the best television you can buy today. It beats the Sony Z9D, our Zero1 Awards winner for 2016, by a mile. It delivers unparalleled picture quality with decent audio to go with it.

We will still have to wait for this technology to trickle down to cheaper TVs, but Sonys entry into the fray at this years CES is welcome sign of things to come. In the meanwhile, if you do have this kind of money, the LG Signature OLED65E6T is the best television to buy.
Australian online retailer MySale Group s half-year earnings doubled after a surge in revenues as its company base expanded.

The AIM-listed company said that having increased its guidance in November, it anticipates a full year out-turn in line with projections and is confident about the second half of the year.

Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) doubled in the six months ended 31 December 2016, to about AU$3m, compared to the same period last year.

Total revenue rose 6% to AU$136.1m, while online revenue, which represents over 90% of total revenue, surged 18% to AU$126.5m as the retailer's customer base increased 19% to 870,000.

Gross margins improved by 270 basis points, which drove a gross profit rise of 17% to AU$38.4m.

At the end of December, the company net balance increased to AU$29.1m from AU$23.4m from the previous year.

The company also said that it has launched a partnership with US online retailer gilt.com, part of the Hudson's Bay Company, which is expected to add more products to its platform.

Chief executive Carl Jackson, said: ''Financially we have performed well and strategically have made good progress against our goals. In Australia and New Zealand we have continued to shift the emphasis of our marketing towards retention and re-engagement and have also seen good progress in the scaling of our retail marketplace platform.

He added: ''We carry good momentum into the, historically stronger, second half of the year and have a number of exciting initiatives which will support our future growth. ''

Interim results will be posted on 1 March.

Shares in MySale Group were up 3.25% to 129.59p at 0932 GMT.
Crude oil futures were firmly ahead on Friday afternoon but remained camped out below firm resistance levels in a session tinged with caution as controversial US president-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated.

At 15:44 GMT, Nymex-listed West Texas Intermediate crude was up 2.84% to $52.83 a barrel, while Intercontinental Exchange-traded Brent was up 2.84% to $55.70 a barrel.

Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said oil had rebounded on Friday in the wake of two days of declines.

"A bigger than expected build in US inventories for the second week in a row would appear to suggest that despite OPEC's best endeavours that US shale producers could well be ready to fill any gap caused by OPECs cutbacks to support prices," Hewson said.

"Last week US rig counts declined slightly from 665 to 659, but they have been rising consistently on a weekly basis for the last six months, so a minor decline doesn't a trend reversal make, which makes today's weekly number even more important," he added.

SwissQuote commented that WTI crude's short-term reversal looks to have stalled below $55.24 resistance, and the technical structure suggested a near-term correction to $49.61.

"For the time being, the commodity (WTI) is trading mixed. Hourly resistance is given at $53.50," said SwissQuote, adding that WTI was expected to show continued short-term bearish pressures if it broke the $51 level.

Meantime, on Comex, gold was up 0.18% to $1203.7 an ounce, with silver adding 0.46% to $17.08 an ounce and copper gaining 0.73% to 262.95 cents a pound.

Mike van Dulken and Henry Croft, market analysts at Accendo Markets, said gold had recovered from Thursday's sub-$1200 level on safe-haven appeal.

The US dollar's fall from Thursday's highs in anticipation of Trump's inauguration was also a factor.

"A close above $1200 will mark a fourth straight week of gains for the precious metal, in what would be its longest run since July," they said in a statement.

Three-month industrial metals quoted on London Metals Exchange were all lower, with tin faring worst as it slid 1.66% to $20,750 per MT.

Among agriculturals, Chicago Board of Trade-listed corn was up 0.48% to 368 cents a bushel. Wheat was up 0.53% to 425.75 cents a bushel.

On ICE, cocoa dropped 1.48% to $2132 per MT, while cotton No.2 added 0.63% to 73.15 cents a pound. Live cattle was down 0.9% to 118.8 cents a pound.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) doesnt seem to think America is not that nice of a place when it comes to those who are poor and needy. During Dr. Tom Prices (R-GA) congressional hearing, Sanders threw a very pointed question at Price revolving around how the U.S. government is the only first-world country that does not make healthcare a right.The United States of America is the only country on Earth that does not guarantee healthcare to all people as a right, said Sanders. 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 they are Americans?We are a compassionate society, began Price in response, but was quickly cut off by Sanders.No, we are not a compassionate society! Sanders quickly cut in, before going on about our childhood poverty rate and seniors not having a government safety net. Sanders asked his question again, only to receive an answer from Price that basically told Sanders that the good doctor was not going to engage in socialism when it came to healthcare.Later on it was Senator Rand Paul of Kentuckys turn. As many know, Paul is not only a staunch advocate of capitalism, and a great enemy to socialism, but hes also a physician with a lot of experience with our healthcare system.So of course, Paul was not going to take Sanders comments lying down.Its also been insinuated that America is this horrible, rotten place. You know, that we dont have compassion, and I guess my extension the physicians dont, began Paul. As you worked as an emergency room physician, or as you worked as a physician, did you always agree as part of your engagement with the hospital to treat all comers regardless of whether they had an ability to pay?Price affirmed Pauls question, and said that it was something he and his practice took pride in whether it was public or private.But Paul wasnt at all done.The senator from Kentucky went on to bash those  in particular Sanders  who call America a horrible place for its people, yet extol the virtues of socialism, which has left countries with high recourses like Venezuela in poverty stricken shambles.To put the final nail in the coffin for Sanders argument, Paul discussed just how charitable and giving the American people are.One of the things thats extraordinary about our country is that just two years ago, in 2014, we gave away $400 billion privately. Not the government. Individually, said Paul.Were an incredibly compassionate society, he finished.
Dutch brewer Heineken confirmed it is currently in discussions with Kirin Holdings about a potential acquisition of its Brazilian beer business.

These discussions are ongoing and there can be no certainty that an agreement will be reached, Heineken said, adding that further announcements will be made as appropriate.

The statement was made in response to an article in Japans Nikkei, which suggested Heineken could pay around 100 billion yen for the business.

Kirin Holdings also responded to the story on Friday, saying the report was not based on any comments the company had made.

As announced on September 16, whilst Kirin continues to primarily focus on the self-growth acceleration of Brasil Kirin, Kirin is also considering alternatives including a strategic partnership. Kirin is reviewing all options regarding a potential transaction.

At 0950 GMT, Heineken shares were up 0.2% to 70.81.
New York businessman Donald Trump has become the 45th President of the United States after being sworn in to the position on the steps of Capitol Hill on Friday, capping a meteoric rise to the top of the country's political ladder.

During his inaugural address on Capitol Hill, Trump proclaimed a transfer of power from the establishment to the citizens of the country.

"This is the day the people became the rulers of this nation again," Trump said. "The forgotten men and women of this nation will be forgotten no longer."

He spoke of "transferring power from Washington DC and giving it to you, the people. For too long a small group in our capital have reaped the rewards ... of power".

Trump issued a warning to other countries, saying that every decision he makes will be based solely and primarily based on American interests and using the slogan "Buy American and hire American."

"When America is united, America is totally unstoppable," Trump continued. "The time for empty talk is over, now arrives the hour of action. Do not allow anyone to tell you that it can't be done."

Trump was inaugurated alongside Vice-President Mike Pence, and will now embark on his core campaign promise to "Make America Great Again". Outgoing President Barack Obama was one of those in attendance, leaving the White House for the last time along with former first lady Michelle.

Earlier in the day Trump, Obama and their wives met in the White House ahead of the short trip to Capitol Hill, where the living former presidents were presented, including Bill Clinton and former Trump rival Hillary.

CHALLENGES

Protests broke out across Washington just streets away from where Trump's inauguration was taking place, turning violent as demonstrators broke windows and clashed with police.

Trump inherits power of a nation which faces several challenges at home and abroad, including the potential diplomatic and trade conflicts with other world powers Russia and China.

He will also have to repair a battered relationship with the country's intelligence agencies after accusations have been launched from both sides of dishonesty and malpractice.

All of the major US indices have reached all-time highs since the election on 8 November, while a strong start to earnings season from some of the country's biggest banks suggest investors are confident Trump will loosen regulation during his first term.
Chilean miner Antofagasta is to exit the Alto Maipo hydroelectric power project, by selling its 40% stake to partner AES Gener, due to an expected overrun of costs.

The FTSE 100 company said that following a review it decided that its subsidiary, Minera Los Pelambres, will leave the $2bn project after costs were projected to overrun between 10-20%.

The 40% stake will be sold to US power firm AES Gener, the controlling shareholder of the project, while 7% will be held by Austrian infrastructure company Strabag.

Antofagasta also said that the electricity price applicable to the power purchase agreement with Alto Maipo will be reduced.

The company, which is controlled by Chile's Luksic family, joined the Alto Maipo project in 2013 in order to provide power for its Los Pelambres mine.

Antofagastas chief executive, Ivan Arriagada, said: "Mining is our core business. We entered into this project when electricity supply in the central region of Chile was constrained to ensure that Los Pelambres would be able to access a reliable source of electricity at competitive prices.

We are now close to fulfilling this objective at an improved price, and to ensure a clean, stable and long-term energy supply for Los Pelambres."
National Express has appointed Chris Davies as group finance director, succeeding Matthew Ashley, who has been appointed chief executive of the transport companys North American division, its largest business.

Davies will join National Express in early May and will initially work alongside Matthew Ashley during a transition period, before taking up the role full time after the shareholder meeting on 10 May, when he will also join the board as an executive director.

Davies joined National Express from Inchcape, where he was the financial controller and treasurer, and also acted as interim chief financial Officer for Inchcape for four months last year. He has also worked for Andersen Consulting, Boots, Marakon Associates, and spent 10 years at Diageo,

Ashley had been National Express group Finance Director for two and a half years and will remain an executive director of the board.

Following the shareholder meeting in May, Ashley will work alongside the existing chief executive for North America, David Duke, who is retiring, until 1 September 2017, to ensure a smooth transition. Duke will remain with the business as a senior counsel as part of a long-planned phased retirement.

The company said that Ashley helped to grow National Express' market capitalisation by around 35% and recently completed a bond refinancing to deliver cost savings.

Chairman Sir John Armitt, said: "David has led our North American business with great skill and is hugely respected by staff, customers and the communities we serve alike. David has been in discussions with us about retiring for some time and I am glad that he is able to do that in a managed way that also allows us to retain his experience and knowledge."
A French court on Thursday fined British low-cost airline easyJet 60,000 (52,000) for having refused to allow a disabled 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.  Guardian

The regulator Ofgem has warned the big six energy companies against raising prices in spring, despite a 15% increase in wholesale costs. It said rising wholesale gas and electricity prices were largely to blame for driving costs upwards, along with renewable energy subsidies. But its chief executive, Dermot Nolan, said this was not an excuse for tariff hikes.  Guardian

Europe's trade chief has warned in stark terms that Britain will start at 18th place down the list of countries trying to negotiate a trade deal with the EU and will face a series of extremely difficult negotiations after Brexit. Cecilia Malmstrom, the EU trade commissioner, said the UK would have to withdraw from all of the EUs 38 trade agreements with other countries, and can only begin fresh talks once it has actually left the union. - Telegraph

Philip Hammond has vowed to make the UK as competitive as possible on the world stage, describing the challenge as an existential necessity. The Chancellor said that to do so the UK must remain one of the most open economies in the world in terms of both trade and attitude, as he cautioned nobody wants to see Britain pulling up the drawbridge.  Telegraph

One of the Citys most influential investor groups is set to intervene again at Rolls-Royce to help investors obtain answers as to how the jet maker was able to get away with decades of systematic corruption and bribery. The Investor Forum, whose members manage 14 trillion of assets, said it had already talked to Rolls-Royce last year after 14 investors, who together hold 34 per cent of the shares, sought help over the companys deteriorating situation. The forum said it would engage again in the wake of the latest damaging revelations about Rolls-Royce although it added that it had received no requests to do so yet.  The Times

The vast majority of businesses are unaware of a shake-up of the water industry in England that will allow them to negotiate cheaper supply deals or switch to a new provider. From April 1 more than 1.2 million businesses, councils and public sector organisations will be able to choose their water retailer.  The Times
Londons FTSE 250 was down 0.3% to 18,162.95 in afternoon trade as investors on both sides of the pond looked to the inauguration of Donald Trump.

Chemicals group Synthomer surged after it said it expects 2016 profit to be ahead of the previous year and the markets expectations following solid trading in Europe and Asia and a boost from the weaker pound.

Engineering group Amec Foster Wheeler was a high riser as Societe Generale upgraded the stock to buy from 'hold' and lifted the target price to 650p from 582p.

"We expect the stock to re-rate as uncertainty gradually dissipates post the groups 21 March Capital Markets Day."

Energy-related stocks Petrofac, Tullow Oil and Hunting gushed higher as oil prices rallied ahead of a weekend meeting of oil producers in Vienna, which will establish a compliance mechanism to verify that producers are sticking to a deal to reduce output.

On the downside, shares in the AA were under the cosh as Liberum cut its price target on the stock to 340p from 375p and downgraded its earnings per share estimates.

Pets at Home was weaker as HSBC downgraded the stock to hold from buy and lowered the target price to 230p from 290p after the company reported its third quarter trading update.

HSBC said the third quarter sales growth was below its expectations of 207m, led by a 0.5% like-for-like sales decline in the Merchandise business.

Ferrexpo and Vedanta Resources were on the back foot as metals prices declined.

Risers

Synthomer (SYNT) 418.80p 10.94%

Amec Foster Wheeler (AMFW) 481.40p 6.27%

Zoopla Property Group (ZPLA) 348.70p 3.01%

Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 943.00p 2.72%

NMC Health (NMC) 1,654.00p 2.35%

Tullow Oil (TLW) 305.40p 1.60%

Hunting (HTG) 620.00p 1.39%

UDG Healthcare Public Limited Company (UDG) 659.00p 1.38%

3i Infrastructure (3IN) 191.80p 1.27%

TP ICAP (TCAP) 442.30p 1.21%

Fallers

AA (AA.) 254.20p -6.16%

Ferrexpo (FXPO) 128.10p -4.47%

Evraz (EVR) 217.80p -3.20%

Euromoney Institutional Investor (ERM) 1,148.00p -3.04%

Vedanta Resources (VED) 997.50p -2.68%

Allied Minds (ALM) 406.50p -2.33%

Supergroup (SGP) 1,536.00p -2.29%

Pets at Home Group (PETS) 208.20p -2.21%

Beazley (BEZ) 393.40p -2.19%

IP Group (IPO) 185.40p -2.11%
Save my User ID and Password

Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site.

Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site.
Sharp 8C-B60A

Sharp's 8C-B60A 8K (60p) professional camcorder integrates capabilities for video shooting and recording, playback, and line output. The 8C-B60A was developed with technical cooperation from Astrodesign, a company possessing 8K image technologies, according to Sharp. Besides the ability to shoot images in high resolution 8K (60p), this camcorder is designed to offer ease of use in shooting and recording and to lessen the burden on the camera operator in the post-recording editing process, Sharp said. The 8C-B60A's image pickup device is a large, Super 35-mm-equivalent CMOS image sensor with 33 million pixels. Compression utilizes a coding method that exerts minimal burden on the CPU, thus enabling efficient 8K (60p)-image editing and approximately 40 minutes of continuous recording (when using the bundled 2-TB SSD pack). Because it allows real-time output of 8K uncompressed images at the same time that recording is taking place, the 8C-B60A can be used for live transmissions as well. With this professional-use camcorder as the entry point to the creation of 8K images, Sharp said it is striving to disseminate 8K image content in its aim of establishing an 8K ecosystem at the earliest possible date.
Subscriber content preview

Many economists say the hiring being celebrated by Trump reflects, more than anything, the health of the $18.7 trillion economy he is inheriting.



By JOSH BOAK

AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON  From Wal-Mart to General Motors to Amazon, a growing number of the world's largest companies appear to be trying to get in step with President-elect Donald Trump's demand that employers hire and keep jobs at home.

Trump, in response, has taken to Twitter to signal his approval.





. . .
Subscriber content preview

By CAROLE FELDMAN

Associated Press

WASHINGTON  The Internal Revenue Service's battle against fraud and identity theft is intensifying as the tax filing season opens, and some of the neediest taxpayers are getting caught in the middle.

The agency is barred from issuing refunds before Feb. 15 on any returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. Congress mandated the delay to give the IRS more time to review returns to try to catch fraudulent ones before refunds are paid out.





. . .
Subscriber content preview

By COURTNEY BONNELL

Associated Press

BANGKOK  Trudging up a lush mountainside to a remote village, plunging through a swift-moving river in the footsteps of elephants and cruising Bangkok's gleaming luxury malls  with each step, I walked into different worlds, each one beautiful, all in Thailand.

Don't forget glittering temples, bustling night markets and world-famous Thai massages to soothe weary muscles.





. . .
New Zealand and Sri Lanka are boosting bilateral engagement with the planned exchange of diplomats as part of a push towards a free trade agreement, New Zealand's trade minister Todd McClay said today.

The decision was taken after McClay's meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

He said the governments of the two countries have instructed officials concerned to prepare a framework to boost economic ties, which could result in a free trade deal.

Sri Lanka is a big market for New Zealand's dairy products, the island country's main exports.

"Sri Lanka and New Zealand are complementary economies. There is potential for greater trade both ways,'' said McClay, and added that any deal could include "other like-minded nations."

New Zealand, which is heavily dependent on international trade, is looking for alternatives as a protectionist United States under incoming President Donald Trump threatens to abandon the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) signed by 12 nations last year.

Wellington is focusing on getting a number of new trade deals and existing pact upgrades off the ground, including one with the European Union.

McClay has also said it would be "interesting" to see whether momentum builds around the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, an Asian trade pact that includes China and India, if the United States pulls out of the TPP.

Trade with Sri Lanka is currently modest, at NZ$307 million in the year to October 2016. Sri Lanka is a major buyer of New Zealand's main goods export, dairy products, with exports last year worth NZ$240 million.


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, as Computerworld reports. 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 US as H-1B dependent, meaning 15 per cent 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 detailing five "federal priorities." One priority includes immigration reform to increase the H-1B cap and allowing US 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 US workforce has been declining for years, but in 2010 the company stopped reporting its US headcount, and provided only a global headcount. Soon after being appointed to the Trump committee, IBM's Ginni Rometty announced plans to hire 25,000 workers in the next four years, but the company declined to disclose its current US 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 US 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 US 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.








A family of superbugs known as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae or CRE may be spreading more widely than previously thought according to a study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In fact, transmission of these bacteria person-to-person may be occurring without symptoms, say the researchers, from the Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health and the Broad Institute. ''We often talk about the rising tide of antibiotic resistance in apocalyptic terms,'' said William Hanage, senior author of the study and an associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard Chan School. ''But we should always remember that the people who are most at risk of these things would be at risk for any infection, because they are often among the frailer people in the health care system.'' When an illness-causing bug won't disappear with the usual drugs, patients are given last-resort antibiotics such as carbapenem. Still, some ''nightmare bacteria'' continue to thrive even when given the strongest medicines reserved for the toughest cases. CRE, which tend to spread in hospitals and long-term care facilities, cause an estimated 9,300 infections and 600 deaths each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And they are on the rise. Over a 16-month period, the Harvard-MIT research team examined genetic sequences from about 250 samples of patients who had CRE in four hospitals in Boston and Irvine, California. ''A lot of people have done a lot of really good work by focusing on things like outbreaks,'' Hanage said. He and his colleagues were aiming instead to get a ''population snapshot'' of CRE, to define how frequently these infections occurred and to understand which bacterial strains were causing infections within hospitals. ''We tried to get an idea of what the population was, and that enabled us to capture the diversity of these things, which were causing disease in the hospitals we studied,'' Hanage said. First, the researchers found very little evidence of direct transmission between patients who became sick. ''There's one, maybe two, in all the samples we looked at,'' Hanage said. Based on this, he and his colleagues believe transmission may be occurring without causing symptoms. In other words, people colonized with these germs may spread them, a la Typhoid Mary, without ever becoming sick themselves. According to Dr Alex Kallen, a medical officer in the CDC's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, who was not involved in the study, ''The most common source of transmission with CRE is asymptomatic.'' Most patients will not have any symptoms of CRE, which lives in the gastrointestinal tract, according to Kallen. The study also documented ''the identical gene in different species. The extent to which this has happened is really quite surprising,'' Hanage said. Also, ''we found two cases of high-level resistance we could not explain.'' This he compared to ''dark matter: We know it's there because we can see its effects, but what's actually making it happen at the moment is unknown.'' ''If I were to criticize my own work, I would say it is a shame that we weren't able to get more hospitals and more samples from elsewhere within the health care systems,'' Hanage said. Limited by funding, the researchers could not track whether transmission had occurred in a long-term care facility or in the community, outside the hospitals they studied. Indian genesis

This was the case in one recent CRE infection in a hospital in Reno, Nevada. The patient, a Washoe County woman in her 70s, had been living for an extended period in India. She returned to the US in early August. On returning, the woman suffered systemic inflammatory response syndrome - a whole-body immune system reaction to an infection - and was admitted to a Reno hospital. Notably, she had been hospitalized in India just two months before, one of several hospitalizations due to complications from a thighbone fracture. In fact, India is considered notorious for this type of bacteria (See: 'Superbug' resistant to all treatments contracted in India claims victim in Nevada). The woman was in the Reno hospital almost six days before the CDC confirmed her infection as a strain of CRE called NDM. ''There are two primary types of CRE. One of them is called New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase, or NDM, and another one is called Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase, or KPC,'' said Lei Chen, senior epidemiologist for the Washoe County Health District. Both strains have specific enzymes that can break down carbapenem antibiotics, rendering these powerful drugs ineffective, explained Chen. Generally, KPC is more prevalent in the US than NDM: The CDC recorded 175 NDM cases as of January 6. In the case of the woman in Washoe County, her infection was resistant to all 26 antibiotics available in the US, which is very rare. ''The treating physicians were trying their best,'' Chen said. Once they received the advanced lab results, the doctors switched antibiotics accordingly, but their patient still developed septic shock and died in early September. ''Unfortunately, the patient progressed very fast,'' Chen said, explaining that things are sometimes just beyond the doctor's control: ''They just run out of options.'' However, there was still work to be done in order to protect the community. To find out whether others had been infected, Chen and her colleagues performed a survey among patients admitted to that same unit. ''We did a rectal swab for those patients, and the laboratory didn't identify any additional CRE,'' she said. The ongoing surveillance program for monitoring CRE, which had been in effect since 2010, also has not identified any additional cases up to and including today. ''I think the hospital did an excellent job in identification of the case and putting contact precautions immediately after,'' Chen said. ''This hospital is doing an excellent job in terms of hand-washing compliance, according to the infection-control people, so I think that contributed to that, as well.'' Another lucky break: The woman was in a single-patient room from the start of her hospitalization and so did not spread her infection to a roommate. Hanage sees this case as ''an illustration of the sort of thing that we are up against. These bacteria are deadly. So we would be well-advised to do everything we can to keep them rare. ''If we want to keep them rare, we have to understand first how much of them are out there, how many there are out there, where they are and how they're transmitting from person to person,'' he said. ''The best way to stop a person from dying from this is to stop them from getting sick with this, and the best way to stop them from getting sick with it is to make sure they never pick it up in the first place,'' he said, adding that ''it's incumbent upon us to understand transmission.'' The Dutch have one of the lowest rates of antibiotic resistance globally, he noted, because they identify people who are at risk before they come into the hospital. Importance of hand-washing

Though it is easy to feel helpless, each of us can play a role in preventing the spread of these terrifying bacteria. Hand hygiene and environmental sanitation are essential to preventing the spread of all bacteria, according to Kallen. ''Make sure people are washing their hands when caring for you. Make sure they are cleaning equipment,'' he said. Though we may feel at our weakest while staying in a hospital, it is important to speak up if health care providers do not stop and clean their hands. Chen and her colleagues suggest an approach quite like that of the Dutch, where healthcare facilities get a history of healthcare exposures outside their region upon admission, and consider screening for CRE when patients report having visited a place with a higher incidence of CRE. ''Of course, obtaining the history is not difficult, right? It can just be implemented into the intake questions,'' Chen said. After Ebola, measles and Zika, many hospitals are already noting travel history during admission. ''For CRE testing/screening, every hospital can do that. It's just a routine bacteria culture first, and then after identifying the organism, they perform the antibiotic susceptibility testing,'' she said. Not every hospital has the capacity to detect the exact CRE mechanism. Still, she said, the patient can be immediately isolated while the hospital waits for more advanced results. According to Hanage, the trend is toward using genomics to identify patterns of transmission, the amounts of gene diversity and the presence of resistant organisms. In 10 years, he imagines a system that is ''rapidly taking environmental samples.'' ''New threats would be identified and flagged quickly so we can direct our resources most effectively,'' Hanage said. ''In order to be able to do that, you have to know what you are looking for, and so work like this is helpful to tell us what we should be looking for and where we should be worried.''








Two women appeared at Letterkenny District Court today charged with operating a brothel at an apartment block at Justice Walsh Road in Letterkenny on Thursday, January 19th.

During a raid, gardai found 600 in cash and Western Union money receipts for 18,000 which was sent to Romania over a three week period after Christmas.

There was also a man found on the premises whom Gardai believed had paid for sex when they raided the premises at around 7.30pm.

The court heard that both women, Sirin Abdollah, aged 23 and Sefania Manea, aged 21, admitted to operating a brothel and advertising their services on a website.

Gardai said they were satisfied both women were not under pressure and were operating the brothel of their own free will.

Solicitor for the women, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said the women had come to Ireland knowing that money was to be made through prostitution.

sending money home

He said both women were sending money back to their families in Romania as they would only earn an average of 250 per month there.

Ms Abdollah had one child who was in private school in Romania and she was sending money back too educate her, although her family did not know how she was making a living, her solicitor told the court.

Mr Gallagher said both women had given him an assurance that they would leave the country within 48 hours.

He asked if some cash from the 600 seized by Gardai in the apartment could be used for plane tickets for the women.

However, Judge Paul Kelly refused the application out of hand.

He said "I am not doing that. This is the first time we have been given an indication of the type of money being sent back and it is substantial.

Price of ticket

"Let them get on to their families in Romania and get the price of a ticket back."

He also fined each women 250 and ordered that the seized cash be forfeited to the state.
The Enterprise Police Department responded to the Enterprise Walmart Thursday on a call for possible fraudulent use of a credit card.

EPD officers and detectives were able to make contact with the suspect in the parking lot and discovered the suspect was in possession of multiple fraudulent credit cards. These credit cards were used to make several fraudulent transactions in the store.
I was running a newspaper in the Ozark Mountains when Barack Obama was elected President of the United States. It was a Democratic-strong area, or so the residents claimed, although I found the elections during my years there showed the people voted Democrat in local elections and Republican at the higher levels.

Regardless, no one was very high on the John McCain or later the Mitt Romney bandwagons, so most were anxious to see what the young senator from Illinois would do as our countrys leader. People with half a brain gave him a chance but there were some in this area that were far from fully developed.

One hotel owner who had time and time again proven to be well off his rocker raised the Confederate Flag and lowered Old Glory in protest of Obamas election even before he took office. It was a move that backfired even in this almost all-white county. The motel was named after the late Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, who ran and won on a segregationist platform more than a half-century earlier but whose family had absolutely nothing to do with the little business and were quite embarrassed that the name was attached to it.

The guy later sold his dwindling business and the new owner, I was told years later, had classed it up. My thought was that had happened when the former owner became the former owner.

Anyone that loves the United States should hope for the best, even if their choice did not get elected to run the country. Unfortunately, weve seen people with different views that the pathetic motel owner act just like him with their actions regarding Donald Trump.

Give the man a chance.

If he pardons lowlifes such as Chelsea Manning  well, thats his, er, her name now  despite Mannings theft and dissemination of 750,000 military documents and videos that led to WikiLeaks power, then we can laugh about Trumps presidency.

If Trump has a Beer Summit with two sides that disagree with each other and invites a child-like Joe Biden for a cold one out back of the White House, rather than staying out of matters that should be handled elsewhere, then he too should be ridiculed.

If Trump disregards the Constitution and uses his pen to make new laws without consent of Congress, then he too should be given no respect.

If Trump keeps the U.S. considered as a lightweight around the globe rather than the strong country it once was, then he too shall be called a wimpy leader.

If Trump makes deals with the devil -- i.e. Iran, etc.  then we can begin counting down his days in office.

If Trump does nothing to benefit minorities and inner-cities while giving handouts to people entering our country illegally, then he too shall be a major disappointment to the people who voted him into office.

But, it is Day 1 of Trumps presidency, so lets hold judgment at least long enough for him to find a better hair stylist.
Students at Linn-Benton Community College will see a 5-percent tuition hike this next school year under budget parameters approved Wednesday by the college's Board of Education.

At the meeting, board members heard a budget development presentation by President Greg Hamann, Vice President of Finance and Operations Dave Henderson, and Director of Accounting and Budget Jess Jacobs.

The three asked board members to consider three major aspects of the potential budget for 2017-18: a 5-percent raise in tuition, a 10-percent ending fund balance and increases for new positions and materials for expanded programs.

Henderson said the college has about $580,000 of recommended increases in positions and materials, such as items needed for the expanded diesel program and the nondestructive testing program, and custodial and maintenance staff needed for new facilities in Lebanon.

Communications, biology and writing tend to be the classes that experience the most "bottlenecks," according to the budget presentation, so one new faculty position has been allocated to each program.

In addition, Henderson said, the budget would put another $500,000 into "strategic investments" for later use as issues arise, such as expanding the open educational resources program.

That's a setup that allows students to have online access to open-source material for their classes instead of purchasing textbooks, which are often more costly and not necessarily useful once class is over. A $50,000 investment in the past two years in open educational resources has saved student costs to the tune of about $500,000*.

The Board of Education will continue to discuss tuition next month, with formal approval of any changes coming in March. Board members will discuss compensation in April, receive a budget committee recommendation in May and hold a hearing and budget adoption vote in June.

Henderson said the college is looking at an overall general fund of roughly $49 million, up slightly from the current $48 million.

LBCC doesn't stand to be affected by the state's overall shortfall, because enrollment has grown faster here than at most of its fellow colleges, so it will receive a bigger piece of the state pie, Henderson said  1.9 percent more, under current expectations.

On the other hand, costs for the Public Employees Retirement System are expected to go up by 42.3 percent for the next fiscal year, and other costs will continue to rise, he said.

Henderson said the college recommends starting to draw down its internal PERS reserve fund to offset the impact of those costs. The tuition hike should cover other increases, he said.

"We can carry this forward with just the 5 percent that we talked about a year ago," he said.

College officials presented a formula during the budget development process for the current year that relied in part on a steady influx of small tuition increases to cover costs and expand services.

Initially, they had hoped to drop from the recommended 5 percent for next year to 3 percent in subsequent years. Right now, however, the formula suggests 4.5 percent for both 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Board member Keith Frome said he would vote to make cuts in future years to get the tuition hikes back down to 3 percent if state funding doesn't increase.

* Editor's note: This story reflects a correction from the print version that inaccurately attributed the type of savings the open educational resources program has made possible.
The former headmaster of Ashford Academy, who was being sought on theft and forgery charges, turned himself in at the Houston County Jail on Friday morning.

Earlier this week, the Houston County Sheriffs Office filed warrants for the arrest of Douglas John Bauer on nine counts of third-degree possession of a forged instrument, three counts of second-degree theft of property, six counts of third-degree theft of property and eight counts of fourth-degree theft of property.

According to Sheriff's Capt. Bill Rafferty, Bauer made illicit financial transactions related to the school totaling more than $37,000.

Bauers bail has been set for $243,000.

I want to thank our community, said Sheriff Donald Valenza. We received tips from our community that provided us with the Bauers location in Texas before he returned to Houston County.

Bob Key, the last chairman of Ashford Academys board, told the Dothan Eagle earlier that Bauer and other board members have been making payments on the schools debt because they remain individually liable for it. Key said each month the board members meet and write personal checks of about $600 each for the debt. Bauer was tasked with using the money collected to pay the schools debt. Key said suspicions were aroused when board members began getting delinquent notices for bills associated with the school. He said the board reported the matter to the sheriffs office, which began the investigation.

Key said Bauers alleged actions have made the already painful and financially stressful task of closing the school and trying to sell off its property even worse for board members.

Ashford Academy closed in May 2015 because declining enrollment made the school financially unviable. The school retains substantial debt related to staff salaries and other costs. Key said the property is valued at more than $1 million, and that all debts would be satisfied if the property sold for $850,000.
Retired Bay County, Florida Sheriff Frank McKeithen has volunteered to investigate a Jackson County cold case murder from late January 1989.

Robert Franklin McRae and his wife Kathryn were shot to death in their home in Graceville, Florida, their bodies found in their kitchen after two neighborhood children discovered and reported evidence outside the residence suggesting that something was wrong at the McRae home.

McKeithen will look into the case free of charge for his friend, Jackson County Sheriff Lou Roberts. Roberts and McKeithen made the announcement at a press conference Thursday afternoon at the Jackson County Sheriffs Office as the 28th anniversary of the murders approached.

At that same event, Roberts announced that another old homicide will be submitted to the Florida Sheriffs Association for a fresh look by that organizations cold case team. Roberts wants them to look at the 2007 shooting death of Fred Gilbert at the hand of thieves.

Formed about 18 months ago, the cold case unit will be in Bay County soon to review cases submitted by Panhandle law enforcement agencies and determine which to pursue. This is the teams first time focusing on this area of the state, Roberts said. Current Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford will host the group, and Roberts is taking some of his investigators there to help convince the team to take it on.

Roberts is optimistic that theyll take hold of the Gilbert shooting, and indicated theres been some recent movement in the case that gives him fresh hope it could soon be solved.

He spoke in particular about advances in technology that could help in shedding new light on evidence already collected, both in the Gilbert case and the much older McRae murders.

Back then, he said in speaking of the McRae case, cell phonesthat was Dick Tracy. And DNA testing in crime cases, he said, was not a reality, either.

Improved technology, he pointed out, helped solve a local quadruple murder in 2005, the year Danielle Baker and her three young children were killed in their Marianna apartment.

And technology has advanced by leaps and bounds even since then.

Roberts said McKeithen will be asking the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to look again at some of the evidence collected in the McRae casetheres lots of it, he said, and that re-processing with advanced techniques may take some time. Neither man is expecting a quick resolution but both are very optimistic that the answers will come, perhaps buried now in the thousands of documents and the evidentiary material kept in a massive case file.

The surviving members of the McRae family have offered a $50,000 reward for significant information leading to the killer or killers in that case. That commitment, Roberts said, could help inspire someone with key information to step forward.

Others at the gathering included Houston County Sheriff Donald Valenza. Roberts said Valenzas agency was one of many area law enforcement bodies that have played a role in the investigations. For instance, Roberts and his team continue to compare notes with authorities in Tuscaloosa, where an elderly couple was killed in 1989, with some circumstances similar to those in the McRae killings.

Roberts is convinced that people exist who know more than theyre telling in both the cold cases that have now moved front and center for local law enforcement.

The Gilbert case and the McRae case are separated by many years and are not related, but they do share a one circumstances in commonboth took place on State Road 2 in Jackson County. They suffered, and their families suffer on.

At the McRae scene, there were no witnesses left behind to tell their story, but officials say they each were shot once in the head and that Mrs. McRae was restrained with an unusual object. A custom-made ring was stolen from her, and money is believed to have been taken from her husband. But officials are not saying whether they think robbery was the primary motive for the killing of the well-to-do couple.

Theyre not saying much, either, about the new evidence/information they hinted at or specifically how advanced technology may help in the old cases. Theyre being cautious as they move forward, so as not to compromise what could be a final resolution for both families.
During the presidential campaign, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley supported Ohio Gov. John Kasich in his bid for the Republican nomination, and was critical of candidate Donald J. Trump. Alabamas U.S. Representative from the 2nd District, Martha Roby, drew fire from the GOP faithful after criticizing then-nominee Trump for sexist remarks he made in an audiotape created several years ago.

However, both Roby and Bentley are in Washington today to attend the inauguration. And while some folks might see that as apple-polishing, we see it as the right thing to do. Disagreement and debate are hallmarks of politics. But whats important is unity.

Some of our lawmakers might need a gentle reminder that the campaign is over. At last count, more than 50 members of Congress, including Alabamas Rep. Terri Sewell, have announced that theyre skipping the ceremony in protest. Some entertainers and other invited guests have backed out as well.

Todays event is the inauguration of a new president, a ceremonial peaceful transfer of authority in one of the worlds most powerful nations. The office demands respect; it need not prove its worthy.

On this Inauguration Day, its important to remember that regardless of whether we all agree on policy or direction, we must never forget that were all on the same team.
In 2016, Brisbane entrepreneur Kate Middleton earned the distinction of being the only female CEO of a major player in the Australian Insurance Adjusting and Engineering industry. Its now her personal mission to blow the floodgates wide open and make the sector a much more attractive place to work for other enterprising women.

Last year, Middleton  already the founder and CEO of Career Oracle, an employment services start-up  took the reins of Censeo, an embattled structural engineering and building consultancy firm. Established in 2005, Censeo had persevered through multiple take-overs but in early 2016, it began to free fall when one of its sister companies went into liquidation, costing it many of its big accounts. Consequently, Censeos parent company  ASX-listed conglomerate Stream Group  began to weigh up whether the firm should be salvaged, sold or shutdown.

Middleton, a veteran of the insurance and investment realms at age 35, had a good rapport with Stream Group at the executive level, having recently consulted to one its entities, lending it her management expertise. Consequently, she was engaged to help decide Censeos fate in consultation with its non-executive board, global venture capital firm Neiser Capital and insurance market leaders. Instead of signing Censeos death warrant, Middleton secured investor backing and instigated a management buy-out in June 2016, becoming its CEO and major shareholder.

Since then, Censeo has won back key accounts, expanding its pool of clients from two to nine. In addition, the company has won a contract for a large government account until 2018 and its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) have grown at least 27%, month on month. For her efforts, Middleton was named Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2016 Womens Agenda Leadership Awards.

Middleton spoke to Dynamic Business about inheriting and restoring Censeo; juggling commitments to two companies; shaking up the status quo of an industry and competing motivations for launching a start-up.

What is the core service provided by Censeo?

Censeo completes high-volume, fast-turn around residential, commercial and industrial building inspections and provides impartial engineering/builders reports for the Insurance and Government sectors. In addition to diagnosing what has caused damage to structures, were in the business of signing off on the various stages of a build to make sure the project meets the Australian Building Standards. We have in-house engineers and sub-contractors working remotely all around Australia and service major clients including IAG and the NSW Government.

How  and why  did you salvage the company?

On a personal level, I was compelled to save jobs. I also knew something great could be salvaged  the companys value proposition was unique and it had a solid 10-year record within the industry. Prior to the buy-out, I was given a mandate by Stream Group to clean up Censeos client relationships, team morale, brand reputation and operational spend to make it attractive to buyers I just didnt think Id be the buyer! The role was very demanding and required me to balance some exceptionally complex and not-easy-to-solve financial, compliance, people and brand issues.

Over a 3 to 4-month period, Censeo experienced a remarkable turn-around. I managed to decrease operational spend by 40% with no engineering job cuts; move the business onto a cloud-based job management platform; and improve cash flow functions by setting recovery processes in place. This left the investor, Neiser Capital, and I confident that, under my continued guidance, Censeo could grow and grow. It wasnt long before the idea of a management buy-out was floated. The rest, as they say, is history.

It was a huge risk joining a company that was in turmoil but its paying off. Negotiating with clients, creditors, auditors, debtors has made me a better leader and I now have the benefit of foresight that many executives wouldnt gain until much later in their career.

What hurdles come with reprivatising an established firm?

Its certainly not for the faint of heart. Entering a company thats in freefall takes bravery. There were cultural issues both internally and external to the company. The industry is very small and personalities and legacy branding sometimes get in the way of business. It is a strategic manoeuvre of mine to focus on building interpersonal relationships to build the company.

Turning things around with staff, clients and suppliers required tapping into the huge reserve of courage within the company, having some very open conversation and, most importantly, renewed team unity. We had an amazing off-site strategy day in August where we defined our vision and the way we roll. I am so proud of the way everyone has banded together. Now that we are unified, its easier to overcome external challenges.

How do you find the time to run Censeo and Career Oracle?

Its no small task balancing both. Im very proud of the methodology, products and services I created at Career Oracle. Theyve genuinely helped people from all walks of life to advance in their career but I knew there would come a day when, having built a team, Id step away to take on an executive role or pursue additional business interests.

Removing myself from the day to day operation of Career Oracle  and viewing it more as an investment, rather than my brainchild was difficult at first, but it has allowed me to focus on Censeo while being pragmatic about high-level decisions concerning Career Oracle.

If you want to be a successful serial entrepreneur, its important to view your businesses as a portfolio of investments. I am big on bringing emotion and heart to business but equally, as an investor/entrepreneur, sometimes you have to de-personalise and think about whats best for the brand, the customers, and at what point you take some money off the table (one of my favorite points from The Intelligent Entrepreneur by Bill Murphy Jr).

Can you share some of your plans for the year ahead?

With a view to doubling Censeos revenue within 18 months, were focusing on building trust and brand loyalty among existing clients, accelerating new accounts and expanding our team of engineers across Australia. We also have world class engineering technology being trialled in Queensland which will provide genuine point of difference and capture a whole new push for the insurance and real estate industry. Our end-game is bedding down the model in Australia  we hope to have 20% market share by 2019  and entering new markets. At a higher level, I want to demonstrate to the sectors we operate in (Finance & Heavy Industry) that a values-led business can succeed.

Does your industry require greater gender balance?

If you had asked me a few months ago I would have rattled of indisputable global statistics relating to the financial and social benefits of having not only diverse workforces but a diverse executive team. However, since completing my Strategic Decision Making course at Harvard in October, Ive realised that the focus shouldnt just be on improving the gender mix, but seeking out emotional competence in executives.

Over 40 years Harvard Business Review (HBR) has tracked the methods and behaviors of the most successful CEOs and businesses in the world. They have quantified that financial success comes down to 8.9% IQ, 8.9% technical skill, and the remaining 82.2% is attributed to emotional intelligence  the ability to build relationships, show kindness and empathy, and recognise and set aside negative emotional tendencies to manage teams and suppliers more effectively.

As a whole, if emotional intelligence was viewed as favorably in my sector as strong technical skills, invariably workplaces would become far more attractive to women, and productivity and profits would soar  you cant argue with 40+ years of Harvard data! This is something Im personally trying to inject into the insurance, engineering and construction sectors. I want to disrupt from the inside out and show my peers that the status quo of rude emails and macho vitriol are more than just unacceptable, they are destructive in terms of long term business success.

What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs?

1. Start with the end in mind: Is your goal to create a sustainable level of income and employment for yourself (in other words, youre content running a small operation) or do you aspire to launch an amazing online proposition, fulfil plans for world domination and become a leader in your field? Understanding your lifestyle and economic drivers will help you shape how much  and how aggressively  you invest in marketing, PR, automation, labour and so on. Being mindful of your desired end game helps keep you accountable when making commercial decisions because you can ask yourself: Is this actually important? Does this serve my purpose?

2. Build your systems and processes for scale: Even if youre happy keeping things small initially, there may come a time when you want to sell or expand your business. Having excellent financial, client and marketing data and a CRM already set up (even if you dont fully leverage the platform) will mean that if you choose to sell, partner or take on investment, youll be rewarded for your hard work, long nights and intellectual investment. Having the numbers and data available is a Godsend. I guess this point ties into point number one a little. Dare to dream big and dare to expect a return on your time and money. After all this is your business, not your hobby!
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Obituaries Newsletter Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
Michael David Tolley, 72, died Dec. 30, 2016. A service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at Jesus Pursuit Church, potluck to follow.

Jeri Gwen Ellsworth, 66, of Albany died Jan. 8, 2017. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 at the Senior Center in Albany.

Vernon D. Edwards, 85, of Lebanon died Wednesday at his home. A celebration of life will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, at the family home, 2425 S. 5th St., Lebanon. Huston-Jost Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

Mary Regina Gina Runnion, 75, of Corvallis died Thursday at Timberhill Place. A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at St. Marys Catholic Church in Corvallis. McHenry Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Anne and I were fortunate enough to attend President Obamas first inauguration eight years ago today. Her photomosaic poster of Barack Obama, Out of Many, We Are One, had appeared in TIME magazine, had sold well and was being given out as a gift at the Michigan Ball. We also miraculously got tickets to the inauguration itself. Not only that, we scored tickets to the MoveOn.org party.

The enhanced slideshow below, Two in Two Million, is composed of hundreds of photos Anne took during our trip. It includes amazing music (Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer, Thievery Corporation and the Dixie Chicks), pictures from the Michigan Ball and the MoveOn.org party, the D.C. Metro on Inauguration Day, and, most importantly, major portions of the presidents inauguration speech.

Take a few minutes to enjoy this on the eight-year anniversary of the inauguration. We have our work cut out for us over the next four years but, for today, lets savor what we accomplished when we elected Barack Obama. Not only did we elect the most progressive president in my lifetime, he taught us how to organize and how to make change against a buffeting headwind. For that, I will personally always be grateful.

The slideshow is about 17 minutes long so grab a beverage, sit back, and relive the inauguration with us. If you attended the Michigan Ball, you might even see yourself in the show! If you prefer to watch just the inauguration, skip forward to around the 6 minute mark.

Enjoy.



(Click the image and it will open a new window where youll need to hit the play button. You can make it go to fullscreen by pressing the button at the bottom of the video.)
Why would the GOP blindly take on the political risk of uninsuring tens of millions? Tax breaks, of course.

Its obvious why some Republican donors are beyond eager to get the Repeal part of the Repeal and Replace of Obamacare out of the way as soon as humanly  or inhumanly  possible.

They have no Replace. Never did.

The phrase was marketing gibberish invented to cloak the GOPs inability to coming up with an alternative plan after more than half of decade, despite voting to gut the law so often it became part of Paul Ryans workout routine.

The goal was to come up with something that had durability and could be a rallying cry for Republicans basically to campaign against Obamacare, Josh Holmes, a former communications aide to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, told the New York Times.

It was alliterative, catchy and apparently good enough for the estimated 52 million Americans who have a pre-existing condition: TBD!

It was such a successful slogan that people actually bought it and now expect a real replacement.

A new Fox Poll asked, If Obamacare is repealed, should it be immediately or only after replacement is in place?

Immediately said 17 percent.

After replacement: 82 percent.

Republicans will scream that you can trust poll questions like this (or the one that shows Obamacare as more popular than Trump himself) after November 8 because national polls were off by a few percent and Wisconsin, the state polls missed by the widest margin, was off by about 7 percent.

Were talking about a 61 percent margin.

And all the GOP has is a slogan. Well, that and an amazing lack of consensus about what a replacement would look like.

Democrats, as Jonathan Cohn point out, spent an extended primary sussing out the details of reform, which had been debated internally by the party for decades. Republicans have proposed several alternatives to the ACA. All suffer from the high deductible, high out-of-pocket costs that they reemed Obamacare. All would make at least some, if not all, sick Americans uninsurable. And all would cause millions to lose coverage.

And heres the GOPs problem  and also Obamas legacy  they now have accepted that uninsuring Americans is bad thing, which is a problem for them because Obama insured LOTS of Americans. They cant even tell Bernie Sanders that they dont think health care is a right.

Republicans are on the ropes but we should never underestimate the tremendous pressure and desire to repeal this law from the GOP base and, especially, the donor class.

Donors want the Repeal part and the huge cuts it would offer the super rich. They knew they needed something to sell the 32 million whod be uninsured after a decade and the tens of millions more who will see their insurance weakened with caps on coverage and the loss of free preventative care along with a kick to the stomach of Medicare.

After spending more than half a billion dollars bashing President Obamas signature health care reforms, theyd like to cash out their giant tax breaks, please  about $7 million each to the nations richest 400 Americans, as 20 million of their fellow lose their health insurance.

All thats getting in their way is the Replace part, which now needs to be replaced with an actual replacement that will either have to look a lot like Obamacare or will set forth a chain of events that will force Democrats to campaign on reform thats even more comprehensive, and thus more enduring, than Obamacare.

[Image by Fibonacci Blue | Flickr]
Albany police on Thursday arrested a Washington man with prior arrests for knife violence after his estranged girlfriend reported he'd become violent with her the day before.

Tyler Allen Ream, 27, was arrested in the backyard of his girlfriend's apartment in the 2200 block of Hill Street at about 1 p.m. Ream was alleged to have struck his estranged girlfriend, ripped up all of their clothes, and threatened to "kill the entire family," at around 3 p.m. Wednesday.

According to law enforcement records, Ream has an April 2009 conviction from Skagit County in Washington for robbery and having stabbed a man six times during a bar fight. Because of the violent nature of the crime, four officers, including Officer Nate Ard and his police dog, and Officer George Salang, armed with an LWRC .556 mm rifle, approached Ream, who surrendered without incident.

"He was as gentle as a kitten when we found him," said Albany Police Lieutenant Marv Hammersley.

Ream was booked in the Linn County Jail.
The fight to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) wages on. Just this week law enforcement used tear gas and fired bean-bag rounds to disperse crowds and arrested nearly 40 people since Monday, the Billings Gazette reported. One Water Protector appears to have suffered a nasty wound in his leg after an alleged confrontation with an officer on Thursday (warning, the photo is graphic).

But thats not the only concerning news story developing around the controversial project.

1. National Guard Deploys Observational Missile Launchers



The non-violent protests that kicked off in the Spring have been marked by increasingly violent showdowns between the Standing Rock Sioux and their fellow Water Protectors versus militarized law enforcement.

On Tuesday, reports emerged that the North Dakota National Guard had sent two Avenger missile launchers near a critical work site near the pipeline. National Guard spokesman William Prokopyk told the Daily Beast the missiles were unloaded and had no authorization to be loaded. The Morton County Sheriffs Department also confirmed these missiles in a Facebook post, saying they were strictly for observation of ungoverned encampments to help protect private property and maintain public safety.

The Daily Beast notes that the Avenger is foremost a weapon of war that combines a Humvee truck chassis with a rotating turret that can be armed with eight Stinger missiles and a .50-caliber machine gun.

2. North Dakota Bill Would Protect Motorists Who Unintentionally Cause Injury or Death to Protestors

State Rep. Keith Kempenich has introduced a bill that says a driver who unintentionally causes injury or death to an individual obstructing vehicular traffic on a public road, street, or highway, is not guilty of an offense.

Kempenichs said the bill is the result of his mother-in-law being inconvenienced while driving through protests. Apparently, she was driving past a long line of cars parked along shoulder of the road when a protester jumped in front of her car waving a sign.

Theres a line between protesting and terrorism, and what were dealing with was terrorism out there, Kempenich told The Washington Post. [Drivers] who were legally doing their business or just going home and all of a sudden theyre in a situation they dont want to be in.

3. DAPL Company Tried to Block Environmental Study

While the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied a key easement in December for the pipeline to travel under Lake Oahe and recently announced plans to prepare a full environmental impact study on the Oahe crossing that could take two years to complete, the company building the $3.8 billion project is determined to finish it.

On Jan. 17, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners asked U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to stop the corps from publishing a notice announcing the study in the Federal Register.

The Bismarck Tribune reported:

ETP wants any further study put on hold until Boasberg, in Washington, D.C., rules on whether ETP already has the necessary permission to lay pipe under Lake Oahethe reservoir thats the water source for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. ETP wants to block further study so that the decision on the permitting, which is likely weeks away, will be free from the risk that its ruling will be frustrated or thwarted by new governmental actions. The corps did not immediately respond to ETPs request.

4. Company Engaged in Deceit and Fraud in Acquiring Land Easements, Lawsuit Claims

Some two dozen landowners in Morton County, North Dakota, have filed a lawsuit this month in U.S. District Court against Dakota Access. The group seeks more than $4 million in damages.

The Associated Press writes:

Those suing say Dakota Access engaged in unfair tactics and fraud while negotiating to lay pipeline on private land, resulting in compensation that was as much as nine times lower than what other landowners got. Landowners also allege they were told if they didnt agree to the offered amount, they faced losing money or getting nothing either because their land would be condemned through eminent domain or the pipeline would be moved elsewhere. Dakota Accesss representations to the Morton County landowners were false representations and deceptive, the lawsuit states. The company has until about the end of the month to file its response in court.

Energy Transfer Partners contends the allegations are without merit, company spokeswoman Vicki Granado said, adding that the landowners who are suing represent only about 3 percent of the 800 North Dakota landowners who provided easements to Dakota Access.

5. DAPL Likely Rolling Full Speed Ahead Under President Trump

Donald Trump, who has personal investments in the DAPL, has formally announced his support of the project. Some of his main priorities after being sworn in on Jan. 20 are, according to Bloomberg, nullifying President Barack Obamas guidelines that federal agencies weigh climate change when approving pipelines, deciding what areas to open for drilling or taking other major actions, two people familiar with Trumps transition planning say.

Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute, also told NPR that the Trump administration could give a green light to energy infrastructure projects blocked by Obamas executive actions.

Things like Keystone XL pipeline, Dakota Access pipeline, Gerard said, we expect hell take some early action on a variety of those fronts to really free us up and allow us to achieve our energy potential.

Water Protectors at the protest campsite have noticed desperation and declining morale due to the new Republican president, according to Billings Gazette. As one demonstrator told the publication, Theres a very real possibility that once the new president is inaugurated, our voices wont matter.
The most anticipated outdoor recreation event of the year just finished in Salt Lake City, Utah, where hundreds of outdoor brands from small business outfitters to industry pioneers like Patagonia and Black Diamond Equipment gathered to witness the cutting-edge in outdoor gear.

Meanwhile, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and Utahs congressional delegation led by Congressmen Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz and Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee are launching a vicious campaign to dispose of the very public lands that the convention celebrates.

The anti-conservation agenda of these politicians includes: a reversal of the newly appointed Bears Ears National Monument in Utah; stripping the Antiquities Act, an invaluable conservation tool that enables the president to designate national monuments; and selling off our public lands for oil and gas, mining and other development.

Their relentless assault on wildlands is a sharp sting of betrayal that has been felt across the outdoor recreation industry.

This week, outdoor industry leaders have said enough is enough.

In an open letter to President-elect Trump and Congress, more than 100 outdoor industry leaders led by REI have called upon elected officials to protect public lands and the integrity of the outdoor recreation industry, which powers $646 billion in gross national product.

The letter, signed by Patagonia among other big-hitters like Osprey, Clif Bar & Company and Chaco states:

It is an American right to roam in our public lands. The people of the United States, today and tomorrow, share equally in the ownership of these majestic places. This powerful idea transcends party lines and sets our country apart from the rest of the world. That is why we strongly oppose any proposal, current or future, that devalues or compromises the integrity of our national public lands.

Yet as the 115th Congress begins, efforts are underway that threaten to undermine over one hundred years of public investment, stewardship and enjoyment of our national public lands. Stated simply, these efforts would be bad for the American people. They include the potential of national public lands being privatized or given to states who might sell them to the highest bidder. This would unravel courageous efforts by leaders from across the political spectrum up to the present day, including Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt.

This is not a red or blue issue. It is an issue that affects our shared freedoms. Public lands should remain in public hands.

This is not a red or blue issue. It is an issue that affects our shared freedoms. Public lands, public hands. #ProtectOurPublicLands  Patagonia (@patagonia) January 17, 2017

More Outdoor Leaders Speak Out Against the Assault on Our Wild

The outdoor industry letter comes on the heels of a scathing op-ed in the Salt Lake City Tribune from Peter Metcalf, founder and former CEO for Black Diamond Equipment. In that Jan. 10 op-ed, Metcalf demanded that Utahs political leadership stop its assault on public lands. If they dont, Outdoor Retailer, which pours $50 million into the state of Utah, should find a new home to host its biannual convention, he wrote. Metcalf relocated Black Diamond to Utah in 1991 for the states impressive public lands, but said that Outdoor Retailer should leave the state in disgust.

The Utah delegation has wasted no time in the first days of 2017 to enact their destructive agenda and now the outdoor industry, too, must respond boldly and unified while we are here in Salt Lake, Metcalf wrote.

A day later, Patagonias Yvon Chouinard joined Metcalf by issuing a press release stating:

Every January and August, Patagonia and hundreds of other companies spend gobs of money to show our latest products at the Outdoor Retailer show. The whole thing is a cash cow for Salt Lake City. Youd think politicians in Utah would bend over backward to make us feel welcome. But instead, Gov. Gary Herbert and his buddies have spent years denigrating our public lands, the backbone of our business and trying to sell them off to the highest bidder. Hes created a hostile environment that puts our industry at risk.

No doubt that many neighboring western states would be happy to pick up the recreation business that Utahs politicians are taking for granted.

New Mexico is open for business, state Sen. Martin Heinrich tweeted.

These industry leaders are making it rightfully clear that if politicians continue to attack our wildlands, there will be consequences.

The Outdoor Industry Loves Utah  But Does Utah Love the Outdoor Industry? https://t.co/KkikoEpuuv @ecoliving @GoGreenBook  EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) January 11, 2017

With powerhouse brands like REI, Patagonia and Black Diamond at the helm, members of the outdoor industry are welcome partners in safeguarding Our Wild and are a strong frontline of defense against the growing assault on public lands.

We praise them for taking a stand and encourage other outdoor retailers to join the movement to defend Our Wild from development.

Facts and Figures:

$12 Billion: Money generated each year, in consumer spending, by outdoor recreation in Utah alone.

122,000: Number of jobs generated in the outdoor recreation sector in Utah.

91 percent: Percentage of Utah voters who say they do at least one outdoor recreation activity regularly.

84 percent: Percentage of Utahns say that living near and enjoying outdoor recreation on public lands is a factor in choosing to live in the West.

66 percent: Percentage of voters in Utah who support presidential authority to designate monuments.

60 percent: Percentage of Utah voters who view national public lands as belonging more to all Americans than to people in Utah specifically.

Learn more about the Our Wild movement to protect our lands from development.
Innovative curriculum: A key aspect of designing the learning program includes the way existing Australian Curriculum and Australian Qualification Framework recognised education and training is sequenced (or ordered) to achieve the best outcomes for students.

Innovative approaches to learning: Partnerships between schools and industry enable innovative approaches to the way learning is delivered; approaches that would not be possible if schools, or industry, acted in isolation.

Industry mentoring and support: The mentor relationship between young people and industry personnel provides continuity of support for students to achieve a post-school qualification.

A post-school qualification: In Australia, it is likely that the achievement of a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree will involve schools partnering with other education providers (TAFEs/RTOs or universities) to deliver elements of the P-TECH learning programme (either on-site or off-site).

Links to employment: Collaboration between the education and industry sectors strengthens the connection between student learning and the skills that employers need. It improves young peoples prospects of employment, including opportunities for employment with industry partners.

The Federal Government recently announced that it will support a further 12 Pathways in Technology (or P-TECH) schools across Australia as the Coalition continues to expand its innovation and science agenda.Skilling Australia Foundation (SAF) has been contracted by the Federal Government to establish the 12 new pilot sites  located in NSW, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania  in addition to the Geelong and Ballarat sites , where students are already doing workplace visits.This week, the Federal Government released university student completion data, revealing that the dropout rate is worsening with around one in three students failing to complete their studies within six years of enrolment.However, SAF CEO, Nicholas Wyman, told The Educator that many of todays rewarding and well-paying jobs do not require a traditional university degree, but do require some form of post-secondary training, as well as general workplace skills.These include the ability to communicate well, to collaborate, to problem-solve, and to adapt to change  and this is what P-TECH offers Australian students. Its the same core curriculum, but delivered in an innovative way, he said.Wyman said that for many students, learning by doing is essential and gives them the opportunity to engage in hands-on workplace-like experiencesAt P-TECH, students undertake an advanced STEM learning program with support from the schools industry partners. The programs match each student with an industry mentor and provide opportunities for them to connect their learning to real life applications.This is an important way to align education with working life, and thats where the employers play a key role  with mentoring, site visits and access to real world projects, Wyman explained.Employers engage with students at a younger age, and that takes away the intimidation factor in older years. This way, students become more confident in workplaces.Wyman said that through the P-TECH model, students get a long term look at industry they may not previously have considered through workplace based projects, industry experiences and industry placements.Industry placements allow work in real life work environments with mentor support. In most cases, if available at the school, students still have the option to complete their HSC alongside the P-TECH program. Degree units can also be introduced in Year 12, he said.However, not everyone is convinced the program is a good idea.Public school advocate group, Save Our Schools , has said the introduction of P-TECH schools has been proceeding without any evidence that they work and without any open discussion of their implications for the curriculum.Seeking to allay such concerns, Federal Education Minister, Simon Birmingham , said the P-TECH model was not a cut-and-paste of the US model and that the Coalition was seeking to take the best bits of that and adapt them to complement the Australian education and schooling context.In terms of what the best bits are, Wyman said that in Australia, the project is focusing on its five core principles (see below).In the US, the word college means something different. Two-year college is also known as community college and four-year college is the equivalent of university. So thats an example of what we have left out of the Australian model, he said.In the US, there is a greater disparity in high school education, with poor performing schools experiencing challenges not evident in Australia.The schools in the US have an extra layer of complexity with both security and students facing disadvantage to levels we do no really see in Australia, Wyman explained.What we have expanded on, however, is taking whats already great about a school, and seeing how the model and what it brings can supercharge it, as it were.
A presidential transition always triggers some makeover at federal agencies. But when President-elect Donald Trumps team takes power this month, the transformation of the U.S. Department of Education could be particularly striking.

The incoming president and his team have promised to change the cultureor drain the swamp"in Washington, with serious implications for the federal bureaucracy. And on the campaign trail, Trump pledged to get rid of the Education Departmentor at least cut it way, way down.

That would be a tough political lift, even with Republicans in control of both houses of Congress. But the sentiment has triggered plenty of anxiety about the kind of resources and attention the department can expect from the new administration.

Betsy DeVos, Trumps pick for education secretary, is a longtime advocate of school choice, including private school vouchers. But DeVos, a prominent GOP donor, doesnt have a significant record in other areas that fall under the departments purview, from oversight of special education funding and English-learners to student loans for college.

Its too early to say just how much will change at the Education Department when Trump takes office at noon on Jan. 20. But conditions are ripe for a culture shift.

Steering the Ship President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Betsy DeVos as education secretary, but some other appointed positions in the U.S. Department of Education also carry significant weight in setting the policy course for the next four years. Heres a look at some of the current positions and their responsibilities, though Trump could refashion the organizational chart. Source: U.S. Department of Education

Politicization of federal agencies tends to ramp up when Congress and the White House are controlled by the same party and after a big, recent turnover in power, as is the case now, said Elizabeth Mann, a fellow at the Brookings Institutions Brown Center on Education Policy, who has studied how federal-state relations shape K-12 policy.

And politicization, she said, also increases when the agency is further ideologically from the president. You definitely have that in the case of the Education Department and Trump.

That doesnt mean the departments day-to-day business is going to shift dramatically overnight, said John Hudak, who is the deputy director for the Center for Effective Public Management at Brookings.

Betsy DeVos is not going to completely redesign the way the Education Department works, he said. Trump, he added, has nominated a number of Cabinet officials who, like, DeVos, have more experience and familiarity with business than government.

If shes confirmed by the U.S. Senate and assumes the helm at the department, he said DeVos will likely find that the secretary of education is not the CEO of the Department of Education. That is a very important distinction, Hudak said.

Unlike some past education secretaries, who had served as governors or as district or state schools chiefs, DeVos hasnt led a big bureaucracy.

Though DeVos is no stranger to politicsshe chaired the Michigan Republican Party for about a half a dozen yearsshe hasnt worked professionally at a federal agency, on Capitol Hill, or in public schools.

DeVos background and views make her either a breath of fresh air"the description used by William Hansen, who served as deputy secretary of education under President George W. Bushor outside the norm, as Carmel Martin, an assistant education secretary under President Barack Obama, put it.

But the two agree that the Trump administrations picks for key top positions in the department will also say a lot about its direction.

In particular, the deputy secretary, the undersecretary, and the assistant secretaries overseeing civil rights, elementary and secondary education, and planning, evaluation, and policy could be pivotal players. It could take weeks or even months for all those appointeesmost of whom will need to be confirmed by the Senateto be in place. That means senior career staff will temporarily step up to fill their roles, including, if need be, the secretarys. Before leaving office, former U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. tapped a career employee, Philip H. Rosenfelt, the deputy general counsel for program service in the departments office of the general counsel, to serve as the temporary acting secretary.

Top appointments will send a strong signal both from a management standpoint and a [policy] standpoint, said Hansen, who is now the president and CEO of USA Funds, a nonprofit that promotes college preparation, access, and success.

Besides DeVos, the Trump team has already made one other important personnel pick of interest to educators: Rob Goad, who took leave from his position as an education aide to Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., to serve with Trumps campaign, has been tapped as an education adviser on the White House Domestic Policy Council. Messer is one of the most prominent champions of school choice in Congress.

Longtime Tensions

But the top players are just a small fraction of the 150 political appointees who will join the department. The agency also has more than 4,000 career staff members, who handle everything from monitoring states and districts use of Title I aid for disadvantaged students to maintaining the agencys website.

The departments employees, most of whom are career staff, are, on average, more seasoned and better-educated than their colleagues at other agencies, Mann said. She noted that 47 percent of department employees have an education beyond a bachelors degree, compared with an average of 27 percent across all Cabinet-level agencies. And 58 percent have worked for the federal government 10 years or longer, compared with an average of 54 percent across Cabinet-level agencies.

There are almost always tensions between the career staffers and the political appointees, no matter which party is in charge, especially at the beginning of an administration, people who have served in each of those roles said.

Some political appointees are told not to trust the career employees, said Zollie Stevenson, who served as the director of student achievement and school accountability programs, a career position. We were viewed as the folks who would slow things down.

That is a counterproductive misperception, said Stevenson, who is now the acting vice president for academic affairs at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark. Lack of input from civil servantswho often have a better understanding of how states and districts operatehindered implementation of some major initiatives, he said, including the No Child Left Behind Acts guarantee of free tutoring for students in struggling schools.

Tom Corwin, who spent decades as a top career employee on K-12 budget issues, said he didnt think political appointees came in with an instinctive distrust of the career staff. But you had to prove yourself, he added.

The department also has had the second-highest ratio of career staff-to-political appointees of 28 Cabinet departments and major independent agencies, according to Mann, who examined 2004 data from The Politics of Presidential Appointments, written by David Lewis and published in 2008.

And its unclear how many of those political appointees will have a strong connection to education. The department has had a reputation as a corner of the federal government for presidents to stick campaign staff and other people who helped you get elected, said Michael Petrilli, who served in the George W. Bush administration.

Those appointees can gum up the works, added Petrilli, who is now the president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a think tank.

These people are looking for things to do, so they end up getting involved in the day-to-day affairs of the agency, he said. That just slows everything down.

But Jim Kohlmoos, who served as a deputy assistant secretary in the department under President Bill Clinton, said he liked having such a big team of political handsit meant more capacity.

Bureaucratic Crackdown?

Members of the new administrationand the Republican-controlled Congresshave signaled that Trump may handle the federal workforce differently from recent presidents.

Trump said during the campaign that he wants a hiring freeze at most agencies. Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, who chairs the House committee that deals with government oversight, have indicated they want to make it easier to fire poor performers.

The House of Representatives also recently revived the so-called Holman rule, developed in 1876 and named for an Indiana congressman. It can give individual lawmakers the power to make changes to spending bills that cut specific agencies or programs, and even target a particular employees salary.

The situation reminds Corwin of the start of Ronald Reagans presidency in 1981, when the Education Department was brand-new.

Reagan was the scariest [transition] because he had pledged to get rid of the department and was bringing in people who werent favorable to the mission of the agency, said Corwin, who served under every president from Reagan to Obama in his decades at the department. There was a lot of apprehension.

In the weeks after the 2016 election, there were concerns that Trumps ascendance to the White House could kick off a succession of retirements at the departmentand with them, a loss of institutional knowledge. But that hasnt happened, at least not yet, said Corwin, who is now a senior adviser at the Penn Hill Group, a Washington lobbying firm.

I havent been invited to any retirement parties, he joked.

A bigger worry: If the federal government, including the Education Department, becomes a less attractive place to work, it could turn off younger employees who might otherwise become the next generation of senior civil servants.

Scaring off young people who are committed to public service could be devastating, Hudak said.

Even if there isnt a spate of departures or retirements, Trumps drain the swamp rhetoric could worsen tensions at the department between political appointees and the career staff that serves under them.

But Kohlmoos said he expects that, once they take office, members of the Trump team may see the value in the civil servants.

I think once people face the realities of what it means to govern, as opposed to campaign, therell be a greater appreciation of federal bureaucrats, said Kohlmoos, who is now a principal at EDGE Consulting, which works on education issues and is based in Arlington, Va. By the end of the Clinton administration, he said, youd be in a meeting and you couldnt tell who was political and who was career.
The Myers Group, a Washington-based company, on Wednesday signed a lease agreement with New York City-based North Albany Property Owner, LLC, to establish a combination grocery and hardware store in the North Albany Village Shopping Center, 617 Hickory Street N.W.

"We have a done deal," said David Suprono, a broker with Coldwell Banker Commercial Valley Brokers in Corvallis. Suprono also expressed regret that a local blog on Jan. 5 "leaked" the news the deal was coming.

"That was premature," he said. "But now it's really official."

Albany city planning officials say they have not yet received any permitting documents for the property.

Executives at the Myers Group had not returned requests for comment as of press time.
The Coalition of Essential Schools, a progressively oriented school reform network whose work has spanned three decades, will cease its national operations by the end of the month.

Theodore R. Sizer, the late author, professor, and education school dean , started the coalition in 1984 with a vision of creating schools that are more personal, democratic, and engaging for students. The movement was influenced in part by Sizers most famous book, Horaces Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School. Now, 150 schools follow the coalitions 10 common principles of intellectual, equitable, and student-centered teaching and learning.

When Ted Sizer started CES, he said real clearly, this is a conversation amongst friends about how to best engage young people in learning in schools, said George Wood, the chairman of the coalitions executive board. The idea was not to have an organization here forever. The idea was to get the conversation started about having more meaningful learning experiences for kids.

But now, he said, the ideas are out there. Performance-based assessments, teacher-student advisory groups, and personalized learning are among the concepts that emerged from the organizations work to become common in schools today, he said.

There are all these practices out there that people dont know came from CES, Wood said. The real legacy of CES is that Ted Sizer and his colleagues directed attention back to what really matters, and its life in classroomslife of children and teachers in classrooms.

Practical Concerns

Still, there were brass-tack concerns: For the past few years, its been harder to get funding, said Deborah Meier, the vice chairwoman of the coalitions executive board, who was involved in the founding of the group.

Foundations are now interested in seeing reform movements scaled up and replicated, said Meier, who also writes an opinion blog for Education Week. But the coalition was founded on the concept of local democracy and the idea that individual communities should design their own learning sites, she said.

Also, a lot of the coalitions work with schools has been taken over by regional affiliates, Wood said, so a national office was no longer necessary.

The decision was made that it was better to close than to fade out like we were doing, Meier said.

The executive board made the decision in late 2015 and took the next year to document the coalitions impact and gather resources that will continue to live on its website. In December, the coalition hosted its final Fall Forum, an annual gathering of progressive educators.

The coalition was also a victim of changing trends in education policy. As policymakers increasingly focused on standardized testing, standards, and accountability, the influence of the coalition waned.

Wood said educators and policymakers focus on quick results and raising student test scores hurt the organization, which advocates a philosophy of deep, masterful learning.

CES is not about preparing children to do well on a single measure of accountability, Wood said. We werent out there trying to sell a get-smart-quick plan.

Much of the current landscape of education is almost antithetical to Sizers and the coalitions principles, said Marc Tucker, the president and CEO of the National Center on Education and the Economy and the author of another opinion blog for Education Week . For example, Sizer was committed to the idea of teachers as professionals. The notion that teachers are there to carry out the ideas of a central office would be abhorrent to him, Tucker said. I suppose I see the coalition, in a way, as a fish out of water, Tucker said. It would be very hard for the coalition to swim in todays environment and survive, so its hardly surprising its closing its doors. But the underlying themes of its work ... predated Ted by many, many decades and will survive long after the coalition itself.

Some CES concepts now live under different names and movements, Tucker saidlike deep learning, the idea that learning should focus on students ability to reason and think well, and not on test scores.

The new federal K-12 law, the Every Student Succeeds Act , de-emphasizes standardized-test scores, and Wood said he was optimistic that the pendulum might swing back. In the meantime, he hopes the schools that are part of the coalition will inspire policy through their success.

Wood is the superintendent of the Federal Hocking Local Schools in Stewart, Ohio, which is part of the coalition.

The legacy of CES is right down the hall from me, he said.




Nutreco to acquire Hi-Pro Feeds, expanding footprint in Americas

Nutreco and Hi-Pro Feeds have announced an agreement whereby Nutreco will acquire Hi-Pro Feeds, an animal nutrition supplier with operations in Western Canada and Southwest US.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approval both in Canada and the US and is expected to close in the second half of 2017 at the latest.



Hi-Pro Feeds is a full-service animal nutrition supplier, supplying complete and specialty feeds, premixes, concentrates and commodity ingredients mainly in Western Canada and Southwest US. It operates 15 mills and is headquartered in Okotoks, Alberta.



Knut Nesse, CEO of Nutreco, said, "We consider Hi-Pro Feeds as a very exciting company with a good reputation and solid management. In Canada this acquisition will make us a truly nation-wide animal nutrition company with a good presence in all regions and livestock segments. In the US this deal creates a new base for Nutreco, particularly in the dairy and beef industry in the Southwest."



Jacques Leclerc, managing director of Nutreco Canada, added, "Hi-Pro Feeds is renowned for its lean, agile and customer-centric operational model. Combined with Nutreco's innovation strength and nutritional solutions consisting of a wide range of models, products and services, I am confident that we will create extra value for our combined customer base in the whole of Canada."



Daren Kennett, founder of Hi-Pro Feeds, said, "In Nutreco we have found a good steward for our business and we are excited about the opportunities that this brings to our customers and employees. As a global company, Nutreco has the resources and network available to create additional value for our customers through an expanded offering of proprietary models, products and services."



The current leadership team consisting of Daren Kennett, Mark Knief and Jeff Dykstra will continue to manage the Hi-Pro Feeds business in both Canada and the US. The strength of the combined Nutreco and Hi-Pro Feeds' leadership team will allow current Hi-Pro Feeds CEO, Dean Prevost, to transition his responsibilities over time.
To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.
Among the television series that are coming back this month after the holiday hiatus is The CW's fantasy adventure drama, Supernatural, which is set to air its remaining episodes for the show's season 12.

Eversince the series aired its most recent episode last month, fans have been anticipating for their favorite characters to return on televisions. Several updates and speculations have also been appearing online regarding on the possible events that the fans might expect.

According to a report from Deadline, the show is going to welcome another member that will join the cast. Modern Family actor David Haydn Jones will join the cast of the twelfth season of Supernatural as he portrays the new member of the British Men of Letters that was later found out to be the character Mr. Ketch.

As per the aforementioned source, Mr. Ketch will be an associate of the British Men of Letters - an organization of monster hunters that is operating in the United Kingdom. It was hinted that the character personality includes him being handsome and competent but it was mentioned that the character is also a sociopath.

Aside from this news, it was also reported by MTV that actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan returns on the show to reprise his role as John Winchester, Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam's (Jared Padalecki) father and Mary Winchester's (Samantha Smith) husband.

Morgan confirmed this news on Friday when he tweeted a photo on his official Twitter account, where he mentioned his television sons, actors Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, indirectly saying that he's coming back. It can be recalled that he was already in Supernatural before Morgan went on to be the antagonist of AMC's The Walking Dead as Negan.

The most recent episode, episode 8, which aired last year ended with the Winchester brothers getting arrested for being wrongly accused of trying to assassinate the President of the US. International Business Times reported that the most-awaited upcoming episode will show the brothers' struggles inside the prison and how they will get out of there.

But aside from this, the upcoming episodes of the twelfth season will also show Dean with another problem involving his memory. When asked about the fatality of Dean's memory lost, one of the show's executive producer, Andrew Dabb, explained that the character is not physically de-ageing. He is reportedly just trapped in a Memento-type loop, where he temporarily loses his memory.

Because of this, viewers are also expected to see Dean on a more childlike and easygoing personality, which is the result of the freeing feeling he feels while he temporarily has memory loss.

Supernatural season 12 episode 9 is scheduled to air on January 26, 2017 on The CW.
Jamie Dornan is definitely one of Hollywood's most sought after actors now. This is so as the much-awaited "Fifty Shades Darker" movie will finally be released on Feb. 10 in time for Valentine's Day.

The 34-year-old actor's life has not been the same since he accepted the role of Christian Grey in the "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy. His Hollywood career has been skyrocketing with different roles lined up under his sleeves. However, not everything has been rosy for the Irish actor.

Aside from the possibility of being typecast and remembered as Christian Grey forever, his personal life is also said to have suffered. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson secret affair have been the subject of controversies since their first movie was shown. The actor and actress play the lead roles in the S&M trilogy.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the actor's sex scenes with Anastasia Steele has not been easy, even if they have done it multiple times already. The actor even needed to do some "research" by going to a real S&M club.

Some are speculating that the reason for the awkwardness is that Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson secret affair is in fact true. However, "The Fall" actor have already denied this rumor many times. This is because he is in fact happily married with his wife, Amelia Warner, whom he shares two beautiful daughters.

Right now, both Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson are just focusing on the promotion of "Fifty Shades Darker" due to be out in cinemas next month. However, as much as the "Fifty Shades of Grey" movies have a big following, some just do not understand the concept of the movie.

As reported by The Huffington Post, the actor is not at all bothered by this. He accepts that not all people can be open-minded about these kind of things.

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson will star in "Fifty Shades Darker" and "Fifty Shades Freed" that are scheduled to hit cinemas on February 2017 and February 2018, respectively.
One of the most successful and humorous television series, Will and Grace to be back to NBC as it has been revived for a 10-episode run with the old cast. The original creators of the comedy will also be back.

On Wednesday, NBC made a formal announcement at the winter tour of the Television Critics Association about the revival of Will and Grace, reports Hollywood Reporter. The show will return with its stars that include Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally. Creators David Kohan and Max Mutchnick will also be back along with James Burrow and all of them had to sign new deals with Universal Television for the renewal.

The series is scheduled for the 2017-18 broadcast season and NBC chairman Robert Greenblatt said at the event that they are thrilled that one of the smartest, funniest and most defining comedies in NBC history is coming back. He stated that the groundbreaking series that comprised everything from gay rights to social and political commentary is coming back where it belongs.

Jennifer Salke, President of NBC, said that they started talking with Mutchnick and Kohan about producing new episodes right after they shot the reunion show in September. Expressing happiness at the credentials the show enjoyed, he said that the fact that all four of the original stars were excited about getting back into production was a testament to the joyful experience they had doing around 200 episodes for eight seasons, claims E! News.

For fans who are not aware, Will and Grace revival has been in the talks since September when the four stars reprised their old characters for an election-themed video that went viral after its release. After the video release, Messing said in an interview that she would never say never about a revival. McCormack also expressed positive sentiments saying there was no official talk of a revival during the time they were filming the reunion video but he was open to the idea.

It is worth mentioning here that Will and Grace began in 1998 and ran for eight seasons. It won altogether 83 Emmy nominations in its lifetime and grabbed 16 out of them.
It's officially announced that the hit police procedural action crime drama series from CBS, Criminal Minds, is coming back on the first day of February this year. The series is set to air on televisions the remaining episodes of season 12 which will start with the eleventh, with the title, "Surface Tension."

The most recent episode aired just last week featured a series of home invasions in San Diego which turned out to be deadly. In the upcoming episode, it is expected that the team is going to have another case to solve but other possible happenings have been speculated online.

According to a report from TV Line, fans are going to see, once again, actress Jane Lynch, who will reprise his role for the character Diana Reid, Spencer Reid's (Matthew Gubler) mother. It can be remembered that Lynch's last appearance on the series as Diana was during the fourth season in which she was a recurring cast member.

One of the executive producers of the series, Erica Messer, told the source that the actress' upcoming appearances on the show resets from the moment Spencer is with his mom and with her struggles. As recalled, Diana was found wandering in a Vegas casino, after dropping her Alzheimer's treatment study program. The showrunner added that Lynch will appear on more episodes on the series, reprising her role as a recurring cast member.

Meanwhile, after months of silence, Messer, being one of the showrunners, broke her silence about the Thomas Gibson issue. In an exclusive interview with TV Guide, Messer revealed her sentiments after Gibson, who previously portrayed one of the lead roles, Aaron Hotchner, had left Criminal Minds.

Messer, who is also one of the writers of the series, apparently had a supposed story line on season 12 that she had planned when Gibson was still on the show. She revealed that it was difficult for her and the other writers to write Aaron Hotchner off the show in a believable way possible, especially that the fans have already invested on the character.

"I really had a hard time with that. This was a character I've known and loved for 12 seasons. I really wanted to be able to send him off in a way that felt believable for that character", Messer said.

She added that it was also emotional for her to let go of the character because it has already been a huge part of the series for twelve long seasons. When asked about his probable comeback, Messer said that there has been no discussion about it and that it would probably be impossible for the character to return to Criminal Minds at this point.
Nokia 6 is the brand's first smartphone in years. The brand has been sold to Microsoft in 2014 and has been stagnant after that. However, HMD Global believes that the brand still has a future in the smartphone business.

Just last year, HMD bought a license to use the Nokia brand for the next ten years. And to show how serious they are with the brand, the company recently launched its first ever smartphone under the Nokia brand.

Nokia 6 specs include a 5.5 inch screen strengthened by the 2.5 D Gorilla Glass and an all-metal body. HMD wants to resurrect Nokia's image in making very durable mobile phones.

Nokia 6 also runs on Android 7.0 Nougat straight out of the box with a fingerprint sensor and 3,000 mAh battery. Other Nokia 6 specs include a Xiao Long 430 processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB internal memory storage. The camera specs are also noteworthy with 16 MP rear camera and 8 MP front camera.

Just recently, a video surfaced online in China showing a Nokia 6 successfully cracking a walnut using its back casing and front screen. Upon checking, the test did not cause any damage on the body as well as the front screen of the Nokia 6.

With this kind of durability, one will think that the Nokia 6 price will have to be high. But fortunately, Nokia 6 price is very competitive given its strong and amazing Nokia 6 specs, technology and under the hood features.

This Nokia 6 price and Nokia 6 specs certainly got the attention of the people in China, where it was exclusively sold. In just under a minute, all Nokia 6 units in stock were sold in Jingdong Mall in China. Although, there are no official news regarding the exact number of units that were in stock.
Ony a day after Nokia 6 was officially launched on China Flash Sale and sold like pancakes, a smartphone named Nokia 8 has made an appearance online. The Finnish brand has been absent for a long time such that many in the smartphone world were delighted. Expected to be launched at MWC next month, this alleged smartphone comes with specifications for Nokia fans to get excited about.

The presumptively named Nokia 8 is expected to arrive with two variants. One is a premium model with a SnapDragon 835, 6 GB of RAM, 64 GB or 128 GB of storage, microSD card support, and a 24-megapixel camera with electronic and optical image stabilization. The other lower-priced Nokia 8 variant would come with a SnapDragon 821, 4 GB of RAM and a smaller camera.

The physical shape of the device apparently matches that of the. When Nokia 6 was launched, it leaned heavily on the design that was fashioned from a single block of metal for a luxury feel. That may also exist once more in the Nokia 8.

Additional physical buttons suggests a model of a higher portfolio. While there are no branding images visible on the device, there is to be seen one signature element common to older Nokia handsets. The camera on the rear of the unit with its distinctive round housing and raised bulge that reflects the Nokia Lumia 1020 PureView.

The Nokia 8 is tipped to sport a 12-megapixel shooter for taking selfies and dual speakers are expected to be at front as well. It is said to include Carl Zeiss optics, just like some of the earlier Nokia phones. A HRM sticker may further suggest that there might be a functional heart-rate monitor available with the phone.

The figure seems to be pretty similar to that of recently launched Nokia 6 smartphone. As these are all leaks, only the company's official announcement will confirm these reports regarding the Nokia 8, however.
Kaley Cuoco has again gone public on Instagram with her love and affection for boyfriend Karl Cook. Recently, she put up an image of herself with Cook. She cannot cease to talk about him and seems to be happier than she had ever been.

Kaley wrote quite a winsome and attractive caption with her photograph: "When you realise your cheeks haven't stopped hurting #thisguy thank you @claudcraig for capturing a little bit of magic."

The actress puts up a lot of images with him, openly admitting her love for the 25-year-old billionaire son of Intuit software co-founder, Scott Cook, according to International Business Times.

Inside sources have revealed that Kaley is "super smitten" by Cook and also "head over heels" in love. Both of them are often seen in public together. Cook went with Kaley to the Golden Globe Awards ceremony. They were seen together at the show.

"They seem to be in a good spot right now. She is always travelling with him. It's not as much her schedule but more so his. She never knows when she's going to be in town because she goes whenever and wherever he goes," the source said, according to E!

The couple has been spotted in a number of places. Recently, they were seen travelling together a lot. Last month, they could be seen ambling together romantically at a Gucci store and then heading to the Villa Blanca restaurant in Beverly Hills for a romantic dinner date. They shopped together and walked hand-in-hand.

It was on Nov. 30 that Kaley Cuoco went public with her 31st birthday celebration with Karl Cook in California. Last September, Kaley had announced it, after they began their dates as far back as March 2016.

"I am so happy. I can't stop smiling, life is so, so good. We met at a horse show, I finally found my horse guy. It was very meant to be," Kaley Cuoco had told "The Talk" show host Sharon Osbourne in September. "He's an amazing rider, amazing equestrian, and a great human. We shared a passion for horses and dogs. It's been lovely."

YouTube/Entertainment Tonight
Meghan Markle seemed to have left an everlasting impression on Kate Middleton after their rumored meeting with Princess Charlotte. Meanwhile Prince William has been speculated to have commented that Prince Harry and his girlfriends are the real deal.

The American actress has been rumored to have met Kate and Charlotte last Tuesday on a very special get together. Markle even gave the Duchess a journal gift and even charmed Harry's niece.

As also reported on Celeb Dirty Laundry, the Duchess of Cambridge has an everlasting impression of Harry's girlfriend. Perhaps aside from the gift, the two got along well. Because of this, rumors are rife that Markle is really putting much effort to meet and get to know more of Harr's family.

But this meeting seems to be somewhat doubtful since Kate, William, and Harry went to Heads Together symposium on that day. So it sounds a bit strange if Meghan was also with them and if she really met Kate on that same day unless the Duchess made an extra effort right away to be in London for this meeting.

For Meghan Markle, perhaps she also made a special trip to London from Canada since she is currently filming "Suits" there. People can't stop themselves from wondering if indeed something like this really happened.

With how things are going on now between Prince Harry and his girlfriend, reports are swirling that the couple is the real deal. It has been speculated too that Prince William was even heard sharing that Harry is serious about this relationship. It can be recalled that the Hollywood actress has already met William when she was in London last November.

Apart from Kate and William, there are also rumors as published on US Weekly that Meghan already met Prince Charles when she visited London last year for Harry's birthday party. So will this give a hint that a royal engagement will be happening soon?

It looks like Meghan Markle is really making more effort to please Prince Harry's family and perhaps this is a good indication a royal wedding awaits the couple and the people as well.
20 January 2017

The Supreme Court of the Netherlands has today issued a ruling in a legal case related to a dispute generated by one trade union present at the EPO, SUEPO, against the Office. We welcome this decision by which the Court considers the Dutch courts as not competent to deal with this case, in application of the principle of immunity which is essential for the independence and functioning of any international organisation.

The Supreme Court acknowledges that the EPO's existing internal dispute resolution system is in line with the requirements under the European Convention of Human Rights concerning the right of access to legal redress. Under the internal dispute resolution system, individual employees and employee representatives also have recourse to the Administrative Tribunal of the International Labour Organisation, which is the competent court for hearing labour disputes arising at the EPO.
Every other day, the Indian media carries news on the H1B visagranted by the United States (US)to highly-skilled workers employed in specialised fields such as science and technologytracking the number of visa applicants, the cap for the oncoming cycle, trials of the Indian industries particularly the information technology (IT) sector, and challenges of the workforce and so on. The attention is probably well-deserved. After all Indians form the largest proportion of foreign workers living on H1B visa in the US. In the 2015 fiscal year alone, 69% of the total 1,72,748 H1B visas were granted to Indians, numbers that have been increasing in the past few years.

Yet ironically, while the H1B visa has become a matter of national interest capturing diplomatic attention and academic interest, little is known about the dependents (on H4 visa) who accompany the H1B visa holders each year. This, despite the fact that Indians form the highest proportion of H4 visa holders, a segment that has also increased rather steeply like the H1B in the past decade. Eighty-two percent of the total 1,24,484 H4 visas issued in 2015 fiscal year were given to Indian dependents.
Cyber crime seems to evolve and innovate as much as the tech industry it seeks to exploit. In recent times, ransomware has become an especially potent tool of cyber criminals looking to exploit compan...
Afghanistan brushed aside a target of 150 with eight wickets to spare, for their fifth consecutive win against Oman in T20 internationals

Afghanistan 150 for 2 (Shahzad 80, Mangal 34) beat Oman 149 for 8 (Maqsood 33, Fareed 3-35) by eight wickets

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Afghanistan stormed into the final of the Desert T20 Challenge after beating Oman by eight wickets, their fifth consecutive win over the team in T20 internationals. Afghanistan chased down a target of 150 with nine balls to spare and now await the winner of the Scotland v Ireland semi-final, before the final match later today.

Oman fought bravely through the first innings, coming back to the ground to take on the tournament favourites less than 12 hours after their final Group B match against Scotland. Afghanistan gave Oman a few chances to stay afloat. However, by the start of the chase, Oman struggled to keep their heads above water as Afghanistan commenced a cruise toward the target riding on a 91-run opening stand between Nawroz Mangal and Mohammad Shahzad

Shahzad reached 50 off 35 balls at the start of the 10th over, and added another 45 with Asghar Stanikzai, before falling for 80 with only 14 required for victory. Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari knocked off the remaining runs, and clinched the match after a bouncer down leg side was signaled a wide.

Poking the bear



Oman were scrapping their way through their innings, desperate to claim any runs on offer. Off the final ball of the 13th over, bowled by Amir Hamza, when Khurram Nawaz pushed toward point for a sharp run. The throw came to the non-striker's end and hit Nawaz in the legs before it caromed past mid-off. Nawaz didn't hesitate to come back for a second run on the overthrow and, when he arrived back at the striker's end, Shahzad didn't hesitate to give him an earful from behind the stumps.

Afghanistan hadn't been fully engaged until that point, with Dawlat Zadran in particular bowling poorly with the new ball. But after that extra run, Afghanistan flipped a switch. Rashid Khan beat an attempted sweep by Nawaz with a googly, to rattle the stumps in the 19th over, and then gave the batsman a send-off, pointing him off the field to the dugout.

Rashid Khan gives Khurram Nawaz a send-off. The batsman's extra run off an overthrow, after the ball had hit him, flipped a switch in the Afghanistan side  Peter Della Penna

Big-match Mo



Shahzad seemed especially offended at Nawaz's transgression. He used his bat in the second innings as if it were a principal's paddle for spanking naughty school kids. Shahzad's batting record in the knockout stages of Associate tournaments in the UAE is superb and he extended that trend today against Oman.

Left-arm fast bowler Bilal Khan, Oman's most incisive bowler in this tournament, was clubbed over mid-on for four in the opening over to set the tone for the rest of Shahzad's innings. Kaleemullah was brought on in the third over so that Bilal could switch ends and Shahzad went on to flick the tall right-arm quick over mid-off in his second over. The next ball was a disdainful flick over midwicket for six to leave Kaleemullah slack-jawed.
The world is facing a data storage crisis. As information proliferates in everything from YouTube videos to astronomical images to emails, the need for storing that data is growing exponentially. If trends continue, data centers will have used up the worlds microchip-grade silicon before 2040.

But there is another storage medium made of abundant atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Its called DNA. And you wouldnt need much of it. The entire worlds data could be stored in just one kilogram of the stuff. So says Andy Extance in an intriguing article in Nature, How DNA could store all the worlds data.

For Nick Goldman, the idea of encoding data in DNA started out as a joke. It was Wednesday 16 February 2011, and Goldman was at a hotel in Hamburg, Germany, talking with some of his fellow bioinformaticists about how they could afford to store the reams of genome sequences and other data the world was throwing at them. He remembers the scientists getting so frustrated by the expense and limitations of conventional computing technology that they started kidding about sci-fi alternatives. We thought, Whats to stop us using DNA to store information? Then the laughter stopped. It was a lightbulb moment, says Goldman, a group leader at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) in Hinxton, UK. [Emphasis added.]

Since that day, several companies have begun turning this joke into serious business. The Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) is backing it. IBM is getting on board. And the Defense Department has hosted workshops with major corporations, which is sure to lead to funding. The UK is already funding research into next-generation approaches to DNA storage.

When you look at Extances chart, its easy to see why DNA is one of the strongest candidates yet to replace silicon as the storage medium of the future. The read-write speed is about 30 times faster than your computers hard drive. The expected data retention is 10 times longer. The power usage is ridiculously low, almost a billion times less than flash memory. And the data density is an astonishing 1019 bits per cubic centimeter, a thousand times more than flash memory and a million times more than a hard disk. At that density, the entire worlds data could fit in one kilogram of DNA.

As with any new technology, baby steps are slow. Technicians face challenges of designing DNA strands to encode data, searching for it, and reading it back out reliably. How does one translate the binary bits in silicon into the A, C, T, and G of nucleic acids? Can DNA strands be manufactured cheaply enough? How can designers proofread the input?

Living things, though, have already solved these issues. After all, a whole human genome fits into a cell that is invisible to the naked eye, Extance says. As for speed, DNA is accessed by numerous molecular machines simultaneously throughout the nucleus that know exactly where to start and stop reading. Genomic machinery in the cell proofreads errors to one typo per hundred billion bases, as Dr. Lee Spetner notes in his book Not by Chance! Thats equivalent, he says, to the lifetime output of about 100 professional typists.

Life shows that it is possible in principle to overcome these challenges. That gives hope to the engineers on the cutting edge of DNA storage. Already, several experimenters have succeeded in encoding information in DNA. By 2013, EBI had encoded Shakespeares sonnets and Martin Luther Kings I have a dream speech. IBM and Microsoft topped that 739-kilobase effort shortly after with 200 megabases of storage. As far back as 2010, Craig Venters lab encoded text within the genome of his synthetic bacterium, as Casey Luskin reported here. Everything alive demonstrates that DNA is already the worlds most flexible and useful storage medium. We just need to learn how to harness the technology.

Goldmans EBI lab and other labs are thinking of ways to ensure accuracy. One method converts bits into trits (combinations of 0, 1, and 2) in an error-correcting scheme. Engineers are sure to think of robust solutions, just like the pioneers of digital computers did with parity bits and other mechanisms to guarantee accurate transmission over wired and wireless communications.

How long could DNA storage last? Thats another potential advantage  better than existing technology by orders of magnitude:

these results convinced Goldman that DNA had potential as a cheap, long-term data repository that would require little energy to store. As a measure of just how long-term, he points to the 2013 announcement of a horse genome decoded from a bone trapped in permafrost for 700,000 years. In data centres, no one trusts a hard disk after three years, he says. No one trusts a tape after at most ten years. Where you want a copy safe for more than that, once we can get those written on DNA, you can stick it in a cave and forget about it until you want to read it.

With these advantages of density, stability, and durability, DNA is creating a burgeoning field of research. Worries about random access are already being overcome. With techniques like PCR and CRISPR/Cas9, we can expect that any remaining challenges will be solved. Look at what our neighbors at the University of Washington recently achieved:

As a demonstration, the Microsoft-University of Washington researchers stored 151 kB of images, some encoded using the EBI method and some using their new approach, in a single pool of strings. They extracted three  a cat, the Sydney opera house and a cartoon monkey  using the EBI-like method, getting one read error that they had to correct manually. They also read the Sydney Opera House image using their new method, without any mistakes.

Market forces drive innovation. The promise of DNA storage is so attractive, funding and capital are sure to follow. DNA synthesizing machines will come. Random-access machines with efficient search algorithms will be invented. Successes and new products will drive down prices. As with Moores Law for silicon, the race for better DNA storage products will accelerate once it moves from lab to market. Extance concludes:

Goldman is confident that this is just a taste of things to come. Our estimate is that we need 100,000-fold improvements to make the technology sing, and we think thats very credible, he says. While past performance is no guarantee, there are new reading technologies coming onstream every year or two. Six orders of magnitude is no big deal in genomics. You just wait a bit.

So, here we have the best minds in information technology urgently trying to catch up to storage technologies that have been in use since life began. Theyre only a few billion years late to the party. The implications are as profound as they are intuitive.

Speaking of intuition, Douglas Axe in his recent book Undeniable: How Biology Confirms Our Intuition That Life Is Designed defines a quality he calls functional coherence: the hierarchical arrangement of parts needed for anything to produce a high-level function  each part contributing in a coordinated way to the whole. He writes:

No high-level function is ever accomplished without someone thinking up a special arrangement of things and circumstances for that very purpose and then putting those thoughts into action. The hallmark of all these special arrangements is high-level functional coherence, which we now know comes only by insight  never by coincidence.

Scientists are seeking to match the same level of functional coherence that can be observed every second in the cells of our own bodies, and of the simplest microbes. The conclusion to draw from this hardly needs to be stated.

Photo credit: PublicDomainPictures, via Pixabay.
Hello everyone,



I am now doing a postdoc in Geneva and I am living in France. My postdoc is paid by an research fellowship (EMBO) and thus it is directly given to me by the foundation on a Suisse bank account, I don't have a contract with the University of Geneva where I am registered as "boursier d'excellance".



In Switzerland the stipend for my post-doc is tax free, but it is not clear to me how France considers my founding.



Does anyone knows whether or not in my situation my fellowship is taxed in France? More in general how exactly are these money to be declared in France?



Thank for anyone for the help
The oil and gas industry is emerging from a painful downturn and feeling optimistic for the first time since mid-2014, an uptick that started before the November election.

Oil prices have doubled since last January, the lowest mark in the oil bust, to above $52 per barrel now. Drillers since late May have been moving drilling rigs and equipment back into U.S. fields.

So does having a new Republican administration matter when everyone from corporate executives to roughnecks live and die by an oil barrel price determined on the world market?

Yes and no, said Ken Med- lock, energy economist with Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy.

Oil price by far is the biggest driver, Medlock said. Whats the commercial incentive to deploy rigs? It comes down to oil prices.

Republican control of government, though, has reassured the industry that there wont be new environmental regulations, and creates the view, that at least theres a clear path forward on investment decisions, Medlock said.

Regulations dont matter as much when oil is $100 a barrel  a high price that covers all sorts of costs, he said. But with oil in the $52 range, budgets remain tight, margins are narrow and its a knifes edge to determine whether many wells get drilled or not.

The thing the industry was concerned with was compressed margins. The last thing you want when margins are compressed is regulatory uncertainty, Medlock said. Uncertainty can delay investments.

The U.S. Energy Information Administrations most recent outlook report forecast the price of the benchmark West Texas Intermediate at $52 per barrel this year, rising to around $55 per barrel next year.

Prices have been buoyed by a November agreement by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut production by 1.2 million barrels per day starting this month.

Thomas Tunstall, an economic development research director at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said the industry outlook at the start of the year is, So far, so good.

But he said hes cautious about the amount of oil waiting to come to market.

Tunstall mentioned the inventory of wells that were drilled during the bust but havent been fracked, and arent producing oil yet. The EIA estimates there are 5,200 drilled-but-uncompleted wells, known as DUCs, and these are the wells companies can tap first and most cheaply as oil prices rise.

Theres going to be more drilling in the U.S., which is only going to put downward pressure on the price of oil, Tunstall said. It further reinforces my belief that the $60 cap is going to be pretty inviolate for a long time to come. Theres all this potential capacity. Theres a lot of potential supply waiting to come on line.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Theres also talk of opening up drilling on more federal lands in Western states. (Texas has little in the way of federal lands. Most of its public land is owned by the state.)

U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana, the Republican nominee for secretary of Interior, supports expanded drilling on federal lands, and Trumps transition page calls for opening onshore and offshore (energy) leasing on federal lands and waters.

Medlock doesnt expect Trump to make energy regulation central to his first months in office, though.

Everybody asks whats going to happen in the first 100 days. Thats a magic number, Med- lock said. The first things arent directly related to energy. I think its more going to be around tax reform and health care reform, those campaign promises.

Ed Hirs, energy economist with the University of Houston, said that if quick changes are made to open drilling on federal lands, even the fast-moving oil business cant turn on a dime.

A change in policy wouldnt have an immediate impact, Hirs said. If you say go today, youre probably four years away from a barrel being produced onshore. If its offshore, youre probably 15 years away from a barrel being produced.
Federal regulators have flagged a bank in Karnes County, located in the heart of the Eagle Ford shale field, as a troubled institution and ordered it to tighten its lending and other operations.

Bank examiners uncovered unsafe and unsound banking practices at the The Karnes County National Bank of Karnes City, citing problems with its loan portfolio, problem assets, internal auditing, consumer compliance oversight and staffing, according to an agreement it reached last month with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

No civil monetary penalties were imposed on the bank.

A call to H.B. Trip Ruckman III, the banks chairman, president and CEO, was not immediately returned. An OCC spokesman said he could not comment beyond what was in the agreement.

Deposits at Karnes County National Bank surged more than fivefold from the end of 2008 to the end of 2015 as deposits at banks in the Eagle Ford region swelled along with the oil boom. Ruckman warned in an interview last year that the pain from the slide in oil prices would trickle down to small lenders.

There are going to be loans that are going to be stressed because of low oil prices, he said in February. Im sure thats kind of coming. Delinquent loans, those 90 days past due, have ballooned at the bank. The bank had $3.7 million in nonperforming loans on Sept. 30, up from $163,000 at the end of last year.

Under the agreement with the OCC, the board of Karnes County National Bank has to improve its loan-portfolio management, ensuring it has sufficient staff to support lending operations and that loans are made only after obtaining and analyzing current and satisfactory credit information.

The bank, which had 31 employees as of Sept. 30, also has to hire a chief credit officer to oversee lending and strengthen its management of credit-risk.

The bank must also ensure reasonable oversight of loan reviews.

As part of that, the bank must include in its workouts agreements  where the lender and borrower renegotiate terms of a loan that is in default to avoid a foreclosure or liquidation  the appraised value of supporting collateral and sources of repayment, according to the order.

The board or a committee also must conduct quarterly reviews of troubled loans with more than $250,000 outstanding and develop a management-succession plan.

The number of troubled institutions has been shrinking in recent years as the economy has expanded. Since 2010, problem banks have fallen from 196 to less than 50 at the end of 2015, according to the most recent data from the OCC.

The OCCs findings of unsound and unsafe banking practices at Karnes County National Bank do not necessarily imply that the bank will incur a lot of losses or that it is in danger of financial collapse, said Curtis Carpenter, principal and head of investment banking at Sheshunoff & Co. Investment Banking in Austin, who follows the banking industry.

It could be that they have simply failed to follow the prescribed procedures in a few areas, he added.

Carpenter noted that the bank was well-capitalized as of Sept. 30, with a comfortable leverage ratio of 9.7 percent. The ratio is the relationship between a banks capital and total assets. The bank also is profitable, posting $2.3 million in net income in the first nine months of last year.

Karnes County National Bank was founded in 1901 and has a branch in Karnes City and Kenedy. As of Sept. 30, the institution had $357.4 million in total assets, $95.5 million in loans and $318.8 million in deposits.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Karnes County National Bank is among the financial institutions in the Eagle Ford Shale that has been showered with deposits since the oil and gas boom in South Texas  leaving them with more cash than they were able to lend.

The banks loan-to-deposit ratio was about 29 percent at the end of 2015, well below the average of 67 percent for Texas community banks with less than $1 billion in assets, according to Oklahoma City-based The Baker Group, a consultant to community banks.

It couldnt be determined if the bank made many loans to companies impacted by low oil prices.

Crude oil prices fell to as low as $26 a barrel last year, the lowest since 2003, after peaking at $107 in June 2014. Prices have since rebounded to about $51 a barrel, but the Texas oil industry has shed more than 100,000 jobs since late 2014.

The Eagle Ford started last year with 71 working drilling rigs, but that number has dipped to 47 as of Jan. 13. The rig count has hit a bottom of 29 in late May.

Karnes County National Bank isnt the only South Texas to be designated as in troubled condition.

In 2015, the OCC leveled a $1 million civil penalty on Pharr-based Lone Star National Bank after finding critical deficiencies with its anti-money laundering practices. The bank was one of several banks that federal prosecutors previously alleged were used by corrupt Mexican politicians and business owners to launder drug cartel money in South Texas. The OCCs consent order remains in effect.

pdanner@express-news.net

Twitter: @AlamoPD
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Toyota Motor Sales Show More Show Less 2 of 2 BOB OWEN, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less



Toyota Motor Corp., scolded by President-elect Donald Trump over a planned plant in Mexico, relied on the country for less than 7 percent of its record North American output last year.

The Japanese automaker built 2.12 million cars and trucks on the continent last year, assembling 65 percent of those in the U.S., according to a statement. A Tacoma midsize pickup factory near the California border and a Mazda Motor Corp. plant supplying Yaris and Yaris iA small cars produced a combined 6.6 percent of the total. The rest of the Tacomas for the North American market are produced at its plant in San Antonio, along with the full-size Tundras built for the market.
Donald Trumps advisers are considering a Texas woman who started a bank with her husband, a former regulator and a sitting congressman to fill a Federal Reserve Board seat set aside for a community banker, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Cynthia Blankenship, vice chairman of Grapevine-based Bank of the West, and MainStreet Bancshares Inc. CEO Jeff Dick have had meetings with the incoming presidents team, said the people, who asked that they not be named because the discussions are private. Republican Rep. French Hill of Arkansas is also being considered, the people said.

Trump, who will take office with two openings to fill on the Fed board, hasnt yet announced his plans and theres no guarantee any of the interviewed candidates will be hired. The discussions have included multiple conversations with Trumps advisers and filling out a detailed questionnaire, the people have said.

Blankenship declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Hill. Dick hasnt responded to requests for comment.

Fed governors are selected by the president and subject to Senate confirmation. Under a 2014 law, one seat is designated to be filled by someone with community bank experience. The other nomination could go to Trumps choice for vice chairman of supervision, a high-profile job that has gone unfilled during the Obama administration.

Banks are keenly focused on Trumps picks for the Fed, but especially on who gets the supervision post. The governor in that role could have major influence on whether Wall Street banks succeed in dialing back Dodd-Frank Act rules that they say have stunted economic growth.

Hill also has been considered for vice chairman of supervision, according to the people. Other candidates for that post include David Nason, who worked for the Treasury Department during the 2008 financial crisis and is now CEO of GE Energy Financial Services Inc., as Bloomberg previously reported. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Vice Chairman Thomas Hoenig, a former Federal Reserve Bank president, also has been discussed. Trumps advisers have also consulted with bankers including John Allison, the former CEO of BB&T Corp., as they consider Fed positions.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Blankenship is vice chairman and chief financial officer of Bank of the West in Texas, where she has worked since 1985. She also has served as a director of the Independent Community Bankers of America and has frequently represented the bank and the industry groups interests in Washington, including by testifying at hearings on Capitol Hill.

MainStreet Banks Dick has worked at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and has been an adviser to the U.K. Financial Services Authority. His bank has five branches in northern Virginia and $376 million in assets, according to its website.

While the Fed board traditionally has had a community banker or supervisor, that role hasnt been filled since Gov. Elizabeth Duke retired in August 2013. President Barack Obamas pick for a community bank, Allan Landon, former chief executive officer of Bank of Hawaii Corp., was never confirmed by the Senate.

The Fed is under pressure to increase diversity among its leaders after criticism that it is dominated by white men. Janet Yellen, the first woman to chair the central bank, has said shed like to see more diversity.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Julian Onderdonk is famous for bluebonnets, but a new show at the San Antonio Museum of Art illustrates how much more there was to the legendary San Antonio painters vision.

Works in the show include images of the sun-baked countryside studded with cactus, dusty roads stretching into the horizon and, as an alternative to the state flower, a golden field of Coreopsis.

Visitors will really get a sense that Julian Onderdonk loved Texas, William Keyse Rudolph, curator of American art at the museum, said via email. His passion for his home state shines through everything he painted.

If youre a Texan, I hope the exhibition reminds you why you love the state. If youre a visitor, I hope the exhibition gives you a sense of why so many of us are proud to call San Antonio and South Texas home.

At the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, where Julian Onderdonk and the Texan Landscape originated, the show of more than two-dozen works by Onderdonk was spread out over multiple galleries.

At the San Antonio museum, where the show is on view, it is concentrated in a single space.

I honestly think this view of Onderdonk is the best view because you can stand in one place and your eye can play on all these different kinds of explorations of space and light and texture, said Katie Luber, director of the museum. You can see the way hes playing with paint and trying to get that sense of a place and the moment and the atmosphere.

Of course, there also will be plenty of bluebonnets.

Born in 1882, Onderdonk began his art education at home, training first with his father, Robert Jenkins Onderdonk. He went on to study with American Impressionist William Merritt Chase in New York. Onderdonk spent about a decade on the East Coast before returning to Texas in 1909. His career was peaking when he died of an intestinal ailment at age 40.

Onderdonk is the first truly San Antonio painter, Luber said. Hes not the only San Antonio painter, but he is the one who is really successful. He makes it big.

Though Onderdonks fans and collectors are legion in Texas, he is still relatively unknown at the national level. Luber believes it is only a matter of time.

The recent publication of Julian Onderdonk: A Catalogue Raisonne by Harry A. Halff and Elizabeth Halff is going to do a lot to achieve that goal, she said. The exhibit was organized to coincide with the release of the book by Yale University Press.

In the exhibit, Onderdonks views of Long Island give way to sweeping vistas and impressions of San Antonio environs.

I think some of the small pictures are very, very precious, Luber said. They show him working on an incredibly intimate and very careful level.

Two such works are a painting of Mission San Jose from 1909 and a landscape of a valley near Williams Ranch outside of Kerrville from 1915, which are installed together on a wall. The latter places the viewer on a rise looking out on a view bisected diagonally by a hill slope partly cloaked in shadow.

Its both modernist and topographical at the same time, Luber said. The bold use of the strong diagonal, the way he captures the lines and the landscape looks like a forerunner of Georgia OKeeffe. Its very, very modernist.

Even those familiar with Onderdonks work should find some surprises in the show. Among them are Blue Wing Lake from 1916, an autumnal scene dominated by a golden glow that Luber describes as luminism to the max; and A Pool on the Guadalupe River, S.W. Texas from 1913, which captures reflections and ripples on the surface of the water.

In comparison to the bluebonnet paintings that were Onderdonks stock in trade, these are much more challenging compositions, Luber said.

Julian Onderdonk and the Texan Landscape runs through April 23 at the San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., 210-978-8100, samuseum.org

lsilva@express-news.net
NEW BRAUNFELS  The owners of Brilliant Starts Learning Academy no longer are charged with failing to report the physical abuse of children there in 2014.

Prosecutors this month dismissed the last of 10 misdemeanor and two felony charges filed against Randel and Patricia Norman, who had asserted that they complied with state reporting requirements and had assisted investigators in the case.

The pair are still defendants in a civil lawsuit arising from the same alleged mistreatment of children by one of their employees.

Im sickened that the Normans had to go through this whole ordeal, but ultimately the prosecution did the right thing, said Billy McNabb, attorney for Randel Norman. They bent over backwards to give law enforcement everything they could to apprehend and prosecute the suspect.

The Normans, both 59, also defeated state attempts to close the business they had operated on FM 1101 since 2012. Patronage suffered because of the negative publicity, but many customers remained loyal.

The felony cases were dismissed in April, court records show, and the remaining misdemeanors were dropped last week after a Nov. 2 not-guilty verdict by jurors for Patricia Norman in the first misdemeanor case to go to trial.

I and my client are pleased that she has been vindicated of these charges, said Scot Courtney, her attorney. The safety and education of the children in their care have been and continue to be their main priority, and they take that responsibility seriously.

Prosecutor Clay Hearrell declined comment on the cases, citing the pending criminal charges against Constance DiGiovanni, the ex-day care employee whose alleged mistreatment was exposed by videos recorded there.

Indictments returned against her last year accuse DiGiovanni, 53, of pushing, shoving and grabbing five children. She faces more than 20 charges that include injury to a child, child endangerment and failing to report child abuse.

DiGiovanni has pleaded not guilty and is free on bail, her trial set for March 27. Her attorney could not be reached for comment.

A May 22 jury trial is set for the lawsuit by four alleged abuse victims in three families. The lawsuit was filed in July. It accuses the business, DiGiovanni, the Normans and daughter Kallie Norman, who manages the day care, of negligence and seeks more than $1 million in damages.

The lawsuit says DiGiovanni assaulted and abused the four children at Brilliant Starts between Aug. 1 and Dec. 17, 2014, and that day care officials allowed her to continue working even after receiving written and verbal complaints about abusive conduct.

The Normans deny the lawsuits claims of failing to properly screen, train and supervise employees, exercise ordinary care or report abuse. They also argue that they are not responsible for the conduct of other individuals.

zeke@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

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
As federal scientists warn that 2016 set another record for global heat, a climate scientist in Austin worries that the tools and data used to study the climate might be at risk under the Donald Trump administration.

Like other researchers, Kerry Cook, a University of Texas at Austin professor who has studied climate change for more than 30 years, relies on computer models and data shared by federal agencies, which will be overseen by Trump, who at one point called human-caused global warming a hoax.

I believe theres change, and I believe it goes up and it goes down, and it goes up again, Trump said during a 2015 radio interview. Trump has also vowed to cancel the Paris climate agreement and the Obama Administrations Clean Power Plan, which aimed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

Most federal climate science is overseen by NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. On Wednesday, NOAA and NASA wrote that the Earth last year reached its highest temperature for the third year in a row, driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere. El Nino also played a role.

One of Cooks biggest concerns is the fate of climate information from the network of government weather stations and satellites.

People are very worried about keeping funding going again for the observations, she said. We need a long, continuous, consistent time series.

Trumps pick for EPA administrator, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, has sued the agency over climate change measures. At a Senate hearing Wednesday, Pruitt said he does not believe climate change is a hoax but cast doubt on its severity.

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross is Trumps pick to lead the Commerce Department, which oversees NOAA. At his hearing, Ross said, I believe science is science and scientists should perform science.

Despite the reassurances, climate scientists were spooked last month when Trumps transition team asked the Department of Energy for lists of federal employees who attended climate change conferences and worked on climate studies. The department refused, and the transition team later backed off.

Still, the story sparked an effort to save the data by scraping climate information from federal webpages and saving it on independent servers.

That Trumps people asked for those lists, just adds to the intimidation thats already occurred, said U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and its alarming.

If Trump need allies in Congress to attack climate scientists, he will easily find one in U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio. As a climate change skeptic, he has used his position as science committee chairman to subpoena data and emails from NOAA scientists studying climate change.

Its very distracting for scientists to have to constantly (be) repeating the basic science and constantly (having) to advocate and defend science, Cook said.

Smiths staff originally agreed to an interview with The Express-News to discuss what the Trump administrations policies might be but later canceled the interview, citing scheduling conflicts.

The climate research done by Cook and others proved useful on a local level in addition to a global one. For example, the Third National Climate Assessment in 2014 helped San Antonio in developing its SA Tomorrow Sustainability Plan.

In 2015, city staff hired a climate modeler who worked on that assessment to predict San Antonios climate by 2070.

By then, San Antonios sweltering summers are likely to get worse, with 15 to 28 more extremely hot days per year, depending on future carbon dioxide levels.

bgibbons@express-news.net

Twitter: @bgibbs
During his Senate hearing, President-elect Donald J. Trumps pick to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency foreshadowed a more cozy relationship between states like Texas and the federal government.

Often in partnership with Texas, Republican Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has sued the agency he hopes to run 14 times over new environmental rules put forth by the Obama Administration, according to Senate testimony. The suits have temporarily blocked plans to extend clean water protections to small streams and wetlands and cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants to limit climate change.

As Trump takes office alongside a Republican-led Congress, Texas will likely be more free to regulate the environment as it likes, with less oversight from the federal government.

When you think about the relationship between the EPA and the states, the states are not mere vessels for federal will, Pruitt said Wednesday at his confirmation hearing. When its not respected, thats what spawned most of this litigation.

Climate change and the environment are the most ideologically polarized issues in Congress, said Thomas Jensen, a Washington D.C. attorney who has advised federal lawmakers on environmental issues for 30 years.

Washington will be nothing more than a tug-of-war between empiricism and ideology in the coming years, he said last month at a water summit in New Braunfels.

Heres a look forward at some of the key issues affecting Texas and how they could unfold under Trump:

San Antonio ozone

Whats at stake? Businesses with heavily emitting generators or furnaces moving to San Antonio would face a more strict review from state regulators starting in 2018 if the city is found to exceed a federal standard for ozone, the key component of smog. If that happens, the state would also have to create an emissions inventory for San Antonio and verify that new highway projects do not make local smog worse. In 2016, Texas joined other states in suing the EPA to block the new standard.

Trumps position: Despite saying at a West Virginia rally that youre not allowed to use hairspray because it affects the ozone, Trump has not said anything publicly about the 2015 ground-level ozone standard.

Trump was presumably referring to a wholly separate issue of the phase-out of fluorinated chemicals that eat holes in the stratospheric ozone layer. Pruitt, as Oklahomas AG, had joined Texas in suing the EPA over the 2015 standard.

What Trump could do: Trump and Pruitt could settle the states lawsuit and revert back to an older, less strict ozone standard, said Jeff Coyle, city government and public affairs director, at a City Council meeting. They could also create a new ozone rule from scratch, or the Republican-controlled Congress could even amend the Clean Air Act, the legal foundation for the rule. All these actions would take time and could be vulnerable to legal challenges.

There are a number of scenarios that could happen and they all could affect whether San Antonio is in attainment, Coyle said. Were watching it very closely to see how it affects us.

Small streams and wetlands

Whats at stake? The EPA said its 2015 Clean Water Act rule, often called the, Waters of the U.S. rule clarified that the agency has authority over pollution in small, intermittent streams and wetlands. Farmers, agribusiness groups and other industries saw it as federal overreach.

The rule is not in effect after 32 states, including Texas, and dozens of industry associations filed 21 lawsuits challenging it in multiple courts, according to federal court documents. These were all consolidated in an Ohio federal appeals court, where judge issued a stay on the rule in 2015. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court said it would take up the case, but only the issue of which court should oversee it.

You could have somebody coming out and saying youre violating the rule just by plowing your field or applying herbicide, said Regan Beck, director of government affairs for the Texas Farm Bureau, which intervened in one of the suits. Normal farming practices could put you in violation of this rule, he said.

The EPA has said thats not true. The rule would not regulate most man-made ditches, create any new permitting requirements for agriculture or interfere with private property rights, according to the EPA.

Trumps position: Trumps transition website promised the new administration would eliminate the highly invasive rule but did not spell out how. Pruitt also seems to be no fan of it  Oklahoma is one of the states fighting it in court.

What Trump could do: Trump could let the case wind its way through court, settle the suit or repeal the rule. If the administration pursues repeal, we wont just roll over  the rule received broad public support, and we will ensure that concerned citizens voices continue to be heard, said Jon Devine, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, which intervened in the case in support of the rule. He said in an email that the rule relies on an extensive scientific record and is consistent with protection of the nations waterways that Congress passed with the Clean Water Act.

Endangered species

Whats at stake? The fight over endangered species is one of the most active environmental arenas in Texas. The state has a relatively high proportion of rare species and a large economy with sectors like oil and gas, farming and ranching and construction that take a heavy toll on species habitat.

Recent struggles have centered on the Hill Countrys golden-cheeked warbler and the dunes sagebrush lizard of West Texas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decides when to take new species on or off the list and enforces legal protections in the Endangered Species Act.

Trumps position: While Trump has not explained his views on the Endangered Species Act, he has discussed his sons passion for hunting in several interviews.

U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, is Trumps choice to lead the Department of the Interior, which oversees the USFWS. Though Zinke has touted the importance of public lands and access to the outdoors, conservationists say Zinke has a poor voting record on the environment, criticizing him for voting against endangered species protections for wolves, lynx and sage grouse and voting to exempt certain industries from Endangered Species Act rules.

What Trump could do: Zinke signaled his support for giving states more say in the endangered species process during his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday. Senators asked Zinke about the greater sage grouse, an endangered bird that has been the subject of intense debate among state and federal authorities and business interests in Western states. Zinke said the recovering species needs a target goal and state and local officials should be rewarded for getting together and being collaborators.

Coal

Whats at stake? The U.S. coal industry is in decline. Domestic production peaked in 2008 and had been dropping since. Production last year of 743 million short tons was the lowest since 1978, according to the U.S. Energy Administration. Bankruptcies, mine closures and layoffs have dominated the industry. Natural gas surpassed coal in electricity generation last year.

Trumps position: Trump has promised to save coal mines and mining jobs. At a campaign rally in West Virginia, he said, These ridiculous rules and regulations that make it impossible for you to compete  so were going to take all that off the table, folks. Voters in coal-producing states voted overwhelmingly for Trump.

What Trump could do: Trump could end the ban on new federal coal leases and lift some environmental regulations. Energy experts are at a loss for what Trump could do to reverse the economics, though. Coal is losing market share to a cousin in the energy business  shale drilling  that has unleashed a vast supply of cheap natural gas in the U.S. Thats the death knell for coal really, said Ed Hirs, an energy economist with the University of Houston.

Pipeline projects

Whats at stake? Thousands of activists camped out last year in protest of the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. The pipeline would take oil from the Bakken formation to Illinois. The Army Corps of Engineers blocked the pipeline in December, and President Barack Obama in 2015 denied a permit for Transcanadas Keystone XL, which would carry oil from Canadas oil sands to the Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub and the Gulf Coast. (In West Texas, the Trans-Pecos Pipeline to Mexico has drawn the ire of many residents of the scenic Big Bend region, though that fight hasnt drawn nearly as much attention nationally.)

Trumps position: Trump has expressed support for both the Keystone XL and the Dakota Access Pipeline. He put lift the Obama-Clinton roadblocks and allow vital energy infrastructure projects, like the Keystone Pipeline, to move forward, in his 100-day action plan.

What could Trump do? Im sure hes going to do something to accelerate pipeline construction around the U.S., said Hirs. Thats one of the first things I would watch for. The American Petroleum Institute has said the Keystone approval could happen with the stroke of a pen. The new president will also make appointments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and pick the chairman. The agency reviews natural gas pipelines that cross state lines as well as proposals to build liquefied natural gas terminals.

Methane in the oil field

Whats at stake? New federal rules to limit methane emissions in the oil field include measures such as finding and repairing leaky equipment and capturing gas during hydraulic fracturing. Methane is the key component in natural gas, and is 25 times more effective than carbon dioxide in trapping heat. Industry groups have said the rules are too costly and likely to hurt shale drilling, which turned around U.S. oil and gas production after decades of decline.

Trumps position: Trump hasnt waded into the specifics, but his 100-day action plan promises, I will lift the restrictions on the production of $50 trillion dollars worth of job-producing American energy reserves, including shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal.

What Trump could do: The methane rules were finalized last May, which means they arent subject to the Congressional Review Act, a law that lets Congress repeal agency rules with a majority vote within 60 days. Its a long process to unwind, said Colin Leyden, senior manager with the Environmental Defense Fund. The agency would have to post notice and go through a reverse action of what happened.

Kenneth Medlock III, energy economist with Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy, said there are technical solutions to the methane problem, including drone monitoring to find leaky valves, which the industry is moving toward anyway. They have a clear motivation not to have fugitive methane. They dont want it escaping, Medlock said. I think industry will start moving in that direction in a larger scale. The market solution will provide the incentive.

bgibbons@express-news.net, jhiller@express-news.net
WASHINGTON  In a tempered appearance before the U.S. Senate on Thursday, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry pulled back on his more controversial positions on climate change research and the usefulness of the Department of Energy, seemingly charming his critics with the sense of humor that helped make him one of the states most successful politicians.

Perry, nominated as Energy Secretary last month by President-elect Donald Trump, offered a mea culpa for his proposal during a failed presidential bid in 2011 to eliminate the agency he is expected to lead, telling the Senate and Energy Natural Resources Committee that he regretted it, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy.

And in a stark turnaround from statements made during his 14-year tenure as governor of Texas  he once described climate science as a contrived, phony mess  Perry said, 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 hearings offered Perry, 66, the chance to recast a political career that had seemed on a downward slide in recent years. Besides his ill-fated and gaffe-ridden presidential run six years ago, recent appearances on the reality show Dancing With the Stars led some political analysts to wonder whether Perry could ever return to high office and might be angling for a television career.

But whether taking questions on the nations growing backlog of nuclear waste or reports that Trump planned to slash the Energy Departments budget, Perry maintained a steady and knowledgeable calm, at ease with his inquisitors. Perry didnt miss a beat when asked his opinion of the potential spending cuts.

Maybe theyll have the same experience I had and forget that they said that  a reference to his famous oops moment when he could not remember the Energy Department as third of three federal agencies he proposed abolishing during a debate for presidential candidates.

The hearing room erupted in laughter  as it did again later when Perry and former Saturday Night Live comedian Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., a member of the partys environmental wing, bantered about what might or might not have gone on atop the senators couch in a private meeting.

This has been part of his effectiveness and charm since he was first elected to the (Texas) Legislature in the 1980s, said Ray Sullivan, an Austin political consultant and Perrys former chief of staff. Even his strongest political opponents recognize his decency and friendliness.

On policy questions, Perry presented himself as a pragmatist willing to exploit whatever forms of energy available if they help grow the U.S. economy. He frequently took pains to remind Democrats of his record growing the Texas wind industry into countrys largest. And when asked about whether he supported research into this form of energy or that, he uttered the phrase, All of the above, Senator.

But he also made clear that the departments focus on renewable energy under the Obama administration was going to change. Asked about the disparity in funding for coal research by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V.  who along with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduced Perry to open the hearing  Perry reminded the Senate he was an unapologetic champion of the oil and gas industry and fossil fuels at large.

Dont get me confused with the (Obama) administration, he said. I have promoted those sources of energy that can drive an economy.

In acknowledging climate change while arguing steps to combat it must be considered against their potential impact on jobs and the economy, Perry aligned himself with other Trump cabinet picks, including Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of Exxon Mobil, and Environmental Protection Agency nominee Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma attorney general.

But it was not enough to satisfy former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who asked Perry if he considered climate change a global crisis.

Perry dodged. I think that having an academic discussion with scientists or with you, it is an interesting exercise, he said, again pointing to his record developing and expanding wind power in Texas. Dont you think that is a good thing? he asked Sanders.

I think what would be a better thing is for you to say we have a global crisis Sanders responded.

As Secretary of Energy, Perry would both be in charge of maintaining the U.S. nuclear missile arsenal and heading a sprawling research apparatus that has helped develop technologies from hydraulic fracturing to wind power.

To those concerned that the department would be politicized under a Trump administration, Perry promised that he would make decisions based on sound science. He offered no justification for the transition teams questionnaire to the Department of Energy asking for the names of employees who worked on climate change  something Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz refused to comply with.

That questionnaire you reference went out before I was even selected to be nominee, he said. I didnt approve it. I dont need that information.  I am going to protect the men and women of the scientific community from anyone who would attack them.

After the hearing, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairwoman of the Senate energy committee, said she wanted to hold a vote on his confirmation soon, but did not offer a specific date.

The sense among political operatives watching the hearing was Perry was a virtual lock to get confirmed when the vote goes to the Senate. The former governor had prepared vigorously for the hearing, studying and speaking with past energy secretaries and current secretary Ernest Moniz, Sullivan said. I think he handled himself very well, Murkowski said.

But as Perry himself admitted, the moment from the hearing likely to be most remembered would be his comment to Franken about their private meeting: I hope you are as much fun on that dais as you were on your couch.

After a collective howl of laughter ran through the hearing room, Perry, realizing the potential implication of what he said, interjected, May I rephrase that, sir?

I think we found our Saturday Night Live sound bite, Perry said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Several hundred San Antonio Republicans are joining top state leaders including Gov. Greg Abbott at Friday's inauguration of Donald Trump, and its not just elected officials attending the celebrations.

A bipartisan mix of individuals from South Texas  GOP loyalists, Trump supporters, students, history buffs and others  were making their own way to Washington, D.C., to witness the historic moment.

To help with security for a third consecutive inauguration, 45 officers from the San Antonio Police Department were dispatched to Washington earlier this week.

Also Thursday, dozens of women opposed to Trump departed on two charter buses from San Antonio to the Women's March on Washington, set for Saturday.

Berto Saez said thats why he was attending the inauguration: to counter Trump protesters. The 46-year-old Trump supporter from San Antonio left for Washington on Tuesday as part of a Bikers for Trump group that plans to rally at the inauguration.

There will be thousands of people protesting, so we want to have just as many people there showing our support, he said last week, as he prepared for the approximately 1,600 mile trip with five other Trump supporters, including two from Houston.

By showing our support for Donald Trump, we will be showing support for our united country, Saez said. My message is that the election is over, that we all need to come together and move forward together. This was never as much about Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative as much as it was about taking our government back for the people, to give the people a voice again. I want my voice to be heard at the inaugural.

A delegation led by Bexar GOP Chairman Robert Stovall was ready for the events, after picking up their tickets from U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio. Smiths office was inundated with 500 requests, and several hundred constituents dropped by Thursday for their tickets.

Id say these are primarly Republican stalwarts who are enthusiastic about Donald Trump becoming president, Smith said. I recognize a lot of them as members of various Republican clubs back home.

Were making a lot of people happy, Smith said, noting the celebratory atmosphere at his office. Even with the possibility of rain Friday, the party will go on, Smith said.

Its an exciting occasion  because its a fresh start for the country, a new approach. Were excited to see what develops, too, said Smith, who has a single ticket to sit on the podium with other members of Congress.

Among the top statewide elected officials attending is Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who was Trumps Texas campaign chairman. Patrick said that Texas has a friend in the incoming president who aligns with the state on important issues, appreciates Texans campaign support and has ties including hunting trips by his family that have occurred here for years.

I really feel like that, although Donald Trump is not from Texas, that were his second-favorite place, and I think we are really closely tied for first with New York, Patrick said in a telephone interview. He loves what we did for him, and he loves Texas. He reflects the Texas attitude, the Texas spirit.

Abbott, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who was part of the buzz for U.S. secretary of agriculture before Trump picked former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, will also be on hand for the inauguration.

Land Commissioner George P. Bush decided not to attend due to the hospitalization of his grandparents, former President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, according to a spokesman. State Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who was in South Texas Thursday speaking about revenue issues, also isnt attending. House Speaker Joe Straus, a San Antonio Republican who is important in Texas politics although not elected statewide, wont be there.

Abbott chronicled some of his inauguration adventures on Twitter, including a photo of himself with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Abbott, holding a plate with two pieces of pie, tweeted Wednesday that he was eating humble pie after betting Gingrich that the Dallas Cowboys would beat the Green Bay Packers.

Abbott also posted a photo of himself with Perry, his predecessor, giving his congratulations to the next U.S. Secretary of Energy. Perry appeared Thursday at a Senate confirmation hearing that included the former governor memorably telling Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, after the senator mentioned a pre-hearing visit, I hope you are as much fun on that dais as you were on your couch.

There was a mix of celebratory events and policy meetings on Abbotts packed schedule in Washington. That lineup included media interviews; a meeting with Jim Lentz, the CEO of Toyota Motor North America; one with U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess about health care; and, along with other governors, a meeting with Senate Finance Committee members to discuss fixes to Obamacare.

Abbott also planned to swing by the Black Tie and Boots ball and to accompany his wife, Cecilia Abbott, to the Latino Inaugural Gala, where she has a featured role (Cecilia Abbott is the first Hispanic to be Texas first lady).

Patrick said his trip includes basically representing our state, talking to the media about what a great moment this is in history, and building on relationships that were forged in the campaign and continued into work with the transition team to add Texans to the administration.

But the crowd will also have dozens of ordinary citizens from the Lone Star State. A few dozen San Antonio students from two school groups are attending the events. Middle and high school students from the School of Science and Technology made the trip, as did a group of 7th and 8th graders from Somerset Junior High.

On social media, several San Antonians proclaimed their attendance, including former Councilwoman Elisa Chan, who said she planned to attend two inaugural balls. A man taking his two young sons said he wanted to teach them to appreciate a conservative America, and a San Antonio woman drove there with her husband to join the festivities, saying we are excited to be here!

San Antonio already has provided a key part of the backdrop for Fridays globally-watched events. The five large U.S. flags hanging among the Capitols giant columns behind the inaugural platform were made in the Alamo City by Dixie Flag Co.

Staff writer Kelsey Bradshaw and Houston Chronicle Staff Writer Erin Mulvaney contributed to this report.

jgonzalez@express-news.net

Twitter: @johnwgonzalez
This story has been updated to correct the vote of Councilman Ron Nirenberg.

San Antonio will join Bexar County in overseeing a plan to allow the destruction of endangered species habitat in Bexar County while preserving more land elsewhere.

On Thursday, City Council voted to join the Southern Edwards Plateau Habitat Conservation Plan, which would use a land-swapping credit system to preserve habitat for two endangered songbirds and seven rare cave spiders and insects.

Over 30 years, it would preserve a net 14,059 acres of habitat for the golden-cheeked warbler and 3,960 acres for the black-capped vireo across seven Hill Country counties. It would also preserve 1,000 acres for seven rare cave insects and spiders but allow development on 21,086 acres underlain by cave-pocked terrain. That land includes 49 caves occupied by the cave insects and spiders.

The plan grew out of conversations among local officials and the military over encroaching development at the Armys Camp Bullis in northern Bexar County. Army commanders warned that removing trees and brush to make room for subdivisions, roads and businesses was pushing golden-cheeked warblers onto Camp Bullis. Federal law requires the military to preserve endangered species on its bases.

What we dont want is to become is a lone refuge where theres zero habitat left in Bexar County except ours, said James Cannizzo, an environmental attorney for the Army.

Representatives of the city, county, Army, developers and the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance told the Express-News that the plan, if properly managed, would encourage more developers to comply with the Endangered Species Act by cutting the time to get a permit from up to two to three years to less than a month.

Endangered species have snagged some high-profile projects over the past 18 years. These included The Shops at La Cantera, where developers had to get their own habitat plan. The discovery of a rare cave spider at the intersection of Texas 151 and Loop 1604 stalled roadwork for two years.

Many developers do not bother to get endangered species permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, even when building in endangered species habitat, Cannizzo and GEAA Director Annalisa Peace said.

These caves are not very big, and its easy to pretend that they dont exist, city development services director Rod Sanchez said.

The plan would require developers and government entities to pay to preserve 2 acres of bird habitat for every acre destroyed for new homes, businesses and highways. The preserved land would then be included in a land bank that other developers could use to offset their own projects.

For bird habitat, documents released by the city suggest participation fees for developers of $2,500 per project and 10 percent of the total mitigation cost. They would pay either $2,000 or $8,000 per acre of destroyed bird habitat, depending on the level of impact.

For cave habitat, the fee would be $1,000 per acre, though developers would have to pay $40,000 to build 345 feet to 750 feet from the cave opening and $400,000 to develop less than 345 feet from the entrance. Those fees could change.

The council vote also approved a city-county coordinating committee to administer the plan, with city employees Melissa Ramirez, Xavier Urrutia and Rudy Nino as appointees. The county will appoint its members in February.

On Wednesday, Peace urged the council to delay the vote to get more time for citizen input and address concerns over whether taxpayer-funded land bought under the citys aquifer protection program or city properties should be counted toward the plan.

District 8 Councilman Ron Nirenberg abstained from voting while the rest of the council approved the plan. He said he supported it in theory but had questions about whether the committee should include a council member, the use of city property and the potential removal of the black-capped vireo from the endangered list, among others.

If this is not implemented properly, we could be accelerating the very thing were trying to prevent, he said.

bgibbons@express-news.net
BROWNSVILLE  When a Border Patrol agent confronted his older brother about what had happened at the Veterans Tire Shop in Edinburg one night in 2015, he said Francisco Palacios Paz had been murdered there.

That was the testimony provided by the older brother, Fernando Luna, 37, when he returned to the stand Thursday to testify against his brothers in a capital murder case, which has alleged Mexican drug cartel ties. In the months after Palacios body was found, Luna was arrested as were his brothers Eduardo, 27, a suspected member of the Gulf Cartel who owns the tire shop, and Joel, 32, a Border Patrol agent stationed in Hebbronville. The oldest Luna has since turned states witness.

(Joel) asked me if there was a blood stain, Fernando testified Thursday. I told him there was one small one. (Joel) shook his head, and he left.

Under cross-examination, Fernando said that until that moment, he and Joel had never discussed Eduardos alleged threats to kill Palacios, whose headless body was found naked and floating in the Laguna Madre off South Padre Island in March 2015.

Among other charges, Joel and Eduardo are facing a capital murder charge in the death of Palacios, a Honduran immigrant who worked in Eduardos tire shop. 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 Jr. in Brownsville.

On Thursday, Gabriela Garcia, Eduardos attorney, pressed Fernando on contradictions in testimony. At one point, Fernando testified that he had brought $200,000 and $250,000 across the border, but he later testified that the figure was closer to $350,000. Fernando admitted to bringing over the ill-gotten proceeds in $8,000 increments but said others smuggled drugs into Texas.

Under questioning from Gustavo Gus Garza, Cameron County assistant district attorney, Fernando said he had seen Joel receive money from Eduardo in the parking lot of a mall, though he didnt know how much.

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.

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 he was going to get Palacios, 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 testified that Eduardo and Leal took Palacios body to a fishing spot off the Laguna Madre where he was stripped and decapitated. Eduardo and Leal then sliced open the body before dumping it in the water so it would sink, Fernando testified.

Eduardo had asked Joel if he could use his position as a border agent to have Palacios removed from the country, but Joel responded that it was outside his authority, Fernando testified.

On the evening Palacios died, Fernando testified, he and Palacios were watching television in Eduardos tire shop when Eduardo entered from the office and shot Palacios in the head. The alleged killers had come to believe that the Honduran immigrant was a snitch.

Eduardo backed up his truck to the tire shop while he waited for Rodriguez and Leal to wrap Palacios body in a blanket and carry him out, Fernando said.

While Eduardo and Leal drove Palacios body to the Laguna Madre, Fernando stayed with Rodriguez to clean the tire shop of evidence, he testified. Fernando said he helped remove a blood-stained couch, and Rodriguez cleaned spattered blood from a wall.

In August, Fernando struck a deal with Cameron County prosecutors to testify against his brothers and the other defendants. He pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance; he could receive a maximum three years in prison and possibly no more than probation as part of the plea deal.

The trial continues today.

anelsen@express-news.net

Twitter: @amnelsen
This should be a thrilling week for W. James Jonas III. After all, the San Antonio lawyer and Crystal City manager is watching all his old Republican allies bask in the glow of Donald Trumps inauguration.

Old friend Rick Perry is going through the confirmation process to run the Energy Department. Rudy Giuliani, whose failed 2008 presidential campaign benefited from Jonass donation bundling, is prepping to serve as Trumps cybersecurity adviser. Another old pal, longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone, is promoting his book on the 2016 presidential race.

Under normal circumstances, this would be an ideal time for Jonas to parlay his political connections and take his vaunted lobbying skills back to K Street.

But the time is not ideal and the circumstances are hardly normal for Jonas, a former GOP lobbyist who has been fighting federal corruption charges since he was arrested last February in a massive FBI sting operation. The sting also nabbed four Crystal City council members and one former council member, but Jonas was the big fish, as far as the feds were concerned.

Thats because he was the manipulative mastermind behind every move that the inept Crystal City government made during his active tenure there. FBI investigators concluded that the alleged corruption  which included soliciting and accepting bribes from a businessman hoping to establish gaming rooms in Crystal City  had been orchestrated by Jonas.

Jonas did not respond to an interview request for this column.

The Crystal City council responded to the arrest by indefinitely suspending Jonas without pay, sparing the small town his exorbitant $216,000 salary and forcing Jonas to depend on a court-appointed attorney.

Sources close to his case say Jonas maintains the defiant posture of someone who believes he did nothing wrong. Those same sources, however, also predict he will negotiate a plea deal before his next scheduled court date in June. If so, it would be a classically contradictory Jonas move.

Jonas would never have landed in Crystal City if not for an earlier fall from grace nearly as dramatic as his current one. During the George W. Bush years, he was a high-rolling federal lobbyist, raking in more than $500,000 in 2006. But his wife filed for divorce the following year, after learning that Jonas was having an affair with network marketing consultant Rhonda Castle. During this same period, the GOP lost control of Congress (and later the presidency), and work dried up for Jonas.

He failed to make his child-support payments, did time in the Bexar County Jail and declared bankruptcy.

Crystal City was Jonass life preserver. His salary consumed nearly half the citys general fund and his smooth-talking obsequiousness allowed him to puppet-master the council members while convincing them he was their faithful servant.

Jonass recent legal troubles may have stripped away his power and earning potential, but they havent silenced him. As his fellow Republicans prepare to take over Washington, Jonas is cheering them on from behind the scandal-imposed barricade of social media.

On Thursday, he fired off two tweets praising Perry, mocked Democratic members of Congress who are skipping Trumps inauguration and took a shot at this newspaper: Great job @ExpressNews, he wrote. Our former Governor is up for confirmation and all you can do is Trash Trump.

In recent weeks, Jonas has incessantly retweeted Trumps tweets, tipped his hat to Brexit leader Nigel Farage and pimped Stones book by proclaiming, Roger Stone is an author that is exciting to read!

One of the sadder aspects to Jonass story is the fact that he was arrested by members of an agency for which his father once served, and is being tried in the same judicial district that his father once proudly represented.

Bill Jonas was an FBI agent who went on to an illustrious career as a U.S. marshal for the Western Judicial District of Texas, based in San Antonio. He was widely viewed as a paragon of integrity.

In 1986, when the U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination for a second term as U.S. marshal, U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm said the elder Jonas had compiled a long and distinguished career in law enforcement. Gramm added that Jonas was uniquely qualified to fill the job of U.S. marshal.

By any reckoning, James Jonas IIIs long, precipitous fall is a betrayal of everything his dad stood for. And its rendered him a mere cheerleader during his partys week of triumph.

ggarcia@express-news.net

Twitter: @gilgamesh470
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking public comments on its proposal for a new, industry-funded organic checkoff.

The proposed rule and program were published in the Jan. 18 Federal Register, and the public has 60 days to make comments.

Known as the Organic Research, Promotion, and Information Order, the program would cover certified organic products and would include a range of agricultural commodities, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry, breads, grains, snack foods, condiments, beverages, and packaged and prepared foods.

It would also include non-food items, such as textiles, personal care products, pet food, and flowers.

The checkoff would establish a framework of resources to develop new organic markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct research and promotion activities.

Different perspectives

But support for an organic checkoff remains mixed, even among organic growers.

The Organic Trade Association said the checkoff would provide research and key tools to encourage more farmers to go organic and help all organic farmers be more successful.

The OTA also said the checkoff would help educate consumers, in a positive way, about what the organic seal means.

But some organic growers fear the checkoff would not adequately serve all growers, especially small farms.

Kate Mendenhall, executive director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, is leading a coalition of growers who are opposed to the checkoff.

This is a disappointment for the organic sector, Mendenhall said in a released statement. Checkoff programs are not a good match for independent organic farmers.

The proposal

According to USDA, certified domestic producers, handlers and importers of organic products would pay certain assessment rates if they choose to participate in the checkoff.

Producers and handlers with gross organic sales greater than $250,000 for the prior marketing year would pay one-tenth of one percent of net organic sales; and importers of organic products declaring a transaction value greater than $250,000 for the prior marketing year would pay one-tenth of one percent of the declared transaction value of organic products imported into the U.S.

The program would provide voluntary exemptions for producers and handlers with gross organic sales of $250,000 or less during the prior marketing year; importers with $250,000 or less in transaction value of imported organic products; and organic products produced domestically and exported from the U.S.

A 17-member board would be appointed by the secretary of agriculture to administer the program and would be responsible for developing, financing and coordinating activities to support research, raise consumer awareness, and to improve access to information and data.

Review the rule

Copies of the proposed rule can be requested by mail, or viewed at www.regulations.gov.

The comment period will end March 20, and will be followed by the publication of the proposed rule.

Comments should be posted on www.regulations.gov or mailed to: Promotion and Economics Division, SCP, AMS, USDA Room 1406, Stop 0244, 1400 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC 20250-0244.

Related coverage:

 Checkoff discussed at Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association meeting (2015)

 Farm bill exempts more organic producers from checkoffs (Jan. 14, 2015)
The rusty patched bumble bee is now a recognized endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Rusty patched bees are native to North America. Twenty years ago they bumbled and buzzed across the entire eastern United States, but today they are present in only 13 states, including Ohio.

Ohioans can help to bring the bee back by learning about their lifecycle and behavior, and creating habitat that supports repopulation.

Beehavior

Unlike wasps whom build their nests high, rusty patched bumbles build their nests underground in cavities or abandoned rodent holes. They nest, reproduce and then hibernate over winter. In spring new queens emerge and worker bees hatch. Bees leave the nest to feast on flowering plants, collecting pollen and nectar from the landscape.

Seventy-five percent of agricultural crops depend on pollination. The rusty patched bumble bee is a known pollinator of berries, tomatoes and legumes. The value of global crops affected by pollinators is between $235 to $577 billion dollars, according to Pollinators Vital to Our Food Supply Under Threat  a press release from The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (Feb 2016).

Declining native bee populations

The rusty patched bumble bee is the first bumble bee species to gain protection under the Endangered Species Program, but it is one of several bee species on the decline. The death of native bees has been attributed by multiple factors: habitat loss, chemical applications and climate change.

Ground dwelling bees are particularly susceptible to habitat loss resulting from land development. They are also vulnerable to ground level chemical applications.

Neonicotinoids are insecticides applied to fields, lawn and turf. They are often applied in early spring, the time rusty bumbles emerge from hibernation. Chemical residue remains in the soil and lingers on spring growth. It contaminates the bees food and water supply. Neonicotinoids attack bees nervous systems. Infected bees forage less and pollinate fewer plants. Their work and reproduction lags. As a result, colonies often fail to survive.

There is evidence that climate change also contributes to declining bee populations. Higher summer temperatures decrease flight time and pollination activity. Repeated freezing and thawing of the ground in winter may disturb ground dwelling bees nests. Changing biodiversity and bloom patterns due to climate change causes interruptions in bees food supply.

Take action to save native bees

Government and private organizations are working to protect endangered species populations through research, education, conservation and habitat restoration. The U.S Fish and Wildlife Services mission is to protect and restore endangered species populations and their native habitats.

The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service partners with private landowners to provide pollinator friendly habitats and conservation improvements.

The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign coordinates efforts with 160 government and private organizations to increase awareness and educate the public on the importance of native pollinators.

Ohioans can help save the rusty patched bumble bee by planting pollinator-friendly native plants in our backyards. Cultivating natural landscapes with less or without chemicals is safer for bees, pets and humans alike. Providing food, shelter and water attracts pollinators to your yard and supports healthy population growth. Learn how to attract pollinators to your yard.

Resources

Related Content
Germany's farming association has voiced concerns about the lack of plans to deal with the impact of Brexit on the EU's CAP.

Brexit could have a major impact on funding of the EU's farming support scheme, the common agricultural policy (CAP), because Britain is a huge net contributor to EU finances, Joachim Rukwied, the president of the German farming association DBV, said.

"The discussion about the implications of Brexit on the CAP has not yet taken place," Rukwied told Reuters. He said farmers should not face cuts to their EU support payments because of Brexit.

A major challenge will be creating a satisfactory trading relationship with Britain after Brexit, he said.

Farming minister George Eustice and Defra Secretary Andrea Leadsom has sought to reassure the British agricultural sector, saying it is the government's intention to maintain as low tariffs as possible, and zero tariffs where it can.

Big German food exports

German farmers are worried about the status of big German food exports to Britain which totalled about 4.8 billion euros (4.19 billion pounds) in 2015 or about 6 percent of German food exports. Sales include German meat, milk, grains, fruit and vegetables.

Britain exported 1.4 billion euros of farm produce to Germany in 2015.

"We have a surplus in trade with food from Germany to the United Kingdom of 3.4 billion euros," he said. "I cannot see that any progress has been made on this issue in the United Kingdom."

Britain could be involved in a food free trade deal with the EU after Brexit, German Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt told Reuters in July.

The loss of sales to Russia of German milk, pork, fruit and vegetables had caused downward price pressure on the country.
The fundamental importance of EU labour to sectors like pig production must not be forgotten as the Government forges ahead with its Brexit plans, the National Pig Association (NPA) has warned.

Prime Minister Theresa May has outlined her priorities for the Brexit negotiations, including controlling the numbers of people coming to the UK from Europe.

She signalled the UK will leave the Single Market and full membership of the EU Customs Union, while seeking to retain frictionless trade with the EU via a Free Trade Agreement and forging new trading relationships elsewhere.

The NPA has responded to the speech by outlining its top three Brexit priorities.

These are: Retaining sufficient access to EU labour, retaining tariff-free access for exports to the EU market and ensuring pork imports are produced to equivalent standards.

Biggest concern: Access to labour

NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said, while the nature of future trade arrangements will have a huge impact on the viability of UK pig sector, currently the industrys biggest concern is access to labour.

Without EU labour there will be no British pig industry as we know it, she said.

We understand why immigration is going go to be a priority for Mrs May but, along with many other sectors, we fear this could result in serious unintended consequences if politics triumphs over economic reality.

We are heavily reliant on EU labour on our farms, in our processing plants and across the wider industry, to produce British pigmeat, which is so highly valued in our home and export markets. We must do everything we can to retain that access.

Dr Davies welcomed the extra clarity around Single Market access and Mrs Mays comments on a suitable transition period for new Brexit arrangements.

It is now absolutely vital for our sector that we secure tariff-free access to the EU market, and also some sort of transitional arrangement whilst trade negotiations are conducted. Our pig producers must be protected, she said.

It is equally essential that any new trade arrangements, for example, with the US, do not result in the UK being flooded with cheaper pigmeat produced to lower standards than permitted in the UK. Equivalence of standards is an NPA priority.

'Grind to a halt without overseas workers'

A recent NPA survey showed 58 per cent of businesses across the pig supply chain employed at least one migrant worker, while nearly half would not survive or would be forced to make changes to how they operated without migrant labour.

In a recent interview, the chief executive of Cranswick, one of the UKs biggest pork processors, said between 35-65 per cent of his staff were foreign workers, predominantly from Europe.

He predicted the UK food and drinks sector would grind to a halt without overseas workers.

NPA policy services officer Lizzie Wilson said the fall in the value of the pound, effectively cutting UK wages relative to those on offer in other member states, was already having an impact on the availability of staff for the pig industry.

Defra Secretary Andrea Leadsom suggested at the recent Oxford Farming Conference that the Government would consider introducing seasonal migrant worker schemes for the agricultural sector.

But Mrs Wilson said the pig sector needed stronger guarantees. She said: We are making the case in the strongest possible terms to Government that, any immigration policies put in place, must not jeopardise our access to permanent workers, both skilled and unskilled, who want to live and work in the UK.

And it is not just the policies we put in place. This is also about the rhetoric around Brexit and the messages we send out to EU workers.

On behalf of the UK pig sector, we continue to welcome them with open arms.
Prime Minister Theresa May has said the UK 'cannot possibly' remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean 'not leaving the EU at all'.

The Prime Minister gave her long-awaited speech today (17 January) on Brexit, promising to push for the "greatest possible" access to the single market following Brexit.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) Council has since re-iterated four principles which British food production needs in a post-Brexit Britain.

These are: The best possible access to trade with Europe; Access to a competent and reliable workforce; The government to give commitment that agriculture is a key industry for Britain and a post-Brexit Britain and that any changes to trading relationships or the agricultural policy affecting farmers should be subject to a period of transition to allow farming businesses to adapt to any new environment.

'Heavily dependent on Europe'

The NFU says they welcome the Prime Ministers acknowledgement that access to a reliable workforce from overseas is vital for many British industries.

The Union said: "This is especially important to many farming businesses and we look forward to that acknowledgement being turned into a commitment which is then acted on."

Farmers have long called for clarity from the Government as to what the intended trading environment will be for Britain post-Brexit.

72% of agricultural exports go to the EU with some sectors being heavily dependent on trade with the rest of Europe. For example, of 300m UK lamb exports, 290m came from sales to Europe, and 78% of wheat and barley exports went to the EU.

72% of agricultural exports go to the EU with some sectors being heavily dependent on trade with the rest of Europe

Therefore, whilst clarity from the Prime Minister has been needed, NFU Council says they still have 'legitimate and important' concerns.

Free trade agreement with the EU

The Prime Minister has ruled out the UKs continuing participation in the European Single Market or the EU Customs Union and instead has stated her intention to pursue a free trade agreement with the EU.

The NFU said: "We hope the Prime Ministers ambition can be achieved, but as we know these kind of deals normally take years to conclude and do not cover all products.

"If a quick and comprehensive deal cannot be achieved it would be absolutely vital that there are appropriate phased arrangements to avoid a disruptive cliff-edge to allow Britains farmers to adapt  especially given that farming is a long term industry where farmers are making decisions now without knowing what a future trading environment will look like.

"The British farming sector  along with many other industries  has consistently warned of the dangers of putting up barriers to accessing the European Market whether financial or logistical."

Following todays speech, the NFU are now seeking urgent talks with the Government as to how a post-Brexit Britain could work for Britains food production and for detailed commitments on a suitable transition period.

The NFU are continuing to press the Prime Minister to ensure that British farming has a profitable, productive and resilient future post-Brexit and that a post-Brexit Britain 'truly does work for everyone.'

'Put some flesh on the Brexit bones'

The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) has called on the PM to 'put some flesh on the Brexit bones.'

TFA National Chairman Stephen Wyrill: We need a new consensus for a post Brexit food, farming and environmental policy that will last and which will not be subject to the winds of short-term political change.

We must consider the full landscape of policies and practices which affect the management of agricultural land including how production standards are developed and enforced, the operation of markets, taxation, tenancy law, risk management tools, environmental and planning regulation, support for research and development including technology transfer and access to land for new entrants, progressing farmers and allowing dignified routes for retirement for older farmers.

There is a lot to do and we must get on with it, concluded Mr Wyrill.
An open market with the United Kingdom should be a 'high priority' in Brexit negotiations, the head of Germany's farm association DBV has said.

Germany exported about 4.16 billion of food and farm products to the United Kingdom in 2015.

DBV head Joachim Rukwied said: "The United Kingdom is an important market for the German farming industry.

"An open market with the United Kingdom for us should have a high priority in the Brexit negotiations."

The 3.4 billion euro surplus alone was more than Germany's entire food exports to the United States, he said.

German farmers are worried about the status of big German food exports to Britain which totalled about 6 percent of German food exports. Sales include German meat, milk, grains, fruit and vegetables.

"We have a surplus in trade with food from Germany to the United Kingdom of 3.4 billion euros," he said.

Britain could be involved in a food free trade deal with the EU after Brexit, German Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt told Reuters in July.

The loss of sales to Russia of German milk, pork, fruit and vegetables had caused downward price pressure on the country.
Scotlands First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is to address delegates attending NFU Scotlands AGM, annual conference being staged in Glasgow next month.

The First Ministers speech comes at a time of great challenges and opportunities for Scotlands farming, food and drink sectors.

The conference debate will, justifiably, focus on Brexit as the UK edges closer to triggering Article 50. Scotlands Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing will also address delegates.

In the past, Mr Ewing has said the European Union provides 'significant support' to Scottish rural communities and is a key market for the food and drink Scotland produces.

And earlier that day, voting for the positions of President and two Vice Presidential posts will take place at the Unions council meeting, with six members contesting the election.

'Challenging times'

Commenting on the prospect of an interesting event, NFU Scotland Chief Executive Scott Walker said: We are delighted to have First Minister Nicola Sturgeon address our AGM on the second day of our annual conference event.

Scotlands farmers and crofters are the cornerstone of a food and drink sector justifiably lauded as one of Scotlands economic success stories. Those producing the raw materials for our food and drink are the crucial element of what is now the nations largest manufacturing sector.

They are also the life blood of our rural economy and responsible for the beautiful countryside and environment enjoyed by millions.

However, the next 24 months will see this Union negotiate some of the most challenging times it has ever faced in its 104-year history as we seek to capture opportunities for growth and put Scotlands farmers and crofters on a path to profitability.

Mr Walker concluded: With Brexit decisions looming and future agricultural policy in the UK and Scotland up for debate, these are exciting times for all involved in our industry and I look forward to the First Ministers address at this key moment for our sector.
A 1.2 million fund has been made available to support farmers in the South Pennines area of West Yorkshire.

The South Pennines Leader programme has a budget of 1,286,000 available to help support a range of business enterprises in the South Pennines area.

Applications are now being accepted for the programme, which runs until 2019 and is managed by rural regeneration company Pennine Prospects.

Four projects have already been successful in securing funding, including a beef farm in Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, and a dairy farm in Calderdale.

To date the South Pennines Leader programme has awarded 188,253, which has attracted further investment of 282,370 giving a total investment into the South Pennines of a fabulous 470,632. This money will also result in the creation of nine new jobs.

Projects that create jobs

The new Leader programme is designed to support projects that create jobs and promote economic growth, explained Candy Squire-Watt, Leader Programme Coordinator.

We are keen to hear from farmers and business owners who may have an idea for diversification or expansion. This is capital funding for the purchase of specialist equipment or for buildings and unlike some other regions with Leader funding we havent put a cap on individual funding applications.

The funding is already making a difference at the Garsides farm, in Slaithwaite.

Farmed by the Garsides for a century, the family is now looking for ways to take the business forward to help support the younger generation.

With an award-winning and very popular burger recipe, using the meat from their own Longhorn cattle, they have decided to diversify and invest in an artisan burger bar; helping their local area and creating four new jobs in the process.

This is an example of how South Pennines Leader funding can be used to benefit the local area and the people living there.

Fair price

Old Crib Farm in Calderdale has provided milk for over 80 years, and the farm is now run by brothers Frank and John Hitchen.

Selling directly to independent rounds-men, as well as schools, care homes and local businesses, the Hitchens have been able to remain profitable and sustainable, which is not easy for dairy farmers in the current market.

They buy milk from other local dairy farmers, paying a fair price, and are involved with the 180 Day Pasture Promise to guarantee free range milk production.

Their Leader funding will be used to modernise the out-dated dairy, helping the brothers to increase production and offer a wider range of products, including butter.

The programme is designed to offer support to increase farm productivity, as well as support for micro and small enterprises and farm diversification, rural tourism, the provision of rural services, support for cultural and heritage activity and for increasing forestry productivity.

Grants will be awarded for 40% of the full cost of a project.

There are so many different businesses in the South Pennines that could benefit from this funding, explained Candy.

For example, wed like to hear from you if you have a farm or forestry business delivering visitor services, developing new local products or contributing to the landscape. Maybe you run a visitor-facing business that provides distinctive visitor services such as accommodation or local food and drink. If so, you may be eligible for this funding.

Secure funding

Candy also wanted to reassure potential applicants that the funding was secure: There has been a recent announcement by the UK Governments Treasury guaranteeing this funding up to the point that we leave the EU. This is European funding but it is secure.

The Leader funding is designed to promote local productivity in the South Pennines and as such can be accessed by many different types of businesses and organisations.

Manufacturers creating or processing distinctive locally derived products that promote the South Pennines may be eligible to apply, as may designer-maker businesses creating locally distinctive products with associated retailing, workshops, courses and visitor products.

Recreational businesses structuring their business around the local landscape and its recreational opportunities, and social enterprises delivering local community services may also be eligible.
Retailers stocking more British pork but 'more can be done'
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal announced that Colorado Premium - one of the country's premier protein processors serving retailers, restaurant chains and private labels worldwide - will create 190 jobs and invest $15 million in a food processing plant in Carroll County by the end of 2018.



"Colorado Premium's decision to establish a presence in Carroll County is a testament to Georgia's commitment to providing a business-friendly environment and the resources necessary for economic growth in today's market," said Deal. "Georgia offers the freight and transportation network required to serve a broad, growing customer base. I am confident our strategic location will provide significant benefits for Colorado Premium as the company expands its presence throughout the southeast."



"We explored various locations in the Southeast, and this facility was selected due to the overwhelming welcome that we received from the Carroll County and State of Georgia business communities," said Colorado Premium Founder and President Kevin LaFleur. "Our company has been expanding for several years and this facility allows us the to continue that growth well into the future. This location also provides us with a more centralized shipping and distribution point, and that's a tremendous benefit for our customers."



This is Colorado Premium's third major expansion in the past three years. In July 2014, the company acquired Illinois-based Buedel Fine Meats & Provisions, and Vlcek Fine Meats, Inc., distributors of meats and poultry to restaurants, hotels, casinos and country clubs. In 2016, the company expanded again with the acquisition of Miami-based National Deli, one of the nation's leading branded deli meat companies.



Colorado Premium purchased an existing 130,000-square-foot building in Carroll County and will begin immediately to upgrade the property and install state-of-the-art meat and protein processing equipment. With the Carroll County acquisition, the company and its subsidiaries will operate five processing facilities and two distribution centers in Colorado, Illinois, Florida and Georgia.



"We are excited to begin the new year with this announcement. As a family owned, highly successful and growing industry, Colorado Premium is a perfect fit for our community," said Daniel Jackson President and CEO of Carroll Tomorrow. "We are so impressed with Colorado Premium's owner and senior leadership team, and we know that they will be a great asset to our community and a wonderful new corporate citizen."

Click here to see more...
It was all go at Hutton and Northey's Merredin branch when Torque visited last week. Especially in the fabrication shed where the dealership continues to expand its fabrication business, particularly involving straightening bent fronts, such as this one being assessed by Brendan Anderson (left), Angelo Trunfio and Bernard Jefferies.
The future of Fauquier Times now depends on community support. Your donation will help us continue to improve our journalism through in-depth local news coverage and expanded reader engagement.

Support
Pitts: Before voting, take a look at your sample ballot in Cumberland County and NC
HomeStreet Inc. settled SEC allegations Thursday that it conducted improper hedge accounting and later took illegal steps to impede employees from talking to the SEC about it.

The bank agreed to pay a $500,000 penalty without admitting or denying wrongdoing.

HomeStreet serves customers in the Western United States and Hawaii.

The SEC said HomeStreet made unsupported adjustments to its hedge effectiveness testing so it could use favorable accounting treatment. HomeStreet employees then reported concerns to management about accounting errors.

The SEC said,

When the SEC contacted the company in April 2015 seeking documents related to hedge accounting, HomeStreet presumed it was in response to a whistleblower complaint and began taking actions to determine the identity of the whistleblower.

The bank suggested to one individual considered to be a whistleblower that the terms of an indemnification agreement could allow HomeStreet to deny payment for legal costs during the SECs investigation, the SEC said.

HomeStreet also required former employees to sign severance agreements waiving potential whistleblower awards or risk losing their severance payments and other post-employment benefits.

The SEC settled the case through an internal administrative order (pdf) and didnt go to court.

SEC Rule 21F-17 outlaws any action to impede an individual from communicating directly with the Commission staff about a possible securities law violation. The rule is part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act to encourage and protect whistleblowers.

In a statement Thursday, HomeStreet said the SEC acknowledged . . . that it is unaware of any instances where a current or former employee did not communicate with the Commission about potential securities law violations.

* * *

The SEC has brought a string of enforcement actions against companies that allegedly tried to impede whistleblowers.

Earlier this week, New York-based asset manager BlackRock Inc. paid a $340,000 penalty to settle SEC charges that it forced more than a thousand exiting employees to waive their ability to obtain whistleblower awards.

In December 2016, the SEC fined SandRidge Energy Inc. $1.4 million for putting language in a whislteblowers separation agreement that prohibited participating in any government investigation or disclosing information potentially harmful or embarrassing to the company.

Also in December, the SEC fined Virginia-based tech firm NeuStar Inc. $180,000 for using severance agreements that impeded 246 departing employees from communicating information to the SEC.

In September, Anheuser-Busch InBev paid the SEC $6 million to settle charges that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and impeded a whistleblower who reported the misconduct. The company used a separation agreement that stopped the employee from continuing to voluntarily communicate with the SEC about potential FCPA violations.

In August, insurance provider Health Net Inc. paid a $340,000 penalty to the SEC for illegally using severance agreements that required outgoing employees to waive their ability to obtain monetary awards from the SECs whistleblower program.

Also in August, the SEC fined building-products wholesaler Blue Linx Holdings $265,000 for requiring departing employees to waive their right to recover money from any whistleblower claims they filed with the SEC or other federal agencies.

The SEC brought other actions against KBR, Inc. in April 2015 and Merrill Lynch in June 2016 for using agreements that restricted employees ability to disclose information to government agencies.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.
1) I believe in love, and when youve found it, in working hard to make it last. Ive been married for over twenty years and were still ridiculously crazy about each other.

Jane Cable

2) My writing is inspired by beautiful British settings, places I love that I want my readers to be transported to. Ive had some lovely reviews for Another You, saying that Ive inspired people to visit Studland Bay. Im thinking of asking the local tourist information office to stock my books!

3) I am very proud to be a member of the Romantic Novelists Association. I joined when Endeavour Press acquired Another You and its the friendliest bunch of writers Ive ever met.

4) One of the best parts of writing a novel is when your characters come alive and begin to create the storylines themselves. Its a very special kind of magic.

5) I wouldnt be where I am today without my mother. She always encouraged me and in 2011 made me enter The Cheesemakers House into the Alan Titchmarsh Shows Peoples Novelist competition. It reached the final and gave me the self-belief to take my writing seriously.

6) The story is everything. You have to make the reader keep wanting to turn the pages. I had a lovely email from a man whod been reading Another You until 2.15 in the morning and only stopped because the battery in his Kindle ran out and hed left his charger in the car.

7) My girlfriends mean the world to me. Theyre a bright, characterful bunch and inspire the strong women I love to write about.

8) I love Cornwall and later this year were moving there so that we can adapt our lives to give me more time to write. Theres something so special about the wild beauty of the north coast with its mining heritage starkly contrasting with its surfer-packed beaches. Im a real water baby too and hope to spend time perfecting my bodyboarding and learning to kayak.

9) At the moment I dont have enough hours in the day to read, but if youre looking for recommendations my best books of the last couple of years are Claire Dyers The Perfect Affair, Barbara Copperthwaites Invisible and Elizabeth Buchans I Cant Begin to Tell You. Top of my TBR pile are Rosanna Leys Last Dance in Havanna and Elaine Everests The Woolworths Girls. Luckily Im off on holiday soon so I should have time to enjoy them.

10) Im a big supporter of the charity Words for the Wounded. Founded by author Margaret Graham it raises money through writing events, competitions and donations to improve the lives of wounded service personnel. In 2015 my local authors group raised 900 over a weekend by holding a series of bookish events and Im donating 1 for every review of Another You on Amazon in the UK and in the US.
Uma Thurman has claimed her former fiance Arpad Busson was "aggressive and angry".

Uma Thurman

The Kill Bill' actress and her millionaire businessman ex are involved in a bitter custody battle over their four-year-old Luna and Uma, 46, has alleged in court that Arpad got "meaner and meaner" over time.

According to the New York Post's Page Six, she testified: "He was very difficult to be with. He was very angry. He got meaner and meaner."

The pair were together off and on from 2007 to 2014 and Uma alleged that on one occasion, Arpad threw an "aggressive tantrum", when Uma pulled out of a planned vacation to the Bahamas in 2009, as her daughter Maya - whose father is Ethan Hawke - now 18, had been injured in a bicycle accident.

Uma, who also has son Levon, 15, with former husband Ethan, said: "He had a very aggressive tantrum in front of all the kids, he started yelling and shouting throughout the house. It was very upsetting and traumatic for myself and the children."

During her testimony, the actress shared Arpad's reaction when she told him she was pregnant with Luna.

She said: "Um, he looked at me and said, 'Well the child won't share your last name, cannot be a U.S. citizen and can't have a US passport and will be raised Catholic.'"

When asked by her lawyer Adam Wolff, "What was the status of the relationship following that conversation?", she replied: "It was terrible."

She also claimed that Luna has been left upset after Arpad missed some of his scheduled visits with the tot.

Uma said: "When she doesn't see her father for a long time I think it just creates anxiety. It seems like she's upset or something is bothering her around the whole issue."
Prince Harry has made an impassioned plea to save the African black rhino.

Prince Harry

The 32-year-old royal has asked for support in saving this "incredibly special" creature as he revealed numbers in the wild have been on the decrease.

He said: "The rhino is one of Africa's 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. If we can't save these animals, what can we save?"

And the flame-haired royal has become a patron of Rhino Conservation Botswana, a charity set up to monitor and protect Botswana's black and white rhinos.

In a video filmed whilst the Prince was in Botswana, he added: "I've 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 Rhino Conservation Botswana is an opportunity to give something back to a country that has given so much to me. It's about time we start celebrating and supporting the countries that are taking the lead in conservation."

It comes after Prince Harry revealed he is "incredibly proud" of his brother Prince William in his efforts in trying to stop rhino traffickers.

He said: "My brother, William, is working at a global level to encourage countries like America and China to lead the way in ending demand for ivory and rhino horn and to help African nations with the resources they need to beat the traffickers.

"Next week in London, he will host a global taskforce of transportation firms, government agencies, and wildlife experts to agree an ambitious plan to shutdown global trafficking routes. William has put the fate of endangered species back on the agenda of governments, companies, and NGOs around the world. I am incredibly proud of what he is achieving and will do whatever I can to support him."
Online fashion retailer Fynd has signed a partnership with Yepme, also an fashion ecommerce website, under which the over 3,000 products listed on Yepme will now be made available on Fynd. Through this association, Fynd aims to offer a better selection to its shoppers, while also getting access to the warehouse of Yepme, located in Gurgaon.The purpose of the alliance is to give customers all their preferred choice of styles and brands on a single platform and connect them precisely to the kind of fashion they are looking for, Fynd co-founder Harsh Shah said. Yepme is already a hit amongst several shoppers, and we are sure this association is sure to drive in more customers on Fynd and reinforce our position as the ultimate fashion shopping destination.

Online fashion retailer Fynd has signed a partnership with Yepme, also an fashion ecommerce website, under which the over 3,000 products listed on Yepme will now be made available on Fynd. Through this association, Fynd aims to offer a better selection to its shoppers, while also getting access to the warehouse of Yepme, located in Gurgaon.#

We are delighted to partner with Fynd, who will be instrumental in ensuring best brand positioning for us, Shilpa Guglani, manager- strategic alliances at Yepme also said. We recommend Fynd to be a platform for all fashion labels due to their design and technical skills in all areas of the ecommerce industry. (AR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
A smart textiles research project which involved people with mental health conditions in the design process found it helped participants experience lower levels of anxiety. Participants said that by taking part in smart textiles workshops experienced better concentration, improved confidence in a group setting, and reduced levels of anxiety.

The research, led by Dr Sarah Kettley, a reader in product design at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), in collaboration with the mental health charity Mind, aimed to help ensure that people with mental illnesses are not designed out of new technologies. Participants in the NTU study learned to create their own smart textile garments at the workshops.

Two members were empowered to such an extent that they were able to co-deliver an e-textile workshop at the university to international researchers and felt confident enough to attend a national Crafts Council conference in Manchester, said NTU in a statement.

A smart textiles research project which involved people with mental health conditions in the design process found it helped participants experience lower levels of anxiety. Participants said that by taking part in smart textiles workshops experienced better concentration, improved confidence in a group setting, and reduced levels of anxiety.#

Technology explored included fabric tilt switches that sense orientation, embroidered fabric sensors that complete an electrical circuit when stroked and fabric push-button switches. Participants produced smart concepts such as light-up gloves, pocket anxiety monitoring devices, and a large sculptural display of Mind members levels of wellbeing.

The aim of the research was to raise new questions about how e-textiles can be personalised and how they can empower people and help them express their creativity, said Dr Kettley, a smart textiles expert of the university's School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment.

We were very pleased with the results as it is imperative that people with mental health issues are more empowered in the development of new technologies, particularly when you consider that one of four of us will at some point in our lives experience a mental illness, added Kettley.

The project was funded by a grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and was run in conjunction with Nottinghamshire Mind Network in consultation with up to 20 people who use the charitys services.

Many people with mental health issues get overlooked when opportunities like this arise. Being involved in the project has empowered, increased the confidence and developed the skills of people accessing Mind services, said Nic Roberts, of the Notts Mind Network.

The programme has enabled those taking part to be co-researchers in a subject they had very little knowledge of and ensured that their voices were heard and their experiences valued, added Roberts. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Government of India will facilitate Tangaliya weavers in purchase of looms, by providing them an assistance amounting to 90 per cent of the price of looms, said Union textiles minister Smriti Irani. She also announced the formation of a special association of Tangaliya workers to work for the interest of these weavers from Surendranagar district of Gujarat.

Expressing appreciation for the Tangaliya embroidery, Irani said that the work needs to be marketed through international platforms. She requested the district administration to make proper arrangements for the same.

The minister also appealed to fashion designers to use the Tangaliya art work for their fashionable garments. She spoke of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, exhorting weavers to avail its benefits.

Government of India will facilitate Tangaliya weavers in purchase of looms, by providing them an assistance amounting to 90 per cent of the price of looms, said Union textiles minister Smriti Irani. She also announced the formation of a special association of Tangaliya workers to work for the interest of these weavers from Surendranagar district of Gujarat.#

Tangaliya a dotted woven textile of Surendranagar district, Saurashtra, is found only in Gujarat and is usually worn as a wraparound skirt by the women of the Bharwad shephered community. Tangaliya designs are used for preparing shawls, dupattas, dress materials, home decor products and accessories such as bedsheets, pillow covers and more. The patterns are formed during the weaving process to create dotted designs for floral and geometrical motifs by using cotton or woolen yarn.

The minister also visited Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association (ATIRA), in Ahmedabad. She commended the achievements of the institute and directed the officials to devise a scheme for the benefit of small and medium industries. (KD)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
This is the second time that Rajkummar Rao's films are being premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. In 2013, his film Kai Po Che was premiered there but unfortunately the actor coud not attend the festival as he was busy with other projects.

Pictures! Mika Singh Attends Donald Trump's Pre-inaugural Dinner, Takes A Selfie With Ivanka Trump

Good news is that his upcoming film 'Newton' will make a premier at the Berlin Film Festival and the actor is all set to fly to Germany and be a part of it. He said, "I couldn't go the last time, and am really looking forward to attending it this time. It's a unique subject laced with black humour and made with a lot of passion."



Rajkummar Rao might meet Hollywood biggie Meryl Streep at the festival as she is the president of the main competition jury at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. An excited Rajkummar said, "I hope she will be there this year too so that some of her acting talent can rub off on me."

Ram Gopal Varma Predicts Donald Trump Will Become The Greatest US President Ever!

Newton, is black-comedy with political undertones about a government employee who is placed on election duty in a conflict-ridden area of Chhattisgarh. Rajkummar tries his best to conduct free and fair voting despite the apathy of security forces and the looming fear of an attack by Maoist rebels.

Manasvi Mamgai Attends Vice President Mike Pence' Dinner Event!
Manasvi Mamgai is proud to be the only Bollywood actress, who got the opportunity to perform at the Donald Trump Inauguration day concert. The actress also led a dance group of 30 people and shook a leg to Bollywood numbers. The dance sequence was choreographed by ABCD 2 choreographer Suresh Mukund.

Bollywood Actress Manasvi Mamgai Meets Donald Trump!

The team was given a seven minute slot and they danced to a mash up songs of popular Bollywood tracks Kala Chashma, Dhoom Machale, Jumme Ki Raat and Jai Ho. Right after the event, Manasvi attended the Vice President Mike Pence Dinner in Washington and posted a picture along with him. She captioned the image as, "Wonderful evening at #VicePresident's dinner #mikepence and what a surprise entry and speech by #DonaldTrump! @iamshalabhkumar."

An excited Manasvi opened up to Bombay Times about the experience by saying,

"I have never been so nervous performing live, we had been rehearsing for the last 15 days. This event was a culmination of all the efforts we had taken for the presidential campaign. We had earlier put together 'Humanity United Against Terror', a Bollywood charity event that Trump addressed. This is our way of saying Thank You to the Indian community. Several industrialists, dignitaries including Mika Singh attended the event as guests. In fact, this was the first time a Bollywood performance was a part of the US Presidential inauguration."

Donald Trump's Inauguration To Get A Bollywood Twist!
Ram Gopal Varma, proudly patted himself on the back on November 8, 2016 as he had predicted Donald Trump's victory four months prior to the election results. Nobody had ever thought that Hillary Clinton, with close to four decades of experience working for the people, will lose to someone who decided to run for office just 18 months prior to the elections.

Apart from predicting the election results, Ram Gopal Varma went a step ahead and predicted that Donald Trump will become the "greatest US President ever". He even said that Abraham Linclon, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy will be forgotten.

Now can RGV's prediction on Donald Trump become true? Read on...



Donald Trump was an unusual candidate which the world of politics had never seen before. At first, he was laughed at for his controversial comments and when he didn't back down from his outrageous statements, people started taking him seriously. Each time he lashed out at his opponents, his popularity grew rapidly. In some way, people knew that he was right!

Trump was a one man wrecking ball against his critics and they didn't know how to stop him. No amount of criticism stuck to him and no one could derail the Trump train. The media and the Hollywood elites supported Clinton so much so, that a news reporter controlled her tears on live TV when she realised that Trump would be the next President.

Hillary Clinton had the support of the media, celebrities, globalists and industrialists and all of these ganged up against Trump and mocked every thing he said during the campaign. They even wrote him off saying he'll be a sore loser on November 8. Clinton was riding high on the support from the elites, but that doesn't help anyone to win an election. The thing that really mattered were the people and they chose to stand with Donald Trump and made him win by an electoral landslide.

Here, Donald Trump took a lot of 'slings and arrows' but still won the election when no one believed he could. The same people who had opposed him previously, have ganged up against him saying that he'll be a bad President. If one thing history has shown the world, is that the underdog can deliver unpredictable results and can punch his/her way more than their weight and deliver stellar results. In some way, Ram Gopal Varma's prediction might become true in the future, as here, Donald Trump is the underdog! And his success is the world's success.

What do you guys think? Will Donald Trump become the greatest US President ever? Will RGV's prediction become true? Please leave your comments!

Manasvi Mamgai Attends Vice President Mike Pence' Dinner Event!
It Was Fun

"Shooting with Salman for 'Tubelight' was fun. These days I'm only making cameos with him," quipped the actor, who has done films like "Karan Arjun" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" with Salman.

SRK's Next: Raees

As of now, Shahrukh is looking forward to the release of his much-awaited film 'Raees', which sees him play a bootlegger in a story set in Gujarat.

One Quality Of SRK That Hasn't Changed

The actor says things may have changed a lot in the industry, but there's one thing that has remained a constant for him. "My motivation for acting has remained the same over 25 years. (It is the) Only thing about me that hasn't changed," he said in the interview to be aired late Thursday night.

SRK's Autobiography Is About To Finish

Shahrukh has, for long, been working on his autobiography - in which fans can look forward to know about his journey from being a Delhi boy, who took up theatre, television shows and charted a journey to become one of the country's top earning and most globally known superstars.

'I'm Struggling To Complete It'

"I still have to complete five chapters in my autobiography. I'm struggling to complete it," the Bollywood 'badshah' - as he is popularly called - said.

SRK Says 'No' To Life Planning

The 51-year-old actor, also a successful producer, even opened up on how he has stopped planning life. "I've stopped making plans. All my plans go wrong," said Shahrukh.
Known for his sharp takes on Twitter and on other public platforms, Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor expressed his resentment at the naming of public structures after political figures, particularly from "one family", in a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival here.

Kapoor said that he feels it is injustice to several prominent figures from all other walks of life as roads, buildings, bridges and hospitals are all named after political leaders. "There are so many structures and roads named after the Gandhi family in Delhi alone. Is it necessary to have it in such numbers? What purpose does it serve?"



"I was angry when I saw a bridge being named after Rajiv Gandhi. I mean it may be a way of paying respect, good that he was there but why name structures after him even now? Can you ignore the contribution of Lata Mangeshkar or JRD Tata? Why not name these structures after such figures rather than political leaders," Kapoor asked in response to a question on his controversial Twitter posts.

Also Read: Hrithik Roshan Feels Kaabil & Raees Clash Could Have Been Averted; Says His Father Is Hurt & Upset

"I have no complaints against any one family but when I saw structures being named after the family, it irked me because there are so many others like Lata Mangeshkar and JRD Tata who have contributed to Mumbai. Whichever political party comes, they name the structures and yojnas after them. I think the constitution should ban the naming of such structures after politicians," he said.

The 65-year-old actor also said that he has no political inclinations and does not wish to join any political party as he is "content, happy and satisfied" with his life.

Responding to a question on his inclination towards the presemt government, Kapoor said, "I have no political ambitions and I am not a BJP chamcha. I say and do what I feel is right. I spoke against the beef ban. I am not doing any chamchagiri," he mainatained. With inputs from IANS.
Vaani Kapoor made a comeback of sorts with Aditya Chopra's Befikre but even before the movie released people trolled her for her transformation and her alleged plastic surgery.

Unfortunately, the film also failed to help Vaani Kapoor's career. However, the actress does not blame anyone for the movie's debacle and says that she was the biggest risk factor in Befikre. Read what she said about the movie below.

Befikre Will Get Its Due In The Coming Years In an interview to Midday, Vaani Kapoor said that Befikre, which revolved around modern day relationships, is still ahead of its time, "I know that the film has got polarised reviews. It will get its due in the coming years.'' I Was The Biggest Risk Factor "I have always felt that I was the biggest risk factor and the biggest bet for Befikre because everyone else in the team had achieved something and have already proven their worth in their respective fields. I was the new face who stood a chance to be accepted or not.'' Aditya Didn't Go With The Obvious Choice & Cast Me Vaani Kapoor further added, ''Aditya didn't go with the obvious choice and cast me, so somewhere I felt that if there was anything that didn't work, it was probably me." On Her On-screen Character In Befikre "I'm not into casual dating. I'd like to meet a person before taking things forward, but I feel relieved after playing the role since a part of you subconsciously becomes the person."

In his blog, Aditya Chopra too had said that casting Vaani Kapoor was the biggest risk of his film, ''Shyra is a Punjabi born and brought up in Paris and is a modern and confident girl who easily falls in love and falls out in love, resulting in her having 42 boyfriends before she meets Ranveer's character.''

Also Read: OMG! When Sanjay Dutt Thought Rishi Kapoor Was Having An Affair With His Girlfriend Tina Munim



He had added, ''When I announced the film with Vaani Kapoor as Shyra, everyone was very surprised. I don't blame them, I was surprised with my choice too. I just wanted to see if she could transform into someone completely different and surprise me. She blew me away and I found my Shyra. The casting of Shyra and the casting of Vaani were the two biggest risks of my film. Today for me they are the biggest strengths of the film.''
We are in the third week of the month and we have three notable Kannada releases hitting the screens. The last week's release Lee, was not able to make a mark competing with the slew of big ticket films from other languages.

Other language biggies released last week are still holding a good number of theaters and next week, we have big films from Hindi and Tamil releasing for which the theaters are already reserved. This implies that Kannada films in such theaters are limited to one week.

In such a scenario, three Kannada films - Beautiful Manasugalu, Riktha and Yen Nin Problemmu are releasing throughout the state. Except for Yen Nin Problemmu, makers of other two films have strived hard to get the theaters.

Beautiful Manasugalu marks the return of Lucia pair Sathish and Sruthi. The film based on true incidents in Mangalore, is directed by Jayatheertha. The films's trailer and songs have garnered good responses.

The film is being released through Thoogudeepa Distributions. Distributors managed to get around 80 theaters throughout the state. In Bangalore, the film will be released only in 5-6 theaters and film has got a mere 50 shows in multiplexes.

Riktha is a horror-comedy film starring Sanchari Vijay donning four different roles: a child, a drunkard, a comedian and a lover. The film is directed by debutante Amruth Kumar and produced by G. Arun Kumar.

The movie being released in around 60 theaters throughout the state. Distributors could not get the main theater in KG Road, so Nataraj will be the main theater.

Yen Nin Problemmu featuring the star cast of Thithi, is releasing in around 100 theaters throughout the state. Surprisingly, this film has got the biggest and better theater set-up amongst this week's releases. Mysore Talkies is releasing the film.

We wish good luck to all the teams and let's hope the audiences embrace Kannada movies.
Rohan & Kanchi

Kanchi took to social media to announce that Rohan is safe. She wrote, "Omg omg omg @rohan4747 is safe Can't thank u guys enough! #love#love#love."

Kanchi Thanks Fans

Kanchi has always been seen supporting her boyfriend. Along with other actors, she even requested the fans to vote for Rohan. She thanked fans for saving Rohan, "So want to Thank each one of u out thr for voting n supporting ."

Kanchi Reveals Rohan Is Safe

Sushant Divgikar: At Delhi airport ... Let me know what is the status about Rohan. Haven't watched for the show for a couple of days now.

Kanchi: @thedivasushant he's safe sushi 

Rohan & Mona

Apparently, it was said that the Prince of India - Rohan Mehra, had received less number of votes compared to Monalisa! Rohan has the great fan followers and also has the support of popular television celebrities, and his eviction reports indeed shocked the viewers.

Mona Was Saved!

It has to be recalled that every time Monalisa was nominated, she was saved by her fans. Previously, Gaurav Chopra's elimination had shocked us. When we thought Monalisa might leave the show, Gaurav was evicted!

Fair Game!

It is fair that Rohan has been saved as he was the one, who was more active than Monalisa in almost all the tasks. Recently, in the warehouse task also, Rohan had performed well compared to Mona.

Mona & Manu

Mona's friendship with Manu especially was a major highlight in the show. The housemates felt that there was more than friendship between the two.

Mona & Manu Just Friends

Mona and Manu's real life partners interfered in the matter. Although, their relationships got complicated, it was eventually solved as Mona and Manu declared that they are just friends.

M3 Group

Mona, Manveer and Manu's group i.e., the M3 group will always be remembered in the history of Bigg Boss. Although the trio got into some arguments, they eventually were seen reuniting.

Mona-Vikrant Marriage

The major highlight of this season was Mona and her boyfriend Vikrant Singh Rajpoot's wedding. Vikrant had proposed Mona in the Bigg Boss house, and later Bigg Boss organised a grand two days wedding in the house.

Mona Marriage

Many Bigg Boss viewers believed that the marriage was fake, for TRPs and Mona and Vikrant were given a huge amount for the marriage, while a very few of them thought the marriage was genuine.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/19/17 -- Department of Justice Canada

To continue to improve upon Canada's tradition of judicial excellence, the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, introduced an open and transparent process to appoint justices of the highest calibre who are representative of the diversity of our great country.

Today, Minister Wilson-Raybould announces the appointments to the Judicial Advisory Committees (JACs) for the following jurisdictions:

-- British Columbia -- Alberta -- Ontario - East and North -- Ontario - Greater Toronto Area -- Quebec - West -- Prince Edward Island -- Newfoundland and Labrador

Women make up a strong majority of the new JACs and minority groups have unprecedented representation.

These are the first JACs to be reconstituted in accordance with the new process, announced by the Minister in October 2016. Changes included:

-- committees that fully reflect the diversity of our great country; -- revised committee mandates to increase the independence of their work; and -- an open selection process for the three public representatives on each committee - a measure which aims to ensure that all Canadians are properly represented in the appointment process.

JACs are independent bodies mandated to provide non-binding, merit-based recommendations to the Minister of Justice on federal judicial appointments. All individuals seeking appointment to the bench must apply under the new judicial appointment process. The JACs will immediately begin reviewing judicial applications. They will then create a shortlist of candidates from which the Minister can select.

Appointments to JACs in other jurisdictions will be announced in the coming weeks.

Quote

"The diversity on the Judicial Advisory Committees is unprecedented and better reflects the make-up of this great country. These Committees have a heavy responsibility to ensure that only the most meritorious candidates are recommended for appointment to the bench. By fulfilling their mandate, they are meeting not only the expectations of Canadians but also the needs of our justice system."

"Today's announcement is an important step towards ensuring that our judiciary reflects Canada's diversity."

The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Quick Facts

-- There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented. -- The committee members are appointed by the federal government by Order in Council for a two-year term. -- Sixteen of the committees have seven members each, while the Tax Court Judicial Advisory Committee has five members. Each committee is made up of members representing the bench, the bar, and the general public. For the first time, the members representing the general public were selected through an open application process. The following criteria were considered: commitment to public service, knowledge of the judicial system and/or public decision-making processes, subject matter expertise, geographic representation, gender, language abilities, and diversity. -- The JACs have been given a revised mandate, which will serve to strengthen their independence. They will immediately be provided on-line training on unconscious bias as well as training on the importance of diversity in the judiciary by the Chief Justice of Canada, the Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin, P.C. -- The Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs, established in 1978, provides administrative support to the Judicial Advisory Committees. The Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs reports directly to the Minister of Justice. The role of the Office is to safeguard the independence of the judiciary and assess the qualification of lawyers and provincial court judges applying for federal judicial appointment. -- Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor in Council, acting on the recommendations of the Minister of Justice.

This process is separate from the Supreme Court of Canada judicial appointments process announced on August 2, 2016. Nominees to the Supreme Court of Canada are selected by the Prime Minister from a recommended list, provided by the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments.

Related Products

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for British Columbia

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Alberta

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Ontario - East and North

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Ontario - Greater Toronto Area

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Quebec - West

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Prince Edward Island

- Composition of the Judicial Advisory Committee for Newfoundland and Labrador

Associated Links

- Government of Canada announces judicial appointments and reforms the appointments process to increase openness and transparency

- Application process for Minister's Judicial Advisory Committee

- Changes to the Appointments Process for Federal Judges

- Canada's Court System

- Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs

- Constitution Acts, 1867 to 1982

- Judges Act

Stay Connected

- Follow the Department of Justice Canada on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

- Follow Minister Wilson-Raybould on Twitter: @MinJusticeEn.

- Subscribe to receive our news releases and more via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/rss.html

Contacts:

For more information, media may contact:

Valerie Gervais

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Justice

613-992-4621



Media Relations

Department of Justice

613-957-4207

media@justice.gc.ca








Seiichiro Toda s-toda@cj.jp.nec.com +81-3-3798-6511

TOKYO, Jan 20, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) today announced the signing of a contract with RTI Connectivity(1) to supply a high capacity optical submarine cable for a new system connecting Hong Kong and Guam.http://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_NECSubmarine120.jpgHK-G Route Map*possible extensions in whiteThe 3,900 km Hong Kong Guam Cable System (HK-G) is scheduled to begin operation in January 2020, featuring 100 gigabit per second (Gbps) optical transmission capabilities that deliver a total capacity of more than 48 terabits per second (Tbps). This contract will partially utilize capital from the Fund Corporation for the Overseas Development of Japan's ICT and Postal Services (Japan ICT Fund).The HK-G is slated to connect in Guam with the SEA-US optical submarine cable system that directly connects Southeast Asia to the United States, and that NEC began constructing in March 2015. As a result, this project contributes to the expansion of communications networks between China, Hong Kong and the United States, in addition to those between Southeast Asia and the United States. Moreover, the HK-G will complement other regional submarine cables, thereby increasing network redundancy and helping to ensure high capacity, highly reliable communications."NEC is delighted to be selected as the supplier of the HK-G Submarine Cable planned by RTI Connectivity," said Mr. Toru Kawauchi, General Manager of NEC's Submarine Network Division. "With Guam becoming a new hub in the Pacific, we look forward to helping the RTI group of companies provide for the expanding Asia-Pacific demand for more connectivity."NEC has more than 40 years of experience in the submarine cable business and is recognized as one of the world's top submarine system vendors. NEC has laid a total of more than 250,000 kilometers of submarine cable-the equivalent of six trips around the earth. As a total system integrator, NEC produces optical submarine cable(2), optical submarine repeaters and equipment for connecting optical transmissions to land, in addition to carrying out ocean surveys, route design, laying optical submarine cable and training personnel for the handover of these systems.(1)Private cable developers established by US entrepreneurs in Singapore for the optical submarine cable business(2)NEC's affiliate company, OCC Corporation, is the only company in Japan capable of manufacturing optical submarine cable capable of withstanding deep sea water pressure of 8,000 metersAbout 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.
WISeKey International Holding Ltd (WIHN.SW) ("WISeKey") hosted its 5th Annual Cybersecurity Roundtable Discussion on January 18th in Davos.

Titled Blockchain and The Internet of Value, the gathering of global technology, finance, government, academic and media leaders was a notable feature of the Davos agenda. With a capacity audience of over 300 delegates, a panel of industry experts engaged in an interactive debate about the opportunities and challenges presented by the adoption of Blockchain technology during this time of unprecedented digital transformation.

Since 2013, when the company hosted the first Davos Roundtable on Cybersecurity, WISeKey's Founder and CEO, Carlos Moreira has been at the forefront of the industry, leading dynamic and revealing discussions with market experts about the future of securing internet technology.

The 2017 Roundtable opened with a keynote address by the bestselling author of Blockchain Revolution Don Tapscott. Considered one of the world's foremost authorities on Blockchain, Tapscott is respected industry wide for writing 15 additional leading technology books including the Digital Economy and Wikinomics. Tapscott's presentation concluded with the introduction and demonstration of WISeKey's Internet of Things (IoT) technology, allowing the book to be digitally signed by the author and certified by a Crypto Chip that connects to a Blockchain establishing a trusted ecosystem between the author and his readers. This represents a publishing first.

"I'm pleased to have participated in this important session. In my new book Blockchain Revolution, we explained our belief that Blockchain technology represents nothing less than the second generation of the Internet, and as such we want to ensure it reaches its full potential. It is great to see WISeKey showing leadership in the realm of cybersecurity," noted Don Tapscott.

Roundtable host Carlos Moreira moderated the session together with David Fergusson, President and Co-CEO of The M&A Advisor, engaging the expert panelists Matthew Bishop, Senior Editor of The Economist; Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Minister of Youth ICT, Government of Rwanda; Blockchain investor Wang Wei, Chairman of China Mergers Acquisitions Association; leading Legal Technology Research Professor, Primavera De Filippi; global venture capital expert, Professor Martin Haemmig and the CEO of Blockchain startup Stratumn, Richard Caetano together with Don Tapscott, in a dynamic discussion about the future of securing internet technology.

During the roundtable, a dynamic industry-wide initiative The HUMAN(IT) Manifesto was introduced. Co-authored by Carlos Moreira and David Fergusson, and sponsored by WISeKey, the Manifesto is a series of Declarations to encourage and empower the person to be at the center of gravity in the dynamic relationship between humanity and technology.

"Seismic shifts to the major physical systems of the world transportation, food production, energy consumption, scientific discovery, education and healthcare are occurring at an increasingly rapid pace," stated WISeKey's CEO, Carlos Moreira. "David and I have developed The HUMAN(IT) Manifesto to engage technology creators and users around the world to establish a responsible protocol for our future."

To learn more about and sign the HUMAN(IT) ManifestoCLICK HERE

About WISeKey

WISeKey (SIX Swiss Exchange:WIHN) is a leading global cybersecurity 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/20170119006366/en/

Contacts:

WISeKey

Youmna Abisaleh, +41-22-594-3000

Marketing Communications

yabisaleh@WISeKey.com

or

Investor Relations (United States)

The Equity Group, Inc.

Lena Cati, 212-836-9611

lcati@equityny.com
NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, France, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Bureau Veritas is pleased to announce the acquisition of SIEMIC Inc., an American testing and certification body for electrical and electronic equipment active in Silicon Valley and in Asia.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151216/296440LOGO )



Established in 2003, SIEMIC provides market access services for electrical and electronic products in the telecoms, consumer, automotive and medical sectors and works with global manufacturers, including many of the world's leading brands. SIEMIC provides a comprehensive range of testing, certification and international approvals management services. Its headquarters and main operation are located in Milpitas, Silicon Valley, USA; however, it also benefits from testing facilities in both California and China and branch offices in Taiwan.

As a leading Telecommunications Certification Body (TCB), SIEMIC issues thousands of certifications per year to attest compliance with Federal Communications Commission regulations in the USA for wireless and telecommunications equipment. It employs nearly 100 people and generated estimated revenue of EUR 9.5 million in 2016.

"As well as enabling Bureau Veritas to gain a strategic footprint in Silicon Valley by complementing our 7layers US laboratories, SIEMIC will help strengthen Bureau Veritas' position as a leader in the smartworld whilst enhancing our platform for autonomous and connected car services. This acquisition clearly demonstrates our commitment to our 2020 plan, with SIEMIC not only driving growth in our smartworld and automotive growth initiatives but also enhancing our presence in the USA and China, our two strategic markets," commented Didier Michaud-Daniel, Chief Executive Officer of Bureau Veritas.

Leslie Bai, President & CEO of SIEMIC, added: "We are established as the leader in an exciting and very promising market niche that requires advanced skills as well as an international reach and solid technical capabilities. As the global economy continues to expand, Bureau Veritas' worldwide network coupled with our existing platform provides our clients with a unique competitive advantage and value proposition. Today, becoming a member company of Bureau Veritas will propel us forward and help us continue our international growth."

Press Contact

Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services

Flora Wong

Email: flora.wong@hk.bureauveritas.com

Tel: +852 2494 5869





About Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas is a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services. Founded in 1828, the group has more than 68,400 employees in around 1,400 offices and laboratoriesall across the world. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performances by offering innovative services and solutions in order to ensure that their products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environment protection and social responsibility.Website:http://www.bureauveritas.com

Bureau Veritas' Consumer Products Servicesdivision is a leading global quality assurance provider for the global consumer product and retail markets. It offers an array of specialized services including testing, inspections, certification, audits and engineering services for a wide range of consumer products. These products include soft goods; electrical and electronic products; smartworld products and services including wireless and mobile devices; automotive equipment; hard goods; toys and juvenile products; premiums; food products as well as health, beauty, cosmetics, and household products.Website:http://www.bureauveritas.com/cps
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - SDL plc (SDL.L) Friday, in its update on trading performance for the year ended December 31, 2016, said it expects both continuing operations revenue and adjusted profit before tax to be slightly ahead of market expectations, citing strong performance across all businesses. Adjusted profit margin percentage is anticipated to be in line with market expectations, despite some foreign exchange tailwind at the top line, the company noted. The Group also said it continued to make good progress in executing the new strategic plan. The 2016 outcome represents a sound underlying performance, underpinned by SDL's strong customer relationships, delivered during a period of ongoing investment, organisational change and transition. 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) - Miner Antofagasta Plc. (ANFGY.PK, ANTO.L) said Friday that its subsidiary Minera Los Pelambres has agreed with AES Gener SA that it will transfer its 40% interest in Alto Maipo SpA to AES Gener and the electricity price applicable to the Power Purchase Agreement with Alto Maipo is reduced. Alto Maipo hydroelectric project's controlling shareholder, AES Gener SA thursady announced an update on the progress of negotiations between itself, Los Pelambres and lenders, which have reached an advanced stage, subject to final approval by the lenders. As announced on 26 October 2016, Antofagasta plc's subsidiary Minera Los Pelambres has been reviewing its options with respect to its 40% investment in the Alto Maipo hydroelectric project, following the announcement of a forecast 10-20% total cost overrun. 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.
20 January 2017

Early Equity Plc

("Early Equity" or "the Company")

AUDITED RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 AUGUST 2016

CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT

I am pleased to present the financial results for Early Equity Plc for the year ended 31 August 2016. The total comprehensive loss for the year was 110,423 (2015 - 123,814 loss). The loss per share was 0.02p (2015 - 0.03p). The loss before tax of 110,423 (2015 - 123,814 loss) largely reflects the costs of maintaining a public listing and administration costs.

On the 1 December 2015, the Company acquired a 32.14% stake in Yicom Global Sdn. Bhd. ("Yicom") satisfied by the issue of 100,000,000 new ordinary shares. Yicom is the sole importer and patent holder of a series of healthcare products from various countries and in particular China. Yicom has a Sole Distributorship Agreement with Early Infinity Holdings Sdn. Bhd. a direct sales company holding licences to operate a multi-level marketing business in Malaysia. Yicom started trading in February 2015 and the rate of turnover has increased each month as new distributors have been recruited. Early Infinity Holding Sdn Bhd currently have over 1,000 Agents selling their products in Malaysia and now Taiwan.

On 29 November 2015, the Company completed an equity subscription to raise 607,500 (gross of expenses), through the issue of 135,000,000 new ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each at a placing price of 0.45 pence per new ordinary share. Of the funds raised, 450,000 was utilised in the investment in Yicom Global Sdn Bhd, the remaining funds were used by the Company for additional working capital and to evaluate further potential investments.

On the 23 August 2016, the Company announced that Yicom had released its audited accounts reporting a net profit of Ringitt Malaysia (RM) 850,149 (approximately GBP160,709) and declared a dividend of Ringitt Malaysia RM 136,619 payable to Early Equity. 25,826 (RM 5.29: GBP 1) was received on 29 December 2016.

The Company was pleased to announce the appointment of Tee Lian Hing (Barry) to the board on 27 May 2016.

At year end, the value of our investment portfolio in unquoted equity securities (UK and Malaysia) stood at 540,320 (2015 - 115,320). This figure represents the Company's acquisition within the period of 32.14% shareholding in Yicom. The Devilfish Poker investment was fully provided against on the basis that current and future performance does not indicate ability for the Company to realise the cost of our investment.

At year end our total investment portfolio stood at 594,436 (2015 - 172,637)

POST-BALANCE SHEET EVENTS

There have been no post balance sheet events.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to take this opportunity to thank shareholders and professional advisers for their continued support of the Company.

Chua Siew Lian - Executive Director

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST, 2016 2016 2015 GBP GBP CONTINUING OPERATIONS TURNOVER 25,723 - ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES (135,242) (114,945) OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES - (8,413) FINANCE COSTS (904) (456) (LOSS) BEFORE TAX (110,423) (123,814) INCOME TAX - - (LOSS) FOR THE YEAR (110,423) (123,814) OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Reclassification of fair value gain on disposal

of available-for-sale financial assets - - TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE LOSS FOR THE YEAR (110,423) (123,814) BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE (PENCE) (0.02) (0.03)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

AS AT 31 AUGUST, 2016 2016 2015 GBP GBP NON-CURRENT ASSETS Available-for-sale financial assets 594,436 172,637 CURRENT ASSETS Trade and other receivables 31,518 6,682 Cash and cash equivalents 96,134 39,499 127,652 46,181 CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade and other payables (16,298) (10,105) NET CURRENT (LIABILITIES)/ASSETS 111,354 36,076 NET ASSETS 705,790 208,713 REPRESENTING:- Share capital 809,623 674,623 Share premium 683,590 211,090 Fair value reserve 49,031 49,031 Accumulated losses (836,454) (726,031) SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS 705,790 208,713

This financial information has been extracted from the audited financial statements of the Group for the year ended 31 August 2015. The financial statements are prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). A copy of the Company's financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2016 will be posted to shareholders and will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies.

The Directors do not propose to pay a dividend for the year.

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for this announcement.

--ENDS--

Enquiries:

Early Equity Plc

Tel: +44 (0)7830 182501

Greg Collier

ISDX CORPORATE ADVISER:

Alexander David Securities Limited

David Scott -Corporate Finance James Dewhurst - Institutional Sales Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7448 9820 http://www.ad-securities.com

49 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4N 4SA
VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - European stocks were little changed on Friday as disappointing U.K. retail sales data dampened optimism on the British economy and investors looked for more details on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's policies. Trump will swear in as the President of the United States of America today, with market participants looking forward to his speech for more clarity on proposals pertaining to tax cuts, infrastructure spending and immigration laws. In a report, the U.K. Office for National Statistics said that retail sales volume including auto fuel fell 1.9 percent from November following a marginal 0.1 percent drop in November. This was bigger than the expected 0.1 percent drop and marked the second consecutive fall in sales. The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index was marginally lower at 362.64 in late opening deals after closing little changed in the previous session. The German DAX and France's CAC 40 index were up around 0.1 percent each while the U.K.s FTSE 100 was little changed with a negative bias. Banks traded mostly higher, with Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, BNP Paribas and Lloyds Banking Group climbing 1-3 percent. Heineken N.V. shares advanced 1 percent. The Dutch brewer confirmed that it is currently in discussions with Japan's Kirin Holdings regarding a potential transaction in respect of Brasil Kirin Holding S.A. Anglo American lost 1.5 percent and BHP Billiton fell about 1 percent as copper prices weakened. Close Brothers rose over 1 percent after the lender expressed confidence over its full-year results. SDL soared 7 percent. The translation software firm said it expects both continuing operations revenue and adjusted profit before tax to be slightly ahead of market expectations. French voucher and prepaid card provider Edenred fell 2.5 percent after major shareholder Colony Capital sold its entire 11.2 percent stake in the company. LVMH shares were up half a percent after the luxury goods group announced plans to take a stake of up to 10 percent in unlisted Italian eyewear group Marcolin. 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.
PUNE, India, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

According to a new market research report "Factory Automation Platform as a Service Market by Solution (MES, PLM), Platform (Asset Management, Data Processing and Analytics), Professional Service (System Integration, Consulting), End-User Industry, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 31.05% to reach USD 747.1 Million by 2022.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )



Browse 64 market data Tables and 68 Figures spread through 154 Pages and in-depth TOC on"Factory Automation Platform as a Service Market".

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/factory-automation-platform-as-a-service-market-237673740.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

Factors such as increased focus on efficiency and cost of production and advancement in cloud computing technology are driving the growth of the Factory Automation Platform as a Service.

The electric power generation industry is expected to grow at a higher rate in terms of market size

The market for the electric power generation industry is expected to grow at the highest rate between 2016 and 2022 owing to the adoption of new technologies such as big data, Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud computing among others to reduce the production cost and improve the connectivity.

Download PDF Brochure @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=237673740

Distributed control system (DCS) to dominate the FA PaaS market during the forecast period

The distributed control system (DCS) held the largest market size during the forecast period because of the need to upgrade the aging installed base of DCS and the demand for expanded project and engineering services.

The market in APAC is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period

Investments are being made for various technological developments in the APAC region for Factory Automation Platform as a Service, which provides several growth opportunities for the market players operating in the region. For instance, in September 2016, Microsoft (U.S.) launched Azure Services, becoming the first public cloud provider in India by establishing three data centers in Mumbai, Pune, and Chennai. These local data centers would be responsible for increasing the flexibility and scalability and reducing the time to market for partners and customers.

North America is the largest market for Factory Automation Platform as a Service and is expected to witness significant growth.

Inquiry Before Buy @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=237673740

Major players operating in the Factory Automation Platform as a Service market include Siemens AG (Germany), General Electric Company (U.S.), Schneider Electric SE (France), Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.), Rockwell Automation, Inc. (U.S.), Telit (U.K.), Microsoft (U.S.), PTC (U.S.), Hitachi Data Systems Corporation (Japan), Advantech Co., Ltd. (Taiwan), and IBM (U.S.), among others.

Browse Related Reports

Industrial IoT Market by Technology (Sensors, RFID, Industrial Robotics, 3D Printing, DCS, Condition Monitoring, Smart Meter, Autonomous Haulage System, Yield Monitors, Guidance & Steering, GPS/GNSS), Software, & Geography - Global Forecast to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/industrial-internet-of-things-market-129733727.html

Industrial Control and Factory Automation Market by Technology (SCADA, PAC & RTU, DCS, Safety, MES & MOM, PLM), Component (Industrial Robots, Machine Vision, Control Valves, Enclosures, Cables), Industry (Process, and Discrete) - Global Forecast to 2022

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/factory-industrial-automation-sme-smb-market-541.html

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.

M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.

We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.



Contact:

Mr. Rohan

MarketsandMarkets

701 Pike Street

Suite 2175, Seattle,

WA 98101, United States

Tel: 1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com



Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog@ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/electronics-and-semiconductors

Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- CellStop Systems Inc. ("CellStop" or the "Company") (NEX: KNO.H) announces the appointment of Mr. Brian Tingle to the Board of Directors, filling the casual vacancy created by the resignation of Virginia Olnick.

Mr. Tingle, a BCom (finance) graduate from the University of British Columbia, brings 20 years of experience in the resource and technology venture capital markets, and has served on the boards and advisory boards of numerous private and public companies. He currently sits on the board of Versus Systems Inc.

The Company wishes to thank Virginia for her services and continued support over the years and wishes her the best in her future endeavors.

The board of directors of CellStop is now comprised of Michelle Gahagan, Michael Curtis and Brian Tingle.

Neither the NEX nor the 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:

CellStop Systems Inc.

Michelle Gahagan

President and CEO

(604) 639-4450




ATHENS, Greece, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The best businesses from Greece were honoured at an exclusive event hosted at the British Ambassador's Residence by RSM Greece in Athens last night for The European Business Awards sponsored by RSM.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/459569/European_Business_Awards.jpg )



The 38 firms were chosen by a panel of independent judges, including senior businesses and academic leaders, to be 'National Champions' in Europe's largest business competition.

At the event, the sixth in a series of events across Europe, attendees had the chance to speak to leading businesses in their field and hear from guest speakers including Andrew Staunton, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Athens, and Athos Stylianou, Managing Partner, RSM Greece.

Andrew Staunton, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy said: "The European Business Awards is a long-running institution, one which year-in-year-out serves to promote, nourish and recognise the growth, innovation and success of companies here in Greece, and across the continent. As well as recognising commercial success, the European Business Awards are a means of recognising and rewarding businesses for the valuable economic and social contribution they make to our countries and our societies.

"Throughout my three years as the Deputy Head of Mission in Greece, I have been impressed by the resilience and dynamism of Greek companies - companies that have continued to compete at both a national and European level despite the wide-ranging difficulties that have faced the domestic economy for over 6 years. Despite the multiple challenges businesses have faced over these years, from increased taxation, reduced domestic demand, to the effect of capital controls, the Greek private sector in some ways defies the odds by continuing to innovate and thrive."

Lead sponsor RSM, is the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms worldwide, and has supported the European Business Awards since its inception.

Athos Stylianou Managing Partner, RSM Greece said: "We are very pleased that once again we are able to celebrate the great success of the Greek businesses who despite the very difficult circumstances in the Greek market, that they face every day, have managed to be awarded the title of National Champion in the European Business Awards sponsored by RSM. It is a truly great achievement as the competition this year was very high, with more than 34,000 companies entering the Awards, and we congratulate them for this exceptional accomplishment."

RSM Greece has supported Greek firms in the competition from nomination through to final voting stages for the last ten years. This promotion of the best of Greek businesses has resulted in two European Business Award winners and several Ruban d'Honneur recipients.

In the next round, the National Champions are taking part in the Public Vote, which opened on 9 January at http://www.businessawardseurope.com. Category winners and the overall winner of the public vote will be announced at the Gala Final in May 2017.

The European Business Awards was set up to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe. This year it engaged with over 33,000 businesses from 34 countries.

Further information about the National Champions and the Awards can be found at http://www.businessawardseurope.com and http://www.rsm.global



About the European Business Awards:

The European Business Awards' primary purpose is to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe.

For all citizens of Europe, prosperity, social and healthcare systems are reliant on businesses creating an even stronger, more innovative, successful, international and ethical business community - one that forms the beating heart of an increasingly globalised economy.

The European Business Awards programme serves the European business community in three ways:

 It celebrates and endorses individuals' and organisations' success

 It provides and promotes examples of excellence for the business community to aspire to

 It engages with the European business community to create debate on key issues

The European Business Awards is now in its 10th year. This year it engaged with over 33,000 businesses from 34 countries. Last year's public vote generated over 227,000 votes from across Europe. Sponsors and partners include RSM, ELITE and PR Newswire.

http://www.businessawardseurope.com.

About RSM:

RSM is the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms, encompassing over 120 countries, 760 offices and more than 38,000 people internationally. The network's total fee income is US$4.64 billion.

RSM is the lead sponsor and corporate champion of the European Business Awards promoting commercial excellence and recognition of entrepreneurial brilliance.

RSM is a member of the Forum of Firms, with the shared objective to promote consistent and high quality standards of financial and auditing practices worldwide.

RSM is the brand used by a network of independent accounting and advisory firms each of which practices in its own right. RSM International Limited does not itself provide any accounting and advisory services. Member firms are driven by a common vision of providing high quality professional services, both in their domestic markets and in serving the international professional service needs of their client base. http://www.rsm.global

About ELITE:

ELITE is a full-service programme designed to share best practice and increase growth opportunities for fast growing companies, with a focus on understanding the capital markets. ELITE is an innovative programme based on exclusive training and a tutorship model, supported by access to the business and financial community. Its aim is to prepare companies for their next stage of growth and investment.

For further information on the programme, companies and the full list of partners, please go to:

http://www.elite-growth.com

About PR Newswire:

PR Newswire is the leading global provider of PR and corporate communications tools that enable clients to distribute news and rich content. We distribute our client's content across traditional, digital and social media channels in real time with fully actionable reporting and monitoring.

Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimisation network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world's enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region.

For more information on PR Newswire please visit http://www.prnewswire.co.uk
GERMANTOWN, MD -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Orgenesis Inc. (OTCQB: ORGS), a fully-integrated cell therapy and contract development and manufacturing company, announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, MaSTherCell S.A., specializing in the delivery of optimized process industrialization capacities to cell therapy organizations, has signed a master service agreement with Servier for the development of a manufacturing platform for allogeneic cell therapies. Under the master service agreement, MaSTherCell is developing a CAR-T cell therapy manufacturing platform, which will enable industrial and commercial manufacturing of Servier's cell therapy products. This is a critical step in the development of these products for later stage clinical trials.

Cell therapies have shown promising results in treating cancers. However so far, successful development has been mainly limited to autologous therapies. This approach, where the patient's cells are collected and then used to create a drug for that specific patient, is limited by the lack of possibility of industrialized manufacturing, thus restricting its access to few patients. Allogeneic therapies, or off-the-shelf treatments, potentially offering the technology to a higher number of patients, are developing very rapidly. However, the challenges of their manufacturing scale-up still lie ahead.

One of the most advanced cell therapies is based on CAR-T technology, where the T-cells are armed with a Chimeric Antigen Receptor. Servier is developing UCART-19 (see below About UCART-19 for more information), with two clinical trials currently ongoing in Europe, in relapsed or refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), in pediatric and adult patients.

Servier selected MaSTherCell because of its leading global cell therapy CDMO position, as well as its essential broad expertise in immunotherapy products. MaSTherCell has a track record of designing and delivering cost-effective cell therapy manufacturing platforms. MaSTherCell anticipates that it will complete the development of the initial CAR-T platform in 2018. This will then be an efficient complement to the bioproduction facilities that Servier is developing at its site at Gidy (France), which will mainly focus on the production of antibodies.

"This partnership will result in developing solutions for one of the biggest challenges to the ongoing development of the cell therapy sector. MaSTherCell has quickly built the most extensive CDMO experience in manufacturing and process industrialization development in the cell therapy industry," said Denis Bedoret, CBO at MaSTherCell. "This enables MaSTherCell to leverage that experience to deliver solutions to contribute to the Servier cell therapy pipeline. We will thus be able to directly contribute to delivery of life-saving cell therapy treatments to patients."

"The scale up of manufacturing for late scale clinical trials still remains one of the biggest industry-wide challenges in the cell therapy sector, and especially in a CAR-T field still in its infancy," said Marielle Anger-Leroy, Director of Biotechnology Industrial Development at Servier. "Being pioneers with these innovative therapies means that we have to find the best partners to maximize the chances of delivering these therapies to patients with few alternative options."

About Servier

Servier is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a foundation and headquartered in France. With a strong international presence in 148 countries and a turnover of 4 billion Euros in 2016, Servier employs over 21,000 people worldwide. Corporate growth is driven by Servier's constant search for innovation in five areas of excellence: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, immune-inflammatory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as by its activities in high-quality generic drugs. Being completely independent, the Group reinvests 25% of Servier's products turnover in research and development and uses all its profits for growth.

Becoming a key player in oncology is part of Servier's long-term strategy. Currently, there are nine molecular entities in clinical development in this area, targeting gastric and lung cancers and other solid tumors, as well as various leukemias and lymphomas. This portfolio of innovative cancer treatments is being developed with partners worldwide, and covers different cancer hallmarks and modalities, including cytotoxics, proapoptotics, targeted, immune and cellular therapies to deliver life-changing medicines to patients. For more information, visit www.servier.com.

About UCART19

UCART19 is an allogeneic CAR T-cell product candidate developed for treatment of CD19-expressing hematological malignancies, gene edited with TALEN. UCART19 is initially being developed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Cellectis' approach with UCART19 is based on the preliminary positive results from clinical trials using autologous products based on the CAR technology, and has the potential to overcome the limitation of the current autologous approach by providing an allogeneic, frozen, "off-the-shelf" T-cell based medicinal product.

In November 2015, Servier acquired the exclusive rights to UCART19 from Cellectis. Following further agreements, Servier and Pfizer began collaborating on a joint clinical development program for this cancer immunotherapy. Pfizer has exclusive rights from Servier to develop and commercialize UCART19 in the United States, while Servier retains exclusive rights for all other countries.

About MaSTherCell S.A.

MaSTherCell is a dynamic and global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) on a mission to deliver optimized process industrialization capacities to cell therapy organizations, and speed up the arrival of their therapies onto the market. The company is the subsidiary of Orgenesis Inc. (OTCQB: ORGS), a cell therapy and regenerative medicine company that is committed to developing a cure for Type 1 diabetes. The heart of MaSTherCell is a team of more than 80 highly dedicated experts combining strong experience in cGMP cell therapy manufacturing with a technology-focused approach and a substantial knowledge of the industry. From technology selection to business modeling, GMP manufacturing, process development, quality management and assay development, MaSTherCell's teams are fully committed to helping their clients fulfill their objective of providing sustainable and affordable therapies to their patients. The company operates in a validated and flexible facility located in the strategic center of Europe within the Walloon healthcare cluster, Biowin. For more information visit www.masthercell.com.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial uncertainties and risks. These forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations, estimates and projections and reflect our beliefs and assumptions based upon information available to us at the date of this release. We caution readers that forward-looking statements are predictions based on our current expectations about future events. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the expectations of management regarding the success of the joint ventures and expanding our market penetration in the CMDO field in Europe and Asia; the successful integration of our clinical and CDMO strategy; the development of our regeneration technology as therapeutic treatment for diabetes which could, if successful, be a cure for Type 1 Diabetes; our limited financial resources and our ability to raise the working capital needed to fund the commitments of our CDMO business, various joint ventures, development projects and business generally; our technology not working as well as expected; our ability to retain key employees; our ability to satisfy the rigorous regulatory requirements for new medical procedures; our competitors developing better or cheaper alternatives to our products and the risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading "RISK FACTORS" in Item 1 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2015, and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement for any reason.

Contact:

David Waldman

Crescendo Communications, LLC

(212) 671-1020 x301

orgs@crescendo-ir.com




HOUSTON, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Brown Technical Media Corp., a division of Panther Biotechnology, Inc. (OTCQB: PBYA) is pleased to announce today that it has closed the acquisition pursuant to the executed binding letter of intent announced on December 2, 2016 to acquire Premier Purchasing and Alliance LLC, a New York limited liability company also known as National Electrical Wholesale Providers (NEWP). NEWP is in the business of servicing electrical wholesalers throughout the United States with electrician related study material including the National Electrical Code. NEWP provides a complete line of printed reference materials in addition to eBooks, downloadable digital formatting, and mobile applications to all distributors.

"This acquisition has established Brown as one of the largest wholesalers of electrical codes and electrician exam prep materials in the United States," stated Noah Davis, President and Chief Operating Officer. "Brown, together with NEWP, will service over 3,000 electrical wholesale outlets. We are looking forward to expanding our product offerings to this large group of potential customers."

NEWP has significant corporate accounts with electrical wholesale conglomerates making them one the largest wholesalers of National Electrical Codes in the US. NEWP also covers HVAC, Plumbing, Industrial and Residential trade reference materials with online training for product education, certification and current code practices. NEWP services several multibillion dollar companies such as Consolidated Electrical Distributors and Home Depot reaching thousands of accounts in locations throughout the United States.

About Brown Technical Media Corp.

Brown is disrupting the technical vocations training and certification industry by building the first full service training and career advancement brand in the technical fields. Brown Technical Media Corp. is a leading online aggregator of compliance, career advancement and training content for tradesman and technical experts in a wide variety of professions. Brown's mission is to disrupt and defragment the many disparate companies in the eLearning, standards and codes market place, which currently is collectively valued at over $100 billion globally and growing. Brown is changing the landscape for small and medium size businesses by providing consistent, high quality training materials usually only available to enterprise level companies. Brown's strategy is to both grow its current revenue base organically while concurrently acquiring synergistic companies in the multiple industries that Brown is currently servicing.

Evan Levine

858-263-2744

info@pantherbiotechnology.com




TDC will conduct a conference call for institutional investors and analysts on February 3, 2017 at 14.30 CET to present the Q4 2016 results. Pernille Erenbjerg, Chief Executive Officer, and Stig Pastwa, Chief Financial Officer, will comment on the results and answer questions during the conference call. The investor and analyst conference will be held in English and will also be available as a webcast a https://tdcgroup.com/en/investor-relations Investors and financial analysts can register for the telephone conference on the following link: http://event.onlineseminarsolutions.com/r.htm?e=1348601&s=1&k=AD449B508679C20B9E E83E5D29E98401 Registration for this event will enable us to provide you with faster and more efficient service. When you have completed registration, you will receive an online and e-mail confirmation. Your confirmation will include the details for the conference call such as dial-in number, an event passcode and PIN that will ensure your secure access on the day of the event. The conference call will refer to a slide deck that will be available on the link: https://tdcgroup.com/en/investor-relations from February 3, 2017 at approx.12.00 CET. Participants wishing to derive full benefit from the conference call should obtain these slides in due time before the conference call begins. Please note that there might be a time lag between the webcast and the conference call if you are simultaneously watching and calling in to the conference. TDC A/S Teglholmsgade 1 0900 Copenhagen C DK-Denmark tdc.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.
IRVING, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- ReadyCap Commercial, LLC ("ReadyCap") (www.readycapcommercial.com), a non-bank direct portfolio lender offering commercial real estate financing up to $10 million nationwide, has hired Anuj Gupta as President. Anuj has played an active role in ReadyCap since 2013 and will now join the team full time to continue the growth in market share for ReadyCap.

Anuj joins the ReadyCap executive management team with more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate lending. Prior to assuming the position of President at ReadyCap, Anuj led commercial real estate capital markets and new origination loan pricing for Waterfall Asset Management ("Waterfall") and ReadyCap, while also playing an integral role in the launch and growth of the bridge and conventional real estate lending platforms. Anuj played a key role in loan originations and acquisitions that eventually sold into $1.5 billion of securitizations that he led. Before joining Waterfall, he co-led the $5 billion U.S. Department of the Treasury sponsored Public-Private Investment Fund Joint Venture between GE Capital and Angelo, Gordon & Co. formed to purchase CMBS and RMBS securities. Anuj was also Head of GE Real Estate's CMBS group in New York, where he oversaw the origination and securitization of over $3.7 billion of mortgage loans. From 2003 to 2006, Anuj led capital market activities for three GE Capital businesses, particularly launching GE's small balance real estate originate-to-sell program where he oversaw the build of that securitization program into which over $6 billion of mortgage loans were originated and sold. Anuj was also an Officer at Fannie Mae, a founder of a $300 million per annum start-up specialty finance originator and an analyst in the Mortgage and Asset-Backed Securities Group at Greenwich Capital Markets and NatWest Securities.

In his role as President of ReadyCap, Anuj will be responsible for loan originations, affinity relationships, capital markets, credit and asset management.

About ReadyCap Commercial, LLC

ReadyCap Commercial (www.readycapcommercial.com), headquartered in Irving, Texas, is a non-bank, portfolio lender offering financing for small-balance conventional, multifamily and bridge loans nationwide. ReadyCap and its affiliates have offices in the Bay Area, California; Los Angeles, California; Orange County, California; San Diego, California; Denver, Colorado; Fairfield County, Connecticut; Washington, D.C.; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Central New Jersey; New York City, New York; Charlotte, North Carolina; Austin, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah. Available financing for conventional commercial real estate and multifamily loans ranges from $750,000 to $10 million. Bridge financing is available up to $25 million and is offered through Ready Capital Structured Finance, a wholly owned division of ReadyCap. Founded in 2012, ReadyCap is an indirect subsidiary of Sutherland Partners, L.P., the general partner of which is Sutherland Asset Management Corporation ("Sutherland"). Sutherland, a REIT, is a publicly-traded real estate finance company that acquires, originates, manages and finances commercial real estate loans, and to a lesser extent, asset-backed securities where the underlying pool of assets consists primarily of commercial real estate loans and other real estate-related investments (NYSE-SLD).

ReadyCap Commercial, LLC

Email Contact






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Federal investigators have closed their probe of a fatal crash that involved a Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA) car eight months ago. The regulators said they have found no safety defects in the vehicle's automated driving system and that Tesla's Autopilot-enabled vehicles did not need to be recalled.



On May 7, 2016, a 2015 Tesla Model S car collided with a tractor trailer that was crossing an uncontrolled intersection on a highway west of Williston, Florida, resulting in the death of the Tesla driver, Joshua Brown. The driver was killed while operating the vehicle in 'Autopilot' mode.



The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said its examination did not identify any defects in the design or performance of the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) or Autopilot systems of the vehicle nor any incidents in which the systems did not perform as designed.



According to the NHTSA, its crash reconstruction indicated that the tractor trailer should have been visible to the Tesla driver for at least seven seconds prior to impact. The regulator suggested that Brown could have anticipated the crash with at least seven seconds to react.



The outcome of the six-month investigation gives Tesla a major reprieve as its automated driving technology came under intense scrutiny after the crash.



However, the regulators warned Tesla and other automakers to make it clear to drivers about how to use the semi-automated technology and that semi-automated cars are not capable of fully driving themselves.



'Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, such as Tesla's Autopilot, require the continual and full attention of the driver to monitor the traffic environment and be prepared to take action to avoid crashes. Automated Emergency Braking systems have been developed to aid in avoiding or mitigating rear-end collisions,' the NHTSA said.



The agency noted that Tesla's design included a hands-on the steering wheel system for monitoring driver engagement and that the system has been updated to further reinforce the need for driver engagement through a 'strike out' strategy.



'Drivers that do not respond to visual cues in the driver monitoring system alerts may 'strike out' and lose Autopilot function for the remainder of the drive cycle,' the NHTSA noted.



The NHTSA said it closed the investigation as a safety-related defect trend was not identified and further examination of the issue did not appear to be warranted.



In reaction to the NHTSA report, Tesla said, 'At Tesla, the safety of our customers comes first, and we appreciate the thoroughness of NHTSA's report and its conclusion.'



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
DAVOS, Switzerland, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

CNBC, the world's leading business and financial news network, held an in-depth debate this week on the future of energy at the World Economic Forums' Annual Meeting in Davos next week in partnership with Astana EXPO 2017.

As investment in renewable energy outpaces traditional energy, the debate looked at the battle to secure long term sources of power as well as the impediments to implementing change.

The debate, hosted by Steve Sedgewick, included a distinguished panel of guests, including: Fahd A. Al-Rasheed, CEO and MD, King Abdullah Economic City; Ahmed Heikal, Chairman and Founder, Qaala Holdings; Kirill Dmitriev, CEO, RDIF; Michael Oppenheimer, Professor, Princeton University and Bibop G. Gresta, Chairman & Co-Founder, Hyperloop Transport Technologies.

Max Raven, SVP CNBC Catalyst, said: "World leaders from across the globe are in Davos this week discussing the biggest political and social issues we face across the globe. I am delighted we could highlight the future of energy in this important setting in partnership with Astana EXPO 2017."

Highlights from the debate will air on CNBC International in the coming weeks.

About CNBC:

CNBC is the leading global broadcaster of live business and financial news and information, reporting directly from the major financial markets around the globe with three regional networks including CNBC in Asia, CNBC in EMEA and CNBC in the US.CNBC.comis the preeminent financial news source on the web, featuring an unprecedented amount of video, real-time market analysis, web-exclusive live video and analytical financial tools. CNBC is dedicated to CEOs, senior corporate executives; the financial services industry and private investors. The channel is available in more than 385 million homes worldwide. CNBC is a division of NBCUniversal. More information: http://www.cnbc.com.

About Astana EXPO 2017:

The International Specialized Exhibition Astana EXPO 2017 dedicated to Future Energy is an EXPOsitional and recreational event that will take place between 10 June and 10 September 2017 in Astana. The exhibition will last 93 days and will become one of the most spectacular cultural venues in 2017. To date,over 100 countries and 18 international organizationshave confirmed their participation in the Astana EXPO 2017 exhibition.

As part of Astana EXPO 2017, global policy documents will be drafted in order to promote an energy-efficient lifestyle and wide use of renewable energy sources.

More information: https://EXPO2017astana.com/en/

Contact: Artem Storozhenko, expo2017@m-p.ru


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - As Donald Trump prepares to be sworn in as the nation's 45th president, the results of a new Gallup poll found that the vast majority of Americans think it is important for him to keep his campaign promise to enact major spending on infrastructure renewal.



Sixty-nine percent of Americans said it is 'very important' for Trump to keep his promise to enact a major spending program to strengthen infrastructure.



More than half of Americans also said Trump's promises to reduce income taxes for all Americans, establish tariffs on foreign imports and deport illegal immigrants convicted of crimes are 'very important.'



Meanwhile, less than half of Americans said it is 'very important' for Trump to follow through on other promises such as repealing and replacing Obamacare and renegotiating or withdrawing from NAFTA.



Just 26 percent said it is 'very important' for Trump to build a wall along the border with Mexico, one his main campaign promises.



Gallup noted Republicans' and Democrats' views on how important it is for Trump to keep his campaign promises vary widely.



While increasing infrastructure spending has bipartisan support, the poll found a sharp divide among Republicans and Democrats on the importance of repealing and replacing Obamacare.



Deporting illegal immigrants convicted of crimes and renegotiating or withdrawing from NAFTA are also highly divisive campaign promises, Gallup said.



Based on the average percentage saying it was 'very important' for the president to keep his promises, Gallup said President Barack Obama's agenda was more popular than Trump's.



On average, 53 percent of Americans said in 2009 that Obama's promises were very important, compared with 41 percent saying the same about Trump's promises in 2017.



'While many Americans still see Trump's promises as important, the specifics of how he seeks to follow through on them may greatly influence how popular they remain in the coming years,' said Gallup's Ben Ryan.



He added, 'So far, many Americans have yet to be convinced of the importance of many of the president-elect's campaign promises.'



The Gallup survey of between 747 and 814 adults was conducted January 9th and 10th and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Three more inmates of the US detention facility at Guantanamo Bay have been released and transferred to the government of the United Arab Emirates. This was the last batch of detainees released from the US Naval jail in Cuba before President Barack Obama leaves office. Department of Defense Thursday announced the transfer of Ravil Mingazov, Haji Wali Muhammed, and Yassim Qasim Mohammed Ismail Qasim. Periodic Review Boards consisting of representatives from the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and State; the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence determined that continued law of war detention for these individuals does not remain necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the security of the United States, and were recommended for transfer by consensus. With this, 41 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay. 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.
THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Benton Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: BEX) ("Benton" or "the Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Company's progress on its Bedivere Lake gold project located 130km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

The Company has now received all required permits for exploration work that would include line cutting, geophysics, prospecting, geological mapping, trenching and diamond drilling. In December 2016, the Company completed a detailed airborne magnetic survey totaling 458 line-kilometres that appears to delineate the northeast oriented gold-bearing structure that hosts the original gold discovery (Traxxin Zone) where select grab samples collected by the property vendors returned gold grades ranging from trace to 1281gpt Au (41 ounces), some of which contain impressive visible gold (see Company website for photos). To-date limited prospecting, soil sampling, mapping, and the airborne geophysical survey has provided evidence of sporadic gold mineralization along the favorable main structure over a strike length of approximately 7km.

The mineralized structure has undergone virtually no historical exploration and current efforts include establishing a winter cut grid, as well as further prospecting and soil sampling. Results received from the earliest soil samples collected range from trace to 2160ppb gold located 150m south west along the structure from the original high grade showing located near the shoreline of Bedivere Lake and anomalous values up to 74 ppb gold situated on the projected structure more than 5km further to the south west. Recent follow-up prospecting along strike of the 74ppb gold-in-soil anomaly uncovered an iron-carbonate rich shear zone with quartz stingers containing pyrite and chalcopyrite. The mineralization, extent of the structure and gold-in-soil anomalies combined with nearby high gold values in lake sediment anomalies (0 to 27ppb Au obtained by the Ontario government -Dyer, R.D. 1999. Lake Sediment and Water Geochemical Data from the Atikokan-Lumby Lake Area; Northwestern Ontario. Ontario Geological Survey, Miscellaneous Release - Data 43) provides compelling evidence that the area is highly prospective for potential gold discoveries.

In addition, recent follow-up to an airborne magnetic anomaly uncovered mineralized mafic to ultramafic rocks that may be prospective for copper-nickel-PGE (Platinum Group Elements) mineralization and further investigation is needed on this and other airborne magnetic anomalies. Trail creation, prospecting and soil sampling will continue throughout the winter.

Stephen Stares, Benton President and CEO stated "We continue to be very encouraged by our ongoing exploration results at the Bedivere project. In our past experience working with Noranda Exploration Ltd., discoveries both at the Sugar Zone owned now by Harte Gold and the producing Eagle River mine, now owned by Wesdome were found in underexplored areas associated with major structures and favorable geology. These opportunities are extremely rare especially with areas containing new high grade gold discoveries in multiple locations and good access and infrastructure. We are very excited to continue to advance this underexplored structure over the next year."

Benton would like to announce that it is exhibiting at the upcoming Vancouver Resource Investment Conference on January 22nd and 23rd and investors are invited to visit us at booth number 810. The Company will also be displaying the advanced Cape Ray gold project at the Newfoundland Government Pavilion located in booths numbers 506, 508, 510, 407, 409 and 411 at the Round-Up convention on January 23rd through 26th.

About Benton Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: BEX)

Benton Resources Inc is a well-funded Canadian-based junior with a diversified property portfolio in Gold-Silver, Nickel, Copper, and Platinum group elements.

Benton's flagship project is the Cape Ray gold deposits located on the west coast of NL under option to Nordmin Engineering Ltd. ("Nordmin"). Nordmin is earning up to a 50% interest in 4 of the 6 deposits (see Benton PR January 20, 2015) owned by Benton by completing various work programs and project milestones as well as carrying Benton to a full feasibility study and arranging 50% of project financing to production. In March 2016, the companies released the results of a positive preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") for their Cape Ray Gold Project (see PR March 07, 2016). The results of the PEA include a pre-tax net present value ("NPV") at a 7% discount rate of $48.4 million with a pre-tax internal rate of return ("IRR") of 29% and a post-tax NPV at a 7% discount rate of $32.6 million with a post-tax IRR of 24%. The reader should be cautioned that the PEA is preliminary in nature. It contains inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves.

Clinton Barr (P.Geo.), V.P. Exploration for Benton Resources Inc., is the qualified person responsible for this release and has prepared, supervised and approved the preparation of the scientific and technical disclosure contained within the release.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Benton Resources Inc.,

Stephen Stares, President

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

Contacts:

Benton Resources Inc.

Stephen Stares

684 Squier Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 4A8

(807)475-7474

(807)475-7200 (FAX)

www.bentonresources.ca




LONDON, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

ICIS data helps Ofgem to make UK wholesale traded markets more widely accessible to energy consumers and stakeholders

British energy regulator Ofgem has chosen ICIS to provide gas and electricity market data for use in its Supplier Cost Index.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160408/353056LOGO )



Ofgem as a national regulatory authority works to protect the interests of existing and future electricity and gas consumers. Its new index estimates ongoing trends of the main cost elements for suppliers in serving typical domestic consumers.

'We are pleased that Ofgem has once again chosen ICIS as the most trusted source for wholesale gas and electricity data for its new supplier index,' says Rob Kolkman, Managing Director for ICIS.

'ICIS continues to provide robust and transparent price references to energy stakeholders in the UK and across the world.'

Ofgem's new index builds on recommendations made by the Competition and Markets Authority in its Energy Market Investigation, which also selected ICIS data.

ICIS has brought transparency to energy pricing for more than two decades. The market valuations that it produces are widely referenced in wholesale supply contracts, both in the UK and globally.

About ICIS

ICIS is an independent price reporting agency focusing on global energy, petrochemical and fertilizer markets, and we have covered the complex UK electricity market for nearly two decades. Every day, we assess electricity contracts for more than 40 different delivery periods in the UK market alone. The analysis and data that we produce is widely used as a reference price in energy contracts. It is our aim to give companies in global commodities markets a competitive advantage by delivering trusted pricing data, high-value news, analysis and independent consulting, enabling our customers to make better-informed trading and planning decisions. With a global staff of more than 800, ICIS has employees based in Houston, Washington, New York, London, Montpellier, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Milan, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Yantai, Tokyo and Perth. ICIS is a division ofReed Business Information, part ofReed Elsevier Plc.

With a global staff of more than 800, ICIS has employees based in Houston, Washington, New York, London, Montpellier, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Milan, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Yantai, Tokyo and Perth. ICIS is a division ofReed Business Information, part ofReed Elsevier Plc.

About Reed Business Information

Reed Business Information provides information, analytics and data to business professionals worldwide. Our strong global products and services hold market-leading positions across a wide range of industry sectors including banking, petrochemicals and aviation where we help customers make key strategic decisions every day. RBI is part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional customers across industries.http://www.reedbusiness.com

About Reed Elsevier

RELX Group is a world"leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs approximately 30,000 people of whom half are in North America. RELX PLC is a London listed holding company which owns 52.9% of RELX Group. RELX NV is an Amsterdam listed holding company which owns 47.1% of RELX Group. The shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX and RENX. The total market capitalisation is approximately28.2bn GBP / 32.5bn Euro / 34.7bn USD.http://www.relx.com

Media contacts

Tara Sabanandan, Marketing Manager, ICIS

Email:tara.sabanandan@icis.com

Direct: +44 (0) 207-911-1713

Sources:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/supplier-cost-index-methodology
CHICHESTER, England, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a completely separate company from Rolls-Royce plc

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BMW Group

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has no involvement whatsoever in issues relating to alleged bribery and subsequent legal settlements reached by Rolls-Royce plc

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars just announced second highest sales in the marque's 113-year history

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is issuing this statement in order to clarify confusion and misreporting that has arisen in certain media around the world, following recent statements issued by Rolls - Royce plc .



Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a completely separate company from Rolls-Royce plc which manufactures power systems for aircraft, ships and land applications.Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BMW Group (Munich), based at Goodwood near Chichester in West Sussex, United Kingdom. It commenced business on 1 January 2003 at its new global production facility.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars manufactures and sells the world's pinnacle super-luxury automobiles, including the Phantom, Ghost, Wraith and Dawn range of models.

As an entirely separate company, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has no involvement whatsoever in issues relating to alleged bribery and subsequent legal settlements reached by Rolls-Royce plc with authorities in various jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, the United States and Brazil.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has recently announced its second highest ever annual sales result in the marque's 113-year history, up 6% on its 2015 results. A total of 4,011 cars were delivered to customers in more than 50 countries, affirming the Brand's strength and resilience in a year of challenging market conditions for luxury goods worldwide.

Notes to editors:

Editors are kindly asked to note that images of Rolls-Royce motor cars, the black and silver "Double R" logo, the "Spirit of Ecstasy" ("Flying Lady") hood ornament, the Rolls-Royce Pantheon Grille and other related content are all signifiers of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and its Brand.

The use of these images to illustrate stories relating to Rolls-Royce plc, the power systems company, is incorrect and leads to confusion.

It is kindly requested that editors forward this advisory to picture desks, on-line desks and any other relevant departments.

You can find all our press releases and press kits, as well as a wide selection of high resolution, downloadable photographs and video footage at our media website, PressClub. You can also find the communications team at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on Twitter and Instagram (RollsRoyceMedia).
LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. (OTC PINK: PNOW), parent Company of the Central American-Caribbean Online Travel Agency (OTA) Oveedia, announced today that the Company has renewed their partnership with Leonardo Worldwide, the travel industry's most trusted and extensive visual media syndication network in the world.

"This news, while not surprising to us, demonstrates our continued commitment to maintain an operational booking platform, while we prepare for the ultimate launch of Oveedia's next iteration, meant to focus solely on the Central American-Caribbean region of the world," stated Melvin Pereira, President and CEO of Pure Hospitality Solutions, Inc. "With an extensive client list, including TripAdvisor and Travelocity to name a few, Leonardo's database of over 1.5 million visual media files makes the company the most trusted provider of media content to the tourism industry. The relationship with Leonardo is not cheap, and considering we deliberately do not focus marketing dollars in the U.S., the relationship is not yet profitable. However, being aligned with such a company remains crucial to ensure an overall success within the OTA marketplace."

Management suggests, while impressive that a 'small' company like Oveedia can afford to work with an industry leader like Leonardo, "they are only one piece of the puzzle," continued Pereira.

"We also continue to be well-aligned with industry-leader Sabre, which adds more than 125,000 hotels, 400 airlines, 16 cruise lines and 25 car rental agencies to our platform. For clarity, at this moment, although we have the ability to book all of these services with just a 'flick of the switch,' we remain focused primarily on hotels. Whereby, even when we release the next iteration, nearly all of our focus will be on exclusively featured hotels."

Pereira concluded, "The bottom line is, 2017 is lining-up to be a very good year for Pure Hospitality Solutions. Whether it's by continuing and expanding our partnerships with current vendors, such as Sabre and Leonardo, or, by beginning new partnerships with some very special companies, we are extremely excited for what this year has to offer for our shareholders!"

For more information about Oveedia, please visit www.Oveedia.com.

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.

Team PURE

IR Div.

(800) 889-9509




TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Pasinex Resources Limited (CSE: PSE)(CSE: PSE.CN)(CNSX: PSE)(FRANKFURT: PNX) (the "Company" or "Pasinex") today announced that the Company's Pinargozu Zinc mining operation in Adana, Turkey, operated by the JV company Horzum AS, has just completed its first sale of Lead (Pb) mineral product, which is a by-product of the ongoing zinc production. A total of 392.9 dry tonnes has been sold, at a provisional assay of 61.5% Pb and 400 gram (12.86 troy ozs) per tonne Silver. The product has a provisional value (subject to final agreement on assays) of about US$1,250 per tonne.

Steve Williams, President and CEO of Pasinex Resources Limited commented, "It is truly remarkable that such high-grade lead is also being mined from the Pinargozu high-grade zinc mine in Turkey. The product, a silver-rich lead sulphide (galena), was stockpiled from the commencement of production until now. While the ore mined to date at Pinargozu is predominantly zinc, it also contains minor silver and lead rich "pockets" of mineralization. Because the in-situ Pb grade is so high, we are mining this material as DSO (direct shipping) without incurring the cost of pre concentration. We look forward to expanding zinc production over the coming months which we will report quarterly, supplemented from time to time by batches of silver-rich lead production as the stockpiles accumulate.

Qualified Person

EurGeol, P.Geo. John Barry, a qualified person (QP) as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Barry has inspected the original pro forma sales invoice (Fatura 179786 dated 26/12/2016) issued by the JV for the shipment of lead sulphides specified in this news release. Mr. Barry is also a director of the Company.

Pinargozu Zinc Mine

Mining at 160 tonnes per day, predominantly exploiting non-sulphide high grade zinc carbonate mineralization from two adits, with the new third deeper adit mining sulphide-zinc-rich material. The grade of the mined non-sulphide material consistently exceeds the 25% zinc threshold for direct shipping to zinc processing plants and the sulphide zinc material is averaging over the required 45% zinc threshold. Pinargozu is one of several exploration targets along the Horzum Zinc Trend (HZT). The HZT controls a series of Carbonate-Replacement-Deposit (CRD) mineral occurrences. The HZT extends north of the old Horzum mine, currently operated by our joint venture partner, Akmetal Madencilik San ve Tic. AS (Akmetal AS), for at least 8 kilometres. The HZT is completely under-explored. Pasinex is the first to apply advanced exploration technology and CRD exploration concepts and models to the HZT.

Horzum Zinc Trend (HZT)

The Pinargozu mine is located in southern Turkey. Pinargozu is one of several exploration targets along the Horzum Zinc Trend (HZT), which hosts a series of Carbonate-Replacement- Deposit (CRD) type mineral occurrences, extending north for at least eight kilometres from the high-grade Horzum mine. The HZT has in the past been prospected and mapped to some extent but has not previously been systematically explored. Pasinex is the first to apply advanced exploration technology and CRD exploration concepts and models to the HZT district.

About Pasinex

Pasinex Resources Limited (CSE: PSE)(CSE: PSE.CN)(CNSX: PSE)(FRANKFURT: PNX) is a metals company which is a 50% owner of the high grade Pinargozu zinc mine which is in production and, under its DSO Program, is shipping directly to zinc smelters / refiners from its mine site in Turkey. The Pinargozu Mine is included in the 50-50 company, Horzum Arama Isletme AS (Horzum AS), which is a corporate joint venture between Pasinex and Turkish mining house, Akmetal Madencilik San ve Tic. AS (Akmetal AS). Akmetal AS is one of Turkey's largest family-owned conglomerates with the nearby past-producing Horzum zinc mine.

Pasinex has a strong technical management team with many years of experience in mineral exploration, metallurgy and mining project development.

The mission of Pasinex is to build a mid-tier zinc mining company based on building a large land package within a productive CRD district in Turkey.

Visit our web site at: www.pasinex.com

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

PASINEX RESOURCES LIMITED, Steve Williams

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although Pasinex Resources Limited 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 market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, exploration results, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contacts:

Pasinex Resources Limited

Steve Williams

President/CEO

416.861.9659

info@pasinex.com

www.pasinex.com



CHF Investor Relations

Cathy Hume

416.868.1079 ext. 231

cathy@chfir.com




STETTLER, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Western Economic Diversification Canada

The communities of Stettler, Consort, Killam, Heisler, and Coronation will receive a total of $549,705 through the Government of Canada's Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program to help communities modernize local recreation facilities and community infrastructure.

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, social and cultural infrastructure and programs, the Government of Canada is supporting the legacy of many Canadians who have invested their time, energy and spirit into improving the cultural and recreational opportunities for people of all ages within their communities.

Quotes

"A healthy, strong and thriving community depends on sporting facilities, community recreation centres and outdoor spaces to encourage individuals to stay active. Renovations to these facilities will achieve this goal, and will help to foster an energized community."

- Randy Boissonnault, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada.

"The announcement of today's Canada 150 initiatives affirms the outstanding partnerships that strengthen the bonds of communities both local and national, and helps ensure that genuine community infrastructure needs are thoughtfully supported and sustainable, here to be enjoyed by all residents for many years to come."

- His Worship Dick Richards, Mayor of the Town of Stettler.

Backgrounder

Government of Canada invests in east-central Alberta's 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). 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 $549,705 was announced today for work on five recreational and cultural projects in east central Alberta.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Organization Project Location Federal Funding ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coronation Memorial Enhance the ice Coronation, Alberta $32,117 Arena Board arena ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heisler Convert skating Heisler, Alberta $36,500 Agricultural arena into a multi- Society use facility in Heisler ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stettler Curling Renovate the Stettler, Alberta $38,421 Club Association Stettler Curling Club ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Killam Upgrade the Killam, Alberta $67,667 Memorial Arena ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Village of Consort Upgrade the ice Consort, Alberta $375,000 plant at the Consort Sportsplex ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional Links

Government of Canada Announces Support for Community Infrastructure in Alberta

Backgrounder: The 150th Anniversary of Confederation in 2017

Stay Connected

Follow us on Twitter: @WD_Canada, @MinisterISED, @canada150th

WD Homepage

WD Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-WEST (9378)

TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388

Stay Connected

Twitter: @WD_Canada, @canada150th, @MinisterISED

Hashtags: Canada150

Website: WD Homepage, Canada 150 Homepage

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



Steven Gerlitz

Assistant Chief Administrative Officer

Town of Stettler

Stettler, Alberta

403-741-6108

sgerlitz@stettler.net




Transcription

1 Name: Class: Date: The Encomienda System in New Spain Lesson 9 AIM: Literacy Objective: To identify cause and effect relationships between historical events. Historian s Journal I. Mind Spark Analyze the diagram to the right. Answer the questions that follow. 1. What is the diagram to the right showing? Explain. (1 sentences) 2. Why are enslaved persons on the bottom of the chart? Explain. (2 sentences) 3. What caused the development of these five social classes in New Spain? (a) colonization (b) isolationism (c) industrialization (d) patriotism II. Bring that Knowledge Answer the MC questions below. 4. Which of the following was an effect of Cabeza de Vaca s journal writing about the great riches of North America? (a) Francisco Vasquez de Coronado searched for the Seven Cities of Gold. (b) Ponce de Leon discovered the Fountain of Youth (c) Ponce de Leon colonized modern-day Florida. (d) Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inka Empire. 5. Which of the following events caused the other three? (a) Europeans bring new diseases to the Americas. (b) The African slave trade is expanded. (c) Europeans explore and colonize the Americas. (d) Europeans take over Native American lands. No Shortcuts. No Limits. 1

2 6. Which development led to the other three? (a) Native Americans were killed by European diseases. (b) New types of food were shared by Europeans and Americans. (c) European nations sent explorers to colonize the Americas. (d) Africans were brought to the Americas as slaves. III. Walk in their Shoes Read the passage. Answer the questions that follow. You are a Catholic priest and you recently moved to New Spain to work in a church. Your mission is to convert Native Americans to Christianity. You soon realize, however, that Native Americans are forced to work as slaves on the fields all day long. They could care less about your religion. They have bigger problems to worry about. 7. What do you do? Do you try to convert them to Christianity? Do you try to help them escape? Do you just sit there and watch? Or do you do something else? Explain. (2 sentences) Introduction to New Material (INM) TODAY S BIG IDEA: LITERACY FOCUS: Great readers identify cause and effect relationships between historical events. BUILDING BACKGROUD: In the 1500s Spain built a vast empire in the Americas by enslaving Native Americans and forcing them to work in the fields. KEY POINT 1: Spain Colonizes the Americas v As Spanish explorers searched the borderlands of New Spain, they continued to colonize invade using violence, subjugate the area s people, destroy their culture, and replace it with their own. Spain colonized these areas in order to build a huge empire in the Americas. Establishing an empire in the Americas allowed Spain expand their trade network and gain power over other European countries. Spain made a great deal of money from their colonies in the Americas. From 1503 to 1660, Spanish boats loaded with treasure carried 200 tons of gold and 18,600 tons of silver stolen from the Aztec and Inka empires they destroyed back to Spain. However, Spain s monetary (economic; financial) gains came with a high human cost. Spain forced hundreds of thousands of Native Americans to work as slaves. The Spanish conquest led to the deaths of over 3 million Native Americans. No Shortcuts. No Limits. 2

3 1. Define: What does the verb colonize mean? Explain in your own words. (1 sentence) 2. Analyze: Why did Spain want to colonize the Americas? Explain. (1-2 sentences) 3. Cause & Effect: From Spain s point of view, what were the positive effects of Spain colonizing the Americas? Explain. (2-3 sentences) KEY POINT 2: The Encomienda System in New Spain v In 1650 the Spanish Empire in the Americas had grown to between 3 and 4 million people. Native Americans made up about 80 percent of the population. The rest were whites, Africans, and people of mixed racial backgrounds. Settlers who came from Spain were called penisulares (pay-neen-soo-lahr-ays) and held the highest government positions. 4. Recall: Who were penisulares? (1 sentence) To reward Spanish colonists (settlers) for serving the Spanish Crown, Spain established the encomienda (en-koh-mee- EN-duh) system. This system gave Spanish colonists the right to tax local Native Americans or to make them work. In exchange, these settlers were supposed to protect the Native American people and convert them to Christianity. Instead Spaniards used the encomienda system to force Native Americans to work as slaves under extremely brutal conditions. Spanish officials also forced Native Americans to give up their goods. Native Americans who resisted were hunted down and killed. They were abused, not given food and water, and forced to work long hours every day. 5. Explain: What was the encomienda system? Explain. (2-3 sentences) No Shortcuts. No Limits. 3

4 Document 1: Cruelties, Butcheries, Devastations Committed by the Spanish Colonists in New Spain A few Europeans opposed the harsh treatment of Native Americans. Bartolome de Las Casas was one of them. He first went to the Americas in Over time, he became increasingly concerned with how the Spanish treated Native Americans. The following passage is from Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies by Bartolome de Las Casas. New Spain was discovered in 1517 and all [Native Americans] were exposed to slaughter. The year ensuing those Spaniards (who style themselves Christians) came thither [there] to rob, kill and slay, though they pretend they undertook this voyage to convert the people [Native Americans] of this country. From 1517 to 1542 the injustice, violence and tyranny of the Spaniards came to the highest degree of extremity: for they had shook hands with and bid adieu [goodbye] to all fear of God and the King, unmindful of themselves in this sad and deplorable [disgraceful] condition, for the destructions, cruelties, butcheries, devastations, the demolishing of cities, which they perpetrated [committed] in so many and such large kingdoms, are so great, and from the beginning they [the Spanish colonists] ran headlong from bad to worse, and were overcome in their diabolical acts and wickedness only by themselves There fell [died] in those countries above two million men, and now there hardly remains two thousands, who daily die by the severity of their slavery Bartolome de Las Casas, from Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies 6. Analyze: What does Las Casas think about Spaniards in charge of New Spain? Explain. (2-3 sentences) 7. Analyze: What does Las Casas mean by from the beginning they [the Spanish colonists] ran headlong from bad to worse? Explain. (2 sentences) The Spanish operated many plantations, large farms that grow one or two main crops. Plantations throughout the Caribbean colonies made huge profits for their owners. However, it took many workers to run a plantation so colonists forced thousands of Native Americans to work as slaves in the fields. Indians who were taken to work on haciendas (the vast Spanish estates in Central and South America) had to raise and herd livestock. Other Native Americans were forced to endure the backbreaking work of mining gold and silver. Slavery, abuse, and long working hours killed hundreds of thousands of Native Americans in New Spain. Soon, however, disease, starvation, and abuse caused the decimation of the Native American population in New Spain. Spanish colonists had wiped out their own slave labor force. The destruction of these Native Americans plunged the colonies of New Spain into poverty. Spanish colonists no longer had slaves to work on their fields. No Shortcuts. No Limits. 4

5 8. Analyze: What effects did the encomienda system have on Native Americans? Explain. (3 sentences) Not surprisingly, a bipolar society emerged in New Spain, with affluent (rich) Europeans at the top and poor, subjugated Native Americans at the bottom. By the mid- 1500s, much of the Native American population had died from disease, guns, or overwork. To replace this labor force, the Spanish began importing slaves from Africa. 9. Analyze: What does it mean that a bipolar society emerged in New Spain? Explain using evidence from the passage above. (1-2 sentences) SUMMARY: Spanish colonists used the encomienda system to enslave Native Americans. Disease, enslavement, and abuse led to the deaths of over 3 million Native Americans in New Spain. Spanish colonists soon began importing African slaves because Spain had wiped out its Native American slave labor force. PREVIEW: In the next lesson we will learn about major events happening in Europe during this time, including the Protestant Reformation and a war between Spain and England. We will also learn about European explorers searching for a Northwest Passage through North America. No Shortcuts. No Limits. 5

6 Name: Class: Date: Exit Ticket: U2 L9 The Encomienda System in New Spain Part 1: Skill Practice Directions: Re-read the passage below. Then answer the questions that follow to show mastery of today s literacy skill: To identify cause and effect relationships between historical events. ***The following is an excerpt from Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies by Bartolome de Las Casas. It is a report to the Spanish king, written in Las Casas describes Spain s treatment of the Native Americans in detail. Document 2: Bartolome de Las Casas s Account of Spain s Enslavement of Native Americans When they [Spanish colonists] have slain [killed] all those who fought for their lives or to escape the tortures they would have to endure, that is to say, when they have slain all the native rulers and young men (since the Spaniards usually spare only the women and children, who are subjected to the hardest and bitterest servitude [slavery] ever suffered by man or beast), they enslave any survivors. With these infernal [devilish] methods of tyranny they debase [to lower someone in status] and weaken countless numbers of those Indian nations. Bartolome de Las Casas, from Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies 1. What happens to Native Americans that resist enslavement? Explain. (2-3 sentences) 2. What does Las Casas believe about the Spanish colonists treatment of Native Americans? Explain. (2-3 sentences) Part 2: Unit 2 Test Practice 3. Spanish colonists in New Spain used the encomienda system to (a) trade with Native Americans tribes in order to increase their wealth (b) enslave Native Americans and force them to work on their fields (c) enslave Africans and force them to work on their fields (d) enslave Creoles and force them to work on their fields q Mastery! q Basic q Approaching q Not Yet No Shortcuts. No Limits. 6

7 4. Why were Europeans able to conquer Native American land? (a) Europeans had more advanced weapons and technology. (b) Europeans converted Native Americans to Christianity (c) European diseases killed many of the animals living near Native American tribes. (d) Europeans traded with the Native Americans for their gold. 5. The Spanish encomienda system led to the (a) widespread enslavement of Native Americans (b) Christianization and freedom of Native Americans (c) deaths of more than three-quarters of the Aztec and Inka populations (d) establishment of vast and profitable trading networks between Europeans and Native Americans. 6. Spain s empire in the Americas included which of the following? (a) New York (b) Virginia (c) Mexico (d) Canada 7. What is a plantation? (a) A large farms that grows one or two main crops. (b) A small farm that grow several types of plants. (c) A large group of plants that Spanish settlers used to surround their villages. (d) A small group of plants that Spanish settlers used to surround their villages. 8. Using the encomienda system, Spanish colonists eventually wiped out their slave labor force. What did Spanish colonists do to replace this slave labor force? (a) Spanish colonists work their own fields. (b) Spanish colonists stopped farming and began hunting and gathering. (c) Spanish colonists paid Spaniards to move to New Spain and work their fields. (d) Spanish colonists imported slaves from Africa. Part 3: Reflection 9. What are 2 things you will take away (remember) from today s lesson? I. II. No Shortcuts. No Limits. 7
LONDON, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Eventopedia - the leading cloud-based venue search platform and demand generation tool for the global meetings & events industry - teamed up with leading global media intelligence company Gorkana at the new etc venues County Hall on Thursday evening to demonstrate the tangible ROI delivered by Event Tech.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/459626/Eventopedia_Panel.jpg )



Gorkana Event & Marketing Manager, Victoria Morrison, delivered a keynote before joining a panel session moderated by experienced conference host, Jeremy Jacobs, and comprising Event Tech CEOs Mike Piddock of Glisser, and Clemi Hardie of Noodle Live.

A poll run during registration found that 41% of (107) registrants are using Event Tech for their 2017 events, with 48% outlining they "may be" incorporating usage of Event Tech into their 2017 events.

The 60-strong audience of event planners, who were joined by a Facebook live stream audience, learned what practitioners need to know to get a seat at the board table. Victoria Morrison outlined the importance of defining holistic objectives to measure successes through the different stages of the event management process - pre, during and post event. Victoria suggested that the opportunity for technology & data to make a positive difference for event professionals is massive.

"The value of live events is given greater visibility by linking the measurement of Gorkana's tactics back to the organisations' objectives", said Victoria.

In response to brands wanting to hear customers talking of their 'love' for their brand, Victoria continued,

"Events can provide a 'wow' that connects directly with customers, more than other forms of marketing. Being able to measure this more scientifically will be part of the future of event technology and live event marketing."

The event was made available by live stream globally from EventStream Live', a service of London-based Easy TV Ltd. In another world first for Eventopedia, the event featured the first public outing of the beta version integration of EventStream Live with Glisser, the leading platform developed in Microsoft Accelerator allowing presenters to interact with their audience through their presentation deck.

A Glisser poll run during the event found:

77.8% of event planners currently measure the success of their events

The most popular metrics were identified as

27% Attendee satisfaction surveys

9% Show Rate

18% Number of Attendees

46%  ROI

(Poll size: 58)

Mike Piddock, CEO of Event Tech Glisser, likened the emergence and importance of Event Tech to 1849 San Francisco and the Gold Rush.

"Metrics used in the right way can be transformative for live events. There is a massive opportunity to utilise data - like other sectors - to provide meaningful context to the value of live events, and to help event professionals demonstrate this to colleagues across their businesses who may not understand the impact they are having."

Glisser shared that, on average, 25% of a corporate marketing budget is spent on events, yet it is the piece event planners can measure the least

Attendee, Simon Hughes, an experienced leader and business consultant with over 25 years' experience in developing and managing events in both the public and private sector, worries that the events industry is 'way behind' in comparison to other consumer sectors and the way in which they utilise data. He suggested that the events industry is often constrained by clients who don't like paying for data and research, saying,

"The great thing about event tech is that it is lowering the cost barrier and making it easier for us to present clients with real and meaningful data, allowing more discussion about objectives and strategy, placing event professionals - where we want to be - at the top table with other marketers."

Addressing the issue of clients paying for data, Victoria Morrison, said,

"On average, clients allocate about 10% of their PR budgets on measuring their campaigns. There is no reason why it shouldn't be the same for events."

Clemi Hardie, CEO of Event Tech Noodle Live, identified the need for Event Tech to follow the lead of big tech firms, such as Instagram and Facebook, who create attractive data points that ease the process of exchanging data.

"Computers and data are neat. Human beings are messy. Event professionals may want to track the attendees' journey through an event, but what we've seen so often is that when you look at the data sets, you've got people who didn't check in for the event, but they're checking in for sessions. That's the human aspect of gathering data. That's what makes it a challenge. You still need humans to analyse the data we're gathering. You always will."

Eventopedia COO, Alan Newton, comments: "Our first Eventopedia Discovery event of 2017 followed our familiar format of producing simple educational events providing event managers with thought-provoking content, delivered by industry experts and free from our own narrative. It was pleasing to see that on scale of 1-10 xxx% of attendees felt the event improved their understanding of event ROI."

About Eventopedia

Eventopedia is the leading cloud-based venue search platform and demand generation tool for the global meetings & events industry, and its mission is to increase enquiry conversion and industry efficiency.

The powerful search and match platform makes event planning easier for all event planners, allowing more time to create more impactful events.

Eventopedia also helps event venues, hotels and suppliers to promote their brands across the web and social media, ensuring that event all suppliers communicate their story cost effectively.

Eventopedia Explainer Video Animation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSqFx40xs8o

Visit About Us http://eventopedia.com/page/about-us/

Visit us online at Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram

About Gorkana

Gorkana is the UK's leader in media intelligence and is owned by Cision.

Cision is a leading media communication technology and analytics company that enables marketers and communicators to effectively manage their earned media programs in coordination with paid and owned channels to drive business impact.

As the creator of the Cision Communication Cloud', the first-of-its-kind earned media cloud-based platform, Cision has combined cutting-edge data, analytics, technology and services into a unified communication ecosystem that brands can use to build consistent, meaningful and enduring relationships with influencers and buyers in order to amplify their marketplace influence.

Cision solutions also include market-leading media technologies such as PR Newswire, Gorkana, PRWeb, Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and iContact. Headquartered in Chicago, Cision serves over 100,000 customers in 170 countries and 40 languages worldwide, and maintains offices in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Australia.

For more information, visit http://www.cision.com or follow @Cision on Twitter.

About etc County Hall

etc.venues County Hall is etc.venues' largest event space located in London's iconic County Hall.

The venue offers conference, meeting and event space situated on the 4th floor at County Hall, with anenviable location on the riverside overlookingThe London Eye and opposite the iconic Houses of Parliament & Big Ben. The venue boasts large multi-purpose interconnecting space including two suites for groups of up to 900, who can enjoy stunning views across The Thames towards Westminster.

About Glisser

Glisser connects your audience, via their smartphone or other device, to your presentation, enabling real-time polls, digital Q&A, social sharing, likes and slide downloads for the ultimate engagement experience.

Glisser was created to offer a simple way of collecting more data at business events and meetings. With over 10 years of marketing experience, Glisser CEO Mike Piddock consistently saw live events and meetings taking the lion's share of his budget but not delivering the data needed to prove their ROI. He also attended a vast number of presentations that were poorly delivered and frankly quite boring, there had to be an opportunity here to disrupt the space.

For more information, visit https://glisser.com/about or follow @Glisser

About Easy TV

Easy TV operates and manages the TV Studio facilities of The Cocoon Innovation Centre, Europe's biggest accelerator/incubator which opened in December 2016; operates a proprietary platform for remote-control broadcast of public company communications to institutional investors, via International Capital Connections Limited and Bloomberg; and operates EventStream Live', a suite of outside event live streaming solutions to fit all budgets and engage with a global Facebook Live and other audiences - delivering the live event together with live sponsor interviews, messaging and advertising, as well as post-production highlight edits and transcripts, for maximum ROI.

For more information, visit http:/http://www.easytv.tv Contact shane.smith@CapitalConnections.tv

For examples of live programs produced by Easy TV visit http://www.IntelligentCrowd.tv

About the Glisser and Easy TV's EventStream Live' Collaboration

Together, when fully released, EventStream Live and Glisser will provide an immersive and interactive experience for remote audiences who are unable to attend events in person, significantly leveraging the return on the effort, content, and value embodied in live events. The beta version is available now on Windows for PC only, with support for iOS, Android and Windows Mobile to follow.

About Noodle Live

Noodle Live was launched in January 2013 by Clemi Hardie with the aim of using simple technology hacks to help EventProfs create better events. Over the past 4 years they have grown into one of the industry's leading tech providers, believing in the power of tech to deliver a better experience for both attendees and organisers.Noodle Live use a combination of RFID, NFC and smart-phone apps to make event environments easier to navigate and more productive. They are constantly researching new tech trends that could be useful for the events industry.Noodle Live's client list includes Xero, Fujitsu, Lidl, Arup, Jaguar Land Rover, Deloitte and Google.

For more information, visit http://www.noodlelive.com/ or follow @NoodleLIve

About Jeremy Jacobs

Jeremy Jacobs is an experienced conference host and master of ceremonies with over 25 years' experience in public speaking. Whether you want a host for your corporate event, a broadcast presenter for webinars, or you want to learn how to become an inspirational speaker yourself, Jeremy has a range of solutions that will give you instant results and long lasting impact.

For more information, visit http://www.jeremyjacobs.com or follow @JeremyJacobs

For more information, press only:

Contact toby@eventopedia.com (+44)-780-133-6068



Note to editors:For more information, news from Eventopedia, please visit the Press Coverage page: http://eventopedia.com/press-coverage/


VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Mundoro Capital Inc. (TSX VENTURE: MUN) (www.mundoro.com) ("Mundoro" or the "Company"), is pleased to provide an overview of the Company's goals and growth plans for the coming year. Mundoro enters 2017 with approximately C$5,000,000 in cash and no debt. The Company will aim to build on the successes achieved during 2016. The list below outlines some of the key catalysts and corporate growth plans for 2017:

-- Drill results expected in January from the Skorusa porphyry target located in the Sumrakovac license in Mundoro's South Timok Properties; -- Exploration work from the ongoing approx. C$400,000 (US$300,000) exploration program at the Borsko Jezero license located in the North Timok Properties, funded by partner JOGMEC, has generated targets where a drilling program is anticipated to commence in Q1/2017; -- Approx. C$2,000,000 (US$1,500,000) in exploration expenditures is anticipated over the four North Timok Properties (Zeleznik, Borsko, Dubrava and Padina), funded by partner JOGMEC, from April 2017 to March 2018 as per the Amended Option Agreement announced August, 2016; -- C$2,000,000 in exploration expenditures has been budgeted for calendar 2017 to advance the exploration of the Company's 100% owned projects in Serbia and Bulgaria; -- Mundoro will continue quality project generation and/or acquisition efforts using its mineral occurrence database to secure key ground in Serbia and Bulgaria. The Company has applied for two additional license areas in Bulgaria in 2016 and will continue this effort into 2017; and -- At the same time the Company is continuing discussions with groups regarding their interest to earn-in to Mundoro's existing projects in Serbia and Bulgaria.

Mundoro's President and CEO, Teo Dechev, stated: "We completed 2016 on budget, advanced our portfolio of targets and brought a partner to our North Timok Properties in Serbia. We enter 2017 with a steady flow of catalysts, for advancing existing discoveries and generating new ones in both (i) the North Timok Properties, with our partner JOGMEC, and (ii) the South Timok Properties as well as the Bulgarian properties which are Mundoro's 100% owned projects. The Company is well-positioned to deliver upside exposure to its shareholders while reducing exploration risk with partners funding exploration work on a part of the project portfolio."

Please visit www.mundoro.com to sign up to receive press releases and corporate updates directly to your inbox and to view the Company's latest corporate presentation, project pages, analyst coverage and more.

Stock Option Grant

The Company issued 938,000 stock options to its directors, officers, employees and contractors on January 18, 2017. The stock options were issued in accordance with Mundoro's Stock Option Plan and are exercisable into common shares of Mundoro at $0.13 (being the closing price on the TSX Venture Exchange on January 17, 2015) over a five-year term.

On behalf of the Company,

Teo Dechev, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

About Mundoro Capital Inc.

Mundoro is a Canadian mineral exploration and development public company focused on building value and generating investment return for its shareholders through directly investing in mineral projects that have the potential for mineral resource discovery or development. The Company has a diverse portfolio of exploration projects primarily focused on gold and base metals in two European countries, Serbia and Bulgaria, as well as Mexico and potentially North America. Mundoro (TSX VENTURE: MUN) is funded to pursue it strategy, has a technical team with proven exploration success, a corporate team with established capital markets relationships and a board of directors with a breadth of corporate governance knowledge.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe" or "continue" or similar words or the negative thereof. The material assumptions that were applied in making the forward looking statements in this News Release include expectations as to the mineral potential of the North Timok Properties, South Timok Properties, projects, properties, licenses, the Company's future strategy, goals and business plan and execution of the Company's existing plans. We caution readers of this News Release not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements contained in this News Release, as there can be no assurance that they will occur and they are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include general economic and market conditions, exploration results, commodity prices, changes in law, regulatory processes, the status of Mundoro's assets and financial condition, actions of competitors and the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities. The forward-looking statements contained in this News Release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this News Release are made as of the date of this News Release and the Board undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and for a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Mundoro Capital Inc.

Teo Dechev

CEO, President and Director

+1-604-669-8055

www.mundoro.com




PHUKET ISLAND, THAILAND -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Going green can mean different things in different parts of the world, but in Thailand it can be downright literal. Case in point: The Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa, Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Nai Yang Beach and Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach recently undertook reforestation efforts in the mangrove forests of Baan Tub Pla and achieved inspiringly verdant results.

Located in the Phang Nga province, an area on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula that's known for its limestone karsts and natural beauty, Baan Tub Pla was identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2014 as in need of reforestation due to illegal encroachment by palm oil and coconut plantations.

Marriott associates quickly rose to the challenge. After successfully replanting the site, they were again called upon to replant a new 17-acre site in the same area. So on December 7, 2016, more than 60 associates from the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa, as well as four other Marriott hotels, joined forces to turn this corner of the world a very important shade of green.

Mangrove forests are critical components of intertidal zones, as they help to reduce erosion, offer habitat to fish and other organisms and generally support coastal systems. Reforestation efforts at Baan Tub Pla are expected to continue for at least five years while relying heavily on the engagement of the local community as well as the quarterly volunteer efforts of this five-star Phuket hotel.

The same commitment demonstrated by the Marriott team to improve the planet is applied on property as well. This award-winning Mai Khao resort welcomes visitors with a blend of modern technology, indulgent amenities and sleek beach living, all of which associates complement with attentive, friendly service. The hotel's convenient location also puts the area's best attractions -- from the dive sites of Phi Phi Islands and unspoiled beaches of Mai Khao and Surin -- within easy reach.

From local green initiatives to global hospitality, the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa is working to improve the quality of life on the planet, one stay and one tree at a time.

About the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa

Situated along the white and azure shores of Mai Khao Beach, the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa embraces the majestic landscape with enticing indoor-outdoor architecture, luxurious amenities and attentive service. Guests can indulge in a variety of luxury accommodations, from deluxe guest rooms to opulent one- and three-bedroom villas with plush bedding, marble bathrooms, tropical views and the occasional private plunge pool. The full-service Quan Spa expands on the restorative properties of the resort, while the nearly 3,000 square feet of event space hosts conferences, weddings and even the occasional beach meeting with a blend of modern sophistication and island style. The hotel's restaurants, meanwhile, have carved out a niche within the Phuket dining scene, offering traditional Thai fare, seasonally-inspired cuisine and hand-crafted cocktails at its five venues.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3101011



CONTACT:

Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa

555, Moo 3, Mai Khao, Talang

Phuket Island, 83110 Thailand

66-76-363999

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/hktbr-renaissance-phuket-resort-and-spa/




RED DEER, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Western Economic Diversification Canada

The communities of Red Deer, Ponoka, Olds, and Delburne will receive a total of $919,157 through the Government of Canada's Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program and Canada 150 Fund to help communities modernize local recreation facilities, as well as improve social and cultural infrastructure and programs.

Both of the funding programs are 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.

Through investments in community, social and cultural infrastructure and programs, the Government of Canada is supporting the legacy of many Canadians who have invested their time, energy and spirit into improving the cultural and recreational opportunities for people of all ages within their communities.

Quotes

"The Government of Canada recognizes that cultural and recreational activities bring communities together and contributes to our overall health and well-being. The renewed facilities and programs not only respond to the demand for community infrastructure improvements, but also provide us with an opportunity to celebrate the people of this great country."

- Randy Boissonnault, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada; and the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Backgrounder

Government of Canada invests in central Alberta's community infrastructure

Announcement by Randy Boissonnault, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and MP (Edmonton Centre) on behalf of the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage and the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development.

Canada 150 Fund (Department of Canadian Heritage)

The Government of Canada established the Canada 150 Fund to create opportunities for Canadians to participate in local, regional and national celebrations that will provide lasting legacies for future generations.

With a budget of $200 million, the Canada 150 Fund has allowed hundreds of organizations to submit funding applications for activities that will mark the 150th anniversary of Confederation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Organization Project Location Federal Funding ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Red Deer and Red Deer Mosaic Red Deer, Alberta $40,000 District Museum Society ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Red Deer Native Celebrating Red Deer, Alberta $48,000 Friendship Society Canada's Strong Indigenous Culture ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Olds Eye of the Lens Olds, Alberta $35,000 Canada - A Digital Story ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program (Department of Western Economic Diversification)

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). WD is responsible for administering the program in the West.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Organization Project Location Federal Funding ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delburne Curling Upgrade the curling Delburne, Alberta $81,905 Club Society rink ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The City of Red Upgrade the Red Deer, Alberta $500,000 Deer Discovery Canyon Water Park ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Olds Upgrade Centennial Olds, Alberta $104,252 Park ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Town of Ponoka Upgrade Ponoka Ponoka, Alberta $110,000 Arena Complex ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOTAL FEDERAL INVESTMENT ANNOUNCED: $919,157

Stay Connected

Twitter: @WD_Canada, @MinisterISED, @CdnHeritage, @canada150th

Hashtags: Canada150

Website: Western Economic Diversification Canada, Canadian Heritage, Canada 150

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



For more information (media only):

Pierre-Olivier Herbert

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage

819-997-7788



Media Relations

Canadian Heritage

819-994-9101

1-866-569-6155

pch.media-media.pch@canada.ca




SEOUL (dpa-AFX) - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SMSN.L, SSNNF.OB, SSNLF.OB) will reportedly blame faulty batteries for last year's Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Samsung's investigation of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones found that some batteries were irregularly sized while others had manufacturing problems which led to overheating and fire. Samsung is expected to hold a press conference in Seoul, South Korea on January 23, Monday. The South Korean technology giant was forced to recall some 2.5 million devices globally that cost the company nearly $5 billion. The report says that Samsung conducted the investigation with three quality-control and supply-chain analysis firms that it hired to help it in its independent investigation. Samsung had to stop selling the phones and urged its customers to stop using the device. It also offered to replace the ones already purchased after reports of battery overheating and fire. US regulators had ordered a formal recall of the Note 7. The US Federal Aviation Administration urged the airline passengers not to bring the phones on planes unless they are turned off, and also asked not to charge them during the flight. Samsung used batteries manufactured by Samsung SDI Co. and Amperex Technology Ltd. for Galaxy Note 7. 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.
ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR -- (Marketwired) -- 01/20/17 -- Fortis Inc. ("Fortis" or the "Corporation") (TSX: FTS)(NYSE: FTS) will release its 2016 annual results on Thursday, February 16, 2017. A teleconference and webcast will be held the same day at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern). Barry Perry, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Karl Smith, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, will discuss Fortis' 2016 annual results.

Analysts, members of the media and other interested parties in North America are invited to participate by calling 1.877.223.4471. International participants may participate by calling 647.788.4922. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. No pass code is required.

A live and archived audio webcast of the teleconference will be available on the Corporation's website, www.fortisinc.com.

A replay of the conference will be available two hours after the conclusion of the call until March 16, 2017. Please call 1.800.585.8367 or 416.621.4642 and enter pass code 50056693.

About Fortis

Fortis is a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry with total assets of approximately $47 billion, on a pro forma basis as at September 30, 2016 including the acquisition of ITC Holdings Corp. The Corporation's 8,000 employees serve utility customers in five Canadian provinces, nine U.S. states and three Caribbean countries.

Fortis shares are listed on the TSX and NYSE and trade under the symbol FTS. Additional information can be accessed at www.fortisinc.com, www.sedar.com, or www.sec.gov.

Contacts:

Ms. Kealey Martin

Manager, Investor Relations

Fortis Inc.

709.737.2900




PLYMOUTH, MN--(Marketwired - January 20, 2017) - On Friday, January 6, 2017, TruStone Financial Federal Credit Union held a company-wide Charity Casual Day, where staff were able to wear casual attire in exchange for donations to a non-profit organization.

This month's Charity Casual Day was held for The Shalom Center, a non-profit organization that provides food, shelter and support service needs to the homeless and low-income population of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The organization recently purchased a building that will serve as a permanent shelter for those in need. The credit union's donation will be used for building renovations and update expenses.

"The community support has been overwhelming," said Lynn Biese-Carroll, Executive Director for The Shalom Center. "We appreciate businesses like TruStone Financial, who are investing in our community, and we hope other businesses will follow."

"The timing was perfect with the current fundraising efforts going on for The Shalom Center," stated Kacie Osten, Vice President - Director of Wisconsin Branches. "We are thrilled to be able to contribute to such a wonderful organization and are grateful for everything they do for the Kenosha community."

About The Shalom Center

The Shalom Center is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) social service organization incorporated in the state of Wisconsin in 1984. They fill a unique and vital role in the community by responding to the food, shelter and support service needs of the homeless and low-income population of Kenosha. The mission of the Shalom Center is to respectfully provide food, shelter, housing and guidance to those in need.

About TruStone Financial

TruStone Financial is one of the fastest growing credit unions in the Midwest with assets of $1.16 billion and exceeding 102,000 members. There are 13 branches across Minnesota and Wisconsin. The credit union is headquartered in Plymouth, Minnesota. For more information and full membership criteria, visit TruStoneFinancial.org.

Katie Grindeland

Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Phone: 763.595.4002

Katie.Grindeland@TruStone.org
SEATTLE (dpa-AFX) - Starbucks Corp. (SBUX) has decided to expand its parental leave plan for U.S. employees, as the coffee retailing giant looks to lure its employees to stay put. In a note to employees, Starbucks said birth moms will be eligible for six weeks of paid leave at 100 percent of their average pay, effective October 1. Earlier, six weeks of leave were issued at 67 percent of average pay. All employees who work a minimum of 20 or more hours a week are eligible for benefits. Additionally, parents can also take 12 weeks of unpaid leave when they welcome a new child either through birth, adoption or foster. Starbucks is expanding its family leave policies amid intense competition to attract and retain employees amidst low unemployment rate in the U.S. Starbucks currently employs over 160,000 partners in the U.S. However, its is not clear how many of those employees are eligible for the benefits. 'While we have made substantial investments in our partners, we want to continue to do more,' said President and COO Kevin Johnson. 'This is one of many steps we are actively taking to evolve our benefits and create a Partner Experience that lives up to our aspirations.' 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.
Earlier this week, Dealroom released its annual venture capital report (free download), alongside trusted media partner Tech.eu. The report is packed with data and insights. Below are 10 key observations from that report.

Insight #1: With a record  16.2 billion raised in 2016, European tech is better capitalised than ever

European companies raised  16.2 billion (US$ 17.3 billion) in venture capital, an increase of 12% versus the previous year and an all-time record. The number of rounds grew by 32%, from 2,566 to 3,376. By comparison, U.S. venture capital funding was down by about 10% from $ 70-80 billion in 2015 to $ 60-70 billion in 2016. All this despite Europe struggling with a bunch of political and economic upheaval (Brexit, deflation, regional unemployment rates of 12-25%).

As a result, European tech companies in aggregate have more capital at their disposal than ever before, to invest in their product and acquire customers. On the one hand, competition for the same customers will heat up even further, but on the other hand much of Europe is still wide open in terms of the online migration land-grab.

Insight #2: Slow-down in the UK & Germany, France is now leading Europe by number of rounds

Back in 2014 and 2015, the UK and Germany were the torchbearers of European tech, responsible for more than 50% of all European venture capital raised. But in 2016, that percentage fell to 32%. France, Sweden and Israel took the majority of that lost share, while the rest of Europe also did well.

For the first time, France took the #1 spot in terms of number of deals. Is it time for the French to bring out the champagne? Well, why not  but of course, whats more important is how these new startups will be able to develop in the coming years. But certainly, it is time for U.S. (and other non-European) funds that have been focusing on the UK and Germany, to widen their horizon.

Insight #3: Consumer tech focused more on execution and consolidation in 2016, less on funding

During 20132015, a majority of capital went into consumer tech (food delivery, taxis, fashion, home) including well-known UK & German names such as Delivery Hero, Just Eat, Zalando, HelloFresh, Helpling, Home24 home, et cetera. During 2016 these companies focused on execution, consolidation and reaching profitability. This is not a bad thing of course, but the result is a 43% drop in B2C funding in Germany & the UK.

Despite that, over  7.2 billion (a small increase) was invested in consumer tech in 2016 across Europe. Some top growth categories in consumer tech were: travel, fashion, consumer healthcare, various subscription services and consumer hardware. For 2017, there is plenty of activity to be expected in areas such as consumer banking, Internet of Things, virtual reality, and others.

Another factor explaining the German decline in B2C is that Rocket Internets main 2016 funding project was Paris-based Jumia ( 425 million raised in 2016).

Insight #4: 2016 was the largest ever vintage of European startups

France, Sweden, and many other parts of Europe experienced a surge in number of rounds and total amount raised. Early stage rounds, seed and series-A were key drivers.

France really stood out: the number of seed rounds tripled and early stage rounds doubled, in a nation-wide phenomenon across more than 150 cities. Many French cities saw their first VC round ever in 2016. Several of the most active European investors in 2016 were French (Bpifrance, Kima Ventures, IDInvest, Partech, 360 Capital Partners, BNP Paribas).

By contrast, the total number of seed rounds in the UK declined for two years in a row. Could it be that founders from continental Europe are starting to prefer their home country over London to start a business as local funding options improved? The data doesnt explain it. But Brexit could push this trend further in 2017: spreading tech hubs across Europe and reducing geographical concentration. There are -no doubt- some pros and cons to this.

One thing is for sure: 2016 is the largest ever vintage (to use a French term) of European early stage startups funded. How bountiful will be the harvest of this 2016 vintage?

Insight #5: Fewer startups are reaching the next funding stage

While more startups are getting funded, a smaller proportion is reaching the next stage. This may sound alarming, but increased losses is to be expected from increased risk taking  at least to some extent. It also comes with the territory of embracing failure, the mantra much heard in 2016.

That said, its important to keep a close eye on startup success rates.

Insight #6: Brexit sucks, but it did not cause a VC slump (yet)

UK venture capital funding dropped by  600 million (or 16%); the number of UK rounds declined for two years in a row. Commentators suggested more than once that UK funding fell as a result of Brexit. From a timing perspective this is just very unlikely. The slowdown in consumer tech is a much more robust explanation. Commentators are searching for evidence that Brexit was a bad idea (which it was), but unfortunately populist policies often (if not mostly) cause short-term stimulus. The long-term ramifications of the (hard) Brexit have yet to play out.

Insight #7:  4.9 billion in corporate investing, kind of a big deal

Corporate rounds grew by 33% to  4.9 billion (thats the combined size of all VC rounds involving at least one corporate). Even more impressive: the number of rounds grew by 74% to 535 rounds (thats 16% of all rounds).

These corporates are mostly investing directly from their balance sheet, but also via corporate venture funds (see chart below). Increasingly, corporates also participate in smaller rounds. At the same time, the corporate accelerator model has come under increased criticism from serial founders and angel investors.

Insight #8: Deep tech investing grew 10x during last 5 years, to  2 billion

2016 saw a continued rise in investment activities in deep tech such as artificial intelligence, virtual/augmented reality, robotics, drones, aerospace, and other so called deep tech segments. An important milestone was Atomicos  10 million investment in Lilium Aviation (yes, flying cars).

The battle for the small business and enterprise users is also likely to heat up during 2017. Growth areas included: security, B2B fintech, and marketing tech.

Insight #9: During 2016, valuations have normalised

Accurate information about valuations is hard to obtain (it needs to be based on a large enough random sample to be reliable). But total round sizes are a good proxy for valuation (the dilution per round is usually 2025%). In 2016, rounds sizes of series A, B and C have come back down from their peak in 2015, in 2016 to 2014 levels, which could be a good sign for the long-term health of the VC ecosystem.

Insight #10: European VC funds raised well over  8.4 billion in new funding from LPs

European VCs raised well over  8.4 billion in new capital in 2016, an increase of +33%. New investment funds were raised across Europe, with Germany, the UK, France, and Netherlands in the lead.

This increase in available funds is coupled with: increasing activity of corporate funds mentioned earlier, increasing involvement of private equity making growth equity investments, and U.S. funds increasing involvement in Europe. Combined, this provides ample firepower (capital) to fuel levels of VC activity beyond that of 2016.

Outlook for 2017

The fundamentals are in place for continued growth in 2017: more new capital raised by European VC funds, corporate involvement will likely increase even further, and U.S. investors will continue to be very active as well. How much capital is too much capital? In consumer tech we seem to have reached a (temporary?) cap, to some extent. But venture funding per capita is still only at about 1/10th of the U.S. level of investment in most parts of Europe, indicating there is still plenty of headroom left (provided that startups have big enough international ambitions).

With fast growth of capital available, theres a risk investors lowering their quality standards by some participants. No doubt the European VC ecosystem still has to go through a learning curve and will experience a few bumps along the road. The real test will be: follow-on rounds, profitability and exits. It takes on average 1824 months between rounds (from seed and series-A, from series-A to B, and so on), so we will see in 2017 and 2018 how the quality of the 2016 vintage compares to previous years. Sign up on dealroom.co if youd like us to keep you posted on these developments.

*Yoram Wijngaarde is the Founder & CEO of Dealroom.co  data and research about high-growth companies in Europe and beyond.
40South Energy Italia Srl, a Pisa, Italy-based renewable energy company, closed a 2.25m funding round.

Backers included Invitalia Ventures and Enel Green Power.

The company intends to use the funds to develop the technology and start with commercialization of its machine in 2017.

Established in 2007 by Michele Grassi, 40South Energy Italy produces energy from the ocean waves thanks to patented and scalable technology with high average capacity, low environmental and zero visual impact.

The company has designed two wave energy converters associated to a common powertrain, which can transform the energy from ocean waves.

The technology can be managed without the needs of specific vessels and machines can be set-up in isolated place on the sea and close to some islands.

FinSMEs

20/01/2017
I am a retired newspaperman. I am 69 and live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 45 years, Lou Ann. We grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather.

More on who I am is here.

Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com
Ecomdash, a Charlotte-based ecommerce automation software, raised a funding round of undisclosed amount.

Backers included the Charlotte Angel Fund (which made a $125k funding).

The company intends to use the funds to expand sales and marketing efforts.

Led by CEO Nick Maglosky, Ecomdash is a SaaS based platform that automates backend operations for ecommerce sellers. The solution streamlines and integrates omni-channel retailers inventory, sales orders, product listings and shipping processes across marketplaces like Amazon and eBay as well as ecommerce-ready website platforms like Shopify.

FinSMEs

19/01/2017
Paris Saclay University has launched a 50m seed fund.

The Paris Saclay Seed Fund, which will be run by Partech Ventures with support from Kurma Partners, aims to nurture the new generation of entrepreneurs from the innovation cluster.

Led by and Romain Lavault, General Partner in charge of all seed activities at Partech, and Claire Godron, Senior Associate, The fund will invest between 100k and 2m in pre-seed and seed stage companies coming out of the Paris Saclay ecosystem.

The vehicle will identify the most promising startups and leverage the clusters potential to encourage innovative projects in their development from the earliest possible stage.

The fund will support students and former students, as well as researchers under contract with one of the institutions on the campus with financial and operational backing from Partech Ventures, as well as from investors which include BNP Paribas, Chanel, Cisco, Econocom, EDF, Groupama, JCDecaux, Orange, RATP and Societe Generale, as well as alumni from participating schools, former entrepreneurs and leaders of CAC 40 groups.

To ensure maximum interaction, the Paris Saclay Seed Fund will organize frequent gatherings, including quarterly meet-ups and individual contacts with investors so that entrepreneurs can ask for advice and tap into business opportunities.

FinSMEs

20/01/2017
Beginning next financial year 2017-18, when you file your income tax returns, don't be surprised if your form has field to quote the Aadhaar number. Yes, the government is working on a plan to make it mandatory for all individuals to quote their Aadhaar number while filing the returns starting next financial year.

Along with this, linking all the bank accounts with the unique identification number has already been in the works for quite some time, said a report in the Business Standard.

While work on both fronts has been steadily progressing, the report suggests that the government is actively looking at amending the Income Tax Act, 1961, in this budget.

In fact, the decision to link Aadhaar to a bank account and to make it compulsory for filing I-T returns was already taken in May last year.

During the meeting in May, the PMO said, "Aadhaar number of individuals and office bearers of entities should be obtained in I-T returns, starting assessment year 2017-18. Necessary provisions may be made under the Income Tax Act/rules," the BS report said.

The government on Thursday said it plans to make Aadhaar essential, although not mandatory, for subsidised foodgrain under the National Food Security Act and asked states to link them with ration cards at the earliest.

The Centre also said that states have promised to install digital payment system at ration shops by June.

Under the food law, over 80 crore people get 5 kg wheat or rice per person per month at Rs 2-3 per kg costing exchequer Rs 1.4 lakh crore annually.

The move is part of the efforts to promote digital transactions and less cash economy post the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

Prime minister Narendra Modi had in a speech on 30 December had proposed a biometric payment system using Aadhaar platform while he exhorting citizens to adopt digital currency from the new year.

After card payments and e-wallets, payments through the new system can be made by just a thumb impression after the bank account is linked with Aadhaar gateway, he said at a DigiDhan Mela, an event organised to celebrate the success of digital currency push.

With inputs from PTI
The Union Budget 2017 is unlikely to have any big bang announcements on the personal tax and corporate tax front as the government will need time until next year to analyse the data about the deposits the banks have amassed after the demonetisation, said Frank Dsouza, partner - tax and regulatory services, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

"It is just one month after the end of the deadline for making deposits. Also there are still people going to the RBI to make deposits. So from that perspective a reaction in this budget may not happen. There could be a few sops coming out given the hardships the common man has suffered. I would say we will have to wait until next budget for any path breaking, big ticket announcement," he said in a video discussion on taxes hosted by Firstpost.

The government announced the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on 8 November and those holding the banned notes were given time until 30 December for depositing them at the banks. For those who were outside India during the period the RBI counters will remain open to make deposits until 31 March.

After the demonetisation, which resulted in huge deposits at the banks, there has been speculation that the government will reduce the personal income tax in order to compensate for the hardships the common man suffered. There has been a view a reduction of the tax burden on individuals and corporates will give a consumption boost and encourage investments which will help weather the demonetisation-induced slowdown.

However, D'Souza does not expect any major announcement in the upcoming budget. In the case of corporate tax, the government is unlikely to move away from the roadmap announced last year he said.

On the GST front the government is likely to some announcement on the policy front, said Bhupender Singh, director - indirect tax with PwC.

"Our expectation is that there could be some policy announcements on the GST front in this Budget. There is unlikely to be GST related tax announcements. It could be more like policy announcements," he said adding all other important decisions are regarding the GST will be taken by the GST Council.

For full coverage of Union Budget 2017 click here.
New Delhi: 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.

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.
Both Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Jaitley are possessed by missionary zeal to catapult India into the digital world. Their enthusiasm for digital payments and smart cities is palpable. While demonetisation has fortuitously provided the impetus for digital payments, Amravati - the new capital city in the making of the truncated state of Andhra Pradesh could be the inspiration for other states to follow and emulate.

Barcelona, Washington DC, San Francisco, etc., have been the front runners in the race for smart city status. These cities have had a head start thanks to their relatively small population, modernity, good infrastructure and high-speed internet. In contrast Indian cities are bursting at their seams and characterized by poor infrastructure. 4G internet technology, crucial to the success of the idea of smart city especially for the monitoring and guidance providing apps to work, is not available on a scale that can cater to the entire country. In the event, it would be better if we identify a few cities as pilot cities for the hallowed status of smart cities instead of spreading ourselves thin.

We must start with a clean state, so to say. In other words cities that are either in the anvil or being created should be focused on. Amravati could be the ideal choice not the least because the Andhra Chief Minister is a high-tech enthusiast. A new city comes without a historical baggage and is uncluttered. A city like Delhi has a baggage and its infrastructure development has been in fits and starts. It has multi-power centers with the Delhi government and its municipalities is often not on the best of terms. So much so, they do not cooperate with each other. Its streets stink periodically with sweepers not being paid regularly and the two power centers blaming each other for the financial crunch that purportedly is at the back of them not being paid.

It is not as if Amravati would be immune from such politicisation of civic issues but being new it can learn its lessons from the trials, travails and tribulations of mega cities like Delhi. Its buildings can be green and its electricity, water and sewage connections digitized so as to keep a constant track of bottlenecks and fault lines. Constant monitoring of infrastructure is crucial to a city remaining smart. Amravati and may be Jhansi the possible capital of the putative Bundelkhand state that might be carved out of UP if the BJP comes to power in UP can plan for smartness right from the beginning.

Smartness superimposed on a somnolent and congested city would be a herculean task if not a disaster in the making. Incidentally, the accent on smaller states by the BJP has a spinoff---decongestion of big cities. The states in the US set the lead in this regard by having two capitals so to say---economic and political. San Francisco is the business capital of California but its state or political capital is the relatively obscure Sacramento. Decongested cities indeed make for smart cities.

Though the governments heart is at the right place insofar as smart cities are concerned, its actions have been incremental, small and unfocused. Budget 2016-17 allocated Rs 3,205 crore for 100 smart cities across the country and Rs 4,091 crore for Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) -- a supplemental thrust to the idea of smart cities. This is the typical please-all approach that ultimately ends up pleasing none. We should not dissipate our resources in smallness and unfocused efforts just to keep every party and every part of the country pleased.

We must instead think big and be focused. An Amravati could be the pilot smart city. It is not this writer's case that Delhi or Mumbai should not aspire for the hallowed smart city status but given our resource constraints, we must prioritise. Starting with a clean state always has advantages and focus.

For full coverage of Union Budget 2017, click here
India's Railways for long has been known to be the backbone of the country's transport system, but recent spate of accidents has once again shifted focus to the shortcomings in the safety department.

It is in this context that the government is looking to pump in funds over and above the budgeted allocation for undertaking the safety upgrades.

For this, the government is looking to float a special fund called Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK), which will see Rs 1 lakh crore capital infusion to be spread over a five year period, The Indian Express report said.

This likely capital infusion for safety upgrades will come after a gap of 16 years. Prior to this, the government had raised Rs 17,000 crore as special safety fund in 2001 when Nitish Kumar was at the railways ministry. Of the Rs 17,000 crore, the finance ministry then had approved Rs 12,000 crore and the balance Rs 5,000 crore came in through a levy of safety surcharge on passengers.

This year, the government has decided to club Railway budget with the Union Budget scheduled to be unveiled on 1 February. The finance ministry has already set aside Rs 55,000 crore as gross budgetary support for Railways for the next financial year 2017-18. For the safety fund, the first installment of Rs 20,000 crore will be paid from the budgeted amount, while the rest will be used for the normal capital expenditure.

However, the IE report suggests that of the Rs 55,000 crore earmarked for the railways, Rs 15,000 crore will go into special safety fund, while the remaining Rs 5,000 crore would be borne by the railways.

According to a report in Mint, Railways is looking at spending Rs 1.3 lakh crore as capital expenditure in the next financial year.

The railway ministry has sought a gross budgetary support of Rs 60,000 crore from the Union budget and we are hopeful to get around Rs55,000 crore which is an increase of approximately 20%, Mint repot said quoting a senior railway board official.

Last years PhillipCapital report said the country's Railways will require around $53 billion capital to undertake pending projects and network decongestion orders over FY17-FY20.
With Skype for iOS, you can make free worldwide calls, chat with friends, and even play games via chatbots.

Pros

Free video and voice calls: Skype-to-Skype calls are free, no matter where in the world the participants are located. Calling from the Skype app to a mobile number or landline, however, requires purchasing Skype Credits or a monthly subscription plan. Skype can handle group calls, but the number of video streams will vary, depending on your device and other factors.

Chat with contacts: In addition to handling calls, Skype lets you chat with contacts. You can send emojis and GIFs, exchange files, and snap and share photos.

Add contacts: While it's not a completely intuitive process, you can import contacts from your address book or add them manually. You can also add chatbots to play games, make travel plans, find movie times, and more.

Good call quality: While Skype has in the past been dinged for its call quality, the quality of our voice and video calls over a mobile network and several Wi-Fi networks was consistently fine, with no lag or dropped calls.

Simple interface: Skype's interface is easy to navigate, and you can initiate calls and text messages with a few taps. You also easily switch between front- and back-facing cameras during a call.

Cons

Not for teamwork: The consumer version lacks collaborative tools, such as screen sharing. If you want to collaborate with colleagues, you need Skype for Business, which starts at $5 per month per user.

No Facebook sign-in: Unlike the desktop and Web versions, the Skype for iOS app won't let you sign in via Facebook. Instead, you need to use your Skype name or your Microsoft account.

Bottom Line

While the video- and voice-calling field has become more crowded since Skype debuted in 2003, the iOS version of the long-running messaging app has kept pace, offering a solid way to make worldwide calls with an easy-to-use interface.
New Delhi: RBI today informed a parliamentary panel that it is working on a mechanism to bring down transaction cost on online payments post demonetisation even as cash flow position in urban as well as rural areas have improved significantly.

RBI Governor Urjit Patel along with Deputy Governor R Gandhi and other senior functionaries appeared before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for oral evidence on 'Review of Monetary Policy'.

Members asked a host of questions from the RBI Governor, who has been given 15 days time to respond to the queries.

Sources said members were told by RBI that a mechanism was being discussed with stakeholders, including banks and payment gateways, to bring down the cost of transactions in tandem with the government's initiative to promote digital payments.

It is learnt that Patel said cash flow position has largely improved in the country.

However, there are some problems in remote rural areas and members were assured that the situation would improve in the next couple of weeks.

To questions on impact of demonetisation on growth, Patel said there may be impact in the short run, but in mid and long term the move is beneficial for the economy.

Later talking to reporters, PAC Chairman K V Thomas said the Committee will meet again on February 10 to discuss the issues with Finance Ministry officials. He further said that the RBI Governor could be called again if required after February 10.

Responding to queries by members, RBI said the discussion to demonetise old high value currency between the government and the central bank started in January 2016.

During the nearly four-hour meeting, the panel asked questions regarding significant surge in deposits in several cooperative banks and asked RBI to look into the issue.

The legal tender character of old series of Rs 500/1000 notes was cancelled by the government effective midnight of November 8 on the recommendations of the Central Board of RBI.

The Board meeting was attended by Governor Patel, two Deputy Governors (R Gandhi and S S Mundra), and five Directors of RBI -- Nachiket Mor, Bharat N Doshi, Sudhir Mankad, Shaktikanta Das and Anjuly Chib Duggal.

Sources said another director N S Vishwanathan (Deputy Governor) did not attend the meeting as he stayed back in Mumbai for "strategic reasons" to brief the bankers first hand immediately after the decision on demonetisation was taken.

Another director, Natarajan Chandrasekaran was abroad at the time of the meeting.
New Delhi: At the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee in New Delhi on Friday, the efforts of the Congress to corner the Narendra Modi government over the issue of demonetisation didnt fructify.

Despite doing its homework and chalking out a strategy to extract maximum information from the RBI governor on the impact of demonetization on the Indian economy, the panel headed by KV Thomas didnt succeed much in its efforts.

While the Congress was prepared to grill Urjit Patel over the issue, it wasn't prepared for the checkmate that followed.

Patel stumped the panel by listening to its questions patiently and sealing the day with the reprieve that he would come with written answers in the next meeting.

According to sources, the PAC chairman Thomas had met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi a day before and both had more than an hour-long discussion. Later, Thomas met former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

After meeting Rahul Gandhi, Thomas also met Manmohan Singh to get technical tips on note ban and demonetisation. Later, he also had a discussion with another senior Congress leader," a source said.

As the agenda of Fridays meeting was monetary policy and impact of demonetisation on Indian economy, Congress members ensured to come prepared on demonetisation issue at the PAC meeting to corner the Modi government by quizzing the RBI governor and his team.

Patel reportedly refrained from answering the key question asked by the panel  "Who initiated the demonetisation process?"

The sources said that he has sought a fortnight to come up with a complete reply to all queries in writing.

However, the RBI chief while informing the panel, reportedly emphasised that demonetisation would have a short-term impact on GDP but have a positive mid and long-term impact on Indian economy.

Patels statement got a strong backing from the PAC members from the BJP.

The BJP reportedly said that the previous UPA government had also thought of demonetisation but "it didnt have the courage to do it in fear of backlash."

"All the political parties welcomed the note ban and none opposed it. This demonetisation move is like a bitter pill and its advantage will be visible in the long term. It has also led to less-cash transaction like payment through cheques and debit and credit cards. Why only one person should pay tax? Let the others also do it. If we have financial transactions through banking instruments, itll be on record and no one can escape paying taxes," a BJP member reportedly said during the meeting.

Supporting the governments move, a panel member, who is also a BJP MP, said that the common man had welcomed demonetisation and it would prove helpful in economic development in future.

On RBI governor refraining from answering the questions, Thomas said, "We asked a series of questions, but RBI governor was not ready to answer. They have sought time to do so and will get back after a fortnight."

Apparently, the PAC chairman is of the opinion that "RBI is an institution and its governor cant be grilled like a minister or MP in the Parliament."

In a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee held on 18 January, Manmohan Singh had come to the rescue of Patel and reportedly advised him not to reply to questions which could create problems for the central bank.

Singh, who was also a RBI governor earlier, had said, "RBI as an institution needs to be respected."

The sources said that Thomas has agreed that the government should be given time to respond on the volley of questions posed by the panel.

Besides the RBI governor, Fridays meeting was also attended by Patels deputy SS Mundra and deputy CAG H Pradeep Rao. As the Union Budget is just around the corner  on 1 February  the finance ministry officials will face the panel after the Budget.
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.
It is a very crucial Friday for Tamil Nadu as the Jallikattu issue has snowballed into a major event.

The Justice for Jallikattu movement started by the students all over Tamil Nadu has caught on like a wild fire. The epicentre of the issue remains Marina beach in Chennai, which said to be the new Tahir Square, reminding one of the Arab Spring movement.

There is a complete shut down in Chennai with shops and restaurants closed, buses, taxis and autos off the roads, schools and colleges closed and theatres and malls closed for the day. Thousands of youngsters have gathered to protest at Chennai's Marina beach, and more are arriving on their own. Chennai Police has been cooperating with the protesters to make sure there is calm and peace during the protest.

At the same time in Delhi on early Friday morning, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam appealed to the protesters to withdraw their strike. The CM said: We have prepared an ordinance which has to be approved by the central government. We will bring an executive order to remove ban on Jallikattu. But the protesters have said they will not withdraw their strike till it is implemented by the state government.

Meanwhile the film fraternity, especially the powerful actors association Nadigar Sangam, are protesting in support of Jallikattu, but they also have issued a statement claiming that they do not want to take away from the momentum created by the youngsters who are protesting.

Top actor Nassar has issued a video appeal requesting the media to keep away from their one-day silent protest to lift the ban on Jallikattu. Nadigar Sangam has also issued a press release to all media outlets, "not to cover Nadigar Sangam Silent Protest taking place at Nadigar Sangam Ground today [Friday]".

There has been criticism from all quarters about this, including the students protesting at Marina, who have demanded politicians and stars should keep away from the protest. The hashtag #SayNotoNadigarSangam has also been trending on Twitter since Friday morning. A section of protesters also feel that there is no need for actors to steal the limelight and leave the protest to students.

But will the TRP driven television channels stop showing stars of the industry converging at the Nadigar Sangam grounds? The buzz is that some stars are unlikely to turn up, as they do not want to hurt the feeling of those protesting at Marina. Watch this space for updates.
Unlike Helen of Troy, Dulquer Salmaan has not built a reputation for setting ships sailing. Instead he employs his smile-that-could-launch-a-thousand-ships to pull off films that need magnetic leads to make up for their lack of heft.

Jomonte Suvisheshangal is not terrible. It is just commonplace. After an amusing first half, it descends into predictability yet is at no point unbearable for three reasons: the young heros gorgeousness, the combined charisma of Salmaan and his fellow leading man Mukesh, and the warm chemistry these two men share.

If you are not looking for great depth or originality, then this could perhaps be enough for you.

Director Sathyan Anthikads Jomonte Suvisheshangal is the story of millionaire business tycoon Vincent and his irresponsible son Jomon who is too busy spending his fathers money to make a career for himself. Since he is a sweet, harmless chap, his family is indulgent towards him. As is expected, a dramatic turn of events soon compels Jomon to grow up.

The pre-interval portion of Jomonte Suvisheshangal is spent establishing Vincents wealth and money-mindedness, and luring us with Jomons charms. The youngsters shenanigans are not distasteful, he is what is called a ladies man but his behaviour towards women is not offensive, and the only irritants are some incongruous dancing and the song Nokki nokki ninnu needlessly inserted into the proceedings, possibly because one song per romantic interest is mandatory according to established formulae. This part of the film is light-hearted, breezy and funny.

The second half is a coming-of-age saga. Here the action shifts from Thrissur in Kerala to Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu. This is where Iqbal Kuttippurams screenplay falters. Jomons initial work struggles hold out promise, but after a while, matters start sorting themselves out too conveniently. With nothing unique to say beyond a point, no detailing whatsoever in any aspect of the storytelling and no particular insights to offer about the new culture within which the story now operates, the narrative becomes tired.

From here on, Jomonte Suvisheshangal skates along on writing that is thinner than thin ice but is prevented from cracking by the appeal of its two male leads.

The eye-catching locations are well shot, but short shrift is given to all the supporting characters in the story. Because of the space they get, Salmaan and Mukesh display their acting chops despite the limited writing, but the actresses in the roles of Jomons girlfriends Catherine (Anupama Parameswaran) and Vydehi (Aishwarya Rajesh) are stuck with playing colourless sketches rather than fully fleshed out people. The problem is not with the screen time accorded to them but the indifferent characterisation. Both Parameswaran who debuted in 2015s Malayalam blockbuster Premam and the talented Tamil artiste Rajesh deserve better than to be treated as mere pretty asides.

A potentially interesting sub-plot involving a French businesswoman is left inexplicably unexplored. She is shown physically assaulting her Indian contacts, it is even implied that she hit Jomons boss and seriously injured him. The fact that this point is left hanging speaks volumes about our collective national post-colonial obsequiousness towards white-skinned Westerners.

Jomonte Suvisheshangals lack of substance is particularly disappointing because of Anthikads track record. The multiple award-winning director appears not to be resting on his laurels here, but on the safety net that is his lead cast. Mukesh is a fantastic actor. Salmaan  handsome and gifted  is emerging from a year in which he delivered cracking performances in two cracking films, Kammatipaadam and Kali. He could sleepwalk through a role like Jomon and might still make it work. Both deserve scripts that challenge them better than this one does.

After an entertaining start, Jomonte Suvisheshangal dissipates into ordinariness. It is left to Dulquer Salmaan and Mukesh to rescue this overly thin film.

(Note of caution for viewers who understand only Malayalam: the Tamil dialogues in Jomonte Suvisheshangal were not accompanied by subtitles in the hall where I watched it.)
Thimphu: Two days after their fairy tale wedding, King Jigme Khesar Nagyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema were today accorded a ceremonial reception by the Royal Bhutan Army on their first visit post-marriage to the seat of government here, 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 here, 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 yesterday 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.

The ceremony, a part of the royal traditions, was strictly a family and government affair except for the participation of Gandhi, a 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.

PTI
HELSINKI India-based car parts maker and engineering group Motherson Sumi Systems Ltd (MOSS.NS) has agreed to buy Finnish truck wire maker PKC Group (PKC1V.HE) for 571 million euros ($609 million), PKC said on Thursday.Motherson has offered 23.55 euros per PKC share, representing a 51 percent premium to PKC's closing price on Thursday."Combining the two companies will create a leading supplier of wiring systems and components for the worldwide transportation industry," PKC said in a statement.

The Finnish company said its board backs the offer.

($1 = 0.9377 euros)

(Reporting by Jussi Rosendahl; Editing by Leslie Adler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
WELLINGTON New Zealand and Sri Lanka will open diplomatic posts in each other's nations and are considering a free trade agreement, the Pacific country's trade minister said on Friday.New Zealand trade minister Todd McClay and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed officials to consider a framework to boost economic ties, which could result in a free trade deal, McClay said in a statement after the two met this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos. "Sri Lanka and New Zealand are complementary economies. There is potential for greater trade both ways, said McClay, and added that any deal could include "other like-minded nations."New Zealand, a small island nation heavily dependent on international trade, is closely watching developments as growing U.S. protectionism threatens the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) signed by 12 nations last year, which incoming President Donald Trump has pledged to abandon.

Wellington is focussing on getting a number of new trade deals and existing pact upgrades off the ground, including one with the European Union.

McClay has also said it would be "interesting" to see whether momentum builds around the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, an Asian trade pact that includes China and India, if the United States pulls out of the TPP.Trade with Sri Lanka is currently modest, at NZ$307 million in the year to October 2016. Sri Lanka is a major buyer of New Zealand's main goods export, dairy products, with exports last year worth NZ$240 million.

(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Steve Holland

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, succeeding Barack Obama and telling a bitterly divided country he will pursue "America First" policies at home and abroad.As scattered protests erupted elsewhere in Washington, Trump raised his right hand and put his left on a Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated a 35-word oath of office from the U.S. Constitution, with U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.Afterward, he stretched his arms wide and hugged his wife, Melania, and other members of his family. Then he turned around to a podium and delivered his inaugural address."This moment is your moment, it belongs to you," Trump told a large crowd that had earlier booed Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the U.S. Senate.Revisiting themes from his improbable campaign victory, Trump said his presidency would aim to help struggling middle-class families, build up the U.S. military and strengthen U.S. borders."We are transferring power from Washington D.C. and giving it back to you," he said."From this day forward a new vision will govern our land," Trump said. "From this day forward it's going to be only America First."The transition from a Democratic president to a Republican took place on the West Front of the domed U.S. Capitol before a crowd of former presidents, dignitaries and hundreds of thousands of people on the grounds of the National Mall. The crowd stretched westward on a cool day of occasional light rain.Trump, 70, takes over a country divided after a savage election campaign. A wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star, he will set the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad.Away from the Capitol, masked activists ran through the streets smashing windows with hammers at a McDonalds restaurant, a Starbucks coffee shop and Bobby Vans Grill steakhouse several blocks from the White House.They carried black anarchist flags and signs that said, "Join the resistance, fight back now." Police used pepper spray and chased them down a major avenue, a Reuters eyewitness reported.In another location not far from the White House, protesters also scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminum chairs at them at outdoor cafe. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate who Trump defeated on Nov 8, attended the ceremony with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Former presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter were also present with their wives. Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, 92, was in Houston recovering from pneumonia.

Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, began the day attending a prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House. Trump, wearing a dark suit and red tie, and Melania Trump, clad in a classic-styled, powder blue ensemble, then headed into the White House for a meeting with Obama and his wife, Michelle.Trump took office with work to do to bolster his image.During a testy transition period since his stunning election win, Trump has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that Trump seemed to want to "engage with every windmill that he can find."An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed Trump favorably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition. (abcn.ws/2jU9w63)TRUMP'S AGENDA

His ascension to the White House, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Obama's eight years in office, raises a host of questions for the United States.

Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 percent tariff on goods on imports from U.S. companies that went abroad.His desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional U.S. security umbrella will be diminished.In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs and stirring international concern. He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to "knock the hell out of" Islamic State militants.The inaugural festivities may have a more partisan edge than usual, given Trump's scorching campaign and continuing confrontations between him and Democrats over his take-no-prisoners Twitter attacks and pledge to roll back many of Obama's policies.More than 60 Democratic lawmakers planned to stay away from the proceedings to protest Trump, spurred on after he derided U.S. Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a hero of the civil rights movement, for calling him an illegitimate president.Thousands of anti-Trump protesters were expected among the inauguration crowd and many demonstrators will participate in a "Women's March on Washington" on Saturday. Protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad.

Keith Kidwell, chairman of the Republican Party in Beaufort County, North Carolina, was among the crowds on Friday, eager to see the start of the Trump presidency."I cling to my guns and my Bible. I've been waiting a long eight years for this day," said Kidwell, adding he initially supported U.S. Senator Ted Cruz to be the Republican presidential nominee but was now squarely behind Trump.QUICK ACTION

Trump's to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the U.S. Congress, they can quickly repeal and replace Obama's signature healthcare law, approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the U.S. economy."He's going to inject a shock to the system here almost immediately," Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of Hillary Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn. They deeply oppose Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric from the campaign trail and plans to build a wall along the southern U.S. border with Mexico. Trump's critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million.Trump's critics also point to the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republican's favor. Trump has acknowledged the finding - denied by Moscow - that Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election.To his critics - including Obama who during the campaign called Trump temperamentally unfit for the White House - his straight talk can be jarring, especially when expressed in tweets. His supporters, many of them working-class whites, see Trump as a refreshingly anti-establishment figure who eschews political correctness. "He's here for the working man" supporter Adam Coletti of Plainfield, Connecticut, said as he headed toward the inauguration. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Richard Cowan, Ian Simpson, David Alexander, Susan Heavey, Roberta Rampton, Phil Stewart and Emily Stephenson; Editing by Frances Kerry)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By David Brunnstrom

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON The new U.S. administration of President Donald Trump said on Friday its trade strategy to protect American jobs would start with withdrawal from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact.A White House statement issued soon after Trump's inauguration said the United States would also "crack down on those nations that violate trade agreements and harm American workers in the process."The statement said Trump was committed to renegotiating another trade deal, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was signed in 1994 by the United States, Canada and Mexico."For too long, Americans have been forced to accept trade deals that put the interests of insiders and the Washington elite over the hard-working men and women of this country," it said."As a result, blue-collar towns and cities have watched their factories close and good-paying jobs move overseas, while Americans face a mounting trade deficit and a devastated manufacturing base."

The statement said "tough and fair agreements" on trade could used to grow the U.S. economy and return millions of jobs to America."This strategy starts by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and making certain that any new trade deals are in the interests of American workers."If NAFTA partners refused to give American workers a fair deal in a renegotiated agreement, "the President will give notice of the United States intent to withdraw from NAFTA," the statement added.

The TPP, which the United States signed but has not ratified, had been the main economic pillar of the Obama administration's "pivot" to the Asia-Pacific region in the face of a fast-rising China.Proponents of the pact have expressed concerns that abandoning the project, which took years to negotiate, could further strengthen China's economic hand in the region at the expense of the United States.

Trump has criticized China's trade practices and threatened to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese imports.The Chinese government said on Friday that China and the United States could resolve any trade disputes through talks, while a Chinese newspaper warned that U.S. business could be targets for retaliation in any trade war ushered in by Trump.Trump has sparked worries in Japan and the rest of the Asia-Pacific with his opposition to the TPP and his campaign demands for allies to pay more for their security. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
This is what Trump has done to the Lincoln Memorial (the jumbo-tron is not photoshopped)



Tomorrow, America will see the inauguration of a deranged and narcissistic fascist with shady ties to brutal Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. According to a CBS poll released Wednesday, Trump's approval rating is just 32% . In contrast, other recent presidents of both parties have had sky-high transition approval ratings. George H.W. Bush's was 82%, Bill Clinton's was 81%, Obama's was 80% and even George W. Bush's, which wasn't nearly as high (72%), was still way over double Trump's. And yet... barely over a third of the Democratic congressmembers are boycotting the horror tomorrow. And not a single senator is joining them. (At last count, there were 70-something congressmembers who have announced they're staying away from the Day of Shame events.)





The 3 top leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, co-chairs Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva and first Vice-Chairman, Mark Pocan, are staying away. Grijalva explained why he's going to be in Tucson Friday. Rather than participate in the inauguration," he explained, "I will be joining with members of my district to reaffirm and renew this democracy and the people that are part of it. My decision to skip the inauguration is not motivated by disrespect for the office of the president, or by disrespect for the government. It is an individual act of defiance at the disrespect shown to the millions of Americans by this incoming administration."

Donald Trump wants to deport millions of people who call this country home, create a national registry for Muslims and repeal the Affordable Care Act. Skipping his inauguration is a necessary step in the fight to reject his harmful policies and stand with those who will be most at risk during his presidency.



The majority of voters rejected Trump-- they deserve respect. The 20 million Americans threatened by the repeal of the Affordable Care Act with no replacement-- they deserve respect. And the millions of voters who did not participate in the election because they blame both parties-- they deserve respect, too.



That's why during the inauguration I will be at home in Arizona meeting with seniors, the immigrant community, health care providers, and folks that care about the environment and climate change. I will join with the people of Tucson to demand respect from the Trump administration.



Now is the time for us to come together to defend and protect the future of all Americans.





David Cicilline is a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He's decided that he should go top the Trump Inauguration and he explained why-- after hearing from lots of angry Rhode Islanders-- on his Facebook page yesterday. He points out that he "worked hard to prevent Donald Trump from becoming our 45th President. When Trump's affinity for Vladimir Putin came into focus last summer, I asked President Obama to cut off his access to classified intel. I denounced his deplorable comments on women and people with disabilities, and his attack on Latinos as the hate speech that it was. And I condemned his selection of Mike Pence, a running mate with an unambiguously anti-LGBT record. Since his election, I have refused to give a single inch to the President-elect. I led more than 160 of my colleagues demanding that he rescind his appointment of Steve Bannon as White House chief strategist. I introduced new legislation that requires him to release his tax returns so we finally know what he's hiding. And just this past weekend I condemned him for his outrageous comments about John Lewis, an icon of the civil rights movement and a man who I am proud to call my friend."









And yet, Cicilline is still going tomorrow. Why? This is what he says:

I understand the frustration that people are feeling over the results of this election, and I share it. Some of my colleagues have decided the most powerful way to express their opposition to the incoming administration and the policies of the new President is to boycott the inauguration. I have deep respect for their decision and recognize that this is one way to express strong opposition. Others, like me, think it's an equally powerful message to attend the inauguration to make it clear that we're in this fight from the very first minute he takes office and for the next four years.



Tens of thousands of Americans and many Rhode Islanders are taking time out of their lives to travel to Washington D.C. to protest the incoming Administration on Inauguration Day, and I will be there in solidarity and in opposition to the policies and the rhetoric of Donald Trump. And to carry on that message, on Saturday, I will join the Women's March on Washington to oppose Trumps agenda and to commit to fight for our shared values.



Serving our state is the honor of my life. It's a responsibility that I never take lightly. And as your Representative, I promise that I will not surrender the field to Donald Trump for a single moment. He may be our 45th President, but I will be there to make sure your voice is heard loud and clear in Washington.
New Delhi: Delhi heaved a sigh of relief as domestic breeding checkers engaged under the MCDs called off their strike and returned to work on Friday after the corporations assurance to regularise their posts.

Madan Pal, a leader among the domestic breeding checkers told Firstpost that, PK Gupta, the nodal officer to all the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi have assured them to improve their service condition apart from regularising their jobs.

"After having a threadbare discussion with the leaders of the agitation the MCDs agreed upon to provide us with all the benefits as per norms," he said.

A press release issued by the domestic breeding checkers said, "The MCDs also asked for our suggestions regarding regularisation of our posts and also assured to begin the process within two to three weeks."

"The assurance also includes benefits such as yearly bonus and leave, provident fund and medical treatment," said the release.

The domestic breeding checkers had been on indefinite strike since 16 January and on demonstration in front of the civic centre in Delhi.

Domestic breeding checkers are the health workers engaged by the MCDs to prevent vector-borne diseases.

Ashwini Yadav, another leader said, "Our main job is to check if dengue, chikungunya and malaria carrying mosquito have breeded in the households of the city. If found we destroy their breeding grounds immediately."

domestic breeding checkers of MCDs go from house to house to check mosquito larvae in stagnant water.

Every checker has to visit 1,000 to 1,500 homes every month and spray insecticide wherever and whenever needed," says Yadav.

As per a news report published by The Hindu last year, there are 1,350 domestic breeding checkers under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Yadav said that the number of checkers engaged in all three municipal corporations will not be less than 3,200 who have been appointed during the last 20 years.

"Since we are not regular employees we get a meagre Rs 12,000 as monthly salary, which is not at all sufficient to meet the expenses of our families," he said.

Pal said that even that salary is not regular.

"Many of us have not received the salary for the last two or three months," he said.

Domestic breeding checkers have to keep the record of every household they visit and take the signature of the house owner on the record sheet acknowledging the visit.

"We visit the households and check the stagnant waters in a house and ask the house owner to throw away the water if it is found to have mosquito larvae," said Yadav. After the vessel containing stagnant water is emptied, the chemicals to prevent further breeding is sprayed in it."

A domestic breeding checker can also slap a fine up to Rs 500 on the households for errant water management.

Only last year the capital city saw a major outbreak of vector-borne disease such as dengue and chikungunya which claimed more than 10 lives.

Strikes by these health workers were seen as a challenge to the MCDs which are fighting tooth and nail to contain the menace.
More than 80 dates in a decade-year-old case, the apex court finally sets up a committee to finalise a uniform schedule for selection and appointment of judges in subordinate judiciary.

In April last year, at the inauguration of a joint conference of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts, something very unusual happened. Then, Chief Justice of India (CJI), TS Thakur broke down while making an emotional appeal to the government to help upgrade judicial infrastructure and start addressing the glaring problem of shortage of judges.

On multiple occasions, former CJI Thakur admonished the Central government for its " lackadaisical" attitude in filling up hundreds of vacant posts in high courts. He time and again highlighted the fact that lack of required number of judges in high courts is leading to a huge pendency.

His concern was important but his stress on vacancies in higher judiciary overlooked an important aspect; the extent of the same problem in subordinate judiciary.

According to an Indian Express report on the Supreme Courts e-committee data released in June last year more than 2.18 crore cases were pending in district courts across the country of which more than 22.5 lakh cases were still in the courts for the last 10 years.

Now consider these facts mentioned in the IndiaSpend report published on Firstpost.

 There is one judge for every 73,000 people in India, seven times worse than the United States.

 On an average, 1,350 cases are pending with each judge, who clears 43 cases per month.

 At the rate cases are handled in the district courts, civil cases will never get cleared, and it will take more than 30 years to clear criminal cases.

In the context of above-mentioned facts, it becomes imperative for the higher judiciary to focus on filling the vacancies in the lower courts instead of just talking about the higher judiciary.

In this regard, an important step was taken in 2007 when the Supreme Court in a case titled Malik Mazhar Sultan fixed a schedule for filling up the vacancies in the subordinate judiciary at all levels. In the order, the apex court fixed the dates for notifying the number of vacancies, date of advertisement, date up to which applications may be made, date of written examination and announcement of results, along with the date of interview and the final result and even date of joining.

The reason behind giving such an elaborate and precise schedule was that Supreme Court found that despite its direction passed in March, 2003, in the 'All India Judges Association' case, an average 20 percent of the existing posts were lying vacant.

The apex court requested the chief justices of each high courts to constitute a committee of judges to monitor and oversee timely selection and appointment of judicial officers in accordance with the schedule fixed by it.

After the 2007 order, the apex court constantly started monitoring the timely appointment and selection of judges in subordinate courts in various states with the assistance of Vijay Hansaria, who was appointed the amicus in the case.

Cases of around five states were taken on specified dates with the presence of registrar general of high courts. The apex court also passed many orders where timely appointments were not made.

However, in spite of all these efforts which included hearing of the case on 80 dates till 14 July 2016, the position remained the same. According to the statistics present on the website of the Supreme Court as on 31 March 2016, against the sanctioned strength of 21,017 judges, working strength is 16,135 leaving 4,882 vacancies, which is staggering 23 percent of the total strength.

The "laxity" shown in the appointments to the lower judiciary has received criticism from the apex court on multiple occasions. In an order dated 28 April 2014, while dealing with state of Karnataka, the apex court observed, "In the instant case, as we have already stated, in spite of lapse of nearly 29 months, the High Court (Karnataka) has done nothing in matter except issuing the advertisement, but without even requesting the state government to issue letters of appointment to those selected candidates. The High Court has not even initiated the selection process to fill up the vacancies for the year 2013-2014."

It added, "If High Courts do not comply with the request made by this Court, by a judicial order we do not know whether an ordinary citizen would think of complying with the orders and directions issued by this Court. In our considered view, the High Court should take a serious note of the request made by this Court and comply it within the time frame that this Court has fixed. This would be beneficial for this institution as well as for the High Courts."

It further added, "This, in our considered opinion, is nothing but a deliberate and willful disobedience of the orders and directions issued by this Court."

Further in its 14 July 2016 order the Supreme Court expressed its serious concern while dealing with the case related to the High Court of Chhattisgarh said, "The process of filling up of the vacancies in different cadres in the State of Chhattisgarh has remained slow and, if we may so, rather lethargic."

It added, "We would, therefore, request the Chief Justice of the High Court to look into the matter personally and ensure that the directions issued by this Court for timely filling of the vacancies and completion of the selection process and complied with. We need hardly mention that it brings no credit to anyone of such large number of vacancies remain unfilled for period of time."

While on 15 July 2016 the Supreme Court directed that the matter will be listed on 23 August 2016 pertaining to the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Bihar and directed the registrars of the high courts of all these states to be present for the hearing, the case was not listed.

Following which, after the waiting of more than six months, amicus in the case Hansaria brought the matter before the court of Chief Justice of India JS Khehar and sought an early listing of the case. Following which CJI Khehar observed that a 'committee of judges' has been constituted on the administrative side to finalise a uniform schedule for selection and appointment of judges in the subordinate judiciary which will be applicable throughout the country.

The report is expected by the end of this month.

The concern over the vacancies in the lower judiciary is also reflected in a recent judgment pronounced on 1 February, in case of Imtiaz Ahmad which laid down the guidelines formulating a scientific method for determining the basis for computing the required number of judges in district judiciary.

One of the important factors for delay in disposal of cases is the paucity of judges and as even the sanctioned strength is not filled despite the apex court mentioning the selection and appointment process. It is yet to be seen to what extent scientific method of computing the required number of judges would help when the sanctioned strength itself is not filled.

The lack of required number of judges in the higher courts is a matter of concern as these are the courts where the appeal against the lower courts order are made. These are the courts which has the power to rectify any erroneous judgment by the lower courts. But vacancies in the lower court is even of more concern. In the absence of required strength, which leaves the judicial officers to grapple with huge pendency, making the judge-litigant ratio, one of the worst in the world. And this scenario is fraught with a very undesirable outcome; that of erroneous judgment in some very sensitive cases. And it is a well-known fact that an error at the level of trial court often leads to the miscarriage of justice which even the higher courts find difficult to rectify.

It is high time that the focus is shifted from the vacancies in the higher judiciary to the subordinate one.
Chennai: The Madras high court dismissed a PIL seeking enactment of a special law with conditions by the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government for holding jallikattu, saying it cannot issue such a direction.

"The court cannot issue such a direction," the bench, comprising chief justice SK Kaul and Justice M Sundar said, while hearing a petition by KK Ramesh, managing trustee of Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation.

On a plea by advocate R Krishnamurthy for action against "illegal" gathering of a large number of people on the Marina beach in support of jallikattu, the bench said it is an administrative matter. "It is a matter of administration, approach the government," it said.

Ramesh, in his PIL, submitted that jallikattu is a "bull-hugging" sport played in Tamil Nadu as part of Pongal festivities and is an old practice. Though it looked similar to Spanish bull-fighting, it was different in Tamil Nadu as the bull is not killed, he said.

The petitioner claimed many people had been killed in jallikattu events over the past few years, but not a single bull had died or been harassed, proof of which was there in government records itself.

Ramesh submitted that the sport was held in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh during Sankranti, with even the chief minister

and his family in attendance. Referring to the ongoing agitation across Tamil Nadu opposing the ban, he contended that students have organised meetings and taken out processions, demanding lifting of the ban and that it was the bounden duty of the central and state governments to bring forward a special law.

He said that the ban had resulted in a steep decrease in the number of particular breeds of bulls in Tamil Nadu. Ramesh said he was forced to move the court as his 16 January representation in this regard to the state and central governments had not elicited any response.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have saved himself from a difficult situation citing that the issue of jallikattu is sub-judice, but for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam who was forced to visit New Delhi because of swelling crowds in Chennais Marina beach and several other places in the state, it would be a terrible loss of face and unending trouble.

For Modi, its one of those local issues where the law, or rather a nationwide court ruling, is in conflict with what people want, but for Panneerselvam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), its a gross inability to uphold a cultural practice that has a volatile emotional value to people. For an average Tamil, jallikkattu is not a simple rural sport, but a symbol of his/her unique cultural nationalism.

Had it been just the love for a sport played once a year in some rural pockets of the state, tens of thousands of people wouldnt have poured on to the streets demanding an ordinance to neutralise the Supreme Court Court ban. When they are told that a practice thats closely identified with their nationalism is illegal, they find it an assault on their identity. And, as it has happened earlier, such a threat often comes with the fear of invasion, compromise of sovereignty and loss of ethnic pride.

The composition of the agitating crowds in Chennai's Marina Beach, Coimbatore and elsewhere in the state has the tell-tale signs of the rationale behind the protest. Its not farmers or their children that are protesting, but people from diverse walks of life  students, professionals, unemployed youth, Tamil activists, politicians, film actors and so son. Although in terms of scale this is much bigger, such eruptions had happened whenever the people of Tamil Nadu felt that their cultural identity had been slighted.

Issues like the refusal of Karnataka government to release the Cauvery water, Kerala's threat of controlling the Mullapperiyar dam, or the Centre having friendly ties with the Sinhala majority government when ethnic Tamils were being killed in the north and the east of Sri Lanka genuinely affected the Tamils. But what angers them more is the hint that their interest had been overlooked, that their voice had been ignored, and that their cultural sovereignty hadnt been respected. The groups of people who came to the streets on such occasions in the past were similar to the pro-jallikkattu protesters. They have always been heterogeneous. They never needed a political call or even a social media mobilisation to spontaneously swell. Strange enough, they may not even attend a jallikkattu.

In fact, the anti-Hindi agitations of the 1930s, 1940s and the 1960s were no different from the present protests. More than the hatred towards Hindi, it was the audacity of the decision to impose it, which meant a clear denial of the Tamils right to choose their language, that brought people together in the 1930s, when then chief minister of Madras Presidency C Rajagopalachari tried to make Hindi a compulsory subject in 125 schools. It was repeated in the 1940s when another Congress government in the Presidency revived the imposition; and also in the 1960s, when the Centre tried to make Hindi the sole official language.

Although many states protested against the imposition of Hindi in 1964, it was in Tamil Nadu where the agitation was the most violent. In fact, the nature of the agitating crowd was similar to what the state is witnessing now  students, workers, actors etc. Two students even burned themselves to death and the protest was so fierce that the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri had to assure people that there would be no imposition of Hindi.

The aetiology of the politics of Tamil cultural nationalism is pretty old and dates back to the years of Justice Party, the Self-Respect Movement, Dravidian ideology and anti-Brahmin, anti-Hindi, anti-North sentiments. It has been an integral part, or rather a summary, of the states electoral politics as well. Interestingly, its this element of sub-nationalism thats keeping religious nationalism at bay. This identity and the ongoing protest militates against the nationalism that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) represents. Therefore, Modis refusal to pass an ordinance or the BJPs apathy towards the cause in the state, while other political parties  including the Congress  are competing with each another to join the cause, is not surprising.

Although many states nurture ideas of cultural sovereignty and autonomy, historically it has been strong in Tamil Nadu. As Adam Ziegfeld noted in his essay on Tamil Nadu (Rutledge Handbook of Indian Politics), a 2004 national election study showed that "more than 90 percent of the respondents in Tamil Nadu agreed with the statement that people should be loyal to their region before their country  more than in any other major state in India". The demand for autonomy from the Indian state was part of the Dravidian politics till the 1960s and although it died down subsequently and had been more or less rendered meaningless by globalisation and economic liberalisation, the cultural undercurrents are always active. Every time the age-old idea of autonomy, howsoever notional it is, or the cultural identity gets challenged, these undercurrents surface.

In a culturally diverse country such as India, its only natural that common laws and policies that do not acknowledge the cultural or linguistic heterogeneity of its people face resistance. In fact, Dr BR Ambekar had made a very interesting point in his Thoughts on Linguistic States. He said: "The road between independent nationality and independent state is very narrow."

This is where political sagacity has a role. The realm of arbitration should be politics and the legislature, and not courts.
Patna: Pakistan's ISI may be behind the derailment of the Indore-Patna Express train near Kanpur that claimed 140 lives, and a failed attempt last year to blow up goods and passenger trains near Ghorasahan station in Bihar, police said on Tuesday.

East Champaran Superintendent of Police Jitendra Rana said Moti Paswan, one of three criminals arrested in the district recently, confessed during interrogation that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had planned the derailment of Indore-Patna Express in November last year. Rana said police have also found evidence linking the three arrested criminals  Paswan, Umashankar Prasad and Mukesh Yadav  to ISI.

According to a The Times of India report, sources claim two WhatsApp audio clips were recovered from the phone of an arrested accused in which two suspects can be heard discussing the derailment.

A police officer was quoted as saying in the report: "While the claim made by Moti Paswan, one of three accused arrested in Bihar's East Champaran district, stating that he was involved in planting explosives to derail the Indore-Patna Express and the Ajmer-Sealdah express near Kanpur was seen as rather circumspect as the probe conducted by the railways had not picked any forensic evidence of explosives, the recovery of technical evidence in the form of audio clips has made it imperative to take his disclosure seriously and thoroughly investigate the terror angle."

An Intelligence Bureau team has already interrogated them, and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) have been informed about their arrest.

"Paswan said he was involved in the train derailment, along with some others including Zubair and Ziaul, who have been arrested in Delhi. Paswan has already identified the two persons nabbed in Delhi," Rana said.

The police officer informed that three persons have also been arrested from Nepal in this connection.

"We have got information from Nepal police that the ISI had hired Brajkishore Giri  one of three criminals arrested there  to execute terror activities in India," he said.

The ISI has been using Nepal as the base to implement its terror actions through Bihar using hired criminals, Rana added.
The Government of India recently appointed Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma as the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). However, Verma was not a universal favourite of the high-level selection committee that is tasked to appoint the chief of the national investigation agency.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, who was a part of the three-member selection committee apart from the Prime Minister and Chief Justice of India, has written a three page long note to the government, marking his dissent to Verma's appointment as the next chief of the CBI, according to The Indian Express.

Kharge noted in his dissent note that Verma, who according to Kharge has "nil" experience in CBI and anti-corruption operations, has superceded another more competent officer, Rupak Kumar Dutta, a former CBI officer for the coveted post.

It is incumbent on this committee that the candidate who outranks other candidates on the parameters of experience in the field of anti-corruption and integrity must be accorded highest preference, Kharge wrote.

The Congress leader also said that Dutta, in contrast to Verma, had an experience of serving for 208 months in CBI and has an excellent track record of honesty and integrity. In addition to this, Dutta also has 43 months of experience as ADGP in the Karnataka Lokayukta under Justice Santosh Hegde, according to Kharge.

Kharge also pointed to two judgements: the Vineet Narayan and others versus Union of India case, delivered in 1998 by Justice J S Verma, which dealt with the infamous Hawala scandal, and Union of India versus C Dinakar IPS case, delivered in 2004 by Justice V N Khare, that dealt with a previous dispute in appointment of the Director of CBI.

Kharge noted: It is incumbent on this committee that the candidate who outranks other candidates on the parameters of experience in the field of anti-corruption and integrity must be accorded highest preference, according to India TV.

"I wish to place on record that the Supreme court has placed its faith on R K Dutta for supervising cases which were being monitored by it, namely 2g, Coal scam, Commonwealth Games and NRHM," Kharge's dissent note further said, according to The Economic Times.

Kharge had, earlier in December last year, also raised strong concerns over the appointment of Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as the interim director of the CBI.

In his strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister's Office then, Kharge had alleged that the process of selection of the new director of the investigation agency has been "vitiated".

He had batted for Dutta's appointment as the new CBI chief even then alleging, that the transfer of Special Director RK Dutta, the senior-most officer after the Director, as Special Secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs, appears to have been "deliberately done" to facilitate giving charge of the post of CBI Director to an officiating junior officer.

"It thus gives rise to apprehensions that the process of selecting the Director, CBI, has been vitiated and is being manipulated to pre-empt the decision to be arrived at in the meeting of the Selection Committee," he said.

He demanded that a meritorious and experienced officer of requisite seniority be selected for appointment as Director, CBI, without any delay. Following this, the Minister of State in the PMO, Jitendra Singh, who is also in-charge of the Department of Personnel, wrote to Kharge seeking an appropriate time from him for convening a meeting of the selection committee, according to a report in The Quint.

The CBI Director is selected by a Selection Committee comprising Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and Leader of Opposition or leader of the largest party in opposition in Lok Sabha.

The three-member collegium for the selection of CBI top job finally met on Monday and shortlisted the name of Verma, who is expected to take charge in two days, according to another report in The Times of India.

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 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.

With inputs from agencies
By Maya Palit

Your wifes fate is to chakki pisaon (grind at the mill) in prison. Watch out and beware, goes a recurring warning hurled at Javed Anand, husband of civil rights activist and journalist Teesta Setalvad, over the phone by a hostile stranger. And its just a fraction of the vitriol unleashed on Setalvad, much of which is captured in her new book Foot Soldier of the Constitution: A Memoir, a chronicle of her work as a civil rights activist and journalist over more than three decades. In it, she reveals what its been like to be at the receiving end of constant attacks and an enormous amount of suspicion from the Indian state and public, and traces how her memories of reporting on communal violence in the country shaped her career.

Setalvad singles out the Bhiwandi massacre of 1984 in Mumbai (which saw 26 people being burnt to death in Ansari Bagh) as a formative event which she credits with bringing clarity to her as a journalist, shaping me professionally and allowing me to prioritise my concerns. This was primarily because it was the first time she witnessed intense violence up close, when Cheetah Camp, a makeshift resettlement colony in Gowandi, was targeted by the police: I was present when the arm of a poor Muslim man was chopped off; the vision of it dangling is a bruised  if faded  memory, Setalvad recalls. Incidentally, it was also around this time that she met her future partner Javed Anand, and their attempt at digesting the unravelling of communal violence together is poignant and reminiscent of a far more personally involved attitude to reportage: Every evening, after being bruised and battered while on this coverage and submitting our copy, Javed and I would meet to exchange notes and share the burden of this personally witnessed brutality.

Setalvads narration at times adopts a somewhat self-righteous tone when she details her assistance in fighting for justice for the victims. But these hideous incidents, which she investigated, form the backbone of her exploration into growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.

Covering another vicious spate of anti-Muslim riots in Mumbai that were orchestrated by the RSS and Shiv Sena in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition, in particular, nudged Setalvad away from journalism and into activism, where she sought a direct pursuit of justice for victims of violence. A large portion of the book is preoccupied with reflecting on this shift, and how the limitations of mainstream media  which did not provide the space for a chronological coverage of events leading up to violent clashes but instead '...seemed circumscribed by and limited to coverage of the sensational violence during the conflict'  led her to break out on her own.

And the journey she undertook afterwards, from co-founding her own organisation, Sabrang Communications and launching the magazine Communalism Combat, to carrying out in-depth first-hand investigations of unfolding communal tensions across Gujarat, is an absorbing portrayal of the grim groundwork that prepared her for swift action during the 2002 Godhra riots. While she speaks only fleetingly of the impact of this on her personal life  haunting nightmares of graveyards, the anxiety it caused for her family and being unable to see her young children for long periods in 2002  the book focusses more on the effect on her as a public figure.

Setalvads endeavours to hold Modis state government in Gujarat accountable for payments for relief camps certainly havent managed to leave her unscathed. Her memoir details her tussles with the general public, and state and central governments, which include her car being stoned, criminal cases in 2004 for kidnapping and tutoring witnesses, and accusations in 2014 of embezzling funds meant for Godhra survivors. And according to her, the induction of the present government has only heightened the animosity. Although the UPA government was hardly forthcoming in its fight for justice for genocide survivors, according to Setalvad, there is a palpable shift since 2014: The difference between a government indifferent to reparations and justice and one that is actively protecting the perpetrators, became sharp.

But the book also has moments of optimism. What has this legal struggle gained us? Setalvad asks, while reflecting on her involvement in legal battles like the Zakia Jafri case, and her answers are convincing: She reminds you of a 2009 amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC), which gave complainants the statutory right to intervene in criminal trials to assist the prosecution, and the fact that more than 570 eyewitnesses and victims of communal violence have been provided with paramilitary protection after 2004. And she is a person well acquainted with the slim silver linings of long-drawn legal battles: Perhaps some of the most intriguing parts of her memoir detail the ubiquitous presence of lawyers in her family, not least her paternal grandfather (the first attorney general of India) MC Setalvads amusing anecdotes about cross-examining the butcher of Jallianwala Bagh, General Reginald Dyer.

Setalvads chronicles of interactions with real people  the women victims of Naroda in the Shah Alam camp in Ahmedabad, for instance  are brief and lack the sense of detail and texture she brings to discussions of the events themselves. The same goes for the somewhat tired truisms and rhetorical questions with which the book ends: Can we build an India with foot-soldiers of peace, harmony and justice in every mohalla and street? Can we reclaim this public space as our own? A space that belongs to the Constitutionally-created Indian republic?

However, the strength of Setalvads memoir lies in her skill of pointing out small but crucial details of the massacre which were apparently overlooked by the Special Investigation Team probing the Gujarat violence  packets of a white chemical substance used by the mob, and the LPG gas shortage in Ahmedabad because gas cylinders were deployed by attackers in Naroda and Gulberg. It is these all but forgotten aspects of the riot that go some way in capturing a crucial era of Indian history, and its through them that Setalvad shows us how violence has marred and vitiated the country she grew up in.

The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online womens magazine delivering fresh and witty perspectives on politics, culture, health, sex, work and everything in between.
Primary and secondary schools run in tribal areas are by-and-large a neglected topic in our everyday discourse. The following is the concluding part of a five-part series that seeks to explore some of the issues that affect these schools.

It is 5 pm. The final bell goes off. The last lecture has concluded. Students gather their notebooks, pen and bags. Teachers head out of the classroom. Students change their uniforms and put on regular clothes. But just when an outsider would think the students are done for the day, another bell goes off. Boys and girls head out of the rooms in different directions within the school premise. Out on the ground, under the open sky, boys form queues and stand beside each other keeping exact distance from one another, as if getting ready for a PT class. Except it is not a PT class, but an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) shakha. Soon, a stick is placed in front of the stationary group and a saffron flag is meticulously unfolded and placed on the mounted stick.

The scene is from a state-aided tribal residential school with over 1,300 students in the Dadade village of Palghars Vikramgad taluka. Tribal welfare minister Vishnu Savaras Arvind Smriti Sanstha runs the school, where the shakha is an integral part of the school curriculum.

Every evening, students at this school  boys and girls at separate venues of the school premises  pray in front of the saffron flag. Hands on their chest, two 16- year-old boys lead the prayers. A staff member of the school joins in. The two boys fluently recite the prayers in Sanskrit. Others follow their lead. It goes on for good five minutes or so, and concludes with the chant of Bharat Mata Ki Jai.

From where did you learn this prayer? I ask the two boys. Our RSS holds a shakha, which is attended by kids from Vikramgad taluka once in a while, says Dhiraj Bhadange, 16, hair neatly combed, shirt tucked in. We try to pass on whatever we learn at the shakha to our juniors at this school.

Dhiraj is proud that he is passing on wisdom to his younger schoolmates. Upon asked the meaning of the prayer, Dhiraj says he does not know the entire translation as it is in Sanskrit but understands the crux of it. What is the crux? I ask him. It is a prayer for the Hindu Rashtra, he promptly says. We pay our respects to the saffron flag. We pledge to take the Hindu Rashtra to utmost heights.

The shakha concludes immediately after the prayers. Exams are going on, explains a staff member. Otherwise, we follow up the prayer with games and physical exercises. Kids need to get back to their studies. But it would not be prudent to skip the shakha altogether.

Another staff member at the school, requesting anonymity, says the government subsidy is merely Rs 900 per month behind every student, in which it is impossible to cover the cost of their meals, breakfast, medicines, blankets and stationery. We get a fair amount of donation through the RSS, he says. Those donations have played a huge role in the development of the school. And attending shakha cannot hurt the students. They are learning the importance of discipline.

There are 1,109 tribal residential schools across 16 tribal concentrated districts of Maharashtra  half of the schools are aided by the state, which are run by various NGOs. Most of the NGOs either belong to a politician or someone close to a politician, thereby tribal schools are often subjected to political interference which cuts across political parties.

Senior educationist Herambh Kulkarni points out that the interference of Congress and NCP has been more prolonged and acute over the years. The ashram schools run by Congress and NCP members are used to conceal their corruption, he said. If an officer notices any wrongdoing, he is reluctant to act against the school because of the political might. Many of their schools show more number of students than what actually exists, enabling them to get more donations.

In September last year, a Rs 67-crore scam had inadvertently come to light, when over 8,000 tribal students in the region of Jalgaon appeared to be non-existent during a drive to promote Aadhaar. Activists believe the phenomena is statewide and around 30 percent of the entries out of the 2.4 lakh students enrolled in the state-aided ashram schools could be fake. Since the states money is allotted on the basis of the number of students, more enrollment ensures more subsidy to the school.

The politicians and headmasters understandably deny political interference, and teachers refuse to speak about it, but anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise. Former MLA Vivek Pandit says the term political interference does not convey the gravity of the practice. It is political control, he says.

Bandu Sane, an activist who has been working with tribals in Vidarbha for the longest time, says the placements at ashram schools often go to the relatives or friends of the politician whose NGO is running the school. Tribal schools get a lot of donation, and it is hardly monitored. Precisely why most of the tribal politicians own one, he says. I have seen teachers and non-teaching staff campaign for political leaders who employ them. They cannot say no even when they are used like donkeys.

A teacher, requesting anonymity, says as the elections approach, workload increases, as he has to double up as a teacher as well as a cadre. We are asked to campaign, distribute money, maintain accounts, prepare posters and everything that is done ahead of the elections, he says. It is a given that we have to work during the elections. It is an unsaid rule that we cannot question.

While no political ideology or stream is immune to it, the indoctrination of tribal students at the Arvind Smriti Ashram School is quite

blatant. Tribals have traditionally not had a religion, and this appears to be a drive to bring them into the Hindu fold.

Dhiraj teaches his younger colleagues to maneuver lathi and martial arts, or Niyuddhi, as he likes to call it. We need to be equipped enough to protect the Hindu Rashtra from any danger, he says. Danger from whom? He smiles unsurely and says, Outsiders. Upon probed further, he seems clueless.

On special occasions, the RSS ideologues from the nearby shakha visit the school, says Dhiraj, and address the students. We are taught the importance of our festivals, he says. We pay our respects to Shivaji on Shivjayanti, we salute the saffron flag on Gurupurnima, we also celebrate Dr. Hegdewars birth anniversary.

On Raksha Bandhan, students of the school travel to various villages in their locality and tie a rakhi to an elder member of every house they visit, Dhiraj says. It is a token gesture and a reminder of our pledge to protect the Hindu Rashtra, he says, at which point the headmaster comes and stands beside him, encumbering his flow. He is suddenly reluctant to speak. I thank him for his time. The headmaster shakes my hand and leaves, and I go after Dhiraj again. Are you not taught about Christmas or Eid? I ask him.

No, he gives me a sarcastic smile. They are not our festivals. Not in Hindu Rashtra.

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

Read Part 4: With poor infrastructure, underqualified teachers, education takes a backseat
By Cassandra Garrison

| DAVOS, Switzerland

DAVOS, Switzerland 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)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Tim Cocks

| BANJUL

BANJUL West African leaders on Friday extended a deadline for Gambia's longtime leader Yahya Jammeh to leave office or face action by a regional military force to install President Adama Barrow, the winner of an election in December.Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz and Guinean President Alpha Conde flew to the capital Banjul on Friday to try to persuade Jammeh to cede power peacefully.Troops spearheaded by Senegal and Nigeria had crossed into Gambia on Thursday at the request of Barrow, who was sworn in on Thursday at Gambia's embassy in Dakar as Jammeh refused to step down. But no further military action would take place until negotiations are complete, sources in the regional organisation ECOWAS said.Jammeh wants an extension of the midday deadline until 4 p.m. (1600 GMT), according to Gambian government sources. It was not clear what he planned to do, though diplomats said his departure looked increasingly possible."It's out of the question that he stays in place," said Marcel de Souza, head of an ECOWAS commission.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 and demanding a new ballot.Diplomats said regional leaders had been close to a deal before but talks broke down over where Jammeh goes. While Barrow's aides say Jammeh can remain in the country on his Kanilai estate, Senegal insists he leave Gambia, diplomats said.His estate is heavily fortified, witnesses say, and just 1 km from Senegal's border."There is a real possibility this could work. I don't think he is going the (Saddam) Hussein route," said a regional diplomat, referring to the Iraqi leader who was arrested in 2003 following an invasion, tried and hanged.

One of Africa's smallest countries, Gambia is of little strategic significance. But if a peaceful transition of power fails, it would be a setback for the advance of democracy in Africa, a continent where autocrats have often held sway since the end of Western colonial rule. Jammeh, who once vowed to rule Gambia "for a billion years", earned a reputation for torturing and killing perceived opponents. He pulled Gambia out of the Commonwealth in 2013 and declared the country an Islamic state in 2015.REFUGEES FLEE TO SENEGAL

Gambia's only land border is with Senegal and the regional coalition, which ECOWAS says involves 7,000 troops, which is backed by tanks and warplanes, entered from the southeast, southwest and north.

U.N. officials including Mohammed Ibn Chambas, U.N. Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, were already in Banjul.Streets in the capital were mostly deserted on Friday and shops, restaurants and petrol stations were shut.The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said about 45,000 people, mainly children, have fled to Senegal since Jan. 1. It cited figures from the Senegalese government. Residents near the border said army defectors were among them and one resident said he saw four Gambian military vehicles crossing into Senegal overnight.Thousands of tourists have also left the country. Gambia, with its Atlantic beaches, is a popular holiday destination for Europeans and tourism is a mainstay of an economy otherwise reliant on peanut production and remittances from overseas.

Barrow has been recognised as Gambia's new president by world powers and Jammeh is increasingly isolated at home as ministers abandoned his camp.Hundreds of people celebrated Barrow's swearing in and the ECOWAS advance into Gambia.Jammeh on Thursday dissolved the government - half of whose members have resigned - and pledged to name a new one.Support for him remained strong in some quarters, reflecting his years of power in the country of 1.8 million people."Why should the other countries interfere. Why should they force him to leave?" said Momodou Badji, 78, in Banjul's Kanifing neighbourhood.On Thursday night, army chief General Ousman Badjie, who had stood by Jammeh, was seen smiling on the streets, wading through a mass of jubilant Banjul residents shouting and dancing. (Additional reporting by Emma Farge and Diadie Ba in Dakar and Kissima Diagana in Nouakchott; Editing by Angus MacSwan; Writing by David Lewis and Matthew Mpoke Bigg, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Meet The Press. "I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected, and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton." Yesterday, Alan Grayson e-mailed his supporters to ask them to support John Lewis-- which you can do here, at the Resist ActBlue page . When he was in Congress, Grayson always spoke reverentially about Lewis. In his e-mail he reminded his supporters why Lewis feels Trump is an illegitimate president and why he's boycotting his Inauguration today. "I don't see this President-Elect as a legitimate president," said Lewis on. "I think the Russians participated in helping this man get elected, and they helped destroy the candidacy of Hillary Clinton."





Before Lewis' interview, only a small handful of congressmembers had heeded Luis Gutierrez's call to boycott the inauguration. We may never know how many members skip it, but so far over 70 have made public statements about why they are staying away-- and most of them mentioned John Lewis and the way Trump responded to him. Back to Grayson:

The Tweeter-in-Chief responded as follows:



"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!"



I dont know whats worse about President-Elect Trump, his thin skin or his thick skull.



Make Donald Trump even more angry-- show your support for John Lewis.



John Lewis was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders, who challenged racial segregation on the buses in the South. He also was the Chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee.



In 1961 and 1962, Lewis was arrested. Twenty-four times.



In Anniston, Alabama, Klan members deflated the tires of a bus that Lewis and the other Freedom Riders had boarded. Then they firebombed it.



In Birmingham, Lewis was beaten.



In Rock Hill, South Carolina, two white men punched Lewis in the face, and kicked him in the ribs.



In Montgomery, a mob met the bus, took Lewis off the bus, knocked him over the head with a wooden crate, and left him unconscious on the bus station floor.



On one day in 1965, a day known as Bloody Sunday, Alabama state troopers in Selma hit civil rights demonstrators with tear gas, charged into them, and beat them with clubs. They broke John Lewiss skull.



Ive seen the scars on his head.



Somehow, all of that . . . pain . . . forged an outstanding Congressman. A champion on universal healthcare. A forceful proponent of gay rights and gun safety. An apostle of peace.



Let me sum it up this way. Whatever John Lewis has done, he has done for others. And whatever Donald Trump has done, he has done for himself-- bigly.



Im glad that there are people like John Lewis in public life.

So are these 71 Democrats, all of whom have explicitly confirmed that they're skipping the Trump inauguration today:

 Terri Sewell (New Dem-AL)

 Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)

 Ruben Gallego (D-AZ)

 Barbara Lee (D-CA)

 Ted Lieu (D-CA)

 Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA)

 Judy Chu (D-CA)

 Mark Takano (D-CA)

 Maxine Waters (D-CA)

 Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)

 Grace Napolitano (D-CA)

 Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)

 Jared Huffman (D-CA)

 Alan Lowenthal (D-CA)

 Karen Bass (D-CA)

 Jerry McNerney (D-CA)

 Raul Ruiz (D-CA)

 Tony Cardenas (New Dem-CA)

 Juan Vargas (New Dem-CA)

 Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC)

 Frederica Wilson (D-FL)

 Alcee Hastings (D-FL)

 Darren Soto (New Dem-FL)

 John Lewis (D-GA)

 Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)

 Bobby Rush (D-IL)

 Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

 Mike Quigley (New Dem-IL)

 Dan Lipinski (Blue Dog-IL)

 Pete Visclosky (D-IN)

 John Yarmuth (D-KY)

 Katherine Clark (D-MA)

 Mike Capuano (D-MA)

 Jamie Raskin (D-MD)

 Anthony Brown (D-MD)

 Chellie Pingree (D-ME)

 John Conyers (D-MI)

 Keith Ellison (D-MN)

 William Lacy Clay (D-MO)

 Bennie Thompson (D-MS)

 Alma Adams (D-NC)

 G.K. Butterfield (D-NC)

 Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)

 Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-NJ)

 Donald Payne (D-NJ)

 Albio Sires (D-NJ)

 Jerry Nadler (D-NY)

 Yvette Clarke (D-NY)

 Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)

 Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)

 Jose Serrano (D-NY)

 Louise Slaughter (D-NY)

 Grace Meng (D-NY)

 Marcia Fudge (D-OH)

 Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)

 Pete DeFazio (D-OR)

 Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR)

 Dwight Evans (D-PA)

 Mike Doyle (D-PA)

 Brendan Boyle (D-PA)

 Bob Brady (D-PA)

 Steve Cohen (D-TN)

 Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)

 Al Green (D-TX)

 Joaquin Castro (New Dem-TX)

 Filemon Vela (Blue Dog-TX)

 Donald McEachin (D-VA)

 Don Beyer (New Dem-VA)

 Gerry Connolly (New Dem-VA)

 Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)

 Adam Smith (New Dem-WA)

 Mark Pocan (D-WI)

Like Grayson, Steve Israel is no longer a member of Congress. However, unlike Grayson, I haven't seen Israel, a former Blue Dog and a lobbyist-loving corruptionist, have anything to say about John Lewis' service. His dismally failed messaging talents have been so catastrophic for the Democrats that he was just hired by the corporately owned and operated Third Way organization to bring his "his decades of experience... to help Democrats reconnect with middle class voters and offer a compelling alternative to bring Democrats out of the wilderness." Here's some Fake News from Third Way:

Democrats are on the cusp of becoming a regional party. We are winning only in the more comfortable and elite coastal areas and losing badly virtually everywhere else. We are thrilled that Steve Israel will be joining our organization and serving as a leader in our New Blue campaign. Steves tremendous expertise will be an integral part of devising the economic strategy and messaging that will restore the Democratic Party nationwide, said Jonathan Cowan, President of Third Way.



Mr. Israel said in a statement, I am eager to join Third Ways work on this vital task. I came to rely heavily on Third Ways insights in my own swing district and as DCCC Chair. They are the smartest think tank in Washington when it comes to innovative policies with broad appeal. And, as I saw first-hand in evenly-matched areas around the nation, we need a vision for the Democratic Party that constructively taps into the unique convergence of anxieties gripping middle class and working families. The New Blue campaign is precisely what our party needs as we rebuild in message, mobilization, and values.

Blue America is looking forward, not backward to the failed era of Steve Israel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Blue Dogs, the New Dems and Third Way but towards young leaders of working families like California Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, who is running in the special election to replace Xavier Beccera in Congress from a district that Steve Israel and his allies from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party might want to characterize as one of the "elite coastal areas" (like Old Westbury, Great Neck, Oyster Bay, Manhasset, Roslyn, Mill Neck and Woodbury-- all among the richest towns in America and all formerly represented by Israel), although the district Gomez is running in is a fast-growing and vibrant but an area that is ranked as one of the dozen poorest congressional districts in America. That's Third Way's and Steve Israel's idea of an "elite coastal" area. Oh, yeah-- Steve Israel doing messaging for the Republican wing of the Democratic Party... what could possibly go wrong?





Writing on his Facebook page yesterday, Robert Reich referred to today's freakshow as "a sickening event in the history of the United States, a tragedy for America and the world, and a victory for hatefulness, racism, misogyny, and authoritarianism."
New Delhi: 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.

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.

On Thursday Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam met Prime Minister Narendra 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 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 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.
Everything that has happened so far indicates that Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu is just a few hours away. The draft emergency ordinance prepared by the law department of the Tamil Nadu government has been sent for vetting and opinion to the Ministry of Law and Justice after which the Ministry of Home Affairs will take a look at it as well. Sources indicate that if the legal brains and the Ministry of Home Affairs clear it and is signed by the president, it will be promulgated by the Tamil Nadu governor on Saturday.

What it means is that jallikattu could well be held in the southern Tamil Nadu districts on Sunday.

The decision to rush through the ordinance and the event over the weekend is also to ensure the animal rights activists will have no time to rush to the Supreme court to try and stop jallikattu from taking place. The activists who will move the court after the ordinance is issued, are resigned to the fact that the event will take place this year. By the time, the court takes it up next week or later, the dust would have settled on jallikattu.

The hitch, however, is that the session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly has already been called for 23 January and whether it is legally tenable for the government to bring in an ordinance just four days before the session. That decision will be taken by the governor of the state.

Whether the ordinance stands legal scrutiny is, of course, another matter altogether. Most legal minds think it will not. But Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi has pointed out that the sport is a state subject and that the state of Tamil Nadu can bring in a legislation allowing jallikattu with reasonable restrictions to prevent cruelty to the bulls.

What the pro-jallikattu groups also want is that the central government should amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960), to include jallikattu bulls in the category of trained animals that are used in the military, police, exhibitions, zoos or for educational and scientific purposes. But the prime minister is not inclined to poke his nose into the Jallikattu case till it is disposed of by the Supreme Court.

But the legal angle to the jallikattu row is only one way of looking at it. The issue now is deeply political, which is why in the last 24 hours, there has been a clamour on part of political parties to take a position on jallikattu.

The merits and demerits of the case apart, the Marina Beach protest has been the best news that Chief Minister O Panneerselvam has heard in a long time. The leaderless, spontaneous protest gave him a lifeline that he so badly needed. Otherwise, being asked to quit to make way for VK Sasikala was just a phone call away.

Even if a politically astute Panneerselvam puts up a pretence of giving all the credit to Sasikala for the ordinance, in the common man's mind, he will still be seen as the person who got it done. That will make it difficult for Sasikala to effect a change in leadership at Fort St George, the seat of the Tamil Nadu secretariat.

According to sources, leaders in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are not positively inclined to a Sasikala takeover of the government and would be more than happy with the turn of events. The Panneerselvam government has ensured that things do not worsen on the law and order front despite the fact that there has been no clear leadership in the protesting group. The chief minister also endeared himself to the group of students who met him on day two of the protest by showing them the cowshed and his collection of bulls and cows. He ensured that he came across as a chief minister who identified with the cause of Jallikattu.

In comparison, the opposition DMK exhibited a lack of imagination by resorting to a rail roko protest in Tamil Nadu on Friday. MK Stalin, the newly elected working president of the party, needs to realise that this old world way of protest does not find resonance with the people anymore because it is the public that is put to inconvenience by such gimmicks. The Occupy Marina template has shown that putting public pressure via an apolitical, peaceful and trouble-free protest can move governments.

The PMK also jumped into the fray threatening to organise jallikattu on Republic Day if the Panneerselvam government fails to do anything by 25 January. This attempt to defy the Supreme court ban on jallikattu again is seen as nothing more than trying to win brownie points. The point being missed is that the protesters do not want to flout the law. They want the law to be amended to facilitate the conduct of the sport.

So far, the entire AIADMK leadership has rallied behind Sasikala. If he hits the bull's eye on Sunday, Panneerselvam can be expected to subtly assert himself with New Delhi's backing. The jallikattu standoff could well alter the dynamics of the internal tussle in the AIADMK between Sasikala and Panneerselvam.
Akhilesh Yadav's first list of 191 candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections is a move loaded with political significance  for the ruling Samajwadi Party, and its prospective junior alliance partner Congress.

The list contains Akhilesh's supposedly estranged uncle Shivpal, who will contest from his traditional family seat Jaswantnagar, as well as several others considered close to the Shivpal-Mulayam faction. It indicates there might not be a split in the SP as feared. Akhilesh is clearly the leader and chief ministerial candidate of a split faction of the party, but the fact that his uncle  who fought and lost a long-drawn public battle against him  has reconciled and agreed to serve dutifully under him suggests it might be a unified front.

Secondly, the announcement of candidates sends a strong message to the Congress, asking the latter to be as happy as a lightweight pillion rider at the mercy of the cycle rider. "Don't have any expectations, just be happy and thankful you're an invitee to the alliance," is the message he's sent to Congress.

He has completely disregarded Congress' demands of non-negotiable seats. In its first list, SP has fielded candidates in at least 10 seats where Congress has sitting MLAs. Considering the Congress only has 26 MLAs in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, denial of seats to their leaders is a huge setback to the party. The SP's first list has already denied 10 Congress MLAs  some of them strong local names  the right to defend their seats if the alliance is to go ahead. It would be interesting to see how Congress negotiates from here.

Consider this: In Sayana in Bulandshahar, SP fielded Rajkumar Lodhi though Congress had its sitting MLA Dilnawaz Khan. In Khurja, SP fielded Nandkishore Balmiki though Congress' Bansi Singh is the sitting MLA. In the reserved Hapur seat, SP fielded Tejpal, overlooking Congress' sitting MLA Gajraj Singh. In Mathura, SP fielded Ashok Agrawal, which could deny Congress' Pradeep Mathur. SP has also fielded Indrasen, Azam Khan's son Abdullah Azam, Beena Bharadwaj, Manish Chauhan and Om Prakash Mishra from Gangoh, Swar, Bilaspur, Shamli and Kidwai Nagar; these five constituencies were all won by Congress MLAs Pradeep Kumar, Nawab Kazim Ali Khan, Sanjay Kapoor, Pankaj Malik and Ajay Kumar in 2012.

By doing this, Akhilesh has proven himself to be as proficient as his wrestler father Mulayam Singh Yadav in the dhobhipat daon, a colloquially used wrestling term in the Hindi heartland, which refers to tricking a rival and flooring him in a dangal. Mulayam is renowned for making last-minute changes to strategy, outwitting supposed alliance partners, all to keep his political supremacy intact. Whether Akhilesh's first list in defiance of Congress' demands came following advice from his father or not remains to be seen, but it has certainly rattled Rahul Gandhi and Co. It effectively means that if Congress is to align with SP, it has to do so on the latter's terms; it cannot dictate terms to Akhilesh-Mulayam.

After the initial shock therapy came a softener from SP's national vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda, who said SP has already offered 54 seats to Congress and could yield a further 25 seats if the latter came to the negotiating table. Congress hasn't reacted to Nanda's offer yet.

SP's list and its vice-president's statement, even if taken on face value, mean that SP is willing to concede only 'C' or 'D' category seats. Ahead of every election, parties prepare lists weighing their strengths in a given constituency and winnability marked on an 'A-B-C-D' marking system ('D' seats are which the party has never won before; 'C' seats are those which it might have won years ago, but have since witnessed heavy defeats).

SP has already rejected Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RLD) and it's upto the Congress if it wants to accommodate RLD from its own quota of seats. Akhilesh-Mulayam are wary of Ajit Singh since Muslims in western UP may react adversely to SP if Ajit Singh and his Jat support base becomes an alliance partner.

Congress on its part has been spending far too much time and energy deliberating whether or not Rahul Gandhi should travel to Lucknow to have a joint media briefing with Akhilesh, or if Akhilesh should travel to Delhi to hold a briefing with the Congress vice-president. If the choice of venue is Lucknow, and Rahul Gandhi travels there to have a photo-op with Akhilesh, it would mean he's conceding to the SP leader's superiority. Little do Congress leaders realise that Mulayam-Akhilesh are far superior politicians than those part of Rahul's coterie.

It's interesting that in one single stroke, Akhilesh Yadav has established his total command. He has arrived on the scene in UP's landscape as a seasoned politician in his own right. The inclusion of Shivpal's name, meanwhile, may mean there never was a split in the SP, except a fight for supremacy inside the Yadav clan.

In its 42-page order, while giving the Samajwadi Party name and cycle symbol to Akhilesh, the Election Commission had dwelt at length as to why it was convinced there had been a split in the party. Students and practitioners of politics always have some interesting lessons to learn.
To watch the Donald Trump inauguration live, click here

Washington might be all decked up and the Obamas ready with a cup of steaming hot coffee to welcome the Trumps at White House but America remains a nation bitterly divided as Donald J Trump gets ready to take the oath of office on Friday to become the 45th US President.

Following the heat and dust of elections, the transition period is traditionally marked by a conciliatory approach as the President-elect seeks to build bridges and heal wounds before assuming office. The victor adopts a presidential tone and the rhetoric and vitriol give way to graceful acceptance of reality.

But this isn't an ordinary election and Trump isn't your regular POTUS. In keeping with the flouting of every norm during the course of this extraordinary election season, Trump's detractors haven't been even remotely conciliatory and similarly, as New York Times put it so succinctly quoting Republican Senator John McCain, Trump has also shown a strange obsession to tilt at every windmill that he can find.

The net result is that the template of transition that has so far survived the many occupants of office has been given a rather loud burial. A corrosive war has ensued between the President-elect and the media. In an extraordinary turn of event, the US press corps has issued an open letter to Trump warning him that the media will set the rules and he won't have it easy during his time at the office.

This flavor of conflict carried on right till the moment of inauguration with reports emerging on Friday of fresh clashes between pro and anti-Trump supporters in Washington DC. As several Trump backers trooped into Capitol Hill for the ceremony, anti-Trump activists attempted to block them from reaching central Washington by forming a human chain and were tackled by riot-helmet clad police, according to news agency Reuters.

But that's not all. Another stunning show of protest is brewing in the horizon. As Los Angeles Times reports, hundreds of thousands of women plan to reach Washington on Saturday in a novel march to protest against Trump's ascension and "thousands more will participate in more than 600 sister marches in every state across the U.S. and more than 50 countries around the world, including Mexico and Canada."

These protest come amid reports that Trump could be the least popular President in four decades to be sworn in. According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll, just 40 percent say they have a favorable impression of Trump, 54 percent view him unfavorably and 41 percent strongly dislike him. In contrast, outgoing President Obama's favorable rating stands at 61 percent.

Trump has dismissed these findings as "rigged" in his usual style. Fact remains though that whether or not these polls are closer to the reality, Trump is a legally, democratically elected President and he has the mandate to make "America Great Again." He hasn't been too forthcoming about his plans on how he intends to do so. Concerns remain over the fact that even at this eleventh hour, his team is still not in place and he had to fall back on Obama staff members to fill in administrative vacancies.

Americans and even the global geopolitical order will be fervently hoping that Trump proves competent enough for the job. The world isn't ready for an imploding America.
By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON 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)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
When Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States in 2008, I remember one of the people who had worked on his campaign telling me, "We have built [Obama] up to walk on water. If he delivers anything less, he'll be looking for a job in four years." That observation may not be too far from the truth, albeit eight years down the road rather than four. As the president readies to remit his office to his successor, evaluations of his legacy have been harsher than necessary. It is not that the Obama presidency failed to deliver, but that it failed to live up to (unreal) expectations. Although it is not clear how much of his work will survive the next president, Obama has had a few important successes nonetheless.

One of Obama's successes is starting on the path to normalisation with Cuba. The tiff between the world's largest military-economic complex and a country whose GDP is less than the worth of America's richest citizen had long lost any strategic significance and turned comical but Washington stayed course to save face against Fidel Castro. In December 2014, Obama put an end to the absurdity and four months later, removed Cuba from the Department of State's State Sponsors of Terrorism list. This was followed by a resumption of diplomatic missions, an exchange of prisoners, air and mail links, economic initiatives, and ease of travel restrictions. In March 2016, Obama visited the Caribbean island on a three-day trip, the first by a US president since 1928. Of course, some issues remain outstanding, such as the US presence in Guantanamo Bay, but the days of icy hostility already seem to be a distant memory.

On Iran, the Obama administration has, in conjunction with its European partners and China, delivered a commendable outcome. Not only has Tehran accepted safeguards and stringent conditions regulating its research on centrifuges, machining and casting fissile material, and metallurgy over the next 15 years, it has also agreed not to conduct any research in reprocessing spent fuel; verification of each stage has been negotiated. Short of a complete abnegation of its nuclear programme, the United States and its partners have extracted the most that can be reasonably expected from Iran. The Obama administration's perseverance and willingness to take a risk in reaching out to Iran must be applauded: such willingness was not present in any of the previous administrations since Jimmy Carter despite several overtures from Tehran.

Obama has been faulted for his policy on Syria, particularly his refusal to bomb Bashar al-Assad after the Syrian Army used chemical weapons on Ghouta, a Damascene suburb, in August 2013. There is some merit to this criticism  credibility is important in international relations, especially in a state that offers a nuclear umbrella to over a dozen other states  but would a clinical missile strike have truly contributed in any meaningful way to the conflict in Syria itself? The administration did not think so, and there is little evidence that it was wrong.

Obama has also been blamed for not supporting the Syrian rebels earlier on. To assume that this would have changed the course of the civil war is to also believe that Iran and Russia would remain passive while their ally was forcefully replaced by a potentially pro-Western regime. Tehran and Moscow did involve themselves in the conflict eventually, but after it was clear that military assistance, however paltry, was flowing to the rebels and putting Assad on the back foot. More importantly, what was the quality of America's potential allies? As far as the Yezidi, Kurds, or other minorities are concerned, let alone those who are not puritanically Muslim, the rebels were scarcely better than Islamic State. The United States has a history of trying to pick a side that is good enough rather than wait for an illusory perfect ally in Afghanistan and it has not boded well for the region. Finally, should Obama have put US boots on the ground in Syria? There was phenomenal opposition to that from the public as well as most quarters of the government.

What may be considered a failure, perhaps, of the Obama administration is its pivot to Asia. For all the fanfare, the United States did little to augment its position or those of its allies in Asia. This, in the face of an exertive China in the South China Sea, has raised doubts in the minds of several of the Southeast Asian states. However, America's allies must also realise that their patron has been facing an economic slowdown and finds it difficult to tolerate its allies spending less on defence. Furthermore, Asians do not want to hurt their lucrative economic relations by openly coming out against China and would all prefer that someone else take the tough stand. Even India, the largest and most able of the states in the region, has taken a hesitant posture towards its rival. In this game of 'Who'll bell the dragon?' Beijing has been able to cajole some of its neighbours over to its side. Unless Asian states are willing to step up and do more in a loose partnership with the United States, there is little that Obama or any president can do to actualise a pivot.

A more disappointing foreign policy record is Obama's inaction over Pakistan. Pace its occasional usefulness such as in the ongoing war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, Pakistan has rarely been of use and usually more of a headache to the United States.

Washington is keen on repeating that Kashmir is the most dangerous flashpoint in the world, but all roads back from that precipice seem to begin with even more Indian restraint in the face of Islamabad's terrorism. The Obama administration has even proceeded with the sale of F-16s to Pakistan in an effort to elicit some cooperation from the country. As Delhi would probably advise, Washington has already tried sama and dana; it is time for some bheda and danda. Obama has instead followed in the footsteps of his predecessors, wringing his hands, condemning, and complaining  in fact, everything short of action  and left the region on a simmer for his successor to handle.

The greatest shortcoming of the Obama regime, one that will likely be reversed as soon as he leaves office, though, is the United States' deteriorating relationship with Russia. Rumpled over Crimea, the Obama White House, urged by his European partners, stumbled into a strong show of force: Nato troops were buttressed and readiness levels improved, sanctions declared against Russia, and diplomatic pressure was brought upon Moscow. Rather than deter Vladimir Putin from pursuing his aims in Europe, these measures have resulted in increased Russian military exercises and missile tests. Worse, it has pushed Moscow into Beijing's arms. Obama's misreading of Russia as a greater threat than China at present is at best wishful thinking, and at worst, uncritical muscle memory from the Cold War. Russia is not the Soviet Union and China, with its powerful economic network across the globe, is a far more dangerous opponent despite its minuscule nuclear arsenal.

Obama's one active error is Russia; the others  Pakistan and Syria  are passive errors of inaction and poor options. However, the president does have Cuba and Iran to boast of, and it is a bonus that Osama bin Laden was killed on his watch. Could he have done things better? Perhaps. Given Donald Trump's bonhomie with Putin, it does not appear there will be any lasting damage from Obama's biggest failure. Islamabad may become a problem in the future but Obama is hardly the president who "lost Pakistan." Syria may haunt him, but on the whole, this is not a bad report card to go away with.

The author may be reached at @orsoraggiante
Donald J Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States of America on Friday. Trump was administered the oath of office by the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court John Roberts. Prior to him, his running mate Mike Pence was sworn-in the 48th Vice President of the United States. Immediately after his swearing-in, he addressed the gathering.

Here is a full text of his address from Capitol Hill:

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: Thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.

Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.

Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.

Today's ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another  but we are transferring power from Washington, DC and giving it back to you, the American People.

For too long, a small group in our nation's Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished  but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered -- but the jobs left, and the factories closed.

The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes  starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you.

It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. 20th January 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

Everyone is listening to you now.

You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before. At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public.

But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

We are one nation  and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

For many decades, we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry; subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military; we've defended other nation's borders while refusing to defend our own; and spent trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.

We've made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world.

But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future. We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.

From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.

From this moment on, it's going to be America First.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

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. We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.
Auto refresh feeds

The inauguration is reaching its climax as Donald Trump is all set to be escorted to the platform to be sworn-in as the next president. Before him , however, Vice-President-elect Mike Pence will be introduced to the public.

A jubilant Trump arrives on the stage. He is congratulated by the outgoing president and his supporters. Trump then waves his hand to acknowledge the public gathered at the ceremony.

The chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee for the Inauguration Ceremonies Roy Blunt is addressing the audience. This sets the stage for the inauguration. He reiterated US' commitment to peaceful transition of power and federalism.

The inauguration will be marked by prayers from three religions, before Donald Trump will be inaugurated the next president.

Chuck Schumer speaks at the inauguration. He stresses on the greatness of the American people, says we can gain strength by reading history and listening to the ordinary Americans. Schumer invokes "the strength and courage of the Americans".

Mike Pence is sworn in as the 48th Vice president of the United States by Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court Clarence Thomas.

Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States by Chief Justice of the US John Roberts.

Trump promises fellow Americans : I'll fight for you with my every breath and I'll never let you down.

Promising fellow Americans of a brighter future, Trump says that the "change has already begun".

Trump speaks of racial integration, and said "Whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots."

Stressing on US infrastructure, Trump alleged that America had till now made other countries rich while US infrastructure lagged behind. He promises to focus on infrastructure development and create more jobs.

Trump while dedicating his victory to the common man, said that the "time for empty talk is over".

Reminiscent of his campaign trail, newly sworn in president Donald Trump promises of focusing on the United States first, signalling a possible shift in the country's foreign policy.

Reflecting on the peaceful transition in one of the oldest democracies of the world, the JCCIC has said the theme of Donald Trump's inauguration is "Uniquely American", which Recognises the symbolic importance of Friday's event.

"With each inauguration we embrace this uniquely American ceremony, seeing in this extraordinary ritual a reflection of the nation itself. In times of peace or war, of prosperity or crisis, inaugurations strengthen the national resolve to meet each new challenge," the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) said.

"We may consider it routine, but the inaugural ceremony remains a uniquely American expression of our constitutional system. The peaceful transition between presidential administrations signals that we are united as a people behind an enduring republic," it said reflecting on the theme of this year's inauguration.

In 1981, the inaugural ceremony struck President Ronald Reagan as being both commonplace and miraculous.

"The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place, as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us stop to think how unique we really are," Reagan had said his inaugural speech.

"In the eyes of many in the world, this every-four-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle," he said.

At the end of the 18th century, it was widely believed that Republican form of government was best suited to small, homogeneous societies of America.

However, the United States rapidly grew in the 19th centuryin geography and populationand our system of government demonstrated its remarkable ability not just to accommodate that diversity, but to draw strength from it, JCCIC said.

In his second inaugural address in 1805, President Thomas Jefferson commented on the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase.

"The larger our association," he insisted, "the less will it be shaken by local passions".

Jefferson's faith in "association" across space would ultimately depend on knitting together the far-flung communities of the nation.

President James Monroe, in his 1817 inaugural address, envisioned a network of roads and canals that would cultivate national unity.

"By thus facilitating the intercourse between the states we shall shorten distances, and, by making each part more accessible to and dependent on the other, we shall bind the Union more closely together," he had said.

By the end of the 19th century, American towns and cities were linked by roads, canals, and railroads, followed by telegraph and telephone wires.

Modern infrastructure expanded in the 20th century, in the form of national highways, and in the 21st century with Internet cables and wireless communications.

Vast distances have been considerably reduced while knowledge, opportunity, and the shared ideals of purpose, ingenuity, and equality have been significantly expanded.

"These greater connections have required bridging the gap between competing political and ideological visions, while protecting the political and civil rights of all Americans," it said.

"With each inauguration we embrace this uniquely American ceremony, seeing in this extraordinary ritual a reflection of the nation itself. In times of peace or war, of prosperity or crisis, inaugurations strengthen the national resolve to meet each new challenge," the committee said.

"With malice toward none, with charity for all," President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed in his second inaugural address delivered during the waning days of the Civil War.

"Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nations wounds," he said.

During the depths of the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt declared his 1933 inauguration a "day of national consecration," in which "we face the arduous days that lie before us in the warm courage of national unity".

President George H W Bush observed in 1989 that on inauguration day, "we remember that we are all part of a continuum, inescapably connected by the ties that bind."

"At the dawn of the 21st century," as President William Clinton proclaimed in his 1997 address, Americans had to "shape the forces of the information age and the global society, to unleash the limitless power of all our people, and yes, to form a more perfect Union."

"On January 20, 2017, we gather at the US Capitol, the home of the legislature, along with the executive, represented by the President, and the judiciary, embodied by the Chief Justice of the United States who administers the oath. It is a meeting of the three branches of the federal government, before the people, to observe the simple yet momentous ritual of presidential oath taking," JCCIC said.

Trump Inauguration plan

Timeline of Friday's events as Donald Trump is inaugurated president of the United States (all times EST):

Before the ceremony

8:30 a.m.: Donald and Melania Trump attend service at St John's Church

9:40 a.m.: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama welcome the Trumps to the White House

9:45 a.m.: Obamas host a coffee and tea reception for the Trump family.

10:30 a.m.: Trumps, Obamas leave White House for US Capitol

At the Capitol

11:16 a.m.: Sen. Roy Blunt, Inaugural Committee chairman, delivers opening remarks

11:21 a.m.: Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Rev Dr Samuel Rodriguez and Pastor Paula White-Cain deliver invocations

11:30 a.m.: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer delivers remarks

11:35 a.m.: Vice Presidential oath is administered by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas

11:47 a.m.: Presidential oath is administered by Chief Justice John Roberts

11:51 a.m.: President Donald Trump delivers inaugural address

12:12 p.m.: Rabbi Marvin Hier, Rev. Franklin Graham and Bishop Wayne T. Jackson deliver benedictions

12:18 p.m.: Jackie Evancho performs the National Anthem

After the ceremony

12:30 pm.: Obama departs by helicopter from East Front

12:54 pm.: President's Room signing ceremony

1:08 pm.: Luncheon

2:35 pm.: Review of the troops

3 pm.: Parade from the Capitol to the White House

7 pm.: Inaugural balls get underway

10 promises Donald Trump will immediately take

But as Trump becomes president on Friday, it remains hazy as to which actions he will immediately take.

The list included several items likely to fire up Republican voters but backed up by scant policy. It includes "begin removing the more than two million criminal illegal immigrants" and "cancel every unconstitutional executive action by President Obama." Trump has already backed down from one pledge to label China a currency manipulator, recently saying he would first like to speak with the Chinese leadership.

A look at 10 of the key promises Trump made for his first day as president:

Introduce a constitutional amendment for congressional term limits.

Freeze hiring for the federal government to reduce payrolls, although the military, public safety and public health agencies would be exempt.

Ban White House and congressional officials from becoming lobbyists for five years after they leave the government.

Announce plans to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico or withdraw from the deal.

Formally withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Lift restrictions on mining coal and drilling for oil and natural gas.

Remove any Obama-era roadblocks to energy projects such as the Keystone XL pipeline.

Cancel US payments to U.N. climate change programs and redirect the money to US water and environmental infrastructure.

Stop all federal funding to "sanctuary cities," places where local officials don't arrest or detain immigrants living in the country illegally for federal authorities.

Suspend immigration from regions associated with terrorism where vetting is difficult.

With inputs from agencies
Washington: Donald Trump enters the White House embroiled in scandal, in a pitched battle with the intelligence services and news media, and facing a world on fire.

Among the many challenges the president-elect will face after his inauguration on Friday, the most urgent may be to steady the ship.

Even before being sworn in, he is facing a Congressional investigation into possible collusion between Russia and his election campaign.

Fearing an asterisk is being painted next to his historic victory over Hillary Clinton, Trump has gone on the offensive.

The incoming Republican leader has lashed out at "sleazebag political operatives," the intelligence services  whom he compared to Nazis  and the media, reprising campaign tactics that played well with his base.

But add to that serious allegations of nepotism, legal problems over his business interests, the ill-preparedness of some of his cabinet nominees and a fracas over health care reform that has left Republicans in disarray, and the picture gets even bleaker.

The image of "Teflon Don"  who as a candidate rode out scandal like no one else in modern political history  is taking on water.

Quite aside from the cost in time and energy of fighting on multiple fronts, the crises appear to be eroding his credibility, the base currency of any presidency.

His approval rating stands at 44 percent, according to a Gallup poll  the lowest level of support for any incoming president since the organisation began doing the surveys in the Clinton era.

In the corresponding period before his presidency, Barack Obama enjoyed an 83 percent rating.

That unpopularity will make it much easier for allies to bolt. Republican lawmakers up for re-election or in moderate states and districts are unlikely to go to bat for a deeply unpopular president.

Senator Marco Rubio  a former Trump rival for the Republican presidential nomination  is already openly raising the prospect he could oppose Trump's pick for secretary of state, oil executive Rex Tillerson.

Republican governors are also balking at plans to repeal Obamacare, and all the time Trump's victory is being called into question.

A massive "Women's March on Washington" is planned for Saturday, the day after his inauguration.

With this kind of sentiment swirling, Trump may be the first president to enter the White House with a bunker mentality.

Peppering the first 100 days of his administration with populist legislation and executive actions would help stem the bleeding  as would avoiding unnecessary fights.

Keep the band together

To help him run the country, Trump has turned to a disparate group of family members, generals, billionaires and establishment Republicans  few of whom have any White House experience.

The CEO-turned-commander-in-chief sees his freewheeling style as an asset. It will have a massive impact on how his decisions are framed.

A variety of opinions inside the White House can be constructive, or fuel turf wars and jockeying for influence that can split the house asunder.

Will Trump's daughter Ivanka or her husband Jared Kushner be the last person in the room? Will it be conservatives like Vice President Mike Pence or hard-right ideologues like chief strategist Steve Bannon?

Strongmen

Trump, like Obama, will take office at a time when rival regional powers are gaining more clout and are not afraid to use it. Preserving US primacy will be a full-time job.

In Russia, Vladimir Putin may be the strongest leader since Leonid Brezhnev, as he aggressively tries to renegotiate the terms of the end of the Cold War.

Putin's effort to re-establish Moscow's influence in Syria already hobbled the Obama administration. A similar Russian drive in Afghanistan, Libya or eastern Europe could pose serious problems for Trump's bid to smooth relations.

Meanwhile, the president-elect has taken a more bellicose stance toward China, at just the time Beijing is feeling more assertive.

Whereas Mao Zedong transformed Chinese society, and Deng Xiaoping made the country an economic power, current leader Xi Jinping wants to make China a diplomatic and military force.

Trump and Xi's rival ambitions dramatically raise the possibility that various disputes  from Taiwan to currency rates to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea  could become flashpoints.

Allies

Few have been more perturbed by Trump's election than America's traditional allies.

Trump has questioned the value of both Nato  calling it "obsolete" in an interview with the German tabloid Bild and The Times of London published Sunday  and Washington's treaty obligations to help secure allies in Asia, which underpin the global order.

"Trump has long believed the United States is being taken advantage of by its allies," said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution. "He would prefer that the United States not have to defend other nations, but, if it does, he wants to get paid as much as possible for it."

So far, most  including Britain and Japan  have adopted a strategy of engagement, getting close to Trump in order to win his ear.

Situation room

Every president will endure surprise national security crises, but perhaps the biggest foreign crisis facing Trump is well known  North Korea.

The country has been working feverishly to fuse two lethal technologies, a ballistic missile capable of reaching the continental United States and a miniaturised nuclear device to be its apocalyptic payload.

Trump has already painted that as a red line. "North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the US. It won't happen!" he tweeted.

Making sure of that will be far more difficult.

Sanctions against North Korea have had limited impact and Trump's hostility to China would seem to forestall any help from Beijing in squeezing Pyongyang.

He could turn to more dramatic responses, from disabling North Korean weapons systems by cyber-attack, airstrikes or invasion.

"Trump will hear siren calls to launch a preventive war," said Leon Sigal of the Social Science Research Council.

But that would mean trusting US intelligence.

"For a president who, as a candidate, repeatedly criticised US military intervention abroad and was skeptical of alliances," Sigal said, "that option might be particularly unpalatable."
Billionaire Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States of America on Friday. With this, the President-elect is all set to cap an extraordinary and improbable run for the White House when he takes the reins from President Barack Obama at mid-day, launching the nation into uncharted waters.

The Republican presidential nominee had shocked everyone with a had surprised political pundits by winning the presidential election. The President-elect made news, sometimes for his bizarre twitter comments, while at other times for the unprecedented confusion surrounding his domestic and foriegn policy plans. Some of the most controversial electoral promises that he made included building a wall on the border with Mexico and scrapping outgoing President Barack Obama's signature healthcare plan.

After the President-elect becomes 'President' Donald Trump, the first test he will face in his presidency is his accomplishments in the first 100 days.

In October last year, when Trump was still trailing Hillary Clinton in the run-up to election, he had announced plans for his first 100 days in office if elected president, which included steps like declaring China a currency manipulator, cancelling payments to UN for combating climate change and renegotiating Nafta.

Here is what the leader-in-waiting had promised to achieve in his first 100 days in office at the time:

"I'm not a politician, and have never wanted to be one. But when I saw the trouble our country was in, I knew I couldn't stand by and watch any longer. Our country has been so good to me, I love our country, I felt I had to act," Trump said in his address in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

"Change has to come from outside this broken system. The fact that the Washington establishment has tried so hard to stop our campaign is only more proof that our campaign represents the kind of change that only arrives once in a lifetime," he said while releasing details of his plans which he described as a 'Contract with the American voter'.

He urged the American people to "rise above the noise and the clutter of broken politics" and to embrace faith and optimism that has always been the central ingredient in the American character.

"I am asking you to dream big," the 70-year-old business tycoon asserted.

"What follows is my 100-day action plan to Make America Great Again. It is a contract between Donald J Trump and the American voter  and begins with restoring honesty, accountability and change to Washington," Trump said.

Among his other first 100 days measures included a lifetime ban on White House officials to lobby on behalf of foreign governments, a requirement that for every new federal regulation, two existing regulations must be eliminated, a five year-ban on White House and Congressional officials becoming lobbyists after they leave government service and a complete ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections.

This, he said, would clean up the corrupt system.

Trump said on his first day, he would announce his intention to renegotiate North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) or withdraw from the deal under Article 2205.

"I will announce our withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I will direct my Secretary of the Treasury to label China a currency manipulator. I will direct the Secretary of Commerce and US Trade Representative to identify all foreign trading abuses that unfairly impact American workers and direct them to use every tool under American and international law to end those abuses immediately," he said.

"I will lift the restrictions on the production of $50 trillion dollars' worth of job-producing American energy reserves, including shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal. I will lift the Obama-Clinton roadblocks and allow vital energy infrastructure projects, like the Keystone Pipeline, to move forward and I will cancel billions in payments to UN climate change programs and use the money to fix America's water and environmental infrastructure," Trump said.
By Steve Holland

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, succeeding Barack Obama and taking control of a divided country in a transition of power that he has declared will lead to America First policies at home and abroad.As scattered protests erupted elsewhere in Washington, Trump raised his right hand and put his left on a Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated a 35-word oath of office from the U.S. Constitution, with U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.At Trump's side was his wife, Melania Trump.The transition from a Democratic president to a Republican took place on the West Front of the domed U.S. Capitol before a crowd of former presidents, dignitaries and hundreds of thousands of people on the grounds of the National Mall. The crowd stretched westward on a cool day of occasional light rain.The new president was to deliver an inaugural address lasting about 20 minutes centered on the campaign themes that he used in his improbable November election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Clinton attended the ceremony with her husband, former President Bill Clinton."It will be optimistic. It will be visionary, but it's going to be philosophical," his spokesman, Sean Spicer, said of the speech, speaking to NBC on Friday morning. Trump, 70, takes over a country divided after a bitter election campaign. A wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star, he will set the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad."It all begins today!" he wrote in a note on Twitter at about 7:30 a.m. on Friday "I will see you at 11:00 A.M. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!"Away from the Capitol, masked activists ran through the streets smashing windows with hammers at a McDonalds restaurant, a Starbucks coffee shop and Bobby Vans Grill steakhouse several blocks from the White House.They carried black anarchist flags and signs that said, "Join the resistance, fight back now." Police used pepper spray and chased them down a major avenue, a Reuters eyewitness reported.In another location not far from the White House, protesters also scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminum chairs at them at outdoor cafe. At the inaugural ceremony, former presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter were also present with their wives. Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, 92, was in Houston recovering from pneumonia.Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, began the day attending a prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House.

Trump, wearing a dark suit and red tie, and Melania Trump, clad in a classic-styled, powder blue ensemble, then headed into the White House for a meeting with Obama and his wife, Michelle.Trump takes office with work to do to bolster his image.During a testy transition period since his stunning election win on Nov. 8, Trump has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that Trump seemed to want to "engage with every windmill that he can find."An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed Trump favorably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition. (abcn.ws/2jU9w63)TRUMP'S AGENDA

His ascension to the White House, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Obama's eight years in office, raises a host of questions for the United States.

Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 percent tariff on goods on imports from U.S. companies that went abroad.His desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional U.S. security umbrella will be diminished.In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs and stirring international concern. He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to "knock the hell out of" Islamic State militants.The inaugural festivities may have a more partisan edge than usual, given Trump's scorching campaign and continuing confrontations between him and Democrats over his take-no-prisoners Twitter attacks and pledge to roll back many of Obama's policies.More than 60 Democratic lawmakers plan to stay away from the proceedings to protest Trump, spurred on after he derided U.S. Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a hero of the civil rights movement, for calling him an illegitimate president.Thousands of anti-Trump protesters were expected among the inauguration crowd and many demonstrators will participate in a "Women's March on Washington" on Saturday. Protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad.

Keith Kidwell, chairman of the Republican Party in Beaufort County, North Carolina, was among the crowds on Friday, eager to see the start of the Trump presidency."I cling to my guns and my Bible. I've been waiting a long eight years for this day," said Kidwell, adding he initially supported U.S. Senator Ted Cruz to be the Republican presidential nominee but was now squarely behind Trump.QUICK ACTION

Trump's to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the U.S. Congress, they can quickly repeal and replace Obama's signature healthcare law, approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the U.S. economy."He's going to inject a shock to the system here almost immediately," Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of Hillary Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn. They deeply oppose Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric from the campaign trail and plans to build a wall along the southern U.S. border with Mexico. Trump's critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million.Trump's critics also point to the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republican's favor. Trump has acknowledged the finding - denied by Moscow - that Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election.To his critics - including Obama who during the campaign called Trump temperamentally unfit for the White House - his straight talk can be jarring, especially when expressed in tweets. His supporters, many of them working-class whites, see Trump as a refreshingly anti-establishment figure who eschews political correctness. "He's here for the working man" supporter Adam Coletti of Plainfield, Connecticut, said as he headed toward the inauguration. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Richard Cowan, Ian Simpson, David Alexander, Susan Heavey, Roberta Rampton, Phil Stewart and Emily Stephenson; Editing by Frances Kerry)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
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.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.The number of planned protests and rallies this year is far above what has been typical at recent presidential inaugurations, with some 30 permits granted in Washington for anti-Trump rallies and sympathy protests planned in cities from Boston to Los Angeles, and abroad in cities including London and Sydney. The night before the inauguration, hundreds of people turned out in New York for a protest at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, a few blocks from the Trump Tower where the businessman lives.Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, and actor Alec Baldwin, who parodies Trump on "Saturday Night Live" were set to speak at a rally condemning Trump's policies."Donald Trump may control Washington, but we control our destiny as Americans," de Blasio said. "We don't fear the future. We think the future is bright, if the people's voices are heard."In Washington, 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.U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said police aimed to keep groups separate, using tactics similar to those 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.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.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 peaceful 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.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.Forecast rain may also dampen the turnout, though security officials lifted an earlier ban on umbrellas, saying small umbrellas would be permitted. (Additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu in Washigton, and Joseph Ax in New York; Editing by Scott Malone and James Dalgleish)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Tim Cocks

| BANJUL

BANJUL Gambia's army chief on Friday abandoned embattled longtime leader Yahya Jammeh, saying his forces would not fight against a military operation to remove him, as regional leaders led a last ditch effort to convince him to flee into exile.The defection of General Ousman Badjie, who had previously stood by Jammeh, removes what was perhaps the former coup leader's last remaining pillar of support, potentially raising the likelihood of a peaceful solution to the political impasse. New President Adama Barrow, who won December's election, was sworn into office on Thursday and immediately called for regional and international support. West African militaries announced soon after that they had crossed into Gambia. Speaking to Reuters by telephone, Badjie said he recognised Barrow as the army's commander-in-chief and would welcome, not fight, the regional force. "We are going to welcome them with flowers and make them a cup of tea," he said. "This is a political problem. It's a misunderstanding. We are not going to fight Nigerian, Togolese or any military that comes."West African leaders Alpha Conde of Guinea and Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz meanwhile flew to the capital Banjul on Friday to allow Jammeh one last chance to cede power peacefully.U.N. officials, including Mohammed Ibn Chambas, U.N. Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, were also involved in the talks.The military operation was halted late on Thursday to give mediation a chance, and a midday deadline was extended on Friday as negotiations, which diplomats said were focusing on a deal to grant Jammeh immunity from prosecution, continued."There is a real possibility this could work. I don't think he is going the (Saddam) Hussein route," said a regional diplomat, referring to the Iraqi leader who was arrested in 2003 following an invasion, tried and hanged.

A senior official from regional bloc ECOWAS, under whose mandate the military operation was launched, said late on Thursday that there was no question that Jammeh would be allowed to remain in Gambia, even if he agreed to step down. FINAL ACT

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 and demanding a new ballot.

Late on Thursday, he dissolved the government - half of whose members had already resigned - and pledged to name a new one.His estate - located just 1 km from the border with Senegal, Gambia's sole neighbour, which surrounds it on three sides - was heavily fortified on Friday, witnesses say.ECOWAS says its intervention, dubbed Operation Restore Democracy, involves 7,000 troops and is backed by tanks and warplanes. Forces have already entered Gambia from the southeast, southwest and north.The size of Gambia's army is unclear, but estimates of range from 800 to up to 2,500 soldiers.While Barrow's election victory last month and inauguration on Thursday were celebrated by many across the tiny nation of less than 2 million people, support for Jammeh remained strong among some Gambians, who opposed the military intervention.

"Why should the other countries interfere. Why should they force him to leave?" said Momodou Badji, 78, in Banjul's Kanifing neighbourhood.Gambia is of little strategic significance, but if a peaceful transition of power fails, it would be a setback for the advance of democracy in Africa. During his 22-years in power, Jammeh, who once vowed to rule Gambia "for a billion years", has been accused by rights groups of torturing and killing perceived opponents. Yet Gambia remains a popular holiday destination for European tourists drawn to its tropical beaches. Streets in the capital were mostly deserted on Friday and shops, restaurants and petrol stations were shut.The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said about 45,000 people, mainly children, have fled to Senegal since Jan. 1 amid growing fears of unrest. Thousands of tourists have also left this week. (Additional reporting by Emma Farge and Diadie Ba in Dakar and Kissima Diagana in Nouakchott; Editing by Angus MacSwan; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Joe Bavier; Editing by Alison Williams)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The new first family is a tight-knit celebrity clan, wealthy beyond the wildest dreams of most Americans and well used to the public eye.

Here is a breakdown on the 45th US president's nearest and dearest:

Melania

Brought up in Slovenia, Donald Trump's third wife is the first foreign-born US first lady in two centuries: England's Louisa Adams was the last from 1825-1829.

A former model who speaks five languages, Melania makes only fleeting public appearances but has stood by her man, dismissing as "boy talk" his boasts of groping women just months into their marriage.

Unusually she is not moving straight into the White House, staying in New York at least until the couple's 10-year-old son Barron finishes the school year.

It is unclear how public a role she will play, though she promises to be a "traditional" first lady "like Jackie Kennedy" and says she wants to advocate against internet bullying and to help women in poverty.

She came under fire for plagiarizing Michelle Obama in a speech last July and suffers lackluster approval ratings compared to the sky-high popularity of the outgoing first lady.

Eyebrows were also raised over nude modeling in the past and US media have questioned whether she worked illegally after first arriving in America. She was mocked for her strong accent at the American Music Awards.

Born Melanija Knavs in then Yugoslavia, she modeled in Paris and Milan before becoming a US citizen in 2006, a year after marrying Trump.

Ivanka

Trump's 35-year-old daughter Ivanka is moving to Washington, suggesting that America can expect a prominent first daughter: businesswoman, mother-of-three and favorite child of the incoming president.

No formal role has been announced, but with husband Jared heading to the White House as special advisor and the couple swapping Park Avenue for the capital's swanky Kalorama district, expect her to take on hostessing duties and first lady style causes.

During the campaign she was a key surrogate among women and called for affordable childcare and equal pay  championing traditionally Democratic Party causes.

She is a conduit to her father, particularly across the aisle, but has come under fire for sitting in on a meeting with the Japanese prime minister and for conflict of interest fears since the election.

Lawyers say she will step down as vice president of the Trump Organization and from direct running of her eponymous fashion company to focus on settling her young children into Washington.

Beautiful, well-dressed and polished, she posts glossy photographs of her family to 2.1 million Instagram followers, maintaining a carefully curated public image.

Considered charming and intelligent with a degree from the Wharton School of Finance, she has been one half of a New York power couple for years. Even Chelsea Clinton is, or at least was, a friend.

Jared Kushner

Ivanka's husband, the 36-year-old baby-faced property developer and magazine publisher has risen stratospherically to become one of the most powerful men in government with a starring role in his father-in-law's White House.

The Jewish Orthodox grandson of Holocaust survivors, he is considered a calming influence on Trump. Despite concerns about nepotism, his lawyer says he will "divest substantial assets" to comply with federal guidelines.

Credited with being the brains behind Trump's election, the multi-millionaire scion of a New Jersey family of Democrats married Ivanka in 2009.

Discreet and unflinchingly loyal, Kushner says he underwent a political transformation after seeing Trump's groundswell of support, defending him against alleged racism and anti-Semitism.

He moved the family real estate business into Manhattan after his father was jailed for tax evasion, witness tampering and illegal campaign contributions.

Don Jr. and Eric

Trump's two eldest sons are officially staying in New York and running the Trump Organization in their father's absence. Technically they are not supposed to discuss business with their father but his refusal to divest completely from the sprawling group has been slammed by an ethics watchdog.

Don Jr., 39, has described his father as his best friend and like his sister studied at the Wharton School of Finance.

His speech at the Republican National Convention sparked speculation that the father of five may seek a political career of his own one day.

Eric, 33, has griped about having to cease fundraising for his charitable foundation over fears about impropriety and conflict of interest.

The brothers have courted controversy as hunters, after posing for photographs with dead animals during a trip to Zimbabwe.

Their wives, Vanessa and Lara respectively, also worked the campaign trail, particularly Lara who put in the hours in her home state of North Carolina.

Tiffany and Barron

Tiffany, 23, is Trump's daughter from his second marriage and reportedly named after Tiffany & Co. the jewelry store next door to Trump Tower.

She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and released music track "Like a Bird" in 2011, listened to on YouTube by nearly one million people.

Brought up in California, she has modeled and is reportedly eying up Harvard Law School.

Youngest child Barron lives at home and goes to school in New York.

Ex-Wives Club

Trump is America's first twice-divorced president.

Trump began an affair with actress Marla Maples, 53, while still married. They wed in 1993 and divorced six years later. Maples moved to California.

Ivana, his Czech-born first wife, is a former model, skier and businesswoman, who divides her time between New York and Europe.

The 67-year-old is best known for coming up with Trump's nickname "The Donald." They divorced in a blaze of tabloid scandal in 1992.
By Dave Graham

| MEXICO CITY

MEXICO CITY Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mexico's most notorious kingpin who escaped two maximum-security jails, shipped countless tonnes of drugs around the world and became one of the worlds most-wanted fugitives, was extradited to the United States on Thursday.Mexico's struggle with drug cartels and its chief adversary, Guzman, was a tapestry of corruption, violent deaths and billions of dollars in smuggled contraband - a business that put the kingpin onto the Forbes world's billionaires list.But El Chapo, or Shorty, was the drug trade's shining light, an almost mythical figure whose audacious real-life exploits captured the world's imagination and turned him into a folk hero for many in Mexico, despite the thousands of people killed by his brutal Sinaloa cartel.In January 2016, Guzman was finally caught in his native northwestern state of Sinaloa. Six months earlier, he had humiliated Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto by escaping from prison through a mile-long tunnel dug straight into his cell. It was the second time in his career the 59-year-old capo had escaped a federal Mexican jail and he spent the following months awaiting extradition to the United States. Just days after his capture, "Chapo's" larger-than-life reputation was sealed when U.S. movie star Sean Penn published a lengthy account of an interview he conducted with the drug lord - a meeting the Mexican government said was "essential" to his eventual capture a few months later."I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world. I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats," Penn said Guzman told him during their discussion at the drug lord's mountain hideout.On Thursday, Mexicos government finally extradited Chapo, on the eve of Donald Trumps inauguration as U.S. president, from a prison in Ciudad Juarez on the U.S. border.Mexico has been riled by Trumps vows to build a massive border wall and force Mexicans to pay for it. But Pena Nietos administration has sought to keep Trump on side, first inviting him down to visit and then reaching out to his transition team. Top Mexican officials are set to meet with Trumps incoming administration in Washington next week, and the timing of the extradition appeared to be a gesture to both sides of the U.S. partisan divide.Guzman's legendary reputation in the Mexican underworld began to take shape in 2001, when he staged his first jailbreak, bribing guards in a prison in western Mexico, before going on to dominate drug trafficking along much of the Rio Grande.However, many in towns and villages across Mexico remember Guzman better for his squads of assassins who committed thousands of murders, kidnappings and decapitations.Violence crept up in the 2000-2006 rule of president Vicente Fox, and his National Action Party (PAN) successor Felipe Calderon, staked his reputation on bringing the cartels to heel. Instead, the killings spiralled, claiming nearly 70,000 lives under Calderon while Guzman's fame grew. In February 2013, Chicago dubbed him its first Public Enemy No.1 since Al Capone.

Guzman's Sinaloa cartel went on smuggling hundreds of tons of cocaine, marijuana, and crystal meth across Mexico's 2,000 mile border with the United States. Indictments allege Guzman's narcotics were sold from New England all the way to the Pacific. Guzman's capture in February 2014 was a big victory for Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) - making his flight the following year all the more embarrassing."THE FACE OF CORRUPTION"

Security experts concede the 5 foot 6 inch gangster was exceptional at what he did, managing to outmanoeuvre, outfight or outbribe his rivals to stay at the top of the bloody drug trade for over a decade."El Chapo Guzman is the most flagrant, the most brutal, and the starkest face of the corruption in Mexico," said Anabel Hernandez, author of 'Narcoland: The Mexican Drug Lords and their Godfathers'. Rising through the ranks of the drug world, Guzman carefully observed his mentors' tactics, their mistakes and where to forge the alliances that kept him one step ahead of the law for years.Mexican soldiers and U.S. agents came close to Guzman on several occasions but his layers of body guards and spies always tipped him off before they stormed his safe houses.

Guzman was born in La Tuna, a village in the Sierra Madre mountains in Sinaloa state where smugglers have been growing opium and marijuana since the early twentieth century.He ascended in the 1980s under the tutelage of Sinaloan kingpin Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, alias "The Boss of Bosses," who pioneered cocaine smuggling routes into the United States.The aspiring capo came to prominence in 1993 when assassins who shot dead Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesus Posadas claimed they had been gunning for Guzman but got the wrong target.Two weeks later, police arrested him in Guatemala and extradited him to Mexico. Guzman used money to ease his eight year prison stay, smuggling in lovers, prostitutes and Viagra, according to accounts published in the Mexican media.WAR

After escaping, his fame spread to the United States, and Guzman expanded his turf by sending in squads of assassins with names such as "Los Negros," "The Ghosts" and "The Zeta Killers."

Agents say Guzman hid near his childhood home in the Sierra Madre mountains but rumours abounded of him visiting expensive restaurants with his entourage and paying for all the diners.In 2007, Guzman married an 18-year-old beauty queen in a village in Durango state in an ostentatious ceremony.The archbishop of Durango subsequently caused a media storm when he said that "everyone, except the authorities," knew Guzman was living in the state. Guzman's bride gave birth to twins in a Los Angeles hospital in 2011.Between 2004 and 2013, his gangs fought in all major Mexican cities on the U.S. border, turning Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo into some of the most dangerous places on the planet.In one attack in Nuevo Laredo in April 2013, 14 bodies were left mutilated on the street under a note that was signed "El Chapo," and read "Don't forget that I am your real daddy."Guzman's Sinaloa cartel often clashed with the Zetas, a gang founded by former Mexican soldiers that created paramilitary death squads. The Sinaloans fought fire with fire, arming their troops with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns.Guzman also turned on his own allies. He waged one of his bloodiest campaigns against childhood friend and longtime business partner Arturo Beltran Leyva, alias "The Beard."In 2008 hitmen hired by Beltran Leyva murdered Guzman's son Edgar, a 22-year-old university student, outside a shopping mall in Sinaloan state capital Culiacan. Guzman reportedly left 50,000 flowers at his son's grave, then returned to war.When Beltran Leyva was finally shot dead by Mexican marines in 2009, a head was dumped on his grave.In the 1990s, Guzman had become infamous for hiding seven tons of cocaine in cans of chili peppers. In the 2000s, indictments say Guzman's crew took drugs in tractor trailers to major U.S. cities including Phoenix, Los Angeles and Chicago.Forbes put the kingpin's wealth at $1 billion, though investigators say it is impossible to know exactly how much he was worth. Mexican prosecutors say Guzman used his money to buy off politicians, police chiefs, soldiers and judges. (With reporting by Mexico City bureau; Editing by Simon Gardner)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Ian Simpson and Scott Malone

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON Black-clad activists angry about U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration smashed store car windows and blocked traffic in Washington on Friday and fought with police in riot gear who responded with tear gas and stun grenades.About 500 people, some wearing masks, marched through the city's downtown, using hammers to claw up chunks of pavement to smash the windows of a Bank of America branch and a McDonald's outlet, all symbols of the American capitalist system. The crowd chanted anti-Trump slogans and carried signs with slogans including "Make Racists Afraid Again," a play on the New York businessman-turned-politician's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. The incident occurred about 90 minutes before Trump was sworn in at the Capitol a mile and a half (2.4 km) away.Police detained about 50 people and said they had charged numerous people with rioting. The group of detainees became a flash point after Trump was sworn in, when a crowd of several hundred that had formed to call for their release turned violent, with some throwing bottles and rocks at police who responded with tear gas and stun grenades.Two police officers sustained minor injuries from people who were trying to avoid arrest, police said."The message I want to send is that Trump does not represent this country. He represents the corporate interests," said Jessica Reznicek, a 35-year-old Roman Catholic aid worker from Des Moines, Iowa, who was part of the protest but did not participate in the violence.Not far from the White House, protesters scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminium chairs at an outdoor cafe. Bob Hrifko, a member of the "Bikers for Trump" group in town to celebrate the inauguration, was struck in the face when he tried to intervene."I know, law and order and all that. We need more order. This ain't right," said Hrifko, who was bleeding from a cut under his eye.CROWDS THIN

The number of people who turned out to view the midday swearing-in, on a gray day threatened by rain, appeared to be significantly smaller than the estimated 2 million who turned out for now-former President Barack Obama's first inauguration in 2009.Overhead video of the National Mall showed sections of the white matting laid down to protect the grass were largely empty.More people were expected to be on hand when Trump and his entourage travel along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House later Friday afternoon.Earlier, liberal activists with a group called Disrupt J20 intermittently blocked multiple security checkpoints leading to the largest public viewing area for the inauguration. Several were led away by police.Disrupt J20 protest organizer Alli McCracken, 28, of Washington, said the group was voicing its displeasure over Trump's controversial comments about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims.

SYMPATHY RALLIES

Tensions were high on the streets of Washington, with scuffles breaking out between Trump supporters and opponents.Trump supporters Chris and Karen Korthaus, who carried a life-size cardboard cutout of the former reality TV star, crossed paths with an anti-Trump crowd. "A protester came over and ripped off the Don's head," Karen Korthaus said as she showed a reporter a video of the incident. "We ran to a pizza shop and taped his head back on".Carl Beams, 36, from Howell, New Jersey, stood in line with thousands of other Trump supporters waiting to enter the National Mall to view the inauguration.

"This is a great moment in history. I wanted to be able to say I was here firsthand," said Beams, who runs a martial arts school.People reacted across the world.In Tokyo, several hundred people, most of them expatriate Americans, protested against Trump. In London, activists draped a banner across the British capital's iconic Tower Bridge reading "Build bridges not walls," a reference to Trump's promise to wall off the U.S.-Mexico border.But in Moscow, Russians hoping Trump will usher in a new era of detente with their country celebrated his inauguration. Russian nationalists held an all-night party at what used to be the main Soviet-era post office in Moscow. East of Moscow, in the city of Zlatoust, craftsmen released a limited series of silver and gold commemorative coins, engraved with "In Trump We Trust."The U.S. Secret Service, Washington police and other law enforcement agencies had about 28,000 officers in place to secure a roughly three-square-mile (7.8 square km) of downtown Washington.Along the stretch of Washington where the rioters smashed windows, workers were beginning to clean up the debris."We're just working, and the next thing you know, violence is coming our way," said Edwin Garcia, 26, a line cook at an Au Bon Pain where three windows were shattered. "What was the point if they never got to where Trump is?" (Additional reporting by Ian Simpson, Joel Schectman, Jonathan Landay and Phil Stewart; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Paul Simao)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Steve Holland

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON Donald Trump began the ceremonial events leading up to his swearing-in later on Friday as the 45th president of the United States, as black-clad activists smashed windows in downtown Washington to protest his inauguration.Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, will take the oath of office at midday (1700 GMT) outside the domed U.S. Capitol, with U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts presiding. Organizers expected crowds of upwards of 900,000 people, including protesters.Away from the Capitol, masked activists ran through the streets smashing store and car windows. They carried black anarchist flags and signs that said, "Join the resistance, fight back now." Police used pepper spray and chased them down a major avenue, a Reuters eyewitness reported.Trump, a Republican, will take power in a country divided after a bitter election campaign. He will set the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad."It all begins today!" he wrote in a note on Twitter at about 7:30 a.m. "I will see you at 11:00 A.M. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!"The West Front of the Capitol was teeming with dignitaries for the ceremony, including former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, who was defeated by Trump in the Nov. 8 election. A big cheer rang out from the crowd when she was introduced.Former presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter were also present with their wives. Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, 92, was in Houston recovering from pneumonia.Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, began the day attending a prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House.Trump, wearing a dark suit and red tie, and his wife, Melania, clad in a classic-styled, powder blue ensemble, then headed into the White House for a meeting with outgoing Democratic President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.Streets near the president's home were blocked to traffic by empty buses and dump trucks or temporary pedestrian security checkpoints. Checkpoints around the National Mall in front of the Capitol opened early to begin admitting guests. Some wore red caps bearing Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.Trump, 70, takes office with work to do to bolster his image. During a testy transition period since his stunning November election win, the wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that Trump seemed to want to "engage with every windmill that he can find."An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed Trump favorably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition. (abcn.ws/2jU9w63)

TRUMP'S AGENDA

His ascension to the White House, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Obama's eight years in office, raises a host of questions for the United States. Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 percent tariff on goods on imports from U.S. companies that went abroad.His desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional U.S. security umbrella will be diminished.In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs and stirring international concern. He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to "knock the hell out of" Islamic State militants.The inaugural festivities may have a more partisan edge than usual, given Trump's scorching campaign and continuing confrontations between him and Democrats over his take-no-prisoners Twitter attacks and pledge to roll back many of Obama's policies.

More than 60 Democratic lawmakers plan to stay away from the proceedings to protest Trump, spurred on after he derided U.S. Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a hero of the civil rights movement, for calling him an illegitimate president.Thousands of anti-Trump protesters were expected among the inauguration crowd and many demonstrators will participate in a "Women's March on Washington" on Saturday. Protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad.Trump, whose November victory stunned the world, will start his presidency with a 20-minute inaugural address that he has been writing himself with the help of top aides. "It will be optimistic. It will be visionary, but it's going to be philosophical," his spokesman, Sean Spicer, told NBC on Friday.Keith Kidwell, chairman of the Republican Party in Beaufort County, North Carolina, was among the crowds on Friday, eager to see the start of the Trump presidency."I cling to my guns and my Bible. I've been waiting a long eight years for this day," said Kidwell, adding he initially supported U.S. Senator Ted Cruz to be the Republican presidential nominee but was now squarely behind Trump.

QUICK ACTION

Trump's to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the U.S. Congress, they can quickly repeal and replace Obama's signature healthcare law, approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the U.S. economy."He's going to inject a shock to the system here almost immediately," Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of Hillary Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn. They deeply oppose Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric from the campaign trail and plans to build a wall along the southern U.S. border with Mexico. Trump's critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million."Any time you dont win the popular vote but you win by the Electoral College it makes people come unglued," said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. "It angers people that somebody can win the popular vote but you're not president."Trump's critics also point to the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republican's favor. The president-elect has acknowledged the finding - denied by Moscow - that Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election.To his critics - including Obama who during the campaign called Trump temperamentally unfit for the White House - his straight talk can be jarring, especially when expressed in tweets. His supporters, many of them working-class whites, see Trump as a refreshingly anti-establishment figure who eschews political correctness. "He's here for the working man" supporter Adam Coletti of Plainfield, Connecticut, said as he headed toward the inauguration. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Richard Cowan, Ian Simpson, David Alexander, Susan Heavey, Roberta Rampton and Emily Stephenson; Editing by Frances Kerry)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Steve Holland

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON Donald Trump began the ceremonial events leading up to his swearing-in later on Friday as the 45th president of the United States, as black-clad activists smashed windows in downtown Washington to protest his inauguration.Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, will take the oath of office at midday (1700 GMT) outside the domed U.S. Capitol, with U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts presiding. Organizers expected crowds of upwards of 900,000 people, including protesters.Away from the Capitol, masked activists ran through the streets smashing windows of restaurants and banks. They carried black anarchist flags and signs that said, "Join the resistance, fight back now." Police used pepper spray and chased them down a major avenue, a Reuters eyewitness reported.Trump, a Republican, will take power in a country divided after a bitter election campaign."It all begins today!" he wrote in a note on Twitter at about 7:30 a.m. "I will see you at 11:00 A.M. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!"He stayed the night at an official guest house near the White House and began the day attending a prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church, a block away. Trump, wearing a dark suit and red tie, and his wife, Melania, clad in a classic-styled, powder blue ensemble, then headed into the White House for a meeting with outgoing Democratic President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.Streets near the president's home were blocked to traffic by empty buses and dump trucks or temporary pedestrian security checkpoints. Checkpoints around the National Mall in front of the Capitol opened early to begin admitting guests. Some wore red caps bearing Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.Trump, 70, takes office with work to do to bolster his image. During a testy transition period since his stunning November election win, the wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that Trump seemed to want to "engage with every windmill that he can find."An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed Trump favorably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Jimmy Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition. (abcn.ws/2jU9w63)His ascension to the White House, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Obama's eight years in office, raises a host of questions for the United States. Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 percent tariff on goods on imports from U.S. companies that went abroad.

His desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional U.S. security umbrella will be diminished.In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs and stirring international concern. He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to "knock the hell out of" Islamic State militants.DEMOCRATS' BOYCOTT

The inaugural festivities may have a more partisan edge than usual, given Trump's scorching campaign and continuing confrontations between him and Democrats over his take-no-prisoners Twitter attacks and pledge to roll back many of Obama's policies.More than 60 Democratic lawmakers plan to stay away from the proceedings to protest Trump, spurred on after he derided U.S. Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a hero of the civil rights movement, for calling him an illegitimate president.

Thousands of anti-Trump protesters were expected among the inauguration crowd and many demonstrators will participate in a "Women's March on Washington" on Saturday. Protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad.Trump, whose Nov. 8 victory stunned the world, will start his presidency with a 20-minute inaugural address that he has been writing himself with the help of top aides. "It will be optimistic. It will be visionary, but it's going to be philosophical," his spokesman, Sean Spicer, told NBC on Friday.Keith Kidwell, chairman of the Republican Party in Beaufort County, North Carolina, was among the crowds on Friday, eager to see the start of the Trump presidency."I cling to my guns and my Bible. I've been waiting a long eight years for this day," said Kidwell, adding he initially supported U.S. Senator Ted Cruz to be the Republican presidential nominee but was now squarely behind Trump.

QUICK ACTION

Trump's to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the U.S. Congress, they can quickly repeal and replace Obama's signature healthcare law, approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the U.S. economy."He's going to inject a shock to the system here almost immediately," Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of their presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn. They deeply oppose Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric from the campaign trail and plans to build a wall along the southern U.S. border with Mexico. "We won't oppose Trump just because his name is on something, but when he's against the values we believe in... we're gonna fight," Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer told CNN.Trump's critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million."Any time you dont win the popular vote but you win by the Electoral College it makes people come unglued," said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. "It angers people that somebody can win the popular vote but you're not president."Trump's critics also point to the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republican's favor. The president-elect has acknowledged the finding - denied by Moscow - that Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election.To his critics - including Obama who during the campaign called Trump temperamentally unfit for the White House - his straight talk can be jarring, especially when expressed in tweets. His supporters, many of them working-class whites, see Trump as a refreshingly anti-establishment figure who eschews political correctness. "He's here for the working man" supporter Adam Coletti of Plainfield, Connecticut, said as he headed toward the inauguration. (Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Richard Cowan, Ian Simpson, David Alexander, Susan Heavey and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Frances Kerry)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
WASHINGTON 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)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
WASHINGTON The Pentagon said on Thursday that it was ready to deal with provocative acts by North Korea, even during the presidential transition about to take place on Friday, but declined comment about intelligence on a possible future missile test-launch. Reuters reported earlier on Thursday that 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 range of the missile remained unclear, the officials said.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Since winning the presidency, Donald Trump has exploited Twitter to make administrative announcements, weigh in on foreign policy, and hurl barbs at anyone who crosses him.

With 19.8 million followers, the president-elect has granted some interviews to traditional media outlets, but has leaned heavily on the online platform as a powerful way to self-promote, attack and distract.

During his presidential transition, he has picked fights on Twitter with China, Mexico, Lockheed Martin, Toyota, the media, President Barack Obama, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Meryl Streep and the cast of Hamilton, among others. Here are some of Trump's most controversial tweets since his election victory on 8 November:

On voting:

In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2016

Hillary Clinton eventually won the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes. Experts and elected officials on both sides of the political aisle have dismissed claims of large-scale vote fraud.

On Cuba:

If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2016

Trump's threat to end the US thaw with Cuba launched by Obama sparked speculation about the future of US policy toward the Communist-ruled island.

On flag-burning:

Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016

The president-elect's proposal incited backlash from much of political Washington, as burning an American flag is constitutionally permissible.

On Taiwan:

The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency. Thank you!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2016

The real estate mogul infuriated Beijing after breaking with decades of US diplomatic precedent by speaking with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen.

On Obama:

Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks.Thought it was going to be a smooth transition - NOT!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2016

Obama at one point suggested that he may have won a third term were he not constitutionally barred from doing so.

On Russia:

Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2016

In a message quickly retweeted by Russia's embassy in Washington, Trump praised Vladimir Putin for refraining from expelling Americans in response to US punitive measures over alleged Russian interference in the election.

On Toyota:

Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2017

That attack on the world's largest automaker caused its shares, and those of other Japanese auto companies, to slump.

On Meryl Streep:

Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017

Hillary flunky who lost big. For the 100th time, I never "mocked" a disabled reporter (would never do that) but simply showed him.......  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017

"groveling" when he totally changed a 16 year old story that he had written in order to make me look bad. Just more very dishonest media!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017

Trump was settling scores after Streep berated him for his divisive rhetoric.

On US intelligence:

Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to "leak" into the public. One last shot at me.Are we living in Nazi Germany?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

A week before entering the White House, Trump blamed the intelligence community for an incendiary but unsubstantiated report on his alleged Moscow ties.

With inputs from AFP
By Ian Simpson and Scott Malone

| WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON America's political divisions turned violent on the streets of Washington during U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday, as black clad anti-establishment activists smashed store windows and clashed with police while Trump supporters cheered the new man in the White House.Hundreds of people, some wearing masks, marched through downtown streets, using hammers to claw up chunks of pavement to smash the windows of a Bank of America branch and a McDonald's outlet, all symbols of American capitalism.A knot of people dragged garbage cans into a street a few blocks from the White House and set them ablaze, later throwing a red cap with Republican Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan into the flames.The various protest groups scattered around the city chanted anti-Trump slogans and carried signs with slogans including "Trump is not president" and "Make Racists Afraid Again."Not all the demonstrators were anti-Trump. Members of Bikers for Trump assembled near the start of the route the new president took to the White House, shrugging off Trump opponents who briefly engaged them in a shouting match."They're just trying to argue," said a member of the bikers' group, Donald Gregory, 53, of North Carolina. "We finally have someone we can root for."Washington's interim police chief, Peter Newsham, told NBC's local affiliate that the violent protests were "mostly under control." He said about 95 people had been arrested. Police said in a statement they had charged an unspecified number of people with rioting and that two police officers sustained minor injuries from people who were trying to avoid arrest.The U.S. Secret Service, Washington police and other law enforcement agencies had about 28,000 officers in place to secure a roughly three-square-mile (7.8 square km) of the city.

"Trump is not going to be stopped at the top, he's going to be stopped from the bottom, from people rising up," said Ben Allen, a 69-year-old retired teacher from San Francisco. "We support the right of everybody in this country, no matter what nationality, what religion, the colour of their skin, to be respected as a human being, and this guy doesn't respect anybody."POPULIST SPEECH

During the election campaign and New York businessman Trump's surprising rise to power, some of his rhetoric was interpreted as racist and anti-immigration. His inauguration speech was a populist and nationalist rallying cry.

Protesters and police said the black-clad violent activists were acting independently of organised opposition to Trump.The Disrupt J20 group on Twitter said its anger was not directed only at Trump, that it would also have demonstrated had Democrat Hillary Clinton won the election last November.Not far from the White House, Bob Hrifko, a member of the Bikers for Trump group, was struck in the face with an aluminium chair when he tried to intervene in a scuffle involving police and protesters."I know, law and order and all that. We need more order. This ain't right," said Hrifko, who was bleeding from a cut under his eye.The number of people who turned out for the midday swearing-in ceremony in the rain appeared to be significantly smaller than the estimated 2 million who attended Democrat Barack Obama's first inauguration in 2009. Overhead video of the National Mall showed sections of the white matting laid down to protect the grass were largely empty.

Trump supporters Chris and Karen Korthaus, who carried a life-size cardboard cutout of the former reality TV star, crossed paths with an anti-Trump crowd. "A protester came over and ripped off the Don's head," Karen Korthaus said as she showed a reporter a video of the incident. "We ran to a pizza shop and taped his head back on."Along the stretch of Washington where the rioters smashed windows, workers cleaned up the debris."We're just working, and the next thing you know, violence is coming our way," said Edwin Garcia, 26, a cook at an Au Bon Pain where three windows were shattered. "What was the point if they never got to where Trump is?"There were also protests around the world.In Tokyo, several hundred people, most of them expatriate Americans, protested against Trump. In London, activists draped a banner across the British capital's iconic Tower Bridge reading "Build bridges not walls," a reference to Trump's promise to wall off the U.S.-Mexico border. But in Moscow, Russians hoping Trump will usher in a new era of detente with their country celebrated his inauguration. (Additional reporting by David Lawder, Joel Schectman, Mike Stone, Matt Spetalnick, Jonathan Landay and Phil Stewart; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Paul Simao and Grant McCool)

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 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 neighbour.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 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.
By Tim Cocks and Emma Farge

| BANJUL/DAKAR

BANJUL/DAKAR 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. (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 Dominic Evans and Leslie Adler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
ELKO  The 26 cowboy boot statues needed for the Elko Arts and Culture Advisory Councils centennial project arrived in Elko this week.

The 110-pound unpainted boots were delivered by Icon Poly, a company from Nebraska that specializes in creating large props for films and public art projects.

The council is planning to get the boot statues out to local artists soon so they can begin to paint them in time to be put in place by April 1.

Council chair Catherine Wines was initially nervous when artist interest was lower than expected but was glad to see it increase over the last few weeks.

I was very pleasantly surprised at the turnout we got in the art community, she said. We had some troubles in the past getting artists to respond but weve got a great group of really talented artists.

Though the council is pleased with the interest they have gotten from artists so far, they are not ruling out buying more boots. The council has plans to order up to 10 more boot statues if they can get more interest from artists.

The council is encouraging anyone interested to contact Community Development Manager Jeremy Draper.

Per the contract with the City, each artist will receive $250 to buy supplies and another $250 once the project is completed.

Ive actually taken the boot that will go in front of my building. After they dropped the boots off the other day we put one in the back of Jeremy Drapers truck and took it to my house, Wines said. I already have mine and Im ready to go.

Wines did not go into detail about what she had planned for her boot but did say she had a particular art movement she wanted to draw inspiration from.

The other artists who have not gotten their boots yet are all from northern Nevada, with the majority of them coming from Elko County.

We got one artist from Eureka and everyone else is local, Wines said. There are a couple of artists from Tuscarora that are interested in doing one. They are from all around the area but Elko is kind of the hub.

The City is hoping to get the boots delivered in the next couple of weeks so they can be completed and put in their locations around town by early spring.

The centennial is May 1 and we want them in place by April 1 so well have a little cushion there, so we can be all set for the centennial, Wines said.

Community Development Manager
Rosita Camarillo Petit Marvel, 91, passed away near her home in Elko, Nevada, on January 17, 2017. The wife of Thomas Jenkins Marvel and youngest child of Alfred and Rosa (Camarillo) Petit of Ventura County, California, Rosita was born April 9, 1925, in Los Angeles, California. Rosita had two sisters: Inez (who passed away at the age of 2) and Gloria, and a brother, John.

A woman of natural beauty and grace, Rosita was born of Spanish, French and German decent. She was the granddaughter of Justin and Francis (Kaufman) Petit as well as, Adolfo and Isabella (Menchaca) Camarillo of Ventura County, California. Adolfo Camarillo was considered The Last Spanish Don, and the town of Camarillo, California was named in his honor.

It was here, in Camarillo, that Rosita was raised in the old Californio tradition on her parents Rancho Rosal adjacent to her familys Rancho Camarillo, formally known as Rancho Callegueas. Rancho Callegueas was one of several historic Spanish land grants made to Spanish Dons in the early days of California settlement. Beef cattle, dairy cattle, walnuts, oranges, lima beans and various other agricultural crops were produced on the ranch. In addition, it was also home to the well-known, elegant, white Camarillo horses developed by Rositas grandfather, Adolfo Camarillo. Rosita grew up riding these and other fine stock horses in the Spanish Vaquero tradition. Generations were able to enjoy the splendor of the majestic white Camarillo horses in various parades including yearly appearances in the Tournament of Roses Parade and Santa Barbara Fiesta. The riders of these horses were a young Rosita, along with her sister and cousins, dressed in elaborate red satin dresses and riding beautiful silver-mounted saddles with tack adorned in silver.

As a young woman, Rosita attended the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California. It was during this time, while visiting a school friend in Battle Mountain, Nevada, that she met the love of her life, Thomas Tom Jenkins Marvel, a Nevada cowboy and rancher. On December 28, 1945, Tom and Rosita were married in the church built by her grandfather and great-uncle, St. Mary Magdelans Catholic Church in Camarillo, California. As a brave wife on the home front during WWII, Rosita gave birth to the first of their seven children while her husband was still at war.

After Toms discharge from the U.S. Army in 1947, Tom and Rosita settled in Nevada to begin a life of cattle ranching. Rosita adjusted beautifully to life in Nevada with grace and elegance. She became well-known for her delicious meals and hospitality toward others. The growing Marvel household often spilled over with extra cowboys, visitors, friends, and family who were always welcomed and brought together at Rositas table.

As a devout Catholic with a quiet, deep, and unwavering faith, Rosita often drove a long distance to town to attend daily and weekly Mass with her children and family in tow, and always made time for daily recitation of the Rosary.

Rosita loved to laugh and enjoyed painting, shopping, raising beautiful flowers, playing the piano, and visiting with family and friends. She was never without her red lipstick. Rosita was forever her husband and familys rock. She lived her life following Christ  always steady, calm, compassionate, and kind in a world that sometimes was not. By her example, Rosita earned the respect, admiration and love of people everywhere.

Rosita was married to her loving husband, Tom, for nearly 71 years at the time of his passing in October of 2016. She is also preceded in death by her parents Alfred and Rosa Petit, her sister Inez Petit, brother Lt Col John Petit USMC, and sister Gloria Petit Longo and their spouses. Rosita is survived by her seven children and their spouses, Tom (Theresa) Marvel, Suzy (Harvey) Barnes, Mike (Theresa) Marvel, Sally (Billy) Freeman, Joe (Camma) Marvel, Pete (Kathi) Marvel, and Amy (Steve) Seifert; 28 grandchildren, and nearly 40 great-grandchildren, plus numerous nieces and nephews.

Services will be held in Elko, Nevada, at St. Josephs Catholic Church with a Rosary on Monday, January 23, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. and a Funeral Mass on Tuesday, January 24 at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations In Memory of Rosita Marvel can be made to St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Battle Mountain, Nevada, St. Josephs Catholic Church in Elko, Nevada, or the Camarillo Ranch Foundation in Camarillo, California.
Samsung executives will announce the cause of the Galaxy Note7 incidents and quality enhancement plan during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, on January 23, 2017. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier this week that Samsungs probe had found the battery was the main cause of Note 7 fires.

The announcement which comes following several months of comprehensive investigations will be live streamed in Chinese, English and Korean on its websites. Koh Dong-jin, Samsungs mobile president, will give details of the probe. Samsung said the company as well as independent expert organizations who conducted their own investigations into various aspects of the Galaxy Note7 incidents, will share their findings. In addition, Samsung will discuss the new measures the company has implemented in response to the incidents.

Samsung permanently killed production of Galaxy Note7 last year after users started reporting issues with battery of the flagship phone.

Source
Reliance Jio is gearing up to make LYF phones in India. The company has asked Chinese and Taiwanese device makers along with Foxconn to manufacture LYF VoLTE smartphones, smart set-top boxes, home automation and automobile telematics devices in the country, according to latest report from the Economic Times.

The report further added that Foxconn will start production of LYF 4G smartphones in India and the rest of the devices by other vendors will follow suit. Reliance is still in discussion with Foxconn about volumes of LYF phones. Foxconn can be the number one partner for Jio, as nobody can match the scale that it has, a person familiar with Foxconns plans told ET.

Oppo, Xiaomi, Gionee, Vivo, HTC, Sony, Microsoft, LG, Lenovo, Motorola, Asus, Micromax, Celkon and Karbonn, have already announced investments in the country to set up their manufacturing plants.

Source
ELKO  Bureau of Land Management Director Neil Kornze took a look back at what his agency accomplished and the issues that still need work before he stepped down from the position.

Kornze said Thursday that he felt blessed to lead the BLM. He worked for the agency for six years and led it for the last four.

Its been an absolute dream for a boy from Elko, he said. It used to be my nights and weekends were getting to the north end of Fifth Street and just getting out and exploring. To be able to be involved in public lands questions every day has been absolutely extraordinary. Not the path that I expected for myself, but one I have been so excited to be on.

Kornze said he was proud of the BLMs record in managing conservation areas. The agency is responsible for about 800 of these areas across the country and the BLM has kept communities involved in the process of figuring out the best path forward for what we do with those places, he said.

Transfer of public lands

In regard to the change in administration, Kornze said the secretary of the Interior nominee said he does not support the sale and disposal of public lands.

That was very encouraging to me, Kornze said. I think were always learning how to manage the public lands better, but I think it is such a critical and incredible part of our national heritage. There are few places in the world where when youre born youre automatically given access to some of the most beautiful places in the world, and you get that here in the United States. Thats the conversation I think well continue.

He said he hasnt heard a call for mass privatization of public lands across the West.

Checkerboard Land Issues

A related issue for the agency is the checkerboard pieces of land where BLM controlled areas are next to private land. Kornze said pieces of legislation are being considered to help transfer federal land into private land on pieces of property surrounding cities.

I think we have some serious upside to both the public domain  whats going to remain public land  and also for folks that are interested in a more rational land use pattern and having more private land around the highways, railroads and around cities, he said.

He said the process for exchanging land from the federal government into private land or local governments is very complicated.

I do think youll see the Congress, either this year or in the years coming, really try to get their arms around it. Hopefully we make some progress, he said.

Some of the patterns out there were designed when the concept was still that all the land would eventually be sold, and since that is no longer the public will, it does make sense to figure out how to make more sense of the map in places like Nevada, Wyoming and even California.

Sage Grouse and Wild Horses

Kornze said he was proud of his agencys work concerning the greater sage-grouse.

He said the BLM spent four years working with governors offices, local ranchers, other federal agencies and the tribes to make sure the bird did not end up on the endangered species list.

In terms of what happens next, I do think there are some interesting questions being asked about the plans, some of the suggestions being made considering mineral withdrawals, he said.Ultimately I think we have taken some important and very responsible steps to make sure that the endangered species act isnt driving all of the decisions across the West.

Kornze said the wild horse and burro program is one of the more difficult issues the agency deals with.

It is absolutely unique in that there are three types of animals in America, he said. There is wildlife, which is regulated by governors. Theres endangered species, which is regulated by the Fish and Wildlife Service, a federal agency, and then wild horses and burros are managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

He said the fertility growth rate for the horses is 15 to 20 percent a year, which means the herd is doubling in size about every four years.

It means that very active management is needed, he said.

The BLM has seen an explosion in the horse population at the same time there was an explosion in expenses, he said. The budget for the wild horse and burro program has gone from $20 million to $80 million over the last two presidential administrations.

The agency has been having more conversations about the long-term impact horses and burros have on the range and the cost to the taxpayer.

He said when a horse is removed from the range it can cost the taxpayer up to $50,000 over the life of that horse.

Its an extraordinary sum of money for the roughly 45,000 horses that have already been removed from the range and are under the agencys care, he said. Thats almost a billion dollar commitment thats been made on behalf of the American taxpayer. So I think thats one very important piece that weve brought to light and frankly that we have uncovered during my time as director is figuring out what are the long term implications.

The agency has also looked at ways to slow down the fertility of the herds.

The science has been a moving target and were not as far along as we should be, Kornze said.

About three years ago, the BLM hit restart on the program and reached out to colleges, pharmaceutical companies and scientists. The agency asked for suggestions for programs to deal with the problem. It allotted $11 million for research and is looking at more advanced drugs to limit fertility and looking at spaying and neutering horses, which hasnt got a lot of attention in the past. Kornze said they are looking at other ways to handle the situation, such as single-sex herds.

He said the agency hopes Congress will help more when dealing with wild horses and burros. The Wild Horse and Burro Act does not allow the BLM to transfer horses from one federal agency to another. The top user of wild horses is the U.S. Border Patrol, which takes about 30 horses a year. However, to get those animals the individual agents have to adopt the horses in their private capacity and then use them for work.

The BLM has asked Congress to establish a Wild Horse and Burro committee to help simplify this process. It was incorporated into both the House and Senate Interior appropriation bills.

The BLM works on educating the public concerning the wild horse issue every day, Kornze said, but the agency needs help conveying the challenge thats at hand.

The agency has attempted to establish a foundation for the BLM.

Theres a National Park Foundation. Theres a U.S. Forest Foundation; theres also a foundation set up to support the wildlife refuges around the country, he said. The only large land management organization in the country that doesnt have a congressionally chartered nonprofit to support it is the Bureau of Land Management.

Kornze said the establishment of a foundation didnt come to fruition last year, but he is hopeful. If it is established, the foundation could help educate the public on the various issues the BLM deals with and it would allow the private industry bring ideas and dollars to the table.
Amid the pomp and circumstance of President Donald Trumps inauguration, more than 5,000 free joints were passed out in Washington, D.C. on Friday, with plans to light up exactly four minutes and 20 seconds into his speech.

The protest  coined "Trump 420"  was not speaking out against a Trump presidency, but instead was showing support for marijuana legalization at the federal level, as well as voicing concerns for Trumps attorney general pick, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions.

"There is absolute terror among the marijuana business community right now that all the progress we have made is going to be rolled back and that people who have invested millions and even tens of millions of dollars in marijuana grow operations are going to get a letter saying you are violating federal law, Adam Eidinger, co-founder of DCMJ, a D.C. grassroots pro-marijuana legalization movement, told FOXBusiness.com.

Eidinger says he is encouraging people to smoke the handouts in public, which is illegal and can run fines of $25, if under the age of 21, to upwards of $500 and 60 days in jail for those 21 years or older.

If someone wants to smoke in public at Trumps inauguration and it smells up the place, its really no worse than smoking a cigarette or tobacco and it makes a powerful statement that you want change and you want reform, Eidinger said.

Washington, D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham told FOXBusiness.com earlier this week, that while smoking marijuana in public is illegal, they will have their hands full during the inauguration events with the over 800,000 expected to attend.

We have a lot of things going on in Washington, D.C. over the next couple days, and that is not our number one priority, Newsham said

Kimberly Mohammad, a Kentucky resident and veteran, says she came to the event because she wanted to raise awareness for the benefits of medical marijuana.

Veterans have chronic pain and they suffer from PTSD  and medical marijuana can treat both of those much better than the opioids that the VA gives out now, Mohammad said. [Sessions] did say that good people dont smoke marijuana, which is something I strongly disagree with. We [are] not all [on] the couch eating Cheetos.

Sessions has reportedly been long opposed to the use of marijuana, saying during a Senate panel last April that, we need grown-ups in charge in Washington and weed shouldnt be legalized because it can lead to cocaine and heroin use.

It ought to be minimized, that it is in fact a very real danger. You can see the accidents, traffic deaths related to marijuana, Sessions said.

However Sessions did show signs of lightening up his stance during his confirmation hearing on January 10th, when he told Sen. Patrick Leahy that he will be "fair and just when asked if he would use federal resources to crack down on sick people who are using marijuana in accordance with their state laws.

I think one obvious concern is that the United States Congress has made the possession of marijuana in every state and distribution of it, an illegal act, Sessions added.

Trump, on the other hand, said during a town hall meeting last March that he is in favor of medical marijuana, but is continuing to watch Colorado  where it is legal on the recreational level  very closely.

Im getting some very negative reports coming out of Colorado as to whats happening, so well see what happens, Trump said.

Colorado and Washington state were the first U.S. states to vote to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes in 2012. Since then, California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C. have followed suit and greenlighted it.
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Oil executives and Middle East producers are concerned that trade tensions between the United States and China risk clouding the outlook for global energy demand growth and a recovery in the price of oil.

"It is not unique to our country to feel a certain level of anxiety (about tensions). But there is a lot of wisdom on both sides... I hope this anxiety will prove unfounded," Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told Reuters.

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered a vigorous defense of free trade in Davos on Tuesday, underscoring Beijing's desire to play a greater global role as the United States turns inward.

"The two largest economies need to sort out their differences for the wellbeing of the global community," Falih, who sets energy policies for the world's largest oil exporter, said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Xi cautioned other countries against blindly pursuing their national interests, in an apparent reference to the "America first" policies of Donald Trump.

Trump, who will be inaugurated as U.S. president on Friday, campaigned on a promise to confront China more aggressively on trade, including by levying new tariffs on goods from abroad.

"I hope cool heads will prevail on both sides," BP's chief executive Bob Dudley told Reuters in Davos.

China, the world's top goods exporter, is heavily dependent on free trade and would be hit hard by a new wave of protectionism and a broader backlash against globalization.

Beijing is also almost on par with the U.S. as the world's top oil importer and any slowdown of the Chinese economy would badly hit global demand since Beijing has been the locomotive of the global oil consumption growth for the past decade.

"The rise of China should be the source of stability - not conflict," Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir told a panel at the WEF, which is effectively the world's largest gathering of oil executives and officials.

Besides promising tougher policies on China, Trump has also said that Washington should boost U.S. energy independence from oil cartels such as OPEC.

Falih said that any attempt to introduce import tariffs on oil from abroad to support U.S. crude producers would primarily hit a very strong U.S. oil refining and chemical industry.

And when asked about the rising tensions, OPEC head Mohammed Barkindo said: "The world needs stability in order to restore robust economic growth and ensure this task is achieve through collaboration at all levels".

(Editing by Alexander Smith)
Once you've mastered the basics of personal finance, it may be time to start thinking about growing your savings with investments. A brokerage account can open a world of investment opportunities, from individual stocks to mutual funds. Selecting a brokerage isn't easy, however. Below, we'll take a look at two popular services, Interactive Brokers and Robinhood, and compare them on costs and features from the perspective of a long-term investor.

Trading costs and commissions

Most brokerages make investing cheap. Robinhood goes a step further and makes investing free. This makes it difficult to compare it to alternatives because investors have to accept the trade-off of fewer investment options in exchange for commission-free trades. The table below compares commission prices and available investments by brokerage.

Broker Stocks/Options ETFs Mutual Funds Interactive Brokers Stocks: $0.005 per share ($1.00 minimum)



Options: $0.25 to $0.70 per options contract ($1.00 minimum) $0.005 per share $14.95 per purchase Robinhood Free (options trading isn't available) Free Not available

Source: Company websites.

Robinhood obviously gets the clear advantage on cost for stock and ETF trades. Investors who want to invest in mutual funds and stock options will need to find an alternative, however, as Robinhood currently doesn't offer trading in these investments.

But as you'll soon discover below, there's more to understanding the true cost of a brokerage account than just published commission prices. A combination of special offers for opening a new account, commission-free trades on select ETFs and mutual funds, and other perks act as an effective discount on trading costs.

Commission-free ETFs and NTF Funds

Depending on how you invest, Interactive Brokers and Robinhood may help you minimize your trading costs with commission-free funds and no-transaction-fee (NTF) mutual funds. Brokers are increasingly offering lists of funds that their clients can buy and sell without paying a fee, and fund investors would be wise to take this into consideration before opening an account.

Broker Commission-Free ETFs NTF Mutual Funds Interactive Brokers 33 (Global X, Cambria, and O'Shares) 2,900+ Robinhood Technically, all ETFs Not available

Source: Company websites.

Technically, every ETF is a commission-free ETF at Robinhood, whereas Interactive Brokers offers 33 ETFs that its clients can buy or sell for free. Interactive Brokers earns the edge in mutual funds, however, being the only one of the two with no-transaction-fee funds.

Account minimums

Robinhood and Interactive Brokers differ substantially in minimum account requirements. Robinhood is a no-minimum brokerage firm, meaning that you can open an account with spare change if you want to. Interactive Brokers requires a minimum deposit of $10,000 to open an ordinary brokerage account, or $5,000 to open an IRA. Investors who are 25 years old or younger can open an account with as little as $3,000.

Keep in mind that brokers occasionally match large deposits with cash bonuses or commission-free trades, so it may be advantageous to deposit more than the minimum if it means you qualify for added perks.

Trading platform

We at The Motley Fool believe that the best investments should be held for the long haul for big gains rather than traded back and forth for small gains over the course of days or weeks. For this reason, we don't really trade much, and thus we don't have particularly strong opinions about the quality of any given platform.

While personal opinion tends to underlie any preference toward trading software, there's an objective difference between Interactive Brokers and Robinhood. Robinhood is available only on mobile devices (phones and tablets), whereas Interactive Brokers has mobile and desktop applications. If you don't have a smartphone, or would prefer not to use a mobile device to trade, you might find the differences particularly important.

Robinhood's mobile-only platform scores high marks from its users, but it may dissuade investors who don't have smartphones or tablets. Source: Getty Images.

International stocks and ADRs

The world is more connected than ever before, and that extends into financial markets. Most online brokerages make it possible to invest in foreign companies, subject to just a few limitations. Here's how Interactive Brokers and Robinhood compare on foreign investment accessibility.

Investments Interactive Brokers Robinhood American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) Yes Some International stock markets Yes No ETFs/mutual funds of foreign stocks ETFs and mutual funds ETFs only

Source: Company websites.

The differences are pretty substantial here. Robinhood clients can invest in companies domiciled in Canada and Israel that trade above $5 per share, but will find that many foreign companies don't fit these parameters. For instance, the company doesn't currently allow for trading in over-the-counter (OTC) stocks, which includes many ADRs.

Interactive Brokers allows for indirect (ADRs) and direct (stocks on foreign exchanges) investments in international companies. It offers electronic trading in more than 100 foreign markets that include well-known exchanges like the London Stock Exchange down to smaller markets like the Singapore Exchange.

Despite their differences, you can make the case for either brokerage in this category. It really just depends on your needs. Many investors are happy with investing internationally with ETFs, which are plentiful, and can be bought and sold commission free at Robinhood. Others who want to trade on markets halfway around the globe will find Interactive Brokers to be one of just a few brokers that offers international trading.

Research quality and tools

We tend to believe that individual investors can benefit from access to a variety of research tools and support.Interactive Brokers provides analyst upgrades and downgrades, multiple daily investment briefs, a daily lineup of top headlines, and a wealth of screening tools, just to name a few of its research capabilities. Robinhood does not currently provide research to its clients, which is a trade-off for its zero-commission trades.

Mobile app reviews

Customers give their brokers fairly high scores for their mobile trading apps. Here's how users and clients of each broker rated their iOS and Android apps (as of 1/04/2017).

Broker Apple App Store Google Play Interactive Brokers 3.5 stars 4.0 stars Robinhood 3.5 stars 4.5 stars

Source: Relevant app stores.

The better brokerage: Interactive Brokers or Robinhood?

Depending on your needs, either could be a great choice. Robinhood offers commission-free trades in stocks and ETFs, but it doesn't offer a full suite of investment options, or many of the frills (like research) that other brokerages provide. Interactive Brokers offers a full line-up of investment choices, foreign and domestic, plus research, and relatively low commissions on most orders, but its minimum account sizes may not be accessible for new investors who are just getting started.

Ultimately, there isn't just one brokerage for every type of investor. It's all about finding the best mix of features and functionality to fit your portfolio.

To be clear: The Motley Fool doesn't endorse any particular broker, but we can help you compare brokerages to help you in the hunt for the best broker for you. Visit Fool.com's Broker Center for a comparison of features and special offers for traditional brokerage accounts. The Fool.com IRA Center is specifically designed with the retirement saver in mind.

10 stocks we like better thanWal-MartWhen investing geniuses David and TomGardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter theyhave run for over a decade, the Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tomjust revealed what they believe are theten best stocksfor investors to buy right now... and Wal-Mart wasn't one of them! That's right -- theythink these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click hereto learn about these picks!

*StockAdvisor returns as of December 12, 2016The author(s) may have a position in any stocks mentioned.

Jordan Wathen owns shares of Interactive Brokers. The Motley Fool recommends Interactive Brokers. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Whole Foods Market Inc. said Friday that the first New York City 365 by Whole Foods store, the lower-priced version of the grocery brand, will be in Brooklyn. The opening date has yet to be determined, but it will be located in the borough's Cultural District. The first Whole Foods store opened in Brooklyn in 2013, and a new Whole Foods Market, the 11th in New York City, will open in Midtown Manhattan on Jan. 28. The first three 365 stores opened in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles, Bellevue, WA, and Lake Oswego, OR in 2016. Whole Foods says it has 23 365 store leases in development with the next one planned for Cedar Park, TX in April 2017. Whole Foods shares are nearly flat in Friday trading, and are up nearly 5% for the last year. The S&P 500 index is up 22.3% for the past 12 months.

Copyright  2017 MarketWatch, Inc.
Believe it or not, Valeant Pharmaceuticals' (NYSE: VRX) stock is actually outperforming the S&P 500so far in 2017. That's a far cry from the shellacking Valeant took last year, losing 85% of its value. Selling some of its assets is helping the drugmaker to take the first step toward rebounding. What might Valeant sell off next?

Image source: Getty Images.

What's probably not on the block

Valeant has already sold several of its businesses. Most recently, the company announced on Jan. 10 that it was selling skin-care brandsCerAve, AcneFree and Ambi to L'Oreal for $1.3 billion. The previous day, Valeant reported the sale of Dendreon to Sanpower Group for nearly $820 million.

Earlier last year, Valeant sold itsNorth American commercialization rights to hereditary angioedema (HAE) drugRuconest toPharming Group for $60 million upfront and potential milestones of up to $65 million. The company sold some of itsneurology medical device products to Stryker. Valeant also changed its agreement with AstraZeneca to give up marketing rights in Europe for autoimmune disease drugbrodalumab.

Joe Papa, Valeant's CEO, has also said that he doesn't want to sell any of the company's core assets. He defined core assets in a couple of ways. First, Papa doesn't want to sell certain business segments, in particular, Valeant'sBausch + Lomb eye care, dermatology, and consumer products businesses. Second, he prefers not to sell off assets in the U.S. and Canada, which Papa considers Valeant's core markets.

There's a possibility that other businesses could be put on the block, though. In September 2016, Papa admitted that he is "never going to say never" about selling some of the company's core assets. In fact, rumors flew late last year that Valeant might be exploring the sale of Bausch + Lomb. There were also reports that Takeda was interested in buying Salix for $10 billion, although no deal was made.

Possibilities

So what might Valeant sell off next? Probably the best place to start would be high-dollar assets that Joe Papa would consider to be non-core.

In 2015, Valeant acquired Sprout Pharmaceuticals for $1 billion in cash plusa share of future profits based upon the achievement of milestones. The total value of the deal was $1.45 billion. Sprout's lead drug is Addyi, a drug that treats decreased sexual desire in some women. Valeant is currently in a lawsuit alleging that the company botched the marketing of the drug.

Because of the disappointing results from the launch of Addyi, it's questionable how much money Valeant could get from selling the Sprout business. However, I'd put this asset near the top of the list for selling -- if the company can find a buyer.

Another top candidate for Valeant's garage sale might beAmoun Pharmaceutical. Valeant bought the Egyptian drugmaker in 2015 for$800 million pluscontingent payments. Amoun's primary products includeanti-hypertensives, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and anti-diarrheal drugs.

I wouldn't be surprised if Valeant also shops Solta Medical to potential buyers. Valeant bought the medical-device company in 2013 for $250 million. Solta's lead product is theThermage CPT system that uses radiofrequency energy for skin tightening.

There could be some dark horses in the race as well. Although Papa included dermatology as a core asset, its Obagi dermatology products could be up for sale. Valeant bought Obagi in 2013 for$344 million. A real long-shot candidate could be marketing rights outside the U.S. forXifaxan. I wouldn't think Valeant would want to take this option, but Papa did say that he didn't consider countries outside the U.S. and Canada to be core markets for the company.

Will it be enough?

Valeant has committed to reducing its debt by roughly $5 billion by early 2018. Its deals made so far total around $2.7 billion. All proceeds from these sales will go to paying down debt. But will this be enough?

The company has over $30 billion in debt. Moody's downgraded Valeant's credit rating to B3 in November, which means that Valeant is considered as a "high credit risk." Even after lowering its debt by $5 billion, Valeant would still be stuck with an enormous debt load.

Of course, Valeant probably wouldn't stop at just paying down its debt by $5 billion. Papa has previously stated that he thinksselling non-core assets could generate proceeds of around $8 billion in total.

Papa and the Valeant team have to walk a tightrope. They need to reduce debt while preserving enough assets to ensure the company can grow sales. What the drugmaker sells next could give a big clue as to whether or not Valeant can truly become "the turnaround opportunity of a lifetime" that Papa says it is.

10 stocks we like better than Valeant Pharmaceuticals When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Valeant Pharmaceuticals wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

Click here to learn about these picks!

*Stock Advisor returns as of January 4, 2017

Keith Speights has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Valeant Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
A group of protesters clashed with police in the nationas capital as the inaugural festivities for President Donald Trump took place Friday.

While as many as 500 protesters marched on D.C., Pat Buchanan, who ran as a third-party candidate in the 2000 presidential election, told the FOX Business Networkas Neil Cavuto the protests in 1968 were far worse than anything the Capitol saw Friday.

aI think there were some disorders and demonstrations in many of the rallies and real division in the country but it wasnat as violent of a year as a68, the most divisive since the Civil War,a Buchanan said.

Buchanan said 1968 was a year of riots and assassinations that took the lives of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

The protesters, some wearing masks, threw rocks at police and used hammers to smash the windows of local businesses like a Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) branch and a McDonaldas (NYSE:MCD).

aThe demonstrations have been prepared. It was an us or them election. There was real clarity in this election between what Trump represented and what was rejected of the Obama administration and of Hillary Rodham Clinton,a Buchanan said.

As of Friday afternoon, nearly 100 protesters had been arrested.

Buchanan recalled that in 1968, former President Richard Nixon was hit by debris, firecrackers and eggs as his limousine drove towards the reviewing stands.

aI think the country is more polarized and divided now Neil, but it is not as violent as it was in 1968,a he said.
A Mount Clemens man has been jailed after he was arrested for his fourteenth drunken driving offense, Fox 2 reports.

Police pulled over a 1998 Grand Prix on Market Street in Mount Clemens Friday evening after they witnessed the driver go through a red light. Upon talking to the driver, the deputy determined he was intoxicated.

The driver, 54 year-old Zenon Bialokur, was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated. Deputies learned, then, that Bialokur's driving privilege was also suspended.

Furthermore, authorities learned Bialokur has been convicted for Operating While Intoxicated on 13 times since 1998. Bialokur has also had his driving privilege suspended 12 times, and has been convicted 10 times of driving on a suspended license.

His car was impounded and he's being held in the Macomb County Jail.

He faces a felony charge of Operating While Intoxicated 3rd Offense, among other charges.
The United States is getting a new president today, but he's getting a used car.

Although its been widely expected that a brand new presidential limousine would be rolling through Washington on Inauguration Day, as one did when President Obama took office in 2009, President-elect Donald Trump was chauffered to Capitol Hill to take his oath of office in his predecessors car, nicknamed The Beast.

The Cadillac is actually an armored truck designed to look like a sedan, and is understood to be protected against explosive and chemical attacks, and is even equipped with a supply of the sitting presidents blood type in case of emergency.

General Motors currently has contracts worth $16 million with the Department of Homeland Security to develop a next generation parade limousine, and FoxNews.com has obtained spy photos of it undergoing testing, but apparently it isnt ready for the road yet. The contracts have a completion date of 3/30/2017, so it could be a few more months before the updated model is revealed.

A Cadillac spokesman would only say that it is Cadillacs great honor to design and build the Presidential Limousine, a great American tradition, deferring further comment to the U.S. Secret Service, which could not be reached.

TRUMP'S GLORIOUS 1988 CADILLAC LIMOUSINES MAY BE AUCTIONED
The Mexican state of Tabasco was once a hub of international surrogacy. Entire neighborhoods of women were making a living by giving birth to babies for foreigners, until last year when the government put new restrictions on surrogacy. This is the testimony of women who, despite the risks, decided to become surrogate mothers.

I give happiness to people and they also give it to me, says surrogate mother Dary, 27. BEGONA RIVAS

More information Retrato de la maternidad subrogada en Mexico

Paty waits beside the dusty road that leads to her home on the outskirts of Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco. Her home is like the others that populate the area, propped up by cement walls, and covered with an unlikely zinc roof that makes the home unbearable in 40C heat.

She boasts about having built the house for her husband and three children with the money she made as a surrogate mother. She smiles and her eyes get brighter when she tells her story  she is five months pregnant and its the third time shes carried a child for someone else. In total, this will be the sixth time the 34-year-old has given birth.

After handing over the baby Isabel has carried for nine months, she feels happy and satisfied.

When she found out about the possibility of surrogacy, her husband was unemployed and she had a modest job as a promoter. She thought it would be a good way to pay off her debts and get rid of the constant worry about making it to the end of the month. For the three births she made a total of 510,000 pesos (23,000), without taking into account the personal gifts from the parents.

The first couple she worked with, two gay men from Canada, paid for her oldest daughters quinceanera party  held when a girl turns 15 and marking the moment when a child becomes a young woman  and bought her a new laundry machine, a sound system and a television for her new house. She shows off the possessions with pride.

The second time, Paty worked with a single mother, also from Canada, who gave her an extra 25,000 pesos (around 1,200) in cash. She hopes that the family she currently is dealing with, two gay men from France, will be similarly generous. The first two families also continue to send her pictures and videos of the children she gave birth to.

With the money Paty, 32, made from three pregnancies for foreign couples, she has built a home for her family. Shes already given birth to six children in total and shed like to be a surrogate mom again, but changes in Tabascos law make it more difficult. BEGONA RIVAS

Surrogate pregnancies are at the center of an international debate. Among the countries that allow the practice, with certain restrictions, are the US, the UK, Brazil, Thailand, Russia, the Ukraine, India and Mexico. But for 18 years Tabasco, in southern Mexico, was the only region in the world that permitted the practice not via any national health or assisted reproduction law, but simply through a modification to the states civil code in 1997. The code specifically stated that a child born from a surrogate mother would legally belong to the parent(s) who contracted the birth.

The first surrogacy birth wasnt recorded until 2008, but by 2012 the numbers had skyrocketed. Tabascos civil registry allowed the contracting parent(s) to register the baby as their legal child, using only a certified copy of the surrogacy contract. In response to the international demand from hopeful parents whose countries dont allow surrogacy, intermediary agencies began to spring up in search of profits.

Tabascos law did not explicitly prohibit or permit trade. It became common for a Mexican woman to receive between $13,000 and $15,000 (11,70013,500) for a pregnancy and contracting parents to pay between $50,000 and $70,000 (45,00063,000) for the entire process  half of what surrogacy costs in the US.

However, the agencies heyday came to an end in December of last year, when Tabasco changed its civil code again, prohibiting intermediaries and limiting surrogacy to Mexican couples with certified fertility problems. This excludes homosexuals.

Now Mexican Congress is debating whether or not to extend these restrictions throughout the country. In Tabasco, the surrogacy contracts that were signed before the legal change took effect are still valid, which is why there are still dozens of women carrying babies for foreigners.

When you do this, you help people who want children, you get paid and you dont owe anyone anything. Surrogate mother Selene

Yeah, its pretty terrible luck that theyve taken away the [surrogacy] program. I want [to give birth to] another one but now I wont be able to! says Paty, laughing. She admits that the money was the main reason she did it, but says it is more than that.

These are families that can spend a lot of time with the babies and love them a lot. When the first one was born...awww. They screamed and cried and hugged me! It was such a happy moment.

When people ask her if she feels like shes sold her body or been taken advantage of, she replies that its just like any other job.

If sweet God made me for this, I tell my husband, then we are going to help.

Patys manner of helping has even involved recruiting more women for the agencies. This includes her own sister, her sisters-in-law, and many girls in her neighborhood.

Its a chain: the word spreads fast.

Everyone on the block

In Mirna and Nohemis neighborhood, every girl on the block, they say, has worked as a surrogate mother. They are sisters and both chose to work in surrogacy.

The girls mother remembers when the neighbors used to talk behind their backs. She says she always defended their decision. Theyre selling their children, blah blah blah, they would say Your child shares your blood, and these babies dont. The girls are just lending the child a little house for a while.

Mirna, 35, with three children of her own, has recently been transferred for the first time. Thats what they call it after the doctor has implanted the contracting parents embryo into the surrogate mother. Prior to the transfer, the surrogate has to take hormones.

Sisters Mirna (35) and Nohemi (32). They left their house because their father abused them and now live in a town near Villahermosa, Tabasco. They say that on their street every woman who was able, has worked as a surrogate mother. BEGONA RIVAS

Before Mirna it was her sister Nohemi, 32 and married with two children, who had become a surrogate mother. Agencies which are serious about their work require surrogate mothers to be younger than 35 and to have previously given birth. Nohemi found the agency on Facebook, but since then the number of agencies has multiplied. Even today, finding them with a simple Google search is easy.

Last year, Nohemi gave birth to a pair of twins for a gay Australian couple. Just two months later, she got pregnant with the third child of her own. Its hard to image that five babies have come out of her slim body, with the last birth just two weeks before.

The reason behind the spike in surrogacy in Tabasco goes beyond the law and into socioeconomic factors. Neither Nohemi nor Mirna finished high school. They confess that their father, with whom they lived after their mother left the family for another man, abused them.

I decided to leave home at 18, says Mirna, as she shows off the tiny home where she now lives with her sister and their children.

In the boom years where control was lax, every time Tabascos surrogate mothers made headlines, it was because something had gone wrong. Clinics were closed for operating without licenses; fake doctors were caught practicing without titles; and clinics would suddenly shut down, leaving clients without contacts and surrogates carrying their babies.

Last year Tabasco changed its law limiting surrogacy to Mexican couples with certified fertility problems, homosexuals excluded.

There was a case of one girl, the baby died inside of her and she almost died too, says Selene, another surrogate mother.

Selene escaped from a house where an agency owner was holding her captive. She had arrived a few months earlier with her children, aged one and five, to work as a surrogate. The agency had promised her a home, food and schooling for her children until she gave birth in Tabasco. But what she found was very different: a house that she shared with nine other women and their respective children, where there was nothing to eat and they had to do the cleaning.

It was full of cockroaches, the water was green, there was no electricity, no furniture. It was horrible. The psychological abuse was tremendous, says Selene, 29, who is using an assumed name and refuses to have her picture taken for fear of retaliation.

Although she asked the agency to let her go, the owner told her that if she left, she would be forced to reimburse the agency for all they had spent on her and her children. One day, however, on a trip to the supermarket and with help from a friend, she managed to escape with her children. The agency reported her friend for robbery.

Despite her odyssey, Selene went back to surrogacy. Her husband didnt have a job.

Right now the situation is really difficult. You go to the bank to ask for a loan and they charge you a lot of interest, she says to justify the decision. You do this, you help people who want children, you get paid and you dont owe anyone anything.

A year ago she gave birth to a girl for a gay Israeli couple through another agency, and now she wants to do it again.

Im good at having babies, she emphasizes. Now Ill try to work directly with the dads because we formed a beautiful friendship, she says.

Isabel, 27, wanted to give her young daughter a better life, and she saw surrogacy as an opportunity. She says after abusing ovary donations, her doctor told her pregnancy could help deal with the risks. BEGONA RIVAS

How does she feel about the baby girl who came out of her body? Affection, but not like a mother. Its affection as if she were my niece.

Women from all over the country have given birth in Tabasco, where the law used to apply to whoever gave birth in the state. That is the case of Isabel, 27, a single mother of a six-year-old, who lives in a tiny house perched on one of the ravines to the west of Mexico City. She says she didnt become a surrogate for money, but for medical reasons: before lending herself to be a surrogate mother she had abused the ovary donation system.

Its allowed five or six times. Every six months. This is normal and doesnt have any effects. I was donating every three months, she confessed.

Its called ovary donation, but like surrogacy, it is usually done for money. Isabel made 10,000 pesos (500) each time. Mexico lacks a law on assisted reproduction. This creates a legal vacuum not just when it comes to surrogacy, but also around stem cell donation or the three-parent birth that New Science magazine reported on in September 2016.

Isabel asserts that her doctor told her she was at risk after the excessive ovary donations, and he recommended getting pregnant to improve her health. According to medical literature, one of the possible side effects of ovary donation is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. In rare cases, it can lead to serious illness or death. However, under no circumstance is it medically advisable to become pregnant. The truth is quite the opposite: pregnancy can aggravate the symptoms.

But Isabel insists that if she hadnt been paid, she would have been a surrogate mother anyway to give my daughter a healthier mom. Now, after handing over the baby she carried for nine months, she feels happy and satisfied. She says she wants to study and become a police officer.

By contrast, Guadalupe, 33, began to feel uneasy while she was carrying a girl for a gay couple from the US. During our first interview in her home in Cuautitlan Izcalli, in Mexico State, she seemed calm, as pictures from a photo shoot show. It was the summer holidays and her children were home from school. Her husband was there too because he works the night shift in a warehouse.

Guadalupe (33) is nervous about her pregnancy. Shes carrying a child for a gay couple in the US but a friend of hers, also a surrogate, recently had complications with her pregnancy and doctors had to remove her uterus. Now Guadalupe is worried about her own health. BEGONA RIVAS

Happily, she explained the process. First, she said, she decided to leave her job at a daycare where she earned 2,000 pesos (91) a month.

They interview you and if you meet all of the requirements, you stay and they give you a client, she says. The embryo transfer was quick, like 15 or 20 minutes she said.

She broke down her payment: 160 upon signing the contract, 140 for the transfer, 230 on the day of the first ultrasound, and after 12 weeks she would earn 460 for each medical appointment. When she gave birth it would be another 3,500, and 1,370 more for twins. In total, she said she would make around 6,700.

Despite the economic gains, childbirth has inherent risks. In Mexico, 38 out of every 100,000 women die during childbirth, according to 2015 figures from Unicef. In the US, that figure is 14, and the UK it is nine.

Despite her previous optimism, weeks after the initial interview Guadalupe wrote a letter voicing her concern. All of this is starting to scare me, she said.

A friend of hers, also a surrogate mother, almost died from a hemorrhage during Cesarean section. She ended up having placenta previa, a condition that affects one out of every 200 pregnancies. In the end, doctors had to remove her uterus.

There is no extra compensation if the surrogate mother needs a hysterectomy. The contracting parents agree to pay the medical costs until the surrogates give birth, but the surrogate mothers sign a contract saying that they accept the risks that come along with childbirth.

Guadalupe gave birth to a healthy baby girl in December.

English version: Alyssa McMurtry.
The makers of "Star Wars" have put a quick end to rumors that while Carrie Fisher has died, her Princess Leia may live on.Making a rare foray into the sprawling world of "Star Wars" speculation, Lucasfilm said Friday night that there are no plans to digitally recreate Fisher to appear in future episodes of the movie saga.

"There is a rumor circulating that we would like to address," a company statement said. "We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher's performance as Princess or General Leia Organa."

Fisher, who reprised her role as Leia in 2015's "Star Wars: Episode VII  The Force Awakens," had finished shooting "Star Wars: Episode VIII," due out next December, when she died Dec. 27 of cardiac arrest at age 60. Her mother Debbie Reynolds died the next day.

But Fisher had also been slated to appear in "Episode IX," scheduled for release in 2019. That film is still being scripted, and the writers are deciding how to handle her death.

Adding to the speculation was the brief appearance of a digitized 1977-era Fisher in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," which was released last month.

That film also had a much larger role for a digitized version of the late Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin.

The renderings of Fisher and Cushing, who died in 1994, were embraced by many fans but hated by just as many, who thought the characters looked cartoonish, distracting, or even spooky.John Knoll, the effects guru who came up with the idea of the revitalized characters, told Yahoo Movies on Friday that Fisher "loved" her appearance in "Rogue One," which consists of one short-but-significant shot, and a single word of dialogue.

"She was very much in favor of it," Knoll said.

But Lucasfilm insists "Episode VIII" will be Fisher's last.

"Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family," the company's statement said. "She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend. We are still hurting from her loss. We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to "Star Wars.'"
Jon Voight's speech at Thursday's "Make America Great Again: Welcome Celebration" at the Lincoln Memorial was met with roaring applause from the crowd.

One of Donald Trump's few Hollywood supporters, Voight praised the President-elect saying he will save America.

"This is some day," Voight said. "Dear friends, fellow Americans. Im so happy to be here to welcome you all to the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump."

The 78-year-old remembered the election saying it was "a barrage of propaganda that left us all breathless with anticipation not knowing if God could reverse all the negative lies against Mr. Trump, whose only desire was to make America great again."

"God answered all our prayers," Voight added.

He concluded by saying Abraham Lincoln was smiling knowing "America will be saved by an honest and good man who will work for all the people, no matter their creed or color."
An Illinois-based grocery chain is in hot water with several former employees who have sued the store alleging corporate policy discriminated against older employees.

According to a lawsuit filed in Chicago Monday, four former Jewel-Osco employees-- all aged over 55--were transferred to subpar stores, routinely critiqued and reprimanded while on the job, and not provided the same opportunities as younger employees.

As a result, Timothy Cesario, Steve Cieslak, Gregory LaRocco and James Lee-- who have a combined 140 years of experience working for the chain-- are seeking unspecified damages, lost wages and benefits from the grocery chain, according to The Chicago Tribune.

WHOLE FOODS FACING $200 MILLION LAWSUIT FROM FORMER EMPLOYEE

"Despite making substantial store improvements and contributions, (plaintiffs) received constant criticisms, write-ups and unwarranted negative performance reviews by the (district managers), many of whom were more than 10 years their junior," the lawsuit detailed.

In a concerted effort to cut costs in 2011, Jewel-Osco began reducing its employee count and restructuring store leadership, resulting in fewer store directors.

Soon after the restructuring, all four plaintiffs were offered buyout packages but they decided to continue working. But, the lawsuit alleged, they were then assigned new posts as store directors at underperforming locations (all had previously worked as a Jewel or Osco store director).

The suit claims further examples of age discrimination, including instances where the employees were not given the proper tools and assistance to complete their jobs appropriately.

Another incident details an occasion when Cieslak was reprimanded for minor store issues and flaws that were not also addressed with younger employees.

FOR THE LATEST FOOD FEATURES FOLLOW FOX ON FACEBOOK

Cesario, 61, and Cieslak, 56, are technically still employees of the chain but are on long and short-term disability leave, respectively. LaRocco, 61, and Lee, 59, were terminated from the company in 2015.

The lawsuit did not proceed until all four employees filed discrimination charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to receive aright to sue notice.

A spokeswoman for the chain declined to comment on the pending litigation.
The Washington, D.C. pizzeria that was at the center of the conspiracy theory dubbed Pizzagate continues to be a source of controversy even after claims of the alleged child sex slave ring linked to Hillary Clinton have been debunked.

On Thursday, The Washingtonian reported that picketers had swarmed Comet Ping Pong, harassing passersby, and shouting homophobic, sexist and xenophobic slurs.

A local business owner confirmed to FoxNews.com that the protesters have continued to picket the restaurant early on Inauguration Day.

President Obama is nothing more than a Muslim, Homosexuals will burn in a hellfire, Go back into the kitchen, you woman, were among the phrases being shouted Friday morning, Matt Carr, owner of the coffee shop Little Red Fox told FoxNews.com in an email. The coffee shop is located next door to the pizzeria.

The group, which the Washingtonian says calls itself the Official Street Preachers, had about 10 picketers outside Comet Ping Pong on Friday morning, Carr said. He added that two police officers were standing by.

Comet Ping Pong became the center of a growing online conspiracy theory in 2016 after sites like Planet Free Will, YourNewsWire.com and the Vigilant Citizen publishing stories linking an underground pedophilia ring to the pizza joint. Snopes and other media subsequently debunked the claims and the articles have since been taken down.

But the conspiracy theory prompted 28-year-old Edgar Maddison Welch to fire an assault rifle inside the restaurant in December. No one was harmed during the shootout but Welch, who was later arrested, claimed he wanted to investigate the conspiracy for himself.

"I just wanted to do some good and went about it the wrong way," Welch told the New York Times after surrendering to police when he found no evidence of children being used as sex slaves.

FOLLOW FOX NEWS LIFESTYLE ON FACEBOOK!

On Friday, Carr said that customers outnumbered the protesters within minutes, and that the picketers have not negatively impacted business at Comet nor at Little Red Fox.

We are busier because our neighborhood is incredibly supportive, Carr said when asked if the controversy over the last few months had affected business.

Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com

The Chevy Chase restaurants located on Connecticut Avenue, are just blocks from vice president Mike Pences temporary rental property. Earlier this week, hundreds activists danced through the neighborhood with glow sticks and rainbow flags to champion LGBT rights.

A spokesperson from Comet Ping Pong was not immediately available for comment Friday morning.
A waitress in Pennsylvania says she is no longer homeless after receiving a very generous tip while on duty.

Krystal Kramer, a serves at two restaurants a Pizza Hut in Somerset County, Penn., says she was left homeless in December after her apartment flooded and she couldn't afford the deposit on a new place, reports WJAC.

Kramer, who describes herself as a very independent person, moved into a hotel with her roommate. They received a donation from the Red Cross to help cover some expenses but the money soon ran out.

AMY SCHUMER LEAVES $1,000 TIP FOR 'HAMILTON' BARTENDERS

According to WJAC, coworkers had no idea how dire Kramer's situation had become until a fateful service on Jan. 4. Two men, who were not seated at Kramers table asked her co-worker if she would like their leftover pizza, and she declined.

But Kramer spoke up. "I was like yeah, Im homeless. I dont know where Ill eat tonight. Ill say yes."

Local Pizza Hut waitress, nearly homeless, receives $558 tip from generous customer. How it helped her JUST in time.NEXT@5:30 @WJACTV pic.twitter.com/SRZbxd4qgS  Erika Stanish (@Erika_WJAC) January 17, 2017

The waitress was able to box up the pizza to take it home but the diners' kindness didn't end with the food.

Im over in my area cleaning. The waitress calls me over. She has her own tip and then she says, This is for me and this is for you. It was a tip for $558.33 on a credit card. I couldnt believe it, said Kramer.

The mega tip on the $40 bill was enough for Kramer to put down a deposit on her apartment.

Being able to stand on my two feet by myself is an amazing feeling, she said.

When Erik Bittner, owner of the Somerset Pizza Hut, heard about his server's financial troubles he decided to give her a helping hand from the employee's voluntary benevolent fund.

FOR THE LATEST FOOD FEATURES FOLLOW FOX ON FACEBOOK

"It was a fund we created because we have that need that comes up every so often and it's nice for them to help each other out," Bittner told WTAJ.

With that money, Bittner was able to give Kramer enough money for her first months rent.

"That tip absolutely changed my life," says Kramer, but acknowledged that her coworkers' generosity really helped her get back on her feet.
An Arizona shelter dog with terminal cancer is being treated to a bucket list of activities for his final days.

The Maricopa County Animal Care and Control is ensuring that longtime resident Rocko  who was surrendered to them twice  as he nears the end of his life.

We dont know how much longer he has. So were trying to move as quickly as possible, shelter employee Melissa Gable told WCMH-TV Columbus.

The 8-year-old lab mixs first activity was riding in a fire truck thanks to the Mesa Fire Station.

Click for more from the New York Post.
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.

Click here for a free subscription to Todds newsletter: a must-read for conservatives!

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.
President Trump will travel to CIA headquarters Saturday to meet with the nations leading spies and analysts.

The visit comes at a strained time between Trump and my former intelligence colleagues, largely because their commander in chief initially rejected  and later acknowledged  their assessment of Russias meddling in the 2016 campaign. He did so in very personal, unforgiving terms.

But Trump has his own reasons to be frustrated: former intelligence leaders smeared him with unproven allegations of a treasonous relationship with Russia. Even President Obama took a dim view of how they handled the unvetted rumor.

So how does Trump reset his relationship with our nations spies? One simple idea: show that he can think and act like one.

Spies live by a unique set of rules. Some are formal, some are unspoken. All told, they guide how clandestine officers think and behave, shaping their view of themselves, their colleagues, and the world. If Trump can adopt these rules, he will earn the trust and respect of the men and women that he needs to protect the republic.

Spies live by a unique set of rules. Some are formal, some are unspoken. All told, they guide how clandestine officers think and behave, shaping their view of themselves, their colleagues, and the world. If Trump can adopt these rules, he will earn the trust and respect of the men and women that he needs to protect the republic.

Here are the top five.

1. If You Mess Up, Fess Up: When a spy makes a mistake, the consequences can be grave. People die. Nations stumble. Yet all people fall short. The path to redemption at the CIA is straightforward  acknowledge the error, apologize, and help find a solution.

Trump made a mistake in slamming the intelligence community and their assessment of Russias meddling in the election. Healing that wound involves an apology and commitment to listening more carefully in the future. No other words will do.

At the same time, Trump should rightfully remind CIA officers that unvetted rumors have no place in American intelligence. Especially when it involves domestic politics.

2. All for One, One for All: Spies understand that diversity is important. Foreign targets present themselves as every race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Recruiting these informants takes officers who match that complicated diversity. To be clear, this isnt about some form of liberal social engineering. Its about mobilizing good human sources of information.



Trump should acknowledge and embrace this ethos of diversity, ensuring that the intelligence community has the full range of officers and assets it needs to keep the nation safe.

3. Challenge Your Assumptions: In the civilian world, were encouraged to stand firm in our beliefs. In the world of espionage, beliefs are temporary. Why? With every passing second, new reports pour in from around the world with updated information. Spies have to be on the watch for new insights that challenge their assumptions. Its dangerous to assume youre always right.

Trump should champion this culture and explain that the country needs this perspective to prevent fighting the wrong wars or adopting the wrong tactics.

4. Innovate or Die: The CIAs mission hasnt changed since the 1940s but virtually everything else has. Two years ago, the Agencys director launched reforms in the spirit of keeping pace. Regrettably, many of those changes have fallen flat and made the country less safe. Still, changes are needed.

Intelligence officers would welcome Trumps reversal of the failed reforms, focusing instead on the core problem: a culture of yes men (and women). Changing organizational charts wont matter if you dont change the Agencys leadership.

For proof of the dysfunction, Trump should ask for employee surveys that capture their lack of trust in senior management.

5. America First: Spies embody the spirit of President Kennedys call to be an idealist without illusion. They understand Americas promise as leader of the free world but know others seek to destroy her. Theyve seen that we have no permanent friends, only permanent interests.

Trump should acknowledge that America is strong only because we make it so. Allies like the Europeans or NATO are critically important, but no other nation or entity will replace firm American resolve in the face of adversity.

No matter how Trump handles his first engagement with the CIA, he and the country should understand one final rule of spies: fidelity to the American people. They do not serve a political party. And they do not flee if their preferred candidate loses an election. They stand firm with the Constitution and offer faithful service to their commander in chief.

Its now up to President Trump to show that their loyalty is well placed.
The Obama era will come to an end on the morning of Friday, January 20th as Donald J. Trump is inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States of America. Christians in America are divided between those who embrace Trump, those who oppose him, and those who take a wait-and-see mentality.

Regardless of which category a Christian falls into, here are three things each of us owes President Trump:

1. We owe him the benefit of the doubt.

We owe President Trump the benefit of the doubt. For Christians who supported his candidacy, this imperative can be taken for granted. But for others of us who did not support his candidacy, this imperative is a necessary reminder.

During the election cycle, we opposed Mr. Trumps nomination and candidacy for a variety of reasons, including reservations about his ideological framework, policy stances, temperament, and rhetoric. Yet Mr. Trump was victorious, and after his inauguration, our pride might be tempted to justify our pre-inaugural opposition. It may be easy to interpret his post-inaugural words and works in a worse light than the evidence demands and, in doing so, say See, I told you so.

But we owe it to President Trump and to our fellow citizens to hope that he does well, to give him the benefit of the doubt, to affirm him and his Cabinet when they do well for our nation. We owe it to President Trump because he is our President, and one of the Bibles few political imperatives is to give leaders the respect that is due to their office (Rom 13:1-7). We also owe it to our fellow citizens not to perpetuate the dishonest, disrespectful, and even toxic nature of this years political discourse.

2. We owe him our honest criticism.

We owe President Trump our honest criticism. Christians who opposed his candidacy will probably have no trouble recognizing the merits of this imperative. At the same time, Christians who cheered his candidacy might be tempted to ignore it, to their own detriment and to the detriment of our nation.

Our nations political discourse has broken down, in part, because many citizens and commentators have given up on politics. Theyve given up on the idea of politics as a bipartisan attempt to achieve the common good. In the place of it, theyve embraced a winner-takes-all mentality that demonizes the opposition and lionizes ones own party or candidate. Pro-Trumpers could be be lured into embracing everything Trump does, and agree with everything he says.

Just as the kings of Egypt and Persia needed Joseph and Daniel to speak hard truths to them (Gen 41; Dan 2), so President Trump needs us to speak our minds with honest criticism. The Proverbs remind us that we should speak the truth, even when the truth hurts, and that our truth-telling will bring healing (Prov 12:16-18). Because we are Christians who are committed to truth, and because we are citizens of a democratic republic in which we are encouraged to speak up for the common good, we owe him our honest criticism.

3. We owe him our prayers.

For those of us who are interested in our nations politics, its easy to forget the importance of prayer. Ask yourself: when is the last time you prayed for President Obama, or for members of Congress? When is the last time you prayed for Mr. Trump or his incoming Cabinet? For many of us the answer is, not very often or never.

But the Bible is clear that Christians should seek Gods guidance for those in authority. The apostle Paul wrote to his protege, Timothy, Therefore I exhort first of all that all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence (1 Tim 2:1-2). Thats a direct command, one of the few clear imperatives the Bible gives us concerning government and politics.

We should be careful not to get so caught up in discussion and debate that we forget to appeal to the King who rules over the worlds rulers. A kings heart is like streams of water in the Lords hand: he directs it wherever He chooses (Prov 22:1). Rather than trusting in a new President or in an opposing political party, we should be trusting the One in whose hands they govern.

The Heart and Strength of Every Good Political Movement

As Christians, we know that Christ was raised from the dead and that he will return one day to set the world aright. Having this knowledge, we as Christians should serve our nation by being the heart and strength of every good movement of social, cultural, or political concern. But we cant be the heart and strength of any good movement if our public life is characterized by cynical opposition, naive optimism, or apathetic spirituality.

So the ball is in our court. Lets give President Trump our benefit of the doubt, our honest criticism, and our consistent prayers.
Some 75 Girl Scouts said they wanted to participate in the organizations tradition of being at the presidential inauguration.

But unlike any other time, they are coming under fire.

On social media and in essays published online, many women are denouncing the Girl Scouts of the USA for its plans to continue its tradition and take part in the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump on Friday.

The critics say that an organization like the Girl Scouts, which seeks to empower young females, should boycott Trumps inauguration because of the scandals surrounding alleged sexual harassment by the president-elect years ago as well as an audio recording of him using salacious language to refer to women.

Some also cited Vice President-elect Mike Pences anti-abortion views as a reason that the Girl Scouts should skip the ceremonies.

But the Girl Scouts organization, which notes that it is non-political, says it will not make an exception to a tradition it has observed for decades, regardless of which party and which candidate wins the presidential election.

In a statement sent to FoxNews.com, the organization stressed that it is accommodating the desire of 75 girls from the Girl Scouts of Nation's Capital Council. The girls were among hundreds responding to a message posted in August on the council's website, well before the election. The council conducted surveys and selected the finalists.



We can no more turn our backs on 75 girls who have chosen to participate in the peaceful transition of power any more than we can on the thousands of girls participating in Women's Marches the next day.  Girl Scouts of the USA

Being truly non-partisan means that we keep our focus on the girls. It means that we go where they lead, the statement said. It means we can no more turn our back on 75 girls who have chosen to participate in the peaceful transition of power any more than we can on the thousands of girls participating in Womens Marches the next day.

The fact is, people often use Girl Scouts as an outlet to try to make a political statement, it continued.

We are girl-led and girl-driven, and our job, our mission, is to empower them to make their own choices, and express their own views.

Some of the critics have been former Girl Scouts, such as Jean Hannah Edelstein, who made her objection known in an essay in The Guardian.

The news that the Girl Scouts are sending a contingent to participate in Donald Trumps inauguration filled me with real rage, Edelstein wrote. Yes, its a tradition: theyve marched at inauguration for decades. But does tradition justify collaboration with an administration that promises to oppress the young women its supposed to serve?

Many published reports noted that never before has the organizations participation in the presidential election created such an outcry, even when other presidents, such as Bill Clinton, were trailed by scandals involving the treatment of women.

Our legacy is one of uniting, not dividing, and our mission is fundamentally about bringing girls of all backgrounds together to discover their talents, the organization said, and unlock their leadership potential, so that they can lead all of us to the promise of a better day.
In an ongoing dispute about the status of the huge Valley of the Fallen monument outside Madrid, the Spanish government on Wednesday denied the site honored the legacy of former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

The giant cross at the Valley of the Fallen. El Pais

The 13.6-square kilometer site  which features a basilica and, most notably, a 150-meter-high cross on a granite outcrop  was ostensibly built to commemorate those killed in Spains bitter and bloody 1936-1939 Civil War. The remains of more than 33,000 victims of the conflict are buried there.

But the Valley of the Fallen, which is also a popular tourist attraction, contains just two marked graves: those of Franco and Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, the founder of the Falange, Spains fascist-inspired political party. At the same time, thousands of prisoners of war who fought against Franco in the civil conflict were among the workforce used in its construction.

The Valley of the Fallen contains just two marked graves: those of Franco and Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

As such, the site  like the legacy of Franco in Spain as a whole  remains an object of political controversy.

On Wednesday, the conservative Popular Party government of Mariano Rajoy said it had fulfilled all of its legal requirements when it came to removing Francoist imagery, in line with Spains Historical Memory Law, which makes provision for the removal of statues and the changing of place names connected to the regime.

In a parliamentary response, the government argued that the Valley of the Fallen is not a Francoist monument, and that it is strictly governed by the rules applicable to places of worship and public cemeteries, noting it had done all it could within its federal powers and that it could only make recommendations when it came to issues under regional or local jurisdiction.

In no part of the [Valley of the Fallen] site can either political acts or [acts] honoring the Civil War, its participants or Francoism be carried out, the statement read.

The senator described the governments answer as insulting and absurd

Wednesdays statement came in response to a written query from Carles Mulet, a senator with Spains left-leaning Compromis party who had called on the government to clarify whether it planned to remove Franco-era references from the Valley of the Fallen.

In the statement, the government said the foundation charged with managing the Valley of the Fallen site aimed to honor and rehabilitate the memory of everyone who had died during the Civil War and the political repression [that followed].

It was clear that the site did not have the significance suggested by Mulet, the government argued.

But Mulet described the governments answer as insulting and said its claim that the Valley of the Fallen was not a Francoist mausoleum was absurd.

Anyone can see that that foundation [managing the site] havent complied with these aims; while Francisco Franco and Primo de Rivera have pride of place in the basilica, thousands of bodies of the victims of reprisals are piled up without even a mention or a minimal level of recognition, said the Compromis senator.

English version by George Mills.
President Obama on Thursday commuted the sentences of 330 federal inmates convicted of drug offenses.

The final batch of commutations came on the eve of Donald Trumps inauguration and caps off an extraordinarily long list of people who have had time shaved off their sentences courtesy of the outgoing president.

Over the past 30 years, tens of thousands of mostly black and Hispanic men were arrested in a sweeping effort to combat drug-related crimes. Many were sentenced under strict federal guidelines that had them behind bars for decades.

During his eight years in the White House, Obama repeatedly  but unsuccessfully - called on Congress to pass a sweeping reform to the criminal justice code.

With this last act of mercy, President Obama has closed out a historic effort to restore some balance and fairness to a federal prison system that has caused needless destruction of thousands of lives and families, Jessica Jackson Sloan, national director of the #cut50 initiative, said in a written statement. We continue to waste our precious resources to lock up people who have committed drug-related crimes that do not warrant decades, and certainly not life, in prison.

Unlike pardons, which erase legal liabilities from a conviction, commutations typically shorten the sentences of prisoners but do not wipe their record clean.

In all, Obama has granted clemency to 1,715 prisoners, more than any other person in U.S. history. He has also denied more clemency requests than the past 13 presidents combined.
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.
Trump supporters arriving for the Deploraball inauguration celebration in Washington on Thursday night were greeted by screaming profanities and threats as they entered the National Press Club Building.

Some of the hundreds of protesters sprayed Mace, while others were peaceful as law enforcement officers lined the streets to monitor the chaotic scene. At least one passerby reported bottles were being thrown as he showed off a gash in his head.

The Deploraball, organized by the pro-Trump organization MAGA3X, saw more than 1,000 invited guests celebrate on the eve of the President-elects swearing in.

FOR AN INSIDE LOOK AT DONALD TRUMP'S INAUGURATION, ADD FOX NEWS ON SNAPCHAT

The main goal of the evening, according to organizers, was to celebrate.

Deploraball is a coming out party for a new type of Republican, Jeff Giesea told FoxNews.com. People are threatening us, and its uncalled for.

The event had earlier been reported to be the target of threats from anti-Trump groups, but the FBI and D.C. law enforcement officials told Foxnews.com that they did not know of any credible threats surrounding any inauguration events.



Just look at which way their guns are facing! one protester told Foxnews.com. about the police presence US! Not them.

Were not attacking anyone!, another protester said.

That was not the case for James Allsup, 21, of Seattle, whose head was gushing blood as he sat surrounded by police officers on the side of the road.

I was wearing my Make America Great Again hat, and a white male came up behind me and swung at me with a flagpole  I kind of blacked out for a minute, Allsup told FoxNews.com. Before I knew it, my head was gushing blood  theres blood on my Trump hat.

Allsup told FoxNews.com that he and a friend were simply grabbing drinks in the neighborhood and walked through the street where protesters were gathered.

Im all for disagreeing, I debate people all the time and I want to engage in these discussions, but theyre throwing bottles, Allsup told Foxnews.com. I would be livid if people who supported Trump were doing this to Hillary supporters.

Inside the National Press Club, the deplorables at the Deploraball continued to celebrate.

This ball is for the people, and by the people, Giesea said. This is not some stuffy Washington ball.

But when asked about the protesters, one woman, dressed in a sparkly sash reading Mrs. Deplorable, laughed.

So, lets take care of those little deplorables outside  those protesters, She told FoxNews.com. They really just need to go and get a job.
Protesters created havoc across Washington on Inauguration Day, shattering glass storefronts and torching cars but never posing a serious security threat to President Trumps official inaugural ceremonies.

Authorities said 217 people were arrested Friday in the protests and demonstrations, which started before dawn and at one point turned into a full-scale riot.

Most of the damage was inflicted by protesters associated with the group DistruptJ20 that had vowed for weeks to paralyze the city.

Black-clad protestors with their faces covered smashed out the windows of a limousine, then set it afire. They also shattered the class-fronts of a Bank of America, McDonalds and Starbucks, as police officers fired pepper spray to tried to disperse the crowd as it moved from midtown to the Inaugural Parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham said the destruction started at about 10:30 a.m. and that those arrested were charged with rioting.

He also said that six police officers were injured in clashes with protesters, including three with head injuries. One civilian also was injured, and none of the injuries was life threatening.

Going into today, the goal was to ensure everyone wishing to peacefully exercise their rights had ability do so, said Newsham, who also thanked the federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies from across the country that came to help. Unfortunately, a small group of people have engaged in vandalism and violence against officers. This will not be tolerated.

Newsham also called for calm overnight, as visitors attend inauguration balls throughout the city.

The disruptions started early. Shortly after daybreak, protesters started blocking the roughly 10 security checkpoints to the parade and other official events. But Trumps swearing-in on Capitol Hill and the parade to the White House occurred with no reported problems.

The group Black Lives Matter forced the Secret Service to close one checkpoint after members, just after dawn, started blocked the gates and chaining themselves to fences.

A Kansas couple told FoxNews.com that demonstrators attacked them at the checkpoint.

Celeste Sollars, who said she and her husband came to town from Kansas to see the inauguration, said they were spit on and her husband was put in a chokehold by protesters.

"The cops wouldn't do anything, she said, crying. This is not how it was supposed to be -- assault is not a First Amendment right.

Sollars said she was attacked -- as demonstrators followed through on threats to disrupt President-elect Donald Trumps inaugural ceremonies.

We are here to let people know this presidency is not legit. It goes against hundreds of years of democracy -- black lives matter, BLM DCs Tracye Redd told FoxNews.com.

Among the first to arrive Friday morning was Bill McCann, who planned to join up with Bikers for Trump, after having drove his motorcycle from Fort Worth, Texas.

Ever since Mr. Trump announced his candidacy, Ive supported him 100 percent, said McCann under the light of the Capitol Rotunda, as protesters with the anti-war group Jewish Voice for Peace rallied just blocks away.

McCann spoke under the light of the Capitol Rotunda amid a heavy police presence.

Were here to say that whoever is president, No more war,  said Naomi Dann, of Brooklyn. The incoming president hasnt said whether hes a pacifist, but Im pretty sure hes not.

Dann said her concerns and those of other group members include targeting Muslims and increased surveillance.

A lot of people are angry, she said.

Fox News' Guerin Hays, Jake Gibson, Matthew Dean and Griff Jenkins and FoxNews.coms Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
The election is over. Hillary Clintons email investigation apparently is not.

Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said on Friday the congressional probe would carry on looking into whether Clinton committed any crimes by using a secret server to send and receive emails during her time as Secretary of State.

So pleased she is not the President. I thanked her for her service and wished her luck. The investigation continues, Chaffetz wrote on his jasoninthehouse Instagram account. The text accompanied a screenshot of Chaffetz shaking hands with Clinton during Inauguration Day.

Chaffetz also tweeted out the post, and many social media users  of all political stripes  decried the display of partisanship. But Chaffetz has not been shy about his desire to keep investigating Clinton, even after an FBI review found in July that, while she was extremely careless, Clinton had not broken the law.

We cant simply let this go, Chaffetz told Fox News in December. If the president or the president-elect wants to pardon Secretary Hillary Clinton for the good of the nation, that is their option. But I have a duty and an obligation to actually fix the problems that were made with Hillary Clinton.
Montana lawmakers are slated to debate a proposed bill that would allow vehicle passengers to have a so-called road beer.

House Bill 206 would lift the ban on open alcohol containers for passengers in a vehicle on Montana highways. Drivers would still be restricted from drinking alcohol while operating a vehicle.

State Rep. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, has backed the bill despite critics pointing out that the legislation could increase the amount of drunk drivers.

"The argument was made -- how about if it tempts the driver?" Zolnikov told NBC Montana on Wednesday. "That's like saying (designated drivers) shouldn't go to bars in case they're tempted to have a drink. Where is the self-responsibility? This isn't allowing for people to drink and drive, it's allowing a passenger to have a beer."

The 29-year-old politician added on Twitter Why cant passengers have a drink?

He told KGVO that most Montanans are already ignoring open container laws anyway. Its time to stop treating adults like children.
President Obama bid farewell to supporters and staff members Friday at Andrews Air Force Base, as the former commander-in-chief returns to civilian life.

Obama -- speaking shortly after his successor, Donald Trump, was sworn into office -- called the presidency "the privilege of my life" and thanked the supporters who formed his 2008 grassroots campaign that put the former Illinois senator into the White House.

"You knocked on doors ... You talked to your parents who didnt know how to pronounce Barack Obama ... You went into communities that maybe you never even thought about visiting," Obama said in brief remarks.

"That doesnt end. This is just a  just a little pit stop. This

is not a period, this is a comma -- the continuing story of building America," he said, as the crowd loudly applauded.

"We look forward to contining this journey with all of you and I can't wait to see what you do next. And I promise to be there with all of you," he said.

Following Trump's inauguration, the Obamas took a Marine helicopter to Joint Base Andrews, where Obama delivered his remarks before boarding a presidential plane to Palm Springs, Calif., for a family vacation.

In a video released earlier by her husband's presidential foundation, former first lady Michelle Obama said, "First, we're going to take a little break."

"We're finally going to get some sleep and take some time to be with our family, and just be still for a little bit. So we might not be online quite as much as you're used to seeing us," she said.

Obama said in the video that, after the family's vacation, he will return to work on his legacy project, The Barack Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

"More than a library or a museum, it will be a living, working center for citizenship," he said.

FoxNews.com's Cristina Corbin contributed to this report.
By cutting short the sentences of 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes on Thursday, President Obama brought his total number of commutations granted to 1,715, more than any other president in U.S. history.

Despite Obamas record of clemency and some of his more controversial choices  Chelsea Manning, for example  there are still a number of people behind bars that activists hoped Obama would pardon or commute their sentences.

Here are some of the more prominent prisoners who still remain behind bars as Obama leaves office:

Bowe Bergdahl

While Obamas commutation of convicted leaker Chelsea Manning's sentence gave some hope to Bergdhals legal team, the outgoing president did not pardon the Army sergeant who in 2009 deserted his post in Afghanistan and was subsequently held captive by the Taliban until 2014.

In late 2016, Begdhals legal team pleaded to the Obama administration to grant him a pre-emptive pardon of his charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. But Obamas refusal to grant a pardon now sets up Bergdhal to be court martialed and he faces up to life in prison, if found guilty.

With Donald Trump assuming the presidency Friday, there appears little hope that his administration will take a kinder look at Bergdhals plight as Trump has referred to him as a no-good traitor who should have been executed.

Bergdahl, who was captured by the Taliban shortly after leaving his base and was held for five years by the Taliban-allied Haqqani network in Pakistan, claiming that he deserted because he was trying to call attention to problems with his units leadership. An Army review board in 2015 diagnosed him with schizotypal personality disorder, which leads people to often have strange beliefs about how the world works.

Edward Snowden

Despite Obama commuting Mannings sentence, he did not grant a pardon to another prominent leaker, former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Snowden hasn't formally applied for clemency, though his supporters have called for it. Yet Obama has taken a dim view of Snowden because he refuses to return to the U.S. from Russia to face charges.

Russian authorities earlier this week extended a residence permit for Snowden, with the countrys Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying in a post on Facebook late Tuesday that Snowden's residence permit has been extended for "a couple of years."

Snowden has been living in Russia since 2013 when he got stuck in the transit area at a Moscow airport after the United States canceled his passport.

Hillary Clinton

Concerned about the idea that former-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and others may be potential targets of an investigation into the use of her private email server, some of her supporters were hoping that Obama would grant his former secretary of state a pre-emptive pardon.

The Constitution permits a president to pardon someone who has not been charged with a crime.

Despite calling her Crooked Hillary on the campaign trail and the chants of Lock Her Up! at many of his rallies, Trump has said he has no intention of investigating Clinton.

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.

Michael Pelletier and John Knock

Given the shift in thinking among many Americans on marijuana, the legalization of the drug in numerous U.S. states and Obamas commutation of the sentences of many low-level drug offenders, activists and family members of two convicted drug smugglers were hoping that Obama would grant clemency to Michael Pelletier and John Knock.

Pelletier, paralyzed by a childhood farming accident, was convicted in 2007 of a conspiracy that involved swimming marijuana from Canada into Maine. A petition urging Obama to commute Pelletier's life sentence has more than100,000 signatures, but it was to no avail.

Knock was indicted in 1994 in the Northern District of Florida on charges of conspiracy to money launder and conspiring to import and distribute marijuana as part of a reverse sting. He was sentenced in 2000 to two life terms plus 20 years for three marijuana-related conspiracy charges despite being a first-time offender with no history of violence or drug abuse.

Both learned earlier this week that they were not among those granted clemency by Obama.

Its an incredibly painful disappointment that my brother  a wonderful person who is totally nonviolent  is going to die in prison, Knocks sister, Beth Curtis, told U.S. News and World Report. The big story is the number of denials that have gone out. My brother was among them along with other nonviolent marijuana offenders and many, many nonviolent drug offenders.

Kristian Saucier

Former Navy petty officer Kristian Saucier was hoping that Obama would grant him a pardon and commute his 12-month sentence after he was convicted for illegally taking pictures aboard a nuclear attack submarine.

Saucier, a machinist's mate aboard the USS Alexandria from September 2007 to March 2012, was convicted of using his cellphone camera to take pictures of various technical components of the submarine's nuclear propulsion system while it was docked at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut.

Jeffrey Addicott, a former Army attorney and director of the Center for Terrorism Law at St Mary's Law School in Texas, submitted last week petitions for a presidential pardon for Saucier and for clemency. Addicott said that two other petty officers on the Alexandria also were caught taking pictures aboard the submarine and "received far, far less punishment."

"One went on to be a commissioned officer in the Navy," he told the Military Times.

The 30-year-old was convicted of one count of unauthorized retention of national defense information, a felony, and received an "other-than-honorable" discharge from the Navy. Saucier has served almost three months of his 12-month sentence at the Federal Medical Center at Fort Devens, Massachusetts.

Clint Lorance

One of the so-called Leavenworth 10, Lorance is currently serving a 20-year sentence for ordering his men to shoot two suspected Taliban scouts in July 2012 in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan.

Lorance had just taken command of the platoon after the prior leader and several others were killed days before. The Taliban suspects were on motorcycles and matched descriptions given by a pilot who flew over the area earlier and spotted them as scouts.

A Facebook page devoted to Lorances case has drawn more than 14,000 likes, and supporters have launched a website, FreeClintLorance.com, dedicated to winning his release. A WhiteHouse.gov calling for Lorance to be pardoned garnered around 125,000 signatures, but Obama made no moves in his final days in office to pardon him or commute his sentence.
Donald Trump assumed the nations highest office Friday as the 45th president of the United States, vowing in a tough inaugural address to restore prosperity and fight for the country with every breath.

In a succinct speech heavy on populist themes, the new president told Americans across the country they will never be ignored again and promised concrete results.

The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action, he said.

The president addressed a packed crowd of spectators stretching from the Capitol across the National Mall on a mild but overcast and at-times drizzly day, after taking the oath of office along with Vice President Mike Pence. The speech did not delve into policy details, and rather reprised objectives from his 2016 campaign on trade, immigration and national security.

FULL TEXT OF TRUMP SPEECH

But the address was stitched together, more broadly, by an appeal for a new national pride and a rediscovery of American patriotism, as he described this as a salve for the countrys divisions.

When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice, he said.

He also rebuked those who have held power in Washington, saying a small group reaped the rewards of government while the people did not share in Washingtons wealth.

The address completes Trumps remarkable journey from political outsider written off by countless Beltway pundits to the most powerful man in the country. His campaign manager Kellyanne Conway noted in an earlier interview with Fox News that Trump was making history as a businessman with no prior political or military experience  someone successful in the private sector coming to Washington owing nobody anything.

In blunt and unvarnished terms similar to the language used during his nomination acceptance address last summer, Trump on Friday lamented the jobs lost to foreign rivals  he described rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the land  and the crime in Americas cities.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now, Trump said.

Trump cast his presidency as a return to power for the people and vowed never to let them down.

From this day forward, its going to be only America first, Trump said. I will fight for you with every breath in my body, and I will never, ever let you down.  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.

He also vowed to eradicate Islamic terrorism.

Telling the American people this is your moment and your day, Trump closed his speech with the promise that started it all: We will make America great again.

As Barack and Michelle Obama depart the White House after eight years in office, Trump will immediately be confronted with the challenge of governing, as he attempts to apply his CEO experience to running the nation. His team has vowed a robust start to the Trump administration, which could include everything from rescinding controversial Obama actions to renegotiating trade deals to repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act.

An immediate task for the new administration will be to get Trumps Cabinet nominees confirmed. His advisers have complained that Democrats are slowing the process, and resisting the kind of swift confirmation the Senate gave many of Obamas nominees in 2009.

Before he spoke on Friday, throngs of protesters were causing disruptions on the edges of the security zone in Washington. Some blocked checkpoints and forced their temporary closure earlier Friday morning, while elsewhere demonstrators resorted to violence and vandalism. They clashed with police later in the afternoon, amid dozens of arrests.

While dozens of House Democrats boycotted Fridays ceremonies  a move that fueled disputes with Trumps team over the weekend  other prominent Democrats and past presidents of both parties were in attendance for the transfer of power. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, whose loss to Trump marked one of the biggest upsets in modern political history, attended and tweeted shortly before Trump took the oath that she came to honor our democracy & its enduring values.

I will never stop believing in our country & its future, she wrote.

Donald and Melania Trump met with the Obamas earlier Friday morning after attending a church service in Washington. The new first family headed later to the parade along Pennsylvania Avenue, before an evening of inaugural balls and other festivities.
James Costos, the US ambassador to Spain appointed by Barack Obama in 2013, resigned on Wednesday, leaving the embassys trade attache, Kris R. Urs, in charge. After the US Senate approves a Donald Trump-appointed successor, a process that could take several months, among the priorities on the new incumbents desk will be a renegotiation on how to clean up tons of contaminated soil in Palomares (Almeria), the site of a 1966 US air force crash that released four hydrogen bombs over the area.

A fenced-off section of the contaminated area. Carlos Rosillo

More information Espana tendra que renegociar con Trump la limpieza de Palomares

Three of the bombs were found near the fishing village of Palomares. The non-nuclear explosives in two of the devices had detonated, contaminating a two-square-kilometer area with plutonium. The fourth bomb fell into the sea and was recovered more than two months afterwards.

Half-a-century later, on October 19, 2015, Spain and Washington signed an agreement paving the way for the US to transport almost 50,000 cubic meters of contaminated soil to its shores. Budgeted at around 640 million, the project requires an international treaty that has yet to be ratified by Spains Congress.

It is not clear how Trump will view the agreement on the Palomares clean-up, which was not legally binding

Both governments originally agreed to conclude the deal by December 31, 2015. But two inconclusive elections in Spain  the first on December 20, 2015, followed by a second in June of 2016  resulted in a ten-month political stalemate that was only resolved in November.

Sources at the US embassy in Madrid say that during this time meetings to discuss technical details about the cleanup have been held, but there has been no contact at the political level, given that the interim administration headed by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the Popular Party lacked the authority to sign an international agreement.

On November 8, four days after Rajoy took office at the head of a minority government, Donald Trump won the US elections against all expectations. Sources at Spains Foreign Ministry said that efforts were made to gauge whether the Obama administration would sign the deal before Trump took office, but the White House said this would not be possible, given the delicate nature of the talks, the costs involved and the need for approval of any decision.

It is not clear how the Trump administration will view the agreement of October 2015, which was not legally binding.

The arrival of Trumps ambassador to Madrid will coincide with the appointment of Spains ambassador to Washington, former Defense Minister Pedro Morenes.

Aside from the Palomares cleanup, Morenes will also have to negotiate a request by the Obama administration to install a fleet of some 20 helicopters at the Moron airbase in Seville to be used to combat drug trafficking.

Then there is the matter of the Obama administrations request to install officers from its own Customs and Border Protection agency at Adolfo Suarez MadridBarajas Airport to check for possible terrorism suspects boarding flights to the United States.

The Spanish government has not responded officially to the request, but has expressed its concerns to Washington that, given that the agents would be armed and hold diplomatic immunity, the measure would involve handing over national sovereignty.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Billionaire investor and Democratic donor George Soros said in an interview Thursday that "people like me" would like President-elect Donald Trump to fail as president.

He made the comment during an interview with Bloomberg News at his annual media dinner at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The 86-year-old was recently in the news when he reportedly lost nearly $1 billion after Trump's election over a too-cautious approach to the market.

I personally am convinced that he is going to fail, Soros said. 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 actually already embodied by his advisersand his cabinet.

Soros Fund Management LLC has about 250 traders and manages about $30 billion. The billionaire took a more active role in the company in anticipation of turmoil in China and the European Union, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Soros, who last year, called on a global system of political decision-making, came out strongly against Trump during the campaign. He reportedly contributed $7 million to Priorities USA Action and gave Clintons campaign the maximum $2,700 donation. He also contributed $5 million to a super PAC aimed at mobilizing Latinos and other immigrants in hopes to stop the Trump campaign.

Soros has a long history of contributing millions to liberal political causes, and pockets don't get much deeper than his. He ranked No. 23 in the latest Forbes richest men list.

The Wall Street Journal reported that overall, Soros fund is up about 5 percent on the year.
A FedEx courier from rural Illinois attending Donald Trumps inauguration in a donated suit broke down in tears Thursday night when offered a $10,000 check by the commander-in-chief.

Did that just happen? Shane Bouvet, 24, of Stonington, asked after meeting Trump backstage at the pre-inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial, The Washington Post reported.

Trump read about Bouvet, a struggling single father, in the Post Wednesday and told aides he wanted to meet the man.

The paper reported that Bouvet was invited to attend an inaugural ball as thanks for working on Trumps campaign in Illinois as a volunteer.

The invite required a suit and a nice pair of shoes, but Bouvet wasnt sure he could afford that, according to the paper. A friend bought him the suit and got a shoe seller to donate the shoes.

During the meeting with Trump, Bouvet called his father.

You have a good boy, Trump told Don Bouvet, according to the paper.

At the end Trump told an aide, Send him a check for $10,000.

Bouvet told WAND-TV in Decatur, Ill., that Trump told him he "would never have to worry again."

The station reported Friday that Bouvelt said he felt like he was dreaming.

A photo on Trumps Instagram account shows the president-elect with Bouvet.

Great to meet one of my earliest and most dedicated supporters! Trump wrote. I am deeply humbled by the faith that millions of Americans have placed in me and our movement -- and to those who did not support me, I ask for the chance to be your President too as we make America great again together.
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 .

"[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-Silsila on the banks of the Nile, only pot burials of adults  none of children  have been reported, they added.

Nor is it clear that families who chose pot burials were universally poor, the researchers wrote. In one case, they said, an infant buried around the end of the Old Kingdom period and the beginning of the First Intermediate period (approximately 2181 B.C.) was found in a pot along with many expensive beads, including seven covered with gold foil.

Born again?

If pots weren't just something used by the poor because they had nothing else, they may have had symbolic value in their own right, Power and Tristant said. There are a few references to the womb as a pot or vessel in ancient Egyptian scrolls and wall carvings, they wrote, including a wall carving in a chapel in the Saqqara necropolis that shows dancers chanting, "See the pot, remove what is in it!" in reference to birth.

Pots may have also reminded ancient Egyptians of eggs, which were sometimes associated with the inner coffin of a burial, Power and Tristant wrote.

"As the symbols of life par excellence, it is hard to recommend a more fitting means to facilitate the transition into the afterlife," they wrote.

Original article on Live Science.
The Secret Service will be hard at work protecting against both physical and digital threats during President-elect Trumps inauguration Friday.

Fox News reported this week that Secret Service cybersecurity personnel will be deployed throughout the Washington area, monitoring digital infrastructure along the inaugural parade route.

For the Secret Service, the biggest cybersecurity pain point when it comes to the inauguration or other events where the president is physically present is definitely with critical infrastructure, former Secret Service agent Larry Johnson told Fox News.com via email Thursday. The Secret Service will be deeply involved in monitoring and protecting all critical systems within a 50 mile radius (power, cellular, water, etc.) from any type of remote access, network intrusion or interference, which could be done by a foreign government or independent actor.

Johnson, who is now the Chief Strategy Officer of cybersecurity company CyberSponse, explained that agents will be watching closely for any unusual network activity and even power surges. They'll be monitoring for any anomalous activity on those networks with full probes and sensors (they develop the strategy months in advance; they start implementing it closer to the event), as well as any power usage fluctuations, he said.

TRUMPS TWITTER: COULD HACKERS WREAK HAVOC FROM THE WHITE HOUSE?

The digital security encompasses a range of Inauguration Day events. The Secret Services Critical Systems Protection Division, for example, is also safeguarding the security of digital systems within sites that the president-elect and vice president-elect will visit on Friday evening.

Managing both physical security and cybersecurity on Inauguration Day is no easy task, according to Mark Testoni, CEO of SAP National Security Services (SAP NS2).

Tomorrows inauguration presents several evolving elements of complexity. First are the significant responsibilities on the shoulders of government agencies charged with securing the physical area around the inaugural itself and other activities in the city, he told FoxNews.com via email. Mix in the substantial protest activity with its potential for disturbances. Then add the dynamics of protecting and monitoring the cyber dimension.

Set against this difficult backdrop, speed is essential to analysts and law enforcement when discovering, qualifying and mitigating threats, according to the security expert.

'MAKE DATING GREAT AGAIN': TRUMP SINGLES SITE SEES MEMBERSHIP SPIKE

Experts have already warned that the Trump White House will be a major target for hackers. The incoming presidents Twitter account, for example, is likely in the hacking crosshairs, according to experts.

Trump will continue using his @realDonaldTrump account when he takes office, he told The Times of London in an interview published Monday. Trump, who has 20.1 million Twitter followers, said that he wont personally be taking over the @POTUS government account used by President Obama.

In a tweet to Trump earlier this week the Anonymous hacking group warned that the president-elect will regret the next four years.

Fox Newss Matthew Dean contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
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 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 .40SGW. "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.

This article originally appeared on Military.com.
The government missed the Obama administration's Dec. 31 deadline to enable HTTPS encryption on all federal websites using the .gov domain. But all new websites issued under the Trump administration will be served to Web browsers with HTTPS automatically enabled, the General Services Administration announced on Thursday.

It's a consolation prize that doesn't require any extra work: the GSA can flip the equivalent of a digital switch for all new websites, telling modern Web browsers like Google Chrome to only load the HTTPS version of the page. The process, known as HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS), is already widely used. You've probably seen it in action if you type in a website URL like "http://www.newegg.com," and your browser automatically translates the request into https://www.newegg.com.

The GSA will only enable HSTS by default for new executive branch websites starting this spring, although many existing websites in all three federal government branches already support it. In order for it to work, the site must ensure that all of its subdomains and associated Web services support HTTPS encryption, a task that's much easier for brand new sites than those that are decades old.

"Once preloading is in effect, browsers will strictly enforce HTTPS for these domains and their subdomains," the GSA explained in a blog post. "Users will not be able to click through certificate warnings. Any Web services on these domains will need to be accessible over HTTPS in order to be used by modern Web browsers."

The Obama administration announced in June 2015 that all federal websites must enforce HTTPS connections by Dec. 31, 2016. Out of approximately 1,000 .gov domains, only 61 percent enforced HTTPS by the deadline, TechCrunch reported.

Google last fall said it would display a conspicuous "not secure" label in its Chrome Web browser next to the URL of any website that doesn't support HTTPS. The label will roll out with Chrome 56, which is scheduled for release this month.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
Friday marks not just the inauguration of Donald Trump, but a passing of the baton on Twitter from Barack Obama to the 45th president.

As the White House announced back in October, Obamas tweets as president will become archived with the Twitter handle @potus44, and Obamas successor will inherit the @potus account with a clean slate of tweets but the same followers.

In his final hours in control of the official Twitter account, Obama reiterated many of the same themes of his presidency and its campaigns: he wrote about feeling honored to serve, truth and justice, and believing in change.

As we look forward, I want our first steps to reflect what matters most to you. Share your thoughts with me at https://t.co/fGUxlpLVue.  President Obama (@POTUS) January 20, 2017

He tweeted a link to the website obama.org, where he and Michelle Obama have recorded a video message about what comes next for them.

After eight years in the White House, Michelle and I now rejoin all of you as private citizens, Obama said in the video. We want to thank you once again from the bottom of hearts for giving us the incredible privilege of serving this country that we love.

First, were going to take a little break, Michelle Obama continued. Were finally going to get some sleep and take some time to be with our family, and just be still for a little bit.

From there, Obama spoke about his future presidential center in Chicago and projects that will be part of it.

As of Friday morning, Obamas last tweet was: I'm still asking you to believe - not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours. I believe in change because I believe in you.

Tens of thousands of people liked and retweeted his final words.

Yes we can.

Yes we did.

Thank you for being a part of the past eight years. pic.twitter.com/mjmr4RkxpV  The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 20, 2017

The White House posted a final tweet from its Twitter account on Friday morning too, including a famous photograph of the first family along with Congressman John Lewis in Selma, Alabama from March, 2015, marking the 50th anniversary of historic civil rights marches.

Update: After Donald Trump was sworn in as president, Obama's Twitter feed was transferred, as planned, to @potus44. While Trump was giving his innaugural address, the @potus Twitter account had a simple message:

"@POTUS hasn't tweeted yet."
Finding a hotel room for a good price can stress if you're not familiar with online travel agents (OTAs) and you have a tight budget.

Today, many of the best hotel deals can be found online-- but how do you which ones are really the best? Are really getting a great deal? It might be easier to search online but when it comes to booking, sometimes picking up the desk to call your chosen property is the way to go.

Remember that timing is everything. The best time to book is usually on Tuesday around 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, says Yijen Liu, vice president of product for Mezi, the personal travel concierge app. This time and day gives you access to the best deals. Traveling on off-peak days and times will also help you beat the crowds and inflated prices, she adds.

Here are 10 travel booking secrets hotels don't want you to know.

Check the Hotel Website for Deals.

Booking sites claim to have the best deals, but hotels often post limited offers that dont make it to the discount travel booking sites, says Liu. If you have some time to do the research, you might uncover some hidden gems.

Join Your Hotel Rewards Program.

If youre searching for fewer restrictions, a stress-free process, and convenience, you should consider joining a hotel rewards program. If youre a loyal member to a hotel franchise in particular, it may make sense to join your hotel rewards program - that way, you stay where you want and you work your way through rewards and up to VIP status, Liu explains.

Bundle It.

More from The Active Times

The 19 Best U.S. Cities to Spend a Big Weekend in Without Going Broke

The World's Most Spectacular Hotel Pools

10 Things About Hotel Rooms That Should Scare You

Dangerous Cities You Should Never Visit Alone

Do your research. You'll receive better prices by booking a travel bundle for airfare and a hotel room. For instance, JetBlue Vacations is one of many airlines that offer great bundle deals on vacation packages where both flights and hotels are included, Liu explains. While this affords the traveler a little less freedom with the various aspects of their vacation, you gain the advantage of a trusted recommendation and big savings.

Timing Is Everything.

Book your hotel stay as far in advance as possible. According to summer travel research by TripAdvisor, travelers can save on U.S. hotels by booking inside two months-- travelers visiting Europe should book their rooms three to five months in advance; and travelers going to the Caribbean and Middle East should book within four months for the best prices.

Save With Memberships.

Your price change may be closer than you think. Hotels offer discounts for travelers with certain memberships and affiliations. If you are part of a special interest group, its worth looking into whether or not your hotel offers this-- and to possibly keep looking if they dont, Liu says. Some of the most common hotel discounts include AAA, seniors, AARP, military, and government.

Sign Up for Your Hotel's Credit Card.

Like other credit card rewards programs, your favorite hotel franchise can offer you rewards in the form of points, special VIP member treatment, and savings as you build credit in their name, Liu says. If you frequently stay in hotels, this might be the move for you.

Use Your In-Room Kitchen.

While it may seem inconvenient or impossible to prep meals in your hotel room, going out to eat is expensive-- and doing so for an entire hotel stay can really add up, Liu explains. Stocking juice, fruit, and yogurt in the mini fridge will help save more than you might expect on otherwise costly breakfasts.

Avoid Foreign Transaction Fees When Splitting Costs.

If youre traveling with friends you should consider downloading Circle. This app is the easiest way to borrow money from friends and divvy up expenses (like hotel fees and large group checks at dinner) while youre traveling, Liu says. Circle automatically factors in exchange rates for U.K. Pound and Euros, so you can pay someone back for booking your shared hotel room, immediately from your U.S. bank account.

Search the Internet for Coupon Codes.

Coupon and promotional codes can be found all over the web but sometimes it takes a little digging and a lot of patience. Liu says sites like HotelCoupons.com display the discounts and coupons being offered in the location of your choosing.

Stay During the Week.

If you want to save money on your hotel room, opt to avoid busy weekends. Demand for weekend rooms increases, as do the prices per night for hotel stays rise, Liu explains. Instead of booking Friday through Sunday, try Monday through Wednesday.

Check out more of the best secret ways to save on your next hotel stay.
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.
Investigative reporter Wayne Barrett, a scourge of New York City power brokers from Rudolph Giuliani to Mike Bloomberg during a decades-long career with the Village Voice 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 regarded him as a role model and even some politicians grudgingly acknowledged his skills and integrity.



"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.



His many scoops ranged from the criminal past of 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."



Few reporters knew Trump as well as did Barrett, whose death came less than a day before Trump was to be sworn 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.



"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."



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. Barrett also wrote books on Giuliani and another New York mayor, Edward I. Koch, co-authored with his Voice mentor, the late Jack Newfield.



In recent years, he was a contributor to Newsweek/The Daily Beast and a fellow at The Nation Institute. He is survived by his wife, Fran; his son, Mac, and a legion of former Voice interns and Columbia graduate students whom he mentored.



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 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."
Heavy snowfall in southeast Spain has cut several major road routes throughout the region of Valencia, as well as the provinces of Albacete and Cuenca. Up to 1,600 vehicles were trapped overnight on roads in Valencia, with hundreds of people having to spend the night in cars and trucks.

Traffic jams on the A-31, which joins Alicange with Albacete and Madrid. Manuel Lorenzo (EFE)

On Friday morning, a 60-kilometer stretch of the A-3 highway, which links the city of Valencia with Madrid, was still unpassable in both directions between Villargordo del Cabriel and the town of Chiva, some 30 kilometers from Valencia.

The Civil Guards traffic unit said that some 400 cars with around 500 people in them were trapped overnight in the area.

Spains AEMET meteorological office is forecasting further snow for Friday, with 16 provinces on alert. The worst weather is expected in Castellon and Valencia, which are on red alert, while Almeria, Teruel, Cuenca, and Murcia are on orange alert.

Spains AEMET meteorological office is forecasting further snow for Friday, with 16 provinces on alert

Another black spot is the A-31 between Madrid and Alicante, which reopened between Almansa and Albacete, but is cut off in Villena, some 50 kilometers inland from Alicante. Between Teruel and Castellon the A-23 is cut off between Barracas and Viver, while the N-232 between Vallivana and La Pobla de Alcolea is also blocked. The N-234 is also cut off on the stretch outside Teruel.

The General Directorate of Traffic reports that the N-420 is unpassable at Torrebaja, as is the N-330 and the N-330A at Casas Altas and Casas Bajas. Snow chains or winter tires are required on the stretch between Talayuelas and Santa Cruz de Moya in Cuenca province, while the N-344 is still cut off between Caudete in Albacete and Font de la Figuera.

Early on Friday morning, the authorities boosted emergency services on the A-3. Juan Carlos Moragues, the central governments delegate to the regional administration of Valencia, said that 179 members of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) and the Civil Guard had been drafted in hours after 12 snow plows were brought in to clear roads, allowing teams to distribute blankets and food to stranded cars. The UME was working with the Red Cross to deliver blankets and hot food to 2,000 people, said Moragues.

The UME has told people to remain in their cars and turn their heating on if they are trapped by snow, making sure that their exhaust pipe is not blocked.

People have been told to remain in their cars and turn their heating on if they are trapped by snow

The Executive Coordinating Committee of the General Administration of the State met late on Thursday night to assess the conditions on the A-3, where a 30 km stretch is cut off between Bunol and Utiel, in Valencia due to heavy snowfalls.

The Red Cross says it has sent five vehicles with teams to help drivers stuck there.

State railway company RENFE said on Friday morning that all passengers on trains affected by delays on routes between Madrid and the Valencia region on Thursday afternoon and evening had been able to resume their journeys.

English version by Nick Lyne.
A California city has removed a 14-foot tall granite cross from a public park after receiving a legal complaint from a local man and the nation's largest atheist group.

Santa Clara officials removed the large cross last week following legal action by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, donating it to Santa Clara University, a Jesuit academic institution.

NEARLY 1 MILLION CHRISTIANS REPORTEDLY MARTYRED FOR THEIR FAITH IN LAST DECADE

FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said in a statement released Tuesday that with Santa Clara's decision "reason and the Constitution have prevailed."

"It's a very rational way to begin the New Year  sending a strong message of support of the wall of separation between religion and government," Gaylor asserted.

In 1953, the Santa Clara Lion's Club donated the cross to Santa Clara as a way to honor the the site of the second Spanish Catholic mission established in the city in 1777.

In 2012, the FFRF was informed about the cross's presence on the grounds of the public park and sent a letter to the city demanding its removal, only to have the cross remain where it had been since 1953.

Last April, the FFRF sued the city on behalf of a local man named Andrew DeFaria. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division.

Click Here to Read the Full Story at ChristianPost.com
Lawyers for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl are arguing their client can't get a fair trial because of scathing criticism by President Donald Trump.

Defense lawyers said in a motion Friday that Trump's public comments calling Bergdahl a traitor will prevent him from getting a fair trial. They say Trump violated Bergdahl's due process rights with repeated negative comments on the campaign trail.

Bergdahl faces charges that he endangered comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009. He was held captive by the Taliban and its allies for five years.

Bergdahl, who is from Idaho, is scheduled to go to trial in April on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, which charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
A decorated Massachusetts police officer has been charged with beating his girlfriend's 5-year-old son.

Revere Officer Marcos Garcia pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday to charges including assault and battery on a child. He was released on $5,000 bail.

He refused to comment when approached by reporters outside court.

Prosecutors say the 32-year-old Garcia, of Saugus, stripped, handcuffed, beat and whipped the boy on Jan. 12 after he refused to eat dinner. Investigators say Garcia told the boy to lie when asked about the injuries.

A school nurse noticed the injuries, and Garcia was arrested Saturday.

Garcia received a heroism award last year for removing two victims from a car crash.

Garcia has been placed on paid administrative leave by Revere police.
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.
Hes bigger than the Beatles.

Mexico drug kingpin El Chapo got a rock stars welcome at a jail in Manhattan Thursday night  as a host of female prisoners screamed his name as his 13-car motorcade arrived.

The lady jail birds could be heard in the cell block overlooking Pearl Street in downtown Manhattan wildly shouting Chapo! Chapo! as the Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was escorted to the facility by the DEA Task Force.

The Mexican drug lord, who was taken from his home country to face charges in the US, arrived at a Long Island airport at about 10 p.m. and was escorted into the city under heavy security.

He is expected to appear at federal court in Brooklyn Friday.

This story first appeared on The New York Post.
The Latest on an Ohio school shooting that injured one student (all times local):

6:10 p.m.

The family of a student injured in an Ohio school shooting is asking for prayers for him and the shooter.

Sixteen-year-old Logan Cole's family says in a statement released by a Columbus hospital where he's being treated it thanks friends, relatives and the community for their support.

The statement encourages prayer for the shooter and his family. It says Cole's family is certain the shooter's family also has been deeply hurt.

The Cole family thanks God for protecting their son and say they're confident God has a purpose and plan through the tragedy.

Authorities say Cole was shot more than once with a shotgun wielded by a 17-year-old student at West Liberty High School on Friday morning. They say the shooter is in custody.

___

4:50 p.m.

Authorities say staff at an Ohio school where a junior was shot overpowered the armed student and prevented what could have been a far worse situation.

Champaign County Sheriff Michael Melvin says more people would have been wounded at the West Liberty school building on Friday morning without the intervention because the shooter's intent was to harm more people.

West Liberty school superintendent Kraig Hissong (HIS'-song) identified the injured student as 16-year-old junior Logan Cole.

Cole is in critical but stable condition at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, about 50 miles southeast of the school.

The sheriff says Cole was shot more than once.

Champaign County Prosecutor Kevin Talebi (tuh-LEE'-bee) says a 17-year-old student is in custody and charged with felonious assault.

___

11:05 a.m.

Officials say a male student who was shot and wounded at an Ohio school is being treated at a hospital, and another student suspected in the shooting is in custody.

The West Liberty-Salem Local School District superintendent says the shooting occurred as classes began Friday at the school complex roughly 45 miles northwest of Columbus.

Authorities haven't released information about the shooter.

Senior Ashley Rabenstein (RAY'-behn-steen) says she was in class down the hall from the shooting. She says her teacher threw desks against the door to block it, and students fled through the windows and ran to nearby houses to regroup.

Superintendent Kraig Hissong says teachers and students followed their emergency training.

Students were later bused away from the site so they could be picked up by their parents.

___

9:35 a.m.

Authorities responding to a shooting at an Ohio school say one student was hurt and one person is in custody.

The shooting was reported Friday morning at the complex for both high school and elementary students in the West Liberty-Salem Local School District, roughly 45 miles northwest of Columbus.

Local media report the Champaign County sheriff's office confirmed the wounded person is a student but didn't immediately release other details. Local media said initial reports indicated that someone was shot through a window of a boys restroom in the high school.

Parents were told to pick up their children. A State Highway Patrol spokesman says troopers were helping with student pickups as the sheriff's office handles the investigation.

The superintendent's office didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.

___

8:50 a.m.

Authorities responding to a reported shooting at a western Ohio school say one person was hurt and one person is in custody.

The shooting was reported Friday morning at the complex for both high school and elementary students in the West Liberty-Salem Local School District, roughly 45 miles northwest of Columbus.

No confirmed details were immediately available about the suspect, the injured person or the circumstances of the shooting. Local media said initial reports indicated that someone was shot through a window of a boys' restroom in the high school.

Parents in the district were being told to pick up their students at a nearby grocery store.

The superintendent's office didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.
Republican Rep. Raul Labrador, who heads Donald Trump's Hispanic Advisory Council, said that he will advise the new U.S. president about immigration, shrugging off the absence of Latinos in the new Cabinet.

"There are plenty of GOP Hispanics that are the best and the brightest - some of us are in Congress," the Idaho lawmaker told reporters Thursday night at the Latino Inaugural Gala.

Trump has "great relations with the Hispanic community and will continue working with them," Labrador said, insisting that the White House staff will include Latinos.

"It's not just about having Hispanics in the Cabinet - it's actually about making sure that every American has an opportunity to be better," the congressman said.

Labrador rejected the use of the word "threat" to describe Trump's campaign promises of deporting millions of undocumented immigrants.

"What we need is an immigration system that works, and this is one of the issues where I am most enthusiastic," he said.

"President Trump understand that we need to fix the immigration laws, and we need to make it in a permanent manner, not tiny adjustments to help a few people."

Trump, 70, will lead the first administration since Ronald Reagan's in 1981-1989 not to include a representative of the Hispanic community, the nation's largest minority.
A man suspected of killing two people, including an off-duty police officer, was apparently the same man threatening to jump off a New Orleans bridge Friday afternoon, Fox 8 reported.

The man could be seen walking back and forth along the side of the Crescent City Connection over the Mississippi River, the station reported. Police said their presence on the bridge was in fact related to the killings.

Law enforcement officers announced early in the manhunt that they were looking for 32-year-old Sylvester Holt in connection with the shootings.

Louisiana State Police said a SWAT team and crisis negotiators were at the scene, communicating with a suicidal individual, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported.

Holt is a person of interest in the shooting death of Officer Michael Louviere, 26, of Westwego, authorities said. The officer was shot in neighboring Marrero, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said.

The officer was shot in the back of the head, Normand said.

The other victim was Simone Veal, 32, of Marrero, who had been romantically involved with Holt.

Louviere stopped to help her around 6:30 a.m. Friday as he was driving home from work. He was still in uniform.

He saw Veal in a car that had crashed and stopped to provide assistance, Normand said.

"This was a cold-blooded murder," Westwego Police Chief Dwayne Munch said.

Dozens of officers from multiple agencies were searching for Holt who had been romantically involved with the woman. Several women had taken out protective orders against him, the sheriff said.

Authorities say Holt was released from jail on Jan. 7 after prosecutors declined to prosecute him for rape.

A Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman said prosecutors dropped the rape case due to lack of witness participation.

The shooting unfolded outside of Visitation of Our Lady School, located just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans.

A message on its Facebook page said an incident Friday morning disrupted the school day, and children could be dropped off but all absences would be excused. It also said that a sixth-grade field trip had been canceled and all tests, quizzes and assignments would be postponed.

Louviere joined the Westwego Police Department more than a year ago, the Times-Picayune reported. He was married and the father of two children, 1 and 4.

He also served in the Marines in Afghanistan.

Click for more from Fox 8.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The person suspected of shooting and wounding a student at an Ohio high school Friday morning was a classmate of the victim, the superintendent confirmed.

Kraig Hissong, superintendent of the West Liberty-Salem Local School District, told reporters late Friday morning the shooting occurred as classes began at the school complex roughly 45 miles northwest of Columbus.

The shooter, a 17-year-old senior, used a shotgun and intended to harm more than the student who was hit, Champaign County Sheriff Matthew Melvin said.

A school official said the shooter had no significant disciplinary issues.

"As tragic as this situation is, we are very, very fortunate," prosecutor Kevin Talebi said. "It could have been much worse. I'm very, very thankful that, as bad as it is, it didn't escalate to a much more tragic incident."

Authorities reported that the suspect was in custody facing a preliminary charge of felonious assault. An initial hearing is scheduled for Monday.

The victim was identified as 16-year-old junior Logan Cole. He was in critical condition after being taken to a Columbus hospital. No other injuries were reported.

Hissong described Cole as a great student and a real positive person to have in our school system."

"Our hearts are out with his family right now and with him as he's trying to recover from this," Hissong added.

The shooting happened around 8 a.m. EST on Friday.

Initial reports indicated that the shooter fired through a window at the high school and hit someone in the boys bathroom near the science wing.

Hissong said teachers and students followed their emergency training, including barricading themselves in classrooms.

"This is one of those things that you always see happen in places that aren't near you, and you don't think it's going to occur," Hissong said. "Of course when they happen closer, such as some of the shootings that occurred within the last year, it helps you take notice and remember that you need to be prepared for a moment like this."

He added: I cant say how pleased I am with how staff and students handled this today.

Senior Ashley Rabenstein told local TV reporters that she was in class down the hall at the time, and when students first heard an odd noise, they weren't sure what it might be because construction has been occurring at the property.

She said her teacher checked the hallway, then ran back and said there was a shooter and threw desks against the door to block it. Students fled through the windows and ran through a cornfield to regroup at nearby houses, Rabenstein said.

"Especially in ... such a small town like this where you pretty much know everyone who lives in the town, you just never think that stuff like this is going to happen," she said.

Hissong said administrators would have to evaluate the situation further before deciding whether classes resume Monday. School activities have been cancelled through the weekend.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.
If they dont follow the rules, then they have to go. Mexico will pay for the wall . Donald Trump is the best thing that could have happened to the US. These opinions are not being expressed by a discontented blue-collar worker from the US rust belt, but by a middle-aged Mexican living in Mexico City.

Jesus Espinosa, born in Mexico City, voted for Trump. Karlo Reyes

Jesus Espinosa emigrated illegally to the United States 30 years ago at the age of 16, and sees no contradiction in supporting Donald Trump. I voted for Trump and I contributed money to his campaign because the time has come for Mexico to take responsibility for its problems and to stop living off its rich uncle, he says, speaking just a few hours before the New York property magnate takes up residence in the White House.

Espinosa has double nationality, but returned to his country of origin for personal reasons less than six months ago, and admits that many of his friends and family do not share his views or understand them. The wall [that Donald Trump has promised to build between the US and Mexico] will save lives, because as things stand, the only people benefiting are the coyotes [guides who take groups of migrants across the border] and the people who cross illegally, he insists.

I am disappointed that so many people elected a racist like Trump Antonio 'Tony' Isidoro

He believes that emigration to the United States is a problem created by the Mexican government. Why do you have to go there? Wouldnt it be better to be well-paid here and stay, why do we have to be so dumb? he asks, adding: Its about time we did something here in Mexico to get rid of corrupt politicians, just like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who have now been fired, he says, finishing off his sentence with the catch phrase made popular by Trump during his time on The Apprentice.

Espinosa works at a call center in Mexico City where most of the other employees, like him, are bilingual after spending years in the United States. Most were deported, and few share his views.

Trumps arrival is going to affect Mexico and the undocumented people there, were already being hit by it: Look at all the jobs that have been lost because of Ford and General Motors pulling out, says Zeus Armas, who grew up in Austin, Texas, but was born in Ecatepec, a suburb of Mexico City. There is panic in the government, while the ordinary people are all talking about the same thing, he adds.

Armas, aged 28, says the biggest fear among Mexicans is Trumps threat to deport undocumented migrants en masse. His family was split up after he, his mother and elder brother were deported three years ago while his two younger brothers stayed behind.

Born in the US, Antonio Isidoro returned to Mexico after his parents were deported. K.R.

All my life I thought I was Texan until one day they told me I had to go back to where I came from," says Armas.

Life is easier with papers. He says his relatives in the United States are not panicking yet, and that Trumps threats will take time before they become reality, while people in Mexico are worried about the lack of opportunity. I wish Mexico had a stronger government  one that was less corrupt  and that we werent so dependent on the president of another country to keep our economy afloat, he says.

Its about time we did something here in Mexico to get rid of corrupt politicians Jesus Espinosa

In contrast, the family of Ricardo Cruz feels threatened, even though their papers are in order. I think choosing Trump was a mistake because it is going to cause a lot of problems in the country and around the world. There will be a lot of deportations, jobs will be lost and many will leave out of fear that the government will go after them, he says, admitting he was surprised when Trump won.

Antonio Isidoro was born in California and spent the first 18 years of his life in the United States, but decided to leave when his parents and brothers were deported a few months ago. The United States is part of me, he says, adding: I had a life there, school, friends, and when you arrive here, you have to start from zero and build everything from scratch, he says from his new home in Los Reyes-La Paz, on the outskirts of the Mexican capital.

I am disappointed that so many people elected a racist like Trump, admits Tony, as he is known to his friends, saying that discrimination exists, but that people deal with it as best they can. His idea of the United States is of land of opportunity and freedom. Its a shame that the next president could take away that hope from so many immigrants, he says before going back to work.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Philadelphia is on the brink of becoming the first U.S. city to bar employers from asking potential hires for their salary history, a step aimed at narrowing the pay gap between men and women.

The wage-history bill unanimously passed by the city council now sits on the desk of Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney who said Thursday he expects to sign it as soon as Monday.

Key players in the business community, including Comcast Corp., are pushing for a veto, claiming the ordinance, passed in December, wouldnt work as intended and saying it would violate employers free speech rights.

But Mr. Kenney said the city doesnt think the bills critics have valid legal arguments.

We may get sued, we may not, he told reporters Thursday. But council passed this measure by a unanimous vote, and I see no reason why I shouldnt sign it.

Rob Wonderling, chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, said the bill is the councils latest antibusiness move, after passing mandatory paid sick leave and living-wage mandates in recent years. He said these measures create a pattern sending a very negative signal that there is a significant hassle factor if you want to set up a business or conduct business in the city of Philadelphia.

Click here for more from The Wall Street Journal.
Authorities in Florida said Thursday that a woman tossed a Jack Russell Terrier mix 30 feet off a South Florida bridge believing that dogs could fly.

Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control Capt. David Walesky told the Palm Beach Post that the 8-year-old dog dislocated a leg in the fall Wednesday from a Riviera Beach bridge and onto Phil Foster Park.

The Sun-Sentinel reported that a lifeguard was comforting the dog until authorities arrived.

According to sheriffs officials, the woman was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. Authorities said she would likely face animal cruelty charges. She wasnt immediately identified.

DOG FOUND WITH NOSE AND EARS CUT OFF IN DETROIT

Walesky said the 30-pound black and white dog suffered significant pain and was in serious but stable condition.

He's not completely out of the woods yet," Walesky said of the animal, which was being cared for by Animal Care and Control.

Animal Care and Control said if the dog is given up, it will be up for adoption or handed over to a rescue facility.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A spokesman says a police officer has been shot in a town outside New Orleans.

Col. John Fortunato, a spokesman for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, said in a short statement Friday morning that they had an "officer down incident" in which a Westwego police officer was shot.

He says a female victim was also shot in the same incident, which happened in Marrero, just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans.

There was no information on the condition of the officer or the victim.
President-Elect Donald Trump's top aides and senior Mexican officials, including President Enrique Pena Nietos closest aide and confidant, will meet next week in Washington D.C., the Mexican government said in a statement.

Mexicos Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo will head talks next Wednesday and Thursday with Trumps chief-of-staff Reince Priebus and his son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, among others.

Videgaray, who was behind Trumps controversial visit to Mexico in late August, was named foreign minister earlier this month and has developed a close relationship with Kushner. According to the Wall Street Journal, Kushner has been so far the main channel between Mexican officials and Trumps transition team.

The meetings will address bilateral relations such as security, trade and migration, the statement said.

They 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.

Pena Nieto's Aug. 31 meeting with Trump dealt a blow to the Mexican leader's already-low approval ratings, and he later acknowledged Videgaray  then economy minister - resigned because he helped arrange the visit.

Many Mexicans felt Pena Nieto was not forceful enough in denouncing Trump's comments during the meeting and instead gave a pre-election boost to a man widely loathed in Mexico.

At the time, Trump praised Videgaray, tweeting that "Mexico has lost a brilliant finance minister and wonderful man who I know is highly respected by President Pena Nieto."

But Trump also said, "The people that arranged the trip in Mexico have been forced out of government. That's how well we did."

Pena Nieto defended the visit as necessary to open a "space for dialogue" to stress the importance of the U.S.-Mexico relationship.

Some saw Videgaray's return as unavoidable, given Trump's election victory.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
A U.S. defense official says an American airstrike killed more than 100 al-Qaida militants at a training camp in a remote area in northwestern Syria.

The strike was carried out Thursday by an Air Force B-52 bomber and an undisclosed number of U.S. drone aircraft, the official said. The official was not authorized to publicly announce the attack and so spoke on condition of anonymity.

The militants killed in the airstrikes were described by the official as "core" al-Qaida members, among a number who had moved to Syria early last year to establish a foothold. The official distinguished these militants from members of the group formerly known as the Nusra Front, which is an al-Qaida affiliate in Syria.
U.S. prosecutors want a Jamaican man who is accused of masterminding a multimillion-dollar lottery scam held without bond pending trial in North Dakota.

Twenty-seven-year-old Lavrick Willocks on Friday made his first appearance in U.S. District Court since his arrest in Jamaica last November.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Miller ordered him held in jail pending a detention hearing, likely next week. Willocks requested a public defender.

Willocks evaded police for years before his Nov. 5 arrest. He's charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. He has yet to enter a plea. Authorities say the scam victimized at least 70 people across the U.S.

The case began in North Dakota when an FBI agent from Bismarck interviewed a Harvey woman who said she was defrauded out of $300,000.
Democradura is a Spanish neologism that has come to define the incremental autocracies in Latin America that have learned to slowly concentrate power in the executive branch under the guise of democratic reform. The term is a portmanteau of the Spanish words for democracy and dictatorship, and specifically defines those Latin American regimes that, having been elected democratically, set about undermining that democracy to increase their own power.

This step-by-step subversion of the rule of law has been led by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, and has been followed at varying speeds by Nicaragua, Bolivia and Ecuador, among others. It was also tried in Honduras by deposed president Manuel Zelaya, who demonstrated in 2009 what can happen when the process moves too rapidly. Zelaya was removed from office after trying to force an unconstitutional vote to remove his own presidential term limit.

Ecuadors president, Rafael Correa, has shown much greater prowess at this type of political stratagem. Since he was elected in 2006, Correa has been testing the acceptable limits of democradura by launching what the Committee to Protect Journalists called a new era of widespread repression by filing debilitating defamation lawsuits in civil and criminal courts, pre-empting private news broadcasts, enacting restrictive legal measures, and smearing critics. An editorial in the Washington Post called it the most comprehensive and ruthless assault on free media underway in the Western Hemisphere.

The Most Arresting Images of the Week

Correa frequently uses what are called cadenas - presidential addresses to the nation that have historically been used only during emergencies - to attack opposition politicians and to call individual journalists ignorant and liars. These cadenas have become ubiquitous under Correa, including television and radio, and can last for hours. Moreover, they are required by law to be carried on all the public airwaves.

This specific provision allowed Correa to blackout all contrary information to his own story behind the events of September 30, 2010, which he promptly used to characterize what was a protest by police over proposed benefit cuts as an attempted coup - a precursor for a subsequent purge of any elements within police ranks perceived as disloyal to the president (See Col. Cesar Carrion).

Besides insulting individual journalists during these cadenas, Correa also uses this captive platform to make declarative statements about ongoing judicial cases - an action that would be considered prejudicial in any impartial justice system. And lest one think that this may be a case of a populist president being attacked by a corporatist media, consider that when Correa took office in 2007, the government of Ecuador owned one radio station. Under Correas tenure, it has acquired four radio stations, five TV channels, four magazines and two newspapers.

Moreover, Ecuadorian libel law is not lopsided against politicians and public figures. Just last Wednesday, Correa managed to push through a law that states that the media will refrain from direct or indirect promotion, either through reports, specials or any other form of messaging, which would indicate a preference for or against a particular candidate, political principle, opinion, preference, electoral or political platform. In other words, any coverage of Ecuadorian politics that the State deems as biased is now subject to prosecution.

Dwarf Village May Hold Clues to Cure Cancer

In the most emblematic case thus far, Correa sued editorial page editor Emilio Palacio and the owners of the newspaper El Universo for accusing him of ordering his military to fire on a police demonstration and for calling him the dictator. In what could normally be considered prima facie evidence of the defendants claims, Correa made a special trip to the courtroom on the day the verdict was to be read, while a throng of his loyal supporters hurled eggs and rocks at the defendants and their attorneys and families outside. Perhaps more telling was the fact that, while Correa made a prejudicial appearance in the courtroom, journalists were prohibited from attending.

Most observers wondered whether a president so inclined to sue his own constituents would show up at the trial if the verdict were not a fait accompli. The verdict, issued by the fifth judge to preside over the case, Judge Juan Paredes, included a fine of $40 million and three years in prison for Palacio and the three Perez brothers who serve as managers of the paper.

A U.S. expert hired by the defense team determined that the 156-page verdict, ostensibly written within a 24 hour window of time after the stand-in judge issued the verdict in the case, was actually written by Correas personal lawyer, Gutemberg Vera. Vera has denied authoring the verdict, though subsequent hearings have continually refuted claims made by Paredes about how the document was produced in such a short period of time.

Congresswoman Betty Amores, who was a long-time member of Correas political party, renounced her party membership last January to protest a referendum that gave Correa de facto control over the judiciary. In a recent trip to Washington with a group of Ecuadorian congressmen from five different political parties, Amores told U.S. government officials that she had once been a true believer in Correas campaign promises to help Ecuadors poor, but stated that Correa had used the new constitution, that she helped to create, to remove the remaining checks on his power.

Women Presidents Rule Latin America

Amores referred to a televised conference in which Correa told a national audience, Listen to me well. The President is not only the chief executive, but is the head of the entire Ecuadorian State, and the Ecuadorian State is the executive, legislative, judicial, electoral, transparency and social control, superintendent, attorney general, comptroller. All of that is part of the Ecuadorian State." Amores commented that when Correa was elected, a large majority of Ecuadorians were in favor of drafting a new constitution for the country, but added that, Little did we know then, that we had created a monster.

A hearing has been set for this Tuesday for a final appeal of the El Universo verdict. The high courts decision in this case will signal to the rest of the world whether Correa has succeeded in taking de facto control of Ecuadors judiciary. It could also set precedent as the first case in which a president has successfully used the courts, under what could be considered dictatorial powers, to jail journalists for calling him a dictator.

Jon Perdue is the director of Latin America programs at the Fund for American Studies, and is the author of the forthcoming book The War of All the People (Potomac Books). Twitter: @jonperdue

Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino

Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino
An Afghan official says four Taliban have been killed and two insurgents, with suspected ties to the jihadist group the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, arrested in a raid in northern Afghanistan.

The movement has become increasingly active in northern Afghanistan in recent years.

The overnight raid took place in Afghanistan's Sar-i-Pul province, Zabiullah Amani, the spokesman for the provincial governor said Friday.

The Taliban insurgency has gained strength in northern Afghanistan where successive reports have indicated the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has a growing presence. Many Uzbek insurgents reportedly fled to northern Afghanistan from Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region following a Pakistani military crackdown in the area over the past two years.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has feared extradition to the United States, says he stands by his offer to go to America.

It comes after President Barack Obama's decision to reduce Chelsea Manning's 35-year jail term to about seven years served, meaning she is set to be freed in May.

Mr Assange welcomed the move to release the ex-US soldier who was imprisoned for handing over classified documents to the anti-secrecy organization.

Speaking on social media from the embassy, he signaled there would be "many discussions" on his future before Manning's release.

In November, Mr Assange was questioned in the building by prosecutors from Sweden, where he faces a sex allegation. He denies the claims.

Click for more from Sky News.
When your average Spaniard suffers one of their usual attacks of indignation the first phrase that tends to come out of their mouth is: No es normal! (This is not normal!), followed with repetitive emphasis by a: Esto no es normal, joder! (This is not bloody normal!). The expression, odd given that it is based on a notion of unanimity around what constitutes normality, is not heard so much in other Spanish-speaking countries, nor, as far as I know, in other languages.

The president-elect in Washington on Thursday. AP

But perhaps the time has come for it to be incorporated into English, especially in the United States. The rise of Donald Trump to the White House is the least normal thing that has happened in the history of that country. Perhaps it is the least normal thing that has happened in a democracy, or in a supposedly mature democracy, in the history of humanity.

Caligula attained the summit of power in Ancient Rome, sure enough; as did Idi Amin in Uganda, General Galtieri in Argentina, or Stroessner in Paraguay. The difference is that Trump was elected commander-in-chief by the free will of the people.

Perhaps this is the least normal thing that has happened in a democracy in the history of humanity

What is abnormal here is not so much the opinions or policies that Trump proposes. The most abnormal thing about his arrival at the White House is not his admiration for Vladimir The Russians have the best prostitutes in the world Putin, or his contempt for NATO or the European Union, or his hostility toward China, or that he will be surrounding himself in the Oval Office with advisors who have emerged from the rankest depths of the American right, or his stated wish to build a wall along the border with Mexico, or to rip up the nuclear deal with Iran, or to destroy the public healthcare system in his country.

The most abnormal thing is his character; that the richest, most powerful and most influential nation on the planet is going to have as its president a man baby, as he was defined with terrifying lucidity by the US political humorist Jon Stewart. Trump is a 70-year-old man with the emotional development of, well, perhaps not a newborn baby, but certainly a spoiled elementary school brat.

For many years I have followed presidential politics in the United States with interest. I recall my disappointment when Richard Nixon came to power; my sense of the absurd when he was replaced by Gerald Ford, a man who, they used to say, cant walk and chew gum at the same time; my anger when the mediocre actor Ronald Reagan won two elections; my disappointment when George Bush Senior took over from him, and my horror when Bush Junior was reelected in 2004, after the invasion of Iraq.

Trump is a crybaby with an ego that is at once huge and fragile, like a giant porcelain egg

But the election of Donald Trump is of a different order of things. Ford, Reagan and the Bushes  and even Nixon, until his downfall  were characters who, at least in public, behaved with the seriousness and dignity that the presidential office demands. I disagreed with them on nearly everything, and I would get in a bad mood when I saw them on television, but I didnt feel that they were fundamentally frivolous or immature people; I wasnt frightened by the knowledge that they had their fingers on the nuclear button.

Now, as the most conservative columnist at The New York Times, David Brooks, wrote this week, Americans have crowned a fool king. I would go further than that. Trump is a sick man. Looking at his messages on Twitter and hearing the statements he has made not just in the cynical frenzy of the campaign trail, but also since he defeated Hillary Clinton in November, the only possible conclusion is that he presents a classic case of narcissistic personality disorder.

He is a crybaby with an ego that is at once huge and fragile, like a giant porcelain egg. The adult virtue of empathy is unknown to him. As his chronic twiterrhea suggests, he has a need  one that is as desperate as it is infantile  to always be the center of attention. The criteria of Trump, the troll-in-chief, to judge people boils down to whether they speak well or badly of him; thus, Meryl Streep is an overrated actress, Hillary Clinton deserves to go to jail and Putin is a great leader, a far better one than Barack Obama.

The Trump presidency will be Donald in Wonderland. Like Lewis Carrolls Alice, we have gone through the looking glass and entered a twilight dimension. But Trump will not be playing the role of the sensible Alice so much as that of the Mad Hatter. Its still hard to believe, but in just a few hours, Donald Trump will be the president of the United States in the real, normal world.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Witnesses say Boko Haram extremists have attacked a refugee camp in northeast Nigeria just days after Nigeria's air force bombed it.

One witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of safety fears, says soldiers battled for hours to repel more than 100 Boko Haram fighters who attacked the camp in Rann in Borno state on Thursday evening.

The witness says eight Boko Haram fighters were killed and one soldier was wounded.

On Tuesday, Nigeria's air force bombed the camp housing Boko Haram refugees multiple times. Nigerian officials have said it was an accident.

On Friday, medical charity Doctors Without Borders said "around 90" people were killed in the bombing but noted that residents and community leaders say the death toll could be as high as 170.
Boko Haram extremists attack a refugee camp in Nigeria on Thursday evening, with reports suggesting the death toll could be as high as 170.

Over 100 Boko Haram fighters launched the attack as soldiers battled for hours trying to repel them, according to witnesses.

The attack comes after Nigerias air force bombed the camp housing Boko Haram refugees multiple times on Tuesday. Nigerian officials called the attack an accident.

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders said on Friday that "around 90" people were killed in the bombing. The charity also noted that residents and community leaders said the death toll could potentially be as high as 170.

Satellite imagery from the bombing supports witness accounts saying the camp had been struck with "multiple air-dropped munitions, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. The group has called for a compensation to be provided to the victims.

Nigeria's air force has said officials will investigate.

The Boko Haram attack Thursday occurred as aid workers were trying to help bombing victims. The Red Cross said it had evacuated nearly 90 people from Rann to Maiduguri city for medical care.

"This incident happened just an hour after a (Doctors Without Borders) rescue helicopter left the town and has a traumatizing effect on everyone in Rann," one aid worker said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Donald Trump has now been sworn in as the 45th president of the United States  but people in China may have a hard time seeing it.

CHINA HITS BACK AT TRUMP, SAYS ONE-CHINA POLICY IS NON-NEGOTIABLE



Censors have ordered media outlets to scale back reporting of the pomp and circumstance in Washington, D.C., as the countrys ruling Communist party weighs its response to a new administration that could upend U.S-China relations, the Financial Times reported Friday.

It is forbidden for websites to carry out live streaming or picture reports of the inauguration, read a copy of censorship instructions seen by the Financial Times.

CHINA FIGHTS MASCULINITY CRISIS WITH NEW TEXTBOOK FOR BOYS

Wasnt allowed to discuss Trump today on my radio show, hes now an official sensitive topic, Elyse Ribbons, an American who hosts a radio show on a Chinese state-run station, reportedly wrote on her Twitter account Thursday. Chinese leadership still trying to figure him out (sigh).

Last week, Rex Tillerson, Trumps choice to fill John Kerrys role as Secretary of State, said China should not be allowed to access artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea. Many Asian and Pacific countries have grown concerned as China is looking to grasp tighter control of the areas waters.

China warned on state media it would not back down. If Trump's diplomatic team shapes future Sino-U.S. ties as it is doing now, the two sides had better prepare for a military clash.

Trump has also angered officials in Beijing by speaking on the phone with Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen, whose country has long been locked in territorial disputes with China.

Click for more from the Financial Times.
Denmark has extended the mandate of an undisclosed number of special Danish troops training Iraqi troops fighting Islamic State group, to also fight militants.

Defense Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen said Friday's decision to allow troops fight "in the Iraqi-Syrian border area" was taken in response to request by the international coalition that Danes joined in October 2014.

Hjort Frederiksen said "it is vital" the international coalition push the Islamic State group "from all sides."

The opposition Social Democrats, Denmark's largest party, support the decision that must be approved in a formal vote in the 179-seat Danish Parliament. No voting date was immediately announced.

Denmark earlier had sent seven F-16 planes, which have been pulled back in a planned move.
next Image 1 of 3

prev next Image 2 of 3

prev Image 3 of 3

West African officials say Gambia's defeated President Yahya Jammeh must cede power by noon Friday or he will be dislodged by a regional force that has already moved into the country.

Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, said early Friday that if Jammeh refuses to leave Gambia by midday the regional force will force him out.

A West African regional force including tanks moved into Gambia Thursday evening after the inauguration of Adama Barrow as the country's new president and the U.N. Security Council voted to approve the military intervention by the regional troops. Barrow, who won Gambia's presidential election in December, was sworn into office at the Gambian embassy in neighboring Senegal, where he was for his safety.
Islamic State group militants destroyed a landmark ancient Roman monument and parts of the theater in Syria's historic town of Palmyra, the government and opposition monitoring groups said Friday.

Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of Syria's antiquities department, said the militants destroyed the facade of the second-century theater along with the Tetrapylon, a cubic-shaped ancient Roman monument that sits in the middle of the colonnade road that leads to the theater.

Abdulkarim told The Associated Press that reports of the destruction first trickled out of the IS-held town late in December. But satellite images of the damage were only available late Thursday, confirming the destruction.

The imagery, provided by the US-based American Schools of Oriental Research, show significant damage to the Tetrapylon and the theater. The ASOR said the damage is likely caused by intentional destruction from IS but they were unable to verify the exact cause.

Abdulkarim said only two of the 16 columns of the Tetrapylon remain standing. The stage backdrop has sustained damage, according to ASOR.

State-run news agency SANA reported the damage Friday and Syrian opposition monitors also confirmed but gave no immediate details.

The extremists recaptured the ancient town in December from government troops  nine months after IS was expelled in a Russia-backed offensive. During their first stay, from May 2015 until May 2016, IS destroyed ancient temples including the Temple of Bel, which dated back to A.D. 32, and the Temple of Baalshamin, a structure of stone blocks several stories high fronted by six towering columns.

The militants also blew up the Arch of Triumph, which had been built under Roman emperor Septimius Severus between A.D. 193 and A.D. 211.

A UNESCO world heritage site, Palmyra boasts 2,000-year-old towering Roman-era colonnades and priceless artifacts. Syrians affectionately refer to it as the "Bride of the Desert."

The extremists have destroyed ancient sites across their self-styled Islamic caliphate in Syria and Iraq, viewing them as monuments to idolatry.

A desert oasis surrounded by palm trees in central Syria, Palmyra is also a strategic crossroads linking the Syrian capital, Damascus, with the country's east and neighboring Iraq. Located 155 miles east of Damascus, the city was once home to 65,000 people before the Syrian civil war began. However, most Palmyra residents did not return after it was retaken by the government. Activists estimated the city is now home to a few hundred families.

Many of them tried to flee as IS recaptured the city in December.

On Thursday, reports emerged the militant group killed 12 captives it held in Palmyra, some of them beheaded in the Roman theater.


Islamic State has ramped up sales of oil and gas to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, U.S. and European officials said, providing vital fuel to the government in return for desperately needed cash.

The regimes purchases are helping sustain Islamic State amid unprecedented military pressure on the militant group in both Syria and Iraq. It is also helping the group despite the regimes insistence that it is dedicated to eradicating the militant group with the help of its top allies Russia and Iran.

Oil and gas sales to Mr. Assads regime are now Islamic States largest source of funds, replacing revenue the group once collected from tolls on the transit of goods and taxes on wages within its territory, the officials said. Their information comes from the monitoring of oil-truck traffic routes, which have changed from carrying oil to Turkey and Iraq to transporting it to Syria.

Islamic State has found some relief from U.S. airstrikes targeting their oil-smuggling operations in central and western Syria, where the Russian military has a heavy air presence, a Western official said. The group is also harder to hit in Syria because the pockets of territory it controls are smaller, the official said.

Although Islamic State is a regular target of Mr. Assads pronouncements against terrorism, his government depends on the militant group for oil and natural gas to the extent that the Syrian capital Damascus relies on gas produced in ISIS territory in the Palmyra area for a large part of its power generation, a European counterterrorism official said.

Western officials said the Assad regime has fallen behind on payments to Islamic State for the gas. They said they suspect that Islamic State blew up a separate Syrian gas plant on Jan. 8 to send a message demanding payment.

Donald Trump, who is being sworn in as president on Friday, has said that the U.S. campaign to destroy Islamic State would be a higher priority than toppling Mr. Assad and suggested that might mean joining with Russia and the Syrian government in the undertaking.

Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.
The U.S. Air Force conducted a second major strike in consecutive days killing over 100 Al Qaeda fighters at a training camp in northern Syria, a defense official with knowledge of the strike told a handful of reporters at the Pentagon on Friday.

A single U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber and an undisclosed number of drones dropped 14 precision-guided bombs at noon eastern time Thursday on an Al Qaeda basic training camp in Syria west of the city of Aleppo near the border with Turkey, according to the official.

The official described the fighters as "core Al Qaeda." A Petagon statement said the camp had been operational since at least 2013. It was not immediately clear why the camp had not been targeted earlier.

The latest strike, likely President Barack Obamas last as commander-in-chief, comes a day after the Pentagon said two Air Force B-2 nuclear-capable bombers dropped 108 precision-guided bombs on two ISIS training camps in Libya killing 85 fighters, according to officials.

The round-the-world strike took roughly 30 hours Wednesday, as both B-2 bombers refueled five times in mid-air flying from their base in Missouri. Fifteen U.S. Air Force tankers from five bases on three continents assisted in the refueling.

B-2 BOMBERS KILL NEARLY 100 ISIS TERRORISTS IN LIBYA

A detachment of B-52 bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana have been deployed since April to the Middle East nation of Qatar to participate in strike missions against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

The official said Russia had previously tried to take out the Al Qaeda training camp, but had been unsuccessful. The Russian Air Force conducts the majority of their strikes using unguided weapons during the day time. U.S. Air Force and Navy jets fly primarily at night using satellite-guided bombs.

It is not immediately clear if President Obama authorized the strike in Syria. The official said the U.S. military is authorized to conduct counter-terrorism missions against Al Qaeda anytime.

The B-52 is a Cold War-era bomber that is over 50 years old, but still has the ability to loiter over the battlefield for long periods of time and carry over 70,000 pounds of ordnance.

The defense official said no civilians were killed in the American strike in Syria and said there were no signs of Russian aircraft when the American strike took place.

In all, U.S. airstrikes have killed more than 150 Al Qaeda terrorists since Jan. 1.
next Image 1 of 3

prev next Image 2 of 3

prev Image 3 of 3

A Turkish media report says a rocket-propelled grenade was fired near Istanbul's main police headquarters.

The Dogan news agency says the RPG was fired near the Vatan police station on Friday but that it missed the building.

Private NTV television said no one was hurt in the attack.

There was no further information on the incident, which comes at a time when Turkey has suffered a series of deadly attacks carried out either by the Islamic State group or Kurdish militants.
Survivors pulled out of the rubble of an avalanche-crushed hotel in central Italy were met with cheers of joy and relief as rescue crews continued to dig out in search of others on Friday.

Ten people were found alive two days after the massive snow slide buried around 30 people at the four-star Hotel Rigopiano. Crews pulled out five of the 10, including four children, and were working to save the other five people, Civil Protection Chief Fabrizio Curcio said.

AT LEAST 30 FIREFIGHTERS REPORTED DEAD IN IRAN HIGH-RISE BUILDING COLLAPSE

Video released by rescuers showed a boy, wearing blue snow pants and a matching ski shirt, emerging from the structure through a snow hole. Emergency crews mussed his hair in celebration.

Bravo! Bravo! they cheered.

Next came a woman with a long ponytail wearing red snow pants, appearing fully alert. Both were helped to a stretcher for the helicopter ride out.

SEARCH FOR MISSING MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT 370 ENDS

"This first news has obviously repaid all the rescuers' efforts," said Italy's deputy interior minister, Filippo Bubbico.

The woman and boy were identified as Adriana Vranceanu, 43 and Gianfilippo, 8, who were reunited with husband and father Giampiero Parete, at the hospital in the nearby city of Pescara, ANSA news agency and state-run RAI radio said. Parete had survived Wednesdays avalanche because it had struck when he was out getting medicine from his car.

Rescuers said the mother indicated her 6-year-old daughter Ludovica was also alive amid the debris nearby. Rescue workers immediately set to work to find her, too.

Their rescue was met with exhilaration since at least four people had already been found dead after the avalanche hit Wednesday afternoon and dumped up to 16 feet of snow on the luxury hotel, 112 miles northeast of Rome.

About 30 people were trapped inside the hotel in the Gran Sasso mountain range when the avalanche hit Wednesday after days of winter storms that dumped nearly 10 feet of snow in some places. The region was also rocked by four earthquakes on Wednesday but it was not clear if any of those set off the avalanche.

The number of survivors has been uncertain throughout the emergency, including exactly how many people are buried inside the hotel.

Rescue crews said one group of survivors had been found in the hotel's kitchen area, and had survived thanks to an air pocket that formed when reinforced cement walls partially resisted the avalanche's violent power.

"It's probable that they realized the risk and took protective measures," Romano said.

Those being rescued were in remarkably good condition and were being flown to area hospitals, rescue workers said.

Two bodies were recovered on the first day of searching and RAI state TV reported that two other bodies had been located but not yet removed.

The operation has been hampered by difficulty in accessing the remote hotel. Workers have been clearing a 5.5-mile road to bring in heavier equipment, but the mountain road can handle only one-way traffic and is covered not only by 10 feet of snow but fallen trees and rocks.

Prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into the tragedy and are looking into whether the avalanche threat was taken seriously enough, according to Italian media.

Farindola Mayor Ilario Lacchetta said the hotel had 24 guests, four of them children, and 12 employees onsite at the time of the avalanche.

An Alpine rescue team was the first to arrive at the hotel on cross-country skis after a journey of more than 4 miles that took two hours. They found Parete, a guest who escaped the avalanche when he went to his car to get something, and Fabio Salzetta, a hotel maintenance worker, in a car in the resort's parking lot.

Parete was taken to a hospital while Salzetta stayed behind to help rescuers identify where guests might be buried and how crews could enter the buildings.

The mountainous region of central Italy has been struck by a series of quakes since August that destroyed homes and historic centers in dozens of towns and hamlets. A deadly quake in August killed nearly 300 people. No one died in strong aftershocks in the region in October, largely because towns had already been evacuated.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Its still difficult to talk about. It hurts. It was 10 years ago, but its like it was yesterday. When this time of year comes around, youre with the family, but its still there. Carmen Estacio lives with the trauma of the loss of her brother Diego Armando, who was killed along with fellow Ecuadoran Alonso Palate when Basque separatist group ETA set off a bomb in the parking lot of the T-4 terminal at Barajas Airport in Madrid on December 30, 2006 bringing to an end a nine-month truce.

Carmen Estacio with a photograph of her brother, Diego Armando. Victor Sainz

The bodies of the two victims were flown back to Ecuador, while their families were given Spanish nationality. Of the 50 or so relatives of the men, who depended in large part on their remittances, many were given financial assistance to come to Spain and were issued with residency permits. They were also provided with housing, psychological assistance, training and jobs. Then, in 2008, the financial crisis kicked in. Over the course of the following years, many of them returned to Ecuador or looked for new opportunities in Italy.

They were working and seeing what life was like here, a bit tough. And they left, because they couldnt adapt, says Carmen, who is trying to organize a Mass in Madrid for relatives of the two men. The way of life here is very frenetic, she says. My father says that everything is too hard, very difficult. Its more expensive here, and things were just a bit too tough for them.

More information La segunda vida de los Estacio y los Palate

Diego Armando was aged 19. The day of the attack at Barajas he had gotten up early to go to the airport and was waiting in his car when the bomb went off.

After his body arrived in Ecuador, Diego Armando was buried in the cemetery of Machala, a small coastal town in the south of the country, close to the Peruvian border. Ten years on, the family says his father has bought a plot next to his sons grave, and that the pain has not gone away. The family also had to take the regional government of Madrid to court to get it to register the apartment it handed over to the family in compensation. But they say they are grateful to the authorities in Spain, who fulfilled their obligations.

The bodies of the two men were flown to Ecuador accompanied by family members and a handful of politicians. Consuelo Rumi, who was secretary of state for immigration at the time, describes the trip as a journey through darkness.

Many of the families of the victims failed to adapt to live in Spain

It was distressing in every sense: because of what the families were going through; the plane was a military aircraft and very uncomfortable. From the airport we went by bus to where the deceased had come from, long hours on bad roads. A few days after, there was a meeting with Prime Minister Zapatero in Madrid, where we met with the families. They were all helped with programs to integrate into Spanish society.

Palate, the other victim, had gone to Barajas airport with a friend who was meeting his wife. He sent 300 a month home to his family in Ecuador. This was the main source of income for his mother and three brothers, who were helped by the Spanish government to come to Spain. But they found life in Madrid a culture shock. His mother recovered her eyesight after undergoing an operation. Her children, Luis Geovanni, Maria Elvira and Luis Jaime, moved with her to Valencia. The youngest found work picking oranges, while Luis Jaime, who was virtually blind in one eye, joined a training scheme run by the ONCE organization for the blind. He found work, but then lost it during the crisis. Today, he is the only member of his family who still lives in Spain, scratching a living installing fiber optic cables in Almeria.

Im getting by, like anybody else, he says. The truth is that were not getting any more help, he says about the Spanish authorities. I cant forget what happened and Id rather not talk about ETA. I didnt know anything about the history and thats for the best. Like anybody else, I want a good job and the chance to get on with my life, he says.

Two plaques have been placed in the new parking lot at the airport. The families fondly remember former Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who continued to send cards to them for many years afterwards; also King Felipe VI, then still a prince, who attended a Mass in honor of the victims in the Ecuadoran capital of Quito; as well as the authorities in Madrid and Valencia.

Diego Armando was 19 when he was killed in the ETA car bombing

But overall, the last decade has been tough. The more than 200,000 each family received in compensation attracted Spanish and Ecuadoran banks. They had to decide whether to invest in their own country or here in Spain. Many failed to adapt. The apartments they moved into became gilded cages, and loneliness was also a problem.

Many people tried to take advantage of the situation, says Vladimir Paspuel, president of emigrant association Ruminahui, which helped the Palate family. They were quite poor. The other family didnt have so many problems. Their sociological situation was a little more stable, he explains. The brother kept the family together. Suddenly, from one day to the next they had no support. That destabilized them. They went to live in Valencia. There they were sometimes absolutely alone, he adds. That made an impact and they decided to return [to Ecuador]. They didnt know anything about ETA. Later on they learned a little more. And that was that. They had enough problems as it was. It was about survival: who is going to send me money to buy food? Their world fell apart.

English version by Nick Lyne.
A Russian company is cashing in on Donald Trumps inauguration Friday with an oversized sterling silver coin with his likeness and the slogan In Trump We Trust.

Art-Granis Vladimir Vasyukhin told Associated Press Television News his business plans to issue only 45 of the Trump commemorative coins, 40 minted in silver and five in gold.

The coin is nearly five inches across and weighs more than two pounds.

Vasyukhin says the commemorative coin captures the expectations he and other Russian businessmen have for the Trump presidency.

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, he told APs global video news agency. Therefore, we, I'm talking not on behalf of officials, but of businessmen, have some hopes.

The New York Post reports that one side depicts Trump in profile, with his distinctive flowing mane  while the other shows the Statue of Liberty and the inscription: In Trump We Trust, a variant of the "In God We Trust" motto on U.S. coins.

Vasyukhin has priced each coin at a few thousand dollars, but theres no exact price, according to AP TV. He made the coins in his shop in Zlatoust, 650 miles east of Moscow.

The businessman wants to present Trump with the first one and has approached Russian diplomats and contacts in the U.S. to try to make that happen.

Trump has showered Russian President Vladimir Putin with praise, describing him as a strong leader who is very smart, according to the Post. He says he wants to forge a new relationship between the two countries.

Trump in an interview Monday suggested easing some sanctions against Russia in exchange for a new agreement to limit nuclear weapons.

The Trump coin is similar to a Vladimir Putin issue that Art-Grani minted after the Russian president annexed Crimea in 2014, AP Television News reported.
Russia says relations with the United States "completely fell apart" during President Obama's second term -- but Moscow is confident that "reason will prevail" as Donald Trump takes office Friday.

RUSSIAN BUSINESSMAN MINTS 'IN TRUMP WE TRUST' COIN

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was one of the world leaders weighing in on America's transfer of power Friday. He promised in a Facebook message, "We are ready to do our share of the work in order to improve the relationship." He referenced "the new administration," but did not mention Trump by name.

President Vladimir Putin probably didn't watch the inauguration, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "It is a long event. But of course he will familiarize himself with it."

OBAMA POSTS FINAL TWEETS FROM OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL TWITTER ACCOUNT

However, people across Russia had plenty of opportunities to watch President Trump's swearing-in. State TV stations carried flattering reports Friday all about Trump's business and political achievements.

Russian officials did not mince words about the Obama administration. Medvedev said the U.S. hit Russia with economic penalties of "unprecedented proportions," adding, "It doesn't get any dumber than restricting entry to the United States for the leadership of the Russian parliament, ministers and businessmen, thus deliberately reducing the possibility of full-fledged contacts and closing the window to cooperation."

President Vladimir Putin took his own parting shot this week. He said the Obama administration was trying to undermine Trump's legitimacy with false accusations, including the unverified dossier released by Buzzfeed, "binding the president-elect hand and foot to prevent him from fulfilling his election promises."

Medvedev, who served as president in 2008-2012 when Putin had to shift into the premier's seat due to term limits, led during a period of warmer ties during Obama's first term. In 2009, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton publicly presented Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with a "reset" button signaling an attempt at cooling off any hostilities.

China responded with caution. No stranger to censorship, the country reportedly blocked its media from showing photos or video from the inauguration.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe congratulated Trump in a statement Friday, saying, "Please accept my best wishes for your great success."

Abe pledged to return to the U.S. as soon as he could, "to further strengthen the bond with new President Trump." He was also among the first world leaders to personally congratulate Trump after his election in November.

Pope Francis added, "Under your leadership, may Americas stature continue to be measured above all by its concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need who, like Lazarus, stand before our door." The Catholic leader seemingly alluded to Trump in recent months by urging against the politics of "building walls."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hard Rock International and Sunwing Travel Group Set to Rock Central America with Hard Rock Hotel Papagayo, Costa Rica

All Inclusive Resort Slated To Open Early 2019

ORLANDO, Fla. - Jan. 19, 2017 // PRNewswire // - Hard Rock International makes waves today as it announces plans to bring the Hard Rock Hotels experience to Costa Rica with the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Papagayo, Costa Rica. Hard Rock, in collaboration with Sunwing Travel Group, is set to open Costa Rica's first Hard Rock Hotel by early 2019. The brand's strategic partnership with Sunwing Travel Group, the largest tour operator in North America, provides the perfect opportunity for future growth within the region. With Hard Rock and Sunwing Travel Group's shared vision of providing authentic experiences in word-class destinations, this new partnership paves the way for potential collaborations in both the Caribbean and Latin America.

"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

SOURCE Hard Rock International

Media Contact:

Lauren Harrison/Jill Chandler Trudeau

The Zimmerman Agency

850.668.2222

hardrock-pr@zimmerman.com

###

Comments:

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Disqus
The term of office that Donald Trump begins today may very well be judged in the future as the moment when the United States began dismantling the international order that successive US administrations had so zealously built up and maintained since 1945. Trumps inauguration coincides in time with the formal declaration this week by British Prime Minister Theresa May that she intends to activate the process to fully and completely withdraw from the European Union.

EVA VAZQUEZ

This coincidence in timing starkly brings up the issue of whether we may not be witnesses to the (absurdly self-imposed) end of a long and fruitful historical period of Anglo-American hegemony.

A simple look back in time is evidence of the depth of the geopolitical and economic gap that Washington and London are opening up by voluntarily relinquishing over two centuries of Anglo-American domination at the political, economic, cultural and military levels. The British imperial century, which began in 1815 after the Napoleonic wars, ended in 1914, 100 years later, leaving the United Kingdom as the only world power, and one that was undisputed.

At its apex, immediately before the outbreak of World War I, the British Empire exercised power over 412 million people, or 23% of the world population, and its dominions covered nearly a fourth of the Earths surface. But the British Empire was as fortunate as it was vast. When the US took over, for the first time in history  incoming empires typically destroy outgoing ones  not only did it take over peacefully, but it also carried on with, and renewed, the liberal, political and economic project inspired by the British Empires work. And so, via the Bretton Woods system, which set the rules for trade and finance; through the San Francisco Conference that gave way to the United Nations; and thanks to the Marshall Plan, which lifted the European continent out of poverty, hunger and insecurity and forged the most successful alliance in history, the trans-Atlantic alliance, Washington formalized that peaceful relay of imperial power, designing and later maintaining the global political, economic and military order that we all know.

Nigel Farage predicted the Brexit victory was just a European dress rehearsal of what would come to pass at the global scale

But now these two hegemonic powers, the British and the Americans, that some have described as benign (mostly as compared with other competitors such as the USSR or Nazi Germany, and notwithstanding Gandhis skepticism regarding the Wests insistence on describing imperialism as civilization) are taking a course that is politically isolationist, economically protectionist and culturally xenophobic, thereby questioning the very foundations of the world order that both Pax Britannica and Pax Americana have so far shared and articulated.

The real paradox lies in the fact that both the US and Britain have all the elements in their favor to sustain a liberal, multilateral order in the same way they have been doing, and to benefit from it many times over, as they have done so to date. Despite their complaints regarding economic integration and immigration, the fact is that both countries have overcome the 2008 crisis faster than their rivals, and they are also countries of reference when it comes to integrating immigrants or encouraging cultural diversity and religious tolerance. Despite the laments of Trump and supporters of Brexit, their countries are experiencing a golden period compared with others and compared with other historical periods. The fact that the most dynamic, open and successful countries are throwing in the towel of globalization is a surprising reminder that we are going through a tremendous historical anomaly.

And yet it would not be the first time in history that an empire has committed suicide. From 1405 to 1433, Chinas imperial navy sailed all the seas of Asia and along the east coast of Africa under Admiral Zheng He. The Ming dynasty was able to organize expeditions of up to 300 ships (some of them 120 meters in length at a time when the Santa Maria of Columbus only measured 26 meters) and employing tens of thousands of sailors. But when the Yongle Emperor died, coinciding with the era when Portuguese sailors were beginning to sail the seas, his successors decided to end the expeditions and began a long period of isolation that would ultimately cut China off from knowledge and key markets at a crucial juncture in its own development. This left the country in a position of weakness that later allowed the West to easily defeat it, obliging it to open its markets. The fact that, while Trump and May are announcing their intention to leave, Chinese president Xi Jinping is defending globalization at Davos, should offer a very clear indication of the depth of the power shift that we are acting as witnesses to  one that will only get deeper.

It would not be the first time in history that an empire has committed suicide

Some may like it and others may not, but we live in a world dominated by Anglo-American culture, or civilization for those who want to use that term. This culture has created the two institutions that define our way of life: representative democracy and the market economy. Both derive from a political philosophy, liberalism, in which thinkers from John Locke in the 17th century to John Rawls in the 20th century have played a prominent role. From the charter of rights encoded into the Magna Carta that British nobles obtained from John Lackland at Runnymede in 1215, to the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776, and not forgetting Cromwell and the Parliaments rebellion against the absolutist Charles I during the English Revolution, all the watershed moments in humanitys long (and as yet unfinished) road to freedom have been to a large extent the work of Anglo-American civilization.

There is a stark contrast between everything we owe to this liberalism and the snapshot from last December in which a smiling Trump and an equally smiling Farage posed in front of the indescribably ugly elevator inside Trump Tower in New York. The image captures better than anything else the end of an era that we appear to be in the midst of. It hurts to confirm the predictive abilities of a character as repulsive as Nigel Farage, but one has to admit that the global nightmare that begins today with Trumps inauguration began to take shape before our eyes as a likely scenario on the day that Farage, that champion of UKs exit from the EU, predicted that the Brexit victory last June was just a European dress rehearsal of what would come to pass at the global scale when Trump was elected US president. And so it seems. The dress rehearsal is over. The curtain is going up, and the real show is about to start.

English version by Susana Urra.
UPDATE, 4 p.m.: Caroline County Sheriff Tony Lippa says the officer involved in the fatal shooting has been placed on paid administrative leave until the investigation is completed, which Lippa says is standard procedure in such cases. Lippa released this statement on the shooting:

Last night, one of our deputies had to make the decision none of us ever wants to makethat of firing a weapon at another human being. Sadly, this incident has resulted in the death of the person involved.

"The aftermath of officer-involved shootings are always emotional times. At my request, the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the circumstances of this unfortunate incident. This is a difficult time for all involved.

"I am fully confident the Virginia State Police will do an extensive, impartial and thorough investigation, and that investigation will come to its logical and just conclusion.

"As is standard procedure in incidents of this type, the involved deputy will be on paid administrative leave until the matter is adjudicated.

"My thoughts and prayers are with our deputy, his family and to the family of the deceased.

UPDATE, 10:00 a.m.: The Virginia State Police have identified the armed man fatally shot by a Caroline Sheriffs deputy as William D. Fisher, a 49-year-old Woodford man.

Fisher was shot after deputies responded to a verbal domestic call in the 13000 block of Long Branch Road in Caroline at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sgt. Stephan Vick said in a release Friday morning.

He said that when deputies arrived on the scene they found Fisher in an outbuilding on the property.

Vick added that Fisher was armed with a handgun and made continuous verbal threats to harm himself and the deputies. Fisher refused to comply with deputies commands to drop the weapon and was subsequently shot by the deputy.

Fisher died at the scene.

Original Post

A Caroline County deputy answering a domestic disturbance call Thursday night shot and killed a man who had a gun, state police said.

The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. in the 13000 block of Long Branch Road. According to a Virginia State Police release, deputies were called to a verbal domestic disturbance, where they encountered a man with a firearm.

The man was shot by a Caroline deputy and died at the scene, release said. Neither the man nor the deputy were identified in the release.

No law-enforcement officers were injured, the release said.

The Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Richmond Field Office is investigating the shooting at the request of Caroline Sheriff Tony Lippa. State police said the findings of the investigation would be turned over to the Commonwealth's Attorney to review.
The second season of TV Lands hit comedy show Teachers premiered Tuesday, and Charlottesville native Kate Lambert is one of the principle forces behind the television programs success.

In addition to starring in the show, she also helps to write and produce the episodes.

Lambert recently was in Charlottesville enjoying New Years Eve activities on the Downtown Mall. She is now back in Southern California, working on the final shows for the new 20-episode season.

The show is about six elementary school teachers in a suburb of Chicago, said Lambert, who portrays teacher Caroline Watson. Theyre all in their 20s and 30s and want to be good at their jobs, but oftentimes, their personal lives get in the way.

Were not making a commentary on the teaching profession. Were just examining six flawed people who happen to be teachers.

My character is a type-A hopeless romantic who has definite plans for life. But the plan is very off-course.Teachers became a hit in its first season. The show won over many critics and viewers, but how it got to television is a study in itself.

Lambert, 35, was born on Thomas Jeffersons birthday and began her education at Charlottesvilles Molly Michie Preschool. She began to work on her acting skills while attending St. AnnesBelfield School.

My poor parents had to sit through mime shows and plays that I had written, Lambert said during a recent telephone interview. It was something I always did.

When I was at St Annes, I was cast as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and that was it for me. We moved to Chicago right before I entered the eighth grade.

I did all the shows I could in high school, and continued that as a theater major at Wake Forest University. When I graduated from college, I was planning on going to New York, but those plans fell through.

The detour from the planned career path proved to be one of those blessings in disguise. It took a while for all the pieces to fall into place for Lambert, but when they did, her career was launched into a high trajectory.

I was back in Chicago when my plans to move to New York fell through, so I decided to stay there, Lambert said. I was working jobs in Chicago that gave me time to audition for parts, but I wasnt auditioning.

I was scared. I wanted it so badly that I was afraid that if I did it, they were going to tell me I wasnt cut out for it. So I avoided it all together.

About two years later, I decided that improv comedy could be something that I would enjoy. So I wound up doing improv for actors at The Second City. When one of the actors left the main stage at Second City, I got to do that, as well.

Lamberts knack for comedy, both as a writer and actress, became apparent. When Caitlin Barlow decided to form a six-member comedy group she dubbed The Katydids, Lambert was an obvious choice.

The six of us started doing improv shows and, eventually, we started making videos, Lambert said. I thought it would be a great way for people to get to know our comedy if we did videos.

They might not know our names, but they would see what we were capable of. They would see what our style of humor was, and maybe that would make them interested in coming to see one of our shows.

That snowballed into other videos, and a casting director, Matt Miller, came to us with the idea of doing a web series about teachers.

The web series led to the creation of Teachers on TV Land. The first of 10 episodes premiered Jan. 13, 2016.

Less than two months into the first season, television executives greenlighted it for a second season. They also doubled the number of episodes.

It has been really exciting to have something that started in 2011 in Chicago, and then has expanded beyond our wildest dreams, Lambert said. Then, to have it on television with all six of us being able to play the characters, as well as write and produce the episodes, is really exciting.

And to have an audience that is really enjoying it is wonderful. One of the highest compliments we get is that teachers really like it.

Its very exciting that it strikes a chord with them. Maybe theyll hear something they had wished they would have said in a situation but didnt, because if they did, they would lose their job. Our teachers arent getting fired.One of Lamberts favorite teachers was Michael Woodfolk. He is now the senior executive director of the Office of Engagement at the University of Virginias Darden School of Business.

Kate was in the top level of the students I taught, Woodfolk said. Theres something about her thats very unique and special. She has a magicsomething that Id call it. Kate was such a kind, thoughtful and quietly charismatic student. The charisma was slightly hidden, because she was not about Kate. Whatever she wanted to do, she wanted to do it to the best of her abilities.

She was made for the stage, and the stage was made for her. She makes me beam with pride because she is still one of the most selfless people I know.

Woodfolk is a fan of Teachers. Although he left the teaching profession nearly two decades ago, the show resonates with him.

I think the program gives the teaching profession a platform that recognizes it in a different way, Woodfolk said. It elevates the role of the teacher in the life of a school and in the lives of the students.

The program is wonderful and, in my view, has enormous potential. Theres nothing average about it. They got it right and Kate got it right, and so Im particularly pleased about that.

Kate is a star with or without this program. She is inspirational in so many ways, and I think that reflects what a wonderful job her parents did in raising her.

Teachers takes place in fictional Fillmore Elementary School in a suburb of Chicago. In reality, its filmed in a closed-down charter school in Woodland Hills, California.

We essentially have the run of the place, Lambert said of the former school. Everyone has an individual classroom, and since its supposed to be in the suburbs of Chicago, we built fake hallways, because the schools in California have breezeways.

The first day I arrived on set to start shooting the episodes for our first season, I saw that I had a trailer with my name on it. I was like, Oh, my god, is this real life? Its so thrilling, and Im grateful for it every single day.

One of the upcoming episodes has all six teachers getting in trouble, and for their punishment, theyre ordered to go through a team-building ropes course. Call in the stunt doubles.

You would never think that in a show about elementary school that we would use stunt doubles, but we actually used them a lot, Lambert said. Our teachers are often getting themselves into sticky situations.

Its such a mind-melt to see one of your friends in front of you, and out of your peripheral vision, you see someone who looks exactly like them. The only way I can describe it is that its like when youre parked in your car, and a car next to you starts moving in reverse and for a second you think it might be you moving.

I often arrive at work at 5:30 in the morning, so the days can be long. I have fallen asleep on my couch at 9 in the evening more times than I care to admit.

None of the success that Lambert and her colleagues are now enjoying likely would have occurred if not for their taking the lead in their own careers.

The reason the Katydids formed, and the reason why we did the work we did, was because we realized we couldnt wait around for someone to cast us, Lambert said. Or wait for someone to put us into a role we wanted to play.

We realized the best way to showcase ourselves and the material we were capable of creating was to basically do it ourselves. We decided, Hey, we have an idea and this is the best way to showcase it.

Thats the reason why we were able to do as much as we did. We were very motivated to put ourselves out there, along with the things we had designed.

Lamberts parents recently moved back to the Charlottesville area. Their daughter couldnt be happier about it.

Im now getting to go back to Charlottesville on breaks, which is so nice, Lambert said. I love going to Bodos Bagels, and my mom is an interior designer, so I enjoy going to antique malls with her.

We were on the Downtown Mall on New Years Eve, and it was so great to be back. I love it down there.
A former King George County social worker lost her job last year after it was discovered that she is a felon, but she wont lose her freedom.

Phyllis Matilda Young, 51, was fired in April after it was learned that she had a felony conviction for welfare fraud in Prince Georges County, Md., in 1995. When she applied for a job with the Department of Social Services in King George in 2012, she marked no on the part of the application asking if shed ever been convicted of a felony.

The King George Commonwealth Attorneys Office indicted Young in July on five counts of obtaining money by false pretenses. The prosecution contended that had Young told the truth on her application, she would have never been hired and received four years of salary.

But defense attorney Mark Murphy argued that while the department was within its rights to fire Young, she rightfully earned the money by performing her job duties properly. He said it was beyond a stretch to turn it into a criminal case.

It was a very unusual application of the law, Murphy said. Ive never seen a case like this.

Judge Herbert Hewitt agreed and dismissed the charges after hearing from witnesses Thursday in a trial in King George Circuit Court.

Murphy also disputed the allegation that Young lied on her application. He said she thought that all of the fraud charges she faced in Maryland had been dropped and was answering honestly when she applied for the King George position.

Charlie Clark, a prosecutor in the Commonwealth Attorneys Office, said his office does not believe Young made an honest mistake. But we certainly respect the judges decision. We just disagree about the law.
Search All categories Advertising General Aerospace General Agriculture General Airlines General America - Post 9/11 General Apparel General Apple Products General Architectural General Architecture Architecture Art & Entertainments Books Celebrities Country Music Dance Magazines Movies Museums Music Music Downloads News & Talk Shows Performing Arts Photography Television Web Sites Arts/Culture General Auction General Automotive Aftermarket Classic Autos Consumer Publications General Motorcycle & Bike Racing Recreational Vehicle Repair & Service Trade Publications Blogging & Social Media Blogging & Social Media Business Advertising / Marketing Books Consumer Research Direct Marketing e-Commerce Entrepreneurs Finance Franchise Human Resources Insurance Investment Management Markets Network Marketing Online Marketing / SEO Payday Loans Public Relations Publications Real Estate Retail Stocks Supermarkets Women in Business Careers/HR General Chemical General Coaching / Mentoring Coaching / Mentoring Computers Apple Products Databases Games & Entertainment General Hosting Instruction Linux / GNU "Open Source" Macintosh Microsoft Windows PC Operating Systems Programming Security Software Tablet PCs Utilities Construction General Consumer Gifts and Collectibles Hobbies Web sites / Internet Design Graphic Design Industrial Web E-Cigarette General eCommerce General Economy General Education College / University General Home Schooling K-12 Post Graduate Technical Electronics General Email Marketing General EmailWire Press Releases Press Release Tips Employment/Careers General Engineering General Entertainment General Environment General Events / Trade Shows General Finance General Food General Franchise General Fraud / Identity Theft General Gaming General Government General Judicial Law Enforcement Legislative Local National Public Services Security State Transportation Healthcare General Home and Family Banking / Personal Finance Bereavement / Loss Home Furnishings / Interiors Landscaping & Gardening Marriage / Relationships Money Parenting Payday Loans Pets Taxes Wedding / Bridal Home Schooling General Hotels/Resorts General Household General Industry Aerospace / Defense Agriculture Apparel / Textiles Broadcast Construction / Building Electrical Food Funeral Healthcare Leisure / Hospitality Logistics / Shipping Manufacturing / Production Mining / Metals Oil / Energy Paper / Forest Products Plumbing, Heating & AC Print Media Printing Publishing Radio Restaurants Tobacco Toy Insurance General Internet/Online General Legal General Leisure General Lifestyle Beauty Dating / Singles Diet / Weight Loss Fashion Food / Beverage Health & Fitness Hotel / Resorts Pastimes Restaurants Retirement Travel & Tourism Machinery General Maritime General Medical Addiction Allergies Alternative Medicine Asthma Cancer Cardiology Chiropractic Dental Dermatology Diabetes Emergency Family Medicine General General Geriatrics Hospitals Infectious Diseases Internal Medicine Managed Care / HMO Medical Products Mental Health Neurology Nursing Nutrition OB / GYN Pediatrics Pharmaceuticals Physical Therapy Plastic Surgery Psychology Radiology / Imaging Research Sports Medicine Surgery Vision Military General Mining/Metals General Miscellaneous General Nanotechnology Nanotechnology Non-profit General Occupational Safety Occupational Safety Oil/Energy General Opinion / Editorial Opinion / Editorial Paper Products General Paper/Forest General Pharmaceuticals General Podcasting Announce Tools and Services Politics Politics Print Media General Public Utilities Public Utilities Publishing General Radio General Real Estate General Religion Christian General Islam Jewish Other Restaurants General Retail General RSS & Content Syndication RSS & Content Syndication Science and Research Science and Research Self-Help / Personal Growth Self-Help / Personal Growth Shipbuilding General Society African American Interests Asian Interests Childrens Issues Disabled Issues / Disabilities Gay / Lesbian Hispanic Mens Interests Native American Senior Citizens Social Services Teen Issues/Interests Womens Interest Software General Sports Baseball Basketball Bicycling Boating / Maritime Bowling Boxing Fishing Football Golf Hockey Hunting Martial Arts Outdoors Rugby Soccer Tennis Water Winter/Snow Sports/Fitness General Stocks General Supermarkets General Technology Biotechnology Computer Electronics Enterprise Software Games Graphics/Printing/CAD Hardware / Peripherals Industrial Information Internet Multimedia Networking Public Sector/Government Robotics Semiconductor Software Telecommunications Webmasters Telecom General Wireless Television General Tobacco General Trade General Transportation General Travel General Utilities General Volunteer Volunteer Weather Weather
A convicted goat thief on Thursday officially got the eight years in prison that a Stafford County jury recommended after convicting him in October.

Steven P. Calleja Jr., 34, of Sumerduck was previously found guilty in Stafford Circuit Court of two counts of larceny of goats with the intent to sell. Judge Charles Sharp could have reduced the sentence recommended by the jury, but declined to do so.

According to the evidence presented by prosecutor Kristin Bird, Calleja stole five goats from John and Valerie Komrowski on Green Acres Drive and three from Heidi Cross on Equestrian Drive. The thefts occurred in January of last year.

The thefts caused great distress to both families, Bird said, because they considered the goats to be beloved pets.

During the same time frame, two more goats were stolen from property on Thornton Rolling Road in Spotsylvania County. Calleja pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property and got a year in jail with all but 10 days suspended.

All 10 goats were recovered later at the Fredericksburg Livestock Exchange and at a nearby meat shop. All were in good shape.

Karim Belyameni called police after seeing news stories about the thefts. He said he didnt realize the goats hed helped Calleja sell were stolen until then.

Calleja testified at his trial that he had purchased the goats from three random men in the middle of the night. He said he didnt know the goats were stolen, a claim the jury didnt believe.

Bird argued that Calleja deserved the stiff penalty he received because he has a criminal record dating back to 2001 that includes multiple prior felony convictions.
RICHMONDA bill that would have told transgender individuals which bathroom they must use died in a General Assembly subcommittee Thursday.

The House of Delegates panel took a non-recorded vote to table the bill, much to the chagrin of its sponsor, Del. Bob Marshall, R-Prince William County. By tabling the bill through a voice vote, the subcommittee members were able to keep their records hidden from the public.

The House General Laws Committee also killed another Marshall-sponsored bill, and killed another delegates bill dealing with sexual identity.

House Bill 1612, as originally proposed by Marshall, would have required people in public schools and government buildings to use the restroom for the sex shown on their original birth certificate. The bill also would have required the principal of a public school to notify the parent or guardian if a child asked to be identified by a name, pronoun or treatment inconsistent with the childs sex.

Marshall spoke on the legislation, dubbed the Physical Privacy Act, Thursday in the subcommittee and amended the bill from applying to the gender on an individuals original birth certificate to the gender on their current birth certificate. This amendment would have allowed transgender individuals who have gone through the legal process of changing their gender with the state to use the bathroom and locker room corresponding to the gender approved by a circuit court.

The issue has generated controversy. The Obama administration has told public schools to allow transgender studentswho are born as one sex, but identify as the otherto use the bathroom of their choice. North Carolina has faced business boycotts after passing a law similar to HB 1612.

LGBT advocates say that for fairness and safety, transgender people should be allowed to use the restroom of the sex with which they identify. Opponents fear that such policies would allow men to enter a womens restroom and could lead to sexual assaults.

After the bill was tabled by the unrecorded voice vote, effectively killing it, a visibly angry Marshall called for an on-the-record vote, so the Virginians know what youre doing.

You campaign one way and come down here and vote another, Marshall said.

A second Marshall-sponsored bill also failed in the subcommittee. HB 2011 would have said its not discriminatory to decide separation of the sexes based on the biological characteristics or qualities that distinguish an individual as either male or female as determined at birth. The bill died for lack of a motion.

Im going to pray you that you all get courage, Marshall said after the committee chairman, Del. Keith Hodges, R-Urbanna, declared the bill dead.

A bill that would have prevented discrimination in employment and public accommodations based on sexual orientation also died in the subcommittee.
Today, Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated as the country's 45th president. Follow along with the ceremonies, his oath of office and other coverage with the live video below.
Today is the day! By early afternoon, Donald Trump will be the 45th president of the United States.

I hope the world is ready.

It has been a long and rocky journey from Trump Tower to the White House, but Inauguration Day has finally arrived.

Reports are that Trump has been so excited he has had trouble sleeping all week. Doctors told the president-elect to try counting sheep, but that didnt help. When he began counting bricks that will go into his promised wall along the Mexican border, however, he dropped right off to sleep.

Today will be an exciting one for the Trump family, but things should calm down by Saturday. Hopefully the new president will get plenty of rest this weekend, because he must get down to the demanding job of running the country Monday.

Being the investigative reporter that I am, I was able to get a copy of Trumps schedule for his first week in office.

I wrote to his press secretary, but the schedule was emailed to me by someone named Vladimir. I have not been able to find anyone by that name on the presidents staff, so I suppose Vlad is just a family friend who wants to help out.

Contrary to popular belief, Trumps first official act will not be to order an invasion of CNN. That, however, may come next weeknews permitting.

All the generals in the American military have been summoned to Washington and first thing Monday morning, President Trump will teach them all about ISIS.

As you may recall, Trump, while campaigning, said that he knew more about the Middle Eastern terror group than our generals did, so now the military brass is eager to get the scoop. ISIS 101. That should be an exciting class for the generals.

Tuesday morning, Trump plans to meet with the CIA and explain to the folks at Langley just how to run covert operations. Tuesday afternoon, he will meet with members of Congress and offer proof that Russia wasnt involved in any hacking during the presidential campaign.

Wednesday, President Trump plans to start fulfilling another campaign promise and begin to drain the swamp.

This is where President Trump is going to run into a brick wall. According to my sources, the Environmental Protection Agency has informed the new leader of the free world that there will be no swamp draining.

Frogs, muskrats, mosquitoes and other wetland creatures may be put at risk if any part of the swamp is drained and the EPA reportedly informed Trump of this fact in a letter. Trump tweeted back that he intended draining the swamp only to get rid of the political slime, but the EPA replied by saying, Sir, slime is what we are all about!

Here Trump may have met his match, because the EPA is more powerful than the president, Congress and the Supreme Court put together. If the EPA says youre not going to drain the swamp, then youre not going to drain the swamp.

The only chance The Donald has is through mitigation, you know, trading one swamp for another. The EPA reportedly ruled out one Trump proposal mitigating Washington with the Everglades. Their reasoning? There is more intelligent life in the Everglades than in Washington.

So, at least as far as the EPA is concerned, draining the swamp is not an option and Wednesday may be a wasted day.

Thursday and Friday, Trump plans to look over samples of brick for his new wall. Reportedly he is looking for bricks that glitter on the American side and appear dull on the Mexican side.

Saturday, Trump will fly home to Trump Tower in New York and, like God, he will rest on the seventh day.

Hell spend a leisurely weekend trying to come up with a plan to outwit the EPA and seek advice from his wife regarding brick colors. Hell keep his phone by his side, however, just in case the CIA calls seeking covert action advice or the generals need help with ISIS.

Monday morning, Trump will fly back to Washington, where he will once again try to drain the swamp.

And the EPA will be there waiting with frogs and mosquitoes in tow.

Now that hes running the government, Trump is about to discover what frustration is all about!
No one was sure exactly when it started, but women in the Fredericksburg region agree: The idea of marching on Washington the day after President-elect Donald Trump would be inaugurated didnt take long to take off.

I knew right away I was interested, said Sue Henderson, a Stafford County resident who plans to participate with some close friends. I feel like womens issues need to be heard.

Its even simpler for the Rev. Gay Rahn, the associate rector at St. Georges Church in Fredericksburg.

I just felt like it was important to be present, she said. Not for any reason, but to be present with other women and other people there. Im not protesting. I just feel like I needed to be present for this march.

The church didnt charter a bus, but Rahn let the congregation know about RallyBus.net, a company that lets individuals or small groups reserve seats on buses headed to rallies.

The quiet decisions Henderson and Rahn made to attend echo the way the event grew.

Within hours of the polls closing on Nov. 8, a grandmother in Hawaii, a retired lawyer, wrote a post on Facebook. It said, I think we should march.

By the following weekend, major outlets were reporting on the tens of thousands of women who were planning to do just that.

Organizers now estimate the march will draw 200,000 people to Washington, with sister marches planned in dozens of cities.

Over the decades, hundreds of thousands of people have marched on Washington, most often to demand civil rights or to protest war.

In 1996, the National Park Service stopped publicly announcing crowd estimates after threats to sue following the Million Man March the previous year. If the crowd reaches organizer estimates, though, it will be a significant march.

But not everyone is marching for the same reason.

Originally suggested as the Million Woman March, the name of the event changed after black women protested on its Facebook page, saying that name was an appropriation of black activism in the 1997 Million Woman March in Philadelphia.

It was especially inappropriate, some said, because the 1997 event was organized by black women partly to criticize white feminism for neglecting issues that affected minorities. The same criticism has been made of liberal candidates in last years national elections.

This years march was renamed, and the original organizers handed over the reins to a group of experienced activists, who published statements about intersectionalitythe idea that various social categories, particularly race, class, and gender, create overlapping systems of discrimination or privilege.

Artist and activist Yanina Angelini Arismendi, a Fredericksburg resident, has ordered posters of her own design that she will give out, free of charge, Friday night. Shell distribute the posters outside her business, Art Mart, on Princess Anne Street at 6 p.m.

I use my art as a way to speak about human rights, social justice issues all together, but most specifically issues that affect the communities of color like immigration issues, Arismendi said. Im an intersectional feminist, which means basically that feminism is seen through different issues.

Arismendi said she is marching to protest against the threats she feels were made against women, people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.

We will make America great again, but on our own terms. We will raise the next generation of doers and thinkers, she said.

She also felt the need to attend on behalf of people who cant be there.

Im going to carry those women with me, and I think thats a sentiment others that are marching there have, she said. I think every woman there represents a million more.

Other area residents who plan to attend dont see the march as a protest, like Fredericksburg resident Amy Bayne, who said her college-age son likely will march with her.

Im really mainly going just to be a body there to sort of signify unity over division, said Fredericksburg Bayne.

She has watched news of the march over the last two months, but didnt decide to attend until recently.

I feel like everything Ive read from the organizers, the newsletters and people that I knowtheir sense is that it is a peaceful demonstration of unity to confirm that women and minorities and marginalized groups are here, and we are peaceful, and we want to be heard, Bayne said. And I think its really important to physically be there, to physically lend your body to support a cause you believe in.

Peggy Marshall, who will attend with Rahn from St. Georges Church, said she feels the need to stand up for rights she and others fought for.

I wanted to go for positive reasons, she said. I felt I had been part of a great movement to gain rights for women and I had enjoyed the benefits of those rights and they were hard-fought.

I just didnt want to go through that again.  I think it was important to me that it not be an anti-Trump march. I am interested in it being a pro-woman march.

Henderson, who also took some time to decide to attend, said she sympathized both with women who felt they remembered fighting for more rights in the first place, and those who want greater diversity in feminism now.

I am young enough to not have been part of the large march era, but I am old enough to be aware that we could be in jeopardy of losing some rights that have been hard-won, Henderson said, listing equal pay, equal representation, glass ceilings, workplace conditions and womens health care issues.

Im hoping that there will be some sort of coalition of awareness that women have opinions and that theyre diverse, she said. Im just sort of tired of watching the marginalization.

All of the women who spoke to The Free LanceStar said they didnt want to share certain informationwhether it was about their jobs, their families or some of their opinions.

That says a lot, doesnt it? Marshall said. This isnt really personal stuff. These are major political movements and voices out there, but were all a little uncomfortable right now, arent we?
Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

Google Ad

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

Google Ad

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan

Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement

With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building

OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh
RICHMONDCiting unpredictable and sometimes extreme weather conditions throughout the year, a Northern Virginia lawmaker has filed a bill that would prohibit the outdoor tethering of companion animals.

Tethering would be allowed only if the owner of the animal is outside and within sight of the pet, the bill says.

Del. John J. Bell, D-Chantilly, said his wife, Margaret, works to rescue and foster mistreated dogs, and that motivated him to introduce House Bill 1802.

Weve seen many instances where animals were tethered for long periods of time in either extreme hot and cold weather," he said. "They were unattended and no one was around.

In fact, we fostered one this year that the authorities had to take, where it was part of a court case. The animal was almost at deaths door. I feel that tethering for extended periods of time, particularly in harsh weather conditions, is cruel to the animal and should not be done.

An owner who violates the measure could be found guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor and subject to a fine of up to $250. A second offense would be a Class 3 misdemeanor, with a fine up to $500.

The provisions of HB 1802 also would apply to public or private animal shelters, dealers, pet shops, exhibitors, kennels, groomers and boarding establishments.

Most localities in Virginia do not have restrictions on the tethering of animals. The city of Richmond and a few others have prohibited it.

Robin Robertson Starr, CEO of the Richmond SPCA, said the tethering of dogs is a big problem in Virginia.

It is a terrible thing for the dog and it causes dogs to become aggressive and territorial and thereby to become a risk to human safety, Starr said.

Leaving dogs outside is a tragedy. Dogs are highly social animals with an affinity for quality time to interact with and love their human family members. They should not be exposed for long periods of time to the elements outside, either in the cold of winter or the heat of summer.

HB 1802 has been assigned to the Agriculture Subcommittee of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee, which is scheduled to take up the bill when it meets Jan. 30.
MANY conservatives who once found Donald Trump unpalatable have come around to accept him. Most famously, Mitt Romney once excoriated Trump as dishonest, a phony, a fraud, and condemned his bullying, greed, showing off and misogyny.

After the presidential election, however, Romney praised Trump (I look forward to the coming administration) and hoped to work for him.

This change of heart has not been limited to job applicants. Trumps many qualities that conservatives once condemned have disappeared down a memory hole, to the point that recalling them is akin to making rude noises during a prayer service.

Instead, Republicans are in a mood of optimism, celebrating his unconventionality and holding him up as the only candidate who could have defeated the despised Hillary Clinton. As House Speaker Paul Ryan put it, Trump heard a voice out in this country that no one else heard, enabling him to accomplish the most incredible political feat Ryan has ever witnessed.

Since the election, I am glad to see Trump has recognized that, as an outsider to Washington, he needs Cabinet members (with the inexplicable exception of the secretary of state) who know the ropes. I am even more pleased with Trumps many appointees ready to forward a conservative agenda, especially ones ready to disagree with the boss.

James Mattis will end social experimentation with the military and return to its war-making mission. Jeff Sessions will consistently apply the rule of law. Steven Mnuchin will simplify the tax code. Tom Price will undo Obamacare. Betsy DeVos will focus on the interests of students rather than of teachers and bureaucrats. Andy Puzder will prune back regulations obstructing job growth. John Kelly will secure the borders. David Friedman will revive U.S.Israel relations.

But two giant caveats remain, both pertaining to character.

First, what Trump gives, he can take away. As an egomaniac with enormous political latitude and no consistent ideology, he could, for any or no reason, sack these worthy Cabinet members and replace them with technocrats. Worse, he can freely discard his current conservative orientation.

His chief strategist, Steve Bannon, once boasted that were going to build an entirely new political movement. Its everything related to jobs. The conservatives are going to go crazy.

Trump himself has warned that nothing he said before the swearing-in committed him: Anything I say right nowIm not the presidenteverything is a suggestion. ... Im always flexible on issues.

Second, much depends on whether the office of the presidency tames Trump or he continues with his old ways. Colin Dueck of George Mason University suggests that Trump has the bravado of a real-estate developer who adopts maximalist rhetorical positions, but is not actually about to implement every off-the-cuff statement. Maybe.

But the qualities that appalled so many Americans remain and, indeed, have been massively vindicated. Trump reached the ultimate prize by staying true to himself; also, 70-year-olds tend not to change much.

Its entirely possible he will continue to attack individuals and companies, obsess over grievances, insult the press, make flamboyantly reckless or false statements, display defiant ignorance, engage in dubious business practices, resort to bravado litigiousness and pursue wildly inconsistent policies.

At best, Trump will be to Barack Obama what Ronald Reagan was to Jimmy Carter, the leader of a national renewal of optimism and strength. At worst, his personal flaws will lead to social tensions, domestic disturbances, economic upheavals and war. I am agnostic, having no clue where the country is heading. For me, America now resembles a monarchy whose incompetent, but predictable king has died, and a rowdy, volatile son has taken over.

As Trump becomes president, I wish him the best, for his sake and ours. I shall applaud when he does well (conversing with the president of Taiwan, thereby breaking with decades of moldy precedent) and condemn when he does badly (his reckless and bizarre conversation with the prime minister of Pakistan). I will aid his administration as best I can while keeping my distance from it, neither being part of it nor ever apologizing for it.

Trumps appointments have earned him a conservatives good will, but his character flaws prompt skepticism and worry. Let him now prove that he is worthy of the extraordinary position he will occupy starting today.

Daniel Pipes is a historian who has served in five presidential administrations since 1982. He wrote this for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Hutch/UW symposium underscores Seattles reputation as infectious disease central



A day-long symposium sponsored by Fred Hutchs Infectious Disease Sciences Program and the University of Washingtons Virology Division drew about 130 physicians, scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students to the Pan Pacific Hotel on Tuesday to hear the latest on the Zika virus, the role of the microbiome in bone marrow transplant outcomes and other ongoing research. The breadth of topics presented underscored Seattles reputation as infectious disease central.

That reputation is why Dr. Michael Gale Jr. moved his lab of 15 researchers a decade ago from Texas to UW, where he is a professor of immunology, microbiology, and global health. The symposiums opening keynote speaker, Gale started out studying the West Nile virus, then changed his focus after another mosquito-borne virus  Zika  suddenly appeared in the Americas in 2015.

Zika and West Nile: related but very different in how they are transmitted

Although from the same family, Zika virus operates in a very different way. With West Nile, Gale said, people dont have enough virus in their blood for mosquitoes to pick it up and spread it to another human. Instead, mosquitoes pick the virus up from birds, which have higher viral loads. But Zika can be transmitted from person to person by mosquitoes. Additionally, it persists in sperm and other fluids, including vaginal mucosal tissues, and it can be sexually transmitted.

Gale and his colleagues were the first to show direct evidence, using animal models, that Zika virus can cross the placenta in pregnancy and cause brain damage; the paper was published online in Nature Medicine in September 2016. The link had been suspected after Zika suddenly turned up in Brazil, and thousands of children were born with abnormally small heads and brains after their mothers were infected.

In a later talk, Dr. Keith Jerome, head of UW Virology as well as a member of the Hutchs Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, noted other UW contributions to the Zika effort, including substantial work on so-called next-generation sequencing of the Zika genome. His lab is working on a diagnostic test to better distinguish the Zika virus from another cousin in the Flavivirus family, dengue.

The Zika epidemic illustrates the value of academic laboratories in rapid response to emerging infections, Jerome said. Challenges like Zika will continue to arise and will require the best effort from all of us. We need to be at the top of our game.

Looking at the bugs within us

If Zika poses a threat from outside, Dr. Jonathan Golob, a past Joel Meyer Endowment scholar at Fred Hutch and the inaugural fellow of the Infectious Disease Sciences Programs new training grant, is looking at the bugs within us  our gut microbiome. Studying weekly stool swabs from blood stem cell transplant patients from before transplant to 100 days after, hes finding that antibiotics can lead to or worsen graft-vs.-host disease  a serious and sometimes fatal transplant complication  by killing off good bacteria that may have had a protective effect.

Golob is now looking at ways to determine whether these effects may be exacerbated by overlapping antibiotic exposures or antibiotic duration as a means of limiting the disruption in a patient population that depends on antibiotics for protection while their new immune systems take root.

UWs Dr. Jane Kuypers, an affiliate researcher with Fred Hutch, talked about something that affects all of us: the common cold. Adults average two to three colds a year, and children, five to six. And with more than 160 gentotypes of rhinoviruses  one of the common culprits behind the common cold  we are not likely to run out of colds to catch.

A nuisance for most, rhinoviruses can be deadly to people with asthma or other lung disorders and to people with weak or undeveloped immune systems, including the young.

More than 50 percent of patients will develop at least one respiratory virus during the first 100 days after a blood stem cell transplant, added Fred Hutchs Dr. Steve Pergam, director of infection control at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, in a talk on preventing infections and containing outbreaks.

Every time I give a talk like this, someone in the audience will cough or sneeze, he said. For our patients, this is terrifying to hear.

Infectious Disease Sciences head and symposium co-host Dr. Michael Boeckh didnt let an opportunity for research pass by.

If you or anyone you know are sick and want to give us a few swabs, let us know, he said.

 Mary Engel / Fred Hutch News Service
Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

Google Ad

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments

Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan

Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement

With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building

OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh
Free Freightnet Membership

List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours.
Aurora announces creative contest for children aged 7-14

Aurora Creative Contest Aurora Humanitarian Initiative launches a creative contest for children aged 7-14. The participants have to present theirartwork in form of drawing, sculpture, woodwork, ceramic art, batik art or digital art. The artwork should illustrate the ideas of humanism, courage, selflessness, kindness and belief in a brighter future. The artwork must have been created no earlier than January 1st, 2016 to be qualified for the Aurora Creative Contest. The deadline to submit the entries is March 31, 2017. The participants should take a photo of their work and send it to [email protected] The email should also contain the following information about the participant: first name, last name, age, the name of the school and/or art educational center. The results of the contest will be announced in April 2017. The authors of the best three entries will be awarded by Aurora Humanitarian Initiative and the best five will have a unique opportunity to attend the Aurora Prize Award Ceremony on May 28, 2017, in Yerevan, Armenia. An art exhibition will be organized in Yerevan between April 24 and May 28 where the best artworks submitted to the contest will be showcased. At the same time a number of master classes will be organized. We believe that even in the darkest times, a brighter future is in the hands of those who can give help and hope. We are looking forward to receiving your exceptional artwork reflecting courage, kindness and hope in the future. Should you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] or by calling +374 98 808917. About the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is committed to building a broad, global humanitarian movement. The initiative is rooted in inspiring stories of courage and survival that emerged during the Armenian Genocide, when 1.5 million Armenians perished. Those fortunate few who survived were saved by the courageous and heroic acts of institutions and individuals who intervened, at great risk. A century later, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative seeks to express gratitude, share remarkable stories of survivors and their saviors, and celebrate the strength of the human spirit. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative creates and supports projects designed to raise public awareness and address some of the worlds most pressing humanitarian issues. These projects include the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, the Aurora Dialogues, the Aurora Humanitarian Index, the Gratitude Projects and the 100 LIVES Initiative. The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is the philanthropic vision of Vartan Gregorian, NoubarAfeyan and Ruben Vardanyan. It is represented by three organizations - the 100 Lives Foundation, Inc. (New York, USA), the 100 Lives Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland) and the IDeA Foundation (Yerevan, Armenia). Further information is available at www.auroraprize.com
The farming community has responded with outrage on social media after a caller on a radio phone-in suggested it was very unrealistic for women to be actively farming.

The farmers son, who gave his name as John, phoned the RTE Radio One Liveline programme on Thursday (19 January) which was holding a debate on discrimination against women in agriculture.

He told presenter Joe Duffy that Irish people had wanted to keep farming a male profession since Cromwells time.

And he also suggested women were not strong enough to work on farms.

See also: Opinion: Farming is still a sexist industry

Its very unrealistic for a woman to run a farm. In terms of strength  pulling calves out of cattle or lifting tons of beet, said the caller.

There is no beet now, but all that kind of thing  its not particularly suitable to women, he told Duffy, who challenged his claim that women were not strong enough to help assist birthing cows by pointing out the number of women vets in Ireland.

His comments caused a Twitter storm and caused fury, especially among women farmers.

Sons v daughters  who should get the farm? https://t.co/aHHzoGEbw0  IFJCaitriona (@IFJCaitriona) January 19, 2017

'It's very unrealistic for a woman to run a farm'  Is he for real?! Come work a day with me mate, I'll change your mind! https://t.co/ZitPz3jLq5  Cesca (@Cesca_Beswick) January 19, 2017

In my experience it's women who've been behind the scenes doing the actual running of the farm for generations.. https://t.co/FJ48hiLQLO  Will Evans (@willpenrievans) January 20, 2017

@Cesca_Beswick @strathorefarm It's very unrealistic for quite a few fellas to be running farms. We all know a few..  Will Evans (@willpenrievans) January 19, 2017

https://twitter.com/SheepishSophie/status/822360365740589057

@SheepishSophie @IFJCaitriona @farmersjournal Im actually quite ashamed this was said in Ireland I know plenty of female farmers great ones!  ShaneHalpin132 (@ShanHalpin132) January 20, 2017

It upsets me that there is still opinions like this,All you need to farm is a bloody good work ethic and a willingness to learn. https://t.co/chNcVoe0zx  Linda HanbidgeCliffe (@lindalouanne) January 19, 2017

A spokeswoman for the recently formed Irish organisation South East Women in Farming said the callers comments showed more women needed to be seen on farms.

There seems to be lots of people who dont think of women as being farmers. Johns opinion is more widespread than the industry would like to believe, he was saying what a lot of people think, especially older generations.

Very few women hold positions in farming organisations, milk boards etc. and our group aims to help women share knowledge, grow in confidence, network, empower themselves and support each other.
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...
Ara Zohrabyan: We should support and protect Lapshin

Chairman of the Chamber of Advocates Ara Zohrabyan has commented on the criminal case against blogger Alexander Lapshin. "Deputy General Prosecutor of the Republic of Belarus has decided to grant the request of the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan regarding the extradition of Alexander Lapshin, a citizen of the Russian Federation and Israel, who detained on December 15 in Minsk, Belarus by the orders of Azerbaijani authorities for his visits to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh) in 2011 and 2012. The decision can be appealed in the Minsk City Court within 10 days. The decision has not been sent to Lapshins lawyers yet. The working group set up by the Chamber of Advocates, is working towards the issue and is ready to provide professional support to Lapshin. Alexander Lapshin needs our support and protection. I call on my colleagues, lawyers and journalists to join efforts to protect Alexander Lapshin," Ara Zohrabyan said. According to the prosecutors office of Azerbaijan, a criminal case has opened against Lapshin under Articles 281.2 and 318.2 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan for illegally crossing the Azerbaijani border and for public appeals directed against the state. The prosecutors office of Azerbaijan said they are taking the necessary steps to have Lapshin extradited from Belarus.
Story Highlights 69% of Americans say more infrastructure spending "very important"

26% say building a wall along border with Mexico is very important

Republicans, Democrats most divided on healthcare, illegal immigrants

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Two-thirds of Americans (69%) say it is "very important" for President-elect Donald Trump to keep his campaign promise to enact major spending on infrastructure renewal. More than half say Trump's promises to reduce income taxes for all Americans, establish tariffs on foreign imports and deport illegal immigrants convicted of crimes are very important.

Importance That Trump Keeps Specific Campaign Promises How important is it to you, personally, that Donald Trump keep each of the following promises he has made? % Very important Enact a major spending program to strengthen infrastructure 69 Reduce income taxes for all Americans 54 Establish tariffs on foreign imports 51 Deport the more than 2 million illegal immigrants who have committed crimes 51 Repeal and replace Obamacare 46 Eliminate the freeze on defense spending 43 Lift restrictions on the production of shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal 41 Renegotiate NAFTA or withdraw from the agreement 40 Freeze hiring of all federal employees 34 Cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change program 30 Withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership 26 Build a wall along the border with Mexico 26 Require that for each new federal regulation, two must be eliminated 23 Note: Campaign promise phrasing taken from the Trump campaign's language Gallup, Jan. 9-10, 2017

Less than half of Americans say it is very important that Trump follows through on each of nine other promises -- ranging from 46% for repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, to 23% for requiring that any new government regulation be accompanied by removing two existing ones.

These results are based on a Jan. 9-10 Gallup poll. Gallup.com editors selected Trump's most consistent or visible campaign promises to test. Phrasing for each campaign promise was based on the language the Trump campaign used.

It is important to note that the reality behind some of these campaign promises is subject to debate or has changed in recent months. For example, Trump's original tax proposal featured significant reductions in taxes for all Americans. But under the revised plan he released in September, some earners would see their taxes go up. Separately, while Trump has promised to "deport the more than 2 million illegal immigrants who have committed crimes," the most recent Department of Homeland Security figures put that number at 1.9 million immigrants living in the U.S. who have been convicted of crimes, a figure that includes both the documented and undocumented.

Healthcare Repeal Most Politically Polarized Promise

Republicans' and Democrats' views on how important it is for Trump to keep his campaign promises vary widely. The issue that most divides Republicans and Democrats is repealing and replacing Obamacare. While 68% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say keeping this promise is very important, 26% of Democrats and Democratic leaners say the same, a 43-percentage-point difference. Deporting illegal immigrants convicted of crimes and renegotiating or withdrawing from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are also highly divisive campaign promises.

Increased infrastructure spending is the only Trump promise that both Democrats and Republicans agree is very important -- 71% vs. 68%, respectively. The next least-divisive promise is withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, with a 13-point gap between the parties.

Importance That Trump Keeps Specific Campaign Promises, by Party ID % Very important Republicans Democrats Difference % % (pct. pts.) Repeal and replace Obamacare 68 26 +43 Deport the more than 2 million illegal immigrants who have committed crimes 70 33 +38 Renegotiate NAFTA or withdraw from the agreement 57 26 +31 Eliminate the freeze on defense spending 57 28 +29 Build a wall along the border with Mexico 38 12 +26 Freeze hiring of all federal employees 48 24 +25 Establish tariffs on foreign imports 62 45 +17 Require that for each new federal regulation, two must be eliminated 31 14 +17 Reduce income taxes for all Americans 62 46 +16 Cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change program 38 23 +16 Lift restrictions on the production of shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal 48 34 +14 Withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership 32 19 +13 Enact a major spending program to strengthen infrastructure 68 71 -3 Note: Campaign promise phrasing taken from the Trump campaign's language; any discrepancies in percentage-point differences are due to rounding Gallup, Jan. 9-10, 2017

The importance Americans attach to Trump's promises also differ by education level. Those without a college degree are more likely than those with one to say that all but one of the 13 promises asked about are very important. The widest gap (21 points) is on lifting restrictions on fossil-fuel extraction, followed by eliminating the freeze on defense spending and repealing and replacing Obamacare.

The only Trump campaign promise that a majority of college graduates deem "very important" is increased infrastructure spending. College graduates and non-college graduates show similar levels of agreement on the importance of removing two government regulations for every new regulation enacted; fewer than one in four in either group say keeping that promise is very important.

Importance That Trump Keeps Specific Campaign Promises, by Education % Very important No college degree College degree Difference % % (pct. pts.) Lift restrictions on the production of shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal 47 27 +21 Eliminate the freeze on defense spending 49 29 +20 Repeal and replace Obamacare 52 34 +18 Build a wall along the border with Mexico 31 14 +17 Renegotiate NAFTA or withdraw from the agreement 45 29 +16 Establish tariffs on foreign imports 56 41 +16 Freeze hiring of all federal employees 39 24 +15 Deport the more than 2 million illegal immigrants who have committed crimes 56 41 +15 Cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change program 34 20 +14 Enact a major spending program to strengthen infrastructure 73 60 +13 Reduce income taxes for all Americans 57 45 +13 Withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership 28 19 +10 Require that for each new federal regulation, two must be eliminated 23 21 +3 Note: Campaign promise phrasing taken from the Trump campaign's language; any discrepancies in percentage-point differences are due to rounding Gallup, Jan. 9-10, 2017

Divisions on Importance of Promises Have Shifted Since 2009

In January 2009, Gallup tested a list of Barack Obama's campaign promises. It appears Obama's agenda was more popular than Trump's is, based on the average percentage saying it was very important for him to keep his promises. On average, 53% of Americans said in 2009 that Obama's promises were very important, compared with 41% saying so about Trump's promises in 2017.

Much like today, members of the president-elect's party in 2009 were generally more likely than those of the opposing party to say keeping each promise was very important. Yet the substantial drop in Democrats' "very important" ratings now compared with eight years ago is not matched by the increase in Republicans' ratings, explaining the lower overall percentage rating Trump's promises as very important.

Aside from partisan differences, Americans are most divided on Trump's campaign promises based on their education level. Those with a college degree are, on average, 15 points less likely than those without a degree to rate Trump's campaign promises as very important, up from an eight-point spread in 2009.

This differs from 2009, when race/ethnicity was the most important factor after party identification for determining views on Obama's campaign promises. Nonwhites were, on average, 16 points more likely than whites to say Obama's promises were very important. For Trump's promises, there is a two-point gap between the groups.

Importance of President-Elect's Promises, 2009 vs. 2017 % Very important (average) Obama promises Trump promises Difference, 2009-2017 All 53% 41% +12 Men 49% 42% +7 Women 56% 40% +16 (Gender gap) -6 +3 Younger than 35 55% 36% +18 35+ 52% 43% +9 (Age gap) +3 -6 No college degree 55% 46% +10 College degree 47% 31% +16 (Education gap) +8 +15 Whites 49% 42% +7 Nonwhites 64% 40% +25 (Race gap) -16 +2 Republicans 39% 52% -13 Democrats 64% 31% +33 (Partisan gap) -25 +22 Note: Any discrepancies in percentage-point differences are due to rounding Gallup

The most divisive promise Obama made in his 2008 campaign was withdrawing most U.S. troops from Iraq within 16 months, which 71% of Democrats said was very important versus 27% of Republicans.

Much like this year, Obama's promises about healthcare were divisive in 2009, though overall majorities did say they were very important: 90% of Democrats and 52% of Republicans said keeping his promise of ensuring all children have health insurance was very important. Similarly, there was a 34-point difference in the percentage of Democrats (85%) and Republicans (51%) saying reducing healthcare costs for typical families was very important.

Bottom Line

Overall, increasing spending on the country's infrastructure and reducing taxes are broadly shared priorities today, much as they were eight years ago. More protectionist trade policies have now joined them, though these priorities are not as widely shared.

Other Trump campaign promises such as repealing and replacing Obamacare and building a wall along the border with Mexico are much more divisive, sparking widely different reactions from Americans of different parties and backgrounds.

While many Americans still see Trump's promises as important, the specifics of how he seeks to follow through on them may greatly influence how popular they remain in the coming years. Trump's agenda does not appear as popular as Obama's was in 2009 overall, or even among his own partisans. So far, many Americans have yet to be convinced of the importance of many of the president-elect's campaign promises.

Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics.
Story Highlights Only Truman, Ford, Carter had lower averages as president

Final job approval rating of 59% among the highest for presidents

Obama ratings avoided extreme highs, lows

WASHINGTON, D.C -- Barack Obama finished his tenure as president with a 47.9% average job approval rating. He ranks below eight presidents and ahead of only three -- Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Harry Truman -- in Gallup's polling history.

Job Approval Averages for U.S. Presidents Since World War II Dates Average Job Approval % Kennedy Jan. 20, 1961-Nov. 22, 1963 70.1 Eisenhower Jan. 20, 1953-Jan. 19, 1961 65.0 G.H.W. Bush Jan. 20, 1989-Jan. 19, 1993 60.9 Clinton Jan. 20, 1993-Jan. 19, 2001 55.1 Johnson Nov. 22, 1963-Jan. 19, 1969 55.1 Reagan Jan. 20, 1981-Jan. 19, 1989 52.8 G.W. Bush Jan. 20, 2001-Jan. 19, 2009 49.4 Nixon Jan. 20, 1969-Aug. 9, 1974 49.0 Obama Jan. 20, 2009-Jan. 19, 2017 47.9 Ford Aug. 9, 1974-Jan. 19, 1977 47.2 Carter Jan. 20, 1977-Jan. 19, 1981 45.5 Truman April 12, 1945-Jan 19, 1953 45.4 Gallup

John F. Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower and George H.W. Bush, all of whom averaged better than 60% job approval while in office, have the highest averages. Three others -- Bill Clinton, Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan -- have averages above the majority level. Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, falls just below the majority level at 49.4%.

Despite subpar approval ratings for much of his presidency, Obama finished strong. His final job approval rating, based on Jan. 17-19 Gallup Daily tracking, was 59%. Only Clinton (66%) and Reagan (63%) had higher scores in Gallup's last measurement of their approval ratings, while Eisenhower (59%) and Kennedy (58%) had similar final ratings.

Obama began his presidency with approval ratings in the high 60s, among the best for a newly elected president. But by the end of his first year, his approval ratings fell to near 50% and dropped below the majority level early in his second year. After his first year, he received sustained majority approval only once more during his first term in office. Fortunately for him, that came during his 16th quarter in office -- around the time he was re-elected in the fall of 2012. Shortly after his second term began, his support dipped back into the 40s and did not return to the majority level again until his final year in office. His 32nd and final quarter job approval average of 55.7% was his third-highest as president.

Obama's average job approval ratings were generally similar in his first (49.1%) and second (46.7%) terms as president.

Obama Ratings Mainly Avoided Extremes

Obama's highest individual job approval measurement in office was 69%, in January 2009 during the first few days of his presidency. He is one of only three presidents, along with Richard Nixon and Reagan, never to register an approval rating in the 70s.

And while he never achieved extremely high ratings, neither did he achieve extreme lows. At various points in his presidency his approval ratings dipped to 38%. This included in August and October 2011 after contentious negotiations over the debt ceiling limit and subsequent downgrading of the U.S. credit rating. Obama also failed to generate sufficient support for legislation designed to address the still-weak employment situation.

Obama's approval ratings also fell to 38% in September 2014, shortly after the Islamic State terrorist group released videos showing the beheadings of U.S. journalists captured overseas. Those incidents came on the heels of a summer of increased international tensions between Russia and Ukraine, and between Israel and the Palestinians. Domestically, the deaths of young black men Eric Garner and Michael Brown in confrontations with white police officers led to increased racial tensions.

All other presidents except Eisenhower and Kennedy fell below 38% at some point in their presidencies, with five different presidents receiving ratings below 30%.

Job Approval Highs and Lows for U.S. Presidents Since World War II High Approval Rating Date of High Low Approval Rating Date of Low % % Obama 69 Jan. 2009 38 Aug. 2011; Oct. 2011; Sep. 2014 G.W. Bush 90 Sept. 2001 25 Oct. 2008 Clinton 73 Dec. 1998 37 June 1993 G.H.W. Bush 89 Feb. 1991 29 July 1992 Reagan 68 May 1981; May 1986 35 Jan. 1983 Carter 75 March 1977 28 June 1979 Ford 71 Aug. 1974 37 Jan. 1975; March 1975 Nixon 67 Nov. 1969; Jan. 1973 24 July 74; Aug. 1974 Johnson 79 Feb. 1964 35 Aug. 1968 Kennedy 83 April-May 1961 56 Sept. 1963 Eisenhower 79 Dec. 1956 48 March-April 1958 Truman 87 June 1945 22 Feb. 1952 Gallup

The 31-point range between Obama's high and low approval ratings ties with Eisenhower as the second-smallest in Gallup's records, behind Kennedy's 27-point range.

Obama's approval ratings are notable for the absence of a major "rally event." These incidents, often involving a threat to U.S. security, galvanize the public and result in a surge in support for government leaders. For example, George W. Bush registered the all-time high job approval rating of 90% after the 9/11 terror attacks. The elder George H.W. Bush had an 89% approval rating after the U.S. victory in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

Obama did enjoy a modest surge in support, to 52% after the capture of Osama bin Laden in May 2011, but otherwise his support moved more gradually when it did change.

Obama's ratings were likely also held in check by the historic party polarization in his ratings. Republicans consistently gave him low job approval ratings -- never above 20% after a honeymoon phase ended in mid-2009. In contrast, Democratic support was mostly 80% or higher throughout his term in office.

Implications

Despite relatively strong approval ratings at the beginning and end of his presidency, Obama's average job approval rating for his entire presidency was lackluster, weighed down by a long period of sub-50% ratings. That partly reflects the fact that the country didn't suffer any major wars or international incidents that might have produced a "rally effect." On the other hand, it does reflect entrenched polarization, with very limited Republican support throughout his presidency.

His lackluster support may to some degree reflect his governing in a time of consistently low satisfaction with the state of the nation, low trust in government and diminished confidence in major U.S. institutions. It may also reflect some of his policies, most notably the divisive Affordable Care Act and his attempt to use executive orders to advance his immigration policy, something he was unable to accomplish through the legislative process.

A president's overall approval average is one indication of how well he did his job, but often a president's ratings at the end of his presidency have a greater impact on how he is remembered. Reflecting this, Americans believe that Obama will be judged more positively than negatively by history, and predict he will go down in history as a better president than several of his predecessors who had higher average approval ratings.

These data are available in Gallup Analytics.
Readers, we need your help to prove a merry Christmas for victims of domestic violence.
Nov. 5, 1918  Jan. 11, 2017

Lois Adelle Rice was born Nov. 5, 1918, to Norval and Jessie (Warner) Rice in Holley, a few miles down the Calapooia River from her great-grandparents donation land claim.

She grew up in Sweet Home and Amity with three brothers, Norman (Bud), Dale and Warren (Corky). Dale had one son, Richard.

Lois graduated from Amity Union High School in 1937. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1941 from Linfield College in McMinnville, where she waited tables in a cafe and worked in the kitchen of her dormitory. Lois received a Master of Science in Secondary Education from the University of Southern California in 1951.

Miss Rice taught high school social studies in Nyssa, Oregon; Bend, Oregon; El Segundo, California, and Cottage Grove, Oregon, where she was head of the Social Science Department and Senior Class Advisor. Lois was ready for a new challenge when she accepted a position at John Adams High School in Portland, Oregon. Adams presented a newly developed and experimental approach to secondary education, and Lois wanted to be involved. She wound up her career at Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, another new school, where she managed the career center. Lois loved her profession and stayed in contact with a number of former students. She retired from teaching in 1984.

Aside from investments in her quest for the perfectly comfortable and serviceable shoe, Lois was frugal and lived simply, saving her money for retirement. After she retired, she was free to splurge on travel. Some of her favorite adventures were the Orient Express route to the Silk Road, a seven seas cruise and a road trip to Alaska. Lois family has her travel diaries with daily entries written in tiny script, and dozens of slide carousels.

Like others in her family, Lois was hardworking, no-nonsense, organized and quietly accomplished. She did not strive to attract attention to herself, she simply worked hard and did the right thing. Lois was an excellent source of family information. She chronicled her life and family history in photo albums and books of family stories. Lois had a generous sense of humor and enjoyed travel and dinners with friends and family reunions. She will be remembered for her practical, calm, sensible and nonjudgmental nature, her excellent memory, and for her appreciation of comfortable footwear. She could be counted on to remember to bring tissues to a funeral and large pots of tea to a family dinner. Cousin Lois was a well-loved and much respected member of her family. She will be missed by all of us.

Lois passed away on Jan. 11, 2017. She was 98 years old and was predeceased by her parents, three brothers, and her nephew. She is survived by a group of cousins too numerous to list.

A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis on Feb. 2, 2017, at 1 p.m. The family plans to gather for a graveside service in Amity this summer.

We would like to thank the folks that were so kind to Lois in her last few years -- her caregivers at West Hills Assisted Living, Willamette Springs Memory Care Community, Benton Hospice Service, and the Presbyterian flower ladies.

Donations can be made to Benton Hospice Service. Please feel free to share thoughts of Lois on the tribute wall at: www.demossdurdan.com.
William Kirwan, chancellor emeritus of the University System of Maryland and an authority on issues facing higher education, will give a lecture next week at Oregon State University about how and why math education must evolve quickly to serve the needs of the 21st century.

The lecture, hosted by the College of Science at Oregon State University, is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Cascade Ballroom at the CH2M Hill Alumni Center. A reception will precede the lecture at 4:30 p.m.

The event is free.

In his lecture, Kirwan will discuss how math education must evolve quickly to increase students quantitative literacy, driven by the reality that math is the single largest roadblock for many to affordable degree completion and access to desirable careers.

He will discuss key trends, including new technologies, and defining alternative pathways for degree requirements in mathematics.

While on campus, Kirwan also will meet with campus leaders and administrators, faculty in the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics, and education faculty and students. Kirwan is currently the executive director of the Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics project and is a former president of Ohio State University and the University of Maryland, College Park. He was a mathematics professor for 24 years.
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

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 18

HARASSMENT: 7 p.m., 2400 block Southeast Third Street. A woman reported that a man she knew broke the driver's side window of her car as she was sitting in the driver's seat, and that the man later punched her in the face during an argument. The woman denied being injured and declined to press charges.

Benton County Sheriff's Office

SATURDAY, JAN. 14

WATER RESPONSE: 12:13 p.m., Willamette River near Willamette Park. Deputies were dispatched for a water rescue after two men in a 13.5-foot kayak reportedly went into the water around Kiger Island Slough. They were both wearing life jackets and were in the water for about five minutes before a man in a canoe was able to rescue them and bring them to the shore.
Time for a survey

To the Editor: Its time for a St. Paul survey One of the mistakes of the past with respect to deciding on the future of St. Pauls is that previous...

Election for St. Pauls

To the Editor: Perhaps someday there will be an election where some folks decide about St.Pauls. If the election is conducted in the most popular way, the outcome might not...

Proposal on the ballot

To the Editor: On the bottom of your ballot you will be asked to vote yes or no on creating a state bond which will amount to $4.2 billion. Subject coverage should be...

Botched RFP process

To the Editor: During the last several weeks, village officials sent out RFPs (requests for proposals) seeking candidate firms to provide them with comparative analysis and cost estimates -- ...
Womens March on Washington, DC : Bonn Sister March planned

BONN The Womens March on Washington has inspired Sister Marches all over the world with an estimated 1,364,010 marchers expected globally. Bonn will have its own Sister March on Saturday afternoon in Plittersdorf; organisers are hoping for a good turnout.

Teilen

Teilen Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Tweeten

Tweeten Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Drucken

It began as a grassroots movement in response to Donald Trumps divisive campaign rhetoric. Now the womens rights event Womens March on Washington looks set to have over 200,000 participants in Washington DC on 21 January, the day after Donald Trumps inauguration. Its mission: to stand together in solidarityfor the protection of our rights, our safety, our health and our families and to recognise diverse communities.

In Germany, marches are planned for Berlin, Munich and Hamburg among other cities, but when she realised no march was organised for either Cologne or Bonn, American Sonja Seitamo felt compelled to act. She stepped in to organise a march in Bonn.

While in the U.S. over Christmas, she realised what a huge event the Washington march had become. So many people I know are heading to Washington; friends from Denver, San Francisco, all over. My cousin is taking the bus from Minnesota because there are no more flights. I felt I had to do something to stand in solidarity with the marchers in Washington.

Although interested in politics, Seitamo has never been actively involved. She was galvanised into action by a desire to stand up for and support the rights of all citizens. I wanted to give people a venue to support something they believe in and to show we are not going to be quiet.

As well as Americans, she has friends from Hungary and Canada joining and the march is open to all concerned citizens, male or female, young or old, who want to speak up for shared values. Seitamo will be wearing a pussyhat - a pink knitted hat with ears  in support of the Pussyhat Project, a response to Donald Trumps leaked comments about grabbing womens genitals.

The Bonn Sister March of the Womens March on Washington DC is on Saturday 21 January at 2.30pm. Those interested should meet in Martin Luther King Strae at the roundabout (for navigation systems use Martin Luther King Strae 20). Come 15 minutes early if you want to make your own poster - there will be supplies on hand. The march is intended to last about an hour and there is no need to register in advance.

zuruck

weiter
Council objects to proposal : Mayor Sridharan wants hotel at the Rhine

BONN At first, the area currently occupied by a former student dormitory was reserved for a new festival theater. Then it was considered for a lot to build low income apartments. The city remains in favor of finding an investor to develop a hotel on the area near the Beethoven Hall.

Teilen

Teilen Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Tweeten

Tweeten Weiterleiten

Weiterleiten Drucken

On Wednesday evening, the city administration defended its controversial proposal for a hotel on the Erzbergeufer, an area at the Rhine River between the Kennedy Bridge and the Beethoven Hall. It wants to sell the area to a hotel investor. Opposition groups reacted with skepticism, and the decision was postponed.

The council majority, composed of members from the CDU, FDP and the Green parties had already made critical statements about the proposal and they have now agreed to take the item off the agenda for the time being. This means there will be no decision made at the next city council meeting on February 2.

Some in the city council would like to see low income apartments there instead, and the city administration says this is possible but the land is too valuable for such a use. From an economic standpoint, and with respect to the tight housing situation, Lord Mayor Sridharan said it would not make sense. He suggested instead to use proceeds from the sale of the land to build low income housing in other areas.

Victoria Appelbe, who is the head of economic development in Bonn, emphasized that Bonn is in need of more hotels, also because of the conferences at the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB). Currently, Bonn has 9,409 hotel beds with another 970 being planned. In the past years, the number of beds has increased by around 1,620 - a slight increase in comparison to other cities, noted Appelbe. The occupancy rate in Bonn hotels had risen slightly to around 46 percent.

Christoph Becker of the Hotel and Restaurant Association Nordrhein (Dehoga) doesnt see the need for further hotels. The Mariott opened in 2016 with 336 rooms and a Motel 1 is being built near the Kennedy Bridge; it will have 217 rooms. Sridharan defended his plans in a statement to General Anzeiger, We know from the UN and other NGOs that there is a big need especially for 3-star hotels. Still, he recognizes the problems of hoteliers and is interested in trying to get more conferences and meetings at the WCCB on weekends.
A new research article, with lead authors from the University of Gothenburg, gives indications of the best places in Iceland to build thermal power stations.

In Iceland, heat is extracted for use in power plants directly from the ground in volcanic areas. Constructing a geothermal power station near a volcano can be beneficial, since Earths mantle is located relatively close to the crust in those areas, making the heat easily accessible. This means that the boreholes do not need to be very deep and the pipes to the power plant can be short.

But placing a power plant near an active volcano is not without risk, as an eruption can easily destroy any human-made construction in its way.

The scientists have now studied three different parts of the divergent ridge (area where the ocean plates are slowly sliding away from each other) that crosses Iceland from southwest to northeast. The slow movement and separation of the ocean plates can cause cracks in Earths crust, through which hot magma from the planets interior rises to the surface. As a result, a large number of volcanos have emerged along the divergent boundary.

The study includes data with extremely high precision. Data from 1967 to the present, together with the very best modelling software, have yielded the best picture to date of the anatomy of the divergent boundary, says Md. Tariqul Islam, lead author of the article, which has been published in Journal of Geophysical Research.

Have measured the movement of the ocean plates

One of the best and also most well-known sites for studying a divergent boundary can be found in the Thingvellir National Park in Iceland, adjacent to the countrys biggest lake. Movements smaller than one millimetre can be measured in Thingvellir.

When the ocean plates are pulled apart, there is a reduction in pressure at a depth of 10-40 km. This reduction lowers the melting point so that parts of the mantle melt and magma is formed. There are a number of active volcanos of this type along the divergent boundary.

Using a geodetic GPS, the scientists have now been able to measure the movement of the plates over time. The data used in the study is based on measurements from almost 100 fixed measurement points. The information from the measurement points have made it possible to draw maps that show in what way the plates are moving away from each other and how large the deformation zone is.

This is a start. The next step will be to use powerful computers to create high-resolution 3D models of the entire zone of divergence. This will enable us to see how the interaction between the different spreading segments and how the different volcanos affect each other, says Md. Tariqul Islam.

Reference:

Md. Tariqul Islam, Erik Sturkell, Peter LaFemina, Halldor Geirsson, Freysteinn Sigmundsson, Halldor Olafsson. Continuous subsidence in the Thingvellir rift graben, Iceland: Geodetic observations since 1967 compared to rheological models of plate spreading. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 2016; 121 (1): 321 DOI: 10.1002/2015JB012306

Note: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by University of Gothenburg.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 explosion reason to be revealed on Monday News oi -Chakri Kudikala The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was officially discontinued in October 2016.

Samsung to officially announce the reason behind the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 explosion on Monday via a press conference to be held in Seoul.

The press conference can be live streamed via the companys official website. Samsung officially unveiled the Note 7 on August 2, and it also showcased the product in India on August 11, but it never went on to sale due to the explosions.

Also Read: Apple MacBook Pro fans are pissed about the new MacBook: Find out why

Before the official discontinuation, Samsung recalled the Note 7 to fix the explosion issues but failed to do so, and as a result at the end of October, the company officially discontinued the product.

Since then, Samsung has been investigating all around on the reason behind the explosion. Not only Samsung, but several other channels also studied the case, and they now have conclusive evidence for the significant hampering.

A recent rumor suggested that the batteries were the culprit for the phones to explode, but Samsung was quiet all these days. Rumors also suggest that Samsung will be killing the Note brand of smartphones and will launch a bigger variant of the Samsung Galaxy S8, namely, the Galaxy S8 Plus along with support for S-Pen.

SOURCE

Best Mobiles in India

Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications
CIA unveils new rules for collecting information on US citizens

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 2:41PM

The outgoing administration of US President Barack Obama has imposed new privacy guidelines on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that are designed to limit its use of information on American citizens.

The CIA published the new privacy rules on Wednesday, less than two days before Donald Trump's presidency.

The updated procedures include what the CIA must do when it collects, stores and analyzes information on Americans.

The rules, under development for 2 years, were signed on Tuesday by CIA Director John Brennan and Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

The guidelines are designed "in a manner that protects the privacy and civil rights of the American people," CIA General Counsel Caroline Krass told a briefing at the agency's headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

The new restrictions will force the CIA, whose mission is to focus on foreign targets, to dispose of the personal data of Americans it comes across during its probes within five years.

The new rules were released amid continued concern over the US government's mass surveillance programs, an issue that gained prominence after intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed in 2013 that the NSA secretly collected the communications data of millions of ordinary Americans.

Snowden, who worked for the CIA before being hired by an NSA contractor, revealed numerous global surveillance programs that the US government conducted with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and European governments.

The incoming Trump administration can change the new rules. The president-elect has said he favors stronger government surveillance powers, including the monitoring of "certain" mosques in the United States.

But Trump has also had a tense relationship with the CIA and other intelligence agencies following his election victory. The CIA reported last month that Russian hackers had intervened in the US presidential election to help Trump defeat his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Trump had rebuffed the CIA report that Russia was behind the hacks or was trying to help him win, but accepted the findings earlier this month, though he still rejects allegations that the cyber attacks led to his victory.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






WikiLeaks Founder Assange Says He Stands By Extradition Offer

RFE/RL January 19, 2017

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on January 19 that he his standing by his offer to be extradited to the United States as soon as whistle-blower Chelsea Manning is released from a U.S. prison.

Assange, who has been holed up at thee Ecuadorean Embassy in London since 2012, said last week that he would accept extradition if Manning, a former military intelligence analyst, was freed, and provided his own rights are protected.

On January 18, U.S. President Barack Obama commuted Manning's 35-year sentence. She is now scheduled to be released in May.

Obama said the move had nothing to do with Assange's offer.

When asked on January 19 if he was prepared to hand himself over to U.S. authorities, the 45-year-old Assange said there was no change in his position.

"I stand by everything I said, including the offer to go to the United States if Chelsea Manning's sentence was commuted," Assange told a live online audio news conference. "It's not going to be commuted [until] May. We can have many discussions to that point."

Assange fled to the Ecuadorean Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape.

WikiLeaks and Assange have been under investigation for years for publishing thousands of highly sensitive leaked documents from the United States.

He says he has long feared that if he leaves the embassy in London, he could be extradited to the United States to face criminal charges.

To date, no criminal charges have been filed against Assange in the United States.

With reporting by Reuters and The Independent

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/wikileaks-assange-stands -by-extradition-offer/28244156.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Jan. 19, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 21 strikes consisting of 24 engagements in Syria:

-- Near Abu Kamal, two strikes destroyed a large oil tanker and an oil still.

-- Near Bab, three strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two tactical vehicles and a supply cache.

-- Near Shadaddi, a strike destroyed a vehicle bomb.

-- Near Raqqah, 12 strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units, six fighting positions, a house bomb, a tactical vehicle, a checkpoint, and two tunnels; suppressed four ISIL tactical units; and damaged a supply route.

-- Near Ayn Isa, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three fighting positions and a heavy machine gun.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed 20 oil refinement stills.

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft as well as rocket artillery conducted six strikes consisting of 45 engagements in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Kisik, a strike suppressed an ISIL tactical unit.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes engaged two ISIL tactical units, destroyed 49 watercraft, three ISIL-held buildings, four fighting positions, three mortars, three barges, two vehicles, a vehicle bomb facility, a command-and-control node, and three excavators; suppressed an ISIL tactical unit; and damaged two tunnels and 12 supply routes.

-- Near Sinjar, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle launch site.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






U.S. Airstrikes Kill 80 ISIL Fighters in Libya, Carter Says

By Terri Moon Cronk DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2017  The overnight U.S. precision airstrikes on two Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant training camps near Sirte, Libya, are estimated to have killed more than 80 enemy fighters, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today.

On the eve of leaving his position as defense secretary, Carter told reporters at the Pentagon the airstrikes were vital in the American and coalition forces' campaign to "deal ISIL the lasting defeat it deserves."

The secretary said many of the estimated dead were fighters who had converged on the camps after fleeing from local partner forces that cleared Sirte last month with U.S. help. Sirte is nearly 28 miles southwest of the training camps that were struck last night.

Strikes Targeted External Plotters

The operation involved the United States in conjunction with its partners and Libya's Government of National Accord, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said.

"The fighters training in these camps posed a security risk to Libya, its neighbors, our allies in Africa and Europe, and to the United States and its interests," he said.

"Importantly, these strikes were directed against some of ISIL's external plotters, who were actively planning operations against our allies in Europe," Carter noted. "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."

Strikes Help Sirte's Liberation

As the U.S. assessment of the airstrikes in Libya continues, Cook said, the initial analysis is the strikes were successful in destroying the camps, and their destruction will degrade ISIL's ability to threaten the Libyan people or disrupt efforts to stabilize Sirte after its liberation.

Two U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers, which took off from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, primarily conducted the joint direct attack munitions hit both camps, the press secretary said.

"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," he noted, adding that the use of the bombers was a decision by commanders, given the capabilities of the platform and the requirements of the mission.

The spokesman showed surveillance video at one of the camps where he described ISIL members as moving equipment such as homemade bombs and shells.

"We have been watching [the training camps] for some time," he added.

Counter-ISIL Progress in Iraq, Syria

The secretary said while the airstrikes in Libya were carried out, gains were made in Mosul, Iraq, by the Iraqi security forces.

"Our local partners in Iraq, with our advice and assistance, managed to secure all critical areas in eastern Mosul, Carter said. "As they now prepare to clear the western part of Mosul, I'm confident that ISIL's days in Mosul are numbered."

Cook said work to clear pockets of resistance remains, but nearly all of Mosul east of the Tigris River is in Iraqi hands for the first time in two-and-a-half years.

"Iraqi security forces now control the eastern ends of all five bridges linking east and west Mosul. And Prime Minister [Haider] al-Abadi and Iraqi military commanders have hailed this as a major accomplishment," he said.

Senior ISIL Leader Killed in Raqqa

And, while partner forces continue to isolate the city of Raqqa, Syria, Cook confirmed the death of Abu Anas al-Iraqi, a member of ISIL's senior leadership council, following a raid on Jan. 8 as the terrorist traveled to Raqqa.

"Al-Iraqi was a long-time associate of ISIL's senior leadership, dating back to its origins of Al-Qaida in Iraq. He oversaw media and financial operations and was a member of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's inner circle," Cook said.

Before 2007, al-Iraqi was chief propagandist for al-Qaida in Iraq and incited and directed attacks against U.S.' and coalition forces in Iraq, the press secretary added.

"His death is a reminder to ISIL's leadership that they will find no shelter anywhere on the battlefield. And as Secretary Carter just described, the coalition and our local partners have seized every opportunity to accelerate ISIL's defeat. The events of the last 24 hours certainly demonstrate that," Cook said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Separate U.S. Airstrikes Kill 2 Senior al-Qaida Leaders in Syria

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2017  Two senior al-Qaida operatives were killed recently in separate U.S. airstrikes in Syria, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in two statements issued today.

Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi, an al-Qaida external operations leader, was killed by a U.S. precision airstrike Jan. 17 near Idlib, Syria, Cook said in a statement. The deceased terrorist, a Tunisian, was involved in extremist facilitation and external operations and has been connected to terrorist plots to attack Western targets.

The terrorist arrived in Syria in 2014 after spending several years in countries across Europe and the Middle East, where he maintained ties with multiple extremists, said Cook, adding the terrorist's death will degrade al-Qaida's pool of experienced, well-connected facilitators and fighters with external operations experience.

In a separate statement, Cook said U.S. forces killed Abd al-Jalil al-Muslimi, an al-Qaida facilitator, in a Jan. 12 precision airstrike near Saraqib, Syria.

Muslimi, a Tunisian, was trained by the Taliban in the late 1990s, when he facilitated extremist travel for the terror group, Cook said. He had extensive and long-standing ties to numerous al-Qaida external operations planners and terrorists.

Cook said Muslimi's death will degrade Al-Qaida in Syria's access to that cadre of veteran plotters, which will likely disrupt its ongoing terror plotting.

Muslimi's role will be difficult for al-Qaida to fill, Cook said, and the United States will continue to take action to deny these terrorists a safe haven in Syria from which to plot to attack the United States, its allies or its interests.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






A Day of Firsts for 'First in Asia' Battalion: Special Forces Soldiers Participate in First Jump Cer

By Mr. Richard L Rzepka (USAG Okinawa) January 19, 2017

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group put their knees in the breeze with Soldiers from Japan Ground Self Defense Force's 1st Airborne Brigade (1) Jan. 8 at Camp Narashino near Chiba, Japan.

The allied Paratroopers made history, jumping together for the first time at the 50th annual JGSDF First Jump Ceremony, which celebrates the first training event of the new year for the Japanese Paratroopers -- also known as the Narashino Airborne Brigade ().

Participation by U.S. Army Paratroopers in the First Jump Ceremony has been a long time coming. The catalyst for the bilateral jump was a visit to Japan's elite Paratoopers by senior leaders from 4th Brigade, 25th Infantry Division more than three years ago, said Maj. Donald Kim, Foreign Area Officer. A visit to the event in 2016 by U.S. Army Japan Commanding General. Maj. Gen. James F. Pasquarette set the wheels in motion and approval was granted.

"[U.S. Army-Pacific] has strong ties with the JGSDF through various means of bilateral exercises, exchanges and seminars," said Kim. "Continuous emphasis on ceremonial and anniversary events such as the First Jump Ceremony will inform the public and other nations that the alliance between US and Japan is enduring. Further, both forces will share a common understanding of each other's organizational differences and tactical activities to better prepare for any bilateral or multilateral collaboration in times of crisis," he said.

Like U.S. Army Paratroopers, Paratroopers from the 1st Airborne Brigade participate in various Airborne jumps using C-130 Hercules turboprop aircraft, CH-47 Chinook helicopters, UH-1 Hueys and other available fixed-wing aircraft. They also conduct Air Assaults to display ground combat capabilities. Japan Air Self Defense Force mainly provide fixed-wing aircraft for the ceremony, and the 1st Helicopter Brigade provides rotary wing aircraft.

"1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group is honored to represent the U.S. Army as the guest Paratroopers for the ceremony. As guests of the country of Japan, we are always striving to show our respect and commitment to the alliance," said Capt. Zach, whose last name is withheld for security purposes.

Zach said that conducting bilateral Airborne operations and by being good ambassadors to host-nation allies helps strengthen the relationship between the allied-Airborne units.

"The relationship between our units is a new one, however we always find common ground and special significance when working with Paratroopers from around the globe," said Zach. Continued operations and relations with the 1st Airborne Brigade and enhancing future training opportunities is always something we are happy to develop. Bottom line: it is important."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Release

No. NR-015-17 January 19, 2017

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook Statement on Strike Against Al Qaida Leader?

Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi, an al-Qaida external operations leader, was killed by a U.S. precision airstrike Jan. 17 near Idlib, Syria. He was involved in extremist facilitation and external operations and has been connected to terrorist plots to attack Western targets. Boussadoun, a Tunisian, arrived in Syria in 2014 after spending several years in countries across Europe and the Middle East, where he maintained ties with multiple extremists. Boussadoun's death will degrade al-Qaida's pool of experienced, well-connected facilitators and fighters with external operations experience.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1054289/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Transcript

Presenter: Secretary of Defense Ash Carter January 26, 2017

Department of Defense Press Briefing by Secretary Carter and Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook in the Pentagon Briefing Room

PETER COOK: Sorry for the delay, everyone. I have a surprise guest for us today.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ASH CARTER: Hello, everyone.

(CROSSTALK  AUDIO CHECK)

SEC. CARTER: Well, good morning once again. Thanks for being here.

And I'm sorry for interrupting Peter's final briefing, but I wanted to come down here on my last day to provide an important update on what happened overnight in our campaign to deal ISIL the lasting defeat it deserves.

First, in Libya, our Africa Command conducted air strikes against two ISIL camps south of Sirte. Initial estimates indicate that the air strikes 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.

Importantly, these strikes were directed against some of ISIL's external plotters, who were actively planning operations against our allies in Europe. So 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.

While we struck in Libya, our local partners in Iraq, with our advice and assistance, managed to secure all critical areas in eastern Mosul. As they now prepare to clear the western part of Mosul, I'm confident that ISIL's days in Mosul are numbered.

Meanwhile in Syria, our local partners continue to converge down on Raqqa and I'm also confident that they will soon have ISIL's so-called capital isolated.

These most recent events are a direct result of the deliberate actions we've taken since 2015 to accelerate our coalition military campaign plan that Chairman Dunford and I put together. They are a reminder to ISIL and many others that while the world doesn't rest from the transition here in Washington, neither does the Department of Defense.

As I leave this job, I'm certain that the United States and our coalition and local partners will continue to build on the results we've achieved and ultimately destroy the fact and the idea of a state based on ISIL's barbaric ideology.

We've generated significant momentum over the last year and a half, and I'm confident that going forward, Jim Mattis and his team, as well as General Dunford, and all our servicemen and women, joined by their coalition and local partners, will deliver ISIL the lasting defeat it deserves.

Many of you have covered this military campaign and this department with great diligence, and I know you'll continue to do so. So, I want to thank you all very much.

And I have time for one question, I guess -- and Bob, as our dean, you get the parting question.

Q: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

On the Libya action, how do you respond to those who would say that this only highlights the failure of the administration to contain ISIL, given that they're still there?

SEC. CARTER: Well, in -- ISIL has little nests, sometimes of people who rebranded themselves who were there already and received inspiration and sometimes support. And so it's always been part of our campaign to destroy ISIL everywhere we find it.

Afghanistan is another place. So this is a continuation of the plan. Libya -- there's a civil war in Libya. And if -- and that fundamentally is the reason why ISIL is able to get a foothold there. The Libyans don't like foreigners. And I think if they could settle their own internal differences, which is a political and diplomatic matter, they themselves would make quick work of ISIL.

But we did these strikes, as we've done other actions in Sirte, and everything else we do there, at the request and with the permission of the GNA there. And we did this as well. But we need to strike ISIL everywhere they show up. And that's particularly true in view of the fact that we know that some of the ISIL operatives in Libya were involved in plotting attacks in Europe to our friends and allies there.

And so external operations wherever they arise from ISIL or any of its branches.

Q: Were those imminent threats in Europe?

SEC. CARTER: Well, they certainly are people who, Bob, were actively plotting operations in Europe. And may also have been connected with some attacks that have already occurred in Europe. So 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.

But your fundamental question about Libya is, as long as the conditions of civil war are there, the Libyans don't have the unity. If they did, I think they -- they themselves could make short work of ISIL. For now, under these conditions, our help is invaluable and we're providing it.

So thank you all very much. I really appreciate it.

And now I'll turn things over to Peter and he's prepared to give you much more information and detail on this particular strike.

Q: Mr. Secretary, why was a B-2 bomber --

(CROSSTALK)

SEC. CARTER: Peter will tell you. Peter will tell you.

It was a decision made by the commanders. It was the best capability to use. There were other options. We have a vast armamentarium, but this is what the commanders chose. And I think Peter is prepared to explain that in some -- some detail -- the commanders' reason.

Thank you all very much.

MR. COOK: Sir, thank you for coming. And thank you for the opportunity for me to be able to do this on your behalf. Appreciate it.

(Laughter.)

No -- you're laughing, Eric Rosenbach, but I'm serious.

Thank you, sir.

(Laughter.)

It's been an honor and a privilege.

SEC. CARTER: Let me say, I couldn't do this job without Peter -- (inaudible) -- counselor and as communicator to you. So I hope you as much trust and confidence in him as I have. I'm very, very grateful that he accepted this job. He did it -- (inaudible) -- far beyond any reasonable expectation and I'm extremely grateful. He's a very able person.

MR. COOK: Thank you, sir.

Q: It's his last briefing. Test his mettle.

(Laughter.)

MR. COOK: Eric Rosenbach keeping my life interesting.

Listen, I do have some more to talk about, and then I'll open it up to your questions today, because we do have some more details to walk through.

First of all, we have a map I think we can put up, just showing the location of where these camps were in relation to Sirte. Again, let me walk through a few details.

This was the United Statesin conjunction with our partners and Libya's Government of National Accord. Last night, we conducted precision air strikes to destroy two ISIL training camps about 45 kilometers southwest of Sirte, Libya. Among those in the camps were members of ISIL who fled Sirte and were attempting to reorganize.

The fighters training in these camps posed a security risk to Libya, to its neighbors, to our allies in Africa and Europe, and to the United States and its interests. Our assessment of these strikes is ongoing, but the initial analysis, again indicated by the secretary, is that these strikes were successful in destroying these camps, and their destruction will degrade ISIL's ability to threaten the Libyan people or disrupt efforts to stabilize Sirte -- to disrupt efforts to stabilize Sirte after its liberation.

The United States remains ready to further assist the GNA in its efforts to eliminate the ISIL threat in Libya and to work with partners around the world to defeat ISIL wherever it seeks to spread.

And we do have some video to show you of surveillance of one of these camps in advance of the air strikes. And if we have the ability to roll some of that, you'll be able to see a little bit of what we were able to assess before these strikes took place.

And again, this is video here of some of the ISIL members moving equipment here specifically. You'll see RPGs and shells being moved in this surveillance video. And this was one of the camps, again, video ahead of the air strikes that took place.

Q: Did they have any idea they were on camera?

MR. COOK: I'll leave that for you to determine.

These strikes were primarily conducted by two U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers, which took off from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, on a 30-plus hour roundtrip mission to drop their joint direct attack munition weapons on these camps. 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.

And again, as the secretary indicated, this was a decision by the commanders, given the capabilities of this platform and the requirements of this particular mission. And we have another video as well of one of the strikes as it was conducted.

You can see in this video some of the structures there at one of these camps, and one of the multiple strikes that took place -- the precision strikes that took place at this camp.

Q: Do you know how many bombs they dropped -- (inaudible)?

MR. COOK: My understanding is there were about 100 munitions that were dropped.

Again, these strikes demonstrate the effective use of the United States' unique military capabilities, in coordination with partner nations, to strike ISIL wherever it seeks to spread. At the same time, the coalition continues to accelerate the defeat of ISIL in Iraq and Syria, the parent tumor of the ISIL cancer, where we also have seen significant progress in recent days.

Today, we are seeing what increasingly appears to be ISIL's retreat from east Mosul. While some work to clear pockets of resistance remains, nearly all of Mosul east of the Tigris River is in Iraqi hands for the first time in two-and-a-half years.

Iraqi security forces now control the eastern ends of all five bridges linking east and west Mosul. And Prime Minister Abadi and Iraqi military commanders have hailed this as a major accomplishment, and rightfully so.

In Syria, our partner forces continue the isolation of Raqqa, clearing more than 3,000 square kilometers since the start of their operations. ISIL's days there, as well as in Iraq, are numbered.

Throughout this effort, we have continued to identify, track and bring to justice senior ISIL leaders. One of those efforts was a raid we previously announced that took place on January 8th. Today, I can confirm that this raid resulted in the death of Abu Anas al-Iraqi, a member of ISIL's senior leadership council, as he traveled to Raqqa, Syria.

Al-Iraqi was a long-time associate of ISIL's senior leadership, dating back to its origins of al-Qaida in Iraq. He oversaw media and financial operations and was a member of ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's inner circle.

Prior to 2007, as chief propagandist for al-Qaida in Iraq, al-Iraqi incited and directed attacks against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. His death is a reminder to ISIL's leadership that they will find no shelter anywhere on the battlefield.

And as Secretary Carter just described, the coalition and our local partners have seized every opportunity to accelerate ISIL's defeat. The events of the last 24 hours certainly demonstrate that.

Now, I'd be happy to take your questions. And with your indulgence, at the end I'd like to make a couple of final remarks about my final briefing here. But I'll take your questions now.

Jennifer?

Q: Just to follow up, Peter. Why was -- why were the B-2s chosen to fly halfway around the world when there were platforms in Europe that were a lot closer, would have cost a lot less money to destroy these two camps?

MR. COOK: Jennifer, as you heard the secretary say, this was a decision made by commanders based on the specific mission requirements here; the capabilities of the B-2 specifically, not only in terms of its payload, but also its ability to loiter. There were specific reasons why the commanders felt this was the appropriate platform to use. And you can see the results were successful. These were precision strikes, delivered by a very capable aircraft.

Q: Was it designed to send a message to countries like Russia, China, on the eve of an inauguration?

MR. COOK: This was a mission designed to kill terrorists who threaten the United States, our allies and our interests. And it shows our willingness to go after ISIL wherever they appear. And if there's a message sent to terrorists around the world, so be it. This was a military operation specifically targeting ISIL. And it demonstrates the capabilities of the United States, the ability for us to reach anywhere in the world, and to strike a blow to terrorists who threaten us.

Q: You mentioned this was done in coordination with the GNA. Were there any GNA troops on the ground? And did they capture any of the militants?

MR. COOK: I'll let the GNA speak for their role in this, but this was carefully coordinated with the Government of National Accord. And again, I'll leave it to them to speak to their -- their role in this. But we -- we carefully coordinated with them, and this has been a conversation we've had with them. This has been a discussion for some time as we've kept an eye on these particular camps.

Q: Were all the targets -- (inaudible)? Or did anyone get away? (inaudible) -- afterwards -- (inaudible)?

MR. COOK: We're -- we're still conducting our assessments right now. But the indications are this was a very successful strike.

Q: (inaudible) -- Peter. I think you said in December when the secretary himself had declared the operation in Sirte essentially over with, that, you know, in the weeks leading up to that, there were some small number of ISIL people kind of holed up there. Now you're saying there were 80 people or more at this place, that they were squirters from the Sirte camp.

How does that -- how do you square that? Why such a large number had come from Sirte? Or did they come from somewhere else?

MR. COOK: It's not clear, Bob, that -- and again, I'm not going to get into intelligence matters. But it's not clear that all of them necessarily came from Sirte. But what we're confident in, that this was a group of ISIL fighters who were trying to reconstitute themselves, conducting training. You saw some of the military equipment in that brief video there.

This was a group that had plans. And that's why we struck them at this particular time. And I can tell you that we have been keeping an eye on -- on ISIL's movements and the remnants of ISIL from Sirte in Libya. And this was an opportunity that presented itself that we took advantage of. But they have been moving. They have not been in any one particular place. And we've been doing our best to try and keep track of them, and this was a decision made based on that opportunity.

Yes, Michael?

Q: Peter, I'm not asking you precise numbers, but there have been estimates there are several hundred ISIL fighters in Libya. What portion of ISIL, kind of, personnel in Libya does this represent -- these 80 or 90 people killed? Is it less than half? Is it a quarter? Is it the majority of the fighters? Is it 10 percent?

MR. COOK: I -- yeah. Michael, it's -- I'm not in a position right here to tell you exactly how many ISIL fighters still -- still are alive in Libya and still fighting. This certainly dealt a significant blow to ISIL's presence in Libya.

Was it a death knell for them in Libya? We'll have to wait and see. But we feel like we've done significant damage to ISIL's presence in Libya, both in the conduct of our operations with the GNA aligned forces in Sirte, and certainly with this strike today.

Yes, Carla?

Q: Two quick questions on this. How long had U.S. ISR been watching these two camps?

MR. COOK: We've been obviously keeping an eye on ISIL fighters and the remnants of ISIL for those who left Sirte for some time. But I can't give you a precise -- precise amount of time. But we've been keeping our eye. We've been watching them for some time. And again, these were groups of fighters who have been on the move. They have not stayed in the same place for extended periods of time. And this -- this was an opportunity that presented itself that we wanted to take advantage of.

Q: And then to follow, there's a report out now that says U.S. officials see North Korea activity indicating a possible future ballistic missile test. What more can you tell us on that? Is the DOD prepared for this? And how is DOD preparing?

MR. COOK: We've been prepared for this for some time. That's what we do every day in terms of the North Korea threat. You've heard the secretary talk about this recently, describing the significant steps that we've taken along with our allies in the region to be prepared for provocative acts by the North Koreans. And we continue to be prepared.

As we go through this transition, the Department of Defense remains prepared to address the threats that are posed by North Korea. And we will continue to be so. We have 28,500 troops on the Korean peninsula as we speak. They are ready to fight tonight. We have other capabilities in the region, again designed to protect the United States and our allies.

Q: Can you confirm this activity? What -- what sort of activity are you seeing?

MR. COOK: I can't get into intelligence matters. I can't confirm what's been reported there. I can just tell you that the preparations that we have in place have been in place for some time. And we feel, again, that we are ready to deal -- we would once again encourage North Korea not to engage in provocative actions that do nothing but destabilize the region, and do nothing for North Korea.

There's an opportunity for North Korea to choose a different path.

Yes?

(CROSSTALK)

MR. COOK: I'll come back to you.

Jamie?

Q: You said that the department is prepared to carry out it's, you know, its duties to protect the nation during this transition period. You're a political appointee, and so you'll be leaving. This is your last full day. How many other people in the department are in your position? How many people will be gone on Monday? And how will that affect the Pentagon's ability to operate at the highest levels, assuming there's some sort of challenge to the country during this transition period?

MR. COOK: Yes. Let me get the precise number for you, because I'd just be guessing off the top of my head. I have a number in mind, but I'm not sure it's accurate. So let me get the precise number. But the reality, Jamie, as you know from your years of covering here, is the vast majority of the people in this building will not be departing.

The continuity that is here and the experience within the Department of Defense is significant. And all you have to do is look at Chairman Dunford and the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and our combatant commanders to see that there is certainly in uniform a depth of experience that will serve this country, will serve the next president and the next administration.

That is a good thing for this country. It certainly adds to the continuity here in the Department of Defense. But beyond those uniformed members, those people who serve their country in uniform and stand ready to defend this country no matter who the president is, we have a significant number of civilians in this building who are just as dedicated, serving their country, very capable, very experienced. And we look to them to maintain that continuity to ensure that the American people remain protected.

And I can assure you they are ready to do that job. They have done that in the past. We have had seamless transitions in the past in the Department of Defense, and we're prepared to do the same here.

Q: So what would your message be to any potential adversary that would think that a good time to challenge the United States would be during this transition period?

MR. COOK: That would be a mistake. That would be a miscalculation.

Joe?

Q: Peter --

(CROSSTALK)

MR. COOK: Let me go to Kasim first. Sorry.

Q: (inaudible) -- Peter.

After the United States, the Russians and also British started to strike ISIS around al-Bab. What's going on there? Do you have any update on the operations around al-Bab?

MR. COOK: Well, as you know, Kasim, our Turkish ally and forces that they are working with closely continue to wage an operation there -- mount an operation against ISIL. There continues to be close coordination with the coalition. And I can't get into every specific aspect of that coordination and I certainly won't speak for other countries, but this is part of the larger effort to deal ISIL a lasting defeat.

And we want that to happen in al-Bab. We want that to happen in Raqqa. We want that to happen in Mosul. We want that to happen in Libya. And it represents that wider effort. This has to be an effort that is applied on multiple fronts. We cannot allow ISIL to have safe haven anywhere.

And the more pressures applied at the same time, the better -- the harder it is for ISIL to operate; the harder it is for it to plot external attacks; the harder it is to function; and the sooner it is delivered that lasting defeat.

Q: Can we say that there is -- (inaudible) -- cooperation between Russians, Turks, British and United States done in that part of the country?

MR. COOK: I don't know. What -- what -- you can call it what you want. I will not speak for any of those other governments. I will just speak, again, on behalf of the United States and the international coalition. We continue to closely coordinate our efforts there. We, again, try and address -- make sure that everything we're doing is applying the maximum amount of pressure to ISIL on as many fronts as possible.

Yes, Barbara in the back.

Oh, I'm sorry. Barbara, wait. I promised Joe. I'm losing my order here.

Q: Thank you, Peter.

Back to Libya. You mentioned and the secretary mentioned that in both camps, ISIL militants were planning attacks against Europe. Could you -- do you have more details? Were they planning something against U.S. interests? Or like similar attacks that we've seen in Paris or Brussels?

MR. COOK: Joe, the secretary spoke to this. I'm going to leave -- let his words stand. I'm not going to get into -- not going to get into matters that I can't discuss here from the podium.

Just again reiterate that this was a group that not only potentially posed a threat to people in Libya and certainly the stabilization of Libya, but we feel confident this was a group that posed a threat beyond Libya's borders as well.

Q: The reason I'm asking you this, Peter, flying two bombers from Missouri all the way half the world to Libya, there should be something really that has a value or something really interesting and dangerous at the same time.

MR. COOK: We had 100 terrorists training in the Libyan -- south of Sirte. And we -- in the United States view, that was an -- that was an operation -- a risk we could not accept. And so we have taken this action to reduce that threat, both to the people of Libya, people in Europe, and certainly to the United States as well.

Q: So you're not aware of the details of the plot that they were planning?

MR. COOK: Joe, I'm not going to get into matters I can't discuss from here at the podium.

So, Barbara?

Q: Back on North Korea for one minute. You talked about the continuity in the Defense Department -- the continuity of readiness of the U.S. military and military commanders. So, Peter, could you just say flat-out: Do you think, do you believe, do you know, will this continuity of readiness to be able to deal with North Korea, be with the Trump administration at 12:01 on Friday? Will the Trump administration, based on the continuity you described a minute ago, be ready to deal with North Korea?

MR. COOK: I will leave the Trump administration to speak for itself. What I can tell you is that the preparations made by this department, under this secretary of defense, to ensure that the next administration has everything it needs to hit the ground running at 12:01, has been done.

And again, the continuity that you have here in the Department of Defense certainly is a significant factor in terms of making that transition. There are people here who are incredibly experienced, incredibly capable. They have met with the transition folks and shared their knowledge and experience. And that will serve the next administration. And we should be very thankful that those people are in their positions.

Q: Does that readiness extend to being ready to deal with North Korea?

MR. COOK: Yes.

Q: And my other question is, on the Libya strike, to what extent did airspace approvals, authorities, whatever the correct word is, if -- other than to use something flying from the United States, you would have needed air override -- over-flight provisions from any countries. To what extent was the decision made on the basis that you were unsure you could get the necessary overflight airspace approvals?

MR. COOK: I'm not aware of overflight being an issue here. My understanding is these platforms were again selected because of the capabilities that the B-2 provides, the specific munitions that were considered here, and it had to do with the platform itself, and the commander's decision to use this platform at this particular moment of time for this particular operation.

Yes, Bill.

Q: The -- thank you for showing the video but -- I'd like to see more of those but we don't -- we rarely see imagery that clear. So why did you chose to show us that?

MR. COOK: Because we thought it was important for this particular strike, given the unusual nature of it, to provide video for you to be able to see exactly what took place.

I wish we could do this more often. It is a regret of mine that we have not had the ability to provide more for you, and I will say that to you now.

Q: So last day?

MR. COOK: Agreed -- agreed -- and we have -- this is something that we've talked to the folks at OIR about, and in most cases that's where these would be released, and it's something that I certainly am encouraging people to consider doing more of as we -- as this fight against ISIL, in particular, continues.

Q: Can we see more in the next six hours?

(Laughter.)

MR. COOK: We'll see. There may be additional images for you all to take advantage of, and we'll talk to our folks.

(CROSSTALK)

Q: -- operations?

MR. COOK: We'll see Barbara. I --

Q: Do you know kind of weapons were they carrying? Were they like MANPADS -- surface to -- (inaudible) -- missiles?

MR. COOK: I -- very rough look at it myself, and I would refer to the experts in the building. There was RPGs and shells that you could see in the back of that pickup truck.

Q: Sending two bombers from Missouri just to hit RPGs? Don't you think it's -- (inaudible)?

(Laughter.)

MR. COOK: That was again, as Barbara pointed out, a portion of the video we have. So -- but -- Bill, do you have another question?

Q: I do. So were there any HVIs as part of this strike?

MR. COOK: So, again, we've had an initial assessment, and we continue to look closely at the results of this -- of this strike. So that's not something I can -- we're still looking.

Q: Okay. Lastly, I mean, when we first started talking about Sirte and the operation there, even before when General Rodriguez was here. He was talking about thousands of fighters. We've not seen those sorts of numbers in terms of KIA on the battlefield. So where are these guys?

Are there -- the secretary mentioned nests of ISIS fighters, are there other of these training camps that you're aware of?

MR. COOK: Well, I'm not going to talk about intelligence matters here, but you can be sure that if we have opportunities to do similar damage to ISIL in the future, we're going to -- I can't speak for the next administration, but certainly that's a reasonable expectation that we would consider similar strikes in the future.

Again, that'll be decisions for others to make. But this was a -- in terms of the cumulative numbers I don't have an estimate for you right now about how many people are -- how many ISIL fighters remain in Libya. But one thing is clear is that since General Rodriguez commanded AFRICOM and led our efforts there, that in the time since we have done significant damage to ISIL in Libya.

There was a time when Libya was seen, and Sirte in particular was seen, as perhaps the next hotspot for ISIL fighters to travel. ISIL leaders had suggested that was the place for people to go. You don't see that right now. You do not see Sirte as a -- a welcoming location for ISIL fighters.

And after this operation in the last 24 hours, 45 miles southwest of Sirte, is not that hospitable either.

Q: And lastly on North Korea, the secretary mentioned last week that the U.S. would be willing to, or would be able to shoot down a missile if it posed a threat to the U.S. or its allies. Is that still -- is that still the stance of the U.S. government?

MR. COOK: That is the position of the U.S. government and this Department of Defense and certainly this secretary of defense.

Gordon?

Q: Just a quick clarification. The authority used for these strikes -- was -- does this extend across the entire country? And is it in effect, you know, through the duration of this administration? Would it technically convey to the new administration? Obviously, they can make any changes they want, but how does that -- how does that work?

MR. COOK: I'm not going to speak for the authorities here and what the next administration might do. All I can say is that we continue to work very closely with the Government of National Accord. We're in close coordination with them about the threat that ISIL poses in Libya.

We continue to have conversations even today, as you see, in the last 24 hours. And certainly our conversations there will be -- the substance of that will be something that is shared and has been shared with the next administration to make decisions that they choose to make. I'm not going to speak for the next administration.

Q: Can you say, though -- but you can't say whether the authority has been extended to the secretary --

MR. COOK: I'm not going to discuss presidential authorities from up here.

Yes?

Q: Peter, can you clear up, please, a report last week -- this week, USA Today on the air-drops to the SDF in Syria? Do they include weapons and ammunition? And are those weapons and ammunition going to the YPG?

MR. COOK: We have been supplying the SDF, specifically the Syrian Arab Coalition, for some time, with materiel support. And we continue to do that. And there's been no change.

Q: (inaudible) -- the Syrian Arab Coalition, and not the YPG?

MR. COOK: We continue to, again, provide that support for the Syrian Arab Coalition.

Yes?

Q: Thanks, Peter.

Along the same lines of Gordon's question, did President Obama extend Operation Odyssey Lightning? Or is this -- did he just authorize this one operation?

MR. COOK: I'm not going to get into authorities up here. We're taking this action as an extension of the Odyssey Lightning mission approved by the president, recommended by the secretary of defense. And I'm not going to get into further authorities right now. The next administration will speak to what actions they may take in the future, but I think what's most important is that we remain very carefully closely engaged with the Government of National Accord, with regard to the threat posed by ISIL.

Q: You mentioned this is an extension of the mission. So it's not just this one operation?

MR. COOK: Again, I'm not going to get into the question of authorities. We carried out this mission. It was approved by the president as an extension of Odyssey Lightning. And again, this deals with the threat, as we've said for some time, that ISIL could continue to pose in Libya and that we would keep a close eye on it. We have done so and have carried out this strike now.

Q: Is it fair to say ISR will still continue to look for ISIL militants in Libya?

MR. COOK: We're going to keep an eye on ISIL wherever they choose to pop up or try to pop up.

Tony?

Q: A couple of things. When was the last time the B-2 bomber was used in a conflict to do a strike?

MR. COOK: My understanding it was during the last -- the air strikes in Libya previously, Odyssey Dawn.

Q: March, 2011?

MR. COOK: That's my understanding.

Q: Okay. Moving to another stealth fighter -- stealth plans, the F-35. Last week, the head of Lockheed said, after meeting President-elect Trump, that she was close to completing negotiations on the largest F-35 contract to date. It's lot 10.

Last night, a wire service and a cable network basically repeated the same thing, only attributed to unnamed sources, saying it was close.

What's -- we haven't heard from the Pentagon. This is a big deal. So are you close to completing these lot 10 negotiations?

MR. COOK: Tony, these are negotiations, as you know all too well, that have been ongoing for some time. Every effort is being made to try and wrap up those negotiations in the most efficient way possible for taxpayers and for the department. And those conversations are ongoing. I don't have anything to announce at this time.

Q: Do you have any sense that it's close, maybe by the end of the year -- end of the month, excuse me?

MR. COOK: My understanding is they are -- remain focused on getting the very best deal possible and I don't have anything to announce at this time.

Q: The overall figure -- last night, these two outlets used the $9 billion figure. General Bogdan, the head of the program office, last month said it was $8 billion. Can you square the circle here? Is it closer to $8 billion?

MR. COOK: I will not get into numbers on this. If General Bogdan chooses to speak on this, I'll leave that up to him. But there's nothing to announce at this time, other than to say that these are -- have been very active negotiations. These are important negotiations. And they are continuing. And people are working diligently to try and reach a conclusion.

Q: Okay. There's no end-game. You're not going to do it by the end of the day. You're not going to announce --

MR. COOK: Tony, I don't have anything to announce at this time. It would be a wonderful thing if they wrapped things up, but I can't predict how that's going to play out.

Yes? Dan?

Q: Thank you, Peter.

I wanted to ask about the folks from Secretary Carter's staff who are staying on -- Deputy Secretary Work, people like that. How has I guess identifying those people helped? And where are you at this point in terms of smoothing the transition out as all of you exit the door?

MR. COOK: Well, first of all, the deputy secretary, as you all know who have covered him, is someone with a depth of knowledge and experience here in the building. So, he will certainly be a positive force in terms of continuity and making sure that the next team gets up to speed as quickly as possible.

And so it is, again, an indication of the patriotism and the commitment to service that Bob Work has demonstrated throughout his career, that he's going to -- has agreed to stay on for a period of time. And that will certainly help with the transition.

I don't have a specific number for you in terms of other people who will stay on, but I think it's -- it's reasonable to assume that there is a small number of people who will -- there are a small number of people who will be here to try and assist as best they can during this period of transition. And that would be consistent with past practice as well.

Q: Is it fair to say it's a smaller number than typical?

MR. COOK: I honestly don't know a comparison. I think we are trying to accommodate the needs of the transition team. And as they make requests, again, I'll leave it to them to speak to how many people they're asking for; why particular areas versus other areas. That's really more for them to speak to. But I can just tell you that we are being as responsive as possible to all their requests, both for information and in these individual circumstances asking if individuals would be willing to stay on.

Q: Thank you.

MR. COOK: Yes, Kevin?

Q: You talked about the recommendations for ISIS troop levels that we've heard about in the press. Can you kind of walk us through how this came about? Did the Trump transition team ask for these? And we've heard reports that they include options for multiple combat brigades, which would be, you know, "multiple" meaning 4,000 times, you know, however many.

Is that part of the -- are those -- is that option part of the package that has been presented? When -- when is it expected to be presented -- (inaudible)?

MR. COOK: Kevin, I'll be honest, I don't think it's appropriate for me to talk about things that the Trump folks may or may not have requested of -- particularly of our uniform military folks. I'm -- I just -- I'm not comfortable talking about things that are -- those private conversations that they're having.

I will leave it to them to describe what, if any, conversations they've had, what proposals they may consider. I would just say broadly, that Secretary Carter has on multiple occasions, talked about the need to constantly look to accelerate the campaign, to look for opportunities where we might be able to -- to do things, speed the defeat of ISIL. We have done that, multiple occasions. He's asked President Obama for particular capabilities and authorities and as he's described, on many occasions, everything he's asked for he's received.

It is reasonable to think that the next administration would look at -- at the state of the campaign and talk to the commanders on the ground. I think, as you heard from the secretary this morning, what they will hear described from our commanders right now, particularly in Iraq and Syria, is significant results.

We're seeing that in Mosul, we're seeing that in Raqqa, in Syria. We're seeing that dealing with the metastasis in Afghanistan and in Libya, as we've seen in the last 24 hours. But there's still a fight ahead, and it's reasonable for them to look at what options are out there.

But I think they're going to find, again, they talked to our commanders, certainly, the same thing that Secretary Carter's hearing and that is working through our local forces, those partner forces in Iraq and Syria. We are seeing success on the ground. There is still a significant fight ahead.

But the coalition efforts enabling those local forces have proven to be successful on the ground. And I think any assessment that is handed off to the next team, they'll be able to see that and make decisions for themselves, as to what the next steps might be.

Q: You made it sounds like that Trump was speaking to the uniform side, but not asking -- (inaudible) -- guys haven't been involved in that conversation?

MR. COOK: I'm -- again, I'm not going to speak to the conversations that occur between the Trump folks and -- and people here in the building. Those are conversations for them to speak to, a request for information that they have made, and I'm just -- and I'm not comfortable talking about those. I haven't been part of those, as well, I should be clear.

Q: Okay so going back into -- you also just said, so Secretary Carter has received everything that's been requested -- (inaudible). Why are commanders asking for more -- a longer leash on rules of engagement, for example. That's about one of the things that's been heard, especially, for HVT or HVI missions, you know, whether or not --

(CROSSTALK)

Q: -- has sent operators forward --

(CROSSTALK)

Q: -- it doesn't gel that the secretary's got everything he's asked for -

MR. COOK: I don't -- I don't know specifically what you're referring to because I can tell you, from being with Secretary Carter and with our commanders throughout the course of my time here, that there's been discussion about steps we can take to accelerate the campaign.

There's been a lot of back and forth about the most appropriate steps and recommendations have been submitted, requests have been made of President Obama. And as you've heard Secretary Carter say, everything he's asked for, he's received.

And again, it is perfectly appropriate for the next team to take a look and to see if there are additional steps that could be taken to accelerate this campaign. Secretary Carter would support that.

Q: (Off mic) The COCOM, General Votel, has he received everything he's asked for?

MR. COOK: I'll leave General Votel to -- to speak for himself. It's again, I'm -- this -- these discussions have involved the commanders who are leading this fight, Gen. Townsend, Gen. Votel, Gen. Austin before him, Gen. MacFarland, as well.

And there have been -- the development of the campaign plan that's been executed included of course, all the input from the commanders who have been involved in this fight. And obviously, that's totally appropriate.

And of course, Chairman Dunford working with Secretary Carter and his team here and it's been, for me, a fascinating process to watch.

And what's most satisfying, I know that Secretary Carter, as he gets set to depart here, and for those of us who've worked for him, is to see the results we're seeing on the ground now. Things that were being discussed a year, year and a half ago, about the execution of the campaign plan, where we would be today, those have come to pass.

And it's very satisfying, it's a testimony to the commanders who have led that effort, certainly to our men and women on the ground who have enabled those local forces. But it is truly a testament to the Iraqi forces, Prime Minister Abadi and the efforts they've made.

They have been leading this fight successfully. There's plenty more to do and the coalition has an important role to play, the United States has an important role to play going forward.

Yes, Tom?

Q: Peter, what was Secretary Carter's recommendation to the White House and the commutation of Private Chelsea Manning?

MR. COOK: Tom, I think you've heard the secretary say that this was a decision that the secretary did not support. This was the president's decision, and I'm gonna leave it at that.

Q: Do you expect there's gonna be -- did he make a recommendation about Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl?

MR. COOK: I'm going to just leave it at that. This was, again -- this was the president's decision, and I told you where the secretary was on this.

Luis?

Q: (Off mic) we know that Secretary Work is staying on. Are there other senior officials from Secretary Carter's immediate staff like Eric Rosenbach? Are they going to stick around through the transition period, as well? I mean, are there other senior officials like Debbie James, who is also expected to stick around --

MR. COOK: I don't have a list for you right here, Luis. But there certainly is, as I told Dan, there will be some people who will serve in a transition role. I don't -- I don't have the list in front of me.

But in terms of -- you mentioned specifically, Eric Rosenbach. Eric Rosenbach will not be serving through the transition period but has played a -- obviously, a critical role in terms of trying to facilitate our transition, trying to make sure that things moved as smoothly as possible.

Q: I just have a follow-up on your earlier questions about the presidential authorities for Odyssey Lightning. In the past, we have -- we have spoken about what limited, how they were kind of limited to this certain area.

Can you kind of expand for us, if you could, how we could -- why you're not talking about them now, and if there has been an expansion of the earlier authorizes, which --

MR. COOK: Well, as -- as I mentioned, the -- the specific authorities before -- you know, I'm not going get into every detail, here. This was a presidential -- this required presidential authorization that was -- that was granted by President Obama, the recommendation of Secretary Carter, and also the recommendation of the commanders.

And this action was taken, I'm not gonna speak for what actions the next administration my take. Obviously, we're at the end of this administration and -- but this is a fight that's gonna continue and they'll have to make their own decisions going forward.

Q: (Off mic) in that they're gonna need to be readjusted by the incoming administration?

MR. COOK: You should -- you should infer only that they will make their own decisions about policy, including our policy dealing with ISIL in Libya.

Yes, Hans?

Q: Yes just to have a timing), when was the presidential authorization given?

MR. COOK: It was earlier -- let me double check but it's been within the past few days.

Q: Within the past -- and with a video that we saw from the platform, A, what was the platform and, B, when was that video taken?

MR. COOK: I'm not going to discuss the platform, but it was ahead of the strike, obviously. And I'd say within the past few days.

Q: If you could get back to us just when the presidential authorization came, that'd be helpful.

MR. COOK: Okay.

Gary?

Q: Just on the Libya strike, it seems a little curious, the -- these two bombers flew from the Midwest to North Africa. You said they dropped more than a hundred munitions to kill 80 people. You say they have a lurking capacity.

What were you -- were you waiting for someone for something? What were you -- what was the -- was there another target apart from the two camps? Was there an individual target?

MR. COOK: This was an operation, Gary, that was thought out well in advance. It was presented as an opportunity when this -- this particular location -- when they remained at this particular location. So this was a capability specific -- specifically for this operation, for this moment of time.

And the ability to loiter, again, would give the opportunity for these aircraft to potentially conduct additional strikes and that was something that the commanders felt was appropriate and would be a capability that, if needed, would potentially be utilized.

That's -- that was just one more reason why these particular platforms were used.

Q: Were the sites adjacent to any villages, civilians at all?

MR. COOK: They were in a very rural area.

Q: Were you waiting for someone in particular?

MR. COOK: As I said, we're still accessing. We -- I'm not going to get into all the -- everything that went into this strike and our development of this particular target. We're still assessing the results of the strike, and I think the secretary spoke pretty clearly about the threat we feel that these particular groups of fighters pose, not only to the people in Libya but beyond.

Yes?

Q: With reports about North Korea readying ICBMs, I'm wondering if there's been an acceleration in THAAD deployment, just based on North Korea's tempo in testing?

MR. COOK: Yeah. The effort to establish the THAAD system in Korea continues, and we are working very, very closely with our South Korean allies, but I don't have any particular update in terms of the schedule and timing.

Yes?

Q: On organizational matters, the NDAA was approved very late in the outgoing administration and had a number of requirements such as the breakup of AT&L, the elevation of Cyber Command and some restrictions on DIUx. Has -- did this team start doing any of the groundwork on that, or has that all been left for the next team to take on?

MR. COOK: I mean I'll just talk more broadly. In terms of the individual provisions of the legislation, obviously the department will be prepared to carry out what's in the NDAA, but I'm not aware of specific steps taken in the short term to deal with those.

My understanding is some of those provisions do not necessarily take effect right away.

Q: (inaudible) -- year for delivery of evaluations on doing it but, again, just trying to see if any of that was started or if the sense was -- (inaudible) -- at this point, just let the new guys pick it up.

MR. COOK: Well, there's only so much we could do between the passage of the NDAA and -- and the secretary's departure here. But as I mentioned before, there are lots of people who are remaining in this building who will be prepared to carry out this act of Congress and -- but I'm not aware of specific steps that were taken, I'm not aware that there weren't any I just honestly don't know.

Lucas?

Q: Would the secretary like to see Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl pardoned?

MR. COOK: Lucas, you know that's an ongoing legal matter at this point and I don't think it'd be appropriate for me to comment here.

Q: The secretary doesn't have an opinion either way?

MR. COOK: The secretary would like to see the justice system work its course.

Yes, Kim?

Q: Is it a disappointment for the secretary to be leaving office with Baghdadi still out there. And also have you seen any signs that either Iran or China are moving anything in terms of Navy ships, to take advantage of this flux during the transition?

MR. COOK: Let me take the first part of your question.

I think -- I'm not sure "disappointment" is the word. I think certainly the secretary has expressed this that targeting ISIL leaders, particularly Baghdadi, has been an important part of our efforts and will continue to be.

We are actively looking and doing everything we can to degrade ISIL's ability to organize, to plot external attacks, to be able to cause more trouble in Iraq and Syria. And part of that involves targeting its key leaders including Baghdadi. And I am quite confident that that will -- effort will continue even after the secretary steps down.

But -- so, that's -- it's -- it has not happened on -- as of yet but we remain confident that that's an effort that eventually will be successful.

I don't have anything in particular to report on that.

Q: Is the reason that the secretary opposed Manning's commutation -- was it because he thought that it would make leaks more likely in the future?

MR. COOK: I'm not going to get into the reasons the secretary made his recommendation to the president. The president has made his decision and the president's decision is what's final here.

Q: Lastly, General Waldhauser, does he have authority to strike ISIS outside of Sirte again?

MR. COOK: I'm not going to get into presidential authorities here. I'm going to just tell you that we have an ongoing conversation with the government of national accord about the ISIL threat and about their efforts to stabilize Libya. We're going to continue that conversation and you can be sure that General Waldhauser and his team will remain vigilant in watching the ISIL threat in Libya.

Q: The Navy says they want to grow the fleet by 30 percent. Does Secretary Carter support that initiative?

MR. COOK: The secretary has spoken at length about -- certainly in the presentation of our budget plan about the importance of not only increasing the number of Navy ships that we have but focusing particularly on their lethality, on their capabilities. And I think the secretary's view is that he wants the most lethal and capable Navy possible, and that was certainly what he presented in terms of his budget and what he continues to advocate for. At the same time increasing the number of Navy ships going forward and the capability of our platform, I think that's what Secretary Carter believes is most important.

All right, if we're all done here, if you don't mind, beg your indulgence for a quick word. I have to thank a few people. This is my last briefing here at the Pentagon and I think you all know that this is not a one-man job by any means. There are a lot of people inside and outside the department who have supported me, and that starts with our guest earlier today, Secretary Carter.

It's been an honor and a privilege to represent him and the men and women of this great institution. It has been an incredible experience for me to be up here and I'm thankful for Secretary Carter's confidence in me and for giving me this opportunity to serve in this fashion.

I've leaned on many people up in his front office staff. Some of you have seen that directly but I wanted to, in particular, point out two people who have really made a tremendous difference in this position and in my work here, and that's the chief of staff, Eric Rosenbach, and the secretary's senior military assistant, Brigadier General Eric Smith, the two Erics.

You could not find two more capable people and more dedicated people than Eric Rosenbach and Eric Smith and I wish them both very well and, again, very appreciative for their efforts.

I could also not do this job without the very significant help of the press operations team led by Capt. Jeff Davis. I may stand up here in front of the cameras and talk to you all on a pretty regular basis, but they do all the heavy lifting. They do all the hard work. And I am tremendously grateful to them for everything they've done, for their commitment to doing this job right, to trying to get information to you all in as timely and effective fashion as possible.

That also includes, of course, Capt. Greg Hicks and the Joint Staff team, who've been invaluable to me and educated me on all things military that I didn't know before-hand, which was not insignificant.

And I want to also thank all the public affairs folks downrange, across the country, around the world, who I've bothered early in the morning, late at night. Also the people who do most of the heavy lifting. They are doing a fabulous job and under very difficult circumstances. So I want to thank them for their service.

I want to in particular flag Col. Dorrian in Baghdad, Brig.Gen. Charlie Cleveland in Kabul. They are leading by example with their efforts. And I'm very appreciative for what they've done.

Many others that I'll just -- I don't have time to name here, but I think they know who they are.

When I first got here, Col. Steve Warren was -- I don't know if he'll appreciate this. He was my Yoda. And -- but I mean that in the best sort of way. He's an incredible guy who helped educate me, get me up to speed very quickly. I will be forever indebted to Steve Warren; very appreciative for everything he's done, and thank him for his service to his country as well.

My front office team here, led very ably by my chief of staff Jeremy Martin who if you all haven't met or dealt with, Jeremy is the classiest guy in this building and an incredibly dedicated public servant who allowed me to focus so much of my efforts on the media side of things and run day-to-day operations in the public affairs office.

I want to especially thank as well my military assistant, Col. Juanita Chang, who you all have probably dealt with. She's fed some of you all. She's kept some of you on the other side of my door, which I appreciate sometimes. But she's managed things, along with Jake Morse, my executive assistant, incredibly well. They've provided incredible support to me. They basically have fed me, kept me alive, and kept me on time over the last year-and-a-half or so. Rich Spiegel before that also was an incredible help.

Throughout this experience, I've had incredible support from my family -- my wife Missy, who happens to be here today, and my two boys. This job -- my wife thought my last job as a journalist took a real toll on family life and time and commitment, and it did. And this one is worse. And I could not do this without the love and support of my family and my wife. And so thank you. It has meant an incredible amount to me to be able to do this job knowing that everything was okay at home.

And finally, I want to thank all of you. It has been an honor and a privilege to stand up here and to face your questions. You all are an incredibly professional group that conduct the business of journalism with integrity. You are a veteran group. You ask hard questions. You ask good questions. You challenge us. That is a good thing and you should continue doing that.

And I know you will. It is incredibly important what you all do every day. And it -- I have not been able to answer all of your questions. I have tried to the best of my ability, balancing all of the things that this job requires. Some days I've hit it right. Some days I haven't. If you all are good journalists, you're not satisfied. I wouldn't be if I were sitting in that seat these days.

But please know that -- that everyone on this team tried and we did our best to try and bring as much information, as much transparency as we could to the operations of the men and women of the Department of Defense.

Once again, it's been an honor and privilege to speak on their behalf, to try and inform the American people and the world about what this building does. This is an incredible place with incredible people in uniform and in the civilian workforce, and an honor to be part of the mission.

And thank you all again for your diligence, your attention to detail, and again your willingness to ask questions and represent the American people with your work.

So, thank you very much.

-END-

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/1054513/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






NATO Secretary General: in times of turmoil, we need strong institutions

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

19 Jan. 2017

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 Europe's 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 today's 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






GHWB Carrier Strike Group to Depart for Deployment

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170119-08

Release Date: 1/19/2017 10:41:00 AM

From Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Public Affairs Office

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Nearly 6,000 Sailors attached to the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG) will depart Norfolk and Mayport, Florida, Jan. 21, for a regularly-scheduled deployment.

Led by Commander, Carrier Strike Group 2, Rear Adm. Kenneth R. Whitesell, the GHWBCSG is comprised of the staff of CSG-2; USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77); the nine squadrons and staff of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8; Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 22 staff and guided-missile destroyers USS Laboon (DDG 58) and USS Truxtun (DDG 103); and Mayport-based guided missile cruisers USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) and USS Hue City (CG 66).

The squadrons of CVW-8 will depart bases including Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, NAS Whidbey Island, NAS Jacksonville, NAS Lemoore and Naval Station Norfolk. CVW-8 includes Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 213 "Fighting Black Lions"; VFA-31 "Tomcatters"; VFA-87 "Golden Warriors"; VFA-37 "Ragin Bulls"; Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 "Lancers"; Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 124 "Bear Aces"; Helicopter Mine Countermeasure Squadron (HSM) 70 "Spartans"; Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 "Tridents"; and a detachment from Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 "Rawhides".

The deployment is part of a regular rotation of forces to support maritime security operations, provide crisis response capability, increase theater security cooperation and forward naval presence in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US 6th Fleet Flagship USS Mount Whitney Celebrates 46th Year of Excellence

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170119-07

Release Date: 1/19/2017 10:05:00 AM

By Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Rebeca Gibson, USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) Public Affairs

RIJEKA, Croatia (NNS) -- USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) celebrated its 46th birthday with a cake cutting ceremony while in Rijeka, Croatia for its 2017 shipyard period, Jan. 16.

The Mount Whitney crew celebrated with the cutting of a cake by Capt. Capt. Kevon Hakimzadeh, Chief Engineer Eric Simpson, and Information Systems Technician 1st Class Robert Kantrowitz.

Quote:

"At 46 years young, USS Mount Whitney is the third oldest ship in the United States Navy. While it would be reasonable to assume that a ship in commission that long would be approaching the end of her usefulness, that is certainly not the case for Mount Whitney. Our ship defies her age by continuing to prove her importance to our nation. Her operational schedule last year was as intense as any other ship in the Navy. This year, with the efforts we are putting into her life-cycle extension, I am confident that Mount Whitney will continue to serve long after many of her newest Sailors today are retired." - Capt. Kevon Hakimzadeh, USS Mount Whitney Commanding Officer

Quick Facts:

Forward-deployed to Gaeta, Italy, Mount Whitney was constructed by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. The ship was commissioned in 1971, and was forward-deployed to Gaeta, Italy, in 2004 where it assumed the role as the U.S. 6th Fleet flagship.

On Dec. 19, 2016, Mount Whitney entered drydock for its 2017 shipyard period in Rijeka, Croatia. During this time, vital systems and a hospitality upgrade will be installed during the six-month shipyard period. Mount Whitney will return to service this year following an installation period in Gaeta, Italy.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN Security Council approves resolution backing new Gambian president

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 7:20PM

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously approved a resolution endorsing efforts by some West African countries to ensure the respect of "the will of the people" in The Gambia.

The 15-member body on Thursday approved a Senegal-drafted resolution expressing "full support" to Gambia's new President Adama Barrow and calling on ex-leader Yahya Jammeh to step down.

The resolution calls on the council to give "its full support" to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ensure that Barrow's election victory on December 1 is respected by "political means first."

Senegal presented the draft resolution to the council on Wednesday, requesting UN approval for ECOWAS to take "all necessary measures" to force Jammeh to cede power to Barrow.

The harsh language of the resolution was dropped during negotiations late Wednesday because some UNSC members objected to backing military action, according to diplomats.

The vote came shortly after Barrow was sworn in as Gambia's new president.

Barrow, 51, was sworn in inside Gambia's embassy in neighboring Senegal, where he had been remaining after Jammeh refused to endorse the results of the presidential election.

"This is a victory of the Gambian nation. Our flag will now fly high among those of the most democratic nations of the world," Barrow said, waving to crowds in Senegal's capital Dakar.

Jammeh, who lost the votes by a slim margin to Barrow, first accepted the defeat but then changed his mind and said there were irregularities in a recount.

Senegalese troops enter Gambia

Following the UN vote, Senegalese troops moved across the border into The Gambia.

"They entered this afternoon," army spokesman Colonel Abdoul Ndiaye told AFP.

Troops from Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria began building up along Gambia's border with Senegal hours before Jammeh's mandate was to expire by January 19.

Barrow demands loyalty

During the swearing-in ceremony, Barrow called on members of Gambia's small-size military to pledge loyalty to him as the commander in chief.

"I command the chief of defense 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," he added.

Gambia's army chief Ousman Badjie had said earlier on Thursday that his troops would not get involved in the country's deepening "political dispute." He also said that troops would not prevent foreign forces from entering The Gambia.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US bombers kill over 80 Daesh terrorists in Libya: Pentagon

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 6:26PM

US B-2 bombers have carried out airstrikes against the Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group in the North African country of Libya, killing over 80 terrorists, according to Pentagon officials.

Outgoing US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Thursday that the bombers attacked two Daesh military camps on Wednesday located about 45 km (28 miles) southwest the city of Sirte.

"We need to strike ISIL everywhere they show up," Carter told reporters at the Pentagon on his last day office.

"These strikes were directed against some of ISIL's external plotters, who were actively planning operations against our allies in Europe," he added.

In a statement on Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook confirmed the US military conducted 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.

The airstrikes come one month after the United States officially wrapped up military operations in and around Sirte.

The US has also been conducting airstrikes in other countries, including Syria and Iraq, with the stated aim of targeting Daesh but the raids have instead claimed many civilian lives.

Libya has faced a power vacuum since the downfall of its longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The country has been grappling with chaos and the emergence of numerous militants, including Daesh Takfiri terrorists, who are concentrated in Iraq and Syria.

The north African country has two rival governments. One is based in the eastern port city of Tobruk and its rival government, backed by the United Nations (UN), is based in Tripoli, the main port city in the western side of the country.

Despite attempts to establish peace and order, stability is yet to be restored in Libya, which is stuck in political strife and violence.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN Security Council set to vote on backing ECOWAS intervention in Gambia

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 3:47PM

The UN Security Council (UNSC) is set to vote on a draft resolution endorsing efforts by some West African countries to ensure a transfer of power in The Gambia.

Diplomatic sources said the vote would take place at 1:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Thursday.

The 15-member council is expected to approve actions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on The Gambia, which has been plunged into a political crisis after President Yahya Jammeh rejected the results of the December 1 election.

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 opposition leader, Adama Barrow, who was declared the winner of the election.

The harsh language of the resolution was dropped during negotiations late Wednesday. The latest text 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."

The resolution demands that "Jammeh carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process, and to transfer power to President-elect Barrow by January 19." Jammeh's five-year mandate ends on January 18.

It also demands that all stakeholders, within and outside the West African country "to exercise restraint, respect the rule of law and ensure the peaceful transfer of power."

The developments come as some regional countries have been trying to persuade Jammeh to hand over power to Barrow.

The possibility of a military intervention in The Gambia gained strength after the UN and the African Union both called on Jammeh to accept the results of the vote and leave after 22 years in power.

Earlier on Tuesday, a Nigerian military source said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) could launch a military intervention if Jammeh did not step down when his five-year mandate ends on January 18.

Senegalese troops are massed on the Gambian border.

Latest reports indicate that 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.

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has flown straight to Senegal to meet President Macky Sall after last ditch talks in The Gambia.

Jammeh had initially accepted the results but later reversed his position and lodged a complaint with the Supreme Court over election irregularities.

He declared a 90-day state of emergency on Tuesday, citing foreign interference in the December presidential election.

Jammeh's defiance to leave power has sent the West African country into crisis.

On Wednesday, Gambian vice president joined eight cabinet ministers to resign in the face of the political impasse in the country.

Barrow is to be sworn in at the country's embassy in Senegal on Thursday afternoon.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Senate Majority Leader breaks with Trump on NATO

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 2:26PM

US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) "the most important military alliance" ever, breaking with Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who says NATO is "obsolete."

NATO "is the most important military alliance in world history and is more important than it ever was," McConnell said in an interview with McClathcyDC on Wednesday.

McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, made the comment days after Trump rattled NATO members by calling the military alliance "obsolete."

"One; that it was obsolete because it was designed many many years ago, and number two; that the countries weren't paying what they're supposed to pay," Trump said last week in an interview with British daily The Times and German newspaper Bild.

Asked whether Trump understands NATO's significance, McConnell refused to answer, saying, "You'll have to ask him."

Meanwhile, the powerful GOP figure hailed Trump's picks for the Pentagon, Homeland Security and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

McConnell also took a different line with Trump on Russia, calling Moscow a "big problem."

Relations between Russia and the US have plunged into a new low over Washington's claims of Moscow's intervention in last year's US presidential election.

Despite reluctantly confirming US intelligence reports that accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of personally ordering cyber attacks to change the outcome of the November 8 vote, Trump keeps showing strong willingness to work with the Russian head of state.

In the buildup to the election, McConnell was at odds with Trump and only endorsed the Manhattan billionaire after he secured the Republican nomination.

"It was pretty obvious he doesn't know a lot about issues," he said of Trump in June.

Obamacare repeal

Elsewhere in the interview, McConnell referred to Republican plans for repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, outgoing President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law.

Republicans, including Trump, view Obamacare as an excessive government intrusion into the healthcare market and argue that it is detrimental to economic growth since it burdens businesses. They say they have a plan to replace it but have offered few details.

McConnell said the law has led to "higher premiums and co-payments and higher deductibles and chaos in the private health insurance market." He refused to talk about GOP's replacement plan.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Philippines govt., rebels to resume peace talks

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 10:26AM

The Philippines' government and the country's Maoist rebels have planned to restart Norway-brokered peace talks amid threats by the communist guerrillas to end a months-long ceasefire if an accord on human rights in the Southeast Asian country is violated.

Jesus Dureza, the Philippines' presidential peace adviser and negotiator, said the government is optimistic "with managed expectations" about the resumption of the peace talks in the Italian capital of Rome on Thursday.

"These issues, although difficult, are surmountable with both sides sharing common aspirations for peace," Dureza said in a statement.

The two sides had previously agreed to organize a meeting between Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Jose Maria Sison, a rebel leader who is currently in self-exile in Europe, to end decades of hostilities.

Fidel Agcaoili, the rebels' chief negotiator, said that the guerrillas had 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.

He also expressed concern over Duterte's brutal crackdown on illegal drugs, which have left thousands of drug suspects dead. Agcaoili argued that innocent people had lost their lives in Duterte's crackdown "due to brutal, reckless and indiscriminate methods employed by the police in its anti-drug operations."

The chief negotiator also said the Philippine government's failure to release nearly 400 rebel detainees would make extending a five-month truce "untenable."

About 30,000 people have been killed since the communists started their insurgency in the Philippines in the 1960s. The military says the so-called New People's Army, the communists' armed wing, has fewer than 4,000 gunmen today, down from a peak of 26,000 in the 1980s.

Talks with the rebels collapsed in 2013 after the government of former president Benigno Aquino refused to release some key rebel commanders.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Slovenia Plans To Contribute Troops To Latvia For NATO Force

January 19, 2017

The government of NATO-member Slovenia has proposed sending 50 soldiers to Latvia as part of a NATO effort to boost the alliance's presence in the Baltic states.

But officials in Ljubljana said on January 19 that the move will be debated in Slovenia's parliament before a final decision is adopted.

Many in the Baltic states -- Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania -- have expressed concerns about increasingly aggressive moves by Russia after it annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and aided separatist forces in eastern Ukraine.

All three Baltic countries are former Soviet republics that joined NATO in 2004 and have signed bilateral defense pacts with the United States to ease the deployment of troops and equipment.

The Slovenian deployment will be part of what NATO calls an "enhanced forward presence" strategy in the region.

"It is a specific yet justified, responsible, and proportionate measure of the alliance with a strongly deterrent and defensive nature adopted in support of maintaining peace," the Slovenian government said.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has declared NATO "obsolete," raising concerns in the easternmost parts of the European Union about the U.S. commitment there.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/28244178.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Nigeria in Air Surveillance Over Gambia in Preparation for ECOWAS Intervention

Sputnik News

21:54 19.01.2017(updated 22:02 19.01.2017)

Troops deployed by other countries are stationed in different locations, particularly close to the border between Senegal and Gambia for easy advancement in the event of any call for military action, according to a military source cited by local media.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Nigerian military aircraft have started surveillance operations over The Gambia in preparation for a possible intervention in case the country's embattled president, Yahya Jammeh, continues refusing to step down and violence erupts, local media reported Thursday.

Nigerian air force planes and helicopters flew over The Gambia while Nigerian troops were deployed to an army base in Senegal in support of a planned Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) operation in the country, Nigeria's The Nation newspaper reported, citing military sources.

"Troops deployed by other countries are stationed in different locations, particularly close to the border between Senegal and Gambia for easy advancement in the event of any call for military action. We learned that some diplomatic stuffs are still ongoing, but if it failed there may be deployment of troops and possible air strike on the logistics base of the Jammeh. For now, the land and air component are on full alert and standby," the source said.

Earlier in the day, Adama Barrow was sworn in as the Gambian president at the country's embassy in neighboring Senegal, while Jammeh continued to refuse to step down.

The Gambian presidential election was held on December 1, 2016. On December 10, Jammeh rejected the outcome of the election and filed a petition to the Supreme Court, refusing to step down until the court hears his case. He claimed the country faced foreign interference and declared a state of emergency while the Gambian parliament extended his term for 90 days.

On Friday, the African Union urged Jammeh to transfer power to Barrow peacefully. ECOWAS has approved military intervention by Senegal in case violence erupted in Gambia. Senegal, backed by Nigeria, has been amassing troops on the Gambian border.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






New Gambian President Sworn in Abroad as Incumbent Leader Refuses to Step Down

Sputnik News

20:59 19.01.2017(updated 21:06 19.01.2017)

Adama Barrow was sworn in as the Gambian president at the country's embassy in neighboring Senegal on Thursday, media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The ceremony took place in Senegalese capital Dakar, where Barrow is staying while embattled Gambian President Yahya Jammeh continues to refuse to step down, Nigeria's The Nation newspaper reported.

In his inaugural speech, Barrow thanked Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Senegalese President Macky Sall, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union as well as other African heads of state and international organizations for supporting his incoming presidency and upholding democracy.

The Gambian presidential election was held on December 1, 2016. On December 10, Jammeh rejected the outcome of the election and filed a petition to the Supreme Court, refusing to step down until the court hears his case. He claimed the country faced foreign interference and declared a state of emergency while the Gambian parliament extended his term for 90 days.

On Friday, the African Union urged Jammeh to transfer power to Barrow peacefully. ECOWAS has approved military intervention by Senegal in case violence erupted in Gambia. Senegal, backed by Nigeria, has been amassing troops on the Gambian border.

Aid agencies have warned of a potential humanitarian problem in case violence flares up in The Gambia. Tens of thousands of people have already been internally displaced or fled for Senegal.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US Military Airstrikes Destroy Two Daesh Camps in Libya - Pentagon

Sputnik News

16:16 19.01.2017(updated 16:41 19.01.2017)

US B-2 bombers carried out air strikes destroying two Daesh camps southwest of the Libyan city of Sirte overnight, Department of Defense spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement on Thursday.

"In conjunction with the Libyan Government of National Accord, the US military conducted precision air strikes Wednesday night destroying two ISIL [Daesh] camps 45 kilometers [28 miles] southwest of Sirte," Cook stated.

The operation was approved by the outgoing US President Barack Obama several days ago, CNN reported on the issue.

The military operation was carried out on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration, just a day before the end of Obama's time in office.

Last month, the Government of National Accord (GNA), the largest of several warring factions in war-torn Libya, announced the complete liberation of the city of Sirte from Daesh forces. The city on the Mediterranean coast had been captured by the terrorists in 2014, with UN-recognized GNA forces starting an operation against them in May, 2016. Many of the terrorists are thought to have fled into eastern and southern Libya.

Libya descended into chaos in 2011, when a NATO-supported insurgency overthrew long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi. The war that followed has resulted in a number of militant and tribal groups vying for power, with some observers suggesting that Libya has effectively ceased to be a country.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Azerbaijan in Talks With Russia on New Arms Purchases

Sputnik News

13:17 19.01.2017(updated 13:28 19.01.2017)

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan is interested in purchase of Russian-made helicopter equipment and defense systems.

DAVOS (Sputnik)  Azerbaijan is in talks with Russia on new arms purchases and is mostly interested in newest defense weaponry, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev told Sputnik.

"Yes, we are in talks about new purchases. We are mostly interested in the newest defense weaponry and new inventions. This relates to helicopter equipment and defense systems, whole complex," Aliyev said, asked whether new contracts on arms deliveries between Russia and Azerbaijan could be signed in near future.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Gambia: Security Council backs regional efforts to ensure peaceful transfer of power to Barrow

19 January 2017  Urging all Gambian parties to respect the outcome of the 1 December election recognizing Adama Barrow as the country's President-elect, the United Nations Security Council today expressed its support for the commitment of West African States to "ensure, by political means first, respect of the will of the people."

Amid a political standoff over Gambia's presidency  President-elect Barrow is reportedly expected to be sworn in later today at the Gambian embassy in neighbouring Senegal even as incumbent Yahya Jammeh refuses to step down, the Council unanimously adopted a resolution expressing grave concern at the risk of deterioration of the situation in Gambia.

The Council strongly condemned former President Jammeh's 9 December statement rejecting the official election results and the takeover of the Independent Electoral Commission by the Gambian Armed Forces on 13 December 2016, as well as the attempt by the Parliament on 18 January 2017 to extend President Jammeh's term for three months beyond his current mandate, which ends today.

Against this backdrop, the Council strongly condemned the attempts to usurp the will of the people and undermine the integrity of the electoral process in Gambia. It also condemned the attempt to prevent a peaceful and orderly transfer of power to President Barrow by declaring a state of emergency.

Endorsing the decisions of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to recognize Mr. Barrow as the President of Gambia, the 15 nation Council called upon the countries in the region and the relevant regional organization to cooperate with him in his efforts to realize the transition of power.

The Council also requested the Gambian defence and security forces to demonstrate "maximum restraint" to maintain an atmosphere of calm in country, and stressed "their duty and obligation to place themselves at the disposal of the democratically elected authorities."

The text further commends and strongly supports continued efforts of the AU and ECOWAS to promote peace and stability in the region. By the text, the Council requests for the Secretary-General to update the body on the resolution's implementation within 10 days.

Earlier today, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called President Barrow to discuss the latest developments in the country and to congratulate him on his inauguration.

According to a statement issued by Mr. Guterres spokesperson, the Secretary-General expressed deep concern about the refusal of outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to step aside and about the high outflow of Gambians into Senegal.

"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, adding that Mr. Guterres conveyed the readiness of the UN system to support President Barrow and his government in their efforts to promote democracy and achieve sustainable development in Gambia.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN rights expert welcomes US decision to lift most of its unilateral sanctions on Sudan

19 January 2017  A United Nations human rights expert today welcomed the decision of President Barack Obama to lift most sanctions unilaterally imposed by the United States on Sudan.

"By lifting sanctions on Sudan, after adopting similar decisions on Cuba and Iran, President Obama will be remembered as a leader who listened to the international community and stakeholders, in particular the poor and the wretched who were the unintended main victims of such measures," said Special Rapporteur on human rights and international sanctions, Idriss Jazairy, in a press release.

Since visiting the country in 2015, Mr Jazairy, who has reported extensively on the negative impact of the sanctions, noted that President Obama's decision acknowledged the fact that the Government of Sudan has adopted positives actions over the past six months.

"I urge the Sudanese authorities to intensify their efforts to enhance peace and stabilization efforts and uphold human rights," he said.

"The decision by the Obama administration to revoke sanctions, is in line with the recommendation I made in my 2016 report to the Human Rights Council," the Special Rapporteur emphasized.

In his report, Mr. Jazairy had warned that imposing unilateral coercive measures (UCMs) on Sudan would "restrict trade and investment in the country, which in turn forces the population to face enormous challenges to their enjoyment of human rights."

The UN rights expert cautioned that such measures significantly affected the right to health and an adequate standard of living, the right to food, the right to education and the right to development in the country. He also deplored that exemptions to the sanctions regime were largely ineffective "when financial transactions with the banking system in the Sudan are prohibited."

In his report, Mr. Jazairy had made a number of recommendations to mitigate the impact of sanctions, including exceptions or waivers regarding trade in agricultural products and certain life-saving drugs, and called for the progressive lifting of prohibitions on remittance transfers from abroad, starting with imports recognized to be crucial to ensure basic human rights.

Finally, the expert said he was satisfied that his recommendation for a mechanism between the UN and Sudan to procure life-saving medicines had been implemented  with US approval under the auspices of the UN Office in Khartoum, in cooperation with the Sudanese Ministry of Health in March 2016.

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN Security Council Recognizes Barrow as Gambia's Legitimate President

By Margaret Besheer January 19, 2017

The United Nations Security Council has recognized new Gambian leader Adama Barrow as that country's legitimate president, despite longtime leader Yahya Jammeh's refusal to give up power.

At least two international news agencies quoted a Senegalese army spokesman who said troops entered Gambia on Thursday afternoon after Barrow took the oath of office in neighboring Senegal.

The 15-nation Security Council unanimously backed a Senegalese-drafted resolution condemning "in the strongest possible terms" attempts to prevent a peaceful and orderly transfer of power from Jammeh to Barrow, who is the recognized winner of the Dec. 1, 2016, presidential election.

The president of the council, Swedish Ambassador Olof Skoog, said he spoke to Barrow just before the meeting and told him that he has the full support of the Security Council.

"The resolution we have just adopted gives political endorsement by the Security Council to the commitment of [West African bloc] ECOWAS and the African Union to ensure that the outcome of election is respected," Skoog told reporters.

Skoog said the council's message to Jammeh is that the will of the Gambian people and the Gambian constitution must be respected.

"It is our strong hope now that the former president Jammeh will now peacefully cede power to the democratically-elected president; his 5-year term is over," he added.

Council members Egypt, Uruguay and Boliva stressed that the resolution in no way authorizes military force to install Barrow as president. However, since Barrow is now the legitimately-recognized president, he can request military assistance from ECOWAS without Security Council authorization.

Troops at the border

ECOWAS troops were positioned Thursday on the Senegal-Gambia border, as it appeared that regional mediation efforts to get Jammeh to leave peacefully had failed.

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.

Information Minister Eugene Nagbe of Liberia, the current ECOWAS chair, told VOA that military force is always the last resort, but that all options are on the table.

"ECOWAS' position is very clear, that the mandate of the Gambian people ... as expressed in the election ... must be respected," Nagbe said.

Inauguration in exile

"The new era of Gambia is here at last," Barrow said before he was sworn in at Gambia's embassy in neighboring Senegal, rather than in Banjul.

"This is a day no Gambian will ever forget," Barrow said at his inauguration. "This is the first time since the Gambia became independent in 1965 that Gambia have changed their government through the ballot box."

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.

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






NATO chief warns of sharp rise in cyber attacks against military alliance

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 2:27PM

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned of an increasing number of state-sponsored cyber attacks on the military alliance, saying members need to do more to boost online defense capabilities.

In an interview with the German daily Die Welt published on Thursday, Stoltenberg said that NATO saw a sharp increase in the number of attacks last year, adding that the attacks were ostensibly carried out by government-related entities and not individuals.

"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 ... That's an increase of 60 percent compared to 2015," he said.

"Most of these attacks did not stem from private individuals but were sponsored by national institutions of other countries," Stoltenberg added.

The top NATO official said the increasing threat has forced the organization to put the issue of cyber defense on the top agenda of its next summit in Brussels, adding that cyber attacks can undermine the defense readiness of NATO and hinder the work of armed troops on the battlefields.

"All military activities are now based today on data transmission. If that fails to work, it can cause serious damage," Stoltenberg said, adding, "We must boost our capabilities in this area."

The head of the US-led military alliance did not elaborate on which states have orchestrated cyber attacks on NATO.

Germany, a key NATO member, has previously accused Russia as the main culprit, saying Russian hackers have on several occasions carried out such cyber attacks on NATO member states. Moscow has rejected the allegation.

American officials have also accused Russia of carrying out cyber attacks against US political organizations to help US President-elect Donald Trump win the election. Moscow has rejected the allegations as "baseless." Trump himself has downplayed Russia's alleged meddling in the US election.

Stoltenberg also downplayed anti-NATO rhetoric by Trump, saying that once the president-elect takes office, the United States "will continue to be fully committed to its security guarantees for NATO."

The US president-elect caused worry in NATO when he described NATO as "obsolete" because it "wasn't taking care of terror" during an interview published on Sunday.

"And the other thing is the countries aren't paying their fair share so we're supposed to protect countries," he added, stressing this was unfair to the US.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Obama Slashes Guantanamo Bay Population to 41 Detainees - White House

Sputnik News

23:20 19.01.2017(updated 00:02 20.01.2017)

Outgoing US President Barack Obama has slashed the population of the Guantanamo Bay facility to just 41 detainees, the White House said in a press release on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Obama has transferred a total of 196 detainees from the detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"Of the nearly 800 detainees at one time held at Guantanamo Bay, more than 90 percent have been transferred, including more than 500 detainees transferred by the prior administration and 196 detainees transferred by this administration," the release stated. "As of January 19, 2017, 41 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay."

Obama urged the US Congress to close the military detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, stressing there was no justification for its continued use, the release added.

"Once again, I encourage the Congress to close the facility and permit more of our brave men and women in uniform serving at Guantanamo Bay to return to meeting the challenges of the 21st century around the globe," Obama stated.

The president explained there was no justification beyond politics for the facility's continued use to house detainees, adding that terror suspects could safely be housed in the United States and tried in US courts.

Obama made closing the detention facility a priority for his administration, arguing that its use has been a potent recruiting tool by terror groups and the prison has damaged US reputation abroad.

Republican lawmakers have resisted Obama's attempts to close the facility, including by inserting language into the defense spending bill prohibiting the use of federal funds to transfer detainees to US soil.

Of the estimated 45 detainees remaining at the detention center, nine have been cleared by the US government for release and ten have been charged by military commissions.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US Declassifies Documents on Bin Laden's Strategy to Fight West

Sputnik News

20:39 19.01.2017(updated 21:13 19.01.2017)

The declassified documents reveal bin Laden's strategy for upending global politics through protracted violent conflict directed primarily against the United States and the West, according to the statement of the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The final batch of documents recovered in the raid on Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, which detail the terrorist's strategy to engage in a conflict with the United States, has been released, the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) said in a release on Thursday.

"The declassified documents reveal bin Laden's strategy for upending global politics through protracted violent conflict directed primarily against the United States and the West," the release stated.

The United States released two previous batches of bin Laden's documents in May 2015 and March 2016.

The Office of the DNI explained the new batch mirrors themes in the past two releases, and includes documents reflecting bin Laden's hatred of Iran, his forecast of a major Sunni-Shia conflict and criticism of the Islamic State's brand of terrorism.

"Bin Laden later in life recognized how terrorist organizations are prone to brutal violence that alienates the support they are so desperate to attract, but he and his successors could do little to temper the rise of ISIL [Islamic State] and the next generation of zealots," the release noted.

US Navy SEAL special operation operatives killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011 after a ten-year manhunt. The manhunt was initiated in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States that killed some 3,000 people.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Obama Condemns Congress for Failure to Close Guantanamo

By Smita Nordwall January 19, 2017

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.



NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






China Should Cease Attempts to Undermine South Korea's Defense Ability - McCain

Sputnik News

20:51 19.01.2017(updated 20:55 19.01.2017)

US Senator John McCain said that China should stop its retaliation campaign against South Korea over the deployment of anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems to the peninsula.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  China should stop its retaliation campaign against South Korea over the deployment of anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems to the peninsula, US Senator John McCain said in a release on Thursday.

"If China believes in free trade and has genuine concerns about the deployment of THAAD in South Korea, it should cease its attempts to undermine South Korea's sovereign ability to defend itself and use its considerable influence to pressure North Korea to stop its destabilizing behavior," McCain stated.

The senator from Arizona claimed that China has cut the number of charter flights from South Korea, while banning imports of cosmetics and other products from the country.

"China has done all of this to stop the deployment of a missile defense system, which is only necessary because China has aided and abetted North Korea for decades," McCain noted.

The THAAD system is designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stage.

In July 2016, Seoul and Washington agreed to deploy the THAAD system in South Korea's Seongju County amid growing tensions in the region spurred by North Korea's ballistic and nuclear tests.

The move has been criticized by neighboring China and Russia as inappropriate, possibly disproportionate and affecting other countries' interests.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






XI: China seeking new model of relations with US

Iran Press TV

Wed Jan 18, 2017 9:55PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping says his country will strive towards including the United States in its "circle of friends" around the globe.

Xi Jinping made the comment during a speech given at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday.

"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," he said.

Tensions have recently been running high between Beijing and Washington over the disputed South China Sea and US President-elect Donald Trump's attempt to what Beijing has described as "impairing" the One China principle. Last month, Trump abandoned decades of precedent by taking a phone call from the president of Taiwan, which China has considered as a breakaway province since a government was established there in 1949.

China claims almost all of the strategic and resource-rich South China Sea, which is also a major sea trade route. The territory is also claimed in part by Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines who accuse China of expansionist ambitions in the region.

The Chinese president further stressed that his country always values people's rights and interests more than anything else and that Beijing has always endeavored to defend human rights.

"China will never seek expansion, hegemony or sphere of influence," he added.

"Big countries should treat smaller countries as equals instead of acting as a hegemon imposing their will on others," Xi added.

'World needs to be rid of nukes'

He also called for unity on the subject of climate change and the fight against terrorism and nuclear disarmament.

"The Paris agreement is a milestone in the history of climate governance. We must ensure this endeavor is not derailed... China will continue to take steps to tackle climate change and fully honor its obligations," he said.

The Paris Agreement seeks to wean the world economy off fossil fuels in the second half of the century, limiting the rise in average world temperatures to "well below" 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times.

"Nuclear weapons should be completely prohibited and destroyed over time to make the world free of nuclear weapons," he added.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Xi says China stays committed to upholding world peace

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:34, January 19, 2017

Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Wednesday that China remains unchanged in its commitment to upholding world peace.

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






India Considers Changing Military Doctrine

Sputnik News

03:36 19.01.2017(updated 09:31 19.01.2017)

New Delhi is reconsidering its Cold Start war doctrine, which anticipates a brief but intense conflict with neighboring countries Pakistan and China, as nuclear threats and terrorism continue to strain relations among the three nations.

A senior Indian official explained to Defense News that Cold Start enables the Indian military to rapidly mobilize troops and armor across the border before a nuclear threshold is reached.

They added, "The Cold Start strategy will be discussed in the near future between the top military leadership as part of a new war doctrine."

Retired Indian Army brigadier Rahul Bhonsle suggested that, "The [Cold Start] strategy was not shelved; only different names were given to the same, such as preemptive offensive or preemptive limited operations and so on."

The defense analyst acknowledged that Cold Start likely stokes tensions between Pakistan and India, offering that the "Essential risk [of the Cold Start doctrine] is that of triggering a nuclear exchange."

According to a recent Dawn editorial, "Cold Start by its very nature is a destabilising doctrine. It presupposes that India can cross the international border, temporarily hold Pakistani territory and launch punitive military strikes against military and militancy targets without triggering a general conflict."

"Odd and dangerous as that presumption is," the article states, "the very act of India articulating a theory of Cold Start had a real and immediate impact: Pakistan chose to expand the size and range of its nuclear arsenal."

Gurmeet Kanwal, a retired Indian Army brigadier and analyst, said, "Indian political and military leaders and strategic analysts believe that there is clear strategic space for a conventional conflict below the nuclear threshold because nuclear weapons are not weapons of war fighting," and, "They are convinced that for Pakistan, it would be suicidal to launch a nuclear strike against India or Indian forces, as it would invite massive retaliation."

Bhonsle noted that, despite discussion, the Indian government is well aware of the risk that New Delhi could enter a nuclear conflict, so they would be wise to exercise caution.

Defense analyst Nitin Mehta explained, "The Cold Start doctrine essentially will prepare for the next wars, which will emerge on short notice, will be of short duration, and will be fought at high tempo and intensitythe doctrine would mean combined operations by air, land and sea forces, which will require greater coordination headed by a senior military official."

A second Indian Army official said that if the doctrine remains in force, then the procurement of equipment and specialized weaponry would follow soon after.

"There would be a shift from platform-centric to network-centric warfare. Apart from quick mobility platforms in air, there would be need for variety of quick military vehicles there will be an urgent need to upgrade intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities along the borders with both China and Pakistan," the official said.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Zarif: Trump will be surprised if he rejects nuclear deal

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 19, IRNA -- If US president-elect Donald Trump annuls the nuclear deal, he will be surprised by Iran, says Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Zarif, following his address in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation ministerial meeting in Kuala Lumpur, appeared among the reporters and said that all the parties involved in the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) should abide by the deal.

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 he's 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 "won't 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.

8072**2044

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UNSC meeting verified Iran's abidance by commitments under JCPOA: Envoy

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New York, Jan 19, IRNA -- Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Gholamali Khosroo said that United Nations Security Council justification meeting verified Iran's compliance with commitments under Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Talking to IRNA following the meeting aimed at evaluating implementation of Resolution 2231, he added that representative of all countries attending the meeting unanimously confirmed Iran's abidance by its commitments under the nuclear deal.

Most of the UNSC member states extended support to the implementation of the deal as a major achievement in the field of diplomacy.

They called for all parties' adherence to the deal, Khoshroo said, noting that they all agreed that the deal has contributed a lot to economic collaboration in international scene.

8072**2050

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Trump to be surprised if ditches Iran nuclear deal: Zarif

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 4:44PM

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran will have its "own options" in response to any violations of the 2015 nuclear deal, adding that the Islamic Republic will "surprise" US President-elect Donald Trump if he scraps the accord.

Zarif made the remarks in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Thursday while speaking with reporters on the sidelines of a special meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Asked about Trump's campaign pledge to quash the nuclear deal, Zarif said, "Whatever he does to the nuclear deal, we're not worried about it, because we have our own options."

The deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was negotiated by Iran and the P5+1 group of countries  the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany  in July 2015.

The JCPOA, which was later enshrined in a legally-binding UN Security Council resolution, places certain limits on the Iranian nuclear activities in exchange for lifting nuclear-related sanctions.

However, the incoming US president vowed during his election campaign that he would "tear up" the JCPOA or try to renegotiate its terms. He also referred to the nuclear agreement as "the worst deal ever negotiated."

Trump will be inaugurated as US president on January 20, a year after the JCPOA took effect.

Zarif further said Washington cannot unilaterally decide to abrogate the JCPOA as it is an "international agreement," and not a bilateral one between Iran and the US.

"As I've said before, President-elect Trump likes surprises and we will make him surprised," said the Iranian foreign minister.

The top Iranian diplomat, however, said it is in the interest of all sides to honor their obligations under the accord.

On Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said fresh negotiations on the JCPOA would have no meaning and there would be no new talks in this regard.

"The JCPOA is not a mutual agreement [but] is a multilateral agreement. Therefore, it will be meaningless if we wanted to negotiate on the JCPOA anew. There will be no new negotiations," he said.

January 16 marked the first anniversary of the JCPOA's implementation.

Earlier this week, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who chaired the P5+1 during the negotiations in the lead-up to the deal, said that the 28-nation bloc will "protect and preserve" Iran's historic nuclear deal.

China also urged all signatories to the agreement with Iran to remain committed to their obligations.

China's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying expressed her country's readiness to maintain close cooperation with all parties to ensure the "sustained, comprehensive and effective implementation" of the JCPOA.

In a similar stance, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called for the accord to be maintained as it "has great merit."

Russia has also said it would be unforgivable if the agreement was lost.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN confirms Iran's compliance with nuclear deal

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 5:23AM

The UN Security Council has confirmed that Iran has complied with the provisions of the historic nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of countries.

Speaking at Wednesday's meeting of the council, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Fletman briefed the council on its Resolution 2231 which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) signed by Iran and the P5+1 group of countries in 2015.

Feltman described the nuclear agreement as "a good example of how multilateral diplomacy, political will and perseverance can resolve the most complex issues."

"It is imperative that its participants, the United Nations and the broader international community continue to support the full implementation of this historic multilateral agreement for its full duration," he said.

"It's comprehensive and sustained implementation guarantees that Iran's nuclear program remains exclusively peaceful," Fletman pointed out.

Feltman said Iran has not received any unauthorized nuclear-related items since the agreement was signed, adding that no information was received regarding Iranian ballistic missile activities in violation of the resolution.

In a Wednesday statement read by the EU ambassador to the UN, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who facilitated the nuclear JCPOA, lauded the deal as "a major achievement" and said all participants have fulfilled their commitments.

Mogherini pointed to "a staggering 63 percent" growth in EU-Iran trade in the first three quarters of 2016 as an example of the results of removal of bans against Iran.

US President-elect Donald Trump threatened during his election campaign that he would "tear up" the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or try to renegotiate its terms if elected president. He has also referred to the nuclear agreement as "the worst deal ever negotiated."

Mogherini said in an interview on Wednesday that the JCPOA is neither unilateral nor bilateral, meaning that it cannot be renegotiated by one party alone. "So it is a multilateral framework and we are ready protect and to preserve it," she added.

On Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also stressed that any manner of negotiations on the JCPOA would be meaningless.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China -- plus Germany started implementing the JCPOA on January 16, 2016.

Under the nuclear deal, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

Since the implementation of the JCPOA, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has on multiple occasions confirmed Iran's compliance with its obligations under the nuclear agreement.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iran Plans to Inject UF6 Gas Into New Centrifuge Machine in Near Future

Sputnik News

05:36 19.01.2017

Iran is preparing to inject uranium hexafluoride (UF6) into a brand new Iran-made centrifuge machine, known as IR8, in the near future, Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Asghar Zarean said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Zarean emphasized that this development will increase Iran's capability to enrich uranium, and remind world powers of how the nation's capability to replace old centrifuge machines with new ones may also be reflected in their potential capacity to replace their nuclear program should the 2015 nuclear agreement be violated.

"The mechanical tests of IR8 machine which has been made by Iranian experts and is fully indigenized have ended and we will inject uranium gas into a single machine within the framework of the nuclear deal in Natanz and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the very near future," Zarean said on Wednesday, as quoted by the Fars News Agency.

On July 14, 2015, Iran and the P5 + 1 group of countries (comprising Russia, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Germany) signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program. Under this agreement, Iran stated that it would not further seek to develop or acquire nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of sanctions imposed against Iran.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iran to 'Surprise' Trump if 2015 Nuclear Deal Gets Canceled

Sputnik News

00:48 20.01.2017

Iran is not worried about the possible cancellation of the 2015 multilateral nuclear deal by US President-elect Donald Trump, because the country has other options and may "surprise" the US president-elect, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Trump's disapproval of the nuclear deal is not based on a clear understanding of the advantages it offers the United States, and the president-elect would not be in a position to do much about the deal.

"If Trump rejects the nuclear deal, we will surprise him the same way he likes to surprise the others, as I have said before Whatever Trump does, does not concern us at all, as we have our own options. However, it is an international agreement which demands the full commitment of the whole world," Zarif told reporters on the sidelines of a session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers on Thursday, as quoted by the Mehr news agency.

Trump has frequently called the Iran nuclear agreement, negotiated by outgoing President Barack Obama's team, a "disastrous deal" and suggested cancelling it.

On July 14, 2015, Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, comprising the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany, signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, ensuring the peaceful nature of Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

The agreement came into force on January 16, after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) submitted a report confirming the readiness of Iran's authorities to implement the agreement to reduce the country's nuclear potential.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Most Daesh commanders in Mosul killed in battles: Iraqi general

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 6:8PM

A senior Iraqi general says most Daesh commanders in Mosul have been killed in battles with armed forces over the past three months.

"The majority of (Daesh) commanders have been killed in the eastern side," Lieutenant-General Abdul Ghani al-Assadi from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) told reporters on Thursday, while touring the newly retaken areas in the northern Iraqi city.

Since October 2016, the Iraqi army, backed by volunteer forces, has been pushing to drive Daesh terrorists out of their last urban stronghold in the Arab state.

"God willing, there will be an announcement in the next few days that all the eastern bank is under control," Assadi added.

Latest reports from Mosul on Thursday said government troops had liberated Mosul's Fazeliyeh neighborhood, as well as Tel Kef, a small town just to the north of the city.

The army is still battling Daesh militants in al-Arabi, the last district which remains under their control in eastern Mosul, according to the reports.

Assadi had announced on Wednesday that Daesh had been driven out of almost all of Mosul's eastern half, and that the area had been brought under CTS control.

He said the next stage of the operation is to liberate the western side of Mosul.

"There will be a meeting in the next few days attended by all the commanders concerned with liberation operations," added the senior military officials.

A total of 137,880 people have been displaced from Mosul and neighboring areas ever since the start of the operations, according to figures released by the International Organization for Migration on January 9.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Defending from Outer Space? Israel Introduces Arrow-3 Missile Interceptor System

Sputnik News

00:01 20.01.2017

Arrow-3, a missile-defense system capable of destroying targets in space, codeveloped by Israel Aerospace Industries and Boeing, has officially entered service, according to Jerusalem.

The Israeli Air Force announced that the Arrow-3, its newest missile defense system, has officially entered service. The first round of Arrow-3 installations have been delivered to the air force's Aerial Defense Array. US Air Force Brig. Gen. William Cooley joined Israeli Ministry of Defense representatives in a ceremony marking the delivery.

"Arrow-3 is the result of many years of development efforts, based on a solution designed by Israeli Aerospace Industries, which have today come to fruition," said Boaz Levi, Israel Aerospace Industries vice president and general manager of the Systems, Missiles & Space Group. "This is a milestone for the Israel's Defense Establishment, and for Israel's defense industries."

Arrow-3 will complement its lower-range predecessor, Arrow-2, and a short-range missile-defense system known as the Iron Dome. The new missile has half the weight of an Arrow-2, and, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, offers users better "control and monitoring abilities while also expanding radar detection range."

Arrow-3 is reported as being able to destroy targets as high as 62 miles, the boundary of outer space, also known as the Karman line. When the missile reaches a desired altitude, its warhead splits into individual 'kamikaze satellites' that can track and destroy targets, including long-range and intercontinental missiles. If an Arrow-3 fails, the shorter-range and lower-altitude Arrow-2 will serve as a backup. However, it is unclear whether Arrow-3 can actually hit a satellite, since 'low orbit' begins at the altitude of about 100 miles.

According to public data, since 2008, the United States has contributed almost $600 million to the development of the Arrow-3. In September 2016, the US and Israel signed a 10-year military-aid deal assuring Israel $5 billion in missile-defense funding from fiscal year 2019 through fiscal year 2028, according to Defense News.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






About 400,000 Syrian child refugees in Turkey out of school: UNICEF

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 6:15PM

The United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, says nearly 400,000 Syrian child refugees living in Turkey are currently out of school and at risk of becoming a "lost generation."

UNICEF said on Thursday that more than 40 percent of Syrian child refugees of school-going age were missing out on education in Turkey.

In a statement published on Thursday, Justin Forsyth, the agency's deputy executive director, called for action to tackle the issue.

"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 said.

The UN official made the remarks after a visit to southern Turkey where thousands of Syrians live in cities and inside camps.

The Ankara government says there are 2.7 million Syrian refugees in Turkey. According to UNICEF, children make up 1.2 million of the Syrian refugees in Turkey.

In September 2016, the United Nations refugee agency said in a report that only 39 percent of Syrian school-age refugee children and adolescents in Turkey were enrolled in primary and secondary schools while the number was 40 and 70 percent in Lebanon and Jordan respectively.

The agency called on donors to provide sufficient funding to allow for sustainable education planning and programming for refugee kids and young people.

The report also warned that millions of children with refugee status had been missing out on a chance to get an education, calling on the world to do more to provide the kids with proper schooling.

According to the UN report, just one percent of older refugees are lucky enough to attend university.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011.

Millions of Syrians have been fleeing the conflict in their home country to neighboring states as well as elsewhere in the world.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Planned peace talks in Kazakh capital to enforce cessation of hostilities: Syrian president

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 1:48PM

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has stressed that the upcoming peace talks in the Kazakh capital city of Astana next week will focus on enforcing a cessation of hostilities across the Arab country.

"I believe that they will focus, in the beginning, and will prioritize, as we see it, reaching a ceasefire," the Syrian president told Japanese television channel TBS in a recent interview according to excerpts released by his office.

He added that a lasting ceasefire will allow aid access to the areas besieged by foreign-backed Takfiri militant groups.

"This will be to protect people's lives and allow humanitarian aid to reach various areas in Syria," he said.

The remarks by the Syrian president come as a new round of peace talks, to be mediated by Russia, Turkey, and Iran, is to be held in Astana next week while a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Moscow and Ankara and endorsed by the UN Security Council in late December, is largely holding across the Arab country.

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.

The Syrian government's delegation in the Astana talks will be led by Syrian diplomat and permanent representative to the United Nations Bashar al-Ja'afari.

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 US has not been involved in the latest diplomacy on the Syrian conflict.

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.

UN envoy for Syria to attend Astana talks

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will attend the Astana talks, the UN spokesman said on Thursday.

Stephane Dujarric said that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has asked De Mistura to attend the talks "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 UN chief "is looking forward to the Astana meeting being a positive step, ahead of the resumption of intra-Syria negotiations in Geneva," Dujarric added.

Syria has been fighting foreign-sponsored militancy over the past six years. According to estimates by De Mistura, 400,000 people have been so far killed in the country's crisis.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US Confirms Receiving Invitation From Russia to Participate in Astana Talks

Sputnik News

23:03 19.01.2017(updated 23:25 19.01.2017)

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.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) 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 Trump's 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.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Syria's Aleppo Heavily Mined, Clearance Requires Joint Int'l Efforts

Sputnik News

21:22 19.01.2017

Considering importance of the demining task in Syria's Aleppo for implementation of humanitarian programs it is necessary to provide international assistance to Russia both on bilateral and multilateral basis, according to a diplomatic source.

GENEVA (Sputnik)  Moscow calls on the United Nations and other international organizations to provide the Russian military with assistance in demining Syria's city of Aleppo, which has been left heavily mined by the militant groups, a diplomatic source told Sputnik on Thursday.

"According to the estimates of Russia's military, the scale of mining in Aleppo is very large. Russia's International Mine Action Center is working practically round-the-clock. Considering importance of the demining task for implementation of humanitarian programs it is necessary to provide international assistance to Russia both on bilateral and multilateral basis," the diplomatic source said.

The so-called Arab Spring protests in Syria that took place in 2011 resulted in clashes between the government forces and opposition. Since then, the Middle Eastern country has been mired in a civil war between authorities in Damascus, numerous opposition factions, as well as terrorist groups. The city of Aleppo has become one of the main battlegrounds of the war.

On December 16, the Russian Defense Ministry's center for Syrian reconciliation said that the Syrian army operation to liberate the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo was over, and that the Syrian government troops were eliminating separate hotbeds of militant resistance.

On December 23, Maj. Gen. Zaid Saleh, the head of Aleppo's security committee, told Sputnik that over 31,000 militants and members of their families had left eastern districts of Aleppo under the agreement with the Syrian government.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Daesh Captures Humanitarian Supplies Drop Zone in Syria's Deir ez-Zor

Sputnik News

19:19 19.01.2017(updated 20:03 19.01.2017)

Senior adviser to the UN special envoy for Syria said that Syria's Deir ez-Zor has lost its only lifeline, as humanitarian supply deliveries were cut to the town due to the air drop zone being surrounded by Daesh militants.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Syria's Deir ez-Zor has lost its only lifeline, as humanitarian supply deliveries were cut to the town due to the air drop zone being surrounded by Daesh militants, Jan Egeland, senior adviser to the UN special envoy for Syria, said on Thursday.

"The Daesh fighters, terrorist, have launched a major offensive, have cut the besieged area now in two, and have captured, among other things, the drop zone for humanitarian supplies. So, it is not possible, it has not been possible since Sunday to drop new humanitarian relief to the Deir ez-Zor people, who really do not have any other lifeline than relief by air," Egeland said.

Deir ez-Zor, which is still held by Syrian government forces, has been under siege by the Daesh, a terrorist organization outlawed in many countries, including the United States and Russia, since July 2014.

On Monday, Daesh fighters broke through government defensive lines, surrounding a military airbase where relief supplies were previously flown to.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Syria: Ceasefire a 'disappointment' for aid access; UN envoy invited to Astana peace talks

19 January 2017  Despite a cessation of hostilities in war-ravaged Syria, aid workers are still unable to reach many people desperately needing assistance, the United Nations reported today, also announcing that Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura will attend upcoming talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

"An exhausted civilian population is still trapped, with no escape, we are still unable to reach hundreds and hundreds of thousands," UN Senior Adviser on Syria Jan Egeland told the press in Geneva today, emphasizing that "in terms of humanitarian access, the cessation of hostilities period has been a disappointment."

"In January, only half of the population that we asked to reach were approved for access in full," he added.

According to Mr. Egeland, even when a monthly humanitarian plan is approved, a bureaucratic "quagmire" including having to seek facilitation letters, permits and different levels of agreement from different actors, including armed opposition groups, prevents its effective implementation.

"All of them it seems, to avoid us helping women, children, wounded on the other side," he said.

Life-line to Deir ez-Zor disrupted

Mr. Egeland further said the situation in Deir ez-Zor, a desert town in eastern Syria with an estimated 93,000 civilians, was extremely concerning.

In a major offensive, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) fighters have cut the besieged area into two and captured, among other locations, the drop zone for humanitarian supplies.

"It has not been possible since Sunday to drop new humanitarian relief to the people there who really do not have any other life-line than relief by air," he said.

Water supply to millions in Damascus still cut off

Turning to the situation in Wadi Barada, where intense fighting had damaged the infrastructure that supplied water to more than five million people in Syria's capital, Damascus, Mr. Egeland said:

"Repairmen are able and willing to go [and] went at one point, [until] a few days back, when one [person] was killed by a sniper [and] the whole repair mission was called off [] This situation is screaming for a cessation of hostilities [] that can enable the repairs."

Major relief operation underway in Aleppo

The UN Senior Adviser further reported that the UN has been helping some 500,000 people in war-battered Aleppo recently.

"We will be able to reach now all populations, all over Aleppo, and that's a first for many months," he noted.

However, Mr. Egeland added that according to reports, including by the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Ali Al-Za'tari, "the devastation is absolutely shocking and all of the unexploded ordinances make life very difficult in the city and still, Aleppo citizens now want to go back increasingly and they need our help to rebuild it."

Alongside this situation, more than one million people in the city remain without water because it is not possible to repair a pumping station, held in ISIL-controlled territory.

"To deny populations water, to deny repair of water supplies, is a criminal offense under international law," he underscored.

Astana meeting  an opportunity to change things

Highlighting the significance of the upcoming meeting convened by Iran, Russia and Turkey in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, between the Syrian Government and opposition groups, Mr. Egeland said that the meeting offered an opportunity to help the humanitarian actors on the ground "who are able and willing to go to places with relief."

Meanwhile, earlier today, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General announced that in light of the complexity and importance of the issues likely to be raised in Astana, as well as of the senior level at which the conveners of the meeting will be represented, the UN chief had appointed Staffan de Mistura, the Special Envoy for Syria, to lead the UN team at the talks.

"The Secretary-General is looking forward to the Astana meeting being a positive step, ahead of the resumption of intra-Syria negotiations in Geneva," noted the spokesperson.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN: Syrian Government, Rebels Denying Humanitarian Access to Civilians

By Lisa Schlein January 19, 2017

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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN Invited to Syrian Peace Talks Next Week

By VOA News January 19, 2017

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."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taiwan urges U.S. support in maintaining cross-strait peace

ROC Central News Agency

2017/01/19 20:08:29

Taipei, Jan. 19 (CNA) The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday urged the incoming U.S. administration of Donald Trump to support Taipei's continued efforts to maintain cross-strait peace and reiterated that Taiwan should not be used as a bargaining chip in the relationship between the United States and China.

The government attaches great importance to Taiwan's relations with the United States and China and remains consistent and firm on its policy of promoting cross-strait peace and stability, MAC Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng () said at a press briefing, when asked to comment on a suggestion made by Trump that he would negotiate over the "one China" policy with Beijing after taking office.

Taipei is committed to promoting a balanced relationship with the United States and China and hopes that the new U.S. government, on the basis of the Taiwan Relations Act and the six assurances, will support Taiwan's efforts to maintain cross-strait peace, Chiu said.

He asked Washington to convey to Beijing the importance of mutual respect and communication with Taiwan and to urge Beijing to adopt a more rational and friendly attitude toward Taipei.

The government will deal cautiously with the development of U.S-China relations and continue to closely observe China's policy toward Taiwan, Chiu added.

Commenting on protests made by Beijing over Taiwan sending representatives to attend Trump's inauguration, Chiu said that participation is a show of friendship between Taiwan and the United States and that China had nothing to gain from trying to limit Taiwan's normal exchanges and interactions with the United States.

(By Chen Chia-lun and Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/AW/

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taiwan should keep hands off Washington's China policy: ex-premier

ROC Central News Agency

2017/01/19 13:24:27

Washington, Jan. 18 (CNA) Former Premier Yu Shyi-kun () said Wednesday that Taiwan should not get involved in U.S. relations with China, and should instead ask Washington to stick to the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act and its "Six Assurances" to Taiwan.

"The one-China policy is a policy of the United States, not Taiwan's," Yu said at a press conference in Washington. "We expect the United States to fully implement the Taiwan Relations Act and the 'Six Assurances.'"

He was responding to questions about a debate in the United States about its one-China policy as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is ready to take power in the White House after being sworn in on Friday.

Yu arrived in the U.S. capital late Tuesday at the head of Taiwan's delegation to the Trump inauguration.

The policy direction of the incoming Trump administration remains to be seen, even though President Tsai Ing-wen's () telephone call to Trump in early December was helpful to Taiwan's international profile, Yu said to reporters at Twin Oaks, the residence of the Republic of China ambassador to the United States until Jan. 1, 1979.

On that date, the Carter administration formally established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China and official ties with Taiwan were severed.

The U.S. Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act in April that year to govern unofficial relations with Taiwan, including provisions that say the United States should provide defensive weapons to help Taiwan defend itself.

In 1982, then-President Ronald Reagan conveyed the "Six Assurances" to Taiwan, promising not to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan and not to force Taiwan to enter into negotiations with China, among other things.

Also on Wednesday, Yu and other members of the delegation called on members of Congress, including Ed Royce (R-CA) and Mo Brooks (R-AL).

Yu's delegation consists of lawmakers and other politicians of Taiwan's major political parties, including Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung (), Chen Ting-fei () of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, Ko Chih-en () of the Kuomintang, Lim Tshiong-tso () of the New Power Party and Chen Yi-chieh () of the People First Party.

(By Tony Liao and Rita Cheng)

ENDITEM/J

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Experts reiterate Taiwan issue not a bargaining chip for Trump

People's Daily Online

By Jiang Jie (People's Daily Online) 15:18, January 19, 2017

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 (DDP) Yu Shyi-kun  who is notorious for his pro-"Taiwan independence" stance  and would attend the inauguration, according to the island's "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 Trump's 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.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Turkish MPs approve more articles of new draft constitution

Iran Press TV

Thu Jan 19, 2017 2:55PM

Turkish lawmakers have passed more articles of a contentious constitutional reform package, which would give the president sweeping executive powers.

The parliament approved seven out of the 18 articles of the draft constitution proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

If adopted both in the parliament and a national referendum, the constitution would cancel the parliamentary system of government in favor of a presidential one.

Under the new mechanism, Erdogan would be allowed to serve two five-year tenures. With the exception of his current mandate, he could thus be leading the country until 2029, with the next elections being scheduled for 2019.

The reforms would also enable the president to appoint and dismiss government officials at his own discretion.

The president would further be able to be a party member, thus giving Erdogan a permit to return to the leadership of the AKP, which he himself has founded.

Under the new charter, the number of parliamentarian will be increased from 550 to 600, as well.

The AKP has only 316 deputies eligible to vote on the bill, which needs 330 'Yes' votes at every parliamentary hurdle. The party, therefore, relies on its allies from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) for approving the bill.

All seven articles gained the majority of votes required to take constitutional amendments to referendum.

AKP and MHP say the changes will create a strong executive leadership vis-a-vis the fragile coalition governments of the past.

The proposed reform package has been met with strong opposition from the Turkish legislature's second- and third-biggest parties, the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

Critics say such changes to the constitution will fuel authoritarianism as it places too much power in the hands of the president.

CHP leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, says approving such a bill is treason.

"I call out to all citizens. If you respect what is right, you will oppose this constitution," he said earlier.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Ukrainian Parliament Adopts Law Allowing Admission of Foreign Troops for Drills

Sputnik News

12:19 19.01.2017(updated 16:34 19.01.2017)

Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament, has adopted a law Thursday allowing the admission of foreign troops to conduct exercises on the Ukrainian territory in 2017.

A total of 236 parliamentarians voted in favor of the law.

Earlier, President Poroshenko asked the parliament to approve his decision to allow the admission of foreign troops on the territory of the country to take part in military drills in 2017. These drills would include the Sea Breeze-2017 and Rapid Trident-2017 exercises.

The law applies to the US military troops, as well as outfits from other countries, NATO members and states taking part in the "Partnership for Peace" program. That would mean up to 3,000 servicemen with weapons, military equipment, up to six warplanes and helicopters.

The document will now have to be signed by the President.

Ukraine's legal system prohibits any kind of military units without a legal provision from operating on the country's territory. Moreover, it prohibits the deployment of foreign military bases, therefore all foreign troops have to be admitted on the territory of Ukraine by a special legislation as advised by the President.

On Tuesday, Poroshenko announced that he had agreed on the date of his visit to Washington with US president-elect Donald Trump, after the inauguration. Talking to The Wall Street Journal, he said that he hoped to meet with Trump in February.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, right, and US Vice President Joe Biden prior their statement to the media at the Presidential Administration Building in Kiev.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Edge data centres will account for most of the telecom server market growth and is projected to reach US$14 billion by 2026 according to a new report from DellOro Group.
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.
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.
Visitors to the River District may notice a few changes in the upcoming weeks thanks to the second round of Danville Art Trail entries.

The first of eight new sculptures were installed Friday along the trail with the final pieces being installed Thursday. The pieces will remain on display for 18 months.

We believe these public art displays add value to our community by introducing new and interesting pieces on a rotating basis, Danville Parks and Recreation Department Director Bill Sgrinia said. We wanted to provide a cultural opportunity that is both free and accessible by all and to provide a unique opportunity for everyone to experience in their daily lives.

The eight new pieces were selected from a field of 34 entries; six sculptures were chosen by a panel consisting of local art enthusiasts and two were selected by an online vote. Two of the original seven pieces will remain on the trail. Those pieces include An Autumns Path (formally located at Danville Public Library), which was purchased by the city using grant funds and Sharing a Story (currently located adjacent to the JTI Fountain on Main Street), which will remain on loan from the artist for an additional 18 months.

Not only will new artwork be on display, we were able to expand the locations of the trail, Sgrinia added. None of this would have been possible without the support of the public.

While installation, artist fees and maintenance of the trail costs $20,000 every 18 months, financial contributions from the Danville Regional Foundation, Riverview Rotary and the River District Association have reduced the citys cost to around $6,000.

For Riverview Rotary Past President Kathy Milam, the organizations support of the trail is an investment in Danville.

Riverview Rotary is a proud sponsor of Danvilles unique Art Trail, Milam said. Rotarians work together to support education and help grow the local economy. Danvilles Art Trail educates, inspires creativity, beautifies, and promotes interest in our community.

This years selection panel was made up of Fred Motley, Rick Barker, Kathy Milam, Bruce Wilson, Charles Ellis; Bill Sgrinia and artists Carrie Alter and Virginia Van Horn.

Sponsorships are still being accepted. To sponsor the Danville Art Trail, contact Emily Ragsdale at (434) 799-5215.
A Dan River Region political activist and a Danville student will be among the thousands attending President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration Friday.

Former Pittsylvania County Supervisor Brenda Bowman has been absolutely a Trump supporter from the get go, and will take a commuter train from her cousins home in the morning for the inauguration, along with her husband and daughter.

George Washington High School junior Lauren Jones will be attending her second inauguration as part of Envision Experiences Presidential Inauguration Leadership Summit.

Jones attended President Barack Obamas second inauguration in 2013 as part of the same program. Now as a part of GWHSs Academy for Engineering and Technology, she said shes really excited for the list of people who are coming to talk.

The five-day program hopes to inspire the students to gain a deeper understanding of the history behind governmental process and to become change agents, according to a news release. The students also will attend a gala at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum at the end of the trip.

Last time I went, the Bush sisters were there and told us all these cool stories. Im excited to hear these peoples stories, Jones said.

This isnt Bowmans first inauguration, either.

We went for Bushs inauguration in 2005, and Im thrilled to death to be going back, Bowman said. Im just thrilled that were gonna be a part of history. Its not just about the man, its about the country, she said.

He is gonna be commander in chief, and I hope people will come together, Bowman continued. Im excited to be a part of it. I know its gonna be crazy, but weve done it before, so we know what to expect.

Bowman got her tickets through U.S. Rep. Tom Garretts office, having volunteered on the campaign for both Garrett and Trump during the election. Lynn Tucker, the chairwoman of the 5th Congressional District Republican Committee, also will be attending.

I worked hard for his campaign, and Ive been a part of it from the beginning, so Im really excited to see it, Bowman said.
Two brothers were convicted Thursday evening of first-degree murder for a July 2016 fatal shooting.

A Danville Circuit Court jury recommended a life sentence for Marteno Manuel Holmes, 24, for first-degree murder in the killing of Solomon Louis Jones, 38.

Holmes also was sentenced to 20 years by the jury for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and shooting in a public place for an active sentence of life in prison plus 20 years.

His brother, Jahiza Shamori Jones, 23, was given a 20-year recommended sentencing for first-degree murder.

He was sentenced to an additional 14 years for conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and shooting in a public place for a total of 34 years in prison recommended by the jury.

Solomons sister, Sandra Tucker, held up a picture of her brother during the sentencing phase for the jury. Their mother now has Seven [children] and an angel, she said.

After Jahiza Jones received 20 years for first-degree murder, Holmes told his brother how much he loved him. Love you too, Jones replied.

Solomons relationship with the brothers mother ended sometime in the summer. What led next was a violent set of events.

On July 13, Solomons house on the 100 block of White Street was shot into. Danville Chief Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Petra Haskins said 16 cases were recovered from the scene.

Around 3 a.m. on July 16, a house on the 100 block of Campbell Street, where Jahiza Jones, Holmes and his mother lived, was shot into, Haskins said.

Six hours later, Jahiza Jones and Holmes pulled up to White Street in a silver SUV looking for Solomon and his brother, Delquan Jones.

Once they saw them, Haskins said Jahiza Jones revved up the vehicle and sped toward them. Holmes is seen by Delquan Jones pulling out a gun. The Jones brothers split up, and Solomon is shot as hes running, Haskins said.

As Solomon is face down on the ground, he is dealt five shots, right in the back at close range, Haskins said.

Defense attorney Michael Nicholas said in his closing argument there was no gun found, no agreement made to kill Solomon Jones, and not a single eyewitness or evidence to suggest Jahiza Jones killed him on July 16.

Relying on Delquan Jones, who took three tries before identifying the defendants as the ones who killed his brother, was not sufficient, Nicholas continued. It was just an assumption Jahiza Jones was involved.

The bullets used in the shooting at Campbell Street on July 13 match the bullets from the murder scene, Danville Commonwealths Attorney Michael Newman said in his closing argument.

Newman said a gun was never recovered because What do you do when you kill someone? You get rid of the damn evidence.

Defense attorney Heath Sabin said Holmes was moving on from his criminal pasts, which included convictions for shoplifting, burglary, larceny, shooting at an occupied dwelling and attempted malicious wounding.

Holmes was working, in a serious relationship and was trying to change, Sabin said.

However, Newman said Holmes asked detectives one specific question: how many times was Solomon Jones shot in the back?

Holmes was heard yelling and banging on the walls in the holding cell after being taken out of the courtroom.
MARTINSVILLE  Virginias economy may be growing, but that doesnt mean everyone is benefitting. For gubernatorial candidate Tom Perriello, thats one of the key problems impacting the commonwealth.

Unfortunately, what weve seen in recent years under both Republican and Democratic administrations has been a whole lot of communities being left behind, Perriello said. Hidden underneath those economic figures has been a lot of pain: Certain families, certain regions, communities of color, who have not had the same opportunities for that growth. For me, Virginia should be a place of inclusive economic growth and of inclusive dignity.

That economic inequality is not exclusive to areas like Martinsville and Henry County, Perriello said, which were hit hard by globalization and automation.

When we started our campaign, the first day, we went from Danville to Charlottesville to Alexandria, because this is a diverse state with different economic challenges, he said. In Danville, there arent enough jobs, and in Alexandria, people have to work too many jobs just to be able to afford rent, much less a down payment on a home. In that sense, we have to address different economic realities.

Ultimately, he said, all Virginians want the same thing: Economic security, quality of life and time with their family.

Looking ahead

Earlier this month, Perriello, who served as Virginias 5th District Representative from 2009 to 2011, announced that he is running for governor of Virginia. Incumbent Gov. Terry McAuliffe cannot run again due to Virginias prohibition on governors serving consecutive terms. In the June Democratic primary, Perriello will face current Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, and should he win the primary, he will likely face presumed Republican nominee Ed Gillespie, who is the former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

On Thursday, Perriello visited Martinsville to meet with citizens and take a walking tour of businesses in the citys uptown area. He also sat down for an interview with the Martinsville Bulletin.

For 20 years, the 42-year-old Perriello said, he has been working to increase economic fairness, both in the non-profit and public sectors. That is one of the main messages he hopes to share as he travels the state. And he does intend to travel the state. Perriello said that one of his goals is to visit parts of the commonwealth that may not have seen a Democratic candidate stop by in quite some time.

Youve got to show up, he said. I think if theres one thing both sides have learned in recent years, its that people dont trust the media, and they want an unfiltered chance to hear from a candidate. They want to size you up and see whether you mean it.

Since serving in the House of Representatives, Perriello has worked for non-profits, including the Center for American Progress, and most recently he was appointed by Secretary of State John Kerry as Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a position he held from July 2015 through Dec. 2016.

His decision to run for governor was spurred by his love of Virginia and its values, he said, and by the threats he has seen to those values.

My dad grew up pretty poor in West Virginia and got a scholarship to go to UVA, Perriello said. For him, Virginia was the land of opportunity. It was a place that had great public education and universities, and it didnt matter if you came from a different class or a different place. It was a welcoming place that treated people with decency. Weve worked hard, I think, to make Virginia more inclusive. We have obviously had a tough racial history, but we also elected the first black governor in the country.  Its not that our past was perfect, but the trajectory we were on was to a loving and inclusive Virginia.

However, he said, he recently has seen serious threats to that positive trajectory.

You see the rise of Donald Trumps deeply divisive politics, he said. I dont think that everyone who supported Trump is by any means hate-filled, but I do think the campaign itself was. Virginia rejected that. In fact, Donald Trump did worse in Virginia than any Republican in modern history. I think that speaks to the fact that we are a commonwealth that wants to be welcoming.

Loyalty to neighbors over party

While politics have become increasingly partisan since Perriello last ran for office, he also sees resentment toward both major political parties. His own loyalty, he said, is to his neighbors, not to partisan fighting.

What youve seen in both parties, from some grassroots movements, is a desire for everyday people to be heard, he said. Thats something we were fighting for in 2008 and 2009, and to some extent the conversation has caught up. I think it helps when the system is a level playing field. (Now, many) politicians are effectively given permanent job security, where they dont have to answer to the voters because of a rigged district map. I think both parties are doing some soul-searching and starting to figure out that perhaps the solutions they have been offering for the last couple of decades need to be updated. I see that as an opportunity.

The politics of hate stirred up during the presidential election have also proven to many independents and moderates that it is no longer acceptable to sit on the sidelines, Perriello said.

I do think that people are looking for a pendulum swing back to decency, he said.

When asked what he brought to the table that his Democratic primary challenger Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam did not, Perriello was quick to argue that he is not running against Northam; he is running against Ed Gillespie.

What I see right now is a threat, he said. We have someone who represents and has been part of the worst of Washington politics and is trying to bring that into my state of Virginia. He really wrote the playbook  the K Street Strategy  to sell out the American middle class to the highest bidders in terms of lobbyists. He was the guy that helped write the redistricting maps that basically meant Virginia voters didnt get to decide who represented them.  I think thats something thats deeply upsetting to Virginians I meet with, including my most conservative friends who dont believe that politicians should be given essentially full job security. They should have to answer to voters.

Gillespie, Perriello said, represents what many Trump voters hated about the Republicans: An interest in protecting corporate elites at the expense of working-class Americans.

In contrast, Perriello said, the things Ive accomplished in my life and been blessed to be a part of, Ive accomplished by listening and believing that the people that are living this day-to-day are smarter than I am about what is needed. But if I can listen and use the privileged platforms that Ive been given to advance fairness, that can be a good partnership.  Im fighting as hard for them as theyre fighting for their own families.

Help or hurt by friendships

In his 2008 and 2010 House campaigns, President Barack Obama spoke highly of Perriello, and Perriello has been called an Obama ally. When asked if that relationship would help or hinder him going into the governors race, Perriello said he was proud to have run with the president in 2008.

Sometimes, the old adage that you dont know what youve got until its gone applies, whether thats people realizing the many benefits of the Affordable Care Act now that its under threat, or appreciating the dignity that President Obama has brought to the office of the presidency, he said. I have been incredibly impressed both with President Obama and the First Lady in terms of the dignity they brought to the office, but also their attempts to find creative ways to solve problems.  I certainly embrace the coalition of voters who came out to support him twice, which included a lot of people who dont normally vote.

Of course, everyone wants to be their own brand, he added, and said that he views himself as a pragmatic populist. From the people of Southside, he said, he learned that the economy seems to be rigged and against the middle and working class, and his goal is to fix the structural problems at the heart of that issue.

Im a pragmatist because I like solving problems, he said. Whether that was to expand broadband and clean energy companies in Southside, or working on a peace deal in central Africa, its really about listening, figuring out how to be in a leveraged position and solving a problem. Theres no struggling family in Southside thats helped by me giving some bomb-throwing speech. Theyre helped by getting policy through.

One thing is for certain, Perriello said: He is not running for fame or glory.

In truth, he said, he doesnt even like being in politics. He prefers working in the non-profit sector in public service.

I love it, I really do, much more than I like politics, he said. But in 2008, there was a sense of hope that perhaps we could improve politics and play by a better set of rules. This time, its a little bit out of anxiety. The rules are changing, and not in a good way. We need to stand for the Virginia values I grew up with, of respect for the Constitution and respect for our neighbors.
Virginia's wine industry had a $1.37 billion economic impact on the state in 2015, and the industry added sales, production, jobs and grape-bearing acres from 2010 to 2015, according to a new study released Thursday.

The study, commissioned by the Virginia Wine Board and completed by accounting and consulting firm Frank, Rimmerman + Co., says the economic impact of the wine industry grew 83 percent from $747 million in 2010, when the last impact study was conducted.

The number of wineries in Virginia increased 30 percent to 261 in 2015 from 193 in 2010, while wine production grew by about 60 percent in the same period to 1.7 million gallons bottled in 2015.

"While vineyard acreage in Virginia has steadily increased over the past five years, yields and crop value have varied dramatically," the study says. "If Virginia is to gain traction and continue to produce enough wine in-state to meet increasing consumer demand, the industry will need to continue increasing the available grape-bearing acreage as well as improving overall quality."

The study estimates the retail value of Virginia wine sold at about $129 million in 2015, up from $73 million in 2010. More than 95 percent of Virginia wineries are small, producing less than 10,000 cases a year, and a majority of Virginia wineries sell their wine directly to consumers through winery tasting rooms.

Wine, grapes and related industries accounted for 8,218 jobs in Virginia with wages of more than $291 million in 2015, up from 4,753 jobs with $156 million in salaries in 2010.

Wineries themselves provided employment for 1,813 full-time equivalent jobs in 2015, with a payroll totaling about $36.4 million.

The study says the wine industry has contributed to additional visitors to the state, putting the number of wine-related tourists at about 2.25 million in 2015, an increase from 1.62 million in 2010. Wine-related tourism expenditures grew to $188 million in 2015 from $131 million in 2010.

In 2015, Virginia had about 338 commercial grape growers with combined plantings of 3,300 bearing acres. The acreage rose from 2,700 in 2010.
New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone.
Vancouver, BC (FSCwire) - Miranda Gold Corp. ("Miranda") (TSX-V: MAD) is pleased to announce it has signed Letters of Intent (LOI) on two important district-scale epithermal vein systems. The Colombian project titles are Mallama and San Lucas in the Narino and South Bolivar departments, respectively.

Both acquisitions are the result of reconnaissance and evaluations during the last resource market down-cycle. Miranda has maintained its presence in Colombia, while waiting for quality projects to become available and for security risks in certain areas to become more manageable - as a result of the armistice that was signed between the Colombian government and opposition groups.

The Mallama project is part of a large district that contains more than thirty mapped intermediate sulfidation epithermal veins with strike lengths of over 4km. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) mapped, sampled, and drilled a portion of the larger vein system - of which the Mallama project covers a part - in 1983. The El Diamante Mine is just north of Mirandas Mallama project, and has been active for 30 years or more - with its interesting gold metallurgy studied and published by the joint efforts of Colombian and European scientists - the gold at El Diamante, in particular, is associated with pyrite and quartz and secondarily with arsenopyrite, sphalerite and galena. Historic sampling presented by the owners of the titles on the Mallama project shows vein grades from 33 g Au/t to 87 g Au/t with silver occurring on an average ratio of 10:1 silver to gold. Limited confirmation sampling assays by Miranda geologists shows 42 g Au/t over 0.5m in an active artisan mine that displays numerous parallel veins. Mallama consists of government granted titles.

The San Lucas project is part of a large district that contains numerous high-grade veins extending for several kilometers. San Lucas is particularly interesting in that it displays banded quartz-carbonate veins with high tellurium. This is the same vein characteristic that is seen in Buritica (reported reserves of 3.7m ounces gold at 8.5 g Au/t- and 10.7m ounces of silver at 24.3 g Ag/t), which is being advanced to production by Continental Gold Inc. The analog for San Lucas is mesozonal to epithermal carbonate base metal (CBM) gold systems. Mirandas acquisition of San Lucas is a direct result of the recognition of this rare analog model in Colombia. San Lucas is a core property internal to Mineros S.A.s Guamoco Project to the north, and a large land position to the south maintained by Anglo Ashanti. Miranda considers San Lucas the core of the district. San Lucas has reported gold values of between 12.5 g Au/t and 105 g Au/t over 3m. San Lucas consists of government granted titles.

Miranda cannot yet independently verify historically reported samples for Mallama or San Lucas  however  Mirandas Exploration Manager has past experience in and knowledge of both of these districts through prior work history. The assay values provided above for San Lucas are from an NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report (Quia Resources Inc. & Onsino Capital Corp, prepared by Caracle Creek International Consulting Inc., July 2010).

Both Mallama and San Lucas are not without challenges. Mallama will require a Consulta Previa and good cooperation from the local stakeholders. The initial work for Mallama will start immediately  with the goal of initiating physical exploration in the areas of highest interest. San Lucas is within an area that is temporarily withdrawn for additional mineral entry, so no work can commence until that prohibition is lifted. Regarding San Lucas  Miranda is in a similar position to that of Mineros SA and Anglo Ashanti  who both maintain their land positions in the district in anticipation of the areas release from an environmental study area. The demonstrated potential of both Mallama and San Lucas make the risk vs. reward profile for these two projects acceptable for acquisition by Miranda.

Agreement Details

Mallama: On November 5, 2016, Miranda signed a binding letter of intent, subject to Miranda satisfactorily completing a 30-day due diligence (complete), to enter into a binding purchase agreement. Miranda has paid the initial US$140,000, and we now have a further 60-day period (extended) in which to draft the final binding purchase agreement. Upon receipt of suitable drill permits on Mallama, Miranda is required to make an additional payment of US$200,000. A residual net proceeds royalty of 4% (as defined in the Rocky Mountain Form 5) will be payable to the vendor, with a minimum of US$1.0m payable within three years of the commencement of commercial production, capped at US$4.0m over the life of the mine. There are no minimum work commitments on Mallama, and no acquisition restrictions imposed on Miranda for any adjacent property.

San Lucas: On January 19, 2017, Miranda signed a non-binding letter of intent, subject to Miranda satisfactorily completing a 30-day due diligence (in process), to enter into a binding purchase agreement. Once the initial payment of outstanding license fees of US$120,000 is paid, Miranda will have a further 30-day period in which to draft the final binding purchase agreement. A further payment of approximately US$60,000 will be required at the signing of the agreement. When the San Lucas property is withdrawn from the Study Area Resolucion 1628, Miranda will be required to make an additional payment of US$100,000. Upon receipt of suitable drill permits on San Lucas, Miranda will be required to make an additional payment of US$75,000. Finally, a payment of US$500,000 will become due, in two tranches, when Miranda produces a NI 43-101 technical report showing 500,000 or more gold equivalent ounces in the Measured and Indicated categories. A residual net proceeds royalty of 4% (as defined in the Rocky Mountain Form 5) will be payable to the vendor, with a minimum of US$1.0m payable within three years of the commencement of commercial production, capped at US$4.0m over the life of the mine. There are no minimum work commitments on San Lucas, and no acquisition restrictions imposed on Miranda for any adjacent property.

Data disclosed in this press release, has been reviewed and verified by Mirandas Chief Executive Officer, Joseph Hebert, C.P.G., and B.Sc. Geology, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Miranda

Miranda is a gold Prospect Generator active in Alaska and Colombia, whose emphasis is on acquiring gold exploration projects with world-class discovery potential. Miranda performs its own grass roots exploration and then employs a joint venture business model on its projects to maximize our exposure to discovery and minimize exploration risk. Miranda has ongoing relationships with Gold Torrent, Inc., and Montezuma Mines Inc.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Joseph (Joe) Hebert, Chief Executive Officer

+1-775-340-0450

Email: joseph.hebert75@gmail.com

www.mirandagold.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.

U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's current expectations and estimates. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results implied or expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans to continue to be refined; possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing; and fluctuations in metal prices. There may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/miranda01202017.pdfSource: Miranda Gold Corp. (TSX Venture:MAD)

To follow Miranda Gold Corp. on your favorite social media platform or financial websites, please click on the icons below.

Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com

Copyright  2017 Filing Services Canada Inc.
VANCOUVER, Jan. 20, 2017 /CNW/ - Kootenay Silver Inc. (TSXV: KTN) (the "Company" or "Kootenay") reports that at its annual general meeting held on November 30, 2016, that Shareholders voted in favor of all items of business before the meeting, including the election of the following incumbent directors for the ensuing year: Kenneth E. Berry, James M. McDonald, Brian Groves, Joseph P. Giuffre, Nathaniel Jon Morda, Andrea Zaradic and Antonio Reda.

Additionally, the Company reports stock options have been granted to officers, directors and consultants of the Company to purchase up to an aggregate of 6.695 million shares at a price of $0.40 per share for a period of five years.

About Kootenay Silver Inc.

Kootenay Silver Inc. is an exploration company actively engaged in the discovery and development of mineral projects in the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico and in British Columbia, Canada. The Company's top priorities are the advancement of the La Cigarra silver project and the Promontorio Mineral Belt, in Chihuahua, Mexico and Sonora, Mexico, respectively. The La Cigarra property is 26 kilometers from the historic mining city of Parral and boasts nearby power, good road access, gentle topography, and established infrastructure. La Cigarra currently hosts a resource estimate of 18.54 million tonnes containing 51.47 million ounces of silver in the Measured & Indicated categories grading 86.3 gpt silver and 4.45 million tonnes containing 11.46 million ounces of silver in the Inferred category grading 80 gpt silver. The mineralized system at La Cigarra has been traced over 6.5 kilometers and is defined at surface as a silver soil anomaly and by numerous historic mine workings. The La Cigarra silver deposit is open along strike and at depth and is approximately 25 kilometers north, and along strike, of Grupo Mexico's Santa Barbara mine and Minera Frisco's San Francisco del Oro mine. The Promontorio Mineral Belt includes the Company's La Negra high-grade silver discovery and its Promontorio Silver Resource. The Promontorio Mineral Belt is under option to Pan American Silver whereby they can earn a 75% interest in the project with US$16 million of expenditures and payments with Kootenay retaining a 25% carried to production interest (see news release February 16 and March 4, 2016). The Promontorio Silver Resource currently hosts a resource estimate of 44.5 million tonnes containing 92 million ounces of silver equivalent in the Measured & Indicated categories grading 64.3 gpt silver equivalent and 14.6 million tonnes containing 24.3 million ounces of silver equivalent in the Inferred category grading 52 gpt silver equivalent. The Company's core objective is to create value by acquiring silver resources through discovery and acquisition and testing those resources with the ultimate goal of developing them into silver production if they are proven to be economically viable.

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.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

The information in this news release has been prepared as at January 19, 2017. Certain statements in this news release, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", constitute "forward-looking statements" under the provisions of Canadian provincial securities laws. These statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expected", "may", "will" or similar terms.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Kootenay as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, known and unknown, could cause actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by law, Kootenay expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in Kootenay's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Cautionary Note to US Investors: This news release may contain information about adjacent properties on which we have no right to explore or mine. We advise U.S. investors that the SEC's mining guidelines strictly prohibit information of this type in documents filed with the SEC. U.S. investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are not indicative of mineral deposits on our properties. 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.

This press release uses the terms "Measured", "Indicated", and "Inferred" resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of Measured or Indicated Mineral Resources will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a Mineral Resource is economically or legally mineable.

SOURCE Kootenay Silver Inc.
Thanks for visiting !

The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy.

We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here.

Thank you for your support!
Ronna Romney McDaniel -- who as state Republican chair helped deliver Michigan to a Republican presidential nominee for the first time since 1988, and had to navigate some thorny family politics to do so -- became the Republicans' national party chair Thursday, with President-elect Donald Trump's backing.Romney McDaniel was elected by the Republican National Committee a day before Trump was to take the oath of office on the west portico of the U.S. Capitol. She becomes the second female chairman of the committee in its history."Thank you for investing your trust in me to lead this committee in an exciting new era," Romney McDaniel said during the meeting at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington. She added, "I am a mom from Michigan. I am an outsider. And I am here to make Donald Trump and Republicans everywhere successful."Her vote was by acclamation -- which wasn't surprising given that the president-elect had given her his endorsement for the post last month.By ascending to the post, Romney McDaniel takes over a party emboldened by Trump's election in November, which was largely brought about by the Republican nominee breaking through what was considered a Democratic firewall in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- three states that together hadn't backed a Republican nominee since Ronald Reagan in 1984.Trump won the three states together by fewer than 80,000 votes, or about six-tenths of a percent of the 14 million votes cast in those three states. In Michigan, the margin was less than 11,000 votes.Romney McDaniel led the Michigan Republican Party even as her own family split over Trump's candidacy. Her uncle, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who was the party's nominee for president in 2012, loudly denounced Trump, saying his boorish behavior disqualified him from being president. But Romney McDaniel served as a Trump delegate and continued to try to get her uncle to switch his loyalties."President-elect Trump's movement gave the forgotten and the ignored a voice and the power to bring change to Washington," she said.Her grandfather was the late George Romney, a three-term governor of Michigan in the 1960s and President Richard Nixon's secretary of Housing and Urban Development."I'm very proud. She's fantastic," said her father and Mitt's brother, attorney G. Scott Romney, who attended the meeting to elect her. "I think she handled herself superbly.""No question, this will be the biggest challenge of her life," he added, saying he knows she's up to it.In her speech, Romney McDaniel criticized the Democratic Party as being "the elite, coastal, redistributionist party of the status quo," and called Republicans "the national, opportunity-for-everyone, party of change.""Whether you have been left behind by the stagnant economy, the failed promises of Obamacare or the general belief that the government treats its citizens as an afterthought, we hear you," she said. "To the factory worker in Erie, Pa., we hear you. To the woman at the salon in Ypsilanti, we hear you."She also said she was "humbled" to become the party's second female chairman and its first since the 1970s, saying, "For too long, Democrats have hailed themselves as the party of women. ... Women are not a special-interest group. We care about all issues."The RNC is a 168-member body that coordinates national platforms, fund-raising and policies for the party. Its former chairman, Reince Priebus, is headed to the White House to be Trump's chief of staff following the inauguration of the new president at the U.S. Capitol at noon Friday."I step away from this job fully satisfied that we on this committee have accomplished our goals," said Priebus, who was elected party chairman in 2011, defeating a field that included former Michigan GOP Chairman Saul Anuzis. Preibus has seen the Republicans not only win the White House, but take control of the U.S. Senate and build majorities in statehouses across the U.S., and take governorships."You can't do much better than Ohio and Michigan on election night," said Priebus. "Ronna led the demolition team that took down the defunct Democratic blue wall. ... She barely slept this cycle because she was so focused on winning.""Ronna knew what she was doing," he said. "She is the right woman to lead the RNC and it is time for a woman to lead the RNC."Romney McDaniel was not well-known in national political circles before working on her uncle's campaign for president in 2012 and taking over as state chairman in 2015. But Michigan's turn -- as well as her loyalty to Trump's campaign -- helped launch her toward the chairmanship.Besides Romney, state Attorney General Bill Schuette and former state party chairman Bobby Schostak were among those in attendance at the meeting. Gov. Rick Snyder -- who remained neutral throughout the election season -- also issued a statement congratulating Romney McDaniel."Ronna is a perfect example for Michigan, and the nation, about Michiganders' relentless determination for success," he said. "Above all, I am very proud to call her my friend and wish her the best of luck."
A 23-year-old a legislative aide in Annapolis has been fired after The New York Times revealed he was the owner and operator of an infamous fake political news.Cameron Harris, an aide to Republican Del. David E. Vogt III of Frederick County, was fired by Vogt this week, according to The Frederick New Post, after the Times identified him as the operator of the ChristianTimesNewspaper.com.The website became notorious during the 2016 election cycle when an article he wrote, lying about a nonexistent effort to skew election results in Ohio in Hillary Clinton's favor, went viral on social media. The article was so widely circulated that Jon Husted, Ohio's secretary of state, issued a statement to deny the story's falsities.The Times wrote that Harris said the website paid him about $1,000 an hour in web advertising revenue and was once appraised to be worth between $115,000 and $125,000 before Google announced it would stop placing ads on sites that promoted clearly fabricated stories.The Frederick News Post reported Thursday that Vogt fired Harris around 4 p.m. Wednesday. Vogt said Harris had been livingin his basement in Brunswick.Harris posted a long response to the Times article on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, saying that even though "the initial motivation behind launching a fake news site was financially-based," he'd learned a larger lesson about American politics in the process."There are large-scale changes occurring in America, from where we live and where we work to the people with whom we interact and the lens through which we see the world," Harris wrote. "America has responded to these changes poorly. Instead of engaging one another we have withdrawn into the ideological and cultural circles that support the belief systems to which we subscribe."He went on to say that he apologizes "to those disappointed by my actions" and hopes to "be allowed to contribute my informed experience to a larger dialogue about how Americans approach the media, tough issues, and the manner in which we, collectively, will inform our decisions going forward."Harris could not be reached for direct comment.
Bad News for Hartford, Conn.

Down They Go

Young vs. Old Spending

A report from the Yankee Institute this week warned Connecticuts capital is careening toward insolvency . Hartford will likely face bankruptcy unless the state intervenes in the coming months, wrote Stephen Eide, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who authored the report.Connecticut has repeatedly struggled with slow growth and state budget deficits, but that economic imbalance is even more exaggerated with its urban centers. The report warns that Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven also have declining tax bases and rising pension obligations -- just not to the extent that Hartford does.More than one-third of Hartford residents live in poverty, the highest rate in the nation in cities larger than 100,000. What's more, the city has increased its debt and structural budget deficit to stay afloat. Between 2016 and 2018, Hartfords debt service expenses are projected to increase from $23 million to $45 million, and then reach $60 million in fiscal 2021.In general -- and this is applicable to other struggling pockets of the country -- the report says that Connecticuts persistently weak urban economy means that state and local leaders should focus more directly on fiscal, rather than economic, policy. Government has far more control over employee salaries and benefits than middle-class jobs and outside investment, Eide said. In other words, officials should pursue policies that reduce rising costs like retirement benefits and other debt.To that end, Eide advises a state intervention in Hartford. For the time being, Waterbury and Bridgeport, and most likely also New Haven, can continue to muddle through without the need for extraordinary support from the state, the report said. The same cannot be said for Hartford.More pension plans are sharply lowering their assumed rates of return -- and its about time, Fitch Ratings said this week.Last month, California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) voted to reduce its investment return assumption to 7 percent from 7.5 percent over the course of three years. The action replaces a previous plan that would have triggered incremental declines in the return assumption in boom years when actual performance exceeded expectations.Similarly, Hawaii's Employees Retirement System abandoned a gradual plan in favor of simply dropping its assumption to 7 percent from 7.65 percent. Connecticut and Oklahoma have also lowered their rates.Fitch called the new trend an exceptionally slow recognition by pension decision-makers that high targeted returns are unlikely to materialize in the current investment environment. The rating company also predicted that many other systems are likely to "follow suit as pension managers confront persistent challenges to achieving investment targets."These are big steps down when you consider that in nearly a decade, the average plans assumed rate of return has gone from 8 percent to 7.66 percent. But the decisions are coming after pension plans have missed their return assumptions by wide margins for two years straight. That largely wiped out the funding progress pensions made in 2013 and 2014.As I wrote about last week , a higher expected rate of return increases the likelihood that governments will be hit with a big pension bill down the road. That kind of volatility is plain scary when youre talking about millions of workers retirement security.Pension plans have previously resisted large shifts downward in investment assumptions because it means higher bills from contributing governments to make up the difference. For example, Californias contribution to CalPERS in fiscal 2018 increases by $172 million -- $105 million of which is from the general fund as a result of the lower assumed rate.Texas young population is one of the primary drivers behind the state's decision to increase its bond issuance in 2016. Last year, the amount of bonds outstanding for all Texas issuers rose by $13.8 billion, or a 4.5 percent increase. Only three states and Guam saw larger increases, according to data compiled by Municipal Market Analytics.Meanwhile, Texas added approximately 433,000 residents in 2016, making it the second most populous state at nearly 28 million. The state is also one of the youngest states at an average age of around 34, and has a strong birth rate of 70.7 per 1,000 women.On the other end, Vermont -- home to many older residents -- saw its total outstanding debt decrease by nearly 12 percent in 2016. The drop was the largest in the country. The small state's 600,000 population also declined by 1,500 residents, and Vermonts average population age of 40 years old is among the oldest in the U.S.The data says a lot about how demographics can drive bond issuance. Texas population, noted Municipal Market Analytics' Matt Fabian, spurs borrowing for education, transportation and other public investment in the state to address needs. Not surprisingly, he wrote, the school district, general obligation and higher education sectors led the issuance growth in the state.But in Vermont, hospitals rivaled education in new investment.
Description

GIS  20 January 2017: We are aspiring not only at viewing Japan as an overseas development partner but also as a strategic and economic partner so that Mauritius can also actually be used as a platform for Japan to go into Africa, stated the Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Etienne Sinatambou, yesterday in Ebene.

The Minister was speaking during a press point following a meeting he had with two Members of the Japanese Parliament namely, Messrs. Iwao Horii and Hideya Sugia Ugio.

Both Mr Horii and Mr Ugio are Members of the House of Councillors, the Liberal Democratic Party. They were, during their two-day (18-19 January 2017) visit to Mauritius, accompanied by the Ambassador of Japan to Mauritius, Mr Ichiro Ogasawara. The visit aimed at evaluating targeted projects under Japanese development cooperation.

Speaking about the Japanese economy, Minister Sinatambou pointed out that Japan is the third world economy with a GDP exceeding 3 trillion dollars and it is noteworthy that Japan has opened its Embassy in Mauritius. This development follows the visit of a Japanese delegation in August 2016 to Mauritius and the participation of the Mauritian Prime Minister at the 6th TICAD ( Tokyo International Conference on African Development) in Nairobi, Kenya, that same year. On that occasion, both the Prime Minister of Mauritius and Japan raised investment-related issues, particularly in the innovative technologies sector.

According to the Minister, the two countries are working on ways and means to reinforce cooperation. Already at the end of 2016, he said, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Computer Emergency Response Team of Japan and that of Mauritius in the field of cybersecurity.

The discussions we have had are certainly very encouraging because it means that we are thinking in the same direction, Mr Sinatambou observed, adding that Mauritius has a role play with regards to its solid IT linkages with the rest of the world so as to be able to service some of the big Japanese companies.

For their part, both Mr Horii and Mr Ugio expressed their delight of being in Mauritius to convey a clear message of the deep interest to develop and reinforce ties between Mauritius and Japan and to work closely together in the future.

The meeting on 19 January 2017

The meeting on 19 January 2017 focused on suggestions made during the two sessions of the Ministerial Committee on cooperation which is chaired by the Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation.

In fact, the topic of close technical cooperation in the field of technology and innovation was discussed. Other sectors targeted under Japanese-Mauritian collaborative ties include technology transfer, services associated to infotainment, Internet of Things, assembling IT and electronic components for the SADC and COMESA markets, outsourcing centres to offer translation services especially for the Francophone markets, service centres for gaming and gaming decks, and innovative technologies for the production of renewable energies.
GovLab Launches Data Collaboratives Website

U.S. Department of Education Launches Developer Hub, APIs

Trump Names Federal Chief Digital Officer

DigitalGov Prepares to Release Full Version of U.S. Web Design Standards

U.S. GSA to Require Encrypted Domains for All New Executive Branch Websites

In an effort to help public groups such as government agencies better connect with the private sector, the Governance Lab at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering has launched a new website: DataCollaboratives.org The site is aimed at serving the public good through data collaboratives, which go beyond the existing public-private partnership model to facilitate the exchange of data between government groups and private entities, particularly companies. In a press release announcing the site, the GovLab pointed to an increasing acknowledgment worldwide that sharing data can help society battle problems such as hunger, natural disasters and disease.This new site is something of a crash course for those who are unfamiliar with the concept of data collaboratives, offering information about types of data, uses for collaboratives, associated risks, and more than 70 examples of how corporate data has previously been exchanged to improve lives. By partnering with UNICEF and Omidyar Network, the GovLab has created this site and archived dozens of cases in which data is presently being used to help. These examples include situational awareness and response, public service design and delivery, knowledge creation and transfer, prediction and forecasting, and impact assessment and evaluation.The site is being launched to coincide with the inaugural United Nations World Data Forum in Cape Town, South Africa, and the 2017 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.The U.S. Department of Education has created an official centralized spot to release application program interfaces (APIs) and work with developers.The department launched the GitHub site on Jan. 17, along with two new APIs . To go along with its existing college scorecard API, it also created doorways to data on its Civil Rights Data Collection initiative as well as outgoing President Barack Obamas My Brothers Keeper project.According to a post on the GitHub site, the department turned to 18F for help streamlining its API creation process. As a result, it hopes to release more in the future  at the moment, its taking requests through the new developer hub.The hub will also serve as a place for the department to celebrate the work people do with its data, and for the department to announce its own data work. The code for the developer hub is open source, according to the post.President-elect Trumps first technology appointment was made Jan. 19, when he named Gerrit Lansing to be the federal chief digital officer. Lansing has been the chief digital officer for the Republican National Committee since May 2015. Prior to that he was the National Republican Congressional Committees digital director and press secretary for the House Budget Committee under Rep. Paul Ryan.The Obama administration added the role of chief digital officer to the White House in April 2015. At the time, Jason Goldman brought his Silicon Valley experience to the position, having previously worked for Google, Medium and Twitter.The U.S. General Services Administration is releasing a full, detailed version of the U.S. Web Design Standards, the federal governments shared visual style and UI components for its designers and developers, the organization announced in a blog post In the blog, which was posted Jan. 17, DigitalGov also stressed the importance of agencies being mobile first and using Web performance data as metrics for success. To this end, the group promised there will be more tools and open-source code updates available through the U.S. Web Design Standards updates. DigitalGov has also invited interested parties to attend a relevant webinar slated for Jan. 25.The release represents an expanded and full version of the U.S. Web Design Standards, which have been out since September 2015. In fact, government numbers show that in the third quarter of 2016 alone, more than 62 million people were exposed to the standards, 54 million of whom were seeing them for the first time. One of the goals of these standards is to help all government sites create a uniform and better experience for the public, while also giving designers and developers flexibility that allows for ease of use.After more than 300 federal government websites missed the U.S. chief information officers deadline to migrate to HTTPS, or encrypted domains, the General Services Administration is planning on making the move mandatory for all new executive branch sites.The move will go into effect sometime in the spring, according to a blog post on the CIOs website. That will mean communication between users and the domains will be encrypted, making it harder for hackers to attack Browsers will strictly enforce HTTPS for these domains and their subdomains, the post reads. Users will not be able to click through certificate warnings.It also means that agencies offering services through those sites will need to make sure those services are compatible with a secure encryption.The CIO originally set a deadline for all federal websites to be encrypted by the beginning of 2017, but as of Jan. 11, about 30 percent of websites still weren't in compliance.
TNS  Federal regulators said Thursday they have closed an investigation of a fatal Tesla Autopilot crash, finding no defects and declining to issue a recall notice.The six-month investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into the nations first self-driving vehicle fatality found no problems with the design or performance of Autopilot. The system, based on radar, camera and machine learning technology, allows Tesla vehicles to sense potential crashes, stay within lanes and adjust speeds automatically.The probe did not uncover a safety-related defect trend, the report said, adding that further examination of this issue does not appear to be warranted. But the report said that drivers need to pay better attention when using self-driving technology.Tesla, based in Palo Alto, said in a brief statement that it appreciated the thoroughness of the investigation.The safety of our customers comes first, the company said.Tesla CEO Elon Musk highlighted one finding of the report  crash rates dropped about 40 percent in Teslas after the system was installed.The federal agency specifically looked at the design and performance of Teslas automatic emergency braking system, the interface between the driver and the vehicle, data from other Tesla crashes and changes the company has made to Autopilot.NHTSA spokesman Bryan Thomas said the agency favored the changes Tesla made to Autopilot after the crash, including more aggressive warnings when drivers take their hands off the wheel and that the system disengages when drivers repeatedly ignore the warnings.It certainly addressed the issues we were evaluating, Thomas said.On May 7, a Tesla owner in a Model S was driving with Autopilot on a divided highway near Williston, Fla. A tractor-trailer made a legal, left-hand turn across the highway in front of the Tesla. The Tesla driver and Autopilot failed to brake, and the car crashed broadside into truck. Josh Brown, a 40-year-old Navy veteran and entrepreneur from Ohio, was killed.The safety administration examined data from multiple Tesla crashes where the airbags deployed. It also evaluated the automatic emergency braking performance, designed to stop or slow a vehicle before impact.The agency found that Teslas emergency braking worked as promised  although like all emergency braking systems on the market, its primary function is to limit rear-end collisions. It was not designed to brake for vehicles, like the tractor-trailer in Florida, crossing in front of a Tesla, the report said.The report noted Tesla instructed drivers to always keep your hands on the wheel while using Autopilot, but suggested that the company could be more specific about the systems limitations in its owners manual.The crash led Tesla to re-examine and overhaul several parts of the driver assistance package. In September, Musk announced a new version of Autopilot, adjusting software to make the system more dependent on radar sensors. New Teslas rolling out of the factory also have greater computer processing power to handle data from its suite of sensors.The company has been sending out software upgrades this month.Karl Brauer, publisher of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader, said the crash is an example of a driver putting too much faith into Teslas sensors and computing power.It almost certainly wont be the last incident on this journey, but people need to remember one thing  there are currently no fully autonomous cars available for public purchase or use, Brauer said.The findings did not free Tesla from criticism. Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group critical of Teslas marketing of Autopilot, said in a statement Musk should be held responsible.NHTSA has wrongly accepted Teslas line and blamed the human, rather than the technology and Teslas aggressive marketing, the group said. The very name Autopilot creates the impression that a Tesla can drive itself. It cant.The agency acknowledged criticisms about the systems name, but said the marketing issue was outside the scope of their investigation.
(TNS)  A bill that opens the way for law enforcement to tap mobile devices cleared the House Wednesday afternoon.Rep. Tim Reed, R-Brookings, said the measure only updates the types of technology mentioned in a law first passed in 1969 and last updated in 1988. It does not, he said, affect the threshold needed to tap into those conversations.Wireless devices are clearly the preferred form of communication nowadays, said Reed, who mentioned the states ongoing problems with methamphetamine and that several law agency groups and officials back the proposal.Nobody else spoke about House Bill 1028, which passed 65-1, with only Rep. Tom Pischke, R-Dell Rapids, voting no. It now moves to the Senate for consideration.A bill that updates the states list of controlled substances was also approved by the House Wednesday.Phenethylpiperidin and a drug commonly called U-47700 would be added to Schedule IV, a list of the most addictive drugs that have no medical uses in the state.Thiafentanil would be added to Schedule II. Brivaracetam would be added to Schedule I.Rep. Tim Rounds, R-Pierre, said the bill contains an emergency clause because some of the synthetic drugs it covers are already on the streets.Rep. Spencer Gosch, R-Glenham, and Rep. Susan Wismer, D-Britton, both raised concerns, fearing that the substances could overlap with those used agriculture producers in their operations.But Rep. Jean Hunhoff, R-Yankton, noted that the drugs are narcotics. And Rep. Steven Haugaard, R-Sioux Falls, added that the there is no overlap, and that the bill is aimed at preventing abuse and bolstering prosecution.Ultimately, both Gosch and Wismer voted for the House Bill 1041. It passed 65-1, with the only no vote cast by Rep. Dan Kaiser, R-Aberdeen, a police officer.The bill now goes to the Senate.During a Tuesday committee hearing, Joan Adam with the state Department of Health, said drug schedule laws have to be updated yearly to remain in accordance with federal statutes and ensure that recreation drugs devised by underground chemists are included.
Work to redesign the process of how residents vote in Los Angeles County, the largest local election jurisdiction in the U.S., is entering a critical but transformational stage after eight years of research and conceptualization.The countys Voting Systems Assessment Project (VSAP), which began in 2009 at Caltech essentially as a research project, has been in design for the past three years. But in October, officials signed an agreement with technology researcher and adviser Gartner Inc. to do a sourcing strategy and readiness assessment over a five-month period.Gartner finished its preliminary work at the end of 2016 and should begin reaching out to members of the IT community during the next few weeks to get feedback, likely finishing its assessment by the end of February.On Wednesday, the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government announced VSAP is one of 100 semifinalists in this year's Innovations in American Government Awards competition. The project will now compete to be named a finalist and for a chance at the $100,000 grand prize, to be awarded this spring.By early to mid-summer 2017, Los Angeles County hopes to have an RFP ready for vendors. The agencys goal is to do some form of piloting of the new voting model during the 2018 midterm elections.But what will balloting look like for future voters, and how will contractors create whats being referred to as a new voting experience?Officials hope the result will expand what it means to vote in sprawling Los Angeles County, which covers nearly 4,800 square miles and is pushing 10 million people in population, but where elections still rely on card readers that are a variation of IBM equipment introduced in 1968. The county has spent around $15.5 million to date on the effort.Theres really three major components to the voting experience. But its premised on a philosophy of meeting voters where theyre at. Having the voting experience be available and relevant, said Dean Logan, Los Angeles County registrar-recorder/county clerk.In September, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 450, which is aimed at modernizing how residents vote statewide  ultimately replacing polling places with vote centers and letting voters cast their ballots at any center in their county rather than a single polling location. Vote centers will be multifunctional, letting residents vote in person, drop off completed ballots, get replacement ballots, use accessible voting machines, and get language assistance and translated materials.Redesigning Los Angeles County voting is somewhat similar in this regard and will mean:Early voting centers and expanded hours were a huge attraction last year. In L.A. County, early voting has more than tripled from 15,491 early ballots cast in 2012 to 48,708 in 2016.Residents cast nearly 1.3 million VBM ballots in 2016, up from almost 976,000 in 2012  an increase of nearly 32 percent.The county is working with experts to redesign voting correspondence to make it more compelling and easier to read  examining everything from the color of documents to type size and font and the placement of voting instructions.As for the new in-person balloting system, Logan said its envisioned as a ballot-marking device, not a vote tabulation device. Voters will use a touchscreen to produce a paper, human-readable ballot that captures their selections in shortened form. Completed ballots will then be tabulated on a separate system without having to reproduce the ballot in its entirety.You literally can complete that process without touching the ballot. But you as a voter see that its produced, Logan said.In-person ballots, like their VBM cousins, will also get a redesign. And on the back end, the county plans a micro-tally solution built on an open source stack that's capable of scanning and managing ballot images to make them more manageable from a big data perspective.California is an anonymous ballot state, so voters identities will continue to be masked, and neither its voting nor tabulating systems are connected to the Internet.Voters should also be able to print a poll pass and scan it at their polling place to prepopulate their ballots.Its unclear exactly what software choices the architects will use. Examples mentioned in a recent county PowerPoint ranged from .NET to Linux, but the goal is something that will adapt to various platforms and situations, while giving Los Angeles County a product of its own, but which other jurisdictions might also use. In other words: an open source platform.That gives the county the ability to own the system on behalf of the public. Public ownership is one of the key principles of the project itself, said Jeramy Gray, the countys assistant registrar-recorder/county clerk. We wanted to have the public ownership of the design and the ability to operate the system publicly so that if we need to go out and make an enhancement to the system or  go out to bid for additional units, that we wouldnt be limited to one manufacturer.And how will officials know if their new system needs enhancing? They hope voters will tell them. The supplement that we expect to learn a lot from over the years is voter behavior, and allow them to steer the evolution of the system itself, Gray said.The creation of that new system, of course, must come first. The county hired Gartner, Logan said, to do what amounts to a marketing scan, getting a sense of the market reaction, where to send the procurement document, and what kind of a document is appropriate. Depending upon what officials learn, the project could be covered with one RFP or by a series of RFPs, and could potentially be created by a contractor, or a contractor and subcontractors.The county also hopes to learn from Gartner how well equipped it is in terms of employee classifications and facilities to hold elections with a new system in place. Its desire, Gray said, is not to become a market competitor but to successfully put a new system in place. And once it has been proven, to possibly partner with other jurisdictions interested in creating or updating their systems based on this model.Nationwide, Logan pointed out, some counties rushed to market with new voting equipment and processes in the early 2000s using Help America Vote Act funds  draining monies with solutions that in some cases proved to have technical deficiencies and not be fully formed.Los Angeles County, both men agreed, doesnt want that to happen. Not only is it working with Gartner, but the agency also plans to hold an orientation day for potential vendors within the next few months to explain its vision of the future voting experience and the new system's value.We dont want to send something out and say, Were not ready to go. We want to do something thats inclusive but also expands the market options, Logan said.
Dr Helmut Marko says that in Mercedes' place, Red Bull would have taken a punt on a young driver rather than sign up someone like Valtteri Bottas.

In the end, Mercedes weighed up between extracting Bottas from his Williams deal or taking a punt on its available youngster, 2016 Manor rookie Pascal Wehrlein.

Red Bull's Marko, the head of the energy drink company's well-known and notorious young driver programme, said: "For us, we would have done differently.

"We would have trained a junior. No risk, no fun," the Austrian told motorsport-magazin.com.

However, some might argue that Bottas was a wise choice by Mercedes, as the Finn might now be regarded as a clear 'number 2' to Lewis Hamilton.

At the same time, Red Bull's highly competitive lineup of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen could be fighting for the title against Mercedes whilst taking points off one another.

"This danger is quite real," Marko admitted, "but it does not change our racing philosophy or enthusiasm in any way.

"With us, there are no team orders. We are more racers than that."

Mercedes' other prominent junior driver is Esteban Ocon, and the German marque has now also signed up George Russell, an 18-year-old Briton who will race in GP3 this year.

(GMM)
Toto Wolff says the retirement of Nico Rosberg was regarded as an "opportunity" for Mercedes rather than a problem.

The world champion team has signed up long-time Williams driver Valtteri Bottas to replace Rosberg, with boss Wolff insisting he was never downbeat throughout the process.

"Obviously it was a shock," he told the French daily L'Equipe when asked about Rosberg's eleventh hour retirement plans.

"But the departure of Nico will perhaps allow the emergence of a super talent. I prefer to see an opportunity rather than worry."

Some, however, have criticised Mercedes for overlooking its own junior drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon in order to go for the 'safe' option of Bottas.

"Yes, we have Pascal and Esteban in our young driver programme," said Wolff. "But our idea is to develop them, not throw them unprepared into an inappropriate environment."

So he insisted the decision to go with Bottas should not reflect on Wehrlein's talent.

"He is fast and brilliant and he was always considered," Wolff said. "But he is in his development phase. He must be able to make mistakes and learn. And he could not have done that with us.

"Look at Sergio Perez, Heikki Kovalainen or Kevin Magnussen. They arrived too early at McLaren and were not well enough prepared."

Wolff said the same also applies to Esteban Ocon.

"Yes," he said, "especially as he had already signed a contract with Force India. We do not want to destroy careers by moving too fast. I don't want to burn young people we believe in."

Among the most critical of Wolff's caution is Red Bull, who took a punt on 17-year-old Max Verstappen, who turned out to be nothing short of an F1 sensation.

Wolff insisted: "We must not forget that even Max had his development phase. Red Bull prepared him perfectly, first with drives on Friday morning, then doing a season and a half at Toro Rosso.

"And even when he arrived at Red Bull, he did not have to fight for the world title or compete with a driver like Lewis Hamilton. He one won race versus nineteen for us, and was not always at the front.

"And he made mistakes, as in Monaco or Austin, which a young driver must be allowed to do. Because there are no second chances."

(GMM)
Nissan is with FLO, a provider of a charging ecosystem in Canada, to encourage and ease EV adoption throughout the country. The new FLO Home charging station will become the recommended residential charging station by Nissan Canada for owners of the Nissan LEAF.

The FLO Home X5 is a 204V, 30A, 7.2 kW Level 2 charger with a SAE J1772 charging connector that can add 50 km (31 miles) of rangethe average distance traveled daily by Canadian driversin 90 minutes.

Nissan will offer a $500 discount on the FLO Home charging station to every buyer of a new Nissan LEAF vehicle from a participating Nissan dealership between 20 January and 31 March 2017. FLO will also offer buyers them a free access card to its charging network, the largest in Canada, which provides EV drivers with more than 3,000 charging stations from coast to coast.

The FLO Home charging station, available since December 2016, will be presented to the public at the Nissan Canada kiosk during the Montreal Auto Show, from 20-29 January.

Designed and manufactured in Quebec by AddEnergie, the FLO Home charging station meets the highest security standards in the industry. The 100% aluminum casing is designed to withstand Canadian winters.
The University of Michigan (U-M) will collaborate with Chinese institutions to advance research, development and deployment of new transportation technologies and cutting-edge innovations. S. Jack Hu, U-M vice president for research, signed a research agreement with DiDi Chuxing, Chinas largest rider-hailing company, to develop scholarships and innovations related to the share economy. U-M is the first university in the US to partner with DiDi.

The nearly $1-million, three-year joint research program focuses on transportation optimization, big data, artificial language learning and artificial intelligence. It aims to better understand transportation behaviors norms, reduce congestion on the global transportation infrastructure and provide solutions to mobility.

Earlier, U-M signed a memorandum of understanding with Tus-International and TusStar, aiming for partnerships on smart mobility, medicine and new technology deployment. Both companies are part of Beijing-based Tus-Holdings, the Tsinghua University-backed science-park developer.

Also, U-M finalized an agreement to establish the Global Collaboratory in Advanced Manufacturing with Beijing Institute of Collaborative Innovation (BICI) and Peking University.

Funding for the five-year, $25-million partnership will be provided by BICI. The goal of the collaboratory is to create fundamental knowledge and innovative technologies in smart, open and sustainable manufacturing. It leverages technological advancements such as the industrial internet of things, rapid response and automated manufacturing machines. Research is expected to be undertaken at three sites: U-M, BICI and Peking University.
Virginia's proposed bathroom bill was flushed by a legislative subcommittee without debate Thursday.

The measure, proposed by Republican delegate Robert Marshall, was modeled after North Carolina's HB 2. Marshall urged the panel to have the courage to support it.

"The general laws subcommittee, which consists of five Republicans and two Democrats, swiftly tabled Marshalls bathroom bill on a voice vote with no discussion, a move Marshall called 'despicable,' the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.

More:

"Marshalls bill, condemned by LGBT advocates as discriminatory and unnecessary, would have faced a certain veto by Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

"The governor has openly appealed to businesses turned off by the controversy in North Carolina. During his speech to the General Assembly last week, the governor highlighted CoStar, a real estate analytics company bringing 732 jobs to downtown Richmond, as an example of a prospect Virginia was able to land due to the companys unease over North Carolinas law. The company had been considering a location in Charlotte.

And:

"In an interview, Del. Barry D. Knight, R-Virginia Beach, said he opposed the bill for business reasons.

'Its all about economics to me,' Knight said. 'I saw that North Carolina lost hundreds of millions of dollars. And I wasnt willing to put the state in that particular position.'

Yes, anyone can see the harm done in North Carolina. Virginia leaders are smart to avoid it.
ARARAT, Va.  Youll see the building as you head down Marigold Lane. Its right off the side of the road in Ararat. Thats where youll find the Hollow History Center and an interesting tale about Patrick Countys past.

I know of no other story like this one, Shelby Inscore Puckett said.

Pucketts great-great-great-aunt Orelena lived not too far from the center, with her husband, John, in a little cabin on Groundhog Mountain.

Just take a trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway and there it is, right off the road at Milepost 189.9. During the first 50 years of her life, Orelena gave birth to 24 children, losing them all in infancy. Over the final 52, she served as a midwife, helping more than 1,000 children come into this world.

Historians believe that Puckett was born around 1837 in North Carolina, although the exact date appears lost to time. Patrick County, Va., records show that she married John Puckett when she turned 16. After that, the couple settled at Groundhog Mountain in that cabin.

In 1889, Orelena found her calling.

A pregnant neighbor was going into labor, but nobody could find a doctor or anyone to help out, so she stepped in to serve as the midwife, according to documents at the Library of Virginia. After that, she went a bit farther to help another family friend. By 1890, her career was in full swing. According to local documents, she went as far as 20 miles at times.

From then until her death at 102, Orelena Puckett, or Aunt Orelena, as some called her, never lost a child as a midwife, helping in more than 1,000 recorded births. She also never took one cent for her services, according to the Library of Virginias Women in History project.

The word that I use, and I know its kind of an overused word, but I think shes a remarkable woman, Shelby said.

While none of her own children survived, Orelenas story lives on through the dedication Shelby and husband, Raleigh Puckett, show to revealing her legacy.

When Shelby first heard Orelenas story in grade school, the tale captivated her. However, it wouldnt be until several years later  after she married Raleigh Puckett  that she would discover a familial connection to the woman.

Orelena Puckett married John Puckett, and John was a brother to Hosea, who is Raleighs great-grandfather, Shelby said. John was also related to my great-great-grandmother, Jane Puckett, which made me and Raleigh related, but we did not know that when we got married.

Both interested in history in general, Shelby and Raleigh decided to do what they could to honor Orelenas memory and her dedicated service to the families of Patrick and nearby Carroll counties.

When you consider a woman would give birth and lose 24 children and then take up a career of being a midwife after she can no longer give birth and help other mothers bring very healthy babies into the world, it just seems to me that that took a courage, a spirit of an amazing attitude to do that, Shelby said.

While it would have been easy to turn a cold shoulder to those in need because of her own harrowing experiences, Orelena instead lent a helping hand.

I think about that. I think she could have become a very bitter woman, Shelby said. If you lose all those children and she has no idea why shes losing those children, you would think, how could she see other people bring healthy babies into the world and never have one of hers?

Relatives who personally knew Orelena and told stories to Shelby said that being down and out simply wasnt her style.

Im told by people who knew her that she had a good sense of humor and loved, absolutely loved, children, Shelby said.

Family life

Life in the Puckett cabin wasnt always rainbows and sunshine, however, friends and neighbors told Shelby.

There were stories about her relationship with her husband, John, Shelby said. Some people said John was abusive to her. Some people said that wasnt true.

Shelby said that while she likely will never know the real story, she cant help but wonder if Orelenas relationship with John affected her prenatal health. Each baby was either stillborn or died only a few days after birth.

What I would really like to know is, what was her true relationship with John? Shelby pondered. I have read so many stories and have read so many different accounts. I even read, and I hesitate to say this, but I have read some ladies said the reason she lost her babies was because he would beat her.

Shelby once spoke with an OB/GYN about the troubling question that plagued her mind.

He said in order for a woman to be beaten to the point where she would have lost a baby, she would have had to have been in really bad shape, Shelby said. He did not believe that story at all.

While Raleigh and Shelby have read some accounts that say John and Orelena didnt have a tumultuous relationship, they simply seek the truth.

Finding the truth behind Orelenas story can be harder because of the puzzle involved. Documents are filed under multiple spellings. Census takers wrote down all of their notes, so those documents are based on how they heard a given word. In her case, a look at the records shows Orelenas name listed as Olinah in 1850, Orlena in 1880, Orlenna in 1910, Orlean in 1920 and Orlene in 1930. Her 1913 pension request, stored at the Library of Virginia, which was filed based on her husbands service in the Confederate States Army has her name spelled as Orleana.

It is known for certain that Orelena and John left Patrick County in 1875, moving over to a two-story house he built in Carroll County. They would remain in that house until Johns death, listed in the pension request as consumption, in March 1912.

Orelena would stay in that house even further, up until 1939. At that point, the Blue Ridge Parkway was being created and the land was needed to help build the road. She was forced to sell her land and move, at the age of 102. She died later that year. There are, however, very few quotes or documents that shed light on the rest of her personal life. So for that, Shelby has to rely on finding people who knew her or their family members.

Theres usually a kernel of truth in things if you start hearing that many stories being told, Shelby said. So I would just love to know. I truly would love to know what her relationship was with him and how his relationship was with her.

Honoring history

Several years ago, Shelby, Raleigh and neighbors took it upon themselves to clean the cemetery where 20 of Orelena and Johns babies rest. The other four are in unmarked graves, likely buried near their parents farther up Groundhog Mountain.

The couple and their neighbors built a fence around the cemetery using exactly 100 split locust rails. Shelby and Raleigh mow and maintain the cemetery to this day.

Generally, history is important to us, Shelby said. A part of any history is the gravesites where people are buried.

However, Orelenas legacy isnt the only story Raleigh and Shelby enjoy sharing.

We both have a very deep interest in family history, Shelby said. We have spent a tremendous amount of our free time and lifetime working on history: local history, family history. Its kind of like our avocation. Its a passion that we have.

Thats partly why the couple created the Hollow History Center at 36 Marigold Lane in Ararat, a location with six log structures on the site.

The log village began in 1998 when the couple attained the log cabin that belonged to Raleighs other great-grandfather, Riley Puckett, and moved the building onto their property.

Now, Raleigh and Shelby host tours at the Hollow History Center.

We do tours. We have schoolchildren who come. We show them how people lived in the time period when you would have had a log cabin, Shelby said. We have a kitchen cabin that attaches to Grandfather Pucketts cabin. We also have an old tobacco barn that we have turned into a research center.

In addition, theres a collection of old farm tools, family and community scrapbooks, and a plethora of other items and artifacts at the center.

Raleigh also hosts demonstrations where he grinds corn and sells cornmeal.

One of our log structures is a little apple-drying kiln, and we dry apples every year and invite friends and neighbors to come and do that, Shelby said.

The Hollow History Center is located just 2 miles south of the graves of Orelenas children, and Shelby invites people who are interested in the midwifes story and other local tales to stop for a visit, or to drive up the mountain to see Orelenas cabin.

Its an interesting place, I think, Shelby said. Im proud of it. Im proud of the work weve put into it and what were maintaining there.

To arrange a tour, email Shelby at sipuckett@ls.net or call (336) 268-1316.
GREENSBORO  A Greensboro man testified Thursday in a first-degree murder trial that he watched his friend pull out a gun and shoot a man during a drug deal.

That friend  Bertie McQueen, 35, of 2818 Vanstory St., Apt. 2B, in Greensboro  is on trial in Guilford County Superior Court this week on charges of first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon in the shooting death of 21-year-old Derrick Michael Rogers, a father and a culinary arts student at Guilford Technical Community College.

McQueen could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder and up to 12 years in prison if convicted only on the robbery charge.

Damon Jerel Bell, 31, who said he watched his friend kill Rogers, has been charged with accessory after the fact in the death. His case is still pending

Bell swore when he told the jury his reaction to the fatal shooting. What the ... , he said.

Bell led police to McQueen during the murder investigation and agreed to testify against him Thursday. He told jurors that his testimony is not part of a plea deal.

Police charged Bell after he transported Rogers body to a second location after the shooting. Bell said Thursday that he did so at gunpoint and feared for his and his familys lives.

Rogers was killed July 2, 2013. He was found on Craven Street. Investigators would later say he was killed in the parking lot of Northwinds Apartments at 1373 Lees Chapel Road.

Both McQueens defense attorney Robert McClellan and Bell say the shooting happened during a drug deal.

Bell testified that he met McQueen less than a year before the shooting. The two often rode dirt bikes together, and Bell would sell marijuana to McQueen for resale.

It was during one of those drug deals, Bell said, that he saw McQueen shoot Rogers once in the chest.

McQueen, who Bell said did not own a car, asked for a ride to Northwinds Apartments in Greensboro and a quarter-pound of marijuana for a client.

Bell drove McQueen to the apartments in his white Cadillac DeVille, he testified.

In the parking lot, Bell said, a man he didnt know climbed into the back seat on the passengers side.

Bell said the man, who was later identified as Rogers, approved the quality of the drugs but wanted more, and McQueen didnt have enough to fulfill the order.

He said Rogers handed all of the marijuana back to McQueen who pulled out a gun and said, Look at my new ratch, (slang for a handgun) and quickly shot the back-seat passenger.

Then, Bell said, McQueen turned the gun on him and told him to drive.

Following McQueens directions, Bell said, he drove until he reached a parking lot on Craven Street, where McQueen unloaded the body in the rain.

Bell said he dropped McQueen off at a nearby housing development and warned him not to say anything.

I was fearful, Bell said.

He told jurors that he went home and smoked marijuana. It would be two days until he learned that Rogers had died.

Bell took his Cadillac to Raleigh to have the back seat changed. He said it had a bullet hole in the back seat. It was small, but it haunted him.

If you didnt know what happened you wouldnt know what it was, but I knew what happened so it seemed bigger to me, Bell said.

Meanwhile, Bell said McQueen called him constantly and visited him often.

To me it was like he was trying to figure out where my mind was and if I was going to go to police, Bell testified.

Eventually, police came to Bell.

Detective M.D. Matthews showed up at a meeting with Bells probation officer  he was on probation for a drug charge  and started asking questions.

Matthews read Bells statement in court Thursday, which detailed his memory of the shooting.

Deborah Radisch of the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, testified about the injuries Rogers sustained during the shooting, which are consistent with Bells testimony.

Prosecutor Veronica Edmisten called several witnesses Thursday, including Rogers mother, the custodians of records from several cellphone companies and an FBI agent who investigates cellphone records.

Edmistens potential witness list has more than 25 Greensboro police officers listed, along with several deputies with the Guilford County Sheriffs Office and other civilian witnesses who have not been called.

The trial is scheduled to resume this morning and is expected to continue into next week.
GREENSBORO  Three former judges will talk about nonpartisan redistricting at UNCG on Thursday.

The featured panelist is Tom Ross, the former UNC system president who's now president of the Volcker Alliance, a nonpartisan public policy group that's seeking to rebuild trust in government.

Ross, a fellow at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, advised a panel of 10 retired judges that proposed a new nonpartisan congressional voting district map for North Carolina this summer.

The two former N.C. Supreme Court justices who led this nonpartisan effort also will appear on the UNCG panel. One is Henry Frye, a Democrat from Greensboro. The other is Rhoda Billings, a Republican from Forsyth County.

The symposium will start at 6 p.m. in Room 114 of the UNCG School of Education Building.

Tickets are free but space is limited. To RSVP, visit the website of The League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad.
GREENSBORO  The Greensboro-based Piedmont Land Conservancy recently transferred a large tract of land in northwest Stokes County to state wildlife officers for hunting and fishing.

The new Hill Farm Game Land includes almost two miles of access to the Dan River and will be the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commissions first Dan River property in the county northwest of Greensboro, said Kevin Redding, PLCs executive director.

The conservancy spent five years pursuing these properties with the ultimate goal of providing greater access to the Dan River, said Redding, whose nonprofit group works to preserve undeveloped land for recreational, farming and environmental purposes.

Under the wildlife commissions supervision, the 155-acre site will be available for both fishing and limited hunting opportunities, Redding said. The new access will be welcomed by trout fishing enthusiasts because the Dan offers them the nearest option for pursuing the popular game fish, Redding said.

The Dan also hosts sizable populations of smallmouth bass, rare species of freshwater mussels, and a large variety of sucker fish.

Groups that helped the conservancy acquire the property include the resources commission, the conservancys Patty Nussbaum Conservation & Support Fund, the Conservation Trust for North Carolina and Duke Energys water resources fund.

The wildlife commission is already at work preparing regulations for the propertys use and plans a series of public hearings about its long-term management.
Updated 6:55 p.m.

GREENSBORO  Paramedics took a man to a hospital tonight after he suffered burns in a fire.

Emergency medical personnel took the victim, who was listed as being in stable condition, to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, according to Guilford County EMS Director Jim Albright. Albright said the hospital specializes in burn care.

Firefighters responded to reports of a fire at 6:25 p.m. at The Trading Post, 3206 Summit Ave. They found smoke coming from the roof when they arrived.

McKnight Mill Road was closed at Summit Avenue because of the fire, according to a Greensboro police news release.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

We will update this when more information is available.

Posted 6:34 p.m.

GREENSBORO  Firefighters have responded to reports of a fire and injuries at The Trading Post, 3206 Summit Ave.

The call came in about 6:25 p.m., dispatchers said.

The extent of the victims injuries was not clear.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON  Connecticut Republicans were among those cheering as Donald Trump took the oath of office to become the nations 45th president, promising the Inauguration crowd that yes, together we will make America great again.

The new president painted a bleak picture of America as a nation besieged by deteriorating inner cities, crime and drug abuse, closed factories and failing schools.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now, he said, with no mention of the Democratic view that President Barack Obama brought the nation out of the Great Recession and the economy created 11.3 million jobs on his watch.

Trump waved to the crowd of supporters who had chanted U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A. and Trump, Trump, Trump as he culminated an unlikely bid for the nations highest office with an actual move into the White House.

To see the crowd respond was so inspirational, said Jayme Stevenson, Republican First Selectman of Darien who was among those from Connecticut who had objected to Trumps degradation of women but eventually came around to supporting him. Putting America first, with strong national defense and keeping jobs in America, was a fantastic message. Today we saw in President Trump the man of honor he really is.

Angry dissent

Meanwhile, protesters did their best to put their mark on the day, setting fire to a vehicle in downtown Washington, and smashing windows of a Starbucks and McDonalds as police chased them with canisters of pepper spray. About 95 arrests were reported, but the number seemed likely to grow.

One of the protesters, Stephen Cerulli, 26, of Stamford, was part of a group that was confronted by police in riot gear just a few blocks from the White House.

Police vans are rolling up, Cerulli said by cell phone. Theyre getting ready to (make) mass arrests. Its getting really rowdy.

But apart from the confrontations, the day proved to be a feel-good moment for the states Republican attendees. For their part, Connecticuts Democratic lawmakers, who were on risers above the swearing-in on the Capitols West Front, tempered hopes of finding common ground with outright head-scratching.

There were some really wonderful ideas in the beginning of the speech that dont seem anchored by the policies he stands for, said Sen. Chris Murphy. I dont see how you give a speech like that and turn around and raise first-time mortgage buyers payments $500.

Murphy was referring to Trumps Day One suspension of Obamas planned reduction of mortgage insurance premium rates, a move aimed at making home ownership more affordable.

GOP faithful

But Connecticut Republicans brushed aside any such concerns, believing that given Trump can carry out the partys vision of a revitalized, less-regulated private sector and reduced government dependency.

Trump is a brash New York real estate developer, but Connecticut connections also were in evidence. Greenwichs Hope Hicks, a Trump spokeswoman, walked side-by-side with Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway through the Capitol and out to the inaugural platform.

Ed Dadakis, a former Greenwich Republican Town Committee chairman and representive of Greenwich, Stamford and New Canaan on the Republican State Central Committee, compared Trumps speech to Obamas in 2009.

For Obama, it was all about him and how he was ready to save us all, said Dadakis, who has now attended eight inaugurations dating back to President Richard Nixons in 1973. Trumps words  Im working for all the American people  Trumps words had resonance, and obviously well have to see what his policies are. But this is a guy who carries no political history, and what came through was his enormous love of country and love of people.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he was initially planning to skip the inauguration, but reversed course last week, citing the importance of progressives having a presence during the transfer of power.

I hope and I pray for his progress and that he be successful, Malloy said of Trump. Thats what we mark on this day.

Staff writer Neil Vigdor contributed to this report.

dan@hearstdc.com; @danfreedma
To the editor,

Well, its a new year and as usual, for at least the past 15 years, the subject of racial balance becomes a front-and-center issue.

And as usual the idea is that if the taxpayers just build a bigger school, miraculously people will start sending their children there.

You can rebuild the school and have incredible teachers, etc., but if a parent perceives a school to be nothing more than a state-mandated social experiment theyre simply not going to send their children there.

I wonder how the children of so many immigrants whose parents did not speak English and who did not have any of the social programs that exist today, how they manage to become successful.

Whether it was a single-parent, living with a grandparent, a family with very little money and a dozen other challenging upbringings, the one common thread is someone at home emphasized the importance of studying. The solution always starts at the home. The racial balance issue has very little to do with race. It has everything to do with the belief that somehow higher achieving students will somehow and magically lift up students who are performing at a substandard level.

And when averaging in the higher performing students grades it gives the illusion of the school meeting educational state standards.

If the test scores at New Lebanon were higher then Riverside or Old Greenwich the state would be calling New Lebanon school an example to be duplicated and not changed. Its much easier to ignore the fundamental problem then actually get to the core of the real problem.

I personally have been hearing about the racial grade discrepancy for at least 40 years. If the Greenwich public school district thinks they are miraculously going to solve it, well God bless them.

Gary Cella

Cos Cob
Just smile and give them a Vegemite sandwich. Photo: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

Only the Australian people will ever get Vegemite, a salty spread made from yeast extract that has the consistency of Castrol GTX. Even the British, who have their own equally vile Marmite, would rather die hungry than spread Vegemite on toasts. Its perfect, then, that ownership of the questionable product would eventually end up safely sequestered back in the country where its been proudly made since 1923. Bega Cheese, an Aussie company that specializes in cheddar and tin cans of cheese, has bought Vegemite from Mondelez, the Illinois-based food conglomerate that controls so many billion-dollar brands, it maybe forgot it owns the spread. Either way, executives seemed very happy to depart with it for the $345 million Bega offered. This was a rare opportunity, Begas chairman Barry Irvin told investors. Vegemite doesnt often change hands.



Also, as Irvin points out, this acquisition does add diversification to Bega Cheese. Its coming alongside an agreement for the rights to sell Krafts processed cheeses (basically, Singles and their ilk) as well as its peanut butter, giving Bega about a third of Australias $550 million spreads market, according to Bloomberg. The deal with Mondelez, meanwhile, includes several other surefire winners Down Under, too, like Zoosh salad dressings and this highly questionable product described as Bonox beef drink:


Coming to Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

So far, asparagus-water pioneer Whole Foods has opened locations of its budget-minded, hip, and tech-oriented spin off, 365, on the West Coast. The first landed in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, followed by locations in Bellevue, Washington and Lake Oswego, Oregon. Two and a half years after revealing designs for the chain, the grocer has announced plans to bring the brand to the East Coast. It will open its first New York location in Fort Greene, Brooklyn in early 2018 at the 300 Ashland Place development, a 35-story tower that will also be home to, eventually, an Apple store. At 43,000 square feet, it will be significantly larger than previously opened 365 locations.
Samsung's Galaxy S8 has long been rumored to feature a revamped virtual assistant called Bixby, and LG's G6 can't afford not to play the AI game. A new rumor out of both companies' home country of South Korea now claims that LG has done something that's pretty surprising in the Android world.

Instead of building its own sub-par virtual assistant, LG has apparently turned to Google for help. As such, the G6 will come with the Google Assistant built-in. Previously, the Google Assistant was exclusive to Google's own Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones (at least in the form that's integrated into the Android system, since it also lives in the Allo chat app and the Google Home device).

The Google Assistant is also an integral part of the upcoming Android Wear 2.0 release, which will be running on the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style, the first wearables to have the new OS version on board. These were co-developed with Google in a program not dissimilar to what the Nexus line used to be for smartphones. The two smartwatches will be unveiled on February 9, it's been rumored.

The LG G6 will be made official on February 26 at MWC in Barcelona. It's reportedly going to become available in early March, beating the Galaxy S8 to the market by about a month.

Source
Huawei will probably make the P10 official at its MWC press conference on February 26 in Barcelona. Thus we're starting to see more and more leaks about this device as we get closer to that date.

Today three new renders purportedly depicting Huawei's next flagship smartphone have been outed in China. They show us a handset with a fingerprint scanner on the front, which is important because the placement of that sensor has been highly debated in past rumors. So far we've seen it both on the front (like below), but also on the back. It's thus pretty hard to be sure, even at this late stage in its development, where the P10's fingerprint scanner will be in the end.



Alleged Huawei P10 leaked renders

Anyway, from the leaked renders above we also gather that the P10 will come with a dual-curved touchscreen, minimal side bezels, and a dual rear camera arrangement. Like in the P9 and Mate 9 from last year, this is once again carrying Leica branding. A dual-LED flash and laser autofocus window are also on the back, and the phone pictured here has the model number VIC-AL00 and TD-LTE support - hence this is probably the version headed to China Mobile.

The P10 will apparently be released in March or April, with the Kirin 960 chipset on board aided by 6GB of RAM.

Source (in Chinese) | Via
These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales.




It will host the first meeting of the APEC Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP) on the sidelines of the first senior officials meeting (SOM) and the second SCCP meeting on the fringe of SOM3 and relevant activities, respectively held in Nha Trang city from February 20th-23rd and Ho Chi Minh city from August 15th-28th.

Vietnam Customs will also hold a conference between the customs sector and enterprises and co-chair a meeting of the Expert Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade, a meeting of the APEC Alliance for Supply Chain Connectivity, and workshops on the single-window system and trade facilitation.

APEC Vietnam 2017, themed Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future, aims to promote sustainable, creative and inclusive growth, strengthen economic connectivity and regional integration, while facilitating micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises through enhancing their innovation and engagement in global value chains.

The CTI-selected priorities for the APEC year include ensuring trade security in supply chain connections, which stresses tackling smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeits. Another priority is trade facilitation through completing the single-window system.

Established in 1989, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) comprises 21 economies, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan (China), Thailand, the US and Vietnam.

2017 is the second time Vietnam has hosted APEC activities after 2006./.
Job Archive July 2021 (524) June 2021 (681) May 2021 (698) April 2021 (659) March 2021 (688) February 2021 (615) January 2021 (699) December 2020 (714) November 2020 (671) October 2020 (631) September 2020 (690) August 2020 (713) July 2020 (713) June 2020 (690) May 2020 (713) April 2020 (690) March 2020 (713) February 2020 (667) January 2020 (713) December 2019 (713) November 2019 (687) October 2019 (711) September 2019 (689) August 2019 (711) July 2019 (707) June 2019 (688) May 2019 (2002) April 2019 (1978) March 2019 (2039) February 2019 (1688) January 2019 (2253) December 2018 (2098) November 2018 (1932) October 2018 (1986) September 2018 (1915) August 2018 (39) July 2018 (72) June 2018 (44) May 2018 (76) April 2018 (65) March 2018 (16) February 2018 (32) January 2018 (201) December 2017 (352) November 2017 (381) October 2017 (600) September 2017 (1211) August 2017 (1655) July 2017 (1590) June 2017 (1506) May 2017 (1902) April 2017 (1965) March 2017 (1417) February 2017 (1808) January 2017 (1807) December 2016 (1593) November 2016 (1376) October 2016 (1408) September 2016 (1317) August 2016 (1499) July 2016 (1505) June 2016 (1421) May 2016 (1391) April 2016 (1340) March 2016 (1476) February 2016 (1396) January 2016 (1474) December 2015 (1409) November 2015 (1367) October 2015 (1478) September 2015 (1441) August 2015 (1467) July 2015 (1465) June 2015 (1410) May 2015 (1057) April 2015 (1269) March 2015 (1132) February 2015 (1151) January 2015 (1152) December 2014 (1156) November 2014 (1267) October 2014 (81)
Forfeiture Transparency & Accountability: State-by-State and Federal Report Cards

News Release from Institute for Justice, January, 2017

LINK: Hawaii Asset Forfeiture Report Card

Every year, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies across the United States seize and keep billions of dollars in cash, cars, homes and other property using a legal tool called forfeiture. Criminal forfeiture requires that prosecutors prove people are guilty by securing a conviction before forfeiting their property as part of their punishment. But with civil forfeiture, police and prosecutors can typically seize property on the mere suspicion it was involved in a crime. Most often, no charges or convictions are ever required to permanently deprive people of their property. With both criminal and civil forfeiture, federal and most state laws permit law enforcement agencies to use the proceeds of the property they take to supplement their budgets, often with few restrictions.

Making matters worse, most of this forfeiture activitycriminal and civilhappens with little legislative or public oversight. So does most spending from forfeiture funds. This report examines forfeiture reporting requirements and practices for all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and the U.S. departments of Justice and the Treasury. It finds that forfeiture programs nationwide suffer from a lack of transparency and accountability.

This lack of transparency and accountability is a problem for at least three reasons. First, it undermines the legislative branchs power of the purse. Forfeiture funds are acquired outside normal budget appropriations. And without oversight, agencies can spend them secretively, subverting the democratic controls embodied by city councils, county commissions and legislatures.

Second, poor transparency and accountability make it difficult to properly evaluate forfeiture programs. Is forfeiture truly targeting criminals? And what are the costs? Absent requirements that key details be tracked and reported, there are few good ways of answering these and other important questions.

Third, weak transparency and accountability practices can compromise agencies duty to responsibly manage seized property. All seized property will eventually either be returned to owners or become public property and so must be tracked properly to avoid improper spending and other mishaps, such as disposing of seized property prematurely.

Improved transparency and accountability are no substitute for comprehensive reforms to civil forfeiture laws that fail to protect property and due process rights and give law enforcement agencies a financial stake in forfeiture efforts. Nonetheless, they are vitally important. And greater transparency can provide insight critical to forfeiture reform efforts.

The report cards grade states and federal departments on six key elements of forfeiture program transparency and accountability:

Tracking seized property,

Accounting for forfeiture fund spending,

Statewide forfeiture reports,

Accessibility of forfeiture records,

Penalties for failure to file a report, and

Financial audits of forfeiture accounts.

For each element, grades reflect the strength of existing forfeiture reporting laws and practices. The grading methodology is generous, giving credit wherever possible. Still, the grades reveal that much work remains to achieve transparency and accountability in state and federal forfeiture programs.

read  Forfeiture Transparency & Accountability

IJ: Hawaii One of only Four States With Bond Requirement for Asset Forfeiture Challenges

SA: Group gives state a D+ for asset seizure program
The FWO has now commenced a second legal action against Buzza and his company, alleging they short-changed a further five employees who worked at the Brunswick outlet a total of $7513.

Two of the workers were aged just 19 and one was an overseas worker from France who was in Australia on a 417 working holiday visa.

The FWO alleges that one of the workers was paid nothing for work performed, while the other four were not paid their full lawful entitlements.

This allegedly resulted in underpayment of the workers minimum hourly rates, late night allowances and penalty rates for weekend and public holiday work.

FWO inspectors investigated after workers lodged requests for assistance.
SAPs senior vice president HR for APAC Jairo Fernandez talks to HC about how their Back-to-Work initiative works.



How does your Back-to-Work in Australia initiative work?



Back-to-Work is an SAP Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) initiative. Our Regional President Adaire Fox-Martin launched Back-to-Work this year, initially in Japan and South Korea. Now we are very excited to bring it to Australia.



The program supports professional women who are looking to re-enter the workforce after a career break by offering project-based assignments. It intentionally offers a high degree of flexibility  part-time or full-time, working onsite or virtually.



The types of roles vary depending on the business needs in each country  but we are looking to attract women from a range of professional backgrounds and successful candidates will be assigned to projects that complement their skills and experience.



The current opportunities available in Australia are on a full-time or part-time basis within corporate affairs and operations.



A project mentor will be on hand to guide participants and provide the support they need to integrate into the workplace.



Although there is no guarantee of full time employment after the completion of a project, participants may receive an offer of employment with SAP, subject to their performance and decision of the hiring managers.



Why did you think it was necessary?



Professional women who have left the workforce to focus on personal commitments represent an untapped pool of talent. SAP sees its Back-to-Work initiative as an opportunity to help them back into the workforce and draw on their experience.



There is a massive brain drain in many industries and Back-to-Work is looking to stop the flow of talent leaving the workforce for good.



Do you think companies in general are not doing enough to get women back in the workforce?



Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) data shows there is progress towards gender equality in Australian workplaces, but it is too slow.



Last week SAP Australia was very proud to announce that we have again been awarded the WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation.



We see the citation as crucial in ensuring SAP Australia as a diverse and inclusive employer. Programmes such as Back-to-Work help us achieve this.



We encourage all employers to strive for a diverse and inclusive workforce and experience the many benefits we have seen at SAP as a result.




Once in the emergency department, POCT can be used at the triage stage to safely identify urgent cases, and save more time as well in the diagnostic and treatment stages. As a result, the process towards one of the main goals of the emergency department will be speeded-up: the decision on whether a patient is admitted, discharged or referred elsewhere.

At every different step of the emergency process and on every single patients process you can be losing time, Schilling emphasised. If this happens for a team caring for 6-8 patients, all the different delays in the patient process will accumulate to a critical level. As a result, your team will not be as effective and you find your department in an over-crowding situation.

Overcrowding is not so much about how much space or how many beds you have but mostly about when emergency department staff cannot work efficiently any more in processing patients. But, if you reduce the delays at the front end, you will have faster processes and you gain time on each patient. Even small earnings in time will give the emergency team the possibility to work efficiently. The key is to have a more efficient process that will reduce the effect of overcrowding and this can be achieved with point of care testing. In recent years, particularly during the last decade, POCT has evolved due to new technology, and the range and accuracy of many tests has become better as well as the quality.

POCT in the ED can include virtually all relevant testing in emergencies, urgent and acute care, he said. To be approved by the authorities, POCTs have to follow the same regulations as the core laboratories, which means the major producers must maintain very high standards of quality, he added.

However, in the use of on the spot tests in emergency departments there is inconsistency across Europe in the use of such testing in emergency departments, often due to factors such as the remuneration system, a limited analysis of front-end investment towards cost-return in the overall process, and the policy of the local hospital and trust.

To profit from the potential of point of care testing at the pre-hospital, hospital and post-hospital level, he suggests, a knowledge-based change of culture among local staff and management is essential. Training and knowledge about the possibilities  and limitations  of POCT is crucial for efficient implementation of new systems and tests. If you can process patients in a much smoother way, it improves flow and reduces the crowding problem. Point of care testing, he concluded, can make a difference in the overcrowded emergency department and can contribute to alleviating the effects of overcrowding.





Profile:

Dr Ulf Martin Schilling is head of the clinical education and simulation department Clinicum East Sweden and the unit of testing, innovation and technology assessment. A consultant in emergency medicine and specialist in Internal medicine, he is also a consultant in simulation and implementation at the University hospital of Linkoping, Linkoping, Sweden. His research interests include patient flow, POCT, the economics of the emergency department, and point-of-care ultrasound.
As the region confirms its leading role in healthcare technology, it is also de-privatising key hospitals to improve efficiency in a context of low funding, a decision that has received considerable attention in Spain. Antoni Comin i Oliveres, the Catalan Health Minister, came back on these highly discussed issues and explained what other challenges lie ahead for his region in our exclusive interview.

The Visc+ project was intended to collect all patient data in Catalonia. The Health Ministers administration dropped this last summer. What will happen now?

Comin i Oliveres: Its important to remember that Big Data generates a lot of concern, especially regarding data confidentiality and information security. There are also concerns as to who will benefit from that information, i.e. public entities to improve healthcare or private companies for their own interests. Many questions remain open.

Big Data is fundamental to pursue health investigation, so its crucial for any project to be consensual both at the political and social level. We couldnt have such a controversial programme as Visc+. We couldnt have any plan that caused suspicion and defiance in politicians and among the public.

We held participative meetings with scientists, experts, researchers and social and political representatives, to let everyone explain their views on Big Data. All parties also signed a common resolution in Parliament

Our new plan is called PADRIS (programme for health research and innovation analysis) and will be implemented by the end of 2016. It will enable massive data analysis for research purposes using our seven million patients database and the database of the Health Catalan Institute. This is the second biggest Big Data plan in Europe after the United Kingdom.

Only research centres accredited by government will be able to use that information. These include non-profit private research groups such as the Puigvert foundation or the Sant Joan de Deu Hospital.

This will guarantee no one can make business with the citizens clinical history.

A lot of controversy also surrounds your decision to buy back the activity of Clinica del Valles in Sabadell from the Quironsalud group

This is creating a lot of political debate, but really it is quite simple. We are following the provision model defined in the Catalan Health Law in 1990, according to which the government must employ public hospitals first, and only if necessary privately run institutions  and then the government should work with non-profit private groups first. We are following this principle of preference.

The hospital activity purchase system had become messy over the years and we tied it up. Providers are very influential, but our mission is to guarantee maximum quality, equity and efficiency.

The activity at Clinica del Valles could be done by two public hospitals: the Parc Tauli, also located in Sabadell, and the Consorci Sanitari, in nearby Terrassa. We have relocated two thirds of the activity in Tauli and a third in Terassa. We also save 1 million in the process.

You dont need to be left wing to do this. Adam Smith said that private companies needed to compete in the market and criticised monopolies. However, a hospital consortium is like a small monopoly, limited in time and space. How can a company be competitive inside a monopoly?
(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 hires deferred compensation to travel to high-end technology.

It all adds up: investors often end up paying more than double the industrys standard fees of 2 percent of assets and 20 percent of investment gains, which many already consider too high.

To read this article:
Gardai joined the early morning raid, during which cars were loaded on to transporters

CAB and Revenue officers have seized 20 vehicles from the motor sales business owned by the son of a notorious drug trafficker.

The Titanium Motor Company on Milltown Cross, Nangor Road, Clondalkin, was raided early yesterday morning as part of an investigation into VAT and VRT fraud.

The business is owned by Lee Boggans, the son of convicted criminal Alan Boggans.

The officials, who were backed by gardai, removed the vehicles on the back of transporters and they were impounded at a secure location.

Many of the vehicles seized appeared to have UK registration plates and included Fiats, Hyundais, Renaults and Volkswagens.

The operation took most of the working day, during which Lee Boggans was seen on the premises making phone calls and talking with gardai and CAB officers.

Alan Boggans is a car dealer who was jailed for 13 years in 2013 for possessing more than 1.9m worth of cannabis resin.

Skilful

Gardai discovered 330kg the drug, worth 1.9m, in balls and nine-ounce bars in the back of a van at Celtic Truck Wash, College Road, Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole in September 2009.

Alan Boggans pleaded not guilty to possessing the drugs for sale or supply.

During the trial Judge Patrick McCartan praised the "very professional and skilful" intelligence and surveillance work done by gardai in tracking down those involved.

He said the case against Alan Boggans was overwhelming, branding him the operator in charge of the entire consignment.

Gardai found him standing at the rear of the van with its doors open revealing the stash of drugs.

Alan Boggans' fingerprints were found on the van, suggesting he had been inside, and two phones picked up at the scene showed considerable traffic between him and two others involved in moving the drugs.

He was arrested after a short chase and denied any knowledge of the drugs, repeatedly telling gardai that he knew "nothing about any drugs".When asked why he ran off when gardai raided the site, Alan Boggans replied: "I ran in fright. It was just an instinct."

He told gardai he was in the business park that day to look at 10 repossessed cars in the hope of submitting a tender to the bank in order to buy them.

Judge McCartan praised gardai following the trial for their work.

"Invariably it is the man further down the ladder; the driver, the courier, the mule (that is caught).

"The court has to send out a very definite message to others involved in drugs in this way that they can expect no mercy," he said.
Edward Fitzgeralds sister Nicola ODea speaks to the media outside the Central Criminal Court in Dublin after her brothers killer, William Gilsenan, was jailed for four years for manslaughter

The family of a man stabbed to death in a row over a 100 debt have hit out at the four-year sentence for his killer.

Last month, at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, a jury found William Gilsenan (24) not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Edward Fitzgerald (29).

Sentencing Gilsenan, Mr Justice Paul Butler said he accepted the jury's decision that it was not an intentional killing.

The victim's sister, Nicola O'Dea, spoke outside the court.

"Our family are disappointed at the sentence handed down this morning," she said.

"It seems unfair that our brother's life was taken at 29 and the accused will be out before he even reaches that age. We have a life sentence to live with."

Debt

During the trial, the court heard that the killing took place at Larch Hill, Oscar Traynor Road, Santry, Dublin 17 on October 17, 2014, when Mr Fitzgerald drove up to Gilsenan's home looking for him to repay a 100 debt.

The two men argued and witnesses said Mr Fitzgerald threatened to smash up Gilsenan's home and his mother's home.

Following the row Gilsenan went into his flat and emerged some minutes later armed with a knife. He told gardai during interviews that he brought it to scare Mr Fitzgerald away, but had no intention of using it.

Back in the car park, Mr Fitzgerald called him again from the driver's seat of his car and the row reignited.

One witness, Dillon Mahady, said Mr Fitzgerald threw a punch at Gilsenan through the open passenger side window.

At that point Gilsenan walked around the car and a fight broke out, with Mr Fitzgerald kicking out from the driver's seat and Gilsenan trying to hold his legs.

During the row Gilsenan produced the knife and stabbed him twice. One wound pierced his heart and caused his death.

Earlier this month, at his sentencing hearing, Gilsenan told the court that he was ashamed of what he did.

On the same day, reading from a victim impact statement, Ms O'Dea said she and her sister had to go on with their lives, for the sake of the younger members of the family, but their parents had struggled every day.

"They have yet to sleep a night without medication since this happened," she said.

Aggravating

Mr Justice Butler said yesterday that he was impressed by the fact Gilsenan had no history of violence until the killing.

An aggravating factor was that the accused brought a knife to the scene, although he did not intend to use it.

The judge sentenced Gilsenan to six years in prison with two years suspended.
For decades Uri Geller, the man famous for allegedly bending cutlery with his mind, was mocked over his claims to have paranormal powers.

But while the public were always sceptical it has transpired that none other than the CIA believed the 'spoon-bender' was psychic all along.

In an extraordinary series of declassified documents, the agency revealed the results of a week of experiments it conducted on Geller over eight days in 1973, during which he was tested for 'clairvoyant' or 'telepathic' abilities.

Bomb

It was part of the Stargate programme which was aimed at weaponising what the CIA called 'remote viewing' and trying to recruit 'psychic warriors'.

Elements of the bizarre secret research featured in The Men Who Stare at Goats, a 2009 Hollywood film starring George Clooney, which took its name from attempts by Stargate operatives to kill goats simply by looking at them.

In the newly released documents there was no mention of Geller being asked to stare down goats. But his handlers concluded: "As a result of Geller's success in this experimental period, we consider that he has demonstrated his paranormal perceptual ability in a convincing and unambiguous manner."

Stargate was terminated in 1998 amid distrust over its results. But, speaking from Israel where he now lives, Geller claimed the revelations represented the "tip of the iceberg" of what he had been asked to do by the CIA, Mossad and other intelligence agencies.

That included later being tested at a US radiation lab during the Cold War to see if he could trigger a nuclear bomb.

"I'm mind-blown they've released this because there are still remote-viewing programmes active - many intelligence agencies use them," Geller said.

The details of his tests were contained in 13 million pages of declassified documents released by the CIA this week.

Geller was taken to Stanford Research Institute in California between August 4 and 11, 1973, and placed in an "opaque, acoustically and electrically shielded room" with two locked doors.

In the first experiment, agents and scientists opened a dictionary and picked a word at random. The word 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 declassified documents stated.

"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.

A second word was picked, which was 'bunch' and a scientist drew a bunch of grapes.

Geller told them he saw "purple circles" and promptly drew a bunch of grapes. "Both the target picture and Geller's rendition had 24 grapes in the bunch," according to the documents.

Pig

Other experiments deemed successful included the scientists drawing a flying seagull, to which Geller said 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 did fail various tests when he said he could not get a "clear impression". The documents concluded that he did better when there were no "sceptical observers" present.

Following the release of the documents he said his spoon- bending antics and role as a television entertainer had been a "good cover" for his espionage work with the CIA and Mossad.

"Vindicated? I don't care about the sceptics," he said. "I did many things for the CIA. They wanted me to stand outside the Russian embassy in Mexico, and erase floppy discs being flown out by Russian agents.

"I had to get near someone signing a nuclear deal and bombard him with 'sign, sign, sign'."

He said one international agency, which he wouldn't name, asked him to kill a pig with his mind.

Asked if he had ever been tested by MI6, Geller replied: "No comment."
A young man is fighting for his life after he was the victim of a "one-punch attack".

David Kirwan (28) was attacked close to his home in Bray, Co Wicklow, by a man who he had been "childhood enemies" with, according to sources.

The duo had been involved in an earlier altercation at a pub in the seaside town, which local sources said involved "a lot of name calling".

In a tragic twist of fate, the two men met each other again at James Everett Park and the assault occurred there at 1.45am on Sunday.

"It was a one-punch assault and the damage was caused when the victim banged his head off the ground after being hit," a senior source said.

"These two lads had known each other since school days and they simply never got on.

"Mr Kirwan is in a very serious state in Beaumont Hospital," the source added.

The chief suspect in the case handed himself into gardai shortly after the assault and detectives are not looking for anyone else.

The young man is said to be "very upset" and it is understood that he had not intended for the incident to get so out of hand.

The suspect, aged in his 20s, was released without charge on Sunday night.

Argument

The victim was walking in the direction of his house on Rowan Grove in the Fassaroe area of Bray with someone known to him in the early hours of Sunday morning, when an argument developed between the two at the park on the outskirts of the town.

Mr Kirwan (28) acts as a carer for his brother, locals said.

"The two of them live locally in a bungalow. They haven't been there that long and are doing it up slowly. Everyone is shocked by this," said one neighbour.

"They keep to themselves mostly. We just see them coming and going," she said.

"It appears that a row broke out and Mr Kirwan was assaulted and injured as a result," said a source.

"The man who attacked him stayed at the scene afterwards and was arrested for questioning."

Locals helped Mr Kirwan until the emergency services arrived and he was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin.

Transfer

But it was later decided to transfer him to Beaumont Hospital, which specialises in head injuries.

His condition there was described as critical.

A large bloodstain was seen on the cobblelock paving at the spot where Mr Kirwan collapsed.

James Everett Park ends in a cul-de-sac at the point where the attack took place, but pedestrians are able to walk through it to a local shop and into the Fassaroe area.
Washington County elections workers get ahead of the game

Washington County works ahead to count mail-in ballots before Election Day. About half of the state's 24 jurisdictions are also counting early.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has held productive meetings and talks with the leaders of states and heads of international organizations, the official website of the president of Ukraine has said.

"Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in the framework of participation in the 47th session of the World Economic Forum in Davos is holding very intense and productive meetings and talks with the leaders of states and heads of international organizations," Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration Kostiantyn Yeliseyev said on Thursday evening.

In particular, Poroshenko met with the newly elected Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres and discussed with him the support of the international organization for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of independent states, as well as the implementation of the Minsk agreements and contribution of implementation of the UN General Assembly resolution on human rights violations in Crimea. At the same time, the Ukrainian president informed Guterres about the handover of Kyiv's claims to the UN International court against Russia.

During talks with Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte, Poroshenko put key emphasis on issues of accelerating ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU by the Dutch parliament, Yeliseyev said.

He also said the president did not participate in the lunch organized by Ukrainian businessman Victor Pinchuk in Davos.

The deputy head of the presidential administration said that Ukraine is carrying out intensive negotiations within the context of the Minsk process and de-occupation of Crimea. Our state, inter alia, is building ties with the new U.S. administration.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is ready to help Kyiv City to implement the bid orbital road construction project, Kyiv City Mayor Vitali Klitschko has told reporters, commenting on the results of his meetings at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"One of the key tasks we see for ourselves is building the orbital road that could lift the environment situation and unload transport infrastructure. Today Kyiv is suffocating over transport. We have understanding with the EBRD in the issue. They are ready [to help]," he said on the sidelines of "the Ukrainian Breakfast" organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation in Davos on Thursday.

Klitschko said that the second round of talks with the EBRD on the project would be held soon in Kyiv.

He said that it is early to speak about concrete details of the future big orbital road, in particular, it will pass across the Dnipro River or a tunnel.

"We are looking for options to solve it," he said.

He also recalled that earlier he made arrangements with German investors regarding the completion of the Podilsko-Voskresensky Bridge. He said that the essential task is to launch the bridge in 2020.

Klitschko said that he will meet President of Azerbaijan's Socar, a large player on the Kyiv market.

He said that if meetings in Davos in the previous years were mainly of the political character, now two thirds of them are devoted to projects to be realized.

The mayor believes that criticizing him that he went to Davos is unfair. He recalled that two years ago he met the SAP managing director here and in four months Kyiv joined the SmartCity international system.

"Each trip should have a concrete result. I have something to say what I have done. I do not want to run ahead, but this year it will be the same," he said.

He said the fact that the city managed to halve its foreign debt in two years when up to UAH 2 million every day was sent to service is a positive factor in negotiations.
JERUSALEM (JTA)-Many Israelis feel alienated by the marriage process in their country, fed up with the bureaucracy and strict religious requirements.

Some seek to reform the haredi Orthodox-dominated Chief Rabbinate while creating alternatives to its monopoly on marriage and other personal status issues in Israel.

But haredi Rabbi Yisroel Meir Riani thinks the Chief Rabbinate just needs better customer service. His rabbinical group, B'Noam, has made helping Israelis navigate the famously infuriating state marriage bureaucracy its top priority. Last month, the group expanded its marriage program with help from a grant.

"People wonder why they have to deal with this procedure and why there is this monopoly over marriage," Riani said. "They get very, very angry at the Chief Rabbinate. And that is exactly where we come in."

The Chief Rabbinate and its allies in government have embraced B'Noam, which means "pleasantly" in Hebrew, since its establishment in 2015. By most accounts they view it as a haredi answer to Tzohar, a rabbinical group that offers marriage registration by the generally more lenient standards of religious Zionism.

A spokesman for Israel's chief Ashkenazi rabbi, David Lau, said the Chief Rabbinate was "very, very pro-B'Noam," which it sees as the only religious services group that recognizes its authority.

"If another group opens tomorrow, we will support them," spokesman Pinkhas Tannenbaum said. "We support every organization that is helping people get married as long as they follow the Chief Rabbinate's rules," he added, implying Tzohar does not meet that standard.

Riani was among the handful of mostly young haredi community rabbis who started B'Noam. They were motivated, he said, by the growing public discontent with the Chief Rabbinate, which many see as religiously coercive and difficult to work with. Members of Israel's secular majority must prove their Jewish bona fides to the haredi religious authorities-something that's not always easy when one or both of their immigrant forebears weren't Jewish or converted under non-Orthodox or obscure auspices.

According to last year's annual survey by Hiddush, a group that promotes religious pluralism, 63 percent of Israelis support separating religion and state, which would mean abolishing the Chief Rabbinate in its current form. The number rose from 56 percent in 2012.

Uri Regev, the CEO of Hiddush, noted the obstacles to marriage for Jewish Israelis. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are not able to marry in their own country, he noted, because while they are deemed Jewish enough to be citizens, they do not qualify religiously. This includes the families of many immigrants from the former Soviet Union who arrived under Israel's Law of Return, which defines someone as Jewish in terms less strict than rabbinic law, or halachah.

Millions more would prefer not to have an Orthodox wedding but have no choice, Regev said. The recent Hiddush survey showed nearly half of Israelis wanted a non-Orthodox wedding.

By stepping in to offer friendly and helpful guidance, B'Noam aims to bolster the Chief Rabbinate's reputation and authority.

"We fight for every Jew to get him the best services from the Chief Rabbinate, and yes, we believe that will strengthen the Rabbinate," Riani said. "The chief rabbis know our project is very important and needed, and they recognize that our success will close the gap between the Chief Rabbinate and the Israeli public."

B'Noam now claims some 1,000 members, about half the community rabbis in Israel, including some 300 religious Zionists, who tend to view Jewish law in a more accommodating way. Tzohar says it has more than 600 religious Zionist member rabbis.

While B'Noam offers a range of religious services, from circumcision to burial, its flagship program is marriage assistance. That program was launched in June and expanded last month with funding from Orthodox philanthropist Elio Moti Sonnenfeld, who renamed it B'Noam Danielle in honor of his daughter who died in a car accident.

About 60 rabbis work for B'Noam Danielle, according to Riani, responding to calls to its hotline from morning to midnight during the week, and before and after Shabbat on the weekend. B'Noam also has a slick website and an office in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv.

Riani said B'Noam Danielle gets about 20 calls a day and hopes to one day serve 5,000 couples a year, or about 15 percent of all marriages, which happens to be the number claimed by Tzohar's popular marriage program.

For many years, the Chief Rabbinate and haredi politicians have sought to crack down on Tzohar's work, which includes private registry "customized for secular couples," according to its website. Mainly they have tried to prevent its chairman, Rabbi David Stav, from registering people for marriage who do not live in Shoham, the Tel Aviv suburb where he is chief rabbi.

While most interpreted this as an effort to protect the Chief Rabbinate's monopoly, haredi and some Orthodox religious Zionist politicians argued that only local rabbis have the knowledge necessary to check that couples qualify for Jewish marriage.

By contrast, Israel's religious establishment has gone out of its way to help B'Noam succeed. Haredi stars studded the group's inaugural event in September 2015, including speeches by Lau and his Sephardi counterpart, Yitzhak Yosef, along with Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Religious Affairs Minister David Azoulay.

Riani said he could call on those and other officials in a pinch to help him get Israelis the religious services they need, adding that it gives B'Noam an advantage over Tzohar.

"We have very good and close cooperation with the chief rabbis of Israel and also with the Religious Affairs Ministry," he said.

Stav, who helped found Tzohar 1995, said such claims were "PR" and that navigating the Chief Rabbinate only required knowledge, not special connections. He also noted that Tzohar provides some services, like verifying a couple's Jewishness, which the Rabbinate relies on.

More broadly, Stav predicted B'Noam would neither hurt his group nor help the Chief Rabbinate's reputation.

"If there comes a time when there is no more need for Tzohar, we will say, 'Wonderful. We have accomplished our mission,'" he said. "But we register more marriages than Jerusalem and Tel Aviv combined. People come to us because they want another option."

Regev said more groups like B'Noam, or for that matter Tzohar, would not solve Israel's marriage problem.

"These groups put a smiley face on the Rabbinate's religious coercion," he said. "But they don't come any closer to bringing Israel out of the fold of the Rabbinate and into the fold of liberal democracy."

Every year, thousands of Jews who cannot or do not wish to marry in Israel go abroad, mostly in Cyprus, for their nuptials. Meanwhile, a growing number are opting out of marriage.

Real change would only come, Regev said, when the public demanded it.
NEW YORK (JTA)The FBI and Department of Homeland Security will be assisting local Jewish community centers in bolstering security after 16 JCCs received bomb threats on the same day.

On Wednesday, officials from the FBI and Homeland Security will conduct a conference call with U.S. Jewish communal leaders to discuss Mondays incidents, what they stem from and how to craft protocols to handle such incidents in the future. Some communities already receive federal grants to provide for security.

The bomb threats, none of which appear credible, hit JCCs up and down the East Coast, prompting evacuations of buildings and campuses. According to Jewish communal security officials, the bomb threats came both from robocalls and from live telephone calls. It remains unclear whether one person or group was behind all the threats.

Several Jewish institutions also received bomb threats last week, as did Jewish institutions in the United Kingdom.

The simultaneous threats were unprecedented, according to Paul Goldenberg, the director of the Secure Community Network, a group affiliated with the Jewish Federations of North America that coordinates security for the Jewish community.

Were in a completely different world now than we were a couple years ago, Goldenberg told JTA. What is unprecedented is in the shortest period of time we received a substantial number of bomb threats. These offenders are leveraging technology to intimidate and/or terrorize communities.

The FBI is investigating the bomb scares, according to Goldenberg.

One of the threatened communities, in Wilmington, Delaware, received a bomb threat at 11:45 a.m. Monday and evacuated some 200 people from a complex housing four Jewish organizations. Everyone from preschoolers at a Jewish day school to senior citizens eating lunch left the building within a few minutes. They returned about 90 minutes later.

Seth Katzen, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Delaware, said communal officials were in touch with local FBI and police, who responded immediately, and that the evacuation was completed without panic.

There was a scare, but a manageable uneasiness, he told JTA. Everyone moved extremely well. It was to create panic and inconvenience, which it did. That is our new reality.

Neither Goldenberg nor the Anti-Defamation League explicitly tied the bomb threats to the rise of anti-Semitic attacks during and after the 2016 presidential campaign. Goldenberg said making such a link may be tempting, but would be premature given that the offender has not been identified.

The New York Police Department, as well as the Southern Poverty Law Center, have released reports of a rise in hate crimes following the election. Goldenberg expects more attacks on religious institutions to take place in 2017.

In the last 16 months weve seen an increase in harassment, intimidation, and as a direct result of some of the rhetoric and usage by extremists of social media, Goldenberg said. Its easy to tie this into the election. I think that the current situation in the U.S. and abroad has allowed for some extremists to have a methodology.

Over the past two years, Jewish federations in major urban areas have hired coordinatorsmostly former federal law enforcement officialsto ensure that all local Jewish institutions are secure and prepared to face threats. More than 20 such security coordinators have been hired.

Brenda Moxley, director of community security for the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, was hired last year after serving as assistant special agent in charge of the FBIs criminal branch in Miami. She ensures that more than 120 area Jewish institutions are prepared for incidents such as Mondays, in addition to being in touch with law enforcement officials.

Moxley said the need for such procedure first arose following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, and that Jewish institutions are now beginning to be proactive in responding to threats.

Every day, its important to be vigilant, she told JTA. Its not about being paranoid; its just about being prepared.

Others point out that Jewish institutions began hardening their security after the 1999 attack on the North Valley Jewish Community Center near Los Angeles, when a white supremacist opened fire in the JCC lobby and wounded five people.

In April 2014, a 73-year-old neo-Nazi opened fire at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, Kansas, and Village Shalom, a nearby Jewish retirement community, killing three people.
Roshen Corporation has decided to stop the production activity of Lipetsk confectionery factory, a statement says.

"The corporation Roshen stops production activities of Lipetsk Confectionery Factory. This decision was made for economic and political reasons. Full production stop and maintenance of industrial and infrastructure facilities are planned for April 2017," the report says.

As noted, the seizure of property of the Lipetsk confectionery factory, imposed by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation under a criminal case, made it impossible to sell the factory.

"Starting from 2013, production at the Lipetsk confectionery factory was reduced thrice. The reason for this was the sharp decline in the range of goods after the unjustified ban of Rospotrebnadzor (Russian Customer Surveillance) in 2013 imposed on import of Ukrainian Roshen products to the Russian Federation and active discrediting of factory's activities in Russian and Ukrainian media. Also,the authorities in some regions put pressure on the trade organizations for the sale of products of the Lipetsk confectionery factory. The decrease in the overall level of purchasing power is another reason for the factory's shut down in Lipetsk," a statement says.

According to the corporation, in relation to the production decline at the said confectionery factory, massive personnel reduction was constantly going on.

The remaining employees in the amount of about 700 people were already notified of the upcoming enterprise stop.

The required notification of a massive reduction will be filed to the Lipetsk center of employment in the near future.

The Roshen Corporation, one of the largest Ukrainian confectionery manufacturers, including Kyiv, Mariupol (Donetsk region), Kremenchug (Poltava region) and two Vinnytsia confectionery factories, Dairy Plant Bershadmoloko and Litinskplemzavod (both based in Vinnytsia region). It also runs confectionary facilities in Klaipeda (Lithuania), Lipetsk ( Russia), and Bonbonetti Choco (Hungary).

The owner of the corporation is President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. During the election campaign he promised to sell Roshen, hiring for that the investment firm Rothschild and Ukrainian investment group Investment Capital Ukraine (ICU). However, due to lack of buyers, the contract was signed in January 2016, in accordance with which Poroshenko gave his share of the corporation to an independent blind trust. The Bank Ruling Trust has a four-year-old proxy to negotiate the sale of assets.
(JTA)-A bomb threat is never an inconsequential thing. But 16 in one day is inconceivable-at least it was until Monday, Jan. 9. That's when 16 Jewish community centers in nine states received calls threatening a bomb on site. While the bombs turned out to be hoaxes, the calls themselves were not. They were designed to create a kind of disruptive terror in places that serve as visible community hubs of activity.

The JCCs affected stretched from Florida to New Jersey, where the temperature was 11 degrees and, once evacuated to ensure their safety, JCC participants had to wait outside in the frigid air. Everyone from the youngest souls to the frailest and elderly had to leave.

If there was a method to the madness of the callers (or caller-the FBI is now investigating these incidents) madness, it was one meant to strike at the heart of normalcy and everyday activities, to sow uncertainty and fear in places we love and feel most safe.

JCCs handled the situation professionally, taking the advice of security staff and local law enforcement and executing well-rehearsed safety plans. JCCs were able to do this seamlessly, working together with police and reopening by the end of the day. It is a testament to the professionals who work at these community institutions across the country, and the millions of people who walk through the doors of JCCs every day and depend on them as safe spaces to gather, learn, play and find meaning.

JCC Association of North America works closely with JCCs across the continent, encouraging them to develop security protocols, ones we hope they never have to use. But we live now in uncertain times, and expressions of anti-Semitism have been on the rise around the globe.

The safety of local JCC members is always the top priority. As the convening organization of JCCs across the continent, we work closely with the Secure Community Network (SCN), which was established in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to address security concerns in the Jewish community. SCN has a close relationship with the Department of Homeland Security, and that partnership becomes critical in situations like the ones we dealt with this week.

Unfortunately, all Americans and faith-based groups, not just Jewish organizations, recognize that this is our reality-that today, any public space or gathering may be a target. Just this week, we are reminded of the 2015 massacre at a Charleston church that left nine dead with the sentencing of it perpetrator. And far too regularly Muslim communities in America confront threats, hate letters and other anti-Muslim bigotry, abuse and even violence. The FBI figures for 2015 showed an overall increase of six percent for hate crimes. According to the report, released in November, acts against Jews still top the list, comprising 51.3 percent of all hate crimes.

And so, we are committed to continuing to support our JCCs, which play a vital role in the lives of their local communities and in Jewish life. And to help guide their missions as inclusive, engaging community gathering places that are safe for all, we will continue to help them liaise with local and federal law enforcement to develop thorough plans specific to their organizations, buildings and communities.

It is a harsh but wise reality that all JCCs have such structures and relationships in place, and are spending more time and money on security than ever before.

None of us wants to think of this as the new normal. And none of the JCCs targeted this week do. They are all back at work, doing what they do best-serving those who come looking for community.

Each JCC seeks to model within its walls the kind of community they wish their wider ones, both Jewish and general, will be. Values we embrace such as welcoming guests, treating all with respect and dignity, doing right by people and understanding the communal responsibility in raising the next generation are universal. JCCs understand that the well-being of the Jewish people is based on interaction between diverse groups of Jews, and that we benefit, and benefit from, our larger communities. No threat of terror will change that.

The JCC movement was founded a century ago this year. The impetus was to support the needs of the Jewish community, many new immigrants and first generation Americans, who were learning just what that meant-to be an American. As Jews, though, they weren't always welcome in institutions designed broadly for the community, and JCCs were there to serve their cultural, social and recreational needs.

In the 100 years since, JCCs have evolved to meet not only Jewish needs, but to serve their communities more broadly. Informed by Jewish values, they are warm and welcoming to all.

And that's where we were Monday, when the calls began. JCCs are places where people want to be. They are filled with joy, creativity, knowledge and the endless possibilities of doing something new. In hundreds of cities and towns across this continent, they are places where we still have face-to-face interactions in a social media universe.

And it's a loud and vibrant conversation, one that we won't allow any amount of threatening calls to disrupt.

David Posner is vice president for strategic performance at JCC Association of North America.
Congregation Beth Am will celebrate over four decades serving the Jewish community and honor the CBA Mitzvah Brigade at its 40th Anniversary Gala on Sunday, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m., at the Rosen Plaza Hotel. The event will include a kosher dinner, dancing and a raffle/silent auction.

Bob Rosenberg and Tom Mayer, both former CBA presidents, are co-chairing this event, which is also billed as a mitzvah project as the synagogue is partnering with Nemours Childrens Hospital.

We will gather together past and present Beth Am members and the community, not only to celebrate our past, but also to commit to our future children, said Rosenberg. We are reaching out beyond our walls and partnering with Nemours Childrens Hospital, which will receive a portion of proceeds, in a new mitzvah project.

Rosenberg sees CBA as much more than just a typical shul at which to attend services.

When Sheri (wife) and I moved to central Florida over 25 years ago we found a home at Beth Am. We were greeted with love and support and opportunities to grow, said Rosenberg. We developed friendships that became extended family, supporting us through simcha and sadness. The congregation was always there.

Rabbi Rick Sherwin has served as CBAs spiritual leader for the past 13 years during which time he has witnessed growth of the shul and many of its families.

Our congregation highlights the strength of LDor va-Dor, which people often mistranslate as from generation to generation. It literally means through the generations, and that is exactly what we are about, said Sherwin. Children are named, then become Bnai Mitzva, our Bnai Mitzva get married, then have children of their own.

To see grandparents, parents, and children sitting together, thats the strength of Beth Am.

Mitzvah Brigade is a group of 40 CBA members, all of whom actively participate in community outreach programs. They are not used to being the center of attention. They aim to quietly help others in need, although they are grateful for the public recognition so that others will learn about them and join them in performing community service.

Response to the community action projects has been amazing and is a sign that this is truly an area which hits right at the heart of our membership, said Fran Gelfand, a Mitzvah Brigade member.

Mitzvah Brigade volunteers at Second Harvest and the Jewish Family Services emergency food pantry, provides food for a local elementary school as part of their Adopt a School program, helps at the interfaith IDignity program, and supports the local Safe Houston, among many of the other projects they undertake. In addition, they are always there for CBA members, providing meals for those in need and attending shiva minyanim and funerals.

Rosenberg shares a similar perspective to the Mitzvah Brigade.

Torah teaches us that children are our future and that we are obligated to teach them mitzvot, he said. We have the responsibility of Tikkun Olam to heal the world through mitzvot.

Tickets are $125 and can be purchased at CBA40.org or by contacting the CBA office at shalom@congbetham.org or 407-862-3505.
Polish-born American historian Jan T. Gross revealed new historical research about Polish-Jewish relations while speaking to a full house at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC in Tampa. Gross' research claims that Poles killed more Jews than Germans during World War II and his historical book "Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland" has become very controversial. Currently, the Polish government is accusing Gross of "publicly insulting a nation" and threatening to prosecute him for his claims. If convicted, Gross faces up to three years in prison. According to Gross' research into the 1941 Jedwabne pogrom, Polish gentiles had murdered hundreds of Jewish residents of Jedwabne, contrary to the official history which held the Nazi occupying force accountable. In his research, Gross, a renowned Holocaust scholar and professor at Princeton University, pieces together eyewitness accounts as well as physical evidence into a comprehensive reconstruction of the horrific July day remembered well by locals but hidden to history.

Following Gross' lecture was the showing of the powerful film "Aftermath," a 2012 Polish film inspired by Professor Gross' "Neighbors." Aftermath is about a Polish man who returns home after the death of his father and unearths a secret about the now-deceased Jewish residents of his village. This inspiration for the film was the controversy in Poland surrounding the publication of Gross' "Neighbors." A vital component of the plot seen in "Aftermath" depicts the discovery of Jewish gravestones (matzevot) that had been used by German-occupying forces as paving stones in place of ordinary stone. The matzevot are now parts of fences, pavements, and grindstones. Even today, the matzevot continue to be utilized in cases where ordinary stone, of which there is no shortage, could be used.

On display now at The Florida Holocaust Museum is the exhibition Matzevot for Everyday Use, which features photographs taken in Poland by Polish photographer ukasz Baksik to document the ways in which Jewish gravestones have been stolen and re-appropriated.
On Sunday, Jan. 8, community treasures Geanne Share and Ruth Darvin, were honored for providing exemplary volunteer assistance to Orlando's elder-care community at The Jewish Pavilion's Gems & Jeans Gala. More than 200 guests enjoyed a sparkling evening of gourmet dining, live music, and a silent auction with proceeds benefitting seniors served in more than 70 assisted living and skilled nursing facilities.

To impact the life of a senior through volunteering or donation visit http://www.jewishpavilion.org, or call 407-678-9363 for more information.
Ellen Hershkin, national president of Hadassah, will visit with the members of the Orlando Chapter on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017, at 1 p.m. to discuss the organizations plans for the upcoming year and beyond.

Rita Weissmann has graciously opened her home for an afternoon coffee to greet President Hershkin.

Since the beginning of her membership in 1973, Hershkin has held various leadership roles within Hadassah. In addition to serving on Hadassah's National Board and Executive Committee, Hershkin is a former board member of the Jewish National Fund and the United Israel Appeal Board. In May 2006, at its annual installation event, the Suffolk Council of Jewish Organizations bestowed its highest honor on her for her leadership, commitment and dedication to Jewish life. Throughout her 42-year membership in Hadassah, Hershkin has served as a national vice president, national secretary, the national coordinator of Young Judaea, national chair of Hadassah's Membership Outreach Department, the national chair of the Public Affairs Department and the National Office in Israel, national chair of Hadassah's Convention in 2004 and as a member on various committees throughout the organization.

Hershkin studied speech and education at Hofstra University and Jewish studies through a program of the Melton School of Jewish Education/Hebrew University. She was a travel consultant for 20 years and specialized in Israel travel.

As Hadassah continues to evolve, the national president-elect will be instrumental in guiding the organization through challenging circumstances and setting and achieving aggressive programming and financial goals. She will also play a vital role in attracting new women to join and advance the organization and in supporting the lifesaving research and care provided at Hadassah's two world-renowned hospitals and research center in Israel.

With so many electrifying medical breakthroughs coming from the various research teams at Hadassah Hospital and Hadassah University, the future is very exciting.

RSVP to Nancy Greenfield by Sunday, Jan. 22, nancyg357@yahoo.com or 407-333-0204.
Outside, it was a chilly January morning. But inside, the residents at Longwood's Village on the Green were surrounded by warmth, music and love, thanks to a special visit from the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando's PJ Library/Shalom Families group and the Jewish Pavilion.

More than 50 participants representing four generations-from 2 months to 92 years-came together for "Home Sweet Home" on Jan. 8 at the senior living community. As part of the program, families shared the many ways to make a home "Jewish" with special themed stories, songs, activities and crafts.

Families and seniors worked side by side, decorating cookies and making mezuzahs for their homes. The residents also learned more about PJ Library, which provides free Jewish children's books and music to families in Greater Orlando. In the past six years, the Jewish Federation has sent out more than 28,000 PJ Library books, and the program currently has more than 550 subscribers.

"Home Sweet Home" was the second PJ Library/Shalom Families intergenerational program since September.

Reading PJ Library books together.

"We love creating experiences where we can include grandparents and seniors in our community," said Jennifer Cohen, the Federation's PJ Library coordinator. "The families really enjoyed meeting the residents at Village on the Green, and one mom told me that she hopes to have Shabbat with the residents in the future."

The next PJ Library/Shalom Families event will be a celebration of Tu B'Shevat, the Birthday of the Trees, the morning of Feb. 5 at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland. Family activities will include a bird walk, making bird feeders, singing songs to the birds, and a special story and "birthday" treat.

Online registration is required by Feb. 1. Visit http://www.jfgo.org for more details.
A view of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin with the image of an Israeli flag, Jan. 9, 2017.

(JTA)-Is terrorism softening European attitudes toward Israel?

When a Palestinian terrorist used a car to ram and kill an Israeli soldier in eastern Jerusalem in 2014, the European Union urged "restraint" and, without condemning the attack, called it merely "further painful evidence of the need to undertake serious efforts towards a sustainable peace agreement."

The statement by EU foreign relations chief Federica Mogherini was "a typical EU reaction, which blames the victim for getting attacked," Oded Eran, a former ambassador of Israel to the European Union and a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, said at the time.

Two years later, however, European officials had a much different reaction to a similar attack in eastern Jerusalem, which killed four Israeli soldiers on Sunday.

"The European Union condemns the murder of these four young Israelis, as well as any praise or incitement for terrorist acts," Brussels said in a statement, which unlike the 2014 communique omitted any reference to the fact that the attack happened in an area of Jerusalem that it considers occupied.

Unusually, following Sunday's attack the Israeli flag was projected on the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and Paris City Hall, signs of solidarity with the Jewish state permitted by local authorities. Rotterdam City Hall flew the Israeli flag at half-mast.

To Eran and other observers of Israeli-EU relations, this change in tune is indicative of greater understanding and empathy in Europe to Israel's fight against terrorism following a a wave of terrorist attacks on the continent beginning in 2012.

"I think it's a new development that sincerely stems from the change in the mind of many people in Europe, in government and beyond, who now understand better than a few years ago the impact and influence of terrorism on the daily lives of innocent victims," Eran told JTA on Wednesday.

He was referring to the cumulative effect of at least a dozen major attacks on Western European soil since 2012 in which local or foreign jihadists killed hundreds of victims using methods long associated with Palestinian terrorists.

Last month, a terrorist whom the Islamic State terrorist group described as its "soldier" killed 11 people, including one Israeli tourist, at a Berlin Christmas market by plowing a stolen truck through the crowd. In July, a similar attack claimed over 80 lives in Nice, France. Days later, an Afghan man injured four people with an axe on a train in southern Germany.

These events happened just months after the murder of over 30 people in a series of explosions in Brussels in March, and fresh on the heels of a horrific series of bombings and shootings that left 130 people dead in Paris in November 2015.

The Israeli government, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in particular, have been persistently drawing an equivalence between the attacks in Europe and attacks against Israelis by Palestinians.

"The terrorists who attack us have the same murderous intent as those in Paris," Netanyahu said about the November 2015 Paris attacks. "It is time for states to condemn terrorism against us like they condemn terrorism anywhere else in the world."

Some European leaders clearly see his point.

Following the Berlin attack, German President Joachim Gauck said as much in a reply he sent to a condolence message from Gauck's Israeli counterpart, Reuven Rivlin.

"You and your country are in a position to understand fully what being threatened by terrorism means for a people and a nation because in your country it has become almost a daily phenomenon. We know that you can feel with us and commiserate," Gauck said.

The deputy chief of mission of the Israeli Embassy in Berlin, Avraham Nir-Feldklein, further drove home the message in a statement following the projection of the Israeli flag on the Brandenburg Gate, a gesture initiated by pro-Israel activists.

"We all find ourselves facing the same terror, from Nice through Berlin to Jerusalem, but together we will stand against evil, and we will prevail," he wrote.

On Twitter, the German Foreign Ministry shared a picture of the projection, stating it was "in solidarity with Israel." Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, by contrast, described the gesture in her city merely as a "tribute to the victims of the attack" in Jerusalem.

Muna Duzdar, an Austrian state secretary, insisted in an interview Wednesday with JTA that "Europe always understood that Israel has a right to defend itself and have security," and that greater empathy in Europe for terror victims extends not just to Israel but to victims around the world.

But following the attacks in Europe, "now we're having the situation that we have daily terrorist attacks. I wake up and there's an attack in Israel, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Germany. No country is left unaffected. And it might be that someone who was affected himself has a better understanding of this."

Duzdar, who was born in Austria to Palestinian parents and heads the Palestinian Austrian Society, rejected during the interview claims that the attack was not a terrorist incident because it was directed against soldiers on land that Palestinians consider occupied.

"This attack targeted human beings, and as far as I understand it was a jihadist who did that, whose intention was to attack people," she said.

In Belgium, the firebrand anti-Israel columnist Dyab Abou Jahjah, who for years justified violence against Israelis and Americans in the pages of the De Standaard daily, was fired Monday for defending Sunday's Jerusalem attack on social media.

"An attack on occupation soldiers in occupied territory is not terrorism! It is an act of Resistance. #FreePalestine," Abou Jahjah wrote.

In a statement, De Standaard editor-in-chief Karel Verhoeven wrote that Abou Jahjah "has placed himself beyond the borders of acceptable debate" by endorsing violence.

Yet the gestures of empathy toward Israel will not likely carry over to EU policy, according to Eran, the former ambassador.

"These gestures are heartwarming and indicative of a positive change, but there is a clear distinction between empathy and policy in the corridors of the European Union, which is likely to remain as critical as ever of Israeli settlements and continue to oppose them on every international arena," he said.
Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando is providing onsite counseling for community members needing to discuss recent security concerns at the Maitland Jewish Campus. The Campus was evacuated twice after receiving bomb threats via telephone. JFS Orlando has sent two licensed therapist, Teresa Brown, LCSW, and Carla Fischer, LMHC, to meet with students to discuss their feelings and concerns regarding these recent threats.

Students were open and discussed their feelings of injustice and sadness that the Jewish Community was targeted for hate. "It makes me sad that someone may not like me because I am Jewish," one student stated.

Teresa Brown

JFS Orlando therapists were there to assist students with sharing their feelings and encouraged them to not give "bullies" the power to change them and to be proud of the person they are. The students were reminded that they are safe and the Campus is a safe place.

Brown told the students that, "Unfortunately, there are others that make poor choices, for whatever the reason, but it is our responsibility to continue to make positive choices and continues to share care and concern for others... that is how we defeat bullies."

JFS Orlando therapists will continue to be at the Campus during the next week. JFS Orlando is proud to provide a hand in helping ensure those on the campus continue to feel safe and secure.

For more information regarding JFS Orlando mental health counseling, please call 407.644.7593, extension 247.
On Jan. 26, come tour JFS Orlando located at 2100 Lee Road, Winter Park 32789. Learn for yourself the impact JFS Orlando is having in our community. Scheduled tours start at 8 a.m. Coffee and light breakfast served. Reservation is requested.

Please contact Mary Lee Walker at 407.644.7593 Ext. 241 or email at marylee.walker@jfsorlando.org.
WASHINGTON (JTA)-Barack Obama got his kishkes back.

The president, whose alleged aloofness was the signature flaw cited by his rivals, his critics and at times his friends, ended his presidency with an impassioned appeal for the preservation of democracy-his lower lip trembling, a tear streaking his cheek.

For sure, Obama could be emotional, heimishe even-remember his tears while speaking with the parents of the children slain in Newtown, Connecticut, or his singing of "Amazing Grace" during his eulogy for one of the Charleston shooting victims? Think of all those photos where he's goofing with kids in the Oval Office.

True, in those cases, and in his farewell speech Tuesday night in Chicago, Obama was surrounded by admirers, by those who loved him-among them an abundance of his Jewish supporters and staffers past and present who flew in for the event.

But here's the thing: On the same day that he said farewell to his fellow Americans, there was another emotional appeal, one that stopped short of tears but was all the more remarkable for whom he was appealing to: Israel, where as he gets ready to leave office, he has a 20 percent approval rating.

And the appeal was essentially the same: What your nation, like ours, has built is worth preserving, and the way to preserve it is through the fierce defense of democracy.

Obama, who is busy negotiating an unusually bumpy transition, took 30 minutes two weeks before his presidency ends to speak to Israel's Channel 2 and make his case that he was looking out for Israel during his eight years in office.

"I have shown repeatedly my commitment to Israel's security and I feel it deeply," he said.

The similarity in his messages to the two countries was striking.

Here was Obama in Chicago: "If our democracy is to work in this increasingly diverse nation, then each one of us need to try to heed the advice of a great character in American fiction-Atticus Finch-who said 'You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.'"

His advice to those aggrieved by Donald Trump's election victory was to listen "to the middle-aged white guy who, from the outside, may seem like he's got advantages, but has seen his world upended by economic and cultural and technological change."

But his sharper focus was on Trump and those who elected him.

"Democracy can buckle when we give in to fear," he said. "So, just as we, as citizens, must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are.

"And that's why, for the past eight years, I've worked to put the fight against terrorism on a firmer legal footing. That's why we've ended torture, worked to close Gitmo, reformed our laws governing surveillance to protect privacy and civil liberties. That's why I reject discrimination against Muslim Americans, who are just as patriotic as we are."

The reference to Muslims, derided by Trump and many of his backers during the campaign, got Obama the biggest applause line of the evening.

Now here's Obama speaking, with intensity, to Channel 2's Ilana Dayan: "I also believe that the best traditions of the Zionist movement in Israel are consistent with the values that I have tried to live by and have tried to promote here in the United States and around the world: a belief in rule of law, a belief in human rights, a belief in freedom of the press, a belief that we treat people fairly and justly not only when it's convenient politically but when its inconvenient.

"It breaks my heart to see a situation when it seems increasingly the prospects for peace are fading."

And on Israeli TV, Obama closed the circle between the history he made and the history he believes Israel has made. Speaking of bigotry, he said, "As an African-American, when I see those kinds of attitudes harden, I remember my history and I remember the history of the Jewish people."

So where was this Obama these past eight years? Where were his kishkes, his gut empathy for Israel and for the Jewish attachment to Israel?

Mention it to his Jewish supporters and staffers and they roll their eyes. Not just the Jewish ones. When I brought it up a couple of years ago with one of his former top aides, Bernadette Meehan, a slight pale woman as Irish American as it gets, she finished the sentence for me and correctly pronounced kishkes. And rolled her eyes.

And when the eye rolling was done, Obama's friends and aides would say it wouldn't have helped anyway. The fix was in. No amount of goodwill Obama expressed, they said, through unprecedented levels of military assistance and intelligence sharing, through a White House packed with Jewish staffers and a government packed with Jewish officials, through expressions of solidarity, could help. There was a cadre in Israel and among American Jews, they said, who always would judge Barack Obama by their disagreements.

Indeed, throughout his farewell speech, pro-Israel activists to his right tweeted angrily about the Iran deal, the U.N. anti-settlement resolution and his failure to name "Islamic terrorism."

Obama told Dayan, smiling, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "had a good friend" in the White House for eight years, although "he may not have recognized" it.

The president acknowledged that the disagreements were profound over the Iran nuclear deal that he touted in his Chicago speech as one of his major accomplishments, and over Israeli settlement expansion, which culminated in the U.S. abstention last month at the U.N. Security Council, allowing through for the first time on his watch a resolution opposed by Israel.

On Tuesday, hours before Obama's appearance with Dayan and a half day before his Chicago speech, Netanyahu met with a delegation of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and said he had "unequivocal" proof that Obama had orchestrated the U.N. vote, although he did not provide it or even describe it. Obama in his interview with Dayan forcefully denied a U.S. role.

In Washington, D.C., two hours before Obama spoke in Chicago, the Israeli ambassador, Ron Dermer, who has clashed publicly with the administration over the Security Council vote, spoke at an event in the U.S. Capitol celebrating U.S.-China ties. As guests picked through kosher Chinese fare, Dermer extolled the relationships between Israel and China, and Israel and the United States-but failed to praise the sitting president, which he routinely does at these events. It was left to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., speaking after Dermer, to note Obama's support for Israel. Dermer looked on, betraying no expression.

Down the street at a meeting of the Christian United for Israel leadership in a Capitol Hill hotel, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., did mention Obama about an hour before the president spoke.

"I can't wait until Obama leaves, what about'ch'all?" he said, and there was a clatter as the roomful of pastors set down steak knives and cheered.

On social media, Obama's Jewish supporters crowded their mentions with teardrop icons, before and after Obama himself shed tears while thanking his family.

As the speech wound down, Hadar Susskind, an activist who has worked for an array of liberal Jewish groups, posted photos on Facebook he had taken over the years on occasions when Obama has embraced causes dear to the liberal Jews: the president signing a fair pay and safe workplaces order, another to protect LGBT workers, speaking at Washington's Adas Israel synagogue. One showed an uncreased, mostly black-haired Obama speaking outside the White House in 2012.

On Channel 2 in 2017, his voice hoarse, his hair gray, Obama grinned when Dayan asked him to speak from his innermost soul: That Security Council vote, she asked, was there not the slightest desire for revenge?

Obama smiled.

"No," he insisted, he was acting to protect the Israel he admired. "I believe it would be a moral betrayal for the world not to protect and secure a homeland for the Jewish people."
Ukraine's Health Ministry is working on the implementation of the government-funded program implying the creation of the Ukrainian heart center chain for implanting stents and treating heart attacks, acting Health Minister Ulana Suprun has said.

"Under the initiative of the prime minister and the government the 2017 budget provides an additional UAH 150 million to buy angiographic equipment. This would help to create a heart center chain all over Ukraine. Each Ukrainian with heart attack would be able to go to hospital and be treated and have stent implanted free of charge," she said at a government meeting on Wednesday.

"We would have enough equipment and stents to provide them to all patients. Now the program is being implemented. Clinics are receiving permits to conduct angiographic tests and buying equipment," she said.

Commenting on the procurement of medicines and medical products using budget funds under the cardiovascular diseases program, Suprun said that a total of 7,179 stents were bought using 2015 budget funds when stents were procured via Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies. Over 10,000 stents are bought via international organizations using 2016 budget funds.

"The fair tenders thanks to international organizations help to save an additional 3,000 people," she said.

Suprum said that the ministry's team has improved the procurement process since August 2016 when it started working.

"We have changed technical tasks for all our procurement to use the funds as better as possible," she said.
Rep. Ed Royce (third from left) at the opening of a tunnel that the Israeli army detected and destroyed a quarter mile from Gaza in 2014.

WASHINGTON (JTA)-Reps. Ed Royce and Eliot Engel are that Capitol Hill rarity: a Republican and a Democrat who truly have each other's back.

And nothing unites Royce, R-Calif., the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, and Engel, D-N.Y., its top Democrat, like support for Israel.

Not simply Israel-Royce and Engel take their cues on the issue from the mainstream pro-Israel community, led by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Right now, that means keeping the United Nations out of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, period, while backing a two-state outcome as the best and most likely solution.

So like battle-hardened buddies, the two lawmakers stood together last week to face a roiling Congress as they sought to embody those principles in a nonbinding resolution: condemning the U.N. Security Council for its anti-settlements resolution last month and, by implication, the Obama administration for allowing it through, while upholding the goal of two states, "a Jewish, democratic state living side-by-side next to a demilitarized Palestinian state in peace and security."

The measure passed, but the obstacles Engel and Royce overcame to get it through demonstrate the erosion of a pro-Israel consensus in Congress: Royce faced down a right-wing agitating for a retreat from U.S. endorsement of "two states," and Engel grappled with a left wing that seeks more room to criticize Israel.

Royce, in an interview on the eve of the vote, spoke with a confidence borne out with the overwhelming 342-80 vote on Jan. 5: Two states would remain U.S. policy, he said, and the focus going forward, with a Trump administration and a Republican Congress, would be to make sure the world knows the blame lies more with the Palestinians than it does Israel.

"If the president-elect is willing to work with Congress as I think this new administration will be, we can focus on this issue of [Palestinian] incitement," Royce said, citing plans to cut funds unless the Palestinian Authority stopped payments to the families of imprisoned terrorists.

His party's right has made it clear that they no longer favor a two-state solution, and the most recent Republican Party platform removed references to the idea.

Nonetheless, "two states" would remain U.S. policy, Royce said, as long as Israel's government embraced it.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he remains committed to two states, although some members of his Cabinet say the idea is outmoded or never supported it in the first place.

Among Democrats, Engel won, but by a narrower margin than a resolution favored by AIPAC: 109-76, with party leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., a candidate to lead the Democratic National Committee, voting against. Ellison explained that the resolution makes the goal of a two-state solution "less achievable," and charged that the "Republicans were more interested in attacking President Obama in his last weeks as president."

How Royce and Engel each faced dissent within his respective party is a telling signal of what's in store for pro-Israel activism going forward.

Royce, backed by his leaders, crushed a bid by conservative Republicans to remove "two-state" language from the resolution.

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, a Tea Party congressman who was one of the first to endorse Donald Trump's candidacy, advanced an amendment to strike from the resolution any mention of two states.

Royce got the Rules Committee to kill the King amendment before it even came to the floor. On Thursday, prior to the vote, Royce ceded his right to introduce the resolution on the floor to Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., the House speaker. The overall effect was to signal that the big guns in the party were lining up behind AIPAC's agenda and its commitment to two states, and to bipartisanship.

"Our historic alliance with Israel transcends party labels and partisan bickering," Ryan said. "We see that bipartisanship right here on the House floor today in condemning this anti-Israel resolution."

Engel, by contrast, delivered a mixed message. He stood by the resolution he coauthored with Royce while simultaneously agreeing to back an amendment introduced by Rep. David Price, D-N.C., and backed by J Street, AIPAC's left-wing rival. Price's amendment would have removed language blaming the Obama administration and placed more emphasis on the two-state solution.

As Engel no doubt expected, Royce had the Rules Committee nix it along with King's the day before the vote.

Speaking to JTA on the night before the vote, Engel sounded torn between the two versions, fluctuating between the outrage he felt toward the Obama administration for abstaining on the U.N. Security Council resolution and not exercising its veto power, and his attraction to the more positive message in Price's amendment.

"I'm a supporter of the two-state solution and I was outraged by the U.S. lack of a veto in the United Nations," he said. "While we have a reference to the two-state solution in our amendment, the one Price is doing talks mainly of a two state solution.

"When I look at the whole issue, I'm always in favor of a two-state solution, I have never deviated from a two-state solution. What I resent is that when negotiations fail, people blame Israel."

Engel attached his name to Price's amendment, and so an odd scene played out on the floor the day of the vote. Usually the main sponsor of a piece of legislation calls on other lawmakers who support it to speak on its behalf, while a House member is chosen by the opposing party's leadership to decide who should speak against it. When a resolution has bipartisan support, the lead sponsors take turns asking members of their party to speak.

On Thursday, Royce directed Republican traffic in support and Engel led the Democrats-but he also ceded some control to Price, who in turn solicited speeches by Democrats who shared his opposition to the resolution.

Thus there was a three-way debate on the merits of the resolution and of Price's amendment-although it was now moot-and on what it means to be pro-Israel.

Each speaker included a declaration of affection for Israel and an expression of commitment to its alliance with the United States.

For Royce and Republicans, the emphasis was on the nefariousness of the United Nations and the recalcitrance of the Palestinians. Engel's Democrats stressed upholding the U.S.-Israel alliance and preserving the two-states option. Price and the Democrats who backed his amendment focused on saving Israel from its government.

"In this period of great geopolitical turmoil and uncertainty, we must reaffirm those fundamental aspects of our foreign policy, including our strong and unwavering support for Israel, while also demonstrating to the world that we are committed to a diplomacy that defends human rights and promotes Israeli and Palestinian states that live side by side in peace and security, a formulation that has characterized our country's diplomacy for decades," Price said.

There was even a brief fourth argument, calling itself pro-Israel, voiced by Rep. Louis Gohmert, R-Texas, in favor of removing two-state language.

"I can't vote for the resolution when we are advocating what Joel 3 says will bring judgment down upon our nation for trying to partition Israel," he said, citing a biblical warning of divine judgment on nations that try to "divide up" the land God gave to the Jewish people. Gohmert was one of four Republicans who voted against the Royce-Engel measure.

The outcome allowed all the competing visions, save perhaps for Gohmert's, to claim victory. AIPAC applauded passage, saying the Royce-Engel resolution "reiterates congressional support for direct, bilateral Israel-Palestinian negotiations resulting in a two-state solution that resolves all final status issues."

J Street said the robust Democratic turnout for the Price's amendment, which the liberal Jewish Middle East policy group backed, underscored the inroads it had made.

"A very significant portion of the Democratic Party is saying that there is no longer going to be a go-along-to-get-along approach for every single policy and worldview for the sitting government of Israel," Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street's director, said in an interview just before the vote. He correctly predicted that 70 or so Democrats would be opposed to Royce-Engel.

AIPAC's influence is not under immediate threat. Among those in the House who declined Price's entreaties and backed the Royce-Engel resolution bill were Jewish progressives like Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Jerrold Nadler of New York, David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Jared Polis of Colorado. King, the Iowa Republican who had tried to remove the "two-state " language, ultimately voted in favor, too.

In the Senate, meantime, where AIPAC is backing a similar resolution, the two lead Republican sponsors, Marco Rubio of Florida and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, just months ago had declined to sign an AIPAC-backed letter to Obama urging him not to take action because it included references to two states. Now they are on board with the concept.

But the divisions are not disappearing. Price is reintroducing his amendment as a separate resolution. King has legislation in the pipeline saying the House "rejects" the two-state solution, explaining that the approach "has failed to result in a secure environment for either Israel, a free country, or the Palestinians, who are led by Islamists and autocrats."

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., once an AIPAC stalwart and now a headliner at J Street conferences, offered a contrasting vision of pro-Israel. In her remarks during the debate, she called the U.S.-Israel bond "unbreakable" and the two-state solution "the only way Israel can continue as both a Democratic and a Jewish state" while declaring that the United States must be willing to tell its friends in Israel that "the building of settlements is an obstacle to achieving that goal."

"I stand here as a proud Jew and someone who, throughout my entire life, has been an advocate for the State of Israel," she said, "and I am standing here to oppose" the Royce-Engel resolution.
Start on a family discovery journey with the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Orlando as it continues My Jewish Roots a JGSGO Workshop Roadshow.

Each participant's family discovery journey will include directed hands-on labs that will lead to extending their family tree-adding newly discovered ancestors and living cousins.

The February My Jewish Roots Workshop, "The Changing Borders of Eastern Europe," traces a millennium of border changes in Eastern Europe and the impacts of these changes on our Jewish ancestors. An ancestral town may have been under the rule of several countries over time. Recognizing which governments were in control at various times can help in understanding the environment in which ancestors lived, events that stimulated migration, languages in which records were kept and likely locations where these records might be found. As the Russian Empire expanded west in the 17th and 18th centuries, millions of Jews found themselves within the Empire and Russia found that it needed to deal with a people it had tried to exclude for hundreds of years. JGSGO President, Jerry Kurland, remarked, "Hal Bookbinder makes Eastern European history and our Jewish roots come alive."

Hal has identified over 4,000 relatives, tracing two lines to the late 1700s in modern-day Ukraine. He has written and lectured widely, focusing on providing historical context to our ancestors' experiences in Europe, in migration and in America. Hal is past president of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and has chaired a number of IAJGS conferences. In 2010 he was recognized with the IAJGS Lifetime Achievement Award. Hal directs IT Strategic Finance for UCLA Health, teaches for the University of Phoenix and directs a job skills program for individuals in recovery at the LA Midnight Mission. He and his wife Marci reside in the Los Angeles area. Hal and JGSGO mavens will assist workshop attendees as they start their family discovery journey on their own laptops.

"The Changing Borders of Eastern Europe" with Hal Bookbinder will be held: Tuesday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., at the Roth Jewish Community Center, 851 N. Maitland Ave., Maitland. The workshop is free and open to the public. Bring your own laptop to participate in the lab portion. It is also possible to attend via the Internet. Pre-registration is required. Pre-register for either in-person or online participation at http://www.jgsgo.org/MyJewishRoots.

The My Jewish Roots series of 10 monthly hands on workshops hosted by the JGSGO is co-hosted by the Roth JCC, Rosen JCC, UCF Hillel, Congregation Ohev Shalom, and Temple Israel in rotation at their facilities and also joinable over the Internet. In addition to assisting attendees in discovering their family tree, these workshops will help the Orlando Jewish community get the most out of the upcoming 37th Annual International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) International Conference on Jewish Genealogy. This premiere international conference will be held for the first time in Florida July 23-28, 2017 at the Disney Swan Hotel with local host JGSGO. For more information, visit http://www.jgsgo.org/MyJewishRoots.
Teenagers are into Ipods, Ipads, and Iphones, but they don't often stop to think about the IDF. This week, the Chabad centers of North and South Orlando joined to present an evening for teenagers on just that topic.

The evening began with a conversation that got the teens thinking about what it means to be a soldier. Rabbi Zibell, the leader of the South Orlando CTeen chapter related, "the teens thought of soldiers as serious, mature men and women around 25 or 26 years old. It blew their mind when I explained that many of the soldiers are 18 or 19, just a few years older than many of the teens present."

The purpose of the evening was to educate teenagers as to what our soldiers in Israel do, and how they risk their lives every day to protect our homeland and our people. It instilled within them a feeling of gratitude toward the Israeli soldiers as well as a feeling of connection and bonding.

The teens were asked to write a letter to soldiers in the IDF thanking them for their service, and then watched a powerful video, which documented the transformation of five Israeli teenagers into soldiers.

Annabel Granger, a teen from North Orlando, "learned that being in the IDF is much more than just protecting Israel. It is about showing bravery and passion for our homeland."

The evening was deep and meaningful. Rabbi Konikov, the director of all operations at Chabad of South Orlando checked in during the event. He commented, "it was so nice to see teens coming together to show support for Israeli soldiers, especially in light of the recent heart breaking attack in Israel. The Chabad philosophy is to constantly add light to eliminate darkness, and having our teenagers write letters to soldiers in Israel, and teaching them the importance of supporting the IDF definitely generated more light and love in the world."

CTeen is an open Jewish teen group, and if parents would like to find out more information about CTeen's programs, they can contact Rabbi Zibell at Cteen@Jewishorlando.com.
The incoming Donald Trump presidency likely means a sharp break from President Barack Obamas foreign policy. For Egypt and Jordan, the only two Arab countries that have peace treaties with Israel and two of the most reliable U.S. allies in the Middle East, the Trump administration will provide new opportunities and challenges going forward on issues such as Islamic extremism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the status of Jerusalem.

Egypt

Oren Kessler, an expert on Egypt and deputy director for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank, said that despite Trumps controversial statements on Muslim immigration to the U.S., he is surprisingly popular in Egypt, mainly due to the unpopularity of Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Clinton is seen [in Egypt] as a key player in an Obama administration that was too quick to abandon [former Egyptian President] Hosni Mubarak, a longtime [U.S.] ally, when protests broke out against him in early 2011, Kessler told JNS.org.

Kessler added that the Obama administrations reputation in Egypt was also damaged by its cozy ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, an Egyptian Islamist political movement that is now designated as a terrorist organization in its home country. Frank Gaffney, head of the Center for Security Policy, has called the Muslim Brotherhood the most dangerous group promoting the totalitarian and Islamist supremacist doctrine of sharia law, according to the Washington Times.

That cozy relationship meant that scores of known radical Islamists made hundreds of visits to the Obama White House, meeting with top administration officials, according to a 2012 report by the Investigative Project on Terrorism.

When he was the head of Egypts military, the current Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi led the effort to topple the regime of President Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, in 2013. Obama invited Morsi, after he was newly elected, to the White House for a meeting.

By contrast, Obama has not invited El-Sisi to the White House, a symbolic honor that Obama has notably denied the Egyptian president, writes Michael Rubin, a foreign policy expert in the American Enterprise Institutes website aei.org.

Many Egyptians also view the [Obama] administration as having been too harsh in responding to the militarys removal of the Brotherhood, and subsequent crackdown, a response that included withholding some [U.S.] military aid and Apache helicopters at a time that an insurgency was raging at full flame in the Sinai, Kessler said.

Adel Guindythe former president of Coptic Solidarity, a U.S.-based human rights organization that promotes equality for Coptic Christians in Egyptechoed Kesslers assessment, arguing that much of the perception on Trumps reputation in Egypt has been shaped by the anti-Trump American media, but that Clinton and Obama have far worse reputations in the Arab country.

As such, Guindy said that El-Sisi has not shied away from showing his preference for Trump, especially after their meeting last September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where Trump told El-Sisi that under a Trump administration, the United States of America will be a loyal friend, not simply an ally, that Egypt can count on. Notably, in November, El-Sisi was the first Arab leader to congratulate Trump on his election victory.

In general, it seems that El-Sisi thinks he can do business with Trump, who as a pragmatic leader would dwell much less on annoying issues such as democracy, freedoms and human rights, and focus more on down-to-earth stuff, Guindy told JNS.org.

Since coming to power in June 2014, El-Sisi has waged a crackdown on Islamic extremism in Egypt, specifically targeting the Muslim Brotherhood as well as Islamic State-affiliated terror groups in the Sinai Peninsula. Additionally, last June, El-Sisi in a televised speech called for reforms within the Islamic religion to counter fanaticism and extremism.

Yet Guindy said El-Sisi has disappointed many Egyptian Christians due to his failure to fully combat Islamic terrorism. In mid-December, a bomb tore through Cairos main Coptic church during Mass, killing 25 people and wounding 49.

The overwhelming majority of Copts strongly supported President El-Sisi and his efforts to stabilize Egypt through combating terrorism, Guidy said. However, their support has worn out as they have come to realize that their dhimmi-like situation (inferior status) under El-Sisis rule is actually no better, if not worse, than under Mubarak. Regimes come and go, but it seems that persecution of Copts is a quasi-permanent ideology of the Egyptian state.

Jordan

The reaction within Jordan to Trumps victory was mixed. A strong U.S. ally, Jordans King Abdullah naturally congratulated Trump, expressing his keenness to work with the new president to enhance bilateral relations and face various challenges, based on the strategic relations and common interests between Jordan and the U.S.

Yet within the Jordanian government, there are different views of Trump depending on the issue at hand, said Dr. Abdullah Swalha, director of the Center for Israel Studies in Jordan (CIS).

For example, Trump represents a historic break from U.S. policy towards the Middle East. His focus on defeating ISIS (Islamic State), the most significant threat to our region, would receive full support from our people, Swalha told JNS.org.

They think that Trump is ready to use all the power necessary to eliminate ISIS, and he will not waver in the war against it, he added.

On the other hand, he said some Jordanians view Trumps controversial comments on Muslims as a gift to ISIS.

His anti-Muslim discourse helps ISIS recruit more fighters and win more sympathizers, Swalha said.

Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there is also concern among Jordanians that the Trump era will mean a more favorable U.S. approach to Israel that could alienate many in the Arab world. Swalha said Trumps outspoken support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus policies, especially settlements and holy sites, could put the [Jordanian] government in a very difficult position.

Cairo, Jerusalem and Washington

Under El-Sisi, Egypt and Israel have grown closer as they grapple with mutual terrorism threats from the Sinai and Gaza. Yet the recent United Nations Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements challenged the positive tenor of Egyptian-Israeli ties, while also providing insight into Trumps future role. The resolution was originally sponsored by Egypt, but the Egyptians withdrew it on the day of the vote, reportedly due to pressure from Trump and Israel. Other Security Council members renewed the resolution a day later and it passed 14-0, with the Obama administration declining to use U.S. veto power to block the measure.

FDDs Kessler told JNS.org that he found Egypts sponsorship of the U.N. resolution extremely bizarre given the increasingly warm Israeli-Egyptian relations.

Ties between Egypt and Israel are closer than ever before, as the Israelis provide crucial assistance to Egypt in securing the Sinai Peninsula and the border with Gaza. Diplomatically, Israel and its friends have encouraged Washington to be more invested in the relationship with Egypt, Kessler said.

Kessler said the only scenario that makes sense to him is that Egypt believedor perhaps was toldthat Washington wouldnt wield its usual veto against anti-Israel Security Council resolutions, thereby allowing Cairo to push through this resolution and portray itself at home and around the Arab world as the champions of the Palestinians.

Although Egypts involvement with the U.N. resolution may have been a setback for Egyptian-Israeli relations, many believe trilateral Israel-Egypt-U.S. ties will improve under Trump.

Middle East analysts widely believe that the coming of the Trump era would mean that their relationship would grow even stronger, forming a sort of Washington-Cairo-Jerusalem alliance, Kessler said.

Jordan and Jerusalem

The future of American-Jordanian relations may take a different route, especially if the U.S. goes ahead with plans to relocate its Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Jordanian Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Al Momani recently warned of catastrophic consequences if Trump moves the U.S. embassy, telling the Associated Press that Mideast countries would likely think about different things and steps they should take in order to stop this from happening.

Since Israel took control of the eastern half of Jerusalem, which includes the citys holy sites such as the Temple Mount and Western Wall, in the 1967 Six-Day War, Jordan has been permitted to retain a special role in administering the Temple Mount as part of the Islamic Waqf (religious trust). King Abdullah has strongly advocated for maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount.

CISs Swalha said moving the embassy could be a nightmare for the Jordanian government and the Arab world.

Nobody can predict what will happen if [Trump] did it, he said. It could end up being a third intifada (Palestinian violent uprising) and creating upheaval in most of the Arab world.

Since Congress passed the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, which calls on the U.S. to move the embassy to Jerusalem and recognize the holy city as Israels capital, every sitting president has opted to sign successive six-month waivers delaying the move. Obama signed the latest waiver in December, meaning Trumps will need to decide June 1 between another waiver or an embassy move.

Swalha believes that once Trump takes office and speaks with U.S. allies in the region, he will eventually decide against the move.

My view, Swalha said, is that he will not fulfill his promise [of relocating the embassy] due to domestic and international reasons.
Two days into my first Taglit-Birthright Israel trip, during which I led a group of 40 Americans around Israel, I heard the news of the Obama administrations unprecedented refusal to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israels settlement policies.

As an American immigrant to Israel who has many times heard President Barack Obama reaffirm the unbreakable alliance between the U.S. and Israel, the news was a bitter reminder of his administrations hypocrisy as well as the U.N.s disproportionate condemnation of Israel, a trend that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon himself has acknowledged. But even more than hypocritical and disproportionate, in insinuating that settlement expansion is the greatest barrier to peace in the Middle East, the U.S. and U.N. have disengaged from historical reality and integrity.

On the day of the Security Council vote, my Birthright group visited the Lebanon-Israel border, where we learned about the thousands of Hezbollah rockets aimed at Israel. But dont worry, our lecturer said, Hezbollah is much too busy fighting in the Syrian conflict to start a war on this border.

A few days later, we visited the Erez Crossing between Israel and Gaza, where we spoke with a resident of Sderot, a southern border-area city that has endured tens of thousands of Hamas rockets over time. Hamass new strategy, we were told, is to dig tunnels toward Israels civilian population. Yet Israel continues to send humanitarian aid to Gaza, even as Hamass terrorist government neglects that territorys residents.

In the evening, we spent time with members of Israels Bedouin population, a peaceful Muslim group with full Israeli citizenship and even some enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces. A senior member of the Bedouin community posited that the Bedouins are peaceful because they educate their children for peace. Our children learn that we approach our enemies from the frontto talkrather than stabbing them in the back, he explained.

Finally, we learned the history of the conflict and the many times Israel offered land for peace, only to be greeted with the three nosno peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel and no negotiations with Israel. Most importantly, we heard of all the times we would have had peace by now if settlements were truly the obstacle to peace.

While all of this would leave many pessimistic and burned-out trying to convince the world of the Jewish peoples right to its homeland, the change I witnessed in the 40 Americans during the 10-day journey kept me optimistic.

The Birthright organizations goal is to foster the connection between Diaspora Jews, Judaism and the Jewish state, and I have no doubt that this is exactly what Birthrightwhich to date has brought more than 500,000 Jewish young adults ages 18-26 on free 10-day trips to Israelis doing. Even before the end of the trip, it became clear that a life-changing experience was the norm for participants. By the end of the trip, some who had never stepped foot in Israel were hoping to extend their visit, and participants with no previous Jewish experiences were engaging in serious discussions about Jewish continuity and life.

In the most meaningful moment of the trip, our group of Americans stood together with Israeli soldiers on top of the Masada historical landmark as we recalled the ancient story of our ancestors choosing self-agencyeven if it meant taking their own lives. Our tour educator led us to the edge of the Masada fortress, where we shouted into the distance Am Yisrael Chai!the Jewish people live!and our voices echoed back in a phenomenon that truly sounded like the voices of our ancestors returning our cry.

After most of the Americans began to descend Masada, a few Israeli soldiers lingered to shout ad matai into the distance, waiting for the echoes. The common phrase ad mataimeaning until whenreflects Israels wish that in the future, its army will be obsolete. Israels enemies will lay down their weapons and the mandatory military draft will end. Parents will stop needing to send their children into war, not knowing what will become of their homeland or of their children.

Unlike my Birthright group, our ancestors on Masada did not descend the mountain. But Masada did not truly fall if the young people of Diaspora and Israel remember the story and continue to fight for self-determination of the Jewish people and the Jewish state.

The sounds of Masada will forever echo in my mind and heartthe cries of my Israeli peers for the end of conflict, and Masada crying back. It has been thousands of years since our ancestors gave their lives at Masada, but the war against the Jewish people continues unabated in the U.N. I can only pray for the day when the Israeli peoples cries for peace will echo throughout the world.

Eliana Rudee is a fellow with the Haym Salomon Center news and public policy group. Her bylines have been featured in USA Today, New York Daily News, Forbes and The Hill.
Only three days passed between the political storm triggered by the verdict against Elon Azaria, the Israeli soldier who shot an unarmed Palestinian attacker, and the terror by heavy truck that killed four IDF officer cadets and wounded others.

Immediately after the attack some of the cadets found themselves criticized for seeking cover rather than opening fire against the driver of the truck, even while others did what they were trained to do and killed the Palestinian.

The Interior minister announced that he would rescind the residence permits of 12 family members of the truck driver. They could be sent from East Jerusalem to the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, or Jordan. Arab activists began screaming bloody murder, and it is likely that a court will have the final say.

Israelis will be struggling with themselves as well as with the Palestinians.

All told, there is no end of excitement in quarrels about how we should behave with our neighbors. Israel has never been free of concern about how to deal with our neighbors.

On the positive side are reliable reports that substantial numbers of Israeli Arabs recognize the advantages of their situation. Even with a sense of not being treated equally with Jews, the comparison of their security, economic status, health benefits, and political freedom show a living standard beyond what is available to most of the residents in any Muslim country. Yet tensions within the community limit what individuals can publish about sentiments within their community.

In contrast with moderate opinions held by the average Israeli Arab are the extremism of Arab Knesset Members. One has been sanctioned by her Knesset colleagues, and another may be on his way to prison for smuggling cell phones to security prisoners.

A disproportionate incidence of the violence comes from Palestinians of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The truck driver who ran over the cadets came from one of the problematic neighborhoods of Jerusalem. Yet along with a wave of violence that has claimed about 40 Israeli and 250 Palestinian lives since September 2015 there are more than 100,000 Palestinians from the West Bank who enter Israel daily for work, while some 300,000 Arabs of Jerusalem are free to travel and work throughout Israel.

We can argue if the incitement heard from Arab extremists matches or exceeds the racism expressed by Jewish extremists in the context of the Azaria trial, backed up by demands from the top of Israeli politics to pardon the soldier judged to have killed an Arab without justification.

Several commentators have written that the attorneys, politicians, right-wing activists and family members championing Azaria are exploiting him for their own purposes, and putting him in danger of a long prison sentence. The soldier has done little more than appear in court with a goofy looking smile plastered on his face, and presents the image of a kid from a poor background in a marginal town, finding himself at the center of a storm only partly of his own making.

Azaria would be a lot better off if he was led to admit his error or poor judgement, with more helpful advisers to lead him through a plea bargain that would let both him and the IDF out of a political brawl.

One can guess that not too many Israelis feel sorry for the Palestinian who had attacked soldiers, and was all but dead when Azaria administered an unnecessary final shot to his head.

What is more troubling are the signs of hatred that go beyond what is needed to protect ourselves from Palestinians inclined to violence.

Its tempting to conclude that self-serving politicians of the Palestinians (West Bank) and Israel are responsible for us being stuck where we are, with the Palestinians of Gaza on the outs with both Israel and Egypt, and isolated except for occasional self-defeating forays of missiles sent toward Israel or fighters going against Egypt in the Sinai.

However, the issue is more complex. It involves Islam in its various manifestations, with violent extremists currently expressing themselves across the Middle East. There are moderate Muslims who fear and ridicule outspoken preachers and fighters, but the moderates shy away from trying to influence others.

There are reasons of international or domestic politics for most governments of the world to accuse Israel of occupying Palestinian land in the West Bank, even though there never was a country of Palestine capable of staking such a claim.

Hopes are that American policy toward the Middle East wont be as clearly supportive of Palestinian terror and rejectionism as weve gotten from the team of Barack Obama and John Kerry.

Stay tuned. This place aint likely to become less exciting anytime soon.

Comments welcome. Irashark@gmail.com.
In his recent speech about Israel and the Palestinians, Secretary of State John Kerry unfairly blamed Israel and minimized Palestinian violence. But he also did something else: he grievously dishonored the African-American civil rights movement, just weeks before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

In his Dec. 28 address at the State Department, Kerry recited a litany of accusations against Israel. The unkindest cut of all was his charge that Israeli policies are creating segregated enclaves for Palestinians and a separate but unequal system for Israelis and Palestinians.

Kerrys choice of language could not have been an accident. He didnt speak off the cuff. He didnt ad-lib his 73-minute lecture. He spoke from a carefully prepared text that he and his speechwriters must have spent many days, if not weeks, preparing.

Kerry knew which catch-phrases would resonate the most strongly with the American public, especially in the final days in office of the first African-American president. He invoked the words separate but unequal in order to equate Israel with some of the ugliest images from Americas past.

But Kerry got it exactly backwards.

It is the Palestinians, not Israel, whose behavior is similar to the segregationists of Americas civil rights era. I suspect Dr. King would have understood that very clearly. After all, the Palestinians demand that Jews be kept out of certain areas, just as the white segregationists demanded that blacks be kept out of certain areas. The Palestinians have repeatedly lynched Jewish passersby, just as the white segregationists lynched blacks. The Palestinians smear Jews with anti-Semitic slurs, just as the white segregationists smeared blacks with racist slurs.

Anybody remember that disgusting cartoon of an Israeli soldier preparing to rape a Palestinian woman, which was posted on the official website of the Palestinian Authoritys (PA) National Security Forces, in November 2014? How different was that from white racists in the American south who falsely accused African-Americans of assaulting white women?

I wonder if Kerry and his staff are aware of the fact that the majority of Israelis are people of color. They are immigrants from, or descendants of immigrants from, African and Middle Eastern countries. Moreover, Israel is the only country in the world that ever sent its planes to a famine-ravaged African country to airlift tens of thousands of starving blacksEthiopian Jewsto safety.

In its daily life, Israel ensures civil rights for people of all colors and faiths. Contrast that with the Arab world, where racism against Jews and other non-Arabs is rampant. To this day, there are Arab countries (Sudan, Mauritania) where black slavery still exists. For some reason, human rights groupsincluding those who claim to revere Dr. Kings memorydont pay much attention to it.

By contrast, the PA promotes racism every single day. How? By inciting its citizens to engage in racist violence that targets members of one ethnic group, Jews. The PA does not encourage violence against Israelis. It encourages violence specifically against Israeli Jews. Not Israeli Arabs. Only Israeli Jews.

Palestinian-populated areas are not segregated enclaves. The only reason there are no Jewish residents of those areas is that a racist PA refuses to let Jews live there. And if there is anything unequal about the residents of the PA-governed areas, it is because the PA refuses to hold democratic elections, thereby depriving its Palestinian residents of their equal rights.

Kerrys inappropriate use of civil rights-era rhetoric libels Israel and slanders the cherished memories of all those who fought and sacrificed in Americas civil rights movement, including American Jews who went to prison and, in some cases, even gave their lives. To compare them to the Palestinians, whose struggle consists of bombings, stabbings and lynchings, is a grievous slur and dishonors everything we commemorate on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Stephen M. Flatow, a vice president of the Religious Zionists of America, is an attorney in New Jersey. He is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995.
My dad is coming from the U.S. to visit us in Israel this week. As always, we will devote one morning to praying at the Western Wall (Kotel). As always, he will stop by the hugest worn-off stonehis regular spotpull out a brown wallet and take out a pack of Post-it notes covered in Russian scribbles. As always, he will read the prayers and requests on those yellow squares and then will stuff them into a crevice between the stones. And then, hell cry for a few minutes before walking away.

For generations, whenever a Jew announced his plans to visit the Holy Land, his friends and neighbors would equip him with notes so that he would remember to pray for them. (Hence the practice of placing notes into the wall). My dad is just another link in the tradition. Each time he comes to Israel, his friends flood him with Facebook messages and phone calls asking to say a prayer for their woes. A troubled marriage, a childless couple, a sick parent, a wayward child. The kinds of human tragedies that Jews have been pouring out on these stones for the past two millennia.

But some would like to see that changed. At a High Court of Justice hearing last week, Dr. Susan Weiss, representing Original Women of the Wall, revealed that her endgame is to dismantle the synagogue at the Western Wall and turn it into a public square. Send the worshippers to their own synagogues, Weiss told the court. All this to accommodate her client, comprising at best 20 women.

What strikes at first as the height of hubris is in reality a well-planned political agendathe vision of getting rid of the Kotel synagogue. Yet there comes a time when even the most ludicrous claims get over the top. The only reason the Western Wall has any kind of significance is because Jews have been praying next to it for so many years. There are three other walls of the Temple Mount, yet none of them stir the emotions aroused by the Kotel.

The Western Wall is not a site of some amorphous national heritage. It is a holy place. And like all other holy places in the world, it is governed by a tradition. And it is precisely this tradition that the liberal groups are trying to tear down. For as Anat Hoffman of Women of the Wall had said in the past, when you put the tradition into question at the holiest Jewish site, you can put it into question everywhere else.

This is why the small group of several dozen women has been so insistent on praying specifically at the Kotel, disturbing thousands of regular worshippers. This is why among Women of the Walls many demands for an alternative prayer site at the Robinsons Arch section of the Kotel, equal size, funding and similar entry have played so prominently. The alternative site would enable the liberal movements to fashion their own version of the Kotel.

The activists of Women of the Wall are not out to get a place to pray for themselves. They are trying to create a footbridge for the Reform movement (Hoffmans full-time employer) in Israeli society and to reshape Israelis view of religion. Mixed-gender prayer is the hallmark of Reform and Conservative practice. So making mixed-gender prayer acceptable at the Kotel would pave the way for the liberal movements to influence the prevalent concept of religion.

But it will not work. It will not work because aside from the approximately 30 percent of American Jews who attend a Reform or a Conservative temple, throughout the world, whether observant or not, Jews see a traditional synagogue as a place of religion. It is because when my otherwise unaffiliated dad decides to go to a synagogue on a Shabbat or a holiday, he gets into his car and drives over to the nearest Chabad center, not to the Reform temple down the block. A mixed-gender sanctuary and liberal prayers do not jive with his notions of a holy place.

Turning the Kotel into a public square is tantamount to erasing its sanctity. Without the tradition, it will become just another tourist site, where people touch a wall, smile, take a picture and leave. It will not have the emotional pull it has today. It will stop being a place of prayer.

On our upcoming visit, Ill offer a prayer that the Kotel should retain its tradition, because this is how hundreds of thousands of worshippers want to see it. This is what a spiritual home looks like to them, no matter where they identify on the observance spectrum.

As to the liberal women, their cries of wolf over religious rights are unfounded. There is no shortage of venues they could use to pray any way they wish in the holy city of Jerusalem. And if they cant find a place, they are invited into my living room. Id be happy to accommodate them once a month.

Id do anything to let my dad carry on the tradition of the Post-it notes, to have those moments at the Kotel, and for his friends prayers to make their way into the crevice between the stone.

Its a precious tradition, after all.

Leah Aharoni is the co-founder of Women For the Wall, a grassroots organization devoted to preserving the sanctity of the Western Wall in the spirit of Jewish unity.
Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center will be giving a benediction at Donald Trumps presidential inauguration ceremony Jan. 20. Liberal Jews are petitioning Hier to decline the honor, charging that it will give legitimacy to some 21st-century version of the Third Reich.

In how many nation-states outside of Israel would a rabbi be asked to give the benediction at the swearing-in of a national leader? Perhaps if Jewish liberals began with this question, they might be more capable of confronting the sheer obscenity of what they are demanding.

But that will not happen. There is a lofty self-righteousness in the Jewish liberal community that transcends reality.

After President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Kerry threw Israel to the wolves at the United Nations last month, liberal Jews reacted to the vote with the word disappointmentlike being disappointed that the brisket had been overcooked for a few extra minutes or the dinner party did not go as planned.

Their Jewish brethren were ruthlessly abandoned on the world stage, and the only word liberal Jews found to describe it was disappointment. They were not mad, angry or livid. They were politely disappointed. Their real outrage is directed toward President-elect Trump, the anti-Semite with an Orthodox Jewish daughter and three Jewish grandchildren. Worse, they demand those Jews who voted for him give an accounting of themselves.

No Jew is expected to account for having voted for Obama, not once but twice, even after his speech in Cairo that distorted thousands of years of Jewish history or his clear personal and political affinities toward Islam.

Obamas inability to mouth the words radical Islam after horrendous religious-inspired murderous attacks, and his directing of NASA to put a priority on publicizing Islamic contributions to space exploration, should have been dead giveaways as to how his policies toward Israel would be implemented.

Of course, no liberal Jew apologized for voting for first lady Hillary Clinton in the 2000 U.S. Senate election in New York after her embrace of Suha Arafat, who had told an international audience that the Israelis poison Palestinian water to kill their children. Nor was Clinton ever held accountable for the Saudi money that poured into her foundation.

Fortunately, Rabbi Hier understands the historical and political significance of the honor bestowed not just upon him, but also upon Judaism as a religion, even if liberal Jews will not get over the fact that Trump won the election.

Ironically, it will be the Trump administration that must undo the damage that the Obama administration has done to Israel at the U.N. and within the community of nations. To accomplish that, Trump will need Hiers benedictionand a lot more.

Abraham H. Miller is an emeritus professor of political science, University of Cincinnati, and a distinguished fellow with the Haym Salomon Center. Follow him on Twitter @salomoncenter.
A glimmer of hope in the fight against Iranian-backed terrorism shone forth from Argentina during the final days of 2016. A federal appeals court ruled that former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will face a new investigation over allegations that she and her close colleagues made a secret pact with the Iranian regime over the probe into the July 1994 bombing of the Asociacion Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.

Eighty-five people were murdered and hundreds were wounded on that fateful day, when a truck packed with primitive explosives rammed into the AMIA building. But the perpetrators of the atrocity, the Iranian mullahs and their Hezbollah auxiliaries, have escaped justice for more than 20 years. Under Kirchners government, the most tangible outcome of the probe into the bombing was to produce its 86th victim: federal prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who was found dead in his Buenos Aires apartment Jan. 18, 2015the day before he was due to unveil a lengthy, painstakingly researched complaint against Kirchner over her collusion with the Iranians.

Kirchner was defeated in last years presidential election, and under her successor, Mauricio Macri, there have been constant hints that the question of justice for both the original AMIA victims and Nisman himself is on the agenda once more. Specifically, Macri promised not to challenge a court ruling that the accommodation reached with the Iraniansformally described as a Memorandum of Understandingwas unconstitutional, and he promised that there would be a proper investigation into whether Nismans death was a suicide or, as is far more likely, an assassination.

Since Argentina is saddled with a notoriously corrupt judiciary, its hard to predict definitively whether the hoped-for progress will be made in the coming year. Much depends on which judge is appointed to handle the AMIA case. Some of the judges who served under Kirchner may well be guilty themselves of collaborating in the Nisman cover-up, but there are also others being considered for the renewed investigation who are more independently minded.

As we await the next developments, its important to remember how we got to this sorry juncture. One of the key influences on Kirchner was the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Riding the wave of an oil price boom in the early 2000s, Chavez joined the pantheon of left-wing dictators with loud mouths and wide appeal. His policies were defined by short-term social welfare programs in some of the countrys poorest towns and cities, oil subsidies to his Cuban friends worth at least $7 billion a year, and a shrill foreign policy founded upon both anti-Americanism and anti-Zionism.

Under Chavez, anti-Semitism, which up until then had not been particularly significant in Venezuela, surged through the media, through both attacks upon Israels legitimacy and the lampooning of opposition leader Henrique Capriles, a devout Catholic who nonetheless proudly acknowledges his Jewish heritage. As a result, many of Venezuelas Jews have sought refuge in Israel and other countries.

At the same time, and not by coincidence, Venezuelas relations with Iran also surged. There were at least two significant outcomes from that relationship.

First, Iran, along with Hezbollah and its allies, massively boosted its fundraising, criminal activities, intelligence and terror-planning operations throughout Latin America. Second, Chavez used his influence on Kirchner to undermine Nismans investigation into Iranian culpability in the AMIA bombing, which had already led Interpol to release five red notices for the Iranian suspects, some of them diplomats at Tehrans embassy in Buenos Aires. Nisman was also the target of direct Iranian threats. Hence the suspicion, as yet unproven, that Kirchner ordered his assassination, or at least acquiesced in it.

Out of that triangleKirchner, Chavez and the Iranian regimeonly one still stands strong. Kirchner has been utterly discredited and may eventually find herself in prison. Chavez, too, is no longer with us, and the Venezuela he bequeathed to his successor, Nicolas Maduro, has collapsed into criminality, political thuggery, and chronic shortages of basic food and medicine; what was once one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America now has more in common with Zimbabwe under the dictatorship of Robert Mugabe.

In contrast, Iranian power continues to rise, cemented by an alliance with Russia, a dominant military position in Syria, and the political collusion of the Obama administration. (Shamefully, that same administration didnt even stop to consider the moral turpitude of abstaining on the recent U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334 condemning Israel, even though Irans Venezuelan allies were among its sponsors.)

Hence the importance of real progress, and soon, in the Nisman case. Argentinas courts are once again in a position to convict the Iranians for the unpunished crime of the AMIA bombing. Doing that will generate momentum to take on Iranian-backed terror globally, from Buenos Aires to Gaza, and from Aleppo to Kurdistan. If Irans allies in Latin America can crumble, after all, then so too can its allies elsewhere. The pain they have caused, though, can never be undone.

Ben Cohen, senior editor of TheTower.org & The Tower Magazine, writes a weekly column for JNS.org on Jewish affairs and Middle Eastern politics. His writings have been published in Commentary, the New York Post, Haaretz, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. He is the author of Some of My Best Friends: A Journey Through Twenty-First Century Antisemitism (Edition Critic, 2014).
The introduction by Belarus of visa-free entry for a period of up to five days for citizens of 80 countries arriving through the Minsk National Airport does not pose any risks to the republic and neighboring countries, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said.

"The document was drafted for 1.5 years and was thoroughly verified by all public bodies, primarily from the point of view of any risks to Belarus, our allies and neighbors," Lukashenko told the state agency BelTA.

In this regard, he spoke about the information campaign that arose in the mass media on this matter. "Sometimes you become familiar with these authors' remarks and you are surprised. These are people who do not understand the essence or fuel tensions on purpose. Most likely on purpose," the president said.

"A visa-free regime does not mean a cancellation of border control. It has been in place and it remains," the president said.

"They will definitely check who you are, like they do in Russia - you show your passport and the computer marks it. If you are a normal person, come and live in Belarus for five days. If not, the computer will immediately show that," he said.

"Therefore, the whining by some neighboring countries is just an attempt to state dissatisfaction by some forces. We have not breached anything here in terms of our domestic legislation. It's our sovereign right. And we have not breached anything in terms of our agreements with other countries," Lukashenko said.

"We closely abide by all our agreements. If Russia is concerned, I always say: may God help you serve on the border in such a good manner as it is organized in the Belarusian border guard troops. They still have a long way to go to achieve the level of border control that Belarus has," the president said.

"We should react to that calmly and do our business. It's clear why it is being done. Although the work on this document lasted for 1.5 years and was approved by all our neighbors, including by Russia. That is a response to all this speculation," the Belarusian leader said.

According to earlier reports, Lukashenko signed a decree establishing a visa-free travel regime for foreign citizens on January 9. The document established a visa-free regime for entering Belarus for up to five days when entering through a checkpoint over the state border at Minsk National Airport for citizens of 80 countries. The decree applies to 39 European countries, including the entire European Union, and also Brazil, Indonesia, the U.S., Japan, and other countries.
Possible negative consequences for Ukraine of any attempt by President-elect Donald Trump to normalize relations with Russia would be negated by democratic values [shared by Ukraine and the U.S.] and America's pro-Ukraine lobby. That was the opinion of participants of the "Ukrainian breakfast" organized in Davos by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation on Thursday.

"Making Ukraine a sacrifice will not make America great again [the slogan of Trump's presidential election campaign]  We all know Putin only understands the language of strength," said one of the participants at the venue.

A high-ranking former U.S. official said candidates for key posts in the new U.S. administration, including [Rex Tillerson] the U.S. Secretary of State designate, have voiced clear, hardline positions regarding Russia.

"Trump has surrounded himself with independent people with clear positions, people who will not be frightened. They say clearly what they think," one expert said.

Parliament deputy Serhiy Leshchenko said Ukraine expects significant support from the West for its euro-integrationalistic and euroatlantic strivings. He added Ukraine is disappointed by the failure of signatories of the [1994] Budapest Memorandum to live up to their obligations.

"There can be no compromises, if they include the annexation of Crimea and the occupation of Donbas. Russian military forces must leave. The Minsk [cease-fire] agreement is passe. Only a strong Ukraine can guarantee the security of Europe," the MP said.
This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending a hryvnia denominated loan of UAH 135 million (equivalent of $5 million) to Rukavychka group, a major food retailer operating 110 convenience stores in western Ukraine for the expansion of the companys operations.

"A six-year loan by the EBRD will support Rukavychkas investment program, which envisages the opening of 42 new stores across western Ukraine by the end of 2018, modernization and energy efficiency improvements in the existing stores and the development of a logistics centre," the bank said.

The project will also benefit from an incentive grant of almost $200,000 extended under the EBRD Finance and Technology Transfer Centre for Climate Change (FINTECC) program designed to transfer technology in the area of climate change mitigation and adaptation, launched in Ukraine in February 2016.

"The grant to the Rukavychka group will cover introduction of a wide range of energy efficiency measures including the installation of heat recuperation systems and biomass boilers as well as the replacement of the existing cooling compressors and other equipment in the stores of the Rukavychka chain," the bank said.

The bank said that the EU4Business Initiative groups together all the EU support for small and medium-sized enterprises in the region of the Eastern Partnership which brings together the EU, its member states and six partner countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Lvivkholod trade and industrial company LLC, founded in 2004, develops the Rukavychka store chain.

As of January 20, 2017 the chain had 110 supermarkets in Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Khmelnytsky and Rivne regions.
Life is not about falling down. Its about rising with grace.

Thats the advice gymnast Dipa Karmakars father, Dulal Karmakar, gave her before she left to represent India at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Dulals quote hovers in the top right corner of an image, against a yellow background. On the left is an illustration of Dipa in her gymnastic garb, donning a tiara. This is just one of many illustrations that shed light on inspiring father-daughter duos, as part of My Father Illustrations, a Facebook page (10k followers), by Singapore-based artist Debasmita Dasgupta (36).

The series celebrates fathers who stand up for their daughters, says Dasgupta. My Father Illustrations is a project under ArtsPositive  a non-profit organisation in India that looks at art as a medium to generate awareness about social issues  and features stories inspired by common women and their fathers in addition to ones of popular women such as Karmakar.

Based on true events

The idea for My Father Illustrations first came to Dasgupta in 2013, just after she attended a TED talk by Shabana Basij-Rasikh, a humanitarian and founder of School of Leadership, Afghanistan. During the talk, Basij quoted her father who encouraged her to seek education and knowledge.

Read more: Meet the 17-year-old graphic artist who sketched feminist goddesses

Gymnast Dipa Karmakar recalls her fathers inspiring words. (Photos courtesy: Debasmita Dasgupta)

I illustrated Shabanas story and posted it on Facebook. She was so touched that she forwarded it to her students. Thats when I started getting emails from Afghan men thanking me for showcasing them in a positive light, says Dasgupta.

Daguptas father, Pradip, too, played a role. Growing up in Kolkata, Dasgupta accompanied her father, a theatre actor and director, to rehearsals, and recalls being inspired when he would encourage actors to perform acts with a strong social message. That is where my foundation of art comes from, she says.

Finding inspiration

Whats remarkable about the series is that despite its sentimental approach, it also takes a feminist stand: there is more to a father-daughter duo than the former spoiling or pampering the latter. It holds a mirror to a society that traditionally believes a daughter primarily needs to be protected.

Read more: Beyond the hashtags: How online activism led to women reclaiming the street

Anuradha Koirala, the founder of Nepalese NGO Maiti, which fights against human trafficking, shares her fathers advice. (Photos courtesy: Debasmita Dasgupta)

In many countries, girls are vulnerable due to a lack of education, economic disempowerment and gender bias. The number of girls facing atrocities run in millions. As a decision-maker in a patriarchal society, it is important to note that a father can, in fact, truly make a difference: celebrate the girls birth, help complete her education, invest in her further studies, and protect her from abuse, says Dasgupta.

To highlight the fathers role in a daughters upbringing, Dasgupta has shared a series of real, heart-warming stories through her graphic series. Case in point: the story of Reshma (real name withheld), a girl from a village in West Bengal who was trafficked and sold to a brothel in Mumbai. She was rescued by her father, Rezwan Kazi (real name withheld), who is currently fighting a legal battle for justice.

He always says, Reshma had a beautiful smile and I will stand by her until I see her smiling again. I hope my illustration of this story maximises the incidents reach, so more fathers get inspired after seeing Rezwans confidence, says Dasgupta.

View all the My Father illustration series here.

Artist Debasmita Dasgupta. (Photos courtesy: Debasmita Dasgupta)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Few abstractionists will evoke the mystery that tantric artists such as Sohan Qadri will do. The reclusive Punjabi artist who lived in a small apartment in Copenhagen until his death in 2011, was a practitioner was part of the neo-tantra movement, a movement that gained traction among a section of artists in the 1960s. After Ajit Mookerjees seminal book on Tantra Art in 1966 --  Mookerjee was the then director and curator at the Crafts Museum -- many artists such as G R Santosh, Biren De and J Swaminathan were influenced by tantric rituals and meditative practices.

However, unlike fellow masters such as Santosh, De and Om Prakash Sharma, Qadri was not just incorporating Tantric symbols and geometry in his works, but was also a full-time practitioner of those strict meditative practices. He ran a full time centre for yoga and meditation in Copenhagen. And it is this spiritual experience that defined and shaped his work, says Sunit Kumar, director at the Kumar Gallery, that is displaying 50 of Qadris works on the occasion of his 85th birth anniversary.

Artist Sohan Qadri (Photo courtesy: Kumar Gallery)

On display are the artists vibrant, minimalist paintings with their unique texture, and replete with tantric symbols that define the male and female. The works include oil impastos (paint applied thickly) that Qadri did in the 1970s and the 1980s, as well as the ink dyes and incision on paper, a process that he developed in his later years.

If the underpinning philosophy and vivid colours make the work of this modernist captivating, his technique is no less fascinating. In a short video made by the New York-based Sundaram Tagore gallery, Qadri can be seen making incisions on pre-soaked paper, and then layering the canvas with different colours with a thick paint brush.

Each colour is a mixture made out of several dyes, Qadri explains in the video, even as he painstakingly shapes his incisions on paper after each application. These repeated incisions were part of the meditative process that he went through while developing his abstracts.

Untitled, Copenhagen, 1984, oil impasto on canvas (Photo courtesy: Kumar Gallery)

The proclivity towards meditation and spirituality, however, predates his art. At 14, the Phagwara-based Sohan Singh was introduced to tantra and yoga, and six years later, he travelled to the Himalayas to practise meditation.

Later, he went to art school in Shimla, was introduced to Sufism and changed his last name to that of his guru, Ahmed Ali Shah Qadri.

In 1963, the modernist painter who had until then displayed his works only in Punjab, came to Delhi to take part in an exhibition alongside leading abstract artists such as V S Gaitonde, Ram Kumar and Santosh at the Kumar gallery. Since then he went on to live and work in so many cities, but the essence of his work always remained Indian, says Kumar.

His work was celebrated across Europe and North America, and in the 90s, when Qadri started visiting India more, Kumar decided that the gallery would show his work more often. Despite his fame as an artist, Qadri was not a very social being, and remained a recluse until the very end. Rarely does one find an artist who is also a spiritual being, and will stay true to his meditative philosophy, says Kumar.

What: Celebration: Paintings by Sohan Qadri from 1970-2010

Where: Kumar Gallery, 56, Sunder Nagar, New Delhi

When: January 20-February 5, 2017, 11 am-7 pm

Nearest metro station: Pragati Maidan

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Two days after the Congress declared the tie-up with the ruling Samajwadi Party in UP a done deal, the alliance talks were in a deadlock on Friday with two sides squabbling over the share of seats.

The SP dealt a blow to the coalition talks when it came out with a list of candidates for 208 seats, including nine held by the Congress, voting for which will be held in the first three phases, beginning February 11.

What upset the Congress more was the SPs plan to field candidates in Sonia Gandhis Rae Bareli and Rahuls Amethi Lok Sabha segments, sources said.

The Congress was looking at least 120 seats in the state. The SP offered 115 seats to be shared with other parties, which left the Congress with only 80 seats, sources said. The Uttar Pradesh assembly has a strength of 403.

An angry Congress termed the move unfortunate and called an emergency meeting of senior leaders in Delhi. But by evening, the party, a bit player in the countrys most populous state, was saying all was not lost.

It appears to be only a muscle-flexing exercise. Talks are still in progress. Both sides are in touch with each other, a senior Congress leader said in Lucknow.

Read | UP election: Samajwadi Party-Congress talks fail, Akhilesh meets Raj Babbar

In Delhi, the Congresss screening committee met to shortlist names for the first two phases. Voting will held for 73 seats on February 11, 67 constituencies will go to the polls in the second phase on February 15. Polling will be held in seven phases, result declared on March 11.

Congress general secretary in-charge of UP Ghulam Nabi Azad, who on January 17 had announced the alliance, briefed party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Chief minister and SP president Akhilesh Yadav seems to have accommodated some of his father, Mulayam Singhs, picks in the list which also has 57 Muslim candidates.

Mulayams younger brother Shivpal, who was locked in a bitter power struggle with Akhilesh, is among the candidates.

But, the SP is not willing to give Amethi or Lucknow Cantonment seats to the Congress. Mulayams younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav is the Lucknow Cantonment candidate.

Read | UP election: Shivpal Yadav in Akhileshs list, but SP alliance with Cong hits roadblock

Earlier in the day, SP vice-president Kironmoy Nanda said negotiations with the Congress had failed but also added the party could withdraw candidates from seats held by the Congress.

However, party colleague and Rajya Sabha member Naresh Agarwal said Nandas comments were his personal opinion and Akhilesh would have the final word on the alliance.

The Congress, too, put the onus on the chief minister.

Alliance with SP was concluded in talks with Akhilesh Yadav. We will wait for further talks on the issue between Azad and Akhilesh, partys senior spokesperson Ajay Maken said.

Azad is expected to meet Akhilesh on Saturday, sources said. Partys Uttar Pradesh chief Raj Babbar, who spent the day in Lucknow, left for Delhi in the evening to attend a poll panel meeting on Saturday.

The SP list also includes senior minister Azam Khans son Abdullah and Agarwals son Nitin. Several other Mulayam and Shivpal loyalists, too, have been fielded by Akhilesh, now firmly in control of the party after months of a bruising family battle.

The state could see another alliance. After it was spurned by the SP, the Rashtriya Lok Dal is planning to lead a group of 15 smaller parties. The Congress, however, is keen on RLD and other parties to be part of the coalition with the SP.

Also read | Uttar Pradesh elections: Congress, Samajwadi Party in a tug of war over seat sharing
Liquor baron and Bhim Tank murder accused Shiv Lal Doda, who had filed his nomination papers as an independent from Abohar last week, has decided to withdraw his candidature. He has now offered support to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Arun Narang.

Doda has offered support to Narang to ensure three-time Congress MLA Sunil Jakhars defeat, said Ashok Ahuja, Dodas close aide and Shiromani Akali Dal circle president, while addressing a public gathering here on Friday.

Jakhars family has failed to deliver anything to Abohar residents so far. Jakhar misused his political power to implicate rivals in fake cases. Its high time to show him the door, said Harcharan Singh Pappu, another Akali leader, who was among 24 persons booked for meeting Doda illegally inside the Fazilka sub-jail a few days ago. Following this, Doda and his nephew and co-accused Amit were shifted to the Amritsar jail.

On Wednesday, BJP candidate Narang along with party district president Vishnu Bhagwan had reportedly met Doda, who was accompanied by Ashok Ahuja, at the Fazilka district courts complex.

Dodas support to the BJP candidate prove the ruling combine was hand in glove with him to get my son murdered. Instead of facilitating justice, the BJP has bowed down before the liquor mafia and murderer of a Dalit, alleged Bhim Tanks mother, Kaushalya Devi, who has also sought action against all present during the Wednesdays illegal meeting.

Dodas support to Narang is expected to reduce the division of votes in 60,000-strong Arora community in Abohar. In 2012, Doda, who owed allegiance to the SAD, had secured more than 45,000 votes, but lost to Jakhar by 9,788 votes, while BJP nominee Vijay Laxmi Bhadoo was third and lost her deposit.

Repeated attempts to contact Arun Narang proved futile.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) fielded Sunil Chaudhary from Noida assembly constituency, Rajkumar Bhati from Dadri and Narendra Nagar from Jewar assembly constituencies respectively in its list released on Friday.

The party released the names of candidates for 191 out of the states 403 seats on Friday after an alliance with the Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) did not materialise. However, efforts are reportedly still underway to form an alliance with the Congress while the RLD is likely to fight assembly elections alone.

Polling for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections is scheduled to take place on February 11 in Gautam Budh Nagars three assembly seats of Noida, Dadri and Jewar. The last date to file nominations for the three seats is January 24 and results will be out on March 11.

Noida candidate Chaudhary had also fought the 2012 assembly elections for SP from the same seat. He had secured third position with 42,071 votes out of a total of 2,09,705 polled. The seat was won by BJPs Dr Mahesh Sharma with 77,319 votes while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had come in second with 49,643 votes.

Chaudhary, who owns Dharam Palace, an office building in the Sector 18 commercial area had joined SP in 2011, ahead of the 2012 assembly elections.

According to sources, Rajya Sabha MP Surendra Nagar, who was earlier the Lok Sabha MP from the district, has played a crucial role in the selection of the three candidates from Gautam Budh Nagar, who are also close to him.

Earlier, when chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs uncle Shivpal Yadav had the upper hand in the party, the SP had fielded Ashok Chauhan from Noida, Ravinder Bhati from Dadri and Bevan Nagar from Jewar.

Now, we have finalised our three candidates and they are likely to file their nominations very soon. We are not thinking of making any changes in candidates now and will begin our election campaign, said Surendra Nagar.

The Congress is also supposed to field candidates from Noida and the other two seats in the district soon.

As the SP is doing things as per its own convenience, the alliance will not take place. We are now busy finalising candidates from all 403 assembly seats, including Noida. The Congress is likely to field candidates from all seats on Saturday, said Rajendra Awana, organisational secretary in the Uttar Pradesh Congress committee. BJP leaders too said they are likely to name their Noida candidate soon.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
On the fourth day of filing of nominations for the assembly elections in UP, three sitting MLAs filed their nominations at the Ghaziabad district election office on Friday. These included two from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and one from Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). In neighbouring Gautam Budh Nagar, four candidates filed their nominations at the Greater Noida collectorate.

In Ghaziabad, those who filed their nominations included BSP candidates Suresh Bansal, 74, for Ghaziabad city and Wahab Chaudhary, 56, for Modi Nagar seats. The third nomination, by RLDs Sudesh Sharma, 52, came as a surprise as there were talks about a possible alliance between Samajwadi Party (SP), Congress and RLD.

We have no alliance anywhere in UP and are contesting the elections alone. We already have an alliance with Janata Dal (United), Janata Dal (secular), and Nationalist Congress Party. This was an alliance of like-minded people, created by Chaudhary Ajit Singh, said Trilok Tyagi, general secretary, RLD.

In between, SP came in. Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav held talks for an alliance, but have backed out. For the past week, there have been no talks and now, they have declared their list. We have candidates from Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad. Sudesh Sharma is contesting from Modi Nagar, but we have not declared the list yet. We will do it soon, he added.

Sharma, the sitting MLA from RLD, said at the election office, I dont believe in alliances. My alliance is with the residents of my assembly segment. I will surely win with their support.

Meanwhile, BSP candidate Suresh Bansal, 74, also filed his nomination papers and said he was confident of a win. Before coming to the election office, he performed a havan at the Ramlila ground at Ghanta Ghar.

I have worked hard in Ghaziabad and Vijay Nagar and also raised issues in the assembly. All my local area development funds were exhausted in public works, he said after his nomination, in which he declared immovable properties worth Rs6.69 crore. These were valued at around Rs3.71 crore in his 2012 affidavit.

BSPs Modi Nagar candidate, Wahab Chaudhary, was accompanied by the partys district president and one of its zonal coordinator. He had defeated his nearest rival, SPs Rajpal Tyagi, from Murad Nagar in the 2012 elections. However, in Modi Nagar, he is pitted against strong candidates such as RLDs Sudesh Sharma, SPs Ram Kishor Agarwal and BJPs Dr Manu Shivach.

Meanwhile, in Gautam Budh Nagar, two candidates filed their nominations for Noida seats and two for Dadri, according to additional district magistrate and deputy district election officer Kumar Vineet. He added that two other candidates, who had already filed their nominations, submitted a second set of documents on Friday.

For Dadri, Tejpal Nagar from the BJP and Ramesh Singh Rawal from the Rashtravadi Pratap Sena filed their nominations. An FIR was registered against Nagar on Thursday for holding a panchayat without permission in the communally sensitive Bisada village.

The two candidates who filed nominations for the Noida assembly seat were Gangeshwar Dutta Sharma from CPI (M) and Rajesh Kumar, an Independent. Kumar is the brother of one of the Nithari victims.
There is a Muslim vote, yet there is no Muslim vote in Uttar Pradesh. Take two ends of the vast state.

In Bareillys Mohanpur village, Mahtab, an AC repair worker, says he will vote for Akhilesh Yadav, for the young chief minister has done vikas (development). In Azamgarhs Lalganj, at a madrasa, Maulana Mohammad Sharwar says he would have voted Samajwadi Party (SP) but for the internal feud, in which Akhilesh Yadav has now established his supremacy. Now, he would vote for Mayawati (Bahujan Samaj Party  BSP).

What is obvious is the difference in preferences. What is common is the party they would not vote for  the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Read | UP elections: Akhilesh back in the race with bicycle but potholes remain

The Muslim vote is one of the most coveted constituencies of UP politics. Every secular party wants consolidation of minority votes in its favour. In this election, the BSP has given 97 tickets to Muslims and openly appealed to the community. The SP and the Congress are allying to show to Muslims that they can stop the BJP. The BJP terms this as appeasement, and instead seeks to unite a Hindu vote to counter the Muslim vote.

But do minorities think and vote together?

The importance of 2017

Elections are important for all social groups - but for different reasons. Muslims too have a distinct, but common set of concerns.

(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is already in Delhi. If he wins Lucknow too, he will do whatever he wants, he will become even more arrogant. In a jammoriyat, democracy, a strong opposition is necessary, says Mohammad Khalid Hamid, the city mufti of Aligarh. When asked if there was anything in particular that Modi had done which aggrieved them, he replied, There is no personal enmity. But the way BJP talks about Islam, the way they defame Muslims, the statements their leaders make is not acceptable to us. If they win, they will get more emboldened.

But there is a second more tangible reason why this election is important for Muslims.

For the first time in its electoral history, UP did not send a single Muslim MP to the Lok Sabha in 2014. Paradoxically, this was when the legislative assembly had the highest Muslim representation  63 were elected in 2012. This time around, Muslim leaders and opinion-makers want to maintain political representation at the state level. And for this, they need non-BJP parties to do well, for the BJP rarely, if at all, gives tickets to Muslims. A Muslim academic at Aligarh Muslim University says, They dont even want our votes, let alone our representatives because their politics is to unite everyone against us.

Read | UP elections: BJP allies demand more seats, party searching for winning formula

And the third reason why these elections, many Muslims told HT, is important to them is because of demonetisation.

Notebandi has affected every citizen; some support it despite inconvenience, some are indifferent, but across the board, Muslims are more vocal in their opposition. Right opposite Aligarhs Jama Masjid is a labour mandi. Rashid says his income has dropped from Rs 5,000 a month to Rs 2,000. I dont care about Modi. What I know is that he has ruined my work. He needs to lose. Echoes of this from Muslims can be heard in Bareillys Old City, in the small bazaars of Rampur, in Azamgarh.

Tactical voting versus fragmentation

Owing to a common set of concerns, there are common voting patterns.

In Muzaffarnagars Shahpur town, affected in the 2013 riots, Mohammed Irshad is sipping a cup of tea. A former pradhan of the Bassi-Kallan village, he says he would like to vote SP, but if the father (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and son (Akhilesh Yadav) dont unite, he will go with the BSP. Will the community vote together?

Yes. Two days before the election, our leaders in the town will tell us about the mahaul, the environment, and who to back. We will take this message down to the village, he says. What would be the criteria of deciding the vote? Whoever can defeat BJP. This is tactical voting.

Yet, there are limits to the expanse of this Muslim vote. There are class and caste distinctions among Muslims; there are Muslims in every non-BJP party; there are seats where multiple Muslim candidates compete, fragmenting the community vote; there are other issues  from roads to law and order  which shape voting too.

Read | 87 Dalits, 97 Muslims, 106 OBCs, 113 upper castes in BSPs UP ticket list

A senior cleric of Darul Uloom Deoband, who insisted on anonymity because the institution stays away from politics, explains, Muslim votes get divided. See, defeating BJP is a big factor. But not all Muslims are able to judge that accurately. Other factors also matter: the candidate, the party, the village level dynamics, the rivalries. He argues that if all Muslims voted together, the BJP would not have won 71 Lok Sabha seats in UP in 2014, nor formed governments in the state in the past.

UP 2017 will revolve around precisely this paradox  of a Muslim vote that has common traces, yet is not homogeneous.

The Muslim vote 19.3% of the population. In 73 constituencies, they form over 30% of the electorate. In the 2012 elections, out those 73 seats, SP won 35 seats; BJP 17; BSP 13; Congress+ RLD bagged 6 seats; and small Muslim parties won 2 seats. In 70 seats, Muslims are between 20% and 30% of the vote. In 2012, SP won 37; BSP won 13; BJP 9; Congress+ RLD won 8; and Muslim parties won 3 seats. A recent EPW article suggests Muslims vote on same issues as other castes; fluctuate in their loyalties; and are as likely to be influenced by others in their vote as people from other castes. (Source - CSDS-Lokniti, EPW)

Part 2 - Do religious institutions play a role in deciding Muslim vote?

Read more | Muslims may spell trouble for BJP in Uttarakhand election

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The BJP will announce on Friday the names of about 150 candidates in its second list for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh that goes to poll between February and March to elect a new government.

The names of the candidates were decided at a meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Partys election committee on Thursday night.

The second list is expected to include family members and relatives of several BJP veterans, including Union home minister Rajnath Singh, Rajasthan governor Kalyan Singh and Lok Sabha MPs such as Hukum Singh and Brajbhushan Sharan Singh.

We have tried to keep the number of outsiders as minimum as possible in the second list, said a member of the election committee without going into the figures.

The state goes to polls in seven phases starting February 11. The party is making a hard push to regain power in the state, where it won 71 of the 80 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The saffron partys first list of 149 candidates for the countrys most populous states, announced on Monday, triggered a widespread protest from party workers. About two dozen turncoats have been fielded from different seats in western UP, such as Ghaziabad, Baghpat, Amroha and Meerut.

Workers have protested outside the BJP headquarters and party president Amit Shahs residence in New Delhi. They shouted slogans against Union minister Mahesh Sharma, BJPs sangathan mantri Sunil Bansal, alleging that tickets were auctioned.

Shahs effigy, too, was burnt in some parts of the state.

Similar protests have also been seen in Uttarakhand where 15 outsiders figured in the BJPs first list of 64 candidates.

The party is discussing the candidates for the remaining six seats and BJP leaders were holding a meeting with Uttarakhand leadership on Friday morning to avoid any rebellion after the announcement. The names of these six candidates are also expected to be announced on Friday.

All eyes are on Haldwani assembly constituency, sought by veteran Congress leader ND Tiwaris son Rohit Shekhar. They met Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday and extended their support to the BJP in the hill state.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
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.

SRK in a still from Don.

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 doesnt have any story for Don 3 yet.

Don: The Chase Begins, released in 2006, was a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don. Don 2, the 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.

The actor is currently 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.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Global IT company with Ukrainian roots SoftServe (Lviv) has announced the acquisition of private technological firm Coders Center headquartered in Poland.

The company said in a press release that the deal was finalized on January 17, 2017. Its financial conditions are not disclosed.

Coders Center delivers advanced ECMS and E-commerce based solutions, tailored to customers requirements in time, quality and budget. Its clients were Bossard Holding AG, General Electric Healthcare, International Personal Finance, Oriflame Sweden, Saint-Gobain and NES Global.

The acquisition expands SoftServes digital solutions offerings and consulting services along with software development capabilities.

SoftServe is the largest global IT company with Ukrainian roots. It specializes in software development and consultancy services. Over 4,000 employees work in the company. Its headquarters are located in Lviv and Austin (the United States).

SoftServe has design centers in Lviv, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, as well as in Sofia and Wroclaw.
The second day of the Jaipur Literature Festival is a power-packed affair with poetry, art, history, politics and economics on the agenda. Here are the top six sessions that any visitor to the five-day event shouldnt miss on Friday:

1. Look Back in Anger: Hindi writer Ajay Navaria and Rajasthani author Hari Ram Meena talk about literature and the narratives of assertion from Dalit and tribal communities, and expose the histories and hypocrisies inherent in Indian society.

BAITHAK 12.30 pm

2. Kohinoor: Anita Anand and William Dalrymple talk about the efforts and process behind their latest book about the worlds most famous diamond. Using previously untranslated Sanskrit, Persian and Urdu sources along with modern gemology discoveries, the writers reveal a true history stranger, and more violent, than any fiction.

CHARBAGH 11.15am

3. Main Shayar Toh Nahin: The beloved and inimitable Rishi Kapoor talks to Rachel Dwyer about his new book, Khullam Khulla, and shares humour and tidbits about his view of the Hindi film industry.

FRONT LAWN 12.30pm

4. Baahubali: Anand Neelakantan, Rana Daggubati, SS Rajamouli, Prasad Devineni talks about the new prequel to the blockbuster movie, and why Katappa killed Baahubali.

FRONT LAWN 1.40pm

5. Writing Our Times: Manu Joseph and Karan Mahajan talk about the importance and challenges in writing about contemporary society and discuss their new work, both of which are set in the contradictions of modern India.

CHARBAGH:1.40pm

Guests attending the first day of the festival in Jaipur. (Himanshu Vyas/HT Photo)

6. Of Saffron and the Sangha: The days last session also promises to be the most controversial. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologues Dattatreya Hosable and Manmohan Vaidya talk about the organisations worldview and increasing sway over political and cultural discourse in India.

CHARBAGH 5.15pm

Click here for our full coverage of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2017

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Everyone who has watched Baahubali:The Beginning will remember how it all began  with Sivagami emerging from a cave holding a baby. She looks up at the gigantic waterfall and says, Oh lord, dont punish him for my sins. The moment may make Sivagami look weak, but as director SS Rajamouli pointed out at a packed session at the Jaipur Literature Festival today  Sivagami is anything but weak. Physically maybe, because she had been carrying the child for two days with an arrow in her back, he said. But she wants the baby to live for the people of Mahishmati, for the mother whos waiting. But shes not asking, not begging, just demanding that the baby live. So shes never weak.

Rajmouli (left), Anand Neelankantan and Rana Daggubati during the press conference at the Jaipur Literature Fest 2017 in Jaipur. (Saumya Khandelwal/HT Photo)

Its around this strong, powerful character of Sivagami that a new book revolves. The Rise of Sivagami, a prequel to the film, was unveiled at the Lit Fest today. It picks up from where Baahubali begins and works backwards to reveal Sivagamis back story. The books author Anand Neelakantan, writer of best-selling mythological novels like Asura and Ajaya was also at the session, along with actor Rana Daggubati, who portrays the villainous character of Bhallala Deva.

Talking about the book, Neelakantan said that its probably the first time thats he dealt with a positive character. When Rajamouli called me to write this book, I was taken by surprise. Because I usually write about villains. My first book was about Ravan, the second was about Duryodhan. So if I had my way, Id have written a Baahubali from Bijjaladeva or Bhallala Devas viewpoint, he said.

Neelakantan had to watch the film many times to understand the character. He found that even though it was titled Baahubali, one of its strongest characters is Sivagami. I felt that if we had to tell a back story to the film, it had to be from her perspective, from where she started. Its her journey on which the three books will be based, he said, hinting that this is going to be a series.

Rajamouli says he chose Neelakantan to write the book because he was deeply moved by his portrayal of Ravan in Asura. Sivagami for me epitomises Indian motherhood. Shes Kunti, shes Draupadi, shes Sita, shes Durga, he said. If Anand could make Ravans story so compelling, I could only imagine what hed do with a character like Sivagami. And I wasnt disappointed. I couldnt stop reading the pages hed send me.

Watch: Baahubali stars Rajamouli and Rana Daggubati live a JLF 2017

The session, which was primarily a discussion on the book and how it came about, was interspersed with interesting conversations around the film. Rana Daggubati spoke about how he looked to Kamal Haasans Nayakan for inspiration for his character. He is probably one of the finest actors that this country has ever seen. He remains a reference, an encyclopedia for actors across generations, across characters, he said. When asked whether he had any doubt about playing a character many years older than he is, Daggubati said, Was I skeptical about playing an old character? Yes. But not about playing an old powerful warrior.

The session ended with Daggubati reading out excerpts from the book in his baritone to an audience that cheered and applauded wildly. But the question on everyones mind remained: Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali? In response Rajamouli said the book and the sequel to the film,Baahubali:The Conclusion, which releases in April, would have some surprises  and some answers.

Click here for our full coverage of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2017

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
A lot of Indian dreams may have been squashed when Anita Anand, a journalist and writer, claimed that the Kohinoor right now belongs to the British crown, as where it is, and as by treaty, at a Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) session on Friday.

Anand was speaking, with William Dalrymple, about their new book, The Kohinoor: The Story of the Worlds Most Infamous Diamond that traces the sometimes bloody history of the stone, and was responding to moderator Swapan Dasguptas question: to whom does the Kohinoor belong?

We have deliberately not taken a position on this (in the book), said Anand, explaining how the authors understood the sentimental value of the Kohinoor. She said that during visits to the Tower of London to catch a glimpse of the stone, you can hear angry Indians hissing and cussing!

This is a thing that everybody feels strongly about. The Iranians feel strongly about it. The Afghans feel strongly about it (as do the Indians and Pakistanis). So we did not take a side, and presented, as clearly as we could, the facts, which we believe everybody else has got wrong. So now if anybody wants to claim the stone, here is the evidence that they need, said Dalrymple.

Anand and Dalrymple kept the audiences enthralled through the session. I loved how they broke down the gory history associated with the diamond and the fables of bad luck associated with it. It was all very fascinating, said Ankita, an undergraduate student from Delhi.

The history of the Kohinoor is certainly gory. Game of Thrones does not have anything on this! Anand said.

Click here for our full coverage of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2017

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
Senior diplomat, Hardeep Singh Puri, author of Perilous Interventions: The Security Council and the Politics of Chaos said he had reasons to believe that the US funded the ISIS during the Iraq War, with certain officials from the American government going on record that they had funded and trained the organisation during the troubled times as a moderate force against the civil unrest.

(The US) actually funded the creation of this hydra headed monster, ISIS, and there is evidence for that. The new national security adviser on the Trump administration, which will get inaugurated today, Michael Flynn, I have him on record in my book, said Puri who served as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013.

He said the creation of ISIS was a willful act in order to get over Assad... Well, he said it. Biden said the same thing. Somebody funded a moderate opposition... When they found that the moderates they had funded and trained, had crossed across to the other side, they ended the programme, he added.

However, Emma Sky, author and academician, and other panellists expressed her disbelief at the statement though they conceded that the Iraq War had left a vacuum and a ripe political landscape for the ISIS to gain power; a folly on the part of the US. Folly is too mild a word for ISIS. In my book I call ISIS the unwanted child of a neglected occupation; I should have also said an incompetent occupation, said Puri.

Sky however, said that such theories stem from a belief in the absolute power of the US. There is a common narrative in the Middle that America controls everything. America put a man on the moon, therefore everything that happens is controlled by America. That dominant narrative is not based on fact, she said.

Puri and Sky were speaking at a session that included other panelists like Robert F Wroth, a journalist and former New York Times bureau chief in Beirut, and journalist Jonathan Shainin.

Click here for our full coverage of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2017

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Reserve Bank India governor Urjit Patel is learnt to have informed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the cash situation will normalise, soon. Urijit Patel was answering questions about the demonetisation drive and subsequent cash crunch that engulfed India.

However, there are some problems in remote rural areas and members were assured that the situation would improve in the next couple of weeks.

Reserve Bank India also informed the PAC that it is working on a mechanism to bring down transaction cost on online payments post demonetisation even as cash flow position in urban as well as rural areas have improved significantly. Patel is believed to have informed the Committee that they are talking to service providers and banks to bring the transaction cost.

RBI Governor Urjit Patel along with Deputy Governor R Gandhi and other senior functionaries appeared before PAC for oral evidence on Review of Monetary Policy.

Members asked a host of questions from the RBI Governor, who has been given 15 days time to respond to the queries.

To questions on impact of demonetisation on growth, Patel said there may be impact in the short run, but in mid and long term the move is beneficial for the economy.

Sources said that Urjit Patel was also asked whether there is any apprehension about the government interfering with the central banks functioning. This comes after a letter written by RBI employees alleging interference by finance ministry.

Later talking to reporters, PAC Chairman K V Thomas said the Committee will meet again on February 10 to discuss the issues with Finance Ministry officials. He further said that the RBI Governor could be called again if required after February 10.

Responding to queries by members, RBI said the discussion to demonetise old high value currency between the government and the central bank started in January 2016.

During the nearly four-hour meeting, the panel asked questions regarding significant surge in deposits in several cooperative banks and asked RBI to look into the issue.

The legal tender character of old series of Rs 500/1000 notes was cancelled by the government effective midnight of November 8 on the recommendations of the Central Board of RBI.

The Board meeting was attended by Governor Patel, two Deputy Governors (R Gandhi and S S Mundra), and five Directors of RBI -- Nachiket Mor, Bharat N Doshi, Sudhir Mankad, Shaktikanta Das and Anjuly Chib Duggal.

Sources said another director N S Vishwanathan (Deputy Governor) did not attend the meeting as he stayed back in Mumbai for strategic reasons to brief the bankers first hand immediately after the decision on demonetisation was taken.

Another director, Natarajan Chandrasekaran was abroad at the time of the meeting.
Doctors terminated on Friday the 24-week pregnancy of a Mumbai woman after the Supreme Court relaxed a 20-week legal ceiling on abortion in the case.

The court allowed the 22-year-old woman to terminate pregnancy after doctors said the foetus was malformed and also posed a risk to the mothers life.

Avinash Supe, dean of Mumbais KEM Hospital, said doctors started inducing labour on Tuesday after doing the primary tests.

The patient underwent abortion at around 3-3.30am without any medical complications. We will observe her today (Friday) and will discharge her tomorrow, said Supe.

The couple wanted to abort the foetus after it was diagnosed with anencephaly  a rare condition in which babies are born with parts of their brain and skull missing  at 21.1 weeks. The Supreme Court granted permission on Monday.

The present law, under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, does not allow abortion post 20 weeks of pregnancy. The court order came after the review of a report submitted by a panel of doctors.

The pregnancy termination law allows a woman to abort but only after doctors confirm it is necessary to save the mothers life. It, however, is silent on a remedy in case of an abnormal foetus.

The patients husband said both of them were relieved now, but his wife was under stress due to the incident.

Its a huge load off our chests but while she is healthy after the surgery...she is a little upset..., said Pal.

Shubhangi Parker, the HOD of the psychiatry department of the hospital, said she checked the patient before and after the surgery for an assessment.

The woman is extremely innocent and needs a full psychological support as she has gone through such a huge chain of events. Our major aim right now is to build a mental support system for her..., said Dr Parker.

Nikhil Datar, who helped the woman with legal and medical aid, said there were three more similar cases, and the patients were contemplating to move the Supreme Court.

...there is a need for a concrete mechanism which will prevent every case taking legal course for a resolution, Datar said.
Independent thinking and free expression are now under threat in Indian universities, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said at the Presidency University bicentenary celebrations as he tore into the BJP governments policies without naming the party.

Regrettably independent thinking and free expression in Indian universities are now under threat. Political interference in university curriculum and academic appointments is highly short sighted, said Singh in his 20-minute speech.

He was speaking at Derozio Hall on Friday noon. Singh and President Pranab Mukherjee were the two main speakers at the celebrations during the day.

On January 20, 1817 six persons of both the liberal and orthodox communities of the city got together to set up Hindoo College that eventually blossomed into Presidency College and subsequently Presidency University.

Recent attempts to interfere with free expression of the student community in Hyderabad Central University and Jawaharlal Nehru University are of particular concern. Attempts to suppress peaceful dissent are not only inimical to learning but they are also undemocratic, Singh said.

Starting from the demand of justice for Hyderabad University dalit scholar Rohith Vemula to the sedition case against Jawaharlal Nehru University students including Kanhaiya Kumar, central universities grabbed headlines in 2016 for reasons not related to academics.

We are witnessing around the world a rise in new nationalist tendencies responding to populism and directing hatred against backward classes and minorities. These tendencies could be extremely dangerous. We must protect India from this trend. And universities have a vital role to play, said the former Prime Minister.

Frequently described as a reluctant Prime Minister (2004-2014), Singh said that always wanted to become teacher but accidentally stepped into politics.

A brilliant student, he studied economics at Punjab University and then University of Cambridge.

Singh said that universities must give their students the freedom to pursue knowledge, even when that knowledge is at odds with established social and intellectual traditions.

We must guard this freedom very zealously. We must make every effort to protect the autonomy of our universities and to foster the right of our students to express ideas that powerful interests may not always agree with, he added.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Sometimes a controversy reveals more than it intends to. Last week in Britain, a BBC comedy show played a segment called The Real Housewives of ISIS  a parody of an American reality TV series where rich housewives talk about their lifestyles and complain about each other. Except, this segment featured imaginary Islamic State (or ISIS) housewives.

One wife says she cant keep track of her husbands because they keep blowing themselves up. In another sketch two ISIS housewives get annoyed when they end up wearing the same style suicide vests. I admit I found it funny. The opinions of British Muslims on social media were more mixed: Many found it amusing but others thought it demeaned vulnerable women who were recruited by the terrorist group.

Read | Amazon told to respect Indian sensitivities: MEA

What the ISIS Housewives controversy illustrates, once again, is how intolerant we have become to being offended. Today, it is enough that someone is insulted, over their religion or country, in order to demand a ban. Sometimes worse, they demand the head of the offender too. The media loves such controversies so they hype them up. People love reading about them and they excite TV presenters. Everyone wins. Except, it is a hollow victory because our society loses out.

A few weeks ago, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj publicly berated Amazon for selling a doormat with the Indian flag on it. An article in this paper asked why we get so hot and bothered about perceived insults to our national symbol. I would go even further.

A mature democracy isnt just one where insults to national symbols are ignored, but one that protects them under the law. It is one where the freedom to insult religion is as fiercely guarded as the freedom to practice it. Yes, thats right. The right to offend should be defended as much as the right to freedom because you cannot have one without the other.

Read | After Indian flag doormat, Amazon withdraws offensive flip-flops

Its disappointing that more liberals and secularists, in India and outside, dont make this argument. If a State does not protect peoples right to cause offence, then any meaningful debate or even criticism (sometimes as satire) dies. It is not enough to say in response that some take it too far or that debate can be had without causing offence. Who can really define what is offensive or not? I may find someones tattoo of the Indian flag a powerful statement, someone else may think its a desecration. Why should those who are offended get to decide what others can watch, read or see?

Look at Pakistan where over the last two weeks five activists have gone missing. Their friends suspect they have been abducted for their liberal views. On Facebook and elsewhere these five brave men criticised Pakistans religious extremists and ridiculed the State.

If a country like Pakistan wants to rid itself of religious extremism, it has to empower liberal voices to challenge them. This is why the more fundamental mullahs are so afraid of them  they recognise the threat better than anyone. Snuffing out Pakistans remaining liberal and secular voices would turn it into Taliban territory forever.

Read | US government releases final batch of Osama bin Laden documents

Indians may point a finger at Pakistan but people in glass houses shouldnt throw stones. Hindu groups in India too have started copying the same tactics. FIRs against people who have allegedly insulted Hinduism or the country are now common. And if it isnt the Hindus then Christians, Sikhs or Muslim groups are at it. People have the right to be offended. They should even have the right to protest. But they should not have the right to ban or imprison those who offend them.

The lessons for Pakistan and India arent that different: Without offensive liberal and secular voices India would rapidly degenerate into a Hindu autocracy. The victims of this would be the vast majority of Indians who want to live in a free, secular democracy the Independence movement envisaged.

The same applies to symbols like the national flag. The United States constitution protects the right of citizens to publicly burn the flag because it can be an expression of anger against the government. This was common in the 1960s when Americans opposed the Vietnam War. Why shouldnt Indians have the right to protest against their government in the same way? Of course they can also protest in other ways, but that is besides the point. It is a political symbol. It embodies the Indian State. And the State is not a sacred institution  it can make mistakes.

Read | Pakistan may face isolation if Minorities Bill repealed: Lawmaker

Indians who think their government is acting wrongly shouldnt just have the right to protest against the government, they have a duty to do so. Their duty to the truth is more important than their duty to the government. Satyamev Jayate. The right to disrespect the flag, therefore, is more important than preserving it as a sacred symbol.

Allowing people to debate, argue and criticise is the only way to renew and refresh our identities. That is in fact the great beauty of Hinduism: Its inbuilt culture of debate, disagreement and renewal. This is also Indias greatest strength. And this is why Swaraj has it so wrong.

It may sound unimportant and trivial, but the right to offend and insult goes to the heart of protecting our freedoms and our democracy. It doesnt just liberate us, a readiness to tolerate offence makes us stronger.

Sunny Hundal is a writer and lecturer on digital journalism based in London

The views expressed are personal

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
This quaint little village is cradled in a scenic valley with emerald green wheat fields adding to its tranquil charm. Dasauli though is a prominent spot in Uttarakhands Pithoragarh district as it happens to be the maika (mothers place) of Congress veteran and state parliamentary affairs minister Indira Hridayesh.

Not many know that Hridayesh visited her ancestral place long after she started her political career. Indiraji visited here for the first time in the early 1990s when this state was part of Uttar Pradesh, recalled Trilok Mani Pathak, 63, of Pankhu, a nearby village. She was then canvassing in the Kumaon region as she was contesting the election to be a member of the Uttar Pradesh legislative council.

Septuagenarian Hridayesh, a former teacher, has long been settled in Haldwani and represents it in the state assembly. Her father, the late Tikaram Pathak, was said to be an associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He (Tikaram) with his family had migrated to Allahabad long ago. Hridayeshji was born there only, said Trilok Mani. According to him, Tikaram died when she was around six. Some of her relatives, however, said she was born in Pilibhit, now a part of Uttar Pradesh.

A seasoned politician, Hridayesh is also known for her erudition and in-depth knowledge of parliamentary affairs. No wonder, she often acted as a trouble shooter for chief minister Harish Rawat whenever his government landed in crisis. Congress insiders said she played a crucial role in averting the political crisis that gripped the state last year.

Her name figured among the chief ministerial candidates when the Congress won the 2012 assembly polls with a wafer thin majority. Many see her as one of the probable chief ministerial candidates if the ruling party wins the assembly election to be held on February 15.

Hridayesh remains a stranger for the residents of her native village. Many say they have not even seen her. I met her years ago when she visited nearby Pankhu, recalled Bhagirathi Devi, 81, a cousin of Hridayesh. We never met after that.

Trilok Mani recalled that during her maiden visit to Pankhua, Hridayesh was accorded a grand welcome by the locals. In fact, we were pleasantly surprised when while speaking at the function she disclosed that Dasauli is her maika, he said. She also shared that she kept searching for her ancestral place all her life and was happy to have located it, finally.

During that trip, Hridayesh visited a celebrated temple of goddess Kot-gadi to seek her blessings. She negotiated a four-km tough trek snaking through a mountainous area to reach there. But while returning she got too tired to walk and had to be ferried back in a palanquin, Trilok Mani recalled, adding that such an arduous trek perhaps made her realise the difficulties the highlanders in the region face in absence of roads.

According to him, immediately after that she sanctioned an approach road up to Kot-gadi temple. She sanctioned more roads after she took over as a public works department minister after the formation of the mountain state in 2000, Trilok Mani said, adding that the new network of roads gave a boost to the economy of about 25 villages in the area.

Barring road connectivity, Dashauli remains devoid of almost all other basic facilities, rued its residents. We dont have even a hospital here, said Chandra Shekhar Pathak, 59, a merchant. Similarly, Dashauli has just one state-run high school and, that too, is without a building of its own. JC Pathak, a trader, said, Joblessness among the local youth is a major problem.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Delhi high court on Friday said it has left it to the lieutenant governor to decide on reviewing the order of repatriating the assembly secretary.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva told the Delhi government that the court would take a decision in the matter only if L-G Anil Baijal chose not to.

The court was hearing a plea of the Delhi assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel challenging the then L-G Najeeb Jungs order repatriating the Delhi Assembly Secretary Prasanna Kumar Suryadevara, an officer belonging to Newsreader-cum-Translator (Telugu) cadre to All India Radio (AIR), its parent organisation.

Goel, however, refused to relieve the officer saying his decision was solely aimed at upholding the Constitution.

The Speaker sought his extension for another two years, but AIR turned it down and, thereafter, the L-G ordered his repatriation.The court was told that discussion between Goel and AIRs director general failed to resolve the impasse.

Suryadevara has served in the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker for five years and that of the Rajya Sabha chairman for over six years.

He was appointed to the post of Delhi assembly secretary in July 2015 for a year, on expiry of which AIR had directed him to return.

The court posted the matter for February 2.
Minister of Defense of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak and State Secretary for Defense of the United Kingdom Sir Michael Fallon have signed the Joint Statement on defense cooperation development after their talks in Kyiv.

"The defense ministers by their Joint Statement have shown willingness for further cooperation in several areas, in particular on the preparation of members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, cooperation in the field of education, language and vocational training, support for the security sector reform," the Defense Ministry's press service said on Friday.

Defense minister of Ukraine and state secretary for defense of the United Kingdom have agreed to continue a dialog on bilateral defense cooperation in 2017.
Private unaided minority schools have welcomed the Delhi High Courts decision that allows them to omit governments nursery admission guidelines, but parents say the ever changing norms confuse them.

The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed the governments nursery admission notification that made it mandatory for private unaided minority schools to admit students in the unreserved category on the basis of neighbourhood criteria.

We welcome the order. Minority schools have always had autonomy but these facts were overlooked by the government. The governments criteria on nursery admissions unnecessarily cost us money, time and effort, said Michael Williams, dean of Mount Caramel schools.

Some parents have filled forms for a few of these schools, and are now wondering if they have to fill new forms.

I have applied to some minority schools and now I am confused. Will I have to fill forms again if schools decide to form their own guidelines? The government brings changes at the last moment, and then schools go to the courts, causing problems for parents, said Model Town resident Sakshi Tomar.

Another parent Shantadru Santral said, There are 5-6 minority schools around my house, and I have applied to them all. But now these schools will decide their own criteria, so I am confused if they will have an upper age limit or not because the governments notification says there should be no upper age limit.

Read: Parents must learn about nursery admission criteria before applying, say experts

Three private unaided minority schools  Mount Carmel School, Ryan International School and Somerville School  had moved the court contending that the circular infringed on their rights to admit students.

People who suffer the most are parents who could not get admission last year and were only targeting a few schools within a kilometre, which were under DDA land. After the HC order, they are neither sure of getting selected by new criteria and nor by upper age cap, said Sumit Vohra of admissionsnursery.com.

Sisodia lashes out

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia lashed out at private unaided schools, saying schools which make money by selling seats should rather sell jalebis if they want to make profit.

Private unaided schools and minority schools have approached the courts against governments nursery guidelines.

In the nursery admission case, some private schools are giving such reasoning which clearly shows that their business of selling seats is failing. Who doesnt know that some of the private schools built on DDA sell each nursery seat for Rs 10-15 lakh, he said in a series of tweets.
A 21-year-old Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student was allegedly drugged and gang-rape by two Afghan men at their flat in south Delhis Green Park last week, police said on Friday.

Police arrested the two alleged accused, identified as Twaab Ahmed, 27, and Sulaiman Ahmadi, 31. They were produced before a Delhi court that sent them to Tihar jail.

Chinmoy Biswal, additional deputy commissioner of police (south), said that the arrested men were living in Delhi on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards. Twaab was working as an event manager, he said.

A police officer said that the complainant, a second year BA (Honours) student of JNU, had gone to a pub in Hauz Khas village last week with her friend where she met Twaab. Twaab befriended the woman and they exchanged their mobile numbers. He invited the two of them to his house in Green Park for a party, said police.

Twaabs friends Sulaiman, Siddhant and Pratyusha were present at his house. While her friend was dropped off at JNU later, the woman came back to Twaabs house and they had drinks, said the officer.

When the victim woke up in the morning, she found Sulaiman allegedly forcing himself on her. She later got to know that Twaab and Sulaiman had allegedly gang-raped her when she was not in her senses. The woman went back to her hostel in JNU and narrated the incident to her two friends, who immediately took her to the Safdarjung Enclave police station. She was taken to the nearby hospital for medical examination.
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) teachers who participated in a day-long strike against the administrative threat to faculty members will lose one days salary, according to a notice by the university registrar.

The JNU teachers association observed a one-day strike on Tuesday and struck work following a spate of notices to faculty members who addressed students at the administration building, referred to as Freedom Square. The strike was also against the arbitrary adoption of UGC gazette on admission policy.

Read I JNU teachers hold send lecture series at Freedom Square

The notice sent on Thursday said that under the principal of No Work, No Pay teachers wont be paid salary and allowances of that day. Under the principal of No Work No Pay such faculty members who had participated in the strike will not be given pay and allowances for the day of strike.

It is proposed to take action against faculty members who participated in the strike on 17.01.2017 under the provision of FR 17 (a) along with all its attendant consequences, the notice said.

Registrar Pramod Kumar told HT, We have informed teachers about the rules in such cases. We will hear them and then decide.

The university has asked teachers to inform them about their participation in the strike and said that faculty members will be given the opportunity to be heard before further course of action is decided.

All faculty members who participated in the strike are requested to intimate in writing within 10 days about their participation. If no information is received from the faculty member in this regard, it will be presumed that he/she had not participated in the strike, the registrar said.

Read I Where is Najeeb Ahmed? Delhi Police offers Rs 10 lakh for information

Teachers termed the notice as yet another attempt by the administration to threaten them. At least five teachers have received notices asking them to follow the rules and not address students at administration building.

First they sent notices to us over addressing students. Now they are threatening us with salary cut. Teachers dont fall under the Central Civil Service (CCS) rule which administration is citing, said JNUTA president Ajay Patnaik.

The administration, however, says that Central government rules are applied in cases where the university does not have its own rules. While, another JNUTA member said the executive council has decided to form a committee to look into such issues, the registrar said, Till the committee gives its recommendations, teachers will continue to be governed by the rule.

Recently, the administration had put up a notice banning all protests within 20 metres of the building and asked students to take democratic protests beyond that area. The administration has also blocked parts of the Freedom Square with grilles to keep protesters at bay.

Even in the past, teachers have made up for the loss of studies on account of strikes and agitations by taking extra classes. Most recent being the issue of both the winter and monsoon semesters last year, said Vikas Bajpai, a faculty member at JNU.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Delhi pollution control committee will have to commission a study of illegal and small industrial units operating in Delhi.

This directive was passed on Friday by the Environment Pollution Control and Prevention Authority (EPCA) while discussing the graded action plan with senior officials from the ministry of environment and forests, Central Pollution Control Board, all the respective state pollution control boards, and the Met department.

We have to keep better control of these industries. Many industrial units have moved to unauthorised colonies of which the Delhi Pollution Control Committee does not even have a list. Please commission a study, using money collected under the air ambience fund, by a third party to enumerate and list such industries, Centre for Science and Environments (CSE) Sunita Narain, who is also an EPCA member, said.

Read more: Graded response system to tackle pollution partially comes into force in Delhi, NCR towns

The air ambience fund was set up in 2008. For every litre of diesel sold in Delhi, the fund receives 25 paise.

According to a 2013 report by Delhi-based NGO Toxics Link, there are more than 1 lakh industrial units operating in unauthorised, non-conforming zones located in residential areas, out of a total of 1.30 lakh industrial units in Delhi.

During the meeting on Friday, the EPCA ordered an intense drive against polluting vehicles over the next 15 days.

The Delhi government has been asked to procure more smoke detectors to challan visibly polluting vehicles. It should also begin vacuum cleaning of roads on a larger scale, Narain said.

The EPCA made it clear that weddings should not be exempted when it comes to the ban on diesel gensets. The Delhi government has been asked to come out with a list of the exemptions.

The fly ash at the Badarpur plant should be transported starting February 1 in special flyash containers. Brick kilns that have not adopted the advanced zig-zag technology, which helps reduce black carbon emission, will have to be shut across the region during the winter months, Narain told the Delhi government officials.

Delhi environment secretary Chandraker Bharti, who was present at the meeting, proposed that non-destined trucks should be stopped at the NCR border instead of Delhi border as is being done presently.

He informed that the Badarpur thermal power plant will remain shut even after the January 31 deadline if there is no power crisis in the city.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A 22-year-old man who was crippled in an accident 11 years ago started walking again after a series of surgeries at a city hospital.

Gaurav Sharma met with an accident in January 2005, while going to attend a family function in Uttar Pradesh. Sharma, then 11 years old, was physically and mentally traumatised as he saw his uncle and cousin die in front of him. Later, he lost his mother, too, while he was in the intensive care unit.

He went through eight corrective surgeries in the initial years that left him with a crutch, a fused hip and short left leg.

Dr Dhananjay Gupta, director of orthopaedics, spine, joint reconstruction and replacement surgeon, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, suggested a series of surgeries in an effort to make him fully movable.

Read: 9-year-old boy disfigured by chimps in Africa thrives after US surgery

On May 5, Sharma underwent his first surgery, and his final surgery was on September 9. He is now undergoing physiotherapy to increase muscle strength.

Dr Gupta said, There were a few key challenges. There was already a nail in his thigh bone preventing the placement of a hip prosthesis. In the first stage, the plan was to take out the nail from the thigh bone and then open the hip joint.

Implant removal is always more challenging. Gauravs case was also complicated as he already had multiple surgeries.

The post-op procedure went as planned and he was allowed full weight bearing from day one. All the blood investigations and scans are normal, six months after the surgery. After a few glitches, he is finally able to walk, though with a slight limp, doctors said.

Read more: Doctors put smile back on the face of Iraqi girl with rare deformity
Three months after Najeeb Ahmad went missing from Jawaharlal Nehru University campus, Delhi Police has announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for anyone who shares information on his whereabouts.

The police released an advertisement on Friday to announce the reward, which has now been doubled.

Najeeb (27) went missing from his room in Mahi hostel on JNU campus on October 15 following a scuffle with fellow students allegedly from RSS-backed Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad. The incident triggered sustained protests by students forcing the police to launch a massive hunt. However, the police have not been able to find a single clue till now about what might have happened to him.

We started the investigation from the scratch and are looking at all clues and evidences. We increased the amount of the reward as we need help from the general public in this case, a police officer explained. We have released advertisement regarding this in all leading dailies and urge people to help us. Najeeb may have grown a beard and may not have resemblance with the given photo. So, people will have to keep this in mind, he added.

Desperate for a breakthrough, Delhi Police has revised the quantum of reward five times in the last three months. It had first announced a reward of Rs 50,000 soon after demand for a thorough probe grew louder. The amount was later increased to Rs 1 lakh, then Rs 2 lakh, which was further hiked to Rs 5 lakh in November.

Read: How can he vanish suddenly: Delhi HC slams cops over missing JNU student

In November, a special investigation team (SIT) was also formed to trace Najeeb following an instruction from the Union Home Minister to the Delhi Police chief. The SIT, however, failed to gather any relevant clues and the case was shifted to the crime branch.

The SIT had stated that Najeeb was allegedly suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and was undergoing treatment for depression.

After sifting through the CCTV footage of the campus, the crime branch had managed to trace an auto driver, who reportedly gave a ride to Najeeb from JNU to Jamia Nagar in southeast Delhi on October 15. The police conducted a search there but drew a blank again.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Army is not only about fighting insurgents and guns, it also offers a holistic career opportunity and a great lifestyle to those who choose to serve in the olive green.

This was the message given out to a large group of students from Delhi and NCR by serving and retired officers from the defence forces at the Military Equipment Display exhibition organised by the Indian Army. The officers encouraged the youths to join the forces and said this was one way to serve the people and the nation.

The exhibition held at Amity university in Manesar was attended by over 600 school and college students from across NCR.

Weapons and equipment used by various wings of the army, including infantry and artillery, and signals were displayed and a mock drill was also organised to simulate battle conditions. (HT Photo)

Weapons and equipment used by various wings of the army, including infantry and artillery, and signals were displayed and a mock drill was also organised to simulate battle conditions.

The event also saw a march past and dog show by Amity Dog Academy. A bunker bursting drill was performed by infantry soldiers, who follow this drill when they are closing in on the enemy and are destroying them from their entrenched positions.

Harshit Gandhi, a student of class 9, said, This is the first time I saw a war game and I am excited to join the Indian Army. We just had a raw picture that Army means to be on the borders and to kill enemies, else you will be killed.

The students were excited and got a first-hand experience of weapons.

Many students got a chance to get their hands on military equipment. (HT Photo)

The deafening shell and bullet sounds, ensuing smoke, nimble and well coordinated movement by the soldiers gave students a glimpse into a real battlefield.

I have decided to join forces after completing my graduation, this exhibition has changed my perception of the Army, said Ipsita Sharma, a second-year student.

The 15mm Bofors Gun demonstrated at the venue was highly appreciated by the gathering and left them awestruck. Most of the students were coming to such an event for the first time.

Lt Gen Rakesh Sharma, Adjutant General, Indian Army, appreciated and applauded the efforts made by the university in preparing the youth to be ethically inclined, disciplined and patriotic citizens of our country.

The army offers a challenging career to youth and there are plenty of option available in different wings of the forces. It is not only working on the borders, but actively spreading education, advanced research in defence and related fields and has been at the forefront during disasters. We helped people in Kashmir during floods, during the Chennai flood and in other similar situations, he said, adding that people must take a conscious call and send their wards to serve the nation, Sharma said.

The weapon display programme saw three military bands in attendance, which enthralled the visitors.

Lt Gen (retd) BK Bopanna, said the army offered a very challenging career and also gave a chance to the youth to serve the nation. It forges the character of the jawans and the officers into steel and helps them overcome every difficulty in their career and life, he said.

A large number of army officials, government dignitaries, school, college students and local population from adjoining villages attended the event.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A gang of cow vigilantes, members of a local cow protection group, attacked drivers of four trucks carrying cattle near Kherki Daula toll on Delhi-Gurgaon expressway on Friday.

According to the police, the vigilantes received information on Wednesday that cows were being smuggled in trucks from Kotputli in Rajasthan to Delhi. They collected specifics of the trucks, on the basis of which they signalled the drivers to stop vehicles near Manesar, 17 km from Gurgaon, but the drivers sped away.

Also read: 26 camels rescued in Gurgaon, five accused arrested in two separate cases

When the vehicles stopped at Kherki Daula toll plaza, a group of about 10 cow vigilantes allegedly assaulted four truck drivers and one Suva Lal, who is the owner of the cattle. They could not find cows in the trucks, but buffaloes were found packed inside in a bad condition, said assistant sub-inspector Dharmender Suhag, investigating officer.

Also read: Cow vigilantes rue delay in ID cards promised by Haryana govt

Police reached the spot as one of the victims managed to dial police control room number. They booked the truck drivers and Suva Lal for animal cruelty under Prevention of Cruelty against Animals Act as they did not have valid license for cattle transportation. However, no case has been lodged against the vigilantes so far.

We have not received any complaint against the alleged attackers so far. Action will be initiated if a complaint is lodged, said Suhag, adding that the drivers and the cattle owner were released on bail from a court and the cattle were sent to a local shelter run by People for Animals. Of the 133 buffaloes, four had died of asphyxiation.

Suhag said there was initial information that one of the truck occupants was hospitalised, but they could not find any such person in local hospitals.

Dharmender Yadav, president Gurugram Gau Raksha Dal, said cow protection volunteers usually call the police on receiving specific information, but if there is no response they go ahead and check cattle smugglers.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
After the Indian flag incident, e-commerce retailer Amazon has been conveyed that while providing a platform for third party vendors, they should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments, the External Affairs Ministry said.

MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup also said Amazon has also removed offending items like flip-flops and dog tags with Mahatma Gandhis image.

Read | After Indian flag doormat, Amazon withdraws offensive flip-flops

Our Ambassador in Washington had been instructed to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third party vendors, they should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments. We have been in touch with Amazon both in Washington as well as in Delhi and we have had constructive conversations, he said.

Asked about sale of flip-flops and dog tags with Mahatma Gandhis image on Amazon website, he added, I am happy to report that the offending items have since been pulled by Amazon and we hope that our engagement will continue to be fruitful.

Last week, after she received a complaint about Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag on its site, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reacted sharply and asked the e-retailer to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.

Following the stern message, Amazon expressed regret for offending Indian sentiments and informed Swaraj about removal of the offensive product from its Canadian website.
A cop, accused of turning a rape case into forgery in Bihar, is now in trouble.

Inspector-general of police, criminal investigation department (weaker section), inquiring the matter, has now asked a superintendent of police to probe the cops role in the case and initiate disciplinary action against him.

Masaurhis sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), equivalent to the rank of a deputy superintendent of police, had in his supervision report removed sections of rape and treated a rape complaint as one of forgery.

A woman had on August 16, last year, complained to the police that one Mohammad Tipu Sultan had sex with her after promising to marry her. Four others are also accused of having entered into a forced physical relationship with the woman.

The SDPO has not explained why it was a case of forgery and how the accused cheated the complainant? However, it is clear from his findings that the cheating charge was because the accused reneged on his promise to marry the woman, who was taken to a hotel regularly for sex, said Anil Kishore Yadav, IG, CID (weaker section).

Even if the investigating officers premise of the complainant indulging in consensual sex is accepted, the officer has failed to explain the woman allegation of forced sex, the officer noted in course of his inquiry.

The officer also drew upon a Supreme Court order, stating that there was a clear distinction between rape and consensual sex. It has asked courts to carefully examine whether a rape accused actually wanted to marry the victim or had malafide intention.

Hinting at the partisan role of the SDPO, the IG has asked the deputy IG (central range) to get the matter investigated by the Patna rural SP, so as to ensure justice to the victim and also to fix responsibility on the cop.

The Masaurhi police had, on August 16, registered an FIR against Tipu Sultan and four others under different sections of IPC, including 376 (rape), 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) on the basis of the victims statement.

The victim, who recorded her statements before the court of judicial magistrate on August 8, alleged that Tipu had forcibly developed physical relationship on the pretext of marrying her.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Poroshenko with Vietnamese PM in Davos discuss holding Ukraine-Vietnam Summit in 2017

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland) and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc have discussed the issue of holding the Ukraine-Vietnam Summit in 2017.

The parties noted mutual interest in the intensification of political dialogue between Ukraine and Vietnam, the presidential press service said on Friday.

Poroshenko and Nguyen Xuan Phuc also agreed to intensify trade and economic relations and hold the regular session of the Ukraine-Vietnam Intergovernmental Commission for Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, particularly in the sphere of aircraft manufacturing, agriculture and tourism in the first half of 2017.

The parties also agreed to intensify cooperation in the sphere of education.

Ukraine and Vietnam agreed to enhance coordination in the framework of the international organizations, including the UN, according to the press service of the Ukrainian president.

Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasized that his country supported Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Poroshenko invited the prime minister of Vietnam to make an official visit to Ukraine at his convenience.
The BJP has chosen to highlight the Rs 5 crore Lamborghini of Prateek Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadavs younger son, in its attack on the ruling Samajwadi Party ahead of the assembly elections in the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh.

Prateek grabbed media attention last week when he was seen in the blue Lamborghini Huracan in Lucknow as his father and uncle Shivpal Yadav were locked in a bitter power tussle with his brother and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav till a few days ago.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has released a video on Facebook claiming that Prateek is not interested in politics but assured a ticket for his wife Aparna to contest the upcoming elections.

The 2-minute video begins as Prateek is shown revving the Lamborghini and then speeding away on the streets of Lucknow, the state capital.

Rs 5 crore ki Lamborghini par sawaar samajwad (The Samajwadi ideology riding on a Rs 5-crore Lamborghini), the caption describes the scene.

The party says that although Prateek claims that he has no interest in politics, he managed a ticket for his wife Aparna Yadav to contest the state polls. She will contest from the Lucknow Cantonment (Cantt) area.

The saffron party has also claimed that controversial UP minister Gayatri Prajapati is his business partner and that it was Prateek who facilitated Parajapatis return to the party.

Prajapati was sacked by Akhilesh in September last year after complaints of corruption in the mining department which was under his charge but was again inducted a few days later. Prajapati is considered close to Mulayam.

The caption then says that Prateek owns real estate and many businesses in other states and old clips of Mulayam inaugurating Prateeks gym two years ago is also brought in.

The SP defended Prateeks choices by saying that he has his own successful business and can afford to own a luxury car.

Also, if someone in his family wants to join politics, its their choice. He is an independent person and his lifestyle and personal choices are his, the party has nothing to say about it, Juhi Singh of the party is quoted as saying by new channel NDTV.
The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has restored the services of a second lieutenant, who was court-martialled in 1991 and imposed a fine of Rs 5 crore on the ministry of defence.

SS Chauhan, who was a second lieutenant in Indian Armys Sixth Rajput Battalion, was posted in Srinagar when he was court-martialled on various charges and also declared a deserter and mentally unstable.

The rank of a second lieutenant is no longer in use in the army and all new officers are commissioned as lieutenants.

Passing the judgment on Thursday, justice DP Singh and air marshal Anil Chopra quashed Chauhans court-martial and ordered the defence ministry to reinstate the officer as well as provide him promotional avenues up to the stage of lieutenant colonel for the purpose of arrears of salary, pension benefits and rank.

The tribunal also ordered the ministry of defence to pay Rs 4 core to Chauhan and deposit Rs 1 crore with the Army Central Welfare Fund within a period of four months.

Chauhan, a native of Uttar Pradeshs Mainpuri district, was court-martialled on November 4, 1991, and the order was approved by the then General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Srinagar.

The officers ordeal began when he recovered 147 gold biscuits weighing around 27.5kg during a search operation in Srinagar on April 11, 1990.

In his petition, Chauhan pointed out that the gold biscuits were recovered from a house in the presence of other soldiers and were handed over to the then Colonel KRS Pawar and then Lt General Zaki Mohammad Ahmad.

The gold biscuits were allegedly embezzled by the senior army officers.

During the trial, the tribunal observed that Chauhans senior officers implicated him in false cases to ensure that the recovery of gold could be concealed from the government.

Justice Singh and Air Marshal Chopra directed the chief of the army staff to look into the matter and ensure that appropriate action is taken against those who were instrumental in persecuting Chauhan and complete the inquiry in four months.
In yet another measure to add teeth to the recent demonetisation drive aimed against black money, the government on Friday barred cooperative banks from accepting deposits under the new tax amnesty scheme -- Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY).

Application for the deposit in the form of Bonds Ledger Account shall be received by any banking company, other than Co-operative Banks, to which the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, applies, a finance ministry release said, amending the notification for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme.

Following the demonetisation of high-value currency on November 8, the government announced the PMGKY under which undisclosed income deposited in any bank or post office account can be declared by paying 50% of the amount in taxes and surcharges. Besides, a quarter of the total sum is to be put in a non-interest bearing deposit for four years.

PMGKY commenced on December 17, 2016, and will remain open till March 31, 2017.

Fridays amendment comes after Income Tax Department investigations of some coperative banks showed up deposits in excess of the physical holding of the banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

Six days after the demonetisation, the Centre had abruptly overturned its decision to permit note exchanges and disbursing the new currency notes on grounds of alleged money-laundering being carried out by state and district cooperative banks.

In reply to an RTI query in the matter, the Reserve Bank of India has admitted earlier this month that it has no details of any irregularities or scams in the exchange of the demonetised currency notes by the cooperative banks.
The Income Tax department has received confirmations for over Rs 300 crore declarations from across the country till now as part of the ongoing black money window called the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY), brought out by the government post demonetisation.

Officials said I-T department offices across the country have got a number of small to big declarations in this regard after the taxman launched a large number of search, survey, seizure and electronic database analysis operations to check stash funds hoarded or generated post the November 8, 2016 notes ban.

A top I-T department official confirmed that the declarations have reached well above Rs 300 crore as per latest updated data.

An analysis report prepared in this regard, also accessed by PTI, said the latest declarations worth about Rs 140 crore have come from a clutch of over three dozen jewellers based in 16 cities of Maharashtra after the department carried out searches and surveys against them.

The report added that a prominent jeweller in Hyderabad has also approached the department to declare alleged black funds to the tune of Rs 100 crore after his claim of getting advance money from over 5,200 customers on the night of November 8 last year was found wrong post I-T probe and the local police and the Enforcement Directorate went on to register criminal cases under their respective laws in this instance.

A doctor in a western state is also understood to have approached the taxman to declare Rs 11.50 crore of stash funds, it said adding in an another case involving the same professional declarations worth Rs 7 crore are being made after the department nabbed the benami owner of the black money as one taxi driver and later confronted him with the man whose money it was.

A film producer based in Mumbai, it said, is also understood to have come forward to declare Rs 40 crore unaccounted income under the PMGKY which provides immunity from severe penalties and imprisonment under tax laws.

There are few more such cases, the official said, coming across from various parts of the country but collating them on a regular basis is a time taking affair.

In a case in the national capital, an operative of hawala business has represented his case before the taxman to declare Rs 80 lakh stash funds under the PMGKY.
More than 72 days after demonetisation, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said it still does not know the exact number of junked currency notes that were in circulation and it is still reconciling the number of notes that were deposited back.

In a written submission to Parliaments Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the central bank said: The exact number of Specified Bank Notes (SBNs) withdrawn from circulation is being worked out.

The response came even as minister of state for finance Arjun Ram Meghwal had on December 2 told Parliament in a written response that currency notes worth Rs 15.44 lakh crore (17165 million pieces of 500 notes and 6858 million pieces of 1000 notes) were in circulation on November 8.

RBI governor Urjit Patel along with deputy governor R Gandhi and other senior functionaries appeared before the PAC, headed by former union minister and senior Congress leader K V Thomas, for oral evidence on Review of Monetary Policy.

Sources said the RBI was asked about the total number of the scrapped currency deposited in banks after November 8.

In its reply, RBI is understood to have informed PAC that the exchange of the currency took place at thousands of bank branches and post offices over the 50 days demonetisation period. The collected notes were deposited in 4,000 currency chests.

It (number of notes) is pending finalisation as of now, as physical verification and reconciliation are underway, said sources quoting the RBIs reply.

RBI informed the panel that its Board meeting which recommended withdrawal of legal tender of Rs 500/1000 notes was held on November 8 at 5.30 pm.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced about the demonetisation in his address to the nation at 8 pm on the same day after Cabinets approval.

The Members of Parliament in the PAC were also informed by the RBI that the matter related to demonetisation was under discussion between the government and the RBI for some months, following which the proposal was placed before the Central Board of RBI on November 8 for consideration.

The Board recommended the proposal to the government.

The Board meeting was attended by governor Patel, two deputy governors (R Gandhi and SS Mundra), and five directors of RBI -- Nachiket Mor, Bharat N Doshi, Sudhir Mankad, Shaktikanta Das and Anjuly Chib Duggal.

Sources said another director NS Vishwanathan (deputy governor) did not attend the meeting as he stayed back in Mumbai for strategic reasons to brief the bankers first hand immediately after the decision on demonetisation was taken.

Another director, Natarajan Chandrasekaran was abroad at the time of the meeting.
President Pranab Mukherjee urged people to look beyond high grades and good jobs and emphasise on ground-breaking innovations, as he hailed the legacy of the iconic Presidency University here on Friday.

At the star-studded event to mark the institutions bicentenary, where several former students gathered from all over the country, President Mukherjee said securing good jobs was not enough in life.

It is not enough for students to pass exams with high grades and take up professions of their choice. For building the India of our dreams, we need to focus on an environment where the youth can speak their minds and have the confidence to look for ground-breaking, creative solutions, he said.

Recalling the history of the institution, Mukherjee added, This institution, which was established primarily to educate the lower bureaucracy of the colonial rulers, went on to not only question and reform everything archaic, but also emerge as the hotbed of anti-colonial ideas and action.

Even as he spoke about how the college, now a university, was a place of liberal scientific and secular education based on western ideas of nationalism, he spoke about the need of innovation.

What purpose are we serving by selling our top brains to promote and advance their sale proceeds? Do we need our IIT graduates to sell detergents? Mukherjee asked at the college.

He also sought engagement with various stake holders, including the government, industry and civil society.

Earlier in the day, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reminded the students that the best was yet to come for the institution.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Independent thinking and free expression are now under threat in Indias universities, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday, as he took a veiled dig at the BJP-led Union governments policies without naming the party.

Regrettably, independent thinking and free expression in Indian universities are now under threat. Political interference in university curriculum and academic appointments is highly short sighted, Manmohan Singh said in his 20-minute speech at the Presidency Universitys bicentenary celebrations.

Recent attempts to interfere with free expression of the student community in Hyderabad Central University and Jawaharlal Nehru University are of particular concern. Attempts to suppress peaceful dissent are not only inimical to learning but they are also undemocratic, he said.

Starting from the demand for justice for Hyderabad University dalit scholar Rohith Vemula to the sedition case against JNU students including Kanhaiya Kumar, central universities grabbed headlines in 2016 for reasons not related to academics.

We are witnessing around the world a rise in new nationalist tendencies responding to populism and directing hatred against backward classes and minorities. These tendencies could be extremely dangerous. We must protect India from this trend. And universities have a vital role to play, said the former Prime Minister.

Frequently described as a reluctant Prime Minister, Singh, who headed the government from 2004 to 2014, said that he always wanted to become a teacher but accidentally stepped into politics.

A brilliant student, he studied economics at Panjab University and then at University of Cambridge.

Singh said that universities must give their students the freedom to pursue knowledge, even when that knowledge is at odds with established social and intellectual traditions.

We must guard this freedom very zealously. We must make every effort to protect the autonomy of our universities and to foster the right of our students to express ideas that powerful interests may not always agree with, he added.

The Prime Minister was one of the main speakers at the bicentenary celebrations during the day.

In his address, Manmohan Singh also recalled his interaction with former chief ministers of Bengal, Buddahdeb Bhattacharjee, Jyoti Basu, Siddhartha Shankar Ray, finance ministers Amit Mitra and Asim Dasgupta. Significantly, he did not mention current chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was the railway minister in his cabinet between May 2009 and May 2011.

2017 marks the 200th year of the setting up of Hindoo College that eventually blossomed into Presidency College and subsequently Presidency University. On January 20, 1817, six persons of both the liberal and orthodox communities of then Calcutta had got together to set up Hindoo College.
At least six people were killed after a tempo and a car collided with each other on National Highway eight.

The accident took place today morning at around 7 a.m. Out of the six people, two of them were NRIs.

The untoward incident took place when the passengers were returning from the airport.

Further details are awaited.
Indias biggest aircraft carrier ship is set to make history by the becoming the nations first warship to have an ATM onboard the vessel via satellite.

The ATM belonging to the State Bank of India (SBI) will be operated through satellite link and the services will begin from Saturday evening.

The warship carries around 1500 naval personnel onboard at a time, which often increased to 2000 when the ship sets sail, which is why the ATM comes as a live saver to the personnel.

The ship moves from different small ports and many a times, it becomes a herculean task to locate an ATM, making this development both historic and significant to all those onboard INS Vikramaditya.

INS Vikramaditya is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier which entered into service with the Indian Navy in 2013. She was commissioned on 16 November 2013 at a ceremony held at Severodvinsk, Russia.

On June 14 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inducted the warship into the Indian Navy and dedicated it to the nation.
In a Shiva-fixated city, shehnai maestro, Bismillah Khan, then 12 years old, first caught a glimpse of the boss. Little Bismillah was practising on the stone balcony of the Balaji temple when Shiva  the god, who locals say will never leave the city  visited him doused in ittar.

And Shivji told him: Son, play. Your name is joined with mine Ishwar, Allah, Bismillah, says Ustad Nazim Khan, Bismillahs son.

Fantastic as this story may seem, the late maestro did talk of Hindu gods and goddesses as if he lived with them. Durga, Parvati, Krishna, Kanhaiya he knew of gods and avatars that even we had scant knowledge of, says Krishna Ballesh, Bismillahs disciple and a shehnai player in Chennai. The maestro always believed goddess Saraswati helped him play the instrument.

Today, Bismillahs family could do with some divine intervention. One of his grandsons has sold off his shehnai, and there are reports that the maestros descendants are in a state of financial turmoil. However, is the legacy of cultural syncretism  embodied by both Bismillah and his city of Varanasi  faring any better?

Disciples of Bismillah Khan, S Ballesh and his son Krishna Ballesh (L) of Chennai ,receiving the shehnai from their guru. (Courtesy: Krishna Ballesh)

Assi ghat, Varanasi. Varanasi has more than 20,000 temples. Many of them are dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva. (Paramita Ghosh / HT Photo)

A case of exception

Bismillah Khan played in temples. And he led the Muhurram procession playing the shehnai from his home to the Karbala Grounds, accompanied by Pandit Ramlal on the khurdak, and Mohanlal Prasanna, playing the shehnai. In Muharram, there is space for poetry but no music, but between the 50s and the 60s, Khan was a rising star. He brooked no orthodoxy. It really didnt matter to him where he played if he played in temples, no one forced him to do that or told him not to, says retired professor Shahena Rizvi.

Read: Going crazy in Varanasi

This neat picture of cultural syncretism is, in large measure, still the story of Varanasi. But it has to be seen in context. Varanasi made a case for Bismillah; the city and its clerics, both Hindu and Muslim, made space for his unique talent.

The 50s was also the time when India was interested in the secular tradition, says vocalist Vidya Rao of the Benaras gharana. Bismillah had also elevated the shehnai, an instrument that would pipe up at weddings and temples, to a concert instrument.

But the carte blanche was not extended to him or his family, leave alone his community, beyond a few decades. Unlike Awadh where syncretism was a choice exercised by the Nawabs in cooperation with the Hindu elite, Varanasi was conscious of accommodating the Nawabi aristocracy of Avadh and their large retinue of attendants  men of specific uses such as dyers, craftsmen, weavers  who were deported from Lucknow by the British.

The House of Bismillah Khan

Bunkars (weavers of the Benarasi sari) comprise the majority of Muslims in the city. The Muslim musician is a minority, says Abdul Bismillah, who has written a well-known Hindi novel, Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya, on the citys weaver community. The Muslim working class, of which Bismillah Khans family is a part (Father was an artist but shehnai was his profession, our lives depended on it, says Nazim), co-exists with the Hindu working class and their patrons in peace but with anxieties.

Read: Muslim yogis sing of Gorakhnath

The house of Bismillah

Have you come for a programme?, asks little Tanzila, Nazims niece as she stands hopefully by the doorstep in the ancestral house at Sarai Haraha and then slips in the Bismillah familys calling card into my hands.

At this three-storey residence, near Dalmandi, a mohalla where till the late 19th century, courtesans would wind up their harmoniums late into the night, members of the Khan family are trying to take the family legacy forward, mainly to earn a living.

Toy trader Asad Abbas, one of Bismillahs grandsons, is pumping his middle-aged lungs to play the shehnai in order to supplement the family income. Ali Abbas, a son-in-law, and another grandson Asfaq Haider, also play the instrument. On the ground floor, a four-poster bed that is curtained with blankets to put together a makeshift echo chamber, Akbar Hussain - a blind nephew of the maestro - holds his breath and releases it into the shehnai. His fingers clamp the wrong hole of the instrument. He lets out a mumbled curse.

Nazim Khan says after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, his friend, a sitar player, told him to stop going to the Balaji temple for practice. The tension in the city would ebb and I would again resume. After being warned thrice, I stopped going altogether.

Age-old ties in the city fray and mend themselves all the time. When the government awarded Bismillah its highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 2001, there were members of the citys artistic community who questioned the choice over another Benarasi, tabla maestro Pandit Kishan Maharaj.

Is Varanasi syncretic? Yes and no

Cultural syncretism is, therefore, both present and absent in Varanasi. In most cases, its a matter of give and take. The bottomline is economics but I cant say there is no bhaagidaari (participation), says theatre artiste Kunwar Aggarwal. Social and business relations are participatory, but cultural boundaries are well defined.

The cloth spread over many temple idols is woven by Muslim weavers. But before putting them on, the cloth is purified, says an artisan on condition of anonymity. For Dussehra, Muslim artisans do get to make Raavan effigies but then we do have expertise in bamboo and paper crafts as we make taziya during Muhurram.

In recent times, Nazim Khan says there are artistes from both communities joining the Muhurram. He gives out two names but says he does not have their mobile numbers. Pyare Lal plays the khurdak. Mohan Lal Tyagi plays the shehnai. Even when they dont bring their instruments, they do walk with us, he says.

Kashinath Singh, Varanasis most well-known Hindi writer, says whenever cultural syncretism has come under threat, Varanasis progressives have fought back. (Paramita Ghosh / HT Photo)

Varanasis main cultural festivals tied to its temples have also been the testing grounds for its composite culture. On the late Mahant Veerbhadra Mishras initiative, Mumtaz Khan, Nazirs cousin and shehnai player, was the first Muslim artiste to take part in the Sangeet Samaroh festival at the Sankat Mochan temple in early 2000s. There have been many since and not just from Bismillah Khans family. But Ghulam Alis 2015 concert at the temple became controversial. The local grapevine is that Veerbhadras son, Vishwambar Nath, who has succeeded him as the Mahant, met Prime Minister Modi, apparently to make amends for issuing the invitation. Ali in other reports, however, said it was he who had made the proposal to perform.

The core of Varanasi society has always been staunchly Hindu and doctrinaire. In 2014, Kashninath Singh, the citys celebrated writer, received anonymous phone calls for portraying the deity Krishna as bearded and balding in his Hindi novel Upsanghar. Would Krishna have been a radical had he remained alive long after the Mahabharata? I imagined him as a man and not a god. I was asked why I dont write like this about Mohammed or Issa.

Progessives of Varanasi have taken out processions at the time of communal tensions, adds Singh. Poet Naazir Benarasi, a contemporary of Bismillah, would often meet us half-way. He would say: Hindu ko toh yakin hai ki Musalman hai Naazir/ Kuch Musalaman ko shaq hai ki Hindu toh nahi.(Hindus know for certain that Naazir is a Muslim, but some Muslims wonder if Naazir is a Hindu after all). 

Bismillah Khan embodied Varanasis composite culture by just being committed to his art. But does the responsibility to make syncretism work lie only on the minority community? In Varanasi today there are just over a 100 shehnai players left, struggling to make ends meet, says Nazim Khan. Bismillah Khans lack of artistic successors is a comment on not just how society treats its famous names, but how differently it treats the lesser-known ones.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
 The World Bank and Swiss Cooperation Office would provide $2.5 million as technical and organization assistance to Lviv and Poltava regions to reform the healthcare system, the press service of Ukraine's Health Ministry has reported.

"Lviv, Poltava and other regions which will launch the medical reform first would receive technical and organization assistance under the trilateral project with the participation of the World Bank, Swiss Cooperation Office and Health Ministry," the ministry said.

The project will be implemented in 2017-2020. Its consists of two elements  technical assistance to the regions to introduce top priority directions in healthcare reform and increase institutional ability aimed at improving the healthcare system management, fighting corruption, monitor procurement and financial operations under the Serving People, Improving Health Project for Ukraine.

"The project is important in the context of implementing the World Bank's Serving People, Improving Health Project for Ukraine envisaging the use of a $214.73 million loan," the press service said.

In March 2015, the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors approved a $214.73 million loan provided by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to implement Serving People, Improving Health Project. The project will seek to develop medical infrastructure and improve the quality of health services in eight regions across the country: Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhia, Lviv, Poltava and Rivne regions.
The Tamil Nadu government has sent a draft ordinance for the Centres approval, chief minister O Panneerselvam said on Friday, and holding out hope that the popular bull-taming sport could be held within a day or two.

The chief ministers remarks came a day after he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Supreme Courts ban that has sparked a fresh wave of protests across a state hurt bythe what many believe is an attack on Tamil culture.

An ordinance will be promulgated for conducting Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, the chief minister told reporters in Delhi and added state government officials were working with the Centre to finalise the draft of the amendments.

I had detailed discussions with constitutional experts regarding amendments to be enacted on the Jallikattu law by the state, he said.

He said there are full chances that Jalikattu will be organised within 1-2 days and requested protesters to call off their stir.

Sources in the AIADMK told HT the state government has exercised considerable pressure on the Centre to ensure that the home ministry approves the ordinance quickly.

After the draft ordinance is vetted by the ministry, it will be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee. Upon his approval, the ordinance will be sent to acting Tamil Nadu governor Vidyasagar Rao, who will officially promulgate it.

Sources said the ordinance is expected to be passed on Friday and delivered to Rao by evening.

The chief ministers announcement was greeted with loud cheers and claps at Chennais Marina beach  which has turned into the ground zero of the pro-Jallikattu demonstrations  but protesters said they would consider withdrawing the stir only after a formal order comes out.

We will not withdraw unless Jallikattu is held and PETA is banned, said one of the protesters, articulating the anger against the animal rights group that had actively campaigned for the ban.

The agitation intensified on Friday with most of the trade unions, business associations, transport unions, taxi and auto unions, and bank employees unions calling a bandh in the capital.

Schools across the state also suspended classes for the day in support of the ancient sport, banned by the top court in 2014 on grounds of animal cruelty.

The opposition DMK and performing artistes also launched separate protests for lifting of the ban on Jallikattu that has turned into a symbol of Tamil pride.

The DMK announced its leaders and workers will block trains across the state while grammy award-winning composer AR Rahman will sit on day-long fast at the Marina Beach.

Police said the growing number of protesters had become a matter of concern.

We fear that the protests could get violent or a stampede could lead to loss of lives. It is hard to contain the outrage, said deputy police commissioner G Shasshank Sai.

Critics say hundreds of raging bulls are injured annually because participants twist their tails, beat them and even stab them with knives to control the animals.

More than 1,200 spectators have been injured at such events between 2010 and 2014, according to PETA.

Hindu religious leaders and organisations including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) too backed the demand for allowing Jallikattu, a hazardous sport in which youths and men wrestle rampaging bulls.

(It is ) not a bull fight, its embracing the bull. You should see how (the) bull also loves the sport and engages itself, ANI quoted Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev as saying.
The Tamil Nadu governments rush to issue an ordinance to skirt a Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu could be just a move to buy time and defuse a crisis sparked by a massive agitation over the popular bull-taming sport.

Experts said an ordinance might not stand the scrutiny of the apex court which had banned the ancient sport in 2014 on grounds of cruelty to animals.

Last year, the Centre issued a notification excluding bulls from the category of animals banned from use in sports, effectively nullifying the court order. The notification was, however, challenged by the Animal Welfare Board.

Live updates on protests over SCs Jallikattu ban

The top court is yet to pronounce its judgment on the boards plea. The court last week refused to expedite the verdict in view of the Pongal festivities, triggering the fresh wave of protests across the southern state.

Sources said the Tamil Nadu government sent the draft ordinance to the home ministry on Thursday night, hours after chief minister O Paneerselvan met Prime Minister Naredrda Modi over the issue that has turned into what many said was a battle for Tamil pride.

On Friday, the chief minister said his government was ready to promulgate an ordinance to allow Jallikattu.

Earlier too, the apex court had struck down the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act 2009, terming it constitutionally void.

A fresh ordinance could buy time for the state government, sources said and also counter the opposition DMKs charge that the ruling AIADMK did little to lift the ban.

Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi said on Thursday the Centre cannot do much, but the state government can enact a law if its a sport to be treated as part of Tamil Nadus culture.

The legislation can incorporate stringent conditions to ensure that the bulls are not subjected to cruelty, one of the main contentions of rights groups including the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta).

It can be done keeping in view concerns under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, and also the Supreme Court judgment that says the event cannot take place since it violated the law, Rohatgi said.

Panneerselvam, who stayed back in Delhi on Thursday, to discuss the matter with legal experts and government officials, said after the Centres approval, the ordinance will be sent for Presidential assent.

He sounded confident of seeing the matter through as he recalled the Prime Minsters assurance of support to any legal steps by his government to allow the bull-taming sport.

He said though the Centre had issued a notification last year for its conduct, various organisations had moved the Supreme Court which issued an interim stay even as it was yet to pronounce the verdict.

(With agency inputs)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Jallikattu appears set to become legal again, with the Centre and Tamil Nadu government working in tandem to bring a state ordinance to circumvent a Supreme Court ban on the traditional and popular bull-taming sport.

A draft ordinance that the state government sent to the Union home ministry on Friday was cleared by the law and environment ministries.

The decks were cleared for a decree after two days of hyperactive government consultations, amid growing anger and protests in the southern state over restrictions to hold the sport that has morphed into a symbol of Tamil pride.

Chief minister O Panneerselvan said in Chennai on Friday that the states governor would promulgate an ordinance to skirt the ban on Jallikattu after President Pranab Mukherjee gives his assent to it. The promulgation is expected in the next 24 hours.

A home ministry spokesman, however, said governor C Vidyasagar Rao could promulgate the ordinance even without the Presidents approval.

Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, the joyous news will come. For sure, Jallikattu will be held in Tamil Nadu, said Panneerselvam, who had dashed to New Delhi after promising protesters back home that he would persuade the Centre for an ordinance. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

The ban on Jallikattu triggered mass protests across the state while thousands congregated on Marina beach, the Chennai landmark, in support of Jallikattu. The protests spread abroad too, with the Tamil diaspora holding rallies in Sri Lanka, Britain and Australia.

Protesters at the signature seafront site  the ground zero of anti-ban demonstrations for the past four days  greeted the chief ministers announcement on the ordinance with loud cheers and claps. But declared that they wont budge until a formal order is out and court lifted the ban.

We will not withdraw unless Jallikattu is held and PETA is banned, said a protester, articulating the anger against the animal rights group that had actively campaigned for the ban.

The Centre made an unusual appeal in the Supreme Court on Friday, with attorney general Mukul Rohatgi requesting a bench headed by Justice Dipak Mishra not to deliver its verdict for a week on the validity of a government notification that allowed Jallikattu. The top court agreed.

Passions are very high right now. People of Tamil Nadu are passionate about Jallikattu  It has nothing to do with the court. It is a societal unrest  My request is the judgment may be delayed for some time, the attorney general said.

The ordinance will be promulgated to amend the 57-year-old Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, the law the Supreme Court cited to ban Jallikattu in 2014, saying it amounted to cruelty to the bulls.

Section 28 of this law allows killing of any animal in a manner required by a communitys religion. Official sources said this section could be tweaked to allow bull-taming for cultural reasons. Home ministry officials argued that since the proposed amendment was not in contravention of the central legislation, it might not require prior consent of the President.

The chief minister, however, said the governor would promulgate it after the Presidents approval.

The ordinance might be subject to legal scrutiny and that could keep tensions simmering.

The protests have moved beyond a court ban on a sport. The outpouring of support for Jallikattu is a reflection of many wrongs  perceived and real  that Delhi or the Centre has done to the Tamil people.

The sport has become a catalyst to ventilate a host of grievances such as the killing of Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy, the Tamil Eelam and the Cauvery river water dispute.

Jallikattu is likely to have a long-term impact on state politics, though protesters swore that politics has little to do with their demonstration.

The fight is much larger, and the Jallikattu struggle is the expression of peoples anger over the Centres step-motherly treatment to Tamil Nadu, said Mridula Srinivasan, a college student camping on Marina beach for the past two days.

The stir intensified on Friday with most of the trade unions, business associations, transport unions, taxi and auto unions, and bank employees unions calling a bandh in the state capital. Schools suspended classes for the day in support of the sport.

The opposition DMK and performing artistes launched separate protests, including a fast by Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman. The DMK announced its leaders and workers will block trains.

Police said the growing number of protesters had become a matter of concern.
The mass Jallikattu protests on Chennais Marina beach showed no sign of dying out on Friday, even after Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam promised that a draft ordinance aimed at ensuring the conduct of the traditional bull-taming sport has been submitted to the home ministry.

It is very likely that Jallikattu will be held in a day or two, the chief minister told mediapersons in New Delhi on Friday. I urge the protesters to end their demonstrations. The Supreme Court has agreed not to pronounce its verdict on Jallikattu for one week in the wake of the large-scale protests.

Panneerselvams plea, however, fell on deaf ears.

We will head home only after seeing the bulls cross the vaadivasal (the gate through which the bovines enter), fumed S Balakrishnan, a protester, even as hundreds around him chanted: Tamizhan endru sollu da, thalai nimirthu nillu da (Tell them you are Tamilian, stand with your head held high!)

Vidya Iyer, a college student from Chennai, said the state government has not kept any of its promises. The failure of our political leaders to fight for our rights is the reason we are all here. Words wont end our protest, only concrete action will, he added.

Over 10,000 people thronged Chennais iconic beach on the fourth day of a peaceful protest that has captured the attention of politicians and mediapersons alike.

Sources in the ruling AIADMK said they are placing considerable pressure on the home ministry to approve the draft ordinance. As per procedure, the draft bill will then be handed to President Pranab Mukherjee for his approval, following which it will be promulgated by Tamil Nadu governor Vidyasagar Rao.

A senior leader in the ruling party said the ordinance would be passed either on Friday evening, or Saturday morning at the earliest. No obstacles were expected, he added.

But the mood at Marina remained defiant even after the chief minister assured protesters that the vaadivasal will be opened soon. I will inaugurate the event myself, Panneerselvam promised protesters in his latest statement.

While most shops, hotels and restaurants downed shutters in solidarity with the agitation on Friday, several trade unions, business associations and autorickshaw driver unions announced a bandh.

The opposition DMK also called for a rail roko, which culminated in clashes between party cadres and police at Chennais Mambalam railway station earlier that day. Party working president MK Stalin and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi were briefly taken into preventative custody after they tried to prevent a train from leaving the main railway station.

However, protesters claim politics has little to do with their demonstration. This is about being Tamil, said Arul Ravishankar, a Chennai-based student who has been at Marina since the protests began on Tuesday. This is about the Centre not helping us, and about a foreign NGO banning a sport they know nothing about. Jallikattu is an integral part of our heritage!

For many of the protesters, the ban on the bull-taming sport has come as a blow to their collective sense of Tamil pride. Also, as far as identity is concerned, being Indian comes only a distant second to being Tamilian. Mudhalil en Ammavin magan, appuram thaan athaikku marumagan (I am my mothers son first, only then am I my aunts nephew), remarked a protester wryly.

Jallikattu, a traditional bull-taming sport played predominantly in Madurai and its surrounding districts, is a customary sight during the three-day Pongal celebrations. The Supreme Court banned the event in 2014, stating that it amounted to cruelty to animals.

The apex court had earlier rejected a petition seeking an order on Jallikattu before the start of the Pongal festivities on January 14, saying it was unfair to ask the bench to expedite an order.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
As protests over the ban on bull-taming sport, Jallikattu continue to keep Tamil Nadu on the edge, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday announced a state-wide rail roko agitation where they will create a massive blockade around the states railway stations.

Partys Working President M.K. Stalin will protest at the Mambalam Railway Station and MP Kanimozhi will hold the protest at Chennais Egmore railway station in support of Jallikattu.

Read | Jallikattu protests Live: DMKs Stalin, Kanimozhi taken into custody, CM assures ordinance

Around a lakh of youth have gathered to protest at Chennais Marina Beach and also across the state.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India yesterday said that it may take the legal route if the Centre brings an ordinance to enable the conduct of Jallikattu.

The Supreme Court had earlier banned the sport on demand of PETA stating that the sport can be played only if it does not hurt the bulls. But according to supporters this isnt fair as it is something entrenched in their culture.
Decks were cleared on Friday night for the promulgation of an ordinance by the Tamil Nadu government for conducting bull-taming sport Jallikattu, with the Union ministries of environment and law giving its nod.

The move came even as thousands continued to stage protests against the ban on Jallikattu. Protesters thronged Chennais signature Marina Beach, and cities and towns across the state. Celebrities and sportspersons have rallied behind demonstrators in Tamil Nadu, demanding that Jallikattu be allowed in the state during Pongal festivities.

The Tamil Nadu government said it drafted an ordinance to ensure that the bull-taming sport is held in the state. Sources said the proposal of the Tamil Nadu government was cleared by the Centre without recommending any changes.

Read | What is Jallikattu? All you need to know about the bull-taming sport

Here are the live updates:

7:59pm:

Law,Environment and Culture ministries clear Tamil Nadu's Govt's ordinance on #jallikattu  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

After consulting AG Mukul Rohatgi, the law ministry forwarded the Tamil Nadu governments ordinance to President Mukherjee.

* In the state governments draft ordinance, bulls will be denotified from the list of performing animals in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

* Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had opined that by taking this route, the state can bring out an ordinance which is tenable legally.

7:25pm: Actor Rana Daggubati supported the protests for Jallikattu, saying it is amazing to see people come together to support their tradition.

Jallikattu is a part of Tamil Nadus culture. The protest that is going on there in support of Jallikattu at the Chennais Marina beach is very touching. It is in the right direction, Rana said at a press conference in the second day of Jaipur Literature Festival.

7:10pm: Lakshmi Saravanakumar, writer and recipient of the Sahitya Akademis Yuva Puraskar returned his award, protesting against the lack of positive action from the Centre on the Jallikattu issue.

6:57pm: The Tamil Nadu governments announcement that it would issue an ordinance to ensure the conduct of Jallikattu sport drew a sharp reaction from eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee who said such a move could be constitutionally invalid.

The central government wants to consult the state government and sort it (the issue of Jallikattu) out. Very good. But to run an ordinance in these circumstances is out of the question. It will not be warranted at all, the former attorney general told some television channels, PTI reported.

5:51pm: The environment ministry gave its observations to the proposal sent by the Tamil Nadu government for lifting of the ban on Jallikatu and returned it to the home ministry for final decision.

The proposal was submitted to the home ministry. The home ministry sent it to us for comments. We gave our comments and have sent it back to the home ministry for further vetting, a source in the environment ministry said.

5:37pm: With traders downing shutters following a bandh call against Jallikattu ban, employees of information technology, banks and other commercial establishments today staged a protest here expressing their solidarity to the cause.

Banking operations took a hit with some employees taking part in protests called by Bank Employees Federation of India, Tamil Nadu unit and All India Bank Employees Association, PTI reported.

4:30pm: The BJP, for its part, said DMK can only stage protests on the Jallikattu issue and the ruling party at the Centre alone can find a solution to the vexed issue.

4:20pm: DMK welcomed CM O Panneerselvams announcement that Tamil Nadu government will issue an ordinance to amend the Prevention of Cruelty Act to allow Jallikattu, but insisted that bulls should be permanently removed from performing animals category by the Centre so that the sport is held in the state annually, PTI reported.

4:08pm: As many as 500 Jallikattu supporters gathered in Mumbais Chembur to form a human chain in support of the bull-taming sport.

3:30pm:

Mumbai: People make human chain to protest in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/PlErCiJKkx  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

Gujarat: People protest in support of #Jallikattu in Vadodara pic.twitter.com/VjxPPA0DJb  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

2:56pm: Amid demands to lift the ban, the government said it is making efforts to bring out a legal solution at the earliest. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in New Delhi that the Narendra Modi government respects the culture of Tamil Nadu and is mindful of the sentiments expressed by the people in the state through a peaceful protest.

2:40pm: The Centre is in talks with the state government and we will ensure there is a solution soon, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tells TV channels.

2:30pm: After Rajinikanth, Kamal Hasan also joins protests against SC ban on Jallikattu, TV reports say.

Ganesh Venkatraman, also present at the protest site, reiterates their demand: All we are asking is for Supreme Court to show sensitivity in this issue.

2:25pm: The Madras HC dismissed a PIL seeking the enactment of a special law with conditions by the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government for holding Jallikattu, saying it cannot issue such a direction.

The court cannot issue such a direction, the bench, comprising Chief Justice S K Kaul and Justice M Sundar said while hearing a petition by K K Ramesh, Managing Trustee of Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation.

2:07pm: Pressing for an ordinance for conducting Jallikattu, AIADMK MPs met Union home minister Rajnath Singh, who assured them that the Centre will take action so that the Tamil Nadu government could promulgate it in the next few days.

The Home Minister has assured us that the file on ordinance will be processed as early as possible so that the ordinance can be promulgated in next two-three days, Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai told PTI.

2:04pm: Amid the controversy of Jallikattu, the Supreme Court agreed not to pronounce its verdict on the bull-taming sport for one week.

A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra agreed to put the pronouncement on hold on a plea by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who told the court that cultural passions were running high in the state, IANS reported.

2pm: Opposition leader MK Stalin demands that the Centre must remove bulls from list of performing animals in the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals Act, announcing that he will lead a fast on Saturday with party.

1:51pm: After superstar Mahesh Babu, actor-politician Pawan Kalyan has extended support for Jallikattu. He said the ban on the bull-taming sport is a direct attack on Dravidian culture and its integrity.

Ban on Jallikattu and cockfight by government of India is an attack on Dravida culture and its integrity. This is how it is being viewed in dakshin (south) Hindustan. I had observed this deep hurt in people while shooting in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, Pawan Kalyan tweeted on Friday.

1:30pm: We also expect the notification of ordinance will appear by day after tomorrow (Sunday). It will definitely happen: Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam.

Vaadivasal will be opened for Jallikattu within a day or two. I will inaugurate the Jallikattu event.

1:10pm: Environment minister Anil Dave holds a press conference, asking everyone to be patient about the decision and reiterating that the government wants to protect the sentiments of Tamil Nadu. By today evening or tomorrow, well be able to reach a conclusion about Jallikattu.

Hinting at a possible amendment to the Prevention to Cruelty against Animals Act, Dave says: In 2011, the bull was added in the list of performing animals. If they didnt do that, we wouldnt have been sitting here.

Today the home minister has received a proposal from Tamil Nadu government. The entire proposal is under consideration. Different ministries are giving a thought to it. The paper is on way to the environment ministry. I am sure within the shortest time we will be able to reach on the final decision, he told reporters.

1:05pm: Centre and Tamil Nadu govt are talking. It will be decided if Centre or state will act or even both can intervene.All options are open: AG Mukul Rohatgi

12:55pm: Stepping up pressure against Jallikattu ban, DMK announces that it will go on one-day fast on Satuday, led by Stalin in Valluvar Kottam.

12:50pm: Leaders from Tamil Nadus ruling party will also meet President Pranab Mukherjee at 2pm on Saturday, asking him to approve the ordinance.

12:40pm: AIADMK lawmakers meet Rajnath Singh, urging promulgation of ordinance in support of Jallikattu.

We had come to urge the home minister to take steps for promulgation of ordinance in support of Jallikattu, Deputy Speaker M Thambi Durai says.

12:15pm: Actor Rajinikanth joins the protest organised by Nadigar Sangam against Jallikattu ban in Chennai, reports NDTV.

12pm: AIADMK lawmakers reach home ministry to meet Rajnath Singh.

AIADMK MPs meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to lift Jallikattu ban.  AIADMK (@AIADMKOfficial) January 20, 2017

11:25am: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted in support of Jallikattu on Friday, calling the Jallikattu ban a lesson for Hindutva forces.

He linked the Tamil Nadu protests to the Uniform Civil Code and said the code cannot be imposed... This nation cannot have one culture, we celebrate all.

11:20am: Stalin is released after being held in preventive custody as DMK workers clashed with police at Mambalam station in Chennai.

11:05am: DMKs working president (Stalin) requested the state govt for an all party meeting on the issue for demanding enactment of emergency law for Jallikattu, says Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi.

10:55am: SC agrees to delay its verdict on Jallikattu for a week after Centre says this will help avoid unrest.

Rohatgi mentioned the matter before a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R Banumati that people of Tamil Nadu are passionate about Jallikattu and the Central government and the state are trying to resolve the issue.

Rohatgi mentioned the matter before a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar.

Read | Jallikattu ban: Tamil Nadu CM Panneerselvams rush over ordinance on ban could be a move to buy time

10:35am: Pon Radhakrishnan, Thamizhisai Soundarrajan reach environment minister Anil Daves residence in Delhi.

10:25am: DMKs MK Stalin taken into preventative custody after halting a train while protesting in Mambalam station in Chennai.

Following protests, Southern Railway announced full and partial cancellation of some trains, besides diversion of others.

Railway minister Suresh Prabhu asked the protestors not to cause inconvenience to the poor. Rail is preferred mode of transport for poor, common people. Please dont disrupt traffic, cause inconvenience to those who cant afford other, he said in a tweet.

10:15am: Prevention of animal cruelty act also taken into account, it will take a day or two, says attorney general Mukul Rohatgi, referring to the Jallikattu ordinance.

10:10am: The government should keep an eye on PETA because they are interfering in our traditions, Union minister Pon Radhakrishnan tells ANI, adding that he will meet environment minister Anil Dave and Rajnath Singh.

10:05am: TV reports say the Tamil Nadu government has proposed to amend the animal cruelty act.

9:30am: DMK workers breach the barricades in Mambalam while protesting in support of Jallikattu. Partys working president MK Stalin too joins the protest in Mambalam: ANI

9:20am: The state government exercised considerable pressure on the Centre to ensure that the home ministry passes the ordinance quickly, sources in the AIADMK tell HT.

After the draft ordinance is vetted by the ministry, it will then be delivered to President Pranab Mukherjee who will have to approve it for the Tamil Nadu governor Vidyasagar Rao to officially promulgate it.

9am: Even after Tamil Nadu CMs assurance, protesters at Marina Beach in Chennai say they will only call of the agitation after a formal order is received revoking the Jallikattu ban: TV reports

8:30am: CM Panneerselvam says he has spoken to legal experts and Tamil Nadu has readied an ordinance to bypass Jallikattu ban... We will revoke the ban on Jallikattu with the ordinance. The Centre has assured its support.

A draft ordinance is ready, and has been sent to the home ministry. I believe the draft would be approved in 1-2 days, which will pave way for Jallikattu... I request all protesters to call off their demonstration.

There is a high chance Jallikattu will be held in the next 1-2 days.

An ordinance will be promulgated to allow Jallikattu to be played: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam #Jallikattu @htTweets  Aditya Iyer (@Theadityaiyer) January 20, 2017

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India had said on Thursday that it may take the legal route if the Centre brings an ordinance to enable Jallikattu.

8:20am: AIADMK lawmakers will meet home minister Rajnath Singh at noon on Friday to discuss the Jallikattu ban, TV reports say.

A day before, Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an ordinance on Jallikattu. Modi, however, remained non-committal on the contentious issue, saying the matter was in the Supreme Court.

8:15am: Tamil Nadu opposition DMK leader and MP Kanimozhi will hold a rail roko protest at Chennai Egmore railway station in support of Jallikattu on Friday, ANI reports.

8am: Members of South Indian Artists association, Nadigar Sangam, ask media to not cover their silent protest against Jallikattu and focus on the youth at Marina beach.

7:45am: Protests continue at Chennais Marina Beach. Schools across Tamil Nadu to remain closed for the day.

(With inputs from agencies)
Meghalayas Sillian A Sangma did not get the job he was promised in Chennai in 2012. He got lost instead.

Now, four years after begging on the streets of Kolkata and much of his past erased from his mind, 25-year-old Sillian is set to be reunited with his family in Garo Hills region.

An autorickshaw driver in Kolkata, who did not want to be named for doing something expected from all human beings, helped Sillian get in touch with his family a few days ago. The driver was attracted to an alphanumerical scribble on a piece of paper that Sillian had slung from his neck while begging in Kolkatas Sector 5 of Salt Lake.

Most of us (three-wheeler operators) were used to him and helped him with food whenever we could. One day, I noticed the haphazardly written letters and numbers on his neck and asked him where he was from. Fortunately, he could remember the phone number of one of his relatives, the auto driver said.

A Garo-speaking middleman had taken Sillian, then 21, and two others from Assam to Chennai in 2012, promising them jobs. Soon, they realised they had been conned into travelling far from home and boarded a train to Kolkata.

On December 12 that year, when the train was approaching Kolkata, Sillian was drugged and his belongings, including an identity card, were stolen. He landed up in Kolkata, and unable to speak English, Hindi or Bengali  the local language  he could not communicate with anyone. He began begging and gradually lost his mental balance.

After Sillian failed to return home, his parents filed a missing report at Rongram outpost on the outskirts of Tura on December 28, 2012. An attempt was made to locate him, but he remained untraceable.

Sillians parents in Meghalayas Rongram village  also called Rongchigre  were relieved that he was alive, but they did not know how to get him back. They sought the help of Shoshon A Sangma, a Tura-based social activist.

Shoshon and his fellow activists took to social networking sites to help the family. Supratim Sinha, a resident of Tura studying in a Salt Lake institute, traced Sillian and posted his photo, helping his family back home confirm his identity.

Cornelius Gomes, an anti-human trafficking activist in West Bengal, met Sillian after reading about him. But the Garo tribal man refused to tell his name.

When I spoke to him he seemed offended. It was as if he felt I was trying to mess up his life. Even the Kolkata Polices assistance did not help. I sensed he was not in the best of mental health, Gomes said.

Gomes advised the Meghalaya-based activists to send Sillians family members to take him back home.

On Tuesday, four people - including two members of Sillians family - drove down to Guwahati from where they flew to Kolkata. Members of the clan Sillian belongs to pooled money for the travel. Gomes met the team the following day and together they met Sillian.

Sillian denied being a Garo but spoke in the Garo language. We had lunch with him and convinced him to return home. He has had a torrid time over the past few years and we want him to be reunited with his family as quickly as possible, Soshon said from Kolkata.

Sillian was taken to Meghalaya House in Kolkata after the Bidhan Nagar Police in Kolkata helped complete the formalities for his homecoming. He will be brought to his village within a couple of days.

We are really thankful to all who helped Sillian get back with us. There is no bigger joy for us, his mother, Nedila A Sangma, said.
A Muslim party leader, Asaduddin Owaisi, on Friday described an ongoing agitation over the ban on Jallikattu as a lesson for Hindutva forces, linking the protests in Tamil Nadu to the Centres efforts to introduce a common civil code in the country.

His comment is likely to fuel the debate over the proposed Uniform Civil Code which aims to review the Muslim communitys personal laws on divorce and polygamy, said to heavily loaded against women.

Jallikattu protests, lesson for Hindutva forces, Owaisi tweeted, adding that Uniform Civil Code cannot be imposed.

This nation cannot have one culture, we celebrate all, he said.

He, however, did not explain the link between the protests and the Hindu right-wing.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliated organisation, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), have backed the demand for lifting the ban on Jallikattu, a popular bull-taming of in Tamil Nadu.

Owaisi, who heads the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), has been at loggerheads with the RSS over its campaign for an uniform civil code. The RSS is the ideological mentor of the ruling party at the Centre, the BJP.

Owaisis party is also contesting several seats in Uttar Pradesh where assembly polls will be held in seven phases from next month.

He is also highly critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his alleged anti-Muslim policies.

On Thursday, Owaisi said Modi would have claimed credit for construction of the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal had they not been built long ago.

(With agency inputs)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Donald Trump on assuming the office as the US President and said he looked forward to working with him to further deepen the bilateral ties and realise the full potential of cooperation.

Congratulations @realDonaldTrump on assuming office as US President. Best wishes in leading USA to greater achievements in the coming years, Modi tweeted immediately after the American leader took oath.

Congratulations @realDonaldTrump on assuming office as US President. Best wishes in leading USA to greater achievements in the coming years.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2017

In another tweet, the Prime Minister said: Looking forward to working with President @realDonaldTrump to further deepen India-US ties & realise the full potential of our cooperation.

Looking forward to working with President @realDonaldTrump to further deepen India-US ties & realise the full potential of our cooperation.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2017

The Prime Minister said strength of the India-US strategic partnership lies in our shared values and common interests.

Trump took over as the 45th President of the US.
The Indian navy will display the elite Marine commandos, submarines Kalvari and Khandheri, and war ship Chennai during the Republic Day Parade, showcasing its prowess in the high seas in form a tableau.

Apart from it, a model of P-81 Long time Maritime Patrol Aircraft, induction of which has greatly enhanced surveillance capability in high seas, will also be a part of navys tableau for the R-Day parade.

Since the submarine arm of the Indian navy is celebrating its Golden Jubliee this year, 2017 has been declared as the Year of Submarines by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba.

So, models of Kalavari class INS Kalavari and INS Khandheri will be displayed during the Republic Day parade, along with mannequins of Marcos, the elite commando unit of the Navy.

Submarine INS Kalvari is likely to be commissioned into the service by March this year while the second submarine INS Khanderi, which was launched or undocked last week, is expected to be commissioned by December or early next year.

Over the past five decades, the submarine arm of the navy has been decorated with one Maha Veer Chakra and Two Veer Chakras.

The naval marching contingent of 144 young sailors would be led by Lt Cdr Aparna Nair as contingent commander and Lt Mandar Kulkarni and Lt Vasu Yadav as Platoon Commanders.
Consumption of liquefied gas in Ukraine in 2016 amounted to 1.45 million tonnes, which is 30.1% (by 335,800 tonnes) more than in the previous year, according to A-95 Consulting Group (Kyiv).

"In 2016 the share of liquefied gas in the overall balance of motor fuels was 15.1% compared with 13% in 2015. Automobile gas accounted for more than one-third of the retail market of motor fuel," the company said.

According to A-95 analyst Artem Kuyun, the growth of the market of automobile gas could be even higher, but sharp price hikes in summer and autumn had a deterrent effect on the consumption of this fuel.

"In 2009-2016 liquefied gas consumption in Ukraine doubled. At the same time, in 2016 liquefied gas sales almost equalized with petrol in natural terms. According to this indicator, Ukraine is far ahead of the markets of the neighboring countries," Kuyun said.

According to experts, in 2016 liquefied gas imports to Ukraine increased by 50% compared with 2015, to 1.06 million tonnes, their share of the market amounted to 73% (in 2015 some 63%). Deliveries from Belarus remained at the level of 2015, while their share dropped to 16%. Thus, almost the entire increase in imports was due to supplies from Russian manufacturers.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted on Friday tha he has has been blocked by Air India on Twitter.

Look what I found, quite by chance. Ive been blocked by @airindiain J, Abdullah said in a tweet along with a screenshot.

Look what I found, quite by chance. I've been blocked by @airindiain.  pic.twitter.com/Tqonse5Q1H  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) January 20, 2017

While the former CM has not clarified yet why was he blocked, the tweet he shared elicited many responses on Twitter.

In December 2015, Abdullah had questioned Air Indias decision to serve only vegetarian food on short duration flights.

While some people were angry with Air India over the issue, others were amused.

@abdullah_omar @airindiain shameful act by @airindiain, tweeted Uma Nath Tripathi.

@abdullah_omar @airindiain Thats ridiculous and hilarious in equal measure, wrote Atul Kasbekar.

 @abdullah_omar @airindiain I think Air India is trying to give special status to Kashmir! ??, said a Twitter user luv sharma ?@luvmandate.

Air India, which continues to suffer losses, was recently ranked as the third worst performing airline in the world in a survey by flight data firm FlightStats.

The national carrier contested the ranking and said the report seems to be fabricated.
The armys communications system is riddled with security flaws and could be infected with Chinese malware that can bring down Indias military network, a report warns, stressing on the need for a technology upgrade.

Malicious software cannot only disrupt communication during operations but also lead to theft of information in peacetime, the report on future core technologies and problem statements says.

Cyber adversaries compromise government networks and it could have serious consequences, former Indian Air Force chief Fali Major said.

War plans would be protected by hundreds of firewalls but there are enough sensitive documents that can be stolen, said Major, who served on the national security advisory board during 2013-15. The attackers can crash your systems and corrupt your data by gaining full control of computers.

The army realises the threat. It had set a target of one year to develop the capability for high assurance testing to check the hardware for embedded malware, backdoors and hidden processes that hackers could abuse, an army officer said.

Read | HT Exclusive: Flaws put lives of soldiers at risk, says army report

The root of the problem is the armed forces dependence on imported equipment that heightens threat from an embedded virus or spyware.

This has been compounded by the fact that origin of a large amount of electronic circuitry being used in communication equipment is of Chinese origin, says the report prepared by the army design bureau (ADB).

Inaugurated in 2016, the ADB is tasked with promoting research to meet the armys requirements.

The threat from embedded Chinese malware was real, warned Rakshit Tandon, a cyber security expert.

Even the US is deeply worried about systems being infected with Chinese malware, said Tandon. India is extremely vulnerable to such attacks and the military needs to evolve very stringent testing methodology to make sure hardware and software systems are not compromised.

To secure equipment, it is vital to ascertain that imported hardware is free of malware and reliable to operate in hostile cyber environment, says the report.

Most advanced nations have laboratories that check communication and IT equipment for malware before installing it, says the army.

A 2015 US congressional report on cyber operations sums up the threat. Nation states and other entities target government and military networks to exfiltrate data, thereby gaining an intelligence advantage, or to potentially plant a malicious code that could be activated in a time of crisis to disrupt, degrade, or deny operations, the CRS report said.

Read | After Uri attack, Parrikar dismisses nuclear threat from empty vessel Pakistan

The ADB report highlights the need for military-grade security to protect data, making a case for utilising software-based encryption as an additional security feature.

The document also red flags threats to commercial operating systems (OS). It calls for developing hardened indigenous OS for extra security, saying no commercial agencies should be involved in its development.

Another item on the army wish list is all-in-one communication handsets that will do away with the need to carry multiple handsets and simplify use of communication devices.

Read | Terrorists using social media very effectively: Pakistans former army chief Raheel Sharif
The Supreme Court on Friday deferred to January 23 the hearing on a plea seeking postponement of Union Budget presentation ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls in five states.

A bench comprising chief justice JS Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud, which has sought material and legal provisions in support of the PIL, preferred to go through the additional affidavit filed by the petitioner.

Advocate ML Sharma, who has filed the PIL, also expressed his readiness to argue the matter on Monday.

The PIL has said that the Centre be directed to present the Budget in the financial year 2017-18 which would commence from April 1, instead of the proposed February 1 date.

It has also said that the central government be restrained from declaring any relief, programme, financial budget until the states elections are over as they would violate the Model Code of Conduct.

The Election Commission had on January 4 come out with the schedule of Assembly elections to be held in five states, including Uttar Pradesh.

The Centre has already decided to convene the Budget Session of Parliament from January 31 to present the Budget for 2017-18 fiscal the very next day.
Several private educational trusts being run on a not-for-profit model have come under the Income Tax lens after recent search operations revealed that they were allegedly involved in money laundering.

There is lack of transparency in the accounting and functioning of these institutes, and there is a need to look into their operations, a senior government official told Hindustan Times on the condition of anonymity. Taxmen are closely monitoring the accounts of these institutions, and the flow of money into them.

Sources said many of these trusts are repositories of black money. Educational institutions are registered as charitable trusts, and 85% of their income is exempt from tax. The remaining 15% can also be exempted if certain provisions of the Income Tax Act are adhered to.

Read | Income tax department to rope in auditors to probe bank deposits

The government had been looking into ways to bring educational institutions on a par with other commercial entities as far as the tax net is concerned, considering that they charge high fees  besides capitation funds  from students.

However, most of the institutes have no record of money coming in as capitation funds.

The income tax department can cancel the registration of such institutions if they are found to be flouting the principles pertaining to charitable trusts.

Read | Elite private schools, trusts in Jharkhand come under I-T scanner

Sources said the income tax department was trying to draw information on these institutions from various agencies. We have our ways of getting all the right data, the official said.

Many educational institutions had been under the scanner of the government over alleged monetary discrepancies even before demonetisation.
A fast-track court in Narnaul gave three men the death penalty and acquitted one in the brutal gangrape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in 2014.

The court of RK Dogra announced death penalty for Ateli residents Deepak, Arun and Rajesh, while acquitted railway engineer Sanjay.

The case dates back to October 31, 2014, when the nine-year-old girl had gone out to dump a rat from her house in the open, and never returned.

Her mother informed the police, which then launched a search operation.

On the morning of November 1, the police found her body in the bushes.

The postmortem confirmed she was gangraped before being murdered.

Tension gripped Ateli, as hundreds of residents came out on roads, demanding arrest of the accused and accusing the police of inaction.

Few days later, the police rounded up four men in the case and booked them under charges of murder, kidnap and gangrape.

A fast-track court was set up that held three out of four men guilty of the charges after hearing 35 witnesses.

NOT THE FIRST TIME

This is for the second time in the last one year that a court in Haryana has pronounced the death penalty in a gangrape case.

Earlier in December 2015, a Rohtak court had announced death penalty for seven convicts, accused of gangraping and killing a mentally-challenged woman from Nepal in the district.

The doctor who had conducted the postmortem on the Nepali woman had gone on to call the case the most brutal case she had seen in her 30-year-long medical career.
The Scotland Yard has declined to help the CBI in forensic probe aspects of the killings of prominent rationalists of Maharashtra Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and Karnatakas M.M. Kalburgi, the Bombay High Court was told on Friday.

This is due to certain legal issues between India and United Kingdom, Additional Solicitor-General of India Anil Singh, representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a division bench comprising Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari and Justice B.P. Colabawalla.

The Scotland Yard has informed in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic datea Hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases, Singh said.

He added that since such an agreement could take a long time and considering the legal and practical difficulties, the CBI has decided to drop the matter.

Owing to the similarity in the modus operandi and the three killings, the CBI, Maharashtra and Karnataka police suspected that the same weapon may have been used for which it sought help on aspects of the forensics and ballistics from Scotland Yard.

There were differences in the Forensic Science Laboratory reports in Mumbai and Bengaluru and the CBI wanted a third independent opinion for which it had sought the Scotland Yards assistance.

The matter came during a hearing of appeals filed by the relatives of Dabholkar and Pansare seeking justice.

The CBI is probing the killing of Dabholkar in Pune, the Pansare murder is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team of Maharashtra Police and the Kalburgi killing is probed by the Karnataka Police.

The CBI submitted its sealed report on the probe progress to the court which has directed it to intensify the investigations and arrest the remaining accused, said Dabholkars son, Hamid Dabholkar.

While Dabholkar, 69, was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare, 81, who fired upon on February 16, 2015, succumbed to bullet injuries in Kolhapur after five days (February 20, 2015) and Kalburgi, 77, was shot dead on August 30, 2015 in Dharwad, Karnataka.
Two officials of the state education department have been suspended in connection with Thursdays school bus accident case in Etah, Uttar Pradesh.

Two FIRs have also been registered in Etah school bus accident case, against school administration and the other against the bus driver. A magisterial enquiry has also been ordered.

As many as 15 children were killed and over forty were injured as the bus rammed into a stationary truck on Thursday morning.

Over 30 students of the J.S. Vidyaniketan English School were rushed to the nearby hospital for immediate treatment.

Read | NCPCR writes to UP chief secy on Etah school children death in accident

 The school was open against the ordersof the district administration Uttar Pradesh Assistant Director General Police Daljeet Singh Choudhary, told ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condoled the passing away of the young children.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed his anguish over the tragedy.
Aerospace-defence major Rolls-Royce got a reprieve this week when a British court approved a significant Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) between the company and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which was investigating its corrupt practices in India and six countries.

Valid for five years, the DPA enables the company to avoid potential criminal conviction in court, which would have barred it from bidding contracts in various countries. The SFO investigation spanned over three decades and cover 12 counts of conspiracy to corrupt, false accounting and failure to prevent bribery.

Rolls-Royce, which has secured large defence and other contracts in India over the years, has also been under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation, among other Indian authorities. Of the 12 counts, two relate to its activities in India, and highlight the nature of its past unethical activities.

The DPA, approved in the interests of justice by Judge Leveson, president of the Queens Bench Division, involves a settlement of 497.25 million plus interest and the SFOs legal costs of 13 million. The company has entered into similar agreements with authorities in the US and Brazil.

Rolls-Royce apologised for its behavior and termed the activities uncovered as completely unacceptable. Warren East, chief executive, Rolls-Royce, said: 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.

The first India-related count of conspiracy related to false accounting in the companys activities between 2005 and 2009, while the second count relates to conspiracy to corrupt between 2006 and 2007.

Leveson said in his ruling: Breach of the undertaking entitled the Indian authorities to cancel agreements, and prevent bidding for future contracts. Notwithstanding these undertakings and the developing procurement rules, Rolls-Royce continued to use one of its key intermediaries in relation to relevant defence contracts.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
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 ministers name. The Commanders Conference will be widely publicised, as it has the PMs 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.
Devita Saraf, founder and CEO of Vu Televisions, posted a full-page ad in a national daily on Friday, January 20 in which she congratulated President of The United States of America, Donald Trump. However, she is now getting trolled on Twitter for narcissism and bootlicking.

In the picture, Saraf is seen posing for the camera with Trump, who is yet to be sworn in as the President of US in the inauguration ceremony scheduled for noon, January 20 (10.30 pm in India).

Congratulations @realDonaldTrump , I'm inspired by your self-belief & commitment to leadership. Thank you for calling me "India's Ivanka"  pic.twitter.com/1vt1Ba7oJY  Devita Saraf (@DevitaSaraf) January 20, 2017

Saraf also engaged with her trolls on Twitter, and said that she has personally met with Trump and found him to be a great dad when someone asked her if its OK that he wants to date Ivanka.

Here are a few trolls at their trolling best:

Heard of "India's Model CEO"? Here she is sporting a big grin with "USofA's Cassanova President"!! @DevitaSaraf pic.twitter.com/z8NsEIx7YD  Ramanan Subramani (@gollum77) January 20, 2017

Heard of "India's Model CEO"? Here she is sporting a big grin with "USofA's Cassanova President"!! @DevitaSaraf pic.twitter.com/z8NsEIx7YD  Ramanan Subramani (@gollum77) January 20, 2017

A very effective ad. Has convinced me to never buy #VuTelevision. And that book @DevitaSaraf is holding...so subtle. pic.twitter.com/AXOyYcnPDO  kalpana nair (@kalpananair) January 20, 2017

You really paid for this shit to promote yourself @DevitaSaraf ? You definitely need a better team managing your personal branding ! https://t.co/SJEK1HyZuH  Ved Agarwal (@VedAgarwal) January 20, 2017

Full page ads congratulating Trump now? Come on @DevitaSaraf, you can do better than this.  Goos (@iGoose) January 20, 2017

Full page ads congratulating Trump in TOI and ET by Devita Saraf of Vu. She missed the CTA in the TOI ad? pic.twitter.com/aJI9ny1ApA  Rohin Dharmakumar (@r0h1n) January 20, 2017

@r0h1n lol. We had to leave 2 inches for TOI masthead. Thanks for noticing   Devita Saraf (@DevitaSaraf) January 20, 2017

@DevitaSaraf you could've really spend your ad budget better. Not cool PR pic.twitter.com/uDBN898quG  Kaushik Srinivasan (@kaushiksays) January 20, 2017

@maheshmurthy @vishalgondal @realDonaldTrump I've met him in person and he is a great dad.  Devita Saraf (@DevitaSaraf) January 20, 2017

@DevitaSaraf I've met him in person too & he didn't grope me, so I wouldn't know what kind of dad he is :-) @vishalgondal @realDonaldTrump  Mahesh Murthy (@maheshmurthy) January 20, 2017
The Ukrainian government seeks to switch all thermal power plants (TPPs) of public joint-stock company Centrenero that are burning anthracite coal to burning gas coal. This will be done using the loan provided by China, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Ihor Nasalyk told reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday.

"Two days ago a meeting with the president devoted to the Chinese loan was held There are two decisions: the first one is to send $200 million to buy drilling equipment to boost gas production and the second one is to re-equip Centrenergo from anthracite coal to gas coal consumption, including Trypilska TPP. The prime minister supported the latter decision," he said.

Nasalyk said that the re-equipment of two units of Zmiyivska TPP (Kharkiv region) is at the final stage. Unit two consuming new coal will be launched on March 20 and unit five  at the end of May. The cost of re-equipment of one unit is UAH 110-120 million.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday criticised the special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the Haryana government to probe the alleged Murthal gangrapes during the Jat quota agitation last February, saying there was enough evidence to indicate that the incident did occur.

The court also stayed the framing of charges against five people, who were accused of offences such as rioting, looting and molestation in a chargesheet filed by the SIT in August. The gangrape charges were dropped in a supplementary chargesheet filed the next month.

The bench, comprising justices SS Saron and Darshan Singh, said two different statements provided by witnesses and various pieces of evidence  such as semen-splattered clothes found at the scene  went to disprove the probe teams claim that no gangrapes occurred on that day. It then asked the SIT to find the offenders, so as to instil confidence in the public.

The two witnesses in the case are Bobby Joshi, a resident of Delhi, and Raj Kumar, a taxi driver.

As the hearing began, amicus curiae (an impartial advisor to a court of law) Anupam Gupta said records showed that the SIT  without keeping the high court in the loop  informed the trial court of gangrape charges being deleted from the FIR last September. The same was then reiterated before another high court bench, which was hearing the bail pleas of the accused.

This casts serious doubts on the investigation being carried out by the SIT, Gupta said.

The amicus curiae then said it was highly improper of the SIT to make taxi driver Raj Kumar  who claimed to have seen a woman being dragged out of her car  record his statement before a magistrate only in October 2016, two months after a challan was submitted to a trial court.

Gupta dubbed it as an attempt to sanitise the investigation, adding that the SIT head  inspector general of police (IGP) Mamta Singh  had committed professional impropriety.

The government counsels, in their response, pointed out that the investigation was still on. They explained that the gangrape charges were dropped only after semen samples of the five accused failed to match with what was found on clothes recovered from the site. The sections of gangrape were added to the FIR in April, over a month after the Jat agitation ended.

Singh, for her part, said a statement was recorded before the judicial magistrate because she doubted the truth in Raj Kumars claim. The statement the taxi driver made before the magistrate turned out be different from what he told the police earlier, she added.

However, the bench  upon examining both the statements  found that Raj Kumar had not deviated from the story he had narrated to the police. It then asked Singh to explain why the police were in a hurry to file the challan when the investigation was far from complete.

Why did you get his statement recorded before the magistrate? Did you have any new evidence, was any arrest made, or did you think this person would resile from his position? Why was this done almost six months (after the first statement) when even the challan had been submitted, the high court asked Singh and the state counsels.

Alleging that the state was trying to keep the Murthal gangrapes under wraps, Gupta demanded that the case be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an impartial probe. He also sought that the call records of top supervisory officials in Sonepat be drawn up, so the court could ascertain why they showed up only after the alleged rapes were committed  and not during the agitation itself.

The bench asked the central agency if it was read to take up the case, to which CBI counsel Sumeet Goel said it did not have the requisite manpower to investigate all the FIRs. However, we are bound by the orders of the high court, he added.

The bench ordered the SIT to file a fresh status report, and scheduled the next hearing for February 28. It also directed the state to file an affidavit  clearly stating that charges of rape and kidnapping have not been dropped from the FIR  before the trial court.
Zila parishad member Sulbha Sinsinwar on Friday handed over a copy of a district courts order to the chief executive officer (CEO) of the civic body and declared herself as the zila pramukh before media persons.

Zila parishad CEO Anshdeep said the district council is not legally empowered to hand over charge of zila pramukh to Sinsinwar as the state election commission has to take a decision.

She demanded us to hand over the charge to her but we have ignored her request as are waiting for the state election commissions guidance, he said.

It is illegal for Sinsinwar to declare herself as the new zila pramukh...We will wait for the state election commission to take a call and only after that the oath will be administered to the new zila pramukh.

On January 16, district judge Surendra Mohan Sharma passed the verdict quashing the election of zila pramukh Veena Singh and set aside her membership from zila parishad after hearing two separate writ petitions. The court ordered the district collector to declare Sinsinwar as the new zila pramukh.

Sinsinwar filed a petition on March 9, 2015, against Singh, who was elected as zila pramukh, elections for which was held on February 7, 2015.

Singh was elected as zila pramukh on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket defeating Sinsinwar, who also won the zila parishad member on a BJP ticket from Ward No 10.

There are 37 zila parishad wards in the district, and Singh was elected zila parishad member from Ward No 14 and was elected zila pramukh after getting 34 out of the 37 votes.

The second writ petition was filed on same day against Singh by her sister-in-law, Snehlata. The court set aside Singhs zila parishad membership after hearing Snehlatas petition and quashed her election as zila pramukh after hearing Sinsinwars petition.

The district court found her guilty of hiding the details about her wealth and holding dual voters identity from Delhi as well as Bharatpur in the declaration to the state election commission while contesting the zila parishad election.

District collector Narendra Kumar Gupta said they have forwarded the copies of the courts order to the Election Commission and panchayati raj department for further action.

.
Successful completion of the power grid project at Bhangar was necessary for the Mamata Banerjee government not only because it is supposed to play a crucial role in supplying power to Kolkata but also because the required land for the project was acquired following the chief ministers alternative to the model applied in Singur and Nandigram by the erstwhile Left Front government that she toppled.

The Left Front government led by Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had decided to acquire the entire stretch of required land in Singur and Nandigram, which sparked of violent protests that finally culminated into the end of a 34-year-old regime.

At Bhangar, however, authorities of the Power Grid Corporation of India obtained the land following local level dealing with individual landowners in 2014. However, the manner in which the deals were sealed had sowed the seeds of trouble right at the beginning. Now that troubled erupted possibly at the worst hour  barely a few days before the Bengal Global Business Summit  and forced the chief minister to ask her confidante Mukul Roy to find out who failed the government, HT spoke to locals to find out how the local administration and her partys local leadership tried to crush rumours with force, and miserably failed.

There definitely were grievances among those who had to part with their land. However, almost everybody had accepted compensations and the grievances were not strong enough to turn into a movement. What fuelled massive public grievances was the way the local Trinamool Congress leadership and the local administration refused to answer our questions on possible harmful effects of the project, Sirajul Alam, a resident of Khamar Ait village, said.

What locals told HT also raises questions about the model the Mamata Banerjee government pursued  direct purchase of land from the owners by the company that required land. According to residents of such villages as Notunhat, Padmapukur, Gazipur and Shyamnagar, local land agents had started approaching land owners at the end of 2013. When their efforts failed, Arabul Islam and his son appeared in the scene.

Islam, former Trinamool MLA from Bhangar and one of the most controversial leaders of the party, is the chairman of Bhangar II panchayat samiti. His son, Hakimul, is the chief of Polerhat gram panchayat where the project is coming up.

Arabul and his son having the last words in Polerhat, they managed to acquire the required 16-acre land within a few months. People were aggrieved but lacked the strength to confront, said Mosharef Ali, one of the key local organisers of the movement.

Construction started by mid-2014 without any resistance and villagers had little knowledge about the exact nature of the project. As they tried to speak to engineers working on the project to glean information, some of the engineers reportedly told them that it was a new kind of power grid using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)  the most potent greenhouse gas  and that scientists and environmentalists were still evaluating possible environment impacts in case of a fault.

One engineer told us that any accidental spillage of the SF6 gas could lead to tragedies like the one in Bhopal. Since then, throughout 2015, we approached local Trinamool leaders, panchayat members and administrative officers several times, asking them to clear our confusions. No one heeded our pleas. We were told that the government is agreed to consider increasing the compensation but no question should be asked on the project, said Mahfijul Mollah of Padmapukur village.

Things took a complicated shape in October 2016, when few brick kiln workers camping underneath high tension wires experienced mild electric shocks when one of them touched a loose wire strung across two bamboo poles for drying their clothes. Soon, a local electrician came to the spot with a tester and the red light in the tester confirmed electricity in the loose wire.

Panic spread fast but the authorities were not ready to answer our queries, said Safikul Alam, a villager of Machhibhanga. By the end of October, villagers had started obstructing installation of towers. Since then various kinds of rumours and superstitions about ill effects on health floated around in the area. Trinamool Congress MLA Rezzak Mollahs derogatory comment on such rumors (ill effects on pregnant women) further added fuel to fire.

On November 3, as a huge police contingent accompanied the power grid officials, local women staged a protest. Three men and three women were arrested from the spot and sent to 18 days judicial custody. Desperate villagers reached out to the leaders of little-known Naxalite outfit CPI(ML)(Red Star)  mostly because no one else heeded to them  and movement intensified within a very short time.

Villagers were still looking for clarifications from the administration and, in the first week of December, the sub-divisional officials asked them to reach the office of the power grid authorities at Bishnupur on December 9. After reaching the office the villagers found it was locked and all employees and officials had left.

We went from pillar to post seeking answers to some questions. But no one cared until we forced them to stop work. Even then, they possibly knew only one way to respond  applying brute force. But it is not going to work, Mosharef Ali said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Journalist, blogger, and author Amit Varma was the first person to win the Bastiat Prize for Journalism twice (2007 and 2015). No wonder then that he named his podcast, The Seen and The Unseen, after That which is seen and that which is unseen, an essay by the 19th century French economist in whose name the prize is conferred.

Im a fan of Bastiat for the way he explained complex ideas in simple language, and this podcast is a natural extension of what Im about, Varma says. Varmas podcast aims at dissecting the unseen effects of Indias public policies. It follows Bastiats own belief that to evaluate the consequences of any action, one must consider both, seen effects (the outcomes) and unseen effects (the unintended repercussions).

Take inaugural episode Entry and Exit in Agriculture, aired on January 17. Varma, with guests Pavan Srinath and Karthik Shashidhar from The Takshashila Institution, discussed the ripple effect of disallowing corporations in agriculture and barring farmers from selling land for non-agricultural purposes.

A farmer in debt might be sitting on debt capital he cant make use of. The benevolent hand of the government is not always benevolent, said Sridhar. Shashidhar elaborated: If a farmer does not have to face as many risks [and becomes independent], hell stop asking the government for benevolence. [When that happens], hes taking power away from the government. So its not in the interest of the government to reform [agricultural] law.

The subject was discussed in under 20 minutes, making it perfect for office chai breaks.

Read: Four Indian podcasts you need to check out

Episode 2 is about demonetization. The next installment focuses on GST. Ive recorded 13 episodes so far, but plan to go beyond these subjects, says Varma. He plans to cover topics like behavioural science and neuroscience. There will be plenty of humour and lateral thinking.

The Seen and The Unseen is a collaboration between Amit Varma and Indus Vox Media (IVM), which launched three other podcasts (Keepin It Queer; My Neighbour, Zuckerberg; and IVM Likes) this month. It has 100,000 active listeners across 14 shows.

IVMs founder Amit Doshi says Varma has a singular voice. It took time to get him on board as he was busy, but a few months ago, we were finally able to make this happen. We experimented with a couple of formats before we were happy with the one we settled on.

Going by episode one, we are happy too.

What: The Seen and The Unseen, a weekly podcast on public and economic policies, neuroscience and behavioural science.

Where: www.seenunseen.in. Also available on iTunes, SoundCloud, YouTube, and apps like TuneIn, Stitcher, and Podcast Addict.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Coffee With D;

Director: Vishal Mishra

Cast: Sunil Grover, Zakir Hussain, Anjana Sukhani, Deepannati Sharma, Pankaj Tripathy

Rating: **

Isnt it amazing what a slew of talented actors can do to an outrageous idea? Think of Coffee With D as a boys day out with Dawood, and you will actually enjoy the implausible goings on.

This is a what-if idea carried to an extreme of satirical eventuality but laced with lots humour and saved from a catastrophic plunge to inanity by actors who know how to hold the dialogues even the words run all over the place.

Coffee With D suffers from a fundamental flaw. It presumes that a film about a clash between Dawood and Arnab (the Gangster and the Newshound) would generate instant drama.

It does. And it doesnt.

While Sunil Grover makes an interesting getaway from his comic avatar on television to play the vociferous newshound with straight-faced self-importance, Zakir Hussains Dawood is priceless, a far more goofy funny sinister in a trashy kind of way, than Rishi Kapoor in Nikhil Advanis D Company which was about a bunch of RAW officer yanking Dawood out of his hideout.

Years of playing the romantic loverboy made Rishi Kapoors Dawood look like a plump brat. Zakir Hussain is both sinister and satirical. Pankaj Tripathy as Dawoods right-hand man shows a rare understanding of how funny the business of extortion can be when the man in-charge has a phone that needs constant re-charging.

And Anjana Sukhani as Grovers spirited sassy pregnant wife is a bagful of fun.

I wish these actors had more in the plot to chew on. The story is a oneliner. Once Arnab decides to get D for an interview the film flounders with the pacing. The second-half is devoted entirely to the one-on-one between the dreaded gangster and the aggressive newshound.

What could have been a hard-hitting interface is drastically diluted with words and sentences beeped out by the censor. This is a satire that is meant to offend none. It steers miraculously clear of vulgarity while negotiating a bumpy ride from Mumbai to Karachi.

Coffee With D is like an unfinished unpolished version of what could have been a rollicking run-in into a ruminative session between Indians biggest fugitive and loudest journalist. If only it had been allowed more leg-space to lunge in the lap of the ludicrous.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop
THE CREW (Russian; dubbed)

Direction: Nikolay Lebedev

Actors: Danila Kozlovsky, Agne Grudyte, Vladimir Mashkov

Rating: 2 / 5

I watched the first day, first show of The Crew in an empty theatre. Its the first Russian film (a blockbuster at that) in 10 years to get a commercial release in India, and its telling how little noise there has been around it.

The Crew is a remake of a 1979 film by the same title. That, too, was popular. Its that sort of a genre. Planes, explosions, volcanoes, earthquakes, and good-looking people saving the day make for entertaining cinema. Thats something even Russia and America can agree on.

Perhaps to help us relate, names have been tweaked: so, Alexandra is Sandra (Agne Grudyte), and Alexey Guchshin is Alex McCoy (Danila Kozlovsky). But that can only go so far. The English dubbing  often dispassionate and monotonous  takes a fair bit of drama away.

With disaster movies, the formula is straightforward: keep things simple, blow things up a lot. This one is a little more ambitious, so you end up waiting for disaster to actually strike.

A rebellious pilot must save the day when a volcano threatens to wipe out an island. Yup, its not believable, but its still kind of fun.

The first hour invests in personal lives. Theres a father-teenage son conflict. Theres a hint of feminism: Sandra is independent, a pilot senior to our hero, Alex, and able to tell him off for his shouty chauvinism. Oddly, Alex seems the least fleshed-out: hes more Maverick from Top Gun than commercial pilot at heart. And his disregard for authority gets him fired from his job as a cargo pilot.

Naturally, when he joins a commercial airline as a trainee, his instructor tells him off for his stunts. That is, until, while flying an empty plane to Asia, they get a distress call from a volcanic island where theres been an earthquake. The instructor  so far a stickler for the rule book  has had a change of heart, and off they go, primary cast in tow.

Thereafter, its one act of daredevilry after another: Drive through lava. Get a jet to take off on a burning strip. Perform mid-air stunts. Fly through a storm. Run out of fuel.

As recipes for action films go, this is a freakshake.

Suspension of disbelief is called upon as all but their rescue plane is blown up. And Alex takes a bus out to rescue locals. Wheres the military? Who knows.

As predictable as The Crew might be, you see why it works. The special effects are Hollywood-grade, high-budget. The 3D (there isnt a regular option) is passable.

But you know whats not Hollywood? The set piece where ground control always lets out a collective cheer when something goes right is totally missing. The Russians just absorb the moment quietly. It feels more real.

Watch the trailer for The Crew here

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The University of Mumbai (MU) spent around Rs1.4 lakh on advertisements to invite candidates for the position of Controller of Examination (CoE), but didnt end up appointing anyone to the key post, revealed a Right to Information (RTI) query.

The post of CoE, who is responsible for managing all aspects of examination and results, has been lying vacant for last 17 months. In this period, the university twice held interviews for the position, but couldn't fill it for the want of a suitable candidate.

In response to an RTI query, filed by activist Anil Galgali, MU revealed that the it had issued the first set of advertisements in October 2015 by paying Rs 91,768 to a publicity agency.

With a selection committee rejecting all the candidates who applied for the post, another set of advertisements were released a year later in August 2016, at the cost of Rs 48,048. However, this time, too, the selection committee rejected all the candidates.

The examination department continues to be a sore spot for MU. Currently, its headed by Deepak Wasave, a deputy registrar who was temporarily assigned the position after then controller Dinesh Bhonde resigned in August 2015, before his term ended.

Between 2010 and 2015, the office of exam controller has been occupied by seven individuals.

The RTI reveals that in 2015, the scrutiny committee, appointed by the vice-chancellor Sanjay Deshmukh deemed only four candidates, out of 24 aspirants, eligible for the post.

However, the selection committee, headed by Deshmukh, rejected all these didn't find any of these candidates to be up to the mark.

After the second round of advertisements in 2016, a new scrutiny committee was constituted, which examined 14 applications, of which 10 applications were short-listed. However, in October 2016, a Deshmukh-led selection committee, once again, rejected all the candidates.

Key post vacant since Aug 2015

- The post of Controller of Examination (CoE) has been lying vacant since August 2015, after Dinesh Bonde quit

- The varsity gave additional charge of this post to deputy registrar Deepak Wasave, who has been holding the post since

- In January last year, four probable candidates were shortlisted by a committee but the process was scrapped midway because of a clause in the new Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, which has no post for Controller of Examination. The new post as per the new Act is Director (Assessment and Evaluation).

- Similarly, in May, the shortlisted candidates were called for interviews, but all of them were rejected

- The second advertisement to find a CoE was published in August and after interviews, none of the 10 short-listed candidates were selected, leaving Wasave with the additional charge

- Between 2010 and 2015, the office of controller has been occupied by seven people.

Also read

Appoint exam controller in two months, Maharashtra govt tells Mumbai varsity

Mumbai Universitys search for exam department head unsuccessful

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Saying that they were put off by comments from certain Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, Shiv Sena leaders who are in charge of negotiating the seat-sharing agreement with the BJP for the Mumbai civic polls, have decided to halt talks and not engage in any further conversation with the party.

Senior Sena leaders Anil Desai, Anil Parab and Ravindra Mirlekar, in charge of hammering out a deal for their party, have decided to leave further decision making regarding any pre-poll alliance to Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Mirlekar, a former Sena legislator, said, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has once again made certain statements yesterday (Thursday) that left us disgruntled. On one side, the BJP is in seat-sharing talks with us and on the other, it is not even controlling what some of its senior leaders are saying. As far as the three of us are concerned, we have decided to not go for any further talks and leave the decision of the next step to our party chief.

Speaking to Marathi television channel IBN Lokmat on Thursday, Somaiya trained guns directly on Thackeray and his family, questioning how long Mumbai would tolerate the rule of a single family and party. In the same breath, he called for a civic body free of mafia raj. Over the past few months, Somaiya has been vociferous in his criticism of the Sena, alleging massive corruption in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), also stating that the BJP will have its candidates in all of Mumbais 227 wards.

While leaders at the ground level from both parties prefer going their separate ways, the top Sena leadership as well as the BJP, has been keen on an alliance to ensure a comfortable victory, as the Sena and the BJP would otherwise be each others biggest threats.

The parties started seat-sharing discussions on Monday, and after two initial rounds of meetings, decided to exchange their wish-lists of wards and meet for further discussion post that. With the BMC election scheduled on February 21, both parties set a January 21 deadline to wrap up talks.

The BJP is keen on contesting 114 seats this time, up from the 63 it contested in 2012, buoyed by its success in the 2014 Assembly election, where the party swept the city, winning one seat more than the Shiv Sena. The BJPs wish-list includes wards that currently have Sena corporators but fall in constituencies that were clinched by the BJP in the 2014 polls, making the Sena wary.

A senior Sena leader said, There are no talks scheduled today, and even if the BJP calls us, after Somaiyas remarks yesterday, our leaders wont go.

However, while the Shiv Sena is peeved with the acerbic comments from its ally, the party itself has continued its attacks on the BJP. Even after seat-sharing talks started, the Sena criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modis move on demonetisation, saying it was like a nuclear attack that has turned the country into Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On Friday, it took another jibe at the BJP, taunting it for inducting people with criminal records with an eye on winning elections.

READ MORE

Shiv Sena taunts BJP: Inducting criminals worse than stashing black money

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
With a mega block on the harbour line and special traffic and power block on the main line, be ready to face hassles during your commute on the Central Railway  both suburban and long-distance trains  on Sunday.

The traffic and power block will be imposed on the main line between Kalyan and Titwala stations for removal of old abandoned overhead pipeline near Shahad station. The block will start at 9.30am and end at noon.

During the block period, suburban services between the two stations will remain suspended.

The CR has cancelled Panchvati express and Manmad-LTT express trains on both the directions and has also re-scheduled several long distance trains, including Mahanagari express.

The mega block on the harbour line will be between Neral and Panvel stations. The block will begin at 11.20am and end at 4.20pm. According to the CR, the suburban services on the harbour and trans-horbour line will run only till Nerul.

Dont disrupt suburban services: Prabhu tweets

In the wake of the recent rail rokos, railway minister Suresh Prabhu, who also hails from the city, has urged citizens not to disrupt railway services.

The Central Railway (CR) has witnessed 10 public agitations in less than a year, of which 8 were in 2016, while 2 this month. On Friday, a day after mob blocked train operations at Titwala for more than 90 minutes, Prabhu tweeted: Rail is preferred mode of transport for poor, common people. Please dont disrupt traffic, causes inconvenience to those who cant afford.

Fifteen suburban services were cancelled on Thursday and around 50 services were delayed as 1,000 people protested against the demolition of their slums near the tracks for nearly 90 minutes.

Also read

Sunday mega block: No trains on Harbour line for 4 hours

18-hour mega block on CR today to dismantle Mumbais Hancock Bridge

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A voter will have to vote for all four seats in his ward or else the vote will be considered invalid said state election commissioner (SEC) JS Saharia while addressing a press conference in the city on Friday. He added that the electronic voting machines (EVMs) would be installed with buzzers that will hoot upon successful completion of voting .

In May 2016, the state election commission introduced a new panel system for the upcoming civic polls. As per this system, each ward will have a panel of four corporators, who will work together for the development of that ward. During the 2012 polls, the commission had introduced two corporators per panel system. The four seats in every panel will be named A, B, C and D and every voter will have to elect four candidates, one from each seat.

Explaining the panel system, Saharia said, Every ward will have a panel of four corporators. Voters will have to vote for all four seats or else their vote will not be counted. The EVM will buzz only after a voter casts his vote for all the four seats. Only then the next voter can cast his/her vote. People who do not want to elect a candidate for all four panels can press none of the above (NOTA) button. But voting for all four seats is a must.

He added that the presiding officer at the polling booth will inform a voter in case the buzzer doesnt go off. The officer will then ask the voter to cast vote for the pending seats or else the vote would be termed invalid. Moreover, voters can vote only once for each of the four seats. The EVM wont record additional votes for any of the seats if its from the same voter.

Every seat will be colour-coded to help people differentiate. Moreover, there will be sufficient gap between two seats. NOTA will be the last button on every seat, and will act as divider between two seats, said Shekhar Channe, secretary, state election commission.

Also read: Thane oppn leader leaves NCP for Shiv Sena

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has expressed confidence that Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in March 2014, will be returned to Ukraine.

"I have no doubts. There are no doubts, because it is Ukrainian territory, Ukrainian people live there and it is a gross violation of international law," he said in an interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The president noted that "some people think that we do not want to use military force, that we use only a diplomatic way, the Minsk agreements." However, in addition, he said that Ukraine uses a mechanism of international courts and international justice. He recalled that another suits have been recently filed to the UN International Court regarding terrorism and discrimination on the part of the Russian Federation.
1. Shiv Sena taunts BJP: Inducting criminals worse than stashing black money

Amid seat-sharing talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena taunted its ally for inducting people with criminal records, saying giving a roof to criminals with an eye on power is worse than stashing reserves of black money. Read

2. No help from Scotland Yard for Dabholkar, Pansare, Kalburgi murders: CBI to HC

After pursuing the Scotland Yard for months for expert opinion on the ballistics sample collected in the Dabholkar-Pansare and Kalburgi murders, and seeking countless adjournments on the ground, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the Bombay High Court on Friday that the United Kingdom government had refused to help.Read

3. Mumbai gets 75 more WiFi hotspots

Days after launching free WiFi connectivity across Mumbai at 510 locations, the Maharashtra government has now activated 75 more hotspots in the city, taking the tally up to 585. This was done to achieve the target of 1,200 hotspots by May 1, as declared by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Read

4. In Mumbai: 35.3% premature deaths were results of stroke because of air pollution

Most premature deaths in Mumbai and Delhi over two decades were caused by stroke (a medical condition that occurs when blood supply to the brain is cut off), due to inhalation of ultrafine suspended particles, revealed a study by the Indian Institute of Technology  Bombay (IITB). Read

5. Garbage, sewage choke two lakes along Eastern Expressway in Mumbai, NGO finds

Environmentalists have identified two lakes near Bhandup (East) along the Eastern Express Highway, that are contaminated with untreated sewage and garbage  a threat to marine life and birds feeding in it. Read
Environmentalists have identified two lakes near Bhandup (East) along the Eastern Express Highway, that are contaminated with untreated sewage and garbage  a threat to marine life and birds feeding in it.

Non-government organisation Vanashakti filed complaints with the salt department, state pollution control board and the civic body about the two salt water lakes, spread across 10 acres each, being strewn with plastic bags that have severely degraded the water quality.

These lakes are formed after salt water flows in and develops the water body from creeks during high tide. However, they are not used as salt pans because the level of water varies with the tide.

These water bodies, adjoining Bhandupeshwar Kund, are choking because of the careless disposal of waste and untreated sewage being dumped into it by persons passing by the expressway. Open defecation is also seen at various sites around the lake, said Stalin D, director, Vanashakti. The time has come for concrete action by banning plastic, since it is a common problem for all water bodies in the state.

He added that sewage needs to be diverted into proper sewer lines and channelled to Bhandup pumping station. There is a need to install nets, provide round the clock security and erect barricades to prevent people from disposing waste, said Stalin. If the problem is left unaddressed, we will be constrained to initiate legal proceedings against authorities for their inaction.

A satellite view of the lakes. (HT)

A Supreme Court order from 2001 said that natural resources such as lakes, forests, ponds, hillocks, and mountains are important for maintaining the ecological balance and needs to be protected. It also stated that if fallen to disuse, these sites cannot be used for building houses and authorities are duty bound to clean and develop them to prevent an ecological disaster.

Officials from the salt department passed the buck as they told HT that the jurisdiction to take action in such matters lies with the suburban collector, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the civic body. We have asked our officers to carry out a site visit to check the severity of the situation. We will be sharing the report with MPCB and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to initiate action, said PK Sharma, junior assistant, salt department.

MPCB officials said a water quality test will be conducted at the site. We will take samples from both lakes and check for the level of pollution and conduct a chemical analysis. However, we will direct the ward office to instruct their officers to remove the trash at the earliest, said a senior official from MPCBs sub-regional office.

BMC officials said that sewer lines were connected to both lakes. Sewage is being treated at the Bhandup sewage treatment plant. However, when it comes to the issue dumping trash, we will increase security around the lakes, said a senior civic official from the sewerage operations department.

Meanwhile, a study by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Nature found 68 lakes surveyed in Mumbai that were not cared for, 63.2% was used to dump garbage. About 60% were used for washing clothes and as toilets with 22% used for bathing. Religious offerings were disposed in 41% lakes and 32.4% had sewage released into them.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

Wetlands such as lakes, ponds or tanks stabilise the coastline, control erosion and provide a habitat for plant and animal species, prevent floods and purify and increase the groundwater level during monsoons. The also regulate climate change by storing carbon. Besides, they also contribute to the countrys economy by providing fishery resources, timber, wildlife resources, medicines and agricultural products.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

 If you live close to a water body, make sure you photograph it. It can stand as evidence in court if theres ever an attempt to reclaim it.

 If you see truckloads of debris being dumped into it, inform your ward officer and police station.

 As a step further, file a written complaint to them as well as the city or suburban collector.

 Those involved with dumping debris, from the developer to the contract workers, can be booked under various criminal charges and under the Environment Protection Act.

 If you want to get a polluted water body cleaned in your neighbourhood, contact the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board on 022-24020781 / 24014701 / 24010437.

READ MORE

Purse seine nets for overfishing could be killing marine mammals in Maharashtra: Experts

Maharashtra ties up with ISRO to save mangroves

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Setting new precedent for civic polls, the election commission (EC) has appointed Income Tax (I-T) officials to monitor expenses of the candidates contesting Thane and Ulhasnagar civic elections. The EC has appointed six officials for Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) and five for Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC).

I-T officials have been appointed for assembly and Lok Sabha polls, but never for civic polls, until now.

J S Saharia, state election commissioner (SEC), said, These I-T officials will be given specific seats to keep a tab on the election expenditure of the candidates. The detailed report of the same will be submitted to the EC for further action.

Moreover, municipal commissioners of Thane and Ulhasnagr would be given the authority to chose the seat or the candidate on whom the I-T official will keep a tab.

We have our observers, who keep an eye on election expenditure of all the candidates. These I-T officials will only be asked to keep a tab on sensitive seats, where the commissioner feels undue funds are being splurged for campaigning or to lure the voters, Saharia added.

Each candidate is permitted total election expenditure of Rs. 4 lakhs in Thane and Rs. 3 lakhs in Ulhasnagar. They are supposed to give an account of per day expenses and total expenditure to the election commission.

Also read: Action against officers forcing juniors into poll duty: SEC

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Most premature deaths in Mumbai and Delhi over two decades were caused by stroke (a medical condition that occurs when blood supply to the brain is cut off), due to inhalation of ultrafine suspended particles, revealed a study by the Indian Institute of Technology  Bombay (IITB).

The three-member IITB team attributed 35.3% premature deaths to cerebrovascular disease  arteries supplying blood to the brain is affected  as a result of being exposed to high levels of particulate matter of size less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) between 1991 and 2015. Additionally, premature deaths due to ischemic heart disease (it falls under the group of cardiovascular diseases) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) stood at 33.3% and 22.9% during the same period.

A dangerous pollutant, PM2.5 can lodge deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, giving rise to a host of problems from damage to lung tissue, sneezing, asthma attacks, migraines, headaches to even cancer and heart attacks. The elderly, children, and those with chronic lung disease, influenza, or asthma, are especially sensitive to the effects of PM2.5.

As compared to Mumbai, Delhi recorded more PM2.5 premature deaths  from an estimated 7,481 in 1991 to 14,844 in 2015. In Mumbai, 13,196 residents were killed in 2015 as against 8,678 in 1991.

Taking Rs46 for a dollar as US-India currency exchange rate in 2005, the average economic cost due to premature deaths attributed to PM2.5 in Mumbai was US$ 1127.2 (Rs 5,184 crores) and it was US$ 1129.2 million (Rs 5,193 crores) in Delhi.

The sources of PM2.5 include vehicle exhaust, solid waste burning, emissions from power plants, wood burning, industrial processes and diesel vehicles.

A new wave of pollution control initiatives is needed to stem the crippling levels of air pollution. At present, proper air quality management is required to reduce air pollution urgently and effectively, especially for PM10 and PM2.5 pollutants, said Kamal Jyoti Maji, lead investigator, Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering, IITB.

Previous studies on PM2.5 emissions and health impacts have called for a long-term epidemiological study for India because of the presence of high outdoor PM2.5 concentration in India and its subcontinent countries. Even the Global Burden Disease study by the World Health Organisation estimated 0.695 million premature deaths due to outdoor PM2.5.

READ MORE

Air pollution causes 95% premature deaths in Mumbai and Delhi: Study

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Juhu police, which is investigating the alleged suicide case of actor Jiah Khan, on Friday submitted articles it has collected as probable evidence before the special womans court. The CBI, however, said it has been unable to get the call data records sought by Khans mother Rabia.

As ordered, the CBI officer on Friday appeared before the court and explained why he missed the previous hearing.

The officer said he could not appear before the court as the dates were proponed on the request of Rabias lawyer on the undertaking they would convey the change of date to the investigating agency.

The officer said they were not informed about the same. The court later accepted the contention and also questioned the lawyers.

Jiah was found hanging in her room on June 3, 2013. A week later, the Juhu police arrested actor Sooraj Pancholi for abetment of suicide. Last week, Khans mother Rabia, who claims her daughter was murdered, had moved an application asking for the dupatta that was allegedly used by the actress to commit suicide. Rabia has also asked the court for copies of call data records of Soorajs friends and associates, who are witnesses in the case, along with CCTV footage from the hotel where Sooraj claimed to have gone on the date of the incident.

The CBI on Friday replied to her plea and submitted the CCTV footage, but said they were unable to get the call records. The CBI said the records was not collected by Juhu police who initially investigated the case and the central agency was handed over the probe a year and half from the incident.The agency alleged that owing to the delay, the agency could not get the record.

Meanwhile, the dupatta and other six articles worn by Jiah at the time of the incident were on Friday submitted by the Juhu police who had initially sent it for forensic examination. The central agency submitted 32 other articles they collected during the probe before the court.

Also read

Jiah Khan case: New report suggests suicide was staged, Sooraj Pancholi reacts

Jiah Khan death: Bombay HC stays trial against Sooraj Pancholi

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The city has the highest vehicle density in India, according to the states transport department.

Case in point: Compared to the National Capital Region (NCR), which has almost 30,000 kilometre of roads, Mumbai has only 1,941 kilometre. There are 87 lakh vehicles in the NCR, while Mumbai has 28 lakh vehicles plying on its streets , with an additional two lakh vehicles coming from Thane and Navi Mumbai. The length of NCRs roads is 15 times more than Mumbais, but it has only three times more vehicles than Mumbai.

For the Mumbai traffic police, which has to also deal with 770 new vehicles registered at four regional transport offices (RTOs) every day, only around 1,200 of its 3,000-strong workforce are on duty per shift to man the 1,250 major junctions across the city.

Safe to say, traffic management cannot get more difficult. But now, the Mumbai traffic police have opened its doors to citizens who want to help crack down on traffic offenders.

Speaking at the panel discussion on road safety at the Hindustan Times office, the citys traffic police chief, Milind Bharambe, said citizens can join hands with the police in making the CCTV-challan system more effective.

Bharambe said unless the authorities rope in civilians into the government machinery as support system, the city cannot excel.

If some resident is concerned that motorists are flouting traffic rules , they should work with us. Let those citizen representatives step forward and participate. Sit with us, work with us and generate challans. We will authorise that, Bharambe said.

The Mumbai traffic police started issuing challans using the citys CCTV system from October last year. This was made possible with the help of 4,762 CCTV cameras installed across the city .

We intend to involve the public in traffic policing. If we have to generate more challans to instill a sense of discipline, it will only be done through public participation, added Bharambe. The CCTV cameras live stream footage from roads to the traffic police control room at Worli headquarters, where a team of police personnel detect violations. The superior-quality cameras provide clean footage allowing the police to zoom in and read the vehicles registration number plate.

After verifying the vehicles ownership details, a challan is generated and the offender immediately receives an SMS. As of now, the traffic department said they are issuing at least 10,000 challans using CCTVs a day.

The departments internet application, MTP, also supports a feature to report traffic violations. Civilians have to only take a picture of the violation and send it on the application. After the traffic officials receive the data, it is verified and a challan is issued to the motorist violating norms.

Read more

HT Road Safety series: Time to get this scary show off Mumbais roads

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Mumbai M

The Mumbai Congress is not just fighting against the Shiv Sena and BJP but even against factionalism.

A month before the civic elections, Gurudas Kamat, a senior Congress leader and former union minister, has raised dissent by announcing that he was withdrawing from the exercise of selecting candidates and campaign. He has blamed Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam for his decision. This is the second time Kamat has embarrassed his party by openly revolting against Nirupam. This time, the reason seems to be the choice of candidates. Reacting to Kamats decision, Nirupam said his priority was to counter the Sena-BJP combine. In a message sent to his followers on Friday morning, Kamat said candidates seeking the party tickets should directly contact their local legislators or the district presidents. Kamat headed the coordination committee for the civic elections. Later in the evening, the party convened a meeting of senior leaders.

Kamat was reportedly upset over selection procedure of candidates. Sources from the Kamat camp said the reason behind the decision was Nirupams refusal to form a parliamentary board which has the final say in the selection of candidates shortlisted by the district-level committee. Kamat had also objected to revealing the manifesto contents before the official release.

Nirupam said he does not want the issue to be discussed at this juncture. We have been following the guidelines of selection of candidates laid down by partys vice-president Rahul Gandhi. The procedure has been agreed upon by all 15-16 senior leaders from the city. If any of the leaders is insistent about particular candidate he should give it in writing and take the responsibility of the results, he said.

This is not the first time that Kamat has dissented openly. He had resigned from the party last June only to rejoin it in two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Congress launched a campaign, exposing the sins of the Sena-BJP rule in the BMC for the last two decades. It also alleged that the freebies announced by the allies were just a hogwash.

Nothing has been delivered in spite of having been in power for more than 20 years,Nirupam said while addressing a press conference.

READ

BMC polls: Parties spell war with taglines
The enforcement directorate (ED) recently issued summons to televangelist Dr Zakir Naik to question him about his various properties and funding of his now-banned Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).

The central agency had earlier summoned officials of IRF, which was banned in November 2016 for five years, following a government notification declaring it to be an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

A summons has been issued for further investigations, said an ED officer, requesting anonymity.

The central agency has filed enforcement case information reports (ECIR) against Naik. The agency is probing whether his funds came from those who were inspired by his speeches. it.

After a ban on the foundation, the NIA registered a case against Naik and the IRF charging him with inciting young Muslims to indulge in violence and promoting enmity between groups on the basis of religion and race. The FIR has accused him of giving speeches that spread communal disharmony. The agency also charged Naik with indulging in activities that are prejudicial to national integration.

Naik has been out of the country after reports emerged that his sermons influenced a few of the Bangladeshi attackers, who targeted an eatery in Dhaka on July 1.

Bangladesh has banned Naiks Peace TV, saying it incited the attack on a Dhaka cafe in which 22 people were gunned down.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The proposed International Finance Services Centre (IFSC) at Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai is likely to be named North 51, derived from the areas pin code and the north Mumbai location.

The task force on the IFSC chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and MoS for civil aviation Jayant Sinha zeroed in on the name this Wednesday in a review meeting.

The panel, in its review meet, also ruled in favour of a more Indian identity for North 51 along with open and green spaces instead of just the new-age dark glass and concrete towers. The master plan for the centre will be accordingly worked on and submitted to the state by the consultant in the coming three months. The proposed BKC metro station will also come up now at the IFSC.

The decision to go ahead with the plan comes even as the IFSC proposal has yet not been approved. The Ministry of Commerce rejected the states proposal to consider 50 hectare (minimum land requirement mandatory for getting finance special economic zone tag) in built up area instead of plot size.

The government has now sent a renewed proposal, demarcating the 50 hectares of physical area.

We have redrawn the boundaries for the IFSC and carved out the requisite contiguous 50 hectare plot. It will include the entire MMRDA ground and other areas. We hope to get the approval soon. Mumbai has a natural advantage with IFSC and that cannot be denied on any grounds, said a senior official and member of the task force.

The state officials suspect that the delay from the Centre for the Mumbai IFSC is on account of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT), the countrys only designated IFSC, an approved financial SEZ and a project closely associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The officials claim GIFT will not get investors if there is another financial centre so close to it.

To get around this hurdle, the panel is now working on a Mumbai-GIFT corridor to have a better linkage between the two proposed finance centres. The Taskforce has asked member and Bank of Baroda, managing director Jayakumar to work on this proposal.

It was also decided that Mumbai IFSC should have a tie-up with Qatar and Dubai to create a South Asia-Middle East corridor. The ICICI MD Chanda Kochhar, also on this task force, is looking at how these tie-ups can be possible.

The finance centre has been on Mumbais wish list for the last 7 years. Fadnavis put it back on track after he took over the government by setting up the task force to turn it into a reality.

State officials are expecting delay in Centres approval to the project. We dont expect this file to move for another year. We will get the tag eventually. In the meanwhile, we will prepare a master plan for BKC IFSC, we already have interested investors with BKC land being a gold mine, said an official, closely associated with the IFSC project.

Also read

Fadnavis proposed biz centres for Mumbai fail to find any takers

Global tenders floated for finance hub in Mumbai

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
From the upcoming academic year, schools will be unable to deny admissions to students allotted to them under the Right to Education (RTE) quota- reserved for economically weaker sections- even if they submit fake income certificates.

In a meeting with schools on Friday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that new rules prevent schools from cross-verifying RTE students documents under any circumstances. If they suspect anything amiss, they must admit the child and then report the case to the BMC, who will look into it.

Only the BMC education department will reserve the right to cancel a students admission. Schools will not have the power to reject admissions on their own, said Milind Sawant, deputy municipal commissioner, BMC, explaining the nitty-gritties of the changes to the online admission process in accordance to the government resolution dated January 10.

Hindustan Times had reported on May 30, last year that a group of Goregaon schools had unearthed a fake income certificate scam: they found that nearly 66 students submitted bogus certificates- showing that the families are earning under Rs 1 lakh annually- to avail of a seat in the quota. The schools cancelled their admissions

On probing these cases, the department found that the uneducated parents were misled into acquiring fake certificates by touts looking to make a quick buck, and schools refused to readmit the children even though they produced authentic documents later on, said officials. Despite orders, schools refused to take those students back and deprived them of their rights, said Mahesh Palkar, education officer, BMC. So the department has taken a tough stance this time.

Children admitted to the quota will continue studying under it till Class 8 even if their families start earning more than Rs 1 lakh after the admission, said Palkar. Schools should not ask students to produce income certificates every year, said Palkar. It doesnt matter if the childs family earns Rs 10 or 16 lakh next year.

Schools are alarmed over the loopholes in the new rules which might allow people to gain unfairly from the RTE provision. Instead of strengthening the admission process, these new rules have weakened it. This increases the scope for fraud and bogus candidates, said a principal from Vile Parle on the condition of anonymity.

Adding to their woes, the department maintained that unfilled seats in the quota will have to be kept vacant, and schools wont be reimbursed for them. Principals said that they should be allowed to admit non-RTE students to the leftover seats. Our schools are losing revenue because we cannot shift the vacant seats into general category, said Amol Dhamdhere, vice-chairman of the IES Grouo of Schools. Another teacher said, Last year, out of 50 students allotted to us, only three took admissions and among them a girl dropped out later.

Read more:

NCERT designated authority for curriculum under RTE: Govt to Delhi HC

Maharashtra govt has not spent enough on education in last 3 years

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres during a meeting in Davos, Switzerland, have coordinated their positions ahead of Ukraine's chairmanship in the UN Security Council.

Poroshenko congratulated Guterres on having been elected UN Secretary General and expressed hope that Guterres will adhere to basic principles and goals of the UN Charter, first of all, respect to sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, the Ukrainian president's press service reported.

"The parties discussed prospects of further interaction in the framework of the UN given the membership of Ukraine in the UN Security Council and coordinated positions ahead of Ukraine's presidency in the UN Security Council in February 2017," the report reads.

The Head of State urged the UN secretary general to pay greater attention to the violation of human rights in the occupied Crimea and Donbas.

Poroshenko also briefed Guterres about the lawsuit against Russia submitted by Ukraine to the UN International Court of Justice.

The president invited the UN secretary general to make a visit to Ukraine.
The Mumbai police have detained a group of students protesting in front of Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Womens University (SNDT) against a circular directing students to wear decent and formal clothes.

In a show of defiance, around 10 activists belonging to student organisation Vidyarthi Bharti, most of them girls wearing shorts, raised slogans against the universitys circular. They also had a meeting with the SNDT University officials, including vice-chancellor Shashikala Wanjari, and demanded the withdrawal of the circular within five days.

The incident occurred on the day when the university held its 66th convocation, which was attended by Maharashtra governor and universitys chancellor Vidyasagar Rao.

Police officials present on the spot cited security reasons for detaining the protestors.

If more than four people gather at a spot, we are permitted by the law to detain them. With the governor visiting the university, security measures need to be stringent, said a police official.

In an earlier statement, Rakesh Sutar, vice-president of Vidyarthi Bharti, said, The university and its student welfare department shouldnt decide what girls should or shouldnt wear.

Puja Bedekar, state president of Vidyarthi Bharti, said they have issued an ultimatum to the university to withdraw the circular within five days. The officials told us that the directive cannot be overturned immediately, as it was decided by a committee, she said.

Meanwhile, the university officials rued the unnecessary attention to the issue. An official said the circular didnt ban any particular dress and simply asked the girl students to wear clothes appropriate for an educational institute. The circular was issued after the vice-chancellor spotted a girl wearing a brasserie-like top, she said.

In a statement, Wanjari said,  We all know what is decent and formal in the context of classroom and academic institution premises. The circular... is in no way an assault on right to wear for students.

READ

VCs diktat on dress code upsets students in Mumbai

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
After pursuing the Scotland Yard for months for expert opinion on the ballistics sample collected in the Dabholkar-Pansare and Kalburgi murders, and seeking countless adjournments on the ground, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the Bombay High Court on Friday that the United Kingdom government had refused to help.

Appearing for the CBI that is conducting the probe into rationalist Narendra Dabholkars murder, additional solicitor-general Anil Singh told the HC that the probe agency had accordingly decided to drop the pursuit, and instead consult an independent forensic lab in Ahmedabad.

Singh said, Scotland Yard had said that while it was willing to look into the ballistics sample, it couldnt give its opinion unless the CBI got a written agreement from the United Kingdom home department.

Getting such an agreement is likely to take a lot of time and thus, considering the legal and practical difficulties, we have decided to drop it, Singh said.

It then sought eight weeks time from the court for further probe.

A division bench of the high court granted CBI the time but recorded its displeasure, saying that it is surprised at the CBIs submission.

If there was no legal agreement between the two governments, why did the CBI waste so much time? the bench said.

CBI had first told HC that it wanted to consult the Scotland Yard in April last year and since then it had been seeking adjournments on the ground that it was yet to provide its opinion. Such opinion, it had claimed, was essential to determine whether there was a link to, or whether, the same weapons had been used in the murders of Dabholkar, Pansare, and Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra SIT that is probing the murder of left leader Govind Pansare, submitted a progress report saying that it was concentrating all efforts on arresting the two accused belonging to the right wing group, Sanatan Sanstha, named in the charge sheet in the case.

Pansare was murdered in February 2015, Kalburgi in August 2015, and Dabholkar in August 2013.

Five empty cartridge cases were recovered from the site of Pansares murder and one was recovered from his body. Two empty cartridge cases from the crime scene and two bullets were recovered in Kalburgi case.

READ MORE

CBI has done bare minumum in Dabholkar case, says Bombay HC

Rationalists shot dead: CBI seeks another 6 weeks from HC to submit report on murder weapon

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Its when you see them side by side that the magnitude of the problem hits. Heres a Husain, and there again is the same Husain, and everyone knows he only made one.

You inch closer, in step with the curator of the exhibition, and you still cant tell which is which.

The art of forgery has progressed step for step with the evolution of art. Some forgers even create fake paper trails. Others are so accurate that even the experts cant tell them apart, and then science must step in to analyse the paint, canvas or relative age of the work.

At the Piramal Museum of Art in Lower Parel, an exhibition titled Likeness Without Reference  The Cultures of Forgery, is putting the real and the counterfeit side by side to try and show viewers the scale of the problem, and teach them a little bit about how to tell real master art from forgery (signatures and markings play a key role, FYI).

The showcase will also deal with the very notion of original in the realm of prints and sculptures, says Ashvin Rajagopalan, director of the Piramal Art Foundation.

The exhibition is on till March 31. But for now, check out a Hussain, a Raja Ravi Varma and a Jamini Roy below, and see if you can tell which is the real one.

THE HUSAIN

So this one above is the original Husain. The easiest way to tell, in this case, is the Madhuri Dixit signature just below Husains.

The forgery is from a set bought by a private collector on the recommendation of an art advisor, who provided provenance documents that traced ownership to a Bengal-based artist.

Art experts later revealed that the work was a fake watercolour based on serigraphs that Husain had created for a prominent gallery in Ahmedabad.

This just proves that art is best bought from or through art galleries that are known to represent the artist or deal in his or her works.

Just FYI, heres a closer look at the fake:

Just so hard to tell, isnt it?

JAMINI ROY

In this case, the difference in scale immediately screams fake. Roy never worked on such a huge canvas. (Kunal Patil / HT Photo)

So here, the forger didnt just duplicate the work; they also blew it up in size. Yup, the big ones the fake. Takes a special kind of courage to do that, now, doesnt it?

Heres a closer look at Jamini Roys original, intricate gem.

Roys philosophy that art was for the masses led him to produce large numbers of low-priced paintings similar to his higher-priced ones. This decision poses serious problems for the art market. The uneven nature of works that came out of Roys studio, the inability to accurately date the work, the omnipresence of his work on the art market and the absence of a clear provenance in most cases, makes it difficult to authenticate a Jamini Roy.

Often, there is no recourse but to depend on the authenticity of the visual imagery. And that, as you can see in the forgery below, is a problem in itself.

Roy was a master of form and colour, infusing a sense of rhythm in his compositions. Though these elements are hard to replicate in a fake, sadly they are not impossible.

RAJA RAVI VARMA

Raja Ravi Varma has the unfortunate distinction of being the most faked Indian artist  ironic, given that he was a champion of individual creativity.

There are two key reasons: the high value of a Ravi Varma, and his practice of replicating his own paintings, which makes it impossible to know how many there were. The ones above, for instance, are all genuine! Look how similar they are, and think about how easy it would be for an expert to craft a lookalike.

For decades, forgers have been duplicating his work hither and thither, even taking elements from known works to create an entirely new entity. These images are then backed up with provenance documents furnished by unscrupulous dealers.

Authenticating a Ravi Varma requires the skill of an expert who can verify its historicity and visual language.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The decision of the alliance between the BJP and the Shiv Sena for the civic elections seems to be in the hands of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. After two initial rounds of discussions, seat-sharing talks between the two parties came to a grinding halt on Friday withboth sides blaming each other for the same.

Sources said both the parties were finding it difficult to work out an acceptable seat-sharing arrangement in Mumbai  the BJP wants more than 100 out of 227 seats, while the Sena is unwilling to part with more than 50 seats from the 167 it contested the last time. With the deadline set by the BJP to finalise the seat-sharing coming to an end on Saturday, the decision for the same is in the hands of Fadnavis and Thackeray. If the two of them want an alliance, we will work out a pact. Else, both sides are preparing to go solo, said a source close to the developments.

Although the public bickering was over other issues, sources from both sides said the bone of contention is how many seats the Sena should concede to the BJP. In 2012, the Mumbai civic polls, the Sena had contested 164 seats, while the BJP had fielded its candidates for 63 seats. Following the 2014 Assembly polls, when the BJP won 15 out of 36 seats while fighting solo, the party is confident that it can win far more than the 31 seats it won in 2012. It wants to contest 100-105 seats, which the Sena has refused to agree to. Climbing down from 164 seats that we contested earlier to 115-120 is difficult for us. If both sides stick to their stands, it is difficult to forge an alliance in Mumbai, said a key Sena leader.

Sources said a workable solution was possible if the Sena leaves 85 to 90 seats to the BJP and contests 135 to 140 seats. However, such a solution can be worked out only by Fadnavis and Thackeray. Even that is not easy because the two sides will have to agree on which additional seats the Sena should be giving to the BJP. The BJP has even staked claim on certain seats where we have sitting corporators. It is difficult to reach a consensus, said the Sena leader.

Throughout the day, the two parties publicly squabbled and put pressure on each other so that the other side budges. Negotiators from both sides were supposed to meet on Friday, but that meeting had not taken place until late in the evening.

Earlier in the day, negotiators from the Sena abruptly decided not to engage in any further conversation with the BJP leaders. Saying they were put off by comments by BJP Member of Parliament (MP) Kirit Somaiya and city BJP president Ashish Shelar, Sena leaders in charge of hammering out a deal for their party have decided to leave further decision-making to Thackeray.

Irked by the Senas response, which ignores the string of criticism that the party itself launched against the BJP in its mouthpiece publication, Saamana, BJP leaders said the Sena should be upfront about its issues. They, however, maintained they were open to an alliance in the citys interest, saying Fadnavis will take a call on the alliance talks after discussions with Thackeray.

State education minister Vinod Tawde, a senior BJP leader, said, Ideally one can ignore what both Sanjay Raut [editor of Saamana] and Somaiya have spoken. The Sena should be open and candid. If they think that the alliance is in the interest of the city, then we should continue with the talks. We are clear that in the interest of Mumbai, the alliance should take shape to keep the Congress out. Sena leaders have never been so two-faced in their communication.

While leaders at the ground level from both parties prefer going their separate ways, the top leadership of the Sena as well as the BJP has been keen on an alliance to ensure a comfortable victory, as the two parties would otherwise be each others biggest threats.

The impasse over Mumbai has even affected the possibility of a BJP-Sena tie-up in other cities as well as district council elections. The situation is similar in the case of other cities where the two parties want to come together  Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Nashik.

We expected some sort of solution by the two top leaders from both the sides in a day or two, said the BJP source. However, even if the two parties reach any decision, it may not be disclosed immediately and could be closer to January 27 when the nominations for the civic polls begin.

Friday witnessed drama with both sides training guns on each other.

Speaking to Marathi television channel IBN Lokmat on Thursday, Somaiya had questioned the large writ of the Thackeray family on the city and the civic body, and called for putting an end to mafia raj in the BMC.

Anil Parab, a Sena leader negotiating with the BJP, said, We have told our party chief we cannot tolerate allegations against him. We are his Sainiks after all. We are appealing to the chief minister now to make his stand clear on whether he wants an alliance and see to it that BJP leaders do not make such statements. Once we get a clarification from the chief minister, our party chief will decide on whether to resume seat sharing talks.

Besides Parab, Sena leaders Anil Desai and Ravindra Mirlekar were in charge of seat-sharing talks from the Senas side. The BJP was represented by ministers Vinod Tawde and Prakash Mehta, state chief Raosaheb Danve and city president Ashish Shelar.

While Sena leaders are peeved with Somaiyas remarks, the party has itself been launching offensives against the BJP daily in Saamana. It recently said the demonetisation move was like a nuclear attack that has turned the country into Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On Friday, it took another jibe at the BJP, taunting it for inducting people with criminal records.

Parab said, We clarify our stand on various issues in Saamana. We have never made corruption allegations against any particular leader. There are several BJP cabinet ministers facing corruption allegations. If at all we have to start on a transparent administration, we should start from the three leaders who have come forward (for negotiations) because all three are facing corruption charges.

Tawde said, If they [Sena leaders] had an issue with our team, it should have been communicated to us right at the beginning. Why the sudden realisation? The fact remains that the BJP is represented by senior leaders, including our state president, two ministers and our city unit chief, while the Sena has sent some junior leaders including one Member of Parliament, one deputy leader and a former legislator.

The Sena and BJP started seat-sharing discussions on Monday, and after two initial rounds of meetings, decided to exchange their wish-lists of wards and meet for further discussion post that, but Fridays verbal crossfire halted the progress.

Read more:

BMC polls: Sena negotiators wont talk to BJP, leave final decision to party chief
Twelve million tonnes of waste, 94 years of overuse, 10 years of planning and 12 massive fires in 2016 -- this is the story of Deonar, the largest dumping ground in the countrys financial capital.

On January 28, it will be one year since a massive fire in the dumpyard disrupted the lives of most living around Deonar. Battling stench and respiratory disorders, the 8.2 lakh citizens of M/east ward (Govandi, Deonar and Mankhurd) that houses the dumping ground are angry, but helpless. But their pleas are not strong enough to make it to the election campaign of any political party.

Since 2005, Mumbai has been fed with the dream of becoming Shanghai. Twelve years later too, the city is treating the 9,500 metric tonnes of waste generated daily in an age-old style. Of the 9,500 metric tonnes of waste, only 3,000 metric tonnes is processed at Kanjurmarg dump site, which is also not fully functional yet.

Why cant the administration and corporators of the city manage its waste well?

Both the city and state governments are to be blame. After the disastrous fire at Deonar, the authorities announced new dumping grounds at Taloja and Airoli. A year later, the state is yet to allot a plot for the dumping ground at Taloja in Navi Mumbai.

While setting June 2017 as the deadline for scientific disposal of waste, the Bombay high court had also appointed a six-member committee to ensure there were no more fires and to check if the civic body was working towards meeting the deadline. There have been five meetings with the BMC, but at the present pace, it is impossible meet the deadline. These meetings are just to show the HC that the BMC followed their order, said a committee member.

The municipal solid waste management rules, 2000, which were recently notified after 16 years, makes it compulsory for all local bodies to scientifically treat the waste and provide infrastructure for segregation, collection, transportation of the waste.

While the BMC has asked citizens to segregate waste, it has failed to provide infrastructure to transport the segregated waste.

The processing of waste at two other sites -- Deonar and Mulund -- is far from the starting point. One year after the fire, companies are yet to show interest in the processing of 3,000 metric tonnes of waste at Deonar. The second largest dumping ground that takes another 2,500 metric tonnes of waste daily, too, has not got bidders.

While the disastrous fire at Deonar got attention from politicians, residents in the tony suburbs and the media, it hasnt changed much for the residents. With the political interest too fading away, they are now staring at a bleak future.

Read

Mulund dumping yard: BMC changes tender terms, gives in to contractors demand

Chembur, Deonar bear the brunt of citys air-pollution problems: Survey

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
At a time when the state government is working towards putting together a new set of statutes in order to implement the recently approved State Public Universities Bill, principals of city colleges are hoping for some statutes to be retained from the old Act.

In a meeting conducted between a group of city college principals on Thursday, it was decided to bring the attention of the university as well as the government, to the new rules introduced in the new Act, especially related to the elections, nomination of Academic Council and Board of Studies (BoS) members.

A lot of changes have been introduced by the new Act and we want to make sure that the quality is not compromised with. The statutes as prescribed by the previous Act were very apt and in consideration of the quality, which is why we suggest that some of the statutes remain the same, said Dinesh Panjwani, principal of R D National College, Bandra. He added that the previous version of the Act made sure that qualifications of all members was appropriate to the roles they take in any of the committees at the university, which is why it was important to retain some parts of the old statutes.

The highlight of the new Act is the comeback of student elections. While students are getting re-entry into the system, principals are unhappy about the scaling down of number of elected principals in various committees. Elected member principals are only a handful, whereas the number of nominated principals has increased. We principals dont want to go against the administration but we want to be the of best help to the university, said Marie Fernandes, principal of St Andrews College.

A final draft of all suggestions made by these principals will be sent to officials at the University of Mumbai as well as the state government, early next week, said principals. When HT contacted officials from the state higher education department, they said work on the statutes is underway. The government had started work on statutes well before the new Act was passed in the assembly. We will finish drafting the by-laws by the end of this month, said an aide to state education minister Vinod Tawde, on condition of anonymity.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Amid seat-sharing talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena taunted its ally for inducting people with criminal records, saying giving a roof to criminals with an eye on power is worse than stashing reserves of black money.

In an editorial in the partys mouthpiece, Saamana, the Shiv Sena said that everyone desired power, but it should not come at this cost, and that the Sena was only warning the BJP as a friend.

All such people who were in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) earlier have in a short span taken refuge under the lotus. Every one wants the tilgul (a traditional sesame sweet) of power, but the BJP should be careful, the Sena said in the editorial.

The Shiv Sena acknowledged that it was in seat-sharing talks with the BJP, and people have equated the process to the crushing of sugarcane. We feel that the crushing will yield more sweet than molasses, but as a ruling party there are several who have lined up at the BJPs footsteps to have a share of the tilgul.

Both the Sena and BJP are preparing ground to contest independently in case the seat-sharing talks fail, and are already training their guns against each other ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.

The Sena added, the BJP has never let go a single opportunity to criticise parties such as the Congress, the NCP, Mulayam Singh Yadavs Samajwadi Party, Lalu Prasad Yadavs Rashtriya Janata Dal, Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress and so on for harbouring people with criminal records.

People think it is the BJP that can clean the murky Ganga of national politics, and the Modi-led party will cleanse the countrys political system. But such things are happening that make one wonder if the tilgul is a bite of sugar or stones that can break teeth, the Sena said.

The party cited the recent induction of 91-year-old Narayan Dutt Tiwari from the Congress fold. Tiwari, a loyalist of the Gandhi family, has been the chief minister of two states, a Union minister and a Governor, though he had to resign after a sex scandal.

The BJP should come clean as to how Tiwaris experience and guidance is going to exactly benefit the party, the Saamana editorial said.

READ MORE

BJP, Shiv Sena go on a poaching spree

BMC polls: Uddhav Thackeray mum on tie-up with BJP, announces sops

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Rappers Kanye West and Jay Z are reportedly in talks to team up for a duet. According to a source, West and Jay Z have put their differences behind them and could now be making music together once again, reports mirror.co.uk.

Kanye is over the moon to have his family back. He is starting to feel like himself again, knowing he has the support of Jay and Beyonce, the source told The Sun newspaper.

Some new tracks would be fascinating given what Kanye has been through over the past year. But under the watchful eye of his mentor and big bro Jay, it would be huge, the source added.

(File) Kanya and his wife Kim were spotted at Jay Z and Beyonces Los Angeles home recently. (AP)

This comes just days after West and his wife Kim Kardashian were spotted at Jay Z and Beyonces Holmby Hills home.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Police nabbed an alleged liquor smuggler near Jewar and seized 141 cartons of foreign and countrymade liquor being smuggled from Haryana. The liquor was seized on Friday morning during vehicle checks in Greater Noida.

The vehicle inspection was carried under measures undertaken by the senior superintendent of police in the wake of state election dates being announced. With the model code of conduct in place in the state, the district administration and police are jointly taking measures to check unaccounted cash and smuggled liquor meant for election campaigning.

On Friday morning, when we were conducting inspection of vehicles, we stopped a Tata SUV at Jhuppa border near Jewar police station area. We found a total of 141 cartons of foreign and countrymade liquor marked from Haryana state inside the vehicle, said Ajay Kumar Sharma, station house officer, Jewar police station.

The police said they nabbed Satveer, of Halalpur village in Haryanas Sonepat district, who was smuggling the liquor into villages of Greater Noida.

We registered a case under sections 60, 63 and 72 of the Indian Penal Code for smuggling liquor illegally in the state. We produced him before the magistrate and sent him to jail, said Sharma.

According to the police, the liquor was meant for distribution during election campaigning.

Preliminary investigations suggest that Satveer was carrying liquor to distribute it among villagers as elections are approaching. However, we cannot confirm which political party was involved in the smuggling. Further investigation will give us some leads, said Sharma.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Stressing on the importance of Indias Information technology sector and its vast population, telecom experts claimed that India is set to become the leading country for internet service market with China as the only competitor.

The internet is unfolding relentlessly, forming possibilities for a new better society and India can play a major role in this sector. India has a formidable IT force and with a vast population, the market possibilities for telecom service providers are huge. In my opinion, India is set to become the engine for the growth for the internet, said Paolo Colella, managing director, Ericsson India.

Telecom and mobile companies representatives had assembled at Amity University on Friday for a national telecom seminar  Telefocus 2017  to discuss the challenges ahead of Indias in digitisation. The theme of the seminar was The Internet of things and its impact on society.

At this moment, there are 3.9 billion smartphone users in the world and, by 2022, the figure will reach 6.8 billion. Similarly, in India we are hoping that the number of smartphone touch 1 billion by 2022, Colella said.

Experts also commented on the impact of the internet across the world and the importance of internets application in India.

The internet has made a huge impact on the world and it has been offering endless opportunities. There are three fundamental pillars of the internet in Indian context  application, skilled workforce and a robust network. I call upon the regulators and telecom industry giants to collaborate in order to ensure the financial health of the industry, said Akhil Gupta, vice chairman, Bharti enterprises.

Commenting on the role of telecom sector in turning India into a cashless economy, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman RS Sharma said the present ecosystem is sufficient to hold digital transactions of Indias population.

Fortunately, none of the digital transaction applications or websites require huge bandwidth to function. They are text-based and can function with even a low bandwidth. India has a total of 1 billion mobile phone users and almost all of them have GPRS enabled. I believe India can attain a cashless economy, Sharma said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Representatives of the nationalist organizations, which have held a rally in the downtown Kyiv, had a brawl with law enforcement officials.

An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported that the marching nationalists began to douse tires they have brought with them in gasoline at the intersection of Park Alley and Hrushevskoho Street, where participants in the events on the Epiphany Day in 2014 had burned tires to prevent the passage of law enforcement officials. Nationalists intended to burn tires symbolically to commemorate the events which had happened in the Independence Square (Maidan) three years ago.

Police officials impeded their plans.

Nationalists, in response, dropped tires and began to throw stones, sticks and firecrackers at police while shouting: "Hanba!" [Shame]. Following a brief scuffle, the sides split to a certain distance.

Then participants in the action, representatives of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), the Right Sector and the White Hammer, returned from Hrushevsky Street to the Independence Square and held a rally there.

Nationalists sang the national anthem of Ukraine and a call to return to the Maidan was made after that.

At the moment, participants in the rally are making speeches criticizing the current government under the Independence Monument.

They also said that it is not the last rally of theirs and that "the fight continues."
Vouching for changes in policies for deeper penetration of the internet in Indian markets, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman RS Sharma said that need of the hour is to create an infrastructure that can provide internet services to a population of 1.2 billion despite geographical and economic challenges.

He was addressing mediapersons after inaugurating a national telecom seminar at the Amity University campus in Noida on Friday.

There is a need to change the policies regarding satellite services being used to provide bandwidth to rural areas in India. There are taxation and billing issues with Direct to Home (DTH) owners and they must also be sorted so that cable services can also be used to provide telecom service to all, Sharma said.

In his inaugural address, he expressed displeasure over the slow rate of internet penetration in India due to bureaucratic issue.

We have been slow in adapting to the concept of paperless governance. With a population of 1.2 billion people, the scope for technological advances in telecom services is huge, but we have been slow in putting technology to its appropriate use, especially in government offices, said Sharma.

Sharma also lauded Prime Minister Modis efforts to introduce digital economy and said all parties involved in providing telecom services should act in a collaborated manner.

PM Modi has three plans for digital India  creating an infrastructure for digitisation, enabling quality software to run on that infrastructure and providing digital empowerment to citizens, Sharma said.

The regulatory body chairman also listed a few suggestions for the government for creating a digital infrastructure on a private partnership.

Bharat Net should be developed on a public-private partnership basis. That way, alignment of interests will take place in both aspects of construction of digital infrastructure and its application, Sharma said.

The chairman further said cable television service providers and satellite services can also be put to use to ensure that digital revolution reaches every corner of India despite geographical difficulties. He also hinted at introducing change in policies for easy access to such services.

Cable service providers can help by delivering bandwidth to telecom operators and we can reciprocate by providing them incentives. There is a need to sort the taxation and billing issues associated with them. Similarly, satellites can be used to provide bandwidth to difficult terrains. There are policy constraints associated with usage of satellite and it should be sorted as well, said Sharma.

Lastly, Sharma said the regulatory body is aiming at creating interoperable WiFi hot spots to enable seamless connectivity among the service providers.

We are in the process of finalising an architecture which will create interoperable WiFi hotspots throughout the country where the user will have to authenticate his/her identification once and attach the payment instrument once. After that, the user can travel across India and seamlessly get connected. We have a roadmap for the project as well, Sharma said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Tablets with high-resolution cameras are to be used to webcast polling booths live on the day of polling, which is February 11 for Gautam Budh Nagar. Until now, laptops and web cameras were used for this purpose. According to the election commission (EC) guidelines, critical and sensitive polling booths are to webcast in real time.

In the past, laptops and web cameras were used. This time, tablets with high-resolution cameras will be put up in place of web cameras. Tablets are easier to install and can be moved to a different position without a change in wiring, Pawan Mangal, district information officer, National Informatics Centre (NIC) said on Friday.

This year, the web contract has been awarded to NICSI, which is a sister concern of NIC. The NICSI has further hired operating agencies to provide tablets at booths, while manpower will be provided by the district administration. The operating agency will provide one tablet for every booth where webcast is to be done. Other facilities to be provided by the company include web casting server and online portal for streaming and viewing, said Mangal.

The tablet will record the proceedings at the booth. These recordings will be sent directly to the chief electoral officer of the state, he said.

He added that only critical or sensitive booths will be selected for webcasting, and the district administration will decide the number of such booths.

The EC will pay a manpower honorarium of Rs500. Manpower will be drawn from engineering students, computer operators and ITI students. The central control room will be set up at the NIC centre at the district collectorate, said Mangal.

In the past, booths in Jewar and remote areas in the district faced problems of broadband connectivity. This time, the web connectivity will be SIM-based. The tablets will have one SIM card from BSNL and one from Vodafone. The dual SIM will ensure round-the-clock, uninterrupted connectivity for webcasting, he added.

So far, 36 critical booths have been identified in the three assembly areas of the district. Webcasting will be done in around 10% of the booths. We are still in the process of identifying sensitive booths, said Kumar Vineet, additional district magistrate and the deputy district election officer.
District administration has made adequate arrangements for CCTV camera surveillance of nomination process and to ensure that no clashes take place between rival political groups.

The control room of the CCTV network has been set up at additional district magistrate Kumar Vineets room. Besides this, the area outside all three nomination halls will also be under CCTV surveillance.

On Friday ADMs Kumar Vineet and Keshav Kumar were seen viewing the monitors to see the activity in the nomination halls and around them.

All camera views are seen on a single screen and the ADM has the facility to zoom in on the view of any one camera to view the activity of that particular area, including nomination halls.

We have made proper security arrangements. Beside deploying adequate force and controlling traffic outside the collectorate, we also have put in barricades in the collectorate till the nomination halls. CCTV cameras cover the entire area, Vineet said.

This time we have restricted the entry of media too as per EC guidelines. No mediaperson is being allowed to enter the nomination halls, he said.

Traffic movement has been blocked from the SSPs office on one side and from the court complex on other side. Police personnels have been posted to regulate traffic. Only vehicles of district officials or election observers are allowed inside the collectorate premises. Candidates are parking their vehicles beyond these barriers and walking to the collectorate.

Upon entering the collectorate, inside the barricading, police persons scan any suspicious person and metal detectors too have been set up. One covered enclosure has been set up for frisking female candidates and checking their bags.
Learning outcome of children continues to be a big concern in Bihar, with one in four children leaving Class 8 without even basic reading skills, says the annual status of education report (ASER), 2016 by Pratham, an NGO, which works towards the provision of quality education to the underprivileged children in India.

The report, released in New Delhi on January 18, points out that though school enrolment has been high since 2010, attendance, despite incentives, remains a worry in Bihar. The state has recorded just 50%-60% attendance, as compared to over 80% in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana and other states.

Schoolchildren take their classes on floor at a government upgraded middle school in Parsauni Kapoor in West Champaran district of Bihar. (Arun Kumar/HT file photo)

What is striking in Bihar is the dip in attendance of teachers. While it was 84.6% in primary schools (Classes 1-5) in 2010, it dropped to 77.5% in 2014 and 74.6% in 2016. The trend was almost similar in upper primary schools (Classes 5-8) as well.

The study shows that Bihar has gradually frittered away the advantage in mathematics in primary schools. From being well above the national level in 2012, it saw a 10% decline in learning outcome in 2016. At 48.5% now, it still is above the national average of 44.3%.

In Class 3, just 20% children could do two-digit subtraction  down from 43.5% in 2010. In private schools, however, the same figure was 72%. The percentage improves to 28.9% for students who can do division in Class 5, and to 61% for those in Class 7.

In reading skill, the performance has dipped further, with barely 38% government schoolchildren in Class 5 able to read Class 2 text  a fall of 19% since 2010. The all-India average is 41.6%. The scenario is worse in Class 3, with reading ability down by 8.5% points since 2010.

There is a silver lining though. The report says that school facilities have improved in Bihar since 2016. However, it still has a long way to go to be RTE-compliant.

Another significant achievement for Bihar is that the out of school children (6-14 years age group) is down to 3.3%, though in terms of girls it is 4.4%. There has been slight increase in private school enrolment from 12% in 2014 to 12.9% in 2016.

Rukmini Banerjee, CEO, Pratham said Bihar would need to refocus on primary education to lay the basic foundation of education and at the same time also catch up with the rest of the country.

The consistent slide in mathematics is another big concern for the state, she added.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The Janata Dal (United) is all set to contest Uttar Pradesh assembly elections alone and field candidates in areas where the party feels it was strong.

We will contest the UP polls alone. It is our official stand, JD(U)s Bihar unit president Basishtha Narayan Singh said, ending speculations that the party could join the proposed Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance to forge a larger secular coalition, as formed in Bihar during 2015 assembly polls.

Basishtha Narayan Singh said recent rallies of Bihar chief minister and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar had in UP districts bordering Bihar had drawn big crowd. Senior party leaders, including Rajya Sabha member RCP Singh, had been camping in UP to strengthen the organisational base in the poll-bound state, he said. We have identified candidates with strong support in a large number of constituencies. We will decide on the seats to be contested soon, he said.

Asked about the possibilities of division in secular votes with JD(U) going it alone, Basishtha Narayan Singh Singh was not forthcoming. Every party has ambition to expand its base, he said.

Sources in the JD(U) said the party brass was apparently peeved over not getting feelers from UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav or the Congress to join the proposed alliance.

We wanted to join the proposed alliance. But the SP and the Congress neither talked to us nor invited us to come on board. So, why should we go with them? This attitude will not help the proposed coalition defeat the BJP in UP, said a senior JD(U) leader, not wishing to be named.

He said it was imperative on SP and other parties to stitch up a larger coalition by including JD(U), which has emerged as a major stakeholder in UP in terms of support base.

If the Grand Alliance was formed in Bihar, it could have shaped up in UP as well. But it did not happen. They did not offer us any seats either, said another senior JD U) leader.

JD(U)s dropping out from the secular coalition is attributed to the regional partys ambition to win seats by contesting big number of seats, instead of playing second fiddle in any alliance.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
As 167 Punjabi NRIs from Canada arrived in pollbound Punjab to support the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the state poll authorities have shot off a letter to the chief election commissioner, Nasim Zaidi, seeking a clarification: Can they campaign?

We are getting lots of complaints and queries from different sections of the people including, politicians, but theres no specific law on the issue. Campaigning by NRIs at such a scale in a planned manner is happening for the first time, so I decided to clarify the matter from the Election Commission of India (EC), said chief electoral officer (CEO), Punjab, VK Singh.

That clarification might take a few days as Zaidi and other senior officials are touring Uttarakhand where polls are scheduled for February 15.

FLYING IN TO BOARD THE AAP BUS! THE DRIVE: Overseas wing of AAP started Chalo Punjab campaign in several countries last year. And NRIs, mostly young professionals, have started flocking to Punjab as campaign peaks. THE VEHICLE: Besides campaigning in home constituencies, a core team has been constituted which will be campaigning in seats where Congress is being considered to be stronger. A special 55-seater bus has been roped in for the purpose. We plan to cover one constituency completely in a day, said Surinder Mavi, a banker in Toronto, who led the batch that arrived on Thursday. BEHIND THE WHEEL: The campaign was started by 28-year-old Joban Randhawa, a resident of Batala, when he was pursuing his postgraduation in Toronto. Randhawa now heads the overseas youth wing of the party.

The group of AAP supportes that arrived on a special plane that landed in Delhi is only the first batch.

The diaspora wing of the party has launched a campaign, Chalo Punjab, for NRIs to come and support AAP in the state; and it claims 3,500 NRIs have already arrived and more are expected ahead of the February 4 voting.

Parties opposed to the AAP are curious about NRIs impact on the electorate, but so far on one is coming out in the open. Let the EC clarify on the matter first; then we will react, said a Congress leader.

Joban Randhawa, who heads the AAPs overseas youth wing, told HT that NRIs have the right to come back and speak their voice. No Indian law can stop us, he said.

Most of us who are in Punjab for campaigning are Indian passport holders. And, even if someone has taken foreign citizenship, they can come back to their roots and guide families and friends.

Despite significant involvement of NRIs in propaganda, publicity, perception-building and raising funds for the AAP, only 281 have actually used the online facility to get registered as a voter here.

But, as per Indian laws, dual voting right is not permitted, so anyone who has taken foreign citizenship and surrendered the Indian passport cant vote. Also, the facility to vote online for Indian living abroad is pending with Parliament. Most of us are not here to vote, but to influence Punjabis to vote for the AAP, Joban added.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday resorted to an aggressive campaign in Lambi, the assembly constituency of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal that witnesses a triangular contest this time. He addressed public meetings at five villages in the constituency.

Projecting AAP candidate Jarnail Singh as a better panthic (religious) leader and statesman than Badal, Kejriwal accused Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh of helping Badal win by jumping into the fray.

Amarinder is contesting from Patiala as well as Lambi.

Amarinder has backstabbed the people of Punjab by contesting from Lambi at a juncture when the people wanted to topple the Badal regime. Try to understand this conspiracy, Kejriwal said in his address at the meetings. The Sikh Gurus sacrificed their children for the people, but Badal sacrificed the people of Punjab for his children, he said .

Kejriwal termed minister Bikram Singh Majithia as an agent of the international drug mafia, adding that he will be arrested by April 15, within a month of AAPs forming the next government in the state.

Villagers assembled in good number to listen to Arvind Kejriwal at Sarawan Bodla, Burj Sidhwan, Fullu Khera, Lambi and Killainwali villages . Notwithtanding the SAD-ruled panchayats in these villages, the youth and the landless peasantry were present.

Badals suspect in sacrilege incidents

On desecration of Guru Granth Sahib last year, Kejriwal said if elected to power, AAP government will get the incidents probed thoroughly and will punish the guilty. He said Badals were suspects as no arrest had been made for the sacrilege incidents.

If CM Badal says his is a panthic (religious) party, then why no arrest was made for incidents of sacrilege? he said.

My shoe worked: Jarnail

Jarnail Singh in his speeches explained why he threw a shoe at the then Union home minister P Chidambaram in 2009. Four hours after I threw the shoe at the countrys home minister, the Congress withdrew the names of Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler as candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in 2009, Jarnail said. My shoe worked, he said. Captain is the nominee of the same party, so do not let your votes go a waste, he told the audience.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The police on Friday arrested a teenaged boy, a student of Class 8, for the cold-blooded murder of nine-year-old Deepu in Karnail Singh Nagar of Dugri area here. As per the police, the accused has confessed that he killed the boy on Tuesday to eat victims flesh.

The accused, 16-year-old neighbour and distant relative of the victim, reportedly told the police that he ate flesh from the victims thigh and also drank his blood after he committed the crime. The boys body was found in six pieces crammed in a sack lying at a vacant plot.

He reportedly also told the police that he removed the victims heart from his body and threw it on the premises of his Holy Heart Senior Secondary School, Mata Nagar, with a view to bring a bad name to the school. As per the police, the teenager said he did so as he never liked going to school. The police have recovered the heart from the school compound.

The cops said the accused has some psychiatric problem and liked to eat raw meat. They said his parents told them that he used bite his own hands sometimes.

Also Read | Ludhianas cannibal teen was inspired by TV shows: Police

Deputy commissioner of police (DCP, investigation) Bhupinder Singh Sidhu said as the victims body was cut into pieces, the police earlier suspected it to be a case of human sacrifice.

We scanned CCTV cameras installed in the area. In the available footage, we saw the accused taking away Deepu with him. We traced the accused and nabbed him, he said.

The accused said he lured Deepu with a kite string and took him to his house on January 17. His parents were not present at home at that time. He strangulated Deepu to death, the DCP added.

The accused then cut the victims body into pieces, washed them in the bathroom before putting these in a sack that he left at a vacant plot, around 50 metre away from the deceaseds residence.

The DCP said the accused had also planned to demand ransom from Deepus family, but dropped the plan later.

.
Siddharth Vashishtha, alias Manu Sharma, who is serving life imprisonment in the Jessica Lal murder case in Delhis Tihar Jail, got his marriage registered at UT registrars office in Sector 17 here. Out on parole, Sharma, 39, arrived at the registrars office at 2pm.

He had married Preeti Kapoor from Mumbai in a private ceremony in the city on April 21, 2015. The couple entered the office separately to give the slip to the media. Sharma is serving sentence for killing model Jessica after she refused to serve him liquor at the Tamarind Court restaurant owned by socialite Bina Ramani at Qutub Colonnade in South Delhis Mehrauli area on the night of April 30, 1999.

He was awarded life imprisonment by the high court in December 2006. The life term was upheld by the Supreme Court.

The Delhi high court had granted 18-day parole on January 10, to Manu Sharma for getting his marriage registered and pursue his LLB course. Sharmas parole will end on January 31. Sharma has earlier also come out on parole many times in the past for personal and family engagements.

The Delhi government on December 27, 2016, had granted two-week parole to Sharma to enable him to appear for his LLB second semester exam from December 31, 2016. His parole was to end on January 12 but was granted extension by the Delhi high court.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A local court on Thursday sent gangster Kulpreet Singh, alias Neeta Deol, one of the escapees in the Nabha jailbreak, to six-day police remand.

Neeta and his accomplice Sunil Kalra were arrested on Tuesday from Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Sunil, too, has been sent to five-day police remand for interrogation.

Police had demanded their remand to probe their modus operandi during the jailbreak and find leads about hideouts of other escapees.

After arresting the duo, the police team led by Nabha deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Manpreet Singh had got their 48-hour transit remand for Punjab from an Indore court.

Neeta had escaped from the Nabha maximum security jail on November 27, 2016, along with five other prisoners with the help of armed assailants. Besides gangsters Neeta, Amandeep Dhothian, Vicky Gounder and Gurpreet Sekhon, two terrorists  Harminder Mintoo and Kashmir Singh Galwaddi  were among the escapees. While Mintoo has already been arrested, the remaining four are still on the run.

Neeta had six cases, including of murder, loot and dacoity, registered against him in various parts of the state. Police said he was planning to become a truck driver and was trying to get a fake driving licence at Indore.

Sunil Kalra, the Ludhianabased criminal arrested with Neeta, is a murder accused who was sentenced to life but had jumped bail.
Georgia's ex-president and the former governor of Ukraine's Odesa region, Mikheil Saakashvili, will address participants in a congress of the United National Movement party, founded by him, which is scheduled to take place in Tbilisi on Friday afternoon, from Washington, Georgian media said.

One of the leaders of the United National Movement branch in Ajaria, Elguja Bagrationi, told reporters that around 750 delegates from Ajaria would attend the party's congress in Tbilisi.

Saakashvili and Ajaria's former head Levan Varshalomidze will address the congress delegates from Washington, he said.

It was reported earlier that the United National Movement had split and a large number of its leaders had quit the party deciding to set up a political force that would be independent of Saakashvili.

Saakashvili has been put on the wanted list in Georgia. The country's authorities have said more than once that he will be detained as soon as he crosses the Georgian state border.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the new kid on the block in the Punjab assembly polls, seems to have formed quite a following among tiny tots. A gaggle of children in white topis and capes shouting Inquilab Zindabad is a common sight at AAP rallies, especially in the countryside. Party leaders claim they arent doing anything to draw children like magnets, even as opponents call it part of a strategy. But the kiddie brigade does liven up the electioneering, and adds a dash of innocence to an increasingly abrasive campaign.

Calling children bhagwan ka roop and a good omen, Sanjay Singh, AAPs Punjab affairs in-charge, says, It was the same in Delhi too, where our candidates had children flocking to them in every street. He claims children in Punjab are even breaking their piggy banks to fund party supremo Arvind Kejriwal. I have pictures to prove this, he says.

While the elders in the party have been quick to discard the partys trademark topi in the turbaned Punjab, children are lured by its sheer novelty. Girls and boys both like to slip it on to their heads. I guess, for them, its like putting on a fancy dress, explains a mother.

Children also seem to appreciate a hearty laugh. This explains their presence in large numbers at the rallies of comedian-politician Bhagwant Mann, AAP candidate from Jalalabad. Jaskirat Mann, AAP convener for Canada, whos been campaigning extensively in Malwa, admits that Manns rallies always have a smattering of children in the audience who raise spirited slogans. I heard a three-year-old shouting Bhant Mann zindabad,  she laughs, but is quick to add that the party is not deliberately encouraging this Lilliputian following.

Garry Birring, campaign manager of the AAP for Punjab, attributes it to the partys attractive campaign gear, which includes caps, mufflers, flags and cutouts. Ive observed that children do make a beeline for our material whenever we are distributing it at any party office, says Birring. The partys simple and catchy jingles too are kids stuff. Be it Kejriwal, Kejriwal, saara Punjab tere naal, or Jharoo jharoo, button daba do, our jingles are easy to recall and sing, as compared to those of other parties, adds Birring.

Opponents, however, do not see it as that simple. Maheshinder Singh Grewal of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) says, Its a strategy in the sense that they want children to go home and sing praises of jokes cracked by Bhagwant Mann or slogans raised by other leaders. But it is cheap to try and influence such young, impressionable minds.

Dr Jagroop Sandhu, head of the political science department at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, has a more pragmatic take on it. Most of the AAP supporters in the villages are young, and they take their children along when they attend a meeting or a rally.

The phenomenon goes far and wide. The US presidential elections too saw a fair sprinkling of children with some candidates such as Republican nominee Ted Cruz taking along his daughters as young as 8 for campaigning. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was known to encourage questions by even six-year-olds at town hall meetings. In India, however, mere presence of children during campaigning is frowned upon. In 2013, the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) took serious note of a BJP candidate using children during a political function.
It is a poll ritual. All the 1,600-odd Congress ticket applicants had signed a loyalty pledge to accept the official candidate announced by the party and not unfurl a banner of revolt.

But between 2012 and 2017 elections, the Congress is battling more of its old woes. After a delayed distribution of tickets, the Congress is once again fighting its own as withdrawal of nominations ends on Saturday.

In a remake of 2012 elections, when Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh had inadvertently announced a qatal-e-aam (massacre) of rebels at a rally, Capt on Friday again issued an ultimatum to party rebels to toe the party line or face expulsion from the party for life.

Before the stick, Amarinder had dangled the carrot  by promising to accommodate in key positions those who withdrew from the fray in support of the party nominees, after the Congress came to power.

But with many of them still defiant and the party worried by unconfirmed reports of deputy chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal again propping Congress rebels with funds, Amarinder said in a statement on Friday that he and general secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari have successfully quashed rebellion in most of the 20-odd constituencies where there have been reports of rebel trouble. The unofficial list has nearly 29 rebels, some of them with potential to seriously dent party prospects.

Loyalty matters?

But the bushfires are far from over. And party insiders believe much of the Congress woes are self-inflicted. Banga MLA Tarlochan Soondh and Gurbinder Singh Atwal were denied tickets not owing to surveys but for being close to Amarinders known baiter, Rajya Sabha MP Shamsher Singh Dullo. Both are now contesting as rebels from Banga and Nakodar, respectively, and will dent partys prospects there, party sources said.

Party spokesperson Nimisha Mehta denied she has agreed to withdraw from the race from Garhshankar seat. Asha called me up on Friday asking me to withdraw. I challenge her to show me the surveys that show Luv Kumar Goldy as a winner from this seat. It was Asha Kumari who played favourites in the ticket game, Nimisha said.

Some Congress MLAs also question if surveys decided the candidates of Ludhiana South and Sunam seats. The surveys were just an excuse to adjust loyalists. And while Amarinder wanted enough of his own to ensure he can be the CM, other MPs and screening committee members too have served their own interests. Surveys and one family, one ticket rule were used as elimination round for others, a senior MLA said.

Past rebels who got lucky

Though the Congress has loyalty affidavits, if you rebel, you stand a greater chance of being rewarded with a ticket in the next election. Past rebels who lost elections but dented the party prospects, such as Sukhjinder Singh Lalli Majithia, Madan Lal Jalalpur and Deepinder Dhillon, have been allotted tickets this time. So has Rajnish Kumar Babbi, who won as a rebel from Mukerian.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Four Jharkhand legislators  three from JMM and one from Congress were suspended from the Jharkhand assembly on Thursday till March 31, 2017 for their misconduct during House proceedings of the winter session in November last year.

The legislators Amit Mahto, Sashi Bhushan Samad, and Paulus Surin of JMM and Irfan Ansari of Congress have been debarred from attending the ongoing budget session and other House activities till March 31. Their salaries will be withheld till the suspension period gets over. Its the first time in the history of Jharkhand assembly that legislators have been suspended.

On November 23 last year when the Jharkhand assembly passed the amendment bills of the Chhotanagpur and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Acts--for the Jharkhand tribals the two acts are custodians the their land rights--JMM and Congress legislators had created uproar in the well of the house. They tore the amendment bills, stood up on the tables, uprooted the chairs and mikes and hurled a chair at the speaker as well. The protests later spilled on to the streets of Jharkhand as the opposition parties unitedly imposed Jharkhand bandh on November 25 followed by series of other protests.

The house took the incident seriously and referred to the ethics committee to probe. The committee report was tabled in the house today and moved through a motion. Members through voice vote agreed on suspension of the four law makers.

The ethics committee headed by BJP legislator Satyendra Nath Tiwary had recommended suspension of the four above named legislators as they took lead in creating ruckus in the house that day.

The ethics committee comprised Shiv Shankar Oraon, Ram Kumar Pahan, Harekrishna Singh of BJP and Devendra Singh of Congress.

Opposition legislators protesting the suspension again came into the well opposing the motion. Speaker Dinesh Oraon announced the outcome of the motion thereafter amidst uproars.

Leader of Opposition and ex-CM Hemant Soren accompanied by few other party legislators was in Dumka to attend the funeral of party colleague and legislator, Anil Murmu, who died on Tuesday when the suspensions were announced.

JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said the legislators could not be held under misconduct. He said, The marshals deputed in the House were outsiders and our MLAs were put under house arrest on November 23. We wont bow down under pressure and our agitations against the amendments will continue.

JMM leaders have called a meeting in the evening to chalk out their further course of action. Hemant is likely to return by then. The meeting is also likely to discuss floor strategies in the remaining days of the budget session that will conclude on February 7.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A man jailed for raping a widow wants to make amends, and has offered to take the victim  a mother of four children  for his wife.

Such an offer is hard to resist in traditional Jharkhand, where the stigma of rape can haunt a woman for the rest of her life. Still, it took 38-year-old Sunita (name changed) over six months to decide on marrying the accused, Manish Kumar Soni (40). The reason: He happens to be her son-in-laws elder brother.

The person responsible for changing Sunitas mind was no other than her own daughter, the rapists sister-in-law. The widow has now filed an appeal, seeking legal permission to marry her rapist in jail, before Dhanbad chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Rajiv Ranjan.

I know that marrying the elder brother of ones son-in-law is unheard of, but I am forced to do it for the sake of my three children. Its a question of survival, Sunita told HT on the court premises on Wednesday.

The widow said her family was being ostracised by other villagers since the rape and, at one point, she even contemplated committing suicide. My children have to hide their faces every time they venture outside. They are called children of a rape victim. Marrying him is the only option I have, she added.

Sunita said her daughter helped her through the difficult period that followed the sexual assault. I have no objection in accepting my mother as my sister-in-law, the daughter told HT. She has the right to live with dignity, like all of us.

After hearing her plea, the CJM allowed the woman to marry Soni. He also directed the Dhanbad jail superintendent to allow the marriage registrar to enter the prison, so Sunita and her rapist could tie the knot in accordance with the law.

In the FIR, Sunita had accused Soni of kidnapping her while she was out for a morning walk on July 18, 2016. When the widow resisted, he threatened to attack her with acid and kill her children.

The accused then drove her all the way to Varanasi, followed by the Vaishno Devi shrine, where he applied vermillion on her head. He raped her repeatedly during the journey.

Soni, a resident of Bankmore, has been lodged at the Dhanbad divisional jail since December 2.
The ban on Jallikattu is getting support from a large number of celebs from southern cinema. Actors Ajith Kumar, Suriya, Karthi and Trisha Krishnan were among the first ones to gather at Marina beach in Chennai for a day-long fast organised by Nadigar Sangam, the South Indian Artistes Association, to express solidarity with the protesting youngsters.

Reports also suggest that music maestro AR Rahman will be present at the venue and break his fast in the evening.

Join me on periscope today at 6.14 pm IST as I have the first glass of water to break my fast..  A.R.Rahman (@arrahman) January 20, 2017

Actors Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay and Chiyaan Vikram too came out in support of the ongoing protest in the state.

It would be a silent protest. Nobody will speak a word as they dont want the spotlight to shift on them from youngsters at Marina beach. The fast will continue till 5 pm in the evening, a source from Nadigar Sangam said.

As PETA faced pro-jallikattu protesters ire for opposing the bull taming sport, Tamil film star Dhanush has said he was not part of the animal rights advocacy group and described as an insult an award given to him by the NGO a few years ago. A few years ago, PETA honoured me for being a vegetarian. I now consider it a grave insult. I regret it, he on being chosen as PETAs Hottest Vegetarian in 2012. Dhanush said neither he nor any of his family members were part of PETA, adding if someone claimed anything contrary to that it was a rumour. He urged the Centre to remove bulls from the performing animals category and thus ensure jallikattu was held in the state.

Proud of each and every  who came together to support #Jallikattu and our  .  . #unitedforourculture.  Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) January 17, 2017

Artistes and workers owing allegiance to the Film Employees Federation of South India have decided to stage a fast in Chennai and cinema halls have cancelled shows during day time on Friday. Theatres will only function after 6 p.m. They will remain shut the entire day as its important that all of us participate and support the cause, a member of Tamil Nadu Theatre Owner Association said.

Actor Jayam Ravi, who participated in the protest on Thursday at the Marina Beach, tweeted: I felt immense pride to be a part of a revolutionary movement last night at Marina. The atmosphere was electrifying and inspiring. He added: To be honest, I intended to stay for half hour as I had to travel back to Tirupati to resume work today, but stayed back for hours out of sheer awe and admiration for the youth of my land.

I felt immense pride to be a part of a revolutionary movement last night at Marina. The atmosphere was electrifying & inspiring! Contd**  Jayam Ravi (@actor_jayamravi) January 20, 2017

To be honest, I intended to stay for half hour as I had to travel back to Tirupati to resume work today, but stayed back for hours **Contd**  Jayam Ravi (@actor_jayamravi) January 20, 2017

out of sheer awe and admiration for the youth of my land. This sincerity will yield rewards without doubt #JusticeforJallikattu  Jayam Ravi (@actor_jayamravi) January 20, 2017

Shootin in Talakona forest near Andhra border.My prayers & thoughts r with all my bros & sis. A few words from my heart.#SupportJallikattu pic.twitter.com/C0VxIKBGw5  Jayam Ravi (@actor_jayamravi) January 18, 2017

Support in favour of Jallikattu has also come from neighbouring film industries.

Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu tweeted, Jallikattu is the spirit of Tamil Nadu - bold and fearless. Proud to see such a statement of unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in. He went on to say he admires the way the students of Tamil Nadu have been standing up for the cause, relentlessly fighting for their roots and culture.

#Jallikattu is the spirit of Tamil Nadu - bold and fearless.  Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) January 19, 2017

Proud to see such a statement of unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in.  Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) January 19, 2017

Especially admire the way the students of Tamil Nadu have been standing up for the cause, relentlessly fighting for their roots and culture.  Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) January 19, 2017

Hope their voices are heard. I support the spirit of Tamil Nadu. #JusticeforJallikattu  Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) January 19, 2017

Jallikattu remains stalled since May 2014 due to a ban imposed by the Supreme Court, which is due to deliver its verdict on a related case that has been reserved earlier.

The widespread pro-Jallikattu protests has lead to charges and counter-charges by political parties, even as the call for legal remedies to revive the bull-taming game is getting louder.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop
After superstar Mahesh Babu, actor-politician Pawan Kalyan has extended support for Jallikattu. He said the ban on the bull-taming sport is a direct attack on Dravidian culture and its integrity.

Ban on Jallikattu and cockfight by government of India is an attack on Dravida culture and its integrity. This is how it is being viewed in dakshin (south) Hindustan. I had observed this deep hurt in people while shooting in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, Pawan Kalyan tweeted on Friday.

Animal cruelty is cited as the reason to ban Jallikattu. If we truly consider this puritanical approach, then we have to examine the statistics of Indian beef export and poultry industry, he added.

Pawan asked how come slaughtering does not include animal cruelty.

Why the animal cruelty act (is) applied only to Jallikattu where the animals getting injured or killed is insignificant when compared to the amount of animals that had to be slaughtered for business, he said.

Protests have been taking place in the city since Monday against the ban on the popular and ancient bull-taming sport by the Supreme Court.

Tamil filmdom on Friday is observing a day-long fast to express solidarity with youngsters protesting against the ban on Jallikattu.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop
The Telugu film industry took to social media on Friday and came out in support of protesters in neighbouring Tamil Nadu who are demanding an end to the ban on the traditional bull-taming sport of Jallikattu.

Describing the ban as an attack on Dravidian culture, Tollywood hero-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan said the 2014 Supreme Court order had deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of entire south India.

If ban on Jallikattu was imposed only on the pretext of cruelty towards animals, how can the government justify the killing of thousands of cows, calves and buffaloes to produce and export 2.4 million tonnes of beef every year? tweeted Pawan Kalyan, who also heads a regional party Jana Sena.

He even drew a link between Jallikattu and cockfights, a popular sport in rural Andhra Pradesh that has been banned. In fact, cockfights have deep religious significance associated with Lord Kukkuteshwara (a form of Shiva) and they are the cultural identity of Andhra, he said.

If the Centre was serious about preventing cruelty towards animals, then it should ban poultry industry as well, he said.

Pawan, who is the younger brother of Congress MP and former union minister Chiranjeevi, demanded that the Centre lift the ban on Jallikattu and cockfights.

Another popular actor, Mahesh Babu, said Jallikattu reflected the spirit of Tamil Nadu -- bold and fearless. Proud to see such a statement of unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in. Especially admire the way the students of Tamil Nadu have been standing up for the cause, relentlessly fighting for their roots and culture, he tweeted.

Proud to see such a statement of unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in.  Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) January 19, 2017

Especially admire the way the students of Tamil Nadu have been standing up for the cause, relentlessly fighting for their roots and culture.  Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) January 19, 2017

Similar sentiments were expressed by Daggubati Rana of Baahubali fame.

Protests in the right direction!! Such amazing spirit! #JusticeforJallikattu, said Ram. The young actor said he was brought up in Chennai, a city that never ceased to amaze me.

Protests in the right direction!! Such amazing spirit!' #JusticeforJallikattu https://t.co/OOEK3f4l00  Rana Daggubati (@RanaDaggubati) January 20, 2017

Most of these actors are doing bilingual films, in Telugu as well as Tamil, which explains their support for Jallikattu.

Sundeep Kishan also paid tributes to his city of birth and protesters. Proud to have been born in a city which stands testimony to the unity and spirit of its people, he tweeted, a reference to the protesters camping on Chennais famous Marina beach for four days now.

Tamil superstar Rajnikanth joined the protesters in Chennai on Friday. Dressed in black, he took part in a silent demonstration. Celebrities like Kamal Haasan, AR Rahman and Viswanathan Anand, too, have spoke in support of Jallikattu.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
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 Gambias embassy in Dakar in neighbouring Senegal after Jammeh has refused to step down despite international pressure following his December election loss.

Dressed all in white, 51-year-old Barrow waved to a crowd of thousands of jubilant Gambians at an inauguration ending Jammehs 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.

Supporters of Gambia's President-elect Adama Barrow celebrate outside of the Gambian Embassy in Dakar on January 19, 2017. (AFP)

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 countrys 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 Jammehs stance.

Jammeh had attempted to block Barrows inauguration with a court ruling and this week declared a state of emergency.

Jammehs former lawyer Edward Gomez, who was arguing cases on the presidents 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 Senegals 2S channel. Please, let peace continue to reign in The Gambia.

A handout photo released by the Senegalese Presidency shows Adama Barrow (C) posing with (from L) Senegalese Foreign Minister Mankeur Ndiaye, President of the Commission of ECOWAS Marcel Alain de Souza, Senegalese Prime Minister Mohammed Dionne and Senegalese deputy and ECOWAS speaker Moustapha Cisse Lo during his swearing in as president of Gambia at the Gambian embassy in Dakar on January 19, 2017. (AFP)

After 11th-hour talks in Banjul, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz held a meeting with Barrow also attended by Senegals 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 countrys 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) doesnt want to step down and people are fleeing.
Observing that amazing things have happened over the last 10 years, the former US President Barack Obama said on Friday that all this could be accomplished because of the hope and believe that his country had in him.

As I said in 2004, it wasnt blind optimism that drove you to do all this work, it wasnt naivete, it wasnt willful ignorance to all the challenges that America faces. It was hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty, Obama said minutes before boarding the Air Force One for last time, as is customary for former presidents after demitting office.

Roughly 1,800 people, many of whom had served in the Obama administration, were waiting for him as Obama landed at the Andrews Air Force Base on a military helicopter from the US Capitol after he handed over the baton to Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States.

Former President Barack Obama waves as he boards a Marine helicopter on the East Front of the Capitol, Friday, in Washington, after Donald Trump was inaugurated. (AP Photo)

The attendees included many senior members of Obamas White House staff, such as Denis McDonough, Valerie Jarrett, Susan Rice, Neil Eggleston, Jeff Zients, Megan Smith, Jen Psaki, Shailagh Murray and Josh Earnest, who had his son perched on his shoulders.

View gallery | The work begins: Donald Trump becomes 45th President of the US

Recalling the time when he began his journey, Obama said he did so with an abiding faith in the American people and their ability, our ability to join together and change the country in ways that would make life better for our kids and our grandkids.

Obama said the change didnt happen from the top down but from the bottom up.

All of you came together and you decided to believe. You knocked on doors, made phone calls, talked to your parents who didnt know how to pronounce Barack Obama, he said.

Meanwhile, Obamas were headed to California for a vacation. They would soon return to Washington DC, where the former first family plan to stay in a rented house for their youngest daughter to complete her schooling.

You proved the power of hope, and throughout this process, Michelle and weve just been your front men and women. We have been the face, sometimes the voice, out front on the TV screen or in front of the microphone, Obama said.

US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump see off former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama as they depart following Trump's inauguration at the Capitol in Washington, US. (Reuters Photo)

But this has never been about us; it has always been about you. And all the amazing things that happened over these last 10 years are really just a testament to you in the same way that when we talk about our amazing military and our men and women in uniform, the militarys not a thing, its a group of committed patriots willing to sacrifice everything on our behalf, he said.

We have got cool hardware, as cool as the machines as We have got cool hardware, as cool as the machines as weapons and satellites are, ultimately it comes down to remarkable people, some of them a lot closer to Malias age than mine or Michelles. Well, the same things true for our democracy, he said.

The former president and First Lady then walked through a line of their supporters, formers aides, colleagues and friends, hugging and greeting them as they bid an emotional farewell to their former leader.

Several of Obamas aides brought their young children, who were playfully greeted by Obama.

The former First Couple were then escorted by military personnel to a red carpet that lead up to the US air plane. Obama held Michelle hands as he walked along the red carpet, surrounded by military guards saluting their former Commander- in-Chief.

AS the Obamas reached the planes door, they stopped and turned around, smiling and waving goodbye, to the people gathered at the air force base and symbolically to Washington.

Read | Slogans against Donald Trump rock Washington; protesters in black smash stores, car windows
Black-clad activists angry about US President Donald Trumps inauguration smashed store and car windows in Washington on Friday and fought with police in riot gear who responded with pepper spray and stun grenades.

About 500 people, some wearing masks and kerchiefs over their faces, marched through the citys downtown, breaking the windows of a Bank of America branch, a McDonalds outlet and a Starbucks shop, all symbols of the American capitalist system. Some reports said there were at least 90 arrests.

The crowd chanted anti-Trump slogans and carried at least one sign reading Make Racists Afraid Again, a play on the New York businessman-turned-politicians Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

They also vandalised several cars and hurled trash cans and newspaper vending boxes into the streets before being largely dispersed by police about 90 minutes before Trump was sworn in at the Capitol a mile and a half (2.4km) away.

Demonstrators hold up banners during a protest against the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain. (REUTERS)

Read | Donald Trump inauguration highlights

The message I want to send is that Trump does not represent this country. He represents the corporate interests, said Jessica Reznicek, a 35-year-old Catholic aid worker from Des Moines, Iowa, who was part of the protest but did not participate in the violence.

Not far from the White House, protesters scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminium chairs at an outdoor cafe. A member of the Bikers for Trump group in town to celebrate the inauguration was struck in the face when he tried to intervene.

I know, law and order and all that. We need more order. This aint right, said Bob Hrifko, who was bleeding from a cut under his eye.

Two Washington DC police officers were injured in altercations with protesters, a local ABC television affiliate reported. Police detained about 50 people a few blocks away, as a crowd chanted Let them go.

The number of people who turned out to view the midday swearing-in, on a gray day threatened by rain, appeared to be significantly smaller than the estimated 2 million who turned out for President Barack Obamas first inauguration in 2009.

Overhead video of the National Mall showed sections of the white matting laid down to protect the grass were largely empty.

More people were expected to be on hand when Trump and his entourage travel along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House later Friday afternoon.

Earlier, liberal activists with a separate group called Disrupt J20 intermittently blocked multiple security checkpoints leading to the largest public viewing area for the inauguration. Several were led away by police.

Disrupt J20 protest organiser Alli McCracken, 28, of Washington, said the group was voicing its displeasure over Trumps controversial comments about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims.

We have a lot of people of diverse backgrounds who are against US imperialism and we feel Trump will continue that legacy, McCracken said.

Activists run after being hit by a stun grenade while protesting against US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the inauguration in Washington, DC. (REUTERS)

Read | Trumps: All you need to know about new US first family, 45th President Donald

Sympathy rallies

Tensions were high on the streets of Washington ahead of the inauguration, with occasional scuffles breaking out.

Trump supporters Chris and Karen Korthaus, who carried a life-size cardboard cutout of the former reality TV star, crossed paths with an anti-Trump crowd.

A protester came over and ripped off the Dons head, Karen Korthaus said as she showed a reporter a video of the incident. We ran to a pizza shop and taped his head back on.

Carl Beams, 36, from Howell, New Jersey, stood in line with thousands of other Trump supporters waiting to enter the National Mall to view the inauguration.

This is a great moment in history. I wanted to be able to say I was here firsthand, said Beams, who runs a martial-arts school.

While Washington was the focal point of the anti-Trump protests, there were sympathy rallies around the nation and world.

Activists in London hung a banner reading Build bridges not walls on the citys iconic Tower Bridge, a reference to Trumps signature campaign promise of building a wall on the US-Mexican border.

By far the largest protest is expected to be Saturdays Womens March on Washington, which some 200,000 people from around the country are expected to attend.

The US Secret Service, Washington police and other law enforcement agencies had about 28,000 officers in place to secure a roughly three-square-mile area of downtown Washington.
Ukrainian Interpol Bureau is waiting for the decision of the Interpol Commission for the Control of Files (CCF), which will meet in late January, on the issue of searching people's deputy of Ukraine Oleksandr Onyschenko.

"To make a long story short, we are in the process of waiting," Head of the Interpol National Central Bureau in Ukraine Vasyl Nevolia said during the hotline conversation at the 'Komsomolska Pravda in Ukraine' in Kyiv on Thursday answering the question of Interfax-Ukraine concerning Onyschenko's search.

"He and his defense [...] filed a complaint that the search warrant does not meet the standards [...] So, now the matter is under the CCF consideration," Nevolia said.

That is, he explained, Onyschenko isn't actually searched for now.

"From January 26 until January 29 the commission meeting will be considering this issue among others," National Interpol Bureau head said.

As reported, in early August Onyschenko left the territory of Ukraine. On August 8 he was put on the national search list.

Onyschenko is suspected of organizing a scheme to steal money from the natural gas production and sale projects with Ukrgazvydobuvannia, resulting in around UAH three billion in losses to the state.
Outgoing US President Barack Obama on Friday left the Oval Office for the last time, before welcoming his successor Donald Trump to the White House.

Obama walked into the Oval Office holding a letter, which he left on the Resolute desk, a 19th century gift from Queen Elizabeth that is made from the timber of a British arctic vessel.

It is customary for the outgoing president to leave a personal note for his successor.

Obama was to have morning tea with Trump before they make their way to the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony.

In a two-photo combo: President Barack Obama exits the Oval Office on his last morning as president before heading to the residence to host a tea and coffee reception with first lady Michelle Obama for President-elect Donald Trump and Melania Trump, top, as work crews immediately head to the West Wing to prepare for the next occupants, bottom, at the White House, in Washington. (NYT Photo)

As Obama walked along the West Wing colonnade, when asked if he was feeling nostalgic, Of course was the reply.

Asked for last words for the American people, he offered a simple Thank you.

When Obama arrived in the Oval Office eight years ago he found a note from his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Very few have had the honor of knowing the responsibility you now feel. Very few know the excitement of the moment and the challenges you will face, it read.

There will be trying moments. The critics will rage. Your friends will disappoint you. But, you will have an Almighty God to comfort you, a family who loves you, and a country that is pulling for you, including me.

No matter what comes, you will be inspired by the character and compassion of the people you now lead.
Rob Cortis calls it the Trump Unity Bridge - a bulky, metal 45-foot structure welded to two wheels and bedecked with red, white and blue signs echoing President-elect Donald Trumps campaign themes.

He has towed it more than 20,000 miles (32,000 km) across the country. But as he arrived in Washington on the eve of Trumps inauguration on Friday as Americas 45th president, he struggled to navigate the citys crowded potholed streets.

Ive been on dirt roads that are smoother, said Cortis, who lives in Michigan.

Things are no smoother for Washington - a city with a history of welcoming its White House occupants - following one of the most polarizing elections in modern US politics. Nowhere in the country did the Republican Trump get less support, winning just 4 percent of the vote in the District of Columbia in the Nov. 8 election.

On K Street, best known for its well-heeled lobbyists, about 200 protesters chanted: No Trump ... no fascist USA. Nearby, Trump supporters - some draped in red, white and blue shirts, hats and jackets - declared their unwavering support for the New York businessman.

Denise Hendrickson, 51, a nurse who moved to Washington when Democratic President Barack Obama took office eight years ago, walked the streets on Thursday with a sign thanking him for his service and proclaiming: We Already Miss U. As she moved down the sidewalk, she invited Trump supporters to talk, promising hugs to anyone who was willing.

Read | A-list celebrities join anti-Trump protest in hometown New York

One man wearing Trumps signature red Make America Great Again hat just smiled, took a picture and moved on. Then a middle-aged woman, also in Trump gear, approached to talk. After a few minutes, the two women hugged.

This city is bummed out, its a Democratic city, Hendrickson said.

But Hendrickson said there was a need in the current political climate to listen to people with different views. We are open to having a conversation with any Trump supporter, she shouted.

Traci Turner, 38, no fan of Trump, arrived from Atlanta with her husband and mother-in-law, both avid Trump supporters who got tickets for the inauguration.

We could not be more different in politics. Weve been married 13 years and we try to stay away from that subject, she said. Theyre here for the inauguration. Im just here for the sites, just for the history.

As Turner spoke, a stranger walked by and reminded her there were other options for people visiting the city, including a march planned for Saturday when hundreds of thousands of women are expected to turn up in support of womens rights.

Some 900,000 people, both Trump backers and opponents, are expected to flood Washington for Fridays inauguration ceremony.

Opponents of Trump are riled by his disparaging campaign comments about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims and his pledge to build a wall on the border with Mexico. His supporters admire his experience in business and his promises to shake up Washington and put Americas interests first.

Negative vibe

Cortis, 53, who has spent months driving the country with his trailer-mounted model bridge, said the atmosphere had been cordial despite the political differences on display across much of the city.

Nobody has been really nasty, he said of reactions to his bridge, which features a Trump mannequin, a Statue of Liberty figurine and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, symbolizing American manufacturing.

You can tell some people have a negative vibe when they see it, but they kind of shake it off, because were playing positive, uplifting music and we have a positive message, Cortis added.

With all the different visitors, its been one of our busiest weekends yet, said Roger, a 41-year-old cabdriver who declined to give his last name. Theyve been supportive of Trump, protesting against Trump, and not giving a damn about the man, he said. All I know is that business has been good. Real good.

Not everyone in the city is planning to stay in town for the event. Preston Mitchum, 30, a gay man, plans to go away for a few days with friends. Sweating on an exercise machine at a gym on Thursday afternoon, he noted most of his friends are gay or members of racial minorities  groups that generally opposed Trumps candidacy.

We dont want to deal with the fact that we may have to get into an argument with someone (supporting Trump), he said.

On Wednesday night, Mitchum was among hundreds attending an outdoor dance party organized by gay and transgender activists near the home of Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

Rainbow flags, the symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride, have cropped up on scores of houses in the liberal neighbourhood where Pence, who opposes gay marriage and laws barring discrimination based on sexual orientation, took a short-term rental while he waits to move into the vice presidential mansion.

Participants at the dance party were well behaved, said police, who reported no incidents or arrests.
The Donald Trump administration will make defeating radical Islamic terror groups its top foreign policy goal, according to a statement posted on the White House website moments after the 45th US Presidents inauguration.

Trump, a Republican, used his inaugural address on Friday to promise to unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth.

In the statement, titled America First Foreign Policy, the Trump administration said, Defeating ISIS and other radical Islamic terror groups will be our highest priority. ISIS is an acronym for Islamic State.

In order to defeat and destroy Islamic State and similar groups, the new administration said it will pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations when necessary, work to cut off funding for terrorist groups, expand intelligence sharing, and use cyberwarfare to disrupt propaganda and recruitment efforts.

The statement offered no indication of how Trumps policies might differ from those of his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama.

The Obama administration also pursued those broadly described strategies: working with European and Middle Eastern allies in a bombing campaign targeting Islamic State leaders and their oil infrastructure, authorising US special forces operations against the group, and using sanctions and other methods to cut off its financing.

Trumps speech and the statement echoed his campaign criticism of Obama and his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, for not using the phrase radical Islamic terror to describe Islamic State and other hardline jihadist groups.

Obama argued that using the term would conflate murderers with the billion Muslims that exist around the world, including in this country, who are peaceful. Clinton said using the phrase would play into the hands of militants who want to portray the United States as at war with Islam.

On Russia

The White House statement also appeared to nod at better relations with Russia, something that Trump has said he would pursue. We are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies, the statement said.

Trump has rejected criticism that he is too eager to make an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2017

Trade pacts

The statement repeated Trumps campaign vow to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Asian free-trade pact that Obama championed but was unable to get through Congress. Trump has said, without elaboration, that international trade deals have hurt American workers.

A White House statement issued soon after Trumps inauguration said the United States would crack down on those nations that violate trade agreements and harm American workers in the process.

The statement said Trump was committed to renegotiating another trade deal, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was signed in 1994 by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

For too long, Americans have been forced to accept trade deals that put the interests of insiders and the Washington elite over the hard-working men and women of this country, it said.

As a result, blue-collar towns and cities have watched their factories close and good-paying jobs move overseas, while Americans face a mounting trade deficit and a devastated manufacturing base.

President Trump will ensure that on his watch, trade policies will be implemented by and for the people, and will put America first, the statement said.

On North Korea

In a separate statement on the White House website, the Trump administration said it intends to develop a state of the art missile defence system to protect against attacks from Iran and North Korea. It did not say whether the system would differ from those already under development, specify the cost or say how it would be financed.
Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and reality television star who upended American politics and energised voters angry with Washington, was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, putting Republicans in control of the White House for the first time in eight years.

Ebullient Trump supporters flocked to the nations capital for the inaugural festivities, some wearing red hats emblazoned with his Make America Great Again campaign slogan.

But in a sign of deep divisions Trump sowed during his combative campaign, dozens of Democratic lawmakers were boycotting the swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill. Bearing signs reading Let freedom ring and Free Palestine, protesters pitching diverse causes but united against the incoming president demonstrated in the early hours of the Inauguration Day, intent on making their mark as Donald Trump prepared to take office.

Catch the highlights here:

10:49pm: To conclude his speech, Trump says: God bless America. The crowd goes euphoric.

10:48pm: We will make America strong, wealthy and great again, says Trump.

10:46pm: Time for empty talk is over, says Trump, sending a stern message to non-performing politicians.

10:45pm: When America is united, America is totally unstoppable, says Trump.

10:44pm: We will follow two simple rules --- buy American and hire Americans, says Trump.

10:43pm: We will unite the civilised world against Islamic terrorism, which will be wiped out from the Earth, says Trump amid a thunderous applause.

10:42pm: We will bring back our jobs...our borders...our dreams, says Trump.

10:42pm: We have to save our borders from ravages of other countries, says Trump.

10:40pm: A new vision will rule America, says Trump, adding his motto is America first.

10:38pm: My oath of office is an oath of allegiance to the people, says the 45th US President.

10:36pm: Today is your day...People have become the rulers again...the forgotten people wont be forgotten now, says Trump.

10:35pm: This moment is your moment. It belongs to you, Trump says.

10:34pm: With todays ceremony, we are transferring the power to the people, Trump says.

10:33pm: Trump thanks Barack Obama and Michelle for smooth transfer of power.

10:32pm: Trump addresses the gathering. Together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come, says Trump.

10:30pm: Donald Trump, the Republican who beat all predictions, takes oath as the 45 President of the United States.

10:24pm: Mike Pence takes oath as the US vice president. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administered the oath of office. Trump chose Pence, the former governor of Indiana, as his running mate last summer.

Vice president Mike Pence takes his oath of office during the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington. (AP)

10:15pm: Pastors conduct an invocation ceremony, which will be followed by Trumps oath-taking.

10:00pm: The US presidential inauguration ceremony begins.

9:56pm: President-elect Donald Trump and vice president-elect Mike Pence arrive at Capitol Hill for oath taking ceremony. The Republican businessman from New York flashed a thumbs-up to the crowd as he was introduced. Trump pumped his fist, and mouthed thank you, as he walked to his seat next to Pence.

9:20pm: Promising to be right there with the US citizens, Barack Obama in his final tweet as the 44th President of the United States thanked his countrymen, saying serving them was the honour of his life.

I won't stop; I'll be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by your voices of truth and justice, good humor, and love.  President Obama (@POTUS) January 20, 2017

9:15pm: First Lady Michelle Obama also posted a brief video on her tweeter feed taking it in one last walk through the Peoples House as she is seen walking with the First Dogs.

Taking it in on one last walk through the People's House. pic.twitter.com/uaAn6j8Ygy  The First Lady (@FLOTUS) January 18, 2017

For future updates from Mrs. Obama, be sure to follow @MichelleObama.  The First Lady (@FLOTUS) January 19, 2017

9:00pm: The White House said members of the residence staff presented President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama with two American flags that were flown atop the building.

One of the flags was flown on the first day of Obamas presidency. The other was flown on his final morning as president. The Obamas are preparing to depart the White House for the last time as president and first lady when they head to Donald Trumps inauguration.

8:50pm: Meanwhile, its sarcasm time on Twitter

Fun fact- no matter how many times you use the #NotMyPresident hashtag, Donald Trump will still be your president. #Inauguration  Dale (@SeeMz_) January 20, 2017

"Live each day like Donald Trump has the nuclear codes" is the new "Dance like nobody's watching"  Jill Biden (@JillBidenVeep) January 20, 2017

Donald Trump becomes our 45th president today.

I'd love to show this tweet to myself in any year from 1985 to 2015 for a deep, dark laugh.  John Schindler (@20committee) January 20, 2017

8:25pm: Trump headed to the White House to meet with Barack Obama, who greeted the President-elect and his wife Melania. Obamas wife, Michelle, was also present.

The Obamas greeted the Trumps at the grand North Portico, the column-lined entrance facing Pennsylvania Avenue.Obama told Trump that it was good to see him. They exchanged pleasantries, and Melania brought a gift for Michelle.

Melania initially reached to shake Michelles hand, but the first lady instead gave her a hug. The families will have coffee and tea at a reception thats closed to the media.

** On the way from St. Johns Church, Trump paused to shake hands with a clergy member at the door and then walked to his waiting vehicle. He was followed by family members and Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Pence said he was very humbled when he was asked about his message for the day.

President Barack Obama kisses first lady Michelle Obama as they await for the arrival of President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania. (AP)

8:20pm:

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were asking the public to help them develop projects for his new presidential centre on Chicagos South Side. The Obamas are starting up a foundation website  Obama.org  in the hours before Donald Trump is inaugurated the 45th president.

7:49pm: Liberal activists protesting Trumps inauguration scuffled with police in Washington after attempting to block the Republican real estate developers supporters streaming in for the ceremony.

About 900,000 people were expected to pack the grassy National Mall facing the Capitol, where Trump will be sworn in, as well as the parade route along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House and other parts of central Washington.

7:40pm:Trump arrived for a church service at St. Johns Episcopal Church here on Friday, in the lead up to his taking the oath of office. The incoming President was accompanied by members of his family.

7:10pm: The Kremlin may have spent years reviling America, but Russians hoping Donald Trump will usher in a new era of detente marked his inauguration with parties and trinkets from commemorative coins to matryoshka nesting dolls in his image.

Washington was turned into a virtual fortress with an estimated 900,000 people -- backers and protesters -- descending on the capital. In London, anti-Trump activists draped a banner reading Build Bridges Not Walls from Tower Bridge. Protests were planned across western Europe on Friday and Saturday.

Protesters block members of the press as they chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC. (REUTERS)

7:05pm: Germanys finance minister doubts that the incoming Donald Trump administration in the US will abandon free trade. Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Wolfgang Schaeuble said he cant imagine huge damage being done to free trade.

7:05pm: US bankers, buoyed by a resurgence in profits, are advising their counterparts in Europe to think positively about the new administration of Trump, Reuters reported.

7:00pm: Several hundred people, most of them expatriate Americans, held a protest in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, against Trump, hours before his inauguration in Washington.

6:30pm: Britains treasury chief says Donald Trumps accession to the U.S. presidency is likely to create even more uncertainty for Europe than his countrys unprecedented departure from the EU, AP reported.

It all begins today! I will see you at 11:00 A.M. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2017

6:00pm: Donald Trump tweets: It all begins today. He adds: ...THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES.
Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, succeeding Barack Obama and telling a bitterly divided country he will pursue America First policies at home and abroad.

As scattered protests erupted elsewhere in Washington, Trump raised his right hand and put his left on a Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated a 35-word oath of office from the US Constitution, with US Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.

Afterward, he stretched his arms wide and hugged his wife, Melania, and other members of his family. Then he turned around to a podium and delivered his inaugural address.

This moment is your moment, it belongs to you, Trump told a large crowd that had earlier booed Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader in the US Senate.

Revisiting themes from his improbable campaign victory, Trump said his presidency would aim to help struggling middle-class families, build up the US military and strengthen US borders.

We are transferring power from Washington DC and giving it back to you, he said.

From this day forward a new vision will govern our land, Trump said. From this day forward its going to be only America First.

The transition from a Democratic president to a Republican took place on the West Front of the domed US Capitol before a crowd of former presidents, dignitaries and hundreds of thousands of people on the grounds of the National Mall. The crowd stretched westward on a cool day of occasional light rain.

Trump, 70, takes over a country divided after a savage election campaign. A wealthy New York businessman and former reality TV star, he will set the country on a new, uncertain path at home and abroad.

Away from the Capitol, masked activists ran through the streets smashing windows with hammers at a McDonalds restaurant, a Starbucks coffee shop and Bobby Vans Grill steakhouse several blocks from the White House.

They carried black anarchist flags and signs that said, Join the resistance, fight back now. Police used pepper spray and chased them down a major avenue, a Reuters eyewitness reported.

In another location not far from the White House, protesters also scuffled with police, at one point throwing aluminum chairs at them at outdoor cafe.

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate who Trump defeated on Nov 8, attended the ceremony with her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Former presidents George W Bush and Jimmy Carter were also present with their wives. Bushs father, former President George HW Bush, 92, was in Houston recovering from pneumonia.

Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, began the day attending a prayer service at St. Johns Episcopal Church near the White House. Trump, wearing a dark suit and red tie, and Melania Trump, clad in a classic-styled, powder blue ensemble, then headed into the White House for a meeting with Obama and his wife, Michelle.

Trump took office with work to do to bolster his image.

During a testy transition period since his stunning election win, Trump has repeatedly engaged in Twitter attacks against his critics, so much so that one fellow Republican, Senator John McCain, told CNN that Trump seemed to want to engage with every windmill that he can find.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll this week found only 40 percent of Americans viewed Trump favorably, the lowest rating for an incoming president since Democrat Carter in 1977, and the same percentage approved of how he has handled the transition.

Trumps agenda

His ascension to the White House, while welcomed by Republicans tired of Obamas eight years in office, raises a host of questions for the United States.

Trump campaigned on a pledge to take the country on a more isolationist, protectionist path and has vowed to impose a 35 percent tariff on goods on imports from US companies that went abroad.

His desire for warmer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and threats to cut funding for North Atlantic Treaty Organization nations has allies from Britain to the Baltics worried that the traditional US security umbrella will be diminished.

In the Middle East, Trump has said he wants to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at the risk of angering Arabs and stirring international concern. He has yet to sketch out how he plans to carry out a campaign pledge to knock the hell out of Islamic State militants.

The inaugural festivities may have a more partisan edge than usual, given Trumps scorching campaign and continuing confrontations between him and Democrats over his take-no-prisoners Twitter attacks and pledge to roll back many of Obamas policies.

More than 60 Democratic lawmakers planned to stay away from the proceedings to protest Trump, spurred on after he derided US Representative John Lewis of Georgia, a hero of the civil rights movement, for calling him an illegitimate president.

Thousands of anti-Trump protesters were expected among the inauguration crowd and many demonstrators will participate in a Womens March on Washington on Saturday. Protests are also planned in other cities in the United States and abroad.

Keith Kidwell, chairman of the Republican Party in Beaufort County, North Carolina, was among the crowds on Friday, eager to see the start of the Trump presidency.

I cling to my guns and my Bible. Ive been waiting a long eight years for this day, said Kidwell, adding he initially supported US Senator Ted Cruz to be the Republican presidential nominee but was now squarely behind Trump.

Quick action

Trumps to-do list has given Republicans hope that, since they also control the US Congress, they can quickly repeal and replace Obamas signature healthcare law, approve sweeping tax reform and roll back many federal regulations they say are stifling the US economy.

Hes going to inject a shock to the system here almost immediately, Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox News.

Democrats, in search of firm political footing after the unexpected defeat of Hillary Clinton, are planning to fight him at every turn. They deeply oppose Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoric from the campaign trail and plans to build a wall along the southern US border with Mexico.

Trumps critics have been emboldened to attack his legitimacy because his win came in the Electoral College, which gives smaller states more clout in the outcome. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by about 2.9 million.

Trumps critics also point to the conclusion of US intelligence agencies that Russia used hacking and other methods during the campaign to try to tilt the election in the Republicans favour. Trump has acknowledged the finding - denied by Moscow - that Russia was behind the hacking but said it did not affect the outcome of the election.

To his critics - including Obama who during the campaign called Trump temperamentally unfit for the White House - his straight talk can be jarring, especially when expressed in tweets. His supporters, many of them working-class whites, see Trump as a refreshingly anti-establishment figure who eschews political correctness.

Hes here for the working man supporter Adam Coletti of Plainfield, Connecticut, said as he headed toward the inauguration.
Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday -- capping his improbable journey to the White House and beginning a four-year term that promises to shake up Washington and the world.

An estimated 800,000 people will gather on the National Mall in the center of the nations capital to celebrate a man whose short 19-month political career has defied all predictions, and many norms.

When Trump descended the escalators of his glitzy New York tower in June 2015, his run for office was dismissed and even mocked.

But shortly before midday Friday, Trump will place his hand on Abraham Lincolns Bible, recite the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol and become the most powerful man on earth.

In the primaries, he dominated a crowded Republican presidential field with bareknuckle rhetoric and star power. He rode that same wave of anti-elite sentiment to victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November election.

At 70 years of age, he is the oldest man ever to begin work in the Oval Office.

But the real estate mogul and one-time television reality star is also a political neophyte -- he will be the first president never to have held elected office, served in the government or the armed forces.

For his supporters, like Jake, a Californian who travelled to Washington for the inauguration, that is a central part of Trumps appeal.

It honestly feels like we won the American Revolution again, he said. I really feel like weve taken back our culture, weve taken back our country.

Weve really been under attack from a lot of the establishment on both sides of the aisle -- weve been under attack from the media, from the celebrities.

Big changes

The change in Washington -- in many ways a company town -- was already palpable late Thursday when Trump bopped along to country music during a pre-inaugural concert at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial.

The music popular in Americas heartland had replaced the strains of Beyonce and Bruce Springsteen that marked Barack Obamas two terms at the White House.

For his critics, Trumps arrival in Washington on Thursday on board an Air Force jet was more like a hostile takeover than a traditional changing of the guard.

Small demonstrations popped up across the city center declaring Trump illegitimate and a much larger rally is planned for Saturday.

On Thursday evening, hundreds of anti-Trump protesters demonstrated outside a Washington pro-Trump event, heckling and shouting at departing guests and lighting protests signs on fire before police used chemical spray on the crowd.

Trump enters office with a 37 percent approval rating, the lowest on record, according to a CBS News poll.

As Obamas White House staff cleaned out their desks and the normally busy corridors of the West Wing fell quiet, many staffers expressed relief at the prospect of rest, but foreboding about the road ahead.

That sentiment is echoed across many of the worlds capitals. Trump has vowed to tear up Obamas policies and re-examine decades-old alliances with Europe and in Asia.

One of Obamas last acts in office was to speak to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and declare trans-Atlantic ties vital for the world order -- a statement that would have been a banal platitude before this rocky transition.

Still, Obama has one more part to play, hosting Trump and his wife Melania in the Blue Room of the White House for morning tea Friday.

The two presidents and their families will then travel the 2.5 miles (four kilometers) down Pennsylvania Avenue to the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol.

Addressing the nation

After promising to faithfully execute the office of president of the United States and preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, Trump will deliver the most important speech of his life.

Inaugural addresses -- from Lincoln to John F. Kennedy -- echo across American history. Phrases like malice towards none and ask not what your country can do for you have been seared into the vernacular.

The most noted inaugural addresses had sought to lift Americans gaze up from the rancor and troubles of the day toward the horizon and a better tomorrow.

Trump aides are promising an address that is at once short -- at around 20 minutes -- and philosophical.

Its going to be a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country, said incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer.

He will discuss what it means to be an American, the challenges that we face, as members of the middle class, that they face, he said.

I think 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.

In brief remarks on the eve of becoming president, Trump vowed to bring unity, but there was also a rallying cry for his base.

Were going to unify our country, he said, before telling supporters: Youre not forgotten anymore.

Were going to get our jobs back. Were not going to let other countries take our jobs any longer. Were going to build up our great military.

After his speech, Trump will attend a luncheon inside the Capitol, before heading back to the White House to begin the business of governing.
Barack Obamas Nobel Peace Prize may have confounded critics and created enormous expectations, but ultimately it had little influence on his refusal to get drawn into the bloodshed in Syria.

In accepting the prize on December 10, 2009, the young US president, elected only a year earlier, gave a steely speech about war and peace, outlining what would become the pillars of his foreign policy.

He defended Americas right to wage war provided it was morally justified and acknowledged the paradox that he was being honoured a week after ordering 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan.

War is sometimes necessary, the commander-in-chief, then fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, told the gathering in Oslo.

Our actions matter and can bend history in the direction of justice, he said, warning that consequences must back diplomacy to beat repression.

But if the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were legacies of his predecessor, George W Bush, Obama will on Friday hand over several thousand US combat troops overseas to his successor, Donald Trump.

Norways Nobel committee -- heavily criticised for choosing a man yet to prove his worth -- at the time praised Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.

Seven years later, Obama steps down neither a pacifist, nor a warmonger says Joseph Bahout, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace research centre in Washington.

Red line

He is a realist with a slight penchant for moralising, but hes not an idealist, he added, calling Obama a proponent of one strand of American foreign policy doctrine.

The attitude that America should no longer be an automatic or zealous policeman of the world puts Obama closer to Trump than the more interventionist approach of George W Bush or even Bill Clinton.

The Nobel Peace Prize did not influence his (overseas) action, said Bahout, who believes Obama was governed by instinct in not dragging America into military conflicts.

Faced with the scale of the tragedy in Syria, which has killed more than 310,000 people and displaced millions since 2011, Obama has spoken of feeling responsible even if the window for intervention was limited.

There hasnt been probably a week thats gone by in which I havent re-examined some of the underlying premises around how were dealing with the situation in Syria, he said last September.

But he told CBS News in an interview broadcast last weekend that he did not regret his famous red line speech about Syrias use of chemical weapons -- criticised by many of his opponents as a failure.

Speaking about possible US military action, he warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in August 2012 that seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilised would be a red line.

In 2013, the Syrian military used chemical weapons in an attack on rebel-controlled areas of Damascus, killing nearly 1,500 civilians, more than 400 of them children.

Obama doctrine

After a video caused outrage around the world, the United States, Britain and France prepared for imminent air strikes but Washington and London pulled back.

The United States instead reached an agreement with Russia to dismantle Syrias chemical arsenal. But Obama could not keep out of the war completely.

In September 2014, he forged an international bombing coalition to attack the so-called Islamic State group and other radical jihadist units in Syria while pursuing, in vain, a political solution.

But Obamas refusal to put US boots on the ground, apart from several hundred special forces, helped give Russia the military and diplomatic upper hand.

People gather outside of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, to thank outgoing President Barack Obama as preparations continue ahead of Friday's presidential inauguration. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) (AP)

Amy Greene, a researcher on US foreign policy at Sciences Po in Paris, sees no link between Obamas Peace Prize and lack of intervention in Syria.

Obama wasnt convinced that troops on the ground would improve the situation. It was a head of states responsibility not to unleash Iraq take two, Greene told AFP.

But under Obama, the United States has drastically stepped up its use of drone strikes in undeclared wars in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen, killing 2,581 combatants since 2009, according to a US intelligence tally in July.

We can be sorry that he did not close Guantanamo Bay and that he used a lot of drones but this is a President who has acted according to his principles and his doctrine, said Greene.
Cynthia Erickson woke up early, hoping her four furnaces were working.

She owns a grocery store and the building that houses the post office in the village of Tanana, Alaska, which ranked as the coldest place in the state Wednesday. The official temperature at the airport with a single gravel runway was minus 54 degrees. Nearby, along the Yukon River, it was 5 degrees colder.

Fifty-nine below on Front Street in Tanana, Alaska, she said, laughing. Its just miserable. I hate everybody who lives in a warm place.

A cold snap gripping interior Alaska is bothering even long-time residents such as Erickson. She didnt see a customer until 25 minutes after she opened her store, where the furnace was operating despite the cold.

Im good because I watch the temperatures and prepare in advance, she said. Last week I got my stock in. Im good. Im not a last-minuter. Living your whole life in Alaska for 53 years, youve got to think ahead.

Planes were not flying in the village 130 miles west of Fairbanks, Alaskas second-largest city. The cold also kept cars off the road, Erickson said. People instead were walking, bundled up like the little brother in the movie A Christmas Story.

Shes hoping for a break in the weather  perhaps a balmy minus 20. Temperatures are forecast to remain cold into Friday.

I want to leave, she said. My teeth are frozen to my lips.

A very cold, low-pressure trough moved into Alaska from Siberia, said Christopher Cox, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Fairbanks.

The sun rises through ice fog on the Yukon River, in Tanana, Alaska. (AP Photo)

The western Interior has been experiencing the 40s and 50s below for the last couple of days, he said. Here in Fairbanks, weve had some clouds that protect us. The clouds parted yesterday afternoon, and the temperatures have plummeted.

Fairbanks International Airport reached minus 50 Wednesday, the first time since Jan. 29, 2012, Cox said.

The city craves clouds when it gets so cold. From November through January, Cox said, sunlight has virtually no effect on temperatures. Clouds, however, provide an insulating layer reflecting back heat generated by the Earths crust.

Think of it as a blanket, Cox said. If you have no clouds, theres nothing to stop that radiation from escaping to outer space.

Last winter, the low in Fairbanks never reached minus 30, but thats not typical. Fairbanks averages 11 to 12 days of temperatures that reach 40 below zero or colder, Cox said.

Schools operated as usual. Children enjoy recess outside until it hits minus 20, according to Fairbanks school district policy.

If its 19 below, they go out, Lori Kunz, school secretary at Denali Elementary. Attendance dropped Wednesday, when recess inside was the plan, Kunz said.

The extreme cold takes a toll on cars and water pipes. Tires flatten on the bottom, leading to a bumpy ride until they snap back into shape. Changing a tire, and spinning a metal lug nut, can frostbite a bare finger. If a furnace fails, water pipes can freeze and then burst when theyre thawed.

Carrie and Cuppy Agnes stand for a photo in front of the frozen Yukon River in Tanana, Alaska. (AP Photo)

In Tanana, Erickson said, propane gelled in the cold, making cooking stoves impossible to use. People were shopping at her grocery store for items they could cook on woodstoves. But most people had water because of heating cable or tape on water lines, she said.

Tanana also has been blessed with abundant snow.

That really helps with the insulation, Erickson said. Everybody banks their houses. It helps with pipes, water lines and fuel lines.

The mental wear and tear may be the worst part. Erickson said she had to look at summer pictures of boats, blueberries and kids swimming to help her make it through the day.

The only good thing about this is when youre 53 years old and you get hot flashes, you stay warm, she said.
A desperate search was underway Friday for around 20 firefighters trapped for 24 hours under the rubble of a Tehran high-rise that collapsed following a fire.

Hopes were fading for the men who were still inside the 15-storey Plasco building when it came down on Thursday.

Rescue workers, soldiers and sniffer dogs worked through the night, cutting through steel girders and digging tunnels under the wreckage, but no survivors or bodies had yet been found.

One firefighter, who managed to escape the building before it collapsed, died in hospital on Friday from severe burns, the official IRNA news agency reported.

The Plasco building was Irans oldest high-rise and contained a shopping centre and hundreds of clothing suppliers.

Each layer of wreckage removed from the scene was unleashing fresh smoke, causing problems for workers and sniffer dogs.

The removal of debris is more difficult than removing debris from a major earthquake because we are dealing with fire, smoke and lack of oxygen, said Red Crescent official Morteza Moradipour.

It is still not clear how many people are trapped under the rubble and not even one person has been pulled out, added Tehran emergency services director Pir Hossein Koolivand.

Iranians were in shock over the apparent loss of so many firefighters, with state television placing a black banner across the corner of the screen as a sign of mourning.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said late Thursday that the incident had caused deep sorrow, regret and concern for me, and praised the bravery and sacrifice of the firefighters.

IRNA said 84 people were injured in the initial fire, of whom five were still in hospital.

The head of Irans chamber of commerce, Ali Fazeli, said an initial estimate of 15,000 billion rials (roughly $500 million) had been put on the financial damage.

Unfortunately, a considerable number of shops in this building were not insured, he added.

The clothing suppliers were particularly full of stock in the run-up to Nowruz, the Iranian new year, which falls in March.

Tehran police chief Ghader Karimi said rescue workers were pulling safes and other items out of the debris, and these were being kept in a special store at the site to return to owners.

President Hassan Rouhani has called for an immediate investigation, with city officials saying the buildings managers ignored repeated warnings about fire hazards.

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 alleged ties to Israel and sentenced to death and executed after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Syrias state run news agency says the Islamic State group has destroyed parts of the Roman amphitheater in Syrias historic town of Palmyra.

SANA says the militants destroyed the facade of the second-century amphitheater along with the tetrapylon, a cubic shaped ancient Roman monument. The agency did not give further details or say when the monuments were blown up.

Syrian opposition monitors confirmed that IS destroyed parts of the amphitheater and the tetrapylon.

The extremists recaptured the ancient town in December from government troops  nine months after IS was expelled in a Russia-backed offensive.

IS destroyed ancient temples and other relics last year
Verkhovna Rada deputy Serhiy Taruta has said top Ukrainian officials currently in power have not lived to the hopes of the international community.

"I have attended these meetings in Davos for the last 16 years and remember how two years ago and last year Ukraine was the center of discussion in talks about geopolitics and economic reforms. This year, unfortunately, practically no one is talking about Ukraine. Because the world looked at us with hope, but top Ukrainian officials did not live up to their expectations," Taruta said.

According to the parliament deputy, this is the main reason Ukraine this year has dropped out of the top topics of discussion.

"Many people have asked me why Ukraine did take advantage of its chance, why Ukraine has wasted time. I am ashamed to respond, ashamed of the country's leaders. But it is necessary to respond, at least to questions about our financial system, which has been headed by corrupt National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) chairwoman Valeriya Gontareva. The NBU has received money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but the NBU nationalized PrivatBank for unknown reasons. To tell you the truth, I am ashamed. I am ashamed to tell the truth. But this is necessary," Taruta said.

The deputy said Ukraine today relies on financial assistance from the U.S. and Europe, but can only receive it if reforms are carried out and a "real" battle against corruption is launched.

Taruta has on numerous occasions talked about the necessity of creating in parliament a temporary investigation committee to investigate the activities of the NBU chairwoman. Some 35 lawmakers have signed a petition for same.
Rescue crews located up to eight people alive in the kitchen of an avalanche-crushed hotel on Friday, an incredible discovery that boosted spirits two days after the massive snow slide buried around 30 people in the resort.

Video released by rescuers showed a boy, wearing blue snow pants and a matching ski shirt, emerging from the structure and crews mussing his hair in celebration.

Next was a woman with a long ponytail wearing red snow pants. Brava Brava! the rescuers cheered. The survivors appeared fully alert and walking on their own. Both were helped down to a stretcher for the helicopter ride out.

This first news has obviously repaid all the rescuers efforts, deputy interior minister Filippo Bubbico said.

First word of the discovery came at around 11 am and was met with exhilaration after at least four people had already been found dead since Thursday.

Read | Trapped in the snow: 9 chilling photos of Italy avalanche that buried hotel

We found five people alive. Were pulling them out. Send us a helicopter, a rescuer said over firefighters radio, overheard by Associated Press journalists who were making their way on foot toward the disaster site.

Later, the number rose to eight people, including two children, Italian news reports said.

Titi Postiglione, operations chief of the civil protection agency, confirmed six people were located, but the numbers were fluid: She said two had been extracted already and crews were working to get another four out of the rubble.

These survivors, she said can give us a series of indications to help with our intervention plan, information to understand what happened and help direct the search.

Rescue workers told RAI state television the survivors conditions were remarkably good, and that they had survived thanks to an air pocket in the kitchen. They were being flown by helicopter to area hospitals.

About 30 people were trapped inside the luxury Hotel Rigopiano when the avalanche hit on Wednesday afternoon, with two people initially surviving the devastation and calling out for help.

Search and rescue teams had maintained the hope of finding survivors even though the avalanche dumped up to 17 feet of snow on the hotel.

Operations have been hampered by difficulty in accessing the remote hotel. Workers have been clearing a seven-kilometer road to bring in heavier equipment but it can handle only one-way traffic.

A convoy of rescue vehicles made slow progress to the hotel, blocked by snow piled 10 feet high in some places, fallen trees and rocks.

The first rescue teams had arrived on skis early Thursday, and firefighters were dropped in by helicopter. Snowmobiles were also being mobilized.

Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, and the hotel phones went down early Wednesday, just as the first of four powerful earthquakes struck the region.

Read | One dead after series of earthquakes hit Italy, heavy snow raises safety fears

It wasnt clear if the quakes triggered the avalanche. But emergency responders said the force of the massive snow slide collapsed a wing of the hotel that faced the mountain and rotated another off its foundation, pushing it downhill.

One of the survivors reported that the guests had all checked out and were waiting for the road to be cleared to be able to leave. The snow plow scheduled for midafternoon never arrived, and the avalanche hit sometime around 5:30 pm. Wednesday.

Farindola Mayor Ilario Lacchetta said the hotel had 24 guests, four of them children, and 12 employees were onsite at the time of the avalanche.

The mountainous region of central Italy has been struck by a series of quakes since August that destroyed homes and historic centers in dozens of towns and hamlets. A deadly quake in August killed nearly 300. No one died in strong aftershocks in October, largely because population centers had already been evacuated.
President-elect Donald Trumps national security transition has been more chaotic than others in recent memory, with important positions unfilled and many of his people less able, or willing, to engage on substance, US officials said.

The uncertainties surrounding Trumps personnel, policies, and rise to power have rattled many of Americas allies, including Japan, Germany and Britain, at a time when China is more assertive, Russia more aggressive, terrorism more diffuse, the Middle East still unstable and North Korea nuclear-armed and unpredictable, said US and foreign diplomats.

Disruption and uncertainty can provide strategic advantages, Mark Lagon and Ross Harrison of Georgetown University wrote in Foreign Policy magazine. But what is seriously in doubt is whether Trumps disruption will be strategic or beneficial to US foreign policy interests. Even before getting elected, he acted like a missile without a guidance system.

Top Trump officials, however, described the transition as having gone smoothly, including on national security.

Republican Trumps camp announced on Thursday it had asked more than 50 of Democrat Obamas appointees to stay on, but at least three officials, a senior intelligence officer and two diplomats whom Trump wanted to keep on, will depart.

Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Stephanie OSullivan, Under Secretary of State Catherine Novelli and Assistant Secretary of State Toria Nuland appear on a Jan. 17 partial list of people the transition wanted to remain after Trumps inauguration on Friday.

The two diplomats have told colleagues they are going, and OSullivan is keeping her long-standing plans to retire.

The State Department declined comment. The Trump transition and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It is not clearly whether the uncertainties extend to other parts of the government, but another senior official at a national security agency said Trumps effort was much slower than the 2001 Bill Clinton-to-George W. Bush or the 2009 Bush-to-Barack Obama handovers.

Personnel appointments were far more advanced in both those cases, said the official, who spoke on condition he not be identified. In both cases, advance teams were working on substance.

During the 2008-2009 transition, the official said, incoming and outgoing officials had worked together on issues in a very harmonious fashion.

None of that is the case in this transition, he added. He said that he had expected to have met by now with his likely replacement or others on the transition, but had not. Its not just me. Everybodys experience is like mine.

Reams of briefings

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Vice President-elect Michael Pence said Trumps transition was being completed ahead of schedule and under budget. Our job is to be ready on day one. The American people can be confident that we will be.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer also told reporters that contact between the incoming and outgoing National Security Council staffs had been tremendous.

Weve had reams of briefings, he said. That is one area where frankly they have been very, very aggressive and robust with both meeting with their counterparts and ensuring that the team is ready to go day one.Trumps team did not respond to requests for further comment.

Three State Department officials, though, called the transition there a mess, and said that until recently the Trump team had little contact with department officials and read few if any of their briefing books.

That has left many career officials with misgivings about the incoming administration and the possibility that many foreign policy and national security veterans may be swept out.

A dozen serving officials at four intelligence agencies said they are troubled by Trumps apparent disdain for their work; by his designated national security advisor Michael Flynns perceived bent for conspiracy theories and hostility toward some of his former colleagues; and by what some say is the incoming presidents disinterest in the briefings he has received.

Two officials with knowledge of those briefings said Trumps attention has wandered, he has asked few questions, has read few if any of the briefing books hes been given  including the one on Russian hacking of the 2016 election - and has requested few topical sessions, one of which was on North Korea.

Secretary of State John Kerry and his nominated replacement, Rex Tillerson, were to meet on Thursday, but their schedules did not mesh, State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

One Obama official, who has dealt with the Trump transition team at the State Department and spoke on condition of anonymity, said it appeared totally disconnected from Trumps top echelon of advisers and from Tillerson.

Tillersons nomination is not expected to get a Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote before Monday at the earliest.
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 worlds greatest aviation mysteries unanswered.

Read I Aus defends end of MH370 hunt; Study to continue, search could resume in future

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 planes 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 planes 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.

A graphic on people who were on Malaysia Airlines MH370 in March 2014 before it disappeared. (AFP)

NOT HAPPY

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 cant 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.

MH370s disappearance echoes the 2009 loss in the Atlantic Ocean of an Air France jet, a two-year search for which exhausted the resources of the French BEA accident agency.

Planemaker Airbus and Air France agreed to participate in funding the final two stages of the search, which ran into about a third of the total underwater search costs of 80 million euros.

Abdul Aziz said the MH370 search costs had been borne by the three countries, while the aircraft-maker, Boeing, had not committed anything.

Theres been no funding from Boeing, he said.

An Australian official said the ATSB had not asked Boeing to provide funds, only technical help.

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.
Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, Mexicos most notorious cartel kingpin who twice made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run as the countrys most wanted man, was extradited to the US Thursday to face drug trafficking and other charges.

Mexicos Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to US authorities for transportation to the U.S. on Thursday, the last full day of President Barack Obamas administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated.

The US Justice Department issued a statement confirming that Guzman was en route to the United States and expressed gratitude to Mexico for its cooperation.

A senior U.S. official said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas, and a plane carrying him departed for New York at 5:31 p.m. EST. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and agreed to give the information only if not quoted by name.

The convicted boss of the Sinaloa cartel, one of the worlds largest drug trafficking organizations, had been held most recently at a prison near Ciudad Juarez. He was recaptured a year ago after escaping from a second maximum-security prison through a tunnel dug to his cell.

The 2015 escape was highly embarrassing for the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand the headache off to the United States afterward. Guzmans lawyers have fought extradition since his recapture.

It was illegal. They didnt even notify us, said lawyer Andres Granados, who accused the government of extraditing his client to distract from nationwide gasoline protests. They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike. Its totally political.

Guzman, who is in his late 50s, faces the possibility of life in a U.S. prison under multiple indictments in six jurisdictions around the United States, including New York, San Diego, Chicago and Miami.

A federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York, where Guzman is expected to be prosecuted, accuses him of overseeing a trafficking cartel with thousands of members and billions of dollars in profits laundered back to Mexico. It says Guzman and other members of the Sinaloa cartel employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

He was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in July 2009. A superseding indictment was issued in May charging him and Ismael El Mayo Zambada with a variety of drug, gun and money laundering charges as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise.

The Mexican Foreign Relations Departments statement said a court had ruled against Guzmans appeal and found that his extradition would be constitutional.

The criminal Joaquin Guzman Loera was extradited this afternoon to face his pending legal cases, Mexican Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong tweeted.

Guzmans first prison break was in 2001. He spent more than a decade at large before being captured in 2014, becoming something of a folk legend for a segment of Mexicos population for his defiance of authorities. He was immortalized in ballads known as narco-corridos.

The following year he broke out through the mile-long tunnel dug directly to the shower in his cell.

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 Penns article.

Guzman was initially returned to the Altiplano prison outside Mexico City where he escaped through the tunnel. Last May, officials abruptly moved him to the prison in the desert near Juarez.

As a candidate, Trump accused Mexico of sending criminals and rapists to the United States, and he promised to build a wall on the Mexican border and make Mexico pay for it. Mexican officials have repeatedly said they will not pay for a wall.

Derek Maltz, who headed the DEAs Special Operations Division until his retirement in mid-2014, said the timing of Guzmans extradition less than 24 hours ahead of Trumps inauguration could be seen as a show of good faith by Mexico.

Its a win for the good guys, he said.

He added that Guzmans extradition is not likely to immediately curb the Sinaloa cartels role in the drug trade, but its another signal that the U.S. and Mexico are serious about fighting drug gangs.

When they start seeing the extraditions of the cartel leadership and they see the unbelievable effort in Mexico with the killing and capture of top cartel leaders, they are going to start feeling the heat like theyve never seen it before, Maltz said.

The White House, which was down to a skeleton staff hours before Trump takes office, said it had no immediate comment.
Outgoing US President Barack Obama has said that he is proud to cut short the sentences of as many as 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes, arguing that they deserved 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, Obama wrote in tweet yesterday.

With this, the total number of commutation by him stands at 1,715, highest by a US President the history, the White House said.

The vast majority of these men and women are serving unduly long sentences for drug crimes, White House counsel Neil Eggleston said.

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, he said.

In a surprise move on Tuesday, Obama cut short the 35-year sentence of Chelsea Manning, a transgender solider convicted of leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks.

The decision was slammed by President-elect Donald Trumps Republican party.

Later, Obama defended it 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 at his final news conference on Wednesday.
Authorities in Pakistans largest province have ordered several womens and human rights groups to shut down, accusing them of unspecified anti-state activities, an official of a human rights group said.

Pakistan has toughened its stance against local and international non-governmental bodies in recent years, accusing some of using their work as a cover for espionage. In 2015, it ordered Save the Children expelled but reversed the decision.

They are shutting up people by harassment, IA Rehman, an official of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told Reuters on Thursday.

Police and security officials have ordered about a dozen non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to halt operations, mostly in southern Punjab province, Rehman added, with groups working on womens and human rights appearing to be the main targets.

The provincial government has given orders to district police offices that so-and-so organisation has been indulging in anti-state activities, so ban this organization, he said.

Punjabs home minister, Rana Sanaullah, did not respond to written queries about the orders.

Conservative Pakistans small community of liberal groups is worried about a new crackdown on anyone seen as criticising the government, as concern grows over five liberal writers and activists who went missing this month.

The government denies any role in the disappearances.

Two officials of non-government bodies in Punjab told Reuters police had ordered their employees to halt work.

Yesterday, the police went to one of my colleagues in Bahawalpur and asked him to shut our office over there, said Mohammad Tehseen, director of South Asia Partnership Pakistan, which focuses on womens rights.

The police gave him a letter, seen by Reuters, issued by the Punjab Home Department alleging that his organisation was pursuing (an) anti-state agenda.

Tehseen denied the allegation, and said the police would not specify any actions to support the accusation.

Telephone calls to police in the city of Bahawalpur went unanswered on Thursday and Friday.

Other organisations have received similar letters, Rehman said.

Another NGO, Women in Struggle for Empowerment, was ordered to halt work in Punjab and obtained a copy of another letter from a provincial agency accusing it of activities detrimental to National/Strategic Security.

A copy of the letter provided to Reuters by the groups director, Bushra Khaliq, cites an order from the ministry of the interior.

A ministry spokesman on Friday said he was checking on the letter with officials in the ministry.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to fill the nations capital for the inauguration of Donald Trump, and while the majority of those expected in Washington on Friday will be there to celebrate, some protesters say their plan is to do their best to disrupt the day.

Read I Trumps: All you need to know about new US first family, 45th President Donald

Late Thursday evening, protesters and supporters of Trump clashed outside a pro-Trump event in Washington. Police used chemical spray on some protesters in an effort to control the unruly crowd. Hundreds gathered outside the National Press Club in downtown Washington, where the DeploraBall was being held. The name is a play on a campaign remark by Hillary Clinton, who once referred to many of Trumps supporters as a basket of deplorables.

In New York, actors Robert De Niro, Sally Field and Mark Ruffalo joined hundreds of other people outside a Donald Trump building on Thursday for a pre-inauguration demonstration.

A protester holds a sign making a play on words about the alt-Right movement at an anti-Trump rally and protest in front of the Trump International Hotel in New York on Thursday. (AP)

More demonstrations are expected Friday. A coalition calling itself DisruptJ20, after the date of the inauguration, says people participating in its actions in Washington will attempt to shut down or cause delays at security checkpoints going in to the inauguration ceremony. They intend to block checkpoints and in some cases risk arrest.

Our goals are to have to have massive protests and to shut down the inauguration if at all possible, and if not possible  if we cant shut the inauguration down  then make it as difficult as possible for Trump to act as if he has a mandate, organizer David Thurston told reporters last week.

But not everyone plans to be disruptive. One DisruptJ20 event is a march that will begin at Columbus Circle, outside Union Station. Participants are being asked to gather at noon, the same time Trump is being sworn in as the nations 45th president. The march, which organizers are calling a Festival of Resistance, will travel about 1.5 miles to McPherson Square, a park about three blocks from the White House, where a rally including filmmaker and liberal activist Michael Moore is planned.

Were going to throw a party in the streets for our side, Thurston said, adding that drummers, musicians and a float of dancers were planned for the march.

Along the official parade route, Trump can expect demonstrations, too. The anti-war group the ANSWER Coalition will demonstrate at two locations there.

A protester has her eyes doused with water after allegedly being pepper sprayed by police outside of the Deplora Ball at the National Press Building in Washington, DC. (AFP Photo)

The demonstrations wont end when Trump takes up residence in the White House. A massive Womens March on Washington is planned for Saturday. Organizers have estimated 200,000 people will attend their event. Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbias homeland security director, has said 1,800 buses have registered to park in the city Saturday, which would mean nearly 100,000 people coming in just by bus.

Read I Obamas farewell message on Facebook: America not one persons project

Jim Bendat, an expert on inaugural history, said significant protests surrounding Inauguration Day go back at least 100 years to 1913 when suffragettes marched down Pennsylvania Avenue. Bendat, the author of Democracys Big Day: The Inauguration of Our President, 1789-2013, said protests have been a constant, though there have been small ones and theres some bigger ones.

Richard Nixons first and second inaugurations drew memorable protests, he said, with demonstrators at the second inauguration angry about the Vietnam War. More recently, during President George W. Bushs 2001 inauguration, demonstrators along the parade route turned their backs as the president passed by and others held signs like Hail to the thief, suggesting Bush had stolen the election from Democrat Al Gore. At least one egg thrown from the crowd hit the presidential limousine. In 2005, demonstrators disrupted Bushs inaugural address.

Bendat said that its to be expected that after such a contentious election cycle, demonstrators will come to Washington to express their opinions.

Thats part of democracy, too, he said.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday raked up the issue of Kashmir in his first meeting with new UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, but got no positive response to his request for the world bodys 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 Pakistani Prime Ministers Office said 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 said to the UN chief.

The Pakistan Prime Minister claimed that India did not respond positively to his countrys invitation for dialogue and adopted a no-talks posture, vitiating the atmosphere through incendiary statements....

According to his offices 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 Sharifs demand.

He told Sharif that he was fully cognisant of the sensitivity of the issues between India and Pakistan which has security consequences for the region, the statement said.

Sharif said his governments 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.
Taiwan aspires to create a new era of peace with China, which should set aside the baggage of history and have positive dialogue, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said in a letter to Pope Francis, adding military action cannot resolve problems.

The issue of self-ruled and proudly democratic Taiwan has shot to the top of the international agenda since US President-elect Donald Trump broke with decades of precedent last month by taking a congratulatory telephone call from Tsai.

That, along with subsequent comments by Trump that the One China policy was up for negotiation, has infuriated Beijing, which views Taiwan as a wayward province, to be bought under its control by force if necessary.

China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, whose ruling Democratic Progressive Party espouses the islands formal independence, a red line for Beijing, and has cut off a formal dialogue mechanism with Taiwan.

In her January 5 letter to the Pope, released by her office on Friday, Tsai said upholding peace across the Taiwan Strait called for goodwill and communication.

Based on many years of experience in cross-Strait negotiations during my political career, I am convinced that military action cannot resolve problems, Tsai said.

Taiwan and mainland China were once embroiled in a zero-sum conflict that caused tension in the region and anxiety among our peoples. In contrast, today people on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait enjoy stable lives and normal exchanges under peaceful separate governance.

Taiwan is committed to maintaining its democracy and the status quo of peace, but will not bow to pressure, she added.

I urge the governing party across the Strait, together with the governing party in Taiwan, to set aside the baggage of history and engage in positive dialogue, Tsai said.

The Vatican is one of only a handful of countries which still maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, though the Pope is trying to heal a decades-old rift with China where Catholics are divided between those loyal to him and those who are members of a government-controlled official church.

Tsai said she sought to live up to the Popes words on nonviolent action.

As the first female president in the ethnic Chinese world, I aspire to live up to your words as I devote myself to enhancing the well-being of the Taiwanese people and creating a new era for cross-Strait peace.
Vowing to return the country to the people, President Donald Trump unveiled on Friday his vision for the United States, and the world, that hewed closely to his campaign promise of putting America First in trade, manufacturing and foreign policy.

Today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another. But we are transferring power from Washington DC, and giving it back to you, the people, he said in his inaugural speech.

We, assembled here today, are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, its going to be only America first, America first.

We will follow two simple rules: BUY AMERICAN & HIRE AMERICAN!#InaugurationDay #MAGA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2017

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. From this moment on, its going to be #AmericaFirst  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2017

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, he stated, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.

We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs, the Republican said.

The new President promised to fix the economy, bring jobs back to the US, reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on a rain-swept day that was steeped in traditions but marked by an unprecedented boycott by lawmakers of the inaugural event, and record number of protests across the city and country.

Wearing a dark suit with red tie, the 70-year-old business tycoon from New York, who ran and won as an outsider, took the oath of office with his hand on a family Bible and one used by the 17th president, Abraham Lincoln, for his own swearing in.

View gallery | The work begins: Donald Trump becomes 45th President of the US

Incoming First Lady, Melania Trump, who wore a sky-blue coat, held the Bibles as Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts administered the oath of office.

Clarence Thomas, the only African American on the Supreme Court bench, sworn in Mike Pence as vice-president in his deep baritone that is infamously rarely heard in court; he once went 10 years without uttering a word.

Trumps rival from the presidential election, Hillary Clinton was among the guests who attended the solemn ceremony held under a light drizzle on the West Front of the US Capitol, home to both chambers of US Congress.

Im here today to honour our democracy and its enduring values. I will never stop believing in our country and its future, Clinton said in a tweet hash-tagged #inauguration. Conceding defeat after election day, she had asked for Trump to be given a chance.

Clinton was there with former presidents George W Bush, Jimmy Cater, and her husband Bill Clinton. Bush was accompanied by his wife Laura.

Read | Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th US President: Highlights of the day

Prior to the inaugural ceremony, the Obamas hosted the Trumps to a traditional tea at the White House from where they drove to the swearing-in. Obama will leave a note for Trump, welcoming him to his new job, as part of the inauguration day rituals.

Only earlier this week, Obamas note from his predecessor George W Bush was made public. In the 2009 letter, Bush wrote, There will be trying moments. The critics will rage. Your friends will disappoint you. But, you will have an Almighty God to comfort you, a family who loves you, and a country that is pulling for you, including me. No matter what comes, you will be inspired by the character and compassion of the people you now lead.

Protests mar inaugural day

Central Washington DC turned into a mini-fortress for the day with miles long fencing, barricades and security check points as an unprecedented number of protests were being staged all around the venue, but not close enough to disrupt it.

The inauguration ceremony was hit also by an unprecedented boycott by dozens of Democratic lawmakers critical of the incoming president and angered by his criticism of Congressman John Lewis, an icon of the civil rights movement.

Experts and commentators noted that while there have been boycotts by lawmakers, never at this scale. There were around 60 according to one count on Friday, among them Pramila Jayapal, one of the four Indian Americans elected to the House of Representatives this time.

There are concerns and worries among minorities about the incoming administration stemming from Trumps campaign rhetoric and those of his supporters, specially about illegal immigrants, Muslims and Hispanics.

Read | Slogans against Donald Trump rock Washington; protesters in black smash stores, car windows
Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak has said that British experts are holding an external audit of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's program on combating corruption, according to the ministry's official website.

"On our initiative, British experts are conducting an external audit of our system of combating corruption," Poltorak said during a briefing in Kyiv on Friday.

The minister thanked the group of foreign policy advisers and British General Nick Parker for their assistance in reforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to him, the signing of the joint declaration on cooperation in the defense sector by Ukraine and the United Kingdom confirms the countries' intention to continue the cooperation of the defense ministries, in particular the political dialogue, promote the development of the conceptual and doctrinal documents in the field of cyber protection, military intelligence, etc.

Poltorak also stressed the need to continue joint exercises and professional training.
Joaquin El Chapo Guzmans abrupt exit to face charges in the US marks the end of an era in which he was Mexicos most notorious drug cartel boss and, for some, the stuff of folk legend.

Its also seen by many in Mexico as a delicately timed maneuver aimed at limiting political fallout for President Enrique Pena Nieto, already deeply unpopular in part for his perceived mishandling of Donald Trumps tough rhetoric on Mexico.

Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran, asked at a Thursday night news conference about the timing of Guzmans extradition, said the federal government cannot interfere in court decisions.

Read | Mexican drug lord El Chapo Guzman is extradited from Mexico prison to US

It was resolved today, and we under terms of the international treaty had to make the handover immediately, he said.

But observers still considered the timing to have been carefully planned.

It could be a coincidence, but I think thats unlikely, Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope said, noting it came the last full day of Barack Obamas presidency and hours before Trumps inauguration.

They could not send him after Trump was inaugurated because the interpretation would have been that of a tribute, Hope said. 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.

Others saw it as a reward to Obama and a shot across the bow of Trump, who has called immigrants coming illegally from Mexico criminals and rapists and vowed to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it.

The Mexican government decided to move up the time frame because they didnt want Trump to be in the presidency when they sent him over, said Michael Vigil, the former head of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. They wanted Obama to take credit. They wanted to send a message to Trump that they wont be bullied.

Guzmans departure came the same day Mexican officials announced high-level talks Jan. 25-26 in Washington. The discussions will include Mexicos newly installed top diplomat, Luis Videgaray, and key Trump administration officials such as chief of staff Reince Priebus, son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and senior adviser Stephen Bannon.

Hope said the timing also sends a message that Mexico is serious about anti-drug cooperation regardless of who occupies the White House.

Sen. Miguel Barbosa of the leftist opposition Democratic Revolution Party seized on the extradition to take a swipe at Pena Nieto. He said it was apparently the only choice after Guzman twice pulled off embarrassing escapes from maximum-security lockups.

We should not celebrate that the Mexican state was not capable of processing the greatest criminal that has ever existed in Mexico and was not capable of guaranteeing his incarceration, Barbosa said in a statement.

Pena Nieto currently has the lowest approval ratings for any Mexican leader in the polling era. Besides his handling of Trump, Mexicans are also angry about corruption, rising drug gang violence and a Jan. 1 deregulation that led gasoline prices to spike by as much as 20 percent.

Guzman lawyer Andres Granados accused the government of trying to distract the public.

They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike, Granados said. Its totally political.

Some Mexicans feared Guzmans extradition to the United States, where he will surely be kept from communicating with underlings, could unleash a cartel power struggle and more bloodshed.

All the different bands are going to start fighting among themselves, no? Drug traffickers, to see who ends up being No. 1, said Roberto Lascurain, an architect in Mexico City.

Guzman associate Ismael El Mayo Zambada is believed to be running the cartel following El Chapos recapture last January. Some analysts believe Guzmans sons may have also taken on increased roles.

Raul Benitez, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said Guzmans offspring may try to challenge for control in what could be a negotiation without violence, or a war with machine guns.

However, Vigil predicted that the operations of Guzmans Sinaloa cartel are unlikely to be affected.

Most cartels have a vertical structure, but ... Sinaloa has a horizontal one with cells that operate in a semi-autonomous manner, Vigil said. They have a strong bench. They have a respected leader in Ismael El Mayo Zambada.

On Twitter, some saw humor in Guzmans extradition the day before Trump takes office.

Theyre sending the worst, theyre bringing drugs, theyre criminals, tweeted Jorge Guajardo, Mexicos ambassador to China in 2007-2013, echoing Trumps comments about illegal immigration. Ok, you won. Heres our very worst, El Chapo.
A botched air strike by the Nigerian Air Force earlier this week on a camp for people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency killed at least 90 people, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) aid group said on Friday.

Most of the victims of the strike in Rann in the countrys northeast on Tuesday were women and children, MSF said. Nigeria has said an air force board of inquiry will investigate the incident.

Military commanders have already called the bombing a mistake, blaming it on the fog of war, saying the intended target was jihadists reportedly spotted in the Kala-Balge area, of which Rann is part.

Around 90 people were killed when a Nigerian air force plane circled twice and dropped two bombs in the middle of the town of Rann, MSF said in a statement.

The death toll could still rise further -- MSF said there were consistent reports from residents and community leaders saying that as many as 170 people were killed.

This figure needs to be confirmed. The victims of this horrifying event deserve a transparent account of what happened and the circumstances in which this attack took place, MSF General Director Bruno Jochum said.

Humanitarian workers were distributing food to between 20,000 and 40,000 people living in makeshift shelters at the camp when the bombing struck.

MSFs Jochum said civilians were paying the price of a merciless conflict between the government and Boko Haram, the jihadist group which which wants to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.

At least 20,000 have been killed and more than 2.6 million made homeless since the Islamists took up arms in 2009.

The air force said it had initially been given a list of 20 witnesses and said the inquiry board would report no later than February 2. No journalists have been allowed to visit the area of the bombing.

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.
Turkey can no longer insist on a resolution of the conflict in Syria without the involvement of President Bashar al-Assad, as the situation on the ground has changed dramatically, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Friday.

Turkey has long insisted that Assad must go for sustainable peace to be achieved in Syria. But it has become less insistent on his immediate departure since its recent rapprochement with Russia, which backs the Syrian leader, and ahead of peace talks planned in Kazakhstan next week.

As far as our position on Assad is concerned, we think that the suffering of (the) Syrian people and the tragedies, clearly the blame is squarely on Assad. But we have to be pragmatic, realistic, Simsek told a panel on Syria and Iraq at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The facts on the ground have changed dramatically, so Turkey can no longer insist on a settlement without Assad, its not realistic, he said.

President Tayyip Erdogans spokesman said last week that Turkey still believes a united and peaceful Syria is impossible with Assad, but wants to proceed step-by-step and see the outcome of the peace talks in Astana.

Turkey and Russia brokered a ceasefire in Syria which has largely held in the run-up to the Astana talks, a process which follows the defeat of the Syrian opposition in the northern city of Aleppo last month.
Aerospace defence major Rolls-Royce got a reprieve this week when a British court approved a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) between the company and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which was investigating its corrupt practices in India and six countries.

Valid for five years, the DPA enables Rolls-Royce to avoid potential criminal conviction in court, which would have barred it from bidding for contracts in several countries. The SFO investigation, aided by full cooperation from the company, spanned more than three decades and covered 12 counts of conspiracy to corrupt, false accounting and failure to prevent bribery.

Rolls-Royce, which has bagged large defence and other contracts in India over the years, has also been under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation and other Indian authorities. Of the 12 counts, two relate to its activities in India, and highlight the nature of its past unethical activities.

The DPA, approved in the interest of justice by Judge Leveson, president of the Queens Bench Division, involves a settlement of 497.25 million plus interest and the SFOs legal costs of 13 million. Rolls-Royce has entered into similar agreements with authorities in the US and Brazil.

Rolls-Royce apologised for its behaviour and said it had overhauled its culture and practice since 2013. It described the activities uncovered during the investigations as completely unacceptable.

The first India-related count of conspiracy related to false accounting in the companys activities between March 24, 2005 and September 30, 2009.

Leveson said in his ruling: At the heart of the count is the fact that, during this period, the use of intermediaries in connection with Indian government defence contracts was increasingly restricted by the Indian authorities and the terms of a number of Rolls-Royce defence contracts contained undertakings that intermediaries had not been used.

Breach of the undertaking entitled the Indian authorities to cancel agreements, and prevent bidding for future contracts. Notwithstanding these undertakings and the developing procurement rules, Rolls-Royce continued to use one of its key intermediaries in relation to relevant defence contracts.

The criminality disclosed by this count relates to the way in which failure to comply with the requirements of the Indian procurement processes was hidden in relation to a number of contracts and the steps taken to do so, rather than to bribery or corruption. The relevant proportion of the revenue arising from these affected contracts amounted to 7,890,000.

The second India-related count related to conspiracy to corrupt. Between January 2006 and August 2007, the ruling said, there was an agreement to make corrupt payments to a tax inspector as an inducement to recover a May 2002 list of Rolls-Royces advisers which had been removed by an inspector from the companys offices in New Delhi during a tax survey in January 2006.

On both counts, the ruling added, Turning to factors which increase seriousness, there is the fact of substantial harm to the integrity of national or local Indian government.

The SFOs investigations are suspended for five years but under the terms of the DPA, they can be resumed if Rolls-Royce fails to honour its commitments. Individuals facing prosecution are not covered by the DPA.

SFOs investigation related to Rolls-royces activities in India, China, Thailand, Russia, Malaysia, Nigeria and Indonesia.

Rolls-Royce chief executive Warren East said: The behaviour uncovered in the course of the investigations by the SFO and other authorities is completely unacceptable and we apologise unreservedly for it.

The past practices that have been uncovered do not reflect the manner 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.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
As many as 117 civilians have been killed in drone and other counterterror attacks in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere during President Barack Obamas presidency, according to a report released late Thursday by US intelligence officials.

It was the second public assessment the Obama administration has issued in response to mounting pressure for more information about lethal US operations overseas.

Human rights and other groups have criticized the administration, saying it has undercounted civilian casualties. They also are worried that President-elect Donald Trump will more aggressively conduct drone strikes, which are subject to little oversight from Congress or the judiciary.

The reports by National Intelligence Director James Clapper said the US conducted 526 counterterror strikes, including those by unmanned drones, between January 2009 and December 2016. The reports do not mention where the strikes occurred, but the Defense Department and CIA have pursued targets in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya. The data didnt include strikes in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, which the US considers areas of active hostilities.

Between 2,803 and 3,022 combatants were killed in strikes during Obamas eight-year presidency, according to the reports. Between 64 and 117 non-combatants were killed.

Non-governmental organizations have estimated that hundreds more have been killed. Senior US officials have cited several reasons for the discrepancy, including the governments access to sensitive intelligence that helps it more accurately identify the deceased. Human rights groups say some of the discrepancies in conflicting numbers could be cleared up if the government disclosed the names of civilians killed and the dates, locations and other details about the strikes.

In a speech earlier this year, Obama acknowledged critics who dont support the drone program, but he said they need to weigh the alternatives.

Drone strikes allow us to deny terrorists a safe haven without air strikes, which are less precise, or invasions that are much more likely to kill innocent civilians as well as American service members, Obama said.

Trump has not addressed the drone policy specifically, but he has said he wants to take out terrorists and expects he will continue using drones in counterterror operations.
In a shocking incident, a woman in Florida tossed a dog off a bridge claiming dogs could fly.

Before the woman threw the Jack Russell Terrier 30 feet off the Blue Heron Boulevard Bridge in Palm Beach County, Florida, she claimed dogs could fly, witnesses told Palm Beach County sheriffs officials.

Authorities took the woman to a hospital for a mental-health evaluation. She likely will face animal-cruelty charges, the sheriffs office was quoted as saying by the Palm Beach Post.

The eight-year-old dog dislocated a leg in the fall onto Phil Foster Park, according to Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control.

A lifeguard on the beach comforted the dog until help arrived.

It did attempt to sit up. It was yelping really badly, a witness told Sun-Sentinel.

We had to turn away. It was just horrible to see a dog in so much pain and shock. But it did seem as though it was trying to sit up, the witness said of the incident that took place this week.

A day later, the 30-pound dog was in significant pain. It is in serious, but stable, condition, according to Captain David Walesky of Animal Care and Control.

Hes not completely out of the woods yet, Walesky said about the dog, adding that it has a significant amount of swelling.

The dog will stay with Animal Care and Control for the foreseeable future, Walesky said.

Last year, in another incident of cruelty to animals, a woman was arrested after she reportedly kicked a tied-up dog into the Intracoastal Waterway near Boca Raton.

The state decided this month not to file animal cruelty charges against the woman, court records show.
Calling himself the messenger of a movement, President-elect Donald Trump vowed to make America great again.

We are going to make America great again, and Ill add greater than ever before, ABC news quoted Trump as saying.Trump was addressing a large gathering of his supporters at his inaugural concert, a day before officially being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

the American people. I have no doubt that we will, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2017

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. Im the messenger, Trump said.

He said that all Americans were tired of seeing what was going on in the country and wanted a real change to take place.Trump told his supporters at the Lincoln Memorial that they are not forgotten anymore.

Read | A-list celebrities join anti-Trump protest in hometown New York

Well, youre not forgotten anymore. That I can tell you. Not forgotten anymore, he said.

Earlier, Trump told a gathering at a Congressional leadership luncheon that his cabinet has the highest IQ in history of the country.We have by far the highest IQ of any cabinet ever assembled, he said.

Trump lauded a handful of Congressional leaders, particularly House Speaker Paul Ryan with whom he had an unpleasant relationship during the election campaign.

He has got so much legislation to write - and hes actually got somebody whos going to sign it, Trump said in reference to Ryan.

The President-elect said that he and Ryan are doing really well together.

Praising Health and Human Services secretary-designate Dr. Tom Price, Trump said, Democrats wanted to end his career so fast, and then they found out hes so smart.Trump described his attorney general choice Senator Jeff Sessions as legendary.

Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence attended a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery after the luncheon.
The inauguration of Donald Trump as Americas 45th president is the highlight of several days of pomp and circumstance in the US capital. Heres a look at the schedule of events.

JANUARY 20, FRIDAY

8:30am: Trump, Pence and their families are expected to attend services at St. Johns Episcopal Church, just steps from the White House.

Afterward, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will welcome Trump and his wife Melania to the White House for morning tea. The two couples will then travel together to the Capitol by motorcade.

9:30am: Inauguration ceremony begins on the west front of the Capitol with musical performances. The Rockettes dance troupe will also be performing, at a time yet to be announced.

Attendees will include members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, diplomats and the public. Former presidents Jimmy Carter, George W Bush and Bill Clinton will attend, as will Trumps election opponent Hillary Clinton.

Former president George HW Bush is in frail health and will not be present.

11:30am: Opening remarks. Religious leaders will offer the invocation and readings.

Pence will be sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

12pm: Trump will recite the oath of office, administered by US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. He will use president Abraham Lincolns inauguration Bible, as well as the Bible that Trumps mother gave to him at his Sunday school graduation in 1955. Afterward, Trump will deliver his inaugural address.

Religious leaders give readings and a benediction.

Sixteen-year-old soprano Jackie Evancho will sing the national anthem.

12:30pm: Ceremony to end.

In keeping with tradition, Trump and Pence will attend the Congressional Lunch in the Capitol.

3- 5pm: Inaugural parade. The newly-minted president and vice-president make their way 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House, trailed by some 8,000 parade participants. They will include members of all US military branches, as well as high school and university marching bands, equestrian corps, first responders, veteran groups and even a tractor brigade.

7-11pm: Trump, Pence and their wives will make appearances at three official inaugural balls, two of which will be held at the Walter E Washington Convention Center and the other at the National Building Museum. A number of semi-official and unofficial balls also will take place throughout the city.

JANUARY 21, SATURDAY

10-11am: Trump and Pence attend the interfaith National Prayer Service, held at the Washington National Cathedral.
Jean Batten put New Zealand on the map during aviations Golden Age, then faded into obscurity.

For her 26th birthday on September 15, 1935, Jean Batten treated herself to a brand-new Percival D.3 Gull Six. The low-wing Gull had a 200-hp Gipsy 6-cylinder engine and auxiliary fuel tanks, giving it a cruising speed of 150 mph and a range of 2,000 miles. It cost Batten 1,750, every penny I owned, she said.

Just two months later Batten was in the Senegalese town of Thies, preparing for an ambitious solo flight across the South Atlantic to Natal, Brazil. The flier, who had already set several long-distance records, made meticulous preparations for her newest venture. A stylish woman who wanted to look her best at VIP events, she was all business when it came to aircraft maintenance. At Thies she insisted on working on the Gulls engine herself and on supervising the fueling process. Despite muttering from the French air force mechanics looking on, she made sure the fuel was carefully filtered through a chamois cloth to remove impurities.

Next Batten sorted out her flying kit, discarding heavy items such as spare engine parts, a tool box, a flare pistol and water drums. But as a bemused French commandant looked on, the flier carefully refolded two evening dresses and stowed them away in her locker. Later asked why she had made such a feminine choice, Jeans answer was matter-of-fact. The dresses weighed almost nothing, she pointed out. If her flight was successful, she would need them. And if she ended up in the Atlantic, the heavy equipment would be of no use.

As it turned out, the New Zealander did need her evening wear. But several times during her journey through heavy weather she wished she had been able to afford a radio to help with navigation. Ultimately, though, her calculations enabled her to reach South America without any trouble. With an overwater flight lasting 13 hours and 15 minutes, Batten had beat Australian Jim Mollisons time across the South Atlantic by more than four hours. Her total elapsed time from England to Brazila 5,000-mile tripwas 61 hours and 15 minutes, a world record, and almost a day less than Mollisons England-Brazil record. After landing near Natal, Batten exulted, I experienced once again the greatest and most lasting of joysthe joy of achievement.

That same exhilaration had drawn Batten to the skies ever since her first flight, with pioneering Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith in his Fokker F.VII/3m Southern Cross. Sir Charles, who became the first to fly across the Pacific from America, gave Batten two pieces of adviceboth of which she would ignore: Dont attempt to break mens records, and dont fly at night.

Jane Gardner Batten, who preferred to be called Jean, was born in Rotorua, on New Zealands North Island, the daughter of Captain Frederick H. Batten, a dentist, and the former Ellen Nellie Blackmore. Just before Jeans birth, Louis Bleriot had become the first man to fly across the English Channel. Ellen clipped a newspaper article about Bleriots feat and pinned it to the wall next to her babys cot. Whether it made a difference in her daughters ambitions no one can say. But Ellen clearly succeeded in instilling in Jean the idea, radical at the time, that she must be prepared to compete with men.

The family moved from Rotorua to Auckland when Jean was 4. Early on she was passionate about books and music, and her father encouraged her to become a concert pianist. She attended the Ladies College in Remuera, studying music in Auckland. Around that same time, her parents separated.

Batten read about Australian Bert Hinklers groundbreaking solo flight from England to Australia in February 1928, and was also inspired by the journey from San Francisco to Brisbane made three months later by Kingsford-Smith, Australian Charles Ulm and Americans James Warner and Harry Lyon. I was deeply interested in these two flights, Jean wrote, and when later Charles Kingsford-Smith flew over the Tasman Sea to New Zealand, my enthusiasm for aviation increased and I decided to become a pilot. After her flight with Kingsford-Smith during a visit to Australia in 1929, she recalled, Cruising high above the Blue Mountains, I had felt completely at home in the air and decided that here indeed was my element.

Her father was apprehensive, telling her of the many crackups he had witnessed during World War I and warning that flying lessons were expensive. But her mother became her most enthusiastic supporter. Jean sold her piano to raise funds for her new venture, and Ellen agreed to accompany her to Englandostensibly to continue music studies. Traveling to London in 1930, mother and daughter initially stayed with Jeans brother John. Jean discovered the London Aero Club, based at the nearby Stag Lane airfield, the home field of celebrated British flier Amy Johnson. The young New Zealander applied herself to the grubby business of learning about aircraft engines, airframes and aeronautics. It didnt come easy, as she was far from being a natural pilot at the start, according to a colleague. Once while soloing in one of the Aero Clubs de Havilland Gipsy Moths, Batten overshot the field, hit a wire fence and overturned. Though she emerged unhurt, her confidence was shaken. But she wasnt a quitter. Inspired by Johnsons example, she managed to earn her pilots A license in 1930.

Batten then returned home, where she struggled to obtain financial backing for a flight from England to Australia. Initially no one offered any help, but at length her brother John paid her passage back to England. Then one of the many young men interested in her, Royal New Zealand Air Force pilot Fred Truman, gave her 500, his bonus after five years in the military. If Truman hoped to foster a romantic relationship with the attractive aviatrix, he was sadly mistaken. As author Ian Mackersey pointedly noted in his 1990 biography Jean Batten: The Garbo of the Skies, Batten totally ignored him in her two published books and her unpublished memoirs.Yet without doubt she owed her subsequent success more directly to Fred Truman than to any other person.

Jean went back to work at Stag Lane to learn more about aircraft maintenance, as well as navigation and meteorology. She piled up flying hours, and in December 1932 gained her B commercial licensejust a few days before Amy Johnson set a Cape Town toLondon solo record. She also met Victor Doree, the son of a prosperous English linen merchant, who agreed to help underwrite her solo flight to Australia. In her book My Life, Batten explained, I was to have a half-share in a second-hand Moth and, in return, signed an agreement to give the other pilot fifty per cent of any proceeds from that flight and to tour Australia and New Zealand for twelve months giving passenger flights.

In April 1933, wearing a New Zealand flag around her neck, Batten clambered into the cramped cockpit of a Gipsy Moth 60 at Kents Lympne airfield and took off. Christened Jason, her plane had originally been owned by the Prince of Wales.

Bad luck lay ahead. Batten was forced down by a sandstorm in Baluchistan, India (now Pakistan), and damaged her propeller during a blind landing. After obtaining a replacement prop, she set out once again, but after flying just 70 miles, the Moths engine gave out. A connecting rod broke and went bang through the side of the crankcase, Batten reported. She made a dead-stick landing on a roadway outside Karachi, plowing into a stone marker. The damage done spelled a premature end for that attempt.

A year later Batten again attempted to fly to Australia, but misfortune still dogged her. Following a more southerly route than Johnson had taken, the New Zealander headed southward across France, then turned from Marseille toward Rome. Headwinds slowed her down, and she ran out of fuel, as she later recalled, at midnight in teeming rain and pitch darkness over the Italian capital. She managed to steer her Moth to a landing on a small field on Romes outskirts, emerging with minor injuries. But the Moth was seriously damaged. Returning to London to plot yet another attempt, she learned that her abortive flights had made news, but not in a good way. The Fleet Street dailies were poking fun at her: Try Again, Jean, read one headline.

She needed no prodding. Less than a month later Batten readied her patched-up Moth for a third solo attempt to Australia. Because her Rome mishap had delayed her, she took off at a timemid-Maywhen monsoons usually threatened Southeast Asia. Yet despite a serious oil leak that grounded her aircraft for repairs in Calcutta, much of Battens third attempt turned out to be a smooth sightseeing tour.

However, one leg of her journeyfrom Rangoon to Victoria Point, on Burmas southern tipturned into a nightmare. After Batten took off into an overcast sky in sultry temperatures, she ran into severe squalls, and five hours out of Rangoon she found herself surrounded by a huge storm. There was no way around it, and her fuel supply was too low for her to turn back. The rain thundered down on to the wings of my airplane like millions of tiny pellets, she reported, and visibility was so bad that the wingtips were not visible and the coastline was completely blotted out.

Batten doggedly steered through the storm as her engine sputtered along, the open cockpit nearly flooded. Suddenly, through a freakish break in the storm, she caught a glimpse of the jungle beneath her. She dived under a curtain of black clouds and flew back and forth for 35 anxious minutes, searching for a place to put down. Providentially, Batten spotted a clearing that proved to be the landing field at Victoria Point. The worst part of her journey was over. On May 23, 1934less than 15 days after leaving Englandshe touched down triumphantly on the airfield at Darwin, Australia, having beaten Amy Johnsons time by more than four days.

The Australians welcomed Batten as enthusiastically as they had greeted Johnson. The Kiwi pilot soon paid a visit to her homeland, crossing the Tasman Sea by ship because her Moth lacked the range to traverse its 1,200-mile-wide expanse. The usually reticent New Zealanders cheered her wherever she went. Crowds packed the streets of Auckland, resulting in huge traffic jams. The government gave her $3,000, and she was the guest of honor at a celebration staged by the Maoris. Presented with a tribal chiefs feather cloak, she was christened Hine-o-te-Rangi (Daughter of the Skies).

For six weeks, while her Moth was being overhauled, New Zealands favorite daughter toured her homeland, giving speeches and reveling in all the adulation. But for her mother, back in England, the constant harassment by the press during Jeans ordeal had been sheer torture, and she would not soon recover. As the Daily Express reported, the iron-nerved, silver-haired Mrs. Batten crumpled up. She went flying off to the country away from the glamour of her daughters achievement.

When Batten took off on her return flight, she told the Darwin station commander: If I go down in the sea, no one must fly out to look for me. I have no wish to imperil the lives of others. Over the Timor Sea, about 250 miles out of Darwin, the Moths engine coughed, faltered and then subsided into silence. As her biplane began a slow, inexorable glide down toward the waves, Batten prayed the problem was just a temporary fuel line blockage. She gave the engine full throttle, but there was no response.

She watched helplessly as the altimeter needle spun from 6,000 feet down to 3,000 feet. At last it seemed there was only one thing to doditch. She unfastened her shoes and flying suit, and reached for her small emergency hatchet. If she managed to set the plane down on an even keel, she reasoned, she might be able to hack off a wing and float on it. Miraculously, just as the Moth was about to hit the water, its engine burst to life again. Batten climbed back up to 6,000 feet, holding that altitude until she spotted Kupang, on Timor, then circled down to land.

The rest of the trip was nerve-wracking, with the Moths engine sputtering, stopping and restarting several more times before she reached Croydon. Batten had completed the return journey from Darwin in 17 days and 15 hoursthe first woman to do so. She once again relished the limelight, but was surprised to find that the London dailies made as much of her flying attire as her feat: She was wearing trousers.

Batten soon started planning new record-breaking flights. In 1935 she made her flight from West Africa to Brazil, becoming the first woman to fly solo across the South Atlantic. She continued building her reputation as a pathfinder in her Percival Gull. By this time she was the most celebrated New Zealander of the decade, receiving trophies from British, American, French, Swedish, Danish, Belgian and Brazilian aeronautical societies. In 1936 she was made a Commander of the British Empire, and she won the Harmon Trophy three times, sharing the first with Amelia Earhart. She was also awarded Brazils Order of the Southern Cross, and made a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor.

In 1936 Batten vowed to fulfill the ultimate of my ambition and prove the practicability of an EnglandtoNew Zealand air route. That October she climbed into her Gull and took off from Lympne, bound for Auckland. She arrived there 11 days and 45 minutes later, establishing a solo record of five days, 21 hours, from England to Australia, and a record Tasman Sea solo crossing of nine hours and 15 minutes. Her overall time included a weather delay of 2 days in Sydney, where she was cheered by thousands. For the first time, England had been linked directly with New Zealand. On her return flight in October 1937, she established a solo record from Australia of five days, 19 hours and 15 minutes.

Battens many long-distance flights were characterized by brilliant navigation precision, achieved by use of only a map, watch and simple magnetic compass. But while her feats ranked with those of Johnson and Earhart, she has remained the least well known of the three. That was because of the wall that Batten and her fiercely protective mother built around themselves in the aftermath of her sudden fame. The media dubbed Jean the Greta Garbo of the air becauselike the famously reclusive actressshe was a beautiful woman who was intensely private. She was frequently compared unfavorably with the popular Johnson.

Batten was also criticized for commercializing her own image, butlike Earhartshe found it necessary to capitalize on her fame to fund her record attempts, endorsing a variety of products, including Castrol oil. She also embarked on lecture tours, collected fees from the Gaumont film company and the London Daily Express, contributed narration to an RAF recruiting film and became involved in writing and broadcasting about aviation. The two books she wrote about her own career, My Life (1938) and Alone in the Sky (1979), would receive generally poor reviews.

As war clouds loomed in 1938, Batten began a tour of England and Europe, hobnobbing with VIPs. She returned to Britain the following year, and when World War II broke out promptly applied to join Captain Pauline Gowers Air Transport Auxiliary, a volunteer organization of women ferry pilots. Strangely, Batten was rejected, perhaps because of her double visionthe result of an early crashor maybe because she was not seen as a team player.

Instead she became a driver for the Anglo-French Ambulance Corps, serving in France during the Phony War of 1939-40. She spent the rest of WWII on a war bond tour of Britain. Her Percival Gull was commissioned for active service, though Batten herself never again entered the cockpit.

After WWII ended, the New Zealander fashioned a self-contained existence for herself with her motherin Jamaica, on an extended tour of Europe and also at Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. During the 1970s, not long after Ellens death, Jean threw herself into a brief round of public appearances commemorating the heady era of long-distance flying. She visited New Zealand in 1977, when she was the guest of honor at the dedication of the Aviation Pioneers Pavilion at Aucklands Museum of Transport and Technology.

Battens solo EnglandtoNew Zealand record stood for 44 years. When Judith Chisholm of Britain landed her Cessna Turbo Centurion at Auckland in 1980, after flying for three days and 11 hours, among those who greeted her was Batten, who had made her own epochal flight 16 years before Chisholm was born.

The reclusive celebrity rented a small apartment in the Spanish port of Palma de Majorca in 1982, but her life there ended all too soon. On November 22, a cleaning woman discovered Battens lifeless body in her apartment. She had died at age 73 from a pulmonary abscessthe result of an untreated dog bite.

When an attempt to locate relatives or friends failed, Batten was buried in the Palma Cemetery in January 1983. Although she left an estate amounting to about 100,000, her remains were laid in an unmarked paupers grave together with those of 150 others.

It would take detective work by Battens surviving family and her biographer to find out just what had happened. Not until 1987 did Jeans nephew, Rick Batten, receive his aunts death certificate, with no explanation of the circumstances. Around that same time, however, Jeans papers in Majorca were unearthed, and Ian Mackersey notified Television New Zealand of Battens death five years earlier. Headlines in one newspaper heralded The Final Loneliness of the Long-Distance Aviator.

Battens modified Gull was eventually acquired by Britains Shuttleworth Collection, which sold it to the Auckland Airport in the 1990s. To mark the 60th anniversary of Jeans flight from England to New Zealand, Cherie Marshall flew the Gull over Auckland on November 4, 1996. When its engine started running rough, Marshall put out a mayday call, but she managed to land safely. Following that flight, the Gull was suspended inside the airports Jean Batten International Terminal, where it can still be seen today.

Mackerseys 1990 book drew on memoirs found after Battens death and hundreds of interviews. As he summed it up, his biography paints a portrait of a fascinating woman who combined bravery and ruthlessness with the stunning and seductive beauty she used so effectively to fulfill her great ambitions. Today much of the world has forgotten the audacious Kiwi pilot who pitted herself against the most famous fliers of her day. But New Zealand still remembers its Daughter of the Skies.

Longtime contributor Michael D. Hull writes from Enfield, Conn. Additional reading: Jean Batten: The Garbo of the Skies, by Ian Mackersey; and My Life, by Jean Batten.

Originally published in the March 2015 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe, click here.
O UT ON THE STREET

Whitechapel Gallery is curating Art Night this year, after the Institute of Contemporary Arts stint last year.

Its basically a through the night viewing, for one night only (July 1), of specially staged contemporary art throughout the East End, mixing commercial spaces, residential and non-public locations.

THE GREATEST HITS

Summer and autumn this year will be dominated by three guaranteed crowd-pleasers, in the shape of Giacometti, Cezanne and Amedeo Modigliani.

Alberto Giacometti (May 10-Sept 10) is the first show curated by Tate Modern head Frances Morris since she took the role last year, and the first UK retrospective of the Swiss artists work in 20 years, so book early.

Book early: Alberto Giacometti at Tate Modern / Giacometti Foundation

The National Portrait Gallery is staging Cezanne Portraits (Oct 26-Feb 11 2018), its first exhibition devoted to a French Post-Impressionist. Matisse and Picasso called Paul Cezanne the father of us all.

Lastly, Modigliani (Nov 22April 2, 2018) at Tate Modern features his glorious nudes and looks at the visual traditions within the Italian Jewish artists emigre community of Montparnasse in the Twenties.

START COLLECTING AT ART FAIRS

If all the art on view in London this year inspires you to acquire, do keep in mind some of the terrific art fairs around town, from The Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair (January 2429) in Battersea Park and the Affordable Art Fair (March 9-12) in Hampstead and Battersea, to the Start Art Fair (September 14-17) and Collect (February 2-6), both at Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea.

OLD Vs NEW MASTERS

This summer and through into autumn, the objects that inspired Henri Matisse, including startlingly beautiful African masks, will feature in an exhibition, Matisse in the Studio (Aug 5-Nov 12) at the Royal Academy, alongside the works they prompted the French painter to create.

As to masters new, Turner Prize-winning painter Chris Ofili (April 26-Aug 28) is creating a handwoven tapestry for the National Gallery. And Tim Noble and Sue Webster return next month to Blain|Southern gallery in Hanover Square, W1 for Sticks with Dicks and Slits (Feb 3-March 25).

AMERICANS IN LONDON

The Royal Academy in Piccadilly next month brings us America after the Fall: Paintings in the 1930s (February 25 to June 4).

The Art Institute of Chicago

Pretty much everyone knows the American Gothic image by Grant Wood, often wrongly thought to be a husband and wife its actually Woods dentist, pictured alongside the artists sister.

The picture will leave America for the first time for this show, which will also feature the work of Edward Hopper, Georgia OKeeffe and Jackson Pollock.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Nina Vatolina / David King Collection

Marking the centenary of the Bolshevik uprising, the Royal Academy offers Socialist Realist art in RA Revolution: Russian Art 1917-1932 (Feb 11-April 17); the Design Museum stages Imagine Moscow, with drawings for the new city of the Twenties in Moscow: Architecture, Propaganda, Revolution (March 15-June 4), and Tate Modern looks at Russian art from 1905 through to 1953 in Red Star over Russia (Nov 8-February 18, 2018).
(Xinhua) 08:22, January 20, 2017

Chinese PresidentXi Jinpingdelivers 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)

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 Nationsin 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.
P ackage holidays were in their infancy in the Sixties and budget air travel was a distant dream. But Richard Cookson and his late wife, Patricia, splashed out on a trip to Corfu and fell for the undeveloped Ionian island.

Seeing its potential the London couple set up CV Villas in 1972, one of the first firms selling exclusive villa holidays to Britons.

They started by letting properties on Corfus prime north-east coast, including their own waterfront home, and the area was soon labelled Kensington-on-Sea, for its affluent fan club. Famous clients included actor Trevor Eve and pop star Bryan Ferry. David Cameron and family have also holidayed locally.

CV Villas was sold and renamed CV Travel, but Richard still lives in Corfu and works for the firm. Three of his sons co-own Villa Yeraki the six-bedroom family villa with two private jetties in Kassiopi. It rents for 6,500 to 25,000 a week.

Kensington-on-Sea: the Cookson familys waterfront villa has six bedrooms and two private jetties

One of the sons, Fulham-based Nick Cookson, 32, has set up Villa Collective, a rental marketplace for luxury villas, and aims to distinguish it from main competitors Airbnb and Owners Direct by charging an annual fee to list a villa  now 650 plus VAT  instead of commission, taking on only high-end properties with a local manager. Owners can test the site for free.

Standard commission to an agent is typically 20 per cent, says Nick. Over the last five years the number of directly booked villas has steadily risen as people try to save money by cutting out the middleman.

His site has 200 homes now and he aims to have a few thousand at most, priced from 4,000 a week in high season.

From 6,500 a week: Villa Yeraki, in Kassiopi on Corfus exclusive north-east coast, is available to rent through Villa Collective

North-east Corfu is still a customer favourite, with smart homes hidden among olive groves. Popular with a wealthy crowd, it remains unpretentious and unshowy, says Nick.

FIVE MUST-DO TRIPS IN CORFU

Richard Cookson of CV Travel has known Corfu for over 50 years and lives there. Here are his top tips for anyone heading to the island this summer:

1 Lunch at Agni. There are three restaurants with tables spilling on to the waterfront and we always choose Toulas, a favourite with the Greeks.

2 Take a hike up Mount Pantokrator where you get mind-blowing views over Corfu and Albania.

3 Visit the major archaeological dig at Butrint across the Ionian Sea in Albania. The town was formerly a Greek colony, a Roman city and then a Byzantine site.

4 Visit Corfu Town, a wonderfully preserved capital with elegant Venetian architecture. Eat at La Cucina, a smart restaurant and a family favourite.

5 Explore the coast. Corfus delightful north-east coastline is clean and mostly undeveloped. Hiring a boat is easy with no licence needed for vessels of less than 30 horsepower.

RENT THE ECO-VILLA WE BUILT, IN ONE OF THE MEDS LOVELIEST SPOTS

Brits in Corfu: Alithea Johns, Marcus Warren and daughters

Husband-and-wife architects Alithea Johns and Marcus Warren were among the first to sign up to Villa Collective.

They met when they lived in London but now live with daughters Mirsini, eight, and Xenia, four, in Villa Velanidi, which they designed and built, two minutes from Kassiopi in north-east Corfu, where their architecture practice, Skopos Design, is based.

The three-bedroom villa, 20 minutes by boat from Corfu Town, is Greeces second ultra-low energy passive house. The couple spent 643,000 building and furnishing it and rent it out in summer from 1,900 a week, moving to a cottage nearby.

From 1,900 a week: three-bedroom Villa Velanidi, overlooking the sea in Kassiopi, is for rent through Villa Collective

White ceiling beams, ceramic floor tiles and antiques, plus furniture from Swoon, Made and John Lewis keep interiors fresh. Outside, oak and olive trees encircle the pool and the terrace has terrific sea views.

This is one of the most beautiful places in the Med, says Marcus.
News, events, history, and other mid-week tidbits.

Tuesday, October 25, 4:30  7 p.m.

Orr Area EMS Open House

Brats and burgers will be served. Event includes a new ambulance tour and blood pressure screenings. For more info: 218-780-3798.

Orr Fire Hall

4540 Lake St., Orr

Tuesday, October 25, 12  6 p.m.

Essentia Health Job Fair

Talent recruiters and department managers will be on-site at Essentia Health-Virginia. Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to attendnurses, nursing and clinical assistants, surgery technicians, radiology technicians, respiratory therapists, human resource professionals, and those interested in environmental services or nutrition services. Essentia staff will greet candidates, conduct an initial screening and filter them to appropriate hiring managers for interviews. Select candidates will be verbally offered a position before leaving. Candidates are asked to bring a resume, but its not required. Attire is business casual. For more info: www.essentiacareers.org.

901 9th St. N., Virginia
Thailand Tourism: The Early Days acknowledges the contribution made by

key figures from the private sector and government during the past 60 years.

key figures from the private sector and government during the past 60 years. All proceeds will be donated to the Royal Project Foundation

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
(Global Times) 08:42, January 20, 2017

Japan has sparked outrage with news that its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) will carry out a simulated exercise next week on the assumption that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are engaged in a military clash.

The drill will take place from Monday to Friday on the scenario that the US military and the SDF would jointly fight with Chinese military forces in the event of a clash between the mainland and Taiwan, Kyodo News reported.

The US will be participating as an observer, a government source told Kyodo Wednesday.

A anonymous officer of the Chinese defense ministry told the Global Times on Thursday that "if Kyodo News' report is true, it would be a gross interference in China's domestic affairs, fomenting intentional strife for cross-Straits relations, and causing serious damage to Sino-Japanese relations, especially defense relations."

"We demand Japan reflect on its history of invasion, and not to play tricks, otherwise it will harm others as well as itself," the officer said.

The mainland now has the capability to unify Taiwan by military means, even if Japan launches military intervention to support Taiwan's independence, experts say, with only the US remaining as a last obstacle.

According to Kyodo, Japanese law allows the SDF to conduct such activities only if an "emergency" occurs in areas surrounding Japan.

"If the Chinese mainland unified Taiwan successfully, it means Japan will lose the chance to contain China and challenge China's great power status in Asia forever, so it has the determination to launch a military intervention to interrupt China's unification," Song Zhongping, a Hong Kong-based military expert told the Global Times on Thursday.

The Japanese defense ministry "plans to check how SDF personnel should perform new duties allowed under Japan's security laws in the outbreak of a situation deemed to pose serious threats to Japan's peace and security," Kyodo reported.

Song added that "this kind of tabletop exercise is not new. Since Chen Shui-bian's (Taiwan's former leader 2000-08) era, Japan is always prepared to help 'Taiwan independence' by various means, such as military, intelligence, finance, propaganda and so on."

In the past, due to restrictions on Japan's pacifist post-war constitution, military intervention was not easy. But Japan successfully pushed the passing of controversial security bills in 2015, Song said, making it much easier for its SDF to launch a military intervention.

According to Kyodo, "the revised security legislation, which took effect last March, expands the SDF's role in providing logistical support to other nation's militaries when Japan's peace and security are deemed threatened, regardless of location."

Japan and Taiwan are not strong enough together to be an obstacle if any war happens. But if the US decided to intervene, it would be a serious challenge for the Chinese military, Song said. "So the People's Liberation Army's preparation is always for a US-Japan joint intervention."
It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore).

Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net.

Go back to home
(Global Times) 08:44, January 20, 2017

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will visit China in May to attend a multilateral meeting, China's foreign ministry said on Thursday, marking his second visit to Beijing since taking office.

While meeting with Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin, Duterte spoke highly of the progress achieved in the rapprochement of China-Philippines relations since last year, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Thursday at a regular press briefing.

Duterte said he will travel to Beijing in May for a high-level forum on international cooperation of the Belt and Road initiative and looks forward to having another meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The two sides had candid and in-depth exchanges and forged broad consensus on the South China Sea issue, said Hua.

Both sides agreed that the South China Sea is only a tiny part compared to the overwhelmingly friendly relations between China and the Philippines that keep growing, and should be peacefully resolved through dialogue and consultation, Hua added.

Diplomatic sources in Beijing say the government is expected to invite a large number of foreign leaders to attend the summit to be held in Beijing in May, Reuters reported.

China has dubbed a series of infrastructure projects stretching across some 60 countries as the One Belt and One Road initiative, based upon resurrecting the old Silk Roadthat once connected China with Central Asia, Europe and beyond, the report added.

Duterte reiterated last month that he wanted to avoid confrontation with China and saw no need to press Beijing to abide by a July ruling on China's claims in the disputed South China Sea that went in favor of the Philippines.

During Duterte's four-day visit to China in October, 2016, the two countries signed 13 cooperation agreements in sectors including trade, investment, tourism and infrastructure construction, said a statement released on the website of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairsin October 2016.

China and the Philippines should steadily push forward their relations in the direction of neighborly friendship and cooperation, Xi said on the sidelines of the 2016 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, where Duterte also noted that the Philippines is willing to be friends with "brotherly" China forever.

Xi spoke highly of Duterte's visit to China in October, 2016, saying it fully improved China-Philippines relations, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The one-time vocalist of Irish band Ten Speed Racer has today released his new single 'Spinning Wheels'.

A timely politically conscious song, 'Spinning Wheels' focusses on the vicious cycle of our politically problematic, debt-laden society.

The video is made up of actual 1950s propaganda films for The Petroleum Institute of America and the NY stock exchange, unpicked and turned on their heads to expose the real truth behind them. The money is effectively going up and never trickling back down.

Watch the video for Dermot Barrett's new single here:
Towards Healing Counselling & Support Services is available to survivors of Church, Religious and Institutional abuse. The Towards Healing director is Mr Michael Lyons and the service provides lay independent and fully accredited counsellors to support survivors. Towards Healing may be contacted by:

 Freephone (UK & NI) 0800 096 3315 or (RoI) 1800 303 416

 Mobile number for Hearing Impaired Clients +353 (0) 85-8022859
For the day that's in it, we've a couple of songs for The Donald...

We know this is the grimmest day in the history of mankind  sadly, there were no responses to our, WANTED for short-term let. DC book depository within walking distance of grassy knoll small ad  but Free Music Friday is refusing to let the yellow-haired bastard grind us down.

While his inauguration guests thrill to the sound of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, weve another genre-straddling collection of downloads, streams, vids and trailers to ease the pain.

Fiona Apple sums the mood up nicely/nastily with Tiny Hands (Womens March Chant)

Were counting down the hours until we get our first live sighting of Margo Price whos playing Dublins Button Factory on Sunday. The real dirt under the fingernails country deal, shes interviewed in the special Hot For 2017 Hot Press. Prep yourself with this free Newport Folk Festival gig download and fan footage of her duetting on Me And Bobby McGee with Kris Kristofferson at the same shindig.

Advertisement

To New Orleans next where 4AD-esque alt. rockers Hooray For The Riff Raff treat you to five classics and two new songs from March 11s The Navigator album.

Flo Morrissey and Matthew E. White are letting you have a pre-release listen to their new covers album, which includes a stunning take on Leonard Cohens Suzanne.

DJ Champion has released a 2010-2016 sampler, which contains a particularly awesome Royal-T collaboration.

Advertisement

2010-2016 by Champion

Screened recently by BBC3, the lost Leonard Cohen documentary, Bird On A Wire, will soon be getting a cinematic release. Travelling with him from Dublin to Tel Aviv on a highly eventful tour, its a highly intimate and revealing portrait of the artist as a young-ish man.

Vancouver duo Japandroids return with a visceral punk rock thrill of an album. Play it loud and watch the neighbours lawn shrivel up and die.

The trailer has been released for Eagles Of Death Metal: Nos Amis, the Bataclan doc that Colin Hanks has assembled for HBO, and which includes Bono among its contributors.

Advertisement

Benjamin Clementine guests on Hallelujah Money, the first new Gorillaz song, which is dedicated to The Donald.

Myles OReilly has shot this immense time-lapse video for After We Meet, one of the standouts from I Have A Tribes equally stellar Beneath A Yellow Moon album.

James Hetfield has narrated Addicted To Porn: Chasing The Cardboard Butterfly, a new doc that will soon be doing the film festival rounds.

Like it or not, porn is here and it is harmful, reads the sales pitch. In this controversial film, award-winning filmmaker Justin Hunt dissects the impact of pornography on societies around the globe, from how it affects the brain of the individual, to how modern technology leads to greater exposure to youth, to watching it literally tear a family apart. In what may well be one of the most devastating issues in modern culture, this film will break down the damage that porn is doing to us a human race and leave you thinking that it's clearly time that we start taking porn addiction much more seriously.

The Metallica man previously worked with Hunt on 2011s Absent, which turned the camera of disengaged fathers.

The xx were all sorts of awesome last week when they performed Say Something Loving on Jimmy Fallon.

Advertisement

Like a tall glass of sweet tea in the late-morning sun, is how American NPR describe Georgias Brent Cobb and theyve got a point!

Hot Press is getting really psyched for the debut Gypsies On The Autobahn album, Born Brief, which drops on February 23. Judging by lead single, 'Hidden', it's going to be immense.
Two major shareholders of NRG Energy increased their stakes in the Houston power company in a bid to get a director on the board and boost NRG stock prices, which they described as "deeply under-valued."

New York hedge fund Elliott Associates and Dallas investment firm Bluescape Energy Partners, which now control 9.4 percent of shares, appear to be taking aim at two subsidiaries that these shareholders view as underperforming and a drag on NRG earnings, analysts said.

The investment firms disclosed their move in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. They said they would seek to place Bluescape's executive chairman, Charles John Wilder Jr., on NRG's 13-member board. Wilder, who would need to be elected to the board by shareholders, is a former CEO of TXU, the Dallas power company that was sold to private equity firms in 2007.

In the SEC filing, the two companies said Wilder's experience would help guide NRG through changes to its operations or finances that would boost the value of NRG.

"The group believes that Wilder and his team have directly relevant experience in effectuating such improvements," Elliott and Bluescape said in the SEC filing, "and are initiating a dialogue with management and the board of directors to address these opportunities as well as implement appropriate board-level oversight."

In a statement, NRG said it welcomes input from all shareholders. Bluescape and Wilder did not respond to a request for comment. Elliott could not be reached.

Wilder was chief executive of TXU when it was sold for $32 billion to two private equity firms, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and TPG, formerly Texas Pacific Group, in one of the biggest leveraged buyouts - acquisitions that rely heavily on debt. Wilder, who oversaw the deal, left TXU after it closed. TXU later became part of Energy Transfer Partners, which filed for bankruptcy in 2014 with $42 billion in debt.

The effort to place Wilder on the NRG board spurred speculation that Elliott and Bluescape have similar plans for NRG, but analysts said it's unlikely that NRG would be taken private. Instead, analysts said, the investment firms more likely want to push NRG to unload its Gen-On Energy and NRG Yield subsidiaries.

Gen-On Energy operates coal-fired power plants in the Middle Atlantic states and carries $2.5 billion in debt. Elliott and Bluescape may want to push Gen-On into bankruptcy as a way to relieve NRG of the burden, analysts said.

"NRG can let go of it, if it can't support itself on cash flow," said Neel Mitra, director of power and utilities research at the energy investment banking firm Tudor Pickering & Holt, Co.

Elliott and Bluescape, analysts said, would likely push NRG to sell NRG Yield, which acquires, owns and operates renewable and conventional energy sources available for long-term contracts.

NRG stock closed at $15.56 on Thursday, up 30 cents, or 2 percent, from Wednesday's close.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON - In a tempered appearance before the U.S. Senate on Thursday, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry pulled back on his more controversial positions on climate change research and the usefulness of the Department of Energy, seemingly charming his critics with the sense of humor that helped make him one of the state's most successful politicians.

Perry, nominated as Energy Secretary last month by President-elect Donald Trump, offered a mea culpa for his proposal during a failed presidential bid in 2011 to eliminate the agency he is expected to lead, telling the Senate and Energy Natural Resources Committee that he regretted it, "after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy."

RELATED: End of climate change denial signals changes for energy industry

And in a stark turnaround from statements made during his 14-year tenure as governor of Texas - he once described climate science as a "contrived, phony mess" - Perry said, "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 hearings offered Perry, 66, the chance to recast a political career that had seemed on a downward slide in recent years. Besides his ill-fated and gaffe-ridden presidential run six years ago, recent appearances on the reality show "Dancing With the Stars" led some political analysts to wonder whether Perry could ever return to high office and might be angling for a television career.

Pragmatic approach

But whether taking questions on the nation's growing backlog of nuclear waste or reports that Trump planned to slash the Energy Department's budget, Perry maintained a steady and knowledgeable calm. Perry didn't miss a beat when asked his opinion of the potential spending cuts.

"Maybe they'll have the same experience I had and forget that they said that" - a reference to his famous "oops" moment when he could not remember the Energy Department as third of three federal agencies he proposed abolishing during a presidential debate.

The room erupted in laughter.

"This has been part of his effectiveness and charm since he was first elected to the (Texas) Legislature in the 1980s," said Ray Sullivan, an Austin political consultant and Perry's former chief of staff. "Even his strongest political opponents recognize his decency and friendliness."

On policy questions, Perry presented himself as a pragmatist willing to exploit whatever forms of energy are available if they help grow the U.S. economy. He frequently took pains to remind Democrats of his record growing the Texas wind industry into country's largest. And when asked about whether he supported research into this form of energy or that, he uttered the phrase, "All of the above, Senator."

But he also made clear that the department's focus on renewable energy was going to change. Asked about the disparity in funding for coal research by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., Perry reminded the Senate he was an unapologetic champion of the oil and gas industry and fossil fuels at large.

"Don't get me confused with the (Obama) administration," he said. "I have promoted those sources of energy that can drive an economy."

In acknowledging climate change while arguing steps to combat it must be considered against their potential impact on jobs and the economy, Perry aligned himself with other Trump cabinet picks, including Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of Exxon Mobil, and Environmental Protection Agency nominee Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma attorney general.

Worries of being politicized

But it was not enough to satisfy former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who asked Perry if he considered climate change a "global crisis."

Perry dodged. "I think that having an academic discussion with scientists or with you, it is an interesting exercise," he said, again pointing to his record developing and expanding wind power in Texas. "Don't you think that is a good thing?" he asked Sanders.

"I think what would be a better thing is for you to say we have a global crisis," Sanders responded.

As Secretary of Energy, Perry would both be in charge of maintaining the U.S. nuclear missile arsenal and heading a sprawling research apparatus that has helped develop technologies from hydraulic fracturing to wind power.

To those concerned that the department would be politicized under Trump, Perry promised that he would make decisions based on "sound science." He offered no justification for the transition team's questionnaire to the Department of Energy asking for the names of employees who worked on climate change - something Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz refused to comply with.

"That questionnaire you reference went out before I was even selected to be nominee," he said. "I didn't approve it. I don't need that information.  I am going to protect the men and women of the scientific community from anyone who would attack them."

Seen as likely to prevail

After the hearing, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairwoman of the Senate energy committee, said she wanted to hold a vote on his confirmation soon but did not offer a specific date.

The sense among political operatives watching was Perry was a virtual lock to get confirmed. The former governor had prepared vigorously, studying and speaking with past energy secretaries and current secretary Moniz, Sullivan said.

But as Perry himself admitted, the moment likely to be most remembered would be his comment to Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., a former "Saturday Night Live" comedian, about their private meeting: "I hope you are as much fun on that dais as you were on your couch."

After a collective howl of laughter, Perry, realizing the potential implication of what he said, interjected, "May I rephrase that, sir?"

"I think we found our 'Saturday Night Live' sound bite," Perry said.
New legislation would give Texas school districts a way to reclaim property taxes lost to poorer districts under the so-called Robin Hood school finance system.

The bill's sponsor, state Rep. Jim Murphy, R-Houston, said the measure introduced this week is intended to help school districts across the state and protect taxpayers whenever tax revenue from valuable commercial properties is taken from one district and sent to another via a system known as recapture.

The Houston Independent School District is facing such a scenario after voters in November decided against sending a separate $162 million recapture payment to the state, triggering a process whereby the Texas Education Agency may "detach" commercial properties and reassign their associated tax revenue.

Mayor Sylvester Turner and HISD trustees had urged voters against approving the recapture payments in hope the Legislature would use the time to overhaul Texas' school finance system.

Murphy's proposed legislation does not address the larger issue of school finance reform.

"We are working on school finance," the west Houston representative said. "How far we get, all of that remains to be seen."

His bill, HB 1059, addresses the fact that there is no statute for "reattaching" property that has been detached should changing circumstances warrant. It "would establish a mirror-image process for reattachment," Murphy said.

"If we're going to have this process, we need to have a way to reverse it," he said.

Districts across the state make recapture payments to the Texas Education Agency each year.

However, a majority of people who live within the Houston Independent School District voted against paying the state. In July, the Texas education commissioner is expected to begin detaching the most valuable properties within HISD's boundaries.

A list has not been made available, but some of the highest-valued buildings include Williams Tower near the Galleria, the Anheuser-Busch InBev brewery on Houston's east side and scores of skyscrapers.

"It will affect a number of downtown properties," said Bob Eury, president of downtown business group Central Houston and executive director of the Downtown Management District.

The taxable value of the property to be detached is estimated to be $17.4 billion, according to a letter sent to HISD in December from Education Commissioner Mike Morath.

A TEA spokeswoman said the agency is still working through the process and details would be forthcoming.

HISD is considered a wealthy district even though nearly 80 percent of its students come from low-income families.

The district said it was forced to cut $95 million from its budget.

Before the vote, a commercial real estate trade group came out in favor of HISD making the recapture payments.

The Building Owners & Managers Association said landlords could face an unfair competitive advantage if they are paying a different tax rate than their neighbor.

The group declined to comment on the proposed legislation Thursday.

Eury wondered how HISD would fill its revenue gap should the properties be detached.

"As time goes by, does HISD have to raise its rate?" Eury said.

Detachment has other implications to property owners remaining in the district, Murphy said.

"When the property leaves the district, the district loses both maintenance and operating taxes and bond taxes, which means the cost shifts to all the other owners," he said. "We want to try to remedy that as soon as economic conditions warrant."

There are other questions should the detachments go through. If an apartment complex within HISD is reassigned to another district, for example, would the children who live there then attend a different school?

Murphy's bill says a student in that situation may choose to attend school in the district to which their property is annexed.

It also says detached property would be released from the obligation for any tax to pay principal and interest on bonds authorized by the district before detachment.
(Global Times) 08:50, January 20, 2017

 Every year, many Chinese students go on exchange study trips to North Korean universities, either paid for by the State or privately

 The phenomenon shows Chinese curiosity about the neighboring country

 These students experience more than tourists let in the country

Students participate in a celebration in Pyongyang Square. Photo: Courtesy of Sarah

Students play on a beach on their day off. Photo: Courtesy of Sarah

For Chinese people who zealously pursue a degree from overseas, North Korea is not exactly the most popular choice.

But some curious students have crossed the border to experience North Korean education.

Sarah (pseudonym), 22, is one such student that the Global Times contacted. A student at the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Sarah secured an opportunity to spend two semesters in Kim II-sung University in 2015 by joining a Chinese government-backed exchange program.

"I've imagined so much about North Korea and have heard so many rumors about it. So I decided to take a look for myself. After spending time there, I have to say my experience of the country is much better than what I expected," she told the Global Times. "But the curriculum and textbooks weren't very useful."

According to a report on chinanews.com, every year the Chinese government offers 60 students full scholarships to North Korean universities. Around 70 students a year also pay for their own tuition.

No Internet? Go play sports

According to the website of the Chinese embassy in North Korea, the 60 students they sent to North Korea in 2014 came from nine universities, most of which were schools focusing on foreign languages.

Sarah said her school has several spots on the program every year for students majoring in Korean. As she had a good academic record, she was offered a place in 2015 without putting in much effort.

She revealed that in 2013, the students at her school who were offered places didn't end up going to North Korea.

"Maybe it's because of political tensions at that time. But I am not sure whether or not it was only my school that got suspended," she said. In February 2013, North Korea launched its third underground nuclear test, arousing tensions in the Korean Peninsula and surrounding nations.

When Sarah first arrived in North Korea, she lived with a local woman. The two shared one room.

"At first I was a bit nervous, worrying that she was monitoring me. But later I found out that she was nice and treated me well. She often shared her snacks with me," she recalled.

But the conversations between them were quite limited. They didn't talk about politics and most of the time, the North Korean woman liked to ask Sarah about her "family issues."

"She raised more questions than I did. When I asked her about her family like her father's job, I got different answers every time. Eventually, I got fed up and stopped asking her those questions," she said.

However, she said that overall she was "quite satisfied" with the experience and the natural environment there was quite pleasant.

"The people there seemed happy. And their lifestyle seemed healthier than Chinese people's. Without the Internet, they like go outdoors and play sports," said Sarah. When textbooks meet Juche

Meng Fei, 25, who studied in North Korea in 2015, told the Global Times that Chinese students are sent either to Kim II-sung University or to the Kim Hyung-jik University of Education, which are both in the capital Pyongyang.

Kim II-sung University was founded in 1946 and is the best university in the country. Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, graduated from this university in 1980. Kim Hyung-jik University of Education is the country's best teaching university.

"I wanted to experience a totally different environment. You can study in other countries if you have money. But the chance to study in North Korea is very rare," said Meng, who just graduated from Beijing International Studies University majored in Korean.

Besides the free education, State-funded students like Sarah and Meng are given $250 every month and North Korea gives them $40 per month as a cost of living subsidy. Room and board are free.

The students only need to attend classes in the morning. In the afternoons, Sarah said students in their program often arranged free tours to museums, monuments or mountains.

At the beginning, they were required to write "review articles" about each tourist attraction they went to, but after complaining they were allowed to enjoy sightseeing without extra work.

According to Sarah, they didn't need to learn about Juche, the official North Korean ideology. They studied Korean reading, translation, conversation and so on.

"The name of their leaders were in bold in the textbooks and most of the content of their textbooks are related to the leaders, praising their greatness," she said. She added that if they ever wrote the leaders' names incorrectly, they had to either erase it with correction fluid or fully obliterate the word with their pen, rather than just crossing it out.

While in class, some teachers asked them about the outside world. In 2015, when it was reported that South Korea had fired artillery shells at North Korea, her teachers asked them in class "how is the situation being reported in the Chinese media?" But after class, the teachers and students had no contact.

Personally, Sarah believes that if she wrote or said positive things about the Korean leaders it would bring good academic scores. She recalled that in a speech contest for Chinese students, a student who said nice things about the Kim family won the top prize. "But we're free to talk and write in the way we like," she added.

A taste of North Korea

Geng Yu (pseudonym) went to North Korea for his undergraduate studies in 2014. He was a self-funded student, and the tuition fees for one term were about $7,000.

"My family does some business with North Korea. Also, I'm an ethnic Korean but I can't speak Korean. So my parents sent me there," he said.

According to Geng, most self-funded students end up there because their families have business connections in North Korea.

Geng spent his first year in the Kim Hyung-jik University of Education to study Korean and then was transferred to Kim II-sung University.

When the Global Times contacted several leading study abroad agencies about studying in Pyongyang, they all said they didn't provide such services.

Geng said all the self-funded students apply on their own.

In Geng's class, there were students from Laos, Vietnam and even Canada. "These students study here because they have family members working in the embassies in North Korea," he said.

Besides the high tuition fees, Meng said getting Internet in the country is very costly. Getting 3G mobile Internet cost him more than $200 at first and over $100 a month thereafter.

As he was tasked with managing his fellow Chinese students, Meng had to work with the North Korean university officials.

"I avoided talking about sensitive political topics," he said. Most of the time, he only communicated with them about simple day-to-day problems.

When the Chinese students arrived for the start of the semester, their dormitories often suffered power cuts without advance notice. Sometimes, the electricity was out for only three minutes and sometimes for hours. In the dry autumn, it happened regularly.

After chatting with the other side, they got warning in advance, though the cuts continued.

Becoming one with N. Koreans

According to Sarah and Meng, as foreign students, they enjoyed more freedom to wander around the country than tourists.

They could travel from city to city without a tour guide and were also permitted to take the subway in Pyongyang, which is prohibited for others aside from a few fancy "show" stops.

But sometimes, when they were on the subway, they were asked to identify themselves by North Koreans.

"We had to tell them our names and the university where we study. Sometimes, my friend pulled out textbooks to prove our identity," said Sarah.

Experiencing so many novelties, Sarah said her seven-month stay in North Korea was one of the most carefree times in her life. "Without the Internet, people can get closer. We talked and played together, which is hard to expect in today's China when everyone is addicted to cell phones," she said.

Her memories also included one time when they visited a beach with North Korean students and they all danced together. "At that time, I felt I was finally becoming one with them without any barriers," she said.

Meng said Chinese students in North Korea are able to get unusual opportunities because there aren't that many of them in North Korea.

He managed to meet and take photos with Liu Yunshan, a senior Communist Party of China leader, when he visited North Korea and Sarah was even once invited to watch a military parade.

Meng's experiences there have brought him another opportunity. A Chinese company hired him to work in North Korea and he will soon step on its soil once again.
The big Texas higher education news was here in Houston this week as the University of Houston announced its $1 billion capital campaign, its biggest ever and first in more than 20 years.

UH says its raised $684 million of that goal. The university announced a new gift, a $20 million donation from the John P. McGovern foundation toward a new arts college. The school will name the performing and visual arts college in honor of Kathrine McGovern, the foundations president.

Renu Khator, the UH president and chancellor, on Wednesday at a campaign gala told the story of Kathrine McGovern taking classes at the University of Houston. The philanthropist started taking business and secretarial classes but found herself enrolling in drawing and painting at the university.

She took that passion, Khator said, and transformed so many lives.

The new arts college broke from UHs College of Liberal Arts in September. The large McGovern gift will allow UHs arts program to attract top faculty talent with research money, endowed appointments and competitive salaries.

Earlier in the week, Rice University announced that the vandals responsible for graffiti on a Berlin Wall memorial on campus are students. Police had discovered Trump 16 and other writing on the memorial on Jan. 13.

Michael Fossum  a former NASA astronaut and retired Air Force officer  will lead Texas A&Ms Galveston campus starting in March.

Two key pieces of news out of Baylor University this week:

First, the high-profile alumni group thats criticized Baylor over its handling of sexual assault on campus now wants the university to change the board of regents structure and operations. Baylor said its been working on evaluating these things  independent of those demands  and plans to release a report next week.

Second, another employee out of Baylors Title IX compliance office said she filed a complaint against the university, describing the universitys reluctance to support staff members who investigate complaints against student athletes.

Meanwhile, in Austin, Sen. Kel Seliger, chairman of the higher education committee, filed three bills aiming to combat rising college costs in Texas.

The Texas State Strutters practiced all week for their performance today at President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration. Recall that some at Texas State criticized the groups decision to perform, which came together early in 2016, after campus turmoil relating to Trumps election.

Ive been spending some time with The Upshots data presentation of universities socioeconomic diversity  definitely take a look.

The most interesting finding to me was that nearly 5 percent of University of Houston students (4.9 percent) came from a poor family but became a rich adult.

That figure surpasses Rice Universitys (1.6 percent), the University of Texas at Austins (2.2 percent), Texas A&M Universitys (1.4 percent), Texas Southern Universitys (3.4 percent) and Baylor Universitys (1.4 percent).

As always, feel free to drop me a line via email at Lindsay.Ellis@chron.com or on Twitter @lindsayaellis.
From: Kristin Tassin, president of the Fort Bend ISD school board

To: Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

Contrary to what you may believe, not all of us who represent Texas public schools (not the buildings, but the actual children who attend) are liberals or "educrats," as you referred to us in your speech to the Texas Public Policy Foundation on Jan. 11. Most of us are parents, many with conservative views and values, who ran for the school board or got involved in our school districts in order to improve education and make a difference for the children in our communities and across the state of Texas.

As an elected official myself, one of the things I must do is listen to those who work in the trenches with our children every day and make an effort to understand what is really going on in education. We have to get beyond ideological rhetoric, get to the heart of the problem, and work together to find real solutions. But it seems that leaders at the state level are not listening.

You said in your speech that you are listening to your constituents. But I am your constituent, and your message to me was to stay home  to "save [my] money" and "don't bother to come to Austin to lobby" for what I believe is best for the students in my district and Texas. Well, I am not going to stay home. Not only because I care too much but also because it is my duty under the law to advocate for public education and the over 5 million Texas children who attend our public schools.

I am not going to stop speaking out for elimination of or funding for the hundreds of unfunded mandates passed by the state that take money out of public school budgets  the budgets you claim have "8 to 9 percent increases per year," a figure that is wholly inaccurate.

FBISD's budget has experienced an average increase of only 2.56 percent over the past eight years, including increased enrollment. In 2017-18, although property values are expected to increase 9 to 10 percent, FBISD's total revenue will decrease for the second consecutive year. Also, $45 million was taken out of FBISD's budget in 2010 as a result of the 82nd Legislature, so these budget percentage figures started from a several million-dollar hole.

TASSIN: "Public education is in the ring"

I am not going to stop telling the truth about property taxes, which the state government is constitutionally forbidden from levying but seems to benefit from nonetheless. The Texas legislature has created a way around this constitutional prohibition through the school funding formulas.

You suggested in your speech that when the property appraisals increase, the school districts are receiving the benefit and the state is "not capping" school district funding. This is simply untrue. The additional funding generated from rising property appraisals does not go to the school districts. The additional money goes to the state's general fund and is not required to be used for education at all.

I am not going to stop speaking up for a better and more accurate accountability system that is not based on a flawed, high-stakes test (the STAAR, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness.).

I am asking for the repeal of "A-F" [Texas' new school rating system] not because I do not believe in accountability, but because I believe in fair and accurate accountability. You stated in your speech that this issue is "going to be a battle with our local elected officials and the educrats who have forgotten it should be all about the kids and not all about the adults." As a parent of three school-aged children, one with a disability, I assure you I have not forgotten that it is all about the kids.

Let's set aside for the moment the stigma for children (not adults) associated with attending a school rated a "D" or "F". "A-F" accountability is based on a high-stakes test that we know is flawed and not good for kids. I have a daughter who will never pass STAAR and her school is penalized for it. Her failure on this test, which is not her fault or the fault of her teachers, will reflect in the letter grade assigned to her school. This is not good for her, the kids at her school, nor the teachers who work at her school. Accountability must factor in the needs of the child and must allow for multiple ways to assess a child.

Finally, I am not going to stop speaking out for real school choice, not the mythical system of "choice" that is being considered this session. As a parent of a child with a disability, I am frustrated when I hear state leaders use my child as an excuse to support school vouchers. As a parent and attorney, I have advocated for inclusive education for children with disabilities for 16 years.

MCMURRAY: "Dan Patrick to Texas schools: Starve"

This notion of "choice" for students in special education is a myth. There are almost no inclusive private schools in Texas who will admit my daughter, only schools that exclusively serve students with disabilities. These schools do a fine job educating students with disabilities but they do not do it in an inclusive environment, for which the disability community fought for over 40 years. My daughter is now a sophomore in high school and the benefits of her inclusive education are enormous, but we had to fight for it.

Instead of offering me money to leave the free, public education you are constitutionally sworn to provide, I suggest leaders focus efforts on changing the culture in Texas, particularly in education, to include and educate all students. Create policies that foster an inclusive educational environment where every child is afforded an opportunity to learn with her peers and districts are supported in their efforts to partner with businesses, the community, and faith-based organizations to meet the needs of every child.

I call upon you as a leader in this great state to stop using rhetoric and drawing lines in the sand that serve only to divide. With Texas's changing demographic, education is complicated and we all must be open to listening and learning to achieve the best solutions for all Texas children. As FBISD Board President, a parent and your constituent, I'm open to your ideas. I hope you will be open to mine.

I'll see you in Austin.

Kristin Tassin is president of the Fort Bend ISD school board.

Bookmark Gray Matters. Contrary to what you may believe, not all of us are liberals or "educrats."


The fun thing about scouring the city ZIP Code by ZIP Code is seeing the ways neighborhoods differ from each other. But in some parts of town, the differences happen within the ZIP's own boundaries.

In 77055, straddling the northwest corner of the 610 loop, residents are incredibly different from each other in one key way: There's more income inequality here than in any other ZIP Code in the city, according to its Gini Index.

I know: "Its what?"

A Gini Index is a number between 0 and 1, which measures income equality. If an area has perfect equality, the index would be 0. In a place where all the wealth was held by one person, the index would be 1.

Nationally, the Gini Index comes in at 0.48, according to U.S. Census Data. That's up from 0.37 back in 1986, meaning things are growing more unequal around the country. In Houston, the gaps are wider, with an index of 0.53. But 77055 weighs in even farther apart: Its Gini Index is 0.57.

Those in the middle of the pack in 77055 are doing about the same as the rest of the city. Median income for a household in 77055 was $45,332 in 2014, down slightly from the city's overall median of $46,187.

But the thing that pushes 77055 away from the rest of the pack is the fact that the wealthy folks in this area are much wealthier than other parts of the city: The top 5 percent of households here make so much money, their incomes surge over the Census reporting cap of $250,000, meaning it's not quite clear just how rich the well-to-do here are. That's compared to the $223,284 threshold it takes to make the top 5 percent citywide.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the most equal part of Houston is in the 77085 ZIP Code, just inside the southwest border of Beltway 8. While the median income here is actually higher than that of 77055, ringing in at $56,153, the spectrum is much smaller, with the top 5 percent of households earning $128,112 or more.

Bookmark Gray Matters. I know: Its what?
AUSTIN  Within hours of Donald Trump being sworn in as president Friday, a Corpus Christi federal court postponed a scheduled hearing in the Texas Voter ID case until next month at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Lawyers for the Justice department asked for a delay in the hearing scheduled for Tuesday, citing the change in presidential administrations.

"Because of the change in administration, the Department of Justice also experienced a transition in leadership," the Justice Department petition states. "The United States requires additional time to brief the new leadership of the Department on this case and the issues to be addressed at that hearing before making any representations to the Court."

In the past, the agency has asked that hearings in the case be expedited because of the issues involved.

The Corpus Christi court agreed to the delay, postponing the hearing until Feb. 28.

A lawyer for one of the plaintiffs expressed disappointment at the delay.

"This delay for us is not in the interest of resolving a case that has been going on for far too long," said Leah Aden, senior counsel with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which represents one of the plaintiffs. "We all have been expending far too many resources on it, and we really want a hearing to get to a decision that this law needs to be struck down."

Aden said she did not have any reason to believe the delay was a deliberate move to weaken the case against the law, but said elections are upcoming, and a resolution needs to come quickly.

Texas' Voter ID law has been the subject of litigation for years.

In 2012, a federal appeals court in Washington first blocked the implementation of the controversial law requiring voters to show a photo identification before they could cast a ballot. That court ruled that the law had a disproportionately negative impact on minority citizens in Texas.

In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court, ruling in a separate case, allowed Texas to implement its law, which it quickly did. The Texas State Conference of the NAACP and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus of the Texas House challenged the law in federal court, and a trial in 2014 showed the state's ID requirement would create discriminatory barriers to voting.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ruled the Texas law unconstitutional, but the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the law to remain in effect for the 2014 election.

Last July, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the law had a racially discriminatory effect in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act, and sent it back for the Corpus Christi court for additional review.

That was to be the focus of the Tuesday hearing, court filings show.

Reporter Mihir Zaveri contributed to this story.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

As students living in the country without legal permission and their families worry about what a Donald Trump presidency could mean for them, Houston Community College's board on Thursday adopted a resolution pledging to protect all of its students, regardless of national origin or immigration status.

The 7-1 vote, with one abstention, came after HCC Trustee Zeph Capo organized a rally before the meeting to denounce the proposed education policies of Trump and Betsy DeVos, his pick to lead the U.S. Department of Education.

Capo, the president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, said the actions were meant to show that educators will not stand for any potential discrimination by the incoming administration.

"This is standing up to make sure every student has access to a great public school or university that is safe and welcoming, focused on the well-being of students," Capo said. "That's what we owe our students, and we will stand united against any effort to undermine public education."

The central focus of the resolution and rally was Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. The federal policy mimics Texas' version of the DREAM Act, which allows students living in the country illegally to attend and pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.

Students, educators and immigration activists worry that Trump's sharp rhetoric on illegal immigration could foreshadow an end to such programs.

Already, state Rep. Jonathan Strickland, R-Bedford, has filed a bill that would eliminate in-state tuition for students living in the country illegally, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has expressed support for the idea.

David Johnson, Houston ISD's director of college readiness, said such a repeal could deter immigrant students from attaining post-secondary education.

"The fear that we hear in the district from students is that they'll be deported if DACA is repealed," Johnson said. "Part of what I do is to make sure students have the opportunity to attend college and feel safe and aren't living in fear that they'll be exposed or that their information will be sent to immigration officials."

During public comments at the board meeting, several current and former students came forward to say they were living in the country without legal permission or benefited from DACA and worry about younger students who may not have the same opportunities.

Among them was Gloria Gonzalez Lopez, who has been accepted to schools including Texas A&M University and the University of Houston.

"If we're denied educational rights, what hope will there be for us?" Lopez said. "I hope many institutions pass similar resolutions at their own campuses."

Trustee Dave Wilson, who opposed the resolution, groused over the fact it included protections for students based on their sexual preferences and gender identities. He said such language practically mandates Christian professors and students endorse homosexuality and transgender classmates.

"I never thought I would see the day when this country, founded on the Bible, would see people persecuted for their beliefs," Wilson said.

Capo said he was offended that Wilson would distract from the goal of protecting immigrant students to push his personal religious beliefs.

"First and foremost, this is primarily about our students who come from international places who are our kids and our neighbors," Capo said. "Kids should be put first in our mission."

Trustee Adriana Tamez agreed with Capo.

"A huge percentage of our students are international," Tamez said. "We need to make sure that when they come here, they feel like we embrace them."

After the vote, Houston Federation of Teachers Vice President Andrew Dewey said the resolution was ground-breaking.

"I'm not sure that any other colleges have taken such an action," Dewey said. "The promise of public education is that education is for everyone, and HCC is doing that."
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

On the surface, at least, Pasadena's City Hall was a happy place Tuesday evening as elected officials, city employees and residents filed in for a City Council meeting. Handshakes, hugs and small talk created a glow of bonhomie as everyone waited for the show to start.

Yet a shadow hung over this sunny facade. These are troubled days for Harris County's second-largest city as it absorbs the effects of ongoing voting rights litigation and prepares for a municipal election in May amid continued uncertainty about what the electoral map will look like.

A blistering opinion by a federal judge, after a trial that drew national attention, depicted Pasadena as a place where public officials used taxpayer-funded time and resources in a relentless campaign to weaken Latino political influence; where Anglos enjoy superior public services; where residents referred to a Latino candidate seeking their votes as a "wetback;" and where another candidate felt obliged to conceal his Hispanic ethnicity to get elected.

Mayor Johnny Isbell's determination to change the council structure by creating two citywide positions led to a spectacle that damaged Pasadena's reputation, said Robbie Lowe, a real estate agent who has lived in the industrial Houston suburb since 1982.

"I'm embarrassed that you managed to bring an ugly part of our history back to the forefront," Lowe told Isbell during the public speakers' portion of the council meeting. "You pushed through your redistricting plan with the help of your trusty yes-men."

Isbell, 78, whose most recent stint as mayor began in 2008, cannot run for re-election because of term limits. Four candidates filed to replace him on Wednesday, when registration began.

The mayor represents the whole city, of course, but those vying for a position on the eight-member City Council face continued uncertainty as they await a decision on the city's appeal of U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal's order.

Rosenthal said the city must return to a system of eight single-member districts rather than the structure of six districts and two citywide positions created in a 2013 referendum. Rosenthal found the 6-2 system discriminatory, but the city disagrees and wants to use it this year.

"I'm sitting here and I don't know what district I'm in," said Larry Peacock, a longtime Pasadena resident who plans to run for a council seat but is waiting for clarity about the map before he files.

Beyond this uncertainty, Peacock said he shares Lowe's concerns about the image of Pasadena projected by the voting rights case. Revelations about employees' campaign activities on city time are particularly alarming, he said.

"My concern is, Pasadena has always had this image of criminal activity," said Peacock, recalling a scandal in the 1960s involving public officials' theft of city funds.

Cristina Womack, the president and CEO of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, said publicity about the trial has not hurt the chamber, which focuses on supporting existing businesses. But Paul Davis, who heads the city's economic development office, said negative publicity "always has an impact. Always."

Several members of the City Council have their own concerns. Trial testimony indicated that community relations director Richard Scott, who retired last week, was just one of several city employees involved in the use of city time, email accounts and other resources to campaign for the charter change that led to the new council system.

The scope of this unlawful activity, and the suggestion of a City Hall culture where it was tolerated or even encouraged by supervisors, can hardly be beneficial to Pasadena's reputation.

Council members, however, have been frustrated in their efforts to initiate an internal investigation. And it's not known whether any of the employees named in court testimony are the targets of a criminal inquiry (the district attorney's office doesn't confirm or deny investigations).

Isbell must believe that the purported merits of the 6-2 council system - he says it provides better representation - justify his decision to prolong a divisive legal struggle that has laid bare some unsavory aspects of his city's history and culture. But as he prepares to exit the stage, he might consider that someone else will have to govern amid the bitter aftermath of this ugly episode.
The U.S. Department of Education remains "concerned" that Texas children are being denied special education and will continue its investigation during Donald Trump's administration into a Texas Education Agency policy that has significantly reduced services over the past 12 years, the department said Thursday.

In a letter on the eve of Trump's inauguration, federal officials told the TEA that they would be requesting extensive data and documents from school districts and the agency and "will need to schedule time with TEA staff to conduct interviews."

Federal officials plan to return to Texas to continue the investigation during the week of Feb. 27, according to the letter.

The investigation was launched in response to a Houston Chronicle series that showed thousands of disabled children had been denied tutoring, counseling and therapy after the TEA established an 8.5 percent "benchmark" for special education enrollments. State officials aggressively enforced the benchmark by requiring many districts with higher enrollments to file "corrective action plans."

Parents, advocates and numerous educators say the benchmark served as a cap on enrollments.

In the years after Texas set the benchmark in 2004, the state's special education rate fell from near the national average of 13 percent to exactly 8.5 percent, which is by far the lowest in the nation.

The letter signals that the federal government's concerns were not assuaged by the state's denials that the benchmark had not kept children from receiving special education services. It also makes clear that a series of "listening sessions" held by federal education officials across the state last month had only heightened their concerns.

Ruth Ryder, the government's acting special education director, noted in the letter that there was "an extremely high level of interest in the listening sessions and a high number of people who chose to make statements."

More than 500 people attended the sessions in Houston, Dallas, Austin, Edinburg and El Paso and more than 400 people submitted comments on a blog set up for people who could not attend.

"A majority of the comments we received, both during the listening sessions and through the blog, raised serious concerns about the State's compliance" with special education laws, including a requirement that all public schools in the U.S. locate, evaluate and serve all children with disabilities, Ryder wrote.

A TEA spokesman said the agency would work with federal officials to coordinate the logistics of the next visit.

"The Texas Education Agency continues to work with the U.S. Department of Education to ensure federal officials receives factual information regarding this important issue," said the spokesman, Gene Acuna. "Commissioner [Mike] Morath remains confident that Texas school districts are aware of their obligations to identify and provide special education services to students."

Ryder serves at the pleasure of the president and could be replaced in the Trump administration, which could also choose to discontinue the investigation.

Advocates for kids with disabilities said they were hopeful that the probe would continue. Several said the letter sent Thursday laid out a clear rationale and plan for the investigation.

"We are thrilled that the Department of Education will visit Texas again," said Dustin Rynders, a spokesman for Disability Rights Texas. "We completely agree that it is essential for the Department to review individual district, campus and student data to understand this problem."

Rynders called the Department of Education's decision to engage in this level of review a "milestone" in the group's struggle to assure that all disabled children who need special education services receive them, as federal law mandates.

He credited parents with sharing their stories of service denials during the federal listening sessions, on the web and in news reports. "I am confident that the Department of Education's review will confirm what the Chronicle investigation found, and what parents already know -- students with disabilities throughout Texas are being arbitrarily denied special education evaluation and services because of TEA's arbitrary cap," he said.

The ongoing engagement by federal officials is necessary, Rynders said, "as the Texas Education Agency still fails to acknowledge the harm their misguided special education cap has caused."

"In the past week TEA representatives have continued to defend their misguided special education cap at the largest gathering of school special education administrators," he said. "The Department of Education, Texas legislature and families must continue to press until TEA finally acknowledges what has happened and choose to reverse course."

If the investigation continues under the Trump administration, it could loom over this year's legislative session, which began last week.

The TEA has already suspended the use of the 8.5 percent enrollment benchmark and said it will soon eliminate the policy entirely. But four lawmakers have filed legislation prohibiting the state from ever setting a special education enrollment target, and more bills are being drafted.

Schools are pushing the state to give them more funding so they are able to serve the students who will get into special education due to the removal of the benchmark.

Some lawmakers and advocates also want the state to track down the tens of thousands of students who were kept out of special education due to the benchmark and spend money to try to give them the services they were denied.

About 200 current and former Texas school employees have told the Chronicle that they interpreted the state's 8.5 percent benchmark as a hard cap or saw disabled kids shut out of special education because of it. The state has insisted that no students have been deprived of needed services.
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.
A former Harris County sheriff's deputy accused of possessing child pornography and producing pornography depicting bestiality must be supervised when he is with his 10-year-old daughter, a judge ruled Thursday.

State District Judge Denise Collins said Andrew Sustaita Jr. will have to be supervised by his wife or parents when he is with his daughter.

The judge made the decision after hearing that Sustaita's laptop - which allegedly contained more than 200 images of child pornography from the Internet - also had pictures of a young relative in various stages of being undressed, such as having her dress pulled up.

Defense attorneys said the photos of the relative are not a crime, but prosecutors asked that Sustaita, who had been a peace officer for a six years, be prohibited from contact.

After a brief hearing, the judge compromised on the no-contact order and agreed to allow supervised visits. Sustaita is also prohibited from contact with domesticated or farm animals.

He was originally arrested last week after an online task force allegedly connected him to obscene material including images of sexual contact with a dog.

In that case, he has been charged with a Class A misdemeanor of obscenity. After that arrest, his laptop was searched, and he was charged with possession of child pornography.

If convicted of the third-degree felony, he could face a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.

The former deputy is free after posting a $30,000 bail. He appeared in court with his mother and attorneys Nathan Hennigan and Kristin Guiney, who did not comment after the hearing. Prosecutors also declined to comment.

Sustaita was relieved of duty after his arrest, according to the sheriff's office.
(Global Times) 09:02, January 20, 2017

Embracing Orphansby Oh Gwang-ho Photo: Courtesy of the Motang International Museum of Arts

On the Way for the Peopleby Lee Dong-gun Photo: Courtesy of the Motang International Museum of Arts

A North Korean artist paints at the Motan International Museum of Arts in Beijing Photo: Courtesy of the Motang International Museum of Arts

"This is Mount Kumgang, a very saintly theme for North Korean artists," the museum guide introduced pointing at an oil landscape work at an exhibition held by the Motang International Museum of Arts, a private gallery famous for North Korean art.

Stroked in thick pigment, the painted mountains shone under the sunlight causing the entire painting to take on a lively air.

On January 10, the Beijing-based museum kicked off a retrospective exhibition of artworks by Hong Sung-chul, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century in North Korean art history.

Prior to the exhibition, the museum had just finished its first biennale dedicated to Korean painting, during which four portraits of famous leaders received a lot of attention. A popular theme for North Korean art, it is rare for such content to be exhibited outside the country.

"Although their work looks similar to Chinese paintings, North Korean artists combine more Western techniques and pursue a 3D effect when it comes to perspective and presentation of light and shadow," Ma Chunguang, curator of Motang Museum, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

"North Korean art has historical significance in that these works present the brand of an era. As the political development of the nation continues, these artworks will be considered part of North Korea's cultural heritage in the future."

Turning to North Korea

During the year 2016, China showed an increasing interest in art from around the world. Several high-profile acquisitions have many in the industry paying close attention to Chinese collectors when it comes to art auctions in 2017.

While the biggest buyers mainly focused on classic Chinese literati and big Western names, a group of collectors looked to North Korea, a mysterious land in the eyes of many Chinese.

"The first time I saw a North Korean painting, I was touched by its pure and tranquil temperament," Ma recalled. At the end of 2010, he bought the first painting of what would become a large collection of North Korean paintings, a lifelike tiger drawn by top ranking artist Kim Chul.

Kim works for the Mansudae Art Studio, the largest and most famous art production complex in North Korea. So far, the Mansudae Art Museum located in Beijing's 798 Art District is the only museum that the North Korean government has invested in overseas.

In April 2016, Ma became the exclusive partner of White Tiger, a state-owned art studio in North Korea. Motang employees also told the Global Times that the museum is also collaborating with Mansudae.

Taking on the market

Having worked in the art investment industry for more than 10 years, Ma thinks highly of North Korean art's market potential in China.

"Compared to most contemporary art works, North Korean paintings are easy to understand. Additionally, for some middle-aged Chinese, these paintings can bring back memories," Ma said.

Inheriting the art style of Soviet paintings, which is almost extinct in Russia and China nowadays, all North Korean art adopts an extreme socialist realism style.

Another factor is the relatively low price of these paintings. North Korean art has not been oversold.

Cui Xing, a folk art collector based in Dandong, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, just purchased a large amount of paintings by artists from the Mansudae Art Studio with the help of his friends.

Cui told the Global Times that the price of North Korean paintings so far is still inexpensive. "It's like the price of Chinese art during the 1970s and 1980s."

At present, Cui owns more than 100 North Korean paintings. According to him, some of the more expensive pieces in his collection are worth more than 100,000 yuan ($14,593), but the majority of them will only sell for several thousand or even a hundred yuan.

"The price of a thing depends on the wealth of the nation it belongs to. They [North Korean paintings] are experiencing the same thing that Chinese paintings went through," Cui said.

Unmatched skill

Although the prices of North Korean paintings remain low for now, that is sure to change because the "special conditions of the state" contribute to the high skill of North Korean artists.

"Most North Korean artists have received a good art education. They have high professional standards," Ma said. "Objectively speaking, they deserve to be sold at a higher price."

According to a September report by China News Weekly, in North Korea each artist has their own one-room studio. These studios have such ideal artificial lighting that windows are covered by curtains, while the walls are also soundproofed. This type of environment prevents many artists from being effected from external disturbances.

As all art institutions are state-owned in North Korea, the creation of art doesn't have to worry about pressures from the market, which has contributed to a more simple aesthetic in paintings.

"They don't need to worry about housing or living expenses. The government arranges all of this so they can focus on the creation of art," a Motang Museum employee told the Global Times.
A driver died early Friday morning after slamming into the back of a big rig on Interstate 10 in east Houston, forcing officials to shut down the freeway for hours.

The two-vehicle wreck happened about 1:30 a.m. on the 12000 block of the outbound East Freeway near Normandy, said Sgt. Edward Fendia of the Houston Police Department.
Terry Hershey, an influential conservationist who prevented Buffalo Bayou from being channelized and stripped of its natural beauty, died Thursday, her 94th birthday.

Hershey is widely credited with jump-starting the environmental movement in Houston by fighting the reviled Buffalo Bayou project in the 1960s.

She later launched several conservation groups, inspiring legions to pick up the torch for the environment. A former member of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, she also was a powerful advocate for parks and worked hard to make sure the state's most spectacular places were protected.

"She was sort of like the environmental godmother of Houston," said Jim Blackburn, a local environmental attorney. "She was a constant presence in parks, in Buffalo Bayou, everything involved in environmental quality  she was interested in it all."

Terese "Terry" Tarlton moved to Houston from Fort Worth to marry Jake W. Hershey in 1958. The fun-loving couple spent years in international yachting competitions before putting down permanent roots in the Memorial area.

It was there, in 1966, when Terry and her neighbors discovered bulldozers clearing land near Buffalo Bayou. Amazed to find out the Army Corps of Engineers had planned to straighten the bayou for flood control but hadn't notified the public, Hershey called her local county commissioner, Squatty Lyons, and was promptly rebuffed.

"And it made me mad, and I stayed mad for 30 years," Hershey said in a 2002 interview.

Hershey and the Buffalo Bayou Preservation Association managed to persuade the county commissioners to temporarily delay the project. Knowing she would need more firepower, Hershey turned to newly elected U.S. Rep. George H.W. Bush.

But she and her growing circle of friends also continued to challenge the Corps, the county commissioners and the Harris County Flood Control District.

"She was always charming, but very persuasive," said Mike Talbott, the district's former director. "She always wanted people to do the right thing and never hesitated to tell them what the right thing is."

Influence nationally

Their work culminated with the passage in 1972 of the National Environmental Policy Act, which among other things requires federal agencies to notify the public of plans that could have any negative environmental impact. Not long after that, the Buffalo Bayou project was dead.

Hershey liked to give credit to the "two Georges" - Bush and billionaire Texas oilman George P. Mitchell - for stopping the project.

But both men publicly deferred to Hershey, who Bush once quipped was a "force of nature for nature."

The description stuck, and Hershey would go on to launch several other conservation-focused groups, such as Citizens Who Care, the Citizens Environmental Coalition and Urban Harvest. Not long after Ann Richards was elected governor, she appointed Hershey to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in 1991. She was only the second woman appointed to the commission.

Hershey might have seemed an obvious choice. She founded the Park People, a group dedicated to parks and open space in Houston.

But at that time, the commission was geared toward hunting. Hershey was not a hunter. She was widely known for feeding the wildlife in her backyard. It was not uncommon for her to take a giant Ziploc bag out of her purse at fancy galas and stash away a half-eaten roll or some wilted lettuce.

Distaste for hunting

Her passion for wildlife helps explain why at the end of her first commission meeting, after a long debate on hunting regulations and the distribution of photos of dead deer,

Hershey famously remarked, "All this talk makes me want to throw up."

Andrew Sansom, the former director of the commission, said Hershey was branded "anti-hunting" for her comments and faced tremendous blowback from the incident.

Yet she was tenacious and went on to make her mark, most notably by promoting conservation easements to help preserve some of the state's most ecologically valuable parcels of land.

"At the time, most people who were appointed to the commission were there because of their interest in hunting and fishing, which is obviously very important for the state," Sansom said. "But Terry was one of the first commissioners to come in there and really champion the state park system and things like wildlife viewing."

Deflected the credit

Hershey's influence extended far beyond Texas. She was a leader in many national organizations, serving as a trustee of The National Recreation and Park Association, The Trust for Public Land, The National Audubon Society, The National Association of Flood Plain Managers and The National Recreation Foundation.

Several prominent awards bear her name, such as Audubon Texas' Terry Hershey Women in Conservation Awards.

Hershey always brushed off personal tributes, expressing appreciation but insisting others did the hard work.

In 2013, she told the Chronicle: "I made little differences here and there. That's all you can do as one human. You can help by joining groups that do good things, and you can give your time if you're lucky."

Hershey was preceded in death by her husband, in 2001.

Donations in her name may be made to The Bayou Preservation Association, Planned Parenthood of Texas and The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.
WASHINGTON - Houston native Cooper Johnson flew into the nation's capital Thursday morning, wanting to soak up the energy of the entire weekend when Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

Thousands of Texans like Johnson drove or flew north for the historic day, some in a flurry of patriotism and others with a sense of doom.

Crowds began to grow throughout the day as visitors descended upon Washington, D.C. Groups from around the Lone Star State came in force, attending parties, visiting historic sites and meeting with their elected officials.

Johnson, 30, booked his ticket almost as soon as he knew the results of the Nov. 8 election. Johnson, who voted for Obama in 2008 and supported Ron Paul in 2012, said he is hopeful the Trump administration could mean real change and hope that the United States needs.

"I was so excited that my candidate won," Johnson said. "I thought, 'Why not just come up and witness a piece of history.' It's going to a big change of the status quo. I'm so glad to be here. I'm seeing different things and different communities. I always keep an open mind."

A worker in a manufacturing plant, Johnson said he hopes Trump will focus on immigration issues, foreign policy and a smaller federal government. At the same time, he said, he is impressed with the number of organizations flooding Washington this weekend in opposition to Trump.

"Everyone needs to voice their opinions," he said.

Butch Coburn and Cameron Philips flew to Washington with their wives on Wednesday to celebrate the inauguration of the unorthodox Republican who gives the political establishment heartburn.

'Taking America back'

"We decided we wanted to be there to see history made," said Coburn, a 44-year-old small businessman who signed on with Trump after U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas ran out of steam in his bid to become president. Neighbors in the Austin suburb of Cedar Park, the couples will not have special seating or a place on any stage, but they were thrilled to make the trip.

"This is about taking America back for the people, like you and me," said Phillips, a 43-year-old software engineer. "I had some doubt this day would ever come. We just wanted to go to say we were there to support Mr. Trump, President Trump, want to see the faces of all the damn Washington liberals who will be out there protesting, too. I'm going to tell them: It's happened, people. Give it up. Get used to it."

Berto Saez was planning to deliver the same message. The 46-year-old Trump supporter from San Antonio left for Washington on Tuesday as part of a Bikers for Trump group that plans to rally at the inauguration.

"There will be thousands of people protesting, so we want to have just as many people there showing our support," he said last week, as he prepared for the 1,600-mile trip with five other Trump supporters, including two from Houston.

"By showing our support for Donald Trump, we will be showing support for our united country," Saez said. "My message is that the election is over, that we all need to come together and move forward together. This was never as much about Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative as much as it was about taking our government back for the people, to give the people a voice again. I want my voice to be heard at the inaugural."

Pen Morrison is one of those protesters. The 62-year-old graphic designer from Houston is flying in Friday morning and will participate in Saturday's Women's March on Washington.

"This is my way of giving back to those who fought for civil rights and women's rights in the past," Morrison said. "I feel like we will have to hit bottom before we realize we need help."

She said the biggest obstacle to change in the country is disgust in the political process, and she hopes Trump's victory will inspire people to fight apathy.

'I'm not losing hope'

Morrison, who takes advantage of the Affordable Care Act, said she fears for the future of health care. She also fears for marginalized groups and the middle class and worries about environmental protections being rolled back under Trump.

"If we start paying dues of people that came before us, we can make a change," she said. "I'm hopeful about the future and think we can make a difference. I'm not losing hope."

For many Texans, however, Friday is a day of celebration.

Martha Mathis, who came to the inaugural with the Republican Women's Club of Katy, termed herself a diehard Trump fan. "I supported Mr. Trump from the day he announced, when he came down that escalator," she said. "I thought, 'Oh my word, he's my candidate.' "

For Mathis, an activist who did phone bank work for the campaign, the inauguration will be "euphoria, like a dark cloud is removed and the sun is shining."

Magnolia air-conditioning contractor Steve Martinez also came to Washington with his wife Carla and 16-year-old daughter Olivia, one of seven children. They won their tickets in a congressional lottery and want to see the transfer of power first-hand.

To Martinez, Trump represents a break from politics as usual, and he hopes that it stays that way. "I want Trump to be the same man that we voted for," he said. "I don't want him changing because of Washington politics or political correctness."

Mike Ward and Kevin Diaz contributed to this story.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is advising local mosques not to respond to a questionnaire from a state legislator.

Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of the council in Houston, said some of the 100-plus mosques in the Houston area had received copies of the poll from Rep. Kyle Biedermann, R-Fredericksburg.

LOCAL SUPPORT: Katy mosque event created to support local Muslims

The poll, Carroll said, gauges support for three things: Sharia law (a form of Islamic fundamentalism), persecution of people who leave Islam and designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

"We're asking them not to respond," Carroll said Thursday. "I hate to sound trite but some of these things people are throwing out are just really silly. I think the whole thing is just a set-up."

In an emailed statement, Biedermann said Thursday the privately funded poll was sent in advance of a Homeland Security Summit the representative is hosting Jan. 26 at the State Capitol Building.

RACIST TIRADE: Dairy Queen owner loses business over customer backlash

"When I took office, I assembled a Law Enforcement & Homeland Security Advisory Council," Biedermann's email stated. "The number one priority of the advisory council has been border security, and keeping Texas strong and secure."

A link in the email explains that the summit will include a hearing entitled "Defending against radical Islamic terrorism in Texas," in which experts will testify on the dangers of radical Islamic activity in Texas.

Carroll, however, said the timing is curious since Texas Muslim Capitol Day at the Legislature is set for Jan. 31.

BACON SMEAR: Muslim group calls for hate crime investigation after restaurant vandalized

"What I think they're trying to do is take a poll and see who agrees with Sharia Law and who agrees with the constitution," Carroll said. "It's like asking Christians, 'Do you believe in the Bible or the constitution?' It's not an either-or question. No Muslim organization has even intimated they want to change the constitution of America or supplant it with Sharia Law. It's silly."

The previous Texas Muslim Capitol Day on Jan. 29, 2015, drew hundreds of Muslims but was marred by protesters who shouted insults such as, "Go home, "We don't want you here," and "ISIS will gladly take you."
Houstonians always have input on the city's $2.2 billion general fund budget, of course, but City Hall has begun a formal process of seeking feedback that officials expect to improve upon in the coming years.

The multi-survey effort is partly an outgrowth of Mayor Sylvester Turner's plan to steer toward "performance-based budgeting" and partly related to the Plan Houston initiative.

The process yielded some interesting results, though it's unclear exactly how Turner plans to use the data in crafting his next budget, which will be released this spring.

Of roughly 100,000 subscribers to the city's email notification system, CitizensNet, 3,309 people started and 2,233 finished a lengthy survey about city services and quality of life in Houston.

Read on for more on that detailed survey, which was crafted and interpreted in part by Rice University researchers, but here's a taste of the findings (green means "good," yellow means "fair" and red means "poor"):

The city also scrounged up about 6,100 responses to a survey that asked, "If the City could place a greater focus on three issues in the next year, what should those issues be?"

Respondents to that query put "crime and public safety," "flooding," "potholes and street condition," "traffic congestion," "transportation options like rails, buses and bike lanes," and "walkable streets including safe sidewalks and lighting" at the top of the list.

To understand these results, it's useful to see who provided them. Residents on the westside, in the urban core (the Heights, Montrose and River Oaks) and in Meyerland responded in the highest numbers. No surprise there -- those areas have the highest turnout in municipal elections.

Turnout also, of course, helped drive the survey results. Crime and poor streets ranked highly in part because westside voters picked those issues. Flooding ranked highly in part because Meyerland and Montrose residents picked it. Transportation options and walkable streets ranked highly in part because Heights and Montrose residents (along with a few other areas) picked them.

The Plan Houston steering committee (civic leaders with local nonprofits, think-tanks, public agencies and trade associations) went through the same exercise, and emphasized (among others) a few issues residents had not indicated much interest in, such as affordable housing, schools, communicating effectively with the public.

But the most exhaustive of these efforts was the Rice University-assisted survey, which was conducted roughly during the month of December.

Rice political scientist Bob Stein said there generally were sufficient respondents to analyze results by council district and by residents' demographic characteristics, though he noted Latinos, youths and residents in southwestern council District J were underrepresented in the surveys.

Some council members at a recent hearing were concerned not enough residents had responded, but Planning Director Patrick Walsh defended the city's attempts to gather feedback and the validity of the resulting information.

"This is the first step," Walsh said. "We're going to be refining this as we go."

There were varying feelings within and across districts and ethnic groups, Stein's report said, but the survey generally produced a "nascent consensus," with "considerable agreement on what the city does well and what services the city needs to improve."

Residents generally rated city services as "fair," with average ratings very similar across the city. Of the 20 services residents were queried about, fire, EMS, garbage and libraries were rated "good," flood prevention, streets and sidewalks were rated "poor," and the rest fell in the middle (with parks and police near the top and traffic and animal control near the bottom).

There was a noticeable difference among council districts in the ratings of affordable housing and policing (notably, residents in the two most predominantly black districts gave these services lower scores) and in bus service (conservative, affluent District G rated it lower).

No quality of life measure received a "poor" rating. The city ranked "good" as a place to work, place to live, neighborhood and overall quality, in that order. It was ranked a "fair" place to raise kids, retire, for its natural environment, its feeling of safety, and for its ease of getting around.

The only notable spread among the districts came when residents rated their neighborhoods' livability. Two predominantly black districts and eastside District I awarded lower ratings than the city's three most affluent districts (the westside, the urban core and Kingwood/Clear Lake).

Stein felt it was most notable that, in general, older residents and those who have lived in Houston longer were more likely to view city services and Houston's quality of life more positively than younger residents and those who moved to Houston more recently.

Here is the full report on the survey results.
AUSTIN - A federal judge Thursday issued a temporary injunction, blocking the state from ousting Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program for at least a month.

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks' ruling followed a three-day hearing in which lawyers for the state argued that removing the nonprofit from Texas' Medicaid program would have little effect on health care for poor Texans because plenty of other medical providers exist.

Planned Parenthood's termination from the state's Medicaid program was scheduled to occur Saturday, but Sparks' temporary injunction blocks that until Feb. 21. Sparks said he hoped to have an opinion written by then.

Sparks' ruling was related to timing and was not based on the merits of the case.

Jennifer Sandman, an attorney for Planned Parenthood, called the state's case against the Planned Parenthood "politically motivated" during closing statements Thursday.

"This termination is not based on any problem with the Medicaid service it provides," she said.

Throughout the hearing, attorneys for the state pointed to other health care facilities where women on Medicaid could receive care.

Jami Snyder, an associate commissioner for Medicaid at the Health and Human Services Commission, testified Thursday that she believes there are other providers that can serve women on Medicaid if the state removed Planned Parenthood from the program.

Snyder said the number of women going to Planned Parenthood facilities for health, including contraceptives and pregnancy tests, was about 12,500 out of the 4.3 million people in the state's Medicaid population.

She acknowledged that of the six providers that offer extended hours in Bexar County, four are Planned Parenthood facilities. In Tarrant County, five facilities offer extended hours and four of those are Planned Parenthood facilities.

"Not a single witness testified that they would be unable to continue services," said Andrew Stephens, lead attorney for the state, referring to employees for Planned Parenthood who testified that they would have to "wait and see" if they could maintain their services if the nonprofit was ousted from Medicaid.

The state's decision to cut Planned Parenthood out of its Medicaid program relied heavily on undercover videos distributed in 2015 by a California anti-abortion group, who claimed the videos showed employees of Houston's Planned Parenthood of the Gulf Coast discussing the procurement and sale of fetal tissue from abortions.

Selling fetal tissue is against federal law. The tissues, however, can be use for medical research, and agencies can be nominally compensated for the cost of storing and transporting the material to researchers.

No misconduct shown

Planned Parenthood officials have called the videos heavily edited and misleading. A Harris County grand jury cleared the clinic of any wrongdoing in February and instead indicted the undercover videographers. Those charges eventually were dropped.

During closing statements, Sandman said the videos did not show a willingness by Planned Parenthood employees to do anything wrong.

"There's simply nothing there that shows misconduct," she said.

The state showed several clips from the videos Wednesday and brought Texas Health and Human Services Commission Inspector General Stuart W. Bowen Jr. to the stand. Bowen, who said he watched the eight-hour video five times, issued the final notice of termination to the organization last month, saying that the videos showed Planned Parenthood had a history of "deviating from accepted standards."

On the witness stand, Bowen testified that he had no evidence Planned Parenthood was guilty of any ethical violations while obtaining fetal tissue, but that "there was interest to pursue such activities."

Previous funding loss

This is not the first time Planned Parenthood has faced funding cuts in Texas. In 2013, the state cut Planned Parenthood from the Texas Women's Health Program.

Amanda Stevenson, a University of Colorado professor, testified Thursday about the nonprofit's previous loss of funding. She discussed her article in the New England Journal of Medicine, which found a reduction in the rate of continuation for injectable contraceptives and an increase in the rate of childbirth covered by Medicaid. Stevenson said she predicted the state would see the same effects if Texas were to be ousted from the Medicaid program.

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, however, said he would not consider Stevenson's testimony in the case.

"This is getting to be comical," he said. "Nothing Stevenson says is going to influence me in this case."

Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, called Thursday's injunction "pretty typical."

"It seems clear to us that Planned Parenthood should not be a Medicaid provider because they either have violated state or federal law, or they certainly are willing to and intend to in the future," Pojman said. "They have no business using taxpayer money."
AUSTIN -- Shortly after President-Elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office, Attorney General Ken Paxton wants the new administration to roll back regulations protecting endangered species.

Paxton signed a letter along with Republican attorneys general from 13 states asking the Trump administration to "immediately" repeal two rules under the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service in order to, as the letter states, "Make America Great Again."
On the steps of the Capitol at noon today, before thousands of people on hand and millions watching worldwide, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

The inauguration ceremony is a venerated ritual, a reassuring symbol for the people of this nation and for the world of a peaceful and for the most part orderly transition of power from one administration to another. It represents who we are as a people and who we aspire to be, and for that reason among others it deserves our attention and respect. We witness the new president taking the oath of office - his right hand raised and his left hand palm down on a Bible - and we see in our mind's eye his predecessors: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, the two Roosevelts, Kennedy, the two Bushes, Obama. As our forebears imagined a new beginning, so do we.

Unfortunately, this Inauguration Day is unlike any we have witnessed in modern memory. We have elected a president, we regret to say, who has shown himself to be ill-informed, unprincipled and unprepared to assume the vast powers that the office bestows. Throughout a long and caustic presidential campaign and in the weeks since his election, he has been impetuous, vindictive, shallow.

Despite polls showing Trump with the lowest approval ratings since the question has been asked, we are well aware that millions of Americans do not share our concerns. For example, Chronicle reporter Ryan Maye Handy profiled this week the small Central Texas town of Jewett, 100 miles north of Houston in Leon County, a town where the local coal mine has shut down, a steel mill has cut back and most downtown storefronts are mouldering and empty. The county gave Trump 86 percent of the vote, and Jewett residents are hoping and praying his election will mean more jobs, more people moving in and more customers for local businesses.

"I am just hoping to goodness that, come Friday, things get turned around right there and then," Mayor John Sitton told Handy.

Perhaps they will. And yet the man the mayor has entrusted with his community's future, and the nation's, is just as likely to wreck an economy only now finding its footing. Given his ignorance of history and of policy issues foreign and domestic, he could damage our relations, trade and otherwise, with Mexico, ignite a debilitating trade war with China, contribute to economic and social chaos among our allies in Europe and, for reasons still mysterious, cozy up to a profoundly corrupt and violent autocrat in Moscow. And, yes, those far-away developments would have a way of filtering down to little Jewett.

Closer to home, Trump has shown a penchant for exploiting xenophobia, division and barely concealed racism. He has shown disdain for conflicts of interest, refuses to disclose basic financial information about himself and has larded his cabinet with billionaires a million miles removed from the hardworking residents of Leon County. That's not the curriculum vitae of a trusted and capable national leader.

If a Trump presidency turns out to be disastrous, we can hope that the American system of governance has the strength and resilience to serve as a counterweight. We hope our elected officials - and the president's advisers - summon the courage to stand for principle over party. The president's fellow Republicans will come under tremendous pressure to fall in line, to pay obeisance to the strongman in the White House. For the good of their constituents, for the well-being of this nation, they must resist.

In a few years, perhaps, Main Street in Jewett will be lined with cars and pickups. Sidewalks could be crowded with shoppers at the newest coffee shop or at a department store that has lured customers from Walmart in nearby Madisonville or maybe hungry diners lining up at a new restaurant serving the best chicken-fried steak in Leon County. The nearby steel mill, turning out pipe 24 hours a day, will be hiring locals as soon as they can buy a stiff, new pair of steel-toed work boots. Oil and gas wells will be providing more work for local oil-field services companies than they know what to do with. And Jewett's new elementary school, built to educate a bursting-at-the-seams population of youngsters, will be christened Donald J. Trump Elementary.

Along with the people of Jewett and every other Texan, along with every other American, we can hope that's how it turns out.

We can hope.
(Global Times) 09:09, January 20, 2017

Three drones are on window display at a DJI store in Shanghai. Photo: IC

An unlicensed hobbyist used his unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, to film airplanes landing in an airport in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, from a few kilometers away, but after the footage he posted online went viral he was met with condemnation for this reckless.

The civil aviation authority's official Weibo account shared the video clips on Sunday, warning that "it violated laws, and such a close distance constituted a substantial threat to the safety of the passengers and the civil plane."

The hobbyist was identified as Yuan, a 23-year-old Hangzhou resident, according to a bulletin issued by the Zhejiang public security department on Monday.

Yuan's drone was about 8.5 kilometers from Hangzhou International Airport, 450 meters above the ground, and it recorded more than one aircraft landing in its 10-minute flight, said the police.

Yuan purchased his drone in December 2016, choosing a model named Mavic Pro made by DJI, a Chinese drone manufacturing giant based in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, according to the police.

The investigation is still going on and no punishment for Yuan has been announced as of press time.

More than 4,000 net users commented on the incident online, with many saying the rules about drones are too vague or even wondering if there are official rules at all.

"We strongly condemn the use of this technology in areas that conflict with the safe and normal operation of manned air traffic," read a DJI statement on the incident sent to the Global Times on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the company "has been asked by the relevant authorities to assist in their investigation of this incident."

Drone license

There are more than 20,000 UAVs in China, but only half of their operators have "driving licenses," Ke Yubao, secretary-general of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of China (AOPA), was quoted as saying by the West China Metropolis Daily on Tuesday.

Recognized by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the AOPA is the only authority allowed to distribute Civil Unmanned Aircraft System Pilot Certificates - a driving license for drones.

According to interim provisions for UAV pilots, the operators of drones that weigh less than 7 kilograms are not required to have the certificate, but they have to submit their flight plans to the relevant authorities; for those who operate drones over 7 kilograms, a certificate is mandatory.

Most recreational drones are used for leisure and are tricky to regulate, said Wang Zifeng, a UAV expert, noting that one cannot expect users to always do the right thing without being told what a right thing is, and therefore a regulatory framework for flying locations and heights is necessary.

Zhang Qihuai, deputy head of the Chinese Aviation Law Association, suggested that a real-name purchase mechanism should be introduced to help trace law-breaking drones.

Echoing Zhang Qihuai, Zhang Xueqiao, a deputy procurator general of the Zhejiang procuratorate, told news site thepaper.com on Tuesday that it is imperative to register the information of the buyer with the authorities when they purchase such unmanned aircraft to help identify the culprit when things go south.

He also suggested establishing special regulations and laws that clearly draw definite lines in terms of heights and air zones according to different locations.

Sensitive areas including those of political, economic and military importance should be off limits, and violators should be harshly punished, he noted.

Fancy technology

In fact, how to manage these drones is a worldwide headache.

According to data provided by thepaper.com, from December 2013 to September 2015, there were 327 incidents in the world where drones came dangerously close to civil planes, and in 28 cases, the aircraft had to alter their path to avoid a collision.

A DJI employee named Zhang Fanxi told the Global Times on Wednesday that the company is stepping up efforts to regulate its customers' behaviors by innovating with "new recourses and technologies, such as automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B) receiver."

The ADS-B receiver, together with DJI's satellite-based geofencing system, will help operators avoid entering no-flight zones in a bid to protect sensitive areas and for the sake of safety, said Fancy.

Any future law or policy should be in accordance to China's own situation, and the standards should be well discussed to avoid excessive strictness, said thepaper.com report.
Pay attention

Regarding "How Texas Voted" (Page A30, Sunday), while President -elect Donald Trump pounds away at Twitter, the GOP has been working hard to radically reverse America's progress. According to "How Texas Voted," the GOP-led Senate and House voted to repeal Obamacare AND consider cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in a budget law protected from possible filibusters by Democrats.

The week before while everyone carried on about Trump's statements, the Republicans voted against stopping insurance companies from denying health coverage because of pre-existing conditions, against Clean Air Act regulations to protect children against cancer, against protecting drinking water in communities like Flint, Mich., and against ensuring safety of nuclear power plants.

It's time to ignore pre-presidential distractions and pay attention to what's happening behind the pandemonium.

Doug Peterson, Houston

NATO's future?

Regarding "World anxious awaiting Trump" (Page A1, Tuesday), President-elect Donald Trump's ill-considered comments to reporters and tweets have world leaders (except Russian President Vladimir Putin) on edge. Possibly his worst comment was to call "NATO obsolete because it was designed many, many years ago."

A quick look at 20th century history shows us that within 30 years pre-NATO Europe suffered two catastrophic wars, both of which sucked in the United States. Post-NATO Europe has experienced more than 70 years of western European peace. NATO obsolete? I think not.

Aletha Evert, Houston

Era ends

Regarding "60 percent approval rating" (Page A16, Thursday), with all due respect to your very talented political cartoonist Nick Anderson, it did not take the emergence of Donald Trump to make Barack Obama "look good."

Smart, thoughtful, scandal-free, and well-respected abroad, President Obama has provided eight years of solid leadership.

As he leaves office, I say, thank you, Mr. President.

David Bradley, Spring
An American icon

Regarding "'The last man to walk on the moon'" (Page A1, Tuesday), during my lifetime I've met a handful of celebrities in person thinking how cool it was to see them face to face. But back in my late 20s, I was sent to meet with Gene Cernan to get his signature on some paperwork.

As I sat across from this gentleman, I glanced around his office at numerous photographs on his wall showing his career from pilot to astronaut. This was the one and only time in my life I was so awestruck; I was at a total loss for words. I wanted to ask him a thousand questions, but I was too overwhelmed by being in his presence to do more than thank him for his signature.

Forty years later the chance to meet this special man face to face still feels like the greatest honor and privilege I have ever experienced.

Linda Lindsay, Houston

Don't mess with Houston

Regarding "Beautification effort seen as long-term win" (Page A3, Jan. 13), the articles about the beautification projects taking place all over Houston before Super Bowl LI have been enjoyable and informative.

However, there is something that each one of us can and should do every single day to help - fight litter! Please, do not litter (yes, that includes cigarette butts) and if you see litter, please pick some up. It's a very small task that can make a huge difference.

Rita Dumaine, Sugar Land

School finance reform

Regarding "Doubt cast over school finance reform" (Page A1, Sunday), hooray for Texas House Speaker Joe Straus for recognizing that something must be done about the current school finance system in Texas! As a parent and a taxpayer, I believe it is the Texas Legislature's job to fix it. While they're at it, how about repairing the damage done by the Texas Education Agency's special education cap and working to restore services to special needs children who are not school-age yet?

On the other hand, we have Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who doesn't list school finance in his 25-point list of legislative priorities, announcing that he is planning spending cuts for education, as well as health care, to handle the approximate $6 billion deficit.

The good news is that next year is an election year. As a parent, a taxpayer, and a registered voter, my vote can be won by a candidate from any political party who can convince me they care about the future of our children and our state all the time.

Jean Tanner, Houston

Manning caused worries

Regarding "Obama commutes Manning's sentence" (Page A8, Wednesday), during our careers, my wife and I had top secret clearances and were constantly reminded of the dire consequences if only one document was seen by an unauthorized person. Manning released 700,000 documents to the world through WikiLeaks and gets a commuted sentence after only seven years in prison.

This example by our president could cause an avalanche of security breaches. It is so wrong!

A.M. Marzano, The Woodlands

Grading educators

Regarding "HISD gets low grades under state's new system" (Page A1, Jan. 7), to this day I can't get out of my mind the statistic presented in the article that 29.8 percent of Houston area elementary schools received a D/F grade for chronic absenteeism. Elementary schools! No doubt administrators will argue homelessness causes some part of that failure to show up for class, but even if one-third of the no-shows fall in that category that means 20 percent of 6 to 11 year old children in Houston public schools are purposely being kept out of school on a regular basis. Outrageous!

We are not a Third World country. The system should be altered so that neither the district nor the teachers are assigned the grade but rather, in this case, the mothers and fathers are labeled F for failures as parents.

Larry E. Vecera, Houston
She was only a teenager when she was trafficked by her mother's drug dealer. Trafficked for sex over the course of almost 20 years, Jessica, as we'll call her, suffered from regular physical and mental abuse, including being shot in the leg by her trafficker. After she eventually summoned the courage to call the police, Jessica was the one who was arrested and charged with prostitution - not her trafficker.

Stories like Jessica's are common, and those of us who work on combating sex trafficking encounter them regularly. Because selling sex is illegal almost everywhere in America, and because law enforcement agencies cannot easily differentiate between consenting sex workers and trafficking victims, many victims are wrongly criminalized. By the time that sex trafficking victims are correctly identified, they have often been arrested on multiple occasions for offenses related to their victimization, primarily prostitution, but also nonviolent drug offenses, loitering and vagrancy.

Punishing trafficking survivors is immoral and deeply counterproductive. A criminal record can in many cases be the difference between recovery and revictimization. Criminal records often mean that trafficking survivors cannot secure housing, apply for a loan, obtain immigration relief, further their education or find employment. A lack of choice may force them back into an exploitative situation just so that they can meet their basic needs.

Policymakers must do more to address the outrageous criminalization of trafficking victims. First, they must address the pernicious consequences caused by the arrests. Congress should pass the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2016. Introduced last September, it would allow survivors of trafficking to vacate, or erase from their records, certain offenses committed as a result of trafficking.

However, the pending legislation focuses only on federal offenses; states need to act on their own, too.

An increasing number of states have enacted so-called vacatur statutes, which similarly provide human trafficking survivors with post-conviction relief. By one recent count, 18 states had passed vacatur statutes and another 10 states had enacted partial vacatur laws that would benefit from improvements. Texas was not among them. Given the state's large trafficking hubs, particularly Houston, the Texas Legislature should make it a priority to pass legislation that makes it easy for survivors to vacate their trafficking-related arrest records and convictions.

Passing vacatur statutes is critical, but how the laws are designed also matters. Effective vacatur laws should, for instance, cover survivors regardless of whether they were trafficked as children or adults. In addition, the laws should not require official documentation of trafficking or rehabilitation. Setting too strict criteria makes it hard for survivors to qualify for vacatur, especially as victims' stories already are met with skepticism by parts of the legal system.

Second, in addition to providing post-conviction relief, policymakers should reduce the likelihood that trafficking victims are arrested in the first place. This matters not only because charging victims like criminals is inherently wrong, but also because many trafficking survivors will never be identified by the legal system as such, and will therefore not obtain relief through vacatur statutes. One significant step would be to decriminalize the act of selling sex so that sex workers and trafficking victims cannot be charged with prostitution.

While the issue of whether or not to permit the act of buying sex is a highly contentious one, there should be broad support for the decriminalization of sellers. This would provide necessary protection to extremely vulnerable individuals. And it might even potentially aid our fight against trafficking, as some European countries have experienced, according to data one of us, Simon Hedlin, has found.

Today, Jessica is safe and in recovery. She is currently fulfilling her dream of training to become a hairstylist. But she still has nonviolent criminal convictions on the books, which make it more difficult for her to lead a normal life. Sex workers are among society's most marginalized groups, and trafficking survivors have been victims of one of the most egregious crimes.

There is no good reason to keep punishing them.

Mehlman-Orozco (@MehlmanOrozco) is author of "Hidden in Plain Sight: America's Slaves of the New Millennium" and a human-trafficking expert witness for criminal cases. Hedlin (@simonhedlin) is a journalist and public policy researcher. His paper "Can Prostitution-Law Reform Curb Sex Trafficking?" is due to be published in the Michigan Journal of Law Reform.
A Cabool man faces felony drug charges following his arrest late Thursday night.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said James R. Tate, 30, was taken to the Texas County Sheriffs Department and later released. He was charged with: felony possession of a controlled substance except 35 grams or less marijuana  amphetamine; felony possession of a controlled substance except 35 grams or less marijuana  opiates; and felony unlawful use of drug paraphernalia amphetamine.
Services for Viola Mae Wilson, 97, of Houston, are 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 23, at Community Crossroads Church in Raymondville.

Visitation is 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, at Evans Funeral Home.

Burial will be in Boone Creek Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Childrens Miracle Network Hospitals, PO Box 8812, Springfield, Mo., 65801.

Leave an online condolence.
As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content.

When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to.

After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS!

OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK

The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.
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 Jinpingcould 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 visitto DavosTuesday, 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 US 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."
Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition.

If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.
Canadians and Americans spent US$56.4 billion on marijuana in 2016, and 88 per cent of that spending was illegal, according to a new report.

The report by ArcView Market Research, titled "The State Of Legal Marijuana Markets," looked at legal, medicinal and illicit markets in the U.S. and Canada. The organization released an executive summary of their findings this week, in advance of the full report's release in February.

Advertisement

Legal spending constituted US$6.9 billion of last year's total, which is up 34 per cent from 2015. The organization predicts that number could grow to US$21.6 billion by 2021, thanks to projected sales increases in Canada, California and Massachusetts. However, it does note that is based on the assumption that the U.S. "does not return to waging all-out war on the cannabis industry."

In 2016, seven U.S. states voted in favour of different forms of legality. Canada reaffirmed its intent to legalize marijuana in 2017, while Mexico voted to send a medical legalization bill to the Chamber of Deputies.

One of the biggest areas for financial growth was in Colorado, where retail sales grew from US$675 million in 2014, to over US$1.3 billion in 2016.

Advertisement

ArcView wrote that the only thing holding the cannabis industry back is its legality.

"In contrast to comparable markets which quickly grew from zero to tens of billions of dollars, such as organic foods, home video, cell phone, or the internet, 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."

Follow The Huffington Post Canada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Also on HuffPost
On January 18, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and World Health Organization (WHO) respectively. On the same day, President Xi delivered a keynote address entitled, Work Together to Establish a Community of Shared Destiny for Mankind at the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), which won prolonged applause.

His speech delivered at the Palace of Nations stands as a historic moment for the world and highlights for Xis first overseas trip in 2017.

Xi profoundly expounded his vision on the concept of building a community of a shared destiny for mankind from perspectives of history and philosophy. His speech is full of quotations and sparkling discourses citing from a number of sources. The leader of the worlds second largest economy championed a world of lasting peace, common security for all and common prosperity, as well as an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world. He said this could be achieved through dialogue & consultation, co-building & sharing, cooperation & win-win, mutual exchange & mutual understanding, as well as the green and low-carbon development pattern.

Xis speech offered Beijings solutions to the question of how the world would develop, which is deemed a strong voice in an obstreperous moment of history. Beijings proposal echoes the pulse of the world, embodying the awareness to work together for benefits of the world, setting a lighthouse for promoting the cause of world peace and development.

Xi's state visit to Switzerland has achieved fruitful results, serving a wonderful start for China's diplomacy this year.
Donald Trumps son, Barron, was noticeably missing at his dads presidential inauguration festivities on Thursday.

While Trumps wife, Melania, his grown children and grandchildren were all in attendance at the wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and the inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial, 10-year-old Barron was nowhere to be seen.

Advertisement

On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with my father, the 45th president of the United States, and family. Such an incredibly meaningful and special moment! #MAGA #inauguration2017 A photo posted by Ivanka Trump (@ivankatrump) on Jan 19, 2017 at 4:18pm PST





After noticing this, Twitter birthed the hashtag #WhereIsBarron, much like the former #WhereIsSasha tag that was sparked when the former first daughter missed her dad Barack Obamas farewell speech.

#whereisbarron great inaugural celebration but where is the future first son? @realDonaldTrump  Barbye Moon (@Barbyemoon) January 20, 2017

#whereisbarron Odd missing such an important day. A day he would remember his entire life.  Joy Carmody (@joycarmody) January 19, 2017

Advertisement

okay people let's stay focused on the things that matter like how is Barron Trump doing? is he okay?  nice millennial girl (@zen_gwen) January 9, 2017

Despite the worry of Twitter uses, Barron was fine. Turns out, the youngster was with his family in Washington, D.C., but was simply absent from the televised concert itself, Us Weekly reports.

The 10-year-old finally reappeared on Friday to watch his father become the 45th president of the United States.

President Donald Trump takes the oath of office as his wife Melania Trump holds the bible and his son Barron Trump looks on.

Advertisement

Donald Trump's daughter Tiffany reaches out to her brother Barron as their sister Ivanka looks on at their father's inauguration.

Now that Trump has been sworn in, Barron will be the first son in the White House since John. F. Kennedy, Jr. However, as previously announced, the 10-year-old and his mother, Melania, will not be moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue just yet.

The first lady and her son will remain in New York until Barron has completed the school year.

Also on HuffPost
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau highlighted the integrated economies of the United States and Canada and the importance of trade in his statement marking the inauguration of Donald Trump Friday.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has already made clear that it will seek to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) if its partners prove unwilling to reopen the deal.

Advertisement

Trudeau congratulated Trump by lauding the unique partnership between the two countries.

Together, we benefit from robust trade and investment ties, and integrated economies, that support millions of Canadian and American jobs, Trudeau said in the release. We both want to build economies where the middle class, and those working hard to join it, have a fair shot at success.

The prime minister also referenced unparalleled cooperation on defence and border security.

His said his government looked forward to working with Trump and the new U.S. Congress to restore prosperity to the middle class on both sides of the border, and to create a safer and more peaceful world.

"Together, we benefit from robust trade and investment ties, and integrated economies, that support millions of Canadian and American jobs."

Around the time Trudeaus release was posted online, the official White House website posted the top issues of the new administration, including Trade Deals Working For All Americans.

The site promises the Trump administration will put U.S. businesses first when it comes to trade, stemming the flow of factories and jobs from blue-collar towns and cities.

This strategy starts by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and making certain that any new trade deals are in the interests of American workers, it reads.

President Trump is committed to renegotiating NAFTA. If our partners refuse a renegotiation that gives American workers a fair deal, then the President will give notice of the United States intent to withdraw from NAFTA.

'America first' on trade: Trump

Thats much the same message Trump delivered during his inauguration speech.

"We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, in every hall of power. From this day on a new vision will govern our land," Trump said. "From this day onwards it is only going to be America first.

Advertisement

"Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families."

Trudeaus statement is reminiscent of what he told a town hall in Halifax this week when asked about Trumps policies. Though the prime minister has been dubbed the anti-Trump in U.S. media, he has resisted criticizing him sharply.

As different on some levels as my approach is from the incoming president ... we both got elected on a commitment to help the middle class and we're going to be able to find common ground on doing the kinds of things that will help ordinary families right across the continent,'' Trudeau said.

Trudeau has said hes prepared to discuss NAFTA with the Trump administration. Earlier this month, he shuffled his cabinet to appoint former international trade minister Chrystia Freeland to foreign affairs. Freeland, who helped negotiate the Canada-EU trade deal, will retain responsibility for Canada-U.S. trade.

Advertisement

The prime minister also named former general Andrew Leslie as Freelands parliamentary secretary, with a special focus on Canada-U.S. relations. Trumps proposed cabinet will include a number of former generals and military commanders.

With a file from The Canadian Press

Also on HuffPost
Scott Olson via Getty Images WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Spectators watch the inauguration proceedings on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. In today's inauguration ceremony Donald J. Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

By Angus Reid, Chairman

Today marks the start of the presidency of Donald Trump, a man who has made it clear that he intends to reset old alliances and agreements covering everything from trade to security. Apart from Russian President Vladimir Putin (for whom Trump has proclaimed a deep affection), political leaders and ordinary citizens around the world anxiously wait to learn what this new administration will mean for their relations with the most powerful country on the planet.

For Canada, whose economy and security depends heavily on maintaining strong relations with its American neighbours, the uncertainty of this new era is punctuated by virtual silence from the new president, who has seen fit to disparage traditional allies and friends, including Mexico, Germany and Japan. Divining Trump's feelings about his neighbour to the north is a guessing game at best, but one thing we needn't guess about is the standing of Canada among U.S. residents -- Trump supporters and detractors alike.

Advertisement

Only three per cent harbour negative feelings about Canada.

A national survey of a cross-section of 1,500 voting-age Americans, conducted by the Angus Reid Institute in the days leading up to the inauguration, reveals a strong attachment to Canada among the U.S. public, while Americans hold a decidedly different attitude toward their country's other neighbour, Mexico.

This U.S. survey asked respondents about how the Trump administration should approach each of 18 countries using one of five response categories: as a valued partner and ally; as a friend; cautiously; as a potential threat; or as an enemy. The country list excluded a few countries where the answer was obvious, but it included a wide array of other countries for whom American policy is important.

Perhaps it comes as no surprise -- but some will find it reassuring nevertheless -- that 80 per cent of Americans rate their Northern neighbour in the top two of these categories (only three per cent harbour negative feelings about Canada). This places Canada at the top of the list of Americans' friends and allies -- marginally ahead of the U.K. and Australia. At the bottom of the list -- with more detractors than supporters -- are China, Saudi Arabia and Russia. For each of these nations there are more Americans who say that the Trump administration should approach them warily, as threats or as outright enemies than those who feel that friendship status should be assumed.

Advertisement

If anything, Trump's supporters are slightly more likely to display positive views of Canada.

The very positive views of Canada are evident among both those who supported Trump and those who preferred Hillary Clinton in the recent U.S. election. If anything, Trump's supporters are slightly more likely to display positive views of Canada. When it comes to the three countries at the bottom of the list, however, important partisan differences emerge. Trumpists are more likely to see China and Saudi Arabia in a negative light compared to Clintonites, but in the case of Russia the pattern reverses itself: Trump supporters are more than twice as likely to feel that Russia should be considered a friend.

The North American Alliance - U.S. views of Mexico and Canada

In addition to asking about views of 18 countries, this U.S. survey also focused on selected aspects of America's relationships with Canada and Mexico. Here we find a significant difference in perceptions:

Dependable ally

Canada is rated as dependable by 82 per cent of Americans, while Mexico receives this rating from only 45 per cent of respondents.

Valuable trade partner

Here the differences are less stark, though still substantial, with Canada rated as a valuable trade partner by 78 per cent of Americans compared with 60 per cent who give the same rating to Mexico.

Advertisement

Nice place to visit

Despite the harsh winters of Canada and perhaps reflecting crime problems in Mexico, Canada leads on this attribute 82 per cent to 57 per cent.

Secure borders against terrorist threats

The Canadian rating of 69 per cent on this important element of the U.S. relationship is strong, though not stratospheric like other views examined in this survey. This may be a reflection of the enduring myth in some quarters that the 9-11 terrorists came from Canada. Meanwhile, the rating for Mexico on the terror front stands at a paltry 22 per cent

Secure borders against illegal immigration

Since this was a defining feature of the recent U.S. election, it comes as no surprise that only one in five Americans (19 per cent) give Mexico a positive rating on this hot-button issue. Canada's positive rating (67 per cent) provides further proof of the need to carefully distinguish between American views on their two NAFTA partners. That said, a rating of 67 per cent -- the lowest for any measure canvassed -- suggests a potential policy challenge for the Canadian government

Who benefits from the trade relationship?

When asked who benefits the most from existing trade relationships, American views of Canada and Mexico are very different. Slightly more than three-quarters of voting-age Americans see the Canada-U.S. trade relationship as benefiting both countries equally. Among the remaining quarter, a slim majority actually see the U.S. benefiting more than Canada. In the case of Mexico, only one-third see balanced benefits for each nation, while about half feel that Mexico garners more benefit from trade than the U.S.

These results underscore the need to avoid the "NAFTA umbrella" when examining trade and security relationships.

Overall, these results underscore the need to avoid the "NAFTA umbrella" when examining trade and security relationships across North America. Canada enjoys a far more favourable perception among U.S. voters across the political spectrum. Mexico must, sadly, deal with far more hostile public opinion, which will create a different dynamic as it approaches the Trump government. Whether this reputation is deserved or simply an artifact of Trump hyperbole, it presents the Mexican government with an uphill battle to win American hearts and minds.

Canada enters the Trump era with huge reserves of goodwill among a clear majority of Americans. Its challenge is how to successfully navigate the bitterly divided American public, while remaining a friend and trusted ally to all.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:
Getty Barack Obama campaign poster on building, Albuquerque, NM

On November 4, 2008, the announcement that Barack Obama became United States President was sweet music to my ears as well as a point of worry, because I knew it was going to be the beginning of a challenging journey for him.

He's a biracial man with a squeaky-clean past who stayed poised at all times. His detractors tried hard to bring him down publicly. Let's look at how he remained resilient during the peak of his career and what you can learn.

Advertisement

His Nationality Was Questioned

At some point in our lives, we will be asked what Caribbean island or African country we came from even when it is obvious that some of us were born in Canada. While some get offended by these types of questions, others have become de-sensitized. Whether you work on Bay Street or you are a student, learn from Barack Obama's reaction.

The political trolls were waiting for him to have an angry outburst, but as the gracious professional he is, he requested a copy of his Hawaiian Passport and posted it on the U.S. Government website. Donald Trump also jumped on the bandwagon and requested Barack to show proof, and we can only imagine what he and his family was going through. As a black person, there will be times when your patience will be tested. One act of ignorance does not mean you should clap back to prove a point. Let your success do the talking.

A Republican's Photo of Barack Obama as a Monkey

If you thought the passport scandal was outrageous than this one tops the list. In 2011 a California Republican party official named Marilyn Davenport emailed a picture of a family of 3 monkeys with Barack Obama's face on the child.

Many of us have become used to seeing or hearing black stereotypes, but when it happens on the job, it can create a negative environment. There are times when people will do things to see how you will react to discredit your professionalism or tear you down. In Barack's situation, he held it together and kept his head high despite the public embarrassment. When in doubt, take a few deep breaths, gather your composure and don't get distracted by negativity.

Advertisement

His Daughters Were Publicly Disrespected

In an attempt to speak to Malia and Sasha through a Facebook post, a Republican officer by the name of Elizabeth Lauren wrote a short paragraph with a negative description of Barack and Michelle's parenting skills because they appeared bored for having to stand during the Thanksgiving 2014 ceremony with their father. For all we know, they may have wanted to enjoy the holiday without having to share it with the world. To add salt to the wound, Elizabeth mentioned in her post that the two sisters should dress like "they deserve respect, not a spot at a bar." She eventually expressed an apology for the comments and resigned from her position at The White House.

I was once told that there are three women in a man's life you don't want to mess with; his mother, daughter, and wife. Not only was Elizabeth crossing the line by disrespecting underage girls but her boss was Barack Obama, the United States President. There may come a time in your life when someone will publicly embarrass you. Take a step back and wait because others may notice it and will come to your defense.

Michelle Obama's Passport Was Publicly Compromised

As I write this article, I am in disbelief that this is even possible. In December 2016, a hacker broke into a White House Interns Gmail account and posted The First Lady's passport online. On the blog post, the hacker wrote "The leaked files show the security level of our government. If terrorists hack emails of White House Office staff and get such sensitive information, we will see the fall of our country."

If you think your job is hard, try walking in Obama's shoes for a few days. It is a lesson for all of us; no matter what happens it is always better to walk the high road. Remember that acts of racism are not about you, it is a reflection of how that person is feeling inside about themselves.

The 44th U.S. president has epitomized grace and class in the face of hate and pettiness. So when you think you are in a tough situation, ask yourself what would Obama do?

Advertisement
(Xinhua) 10:56, January 20, 2017

Delegates for the 2018 APEC summit are to be housed on cruise liners, due to Papua New Guinea's lack of accommodation.

"We are bringing in three cruise ships because we don't have enough hotel rooms," APEC 2018 chief executive officer Chris Hawkins told local media Friday.

"We knew from the start when the Prime Minister announced that we would host APEC in 2013, that planning would have to begin early."

"They are floating hotels that will make up the gap that we will have in terms of how many hotel rooms are required."

The small nation and its capital city, Port Moresby, was also struggling to find a large enough venue to host the opening night's gala dinner, to deal with the vast contingency of officials.

A new Hilton Hotel Complex is currently under construction for the proceedings and is due for completion in late 2017.

"The gala dinner that will be seen around the world is a big part of APEC," Hawkins said.

"All leaders take part in this event where they enjoy a presentation that will showcase all parts of the nation."
By Debbie Wolfe, World Vision Canada

"I'm starving!" wail my kids when I'm taking too long with dinner. Funny, it also happens whenever we pass McDonald's. Uncanny how our driving routes so often align with their peak periods of famishment.

Like my own parents did with me, I echo the familiar parental refrain: "You don't know what starving is." For indeed, they have no idea. Very few Canadians do.

Advertisement

Even in my work with World Vision, "starving" is a word you don't hear too often. "Malnourished," for certain, or even "acutely malnourished," and both are extremely serious. Children can be stunted for a lifetime -- both physically and mentally -- if they don't receive the right foods at the right time.

"You don't know what starving is."

A dire situation is developing right now

I read a press release from my colleague indicating the very real possibility that 5 million people are facing starvation in Somalia. The headline used another phrase you don't hear used correctly all that often: "potential famine."

World Vision is warning that a looming famine threatens the survival of many, particularly children, as 5 million face starvation in Somalia. There's no time to mull this over, considering whether or not to respond. The stark fact is that hundreds of thousands of children need immediate help if they are to survive the weeks and months ahead.

Why is the situation so dire? Surely a child can go with less food for a short period of time. Not in this case. For in a place like Somalia, where violence and instability have rocked communities for years, malnutrition was already all too familiar. I'm talking more than 320,000 young children who are already acutely malnourished, and nearly 60,000 severely malnourished. Their bodies simply aren't strong enough to withstand a further tightening of the screws.

Advertisement

Scattered communities

It would be one thing if communities could pull together in this crisis, sharing their resources to care for one another. But because of the conflict in Somalia, millions of people have been brutally forced from those communities. Many people have no idea where their neighbours are today. If there's strength in numbers, there's extreme vulnerability in solitude.

It's tragic, but not surprising then, that the most vulnerable people in a group are vulnerable to sickness, injury and death. More than half of child deaths happen in places like Somalia. That statistic is staggering. Of all the children who die in the world, half of them happen in just a handful of countries.

More than half of child deaths happen in places like Somalia. That statistic is staggering.

From dangerous to deadly

Enter El Nino, which is turning up the heat for millions of families across the African continent. Its weather patterns make emergencies like civil conflict so much worse, dismembering communities that might otherwise have been able to hunker down together. Any parent would leave their homes if it meant finding food for their children.

Tragically, too, many of these communities had been working hard with agencies like World Vision to build better lives for themselves. Now years of development work is reversed.

Advertisement

What can we do here in Canada to help? It's more a question of "what must we do." You can help by giving. This week, World Vision issued an emergency appeal to provide life-saving assistance to 530,000 people threatened by drought across Somalia. We want to provide:

Clean water to drink, as food means little without clean water

Sanitation, to stop the spread of disease

Health and nutrition programs, for children and families in dire need

Shelter and livelihood help, for families who've lost everything

Food security training and support, to keep them safe in future famines

You can help provide emergency assistance and support to Somalia and other countries through World Vision's Raw Hope initiative. Situations like this require the help of people around the world, including you and me.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:

Advertisement
Adrian Wyld/CP

After 15 months on the job, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has embarked on a cross-Canada tour, ostensibly to reconnect with Canadians -- or at least those that can't afford $1,525 to bend his ear in private.

It seems Trudeau and some federal cabinet ministers have a fondness for political fundraising events held behind closed doors, far away from prying eyes.

Advertisement

In political slang it's better known as "cash for access," not to be confused with its kissing cousin, "pay to play."

When news of Trudeau's private dinners broke in November -- first reported on by The Tyee -- the prime minister assured Canadians that nothing untoward was taking place.

Little more than dumpling-making demonstrations, as Trudeau is seen doing in a number of photos from a Toronto dinner last May.

In political slang it's better known as "cash for access."

Everything was peachy-keen as far as the prime minister was concerned, until one host spilled the beans.

Advertisement

In November, when Trudeau was in the Lower Mainland to announce his five-year, $1.5-billion ocean protection plan, there was a $1,525 cash-for-access event on his private itinerary.

Unpublicized at the time, Trudeau broke bread at the home of Miaofei Pan, a Vancouver property developer.

Shock of all shocks, some of the 80 guests saw the dinner as an opportunity to talk shop with the prime minister.

Up for discussion that night was the proposed acquisition of Vancouver-based Retirement Concepts, a chain of retirement homes believed to be worth more than $1 billion, by China's Anbang Insurance Group.

Advertisement

If Anbang's bid is approved by the federal government, it would become a major service provider to B.C.'s health ministry.

It wasn't long before calls for an investigation by federal ethics commissioner Mary Dawson -- who had already called cash for access "not very savoury" -- started flying across Ottawa.

Last month - still labouring under the mistaken impression that everything is on the up-and-up with these fundraisers -- Trudeau told the Vancouver Sun editorial board that one just had to use Google to find a list of names of those in attendance.

Not so. Both The Tyee and Globe and Mail have requested the names from the prime minister's office and the Liberal party of Canada without success.

Advertisement

Paradoxically, the federal Liberal party did return donations from the Cannabis Friendly Business Association after representatives of the group attended a reception last spring with Trudeau's point person on pot, Bill Blair.

It is easier to refund a handful of $150 tickets than it is to return $1,525 to each of 80 ticket holders.

All to avoid any misconceptions that the event violated the government's own ethics guidelines that advise cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries to avoid an "appearance of preferential access."

But then it is easier to refund a handful of $150 tickets than it is to return $1,525 to each of 80 ticket holders.

Lost in the federal kerfuffle are some upcoming cash-for-access events in B.C. with Premier Christy Clark.

Advertisement

At three times his going rate of $1,525, the prime minister would still be a bargain compared to Clark.

In December, Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick sent out a private email to what he called "leaders such as yourself," offering 21 individuals "an outstanding dinner experience" with Clark on January 26 for all of $5,000 a plate.

Too rich for your blood? Letnick had another "outstanding dinner experience" to offer with backbench MLA Linda Larson for a mere $2,500.

One frequent participant at these exclusive dinners is Toronto-based Borealis Infrastructure, a subsidiary of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System.

Advertisement

At least they're upfront about their motivation in buying tickets, noting in their official policy that "Participation in the political process may be directly relevant to minimizing risk and achieving (our) investment objectives."

The party charged up to $10,000 a head.

B.C. NDP leader John Horgan isn't immune to intimate evenings with well-heeled donors, either.

In November, the party charged up to $10,000 a head at its resource industry dinner.

Only B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver refuses to attend or host cash-for-access events.

The B.C. Liberal party held 142 fundraising events in 2015, the NDP 46, and the Greens one.

But there's a far cry between the Green Party's $10 film screening in Kelowna, the NDP's $50 belt-it-out-for-equality karaoke night, and the $10,000 that 10 guests paid to share dinner with Clark at the home of Simon Fraser University chancellor Anne Giardini.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:
What will the world look like in 2030? Will liberal democracy still exist? We have recently come to a crossroads where this question is entirely valid. As a former Ontario cabinet minister in a Liberal government, I am not only enthusiastic about liberal democracy, but the institution of democracy itself.

However, I believe I speak for many people when I say that recent exercises in democracy have left me puzzled. Time will tell how the United Kingdom moves forward following its withdrawal from the EU. And personally, I am disappointed that the United States now has a President Trump. Aren't we better than this? Don't character and values matter?

Advertisement

According to the U.S. Department of State, the United States seek to "assist democracy advocates around the world to establish vibrant democracies in their own countries." Judging by the administration that has just taken power, I am apprehensive about this mandate continuing to be upheld. Mr. Trump has been making a habit of alienating other democratically governed countries and embracing questionable international leadership.

Timothy Snyder , Professor of History at Yale University, wrote about Russia's alleged interference in the U.S. Presidential Election last September in The New York Times. Snyder writes, "the technique of undermining democracy abroad is to generate doubt where there had been certainty. If democratic procedures start to seem shambolic, then democratic ideas will seem questionable as well."

Snyder identifies the hacking as Russia's tool for undermining the democratic system. He suggests that the electoral process undergo a reform to make the ballot process more secure and less vulnerable to such attacks. But we also need to utilize other resources to protect our right to democracy.

European countries have seen their fair share of shifts in ideology throughout history. Last fall, I joined the Academic Advisory Board of the Democratic Study Centre (DSC) in Ukraine. A project of the German-Polish-Ukrainian Society with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, the DSC has been established to help spread knowledge of democracy and democratic values to young people from Ukraine, Eastern Partnership and Russia. I am highly honoured to represent my country in this capacity. I firmly believe that the key to protecting the democratic system -- particularly liberal democracy -- is through education.

Advertisement

My vision for 2030 is a world where everyone has had the opportunity to be enlightened and where values actually matter.

In his article entitled "Ignorance Does Not Lead to Election Bliss," published in The Atlantic, Jonathan R. Cole, the John Mitchell Mason Professor at Columbia University, faults the American education system for what many currently consider a regression of American values. He identifies a lack of education in the schools on the civic system and American history as the culprits for the rise of ignorant politicians. He even indicates that Mr. Trump himself admits to not having read a book in years!

My involvement with the DSC has been a stark reminder that it can be all too easy to take democracy for granted. Although many of us may be confused by the results of the referendum in the U.K. or the presidential election in the U.S., we are privileged to live in a society that allows us to have a voice. Only through education can we ensure that we are making informed decisions.

It is critically important that we continue learning and engaging in dialogue about what we see in society around us. We will do our part at the Chang School at Ryerson University by engaging the public through dialogue with well-respected thought leaders. Events such as ChangSchoolTalks or In/Future can help inform this important conversation. My vision for 2030 is a world where everyone has had the opportunity to be enlightened and where values actually matter.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
If we've learned anything from the rise of demagogues and populists like Donald Trump and Geert Wilders, it may be that hatred wins votes. Stir up hatred with the most inflammatory language possible, and people will line up behind you. This is a fact of psychology, not a moral condemnation; there are times when it just feels so good to be angry that we don't care to be right, and some have learned to use that to their political advantage.

When there's nothing to be angry about at home, they invent it, as with the immigration scares that drive the campaigns of Donald Trump and Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Kellie Leitch. Other times, we import divisive issues and appropriate them for our own politics.

Advertisement

The fact that most articles and op-eds about the Israel-Palestine conflict focus on the U.S. as much as Israel and Palestine shows just how much they have appropriated this foreign conflict for domestic politics. That this issue has the power to divide political parties in Canada (and it has, to some extent, in every party over the years) should tell us that the role of the international community in resolving conflict is getting lost.

I received comments and emails from some saying that we are anti-Semitic, and from others saying that we are Zionists.

In 2016, some of the Green Party of Canada's biggest headlines unfortunately came from internal controversy around a policy resolution over officially adopting BDS -- an acronym for "Boycott, Divest, Sanction" -- that references taking economic action to protest Israel's illegal settlements. But BDS is also the name of a controversial international movement, and the policy did not distinguish between them. We spent weeks rewriting the policy for clarity, and it was widely embraced as having maintained the purpose of the original resolution without the controversial elements.

Yet before, during, and even after this revision process, I received comments and emails from some saying that we are anti-Semitic, and from others saying that we are Zionists. These comments include the kind of baggage-laden words that we tried to avoid in the policy, like "genocide," "apartheid," "terrorist," and other words that trigger reactionary conflict, and often come with ultimatums and pledges to resign membership unless we issue strong statements full of that kind of condemnatory rhetoric.

Advertisement

It should never be said that we cannot use these words, but we need to use them appropriately. It is possible to compare Israel's treatment of Palestinians with the apartheid system, but they are not the same thing, and saying so does not justify Israel's policies. It's also possible to recognize that terrorism is a serious problem in this conflict, without throwing the label around to refer to Palestinians (or Israelis) in general. This conflict is nothing if not complex, and jumping to the most incendiary language reduces it to a simple, emotion-driven crusade that may or may not have anything to do with the application of international law.

If you unplugged yourself from the news over the holidays, you may not have noticed that the United Nations passed Resolution 2334, which condemns Israel's continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Even if you were watching, you probably heard more about America than the UN or Israel. Western nations have colonized the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and appropriated it for our own political rhetoric, laden with emotional baggage and using words carefully chosen to have the most effect.

For example, in a CBC op-ed, Mike Fegelman described Resolution 2334 and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's related speech by saying it "attacked the Jewish state and assaulted its very legitimacy." This despite Kerry talking specifically about ensuring "Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state."

Fegelman cites a supposedly widespread sense of outrage and betrayal by "[Israel's] most trusted ally", in reference to the United States, despite the fact that the resolution was written in the U.K., passed unanimously (with the U.S. abstaining), and has been praised by nations around the world. Fegelman only mentions the approval of the Palestinian Authority and two terrorist organizations, as though the UN delegates have opposed their own nations and taken up the cause of Islamic Jihad.

Advertisement

If the path to peace does not pass through shared acknowledgement of the rule of law, it will go nowhere.

On the other side, Tony Burman's Jan. 7 column in the Toronto Star begins with a comparison between the Israel of today and the apartheid South Africa of the 1980s. He points out that Kerry was "withering in his criticisms of Palestinian and Arab leaders." Burman calls the current Israeli government "extremist," and points out that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party received less than 25 per cent of the national vote in the last election. Rather than Fegelman's depiction of a rogue UN in support of terrorist groups, Burman paints a picture of a rogue Israeli dictator intent on resurrecting racist policies.

It's as if they were reading very different versions of the resolution, and heard John Kerry give two very different speeches. Just as we experienced last year, Kerry is being painted as anti-Israeli and anti-Palestinian at the same time; the actual content of his speech, and especially of the resolution that prompted it, gets lost in the polarizing rhetoric.

The reality of the Israel-Palestine situation, stripped of all politicized rhetoric and historical arguments, is that the United Nations Security Council has found Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to be illegal under international law. They have called on the government of Israel to stop breaking the law, and at the same time have urged the Palestinian authorities to stop Palestinian terrorist groups from also breaking the law. Hardly controversial, when you say it like that.

If the path to peace does not pass through shared acknowledgement of the rule of law, it will go nowhere.

Advertisement

Demagogues are great at campaigning, but terrible at governing. If we want to see real progress in Israel and Palestine, it must be in reference to international and domestic law and human rights, rather than the rhetoric of Western politics. The role of Western nations in Israel and Palestine is not to moralize and attack caricatures from afar; instead, we should engage with them as nations in an international community under recognized legal frameworks, adjusting our diplomatic and trade policies in light of the legality, or illegality, of our partners' actions.

If settlements are an illegal occupation of Palestine, then they should not be covered by the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement, just as Canada should not be shipping weapons to Saudi Arabia when it is engaged in ongoing human rights violations in Yemen.

In short, we in the West need to recognize the ways in which we have appropriated the politics, conflicts and even misery of others for our own politics -- even in our op-eds and columns. We should consider our words carefully, and put our money where our mouths are.

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook

Also on HuffPost:
Donald J. Trump has ascended to the highest office of the United States, making the billionaire bully the most powerful person in the world, and he did it with a campaign that Made America Hate Again.

These are dark times, and Trump's behaviour since winning the Electoral College, despite losing by 2,864,974 votes, has allayed no fears.

Advertisement

George W. Bush, who also lost the popular vote in 2000, used his inauguration speech to reach out to those who didn't vote for him. He said that immigrants "make our country more, not less, American," and pushed for civility and "community over chaos."

Trump, on the other hand, delivered an inauguration speech echoing his divisive campaign. He ranted about the "carnage" of the Obama era during which the U.S. saw its largest ever job creation streak, prison populations reduced for the first time in decades and crime rates falling to the their lowest rates since the 1960s.

If there's one thing that progressives should learn from Trump's election, it is that protest works.

He spoke of taking the country back from the elite, leaving out that his cabinet is full of billionaires and Goldman Sachs bankers, and to an almost entirely white audience he promised that "the forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer" while failing to mention he won't forget to take away their health care by the tens of millions.

Trump also said that "from this moment on, it's going to be America First," a slogan he borrowed from an anti-Semitic political movement in 1940 that tried to keep America from taking on the Nazis.

Advertisement

All told, it's been a bleak day.

But don't give up. Resistance isn't futile. If there's one thing that progressives should learn from Trump's election, it is that protest works.

Obama was inaugurated with 84 per cent approval and Democrats in charge of the Congress and Senate. But the reason why the U.S. doesn't have a Canadian-style single-payer medical system is because the right showed up en masse to health care town halls and scared Democrats into backing off.

Blog continues after video

Yes, Republicans are more ideological and likely to follow their leadership in lock-step, but some are already starting to get scared from non-violent crowds protesting the Obamacare repeal.

And on January 21, the world will be demonstrating against Donald Trump. Hundreds of Women's Marches, including some across Canada expected to draw big turnouts, will march in solidarity with the main Washington D.C. protest's anticipated 200,000 participants.

Advertisement

But that's just the beginning.

The right created a movement, the Tea Party, which not only protested in the streets -- beginning with the September 12 Taxpayer March on Washington -- but energized the Republicans to win the 2010 midterms. They literally took over the party and pushed it to the far-right, eventually electing anti-establishment Trump as their presidential standard bearer.

Progressives can do the same.

So demonstrate and march non-violently, but also use the movement that developed around Bernie Sanders to organize at a community level and work your way up. Progressives can effect change from the grassroots by pushing local, state and federal Democrats leftward from Clintonian establishment centrism and by reminding Republicans that progressives are their constituents, too.

And, most importantly, defend the marginalized. Make no mistake, Muslims, people of colour, women and LGBTQ Americans will all be under constant attack from the Trump regime.

Don't get depressed. Learn. Fight. Resist.

Trump may have won by scapegoating minorities and inflaming white fright, but he doesn't represent the majority. Trump was inaugurated with a historically low 37 per cent approval, and that was according to a Fox News(!) poll.

Advertisement

Don't get depressed. Learn. Fight. Resist.

And that's also true here in Canada, where progressives need to defend our border from Trump's influence by pushing Trudeau to fulfill his campaign promises as a firewall to Conservative party populism.

It is midnight in America, yes. But if people pull together, dawn will break once again.

The artist behind the Barack Obama Hope posters releases new work to protest Trump inauguration: https://t.co/vrjY0ChnY4pic.twitter.com/ObtlvWZRIQ  i-D (@i_D) January 20, 2017

Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook
PonyWang via Getty Images Internet of things Concept - Business Man touch on a screen interface about cloud technology

A new year brings new opportunity, growth and challenges especially for industries such as technology that are well-known for constant evolution. Technology companies are often heavy in their data-driven decision making, which results in improvements and changes. These evolving companies are becoming one of the largest companies in the world.

2017 will be no different for the growth of the technology industry around the world. Europe is an important hub for the tech industry growth because the number of private technology companies has risen to 47 this year according to investment bank GP Bullhound.

Advertisement

This growth is just part of the global story where there are 6 technology companies to watch this year.

Spotify, a music and playlist platform, now has an estimated valuation of $8.5 billion, which has overtaken Skype as the most valuable European tech company.

Spotify continues to grow and expand around the world in a new era of music consumption via iTunes and other online sites. Their growth has been exponential in recent years, including recently publicly offering soon-to-be former US president Barack Obama.

Advertisement

This company has the capacity to help solidify Europe's position as a technology leader that rivals Silicon Valley in California. Their slogan captures why their product is putting them on the map, "One account. Listen Everywhere".

Chimp is a Canadian company that is a donation platform that helps consumers go to one place to make their financial contribution to multiple charities. You can deposit money into your Chimp account anytime you want then when you are ready you can give to any charity in Canada. This kind of giving is making the process of making a decision easier than ever.

Chimp began in 2011 with the idea that everyone should access to the tools to easily integrate giving with their daily living. The company had a goal to give everyone their own free foundation and the tools to give and fundraising for any registered charity in Canada. Chimp has been on the market since early 2014 and 2017 should be a big year for growth.

Classy continues to show it's a leader in the next generation fundraising for charities around the world. Tech industry experts have suggested that Classy is fast replacing a similar yet old school platform, Blackbaud. This growth in the fundraising on mobile and online will help grow this valuable company. Classy is currently the number one online and mobile fundraising platform right now with more than $48 million in funding at the moment.

Advertisement

RentMoola is another Canadian company to watch in the coming months of 2017 because they just recently opened a San Fransisco office and continue to growth. RentMoola is an online global payment network that allows tenants and owners to pay rent and other payments by credit card, debit card, rm eCheck, RM Cash or RM BillPay while enjoying rewards.

RentMoola was inspired by brothers Patrick and Philpp Postrehovsky experiencing the frustrations of paying rent. Patrick experienced the difficulty of paying rent with cash in Shanghai and following this the idea of how paying rent can be rewarding was born.

"Renters expect to make rewarding payments when they want, from anywhere, and RentMoola lets them do just that," said Philpp Postrehovsky

Advertisement

The company is now in over 400 cities around the world with hundreds of property managers on board with the app.

While many business to business operations in the world have some form of analytics or lead generation software, whoisvisiting.com is designed to show you the identity behind the data. This company's platform is designed to not only give you data but turn your leads into sales. Ultimately that's what helps every company grow into a prosperous venture.

Whoisvisiting is an almost 3 year old company that provides sales professionals with the quality and accurate data they need to grow their companies. This platform identifies the key people within organizations and provides essential quality information. While most lead generation platforms offer a 2 to 5 percent conversion rate, Whoisvisiting gets a conversion rate of up to 25 percent.

Advertisement

This is a UK technology worth watching to see it's expansion and impact in the industry in the years to come.

Slack is a user-friendly team communications tool that brings all members of you team together in one place. The tool is instantly searchable and available wherever you go, including your phone and laptop. The company started in February of 2014 and now states they are the fastest growing business to business application ever. Slack said recently that they now have over 4 million daily active users.

Slack customers said that they are 32 percent more productive on average due to the reduced email communication. Customers also suggest that the tool has helped them reduce internal meetings and feel more connected with the whole team.

While the tool is innovative and engaging, increased efficiencies like these ones can help save money in the long run. The kind of savings that all companies and organizations are looking to make in the long term. Nonprofits, businesses and any kind of team can make use of this growing tool. Slack is a company to keep your eyes on for their expansion in the months to come.

Advertisement

Manish Madhvani, a managing partner and co-founder of GP Bullhound, said that the report showed that the European tech sector was strong. "There has never been a better time to operate within the European market. I firmly believe that the right ecosystem now exists for one of the companies highlighted in this report to push forward and reach a $10bn valuation in the next few years. With time, Europe could even produce its first $100bn tech company."

Madhvani is not only right about the growth in Europe but it stands true for all regions around the world.
Bloomberg via Getty Images

Following both events, and that sense of disorientation, disbelief and alienation, we now hear it said that we must accept that "the people have spoken", so stop moaning.

I wonder. Have you, the people, spoken? All of you? And to whom?

Yesterday's Gallup Poll of Approval Ratings for Presidents-elect shows that Donald Trump is the most disapproved-of newly elected President in modern history. This you may find baffling like so many polls, given you may never in a lifetime 'have spoken' in a poll yourself. But it's also baffling for another reason: how does the 'most unpopular president' in recent times actually get elected as President of the United States? And how many of the people have spoken? This bears thinking about.

Advertisement

In the UK, for example, as a result of the June referendum, we're told that "Brexit means Brexit" because the government must follow the "will of the people." In the U.S., the President-elect will be the President for the next four years because "the American people have spoken". It's informative to look at these two significant events and at who has actually spoken.

In the UK referendum to determine whether the 'people' wanted to leave the European Union or not: Approximately half of the entire population voted ( excluding babies, toddlers, 16-17 year olds and other disenfranchised groups) and about half of that electorate voted to Leave the EU, amounting to 26% of the population and 37% of registered voters.

Today, we hear that this gives the UK government a mandate (i.e."the authority to carry out a policy")for the unprecedented decision that the UK will become the first country ever to leave the EU. Note, the vote was so close that either way the result would have represented just over one-third of the electorate.

Looking at the United States presidential election: Out of a total population of approximately 325 million, 200 million Americans are registered to vote (another contentious issue about which President Obama recently said, "We are the only country among advanced democracies that makes it harder to vote"). Over half of US citizens who are registered to vote actually cast their votes in this election: about 130 million people or 58% of the electorate.

Advertisement

Hillary Clinton won 48.2 % of the popular vote and Donald Trump received 46.1 %, nearly 63 million votes to her nearly 66 million. As we know, in the US, popular votes do not elect the president, the Electoral votes allotted to individual states do. However, the fact remains that in this particular presidential election less than one third (27%) of the actual American electorate voted for Trump.

That means that Donald Trump is about to become the 45th president of the United States with the votes of 19% of the entire US population behind him. Please read that again: 19% of the American population voted for Donald Trump. Talk about a mandate to rule (and to wage war, and to use nuclear weapons). And note that those results, based on how close they were, would have produced a similar mandate for either candidate.

So could this mean that Donald Trump is indeed the most unpopular president in recent history and the most reviled? Yes, if you believe the Gallup poll, the left wing press and the protesters and no, if you believe Donald Trump himself, his supporters and Kellyanne Conway. Time may tell, but the fact is we don't know how popular or unpopular he is, no matter what we are told. Unless and until we've polled every citizen, well beyond our social circles, we really only have an impression.

If we ask why we are here at this point in history on both sides of the Atlantic, why people voted as they did, there are reams of explanations. But if we are looking at the how, this is in the statistics: 19% of the American people have spoken with their vote, and 26% of the UK population have spoken with theirs. That's how it happened.

So what do we do now?

President Obama in his farewell address gave some indication:

"It falls to each of us to be guardians of our democracy, because we all share the same proud title: citizen". This, he suggested, includes having a voice, but using it, being informed, interested and confident in your worth, as a citizen. "But remember, none of this happens on its own. All of this depends on our participation; it needs you, not just when your own narrow interests are at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime." He goes on to add interestingly: "Presuming a reservoir of goodness in other people, that can be a risk".

Advertisement

And democracy is a risk, he said. The Greek philosopher Socrates pointed that out long ago as well. Stating that democracy can easily devolve into demagoguery, Socrates believed voting in an election is a skill and only for those who thought rationally and deeply. Today, more than ever, the flaws in democracy are too apparent. Yet the alternatives are so much worse. So what do we do now?

Today is the day to recognize that small numbers matter. Small numbers have changed the course of history again and again, and have done so today. Only a small proportion of Nazi Germans compared to the entire world population caused havoc across the globe. Not just for ill but also for good, small groups make a difference. Didn't President Kennedy say in that memorable inaugural address: "And a glow from that fire, can truly light the world". We are still trying, to light , enlighten, that world.

So today, a disturbing day for many on both sides of the divide, we can still take heart. As 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."

So we have hope, not giving into fear, nor thinking the people are powerless. The people are the power. Not all of them have spoken yet.
Debate concerning Britain's access to the single market and, more specifically, who will pick our fruit and vegetables if the passage of migrant workers is cut off, has stepped up a notch as plans to leave Brexit fast approach. Although it looks likely that a permit scheme will be put in place allowing workers from the EU to continue this long-standing pattern of employment, one recurring argument that has come to the fore is that the use of migrant labour in the UK should end to prevent further exploitation. The label of seasonal migrant work has become synonymous with that of exploitation and, for some, slavery.

But stopping migrant labour in our own farming industry will not necessarily clean our hands of worker exploitation nor our conscience of human rights abuses. It may even trigger an increase, by encouraging the trafficking of illegal immigrants to the UK, or importing produce from countries with similar or worse human rights records in this industry than our own.

Domestic Consequences

Exploitation of migrant workers performing seasonal farm work in the UK has been occurring since itinerant Irish travellers began travelling the length and breadth of the country seeking harvest work in the 14th century. This continued to varying extents through the 18th and 19th centuries. Sadly, due to a lack of regulation, limited union powers, and increasingly squeezed margins in farming, combined with rogue gangmasters, criminal gangs and a minority of land managers, incidences of worker exploitation are still reported today. Poor housing, long hours and on occasion, slave-like conditions greet some workers who come here, both legally and illegally, seeking to improve the economic situation for themselves and their families.

Advertisement

Denying migrants permission to work in the UK is unlikely to deter them from coming here for jobs, or stop employers using them. But without the accompanying employment rights and regulatory bodies that currently exist for workers employed here legally, there exists a greater risk of worker exploitation in the UK if farms lose this major source of labour. Undocumented workers already exist here in their thousands and they are vulnerable to 'exploitation in its most heinous forms'. The reality is that without legal access, the dark underbelly of industrial agriculture where rogue employers reside might quickly fill with illegal immigrants having no worker rights, making them far more susceptible to exploitation.

Are Our Neighbours Any Better?

Theoretically, if UK businesses could no longer source labour from Europe or beyond, and the trend for British citizens avoiding seasonal labour continued, an increasing reliance upon imports would be the natural next step for the country. But risks for worker exploitation would not simply disappear if we sourced our produce from elsewhere. They would simply be transferred to the countries of import origin.

Currently, we already import 40% of all of our fresh vegetables from Spain, a country whose seasonal worker rights have come under the spotlight a number of times in the recent past. A film released in 2011 described some of Spain's migrant salad pickers from Africa as 'modern day slaves', causing a backlash from the country's horticultural industry defending themselves against such claims. More recently, Romanian pickers were discovered living in deplorable conditions experiencing threats if they tried to leave their allocated living or working space. Despite Spain's strong labour laws, because of the difficulty in monitoring illegal immigrants attracted to sectors where low-skilled employment is available, such as intensive agriculture and horticulture, both African and Eastern European workers are at risk.

Advertisement

Similar conditions are described in a report published by The Netherlands in 2014, the other top country of vegetable importation to the UK. Interviewed migrants talk of being controlled and beaten by their employers, especially in the strawberry and asparagus sectors, whilst other nations providing our produce, including France, Italy and Germany, all have some history of worker exploitation. In 2015 we imported 4% of our vegetables from Poland, where, in the same year, Ukrainian children were discovered working on farms.

And Countries Further Afield?

Recent reports suggest that up to 40% of UK retailers are now considering sourcing their fruit and vegetables from Africa.

Currently over 9% of our fruit is imported from South Africa, a country known for human rights abuses and where farm workers have been described as among the most vulnerable people in South African society. With the same problems of long, gruelling hours and illegal exposure to pesticides, they frequently have no access to toilets or drinking water, housing is often uninhabitable and their worker rights are regularly ignored. A more recent report states that the scope for exploitation remains high in South Africa. And Kenya, another country ripe for exportation of fruit and vegetables to Britain, still regularly employs child labour.

It is difficult to find any country without some recent history of worker exploitation. In fact, the International Labour Organisation recently estimated that profits accrued from forced labour in agriculture alone amount to approximately $9 billion annually.

The Exception Rather Than the Rule

Of course for most countries, worker exploitation is the exception rather than the norm. People are working around the world to find ways to keep workers safe, usually through a combination or regulatory bodies and worker rights, although regulation and enforcement can vary significantly between countries.

Advertisement

In the UK, seasonal farm employees are currently protected by the Modern Slavery Act of 2015, the Gangmaster Licencing Authority, introduced following the Morecombe Bay cockle disaster, and full EU working rights. Whilst The Ethical Trading Initiative seeks to protect workers on a global scale. British supermarkets also claim rigorous ethical auditing of their suppliers. But despite all of these, unfortunately some still manage to slip through the net.
With the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump mere days away, I believe it's safe to say that the world is in a state of flux. This may be putting it lightly.

The Women's March on Washington, which will take place the day after the inauguration, on January 21st - is set to be one of America's biggest protests. Almost 200 protest groups have signed up to support the March, with Kaylin Whittingham, president of the association of black women attorneys, saying "A march of this magnitude, across this diversity of issues has never happened before. We all have to stand together as a force no one can ignore."

Just as voters rebelling against the 'elite' world of Hillary Clinton voted with Trump to 'drain the swamp' of Washington, protestors are rising up in response to the decisions and policies-to-be of a former reality television star.

Advertisement

I have always invested a lot of energy and time into US elections and post-election analysis in an amateur capacity, with my interests dating back to the first George W Bush election.

Beyond my misery at the election result, I wanted to construct a path to understanding the issues at hand, the precedents and the eventual outcomes. I was also fortunate that an intriguing new novel crossed my desk to help frame my thought process.

The Pearl and the Carnelian follows the progress of a young working class girl, Hester Blake, through the echelons of upper class society in the period between World War One and World War Two. The historical novel is set in 1930s Britain - the Devil's era - and framed against the rise of home-grown fascism, influenced by a right-wing swing on the world stage.

I spoke to author Annabel Fielding, somewhat of an authority on the power and politics of representation, to discuss the issues raised in her book.

Advertisement

I also reached out to Dr Matt Cook, Professor of Modern History at Birkbeck, University of London, to ask him about the rise of fascism between wars, and the parallels between then and now.

He said: "Fascism rarely appears as a complete agenda. It creeps like a fog. I absolutely see parallels between the 1920s/1930s and now. The biggest similarity I see is in the humanisation of what we could call outrageous rhetoric.

"Trump, in dehumanising entire groups like Mexicans and Muslims, is taking the first step towards normalising that kind of rhetoric and that kind of thinking. Just like Hitler did with the Jews.

"Another worrying thing is the claiming of 'common sense' as an instrument of the right. It basically means that anyone can say anything inflammatory or offensive by stating that it's the 'voice of the people'. We saw that with Brexit."

I asked Annabel Fielding was she able to harness recent political upheaval in writing The Pearl and the Carnelian?

Advertisement

"The idea of the novel was born more than two years ago so when I approached the topics of Oswald Mosley's popularity, of the rapprochement efforts towards Nazi Germany, I approached them as painful, but long-buried mistakes never to be re-enacted.

"So, among other things, the events of 2016 made me think, 'You must be kidding me!'

"The largest common denominators towards the Far Right swing were the fear of Communism and the vivid memories of the Great War. Today, Trump's bogeymen are Islam and the Middle East.

"Similarly, fascism's rise was happening in the context of rising unemployment, the Hunger Marches, a staggering number of families living on the dole. Even those not directly affected by such difficulties couldn't escape the narrative of a nation in decline. People saw the traditional parties tiptoeing around these problems; it was easy to believe, then, that anyone who promised to do things differently would necessarily do things better.

"The same drivers are at play today, with Trump's surprise victory against the establishment, and with Brexit. But the one lesson we must all remember from history is that to disregard a dangerous dictator only because they haven't started building the concentration camps yet is ridiculous. No one starts his reign with obvious atrocities; recognising the buildup to them is the key."

The final words are Dr Matt Cook's. I asked what history had taught us about how extreme regimes play themselves out, and how we can best deal with them.

Advertisement

'People need to be vigilant. Don't fall into a trap of normalising anything you feel is against democratic interests. Hopefully by being vigilant, people will start to see things as they really are. We have to constantly protest the implementation of fascist doctrines of any kind.'
Wessam Eldeeb

Let us be in no doubt, without the ability to make decisions about pregnancy, to decide if we have children, when we have them, and who we have them with - little else in women's lives is possible.

But the right to make these choices is not yet won.

When Donald Trump declared last year that women who have abortions should be punished, he met widespread condemnation.

Advertisement

Yet in the UK we have no right to be smug. In our country today, women can and are being punished for having an abortion.

In Northern Ireland in 2017, women have no access to lawful abortion services. They must either find the funds to travel to England at huge personal cost, or take their chances by buying pills illegally online and risk prosecution and prison terms.

Two women are being prosecuted right now, and more will follow.

Even in the rest of the UK, where the 1967 act that made abortion services lawful applies, any women who ends her own pregnancy at any gestation without the permission of two doctors can go to prison for life under laws passed in 1861 - decades before we won the right to vote. Increasing numbers of women are buying abortion pills online. They may be very young women, too scared to tell a parent or school nurse about a pregnancy, migrant women with no access to NHS healthcare, or simply intensely private women who do not wish to confide in anyone about this most intimate decision. What they may not know is that by doing so, they are risking the ultimate punishment.

The 1967 Act, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, has enabled millions of British women to avoid becoming a mother or expanding her family against her will, against what she knows is best. But it did not take abortion out of the criminal law, it simply stated that a woman would not be punished if two doctors believed her reasons for ending that pregnancy were good enough.

Advertisement

This is not good enough.

British women today should not to have to obtain legal authorisation or beg for permission to end a pregnancy they know they cannot continue.

We are fortunate to live in a pro-choice country, but we cannot be complacent. Women's reproductive choice is so often seen as a soft target, we are constantly on the defensive. We need to call time on this.

Rather than defending a status quo that we no longer think is good enough we must demand what we really want. And it is this: we want abortion to come out of the criminal law altogether across the UK - from Belfast to Brighton. If we think no woman should be imprisoned for ending her own pregnancy, we should no longer tolerate a law which they says they can. We want abortion to be regulated in the same way as any other women's healthcare procedure and we want women to finally be trusted to make their own decisions about their own bodies and lives.

In March of this year we should have our first opportunity in parliament to make our voices heard on this. The Labour MP Diana Johnson is tabling a Ten Minute Rule Bill which aims to remove the criminal sanctions around abortion. To decriminalise abortion in England and Wales - and let women decide.
(Global Times) 11:01, January 20, 2017

China's religious experts are concerned that the new amendment to the public security law might consider religious discrimination and insults as criminal offenses once adopted, which has sparked controversy online.

The draft of amendment to the Public Security Administration Punishments Law state that three behaviors against ethnics and religions would be punished. These are inciting and threatening to split the country, using religion to incite hatred and discrimination, and publishing content that discriminates and insults ethnics and religions, according to the Ministry of Public Security(MPS) website.

A person who commits any of them shall be detained from 10 to 15 days, according to the draft. The MPS said that it is currently soliciting public opinions and feedback.

The draft amends a 2012 provision which states that "a person who incites national hatred or national discrimination, or publishes content on national discrimination or humiliation shall be detained from 10 to 15 days and may also be fined no more than 1,000 yuan ($145)."

Most people objected to the amendment online.

"I strongly oppose listing discriminating against and insulting religions in the public security law which links ethnics with religions and uses national power to suppress the spread of atheism and materialism," Li Xiaopeng, a former research fellow at Harvard University's Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, posted on Sina Weibo.

Chinese people have the right to criticize all religions and to satirize and show their opposition to some religious doctrines. The amendment provides a shelter to religious powers, Li noted. His post has been shared more than 4,600 times, with 360,000 views as of press time.

Considering insults and discrimination against religions as illegal violates the freedom of religious belief, Li Kuzhou, another Sina Weibo user with more than 89,000 followers, said.

Meanwhile, some experts believe the amendment was made out of national security concerns.

The draft amendment which includes threats to split the country and create conflicts between religions and sects forms part of public security work, Xi Wuyi, an expert on Marxism at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, wrote on her Sina Weibo.

"Some people are using the media to provoke national hatred," said Xiong Kunxin, a professor at Beijing's Minzu University of China.

"Fomenting national hatred and a split in the country should be considered illegal, regardless of whether they are religious or not," Xiong said, noting that such an amendment is necessary for national security.

The amendment was at the center of public debate after it includes penalties on those who carry replica guns in public.
Kevin Lamarque / Reuters

By Daniel & Sindiso Mnisi Weeks

As our nation bids farewell to its first African American president, it seems fitting to reflect on the state of race relations in America and the meaning of Barack Obama in our lives. For us, as for so many other people, the story is both personal and political.

Our Obama story began on June 21st, 2007, the day we met each other and heard a youthful Senator Obama speak on Capitol Hill. At that time, we could scarcely imagine he would be elected president of the United States the following year, or that we would fall in love across racial, cultural, and continental divides. But, as we like to say, God has a sense of humor.

Advertisement

It would be an understatement to say that we came to the Academy from different spaces. Sindiso arrived in Washington from a rural village in her native South Africa, where she had spent the second year of her Oxford PhD living in a small hut with an outhouse researching human rights in indigenous communities. It was a throwback to her early years in the Soweto township under apartheid.

Meanwhile, Dan was taking the summer break from Oxford to help build a government reform organization back home in New Hampshire (plumbing included), and making frequent trips to Capitol Hill. Sindiso had never heard of lily-white New Hampshire or visited Washington. Dan was a 12th-generation Granite Stater with a DC pedigree, and skin as white as can be.

Obama's brief remarks struck a chord in us, for they revealed the foundations and the aspirations of our future union. He spoke about Civil Rights and the anti-apartheid struggle, which made our marriage legal. He spoke about equality and reconciliation, which made it conceivable. And he stressed the never-ending fight for social justice, to which we both aspired.

Advertisement

His words and his example have inspired not only us, but millions of other Americans who seek to bridge our nation's racial divide in both personal and public terms. It's not that he was the first American child born of an interracial union or the first African American to espouse such lofty goals - he wasn't - but he was the first to really make it in a white man's world.

America, like our family, has grown since we first met. Although glaring, unresolved challenges remain in areas like criminal justice, voting rights, education, and economic opportunity, we take a cautiously optimistic view of the progress made on race relations over the past eight years and look to a brighter future beyond the incoming administration. Our hope derives, in no small part, from the attitudes and actions of young Americans, both white and black.

Consider that for the first six years of the Obama presidency, Americans reported race relations were better than at any point since polling on the question began in the early 1990s, according to detailed analysis by the Pew Research Center.

Consider that when poll results changed for the worse in 2014, it was in (appropriate) response to a spate of gut-wrenching police shootings of unarmed black men - symptoms of a longstanding racial injustice finally made visible by cameras and social media.

Consider that millions of Americans, including 60% of whites under age 30, responded with support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and the Obama Justice Department commenced critical civil rights investigations of police departments where shootings had taken place.

Advertisement

With the turbulence of 2014 came growing white awareness of systemic racism in our society - another harbinger of change. While white Americans had previously maintained, by margins of 55-to-36 percent, that the United States had already "made the changes needed to give blacks equal rights with whites," a reversal occurred in 2014 with 53 percent now believing further changes were needed, compared to 38 percent opposed (fully 88 percent of African Americans assented). On these and other measures, young white Americans revealed a far higher awareness of the presence of institutionalized racism than their older counterparts.

And on a matter close to our hearts, the data also showed a significant jump in the rate of multiracial marriages, with 17 percent of white people, 28 percent of black people, 43 percent of Hispanics, and 46 percent of Asians getting married to a person of a different race in 2008-10 (the latest available data). While the rise in new multiracial unions was evident across every group, it was most pronounced among white and black Americans. This is significant for more than sentimental reasons: research shows that when we forge meaningful relationships of any kind across the "color line," we are more likely to see and stop systemic racism.

Progress, like a marriage, does not happen on its own. It comes in fits and starts. The election of Donald Trump, a man with a worrisome history of race-bating and discrimination, and the (momentary?) rise of white supremacist elements of his electoral coalition, are deeply disturbing. Likewise, the nomination of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, a senator whose prior appointment to the bench was blocked on grounds of racism, puts future departmental action at risk. The ascent of both men may well be a reaction against Obama - a fit and not a start.

Nevertheless, as long as Americans do not accept the unacceptable - and now undeniable - devaluation of black and brown lives, and press instead for change, change will come.

What would we tell our children, were they old enough to understand? First, we would tell them their president was black and the product of a biracial union, just like they. When his opponents went low, he and his family "went high," and so can they. Second, we would say the struggle for social justice is theirs, and yet so much bigger than they. We would exhort them to play their part with a sense of urgency, even as they honor the giants of justice on whose shoulders they stand, and entrust their struggle ultimately to God.

Advertisement

To that end, we would point them to one such giant whose birthday we marked this week. Although Martin Luther King, Jr. would not live to see the day when his children would play, as equals, with white children, he spoke prophetic wisdom when he observed, "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." The Obamas have done their part in politics. Now it's up to us.
DanBrandenburg via Getty Images

There won't have been a dry eye in the house at President Trump's inauguration in Washington DC not because people will have been moved by the power of the new president's oratory but because of the change from 44 to 45th president. Hardly can there ever have been a more marked transition: from the polite and poised President Obama to The (disconcerting and disruptive) Donald.

Over recent weeks, nothing became President Obama like the manner of his leaving: tearful valedictory speeches, surprise public appearances to thank his officials, emotional tributes to Michelle, even a medal of freedom award for VP Biden, all highlighted the decency and demonstrative nature of the man, suitably and richly repaid by popular well-wishers on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Even Obamacare was getting some positive media coverage, for once.

Advertisement

Gone are the days when President Obama was recording historically low approval ratings for his performance, on foreign policy and even on tackling terrorism. It is important not to forget that happened - and that Hillary's campaign, which was seen very much as continuation rather than change, failed to win the Electoral College votes she needed, even if the popular vote was very much in her favour. The memory of lows during the mid-term of Obama's presidency have now been eclipsed by President Trump's record poor approval ratings at inauguration.

In an election campaign marked more by the personal and personality flaws of both candidates, there is not much about which we can be really certain on President Trump's agenda - beyond building walls, repatriating jobs, repealing or reforming Obamacare and recalibrating relations with Russia. These slogans may prove to have been the backbones of real substance but I very much doubt it. Whilst the new President's late night tweets have become something of a trademark, they tell us more about his personal prejudices than his policy agenda. For that, we will have to wait for his State of the Union address, on 21st February, and his first one hundred days.

A few clues to the type of president Trump will be can be gleaned from his new Cabinet. Made up mostly of business people, retired generals, Republican Party staffers and donors, the most interesting appointments give an insight into what the new administration will feel like.

The new Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, former Exxon CEO, tells us something about the new Whitehouse's warmth towards Russia and coolness on climate change. General James Mattis, the new US Secretary of Defense, became known as "Mad Dog" for his Marine Corps leadership during the Battle of Falluja in 2004, one of the most bloody battles of the entire bloody war. And even the new head of the Small Business Administration, Linda McMahon, co-founder of the World Wrestling federation, has appeared numerous times on television trading blows in the ring. If politics is show business for ugly people, Trump's cabinet is serious business for significant people.

Advertisement

Amongst the professional politicians who have made it to the Cabinet are two former rivals of Trump himself: Ben Carson, retired surgeon and former presidential candidate, now Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and Rick Perry, former governor of Texas, was amongst the first 2016 Republican potential candidates to criticise Trump. Perhaps demonstrating the significant sense of humour, he is reported to have, Trump has made Perry Secretary of Energy - a department Rick Perry said should be abolished in 2011!

It is easy to view President Trump - after all the allegations, revelations and provocations during the campaign - and compare him unfavourably to his charming and charismatic predecessor. But to do so is to pre-judge the President. Whether we like it or not, Washington DC is now Trump Town.
With the American Presidential Inauguration Day now upon us, here are 6 reasons why we don't need 'em.

Belgium

The European Nation smashed the world record for running with no government in 2010-11 at a blistering 589 days. Everything went pretty smoothly during that unique period, with administrative housekeeping tended to by an interim Government, which avoided any big decisions. Although Belgium was called a "failed State" by a Member of the European Parliament for England - among others - it is worth noting that the latter country later flirted with failure itself. So, no elected Government, no problem?

Simple Is Best

The Nambikuara are among the closest human societies get to not having leaders. In their wanderings through the savannas of Eastern Brazil, temporary leaders of small hunter-gatherer groups come and go most years, and are likely to be "ignored or desterted". Some lead while others follow. Some lead and no-one follows.

Advertisement

A life of hunting, gathering and answering to nobody may seem idyllic, but this is only a realistic option for what Anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss called "one of the simplest forms of human society to be conceived". Not really on the menu, then, for those of us in urban metropolises.

Anarchy

Many confuse the objectives of anarchy with Alfred the Butler's line, "some men just want to watch the world burn". However, most anarchists believe in a stable and peaceful society that emphasizes individual liberty and a lack of hierarchy, while opposing any form of government. The Greek origin of the word, anarchia, simply means contrary to authority. Some see anarchy as a necessary stepping-stone to other final goals such as Communism, like leading communist philosopher Peter Kropotkin. For others, their ideals led them to fight against dictatorships in 20th Century Spain or Romania.

Libertarianism

Both libertarianism and anarchy uphold the principle of individual liberty but, unlike its close cousin, this ideology doesn't necessarily oppose government in all its forms, rather it seeks to minimize it to the greatest possible degree. All-round good guy, abolitionist and third President of the USA, Thomas Jefferson is often hailed as a prominent libertarian because he held that a limited government is necessary to avoid the abuse of power, and that it must act within the "chains" of the Constitution.

What About Animals?

The idea that at least some form of informal leadership is innate in our species is backed up by studies of higher primates. Baboon, macaque and chimpanzee societies show that certain individuals are more likely to take the initiative, especially when things go wrong. These differentiations are not linked to traditional alpha personality types, but involve crafty social climbing through individual skills suited to given tasks. Even meerkats, it seems, have matriarchs.

Advertisement

So do our non-human counterpars suggest that some form of leadership is inevitable?

Vikings
Mondays are hard enough, but the one just gone was 'Blue Monday'. According to some it is the most depressing day of the year. It raises a very topical issue - mental health. Just last week Prime Minister Theresa May outlined plans to transform attitudes to mental health, and focussed on supporting young people. It is positive that more help and support in the community is being offered. But while the focus is on the public, who is looking after doctor's mental health?

Medicine is a demanding profession so it's no surprise that doctors' mental wellbeing can suffer. Doctors are facing increasing claims and challenging regulation. Medical Protection members also tell us issues such as gruelling training, heavy workloads and changing patient expectations all contribute to mental health issues.

If a patient presented to a doctor with symptoms such as loss of sleep, not eating properly and feeling low, the doctor would not find it too difficult to appropriately diagnose and assess the mental health of the patient. The doctor would then direct the patient to the appropriate help as quickly as possible. However, when doctors experience the same symptoms, they can fail to seek help either because they do not recognise the symptoms in themselves or feel embarrassed to talk to their own GP.

Advertisement

A Medical Protection survey found that 75% of doctors admitted that they had suffered from stress as part of their job, while 49% had anxiety, and 32% had experienced symptoms of depression. The figures are a cause for concern, but possibly more worrying is that of the doctors who had experience of mental health issues, 40% didn't discuss them with anyone. While some of those doctors may be in denial about their mental health issues affecting their work or hoping they can cope, many find it difficult to be a patient. Doctors are expected to be highly resilient and generally they do cope with extraordinary pressures and emotions. They may fear that by admitting stress or mental health problems they will be perceived as unfit doctors. This is ironic given that they would be the first to encourage patients to seek help as soon as possible and can see the benefits of early intervention.

Interestingly, a study from Cardiff University of almost 2000 doctors showed that trainees and young doctors are less likely than GPs or consultants to disclose personal mental health issues. Of the respondents who had not experienced mental ill health, 73% said that they would disclose at work. However, for those who had experienced mental ill health, 41% did disclose.

So how can doctors receive the help they need, especially as they might hesitate to speak to others about their issues? The first step would be for colleagues to look out for each other. Doctors who work alongside other doctors can play a vital role in assisting those in trouble. Our experience shows doctors often fail to spot symptoms of mental health issues in themselves, and so a colleague can help by raising concerns with them directly.

Advertisement

If doctors need emotional or clinical treatment, they can use dedicated counselling services such as the Doctors for Doctors service from the British Medical Association, or, the NHS Practitioner Health Programme.
miriam-doerr via Getty Images

In an unprecedented move that will change trade, export and international relations as we know it, the Prime Minister has confirmed that the United Kingdom will be leaving the European single market and the EU Customs Union upon full withdrawal from the European Union in 2019.

This announcement presents an exciting opportunity to establish brand new trade links and reconfigure existing connections to get the best deal for both sides but in the world of negotiations, time is not on our side. With a deluge of upcoming national member state elections and possibly months of ratification at the end of the 2 year process, time to find our place in Europe is closing in and it is essential trade comes top of the government and business agenda.

Advertisement

The accountancy profession undeniably has a crucial role in helping UK businesses prepare. We can do much to increase the capacity of UK business to boost the volume of UK exports and, vitally, the number of businesses exporting. A successful trade negotiation process will be fruitless if more UK businesses are not export-ready.

Currently, only around 5% of UK SMEs operate in the export market. Despite being most at risk of the 'cliff edge' Mrs May so desperately wants to avoid, SMEs could have the most to gain from building export capacity as we broaden our trading horizons.

In yesterday's speech, the Government indicated a preference to negotiate the UK's withdrawal from the EU on a sector-by-sector basis. If this is the case, two important considerations must be kept in mind:

The first relates to the accepted definition of 'sector' and the approach this informs. The Brexit process will affect each sector differently, however our 'sector' boundaries are not so clear cut.

Advertisement

For example, it is increasingly difficult to differentiate between manufacturing and services industries, with manufacturers developing longer-term relationships in servicing and maintenance. To identify the 'real world' impact the Government will need expert advice based on the real shape of today's 'sectors'.

And secondly, it is imperative that the Government recognises that the business and professional services sector should considered a priority when it comes to sector-specific arrangements. The UK's business and professional services sector is globally active; professional services represent around 15% of UK GDP.

As well as being a key part of the UK's strongest performing industry sector, accountancy will play a key role in ensuring UK businesses have the best possible ground laid to operate in May's "global Britain".
This week Members of Parliament gathered in the House of Commons to debate the continued instability in Kashmir, the second time Parliament has done so in twenty years. It has been six months since protests broke out in the Kashmir Valley in response to the killing of Burhan Wani. Six months that have seen 17,000 adults and children injured, nearly five thousand people arrested, an entire population spend the better part of five months under curfew and left 188 people dead.

Over these months 500 people have been shot at point blank rang by pump-action "pellet guns" leaving them riddled with pellets embedded deep in their bodies. The Indian armed forces have since claimed that the use of pellet guns is a non-lethal form of crowd control to be used as a last resort, yet by their own admission they have fired nearly 4,000 cartridges at protestors and innocent bystanders.

The outbreak of fresh violence in Kashmir has in turn led to renewed skirmishes on the border between Indian and Pakistani controlled Kashmir. With fresh recriminations leading to further retaliations, it is clear that Pakistani and Indian relations are at an all-time low.

Advertisement

In Indian controlled Kashmir the curfew has now been lifted and people are slowly returning to some resemblance of normality. But below the surface the embers of discontent and the sparks of rage still burn and still crackle, as the overriding uncertainty of Kashmir's future still lingers.

It may not be on the front-page of national newspapers or on everyone's lips but Kashmir remains one of the longest standing territorial disputes in the world. In my constituency of Burnley, the Kashmiri community have watched on for 70 years as the fate of Kashmir continues to hang in the balance. I don't want them to have to wait any longer.

The resolution of Kashmir's future is not an Indian issue or a Pakistani issue but a global one. Three nuclear powers currently control parts of Kashmir. The situation at present makes a mockery of the UK's longstanding commitment to international security and human rights alike. While it remains unresolved, the threat of war between India and Pakistan is a scary possibility.

Similarly, the protracted dispute over control of Kashmir continues to encourage extremism within the region and across the rest of the world. This extremism will only fester and grow if those living in Indian controlled Kashmir continue to have their basic rights denied. I believe a final resolution on the future of Kashmir would do much to de-escalate violence in the region and stop the radicalisation of another generation of young people who have grown up under curfew.

Advertisement

However that final resolution has to be one that recognises the wishes of the people of Jammu Kashmir. It is unacceptable for India and Pakistan to reach an agreement privately between themselves, the people of Jammu and Kashmir need a seat and a voice at the table.

The British Government has long taken the view that this is a problem for India and Pakistan and something we should stay out of, but I find that to be incompatible with the values of freedom and the right to self-determination we in the UK hold dear, as well as the historic responsibility we have to all those affected. We have one million people of Kashmiri origin and heritage in the UK, all of them are keen to see a resolution to this conflict. That alone should be more than enough motivation for the Prime Minister to use our diplomatic clout to get all parties around the negotiating table.

Yet when Theresa May made her first official visit to India in November last year, she did not raise the issue of Kashmir. Instead she chose to discuss trade agreements and visa concessions for Indian citizens, ignoring the ongoing conflict altogether. While I accept that trade agreements post-Brexit are important, they should not take priority over the issue of upholding human rights across the world. Friends need to be honest with each other, which is why when I met with officials from the Indian High Commission last year I raised my concerns about the use of pellet guns and the need for India to restart talks over Kashmir's future.

Kashmir continues to be an issue I take great interest in. Since joining Parliament in May 2015 I have consistently raised the need for a resolution over its future in parliamentary questions, and have written a number of times to the Prime Minister and the Foreign Office. I also chaired a roundtable in Westminster to allow prominent members of the Kashmiri community to raise their concerns with Members of Parliament and the Shadow Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Britain is brimming with culinary delights from all over the world, but ask people on the street what they fancy for dinner and you'll probably get pasta, pizza, burger or curry. There are incredible foreign cuisines at our fingertips, but we simply don't hear about them. I'm on a mission to highlight some of my favourite world foods, starting with the lesser known Macedonia.

As a fervent foodie myself, and after many years working in food and drink PR, I felt compelled to help put a deserving spotlight on a gastronomy everyone simply must try.

Influenced by the Balkan palate, boasting characteristics of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences, and reaping quality produce from its rich soil, Macedonian food is bursting with flavour and diversity. Yet with all this, it remains humble and honest.

Advertisement

Many recipes have been prepared the same way for centuries, passing on age old customs and secrets that are now available to us at the drop of a hat.

Here are a few classic Macedonian dishes that will talk to your tummy and sing to your soul. And then probably have you slumped over on the sofa for a well-earned food induced shuteye.

Rakija

www.canstockphoto.com

OK, so this isn't actually a dish, but this local brandy-esque tipple is so important at the dinner table that it simply had to make an appearance. It's widely considered the national drink and people across the country make their own versions of Rakija to suit their own tastes, using local nuts or fruit to play with different flavours and aromas.

Advertisement

Stuffed Ohrit Trout

www.canstockphoto.com

If you visit Macedonia, make a note to visit Lake Ohrid and try the local Salmo Letnica - or brown trout. It's a specialty in Macedonian gastronomy and is commonly used in soups, stews, and other dishes. A real showstopper is to stuff the whole fish with spinach, cheese, sour cream and egg and grill it in tin foil. It won't have quite the same wow factor, but you can give it a try with Rainbow Trout.

Tavce Gravce

www.canstockphoto.com

This is very famous in Macedonia and is actually considered the national dish. As bean lovers ourselves, if ever there was an international recipe that Brits could fall in love with, this is it. Tavce Gravce, which literally means 'beans cooked in a skillet' is a hearty bean stew mixed with vegetables, spices and all important Macedonian paprika. It's vegan, gluten-free, easy to prepare and super healthy. Serve hot, either on its own or as a side dish with meat. I recommend enjoying it just as it is with a side cabbage salad.

Pastrmajlija

Advertisement

www.pixabay.com

A little like an artisan pizza, Pastrmajlija is a speciality oval shaped baked bread pie. It's usually layered with salted lamb or pork cut into small cubes, and is sometimes served with two fried eggs on top. This dish is so important to Macedonians, that they honour it at the annual festival of 'Pastrmajlijada.'

Sarma

Author's own photography

This may not sound like your Friday night go-to dish, but trust me, it will be once you've tried it. Quite simply, it's made of minced meat, veggies and local spices wrapped in cabbage leaves and cooked in a tomato based sauce. Traditionally, the cabbage leaves are pickled for two or three months giving this dish a truly magical experience. It's proper comfort food that takes a decent effort to make - even without the pickling - but is worth it when you watch everyone hoovering it up in a matter of minutes. Sarma is gorgeous served with a few spoonfuls of plain yogurt.

Zelnik

Author's own photography

A filo pastry piece of heaven. This delicate pie has a flaky yet fragile crust and is typically loaded with feta cheese, leeks, eggs, spinach and ground meat. Enough said.

Advertisement

Tulumba

www.canstockphoto.com

And after a massive feast on any or all of the dishes above, there's only one way to sweeten the tooth and it's with Macedonia's favourite dessert, Tulumba. These small, ridged, tubed fried dough rolls are soaked in honey and are sometimes sprinkled with crushed nuts. Um, yes please!
Mike Segar / Reuters

Friday marks Donald Trump's inauguration, a day many of us had never envisaged. For many of us, it is not just political - it is personal.

As a Muslim, an African, a refugee, a woman and a socialist, I fear many of Trump's policies. Of higher borders and a no Muslim entrance policy, of lower corporation tax and casual misogyny. I fear their impact and I fear our future with the way our world leaders are shaping up.

Advertisement

On the day of Trump's election, Marine Le Pen - leader of the French Front National - declared to the assembled international media, which was already making the connection between the US election and her own bid for the highest office in France: 'their world is dying, and ours is being born'. Her vision of the future, encapsulated in those few words, sent shivers down my spine.

Beyond Le Pen's slogan lies a truth which all of us are being forced to deal with. On both sides of the Atlantic, we are faced with the rise of new right-wing governments. Deeper austerity and increasing inequality goes hand in hand with a state-led war on migrants, the marginalised, the poor and trade unions.

Theresa May, too, talks of building walls in Calais, and of deporting thousands of migrants. We have witnessed in the student movement the sharp edge of her Home Office policies: international students torn away from their families; many targeted by the surveillance of the Prevent Duty.

The problems, they all tell us, are caused by our neighbour claiming benefits, seeking asylum or on strike for fair pay. We, somehow, are the culprits to be blamed for these failings.

Advertisement

The cocktail of austerity and hatred offered by these governments is as powerful as it is dangerous.

As they build their political alliances, so too must we.

As well as the rise to power of aggressively right wing governments, we have seen the development of powerful alternatives, both electorally and in civil society. From Corbyn and Sanders, Black Lives Matter and the migrant solidarity movement, millions of people are coming together and feeling their way towards new politics, new ideas, and new forms of action.

I see the direction my own union, the National Union of Students, is taking as part of the progressive resistance required in the period ahead through our national Liber8 Education campaign.

Liber8 Education is an organising tool for our movement which seeks to support, motivate and empower resistance while putting forward credible and vital alternatives for our education and wider society. Up and down the country students are organising over a wide range of issues, from college closures, the Teaching Excellence Framework and housing, to women's rights, migrant solidarity and the Black attainment gap. This initiative is here to support those efforts, to provide a means for learning from one another, to encourage unity across these fights and solidarity between students, workers and the wider communities in which we live and work.

Our campaign is built on my deep conviction of the crucial importance of students in achieving social change, and challenging the deep inequalities and injustices in society. We are developing extensive tools for our movement to organise against rising hate crime and oppression on campuses and in communities. We are establishing a network in every area from xenophobia and racism to misogyny, homophobia and more, as a show of strength and to unite our efforts. Not to mention hosting a national summit to train and equip activists coming up in March.

Our response, I believe, needs to be a principled opposition as well as an active response with solidarity, empathy and collective action that states loudly: we are the alternative, and we - rather than them - will build the world anew.

Advertisement

We are also not alone in this fight. Hundreds of thousands are expected to stand together in the USA as a show of unity and resistance against what Trump's presidency represents. Thousands more are expected at the 370 marches taking place around the world.
Perhaps not the most flattering photo of me, but I'm sharing this awful picture and my story to help increase understanding of the impact of mental illness and to celebrate my recovery.

Mental illness will affect 1 in 4 of us during our lifetime and I guess now it's my turn.

I am recovering from the most terrible depression that ripped the heart and soul out of me. Very unexpectedly an NHS Acute Inpatient ward in Hackney has been my home for the past 12 weeks.

Advertisement

Mental Health Professional ~ from Healthcare Assistant to Director of Nursing

As I have worked in mental health services for 29 years, one would think I would be immune to mental illness. I am a registered mental health nurse with 15 years experience as a clinician and latterly 14 years as a manager and then director. But there is no immunity; mental illness can come out of nowhere and affect anyone at any time.

From initial symptoms of depression to admission to a mental health unit 10 days later via the crisis team, depression ripped the rug out from under my feet and emptied my whole being. I have been completely disabled and incapacitated by this illness.

If I had been in hospital with a broken leg, or a physical problem, no doubt I would have been sharing amusing photos of my drip stand, the signed plaster cast and the hospital food; laughing with my family, friends and extended social media community. Instead I have hidden myself away, scared of my own shadow and told very few people. Sad to say, I have also been embarrassed, shy, suicidal, phobic, anxious and scared of everything.

This selfie, taken late November, shows a Mandy that no one will recognise: tearful, distraught, matted hair, frightened, withdrawn, desolate and desperate. So so so far from who I normally am; a confident, competent, extrovert, professional, independent woman. This is what mental illness has the power to do.

Advertisement

Thank you and long live our NHS

Massive thanks to my Mum who has taken a six-hour return journey every week to visit me, my family and a few wonderful close friends who have kept me going, even through my darkest days.

Thanks also to the totally amazing NHS team at East London NHS Foundation Trust who have been awesome 24 hours a day, Sundays, Christmas Day and everyday.

The nurses here have humbled me completely and reminded me of my pride in my profession. The management and the whole multi disciplinary team have supported me through this nauseous journey and given me strength and hope to keep going. Without exception, they have been compassionate, professional, kind and caring. Long live the NHS.

CQC - Outstanding Indeed

East London Foundation Trust is one of only two Mental Health Trusts in the country to receive an "outstanding" rating by the Care Quality Commission. I have experienced this outstanding care in my hour of need and it has been truly remarkable.

Discharge, recovery, fragility... and stigma

I'm sharing my story now as I feel strong enough to face the world again. I was officially discharged from City & Hackney Centre for Mental Health on Friday 13th January 2017.

Advertisement

I was supposed to be spending Christmas at the Hope Orphanage I support in Ghana again this year, but instead I celebrated with an interesting and diverse mix of 20 housemates, hospital Christmas Dinner and some extremely dedicated and lovely nurses. I will see Ghana soon, God willing, and the orphans will get their belated Christmas presents.

I initially shared this post on Facebook only, but I was over-awed by the response I got from my friends and family, particularly about addressing the stigma relating to mental illness... Hundreds of comments along the lines of "I never thought someone like you could go through this". Well guess what... we can and we do; mental illness does not discriminate.

Look out for yourselves, your friends and family, mental illness can affect anyone at any time. There is no health without mental health.

Please don't pity me for having a mental illness. Instead, wish me well for my discharge and full recovery.

I lost my mind, lost my self esteem, lost my pride, lost my sense of who I am, lost my confidence, lost my job & my income, lost my driving license and my independence, but I am slowly picking up the pieces... like a smashed vase, glueing itself together in to a beautiful mosaic. I will be strong again. I will be ok.

Advertisement

I am now being supported by a wonderful range of community services provided by the local Trust, the mental health charity MIND and Hackney Borough Council. I feel positive, optimistic, re-energised... and I've got my smile back.

Bring on 2017; it's gonna be a great year.
(Global Times) 11:15, January 20, 2017

Chinese netizens expressed their outrage after a Shanghai zoo announced on Thursday that two pandas died in December 2016, and slammed the zoo for exhibiting the pandas despite their illness.

The Shanghai Wildlife Park announced on its Sina Weibo on Thursday that 21-year-old panda Guo Guo died on December 26, 2016 because of acute pancreatitis and multiple organ failure.

The mother panda was quarantined for treatment on December 19 shortly after she showed symptoms of fever, vomiting, diarrhea, stomachache and discharged intestinal mucus.

Following the announcement, netizens who have visited the zoo blamed it for the pandas' deaths.

"I went to the Shanghai Wildlife Park in December and Hua Sheng was clearly sick. Why did you insist on exposing her to the public?" said a Net user codenamed "yimiaoyishijie."

Many also wondered why the zoo announced the deaths about a month later.

Shanghai Daily quoted park employee Ni Li as saying that a joint pathological analysis with the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda caused the belated announcement.

"We feel very sad for the two pandas' deaths, and face great pressure now," Ni was quoted as saying.

An anonymous employee of the park told the Global Times on Thursday that they received a lot of attention since they made the announcement, and they already investigated the tragedy and will try to prevent future incidents.

But she denied any wrongdoings in breeding the pandas.

"Our employees and animal keepers took good care of these animals, but keeping giant pandas is not a easy task" said the employee.

More than 300 giant pandas are being raised in zoos and breeding centers in China, a number that has more than doubled from 164 to 375, news outlet people.cn reported.
La La Land

Like many people in cinemas around the world, this week I fell utterly in love with La La Land. For me, the film had extra sparkle because I went to Los Angeles last summer and got to reminisce about an absolutely wonderful trip.

After paying for the flights I was pretty skint when I rocked up to LA, so, much like Sebastian at the start of the film, I had to find cheap ways to have 10 days of fun.

Advertisement

If watching the film has inspired you to take a holiday, here are nine places you can visit, without a Hollywood budget.

1. Griffith Park And Observatory

Griffith Park plays a big part in La La Land and for good reason - the winding hills provide a welcome respite from city life and allow you to get a great view of the Hollywood sign.

You can go off the beaten track and into the trees for a pleasant walk or use the park as a starting point for a hike to the sign itself (more on that later).

Advertisement

Griffith Park is also home to the Griffith Observatory and while a visit won't leave you flying through the sky a la Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, parking, entry and access to the telescopes is free. What's not to love?

For refreshments, I'd recommend heading to The Trails Cafe within the park grounds. The lavender and honey shortbread is to die for.

2. The Hollywood Sign

You can't go to LA without seeing the Hollywood Sign up close and it's another free day out. We chose to start our hike in Griffith Park. If you head to the observatory, there's a sign you can't miss with the trail routes marked out.

We set out on the Charlie Turner Trailhead, which can be used to head to a viewing platform where you'll get a pretty decent photo of the sign in the distance, or to join a longer, connecting path that takes you right up to the sign.

Advertisement

We went for the latter option, on a route that's approximately 8.8 miles for the round trip. The hike took about two hours each way, but we did stop for a lot of selfies and some chats with strangers, so you could probably do it in less time.

Be warned, the last part is steep but totally worth it. If you take on the challenge make sure you head out early and take plenty of water - there is nowhere to stop and buy it en route. Find out more about the route we took here.

3) Santa Monica Beach

I stayed at a friend's apartment in Santa Monica and absolutely loved having the beach and pier within walking distance.

The pier is a like a glamorous version of Great Yarmouth, complete with kitch seaside rides and stalls. Stopping for a photo by the famous "end of the trail" sign is a must, as is hiring roller blades for the cliche LA experience.

Advertisement

Right by the pier, you'll find a small shop that rents out blades and knee pads for relatively cheap. I'd recommend heading straight down the pedestrian coast track (towards Venice Beach) for some people watching at Muscle Beach.

If you're still in Santa Monica in the evening, head to The Bungalow for cocktails in a cool venue with a house party vibe.

4. Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Just like Emma Stone's character Mia, you can marvel at movie sets by going on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.

A tour guide will show you where they've filmed scenes for the Gilmore Girls, Pretty Little Liars and of course, La La Land, as well as costumes from the likes of Harry Potter and Suicide Squad. But the highlight of the day has to be getting your photo taken on the Friends set.

Advertisement

A warning, the tour doesn't come cheap, ($62.00/50 per person if you buy from the site directly), but if you intend to visit multiple attractions in LA (such as Universal Studios) you can buy a package via Go Los Angeles, which gives you money off per ticket and has lots of deals. Groupon is also a great site for offers.

5. Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood is full of tourists, but another thing I feel you have to do.

Despite the queues, we had a day full of laughter. The theme park is home to a whole host of rides as well as live shows and ' The Wizarding World of Harry Potter'.

If (like me) you're a bit of a scaredy-cat, for the love of God do not go on The Walking Dead walking attraction. I won't give too much away, but I got so scared I almost attacked a security guard because I thought she was a zombie. I had nightmares for days (my friend, on the other hand, thought it was hilarious).

Again this is expensive ($105/85 per person if purchased directly from Universal) but I'd say worth it, especially if you shop around.

Advertisement

6. Venice Beach

A friend described Venice Beach as 'Camden, but with sand' and I can't think of a better description. Don't bother taking a towel and a book to Venice because this is a place for exploring, not relaxing.

The area is covered in impressive street art - even the trees are decorated - and the beach is lined with people selling various arts and crafts. You'll get a waft of weed every 50 paces and there's even a 'green doctor' on the corner dishing out medical marijuana.

Head away from the beach and you'll discover the Venice Canals Walkway, an area where lavish houses stand either side of a quaint, man-made canal that'll make you think you're in Italy. Nearby you'll find Salt and Straw, a shop that sells the best ice cream you'll ever eat (and gives away tons of tasters).

7. Will Rogers State Beach

Advertisement

For a truly relaxing beach day, head to Will Rogers State Beach. It's a little-known gem, with a fraction of the crowds of Santa Monica Beach and none of the hipster distractions of Venice.

This is the place to take a book and soak up that LA sun. Bring snacks, suncream and anything else you'll possibly need with you, as this area is blissfully deserted. Better still, access to this little slice of paradise won't cost you a penny.

8. Downtown LA

Take a trip on the Metro and explore downtown LA, where old meets new and tall buildings are flanked by palm trees. I'm not much of an architecture buff, but Downtown managed to capture my imagination.

Head to Grand Central Market for food, where Mia and Sebastian go for a date in the movie. I'd recommend Egg Slut, where eggs are given the glory they deserve.

Advertisement

Finish the day with a trip to the rooftop bar at The Standard. The day I went there was a mermaid casually swimming in the pool while people sipped on their cocktails, proving that LA is indeed "lala".

9. The Hollywood Stars

Going to see The Hollywood Stars reminded me of being in Leicester Square - the area is packed and not somewhere you'd want to stay for long, but if you're only in LA once you should tick it off your bucket list.

Head to the Chinese Theatre to see the handprints of some of Hollywood's biggest names, from Tom Hanks to Meryl Streep. You'll also notice a star dedicated to (now President) Donald Trump, which draws in crowds for a variety of reasons.

Be sure to stop by the Dolby Theatre, which looks like part of a regular shopping centre by day, but transforms to the home of the Oscars every year.

Advertisement

There's not a lot to do in this part of Hollywood, so I'd recommend tacking the trip onto another day - we did Warner Bros. in the morning and Hollywood in the afternoon and it worked perfectly.

Final tips:
Lukas Schulze via Getty Images

If you're troubled by Trump, or bovvered by Brexit, I have good news for you: there is something far, far more serious for you to be worrying about.

Last year was the hottest year on record. So was the year before. And the year before that. Sixteen of the seventeen hottest years on record have been since the beginning of this century. And according to Gavin Schmidt, director of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, about 90% of the earth's warming was due to rising greenhouse gas emissions.

Advertisement

That means us. (Plus about six billion tonnes a year of intestinal gases from cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and chickens -- which we breed so that we can eat them. So it's us again ...)

But there are some teensy weensy bits of good news. Did you know that all the electric passenger trains in the Netherlands are now powered by wind-generated energy? Or that on four consecutive days last month, all of Scotland's power demands - yes, all of them - were met by output from wind turbines? (It was over Christmas, when presumably Scottish ovens were blasting away to roast all those turkeys, so it's even more impressive.)

And then in tramps Trump. George Monbiot, the Guardian's doomster-in-chief, says the new US president will spell disaster for our planet: 'He could not have made it clearer, through his public statements, the Republican platform and his appointments, that he intends to the greatest extent possible to shut down funding for both climate science and clean energy, rip up the Paris agreement, sustain fossil fuel subsidies and annul the laws that protect people and the rest of the world from the impacts of dirty energy.'

On the other hand, American businesses are learning that there are big bucks to be made in going green, and not even Donald Trump will stop them investing in technologies that look as if they could make money for them. Even the oil-mad state of Texas understands which way the wind is blowing - literally - and is leading the way in wind-generated power.

Advertisement

And some scientists think the incoming Trump administration may turn out to be more renewable-friendly than it might appear at first sight. Professor Myles Allen of Oxford University told the BBC: 'It is clear that they actually accept a great deal more of the science of human influence on climate than they are prepared to let on. They are acknowledging there is a link, there is a potential problem and that's already more than enough to justify continuing the relatively modest goals of both the Paris agreement and Clean Power Plan.'

Even Mr Trump himself has moderated his stance (apparently). During the election campaign, he called climate change a hoax and said he would cancel the US's endorsement of the Paris climate agreement. Since the election, however, he has said he has an 'open mind' about Paris and accepts that there is 'some connectivity' between human actions and climate change. Who knows? Perhaps he means it.

Both the new US president and Theresa May say they believe in investing serious government money to improve their nations' infrastructure. Flood defences might be a good place to start, coupled with much more imaginative tax incentives to encourage technological innovation in energy generation.

I was asked the other day to name my favourite building in London. I chose Blackfriars station, partly because it sits on a bridge across the River Thames, and I love the idea of waiting for a train while gazing over the river. But mainly because its roof is made entirely of photovoltaic panels, which generate up to half the energy used by the station.
Christopher Furlong via Getty Images

I'll be marching on Saturday because the first rule of making a change is to do something about it. I'll be marching to encourage all the people who have looked at the world lately and thought: "Someone should really do something about this" - to believe that on Saturday that person can be them.

I'll be marching on Saturday because I want to have a say in what kind of world I live in, and because I want that world to offer equal opportunities and choices to women of all races and ethnicities and backgrounds. My daughter who has autism won't be marching because the size and noise of the crowds combined with her sensory sensitivity makes it impossible for her. So I will be marching to represent her and I'll be marching in solidarity with all of the activists who work in other ways and in other spaces to make a change.

Advertisement

I'll be marching on Saturday because right now there are lots of people working really hard to create a world that is exactly the opposite of the one in which I want to live, and I don't want them to succeed. I want the people who care about equality to succeed. So I'll be marching in solidarity with them to demonstrate our shared commitment.

Frankly, I'd show up to march for all of these reasons on any day you name, as often as you like. Joining, building and leading the Women's Equality Party for the last 18 months has felt like a daily march for equality. My job is a day to day process of connecting women back to political power and their own agency. To making their vote count again.

But Saturday is a particularly good day to march because it's Donald Trump's first full day as President of the United States. And that matters to everyone around the world, not just in the United States, because Donald Trump openly advocates bullying, division and the restriction of equal opportunities. And that delights a whole lot of people, including many here in the United Kingdom who have used the occasion of a vote about our relationship with Europe to tell tall tales about the evils that are done by people who are different to us and to start building structures to keep them away. (For 'us', read: white, able-bodied men.) Too many people believe those tales because they fill a massive, echoing silence from other political parties on new ideas to make the UK flourish. And many who don't believe are keeping quiet anyway because the other thing that Trump and his bully boys encourage is the silencing of dissent by intimidation.

Advertisement

I know that when I march I will be offered up for ridicule and abuse as someone who doesn't understand the struggles of ordinary people. It is a measure of the success of Donald Trump and Nigel Farage that the billionaire and former city trader who posed together in a gold elevator can successfully label women, LGBT+ people, people of colour, people with disabilities and migrants - all so discriminated against - as somehow the 'elite.' I know that any criticism I make will result in an immediate ratcheting up of hate and discrimination: "You keep calling me nasty and I'll show you how nasty I can be: So if I'm nasty, it's your fault." It is the classic behaviour of an abuser.

But I refuse to be intimidated. I refuse to stand by while ideas of equality are smashed up by a gang of protectionist thugs masquerading as activists for justice. I challenge absolutely any idea that there is a majority of people in Britain or in America who want to live this way. I believe the differences between us make us stronger and I want to learn more about those differences and find them a place in the fabric of our nation. I refuse to let hate win.
Bloomberg via Getty Images

Just a few minutes after the PM's speech yesterday, a triumphant Nigel Farage rightly congratulated himself for his effective takeover of the UK Government.

Indeed Theresa May's address, aimed at appeasing the right wing tabloids, sounded like a UKIP conference speech. There can be no doubt it would have received a resounding and prolonged standing ovation there.

Advertisement

What happened to "We are clear about what we want from Europe. We say: yes to the Single Market", in the Conservative Manifesto in 2015?

What happened to her own speech back in April last year where she said ''"Britain can and often does lead in Europe: the creation of the single market was driven by Mrs Thatcher"?

The much anticipated speech, though, confirmed our greatest fears - that our unelected PM has chosen to ignore 16 million of her own citizens and will implement the most extreme form of Brexit imaginable. This path towards a reckless, hard Brexit, is not only throwing into doubt the future of millions of families, but that of millions of jobs and hundreds of thousands of companies that depend heavily on the Single Market.

I accept and respect that the British people voted to leave, but they did not vote on the destination.

Advertisement

Nor did they vote for the country's leadership. Britain's future, during one of the most significant moments in our history, cannot just be decided by a small group of people at the top of Government.

The Leave campaign's slogan was 'take back control', but the British people have never been less in control of their own destiny. Theresa May does not have a direct mandate, and the Brexit vote has been treated by her Government like a blank cheque to pursue whatever damaging outcome they choose.

And the vast majority of people disapprove because they want to stay in the Single Market. A recent poll suggested that, regardless of how they voted in the referendum, a staggering 90% of people favour remaining in the Single Market,.

That figure is not surprising when the single market consists of 500 million consumers, a quarter of the world's GDP, and buys 44% of British exports. We are simply never going to magic that trade from elsewhere, especially not in a two-year timespan. Around three million British jobs depend on those exports to the Single Market: how are the government going to guarantee those jobs without full access?

The answer is they can't, and they are taking a course of action which will harm our economy: in the PM's words, an act of 'calamitous self-harm'. What is so frustrating is that they know this: various members of the Cabinet have expressed their full support of the Single Market in the past, including Theresa May herself.

Advertisement

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, pointed out in May that "there is a world of difference between being inside such a market, with tariff-free access as of right, and being outside it, scrabbling around for a deal".

Our Government is now choosing to scrabble around for a deal, with the EU holding the strongest cards; we will be entering negotiations having already raised the white flag on the most significant issue to be addressed in the Brexit negotiations.

Theresa May has said that Parliament will get a vote on the final deal, but given the crucial importance of this decision, why should the British people not get a say too?

Liberal Democrats believe that people are sovereign, not a small group of politicians in Westminster, which is why there should be a referendum on the deal.

If we started the process with a referendum, the people must have the opportunity, through a popular vote, to decide on the direction that the country takes next. By providing a choice, the British public would be allowed to decide whether it is the right deal for them, their families, their jobs and their futures.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Labour under Jeremy Corbyn is completely failing as an opposition. There has never been a more important time to hold the Government to account, yet they cannot even agree on the big issues amongst themselves. It is no wonder that voters are deserting them in local elections up and down the country.

Theresa May and her Government are taking the British people for fools. Their various catch-phrases such as "Brexit means Brexit" and "Red, White and Blue Brexit" are utterly meaningless. Now they have revealed their plans, they could prove utterly devastating. They must be challenged, and the Liberal Democrats are the only party willing to do that.

I do not agree with the view that we should just remain silent during the negotiating process and accept any deal the Government come up with. Following a general election, should the opposition just accept and pass any legislation until the next election, without holding the Government to account? That's not how our democracy works.
Maina Kiai is the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom and Peaceful Assembly and of Association. What that means is he travels around the world checking in on whether governments are steering clear of human rights abuses and how they are furthering justice for all. He's a veteran activist whose personal story begins in Kenya where government police forces promised to assassinate him after the contentious 2007 election - something I thought made him uniquely qualified to appreciate the tensions that elections can cause and to share his views about the Women's March.

In most interviews, Kiai is most comfortable commenting on government behavior without calling politicians out by name. But today as America's new President prepared to be sworn in, Kiai was quite at ease talking about why he has his eye on America: "Mr. Trump," he says, "[has] not necessarily been in favor of international human rights."



Maina Kiai is the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly. (Photo by United Nations)

Advertisement



How does the Women's March in D.C. - and more than 600 sister marches - fit into the context of other protests you're seeing around the globe?

There's a disconnect between politicians and people. This is a sign of what is going on around the world: women feel they need to express themselves; they need to be seen; and they need to send that message collectively. And I don't consider marches a part of any unrest. There is a right to peaceful assembly. If you look at all the international human rights laws, this is part of a process of public participation. One way to participate in the process is by voting. Another way is protesting and marching. I give them a lot of credit and support.

What has been learned from other protests led by women globally?

Women have historically protested a lot. The mothers of the disappeared in Argentina united, mothers of political prisoners in Kenya in early 1990s rose up, "comfort women" in South Korea demanded Japan accept responsibility [for keeping the women as sex slaves during WWII], Indian women led marches to protest companies taking way their land, America's Black Lives Movement is led by women. Women are a formidable force, and almost everywhere you turn, women have been leading marches on very tough issues. This is not new. But this is eye-catching. And we do see that when women are on the frontlines, it provides a measure of protection. Police forces are softer when women are out there in front leading the charge.

Because of the price that Kenyan security forces put on your head after the 2007 election, you seem to be in a particularly unique position to appreciate the tension that elections can cause...



My view is that the most important thing we can understand in a post-election period - especially if there is disagreement or discontent - is to allow people to express their opinions. It is stopping that expression that leads to disaster. It's great this march is happening tomorrow because that is what in fact moves the processes forward. If you put lid on it, that's when danger happens. In Kenya, the state refused to allow people to vent, and people were angry. The result is unmitigated disaster.

Advertisement

You've been looking at repressive regimes around the world for nearly a decade. Do you see any reason to now turn some of your attention to the U.S?

I have already done that. I've got my eye on the United States. In June I came on a mission to investigate and have produced a preliminary report and am writing the final report now. The U.S. is crucial because of its historic role in the evolution and exercise of human rights globally. It is a place we are watching very, very closely. Mr. Trump's comments have not necessarily been in favor of international human rights. This is a concern. It's a worry. Especially given the context that 3 million more people voted for Mrs. Clinton than Mr. Trump. In that context it is essential that the option and practice of the freedom of expression is exalted. This is the only way to send the message that, yes, there is discontent and to apply some form of pressure.
IN TODAY'S RADIO REPORT: Democratic senators grill Trump's EPA pick, while his Interior Department nominee denies scientific consensus on climate change; Obama slips in one more parting gift for the planet; PLUS: It's official - 2016 was the hottest year on record, for the 3rd straight year in a row... All that and more in today's Green News Report!

IN 'GREEN NEWS EXTRA' (see links below): Hottest year ever and Arctic meltdown put the world on the brink of catastrophe; EPA cranks out toxics rules during Obama's last days in office; Court blocks Dakota Access Pipeline company's attempt to halt further environmental review; Biologists Investigate Deaths Of 82 Stranded Dolphins In Florida; Ice Crack To Put UK Antarctic Base In Shut-Down; Hawaiian Electric's new, new plan to get to 100% renewables; Twilight of Tokyo's legendary fish market... PLUS: Asian electronic waste generation up 63% in 5 years... and much, MUCH more! ...



'Green News Report' is heard on many fine radio stations around the country. For additional info on stories we covered today, plus today's 'Green News Extra', please click right here to listen!
New York's Long Island is more recognized and thought of as typical suburbia, and not being a historic center with landmarked buildings. The landscape of the Island is not all about "Levittown" type of structures. There are many communities overflowing with history going back a few centuries. This is reflected in the beautiful architecture that has been restored to pay homage to the past.



Victorian Restoration Gains Historic Recognition



Photo by Carol Ruth Weber

When owning one of these structures it becomes a labor of love. These abodes need nurturing and care and, in return, give back a beauty that new architecture will never touch. I am proud to say that the humble abode I owned and cultivated as a loving restoration project, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After years of restoring my Victorian home, this is a humbling honor and reward for hard work. The house is in the beautiful and unique one square mile Village of Sea Cliff, situated on the North Shore of Nassau County in Long Island upon a 120-foot cliff overlooking the waters of the Long Island Sound.

My house was chosen to be placed on the New York State and the National Register of Historic Places as representative of the Methodist Camp Era in Sea Cliff. It is among 12 residences in the village that were constructed during the period of 1871-1884 and directly relate to the camp meeting era. The designation of being a historic landmark is shared by famed structures and provides protection from demolition and any harmful actions by any level of government

Advertisement

As an interesting side note, unlike most local designations, as a national landmark It also grants owners the rights to preserve their structures the same way that any homeowner has. Surprisingly owners even have the right to demolish or alter the site if they so wish. As one who lovingly restored a home to its original beauty this can be heartbreaking watching a new owner move in only to add modifications.

Moniker Recognizes Home's Origins

The abode is known as the "Harding House" named for its builder and original owner Stephen Harding. Mr. Harding was a photographer born in 1841 in England and immigrated to the United States in the 1860's. During the late 1800's and early 1900's, after the meeting era, Sea Cliff became a huge resort community with many hotels. I was told by Mr. Harding's granddaughter that after the meeting era he was hired as a photographer by the hotels in Sea Cliff. He built the home in 1878 to house his wife and two children along with his studio.

Having been given Harding's original photos of the home I painstakingly restored the Victorian back to its original structure's beauty and charm. As stated by Long island Traditions director Nancy Solomon, the Harding House is now recognized as one of the best surviving examples of Vernacular Queen Anne homes in Sea Cliff. Adding to its charm is the location on Prospect Park where Methodist Camp meetings were held in the 1870s and 1880s.



Photo courtesy of Carol Ruth Weber

This Victorian dollhouse has been restored to its original sheathing and form including the scalloped shingles, casement gable windows, and the decorative porch.

Advertisement

"The Harding house is significant as one of the original homes built during the period when Methodist Camp Meetings were held in Sea Cliff. Sea Cliff was one of the major meeting places during the Camp Meeting Movement in the post Civil War period in the northeastern United States. The house is also an excellent well preserved example of the types of homes favored by Methodists - close to natural waterfront landscapes, situated so that neighbors could observe one another, and built for summer seasonal living when the Meetings took place. The Harding house is also important because it reflects the small cottage industries that developed in response to the Meetings. Stephen Harding, the builder, as a photographer who documented the people who attended the meetings. He also established a business studio in the home that continued to operate after the Camp Meeting era ended in Sea Cliff. The modest design and architectural embellishments reflect vernacular building practices common in the late Victorian era."

Solomon took her task of submitting Sea Cliff, NY structures to be placed on the National Register seriously, as she does with her battles to preserve all historic structures. She delved into researching the era and its importance. These structures continue to teach us as "lived in" museums. With Nancy's hard work Sea Cliff has gained another home recognized by New York state as well as the National Registry as being Historic.

Sea Cliff Lives Among Famed Gold Coast

The legendary Gold Coast communities of the North Shore of Long Island is home to the cozy village of Sea Cliff. The rich history of the Gold Coast has been recorded in many novels from the Great Gatsby to just about any Nelson Demille novel. The quaint village is recognized for its historic architecture, with more homes and buildings built before 1940 than any other Long Island Nassau County community.

Sea Cliff is well known as a Victorian Village enclave with its many Victorian, Queen Anne, and Gothic style architecture. After spending most of my life in Sea Cliff I am proud to of had the chance to be the owner of my own piece of Sea Cliff's historical architecture and restore it back to its original beauty. When I purchased the Harding House it was in need of much loving care. This was truly a labor of love that I took on to restore its splendor. I did much of the hard restoration work myself dancing my way through with my own two hands. Respecting the history and beauty is the key to a successful restoration.

Advertisement



Photo by Carol Ruth Weber

I bought the home in 1994 when it was a rundown covered up shell of its original self. Asbestos type shingles covered much of the original architecture that was to be surprisingly unveiled when I finally had the ugliness removed. Also missing was the beautiful front porch leaving a front door opening to nowhere. As I nurtured my house back to life I also nurtured my own family. My daughter was born, grew and gained beauty as our home did too.
It is the rare sermon that has a shelf life much past Sunday dinner.

But one that still stands out for humility scholar Peter Hill of Biola University and other members of his Southern California church is when their pastor first stepped up to the pulpit two years ago.

The new clergy leader spent the first half of the sermon identifying his weaknesses and areas where the church can minister to him.

What made this humble gesture remarkable is that it is not always easy for clergy to admit their human sides. They worry that they will be judged less fit to guide the congregation. They often feel compelled to live up to unrealistic standards of spiritual perfection.

Advertisement

But several studies suggest it may be helpful for pastors to recognize their own human needs and shortcomings even as they attempt to be a personal model of holiness.

For one, new research indicates people value pastors who are approachable, and share their humanity in a way that gives hope to others struggling to live up their faith.

Perhaps of greater concern, however, is the debilitating toll the pursuit of spiritual perfection can take on the health of clergy.

In a separate, in-depth study of 12 priests, participants reported that they felt pressure to be models of the divine. They also said that they and many of their colleagues would only seek mental health assistance as a last resort.

Advertisement

Alone in the crowd

Clergy can face outsized expectations, from both members of their flocks and themselves, to be on-call 24-7 in often emotionally stressful situations. There is usually little time to separate their professional role from their personal needs.

But setting themselves too far apart from non-clergy can be unhealthy.

A sense of social isolation was one of the strongest predictors of symptoms of depression, anxiety and emotional exhaustion, according to one study analyzing data from nearly 1,500 United Methodist clergy.

In the study of 12 diocesan priests ages 32 to 75 in Poland, clergy who had been told from their seminary days that they were the "chosen from among the chosen" felt they had to be models of virtue beyond reproach in their daily lives.

And that is a great, almost unbearable burden, priests reported.

"A priest should just eat, breathe, celebrate Holy Mass, listen to confessions, and pray. He does not have the right to drink beer, socialize, or take a walk with a woman. I once walked with my sister through a village and could hear people bad-mouth," one priest said.

Another revealed, "Priests make a decision to be alone, but are often unaware of the consequences. Life goes by and brings disappointments . . . I meet people during the day, but when I come home in the evening, and sit down . . . then I realize this emptiness. I miss contact with another person. There is no one to talk to. I don't think I will ever be able to tame this loneliness."

Advertisement

Yet even as they realized their mental health needs, the priests were reluctant to seek help, concerned that seeking outside assistance would reflect poorly on the church and themselves.

"You become ashamed and see yourself as a loser," one cleric said.

In discussing the implications of their study, researchers from the psychology faculty at the University of Social Sciences & Humanities in Katowice suggested:

Starting at the seminaries, future priests should be encouraged to build friendships that would help them open up and share their hopes and concerns. Seminaries also should have psychological workshops where seeking help is encouraged.

Priests should be encouraged to establish their own networks of social support and to use professional services when needed. Seeking mental health care "should be promoted as an intelligent way of self-care and not the last resort, when problems or symptoms might be overwhelming and beyond control."

Counselors and psychotherapists treating priests should develop an awareness of the issues facing clergy, including understanding the cleric's background, work environment, established networks, and obligations.

What many clergy may find is that being open and honest about their limitations benefits both themselves and their communities.

Mere humanity

The United Methodist study found that, indeed, social isolation could be debilitating. But clergy who served flocks that supported them in their times of need and let their pastors know how much they mean to them were much more likely to be satisfied in their ministry and have a higher quality of life.

Advertisement

And a new study of megachurch pastors finds that many laypeople appreciate pastors who are approachable and willing to share their own flaws.

Researchers from West Virginia University and the University of Washington analyzing data from 282 attendees in 12 megachurches found that people in the pews valued both the extraordinary and ordinary qualities of their senior pastors.

Many respondents said it was important that the senior pastor does not speak down to them, treats others as equals and is willing to share personal flaws.

One lay leader said when the senior pastor behaves in ways he should not, "he steps back and submits to the Lord. And that just really garners a lot of respect from us. ... He's very self-aware of how he's wired and (his) limitations."

Another lay leader said their pastor "will be the first one to stand up and say where he's wrong from the pulpit. I mean that's always impressed me."

Advertisement

Pastors being willing to share their human side may in turn benefit congregation members, research suggests.



Several studies in areas from mental health to addiction have urged clergy counselors to help people who face debilitating fears of sin and divine judgment become more aware of aspects of their faith regarding God's love, mercy and capacity for forgiveness.

Having the pastor herself or himself admit weakness can be a particularly effective teaching moment.

"I don't think there is a more powerful gift they can give to their congregations than admit their own limitations," Biola's Hill said.

And perhaps not a more valuable gift clergy can give to themselves.
Donald Trump's inaugural address was a disgraceful extension of the deceptive sales pitch he used to get elected.

Trump repeated his campaign promise to stand up for the forgotten working Americans, to fight the establishment, and drain the Washington swamp of corruption.

But Trump already is breaking that promise by filling his Administration with out-of-touch billionaires, Goldman Sachs executives, and Washington lobbyists who put the profits of large corporations over good wages and health care, public schools, civil rights, and fairness for consumers.

Advertisement

And Trump's refusal to divest from his businesses and to disclose his tax returns, and his repeated claim that he has every legal right to continue making private business deals as president, suggest his unwillingness to separate public office from private gain -- creating a real risk of turning America into a kleptocracy.

It also was a terrible abdication of responsibility for Trump to say nothing about the urgent threat of climate change. Worse, his appointments suggest he will do nothing about it, either.

Trump's promise of "America First" rang hollow, given his appointment as Secretary of State of Rex Tillerson, who has for decades put the interests of his multinational oil company, Exxon Mobil, above America's, while collaborating with Trump's favorite dictator, Vladimir Putin.

Trump's action-hero declaration that "this American carnage stops, right here and stops right now" was also empty, because violence in America did not stop when he said it. His new White House website trumpets "law and order" but does not even mention police shootings of unarmed civilians and rejects limits on the proliferation of guns.

Advertisement

While Trump went through the motions of calling for a healing of divisions, it was an empty exhortation. Trump could have begun to heal the divides by including a Muslim Imam among religious leaders speaking at the inauguration. He did not, even though there are three million US Muslims. Instead Trump's only mention of Muslims in the speech was his pledge to attack "radical Islamic terrorism."

And Trump pointedly repeated the "all talk and no action" language he used just six days ago to attack the congressman and revered civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis.

He showed no humility, and accepted no responsibility for his attacks on women, Muslims, Latinos, the disabled, and others during the campaign. And he said nothing about Hillary Clinton, who sat nearby.
For those of us who advocate for justice in the American criminal and juvenile justice system, the last eight years have been nothing if not interesting, exciting...and frustrating.

The collision of a general fiscal crisis at all levels of government, and America's exploding and ineffective prison system created a perfect storm for unlikely partnerships between justice reform advocates and fiscal conservative, who through the years successfully linked government overspending to ineffective and expensive "tough on crime" and "lock'em up" policies. Advocates rightfully argued that despite the more than $70 billion annual spending on the prison system, and regardless that the U.S. has more than 2.3 million people behind bars (making it the #1 incarcerator in the world), in comparison, the country has not seen the level of increase in public safety. And though there has been a steady, general decline in the crime rate, the colossal investment in our prison system has not truly paid off in return.

Advertisement

Together, this new left-right coalition achieved unprecedented progress in reducing prison populations through sentencing reform measures and reforming drug laws across the country. Because of these efforts, in 2011 for the first time in the state's history, Texas closed one of its prisons. California passed several measures, including policies to reclassify some nonviolent offenses and reduced prison overcrowding by more than 30,000. Georgia has seen a decrease in prison commitments by 16% between 2009 - 2015 through passage of transformative corrections reforms in both the adult and juvenile systems. And even on the federal level, sweeping reforms for nonviolent offenses were implemented, and the 1,715 granted commutations by President Obama is the largest by any U.S. President, more than the last 12 presidents combined.

All of this has been exciting - something many of us never imagined we would witness in our lifetime. The stars aligned and with hard work, organizing, and planning by countless advocates we began to turn back the tragic trend of America's mass incarceration crisis.

Despite these victories, there has also been much frustration and plenty of mistakes.

To achieve these wins, many in the justice advocacy space publicly gave up the fight to end racism in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Though it was a familiar and well-used talking point, substantive measures to truly strike at racism at its core were missing. The focus became working to reclassifying low-level, nonviolent drug offenses, on supporting the reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals, on providing better programming inside prisons. All worthy and important in their own right. But, to keep the friendship of unlikely conservative allies, many advocates shied away from the fight to end racial profiling and institutional racism. They shied away from discussing American prisons as oppressive systems that are built to break and dehumanize people. And though I am sure they never stopped believing these to be the foundations of our systemic problems with the justice system, publicly they backed down.

Advertisement

But true allies should work with us on issues where our views converge, agree to disagree and take opposing sides when there are divergent beliefs. Yet when justice advocates intentionally decide not to publicly discuss racial discrimination and profiling to not lose the support of police unions for reforming low level drug laws (true story) - that stance lacks the integrity that this fight so greatly needs at its core. Moreover, it damages our efforts in the long run. Decreased and alternative sentences for drug addiction and non-violent drug crimes will never translate into ending systemic racism.

While some of our advocates were trying to not upset conservative allies with these "uncomfortable" and complicated issues, conservatives were busy continuing to unabashedly push their own agenda. As they should. It is the path that we should have also taken. Allies who leave you because you may disagree with them on some issues are not true allies.

We felt the depth of these missteps when we were grappling to wrap our heads around yet another incident of police violence or shooting of an unarmed Black man. The so many times we saw mothers, fathers, and family members weeping and mourning the loss of their loved ones at the hands of police officers who are sworn to protect and serve all of us. When we looked on as a school resource officer violently threw a young Black girl on the floor in the classroom, or when another young Black girl was thrown to the ground by police at a pool party last summer.

I feel the impact of this mistake every time I visit a prison and look on the sea of Black and brown faces who are disproportionately targeted, arrested, sentenced and locked up for crimes committed at the same rate by all racial and ethnic groups.

Advertisement

After the election, I was on a conference call with Linda Sarsour, co-chair for the 2017 Women's March on Washington, and the Co-Founder/CEO of MPower Change and ED of the Arab American Association of New York - a decades long advocate for justice. I was inspired by her words correctly labeling the incoming administration and its supporters as the opposition. She indicated that the strategy is not to sit down and negotiate with the new powers that be in Washington. The strategy is one that correctly identifies them as the opposing force, and not a potential group of allies.

That should be the strategy going forward - a carefully planned disengagement with and divestment from the institutions and officials that continue to wreaked havoc in our communities. And it starts with refusing to sit down with allies who will turn their backs on us if our agenda includes working towards things with which they don't agree.

Though not the same exact context, there are lessons to be learned from the protest divestment to end apartheid in South Africa. At first it seemed too complicated, almost impossible to get stockholders and corporations to divest from doing business in and with South Africa. But under public pressure, colleges, universities and other bodies slowly began financially divesting from the South African economy, helping raise awareness, bring global attention to the issue, and lead to over $1 billion dollars in loss of American investment. This strategy played an important role in finally helping end official South African apartheid.

In the same way, we need courageous advocates and our allies (conservative, liberal, left, right progressive and otherwise) to divest and disengage from official bodies and elected officials who have come to power on a platform of fear mongering, racism, sexism, oppression of racial minorities, and bashing of immigrants and refugees. The only engagement should focus on pressuring elected representatives to act justly on our issues, or risk being voted out of office.

I personally believe and hope that others consider this position as well: that Donald Trump and his entire administration be negated and not validated by American citizens and residents opposed to his presidency and the practices and tenets on which he campaigned. I reject and am shocked by the notion that some advocates and colleagues in the justice advocacy space are expressing, "Give him a chance...." No. Progressive social justice and advocacy does not under any interpretation include giving racism, sexism and elitism "a chance".

Advertisement

~~~
Lei Aixia, a 49-year-old woman living in Baoji, Shaanxi province with her disabled son, donated the organs of her recently deceased husband to three patients, in order to reciprocate the kindness she has known from people of all walks of life.

Leis son was paralyzed in a car accident six years ago. With the support of the government and help from kind citizens, she moved her family into a house with inexpensive rent, and her son began to receive an allowance of 170 RMB each month. In addition, the local Disabled Persons' Federation provided her son with a rehabilitation bed and a wheelchair.

On Dec. 11, 2016, another misfortune struck the family: Leis husband, Zhang Yongzhou, suffered severe trauma to his head, again during a car accident, and was later declared brain dead. After asking her husband's siblings for permission, Lei decided to donate Zhangs organs to other patients in dire need.

The three patients who accepted the organ transplants have already recovered, which has offered Lei a measure of relief. The experience has also inspired Leis son to become an organ donor, because he wants to reciprocate the kindness so many people have shown to him.
No, I am not talking about the Mrs. Robinson of the 1967 film The Graduate. I am talking about a far better role model. No matter what our political views, we can all admire and celebrate the grandmother-in-chief, Marian Lois Robinson, the Chicago south side mother who made sure her bright and talented children went to the best schools, enabling them to fulfill their potential. She is Michelle Obama's mother, Barack Obama's mother-in-law, and grandmother of Malia and Sasha. She is the First Grandmother of the nation. Like millions of other grandmothers in this country, she flew in for the family crises to ensure that her granddaughters received the love, support and discipline required to succeed. She freed her children, Michelle and Barack, to be available to the nation. She wiped her granddaughters' tears, helped with homework, and put in perspective the ways their parents were demonized as devils and honored as gods. For the past eight years, she has been ever-present though hidden from our view, a steady source of love and discipline for her granddaughters.



In one sense she is an ordinary grandmother. Millions of grandmothers are supporting the American economy by giving their adult children the freedom to provide for their families while knowing that their youngsters are in good hands. Some cover when work hours change or daycare centers close. Others provide occasional respite care. Many step in when illness or drugs claim the parents. Their stint is far longer than a mere eight years. Grandmothers all over this nation are taking care of children.



Without the work of grandmothers, our economy would falter. So let's take a moment to honor not only the First Grandmother, but to honor the work of all the grandparents in this nation who are not lying fallow, but continue to allow children to thrive.



The office of president is filled with constitutional responsibilities. It also provides a bully pulpit, that is, a figurative megaphone for influencing the thinking of Americans. Equally important, and barely recognized, is the role it plays in demonstrating our changing national values.

In Hillary's time, the country was grappling with expanding the role of women. Now we are struggling to make fathers equal in the parenting process. The Obamas have shown the importance of paying attention to children, as well as demonstrating how extended family members reinforce the nuclear family. Social networks help children.



Thank you, Mrs. Robinson, for being a role model for all of us grandparents and for allowing our leaders to focus on doing their job while not sacrificing the well-being and security of their offspring. As a nation and as individuals, we must thank you and by proxy all the grandmothers in this nation who provide incalculable services to their grandchildren. You provided the work of cheerleading and encouragement. You are indeed someone we all want to emulate. You are family values personified.



While we are thanking grandmothers, I'm sure you won't mind if we give a shout out to Madelyn Payne Dunham, the President's grandmother, who raised him. When he was born of a Kenyan father and a Kansan mother, his grandparents embraced their grandson with unconditional love, total acceptance, and unswerving dedication. Imagine eight years in the White House without one scandal! Now that's the result of good parenting!
Tired of misogynist doggerel being passed off as inaugural poetry? Not ready to "come out for the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod"? Have we got the poem for you...

Drop trou for the Douchebag, ye white men and yobs,

Bend over for Trump, who promised ye jobs!

With bluster and lies he came down from his tower

To give this poor country a golden hot shower.

Now the cry has gone up with a cheer from the Klan:

"Hurrah for the Douchebag that walks like a man!"

When pussies run riot and none dare approach 'em,

Snatch-grabber-in-chief will step forward and grope 'em

Advertisement

We'll don our white sheets and flash a bright smile,

At the man whom America will flash a "Sieg hell!

For, he'll never forget us, we men of white pride,

Who think equal rights will bring white genocide.

When access to health care threatened our nation,

And Planned Parenthood gave free sex education,

As Muslims from Kenya crossed our fair waters,

While Mexican rapists assaulted our daughters

The flyover rednecks with expressions so sour

Entrusted a con man with ultimate power!

The Douchebag's a rapist while others just leer,

Mere cucks who neglect their male rights out of fear.

A buyer of buildings, never paying his men,

He bankrupts his business and starts up again.

The racists rise up and cheer for his cause,

Laughing with glee while he scoffs still more laws.

Advertisement

No friend to the migrant from both far and near,

He slanders the worthy, and revels in fear,

No melanin darker than whitebread is welcome,

They're Muslim or Arab -- no need to help 'em!

The Stormfront is ready with lots of fake news

To wrest our fair country from Kenyans and Jews!

No college for us, what need of book learnin'

With so many crosses out there that need burnin'?

We'll get rid of tenure, shut down lefty classes,

Make history just for the blessed white masses

Now we closed of mind shall all pledge our belief,

In the might of the Douchebag, our Fuhrer in chief!

The black men, gunned down by cops year by year,

The poor men, the sick men, the trans and the queer,

Those people, the ones with the pussies and tits,

You know, they're nasty, they pee when they sit?

What's they're name? I forget. What're the odds?

Oh, right, it's the babes, it's the chicks, it's the broads!

The Douchebag respects them, defends them with might!

If only they'd shut up and vote for Alt-Right!

Advertisement
"This is worse than Afghanistan," Emmy-winner Mike Boettcher told me Thursday as he helped me pack the last of my equipment.

I left Oklahoma City yesterday morning, headed for St. Helena Island, South Atlantic Ocean: One of the most isolated places on earth.

I won't arrive on the island until the 29th: That's ten days of travel. Flights from Oklahoma City to Washington D.C., Washington D.C. to Frankfurt; Frankfurt to Cape Town. Then, from Cape Town, I'll board the RMS St. Helena, which will take me on a five-day, cellphone and internet-less voyage to the tiny British Overseas Territory, which is still only accessible by ship.

Advertisement

Although my parents are British, I've grown up in the U.S. I'm used to wifi being readily available and not being sold by the megabyte. I'm used to having a cellphone I can text and call from cheaply. I'm used to there being land within 800 miles in at least one direction around me and I'm used to not experiencing water shortages. I'm used to stores being open every day of the week, I'm used to using credit cards and watching Netflix rather than DVDs or VHS. And, as a journalist, I'm used to being able to fix and replace equipment, to order things online and to call colleagues for help during technology malfunctions. (At least in Afghanistan, Mike said, he could take a flight out at any point, and could get UPS to deliver.)

Yesterday, I left all those luxuries behind. I left my house at 6:00 a.m. for the airport. Eleven hours later, I was sitting in Dulles Airport, surrounded by inaguration garb. Today, I'm sitting drinking German beer in the Frankfurt airport as I watch Trump's inauguration. In 13 hours, I'll land in Cape Town.

I have one suitcase and one carry-on to get me through these next six months on this isolated island: I'm nervous, I'm already missing my crazy dog and I've only gotten eight hours of sleep in the last three days.

But I'm also excited.

St. Helena is one of the most isolated places on earth - and is currently one of the most interesting. But the length and cost of travel to and from the island means journalists rarely report on the island: It is one of the few places on earth about which there is still very little on the internet.

Advertisement

Sarah Pitts and I are going to St. Helena to fill the reporting void that exists there. We will be exploring a wealth of topics, such as:

- The introduction of cell phones and an airport to the island

- The 'dark skies' viewing on the island

- Production of the world's third-most-expensive coffee beans

- The things St. Helena has to offer tourists, and how the island is promoting tourism

- The rich sea life around the island
Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih attends the World Economic Forum in Davos, Thursday. (Reuters)DAVOS, Switzerland: Saudi Arabia aims to become a "major exporter" of renewable energy, its energy minister has revealed.

Khalid Al-Falih said there are plans to allow for the export of cleanly produced electricity to Europe.

"If the region gets connected to Europe for example, then solar (power) that is produced in Saudi Arabia can be exported all the way to Europe through a network," he told Arab News on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.

Advertisement

"When it's sunny in the region, it's dark and cloudy sometimes in Europe... So we can be a major exporter."

Such an electricity supply could be routed through Egypt, and there were "projects underway" to support this, Al-Falih said.

Al-Falih said on Monday that Saudi Arabia is to launch a renewable energy program that is expected to involve investment of between $30 billion and $50 billion by 2023.

Riyadh plans to start the first round of bidding for projects under the program, which would produce 10 gigawatts of power.

Advertisement

Aside from the domestic consumption of electricity, Al-Falih said there was an opportunity to sell both power derived from "green" methods and the materials used to produce renewable energy, like solar panels or wind turbines.

"We will export the power itself, we will export the components and services," he said.

Saudi Arabia is attempting to diversify its economy after it was hit hard by the oil-price crash.

An OPEC deal saw an oil production cut come into force at the beginning of this year, something Al-Falih indicated was being adhered to.

"Everybody I talk to is not only committing, some of them have actually told me that they have exceeded their commitments," he said.

He would not speculate on how the oil price would look later this year, but said the current figure includes "an element of uncertainty" about compliance with the Opec production cut deal.

"I tend to think that uncertainty is misplaced," Al-Falih said. "Once you remove that, with data coming in the weeks to come, you can only imagine where the price will go."

Advertisement
The presidency of Donald Trump is merely accentuating the gradual loss of interest by the United States in the European Union and Europe that had already begun with the end of the Cold War and accelerated with the 9/11 terrorist attacks and subsequent American-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Although the European Union remains the largest trading partner of the United States with an annual trade volume of $699 billion and with almost 80,000 U.S. military personnel still stationed in Europe, the focus of Washington, after a decade-long interlude in the Middle East, has shifted to the Asia-Pacific region. This is not likely to change under a President Trump.

The 45th President of the United States will likely pay little attention to the European Union and Europe as he struggles to fulfill his campaign promises of swiftly defeating ISIS, implementing domestic health care reforms, and enforcing new nationalist and protectionist trade policies. Given Trump's inattention, compounded by an overall decline in U.S. relative power and the gradual establishment of a more multipolar world order, Europe will increasingly have to fend for itself over the next four years.

Advertisement

While cooperation in the field of counterterrorism and intelligence will likely remain robust, Donald Trump's new policies will have a number of consequences in the security realm for Europe over the next four years.

First, Europe and the European Union will increase defense spending and look for defense arrangements outside the U.S.-dominated North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) over the next four years. One sign for this is the launch of a so-called Permanent Structured Cooperation on defense spending and projects among a number of EU member states slated for March 2017. With the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, bilateral defense arrangements in Europe may also gain more prominence in the years ahead. Europeans will also begin a serious discussion on the establishment of a European nuclear umbrella--a particularly politically sensitive subject for Europe's most powerful country: Germany.

Second, European countries, while increasing defense spending, will also seek a new less confrontational modus operandi with Russia, the principle state-based military threat to Europe. Consequently, it is unlikely that economic sanctions imposed following the unilateral Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 will continue given President Trump's likely rapprochement with Vladimir Putin. As a result, pressure inside the EU, presumably spearheaded by Germany, will increase to lift the sanctions. (Particularly, since, according to some studies, sanctions negatively impacted employment across the EU.) A new relationship with Russia will entail tacitly accepting that Eastern Ukraine falls under Russia's sphere of influence and that Kiev's aspiration to join the EU will not succeed in the near term.

Advertisement
I write on Inauguration Day in the United States of America, a national occasion on which we, the citizenry, watch the peaceful transfer of power to lead the nation from one president to the next. We will be accompanied in that exercise by current President and First Lady Barack H. Obama and Michelle L. Obama and former Presidents and First Ladies James E. "Jimmy" Carter and E. Rosalynn Carter, William J. "Bill" Clinton and Hillary R. Clinton and George W. and Laura L. Bush.

As I thought about writing, I found myself focused on this concept of the peaceful transfer of power that is a hallmark of our centuries of history, and I can say unequivocally how powerful a feature of our democracy it is to me. I recalled the experience I had with my family when we served as Peace Corps Volunteers in the Republic of the Philippines. When we arrived in country, President Ferdinand Marcos was in his second four-year term, having been elected in 1965 and reelected in 1969. On September 21, 1972, with a forthcoming presidential election and growing political unrest across the country, Marcos declared martial law, suspending civil rights and establishing military control over the nation, and seized control of the media. We awoke that day to empty streets, and daylong television consisting only of cartoons. Eerie days followed, as we respectfully tried to understand what it meant to live in a country in which we were guests, not citizens, under martial law.

Advertisement

We left the Philippines long before martial law was lifted in 1981, but watched with the world in 1983 as Marcos' leading contender for the presidency, Benigno Aquino, returned to the Philippines after self-exile in the United States, only to be murdered as he came off the plane in Manila. Finally, Aquino's wife, Corazon, became president in 1986, with the Marcos family exiled to the United States, a plan that allowed the Philippines to avoid the bloodshed long envisioned as a solution to the reign of Marcos. The country's constitution now precludes a repeat of this governmental disaster.

This important historical event demonstrates to me that politics is a high-stakes endeavor, and that elections are very important because they have significant consequences. While we have a firm history of the peaceful transfer of power here in the United States to rely on, we still find ourselves in a time described by all quarters as unprecedented--both the election itself and the run up to the inauguration.

Regardless of which candidate we supported, we all have been experiencing national division on many fronts, indicating widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo. There are sorrows we share, such as the torture of a disabled man at the hands of four assailants in Chicago, or the death of a policewoman in Orlando in the midst of arresting a dangerous escapee, or brutal police arrests. There are many of us who worry about the plight of immigrants, criminal justice reform, global warming, and the strengthening of our educational system. Meanwhile, many Americans are struggling to get a good job back after years of underemployment, or to own a home once again after the foreclosure losses suffered during the Great Recession.

Can this dissatisfaction change for the betterment of all Americans, without bringing about the continued feelings that some Americans are winners and some Americans are losers, and that is just the way it is in this country? Or, can we come together, pooling our passions and energies to work for a more just America?

Advertisement

It is my hope that we can see in our history that most elections are divisive, so the peaceful transfer of power must be the turning point toward greater collaboration and recognition of the needs of all of the people, not an opportunity for continued adversarial public discourse. Let us adopt the encouragement of Alexandre Dumas--"All for one and one for all, united we stand, divided we fall."

In his farewell address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower called upon Americans to be an educated and involved citizenry, committed to understanding and monitoring the large military-industrial, and yes, congressional, complex that we have inherited. And in his inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy exhorted all Americans to "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
This article was originally posted on Inverse.

By James Grebey

Donald Trump is going to be the President of the United States. But if oddsmakers are right, there's a 50-50 chance that he won't hold the office for that long. At 4 p.m. Eastern on January 11, the British gambling company Ladbrokes said odds are even that Trump will be impeached or resign before his first term ends. By 5 p.m. the odds had risen even more, to 11-10.

On January 19, Trump's odds of leaving office before his first term had dropped back down to even.

The odds are part of a group of "Donald Trump Specials" offered by Ladbrokes, including a 2-1 bet that he won't be reelected in 2020 and a 5-4 bet that he'll visit Russia by the end of the year. Now, gambling odds aren't exactly reliable predictive science -- they're pretty far from it, in a lot of cases -- but there's lots of reason to think that a bet against Trump finishing his first term is a pretty good bet.

Since the original odds went up, Ladbrokes has added a new suite of bets. Gamblers can now wager on which year Trump will leave office. Options include 2021, which is when he would leave if he loses the 2020 election, and terrifyingly, "2025 or later" -- emphasis ours.

Advertisement

The Constitution states that "Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors" are grounds for impeachment. In reality, impeachment is a highly political weapon since Congress defines what a "High Crime and Misdemeanor" is. Heck, if the opposing party is mad enough and has enough power, a blow job is an impeachable offense (if you lie about it in court, that is). Only two presidents, Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson, have been impeached, though Richard Nixon surely would've been had he not resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal. For Trump to actually be impeached, the highly Republican House of Representatives would have to initiate the process. Here are some of the reasons why they could, perhaps, impeach Trump.



The odds as of 5 p.m. EST.

If some of the allegations in the recently published leaked memo about possible Russian blackmail material over Trump are true, that would be an impeachable offense. No, not the golden shower part (Article One isn't out to kink-shame), but the treason part. If Trump is proven to have been in contact with the Russian government, and is letting Vladimir Putin overtly shape American policy, that could be reason for him to get the boot.

Trump's lawyers say that he, as the president, is legally protected from having conflicts of interest. This is different from not having conflicts of interest in the first place. Although Trump gave his two sons control of his business (which is not at all the same as placing assets in a blind trust), there's still a lot of potential for shady activity. Trump says he'll donate any money when foreign representatives stay at a Trump hotel to the U.S. Treasury, but that could still be perceived as a bribe. They're staying at a Trump hotel to curry favor with the president.

Trump could accidentally divulge confidential information to his family -- or, Christ, to the whole world in a 3 a.m. tweet. Such a wanton breach of national security could be viewed as grounds for impeachment.

Advertisement

Or, he could lie under oath about literally anything.

The president-elect could also sexually assault somebody. It wouldn't be the first time he's done so, allegedly.



Donald Trump eats a pork chop.

Again, impeachment would be all on the Republican-controlled House, so it seems unlikely that they're going to want to impeach Trump. That said, you can place an even money bet that he won't finish out the term over at Ladbrokes right now. Maybe he'll just get bored and quit. Stranger things have happened, and you'd still get the money.

Photos via Ladbrokes, Getty Images / Win McNamee, Getty Images

MORE FROM INVERSE:
2016 may prove to be one of the most pivotal years in advertising history, and 2017 the most important. We will look back upon transparency issues, data miscalculations, over-the-top video advances, mergers & acquisitions, and economic fluctuations as by-products of a transformational shift in media business models that is being led, somewhat shockingly, by leading media agencies.

Based on 18 in-depth conversations I recently video-taped with leaders of these agencies, I believe 2016 may come to be viewed as the year when our industry began its most massive shift in business models since 1877, when a bookkeeper for a small ad agency named J. Walter Thompson acquired the agency, changed its name, began packaging newspaper advertising along with creative services, and negotiated a 15% "agency" commission from the newspapers. By 1889, 80 percent of the advertising in the United States was placed through J. Walter Thompson, according to Wikipedia. Still today, even with the separation of creative and media, the dramatic expansion and fragmentation of media options, and the introduction of a wide array of client-agency-media compensation models, the 15% commission remains an embedded fixture in media transactions and the buyer/seller business relationship between advertising agencies and media vendors is fundamentally no different than it was more than a century ago.

Advertisement

The goal of most media advertising has always been simply to generate awareness and consideration of the advertised product or service, known as the top of the purchase funnel. Although many believe the responsibility of advertising and media is to drive sales, the reality is that media is compensated to generate targeted audience impressions, and media buyers are responsible for purchasing these impressions at the most cost efficient prices. Marketers' "below-the-line" -- aka trade and shopper marketing - budgets, which typically represent 60% to 90% of the average marketing communications budget, have been responsible for driving purchase decisions. These above-and-below-the-line budgets are typically disconnected from each other, with different management, agencies and metrics.

In the past few years, data and analytics have become increasingly sophisticated in connecting advertising impressions to the actual purchase, or at least to defined key performance indices (KPIs) other than impressions. As media agency profit-margins have spiraled downward, agency leaders have been required to identify new business models, and they are on a path that is literally turning the industry - and the purchase funnel -- upside down.

One of the biggest and most exciting surprises I've had in my more than 40 years working in, studying, and reporting on the media and advertising business is how prepared and responsive many media agency executives are for the looming transformation of media industry business models and how unprepared most media sellers are. While media publishers and content producers are investing in a tech and data-centric future, they also accept and continue to operate in a business based on delivery of impressions at cost efficient prices. With few exceptions, they are failing to comprehend, develop, test or implement innovative future-facing business models that will enable them to optimize their long-term value and profitability as traditional models collapse.

Yes, the largest media conglomerates are repackaging their inventory, identifying new value propositions, investing in data sciences, expanding their tech footprints, and adding innovative new services that enhance their offerings. Most of these are short-term solutions that do not address the need to define, develop and implement the new business models that media companies will need for long-term success. Media companies continue to rely on traditional metrics and currencies, and will continue to empower media agencies to control the buyer/seller transaction on legacy terms and conditions. While agencies invest in and implement new systems and structures to better serve the reversed purchase-funnel needs and interests of their clients, most media companies will remain vendors rather than partners; suppliers of cost-per-thousand based impressions rather than strategic investors in profitable new business models.

Advertisement
From January 16, 2017 through January 19, 2017, I attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. The theme was "Responsive and Responsible Leadership" -- a very timely and much needed topic that created a compelling dialogue among a diverse group of attendees including heads of state, business leaders, celebrities, and media to name a few.

I had the opportunity to join Ogilvy client, CFA Institute CEO and president, Paul Smith, who was attending WEF for the first time. As CFA Institute seeks to lead the investment profession globally by promoting the highest standards of ethics, education and professional excellence, for the ultimate benefit of society, there was clear alignment between its mission and many of the issues of the day at Davos.

Below Paul and I discuss his experience at Davos and the key themes on this year's agenda from immigration and globalization to gender equality and responsible leadership.

Advertisement

JEN: Can you describe your first experience at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting?

It is hard to imagine such an impressive concentration of business leaders, politicians, academics, press and pundits all together in one place until you actually see it for yourself. As a Davos neophyte, I was not sure whether the reality would live up to the hype. I am surprised to say that, for the most part, it does. From early in the morning until well into the night, fascinating conversations, discussions and debates are taking place on topics ranging from the future of banking to the future of the planet.

JEN: What were some of the key issues debated at WEF?

Clearly, there is no shortage of pressing macro issues with which to grapple. The world as we thought we knew it has been upended, with politically assertive China pushing for free trade and globalization whilst the U.S. is appearing to retreat toward isolationism.

Controlled immigration, meanwhile, is now in the ascendency in Europe and elsewhere. However, restricting the free movement of economic migrants, while seeking to repatriate their jobs to wealthy countries is an unsustainable mix of policies. We cannot further impoverish the poor who are seeking to protect their economic situation (or their religious freedom). It is a global issue that cannot, unfortunately, be reconciled over a cup of hot cocoa in a Swiss chalet. But we must think this through or the societal fallout will be significant.

Still, in what has been a discordant year for many of our institutions, it was a rather unexpected and welcome respite to observe Davos delegates engage one another over the big questions of our age, often in an effort to connect what they do back to how it might benefit of society as a whole.

Advertisement

While I have emerged from this immersion in idea interchange optimistic about the future, I cannot help wondering if the liberal establishment has fully reconciled itself to the new world order.

JEN: The issue of gender representation at WEF has been a topic of debate for the past several years. What was your perspective?

It was disappointing to see how male dominated Davos seemed. While I attended two designated 'women's empowerment' events, there was a glaring lack of women participants. If there is an upside to that it is the stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done in the area of diversity.

JEN: Men have historically dominated the financial industry. Is this still the case?

A 2015 Morningstar study found that less than 10% of all U.S. fund managers are women. Males, on the other hand, manage about 74% of mutual fund assets. Harvard Business School has done research showing that women comprise no more than 23% of all employees working in private equity and venture capital. And in 2016 CFA Institute conducted the largest ever study of investment professionals on gender diversity as part of our Women in Investment Management Initiative. The research shows that cognitive diversity improves group performance so firms can help themselves by working to remedy this and this is what we are urging them to do.

JEN: What did you think of this year's theme of "Responsive and Responsible Leadership"?

It may sound lofty but the motto aptly reflects the mood there. People really are thinking through how the interests of society can be served by institutions which are not exactly synonymous with altruism putting the interests of others before their own. If there is a unifying objective among the various voices and agendas here it would seem to be this: we must try our best to ensure that the financial industry ultimately does help everyone in society, from the smallest individual saver to the largest sovereign wealth fund.

Advertisement

JEN: How does CFA Institute demonstrate "responsible leadership?"

Responsible leadership is a theme we at CFA Institute have placed at the center of our agenda for the past several years. And I think it worth noting the unique voice we can bring to this conversation. CFA Institute is a professional organization, not a trade association. The role of a professional body is to act in the service of others before oneself. So we have a clear focus on speaking up for investor protection and free, fair and transparent markets that serve ALL participants, including the end investors.
This Saturday, hundreds of thousands are expected to join marches in support of women's rights in Washington, D.C. and other cities. Many of those who will march are concerned that hard-won progress toward gender equity may be eroded and that much of the implicit gender bias that women experience will revert to blatant and explicit sexism. These concerns are shared by conservatives and liberals alike and are magnified for women whose national, ethnic, religious and other identities are also routinely subjected to bigotry.

The marches provide an opportunity to, as the organizers put it, "send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office and to the world that women's rights are human rights." But we need to continue to take action in the months and years ahead to rebuild, protect, and extend gender equity.

Here are some actions that all who share this commitment can take:

1. Build education, skills and experiences. Women can't just demand opportunities; we need to earn them. We need to protect our rights to the education and experiences we need to be successful. We want women to be in positions to innovate and lead because they are the best prepared for the role they seek. Invest as much as you can in the development of women's abilities - your own, your daughters', your friends', your mothers', your co-workers.

Advertisement

2. Create environments that foster high expectations for success and reduce bias. It can be powerful for girls and women to experience environments where bias cannot operate, where their voices are heard, where their success is assumed and where they are shown that all paths are open and encouraged (including those where women are under-represented). We can look to single-sex education to see ways to foster women's success and create those in our own families, communities and workplaces. We need to assume that women can and will be successful, we need to notice bias and remove it from our processes, and we need to empower women to pursue all available opportunities.

3. Take notice and speak up. Acts of implicit and explicit bias occur regularly, and we must all, men and women, speak up against it rather than pass it off as normal or part of life as a woman. This is not easy: it takes courage to ask people to question their assumptions and actions and to accept that they have acted with bias. This may be particularly true when the bias is unintentional. Quietly accepting bias makes it easy for others to perpetuate it. And the burden of naming it and fighting against it should not fall only to the recipients. The responsibility falls on all of us to notice and to speak up.

4. Seek support and pull others up. No matter how hard we work, there will be rough moments ahead. Find networks of support -- including male advocates -- and pull others up. And if you are in power, bring others along. As Michelle Obama said, "People who are truly strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others together."
Tourists read books at a cave dwelling library in Mogou Village of Mengzhou City, central China's Henan Province, Jan. 19, 2017. The cave dwelling library, covering an area of about 4,000 square meters, comprises more than 50,000 volumes. It is opened to the public for free. (Xinhua/Li An)
Though Kit's body was removed promptly from Harlem's Morningside Park after he hanged himself from a tree, no one bothered for about four years to take down the neon-orange rope he used to make the noose.

Not many in the neighborhood noticed the rope over those years. Two did. They were a typical American family with two kids. The parents had jobs and mom was going to college after work to study child services. Because their New York City landlord happened to be stealing power and gas from a neighboring building, the city boarded up the Maldonado's building with no notice and all the tenants had to leave. They ended up living on the street. Their children were taken away by social services and they won't see them again until they have an address. And they can't get an address without a job. And they can't get a job until they have an address.

For six years now, Maria and Wilson Maldonado have lived under a vestibule at St. John the Divine's Cathedral, one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world, right around the corner from the noose.

Advertisement

In some ways, the Maldonados have been lucky. Someone gave them a little tent that fits into their vestibule and gives them a dry and relatively warm place to sleep. They've noticed other homeless people resorting to stealing body bags from nearby hospitals or morgues and then zip themselves into one when the weather gets life threatening.

Though Maria has an open offer to live with her sister, the sister won't let Wilson come along. Not enough room, she says. And Maria isn't going to leave her husband out in the street, in spite of their occasional stress-induced spats or shouting matches.

After five years and 10 months of living under the church, a nurse at a nearby old folks' home offered a big dose of hope, the promise of a free home upstate until they could get back on their feet. She told them to have their things ready and expect a U-Haul to pick them up "next Saturday".

It was around that time we started following Wilson and Maria's journey. It looked like an opportunity to give a face to homelessness and we wanted to know at least one homeless couple whose street saga might come to a happy end. So we jumped into the world of homelessness like anthropologists in HAZMAT suits with a Horatio J Alger complex. In other words, we were shamelessly being white liberals in America.

Advertisement

Meet the Maldonados:

We got familiar with the Maldonaros and with a couple of their neighbors. Like Henry, the drunken guy and occasional troublemaker in the next vestibule who is homeless by choice because it allows him to be an alcoholic without family pressure to cut out the booze. And Rooster, the guy who wakes up every day before the crack of dawn and makes sure everyone under the church has time to move his or her stuff before the police show up at daybreak. Seems everyone we met fell into one of three categories of need: there was no system in place to treat their substance abuse, there was no system in place to treat their psychosis, or in the Maldonado case, there was just no system in place for when shit hit a really, really big fan.

There was a little more bonding between us when Wilson showed us a gate at a nearby apartment building where empty boxes are stored until garbage day. The gate looks locked but it's not. So homeless people go in there to collect the boxes to use as shelter or makeshift mattresses. We said to Wilson it must be the "Homeless Depot" and he got a kick out of that. There have, since then, been many laughs between us. But Morningside Park, about a block away, was hard to joke about.

The Tree:

Meanwhile, for Maria and Wilson, Saturday turned into another Saturday and if a U-Haul was anywhere around, it wasn't there to pick them up.

Advertisement

Waiting for the U-Haul:

While they were waiting for that U-Haul, the church they lived under decided to evict them. They had to put their things in storage and clear out until the U-Haul showed up, so the plan was to put their belongs in Manhattan Mini Storage every morning and take out necessities each night so they could sleep on the street. While they had some savings to pay for the storage unit for a while, they were $70 short on the deposit.

Almost everyone in the neighborhood is at least vaguely aware of the "people who live in the green tent" and we wondered if we could raise the 70 bucks from them, one dollar at a time, to solve the ironic conundrum of two homeless people being evicted from a sidewalk by a church, where they lived because they were evicted from their home - because of a landlord who was stealing power from a nearby building.

An hour later:

The storage unit came in really handy because the free house clearly didn't exist and Wilson needed that leg surgery that he said a few weeks earlier "Wasn't an option right now." It came down to leg surgery being the only option.

Advertisement

Health:

For the last several months - about 13 weeks after that U-Haul was supposed to show up - Wilson has been in and out of hospital several times and had multiple operations. His blood pressure is erratic. Something is wrong with his heart. They found out he has anemia. High blood pressure. Last week they found blood clots in his leg. The only good side is that, so far, he's been able to stay out of the cold and Maria has been able sleep in the waiting room. There's a bathroom and shower there. But the hospital can't provide food for Maria. She can't buy any food for herself because - after arriving at hospital - her ATM card was stolen, hacked and the bit of money she had was cleared out of her account.

Right around Christmas Wilson was going to be discharged - maybe to make room for the holiday hospital rush? But the particularly harsh weather on the street was going to push his diabetes and blood pressure to the limit and he'd certainly be right back there, this time in the emergency ward. At a loss for better ideas, we snuck him some food while still in hospital that would temporarily drive Wilson's vitals wild - just to make sure the staff would freak out and keep him. Hey, if a diabetic with high blood pressure and diabetes is going to eat a salted ham and cheese sandwich and drink a cup of sugar with a drop of coffee in it, where's a safer place to do it?

They had a rough Christmas and the New Year is just another notch on the belt of street life. Their kids' birthdays are coming up. It's a time each year that Maria reserves for a total breakdown. And it reminds her of the journal of poems and memoirs that she was writing for her kids. Which, of course, was one of many things stolen way back when they lived in a tough shelter.

Currently, the Maldonados shuttle between Wycoff Hospital in Brooklyn and St. Luke's Hospital in Manhattan until doctors deem Wilson healthy enough to move back onto the streets.

Advertisement

We were hoping to capture an ending worth celebrating. But the ending we got is that there is no ending in sight for the homeless population in America right now.

There are, however, a couple of takeaways: First, don't count on a church for help. While St. John's was evicting them, the church simultaneously and proudly installed an outdoor art exhibit about the tragedy of poverty in America. This installation, by Matt Black, was just a few yards away from the Maldonados' tent.

Second, the people we met in the neighborhood seemed more than eager to contribute to a homeless family's cause when they knew why they were doing so. In this case, it was to help them get the storage unit. Also, the neighborhood knew the faces: "Yeah, I know them - the people in the green tent."

Maybe those two takeaways are the beginning of a solution, one that doesn't rely on religion or George Bush's Thousand Points of Light but on people's familiarity with the people on the streets around them. While the federal government spends a whopping $5 billion a year on homeless programs, that's only $8,333 for each of the 600,000 homeless in America - for food, shelter, education and other initiatives. For most of us, there are no faces or stories to go with those 600,000 people.

Eight thousand dollars doesn't seem nearly as big as $5 billion but that's how the math works out - and it underscores how many homeless people we have in America. And clearly it hasn't solved anything. The late Tip O'Neil might tell us that all homelessness is local, and that those billions of federal dollars could be put to better use if the people who had to cough it up knew the faces of the people who were getting help. And right now, they don't and the aren't.

Advertisement

There will be more:

Our attempt at a neat, tidy, blog-sized mini-documentary about homeless people whose family is reunited in a new home went bust. But we made friends along the way and so did Wilson and Maria. In hospital, they have access to a phone and they call or leave a message almost every day:

"You looked like crap the other day -- feeling any better?"

"Hey, it's Christmas. Behave yourself, be well and see you soon."

"Just wanted to make sure you got home safe from Brooklyn. We're a little worried and we worry about family."
The scandal that recently enveloped Wells Fargo teaches an important lesson about running an ethical business. And Wells Fargo was trying to run an ethical business, despite its huge blunder. For example, Well Fargo avoided many of the pitfalls and risky investments that plagued other big banks in 2008/2009.

Here is what happened. Several years ago Wells Fargo decided it was not doing enough cross-selling, Cross-selling means getting customers who use one service, such as checking, to use other services, such as savings or credit cards. There is nothing wrong with cross-selling - all banks do it. Wells Fargo developed a specific strategy to encourage cross-selling, which was to involve its employees in telling customers about other products and services.

In order to encourage employees to support the program, Wells Fargo employed the time honored strategy of providing incentives to employees who succeeded at cross-selling. This is where everything went wrong. Employees not only responded to these incentives by cross-selling, they manufactured fake accounts in the names of existing Well Fargo customers. Some customers figured this out, but many didn't and ended up paying fees on accounts they didn't even know they had. The problem was huge. In attempting to correct the problem the company fired 5,300 employees and lost its highly respected CEO, John Stumpf.

Advertisement

Well Fargo made a number of mistakes including not publicly acknowledging the problem soon enough and not having adequate controls to detect the fake accounts. But what is unique about this problem is that so many employees were involved in the wrong doing. Unlike many corporate crises, this was not one or two rogue executives in an otherwise healthy organization. This was plain wrong-doing on a massive scale.

The Wells Fargo mess teaches a clear lesson which is that you get what you pay for. Specifically, you can talk yourself blue in the face about ethics, as many Wells Fargo managers did, but you can not send employees a clearer signal than their paycheck.

The first reason this is important is that when organizations think about creating an ethical culture, they almost always ignore the organization's reward system. They print codes of conduct, mandate training and establish ethics hotlines. But if you are rewarding the wrong things, you will get the wrong behaviors. This is as true of the clerk at your local branch bank as it is of the top levels of an investment bank. Organizations signal what they really care about through their reward systems. Remember that the one corporate document every employee reads is their paycheck.

The importance of this lesson goes well beyond ethics. An army of management consultants is advising businesses that they can get more out of their employees if they adopt one or another reward strategy instead of pay for performance. The idea is that you can get better performance out of employees if you abandon pay for performance in favor of one or another strategy that rewards "the whole person" and not just the paycheck. The peak of this phenomenon is called holocracy, a veritable tangle of cross cutting evaluations and peer-enforced group-think.

Advertisement

The Wells Fargo case shows once again the power of pay for performance. Unfortunately, it also showed the power of pay for performance when you pay for the wrong performance. The performance systems of most organizations are the jealously guarded hostages of fortress HR. Executives who want to run truly ethical - and effective - organizations need to tear down the walls of this fortress before engaging in silly talk about the greater good. You will have a lot better chance of avoiding the sort of ethics crisis that Wells Fargo has undergone if you take charge of your organization's reward system. You cannot leave your organization's greatest source of influence on its employees in the hands of the organization's bureaucracy.
It's a depressing day to be a woman in America. When our country elects and inaugurates a man who is not only a sexual harasser but who suggests women seeking abortions be punished, women hear that we don't matter. When the Congress- in its very first week-- moves to defund a vital source of health care, Planned Parenthood (Don't they have better things to do?), we're pretty sure they don't give a damn about us. Same for when the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Service disputes the validity of women's need for affordable birth control, and wants to defund Planned Parenthood. And oh yes, when the actions of the nominee for EPA, Scott Pruitt, suggest our children should rather be poisoned by lead, mercury and other toxins than manage fossil fuel and chemical companies. I could go on.

Although Trump promised in his inaugural address that the people "will never be ignored again," the rights of America's women are being ignored. This entire election is like a slap in the face to women. How can we believe we matter when every instrument of public policy is ready to seize our fundamental rights?

Advertisement

It's clear that Government will have very little concern for the rights and wellbeing of women in these next four years, so I'm asking companies, advertisers, media conglomerates and everyone else who makes our products, programs our content and drives our eyeballs: what are you going to do?

Companies have led recently, defying government in the case of North Carolina's transgender laws or in providing generous family leave where government provides little. In message and in management, business can advance women. And you don't have to be a large company. Businesses can advance women in small ways, from reconsidering your supply chain to patronizing women owned companies in your community.

Lindy Huang Werges started her business, an executive recruiting firm focused on accounting and finance after years working for both large corporations and startups. It was important to her to control how her firm's dollars got spent and give back to her local community in a meaningful way. So she started a revenue driven small business, where "you can create a culture and keep it, whereas if you have outside financing you just have a lot less control over all these things."

"I really felt I could make a bigger difference if I had my own business. Philanthropy is a big part of me and I wasn't getting that in the larger companies. Now I can control where I my spending goes. We are a woman owned and minority owned business and we allot as much of our procurement spend to minority owned companies or women owned companies. Even if we're taking our clients out to lunch or dinner we really try to eat at local restaurants and not large chains."

Advertisement

In 2015 Huang Werges learned her company had spent 33% of its internal resources supporting community owned, minority owned businesses.

If you're in the business of creating content or marketing messages, which are so influential, you can also take seriously your role in advancing women's power and their voices. When Cindy Gallop pointed me in the direction of a brilliant article by Carrie Ingoglia, a Creative Director in New York, it hit me that those of us in the marketing community need to be very clear about what we stand for, who we value, and what we're going to do about it. Carrie writes,

"Our opinions matter. The ones that say parental leave is too short. The ones that say there should be more diversity in advertising. These may be business decisions now, but they started as personal opinions. The shift that has started in this industry started as "feelings." It felt shitty to be a woman in a boys' club. It is a bummer to have to leave your newborn at home if you aren't ready to."

But do women's opinions matter? Nothing yet is proving to me that they do. Unfortunately, like the men running Washington, the leaders of the ad industry aren't guaranteed to fight for women. Carrie Ingoglia points out that the lions of the advertising industry (almost all men) have taken a conciliatory stance, even though they probably didn't vote for Trump. She quotes Glenn Cole, co-founder and chief creative officer of 72andSunny: "For those of us working in marketing, we have a clear job to do: to better understand the people with whom we are tasked with connecting. That's our work and our opportunity; to find the new truth."

There is no new truth. Truth is truth. And the truth is that the policies of the new Congress and new Administration, from repealing Obamacare, restricting access to reproductive healthcare, and denying a higher minimum wage means less money in the pockets of America's women and zero respect for what women need and want.

Advertisement

I agree with Carrie Ingoglia: it's time for the advertising industry, the media, and corporate America to step up. Show women you value them by promoting them. Pay women fairly. Make sure your Boards are balanced. Provide parental leave and a more flexible culture not just for married moms, as Ivanka Trump suggests, but for fathers and same sex partners too. Skip the inspirational "femvertising" and have a look at the gender makeup of your staff.
It was not the election of Donald Trump that prompted Andy Shallal to come up with the idea of an inauguration eve "Peace Ball." The activist, sometime political candidate, and founder of Washington DC's popular Busboys and Poets group of restaurants/bookstores/performance spaces was concerned with the harsh rhetoric of the campaign so he began to think about some kind of gathering in late summer of 2016. Then, when he visited the Smithsonian's new Museum of African-American History and Culture in September, he decided that he wanted to host the event there. Before he even left the museum, he called scholar and activist Angela Davis, to invite her to help put it together.

Shallal saw it as "a gathering of progressives, artists, activists coming together to celebrate. Too often I think we tend to forget about celebrating some of the successes. There have been a lot of changes taking place in the past few decades and we have to stop every now and then, pat ourselves on the back, get energized and go out there and do more."

He wanted to include artists because:

They see the world from a humanistic perspective as opposed to greed. They look for beauty. They look for moments of creative opportunities to move things forward. They don't always agree on process, on how to get there, but they all want to get to the right place of making sure that we have a better world, of social justice and humanity. Politicians are not leaders. Politicians are basically followers. We know artists and cultural leaders are the ones that actually create the change. Artists are able to reach deep into a person's soul and reach their humanity and find commonality. What politicians look for is divisiveness sometimes, because you know they divide and conquer, but artists actually look for commonality; they look for things that make us unite as humans.

In order to convey the "fun and joy and just being active that is what keeps me hopeful," Shallal put together an all-star lineup of "voices of hope and resistance" to appear at the black tie event. He told "those who are overwhelmed" to visit the exhibits and artifacts around them, telling stories from abduction and slavery to Jim Crow, Civil Rights, to Black Lives Matter and the first black President and First Lady: "Look around at this monument to hope, resistance, and resilience."

Performance artist Sonya Renee Taylor called on the capacity crowd to make "a connection of art and power and deliciousness." Poet Alice Walker called in by phone to suggest "principles for getting through the Trump years," telling us to "turn up the kindness volume for people you know and people you don't know," keep "the closest possible connection to nature," "maintain respect for our closest biological and spiritual ancestors," and stay physically active.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker talked about the American tradition of challenging our leaders and work toward justice. Journalist Amy Goodman, told the story of being arrested for her coverage of the Dakota Access pipeline protests and urged the group to insist on "fact-based journalism" from independent sources that "cover power, not cover to get power, the fourth estate, not 'for the state.'" Writer Naomi Klein promised to try to follow Shallal's direction to be "upbeat and optimistic," explaining that "pessimism has to be saved for better times." She called the election a "corporate coup d'etat" where "conflicts of interest are the whole point."

The presentations concluded with rousing musical performances by Esperanza Spaulding and Solange.

"We can't be stuck in the past," Shallal said in an interview. "We have to look at the past, see where we've been and see where we come to. The thing about the museum is it really gives you a sense of hope. I mean if you look back sometimes when we're in the middle of something it really feels daunting, it feels really difficult. It feels like there is no progress but if you step back, you see the arc of history bending towards justice. Courage was throughout, the sense of resilience was throughout, the sense of hope was throughout, the sense of resistance was throughout and I think that's why it's very fitting for us to have this ball there, it is the voices of hope and resistance, it is what we are, the Peace Ball."

Advertisement

He included in the evening's program a poem from the man who inspired the name of the restaurants, Langston Hughes, perhaps a response to the slogan trademarked by Donald Trump:
By Juan Castillo

Even the iconic piggy bank is getting a digital makeover.

Feeding the piggy has long been a down-homey, tried-and-true way to teach kids how to save money. Now, these lessons increasingly can be found on smartphones and mobile money apps designed specifically for children.

And why not? The average age for kids to get their first smartphone is about 10, according to research firm Influence Central, so money apps connect with kids in their comfort zone.

"It's where they are and what engages them," says Ted Gonder, co-founder and CEO of Chicago-based Moneythink, a nonprofit that mentors young people and helps them adopt positive financial habits. Moneythink develops money apps to use as teaching tools, having found they can be more effective than dry lectures or drier textbooks.

Advertisement

There are a few wrinkles in their approaches, but most money apps for kids act like virtual banks, offering lessons on how to budget and sock away money for spending goals. They tend to emphasize child-parent interaction; a common feature tracks chores the child needs to accomplish before receiving an allowance from parents.

A few banks also offer apps for kids. Parents retain control and children can't actually make financial transactions, but the same money lessons apply.

Most apps, however, fail to address the most important consideration a parent should have when teaching a child about money -- making a distinction between wants and needs, says John Buerger, a financial planner and president of Altus Wealth Solutions in San Luis Obispo, California.

"All we're looking at in most app cases is, 'You work, you get paid for your allowance,' and that may be problematic from a philosophical standpoint. Your chores are your chores [and] you do them for your family," Buerger says.

Advertisement

Still, Buerger praises financial literacy apps for starting conversations with kids about money. "I like kids paying attention to money as early as 5 or 6," he says.

If you're looking for a financial education app for your child, Buerger advises picking one that incorporates interactive features or gamification to help hold a kid's interest.

James DeBello, CEO of mobile deposit technology company Mitek in San Diego, has another take: Keep it simple. The best apps "require fewer steps to get from point A to point Z," he says.

Here are five highly rated financial education apps vying for your child's attention -- and yours -- in a growing and crowded digital field.

Bankaroo

Bankaroo -- developed in 2011 by then-11-year-old Dani Gafni and her father, Etay -- helps children track their savings and what their parents owe them for chores. Designed for kids ages 5 to 14, the free app features tools for learning how to budget, save, set goals and do basic accounting.

Advertisement

Bankaroo, available for iOS, Android and Amazon devices, says it has about 100,000 users in more than 100 countries. In April, it released a new version of the app in Spanish.

iAllowance

The iAllowance app is another one in the vein of allowance trackers for parents and their kids. It's not free -- and available only on iOS for $3.99 -- but iAllowance has some handy features not found in other apps.

Parents can push alerts to children to get chores done, and set up automatic allowance payouts and rewards when kids meet certain goals. They also can create an unlimited number of piggy banks for each of their kids.

PiggyBot

Also built around the idea of a virtual banking, allowance-tracking platform, PiggyBot is aimed at kids ages 6 to 8. It has some neat features, such as the ability to post photos of things your children want and a screen to show off the things they've purchased, giving them an idea of their goals and rewards. The app's developer says it reinforces principles of saving.

Piggybot was developed in association with Kasasa, a national brand of free checking and savings accounts that works with community banks and credit unions across the country. Piggybot is free, but available only on iOS.

Advertisement

Yuby

An offering from Union Bank for children ages 6 to 11, the Yuby app lets them track their earnings, spending and the chores they need to do to earn their allowance. The free app is a virtual experience only, and no financial transactions occur. It's available in iOS and Android.

Children also can keep a wish list and compare the costs of the things they're saving for. Another feature allows earmarking of money for charity. A parent's approval is needed for some actions.

USAA Bank's mobile app

This members-only bank doesn't have a special app for children, but it allows kids ages 13 and over to access their youth savings and spending accounts online and on the bank's regular mobile app with their parent's approval. The free app is available for iOS and Android devices.

Some app features, such as USAA Money Manager, which categorizes spending, aren't accessible to children under 18, and parents control other features they wish to extend to their child, such as remote check deposit.

"This comes down to teaching the basics of banking in a real-world scenario," says Brian Hurtak, an executive director with the bank. USAA is open only to active and former military members, their families, and cadets or midshipmen.

Advertisement

More: Improve your own financial habits by getting and monitoring your credit score

Juan Castillo is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: jcastillo@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @JCastilloNerd.
Let's face it: Women in tech are few and far between. According to a recent 'Women in Tech' report, women held 57% of all professional occupations in 2015, yet they held only 25% of all computing occupations.

There are, however, those women in tech "unicorns" that magically appear every so often to speak at conferences or whom are featured on the "Forbes 30 Under 30" list each year.

Still, there is a noticeable shortage of women in the tech industry. For example, after skimming through the "Forbes 30 Under 30" list for Enterprise Tech in 2017, I noticed only 7 women featured out of the 30 nominees.

Advertisement

Another thing I've noticed (after living in San Francisco for the past few years), is the underwhelming number of women present at tech conferences. In fact, the only time you really see a noticeable amount of women during these conferences is when you are waiting in line for the women's bathroom.

A Data-Driven Conference Featuring Women

There was a time, however, when I noticed more women speakers present in comparison to male speakers during a tech conference.

Data Natives Tel Aviv, hosted by Dataconomy, is part of a series of events that started with Data Natives Berlin. The first Data Natives conference took place in Berlin in 2015, attracting thousands of data-driven individuals from across the globe. Since then, Dataconomy decided to bring Data Natives to Tel Aviv, Israel, one of the most innovative and startup oriented cities in the world. Data Natives Tel Aviv has since become part of a bigger international project that includes meetups in 40 locations (the next meetup will take place in San Francisco).

While Data Natives Tel Aviv was similar to Data Natives Berlin, the conference in Tel Aviv took a unique spin by featuring a majority of women speakers.

Advertisement

"Dataconomy and Data Natives' mission is to share knowledge, educate and connect the data-driven generation. Being a woman MD in a male-dominated industry, I see it as an integral part of my work to bring women leaders to speak at our events, to deliver quality content and to inspire other women attendees. We really aspire to be a gender equal tech platform and I believe we can certainly achieve that goal," said Elena Poughia, Managing Director at Dataconomy.

Notable women speakers during Data Natives Tel Aviv included:

Crystal Valentine, VP of Technology Strategy for MapR Technologies. Crystal was the keynote speaker for Data Natives Tel Aviv, discussing how new data-driven technologies are being applied to help fight breast cancer.

Ruth Bergman, Director of Research at Hewlett Packard Labs. Ruth discussed her role at Hewlett Packard Labs in Israel, explaining how she is helping create a new infrastructure for computing called "The Machine". The Machine leverages the latest hardware technologies to create a platform to process large amount of data.

Maren Lesche, Communications Manager at the European Innovation Hub and Startup Advisor. Maren shared her insights on how big data is changing the technology and healthcare sector.

Advertisement

Shira Kimchi, Business Manager for Google Cloud Platform in Israel. Shira discussed how data is being used and how people are implementing big data and machine learning.

Efrat Hexter, Watson Solutions Architect for IBM Watson Israel. Efrat discussed the Watson API services how these can be applied to different applications and the role that big data plays in this technology.

Sigalit Bechler, Researcher at Similar Web. Sigalit described quantum clustering and how patterns in data are being discovered for innovation.

Visit Data Natives' You Tube channel to view all of the speaker interviews.

What's in Store for the Future?

Data Natives Tel Aviv demonstrated just how successful a tech conference could be when more women speakers are involved. Having a majority of women speakers present during a tech conference not only highlights the notion that there are indeed women in tech, but it also inspires, educates and empowers women everywhere to become involved in the technology sector.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak during a "Thank You USA" tour rally in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S., December 9, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar

We don't know each other. But today, on the occasion of Donald Trump's inauguration, there are some things I wanted to say to you as one American to another. (I'm willing to listen, too.)

Let's get this out of the way first: I think Donald Trump is dangerously unstable, morally objectionable and has tendencies that represent a threat to our democracy. You may be starting to feel the same way, like this Trump voter, but chances are you still feel pretty good about him.

Advertisement

I'll be honest about something else, too: It's hard for me to accept the idea that so many of my fellow Americans voted for somebody who bragged about sexual assault, especially when so many women came forward to say that he assaulted them. It's hard for me to accept that so many of you voted for somebody who made fun of a disabled person, who threatened to ban people because of their religion and who maligned immigrants -- or the children of immigrants -- just because of their background.

But here we are. Like the saying goes, we're in the same boat now.

Who are you?

We don't know each other. It's possible that you come from the relatively small percentage of Latinos and African Americans who voted for Trump, but chances are you're white.

You may be wealthy. If so, we don't have much to discuss. Your vote can't be excused by fear, or deprivation, or desperation. But if you're a lower-income person, especially in a rural area or small town, your fear is understandable.

If you're from the industrial Midwest, political scientist Josh Pacewicz believes that your vote helped put Trump over the top. He wrote:

Advertisement

"Donald Trump won the 2016 election largely because he carried Rust Belt states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, doing especially well in small cities and towns."

Pacewicz also said:

"Until this election, this group of voters had not followed other regions' rural, uneducated whites in moving Republican. In overwhelmingly white Iowa, for example, Barack Obama swept the industrial corridor in 2008, winning 53 of the state's 99 counties and some factory towns by almost 2 to 1."

I come from a Rust Belt city myself. The manufacturing jobs that made it prosperous when I was a kid are long gone. The house where I spent my early childhood is boarded up and collapsing. Whole sections of the city look bombed out and abandoned.

Neither party has come up with a good plan for my hometown. To be honest, neither party seemed very interested in trying.

You could be thinking, "Maybe Trump will do something about that."

He's going to let you down.

It gives me no joy to say this, but no, he won't. You've been conned. Trump hasn't come up with a single concrete proposal to create jobs. His Carrier factory deal in Indiana is likely to give away billions of dollars in corporate tax breaks in return for less than 1,000 jobs. The government could have used to billions to create a lot more than 1,000 jobs.

Advertisement

If you've been watching the Senate confirmation hearings for Trump's appointees, your positive feelings may have started to fade. They should. His nominees are politically extreme, most are clueless and at least one of them should be criminally investigated.

There were many different reasons why people might have voted for a populist candidate, even one I dislike as much as Trump -- especially when the experts were telling us that Hillary Clinton had an 85 percent or even a 99 percent chance of winning. You might have thought, why not use this vote to tell the elites exactly what I think of them?

And now you're probably still thinking, "Why not give him a chance?"

Here's why: I'm pretty sure you didn't vote for a government that's run by Goldman Sachs and other Wall Streeters, people who care more about their own wealth and self-interest than they do about your well-being. (Some of them are already reaping the profits). But that's what we're getting.

By deregulating Wall Street and hiring the bankers who looted the economy, Trump could very well be setting the stage for another financial crisis. We already know that banks will be able to shaft customers like you and me out of billions of dollars more, once Trump and his team have gutted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

You won't hear about any of this on Fox News, the most popular news outlet among Trump voters, because they're lying to you. You deserve the truth, so you might want to change the channel.

Advertisement

If you're a woman, you may have been one of the female Trump voters who said "you get through the bad and you focus on the good," or the woman who wrote, "my vote for Trump was not a vote against Planned Parenthood," or the woman who hoped that Trump's daughter's prominent role in the campaign meant he wasn't as sexist as he seemed.

But his policies are going to hurt women in many ways, leaving them with less control over their bodies and less ability to provide for themselves and their families. Don't take my word for it. Tragically, you'll find out soon enough.

I don't assume that I understand you.

I don't agree with the people who want to judge or dismiss you without knowing you. Anyone who's ever fallen on hard times knows that people will do unexpected things, and will sometimes take big risks, trying to provide for their families.

I don't assume you're racist, either. To be sure, a lot of you are. A surprisingly large percentage of several candidate's voters, including Clinton's, expressed racist sentiments to pollsters last year. But Trump voters were far more likely to express those racist opinions.

Still, racism doesn't explain the shifts Pacewicz described among Midwestern voters. They weren't too racist to vote for an African-American candidate, after all, so how does racism explain their abandonment of Hillary Clinton?

Advertisement

I am particularly offended by commentary like this, from blogger Markos Moulitsas, who contemptuously dismissed coal miners because they voted for Trump and now stand to lose health coverage. "Be happy," he wrote of the miners, many of whom suffer from the horror of black lung disease. "They're getting exactly what they voted for."

That's indefensible and brutal, but please understand: people like that don't speak for the great majority of us. You may hear harsh things from other Americans too -- voters, not commentators or activists -- but then, a lot of people are hurting right now.

Moulitsas' commentary has already been ably dissected by Adam Johnson, Sarah Jones and Dan O'Sullivan. I will only add that people who dislike large groups of voters -- especially when those voters are people we should be fighting for, like coal miners -- are temperamentally unsuited for either politics or activism.

Dr. King's lesson.

They should learn from the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose legacy we celebrated just last week. Dr. King said:

"Black and white, we will all be harmed unless something grand and imaginative is done. The unemployed, poverty-stricken white man must be made to realize that he is in the very same boat with the Negro. Together, they could exert massive pressure on the government to get jobs for all. Together they could form a grand alliance. Together, they could merge all people for the good of all."

Advertisement

Dr. King knew that everyone who struggles under an unjust economic system -- and that's millions of us nowadays -- could benefit from that kind of alliance. And he knew that the politics of identity were inseparable from the politics of economic justice.

What do we do now?

You should know that even harder times are coming. Trump's administration is planning deep government cuts that will hurt millions of Americans. You may be excited about his victory now, but you're facing some big disappointments in the coming months and years.

Trust me, I'm speaking from experience. Barack Obama was a far better president than Trump will be, but he was not nearly as good as he might have been. Whether we backed him in the primaries or not, many of us felt our own disappointment when Obama began appointing Bill Clinton's Wall Street allies to serve in his administration.

But at least Obama got us out of a ditch, while Trump's headed toward another one. I'll be honest about something else, too: Some of us will be fighting the new president from the get-go.

Here's the kicker: I think there's a chance you'll join us eventually.

You see, Dr. King understood economic pain. He said: "The rapid rise in long-term unemployment is a portrait of human loss, the outline of human beings cast out of productive, wage-earning lives into an existence of hopelessness and deprivation."

Advertisement

If we create a movement that addresses that kind of pain, you'll have something better to believe in. And if politicians run on that agenda, it's likely to bring out a lot of the voters who stayed home this time around.

We've spent a lot of years in this country, on both the sides of the aisle, waiting for someone to come along who'll save us. Maybe now it's time to realize we need to do the work ourselves, by organizing that "grand alliance" Dr. King spoke about all those years ago.

Please think about that in the months and years to come.
Buckle up, America. Donald Trump is President of the United States, and nobody knows precisely what he will do with his newfound power and what the ramifications of his decisions will be. According to the new White House webpage, the Trump administration will "embrace diplomacy...not go abroad in search of enemies" and be happy when "old enemies become friends." These are worthy goals, yet the risks that Trump stumbles into another costly war are high, including with Iran.

Fortunately, President Trump begins his tenure as commander-in-chief without facing immediate war and peace decisions with respect to Iran's nuclear program. This is thanks to the Obama administration's painstaking work to negotiate a comprehensive agreement with international partners to roll back Iran's nuclear program and subject it to intrusive monitoring. Iran continues to implement its nuclear obligations under the accord, which makes the primary question whether the Trump administration or the new Congress will precipitate an immediate crisis by killing the deal unilaterally or backing measures that would put at risk the security gains provided by the accord.

Trump could stay true to his anti-interventionist rhetoric from the campaign and simply police the accord. Several individuals who appear to have the President's ear on national security matters - including incoming Defense Secretary James Mattis and Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker - have warned against withdrawing from the nuclear accord, which is positive. They appear to recognize that killing the deal outright would risk freeing Iran's nuclear program from international constraints and monitoring, distance us from our allies and leave few options short of warfare to resolve concerns of an Iranian nuclear weapon.

Advertisement

Of course, Trump's anti-interventionist rhetoric on the campaign trail did not extend to support for the nuclear accord with Iran. He railed against it as a bad deal, including at a Tea Party rally outside the U.S. Capitol during the Congressional review period for the nuclear accord in September 2015. While Trump at times indicated that he would not scrap it, but rather renegotiate it (a premise not supported by the other negotiating parties), his animus toward Iran has also extended outside the nuclear sphere. His promises to sink Iranian ships that frequently harry U.S. naval vessels in the Persian Gulf would risk sparking a war with Iran even without revisiting the nuclear accord.

Further, those who might be counted as constrainers in Trump's cabinet and the broader Republican national security establishment are far outnumbered by Iran hawks, including many who lack depth of understanding about what the nuclear accord actually does. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK), the author of a letter to Iran's leaders in 2015 warning them that the next President could overturn any agreement with President Obama, believes Trump will do just that. "I believe the Iran deal is dead," said Cotton, given that Trump "is going to be much more forceful on the terms of the nuclear deal itself, and that itself may cause the Ayatollahs to walk away, but I also know that he intends to confront...Iranian regional aggression, and their imperial project around the Middle East." Hyperbole about Iran's "imperial project" and designs aside, there is sufficient reason to believe that Trump will pursue just such a course. As Cotton notes, he has filled his national security team with men eager to confront Iran.

If the accord is killed, as Cotton predicts, Iran's nuclear program will be unshackled, international monitoring of Iranian nuclear facilities will be greatly diminished, and sanctions pressure on Iran will almost certainly deteriorate. While Trump might make vows of a better deal, the trust needed to sustain negotiations would be gutted. No Iranian leader would sit down for further nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration, let alone sign off on a deal more favorable to the United States. That would leave the businessman and former reality TV star with some very difficult decisions. Would he accept Iran moving forward with its nuclear program, potentially advancing toward an undetectable capability to obtain a nuclear weapon? Or would he pursue a dicey military option that might set back Iran's nuclear capabilities, but ultimately radicalize Iran and do nothing to prevent Iran from reconstituting its nuclear program further down the road? Despite vows not to go in search of enemies abroad, Trump could end up repeating the mistakes of the Iraq war with Iran.

Advertisement
The president-elect of the United States, Donald J. Trump, deserves a chance. With the "-elect" suffix about to be dismantled, there is no escaping the fact that "The Donald" will be the new commander-in-chief. It is also a reality that his election is mired in controversies. So many, in fact, that it is hard to keep count. Trump has little, if any, experience of governing. He doesn't give two hoots about democracy or freedom of the press. He has only rudimentary knowledge of global affairs, as evident by the transcript of his latest interview with the British and German media. These are all hardcore facts. Still, one could give Trump benefit of the doubt. One should, rather, as he has yet to prove himself.

One can draw some parallels between Trump and George W. Bush Jr. Both were born in wealth (one in power too) and both were/are not known for their brains or smarts. Bush Jr. still got a shot at governing experience before assuming the Oval Office. Trump doesn't have that advantage. Bush had a skin thick enough to stay undeterred, even if someone threw his shoes at him. Trump gets pissed off if someone dares criticizing any of his business establishments, even if it was a grill bar. Both lost the popular vote count with allegations of rigging. Unlike Bush, Trump didn't have a questionable path to presidency. He won the electoral votes. Bush went running to the Supreme Court to seek election. The latter, ironically, turned out to be the least concerned president about legitimacy and legal mumbo-jumbo. Remember Iraq?

Advertisement

Trump could, theoretically, fare better. More so as he doesn't come from the war-mongering, neo-conservative stock that shaped Dubya's presidency. The president-in-a-few-hours is primarily a businessman, one who is a master deal-maker, or claims to be one. Although disruption of the global order appears to be the agenda, Trump could still manage to stay afloat.

On the global level, there are some states that will certainly benefit from Trump's presidency. Russia being the first name that comes to mind. India and Japan have also cultivated strong ties with the Trump camp. Indian Americans overwhelmingly voted for Trump and now are planning to reap the benefits. These interactions, while not unusual, could also spell trouble. Unfair dealings on the global level could hamper US interests. Trump's plans to erect a fence on the Mexican border; dismantle the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and start trading wars with China, among other things, will shake up the existing global order.

One can't expect Trump to stand-up for global human rights. Unlike Obama, he hasn't done any grandstanding on the subject either. The latter set the ball rolling with his foot-dragging on Syria, which resulted in the biggest human misery of modern era. Trump is wary of the Iran deal, which has upended the fragile regional order and engendered chaos. Iran has been emboldened enough to carry out ethnic cleansing in Syria, as if the earlier butchering was not enough. Trump is looking to scrap the deal, or modify it, as suggested by Nikki Haley. Either way, the policy could turn out to be more pragmatic than the almost subservient stance adopted by the Obama administration.

Trump doesn't have much love for Europe or Nato. He shares this trait with his predecessor. Let's not forget the Obama administration dropped out of the post-World-War European order. Russia annexed Crimea and set its sights on Ukraine under Obama's watch. The Syrian intervention started in late 2015, four-and-a-half years after Obama's initial promises to the rebels. It won't be much of a transition from someone who backtracked so gloriously from his stated objectives, to one who never promised much. The world no longer believes in American exceptionalism.

Advertisement
My first days at the University of Missouri were, in some ways, the perfect picture of the American college experience. They overflowed with school spirit and block parties, new friends and exciting opportunities - but another side quickly darkened the dream.

1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men are sexually assaulted during their time in college. By October of my freshman year, I knew several of them personally, but this was in 2012. None of these students knew where to turn. The conversations on campus surrounding assault felt ambiguous at best. Too often speaking up meant facing painful and accusatory reactions from school administration or other students. When I first began a career in student government, sexual assault prevention, for most people, was simply not a priority.

And then, in September of 2014, Vice President Joseph Biden launched It's On Us.

It's On Us is a campaign founded on the idea that ending sexual assault on college campuses requires everyone to make a personal commitment to do something, big or small, to change the culture of sexual assault. The initiative is a natural extension of Vice President Biden's ongoing fight to end violence against women and has had a profound impact on how American universities respond to sexual assault. In the last three years, over 500 schools have hosted nearly 2,000 It's On Us events in 49 states. As of today, over 400,000 students, professors and campus administrators have signed the pledge to end violence. Celebrities, Olympic athletes, politicians, and campus and community leaders have banded together with students to help make our college campuses safer and to build a more supportive community for survivors.

Advertisement

In launching It's On Us and supporting it so fiercely, Vice President Biden did something remarkable. He, as a man occupying one of the most prominent platforms in the world, said the words that have so long eluded so many survivors:

I believe you. I support you. This was not your fault. We will fight together.

I was one of the first students to become involved with It's On Us. I helped launch the campaign at Mizzou in 2014. I served on the national Student Advisory Council in 2015, and I am currently the Regional Adviser for the Great Plains. For over three years, I have seen and felt the impact of Biden's words on a daily basis.

I watched the school that I love begin to fight for its students. I heard people from every community on campus engage in real, painful, but necessary conversations about rape culture. I spoke with students from across the country about their experiences, and I have been inspired by the young people who work to make our campuses safer

Advertisement

Today, we embark on a new chapter in our country with a new administration. There is plenty to say about that and plenty that should be said, particularly by advocates of assault prevention - but today, I want to say thank you.

Thank you to the Vice President who has done so much to support young people. Thank you to the man who helped so many of my friends speak up and speak out, and who created a community of brave, bold , and powerful advocates. Thank you to the politician who showed me personally where so much of my own strength lies.

And so to Vice President Joe Biden, on behalf of the student advocates that you helped nurture and inspire - we cannot give you a Presidential Medal of Freedom, but we are forever grateful that President Obama did.

You have spent your life making the world safer and better, and the world is infinitely better because it has you in it. You taught hundreds of thousands of students that it's on us to end sexual assault. You gave us a platform to amplify our voices. Perhaps more importantly, you gave so many of students the courage to confront what happened to them and demand something more. Your time in office may be over, but you inspired so many of us to reach higher, push harder, and fight for what we believe in. We know that you will continue to do wonderful things, but we hope you know that whatever good we achieve will be part of your legacy.

The work to end sexual violence on our campuses and in our country will continue, no matter which party holds office. It's On Us, as a campaign and a movement, will continue. We, the young people who owe Vice President Biden so much, will continue to fight - and from the very bottom of my heart, I hope we make him proud.

Advertisement

To the young people who have faced sexual assault, who feel alone and who need someone to fight beside:

We believe you. This was not your fault. We will continue to fight together.

Join the movement by taking the pledge at ItsOnUs.org. For more information about It's On Us and the great work that students are doing on campus follow us @ItsOnUs. The 2017 Spring Week of Action will take place April 2-8.
(Lesbian mother Xiao Chen sends out letters to female NPC members on Jan.17 in Shenzhen. Courtesy of Xiao Chen)

Prior to Chinas parliamentary session, a lesbian mother in Shenzhen, Guangdong province called on officials to end the limitations placed on unmarried women trying to have children through assisted reproductive technology (ART).

The woman, Xiao Chen (a pseudonym), on Jan.17 sent letters to 673 female members of the National Peoples Congress (NPC) to make her case.

Xiao wrote in the letters that she and her partner are currently raising twin daughters, but the couples dream of having a baby, which began in 2008, cost them nearly 1 million RMB to realize. Their daughters were eventually born in the U.S. in February 2016, after preliminary fertility work was carried out in Thailand.

As I look at my twins, growing every day, it is increasingly clear to me that I dont want to see women like us continue to suffer, Xiao said.

I hope our nation can listen to our needs and understand the dilemma facing unmarried women. I hope that you as NPC members can help change the situation  I know that you as a woman, as mothers, as those hoping to become mothers, can understand the hardship brought about by shattered dreams of legal motherhood, she added.

Chinas law on population and family planning stipulates that all citizens enjoy reproductive rights, which many LGBT activists see as a legal basis for the right of unmarried women to give birth in the Chinese mainland. However, the nation currently bans ART for unmarried women, only allowing women to utilize frozen eggs if they can provide marriage certificates and birth permits, according to regulations from the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

Xiao also suggested in her letter that single women be permitted to use sperm banks. Currently, sperm banks also require marriage certificates and other documents for female applicants, Yangcheng Evening News reported.

For unmarried women, pregnancy itself is already full of obstacles. Single mothers in China are the recipients of not only unfriendly comments and societal discrimination, but also of financial burden, as their babies come with a social maintenance fee -- punishment for violating family planning policies.

Some 76.7 percent of 1,062 lesbian, bisexual and transsexual women surveyed said they wanted to give birth but were unable to do so, according to a report conducted by a Guangzhou-based NGO on unmarried womens reproductive rights in November 2016.

The report also found that over 86 percent of more than 2,800 respondents said they support the right of unmarried women to have children.

"Chinese people tend to follow what the government and the policies. If the regulations can be amended to offer more protection and respect, the society will also become more inclusive, which is why it is crucial to call for legal support on same-sex families and unmarried mothers," Xiao told People's Daily Online.
It's happening guys! More and more programs are popping up that allow their participants to travel while actually getting an education. Learning a marketable skill no longer has to happen in a stuffy college classroom or in your basement, face glued to the laptop screen. With the growing "digital nomad" trend, (people working from their laptops and traveling around the world) there are new businesses like Remote Year and Hacker Paradise that are offering to take people to exotic destinations while teaching them fantastic skills.

HOWEVER.....

The program fees for many of these are upwards of $15,000; technically, a tuition and travel fees packed into one. Just looking at the costs can be the ultimate bummer as most people who are interested are trying to learn skills and travel on a budget.

BUT.....

Fortunately, there is a new kid on the block,Codingnomads who found that coding skills changed their lives and careers and want to share this realization with others. This husband and wife duo hope to take students away from their normal routine and distractions while teaching them how to code quickly and comprehensively.

Advertisement

The People

They believe that skills in coding can help their students achieve economic mobility, more opportunities and geographic flexibility.

With their experience in software engineering and training for companies like Amazon, experience working with startups in business development and marketing and building actual products, they have a whole lot to give to their students. Plus, they spent time running professional tours to more than 30 countries, making them especially passionate about allowing their students to learn in intriguing locations.

The Program

Their first program will be held during March in Ubud, Bali and will take place at a co-working space in this tropical paradise. The co-working space features two pools, an on-site restaurant, free massages and coconut deliveries to help you out when you're hard at work.

While students can find their own housing throughout the program, they can also opt into the inclusive package which includes housing, scooter rental, breakfast, airport pickup and a pre-paid SIM card.

During the program, students will learn JAVA, SQL and AWS which will give them a solid foundation in software engineering so that they can apply to thousands of jobs worldwide once they finish. Ubud is only the start as there are plans for Thailand and Mexico boot camps in the works. All programs last for about 12 weeks and include both online and onsite components.

Advertisement

What to Expect

Courses will typically run on a Monday through Friday schedule that will accumulate to over 400 hours of instruction and more than 400 practical exercises. Upon completion of the program, some of abilities that you can look forward to are:

Performing the tasks of a junior server-side software engineer

Designing, coding and deploying Java applications from scratch

Launching clusters of databases, distributed services and load balanced servers in minutes

Reading, writing and querying data using SQL

Integrating with remote APIs

Creating mobile device applications

AND......SO MUCH MORE
According to the Pew Research Center, while "the vast majority of Americans still believe in God ... there are strong signs that many are less certain about this belief than in years past." Pew's research is dependent upon what is known in probability theory as "The Law of Large Numbers," which states that, given a large enough number of trials (in this case, surveys), the results will be close to the true value.

Pew's research requires interviews with thousands of people to obtain a result that is representative of the general population. But what if, rather than asking 1,000 different people about the state of their faith, they were to ask the same person about the state of his or her faith 1,000 times, say over a period of ten years?

I suspect that there would be times when the person was "absolutely certain" (to use Pew's language) of God, and other times when he or she would be less certain, or perhaps even doubtful. Such a result would be in line with our experience of faith and the complexities of being human.

Advertisement

Humans are, from a Christian theological perspective, complex. They are multifaceted or, more properly, multilayered. Humans don't just have bodies. They are bodies. And yet, they are more than their bodies. They are also mind. But they are more than their minds; they are also souls. And soul itself is transcended in spirit. Each human being is, as G. K. Chesterton once described the Church, "larger on the inside than ... on the outside."

What this means, when it comes to faith, is that a person's confidence in God (or at least his or her awareness of it) can increase or decrease in certainty, depending on where the person is in his or her development. That person's development depends in turn upon a great many factors, not least of which is God himself.

Because people are multi-layered, a person can believe one day and doubt the next. But that's not all: he can do both almost simultaneously. He can be traveling the highway of faith one moment and fall into a sinkhole of doubt the next. That sinkhole, however, is not something outside himself, but a place in himself where faith has not yet developed.

The classic expression of this is found in the Bible itself. A concerned father brought his ailing son to Jesus and pleaded, "If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." Jesus responded, "If you can? Everything is possible for him who believes."

Advertisement

"Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, 'I believe; help my unbelief!'"

There can be no doubt that the father's faith was real, but almost in the same moment he appeals for help with his unbelief, which was also real. There was room in the man for both, and there were significant patches of his interior landscape where faith had not yet taken root and grown.

As someone who has been privileged to accompany people on their spiritual journeys, I've seen the same kind of thing happen many times. Our experience of faith is not static but dynamic. We are not human beings exactly (at least, not yet) but "human becomings." From where we look out of ourselves today we may not see God, but if we travel a little further in our "becoming," we will. While the discovery of areas of unbelief can be troubling, it can also be helpful. It allows a person to choose faith, to act on it, and see it grow.

The dynamic nature of belief is not only exhibited in religious people, but in all people, even atheists. Around the next corner on the highway of doubt a solid rock of belief might be blocking the way. Elizabeth King provides a good example in her Washington Post article titled, "I'm an atheist. So why can't I shake God?" Likewise, David Bowie described himself as "not quite an atheist... There's a little bit that holds on." Even Richard Dawkins runs occasionally into those places where his doubts are cast into doubt.
By creating a safer more prosperous world through its support of global health programs.

With inauguration day fast approaching and confirmation hearings underway for many cabinet nominees, US President-elect Donald Trump and his administration must quickly turn to the task of translating campaign promises into policies that will shape the future direction of this nation and the world beyond. One key question is what the "America first" approach articulated by candidate Trump will mean for US-led global health programs that have transformed the lives of billions of people around the world.

In a world rife with daunting global challenges--from civil war in Syria, to ISIS, US relations with Russia, the refugee crisis in Europe, China's territorial ambitions in the South China Sea, and more--improvements in global health are a bright spot. During the last quarter-century, a broad international commitment to improve the lives of the world's poorest people has reduced the percentage of mothers and children who die from preventable illnesses by half, brought us to the brink of controlling some of the globe's most deadly diseases, and helped lift hundreds of millions into the middle class.

Never before in human history has so much progress been made in such a short time. American investments in a broad range of global health programs are a major reason why. The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI), launched by President George W. Bush in 2005, has played a major role in the 60 percent reduction in malaria deaths since 2000. Thanks in part to the work of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and strong US support for international child immunization programs, nearly 7 million fewer children died last year from treatable illnesses than in 2000.

Advertisement

And because of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), created by President Bush in 2003, 9.5 million men, women, and children in developing countries are receiving lifesaving treatment. One strong proponent of the reauthorization of PEPFAR in 2008 was Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who argued that "the United States has a moral obligation to lead the world in confronting the pandemic of HIV/AIDS." In his confirmation hearings, Rex Tillerson, the nominee for Secretary of State, also praised PEPFAR and acknowledged the important role of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the largest bilateral donor to global health programs in the world.

By fostering healthier, more prosperous communities, these programs create a safer and more secure world. This is fundamental to American global leadership and key to our national interest. But this critical aspect of our foreign policy is often overlooked by those who believe that security primarily depends on military might. In truth, reducing poverty and improving health have done as much to advance American interests by creating a more stable world as any exercise of power, often at a fraction of the cost.

If anything, we should consider doing more, not less. Today, technology advances offer new--and often highly cost-effective--opportunities to address once-unsolvable problems. Once-poor nations have the resources to serve as equal partners in the fight to end poverty and eliminate deadly diseases. American companies and research institutions have long been at the forefront of the development of groundbreaking vaccines, treatments, and devices. And leaders from the private and public sectors are exploring new ways to work together to deliver affordable health care innovations that can transform the lives of millions of people around the world.

Together, these trends make this an opportune moment for the US government to strengthen its leadership in research and development in global health and to focus on enabling cross-sector partnerships that focus the knowledge, experience, and expertise of American companies and nonprofits on continuing the progress of the past quarter-century. Measured in lives saved and suffering avoided, the moral arguments for doing so are overwhelming.

Advertisement

There are more pragmatic reasons, as well. Today, many of the most pressing global health issues are not problems for poor nations alone. We are as much at risk from the impact of epidemics such as Ebola or Zika as any other country. And in the years ahead, the biggest threat to global health will come from chronic noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, asthma, cancer, and heart disease, which are no less a problem here in the United States than they are abroad.

Even in this period of uncertainty and polarization, I believe we all still share a few basic beliefs. One is that healthier societies are more stable, more productive, and more secure. Another is that a primary role of government is to do all that it can to ensure that every child is born with a reasonable chance to live a healthy and productive life. Continued American leadership in global health and development is a powerful way to realize both of these beliefs--here and abroad. I can't imagine a more effective way to put America first than this.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 16: (L to R) President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Martin Luther King III after their meeting at Trump Tower, January 16, 2017 in New York City. Trump will be inaugurated as the next U.S. President this coming Friday. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

It's been fascinating to watch all the brouhaha in Black America as, one by one, Donald Trump grants an audience to certain leading Blacks, but has yet to meet with Black leaders.

It was shameful and disgraceful to watch Trump pose for photos with Martin Luther King, III, while he was dissing John Lewis, a dedicated disciple of his father.

Advertisement

In the very same week that we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the person I regard as the greatest American we've ever produced, we will also witness the ascension to power of a vacuous American fraud, a con man who epitomizes the worst of public life.



In the very same week that we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we will also witness the ascension to power of a vacuous American fraud...



It's as if the racial arsonist Donald Trump thinks he can have a red carpet photo-op relationship with Black folk, while he firebombs Black civil rights heroes and pushes a political agenda that's antithetical to the best interests of the Black community.

The ultimate irony is that Trump has stolen a page out of the Obama playbook for how to deal with Black folk by circumventing Black leadership.

Advertisement

Obama did it for eight years. He basically ignored the Congressional Black Caucus, progressive Black thought leaders and his Black critics by going directly to Black media, by whom he was beloved. The steady stream of photo-ops with Black celebrities at the White House was apparently enough to appease the masses. Now we see Trump running the same play, albeit less successfully, so far.

The photo-op is the new WMD -- weapon of mass distraction.

So, when Trump shows up at The Apollo and sings an Al Green hook....

Anyway, I'm thrilled to see that after an eight-year presidential accountability hiatus, Black folk are back in full affect, ready to keep Trump's feet to the fire. But, so we don't end up getting burned, here's some unsolicited advice for Black folk who agree to a sit down with the new president.

1. Do no harm. My grandmother, Big Mama, used to always say, "You can't start out wrong and end up right." Until Trump atones or apologizes for the racist, sexist, classist campaign he ran to secure the presidency, your meeting with him makes you an enabler.

2. Stop being so thirsty. Trump is not an invulnerable power to whom we must bow down. If the choice is acquiescence or resistance, we should choose resistance. I think some of the Black bourgeoisie got spoiled by all the White House invites over the past eight years. For elites, access is everything, but there are spiritual consequences to our actions.

3. Tell the truth. Trump needs to be told the truth about his racial treachery. But I suspect if he knew you were coming in to tell him that truth, face to face, your invitation would be rescinded. Quicker than right now and sooner than at once. With Trump, there's his side and the wrong side. Funny how all these Black folk sound the same when they descend from Trump Tower. It's pretty clear to me, you don't get a meeting unless you're prepared to kiss his.....ring. Folk are good at preaching to the powerless, but can't muster the courage to speak truth to the powerful.

Advertisement

4. Save the spin. Let's just be honest, most of the Black folk who are taking these meetings with Trump are trying to advance their own projects. Most are folk who have been anointed or appointed by the mainstream culture, not elected or selected by the Black community. If you want to meet with Trump so you can get the hook up, then just say that. But for goodness' sake, stop telling Black folk that Trump is 'sincere,' 'caring,' and 'concerned' after you've had one thirty minute meeting with him. We watched him daily for an entire year, but you've gleaned some fresh insights in less than an hour? Miss me with that mess.
A waxwork of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is displayed during a media event at Madame Tussauds in London. Neil Hall/Reuters

Today, Donald J Trump, the New York City real estate mogul whose outsider campaign led to an upset electoral victory becomes the 45th President of the United States.

Advertisement

On inauguration day, all eyes are on Washington, with the world hoping to better understand the unpredictable leader now entering the White House - and determine what comes next.

The Conversation Global has invited a panel of international scholars - many of whom also shared their reactions to Trump's win - to reflect on his presidency and assess its significance for their region.

Richard Maher: European leaders brace themselves

While campaigning for president, Donald Trump unnerved European leaders by disparaging the NATO alliance, celebrating the British vote to exit the European Union, and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Advertisement

Following his surprise victory last November, many European leaders hoped that, now elected and poised to assume the presidency, he would clarify his earlier remarks and adopt positions on NATO's relevance and the value of a strong and united EU more in line with those of his predecessors over the past six decades.

But that was not to be, as Trump's interview last weekend with two European newspapers confirmed. He again called NATO "obsolete," proclaimed that the British vote to leave the EU would "end up being a great thing", described the EU as "basically a vehicle for Germany," and condemned German Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to let in more than a million refugees fleeing violence and persecution as a "catastrophic mistake."

He also threatened to impose duties of 35% on German and other foreign cars made in Mexico and imported into the United States, predicted that other countries would follow Britain's lead and vote to leave the EU, and stated that he would start his presidency trusting Putin -- who once led the FSB, the KGB's successor organisation -- just as he will Merkel, the leader of one of America's closest allies.

European leaders still do not know how much -- if any -- of Trump's comments will become official US policy. They are thus bracing themselves for perpetual unpredictability and inconsistency regarding Trump's intentions and beliefs, as well as his tendency to contradict himself and his cabinet. (In their senate confirmation hearings, for example, his nominees for secretary of state and defence affirmed the vital role NATO and the EU continue to play in US foreign policy.)

Europe faces an inflection point. No American president in modern history has entered office with such ambivalence over the core institutions linking the United States and its European allies. Trump's actions will unite or yet further divide Europeans. Or as Merkel said in response to his latest comments, "We Europeans have our fate in our own hands."

Advertisement

Andrea Peto and Weronika Grzebalska: Trump is good news for populist right-wing leaders in Europe

For right-wing populists in Central Europe, Trump's presidency is a game changer. It signifies the steady decline both of the United States as a guarantor of military security in the region and of the dominant global paradigm of the connections between the free market, liberal democratic values and human rights.

In Hungary and Poland, Obama criticised the dismantling of the rule of law and attacks on civil liberties under the radical-right parties FIDESZ and PiS. Trump, on the other hand, has begun his presidency by cordially inviting Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban to Washington.

With Trump in power, these leaders are no longer the black sheep among Western political elites but rather partners in the building of a new illiberal international order that rejects liberal democratic values and freedoms.

Among the first victims of transnational illiberalism in Central Europe will surely be progressive and human rights NGOs, already struggling with cuts to government funding. That money has been redirected to faith-based and conservative organisations supporting the right-wing populist party agenda.

President Trump opens a window of opportunity to go even further toward de-globalisation, including - we predict - restricting the presence of international organisations like Amnesty International and expelling foreign-funded human rights donors like the Open Society Foundations.

Advertisement

In the short run, restructuring the NGO sector will harm feminist and human rights causes in the region, and activists may face personal security risks. In the long run, though, losing their financial and institutional basis will force activists to reconceptualise their political strategy. That could be a good thing: the post-1989 NGO-isation of Central Europe's civil society has largely depoliticised resistance, turning it into a technocratic process.

By returning to older forms of political resistance, social activism might also regain grassroots support and find a new voice in the process. At least, that's what we hope.

Jonathan Rynhold: Hope for Israel, concern over Iran and Syria

We should see a generally positive tone toward Israel from Donald Trump, but there are very large questions about what the administration's policies will be on the substantive issues affecting the country.

For example, his son-in-law Jared Kushner has been tapped to deal with the peace process. He has no background whatsoever in this area, and we have no idea what his positions might be.

Advertisement

Regarding the settlement issue, my sense -- in contrast to what the settlement movement believes -- is that the administration is not necessarily pro-settlement. His nominee for the UN said that settlements could "hinder peace" and when the UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement was passed, Trump's comment was that "this makes peace harder" -- not that it was wrong.

Israel may follow the line suggested by Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman, which is to try to reach an agreement with the US about stopping settlement building outside the blocs, but allowing it within them. It would fit in with George W Bush letter of 2004 and follows Obama's statements on different kinds of settlements. That would be a step forward, and relatively doable. The Obama administration wasn't prepared to do that, perhaps Trump might be.

On a symbolic level, we will probably see something regarding the idea of moving the American embassy to Jerusalem, which may be that the ambassador will work from the consulate there; but I doubt we will see a shift America's position on Jerusalem.

In any case, it is accepted that at least West Jerusalem will be formally recognised as the capital of Israel in any peace deal and the consulate is in West Jerusalem. In Israel everyone is in favor of moving the embassy. But some would say it's not necessarily the most important thing to deal with now, because it could possibly lead to an upsurge of violence.

The largest concerns for Israel is how the Trump administration will deal with Iran. On one hand, Trump seems to have a stronger stance than the Obama administration, which Israel felt did not hold Iranians to account sufficiently.

Advertisement

But there's also concern that Trump's good relations with Russia may actually lead to a worsening of the situation in Syria from an Israeli point of view. If he gives a free hand to Russia in Syria, it could strengthen Iran there, which is the strongest force on the ground. The Russians would then give Tehran greater freedom to operate.

Miguel Angel Latouche: Latin America is seen as a problematic region

Trump is an enigma. For the first time in the contemporary history of the US, a genuine outsider has become president.

We do know a few things about Trump, though. He is a strongman who does not belong to the establishment and enjoys polemics. He is intolerant of criticism and seems perfectly willing to use force, in the style of an old political realist. But Trump's vision on Latin America is uncertain.

What priorities will guide foreign policy toward the region?

We don't know whether the Trump administration perceives Latin America as a potential partner or a threat. If it's the former, there should be opportunities to do business and strengthen open markets. If it's the latter, there is little good to come of it. Indeed, Trump is most likely to promote an isolationist stance.

Trump does appear to perceive Latin American as a problematic region. He has expressed concerns about illegal immigration and US jobs lost as a consequence of trade agreements, open markets and industrial relocation.

Advertisement

Would Trump build a wall along the US-Mexican border? He certainly seems capable of it, and to want to do it. Regardless of whether he can make it happen, we must consider that he is disposed to impose an ideological barrier on Latin America.

So far, all we know to expect is the reduction of concessions to Cuba, a strongman's posture towards strongman-led Venezuela and a distancing from Mexico. For other countries in the region, there is a huge question mark.

Javier Galeano/Reuters

Salvador Vazquez del Mercado: Uncertainty for Mexico

Donald Trump's campaign was geared towards pushing the buttons of voters who, as the result of shifting economic opportunities, have seen their economic prospects decline in recent years: it was Mexico that took the jobs, and Mexico that sent the bad immigrants.

In a clear example of what Robert Shiller calls the power of narratives to shift economic and social outcomes, Trump put Mexico in the centre of his attacks. He made economic and cultural insecurity the topics that would attract the attention of his voters, framed as the purported fight against fleeing employment and the assumed woes of immigration.

For Mexico, that's quite a vulnerable position to be in. The imposition of tariffs has the potential to spark a trade war that Mexico, with its smaller share of goods exported to the US, will find difficult to win. The threatened renegotiation of NAFTA will, by itself, damage the Mexican economy by aggravating investment expectations. Then there's the eventual results of the negotiation itself: imposing taxes on remittances or blocking their delivery will deprive many Mexican families of much needed resources.

Advertisement

In fact, Trump's campaign has already damaged the Mexican economy: the peso continues to slide as Trump keeps making announcements related to the transnational automobile industry.

It is to be expected, then, that it will fall further when he begins earnestly pursing his agenda. As a result, the International Monetary Fund has already downgraded its forecast for the growth of the Mexican economy.

It is difficult to know what Trump will do in power because of the lack of clarity in his policy proposals. This uncertainty will be aggravated as his cabinet picks continue to sort out whether to follow their policies or his.

Some of this uncertainty may benefit Mexico: while the Republican love affair with free trade seems to have ended during the campaign, the passion could be rekindled once the president is sworn in and trade negotiations start.

A weaker peso will also benefit Mexican exports, and Mexican diplomatic efforts and public relations should profit from the rifts that will open between Trump, his cabinet and the Republican-led congress.

Advertisement

These benefits are not minimal, if the country plays them right, which only serves to underscore the many challenges that Mexico will face starting January 20 2016.

Subarno Chattarji: a welcome change, but points of conflict in India

Donald Trump's election was welcomed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who said that India could take some credit for Trump's victory since he used a version of Modi's election slogan to appeal to Indian American voters ("Ab ki Baar, Trump Sarkar" - "Next time, a Trump government").

The welcome message reveals the ideological and political affinities between Modi and Trump, particularly regarding attitudes toward Muslims, terrorism, political correctness, liberal elites and minorities.

Policy outlooks, however, are mixed. For instance, Trump's call with Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif whom he described as "a terrific guy" didn't go down well in India. Trump has also said he can solve the Kashmir crisis - again a touchy subject, since India's official position is that all Kashmir is an integral part of India and any dispute must be resolved bilaterally.

Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Another area of contention and anxiety is the lottery of H1-B Visas given for workers in technology and computing industries, which are largely corralled by Indians. Trump has promised to reduce these visas. In keeping with his promise to "Make America Great Again", he also plans to push back against the outsourcing of jobs - an additional potential point of conflict.

While ideologically distinct from Modi, president Obama forged a close connection with India, part of his administrations' broader pivot toward Asia. That pivot may or may not be sustained by the Trump administration. Trump's nominee for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has made no public statements on India.

Notwithstanding these misgivings, Trump will receive a warm welcome from the Indian government (and members of the Hindu Sena) should he visit the country.
The military's most prolific leaker of digital documents has ushered in an age of even more increased surveillance over government workers. The legacy of Chelsea Manning's actions is under discussion in the wake of the announcement that the former Army private will be released from military prison in May. In one of his last official acts, President Obama commuted her sentence for violations of the Espionage Act and copying and disseminating classified information. The commutation reduced her sentence from 35 years to the seven years she has already served, plus four additional months needed to effect her release.

In 2010, Manning, then presenting as male and going by the first name Bradley, was an intelligence analyst serving in Iraq. Disillusioned by callous behavior and indiscriminate killing of people in Afghanistan and Iraq by American soldiers, Manning copied and digitally released a massive trove of classified information. The data included 250,000 cables from American diplomats stationed around the world, 470,000 Iraq and Afghanistan battlefield reports and logs of military incident reports, assessment files of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay and war zone videos of airstrikes in Afghanistan and Iraq war in which civilians were killed.

Advertisement

But the most lasting effect will likely be a powerful new fear of so-called "insider threats" - leaks by people like Manning, working for the U.S. and having passed security clearance background checks. In the wake of Manning's actions, the military and intelligence communities have been ramping up digital surveillance of their own personnel to unprecedented levels, in hopes of detecting leakers before they let their information loose on the world.

Embarrassing to diplomats

The initial official response was that the release of State Department cables - internal communications between officials with candid assessments of international situations and even individual leaders' personalities - would be so debilitating to foreign relations that repair would take decades.

In reality, the cables were more embarrassing than destructive. A political uproar met the news that the U.S. and its purported ally Pakistan were working at cross-purposes: American forces were trying to fight against the Taliban and al-Qaida, while Pakistan was trying to offer them protection and even weapons. But overall, it didn't significantly increase the existing tensions in American-Pakistani relations. Other foreign officials may have become more wary about sharing information with Americans, but over time, new people come into key posts, the leak is forgotten and business continues as it has always done.

Foreign leaders about whom U.S. officials had made blunt and disparaging comments in the cables did suffer. For example, the cables revealed a secret agreement in which the U.S. conducted drone strikes in Yemen while that country's President Ali Abdullah Saleh publicly took the blame. Two years later, in 2012, a popular revolution ousted him. A similar fate befell the Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, whose lavish lifestyle - and lack of American support - was discussed in the cables.

Advertisement

Revealing military misdeeds

More damaging to the U.S. was what was revealed in the battlefield reports Manning released, and called evidence of American soldiers' "bloodlust." For instance, Manning's leaks disclosed the activities of an American assassination squad in Afghanistan. Called Task Force 373, the unit comprised specially trained U.S. personnel from elite forces such as the Navy SEALs and the Army's Delta Force. Its goal was to assassinate a range of targets including drug barons, drug makers and al-Qaida and Taliban figures.

The documents also showed U.S. military personnel shooting innocent civilians on the ground and from the air - among them a Reuters journalist. They showed that American authorities ignored extreme torture inflicted on Iraqi prisoners, including sexual abuse and physical mistreatment, such as hanging detainees upside-down. Allegations of child trafficking by U.S. military contractors also came to light.

Surveilling the potential messenger

Manning is being hailed as a hero and as a traitor. There are arguments for both. The public has a right to know about official misdeeds carried out by the government and military. But those kinds of revelations can jeopardize our defense strategy and hurt our standing in the world community.

Advertisement

Computers' external media ports are also being watched, to detect an employee connecting a USB thumb drive that could be used to smuggle documents out of a secure system. Workers' keystrokes and other actions on their computers are being analyzed in real time to detect unauthorized activity, such as accessing restricted files or even connecting to file-sharing or social media sites.

Agencies and private companies with government contracts will also have to keep their employees' after-work lives under greater surveillance, looking for behavior or situations that might compromise government security. The effectiveness of these efforts is not yet clear.

Leniency or mercy?

U.S. Army

Obama characterized Manning's release as a humanitarian gesture because of her personal circumstances. The day after she was sentenced, Manning revealed that she is transgender and identifies as a woman; nevertheless, she was held in a men's military prison.

Advertisement

Despite Obama's perspective, Manning's release could be viewed as an act of leniency, a signal that others might escape decades of prison time if they, too, were to violate their oaths of secrecy and reveal confidential public information. But fewer might get the chance to do so, because insiders are trusted less and being watched more.
Women are marching and they are upset. For lawmakers who wants to get right with this large group of voters, here are seven concrete things they could do.

1. Pass a real national paid leave law.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton did not agree on much during the presidential campaign, but they did agree that it is time for national paid leave. The United States is one of only a handful of countries that provides no paid leave. This is bad for families and bad for business. The job of caregiving, whether it be for aging parents or children, still disproportionately falls on women. If you are a federal lawmaker, you need to make sure that the Trump Administration passes family leave that is sufficiently broad to protect American families. The plans outlined by Trump during his campaign initially only applied to women, and Republicans--to the extent they have supported family leave at all--have favored tax incentives. These are only pieces to an incomplete puzzle. Paid leave needs to apply to men as well as women. While tax incentives can be one tool, it is insufficient as a standalone solution because it leaves out low-income workers who may pay little tax. The need for paid leave is the greatest among this population.

Advertisement

2. Support equal pay for equal work.

Even when working in the same industry as men, women continue to experience an unjustifiable pay gap. For instance, female doctors as a rule make less than male doctors. Yet a recent study found that older patients lived longer when treated by a female rather than a male doctor. It makes no sense for these women to be paid less for providing equal or perhaps even better outcomes. A solution to this, make large employers report wages by sex to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. This data would be easy to collect. Sunshine can be a powerful disinfectant for this kind of problem. Making this kind of data public would aid women who have to resort to a lawsuit under the Equal Pay Act. Pointing to a systemic pay gap makes it easier for an employee to show that the pay gap between herself and a man doing the same work is due to sex discrimination, rather than--as many companies like to argue--some other factor, unrelated to sex.

3. Support minimum wage increases and fair rules for overtime pay.

The federal minimum wage is insufficient to support a working family. An increase in the minimum wage would help families, particularly those headed by single parents, who are primarily women. Overtime rules have not been updated since 1973. This all adds up to more people--including more women--working longer hours for less. This exacerbates the problem in a country without a comprehensive paid leave law or affordable child care system. Paying employees a real wage would go a long way to help solve that. Under President Obama, the Department of Labor updated overtime laws so that many more Americans would be covered. American businesses are prepared to comply with this law; the training programs are already in place. All lawmakers have to do is keep these overtime rules in place and pass a living wage, something supported by the majority of Americans.

Advertisement

4. Pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

More women are staying in the workforce and those that get pregnant are staying longer into their pregnancies. Some pregnant workers need very basic changes to their workplace to allow them to keep working, changes like carrying around a bottle of water or getting help lifting heavy packages. Sadly, some workplaces refuse these changes. The Supreme Court's decision in Young v UPS clarified that in some circumstances employers must provide these changes. But this decision does not cover all women as it only applies to mostly large employers who offer light-duty accommodations to other workers. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would fix that. The law would allow pregnant women to stay in the workplace where they can get the salary and benefits that they need and deserve. All lawmakers have to do is pass it.

5. Appoint judges who will allow for more jury trials.

There are civil rights laws that make it unlawful to discriminate against women or pay them less simply because of their gender. But they don't work if judges kick cases out of court before they can ever get to a jury. A rule of civil procedure in most courts--called summary judgment--allows judges to dismiss weak cases. This is an appropriate and useful tool when used correctly. But judges have abused this tool as a means to clear busy court dockets or, even worse, because of an ideological bias against individuals who sue companies. The solution, use summary judgment to clear out obviously weak cases, but let others, even close calls, go to a jury. That is the way the law is supposed to work. And juries are the most direct form of democracy--a small group of individuals deciding issues of importance. Lawmakers should appoint judges that share this viewpoint that be shared by "liberal" and "conservative" judges.

6. Support unions.

Unions provide bargaining power to workers, particularly those, like service employees, who individually lack the leverage to negotiate working conditions with large companies. Unionized workers are more likely to get a fair wage and have real benefits, issues important to women and men. Lawmakers should support, not fight, unions.

Advertisement

7. Support protections for the 'gig economy' workers.

Increasingly workers are working as their own bosses by either working an independent contractor or in industries that allow work on demand--the car service Uber being a prime example. These positions are particularly important for women (and men) who need a flexible schedule due to caregiver responsibilities. Drop the kids off at school, drive for Uber or work as a carpenter taking assignments through TaskRabbit, then be home to meet the kids at the bus. While these jobs offer tremendous opportunities for workers, they leave many out in the cold when it comes to anti-discrimination laws, ability to secure benefits, and other protections that usually come with full-time work. This needs to change. There have been some steps taken to address these issues. For instance, the EEOC recently took the position that federal anti-discrimination applies to those some jobs in the gig economy. Efforts have been underway in California and New York to allow gig workers to unionize. Lawmakers need to support creative solutions to provide workers with real protections in this rapidly growing segment of the economy.

Women are playing a larger role in a rapidly changing workforce, yet they are continually hampered by the issues discussed above. This clearly hurts individuals in the workplace--both men and women--but it also hurts businesses which are unable to reap the full benefits of a stable and committed workforce. Individual business cannot alone solve these national issues. By providing legislative solutions, lawmakers can strengthen our families and our workforce.
(Xinhua) 13:55, January 20, 2017

South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold joint maritime drills this week to enhance capability to detect and trail ballistic missiles from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Yonhap news agency reported on Friday citing South Korea's navy.

The missile warning exercise will be conducted from Friday to Sunday in waters near the three nations, mobilizing three Aegis-equipped destroyers, the South Korean navy was quoted as saying.

South Korea's Sejong the Great destroyer, a 7,600-ton Aegis-equipped vessel, will be mobilized, together with the 8,800-ton USS Curtis Wilbur and Japan's Kirishima Aegis destroyers.

The exercise to jointly detect and trail DPRK ballistic missiles would the third of its kind since the first was held in June last year near the U.S. island of Hawaii. The second was staged in November.

It is expected to strengthen missile defense (MD) cooperation between the three countries. Seoul and Washington agreed in July last year to deploy a U.S. missile shield, called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), in the former's southeastern region by the end of this year.

The THAAD deployment indicates South Korea in effect becoming a part of the U.S. missile defense system. China and Russia have strongly opposed the installation as its X-band radar can peer into territories of the two nations.

South Korea's News 1 news agency cited the country's navy as saying that during the exercise, the three countries will share simulated military intelligences on missile detection and trail.

The three allies signed a trilateral military pact in December 2014 to share the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats.

South Korea inked the similar military intelligence pact with Japan in November last year despite oppositions from the general public and the parliament.

Participating Aegis destroyers from the United States and Japan are reportedly equipped with SM-3 interceptors that can shoot down incoming missiles at an altitude of over 500 km.

Citing unnamed U.S. and South Korean sources, Yonhap reported on Thursday that Pyongyang already produced a new type of two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that were being mounted on mobile launchers.

Seoul's military believed that the DPRK can test-launch its ICBM at any time when the leadership decides.

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.
Bill Self, Kurtis Townsend won't be on sidelines for KU's first four games

Hawk Zone
Do not be surprised to see red packets, or hongbao, falling from the sky. In Hunan province, a staff member from Shiniuzhai National Geological Park, dressed as the Chinese God of Wealth, is sending out New Year wishes to visitors. [Photo: Chinanews.com]
Billboard #1 + A Golden Globe Shoutout = A Big Week For Migos

Already an established household name in the Atlanta hip-hop scene, we look at how a series of successes plus a shout out from Donald Glover at the Golden Globe Awards is helping to push the group Migos to the top.

__________________________

Guest post by Emily Blake of Next Big Sound on Medium

For tuned-in hip-hop fans  particularly those tuned into Atlanta  Migos have been a household name for a few years now. Specifically, since Versace, their 2013 debut single that went on to hit the Hot 100, all thanks to a remix from Drake. Since then, theyve racked up collaborations with the likes of Kanye West, Gucci Mane and Big Sean, released several critically acclaimed mixtapes and singles, and  perhaps most importantly  were instrumental in the proliferation of dabbing.

But it wasnt until last Sunday night that the trio  composed of Quavo, Takeoff and Offset  went from a household name among hip-hop heads to, briefly, a household name among everyone who was watching the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards. (Around 20 million people, by the way.) Thats when Donald Glover, fellow rapper and star of FXs Atlanta, thanked the trio during his acceptance speech for Best Television Series  Musical or Comedy, deeming their latest single, Bad and Boujee, the best song ever.

Speaking to reporters backstage after his speech, Glover went even further.

[See original tweet HERE]

I think that theyre the Beatles of this generation, and they dont get a lot of respect, I think, outside of Atlanta, Glover said. Not that they dont get respect, but theres a generation, sort of like the YouTube generation that I kind of came up with. Theres a generation of kids that are growing up on something thats completely separate from a whole group of people.

The very next day, Billboard announced that Bad and Boujee, which also features rising Philadelphia MC Lil Uzi Vert, dethroned Rae Sremmurds Black Beatles for the 1 spot on the Hot 100.

Thats all to say: It was a hell of a week for Migos.

Bad and Boujees rise on the Hot 100 cant be directly attributed to Glovers Sunday night shoutout. After all, Billboard charts run on a Monday to Sunday cycle, and the song had already been on a tear thanks in large part to a number of viral memes. But judging by a variety of social and streaming data over the past few days, it most definitely didnt hurt them.

On Monday, for example, Migos saw over 37,000 Twitter mentions. In the three months leading up to that, they were averaging right around 1,600 mentions per day. They also saw right around 5,200 new followers that day on the social media site.

Migos also saw about 27,000 Wikipedia page views that day, and around 18,500 on Tuesday. In the past 90 days, theyve averaged 2,300 views per day. Between Sunday night and Wednesday, they added 10,415 Facebook page likes and racked up over 15.5 million views on YouTube, too.

And the best song ever is getting a lot more love, too. Bad and Boujee is approaching the top 10 of the Pandora Top Spins Chart. And the music video has attracted over 103 million views to date.

But dont call this a one-hit wonder. And while Bad and Boujee is seeing a solid number of Track Station Adds on Pandora  right around 28,000 weekly  Migos are also seeing over 60,000 weekly Artist Station Adds. That signifies that it isnt just Bad and Boujee that people are dying to hear; its Migos they want.

The attention couldnt come at a better time for Migos, as the trio are due to release their sophomore album, Culture, on Jan. 27.

This article originally appeared on Forbes.com on January 13.

Share on:
Employers may want to reconsider which competencies they cover in their employee reviews after one prominent business leader said her staff members simply wont advance if they cant prove their capability in this important  but often overlooked  area.When were doing employee reviews and pretty early in the young professionals life, we tell them that if theyre going to move forward in the company, they not only need to improve their skills but they need to learn to be a mentor, says Maureen OShaughnessy, principal at CS&P Architects.For many years, OShaughnessy has been a strong advocate for supporting women in the male-dominated architecture industry and is a corporate member of the Canadian Association of Women in Construction. Shes also taken on an unofficial HR role within the firm to promote the importance of mentorships  something she says is vital to securing not only womens success but the success of all employees and therefore the business itself.Mentorships give you the knowledge, the background, the support, not just in relation to technical skills but also in relation to your leadership and professional skills, your ability to have confidence in what youre saying and to be able to say it well.Thats why every employee at CS&P Architects is told from the outset that theyll be expected to mentor others and wont be able to progress if they cant do so.From the most junior to intermediate employees, they need to know that part of their responsibility to the firm is to mentor the people behind them and thats actually part of their job and part of how theyre going to advance in their job, says OShaughnessy.There are very few things that anybody in this industry does alone so we all have to work as part of a collaborative team and part of that teamwork is to learn to mentor and learn that you dont work independently, she continues.During an employee review when someone asks how they can move forward, Ive often said they need to learn to mentor their less experienced colleagues or even their peers because people have different skills sets, she adds. Thats part of how you move ahead in this firm.OShaughnessy says encouraging a mentorship culture from the outset offers clear benefits to the employees involved but also benefits organizations too.One of the very good things, internally, that mentorship does for us is its all about really great engaged employees and happy employees but its also about succession planning because the more they learn, the more theyre able to move up in your firm and start to take much more senior roles, says OShaughnessy.Thats absolutely what we want from our young employees  we want them to know that they have a place to move to in the firm and a place to grow to.OShaughnessy also has a warning for employers who arent focussed on providing mentorship opportunities for their up-and-coming young talent.Theyll pick up and go somewhere else and you will lose some really great people, she stresses. If you cant help people by providing them the mentorship they need, or helping them go out there and get the mentorship they need, then they will feel that they cant grow and they need to grow because nobody wants to be stagnant.
It's critical to help clients make the most of the plans they have
One might describe an overly-ambitious individual as someone who wants to have their cake and eat it too.Theres nothing wrong with being ambitious, of course.However, there is something wrong with insurers marketing themselves as financial advisors, when theyre really selling preferred products. Or at least that is the view of the Consumer Federation of America, the Department of Labor and a 2015 White House report.Companies including Prudential and USAA, trade organizations like Insured Retirement Institute, American Council of Life Insurers, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and the many financial services firms that recommend them are all getting called out by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA).The CFA says these major financial services firms involved with retirement planning, including insurance brokerages, corporations and others, are representing themselves differently to consumers than they are to the federal government.Heavyweights of the insurance industry are attempting to overturn the Department of Labors fiduciary rule for retirement advisors, a rule compelling them to act in the best interest of their client.In other words, retirement advisors are required to recommend the best policy, not the most profitable one.The arguments on behalf of the insurance industry made in court to the Department of Labor are that insurance agents, brokers and professionals in general are salespeople, not advisors and therefore shouldnt need to meet the fiduciary standard.Salespeople calling themselves financial advisors, even as theyre incentivized for selling proprietary products, has become pervasive, the rule and not the exception argued Barbara Roper, director of investor protection for the CFA.Some of them really are advisors, some of them really are just salespeople, Roper said.But the point is if the legal argument is right then theyre engaged in a massive deception of the investing public in how they market their services. If the marketing material is right, then the legal argument is a fiction.Roper said she wants to believe insurance professionals and her point is not to say these firms are lying, if theyre telling the truth, then their trade association is lying in court.The acts of having cake and eating cake, one could argue, are paradoxically at odds.A 2015 White House report titled The Effects of Conflicted Investment Advise on Retirement Savings estimated salespeople posing as advisors cost retirees $17 billion every year by suggesting more expensive policies than necessary.It preys on peoples vulnerability, it preys on their trusting nature and their real need to rely on an expert to help them with these complex and vitally important decisions, Roper said.Were supposed to let them prey on vulnerable consumers because its good for the economy? I just dont buy it.If the financial services companies lose their case with the Department of Labor, insurance professionals with clients planning for retirement might find themselves under more pressure to provide transparency for the products they sell.If they win, if the Trump administration delays or it repeals the Department of Labor fiduciary rule, then theres still one way consumers could differentiate between salespeople and advisors: a fiduciary oath.Asking brokers or agents to sign a fiduciary oath, Roper said, is a litmus test to determine whether a professional is willing to legally bind themselves to fiduciary advising responsibilities.Roper said she recommends insurers embrace the role thats being marketed and understands some firms are already moving in that direction.
The topping off ceremony is a longtime construction tradition. The final beam is painted white and signed. Superintendent Jason McCandless. Mayor Linda Tyer. MSBA Project Manager Richard Hudson. Skanska Project Manager John Benzinger. Taconic Principal John Vosburgh. A crowd gathered to watch the final beam go up. PreviousNext

Final Steel Beam Placed On New Taconic High School Structure



City Councilor Kathleen Amuso, a former School Committee member, has been working on this project for more than a decade. Her signature joined hundreds including students, construction workers, and staff. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  The $120.8 million Taconic High School construction project hit another milestone Friday when workers placed the final steel beam on the structure.

In a topping-off ceremony, a construction tradition signifying the completion of the structure of a building, school and construction officials celebrated the milestone with a speaking program, signing of the beams, and of course, watching the workers place it.

"While they hoist the beam that will finally be the last piece of steel in place, it is symbolic of all the heavy lifting that has taken place by so many people for the last many long years, 10, 12 years now we are approaching," Mayor Linda Tyer said.

The final beam is painted white and was signed by all involved in the project from students to construction workers to school officials and staff, and then hoisted up with an American flag and a fir tree.

According to John Benzinger, a senior project manager with Skanska USA, the history of topping off dates back to Egyptians placing trees on top of buildings. Scandinavian tribes used a tree in attempts to appease tree-dwelling spirits that were displaced by construction. Then in Medieval times, family flags were used when homes were built. In the United States, Native Americans would work on steel construction and there was a belief that no structure is taller than a tree, so a tree was placed on top, Benzinger said.

"There are a lot of religious and spiritual things attached to this ceremony," Benzinger said.

Since then, the tradition has been kept by construction workers on projects throughout the world. Now it mostly signals that the building is nearing completion because the superstructure is done. For more information about the Taconic project, click here.

"We are on schedule for completion in June 2018. And in September of 2018 students should be occupying the new building. Roughly a year later in December of 2019, the removal of this building and construction of the playing fields will be complete," Benzinger said.

About 65 percent of the project is being funded by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Senior Project Manager Richard Hudson took yet another trip to the site on Friday to join the celebration and praised the local community and the construction team for the efforts.

"Projects such as these require an effective team and that is what you have here at the new Taconic. Your architect, DRA, owners project manager Skanska USA Building, and construction manager Gilbane are all experienced, qualified, and with the goal in mind of providing a well-built, quality end product," Hudson said.

Taconic Principal John Vosburgh said the construction team has done a good job in keeping impacts to the current school's operations at a minimum despite the construction. The new building is being built directly across the driveway from the current building and work on it began last March.

"Honestly, it really hasn't impacted much. The manner this project has moved forward with incredible communication and coordination with the school has been stellar," Vosburgh said.

Vosburgh said not only has the contractors been able to accommodate the school's operations but have also opened the doors to help educate students about construction work. He said engineering students have been able to go on site to see the inner workings of the construction.

But the topping-off ceremony isn't just celebrating just any building. The new Taconic represents a change in learning, technology, and the future.

Senior Cassie Winn won't be attending that school but says it will be able to put the Braves on the same playing field as graduates from other schools, whom they will be competing against for jobs.



Taconic High School Senior Cassie Winn says the new building helps put future students on par with those from other schools. "Here at Taconic, students have long benefited from the expertise of a dedicated faculty of skilled professionals. And now we will have the facility and technology on par with that of other technical schools," Winn said.

Winn cited a 2016 survey that found for five consecutive years skills trades were reported as the most difficult jobs for employers to fill. She said the National Association of Homebuilders estimates there are 200,000 unfilled construction jobs nationwide. And there are 350,000 manufacturing jobs available each month.

"For the Taconic community, this building represents more than a safer, more aesthetically pleasing place to learn. It also means that students will have additional programs in which they can enroll, new certifications they will be eligible to earn, and relevant jobs skills they'll be able to master on up to date equipment," Winn said.

While it symbolized a future for the individual students, Tyer believes the building also symbolized the city's future. She said in a recent budget workshop it was said that the financial plans should be crafted for "where we want to go." And, the building of Taconic and example of that principle.

"I can't think of a more important investment than in our state-of-the-art brand new Taconic High School as a symbol of where we are going. This is an investment in our students, our families, and the future of our community," Tyer said.




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.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 20

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

General Prosecutors Office of Belarus has decided to extradite Alexander Lapshin to Azerbaijan, Petr Kiselev, head of the Information and Public Relations Department of the General Prosecutors Office of Belarus, told Trend Jan. 20.

Kiselev added that Lapshin has ten days to appeal against the decision of the General Prosecutors Office of Belarus.

Alexander Lapshin is a citizen of several countries and has had a criminal conspiracy with Armenians living in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. He also illegally visited these territories.

Lapshin is accused of violating Azerbaijani laws on state border in April 2011 and October 2012.

In order to promote the illegal regime created in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia, Lapshin presented Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent state on his social media account, and supporting the independence of the unrecognized regime he made public incitements aimed at violating Azerbaijans territorial integrity on April 6 and June 29, 2016.

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. 20

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Hunger and poverty prevail today in Armenia, famous French writer Gerard Cardonne, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, said.

Cardonne made the remarks at a meeting with Ali Hasanov, chairman of the Azerbaijani State Committee for Refugees and IDPs, in Baku.

People are leaving Armenia, he added. The Armenians oppose the current regime in the country.

The French writer also spoke about his desire to write a book about Azerbaijani women.

He added that he has already implemented similar projects in a number of countries.

The novel about Azerbaijani women will consist of two parts, he said. The life of women, their role in the family, society, protection of their rights and other issues will be described in the book.

Cardonne said that along with the novel he will write a book about Khojaly tragedy following the visit.
The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers.

To unlock this article:




This Isnt Our Last Love Letter



Dear Don Don,

Way back in 92



I walked into the room and knew



Never felt this way before



I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes



And the feeling grew



As I took a seat I knew



A love that would have my heart



Forever



I knew



Way back in 92





They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true



We were the exception to that rule



Our love had no where to hide



A spark set fire



As if this is how the universe started





I never doubted our love or what we could do



Together we grew



Forming a bond everlasting



That became our glue



My euphoria was YOU



Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared



For how fortunate we were :



to have and to hold

through sickness and in health

Til death do us part



Until we are together again



This isnt our last love letter



I love you with all my heart and soul



Yours forever,



Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow)





Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus.









A True American Hero

I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus.



I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years.



I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years.

But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us.

In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about.



Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle.

I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life.

I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life.

No one will ever do what he did.

I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO





David Jurist

IMUS IN THE MORNING

FIRST DAY BACK!
Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Barack Obama is a major bookworm.

In his book "Dreams from My Father," he reflected on his lifelong love of literature: "When I wasn't working, the weekends would usually find me alone in an empty apartment, making do with the company of books."

Recently, the outgoing US president sat down with New York Times chief book critic Michiko Kakutani to discuss literature.

In the interview, Obama referenced a wide range of works, from books he's read in recent years to those he recommended to his daughter Malia.

Here are some of the works Obama praised in the New York Times interview:

'The Naked and the Dead' by Norman Mailer

Amazon synopsis:

"Written in gritty, journalistic detail, the story follows an army platoon of foot soldiers who are fighting for the possession of the Japanese-held island of Anopopei. Composed in 1948, 'The Naked and the Dead' is representative of the best in twentieth-century American writing."

'One Hundred Years of Solitude' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

(Harper Collins)

Amazon synopsis:

"The brilliant, bestselling, landmark novel that tells the story of the Buendia family, and chronicles the irreconcilable conflict between the desire for solitude and the need for love  in rich, imaginative prose that has come to define an entire genre known as 'magical realism.'"

'The Golden Notebook' by Doris Lessing

Amazon synopsis:

"Anna is a writer, author of one very successful novel, who now keeps four notebooks. In one, with a black cover, she reviews the African experience of her earlier years. In a red one she records her political life, her disillusionment with communism. In a yellow one she writes a novel in which the heroine relives part of her own experience. And in a blue one she keeps a personal diary.

"Finally, in love with an American writer and threatened with insanity, Anna resolves to bring the threads of all four books together in a golden notebook. Doris Lessing's best-known and most influential novel, 'The Golden Notebook' retains its extraordinary power and relevance decades after its initial publication.

'The Woman Warrior' by Maxine Hong Kingston

(Amazon (Amazon)

Amazon synopsis:

"A Chinese American woman tells of the Chinese myths, family stories and events of her California childhood that have shaped her identity."

'The Underground Railroad' by Colson Whitehead

Amazon synopsis:

"Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhoodwhere even greater pain awaits.

"When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned  Cora kills a young white boy who tries to capture her. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted."

'Gilead' by Marilynne Robinson

Amazon synopsis:

"Nearly 25 years after Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson returns with an intimate tale of three generations, from the Civil War to the 20th century: a story about fathers and sons and the spiritual battles that still rage at America's heart. In the words of 'Kirkus,' it is a novel 'as big as a nation, as quiet as thought, and moving as prayer. Matchless and towering.' 'Gilead' tells the story of America and will break your heart."

'Three-Body Problem' by Cixin Liu

Amazon synopsis:

"Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilisation on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth.

"Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision."

"Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn

Amazon synopsis:

"On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears.

"Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge.

"Under mounting pressure from the police and the media  as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents  the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behaviour. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter  but is he really a killer?"

"Fates and Furies' by Lauren Groff

Amazon synopsis:

"A dazzling examination of a marriage, it is also a portrait of creative partnership written by one of the best writers of her generation. Every story has two sides. Every relationship has two perspectives. And sometimes, it turns out, the key to a great marriage is not its truths but its secrets. At the core of this rich, expansive, layered novel, Lauren Groff presents the story of one such marriage over the course of 24 years."

'Song of Solomon' by Toni Morrison

(Amazon (Amazon)

Amazon synopsis:

"Milkman Dead was born shortly after a neighborhood eccentric hurled himself off a rooftop in a vain attempt at flight. For the rest of his life he, too, will be trying to fly.

"With this brilliantly imagined novel, Toni Morrison transfigures the coming-of-age story as audaciously as Saul Bellow or Gabriel Garcia Marquez. As she follows Milkman from his Rustbelt city to the place of his family's origins, Morrison introduces an entire cast of strivers and seeresses, liars and assassins, the inhabitants of a fully realized black world."

'A Bend in the River' by V.S. Naipaul

Amazon synopsis:

"... V.S. Naipaul takes us deeply into the life of one man  an Indian who, uprooted by the bloody tides of Third World history, has come to live in an isolated town at the bend of a great river in a newly independent African nation.

"Naipaul gives us the most convincing and disturbing vision yet of what happens in a place caught between the dangerously alluring modern world and its own tenacious past and traditions.

 The 7 most inclusive European economies

 21 pictures that show why Iceland is the one destination you need to visit in 2017

 11 things unsuccessful people do over the weekend

Read the original article on Business Insider UK.  2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

If you happened to be a kid growing up in California, enamoured with raw, intense, razor-sharp music played at vehemently dizzying speed, chances are you've been to or at least heard of 924 Gilman Street in West Berkeley, California.

The all-ages, DIY venue that played host to early sets from Green Day, The Offspring and Rancid was a mecca for punks pop, ska and hardcore, particularly during the early 90s when the genre as a whole was probably the least fashionable it has ever been in its 43-year history (before you quibble, The Ramones formed in 1974).

If you had walked into 924 Gilman Street around this time, you may have stumbled across a band cryptically calling themselves AFI, an acronymic name thats caused a whole ton of debate over sticky floors and punk forums ever since. (Anthems for Insubordinates? Asking For It? Another F*****g Initial?

Wisely the band eventually settled on A Fire Inside). Here was another group of pissed off adolescents armed with three chords and the truth, rallying against a whole slew of social injustices with a raging juvenile temperament.

At this point, the band spewed forth raucous, fiery 90-second ditties whilst frontman Davey Havok yelped mile-a-minute diatribes about Key Lime Pie and wanting to get a Mohawk (although in a chilling twist, the protagonists mother would not let him get one). From inauspicious beginnings...

The AFI of 2017 are a very different beast from the one that started out playing grotty punk basements in the summer of 1991. Theyve evolved and re-invented their music countless times, adding a hint of new-wave glam here, sprinkling touches of electronic synths there and coating the whole shebang with a thick gloss of goth-punk romanticism everywhere.

The militants of Gilman Street may protest, but theyre rarely the sort to have time for such frivolous ideas as progress when it comes to music.

AFIs bassist of 19 years, Hunter Burgan, sums up the bands evolution from album to album succinctly, We're trying to encapsulate the essence of what we are as a band on every album we make; our sound has evolved and progressed along with us. Each album is an expression of who we are and where we were at that time. I think the themes on this record are about us and where we are as a band.

As musicians grow, the music they make evolves and in that respect, AFI are no different. You dont manage to sustain a career over a quarter of a century, a milestone AFI passed last year, by standing still and refusing to evolve. But there are other factors that have enabled this band to stay together where so many others have fallen apart, as vocalist Davey Havok attests.

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

"We started this band as friends; Adam (Carson, drummer) and I are original members but Jade (Puget, guitarist), Hunter and I were friends before they were even in the band. So we started as a group of friends that could play instruments, we all had the same goals and desires and I think that was important.

"And those goals and desires remain the same to this day; to create music we love. I think a lot of times bands will break up because their goal is commercial success and most bands aren't going to get that, it's out of their control. If you do, you're one of the lucky ones but that commercial success will likely fade and youll end up breaking up anyway. But if you're playing because you have to, because it's who you are, then youll just keep doing it."

But for a time, AFI were one of the lucky ones; their switch to Dreamworks in 2003 for major label debut Sing The Sorrow brought them a whole heap of mainstream attention, which blossomed even further with the release of 2006s Decemberunderground, a #1 album in America, no doubt bolstered by the albums first single, Miss Murder.

This infectious, bouncy earworm of a song became one of the anthems of summer 06 and sounded a million miles away from Havoks protestations about his lack of Mohawk cut over a decade previously.

"The same intentions went into our first early 7"EPs as it did the records we made that just so happened to make the mainstream turn its head for a couple of years," says Havok.

"I think sometimes people have a different idea of what starting a band is going to be. Whilst I do personally think it's the best thing in the world, there are difficulties to it; you're choosing a life that is one of constant travel, where relationships at home may become compromised by being away all the time and youre sacrificing any semblance of stability or knowing exactly what your income is going to be from month to month, you know what I mean? Sometimes I think that some stability would be nice!"

The hearty chuckle down the transatlantic phone line reassures me that Havok has no intentions of settling down for a quiet life anytime soon. As a matter of fact, the band as a whole seem to be in a very good place, excited to get back into action as a unit after a fairly lengthy absence to start the touring cycle for what will be their 10th full-length studio album.

In many ways, despite this numerically pleasing milestone, The Blood Album is business as usual for a band that has defiantly followed their own intuitions throughout their career. Tonally, the new material fits somewhere in-between the brighter, more jangly electro-pop of 2009s Crash Love and the far bleaker, darker atmosphere that put a dark cloud over 2013s Burials.

"We've been a band for 25 years, says Burgan "and thats something to be proud of but at the same time, it is more challenging to find fresh new ways to craft our sound. We're still working with the same instruments, even as we add elements of programming and there's only so many ways that you can formulate things.

"In a sense, we're not trying to re-invent the wheel, we're just trying to create a new perspective on the wheel, and there are things we've tried musically on this album that I dont think we've ever done before. We're all bringing our own interpretation to each song; I'm sure whilsy Im trying out one thing, Jade is trying to do something else and Adam's going for something else entirely and thats what makes it AFI."

Though self-titled as a cheeky ceremonious nod to themselves for reaching their tenth record, this record is fated to be referred to as The Blood Album, a sub-title the band hit upon when discussing the themes at the heart of the record. "I was recognising the re-occurrence of the word 'blood' in the lyrics early on during the writing process," Havok observes.

"I brought that up as something we should take note of, as it seemed to be reoccurring organically. I would imagine I must use at least 20 words in my lyrics over and over again, I'm constantly mocking myself for that! You're going to see the word heart alot, you're going to see the word stars a lot, there are constant references to nature, but at the same time the reason I use those words is because they appeal to me.

"Blood is very much one of those words; the record has themes of connection running through it and misperceptions of identity and blood re-occurs as a metaphor that speaks to those themes. Once we amassed the songs that we decided would represent our year of creation, we felt the symbolism of blood tied in perfectly with the record we were making."

With AFI now being adept at the art of making records and guitarist Jade Puget pulling double-duties by taking on the role of producer for the record, The Blood Album took just 6  7 weeks to record. In stark contrast, Crash Love, the album which saw the fickle mainstream begin to turn their heads away from AFI, took over a year to record, with the studio sessions plagued with a wealth of difficulties.

Initial reports announced Canadian producer David Bottrill, responsible for capturing hugely intricate sonic soundscapes for the likes of Tool, Muse, Coheed and Cambria, King Crimson and Silverchair, would be recording with the band. Despite Bottrills impeccable CV, he was off the project after just a couple of months, to be replaced by Joe McGrath, who had been promoted from his previous position as engineer on AFIs Sing the Sorrow and Decemberunderground.

Not only that but Jacknife Lee, the ex-Compulsion guitarist and famed producer and remixer for everyone from U2 to Taylor Swift, was brought in to do additional work on three songs.

"Crash Love was a really unique experience for us," recalls Burgan. "It took a long time to demo the songs that make up that record. I think at some point in that process we lost perspective on the things that really matter but we had already invested so much time and money into it that we felt we needed to take extra steps in order to make sure that we didn't get it wrong.

"Jade produced the new record and I think that helped us to throw out some of those processes that are often totally unnecessary. Our approach is much more focused and methodical now that we're so well versed in the recording process."

Its clear that AFI are operating as a harmonious unit; they have the all for one, one for all gang mentality that only the strongest of bands are able to nurture and maintain. The current line-up has been preserved since 1998, an impressive feat by anyones standards, but Havok points out a practical reason why the band have stayed together this long.

"We don't do drugs," he says "and I think that's a really big thing in music. I think drugs can often destroy a band, and in some cases, theyll lead to literally destroying the members of a band. There are examples of people who do survive that and are fruitful amazing artists who make it through, but the reason you're aware of them is because they're the ones that made it through.

"But for every Iggy Pop or Keith Richards, there are a dozen people like Darby Crash, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin or Jim Morrison; the numbers dont even compare. You don't even have to look at actual fatality to see how drugs can affect a band, there are countless instances of bands breaking up due to the turmoil they can cause, whether it be someone going to jail or internal fighting when perhaps a little more restraint and communication could have been shown."

As the band go into their 26th year, anticipation for new material is as fevered as its ever been. The band will finally return to UK shores after an absence of 7 years when they support fellow Cali-natives Deftones in London, Manchester and Glasgow. Havok is just grateful that hes managed to keep AFI an integral part of his life since the age of 16.

"It's surreal, it really is, because I am still making music for the exact same reason that I began making music, out of the love for it, and in many ways, I feel very much the same way as I did 25 years ago.

"But it's also really gratifying that we've been going for that long; most people don't get the opportunity to do something they love for the majority of their life and I really appreciate that I'm able to do this and still have people care about it. Were lucky that we get given the opportunity to express ourselves to a large audience who continue to listen."

AFI (The Blood Album) is available now on CD, Vinyl and Digitally via Concord. AFI will begin a UK tour supporting Deftones on 5th May at Alexandra Palace, London
Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Concern about climate change in America has returned to record levels as global warming denier Donald Trump becomes the 45th US President, according to a new poll.

The survey found 61 per cent were either very or somewhat concerned by the rising temperatures, Business Green reported. This is just short of the record figure of 62 per cent in 2008.

And the idea that climate change  already linked to increases in the number of severe storms, floods, droughts and deadly heatwaves  will harm people alive today has gained ground.

The poll, by the Yale Programme on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Centre for Climate Change Communication, found 46 per cent believed their own family would be harmed, up by five percentage points since 2015.

And 59 per cent thought other Americans would suffer because of climate change, up 10 points, while 65 per cent believed people in developing countries would be harmed, up 12 points.

Dr Anthony Leiserowitz, of Yale University, who worked on the survey, said: Despite the election of a president who has described global warming as a hoax, Americans are increasingly convinced global warming is happening and are more worried about it.

This indicates that on this issue, there is a growing gap between the views of the American public and the incoming Trump administration.

A recent study found the US would witness dangerous climate change  estimated to kick in after a rise of about 2C  about 10 to 20 years before the global average reaches that point.

The heavily populated US north-east is expected to have warmed by 3C when the rest of the world reaches 2C.

The poll, of more than 1,200 people in the US, found 55 per cent backed the idea that human activity was causing the climate to change, once again the highest level since 2008.

About 60 per cent said the issue was extremely, very or somewhat important on a personal level.

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

Mr Trump has suggested he will withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

But the poll found this could be unpopular among voters  69 per cent thought the US should remain a signatory to the international deal, while just 13 per cent backed scrapping it.

And 70 per cent said they favoured restrictions on the amount of emissions from coal-fired power plants  for climate change and health reasons  even if this meant they had to pay more for their electricity.

Dr Edward Maibach, of George Mason University, said: Americans across party lines support participating in the Paris international agreement, limiting carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, and using regulations and/or taxes to limit global warming.
Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping experts Sign up for our free IndyBest email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

IndyBest email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

South-east Asia has undeniably had its fair share of war and torment through the centuries, from colonisation in Malaysia to communist rule in Cambodia and civil war in Vietnam.

But in the 21st century, the countries are recovering from their pasts and are instead known by nicknames such as Cambodias The Land of Smiles and the Philippines moniker, The Pearl of the Orient Seas.

There are beautiful beaches, incredible mountains and welcoming people. You have super-modern cities and ancient temples, which combined form the fascinating area we call South-east Asia.

And if you cant get there to see it for yourself, read about it. We selected eight books covering the region. This list includes a mix of new releases and some older titles that have become classics of their genre.

1. First They Killed my Father by Loung Ung: 7.99, Mainstream Publishing

Loung Ungs story caught the attention of Angelina Jolie, who is currently directing a film for Netflix of her harrowing early life. Ung was forced to leave the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh to become a child soldier at just five years old when Pol Pots Khmer Rouge army captured the city. This non-fiction book graphically retells the story of a family  and nation  torn apart. She vividly describes the sight and smell of rotting corpses and being forced to eat whatever scraps they could get their hands on, and the terror and loss suffered by so many. Its a story of survival that will grip you and not let go, even after youve turned the final page.

Buy now

2. Smaller and Smaller Circles by FH Batacan: 7.99, Soho Press

First published in 2002 and released as a film last year, this engrossing, fast-paced tale is considered by many as the first Filipino crime novel. Its set in Payatas, a vast 50-acre dump north-east of the capital Manila where communities scavenge to survive, and theres little police protection. When disembowelled bodies of young boys begin to appear among the rubbish, two Catholic priests take up the cause to attempt to bring justice to this corrupt and poor neighbourhood. The cleverly written book won the Philippine National Book Award when it was first published.

Buy now

3. Evening is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan: 9.99, Harper Collins

Samarasans first novel immerses the reader in 1980s Malaysia. At its heart is the Rajasekrharan family, who live in the big blue house on Kingfisher Lane. Heading the family is Raju, a rich lawyer and his unhappy wife Vasanthi. Their daughter, Uma, flees to America for university, while Suresh, 11, and six-year-old Aasha are left behind. Using flashbacks, the narrative delves into the familys secrets  the mysterious dismissal of the familys servant girl and the death of Aashas grandmother who died shortly before the start of the novel. As the years leading up to the suspicious events unravel, each character is pulled apart and relationships between parents and children, and employers and employees, rich and poor are laid bare.

Buy now

4. Indonesia, Etc: Exploring the Improbable Nation by Elizabeth Pisani: 9.99, WW Norton & Company

Elizabth Pisanis compelling and humorous travelogue uncovers what the etc in Indonesias declaration of independence really meant. (The first president, Sutan Sjahrir said in a proclamation: The details of the transfer of power etc. will be worked out as soon as possible. That was in 1945.) Covering a year-long journey and almost 26,000 miles via boat, bus and bike, Pisani finds 80 million people still without electricity and a country which has not shaken its cloak of corruption. The little matter of etc still looms as the country struggles to find its independent identity. This book gives the reader a clear window into Indonesian society and politics.

Buy now

5. The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien: 8.99, HarperCollins

Tim OBriens third novel, The Things They Carried, is based on his own experiences of the Vietnam War, and the men in his own troop, Alpha Company, 23 Infantry Division. It is brought together by interlinking short stories, but the narrative does much more than just depict the brutalities of the war. Instead, it also looks at how soldiers were affected by the terrible loss of their fellow men, and the lasting physical and emotional impact the fighting had on them.

Buy now

6. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen: 8.99, Grove Press

The debut novel from Nguyen  an American Vietnamese professor  won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2016. The protagonist is a communist double agent, only ever known to the reader as the Captain. Hes the illegitimate child  of a young Vietnamese woman from a village, and a French catholic priest  who struggles with a sense of a double identity from a young age. But his character gives a voice to the Vietnam War from a non-American perspective. After being educated in America in the 1960s, he returns to Vietnam, but the fall of Saigon forces everyone out, and he later seeks refuge in California. This thriller of a novel draws on immigration, war and politics, but at its heart, it explores the idea of a dual identity.

Buy now

7. Catfish and Mandala by Andrew Pham: 11.99, Flamingo

Andrew Pham sold his life possessions and embarked on the journey of a lifetime  a solo year-long bike trip around the Pacific Rim around the US, through Japan and ending in his native Vietnam. After settling in California at the age of 10, he was foreigner. But as a hybrid, he faces racial discrimination in Vietnam too, where he is instantly labelled an outsider by the immigration officer who calls him viet-kieru  foreign Vietnamese. His soul-searching return powers him through his family history  seen through his childhood eyes  from the fall of Saigon to his fathers imprisonment by the Viet Cong.

Buy now

8. The Silk Merchants Daughter by Dinah Jefferies: 12.99, Penguin

Following on from her best-selling novel The Tea Planters Wife, this anti-colonial rule novel is Malaysian-born Dinah Jefferies third book. It tells the story of Nicole, a young half-French and half-Vietnamese woman in 1947s Indo-China, who has spent her life living in the shadows of her elder sister. After meeting a young rebel, she is opened up to the corruption of colonial rule and leaves her family behind her, only to find shes made a mistake. Jefferies portrays the time period beautifully through evocative descriptions and creates a strong heroine readers can relate to.

Buy now

The Verdict: Books on South-east Asia

For a first-person historical insight into one of the worlds least-known mass murders, First They Killed My Father is a harrowing but compulsive read. If its engrossing and thought-provoking fiction youre after, The Silk Merchants Daughter paints a picture of how opposing colonial rule opens news doors for suppressed women.
Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping experts Sign up for our free IndyBest email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

IndyBest email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Sitting in the west of South East Asia, sharing borders with Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Laos and India, Burma has spent much of its history cut off from the rest of the world. However in the 1930s, when George Orwell wrote about a country suppressed, ruled by colonial Britain which exiled its royal family, interest was sparked and continues to flourish. But all of it is permeated with the suffering of its people under one of the worlds most repressive regimes.

2013 saw a lift of Western sanctions on the country against its political rule, and it has since welcomed an influx of tourists looking to explore its lost temples and colourful history, where the 21st century has barely left a footprint. We have selected some of the best books for both intrepid and armchair travellers. From former political prisoner and now prominent politician Aung San Suu Kyis Letters from Burma to Guy Delisles comic book Burma Chronicles, these all help to tell the story of one of the worlds most traumatised but beautiful nations.

1. The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh: 8.99, HarperCollins

Bringing the secluded Burma of the 1880s to life is Indian writer and master storyteller Amitav Ghosh. The Glass Palace recounts the true story of the countrys royal family, which was overthrown and forced into exile in India after the arrival of the British. Told through the eyes of Rajkumar, a poor boy, the story begins with the fall of the Konbaung Dynsasty in the capital of Mandalay and pans through to the Second World War. It sees his life journey follow the social and economic booms of the 20th century across Asia, as the country fights to find its own identity as a nation.

Buy now

2. Letters from Burma by Aung San Suu Kyi: 9.99, Penguin Books

Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, a former prisoner of conscience and now prominent politician, Aung San Suu Kyi paints a picture of her native land through a series of 52 letters that were originally written for a Japanese newspaper, in an attempt to restore democracy in her country. She evokes the beautiful customs, celebrations and traditions that she loves, including how to serve tea and Thingyan, the countrys New Year celebrations. But she also celebrates the people who have fought against repression, and support her political party, the National League for Democracy. It gives a sharp insight into what Suu Kyi and others like her are really fighting for in Burma.

Buy now

3. The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason: 8.99, Pan Macmillan

As a medical student studying malaria on the Thai-Burmese border, Daniel Mason wrote in-between lessons, and gained inspiration after passing a remote village on the river, where he heard the notes of a piano being played. His tale of fiction has now been published in 27 countries and is set in the British-dominated era of 1880s Burma. It focuses on a piano tuner, Edgar Drake, torn from his mundane life in London and commissioned by the army to repair a rare grand piano in the middle of the jungle for an eccentric English army surgeon. Mason presents the compelling idea that music can foster a form of solace during war.

Buy now

4. Finding George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin: 8.99, Granta Books

Emma Larkin recounts the year she spent in Burma following in the footsteps of George Orwell, using his life and work as her only guide. The American journalist was born and raised in Asia and studied the Burmese language at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. Her unusual travelogue, which mixes biography, history and politics, visits the places Orwell worked and lived, connecting it with the present-day situation. It allows her to highlight how the marks of colonial rule over Burma are still visible today, long after the country gained independence. She also makes the case that Orwells 1984 and Animal Farm, along with Burmese Days, form a trilogy commenting on Burmas situation.

Buy now

5. Burma Chronicles by Guy Delisle: 12.99, Jonathan Cape

Stepping away from novels, we have Canadian cartoonist Guy Delisles comic book. He is known for his graphic novels telling tales of his travels, and this one is based on the year he spent in the Burma with his wife and son. It depicts the struggles of survivors of repression and human rights abuse under General Ne Wins military regime, which ran from 1962 to 2011, through simple but effective black and white illustrations. Its insightful and is able to carry the weight of Burmas troublesome history, enabling the reader to learn about the real lives of Burmese people, through a mix of current affairs and, surprisingly considering the subject, humour. Split into chapters, each focuses on just one issue, from government censorship to the elected leader of the country being under house arrest.

Buy now

6. Burma: A Nation at The Crossroads  Revised Edition by Benedict Rogers: 8.99, Rider

Offering a brief overview of the country on the brink of change, based on first-hand experience, Benedict Rogers shows modern Burma has shaken off its military regime ruling, and for the first time since independence from the British in 1948, is actually able to make decisions for itself. The author concentrates on telling the true stories of the daily struggles faced by its inhabitants  from the fight for justice to facing extreme poverty across the country. In this updated version coming three years after it was originally published in 2012, Rogers pays tribute to Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party won a majority in the landmark elections in 2015.

Buy now

7. Under the Dragon: A Journey Through Burma by Rory MacLean: 11.99, I.B. Tauris

In 1998, author Rory MacLean travelled into the heart of the Burmese golden triangle  where the borders of Burma meet with Laos and Thailand. It was a decade after the 1988 uprising against General Ne Wins military rule. From Rangoon to Mandalay and on to Pagan, he gives an insight into Burma as a land or paradoxes, where people love their country but are surrounded by hate and fear. But there is also a sense of hope for people who are struggling to survive. MacLeans narrative illuminates the nation in a heart-breaking and historical portrayal, meeting ordinary local people, including child labourers, who have suffered under their countrys metaphorical dragon  the repressive regime.

Buy now

8. The River of Lost Footsteps by Thant Myint-U: 10.99, Faber & Faber

One of the best books on understanding how Burma is emerging as a country today, The River of Lost Footsteps attempts to unravel the Burmese story. Its colourful history, aside from hosting one of the worlds longest civil wars, is often forgotten. To tell it, Thant Myint-U weaves together the stories of his ancestors, who served the royal family of Burma, to give a voice to the people of Burma including his grandfather who began his career as a small town school teacher and later became the UNs secretary-general. Its part history, part memoir, and part travelogue.

Buy now

The Verdict: Burma books

The Glass Palace is a literary work of art and uses historical facts to fuel its central love narrative which is captivating and fascinating, with an insight into one of Burmas most poignant moments in time. Elsewhere, Burma: A Nation at The Crossroads gives the most up-to-date offering on the countrys history and political past and it is the best choice for an introduction on the country.
Details added (first version posted on 10:17)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 20

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev visited the Alley of Martyrs on the Day of National Mourning to pay tribute to the victims of the bloody January 20 tragedy.

The president laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame memorial.

The National Anthem of Azerbaijan was also performed by a separate exemplary military orchestra of Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry.

State and government officials, leaders of religious communities, ambassadors of foreign countries and representatives of international organizations functioning in Azerbaijan also attended the commemoration ceremony.

Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Artur Rasizade, Chairman of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) Ogtay Asadov and Head of the President's Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev also took part in the ceremony.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump has promised to "unlock the mysteries of space" in his time as President.

The commitment came as one of a range of vague commitments made as part of his inauguration speech.

Following a long passage in which he berated politicians for talking too much, President Trump said that "The time for empty talk is over". "Now arrives the hour of action," he said.

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region

The first of those actions was his commitment to head to space. He didn't say which mysteries he was looking to unlock, or how he would do it.

"We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow," he said. "A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions."

President Trump has said little about his plans for space travel and exploration. But what he has said suggests that he is very keen on exploring the solar system and beyond, and it is thought that he may seek to increase Nasa's budget for that work  while defunding almost the entirety of its climate change analysis work.

At a rally just two weeks before the election, for instance, he said that he would look to focus on exploring deep space.

"I will free NASA from the restriction of serving primarily as a logistics agency for low-Earth orbit activitybig deal," he told a Florida rally on 25 October. "Instead, we will refocus its mission on space exploration. Under a Trump Administration, Florida and America will lead the way into the stars."

On 20 October, his senior policy advisors echoed the idea that he would look to explore deep space  and stop doing the Earth-focused activities like looking at global warming.

"NASA should be focused primarily on deep space activities rather than Earth-centric work that is better handled by other agencies," they wrote in SpaceNews. "Human exploration of our entire solar system by the end of this century should be NASAs focus and goal. Developing the technologies to meet that goal would severely challenge our present knowledge base, but that should be a reason for exploration and science."

 Twitter reacts to Trump inauguration: Boris Johnson, Piers Morgan and The White House

Much of Mr Trump's statements about space travel seem to suggest that he will support the involvement of private businesses in space travel, a trend that also increased through Barack Obama's presidency. Both SpaceX and Blue Origin are looking to take over from Nasa to launch their own rockets, for instance.

"A cornerstone of my policy is we will substantially expand public private partnerships to maximize the amount of investment and funding that is available for space exploration and development," he said in a same speech in Florida. "This means launching and operating major space assets, right here, that employ thousands and spur innovation and fuel economic growth."
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The hugely popular Meitu beauty app also seems to be doing something very, very ugly.

The Chinese app has been around for years but rocketed in popularity in America and elsewhere this week after people started sharing photos of themselves taken with it. The app performs a "makeover" on pictures of its users, brightening up and re-shaping their faces and eyes and changing their hair.

But while it's doing that, it's also collecting huge amounts of information on the people taking pictures with it, too. The app can do things like read a person's messages, see where they are all the time and look through their contacts  and it's not clear what the company is doing with it.

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

The company that makes Meitu and a range of other apps is worth hundreds of millions of dollars but the app is given away for free, without the kinds of in-app purchases that usually fund such apps. It may be that the company is instead making money from the kinds of data that it is able to collect.

Because the app is based in China and not a great deal is known about the company behind it, some have suggested that the data being harvested may be used for something more than just advertising. But other experts have said that the invasive data collection is an invasion of privacy but one probably being used primarily to track the people using the app so that they can better tailor marketing to them.

Recommended Selfie app surges in popularity because of makeovers

The particularly egregious problems with data appear to be limited to the Android app, which is able to read and see more about the phone that it is installed on. But the concerns have been raised about versions of the app for both platforms, and the iOS version appears to use forms of code that are banned by the App Store.

The app has also been criticised for the fact that it calls itself a beauty app but aggressively whitens the skin of anyone who uses it.

While the app has been popular in China for years, it has rocketed from usually just a few hundred downloads a day to 100,000, over the last week. That same success has led to extra interest in China, where the app is also being downloaded more than usual.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Samsung has concluded that two separate battery issues were to blame for the faults with the Galaxy Note 7, according to a report.

The South Korean giant is set to reveal what exactly went wrong with the device at an event on 23 January, but the Wall Street Journal claims to have got its hands on the inside information early, citing people familiar with the matter.

Its sources say that Samsung used three independent quality-control and supply chain analysis firms to conduct its investigation.

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 first issue has been traced back to the batteries manufactured by Samsung subsidiary Samsung SDI, which didnt fit the phone properly, causing the handset to overheat and, in some cases, catch fire.

Samsung reacted to the first wave of explosion reports by expanding production of Note 7s equipped with batteries made by Hong Kong firm Amperex Technology.

However, the increased pressure on Amperex Technology led to unspecified manufacturing issues.

Samsung is keen to draw a line under the fiasco before unveiling the Galaxy S8 and S8 Edge, its highly anticipated new generation of flagship smartphones.

The company's new virtual assistant, Bixby, is expected to debut on the new handsets with an impressive range of features, including the ability to make online shopping even easier by tracking down real-world objects on the web.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Exciting new details about Bixby, the virtual assistant set to debut on Samsungs upcoming Galaxy S8, have emerged in a new report.

According to SamMobile, Samsungs answer to Siri and Google Assistant will be able to leverage the handsets camera in order to identify real-world objects.

The camera app on the S8 is said to feature a dedicated Bixby button, which will launch a search tool capable of recognising any object the camera happens to be focused on.

From there, youll be able to track down the item online and even purchase it, which could prove a dangerously convenient feature for shopaholics.

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 sounds like an enhanced version of Googles old Goggles app, which also analysed the real-world objects around you, bringing up additional information about them.

However, Bixby will reportedly also use optical character recognition to process any text within the frame, potentially allowing you to track down quotes without forcing you to feed them into Google search.

Recommended Voice assistants are coming to listen to everything you say

The virtual assistant is expected to be capable of processing payments and controlling all of the Galaxy S8s native apps too, though whether or not it makes its way to older Samsung devices is not yet clear.

The South Korean firm is expected to unveil the Galaxy S8 within the next couple of months, but has another enormously important date in the diary beforehand.

On 23 January, it is set to reveal exactly why several models of the Galaxy Note 7 malfunctioned so spectacularly last year, prompting a global recall.
Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Prison is not an easy ride  not least for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

We know from experience that some prisoners are more vulnerable to bullying and victimisation, more likely to be easily led and manipulated, and more vulnerable to sexual and physical abuse. They will likely have difficulty understanding and responding to other inmates facial expressions and body language  causing numerous problems such as understanding their place within the prisoner hierarchy.

But it is more than the immediate danger that is an issue. Prisons are noisy environments with banging doors, and other inmates talking and shouting. The enclosed nature and prisons structural design means these sounds reverberate and are amplified. Many with autism experience sensory hypersensitivity: rain on the window may sound like gun fire, and fingers on the scalp when washing hair may feel like razor blades. For them, the every day noise of a prison can be deafening.

Social communication difficulties can also be an issue, such as understanding the non-literal language of other inmates. For instance, an inmate saying to another that he was going to rip his head off! would cause an individual with autism to be surprised that this action had not actually been carried out.

Those with autism can also exhibit a rather rigid adherence to certain prison regimes. Some are obsessive about the cleaning and organising routines they follow in their cell. If a guard were to conduct an unannounced room search, for example, and move everything around, it could cause a lot of distress.

A significant percentage

As of December 2016, the UK prison population stood at 84,069. Lets say that 1 per cent of prisoners have ASDs  the same prevalence as in the general population  then there are at least 840 prisoners who are on the spectrum.

However, there are a number of studies which suggest that the prevalence of ASD is actually higher in the prison population than the general population, and that it is actually under-diagnosed in prisoners. Yet there is just one institution in the UK  Feltham, for young offenders  which has been awarded Autism accreditation and is therefore deemed to be autism friendly.

The aim of accreditation is to improve autism practice across all areas of prison life, with the long-term aim of tackling issues frequently experienced by prisoners with ASD, and ultimately reducing the risk of reoffending in this subgroup.

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests  but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty

For more than two years, Feltham has worked with the National Autistic Society to improve the way offenders with ASD are supported across all of these areas. The prison has been praised for its efforts: in 2015, Prisons Minister Andrew Selous said that he was keen to promote the accreditation system across the prison estate following Felthams success. But still not all have achieved it.

Feltham Young Offenders Institution (Rex)

Clearly, prisoners with autism are not receiving the support they need, nor is the research being done to help them. Only one paper has explored knowledge and understanding of ASD by prison staff with all participants agreeing that many prisoners with ASD do not receive the care they require.

Autism justice

However, its not just prisons that are struggling with ASDs  the whole criminal justice process is.

The lack of awareness and recognition of autism can occur as early as police interviews and in court proceedings. ASDs including Aspergers have been used to push for leniency in sentencing  to varying degrees of success  but even before that, during trial, the behaviour of a defendant with ASD can negatively affect judges and jurors perceptions.

The modest amount of research on judicial perceptions or decision making regarding defendants with ASD suggests that judges have limited understanding and familiarity with the disorder. Quite often they need expert advice from mental health professionals such as clinical psychologists, not just to disabuse them of the potential for drawing wrong inferences, but to enable them to factor the symptoms of Aspergers informedly into their instructions to juries and into their own decision-making.

There has been some indication that jurors too may hold misconceptions and stigmatising beliefs about ASD, which can negatively impact their decision regarding a defendant with autism.

Recommended Disney films can help children with autism interact

Say you saw a defendant in court with a bag draped over his head. Without knowing of his ASD, you as a juror may easily assume his behaviour was some kind of preclusion to guilt. One case in the US showed the difficulties of introducing diagnoses into trial in order to explain the situation to jurists.

This area desperately needs to be researched, so that any person with an ASD, whether rightly or wrongly accused, is treated fairly, and helped to cope with the situation ahead of them. We are now working with both prison staff and inmates to increase our understanding and boost the research in this area. Crucially, we want to help develop a toolkit for prison staff, aiming to increase the identification, recognition and understanding of ASD within the prison environment.

Every person on this planet should be entitled to fair and unbiased analysis within the criminal justice system, but those with autism need more help to ensure this actually happens.

Clare Allely, lecturer in psychology and Antonia Wood, both from University of Salford. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com)
Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

What makes a healthy relationship differs from couple to couple, but it turns out there are two key ways to safeguard your bond.

Robert Epstein of the University of the South Pacific Fiji conducted a study to find out what they were.

The 2013 report found that there are actually seven key skills required to create a strong and happy relationship are; communication, life skills, self-management, knowledge of your partner, sex, stress-management and conflict resolution.

But, after repeating it last year, Epstein discovered that out of these seven, two mattered the most.

The study concluded that the secret to a healthy relationship lied in mastering communication and increasing your knowledge of your partner.

This might sound obvious but, after quizzing more than 2,000 adults, the study revealed that those who scored high in these two skills were the most satisfied with their partner.

It also found that by mastering these two specifically, the rest of the skills improved as a result.

So, what should you be doing?

Festivals of love around the world Show all 16 1 /16 Festivals of love around the world Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Brazil Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi Festivals of love around the world Vashi

When it comes to communication, you should try to avoid phrases like You always or, You never, as these can be hurtful. Instead, voice your concerns mindfully by using statements like I feel disrespected when.

This way, your partner wont become defensive and feel completely to blame.

Similarly, knowing the person youre in a relationship with goes beyond the obvious. Its not always about remembering things like their favourite film but instead, a knowledge of what makes them feel loved.

Recommended What your Facebook posts can secretly reveal about your relationship

This is why communicating is so important because, once you understand the other persons love language you can make them feel more content in your relationship.

Whether its verbally saying, I love you, or giving them your undivided attention, an awareness of what your partner needs to feel loved is key.
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The chief executive of Lloyds of London has confirmed that the insurer will be setting up a subsidiary outside of London as a result of Brexit, and has said that the location will hopefully be announced by the end of March.

In an interview with Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday morning, Inga Beale said that Prime Minister Theresa Mays path for Brexit means that the insurer will have to go ahead with [its] contingency plans.

In a highly-anticipated, agenda-setting speech on Tuesday this week, Ms May signalled that she is willing to drag Britain through the hardest of Brexits, risking the loss of billions of pounds and plummeting GDP, if both Brussels and the UKs Parliament fail to give her what she wants.

She said that Britain will leave the EUs single market  despite backing membership less than a year ago  to regain control of immigration policy and said she wants to renegotiate the UKs customs agreement and seek a transition period to phase in changes.

Ms Beale said on Friday that as a result of this, her business was going to lose crucial licencing.

So were going to be setting up a subsidiary somewhere else in the EU  a country that we hope will remain in the EU  and that is how we are going to provide seamless coverage to our customers, Ms Beale said.

Asked about which locations might come in question for the subsidiary, Ms Beale only said that Lloyds had so far ruled out Malta. She said that she hopes that a decision will be made by the end of the first quarter of the year.

What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit One of Britains great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the worlds leading international financial centre. Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael OLeary Ryanair boss says UK will be screwed by EU in Brexit trade deals: I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how the world will want to trade with us. The world will want to screw you  that's what happens in trade talks, he said. They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: I am absolutely serene about the  judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyds chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London will suffer as result of the EU referendum: I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and thats happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been less stormy than many expected following the shock referendum result: For nowthe economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up  and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction Getty

Several top executives of major banks have this week indicated that Brexit could spur them to shift thousands of jobs out of the UK.

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.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, has used the last day of the World Economic Forum in Davos to warn of the risks the world faces from engaging in a race to the bottom on taxes, regulation and trade.

In a direct reference to some of incoming US President Donald Trumps expected policies, Ms Lagarde said that major cuts in those three areas could have devastating effects on global economies this year.

If the disruptions we are expecting for 2017 as a result of what has happened in 2016 prove to be all negative and we are to end up in a race to the bottom on the tax front, on the trade front and on the financial regulation front, then that for me would be a really big black swan that would have devastating effects for countries other than those that are likely to cause it, she said.

During his presidential campaign, Mr Trump announced that financial reforms put in place in the wake of the 2007-2009 global financial crisis were hurting the economy and that he would dismantle the majority of them if he came into office.

He has also implied that he will introduce major tax cuts and take a harsher stance when negotiating gobal trade deals.

Ms Lagarde is not the first delegate of this years conference to issue a warning in a direct nod to Mr Trump.

Earlier in the week Chinese President Xi Jinping used his speech, during the opening plenary session of the summit, to spurn protectionism, but also warn that theres no point blaming the worlds problems solely on globalisation.

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.

Ms Lagarde has appeared on several panels at the WEF event this year.

In a speech on Thursday she addressed the issue of the UKs separation from the European Union and said that the split will not be without pain.

Any Brexit trade deal that 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 finance minister said.
Sign up for a full digest of all the best opinions of the week in our Voices Dispatches email Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Voices Dispatches email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A giant kangaroo so big that it had to walk, not hop, a two-tonne wombat and a two-metre tall bird  they may sound like formidable animals, but they never stood a chance.

For years scientists have debated whether human hunting or climate change was the reason for the demise of the astonishing megafauna that once inhabited Australia.

Now a new study claims to have finally settled the debate after showing the huge animals were able to survive the increasingly dry climate, but disappeared within a few thousand years of the arrival of the first people.

However, this was no endless slaughter by hunters intent on destruction.

Instead, the researchers concluded the loss of such wonders of the natural world came about through what they described as imperceptible overkill. The occasional killing of a young animal was all that it took to tip their populations over the edge and into extinction.

This is a factor in the decline of orangutans today. They are only rarely killed by local people in places like Borneo, giving them the impression that this cannot be a problem. But conservationists have warned it is having a significant effect on the slow-breeding primates, who are also having to cope with the loss of their habitats to agriculture, logging and mining.

The researchers behind the new study, based in the US, Australia and Germany, used an ingenious method to work out what happened to Australias megafauna.

Animals in decline Show all 8 1 /8 Animals in decline Animals in decline Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) Where: Orkney Islands. What: Between 2001-2006, numbers in Orkney declined by 40 per cent. Why: epidemics of the phocine distemper virus are thought to have caused major declines, but the killing of seals in the Moray Firth to protect salmon farms may have an impact. Alamy Animals in decline African lion (Panthera leo) Where: Ghana. What: In Ghanas Mole National Park, lion numbers have declined by more than 90 per cent in 40 years. Why: local conflicts are thought to have contributed to the slaughter of lions and are a worrying example of the status of the animal in Western and Central Africa. Animals in decline Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) Where: Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Costa Rica. What: Numbers are down in both the Atlantic and Pacific. It declined by 95 per cent between 1989-2002 in Costa Rica. Why: mainly due to them being caught as bycatch, but theyve also been affected by local developments. Alamy Animals in decline Wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) Where: South Atlantic. What: A rapid decline. One population, from Bird Island, South Georgia, declined by 50 per cent between 1972-2010, according to the British Antarctic Survey. Why: being caught in various commercial longline fisheries. Alamy Animals in decline Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica) Where: Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. What: fall in populations has been dramatic. In the early 1990s numbers were over a million, but are now estimated to be around 50,000. Why: the break up of the former USSR led to uncontrolled hunting. Increased rural poverty means the species is hunted for its meat Animals in decline Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) Where: found worldwide in tropical, subtropical and temperate seas. Why: at risk from overfishing and as a target in recreational fishing. A significant number of swordfish are also caught by illegal driftnet fisheries in the Mediterranean Animals in decline Argali Sheep (Ovis mammon) Where: Central and Southern Asian mountains,usually at 3,000-5,000 metres altitude. Why: domesticated herds of sheep competing for grazing grounds. Over-hunting and poaching. Animals in decline Humphead Wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) Where: the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to South Africa and to the Tuamoto Islands (Polynesia), north to the Ryukyu Islands (south-west Japan), and south to New Caledonia. Why: Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing and trading of the species

Instead of looking for remains on the land, they examined sediments taken from the ocean.

These contained chronological layers of material blown into the sea, including dust, pollen, ash and spores from a fungus that grew on the dung of plant-eating mammals.

From these sediments, they were able to tell what the climate was like and also how much dung was being produced.

And, as one of the researchers, Professor Gifford Miller, of Colorado University, explained, the abundance of these spores is good evidence for a lot of large mammals on the southwestern Australian landscape up until about 45,000 years ago.

Then, in a window of time lasting just a few thousand years, the megafauna population collapsed, he said.

This sudden decline of large animals in south-western Australia happened about 2,000 years after humans dispersed across the continent, a paper about the research in the journal Nature Communications noted.

This could have been coincidence, but the only other explanation put forward to explain what happened  climate change  appeared to be contradicted by the scientists other main finding.

While the climate became drier about 70,000 years ago, prompting a shift from dense eucalyptus woodlands to a more open shrubland, this did not have a noticeable effect on the production of fungus spores.

We therefore conclude there is no temporal association between climatically driven environmental changes and megafaunal extinction in the south-west region, the paper said.

There is also no indication in our data that the megafauna suffered a slow demise commensurate with increases in aridity.

Human hunting may bring to mind the mass, wanton slaughter of buffaloes after Europeans arrived on the Great Plains of America with powerful rifles and the chance to make a fortune from the animals hides.

But the researchers suggested that what happened in Australia would have been barely noticeable to the people responsible.

It has been estimated that low intensity hunting, such as the killing of just one juvenile per person per decade, could result in a species being extinguished over a few hundred years, they wrote.

Such selective, low-level hunting would be virtually imperceptible in the archaeological record, accounting for the lack of reported kill sites.

In this scenario, all species of megafauna could have been lost from the entire continent within a few thousand years.

We conclude our results are consistent with extinction being driven by such imperceptible overkill.

Among the animals lost to the world during this period was Genyornis newtoni, a flightless bird that stood up to two metres tall.

Last year Professor Miller found the first direct evidence that humans preyed on Australian megafauna  fragments of burned Genyornis eggshells.

The Sthenurus kangaroo  whose appearance has been likened to the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland  weighed up to 240kg and walked on two legs, rather than routinely hopping, like its relatives today.

The two-tonne wombat, Diprotodon optatum, is believed to have been the worlds largest marsupial. It was three metres long and two metres high and had pillar-like legs and broad footpads like an elephant. It also had strong claws on its front feet.

Dr Sander van der Kaars, of Australias Monash University, who led the research, said: The results of this study are of significant interest across the archaeological and Earth science communities and to the general public who remain fascinated by the menagerie of now extinct giant animals that roamed the planet  and the cause of their extinction  as our own species began its persistent colonisation of Earth.
Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump's choice to run the Environmental Protection Agency has admitted that climate change has not real.

Scott Pruitt contradicted both himeslf and Mr Trump by admitting that the world is actually getting warmer and that suggestions of such were not a scam perpetuated by the Chinese.

Asked by Democrats during his Senate confirmation hearing, the Oklahoma attorney general admitted that he didn't think climate change was a lie that was being used to harm the economic competitiveness of the US.

"I do not believe climate change is a hoax," Mr Pruitt said.

That contradicts claims made repeatedly by Mr Trump, who has suggested that he doesn't believe that global warming exists at all.

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 48-year-old Republican has previously cast doubt on the extensive body of scientific evidence showing that the planet is warming and man-made carbon emissions are to blame. In a 2016 opinion article, Mr Pruitt suggested that the debate over global warming "is far from settled" and he claimed that "scientists continue to disagree about the degree and extent of global warming and its connection to the actions of mankind."

At the hearing before the Senate Energy and Public Works Committee, Mr Pruitt conceded that human activity contributes "in some manner" to climate change. He continued, however, to question whether the burning of fossil fuels is the primary reason, and refused to say whether sea levels are rising.

Recommended Donald Trump forced to give up personal phone before inauguration

Mr Pruitt's testimony came shortly after NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a joint statement affirming that 2016 was officially the hottest year in recorded history. Studies show the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass, while the world's oceans have risen on average nearly 7 inches in the last century.

Pressed by Bernie Sanders to answer in detail about his beliefs about climate change, Mr Pruitt responded that his personal opinion was "immaterial" to how he would enforce environmental laws.

In his current post, Mr Pruitt joined a multistate lawsuit opposing the Obama administration's plan to limit planet-warming carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. Pruitt also sued over the EPA's recent expansion of water bodies regulated under the Clean Water Act. It has been opposed by industries that would be forced to clean up polluted wastewater.

The lawsuits are among at least eight pending cases Mr Pruitt has joined against the agency he is in line to lead.

Under questioning from Edward Markey, Mr Pruitt said he has "every willingness to recuse" himself on a case-by-case basis if directed to do so by the EPA's ethics office. Mr Markey said that was not enough to reassure Americans of his objectivity, adding that Pruitt should commit to a blanket recusal.

Pruitt said that if were confirmed by the GOP-run Senate, he would work with states and industry to return the federal watchdog to what he described as its proper role.

"Environmental regulations should not occur in an economic vacuum," Mr Pruitt said. "We can simultaneously pursue the mutual goals of environmental protection and economic growth."

Environmentalists opposing Mr Pruitt's nomination cite his cozy relationships with oil and gas industry executives who have donated to his political campaigns.

As the hearing got underway, shouting could be heard from people who were not allowed in. The room accommodated fewer than 100 people; most seats were taken by congressional staff, reporters and others who were allowed in early. Only a few seats remained for the public.

One woman was quickly wrestled out of the room by three police officers as she pulled out a roll of yellow crime scene tape and shouted "We don't want EPA gutted!"

Later, a group of coal miners wearing hard hats were allowed in to show support for Mr Pruitt. Trump has pledged to bring back tens of thousands of lost coal mining jobs once inaugurated, though he has not yet detailed how. The president-elect has also said he will "renegotiate" the international accord to reduce carbon emissions signed in Paris at the end of 2015.

Senate Republicans uniformly praised Mr Pruitt what they described as his robust record of enforcing environmental laws "when appropriate." Court records show scant evidence of Mr Pruitt acting to protect the environment in years as a state regulator.

Shortly after Mr Pruitt took office in Oklahoma in 2011, he disbanded the unit responsible for protecting the state's natural resources. He reassigned his staff to file more than a dozen lawsuits challenging EPA regulations.

Senate Democrats focused on Mr Pruitt's record of siding with polluters in court as he collected campaign contributions from them.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse pressed Mr Pruitt on money he raised from energy companies such as Exxon Mobil and Devon Energy, as well as the corporate "dark money" raised by groups with which he is involved that are not required to disclose their donors.

Earlier this month, Pruitt resigned from the board of the Rule of Law Defense Fund, a Washington-based group supporting the legal agendas of GOP attorney generals that Whitehouse described as "a complete black hole into which at least $1 million goes." In his response, Pruitt declined to provide details about whether the group's donors included fossil fuel companies or utilities with regulatory issues before EPA.

Though Pruitt ran unopposed for a second term in 2014, public campaign finance reports show he raised more than $700,000, much of it from people in the energy and utility industries.

Pruitt has also faced criticism from environmentalists for failing to take any action to help curb a dramatic spike in earthquake activity in Oklahoma that scientists have linked to the underground disposal of oil and gas wastewater.

Pruitt said his support for legal positions advocated by oil and gas companies was in the best interest of Oklahoma, which is economically dependent on the fossil fuel industry.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
Details added (first version posted on 11:19)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 20

By Huseyn Valiyev  Trend:

The ad hoc working group tasked to develop a convention on the Caspian Seas legal status will hold a session in Baku in late January, Khalaf Khalafov, Azerbaijani deputy foreign minister, told reporters in Baku Jan. 20.

The agenda of the ad hoc group includes continuation of discussions on uncoordinated issues regarding the convention.

Khalafov said all countries confirmed that they will participate in the session.

This will be a preparatory session before a ministerial meeting, Khalafov said.

The Caspian littoral states  Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Iran  signed a Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea in November 2003.

Russia and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights for subsoil use in July 1998. The two countries signed a protocol to the agreement in May 2002.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed an agreement on the delimitation of the Caspian Sea and a protocol to it on Nov. 29, 2001 and Feb. 27, 2003, respectively.

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea on May 14, 2003.

Summits of heads of the Caspian states were held in 2002 in Ashgabat, in 2007 in Tehran, in 2010 in Baku and in 2014 in Astrakhan.
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Future generations are not going to forgive Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party for lamely giving up over Brexit, Tim Farron has said.

The Liberal Democrat leader said it was not divisive to stand up to Theresa May and The Conservatives, but Labour believe it is too difficult for them politically and they are just waiting for it to go away.

I think thats the calculation theyve made, and this and future generations are not going to forgive them for that, he told The Guardian, before accusing them of being the most ineffective opposition in living memory.

Labour was lamely giving up as we go over a cliff, he said, adding that it is not divisive to hold the government to account.

His comments followed Mr Corbyns confirmation that he would expect his MPs to back Theresa May when she triggers Article 50 and starts the two-year exit process.

However, the Labour leader said they would only be asked  rather than strongly whipped  to do so, suggesting any rebels will escape punishment.

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

About five have said publicly they will vote against Article 50 and four Shadow Cabinet members are rumoured to be considering revolt.

However, Mr Farron insisted his party thought the best thing is for Britain to stay in the European Union, and we hope to provide a vehicle, through a referendum on the terms of the deal, that allows them to do that.

Without the promise of a public vote, he added that his party would not back any bill. Thats our red line.
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A banner reading Build bridges not walls has been draped across Londons Tower Bridge as thousands of people all over Britain prepare to protest against Donald Trumps inauguration as US President.

The Tower Bridge banner was unveiled soon after sunrise on Friday morning, by protesters who also held up pink letters saying Act Now! as a speedboat with a black flag reading build bridges not walls raced down the River Thames.

At Westminster Bridge, in the shadow of Parliament, protesters draped banners saying Migrants welcome here and Migration is older than language.

A total of ten bridges in the capital were the scene of protests which referenced Trumps desire to build a wall with Mexico and his election opponent Hillary Clintons rejoinder that We need to build bridges not walls.

Other UK Cities also held their own Bridges Not Walls protests.

The actions were part of a global protest, with the Bridges Not Walls movement declaring: Today were dropping banners off bridges around the world, pledging hope for the future and to take a stand against the rise of the far right.

In Paris, against a backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, illuminated slogans appeared on bridges across the Seine.

The Bridges Not Walls movement also reached Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

In a statement Nona Hurkmans of Bridges not Walls said: On Trumps inauguration day, were taking action to show our support for groups under attack  here in the UK, across Europe and in the USA  and to reject the rise of a dangerous and divisive far right politics.

We wont let the politics of hate peddled by the likes of Donald Trump take hold.

Protestors and slogans on Tower Bridge (PA)

Thousands more demonstrators later attended protests all over the UK which had been planned to coincide with Donald Trumps inauguration ceremony on Friday afternoon British time.

A series of #StandUpToTrump protests, backed by more than 50 MPs, were held at the American embassy in London as well as in the centres of Edinburgh, Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester.

In total, protests were expected in more than 20 British towns and cities, from Southampton to Glasgow.

As Trump gave his inaugural address, a crowd of about 300 protesters outside the American embassy in London waved Not to racism, no to Trump placards and chanted Hey ho Donald Trump has got to go.

Sabby Dhalu, joint secretary of Stand Up to Racism, the group organising the #StandUpToTrump protests, told the crowd: Everything Martin Luther King stood for is being undone.

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

In a statement issued via social media, Stand Up to Racism also said: The election of Donald Trump as US president means the most powerful office on Earth belongs to someone who promised to build a giant wall along the Mexican border, the expulsion of 11 million illegal immigrants and extreme vetting for Muslims entering the country.

He described Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists, and condoned the beating of a Black Lives Matter activist at one of his rallies.

He has also chillingly sought to downplay the severity of sexual violence, dismissing boasts of sexually assaulting women as locker room talk.

The group added: 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, and progress on C02 emissions targets dashed as one of the world's largest emitters refuses to accept there is a problem.

Activists in the US have called protests for the day of his inauguration  we stand in solidarity with them.

Internationally, as well as large protests being expected in Washington DC, where the inauguration is taking place, demonstrations are expected in cities from Toronto to Sydney, Addis Ababa and Dublin.
Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Hospitals are running wards with a dangerously low number of nurses and are using healthcare workers as "stand-ins", according to a new investigation.

Analysis of two years' worth of official data shows almost every acute hospital in England is failing to meet its own standard on how many nurses it should have on wards.

Nurses described "desperately unsafe" numbers of registered nurses, while others said patients are being put at risk.

The problem appears to have got worse since the Government introduced a cap on how much hospitals are allowed to spend on agency staff.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt ordered NHS trusts to publish monthly data on staffing levels as part of the Government response to the mid-Staffordshire scandal, in which hundreds of patients died as a result of poor care.

But analysis by the Health Service Journal (HSJ), covering data from 2014-15 to 2016-17, shows 96 per cent of acute hospitals (214) reporting figures failed to meet their own planned level for registered nurses.

Some 85 per cent (190 hospitals) also missed their target for nurses working at night in the same month.

This is the worst performance for both day and night since the HSJ started analysing data in 2014.

Across the two years studied, more than 150 hospitals failed to achieve their planned daytime staffing levels for nurses, while the data suggests gaps in rotas are being plugged with healthcare assistants.

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

Research published in November found that patients are a fifth more likely to die in hospitals where nurses are replaced with less-qualified staff.

Professor Peter Griffiths, from Southampton University, an expert on nursing numbers, said the use of healthcare assistants to fill gaps in the long-term could mean trusts "delude" themselves that they are maintaining safety.

Professor Alison Leary, head of workforce modelling at London South Bank University, told the HSJ: "The overall trend shows organisations bolstering nurse gaps with healthcare assistants.

"This might seem like the only practical solution at the time and could be seen as someone being better than no-one.

"However, when that becomes the norm, we have to consider the inherent risk given the evidence that registered nurses have direct benefits for patient safety."

As part of the investigation, nurses told the HSJ of widespread problems on wards.

One, working in the south west of England, said: "The most patients I have ever had is 16 on a night shift, I know for a fact that I did not do all the observations and can only hope that I did not cause anyone any real harm."

 Corbyn: Theresa May is in denial over the NHS crisis

Another incident report from 2015 showed one nurse was left to care for 24 patients on a medical ward.

Another nurse said: "Corners are cut and safety is compromised daily, we just do a really good job of covering it up."

Another said: "Skill mix was desperately unsafe for a normal shift. I felt sick to my stomach."

The HSJ analysis showed that Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow has not achieved above 80 per cent of planned nurse staffing since quarter four of 2014-15.

West Cumberland Hospital, part of the North Cumbria University Hospital Trust, and Princess Anne Hospital, run by University Hospital Southampton Trust, had less than 90 per cent of planned nurses working at night across the two years.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "These new figures show that almost every hospital in England is now short of nursing staff. Tired, overworked nurses cannot be expected to continue providing the quality of care which patients need."

Janet Davies, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said patients were being put at "serious risk" by low staffing levels.

She added: "While healthcare assistants play a crucial role in the team, research shows that support roles cannot replace registered nurses if patients are to receive safe care."

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 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) conducted work into safe staffing levels on wards with a view to setting minimum safe numbers.

But this work was stopped by Mr Hunt, who has given the task to NHS Improvement.

Ruth May, executive director of nursing at NHS Improvement, said: "I've visited numerous hospitals since the New Year and I've seen staff of all disciplines giving everything they've got to provide good care, but there is more we can and should do to help them.

"Right now we need to do more to help get patients back into their homes, supported by social care where necessary.

"We also need to do more to support trusts to recruit and retain more staff."
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Yvette Cooper has deepened Labour infighting over Brexit, by warning MPs who vote against triggering Article 50 will be behaving like Donald Trump.

The former leadership contender turned her fire on MPs from all parties who have insisted they will not give consent to a Brexit they believe will be deeply damaging.

It was a referendum that was fought in good faith and nobody said at any time you know what, I am not going to respect the result afterwards, Ms Cooper said

Recommended Corbyn ally Clive Lewis may refuse to vote to trigger Article 50

Thats the kind of thing Donald Trump says - and did say before the presidential election - and we were all appalled and horrified that he was saying that about the outcome of a vote.

Before winning the presidential race, Mr Trump caused uproar by suggesting he would refuse to accept the result of the election if he lost.

Ms Cooper spoke after Clive Lewis, the Shadow Business Secretary, became the first Shadow Cabinet member to say he may refuse to vote to start Brexit.

Mr Lewis, a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn, said Labour should be demanding assurances and guarantees before backing Article 50 and kick-starting a two-year exit process.

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 the Labour leader, after Mr Corbyn said - for the first time  that his MPs will be told to vote for Article 50.

Only a handful of Labour MPs have said publicly they will vote against Article 50, but several dozen others are rumoured to be considering joining them.

There is growing Labour unease about the partys official position, which has accepted leaving the single market and said Theresa Mays plans are not a hard Brexit.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on Tuesday that the Prime Minister must get Parliaments consent to start the Brexit process  almost certainly through a Bill.

It is widely assumed that approval will be given, although MPs may demand more time to debate amendments and obtain more clarity.

Ms Cooper was speaking at Londons Queen Mary Universitys Mile End Institute and was quoted by the Huffington Post website.

The former Cabinet minister campaigned strongly for a Remain vote in the EU referendum, but her Yorkshire constituency  like so many Labour seats  voted to Leave.

She told her audience: People who elected me in 2015 who then voted to leave when the referendum happened.... I didnt go out to say to them I am going to ignore you.

I dont think its right to block Article 50. I do think its right to argue strongly what kind of Brexit we should have.

Ms Cooper said she was worried about polls showing peoples disillusionment with democratic institutions, saying: There is declining support for democratic values.

I dont see how I could go out there and say its so important to stand up for democratic values and say but there is this democratic vote we just had that I never said I wasnt going to respect and I am not going to respect it now.

Ms Cooper said that, while she would vote for Article 50, she would fight in parliament against a right-wing Brexit that gutted employment rights.
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The letter the Government sent to Nissan to convince it to stay in the UK, contained no figure relating to how much the company might be compensated, The Independent has learnt.

Whitehall sources revealed the controversial message which led the car manufacturer to commit to the UK, was based solely on reassurances that it would not lose out from Brexit.

It emerged as Nissan said it would review the competitiveness of its car plant in Sunderland once the final outcome of Brexit negotiations becomes clear, after stating last year that it was investing in new models at the factory.

A Whitehall source told The Independent: There was no specific promise of money. It was a gentlemans agreement, a case of doing whatever it took to keep Nissan happy.

They denied that Theresa May offered a blank cheque from taxpayers to compensate the firm for Brexit-related costs, which could increase following the Prime Ministers announcement that the UK will leave the single European market.

After Greg Clark, the Business Secretary, visited Tokyo for talks with Nissan bosses, the company announced in October that its Qashqai and X-Trail SUV ranges would be built at its Sunderland plant, a move that was in jeopardy after the referendum vote.

Ministers refusal to publish the letter for reasons of commercial sensitivity fuelled speculation that it included a specific pledge of public money for the private firm.

Sources insisted that taxpayers would not lose out overall. For example, if the Government compensated Nissan for any tariffs paid to the EU after Brexit, they could be outweighed by the tariffs paid by German car makers to the UK.

They suggested that Nissan could get Government aid in kind, possibly through grants for skills training and apprentices, and funding infrastructure projects, such as new roads.

 Nissan deal 'won't persuade other companies to invest in UK

A Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy spokesperson said: As the Business Secretary told the House on 31 October, there were four reassurances that were important in securing this investment for Britain.

That the Government would continue its longstanding programme of support for the competitiveness of the automotive sector; that the Government would continue to work with the automotive sector to ensure more of the supply chain can locate in the UK; that the Government will maintain a strong commitment to the research and development, and take up of ultra-low emission vehicles [and] that the Government in its negotiations to leave the EU will emphasise the common ground that exists between ourselves and EU member states to ensure that trade between us can be free and unencumbered.

Speaking to reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn said the company trusted the Prime Ministers assurance, but added that the firm would want to re-evaluate the situation once the final Brexit deal is concluded.

According to Reuters, Mr Ghosn said: Obviously when the package comes, you are going to have to re-evaluate the situation, and say, Okay, is the competitiveness of your plant preserved or not?

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

We are going to have to make decisions on investment within the next two to three years, so obviously the faster the Brexit results come, the better it is.

The Wall Street Journal reported him as adding: In the meantime, we are going to continue to run Sunderland with the assumption that Sunderland will remain competitive no matter what is the outcome of Brexit.

Ms May and Mr Clark may face questions over Nissan and other foreign manufacturers when they unveil the Governments modern industrial strategy on Monday.

After the Prime Ministers announcement on the single market, Toyota said it was considering how to survive in the UK.

Takeshi Uchiyamada, chairman of the company, said that his firm would have to ramp up its competitiveness in order to weather the effects of Brexit.
Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

George Osborne will take a job with asset management firm Blackrock, the company is expected to announce later today.

According to Sky News, Mr Osborne, who was sacked as Chancellor by Theresa May in July, will join as a senior adviser, a similar role to that taken by Tony Blair in the asset management of JP Morgan shortly after he left office in 2007.

Recommended George Osborne named as highest earning MP of 2016

Mr Osbornes leading economic adviser Rupert Harrison joined Blackrock last year.

Mr Osborne is expected to work with the companys Investment Institute, which produces research on global economics for the companys fund managers.

Larry Fink, the group's chairman and chief executive officer said in a statement that "George's insights will help our clients achieve their goals."

Mr Fink said the company provides perspectives on European politics and policy, Chinese economic reform, and trends such as low yields and longevity and their impact on retirement planning."

Mr Osbornes remuneration has not been made public, but is expected to run in to the hundreds of thousands, and the MP for Tatton will have to declare it in the register of members interests.
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A Labour shadow minister has broken cover to say she is leaning towards voting against triggering Article 50 to launch Brexit talks, in defiance of Jeremy Corbyn.

Tulip Siddiq told The Independent she wants to find a way to reconcile representing her overwhelmingly remain-backing constituents with being loyal to party line.

Mr Corbyn has said that Labour MPs will be told in March to vote for invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, thus beginning negotiations with the EU on a withdrawal in two years time.

The issue is exposing deep divisions in the party with Labour grandee Peter Hain having said he will oppose Article 50, and shadow business secretary Clive Lewis saying the party should demand more guarantees from the Government before supporting any decision to trigger the article.

Ms Siddiq, who stands to lose her frontbench role over the matter, was among Labour MPs who opposed her partys decision to support Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit timetable in a vote last year.

She said: I voted against [triggering Article 50] before and 75 per cent of my constituents voted to remain. Im here to represent my constituents.

I will consider the amendments that the party brings forward and have conversations with the whips before making a decision.

She went on: It will be a real pity to lose my position  Im getting into it, getting to know professionals in the field, the Tories are trying to pull the wool over our eyes on things and I want to hold them to account.

But I have to think about how decisive my constituents have been. The way things stand at the moment Im leaning towards voting against, but havent fully made up my mind yet.

 Jeremy Corbyn attacks "Irony Lady" Theresa May over Brexit

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  Ms Siddiq, Catherine West and Daniel Zeichner  are frontbenchers, who were allowed to keep their jobs. It is unclear whether the same generosity will be shown for the March vote.

The partys official line, adopted with one eye on northern heartlands under threat from Ukip, is that Labour will not block the triggering of Article 50.

Mr Corbyn confirmed on Thursday that he would expect his MPs to back Ms May when she triggers Article 50, adding that they would be asked to do so.

Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned  forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA  because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty

He said in an interview: 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.

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.
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Switzerland may be outside the European Union, but the country is not looking for an anti-EU alliance with the UK, its foreign minister has said.

Following Theresa Mays 12-point Brexit blueprint speech, Swiss foreign minister Didier Burkhalter said: We want good, maybe even closer ties with Britain. But we will not forge an alliance with Britain against the EU.

This dashes the hopes of businesses that the countries could work together to negotiate with the EU over terms of access to the single market while being able to restrict freedom of movement.

In interviews with several Swiss newspapers, Mr Burkhalter said the Government had approved a plan last June to adjust bilateral relations with the UK as a result of the Brexit vote.

Mr Burkhalter said Switzerland is prepared for the UKs plans to leave the EU  Switzerlands main trading partner.

We want to improve relations in several fields. It is also an opportunity [for us], if not everything has to be done via the EU, he told the Tages-Anzeiger and Bund newspapers in a syndicated interview.

Mr Burkhalter admitted that there were several unknowable factors but said the Swiss government would soon discuss ways of launching negotiating mandates with Britain.

Our goal is to have legal security as soon as possible, he told the Wednesday edition of the Neue Zurcher Zeitung newspaper.

Swiss business leaders have expressed concern about the impact of Britains plan to leave the European single market.

The Swiss bankers association last year proposed an alliance with London, Hong Kong and Singapore to thrash out deals on accessing EU markets without being hit with high tariffs.

In July, Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann said stable relations with Britain were crucial for the Swiss banking sector and pharmaceutical industry and called on the Swiss and UK Governments to hold talks as soon as possible.

Following Theresa Mays speech on Tuesday in which she indicated the UK would pursue a clean break with the EU, Mr Burkhalter said at the World Economic Forum in Davos: At least we now know what the UK government wants and this is important for our ties with the UK.

Wealthy Switzerland is frequently cited by Brexiteers as a nation which has flourished without being a member of the EU.

Relations between Switzerland and the EU are framed by a series of bilateral treaties where the Swiss Confederation has adopted various provisions of EU law in order to participate in the Unions single market.

The Swiss narrowly voted to restrict immigration in a 2014 referendum, with 50.3% in favour, and have been locked in talks with the EU to implement the measure ever since.

Switzerland is currently at stalemate in its negotiations with the EU after being told it will not be able to access the single market without allowing freedom of movement.

The Swiss are anxious to strike a deal as the country depends heavily on the EU for trade, and in November its Government partially climbed down on immigration proposals.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Michael Moore, Robert DeNiro, Rosie Perez, Mark Ruffalo and Mayor Bill de Blasio were some of the big names to lead Thursdays anti-Trump rally outside of Trump International Hotel and Tower in Manhattan, but it was Alec Baldwins SNL-famous impression of the incoming president that delighted the crowd ahead of Inauguration Day.

These people are a disgrace, but there is hope," he told the crowd that drew thousands of protesters uptown. "Trump and Pence think you're going to lay down. That's one thing about New Yorkers: You don't lay down."

While the crowd was fired up for the majority of the night and seemed ready for the four-year challenge of demonstrating against the Trump administration, Moore offered a sobering thought to the crowd, "We're at a very dangerous moment in history. As bad as you think it's going to be, it's going to be worse."

Cher, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei, Sally Field and Natalie Merchant also made guest appearances at the rally, which was put on by Greenpeace and MoveOn. Watch Alec Baldwin do his best Donald Trump impression in the video above.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Anti-Trump protesters smashed up a limousine and broke shop windows as Donald Trump was sworn in as US President.

Disorder erupted as masked protestors clashed with police in Washington, DC, a short distance from the inauguration ceremony.

Demonstrators were seen carrying flags with anarchist symbols and running through the streets.

Follow live updates from in inauguration here

Police responded with tear gas, water cannon, pepper spray and stun grenades to control the protests as they described demonstrators as wielding crow bars.

Images showed a Starbucks, Bank of America and McDonald's all had their windows smashed during the demonstrations.

Some protesters also attempted to disrupt the inauguration by preventing ticket holders from entering the venue.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

Mr Trump took the Presidential oath and said power was being transferred from Washington to the people.

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, Mr Trump said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 20

Trend:

Azerbaijan has held a minute of silence to pay tribute to the January 20 victims.

The movement of traffic and pedestrians in Azerbaijans cities was stopped for a minute to honor the tragedy victims, while the minute of silence was accompanied by horns of ships in the Bay of Baku, metro cars and railway trains.

On the night of January 19-20, 1990, 137 people were killed, 744 were injured and 841 were illegally arrested after Soviet troops entered Baku.

The Soviet troops also destroyed 200 apartments and houses, 80 cars, including ambulances, and a large number of private and public property.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Barack Obama made an emotional plea to the American public and announced the launch of Obama.org in his final tweets from the official US President Twitter account

In a series of messages posted from the POTUS account before it is handed over to Donald Trump, he told his 13.7 million followers "I believe in you".

The outgoing US President said he would be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by your voices of truth and justice, good humor, and love.

In a farewell on Twitter, he wrote: It's been the honor of my life to serve you. You made me a better leader and a better man.

I won't stop; I'll be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by your voices of truth and justice, good humor, and love.

I'm still asking you to believe - not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours. I believe in change because I believe in you.

He also shared a link to the Obama Foundation, which will focus its work on community projects and "on developing the next generation of citizens  and what it means to be a good citizen in the 21st century.

The POTUS account was set live on 18 May, 2015 and gained more than 217,000 followers in its first 45 minutes.

President Obamas first tweet from the account read: Hello, Twitter! It's Barack. Really! Six years in, they're finally giving me my own account.

 Obama leaves note for Trump as he exit Oval Office for last time

A tweet President Obama sent after his farewell address earlier this month earned the POTUS account its most retweets, with more than 800,000 users sharing the message and almost two million people liking it.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Barack Obama has left the Oval Office for the last time  leaving a letter for Donald Trump and cracking a joke after walking out.

The Obamas greeted the Trumps at the grand North Portico, the column-lined entrance facing Pennsylvania Avenue.

Mr Obama told Mr Trump it was good to see him and they exchanged pleasantries.

Moments before, Mr Obama was filmed appearing to leave a letter in the Oval Office for his successor to pick up before he walked out for the last time.

A relaxed Mr Obama also found time to crack a joke, switching the order of the four as they posed for pictures while saying: "Now we can take the picture, I'm always on the left."

Mr Obama leaves power hours after making history by cutting short the sentences of 330 federal inmates convicted of drug crimes, the highest total for a single day in history.

 Obama leaves note for Trump as he exit Oval Office for last time

It brings his total for the entire eight-year tenure to 1,715, which again stands at more than any other president in US history.

He wanted to do it. He wanted the opportunity to look at as many as he could to provide relief, Neil Eggleston, Mr 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.

Protests against Mr Trump's presidency meanwhile suddenly turned violent just a few hundred metres from The Mall.

At least one anti-Donald Trump protester smashed glass window frontage down the road from Capiol Hill (BBC)

Groups dressed in black and balaclavas can be seen rushing away from Capitol Hill after some clashes with police.

Shortly before Senator Roy Blunt's opening remarks as inaugural committee chairman, police could be seen firing what is believed to be pepper spray and at least one protestor could be seen smashing a glass window.

One person can be seen running up to a glass shop window with a hammer.

BuzzFeed News reporter Zoe Tillman, who was amid the protests on 12th Street, described heavy pepper spray and "police pushing everyone".
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

That 500-watt lightbulb of a grin is as overpowering as ever. But the hair is thinner now and grey. His face is more gaunt, etched by lines invisible eight years ago. As usual, the American presidency has proved itself the greatest accelerator of the ageing process yet devised by humankind.

But these are mere details. This is the time of judgement for Barack Obama. The sands of his two terms at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have run almost through the glass. When he came to power, Barack Hussein Obama, black and with a name that brought to mind Americas bitterest enemies in the Middle East, was surely the most improbable president in US history  at least until the man Americans elected to follow him as their 45th. But where he will rate in terms of success or failure is far harder to discern.

One distorting agent has been the giddy expectations he aroused. In 2008, America and the world were mesmerised by a candidate who four years before had been a mere state senator from Illinois. The US might have been involved in two seemingly interminable wars and its global reputation in tatters, while the international economy was on the verge of collapse, but Obama was the embodiment of youth, hope and a new beginning.

Some at the time compared him to John Kennedy. But JFK had eked out the narrowest of victories of victories in 1960 over Richard Nixon. Obama that autumn swept all before him, not least his Republican opponent John McCain.

The president's stunned the nation by singing 'Amazing Grace' at a service for nine churchgoers murdered in Charleston (AP)

No-one could have lived up to the initial hype, capped by the quite absurd award of the Nobel Peace Prize after only nine months in the Oval Office, on the basis of a handful of rousing speeches. And Obama certainly has not. His own country is more divided and politically dysfunctional than when he took office. The world meanwhile has rarely felt so unstable, verging on chaos, as 60 years of Pax Americana are being replaced by an increasingly multipolar system, in which the US, still the mightiest military and economic power, on occasion seems hardly even to be primus inter pares.

It is a dispiriting legacy, but one largely not of his own making. From the outset Obama faced two massive headwinds: the worst economic and financial crisis since the 1930s; and unrelenting and unparalleled hostility from the Republican party. Oppositions are there to oppose. But surely no president deserved the scorched-earth enmity on Capitol Hill that has confronted Obama since Republicans regained control of Congress in 2010.

Not surprisingly, the most substantial legislation came early on. His administrations swift economic action, in the shape of car and banking industry bail-outs, and an $800bn stimulus package, probably prevented a severe recession from turning into a second Great Depression. Recovery was buttressed by Wall Street and regulatory reforms designed to ensure nothing similar could happen again. The result has been almost eight years of growth, unspectacular by past standards, but more impressive than anything managed by most other established industrial economies.

 Barack Obama uses final interview as President to slam Israeli policy on settlements

And then of course there was healthcare reform  oddly, perhaps, since it had never been a prominent theme of his election campaign. Like everything else this president touched, Obamacare divided the country. It passed without a single Republican vote, and by years end it may well be expunged. But it was the greatest expansion of healthcare in the US since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. Obamacare had flaws, as its authors admitted. Had Hillary Clinton won the White House those flaws would have been addressed. Now however the repeal process has already started. Even so, and however transient, Obamacare will have been a considerable achievement  not least for the 20 million Americans who obtained health coverage for the first time.

After 2010, with Congressional majorities arrayed against him, the 44th President was forced to turn to executive orders to pursue his goals of immigration reform, environmental protection and combating climate change. Many of these orders will be reversed by the incoming administration.

US President Barack Obama (Getty Images)

In 2012 Obama retained enough magnetism to win re-election by a decent margin. However he could never imbue his party with that magnetism. Over his eight years, the Democrats lost 12 Senate seats and 69 in the House of Representatives. After the 2016 election they retained unified control (occupancy of the governors mansion and possession of a legislative majority) in just five states, compared to 32 for the Republicans. Obama was never really a party man, and it showed.

He never seemed to enjoy the transactional side of politics. Schmoozing didnt come easily either. "No drama Obama," he was once dubbed, and the description reflected what many saw as aloofness. America has rarely had a more cerebral president, one as detached and self-controlled. Above all he believed in reason  that the other side could not but see where its self interest lay.

Remoteness had its advantages. Obama had his own high standards and expected others to share them. Amazingly, not a single scandal tarred his eight years  no sexual dalliances, no instances of blatant cronyism, no dark plot by some federal agency to circumvent the law. To be sure, there were acts of incompetence: among them the botched roll-out of Obamacare, and the tragic 2012 attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya, upon which Republicans spent four years and millions of dollars of taxpayers money trying to smear Hillary Clinton, his Secretary of State at the time. But nothing stuck. As president, Obama was a class act.

But in the foreign policy field too, where a US president has the greatest sway, such virtues could on occasion be counterproductive. Obama took office vowing to end Americas involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. In neither case did he truly succeed. In both, combat troops were pulled out only to return, sometimes in the guise of special forces, as radicals and terrorists groups filled the vacuum left by departing American and Nato soldiers.

He read the national mood correctly, that Americans, long ago soured on Iraq and Afghanistan, would not tolerate another boots on the ground war in the Middle East. He preferred drones and special forces operations (as the 2011 raid to kill Osama bin Laden in his hideout in Pakistan, in what would be his most unequivocal foreign policy success.)

Far more controversial was his inaction in Syria, the country that by the end of his presidency, amid the slaughter of Aleppo, had turned into a metaphor for all that was wrong with Obamas laid-back and unbendingly rationalist approach to the world.

The watershed moment was in 2013, when Obama ignored the "red line" he had set against the use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime against its own population. Would firm action then  say the take-out of Assads airforce, or the establishment of safe zones, have prevented the subsequent horrors? Perhaps not, given the failure of coherent Syrian opposition to emerge.

But unwittingly, a signal had been sent. Obama the rationalist had decided the US could no longer be the worlds policeman  and indeed no president has placed more or a priority on multilateral action, none has relied less on the "my way or the highway" approach to international affairs.

For allies and enemies alike however, in the Middle East and beyond, from Riyadh and Cairo to the Kremlin, a suspicion took hold. Obamas America was soft, a paper tiger that would not follow through on either its threats or commitments. Obamas enduring global popularity has coincided with a decline in American prestige, or at least in perceptions of its power. The two trends are surely not unrelated.

At times he gave the impression of wishing the entire Middle East could somehow simply vanish (including Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom US relations had hit an all-time low by late 2016). He talked of a "pivot to Asia," to focus on dynamic powers of the future like South Korea, Japan and of course China. But, constantly, the Middle East dragged him back  and not least Iran.

Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Show all 15 1 /15 Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden watch Barack Obama's farewell speech on 11 January. Obama called Biden his 'brother' Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years US President Barack Obama speaks alongside US Vice President Joe Biden about the Affordable Care Act AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Obama listens to Joe Biden speak of his work on defeating cancer on 18 October in the White House Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama is applauded by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Vice President Joe Biden while delivering his final State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. Vice President Joe Biden interjects as President Barack Obama delivers remarks at a reception for the 25th anniversary of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics at the White House in Washington REUTERS Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Obama and Vice President Joe Biden react after a heckler was removed for their extended interruption (Reuters) Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R) as Vice President Joe Biden looks on Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack and Michelle Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden observing a moment of silence outside the White House to mark the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Barack Obama and Joe Biden putt on the White House putting green Getty Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama and Joe Biden in April 2013 AFP/Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years January 1, 2013: U.S. President Barack Obama winks as he arrives with Vice President Joe Biden (L) in the briefing room Reuters Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House May 1, 2011 in Washington, DC Getty Images Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Vice-President Joe Biden, right, confirmed that the US was looking at ways of taking legal action against Julian Assange - back in December 2010 GETTY IMAGES Joe Biden and Barack Obama through the years Joe Biden, left, and retired military officers watch President Barack Obama sign orders to close down the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2009 GETTY IMAGES

The outcome of the nuclear deal of 2015 with Tehran may prove the ultimate judgement on the Obama approach: was it an act of reasoned statesmanship that removed a nuclear threat and unlocked the path to a reordered, more stable Middle East? Or was it simple naivete, allowing an arrangement that merely strengthened an incorrigible foe and at best kicked the nuclear moment of truth a year or two down the road? Iran could prove Obamas greatest foreign policy triumph, or his greatest foreign policy failure

So how will he be remembered, and what will be his legacy? Much obviously depends on the vigour with which a Republican White House and Congress take their wrecking ball to Obamacare, to the 2010 financial regulations and the various environmental regulations.

US President Barack Obama (Getty Images) (AFP)

But even if the obliteration of these latter is near total, Obama will go down as a great environmental president, not just for his fight against climate change, but for expanding protection of Americas national parks and other natural assets. He may not have managed to push through immigration or criminal justice reform, but he has also been an important promoter of social change, most notably in gay and minority rights. Even if Obamacare disappears, its fleeting life has surely have strengthened the notion that guaranteed health coverage is a right, not a privilege. It is a change Republicans will ignore at their peril.

Obviously, Obama has not solved race relations in America. Indeed, race is a more divisive issue now than when he took office in 2009, thanks in part to the very fact that an African-American has been president. But thanks to his speeches on the issue, and his frankness in confronting the problem, Obama has got Americans talking more honestly about the problem, an essential prerequisite for progress.

The reputations of presidents tend to improve with time, and Obamas is unlikely to be an exception. He has bequeathed his successor a solid economy. He has not solved the problems of a polarised America or an unstable world  but then again, who could have? But he did give the presidency an injection of grace and style unmatched since JFK. Most fundamentally, America just feels a better place than it was eight years ago. And that alone is no mean legacy.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Nazi salutes were banned at a party celebrating Donald Trumps inauguration.

Organisers reportedly outlawed the Sieg Heil gesture at the DeploraBall in Washington DC - which prompted protests and clashes immediately outside the venue - in an effort to distance themselves from extreme alt-right groups.

It comes after around a dozen or so people were seen giving the salute in a now-infamous video in which white supremacist Richard Spencer is seen shouting Hail Trump! Hail our people! Hail victory!

Mike Cernovich, a member of the ultra-conservative group MAGA3X, told The Independent: "A few trolls wanted to make a scene at the event.

"I wanted to send a message. The DeploraBall went off spectacularly and we could not be happier."

The Pepe the Frog meme, deemed as a hate symbol, was also banned Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty (Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty)

The author and filmmaker also said racist innuendo and images of Pepe the Frog, were banned from the National Press Club festivities.

Images of the fictional green character have become an internet meme favoured by members of white nationalist, so-called 'alt-right' groups.

Tim Treadstone, better known as Twitter alias Baked Alaska, was also barred from the event after writing that the media was "run in majority by Jewish people".

Mr Trump was not at the DeploraBall, which plays on Hillary Clintons labelling of Trump supporters as "deplorable", and Mr Cernovich said CNN's credentials were denied for the ball.

Police used chemical spray on some of the hundreds of protesters outside the entrance in a effort to control the crowd.

Demonstrators booed every time a presumed ball-goer in suits, tuxedos or dresses came in or out of the spectacle.

WARNING: The video below contains language some readers may find offensive

One man waving a pro-Trump flag had debris thrown at him and was chased to the nearby Warner Theater, where Fox News Channel personalities Sean Hannity and Geraldo Rivera happened to be waiting to go inside.

Mr Hannity reportedly raised his fist at hecklers while Mr Rivera laughed and smiled before entering the theatre.

One person was charged with conspiracy to commit assault.

James Allsup, who like Mr Cernovich, is a prominent Twitter supporter of Mr Trump, suffered a cut to the head after he claimed he was attacked with a flagpole by a protester.

The 21-year-old has posted pictures of blood streaming from his head, a video in which he appears to jump at a demonstrator after they steal his hat, and his prescription details from hospital.

The Independent has contacted Mr Cernovich for comment.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Shortly after Donald Trump was sworn into office as the 45th President of the United States, all foreign ambassadors were fired and with no concrete replacement ambassadors lined up.

Mr Trump had demanded that every ambassador in countries all over the world, who had been appointed by former President Barack Obama, were told to leave their offices by midday on 20 January and with no grace period.

His transition team had said on 23 December there would be no exceptions for ambassadors requesting to extend their postings past Inauguration day, in contrast with other Presidents, even for ambassadors with young children.

It is common policy, however, that politically appointed ambassadors resign at the start of a new administration. It is less common to have no replacements in line.

As many as 80 ambassadors for countries, agencies and issues - such as the ambassador for global women's issues - have been discarded at once.

The move now threatens leaving many countries without Senate-confirmed envoys for months and cutting off a direct line to the President, and some in countries which have sensitive relations to the US.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

This includes Germany, the UK and Canada, as well as other critical allies. Also, countries such as China, India, Japan and Saudi Arabia will also be looking for replacements.

The process of replacing politically-appointed ambassadors is a lengthy one carried out by Congress.

Few appointments have been made so far. South Carolina governor Nikki Hayley is ambassador to the United Nations, replacing Samantha Power.

Bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman is ambassador to Israel and Iowa Gov Terry Branstad is ambassador to China.

Mr Trumps first wife, Ivana Trump, has reportedly expressed her interest in becoming ambassador for the Czech Republic. The President of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman, expressed his support, saying: "They could not send a better US ambassador to Prague".

 Trump: 'America first, America first'

Mr Trump has been criticised for various other major staffing gaps, below cabinet level. The National Security Council and the state department of defence remain mostly unfilled.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

During his inauguration speech, Donald Trump hit his nationalist stride hard.

His belligerent address spoke of ending foreign aid, building up the countrys borders, and of total allegiance to the United States.

He also claimed the inauguration was not merely transferring power from one elected President to another, but was a transfer of power from Washington DC and giving it back to you, the people.

Mr Trumps 20 minute address included a combative passage outlining his foreign policy goals.

He said: From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only America first, America first.

He added: Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs.

Follow live updates from the inauguration here

In using the slogan America First, Mr Trump has, wittingly or unwittingly, branded his protectionist foreign policy with the name of 1940s isolationist anti-Semetic national organisation that urged the US government to negotiate a peace deal with Adolf Hitler. Mr Trump's previous use of the slogan was pointed out by Professor Susan Dunn at CNN.

One Kansas-based chapter of the America First organisation denounced British Prime Minister Winston Churchill as a half-Jew.

Mr Trumps chilling call for total allegiance to the US has also set alarm bells ringing.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

He said: At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America. And through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.

When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Protesters have burned a US flag as demonstrations against Donald Trumps inauguration sweep the globe.

Police pepper sprayed crowds clashing outside the DeploraBall held by the incoming Presidents supporters in Washington.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the National Press Club in Washington, booing ball-goers coming in and out of the event in tuxedos and dresses.

Read live updates from the inauguration here

 Watch Trump sing along to Lee Greenwood's 'God Bless the USA' at inauguration concert

One man waving a pro-Trump flag had debris thrown at him and was chased to the nearby Warner Theater, where Fox News Channel presenters Sean Hannity and Geraldo Rivera happened to be waiting to go into another event.

Hannity waved his fist at hecklers, while Rivera laughed before entering the theatre.

It came after Hollywood stars including Julianne Moore, Robert De Niro and Alec Baldwin made speeches at a large protest outside the Trump International Hotel in New York.

Demonstrations took an angrier tone in the Philippines, were protesters burned an American flag outside the US embassy in Manila.

More than 200 activists called for an end to American troops in the country, demanding President Rodrigo Duterte keeps his promise of charting a foreign policy independent of the US.

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

The pair have spoken on the phone, with Mr Duterte claiming Mr Trump praised his ongoing war on drugs, which has killed thousands of people and sparked international alarm.

Mr Duterte called Barack Obama the son of a whore last year for criticising human rights abuses and has sent his national security adviser and press secretary to attend the new Presidents inauguration.

Protesters, prevented by troops from getting close to the US embassys gate, were alarmed by the cordial relationship between the two leaders.

Obama sugar-coated imperialism but Trump has shown an in-your-face kind of imperialism, said protest leader Renato Reyes, of the left-wing Bayan group, adding that Mr Duterte should stick to his independent foreign policy.

Hundreds of protesters, most of them expatriate Americans, held an anti-Trump protest in Tokyo on Friday.

Some people held up electric candles and others carried placards reading Love Trump's Hate and Women's Rights Are Human Rights, as they marched along a central street.

A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. (EPA)

The Trump presidency gets my blood boiling ..everything we value could be gone. It's time to speak your mind and concerns and to do our best to salvage the values we cherish in America, Bill Scholer, an art teacher, told a Reuters reporter.

I grew up in the 1960s, and it feels like we are going backwards, and am very worried that we will lose all of the advances we have made over these years, said Holly Thompson, a writer.

Palestinians have also been alarmed by the prospect of Mr Trumps presidency after he spoke out against a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Hundreds of protesters waving Palestinian flags took to the streets of the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday, while more Palestinians protested near the West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim on Friday.

They were voicing their opposition to Mr Trumps pledge to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is split between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and claimed by both as the capital.

His choice for Israeli ambassador is David Friedman, a bankruptcy lawyer who has raised millions of dollars for the Beit El settlement, while the foundation run by the family of Mr Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has also supported Beit El.

Mr Trump himself has donated money to a Jewish seminary in there through his foundation and invited a settler group, the Yesha Council, to his inauguration.

Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem (Reuters)

For decades, US presidents have joined the international community in condemning the settlements, which are regarded as illegal as international law, as obstacles to the peace process.

In London, a banner was unfurled on Tower Bridge ahead of Mr Trumps inauguration on Friday, reading: Act now! Build bridges not walls.

Protesters also draped banners on other bridges in the capital including Vauxhall Bridge, where the Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants in solidarity with folks affected by rising far-right.

Protests are due to be staged in a number of British cities, including London, Edinburgh, Brighton and Manchester.

Banners were dropped from the side of Edinburgh's North Bridge while anti-trump campaigners will march to the US Consulate later on Friday.

Mr Trump has strong links to the country and last visited in June 2016 during the US election campaign.

He is expected to use the bible given to him by his Scottish mother, alongside one that once belonged to Abraham Lincoln, during his inauguration.

A banner unfurled on Tower Bridge in London as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration. (PA)

Countless demonstrations will be sweeping the US on inauguration day.

Security officials have expressed concerns about possible clashes between supporters and opponents of Mr Trump in Washington, where up to 900,000 people are expected to watch him take the oath.

Coalition protest group DisruptJ20 has vowed to disrupt Mr Trump's inauguration and interfere with security checkpoints and anti-war group the Answer Coalition is planning demonstrations at the US Navy Memorial and Freedom Plaza near the White House.

A group calling itself Occupy Inauguration plans to rally on the morning of the ceremony at Meridian Hill Park, about a mile and a half north of the White House.

The group said speakers at the rally will include the 2016 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.

Film-maker Michael Moore will speak at a rally in Washington's McPherson Square on Friday afternoon, where some 20,000 people are expected to attend.

Outgoing homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson said 28,000 officials will be involved in the security operation in Washington, including more than 3,000 police officers and 5,000 members of the National Guard.

Additional reporting by AP
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

True to his man of the people reputation, former Vice President Joe Biden took the train home from Washington DC after Donald Trumps inauguration.

Amtrak Joe, who famously commuted daily to the US capital by rail during his time as senator, opted to use the train to return to his home state of Delaware.

The former Democrat senator, who came to be known by his down-to-earth manner and blue-collar upbringing, made the journey joined by his wife Jill and incumbent Delaware senator Tom Carper.

Mr Biden told CNN this is the way I wanted to go home, the way I came after boarding the train at Washington DCs Union Station.

He took the 1pm Amtrak Acela Express from the US capital, arriving in Wilmington, Delaware around two hours later, where he was greeted by a marching band.

But Mr Biden will be back in Washington soon, as the couple intend to buy a house in the city so that his wife is near to a college in Virginia where she teaches English.

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

Such is his love affair with the railways that Amtrak renamed Wilmington station Joseph R Biden, Jr Railroad Station in 2011.

He is believed to have taken around 8,000 trips from the station to Washington during his time in office.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama used the presidential helicopter one last time to reach an air base in Washington before jetting to California for a family holiday.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Human rights groups are bracing for the worst under the presidency of Donald Trump - with one group calling for him to "abandon hateful rhetoric".

Rights group Amnesty International has called on Trump to publicly repudiate the use of torture and to close the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay. The human rights group also said it had serious concerns about Mr Trumps proposed "Muslim registry" and his numerous statements on women, people of colour, the disabled, LGBTI people, activists and journalists.

As president, Donald Trump must abandon the hateful rhetoric that riddled his campaign and commit to protecting human rights for everyone, said USAs Executive Director Margaret Huang in a statement.

Amnesty International joins numerous other civil rights and human rights groups that have sounded the alarm bell on either Mr Trumps policy positions or ones backed by members of his proposed cabinet.

Human Rights Watch issued a 687 report earlier this week that called Trump a threat to human rights.

(Trumps) campaign floated proposals that would harm millions of people, including plans to engage in massive deportations of immigrants, to curtail womens rights and media freedoms, and to use torture, the report said, quoting Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth.

Both groups called on Trump to publicly repudiate the use of torture and to close the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay.

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

Mr Trumps proposed DHS Secretary, Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly said during confirmation hearings that he would abide by US laws on waterboarding and that he thought the United States should abide by the Geneva Conventions.

I don't think we should ever come close to crossing a line that is beyond what we as Americans would expect to follow in terms of interrogation techniques, Mr Kelly told the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Closing Guantanamo Bay is unlikely to happen, especially now that Mr Trump is president. Mr Trump has vowed to keep the detention facility open.

 Anti-Trump protesters gather in downtown Washington

President Barack Obama took action on his third day of office in 2009 to shut down the notorious prison. But the question of where to transfer Guantanamos prisoners as well as restrictions from Congress on transferring the prisoners to the United States has made shutting down the military detention facility more difficult than anticipated. If the State Department is not able to find another nation willing to take the prisoners, they must remain in Guantanamo.

A total of 45 prisoners remain in the detention centre, although four more have been scheduled for release it was announced on Thursday. That is down from the 240 prisoners when Mr Obama first came into office in 2009.

There should be no further releases from Gitmo, Mr Trump tweeted in January. These are extremely dangerous people and should not be allowed back onto the battlefield.

The idea of a Muslim ban and a Muslim registry has been raised several times during confirmation hearings of Mr Trumps proposed cabinet members. Mr Trumps proposed DHS Secretary, Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly, has said that he is against creating a registry or imposing a ban on the basis of religion alone. Mr Trumps pick to head the Justice Department, Sen. Jeff Sessions rejected the idea of a Muslim registry in last weeks confirmation hearings but suggested that religious institutions such as mosques could be put under surveillance if there was reason to suspect illegal activity.

Mr Trumps transition team has maintained that the proposed Muslim ban on new immigrants would not be on the basis of religion, but instead target countries with high incidents of terrorism. The programme established shortly after 9/11 by the Bush administrationthe National Security Entry Exit Registration Systemalso used country of origin as its qualifier. Under NSEERS, all males 16 and older from the following countries were required to register: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Eritrea, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.

NSEERS didnt affect US citizens, permanent residents, or those who were applying to settle in the United States permanently under a visa program.

The Obama administration dismantled the NSEERS registry in December, declaring that it no longer provided an increase in security in light of DHSs evolving abilities to assess terrorism.

The wealth of data available online in 2016 from social media like Facebook to public records to the intelligence already gathered by marketing firms has raised speculation that the Mr Trump administration would easily be able to build a larger Muslim registry from scratch.

Its absolutely the case that the data can be used in ways that identify and target minorities, Cindy Cohn, executive director of EFF told Quartz. It wont be perfect, but it doesnt have to be perfect to be problematic. The human rights costs are huge whether its perfect or not.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Vice President-elect Mike Pence's motorcade has hit and injured a local police reserve officer.

The US Secret Service confirmed the officer was struck as he conducted traffic near the intersection of 6th and F streets in the north-west of Washington DC.

He was taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries on Wednesday.

Mr Pence later called the citys interim Police Chief Peter Newsham and the injured officer to apologise.

The embarrassing incident comes as the scandal-plagued transition team gears up for the formal inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President.

Mr Trump and Mr Pence flew into Washington DC ahead of the ceremony which is due to take place on Capitol Hill at noon on Friday.

But the inauguration has become shrouded in controversy after it was revealed several former advisors of Mr Trump were under investigation by the intelligence services for business dealings with Russian officials.

A spokeswoman for Mr Trump said his team had no knowledge of any investigation but it followed further allegations that the Kremlin had compromising information about the former reality stars private life.

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

On Thursday evening, Mr Trump, Mr Pence and their wives hosted the traditional inauguration ball where former Vice President Dan Quayle led the toast to the Trump-Pence ticket and the Pences danced to the Temptations My Girl.

Meanwhile a protest was held outside a pro-Trump event   called the DeploraBall after a remark by Hillary Clinton during the election campaign  in the city as demonstrators shouted and waved placards.

The crowd shouted Nazi scum and held signs calling the crowds racist misogynists as Trump supporters defiantly waved their tickets as they stepped inside.

Two rows of police wearing riot gear guarded the entrance to the club and blocked off much of the street as pro-Trump supporters arrived.

Following clashes one man was struck on the head with an object thrown by a protester.
The 2016 Vienna oil output cut deal between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries will stabilize the oil industry and the global economy, providing short-, mid- and long-term stability, OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo told Sputnik on Thursday, Sputnik reported .

In November 2016, OPEC agreed to cut oil production by 1.2 million barrels per day to 32.5 million barrels per day for the whole cartel starting January 2017. On December 10, 2016, OPEC finished a meeting with non-OPEC countries in Vienna, at which 11 non-OPEC producers decided to cut oil output by 558,000 barrels per day, with Russia cutting the output by 300,000 barrels per day from January 2017.

"The coming together for the first time in history of 24 producing countries on December 10 in Vienna has, in our opinion, created a global platform of producers with the sole objective of insuring stability in the oil markets in the short, medium and long term. Therefore, there is a great opportunity for all the stakeholders, including the oil and gas industry, to solidify this platform and insure that it continues to perform the stabilization role in the best interests of the industry as well as the global economy" Barkindo said.

Eleven non-cartel members participating in the oil output cut deal are Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan.

In order to secure the implementation of the deal, the output cut monitoring committee was created, chaired by Kuwait from the OPEC side and Russia from the non-OPEC side. The committee also includes Oman, Venezuela and Algeria.

The monitoring committee is due to meet in Vienna on January 21-22.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Disorder has broken out in Washington DC amid tight security ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration.

A group of masked protesters, some carrying flags bearing the anarchist symbol, were filmed smashing windows, running through the streets and clashing with police.

One man dressed in black smashed the window of a McDonald's with a hammer, while others tipped over bins around an hour before the start of Mr Trump's ceremony.

Broken windows at businesses in Washington after a confrontation with protestors shortly before Donald Trump's inauguration. (AP)

Follow live updates from in inauguration here

A Bank of America branch and a Starbucks were among the other buildings targeted. Some were armed with bats and long wooden poles and there were unconfirmed reports of looting.

Police responded with tear gas, pepper spray, stun grenades and water cannon to disperse the protesters, who fled away from lines of officers.

Police cordoned off a crowd of around 100 demonstrators who chanted hands up, don't shoot", as a helicopter hovered overhead.

Supporters shouted "let them go" amid fears of mass arrests.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

Reporters at the scene said protesters attempted to break lines of police wearing full riot gear and wielding batons, but were pushed back by pepper spray and stun grenades.

Observers said the disorder appeared to be organised, with the black-clad group splitting from a larger protest before launching the wave of vandalism.

Police detained about 50 people and said they had charged numerous people with rioting. The group of detainees became a flash point after Mr Trump was sworn in, when a crowd of several hundred that had formed to call for their release turned violent, with some throwing bottles and rocks at police who responded with tear gas and stun grenades.

Two police officers sustained minor injuries from people who were trying to avoid arrest, police said.

Some groups had vowed to disrupt the inauguration ceremony, with members of #disruptj20 attempting to block ticket holders from entering the venue at security checkpoints.

At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in US detention at Guantanamo Bay, which Barack Obama pledged to close.

Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard. Outside the International Spy Museum, protesters in Russian hats marched with signs calling Mr Trump Putin's Puppet and Kremlin employee of the month".

Most Trump supporters walking to the inauguration past Union Station ignored protesters outside the railway station, but some shouted back and argued with demonstrators.

Get a job, shouted Doug Rahm, a Bikers for Trump member from Philadelphia. Stop crying snowflakes, Trump won.

One group stationed themselves in Washington offering out 4,200 free joints to campaign for the legalisation of cannabis, while the Answer Coalition demonstrated at the US Navy Memorial and in Freedom Plaza, near the White House.

A group calling itself Occupy Inauguration rallied at Meridian Hill Park and film-maker Michael Moore was to speak at an event in Washington's McPherson Square.

Outgoing homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson said 28,000 officials were being deployed for the security operation in Washington, including more than 3,000 police officers and 5,000 members of the National Guard.

The clashes came as Mr Trump was due to make his way to the US Capital to be sworn in as US President.

"It all begins today!" he tweeted on Friday morning. "The movement continues - the work begins."

Thousands of people have been protesting against his inauguration around the world, with activists hanging banners along the River Thames in London as part of the #bridgesnotwalls movement.

Additional reporting by AP
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Protesters have clashed with police outside a pro-Donald Trump black tie event in Washington DC, as tens of thousands of people prepare to take to the streets to oppose his presidency.

Demonstrators had gathered outside the National Press Club on Thursday night to oppose a group of Trump supporters who were staging a "DeploraBall", an event named after Hillary Clinton branded them a "basket of deplorables" during the election.

Footage posted on social media appeared to show police in riot gear using pepper spray and tear gas to disperse the protesters.

Recommended UK demonstrators mobilise against Donald Trump inauguration

One Trump supporter claimed to have been attacked by a protestor wielding a flagpole. James Allsup, 21, told Fox News: I was wearing my Make America Great Again hat, and a white male came up behind me and swung at me with a flagpole - I kind of blacked out for a minute,' Before I knew it my head was gushing blood - theres blood on my Trump hat.

Mr Allsup posted on his facebook page: Remember this is what happens when you disagree with the tolerant left.

Protesters, however, denied they had been violent.

A woman walks past protestors outside the National Press Club, the venue for the Deploraball (Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty)

A Washington Metropolitan Police spokesman said the situation was "dynamic" and could not confirm whether any arrests were made.

Protesters were seen booing whenever ball-goers in suits, tuxedos or dresses came in or out of the event.

Witnesses said one man waving a pro-Trump flag had debris thrown at him and was chased to the nearby Warner Theatre.

The clashes came as tens of thousands of people prepare to stage protests in cities around the world on Friday when Mr Trump will be sworn in as US president.

Security officials have expressed concerns about possible clashes between supporters and opponents of Mr Trump in Washington, where up to 900,000 people are expected to watch him take the oath.

Coalition protest group DisruptJ20 has vowed to disrupt Mr Trump's inauguration and interfere with security checkpoints.

Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban Show all 11 1 /11 Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty

In contrast, Bikers For Trump will rally on Washington's Pennsylvania Avenue to celebrate Mr Trump's inauguration.

Outgoing homeland security secretary Jeh Johnson said 28,000 officials will be involved in the security operation in Washington, including more than 3,000 police officers and 5,000 members of the National Guard.

He told MSNBC: "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."

Film-maker Michael Moore will speak at a rally in Washington's McPherson Square on Friday afternoon, where some 20,000 people are expected to attend.

On Thursday, Moore was joined by Hollywood stars Robert De Niro, Julienne Moore and Alec Baldwin during a large protest outside Trump International Hotel in New York.

Anti-war group, the Answer Coalition, is planning demonstrations at the US Navy Memorial and Freedom Plaza near the White House.

Meanwhile, a group calling itself Occupy Inauguration plans to rally on the morning of the inauguration ceremony at Meridian Hill Park, about a mile and a half north of the White House.

The group said speakers at the rally will include 2016 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.

In the UK, protests against Mr Trump have already begun.

The largest anti-Trump demonstration in America is expected to take place in Washington on Saturday when some 200,000 people are expected to join a women's march.

Celebrities including Scarlett Johansson, Amy Schumer and Patricia Arquette have pledged they will attend the protest, while similar events are being planned in a number of US cities including Los Angeles and Park City, Utah.

Ugly Betty star America Ferrera, who is helping organise the Washington protest, said: "Since the election, so many fear that their voices will go unheard.

"As artists, women, and most importantly dedicated Americans, it is critical that we stand together in solidarity for the protection, dignity and rights of our communities."

Many of the women will be wearing pink knitted hats with cat ears - a reference to comments made by Mr Trump in a 2005 leaked video in which he bragged about grabbing women's genitals.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Germany's Vice Chancellor has accused Donald Trump of delivering an inauguration speech with "high nationalistic tones".

Sigmar Gabriel added that the businessman had been elected as a result of "bad radicalisation" in the US.

The politician made the comments in a TV interview.

 US president Donald Trump vows to put America first

Mr Trump was officially sworn in as the 45th President of the US, along with Vice President Mike Pence.

Mr Trump told crowds of supporters: "Today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another- but transferring it from Washington DC and giving it back to you the people.

"For too long a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.

"Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed.

"The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country."

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

His inauguration has been mired by controversy as protests took place around the world. In Washington, where the ceremony took place, protesters chained themselves to inauguration check points, to stop Trump supporters from entering. In some areas, clashes with the police brought out, resulting in gas cannisters being thrown, and some skirmishes.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Like the Holy Bible and the plays of William Shakespeare, the US presidential inaugural address has yielded a surprising amount of incomprehensible dross as well as passages of timeless elegance and force  words and phrases that have become precious adornments to the English language. Some presidents, in other words, rise greatly to the occasion; others, not.

In the depths of the Depression, when Franklin Delano Roosevelt inherited a nation seared by bank failures and sudden mass unemployment on an unprecedented scale, and surrounded by a more dangerous and threatening world, he did his best to deliver  to use a favourite word of his latest successor  hope to a shaken people. In those days a new president took over in the Spring (it was FDR who thereafter moved the inauguration and transition of power to January for the sake of expedience). In that March of 1933, Adolf Hitler was soon to be appointed Chancellor of Germany. Faced with that and a stubborn collapse in business and consumer confidence, Roosevelt had this simple message, not often quoted within its full context:

This is pre-eminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself  nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyses needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigour has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory.

Then, as now, America had seen mighty finance humbled, and Roosevelts biblical verdict on the false gods of money still resonates:

The money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilisation. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of the restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit.

Roosevelt sought to deliver 'hope to a shaken people' (Keystone/Getty Images)

He did fix the financial system, and set about ensuring that such a failure could not happen again  until the 1990s and 2000s, when much of his reform was undone.

Perhaps still more celebrated, even revered, was the address given by John F Kennedy on an exceptionally cold morning in 1961, his words a mixture of his own inspiration and the work of his principal speech writer Ted Sorensen. Once again theyre here quoted with a little more context:

For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe  the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.

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.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

And of course:

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility  I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavour will light our country and all who serve it  and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

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.

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

Sometimes an equally fine orator, such as Barack Obama, is not similarly endowed with historic material, and just has to make the best of his lines  We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord  maybe owed too much to the campaign trail. Other times a skilled speechmaker, such as former actor Ronald Reagan, can transform a bar room quip into a distillation of a political philosophy: In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.

Lincoln during his second inauguration in 1865 (Getty) (General Photographic Agency/Getty Images)

Americas existential crisis came a century and half ago. On the brink of the imminent destruction of the Union in 1861, Abraham Lincoln made this reasoned plea to the secessionists in the South (words which possess an unexpected relevance for post-Brexit Britain):

Physically speaking, we cannot separate. We cannot remove our respective sections from each other nor build an impassable wall between them. A husband and wife may be divorced and go out of the presence and beyond the reach of each other, but the different parts of our country cannot do this. They cannot but remain face to face, and intercourse, either amicable or hostile, must continue between them  Can aliens make treaties easier than friends can make laws? Can treaties be more faithfully enforced between aliens than laws can among friends?

 Donald Trump's inauguration: What actually happens?

Today too, when Donald Trump dismisses Nato as obsolete it is worth recalling the crystalline clarity in the remarks of President Harry S Truman in the year of its, and his, inauguration: 1949:

The primary purpose of these agreements is to provide unmistakable proof of the joint determination of the free countries to resist armed attack from any quarter. Every country participating in these arrangements must contribute all it can to the common defence.

If we can make it sufficiently clear, in advance, that any armed attack affecting our national security would be met with overwhelming force, the armed attack might never occur.

I hope soon to send to the Senate a treaty respecting the North Atlantic security plan.

Truman oversaw the creation of Nato in 1949 (Getty) (Getty Images/National Archive/Newsmakers)

Still, in truth there is an embarrassing stock of inconsequential dross in the 57 presidential inaugural addresses delivered by the 44 presidents of the United States (actually, its 43  Grover Cleveland served non-consecutive terms and gets counted twice). Who, for example, could say which of the variety of brilliant, inspiring, stupid, corrupt, greedy and ordinary men to have occupied the Oval Office came up with these?

Our eyes never will be blind to a developing menace, our ears never deaf to the call of civilization.

In the Department of Agriculture the use of scientific experiments on a large scale and the spread of information derived from them for the improvement of general agriculture must go on.

How imperious, then, is the obligation imposed upon every citizen, in his own sphere of action, whether limited or extended, to exert himself in perpetuating a condition of things so singularly happy!

Hackneyed, or prosaic, and hardly enough to make anyone emotional, they could have been delivered by any president of any party since George Washington took the first oath in 1789. The answers, in case youre curious, are: Warren G Harding (served 1921 to 1923, Republican, corrupt); Howard Taft (1909 to 1913, Republican, clever); Martin Van Buren (1833 to 1837, Democrat, unlucky). Donald John Trump, the first social media president, in other words, has less to live up to than you might assume.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

US intelligence agencies are reportedly investigating intercepted communications and financial transactions as part of a probe into alleged links between Russian officials and associates of Donald Trump.

With the former reality star due to be sworn in as the US 45th President on Capitol Hill on Friday, reports suggest three individuals linked to the billionaire businessman are being probed by the National Security Agency, the CIA and the Treasurys financial crimes unit over possible connections to Russia  which is currently subject to US economic sanctions.

The investigation focuses on the activities of Mr Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort, businessman and foreign policy adviser Carter Page and Republican political consultant Roger Stone, according to The New York Times.

Mr Manafort, who served as the Trump campaign chairman until August 2016, has reportedly earned millions from consulting work for Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs including Rinat Akhmetov, Dmitry Firtash and Oleg Deripaska.

It is not known whether the allegations are connected to a conclusion by the CIA and the FBI that Russian hackers intervened in the election campaign by stealing and releasing damaging information against Mr Trumps rival Hillary Clinton.

Paul Manafort served as the chairman of the Trump campaign (Getty)

The investigation is said to have intensified in recent weeks, with one intelligence official telling the New York Times that reports based on some of the wiretapped communications had been given to the Obama administration, but that no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing has been found.

While counterintelligence investigations into connections between American citizens and foreign governments are common, the legal standards to open them are low and prosecutions are rare.

But the probe comes at an embarrassing time for the President-elect, who was already facing scrutiny over his alleged connections to Russia.

Last week, CNN and Buzzfeed reported that intelligence officials had compiled an unverified report alleging that the Kremlin had damaging information about Mr Trumps personal life which they could potentially use to compromise his presidency.

The Independent has contacted the Trump transition team for comment and a spokeswoman told the New York Times that they had no knowledge of any investigation.

Mr Manafort denounced the allegations as a Democrat party dirty trick and said they were completely false.

President Trump protests Show all 20 1 /20 President Trump protests President Trump protests Patrons hold a sign as people march by while protesting the election of Republican Donald Trump as the president of the United States in downtown Los Angeles, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators rally following the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators march following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests Thousands of protesters rallied across the United States expressing shock and anger over Donald Trump's election, vowing to oppose divisive views they say helped the Republican billionaire win the presidency AFP/Getty Images President Trump protests Demonstrators protest outside the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois Getty President Trump protests A police officer aims a launcher after demonstrators threw projectiles toward a line of officers during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests An officer examines a vandalized police vehicle as demonstrators riot in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators take over the Hollywood 101 Freeway just north of Los Angeles City Hall in protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests A woman holds up a sign reading 'Trump you are an Idiot' as demonstrators gather during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump outside the City Hall building in Los Angeles, California EPA President Trump protests A masked demonstrator gestures toward a police line during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, near the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada Reuters President Trump protests Musician Lagy Gaga stages a protest against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on a sanitation truck outside Trump Tower in New York City Getty President Trump protests A woman yells as she takes part in a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A man dressed in red-white-and-blue sits on the curb during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A protester sets off fireworks during a protest against President-elect Donald Trumpin Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests University of California, Davis students protest on campus in Davis, California, U.S. following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests An Oakland police officer checks out damage after a window was broken by protesters at a car dealership in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests A protester faces a police line in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests President-elect Donald Trumpis victory set off multiple protests AP President Trump protests A fire burns during protests in Oakland, Calif AP

He said: I have never had any relationship with the Russian government or any Russian officials.

I was never in contact with anyone, or directed anyone to be in contact with anyone.

Mr Stone also denied the allegations saying the whole thing is a canard and said he had no Russian influences while Mr Page said the story was part of a smear campaign orchestrated by Ms Clinton  saying his enemies were pulling a page out of the Watergate playbook
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Supporters of Vladimir Putin are holding an all-night party in Moscow to celebrate the inauguration of Donald Trump.

One of the organisers, Konstantin Rykov, who has served as a Russian MP affiliated to Putins United Russia Party and has also been described as a Kremlin web propagandist, invited his facebook followers to the event with the comment: See you in the evening. Washington will be ours.

Russian nationalists attending the party will also be treated to a presentation of the political concept of Triptych by an art group which has created flattering portraits of Putin, Trump and Marine Le Pen, the hard-right French Front National leader.

 Vladimir Putin says Donald Trump didn't use prostitutes because he's met so many beautiful women

Rykov wrote on his facebook page: I beg you all to try to get to [the venue] no later than 19:30 [Moscow time]. Otherwise, you'll miss the most important point "presidential oath", as well as sparklers, party poppers and champagne.

The party, to be held in what was once Moscows main Soviet-era post office, is due to be televised on Tsargrad TV, a pro-Putin Russian Orthodox TV channel.

It appears to feed in to what has been called Russian Trumpomania since the US election result, which in Russia was greeted by the issue of commemorative coins and matryoshka dolls.

 Trump takes oath to become 45th President

It also comes amid reports that the US intelligence agencies are investigating links between Russian officials and associates of Trump.

The man about to become the 45th President of the US has already angrily dismissed as fake news a leaked dossier in which an ex-MI6 officer made unverified claims that the Russians had been cultivating Trump for years and had compromising information on his activities with prostitutes.

The Kremlin has also denied the claims in the dossier and said it did not seek to influence the outcome of the US election.

Rykov, however, reportedly made little secret of his support for Trump during the US presidential election.

In March Reuters reported that he told his social media followers: Trump is the first member of the American elite in 20 years who compliments Russia. Trump will smash America as we know it, we've got nothing to lose.

"Do we want the grandmother Hillary? No. Maybe it's time to help the old brigand."

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

At least some of the popular enthusiasm for Trump in Russia appears to stem from a hope that his presidency will ease tensions between the two countries and lead to a lifting of sanctions imposed over the annexation of Crimea.

In the immediate aftermath of the US election result, Putin critic and former Russian parliamentarian Gennady Gudkov said: 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.

In Russian news the main actor is His Majesty Trump.

Gudkov claimed state media was giving Trump blanket air time at the expense of more mundane and sometimes depressing domestic news stories.

Sellers of traditional matryoshka nesting dolls have added Trump dolls to their popular line-up of items carved in the likeness of President Vladimir Putin, Bolshevik revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, ex-President Mikhail Gorbachev and Josef Stalin.

 Trump's message to Putin

Craftsmen in the city of Zlatoust, east of Moscow, have released a limited series of silver and gold commemorative coins, engraved with "In Trump We Trust" - an allusion to the phrase on US banknotes "In God We Trust".

And in what may be a play on the suspected sympathies of US diplomats  some of them Barack Obama appointees reportedly told to vacate their posts by Trump  a Russian Army store opposite the US embassy in Moscow is offering 10 per cent discounts for embassy staff and US citizens.

The shop has also put up a poster with Trumps picture to advertise its inauguration day discounts.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

There was a smile, a wave and a even a short, sharp salute to the military officials greeting him. Donald Trump had clearly been practicing.

Americas President-elect flew into Washington, ready and apparently eager to assume office. Whether America, and the rest of the world, is quite so ready for him, remains to be seen. Certainly the city is taking security seriously  with more than 900,000 people, both protesters and those celebrating, set to arrive in the city for Mr Trump's inauguration.

The mood around the city was just so celebratory during Obamas inauguration, said Heidi Batchelder, a DC school teacher, who said she would simply follow events on the radio and miss the parade. In our school, the mood has been sombre since the election  amongst our students, amongst the faculty  so its just been a very different experience. It feels like this cloud has descended.

Mr Trump and Melania Trump had a busy schedule on the day before inauguration (AP)

Eric Robertson, a retiree from from Bedford County, Pennsylvania who voted for Mr Trump, was a lot more upbeat. He had come to the capital with his partner, Laurie Taylor.

Now that we have the free time, I told her, Lets just go, he said. We were more than thrilled when he won and we both voted for him. And thats why were here.

Police cars lined much of Pennsylvania Avenue, the parade route for Friday, as workers unloaded crowd control fences from flatbed trucks, erected barricades and marked off pavement with tape.

US 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," Mr 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. Mr Johnson estimated the number of demonstrations between Friday and Sunday could reach nearly 100.

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. The dump trucks and buses will block large gatherings of pedestrians with Mr Johnson saying that lessons were taken from recent extremist attacks in France and Germany  although there was no "specific, credible threat".

Security for events over the weekend and associated costs will run into tens of millions of dollars with some estimates saying it could reach $100m (81m) . Washington DC is expected to spend $30m, with $19m of that expected to be reimbursed by Congress. Those attending the inauguration ceremony and parade will face six security checkpoints, with more than 40 items banned  including backpacks and selfie sticks. However, keeping an eye on the weather forecast for Inauguration Day, the National Park Service announced that it was easing its no umbrella policy for Friday, allowing collapsible umbrellas along the parade route and on the National Mall.

Airspace restrictions will also be tightened, with security officials particularly keeping an eye out for small drones, one of the other items that has been banned.

According to the latest polls, Mr Trump may be the most unpopular incoming President for four decades. Progressives, minorities, members of the LGBT community and, of course, those who voted for Hillary Clinton, may be alarmed and fearful as to what is to come in the days and weeks ahead. But for all their noise and protest, for all their petitions and marches, there is nothing they can do. As of noon on Friday, Donald Trump will become the 45th president of the United States, and the world will have a new sheriff-in-chief.

Those protests began in New York on Thursday evening  around 1,000 people turned out for a protest at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, a few streets from the Trump Tower where the businessman lives.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, was among a number of people set to speak at a rally condemning Mr Trump's policies. Donald Trump may control Washington, but we control our destiny as Americans, Mr de Blasio said. We don't fear the future. We think the future is bright, if the people's voices are heard.

Every presidential inauguration has its own sense of magic, or sense of foreboding, depending on ones political views. But beyond that, each is a marker in history, a time capsule, a signifier of where the country is, or where it was.

The inauguration of Barack Obama eight years ago, told us that for all its bitter history of racism and bigotry, the country  still struggling fitfully with such issues  was at the point where it could elect its first African American President.

The inauguration of the 70-year-old Mr Trump, the oldest person to take the office, tells us something too. Namely, that more than 60 million Americans felt desperate enough, or anxious enough, or else hated Ms Clinton enough, to take a chance on a man with no political or governing experience. Indeed, for many who threw their support behind the man previously best known to the world as the host of The Apprentice, his lack of political experience and avowed willingness to shake up Washington, was the very attraction.

A man who gave his name as Jim, a construction industry employee who was visiting from St Louis, said he believed there would be a huge turn out, despite reports to the contrary.

There seems to be a lot of press regarding the Democratic position, said Jim, who voted for Mr Trump.

 Donald Trump's inauguration: What actually happens?

But if you look at the amount of people who voted Trump in, its not as if it was some small minority. It was a large group of society. I think a large group of society will show up and support him in the inauguration.

He added: I think we really got our work cut out for us as a country. We got some internal repairing to do. I hope that he and the cabinet that he selects can do that.

I hope the mainstream media can make some corrections itself. I really hope some of our mainstream media can stop looking at things with such a bias  and be reporters and kind of tell the whole story and not the side of the story that their chiefs want them to report.

Mr Trump has set himself an ambitious pace to get results. Within his first 100 days, he wants to reduce environmental regulations he believes are hampering heavy industry, confirm a new Supreme Court Justice, kickstart a billion-dollar infrastructure project and get rid of Obamacare.

Mr Trump had a busy schedule on Thursday alone, his last day as a normal citizen, if the billionaire tycoon can be described thus. That included laying a wreath at Arlington Cemetery, visiting the Lincoln Memorial for a concert featuring Toby Keith, Lee Greenwood and 3 Doors Down, and then being the guest of honour at a formal dinner.

He and Melania Trump, the incoming First Lady, first attended a luncheon to honour Republican leaders. It was held at the Trump International Hotel, located just a few steps from the White House.

Before the media was asked to leave, it filmed Mr Trump thanking this cabinet nominees and claiming they had the highest collective IQ of any incoming administration.

Mrs Trump also said a few words. Its great to be here. Thanks for your support. Tomorrow we will start the work to make America great again.

At the celebratory evening concert on the steps of Lincoln Memorial Mr Trump said: It's a movement like we've never seen anywhere in the world.

You're not forgotten any more. You're not forgotten any more, he told supporters.

This is some day, dear friends, actor Jon Voight told the crowd, casting Trump's impending inauguration as evidence of divine intervention after a parade of propaganda that left us all breathless with anticipation, not knowing if God could reverse all the negative lies against Mr. Trump.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump plans to visit CIA headquarters on Saturday on his first full day as US president, as he takes command of the agency that he has harshly criticised in the past.

A senior US intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the purpose his visit was to swear in Mike Pompeo as the spy agencys new chief.

However, that plan, will depend on whether Mr Pompeo receives Senate confirmation by then, and it was uncertain whether the Senate would act in time.

The visit would nonetheless have a symbolic element to it,as Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised the CIA since his election victory since it concluded that Russia was involved in cyber hacking that interfered with the US election.

Mr 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 US media outlets to report unsubstantiated claims that Russia had collected compromising information about him.

In a series of tweets after those explosive allegations were made public, Mr Trump appeared to blame the intelligence agencies for letting the dossier, which was created by a former British spy, be released.

He was later criticised after one compared them to Nazi Germany.

After that blast, outgoing CIA Director John Brennan fired back, saying Mr 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."

Whether Mr Pompeo's position will be confirmed by the time of the visit remains unclear.

The Senates Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer said that "there are a good number of members" who want to make statements about Mr Pompeo or ask him questions. Ge predicted a vote on Monday if it did not take place Friday.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has pushed aside accusations that he ran a foreclosure machine in the midst of the financial crisis.

The former Goldman Sachs bank told the Senate Finance Committee in his opening statement that claims from the press that he ran a foreclosure machine during his tenure at OneWest Bank were untrue.

On the contrary, I was committed to loan modifications intended to stop foreclosures. I ran a loan modification machine.

Mr Mnuchin headed OneWests subsidiary Financial Freedom, which specialised in reverse mortgages that are particularly popular among the elderly. Recipients of reverse mortgages can pay off their mortgages using their equity. The reverse mortgage process includes dire consequences for missing a payment, such as foreclosure. ProPublica reported back in December that Financial Freedom was responsible for nearly 40 per cent of all of the nations foreclosures from reverse mortgages despite issuing only 17 percent of the actual loans.

Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch defended Mr Mnuchin against the onslaught of criticism over the role he played in the housing mortgage crisis as head of OneWest.

As you can see, you are going to get questions like thiswhat was legal at the time is still being criticised, Mr Hatch said to Mr Mnuchin.

Mr Hatch criticised the use of what he said was provocative language against Mr Mnuchin, such as accusations that he profited from predatory lending.

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

The Utah senator bought up the Obama administrations National Loan Modification Programme, which a subsequent Inspector General Report found left borrowers in a worse financial state, with more outstanding principal, less equity, and a worse credit score.

Hours before Mr Mnuchin began testifying, the New York Times reported that he failed to disclose nearly $100 million of his assets on Senate Finance Committee financial disclosure documents.

Mr Mnuchin apologised for the omission and insisted it was a mistake. I think as you all can appreciate, filling out these government forms is quite complicated. Let me first say, any oversight, it was unintentional.

But Democrats seized on the issue as evidence of serious ethics challenges among Mr Trump's Cabinet nominees.

Never before has the Senate considered such an ethically challenged slate of nominees for key Cabinet positions, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

In the hearing, Democrats on the Senate panel challenged Mr Mnuchin's explanations, suggesting it was because he did not want to reveal his involvement in a business that could be used as an offshore tax haven. Mr Mnuchin said he had never used the Cayman Islands to avoid paying taxes.

After the hearing, Mr Hatch predicted to reporters that Mr Mnuchin will get confirmed and indicated he hoped to have a committee vote next week. But one Democrat, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, announced that he planned to vote against Mr Mnuchin.

Mr. Mnuchin's cozy ties to Wall Street raise serious red flags that demand serious answers, Mr Brown said.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, who established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, immediately pointed out that OneWests treatment of its borrowers wasnt exactly merciful

When Mnuchin makes mistakes on complicated paperwork, he asks for forgiveness. When his customers made mistakes, he took their homes, Ms Warren tweeted.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump has been sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

Mr Trump and his team will now embark on his avowed mission to undo many of the achievements of Barack Obama, including the monumental health care reform law, the Affordable Care Act.

The movement continues - the work begins! President Trump tweeted hours before the inauguration ceremony took place.

Mr Trump will enter the White House with the lowest favourability rating in four decades at 41.8 per cent  roughly half of Barack Obamas 2009 rating.

Hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of Washington DC to attend the inauguration ceremony, a number of whom were protesting the new President.

It is not unusual for activists to stage demonstrations during presidential inaugurations; however, the election of Mr Trump has been rife with contention and controversy.

At least one anti-Donald Trump protester smashed glass window frontage down the road from Capiol Hill (BBC)

Police try to remove demonstrators from attempting to block people entering a security checkpoint (AP)

Mr Trump, who lost the popular vote to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by nearly three million votes, is now tasked with leading a polarised country.

Despite this, the Presidents top advisor, Kellyanne Conway, assured that he would take the opportunity to issue a call for unity.

In the Inaugural Address, you will hear an uplifting, aspirational, visionary Donald Trump calling for us to take bold action fairly quickly, she told CBS News. Thats what businessmen do.

Mr Trumps election win caught many by surprise, as polls leading up to the final hours of Election Day indicated that former Secretary of State Clinton was the likely victor. And while she did secure a majority of individual votes, Mr Trump still earned a narrow majority in electoral votes.

Still, nothing was normal about the Presidents campaign, which continuously surpassed the expectations of analysts, politicians, and even the public.

The campaign seemed dead on arrival when Mr Trump descended from the escalator of the gilded Trump Tower in June 2015. He launched a racist tirade against Mexican immigrants.

When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best, he said. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing those problems with us.

Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

To prevent such people from entering the US, Mr Trump repeated his promise to build a wall along the 2,000 mile border between the US and Mexico  despite the area already being heavily militarised, with large walls already covering major metropolitan points in the region.

Mr Trump saw a drop in polls after he accused an Indiana-born federal judge, who happens to be Mexican-American, could not be impartial in presiding over the fraud lawsuit involving Trump University.

Ive had terrible rulings, Ive been treated very unfairly. Now, this judge is of Mexican heritage, he said of US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel. Im building a wall. Im building a wall.

Mr Trump stoked concerns of civil liberties advocates when he announced an apparent outright ban on Muslim immigration to the US.

Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys representatives can figure out what is going on, a statement on his campaign website still reads.

Despite the controversy of Mr Trumps unexpected rise, Barack Obama continuously reassured Americans that the peaceful transition of power was important to maintain to preserve democratic norms.

Theres a difference between the normal functioning of politics and certain issues where I think our core values may be at stake, he told reporters in his final press conference as President.

In his farewell letter to Americans, Mr Obama added that they have their work cut out for them, but that he would never be too far.

Ill be right there with you every step of the way, he said.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

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.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan. 20

By Demir Azizov Trend:

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and World Bank (WB) Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Cyril Muller discussed the priorities of bilateral cooperation, as well as key areas for the expansion of partnership and implementation of perspective projects, the Uzbekistan national news agency (UzA) reported.

According to the message, President Mirziyoyev has recently received Muller, who paid a working visit to Tashkent.

During the meeting, President Mirziyoyev stressed the dynamically developing cooperation between Uzbekistan and WB.

At present, the portfolio of bilateral cooperation includes 33 joint projects.

Muller stressed the importance of the measures recently taken in Uzbekistan to ensure the accelerated development of small business, a more favorable business sphere and investment climate in the country.

Muller will deliver a lecture at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy and meet with teachers and students in Tashkent.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Through the clear, cool morning, crowds of people began descending on the nations capital Friday to celebrate, protest or simply witness the inauguration of the most unconventional president-elect in modern American history, Donald John Trump.

At noon, the Republican real estate mogul will take the oath of office and become the 45th commander in chief of the United States, capping a campaign that galvanised millions of Americans who were eager to embrace a Washington outsider willing to say, or tweet, whatever is on his mind. Trump - who has never before held elected office - was jubilant Friday morning before attending a service at St. Johns Episcopal Church and sharing tea with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House.

But his inflammatory rhetoric has angered and offended millions of others, making the 70-year-old New Yorker the most unpopular incoming president in at least four decades. Friday, the stark national divide was already on full display as Trump supporters and detractors began coming face to face on the National Mall, around the White House and throughout downtown D.C.

After almost two hours of delays, the security gates at 7th and Independence Avenue opened to cheers from the restless crowd.

Trump! Trump! Trump! a number of them began to shout. Admiring the Capitol building on their way to inauguration, two teachers from Gainesville, Fla., were decked out in bright red coats, fuzzy red earmuffs and buttons with Trumps face.

One of them, 71-year-old Donna Lutz, said shed lost friends over her support for Trump.

For the first time in my life, I have not been able to have an opinion, she said. I was very passionate, so now I get to see that my passions were shared.

But her feelings certainly werent shared by everyone.

At John Marshall Parks checkpoint, Black Lives Matter protesters - chanting Shut it down - did just that. Five men chained themselves together, preventing anyone from passing and forcing police officers to redirect attendees to other entrances.

It feels great that we closed the checkpoint, said 28-year-old Aaron Goggans, one of the organisers. But we know this is just the beginning.

(Getty)

At the 10th and E streets in downtown Washington, protesters blocked the entrance to another checkpoint.

A group of women tied themselves together with purple yarn and sat on the ground to prevent people from passing through.

Hey, hey, ho, ho! Donald Trump has to go! the group of about 100 mostly young protesters. End white supremacy!

Armed with signs, brass instruments and life-size wooden crosses, the assembly danced, blew whistles and sang peacefully along with a small marching band.

The protest continued until a large group of inauguration attendees - many dressed in suits and dress clothes - tried to push through the human barricade. People starting falling to the ground and swearing until police officers helped create a lane for the attendees to pass through.

Throughout the city, other anti-Trump protests popped up.

At 14th and I streets NW, about 100 anti Trump marchers chanted, Whose streets? Our streets!

One man carried a bundle of American flags over his shoulder.

Its not enough to continue shouting into the echo chamber of social media, said Clara Mystif, 31, a writer from Florida. Were here to actually put our bodies on the line in support of our friends who are going to be targeted by this regime.

Still, just before 9 a.m., D.C. police reported several skirmishes at various checkpoints - including one that prompted officers to use pepper spray - but said no one had been arrested throughout the morning.

So far, so good, said interim D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham, adding visitors will see people with views that are different than yours. We are used to that. When it comes to breaking the law, thats something we do not tolerate.

Law enforcement is prepared to contend with more than 60 demonstration groups that plan to gather in the District, including DisruptJ20, which expects at least 30,000 participants. The activists website promised a series of massive direct actions that will shut down the Inauguration ceremonies and any related celebrations.

To do that, however, theyll have to overcome a security plan thats taken months of planning and millions of dollars to execute. Among the obstacles facing any would-be agitators: Checkpoints, roadblocks, truck-barricaded streets, hundreds of Jersey barriers, miles of fencing and 28,000 security officials deployed across 100 square blocks in the heart of Washington.

On Thursday night, hundreds of protesters clashed with law enforcement outside the National Press Club, where a thousand Trump supporters- including a number of infamous online trolls who campaigned for the new president - had gathered for the DeploraBall. In the street, demonstrators waved signs, chanted, shouted obscenities and set fires. One man who appeared to be a Trump supporter was struck in the head and left bleeding before police escorted him to safety. Several times, officers directed a chemical spray into the crowd and one person was arrested and charged with conspiring to commit violence.

On Friday, protesters may be confronted by counter-demonstrators who have come to support their new president - most notably, Bikers for Trump, a group that served as a vigilante security force at the Republican National Convention and expects 5,000 members in Washington Friday.

The regions normally packed Washington-bound Metro trains were mostly empty early Friday. In a yellow line car headed south, two groups of four wearing Trump gear - beanies saying Trump Americas 45th president and American flag scarves - sat ebulliently at the end.

One bearded man in a North Face vest and sweatpants, clearly new to Metro, propped his feet on a divider and later asked if he could smoke his cigarette. He hopped off his seat to record a selfie video with his friends.

Its the best day in America, he beamed.

The man swivelled the camera to show the rest of the crowd.

Washington sucks, he bellowed, before turning the camera off.

I said Grab them by the py, 17 times yesterday, he joked later, referring to Trumps vulgar comments on the set of Access Hollywood in 2005. He casually repeated the phrase several times, until his female companion shushed him.

Todays a huge day, he said as the train approached their stop.

Yuuuuge! his friend responded.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, a number of elected officials shared messages of thanks for President Obamas eight years of service.

Despite Trumps reputation as a showman, the celebration in honuor of the former Apprentice star will likely be smaller than the one in 2009 for the nations first African American leader.

Trumps 3pm parade is expected to last just 90 minutes. Obamas took more than four hours. Trump is expected to appear at three official balls. Obama attended 10. Just 450 bus permits had been sought for Friday. About seven times that many  more than 3,000  registered eight years ago.

Though Trump suggested record numbers of people would attend Fridays festivities, at least one longstanding ball had to cancel due to a lack of interest, and others have struggled to sell tickets. Compared to past celebrations, far fewer notable celebrities and musicians are attending or performing, and a number of the citys great halls havent been rented.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

D.C.s Trump International Hotel, which the new president will pass during his parade, has frequently been targeted by protesters in recent months. An extra layer of high metal fencing appeared outside its front doors this week, and staff have carefully monitored everyone coming and going.

Washingtons lack of enthusiasm for Trumps arrival may be due in part to the adversarial relationship hes long had with the fiercely liberal capital, a place he described as a swamp that needs draining.

Just 4 percent of D.C.s residents voted for the man whos about to move into the citys most hallowed quarters: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Washington Post
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump has announced plans to develop a state of the art missile system to protect the US against attacks from Iran and North Korea.

Within minutes of becoming President, the Republican billionaire unveiled a policy to rebuild the American military by expanding the size of the armed forces.

Under a plan entitled Making our military strong again, President Trump said he would plough more money into the army, navy and air force.

He declared that American military dominance must be unquestioned and warned about the prospect of America's rivals leapfrogging the US on defence.

 US president Donald Trump vows to put America first

Included in the 350-word document - posted on the White House website  is a pledge to develop a state-of-the-art missile defense system to protect against missile-based attacks from states like Iran and North Korea.

But the statement is light on detail and does not say whether the system would be different from missile defences that are already under development, such as the Patriot system.

It also fails to detail how much it would cost or how it would be paid for.

Mr Trump has also vowed to make tackling cyber warfare a priority and to improve veteran care.

Hacking dominated the US election campaign and the days following 8 November, when allegations swirled that the Russian government had interfered in the vote.

And he said corrupt and incompetent officials working at the Department of Veterans Affairs would be sacked.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

In Donald Trumps first speech as President, he promised that power would be transferred from Washington DC to the people.

The man who is now in control of the nuclear codes spoke words which were similar to subjects of his campaign trail rallies: the corrupt power of central government, the inner cities, gangs, drugs and poverty.

"Everyone is listening to you now," he said, referring to Americans. "You came by the tens of millions to be part of an historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before."

Recommended Trump takes oath to become most powerful man in the world

He said the crucial conviction was that the nation "serves to exist its citizens".

"From this day forward, its going to be only America First, America First," he added.

In a 15-minute speech, he reiterated his promises of the past 18 months. He spoke of schools, ravaged inner cities and "rusted factories" and mentioned women and children living in poverty.

"These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public," he said. "But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists."

"America will start winning again, like never before."

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

He continued his speech with short sentences, directly addressing the voter base that secured his election.

In the crowd just behind him stood former President Barack Obama and his family, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, as well as his Republican colleagues.

"The people have borne the cost. Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians proper but the jobs left and the factories closed," said Mr Trump.

"The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs, and while they celebrated in the nations capital, there was little to celebrate all across our land.

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

"That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment and it belongs to you.

"This is your day, this is your celebration. and this, the United States of America, is your country."

He said he would bring back Americas jobs, its borders and its dreams.

"The crimes, the drugs and the gangs - this stops right here and right now."

He also appealed to the crowds to avoid prejudice, and whatever anyone's skin colour, we all "bleed the same red blood" as "patriots".

Follow live updates from the inauguration here.

Read the speech in full below:

Fellow Americans and people of the world- thank you.

We the citizens of America have now joined a great national effort to rebuild our county and restore its promise for all our people.

Together we will determine the course of America for many years to come.

Together we will face challenges but we will get the job done.

Every year we gather on thee steps to carry out the peaceful transfer of power.

And we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent, thank you.

Todays ceremony has very special meaning as we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another- but transferring it from washingon dc and viving it back to you the people

For too long a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.

Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed.

The establishment protected itself but not the citizens of our country.

Their victories shave not been your victories, their trials have not been your trials. While they have celebrated there has been little to celebrate for you.

That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment and it belongs to you, to everyone gathered here today and everyone gathered across America today.

It is your state, your capital and this- the united states of America- is our county.

What truly matters is not what party controls our government but that this government is controlled by the people.

Today, January 20 2017 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now.

You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement- the likes of which the world has never been seen before.

At the centre of this movement is a crucial conviction- that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

These are just and reasonable commands- of a righteous people and a righteous public. But for too many of our citizens a different reality exists.

We have an education system flushed with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful citizens deprived of knowledge, and the knives and gangs which deprive people of too much potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

We are one nation and our pain is their pain, their dreams are our dreams, we share one nation, one home and one glorious destiny.

Today I take an oath of allegiance to all Americans. For many decades, we have subsidised the armies of other countries, while allowing the sad depletion of our own army.

And spent trillion and trillions of dollars overseas while Americas infrastructure has fallen into disarray, we have made other countries rich while the wealth strength in our country has dissipated over the horizon.

Shutters have closed on our factors without even a thought about the millions and millions of those who have been left behind.

But that is the past and now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, to be herd in every city in every capital- from this day on a new vision will govern our land- from this day onwards it is only going to be America first- America first!

Every decision will be made to benefit American workers and American families.

Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every bone in my boday and I will never ever let you down.

America will start winning again. America will start winning like never before.

We will bring back our jobs, we will bring back our borders, we will bring back our wealth, we will bring back our dreams.

We will bring new roads and high roads and bridges and tunnels and railways all across our wonderful nation.

We will get our people off welfare and back to work- rebuilding our country with American hands and American labour.

We will follow two simple rules- buy American and hire American.

We see good will with the nations of the world but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their nations first.

We will shine for everyone to follow.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones, and untie the world against radical Islamic terrorism which we will eradicate from the face of the earth.

At the bed rock of our politics will be an allegiance to the United States

And we will discover new allegiance to each other. There is no room for prejudice.

The bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when gods people live together in unity.

When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

There is no fear, we are protected and will always be protected we will be protected by the great men and women of our military and most importantly we will be protected by god

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. As Amercians, we know we live as a nation only when it is striving.

We will no longer accept politicians who are always complaining but never doing anything about it.

The time for empty talk is over, now arrives the time for action.

Do not allow anyone to tell you it cannot be done we will not fail, our country will thrive and prosper again, we stand at the birth for a new millennium to harvest the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

A new national pride will heal our divisions.

Whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of painfulness.

We all enjoy the same glorious dreams and we all salute the same great American flag and whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the plans of Nebraska, they look at the same night sky, and dream the same dreams, with the breath of the same almighty creator

So to all Americans near and far- from ocean to ocean near and far  you will never be ignored again.

Your voice, your hopes and dreams will define your American destiny.

Your courage, goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together we will make America strong again, we will make America wealthy again, we will make America safe again and yes- together we will make America great again.

Thank you, god bless America- god bless America.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump will be officially sworn in as President of the United States today, having gained nearly three million fewer votes than his opponent.

The margin of 2.86 million ballots was the biggest popular vote disparity in US history for a candidate who has gone on to become President, significantly greater than the 544,000-vote gap between George W Bush and Al Gore in 2000.

Hillary Clinton's final tally was just 72,000 shy of Barack Obama's winning margin in the 2012 election, when he beat Mitt Romney.

The Republican won the Electoral College after victory in swing states such as Florida, Ohio and North Carolina, in addition to surprise wins in previously Democrat-held states including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Mr Trump will take the oath on Abraham 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.

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

The President-elect will also use his own Bible, which his mother gave him when he graduated Sunday school in 1955.

Mr Trump's Bible has his name embossed on the cover with a message inscribed from church leaders.

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 that belonged to Ronald Reagan by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the first African-American person to administer the oath to a Vice President or President.
Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trumps first post on the White House website suggests destroying the USs strategy to tackle climate change.

After President Trump took over the site, he posted six Issues to its home page. The first of those is an America First Energy Plan.

The first proposal in that document suggests getting rid of burdensome regulations on our energy industry. Those include getting rid of harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the US rule.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

President Trump doesnt suggest a replacement for any of those regulations, and goes on to suggest that getting rid of them will save money and keep America secure.

The Climate Action Plan was landmark legislation introduced by Barack Obama in June 2013. It served as a national plan for tackling climate change, according to the government.

The key parts of the plan were divided into three sections. Those outlined plans to cut carbon pollution in the US, actions to get the country ready for the effects of climate change, and plans for how to lead international efforts to address global warming.

No part of the Mr Trumps environmental document makes any mention of climate change or global warming  something that President Trump has in the past said was just a Chinese hoax. The only mention of the environment calls for responsible stewardship of the environment, but that refers only to keeping water and air clean.

Lastly, our need for energy must go hand-in-hand with responsible stewardship of the environment, the document reads. Protecting clean air and clean water, conserving our natural habitats, and preserving our natural reserves and resources will remain a high priority.

It also says that Donald Trump will focus the Environmental Protection Agency onto protecting our air and water, and presumably away from climate policies.

 Trump takes oath to become 45th President

President Trump says that his environmental policies will join up with his economic ones, by encouraging more spending in the US economy. The document says that he will encourage the burning of coal, and the use of shale oil and gas in the US.

By doing so, he will be able to use the revenues to pay for the rebuilding of roads, schools, bridges and public infrastructure that he promised to his voters. It will also help stimulate the agriculture industry, he claimed.

 Seven ways Barack Obama has made Donald Trump's life more difficult

That will also allow the US to achieve energy independence from the OPEC alliance of oil producing countries. But President Trump says he will continue to work with countries in the Gulf  many of which are in OPEC  to develop a positive energy relationship as part of our anti-terrorism strategy.

The document also calls for a new focus on coal and a revival of the country's coal industry. President Trump has claimed that he will do that by backing "clean coal"  but it's not clear that such a thing would actually be possible and whether such thing as clean coal could actually exist.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman - one of the most most notorious narcotics kingpins - has been extradited to the United States.

According to a statement by the Mexican Foreign Ministry, authorities handed over the head of the Sinaloa cartel on the eve of Fridays inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Guzman and other cartel leaders were indicted in 2009 in US District Court in Brooklyn, New York, on charges of conspiring to import more than 264,000 pounds of cocaine into the United States between 1990 and 2005, CNN said.

 Mexican judge who heard El Chapo's appeal killed while out jogging

The alleged traffickers are accused of sharing drug transportation routes and obtaining their drugs from various Colombian drug organisations.

Guzman also faces charges in Arizona, California, Texas, Illinois, New York, Florida and New Hampshire.

The Associated Press said that two US officials confirmed that the convicted man had been handed over to American custody.

One official said the US Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, and a plane carrying him departed for New York at 5.31pm Eastern time.

The convicted Sinaloa cartel boss has been held most recently in a prison near Ciudad Juarez. He was recaptured a year ago after escaping from a second maximum-security prison through a tunnel dug to his cell. He had fought extradition since then.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

On 17 December, 2015, Donald Trump proposed a complete ban on all Muslims from entering the United States, sparking outrage and fear in communities across the country. In the summer of 2016, he then promoted the idea of creating a database to track Muslim Americans that was eventually condemned by hundreds of Silicon Valley employees who pledged to never help create such a registry. Now, after winning the presidential election thanks to the support of 58 percent of all white voters, the former real estate mogul will be sworn into office as the nations 45th president. In the days ahead of the inauguration, The Independent asked emerging voices to weigh in on the following three questions:

What does a Trump presidency mean to you?

What does America look like from here on out?

How do you plan on resisting?

Amani Al-Khatahtbeh

Founder of MuslimGirl.com

The Trump presidency to me is an affirmation of everything thats wrong with our country's past when it comes to race and understanding. Trump was elected to the highest office based on one of the most divisive and offensive presidential campaigns in recent memory, largely inflaming economic anxiety by scapegoating minorities and throwing them under the bus. As a Muslim woman who was a child when 9/11 happened and grew up during the height of Islamophobia, I never imagined that my fellow countrymen would openly discuss a Muslim registry as an actual policy platform. When he started talking about a ban on Muslim immigration a year ago, it already became scarier for Muslim women to step out of their homes with a headscarf.

Now, I fear what this national stamp of approval on anti-Muslim bigotry will mean for my Muslim sisters and now Muslim children that might have to endure an even worse experience than I did growing up. Even before the elections, I knew minority communities would have to bear the burden of repairing the damage of this campaign cycle for years to come. With Trump as president, there's an even more stark reality staring us in the face for the fight that lies ahead. We don't plan on quieting down anytime soon.

Faatimah Knight

Religious Editor at Sapelo Square

I am not afraid of Trump. He, more than any candidate for public office I have ever seen showed the fragility of the human being. He was constantly wrong, uneducated, uncompassionate, misdirected and willfully ignorant. These are all the aspects of humanity that are flawed, limited and deficient. There is something about Trump that is strikingly evanescent. At the same time, a mosquito bite still stings even though the mosquito dies shortly after. I'm sure that some well-meaning people voted for him, but there were others who were attracted to his hateful rhetoric in particular. It makes one wonder, sadly, about the racist next door.

I never thought that America had resolved its race problem, but I never wanted to have to see it this intensely, festering and crusting over as I saw this past year. It worries me  those who fan the flames of racism because this country has a history. There is something serpentine that works to capitalise off of people's ignorance, and that cannot be ignored. Trump is the kind of person who even though they don't deserve to be spoken to nicely, you still must bargain with them because they are holding a bomb. So the challenge for my community will be navigating this presidency with determinedness and grace. Choosing to be strategic instead of reactionary because we recognise the delicateness of the situation we face. That will be difficult, and sometimes we might slip, but we are doing it for ourselves and for what we deserve, not for him.

Sarah Harvard

Reporter at Mic

The uncertainty of a Trump presidency is what frightens me the most. As a journalist, who happens to be Muslim-American, I'm afraid about what is yet to come for the fourth estate. Without press freedoms, an administration with fascist ideals will go unchecked. Furthermore, Trump's crusade against the press will only increase the harassment and violence targeted towards journalists from white nationalist and alt-right extremists.

As a Muslim-American, I've never been more afraid for my civil liberties and safety in the United States. While historically, Muslims in traditional dress are physically attacked in the US, Trump's plans for heightened surveillance and a Muslim database will impact the entire Muslim community and its allies. When our homes are under surveillance, we're robbed of the very last place we can feel safe and secure. Without our privacy rights and civil liberties, we're prisoners to our own home.

I plan on resisting in the only way I know how and can do well: by elevating the voices of marginalised communities and holding those in power accountable. Now is the time for adversarial journalism. More than ever, journalists have to come together and push back against any of Trump's attempts to silence or punish the press. I hope other members of the press join me in these efforts.

The Trump administration is showing the same sort of short term interest in the financial well-being of lobbies and special interests at the costs of Americas long term economic viability. Increasingly, voters are concerned with this issue and with issues like special interests influence over elections ahead of many other issues. What I fear, as a Muslim and as an American, is that my life in America, in the economy, and in the nation with economic and military primacy will be worse than my parents life and that is already appearing to be the case as we look at the appointments and political maneuvers.

Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban Show all 11 1 /11 Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty Activists protest Donald Trump's proposed Muslim ban People listen to speakers at a demonstration against racism and conservative presidential candidate Donald Trump's recent remarks concerning Muslims on December 10, 2015 in New York City. Dozens or demonstrators and activists converged at Columbus Circle to denounce the politics of Trump and the treatment of Muslim refugees both in America and Europe. Spencer Platt/Getty

Nadeem Mazen

City Councillor in Cambridge in Massachusetts

The most important thing in our lives as Americans are our economic futures, the other aspect that we look at solely within the Muslim community is this vendetta against Muslim civic organising and Muslim legal defense  this idea that Muslims have to be attacked by Breitbart, be taken apart by legislation, and that very clever manoeuvres are being introduced almost inconsequential seeming maneuvers.

Im not so worried about certain aspects of Trumps promises and agenda on the campaign trail, what Im really worried about is the longstanding mission to demonise the other which is very much in full swing. And the press is more interested in Trumps incendiary statements than the actual process of rolling back anti-American sentiments. Its anti-American to ruin someones religious and spiritual life. Its anti-American to target organisations of a certain religious affiliation.

One of the most important things we can do is educate journalists on their role. The role of journalists is not to place the clickbait headline. Trump is willing to be dishonest and escalate the statements to continue to garner the highest level of attention and dissemination. This has emboldened and has supported his candidacy and ultimately his election in a way that has taken our journalistic assets from us. Journalism is a truth seeking process that must be reclaimed.



Imraan Siddiqi

Executive Director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations

Looking forward at the next four years, I definitely view it as being the greatest challenge I have faced as an American Muslim and activist and as a leader in my community. Even though anti-Muslim sentiment has been a reality for decades, especially post-9/11  there has never been a more open and blatant attempt to marginalise us, as well as many other minority groups by an incoming President. More concerning than Trump's overarching rhetoric, are the actual people he's bringing in to staff his cabinet. Many of whom are closely aligned with Islamophobic hate groups in America, and are seeking to curb the civil liberties of our community.

This is not a time to sit back and stick ones head in the sand. This is a time to build strong alliances with other marginalised communities and educate the public on how we will be affected. Right now, we have a few different projects in the works in collaboration with minority communities and within the interfaith community as well, to stand together in the face of hate. Through this collaboration, our collective voices will be much stronger in the fight against hate and bigotry.

Blair Imani

Founder of Equality for HER

For me, a Trump presidency means sustained violence against our most vulnerable communities. In light of his continued disregard for our most cherished institutions and civil rights leaders, I am reminded that a Trump presidency also means a war of ideologies and narratives in addition to his plans to dismantle our public safety nets. Trump's presidency means that resistance and staying woke are no longer optional.

I'm going to be sharing my knowledge of grassroots organising and protest at every opportunity that presents itself. I will remember that we are all siblings on this earth and that we are stronger when we are united. I will continue to resist Trump's narrative despite its increasing prevalence. Finally, I will be editing the Resistance Manual which was created by Sam Sinyangwe and the entire Campaign Zero team.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The strong, sweet, distinctive smell was wafting its way across Dupont Circle.

It had to be one of the most colourful protests taking place on Donald Trumps inauguration day  an appeal to the incoming president to federally legalise marijuana, both for medical and recreational use.

The form of the protest? Quite simple. Make use of Washigton DCs liberal laws on medical marijuana and hand out free joints to people over the age of 21.

We are here as a sign of protest. We think it should be legal at a federal level, said Andrea Ovelle, one of the volunteers.

DCMJ, a Washington.-based group which focuses on marijuana laws and equal rights for DC cannabis users, growers, and their families, organised the event with the mission to build awareness on marijuana reform in the wake of the forthcoming Trump administration.

After meeting at Dupont Circle, the plan was to head of the National Mall to light up at precisely four minutes and twenty seconds into Mr Trumps inaugural address, a time chosen to symbolise April 20  or 4/20 on American calendars  which is dubbed National Weed Day, and is celebrated by many across the United States.

 Lessons in eloquence with Obama and Trump

The line of people queueing up for a spliff spread along Masschussetts Avenue, crossed over 20th Street and headed to 21st Street. A lot of people were either keen to make a political point, get a free smoke, or do both.

I smoke every day, said Julia Harris, who was toking liberally on fat spliff. I have a lot of medical problems, and this helps my nausea.

Brandon Marquis said smoking helped him to sleep, and sharpened his appetite. Whether that qualified as medical use was unclear. But he had a strong message for Mr Trump.

We have to keep our laws safe. We need to keep it as it, he said.

Many pointed out that Barack Obama had failed on a vow to legalise marijuana at a federal level. They also said that countless thousands of Americans  a disproportionate number of them people of colour  were serving prison terms for minor drug offences.

Many said that the business-minded Mr Trump, might understand both the commercial and medical attractions of making it legal.

We should legalise for everyone, said Ms Ovelle. There are too many people in jail.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Robert De Niro and Michael Moore led dozens of celebrities in an anti-Trump protest in New York on the eve of the inauguration.

The pair were among the A-listers who joined thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the President-elects Trump International Hotel and Tower in the heart of his home town.

Mr De Niro thanked his overrated friends for coming in, a sarcastic reference to Mr Trumps comments about Meryl Streep after she criticised him during a recent awards ceremony.

 Robert De Niro wants to punch Donald Trump in the face

The film star proceeded to read out some messages Mr Trump could potentially live-tweet from his swearing-in ceremony tonight.

He suggested one tweet might be: "De Niros career is a disasterhe should give back his Oscars. Voting was rigged. Theres only one true raging bull and that is Vladimir Putin.

And he called the billionaire businessman a bad example of the country, of this city.

The actor told the crowd: The President-elect said our country was a dumping ground for the world. Really? These huddles masses yearning to breathe free built our country and the lifeblood of our strong, diverse beautiful New York City.

They gave us the strength to prosper in the mid-seventies when the Government told us to drop dead. They gave us the strength to recover from the tragedy of 9/11.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

Alec Baldwin, Cher, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei, Sally Field and Nathalie Merchant also attended the We Stand United rally, organised by Greenpeace and MoveOn.

Other big names who appeared included New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and actors Rosie Perez, Mark Ruffalo and Alec Baldwin  who delighted the crowd with his impression of Mr Trump.

On a more sombre note, film-maker Mr Moore warned the crowd: Were at a very dangerous moment in history. As bad as you think its going to be, its going to be worse.

With a lot of work on our part, we will stop this man, the film-maker said. He will not last four years.

Mr Moore called for 100 days of protest against sociopath Mr Trump as he starts his presidency.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, called on Americans across the country to "rise up" and make their objections to the incoming administration heard.

He said: Donald Trump always liked to say he built a movement, well now it's time for us to build our movement and that starts tonight, and it's all over the country, tonight, tomorrow and in the days to come.

He urged the crowd to fight to preserve Obamacare, measures taken to protect the environment and LGBT rights gained under the outgoing President.

"Look at the thousands here tonight and that is only the beginning," he added.

A poll released by Quinnipiac University said 46 per cent of New York voters want to Mayor to try to get along with the President-elect - but 45 per cent believe he should be a national leader against Trump's policies.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump mimicked Barack Obama as he left the White House to be inaugurated 45th president of the United States.

Walking side-by-side, the pair greeted senior Democrats and Republicans and journalists before they made their way to Capitol Hill.

The outgoing President waved and said clearly to the cameras: Hello everybody.

Mr Trump followed Mr Obama by repeating the same phrase.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (Getty Images)

Follow live updates from in inauguration here.

The exchange sparked a reaction on Twitter, with one person joking: If we're lucky, he'll just do that for 4 years.

Another wrote: Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Minutes later, Mr Trump gave a thumbs-up, pumped his fist and mouthed "thank you" as he walked to his seat on the steps of the Capitol, next to incoming Vice President Mike Pence.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Mr Trump and his wife Melania were greeted at the White House by President Obama and Michelle Obama for the traditional private meeting of outgoing and incoming presidents and their spouses.

Posing for photos on the North Portico, the couples exchanged hugs.

Recommended Trump takes oath to become most powerful man in the world

After taking the oath, Mr Trump will go to a celebratory lunch with lawmakers and parade up Pennsylvania Avenue, passing his newly opened Washington hotel.

Meanwhile, workers at the White House will begin to move out the Obamas and prepare for its new occupants.

Moving trucks were on standby on Friday morning at the White House.

Mr Obama will continue to live in Washington but will first go to California with his family for a holiday in Palm Springs.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan. 20

By Demir Azizov Trend:

Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov received Peter Burian, EU special representative for Central Asia, the press service of the Uzbek Foreign Ministry reported.

The sides discussed topical issues of the bilateral agenda as the continuation of the dialogue held Dec. 9, 2016 within the framework of their participation in the session of the 23rd OSCE Ministerial Council, according to the press service.

The parties held substantive discussion on the further development of relations between Uzbekistan and the EU in political, trade-economic, cultural-humanitarian and other spheres, as well as the implementation of the EU Strategy for a New Partnership with Central Asia and the prospects for improving its effectiveness.

During the meeting the sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues.

The head of the EU Delegation to Uzbekistan, Ambassador Eduards Stiprais attended the conversation.

Uzbekistan and the EU signed the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in 1996. Diplomatic representation of the EU in Uzbekistan was opened in 2012.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

While about 800,000 people are expected to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump, at least 200,000 women will be marching on the streets of Washington DC, standing up for their rights and freedoms.

While 53 per cent of white women voters picked Mr Trump to be President, 94 per cent of black women and 68 per cent of Latina women voters chose Hillary Clinton.

The march is not directly anti-Trump, but it will give women a chance to make their voices heard and to potentially feel empowered by participating in the ground swell opposition.

The date of the march is also no coincidence. As the 45th President enters the White House, it is also the anniversary of the Supreme Courts Citizen United decision, a reminder of what activists describe as the need to remedy this disastrous decision and fix the broken campaign finance system.

Recommended Donald Trump sexual assault accusers and their lawyers plan to march

Womens groups, activists, artists, and many other women besides are expected to attend in what is likely to become the largest global movement since the opposition to the Iraq War more than a decade ago.

The mass crowd includes some of the women who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault, including former Apprentice candidate Summer Zervos, her lawyer Gloria Allred, and Ms Allreds daughter and lawyer Lisa Bloom.

On a train to DC filled with people going to the Womens March because we are a nation that believes in womens rights and is fired up! wrote Ms Bloom.

Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in the San Francisco Bay Area, will give a speech at the march, on behalf of the 3.3 million American Muslims and Muslim women around the world, many of whom feel fear and suffer discrimination due to an extreme minority of radical jihadis carrying out terrorist attacks.

Laura Friedenbach, press secretary of democratic activist group Every Voice  an official sponsor of the march  told The Independent that she was looking forward to a positive and uplifting atmosphere, and to see all the people who are willing to stand up for their values.

Im marching because I want to show those out there who are genuinely afraid of whats to come in the next four years that they are not alone in their fight  particularly for women, immigrants, people of colour, religious minorities, and others who may face the most direct threats from the incoming Trump administration, she said.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

Michele Dauber, the Stanford law professor who spearheads the movement to oust Judge Persky  the man who sentenced the Stanford swimmer to just six months for sexual assault  is marching in San Francisco.

She told The Independent that she was marching because she was outraged that someone who confessed to alleged sexual assault  the leaked 2005 Access Hollywood tape in which Mr Trump boasted about grabbing womens genitals  has been elected President.

I think that both shows how far we have to go in addressing rape culture and how dangerous this man is to women's rights, she said.

The idea that I live in a country that rejected the most qualified woman in history for the human embodiment of rape culture is so alienating and upsetting that I feel like a stranger in my country. Im really glad I live in California where we didnt elect him, or I dont know how I would get through the day.

She added that she was suffering from loss of sleep and panic attacks when she read and thought about Mr Trumps plans in office, and how women, LGBT people and minorities would be impacted.

Travelling to the march has been act of organisation in itself. Women said they had booked entire train carriages as early as the day after the election to make sure they could travel to Washington DC and bring their families and friends with them.

One woman preparing for a large group of family and friends to descend on her house was Shelley Broderick, the dean of the law school at the University of the District of Columbia and the longest-serving woman Dean in the US. When she spoke to The Independent, she was in her kitchen making large vats of soup for the marchers.

She said she was deeply depressed about the risk to womens rights: the threat of rolling back Roe V Wade, the 1973 law that guarantees a woman the right to an abortion at certain stages of her pregnancy, and the rolling back of Obamacare.

Planned Parenthood, the national family planning clinic that is fighting not to be defunded when the administration repeals the Affordable Care Act  although federal funding is already prohibited from being used for abortions  will be present.

I hope and believe that President Trump will come to understand that the legal process we have in place will not allow some of the changes that he has claimed he can bring about, said Ms Broderick.

Its just not as easy as he seems to think. I also hope that as he gets into the job and receives good counsel that he will modify some of the changes.

Many women spoke with uncertainty of the security of the march.

At a time when the country is so divided and protesters have a recent history of violent clashes with the police, some marchers said they were fearful about being targeted.

But Ms Broderick was not going to be put off.

We cant live in a bubble. Weve got to get out. Theres always chance of violence, but we must have our voices heard, she said.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Ivanka Trump had to seek special permission to travel back from her fathers presidential inauguration because of strict laws governing activity on the Jewish Sabbath.

Orthodox Judaism prohibits the use of a motor vehicle on Friday evenings and on the Saturday celebration day.

So the President-elects daughter had to get permission from a rabbi to travel home from Mr Trumps big day at the White House in a car.

Marc Zell, the chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel and an outspoken supporter Mr Trump, said Ms Trump had received rabbinic permission.

The Israeli-American lawyer told the Kol Barama radio station, in Israel, that the 35-year-old mother-of-three is being permitted to travel back by car to protect her and husband Jared Kushners safety.

Jews using a car while working as a surgeon or soldier are usually given the same permission, under the rule of pikuach nefesh, or protection of life, which overrides other commandments in the Torah.

Businesswoman Ms Trump converted to Orthodox Judaism in July 2009, and took the Hebrew name Yael, shortly before her wedding.

Marc Zell pictured at a Republicans Overseas Israel demonstration in Modiin, Israel, in August 2016 Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty (Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty)

We observe the Sabbath, Ms Trump told Vogue magazine in 2015, adding that the weekly religious ritual was also another excuse to cook.

From Friday to Saturday we dont do anything but hang out with one another," she said. "We dont make phone calls. Its an amazing thing when youre so connected. To really sign off."

She added that it allowed her daughter Arabella to "know that she has me, undivided, one day a week."

She said: We dont do anything except play with each other, hang out with one another, go on walks together. Pure family.

Orthodox Judaism usually prohibits all motor vehicle use, including travel to and from synagogues, on the Sabbath. Conservative Judaism is slightly more lax, while Reform Jews continue to drive on the Sabbath.

The inauguration consists of a wreath-laying ceremony and concert today, the swearing-in ceremony at 11.30am (4.30pm GMT) tomorrow, followed by a parade at 3pm (8pm GMT).
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The former Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan tweeted we did it during Donald Trumps inauguration.

David Duke, who served one term as the Louisiana State Representative, also hailed Mr Trump and praised him for declaring war on the Jewish establishment.

Mr Duke, who once led the neo-Nazi white-supremacist organisation, had endorsed Mr Trump from the start of the presidential campaign.

He had previously said Mr Trumps presidency would be a real opportunity for white nationalists.

If Trump does win, okay, its going to be a real opportunity for people like white nationalists, acting intelligently to build upon that, Mr Duke said.

During the presidential campaign, Mr Trump hesitantly denounced Mr Duke and the KKK.

He described Mr Duke as a "bad person".

In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump President-elect Donald Trump acknowledges guests as he arrives on the platform at the US Capitol in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Melania Trump looks on during the 58th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington AP In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump President Donald Trump shakes hands with Justice John Roberts after taking the oath at inauguration ceremonies swearing in Trump as the 45th president of the United States Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump President Donald Trump raises his fists after his inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Getty In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump U.S. President-elect Donald Trump greets outgoing President Barack Obama before Trump is inaugurated during ceremonies on the Capitol in Washington Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump resident-elect Donald Trump arrives on the platform of the US Capitol in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Attendees partake in the inauguration ceremonies to swear in Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States at the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump US President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address during ceremonies at the US Capitol in Washington DC Getty In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump waves with wife Melania during the Inaugural Parade in Washington DC Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Protesters registered their rage against the new president Friday in a chaotic confrontation with police who used pepper spray and stun grenades in a melee just blocks from Donald Trump's inaugural parade route. Scores were arrested for trashing property and attacking officers AP In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Demonstrators protest against US President Donald Trump in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump A woman holds a sign before the start of the Presidential Inauguration of Donald Trump at Freedom Plaza in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Anti-Trump protesters prepare banners for a protest against the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, in Berlin REUTERS In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Demonstrators shout slogans against US President-elect Donald Trump in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Demonstrators march, block foot traffic and clash with U.S. Capitol Police at the entry checkpoints for the Inauguration of Donald Trump Alamy Live News In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Demonstrators display a banner as people arrive for US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump A man displays a placard as people lineup to get into the National Mall for the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump in Washington DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Protesters demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump raise their hands as they are surrounded by police on the sidelines of the inauguration in Washington DC Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump A demonstrator wearing a mask depicting Donald Trump protests outside the US Embassy in London Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Demonstrators hold placards as they protest outside the US Embassy in London Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Former US President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush arrive for the Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol Rex In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden share an umbrella as President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address at the inauguration in Washington DC Rex In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton arrive on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump U.S. Vice President Mike Pence takes the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC Getty Images In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Advisors to President-elect Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conway and Steve Bannon depart from services at St. John's Church during the Presidential Inauguration in Washington Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Protesters demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump take cover as they are hit by pepper spray by police on the sidelines of the inauguration in Washington DC Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump An activist demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump is helped after being hit by pepper spray on the sidelines of the inauguration in Washington DC Reuters In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump A police officer tries to tackle a protester demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump Reuters/Adrees Latif In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump Police arrest and detain a protester in the street in Washington DC Rex In pictures: Protests, pomp and Donald Trump A police officer falls to the ground as another shoots pepper spray at protesters demonstrating against U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the inauguration in Washington DC Reuters

As Mr Trump was sworn in as US President masked protestors clashed with police.

Officials responded with tear gas, water cannons, pepper spray and stun grenades to control the demonstrations.

In his first speech as President, Mr Trump said power would be transferred from Washington to the people.

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, Mr Trump said.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Mexico's president, Enrique Pena Nieto, congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration Friday and promised Mexicans that he would protect them as he seeks a respectful dialogue with the Trump administration.

The president said on Twitter that he will seek relations that will be beneficial for Mexican citizens.

.

While campaigning, Mr Trump angered Mexican citizens by characterizing them as rapists and murderers while promising to build a wall along the southern border of the United States. He also promised Americans that Mexico would pay for the structure, a claim that President Nieto has said would never happen.

"At the start of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall," he tweeted back in November.

President Trump protests Show all 20 1 /20 President Trump protests President Trump protests Patrons hold a sign as people march by while protesting the election of Republican Donald Trump as the president of the United States in downtown Los Angeles, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators rally following the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators march following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests Thousands of protesters rallied across the United States expressing shock and anger over Donald Trump's election, vowing to oppose divisive views they say helped the Republican billionaire win the presidency AFP/Getty Images President Trump protests Demonstrators protest outside the Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois Getty President Trump protests A police officer aims a launcher after demonstrators threw projectiles toward a line of officers during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests An officer examines a vandalized police vehicle as demonstrators riot in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators take over the Hollywood 101 Freeway just north of Los Angeles City Hall in protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests A woman holds up a sign reading 'Trump you are an Idiot' as demonstrators gather during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump outside the City Hall building in Los Angeles, California EPA President Trump protests A masked demonstrator gestures toward a police line during a demonstration in Oakland, California Reuters President Trump protests Demonstrators protest against the election of Republican Donald Trump as President of the United States, near the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada Reuters President Trump protests Musician Lagy Gaga stages a protest against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on a sanitation truck outside Trump Tower in New York City Getty President Trump protests A woman yells as she takes part in a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A man dressed in red-white-and-blue sits on the curb during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests A protester sets off fireworks during a protest against President-elect Donald Trumpin Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood AP President Trump protests University of California, Davis students protest on campus in Davis, California, U.S. following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States Reuters President Trump protests An Oakland police officer checks out damage after a window was broken by protesters at a car dealership in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests A protester faces a police line in downtown Oakland, Calif AP President Trump protests President-elect Donald Trumpis victory set off multiple protests AP President Trump protests A fire burns during protests in Oakland, Calif AP



President Trump's top aides will meet with senior Mexican officials next week in Washington DC to discuss bilateral relations including security, trade, migration, according to a statement from the Mexican government.

President Nieto currently has an approval rating of 12 per cent, the lowest for any Mexican official in the modern polling era, according to the Mexico City-based newspaper Reforma. He was highly criticized for meeting with the Trump campaign last September and surging gasoline prices over the years
Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Just a few hundred yards away from the White House, Nigel Farage heaped praised on Donald Trump at his own inauguration bash in Washington.

The former Ukip leader, who has forged a blossoming friendship with the President-elect in recent months, threw an extravagant 400-guest party on the top floor of the Hay-Adams hotel on Thursday night.

Taking to his glass podium, Mr Farage said Brexit was great but the Republican billionaires victory was "Brexit plus plus". He declared he had met his match and Mr Trump is the only person he has ever met who makes him feel like an introvert.

Brexit was great but Trump becoming president of the USA is Brexit plus plus plus, Mr Farage said.

He was right when he called it a movement but a movement cant exist, a movement cant flourish without a leader and Trump is the only person Ive ever met in my life who makes me feel like an introvert. He is a larger than life personality. When he was given the rule book for how you run for president he tore it up.

The party, which was at one of Washingtons most expensive and prestigious hotels, was attended by HBO bosses, eurosceptic peer, Lord Michael Ashcroft, former No 10 strategist to David Cameron, Steve Hilton, Tory MP, Nigel Evans, and Mississippi governor, Phil Bryant, who is an ally of Mr Trump.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

But Mr Farage did not throw the party alone, he had the help of his key Brexit allies, millionaire Ukip donor, Arron Banks, and Leave.EU communications director, Andy Wigmore. The group are reported to have talked about turning the Brexit campaign into a big-budget drama with HBO executives at the event. Banks has already published a book titled The Bad Boys of Brexit: Tales of Mischief, Mayhem & Guerrilla Warfare in the EU Referendum Campaign.

Guests toasted the unlikely victories of Mr Trump and Brexit, with violinists and cellists playing "Sweet Home Alabama" in the background. They also relished in sharing photos of the views from the hotel on Twitter.

Since the President-elects victory, Mr Farage has taken a leading role in building the special relationship between the US and the UK, disrupting diplomatic protocol. He was the first foreign politician to meet Mr Trump in person and has met with him on a number of occasions since, having both attended a heroes and villains costume party in New York in early December.

Mr Trump has also said he thinks Mr Farage would make a great US ambassador. The Government of course dismissed the suggestion Mr Farage should take on one of the most high-profile roles in British diplomacy, with a Downing Street spokesman saying: There is no vacancy. We have an excellent ambassador to the US.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Ukip MEP Nigel Farage has claimed incoming US President Donald Trump will sign a trade deal with the UK in 90 days.

Mr Farage said Trumps team was offering Britain a great gift, which could be used for negotiating with the European Union.

The claim means negotiations between the US and UK would begin before the UK has triggered article 50  the formal process by which it will begin to exit the EU.

Such a move is prohibited under EU legislation. Formal negotiations can only commence once the UK is no longer an EU member, and the earliest the UK is expected to leave the bloc is 2019  at least 700 days away.

But Mr Farage explicitly said Mr Trumps team had told him it could be done in just three months.

He said: What I saw with the Trump team were people who came from the private sector, not the public sector, where time is money.

They said, do you know what? We could get this done and dusted in 90 days.

 Trump administration wants UK trade deal within 90 days, says Farage

He added: This administration has a can-do attitude, of people who are not public sector, theyre not 9-5, they are people who are going to work 24/7 to get things done.

The Trump presidency, his incoming administration, is offering our country a gift. A great gift  not just for business, not just for trade, not just for investment  but actually to strengthen our hand in negotiating with the European Union.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said the UK would abide by EU rules regarding the negotiations for a deal.

When she visits the States she can have an early discussion, but we will abide by our obligations with the EU, the spokesman said.

While the opportunity for a rapid trade deal with the US is a tantalising prospect for those wishing to see a swift end to European influence over Britain, a rushed deal could be disastrous for the UK and hand the nation as much political influence over Britain as the EU currently has, albeit without the high standards the EU demands.

A hasty US-UK deal could mean a raft of compromises for Britain, involving a diverse array of industries and rules, from food and farming through to drug production and environmental legislation.

For example, in the UK, standards and regulations in the food industry are tightly controlled. But a free trade deal allowing US food into the UK market would seriously undermine those standards and would throw UK farmers into direct competition with American producers.

Likewise, an amalgamation of UK and US drug markets could mean the current low prices for pharmaceuticals in Britain could come to an end.

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

In the US, drugs are prohibitively expensive and intellectual property rights more burdensome  preventing unbranded alternatives from being made more cheaply. If the NHS was opened up to competition from American medical firms it would spell disaster for the health services finances.

A new trade partnership between the US and Britain would have to grapple with these complex issues, and many more, making major demands on Mr Trumps team as well as Ms Mays Government.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A pastor who has a long history of making incendiary remarks about Muslims, LGBT people and other Christian denominations will preach to Trump and his entourage at a traditional spiritual service for the President-elect before the official inauguration begins.

Trumps inauguration committee have selected Pastor Robert Jeffress, leader of the First Baptist megachurch in Dallas, and frequent Fox News guest, to lead the service.

The highly controversial choice of preacher has previously called Islam and Mormonism heresies "from the pit of hell," suggested that the Catholic church was led astray by Satan, and accused Obama of "paving the way" for the antichrist.

Jeffress has spread false statistics about the prevalence of HIV among LGBT people, who he said live a "miserable" and "filthy" lifestyle, which inevitably leads to depression and alcoholism.

He also made headlines for a service he led in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks in 2015, in which he attacked Islam as a false religion inspired by Satan himself.

Jeffress was a vocal supporter of Trump on the campaign trail, and helped the President-elect shore up the Evangelical vote.

Before the election, he told a talk radio show he would rather vote for Trump than a pacifist candidate who was more like Jesus himself. Jeffress said his Bible study supported his demand for a "strong man" in the White House, who would "exterminate Isis".

Mr Trump, who is a Presbyterian, had no known connection to the pastor before his presidential bid.

Around 300 people will attend the private event at St. John's Episcopal Church, across the street from the White House. The service has become an important part of the Inauguration Day ritual, and every president since Franklin Roosevelt, apart from Richard Nixon, has observed the tradition.

Jeffress told Fox News that his sermon would centre on the figure of Nehemiah, an Old Testament Patriarch, as an example of why God blesses leaders.

But the similarities between Nehemiah and Trump might not end there. The Biblical leader is credited with building a large wall around Jerusalem in order to keep out foreign groups such as the Sumerians, who Nehemiah regarded as enemies of the Jewish people.

An official affiliated with the Trump campaign told CNN: "Pastor Jeffress is a unifying figure representing a diverse spectrum of Americans. Any attempt to vilify this religious leader is deeply disappointing and misplaced."
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

President Donald Trump echoed his hard-line stance against "radical Islamic terrorism" in his first address as the 45th president of the United States.

"We will ... unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth," he said during the Inaugural Address.

The 15 minute speech echoed much of the tone of his campaign, during which he criticised his opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former President Barack Obama for their approach to fighting Isis.

Mr Trump has claimed to have a plan to fight the extremist group, but has divulged no details about it.

Read the Inauguration live blog here

"Their days are numbered," he said in an April foreign policy speech. "I won't tell them where and I won't tell them how. ... We must as a nation be more unpredictable. We are totally predictable. We tell everything. ...

"We have to be unpredictable, and we have to be unpredictable starting now. But they're going to be gone. Isis will be gone if I'm elected president."

In a debate with Ms Clinton, Mr Trump accused his opponent of giving away her tactics against Isis.

"You're telling the enemy everything you want to do," he said. "No wonder you've been fighting Isis your entire adult life."

Isis' origins can be traced back to 1999  well after Ms Clinton entered political life.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

President Donald Trump announced the development of a state-of-the-art missile defence system to apparently protect the US from Iran and North Korea, according to a statement posted to the White House website minutes after the new commander-in-chief was sworn into office.

Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US military  the most powerful force in the world  has been depleted under Barack Obama. He reiterated the claim in his inauguration speech.

On the revamped website, Mr Trump outlined his new broad plans to Make Our Military Strong Again.

Our military needs every asset at its disposal to defend America. We cannot allow other nations to surpass our military capability, the statement reads. The Trump Administration will pursue the highest level of military readiness.

The statement went on to propose the missile defence system without providing any details about how it would improve upon those already in place.

We will also develop a state-of-the-art missile defence system to protect against missile-based attacks from states like Iran and North Korea, it said.

 US president Donald Trump vows to put America first

The US government first established the Ballistic Missile Defence System as part of a programme launched by President Ronald Reagan in the mid-1980s. The Missile Defence Agency oversees the programme under the Department of Defence.

The Trump administration issued additional statements outlining many of the Presidents America First policies, including foreign policy consistent with many of Mr Trumps jingoistic promises made on the campaign trail.

Defeating Isis and other radical Islamic terror groups will be our highest priority, the page says. The administration plans to pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations when necessary, cut off funding to terrorist groups, and use cyberwarfare to disrupt and disable propaganda and recruitment efforts.

The page does not indicate how such policies will be different from those already in place.

It goes one to address rebuilding the already-strong US military, but proposes more diplomacy and promoting peace through strength.

Mr Trump delivered a short inauguration address promising to unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth.

The New York businessman had been critical of the Obama administration for not using the phrase radical Islamic terror when addressing Isis and other radical extremist groups.

Mr Obama said he was careful to not use the phrase because he did not want to lump these murderers into the billion Muslims that exist around the world.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The lights didn't quite go out at the White House on Thursday night, but the compound at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. took on a ghostly quality as most of President Obama's staff moved out. Desks were emptied. Iconic photographs of Obama came off the walls. Handwritten notes were left for the Obama aides' successors.

And a Marine guard left his post outside the West Wing at around 6 pm, signalling that the president had left the Oval Office for the final evening. Just before he did, fireworks celebrating a concert for President-elect Donald Trump exploded in the sky, just visible above the Old Executive Office Building next to the White House.

The sparsely populated corridors of the White House made for an unusual sensation, as reporters roamed the offices of Obama's communications team without supervision.

Empty desks in the White House press offices (Washington Post/David Nakamura)

Secret Service agents allowed reporters to take some photos of the hallways, where empty frames hung on the walls. "There's nothing in them," one said with a shrug.

Empty frames that once contained photos of President Obama line the walls of the West Wing. The Oval Office can been seen down the hallway (Washington Post/David Nakamura)

A computer monitor left on in the office of press secretary Josh Earnest blared cable news coverage of Trump's festivities in Washington.

A moving box stands in the corner of White House press secretary Josh Earnest's office (Washington Post/David Nakamura)

Earnest, who had knocked on doors in Iowa with candidate Obama in 2008, had signed off earlier in the day after 2 1/2 years as the president's top spokesman. He delivered more than 350 White House briefings to reporters.

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

A skeleton staff was scheduled to be on hand Friday morning as Obama welcomed Trump for the traditional tea service before leaving for the inauguration and his swearing-in at noon. But most had already left the place behind.

Copyright Washington Post
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 18

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Irans Airports Company (IAC) signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding with German companies for expansion of Iranian airports, while talks are underway with French and Italian firms for cooperation in Irans airport projects.

The IAC signed an MOU with Munich Airports, Frankfurt Airport and Dornier Consulting International GmbH on Jan. 18 for cooperation in aviation sector, IRIB news agency reported.

The deal covers cooperation in various fields, including training human resources, optimizing the airports capacity, commercialization of the airports, providing financial resources for development of infrastructures, modernizing IT and navigation infrastructures, airport operations management and airport development.

Rahmatollah Mahabadi, head of the IAC, said the German side will finance construction of Tabriz airport terminal as well as new airports in Chabahar and Ahwaz in BOT (build-operate-transfer) and BLT (build, lease, transfer) financing arrangements.

Iran is planning to overhaul all its airport equipment to enhance safety and security level, he added.

Meanwhile, Mehr news agency quoted Gholamhossein Bagherian, IAC deputy director for planning and supervision, as saying that construction of an airport in Chabahar is not profitable, but necessary strategically.

Bagherian added that the IAC has held good talks with French and Italian investors for developing airports and building new airport infrastructures.

He expressed hope that the talks will be concluded by March 2017.

Bagherian added that Iran will hold public tenders for investment in Ahwaz and Chabahar airports construction, forecasting that Chinese, German and Japanese investors will most likely take part in the projects.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trumps inauguration has left the world divided. While his supporters toss their "Make America Great Again" hats into the air in celebration, his critics take to the streets to protest against him.

Many of those protesting against the newly sworn in President are women. In 60 countries and on seven continents across the world, women are preparing to march against the President on Saturday.

They will be taking to the streets to promote equal rights for women and defend marginalised groups.

From the southern states of America to the Antarctic, Beirut, Nairobi, La Paz, Tokyo, Congo, Barcelona, Kolkata, Rio de Janerio, Belgrade, Reykjavik, Brussels, Liverpool, and many other destinations far and wide, they will be turning their anger at Mr Trump into action. An estimated 616 sister marches are taking place worldwide with a combined total of two million marchers expected to attend.

In London, more than 14 thousand people have signed up to attend the Womens March and in Washington 220 thousand have signed up.

From the very beginning, it has been our aim to bring groups together in order to create a unified force that fights for the rights of the most marginalised and disadvantaged, Beth Garner, one of the marchs organisers, told The Independent.

Garner explained the global Womens March organisation is united by the core belief that womens rights are human rights and human rights are womens rights.

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

Having this march take place in so many different countries is powerful and inspiring. The Women's March is showing the world that human rights will be demanded across cultural, socioeconomic, and political lines.

We have been watching the live feeds come in from countries that are marching and I am with every single one of them in spirit. Where they march, I march and I know it will be the same for them when we all take to the streets of London in solidarity.

The President has a record of making demeaning, sexist comments about women. This includes everything from boasting that when you are a star you can grab women by the p***y in a leaked 2005 tape to calling Rosie ODonnell a fat pig to saying Megyn Kelly had blood coming out of her wherever.

It has been suggested that Mr Trumps divisive and inflammatory rhetoric has unwittingly been an energising, unifying force for feminism worldwide.

In London, celebrity supporters of the march on social media include Frankie Boyle, Charlotte Church, Ian McKellen, Alexa Chung, Pixie Geldof, Bianca Jagger, June Sarpong and Hardeep Singh Kholi.

In the US, high-profile figures such as Scarlett Johansson, America Ferrera, Katy Perry, Uzo Aduba, Zendaya, and Cher are expected to attend.
Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Women in more than 30 countries around the world were poised to march against the new US President Donald Trump on Saturday.

The former reality stars campaign was marred by a series of controversies involving his treatment of women  most notoriously when a 2005 video emerged of him bragging that he was allowed to grab women by the p***y because he was a star.

Following the reemergence of the video in October more than a dozen women came forward to say they had been sexually harassed or assaulted by Mr Trump, accusations which he has denied.

Recommended 11 things that have happened since Donald Trump was elected

The controversies sparked international outrage with senior members of his own party revoking their support for his candidacy. All to no avail.

Despite his victory in the Electoral College, protesters remain determined to keep up the fight against his presidency with a series of marches on Saturday.

Where are the protests taking place?

Thousands are expected to turn out for the major protests in London, Paris and New York but many smaller demonstrations will also be held in several regional cities.

More than 400 marches are due to be held in the US alone with representatives from all walks of American life set to be represented.

Around 50 Afghan women from the Women for Afghan Women campaign will march wearing pink headscarves in Washington DC to mark the rhetoric aimed against Muslims as well as women during Mr Trump's campaign.

In all, more than 600 marches were planned worldwide, according to the umbrella group overseeing the volunteers - Sister Marches - with more than two million women set to turn out, from Peru to Botswana and from Ireland to Burma.

A contingent on an expedition ship off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula will be marching on board in solidarity.

What time does it start?

It depends on where you are in the world, but the London event is due to start at 12pm outside the US embassy in Grosvenor Square. Protesters will then march to Trafalgar Square via Pall Mall, finishing in a rally at 2pm.

The Washington DC event will begin at 10am near the Capitol building. Although the specifics of the route have not been finalised the march is likely to end up with a rally in front of the Lincoln Memorial  echoing the 1963 civil rights march which inspired it.

One of the organisers, Tamika Mallory, told the Washington Post: We plan to make a bold and clear statement to this country on the national and local level that we will not be silent and we will not let anyone roll back the rights we have fought and struggled to get.

Is it women only?

No. The organisers insist everyone is welcome so long as they support women's equality.

They say the march is not targeting Mr Trump specifically and it was more about being "proactive about women's rights".

Trump Inauguration protests around the World Show all 14 1 /14 Trump Inauguration protests around the World Trump Inauguration protests around the World Activists from Greenpeace display a message reading "Mr President, walls divide. Build Bridges!" along the Berlin wall in Berlin on January 20, 2017 to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United State Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World An activist holds up a sign at the "We Stand United" rally on the eve of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration outside Trump International Hotel and Tower in New York on January 19, 2017 in New York Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters burn a U.S. flag and a mock flag with pictures of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump outside the U.S. embassy in metro Manila, Philippines Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Filipino protestors hold placcards during a protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila, Philippines, 20 January 2017. On the eve of President-elect Donald Trump's inaguration as the 45th president of the United States, Filipinos and Fil-Americans held a protest in front of the US embassy in Manila to denounce the incoming US president. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Hong Kong police officers and security guards look on as an anarchist protester belonging to the Disrupt J20 movement sits after using a heavy duty D-lock and motorcycle lock to chain himself to a railing at the entrance gate to the Consulate General of the United States of America in Hong Kong to protest the inauguration of United States President-elect Donald Trump, Hong Kong, China, 20 January 2017. Two activists were arrested and taken away by Hong Kong police during the demonstration. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A banner is unfurled on London's Tower Bridge, organised by Bridges Not Walls - a partnership between grassroots activists and campaigners working on a range of issues, formed in the wake of Donald Trump's election, which aims to build bridges to a world free from hatred and oppression. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Protesters chain themselves to an entry point prior at the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Bridges Not Walls banner dropped from Molenbeek bridge in Brussels, Belgium, 20 January 2017, in an Greenpeace action part of protests Wolrd protest in solidarity with people in the US, the day Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds an anti-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump placard during a rally in Tokyo, Japan, Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A Palestinian protester holds a placard during a demonstration against the construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and against US President-elect Donald Trump, on January 20, 2017, near the settlement of Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Banners on North Bridge in Edinburgh as part of the Bridges Not Walls protest against US President Donald Trump on the day of his inauguration Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World Russian artist Vasily Slonov (L) and his assistant carry a life-sized cutout, which is an artwork created by Slonov and titled "Siberian Inauguration", before its presentation on the occasion of the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, in a street in Krasnoyarsk, Russia Getty Trump Inauguration protests around the World A woman holds a banner during a march to thank outgoing President Barack Obama and reject US President-elect Donald Trump before his inauguration at a park in Tokyo, Japan, 20 January 2017. EPA Trump Inauguration protests around the World Palestinian demonstrators protesting this week against a promise by Donald Trump to re-locate the US embassy to Jerusalem Reuters

Women's groups such as Planned Parenthood and Equality Now in the US and the Fawcett Society and the Women's Equality Party had signed on to attend.

Participants are encouraged to make signs but it is not required  though they are advised to wrap up warm.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The Danish government has approved a bill that will prohibit people under the age of 18 from getting married, after it was alleged that dozens of young refugees were entering the country with spouses or registered partners.

The bill, which also states asylum-seeking minors who were married abroad will not have their marriages recognised by the state, comes after a report by the Integration Ministry last year revealed there were 27 minors in the Danish asylum system who had spouses or registered partners.

Under the legislation passed on Thursday, which will come into effect on 1 February, exceptions to the ban can be granted if couples can provide a compelling argument for their marriage.

A number of legal experts and human rights groups in Denmark have criticised the governments decision. A spokeswoman for the country's National Council for Children told The Independent the organisation was against the legislation because it takes the childs best interest too little into consideration.

Last February, the Danish integration minister announced couples seeking asylum in the country would be separated if one of them was below the age of 18, following media reports that female asylum seekers as young as 14 were entering the country married to men who were ten or more years their senior.

However, the legislation was reversed seven months later, and couples were reunited after the Danish Immigration Service was forced to acknowledge that the policy was likely a violation of the asylum seekers rights.

At the time, leader of the green Alternative party, Josephine Fock, said: It is completely outrageous. We are talking about people who have fled to Denmark who are being split from each other. Some of them have children together and investigating individual [asylum] cases takes an unbelievably long time.

In graphics: Refugees in the EU Show all 3 1 /3 In graphics: Refugees in the EU In graphics: Refugees in the EU Refugees in the EU (Maximise window for full graphic) In graphics: Refugees in the EU Refugees in the EU (Maximise window for full graphic) In graphics: Refugees in the EU Refugees in the EU (Maximise window for full graphic)

The Danish minister for childrens and social affairs, Mai Mercado, argued the new legislation was necessary, telling news agency Ritzau: I dont agree that this is symbolic and unnecessary. Entering into marriage is reserved for those who are of legal age.

Early marriage is often carried out in refugee camps in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey by families trying to protect girls from poverty or sexual exploitation, while elsewhere poor families sometimes marry off their young daughters in exchange for dowries.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Budget airliner Easyjet has been fined more than 50,000 by a French court after it ruled the carrier discriminated against a disabled passenger.

Easyjet staff refused access to Joseph Etcheveste, 55, who is paralysed, to a flight in Biarritz in July 2010, citing security reasons.

Staff also said Mr Etcheveste could not board because he was unaccompanied.

Recommended EasyJet vows to recruit 20 per cent female pilots

According to the Guardian, his lawyer, Anne-Marie Mendiboure, said: 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.

The court in Bayonne. south west France, ruled in Mr Etcheveste's favour and fined the company 60,000 (52,000).

Maud Marian, lawyer for Easyjet, told AFP news agency she was not surprised at the courts decision and that the carrier was unlikely to appeal. She added that the company never intended to discriminate against the plaintiff.

A spokesperson for the company told The Independent: EasyJet accepts the tribunal decision and will not appeal this decision. EasyJet never intended to discriminate against Mr Etcheveste or any other passenger of reduced mobility. This case dates from July 2010 and since then EasyJet has reviewed all stages in our passengers journey with us to ensure we make it as easy as we can for all.

In 2012 EasyJet created an independent committee of European experts (ESAAG  the EasyJet Special Assistance Advisory Group) to provide guidance and advice to the airline.

EasyJet flies every day more than 1000 passengers requiring special assistance and invests in training its staff to provide assistance for all needs. This includes offering a dedicated special assistance support service in order to identify passenger needs and enhance the quality of their experience at the airport and on-board EasyJets aircraft.

As a result of all this, our research shows that 87% of EasyJet passengers who require special assistance are satisfied with the services of the airline and that 98% said they would fly with us again  both are at a higher level than EasyJet passengers as a whole.

Easyjet has previously faced numerous lawsuits by wheelchair users for disability discrimination.

In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Disability-1.jpg EPA In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Disability-2.jpg EPA In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Disability-3.jpg EPA In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Disability-4.jpg Reuters In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Disability-5.jpg EPA In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Disability-6.jpg Getty Images In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Disability-7.jpg EPA In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Disability-8.jpg EPA In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Disability-9.jpg EPA In pictures: International Day of Persons with Disabilities Disability-10.jpg EPA

In December 2016, pensioner Dorothy Rostron  who was terminally ill and had a chronic lung condition  was allegedly barred by Easyjet from returning to the UK from a final holiday in Malaga.

Ms Rostron claimed she and her family were removed from their flight because her oxygen canisters  which she needed to breathe  were deemed a security issue, the Mirror reported.

The family were left stranded until another airline allowed them to fly back to Manchester.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Ten people have been found alive after being buried under debris and snow following an avalanche in Italy that buried the Hotel Rigopiano in the Abruzzo region.

The survivors had been trapped in the wreckage of the hotel since the avalanche struck on Wednesday afternoon following a series of earthquakes in the region.

We found five people alive. Were pulling them out. Send us a helicopter, a rescuer said over firefighters radio.

Recommended Footage shows aftermath of deadly Italian hotel avalanche

They are alive and we are talking to them, Luca Cari, a spokesperson for the national fire brigade told Reuters from the scene. Ten survivors were later found.

Titi Postiglione, operations chief at Italys civil protection agency, told the Associated Press that survivors can give us a series of indications to help with our intervention plan, information to understand what happened and help direct the search.

Rescue workers told RAI state television the survivors conditions were remarkably good, and that they had survived thanks to an air pocket in the kitchen.

They are being flown by helicopter to local hospitals.

One of the survivors is a young girl, Italys Deputy Interior Minister Filippo Bubbico said, speaking in the nearby town of Penne, where he is monitoring the rescue for the government.

Rescuers are using shovels to dig into tonnes of snow and rubble in a rescue mission that has been greatly hampered by lack of access due to the extent of the snow cover.

Four people are confirmed to have died, and about 20 remain missing.

Workers have been clearing over five miles of road to bring in heavy equipment, but so far the road can only take one-way traffic.

Recommended Footage shows aftermath of deadly Italian hotel avalanche

The disaster struck the hotel in central Italy late on Wednesday afternoon amid a driving snowstorm, just hours after four earthquakes with a magnitude above 5 rattled the area.

More than 30 people, including four children, were in the building when the avalanche crashed into it, officials said. The force of the snow reduced much of it to rubble and spread debris across the valley floor.

As much as 5 metres (16 ft) of snow covered much of what is left of the hotel.

The first rescuers on the scene arrived on skis early on Thursday morning, while firefighters were dropped in by helicopter.

The situation is catastrophic, said Marshall Lorenzo Gagliardi of the Alpine rescue service, who was among the first at the scene. The mountain-facing side is completely destroyed and buried by snow: the kitchen, hotel rooms, hall.

One of the survivors reported that the guests had all checked out and were waiting for the road to be cleared to leave. The snow plough scheduled for mid-afternoon never arrived, and the avalanche hit at around 5.30pm on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel Show all 12 1 /12 In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel Firefighters vehicles make their way to the hotel hit by an avalanche in Farindola, Italy AP In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel Rescuers make their way to the hotel hit by an avalanche in Farindola, Italy. A hotel in the mountainous region hit again by quakes has been covered by an avalanche. Italian media say the avalanche covered the three-story hotel in the central region of Abruzzo AP In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel a convoy of emergency vehicles en route to hotel Rigopiano after it was hit by an avalanche in Farindola (Pescara), Abruzzo region. According to an Italian mountain rescue team, several people have been killed in an avalanche that has hit a hotel near the Gran Sasso mountain in Abruzzo region. Authorities believe that the avalanche was apparently triggered by a series of earthquakes in central Italy EPA In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel Two dogs wonder past a vehicle and mounds of snow at a nearby sports ground in Montereale. Several people have died after a ski hotel was buried by an avalanche in earthquake-hit central Italy, local media reported quoting rescue services. 'There are many dead,' Antonio Crocetta, the head of a group of Alpine police that was trying to reach the cut-off hotel Getty Images In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel The hotel Rigopiano after it was hit by an avalanche in Farindola (Pescara). According to an Italian mountain rescue team, several people have been killed in an avalanche that has hit a hotel near the Gran Sasso mountain in Abruzzo region EPA In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel A mountain view from the main road to Monterale, after a 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the region. Several people have died after a ski hotel was buried by an avalanche in earthquake-hit central Italy Getty Images In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel Piles of snow and rubble cascading down the stairway into the foyer of the hotel Rigopiano in Farindola, Italy AP In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel A man being escorted by Alpine policemen outside the Hotel Rigopiano, near the village of Farinfola, on the eastern lower slopes of the Gran Sasso mountain. Up to 30 people were feared to have died after an Italian mountain Hotel Rigopiano was engulfed by a powerful avalanche in the earthquake-ravaged centre of the country. Italy's Civil Protection agency confirmed the Hotel Rigopiano had been engulfed by a two-metre high wall of snow and that emergency services were struggling to get ambulances and diggers to the site Getty Images In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel An Italian firefighters helicopter flies during rescue operations in the area where an hotel was hit by an avalanche in Farindola, Italy AP In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel An aerial view of the Rigopiano Hotel hit by an avalanche in Farindola, Italy AP In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel Firefighters during rescue operations at hotel Rigopiano after it was hit by an avalanche in Farindola, Pescara. EPA In pictures: Deadly avalanche buries Italian hotel According to an Italian mountain rescue team, several people have been killed in an avalanche that has hit a hotel near the Gran Sasso mountain in Abruzzo region. Authorities believe that the avalanche was apparently triggered by a series of earthquakes in central Italy EPA

Prosecutors have now opened a manslaughter investigation into the tragedy. One line of enquiry is whether the avalanche threat was not deemed serious, the Italian media has reported.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen is holding on to her lead in the first round of the French presidential elections, according to a new poll.

The Front National head had between 25 and 26 per cent support compared with presidential favourite Francois Fillion, who received between 23 and 25 per cent, according to an Ipsos Sopra Steria poll for the respected French newspaper, Le Monde and the Cevipof research centre.

Mr Fillon is still expected to beat the far-right leader in a second round runoff in May.

But the former Republican Prime Minister has lost up to four points in the first polls of the year.

Wavering support for the established candidates can only be good news for Ms Le Pen, who will be hoping to defy the odds in her performance in the second round.

As the Parti Socialiste have yet to choose a candidate, some experts have suggested this could be skewing the polls in Ms Le Pens favour.

Two polls showing Marine Le Pen in the lead mean it is looking a little more likely she will do well, but the main thing to consider is the public still know her much better than her likely two competitors, in particular they don't know who the Parti Socialiste competitor will be at all, Professor Stephen Fisher at the University of Oxford, told The Independent earlier this month.

Socialist candidates Benoit Hamon and Arnaud Montebourg received only seven per cent of voting intentions in the poll. The party will select its candidate in the left-wing primaries on 22 and 29 January, however many are concerned the party is in a perilously weak position.

Former Prime Minister Manuel Valls received between nine and 10 per cent of voting intentions, depending on whether Francois Bayrou is a candidate. In both scenarios, he has dropped two percentage points since December.

Former economy minister Emmanuel Macron has consistently polled strongly with his own trans-partisan political party En Marche. He received between 17 and 19 per cent of voting intentions in the scenario where both Mr Bayrou and Mr Valls are candidates. He polled even higher at 20 per cent in the scenario where Mr Montebourg or Mr Hamon are chosen as the socialist candidate.

Jean-Luc Melenchon took between 13 and 15 per cent of voting intentions, depending on the choice of socialist candidate.

A total of 15,921 people aged 18 and over were polled from 10-15 January.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Up to 117 civilians have been killed in drone attacks across the world during outgoing US President Barack Obamas time in office, a new US intelligence report says, a figure which has been widely criticised as a gross undercount of civilian casualties.

The deaths occurred as part of Mr Obamas counterterrorism strategy in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya, the report, released late on Thursday, said.

The data did not include deaths in Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan, which the CIA lists as active combat zones.

The new report from National Intelligence Director James Clapper reconfirmed earlier findings released in July 2016 when President Obamas administration bowed after years of pressure to release information about deadly US operations abroad.

The July report, as well as Thursdays, both claim that just 64 - 117 civilians worldwide lost their lives in unmanned US drone strikes.

There were 526 counterterror strikes in total between January 2009 - December 2016 which killed between 2,803 and 3,022 combatants, the US intelligence said.

Reports from local journalists, NGOs, leaked government documents and international court papers examined by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism put the tally at between 380 - 801 civilian deaths up to the end of 2015 - up to six times higher than the official US figures.

 Air strikes destroy Islamic State drone base in Mosul

US officials have cited several reasons for the discrepancy, including that the governments access to sensitive intelligence means it better able to accurately identify those killed in strikes.

Rights groups have said that the conflicting accounts could be cleared up if the government released more information about when and where drone strikes took place.

During his eight years in office, President Obama greatly expanded the US use of unmanned drones in international counter-terrorism operations.

In a speech in July last year, he acknowledged the US drone programmes have shortcomings, but asked critics to consider the alternatives.

Protests grow as civilian toll of Obamas drone war on terrorism is laid bare Show all 2 1 /2 Protests grow as civilian toll of Obamas drone war on terrorism is laid bare Protests grow as civilian toll of Obamas drone war on terrorism is laid bare IA3-10-Drone.jpg Getty Images Protests grow as civilian toll of Obamas drone war on terrorism is laid bare Ia3-10-drone-2.jpg AP

Drone strikes allow us to deny terrorists a safe haven without air strikes, which are less precise, or invasions that are much more likely to kill innocent civilians as well as American service members, he said.

Rights groups are worried that President-Elect Donald Trump will aggressively expand existing drone strike programmes - which are carried out without the need for approval from Congress or the judiciary.

While Mr Trump has not specifically addressed the use of drones, he has said his administration will take out terrorists.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Isis has inflicted more damage on the ancient Roman city of Palmyra in Syria, the Damascus government has said.

Satellite imagery analysed by an NGO dedicated to preserving Syria and Iraqs cultural heritage shows that the famous cubic-shaped Tetrapylon and part of the facade of the sites amphitheatre have been destroyed, probably with dynamite, during an attack on Wednesday.

New stone debris can been seen scattered across the amphitheatres stage, as well as damage to the facades backdrop, the Boston-based American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) said on Thursday. Two of the Tetrapylons four columns and the majority of the structures centre have been severely damaged, ASOR added.

The Syrian governments antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim confirmed that the world-famous ruins had suffered further damage on Friday.

The destruction was accompanied by a wave of executions at the site and a nearby empty Russian army base, monitors said.

Twelve local civilians, among them teachers and civil servants, were reportedly either beheaded or shot in Palmyras amphitheatre in front of a crowd of men and children during Wednesdays violence.

About 75 Palmyrene citizens remain under arrest by Isis, the Palmyra Monitor group says, as well as dozens of Syrian soldiers and militia fighters. Their families are afraid for their safety.

The grand setting of Palmyras amphitheatre was a favourite backdrop for gory propaganda videos and executions when Isis controlled the site between May 2015 and March 2016.

The jihadis were driven out of the city by the Syrian army with the help of heavy Russian bombing, but in December 2016, nine months later, managed to recapture the area in a surprise assault on Syrian government-allied Russian and foreign Shia troops after forces were moved out to focus on retaking the rebel-held city of Aleppo.

During Isiss first ten-month-long occupation, the ancient site was ransacked, parts of it destroyed with sledgehammers, bulldozers and dynamite, and the local population forced to live under Isiss harsh interpretation of Sharia law.

In Pictures: Isis loses control of Palmyra Show all 4 1 /4 In Pictures: Isis loses control of Palmyra In Pictures: Isis loses control of Palmyra The iconic Temple of Bel prior to being blown up by Islamic State (IS) group jihadists in September 2015 and the remains of the temple after Syrian troops recaptured the ancient site In Pictures: Isis loses control of Palmyra he Arc de Troimphe (Triumph's Arc) prior to being destroyed by Islamic State (IS) group jihadists in October 2015 and the remains of the iconic structure after government troops recaptured the ancient city In Pictures: Isis loses control of Palmyra The once vibrant museum is now full of empty displays after the destruction of artefacts In Pictures: Isis loses control of Palmyra Corbis The Monumental Arch is among the many lost structures and treasures Corbis

Dozens were executed among the ruins, including Palmyras former head of antiquities, 81-year-old Khaled al-Assad, after he was found to have smuggled artefacts out of the city to protect them.

The unexpected recapture of the UNESCO-listed heritage site was a boon for the group, which seeks to make its mark by destroying the Roman monuments it views as idolatrous.

However, Isis lost more than a quarter of its territory across Syria and Iraq in 2016, a new report from conflict monitor IHS Markit says, and is largely on the defensive as it struggles to hold onto the key towns of Raqqa and al-Bab in Syria, and Mosul in neighbouring Iraq.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A Turkish politician has handcuffed herself to the rostrum in the parliament building in Ankara in protest against proposed legislative reforms that would give President Recep Tayyip Erdogan unprecedented executive powers.

Aylin Nazliaka, an independent MP, took to the speakers podium during a debate on articles in the lengthy proposed bill and attached herself to the microphone on Thursday.

The proposed reforms  which proponents in Mr Erdogans ruling AK party say are necessary to deal with Turkeys fragile economic and security situations  would abolish the position of the prime minister, giving the sitting president the power to appoint and dismiss ministers, to once again become head of a political party, and possibly govern until 2029.

Opposition politicians and democracy activists have said the bill is dangerously close to a form of authoritarianism.

Ms Nazliakas protest on Thursday forced parliaments deputy speaker to suspend the discussion on the proposed constitutional reforms for several hours, and eventually led to a fistfight between several female members of parliament which Turkish media said resulted in two representatives being taken to hospital for their injuries.

During a recess called after Ms Nazliaka handcuffed herself, one MP unscrewed the microphone from the podium, leading to the physical confrontation between members of Mr Erdogans ruling AK party and the opposition.

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.

 Turkey's President Erdogan defends government action

Thursdays events marked the third time debate on the proposed amendments to Turkeys constitution have ended in a brawl.

A final vote on the proposals is expected Friday or Saturday. If approved by parliament, the reforms would be put to a national referendum.

Mr Erdogan has steadily consolidated his grip on power since his election to the largely ceremonial post of president in 2014.

There has been a particular crackdown on members of the opposition, academics, journalists and rights activists since a failed military coup in July last year, after which the government declared a state of emergency.
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

An increase in oil and gas sales to Syrian President Bashar al-Assads government is helping to prop up Isis so-called caliphate with cash injections despite the groups faltering military position.

The Syrian government has repeatedly said it is dedicated to wiping out terrorism, including Isis, within the countrys borders. It has denied on several occasions that it trades with the jihadist group.

However, the regime is now heavily dependent on Isis for fuel, relying on gas produced in Isis territory in the Palmyra area for a large part of its power generation, a European counter-terrorism official told the Wall Street Journal.

In return, [Isis]s revenue and energy generation is being supported by the Syrian regime, US State Department official Amos Hochstein said, with the Syrian government now forming Isis biggest source of funds.

The groups primary - and unsustainable - source of income used to be stealing from and taxing people living in areas under their control.

The new information comes from monitoring roads used by oil tankers through Syria, Iraq and Turkey, and is indicative of the complicated alliances at work in the countrys complex six-year-old civil war.

Isis gained control of several key oil fields in Syria and Iraq in 2014, continuing to sell to buyers within the two countries, as well as over the Turkish border.

In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Show all 30 1 /30 In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian family arrives at a checkpoint, manned by pro-government forces, at the al-Hawoz street roundabout, after leaving Aleppo's eastern neighbourhoods Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian woman, fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, reacts as she stands with her children in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood, after regime troops retook the area from rebel fighters Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian pro-regime fighters, gesture as they drive past resident fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian rebels withdrew from six more neighbourhoods in their one-time bastion of east Aleppo in the face of advancing government troops, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian rebels withdrew from six more neighbourhoods in their one-time bastion of east Aleppo in the face of advancing government troops, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian residents, fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, arrive in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood , after regime troops retook the area from rebel fighters Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian pro-regime fighters, gesture as they drive past residents fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian residents, fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, arrive in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood, after regime troops retook the area from rebel fighters Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian residents, fleeing violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood, arrive in Aleppo's Fardos neighbourhood Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian pro-regime fighter speaks with a child, as residents flee violence in the restive Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood. Syrian rebels withdrew from six more neighbourhoods in their one-time bastion of east Aleppo in the face of advancing government troops AFP/Getty Images In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Smoke rises as seen from a governement-held area of Aleppo, Syria Reuters In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian soldiers targeting rebels-held areas in the eastern neighborhoods in Aleppo, Syria. According to media reports, the army is now holding on 99 percent of Aleppois eastern neighborhoods EPA In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian pro-government forces patrol Aleppo's eastern al-Salihin neighbourhood after troops retook the area from rebel fighters Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian soldiers rest following the battle at al-Sheik Saeed neighborhood in Aleppo, Syria EPA In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian pro-government fighter walking past closed shops in the Bab al-Nasr district of Aleppo's Old City. Once renowned for its bustling souks, grand citadel and historic gates, Aleppo's Old City has been rendered virtually unrecognisable by some of the worst violence of Syria's war Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria The crucial battle for Aleppo entered its 'final phase' after Syrian rebels retreated into a small pocket of their former bastion in the face of new army advances. The retreat leaves opposition fighters confined to just a handful of neighbourhoods in southeast Aleppo, the largest of them Sukkari and Mashhad Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian civilans arrive at a checkpoint, manned by pro-government forces, at the al-Hawoz street roundabout, after leaving Aleppo's eastern neighbourhoods. Syria's government has retaken at least 85 percent of east Aleppo, which fell to rebels in 2012, since beginning its operation Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian civilians flee the Sukkari neighbourhood towards safer rebel-held areas in southeastern Aleppo Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrians celebrate in the government-held Mogambo neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, after rebel fighters retreated into a small pocket of their former bastion in the face of new army advances Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrians celebrate in the government-held Mogambo neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, after rebel fighters retreated into a small pocket of their former bastion in the face of new army advances. The fall of Aleppo would be the worst rebel defeat since Syria's conflict began in 2011, and leave the government in control of the country's five major cities Getty In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian refugee Aliya inside the tent where she lives with her husband and ten children in a camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Syrian refugee women and children outside the entrance to their tents in the refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA Wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA Wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A Syrian refugee woman outside the entrance to the tent where her family live, in the refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syrian border PA wire In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria A vehicle drives past a mosque at night in Idlib, Syria. Picture taken with a long exposure Reuters In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Damaged buildings stand in the rebel-controlled town of Binnish in Idlib province, Syria Reuters In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria The night sky is seen through damaged windows in the rebel-controlled town of Binnish in Idlib province, Syria Reuters In Pictures: The crisis unfolding in Syria Damaged buildings stand in the rebel-controlled area of Maaret al-Numan in Idlib province, Syria Reuters

While at one point the group was making up to $1 million (800,000) a day selling oil and gas, the revenue stream has been cut off in several places thanks to ferocious US-backed coalition and Russian bombing.

Isis is now struggling to maintain its presence as a land-holding force in the two countries in the face of sustained ground assaults on the key Syrian cities of al-Bab and Raqqa, and Mosul in neighbouring Iraq.

Elsewhere in the complex war, the tide has turned in Mr Assads favour against the moderate Sunni opposition, but the Syrian government is still in dire economic straits, reliant on allies Russia and Iran for both military firepower and cheap oil and gas.
Tehran, Iran, January 20

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

The Iranian police will stop licensing trucks with Euro 3 and lower emission standards on March 21, according to Deputy Chief of Police Musa Amiri.

Only Euro 4 and higher trucks will receive a license number, he told the IRIB January 20.

Most cars and trucks used in Iran are of Euro 2 and lower emission standards.

Iran has planned to stop producing non-euro standard gasoline and gas oil by March 2021.

In June 2016, Deputy Oil Minister and CEO of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) Abbas Kazemi told Trend that of the 62 million liters per day (mlpd) of domestically produced gasoline, 29 mlpd meets the Euro-4 standard.

Our largest developing project is the Persian Gulf Star which is operated privately. It is meant to produce 36 mlpd of Euro-4 gasoline as well as 13 mlpd of Euro-4 gas oil, the deputy minister told Trend.
Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Its true what they say about Downtown: the lights are brighter there. While the eponymous Petula Clark song had Midtown Manhattan in mind, actual downtown  New Yorks Financial District  is newly abuzz. No longer just a place to work, it has everything you come to NYC for. And thanks to The Beekman, that now includes a cinematically stylish boutique hotel.

Thompson Hotels newly restored property is a sanctuary nestled in among the buzz. Its a cosy, bohemian picture of a much older, warmer Gotham, and its the perfect place to wind down after a busy day or night in the city.

The building dates back to the end of the 19th century  its officially a landmark, a turreted, red-brick example of the Queen Anne style. Once upon a time, it was a library, its reading rooms frequented by Edgar Allan Poe. It feels of that time, too, benefiting from all of the luxury and ambition that characterised that joyous period in New York history. Thanks to design studio Martin Brudnizki, responsible for the interiors of hot London venues including The Ivy, Dean Street Townhouse, J Sheekey and Sexy Fish, that history is still in place, but spruced up with the slick looks youd expect from a luxury NY hotel.

Recommended This Paris hotel wants you to mingle with other guests

Comfort

From the moment you step into the lobby with its vintage rugs draped over the reception desk, its clear what kind of place this is: grand but far from haughty, with well-informed staff eager to help and chat. Across the tiled floor is the main part of the hotel, revolving around a central, pyramidal atrium. At the bottom, with the New York sky in view, is a sumptuously styled restaurant. Meticulously restored, it gives a feel of how the building must have been when it first opened.

The Beekman's bohemian lobby with rug-draped counter and ever friendly staff

The 287 bedrooms also revolve around the atrium: corridors on each floor have grand arches and wrought iron balustrades looking down into the space below. Inside the rooms, without the same sense of attentive restoration, there are some things that feel a little out of place: the mismatched furniture and art in the rooms is nice, but there are missteps like the strange family portrait in my room that felt better suited to the set of a horror film.

The bathroom settles any feelings of dread, though: spacious and all white, its the perfect place to wash off the muck of the New York day, before you settle down. And whatever you think of the jumble of vintage decor, the supremely comfortable bed will have you rested and ready to head back out among the city slickers in the morning.

Theres also a smart restaurant from TV chef Tom Colicchio, and another from Downtown restaurateur Keith McNally.

One of the hotel bedrooms, which are decorated with vintage furnishings

Location

Around The Beekman, youre very much in the heart of things  though possibly not the things that first brought you to New York. The hotels in the middle of the financial, legal and political heart of the city, meaning that it has some of the same moneyed blandness that blights places like Londons Canary Wharf and Pariss La Defense.

Its also quite literally in the shadow of the World Trade Center, which is just a few minutes' walk away. As well as the building itself, and its jaw-dropping views from the One World Observatory, there youll also find the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and Santiago Calatravas dinosaur-like Oculus building, inside which is a train station and a shopping centre.

The Beekman occupies a landmark 19th-century building (Tim Williams)

If thats all a little too new, City Hall and St Pauls Chapel  both beautiful, historic buildings  are moments from the hotel.

The area is looking less financial and much more trendy these days, with lots of bars and restaurants to choose from. Not that theres any need to stay in the New Downtown, because one virtue of The Beekmans location is how easy it is to get anywhere else. Its surrounded by subway stops, all heading in various directions to the rest of New York City, while the Brooklyn Bridge is just a moments walk away.

Essentials

The Beekman, 123 Nassau St, New York, NY 10038, USA (001 212 233 2300; thompsonhotels.com).

Double rooms start at $423, excluding breakfast.

Wifi: Free

Access: 14 wheelchair-adapted rooms

Rooms: ****

Service: *****

Value: ***
Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The luxuries of First Class plane travel are but mysteries to most of us, who can only dream of boarding a plane and turning left.

Warm towels, champagne, beds, fancy chocolates - how could it get much better on a long-haul flight?

Well, with moisturising pyjamas, perhaps.

Emirates have just launched the worlds first moisturising sleepwear for the skies, which are offered to passengers flying overnight.

Made from Hydra Active Microcapsule Technology, the pyjamas promise to keep passengers skin soft and hydrated - emerging from a flight with dry elbows must be of the utmost concern to the First-Class traveller.

The PJs work by gradually releasing nutrient-rich sea kelp as you move, which allegedly improves circulation and prevents dehydration - presumably it doesnt leave wearers reeking of kelp though.

The First Class flyers are given sheep-skin like blankets to snuggle up in as well as slippers and an eye-mask to ensure a restful, comfortable flight.

Emirates airline's First Class amenities Show all 6 1 /6 Emirates airline's First Class amenities Emirates airline's First Class amenities Emirates Emirates airline's First Class amenities Emirates Emirates airline's First Class amenities Emirates Emirates airline's First Class amenities Emirates Emirates airline's First Class amenities Emirates Emirates airline's First Class amenities Emirates

Whats more, theres also a felt pouch, should you want to take your nightwear away with you afterwards - the Microcapsule Technology locks in the moisturiser so you can wash and wear them again, the Emirates website explains.

To ensure passengers land feeling completely refreshed, First-Class passengers have access to an on-board shower spa and are given Bulgari amenity kits containing all the skincare and beauty essentials youd need when flying through the skies.

But its not just the contents that are designer - the kits come in fine leather bags and there are eight different designs in total: four cream ones for women and four charcoal options for men.

The kits contain organic seaweed VOYA products, presumably to match your kelp PJs.
Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Once again, Italy has been shaken by deadly earthquakes. Dozens of guests and staff at the Hotel Rigopiano in the Abruzzo region are missing after multiple quakes triggered a massive avalanche. The luxury hotel, in the shadow of the Gran Sasso mountain, was engulfed by snow and rubble. As the rescue and recovery continues, questions have been raised about the dangers in one of the most seismically active regions of Europe.

How many earthquakes have there been in Italy recently?

Dozens, but most of them have been of fairly modest magnitude. There have been three of greater than 6.0 magnitude on the moment magnitude scale (a more sophisticated version of the Richter scale). The events were on 24 August (6.2), 26 October (6.1) and 30 October (6.6). They have all happened in a relatively small area of central Italy, about halfway between Rome and the Adriatic port of Ancona.

These most recent earthquakes have occurred in the Apennines, the mountain range that forms the central spine of the country. They are being pulled very slowly apart, but the earths crust in this region is riven with geological faults. Typically, the stresses gradually build and then release catastrophically.

Why is Italy so susceptible to earthquakes?

Italy is one of the countries in the Mediterranean with the highest seismic risk, says the Italian Civil Protection Department. The reason: the country lies where the African and Eurasian tectonic plates converge. They are moving together at a rate of 4-10mm a year.

The highest seismicity is concentrated in the central-southern part of the peninsula, along the Apennine ridge, in Calabria and Sicily and in some northern areas, like Friuli, part of Veneto and western Liguria, says Protezione Civile.

The US Geological Survey adds: The region's tectonic activity cannot be simply explained by the collision of the Eurasia and Africa plates. It has been suggested that deeper lithospheric processes are controlling some of the deformation observed at the surface.

The eastern Alps are particularly seismically active, with many shallow earthquakes occurring on north-dipping thrust faults, such as the M6.5 Friuli earthquake in northeast Italy on 6 May 1976 that killed approximately 1,000 people.

The deadliest documented earthquake in Europe was on 28 December 1908, when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in the Messina Strait between Sicily and mainland Italy killed 72,000 people.

The only part of Italy with no significant seismic events is the island of Sardinia.

Where else in Europe is at risk?

The main issues are in the south-east, in areas on the Mediterranean Sea. The US Geological Survey issues a formidable series of reports on seismicity. Europe is covered by the Mediterranean report. It says: The highest rates of seismicity in the Mediterranean region are found along the Hellenic subduction zone of southern Greece and the North Anatolian Fault Zone of northwestern Turkey.

Danger areas include the area around Crete, where the Africa Plate is subducting at a rate of 40mm per year beneath the Aegean Sea.

Historical sources and archeological studies suggest that earthquakes occurring near Crete in 365 AD and 1303 AD may have been much larger than any Hellenic Arc earthquake of the 20th century, says the US Geological Survey.

Further east in Anatolian (Asian) Turkey, there were 11 earthquakes of magnitude 6.7 or greater in the six decades between 1939 and 1999. They occur along the line of the North Anatolian Fault, which runs just south of Istanbul.

The most recent and farthest west of these earthquakes was the 17 August 1999, M7.6 Izmit earthquake, which killed approximately 17,000 people, say the American geologists.

What should I do in the event of an earthquake?

If you are indoors, traditionally the advice has been to find shelter under a beam or in a doorway. But the US Department for Homeland Security disagrees. It says: Do not get in a doorway as this does not provide protection from falling or flying objects, and you may not be able to remain standing.

Seven recommendations which could save your life:

1 Stay where you are until the shaking stops.

2 Drop down onto your hands and knees so the earthquake doesnt knock you down.

3 Cover your head and neck with your arms to protect yourself from falling debris.

4 If you are in danger from falling objects, and you can move safely, crawl for additional cover under a sturdy desk or table.

5 If there is low furniture or an interior wall or corner nearby, and the path is clear, these may also provide some additional cover.

6 Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as light fixtures or furniture.

7 Hold on to any sturdy covering so you can move with it until the shaking stops.

Shouldnt I just run outside?

No. Trying to run in an earthquake is dangerous, as the ground is moving and you can easily fall or be injured by debris or glass, says the Department for Homeland Security. Running outside is especially dangerous, as glass, bricks, or other building components may be falling. You are much safer to stay inside and get under a table.

What if Im outside when an earthquake strikes?

Move away from buildings, trees, lamp posts and power lines  anything that could harm you if it falls (including vases, windows, tiles, etc on buildings). Be aware that landslides can follow earthquakes, and that ruptured pipes can leak gas or water. The Italian authorities also warn: Limit the use of the car to avoid obstructing the passage of emergency vehicles.

If you are in a car, stop (but not near building, trees or overhead cables) and stay in the vehicle.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

A bad day for Muslims, Id call it. The only mention they got in the inaugural tweet was pure Hollywood, and very dangerous. Radical Islamic terrorism we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth. Shorn of its Biblical reference  the face of the earth comes from Genesis, does it not?  it was the biggest threat Trump could offer his people.

Quite apart from the fact that he cant eradicate terrorism without looking at why it flourishes (something Donald Trump showed he had no interest in, for this was the most nationalist, selfish inaugural in US history), his 20-minute commercial for Trumpism is likely to be the finest rallying cry the cultists of Isis have received since they started chopping off heads, blowing up monuments and destroying the beliefs of their co-religionists.

When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice. We will bring back our dreams. Protect our borders from the ravages of other countries. Yes, all this and more.

And what ravages would they be, I wonder? The Middle East got not a whimper in this tweet-fest, save for that one belligerent eradication. Indeed, Trump plans to completely eradicate radical Islamic terrorism without the slightest indication of how this ambitious project might be completed.

 Barack Obama gives first speech as US citizen in eight years

But we can guess. Just look at previous presidents at their inaugurals. Back in 1957, Eisenhower told Americans that only in respecting the hopes and cultures of others will we practise the equality of all nations. Take a look at George W Bush  when we thought he represented the worst kind of presidential monster America could produce  who at his second inaugural said that the survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best peace in our world, he added, is the expansion of freedom in all the world. Bush even mentioned the Koran.

Compared to the platitudinous, snide, divisive, war-mongering rant the world received from Trump, George W was a visionary.

No-one expected Trump to go along with Obamas high-class inaugural street cred about seeking a new way forward with the Muslim world based on mutual interest and mutual respect. After Islam, Trump went for crimes, gangs and drugs  American carnage, he called it  and the need to protect our borders from the ravages of other countries.

Quite a lot of nations in the Middle Eastern region, in which Isis leapt out at us, would also like to protect their borders from foreign invasion by the US  Iraq and Afghanistan come to mind  and from the carnage of unmanned drones and special forces operations and massive arms shipments to states whose citizens flock to the Isis colours: Saudi Arabia pops up here, although we can be sure Trump has not the slightest intention of interfering in the Kingdoms affairs.

Recommended President Donald Trump has already undermined democracy

But maybe defending other nations borders while refusing to defend our own was intended to frighten the Gulf potentates who are Trumps natural friends rather than Nato. From this day forward  the nearest, I suppose, to Kennedys Let the word go forth  its going to be only... America first. This was a far cry from the same Kennedys call for a struggle against the common enemies of man (tyranny, poverty, disease, war). All Trump could talk about was American poverty  the other three enemies did not cross his lips as he addressed the people of the richest country on earth.

Outsiders cant begrudge a president who wants to heed the call of a people who believe they have been marginalised  especially by the elite and privileged few, although we all know that elitism and privilege are the hallmarks of Trumps own proposed new cabinet. But there was a lack of grace, of eloquence, of charity, of compassion for anyone outside America that marked the inaugural speech of the 45th president. And if you strung out the quotes  almost every single one  each would make a perfect tweet. Is that the way the man thinks? This was a commercial break with a sporting victory: America will start winning again!

No wonder that, in these next 24 hours, media editors are going to be fighting over the best inaugural soundbites. Linguists should put this stuff through a semantics machine. We will get the job done! That all changes right here  and right now! The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer! When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice! I will never, ever let you down! We will bring back our dreams! We will shine for everyone to follow! We must think big and think even bigger! The time for empty talk is over! You will never be ignored again! Trump even thought his country was standing at the heart of a new millenium, 16 years after it began.

Its easy to say that something was getting loose here. Does America no longer exist in a world in which others desire justice and human rights, two qualities which Trump totally ignored? Is Americas only war with radical Islamic terrorism? And to win this particular victory completely, how will he treat the Muslims of America unless, when wounded, they bleed the same red blood of patriots?

 Joe Biden takes the train home from inauguration

But fear not. The worlds media will be giving this wretched man the benefit of their democratic doubt. Politicians will whinge and whine at Trumps vindictiveness (Michael Gove set the standard a few days ago) and Theresa May has already shown us how shell slide away from Palestine in the interests of the new US administration. The Arab states themselves  wait for it  will be among the most fawning of the new presidents acolytes. Israel doesnt have to bother.

I can do no better, perhaps, than quote the great Israeli philosopher/activist/writer/patriot/leftist iconoclast Uri Avnery, a 93-year-old veteran of Israels first war, who said a few hours before the inauguration of Donald Trump that he will be an entertainer president... the question is, do we really want the most powerful man in the world to be an entertainer? Or an overblown egomaniac? A man who knows nothing and believes that he can solve everything?

Avnery, already hard of hearing when I last saw him in Tel Aviv, recalled going to school as a little boy in Nazi Germany. The inauguration in Washington was a Historic Day, he wrote. I dont like Historic Days. I remember such a day when young men with festive torches and arcane symbols on their arms were parading through Berlin.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

Donald Trump emerged onto the steps of the US Capitol as if he was looking for a fight, and, in his mercifully short assault on liberalism and internationalism, he did not disappoint his most strident followers. There was virtually no accepted tenet of the political establishment he chose not to trash, but at least the world can be in little doubt what to expect from his administration. From this day forth he declared, the new vision will be: Only America First.

He used the P word explicitly. It is a long time since an American president rejected the benefits of free trade. Mr Trump was at his most combative as he did so. Protection will lead to prosperity and strength  when every experience in history suggests that it merely impoverishes all equally. Protection is a false God, a false hope and, ironically, the kind of crooked promise that the supposedly corrupt ranks of the political establishment surrounding him are supposed to offer a hopeful people. It will not in truth make America great again, even if it succeeds for a few years in protecting Americans against economic change, the very market forces that made this bustling entrepreneurial creative society the greatest economic power on earth. Mr Trump, never a man for nuance, did not seem to recognise the irony in what he was saying.

He went on and on, attacking the establishment and the elected politicians around him  the vast majority men and women devoted to public service  in unprecedented terms for an inaugural address. It was more like one of his campaign rallies, and one of the less dignified ones, too. The politicians, he told America, had prospered while the factories closed, the jobs disappeared and forgotten Americans became poorer. They were more interested in wasting trillions of dollars looking after foreigners than their own people. They were unworthy of respect, was the message, and, more dangerously, so is the system they represent.

For observers abroad, there is little to take comfort from, as protectionism is an easy partner for isolationism. This was the voice of a man who isnt especially bothered about America defending freedom and human rights around the world. In Europe, we will be asked to make more effort to defend ourselves; not an unfair request, but delivered with an unnecessary degree of threat and menace. You get the impression that Donald Trumps America will not fight for the freedom of Estonia or Poland. And we know that that means.

Mr Trump went beyond patriotism in his speech. He freely invoked crude chauvinism and nationalism. He created scapegoats. He undermined democracy. Once again, he divided America. He is right only in one respect: we have never seen anything like him before.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

It came to be one of the most striking and enduring images of the Troubles and subsequent peace process in Northern Ireland. Not a photograph of bloodshed or bombing, but a moment of raucous laughter. Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness, former sworn enemies turned power-sharing partners, sat side by side in the great foyer at Stormont, heads thrown back in raucous laughter as they shared a joke.

To say theirs was an unlikely friendship would be an understatement verging on farce. In many ways, they both represented what each side in Northern Ireland saw as the worst aspects of the other.

Paisley was a staunch Protestant preacher who famously heckled the Pope, calling him the antichrist, while also being an active member of the Ulster protestant establishment in Northern Ireland that suppressed voting rights, employment opportunities and social housing for Catholics. Martin McGuinness, by contrast, was a socialist Republican from the nationalist heartland of Derry, who was a commander in the Provisional IRA. Yet the peace process required that they share power as Northern Irish First Minister and Deputy First Minister respectively. Both swallowed their pride, trauma and convictions to put peace before their personal feelings and ensure The Troubles ended and Stormont could survive.

 Martin McGuinness to quit frontline politics due to serious illness

Their relationship began tense and fraught with the prejudices and rational fears inherent in the bizarre situation of their forced comradeship. But after serving side by side at meetings, on business trips and press calls at Stormont, a sincere and touching friendship organically emerged.

The now famous photo of them in the Stormont foyer, roaring with laughter, earned them the moniker locally the Chuckle brothers after the comic duo from childrens TV.

After Paisleys death in 2014, his former sworn enemy McGuinness was seen fighting back tears as he paid tribute to him. Paisleys wife Eileen revealed that McGuinness had been a constant source of support during her husband's illness in the months leading to his death, sending thoughtful messages to the couple and words of encouragement. She remarked that the mens friendship had been special, an assessment the Northern Irish public could agree with.

As someone growing up in Belfast in the 1990s, seeing this unlikely friendship develop between the two men became something no less than iconic for my generation. If an establishment preacher who once heckled the Pope could develop a true and tender relationship with a former IRA commander, then the rest of us had no excuse for clinging to prejudice and division.

Their partnership, which began as a gesture and developed into a genuine relationship, embodied the pressing need for links to be forged between the two communities. It required both men to put peace before personal prejudice and embodied the words of local poet Michael Longley when he wrote of the peace process: I get down on my knees and do what must be done/And kiss Achilles hand, the killer of my son.

Trail of the unexpected: Northern Ireland Show all 3 1 /3 Trail of the unexpected: Northern Ireland Trail of the unexpected: Northern Ireland 640490.bin Trail of the unexpected: Northern Ireland 640330.bin HELEN OCHYRA Trail of the unexpected: Northern Ireland 640331.bin HELEN OCHYRA

Yesterday, McGuinness, now aged 66, confirmed that he is now stepping down from politics. His resignation follows Sinn Feins decision to pull out of power-sharing and trigger an election in protest at the Democratic Unionists role in a botched government scheme. In recent weeks, he has appeared seriously ill, seeming increasingly frail amid unconfirmed reports he has a serious heart condition. He does not expect to return to front line politics.

McGuinnesss resignation is an end of an era in Northern Irelands peace process. It is unknown who will replace him as Deputy First Minister following the 2 March election, as Sinn Feins leader Gerry Adams has departed the North for the Southern Irish parliament in Dublin. However, recent weeks have seen the party promote push MLA Michelle ONeill to the fore, a competent and highly likeable young woman who has no connections to Northern Irelands bloody past and focuses on the socialist and social justice aspects of the partys values.

McGuinness hands the baton of power onto a new generation of politicians committed to continuing his legacy of peace. After a decade at the helm of power-sharing, he leaves Stormont a much better place than when he and Paisley were first forced to strike up awkward conversation. As a member of the peace generation in Northern Ireland, McGuinnesss sacrifices were both personal and political, and I am very sorry to see him go.
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the

View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

If only Hillary had thought about the Arabs. They might have brought her a lot closer to the presidency if shed taken the trouble of going to the largest Arab community in America, the predominantly Lebanese-Iraqi city of Dearborn, Michigan. Its streets are lined with Lebanese restaurants and cedar tree flags and they are proud Americans but  against the best advice of her own regional organising director in the city  Hillary Clinton didnt bother with them.

Nicholas Noe was Hillarys senior man in Michigan, the beating heart of 186,000 residents who claim Arab ancestry. Noe also lives in Beirut where he runs Middle East Wire, which translates the Arab media, and writes long  sometimes over-wordy but often all too accurate  analyses of the Arab world. We lost Michigan with its 16 electoral votes  and we lost it by a little more than 10,000 votes, Noe says. We were never able to get Hillary herself in front of the Arab community to listen to them. She went to Detroit but she never came to see this community  even though she was nearby.

 Donald Trump's inauguration: What actually happens?

Its easy to think that Hillary, whose sense of entitlement never stopped her currying up to the wealthiest or most powerful lobby groups in Washington and New York, was frightened of offending the pro-Israeli lobby and thus avoided Dearborn and its residents questions on "Palestine" and Israel. But so far as Noe is concerned, most pundits believed that Trumps anti-Muslim rhetoric would be sufficient to give the Arab-American vote to Hillary  but they needed to hear from the candidate herself.

The would-be US president made similar mistakes in the other swing states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where she failed to address white working class or African-American voters. Even Bill Clinton was urging her to speak to the communities there that had serious social problems. Some of Clintons campaign workers  including Noe and his colleagues  partly blame a computer algorithm called ADA (of which more later, readers!) which supposedly knew how to parse opinions, guess voting patterns, deploy the candidate and run 400,000 electoral race simulations a day  according to the Washington Post  but which wasnt very good at working out how poor people feared for their future or what Arab-Americans thought about their countrys role in the Middle East.

Hillary Clintons supporters in Michigan knew they had a problem when Bernie Sanders pulled off the electoral primary and beat Clinton by 17,000 votes in March 2016. More important still, Bernie won the Arab-American majority districts by two-to-one. That was a huge turnout in Bernies favour, Noe says. So we knew we had a problem. In the months between then and the presidential, I led an effort to register new Arab-American votes in and around Dearborn. Our problem was that we registered a lot of voters who failed to turn out in the kind of numbers that would have put Clinton over the top.

For the first time in its history, The Arab American News, the largest newspaper of its kind in the area, refused to endorse a presidential candidate. Noes interpretation was simple: It wasnt just the policies of Hillary Clinton they had a problem with. She never engaged with the community  she took the Arab-American vote for granted because of Trump. A whole lot of Arab-Americans were not convinced by this approach. When I tell people back in Lebanon now that we failed to get those 10,000 votes from the Lebanese and Iraqis in Dearborn, they laugh. Because if you listen to these peoples concerns, if you engage community leaders and then you mobilise a modest number of extended families, they will vote on election day.

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

Not the least of their problems  real ones which Ive witnessed for myself at American airports when theyve joined the queues for boarding  is the treatment they receive from security staff when theyre flying, their origin immediately drawing suspicion  even though they are full American citizens. I worked for Hillary in 1999 and 2000 when she won the Senate race, Noe remarks. She spent a month on a listening tour, listening to residents. But when it came to the Arab-American vote in this election, there was no listening tour on the cards. They didnt hear from the candidate herself.

Now to ADA. Augusta Ada King-Noel, Countess of Lovelace, a 19th-century English mathematician and the only legitimate daughter of Lord Byron, is regarded as the first computer programmer. The Clinton campaign named their top-secret computer algorithm after Ada  which could have burnished Hillarys feminist credentials among the few who knew about the wretched machine, but whose results may also have cost her the presidency. It picked up the importance of Pennsylvania, according to the Post, but missed out on Michigan until the end  when Clinton still didnt visit Dearborn  and lost out on Wisconsin. It crunched the data about Arab Americans, blacks and working class people, says Noe, and told the Clinton campaigners where to put resources. Artificial intelligence was going to win a presidential campaign for the first time. It rejected advice from people like me to urge the candidate to devote resources to Dearborn.

So Trump didnt win in the heart of Arab America because its people voted for him. He won because they didnt vote for Clinton. And that was her fault. Later, I suspect, the Middle East will reach out and grab Trump by his collar and shake him badly  it always does that to US presidents. Then hell wish he, too, had spent a bit of time in Dearborn.
British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks on the third day of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Photo: AP

Ireland should not be expected to shoulder any financial burden from Britain's decision to leave the European Union, the Government has been warned.

Two senior Fianna Fail TDs yesterday insisted Brexit should not cost the Irish taxpayer or affect the Government's budget spending decisions.

The party's finance spokesman said if the UK leaves the EU customs union it will present Ireland with a "range of difficulties" and will be "devastating" for cross-Border business.

"In terms of the costs involved, that's going to be part of the negotiations, but it certainly can't be a bill landed at the feet of the Irish people," Mr McGrath told the Irish Independent.

Fianna Fail's foreign affairs spokesman Darragh O'Brien said the Government should "not give up" on retaining the current border arrangements, but if they do change, there should be no cost incurred by the Exchequer.

Read More

The warning came as Fine Gael's Simon Coveney claimed the Government had "intensively" lobbied Downing Street to ensure Theresa May made specific reference to Ireland in her Brexit speech. In her address this week laying out the UK's vision for Brexit, in which she said the UK would leave the Single Market, Ms May said the UK would commit to maintaining the common travel area.

Mr Coveney said discussions had been taking place directly between the Irish and British governments surrounding the UK's EU withdrawal, and claimed London was pressed by Dublin to ensure Ireland was referred to by Ms May.

And he claimed Ireland now had a role to play as a "rational" voice between the UK and EU, as he predicted the negotiations would be "nasty".

Lobbying

"Before Theresa May made her speech, there was intensive lobbying coming from Government, to the British government, to ensure that in her speech she specifically singled out Ireland as an issue that needs to be resolved in terms of the Common Travel Area," Mr Coveney told a public meeting on Brexit last night in Drogheda.

Meanwhile, senior Revenue Commissioner officials revealed the potential return of customs tariffs, declarations and checks would cost the taxpayer several million euro in terms of extra staffing, facilities, new technology and a major upgrade of IT systems.

Read More

The vast bulk of the extra cost is expected to be borne on the trade facilitation side - simply ensuring that commercial goods vehicles are able to move as freely between North and South, and Ireland and Britain, as possible.

Revenue will need to have systems in place that will allow for a significant increase in information about the level of goods being transported across the Border, and between the two islands. Camera technology is also likely to be needed to allow for the free flow of traffic if the UK pulls out of the customs union.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said experts were examining ways of preventing the introduction of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

"Prime Minister May is coming to Dublin at the end of the month and I'll have some further discussion about these issues with her when she comes," he said.
The International Monetary Fund's chief has reassured German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble that the IMF plans to remain constructively engaged in talks about further aid for Greece.

Christine Lagarde spoke with Schaeuble about Greece's bailout programme during the World Economic Forum in Davos this week and told him the IMF aimed to continue its participation, the spokesman told a regular government news conference.

The German Finance Ministry this week denied a report in Bild newspaper that Berlin was preparing for a deal without the IMF, which has said it will take part only if it includes significant debt relief.

"Mrs. Lagarde again reassured the finance minister that the IMF is participating constructively in the ongoing discussions and continues to work for a quick agreement on full participation in the rescue programme, including funds from the IMF," the spokesman said.

He said it was speculative to discuss what Germany would do if the IMF did pull out.

Germany, Europe's largest economy, wants the IMF to have a stake in the bailout to give the rescue plan greater credibility, but also opposes granting Athens significant debt relief.

Disputes over labour reforms, fiscal targets and debt relief have prevented Greece and its foreign lenders from concluding a compliance review of its current bailout programme, the third since 2010.

Read More

Schaeuble last week raised the possibility of a new programme for Greece without the IMF should the Fund decide to bow out. Bild said Schaeuble thinks the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the euro zone's bailout fund, would be tapped to plug the hole left by an IMF departure.

But his spokesman declined to discuss that prospect, citing Lagarde's latest comments about the IMF's commitment to participation in the Greek bailout.

Expand Close Wolfgang Schaeuble / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Wolfgang Schaeuble

Greece's EU lenders want the country to achieve and maintain a primary surplus - after interest payments - of 3.5pc of GDP beyond 2018, when its current programme ends. The IMF says that unless Athens adopts more austerity measures and legislates them upfront, the surplus will only reach 1.5pc.

Greek government officials said last week that Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras - who is sagging in polls - would welcome an IMF exit, hoping it might help conclude the review without legislating more austerity now.
A Co. Monaghan farmer was jailed for 18 months this week for possession of the banned livestock fattening drug, clenbuterol - more commonly known as  angel dust - and also for having an illicit fuel mixing plant on his Border farm.

James Mills, aged 65, with an address at Legacurry, Ballybay, Co Monaghan, whose lawyers told the court that he is now living at Avenue Road, in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, pleaded guilty at the Circuit Criminal Court in Monaghan to having the illicit substance at his Legacurry premises on July 21, contrary to EU Regulations.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 20

By Emil Ilgar  Trend:

Twenty-one people were killed after the blazing Plasco building in Tehran crumbled on Jan. 19, while 20-25 people are trapped under the rubble, Mehr News Agency has reported.

Almost all of those killed were fire-fighters.

The fire engulfed the 17-story high-rise, which housed a big shopping center, on Jan. 19. The building collapsed as the fire-fighters were trying to extinguish the blaze.

A spokesman of the Iranian National Fire and Safety Service has told local media that some of the people trapped under the rubble are alive, but the operation to rescue them is going slowly and the death toll may increase.

The damage to the Plasco building is estimated at about $500 million, Ali Fazeli, the head of Iran Chamber of Guilds, told IRNA.
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 (NIFSDA), 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.
Whiskey makers Irish Distillers is to invest 10m at its Cork facility in a move that will allow the company to increase its single pot range by 30pc.

The investment will see 60 new jobs created during the expansion phase of the development. Irish Distillers said it hopes to increase revenues by 300pc between now and 2030. As part of the investment three new copper pot stills are being installed at the distillery.

The company produces the bespoke Midleton whiskey range well as the globally renowned Jameson brand.

It has also invested 20m at its Fox and Geese bottling facility in Dublin and is currently involved in a 100m development at its Dungourney maturation site.

In August of last year, the company also announced an 11m redevelopment project at the Old Jameson Distillery in Smithfield. The expansion is a response to the burgeoning demand for Irish whiskey around the world, according to Jean-Christophe Coutures, chairman and ceo of Irish Distillers.

"Irish whiskey continues to enjoy phenomenal global growth, led by Jameson with sales of 5.7 million cases in 2016," he said. "With this additional investment of over 10m at Midleton Distillery, we will ensure that we are positioned to meet growing global demand and support the growth of Irish whiskey in the international spirits category. "

Paul Wickham, general manager of the Cork-based distillery emphasised the boost the expansion will have on the local economy. "This investment will also see us increase our support for the wider Cork economy," he said. "All our barley comes from farms located within 100 miles of Midleton Distillery, supporting families who have produced barley for centuries. Using unmalted barley is a long-standing tradition of Irish whiskey and one which Irish Distillers continues."

"At present, we spend 60m annually on cereals, energy, capital projects and payroll in the local economy and this will increase with the installation of these new stills," he said.
Thousands of AIB staff have been told they should accept a 5.5pc pay rise over the next two years.

The Financial Services Union (FSU), which represents many staff at the State-owned bank, will recommend that AIB workers accept the two-year pay deal facilitated by the Workplace Relations Commission.

The deal allows for an average increase for staff of 2.75pc in both 2017 and 2018. The deal includes job security commitments from the bank, including no compulsory redundancies before 2019 - a year longer than was previously agreed.

Under the terms of the deal, the bank will carry costs associated with management of AIB pensions, and committed to full consultation with the union on its future reward structures

"Following lengthy negotiations, our union is now in a position to recommend that members accept this two-year pay deal," said Billy Barret, senior industrial relations officer with the FSU. "It represents an improvement on the pay increase secured and accepted in 2016. It also ensures AIB will shoulder the pension management fees over the duration of the agreement, rather than passing these on to individual staff," he said.

However, the union said it is concerned at the prospect of a part-sale of the bank, which was bailed out with 21bn of taxpayer money after the Crash.

Pay increases are now being seen across the banks. Independent mediator Kieran Mulvey has recommended an 2pc pay increase for staff at Ulster Bank. The FSU has suspend a ballot to approve that increase however, due to a dispute over timing.
Dublin-headquartered aircraft lessor Avolon is raising $3bn via bond issues to help fund the $10bn acquisition of the aircraft leasing business of CIT Group.

Combined with a new $5.5bn secured term loan finalised by Avolon to complete the CIT transaction, the total raised is believed to be the largest financing transaction ever undertaken in Irish corporate history.

Its also understood that the offering has been significantly over-subscribed by investors keen to bankroll the CIT acquisition.

Avolon, now owned by China-based HNAs Bohai aircraft leasing unit, sealed a deal last October to buy CITs assets, a transaction that will effectively double the size of Avolon.

Avolon, which was co-founded by Clare native Domhnal Slattery, currently has an owned, managed and on-order fleet of 429 aircraft.

Following the CIT acquisition, it will have about 910. It will also propel Avolon to being the world's third-largest aircraft lessor.

When Avolon clinched the deal to buy the CIT business last October, Mr Slattery told the Irish Independent that he now plans to make Avolon the world's biggest aircraft leasing firm.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Avolon is raising $1.75bn of 5.25pc senior notes due in 2022, and $1.25bn of 5.5pc senior notes due in 2024. The offering is expected to close on February 3.

Avolon confirmed today that it intends to use the net proceeds from the offering, together with cash on hand, new equity contributed by Avolons indirect parent company, Bohai, and $5.5bn of borrowings under a new senior secured term loan facility, to finance the CIT acquisition.
A New York firm backed by the multi-billionaire US Ziff family has agreed to help bankroll the construction of a new subsea fibre-optic cable between Ireland and France.

The investment firm - Tiger Infrastructure Partners - has inked the deal with Cork company Ireland-France Subsea Cable (IFSC).

The new 565km cable - called IFC-1 - will be the first direct subsea cable between Ireland and France. It will provide ultra-high capacity transmission to telecoms carriers, internet companies and large corporations in Ireland looking for connectivity to continental Europe. The cable will land in Brittany and is due to be in service by late 2018.

"The massive growth of Ireland's data centre industry and the requirement for resilient telecommunications infrastructure has created the need for a new, direct route to continental Europe," said Michael Cunningham, chairman of IFSC.

IFSC was founded in 2015 by Mr Michael Cunningham and Doug Cunningham.

A former hedge fund analyst, Michael Cunningham was also ceo of Arctic Fibre, a company developing a $620m (583m) subsea cable project between Japan and the UK, with spurs into 14 Arctic communities, as well as Cork.

The company was acquired last year by Alaskan firm Quintillion Subsea.

Doug Cunningham is a telecoms entrepreneur and founder of Arctic Fibre.

Ireland is a base for significant international data centre operations, with multinationals such as Google, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft having data centres here.

The Ziff family is the anchor investor in Tiger Infrastructure Partners. Dirk Ziff, the managing partner of Ziff Capital Partners, is a senior adviser to it.

The Ziff fortune was initially made in publishing, but the brothers who inherited it have invested in a range of asset classes, from equities, debt and property to commodities.
The firm that publishes the Golden Pages returned to profit in 2015 to record pre-tax profits of 2.43m.

The return to profit for FCR Media Ltd in 2015 came ahead of the business proceeding with a restructuring last year that saw 7pc of its workforce here being made redundant. FCR Media now employs 119 people here.

According to the directors' report, they state that the company is repositioning itself with a revised business model with lower revenues and a lower cost base.

The note states: "It is receiving the support from its parent shareholder as it strives towards profitability."

The new accounts show that FCR Media Ltd returned to pre-tax profit in spite of the company's gross profit reducing by 10pc, going from 11.25m to 10.16m.

According to the new accounts: "Although 2015 has been a challenging year with recognised revenue down 7pc on 2014, we have seen continued growth from our online and digital product offering - up 7pc on 2014 and positive feedback from new and existing customers to our new digital product range.

"As expected, our print revenues have continued to decline, by 6pc on 2014."

In 2015, 53pc of overall revenues were generated from online and digital marketing solutions.

The directors state that the company continues to evolve its operating model across 2016 and 2017 "as it completes its transition to a full digital media agency".

The firm recently signed a two-year contract with Eir which allows FCR Media to publish the Eircom phone book for 2016 and 2017.

During 2015, the firm closed its defined benefit scheme to future accrual and replaced its pension compensation with a competitive defined contribution plan for those employees affected.

The directors state that in consultation with the trustees of the defined benefit plan, the company agreed to a schedule of contribution payments over 10 years amounting to a total of 3.7m.

Staff costs at the company last year increased to 7.45m.
Ulick and Desmond McEvaddy's Omega Aviation company has returned to the black, posting a 217,000 pre-tax profit in 2015, compared to a 1.7m loss the year before.

Omega sells aircraft spares and overhauls engines, primarily from a base in Shannon and one in the US.

A connected US firm, Omega Aerial Refuelling Services, provides in-flight refuelling services for the US armed forces and other military around the world. Those business activities are not included in the Irish company's performance, however.

Omega Aviation said that its turnover - which it did not disclose - "increased significantly" in 2015 due to an increase in leased flight hours.

Its subsidiaries also include units involved in property investment, management, and medical centre activities.

Despite returning to profitability, Omega still had a deficit of 9m in shareholder funds at the end of the year.

The company has remained in talks with third-party investors to secure funding, with the McEvaddy brothers indicating in the accounts that have just been filed with the Companies Registration Office that an agreement is likely to be reached this year.

Ulick McEvaddy - a former Army officer - declined to comment on either the financial performance of the company or the negotiations with third parties when contacted by the Irish Independent.

The significant shareholder deficit has again prompted Omega's auditor to warn that the company's financial position cast a "material uncertainty" on whether the company can continue as a going concern.

"The company is currently in the process of negotiating with third-party investors to avail of funding which is expected to address the ongoing cashflow and historical financial issues which have been the cause of many of the recent financial period losses," the accounts note.

"This new arrangement would continue the company's work in addressing the accumulated losses, giving rise to the shareholders' deficit, and improve financial resources for the company going forward."

The directors stated that at the time of signing the 2015 accounts, on January 6 this year, negotiations were continuing.

"However, the directors are of the opinion that a result beneficial to all parties would be completed in 2017," they note.

At the end of 2015, another connected US firm, Omega Air Inc and Bacchus Aviation, a trade supplier, owed a unit of US private equity giant Lone Star a total of $9.7m (9m).

Omega Aviation has assigned to the Lone Star vehicle all of its rights, title and interest in and to aircraft agreements with Omega Air Inc and Bacchus Aviation.

The Lone Star unit acquired the loans in 2013 from Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, formerly Anglo Irish Bank.

Omega Aerial Refuelling Services, based in San Antonio, Texas, has a deep relationship with the US military and has also provided services to other air forces.

In 2015, the US Navy completed the first ever in-flight refuelling of a drone, using an Omega Air Boeing 707 tanker.

The drone, called "Salty Dog 502", is the size of an F/A-18 Super Hornet jet fighter and weighs 20 tonnes.

The test saw the drone track the tanker from almost two kilometres away using optical sensors and a video camera as it made an approach to within six metres of the Omega tanker over the coast of Maryland.

The drone took on 1,360 kg of fuel in five minutes.
Up to 20 new towns in Cork, Galway, and in counties along the Dublin commuter belt will see rent caps introduced in the coming weeks.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney is expected to reveal the new rent pressure zones before the end of the month following a review of prices in several counties. However, Fianna Fail is set to call for almost 40 towns to be designated as pressure zones due to the prohibitive cost of rising rents in other areas of the country.

Mr Coveney tasked the Housing Agency with identifying towns where rent caps should be introduced across 15 specific electorate areas. The report is almost finalised and it is understood the vast majority of areas reviewed were found to have met the criteria needed.

"I expect quite a number of towns will be included in this and quite a number of towns which would like to get but won't get because they don't qualify," Mr Coveney told the Irish Independent.

For towns to be designated as a pressure zone the average rents has to be above the national average and prices must have increased by 7pc in four of the last six quarters.

Landlords can increase rent by only 4pc a year for the next three years in designated zones. The Housing Agency is believed to have identified electoral areas in Cork and Galway where rent caps need to be introduced. A number of areas in counties along the Dublin commuter belt are also expected to be designated. Sources indicated Navan in Meath and Naas in Kildare met the criteria, as has Carrigaline, Ballincollig, Douglas and Rochestown in Cork.

Towns in Limerick and Waterford are not expected to see rent caps introduced following the outcome of the Housing Agency's review but could be designated as pressure zones in a future audit. The minister was criticised when he introduced his rent strategy as only areas in Dublin and Cork were designated as pressure zones.

Fianna Fail housing spokesman Barry Cowen said he would insist on almost 40 towns being selected as the rent zones.

"According to our initial analysis of which areas look like they will be designated as rent pressure zones this year, it appears that there are many areas where renters are under serious pressure could lose out," Mr Cowen said.

"It's a great pity Mr Coveney did not allow a longer time frame to discuss his rent control proposals, so we could have put criteria under greater scrutiny."

Data compiled by Fianna Fail shows at least 18 towns on the Dublin commuter belt and outside Cork City currently meet the criteria to be included in the Government's rent pressure zones. Another 21 towns in parts of Galway, Limerick and Waterford are expected to meet the criteria in the coming months, according to Fianna Fail's analysis.

Read More

Fianna Fail's figures use information available from the Residential Tenancies Board.

But Mr Coveney said he would be "sceptical" of Fianna Fail's figures. The minister said the review of rent prices needed to be based on data, not on popular political decisions.

Housing is increasingly becoming a flashpoint between the two largest parties. The Government yesterday escaped an embarrassing defeat in the Dail after the Ceann Comhairle used his casting vote.

TDs were voting on a bill aimed at tackling evictions when the numbers were tied 51-51. Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail said that in keeping with custom and practice, he would vote in favour of the amended bill and side with the Government.

FF's pressure-zone towns list

Towns soon to meet rent-cap criteria

Galway: Salthill, Rahoon, Oranmore, Ballybane, Monivea.

Kildare: Monasterevin, Rathangan.

Louth: Drogheda.

Meath: Dunshaughlin, Laytown, Navan, Enfield.

Cork: Rochestown, Passage West, Carrigtwohill, Midleton, Cloyne.

Limerick: Raheen, Castleconnell.

Towns currently meeting rent-cap criteria

Kildare: Maynooth, Naas, Sallins, Newbridge, Kilcock, Kill.

Meath: Ashbourne, Bettystown, Duleek, Ratoath, Dunboyne.

Wicklow: Greystones, Delgany, Wicklow Town.

Cork: Ballincollig, Douglas, Tower.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 20

By Orkhan Quluzade  Trend:

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will pay a working visit to Turkey in early February, the Turkish media reported Jan. 20.

During the visit, Merkel will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

The immigrant crisis, regional issues, the fight against terrorism, as well as the ways of strengthening economic cooperation are planned to be discussed in the negotiations.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade
Commuting from Portlaoise to Dublin every day is a necessary burden for gym owner John Sheridan.

For the 30-year-old, owning a home in the capital is an unrealistic dream.

Mr Sheridan, who is originally from Blanchardstown and lives with his fiance Aisling, said even with a combined income finding a house outside Dublin was proving difficult.

"We were originally renting in Carpenterstown, but then had to move further away to Maynooth and then Kilcock due to cheaper rents," he said.

"About three years ago, we started to check out the market for a house.

"I was very surprised and disappointed with how limited our options were in Dublin so we continued our search further afield.

"My partner managed to find a house in Portlaoise, but it was no easy task - we got it by the skin of our teeth.

"Although it wasn't an ideal place to live, we had to find somewhere to buy because the housing market was constantly on the rise.

"We've been living here for about four years now. When we first moved in I was spending two or three nights with my parents due to my busy schedule in Dublin. It would make our lives easier finding a place in the capital, but it seems like an unrealistic dream."
Serial technology entrepreneur Dylan Collins is reportedly exploring a stock market flotation for his London-based SuperAwesome startup, an online platform that makes it easy for advertisers who market to kids to comply with changing rules.

UK reports say Mr Collins is considering a London Stock Exchange listing and has engaged with a number of UK financial institutions on the matter.

The move could raise an estimated 230m for the firm, according to sources quoted by London's City AM.

The company has been active in fundraising preparations for some months.

In September, the Irish Independent reported that it was in discussions for a new round of funding, worth over 10m. At that time, sources close to the company said that the startup would exceed 10m in revenue for 2016 and had expectations of more than 20m in revenue in 2017. SuperAwesome now employs 100 people and has opened offices in New York, Bangkok and Sydney.

SuperAwesome provides technology that makes sure websites and apps engage in appropriate behaviour when marketing to children. It ensures that publishers and advertisers do not track kids online or target their behaviour.

The company is taking advantage of a multi-billion dollar shift in child-focused advertising away from television to digital formats. Its customers now include Lego, Disney, Clarks and The Cartoon Network.

Mr Collins sold the gaming startup Demonware to industry giant Activision in 2007. A social gaming network he founded, Jolt Online, was sold to Gamestop in 2009.
PROPOSALS to reduce the size of the legendary screen one in Dublins Savoy Cinema have been described as a sad day for Irish cinema.

A spokesperson for the OConnell Street cinema confirmed to the Herald that plans had been drawn up to reduce the capacity of the theatre from 800 to 680 people to accommodate two smaller-sized screens.

RTE DJ Rick OShea said it would be a terrible shame if the auditorium, which once held 2,500 people, was cut in size.

I remember going to see my first James Bond movie there in 1985 and to see these plans is a sad day for Irish cinema, he said.

Expand Close Rick O'Shea at The Savoy Cinema, O'Connell Street, Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Rick O'Shea at The Savoy Cinema, O'Connell Street, Dublin. Picture: Brian McEvoy

Ive seen Superman and Silence of the Lambs there as well as introducing premieres over the years. The building has so much history.

But I understand exactly where they are coming from. Youve got Cineworld around the corner with a car park underneath so its much easier for them to attract people.

A number of Hollywood stars have graced red carpets at the city centre cineplex over the years, including Daniel Day Lewis, Will Ferrell and Russell Crowe.

Former Love/Hate actress Lynn Rafferty was also dismayed at the plans. The biggest reason we went to the Savoy was for that screen so this just takes away from the cinema, she said.

I have been to see countless movies in screen one  its a stunning screen to watch films on and theres always a really nice old school feeling about it that adds to the experience.

I get that the Savoy is a business in a competitive world but it would be really sad to see Irelands first widescreen go.

A spokesperson for the Savoy said: The plan is now with the board of directors and there is no date or timeline on the development.

Dave Leahy, of Warrior Films, described the popular screen as the best in the country.

Video of the Day

Working in the film industry, I have been lucky enough to attend a number of premieres, whether it be with the Irish Film Festival or as a punter, and it was by far the best, he said.

I saw a screening with Al Pacino in there amongst many others and it was just iconic. So its just disappointing.

Kevin Flynn, a film writer living in Rathfarnham, said the plans were a sign of the times.

I was only looking at a book the other day and saw a picture of the original screen and thought to myself that it was spectacular, absolutely unbelievable looking, he added.
A knife or gun was used to threaten or injure staff in a fifth of violent incidents (Stock picture)

Almost a quarter of Irish pharmacies have suffered violent attacks, with some outlets being targeted by criminals on several occasions.

A knife or gun was used to threaten or injure staff in a fifth of violent incidents. The offences are now at "crisis levels", according to the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), with pharmacies the subject of robbery, fraud, shoplifting or raids.

IPU president Daragh Connolly described the findings of its survey as "utterly unacceptable" and "shocking".

"It is difficult enough to run a pharmacy in the current environment without being the target for criminal activity," he said. "This not only has a significant cost factor, but more importantly has a detrimental impact on pharmacy staff."

Mr Connolly hit out at the penal system which he described as a "revolving door", adding that thieves now believed their crimes would go unpunished.
Ankara, Turkey, Jan. 20

By Atilla Caner  Trend:

The US is reluctant to provide direct assistance to Turkeys operations inside Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with The Washington Post.

They are using my air base, and they are not giving air cover, Cavusoglu said of the US, which launches much of its own air operations against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Syria from Turkeys Incirlik base.

This week, Turkish and Russian warplanes for the first time flew joint strike missions in support of Turkish troops advancing on the IS positions in and around the northern Syrian town of Al-Bab, Cavusoglu added.

On Aug. 24, 2016, Turkey, with the support of the coalition aircraft, launched an operation to liberate the city of Jarabulus in northern Syria from the IS militants.

The operation was dubbed the Euphrates Shield.

Syria has been suffering from an armed conflict since March 2011, which, according to the UN, has so far claimed over 500,000 lives.

Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The IS, YPG and PYD are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.
A mother told police that her infant daughter had developed tantrums and crying fits in the weeks before she died, a court has heard.

Prosecution counsel Toby Hedworth QC read a statement from Tammy Louis Walsh to the jury sitting in the murder trial of her former partner Christopher O'Neill in Armagh courthouse yesterday.

O'Neill (26), from Whiterock Road in west Belfast, denies murdering his baby daughter Caragh Walsh.

She died on February 7, 2014, two days after being rushed to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children from her Glasveigh Park home in Twinbrook.

Expand Close Caragh Walsh / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Caragh Walsh

It was suggested on the opening day of the trial by Mr Hedworth that a reason for the three-month-old's death was that "perhaps he (O'Neill) had snapped because she was crying and he could not get her to settle, only he knows that".

Mr Hedworth said it was not suggested that O'Neill intended to kill his baby daughter, but that being unable to quieten her, he "must have lost self-control and that he caused those catalogue of injuries identified by the pathologists".

Yesterday, the jury heard how Tammy Louise Walsh initially painted a picture of a healthy baby, describing her as a "good feeder" who would take a whole bottle of Cow & Gate milk at one feed.

However, she said her daughter then developed what doctors described as bronchiolitis in the run-up to Christmas 2013, and said some nights she was "up all night with her".

The court heard that as Caragh's health further deteriorated the couple noticed that at times "she wasn't breathing ... she was squealing and would stop breathing".

The mother put this down to her daughter throwing tantrums because she wasn't getting her own way.

Ms Walsh said that in January 2014 she noticed Caragh was "crying and squealing" a lot more, adding: "I just wanted to know what was wrong with her.

"Chris would spoil her. She was always in his arms and she was always with him."

Ms Walsh recalled on another occasion how her daughter was "squealing and squealing and I didn't know how to get her to stop".

The mother added that in early February 2014, just days before her death, she noticed Caragh was going off her bottle, only taking two or three ounces at a feed.

Ms Walsh, who was studying at Ulster University, said the following morning she was woken around 4am and found "Christopher feeding Caragh in the bedroom and she was squealing".

On the morning of the February 5, 2014, she told police that she fed Caragh her bottle and put her in her pink bouncer, where she fell asleep.

The court heard that her father took her to Lisburn to drop off forms with the Housing Executive and her partner was sitting on the sofa in their flat.

"I remember getting a call from Christopher. It was about 12.20pm," she said.

"Christopher was upset. I couldn't make out what he was saying.

"I could hear him repeating my name 'Tammy Louise, Tammy Louise'. I knew there was something wrong."

She said that on the way back to her flat she saw an ambulance and a paramedic vehicle and "I was praying they were not going to my flat".

As her father drove into Glasveigh Park, Ms Walsh said she saw a "paramedic and Caragh was in his arms. From the look of Caragh I thought she was dead".

She said that at the hospital she asked her then partner what happened, and he said that "Caragh had stopped breathing and he began to shake her to get her to breathe".

The mother recalled while in the intensive care unit at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children that police arrived and took Christopher O'Neill away for questioning.

Ms Walsh told police: "He (Christopher) is a very decent person and very nice.''

At hearing.
Gardai and Revenue have seized cannabis worth 37.5 million at Dublin Port as part of an ongoing investigation into organised crime groups.

The investigation resulted in the identification and interception of a consignment which arrived into Dublin on Friday.

A total of 1873 kgs of herbal cannabis was seized after it was discovered in three large wooden crates.

Joint investigations by Revenue and An Garda Siochana are continuing both domestically and internationally with regard to this significant seizure of controlled drugs destined for the Irish Market.

No arrests have yet been made.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald commended both the Garda and Revenue on the seizure.

"Today's seizure, in particular, demonstrates their determination and resourcefulness in going after the activities of drugs gangs who seek to profit from causing such misery in communities through their deadly trade," she said.

Minister of State for Communities and National Drugs and Fine Gael TD Catherine Byrne congratulated both members of An Garda Siochana and Revenue Custom Service on todays drugs seizure.

"This is further proof of the good work of garda officers and their colleagues in Revenue in the ongoing battle against drugs in our capital city and country.

"It represents one of the biggest seizures of drugs made in the State in years," Deputy Byrne, who represents the Dublin South Central constituency, said.

"Drugs destroy lives. They are a scourge on our communities. Numerous families across the country have been left devastated from the loss of loved ones who have succumbed to the grip of lethal drugs."
A spokeswoman for the hospital said the consultant had given an undertaking not to do colonoscopies elsewhere and he was now engaged in a formal human resources process (Stock picture)

A hospital consultant who carried out a diagnostic procedure on 13 patients whose bowel cancer was missed remains on paid leave two years after the case became public.

The patients - one of whom has died - had colonoscopies at Wexford General Hospital and were later found to have bowel cancer.

All had been referred under the free BowelScreen programme for people aged 60 to 69.

A HSE review said the cancers were probably missed, although this was disputed by the full-time consultant who conducted all tests and went on voluntary leave.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said the consultant had given an undertaking not to do colonoscopies elsewhere and he was now engaged in a formal human resources process.

The incident had been referred to the Medical Council, she said.

Meanwhile, the daughter of one of the patients whose cancer was missed said yesterday he was told to "go home and drink Guinness" after he went to the emergency department of Wexford Hospital with worrying symptoms.

Dee Fitzpatrick, from Wexford, said her father Pat (72) had a colonoscopy in February 2013, and began to feel unwell two years later.

He was contacted and was asked to go for a repeat colonoscopy, which was paid for in St Vincent's Hospital.

It confirmed he had cancer of the bowel.

She said yesterday her father, who has undergone intensive treatment for the illness, has "fought one hell of a fight".

He has suffered four episodes of pneumonia, three cardiac arrests and now has cancer in his brain.

"He has been through a very difficult two years," she said.

The family continue to question what her father's state of health would be if the cancer was detected earlier.

A spokeswoman for BowelScreen said yesterday no other missed cancers had been reported in other hospitals used by the screening programme.

One other cancer was reported in a patient who was screened in the first round between 2012 and 2015.

This was investigated and found to be an "interval cancer", which can happen between screenings.

The case was reviewed by clinical experts and they deemed the doctor's practice met all required standards and there was no cause for concern.

She said a range of quality assurance measures were in place to minimise the risk of a mistake being made.

Health Minister Simon Harris said he would encourage people invited to take part in BowelScreen to avail of the offer, which could be lifesaving.

He described the cases of missed diagnosis as "sad and distressing" and his job was to ensure it was not repeated.
Refurbishment costs at a hospital that allegedly had 'no patients' during a recent visit by TDs have spiralled 7m over-budget, it has been claimed.

Our Lady's Hospital in Cashel, Co Tipperary - which caters for day patients - is said to have undergone more than 22m in refurbishment work in recent years.

Despite that investment, local Labour TD Alan Kelly told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) he visited the hospital with Health Minister Simon Harris recently and "there wasn't one single patient in the building".

The remarks have echoes of classic British TV series 'Yes Minister', where Jim Hacker was told by his civil servants that the running of a hospital would be helped by having no patients.

But serious questions have been raised about the cost of the refurbishment work in Cashel. Mr Harris said the HSE should "absolutely" come before the PAC to explain the expenditure.

The HSE insisted last night, however, that the refurbishments remained within the allocated budget. It said two phases of refurbishment work costing 23.5m were completed between 2009 and 2011 and were "within budget".

Alan Kelly said he had been "imploring" Mr Harris to expand services at the hospital and use it as a step-down facility to ease "massive overcrowding" at South Tipperary General Hospital. He argued Mr Harris couldn't stand over the current situation, adding: "He's going to have to do something."

The PAC was asked to probe the refurbishment costs by another Tipperary TD, Mattie McGrath, who said the budget for the work was originally set at 15m.

He said the apparent overspend of 7m was "a cause of profound concern to me".

Mr McGrath also claimed that while plans published in 2009 showed the refurbishment would include units with 65 beds, it was recently confirmed at a regional health forum that the hospital "will in fact never have patients in beds".

"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," Mr Kelly told the PAC.

"So it's not just a case of where did the 7m go. It's a case of what is it [the hospital] being used for or what will it potentially be used for while South Tipperary General Hospital . . . is [experiencing] one of the biggest overcrowding situations in Ireland?"

Sinn Fein TD Mary Lou McDonald said there was "a strong argument for just calling the HSE in fairly promptly" and raised concern at Mr McGrath's assertion that the hospital would never have patients on beds.

Read More

Mr Kelly said: "Many of us have been arguing that it's obviously a disgrace that this facility is left like that."

He added the HSE was refusing to use the hospital as a step-down facility. "If it's not going to be used as step-down what in the name of God is it going to be used for?"

PAC chairman Sean Fleming proposed writing to the HSE, enclosing Mr McGrath's letter and seeking "a full explanation".

Mr Harris later called on the HSE to address the allegations.

A lengthy statement released by the HSE last night detailed the services at the campus. Its said phase one included 28 beds in residential units for the elderly, people suffering from mental illness and those with intellectual difficulties.

Phase two resulted in the Cashel Primary Care team becoming based at the campus and included an upgraded space for the minor injuries unit among a series of other facilities.
Some of the sickest patients on public waiting lists are to lose out in a 5m move by the Government to outsource care to private hospitals.

None of the 11,272 patients in need of a hip or knee transplant will get their operation done for free in a private hospital.

Instead, the move will concentrate on private treatment for patients who need only lower-level, day-case procedures such as cataracts, the removal of lesions and dental extractions.

These are cheaper and will bring more people off the waiting list.

The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF), which will contract private hospitals to carry out the work, has yet to issue tenders.

It will be June before it is able to detail where the remaining 10m allocated this year for outsourcing care of public patients will be spent.

In the past, governments and the NTPF have been criticised for concentrating on volume instead of arranging surgery for a lower number of patients with complex and painful conditions, which is more expensive.

Under the first phase of outsourcing, it is planned that 3,000 of these day-case procedures can be carried out for around 5m.

A spokesman said patients waiting for these procedures in all public hospitals would be offered private treatment and they would be contacted.

The slow pace and choice of procedures are a major setback to the nearly 536,000 people who are facing 2017 on a public waiting list.

No patient on an outpatient waiting list of 437,558 will benefit although 31,485 have been in the queue for more than 18 months.

Health Minister Simon Harris pledged he would use the NTPF to reduce the gynaecology waiting list of 4,000 women in Cork University Hospital.

However, they will not be included in this phase.

Dr Louise Kenny, obstetrician and gynaecologist in Cork, warned yesterday some of the women are likely to be "incubating cancer" while they are waiting.

Former Holles Street master Dr Peter Boylan said outsourcing patients to doctors "they have never seen before" was "grossly unsatisfactory" and "bad clinical practice".

Read More

"The money should be put into the health service," he said, adding that outsourcing did not tackle the underlying problems causing the waiting lists.

"The HSE will submit the 2017 action plan for waiting lists for the public acute hospital sector for inpatients and day-cases and outpatients," Mr Harris said yesterday.

Dr John Duddy, president of the Irish Medical Organisation, said that "the allocation of public money to private hospitals removes vitally needed resources" from public hospitals.

"Health finance is a zero-sum game.

"If the minister gives money to private hospitals, he is doing so at the expense of public hospitals," he said.

"That might help the Government massage waiting list figures in the short term but it simply adds to the difficulty of sorting out our public hospitals in the medium to long term.

"Successive ministers have used the NTPF as a tool to massage figures and give the impression of action."
A murder investigation has been launched after body of a 51-year-old woman was discovered in a house in Lurgan, Co Armagh.

Police were called to the scene at around 2.50am to a house in the Toberhewney Hall area on Friday morning.

A post mortem examination will take place to determine the cause of death.

Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell said: A 51-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in police custody."

DUP MLA Carla Lockhart said it was "alarming" and that her thoughts were with the woman's family.

She said: "My thoughts and prayers are very much with those involved. A family has been left bereaved with such a tragic loss. The police are treating this as a murder investigation and therefore I would encourage anyone who has any information to come forward to the PSNI.

"This is a quiet residential area in the on the edge of Lurgan. Neighbours will be very alarmed at such happenings. The scene has been cordoned off and will remain that way whilst investigations are ongoing."
A Dublin mother has travelled to Washington to act as a chief marshal in a protest march against president-elect Donald Trump.

Mother-of-three Eimhear O Dalaigh, who lives in Ballybough, Dublin, flew to the US yesterday to participate in the Women's March On Washington, which is expected to attract 200,000 demonstrators.

She wants to show solidarity with marchers protesting against the next US president's "demeaning" attitude towards women and minority groups.

"I volunteered to be a marshal. When the organisers learned I was deputy chief steward for the Dublin Pride parades each year, they made me a marshal captain in charge of 50 marshals," said Ms O Dalaigh (49).

Marchers in Washington will want to show future president Mr Trump and his administration that they won't take his actions "lying down", she said.

The views of some of the people he was appointing, regarding the rights of women, were also deplorable, she said.

She hopes there will be a big turn-out at an anti-Trump protest march in Dublin, starting at the Central Bank Plaza at 5pm today.
Ankara, Turkey, Jan. 20

By Atilla Caner  Trend:

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with The Washington Post that he expects an early favorable response from the Trump administration to Turkeys request for the extradition of Fethullah Gulen.

The Istanbul Court earlier released an order to arrest Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of organizing the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey.

Ankara sent four documents to the US proving Gulens complicity in the military coup attempt and demanded his extradition.

We need to rebuild mutual trust, Cavusoglu said, noting that anti-Americanism is on the rise in Turkey.

The Turkish presidential administration earlier told Trend that Ankara will do everything possible to extradite Gulen from the US.
Nama debtors or receivers control 4,000 houses and apartments across the State, the vast bulk of which are rented (Stock picture)

State bad-bank Nama has rejected claims it is failing to use vacant properties to help tackle the homeless crisis.

The agency said that 173 properties it controlled were currently lying idle, but that all were temporarily vacant because they were either up for sale or between tenancies.

The figures come after homeless campaigners involved in the occupation of Apollo House in Dublin last month accused Nama and the Government of failing to tackle the homeless crisis.

It said that homeless people who did not need support for addiction or mental health issues should be given residential housing through Nama.

The latest figures show almost 7,000 people accessed emergency accommodation in November, the highest on record. Some 2,600 were children.

Nama debtors or receivers control 4,000 houses and apartments across the State, the vast bulk of which are rented.

"Nama does not own residential properties but it expects debtors and receivers to ensure that properties are occupied and generating income and that any vacant periods are kept to a minimum," it said in a statement.

In a parliamentary reply to Sinn Fein TD John Brady, Finance Minister Michael Noonan said that 173 were temporarily vacant with many sales agreed, or between tenancies.

Figures show that the homes are across 14 counties - 73 are in Dublin, 25 in Cork, 21 in Clare, 16 in Kildare, and nine in Galway. There are six each in Waterford and Westmeath, four in Wexford and Longford, three in Mayo and Louth, and one each in Limerick, Monaghan and Kerry.

Mr Brady said it was not acceptable that any Nama properties were empty at a time when people were seeking a home. "It's alarming that we have a homeless and housing crisis but there is 173 vacant properties," he said.

"I'm looking for a breakdown of how long they are empty."

Mr Noonan said that the agency aimed to deliver 20,000 houses and apartments by 2020 to help resolve the housing crisis.
Stuart Purcell of Whytes Auctioneers with a piece of shrapnel from a German WWII bomb that landed in Terenure Photo: Arthur Carron

It is the unfortunate tale of how German bombs demolished two houses in Dublin on different nights - and both turned out to be the homes the same man had lived in.

Edward Plant could be forgiven for feeling paranoid in January 1941 when German aircraft dropped their bombs on Dublin.

Britain was suffering regular bombing raids during the Second World War and a number of bombings occurred in Ireland after disorientated German pilots flew off course.

Mr Plant was living in a house in Rathdown Park, Terenure, when a German aircraft, believed to have flown off course on a bombing mission over England, dropped its bombs from the skies over Dublin 6 on the night of January 2.

Explosions

Two houses were demolished in Rathdown Park in the explosions and two other houses were badly damaged.

One of the demolished houses was the home of Mr Plant.

On the following night, January 3, another German aircraft dropped a bomb on Dublin.

Expand Close The 1916 medal awarded to Joseph Plunkett Picture: Arthur Carron / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The 1916 medal awarded to Joseph Plunkett Picture: Arthur Carron

This time, two houses at Donore Terrace, South Circular Road, were demolished.

The two areas of Dublin hit on successive nights were 4km apart.

But it turned out that one of the demolished houses in Donore Terrace was also the former home of Mr Plant.

The 'Irish Times' reported on January 4, 1941, that there was no loss of life in the bombings - with the exception of a dead parrot found in one of the damaged houses.

The story is told in an auction catalogue which features a piece of shrapnel found in Number 5, Rathdown Park, after the bombing.

"This piece of shrapnel is 10 inches long and looks like the blade of a machete.

"It's a monster piece of steel," said Stuart Purcell, of Whyte's auctioneers in Molesworth Street in Dublin.

"It doesn't bear thinking about if it hit you in the explosion.

"It would mean goodnight," he said.

The shrapnel, with a guide price of 300 to 500, is one of the items in Whyte's Eclectic Collector Auction taking place tomorrow, Saturday, January 21.

One of the most valuable items up for sale is the 1916 Rising medal awarded posthumously to Joseph Plunkett, one of the executed signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic.

In 1941, on the 25th anniversary of the Rising, his wife Grace refused to attend a ceremony to receive the medal in protest against the Government's policy of internment without trial of IRA members, many of whom were known to her.

When the medal was posted to her, she threw it in a bin - from where it was rescued by a friend.

Grace told the friend to keep it as she did not want it. The price estimate at the auction is 40,000 to 60,000.

Famine

Another poignant item for sale is a very big wrought iron 'masher' used to mash vegetables for cauldrons of soup. This was used in workhouses during the Famine in the 1840s.

It was found in a field in Fermanagh near the location of an old workhouse.

It has a guide price of 300 to 500.

A ministerial documents box, used by Sean Lemass when an Irish Free State minister in the 1930s, is being offered for sale with an estimate of 250 to 350.

The black leather box has Mr Lemass's name in gilt, along with the crowned royal arms of George V as ministers were still technically Ministers of the Crown during that period of Ireland's history.
The mum of a teen with a rare condition which means she cant smile or show any emotion has revealed people often think her daughter is simply a rude teenager.

Teegan Bracken OReilly (16), from Tallaght in Dublin, is one of just a handful of people in Ireland who have Moebius Syndrome.

The rare neurological condition affects movement in the face and prevents sufferers from being able to make facial expressions.

The teen, who is due to sit her leaving cert this year was diagnosed when she was 18 months old.

Doctors predicted she would encounter a number of developmental delays but her mum said she has proved them wrong.

We were told she might not walk and that she probably wouldnt talk. Thats horrible to hear when you have a little baby.

But she has always been in mainstream schools and she is now planning to go onto college, she said.

"She lives a normal teenage life except for what people cans see, that she can't make a facial expression.

Expand Close Teegan Bracken O'Reilly (16) with her mum Lesley, dad Anthony and brother Kane. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Teegan Bracken O'Reilly (16) with her mum Lesley, dad Anthony and brother Kane.

"So some people would think 'oh she's always very grumpy' or she is a rude teenager that just looks blank or distant to a conversation but as you get to know her you learn to pick up the different traits."

"People can think she is looking blank during a conversation or that she is just a normal grumpy teenager."

After years of thinking their family was the only one affected Lesley met fellow Tallaght mum Mags Purtill Fennell, whose son Dexter (4) was also diagnosed with the condition.

The two families joined forces and set up a support group for people in Ireland in the hope of raising awareness of the condition.

Expand Close Dexter Purtill Fennell (4) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Dexter Purtill Fennell (4)

They were thrilled when 13 people got in touch.

When you think about the odds and to have 13 people in Ireland who have it is a very big number, Lesly said.

It was a really great experience for everyone to be able to sit and have a conversation about our experiences.

It was especially great for parents of the younger children to realise that its not all doom and gloom."

The families are also hopeful that they can raise more awareness among the medical profession in Ireland, in the hope of encouraging more research or doctors to look at specialising in the area.

Limb deformities and balance problems are other problems which can be associated with the syndrome.

There are a number of symptoms which can be spotted in babies which point to the syndrome.

Expand Close Some of the families who attended the first Moebius Ireland event in January 2015 / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Some of the families who attended the first Moebius Ireland event in January 2015

They have no expressions, when they cry there are no tears, they can be like a doll. Their eyes dont move properly and their ears are not level with their eyes, Lesley said.

A doctor suggested to Lesley when Teegan was just two days old that she should be examined for Moebius Syndrome but it was still 18 months before she was officially diagnosed.

We hope that one day there will be at least one doctor in Ireland who will have a specialist knowledge of Moebius Syndrome, so it will save families 18 months or two years of anguish of not knowing whats happening with their babies, she said.

Moebius Ireland will host a meet-up on January 29 from 2pm to 6pm in the Louis Fitzgerald hotel on the Naas Road and members will be hosting various events around the country to raise awareness of the condition.

Anyone who would like to get in touch with the newly formed group can contact them on moebiussyndromireland@gmail.com or on Facebook at Moebius Ireland.
Picture the scene.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, or even US President Donald Trump, arrive at Leinster House for a tour of the parliament during their visits to Ireland.

The political heavyweights are greeted by bricks and mortar and dozens of construction workers involved in the long-awaited renovation works of the parliament.

It wouldnt give off the best possible first impressions, to say the least.

But the canny Leinster House authorities are drawing up a plan to protect the image of Leinster House during the renovation of the Seanad chamber.

A giant curtain - displaying a replica image of the back of Leinster House - will be draped around the historic building in a bid to disguise the ugly mess.

They say image is everything - so why should politics be any different?
Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness leaves Bishops Gate Hotel in Derry after announcing his intention not to seek re-election REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster wished Martin McGuinness a speedy recovery and praised his contribution to the "good things" they achieved while in government together.

Mr McGuinness's decision to quit politics comes amid a deep rift between him and Mrs Foster - a row that forced the collapse of the Stormont Executive.

Mrs Foster said: "Martin McGuinness and I have had our political differences and we come from very different angles of vision.

"As deputy first minister for almost a decade, Martin McGuinness has been a major figure at Stormont. While never forgetting the past, I believe the work at Stormont provided the foundations for our relative peace today.

"Despite all that has happened I wish Martin McGuinness a speedy recovery and that he and his wife are able to enjoy time with their family away from the relentless focus of public life."

While stating they did not agree with Mr McGuinness on many issues, both the Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin wished him well.

Expand Close Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy Picture: PA / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy Picture: PA

Mr Kenny said: "I am sorry to learn that Martin McGuinness has decided not to contest the forthcoming election due to his poor health.

"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."

Mr Martin said he sought to be a "constructive force" in trying to make the post-Good Friday Agreement institutions work.

Former president Mary McAleese said Mr McGuinness would now be missing from the "front line of politics", describing his contribution to the Peace Process as "enormous".

Read More

Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan urged the parties in Northern Ireland to emulate Martin McGuinness's political legacy.

Expand Close Gerry Adams TD Picture: Collins / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Gerry Adams TD Picture: Collins

He said: "As the holder of a joint office, he fully recognised that his duty was to represent all of the people of Northern Ireland. 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."

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."
British Prime Minister Theresa May has said Martin McGuinness moved the republican movement towards peace.

Theresa May recognised his work in securing a number of significant political agreements.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams hailed him as a patriot and peacemaker as tributes flooded in from across the political spectrum.

The Prime Minister said: "He played a key role in moving the republican movement towards a position of using peaceful and democratic means.

"I want to send him best wishes for his retirement.

"We will all continue to work to make sure that the people of Northern Ireland are able to live freely and in peace."

The Sinn Fein president said they first met more than 45 years ago behind the barricades of Free Derry, a no-go zone for the British army, and had been friends and comrades since.

"I also want to thank Bernie (his wife) and the entire McGuinness family for the support they have given to Martin over many years and for allowing him to become the leader, the patriot, the peacemaker and poet that he is."

He said he had been shocked by Mr McGuinness's recent appearance.

"Thank God he is looking a lot better since then and responding well to the treatment he is receiving. However, he does need to take time out to get better for himself, for his family and for our struggle."

He added: "Martin has said he wants to come back and be part of the process to end partition, build reconciliation, unite our people and achieve Irish unity.

"Give him the space to get better and increase our efforts so that when he returns the process of change has advanced."

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire said he was sorry the former deputy first minister would not be standing for another term at the Assembly.

He 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."
Last year, 72 workers at the ESB suffered injuries sufficient enough to need time away from work, including 52 staff members and 20 contractors (Stock picture)

At least one ESB worker every week on average has to take time off due to a workplace injury, prompting the commercial semi-state to look into rolling out a "safety culture change".

So-called lost time injuries reached a high of more than 300 in the mid-1990s, before dropping to its lowest point at 37.

But since then it has stayed "stubbornly" at about 50.

Last year, 72 workers at the ESB suffered injuries sufficient enough to need time away from work, including 52 staff members and 20 contractors. "Most" workers are making a quick recovery, according to the company.

With total staff of 6,500, the numbers are relatively low overall, at just over 1pc. But the company-State believes more needs to be done, with those working in generating stations, the transmission and distribution networks most at risk.

"Although our injury rate has improved over time, our staff are still getting injured at work," it said.

An ESB spokesman said the most significant safety risks arose for those working with electricity, at a height and with tools and equipment, as well as for drivers and those involved in transport.

Incidents had occurred across divisions. The ESB spokesman did not have figures for how much the injury-related absences had cost the company.

The vast majority of the injuries were not severe, he said, and were caused by slips and trips, handling, lifting and use of tools and equipment.

"Over the last 15 years, we have worked hard to reduce the number of Lost-Time Injuries (LTI) to staff and contractors from a high of over 300 LTIs in the mid-1990s to 72 in 2016," the spokesman said.

The ESB is now looking into running a programme that would include getting staff to look at how safely they are operating, as well as rolling out safety leadership skills training.
Gardai believe killer had 'sensational' information

MALCOLM Macarthur, prior to his trial for the murder of young nurse Bridie Gargan, may have been about to make sensational claims that an organised paedophile ring existed within the institutions of the State.

Ultimately when he pleaded guilty to that murder, a plea bargain with the State ensured that further charges for the murder of farmer Donal Dunne were never brought.

A senior garda involved in the investigation into Macarthur's murders has told the Sunday Independent that he believes Macarthur had sensational information which would have rocked the foundations of the State.

This information, he said, related to the alleged paedophile activities of politicians, members of the legal profession and civil servants. Other senior Garda officers have corroborated the investigating garda's suspicions, although they all believe Macarthur was not himself a paedophile.

Macarthur recently broke his 20-year silence to reject any suggestion that he was a member of a paedophile ring. But a paedophile ring is said by Garda sources to have operated in Dublin 20 years ago and is alleged to have involved a small number of, at the time, influential men.

Today's revelation will add credibility to claims made in the Dail last April by Fine Gael TD Phil Hogan.

Deputy Hogan's claims were based on allegations made to the Laffoy Commission, which is investigating allegations of child abuse in State institutions.

Yesterday Deputy Hogan told the Sunday Independent that before Macarthur is released, the Department of Justice should be ordered by the Taoiseach to "fully investigate" the allegations which have been made to the Laffoy Commission.

It is alleged that Macarthur was with a Department of Education official when that official approached a young male prostitute in Dublin's city centre.

Deputy Hogan said that the male prostitute had told the Laffoy Commission that he had recognised his client as a Department of Education official from a time years earlier when he was a resident of an Industrial School. The Department official, now retired, had been responsible for investigating allegations of child abuse.

The full facts surrounding the murders of Bridie Gargan and Donal Dunne were never revealed in open court.

Macarthur pleaded guilty and was convicted of the murder of Ms Gargan after the State accepted that plea.

The State entered a nolle prosequi on the charge of murdering Offaly farmer Donal Dunne, a decision that angered the murdered man's family.

In response to Deputy Hogan's allegations, the former Education Minister, Michael Woods said the Department had received no communication from the Laffoy Commission about any such case but it would give every co-operation and support if that happened.

Macarthur has totally rejected the allegations. A statement issued at the time through his solicitors, MacGuill and Company, said: "... extensive reference was made both in Dail Eireann and in the national media to a complaint apparently made to the Laffoy Commission which is inquiring into child abuse that Mr Malcolm Macarthur was a participant in sexual acts involving a survivor of child abuse, referred to in reports as a 'rent boy', and another party, stated to be a civil servant.

"No such allegation has been communicated to Mr Macarthur either by his accuser or any other party. Mr Macarthur refutes the allegation in its entirety."

Macarthur wrote to the Laffoy Commission requesting full details of the claim and his legal team said he was prepared to co-operate fully with the commission's investigation, including furnishing a statement in reply and giving evidence if requested.

The statement concluded: "He requests the media, if covering the issue, not to report as 'fact' these unproven allegations, even where made under parliamentary privilege, and to give equal prominence to his categorical denial of their truth."

The Sunday Independent has also learned that gardai harbour suspicions that Macarthur may have killed his violent father Daniel in order to come into a substantial inheritance in 1974.

It is known that Malcolm Macarthur had deep feelings about his parents. He was regularly beaten by his father who virtually abandoned him as a child.

Macarthur's father died in his bed while his son was on a rare visit home to the large family farm in Co Meath. No post-mortem was carried out and Macarthur received #70,000 from the estate. When this money ran out, he began his killing spree in a bizarre plot to fund his lifestyle through armed robbery.

Among Macarthur's belongings after his arrest in August 1982, detectives discovered notes showing he was planning to kill his mother, Irene, and make the murder look like an accidental electrocution. He wrote: "Electric fire with faulty plug attached. Adaptor left in walls perhaps fused adaptor plug pulled out. None of my fingerprints. Take away one of her fuses if it appears there are too many with and body of fire."

At the time of Macarthur's arrest, detectives had clear suspicions about the plot to kill his mother and were also concerned that he might have intended to kill his friend, Attorney General Paddy Connolly, in whose apartment he was arrested in August 1982.

Mr Connolly had unwittingly become embroiled in the sensational events when he allowed Macarthur the use of his apartment.

Macarthur was questioned about the murder in 1982 of the RTE set designer, Charles Self, 37, who was beaten and stabbed in his Monkstown mews home not far from the Dalkey apartment of Mr Connolly.

Gardai were suspicious because Macarthur appeared to have frequented pubs and clubs where Self, a homosexual, also socialised. Self's murderer has never been traced. However, detectives believe that he may have been killed by a violent young man he met in Dublin city centre. Macarthur was eventually removed from the suspect list in the Self case.
While the purchase of your first home gets increasingly unlikely with the Christmas frivolities clearing out your bank account, were giving you the chance to get your paws on a more achievable alternative.

To win Mattels Barbie Malibu Townhouse simply head on over to our Facebook page here: like the page and tell us why you deserve the prize under our competition post.

Competition closes at noon on Monday, January 23. Only one winner will be chosen. You must be a resident of the Republic of Ireland and be over 18 to enter.

Terms and conditions apply.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

Prize details

Barbie Malibu Townhouse

With three stories of play space, the Barbie Malibu Townhouse is home to so many storytelling opportunities! Four rooms and a rooftop lounge that opens up for a truly fun surprise complete with a pop-up umbrella make Barbie dolls newest house ultra-deluxe. Its the perfect townhouse for Barbies on-the-go Malibu lifestyle! Fold up the house with accessories inside for easy and convenient storage; unfold with ease to start play!
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, Reuters reported.

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.
Peggy McGuinness was worried about her son. It was 1972, and she had found an IRA beret and belt in his bedroom. Martin had just given up his job and the newspapers were describing him as the officer commanding the Provos' Derry brigade.

"His father is a welder, his brothers are at the bricklaying and carpentry, but what will become of Martin?" she fretted. Mrs McGuinness needn't have worried. Her son ended up something that even in her wildest dreams she wouldn't have considered - deputy first minister of a state he had once vowed to smash.

I interviewed him shortly after his appointment and he stressed how determined he was to build a strong relationship with Ian Paisley, who had once demanded that the Sinn Fein leader be hanged.

Mr McGuiness brushed it all away. "I've called him a sectarian bigot, I think he's called me worse but I'll not repeat it!" he joked. The two old enemies clicked instantly because, despite initial appearances, they weren't polls apart.

Both were conservative family men who liked the simple things in life. "Although, I'm not quite as religious as Ian!" Mr McGuinness quipped. Both detested 'the devil's buttermilk'. "I've a glass of wine at Christmas dinner but never more than two. I'd rather sit in the house with a mug of tea," Mr McGuinness said.

Understandably, unionists initially hated him because of the numerous IRA atrocities conducted on his watch. But at Stormont, and in meetings with ordinary people in the community, he won many sceptics over.

"Call me Martin!" he declared at Stormont while other cabinet colleagues insisted on 'minister'. Security staff, porters and canteen workers - you would be hard pressed to find one who had a bad word to say about him personally.

Protestant civil servants who had worked closely with him were visibly emotional as he packed up his belongings before Christmas.

While Gerry Adams talked about the need to "break these b******s", McGuiness told the Sinn Fein ard fheis that unionists should be "loved and cherished".

During his time at Stormont, he bit his lip in a way that other republicans facing provocation from the DUP's wilder wing would never do. Indeed, his tolerance emboldened that party's leadership to the extent that they mistakenly believed that he would never press the nuclear button and collapse the Executive.

In interviews yesterday, Mr McGuinness spoke of how he wanted to spend time with his family, fighting his illness out of the public spotlight. That's entirely in keeping with what we know about him.

Although his four children are long grown-up, he told me that he would never have dreamed of spending the week in Belfast in order to avoid the 140-mile daily round commute from Derry. "I believe in going home every night," he said.

He has an exceptionally strong relationship with his wife of 42 years, Bernie Canning. Family is everything to him. As deputy first minister, he travelled the world. But he said that his most special trip was a private one.

"I took my grandson to Paris when Derry City played Paris St Germain. It was nothing to do with Sinn Fein or politics, just a family visit. We walked through the streets together and I thought ... this is so special."

Despite Mr McGuinness's illness and his amiable manner, which surprised many political opponents, he certainly shouldn't be sentimentalised.

Mr McGuinness's departure will leave a huge gap in Sinn Fein's leadership in Northern Ireland. In the Republic, the party is brimming with talent - Pearse Doherty, Peadar Toibin, Mary Lou McDonald and Padraig Mac Lochlainn to name but a few.

Conor Murphy was once the clear frontrunner to take over. Now he appears too dull for a dynamic political environment in which people want change.

Michelle O'Neill is emerging as the favourite. Her youth, gender, and lack of IRA baggage should appeal to a wide section of the electorate - at least for now. But she lacks the former deputy first minister's gravitas, and unionists will never find another more accommodating coalition partner than him.

Sinn Fein seems set for a good election. It won't be until the negotiations start and beyond, that the strong, steady hand of Mr McGuinness will be missed. Even the DUP may come to regret his departure.
Ivanka Trump attends 2015 Glamour Women Of The Year Awards at Carnegie Hall on November 9, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Glamour)

Ivanka Trump walks on stage to deliver a speech during the evening session on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ivanka Trump waves to the crowd as she walks on stage to deliver a speech during the evening session on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ask Brian: My boyfriend is pressuring me for naked pictures - he says I'm a prude and all his exes have, what should I do?

A model presents a creation by US fashion designer Rick Owens, during men's Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2017/2018 collection in Paris

A model presents a creation by US fashion designer Rick Owens, during men's Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2017/2018 collection in Paris

Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump, speaks to guests while making a campaign stop for her father on October 20, 2016 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

A model presents a creation by US fashion designer Rick Owens, during men's Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2017/2018 collection in Paris

President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump attend a pre-Inaugural "Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration" at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Melania Trump (L) and Ivanka Trump look on as Republican presidential elect Donald Trump speaks during election night at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York on November 9, 2016. / AFP / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

President-elect of The United States Donald J. Trump and first lady-elect of The United States Melania Trump arrive at the "Make America Great Again Welcome Celebration concert at the Lincoln Memorial in January 19, 2017 in Washington, DC.

US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive to attend an inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, on January 19, 2017

(L-R) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's wife Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka Trump, son Eric Trump and son Donald Trump, Jr. attend the town hall debate at Washington University on October 9, 2016 in St Louis, Missouri. This is the second of three presidential debates scheduled prior to the November 8th election. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images)

US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive to attend an inauguration concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, on January 19, 2017

Ivanka Trump speaks onstage at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit 2016 at Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel on October 19, 2016 in Dana Point, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Fortune)

A model presents a creation by US fashion designer Rick Owens, during men's Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2017/2018 collection in Paris

Ivanka Trump Visits "FOX & Friends" at FOX Studios on September 14, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)

(L-R) Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump and Malania Trump arrive before the start of the third U.S. presidential debate at the Thomas & Mack Center on October 19, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tonight is the final debate ahead of Election Day on November 8. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

A model presents a creation by US fashion designer Rick Owens, during men's Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2017/2018 collection in Paris

A model presents a creation by US fashion designer Rick Owens, during men's Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2017/2018 collection in Paris

Ivanka Trump looks on as her her father, Republican presidential hopeful Donald J. Trump, speaks during a campaign event at the Aston Township Community Center on September 13, 2016 in Aston, Pennsylvania. Recent national polls show the presidential race is tightening with two months until the election. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

Ivanka Trump waves to the crowd as she walks on stage to deliver a speech during the evening session on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ivanka Trump delivers a speech during the evening session on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Founder and CEO of Ivanka Trump Collection and Executive Vice President of Development and Acquisitions of The Trump Organization Ivanka Trump speaks onstage during Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit - Day 3 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on October 14, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Fortune/Time Inc)

Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump, laughs and holds her stomach, as her father jokes about her pregnancy whilst speaking to veterans at Drake University on January 28, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Ivanka Trump walks the runway at Johnnie Walker's "Dressed To Kilt 2007" fashion show at Capitale on April 2, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

Ivanka Trump walks the runway at Johnnie Walker's "Dressed To Kilt 2007" fashion show at Capitale on April 2, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

A worker cleans off the windows of the Ivanka Trump Boutique at Trump Tower on January 17, 2017 in New York. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

Ivanka Trump attends the Guggenheim Museum's Young Collectors Council 2006 Artist's Ball sponsored by Giorgio Armani at The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, December 14, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

Donald Trump visits his Scottish golf course Turnberry with his children Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump on July 30, 2015 in Ayr, Scotland. Donald Trump answered questions from the media at a press conference. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

US President-elect Donald Trump whispers to his daughter Ivanka during a press conference January 11, 2017 at Trump Tower in New York.

Donald Trump walks on stage after his daughter, Ivanka Trump, introduced him during the evening session on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President-elect Donald Trump, along with his wife Ivanka Trump arrive for the the Inauguration Welcome Concert at the Lincoln Memorial January 19, 2017 in Washington, DC.

Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump test the teleprompters and microphones on stage before the start of the fourth day of the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump attend the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 20, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ivanka Trump speaks before the arrival of her father, Donald Trump, during a rally in Bethpage Long Island, New York on April 6, 2016.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump daughter Ivanka (C), her husband Jared Kushner (R) and Tiffany Trump arrive at a Inaugural Concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, U.S., January 19, 2017, one day before Trump's inauguration as the nation's 45th president. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Ivanka Trump carries her son Theodore Kushner, as they arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, for her father's inauguration. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton wave after a midnight rally at Reynolds Coliseum November 8, 2016 in Morrisville, North Carolina. / AFP / Brendan Smialowski (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Donald Trump pats his expecting daughter Ivanka Trump while celebrating victory in the South Carolina primary in Spartanburg, South Carolina, February 20, 2016.

Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald Trump, listens to proceedings during the Republican National Convention on July 19, 2016 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Hillary Clinton kisses daughter Chelsea Clinton as husband Bill Clinton looks on during a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Photo: Reuters

Ivanka Trump carries her son Theodore Kushner as she steps off the plane. Photo: Getty

Ivanka Trump arrives to introduce her father, Donald J. Trump, during a campaign event at the Aston Township Community Center on September 13, 2016 in Aston, Pennsylvania. Recent national polls show the presidential race is tightening with two months until the election. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

What you need to know about the incoming First Daughter - who will be the most powerful woman in the world.

1. She is Donald Trump's most influential adviser.

Expand Close US President-elect Donald Trump whispers to his daughter Ivanka during a press conference January 11, 2017 at Trump Tower in New York. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp US President-elect Donald Trump whispers to his daughter Ivanka during a press conference January 11, 2017 at Trump Tower in New York.

It's not hyperbole to describe as Ivanka as the soon-to-be most powerful woman in the world. She said yesterday she would not be "filling in" the First Lady role, but she is - unofficially - a key adviser.

"There is one first lady, and shell do remarkable things," Ivanka told 20/20.

Melania Trump's apparent lack of enthusiasm has been noted by supporters and critics alike - namely that she won't be moving to the White House full time and will instead remain at her New York City penthouse with 10-year-old son Barron Trump, at least until the school term finishes.

Despite Ivanka moving her family to Washington D.C., she has not been given an official role, but is largely considered to be her father's most trusted confidante.

2. She's a mother of three.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

Ivanka has three children - Arabella Rose (five), Joseph Frederick (three) and Theodore James (10 months). She hit the campaign trail while heavily pregnant with her youngest son and returned soon after giving birth last March.

Video of the Day

3. She converted to Judaism to wed Jared Kushner.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

Ivanka met real estate heir Jared in 2005 and broke up in 2007 due to his parent's reported objections over their religious differences. They eventually reconciled and married in 2009. Before their wedding, she converted to Orthodox Judaism, but rarely speaks publicly about her religion. She is said to have received special permission from her rabai to travel in a car for the inauguration today as driving or riding in cars is banned on the Sabbath, which begins Friday at sundown.

4. She has distanced herself from her father's misogynistic rhetoric on more than one occasion.

Expand Close Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump, speaks to guests while making a campaign stop for her father on October 20, 2016 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump, speaks to guests while making a campaign stop for her father on October 20, 2016 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

When it looked like Donald Trump was headed towards a loss, Ivanka publicly distanced herself from her father's offensive comments, which largely contradicted her professional ethos encouraging female representation in the workforce.

"I am not a surrogate. I am a daughter," she said at the Most Powerful Women Summit in October, saying she doesn't share the same political views as her father or the Republican party.

"I stood in front of the RNC and shared that I am an Independent, which is very consistent with many other Millennials and many other people. I am not dogmatically aligned with any party. And I share my thoughts with my father very candidly. But I do dismiss this idea of a surrogate."

5. She was instrumental in his appeal to female voters.

Expand Close U.S. President-elect Donald Trump daughter Ivanka (C), her husband Jared Kushner (R) and Tiffany Trump arrive at a Inaugural Concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, U.S., January 19, 2017, one day before Trump's inauguration as the nation's 45th president. REUTERS/Mike Segar / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp U.S. President-elect Donald Trump daughter Ivanka (C), her husband Jared Kushner (R) and Tiffany Trump arrive at a Inaugural Concert at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, U.S., January 19, 2017, one day before Trump's inauguration as the nation's 45th president. REUTERS/Mike Segar

While media organisations around the world continue to audit their election polling systems and analyse just exactly how they called it so wrong, it's become clear that Trump's secret weapon to success among women was, and is, Ivanka.

Suburban middle class white female voters were essential in Trump's Presidential success. They are the type of women who loathe the way Trump spoke about grabbing a woman "by the p***y", but do appreciate the way his daughter presents herself.

As one Buzzfeed article put it, "Ivanka Voters likely shop at Whole Foods, and go to Pilates, and maybe even admire Michelle Obama", but they also "do not offer stories of how their fathers, or their husbands, speak to them in a manner similar to Trump."

6. She founded the #WomenWhoWork campaign.

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

"I want to inspire and empower women to architect lives that they love, lives that are uniquely their own and not based on the expectations of anyone other than themselves," Ivanka said of the initiative, which she hopes will "change the way society thinks and talks about 'women who work'.

"Raising a daughter, I hope that she grows up to feel empowered to do anything that her brothers can do and to relentlessly pursue her dream." It's an admirable cause, but former employees have alleged some hypocrisies - namely that they weren't granted maternity leave from their positions while under her employ or had to fight tooth and nail to get it.

7. She is a former model.

Expand Close Ivanka Trump walks the runway at Johnnie Walker's "Dressed To Kilt 2007" fashion show at Capitale on April 2, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Ivanka Trump walks the runway at Johnnie Walker's "Dressed To Kilt 2007" fashion show at Capitale on April 2, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

Before taking on an executive role at the Trump Organisation, Ivanka utilised her family's high society connections and enjoyed a career as a model - landing gigs with Tommy Hilfiger, Versace and Seventeen and Maxim magazines.

8. She has a fashion line.

Expand Close A worker cleans off the windows of the Ivanka Trump Boutique at Trump Tower on January 17, 2017 in New York. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A worker cleans off the windows of the Ivanka Trump Boutique at Trump Tower on January 17, 2017 in New York. / AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

Ivanka's eponymous fashion line includes accessories, clothing and shoes - most of which are produced in China. She has stepped away from her role at the company to focus on work at the White House, but never shied away from promoting her products throughout the presidential race.

9. She's a reality tv star.

Expand Close Ivanka Trump on The Apprentice / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Ivanka Trump on The Apprentice

In addition to her supporting role on The Apprentice (2006 to 2015), Ivanka appeared in Born Rich, an HBO documentary in 2003 following privileged children coming from some of the wealthiest families in America including the Bloombergs and Vanderbilts. In it, she gives a tour of her teenage bedroom and allows cameras to follow her into the boardroom, while candidly discussing her parents (Donald and first wife Ivana) highly publicised divorce in 1991 and the difficulty of seeing their split played out in the headlines.

While some of those featured complained of the undue pressure put on them because of their famous lineage, Ivanka said the Trump name is "not a bad shadow to be under".

We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference

10. She's friends with Chelsea Clinton.

Expand Close Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton wave after a midnight rally at Reynolds Coliseum November 8, 2016 in Morrisville, North Carolina. / AFP / Brendan Smialowski (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton wave after a midnight rally at Reynolds Coliseum November 8, 2016 in Morrisville, North Carolina. / AFP / Brendan Smialowski (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

In one of the most bizarre friendships in modern politics, Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka managed to stay close throughout the presidential campaign - even as her father was tearing Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to shreds, telling her his first port of call as president would be imprison her.

"If I win I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation  there has never been so many lies and so much deception," Trump said at the second presidential debate.

But Ivanka recently revealed she and her "very good friend" Chelsea haven't spoken since the campaign.

"Shes been a friend of mine long before the campaign, of course will be a friend of mine after," she told ABC News. "I havent spoken about the specific challenges about this next chapter with her just yet but I intend to."
Angus Deayton is the new host of Bake Off: Creme De La Creme

Presenter Angus Deayton is turning his hand from comedy to patisserie as the new host of Bake Off: Creme De La Creme.

The spin-off show of The Great British Bake Off has stayed with the BBC despite the main programme's move to Channel 4, but is swapping its previous presenter chef Tom Kerridge for Deayton in the upcoming second series.

It sees teams of professional pastry chefs compete against each other in challenges testing their skill and creativity.

Deayton, who presented Have I Got News For You for 12 years until he was sacked in 2002, will be joined by judges Benoit Blin who is chef patissier at Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons and Cherish Finden, executive pastry chef at The Langham, London.

The first series, which debuted last year, regularly pulled in more than four million viewers per episode.

The second series will feature 10 teams of chefs who will again compete in tasks to make miniature pastries and spectacular showpiece desserts.

Love Productions make the series and executive producer Kieran Smith said: "We're delighted Angus has taken up the baton to host the new series.

"His distinct humour and presenting style brings a fresh dynamic to the show."

BBC2 channel editor Patrick Holland said: "Bake Off: Creme De La Creme proved a great hit with audiences last year and we are delighted that it is returning to BBC2 with Angus Deayton at the helm.

"With its wit, charm and celebration of specialism, it's a show I am delighted to have on BBC2."

Video of the Day

Bake Off: Creme De La Creme returns to BBC2 later this year.
US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania leave St. John's Episcopal Church on January 20, 2017, before Trump's inauguration.

US President Barack Obama(R) and First Lady Michelle Obama(L) welcome Preisdent-elect Donald Trump(2nd-L) and his wife Melania(2nd-R) to the White House

US President Barack Obama(R) and First Lady Michelle Obama(L) welcome Preisdent-elect Donald Trump(2nd-R) and his wife Melania to the White House

US President Barack Obama(R) and First Lady Michelle Obama(L) welcome President-elect Donald Trump(2nd-R) and his wife Melania(2nd-L) to the White House

US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania speak with Reverend Luis Leon as they leave St. John's Episcopal Church

US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania leave St. John's Episcopal Church on January 20, 2017, before Trump's inauguration.

US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania leave St. John's Episcopal Church on January 20, 2017, before Trump's inauguration.

US President Barack Obama(R) and First Lady Michelle Obama(L) welcome Preisdent-elect Donald Trump(2nd-R) and his wife Melania to the White House

US President-elect and his wife Melania leave St. John's Episcopal Church on January 20, 2017, before Trump's inauguration. / AFP PHOTO / Nicholas KammNICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

It looks like Melania Trump is taking inspiration from another First Lady, at least in the style stakes.

The former model, who requested to be referred to as Mrs Trump in articles as relayed to the New York Times, took a page out of Jackie O's book in a sky blue ensemble by American designer Ralph Lauren for Inauguration Day.

She opted for a bright, all blue layered dress with matching gloves and shoes, opting to wear her hair in a loose chignon bun.

President-elect Trump and his wife of 12 years met outgoing President Obama and First Lady Michelle at the White House today before the inauguration outside the U.S. capitol this afternoon.

Expand Close US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania leave St. John's Episcopal Church on January 20, 2017, before Trump's inauguration. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania leave St. John's Episcopal Church on January 20, 2017, before Trump's inauguration.

She was greeted by Michelle with a hug and kiss on the cheek by Michelle, who kept her arm around her as they posed for pictures outside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Later today, it's expected Melania will wear designs by Karl Lagerfeld, marking a departure from the traditional rule of the First Lady wearing only US brands for such an occasion.

While Ralph Lauren is widely regarded as a quintessential American label, German designer Lagerfeld, who is based in Paris and designs under three brands - Chanel, Fendi and his own eponymous fashion line - would be a notable choice for the Slovenia native.

Michelle Obama opted for a yellow suit by Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo for Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration ceremony, and a one-shouldered white silk chiffon gown to the evening inaugural balls, designed by New York-based Jason Wu.

Expand Close US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania leave St. John's Episcopal Church on January 20, 2017, before Trump's inauguration. / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania leave St. John's Episcopal Church on January 20, 2017, before Trump's inauguration.

In 2013 she chose a belted blue-checked coat by Thom Browne for the daytime ceremony and a red halterneck gown for the evening, again by Jason Wu.

Both Lauren, who was Hillary Clinton's go-to designer during the presidential campaign, and Lagerfeld are very well known brands, which would also mark a departure from the tradition of the First Lady shining a spotlight on relatively unknown labels.

Video of the Day

Mrs Clinton opted for Sarah Phillips and Laura Bush chose Michael Faircloth to design their gowns for their first inauguration balls, both lesser-known designers whom they had worn before.

Mrs Trump has scaled back her flashier wardrobe choices since she became the First Lady-to-be and has already displayed her affinity for Lauren's clothes, sporting his black jumpsuit for the third presidential debate, and wearing his white jumpsuit on election night.

Expand Close US President Barack Obama(R) and First Lady Michelle Obama(L) welcome Preisdent-elect Donald Trump(2nd-R) and his wife Melania to the White House / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp US President Barack Obama(R) and First Lady Michelle Obama(L) welcome Preisdent-elect Donald Trump(2nd-R) and his wife Melania to the White House

Lauren is also no stranger to dressing First Ladies and has already designed for Mrs Obama, Nancy Reagan and Betty Ford.

If Mrs Trump chose a Lagerfeld design for Chanel it would echo the most famous Chanel outfit ever worn by a First Lady - the pink suit Jackie Kennedy wore when President Kennedy was shot.

On Thursday Mrs Trump opted for a custom-made black coat by New York designer Norisol Ferrari for a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, teamed with Gucci sunglasses, and later donned a sleek gold gown by Reem Acra, a Lebanese-born, New York-based designer.

Acra recently dressed Jennifer Lopez in a navy blue gown for the People's Choice Awards, while actress Emily Ratajkowski opted for her racy yellow silk dress for the Golden Globes.

She has also dressed stars including Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Halle Berry.

Mr Trump's own fashion choices have been the subject of controversy because he has stated a preference for suits by Italian menswear label Brioni, writing in his book Trump: Think Like A Billionaire that the brand supplied him with suits for The Apprentice.

Brioni also has a boutique in the newly-opened Trump International Hotel in Washington DC.

In July 2016, GQ's associate style editor Nick Carvell wrote: "What does that say of a man who espouses the need to create more American jobs for American people - then wears clothes cut by European designers?"

Whatever Mrs Trump chooses today will take its place in fashion history. The First Lady's inauguration gown is typically donated to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

Additional reporting by Press Association
TV3 recently came under pressure after naming its new flagship show after its male presenter, despite Colette Fitzpatrick co-anchoring. Photo: Mark Condren

Claire Byrne at the 2016 Rehab People of the Year Awards at Citywest Hotel. Picture: Robbie Reynolds

Colette Fitzpatrick arriving on the red carpet for the IFTA Gala Television Awards at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel, Dublin. Photo by Michael Chester

Claire Byrne with husband Gerry Scollan on their wedding day in June last year. Photo: Conor McCabe

I am delighted for my good friend and colleague Claire Byrne who is pregnant with her third baby. She's a fantastic role model for working women everywhere.

Thankfully, we live in an age when being pregnant and looking pregnant as a high-profile woman is not an aberration.

Years ago, it signalled the end, at least temporarily, for women on screen. Think about it - ever remember seeing a pregnant presenter on television decades ago?

Claire's pregnancy at 41 is something to celebrate. The number of births to older women keeps rising. Indeed, the number of women having babies in their mid-40s or older, though still relatively small, has tripled in the past 20 years.

Expand Close RTE star Claire Byrne, on the set of Claire Byrne Live. Picture: Fergal Phillips / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp RTE star Claire Byrne, on the set of Claire Byrne Live. Picture: Fergal Phillips

Meanwhile, the number of women aged between 20 and 24 who are having their first child keeps falling.

The pushback and concern about women having babies when they're older is well documented.

I'm no medic, so am not qualified to talk about the risks of pregnancy. However, this I do know. Having a baby later in life, when you're emotionally and financially secure, when you're with Mr Right as opposed to Mr Right Now, makes sense.

Children of older mothers are incredibly loved and wanted and that has to be the most desirable start in life for any child.

Expand Close TV3 recently came under pressure after naming its new flagship show after its male presenter, despite Colette Fitzpatrick co-anchoring. Photo: Mark Condren / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp TV3 recently came under pressure after naming its new flagship show after its male presenter, despite Colette Fitzpatrick co-anchoring. Photo: Mark Condren

Research from Sweden also shows that babies born to older mothers are associated with positive long-term outcome.

They stay in the educational system longer, are more likely to attend university and perform better on standardised tests than children born when their mother was younger.

Video of the Day

Other research, from Michigan, shows that women who choose to start families later have made strides in meeting or have met their career goals, saved money from being in the workforce longer or increased their earning potential before having babies.

Such situations often give parents more money to invest in their children and provide a sense of security and stability.

Expand Close Claire Byrne with husband Gerry Scollan on their wedding day in June last year. Photo: Conor McCabe / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Claire Byrne with husband Gerry Scollan on their wedding day in June last year. Photo: Conor McCabe

Older mothers - and fathers - who are less worried about their earning potential or less stressed by their jobs tend to be more patient and can spend more time with their offspring.

But look around social media and you'll see insidious comments about being an older mother, a younger mother, a lone parent, a bottle feeder. The list goes on.

Pamela Flood, who was 45 when she had her third baby, revealed that she was abused online by women who accused her of being too old and too selfish. She told critics that if they had a problem with it, they should take it up with Mother Nature.

I wouldn't have bothered answering or engaging with online trolls. Why explain yourself to someone who abuses you anonymously or otherwise? It just feeds the Mammy Wars and is useful only for media outlets to create a bit of click bait.

It also distracts from the real issues affecting women and their children. Like affordable childcare, education and decent maternity hospitals.

Whatever your opinion is about older women having children, one thing's for sure - having kids at any age makes you older.
Senegal soldiers providing security at their gathering point on the Gambia boarder with Senegal at the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

ECOWAS soldiers are seen in a camp at the border of Gambia in Karang, Senegal , January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

ECOWAS soldiers are seen in a camp at the border of Gambia in Karang, Senegal , January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

An ECOWAS soldier runs after a onlooker at the border of Gambia in Karang, Senegal , January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

ECOWAS soldiers are seen in a camp at the border of Gambia in Karang, Senegal , January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

Yahya Jammeh has agreed to cede power to new leader, Senegalese government official says.

The chief of Gambia's defence forces has also pledged his allegiance to the country's new president in a major shift.

Ousmane Badjie said the country's security services all support the newly inaugurated Adama Barrow and would not fight a regional force poised to push out Jammeh if talks fail.

"You cannot push us to war for an issue we can solve politically," Mr Badjie said. "We don't see any reason to fight."

Expand Close An ECOWAS soldier runs after a onlooker at the border of Gambia in Karang, Senegal , January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp An ECOWAS soldier runs after a onlooker at the border of Gambia in Karang, Senegal , January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

Earlier, without Gambia's security forces and his cabinet dissolved, Jammeh was becoming increasingly isolated as the last-minute talks continued at his official residence in the capital Banjul, with the leaders of Guinea and Mauritania.

Adama Barrow, who was elected president last month, was sworn in Thursday, and the UN Security Council voted unanimously to approve the regional military intervention.

Expand Close ECOWAS soldiers are seen in a camp at the border of Gambia in Karang, Senegal , January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp ECOWAS soldiers are seen in a camp at the border of Gambia in Karang, Senegal , January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

The inauguration took place at the Gambian embassy in neighbouring Senegal for Mr Barrow's safety.

The West African regional force, including tanks, moved in during the evening without facing any resistance, said Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the West African regional bloc, Ecowas. At least 20 military vehicles were seen at the border town of Karang.

The regional force, including troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Mali, moved in after Mr Barrow's inauguration and the UN vote.

Guinean President Alpha Conde arrived in Banjul with Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. Mauritania has been mentioned as a possible home in exile for Jammeh.

Expand Close ECOWAS soldiers are seen in a camp at the border of Gambia in Karang, Senegal , January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp ECOWAS soldiers are seen in a camp at the border of Gambia in Karang, Senegal , January 20, 2017. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

After a first round of talks, they broke for Friday prayers and resumed.

Mr Conde will offer Jammeh the chance to step down peacefully, Mr de Souza said.

Expand Close Senegal soldiers providing security at their gathering point on the Gambia boarder with Senegal at the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Senegal soldiers providing security at their gathering point on the Gambia boarder with Senegal at the town of Karang, Senegal, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Jammeh "has the choice of going with President Alpha Conde", but if that fails, "we will bring him by force or by will".

Jammeh began negotiations on Thursday with Ecowas and agreed to step down, but demanded amnesty for any crimes he may have committed during his 22 years in power and wanted to stay in Gambia, in his home village of Kanilai, Mr de Souza said, adding that those demands are not acceptable to Ecowas.

Jammeh's continued presence in Gambia would "create disturbances to public order and terrorist movements", said Mr de Souza, and Ecowas wants Mr Barrow to take power without any security threats.

At a news conference in Nouakchott before leaving for Gambia, Mr Abdel Aziz said he would "never understand" why Jammeh backed off from his initial pledge to accept defeat and step down, Mauritanian state media reported.

In his inaugural speech, which took place under heavy security, Mr Barrow urged Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step aside. He also called for Gambia's armed forces to stay in their barracks.

Some of Gambia's diplomatic missions have begun switching their allegiance.

"We embrace and support the new president Adama Barrow," said Almamy Kassama, an official at the Gambian mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Senegalese radio station RFM reported 30 Gambian soldiers had crossed into Senegal to fight alongside the regional forces.

Soldiers at checkpoints in Banjul appeared relaxed, with one telling visitors: "Welcome to the smiling coast."

Other nations have begun stepping away from Jammeh, with the African Union saying the continental body no longer recognises him.

About 45,000 people have fled Gambia for Senegal, fearing violence, according to the Senegalese government and the UN refugee agency. About two-thirds are children accompanied by women, the UN said.

A few thousand international tourists are believed to still be in Gambia, and efforts continue to evacuate them.
Adama Barrow is sworn in as President of Gambia at Gambia's embassy in Dakar Senegal in this image taken from TV. Photo: RTS via AP

Gambia's newly sworn-in president last night ordered the country's armed forces to abandon any loyalty to former dictator Yahya Jammeh, as troops from neighbouring Senegal crossed the border to oust him.

Adama Barrow, who won Gambia's elections in December but left the country last week for fear that Mr Jammeh's security forces might kill him, took his oath of office in an improvised ceremony at the modest Gambian embassy office in Senegal.

In a brief speech made in a cramped function room, he hailed his inauguration as a "victory for the nation", but warned Mr Jammeh's security forces they would now be deemed "rebels" if they did not switch sides. Mr Barrow spoke as a force of more than 1,000 troops, mandated by the regional Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) power bloc, crossed into Gambian territory after two days massed at the border.

They have instructions to march on the capital, Banjul, if Mr Jammeh does not step down.

Last night, Abdou Ndiaye, a Senegalese army spokesman, confirmed the move over the Gambian frontier.

Mr Barrow warned that any soldiers who resisted his commands would be legitimate targets for the ECOWAS force.

"I call personally on the armed forces and security agencies to be loyal to their republic and I command all members of the armed forces to demonstrate their loyalty to me," he said.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Defeated Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh has agreed to cede power to the country's newly inaugurated leader, a Senegalese government official has confirmed.

Final arrangements were being made to the agreement, the official said.

Jammeh, however, has offered to step aside once before, but changed his mind.

But he was rapidly losing any claim to power, as the chief of Gambia's defence forces pledged his allegiance to the new president, Adama Barrow, and said Gambian forces would not put up a fight.

The leaders of Guinea and Mauritania arrived in Gambia earlier Friday to persuade Jammeh to cede power in the West African nation, while a regional military force awaited orders to roll into the capital and force him from the office he held for 22 years.

Barrow, who was elected president last month, was sworn in Thursday, and the UN Security Council voted unanimously to approve the regional military intervention.

His inauguration took place at the Gambian Embassy in neighbouring Senegal for Barrow's safety.

Defence forces chief Ousmane Badjie said that Gambia's security services all support Barrow and would not fight the regional force.

"You cannot push us to war for an issue we can solve politically," Badjie said. "We don't see any reason to fight."

With the security forces abandoning him and his Cabinet dissolved, Jammeh was increasingly isolated during the last-minute talks at his official residence in the capital, Banjul, with the Guinean and Mauritanian leaders.

The West African regional force, including tanks, moved in without facing any resistance, said Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS.

At least 20 military vehicles were seen Friday at the border town of Karang.

The regional force included troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Mali, and they moved in after Barrow's inauguration and the UN vote.

Guinean President Alpha Conde was in Banjul with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.

Mauritania has been mentioned as a possible home in exile for Jammeh. After a first round of talks, they broke for Friday prayers and resumed.

Conde will offer Jammeh the chance to step down peacefully, de Souza said.

Jammeh "has the choice of going with President Alpha Conde," he said, but if that fails, "we will bring him by force or by will".

Jammeh had agreed to step down but demanded amnesty for any crimes he may have committed during his 22 years in power and wanted to stay in Gambia, in his home village of Kanilai, de Souza said.

Those demands are not acceptable to ECOWAS, he added.

In his inaugural speech, which took place under heavy security, Barrow urged Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step aside. He also called for Gambia's armed forces to stay in their barracks.

Some of Gambia's diplomatic missions began switching their allegiance.

"We embrace and support the new president Adama Barrow," said Almamy Kassama, an official at the Gambian mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in an email.

Senegalese radio station RFM reported 30 Gambian soldiers had crossed into Senegal to fight alongside the regional forces.

"I think the Gambian military would know it's outnumbered," said Maggie Dwyer, an expert on West African armed forces at the University of Edinburgh. "Gambia's military has very little combat experience. This would be a very difficult situation for them."

She estimated it had 2,400 troops at most, plus fewer than 1,000 paramilitary forces.

"My guess is a very small number would actually put their life on the line for Jammeh," though some could stand by him to get the same deal he might receive to avoid prosecution, Ms Dwyer said.

Soldiers at checkpoints in Banjul appeared relaxed, with one telling visitors: "Welcome to the smiling coast."

African nations including South Africa continued stepping away from Jammeh, with the African Union saying the continental body no longer recognises him.

About 45,000 people have fled Gambia for Senegal, fearing violence, according to the Senegalese government and the UN refugee agency. About two thirds are children accompanied by women, the UN said.

Only about a few thousand international tourists are believed to still be in Gambia, and efforts continued to evacuate them.

AP
Cameroon soldiers stand guard at a lookout post as they take part in operations against Boko Haram (AP)

Boko Haram extremists have attacked a refugee camp in north-east Nigeria days after government planes bombed it, witnesses said, as reports emerged that the death toll from the bombing could be as high as 170.

More than 100 Boko Haram fighters launched the attack on Thursday evening, and soldiers battled for hours trying to repel them, witnesses said.

One witness said eight Boko Haram fighters were killed and one soldier was injured in the assault on the camp at Rann in Borno state, near the border with Cameroon.

On Tuesday, Nigeria's air force bombed the camp housing Boko Haram refugees multiple times. Nigerian officials have said it was an accident.

On Friday, medical charity Doctors Without Borders said "around 90" people were killed in the bombing but residents and community leaders said the toll could be as high as 170.

Satellite imagery from the bombing supports witness accounts that the camp was struck with "multiple air-dropped munitions" even though tents should have been easily visible, Human Rights Watch said.

The group has called for victims to be compensated.

Nigeria's air force has said a panel of senior officers will investigate.

The Boko Haram attack occurred as aid workers were trying to help bombing victims. The Red Cross said it had evacuated nearly 90 people from Rann to Maiduguri city for medical care.

"This incident happened just an hour after a (Doctors Without Borders) rescue helicopter left the town and has a traumatising effect on everyone in Rann," said one aid worker.

AP
The US Department of Defense confirms the death of al-Qaeda external operations leader Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi in a January 17 counterterrorism strike near Idlib in Syria, department spokesperson Peter Cook said in a release on Thursday, Sputnik reported.

Al-Tunisi was a member of al-Qaeda's local affiliate Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front. The terror group has been fighting in Syria against government forces since the outbreak of a civil war in the country in 2011.

"Boussadoun's death will degrade al-Qaida's pool of experienced, well-connected facilitators and fighters with external operations experience," Cook stated.

The spokesperson noted that al-Tunisi was connected with external plots to attack Western targets.

Jabhat Fatah Al-Sham is designated as a terrorist organization and is banned in Russia and numerous other countries around the world.
Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has appeared in court in New York, where a federal public defence lawyer entered a not guilty plea for him.

A hush fell over the Brooklyn courtroom moments before Guzman entered on Friday.

He looked dazed and wore a dark blue T-shirt and dark blue trousers.

Guzman is charged with running a massive drug-trafficking operation that laundered billions of dollars and oversaw murders and kidnappings.

Guzman answered questions through an interpreter standing to his right and said he could understand the judge's English.

No bail was sought.

Prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty as a condition of the extradition of Guzman, who is the convicted leader of the Sinaloa cartel.

US prosecutors have described Guzman as the murderous architect of a three-decade web of violence, corruption and drug addiction and announced they are seeking a 14 billion dollar (11 billion) forfeiture from him.

Prosecutors sought to bring him before US courts for years while he made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run in Mexico.

"Today marks a milestone in our pursuit of Chapo Guzman," said Robert Capers, the prosecutor in Brooklyn. "He's a man known for a life of crime, violence, death and destruction, and now he'll have to answer for that."

As boss of the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman allegedly presided over a syndicate that shipped tons of heroin and cocaine to the US, using tanker trucks, planes with secret landing strips, container ships, speedboats and even submarines, prosecutors said.

Perhaps most famously, Guzman's cartel built elaborate tunnels under the US border to transport drugs, said Wifredo Ferrer, the prosecutor in Miami.

The cartel made billions of dollars in profits and employed hitmen who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture, according to prosecutors.

The Sinaloa smugglers also helped fuel an epidemic of drug abuse in the US in the 1980s and 1990s, prosecutors said.

Guzman's lawyers in Mexico called his extradition, which he had fought, a political move to distract from fuel protests there.

The Drug Enforcement Administration flew him to New York from the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez on Thursday - hours before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who has lashed out at Mexico.

When Guzman got off the plane, "as you looked into his eyes, you could see the surprise, you could see the shock, and to a certain extent, you could see the fear, as the realisation kicked in that he's about to face American justice", said Angel Melendez, who leads US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's homeland security investigations in New York.

The US has been trying to get Guzman in a domestic court since he was first indicted in California in the early 1990s. Now in his late 50s, he faces the possibility of life in a US prison.

Guzman was recaptured a year ago in Mexico after escaping from a maximum-security prison for a second time. The episode was highly embarrassing for President Enrique Pena Nieto's government, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand him over to the US.

After breaking out of prison the first time in 2001, Guzman spent more than a decade at large, becoming something of a folk hero among some Mexicans for his defiance of authorities. He was immortalised in ballads known as "narco-corridos".

Captured in 2014, he then made an even more audacious escape, dropping through a hole in the floor of his prison cell shower and riding to freedom on a motorcycle modified to run on tracks laid the length of the tunnel.

Guzman was unapologetic about his criminal activities, saying he had turned to drug trafficking at the age of 15 to survive.

He was ultimately captured after a shootout that killed five of his associates and wounded one marine.

AP
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 yesterday.

Speaking from the Ecuadorian embassy in London via social media, he signalled there would be "many discussions" on his future before Manning left 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 to allow Manning to go free nearly 30 years early.

The transgender former intelligence analyst (inset), born Bradley Manning, said she had passed on government and military documents to raise awareness about the impact of war. Manning has thanked Obama "for giving me a chance".

Mr Assange, who has been living at the embassy since the summer of 2012 for fear of being extradited to the US to be questioned over the activities of WikiLeaks, praised campaigners for their role in the decision.

"I stand by everything I said, including the offer to go to the US 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 US provided my rights are respected," he said when asked whether he would leave the embassy.

Asked if he would receive different treatment under president-elect Donald Trump, Mr Assange said: "It remains to be seen."
Health experts have warned the health and social care system is "failing" young girls at risk of FGM

A four-year-old girl who told a teacher how she "hurt" when going to the toilet had been subjected to female genital mutilation, a family court judge has concluded.

School staff raised concerns after the girl, whose parents are Somalian, complained and social workers began family court litigation.

Judge Vera Mayer analysed evidence at a private family court hearing in Barnet, north London.

A paediatrician who examined the girl had told the judge how the youngster said: "Mummy cut me ... I was brave."

The judge decided the youngster had "undergone a procedure to her genitalia".

The judge said, in a ruling on the case, she could not be sure "who did it" or "what exactly was done".

She has not identified the youngster but said social services bosses at Barnet Council had welfare responsibilities for the youngster.
Police in Parliament Square, London, as a suspected unexploded Second World War bomb has been found in the River Thames, forcing the closure of Waterloo and Westminster bridges in London. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

A suspected Second World War bomb found in the River Thames near the Houses of Parliament has been towed away for safe disposal, police said.

The operation by the Royal Navy and Metropolitan Police to recover the unexploded bomb led to disruption in central London on Thursday.

The Waterloo and Westminster bridges were forced to shut for several hours, Westminster underground station closed and river traffic halted after the device was dredged up near the Victoria Embankment.

The riverfront remained closed until around 3am on Friday morning as the device was removed.

Large crowds of tourists and passers-by had gathered at the police tape with some calmly taking photographs of the odd sight.

A Port of London Authority spokesman told the BBC that the suspicious object measured around "2 ft by 1 ft" (60cm x 30cm).

Scotland Yard said specialist officers had assessed the device and alerted the Royal Navy after they were called to the River Thames at 5.15pm on Thursday.

"The Royal Navy have now successfully removed the ordnance and will dispose of it," a police spokesman said.

The disruption had threatened to derail Lost In London, a "live cinema" project by Woody Harrelson.

The US actor planned to recreate a disastrous night out in the capital with the film broadcast directly into cinemas from location.

Some scenes were shot near Waterloo Bridge, but the event went ahead as planned, according to Kate Muir, chief film critic of The Times.

She tweeted: "Woody Harrelson's live-streamed movie #lostinlondon succeeded without a glitch, despite, apparently, a WWII bomb scare in the Thames."
A still image taken from a video shows firefighters working at Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola, central Italy, after it was hit by an avalanche, January 20, 2017 provided by Italy's Fire Fighters.

Firefighters rescue a survivor from Hotel Rigopiano in Farindola, central Italy, hit by an avalanche, in this handout picture released on January 20, 2017 provided by Italy's Fire Fighters. Photo: Vigili del Fuoco/Handout via REUTERS

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)

A total of 10 people have been found alive inside Italian hotel hit by avalanche.

Titti Postiglione told reporters that two of the survivors had already been pulled clear of the snow and debris which destroyed the isolated Hotel Rigopiano on Wednesday. Rescuers were digging to free the remaining people.

"Finding these people gives us further hope there are other survivors," Postiglione said.

More than 30 people, including four children, were in the building when the avalanche slammed into it, officials said, reducing much of it to rubble and spreading debris across the valley floor.

Two men who were outside the hotel at the time managed to escape the wall of snow. Officials have confirmed that two bodies have been removed from the site, while Italian media said two more corpses had been located.

One of the survivors found on Friday was a young girl, Deputy Interior Minister Filippo Bubbico said, who is helping coordinate rescue efforts at the scene.

The group were found in the hotel kitchen area which was not crushed by the tonnes of snow that obliterated much of the four-storey building, media said

Helicopters have been dispatched with equipment and doctors to help extract and evacuate the survivors.

The disaster struck the hotel in the Gran Sasso park late on Wednesday afternoon amid a driving snowstorm, just hours after four earthquakes with a magnitude above 5 rattled the area.

As much as 5 metres (16 ft) of snow covered much of what is left of the hotel, said Walter Milan, a member of the Alpine Rescue service who was on the scene. Only sections of the spa and swimming area were intact, he said.

An investigation into the tragedy has been opened by a court in Pescara amid accusations that the emergency response was slow. The first rescuers arrived amid a snow storm on skis early on Thursday morning, some 11 hours after the avalanche.

Giampiero Parete, a chef who was a guest in the hotel, had gone to his car to get headache pills for his wife when the avalanche struck. His wife and two children, aged six and eight, are still missing.

Parete called his boss, Quintino Marcella, with his cell phone at 5:40 p.m. on Wednesday, just after the avalanche had struck, asking him to call for help.

"He told me: 'The hotel has collapsed'" Marcella said in an interview with RAI state TV, adding that the local prefecture did not immediately believe him. He kept calling until he was assured help was on the way some two hours later.
Giampero Parete had nipped out to the car to fetch some medicine for his wife's headache. As he turned back towards the four-star hotel in the mountains of central Italy, he saw the building become engulfed in a rolling wall of snow, ice, rocks and debris.

Inside was his wife, Adriana, and their two young children, Ludovica and Gianfilipo. They were still missing last night after the avalanche all but destroyed the mountain resort, with up to 30 people feared dead.

"I saw a large part of the hotel buried by the snow," Mr Parete said yesterday. "I've lost everything. I tried to get inside but I risked being trapped."

Italian media reported that three bodies had been pulled from the wreckage, while a fourth body had been located but not yet retrieved.

Prosecutors in Pescara, the nearest big city to the disaster area, opened a manslaughter investigation into the disaster, amid growing criticism of the Italian authorities' slow response.

The avalanche struck some time between 16.30 and 17.40 local time on Wednesday.

Accounts emerged of hotel guests messaging rescuers and friends for help, with at least one attempt at raising the alarm rebuffed for several hours. One couple trapped in the wreckage of the hotel reportedly sent a text message to rescue authorities saying: "Help, we're dying of cold."

Mr Parete called his boss, restaurant owner Quintino Marcella, at 5.30pm asking for help.

Mr Marcella said he immediately called police and the regional emergency co-ordination centre but officials assured him that the hotel had phoned two or three hours earlier to report that everything was fine.

He kept insisting and called other emergency numbers until someone took him seriously and mobilised a rescue starting at 8pm, more than two hours later. When rescuers on skis arrived early yesterday, they found just two people alive: Mr Parete and another guest, Fabio Salzetta.

The authorities defended their response, saying they were hampered by narrow roads that had been blocked by fallen trees and six-foot deep snow drifts.

A 50-strong team of police, firemen and alpine rescue experts was expected to work through the night, using picks, shovels and their bare hands to clear snow and rubble in the crumpled ruins of the 43-room hotel, which lies at an altitude of nearly 4,000ft in the Apennine mountains.

Emergency workers said they had heard no movement or cries for help. A temporary command post was set up in the nearby snow-bound village of Penne.

Video shot by rescue teams showed huge piles of snow and debris piled up in corridors, stairwells and an indoor pool area, having slammed through the walls of the building.

Aerial video shot by helicopter crews showed rescue workers on top of the snow-covered hotel, digging holes down to try to get in.

Rescue efforts were impeded by several feet of snow that has fallen in the past week, as Italy endures one of its coldest winters on record. The avalanche was believed to have been caused by four powerful earthquakes that hit the region on Wednesday.

"This is a much bigger avalanche than the ones we are used to dealing with, and it has different challenges because of the trees, rocks and rubble mixed in with the snow," Valter Milan, a member of Italy's Alpine Rescue Service, said.

Rescuers hoped to find people alive under the mangled wreckage of the luxury hotel, he said. "There is still hope. We're working as quickly as we can but in a very organised way," Mr Milan said.

"We can't use bulldozers or other heavy machinery because there would be a risk of crushing people if they are still alive beneath the rubble."

Three teams of sniffer dogs were being used but they were finding conditions challenging. "There are lots of air pockets down there, which confuses them," the officer said.

There was a danger of fresh avalanches and snow, and temperature conditions were being monitored.

The mountains and valleys of central Italy have been hit by multiple earthquakes in the past few months - a huge tremor on August 24 killed about 300 people in the town of Amatrice and surrounding villages. There was another powerful quake in October and the region has been rattled by more than 45,000 aftershocks since.

As heavy vehicles tried to reach the Hotel Rigopiano to help with the rescue, criticism mounted over the response to Wednesday's quakes, one a magnitude 5.7, and days of unusually heavy snow that blanketed the region.

Paolo Gentiloni, the prime minister, tried to brush off criticism of the rescue efforts and urged authorities to redouble their efforts to reach people who have been left isolated by the quakes and snow, which in some places is six feet deep.

More than 100,000 people in the region are now without power.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Italian firefighters extracting a boy alive from under snow and debris in Rigopiano (Italian Firefighters/Ansa/AP)

Rescue crews are still searching for some 30 people trapped inside an Italian mountain resort flattened by a huge avalanche.

Italy's civil protection agency on Friday said the work continued throughout the night with searchlights, and would accelerate with the arrival of daylight.

So far two bodies have been recovered, and RAI state TV said two more bodies have been located in the snow.

Read More

The search has been hampered by snow blocking the only road in, concern the buildings would collapse and fear of a fresh avalanche.

(19gen-9:00) Drago54 sulla verticale #HotelRigopiano. Soccorso in atto pic.twitter.com/udCEEQlcPt  Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) January 19, 2017

(19gen-8:30) #HotelRigopiano, Drago54 sta calando ora squadre soccorso #vigilidelfuoco con verricello su obiettivo pic.twitter.com/LQAhSRaSES  Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) January 19, 2017

The first rescue teams arrived on skis, and firefighters were dropped in by helicopter.

Overnight the road was widened to bring in heavier vehicles to aid with the search.

Guests at the three-storey Hotel Rigopiano in the central Abruzzo region alerted emergency workers on Wednesday.
An Italian firefighter says rescue crews have indications of other survivors under the rubble of an avalanche-struck hotel in central Italy, CBC reported.

Earlier Friday, between six and eight survivors were already located by rescuers, who had found an air pocket in the kitchen of the crushed Hotel Rigopiano in Italy's snow-covered Abruzzo region following Wednesday's avalanche.

There is some discrepancy in the number of people who have been rescued.

The ANSA news agency quotes the vice-brigadier of Italy's financial police, Marco Bini, as saying eight people were located alive in two separate operations, but other reports say five or six survivors have been located.

Speaking to Sky TG24, firefighter Giuseppe Romano declined to confirm another five possible survivors. But he said, "Other people have responded to our signals."

Titti Postiglione told reporters that two survivors had already been pulled clear of the snow and debris that destroyed the isolated hotel on Wednesday. Rescuers were digging to free any other survivors.

"Finding these people gives us further hope there are other survivors," Postiglione said.

One of the survivors found on Friday was a young girl, said Deputy Interior Minister Filippo Bubbico, who is helping co-ordinate rescue efforts at the scene.

The survivors were found in the hotel kitchen area, which was not crushed by the tonnes of snow that obliterated much of the four-storey building, media said

About 30 people were inside the hotel when the avalanche hit. Two people who survived the devastation initially reported the emergency.

The ANSA news agency said the number of possible new survivors was six and that firefighting crews were in touch with them, but that the survivors were still under the rubble. Helicopters reportedly were on the way to the site to aid the evacuation.

Search and rescue teams have maintained the hope of finding more people alive after the avalanche buried the hotel under up to five metres of snow.

"We are hoping that the ceiling collapsed partially in some places and that someone remained underneath," rescuer Lorenzo Gagliardi told SKY TG24.

Rescuers were using shovels to dig into the tonnes of snow and debris. Two bodies were recovered and RAI state TV reported two more had been located but not yet removed.

The operations have been hampered by difficulty in accessing the remote hotel. Workers have been clearing a seven-kilometre road to bring in heavier equipment, but it can handle only one-way traffic.
Secluded in his hideaway in Pakistan, Osama bin Laden suspected Iranian officials might implant tracking devices in his sons, according to a document released in a batch of materials seized in a 2011 raid that killed the al-Qa'ida leader.

"If they inject you with a shot, this shot might be loaded with a tiny chip," bin Laden wrote in an undated letter to his sons, Uthman and Mohammed, who were being allowed to leave Iran. "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."

In its final hours, the Obama administration released the last of three instalments of documents belonging to bin Laden that were collected during the raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

In the second batch of documents, released last March, bin Laden also expressed the same paranoia in a letter to one of his wives, who also lived in Iran.

"I was told that you went to a dentist in Iran and you were concerned about a filling she put in for you," bin Laden wrote.

He said he wanted to be told of any concerns she or any of his followers had about "chips planted in any way".

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-Qa'ida's affiliate in Iraq, which morphed into Isil.

Those militants are currently the top target of US counter-terrorism efforts.

The Pentagon announced yesterday that the US Air Force attacked a pair of Isil military camps in Libya, seeking to eliminate extremists who had escaped from their former stronghold of Sirte.

Bin Laden was responsible for orchestrating the September 11 strikes against the United States that killed nearly 3,000 people.

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.
A firefighter consoles his comrade after the collapse of Iran's oldest high-rise, the 15-storey Plasco building in downtown Tehran. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

A high-rise building in the heart of the Iranian capital Tehran caught fire and collapsed, killing at least 30 firefighters and leaving their stunned colleagues and bystanders weeping in the streets.

The disaster at the 17-storey Plasco building, captured live on state-run television, came after authorities said they repeatedly warned tenants about blocking stairwells with fabric from cramped garment workshops on its upper floors.

Firefighters, soldiers and other emergency responders dug through the debris into the night in the hope of finding survivors.

While it was not clear how many people were in the building, witnesses said many had slipped through a police cordon while the fire burned to go back inside for their belongings.

They asked us using loudspeakers to evacuate the building, but some people went inside again, saying their precious documents, their bank cheques, their entire life was in their shops, witness Masoud Hosseini said.

I felt like they cared about their belongings and money more than their lives. Firefighters went inside to bring them out, and then suddenly the building collapsed.

Expand Close Firefighters battle a blaze that engulfed Iran's oldest high-rise, the 15-storey Plasco building in downtown Tehran. Photo: AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Firefighters battle a blaze that engulfed Iran's oldest high-rise, the 15-storey Plasco building in downtown Tehran. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Iranian authorities did not immediately release definitive casualty figures, which is common in unfolding disasters.

Irans state-run Press TV announced the firefighters deaths, without giving a source for the information.

Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the bodies of more than 20 firefighters had been recovered by last night.

State television said 30 civilians were injured, while the state-run IRNA news agency reported that 45 firefighters had been injured.

Firefighters began battling the blaze some three-and-a-half hours before the collapse. The fire appeared to be the most intense on the upper floors, the site of workshops where tailors cooked for themselves and used old kerosene heaters for warmth.

The building came down in seconds. One side collapsed first, tumbling perilously close to a firefighter perched on a ladder and spraying water on the blaze.

The building is situated near the British embassy, which has reportedly been evacuated following the collapse.

President Hassan Rouhani has ordered Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli to investigate the disaster.
The United States Marine Corps Band practices in front of the podium where US President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office. Photo: Getty

Mention making America great again, and Michael Tirrell chuckles: the US is already a fine country in his eyes. Ask him about the border wall and he shrugs. Also, "draining the swamp," he believes, cannot and will not be done.

Yet Donald Trump's inauguration today is thanks to people in Pennsylvania like Mr Tirrell, who turned the state Republican for the first time in almost 30 years.

Like many here, he is not a God-and-guns, Stetson-strutting stereotype: his support is not guaranteed, unlike in the diehard Republican states of Mississippi or Texas.

Much of Mr Trump's behaviour disappoints Mr Tirrell (74). He is "absolutely worried" about conflicts of interest, and says reports of closeness to Russia are "a concern".

A former union president, who sat on Ronald Reagan's presidential commission on trade for 14 years, he is sceptical that the New Yorker will be able to fulfil his promise to return America to its manufacturing heyday.

"Whether he can bring industry back remains to be seen," he said.

But Mr Tirrell had no buyer's remorse. "I don't necessarily always vote for the party," he said, inside the wood panelled Wilson Borough Republican Club, on the outskirts of Northampton County's capital, Easton. "But I felt he was the best choice."

Leaders of both sides knew the battle for Pennsylvania was vital. Mr Trump was a frequent visitor, while the Democrats sent in their finest - Katy Perry and Jon Bon Jovi; local boy Joe Biden and President Barack Obama. Even their most prized asset, Michelle Obama, was dispatched to try to land the knockout blow.

But it was in vain. The state swung to the Republicans - albeit by the narrowest of margins. Northampton was one of three state counties to switch allegiance to Mr Trump. Sitting at the counter of the Williams Family Restaurant, Ted Pronel (78) also had no regrets. "I voted Trump, and I'm not ashamed of it," the retired businessman said.

"I was a young Democrat. I voted for Kennedy. I even voted for Jimmy Carter - what a mistake that was."

What does he want President Trump to do? "Everything he said," he said. "They put the coalminers out of work because Al Gore said so. Why should we pay tariffs on German cars, when they get ours free? What is wrong with bringing back manufacturing jobs?"

His friend Bill (79) was not so sure. He also voted for Mr Trump, but sees a minefield ahead. "His business conflicts are going to be a continuing thing - whether they are a real problem or not."

Mr Pronel disagreed. "I don't care if Trump still runs his business. He's a billionaire. He's not going to steal from us."

In the centre of Easton, Sarah Gosztonyi (25) said: "The one thing that Mr Trump said which appeals to me is his talk of reforming the student loan system. I live at home with my parents, and work two jobs waitressing."

What were her biggest fears? "That they are all so pro-life," she replied. "I mean - you are all men! How can you tell me what to do with my body, force me to have this child?"

Back in the Republican Club, spirits were higher. "I voted for him because I just stick with the Republicans," Michael Harrison (52) said.

What does "make America great again" mean to him? "Jobs. Education. Social security," he said. "Doing good for every class of people." Does he think Mr Trump can achieve that? "I do," he said. "But there is one thing. I wish he'd get off that darn Twitter." ( Daily Telegraph, London)
Barack Obama enjoying a pint of Guinness in Ollie Hayes Bar in Moneygall, Co Offaly during his 2011 visit

If an international visitor were to wander into Moneygall in Summer, theyd be forgiven for assuming theyre in the quintessential all-American town.

The red, white and blue star spangled banners seasonally adorn the Offaly towns streets since hometown hero Barack Obamas visit almost six years ago.

Since the Democrats first inauguration in 2009, Moneygall has been the place to be to celebrate, but there is no party in the town today.

Ollie Hayes is watching the Inauguration on his pubs television. Photos of Obama's visit to the pub line the walls. The 50 the former Commander in Chief gave the barman in exchange for a pint of Guinness is proudly framed for all to see.

In 2008, the bar was jammed with locals and tourists alike.

International media broadcast vans and food stalls lined the street, as the party went on into the early hours.

Four years ago, Ollie decided to spend Inauguration Day in Washington DC.

Not too long after arriving, he received a call from White House officials, inviting him and his cohort to spend the day alongside the Obama family and other special guests.

Today, a handful of punters with pints in their hands watched on as Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

Directly after Trumps speech, most of the customers left and a match replaced the politics.

"It was the end today for him, but the beginning of a new era for him too," Mr Hayes, who met Obama multiple times since their first encounter told Independent.ie.

The President's visit, along with his wife Michelle, has not only made a tourist attraction out of the midlands town, but it has also brought jobs to the area.

The famous Barack Obama Plaza was opened just outside Moneygall in 2014 and is managed by Obamas closest Irish relation, his eighth cousin Henry Healy.

Read More

Inside is a Spar, Topaz, coffee shop and Supermacs. Upstairs, a visitor centre highlights how many US Presidents had either a genealogical link or a fondness for Ireland.

Although the political clamour may have left Moneygall, the 44th President of America has changed the town forever, according to Mr Hayes.

"There's still a big interest in Obama here, but you wouldn't be getting the crowds anymore. It's a seasonal thing really, but it'll never be forgotten. He's marked the village forever. Even after I'm gone, it'll be known as the village that President Obama came to. He had a great love of his visit here," he said.

"Look at the Kennedys in Wexford. When you hear of Ballyporeen, you'll think of Ronald Reagan. Well, when you hear of Moneygall, you'll think of Barack Obama."

The village committee has yet to come to a decision whether to bring the American flags out of hibernation in 2017. They had an extra long rest,having been temporarily replaced with tricolours to commemorate the Rising Centenary.

However, they may have a really good reason to take the flags out of retirement in the next year or so, as Obama intends to return to Ireland within the next year or so.

"Well, if he comes back to Moneygall, I'll have a pint waiting for him," Ollie says.

"No bother."
The United States Marine Corps Band practices in front of the podium where US President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office. Photo: Getty

Ivanka Trump carries her son Theodore Kushner as she steps off the plane. Photo: Getty

US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump arrive aboard a US Air Force jet at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, yesterday. Photo: Reuters

DONALD Trump is considering cutting public spending by up to $10.5 trillion in one of the biggest shake-ups of the US government ever seen.

The 45th president will today pledge to rebuild the nation's middle class in an inauguration speech that will focus on boosting blue-collar jobs and rolling back big government.

Mr Trump will issue a collective call-to-arms to heal America of the problems he identified during his bid for the White House, promising to boost "infrastructure, education and the country's manufacturing base".

But the incoming president has, at the same time, drawn inspiration from Ronald Reagan's 1981 inauguration claim that "government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem".

"He'll discuss what it means to be an American, the challenges we face, the challenges the middle class face," Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, said.

Mr Trump's first address to the nation as president comes as it emerged his transition team has laid out plans to slash the infrastructure of state, using a blueprint calling for some $10.5tn in spending cuts over the next decade.

The expected proposals for cutbacks are so dramatic in size and scope they would fundamentally reshape the workings of government.

Newt Gingrich, the former congressional speaker, said that Mr Trump's small government vision could be best likened to that of Margaret Thatcher.

Mr Trump yesterday swept into Washington on a military jet as he kicked off three days of inaugural festivities, with the city braced for an onslaught of crowds and demonstrators.

Mr Trump was quickly taking on more of the trappings of the presidency, giving a salute to the Air Force officer who welcomed him as he stepped off the jet with wife Melania at Joint Base Andrews just outside Washington.

His first stop was a luncheon in a ballroom at his own hotel, where he gave a shout-out to Republican congressional leaders, declaring: "I just want to let the world know we're doing very well together."

House Speaker Paul Ryan, he said, would finally have someone to sign legislation into law.

Then Mr Trump veered into the territory of the unknowable to declare his cabinet selections had "the highest IQ".

Just streets away, the White House was quickly emptying out.

President Barack Obama's schedule was clear beyond his daily briefing and his final weekly lunch with Vice-President Joe Biden.

Vice president-elect Mike Pence, in a tweet, called Inauguration Eve "a momentous day before a historic day", as security barricades and blockades went up around Washington in preparation for today's swearing-in ceremony.

"We are all ready to go to work," Mr Pence said at a morning news conference.

"In fact, we can't wait to get to work for the American people to make it great again."

Outgoing Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson said he would be putting on his "favourite DHS jacket" and taking to the streets to inspect security preparations for the inaugural festivities.

He told MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' that areas where inaugural crowds would congregate would be "extra fortified this year with dump trucks, heavily armoured vehicles to prevent anybody who's not authorised from being in the area from driving something in there".

He said there was "no specific credible threat" related to the inauguration.

Mr Trump's public schedule for the inaugural celebration starts with an afternoon wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery, followed by a welcome concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial ending with fireworks.

The president-elect, who flew to Washington without any press on his plane, was joined on the trip by a gaggle of his children, grandchildren and other members of his extended family.

Also spotted were bags of dresses and formal wear for the coming days' festivities.

At the luncheon, Mr Trump invited his future first lady to speak, and Mrs Trump told the crowd: "Tomorrow we're starting the work," adding that "there's a lot of possibility and a lot to take care of".

Meanwhile, Mr Obama used his final hours in office to launch an attack in Libya that killed more than 80 terrorists, some of whom were believed to be plotting attacks on European soil.

The action was also seen as a parting message to Vladimir Putin about US military power.

The raid by a pair of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, and drones fitted with hellfire missiles, targeted two camps near Sirte, the former North African stronghold of Isil.

Terrorists were killed shortly after they had been spotted marching in formation, carrying weapons and mortars.

Mr Obama authorised the attack, which was probably his final use of military force, late on Wednesday night.

He also used it to send what one official called a "strategic message" to the Kremlin about the reach of US forces.

The strike came as General Khalifa Haftar, whose Libyan National Army effectively controls most of eastern Libya, was believed to have been lobbying Russia for support, including arms supplies, for over a year.

Gen Haftar, who refuses to recognise the UN-backed government in Tripoli, made two trips to Moscow last year.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
The United States Marine Corps Band practices in front of the podium where US President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office in Washington Picture: Getty

Ping! The email from the Presidential Inaugural Committee 2017 arrives with the same, familiar alert as any other.

"GET YOUR COMMEMORATIVE, LIMITED-EDITION LICENCE PLATE," its subject line screams.

It urges those who had signed up to attend an official but free ceremony for the US president-elect at the historic Lincoln Memorial to spend $50 (47) on the "perfect" piece of memorabilia.

Ten weeks after stunning the world with an election victory, billionaire businessman and reality TV star Donald J Trump today becomes the 45th President of the United States.

Anything could happen.

His camp is insisting the inauguration festivities will be low-key. That claim surely deserves to be followed by multiple exclamation marks, as Mr Trump is so fond of using on Twitter. FAKE NEWS!!!

Read More

Almost everyone else in Washington DC - some in dread, many in hope - are anticipating something of a spectacle. "I read he'd been considering doing a parade past Trump Tower in New York and then taking a helicopter here and having the official swearing in and another parade as the whole country followed on television," Kris Harris (45), a carer who travelled from North Carolina on Thursday to watch the event, said.

"That would have been so much fun," she added.

"It's not going to happen but it's still Trump, and he knows the world is watching. He'll do something [different] to start off a fantastic presidency. I know we won't be disappointed."

Expand Close Jackie Evancho rehearses singing the Star Spangled Banner Picture: Getty / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Jackie Evancho rehearses singing the Star Spangled Banner Picture: Getty

Others are not so confident.

While there is a reassuring familiarity to the ceremonial events, from the handover by the Obamas and the swearing in at Capitol Hill, to the various glitzy inaugural balls, it's Mr Trump's unpredictability that his supporters hope to see today.

This instability also has the potential to exacerbate entrenched divisions.

Read More

"Everyone knows Trump prefers not to use scripts and is liable to say anything when a microphone is put in front of him," Tim Sanchez (27), a politics student from New York who travelled to protest, said. "His inauguration speech should be about setting the tone for his presidency, and it should certainly touch on themes of reconciliation and national unity.

"But will he be able to do that? His press conference last week was a car crash, Nazi Germany, Russia and everything, he couldn't help himself...it's really important he doesn't screw up on this speech."

The president-elect, surely, is aware of the importance of these words.

Read More

On Wednesday night, in the basement bar at the Baron Tavern in the Northwest of the city, a young woman found herself at the receiving end of a nasty, spittle-laced diatribe from a middle-aged couple who had been sitting next to her.

Her mistake? Revealing her profession. "I had been making small talk and they said they were in town for the inauguration," the 28-year-old, who didn't want to be named, said later.

"I mentioned that my husband works with me in a government role. That set them off, taunting me that we'd be out of a job, that Trump would 'drain the swamp', that somehow I was the establishment.

"It was out of nowhere. They weren't drinking. It was upsetting."

'Drain the Swamp' was a Trump campaign slogan, focusing on what he sees as the "entire corrupt Washington Establishment".

In the region of 800,000 people are expected to attend the inauguration today - down on the estimated 1.8 million who watched Mr Obama's 2009 inauguration - but still a major influx to the city.

And hundreds of thousands more are expected to travel to Washington for various protests, with a Women's March on Saturday among the biggest events. Flashpoints are inevitable.

There is already a low-level tension around the city, which risks spilling into something else: antagonistic triumphalism, perhaps, versus self-righteous condescension? One side looking down its nose and dismissive, the other side snide and taunting?

Most likely it will be just fine, but there's no doubt it could get ugly.

Partly with that in mind, about 28,000 personnel from various agencies including the Secret Service, the FBI and various police departments are working to help ensure the transfer of power goes smoothly.

And plenty of locals are getting the hell out of dodge.

"You're talking about a city where just 4pc went for Mr Trump when they voted," Carl deMenzies (67), from Arlington, said. "This is not history they want to see."

But as Mr Trump would doubtless respond: "Sad!!"

His biggest disappointment is unlikely to be the lack of Democrats in the crowd, but rather the lack of A-list entertainers at the various events after the likes of Elton John, Celine Dion and Kiss turned down invites. But he'll get over it - the big names may have shunned him, but the big money certainly hasn't.

Mr Trump's inaugural committee has pulled in a $100m from a mix of companies, rich donors, and smaller supporters urged into buying, say, number plates and so on. The funds dwarf the record of $53m set by Mr Obama's team in 2009.

But, as with so much surrounding Mr Trump, how much of that money will be spent on the 'low-key' inauguration - and how - is uncertain.

One thing is clear: at 5pm Irish time, Donald J Trump will ascend to the most powerful job in the world.

"I think there is a lot of fear-mongering out there, and a lot of elitism, even though this is democracy at work," Susan Anthony (52) a retired nurse from El Paso, Texas, argued. "Our new president is going to do what he was elected to do - he will change the establishment. That's what we want - change. That's what we'll get." Bong! The clock starts on Mr Trump's US presidency. Let's take it one day at a time.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration as the US president and expressed hope for close cooperation between the Alliance and the United States, Sputnik reported.

Earlier in the day, Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

"I look forward to working closely with President Trump to reinforce our Alliance, to ensure that we continue to respond to evolving challenges, including terrorism, with fairer burden-sharing among Allies," Stoltenberg said in a statement.

He underlined that the leading role of the United States in NATO since the founding of the organization in 1949, adding that the strength of the organization as the "most successful alliance in history" is equally good for the United States and Europe.

"I look forward to welcoming President Trump to his first NATO Summit in Brussels later this year," Stoltenberg added.

Throughout his 2016 election campaign, Trump repeatedly called into question the viability of NATO, the disproportionate US financial contribution to the Alliance and Washingtons pledge to defend NATOs members as per Article 5 of the Washington Treaty that established the alliance in 1949.
Uber faced allegations that it duped people into driving for its ride-hailing service (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Uber Technologies is paying 20 million dollars (16.2 million) to settle allegations that it duped people into driving for its ride-hailing service.

The company was accused of giving false promises about how much they would earn and how much they would have to pay to finance a car.

The agreement announced with the US Federal Trade Commission covers statements Uber made from late 2013 until 2015 while trying to recruit more drivers to expand its service and remain ahead of its main rival, Lyft.

The FTC alleged that most Uber drivers were earning far less in 18 major US cities than Uber published online.

Regulators also asserted that drivers wound up paying substantially more to lease cars than the company had claimed.

"Many consumers sign up to drive for Uber, but they shouldn't be taken for a ride about their earnings potential or the cost of financing a car through Uber," said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Uber said it was pleased to resolve the dispute.

"We've made many improvements to the driver experience over the last year and will continue to focus on ensuring that Uber is the best option for anyone looking to earn money on their own schedule," the San Francisco company said.

Most of the proceeds from Uber's settlement will be paid out to drivers.

Documents filed in San Francisco federal court did not spell out how many people will get a cut of the settlement or what the average payment will be.

Uber has grown into a cultural phenomenon largely by undercutting the prices typically charged by taxis with rides that can be quickly summoned on its smartphone app.

To ensure cars are widely available, Uber has persuaded hundreds of thousands of people in the US to become drivers by dangling the lure of making money at any time that is convenient for them.

The drivers are treated as independent contractors, another contentious issue because the classification excludes them from many of the benefits and protections given to full-time employees.

As part of its recruitment efforts, Uber has floated enticing estimates about how much drivers can make picking up passengers in densely populated cities.

The FTC's case took issue with how Uber presented its earnings estimates.

For instance, on Uber's website from May 2015 through August 2015, chief executive Travis Kalanick boasted the mid-range annual incomes of the service's New York City drivers exceeded 90,000 dollars (73,000).

And the mid-range annual earnings of its San Francisco drivers topped 74,000 dollars (60,000), according to the FTC.

The agency's investigation found the mid-range income for the New York drivers was nearly one-third less, at 61,000 dollars (49,500), and 28% less in San Francisco, at 53,000 dollars (43,000) , during the year leading up to Mr Kalanick's statement.

In August 2015, Uber revised its website to specify its estimates reflected drivers' "potential" incomes in those two cities.

The FTC says less than 10% of Uber drivers in New York and San Francisco hit the income levels circulated by the company.

Uber also exaggerated the average hourly earnings of its drivers in 16 other US cities and Orange County in California, according to the FTC's complaint.

Regulators also blamed Uber for referring people to car financing programmes that charged more than the company had promised.

The FTC approved the settlement in a 2-1 vote. The dissenting voter, Maureen Ohlhausen, objected because she did not believe Uber's actions harmed consumers.

AP
The militants killed in the air strikes were described as "core" al Qaida members

US warplanes have bombed an al Qaida training camp in Syria, killing more than 100 militants, the Pentagon said.

It marked the second major US counter-terrorism strike in the final hours of Barack Obama's presidency,

Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt Jeff Davis said the camp in Idlib province had been active since at least 2013.

"The removal of this training camp disrupts training operations and discourages hard-line Islamist and Syrian opposition groups from joining or co-operating with al Qaida on the battlefield," Davis said.

The Syria strike was carried out by one B-52 bomber and an undisclosed number of US aerial drones.

It took place on Thursday, less than 24 hours after a combination of B-2 stealth bombers and drones struck two military camps in a remote part of Libya, killing 80 to 90 Islamic State militants.

Barack Obama specifically authorised the Libya strike. It was not clear whether the Syria strike required his direct approval.

The militants killed in the Syria attack were described by one defence official as "core" al Qaida members, among a number who had moved to Syria early last year to establish a foothold.

The official distinguished these militants from members of the group formerly known as the Nusra Front, which is an al Qaida affiliate in Syria.

Davis said Thursday's attack capped a string of successful strikes against al Qaida this month.

He said the strikes have killed more than 150 members of the group since January 1.

They include Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi, an external operations leader, killed last Tuesday, the spokesman said.

"These strikes, conducted in quick succession, degrade al Qaida's capabilities, weaken their resolve, and cause confusion in their ranks," Davis said.

AP
The crowds start to fill the National Mall as the sun rises over Washington (AP)

The Obamas and the Trumps pose for pictures at the White House (AP)

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States (Matt Rourke/AP)

US President Donald Trump has quickly assumed the mantle of the White House and begun setting up his new administration.

Mr Trump signed a Bill that allows retired general James Mattis to serve as his defence secretary, as well as the nomination papers for his other cabinet choices.

Less than an hour after delivering a stinging rebuke of the political status quo in his inaugural address, Mr Trump sat in an ornate room steps from the Senate floor to officially assemble his core team.

Flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and congressional leaders, he praised each of his nominees as he signed the papers and handed out the pens he was using.

He also engaged in banter with his new congressional rivals, including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

Mr Trump also signed a proclamation declaring a national day of patriotism, according to a tweet from White House spokesman Sean Spicer.

Although Mr Trump campaigned on promises to get to work immediately, he has since backed off some of his promised speed, downplaying the importance of a rapid-fire approach to complex issues that may involve negotiations with Congress or foreign leaders.

Mr Trump has said that he expects Monday to be the first big work day, his effective Day One.

The Bill passed by Congress last week granted Mr Mattis a one-time exception from federal law barring former US service members who have been out of uniform for less than seven years from holding the top Pentagon job.

The restriction is meant to preserve civilian control of the military.

Mr Mattis, 66, retired from the Marine Corps in 2013.

He was confirmed by the Senate as Mr Trump watched his inaugural parade from a stand outside the White House.

While Mr Trump participated in the rituals of the day that included the inaugural parade and balls, there were signs his new government was up and running.

Federal websites and agencies immediately began reflecting the transfer of power, and WhiteHouse.gov was revamped for Mr Trump's policy priorities as pages about LGBT rights and the Obama administration's climate change plan were eliminated.

But the Trump team kept a section of the website that let voters petition the White House.

Two new petitions were posted on Friday: one calling on him to release his tax returns and verify that he is not receiving payments from foreign governments, the other asking him to divest of his holdings or put them in a blind trust.

Shortly after Mr Trump became president, the Department of Housing and Urban Development suspended the Obama administration's planned reduction of mortgage insurance premium rates, a move that had been intended to make buying a home more affordable.

At the signing ceremony at the Capitol, Ms Pelosi jokingly objected to receiving a pen used to nominate Representative Tom Price of Georgia to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. House Speaker Paul Ryan interjected, saying: "I'll take it."

Mr Trump has affirmed parts of the 18-point Day One plan he campaigned on, indicating that significant policy announcements may be teed up in the opening days of the Trump administration.

He still intends to withdraw from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, which he views as detrimental to US businesses and workers.

He has also promised to renegotiate the two-decades-old Clinton era North American Free Trade Agreement or withdraw from it.

Given Mr Trump's opposition to Mr Obama's immigration actions, he could also cancel the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, or DACA, which has protected about 750,000 young immigrants from deportation.

The programme also offered those immigrants work permits.

Mr Trump also faces an early choice of naming a Supreme Court justice to fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

He has said he will announce a nominee in about two weeks.

Other issues poised to receive early action include energy, where Mr Trump is likely to undo regulations on oil drilling and coal, and cyber security, where he has already said he will ask for a report on the strength of the nation's cyber defences within 90 days of taking office.

AP
A Canadian woman has filed a complaint to the national post after a postcard sent by an Argentinian friend had the spelling corrected and with the words "Learn English!!" in red pen.

Mirella Zisko from Toronto received a postcard from a friend on January 12, and was shocked to find that it had been corrected with red pen, she told CBC News.

The man, named as Oscar, who speaks English as a second language, emigrated to Canada but returned home to Argentina for a visit.

"First I was mad, and then I just felt upset for him," Ms Zisko said. "He's such a good friend, and he's an older gentleman, and I just felt hurt for him that someone would go out of their way to be mean.

'Learn English!!': Woman upset after postcard from Spanish-speaking friend arrives covered in corrections https://t.co/reoB8rSBOq pic.twitter.com/LC93CfhBCZ  CBC News (@CBCNews) January 19, 2017

"It's 2017. Who has the right to do this?" Ms Zisko told CBC news.

Ms Zisko said that she doesn't know who corrected the postcard but said she doubts it was done in Argentina where the main language is Spanish.

Her daughter, a university student, called the writing "racist". "She's like, 'This is wrong, this is racist. It's 2017. Who has the right to do this?'"

She complained to Canada Post, and asked if tampering with someones mail was a crime.

The postal service, told the CBC that the incident was unfortunate and that they understand why Ms Zisko was upset.

It did not clarify whether this incident could be considered a crime adding that "with many hands touching the postcard before and after it entered Canada, it is impossible to determine where and when the marking may have occurred."
By Pritesh Samuel & Koushan Das

In a move that will boost foreign investment and business in the Indian economy, the Modi government recently unveiled various incentives for private companies that want to set up in international financial service centers (IFSC) in the country. These include granting such firms exemptions from several norms in the Companies Act, 2013. IFSCs serve customers outside the domestic economy and handle cross-border financial products and services. They can be set up in special economic zones (SEZs) to avail benefits and inducements that are applied to such zones.

RELATED: Market Entry Strategy Advisory Services from Dezan Shira & Associates

Key exemptions

On January 4, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) allowed 39 modifications/exemptions for private companies in IFSCs from several clauses in the Companies Act of 2013. Highlights of the exemptions are:

Private companies can make placement offers and will not be restricted by previous offers that havent been completed or withdrawn.

An extract from the annual return of the company will not have to be included in the boards report.

Companies will not be required to comply with the secretarial standard as per the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.

Such firms can make investments through more than two investment companies.

The development will particularly help companies that are set up in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), which was inaugurated in April 2015 as Indias first and only functioning IFSC. The government had earlier announced various tax exemptions  for example, transaction taxes and stamp duty wont be imposed and IFSC firms will get a tax holiday.

IFSC regulations

IFSCs have to be licensed under only one of the three central regulatory bodies, which are  Indias Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), and the Insurance Regulatory Authority of India (IRDA). In addition, some rules that have been relaxed for IFSCs are:

IFSC companies are only limited by shares.

Such companies have to add International Financial Service Centers or IFSC in their names.

Relaxed time for filing documents  the time given for submitting verification for registered addresses to the Registrar of Companies (ROC) for IFSC companies is sixty days rather than 30; the filing of resolution and agreement with ROC can be done in sixty days.

An officer or any other person authorized by the company can authenticate documents and other contracts for IFSC companies. Under the Companies Act, only an officer of the company can do so for other companies.

RELATED: Incentives for International Financial Service Centers in India

India is a large purchaser of International Financial Services (IFS) from the rest of the world, and loses significant revenue from the trading of the Indian rupee. In trading in rupee derivatives alone, IFSCs are expected to increase the revenue of the country by capturing approximately US$19 million (Rs 1,334 crore) per day or US$29 billion (Rs 2 lakh crore) per year worth of trading that presently takes place outside of India. The GIFT IFSC has already crossed business transactions worth over US$1.5 billion in a year. The GIFT City area currently has around 3,500 people working and expects this number to reach 30,000 by 2018. Once it is fully operational, around 500,000 direct and indirect jobs are expected to be created.

All transactions in the Gujarat IFSC are required to be carried out in foreign currency; however, administrative and statutory expenses can be done in Indian rupees. Banking, insurance, and capital market sectors can be set up in the IFSC. Domestic and international banks that have branches in India can set up International Banking Units (IBU) in the IFSC and will be exempt from Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) and Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) requirements. They must have a minimum capital of US$20 million.

Takeaways

The government is keen to make IFSCs succeed and some norms may be overlooked as more IFSCs are planned in the country. The RBI has also suggested a unified regulator for IFSCs, particularly to deal with dispute resolution and other issues. Nevertheless, the easing of restrictions at IFSCs will help companies do business and set up in such IFSCs without major hitches. The reforms are also expected to incentivize global companies to enter. Lastly, the government can use such IFSCs as a sandbox to pass reforms before rolling them out to the rest of the country.



About Us Asia Briefing Ltd. is a subsidiary of Dezan Shira & Associates. Dezan Shira is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in China, Hong Kong, India, Vietnam, Singapore and the rest of ASEAN. For further information, please email india@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends in Asia by subscribing to our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary and regulatory insight.

An Introduction to Doing Business in India 2016

Doing Business in India 2016 is designed to introduce the fundamentals of investing in India. As such, this comprehensive guide is ideal not only for businesses looking to enter the Indian market, but also for companies who already have a presence here and want to stay up-to-date with the most recent and relevant policy changes.

Pre-Investment Due Diligence in India

In this issue of India Briefing Magazine, we examine issues related to pre-investment due diligence in India. We highlight the different regulatory, tax, and socio-economic issues that a company should be aware of before entering the Indian market. We also detail some of the topics related to entry structures while investing in the Indian market, as well as cultural and HR due diligence, which may differ from state to state.

Strategies for Repatriating Funds from India

In this issue of India Briefing Magazine, we look at issues related to repatriating funds from India. We highlight the unique regulations for sending funds back from India, examine the various strategies companies can make use of while repatriating, and look at remittance procedures for different types of Indian entities. Finally, we give some tips on how expats can remit their Indian money to their home countries.
Five Turkish soldiers were martyred and nine others injured in a car bomb attack by Daesh terrorist organization during Operation Euphrates Shield near the Daesh-held city of Al-Bab in northern Syria on Friday, Anadolu reported.

The Turkish General Staff said the attack took place in Suflaniyah Village, northeast of Al-Bab.

The injured soldiers were rushed to nearby hospitals in southern Turkey's Gaziantep and Kilis provinces.

Earlier on Friday, 23 Daesh terrorists were killed in northern Syria over the last 24 hours as part of Operation Euphrates Shield, the military said.

Friday marks the 150th day of Operation Euphrates Shield, which began in late August to tighten border security, eliminate the terror threat along Turkish borders, and support opposition forces in Syria. The Free Syrian Army is backed by Turkish artillery and jets as a part of the operation.

The Turkish army is supporting Free Syrian Army fighters in their fight to liberate Al-Bab from the terrorist group.

Since the start of the operation, 3,014 improvised explosives and 43 mines have been neutralized, the military added.
Watches are not rocket science Watches are not rocket science

Perhaps you dont have a PhD. Well, thats a shame, because with some watches, youll need one to understand how to tell the time.

Perhaps you dont have a PhD. Well,...
Steve Harvey attends the Neighborhood Awards Beach Party at the Mandalay Bay Beach at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on July 24, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo : Getty Images/David Becker)

Steve Harvey tweeted on Jan. 17, Tuesday, an apology for his comments during a segment of NBC's "Steve Harvey" show aired on Jan. 6. In his talk show, he presented a comedy bit which made Asian men the center of the joke and recently caught fire on social media.



Wanted to share this today. pic.twitter.com/mpKGBZic5k

Advertisement  Steve Harvey (@IAmSteveHarvey) January 17, 2017



On the Jan. 6 episode of Harvey's talk show, he shared he has found a book "How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men." He took the book and jested that he found it funny he could almost not control himself from laughing. He summarized the book's message in two sentences.



"Excuse me, do you like Asian men?," Harvey quipped. "No, thank you."



Published in November 2002, the book by Adam Quan aims to guide an Asian man to feel confident, avoid making mistakes and successfully date a white woman. Harvey then suggested another book which should be titled, "How to Date a Black Woman: A Practical Guide (for) Asian Men." He said it would only be just a single page as well.



"You like Asian men?" Harvey said. "I don't even like Chinese food. It don't stay with you no time. I don't eat what I can't pronounce."



Such segment of the show angered many, including Asian lawmakers from New York who sent Harvey a letter demanding for an immediate public apology. Signed by Assemblyman Ron Kim, Rep. Grace Meng, Councilman Peter Koo of D-Queens, Rep. Yuh-line Niou and Councilwoman Margaret Chin of D-Manhattan, the letter in Kim's Dropbox account describes Harvey's comments about Asian men as "offensive, classless, racist and sexist."



Harvey will host the Miss Universe 2016 in Manila on Jan. 30. In December 2015, he mistakenly announced Miss Colombia as the winner instead of Miss Philippines, which angered Colombians, but Andrea Tovar, the current candidate from Colombia, apparently has moved on from that mistake.



"I understand it was a difficult situation to accept," Tovar told ABS-CBN. "But it was a mistake. Now it is different situation we are in."



Watch the segment of "Steve Harvey" on Jan. 6 below:






As we had reported earlier the Nadigar Sangam has started a dawn to dusk Silent protest to support Jallikattu today. Actor Ponvannan, the Vice President of Nadigar Sangam announced this in a press meet on Wednesday. He also urged all the members of the Sangam to participate in it.

Since the pro-Jallikattu protest has turned out to be a mass movement with the fervent participation of lakhs and lakhs of men and women across Tamil Nadu and many Kollywood celebrities have expressed their support for the protest, the Nadigar Sangam protest is expected to have full attendance of the members. Stalwarts like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Ajith, Suriya and Vikram are also expected to participate in the protest.

However the Jallikattu supporters who have spent days together in the protest field unrelentingly are apparently not in a mood to welcome the Nadigar Sangam's announcement. The hashtag #SayNoTo NadigarSangamProtest was trending in Twitter on Thursday.

At this moment the statement from Nadigar Sangam President Nasser seeks to quell the fears of Stars hijacking the mass movement formed by common people for Jallikattu. The veteran actor has requested media to not cover the Nadigar Sangam protest and focus their attention on students and youngsters who have been protesting day and night for Jallikattu.

"The entire Tamil community across the globe is in an emotional turmoil today. The cultural identity of the ancient Tamil society (Jallikattu) has been curtailed. To redeem that, the student community and the youngsters have voluntarily gathered like an ocean to protest. Inspired by this uprisi women and children have come down to the streets to protest. The South Indian Artists Association (Nadigar Sangam) wholeheartedly supports this great protest. This will be a silent sit in protest. Not only Nadigar Sangam but also many other departments of the film industry will be taking part in the protest. No one will speak anything or give suggestions to anyone.

I request the Television and online media friends to abstain from recording our protest. Instead please focus the masterminds of this protest. Take the students and youngsters who are unitedly protesting under the scorching sun to the people. Broadcast their opinion.

The media friends have supported us always. But today we are conducting the event without you. I hope you will understand the reason behind that. Let us join together and project those who deserve to be projected to the public (with regard to the Jallikattu protests)."
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
Host Neil Patrick Harris speaks onstage during the 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 22, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Kevin Winter)

"How I Met Your Mother," the hit comedy series which completed nine seasons before ending in 2014, has come under fire after posing a controversial Facebook post. The post was meant to be a tribute to civil rights icon Martin Luther King on Jan. 16 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), but it did not go down well with netizens.



Advertisement

The Facebook account of the show posted a re-written Barney Stinson version of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. For the uninitiated, Stinson was a sex-crazed womanizer on the show played by actor Neil Patrick Harris.



The controversial post included statements like, "I have a dream that all bros will rise up and live out the true meaning of their creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident - that all boobs are created pretty good,'" and, "I have a dream that one day black and white chicks will come together in my bed," went another line, and that "all tee-shirts will be wet and boob jobs will be free."



The ill-conceived post sparked backlash from people who criticized the series for rephrasing the words of the great icon in the words of a famously misogynistic television character. Some social media users pointed out that it was in poor taste to use a sexist character like Stinson to honor Dr. King, an icon who died fighting for equality.



Dr.King was assassinated in 1968 and a federal holiday is observed on the third Monday of January every year to celebrate the life and achievements of the civil rights leader. In the wake of the backlash, the controversial post was deleted but the damage had already been done.



This is not the first time the series has come under fire. The show sparked outrage among the Asian community after the show featured its main characters played by Alyson Hannigan, Cobie Smulders and Josh Radnor in yellowface and dressed up in stereotypical Asian attire.



A new "How I Met Your Mother" spin-off, "How I Met Your Father, which is told from the perspective of a female character, is currently in development at 20th Century Fox, according to TV Line. The spin-off was cancelled in 2014 after the pilot, starring Greta Garwig in the lead role and narration by Meg Ryan, was not picked up for a series order.



NBC is now handling the project with "This Is Us" writers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger and "How I Met Your Mother" executive producers Carter Bays and Craig Thomas, according to The Hollywood Reporter. For additional details on the upcoming spin-off, watch the video below:






Karan Johar has become the talk of town and for reasons more than one. From his autobiography to his show Koffee With Karan, the man has been in the news for all positive reasons.

Twitter

However, KJo had a really tough 2016. Even though the success of ADHM made up for all the ups and downs, the whole ban on Pak artists and the fiasco really left him shattered. Recently, Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy spoke to KJo at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Among other things, they also spoke about Fawad Khan and how it impacted and hindered the release of their film for a long time.

Talking about Fawad, KJo said,

Twitter

"Im trying to process how to answer that You know what I went through. It was a tough time for me. I have a great regard for talent and I have a great regard for Fawad Khans talent which is why hes been in two of our films."

He added,

"The circumstances we dont know where were heading, and I think all great actors should find the best platforms and just like you, I hope Fawad Khan finds the best platform because hes a terrific actor. Having said that, I never want to go through what I went through again. Neither the situation, the circumstances, nor the apology. None of that is what made me feel comfortable. I felt weak, victimized, and as a filmmaker, I dont want to feel that. I just want to feel creatively liberated."
Michael Knudsen, a photographer from Denmark has caught some of the spookiest looking trains on film.

In the series, three trains stand next to each other at what looks like an eerie, abandoned train station.

The mood in the series reminds one of the robot army from Terminator Genisys looking to take over us humans.

There's a whole bunch of funny comments that read something like this - "This train station is about to drop a fire metal album;" "looks like they're about to drop the sickest dark electro album in 2016;" "or 3 giant mutated carnivorous caterpillars about to eat you;" "I did'en know we had Terminators in Denmark;" "Those trains look like badass boss in video games."

Check out the pictures below:

#1

Michael Knudsen

#2

Michael Knudsen

#3

Michael Knudsen

#4

Michael Knudsen

#5

Michael Knudsen

#6

Michael Knudsen

(H/t: lostateminor.com)
Hundreds of women in 20 cities across India are expected to march and hold events under reclaim the night campaign on Saturday, to mark the protest against the alleged mass molestation of women in Bengaluru on New Years Eve.

Reuters

According to Reuters, the march will start from 5 pm in every city and hundreds of women are expected to come out to express outrage not only at the assault of women on New Years Eve, but also to condemn insensitive remarks made by politicians in the aftermath of the incident.

The campaign, hashtagged #IWillGoOut on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, will bring together women's rights groups, charities, student's associations and individuals in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.

"We are doing this to stand up against the misogyny which was played out in the attacks on women on New Year's Eve, and then in the absurd remarks made by politicians after the incident," Bhani Rachel, one of the organisers of the Delhi march was quoted by Reuters.

BCCL

"Although our demands are different from those marching in other cities across the world on Saturday, we stand in solidarity with our sisters, as we are all fighting against the same things - misogyny and patriarchy, she added.

After the assaults, the home minister of Karnataka said "such incidents do happen", while another politician blamed women for following "western culture", dressing inappropriately and staying out late.

The #IWillGoOut organisers said 21 Indian cities and towns - including Hyderabad, Puducherry, Lucknow, Kolkata, Bhopal -confirmed they will be holding events ranging from marches to street plays.

Reuters

Groups such as Oxfam India, for example, said 1,000 members who will be on a fundraising 100-km (60-mile) trek on the outskirts of Bengaluru, will express their solidarity with the #IWillGoOut campaign through messages on social media.

"Even the very meagre fund that was put together for promoting womens safety has never been used. There is a huge agenda of training the police, the judiciary, setting up counselling centres and so on," said Oxfam India CEO Nisha Agrawal.
Enterprising individuals have taken advantage of the shortage by selling Shigematsu masks on Taobao with high mark-ups. (Photo : Getty Images)

As the smog problem worsens, citizens are desperately looking for remedies for its possible health impacts. But China's top drug authority has warned its citizens of the risks of using these unregulated medical devices.



Red alerts were triggered in more than 20 cities earlier this month due to severe smog.



Advertisement

"The root cause of the region's smog problems, from a long-term perspective, is the unclean industrial and energy mix, which require big changes," said Chen Jining, China's minister of environmental protection.



While the more well-off section of Chinese society can afford to go on "smog escapes" in overseas locations such as Iceland and Antarctica, the masses of citizens are looking for other remedies to help fight off the health risks and impacts of the heavy smog.



"Some people are promoting medical equipment online claiming to be 'smog busters' and to 'purify smog' and some illegally sold oxygen generators and portable oxygen respirators, taking advantage of smoggy days," said the China Food and Drug Administration in a statement released online.



Nowadays, oxygen generators have been growing popular with citizens living in smog-plagued locations. This medical equipment is depicted as 'health saviors' which can protect users from smog and produce 90 percent pure oxygen.



The CFDA encouraged people to read relevant information on medical equipment, which is available on the government agency's website. They added that citizens should help in reporting illegal activities to relevant departments.



Meanwhile, another product called the 'anti-smog tea' has also become popular. The tea is promoted by sellers as a remedy that will clean the lungs amid the heavy smog.



According to Liu Quangqing, president of the Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the tea is unreliable and may even cause additional health risks.



With citizens now resorting to unregulated remedies to fight off the smog, it shows the dire state of air pollution in China. It is clear that the government has some serious work to do in order to control and reduce the problem.


A group of 'gau rakshaks' stopped four trucks carrying buffaloes on the Jaipur-Gurgaon expressway and beat up the transporters, sending one of them to hospital with injuries.

BCCL/representational image

The latest episode of violent vigilantism in BJP-ruled Haryana by self-styled cow protection groups unfolded on the Jaipur-Gurgaon expressway, a few hundred metres from the Kherki Daula toll plaza on Wednesday night.

The violence went on for nearly half an hour as the mob of 'gau rakshaks' rained blows and punches on the five men transporting the buffalos.

Also Read: Haryana Has Booked 513 People Under Cow Protection Law, Among Them 86 Are Hindus

Gurgaon, incidentally, is where the state government's cow protection task force operates from, but police claimed to have no information on the trucks or the attack till officials at the toll plaza reported the violence to the local cops.

BCCL/representational image

The transporters, contractor Suvalal and the four truck drivers were booked on charges of animal cruelty because of the way the buffaloes and calves had been packed into the trucks but police filed no case against the 'gau rakshaks'.

Inspector Yashwant of Kherki Daula police station said there was no need to do so as the injured man had reached a "compromise" and not registered a complaint against the vigilantes.

Police said they found 135 buffaloes and calves, of which one buffalo and 3 calves had died. By that time, though, the 'gau rakshaks' had fled and the injured man had been taken to SRS hospital.

Seeing the state in which the animals were being carried, an FIR was registered for animal cruelty under Section 429 of IPC and clauses of the Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals Act.

BCCL/representational image

Amit Chaudhery of People for Animals, Gurgaon, said the animals were stuffed into the trucks because of which some of them are going to be "unable to stand up" while some "are suffering from internal bleeding/organ damage and are likely to succumb to injuries".

BCCL/representational image

Bharti Arora, officer-in-charge of the cow protection unit in Haryana, said it was a case of buffaloes, not cows, and that she was not aware of it. After it came to power, the BJP government in Haryana enacted a law to protect cows and also set up a police wing to stop slaughter and smuggling of cows in the state.

But simultaneously, small groups of 'gau rakshaks' mushroomed across the state. These groups, with the advantage of local intelligence, have been involved in several cases of violence against cattle smugglers or people they believed to be so, and not hesitated in doling out punishment themselves rather than inform police and let the law take its course.
Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, known for his miraculous escapes from the prisons, has been extradited at the behest of the United States to face drug trafficking and other charges.

AFP

Guzman who landed in New York on late Thursday, is a the convicted leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the world's largest drug trafficking organisations. Guzman is expected to spend the night in a New York jail before his first appearance in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Friday.

Guzman was recaptured seven months back after he escaped from prison. But this wasnt for the first time this Mexican drug kingpin had managed to flee the jail. In fact his whole life is a tale of capture, escape and recaptures and his story is so intriguing that it can easily be made into a Hollywood movie.

Here are some major dates in Guzmans timeline

1993, when Guzman was first captured

AFP

On June 10, Guzman was first captured in Guatemala. But even after the capture he managed to continue operations of drug trade despite jail authorities keeping a strict eye. Robert Saviano, an Italian Journalist who, The maximum security prison Puente Grande, where he was transferred in 1995, became his new base of operations.

Guzman was convicted in 1995 and was sentenced to 20 year prison.

In 2001, he managed to escape from the jail

On 19 January, 2001, Guzman escaped the top security prison by bribing the guards. Saviano has written a detailed account about this event.

One of themFrancisco Camberos Rivera, known as El Chito, or the Silent Oneopened the door to El Chapos cell and helped him climb into a cart of dirty laundry.

AFP

They headed down unguarded hallways and through wide-open electronic doors to the inner parking lot, where only one guard was on duty. El Chapo jumped out of the cart and leaped into the trunk of a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Saviano told the story of Guzmans escape.

In 2007, Guzman married beauty queen Emma Coronel

Youtube

Though, still a fugitive, Guzman married beauty queen Emma Cononel in Sinaloa in an event attended by many people. This shows how power he was when it came to clout. In fact in 2009 Forbes Magazine named Guzman in the list of worlds most powerful people.

In 2012, he was nearly captured

Mexican federal police nearly capture Guzman in a coastal mansion in Los Cabos, a day after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with dozens of other foreign ministers in the same resort town.

Captured once again in 2014

On February 22, 2014, Guzman was captured in Mazatlan after hiding in tunnels for days. The authorities had celebrated his arrested as a huge success.

That infamous tunnel escape

On July 11, 2015, Guzman escaped through a tunnel from Mexicos top-security prison. The drug-lord had escaped by digging a tunnel from his shower. He slipped down a hole in his shower stall in plain view of guards into a mile-long tunnel dug from a property outside the prison.

Reuters

The tunnel had ventilation, lights and a motorbike on rails, illustrating the extent to which corruption was involved in covering up the elaborate operation. Noise of the final breakthrough from the tunnel was obvious inside the prison, according a video of Guzman in his cell just before he escaped.

Recaptured Again

Reuters

On January 8, 2016, He is once again re-captured in Los Mochis, Sinaloa after a shootout with Mexican marines. Five people were killed and one marine was wounded in the fight.
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) are helping the Indian army and border security force to detect the tunnels made by the terrorist from Pakistan to come over to India. There have been several efforts made in this regard before as well, but now it seems there will soon be a solution.

On November 30, 2016, a day after the Samba attack, the Border Security Force (BSF) said it had discovered a cross-border tunnel, which it believed terrorists used to infiltrate.

In July 2012, four years before the Pathankot attacks, the army had discovered a 20-ft deep tunnel with a complete ventilation and breathing system 340 metres inside India from the International Border (IB) in Samba sector, only 58-km from the Pathankot air base

BCCL

In fact, between 2001 and 2016, India has discovered at least eight tunnels originating from across the border along Pakistan, at an average of one every two years. And, only one of these is suspected to have been dug for drug running, while the others are linked to possible or successful infiltrations.

With increasing infiltrations and multiple attacks including on armed forces' bases such as Pathankot and Uri, the Centre is looking to expedite its hunt for two key technologies tunnel detection and gunshot detection systems that it hopes will help prevent such activity.

Tunnel Detection

The National Centre for Excellence in Technology for Internal Security (NCETIS) at IIT-B, which also has people working with other IITs, has developed a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) at 920MHz, which can not only detect tunnels but also landmines buried in soil.

BCCL

"Right now, we testing the equipment for ruggedness. We have a mandate that it needs to work in all terrains and conditions and once the ruggedness test is complete, we will begin the field trials in February," Seema Periwal, project manager, NCETIS told TOI from Mumbai.

She said, that while the initial project was to detect landmines, the Border Security Force (BSF) made additional requirements of tunnel detection. In fact, documents with TOI show that it was in November 2016 that MHA finalised the qualitative requirements (QRs) for ground penetration radar.

The MHA, even as the technology from the IITs is ready for trials, has issued a notice earlier this month inviting vendors, manufacturers, distributors and experts to share their views, suggestions and even product details with it. Sources in the MHA also said that India is looking at a technology from Israel.

Gunshot detection

While tunnel detection is one aspect, the BSF is also looking at equipping itself with a three-tier gunshot detection systemwhich can provide an alert 1 second after a enemy shot has been fired in the range of 300 metres to 1,200 metres.

BCCL

The BSF, which has been considering this technology from 2010, has late last year finalised the QRs for three systems: Standalone detection system, vehicle mounted system and weapon mounted system, which can be deployed to protect buildings or camps, used during patrolling and on-ground fighting scenario.

It is looking for a system that can detect different types of weapons. For a 5.56mm weapon, BSF has asked for a detection range of at least 300, while the same is 400m for a 7.62x39mm weapon, 500m for a 7.62x5.1mm weapon and 1,200m for a 12.7mm weapon. Sources said that the MHA is likely to look outside of India for this technology, although no final decision on it has been taken.
Yoga guru Ramdev has 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.

BCCL

Stating that India does not need MNCs, Ramdev said on Thursday India is self-reliant as far as science and technology, capital and resources are concerned.

"Modiji 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 demonetization," Ramdev said on a lighter note.

ALSO READ: Ramdev's 2017 Wishlist Includes Patanjali Products Across 30 Lakh Shops, Factories Worth Rs 1 Lakh Crore!

Reuters

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 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".

BCCL

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."

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 world s biggest university in India with Patanjali's money."

ALSO READ: 'Desi' Patanjali, Plans Import Brazilian Bull Semen To 'Make Indian Cows More Productive'
Animal activists are up in arms again after a fresh debate on the practice of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu was sparked a few days before Pongal celebrations ensue.

The practice of bullfighting and taming, however, is not limited to India alone and neither is the tug-of-war between culture, law, and activists. While culture-supporters say the ban cannot be imposed because it goes against the age-old traditions of Tamil Nadu, activists say the sport is inherently cruel to animals.

And the law, well, its on the side of whoever makes the strongest argument. Along with India, America and Spain have also not been able to reach a conclusion when it comes to this bull-related sport. Here's a small account of what has been going on in these three countries.

Reuters

Rodeo in United States of America

Reuters

Americas rodeo sport dates back to the 17th century when the South-western part of the country was under Spanish influence. The sport, which involves bull-riding, wrestling, calf-roping and saddle-bronc riding among other events, attracts hundreds of regular locals and curious tourists in Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and others. While one group argues that this sport is an inherent part of American culture, especially the southern states, others say its a cruel practice against animals.

Reuters

Rodeos are governed by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) who say they have 60 rules to cover the care and handling of animals involved in the sport. And regulations today include having a veterinarian on site at all events and removing animals who are injured from competitions. While PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has lobbied to get the sport banned, saying the rules only protect the rider and not the animal, they have not yet been successful.

Bullfighting in Spain

Reuters

This south European is world-know for a lot of things, but mainly for the Tomatina Festival, paella and bullfighting. The tradition of bullfighting dates back to the Roman times, at least, and the current form of the sport took shape in the 18th century. Bullfighting is all encompassing  its a festival, its a cultural practice, its a spectacle and its a business. Spain, however, is a divided nation when it comes to this age-old practice.

Reuters

In 2010, Catalonia banned bullfighting. But in practice, the Barcelona has been anti-bullfighting since 2004. However, in October 2016, Spains judiciary overturned the ban on grounds of preserving common cultural heritage. The ruling, in which nine of 12 judges ruled against the ban, said that the Catalan parliament has overstepped its authority by imposing a ban on bullfighting and said the practice was an expression of a cultural nature that forms part of the common cultural heritage.

Jallikattu in India

AP

India's southern state of Tamil Nadu has its own version of bullfighting, locally known as Jallikattu, and is a bull-taming event practiced on the fourth day of Pongal celebrations. The sport roughly dates back to 2,500 years and is mainly practiced in the Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Theni, Pudukkottai and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu. However, Jallikattu has been mired in controversy for a few years now. In 2010, the practice was banned on grounds of animal cruelty but UPA government at the centre reversed the ban in 2011.

AP

Once again, 2014, the sport was banned and this time by the Supreme Court after activists urged that it caused significant harm to animals. The court in its ruling said, The use of bulls in such events severely harmed the animals and constituted an offence under the Prevention of cruelty to the Animals Act.

In January 2016, after request from the Tamil Nadu government, the central government lifted the ban on Jallikattu. The latest reversal on the ban has caused outrage among social activists and organisation saying the sport is cruel to animals and the traditional practice cannot be allowed to trump animal ethics. While a lot of Tamilians say Jallikattu must be carried forward because it is an inherent part of their culture, the other side of the argument is that of causing harm to animals.

Tradition is known to have locked horns with modernity over many issues. changing definitions of several matter over the different period in human history has resulted in unrest several times. the debate over cruelty on animals is one such things. Animals are revered, hunted, eaten, domesticated and used differently in different societies. one particular definition over how we must see animals is bound to clash with certain centuries-old traditions of the people where the perception of cruelty is different.

Currently, a non-violent protest is going on in Tamil Nadu, where people are demanding the right to celebrate their festivities as they have been doing for a long time. We can only hope that a better sense prevails over this issue.
As the protests continue to spread all over Tamil Nadu, chief minister O Panneerselvam said that an ordinance will be issued within two days on lifting the ban on Jallikattu. The draft ordinance, in this regard, has already been sent to the home ministry.

The legislation is aimed at bypassing the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA Act) under which the popular sport, which is intertwined with the Tamil culture. Read more

1. RBI Denies Exchanging Old Notes Worth Rs 50K Belonging To A Man Who Died On 26 Dec

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has declined a man's request to accept old demonetised notes left by his dead father.

Mastan Singh Maran, a Bhopal resident, submitted all the documents ranging from hospital bills to death certificate of his father at the RBI branch but the officials refused to accept as only NRIs are now eligible for exchanging old currency notes now as per guidelines. Read more

2. Court Says Rapes Took Place At Murthal During Jat Protest In 2016, Directs Cops To Find Rapists

The Punjab and Haryana high court observed has that the statements of some witnesses and the recovery of women's undergarments indicate that rapes had taken place at Murthal during Jat quota protests in February 2016.

The court asked the state police special investigation team to find the culprits to instill confidence in the public. Read more

3. Mangalyaan Orbit Realigned To Avoid Long-Duration Eclipse Of Mars, Says ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has successfully realigned the orbit of its Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan so it is not affected by long-duration eclipse, Isro chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said on Friday.

The correction in the trajectory of Mangalyaan was required to keep the power supply strong during the eclipse  caused by shadow of Mars falling on it for 7-8 hours  so that it could continue to function longer, as Mangalyaans battery cannot support long-duration eclipse. Read more

When Class-XI student Samprit Banerjee posted a goodbye message on Facebook on Wednesday night, friends who noticed it did not guess for a moment he was bidding adieu to life.

Though no suicide note was found, the boy is suspected to have taken his own life as he was upset over being rebuked for his poor performance in his half-yearly examination. Read more

5. After Recapture, Islamic State Destroys Parts Of Historic Roman Theater In Syrian City Of Palmyra

Nearly a month after Islamic State militants took control of Syria's historic town of Palmyra, it has now emerged that the jihadists have destroyed a landmark ancient Roman monument and parts of the theater in the city.

Syrian state media on Friday confirmed reports of the destruction first trickled out of the IS-held town late in December. Read more
Nearly a month after, Islamic State militants took control of Syria's historic town of Palmyra, it has now emerged that the jihadists have destroyed a landmark ancient Roman monument and parts of the theater in the city.

Reuters/ File

Syrian state media on Friday confirmed reports of the destruction first trickled out of the IS-held town late in December. Newly released satellite images of the damage also backs the claim that ISIS was destroying some of the oldest surviving Roman era relics.

Reuters

Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of Syria's antiquities department, said the militants destroyed the facade of the second-century theater along with the Tetrapylon, a cubic-shaped ancient Roman monument that sits in the middle of the colonnade road that leads to the theater.

Abdulkarim said only two of the 16 columns of the Tetrapylon remain standing. The stage backdrop has sustained damage. The extremists recaptured the ancient town in December from government troops  nine months after IS was expelled in a Russia-backed offensive. During their first stay, from May 2015 until May 2016, IS destroyed ancient temples including the Temple of Bel, which dated back to A.D. 32, and the Temple of Baalshamin, a structure of stone blocks several stories high fronted by six towering columns.

Reuters/ File

The militants also blew up the Arch of Triumph, which had been built under Roman emperor Septimius Severus between A.D. 193 and A.D. 211. A UNESCO world heritage site, Palmyra boasts 2,000-year-old towering Roman-era colonnades and priceless artifacts. Syrians affectionately refer to it as the "Bride of the Desert."

A desert oasis surrounded by palm trees in central Syria, Palmyra is also a strategic crossroads linking the Syrian capital, Damascus, with the country's east and neighboring Iraq. Located 155 miles (215 kilometers) east of Damascus, the city was once home to 65,000 people before the Syrian civil war began.

Reuters/ File

The extremists have destroyed ancient sites across their self-styled Islamic caliphate in Syria and Iraq, viewing them as monuments to idolatry. On Thursday, reports emerged the militant group killed 12 captives it held in Palmyra, some of them beheaded in the Roman theater.
After child suicide bombers, terrorist groups are now recruiting children as full time fighters in their groups. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed alarm over the reports of ranks al-Shabab group in Somalia constituting large number of children.

In a report put before the security council this week, the UN Chief told that al-Shabab used children in combat, with nine-year-old reportedly taught to use weapons and sent to frontlines.

Reuters

According to reports, children were also used to work as spies, carry and transport explosive and ammunition. According to the report, nearly 6,200 children were recruited over a six year period.

More than half of al-Shabab's force were children,and at least 60 percent of the group's "elements" captured in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region in March 2016 were youngsters.

Some of those children said they were approached with the promise of education and jobs, he said. Somalia has been trying to rebuild after recently establishing its first functioning central government since 1991.

Reuters

However, the country is driven by clan rivalries and threatened by al-Shabab fighters opposed to Western-style democracy.

While al-Shabab is the main villain here, Somali army and other group too are accused of recruiting children to fight. According to the report, a task force in Somalia verified the recruitment and use of 6,163 children - 5,993 boys and 230 girls - during the period from April 1, 2010 to July 31, 2016, with more than 30 per cent of the cases in 2012.

Reports also clarified that Al-Shababs 70 per cent or 4, 213 recruits are children followed by Somali National army with 920 children recruited.
A United Nations independent expert has said Saudi Arabia should abolish ban on women driving and also reform the male guardianship system.

Reuters

Philip Alston met Cabinet minister during a 12-day visit to the kingdom. He said, My concern is that the government is in fact deferring to a relatively small portion of conservative voices.

He said the ban is obstructing economic and social progress that the oil-rich kingdom aims to constantly achieve. So, he said, I feel very strongly that the kingdom should move to enable women to drive cars," said Alston, who reports to the UN's Human Rights Council.

Reuters

Alston also said that the male guardianship system hinders women from prospering because they are restricted from working and travelling and the system needs to be reformed.

He continued, 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.

Reuters

Finally, the UN independent expert also urged the government to "liberalise" its approach to social media after he received reports of crack down on certain people communicating over the Internet.
Computer Programming Rises as a Vital Skill to Be More Qualified in Prestigious Schools, Universities

Children learn coding skills while constructing a Lego robotic alligator during a sports/coding summer camp. (Photo : Getty Images)

With computers being integral to almost every industry in Chinas job market, more schools are determined in providing students ground in a vital new skill: computer programming.



"As Deng Xiaoping put it, education starts with children. So should computer sciences," said Song Xinbo, a computer science teacher at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Secondary School in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province.



Advertisement

Song's class of teenagers achieved the second-highest score in a coding test set by HackerRank, a U.S.-based website. They have beaten more than 120 other schools and universities, which include the University of California in Berkley and Canada's University of Waterloo.



The team consists of 41 students and takes coding as an optional class at the Sun Yat-sen. They spend at least two hours a day training for coding contests.



China holds coding contests annually for both provincial and national levels. Gold and silver medal winners will be able to earn a better chance to get qualified in prestigious Chinese universities, such as Fudan, Tsinghua or Peking.



Every year, four prospects are chosen as representatives from tens of thousands of people to compete in the International Olympiad in Informatics. This will be their ticket to the world's top colleges.



Chen Qifeng received a scholarship to Hong Kong University of Science and Technology after winning gold at the Olympiad in 2007, and is now pursuing a doctorate degree at Standford University.



Chen said: "The medal gave me a better chance at getting into a top university and to do research with outstanding professors. In general, programming contests prepare you for the challenging research required for computer sciences. It helped me build solid programming skills and a strong problem-solving ability."



There are a lot of companies that are spotting the market potential for high-tech toys integrated with basic coding tutorials. Lego, a famous toymaker, released Boost, WeDo and EV3, all of which let children build and program a robot.



Shanghai Putao Technology made coding accessible to infants through animation and games.



Zhu Weisong, the CEO of Shanghai Putao Technology, said: "We've noticed schools are pinning more importance on coding, and many kindergartens have set up special corners where children can play with high-tech toys. The new generation are exposed to electronic products at an early age. Why not use these products to educate them?"


Were excited to announce that indmin.com is now part of fastmarkets.com.

A new look and an improved experience means you can still stay ahead of this fast-moving market with price data, news and market intelligence right here on Fastmarkets.

Discover more than 2000 prices, news and analysis in primary and secondary metals markets. We cover base metals, industrial minerals, ores and alloys, steel, scrap and steel raw materials.

If you already have a Fastmarkets account, youll still have uninterrupted access to your markets by logging in with your current details.
Alibaba's Jack Ma Real-talks US: Do Not Blame China for Economic Woes; Blame Your Investment Strategy

Alibaba's Jack Ma at the World Economic Forum in Davos (Photo : Getty Images)

Alibaba founder and executive chairman Jack Ma candidly gave his view of the U.S. during an interview with CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.



Advertisement

When asked about the U.S. economy in relation to China, Ma told CNBC that the U.S. is ill-advised in pointing the blame for its economic problems to China. Instead, he said, it should blame no one but itself.



"It's not that other countries steal jobs from you guys," Ma was quoted as saying. "It's your strategy. Distribute the money and things in a proper way."



The Chinese billionaire also faulted the U.S. for wasting more than $14 trillion in waging wars in the past 30 years, instead of investing it in infrastructure and other investments in the country.



Ma added that the U.S.'s economic growth slowed down, not because China allegedly stole the jobs, but because it spent huge money on costly policies on war against terrorism and other foreign enemies.



On the contrary, Ma praised outsourcing as a "wonderful" and "perfect" strategy.



"The American multinational companies made millions and millions of dollars from globalization," Ma said. "The past 30 years, IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, they've made tens of millions--the profits they've made are much more than the four Chinese banks put together. . . . But where did the money go?"



According to Ma, the U.S. should distribute or invest its money properly, which is the reason many Americans felt left out. With so much money in Wall Street and Silicon Valley, the country should help the Midwest and those who were not educated or "not good in schooling," he added.



"You're supposed to spend money on your own people," Ma said. "Not everybody can pass Harvard, like me." He said in previous interviews that he had been rejected by Harvard 10 times.



The Chinese tycoon also pointed out that globalization "should be inclusive," which should benefit the majority of the people, not just the wealthy few.



"The world needs new leadership, but the new leadership is about working together," Ma said. "As a business person, I want the world to share the prosperity together."


I've been writing this little blog on and off for about ten years now. TEN. YEARS. It's hard to believe so much time has passed. I...
With its rich history of program excellence and ability to bring together some of the largest names in tunneling and underground construction, the George Fox Conference is the must attend one-day tunneling event of 2017.

In recognition of George A. Fox's accomplishments in tunneling and underground construction, the UCA of SME holds this annual conference to help today's industry professionals learn from their peers about the challenges and the strategies for tunneling in populated areas.
President Donald Trump Inauguration Speech Video "This American carnage stops right here and stops right now." Posted January 20, 2017 Transcript PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans and people of the world, 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 the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.



Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power.



And we are grateful to President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition.



They have been magnificent.



Thank you.



Today's ceremony, however, has a very special meaning because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people.



For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have bore the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed.



The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.



That all changes starting right here and right now, because this moment is your moment.



It belongs to you.



It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America.



This is your day.



This is your celebration.



And this, the United States of America, is your country.



What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.



January 20th, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.



The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before.



At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families and good jobs for themselves.



These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public.



But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists.



Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation.



An education system flush with cash but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge.



And the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.



We are one nation, and their pain is our pain.



Their dreams are our dreams, and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home and one glorious destiny.



The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.



For many decades we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military.



We've defended other nations' borders while refusing to defend our own. And we've spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.



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 shuttered and left our shores with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind.



The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world. But that is the past, and now we are looking only to the future. Police and anti-Trump protesters in Washington
The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Friday received updates and briefs on the Gambian situation and other issues in the country from a number of cabinet ministers.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande made this disclosure via his Twitter handle on Friday.

VP Osinbajo on return to Abuja receives update and briefings on the situation in the Gambia and also briefings from a number of cabinet ministers, Mr Akande tweeted.

He added that Prof. Osinbajo had returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday night to attend to some engagements in Ibadan, on Friday morning.
In a series of messages posted from the POTUS account before it is handed over to Donald Trump, Barack Obama told his 13.7 million followers I believe in you.

The outgoing US President added that he would be right there with all Americans as a citizen, inspired by their voices of truth and justice, good humor, and love.

Obama then made an emotional plea to the American public and announced the launch of Obama.org in his final tweets from the official US President Twitter account.

See his tweets below.
Economic managers from the Philippines presented a total of 40 small and large infrastructure projects for potential financing by China. (Photo : Getty Images)

Sources from the Chinese foreign ministry said that talks are ongoing for a large event in May to discuss projects for the One Belt, One Road Initiative. Various world leaders are expected to attend as well.



The One Belt, One Road Initiative aims to get 60 countries to invest in infrastructure projects to develop the old Silk Road that once connected China with Central Asia, Europe and beyond.



Advertisement

President Duterte's second trip shows that the Philippines is eager to build closer relations with China and a further relationship with the U.S.



China's Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin released a statement through the Chinese foreign ministry saying that he was pleased with how ties had developed since he came to China last year.



"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," said President Duterte.



Duterte reiterated last month he wanted to avoid confrontation with China and saw no need to press Beijing to abide by a July ruling on China's claims in the disputed the South China Sea that went in favor of the Philippines.



The Philippine leader intends to settle the dispute over the South China Sea through diplomatic talks and is seeking assistance from Japan.



"To the Chinese government, I said, well if that is the thing, that is what is in your mind because that is also my stand, we will find the day to talk about it, only on the issue of the South China Sea and no topic at all. It could be bilateral, it depends on the development, it could be multilateral and that would include Japan. Those are what I suggested, in the future," Duterte said.



"My talks with the Japanese government particularly the Prime Minister would be on an economic operation and of course shared interest. Now, the most important thing there is the shared interest is really about the South China Sea," the Philippine President added.


West African leaders Friday said they will travel once again to Gambia in a last-minute effort to convince election loser Yahya Jammeh to cede power after regional troops crossed the border in support of his democratically elected successor.

The presidents of Liberia and Guinea were expected to arrive in the capital Banjul to give Jammeh, who ruled the small West African nation for 22 years, a last chance to respect the constitution, state broadcaster GRTS reported.

The announcement comes hours after military forces of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) crossed from Senegal into Gambia in an attempt to search for Jammeh.

On Thursday, President Adama Barrow was sworn into office in the Gambian embassy of Senegals capital Dakar.

Barrrow fled to Dakar on Saturday for security reasons.

Jammehs whereabouts remained unknown on Friday.
Members of a Chinese fire department were filmed dismantling a washing machine to rescue a 3-year-old boy who became trapped inside the appliance.

A video filmed last month in Xiaogan, Hubei Province shows the firefighters dismantling the washer to rescue the toddler, who apparently became trapped while playing inside the machine.

The firefighters said it took about 20 minutes to cut through the washing machine enough to free the boy.

The toddler was not seriously injured, firefighters said.

https://youtu.be/40yyQLo5xBc
Mexicos most notorious drug cartel leader, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, was extradited to the United States on Thursday to face drug trafficking and other charges, authorities said.

Officials said Guzman was handed over to U.S. authorities at the Ciudad Juarez International Airport, a Mexican city that shares the border with the U.S. state of Texas. His hand over comes just hours before Donald Trump assumes the office of the President of the United States.

The boss of the Sinaloa cartel twice escaped prison and was recaptured for the last time last January. The Mexican foreign ministry said he was put on a plane that took him to New York, one of the jurisdictions where Guzman faces charges.

In Washington, the Justice Department said Guzman is facing six separate indictments throughout the U.S.

The location and date of his initial court appearance has yet to be made public.

Mexico began extradition proceedings in May, but the process was delayed by a juridical fight by Guzmans lawyers.

Guzman was first arrested in 1993 on drug-trafficking charges.

He was given a 20-year prison sentence but managed to escape from the Puente Grande jail in 2001.

He was captured a second time in February 2014, but again escaped five months later from the maximum security prison in Altiplano, near Mexico City.

Guzman was finally caught in the northwestern state of Sinaloa in January 2016, following a massive manhunt that lasted several months.

He is wanted in the U.S. on murder, drug trafficking, laundering, organized crime and firearms possession charges.

Mexico had resisted handing over Guzman as a point of national pride, arguing he would first serve serve his sentences.
Speaker of the House of Representatives,Yakubu Dogara, has Nigerias developmental woes on the non-implementation of national development plans by successive governments.

Dogara who was a Special Guest of Honour at the 14th Daily Trust Annual Interactive Dialogue disclosed that the National Assembly has aligned with the executive arm of government to turn around the economy.

While speaking on the theme of the dialogue Beyond Recession: Towards a Resilient Economy, the Speaker noted that government would focus focus on priorities areas that will make maximum impact on economic recovery and respectable growth.

This according to him is in concurrence with the resolution of the two chambers of the National Assembly.

He observed succeive governments had failed to implement their draft development plans.

 Sucessive government since Lord Luggard never planned to fail but have always had plans and in most cases those plans were drawn by some of the best brains available. But why did we fail?

The answer is that coming up with a plan is not hard but sticking to the plan until it is fully implemented, is. What is there in a plan if it is not fully implemented? Why do we love to waste resources to plan but hate to implement the plans? We must muster the discipline to overcome this shortcoming if we must sustain the coming economic rebound, he said.

Dogara also revealed that very soon the National Assembly will pass into law the Federal Competition Commission Bill which he said would among other things, promot e efficient allocation of resources.

How Jibrin Flauted CCB Rules, Incorporated Company An interpol report has brought more light into how suspended member of the House of Representatives, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin breached the rules of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and remained on the board the company he incorporated, Berkley Investment Limited.

The report further showed that the company was incorporated 3 months before he became a member of the House and was still a director for 8 months before resigning his directorship of the company in January 2, 2012 the report stated.

The report is pursuant to a spontaneous disclosure from the United kingdom Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU) and the National Crime Agency which provided information on various bank accounts maintained in the UK by Jibrin.

The report showed that Mr Abdulmumin Jibrin is a director from Ilford Essex. This person was born in September 1976, which was over 40 years ago. Mr Abdulmumin Jibrin is a Nigerian and resident in Nigeria. This company officer is, or was, associated with 1 companies.

Source: Leadership
Nigerian newspaper headlines January 20, 2017.

Punch

The Federal Government on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Shelter Afrique and the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria for the construction of about 100,000 housing units across the country for N610bn.

Vanguard

As the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, constitutes a board of senior officers to investigate the accidental air strike of an internally displaced persons, IDPs camp at Rann, Kale-Balge Local Government Area, Borno State, Tuesday, the House of Representatives, yesterday, denied that it resolved to investigate the accidental bombing.

Guardian

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption, Chukwuka Utazi have disagreed over the deployment of Nigerian troops to The Gambia without Senate approval.

Thisday

Senegalese troops, leading the Economic Community of West African States Military Intervention in The Gambia (ECOMIG), have entered The Gambia to ensure Mr. Adama Barrow assumes power as the countrys new president, a Senegalese army spokesman has said.

Leadership

Adama Barrow, the man who won The Gambias disputed election, was sworn in as president yesterday in Senegal. This is just as former President Yahya Jammeh has succumbed to pressure and gone into exile.

Premium Times

ECOWAS troops halted their march into Gambia Thursday night to give former president Yahya Jammeh one more last chance to leave Banjul.

The Sun

Washington turned into a virtual fortress ahead of Donald Trumps presidential inauguration today as the United States capital brace for more than a quarter-million protesters expected during the Republicans swearing-in.

The Nation

The police yesterday raided Premium Times head office in Abuja and arrested the online newspapers publisher Mr. Dapo Olurunyomi.
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) said it would enroll members of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in the health scheme to enable them have access to quality healthcare.

A statement by NYSC Director of Press, Mrs Bose Aderibigbe, in Abuja on Friday, said Executive Secretary of NHIS, Prof. Usman Yusuf, disclosed this when he visited NYSC Director-General, Brig.-Gen. Sule Kazaure.

It said that Yusuf explained that the decision to enrol the corps members in the scheme was in compliance with a Presidential directive to NHIS authorities.

Yusuf, the statement said, disclosed that the scheme had received a directive to find evolving measures that would enhance access to qualitative healthcare for corps members.

He said that to commence enrolment, NHIS officials would go to all camps during the orientation course to capture biometric data of corps members.

As the corps members get posted to places of primary assignment, the NHIS would assign each of them to a hospital where they will be getting treatment in the event of illness.

We have made a proposal to government to enable it make direct payment to hospitals that will render healthcare services to corps members instead of doing so through Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs).

This will avoid hitches often occasioned by failure of some HMOs to make appropriate payments to hospitals, Yusuf was quoted as saying.

It stated that the Executive Secretary also announced plans to deploy corps members posted to the NHIS for primary assignment to its desk offices that would be established in all hospitals nationwide.

The statement said that the desk officers would to serve as advocates for the enrolees and also the ears and eyes of NHIS in the hospitals.

According to the statement, Yusuf said that the desk officers would have direct access to him and that they could report cases of neglect and ill-treatment by hospitals direct to him.

It also quoted the NHIS boss as commending NYSCs role in the unity and development of the country and pledged his support to its continued existence.

The statement said that NYSC Director-General, in his response, appreciated NHIS for its activities and said that NYSC management was already nursing similar idea to advance welfare policy of the scheme.

It said that Kazaure lauded the initiative of making direct payment to hospitals, adding that it would prevent failure of the programme as was the case in the past.

He urged NHIS authorities to ensure that all corps members enjoyed comprehensive healthcare service.
The Coordinator of the National Youths Corps Service, NYSC, Sokoto State, Musa Abubakar, has advocated the increment of the monthly allowances to corps members in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that Mr. Abubakar spoke in Sokoto on Friday shortly after paying a courtesy call on the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III.

The coordinator and his management team met the sultan behind closed doors, alongside other senior councillors.

The present allowance of N19,800 to each corps member per month is no longer enough considering the prevailing economic situation in the country.

I will not make any specific suggestions in this direction, but I strongly support increasing it immediately, Mr. Abubakar said.

The coordinator further suggested the review of the monthly allowances paid to the corps members anytime the national minimum wage is reviewed in the country.

He also kicked against calls for the scrapping of the scheme, saying that it bolsters national unity, curbs poverty and youth restiveness.

Mr. Abubakar said that he was at the palace of the sultan to pay homage and seek his royal blessings.

The sultan is a national father and he is a symbol of national unity.

He has also assured us of his sustained support to ensure the success of the scheme, he said.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mohammed Abdulkadir, has assured the NYSC officials of sustained support and adequate security.

Speaking while receiving the NYSC coordinator at the Police Headquarters, on Friday, Mr. Abdulkadir averred: The command owes it a duty to ensure that the scheme succeeds.

We will continue to accord priority to the security of corps members across the state, he added.

Earlier, the coordinator had assured that the scheme would do everything humanly possible to sustain cordial relationship between it and the command.

According to him, the police is a critical stakeholder in the NYSC scheme and this relationship will be further galvanised.

Source: NAN
The pro-Biafra group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Friday held a solidarity rally in support of Donald Trump, who today Friday is being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States of America in Washington DC.

The group which declared its support for the president-elect came out in their hundreds in Port-harcourt, Rivers State
The Commissioner of Police in Sokoto State, Mr Mohammed Abdulkadir, has confirmed the release of Alhaji Bello Bodinga, Director of Finance, Isa Local Government and three others, abducted by unknown gunmen on Sokoto-Isa Road on Monday.

The other victims were Bodingas Deputy, Alhaji Abdulkadir Ibrahim; Staff Officer, Mrs Hassana Mohammed; and the spokesman of the state chapter of the Medical and Health Workers Union, Alhaji Bello Arzika.

The commissioner in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Sokoto on Friday said yes, I can reliably confirm the release of the kidnapped victims on Thursday afternoon.

But they are hale and hearty and they had since been reunited with their respective families. We thank God that the kidnap saga is over, Abdulkadir said.

The Chairman of Isa Local Government, retired Col. Garba Moyi, also corroborated the position of the police about the release of the kidnapped victims.

Moyi, however, denied the payment of any ransom, saying, they were released unconditionally.

This saga ended well without any loss of life or injury and the victims have been reunited with their families.

We are thanking all the well-meaning residents of the state for their tremendous goodwill and fervent prayers during our travails, Moyi, said.
Teaching Mandarin. (Photo : Getty Images)

Mandarin (the Chinese dialect that includes the Beijing dialect and is the largest Chinese dialect group) seems to make a person musical -- and at a much earlier age than previously thought -- as suggested by a new study from the University of California San Diego.



A study by 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.



Advertisement

The implications of the findings published in the journal, Developmental Science go beyond determining who may have a head-start in music. The study 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.



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, or 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, said the authors.



"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."



"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," said co-author Gail Heyman of UC San Diego's Department of Psychology, who specializes in development.



Tone languages are common in parts of Africa, East Asia and Central America. It's estimated 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 new 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," said the study co-authors.



"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.



The other co-authors are Mengxing Weng of Zhejiang Normal University, China; Genyue Fu of Hangzhou Normal University, China; and Kang Lee of Zhejiang Normal University, UC San Diego and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Canada.


There was a twist to a matter before a Lagos court between two married female members of Deeper Life Church in Isolo over an allegation of husband snatching which led to a public fight in Lagos State.

The women, Nwazema Oluchukwu, 58 and Chizoba Alloy Njoku, 34 were charged before Isolo Magistrates court over Chizobas husband, Alloy Benson Njoku.

Both, who are members of the same church and hails from Owerri in Imo State, were separately married with children to different men.

While Chizoba married and live with Benson, Oluchukwu alleged that Benson was her lover who she introduced to Chizoba while she was married to her own husband.

She told the Isolo Magistrates court that Benson and Chizoba were merely cohabiting despite the fact that they had three children because they did not contract any marriage as Christian or as Igbo culture demand.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that Oluchukwu, a senior member of the Deeper Life Bible Church, decided to take Benson back when her own marriage reportedly crashed. But things turned to worse when Chizoba, who all along knew the relationship between Oluchukwu and Benson, decided to fight and hold on to Benson and this resulted in a street fight between them.

Meanwhile, Benson had moved into Oluchukwus house at 16 Panada Street, Isolo Lagos, after he deceived his wife, Chizoba that he was traveling on a business trip outside Lagos. However, the bubble bust after Chizoba was tipped that Benson had been in Oluchukwus house since the time he told her that he was going for business trip outside Lagos.

Chizoba trailed them until she caught Benson and Chizoba in front of Oluchukwus house while they were returning from an evening strolling.

She confronted Benson and asked him to follow her back home, but Oluchukwu stopped him and told her she will not release Benson to her.

This resulted in both fighting publicly until a police patrol team passing-by stopped and arrested the two women and took them to the station.

They were charged before Isolo Magistrates court for conduct likely to cause breach of public peace under the Criminal Code.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs A.K. Shonubi granted them bail in the sum of N20,000 with one surety in like sum.

They were initially remanded in prison custody and was released after they perfected their bail condition.

The matter has been adjourned till 6 February 2017 for trial.

Source: PM Express
Indianapolis, Indiana  The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment of the Marion Superior Court in litigation between two civil engineering firms, Plaintiff American Structurepoint Inc. and Defendant HWC Engineering Inc. Three former employees of ASI, also listed as Defendants in the trial court, were listed in this appeal.

This dispute arose in 2014 when ASI employee Martin Knowles left ASI to join HWC as its vice president of operations. Jonathan Day and David Lancet also left ASI to begin employment at HWC.

These former ASI employees had entered into noncompetition and non-solicitation agreements with ASI. Despite these agreements, ASI contended in a lawsuit filed in Indiana state court that its former employees engaged in various acts prohibited by the agreements. ASI claimed that Day had created a list of ASI employees whom he believed might be interested in leaving to join HWC. ASI also asserted that Day subsequently shared that list with Knowles and called various ASI employees regarding employment with HWC. ASI alleged that a total of six job offers were made by HWC to ASI employees. ASI further introduced evidence that Knowles engaged in prohibited business-development activities with ASI clients to ASIs detriment.

The trial court issued injunctions against all three employees. It ruled that, despite the intangible nature of any damage to ASIs goodwill resulting from Knowles business-development activity, a present and imminent threat to ASIs business existed that could constitute the irreparable harm necessary for an injunction. It further ruled that engaging in such business-development activities could constitute a breach of a former employees non-competition agreement. The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed.

This opinion for this case, case number 49A05-1601-PL-33 was authored by Judge James S. Kirsch. Judge Margret Robb concurred; Judge John G. Baker concurred in a separate opinion.

2017-01-20-a American Structurepoint Inc.  11301601jsk
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%)
Evidence from the 2006 murder of a teenager was found last month in a Freemont, Colo., self-storage unit that had gone to auction after the tenant, a sheriffs detective, failed to pay the rent. Fremont County Sheriff's Office (FCSO) Lt. Det. Robert Dodd was placed on administrative leave after a bloody rope and ax believed to be connected to the death of 17-year-old Candace Hiltz was discovered on Dec. 17, according to the source.

After purchasing the contents of the unit, Rick Ratzlaff found several manila envelopes marked "evidence, boxes of paperwork, and FCSO gear and equipment, including uniforms and patrol-vehicle sirens and lights. "I knew it was Robbie Dodds unit because his uniforms had name badges on them, and there were pictures of him in the unit," Ratzlaff told the Pueblo Chieftain newspaper.

The biggest envelope held the bloody rope, while the others contained two blood-soaked socks and a weapon. It was a chrome ax that also had blood on it, Ratzlaff said.

Following the discovery, Ratzlaff contacted FCSO Sheriff James Beicker, who later confirmed the evidence was connected to Hiltzs case. The teen was found shot to death on Aug. 15, 2006, in a family home in the Copper Gulch area.

Ratzlaff met the sheriff and FCSO Cpt. Jeff Worley at the storage unit on Dec. 30. Ratzlaffs wife recorded the meeting and provided a copy of the video to the newspaper. After examining the items, Beicker contacted the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the source reported. He also cataloged and photographed everything, and then placed all of it into evidence at the FCSO headquarters. CBI, which retrieved the items on Jan. 3, is now handling the investigation.

Beicker held a news conference on Jan. 16 to announce Dodds leave and that no further information would be provided by FCSO. District attorney Molly Chilson and deputy district attorney Thom LeDoux declined to comment on the case.

Hiltzs family is now considering a lawsuit against FCSO for mishandling evidence. Candace's brother, Casey Hiltz, told the Daily Record Canon City News that Dodd should be fired. "This shouldn't have happened. It's destroyed our family, and not knowing whos out there," he said.

Casey said he recognized some of the items found in the storage unit, including a shirt he had identified after his sisters death. "The ax and rope, those weren't used in my sister's murder," he said.

Hiltz's mother, Dolores, told the source she wasnt surprised the items were found in a storage unit. She has long maintained that her daughters death was part of a cover-up, and evidence wasnt collected or handled properly during the investigation. The house wasnt quarantined after the murder, and evidence was left inside for three days, she said. "It's been 10 years of silence and harassment," Dolores said, adding her family has been targeted by the sheriffs office. "I never thought I would experience this type of corruption ever before in my life.

James Hiltz, Candace's other brother, was a person of interest during the initial investigation but has never been charged, a source reported. The family doesn't believe he was involved.
@MotoramaShow @MothersPolish TORONTO, ON // JANUARY 19, 2017  For the second year in a row, Canadas biggest indoor automotive and motorsports show will have Mothers Car Care Products as its most prominent partner. The Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo Presented by Mothers takes place March 10, 11 & 12 at Torontos International Centre.

Known around the world as a leading developer and supplier of automotive car care products, Mothers made its Motorama debut in 2015 as an exhibitor and prize supplier, before stepping up to become the shows presenting sponsor in 2016.

Motorama is a three-day event that brings together an awe-inspiring collection of hot rods, classic and custom cars, tuner and street rods and racing machinery of every variety under one roof.

Mothers has been an enthusiastic supporter of the custom car and classic car hobby since the 1970s, said Mothers Cliff Waller. A show such as Motorama brings together the hard core hot rodders, tuners, class car and racing people. These are our customers. At Mothers, we cater to the enthusiast; these are the people we want in front of us. And these are the people who will be walking through the Motorama doors.

A long-standing tradition with the Mothers Car Care organization is the willingness to give back to the hobby.

Continuing that practice, Mothers will once again present every participant with a vehicle on display on the Motorama show floor with a bottle of its Mothers Instant Detailer. The company will also award highly coveted Mothers Gift Buckets  each filled with more than $250 in car care products  to show award winners.

Motorama showgoers who visit the Mothers Car Care Products booth (#3302, in Hall 2) will be greeted by an incredible vehicle. Chris Longhouses show-stopping, past Motorama award-winning 1932 Ford Model A Sedan will be on display.

And while Mothers is obliged to leave the sale of its products to its Canadian distributors, the booth will also feature the full line of Mothers Car Care products, with staff on hand to answer questions and offer advice and solutions to those who are interested in learning about products and procedures to keep their vehicles in top condition.

Concluded Waller, Our customers are the ones who have built Mothers, and its our responsibility to satisfy the needs of those customers. Having the opportunity to meet fellow car enthusiasts  to talk about our products or to just talk about our cars  is why we love attending shows such as the Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo Presented by Mothers.

Discussing Mothers participation at the show, Motoramas David Weber said, We are proud and honoured to have Mothers Car Care Products as our most prominent partner. This will be the third year in a row that theyve given Mothers Gift Buckets to the award winners, and their second consecutive year as the shows presenting sponsor.

The car owners appreciate Mothers and its products and awards, and so do we. Its a pleasure working with Cliff Waller and Mothers to make the Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo Presented by Mothers the best show possible.

ABOUT MOTHERS CAR CARE PRODUCTS: Started over 50 years ago in Southern California, Mothers has grown from humble beginnings into the premiere developer and supplier of automotive car care products in the world. Catering to the high-end, custom and exotic car enthusiast, Mothers has a product line of 70 unique cleaners, polishes and waxes available to the demanding car owner, as well as to the professional detailer. Visitors to their website, www.mothers.com can view their full product line, see How-To suggestions and videos, find a local retailer and make purchases from their eStore. Mothers Car Care Products can be found at many Canadian retailers from coast-to-coast.

ABOUT THE MOTORAMA CUSTOM CAR & MOTORSPORTS EXPO: The third annual Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo Presented by Mothers takes place March 10, 11 & 12, 2017 at The International Centre, across from Torontos Pearson International Airport. The show features more than 300,000 square feet of custom cars, hot rods, racing vehicles of all kinds, tuners, displays and exhibitors. Motorama is Canadas biggest late-winter celebration of automobiles and motorsports. For information about the show, including tickets, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, and more, call (416) 962-7223, email info@MotoramaShow.com or visit www.MotoramaShow.com.
Tour de Singkarak (Photo : Getty Images)

The are no durians being sold in Chinas Sichuan Province, so a woman from Sichuan going home for the Lunar New Year festivities decided to bring home two large durian fruits for her family.



The woman was unaware of train policy that bans the smelly, but delicious, fruit. Rather than let the expensive fruit go to waste, the woman, who tried to board a railway station in Chengdu on Sunday, used her bare hands to open the durian and eat it, Shanghaiist reported.



Advertisement

Shares the Fruit



Because she was apparently aware of the possible negative effects of excessive durian consumption on her body, the woman offered the fruit, often described as smelling like hell and tasting like heaven, to other travelers who ate it before boarding their train. Her scheme worked because the woman was able to board the train and is likely now in Sichuan.



Likely, she also made a few trips to the toilet during her journey back to Sichuan. According to THealth, indigestion is one of the nine risks of people who eat too much durian, particularly if she also drank coffee or alcoholic beverages or soda.



9 Health Risks



The Sichuan woman actually risked her health since the fruit has eight other health risks when consumed in excess. These are high cholesterol, diabetes, miscarriage, heart disease, hypertension, damage to kidneys and decreased metabolism and damaged to immune system if mixed with alcohol.



The website, however, noted that durian also has good effects on the body because the fruit contains vitamins B, C & E, iron, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, manganese and carotene. However, like many food, it should be eaten in moderation.



In March, a similar incident happened at the Anhui train station, and the female passenger also ate 5 kilos of durian. Other passengers disallowed from carrying banned items aboard trains and planes have drank the whole bottle of baiju, slaughtered a pair of chicken and threw on the floor expensive Korean cosmetics at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport.






This content is from: Video

Inflation remains the primary concern for the worlds central banks, which have engaged in the broadest and fastest tightening regime in history, according to Alejandra Grindal, chief economist at Ned Davis Research.
On the eve of his inauguration as the 45President of the United States, what could Donald Trumps reign mean for the insurance industry?For Americans, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as it is known, is already underway. This looks set to be the most significant immediate impact President Trump will have on the industry.Internationally, however, Trumps election could impact the political risk market.Political risk has more traditionally been linked to developing countries, but the Western world has seen its fair share of instability over the past 12 months.2016 was a year of political change underlined by the election of President Trump and the UKs decision to leave the European Union.Karina Rodriguez-Diaz, placement manager, crisis management at Aon , said that while these two events did not bring about any particular or dramatic change in risk appetite from a political risk insurance market perspective, the situation will be monitored.It will be interesting to see the longer term political and economic impact both these events might create, not only in the US and Europe, but the rest of the world, Rodriguez-Diaz told Insurance Business.As a result of globalisation, these events will most likely bring uncertainty and instability not only to OECD countries but to the developing world.Increased globalisation over the last decade has seen political and economic risks intertwine and evolve in terms of complexity. Now more than ever, a decision in a major global economy could have ripple effects on countries around the world.While political risk insurance markets are currently stable around the world, Rodriguez-Diaz said that uncertainty will play a role in the development of the market in 2017.The political risk landscape is very up in the air at the moment, Rodriguez-Diaz continued.The uncertainty comes from varying factors impacting OECD countries that can have a big wave impact across the world.The unknown is where the risk really is and we will only be able to see the actual effects later on.
Sparke Helmore Lawyers and Jarman McKenna have announced a merger designed to give insurance clients a national presence.Perth-based insurance specialist Jarman McKenna and its 52 staff will join the 650-strong Sparke Helmore Lawyers team, confirmed Piet Jarman, founding partner of the firm.Jarman noted that the move follows a trend in the insurance law industry to increase to a national footprint and will provide clients with a stronger service.It is a client-driven move, Jarman told Insurance Business.We have been discussing with Sparke Helmore the opportunities that might arise from joining together for probably nine months and we chose Sparke Helmore as one of the leading insurance firms in Western Australia and, we thought, the leading firm in Australia.Providing national coverage is the big advantage of the merger.Leading legal publication Australasian Lawyer reported that merger talks between the two firms have been progressing since a term sheet was signed in early September.The combined firm, which will retain the Sparke Helmore Lawyers name, will provide national insurance law capability and coverage for insurers, underwriters, re-insurers, brokers, agents and insureds throughout Australia.
Vermont State Police are crediting two fire safety officials with saving the lives of three children and an adult who safely escaped a fire in a Brighton home days after the officials required that smoke detectors be installed in the building.

The Caledonian Record reports the fire broke-out early Sunday and destroyed the home.

Children aged 1, 5, and 6 and an adult all escaped unharmed.

Vermont State Police Sgt. Larry Smith says a report by Brighton Assistant Fire Chief Walt Driscoll required the installation after hearing the home didnt have them and that electrical problems were being reported. A follow-up inspection by Division of Fire Safety investigator Tim Angell ensured the installation took place.

The home was destroyed. The fire was blamed on electrical problems.

Information from: The Caledonian-Record

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Vermont
A Massachusetts appeals court used a recent case to warn auto insurers that it is important to take retail book value into consideration early in the settlement process.

While the court ruled in favor of defendant Massachusetts Homeland Insurance Company in a lawsuit alleging it engaged in unfair or deceptive claim settlement practices, it stated in its ruling: We note, however, that insurers would be well-advised to consider the retail book value of a vehicle early in the settlement process, and not to depend on insureds to bring such information to their attention.

The decision comes after plaintiff Anthony G. Morgan damaged his 2005 Chevrolet Colorado in an accident on January 9, 2011. Homeland, his auto insurer, determined the vehicle was a total loss. Because of this, Homeland was required to offer Morgan an amount for the actual cash value of the vehicle.

When determining the actual cash value of a total loss vehicle, insurers are required to consider four factors, including its retail book value. In this case, Homeland determined the actual cash value of the plaintiffs vehicle was $11,891.

Insurers would be well-advised to consider the retail book value of a vehicle early in the settlement process...

In deciding the value, Homeland used a software program generated by a third party, Certified Collateral Corporation (CCC), which maintains a database of vehicles for sale from dealers and private parties in various markets, the lawsuit explained.

Using the vehicles identification number and Morgans zip code, CCC compiled a list from its database of twelve comparable vehicles available for sale in the local market. Three of the vehicles were listed for sale at local dealerships that CCC had physically inspected, and nine were listed for sale on Autotrader, a publicly accessible online database of vehicles for sale from dealers and private parties, according to the lawsuit. CCC then adjusted those values for the condition of the plaintiffs vehicle, and, using a weighted average formula, arrived at the actual cash value.

However, Morgan believed his vehicle was worth more than $14,000 and cited a report by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) that showed a clean retail value of $14,500, the lawsuit said. NADA maintains a publicly accessible online database of used car values in each region of the country.

After receiving Morgans demand letter and the NADA report, Homeland increased its valuation of the vehicle, which resulted in a settlement offer of $14,003.12. Morgan then accepted a check for that amount.

Although the claim was settled within two months of the accident with Morgans acceptance of Homelands offer, he claimed Homeland violated regulatory requirements by not taking into account the retail book value of his vehicle in settling the claim. Morgan brought a civil action against the insurance company after the original settlement and filed a motion for class certification.

A motion judge of the Superior Court initially denied class certification, and after a jury-waived trial on Morgans claim, a trial judge found that while Homeland had violated its regulatory requirements, Morgan was not injured by the violation.

Morgan then appealed that decision in Anthony G. Morgan vs. Massachusetts Homeland Insurance Company, arguing the judges should not have denied his motion for class certification and were incorrect in deciding he was not injured by the violation.

However, the appeals court upheld the Superior Courts decision to dismiss Morgans motion to file for class certification. Additionally, it sided with Homeland in deciding Morgans claims and the Superior Courts conclusion that Homeland violated its regulatory requirements was erroneous, and incorrect as a matter of law.

After basing its original offer on the lower CCC number, which included Autotrader listings, Homeland did consider the NADA report in upwardly adjusting the value of the plaintiffs vehicle, the appeals court stated in its ruling. The plaintiff then ultimately received a check close to the amount of his original demand, approximately $14,000. The end result was very nearly what he requested and included consideration of retail book values presented by Autotrader and NADA.

Therefore, the court concluded that in this case, the retail book value was considered both in Homelands initial offer including Autotrader information in the CCC comparative lists, and in its final offer, including NADA information.

In sum, the regulatory requirements involving the consideration of retail book value were satisfied in the instant case, and there was no violation, the court stated.

Topics Carriers Legislation Auto Massachusetts
Zurich Insurance Group AG plans to slash about 240 jobs in the UK as part of broader efforts to bring its Life and General Insurance division under a single leadership team.

Zurich disclosed the new UK structure on Jan. 19, following up on a plan announced in 2016 to combine its two divisions and the appointment of a UK CEO in November, Tulsi Naidu.

Zurich said it has already been consulting with affected employees, which involves back-office and non-market areas including finance, operations and marketing. Previously, these functions were run separately in the Life and General Insurance arms.

The news follows an announcement earlier this week that Zurich would cut spending on large technology projects to reduce costs. CEO Mario Greco has previously said he wants to save $1.5 billion from 2015 through 2019, in part by dealing with the insurers cost structure. Plans to streamline the insurers corporate structure were first announced last summer.

Zurich said its new UK structure mirrors ongoing efforts across the insurer to reshape the business for future success and strengthen customer relationships.

Plans call for creating a single Commercial Insurance unit in the UK to be led by Vinicio Cellerini. According to Zurich, the new unit combines the best elements of its former Commercial Broker and Global Corporate UK businesses, bringing scale, powerful broker relationships, market-leading technical excellence and high-quality underwriting talent to the market.

Meanwhile, Connor Brennan will run a newly created Retail General Insurance unit that will incorporate personal lines, SME business and specialist elements such as Navigators & General and Zurich Private Clients.

Zurichs UK Life arm has also been simplified around two organizational units: Life Distribution and Life Manufacturing. Anne Torry will continue in her role as head of Life, with regulatory responsibility for the Life legal entities. Torry will also work with Tulsi to reshape the UK business.

Based at around 20 locations across the UKwith large sites in Birmingham, Cheltenham, Farnborough, Glasgow, London, Swindon and WhiteleyZurich employs approximately 6,000 people in the UK.

Source: Zurich

This article first appeared in Insurance Journals sister publication, Carrier Management.

Related:

Topics Talent
Aon plc announced the appointment of James Platt as chief operating officer of Aon Risk Solutions and Michael Moran as chief executive officer of Aon Inpoint. Both roles are effective immediately.

Platt will be based in London, working closely with Mike OConnor, chief executive officer of Aon Risk Solutions, and the firms Global Operating Committee to further develop the business strategy, deliver key change initiatives and drive business performance.

He has spent the last two years leading Aon Inpoint  the firms re/insurer consulting arm  where he helped transform the firms data, analytics and services offering to both insurers and colleagues, Aon said in a statement.

Platt will be able to apply his data and analytics expertise in his new role as he continues to lead the Data & Analytics business for Aon Risk Solutions and also be responsible for Aons Innovation Centre in Dublin.

In Morans new role as chief executive officer of Aon Inpoint, he will be responsible for further growing the business. Since joining Aon over 11 years ago, Moran has served Aon in a number of executive roles, most recently as chief operating officer of Aon Benfield. Earlier in his career, Moran was a founding member of Aon Inpoint. He will be based in Chicago.

Talent development is a critical aspect of our growth strategy at Aon, and we are privileged to have a strong pool of senior and rising talent across the firm. I take particular pride in filling these leadership roles with proven Aon colleagues who will continue to drive our clients success, said Steve McGill, group president of Aon plc.

Aon said the appointments demonstrate the firms emphasis on investment in data and analytics

Source: Aon

Topics Aon
Oklahoma State Rep. Jason Dunnington has filed legislation that he says would generate more than $500 million in recurring revenue.

Oklahoma is facing severe budget constraints, partly due to reduced energy industry activity in the state. Dunningtons proposed measure would address both personal and corporate income tax structures.

Dunnington, a member of the House of Representatives Appropriations & Budget Committee for the 56thLegislature, said its time for the state to get serious about building a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.

We cant kick the can down the road any longer. Its taken the state more than a decade to reach rock bottom, and it will likely take us many years to dig our way out, but the era of complacency of being last in most nationally ranked categories must end, said Dunnington, D-Oklahoma City. The middle class and working poor in Oklahoma are facing critical economic challenges, so we must act responsibly when proposing new revenue options.

House Bill 1279 will return income tax rates to what they were more than a decade ago for the states highest earners according to personal or household income level. In addition, Dunningtons bill will remove the Oklahoma Capital Gains Deduction. Enacted in 2004, the benefit goes almost entirely to Oklahomas wealthiest citizens.

House Bill 1279 will also require companies to combine profits from both the parent company and its subsidiaries in one report and pay taxes on all the profits earned in Oklahoma.

For four of the last twelve months, the state has paid more in business tax credits than it received in corporate income tax. We cant let this trend continue, Dunnington said.

Source: Oklahoma House of Representatives

Topics Legislation Profit Loss Oklahoma
Actors Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder and writer/producer Julie Plec attend the 'The Vampire Diaries' panel during Comic-Con International 2016 at San Diego Convention Center on July 23, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo : Getty Images/ Matt Winkelmeyer)

"The Vampire Diaries" (TVD) Season 8 episode 9 goes on air on Jan. 20. The upcoming segment is titled "The Simple Intimacy of the Near Touch" and it will see what happens during the highly anticipated Mystic Falls pageant. Here are spoilers for the next chapter of the series. Read on to find out what happens next. Also, find out where to watch episode 08X09 online via live stream, below.



Advertisement

[Spoiler alert! This article contains spoilers for "The Vampire Diaries" (TVD) Season 8 episode 9 "The Simple Intimacy of the Near Touch." Do not read further if you don't wish to know more about it.]



In the previous episode, fans saw how Stefan and Damon tried to feed Cade with a young doctor, Tara. Meanwhile, Sybil is back in Mystic Falls. Caroline goes to her old high school and find out about Sybil and her new job. Elsewhere, Damon continues to struggle with his past and memories of Elena when he finds it hard to rid himself of Elena's necklace.



Moving on to "The Vampire Diaries" (TVD) Season 8 episode 9, fans must brace themselves for an eventful segment. According to Spoilers Guide's description of episode 08X09, the show will bring back the Miss Mystic Falls pageant for the one last time before the series comes to a close.



Finally, Stefan and Damon will return to Mystic Falls when Sybil requests them to. Meanwhile, she continues to search for the artefact. At the same time, Bonnie makes a surprise return from Paris and she is wearing a vile of Enzo's blood around her neck making others wonder if she is planning to become a Vampire that will allow her to be with Enzo forever.



Besides being the history teacher at the high school, Sybil is in charge of Miss Mystic Falls pageant. Stefan, Damon, Bonnie, Caroline and Enzo come together to attend the event wherein Sybil continues to trouble Damon with Elena's memories.



A promo video for "The Vampire Diaries" (TVD) Season 8 episode 9 gives a glimpse of the pageant. It shows what happens when Caroline sees Stefan for the first time since he left. Damon warns Caroline that she can't trust Stefan anymore. It gives a glimpse of Elena Gilbert as Sybil continues to taunt Damon with memories of his former lover. Meanwhile, Bonnie and Enzo are so in love and Caroline is worried about what Bonnie could do. Scroll down to watch the promo online via live stream.



"The Vampire Diaries" (TVD) Season 8 episode 9 "The Simple Intimacy of the Near Touch." Fans can also watch episode 08X09 online via live stream on cwtv.com. Stay tuned for more spoilers and updates.






Nearly eight years after a car wreck claimed the lives of a mother and two teens in Cabell County, a trial is set to begin in a lawsuit against Subaru.

The trial is slated for Jan. 23 in Kanawha County, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Claims against Subaru are all that remain from lawsuits filed in 2011 by the families of 47-year-old Carole Crawford, 16-year-old Meaghan McGuire Crawford and 15-year-old Kelsey Kuhn. The three were killed when a Ford Explorer struck the Crawfords Subaru Forester head-on on West Virginia Route 10 between Huntington and Barboursville in 2009.

The Subaru caught fire and its occupants couldnt escape, despite attempts by people who stopped to help. Nearby resident Mike Edens was one of them.

I just wish I hadnt went over there. There was nothing I could do, Edens told the Huntington Herald-Dispatch at the time.

The lawsuit alleges that the construction of the Subaru contributed to the deaths. Subaru vehemently denies the allegations.

In addition to the car manufacturer, lawsuits were also filed against Dr. Anita Dawson, who wrote several prescriptions for pain medication for the driver of the Explorer, Erma Marie Brown. Brown was also sued, along with pharmacies that filled her prescription orders.

Brown later pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of prescription painkillers and was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.

Plaintiffs attorney Scott Segal says claims against all of the defendants besides Subaru were previously resolved. He wouldnt elaborate on the terms of the settlements.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Auto Virginia
Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter has signed an executive order aimed at protecting the states computer networks from hackers.

The order signed this week creates a director of Information Security position, with that person reporting directly to the governor.

The search to fill that position will begin after the Legislature approves funding for the position.

The order follows recommendations from Otters Cybersecurity Task Force.

The executive order also directs state agencies to implement by June 30 a system intended to improve communications and decision making involving cybersecurity.

The order also requires state employees take cybersecurity instruction before being allowed access to state computer systems.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Cyber
Top News - Investor Idea

A Boat-full of Potential - Renewed Interest in the Cruise Industry Bolsters Luxury Markets (OTC: MASN) (NYSE: CCL) (NYSE: CUK) (NYSE: RCL) (NYSE: NCLH)

Vancouver, Kelowna, Delta, BC - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering luxury goods and cruise ship stocks releases a special report featuring Maison Luxe, Inc. (OTC: MASN), a company that offers luxury retail consumer items.

Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea

Breaking AI Stock News: GBT's (OTCPK: GTCH) AI Driven Financial Technology Patent Application Received a Notice of Publication

San Diego, CA - November 3, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) GBT Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK: GTCH) received a notice of publication for its financial software patent application.

Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea

Breaking AI Stock News: Intellagents, a FatBrain AI (OTCQB: LZGI) Company, Announces Hiring of Insurtech Industry Veteran as Chief Revenue Officer

NEW YORK, NY - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, announces the hiring of Euan King, an experienced and respected Insurtech industry leader as Chief Revenue Officer for insurance technology-focused subsidiary Intellagents.

Top Health and Wellness News - Investor Idea

Health and Wellness Stock News - Endexx (OTCBB: EDXC) Secures $3.8M Order for Non-Nicotine Vape Product HYLA from Italy

CAVE CREEK, Az. - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Endexx Corporation (OTCBB:EDXC), a provider of innovative, plant-based, and sustainable health and skincare products, today announces it has secured a new $3.8 million USD order for its newly acquired, non-nicotine based vape product, HYLA from customers in Italy.

Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas:

Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by

Investorideas.com Newswire:

Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire
'Stranger Things' is an eight-episode thriller airing at Netflix. (Photo : YouTube/Stranger Things)

New details and spoilers for "Stranger Things" season 2 will feature the possible return of Eleven and M. Night Shyamalan to direct an episode of the show.



Several rumors are making rounds regarding the possible return of Eleven (Millie Bobbie Brown) in season 2 of "Stranger Things". It is hinted that Eleven will return in episode 7 titled "The Secret Cabin" theorizing that it could be her hiding place after her fight with the Demogorgon. It is unknown yet if this "cabin" is from the real world or in the Upside Down world, Looper reported.



Advertisement

An insider from TVLine confirmed that Eleven will indeed return for season 2, but Netflix did not comment as when she will be back in the story, whether in the premier or the later episodes.



Previous reports claimed that Brown's return to "Stranger Things 2" could have some sort of catch as her father Robert "Bobby" Brown made some "outrageous" demands for the show as he wanted to represent her daughter in every negotiation instead of talent agents.



In other news, "Split" director M. Night Shyamalan is game to direct an episode of "Stranger Things" season 2 as he told Digital Spy that a Stranger Things directing credit would add to the multiple TV credits accrued in the past few years.



Shyamalan pointed out that the Duffer brothers did a project in "Wayward Pines" and wants them to "hire" him back.



The directing duties for "Stranger Things" season 1 were split between the Duffers and Shawn Levy, who himself confirmed that season 2 would repeat a pattern of Matt and Ross directing the first two installments, leaving three and four to him.



Those episodes were said to be filming in December and January, and it would seem likely that season 2 already has the final five directors on locked down.



It is rumored that "Stranger Things" season 2 could premier on July 2017, although the showrunners for have not made any comment regarding the July launch date, fans of show will likely look forward to an early month premiere date.



Will Byers is also speculated to be the main antagonist in the second season as the Duffer brothers teased that Schnapp's character will suffer the effects of the Upside Down world.



Schnapp teased that Will could go crazy in "Stranger Things" season 2 due to the traumatizing experience as he struggles to be normal, but has a hard time fighting what is going on with him.



"Stranger Things" season 2 will premiere sometime in 2017 on Netflix.


QUESS is the third of four planned Chinese satellites to be launched into the orbit within a year of each other. (Photo : Popular Science)

It was launched in August last year, but the first world's first quantum science and communications satellite is ready to fulfill its official function.



"The in-orbit test came to a very successful end," Pan Jianwei, mission designer and leader, told gbtimes.com.



"All our teams will continue their efforts to finish three experimental missions as early as possible in the next few months by making good use of the currently favorable conditions."



Advertisement

The Quantum Experiments at Space Scale or QUESS satellite was handed over to Chinese scientists this week, according to an article by gbtimes.com.



By the end of QUESS' mission, scientists hope to unlock answers on quantum entanglement and communication, which has been described by experts as "unhackable."



Scientists from the Micro-satellite Innovation Institute, National Space Science Centre (NSSC), Xi'an Satellite Monitoring and Control Centre, and the University of Science and Technology of China are expected to take part in QUESS' experimental phase.



Experiments on Quantum Entanglement and Communications



One of the experiments involves QUESS sending entangled photons to ground stations in China and Austria to test if quantum entanglement is possible even on long distances.



Along with the experiment, scientists will be able to test whether "unhackable" communication is possible through the use of quantum key distribution (QKD), in which encrypted keys are generated through the entanglement of photos or particles at the quantum level.



Aside from being "unhackable," the report says the key will also be impossible to decrypt. Any interference or observation of the key being sent out will trigger an alert to inform the intended recipient.



Scientists are also excited as QUESS, which is also known as "Mozi" or "Micius," may provide answers to the possibility of communication through quantum teleportation.



QUESS is the third of four planned Chinese satellites to be launched into the orbit within a year of each other. It is part of the Chinese Academy of Science's strategic space science program.


As many as 40,000 jobs could be axed, the national debt could rise by 20bn, and food exports could be hit with up to 50% tariffs as a result of a hard Brexit, according to Department of Finance officials, writes Juno McEnroe.

The stark reality of a hard Brexit was revealed to the Oireachtas finance committee where TDs admitted to being surprised by the details of a worst-case scenario in the aftermath of British prime minister Theresa Mays confirmation of a hard Brexit.

Department of Finance assistant secretary general John McCarthy outlined the estimates. The department also admitted it only has four full-time staff in Dublin working with Brexit.

Fianna Fail spokesman on finance Michael McGrath said he was surprised by the detail. The world has changed for Ireland, he told department officials.

Economic modelling done by the department and ESRI suggests there will be 40,000 fewer people in employment and a drop of 4% in economic growth over a decade.

Furthermore, the national debt could rise by 20bn. Exports to the UK could fall by 30% and overall by 4% if new punitive tariffs are applied to goods.

Under World Trade Organisation rules, exports of Irish meat to Britain could be subject to a 50% tariff, dairy and eggs a 25% tariff and processed meat a 35% tariff. The department and ESRI assessed tariffs for some 5,000 Irish goods.

Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty said he was worried about Irelands level of preparedness for Brexit.

Now we know it is real and in the next couple of weeks, it is going to get very, very intense, he said.

Officials said a specific Brexit department is necessary.

Mr McGrath said the projections revealed extremely serious risks for our economy.

This will have potentially grave consequences for Ireland in terms of exports to the UK, economic growth, employment, our public finances and the national debt, he said. It is also becoming abundantly clear that our own Government does not seem to fully grasp the scale of this challenge.

But Finance Minister Michael Noonan, speaking in Davos, said Ireland would get its share of firms leaving Britain after Brexit, and 100 had inquired so far about relocating here.

This article first appeared in the Irish Examiner..
A senior Stormont adviser who formerly worked with Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster has quit amid allegations of exerting influence around a botched green energy scheme.

DUP special adviser Andrew Crawford's resignation was announced minutes after a public inquiry was instigated into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme.

The RHI scandal, which has left Stormont facing a 490 million bill, was the trigger for the collapse of the power-sharing executive in Belfast.

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."

Charlie Flanagan and James Brokenshire

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire and Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan met at Stormont House this 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.
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.
Update 5.06pm: In his first address as President of the Unitred States, Donald Trump has said: "We are transferring power from Washington DC, and giving it back to you, the people.

"For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people bore the cost.

"Washington flourished, but the people did not share the wealth. The Establishment protected itself.

"This moment is your moment. It belongs to you. January 20 will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again."

Mr Trump also thanked all of the past presidents in attendance, including Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. He also thanked Mr Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama for their "gracious" aid through the transition.

Mr Trump said change starts "right here and right now".

The new president used his inaugural address to say it does not matter which party controls the government.

He said that what matters is "whether our government is controlled by the people". Mr Trump said the forgotten men and women of the country "will be forgotten no longer".

The 70-year-old billionaire added: "We are one nation. We share one heart, one home and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans."

"We have defended other nations' borders while refusing to defend our own. That is the past, and now we are looking only to the future."

"From this day forward a new vision will govern our land. It's going to be only 'America First'. Every decision on trade, taxes, immigration, foreign affairs will be made to benefit Amwerican families and American borders.

"Protection will lead to prosperity and strength."

He promised new roads, railways, tunnels and bridges right across the country, built with "American hands and American labour".

He said: "We will follow two simple rules - buy American and hire American."

Of foreign relations, he said: "We will unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

"We will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice."

In his concluding remarks, he said: "To all Americans from ocean to ocean - you will never be ignored again. Your hopes and dreams will define our American destiny."

President-elect Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives for his Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Update 5pm: Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States. He has been sworn into office.

Update 5.55pm: Vice-president elect Mike Pence has taken the oath of office. Donald Trump will now do likewise, and will then assume the Presidency of the United States.

BREAKING: Mike Pence takes the oath of office, is sworn in as Vice President of the United States https://t.co/YpuCylGG79 pic.twitter.com/YcSkmumxwQ  CNN (@CNN) January 20, 2017

Update 4.45pm: Police have deployed pepper spray in a chaotic confrontation streets from Donald Trump's inauguration as protesters registered their rage against the incoming president.

Spirited demonstrations unfolded peacefully at various security checkpoints near the Capitol in Washington as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony.

Signs read: "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now", ''Let Freedom Ring" and ''Free Palestine."

But at one point, police chased a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of city centre businesses as they denounced capitalism and Mr Trump.

Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters and eventually cordoned off the protesters, who shouted "Hands up, don't shoot," as a helicopter hovered overhead.

The confrontation happened about an hour before Mr Trump's swearing-in at the Capitol.

Closer to that scene, lines for ticket-holders entering two gates stretched for several streets at one point as protesters clogged entrances.

Earlier, the DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, had promised that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest when necessary.

Trump supporter Brett Ecker said the protesters were frustrating but were not going to spoil his day.

"They're just here to stir up trouble," said the 36-year-old public school teacher.

"It upsets me a little bit that people choose to do this, but yet again it's one of the things I love about this country."

Update 4.30pm: Donald Trump is approaching the podium where he will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

Update 4.15pm: President Obama and President-elect Trump at the US Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony. Mr Trump's children have also arrived.

JUST IN: President Obama and President-elect Trump arrive at the US Capitol for the #InaugurationDay ceremony https://t.co/qZD2q7J6E0 pic.twitter.com/kKqonJnEY2  CNN (@CNN) January 20, 2017

Donald Trump's children arrive at Capitol Hill for his inaugural swearing-in ceremony https://t.co/YpuCylp4Iz https://t.co/BadkC1kePy  CNN (@CNN) January 20, 2017

Update 3.55pm: Hillary and Bill Clinton have arrived at Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony.

Former President Bill Clinton, Sec. Hillary Clinton arrive at Trump's swearing-in ceremony https://t.co/YpuCylp4Iz https://t.co/V548jAvnhB  CNN (@CNN) January 20, 2017

Update 3.40pm: Protesters have blocked routes into Mr Trump's inauguration ceremony as tens of thousands of people took to the streets to oppose his presidency.

Demonstrators lined up at a number of entrances into the event at the US Capitol building in Washington DC, where Mr Trump will be sworn in as president in just over an hour's time.

Spirited demonstrations unfolded at various security checkpoints near the Capitol in Washington as police in riot gear helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony on the National Mall.

Signs read "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now", ''Let Freedom Ring" and ''Free Palestine".

At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in US detention at Guantanamo Bay.

Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organise the Disrupt J20 protest, said protesters wanted to show Mr Trump and his "misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous" supporters that they will not be silent.

The Disrupt J20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, vowed that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest if necessary.

Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard.

Inaugural attendees move through demonstrators attempting to block people entering a security checkpoint. Picture: AP

Update 3pm: The Trumps and Obamas have met on the steps of the White House, following the church service attended earlier by the Trumps.

The two couples will have tea at the White House, after which they will travel together in the presidential limousine for the short trip to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.

Out-going President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama stand with President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In under two hours time, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, putting Republicans in control of the White House for the first time in eight years.

Ebullient Trump supporters flocked to the capital for the inaugural festivities, some wearing red hats emblazoned with his "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.

But in a sign of deep divisions sown during his combative campaign, dozens of Democratic legislators are boycotting the swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill.

Michelle Obama, flanked by President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump, greets Melania Trump at the White House in Washington. Picture: AP

Trump aides said the president-elect had been personally involved in crafting his inaugural address, a relatively brief 20-minute speech to a crowd of hundreds of thousands, expected to centre on his vision for what it means to be an American.

Spokesman Sean Spicer said the address would be "less of an agenda and more of a philosophical document".

Mr Trump has pledged to upend Mr Obama's major domestic and national security policies, including repealing his signature health care law and building a wall along the US-Mexico border.

But he has offered few details of how he plans to accomplish his agenda, often sending contradictory signals.

With rain a possibility today, the US National Park Service announced it was easing its "no umbrella" policy, allowing collapsible umbrellas along the parade route and on the National Mall.

The nation's soon-to-be president joked about the chance of a downpour. "That's okay," he told campaign donors at an event on Thursday night, "because people will realise it's my real hair.

"Might be a mess, but they're going to see that it's my real hair."

Earlier:

Donald Trump declared "the work begins" as hundreds of thousands of people poured into Washington DC to welcome - or oppose - his inauguration as the 45th president of the United States.

President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrives for a church service at St. Johns Episcopal Church across from the White House in Washington. Picture: AP

The tycoon-turned-politician took to Twitter yet again to send an early morning message to a nation bitterly divided by his election victory.

Mr Trump has pledged to unify America as he prepares to be sworn in amid plans for widespread protests and a boycott by dozens of politicians.

Donald Trump speaks at a pre-inaugural event at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Picture: AP

He will address hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Washington and millions watching around the world in his first presidential speech.

Thousands of Trump supporters, many wearing hats declaring Make America Great Again, made the journey to the federal capital.

But legions of protesters also descended on the city, where a massive security operation was launched, including a heavily-guarded perimeter around the US Capitol building where Mr Trump will deliver his inaugural address.

Protesters gathered outside Union Station waved placards which read "unity against racist Trump" and chanted "the people united will never be defeated".

Scott Williams, from protest group J20 Resist, said: "We planned this protest before the election because no matter who won ... movements like this and Black Lives Matter are the only future."

Demonstrators clashed with police outside a pro-Trump rally in Washington on Thursday night, while one group, DisruptJ20, has said it will try to shut down or cause delays at security checkpoints at the inauguration ceremony.

Speaking at a concert at the Lincoln Memorial on the eve of his inauguration, Mr Trump told supporters: "We're going to unify our country. We're going to make American great for all our people. We're going to do things that haven't been done for our country for many, many decades. It's going to change."

After forecasters predicted rain in Washington DC on Friday, Mr Trump added: "I don't care frankly if it's going to be beautiful or if it's going to rain like crazy. It makes no difference to me. I have a feeling it's going to be beautiful."

Mr Trump is reportedly drafting a relatively short inaugural speech with the help of Stephen Miller, his incoming senior White House adviser for policy.

Hillary Clinton is listed to attend the inauguration ceremony with her husband, former president Bill Clinton, despite her bitterly fought election loss. President Barack Obama and former president George W Bush will also attend.

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who was the first British politician to meet Mr Trump after his election victory, has travelled to Washington for the ceremony.

Some 65 Democratic Congress members have said they will boycott Mr Trump's inauguration following his row with congressman John Lewis.

Mr Lewis called Mr Trump's victory illegitimate because of Russia's alleged interference in the election, prompting the president-elect to brand the civil rights activist as "all talk, talk, talk - no action or results".

Mr Trump will take part in the presidential procession and parade after he is sworn as president, before attending the inaugural ball at the Walter E Washington Convention Centre later that evening.

On Saturday, celebrities including Scarlett Johansson, Amy Schumer and Patricia Arquette have said they will attend a women's march on Washington which is expected to attract 200,000 people.

Mr Trump has said he will not start attending to presidential duties until Monday.
Experts observe that Chief Justice Zhou's speech is potentially a bid for political survival, ahead of the key Communist Party Congress set later for this year. (Photo : Getty Images)

On Saturday, China's Chief Justice Zhou Qiang warned legal professionals and judges not to be swayed by Western ideology when it comes to performing their functions.



Many hopeful observers in China and abroad, who lauded Zhou's efforts espousing a more liberal and independent Judiciary, are disappointed with his remarks



Advertisement

In recent years, Zhou has led an initiative to transform the country's Judiciary as an independent body, free from the subordination to the ruling Communist Party. According to a report by the New York Times, Zhou has reportedly vetted out inept judges and vowed to raise wages for those with formal legal training.



Change in Rhetoric: Resist Western Values



"We must make clear our stand. We should resolutely resist erroneous influence from the West," said Zhou in a speech to legal officials, as head of the Supreme People's Court of China.



Many experts and observers see the change in Zhou's stance as a kowtow to President Xi Jinping political lockdown in China. President Xi has recently tightened his grip in China, constraining civil society, promoting adulation for Mao Zedong, and eliminating support for free speech and a more independent press.



Facing Reality



Despite aligning himself with the current political climate, Chief Justice Zhou is not a member of the Communist Party's Ruling Politburo. Before President Xi's rise to power, the jurist was frequently touted as a possible candidate for a top leadership position in the country.



However, given the recent crackdown on officials who refuse to show fealty to the current administration, Zhou has changed his position and thrown his support behind the President.



Furthermore, Zhou urged judges across the country to"safeguard by law images of leaders and heroes, and to resolutely safeguard the party and the People's Army's glorious history.



Experts observe that the speech is potentially a bid for political survival, ahead of the key Communist Party Congress set later for this year.


The stark reality of a hard Brexit was revealed to the Oireachtas finance committee where TDs admitted to being surprised by the details of a worst-case scenario in the aftermath of British prime minister Theresa Mays confirmation of a hard Brexit.

Department of Finance assistant secretary general John McCarthy outlined the estimates. The department also admitted it only has four full-time staff in Dublin working with Brexit.

Fianna Fail spokesman on finance Michael McGrath said he was surprised by the detail. The world has changed for Ireland, he told department officials.

Economic modelling done by the department and ESRI suggests there will be 40,000 fewer people in employment and a drop of 4% in economic growth over a decade.

Furthermore, the national debt could rise by 20bn. Exports to the UK could fall by 30% and overall by 4% if new punitive tariffs are applied to goods.

Under World Trade Organisation rules, exports of Irish meat to Britain could be subject to a 50% tariff, dairy and eggs a 25% tariff and processed meat a 35% tariff. The department and ESRI assessed tariffs for some 5,000 Irish goods.

Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty said he was worried about Irelands level of preparedness for Brexit.

Now we know it is real and in the next couple of weeks, it is going to get very, very intense, he said.

Officials said a specific Brexit department is necessary.

Mr McGrath said the projections revealed extremely serious risks for our economy.

This will have potentially grave consequences for Ireland in terms of exports to the UK, economic growth, employment, our public finances and the national debt, he said. It is also becoming abundantly clear that our own Government does not seem to fully grasp the scale of this challenge.

But Finance Minister Michael Noonan, speaking in Davos, said Ireland would get its share of firms leaving Britain after Brexit, and 100 had inquired so far about relocating here.
Four young males are suing the State, claiming that their human rights were breached arising from their treatment following that incident.

In documents before the court, the director of Oberstown pleaded that the incident on the night of August 29/30 was the most serious at the centre since 1998, created significant fear among staff, and was followed by industrial action.
Mr Noonan made the disclosure in a written Dail response to Fianna Fails Michael McGrath. He also confirmed there are more than $1.6bn (1.51bn) of funds owned by entities linked to Libya frozen in several Irish-based bank accounts.

In addition, Mr Noonan confirmed there is another 1m in funds frozen in accounts owned by parties with links to Iran, with another $620,951 frozen in bank accounts owned by entities linked to Syria. There are also frozen accounts containing small amounts belonged to entities connected to North Korea and Somalia.
Catherine Byrne, minister of state for communities and the national drug strategy, made the comment as 45 international drug policy experts gather in Dublin today for a summit at which issues such as monitored injecting facilities and decriminalisation will be discussed.

The previous coalition government had committed to exploring the possibility of setting up supervised injecting rooms and the plan has moved a step closer, with Ms Byrne stating: I expect to be in a position to bring legislation which will allow for the operation of supervised injecting facilities to the Dail in the coming weeks.
Fat Larry is dead. He took a massive banger, back in 87, as one of the characters in Kevin Barrys new play, Autumn Royal, puts it. For most who will see the play, the tragic demise of bandleader Fat Larry James had probably slipped by unnoticed.

Chances are, however, that many know his hit tune Zoom. If not, theyll be well acquainted with it by the time the curtain comes down on Autumn Royal, which premieres at Corks Everyman next week, a stones throw from where the play is set.

The R&B classic has a major role in the story. Zoom may have originated in Philadelphia, but for the Limerick-born author, it will forever be associated with the city he lived in for most of the 1990s.

In Barrys time, Leeside had calls on being the black music capital of Ireland, and provided the soundtrack for some very formative years. Hed regularly hear Zoom on nights out, and the tune was also a mainstay in the record bag of local DJ Fork, whom Barry shared a ramshackle house on Ballyhooley Road with.

That the influences of those years should still pop up in Barrys work isnt surprising. Even now, when he sits down to write, he says his characters often start speaking to him in Cork accents.

I was in Cork when the short stories and stuff first started to work out for me, recalls Barry, who recently penned an appreciative memoir about the city in Granta magazine. And I think you stay very attached to the place where you started to make some headway. It also fed hugely into my first novel, City of Bohane. It just keeps showing up.

As an outsider, he also has the eye to appreciate the things that many natives take probably for granted. Ive always loved walking up around Patricks Hill, Richmond Hill, up around there. Its a very cinematic city, it has elevated views like nowhere else.

Even in beautiful great places, however, awful things happen. Not surprisingly for a man whose work is often tagged with the description darkly comic, Autumn Royal isnt quite from the Bord Failte school of script writing. Set in a house on one of those hills Barry loves walking up, it largely revolves around a brother and sister addressing one of the great issues of our time: what to do with an aged parent.

In what the writer calls a deranged sitcom, the discussion by the two main characters swings from the nursing home that gives the play its name, all along the spectrum to the pillow-over-the-face option. Youll laugh along the way, sometimes uncomfortably.

For nearly all of us, one of the first big ethical questions you come up against in life is how are are you going to deal with the old folks, says Barry, 47. Often we dont cover ourselves in glory. Everybody has this in their family story to some degree or other. What makes it such a dilemma ethically and all the rest of it, is that there is no easy solution. At one stage in the play, the sister says to the brother, Its them or fuckin us... its their lives or our lives. And what do you do in that situation?

Little Kingdom

The world and language of Autumn Royal are closer to Barrys short story collections, There Are Little Kingdoms and Dark Lies the Island, than his novels, Bohane and Beatlebone. In 2008, he had moulded three of his early stories together for a play produced by Meridian in Cork, and has long had an urge to give the dramatic form a proper go.

He regularly reads play-scripts by the likes of Harold Pinter, Brian Friel and Marina Carr Youd horse through them in an hour  and is aware from the reaction he gets at his prose readings that many people enjoy the aural qualities of his work. In other words, it wasnt a huge leap to write a play after he had finished Beatlebone.

Barry has two more plays at a drafting stage, including one for the Abbey (almost inevitably, it features a Cork family). A horseracing film is also being mooted, and City of Bohane continues its life in entertainment limbo as still being optioned for a movie or TV series.

Is he planning on penning a sequel to that debut novel? That was supposed to be the next book but another one has come along and kind of poked its way in front of it. I think I am going to try to revisit it, but it was 2008 when I started Bohane which is a long while ago.

In the meantime, Barry is obviously having a more fruitful experience revisiting old haunts rather than old work, and remains mindful of something Cork writer Conal Creedon told him many years ago.

He said that when youre on Patricks Bridge youre at the centre of the universe, and anything beyond it is just a rumour.

Autumn Royal runs at the Everyman in Cork from Wednesday to Feb 4; and will also play at Project Arts Centre, Dublin, Feb 711; and The Dock, Carrick on Shannon, Feb 23

A question of taste

What are you listening to?

I got a lovely present in the post from Simon Tong of two albums by his band, the Magnetic North. He used to be in The Verve and Gorillaz, but this is sort of ambient folky stuff. He said he really liked Beatlebone and he thought I might be into this. Theyre two brilliant records.

I got a proper record player a few years ago so I got back into vinyl again properly. Theres nothing like it. The oul dub reggae is still a mainstay, and whenever I go to a record store I come out with King Tubby and the like.

What are you watching?

The broadband is temperamental where we live in Sligo, but we can just about manage Netflix. I really enjoyed the first season of Bloodline, but the second collapsed in on itself a bit. I watched the first few episodes of The Crown but it was all a bit sumptuous.

I heard somebody describe it as like watching an aquarium, theres almost nothing going on. It looks amazing but the whole message is: Toffs are magnificent!.

What are you reading?

Jon McGregors Reservoir 13, a fabulous novel about a girl going missing in Yorkshire in the 1970s. Also, Conversations with Friends, the first novel by Sally Rooney, which will be published later this year.

And Ive been reading the last volume of Becketts letters. Ive always been more interested in him as a character himself than the work. Hes a great character and comes across as very kind, with a great breadth of learning.

This last volume is heartbreaking  hes getting old and knows the end is coming, but the flashes of gallows humour still come through. Ive read the four of them, and theyre some work of scholarship.
He was the IRA commander who took arms against the British only to shake the hands of Queen Elizabeth as a political leader in Northern Ireland.

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.

The decision by Martin McGuinness to bow out of frontline politics in the North was not surprising but is a seismic event.

His journey from the streets of the Bogside to the office of Deputy First Minister in Stormont, the traditional home of Ulster Unionism, was by any standard, remarkable, as described by former President Mary McAleese last night.

Describing his departure from the political arena as desperately sad, Ms McAleese said McGuinness retirement represented a huge loss to politics in the North.

In 1972, the thought of the British monarch greeting the man who helped lead the Provisionals in a bloody campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland would have been unbelievable.

He turned to republicanism after witnessing the 1960s government repression of the nationalist community and its failure to prevent the escalating violence that destroyed the civil rights movement.

When the Provisional IRA began to emerge (albeit in small numbers) in key nationalist areas in 1969 and 1970, McGuinness joined and rose through its newly formed ranks.

In 1971, he became the 21-year-old commander of Free Derry and appeared at a Provisional IRA press conference where the new leadership offered to talk peace.

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 Derry.

Martin McGuinness in the 1980s  he was in contact with British intelligence indirectly during the hunger strikes in the early 1980s

Unlike others, McGuinness never denied his past. He admitted to being second-in-command of the IRA that day.

In 1973 he was convicted by the Republic of Irelands Special Criminal Court after being arrested near a car containing explosives and ammunition.

At his 1973 conviction, McGuinness said: We have fought against the killing of our people. I am a member of Oglaigh na hEireann (IRA) and very, very proud of it.

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.

He became MP for Mid Ulster in 1997 but in line with Sinn Feins abstentionist policy from Westminster, he took his expenses but not the seat.

McGuinness was Sinn Feins 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.

Following election to the new Northern Ireland Assembly, Sinn Fein nominated McGuinness to become education minister. That sparked fury from some unionists, though Mr McGuinness insisted he would govern for all children.

Against the odds, McGuinness and the great enemy of republicanism Ian Paisley forged a decent working relationship and a warm bond developed between the two men.

They were dubbed the Chuckle Brothers but it is said the two never shook hands.

In December 2007, while visiting US president George W Bush at the White House with Paisley, 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 theres been no angry words between us.

This shows we are set for a new course.

Martin McGuinness enjoying an ice cream alongside Sinn Fein leader and Gerry Adams.

The Good Friday Agreement proved difficult to implement and was followed by the St Andrews Agreement in 2006.

Sinn Fein ambitions such as a bill of rights for Northern Ireland and an Irish language act are still unfulfilled.

After Paisleys retirement, McGuinness endured a much tougher time with subsequent DUP leaders, Peter Robinson and more recently Arlene Foster at the top of the power-sharing executive in Stormont.

He unsuccessfully ran to be Irish President in 2011, but it was his attack on fellow candidate Sean Gallagher in a key television debate which saw the latters campaign capitulate and Michael D Higgins elected.

His IRA past dogged him throughout the campaign with then minister Phil Hogan asking the question: Do we really want a terrorist in the Aras?

Now in 2017, McGuinness has had his political journey ended by serious illness.

This became evident to most only 10 days ago when he resigned his position as deputy first minister over the Renewable Housing Incentive scandal.

The frail figure and weak voice that came out of our television screens shocked many who saw McGuinness, the icon, so familiar to so many for so long, diminished so dramatically.

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.

But his refusal at that stage to clarify his own intentions led many to conclude his time was coming to an end.

He confirmed those suspicions last night.

Martin McGuinness sharing a joke with former enemy Ian Paisely, with whom he worked closedly for years

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 which would have marked 10 years since I entered government with Ian Paisley as joint leader of the northern Executive.

"Unfortunately, my health and the current crisis have overtaken this time-frame and I am stepping down from my role to make way for a new leader of Sinn Fein in the North, he said.

He said his obvious health issues have forced him to be open and honest with his friends and colleagues in Sinn Fein, with the electorate of Foyle.

Unfortunately, I am not physically able to continue in my current role and have therefore decided to make way for a new leader. This election is the right time for me to move aside so I will not seek re-election to the Assembly, he said.

So as he exits stage left, McGuinness legacy will loom large over not just republicanism but Northern Ireland politics in general.

His rejection of the bomb in favour of the ballot was truly significant and his ability to work with bitter enemies like Paisley and Robinson illustrates the extent of his abilities.

Martin McGuinnessdoing what would have once been unthinkable, shaking hands with Britains Queen Elizabeth II.

He retires without his dream of a united Ireland being fulfilled during his tenure and strong doubts remain among some republicans about what they have gained through entering Stormont.

But his contribution to peace on this island will be long remembered.
Alibaba's Jack Ma Says US Lost $19.2 Trillion in US Income for Spending Too Much on War Conflicts

Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, faulted the United States for its $14.2 trillion expenditures on war over the last 30 years than on its own people. (Photo : Getty Images)

Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, faulted the United States for its $14.2 trillion expenditures on war over the last 30 years than on its own people.



Ma's statement was made on Wednesday during the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. The Chinese business mogul also said besides war, the world's largest economy has also invested too much on Wall Street.



Advertisement

Ma's opinion about the United States came after he was thrown with a question on globalization and on his reaction now that the 45th President will lead America in the next four years. He said that irrespective of the good strategy, one's leader should instead spend on his own people.



"The money goes to Wall Street. Then what happened? Year 2008," Alibaba Group's chairman was quoted as reported by The United Kingdom Business Insider.



"The financial crisis wipe out $19.2 trillion in U.S. income," Ma continued, adding, "What if the money was spent on the Midwest of the United States, developing industry there?"



Ma then recalled that three decades ago, two companies that Chinese people spoke were Boeing and Ford. Today, however, the Chinese talk about Wall Street and Silicon Valley.



A site called U.S. Government Spending reported that before the World War II, the United States spent only one percent of its Gross Domestic Product on its defense and military.



However, the figure rose after the World War II to not less than 3.6 percent of its GDP. During the second World War, the United States spent 41 percent of its GDP.



Meanwhile, the Council on Foreign Relations shared a chart prepared using information provided by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute as well as from the U.S. Bureau of Economics Analysis.



It said that in 1990s, the U.S. government reduced its defense budget, but from 1990 to 1995, it increased its share of military expenses while cutting out on its foreign allocation of GDP to defense, specifically in Russia.


Writer Neil Gaiman attends the screening for 'Coraline' CapeTown Film Festival on May 5, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo : Getty Images/ Michael Buckner)

Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's "Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch" has been picked up by Amazon Studios and will premiere as a six-part limited series in 2018. Gaiman will also serve as showrunner and the series will also premiere on BBC.



"Good Omens" will be set in 2018 and tells the story of the world on the brink of the Apocalypse. However, as the end draws near, an Angel known as Aziraphale and a demon known as Crowley attempt to postpone the event but find difficulty in tracking down the Anti-Christ.



Advertisement

"Almost 30 years ago, Terry Pratchett and I wrote the funniest novel we could about the end of the world, populated with angels and demons," Variety quoted the author as saying. "Three decades later, it's going to make it to the screen. I can't think of anyone we'd rather make it with than BBC Studios, and I just wish Sir Terry were alive to see it."



The novel was originally released in 1990 and was Gaiman's first novel. The writer was, at the time, primarily known as a graphic novel writer. Pratchett got on board, having already been an established author.



Pratchett passed away in 2015, suffering from a rare form of Alzheimer's Disease. Gaiman declared at the time that he would not adapt "Good Omens" now that Pratchett was not by his side, Screen Crush reported.



However, Pratchett had left a letter for Gaiman which was read after the author's death. The contents of the letter revealed Pratchett wanted Gaiman to make an adaptation himself and it was this revelation that led to Gaiman writing the screenplay for the new Amazon and BBC series.



Gaiman is also working on the Starz adaptation of his other novel, "American Gods," which premieres this April. The official teaser trailer for "American Gods" can be viewed below:






Biometrics is an increasingly valuable option for businesses. The advantage? No more reliance on the workforce to change the default or use easily compromised passwords, such as the employees birthdate or kids names. The heavy lifting isnt done by employees; it is done by their bodies.

It is a complex realm. Todd Thibodeaux provides a good overview of what chief information security officers (CISOs) should consider before moving to biometrics at Dark Reading. This is a very important topic for organizations with significant mobile workforces, since tablets and smartphones are more vulnerable than those tethered to a desk. CISOs must understand that while a password is inherently worthless  its a bunch of letters and numbers  a biometric marker is protected information about the person. Biometric markers, once compromised, invalidate that element, whether its a fingerprint or a voice or retinal pattern, forever. Thus, passwords will always be with us.

Biometrics, he concludes, are not a panacea  but theyre a big step:

Biometrics may not solve all poor end-user security practices, but the right strategy can help organizations seriously address the shortcomings of their existing password use. In an ideal implementation, biometrics can serve as a quicker, more convenient access solution for end users while enabling multifactor authentication and more robust security. Businesses may need to invest in additional capabilities to meet logistical and regulatory demands, but its clear that passwords alone arent enough.

The fact that once invalidated, a biometric marker is forever gone is made even more pressing by the fact that this form of security is as vulnerable as any other type of security, according to Hoda Al Khazaimi, the director of the Center for Cyber Security at New York University Abu Dhabi, who says that biometric sensors can be spoofed and cracked in other ways. In addition, aging can affect how well systems operate.

The future of biometrics wont solely be determined by how well it works. The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, which became law in 2008, says, according to The Chicago Tribune, that no private entity can gather and keep an individuals biometric information without prior notification and written permission from that person. Depending on how the law is interpreted, Facebook and other companies that use biometrics may have to adjust their use. The story says that under the law, the company L.A. Tan Enterprises agreed to a settlement of $1.5 million for providing a third-party software vendor with the fingerprint scans of customers, which it had collected for sign-ins.

Biometrics are used to enable electronic devices to be used, to grant and deny access to physical locations, and for non-security purposes, such as Facebooks use of facial recognition for photo tags. It seems likely, however, that the legal oversight of one area will affect how others uses are regulated. It will also affect the underlying business dynamic in the biometric vendor community.

Biometrics are clearly a valuable tool. But, like many technologies once thought likely to provide a silver bullet to a particular problem, this family of approaches has its limitations. It also has legal and regulatory complexities absent in the password world. CISOs should consider this all very carefully as they map their security futures.

Carl Weinschenk covers telecom for IT Business Edge. He writes about wireless technology, disaster recovery/business continuity, cellular services, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communications and other emerging technologies and platforms. He also covers net neutrality and related regulatory issues. Weinschenk has written about the phone companies, cable operators and related companies for decades and is senior editor of Broadband Technology Report. He can be reached at [email protected] and via twitter at @DailyMusicBrk.
According to a high-profile IT executive in the health care sector, the key to making an impact as an IT leader is to come to the table as a business leader who happens to be running the technology team, rather than purely as a technologist waiting to receive requirements to fulfill.

That IT executive is Steve Betts, senior vice president and CIO at Health Care Service Corp. (HCSC), a health insurance provider in Chicago. I recently had the opportunity to speak at length with Betts in the context of his participation in Deloittes 2016-2017 Global CIO Survey. Betts noted that Deloitte has been engaged in a number of strategic projects at HCSC, so it was natural for them to reach out to me for a perspective. In addition, Betts said, they were aware of the distinctive work that were doing here to transition our IT organization, which is very much aligned with many of the themes from the survey.

I opened the conversation by asking Betts to provide an overview of that transition. He said it has three elements:

At its core, its about leveraging technology more effectively for our members, and delivering value to our members to help them navigate an increasingly complex health care landscape. The first key element was to create embedded IT teams with each of our lines of business, and our different enterprise business services. These are nine IT portfolio leaders, senior folks on my team who are aligned with my peers on the senior leadership team, focused with them on developing a joint strategy, a technology-enabled business strategy. That was one of the key things from the survey  the need for that tight partnership and alignment.

Betts said the second element was to focus on a very clear, robust, future architecture:

As we build solutions today  and theres a lot of investment to support our members through the rapidly changing health care environment  I want to make sure that we are investing that in a way that builds flexibility and agility for the long term. I want to ensure that were not delivering individual, craftsman-type solutions to meet near-term needs, but that we are still meeting needs within the context of a broader commitment. Its taking enterprise architecture from the developer to the boardroom, and getting that strong alignment across our executive team on the need for that.

The third element, Betts said, was to change how they do the work:

Weve moved to a set of new delivery models  at its core, its adopting agile technology. So weve moved to an extreme programming approach for our digital assets, and were very much focused on our customers, our members, and providing them the capabilities they need. Were moving to a Scrum agile [methodology] for the bulk of our work, and then even for those technologies that lend themselves more to a traditional model, were using an optimized waterfall. So were bringing a lot of that same tooling, a lot of the test-first approach, a more iterative approach around requirements that then see periodic releases. Its multidimensional in its nature, but its centered around business alignment, building long-term flexibility, and then impact for our members.

Theres a quote from Betts in the body of the Deloitte report, in which he said, CIOs can either wait for our business leaders to become technology experts and figure out how to apply it in their lines of business, or we can step in and drive forward-thinking dialogue and bring our best ideas to the table. A key responsibility for me and my senior team is to focus on building and strengthening relationships with C-suite peers to better understand key business processes and drive thinking about how technology drives the impact. I found that interesting in light of one of the findings of the report that said, Compared with other CxOs, CIOs were less relationship-oriented, personable, contemplative, and deliberate.  [O]ne significant conclusion is that CIOs need to focus more on building, maintaining, and nurturing relationships. Attention to this possible blind spot may help CIOs in building stronger credibility as leaders. So I asked Betts if he sees personality type as an issue thats standing in the way of CIOs building and strengthening relationships with their C-suite peers. He said the short answer is yes:

I think that personality type  and the ability to build relationships and think as a business leader first, and then as a technology leader second  is absolutely essential. It can be a barrier if you dont have that perspective. I believe that we, as CIOs, have a responsibility to bring technology solutions in the context of the business problems that were trying to solve, and the business opportunities that we have. And I think it is truly a partnership where our CEO, Paula Steiner, refers to us as a technology-enabled company. And when you look at a lot of the innovation, and a lot of the transformation thats happening more broadly in health care, its very much technology-fueled. So I really mean it when I say that there is a partnership required. Our business leaders have decades of experience in this industry, and understand the dynamics and the opportunities. My team and I have decades of experience in technology, and have our fingers on the pulse of the latest technology trends and what were seeing not only in health care, but in parallel industries. And the combination of those two is how we develop a strategy that is going to help us serve our members effectively for the long term. And the key element of that is the relationships  its developing trust, coming to the table as a business leader who happens to be running the technology team, rather than purely as a technologist waiting to receive requirements to deliver. Its a very different focus.

Betts also shared his insights on topics ranging from diversity to innovation to shadow IT. Ill cover that portion of the interview in a forthcoming post.

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.
Professional players often have weird picks that may seem like improbable during casual games. In the current meta where tanks rule the world, it appears that pros have started to adjust and work around the trending team compositions by using unconventional heroes to counter such strategies. Let's take a look at the current state of the Overwatch competitive scene and explain why Pharah is back - soaring higher than ever.

Overwatch: State of Competitive Scene

One of the popular team compositions nowadays is running the Triple Tank Meta (Zarya, Reinhardt, D.Va, Ana) +1 Healer (Preferably Lucio) and +1 Core (Roadhog or Soldier 76). This composition has one of the highest win rates and the most picked team during the last Winter Premier, as stated by CaptainPlanet. Just by looking at this setup, you can clearly see its pushing power and taking the objective can be fairly easy with Lucio and Ana at the backlines. Roadhog can essentially devastate any lineup and can even flank priority targets from behind. So where do Praha comes in you ask? Well, she's simply the best counter for these types of compositions.

Overwatch Praha: Anti-Meta Hero

One of Praha's strengths is her ability to demolish enemy lines from above especially on slow moving targets (usually tanks). As you may notice, the triple tank meta is fairly weak against targets that are far from their reach. Even if they do swap out Roadhog for Soldier 76, with a good Praha and support from her team, the hero can effectively counter the triple tank comp with ease.

Moreover, as Praha user, you'll only have to worry about D.Va's Defense Matrix and Ana's Sleep Dart which makes it a lot easier to play on the hero during these types of matchups. And so the main reason why Pharah is back in the competitive scene isn't the fact that she got buffed but because she's simply too good against the triple tank meta.

So the next time you come across the triple tank meta, you may want to switch on your Praha and learn how to stay alive as you demolish those seemingly invulnerable tanks. With the upcoming nerf on Ana's Biotic Grenade, Praha will become even more of a nuisance in the upcoming scenes.
Many rumors and speculations pertaining to the release of the top-end smartphone makers LG, Samsung, and Huawei are all over the internet. The most anticipated flagship smartphone devices are LG G6, Samsung Galaxy S8, And Huawei P10.

Top 3 Smartphones To Watch Out For This February

With all the gadget stuff waiting for the release of new Android-powered smartphone devices, February will be really an exciting month as major OEMs are gearing up to unveil new devices, according to TechTimes. Here is a look at some of the smartphone announcements consumers may look forward to the next month.

LG G6

The upcoming LG G6 is expected to have the best waterproof design. It will also come with feature skinnier bezels, it will be a big screen but with a smaller body, as described by CNET. One of the most awaited feature od the LG G6 is for it to offer the one-hand usability and that won't be modular or have modular accessories.

No formal announcement has been made by LG about the upcoming G6, but except for its promotional video soon. Rumors are expecting that LG's most anticipated device will be unveiled in the MWC 2017 alongside with the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Samsung Galaxy S8

As reported by GSMArena, the first thing you may notice on the Samsung Galaxy S8 are the glass panels. The upcoming Samsung device is likely to be curved with a 4K display and may also come in two screen sizes, either 5.7 inches or 6.2 inches. It is speculated that the 6.2-inch variant of Samsung would be the Galaxy S8 Plus which will look to capture the attention of those who bought the late Galaxy Note 7.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone device is expected to have more openings than on the Galaxy S7. These are perhaps extra openings to accommodate more sensors than the usual. In fact, if you recall, the Note 7 had a couple of extra openings too, and that is to accommodate the Iris scanner.

Just a few day ago, a promotional video ad about the Samsung Galaxy S8 has been leaked. Samsung on the said video ad has shown off new AMOLED panels which are widely expected to be used in the company's upcoming Galaxy S8. The smartphone device's front-panel is covered by display up to its tilt on both the top and bottom. Also, there is no dedicated space for a physical button even a small area.

Huawei P10

Huawei is also expected to unleash the new Huawei P10 and other smartphone devices at the MWC 2017 that is set to start by the last week of February. As reported by Trusted Reviews, it was revealed that the smartphone's screen may shift from a full HD resolution (1,080 x 1,920 pixels) to a higher QHD resolution (1,440 x 2,560 pixels). It would be 534ppi which would be significantly more pixel-dense compared to the Huawei P9.

The performance of the upcoming Huawei P10 is also set for a boost, with that same benchmark suggesting a new 2.3GHz Kirin 960 system-on-a-chip. That is a newer and more powerful chip than its predecessor and is built by Huawei itself. Other rumored Huawei P10 specs include 6GB of RAM (up from 3/4GB) and a 256GB storage option along with the typical 32GB or 64GB option.

February is just around the corner and all the smartphone fans may look forward to a slew of Android devices being unveiled. In fact, with the ongoing demand for the Android smartphones, LG G6, Samsung Galaxy S8 And Huawei P10 are really great to buy.
NASA scientists are examining a new potential evidence of ancient drying on the red planet. The Mars Curiosity rover found a network of cracks which probably originated from drying mud on a site called Old Soaker in lower Mount Sharp. This is the first time that NASA discovered something like mud cracks on Mars. They are also currently watching for more similar-looking sites.

Ancient Mars is believed to be warmer and wetter. Previously, some scientists suggested a theory that there was huge presence of liquid water on Mars for a very long time -- not just in small, periodic timeframes. This was after they found a sedimentary rock which was formed on the surface of Mars about 3.8 billion years ago. Meanwhile, the Mars Curiosity rover also previously found evidences of ancient lakes.

Curiosity science team member Nathan Stein, who is leading the investigation on Old Soaker said that what they found are most likely mud cracks, technically called desiccation cracks. "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. It looks like what you'd see beside the road where muddy ground has dried and cracked," Stein said according to NASA.

The timeline when the mud cracks were presumably formed coincides with the previously discovered sedimentary rocks. NASA researchers revealed it was formed more than 3 billion years ago according to Sci-News. The cracked layer was buried by other layers of sediment which was later stripped away due to wind erosion.

Aside from the cracks, other evidences of ancient drying were also found by the Mars Curiosity rover. This includes sandstone and mudstone layers as well as a pattern called cross-bedding. This pattern can only be formed near a shore of a lake where there is strong flow of water or from windblown sediment. Curiosity is tasked on investigating the ancient habitability of Mars.
Did you know that FDA has already approved the use of artificial pancreas? First-of-its-kind, this cell phone-sized device is able to monitor and treat patients battling diabetes 1.

Juvenile Diabetes - Pancreas Unable To Produce Enough Insulin



Type 1 diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes. Individuals suffering from this disease have pancreas that are unable to produce enough insulin. Insulin is a hormone necessary to collect energy from food. For individuals lacking insulin in the body, Medtronic MiniMed 670G system consistently monitors glucose levels and delivers the necessary insulin to patients.

"This is a revolutionary day for the treatment of diabetes. We've been long awaiting the artificial pancreas, and it's exciting to see it," according to Dr. Robert Courgi. Courage is an endocrinologist at Northwell Health's South Side Hospital in Bay Shore, New York.

Medtronic MiniMed 670G requires a prescription and is available for use in patients aged 14 years and older. The Medtronic system comes with a glucose meter serving as an electrode under the skin. It also includes an insulin pump strapped to its body and an infusion patch linked to the pump. The device also has a tiny catheter used that delivers the insulin.

Medtronic MiniMed 670G system gauges the glucose levels every 5 minutes. Depending on the value collected, it either delivers or withholds insulin as needed. This ability enables the patients to maintain bold sugar levels and keep them within the normal range.

Type 1 Diabetes

According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, about five percent of people diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.

It is important that individuals with autoimmune disorders do due diligence in monitoring their glucose levels and consequently inject or continuously deliver administer insulin through a pump. The goal is to carefully balance doses of insulin and fit them with their physical and eating routine. Inability to manage insulin levels may cause blood levels to either become too high or too low- either case may lead to coma.

Diabetic patients have long gained access to devices that allows them to monitor blood sugar levels. However, knowing these values require them to take the consequent steps needed to complete treatment. The Medtronic system does not only measure glucose levels but also administer need insulin for them. Courage confirmed, "it certainly makes things much easier."

"It is designed to learn what an individual's insulin needs are and to take action to minimize both high and low glucose levels," added Hooman Hakami, group president of Medtronic Diabetes.

There is minimum requirement from a patient to maintain basal insulin, also known as "background" insulin. Basal insulin refers to the amount of insulin that indicates whether a person has eaten or not. The Medtronic system require patients to adjust their bolus insulin manually.

Bolus insulin are extra amounts of insulin produced by normal pancreas as a response to eating food. Patients with type 1 diabetes take bolus doses of insulin to allow response to the natural spike in blood sugar that happen after eating food.

FDA Concerns On Hypoglycemia



FDA examined results from a clinical trial involving 123 participants prior to approving the Medtronic MiniMed 670G system.

"The fear was life-threatening hypoglycemia (low glucose levels) from the device," Courgi said after hearing a lecture on the artificial pancreas at an endocrinology conference last year. Courgi has no ties to the company that makes the device.

During the study, no cases of sever hypoglycemia or other serious side effects have been noted. The FDA however still requires further study to gain more understanding on the performance of the device once it is made available to the public.
Windows has kept reminding its users to keep away from the Windows 7. The company, as it was stated, have already made ways to oblige users from upgrading to 7,8,8.1 and 10. Sources told that if users would continue using the older version, its security might be put at risk. Here's what could actually happen.

Microsoft Tries To Warn Users About Windows 7, Pleads Everyone To Use Windows 10 Instead

According to BGR, Microsoft Germany explained the downsides of using Windows 7 on your devices. The blog post admitted that the older version of Windows is not advanced enough to meet the security requirements of different IT departments from all over the world. Moreover, it was reiterated that the Windows 10 would be the best back-up in giving the greatest security on one's device.

The publication also revealed that the operating system everybody loves is very outdated if the security architectures would pose concerns. People should go to a transition of getting the Windows 10, as per the suggestion of the company. It is also said that data kept in the span of three years would be in great danger if there would be a continuous usage of the Windows 7.

As the post said:

"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,"

Consumers Afraid To Switch From Windows 7 To Windows 10 Because Of Vista

Furthermore, it was reiterated that one of the reasons why a user won't try the Windows 10 is because of what happened to the Windows Vista. It was believed that the Vista is the greatest failure of Microsoft that gave everyone the satisfaction of staying in Windows 7. However, it is revealed that the 10 won't be like the usual Vista, as it promotes excellence and comfort.
Drinking during pregnancy endangers the baby in multiple ways. The risks of miscarriage and stillbirth are high, and a little as one drink a day can raise the odds of having a baby with a low birth weight, and raise the child's risk of problems with learning, speech, attention span, language, and hyperactivity.

40 Percent Of Women In The UK Drink Alcohol During Pregnancy

A lot of women in the UK and Ireland may need to be educated about the bad effects of drinking while pregnant. A study published in the Lancet Global Health medical journal, ranked countries according to the estimated prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy, and found that women in the UK and Ireland are among the world's worst for drinking during pregnancy, The Irish News reported.

The study claimed that 40 percent of women in the UK drink alcohol during their pregnancy, with Ireland topping the list of of the five worst offenders, which also featured Denmark and Belarus. According to Telegraph, a lot of women binge-drink in the first few months because they do not realize they are expecting.

Britain Has One Of The Highest Rates Of Children Born With FAS

Britain has one of the highest rates of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in the world, with an estimated 61.3 cases per 10,000 births - significantly higher that the global average of 15 out of 10,000 and the 44th worst in Europe. What's notable is that all the countries within the top five fell within the World Health Organisation's European Region.

Researchers aim to "fill these knowledge gaps" on the pregnancy drinking, and estimated that 10 percent of women in the general population consume alcohol during pregnancy and one in 67 women delivered a child with FAS. "Further efforts should also be made to better educate women of childbearing age about the risks of alcohol use, especially binge and frequent drinking, during pregnancy," the study said.
Nokia 6 has recently gone through a flash sale in China. It was a really short flash sale as well as the Nokia comeback smartphone was declared sold out in just a minute. JingDong Mall (JD.com) was accepting pre-registrations of up to 1,337,773. However, the number of stocked units they actually sold are currently unknown.

The Nokia 6 was sold from the Chinese eCommerce site for 1,699 Yuan or 248 USD each. If you're looking to get your hands on one soon as well, there seems to be some talk that another flash sale will take place next week. However, there are no official details out yet from the sale holders. Better be on the lookout for that.

The device which happens to be the first Nokia-branded smartphone to be released by Finnish independent company HMD Global since its acquisition of branding rights from Microsoft was announced earlier this month. HMD Global's contract with Microsoft stipulates that the company is allowed to produce Nokia-branded devices in the next 10 years.

The new smartphone is powered by Snapdragon 430 64-bit octa-core processor, plus Adreno 505 GPU for graphics. It boasts a display of 5.5-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) topped off with a curved 2.5D Gorilla Glass sheet. The new device also comes with a fingerprint scanner which is placed below the display, and it is flanked by the back and overview capacitive keys. In terms of storage, the phone is equipped with 4GB of RAM and an expandable storage of 64GB. A 16-megapixel camera is stuck on the rear, while an 8-megapixel is attached to the front side of the device.

The latest sweet release Android 7.0 Nougat is already available on the Nokia 6 which is packed with 3,000mAh battery. Users will find two SIM card slots, 4G LTE connectivity, while it also comes with a set of stereo speakers.
South Korean company LG is back with a brand new smartphone for 2017. LG was giving out invites for the Mobile World Congress (MWC) which is set to happen in Barcelona, Spain. The event will take place on February 26 at 12 pm. LG Fan boys and fan girls are on their toes as they wait for the official revealing of new flagship handset generally thought to be named, unsurprisingly, the LG G6.

In the previous years, LG opted to wait until much later in the year for a late-Spring launch. While the Mobile World Congress will officially run from February 27 to March 2, the new LG G6 will most likely go on sale sometime in March.

The new LG device is will be sporting the fancy new Snapdragon 835 processor plus the latest version of Google's Android operating system. The device is also rumored to be waterproof and dustproof.

The company caught the attention of netizens with a GIF post featuring the colorful fireworks in a smartphone with a quote saying "See more, play more". Techies expect that this could be referring to the screen of the future device. The LG G6 is expected to be packed with a much longer screen, specifically holding an 18:9 aspect ratio. Its screen will most likely stand at 5.7-inches. Its resolution is thought to be 2880x1440 and its pixel density will be at 564PPI. Unlike other brands like Galaxy S7 edge, the gadget will no be having a curved screen. This is because LG has abandoned its modular approach that it took with the G5 in exchange for great power.

It seems LG might be debuting the phone on February 26 as Samsung is also expected to announce its Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus during an Unpacked press conference, which may be one day before the Mobile World Congress 2017 starts on 26 February or maybe expect it in March.
'Soshite Chichi Ni Naru' Premiere - The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival (Photo : Getty Images)

For the movie Lost in White, Chinese actor Tony Leung jumped into a chilly river in Heilongjjiang during winter in Yichuan. To prepare for the scene, he soaked himself from head to toe.



In real life, Tony Leung plunged into marriage with actress Carina Lau. Like his chilly river dive, he was prepared for marriage because he and Carina Lau had been living together for 19 years before they formally tied the knot nine years ago. However, the motivation to walk the aisle came from Carina Lau.



Advertisement

No Regrets



In a guesting with Familiar Taste, a variety show, the 51-year-old actress shared that she did not want to have regrets after she realized life is fleeting following her fathers recent death. Carina Lau said she wanted Tony Leungs mother to see her son being married while she is still alive, Toggle reported.



The couple has been together for 28 years now. Carina Lau added that Tony Leung is a very thoughtful spouse. She recalled when she broke her arm during a shooting and he took care of her for three straight days. At one point, Tony Leung, 54, suggested they retire from acting even if he was on top of his career for them to enjoy a break.



New Movie



The pair were last seen in a movie together in Ashes of Time and Days of Being Wild. They would again be seen in the upcoming film Asura together with teen star Wu Lei. The movie, with a budget of $100 million, would be exhibited across in China in 2018, China.org reported.



The fantasy epic is being filmed in Hebei Province in northern China with a crew from 13 countries, including veterans from Pacific Rim and The Lord of the Rings franchise.






On Thursday, Jan. 19, U.S. auto safety regulators announced that they found no defects evidence in a Tesla Model S car involved in a deadly accident while being on Autopilot mode.

Tesla Autopilot's Safety

As automakers race to automate more driving tasks, the case of the autonomous Tesla car accident has been closely watched. The car makers are trying to advance the self-driving technology and implement it on vehicle models available on the auto market without exposing themselves to increased liability risks.

According to Reuters, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk praised the decision announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The auto safety regulator agency put the responsibility for the accident on the driver and did not order a recall on Tesla cars equipped with the Autopilot system.

Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Transportation Secretary, explained that automakers have to explain the limits of the semi-autonomous driving systems and drivers have a duty to maintain control of a vehicle. Legal experts said that, in cases where driver assistance systems fail to prevent a crash, the agency's decision does not mean automakers would escape liability claims. According to product liability lawyer Jason Stephens, in case that it is found that drivers are being confused by a self-driving system, then that can be considered a safety-related defect in and of itself.

By being involved in its first fatality, the Tesla vehicle operating in Autopilot mode raised questions about the safety of semi-autonomous systems that can perform driving tasks with little or no human intervention but are not able to completely replace human drivers.

The NHTSA found instead data that supports Tesla CEO's assertions that the company's Autopilot system is saving lives by preventing accidents.

After one component of the Autopilot system called Autosteer became available, investigators found that Tesla vehicles crash rate dropped by almost 40 percent. The investigation analyzed Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles equipped with Autopilot.

Tesla's Autopilot Upgrade

In September, Tesla Motors unveiled several improvements to Autopilot, adding new limits on hands-off driving as well as other features likely to have prevented a fatality. However, the NHTSA said that its decision to close the investigation was not based on the Autopilot improvements announced by Tesla in September.

In October, Musk announced that all new Tesla models will come with an $8,000 package that will allow fully autonomous driving. According to Fortune, new Tesla Model X and Model S cars are equipped with Hardware 2, a more sophisticated suite of radar, cameras, sensors and software that will enable them to eventually drive without human intervention.

When they buy a new car, Tesla customers have now the options to order either "Full Self-Driving Capability" or "Enhanced Autopilot". Vehicles equipped with the full self-driving ability will have a supercomputer capable of processing data 40 times faster than previously, as well as radar, ultrasonic sensors and eight cameras instead of the standard four.

A Tesla vehicle should be able by the end of 2017 to self-drive in full autonomous mode from Los Angeles to New York, according to Musk. Other rival car makers have announced their plans to provide full autonomous driving capability by the year 2020.
Although there have been rumors spreading about Samsung discontinuing the Galaxy Note series during the peak of the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, new speculations have now claimed that Samsung will indeed be moving on and will still continue its Galaxy Note series.

With this being the case, there is no more doubt that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is a surefire thing. Get to know more about Samsung's upcoming flagship as you read on.

Bigger 4K Display Screen

According to reports, the Galaxy Note 8 will feature a bigger screen, possibly at 6.2 inches and will also be a foldable screen. Similar to the upcoming Galaxy S8, specs of the Note 8 specs can also include a full-screen display, a fingerprint sensor, iris scanner and front camera on the display, all without the presence of a physical home button.

The Galaxy Note 8 will also feature a 4K resolution screen with 3840 x 2160 pixels. This upgraded would then pave the way for mobile Virtual Reality possibilities.

However, this immensely affects the Galaxy Note 8 price.

Processor & Android Version

Under the cover, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be packed with two octa-core chipsets running at 3.2 GHz and 3.0 GHz, respectively. These chips are the Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 and Samsung's very own Exynos 8895.

As for its Android version, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be running on the latest version of either Nougat or possibly Android O, given that the expected release date for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be around late 2017. The Note 8 will also include 6GB (or possibly 8GB) worth of RAM while the internal storage is said to start at 128 GB and is expandable with a microSD.

AI assistant and an improved S-Pen

As per reports, the Note 8 is also expected to have a much-enhanced S-Pen featuring its very own speaker, with the company already secured a patent for the said accessory. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will also be featuring its very own Artificial Intelligent Voice Assistant.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 release date will be late this year, 2017, with its price point, speculated at around $850.
According to the CEOs of Microsoft and IBM, instead of replacing human workers artificial intelligence (AI) should enhance them.

AI And The Future Work Place

According to IT World Canada, the tech giant has released a position paper on the subject. According to the paper, the purpose of cognitive systems and artificial intelligence as applied by IBM is to assist humans, not to replace them. IBM assures us that humans will remain in control of the AI systemsI. The paper also states that cognitive systems will not realistically attain independent agency or consciousness, but rather, they will be increasingly embedded in our services, products, systems and processes.

On Tuesday, Jan. 7, in a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Satya Nadella and Ginni Rometty made clear their view of the role of AI. The panel discussion took place just a few hours after Rometty presented to company staff IBM's three guiding principles for the development of cognitive technologies.

IBM's three principles are less dramatic expressed than Isaac Asimov's three laws of robotics. However, they have the same aim, intending to limit the harm the introduction of AI technologies may cause.

According to Java World, Rometty said that for IBM is not a question of whether will be man or machine. The company's purpose is to be in service and to augment what humans can do.

Another important principle for IBM CEO Rometty is transparency. In her opinion, anyone using a system should be informed whether this is artificial intelligence.

The users of AI systems also need to know how the systems got trained and what data was used to train it. The human should always remain in control of the AI systems, Rometty said.

Jobs Of The Future Will Require New Skills

Another important principle for IBM is to ensure that humans have the skills to work with new artificial intelligence systems and cognitive technologies. Most of the jobs in the near future will involve working with these AI systems and just a few jobs will be replaced. IBM and other top tech companies need to ensure that people are trained too, not just that AIs are trained.

While encouraging businesses to work with schools, Rometty said that not all the skills needed to succeed in this world will be high-degree skills. What is important is to provide students with mentorship and a curriculum that's relevant.

She also pointed out to need to assume responsibility for these emerging AI technologies as industry leaders. According to her, the Partnership on AI is a good example of the way AI industry is taking a lead.

Microsoft CEO Nadella echoed IBM's vision, considering that AI can help augmenting human opportunity and ingenuity. He also said that one of the hard challenges of the industry is to determine how far human responsibility goes for the decisions algorithms are making. Nadella also agreed with the need for transparency, considering that is the only way to trust an AI black box and to ensure that the framework of ethics and law is governing the black box.
In May 2016, a man died because his Model S unit collided with a truck while the vehicle was being driven on the company's Autopilot system. The case has since been ongoing about who the liability from the accident belonged to. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has just outlined its decision.

According to Bloomberg, the NHTSA investigated the case and came to the conclusion that the Model S driver had ignored Tesla's manufacturer's warnings. The warning was that drivers should still maintain control even while the vehicle is on autopilot. Moreover, it was concluded that the electric vehicle itself was in good working condition and that there were no defects.

US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told reports that drivers need to take their responsibility seriously. However, Reuters adds that he also went on to say that it is the responsibility of vehicle manufacturers to explain the limitations of an autonomous, or semi-autonomous vehicle. In the case of the late Joshua Brown, a former Navy SEAL, the Model S was unable to detect the truck that crossed the road in front of the EV.

Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, praised the decision that the NHTSA reached. The decision also means that there will be no recall of the vehicle. He also announced that the company's crash rate has decreased by as much as 38 percent since it started to offer its Autopilot feature. However, there are those that are angered by how the case was finished.

Some have argued that the Model S's inability to detect the car is a defect that is inherent of the vehicle. However, Brown's family lawyer has advised that his side plans to evaluate all the details of the information provided by the agencies that have investigated the crash. After a thorough review the same, they will determine the right course of action.

Brown's incident happened near Williston, Florida. He was operating the Model S in Autopilot when the crash occurred and he died from the collision. His case was the first fatality in a Tesla vehicle and has since raised questions about the safety of autonomous vehicles.
Nokia's comeback to the smartphone market has been long awaited by fans. The company's rights to release their own smartphone may have been disabled by their non-competition agreement with Microsoft. However, as 2017 starts, this agreement comes to an end and Nokia is now able to release their own smartphones without any hassles.

Nokia 6 is the first Nokia Android to be released by HMD Global this year, and so far, things are looking good for the company. Take note that HMD Global is the licensed owner of the Nokia label and they have already confirmed the arrival of multiple Nokia Androids this year. Their first release may have had uncertain fate during its unveiling but as of now, the Nokia 6 is already sure to be a big hit.

Nokia 6 Android Smartphone Sold Out Immediately

HMD Global set a January 19 release for the Nokia 6 and according to Neowin, the phone got sold out in just a minute. Sure, the exact quantity sold is still unknown. However, it's worth noting that when HMD Global opened the registration for interested buyers of Nokia 6, about 250,000 people registered within 24 hours. Soon after, that number made its way to four million registrations. It's also worth mentioning that each registration costs $9 which will eventually be deducted from the buyer's actual purchase, so this practically means that the registrations that Nokia 6 received is not a joke. These people are really serious on getting their hands on the new Nokia phone when it gets released.

Nokia's 2017 Success Is A Happy Surprise

Before Nokia 6's launch, Nokia's fate may have been hard to predict, especially with Nokia Lumia's difficult situation in the past. However, seeing that the first Nokia device seems to have hit its target, it's easy to say that the company has a bright future ahead of it. With that, HMD Global may now be extra confident in releasing their next Android devices. Rumor has it that a certain Nokia P1 will be launched during next month's MWC event. This phone will be a total improvement over the Nokia 6 as this would be a high-end device. The Nokia 6 was a higher-midrange phone that proved to be popular in the Chinese market. Hopefully, when the flagship Nokia gets launched, it will be released worldwide.
Facebook has blocked RT or what was formerly and more popularly known as Russia Today.

The English news outlet which is backed by Russia is banned from posting anything - photos, videos, and news articles - during the inauguration of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. The ban will carry over to the next day after Trump is finally sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

The Facebook ban is the result of a complaint received by the popular social network platform regarding copyright issues on a video stream of outgoing president Barrack Obama's press conference. The video stream in question was shown on RT's Facebook page last Wednesday.

Facebook has enacted a ban that was supposed to last for 72 hours. The ban would have been lifted on Saturday at exactly 7:25 pm GMT. RT, however, reported that it was granted the ability to post images, videos, and live streams again after about 20 hours of being banned.

The inauguration itself will be held on Friday, Jan. 20, but festivities will start on Thursday, Jan. 19. During the festivities, there will be a Voices of the People event to be held at the Lincoln Memorial at exactly 10:35 an ET followed by a private wreath-laying ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery. At 4 p.m. ET, celebrities, and musicians will entertain the crowd at the Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration which will be held at the Lincoln Memorial.

The inauguration ceremony will officially start at 11:30 a.m. ET the next day at the Capitol building, particularly on the west side. A luncheon and the Inaugural Parade will follow. At 7 p.m. ET, the Official Presidential Inaugural Balls will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center while the Salute to Our Armed Services Ball will occur at the National Building Museum.

The festivities end the next day, Jan. 21, with the Interfaith Prayer Service at 10 a.m. at Washington National Cathedral.

RT confirmed the Facebook ban via a tweet and is questioning the decision. RT Editor-in-Chief Margaret Simonyan expressed in an interview that it "seems strange" that Facebook and two other social networks along with a number of American TV stations are "trying to portray [RT] as rights and freedom stranglers and propagandists".
Samsung is said to unveil its new flagship smartphones, those are the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note 8. If this two devices will be both seen this year, which do you think is greater to buy?

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Galaxy Note 8

The Samsung Galaxy Note line of phablets is focused on pen computing, as reported by Forbes. The smartphone devices have extra software features that geared towards the pen, including taking note capabilities, digital scrapbooking and even split screen multitasking. While these boastful features could be replicated on the Samsung S series of smartphones too, the South Korean tech giant has resisted doing it so for many years.

Earlier this year, many rumors and speculations are claiming that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 will also allow users to use S-Pen for their own devices. Yes, that is right! Therefore, the most anticipated phablet, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, is not the only Samsung product that will come with a stylus, but the Galaxy S8 too!

Here is an update of comparison to know which Samsung Android smartphone will be good for your needs.

The Samsung Galaxy S8

According to The Country Caller, its no secret that many users, especially Android peeps, regard the Samsung Galaxy S7 as the best smartphone device to have ever been released in the market. However, Samsung is expected to introduce further important upgrades in its next flagship smartphone device. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 is widely tipped to sport a 4K resolution display, which will allow all the users for a greater VR experience.

Aside from that, the smartphone device is also tipped to incorporate a longer-lasting battery life and a more powerful processor compare to any other existing Samsung device. The latest speculation claimed that the Galaxy S8 will be powered by Snapdragon 835 processing chipset. Furthermore, recent rumors and speculations have been adamant that Samsung is set to introduce in-house developed artificial intelligence software to be seen on its Galaxy S8 in order to counter the likes of Apple's very own Siri.

Earlier this week, a promotional video ad has been leaked regarding the upcoming company's flagship. From that scene, Samsung has shown off new AMOLED panels which are widely expected to be used in the company's upcoming Galaxy S8. The promotional video boasts the latest super AMOLED screen technology with a high screen-to-body ratio. The smartphone device's front-panel is covered by display up to its tilt on both the top and bottom. Meaning, there is no enough space for linings or even edges. Also, there is no dedicated space for a physical button even for a small area.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Based on a review I made just earlier this week, there are 5 expected features we can see on the upcoming and most anticipated phablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

First is that it will have a dual screen display. The upcoming Galaxy Note 8 is expected to come with an outwardly folding dual-screen display.

Second is the increased RAM and internal storage. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is expected to come with 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard memory in addition to its expandable storage via MicroSD card.

Third, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is expected to come with a revamped S-Pen stylus. Since this device is considered to be a phablet, of course, people will need to use a greater stylus.

Since Samsung has already started sourcing batteries from LG, the fifth feature of the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 will be a batter that is not like in the Galaxy Note 7.

The Verdict

Now based on the boastful features that I mentioned as well as the rumors and speculations all over the internet, which do you think is greater to buy, the Samsung Galaxy S8 or the Samsung Galaxy Note 8?
Good news to practically everyone who has ever gone online and clicked on a web page, Google has started penalizing mobile websites with those annoying pop-up ads.

The pop-up ads and interstitial or full-page pop-up ads have been the subject of endless complaints and frustrations. It is, however, an integral part of earning one's keep through the internet. Despite that fact, Google deemed it better to protect its patrons by punishing these websites that have these intrusive ads.

The penalty will only be applied to mobile websites or sites accessed through a mobile device such as a smartphone. Google made the decision in line with its effort to create the perfect mobile experience for its patrons.

Google actually made two changes to mobile search results that are aimed at making it easier for users to find the content they are looking for. One of the changes that Google has come up with is to clean itself up. It will be getting rid of the "Mobile-friendly" labels that were introduced through its algorithm update from a couple of years ago. According to reports, this change was necessitated by the fact that around 85 percent of the sites in mobile SERPs are already mobile-friendly.

The bigger news is the penalty. Google described three ways that a website may incur the penalty. One is when the pop-up covers the main content of the page. This usually happens right after accessing the page but may also occur while the user is scanning the website.

A standalone pop-up or interstitial which requires to be acted upon by the user before he or she can proceed with the website is another example along with those that use a layout in which the above-the-fold part of the page look like a standalone pop-up but with the original content inlined underneath the fold.

Google made the announcement through a post update on the Official Webmasters Blog. The decision to penalize erring websites was actually decided upon around August last year but it was only on Jan. 10 of the current year that the decision was finally carried out.
The brainwave password that has been developed by experts as an alternative to typed login passcodes is recently found to be useless if the user is under the influence of alcohol. While brainwaves were identified to be unique among individuals, the signatures were however found to be easily influenced hence can be altered and will not work to open codes. A recent study has confirmed the assumption.

A study was recently done by the security researcher at the cybersecurity consultancy firm Grimm, Tommy Chin and a graduate student of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Peter Muller. The two decided to test the accuracy of the brainwave password by analyzing the brainwaves of participating people before and after drinking a few shots of a cinnamon-flavored whisky called Fireball. Following the set-up, the researchers discovered that the brainwaves change after the user indulges in a couple of drinks.

Brainwaves can be easily manipulated by external influences such as drugs [like] opioids, caffeine, and alcohol, Chin says as cited by Biometric. This manipulation makes it a significant challenge to verify the authenticity of the user because they drank an immense amount of alcohol or caffeinated drink, he added. While the initial research then shows that a brainwave password through EEG readings can authenticate a persons identity with a 94 percent accuracy rate, a couple of factors could lead to confusion hence making the readings invalid.

Chin and Muller shared the results of their test during the security conference SchmooCon which was held last week in Washington DC. The two revealed that the initial results collected from a small number of tests indicated that the brainwave authentication accuracy can fall up to 33 per cent in intoxicated users. More participants were then recruited during the SchmooCon to gather more data and for a more reliable result.

However, a previous research conducted by John Chuang of the University of California adds more factors to brainwave password authenticity problems. According to his study, people can also lose the accuracy of their brainwaves after doing a workout. It was found out that the accuracy degrades right after an exercise although the body of the user can quickly recover from workout stresses. Other factors which he suggested include hunger and stress or fatigue which can all contribute to the reduction of the brainwaves reliability.

While the problem of intoxication can be easily solved, a greater threat to a users security has been pointed out regarding brainwave passwords. According to the Digital Trends, Abdul Serwadda who is a cybersecurity expert and assistant professor of the department of computer science at Texas Tech University believes in a potentially dangerous flaw linked to the brain-scanning technology. He said that while a brainwave password is too complex to hack, the EEG readings can also reveal deeply sensitive information about the user including emotions, drug use behavior, medical conditions, personality traits and a lot more.


The Chinese Government has warned its local meteorological bureaus to stop issuing smog advisories. This announcement was made by their meteorological administration which notified the public through Weibo, a social media platform similar to Twitter. However, local governments can still issue advisories when smogs are visible less than 10 km.

A representative of Chinas Meteorological Administration explained the reason behind the supposed ban on smog advisories. As published in The Paper, the spokesperson said the government issued a notice because meteorological bureaus and environmental protections administrations often differ in perception. This may affect information dissemination about smog advisories.

According to Rappler , the Chinese government is currently formulating a joint alerting mechanism to make their smog advisories more efficient. However, news earned the ire of citizens who feel that the government is setting a news blackout about the issue. More so, local netizens have questioned the credibility and efficiency of local air pollution reports.

By end of 2016, The Guardian reported that almost half a billion refugees have fled their hometowns affected by the smog. Most of them have fled to nearby regions unhampered by the spread of toxic fumes. As of press time, the smog continues to envelope northern and central China.

The smog was perceived by experts as the consequence of Chinas rapid economic growth over the years. In academic institutions, parents have demanded school administrators to provide air purifiers. They fear that the suffocating smog may cause fatal diseases like lung cancer.

According to iTech Post , the Chinese government will allocate $ 2.6 B to alleviate the condition of air pollution in their country. Another major step they will implement is the shift of their energy sector from coal to clean resources. Beijing, the capital of China, is known for having the worlds most polluted air, which explains the growing fear of its residents for their health and safety.
Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach at the 65th Miss Universe Governor's Ball (Photo : Pia Wurtzbach Official/Facebook)

The Governor's Ball is an event where people from the high society get to have a close encounter with all the candidates of Miss Universe 2016 in one venue. Reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach has made her first appearance for the near pageant's official ball that took place in SMX Convention Hall in Pasay City, Manila.



Advertisement

The Governor's Ball is named after Luis Chavit Singson, a former Ilocos Sur governor. The gala follows a black tie dinner with the world-class talents performances. It is Mr. Singson's way in bringing his pageant supporters together while on the red carpet with international guests.



As Wurtzbach is preparing on pass her crown to the next Ms. Universe, she also shared on how the pageant will be hosted by the Philippines. She also revealed that everything started from a simple idea.



During the ball, Wurtzbach had a speech remembering the time when she won Miss Universe. She learned that the president of the pageant organization, Paula Shugart have always wanted to have the pageant in the Philippines and asked Wurtzbach that maybe she can address the idea and attract some interest and make it possible, ABS-CBN News reported.



Miss Universe Wurtzbach later did the plan and was able to make a connection to the private sectors and finally made it successful. She also thanked everyone for all of the support that was given to her and to the Miss Universe organization from the Department of Tourism, Luis Chavit Singson, and his LCS group, Inquirer reported.



While Wurtzbach was on the stage in front of the guests most especially the 2016 Ms. Universe candidates, she was able to talk about the different scenarios, obstacles, and hardships that a candidate will go through in representing each of their country's pride on the pageant. She also shared how proud she was that finally, the pageant will happen in the country which is the best way to end her reign.






Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus.
Joining the list of "James Bond" prospects is British actor and "Poldark" lead star Aidan Turn. (Photo : Getty Images/Tony Barson)

"James Bond" bets are up once again as speculation continues as to who will take on the 007 mantle next. There have been a lot of top stars attached to the list, such as Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, Michael Fassbender, and Damian Lewis, as well as rising actors Jack Huston and Aidan Turner. Let's get to know some of the top candidates.



Advertisement

Tom Hardy



The Oscar-nominated actor is one of the strongest contenders to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond. According to The Guardian, the actor "has confirmed interest in playing James Bond - by refusing to discuss the matter."



"There's a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting that if you talk about it you're automatically out of the race, so I can't possibly comment on that one," Hardy said about the "James Bond" rumors.



Hardy's interest was also piqued by the prospect of Christopher Nolan helming the next "James Bond" movie. Hardy has worked with Nolan in "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Inception"



Aidan Turner



The "Poldark" actor is also another potential candidate to play James Bond. At some point, Turner was the bookies favorite to play the coveted spy role. According to The Sun, Turner refused to comment on rumors about whether he will play the next James Bond or not.



Idris Elba



Steven Spielberg has vouched for the "Pacific Rim" star to be the next Bond. The actor, however, is not so keen on playing the suave spy. He modestly explained that his age (he's currently 44 years old) might hold him back from doing the action sequences and running required for the role.



James Norton



Norton is still an up and coming star, but he's received praise for his performance in "War and Peace."



Jack Huston



Huston is a newer contender in the race, and he attracted many with his stellar performance in "Boardwalk Empire." Also, his most recent claim to fame is the 2016 remake of "Ben-Hur."



Tom Hiddleston



For a long while Hiddleston was leading the pack and was a constant favorite by fans to take on the James Bond mantle. His performance as a spy in "The Night Manager" also generated a lot of traction and boosted his 007 campaign. However, like many stars, Hiddleston has played coy about the possibility of him playing Bond, saying he believes Craig still has more Bond movies to make.






This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles.

Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services.

These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience  the local community.

It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times.

Close
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."

Search Keywords:

Short link:


In a few days, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be leaving the White House as the Trump administration begins. On Jan. 20, the popular duo will start to live their lives as citizens, and the whole world is wondering what comes next after their eight years of public service.

In an interview with 60 Minutes (via Refinery 29), Obama said that hed like to take a vacation, set up a foundation, and work on his presidential library. He also revealed that he plans to write another book.

The father-of-two said that he plans to do a little puttering before going back to teaching.

I look forward to teaching the occasional class, cause I was a professor, he said. I had fun doing it.

As to where the President could possibly teach, The Telegraph reports that its possible that students in several Ivy League schools will get to see Obama as a professor. It was pointed out that obvious choices are Columbia, where he was an undergraduate political science major, and Harvard, where he graduated from law school. It was also said that theres a possibility that he could teach at University of Chicago, where he taught previously.

Meanwhile, there has been a number of career paths and projects that are predicted to be undertaken by the First Lady after the Obamas leave the White House. The Washington Post reported that Michelle Obama is working on her memoir, while her longtime aide, Melissa Winter, thinks that she could have a future as a childrens book author.

The Telegraph reports that its unlikely that she will return to her old job as Michelle Obama is a lawyer by profession. However, there is the possibility that she will still make healthy eating and exercise a focus and is expected to continue her Lets Move initiative. Moreover, it was speculated that she will continue to be a strong advocate for higher education, as seen in her Let Girls Learn campaign.

She is predicted to go on the speaking circuit, with Vanity Fair projecting that Mrs. Obama could earn as much as $100,000 per public speaking engagement. It was also speculated that she could start her own fashion line.

As to where the Obamas will live, it was reported that the couple will continue to live in Washington, D.C. until their youngest daughter, Sasha, finishes high school. There has been a clamor for the First Lady to run as President in 2020. However, back in November, she made it very clear that she wont be running for the highest office in the land.

For more, check out Jobs & Hires report on what top executives can learn from President Obama and Vice President Joe Bidens remarkable working relationship.
Mattel tapped a former executive of technology giant Google to lead its company going forward. The move comes as a surprise especially since the new CEO appears to have zero experience in leading a toy maker.

Margaret "Margo" Georgiadis will serve as CEO of the toy maker whose Barbie and Fisher-Price brands reign in the toy business world, Fortune reported. Georgiadis may have never tried leading a toy maker, but she spent six years handling commercial operations and ad sales of Google in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

Aside from the job at Google, Georgiadis also has a list of impressive previous jobs that gives her enough experience that would aid in leading Mattel. The newly appointed Mattel CEO has served as COO of Groupon, chief marketing officer of Discover Financial Services and board member of both McDonald's and Amyris.

Georgiadis is succeeding Christopher Sinclair, who held the Mattel reign for just about two years. With Mattel running a steadily growing business as toy revamps improve sales, Georgiadis' main task would be to ensure that the company will further boost its sales and profits.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Georgiadis' experience in the digital technology space could signal more interactive toys for Mattel. A move toward digital toys could help increase the sales of its brands including Barbie, American Girl and Hot Wheels as kids are getting more and more into interactive technology. Jobs & Hire previously reported that Mattel tried to boost its falling profits with talking Barbies as competition on the digital market becomes tougher.

With Georgiadis looking forward to leading the toy maker, Google's chief business officer, Phillip Schindler only has good things to say about his former colleague. He lauded Georgiadis for her work in leading Google Americas. Georgiadis expressed excitement at the prospect of finally leading a company, a feeling that is hopefully reciprocated by her new colleagues.
Most people think that to get ahead, one must reach the point of near exhaustion before achieving success. But this type of mentality has resulted to alarming stress levels, anxiety attacks, heart ailments, and even strokes in many workers.

But how does a person become successful without putting in hours of hard work? The Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington told CNBC that this type of mentality when it comes to work has cost a lot of people their health, and even their lives.

Huffington herself knows the repercussions of working too hard. Back in 2007, the author collapsed after working 18-hour days building her news website. Upon waking up, she found herself lying in a pool of blood with a cut over her eye and a broken cheekbone.

The author is not the only one who has suffered due to overwork. In Japan, there have been reported instances of people who have had serious ailmentsor even diedfrom working too hard. There is even a Japanese word for death by overwork: karoshi. By 2015, claims of karoshi had risen to a record high of 2,310, according to the BBC.

In order to prevent this from happening, workers must learn how to work smart. Huffington gave some tips on how to boost productivity without burning out, and the 66-year-old said that it all starts with getting a good nights sleep.

When we take time to sleep, recharge, we are more effective as entrepreneurs, as leaders, said Huffington. Our cognitive performance improves. We make better decisions.

The author said that people should definitely keep the phone out of the bedroom. Huffington said that keeping a smartphone within reach in the bedroom is one of the worst things workers can do because people have a tendency to check emails, text messages, or social media posts when they cant fall asleep.

Huffington also said that having a good breakfast is key to being more productive during the day. She suggests not just grabbing something to eat, but sitting down and enjoying the most important meal of the day.

Lastly, the businesswoman said that workers should take breaks during the day, especially for meals. Huffington said that taking breaks or pauses are essential for keeping stress levels low and for better productivity.

For more, check out Jobs & Hires report on career lessons you can learn from Hidden Figures.
A study has determined that there is a correlation between having problems at work and driving dangerously. Further study in other workplaces has yet to support the findings.

According to a report made by the Business Insider, a study conducted by two researchers from the University of Haifa has shed light onto the possible causes of dangerous road behavior. The two researchers, Keren Turgeman-Lupo and Michal Biron, surveyed 216 employees in one company regarding their habits when they are driving and about their work lives.

Examples of questions are whether they text while driving or tailgate. Other work related queries include whether or not they feel as if work is taking up much of their leisure time with loved ones, writes Business Insider.

The results of the research entitled "Make it to work (and back home safely): the effect of psychological work stressors on employee behavior while commuting by car" concluded that abusive supervision has a positive relationship with unsafe commuting behavior. This means that the participants in the study who have, for instance, a boss who is a bully, are more likely to drive dangerously on their commute back to their respective homes.

It is important to note that few studies in other companies and industries have been conducted regarding this topic. As such, the results discussed here can only be attributed and applied to the sample population and company.

However, the findings are still significant as it sheds light on the possible reasons behind and the antecedents of unsafe driving behavior. According to the recent report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 660 fatalities in 2015 were caused by vehicle collisions alone and 289 were pedestrian related.

Transportation as a whole was among the top industries that had a lot of on the job deaths. To read more about it, click here.
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has attended fundraising of energy companies and lobbied for the industry. However, he could be the next head of the Environmental Protection Agency if confirmed.

President-elect Donald Trump has criticized the Environmental Protection Agency's moves under President Barack Obama. He said actions taken by the industry cost the U.S. several jobs. In line with his promise to bring more jobs to the America, Trump decided to pick Pruitt to lead the agency, NBC News reported.

Trump, who declared that he does not believe in climate change expects Pruitt to undo or stop any Environmental Protection Agency mandate that could hurt the oil and energy industry. The president-elect once claimed that climate change is just a scheme that China came up with to conquer the world.

Unlike Trump, Pruitt believes that climate change is happening, but he thinks that the human impact on the phenomenon has not really been proven yet. When asked by senators about how his views will affect how he lead the Environmental Protection Agency, he said it would not be material.

Democrats questioned his ties with the energy industry, asking how he can lead the Environmental Protection Agency if he had fought for the industry that it is fighting against, Politico reported. While he admitted to attending fundraising efforts of energy companies, he denied receiving donations from them.

While Democrats subjected him to intense questioning, the Oklahoma attorney general is still expected to secure the nomination to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. The impact of that remains to be seen, but climate change advocates around the world are bracing for the worst.

In another appointment-related news, Jobs & Hire previously reported that Trump is replacing DC National Guard, Major General Errol R. Schwartz, as soon as he takes the oath to serve as U.S. president.
Gunmen killed a teacher in Arish city in North Sinai late on Wednesday, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

According to Al-Ahram, 40-year-old Mohamed Ahmed El-Siyad was shot dead by unidentified militants in the street, who then fled the scene.

Authorities are investigating the incident.

Militant groups have been waging an insurgency in the northern part of Sinai for several years, primarily targeting security forces.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg had to answer several questions during a trial of a lawsuit related to the Ocolus Rift VR headset. The lawsuit has been filed to make the Facebook founder cough up billions of dollars.

Bethesda Softworks owner ZeniMax Media waged a lawsuit worth $2 billion against the Facebook founder over the alleged theft of intellectual property that helped in the creation of Oculus Rift VR headset, Entrepreneur reported. Of course Zuckerberg denied the allegations.

Apparently, John Carmack, who currently serves as chief technology officer of Oculus, was a former employee of ZeniMax Media. The Bethesda Softworks owner claims that Carmack stole the technological foundation that helped Oculus build its VR headset.

Zuckerberg denied having any knowledge of potential thievery involving Oculus. A letter was dissected in court as it mentioned the legal consequences of stolen technology, but Zuckerberg dismissed the idea that it has something to do with the Oculus Rift VR headset, Mercury News reported.

Zuckerberg said it is normal to raise potential problems during an acquisition. He acquired Oculus for $2.3 billion.

The Facebook founder also took a jab against Google and Apple, whose operating systems do not allow any tinkering from outside people. He said the closed nature of the systems prevent his company from designing technology that people will enjoy.

ZeniMax Media is insisting that Oculus is using trade secrets and confidential information that Carmack stole from the company. It also believes that Zuckerberg and his company is trying to hide the trail of the alleged thievery.

Aside from stealing company information, ZeniMax Media is also accusing Carmak of pirating its employees. Oculus called the lawsuit wasteful, and it does not believe that Zenimax Media has enough claims to pursue damages.

Jobs & Hire previously reported that Zuckerberg is included in the list of billionaires that are under 40 years of age.
Email

Links to our top local news stories of the day, Monday through Saturday.
The parliament approved the new law in November 2016

The new law regulating NGOs has not yet been sent by parliament to the president for ratification, the minister of parliamentary affairs, Magdy El-Agati, told Al-Ahram daily on Friday.

The parliament approved the new law in November. It had been drafted by the parliament's social solidarity committee.

The government had already presented a draft law on the topic to parliament, but MPs chose to pass the legislatures version.

Human rights activists and NGOs have strongly criticised the law, arguing that it will put civil society under the control of the state.

El-Agati told Al-Ahram that he had received a number of complaints from NGOs regarding the new law, and they had requested that parliament to discuss the law again.

"I took those complaints to the parliament to see what it can do as the government has nothing to do with that law," he said.

El-Agati added that it was possible for the House of Representatives to discuss the approved law again.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Under a Trump administration, a Republican-led state legislature and with Democrat Roy Cooper as governor, what will become of efforts to protect water and public health?

Environmental watchdogs sounded off on the question Thursday evening in front of a large crowd at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art during an annual meeting of the Yadkin Riverkeeper, based in Winston-Salem.

There were no simple answers.

On the one hand, there was deep concern.

Mary Maclean Asbill, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, talked about bills that may be considered by the state legislature.

As an example, Asbill referred to a possible attempt to limit the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services ability to warn people about contaminated water.

Such a proposal is viewed by conservationists as a misguided response to a recommendation by state health-department experts in 2015 that well owners avoid drinking water contaminated with certain pollutants associated with coal ash dumps owned by Duke Energy.

Administrators at the state health and environmental departments lifted the warning last year, under former Gov. Pat McCrorys administration.

If history instructs us on the future, we know theyre going to try to roll back  protections on air and water. We have to talk to our legislators about what we need and what we want, Asbill said.

On the other hand, there is cause for conservationists to be optimistic.

For example, Cooper has selected Michael Regan to lead the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, a nomination that must be approved by the state Senate under a law passed after the November election, in which Cooper beat McCrory.

I do believe he will try to bring back science and morale back to our environmental agency, Asbill said.

Members of the Catawba Riverkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance were also represented.

The work of these organizations, particularly in the fight against coal ash pollution, has come to the foreground over the past few years. Their work proved instrumental in leading to commitments made by Duke Energy to remove coal ash from several of its power plant sites in North Carolina  and to a federal prosecution over clean water violations.

With the new administration coming in, I dont think well see anything like that  in North Carolina, said Donna Lisenby of the Waterkeeper Alliance, referring to President-elect Donald Trump.

But their efforts to protect water will continue.

Thats what they do when they see something that just aint right, Lisenby said.
Kevin Thomas builds log houses for a living, so hell be at work today when Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the U.S.

But Thomas still has the straw hat that Trump signed at a campaign event, and plenty of opinions on why Trump is the man for the times.

This country ought to be run like a business, and it should have been from the get-go, said Thomas, who grew up in Surry County and still lives there. He remembers when Mount Airy had dozens of textile plants.

I think jobs is an awful good place to start with the economy, Thomas said. When I was a kid, things were made here. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to know theres a deficit. Most of these trade deals were not very good for us.

Thomas has the Log Whisperer as his nickname because of his skill with old-timey building. But he doesnt whisper his support for Trump.

His motto is to make America great again and I think he can, Thomas said.

All over the Triad and Northwest North Carolina, Trump supporters are getting ready to celebrate. Some are planning to be at the inauguration in person, while others will be attending an inauguration watch party that local Republicans are having at Hickory Tavern on Stratford Road.

As well, 18 Wake Forest University students will be attending the inauguration as well as other events as part of Wake Forests Wake the Vote program combining classroom and real-world political experience.

Headed to Washington

Angie Daoud of Surry County, who happens to be Thomas sister, snagged an actual seat near the spot where Trump will take the oath. The vast majority of folks have to stand.

I went for Bush 43 and had to stand and I was absolutely miserable, Daoud said. I had ice in my hair. From the map that I looked at yesterday, we are in the seated green section in front of the reflective pond. I was shocked.

Daoud called the past campaign season the craziest year in history. She still finds it surreal that Trump won, she said. She had hopes and dreams that Trump would win, thought it was a possibility, but added that she chuckles now when she hears the news media talking about Trump having the lowest approval rating among recent incoming presidents.

You can never count him out and you never know what is going to happen, Daoud said.

Trump has taken licks for things he said during the campaign and since the election, but Daoud said Trump struck a nerve with Americans who want change.

He doesnt fit nice and neat into any one particular box, Daoud said. He doesnt go with the status quo. He does what he thinks is right, which is not always perceived as what is politically correct. Even though he is what he is, a billionaire, he can touch the working man, the out-of-work, struggling every day person.

Jim Hastings, a Watauga County man who has been active for many years in GOP politics  he goes all the way back to Nixon in 1972  was co-chairman of Trumps N.C. campaign until two months before the election. He said he got behind Trump in August of 2015 and felt sure he would win as the campaign evolved.

I wore my Trump cap all the time, and it seemed to me that more people than anybody ever dreamed about or thought about said, I like that cap  I hope he wins,  Hastings said. He said he saw Trump supporters include people you would not normally expect, people you would think would be liberal, young marrieds, young single people.

There was too much of that going on for Trump not to win, Hastings believes. Hastings wont be making the trip to Washington, though.

Hastings said he looks for Trump to carry though on promises to be tougher on immigration, tougher on foreign policy. He rejects the charge that Trump is divisive.

I see the left-wing loonies as the people who say they are going to leave the country and I wish they would, Hastings said. They are the people who say he is divisive. I dont think it will be divisive at all. I think there will be some getting used to things that were so liberal-leaning under Obama. Some executive orders will be canceled. I see the country moving to a better place.

Thomas said he doesnt begrudge Trump the comments that he made that many thought were out of line.

I think he might have said some things that were taken out of context, but hey, he is human just like all of us, Thomas said. In this politically correct society, all of that seems one-sided to me. What we need to do is truly get along. The people accusing him are the first ones, if you dont believe like them, they are the first ones to ostracize you. We need to get over that.

Trump supporter P.J. Lofland flatly rejected the often-heard charge that Trump is racist.

That is just silly, Lofland said. If anyone has divided the country, it is Barack Obama. I think we have gone backward 100 years  he has fostered so much racial tension.

She added that shes tired of hearing the racism charge and that others are, too.

Lofland said stopping illegal immigration and creating jobs are the top priorities she wants Trump to tackle. She also wants banking reform so that it is easier for people to get credit, she said. And health care has to be handled thoughtfully and carefully, she said.

No regrets at all

Scott Cumbie, the former chairman of the Forsyth County GOP, once backed Texas Senator Ted Cruz for president, but came to support Trump and has no regrets at all about how things turned out. Cumbie will be in Washington to see the inauguration live.

I love the fact that Trump is not controlled by the media, Cumbie said. He has an agenda and he is going to drive that agenda. Everything I am hearing is positive. We are going to have a lot more freedom and a lot more opportunity.

Cumbie said he likes Trumps cabinet choices, his promises to repeal Obamacare, cut taxes and regulations, and his promise to appoint someone prolife to the U.S. Supreme Court.

If we dont have a right to life, we dont have any other rights, Cumbie said.

Cumbie disagrees that Trumps post-election style has been unpresidential, as some critics have charged.

I want him to continue what he is doing, Cumbie said. Define presidential. There is no definition  that is in the eye of the beholder. Most of us are excited about him being who he is and not putting up with the same Washington garbage we have seen for decades. We want him to drain the swamp and call a spade a spade. We want him to fight the media.

Linda Petrou, the local GOPs vice chairwoman, credits Trump for meeting with Democrats and faults Obama for not reaching out more to Republicans.

I like the fact that he is talking to all sorts of people and meeting all sorts of people, Petrou said, mentioning meetings Trump has had with Al Gore and Martin Luther King III. He is not just meeting with Republicans. He is meeting people from all walks of life, people of different colors and creeds and what have you.
Former Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide Mohamed Mahdy Akef was transferred on Friday from Kasr El-Eini Hospital to the intensive care unit at another hospital upon a request by his family due to his deteriorating health, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported, citing an interior ministry official.

The 90-year-old Akef, who was arrested one day after president Mohamed Morsis ouster 2013, faces trial for inciting the killing of protesters in 2013.

On 6 January, Akef was transferred from the prison hospital to Kasr El-Eini, following deterioration in his health, according to his daughter Aliaa Akef, who launched a campaign on social media a few days later to have her father moved from Kasr El-Eini to another hospital.

We urge you write about him and demand his release... He is kept in terrible conditions [at Kasr El-Aini] and his health has been deteriorating rapidly, the post said.

A number of activists and rights groups have supported Akefs call to have her father receive adequate healthcare, including the Freedom for the Brave campaign, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) and El-Nadeem Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence.

Last week, a number of prominent activists  including Laila Souif, Ahdaf Souif, Rabab El-Mahdi, Suzan Fayad, and Magda Adly  met with the head of the National Council for Human Rights Mohamed Fayek to state a number of demands concerning Akef.

The activists called for the providing of adequate healthcare for Akef under the supervision of a doctor who can follow up on his medical condition; the allowing of one of Akefs family members to be present with him at hospital; and transferring him to a private hospital at his familys expense.

The Egyptian government designated the Brotherhood a terrorist group in late 2013.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The Egyptian presidency released a statement on Friday, the day of the inauguration of new US president Donald Trump, extending congratulations to the American people and wishing them prosperity and stability, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

Egypt's president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi congratulated the American president, wishing him luck in performing his duties and responsibilities and in meeting the aspirations of his people.

El-Sisi said he looks forwardto consolidating the bonds of friendship and promoting the strategic relationship between Egypt and the US on all levels.

The presidencys statement also said that Egypt is looking forward to a revitalising of Egyptian-American relations during Trump's time in office that would benefit both peoples, with a focus on cooperation in tackling various regional issues in the Middle East.

The Republican Trump was sworn in at the White House in Washington DC on Friday to become the 45th president of United States, succeeding Democrat Barack Obama, who served for two four-year terms.

Following the conclusion of the US presidential elections in November, President El-Sisi invited Trump to visit Cairo during a telephone call where El-Sisi congratulated Trump on winning the elections.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


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.

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.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
Reddit Email 6 Shares

David Graham Sweet | (Informed Comment) |  

Here on the Left Coast theres much anguish & foreboding over the results of our recent election, and talk of resistance. Im anguished too, but if youll forgive me, less pessimistic than ever about the future of our country. Heres why.

Its not that the new President seems at all promising. He apparently is the very odd duck hes been playing on television: bombastic, thin-skinned, impulsive. Hes a modern-day Robber Baron who tweets incessantly, thinks of most of us as losers, likes to fire people, name huge buildings after himself, and play populist. Its hard to see him as a statesman. His expressed values offend people; his declared intentions and appointments are alarming. So its galling to realize that while hes President, were going to have to pay attention to whatever he does (if not to what he says!) most every day. Thats a dismal prospect, to be sure.

But Donald Trump has created a moment of real opportunity  not just for fat cats, conservatives and the disgruntled, but for leftists who envision a more equitable and inclusive America than they do. And we are fast rising to his challenge.

The Republicans didnt win because of dark money or Russian hackers. They won because fifty years ago they put forth what they saw as a patriotic, conservative program for radical change in a liberal society. Then they did the necessary thing: they committed to the long haul against the hated liberals, and went to work in deadly earnest  at the grassroots, on the airwaves, in school boards, city halls, state houses and Congress, to impose that program wherever they could.

The program calls on Americans to despise, distrust and shrink at all costs our federal government, cut taxes recklessly, stop trying to regulate the economy, privatize everything possible, carry firearms for self-defense, wage permanent war for self-defense, discredit science and educated discourse in general, eviscerate public education, incarcerate the undesirable, let markets see to the peoples well-being. It busts unions, shreds safety nets, limits access to the ballot, undoes advances in environmental protection and civil rights (especially reproductive and marital rights). An only partially explicit but over-arching goal is to restore the imagined moral order, and the very real racial and gender hierarchies, of the 1950s.

The Republicans message has been hammered home so steadily by ideologues, politicians, clergymen, talk radio hosts and Fox TV that its come to seem to millions of Americans like common sense. It rings especially true, apparently, to white people who actually have been forgotten by leaders of both parties, and now find themselves among the disadvantaged.

Theyve also convened a surprising coalition, of groups that historically havent seen eye to eye: billionaires with the dirt poor; farmers with urbane sophisticates; Christians with disciples of atheist Ayn Rand; Zionists with anti-Semites; strong women with misogynists; pro-lifers with warriors, upright citizens with moral deviants, even a smattering of gays and dark-skinned people with homophobes and white supremacists. Todays Republican Party would be unrecognizable, and not likely embraced, by Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt or Dwight Eisenhower. Even in victory, it appears to make many lifelong adherents a tad uncomfortable.

The Democrats lost in the Electoral College because in a time of extreme peril for our country, for the planet itself, they have no patriotic program for radical change. Ever since Lyndon Johnson came a-cropper, George McGovern lost in a landslide, Ronald Reagan declared morning in America, and Bill Clinton went Republican lite, theyve refused to put forth, and mobilize support around, a positive program for change that can beat the competition. They have ignored in practice their own platform. Their liberal vision of a better America is too fuzzy to draw. Lacking a program thats easy to understand and get behind  and having little to show for years of seeking compromise with the ever more uncompromising on Capitol Hill  theyve lost credibility among many who once constituted their base.

Participants in the electoral politics of other democratic countries know they have to organize everywhere, year in & year out; but our Democrats leave the bulk of the partys work to central committee insiders, professional staff, career politicians, & contractors  themselves often proud moderates or even blue dogs. The Party is a hyperactive fund-raiser and self-congratulator; but its disinclined either to keep the public informed about issues as they unfold, or to encourage direct citizen action in support of necessary change. Leave it to us is the unspoken message. We are the best and the brightest; its we who fight the good fight.

Having promised the moon on the campaign trail, Democratic elected officials seldom (with many honorable exceptions!) stand out in Washington or most state capitols as champions of the common good. When outspoken progressives among them try to legislate in the public, rather than the corporate interest, Party colleagues are reluctant to follow. Thats how we got where we are today.

Republicans will now gleefully exercise the power theyve acquired, controlling all branches of the federal government and the governments of most states as well. Theyll do their utmost to implement their entire program at last; and the longer they remain in power, the more harm theyre likely to do to the nation: to the urban and rural communities in which the great majority of us live, to our livelihoods, to our individual lifeways, to whats left of our once-enviable reputation in the world.

Thats because the Republican program was not designed to benefit, and cannot win the approval, of most Americans. It will disappoint many Trump voters; and it will infuriate the Democratic majority, those disenfranchised by Republican legislators, and those who usually ignore politics but will now experience unexpected pain. The gloves are off; Trump and his collaborators intend to implement draconian change.

Official Democrats are therefore cautiously hopeful for the 2018 midterms, and will keep on bragging and raking in the donations. But this moment should be downright exhilarating for those of us who are more committed to building real democracy in this country, than the existing Party has ever been.

The audacity to grab our moment was modeled by Bernie Sanders, the more than 100,000 young & old volunteers who made his campaign, and the 12,000,000 citizens who voted for him in the primaries. They salvaged the once-respectable American word socialism from the trashcan into which was thrown by anti-Communist hysteria a century ago; and they spoke it out loud in the public square. Theirs was neither a Stalinist nor even a Scandinavian socialism. It was the dream of a flat-out American social democracy  the genuinely egalitarian, widely participatory (and for that reason incorruptible) real democracy to which Americans have forever aspired.

Close behind Sanders were hundreds of campaigns by qualified, outspokenly progressive candidates for local, state and national office, many of them women articulating new approaches, of whom a good many were either successful, or nearly so. That growing grassroots movement for a revitalized democracy got another boost in the fall, as regular Party activists were joined by retooled Bernie supporters in giving their all to try and elect our first woman president.

Hillary, credibly described by President Obama as the best-qualified person ever to seek the office, campaigned confidently and indefatigably (though not always convincingly), for a fairer society and new national unity. She endured with great dignity and forbearance the most vicious attack-dog misogyny thats been deployed in American politics within living memory. We therefore had good reason to expect a resounding Democratic victory. Today, though stunned by defeat, we remain a determined and resourceful majority of the American people who will not soon be convinced that Republican minority rule is a new normal.

The possibilities of this moment can be seen in the hundreds of progressive organizations now active in every state, and in every community that feels threatened by the changes to come. They are widely diverse in makeup, specific concerns and objectives. Theyre seldom noticed by corporate media. Theyre not yet unified into broad coalitions. But they are everywhere, and growing. The challenge for all of us today is how to help them find their way into sustained cooperation with one another. Affiliation with a rebuilt, revitalized Democratic Party could contribute a lot to that effort.

The possibilities are also evident in the official, easy to download, 55-page 2016 Democratic Party Platform, hammered out last summer with much input from Sanders delegates to the Convention. The Platform is there to be studied, critiqued, improved upon, summarized or excerpted, and then put to use as the powerful tool it can be, both for organizing and for holding elected Democrats feet to the fire.

The Democrats can and must now become a broad-based social-democratic party, and a relevant actor in the politics of every county and state. To achieve that is to break the ties with Wall Street forever, and to become a straight-talking, internally democratic, transparent organization with a rainbow leadership that can draw widely diverse citizens and organizations into enduring membership or coalition.

Such a party has an explicit, persuasive program that activists can use in organizing. It no longer speaks to the people in meaningless language. It invites conscientious citizens into full-time, full-fledged, card-carrying, dues-paying, participatory membership. (I imagine sliding-scale monthly dues of $1 to $1,000, and an absolute prohibition of any other form of fund-raising by Party officials!). We can pay our own way, and do our own work. That will be a revolution in which, at long last, we can all dance our socks off.

The revitalized Party should maintain an honestly informative and influential permanent presence on the internet and airwaves. It should demand of its elected officials that they serve, not their own or any corporate interests, but the those of the people at large. No more retired Congressmen working as corporate lobbyists.

It should see to it that most citizens know the names of their representatives, and know quite bit about how theyre actually being served by them  so Democrats can argue convincingly with their neighbors and in the workplace when they hear the word politician spoken with hatred, as if politics were a plague upon the land.

So what will a social-democratic program for Americans look like? That is not for any scribbler or single group to say. The details of a party program that can engage many people in long-term organizing can only come out of the struggles, discussions and analyses of the activists themselves.

But a tepid liberal program simply will not do. What we need now are radical changes, based on radical thinking and discussion that goes to the roots of our many grave problems. We need desperately for our country to get right with nature at last, and with the rest of the human race. Put an end to white supremacy, white privilege, patriarchy, and oligarchy. We need to learn that every sort of work well done is more honorable than any sort of wealth acquired. Get out of our cars and into improved public transit. Quit entertaining ourselves 24/7, and start thinking and acting like responsible, informed citizens of a democracy. Provide the best possible public education free of charge to every single child as far as they can go; turn prisons into schools that rehabilitate. Understand and make it policy that food, shelter, health care, a living wage and recreational opportunity are not privileges, but fundamental human rights. Realize that war never was, is not, and never will be the answer; stop waging it; and stop supporting others to wage it.

A social democratic program will never come down from on high. It has to be drawn up by folks whove quit waiting for Presidents to lead the way to change, and taken that responsibility upon ourselves. Folks who know that the true history of our country is not a story of the acquisition of wealth and power; its a story of the hard-fought, still unfinished struggle to broaden the meaning, and institutionalize the practice, of the first words put to paper by the Founders: We, the people. Folks who understand that in radical electoral politics you have to demand what you want, not what somebody thinks you can get.

The present parties constant hitting people up for donations, or signatures on phony electronic petitions, is a pathetic substitute for organizing. We have to see ourselves as active, strong, purposeful, vociferous citizen members of a peoples political party

 one that we know needs drastic reform, but is nevertheless the only vehicle available to us for replacing the Republican regime. We have to swallow our well-founded reservations about that Party, and learn from scratch how to actually join, exercise membership, and work from within to rebuild and revitalize it  even though the Party itself is not, so far, a membership organization, and whether the current Party leadership wants us as active members or not.

Working off the 2016 Platform, we can help provide the Democratic Party with a harder-hitting program, one that actually opposes what the Republicans are up to with concrete alternatives, based on defensible values, that we activists can talk, write and demonstrate about at every opportunity.

It s also up to us, year in and year out, to identify, help prepare and support non-traditional Democratic candidates for public office at every level  people who can and will rise to power responsibly. because we will accompany them every step of the way Those are the people who can eventually play the critical role, so often neglected, of restoring the American peoples trust in our government.

The Democratic Party that the once-United States of America needs today will make possible a radically different, more trustworthy and substantive electoral politics, a more genuine and sustainable American democracy. It has already begun doing that, perhaps, as citizens from every origin, in many of the 3,143 counties in our country, ask how they can help strengthen their Party from the ground up.

We who commit to that kind of community service, while respectful of the people and structures already in place, had best be determined about bringing genuinely revolutionary transformations into the Democratic Party, because there as elsewhere old habits will die hard. We must be prepared to stay at the work as long as it takes, forever ready and willing to put our collectively powerful shoulders (not to mention hearts, brains and voices) to the wheel of radical change. But in the era of Donald Trump there is no reason to doubt that we can prevail.

David Graham Sweet is a human rights activist in Santa Cruz, CA.
Reddit Email 0 Shares

By Mohammed Nuruzzaman | (Informed Comment) |  

The Middle East keeps going its way as usual, continuously creating global news headlines. Two such current and hot news events are the much awaited peace talks in Astana, the Kazakh capital, between the Syrian government and the diverse rebel groups under RussianTurkish initiatives, and the Paris summit to revive the long-stalled peace negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians to try the two-state solution one more time, initially proposed by the Quartet on the Middle East (composed of the U.S., the EU, Russia and the UN) in 2003. There is no silver bullet to find quick solutions to such complex conflicts; yet, the Astana peace talks promises some silver lining, if the Bashar Al-Assad government commits to bring about fundamental changes in Syrias traditionally anti-people political and economic power structures.

Peace talks in Astana are scheduled to kick-start on January 23. A number of notable features make the talks distinctive, compared to the previous three rounds of unproductive Geneva peace negotiations on Syria under UN auspices. This is the first time that two non-Western states  Russia and Turkey are spearheading the Syrian peace process. Neither the U.S. nor are the European powers invited. The main parties are Russia, Turkey, Iran, the UN, the Syrian government and the Syrian opposition, excluding the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra Front) and the Islamic State. Turkeys attempts to invite Saudi Arabia and Qatar to the Astana talks fell flat, primarily due to Irans objections  a development that answers Tehrans tit for tat for Riyadhs persistent opposition to include Iran in the Geneva peace process. Secondly, abandoned by their regional and extra-regional supporters in the wake of the fall of eastern Aleppo, the last major rebel stronghold, the major rebel groups are now helpless and hapless, while the Assad government is set to negotiate from a position of strength and possibly dictate the terms of any forthcoming agreement. Still, hardly there is any alternative for the rebels to negotiating peace to facilitate their social and political rehabilitations in Syria. The long slogan of Assad Must Go has now become an emphatically empty slogan, despite a long delegitimizing campaign by rebels of various stripes and their powerful backers.

The road to Astana

What leads to Astana is a host of factors set in motion long before the collapse of the rebels in eastern Aleppo. One such important factor was the abortive mid-July 2015 coup to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, resulting in a big shift in Turkeys foreign policy  from a traditionally pro-U.S. to a pro-Russia policy stance. President Erdogans perceived Western role in the coup, especially Americas refusal to extradite his political foe Fethullah Gulen to Turkey to stand trial, led him to mend ties with Russia seriously strained by the downing a Russian military jet by the Turkish air force in late November 2015. President Vladimir Putin adeptly exploited the post-coup developments to draw President Erdogan to his side, and decided to lift the economic sanctions imposed on Turkey after the jet incident. The RussianTurkish rapprochement soon unleashed significant realignments in SyrianTurkish and IranTurkish relations.

There were reports that the Syrian and Turkish governments were secretly meeting in Algeria. Emerged from the secret meetings was an understanding on two important issues: no longer would Turkey demand a regime change in Damascus, and neither Syria nor Turkey would accept any autonomous or independent Kurdish enclave on the TurkishSyrian borders. Fed up with Americas flirtation with Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), the armed wing of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) which Ankara suspects of having ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), to fight the Islamic State, President Erdogan viewed the new compact with Syria, fully backed by Russia and Iran, more conducive to Turkeys security interests. Together with this compact came Turkeys decision to close or effectively monitor the long borders with Syria to cut off the flow of supplies and fighters to the rebel groups  a long demand of Iran and Russia. The fate of the rebel groups in eastern Aleppo was thus sealed.

The reconfigurations in SyrianTurkish interests initiated some moves to reconcile differences in IranTurkey relations. Ankara and Tehran, historical rivals for hundreds of years, have supported opposite sides in the Syrian civil war. For Iran, the primary interests are to defend its only strategic Arab partner  the Al-Assad government and thus maintain the lines of communications with its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. Another vital Iranian interest is to fight and defeat the Islamic State to safeguard the Shia-dominated government in Baghdad. Turkey sees a historical link to the Levant and aims at protecting the ethnic Turkmen enclaves both in Syria and Iraq  an Ottoman legacy, and preventing the rise of a Kurdish state under PKK or PYD that would someday jeopardize its control over Kurds-dominated southeastern parts of the Turkish homeland. The interests of the Gulf Arab states, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, further complicated IranTurkey differences. Qatar and Turkey jointly fund and support the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist fighters (Ahrar Al-Sham is such a group of fighters but linked to Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham) to bring down the Al-Assad government; Saudi Arabia is out to contain Iranian influence in the region and openly backs the majority Sunnis to bring down the minority Alawite government in Syria; Riyadh also supports the minority Sunnis against the majority Shias in Iraq. Free from regional and sectarian tensions, Russia has sought a heroic return to the Middle East as a great power to defend its strategic interests and allies and to deny the U.S. the capacity to set and shape the regional agenda.

Contradictory interests notwithstanding, Iran and Turkey have managed to patch up their relations concerning Syria. Not to speak of Turkeys dependence on Iranian and Russian oil and gas to keep its economy running, all three states perceive the Islamic State as an impending threat, as a major regional destabilizer. Iran and Turkey also view the possible emergence of an independent Kurdish state as grave threats to their territorial integrity, as both have restive Kurds inside their respective states. Iran and Turkey also see the political independence and territorial integrity of Syria as a precondition to prop up the regional status quo. The defeat of the rebels in eastern Aleppo and the move towards Astana peace talks are the outcomes of this perfect political chemistry in SyriaTurkey and IranTurkey relations, aided by Russia.

Change the domestic power structure

Still, peace in Syria largely depends on making changes in domestic political, economic and cultural spheres. Syria is a complex society with diverse ethnic, religious, sectarian and cultural denominations held together, until the outbreak of violence in March 2011, by the iron-fist rule of the Syrian Baath Party. Things have changed much since then. Reconciliations between the government and diverse rebel groups to rebuild the nation are conditional to real changes in domestic political and economic order, not vague promises of amnesty to the rebels and national elections. There must be discernible changes in the political power structure to accommodate the interests of different groups to initiate a meaningful transition from one party authoritarian rule to a democratic system of governance, with guarantees for all Syrians to restart a new life, a life free from political repressions, extreme poverty and social injustices.

The current generation of Syrians has lived under an all intrusive state of emergency law, first enacted in 1963 and periodically renewed thereafter. President Bashar Al-Assad, after assuming office in July 2000 following the death of his father President Hafiz Al-Assad, promised to relax political controls, reign in the extraordinarily powerful security services, introduce economic reforms and allow the Syrians basic human rights. But nothing substantially changed in the face of opposition by the old guards  party bosses, army generals, security services officials and vested economic interests. His efforts simply culminated, what critics say, in modernizing authoritarianism in Syria. The anti-government uprisings were outright rejections of this old power structure. For the Astana peace talks to usher in any success there must be guarantees for changes in the political and economic order of Syria.

In parallel with changes in domestic power structure, the Astana talks need to draw in the regional and extra-regional states with significant involvements in the Syrian conflict as guarantors of peace. Iran has already ruled out Saudi participation in the Astana peace talks; Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has also publicly opposed an invite to the U.S.  a development that may eventually put extra strains on the peace process. Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry indicated in last September in a meeting with representatives of the Syrian rebel groups at the Dutch UN mission, as revealed by the WikiLeaks, that his country saw the Islamic State as a pawn on the chessboard, as a bargaining chip to force the Al-Assad government to make concessions. A secret line of communication between the U.S. and the Islamic State to create unexpected obstacles to peace negotiations may not be that surprising, given Kerrys comments and Americas track record of conniving with the Islamists in Libya. The Gulf Arab states may not also view the total collapse of the Islamic State or other Sunni Islamist groups in Iraq and Syria in a positive way since that would permanently embolden the Shias-led governments in Baghdad and Damascus as well as the Iran-backed Shia militant groups in Iraq.

There is a definite need to make the Astana peace talks more inclusive. Iran, Russia and Turkey should pursue smart diplomacy to tide over all overt and covert obstacles to peace in Syria. Otherwise, the Astana peace talks might end up negotiating just an extension of the nation-wide ceasefire, approved by the UN on December 31, exchange of prisoners and so on. Peace in Syria depends on meeting domestic as well as external requirements.

Mohammed Nuruzzaman is Associate Professor of International Relations, Gulf University for Science and Technology, West Mishref, Kuwait



Related video added by Juan Cole:

RT: Lavrov: Its right to invite US to Syria talks in Astana
Reddit Email 0 Shares

By William deBuys | ( 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Poor people, as Palast points out, are overrepresented in 85 of 100 of the most common last names. If your name is Washington, theres an 89% chance youre African-American. If your last name is Hernandez, theres a 94% chance youre Hispanic. If your name is Kim, theres a 95% chance youre 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.

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.

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.

Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook. Check out the newest Dispatch Book, John Feffers dystopian novel Splinterlands, as well as Nick Turses Next Time Theyll Come to Count the Dead, and Tom Engelhardts latest book, Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single-Superpower World.

Copyright 2017 William deBuys

Via Tomdispatch.com
JURIST Guest Columnist Daryl Lim of The John Marshall School of Law discusses the implications and predictions of the recent Mylan investigations after 20 US states file lawsuits

In an age of divisive politics, there has been a surprising amount of consensus on containing the cost of healthcare and ensuring adequate access to it. The Affordable Care Acts name itself indicates the aspirations of a president who campaigned for its passage through Congress. While his successor could bring about its avowed demise, even he has been quick to promise cheaper drugs via free market principles and foreign competition.

That consensus permeates an ideologically archipelagian Congress as well. Last month the 21st Century Cures Act received overwhelming bipartisan support, with the Senate voting 94-5 and the House voting 392-26. The bill among other things, expedites drug and medical device approval. More treatment options in turn promises to reduce patient healthcare bills.

Access to medicine is an issue with visceral voter appeal. The logic of lowering drug prices is easily understood and its benefits immediately appreciated, particularly by an electorate frustrated by socio-economic inequity and anxious about their futures. On the other side, many who benefitted from that inequity made their fortunes in pharmaceuticals. Some by engorging themselves on the medically vulnerable.

For instance the price of Mylans two-pack EpiPen, used to treat severe allergic reactions, rose five times in seven years by 400 percent to $600. EpiPen became Mylans most important product, accounting for $1 billion of its $9.4 billion in sales in 2015. Mylans justifications were the cost of business and the intricacies of Americas healthcare system. Its reports however, indicate that most of its expenditure went to marketing and overhead costs. Likewise the price of Daraprim, used in the treatment of fatal parasitic infections, skyrocketed by 5,000 percent.

In December news broke that 20 Democratic and Republican states had filed an antitrust lawsuit [JURIST report] accusing Mylan and other generic drug companies of conspiring to raise prices on an antibiotic and an oral-diabetes medication. Mylan has denied the charge, but it would not be difficult to guess what the publics verdict would be.

The Mylan Conspiracy

The US generic drug market is worth a staggering $74.5 billion [PDF]. Generic products account for 88 percent of prescriptions and are crucial to the effort to rein in healthcare costs. In a market with generic substitutes, the cost of a drug falls by 80 percent or more. Robust competition through a measured introduction of generic drugs is therefore crucial in any effort to control healthcare costs.

One battlefront lies in stemming reverse payments, so called because the settlement money flows from the incumbent to the potential generic seeking to challenge the brands dominance. In 2013 the Supreme Court held that such settlement agreements could have significant anticompetitive effects and could violate the antitrust laws. Subsequent cases by lower courts have taken a broad view of payments. For instance non-cash forms of consideration could include the brand companys agreement not to launch its authorized generic drugs to compete with a generic competitors offering, and sharing the duopoly profits.

Another battlefront is found in product hopping cases. This happens when a brand company switches from one formulation of the drug to another to evade state drug product substitution laws. These laws allow or require pharmacies to substitute generic versions of brand prescriptions. Courts have distinguished between anticompetitive hard switches, where the brand company removes the original drug from circulation, and generally permissible soft switches, where the original drug remains on the market.

The third battlefront involves cases such as the Mylan investigation. Here, it is the generics themselves who seek out rivals, agreeing to maintain market shares and avoid competing on prices. In the Mylan investigation, senior executives at the companies allegedly used informal industry gatherings, personal calls, and text messages to share competitively sensitive information. Mylan then allegedly gave up bidding for at least one major wholesaler and one large pharmacy chain to Heritage Pharmaceuticals.

The two drugs at issue in the alleged conspiracy are a delayed-release form of the antibiotic treatment doxycycline hyclate, and glyburide, a commonly used diabetes drug. Members of Congress singled out the surging price of doxycycline as a symptom of the drug price malady. One form of doxycycline rose from $20 a bottle to $1,849 in six months. Two former executives at Heritage, the alleged ringleader of the companies under investigation, were charged with criminal violations.

The lawsuit came just a day after the Justice Departments two-year investigation into the industrys pricing practices [PDF]. According to the Justice Department, consumers paid more for one in nineteen generic drugs sold in the US during the past three years because of price-fixing. The average price hike was 1,350 percent. The investigation uncovered evidence of a wide-spread conspiracy to fix prices and allocate markets for several generic pharmaceuticals in the US that went beyond the two drugs involved.

Implications and Predictions

The Mylan investigation is symptomatic of a malaise where the fruits of economic growth are hoarded rather than shared. Naked horizontal agreements among competitors to fix the price of a good or service, or to restrict their output, are usually condemned as per se unlawful. Where a product could not exist without certain horizontal agreements, the restraints are normally analyzed under a rule of reason analysis. This involves balancing anticompetitive effects against procompetitive justifications. However the facts involving Mylan and its associates suggest that the parties had no other motive than to throttle the supply of generic drugs.

The criminal charges the Heritage executives face are significant because they represent a more aggressive enforcement of antitrust law. Last year the Justice Department revised its policy in response to public perception that it was not doing enough to investigate and prosecute corporate executives. The reasoning is that financial penalties against company directors and officers can be borne by companies indemnity policies, while the individuals are unaffected.

Individual accountability with the potential for jail time and the stigma of a criminal conviction promises to deter corporate misconduct more effectively. Internal operating procedures now identify potentially culpable individuals early on so as to minimize the risk of evidence getting stale or the expiration of the statute of limitations. Suspects can seek leniency if they admit to illegal conduct and testify in court in a full and timely manner.

The investigation also raises the question of how executives should communicate across companies. The drug companies allegedly knew their conduct was illegal and had tried to avoid communicating in writing, even deleting written communications when their cover had been blown. At one end, intentional exchange of sensitive information is highly probative of a conspiracy. On the other, total avoidance of interaction is highly impractical. The key then is to ingrain best practices in executives through rigorous compliance programs so that they can traverse the murky ground in between.

Behavioral economics can also help improve antitrust outcomes, including ones that concern cartels in the pharma industry. Behavioral economics highlights the role of information asymmetries, heuristics and non-price variables in influencing perceptions of manufacturers, payors and payees in the healthcare system. It challenges traditional assumptions that stakeholders maximize profits in a rational manner, particularly when the facts suggest otherwise. In turn this influences the analysis market power, the identification of anticompetitive effects and any procompetitive justifications, and aids developing creative remedies through behavioral nudges. Reducing the complex technical analysis to intuitive heuristics that executives in drug industries can readily internalize into their daily business behavior would help foster a culture of competition. It would also help judges navigate complex antitrust analysis while reaching more precise outcomes.

Antitrust law aims to lower prices and increase consumer choice, and it will likely be used as a policy lever to control the cost of healthcare this year. The wave of populist angst that characterized much of 2016 will translate into harsher scrutiny of the drug industry. The political rewards of disgorging wealthy pharmaceutical companies will encourage the agency to stay the course under the new administration.

Americas rule of law was admired because it defended the downtrodden from the tyranny of unbridled capitalism. As far as the cost of healthcare is concerned, that age seems all but over. 2017 will continue to accentuate rising income inequality and economic dislocation. An antitrust policy that ensures robust competition in generics is a shot in the arm that will make its citizens stronger together, and on this issue, help make America great again.

Daryl Lim is an Associate Professor and Director of Center for Intellectual Property, Information and Privacy Law at The John Marshall Law School. His book Patent Misuse and Antitrust: Empirical, Doctrinal and Policy Perspectives has been cited in the briefs of opposing counsel to the Supreme Court in Kimble v. Marvel Entmt, LLC , 135 S. Ct. 2401 (2015). His work at the intersection of antitrust and patent law has also been cited in reports commissioned by the OECD, World Intellectual Property Organization, as well as foreign government and non-governmental publications.

Suggested citation: Daryl Lim, Antitrust and the Mylan Conspiracy , JURIST  Academic Commentary, Jan. 20, 2017, http://jurist.org/academic/2017/01/daryl-lim-antitrust-and-the-mylan-conspiracy.php.
The Court of Appeals of Georgia on Friday overturned [opinion, PDF] the Columbia County trial courts denial of name change petitions of two transgender individuals. Rowan Elijah Feldhaus, born Rebecca Elizabeth Feldhaus, filed a petition for a name change in July 2015, and Andrew Norman Baumert, born Delphine Renee Baumert, filed a petition for a name change in January 2016. Both petitions specified that the requested names were the names that they were known by to their family and peers. Both petitions were also filed unopposed. The Columbia County trial court denied both petitions on grounds including that both name changes would confuse and mislead the public and amounted to a type of fraud.' There was no evidence provided that shows that there was any fraudulent purpose to the petitions for the name changes. The opinion noted that the Supreme Court of Georgia has previously ruled that:

In the absence of a statute or judicial adjudication to the contrary, there is nothing in the law prohibiting a person from taking or assuming another name, so long as he does not assume a name for the purpose of defrauding other persons through a mistake of identity.

The decision of the trial court was reversed and the trial court was directed to enter the orders changing the petitioners names.

The transgender community has face significant legal challenges in recent years. The ban on transgender persons from serving in the military was just lifted [JURIST report] in July. In June a judge ordered [JURIST report] a Virginia school board to allow transgender students to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Also in June a judge from Multnomah County Circuit Court in Oregon ruled [JURIST report] that an individuals gender could be legally changed from female to non-binary. In the same month, a US magistrate judge issued [JURIST report] an order requiring California prions to provide transgender inmates who identify as female access to female-oriented items to which inmates have access in womens correctional facilities.
[JURIST] The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit [official website] on Thursday upheld [opinion, PDF] the conviction of former Massey Energy [corporate website] co-CEO Donald Blankenship for conspiracy for his role in a 2010 West Virginia mine explosion that killed 29. Blankenship had argued that his conviction should be overturned on procedural errors, including incorrect jury instructions and that the prosecutors did not properly allege which mine safety regulations he allegedly conspired to violate. However, Judge James Wynn, Jr. [official profile] rejected these arguments. Blankenship had been sentenced to one year in a California prison with a $250,000 fine, and he will now finish his year of imprisonment.

Conspiracy charges have become commonplace in recent news cycles regarding. Earlier this month the US Department of Justice on Wednesday announced [JURIST report] that six high-ranking Volkswagen employees were indicted for their roles in a potential conspiracy to cheat emissions testing. In December Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced criminal charges [JURIST report] including conspiracy against four former state officials in connection with the Flint water crisis. Also last month attorneys general from 20 states filed an antitrust suit [JURIST report] alleging price fixing conspiracy against drug giant Mylan NV and five other drugmakers.
A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York [official website] ruled [opinion, PDF] Wednesday that the Department of Defense must release a cache of photos taken at Abu Ghraib and other sites in Iraq and Afghanistan. The court ruled against Defense Secretary Ash Carter, [official profile] with the judge stating [Business Insider report], my complaint is that the executive has failed to articulate the reasons supporting its conclusion that release of the photos would endanger Americans deployed abroad. Advocacy groups, such as the American Civil Liberties Union [advocacy website], have been fighting for the release under the Freedom of Information Act [text] since 2004. The photos that have been ordered to be released number in the range of 2,000. A lawyer for the plaintiffs hailed the order stating, the court has wisely reaffirmed our nations commitment to open government.

This ruling will bring more clarity to the Abu Ghraib prison, which has been an issue for the US since invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. In October a federal appeals court revived a torture lawsuit [JURIST report] that gave an opportunity for former detainees of Abu Ghraib prison to sue their former civilian military contractors. In March 2015 a federal judge ruled previously that the Department of Defense must release photos [JURIST report] under the Freedom of Information Act.
Russia and Syria have signed an agreement on expanding and modernising Russia's Tartus naval base in Syria, a Russian government document showed.

The agreement envisages that 11 Russian warships can be located in the Tartus base at one time, the document showed.



Search Keywords:

Short link:


The US Department of Defense [official website] announced the transfer of four Guantanamo prisoners Thursday. Jabran al Qahtani will be sent to Saudi Arabia [press release], while Ravil Mingazov, Haji Wali Muhammed, and Yassim Qasim Mohammed Ismail Qasim will be sent to the United Arab Emirates [press release]. The prisoners had been recommended for transfer by the Guantanamo Review Task Force [report, PDF], and final determinations for transfer [materials] were made by the Periodic Review Board. The announcements came on the final full day of President Barack Obamas administration. He issued a letter addressed [text] to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Pro Tempore of the Senate, in which he detailed his efforts [text, PDF] to close the controversial detention center, and his hope that incoming President Donald Trump will continue those efforts.

As President, I have tried to close Guantanamo. When I inherited this challenge, it was widely recognized that the facilitywhich many around the world continue to condemnneeded to close. Unfortunately, what had previously been bipartisan support for closure suddenly became a partisan issue. Despite those politics, we have made progress. This Administration established a comprehensive, interagency review process to assess whether the transfer of a detainee is in the national security interest of the United States. Under this rigorous process, we have transferred 196 detainees from Guantanamo with arrangements designed to keep them from engaging in acts that pose a threat to the United States and our allies. Of the nearly 800 detainees at one time held at the facility, today only 41 remain.

Throughout Obamas tenure, his administration tried to find 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.
Croatian police are forcing those seeking asylum in Croatia [HRW backgrounder] back to Serbia in violation of EU policy, Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] reported [press release] on Friday. According to those interviewed by HRW, after being detained by Croatian officials they were denied the right to lodge based on the need for asylum. Some were assaulted and their personal belongings were confiscated. In one report a man describes that after he and his friends filed an asylum claim at a police station they were falsely told they would be transferred to a refugee camp only to be brought to the Serbian border, beaten, mocked, robbed and forced back across the border. HRW wrote to Croatias Interior Ministry on December 20 informing officials of reports of abuses but have yet to receive a response. The summary return of asylum seekers without consideration of their protection needs is contrary to EU asylum law, the EU charter of fundamental rights, and the international Refugee Convention. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees guidance [text, PDF] is that Serbia should not be considered a safe country for asylum seekers and therefore they should not be returned there due to Serbias failure to protect their rights as specified in the Refugee Convention [text, PDF] and provide effective remedies as mandated by the European Convention on Human Rights [text, PDF]. HRW ask the European Commission to order Croatian authorities to stop returning asylum seekers to Serbia and investigate the violence associated with prior returns.

The rights of migrant populations has emerged as one of the most significant humanitarian issues around the world, as millions seek asylum from conflict nations. Ahead of the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants in September, UN experts urged [JURIST report] states to protect women and girls in the movement of refugees and migrants by adhering to international human rights conventions and standards. That same month, HRW and Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website] said that the draft of the final outcome document for the UN summit on refugees fell short of dealing with the issue effectively [JURIST report]. According to the rights groups, the UN is missing an opportunity by not proposing anything of substance. Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said [JURIST report] earlier that month that Austria will take Hungary to the International Court of Justice if Hungary does not begin accepting returning migrants that crossed into Austria from Hungary. In August the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al Hussein [official profile] expressed concern [JURIST report] over Bulgarias criminalization of migrants leaving and entering the country. This month, the European Commission [official website] labeled [JURIST report] the conditions on Greek Islands for asylum seekers as untenable due to heavy snowfall in the region.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) [official website] announced [press release] on Thursday that Uber Technologies [corporate website] agreed to pay $20 million to settle a claim that the ride-hailing company had engaged in misleading tactics to recruit new drivers. According to the FTCs complaint [text, PDF], Uber exaggerated the potential earnings a driver could make, as well as the lease rates that a driver could obtain through the companys Vehicle Solutions Plan [website]. In a 2-1 vote to authorize the complaint, which was filed in the US District Court for Northern District of California [official website], the FTC also authorized a stipulated order [text, PDF] for permanent injunction in which Uber agrees not to engage in deceptive recruiting tactics. The $20 million settlement will be used to provide affected drivers with a refund, according to Jessica Rich, Director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection. Many consumers sign up to drive for Uber, but they shouldnt be taken for a ride about their earnings potential or the cost of financing a car through Uber, said Rich. This settlement will put millions of dollars back in Uber drivers pockets.

With the rapid growth of companies like Lyft [corporate website] and Uber, ride-sharing services have been among the most controversial business models [JURIST backgrounder] in recent history. Last April Uber settled a lawsuit [JURIST report] brought by 385,000 drivers in California and Massachusetts regarding their status as independent contractors. In several states, ride-sharing companies have met significant legal opposition, frequently led by competitors such as the taxi industry. Other unresolved questions [JURIST backgrounder] surrounding this new business model continue to prompt debate among lawmakers. Although some cities and states, such as California, have developed new laws [PC360 report] mandating certain insurance for ride-sharing drivers, others have resisted. In June 2015, Attorney General of New York Eric Schneiderman announced a $300,000 settlement [press release] with Lyft after they were charged with violating local regulations in Rochester and Buffalo.
[JURIST] The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Cecilia Jimenez-Damary [official profile] on Thursday sharply condemned [press release] bombings in Nigeria as a means of counter insurgency against Boko Haram. The bombings struck a camp housing IDPs, and initial reports from the government indicated that as many as 50 people had been killed and 200 injured as a result of this operational mistake. Jimenez-Damary stressed that the safety of those internally displaced must be guaranteed and emphasized the importance of them receiving lifesaving care and access to clean water and resources immediately. She concluded by calling on the Nigerian government to better protect those displaced and expressing sadness at the loss of life.

Boko Haram means Western education is a sin, and the militant Islamic organization is known for its kidnappings and killings. Boko Haram attacks [JURIST report] have occurred in crowded public places and have increased since it lost much of the territory it overtook from 2014 through early 2016. In April the UN urged [JURIST report] the Nigerian government to escalate efforts to locate and rescue people abducted by Boko Haram. In February UN human rights advocates asked [JURIST report] the Nigerian government to guarantee the safety of areas liberated from Boko Haram through military maneuvers.
[JURIST] The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and international sanctions Idriss Jazairy [official profile] on Thursday praised [press release] US President Barack Obamas recent decision to lift all US sanctions on Sudan. He noted that he decision acknowledges the fact that the Sudanese government has adopted positive actions in the last six months. By lifting sanctions on Sudan, after adopting similar decisions on Cuba and Iran, President Obama will be remembered as a leader who listened to the international community and stakeholders, in particular the poor and the wretched who were the unintended main victims of such measures, Jazairy said. This decision is in line with Jazairys 2016 report [material] to the Human Rights Council regarding the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights. He argues that sanctions serve to restrict trade and investment and harm the citizens enjoyment of their rights.

The human rights situation throughout Sudan has drawn global condemnation. In September an Amnesty International (AI) investigative report claimed the Sudanese government used chemical weapons [JURIST report] on civilians in a region of Darfur between January and September 9. In March Human Rights Watch reported that female rights activists [JURIST report] in Sudan are facing harassment, violence and other rights abuses. Earlier that month South Africas Supreme Court of Appeal upheld a lower courts ruling that the state broke the law by not detaining [JURIST report] Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir despite an International Criminal Court order to do so. In February a UN human rights expert called for an end [JURIST report] to conflict in Darfur between the Sudanese government and the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid, which may have led to human rights abuses and violations of international law.
Liberal activists protesting U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration scuffled with police in Washington on Friday and temporarily blocked some of the Republican real estate developer's supporters streaming in for the ceremony.

About 900,000 people were expected to pack the grassy National Mall facing the Capitol, where Trump will be sworn in, as well as the parade route along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House and other parts of central Washington.

Protesters affiliated with a group called Disrupt J20 intermittently blocked multiple security checkpoints leading to the largest public viewing area for the ceremony, and several were led away by police clad in riot helmets and body armor.

Another group of about 150 protesters dressed in black, some of whom wore masks, marched through the city, smashing shop windows and car windows and rolling garbage cans and newspaper vending boxes into the street to form barriers.

One of the signs carried by the group read "Make Racists Afraid Again."

The Disrupt J20 protest organizer Alli McCracken, 28, of Washington, said the group was voicing its displeasure over Trump's controversial comments about women, illegal immigrants and Muslims.

"We have a lot of people of diverse backgrounds who are against U.S. imperialism and we feel Trump will continue that legacy," McCracken said on a gray morning with intermittent light rain.

Trump supporters appeared unfazed by the protests.

"We all have First Amendment rights, so I don't really care about the protest as long as nobody touches me," said Bob Burns, 56, of Rosedale, Maryland, referring to the U.S. Constitution's free speech guarantee. He wore military ribbons pinned to his baseball cap.

One of the largest anti-Trump protests expected on Friday will be organized by the ANSWER Coalition, a broad-based liberal group, which expects to have thousands at the U.S. Navy Memorial, along the parade route.

Trump supporters flooded into the capital, many sporting shirts and hats bearing his "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.

Carl Beams, 36, from Howell, New Jersey, stood in line with thousands of Trump supporters waiting to enter the National Mall to view the midday (1700 GMT) inauguration.

"This is a great moment in history. I wanted to be able to say I was here firsthand," said Beams, who runs a martial-arts school.

He said he believed that Trump could be a unifying force: "I think he's sending the right message and doing his part to make that happen."

BIKERS, POTHEADS

Other groups planning to be on the streets on Friday include Bikers for Trump, which will hold a parade route rally without motorcycles, and pro-marijuana activists who plan to hand out 4,200 joints to be lit up in violation of federal and local laws.

While Washington will be the focal point of the protests, anti-Trump activists have planned sympathy rallies around the nation and the world.

Activists in London hung a banner reading "Build bridges not walls" on the city's iconic Tower Bridge on Friday, a reference to Trump's signature campaign promise of building a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border.

About 30 groups have obtained permits for protests they estimate will attract about 270,000 people on Friday and Saturday, far more than have been seen in other recent presidential inaugurations.

By far the largest protest is expected to be Saturday's Women's March on Washington, which some 200,000 people from around the country are expected to attend.

The U.S. Secret Service, Washington police and other law enforcement agencies planned to have some 28,000 officers in place to secure a roughly three-square-mile (almost eight-square-kilometre) area of downtown Washington

Security officials aimed to keep the Trump supporters and opponents separate, using similar tactics employed during last year's Republican and Democratic political conventions.

"If you come down to the event, you are going to see some people who have views who are different than yours," said the city's interim chief of police, Peter Newsham. "But one thing we can agree on in Washington is that we can agree to disagree."

Search Keywords:

Short link:


NEWSLETTER

Sign up

Tick the boxes of the newsletters you would like to receive.

Just Drinks Daily News

The top stories of the day delivered to you every weekday.

Just Drinks Weekly News

A weekly roundup of the latest news and analysis, sent every Monday.

Just Drinks Magazine

The industry's most comprehensive news and information delivered every quarter
Boparan Holdings, the UK-based food business, has revealed there is takeover interest in Foxs Biscuits.

The company behind 2 Sisters Food Group said there had been an approach to buy the maker of brands including Rocky and Echo.

In a filing to the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, Boparan Holdings said: Boparan Holdings Limited announces that it has received a preliminary approach for Foxs Biscuits  the trading name of Northern Foods Grocery Group Limited. The groups expectation is that any formal offer for Foxs Biscuits/NFGG would be at a valuation in the region of GBP350m (US$431.9m).

Boparan Holdings added: At this stage, there is no certainty that any transaction will proceed.

The company acquired Foxs Biscuits as part of its purchase of UK group Northern Foods in 2011 for GBP342m. There has been regular speculation of possible interest in Foxs Biscuits. In 2014, another UK-based biscuit business, Burtons Biscuit Co., was reported to have made an approach to buy Foxs.

In January last year, The Wall Street Journal reported Boparan Holdings had instructed investment bank Rothschild to contact potential buyers to gauge interest in the business, although sources played down the prospect of a sale when approached by just-food. Last spring, there were reports Boparan had entered talks with Burtons.
Austrian police arrested Friday a man suspected of planning a "terrorist" attack in Vienna, a police spokesman said.

"In recent days indications grew of a planned attack in the capital," spokesman Thomas Keiblinger told the Austria Press Agency.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


As Europe becomes increasingly xenophobic and populist, the time is right for an open and honest debate on our options on immigration.

The majority of Europeans are unaware of the numbers, reasons and policies behind immigration and the benefits it can bring, so understandably, they fear it.

But have they actually engaged with and got to know anyone from their countrys immigrant community? Just to try and share their concerns with them and see how they are coping in their society, or what they have to contribute?

More essentially, do we understand why Europes leaders have chosen apparently the multiculturalism option, rather than trying to keep Europe ethnically European?

Apart from our continents colonial legacy, Europe became multicultural because it chose to follow the USA in its financial and social policies. After WW2 the European economy was in tatters and so it was forced to copy the American model, whose economic boom was based on immigrants from all over the world, including Europe.

One by one, eventually, most European nations adopted this model and for many years it proved acceptable and successful. That is, until the EUs 2004 big-bang expansion to the East, combined with the eurozone and refugee crises.

Now that things have got tough, Europeans are reconsidering. But what could be an alternative to multiculturalism? Another rich, industrialised nation with the completely opposite approach that of Europe is Japan.

Japans shrinking workforce needs support

Immigrants currently account for about 1.75% of the total population, when compared with the average 10% seen in most Western European countries.

Nevertheless, Japan is also under pressure to accept more immigrants as its native workforce shrinks. According to The Guardian, the ageing population and predictions of 8 million fewer workers by 2030 have spurred calls for the government to accept more migrants and refugees.

The debate over whether the country should loosen its immigration laws is becoming more vocal. Shigeru Ishiba, in charge of revitalising regional economies, stated in 2015 that since Japans population is in decline, the government should promote policies to accept immigrants into Japan. It is wrong to think that foreigners must not come to Japan, he said.

The government needs to implement policies that do not cause any discomfort for us or for immigrants in terms of language, customs and other areas, he added.

Taro Kono, the minister for administrative reform and head of the national police agency, said that relaxing immigration laws could help Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reach his target of boosting GDP from the current 491 trillion yen to 600 trillion yen (US$5 trillion) by the end of the decade, as The Guardian reported.

Some may still see Japan as a brave country that stands up for its culture and people, fighting for all it is worth to defend its way of life. And they would be right. Yet they are not fully aware of the countrys economic model or its citizens working ethos.

Japan has a welfare system that in some ways makes even the newly dismantled American system seem a model of generosity.

Applicants in Japan are obliged to get help first from their families. Poor, physically able people are not eligible for help  whether they have a job or not.

From some perspectives, this system has worked brilliantly. The countrys already strong family ties have been strengthened and the main safety net is the family rather than the government. The number of Japanese citizens in the basic welfare programme has declined sharply over the last half century, as people have become better off and built up savings.

Today just 0.7% of the population receives benefits  compared with the 4.8% of Americans who get grants from Aid to Families With Dependent Children or the 9.7% who receive food stamps. About 2.3% of Americans receive grants through the Supplemental Security Income programme, which serves the elderly, blind and disabled.

To be sure, Japans welfare system operates in a very different context to Americas. Only 1% of Japanese births are to unwed mothers. By comparison, the rate in the United States has now reached 30% and keeps climbing.

Japan also has a far lower percentage of drug addicts than the United States, a much lower unemployment rate, a much more egalitarian distribution of wealth, a greater sense of family obligation and an abiding sense of shame that colours almost every aspect of life, as reported by the New York Times.

Would Europeans work longer for less, to cut immigration?

Europeans love their social benefits and are willing to fight for them. As result, our economies need cheap labour, which results in higher immigration numbers. Would Europeans accept to work longer with fewer benefits, to see fewer migrants entering their homelands and safeguard their cultures like the Japanese?

Perhaps we should give them the choice. One option would be to review our immigration policies and harmonise them across the EU, but we will need strong leadership to make all member states agree. Or we could let the governments of each member state decide their own policies, as they currently do; a system that seems to be accepted by most citizens.

The only problem is that often EU migrants end up paying the price for each member states irresponsible immigration policies. Each nation chooses the wrong ones, or implements them for the wrong amount of time, creating divisions between native or EU citizens and non-EU migrants. It is an unfair situation for all at the moment, but that is not the immigrants fault.

Since there cannot be single market without the free movement of people, then immigration from within EU must be maintained. It supports the goose that lays the golden egg for our continent and gives it a competitive edge. No other region has managed to establish a bigger or more successful single market.

Cheap labour one day, scapegoats the next

Most EU member states  especially the new ones  could be learning from the mistakes of other countries, not repeating them. Sadly, this often is not the case.

In reality our governments look to import labour to exploit in the jobs that we dont want and to ask for less money. In many cases, these people entered Europe because companies pressured our governments to let them in.

Yet when they go bust or they decide to move to another, cheaper labour market, these people are left in limbo, unwanted and with no job. They end up in ghettos, becoming a perfect scapegoat for any populist government.

This should not be the case. We need clear-cut, fair and fully functioning, ideally harmonised immigration policies across Europe. For the simple reason that if we keep our internal borders open, one countrys messy decisions on the issue will inevitably become everybodys problem.

Europe should be looking collectively for the type of migrants it needs, by establishing EU immigration offices abroad, in the countries it seeks to attract migrants from. Essentially, before they get on a boat and arrive illegally.

An honest discussion is the only solution

Finally, we should stop terrorising the native population by scapegoating certain ethnic or religious groups. Recently, Heinz Christian Strache, the head of Austrias far-right Freedom Party, called for a ban on all Muslim symbols, warning that Islam is a threat to Europe.

If that is what Europeans decide then fine. But will they also ban Muslim doctors, waiters, nurses and small shopkeepers that save lives, attend patients, and stay up late in our convenience stores during the Christian holidays, so Europeans can buy the things they need at any time?

If so, then maybe we should limit immigration from Islamic nations. But we cannot encourage people to come over here to fill jobs that we need, then not allow them to practice their religion. Unless of course we want them to be forcibly converted or live in the shadows of our society as pariahs.

However, oppression breeds resistance, clashes and a divided society full of hatred and inequality. There is no reason why we should see our capitals streets ending up like many of those in America when we can prevent it by being fair, open and honest.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
Quintin Sponagle heads from a sentencing hearing at provincial court in Halifax on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Sponagle entered a guilty plea to one count of fraud over $5,000 last December related to a Ponzi scheme that scammed Nova Scotia churchgoers and others out of millions of dollars. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan
Anti-Trump protesters burn an effigy of Donald Trump through the streets of Montreal, Friday, January 20, 2017, during a demonstration taking place simultaneously with the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States of America. 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)
Fifth Year student at Colaiste Pobail Osrai Maeve Shaw received was 'highly commended' at the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition for her project on the effects of voluntary care visits on the mental health of geriatric patients.

The title is: 'Anailis staitisticiuil ar thionchar cuairteanna churaim dheonacha ar dhearfacht mheoin othair gheiriatracha '. It was inspired by research from the 'End Loneliness Campaign in England'.

Loneliness has been described as social paina psychological mechanism meant to alert an individual of isolation and motivate them to seek social connections.

Chronic loneliness can be a serious, life-threatening health condition. It has been found to be associated with an increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Loneliness shows an increased incidence of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity.

Research suggests that approximately 10% of older people are affected by chronic or persistent loneliness, says Maeve.

It also finds that loneliness amongst older people may be linked to depression, increased nursing home admission, decreased quality of life and cognitive decline. Loneliness is a result of high cortisol levels.

A cortisol excess can lead to a progressive loss of protein, muscle weakness and atrophy, and loss of bone mass through increased calcium excretion and less calcium absorption. As well as this, one study concludes lonely people have a 64% increased chance of developing clinical dementia.

The Kare Bear project is a voluntary care visit initiative, which runs in St Lukes Hospital Kilkenny, aiming to bring relief to those suffering from loneliness in hospital, therefore having an effect on recovery time, says Maeve.

One in six young people suffer from mental health issues in Ireland, and because of the evident positive effects of the visits on the volunteers themselves, I chose to measure the effects of a voluntary visit on the visitors, using a control and test group. All of whom filled in mood diaries over the course of three days, four times a day.

I would like to extend my thanks to all at Troy gate Day Care Centre Kilkenny, as well as the staff and patients of St Lukes Hospital Kilkenny. I look forward to gaining ethical approval for a larger case study, which will measure the effects of the Kare Bears on the patients themselves in the future.

From my project this year, I have proven that there is a clear and significant rise in a younger persons mood after making a visit to the hospital with the Kare Bear Project. I hope to continue with my research and to grow the initiative further in the future.

Maeve and her classmate Eabha Sloyan won the National Council Special Education Award for their project on Autism at last years Young Scientist exhibition.They were also selected to participate in the BT Young Entrepreneurs Bootcamp which by all accounts was a tremendously worthwhile experience.
As well as being highly commended by the judges, Loreto Secondary School students, Sinead Flynn and Amy OConnell captured the hearts of everyone around them with their project, entitled, Elderly Mobility; Move to Improve? at the BT young Scientists.

It involved developing an eight-week exercise programme which they carried out twice a week with residents of Drakelands Nursing Home and participants of the Troys Court Day Centre.

And on Thursday, just after they had gone to the RDS to man their stand after lunch, two of their dancers from Drakelands appeared in front on them.

In their late 70s, Martha Doherty and Mary Morrissey had taken the train up from Dublin and a taxi to the RDS to reunite with their personal trainers.

It showed how much the visits to Drakenalds mean to the residents and it emphasised the importance of their work they carried out.

The inspiration for the project was the importance of maintaining mobility in the countrys increasingly aging population.

Their work involved developing their own 8-week exercise programme which they carried out twice a week with residents of Drakelands Nursing Home and participants of the Troys Court Day Centre. Voluntary members of the community also completed the exercise programme in an unsupervised setting. The mobility of all participants was tested prior to the exercise programme s onset.

Sinead and Amy discovered that the improvement in the supervised participants mobility was significantly greater than the unsupervised participants mobility when they tested the participants after the 8-week exercise programme . They concluded that their motivation with the supervised participants, the social interaction which developed within these groups and the strengthening personal relationships between them and the participants increased their confidence to perform the exercises.

The girls have embraced their time and social interaction with those of the aging population and feel that it has benefited them and the individuals that participated. They will continue to develop these relationships and feel strongly about creating a programme for transition year students to provide activity, social interaction, and support to the aging population of our local community.
Which chicks thrive better - incubated chicks or naturally hatched chicks?

That's the question that three Transition Year students from Castlecomer Community School set out to answer when they decided to enter, and then qualified for, the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition in the RDS last week.

Daniel Murphy, Kevin Conroy and Tom Buggy's experiment consisted of measuring the growth rates of chicks hatched from 14 eggs  seven in an incubator and seven under a hen.

Mother hen

They then monitored and compared the growth of both sets of chicks, in an attempt to determine which have a faster growth rate. The incubated eggs were measured every day, while the naturally reared eggs were slightly more difficult to get to due to over-protective mother hens.

The students' results were then displayed at a stand in the RDS last week.

Remarkably, the students found that there was little to no difference in the growth rates at all.

They didn't find any major difference, teacher Fiona Morrissey told the Kilkenny People last week, reckoning that they were a little bit surprised by the outcome.

They have all the averages, and it was minimal.

The students would like to thank Ms. Morrissey for all her ongoing help and expertise throughout the experiment, and she had high praise for them also.

It was hard work, and they worked all over Christmas, she said.

Now they are up here, and they're having a ball.
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.

If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .

Support our mission and join our community now.
Students at St Kieran's College made some interesting findings into why the numbers of certain bird species are falling rapidly.

The students - are investigating the effectiveness of the GLAS scheme on populations of farmland birds that are in decline.

The project focused on the effectiveness of planting linseed and oat habitats on farms, on the populations of declining farmland birds.

Farmers are getting grants to plant which provides a natural food source and habitat for the wild birds, explains science teacher, Eileen Hanrick .

In 2013 the students started to collect data relating to specimen types and population on three farms in Wexford and one in Kilkenny. They found that a number of species, including corncrake, yellowhammer, and tree sparrows are very much in decline. The group monitored the species and they are continuing to increase.

We have seen an increase, albeit slight in these species populating the Southeast. It is very important that these habitats are sustained, said Science Teacher, Eileen Hanrick .

Science teacher, Bernie Boland was also involved in the project and also attended the exhibition.
The national centre responsible for the collection of information on Ireland's wildlife is in danger of closing because of a funding crisis.

The National Biodiversity Data Centre (NBDC) which tracks and identifies changes in wildlife and has had collected over four million wildlife sightings over seven years. is under threat.

The NBDC is charged with compiling information on what species are found in Ireland and tracks how their populations are changing over time.

This is an essential service that is needed by the State to meet its obligation under national and European law.

However, funding will cease at the end of the year and there is no sign of that agreement being renewed.

The data centre collects information from state-bodies, researchers and members of the public to create the largest every inventory of information on Ireland's wildlife.

The inventory pulls together information from 140 different sources and means that it documents four million wildlife sightings of almost 16,000 different species.

The centre, which employs eight staff, was set up by Kilkenny based Heritage Council, has annual budget of just 600,000 per year is provided jointly by the Heritage Council and NPWS.

The current contract runs out later this year, and the future of the Centre after that is still unclear.

At the Kilkenny launch of it's latest publication, the impressive Atlas of Mammals in Ireland, director of the NBDP, Dr Liam Lysaght said that while he was delighted it had been a success story he had to highlight the absence of a new contract, was creating uncertainty and insecurity among the staff of the Data Centre.

And frankly from our perspective, the future does not look as secure as I would have hoped, he admitted.

We need more political support for the Data Centre and the work it does. We need to know that the work is valued, and need a long-term commitment to create the environment that provides us with an expectation that the development of the Centre in the years ahead can match our ambitions for the future development of the Centre.
HANOI, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official market and indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi at 0123 GMT.

Jan 20 Jan 19 USD/VND mid-point 22,193 22,180

USD/VND interbank 22,564/22,566 22,560/22,565 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.34/36.66 36.36/36.68

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 20 (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 0404 GMT.

Jan 20 Jan 19 USD/VND mid-point 22,193 22,180 USD/VND interbank 22,565/22,575 22,560/22,565 USD/VND unofficial 22,720/22,770 22,780/22,830 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.35/36.67 36.36/36.68

Interbank offered rates Overnight 4.0-5.5 4.8-5.5

1 week 4.5-5.5 4.9-5.5

1 month 5.0-5.4 5.0-5.4

3 months 5.0-5.4 5.0-5.4

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)
* Indian buyers hold back on expectation of import duty cut

* China premiums weaken ahead of Lunar New Year

By Rajendra Jadhav and Apeksha Nair

MUMBAI/BENGALURU, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Gold demand slowed in India this week as buyers postponed purchases on expectation of a cut in import duty and after a rebound in prices, while it was tepid across other major trading centres in Asia.

In India, the world's second-largest consumer of the metal, dealers were charging a premium of up to $2 an ounce this week over official domestic prices that include a 10 percent import tax. The premiums were at $1 last week.

"Buyers are anticipating a cut in import duty in the budget. That is prompting them to delay purchases," said Daman Prakash Rathod, director at wholesaler MNC Bullion in the southern Indian city of Chennai.

The Indian government will present on Feb. 1 its budget for the 2017/18 financial year starting on April 1. The bullion industry has urged the government to cut the import duty to combat smuggling, which has increased since India raised the levy to 10 percent in August 2013 in a bid to narrow its current account deficit.

A senior government official said earlier this month that the trade ministry has requested the finance ministry to cut the import duty to 6 percent. "Investors are also confused due to volatility in prices," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a private bank. "Investment demand has fallen substantially since the government banned higher-value currency notes."

Gold was trading around 28,665 rupees per 10 grams on Friday. It fell to 26,862 rupees last month, the lowest level since Feb. 2, 2016.

International gold prices were broadly steady on Friday, with spot gold on track for its fourth straight weekly gain, buoyed by a weaker dollar ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump as U.S. President. In top consumer China, demand slowed on higher prices, a trader with a Chinese import bank said, causing premiums to shrink to $14 from $17 earlier this week.

In Hong Kong and Singapore, premiums were quoted at around $1 - $1.30 an ounce, largely unchanged from last week.

"Whenever prices go up over $1,190-$1,200, demand starts to slow down. Towards the Chinese New Year, the demand is usually sluggish and that's been the case this time," said Ronald Leung, chief dealer at Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong.

Prices in Tokyo were at a discount of 50 cents this week compared with a discount of $1 last week.

"Industrial demand picked up ahead of the Chinese New Year. However, we have seen more buybacks from dealers due to higher prices in Japan," a Tokyo-based trader said.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ India's gold market ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in BENGALURU; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)
DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Talks with members of the incoming Donald Trump administration suggest their economic policies will be "loud, noisy and strong"the head of BlackRock, the world's largest money manager, said on Friday.

Larry Fink told the World Economic Forum in Davos such policies were set to support U.S. markets for at least the first 100 days of Trump's presidency.

But he said it was still not clear to him how the new administration planned to pay for massive stimulus measures including investments in ageing infrastructure.

(Reporting by Noah Barkin and Dmitry Zhdannikov)
(In Jan 9 item, corrects pronoun in sixth and seventh paragraphs to reflect researcher's gender.)

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The slowdown in productivity gains that has curbed the potential pace of U.S. economic growth cannot be chalked up to a long-term decline in the rate of new business startups, according to a study published Monday by the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank.

New business starts now account for about 10 percent of existing U.S. businesses, down from 15 percent in the late 1970s. Meanwhile productivity growth has dropped to about half a percent a year from about 1.5 percent, and is a main reason that the economy is now expected to be able to grow sustainably at about 2 percent rather than the 3 percent of 4 percent that was more usual in decades past.

Startups are often assumed to be more innovative than older firms, and influential Fed policymakers including Fed Chair Janet Yellen and Vice Chair Stanley Fischer have cited the decline in so-called business dynamism as one likely reason for weak productivity gains that are keeping U.S. GDP from growing as fast as in the past.

But it turns out that well-established businesses are probably just as good at innovating as new firms are, according to San Francisco Fed economist Huiyu Li, whose study is published in the bank's latest Economic Letter.

In fact, data on market share and employment growth suggest that existing firms actually contribute more to productivity growth than newly established businesses, she showed.

"New firms may not be as critical to productivity growth as is commonly believed," Li wrote. "Focusing on the detrimental effects from fewer new businesses on aggregate productivity growth may undervalue the strong innovation that existing firms contribute to the economy," she wrote.

(Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Gold Moves Modestly Up As Trump Becomes U.S. President

(Kitco News) - Gold prices have moved from near unchanged levels to trade modestly higher as the new U.S. President Donald Trump has just been sworn into office. Trump in his inaugural address is pledging change to come quickly in the U.S., which he says will be for the better, and "America first." February gold last traded up $3.60 an ounce at $1,205.00. By Jim Wyckoff, contributing to Kitco News; jwyckoff@kitco.com

Follow @KitcoNewsNOW

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 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
Jan 20 (Reuters) - Below are the ratings awarded by Investment Information Credit Rating Agency Ltd. (ICRA) for local debt instruments as of January 19, 2017. COMPANY INSTRUMENT RATING AMOUNT MOVEMENT

(RS.MLN) ------ ---------- ------ ----- --------- SHORT TERM RATINGS: ------------------- Abt Industries Ltd ST non-fund based ICRA A4+ 7.5 Reaffirmed Centre For Development MFI Grading M4+ - Assigned Orientation And Training Manipal Academy Of Higher ST Scale - Non Fund ICRA A1+ 550 Reaffirmed Education based Ramakrishna Teletronics Pvt. ST - Fund Based ICRA A4 60 Outstanding Ltd. (e-DFS) Rashtriya Chemicals And CP Programme ICRA A1+ 5000 Assigned Fertilizers Ltd Reliance Capital Ltd ST Debt Programme ICRA A1+ 35000 Outstanding (revised from 7,500.0) Shreya Broadcasting Pvt Ltd BG ICRA A4+ 20 Reaffirmed Sudhir Agro Oils Pvt Ltd NFBL ICRA A4 160 Reaffirmed T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Pvt ST: Non-FBL ICRA A1+ 900 Reaffirmed Ltd T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Pvt ST: CP ICRA A1+ 8000 Reaffirmed Ltd (enhanced from 660.00 CR) T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Pvt ST: Non-FBL ICRA A1+ 90 Reaffirmed Ltd T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Pvt ST: CP ICRA A1+ 8000 Reaffirmed Ltd (enhanced from 660.00 CR) Truevalue Engineering Pvt Ltd ST Non-FBL ICRA A4 280.5 ASsigned LONG TERM RATINGS: ------------------- Abad Builders Pvt Ltd FB-CC ICRA BB+ 350 Reaffirmed (increased from 10.0 CR) Abt Industries Ltd TL ICRA BB+ 240 Reaffirmed Abt Industries Ltd LT Fund based ICRA BB+ 480 Reaffirmed Abt Industries Ltd LT Non-fund Based ICRA BB+ 6.5 Reaffirmed Abt Industries Ltd LT Unallocated ICRA BB+ 85.2 Reaffirmed Ananya Hospital Pvt. Ltd. LT scale- Fund based ICRA BB 5 Upgraded

From BB Ananya Hospital Pvt. Ltd. LT - Unallocated ICRA BB 37.3 Upgraded

From BB Gopal Oil Industries FBL - CC ICRA BB- 99 Reaffirmed Idbi Bank Ltd Additional Tier I ICRA A+(hyb) 5000 ASsigned

Bonds Karna International FBL ICRA BB- 135 Reaffirmed Kudgi Transmission Ltd NCD ICRA AA(SO) 1284 Reaffirmed Manipal Academy Of Higher LT Scale - Fund Based ICRA AA 3000 Reaffirmed Education TL (enhanced from 275.9 crore) Manipal Academy Of Higher LT scale - ICRA AA 4450 Assigned Education Unallocated limits Psk Infrastructures And BG ICRA BBB 950 Outstanding Projects Pvt Ltd Psk Infrastructures And CC ICRA BBB 150 Outstanding Projects Pvt Ltd Psk Infrastructures And Issuer rating Ir BB+ - Withdrawn Projects Pvt Ltd Ramakrishna Teletronics Pvt. Unallocated Limits ICRA B / 540 Assigned / Ltd. ICRA A4 Outstanding (enhanced from 4.00 CR) Rashtriya Chemicals And FBL (CC) ICRA AA 6000 Outstanding Fertilizers Ltd Rashtriya Chemicals And FBL (TL) ICRA AA 45000 Outstanding Fertilizers Ltd Sharanamma Diggavi Memorial FBL ICRA D 80 Reaffirmed Education Trust Shree Vishwakarma Builders TL ICRA B 345 Assigned (enhanced from 12.50 CR) Shreya Broadcasting Pvt Ltd TL ICRA BB+ 28.2 Reaffirmed (Revised from 5.65 CR) Shreya Broadcasting Pvt Ltd CC ICRA BB+ 40 Reaffirmed Shreya Broadcasting Pvt Ltd Unallocated Amount ICRA BB+ / 71.3 Reaffirmed

ICRA A4+ (Revised from 6.30 CR) Simon India Ltd Non FB Fac ICRA BBB 500 Reaffirmed Skoda Auto India Pvt Ltd Fund Based/ NFBL ICRA AA+ / 1800 Reaffirmed

ICRA A1+ Sri Ramachandra University LT: FB Fac - TL ICRA A+ 1250 Assigned / Trust Outstanding (enhanced from 12.50 CR) Sri Ramachandra University LT: FB Fac - TL ICRA A+ 1250 Assigned / Trust Outstanding (enhanced from 12.50 CR) Sudhir Agro Oils Pvt Ltd FBL ICRA BB- 40 Upgraded

from B+ T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Pvt LT: TL ICRA AA 531.3 Reaffirmed Ltd (reduced from 180.00 CR) T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Pvt LT: TL ICRA AA 531.3 Reaffirmed Ltd (reduced from 180.00 CR) T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Pvt LT / ST: FBL ICRA AA / 5000 Reaffirmed Ltd ICRA A1+ T V Sundram Iyengar & Sons Pvt LT / ST: FBL ICRA AA / 5000 Reaffirmed Ltd ICRA A1+ Truevalue Engineering Pvt Ltd LT FBL ICRA B+ 125 ASsigned Volkswagen Group Sales India Fund Based/NFBL ICRA AA+ / 6500 Reaffirmed Pvt Ltd ICRA A1+ Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd Fund Based/ NFBL ICRA AA+ / 8700 Reaffirmed

ICRA A1+ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $: Rating watch with positive implication #: Rating Watch with Developing implications @: Rating Watch with Negative Implications %: Rating under Credit Watch wd -Rating Stands Withdrawn sp -Rating Suspended pp -Principal Protected pn -Principal Not Protected ICRA may apply + or - signs for ratings to reflect a comparative standing within the category. BG-Bank Guarantee; CC-Cash Credit; CCPS-Cumulative Convertible Preference Share; CD-Certificate of Deposit; CLO-Collateralized Loan Obligation; CPA-Claims Paying Ability; CP-Commercial Paper; CPS-convertible preference shares; CRPS- Cumulative Redeemable Convertible Preference shares; DDB-Deep Discount Bond; EPBI-Exchange premium bond; FBL-Fund Based Limits; FRB/FRN -Floating Rate Bond/Note; ICD -Inter Corporate Deposit; ITD-Immediate Term Debt; LOC-Letter of Credit; LT -Long Term; LTB -Long Term Borrowing; LTD -Long Term Debt; MOCD-multiple option convertible debenture; MTD -Medium term Debenture; MTN-medium term notes; NCD(SO) - Non-Convertible Debenture-(Structured Obligation); NCD-Non-convertible Debentures; NCRB-Non Convertible Redeemable Bonds; NM-Not Meaningful; OCD-optionally convertible debenture; OD-Over Draft; OFCD-Optionally Fully Convertible Debenture; PCD-Partially Convertible Debenture; PCN-partly convertible notes; PCPS-Partly Convertible Preference Share; POCD-partly optional; PP-privately placed; PSPC-Post Shipment & Packing Credit; PS-Preference Shares; PTC-Pass Through Certificates; RPS-Redeemable Preference Shares; SCPN-secured convertible preference notes; SDO-Structured Debt Obligation; SLR-Statutory Liquidity Ratio; SO-Structured Obligation; SPCD - Secured Partly Convertible Debentures; SPN-secured premium notes; STB-Short Term Bond; STD-Short Term Debentures; ST-Short Term; Sub. Bonds-Subordinate Bonds; TB-Taxable Bond; TFB-Tax Free Bond; TL-Term Loan; TOCD-triple option convertible debentures. (Mumbai Rate Reporting Unit + 91 22 6180 7222 / 3317 7222 , E-mail at rru.data@thomsonreuters.com)

Keywords: ICRA RATINGS/
By Claire Ruckin

LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - As the deadline for the ECB's consultation on its proposed leveraged lending guidelines draws to a close, bankers want clarity on which lenders it will cover and how it will be monitored.

The ECB unveiled draft guidelines in November that mirror existing US rules introduced in 2013 designed to reduce systemic risk and encourage banks to maintain credit standards by clamping down on risky loans.

A public hearing is taking place on Friday prior to a response deadline of January 27, and many bankers are still unclear on some of the major defining aspects around implementation. A key question is whether the guidelines will only apply to eurozone banks or whether other banks operating in Europe such as those from the UK, Japan and the US will fall under the remit.

"Who do the guidelines really cover? How that shapes up is probably the key question," a leveraged finance banker said.

Bankers are also unclear how formal the guidelines will be and how stringently the ECB will monitor them. In the US, regulators have people dedicated to monitoring each bank and each deal, but the ECB has nowhere near that kind of manpower.

To date, the ECB has remained vague about the application of the guidelines, leaving many bankers to act cautiously for fear that tighter controls could be introduced retrospectively.

"The ECB has so far been smart by being vague," a syndicate head said. "If there was a defined hard line we know we could not cross, we would find a way to cross it. Now it is just a set of guidelines which no-one knows that much about, so as a result we have to anticipate what we think would be too much."

US EXAMPLE

In the US, lending guidelines were introduced in 2013 to curb loans leveraged above six times debt to Ebitda. The guidelines, which also measure companies' ability to repay, have succeeded in driving leverage levels lower. Average total leverage on large corporate buyout deals peaked at 7.4 times in 2007, but fell below six times after the guidelines were enforced more stringently from 2014.

The US rules allow the use of Ebitda calculated on an adjusted basis, something the ECB guidelines have so far ruled out.

By adjusting Ebitda, based on any number of factors including acquisitions and synergies, currency, future cost-saving programmes and one-off costs such as restructurings, bankers are able to apply lower leverage multiples than reported Ebitda.

A debt financing totalling around 275m is set to launch backing Advent and Bain Capital's acquisition of German payment group Concardis. Adjusted Ebitda is set to total around 55m, while actual Ebitda has been said to be as low as 34m.

"Adjusting Ebitda is totally justifiable. Some adjustments are easier to buy into than others, though," a second syndicate head said.

If the ECB puts a stop to banks using adjusted Ebitda to calculate leverage, it could give those regulated by the US a competitive advantage if they are not also subject to the ECB rules.

In the US, the introduction of leverage restrictions helped lenders not subject to the guidelines - including Jefferies, Macquarie, Nomura, credit arms of private equity firms and business development companies - gain market share.

"Inevitably there will be a period of negotiation with the ECB but ultimately the question is how much difference will it make. The guidelines will have to be worked around otherwise there will be unintended consequences, as a deal eminently financeable might fall foul of the regulations," the second syndicate head said.

(Editing by Christopher Mangham)
JOHANNESBURG, Jan 20 (Reuters) - South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) will "fight tooth and nail" against plans by AngloGold Ashanti to lay off more than 800 workers, the sector's biggest union said on Friday.

Africa's biggest gold producer is in talks with the NUM as well as the UASA and Solidarity unions to axe workers at its domestic operations, a document obtained by Reuters showed on Thursday. The NUM confirmed in a statement on Friday that it had received notice from AngloGold of a plan to dismiss 849 South African workers.

"The NUM remain fearless, committed, dedicated and unshaken in fighting for the mineworkers. The NUM does not want to see mineworkers being retrenched," it said.

AngloGold employs about 25,000 people in South Africa, whose vast resources are accompanied by sometimes volatile labour relations, rising costs and regulatory disruptions.

Output from its South African mines, which contribute roughly a quarter of the company's nearly 4 million ounces in annual output, has declined in recent years due to regulatory disruptions related to safety.

(Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; editing by Jason Neely)
Ugandan shilling unchanged, Treasury bill auction flows help



KAMPALA, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The Uganda shilling was stable on Friday, and was expected to firm, helped by dollar inflows from offshore investors paying for this week's Treasury bills auction. At 0826 GMT commercial banks quoted the shilling at 3,585/3,595, unchanged from Thursday's close. UGX Spot Rate................... Ugandan Shilling Money Guide.... Calculated Cross Rates.......... Deposits..................... Deposits & Forwards............. Uganda Equities Guide....... Uganda All Share Index........ Shilling background ..... Ugandan Debt Guide............ All Uganda Bonds............. Uganda T-Bills.............. Uganda Benchmark............. Central Bank ................ Ugandan Contributor Index.... Uganda Coffee Prices....... (Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa)

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
* COSCO Shipping says rumours of bid for OOCL "incorrect"

* Orient Overseas Int'l (OOIL) says not aware of any bids

* Media reported COSCO, Evergreen, CMA CGM planning bids

* Firms are part of Ocean Alliance due to begin April 2017

(Recasts, adds company comments, details)

By Brenda Goh and Adam Jourdan

SHANGHAI, Jan 20 (Reuters) - China's COSCO Shipping Corporation and Hong Kong-listed shipping and property firm Orient Overseas International (OOIL) Ltd on Friday threw cold water on reports that the two were in talks over a deal for OOIL's subsidiary OOCL.

Container shipping has seen consolidation and shake-up as the industry struggles to recover from a slump in freight rates linked to a glut of ships and slowing Chinese economic growth.

On Wednesday, Chinese business newspaper Caixin, citing sources, reported that China COSCO Shipping would participate in bidding for OOCL alongside Evergreen Marine Corp and France's CMA CGM . "The company wishes to clarify that the company and OOCL is not aware of, nor is it involved in any bid relating to the company or OOCL," Orient said in a statement to the Hong Kong exchange, adding it had noted the reports about a "potential bid".

A COSCO Shipping spokeswoman told Reuters separately that the rumours were "incorrect". CMA CGM and Evergreen similarly dismissed the reports.

"We did not bid for OOCL. It's a market rumour," said Golden Kou, an Evergreen vice president.

A spokesman for CMA CGM said the firm did not comment on market rumours.

Shares in closely-held Orient Overseas, buoyed earlier in the week by news of a potential deal, were down almost 10 percent on Friday. COSCO Shipping, CMA CGM, Evergreen and Orient are all part of the "Ocean Alliance" partnership, formed last year to take on the rival grouping of Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping. The Ocean Alliance will formally start in April after current alliances expire.

(Reporting by Adam Jourdan and Brenda Goh; Additional Reporting by Faith Hung in TAIPEI; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) -

* Benchmark dated Brent, on which West African oil is priced, jumped nearly 3 percent on Friday as optimism grew that the market was balancing. * Oil executives and Middle East producers are concerend that trade tensions between China and the United States could crimp energy demand growth and the oil price recovery. * On Friday, medium and heavy crudes continued to trade quickly, but fresh Nigerian loading programmes for March, and an increase in oil produced in Libya, were weighing on light sweet oil differentials. ANGOLA

* State-firm Sonangol was sold out, after selling its Mondo cargo on Friday. A trader said all the cargoes moved at the initial offer levels.

* ExxonMobil had also sold a cargo of Angolan crude, likely Mondo, traders said, but further details were not available.

* Fifteen of the March loading cargoes went to term buyers, including seven to Sinochem, four to Unipec, one each to IOC, CPC, Shell and Phillips66.

* Chinese buyers have also taken most of the March-loading spot cargoes that have traded so far.

NIGERIA

* State oil company NNPC slashed its official selling prices for key grades Bonny light and Qua Iboe, reflecting weak demand for light sweet crude. * Uncertainty around loadings has also dented buyer demand for West Africa grades, with Indian tenders among the primary reliable outlets.

* March export plans released on Friday showed an increase in Bonny Light loadings, with Qua Iboe also higher than the revised February plan, as two of the February cargoes were pushed into March. * Just under 20 cargoes were left for February loading.

TENDERS

* Total won a tender to supply India's HPCL with March-loading with 2 million barrels of crude. The grades that were part of the award were not immediately clear.

* India's IOC issued tenders to buy crude for February and March loading.

(Reporting By Libby George; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
Stuff reports:

There is a high risk New Zealands tobacco black market could grow significantly, costing the Government over $10 million a year, a declassified document says. A Stuff investigation last year, which included a reporter purchasing 80 grams of the illicit product, highlighted how easy it is to buy illegal tobacco online. Police have also raised concerns the black market is fuelling armed robberies and burglaries in Christchurch.

This shows the problems of increasing taxes on a product. There comes a point where more and more people turn to the illegal black market.

Increased excise taxes on tobacco are and have been an effective way of reducing the numbers who smoke. Im supportive of them. But tax alone wont do it. If you keep increasing the tax, youll keep growing the black market.

The document outlined a possible scenario in which the market could reach a tipping point  where illegal tobacco is so much cheaper than legal tobacco that the market begins to boom. It goes like this: increasing tobacco thefts, illegally imported tobacco, and sales of home-grown tobacco lead to an increased illicit supply. The increased supply causes the price of illegal tobacco to drop. The black market increases as cash-strapped smokers turn to illicit sources, therefore making New Zealand an attractive destination for illicit tobacco imports.

This is why the Government cant rely on tax increases alone and should look to make reduced harm products such as e-cigarettes easier to purchase than normal cigarettes.

Media coverage suggested the black market tobacco trade is booming across the ditch, with reports it is worth more than $1 billion. Organised criminals are attracted by the huge money at stake and the softer penalties compared to those for importing and dealing drugs. Customs estimated that black market tobacco made up 2 to 3 per cent of the New Zealand tobacco market, compared with Australia where it was over 14 per cent.

So the question is how do we avoid the Australian experience?

Share this: Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Reddit

WhatsApp

More

Pinterest

Print



Tumblr


Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Periods of rain. Snow may mix in late. Low 32F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Snow may mix in late. Low 32F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall may reach one inch.
New drama "Saimdang, Memoir of Colors," starring actress Lee Young-ae, will premiere on Jan. 26 on SBS.

/ Courtesy of SBS



By Park Jin-hai





"Saimdang's Red Silk Wrapper"

by Kwon Ji-ye Novel "Saimdang"

by Lee Soon-won

In time with the much anticipated drama "Saimdang, Memoir of Colors," starring actress Lee Young-ae, which premiers Jan. 26 on SBS, the local publishing industry has released a series of books shedding fresh light on the historical figure, commonly known as the maternal icon of a "wise mother" to many here.

Instead of the fixed image, the latest books, ranging from scholastic tomes to novels and children's books, strive to bring the unknown sides of the Joseon Kingdom figure Shin Saimdang (1504-1551), who was an artist, writer, calligrapher and poet, and the mother of renowned Korean Confucian scholar Yulgok Yi I.

From late last year, when the drama was initially set to air with a simultaneous broadcast on China's Hunan TV, local publishers and academics have produced many books about Shin's life.

In academia, Jung Ok-ja, Seoul National University Professor Emeritus of Korean History, highly praises Shin as a "woman who succeeded in marital life and the realization of ego" in her book "Saimdang Story," published November last year. "Shin Saimdang, Excuses for her," a collaborative work of researchers on theories, women's studies and art history, says the woman that we know as Shin was manipulated and tracks how her image has been skewed under the hands of people in power over the passage of time.

Fiction and historical novels including "Novel Saimdang" by Song Seung-hui, and "Saimdang's Secrete Letter" by Shn A-yeon, followed.

Writer Lee Soon-won joined with his novel "Saimdang," where Lee says he restores Shin's life based on historical documentation; while Kwon Ji-ye published a revised version of her 2008 work of fiction telling the love story of the historical figure in "Saimdang's Red Silk Wrapper." Writer Im Na-kyung is slated to release "Saimdang Shin In-seon" soon.

Nine children's books on Shin's life have either been published or soon will be.

Although Shin has been the mainstay of biographies for children, instead of the maternal icon that plastered most of the previous books of the 1980s and the 1990s, the new ones highlight her life as an artist and a woman.

"Who is Saimdang?" published by Pulbit, describes her as "Joseon's top woman who bloomed her artistic talent," while "Shinsaimdgan," published by Purungil, says Shin is a "Joseon-era woman, who was the mistress of her own life."

Feminist groups, who protested the central bank's 2007 decision to make Shin the first woman featured on a Korean banknote because of the then stereotypical image of a traditional wise mother amid the country's patriarchy, hailed the different approach from the publishing industry.

"The wise mother image has been just part of her. I wish various aspects including her pains and conflicts as an artist and how she cultivated her talents despite the rigid Confucian society should be discussed," said an official of a local women's right group Womenlink.
By Jun Ji-hye



After the outgoing U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert returned home, Friday, diplomatic observers are raising concerns that it will take some time for the newly inaugurated Donald Trump administration to pick a new envoy to Seoul.



They say it would take at least several months for the next U.S. ambassador to arrive in Korea, noting that Trump has yet to select who will replace Lippert. After being named, an ambassador designate needs to go through a Senate confirmation hearing.



The possible long-term vacuum in the post of Washington's top envoy here could result in a setback in the prompt communication between the two nations amid growing concern over North Korea's possible missile provocations as well as a greater change in the Northeast Asian order expected under the Trump administration.



"There is the possibility that a new ambassador might not be appointed even within the first half of the year," a diplomatic source said on condition of anonymity.



He cited that Trump has still not completed the line-up at the Department of the State. The nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, underwent a Senate confirmation hearing, Jan. 11, but his appointment has yet to be approved.



If senators confirm his appointment, possibly next week, the Trump government then needs to fill in other major posts such as deputy secretary of state and assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, before naming a nominee as ambassador to Seoul.



Lippert, known as a close friend to President Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, arrived here in October 2014 as the youngest U.S. envoy to Seoul. At the time, his confirmation for the post was made despite opposition from Republicans who said Lippert was a "political nominee" of Obama.



Lippert left Seoul reportedly because Trump ordered Washington's ambassadors, who he believed were politically nominated under the Obama administration, to return home by his inauguration day.



"The Trump administration might wait to see the ongoing political situation in Seoul before making a decision on the replacement of Lippert," another source said, referring to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment following the high-profile corruption and influence-peddling scandal.



Park's impeachment has raised the likelihood that a presidential election here could take place within the first half of the year instead of December, and the new U.S. government might wait until the new leadership is formed here, the source added.



Until the arrival of the new ambassador, Marc Knapper, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, will be an acting ambassador.



Before his departure from Incheon International Airport, Lippert told reporters that he will continue to give efforts to improve the Seoul-Washington alliance, expressing his gratitude for South Koreans' love for and attention to him and his family.



Regarding concerns over the possibility that the Trump government would neglect the alliance, Lippert said that bilateral relations have improved despite some challenges in the past and that this history will continue.




By Kim Rahn



A court decision not to arrest Samsung Group chief Lee Jae-yong is likely to affect the independent counsel's investigation into President Park Geun-hye's bribery allegations involving the group and other conglomerates.



Even though the counsel team says it will continue its probe regardless, concerns are that it may lose its driving force to investigate other companies in the corruption scandal involving Park and her friend Choi Soon-sil, because the arrest warrant request for Lee was a milestone.



The Seoul Central District Court rejected the warrant request, Thursday, citing insufficient evidence to charge Lee with bribery. It is alleged that Samsung provided 43 billion won ($37 million) to Choi in the guise of donations to companies set up by Choi and her cronies in return for business favors from Park. The investigators regarded the money as a bribe to the President.



But the court said there was room for dispute as to if the donation was in pursuit of favors. The warrant rejection means the court partially accepted Samsung's claim that it provided the funds due to "coercion" from powerful figures, including Park, not in exchange for favors.



Lee Kyu-chul, the spokesman for special prosecutor Park Young-soo, said, "It seems the court has a different view from the counsel team concerning the allegations."



With the failure to arrest Lee, the alleged provider of bribes, the counsel team may come up with a Plan B in order to apply bribery charges to Park.



While it has to devise a new approach toward the charges, it cannot delay the face-to-face questioning of the President considering its probe will be finished at the end of February unless acting president Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn approves an extension period of 30 days.



The team said it will question Park in early February. "We will take the necessary steps, such as setting a questioning date with Park's attorneys," the spokesman said. He added:, "Early-February questioning is our plan, but it can be changed according to circumstances."



While Park earlier said she would cooperate with the independent counsel's investigation, it is also possible for her to refuse questioning as she did last year when the prosecution was investigating the allegations. The counsel team has no legal ground to forcibly question the President if she refuses.



At the beginning of the investigation, the team pledged to conduct searches of several locations in Cheong Wa Dae, such as the security office and clinic, which are not considered classified zones. This was because the presidential office refused to allow the prosecution to search them in October, saying no place could be searched due to the presence of classified state information.



Cheong Wa Dae instead handed over only limited documents to the prosecution.



A presidential official said the office could refuse to allow a counsel team's search as well and only hand over necessary materials, again citing security reasons.




A CCTV installed in a red-light district in downtown Seoul, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Kim Joo-young



By Lee Kyung-min and Yoon Hee-jeong

Concern is growing that a Daegu City plan to set up surveillance cameras near brothels may violate human rights.

While the municipality claims the move is the right and effective way to drive out prostitutes to prevent the region's reputation being tainted, the sex workers say they are being unfairly victimized.

According to the Daegu Metropolitan Government, a joint team comprising representatives from the city government, Jung-gu District Office, the education office and police plans to set up surveillance cameras at five entrances to "Jagal Ground," in Jung-gu, where more than 110 prostitutes work.

The team plans to set up banners that read, "Selling and buying sex is a crime and violators will be punished accordingly."

The move comes ahead of the opening of a residential complex into which more than 1,000 households will start moving in October.

The district and city government said people who planned to move into the complex were filing numerous complaints demanding swift and complete removal of what they claim is a "distasteful operation."

"We may consider holding hearings and public discussions to push ahead with the cameras," a city government official said, Friday.

In response, Kang Hyun-joon, director general of the Hanteo National Union (HNU), a civic rights group representing the sex workers, said more than 35 brothel owners in the village planned to file a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking its recommendation to halt such a move.

Kang said the HNU planned to hold a massive rally similar to one held in 2011 on Yeouido, Seoul, to protest against the government's plan to shut brothels.

He said that because of the authorities' unilateral decision, one of the most vulnerable social classes was being forced to give up its basic human rights.

"It's like the fight is between us and the rest of the world," Kang said.

"Except for us, everyone else has vested interests in having us removed  construction firms, the municipalities, the education authorities and police. They simply want the workers to relocate voluntarily out of shame."

The bigger problem, Kang said, was that the sex workers had no power to prevent the authorities setting up the cameras should the authorities push ahead with the plan with "Cheongryang 588" a case in point.

Last year, despite fierce protests from more than 70 sex workers, about 20 cameras were set up in the red-light district in Dongdaemun, eastern Seoul, a year after the workers were told to move out.

"We learned the lesson then, and we will not let a similar incident happen this time," Kang said.

The NHRC's indifference was only aggravating the workers' situation, he added.

"The NHRC was only set up to meet the global standards required by international organizations such as the United Nations. It is not only toothless, but also incompetent, not at all interested in improving the situation."
Staff live apart from family for Olympic stint

By Kang Hyun-kyung





PYEONGCHANG  Just as birds migrate to search for food among other reasons, some people move to new places for work.

Staff at the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG), who moved to the eastern rural county for their Olympic stint following the relocation of the headquarters from Seoul last July, compare themselves to migrant birds. Those who live apart from their families in urban centers have braced for the loneliness blues.

These urbanites identify themselves as different types of birds, depending on their opportunities to travel back and forth from their workplace to home.

"We have few locals here and the vast majority of staff here are from distant cities," said Samuel Kim, the manager of POCOG's domestic media relations team, "so we call ourselves migrant birds as we moved here for work and have since lived apart from our families."

He identifies himself as a seagull as his wife and three-year-old child live in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Seagulls refer to inter-city travelers who visit their family during weekends.

Until December, Kim said every weekend he visited his home, which is over three hours by car from the rural county. But his weekly visits have become almost impossible in January as he became busier preparing for a series of test events. "We have to work even during the weekend, so it's really hard to find time to visit my family every week," he said.

Kim said he is relatively fortunate, compared to his colleagues who have family living in cities farther away, such as Gwangju or Busan. It is harder to visit their families on a regular basis because of the long distance between work and home, he said.

Seagulls and wild geese have become buzzwords after POCOG's move. The highest stratum of the bird category is eagles, followed by seagulls, wild geese and penguins.

"Those who are classified as eagles are the people who can visit their family members more often than others, and in this sense, they are lucky," said Song Heon-seog, the director of the media relations department. "It is easier for them to find time to see their families because their work enables them to travel a lot. They can drop by their homes during business trips to Seoul."

According to Song, penguins refer to people who are anxious to see their families but cannot make it because they are fully tied to their work and have a hard time finding time to travel back and forth from work to home. The naming comes from the idea that penguins cannot fly so they are unable to travel to distant cities.

"I assume that there are no staffers here who fit in the penguin category," he said. Song considers himself an eagle because he frequently travels to Seoul on business trips. He is in charge of the domestic press and comes to Seoul to meet journalists based in the capital.

Those who have families abroad, such as expats or foreign-born employees, are labeled wild geese because they have to migrate to their home countries to see their families. It is harder for them than eagles or seagulls to find time to visit home because of the long distance.

Lee Hee-beom, POCOG president, is one of the people who moved to the rural county for the Olympic job.

Mentioning his bleak life in the remote county that has no fancy restaurants or places to go for fun and is notorious for its cold winter weather, Lee said he and all his staffers are mission-driven people who set their personal wellbeing aside for the success of the Olympics.

"When we decided to relocate the headquarters from Seoul to PyeongChang last summer, some people, including IOC leaders, were concerned about the possible loss of staff because of the tough working conditions in the rural county," he said during a news conference on Tuesday.

He said such worries were addressed because about 25 percent of the Russian staff for the Sochi Olympics quit after the relocation of the organizing committee headquarters because of the remote location.

"Fortunately, no staffers have resigned after we relocated to PyeongChang," Lee said. He said all his staff are "dedicated, patriotic people" who are working hard to host the Olympics successfully.

"Please be nice to us," he asked reporters.

His remarks came as some reporters asked to confirm whether or not the Choi Soon-sil scandal had any impact on the preparations for the Olympics.

Lee said it is true that the corruption scandal dealt a blow to the image of the Olympics but no physical or financial damages were incurred because all bidding was held in a transparent manner.

Public relations staffer Kim said the morale of the PyeongChang staff hit a low point in the wake of the Choi scandal.

"We worked hard for the success of the Olympics but all of a sudden we were portrayed in some media as corrupt people who were related to the corruption scandal," he said. "We're frustrated because many of us are working hard here under tough conditions and enduring loneliness to host the Olympics successfully."
By Sah Dong-seok





Like in other countries, the term ''glass ceiling'' has been commonly used in Korea to symbolize the sexual discrimination women suffer in workplaces. This word is still useful in Korea, considering that not many women here have yet to climb the corporate ladder and become executives. Such a dismal situation for women has improved a bit, but it is true Korea has a long way to go in that regard.

Yet what is much more problematic than the glass ceiling in Korea may be the sexism prevalent in the corporate process of hiring new employees. The truth is that most Korean companies make it a rule to largely recruit men while eliminating female applicants in their screenings. In light of the fact that it is imperative for women to break this invisible barrier to enter companies, we might call this inequality in recruitment the ''glass door.''

Korean companies rarely make public the ratio of male newcomers to women, but it's an open secret that eight out of 10 are usually men. This often leaves female jobseekers in an abyss of despair. Their sense of frustration is beyond imagination, especially taking into account that female students have outnumbered males in college enrollment since 2009. Little wonder then that there is a saying that being a man is a qualification.

Statistics prove these narrow job openings for female students. According to Statistics Korea, the jobless rate of women in their 20s hit an all-time high of 7.3 percent in November, up 1 percentage point from a year earlier. In sharp contrast, the unemployment rate of male 20-somethings dropped by 1 percentage point to 9.1 percent during the same period. So it is said jokingly that some female jobseekers even want to have sex-change surgery.

Media companies preferred by female applicants with humanities majors are no exception in discriminating against women. In general, female applicants outnumber males at a ratio of seven to three, but the gender ratio of successful applicants is often the opposite  seven men to three women. Female applicants are chiefly screened out in interviews, and it's hardly surprising that women have to do very well in written tests to smash the glass door in recruitment.

There are diverse reasons for businesses to abhor accepting women. The scope of work they can undertake after joining the company is narrow. It's also hard to get women to work overtime at night or on holidays.

Most important, however, companies fear hiring women because of a plethora of regulatory measures the government has taken to protect female workers in the workplace. It is paradoxical indeed that well intentioned protective measures result in decisive hurdles for female applicants in getting hired.

Take childcare-leave policies for instance. Under the relevant law, both male and female workers at private companies can apply for parental leave. But given Korea's corporate culture where men feel it hard to dare to use the legal right, it is common for only women to apply for maternity leave.

Women can have a three-month post-partum vacation plus one-year maternity leave, and this period is long enough to vex employers who must look for replacements. It would be good if companies could find suitable contract workers to fill up the blank, but this is easier said than done. If not, the companies have to run the risk of making their organization bloated by employing full-timers.

Maternity leave is essential to boost childbirth, given the accelerating trend of a low birthrate and population aging. This system is also certain to help businesses secure skilled manpower by making it possible for women to return to work after raising children for a certain period.

But it makes no sense if businesses hate to hire female applicants, burdened by policies with the good intention of protecting women. One cannot but recall the saying  "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Rep. Yoo Seong-min of the newly created Bareun Party last week proposed lengthening parental leave to a maximum of three years, which is currently applicable only to civil servants, to help ease the low birthrate problem. Yoo, one of the presidential hopefuls, also offered to allow workers to use childcare leave until their children become 18 from the current eight, with the leave able to be requested three times separately if they wish.

On the surface, Yoo's proposals seem appropriate and well-timed, raising expectations that they will be instrumental in easing our looming ''demographic cliff'' and raising Korea's birthrate, which is one of the world's lowest. Policymakers could comply with Yoo's proposals and change the regulation without much thought.

But this change could narrow the door to female employment further because most applicants for it will be women, as usual. Not surprisingly, even large companies will be reluctant to accept women as their new employees. We already know that a growing number of female students have opted to take the civil service exam where gender bias is relatively weak.

Parents feel frustrated when their daughters are discriminated against in the job market merely for being women. Their frustration turns into fury when they discover that their daughters get poor marks in interviews, also merely for being women.

This is not to say that our generous maternity leave policies must be scaled down or repealed. Rather, they should be expanded to encourage more women to work. Simply, we hope that policymakers will be more elaborate and detailed in drawing up such policies.





The writer is the executive editor of The Korea Times. Contact him at sahds@ktimes.com.
By Kang Seung-woo



The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th U.S. president on Friday is placing the nation's global home appliance powerhouses in quandary over an establishment of production facilities in the United States.



Trump has pressured global companies as well as local business entities to build their factories in his country as part of efforts to create jobs for Americans under his campaign pledge of "Make American Great Again."



However, LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics are in the initial stage of considering such a plan although the U.S. market is one of their biggest targets.



LG Electronics CEO and Vice Chairman Jo Seong-jin said in Las Vegas earlier this month that the company was reviewing the possibility of building a home appliance plant in the United States .



"Nothing has been decided as yet," said a LG official, adding that the company is mulling ways to minimize potential risks.



Samsung remains in the same position with its archrival, as well.



"We are currently monitoring the changing circumstances of the U.S. market," said a Samsung official.



Trump has threatened to slap a heavy tax on goods from Mexico or elsewhere after he occupies the White House.



Currently, the two companies operate their own factories in Mexico and export their goods to the United States without having to pay taxes based on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but Trump is highly anticipated to reform the trade deal as he pledged on the campaign trail.



According to industry sources, the biggest sticking point for the companies setting up factories there is higher personnel expenses than that of Mexico. Their hourly wage in the United States, estimated aat $20-$25, is nearly equivalent to the daily wage of Mexican workers. Due to the wage disparities, many companies that once operated there moved their production bases to China and Mexico.



In addition, such plans to curry favor with Trump may backfire in the future amid unpredictability for the future demand in the U.S. market.



For Samsung, it might not be easy for an early conclusion on the plan as its Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yon is not in a position to decide a new investment plan even though he avoided detention, Thursday, with regard to the corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil.



Amid the growing concerns, many global companies, including Hyundai Motor Group, surrendered to the billionaire-turned-president's threats.



Hyundai, the world's fifth-largest automaker, said earlier this week that it may consider building additional production facilities, while announcing that it will invest a total of 3.6 trillion won ($3.1 billion) in the United States over the next five years.



Earlier this month, Japan's Toyota also announced its plan to make a $10 billion capital investment in the United States over the next five years and the U.S. automakers General Motors and Ford Motor also followed suit.



Trump said his administration will slap a 35 percent tax on vehicle imports from Mexico.




Oh Jun-ho, head of the Humanoid Robot Research Center at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), third from left, with humanoid robot HUBO and executives from the institute and government organizations during the opening of the center in Daejeon, Thursday. / Courtesy of KAIST



By Yoon Sung-won



The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) is accelerating the development of advanced mechanical engineering technologies and autonomous systems for intelligent humanoids under financial support from the government, the institute said Friday.



Toward that end, the nation's leading science and technology research institute opened the "Humanoid Robot Research Center," Thursday.



The institute has already run a robot laboratory to develop Korea's first humanoid named "HUBO" for more than a decade. But the support by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has upgrade the facility as an official state-backed research center to domestically develop robot engineering technologies and intelligent systems for humanoids while fostering new experts in this sector.



For the next five years, the research center will receive 15 billion won subsidy from the ministry.



Oh Jun-ho, a mechanical engineering professor at the KAIST who created "HUBO" will lead the research project in the center. Oh said the center's top priority is to localize robot design and engineering technologies.



"We are working to built robots like U.S. robotics company Boston Dynamic's humanoid robot Atlas,'" Oh said in a telephone interview, Friday. "Such advanced robots also run on oil pressure and electricity. But we have faced limits in upgrading the robot's performances because we have had no other option but to use existing components. So our top priority is to secure original technologies."



Oh said his second mission is to develop advanced humanoids that far exceed capabilities of HUBO. To this end, he said the research center newly started to develop what is called the "robot intelligence" which makes robots understand orders, recognize objects and operate autonomously.



"At the old HUBO center, we have not looked into artificial intelligence research. But recently we could invite three new experts in this sector and expand the team to research robot intelligence. By adding advanced mechanical engineering technologies to autonomous systems, we will build better humanoids."



Oh said the concept of robot intelligence is different from artificial intelligence systems that are under development by global giants such as Google and Amazon as the former is specifically about how to operate robots.



He said robots that have been made at his laboratory needed detailed orders to do certain task. Even in a simple order to pick up a cup with its holder and put in on a table, robots needed preset programs to recognize what is a cup, which part of it is holder and how to bring it to the table. But with the autonomous system, such processes will be done automatically.



Meanwhile, the team KAIST, led by Oh, participated in the Robotics Challenge hosted by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in 2015. With the Korean humanoid HUBO, Oh's team competed with 24 teams around the world and topped the podium.
Despite being a member of the legendary boy group Super Junior, Kyuhyun still impressed the cast and crew of tvN's "New Journey to the West 3" with his hilarious dance moves. Curious of what Kyuhyun danced in the variety show?

According to a report by Soompi, Kyuhyun recently joined Kang Ho Dong, Lee Soo Geun, Eun Ji Won, Ahn Jae Hyun, and WINNER's Song Mino during their shoot for the travel variety show in China. The said episode turned out to be more than exciting as the producers of the show disrupted the cast's peaceful sleep through a wake up call.

Everything seemed normal at first not until the crew played the Chinese version of Kyuhyun's "At Gwanghwamun". Comedian Kang Ho Dong also woke up after hearing the said song and then praised Kyuhyun for the beautiful song early in the morning. However, not all of the men were awaken by Kyuhyun's recorded voice.

Kyuhyun might appear to be one of the finest and smartest idols in Korea, but his image transformed as soon as he decided to do a live singing show to wake the hosts of "New Journey to the West 3". Upon seeing the sleeping Song Mino, Kyuhyun started evolving into a rapper whom he named as 'KyuWhy' and then started rapping Mino's song entitled "Fear".

This scene shocked the staff and everyone can't help but burst into laughter after seeing the hidden variety side of Kyuhyun. When everyone thought Kyuhyun was already finished from his unexpected performance, Kyuhyun started transforming into a cute boy dancing to TWICE's "Cheer Up". As a favor asked by the crew of the show, Kyuhyun also did an encore performance dancing and singing to his group's hit song "Sorry Sorry".

Kyuhyun's funny side isn't shown all the time when he appears on TV. Fans know him for his good background from his family down to very high IQ especially when he attended Kyunghee University when he's still in college.

Missed the episode of "New Journey to the West 3"? Don't worry. You can still catch it over tvN's Official YouTube channel or you can check the excerpt below.
Filipino fans must be beyond excited about this news. The cast and crew of hit medical drama "Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim" will finally fly to the tropical shores of Cebu, Philippines on January 20.

From the report released by Soompi, it was revealed that the cast and crew of "Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim" will be in the Philippines from January 20 to January 24 as part of their victory vacation for the aforementioned medical drama. SBS rewarded them with this vacation after gaining increasing ratings and after leading the Monday-Tuesday evening timeslot ever since it started airing.

This news caused several excitement especially among Filipino fans of the show apparent on the social media. Local media outlets also took note of this news. However, some fans were also disappointed that not all of the show's cast will be travelling to Cebu.

Manila Bulletin, one of the leading newspapers in the Philippines, also noted that two of the show's lead actors won't be able to come for the victory vacation in Cebu. Han Suk Kyu or Teacher Kim in the drama, and Seo Hyun Jin or Doctor Seo Jung won't be able to attend the said vacation due to their personal schedules. Despite this news, Yoo Yeon Seok who played the role of Doctor Dong Joo and the rest of the cast and crew of the medical drama will join the vacation.

"Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim" just aired its final episode last January 16 which gained a whopping 26.7 percent on viewership ratings. AGB Nielsen also stated that the prequel episode which aired on January 17 gained 26 percent which both topped the ratings in the Monday-Tuesday timeslot.

Several avid viewers and even celebrity fans like Park Shin Hye, who also appeared in another medical drama, praised the show for its exemplary plot. "Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim" revolves around Teacher Kim Sa Bu/Boo Yong Joo who is a top surgeon that was exiled due to a surgical scandal in the top Geosan Hospital. In reviving his career in the secluded Doldam Hospital, he meets his proteges like Doctors Dong Joo and Seo Jung.

As of the time of writing, the cast and crew have taken the flight already to Cebu. Below is Kim Min Jae's update on his Instagram account.
Girls' Generation's YoonA has finally graced the silver screen with her newly released "Confidential Assignment". The 26 year-old is acting alongside big names in Korean movie industry such as Hyun Bin, Yoo Hae Jin, and Kim Joo Hyuk. On January 15, they appeared on MBC's "Section TV" to talk about the movie.

As reported by Soompi, one of her co-stars Yoo Hae Jin (a veteran actor recently famous for his appearance on "3 Meals a Day: Fishing Village") revealed a snippet of YoonA's character. He said, "YoonA is playing an unemployed sister-in-law (of my character). Knowing this is YoonA's first movie debut, she is able to show off a new side to her. I am looking forward to her acting."

YoonA then shared a thought from her manager upon watching the movie. She added, "My manager already saw the movie. He said I didn't seem like I was acting, like I was just being who I am in every day real life."

She continued to share about her experience filming with senior actors. She said they made her feel comfortable on the filming set. "They (the senior actors) also gave me a lot of advice and took good care of me during the filming," she added.

YoonA is no stranger when it comes to acting. She has a couple of hit dramas such as "You Are My Destiny", "Love Rain", and "Prime Minister and I". Her popularity skyrocketed thanks to "You Are My Destiny" back when she was only eighteen years old. Later on she won Excellence Award at the 2013 KBS Drama Awards for her role in "Prime Minister and I".

According to Naver, "Confidential Assignment" (or "Cooperation" as literal title) is a movie about two detectives from very different backgrounds. One is a South Korean detective, while the other is from North Korea. Together they team up to solve a case involving a criminal gang.

Stay tuned on Kpopstarz for the latest news from your favorite idols, actors, and many more.
The new movie "The King" was released on January 18th in South Korea. This movie is starred by Ryu Jun Yeol, Kim Ah Jong and Zo In Sung. Being worked with the big actor, Zo In Sung, Ryu Jun Yeol was so concerned and worried as many fans thought that he didn't deserve to act along with the star. Recently he shared about the help he got from In Sung.

The movie King has been anticipated by many people since it is starred by Zo In Sung. He is known to have a great acting on set. He is also kind and has a great chemistry. According to report from Dramabeans, The King will be directed by Han Jae-Rim.

Being the senior actor at the movie, Zo In Sung was so nice to give advice to Ryu Jun Yeol. Zo In Sung is known for his nice personality and his great approach to build chemistry. He is known to be a soft person and caring.

Ryu Jun Yeol as the new actor said that Zo In Sung helped him a lot. He faced difficulty to open up and let go of emotion too fast, but Zo In Sung approached him naturally and they could act well for the movie, according to report from Soompi.

Ryu also said about his concern about the challenge for acting in this movie. He often had concern and Zo In Sung was easily listening to him, giving him such a wise advice. Zo In Sung said that Ryu was doing fine and just needed to worry of the future.

Hearing such an advice, Ryu Jun Yeol convinced himself that he was doing fine. He just needed to do well. The future is something that he needs to think. With many more challenges to come, he should be ready and learn more.

It is great for Ryu to have Zo In Sung to give him advice. In Sung gave him confidence and he was doing well. The movie has been released yesterday with many good feedbacks.
Germany's lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a law that legalizes the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes for people who are chronically ill.

Those suffering from serious illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and chronic pain or a lack of appetite or nausea could be offered marijuana under the law.

The draft law says patients will only have the right to be treated with cannabis "in very limited exceptional cases" and patients will not be allowed to grow their own cannabis.

"Those who are severely ill need to get the best possible treatment and that includes health insurance funds paying for cannabis as a medicine for those who are chronically ill if they can't be effectively treated any other way," said Health Minister Hermann Groehe.


President Park Geun-hye used a mobile phone in someone else's name, her former aide Jeong Ho-seong told the Constitutional Court on Thursday. While this is nowhere near the worst crime she is being accused of, it is common practice among criminals and punishable by up to three years in prison or a maximum fine of W100 million (US$1=W1,178).

Jeong had one as well. "We didn't use phones registered in our own names because of the risk of our conversations being tapped," Jeong said in Parks impeachment trial. He added that he paid his own phone bill.

Asked whether Park was aware that the phone was registered to someone else, Jeong said she probably used whatever phone was given her. He did not say who obtained the phone for her but denied officials were told to use them by Park's longtime crony Choi Soon-sil, who is widely seen as a puppeteer behind the presidential office.

Choi herself had around a dozen mobile phones under aliases since Park became president in early 2013, and ex-presidential secretary An Chong-bum and Cheong Wa Dae staffer Lee Young-sun more than one each. That means all key figures in the massive corruption and influence-peddling scandal used illegal phones, like a ring of ticket touts.

Jeong also admitted delivering drafts of Park's speeches to Choi and said, "I was instructed to listen to Choi Soon-sil's opinions and reflect them in the process of drafting speeches."

Park's professional speechwriters have testified to their frustration that their speeches often came back littered with grammatical errors and peculiar turns of phrase. Choi, a woman of little education, apparently had a taste for high-toned nonsense that long baffled observers when it came out of Park's mouth.

Asked whether Choi also received documents about the appointment of key government officials, Jeong said, "Choi and the president discuss many things and she has gained the trust of the president." Jeong allegedly sent 180 Cheong Wa Dae documents to Choi, who held no official post, 47 of them with classified information.

Jeong also admitted telling Choi of scheduled meetings between Park and the heads of major business conglomerates, who then made huge donations to Choi either directly or through two dodgy nonprofits she controlled.

Asked whether Jeong ever refused to pass on Choi's opinions to Park, he said, "I did not ignore Choi's requests." Asked if anyone other than Choi was ever contacted for advice, he said no.

He added that Choi's identity was deliberately kept under wraps. "She was quietly helping the president behind the scenes, and things have ended up this way due to an unbelievable leak," he said ruefully.

Jeong also admitted meeting Choi in the presidential office and that he and An had free access to Park's residence in the Cheong Wa Dae compound. Jeong was one of three aides so privileged who had been faithful retainers since Park went into politics in 1998.

Asked why Park preferred to eat alone in her private residence, Jeong said, "She has a bad stomach and often suffers from indigestion. She needs to eat slowly by herself."

Park's reclusive nature and apparent refusal to communicate with many of her officials have been the focus of considerable attention after it was revealed that even her former secretary for political affairs, Cho Yoon-sun, never had a one-on-one meeting with the president during her time at Cheong Wa Dae.

Joeng, together with An and Choi, is separately on trial for corruption in the Seoul Central District Court.


The tycoons are still nervously watching the next move of the independent counsel who is probing the massive corruption scandal.

Lee and the heads of eight other top conglomerates are suspected of bribery in making massive donations to President Park Geun-hye's crony Choi Soon-sil, either directly or through two dodgy foundations she controlled.

Major conglomerates breathed a concerted sigh of relief after the Seoul Central District Court on Thursday declined to issue an arrest warrant for de facto Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong.

One staffer at a major business conglomerate said, "The court's refusal to issue the arrest warrant suggests that it doesn't consider the donations bribes. It seems the court has put a brake on the independent counsel's investigation."

But the court only said that there is room for debate whether the money was extorted or given in return for favors, adding that there was no pressing need to arrest Lee "now."

Other tycoons worry that they will become the next focus of the probe as the independent counsel seeks hard evidence of bribery.

SK and CJ, for example, are suspected of donating money to the dubious foundations in return for the pardons of their chairmen, Chey Tae-won and Lee Jae-hyun, who were in jail for corruption. Lotte is accused for paying the money to obtain licenses to open lucrative downtown duty free shops.

But all have insisted that they simply caved in to pressure from Park to donate the money and expected no favors in return.

Independent counsel Park Young-soo's team held an emergency meeting at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday to discuss what to do next after the setback. Lee Kyu-chul, a spokesman for the team, expressed "deep regret" over the court's decision and vowed to continue with its probe "without wavering."
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has described the non-extension of invitation to President Muhammadu Buhari to attend United States of America President-Elect, Donald Trumps inauguration as a clear signal that Buhari does not enjoy international relevance any more.

The governor, who said the 10 days vacation announced by the president could be to cover up the embarrassment, after all efforts to secure invitation to the inauguration failed, added that the development was a very clear signal that Buharis government will not enjoy tangible support from the new US government, adding that.

According to a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Mr.



Lere Olayinka, Fayose said there is no doubt that Buhari is not in the good books of the incoming US government, arguing that Buharis frequent visit to US during Obama administration and the romance was due to the tacit support given to Buhari by Obama to win the 2015 election with deception.

He said; with Obamas role in the emergence of President Buhari, it can be said that he (Obama) is a member of the APC in the diaspora. Fayose continued; There is more to it that in an important event like the inauguration of a new US President, our president will be missing in action.

The governor wondered why the same Buhari, who was a regular visitor to the US under Obama, is today not part of the historic inauguration of a new administration.

No doubt, something is fundamentally wrong because if there is hope of a future relationship between President Buhari and the new US President, they would have been celebrating his inauguration and would not have allowed Nigerians to hear any other news apart from Buhari going to America.

Obviously, Buharis junketing to US that gulped $1 million per trip, has come to an inglorious end, he said.

The governor, who congratulated Trump for winning against all odds, like he (Fayose) won his own election in Ekiti in 2014, appealed to the new American president to do everything humanly possible to save Nigeria from the wanton killings and horrid human rights abuses of the Buhari administration

. He enjoined Trump to use his good offices to look into the daily killings in Nigeria particularly in Southern Kaduna where over 1,000 people were slaughtered like goats and buried in mass graves.

Fayose reiterated; The Southern Kaduna killings is a clear case of genocide that must be thoroughly investigated and unraveled. 

To make matters worse was the bombing of the Internally Displaced Persons camp by the military in apparent desperation to cover up the corruption and mismanagement of affairs in the camp.

We appeal to Trump to ensure that the voice of the opposition is not silenced in this country. Describing the emergence of Trump as the will of God despite human gang up, Fayose said that the opposition in Nigeria will work with the new American government.

Fayose also cited the reckless disobedience to court orders; the deliberate efforts to kill opposition and turn Nigeria into a one-party state; the intolerance of this administration which is second to none, victimization and hacking of opposition leaders telephone conversations under the guise of anti-corruption war; the bastardization of institutions of state such as the armed forces, INEC, Police, Department of State Security, compromising of a section of the Judiciary, and turning them all into jellies doing the bidding of the ruling party at the snapping of fingers are other possible reasons why Buhari was not invited to Trumps inauguration.

He implored the new American president to put international pressure on the Buhari administration to restore true democracy to Nigeria.

We however appreciate the non invitation of Buhari because that will give him the much needed opportunity to face the problems he inflicted on Nigeria, especially the IDP bombing, which left over 100 hapless Nigerians dead, he said.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
Abeg o, let them leave Trump ooo. Donald Trump could face his first real test as President on the day of his inauguration as US intelligence officials claim North Korea is planning a new nuclear test.

South Korean media said leader Kim Jong-un may be preparing to test a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile as early as today.

However US officials, speaking anonymously, cautioned that they did not have such precise information about the range or potential timing of Pyongyangs missile test, should it happen.

One official suggested Pyongyang could be largely seeking to provoke the Trump administration.



One intelligence official told Reuters: If they do something, it would more likely be a test of Trump than a test of a delivery system.

They probably want to see how he reacts to a provocation, even a minor one, and if they really want to poke him, theyll do it right away.

In his New Years speech, leader Kim said North Korea was close to test launching an ICBM, and state media has said a launch could come at any time.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
Drug lord El Chapo has arrived in New York after being extradited from Mexico.

The infamous cartel boss, whose real name in Joaquin Guzman, was seen being led into an aircraft hangar in Ronkonkoma, Long Island, on Thursday night.

The 59-year-old appeared clean shaven in a beige jacket as he was flanked by guards.

The Mexican drug baron faced two extradition bids, one in California for drug distribution and another in Texas on charges that include murder and money laundering.



Approving the extradition in May, Mexicos foreign ministry said in a statement that the US government had given enough guarantees that the death penalty will not be applied.

But his legal team had hoped to stop his extradition, with his attorney Andres Granados filing papers to the courts in Mexico City.

It had been believed it could take six months to issue its ruling, before a likely appeal to the Supreme Court.

The S The fugitive was caught after a fierce gun battle in Los Mochis, a city in northern Sinaloa, during which five of his men were killed.

He was one of six people arrested after a four-hour operation.

Mexican marines who led the mission came under heavy gunfire after cornering the gang in a house in the city.

Six months earlier he disappeared through a 2ft wide hole in descending some 32 feet down a ladder from the Altiplano prison  55 miles west of Mexico City .

The tunnel, which took a year to dig and was estimated to have cost 4million, was found equipped with ventilation ducts, running electricity to power strip lighting and stairs.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
The whereabouts of former president Yahya Jammeh is unknown as military forces of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) crossed from Senegal into Gambia.

Long convoys of military vehicles with armed soldiers entered the troubled nation through the border town of Karang, resident Abdoulie Bah told dpa.

The troops are expected to search for long-term ruler Yahya Jammeh, who refuses to give up power despite losing the Dec. 1, 2016 presidential election to Barrow.



UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres expressed his deep concern about Jammehs refusal to step aside.

The UN Security Council voted unanimously to back Barrow and called for a peaceful transition of power.

The resolution called on former president Jammeh to carry out a peaceful and orderly transition process, and to transfer power to Barrow in accordance with the Gambian constitution.

It also supported ECOWAS in its commitment to ensure the respect of the will of the people  as expressed in the results of the December 1 elections.

Jammehs whereabouts remains unknown.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
LG on Thursday sent out press invitations for the launch of its flagship G6 smartphone in Barcelona on Feb. 26.

The device reportedly comes with voice-activation function Google Assistant, which was first featured on Google's Pixel phone that hit the market in October last year.

LG hopes that it can get a foothold in the premium smartphone market with the new handset.

When the video file invitation was clicked, fireworks appeared over a tranquil lake. It says the G6 is the world's first smartphone to feature a display with an aspect ratio of 18:9.

A spokesman said, "The screen can be horizontally divided to run two apps at the same time." It also comes with an embedded battery and enhanced waterproof capability.


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...
This article appears in the January 20, 2017 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

The Foreign Power Corrupting

U.S. Politics Is London, Not Moscow

[PDF version of this article]

by Helga Zepp-LaRouche

Helga Zepp-LaRouche is the chairwoman of the German political party Civil Rights Movement Solidarity (BuSo)

Jan. 13The unprecedented hysteria of the mainstream media and the neocons on both sides of the Atlantic over the election of Donald Trump is material for a first-class object lesson on the real dynamic now unfolding on the global strategic stage. It makes crystal clear, even for the most naive adherent of political correctness, that what is happening has nothing to do with the interests of one party, or one state, against another. It has to do with the methods used by a collapsing empire against the emergence of a new paradigm, the precise content of which has not yet been clearly defined, but which nonetheless represents the rejection of the system of globalization.

Precisely on the eve of Trumps first press conference as President-elect, the U.S. television network CNN, and Buzzfeed, an Internet media company, created a huge sensation by breaking the story of a 35-page dossier which, in addition to reporting unspeakable anecdotes about Trumps alleged sexual habits, claimed that there is evidence that Trump is a de facto a Russian agent. After the campaignlong since refuted by cyber-expertsthat Russia had hacked emails of the Democratic National Committee, systematically smeared Hillary Clinton, and thereby helped Trump get elected, this new action was intended to lay the groundworkeven before Trump occupies the White Housefor a rapid impeachment.

New York Daily News/you tube

The author of the dossier is Christopher Steele, a Russian expert from MI6, the British foreign intelligence service, who concocted the dossier in the summer of 2016. It circulated for months in U.S. media circles and was considered so dubious that no one was willing to publish it during the hot phase of the election campaign. It was given directly to FBI Director James Comey, and given to the FBI again by Senator John McCain, after he heard former British ambassador to Moscow Sir Andrew Wood praise Steele and his integrity on the sidelines of a security conference in Canada.

cc/Chatham House

After the surge of propaganda about the Russians stealing the U.S. election, and after Trumps declaration that he found Julian Assange of Wikileaks more credible than the U.S. intelligence services, the three U.S. intelligence chiefsDirector of National Intelligence James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan, and FBI Director James Comeybriefed the U.S. Senate, as well as President Obama and President-elect Trump, on their version of the story. The 35-page dossier would have played no role, because it was not credible, had these three intelligence chiefs not appended a two-page summary of it to their documents. The dodgy dossier was thus given the status of serious intelligence information, and that was apparently the green light for CNN, Buzzfeed, and then the rest of the media to publish the whole 35-page dossier.

A day later Clapper telephoned Trump to stress, after the fact, that U.S. intelligence services were not the source of the dossier, and that he could not vouch for its accuracy or inaccuracy. In a highly unusual move, he then published a written declaration to this effect. Thus, after the three intelligence chiefs themselves had triggered the escalation, Clapper carried out a maneuver known in these circles as a CYA operation (cover your ass)which in more polite German means they came up with a diplomatic excuse.

Whose World Is Disintegrating?

What then is the issue here? Eric Denece, director of the French Center for Intelligence Research, an independent think tank, published the following analysis under the heading, A Shocking Lack of Proof, after he had read the report by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI on the alleged Russian intervention into the U.S. election campaign:

The Washington Establishment was taken totally by surprise by Trumps victory and understood that a great cleanup would occur, in which many of its members would lose their political positions and economic spinoffs connected to their international alliances.

Eric Denece

This assessment is accurate, but characterizes only one aspect of the situation. Apparently the trans-Atlantic neoliberal establishment is having a very hard time accepting the fact that Trump was democratically elected. Their world is coming apart, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel put it; they are very shocked, as her Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen expressed it. The world that is coming apart is the unipolar world which the neocons of the Bush Administration put into effect when the Soviet Union broke up. At that point the neocons proclaimed the Project for a New American Century to consolidate a world empire on the basis of the Anglo-American special relationship.

Governments that would not buckle under to this unipolar world would be eliminated over the course of time through a policy of regime changefor example, by color revolutions financed from the outside, as Victoria Nuland unblushingly admitted in the case of Ukraine. The U.S. State Department alone spent $5 million there on NGOs. But this policy also involved direct military intervention under the pretext of the defense of democracy and human rights, as in such cases as Iraq, Libya, and Syria. And naturally, Russia and China were the ultimate targets of this regime change policy.

The European Union bureaucracy was the unnamed junior partner in this arrangement, a beneficiary of the globalization system and itself eager for maximal imperial expansion, as British diplomat Robert Cooper openly admitted, and only sporadically entering into competition with the dominance of the City of London and Wall Street.

A prerequisite for membership in the unipolar worlds Establishment Club was naturally the adoption of the official narrative that all these destabilizations of democratically elected governments and all of these wars were about freedom, democracy, and human rights, while those targeted were always dictators and demons. And of course, all those who wore such unipolar glasses, when addressing the reasons refugees were fleeing, could not get beyond just repeating the term, because otherwise they would have had to condemn the illegitimate wars that have cost the lives of millions of people, and then they would have been thrown out of the Club.

And now, with Trump, a person has won the U.S. election who, as Obama said of Putin, does not belong to the team; who agrees with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and an array of conservative military figures that these regime-change wars must be stopped; and who even, as the ultimate desecration of taboos, wants to re-establish normal relations with Russia!

Russia Insider/you tube

Respected U.S. investigative reporter Robert Parry compared the methods being used by the American intelligence services against Trump to J. Edgar Hoovers blackmail tactics. But the crude methods of Christopher Steele are also reminiscent of the Troopergate scandal against President Bill Clinton in the early days of his presidency, also inspired by British intelligence, which attempted, with a certain amount of success, to present Clinton as an unrestrained sex addict. This set the stage, so to speak, for the later Lewinsky affair, also launched by British intelligence, which aimed at destroying Clintons presidency.

Out in the Open

What is spectacular about the operation against Trump, however, is that British intelligence and its American counterparts, which have operated for decades as spooks in the shadows, have now been forced to expose themselves openly. The essentially dilettantish operationconducted by Steele, the man in charge of exposing the corruption in Fifa and the principal MI6 agent in the affair of Litvinenkos murderrevealed the direct intervention of the British Empire, for which the term globalization is only a synonym, into the internal affairs of the United States.

This empire is something other than the nations of the United States and Great Britain. It is the oligarchical forces exerting their power through the trans-Atlantic neoliberal financial system and the military defense of the unipolar world order, and they dont care a whit about the general welfare of the populations in whose nations they happen to live. A global revolution is underway against this empire, which found expression in the Brexit, just as it did in Trumps victory and the no to Renzis referendum in Italy.

The assertion that Putin stole the election from Hillary Clinton, or that he will meddle in the coming elections in several European countries, is the collapsing empires desperate attempt to somehow hold on to the authority to control the narrative.

Meanwhile, the new paradigm is developing in the form of a new world economic order, in which the BRICS countries and Chinas New Silk Road policy are offering win-win cooperation to all of the worlds nations, in which all can only gain through the benefit of alleach through the advantage of the other. If Trump succeeds in working with this new combinationwhich will only become clear after he is in officeit could mean a new era for mankind, in which sovereign nations work together for the future of mankind as a community of common destiny, and the era of empires is finally buried.
This transcript appears in the January 20, 2017 issue of Executive Intelligence Review.

Donald Trump and

the New International Paradigm

by Helga Zepp-LaRouche

This is an edited transcript of Helga Zepp-LaRouche's presentation at a Stockholm EIR/Schiller Institute Seminar on Jan. 11, 2017. A complete video of her presenation is available at this link: https://youtu.be/cdl0Hxg_Ubc

[Print version of this transcript]

Sublime is the only fitting word to describe Helga Zepp-LaRouches deep and beautiful presentation and the atmosphere she created in the audience of 60 participants (full room capacity) at the Schiller Institute/EIR seminar held in Stockholm on Jan. 11, under the title Donald Trump and the New International Paradigm. Her speech moved the audience to address the fundamental epistemological, deeper meaning of the New Silk Road, and the meaning of the development of mankind in the universe. This deeper meaning even touched the diplomats present. An ambassador from an important Asian country started to discuss exactly the need to address these broader cultural and human implications, during the question period.

In all, there were seventeen diplomats present, among them seven ambassadors. Four European countries were represented, nine from Asia, and four from Africa. Among the other participants, there were contacts from different Swedish associations working for friendship with Russia, Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and the Baltic Sea area, and another group working to leave the EU.

EIRNS

The Chairman of the Schiller Institute in Sweden, Hussein Askary, moderated, and welcomed the participants. Helga Zepp-LaRouche then gave the keynote address, in which she evaluated the ongoing struggle to turn around the election of Donald Trump by the outgoing neoconservatives and mainstream media. She pointed to the broad reaction to the neoliberal-instigated disaster as the real basis for the election of Trump, as well as other such reactions around the world, and said that is the place to look for the reason why Trump was elected, and not any hacking of computers. As the audience members were mainly new people, she presented the history of the Schiller Institute, which is also the history of the New Silk Road policy. She described how the economy evolves from one platform to another, and pointed to the Chinese policy for pushing for the next platform of the economy with Moon-based industrial development, for the further development of mankind as a non-Earth-bound species. The Chinese motivations for their worldwide policy came up in the discussion period, in the context of Africa. Helga then stressed, with her background of long study of Chinas history and Confucian thought, that her conclusion is that China is really pursuing a win-win policy based on the Confucian notion of pursuit of wisdom and harmony. She stressed the need for a Classical renaissance for the New Paradigm to succeed, and that this is something we cannot leave to Trump.

Helga Zepp-LaRouche: Good day, ladies and gentlemen. We are indeed in very, very fascinating times. And I think there is much reason to be hopeful. I know that for the last sixteen years, most people in the United States and Europe thought there is no great future. But I think that there are accumulations of strategic realignments which have shaped up over the last three years, but especially in the last year, where one can actually see that the potential for a completely new kind of relation among nations is on the horizon, and that we may actually have the chance to bring a peaceful world.

EIRNS

Now, obviously, in the system of globalization as we have known it, especially since the collapse of the Soviet Union, that system is completely unhinged and this is cause for a lot of freaked-out reactions by those people who were the beneficiaries of that system of globalization, but I will hopefully be able to develop that this is a temporary phenomenon, and it will be replaced by some more optimistic developments.

What we see right now is a completely new paradigm emerging, a system which is based on the development of all, a win-win potential to cooperate among nations, and obviously the idea for what was the axiomatic basis of the globalization system since 1991 to insist on a unipolar world, is failing, or has failed already. And with that, a system which tried to maintain this unipolar world with the policy of regime change, of color revolution, or humanitarian intervention, or so-called humanitarian intervention to defend democracy and human rights, obviously has led the world to a terrible condition, but this is now coming to an end.

So obviously, the statement by Francis Fukuyama at the end of the Soviet Union that this was the end of history and that there would be now only democracy, was really premature; because you have a complete backlash right now, which takes different forms in different in different parts of the world against this system of globalization, and in the Asian countries it takes the form of more and more countries joining with the New Silk Road perspective offered by China, the offer to work together in a win-win cooperation with the Belt and Road Initiative which is now already involving more than 100 nations and international organizations; and is already engaged in the largest infrastructure project in the history of mankind.

This new paradigm economic system already involves 4.4 billion people; it is already, in terms of spending, in terms of buying power in todays dollars, twelve times as big as the Marshall Plan was after the Second World War, and is open for every country to join, including Sweden, including the United States, and including every other country on the planet. And I will talk about that in a little while.

And in the trans-Atlantic sector you have a different kind of anti-globalization revolt, which is still ongoing; its not yet settled how this will turn out. It started in a visible form with the vote of the British population in June last year for the Brexit, which was the first real upset; everybody was taken totally unawares, except a few insiders. This anti-globalization revolt was obviously continued with the election of President Donald Trump in the United States; it was continued with the no to the Italian referendum organized by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, to change the Constitution. And whats common to all of these developments, Brexit, Trump, the no to the referendum in Italy, is they are caused by a fundamental feeling of injustice of ever-larger parts of the population which were victims of that system, which increasingly made the rich richer, made more billionaires richer, but destroyed increasingly the middle range of society, and made the poor poorer. It is my deepest conviction that that revolt will continue until the causes of this injustice are removed, and it will continueit will hold the measuring rod to President Trump, whether he will fulfill his election promises; and if he does not do that, I believe the same people would turn against Trump as they turned against Hillary.

What Is the Future of the Euro?

So that means that the future of the European Union and the euro is very doubtful. We have elections coming this year in France in April. This election, as of now, is completely up in the air. There is no firm prediction possible. You have a very tumultuous situation in Italy, where a coup was just attempted by Beppe Grillo and Verhofstadt in the European Parliament, which failed. They were trying to get the Five Star Party into the liberal group ALDE in the European Parliament, which was rejected by the liberal group, so it failed. Then you will have elections in Holland, and in September in Germany, where the star of Mrs. Merkel is also no longer as shiny as it may have been a while ago.

So we are looking at dramatic changes.

Now, let me start with the Trump election. In my whole political life, which is now becoming quite long, several decadesI have never in my whole political life, seen such hysteria on the side of the neocons, on the side of the mainstream politicians, and on the side of the liberal media, as concerning Trump. Now, admittedly, Trump does not fulfill the behavior code of Baron von Knigge, who was a German in the 18th century who developed the code for good diplomatic behavior. But what caused Trumps victory, is that he simply promised to end the political paradigm which was the basis of eight years of George W. Bush and eight years of Barack Obama, which was a direct continuation of the Bush-Cheney policy.

Wikimedia Commons

And it was a good thing, because it was very clear that if Hillary Clinton had won the election in the United States, that all the policies she was pursuingincluding a no-fly zone over Syria, and an extremely bellicose policy towards Russia and Chinawould have meant that we would have been on the direct course to World War III. If you have any doubts about that Im perfectly happy to answer questions about that, in the question and answer period.

So the fact that Hillary did not win the election was extremely important for the maintenance of world peace. And I think that of all the promises that Trump made so far, the fact that he said that he will normalize the relationship between the United States and Russia, is, in my view the most important step. Because if the relationship between the United States and Russia is decent, and is based on trust and cooperation, I think there is a basis to solve all other problems in the world. And if that relationship were adversarial, world peace would be in extreme danger.

So from my standpoint, there is reason to believe that this will happen. The Russian reaction has been very moderate, but optimistic that this may happen. If you look at the appointments, you have several cabinet members and other people in high posts who are also for improving the relationship with Russia, such as Tillerson who is supposed to become Secretary of State, and General Flynn, who is a conservative military man but also for normalization with Russia, and many others, so I think this is a good sign.

Now, if you look at the reaction of the neocon/neoliberal faction on both sides of the Atlantic to this election of Trump, you can only describe it as completely hysterical. The Washington Post today has an article, How To Remove Trump from Office, calling him a liar, just about every derogatory term you can possibly imagine, just on and on: unbelievable! The reaction in Germany wasvon der Leyen, the Defense Minister, on the morning after the election said she was deeply shocked, this was terrible, this was a catastrophe, and it keeps going like that. So they have not recovered.And then naturally, you have the reports by the different U.S. intelligence services, Clapper, Brennan, Comey from the FBIthey all put out the claim that that it was Russian hacking of the emails of the DNC and Podesta which stole the election, because they allegedly shifted the view of the Americans to vote for Trump.

Now, I think this is ridiculous. Not only have many cyber experts, in Europe but also in the United States, already said that all the signs are that it was not a hacking but an insider leak got this information out. This is more and more likely, and theres absolutely zero proof that it was Russian hacking. Naturally, what is being covered up with this story, is what was the hacking about? It was hacking of emails that proved that Hillary Clinton manipulated the election against Bernie Sanders! That is not being talked about any more; but I would say, look there, and there are many people who recognize it. For example, a very important French intelligence person, Eric Denece, who is a top-level think tanker in France, said: Well, it is quite clear why they put out this story, because the neocons had to expect the great cleanup, and many of them would lose their positions, and this is why they all agreed on this story and changed the narrative.

Neoliberal Injustice

The real narrative is that it was the injustice of the neoliberal system of globalization which simply violated the interests of the majority of the people, especially in the Rust Belt. Hillary Clinton in the election campaign was so arrogant that she didnt even go to Ohio or some of the other states which were formerly industrialized, where you have to see that the United Statescontrary to what mostly is reported in the Western media in Europethe United States is in a state of economic collapse. It has for the first time a falling life-expectancy; there is one indicator which shows whether a society is doing well or badly, and that is whether the life-expectancy increases or falls. In the United States its falling for the first time for both men and women. In the period of the sixteen years of Bush-Cheney and Obama, which you can take as one package, the suicide rate has quadrupled in all age brackets; the reasons being alcoholism, drug addiction, hopelessness, and depression because of unemployment. There are about 94 million Americans who are of working age who are not even counted in the statistics, because they have given up all hope of ever finding a job again. If you have recently travelled in the United States, the United States is really in a terrible condition; the infrastructure is in a horrible condition, and people are just not happy.

So the vote, therefore, the narrativethat was the reason why Hillary was voted out, because she was perceived as the direct continuation of these sixteen years, and so the attempt to change that narrative by saying it was Russian hacking is pretty obvious.

Now, however, we have nine days left, until the new President comes in. And this is not a period of relaxation, because again, in an unprecedented way, the old team of Obama is trying to create conditions for the incoming President Trump to force him to continue on the pathway of Obama. For example, just a couple of days ago, they started a deployment of U.S. and NATO troops to the Russian border in the Baltics, in Poland, and in Romania, through the German city of Bremerhaven, where 6,000 troops landed with heavy military equipment; for example: U.S. Abrams tanks, Paladin artillery, Bradley fighting vehicles, 2,800 pieces of military hardware, 50 Black Hawk helicopters. This involving 1,800 personnel, with 400 troops to be attached to the 24 Apache helicopters.

Now, obviously, the deployment of this is supposed to be a provocation against Russia, and its supposed to make it very difficult for Trump to start to improve relations.

A second area where you can see this effort to pin Trump down, is the question of the THAAD missiles in Korea, where now North Korea has claimed to be able to be able to launch their ICBMs anywhere, any time; and according to Chinese experts, the United States is entirely to blame for the fact that North Korea is behaving this way.

In South Korea, outgoing President Park Geun-hye, who may be impeached soonactually in days or weekshas agreed to accept a special task force of 1,000-2,000 which is supposed to eliminate the Pyongyang command under conditions of war, including Kim Jong-un; and obviously this is aggravating the situation, because given the history of such things, one is not sure when is the moment for such action.

Thirdly you can see it with the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier group USS Carl Vinson to the Western Pacific, in the vicinity of China. This aircraft carrier is of the nuclear-powered Nimitz class, and it will arrive exactly on 20th of January, the day Trump takes office. Global Times, the official Chinese newspaper, said that this deployment is set to disrupt potential talks between China and other countries in the region; naturally, its also supposed to put a sour note into U.S.-China relations.

There are other efforts to change and determine the narrative in the post-Obama period. Ash Carter, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, just gave a press conference where he said that it was only the United States which has fought ISIS in Syria. Now, it takes some nerve to say that, because everybody in the whole world knows that without President Putins decision to militarily intervene in Syria starting in September 2015, and the tremendous support of the Russian Aerospace Forces for the fighting of the Syrian troops, the present military situation in Syria would have never developed. And it was to the contrary, the very dubious behavior of the United States supporting various kinds of terrorist groups which prolonged this process and slowed it down.

But also in the attempt to pin down the narrative, it was John Kerry who, a week or so ago, gave a speech saying that it was the British Parliament which prevented a U.S. military intervention in Syria. NowI mean, all of these people must think that the whole world has a very short memory, because I remember very vividly that it was Gen. Michael Flynn, in his capacity as head of the DIA [Defense Intelligence Agency], who had put out a public statement that it was the intention of the Obama administration to build up a caliphate in the region, in order to have regime-change against Assad, and he was then fired by [DNI] Clapper. And it is of a certain irony that, just last Friday, when Trump met with Clapper, Brennan and Comey in Trump Tower, where these three gentlemen wanted to impress Trump with their story about the Russian hacking,the other person who was with Trump was General Flynn, who is now in the drivers seat as the incoming National Security Advisor. In any case, you can expect the truth not be suppressed forever. And as a matter of fact, it was in the moment shortly before the U.S. military intervention in 2013, when the U.S. military action was prepared to occur Sunday evening; we had gotten that from well-informed circles in Washington,and then at the very last minute, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, went to Obama and said: You should not start a war where you dont know how it ends. And if you dont ask the Congress, you will be impeached, or you run the risk of being impeached. And only because of that, did Obama go to ask the U.S. Congress. The U.S. Congress voted no, and the U.S. military intervention was prevented.

So this was quite different. And you know this attempt to fix the narrative will not be successful.

The Trump Administration

Now, I cannot tell you what this Trump administration is going to be. I think I mentioned the one point Im pretty confident about: I think we will see probably only by February or even into March who will be actually in his cabinet, who will get approved by the Senate. But there are other interesting elements. For example: Trump had promised in the election campaign to invest $1 trillion into the renewal of the infrastructure in the United States. That is very good, as I said, because the United States urgently needs repair. It will, however, only function if at the same time, another promise by Trump, namely, what he promised in October in North Carolina, that he would implement the 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act, is also carried out, because the trans-Atlantic financial system remains on the verge of bankruptcy. You could have a repetition of the 2008 financial crash at any moment; and only if you have a Glass-Steagall law in the tradition of Franklin D. Rooseveltwhat Roosevelt did in 1933 by separation of the banks, by getting rid of the criminal element of the banking system, and then replacing it by a credit policy in the tradition of Alexander Hamiltoncan you remedy this situation. Otherwise, you cannot finance $1 trillion in infrastructure.

But one step in a positive direction is the fact that for example the former deputy foreign minister of China, and chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs committee of the National Peoples Congress, Mme. Fu Ying, made a speech in New York, about six weeks ago, where she said that indeed the Trump infrastructure program can be a bridge to the New Silk Road program of China. And that is quite the case: Just yesterday, Trump met with Jack Ma, who is the chief executive of Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce firm, and Jack Ma said that he can help Trump to create a million jobs in the United States by initiating a platform for U.S. small businessmen to sell to Chinese consumers over the next five years, and vice versa, how the Chinese can invest in the United States. Trump afterwards said this was a great meeting, we will do great things together; and Jack Ma said that Trump was a very smart man and they got along very well.

So this is very good, because the Schiller Institute in 2015 published a report calling for the United States to join the New Silk Road, which is a whole approach including how you have to have a fast train system for the United States. As you know, China has built 20,000 km of high-speed train systems. This high-speed network has doubled in only three years, and is expected to nearly double again by 2025, and reach 45,000 km in 2030. And the United States has none.

So the United States urgently needs a fast train system connecting the East Coast, the West Coast and the Midwest. Build some new science cities in the South, and get rid of the drought in the Southwest, California and the other states. So there are many, many things which urgently need to be done.

The Schiller Institute

Okay. Now, let me make a few remarks about the Schiller Institute, given the fact that many of you may not know much about us. And I want to underline the fact that we are not commentators on this whole question, but that we are responsible for many of the ideas which are now coming into effect.

The Schiller Institute was created by me in 1984. At that time we had the intermediate-range missile crisis, which brought the world to the verge of World War III; if you remember, we had the Pershing 2, and the Russians the SS-20, both on permanent alert, where there was a very short warning time, and the relationship between Europe and the United States was really in a terrible condition.

So I created the Schiller Institute with the idea that you needed an institute, a think-tank to put the relations among nations on a completely different basis. One of the most important aspects of the work was to work towards the establishment of a just, new world economic order, in the tradition of the Non-Aligned Movement. And there, my husband, in 1975, had proposed to replace the IMF with an International Development Bank, which would organize large credits for technology transfer from the industrialized countries to the developing sector, to overcome underdevelopment.

That proposal went into the Colombo Resolution of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1976 in Sri Lanka. So we had the idea that that policy had to come back on the agenda, that we had to create economic development in the southern hemisphere, so that every human being on this planet could have dignified potential for their lives, to develop all the potentialities embedded in them.

But from the beginning, we said that such a new world economic order can only function if its combined with a Classical Renaissancethat we have to reject the popular culture associated with modern globalization, because it is depraved and degenerate. And that we had to go back to the revival, a Renaissance, of the best traditions of every culture, and have a dialogue among them. For example, in Germany, obviously you would emphasize the German Classical culture of Schiller, Beethoven, and all of Classical music; in China, you would emphasize Confucius; in India you would emphasize the Vedic writings, Tagore, and so forth. So you would go and revive in every country simply what they have contributed to universal history, and make that known.

Now, the present Chinese policy of win-win cooperation, is exactly an echo of what we had proposed since 1984, to replace geopolitics with an approach for the common aims of mankind. In 1984, my husband, Mr. LaRouche, also uniquely predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union. He said if the Soviet Union stuck to its then-prevailing policies of the Ogarkov Plan, that it would collapse in five years. Now, there was nobody else who was saying the Soviet Union would collapse; it was completely unthinkablebut we observed the economic problems. And on Oct. 12, 1988, my husband and I held a press conference in Berlin, in the Bristol Kempinski Hotel, where we said that Germany will soon be unifiednobody believed that either at the timeand Germany should adopt the development of Poland as a model for the transformation of the Comecon through high technology.

Now, in 1989 therefore, when the Berlin Wall came down, we were the only ones who were not surprised. As a matter of fact, we immediately published a report, on how a unified Germany should develop Poland, and we called this program, the Productive Triangle Paris-Berlin-Vienna, which is an area the size of Japan. It had the highest concentration of industry, and the idea was to build development corridors from that Productive Triangle to Poland, Warsaw, Kiev, and the Balkans, and transform the Comecon that way. It was before the D.D.R. [East Germany] collapsed; and if that had been picked up, maybe the Soviet Union and the Comecon would not have collapsed.

But because you had Bush, Thatcher and Mitterrand, they did not like this at all. So in 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, we immediately proposed to expand this program of the Productive Triangle into the Eurasian Land-Bridge: The idea that you would connect the population and industrial centers of Europe with those of Asia, through development corridors. The Iron Curtain was no longer there, so it was the natural thing to have infrastructure corridors to develop the landlocked areas of Eurasia.

Now we proposed this at the time to all the countries of Eurasia, and the only country which responded positively was China. So in 1996, they organized a very big conference in Beijing, called The Development of the Regions along the Eurasian Land-Bridge, and I was one of the speakers. And China at that point declared the development of the Eurasian Land-Bridge to be the long-term perspective of China through the year 2010.

As you know, then came the 1997-1998 Asia crisis and the Russian GKO crisis, so this whole development became interrupted. But that did not stop us from holding conferences about this proposal on five continents, in all U.S. cities, all European cities; and even in Latin America, in Sao Paolo and Rio; in New Delhi, and even in some African countries and Australia. We kept organizing for the idea that the natural next phase of the evolution of mankind would be the infrastructure connections of the entire planet.

Obviously, what also happened in 1999 was the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act in the United States, which unleashed unregulated speculation, leading to the present bubble.

China Re-Adopts the New Silk Road

Now, in September 2013, when Xi Jinping in Kazakhstan announced the New Silk Road, we simply took all the different studies we had made during those twenty-four years, and published them, and we called it The New Silk Road Becomes the World Land-Bridge. This is a comprehensive proposal which has the yellow line there in the middle between China and Central Asia; this was the initial One Belt, One Road proposal by China, and we added simplythey also had the Maritime Silk Roadbut we had a whole infrastructure program for Africa, for the South of Europe, the Balkans, with many corridors, including a Bering Strait Tunnel connecting the Eurasian infrastructure with the American system, with highways and high-speed trains all the way to Chile and Argentina. And eventually, when all of this is built, you will go by maglev train from the southern tip of South America to the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.

We published this proposal; and the actual book you can find at the book table, including an early report about this, from 1997. The first report we published in German, in 1991. This is not just about connection of infrastructure, but it has all the scientific conceptions of Mr. LaRouches notion of physical economy.

Mr. LaRouche is probably the only economist in the West who deserves that name, because all the neo-liberal economists have been so wrong in their predictions that they should probably take another job. Mr. LaRouche has given us his own scientific method, and in this report you will find such extremely important conceptions as the connection between energy-flux density in the production process, with the relative potential population density, which can be maintained with that energy-flux density, and there are other such important conceptions.

So this report was immediately published in China; the Chinese translated it into Chinese. We presented it in China in 2015. It was recommended by all the people who presented it, to all Chinese scholars, as the standard text on the Silk Road; and it has been sent to all major faculties and universities in China.

It was also published in Arabic, as you will hear from Hussein Askary. And it is now coming out shortly in Korean, in German, and we have requests for it to come out in other languages also.

So, while we were publishing these reports, the New Silk Road promoted by China has taken on a breathtaking dynamic. It has a few different namesfirst they called it One Belt, One Road; now they call it the Belt and Road Initiative; I always call it the New Marshall Plan Silk Road, so that people get an idea.

New Development Corridors Spring Up

In the meantime, many of these proposals are in different phases of realization. There is the Maritime Silk Road, as you see on the maps. And China is building six overland economic corridorsas I said, it involves 70 nations, and over 30 international large organizations, 4.4 billion people, and trillions in investments. And as I said, already now its 12 times bigger than the Marshall Plan was.

View full size

EIRNS

There is the original One Belt, One Road, connecting China and Central and West Asia through an economic corridor. In June 2015, China and the five Central Asian governments agreed to build that, and additional routes are being planned to go into Afghanistan. One is already going into Iran; when President Xi was in Iran last year, he promisedor they both promisedthat they would extend this New Silk Road beyond Iran into Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Turkey.

There is the new Eurasian Land-Bridge which connects China with Western Europe, and it has already shortened the transport time for cargo, to two to three weeks from China, to different citiesfrom Chengdu, Chongqing, and Yiwu, to Duisburg, Lyon, Rotterdam, and Hamburg, from five weeks via ocean. Already by mid-2016, there were over 2,000 rail shipments from China to Europe, and it is picking up speed. All the cities in Europe that are termini, such as Madrid, Lyon, Duisburg, theyre all happy; they realize that they have tremendous benefits from it.

There is the China-Mongolia-Russia corridor. In June 2016, the three presidents signed a trilateral economic partnership, at the 11th Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting; and this corridor alone involves 32 projects.

There is the China-Pakistan economic corridor, which is creating 700,000 new jobs in Pakistan. It will produce 10,400 MW of power capacity, and the investment of $46 billion by the Chinese in this corridor equals all the foreign investment since 1970 in Pakistan.

View full size

EIRNS

There is the China-Myanmar-Bangladesh corridor. This is creating an express highway between India and China for the first time, and it goes through Bangladesh and Myanmar. This corridor will be 1.65 million square kilometers; it will encompass 440 million people.

There is the China-Indochina Peninsula corridor. This will be a highway/rail and high-speed transport system connecting the ten largest cities of the region.

View full size

EIRNS

In Africa, we have the Djibouti-Ethiopia route. Because, as we know, Europe has been in large part destabilized by the refugee crisis, and there is a very big incentive, one would think, for Europeans to help develop Africa. But so far it is not coming from Europe, its coming from China, India and Japan.

View full size

EIRNS

So, the Djibouti-Ethiopia railway just opened yesterday, so this is extremely good news. It opened yesterday, from Djibouti to Addis Ababa, 750 km, and it was built by China; it employed about 20,000 Ethiopians and 5,000 Djiboutians, and it will be connected to the standard gauge railway in Kenya, which again, created 30,000 jobs. And this will obviously, among other things, transform the port of Mombasa, and it will take cargo and passengers to the Ugandan border in one-tenth of the time it takes by road. A professor from the University of Nairobi School of Diplomacy, Prof. Gerishon Ikiara said, and I agree, that this whole program will radically transform African participation in global trade in the next two decades and will catalyze the industrial transformation of Africa.

Now, there is another extremely important project, which is the Transaqua project. There is a Memorandum of Understanding between the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the Chinese engineering firm PowerChina. Now PowerChina is the company which built the Three Gorges Dam and several other large projects, so they really know what theyre doing; and they agreed in this contract to do a feasibility study for the Transaqua project.

This is the largest infrastructure project ever entertained in Africa. It was developed in the late 1970s by the Italian firm Bonifica, and there, in particular, by Dr. Marcello Vichi. Mr. LaRouche has promoted this project since he got news of it, because it was a perfect way of solving many problems at the same time. As you know, Lake Chad is shrinking; it is presently only about less than 10% of its original size, and it affects the life of the entire people, 40 million people, in the Chad Basin. And naturally, it is already having drought effects and so forth.

The concept is simply to transfer water from the Congo River, using the unused discharge of the Congo River water going into the ocean. Now, the Congo River is the second largest river in the world, and it discharges 41,000 cubic meters/second into the oceanunused. And the idea is to take only 3-4% of that water and bring it into Lake Chad. There was a big campaign trying to convince the people in the different states along the Congo River that its stealing their water, and so forth, but that was really an effort by the Greenies, and it has no substance to it whatsoever.

First of all, the idea is not to take the water from the Congo River, but from the west bank tributaries at an altitude that allows one to bring water by gravity into the Chad/Central African Republic watershed, which is at an elevation of 500 meters, and then pour it into the Chari River, which is a tributary of Lake Chad. So this way you would create a 2,400 km long waterway which would eventually bring 100 billion cubic meters of water per year into Lake Chad, and also create navigable infrastructure.

Obviously, the Democratic Republic of Congo would be also a big beneficiary, because it would obtain access to a navigable waterway, electricity production, regulation of rivers and so forth.

PowerChina is now financing a feasibility study for a first phase of the project which would involve building a series of dams in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic. It would also potentially generate 15-25 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectricity through the mass movement of water by gravity; it would potentially create a series of irrigated areas for crops and livestock, of an area of 50-70,000 sq km in the Sahel zone in Chad, in the northeast of Nigeria, in the north of Cameroon, and in Niger. It would also make possible an expanded economic zone, creating a new economic platform for agriculture, industry, transportation, and electricity for twelve African nations.

So PowerChina has put up $1.8 million for the first phase of the feasibility study, and if the construction starts, this is a big project, so its not expected to be finished overnight, but it will take generations: But it will create livelihoods for 40 million people in the basin. And this is just one project, but there are many others. For example, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is just on a five-nation tour through Africa, and was already in Madagascar and Tanzania, and is going to Zambia, Nigeria, and Republic of Congo, and hes inviting all African nations to join the Belt and Road Initiative.

We have proposed an expanded program of railways and nuclear power, just transforming the entire African continent.

In Latin America

There are development plans for Latin America, high-speed railway routes in Latin America, which the Schiller Institute has proposed. In 1982, when Mr. LaRouche was working with President Jose Lopez Portillo of Mexico on these projects, he called it Operation Juarez, to refer back to the best traditions of Mexican-American cooperation. And these are all projects which are obvious. If you look at a map of Africa or Latin America, you dont see that kind of infrastructure! If you see some railway, you see it as a small line from a mine to the port to exploit the raw materials, but you dont have infrastructure. And we had this idea, which Alexander von Humboldt, by the way, proposed in 19th Century, so its not that revolutionary; its sort of obvious.

The Chinese have made various proposals since the BRICS summit in Brazil in July 2014. There is a northern route of the Brazil-Peru transcontinental rail line. This was already agreed upon between the governments of Brazil and China a year ago; but then they had the coup in Brazil, Dilma Rousseff was impeached, so this came to a halt; also the new government in Peru is very reluctant. But theres a big movement: I just addressed a conference of economists in the Amazon region two months ago, and theres a whole movement, also associated with the Fujimori party, who absolutely want to fight for that rail line because it is the step to the future.

View full size

EIRNS

There are three additional lines. One line would include Bolivia in this rail line, and there are three additional lines through Argentina and Chile; China also wants to build three tunnels between Chile and Argentina to connect the Pacific and the Atlantic.

This is the Nicaragua Canal, which is in the early stages of completion, also built by China. This will increase the speed of global shipping between Belem and Shanghai, and cut the time of the current route across the Atlantic and around Africa by 10%.

So I can only mention the most important projects. There are many, many others. For example, China and Ecuador are building a science city in Ecuador. President Correa, during the recent state visit of President Xi Jinping, said that the collaboration between Ecuador and China will mean that Ecuador soon will be on the same level as all industrialized countries. They have the idea of overcoming poverty forever. The science city is going to do work in the most advanced fields of science.

Bolivia, which used to be a coca producing country, is now cooperating on space projects with China, with Russia, with India. So there is a completely new mood!

A Completely New Mood

I talked with many Africansthere was a big conference in Hamburg just a couple of months ago, where the Africans said that there is a completely new mood in Africa, there is a new paradigm: China, Japan, India are all investing, and the Europeans, if they dont shape up, will become marginal and irrelevant. So there is a completely new optimism caused by this dynamic.

Now, just on the diplomatic level, this process of integration is going absolutely rapidly, especially since September of last year, when you had on Sept. 2-3, the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, where the integration of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Belt and Road Initiative was on the table. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe participated in that conference, and Japan is now massively investing in the Far East of Russia, in terms of energy cooperation. Putin was just in Japan, on a state visit; Abe will go on a state visit to Russia this year. Theyre talking about settling the conflict concerning the Northern Islands, the Kuril Islands. Theyre talking about a peace treaty between Russia and Japan, and obviously there is a complete strategic realignment going on. President Duterte changed the role of the Philippines from being the aircraft carrier for the United States in the South China Sea, to now collaborating with China on economic cooperation, and also with Russia. The same, by the way, goes for Turkey, which is now shifting and working with Russia, Iran and Syria, to bring peace to the region.

So there is a complete strategic realignment going on, and the Western media and Western politicians have just not got it yet. But this is very, very interesting.

So then this momentum continued. From Vladivostok, immediately afterwards, on Sept. 4-5, to the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, where China took real leadership in saying the future recovery of the world economy must be based on innovation and Xi made very clear that this innovation must be shared with the developing countries, so as not to hold up or hinder their development.

So, its a completely new paradigm, and Ill say something about that in a second.

Then you continue to the ASEAN meeting in Laos, the BRICS meeting in Goa, India, in October, the APEC meeting in Lima in November, and it involves all of these organizations and is spreading very fast.

Why doesnt Europe join this? Look, Europe is in bad shape. The EU is collapsing, the people in Italy by now hate the European Central Bank, they hate Merkel, they hate Schauble, they hold Merkel responsible for the suffering of the population in Italy, which is now reaching dimensions like Greece; Greece was destroyedone-third of the Greek economy was destroyed by the austerity policy of the Troika. And you know, theres nothing left of the idea of unity in Europe. There are borders being built, the Schengen policy is dead; look at the Eastern European countriesthe Eastern European and Central European countries are reorienting towards China! The 16+1 are the Central and East European Countries; they have extensive infrastructure cooperation with China. China is building up Piraeus port in Greece; theyre building a fast railway between Budapest and Belgrade, and many other projects.

The Problem in Europe

But the problem with Europe, is that at least the European EU bureaucracy and some governments, like the German government, are are still on the old paradigm, the geopolitical paradigm of globalization, of neoliberal policies, and they dont understand that by what China has proposed, and what is now the basis of a very close and determined strategic partnership between Russia and Chinathey have put on the agenda a different model: To overcome geopolitics by a win-win strategy. Now, most people, at least in Europe and in the United States, have a very hard time understanding that. They cannot imagine that governments are for the common good, because we have not experienced that for such a long time. The common idea of all the think-tanks, or most think-tanks, is China must have ulterior motives; China is just trying to replace Anglo-American imperialism, with a Chinese imperialism. But that is not true! I mean, Im not naive: I have studied this extensively. I was in China for the first time in 1971, in the middle of the Cultural Revolution. I have seen China as it was then, I travelled to Beijing, Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai, and to the countryside, and so I know what an enormous transformation China has made in this period.

I went back to China in 1996, after 25 years; already then it was breathtaking. But if you look, the Chinese economic model has raised 700 million people from extreme poverty to a decent living standard; China is now committed to developing the interior region as part of their building of the New Silk Road, to eliminate poverty from China totally by the year 2020and there are only 4% left in poverty right now.

Now, China is offering their Chinese economic model to all participating countries in this New Silk Road conception, and it is in the interest of Sweden. It would be in the interest of Germany, because Germany is stilldespite the Green insanity which has deformed many brainsis still a productive country. The German Mittelstand (small and medium industry) is still producing, I think, the third largest number of patents in the world. It is their natural interest to find cooperation not only in bilateral cooperation, but in investments in third countries. It would be in the best interest of Germany: if Germany is freaked out about the refugees, which really has meant a complete destabilization of the country, then why is Germany not cooperating with Russia, China, India, and Iran, in the reconstruction of the Middle East? Now the Syrian government has started to rebuild Aleppo, at least to rebuild the hospitals and the schools. The Schiller Institute proposed in 2012, a comprehensive proposal for the development of the entire Middle East, from Afghanistan to the Mediterranean, from the Caucasus to the Gulf States, and it would be in the absolute self-interest of Germany becausesure you have to destroy ISIS and the terrorists with military meansbut then you have to create conditions where young people in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen, have a reason to become doctors, scientists, and teachers, so that they have a future, in that way you drive out terrorism forever!

And if all the big neighbors would cooperateRussia, China, India, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Italy, France, Germany, and Swedenyou could change this region in no time! And you will hear about that soon from Hussein.

The same for Africa. The only minister in Germany who is reasonable is Development Minister Gerd Muller, because he travels all the time to Africa and he says there will be the need for many millions of jobs for the young people of Africa in the next years; if we dont create these jobs, many, many millions of people will flee from hunger and war and epidemics.

So would it not be in their self-interest that all the European nations join hands with the Chinese Silk Road initiative, and help to reconstruct and build up the economies of Southwest Asia and Africa? I think that that mission would also really help to overcome the disunity of Europe, because you will not solve that problem by looking at your navel; but you will solve that problem by a joint mission for the greater good of mankind.

So, I think that this is all possible. It can happen this year, it can start this year, because China has committed itself to have two big summits this yearone summit will involve all the heads of state of the Belt and Road Initiative, and it can be the year of consolidation of the new paradigm.

Now there are a couple of elements which are also important for this new paradigm, because we are not just talking about infrastructure and overcoming poverty. The next phase of the evolution of man is not just to bring infrastructure to all continents on this planet, but to continue that infrastructure into nearby space around us. This was formulated in this way for the first time by the great German-American space scientist and rocket scientist Krafft Ehricke, who made fundamental contributions to the Apollo project. He had the beautiful vision that if you look at the evolution over a longer period of time, life developed from the oceans with the help of photosynthesis; then you had the development of ever higher species, species with a higher metabolism, higher energy-flux density in their metabolism.

Eventually man arrived. Man first settled at the oceans and the rivers; then with the help of infrastructure, man developed the interior regions of the continents; and we are now with the World Land-Bridge picturethis will be, when it is built, the completion of that phase of the evolution of mankind, by simply bringing infrastructure into all the landlocked areas of the world, and with the help of new methods to create water, with modern technologies, we will create new, fresh water. For example, if you have peaceful nuclear energy, you can desalinate huge amounts of ocean water; through the ionization of moisture in the atmosphere, you can create new water to solve the problem of desertification. Right now all the deserts are growing; with these new technologies you can reverse that, make the deserts green, and just make this planet livable for all human beings!

But this is not the end: Mankind is not an Earth-bound species. Mankind is the only species which is capable of creative discovery, and the collaboration of all nations for space exploration and space research is the next phase of our evolution. Now China has a very ambitious space program. It landed the Yutu rover on the Moon in 2014. Next year it will go to the far side of the Moon, and eventually bring back helium-3 from the far side of the Moon, which will be an important fuel for fusion power economy on Earth. Right now, we are very close to making breakthroughs on fusion power. The Chinese EAST program [Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak] has reached 50 million degrees in plasma for 60 seconds under high confinement. And just a couple of days ago, the plasma configuration in the stellarator in Greifswald, Germany, was proven accurate to one part in 100,000. But it means that in a few years, we can have fusion power! And that will create energy security, raw materials security, on Earth.

The Next Platforms for Civilization

Were looking at a completely new phase of civilization, and the far side of the Moon is very important because it will not have radio-frequency noise, as you have on the Earth-facing side of the Moon; this far side is shielded from a lot of this radio-frequency noise, so it will be possible to put up much better radio-telescopes, and so you will be able to look into Solar system, into the Galaxy, into other galaxies much, much farther than so far.

View full size

NASA

I dont know if any of you have seen the latest pictures from the Hubble telescope: If you have not done that, please, go home and take the time to look at these pictures from the Hubble telescope. I saw them, and I was completely excited, because now we know that there areat leasttwo trillion galaxies! Now, I have a good imagination, but I cannot imagine that. Its just too big. And when you see the pictures which have already been taken, you have galaxies which look like the Milky Way; then you have totally different nebulas; you have all kinds of formations. And not one galaxy is like the other. Just imagine how big the Universe is!

And we know very, very little! But man is the only species which can know! No donkey will ever know about the great galaxies orno dog will ever be able to breed rabbits to have a better breakfast. They all want a better breakfast, but they dont know how to do it. Man is capable of overcoming every limitation, and the mind of man is a physical force in the Universe. Were not outside of the Universe, but what our mind invents or discovers, is part of the Universe. And that is a very exciting thing.

And there is lots to be found out about what is the origin and essence of life. What governs the laws of the Universe? What is the role of the mind in the Universe? I mean, these are all extremely exciting questions, and they all prove that man is not an Earth-bound species. So there is no need to be a Greenie, because we can apply mans knowledge to expand our role in the Universe. Even the European Space Agency is now talking about a Village on the Moon.

Krafft Ehricke had said that building an industrial center on the Moon will be important as a stepping stone for further travel in space. And you now see the shaping up of new economic platforms. Mr. LaRouche has developed this notion of an economic platform to signify a period of economic development which is governed by certain laws, like for example, the development of the steam engine created a new platform; the development of the railway created a new platform; fission is creating a new platform. And the platform is always governed by the most advanced technologies of that time.

You can already see that in the infrastructural development of nearby space, the first platform is simply that man is able to reach Earth orbit! Thats not self-evident. If you had told man in the Middle Ages that you will get on a spaceship and go into orbit, he would have said youre crazy!

Now we can already see we have manned space travel, and we can now connect to where the Apollo project stopped after the assassination of Kennedy, 40 years ago; but now China, India, Russia, they are all continuing that process. India also has an extremely ambitious space project.

And so, the first economic platform will be simply to leave the planet Earth and to go into orbit; the second economic platform of space research will be to have an industrial base on the Moon, and to eventually start to produce raw materials from space. Because you will, as this continues, not always transport materials from the Earth for your space travel, but once you have fusion as a propulsion fuel where the speed will become much greater, you will be able to take materials from asteroids and from other planets, for your production and your requirements in space. And then longer space travel between planets as the third platform, which is already visible.

This is very exciting, and once you start to think about it, it shows that mankind is really capable of magnificent achievements, and that we should really overcome geopolitics. Geopolitics is like a little, nasty two-year-old boy who is not yet educated, and who knows nothing better than to kick his brother in the knee. Thats about the level of geopolitics.What Xi Jinping always talks about is that we have to form a community of destiny for the common future of mankind, and that is exactly what the Schiller Institute set out to do in 1984, when we said we have to fight for the common aims of mankind. And these common aims of mankind must come first, and no nation should be allowed to have a national interest or the interest of a group of nations, if it violates these higher common aims of mankind. And the areas of working together include a crash program for fusion, space cooperation, and breakthroughs in fundamental science.

All of this however must be combined with a Classical Renaissance, a dialogue of cultures on the highest level, and we have already very successfully practiced that at Schiller Institute conferences, where we had European Classical music: Bach, Beethoven, Verdi, Schubert, and Schumann; Chinese Classical music; Indian poetry. We will have this coming Saturday in New York, a beautiful event on dialogue of civilizations, of cultures, where we will have a Chinese professor talking about literati painting. You know, in Chinese painting, you have poetry, calligraphy and painting, in one. And for Westerners, its a complete revelation, because this does not exist in European painting. People get completely excited, because they discover that there are beautiful things to discover in other cultures! And once you study and know these other cultures, xenophobia and racism disappear! Because you realize that its beautiful that there are many cultures, because there are universal principles to be discovered in music. One musician will immediately understand another musician because its a universal language. Scientists speak a universal language; they understand each other.

And so the future of civilization will be a dialogue between Plato, Schiller, Confucius, Tagore, and many other great poets and scientists of the past. So, if you give every child access to these things, which is also in reach, I can see that we will have a new era, a new civilization of mankind. And I would invite all of you to not just look at it, but be part of it.
PRESS RELEASE

EU Demands More Blood from Italy

Jan. 19, 2017 (EIRNS)In the middle of the new emergency created by the earthquake and the weather conditions in central and southern Italy, the European Union has rejected Italys budget proposal and demanded additional cuts of 3.4 billion because of an excessive deficit of 0.2% of Gross Domestic Product!

The EU request is feeding the already overwhelming anti-EU sentiment in Italy. Exemplary is the Jan. 18 editorial by Antonio Cangini, editor of La Nazione/Il Resto del Carlino, a national daily especially read in central Italy. Cangini says that the post-Glass-Steagall era is over, but the EU has failed to recognize it and should be buried.

"With British Prime Minister Theresa Mays speech yesterday, on the modalities of the U.K. exit from the EU, and with the inauguration of President Donald Trump at the White House next Friday, a global historic phase is being closed,"

Cangini wrote;

"A chaotic as well as dramatic phase which has brought us two poisoned fruits: the economic crisis and the European crisis. For the former, we must thank the United States. In order to avoid a repetition of the 1929 crisis, President Roosevelt had the sacrosanct Glass-Steagall Act approved in 1933, separating investment banks from commercial banks. Bill Clinton repealed it in 1999, opening the way to globalization and, less than a decade later, to the implosion of the U.S. financial system, full of toxic and non-performing assets.... "To save the banks, the attention was shifted to the sovereign debt of states, beginning the suffering of southern and Catholic European countries. No systemic correction has been implemented since, just palliative measures such as the Dodd-Frank bill in 2010. Whatever judgment one can have on Trumps victory, this represents a shift, a radical correction of route. No shift instead is on the horizon in old Europe, where the route is still the same one: small steps towards the abyss. Greece, Brexit, the fear of so-called rising populisms were not enough. Germany keeps playing the music, imposing rigor in government accounts and compliance with treaties on others, while itself violating those treaties."

Cangini believes that the Italian government should raise its voice against the German government, but Prime Minister Gentiloni is too weak to do that.

"Romano Prodi says that Europe is dead and not even a saint could believe in its resurrection. The corpse is beginning to stink, and holding its funeral might be the only way to start life again. There is only one problem: there is no gravedigger around to do it."

This editorial was run on the front page, beside an interview with former EU Commissioner Romano Prodi who complained that "his" Europe "is dead." Prodi is, of course, unhappy about it.
PRESS RELEASE

With Obama Leaving... A New German Africa Policy Coming?

Jan. 19, 2017 (EIRNS)Germanys Development Minister Gerd Muller has published his draft for a new Africa policy of Germany. The emphasis no longer is on money transfers and the funding many isolated small projects, but rather on job-creating investments in African countries with the active role of German Mittelstand (independent small and medium-sized) companies. If the latter invest, the ministry will grant risk guarantees and tax cuts. More money than the volumes of traditional development will be required, but Africa would also have more say on its own development perspectivesfor that, the UN Security Council must be reformed so that Africa (e.g., the African Union) has a seat as a permanent member.

If Africa does not get the support it needs, millions of young Africans will come to Europe every year, not 170,000 as in 2016, Muller warned. Interviewed on the ARD TV morning show, he said that the focus would certainly be on working with those states in Africa that are stable and committed to cooperate, but the debate on corruption in African countries should always keep in mind that serious corruption also exists in Europethe ongoing investigation at Volkswagen on its diesel fraud being a prominent example just these days.

The new Africa approach is not yet official policy; the draft proposal still has to be discussed with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, of Economics, and of Finances. The Greens and their entire entourage of non-governmental organizations are unhappy with the draft proposalwhich exposes all of them as enemies of African development.
PRESS RELEASE

Sergey Lavrov: Its the West European Leaders Who Tried To Influence the Elections, Not Russia

Jan. 19, 2017 (EIRNS)During a press conference today in Moscow with Austrian Foreign Minister, Sebastian Kurz, and Russian Foreign Minister Serbey Lavrov, the following exchange took place:

Question: Of late, Western media have been abuzz with stories about kompromat (compromising materials), leaks, spy scares and planted stories. Russia is mentioned and accused not only of hacking attacks but of almost everything. Could you comment on this?

Sergey Lavrov: Frankly, we have already started to grow weary of discussing the issue of Russian interference in U.S. internal affairs, in particular the election campaign that ended with the election of Donald Trump as president. Because these baseless, unsubstantiated, slanderous accusations continue to surface, I would like to say that the cynicism of the situation is that we are being accused by those who in fact actively interfered in the election campaign themselves.

Russia has repeatedly stated that we are ready to work with any president the American people vote for in accordance with U.S. law... However, unlike us, a number of leaders of U.S. allied countries openly campaigned for Hillary Clinton. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, and leaders of other European states were actively involved in that. Whats more, in addition to direct campaigning for Hillary Clinton, official representatives of European countries had no qualms about demonizing Donald Trump. For example, my German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier called him, if I remember correctly, a preacher of hatred. U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson even said that Donald Trump is inadequate, while then-French Prime Minister Manuel Valls stated that the Republican candidate was rejected by the entire world. And all of that was said, not in a whisper in a narrow circle, but loudly and to the whole world.

Perhaps it is time to admit that it was not Russia but U.S. allies who grossly interfered in U.S. internal affairs in the election campaign. By the way, many of them are still unable to control themselves and calm down. We do not interfere in these squabbles. We, as a matter of principle, stay out of what is currently going on in the U.S. between the outgoing administration and Donald Trumps team. However, the attacks by representatives of Barack Obamas team against the president-elect at times simply appear hypocritical. Just a few days ago, on Jan. 15, when, in an interview with The Times and Bild, Donald Trump expressed his opinion on German migration policy, my counterpart John Kerry said that it was unethical and added up to interference in German internal affairs. And this is said by people who tried to preach to other countries, including Europe (for example, Barack Obama personally campaigned against Brexit) not only in word, but who interfere in other countries internal affairs in a way that is far from harmless, with the use of military force aiming for regime change. Therefore this is probably not double but triple standards. We believe that those who make such accusations against us, trying to shift the blame onto someone elses shoulders, should be blushing at the very least.
PRESS RELEASE

First Silk Road Freight Train from China Arrives In London

Jan. 19 (EIRNS)The first Silk Road train to travel from China to the United Kingdom arrived in London Wednesday, greeted by diplomats and a dragon dance. The 18-day journey of over 12,000 kilometers from Yiwu travelled through seven countries.

"Todays event is another testament to the Belt and Road," said Zhu Qin, deputy head of the Chinese embassy in London. London is the 15th major European city to establish a direct train link with China, and there is hope this will become a permanent line between the two countries, Xinhua noted.

David Martin from the China-Britain Business Council, called it a great opportunity for companies in the United Kingdom to partner with Chinese companies.

"It may seem that [just] a train is arriving, [but] its much more than that; it fits into overarching Chinese policies all the way down to the specifics of a company trying to do trade between our two countries,"

he said.
Over the last two decades, Argentinas rural communities have reported skyrocketing rates of birth abnormalities, miscarriages and cancer. In the same period, genetically modified soy has blanketed the region, helped along by copious pesticides. GM soy arrived in Argentina in 1996 and accounted for 23% of the countrys exports in 2014. Even as rural families suffer, planes fly over the pampas, spraying chemicals on the vibrant green monoculture that ripples all the way to the horizon.

This is the landscape in which Samanta Schweblins unsettling debut novel unfolds, to a soundtrack of rustling soy fields. Fever Dream is a narrative nesting doll best illustrated by one early scene: Carla, a country woman in a gold bikini, sits in a car parked in a driveway, telling a terrifying story about the day she turned her back and her son, David, drank from a poisoned creek. Shes talking to Amanda, a well-to-do woman from Buenos Aires vacationing in the countryside with her daughter.

Carlas story is nestled in the story of Amandas vacation, and wrapped around that is another story still: Fever Dream and all its events are framed as a conversation between Amanda and Carlas son David  characters who meet in the flesh only once. Theyre speaking in the local emergency clinic, but theyre also in some dark no-mans-land, a liminal dimension: Theres only darkness, and youre talking into my ear. I dont even know if this is really happening, Amanda says. David is pushing Amanda to pinpoint the moment something terrible happened, which she will know from a feeling of worms in her body:

Advertisement

Its dark and I cant see, she says. The sheets are rough, they bunch up under my body. I cant move, but Im talking.

Its the worms, David replies, his voice always italicized. You have to be patient and wait. And while we wait, we have to find the exact moment when the worms come into being.

Where are they really? What has happened, and what do the worms signify? Why is David pushing Amanda to tell him this story? These are Fever Dreams questions.

Though this is a debut novel, Buenos Aires-born Schweblin is already a luminary of Argentine fiction, with three award-winning short-story collections under her belt, not to mention anointment in 2010 as one of Grantas best Spanish-language writers. In fact, luminary of Argentine fiction might be too restrictive: today, Schweblin lives in Berlin, and her work has been translated into 20 languages. With this first book-length translation into English, she has the backing of an illustrious publisher and a gifted translator, Megan McDowell, whos worked with several rising stars of Latin American fiction. Fever Dream should position Schweblin comfortably alongside young American writers such as Amelia Gray and Jesse Ball.

Like these American counterparts, Schweblin writes in a spare and highly impressionistic style that embraces instability: of space, identity, and the readers trust. But though it taps into an international mood, Fever Dream is also a deeply Argentine work, about parental love, rapacious industrial agriculture and the trauma of history. In fact, the novel represents a perfect marriage of form and subject, in which its narrative instability  which is so of the literary moment  viscerally recreates the insecurities of life in the Argentine countryside today.

Schweblin, like Gray and Ball, has found ways to electrify and destabilize the physical world. In particular, she shatters the notion that there might be such a thing as a safe space. The title of the Spanish edition translates to Rescue Distance, a recurring phrase describing the distance from which Amanda can safely rescue her daughter. I spend half the day calculating it, she says, because sooner or later something terrible will happen  a clenched conviction other parents might well recognize.

But theres no such thing as rescue distance when the earth and the water are saturated with toxic chemicals. Schweblin sets up the quaint notion in order to knock it down: Nowhere is safe, and there will be no rescuing. This is a defining characteristic of postmodern horror stories, but its also precisely the experience of living in a landscape thats been poisoned.

Identity, too, is destabilized in a profoundly Argentine way. Davids voice ghoulishly frames the novel, but David also appears as an embodied and deeply uncanny character. The poisoning and its only cure have split the boy from his soul. And this in a country where 35 years ago, parents were being kidnapped, tortured, and disappeared, their babies stolen and brought up by the families of the military dictatorship. Just like this novel, Argentina is haunted by ghost children with split identities.

Fever Dream, then, is a novel about childless parents and parentless children, about split identities and living on land you cant trust  which is to say, its a novel about Argentinas struggles. More than that, its the scariest of all things: a ghost story that is, in essence, true.

Robins is a writer and translator who lives in Los Angeles.

Fever Dream

Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell

Riverhead: 192 pp., $25
Madeline Furston, first-person narrator of Emily Fridlunds debut novel, History of Wolves, is hard to know. Shes called Linda at her middle school, but also Commie or Freak. Shes an only child, wears hand-me-downs from neighbors and lives in a cabin whose electricity comes from a generator, her family the last inhabitants of a long-abandoned commune at the top of a steep, dark hill in the fictional town of Loose River in Northern Minnesota. At 14, Linda is both lonely and a keen observer of her natural world. Winter collapsed on us that year. It knelt down, exhausted, and stayed. Linda watches teachers and her fellow students too, but without understanding the motivations that fuel their actions or sometimes her own.

She is drawn to Mr. Grierson, a substitute history teacher, who himself pays a lot of attention to the cheerleaders and especially Lily Holburn, she of the sleek black hair and sheer sweaters. Linda observes how Lilys nascent sexuality affects Mr. Grierson, but it stirs something in her too. Without saying a word, Lily could make people feel encouraged, blessed. She had dimples on her cheeks, nipples that flashed like signs from God through her sweater. I was flat chested, plain as a banister. I made people feel judged. So when Linda impulsively kisses Mr. Grierson in his car after her presentation on wolves at a local history competition, the reader both can empathize with her jealous competitiveness with Lily and fear the consequences. When Grierson is later discovered to be a pedophile on the run from a school in California, and Lily accuses him of molestation, the readers suspicions are confirmed even if Linda feels deceived: I felt  that hed lied to me, profoundly, by ignoring what I did to him in his car, pretending to be better than he was.

With her overflowing cauldron of contradictions  sexually curious and naive, an outsider taunted by her classmates who longs to become something other than herself  Linda seems as much prey as predator, akin to the wolves she studies. When a family moves into their new house across the lake the winter Linda is 15, she knows them, having spied on the parents the previous summer with their young child like attendants to a very small bride, doting, hovering. Linda scorns then pities them for their folly, their inept navigation of a universe of snow. But later that winter, after the father mysteriously disappears, Linda encounters and befriends Patra Gardner, the young mother only 11 years older than Linda, and her son, Paul.

Advertisement

From the books opening scene, the reader knows Pauls importance to Linda, who often experiences the boy through physical contact, the casual, overwhelming intimacy of a yawning 4-year-old leaning against her chest. But is it more than that? The authors deft use of foreshadowing hints at some impending tragedy over the horizon as Linda becomes Pauls babysitter, or as Patra declares one day, governess. The very term evokes repressed feelings and dark mysteries, associations with Gothic romances like Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre or Henry James The Turn of the Screw, which Patra and many readers will know but Linda does not.

Like the governesses in those stories, Linda is both a part of the family but separate from it. From this vantage point, Linda begins to crave an intoxicating kind of intimacy with the Gardners quite unlike her own family, one in which Linda is more the adult in the room than her mother  whos always surprised when the evenings darkness descends on her quilting, or her father, a taciturn man whose major connection to the world seems to be through things, not people.

But the Gardners arent picture perfect either, and the tension between what Linda hopes to have with them and the facts as they emerge is expertly handled by Fridlund, who builds a palpable sense of dread through flashbacks and foreshadowing, all at 11-year intervals, not coincidentally the gap in years between Paul, Linda, Patra and husband Leo. While the novel is anchored in the voice of the nature-obsessed Linda at 15, exploring the woods with Paul or trying to understand Lily Holburns magnetic appeal and her treachery, the reader gets glimpses in the second half of Linda at 26, living in Duluth with a boyfriend and a growing sense of regret. At another point in the novel shes 4, plotting with another child to break away from the communes physical boundaries, and later still, at 37, shes trying to make sense of what happened to Paul and her complicity in sealing his fate.

In the process, Fridlund makes a wolfish detective of the reader, devouring pages for the meaning in a childs fruity breath, Lindas later contact with Mr. Grierson, her fascination with Lily Holburn, her instinct to protect her happy family with Patra and Paul, especially when Leo Gardner re-joins the family in the spring. An astronomer whos been away in Hawaii writing a book, Leos return imposes his mental superiority, his opinions and his faith on Linda and his family, including his insistence that his child is fine, a perfect child of God, which has disastrous consequences that reverberate throughout the novel.

Regardless of ones judgment about the characters mistakes and shortcomings, the chilly power of History of Wolves packs a wallop thats hard to shake off. In the process, Fridlund  who received a Ph.D. in creative writing from USC  has constructed an elegant, troubling debut, both immersed in the natural world but equally concerned with issues of power, family, faith and the gap between understanding something and being able to act on the knowledge.

Paula L. Woods, author of four novels and several anthologies, is a member of the National Book Critics Circle.

History of Wolves

By Emily Fridlund

Atlantic Monthly Press: 288 pp., $25
Elton John isnt going. Moby declined. Dozens of Democrats, including civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, will not be attending Donald Trumps inauguration. And now, legions of home viewers are following suit, boycotting the Friday event by changing the channel on their televisions or simply turning them off.

An online campaign has been making the rounds on social media this week. It reads like a middle-school word problem, but the logic claims it sends a strong message. By tuning out, itll decrease the percentage of viewers watching the inauguration while keeping ratings on other networks up, thus encouraging dissenters to turn to a different channel rather than turn their TV off.

Americans, this is how TV works. Don't "turn off your TV" for the inauguration. Leave it on and intentionally watch something else. pic.twitter.com/eHZ7TzbSCh  Ken Mooney (@kenmooney) January 16, 2017

According to Snopes.com, however, thats flimsy thinking. Because Nielsen uses a random sampling of Americans to calculate ratings, the majority of viewers, whether they change channels or abstain from television entirely, will have little effect on the numbers. Unless youre part of a Nielsen family, its doesnt matter how you boycott: Your message wont be heard.

Advertisement

But that might not deter people who are boycotting based on principle. The Pew Research Center reports that only 30% of Democrats plan to watch the inauguration, and 46% of Americans overall. (Thats 21% less than those who planned on watching Barack Obamas first inauguration in 2009.) For those potential viewers, its the thought that counts.

So, all those skipping inauguration coverage are going to need something else to entertain themselves this weekend. Whether youre abstaining from the inauguration in political protest, or the Mormon Tabernacle Choir just isnt your thing, heres a list of alternatives.

Benedict Cumberbatch stars in Sherlock: The Final Problem. (Jonathan Short / Invision / Associated Press )

WATCH

Sherlock: The Final Problem

Die-hard Sherlock fans may have already torn through the feature-length finale of Season 4 (and possibly the series), but for the uninitiated, heres a good excuse to binge watch the show, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, from start to finish.

Frontier

Netflix releases its latest original series, an 18th century drama about the North American fur trade, on Friday. The show follows an attempted take-down of the Hudson Bay Co. by a rogue outlaw, played by Game of Thrones  Jason Momoa.

Beaches

Idina Menzel reprises Bette Midlers role (with Nia Long as Barbara Hersheys character) in a remake of the 1988 film Beaches, which premieres Saturday on Lifetime.

Puppy Bowl: Where Are They Now?

This one-hour special airs Friday on the Discovery Channel, where Animal Planet catches up with nine past players to look at their road to the big game, how theyre spending their retirement and their adventures with their forever family. Really.

Split

M. Night Shyamalans latest thriller, about a man with disassociative personality disorder, starring James McAvoy, premieres Friday in theaters.

The Founder

Michael Keaton stars in this biopic about Ray Kroc, who built McDonalds into the most successful fast-food operation in the world. It also opens on Inauguration Day.

xXx: The Return of Xander Cage

For fans of xXx and xXx: State of the Union, this is the third film in the franchise, starring Vin Diesel. Xanders back and racing time to save the world from Pandoras Box, a weapon that controls every military satellite in existence.

READ

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay

The author of 2014s Bad Feminist released one of the years most anticipated collections of short fiction earlier this month. Our reviewer described Gays stories as revealing her to be a writer as interested in form and language as she is in social commentary.

LISTEN

Ponzi Supernova

An audible original, this podcast, narrated by New York Magazine contributor Steve Fishman, puts a new spin on the true-crime genre by investigating white-collar criminal Bernie Madoff.

Austras Future Politics

The Canadian electro-pop bands third album is dance music to brood to, but the first single, Utopia, is a banger.

agatha.french@latimes.com

@agathafrenchy

ALSO

Shepard Fairey explains the thinking behind his inauguration protest posters

President Trump will be a boon and a challenge for the cable news business

Inauguration gig boosts Jackie Evanchos concert ticket sales

Culture and Trump: The Actors Gang joins theater worlds national call to create light for dark times
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) seems to be constitutionally unable to avoid making misstatements about the Affordable Care Act or Medicare, two programs he has the knives out for. He doesnt put it that way, of course  he hides his demolition plans behind the language of fixing the programs, but his fixes resemble what Mafia dons mean when they talk about fixing a stoolie or a pet owner means by fixing a cat.

We previously debunked the statements Ryan delivered about the Affordable Care Act during a broadcast town hall last week, when he tried to explain why hes so intent on repealing the law. On Wednesday, Ryan brought his act to the Charlie Rose show on PBS. For an hour, he comfortably fielded verbal balls of yarn from the host, who indulgently allowed him to rattle on without any measurable pushback.

So lets once again examine Ryans words and test them against the truth. Well start with Obamacare and move on to Medicare. People should pay attention, because the effect of Ryans policies would be to make affordable healthcare harder to find for millions of Americans and to leave seniors holding the bag for more of their own medical needs

Advertisement

-- This law is collapsing under its own weight: This is Ryans mantra, so it demands close scrutiny, especially because theres no evidence its true. Ryan told Rose that people are leaving it. In fact, enrollments in private plans offered through the Affordable Care Act exchanges for 2017 are running well ahead of the figure for 2016. If anything, people are flocking to it. Last year about 11 million people signed up for exchange plans; this year the total is projected to be 12 million. Thats not counting enrollees under Medicaid expansion, who number about 11 million.

Ryan blamed the law for driving insurance carriers out of the individual market. He mentioned UnitedHealth Group, Aetna and Humana as insurers that have pulled out. He didnt mention why. United, to begin with, has never been a major player in the individual coverage market, was reluctant to participate from the first, entered only a few markets that were destined to be difficult and plainly didnt know enough about the markets to price its policies adequately. Consequently, it suffered big losses and pulled the plug virtually at the first sign of trouble.

Aetna and Humana are engaged to marry, but government antitrust authorities have been standing in the way of the merger. Aetnas announcement in August that it was pulling out of most of the states where it offered ACA plans was perplexing because just three months earlier its executives had expressed optimism about the market.

The mystery was solved when a letter surfaced from Aetna Chief Executive Mark Bertolini to a Justice Department official explicitly threatening to leave the public exchange business entirely  should our deal ultimately be blocked. Bertolini made the threat on July 5, the DOJ sued to block the deal on July 21, Humana said that very day it would pull out of many markets and Aetnas announcement followed three weeks later. You do the math.

-- Premiums are skyrocketing, deductibles are going up. As Ryan, a self-professed policy wonk, must know, premiums and deductibles were rising before the ACA, and in many cases, the post-ACA increases are lower than before. Although premiums in some states and localities rose at double-digit rates for 2017, increases in many other states were much lower. Arkansas, Ohio and New Hampshire  2%. In Massachusetts and Indiana, rates actually dropped.

Most important, ACA subsidies are designed to rise in tandem with premiums or in some cases even faster. That will wipe out the premium increase for many families and in some cases reduce premiums. In Arizona, where the nominal premium increase is 116%, the average subsidy for a family of four with $60,000 in income rose 270%. More than three-quarters of all customers in that state get a premium subsidy, and more than half also get a subsidy to help pay deductibles and co-pays. State-by-state statistics on subsidy increases for 2017 are here.

-- High-risk pools for preexisting conditions. Many experts have documented, and weve reported, that segregating people with preexisting conditions in high-risk pools doesnt work  unless the pools are funded by the government at far higher levels than Ryan or any other repealers have mentioned. The pre-ACA experience in the 35 states that tried them was dismal  the insurance was immensely expensive for enrollees, often failed to cover the very conditions that put them in the pool and often carried benefit and time limits that made them worthless.

Ryan needs to acknowledge that the expenses of covering these people are inescapable; his idea merely means moving money around, but unless he provides enough to pay for their care, hes condemning them to sickness and early death. Either the conditions have to be covered by members of the insurance risk pool or by the taxpayer.

The signs are not good that Ryan accepts that, since he continues to claim that only 8% of the under-65 population have preexisting conditions that would bar them from coverage in the pre-ACA era. Thats a gross understatement; by some measures, the figure is 25% to 40%.

Nor are all such conditions catastrophic, to use Ryans term, referring to cardiac conditions or cancer. An underwriting guide issued in 2011 by Blue Shield of California also listed as conditions warranting rejection back sprain, arthritis, depression and pregnancy.

-- Subsidies, or refundable tax credits? Ryans most bizarre statement was a shot at Obamacares subsidies. We also think that a refundable tax credit is a smarter way to get people the ability to go buy insurance that they like that they can afford. Thats better than the subsidies.

A refundable tax credit is one that flows to recipients even if they have little or no tax liability. As Jordan Weissmann pointed out at Slate, this was a true wha? moment in the Charlie Rose interview. Thats because Obamacare subsidies are refundable tax credits. As Weissmann noted, Ryans effort to make a distinction here was absurd. Hes spouting gibberish.

--Selling insurance across state lines. We have a lizard selling us car insurance on GEICO, we have Flo selling us home and auto insurance, Ryan told Rose, who found the observation eminently chuckleworthy. Why cant we have a vibrant, better market like that for health insurance? As weve observed, the ACA already makes insurance sales across state lines legal, if the subject states wish to allow it and insurers wish to sell it. No one does.

Underlying the cross-border health insurance notion is that insurers would be able to apply their home states regulations to policies sold in other states; an invitation to locate in states with the most minimal rules. But thats not what happens with GEICO or Flos Progressive Insurance  though they sell insurance in multiple states, every policy they sell must comply with the regulations of the state where its sold. Ryans idea is a chimera  it would save nothing and neither state regulators nor insurers care about it.

Ryan didnt spare Medicare in his roundelay of bunk.

-- Medicare works; the problem is its going bankrupt  in the next decade. Lets be blunt: Medicare is not going bankrupt. As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported, Medicares coverage for physician and outpatient costs and its prescription drug benefit, parts B and D, cannot run short of money. Theyre funded through enrollee premiums and general government revenues, which each year are set high enough to cover costs.

Medicares Hospital Insurance policy is under stress. The Medicare trustees reported last year that the trust fund providing its revenue would be sufficient to cover its costs through 2028. At that point, however, payroll taxes and other revenue would be enough to pay 87% of costs. Thats not bankruptcy by any definition.

Ryan complained that more than half of [Medicares] financing is on borrowed money. If thats so, theres an easy fix, well within Ryans legislative powers: stop borrowing the money. If Congress stops cutting taxes on the wealthy, the U.S. would have more than enough resources to cover these costs without borrowing. Instead, he advocates cutting benefits, which would harm the neediest members of the community, to spare his wealthy patrons a tax increase.

In any case, several solutions to Medicares financial stress and strain are embodied in the Affordable Care Act. Obamacare extended the life of the trust fund by more than 10 years, in part by providing additional tax revenues and by reducing reimbursements to providers. Repealing the ACA, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would increase Medicare spending by more than $800 billion over 10 years. It would also reverse the closing of the drug benefit doughnut hole, a gap in coverage that hits enrollees when their drug spending reaches a certain threshold. The coverage gap strikes an estimated 9 million Medicare enrollees.

When Rose challenged Ryan on these points  Oh, sorry: Rose didnt challenge Ryan on these points. No wonder Ryan was so willing to subject himself to Roses cross-examination. He knew there wouldnt be any.

Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com.

Return to Michael Hiltziks blog.
Cable news networks had reason to feel bittersweet about the end of 2016 as Donald Trumps historic campaign for the White House drove their ratings to record levels. But in the days leading up to his inauguration as the 45th president of the United States, Trumps continuing love-hate relationship with them is providing a compelling sequel.

CNN, Fox News and MSNBC have seen a surprising surge in their audience levels this month as they report in real time on the unpredictable saga of Trump, who can dictate their programming day with his Twitter account.

After Trump takes the oath of office Friday, they will be covering a president whose distrust and ridicule of the media is unlike anything they have seen from a commander in chief.

Advertisement

While its apparent Trumps combative nature is lifting viewer interest, the uncharted territory of his presidency is likely to test the journalistic spine of the organizations as well.

He is the most ripe target for legitimate journalistic investigation thats come along in decades.  Jonathan Klein, veteran TV news executive

He is the most ripe target for legitimate journalistic investigation thats come along in decades because of how he so blatantly positions himself as a rule breaker and a game changer, a guy that challenges orthodoxy, said Jonathan Klein, a veteran TV news executive who was president of CNN from 2004 to 2010. The real journalists out there must be licking their chops about the opportunity to investigate all that.

Frank Sesno, a former CNN Washington bureau chief and director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, said the unprecedented nature of an outsized personality such as Trump entering the White House without any government experience or clear ideological road map makes it a time of purpose for cable news.

The conversation has never been more important and the national mood more unsettled, certainly not in decades, Sesno said.

As a result, an expected post-election downturn in cable news ratings hasnt happened. Ratings leader Fox News is up 24% this month compared with January 2016, when the presidential primary season was kicking into high gear. CNN has gained 15% in viewership, while MSNBC has increased 36% during the same time period, according to Nielsen data.

Its like the campaign never ended, said one cable news producer who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Cable networks seem to be doubling down. CNN anticipated depending more on series programming in 2017. But with Trumps arrival, its added more contributors to its political team that was already augmented for the 2016 campaign. Among the new hires is Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold, who distinguished himself last year with his investigations of Trumps charitable foundation.

MSNBCs liberal-leaning prime-time anchors have seen a ratings surge as they provide a nightly campfire for shocked Hillary Clinton voters anxious about the new administration. The channel has also made its dogged campaign correspondent Katy Tur, a frequent target of Trumps ire, a daily daytime anchor for the first 100 days of the new administration.

Fox News has capitalized on the surprise GOP victory by adding conservative commentator Tucker Carlson at 9 p.m. to replace Megyn Kelly, who was more critical in her coverage of Trump than the networks other prime-time anchors. The move offered its core audience of Republican viewers a full block of politically right-leaning commentary programs in prime time. A Pew Research Study said 40% of Trump voters received their election news from Fox.

Carlson told The Times recently that he doesnt intend to be a cheerleader for Trump or anyone else, and that he will focus on the incoming presidents policies rather than his bombastic rhetoric.

Hes so florid and so mesmerizing and interesting or appalling, depending on your point of view, Carlson said. Hes just so big as a presence that he tends to obscure what hes saying.

No matter which way viewers lean politically, their intense interest isnt likely to subside any time soon.

Once the public is satisfied that the world is not going to end and a nuclear war is not going to break out or that civil unrest isnt going to erupt across the country they may reduce their viewing, Klein said. But in the first month of the Trump administration they will be sitting at the edge of their seats.

During the primary season, some critics saw CNN -- which tries to stay in the middle lane between its politically leaning competitors -- as being too accommodating to Trump during the campaign because of his audience appeal. CNN President Jeff Zucker was highly attuned to Trumps audience appeal, having put the real estate moguls reality show The Apprentice on NBC.

But CNN has covered the incoming Trump administration aggressively, scoring a major scoop with its report that the President-elect had been briefed by intelligence officials about unverified allegations in a dossier that the Russians had compromising personal information about him.

They were clear about what their reporting was, why they did it, and what they did and did not do, Klein said. They were aggressive in defending their actions.

The network gave strong support to its correspondent Jim Acosta after an angry Trump refused to call on him at a news conference and incorrectly accused the networks report as being fake news. Insiders at CNN say privately they have been energized by the powerful effect of the dossier story, which has since been confirmed by the FBI.

Trump takes shots most often at CNN because its the channel he watches most often. The ongoing tension has led to speculation that parent company Time Warner would spin off the channel to keep it from getting in the way of its proposed $85.4-billion merger with telecom giant AT&T.

Trump has said he is opposed to the deal -- an odd message from an incoming president who during the campaign said American business is constrained by too much regulation. But AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson dismissed the possibility of a spinoff in an interview this week. Executives at CNN say privately the merger never comes up in discussions of news coverage.

CNN declined to comment.

Other presidents have clashed with the media. President John F. Kennedy ordered the tapping of reporters phones. President Richard Nixons aides orchestrated letter-writing campaigns in major cities to complain to NBC when they saw a segment on the evening news that they were unhappy about. President Obama has accused Fox News, home of his harshest media critics throughout his presidency, of portraying him as a fictional character.

But as president-elect, Trumps pugnacious approach to the press, and his frequent use of social media to lambaste, is raw and immediate. He acts frequently and with condemnation that is not always based in fact. His most recent target was NBCs Today, which aired a report that said he had little to do with the recent decisions by U.S. companies to keep jobs from going overseas.

No wonder the Today Show on biased NBC is doing so badly compared to its glorious past. Little credibility! he wrote on Twitter. (Today has actually spent more than a year on top of the ratings among the advertiser-targeted audience of 25- to 54-year-olds.)

Trumps rants against news outlets could become less effective over time if he continues to call out reporting that proves to be accurate.

There was no such thing as a camera piece of publicity that Donald Trump didnt like, Sesno said. He is now conferring that upon news organizations. He actually threatens to raise their profiles in ways he may not want.

Along with cable news ratings increases, Trumps other favorite targets, The New York Times and the Washington Post, have reported substantial increases in their subscriptions since the election.

But with a rapid fire critic in the Oval Office, there will be no margin of error.

CNN and other news organizations have to make sure they have their facts straight, Klein said. They are going to have to be on their A game.

stephen.battaglio@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveBattaglio

ALSO

Race, privilege and a bad attitude: Why are Nate Parker and Casey Affleck being treated differently?

Trump Inauguration Day updates: Trump to assume power, but unity remains elusive

Trumps inauguration, just like his campaign, breaks Washington norms
When Lost actress Sonya Walger began remodeling her five-bedroom Malibu house several years ago, she was told it would take just eight weeks.

It took eight months.

It was epic, said Walger, who is starring in the Shonda Rimes series The Catch. Hilariously, I left with a baby in arms and came back with a toddler and pregnant.

The ambitious project  which involved gutting the ground floor and moving a staircase  was hell, she said. Walger, who has two children with screenwriter husband Davey Holmes, temporarily lived on the second floor, crammed over a toaster oven with crashing and banging below.

Advertisement

Walger says the space was designed so that while the room is big, each section feels like it has its own identity. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times )

You knocked down all the walls to create a kitchen/living-room/dining-room hybrid. Why is that now your favorite room?

The whole ground floor is one giant, open plan  you can see all the way through. And there are windows and French doors the length of the house, so I can stand at the stove and look out at the ocean.

What kind of vibe were you going for?

Its surprisingly cozy, which is not something I expected to feel. I didnt want it to feel echo-y or overly modern. So we used an enormous amount of raw wood, the brainchild of our friend Tess Bethune. Theres a little rug and armchair in front of the fireplace. Theres a wonderful window seat thats the focus of the whole room, with drawers underneath it for the kids toys. The kids pile on top of me, and I read them stories there; friends sit there to chat with me while I cook. We created a number of corners so that, while the room is big, each section feels like it has its own identity.

What do you have in the way of decor?

Were all big, big readers. I love a good nook. Theres a huge built-in bookcase, and its such a reflection of my family. I studied English literature at Oxford, so theres Chaucer. Its next to Nigella Lawsons latest cookbook. Theres the entire Mr. Men series. My husband was a playwright, so theres a Tom Stoppard play. Were not big tchotchke people; were pretty lean in terms of little ornaments.

Theres always a script kicking around somewhere, some dog-eared copy. But Im not particularly sentimental. My husband calls me throwy-outy  hes horrified at how easily I dispense with things. People I wont let go of, but things, mementos from shows, Im not particularly attached to. Im the absolute opposite of a hoarder.

Your father is from Argentina  anything from there?

We have these woven cloths, these frazada blankets originally from Peru that Ive collected over the years during trips to South America. The big ottoman is upholstered in one of those, and the armchair too. I try to go once a year or every two, but little children make travel horrendous.

The room sounds like a spectacular entertaining space.

We host a lot. The only thing we dont do downstairs is sleep. I love cooking  I make dinner pretty much every night. We have 40 people over for Thanksgiving, 30 people for Easter lunch, 35 people on Christmas Eve. People tend to expect to spend their holidays with us, which is lovely and an expectation I carry with pride.

hotproperty@latimes.com

MORE FROM HOT PROPERTY

Plenty of room for family in Santa Barbaras San Roque area

In quick move, San Antonio Spurs LaMarcus Aldridge sells his Newport Coast house

The U.S. priciest house for sale is a Bel-Air mansion that includes 7 staffers and a helicopter
Apple Inc. is suing mobile chip maker Qualcomm Inc. for $1 billion in a patent fight pitting the iPhone maker against one of its major suppliers.

The complaint filed Friday in a San Diego federal court depicts Qualcomm as a monopolist abusing its power in a key segment of the mobile chip market to extort royalties for iPhone innovations that have nothing to do with Qualcomms technology.

Apple says it has been cooperating with government regulators who have been investigating Qualcomms business practices, prompting Qualcomm to retaliate by withholding about $1 billion in scheduled payments.

Advertisement

In an email, Qualcomm General Counsel Don Rosenberg called Apples allegations baseless.

Qualcomm has said in the past that its 3G and 4G cellular patents are essential to what makes smartphones truly mobile, with the ability to link to the Internet from almost anywhere. The royalties it has been charging for these key technologies for more than two decades are not unreasonable, the San Diego company contends.

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple launched its legal attack three days after the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit alleging that Qualcomm has been imposing unfair licensing terms on manufacturers.

The FTC alleged that Qualcomm used its dominant market share in wireless chips to get excessive royalties on key, standard essential patents, which are supposed to be made available at reasonable rates under law.

The U.S. agency also accused Qualcomm of giving Apple rebates in exchange for being the exclusive supplier of cellular modems in iPhones from 2011 through 2015  hurting competitors.

And the FTC lawsuit came a month after a South Korean regulator, the Korea Fair Trade Commission, fined Qualcomm $865 million over patent royalties. The company vowed to fight in South Koreas courts.

Qualcomm has vigorously denied claims made by the FTC and the South Korean regulator, saying they are based on a flawed legal theory and inaccurate information about the mobile industry.

The company also faces investigations in Europe, Japan and Taiwan.

Staff writer Mike Freeman contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

5:10 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from Qualcomms general counsel.

3:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional background information.

This article was originally published at 3:05 p.m.
Seeking to quash a lawsuit from a former employee, Snap Inc. dismissed allegations that it lied to investors and advertisers about Snapchat usage as false from top to bottom.

The accusations stemmed from a lawsuit filed earlier this month by Anthony Pompliano, who claimed the Los Angeles company fired him in September 2015 for raising concerns internally about the alleged misrepresentations. Pompliano says Snap has hurt his chances of landing another job by lying to prospective employers about why he was fired. Hes seeking a court order barring Snap from making such statements.

But in a court filing late Wednesday, Snap said Pompliano did get a new job shortly after leaving Snap. He was fired after less than two months in December 2015 by Brighten Labs. Three months later, Pompliano filed a lawsuit against Brighten, alleging wrongful termination and unjust denial of a 25% stake in the anonymous complimenting app, according to the court papers. Brighten Labs, which denied his claims, didnt offer immediate comment about the ongoing litigation.

Advertisement

Pompliano was a disgruntled employee fired for poor performance, Snaps attorneys wrote. To rationalize his firing, Pompliano has ginned up preposterous allegations about Snap giving investors false user metrics back in 2015. Those accusations are sure to grab headlines, but they fail to grasp reality.

Snap asked Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Richard Rico to put the case on hold until a private arbitration proceeding is completed. Pomplianos contract with Snap required all employment disputes to run through arbitration, and he opened a case last July seeking lost wages and other damages. Because Pompliano hasnt raised the issue of Snap allegedly lying in reference interviews to the arbitrator, hes unable to seek relief on the matter from a court, the company argues.

The companys attorneys described Pomplianos move to go public with a case contractually bound to take place secretly as a stunt apparently intended to pressure the company to throw in the towel and settle.

Pomplianos attorney, David Michaels, didnt have immediate comment.

DOCUMENT: Read the full complaint in Pompliano v. Snap 

DOCUMENT: Read Snaps reply in the case 

DOCUMENT: Read Pomplianos lawsuit against Brighten Labs 

Snap also requested that about a third of Pomplianos complaint remain inaccessible to the public. The company says the redaction protects confidential information, including how it measures usage and research and development initiatives.

Among the statements unavailable are two statistics that Snap allegedly provided to Pompliano during the recruiting process  and to investors, advertisers and the public  that he claims are false. Pompliano also has said Snap tried to get him to share information about Facebook, where he worked for about a year, and help recruit former colleagues.

Pompliano lasted just three weeks on Snapchats business operations team. Hes now a venture capitalist.

His dispute with the company became public at a sensitive time for Snap Inc., the company behind the popular chat app Snapchat and the Spectacles wearable camera. Snap is seeking to open public trading of its shares as early as March in a fundraising that could value the firm at more than $25 billion.

Snaps other legal issues include a lawsuit filed by two women who say they werent fairly compensated for appearing in early marketing materials. A jury trial in that Los Angeles County case is scheduled for October.

Snap also has a handful of patent and trademark infringement cases outstanding. This month, Vaporstream Inc. alleged Snap stole from several electronic messaging patents. In a similar case, Snap has denied patent infringement allegations lodged in a Texas federal court by Uniloc, a firm notorious for making such claims. Snap has countersued in a third intellectual property case  that one brought by investment group Investel, which says Snapchats location-based image filters infringe on patents for its iFramed app. The logo of Snaps Spectacles wearable camera device is the subject of a lawsuit brought of eyewear seller Eyebobs.

paresh.dave@latimes.com / PGP

Twitter: @peard33
The ginned-up contest between Los Angeles and San Francisco to lure filmmaker George Lucas and his long-aborning Lucas Museum of Narrative Art is done. Los Angeles lost by winning.

The announcement came this month that the museum would indeed be coming here, one day to fill a couple of parking lots in Exposition Park. Thats a loss because the museum is a terrible idea.

A billion dollars is about to be wasted on a project whose dubious artistic mission could have been turned into something useful  and even profound. Instead, an ugly stepsisters foot is being jammed into a fragile glass slipper.

Here is the sound of the breaking glass: Jobs! Tourism! Tax revenue!

Money drove the vanity museums civic sales pitches. Between the household-name franchises for the blockbuster movies Star Wars and Indiana Jones, theres hardly a bigger, richer celebrity catch than Lucas.

Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a gung-ho advocacy statement for the project in June, saying, Tens of millions of people visit our city every year  and L.A. has unquestioned stature as a world arts capital. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas touted more numbers, adding that the museum would bring 1,500 construction jobs and another 350 permanent jobs to L.A.

Garcetti then upped that ante on announcement day, saying that the 275,000-square-foot building will lead to tens of thousands of jobs in construction and more than a thousand permanent jobs  and thats a lowball estimate.

For the sake of argument, lets grant city hall their numbers. The calculations beg the most important question: Here in our world arts capital, how would a Lucas Museum of Narrative Art finally measure up? What is terrific about it as an art museum?

Not much, I daresay. And thats not because the bulk of the Lucas collection is pop culture material, as Ill explain momentarily.

Its because the plan instead ignores a powerful art museum infrastructure already existing in L.A., one that desperately needs what Lucas could bring to the table. In return, those important museums could actually achieve his fondest dream, which is serious cultural credibility for the art he champions.

That wont happen with his vanity museum. Major opportunities are being missed.

Little of the Lucas collection has been publicly shown. According to reports, most of it tracks aspects of the birth and gestation of modern mass-media imagery, starting 150 years before the epochal recent revolution of digital culture, as well as a few artists responses to it.

Victorian and early 20th century illustrations for magazines, posters and childrens books, especially British and American, are reportedly a major holding. Artists include Maxfield Parrish, Arthur Rackham, Beatrix Potter, Frank Adams and  of course  Norman Rockwell. (His calendar art and magazine cover designs number more than 140.) Many names overshadowed and even forgotten  Paul Stahr, Jessie Willcox Smith  are also represented.

There are lots of movie set designs, costumes and storyboards made for fantasies like The Wizard of Oz and the Star Wars saga; Winnie the Pooh books; Max Fleischer drawings of Betty Boop; Garry Trudeaus Doonesbury comic strips; and many of R. Crumbs Zap Comix, plus his magnificently strange illustrations to the Book of Genesis, drawn in 2009.

Theres a small group of paintings by Edgar Degas, Winslow Homer, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Everett Shinn. A few works by notable contemporary artists  Kara Walker, Rirkrit Tiravanija  have been added more recently, and more are promised.

The reason this sprawl doesnt make for a coherent museum is right there staring us in the face  not lost like that pesky Ark of the Covenant that set Indiana Jones on his outlandish quest. Its hiding in plain sight in the Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts very name.

Simply: Narrative art is a made-up category. The fiction is as fantastical as the Cloud City run by Han Solo's scoundrel friend, Lando Calrissian, whose mining colony extracts valuable Tibanna gas from the depths of the giant planet Bespin.

But I digress. As I was saying, narrative art is a made-up category. Every time I ask artists what they think of a Museum of Narrative Art, the reply is some variation of Whats that? If artists dont know, the museums artistic mission is screwy.

The Lucas Museum website has a section called What is narrative art? But its no help.

Narrative art is visual art that tells a story, it explains, merely repeating the same concept twice with different phrasing. A perfect tautology  thats nothing to build an art museum around.

Theyre not talking here about Michelangelos 16th century story of the Creation, which unfolds on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Or about Dong Qichangs thrilling journeys across 17th century Chinese landscape scrolls into deep cultural and natural history. Or an Edo ikegobo, the cylindrical altar to the hand that tells a sculptural story of an 18th century persons achievements in what is now Nigeria.

If they were, a fledgling museum of narrative art would be desperate to acquire Orazio Gentileschis breathtaking 1621-23 painting Danae, a sensational nude wrapped inside the cautionary story of a fateful pagan rape. The greatest storytelling Baroque masterpiece to come to market in half a century sold last year at auction for a hefty $30.5 million, but Lucas  a billionaire five times over  didnt buy it.

The Getty did. Thats because the Getty is a museum dedicated to art  specifically art made in Europe before the modern era, plus photographs. It knows what its about. What its not about is art hemmed in by hollow adjectives, like so-called narrative art.

Orazio Gentileschi, Danae, 1621-23, oil on canvas (Getty Museum) (Getty Museum )

Thats as silly as, say, a Museum of Colorless Art would be. A Diane Arbus black-and-white photograph of a young boy grasping a toy hand-grenade in sunny Central Park would make little sense hanging next to a voluptuous Aubrey Beardsley ink drawing of writhing Salome. Both speak of diabolical beauty made without a lick of color, but colorless art is just not a thing.

Neither is narrative art. Here its just a puffed-up euphemism for illustration. Thats a perfectly legitimate form of mass art, which is the actual category that seems to describe most of Lucas diverse collection. For whatever reason, though, he seems determined to pretend its not.

A Lucas Museum might be wildly entertaining  a requirement of any major mass art, such as American Graffiti. That extraordinary Lucas movie effectively trembles on the brink of the national nervous breakdown that engulfed us in the traumatic year of 1963. But given the muddled mission, dont expect the museum to be nearly as culturally incisive.

Normally, without first-hand exposure to the art that will make up its permanent collection, I wouldnt weigh in on Lucas proposed museum. Around 700 objects will kick it off, but I havent seen them, though I was invited to have a look at a small sample. If the mission is nonsensical, as this specious notion of a discrete storytelling art surely is, whats the point?

Besides, it was pretty obvious that I was being enticed to get into a hometown bidding war against critic Charles Desmarais, my counterpart at the San Francisco Chronicle, who was also invited. The contest was cranked up again in October, this time in architectural terms, with the simultaneous unveiling of two sleek building concepts by architect Ma Yansong, one for San Franciscos Treasure Island and another for L.A.

Framing the museum plan as a civic contest was politically savvy. Since 2013, Lucas had failed twice in singular attempts to bring his museum idea first to San Franciscos Presidio and then Chicago. Nearly 73, he doesnt have last-chance time to spare. Cranking up a contest shifted discussion away from Should there be a narrative art museum? to Where should the museum be?

Lucas has been vocal in his enthusiasm for the history of mass art forms and his dismay at what he sees as snobbish establishment disdain for them. Maybe he missed great shows like the huge, definitive Masters of American Comics held jointly at the UCLA Hammer Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art in 2005, a marvelous, in-depth presentation of work by 15 artists from the past century.

That art museum effort is a template for what Lucas ought to do now, if he really wants to be taken seriously. Virtually everything reported to be in his collection would fit easily within existing L.A. art museums.

Illustration in the UCLA Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts. American and European paintings at LACMA . Movie material at the new Academy Museum. Photographs at the Getty. Contemporary art at MOCA and the Hammer. British books and illustration at the Huntington Library. Etc.

R. Crumb, Genesis, 2009, ink on paper (AP)

Mass art has indeed been ghettoized, as Lucas suggests, but the solution to that tough problem is not to drop the fanciest-shmanciest ghetto project the world has ever seen into Expo Park  a gated community for which everyone gets the entry code. The solution is to push existing art museums to integrate mass art into their larger art programs.

Lucas, perhaps alone among mass art enthusiasts, has both the collection and the financial clout to do it. Smart philanthropy would tie them together: Target art gifts and hundreds of millions of dollars in endowment funds for acquisitions, shows, scholarship and publishing, matched with general operating funds that would allow those educational enterprises to thrive without todays crushing commercial pressures. Museum doors would be thrown wide open.

The most disheartening aspect of the current proposal, aside from its wastefulness, is the claim made on the museums website that divisions between high art and popular art are artificial and need to be eradicated. Thats just wrong.

The differences are real  as real as the differences between a decorated glass decanter and an oil painting, both of which get housed together in art museums. Most obvious: Effective mass culture requires mass popularity, while successful art culture doesnt.

Both are stronger for the dissimilarity. Homogenizing critical differences between them merely accelerates cultural entropy, turning everything into uniform gray sludge. That makes the planned museum pernicious.

Forty-four years ago, the late critic Roger Ebert rightly described American Graffiti as a brilliant work of historical fiction. Storytelling art. Lucas is often very good at it.

Where were you in '62?

But not this time. On social media I dubbed it the Treacle Museum  a sentimental vanity gallery pumped up on soppy emotional steroids. Artistically, the proposed art museum has all the makings of a billion-dollar flop.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has it inside-out. Its really just the Narrative Museum of Lucas Art. The garbled story it tells is about one wildly successful mass-culture filmmaker whose deep desire is to be publicly recognized as an artist.

Ironically, by not bringing mass art into the larger story that art museums already tell, hes about to throw away an unrivaled opportunity for exactly that.

christopher.knight@latimes.com

@KnightLAT

ALSO

Lucas Museum talks diversity, access and how this museum is different

What does building the Lucas Museum at Exposition Park say about L.A.?

Los Angeles will be home to George Lucas' $1-billion museum

Editorial: George Lucas should pick L.A. for his unconventional museum
With ominous stories of right-wing extremism in parts of the world, theres a solid case to be made for a revival of the Holocaust drama Bent so soon after the high-profile Mark Taper Forum production less than two years ago.

Arguments in support of the new Hollywood Stage Companys ambitious but overreaching production are harder to come by, however.

Martin Shermans 1979 play broke ground spotlighting the persecution of homosexuals. Gays were so reviled under the Nazi regime that the plays ethically challenged protagonist  a concentration camp prisoner named Max (Lior Burlin)  welcomes the status upgrade in getting himself classified as Jewish rather than gay.

Advertisement

Among the nonprofessional ensemble, however, the sadistic Nazi officers (Sean Lee, Rebecca Jarrell) prove more intense and credible than Max and his fellow victims, diminishing the productions emotional impact. This uneven performance quality could be a harbinger of the small theater scene in the wake of the Actors Equity Assn.s change in rules for L.A. theaters with 99 seats or fewer. Critics of the change fear it will sharply reduce opportunities for union professionals to appear on small local stages and force theater companies to settle for less seasoned talent.

SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter 

A potentially diminished casting pool may be an inevitable fact of life for companies on shoestring budgets, but rookie missteps in this production of Bent illustrate staging pitfalls that be could have been avoided by sticking to a script as written.

Taking bold creative liberties with a script is rarely a productive impulse, especially for a company with no track record. In the first act of Bent, the playwright uses the hedonistic lifestyle of Max and his lovers  including one number in a drag club  for a specific purpose: to dramatize how Germanys permissive Weimar Republic era came to a violent end as the Nazis solidified their power.

Here, director, co-producer and performer Robert Hayman shifts the balance into over-amped peepshow territory by adding a 20-minute poor mans Cabaret-style preshow, prolonging the nudity in another scene, and expanding his role as the clubs emcee. While these indulgences might raise the productions appeal to some ticket buyers, they come at the expense of the broader sympathy and horror the first act is constructed to engender for the victims.

When the second act shifts to Maxs forced labor incarceration in Dachau, his captors state that rest breaks last three minutes, yet his pivotal romantic exchange with a fellow prisoner during one of those breaks clocks in at seven. Greater attention and respectful staging would better serve a script with a timely message about the fragility of freedom.

Bent

Where: Hollywood Stage Company, 6520 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

When: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays; ends Jan. 29

Tickets: $25

Information: hollywoodstagecompany.tix.com

Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes

Follow The Times arts team @culturemonster.

ALSO

Times theater critic Charles McNultys latest reviews

Actors Gang joins national call to create light for dark times

For A Thousand Splendid Suns, a well-timed journey from the page to the stage

Alan Cumming on singing sappy songs, from Sondheim to Miley Cyrus
A key reason for the Los Angeles Philharmonics success is an emphasis, uncommon for orchestras, on family values, along with an unusual history of peaceful and caring transfer of power.

The new year in Walt Disney Concert Hall began with appearances by the orchestras former Hollywood Bowl Music Director Bramwell Tovey and its former Music Director Zubin Mehta, welcomed back here with open arms (unlike at Mehtas other former U.S. orchestra, the New York Philharmonic). The musicians played their hearts out for him.



For the record: This article reported that Lionel Bringuier became music director of the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich in 2012. Bringuier was named music director in 2012, but did not assume the post until 2014.

After current Music Director Gustavo Dudamel returns next week to celebrate his 36th birthday with the orchestra, rising star associate conductor Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla, now music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony in England, will have L.A. dates in March. A festival mounted for L.A. Phil conductor laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen follows the next month.

Advertisement

This week, it is the return of the orchestras prodigal son, Lionel Bringuier, who all but grew up with the L.A. Phil during the last decade, first as a 20-year-old assistant conductor to Salonen, then to Dudamel, and finally the post of resident conductor. In 2012, he became music director of the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, one of Switzerlands most important ensembles.

His inaugural concert in Zurich saw a standing ovation led by Salonen (who wrote a major new piece for the occasion), Dudamel, Frank Gehry and top L.A. Phil administrators, something surely unprecedented in orchestra life.

A prestigious recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon resulted in magnificent, color-drenched live recordings of Ravels complete orchestral works, including the two piano concertos with Yuja Wang as spectacular soloist. Bringuier brought L.A. Phil ideas to his traditional orchestra in Zurich, including appointing a composer as creative chair.

But rather than Bringuier not being ready for the Tonhalle, I suspect Switzerland is not ready for him. His contract has not been renewed past the next season.

At 30, Bringuier may no longer appear quite the same eagerly boyish young conductor who first so charmed L.A. But the charm is still there. So too the enthusiasm.

Bringuiers Russian program Thursday night in Disney Hall felt especially a family affair, as it showed what all the fuss is about. It began with Mussorgskys showy Night on Bald Mountain and Prokofievs moody Second Violin Concerto, for which the soloist was yet another old L.A. Phil friend, Gil Shaham, who appears here at least once a year. After intermission came a theatrically vibrant and warmly played performance of Petrushka, one of the Stravinsky early ballet scores that are central to the L.A. Phils identity.

Color and dramatic character were notable aspects of Bringuiers Mussorgsky and Stravinsky. Night on Bald Mountain came across less as the soundtrack for a spooky satanic midnight ritual than a roller-coaster ride happily taken by thrill seekers. Bringuier brought out phrases, clipped and sudden, as revelations of another new vista.

Few orchestras feel as at home with Petrushka as the L.A. Phil, which first performed it in 1922, 11 years after the ballet had its Paris premiere and just three years after the orchestra was formed. Ours is the town Stravinsky lived in the longest; the L.A. Phil is the orchestra he got to know best and recorded with most (under the name Columbia Symphony). Pierre Monteux, who conducted the Petrushka premiere, became music director of the San Francisco Symphony and appeared regularly in L.A.

Petrushka on Thursday night felt like home. Bringuier did no forcing. He trusted the musicians, and the many instrumental solos, particularly the major role for the piano (another star turn for Joanne Pearce Martin), were illuminating. He emphasized the Stravinskys rich color palette. He happily stirred the rhythmic pot when it came time for exciting crowd scenes, sassy Russian dances and big-deal climaxes, all the while maintaining a fine line between the peasant pathos and urbane incredulity of a story in which a puppet comes to life, lucklessly seeks love and loses his wooden head.

The Prokofiev concerto was even more a family affair. Shaham here proved a kind of puckish Petrushka. Rather than stand in wooden formality as he plays, the violinist loves to engage with conductor and orchestra, dashing around the stage, grinning widely when something goes right, which is pretty much all the time.

His tone is silken and alluring, but slender, making Shaham almost like a violinist in the orchestra with an especially important part. There are balletic and pathetic aspects to this score as well (it is contemporary and in spirit of Prokofievs Romeo and Juliet), and dance was exquisitely seconded and evoked by Bringuier.

Bringuiers own career dance may have taken an unexpected turn in Zurich. But there is little question that hes got the much more valuable support of an understanding family in L.A. that knows hes going places.

---

Los Angeles Philharmonic

Where: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles

When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Price: $59 to $195

Contact: (323) 850-2000 or www.laphil.org

mark.swed@latimes.com
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.
Amid all its grim revelations of melting ice caps and depleted permafrost, the Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth provided at least one genuinely thrilling revelation: Al Gore was a movie star.

Long derided for his stiffness and lack of charisma as a politician, the former vice president and failed presidential candidate had discovered his true calling as an evangelist for planet Earth, with a PowerPoint pulpit and a sermon full of depressing statistics. In An Inconvenient Truth, which first screened at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, Gore took to his crusader role with the ease and conviction of someone who had nothing to lose, in part because he knew how much we all did.

Eleven Sundances later, Gores star wattage seemed entirely undimmed at Thursday evenings premiere of An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, an awkwardly titled, stirringly crafted follow-up that measures the progress that has and hasnt been made in the battle against global warming. Taking over for Davis Guggenheim, the directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk largely abandon the framing device of Gores lecture (which he and his international team of trainees continue to give regularly) in favor of a nimbler, more on-the-go approach.

Advertisement

Despite some updates on the continuing decline of the worlds glaciers and the link between climate change and the recent Zika virus outbreak, the focus this time is less on science than on politicking. Cohen and Shenk tag along with Gore on a globe-trotting mission to persuade various heads of state to invest in wind and solar energy, and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels  an effort that culminates on-screen with the signing of last years historic Paris climate accord.

Environmental documentaries have of course become a veritable cottage industry in the years since An Inconvenient Truth. This years edition of Sundance alone will unspool several in a new section called the New Climate, including Marina Zenovichs Water & Power: A California Heist and Jiu-liang Wangs Plastic China. Next to all the competition, its Gores personality  something that he was once mocked for not possessing  and his personal history that give this ongoing cinematic project its particular gravitas. At 68, he may be grayer and paunchier, but the image he projects  that assured, steely intellect wrapped in that warm Tennessee drawl  seems all the more indelible and authoritative.

More vital dispatch than great cinema, An Inconvenient Sequel made undeniably strong counter-programming on the eve of Donald Trumps presidential inauguration, not least because of its poignant reminder that Hillary Clinton was not the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the popular vote but lose the election. While the film duly honors the role that President Obama and Secretary of State John F. Kerry played in negotiating the Paris accords, Trump is treated as a mocking presence on the sidelines, dismissing the importance of climate change  and then suddenly, alarmingly ascending to power in the movies climactic stretch.

We will win, Gore told the crowd during the post-screening Q&A, to thunderous applause. I admit, after 99 minutes of explanations of freak weather patterns and the hottest year on record that was 2016, it was a relief to step out into the chilly Utah air and be comforted, if only for a moment, that the man might be right  and that we might yet live to see still another Inconvenient sequel.

* * * * *

At one point in Cohen and Shenks documentary, Gore insists that its our responsibility to protect the planet, and that relocating to Mars is not a valid option. Incidentally, that science-fiction premise has absolutely nothing to do with I Dont Feel at Home in This World Anymore, a disarmingly funny and twisted dark comedy that also had its world premiere on Thursday night, kicking off the festivals closely watched U.S. dramatic competition.

The luminous Sundance mainstay Melanie Lynskey (The Intervention, Hello I Must Be Going) stars as Ruth, a woman who has become dispirited by mounting evidence that everyone around her is a jerk  a sentiment that she expresses rather more vividly than can be quoted in this newspaper. When a burglar breaks in to her home and makes off with her laptop, her meds and her grandmothers prized silver, Ruth goes on a heroines quest to recover her stolen treasure  a journey on which she is accompanied by her eccentric neighbor Tony (Elijah Wood, rocking a man-braid and a set of nunchaku).

In thrillers as different as the under-seen Open Windows, the diverting Grand Piano and the near-unwatchable Maniac, Wood has really been letting his freak flag fly of late, and this latest performance offers no reason to suggest he should stop. He and Lynskey make a splendid comic duo, his deadpan chivalry playing nicely off her winning irritability. Their restlessly ping-ponging chemistry lays a firm foundation for the movies sudden left turn into Grand Guignol territory.

The shift, however jarring in the moment, makes sense when you remember that I Dont Feel at Home in This World Anymore (a Netflix original production) was written and directed by Macon Blair, an actor who helped produce the tense thrillers of Jeremy Saulnier, including Green Room (2015) and Blue Ruin (2013). Saulniers brutal commingling of humor and horror is clearly an inspiration here, and if Blairs movie is a scrappier affair, its finger-bending, throat-smashing energy offers its own dark pleasures. The audience I saw it with seemed to eat it up; heres a Sundance movie that, its title to the contrary, succeeded in fitting right in.

justin.chang@latimes.com
When it came to assessing who wore what on Inauguration Day, there was a whole lot of sartorial symbolism going. Not to mention a freaky fashion confluence that resulted in the incoming first lady and her husbands bitter rival for the presidency wearing the same label, as well as two high-profile pantsuits, both in white, and the sight of Mrs. Obama, Mrs. Clinton and Mrs. Trump clad in the colors of the American flag  red, white and blue, respectively.

The biggest reveal of the day came early, with incoming First Lady Melania Trump stepping out for the days events clad in a sky-blue double-faced cashmere Ralph Lauren Collection ensemble that included a cropped cutaway jacket and a mock turtleneck dress. Taken together with the suede gloves and stiletto heels  in the same shade of blue  and upswept hairstyle, the first impression of the new first lady was one of elegance and poise.

The monochrome outfits slightly 60s vibe  thanks to the mock turtleneck collar and sleeves cropped to mid-forearm  instantly drew comparisons to the most memorable looks of Jackie Kennedys time as first lady. At the same time, the cut of the cropped cutaway jacket lent a little futuristic-airline-stewardess feel to the whole thing.

Advertisement

The choice of Ralph Lauren was hardly a surprise  the label had been one of the odds-on favorites since the fashion handicapping began earlier this week and it had been Melania Trumps go-to for several high-profile appearances during the campaign season. It was also, as many have pointed out, the source of many a Hillary Clinton pantsuit during the 2016 campaign, a fact of which we were reminded when Clinton arrived for the ceremony also clad in Ralph Lauren  an off-white pantsuit with a white jacket draped over her shoulders.

While the first ladies past and future found themselves united by a brand thats positioned itself as Americas symbolic clothier (Ralph Lauren, need we remind you, is the longtime official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic team), Clinton and Ivanka Trump found themselves sharing the white pantsuit look  the latter in a version by Oscar de la Renta, which included a long, asymmetrical-cut jacket accessorized with an American flag pin. (Her half-sister Tiffany also chose an all-white outfit for the occasion.)

From left: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Bill Clinton; Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr.; Michelle Obama and President Obama. (From left: Saul Loeb /Getty Images, Win McNamee / Getty Images, Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images )

As if that wasnt enough fodder for the fashion machine, outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama attended the festivities in a red dress (provenance unknown) with a fit-and-flare silhouette and accessorized with a thin black belt. Together, these three women literally represented the colors of the American flag.

Theres one more red, white and blue combination that bears mentioning: the Inauguration Day outfit of Trumps special advisor Kellyanne Conway, who turned out for her boss big day in a military-inspired coat from Alessandro Micheles 2017 resort collection for Italian luxury label Gucci. The red, off-white and blue wool A-line look (which she accessorized with a red cloche hat, red gloves and red handbag) was studded with 10 metal buttons with feline-shaped heads.

Kellyanne Conway, in Gucci, talks with former Vice President Dan Quayle on Inauguration Day. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images )

While the buttons certainly could have been lions, tigers, pumas, it didnt take much heavy lifting to draw a connection between the cat motif and the litter of cat references that have been ping-ponging through the political landscape for the last several months.

Of course, there was the comment by Trump on an Access Hollywood bus about grabbing women, caught on video and released before the election. Then Melania Trump turned up not once but twice wearing outfits with the distinct neck detail known as a pussy bow.

This was catnip to fashion sleuths (this one included), who mused that perhaps it was a calculated nose-thumb to critics and reference to the incident.

That in turn spawned the knit pink pussyhats, which have become the de facto sartorial symbol of Saturdays upcoming womens marches nationwide.

From where were sitting, its almost impossible not to see Conways choice as a kind of catty callback and final commentary on the whole situation.

To which we have to say: Meow, meow.

 Melania Trump turned up twice wearing outfits with what is called a pussy bow, and fasion sleuths mused that perhaps it was a calculated nose-thumb to critics. (Jan. 20, 2017)

 First Ladies of the United States of America

adam.tschorn@latimes.com

For more musings on all things fashion and style, follow me at @ARTschorn.

ALSO:

The defining looks of Michelle Obamas White House Years

Melania Trumps election-night style: clueless or calculated?

Dear President-elect Trump: Heres a four-point-plan to make America (look) great again
On your way into Gwen, the Hollywood restaurant run by Curtis Stone and his brother, Luke, a former florist, you will probably spend a few seconds browsing the retail butchers counter, a display of Victorian lavishness  fat birds, richly marbled meats and intricate pates. I am a fan of McCalls Meat & Fish Co., Belcampo Meat Co. and Alexanders Prime Meats, but there is nothing in Los Angeles quite like the display case at Gwen, stocked with extra-aged steaks as pungent as Stilton and chops from pedigreed pigs, plump sausages and rolled roasts of lamb. Butcher Alex Jermasek is a rock star of meat.

If your tastes run toward shot Scottish game or grouse terrines that sell for $80 a pound, the counter may have that too. The last time I was in, I picked up a beautifully trimmed rack of wild venison  salted, seared and finished for five minutes in a hot oven, it was one of the most profound things Ive ever eaten, all the brooding, wintry flavors of the woods concentrated into a few soft mouthfuls of flesh.

The glassed-in counter could double as a museum of steaks: well-marbled tomahawks from Creekstone Farms in Kansas, pastured slabs of impossible-to-find rib-eye cap from Napas renowned Five Dot Ranch and, most significantly, the spectacular, breathtakingly expensive Wagyu from Australias Blackmore Farms, which the Stone brothers like so much that they set up an import company just so they could get the steaks in Los Angeles. If meat is your thing, you may feel a bit like a street urchin in A Christmas Carol, nose pressed against the butcher shop glass.

Advertisement

When you tear yourself away to walk to your table, in a grand dining room that somehow looks five times the size that it did when it was the late restaurant Mercantile, you pass a vast, glassed-in meat locker in which hang carcasses, curing sausages and various legs of things. On the far end of the room, pork bellies dangle above a big walk-in fire pit. Cooks toss chunks of flesh onto a grill that looks as if it were fashioned from an old fireplace grate and a mountain of flaming logs. Occasionally cooks chant Oui, chef! in unison, as if they were breaking huddle in a rugby game. Gwen is a manly place, the height of abattoir chic.

We are in Curtis Stone land again, the second L.A. restaurant from the Melbournian chef-owner of the impossible-to-book Maude in Beverly Hills. Gwen is an elegant redoubt of wood, soft light and stone that looks as if it could have been plucked out of a white-telephone drama from the 1930s. The plates look like something out of your grandmothers china cabinet, the cocktail glasses are gilt and the silverware tinted with gold. The cocktails tend toward strong, workmanlike riffs on Old Fashioneds and sours.

Gwen can be a pretty casual place to grab a bite. You can drop by the bar or patio without a reservation and have a crack at pretty much anything on the menu a la carte  perhaps a small heart of palm salad with carbonated grapes; chanterelle ravioli; grilled sardines or a plate of smoked eggplant caponata with chopped macadamia nuts. During the day, croissants and flat whites are served from the butchers counter, along with sandwiches made from strong cheese and slices of dried sausage on a kind of sturdy free-form baguette: first rate.

But in the dining room, we are once again in the world of anxiety  tables at Gwen arent as hard to land as the ones at Maude, but the dining room mandates a $95 16-bite tasting menu. The wine list is strong, especially on unusual Santa Barbara wines, but you may be nudged toward bottles twice the price of the ones you enquire about, and a glass of something special may run $34.

One of the most profound things Ive ever eaten.  Jonathan Gold on the wild venison at Gwen

The meal itself is pretty straightforward, much closer to what you might expect to eat at a fancy dinner party than at a tasting menu restaurant. There will be a charcuterie course, less massive than the meat plate at Bestia or Chi Spacca but rather more prettily arranged, with a few slices of dry sausage; a terrine plate that will probably include a bit of foie gras and a delicate slice of head cheese; and a smear of something soft and spreadable  spicy Calabrian-style nduja perhaps, or fatty duck rillettes, served with a soft pretzel roll.

There will be a small salad course. One night there were slivers of lightly cured salmon with grapefruit segments and wee leaves of the Japanese herb shiso, showered with powdered dried shiso that had color but neither fragrance nor taste. Another night, there were tiny heads of charred Little Gem lettuce that picked up a lot of flavor from the grill. You will probably be served a tablespoonful or so of tiny, tender agnolotti stuffed with pureed chestnut and tossed with more butter than you really want to think about.

And then comes the meat: a lovely composed plate of pork belly, a sliced rib chop and a bit of stewed cheek, along with caponata, cauliflower with a lot of browned butter, and a rich, auntly dish of creamed endive. A taste of celery sorbet, a plate of something sweet and passion-fruity, and youre out.

But youre going to want steak  everything about the restaurant primes you for steak. That 12-ounce Blackmore Farms New York strip you have your eye on is an extra $185. You start to think about when your car payment might be due, or the pair of Yeezys youve had your eye on, or the price of a discounted Jet Blue ticket to New York. But you bite. And its a  really good steak, not as concentrated as the A5 Japanese Wagyu from Cut perhaps, nor quite as salty and compelling as that two-bite Wagyu at Urasawa used to be, but mineral-rich, just chewy enough, tasting of an animals life well-lived. The Yeezys will wait. Gwen is kind of designed around the idea of Fear of Missing Out.

Gwen

Curtis Stones second L.A. restaurant and butcher shop

Location: 6600 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 946-7513, gwenla.com.

Prices: Set menu $95; steak supplement $75-$390.

Details: Dinner 6 p.m. to midnight, Tues.-Sat. Credit cards accepted. Full bar. Butcher shop. Valet parking just south of the restaurant on Seward Street.

Recommended dishes: Duck speck; chestnut agnolotti; smoky caponata; Blackmore Farms Wagyu steak.
A host of renowned and up-and-coming chefs are coming to Los Angeles. From left: Charles Phan , Eddie Huang and April Bloomfield are among them. (Amy Ning / For The Times) (Amy Ning / For The Times )

Everyone is moving to L.A. Its a sentence you might be tired of hearing, but it appears to be true for a certain subset of the nations culinary elite. This year, an impressive group of celebrated chefs and restaurateurs from New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Phoenix will be putting down roots in Los Angeles. They come decorated with James Beard Awards (the culinary equivalent of Academy Awards, if you need civic context), Michelin stars, a bookshelf worth of cookbook titles and a near-universal enthusiasm for Southern Californias lifestyle.

L.A. is the hottest and best food city in the world right now, Ken Friedman said recently by phone from New York, where he and chef-partner April Bloomfield have six restaurants, including the popular pub the Spotted Pig. All the best ideas are coming out of Los Angeles.

------------

For the Record, Jan. 23, 10:37 a.m.: This post incorrectly says Chris Bianco is the author of many cookbooks. His first cookbook, Bianco: Pizza, Pasta, and Other Food I Like, is scheduled for a July release.

------------

Friedman and Bloomfield are among a long, impressive, highly publicized and rapidly growing list of out-of-towners scheduled to open L.A. projects this year, joining those who got a bit of a jump-start on this new wave.

In November, Eddie Huang  writer, television personality and chef and co-owner of New Yorks Baohaus  opened his first restaurant outside of New York, in the Far East Plaza of L.A.s Chinatown. (Pok Poks Andy Ricker has, of course, been open in Chinatown for a while: Huangs Baohaus actually went into the former location of Rickers first short-lived noodle shop, and Rickers flagship is now open up the street.) Daniel Humm and Will Guidara, the team behind Eleven Madison Park and the NoMad in New York, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, whose restaurant empire stretches from New York to Dubai, will both open restaurants later this year.

L.A. is the hottest and best food city in the world right now  Ken Friedman

San Franciscos Charles Phan will open Slanted Door LA in downtowns Fashion District this year. Not far from there, Chad Robertson, the baker behind San Franciscos Tartine, will open a bakery and marketplace, as well as a collaborative restaurant with renowned Phoenix pizzaiolo Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco. (How noteworthy is this? Its the baking equivalent of Beyonce and Rihanna dropping a joint album.) Also coming: Jessica Largey, who hails from the three-Michelin starred Manresa in Los Gatos, Calif., and Dave Beran, who most recently was executive chef at Grant Achatzs Next in Chicago. Both chefs have chosen Los Angeles for their first solo ventures.

It is exciting to witness your city amid a dining renaissance. So whats been happening?

Farmers markets have triumphed. Ride-sharing apps and an ongoing Metro expansion have narrowed L.A.s transportation gap. Downtown Los Angeles has been reborn. And seemingly everybody has embraced casual dining. Its a perfect storm of opportunity  and it comes with a free side of palm trees and sunshine.

It may be a cliche, but dont underestimate the weather. In a time when salt-baked turnips and charred heads of cabbage have usurped the center of the plate, access to exceptional produce year-round is an enormous part of the citys appeal. Its the best product in the country, says Largey, whose first restaurant, Simone, will open this summer.

I see chefs from other parts of the country at the market, and theyre like, I cant believe this is here! 

One of those chefs is Beran, who spent his career cooking in Chicago before decamping to Los Angeles last year. His circuitous path to L.A. began in New York, where he envisioned opening a fine dining restaurant in an ivy-covered East Village brownstone, but the numbers didnt add up. Luxury dining requires more square footage, which means serving lunch to make ends meet, which requires an extra prep kitchen, which means more labor.

Five years ago, a night out in Los Angeles required a car and enough sobriety to drive home.

Basically, Beran says, every time you get the economics to work, you need something you dont have.

So the chef pivoted to San Francisco, where the average one-bedroom apartment rents for nearly $4,000 a month, an impossible expense for his staff to manage on a cooks salary. Los Angeles, and specifically downtown, where the going rate is $2,300 a month, looks affordable by comparison.

How Angelenos spend in restaurants has also shifted, thanks to ride-sharing apps. Five years ago, a night out in Los Angeles required a car and enough sobriety to drive home. Now, thanks to Uber and Lyft, diners have been unburdened from what has long been considered the biggest nuisance in Los Angeles  driving. For Friedman, whose Sunset Boulevard restaurant will serve until 2 a.m., hacking L.A.s transportation game was a crucial paradigm shift.

We might not even be opening a place in L.A. if it weren't for Uber.

This migration of top talent doesnt surprise Wolfgang Puck.

When you look back at the 80s, when I opened Spago, there were very few restaurants owned by chefs, Puck says, citing Paul Prudhomme, Alice Waters and Andre Soltner as some of the few exceptions.

In the 1980s, L.A. had Thomas Keller and Lydia Shire, but they left for other opportunities. Now, just look downtown; its like a whole city being reborn. Talent, Puck adds, goes where the opportunity is.

With opportunity comes risk, though, and some of the early adopters have struggled to find a niche in the city. Gordon Ramsay came and went. So did Norman Van Aken. Ricker, whose Pok Pok empire is beloved in Portland, Ore., and New York, is still trying to find his voice in a city rich in delicious Thai food.

L.A. is not as easy it looks, Puck warns.

The most common reason many chefs give for coming to L.A. now may be the simplest, and one that has been given for generations. As Humm and Guidara put it: We just really like it here.

Friedman shared that sentiment. We decided to open restaurants in places we wanted to spend time, he says, noting that he and Bloomfield turned down opportunities in Las Vegas and Philadelphia.

And now we can reap, and eat, the benefits.

Your who's who of top chefs coming to L.A.

(Donald Traill / Invision / Associated Press) (Donald Traill / Donald Traill/Invision/AP)

Eddie Huang (New York City)

Baohaus in Chinatown's Far East Plaza, now open

Chef and restaurateur behind Baohaus in New York. He hosts "Huang's World" on Viceland and has written two memoirs, including Fresh Off the Boat, now a sitcom on ABC.

(Michael Loccisano / Getty Images for Zero Point Zero Productions)

April Bloomfield (New York City)

Restaurant in the former the Cat & Fiddle space on Sunset Boulevard, coming in spring

Chef and co-owner, with business partner Ken Friedman, of the Spotted Pig, the Breslin, the John Dory Oyster Bar, Salvation Taco, Salvation Burger and White Gold in New York and Tosca Cafe in San Francisco. Bloomfield is the author of two cookbooks, and she won the James Beard Award for best chef New York City in 2014. Friedman also won a Beard Award for outstanding restaurateur in 2016.

(Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Diageo)

Chris Bianco (Phoenix)

Tartine-Bianco project at Tartine Manufactory at ROW DTLA, coming this year

Chef-owner of Pizzeria Bianco, Pane Bianco, Bar Bianco and Tratto in Phoenix. Bianco was the first pizzaiolo to win a James Beard Award, when he was awarded best chef Southwest in 2003, and he is the author of many cookbooks.

(Tartine Manufactory) (Tartine Manufactory / Tartine Manufactory)

Chad Robertson (San Francisco)

Tartine Manufactory at ROW DTLA, coming this year

Baker and co-owner, with his wife, Elisabeth Prueitt, of Tartine Bakery & Cafe and Tartine Manufactory in San Francisco. Three cookbooks have come from the Tartine restaurant family. Robertson and Prueitt jointly won the James Beard Award for outstanding pastry chef in 2008.

(Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images for NYCWFF)

Charles Phan (San Francisco)

Restaurant at City Market in the Fashion District, coming late this year

Owner and executive chef of the Slanted Door and Out the Door in San Francisco. He also owns the whiskey bar Hard Water and is the author of two cookbooks. Phan has won three James Beard Awards: best chef Pacific, outstanding restaurant and the foundation's award for Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America.

(Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Daniel Humm and Will Guidara (New York City)

The NoMad Los Angeles, in the Giannini Place complex in downtown, coming fall; the food truck is now running

The chef and restaurateur behind the three-Michelin-star Eleven Madison Park in New York City and the NoMad in New York City. The two have written three cookbooks . Humm has two James Beard Awards, for best chef New York City and outstanding chef.

(Timothy Hiatt / Getty Images)

Dave Beran (Chicago)

Currently looking for a space in DTLA

Former executive chef at Next in Chicago, where he won a James Beard Award for best chef Great Lakes in 2014. His Los Angeles restaurant will be his first solo project.

(Anjali Pinto)

Jessica Largey (Los Gatos, Calif.)

Simone in the Arts District, coming this summer

Former chef de cuisine at the three-Michelin-star Manresa in Los Gatos. She won the James Beard Award for rising star chef of the year in 2015. Simone will be her first solo project.

(Gilbert Carrasquillo / GC Images)

Jean-Georges Vongerichten (the world)

Jean-Georges Beverly Hills at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, coming this spring

French chef behind restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, Tokyo and Chicago. Jean-Georges, in New York's Trump Hotel, has three Michelin stars. Vongerichten has also published many cookbooks and won eight James Beard Awards, including best chef New York City, best new restaurant, outstanding chef and outstanding restaurant.

food@latimes.com
A side-by-side comparison

Regarding Trump Show Moves to New Stage [Jan. 13]. The Times does it yet again: clearly exposing its political bias in this article. Comparing Obamas last speech with Trumps first one is likening a person at their retirement with someone on their first day on the job. Give him a chance.

Diane Jensen Bettge

Alta Loma

::

Thank you very much for coalescing all that information and telling it truthfully. I feel that this type of article should have been published much, much earlier.

Advertisement

Ronald Steen

Pasadena

::

The reality show should include the premise that most reporters despise Trump as much as he despises them. I believe you do too.

Terry Williams

Valencia

::

This was a beautifully executed analysis. This is all so difficult for people like me who lived in D.C., supported JFK and trudged miles through very heavy snow to volunteer at the Mayflower Hotel inaugural ball. We had hope, joy and a president who was surrounded by intelligent, respected advisors. The dynamic and the dreams of all of us who were young were never destroyed like today.

Arthur Auerbach

Newport Beach

Now thats entertainment

Regarding All You Need Is Dance [Jan. 17]. I would like to point out that La La Land, which so many people liked (including me, very very much), did not have any blood, gore, violence, cruelty or all the other horrible elements that so many Hollywood movies have. Shouldnt this be a message to movie makers about what people like?

Margot Rosenberg

Laguna Beach

Just for the audio nerds out there

Regarding Cranked to 11 [Jan. 15]. Wow, a Fairchild compressor as the cover to Sundays Arts & Books! There are a few of us nerds who are very impressed. (Want to know what one does? In simplest terms, in the right hands it can make a good performance sound like a great one. Balance and texture  check out Buffalo Springfields Bluebird as an early, vivid example.) Nice article too about Village (Recorders) Studios, including the Christine McVie/Lindsey Buckingham LP. Cant wait! Maybe next time, you can do a cover shot of a Leslie speaker.

Paul Gase

Huntington Beach

Trump and the movies

Kenneth Turans comparison of the James Stewart role in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to Donald Trump [Hollywood Values: The Movies Go to Washington, Jan. 8] is not even close. In fact, Sen. Smith and Mr. Trump are pretty much on the opposite end of the political scale in style, substance and ethics on virtually every count.

For example, Sen. Jefferson Smith has a wholesome image, one step out of poverty, emerging on the political stage from the nonprofit Boy Rangers while Trump emerges onto the political scene from the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

The political opponents of Sen. Smith try to derail and suppress him with a form of 1930s-style fake news that distorts facts regarding his record. Doesnt this sound like the fake news employed by Breitbart and spoon-fed to Trump during the campaign?

If Mr. Turan wants to reference a film that correctly depicts Mr. Trump, he only needs to draw upon another Jimmy Stewart/Frank Capra classic: Its a Wonderful Life, where the character most like Trump is Mr. Potter.

James E. Abbott

Lake Elsinore

Oscars, learn from the Globes

Regarding An Oscars Ballot, My Way [Jan. 13]. I understand that many movie critics like Justin Chang believe that the Oscars should be devoted to serious subjects, but his list of nominations goes a long way to showing why the Golden Globes is a better way to honor film than the Academy Awards. The Golden Globes allows film in dramatic and non-dramatic categories to compete within their respective groupings and, more important, be honored for what they were intended.

Ron Garber

Duarte

::

Kudos to The Times for publishing the fine work of Justin Chang. In a time when most movie critics are little more than consumer reporters, Mr. Changs writing reflects a deep savvy of what makes cinema an art form. More, please!

Michael Jenning

Van Nuys

Building on some good ideas

Regarding The Link Between Power and Place [Jan. 15]. I am delighted and excited about architecture critic Christopher Hawthornes new weekly column. His user-friendly writing style is inviting, thought-provoking and engaging. For years, Ive made it a point to read every one of his columns. I look forward to having my eyes opened, my mind stimulated and my perspective broadened.

Marta Vago

Santa Monica

::

Giving Christopher Hawthorne a weekly platform rightfully acknowledges the wealth of design talent in Los Angeles. My hope is that The Times  by committing to an ongoing discussion on architects influence in our city  carries this recognition to other parts of its coverage of building openings and home sales. This is an excellent beginning.

Julie D. Taylor

West Hollywood

::

Only six days until Mr. Trump becomes president and the liberal media is getting desperate. Even an architecture review of a hotel becomes an anti-Trump article. What a laugh!

Donna Doyle

Palm Springs

calendar.letters@latimes.com
The two Los Angeles police officers were well into their 12-hour shift when the call came in: a suspected drunk driver had crashed into multiple parked cars and bystanders were struggling to detain him.

Within half an hour, Officers Rene Ponce and Irene Gomez, who were patrolling Hollenbeck Divisions Boyle Heights area, arrived at the scene.

Now, more than two years later, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mary Lou Villar has ordered Ponce and Gomez to stand trial for their alleged actions during the incident. She made the ruling this week after witnesses testified during a preliminary hearing.

Advertisement

Deputy District Atty. Martha Carrillo argued that the officers were in a rush to wrap up their shift and told the driver to lie about the crash instead of conducting a thorough investigation to determine if he was driving under the influence. They then wrote false reports about the incident, Carrillo alleged.

Clearly they took the easy way out, Carrillo said after the two-day hearing.

The judge ruled there was sufficient evidence to bind the pair over for trial on felony charges of filing a false report and conspiracy to commit an act injurious to the public during the 2014 incident. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Bill Seki, an attorney representing Ponce, could not be reached for comment.

Attorney Ira Salzman, representing Gomez, said his client investigated the crash and that no witnesses identified the driver.

The incident began early one Sunday morning in 2014 when Del Mar Alan Garcia Gomez, 32, was driving home from his sons first birthday party, which he testified started at 10 p.m. the night before.

Shortly before 6 a.m., hed almost made it to his apartment when he said he fell asleep behind the wheel and slammed his friends Mustang into two parked cars in his Boyle Heights neighborhood.

When he came to, several people huddled around the car and grabbed him when he got out, accusing him of being drunk, Garcia Gomez said. He testified that he hadnt been drinking.

Someone took his house keys and wallet and when he was struck in the back, Garcia Gomez said, he went across the street to wait for police.

Ponce, 39, and Gomez, 38, showed up in a patrol car. One witness said she told them that she thought the driver was drunk, Los Angeles police Sgt. Anthony Vasquez, who investigated the incident, testified. Another witness said he heard the driver admit to one of them that he had been drinking, Vasquez said.

The driver testified that Ponce asked him to walk in a straight line and shined a flashlight on his eyes, but later told him to deny that he was driving the car.

I said, I cannot say that, I know the owner of the car,  Garcia Gomez testified through a Spanish language interpreter. He tells me a third time to say no. I say no.

The officers then dropped him off at his home nearby, he said.

They then wrote hit-and-run and vehicle impound reports indicating that the Mustang was abandoned at the scene, Vasquez testified.

During the hearing, a city attorney testified that he declined to file hit-and-run charges against Garcia Gomez.

One can only surmise that they wanted to be done with it and the easiest way to do that is to write it up as a hit-and-run, Carrillo said.

The next day, Garcia Gomez and his friend, the car owner, went to claim the Mustang from an official police garage. There, the driver said, he found out the car was tied to a hit-and-run investigation. He complained, telling a detective he never fled the scene.

Thats when internal affairs investigators took on the case, Carrillo said. Both Ponce and Gomez, who were charged in the alleged cover-up almost two years later, remain on paid leave.

Salzman said his client wasnt involved in any wrongdoing.

When Ponce supposedly says to Garcia, Youre not in the car, youre not in the car, my client was nowhere around, Salzman said.

He said the officers also asked dispatchers if a traffic unit could respond to the scene, which shows they werent trying to hide anything. If this was going to be a hush hush, you dont call attention to yourself, Salzman said.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @AleneTchek
Thousands of Californians have been showing up at doctors offices and hospitals sick with the flu this month, in what officials say could be a much more severe flu season than the last.

If you compare this time last year were seeing twice as many flu cases, said Dr. Michael Neely, interim chief of infectious diseases at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. If it keeps going up at this rate and stays up then we will see a lot more cases this year.

State public health officials on Friday morning reported the first death of a child in this years flu season. The death was in Riverside County.

Advertisement

This is a tragic reminder that the flu is a serious illness for people of all ages and kills thousands of Americans each year, said California Public Health Department head Dr. Karen Smith.

Fourteen people under the age of 65 have died of the flu in California this flu season, compared with three at the same time last year.

The higher numbers could be because the current flu season  which runs from October through May -- is peaking earlier than last years, which did so in late February. Flu seasons most commonly peak in February, but its impossible to know whether the virus is picking up or losing steam.

Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, acting director of the acute communicable disease program at Los Angeles Countys Department of Public Health, said everyone over 6 months of age should get a flu shot. Even if young and healthy people arent worried about catching the flu, they should still get vaccinated so they dont transmit it to others, he said.

Its people looking out for each other and making sure they dont spread the disease to someone who may have a more difficult time fighting it, Schwartz said.

Not everyone is lucky enough to survive the flu. Some people develop and die from severe complications like pneumonia.

Schwartz said eight people in L.A. County alone have died of the flu this season  an extreme underestimate because the flu often doesnt get listed as the official cause of death, he said.

He urged people to stop by a pharmacy or make an appointment to get the vaccine, which takes about two weeks to start working. People with health insurance should be able to get the shot at no cost.

Its still not too late to get the influenza vaccine  but the time to do it is today, Schwartz said.

Its still not too late to get the influenza vaccine  but the time to do it is today.  Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, Los Angeles Countys Department of Public Health

Federal officials have not yet released an estimate for how effective this seasons flu vaccine has been, but most of the virus strains circulating appear closely matched to those included in the available vaccine.

We anticipate there will be good efficacy this year, he said.

Most people whove gotten sick across the country have been infected by the H3N2 strain of Influenza A. Schwartz said the strain tends to afflict older people, while the H1N1 strain  the cause of the swine flu pandemic in 2009  hits kids particularly hard.

In L.A. County, there have been outbreaks at skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, he said.

Everyone needs to take precautions, but particularly we need to work to make sure that older people are not getting infected, he said.

Neely at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles said the hospital had yet to treat a child who was sick enough with the flu to require hospitalization. Those extreme cases tend to start popping up only once the flu has been circulating for a while, he said.

Now that we see this virus really begin to take off  Im expecting now to see some severe cases, he said.

soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com

Twitter: @skarlamangla

ALSO

Southern California walloped by powerful storm; even bigger rainmaker coming Sunday

Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to appear in New York court

California adds 3,700 jobs in December, pushing unemployment rate down to 5.2%
Slogging down swampy streets by the hundreds, they were a melange of umbrellas, boots and ponchos in colors that contrasted against a murky sky.

Like the rain that drummed the pavement around them, they persisted  squinting through a storm as they rallied Friday in Los Angeles, protesting a leader they did not support.

They were local business owners, immigrant rights activists, students, bus drivers, pastors, anti-fascists, singers, fathers, daughters. They advocated for black, transgender, gay and Muslim lives, affordable education, womens rights.

Advertisement

President Trump, they declared, did not represent their American ideals.

At Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street, demonstrators in raincoats brandished signs, the messages taking aim at the president who had been sworn in just hours before: Deport yourself to Russia, Hate does not make America great.

In the middle of the crowd rose a giant balloon of Trump in a suit, holding a klansman hood.

Were setting the clock back 50 years, Angelica Aguirre said of Trumps presidency. The 22-year-old, who attends East Los Angeles College, said she was particularly worried about what she sees as Trumps assaults on the rights of immigrants and women.

Immigrants are Americas ghostwriters, read the sign in her hands.

Six blocks east, another assembled throng cheered at honking cars while sharing umbrellas and conversation  Spanish, Chinese, English, Korean.

Jim Iacono, 54, said he had braved the rain to take a stand because he felt ripped off after Trump won the election.

Hes just such a hateful person, Iacono said. Even just listening to his inauguration speech  it was not conciliatory. It was mean. He doesnt inspire people; he makes you afraid.

1 / 21 Black Lives Matter protester Lee Maupin, center, joins others chanting in front of the Bel Air mansion of President Trumps Treasury Secretary pick, Steven Mnuchin Friday (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 21 Protesters on the steps of city hall rally against President Donald Trump. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 21 Union organizer Joseph Williams speaks to students during an anti-Trump rally at UCLA. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 4 / 21 A protester hits a President Donald Trump epinata hung from at a Black Lives Matter protest at Leimert Park following a caravan of justice protest in Los Angeles Friday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 21 Anti-Trump protesters march along Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles on the way to City Hall. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 21 In downtown Los Angeles protesters gather in front of city hall to rally against President Donald Trump on inauguration day. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 21 Zane Kaufmann 19, left, and Chloe Vaught, both of Los Angeles, at the anti-Trump rally in front of Los Angeles City Hall. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 21 Womens rights protesters voice their displeasure with President Donald Trump during a rally at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 21 A woman wrapped in an American flag endures stormy weather to join an anti-Trump march along Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 21 An anti-Trump protester joins a rally outside City Hall in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 21 People march on Broadway towards city hall in downtown Los Angeles as they protest against President Donald Trump (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 21 Anti-Trump protesters join a rain-soaked rally at city hall in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 21 People march toward City Hall in downtown Los Angeles as they protest against President Donald Trump. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 21 People march on Broadway toward City Hall in downtown Los Angeles as they protest against President Donald Trump. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 21 Robert Cristo, right, leads chants as East L.A./Boyle Heights group with banners and posters marches from Mariachi Plaza on Friday. The group says Trump is seen as targeting the Mexican and Latino communities for deportations. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 21 Anti-Trump demonstrators march through UCLA. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 17 / 21 An East L.A./Boyle Heights group with banners and posters marches from Mariachi Plaza on Friday. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 21 Mary Miller, right, with daughter Selena Harrigan, wraps everything in preparation to join East L.A./Boyle Heights group protesting Trumps inauguration. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 21 Customers watch the Trump inauguration at the Gypsy Cafe in Westminster. The mostly conservative customers in the Little Saigon community spoke quietly and clapped gently when the new president was sworn in. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 21 USC students Britney Wise, right, Christina Gutierrez, Victor Sanchez and Nick Weinmeister of the Price Student Organizations Coalition lead students in reading an oath in a lecture hall to affirm their commitment to standards of equity, diversity and inclusion to carry forward in their studies and future careers. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 21 / 21 A USC student gets emotional while reading an oath in a lecture hall with fellow students of the Price Student Organizations Coalition to affirm their commitment to standards of equity, diversity and inclusion to carry forward in their studies and future careers. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times)

At Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights, a group supporting immigrants who are in the country illegally huddled under a gazebo. Protesting the inauguration, they surmised, gave them the voice that went unheard during the election.

The civil rights movement did not happen because people waited around for government to pass this bill or that bill, said Edward Pintzer, 67, of Redondo Beach. The true power is with the people.

That sentiment echoed across the state.

In the Bay Area, an estimated 3,000 people joined hands to form a human chain across the Golden Gate Bridge. Most wore purple, a color meant to support anti-bullying, while chanting, Love trumps hate, their cries competing with the blare of horns from passing cars and tourist buses. An outbound freighter blasted its foghorn as it passed beneath the bridge.

Not far away, San Franciscos Financial District and Oakland City Hall served as backdrops for anti-Trump demonstrations that drew large crowds.

Many of the demonstrations were organized via social media, including those hosted by Black Lives Matter. The groups supporters rallied throughout the nation, including at Mens Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles. They then took their protest to the Bel-Air home of Steven Mnuchin, the Wall Street executive tapped to be the next Treasury secretary.

Ive always want to see those houses, and I think it meant  more today, said Antionette Saddler, 23.

In Westwood, about 250 students, union members and other protesters convened at UCLAs Dickson Plaza.

Brenda Ramirez, a junior studying sociology and Spanish, came to protest what she said were Trumps derogatory characterizations of Mexican immigrants like herself.

Her father works 14-hour days at a farm outside Fresno, Ramirez said, for minimum wage, without complaint. He is grateful for the chance to earn money for his family and harvest food for Americans, she said.

Trump is so wrong about immigrants, she said. He is not my president.

Students from at least seven Los Angeles Unified high schools also showed their opposition to Trump on the day of his inauguration by walking out of class. The number from each campus ranged from about a dozen to 70.

When students make their own choice to leave school during school hours, theoretically they are truant, Los Angeles School Police Chief Steven K. Zipperman said. But we dont get involved with disciplining students. If they do leave the campus, we do whatever we can to get them back.

Authorities said that by Friday afternoon, there were no reports of disruptive incidents on district campuses nor in downtown Los Angeles, where most of the rallies converged at City Hall.

There, demonstrators waved flags  American, Mexican, anarchist  held up banners and shielded homemade signs with umbrellas. Passionate but peaceful, their chants dissipated into the chatter of the rain.

No Trump, no Pence! No wall, no fence!

My body, my choice!

Some danced in the rain to keep warm.

Coming here is for our own souls, said Maya Gasca, 55, of Whittier, who took an early lunch to join the march.

Within the energetic crowd were individual tales of fear about the incoming administration.

Sophia Bautista, 19, worries about the status of her parents, who arrived illegally but have since become citizens.

Laura Gasparac, 32, suffers from epileptic seizures and relies on the Affordable Care Act to help pay for her treatment. The video editor and event planner is convinced she would have died without the help.

Jodie Lambert, who identifies as queer, remembers driving to an Air Force recruiting office two decades ago, only to lose her nerve because of the militarys stance on gays. Since then, the 39-year-old has seen a vast change in the countrys policies.

Due to Obama being such a strong leader, I felt proud to be an American, she said. Im scared of where this country is going.

Times staff writers Soumya Karlamangla, Sonali Kohli, Teresa Watanabe, Peter H . King, Matt Stevens, Howard Blume and Corina Knoll contributed to this report.

rosanna.xia@latimes.com; @rosannaxia

angel.jennings@latimes.com; @AngelJennings

james.queally@latimes.com; @JamesQueallyLAT

ALSO

Some Little Saigon locals want Californians to give Trump a chance

Lopez: On the streets of the capital, shouts and name-calling dispel thoughts of unity

Trumps inauguration, just like his campaign, breaks Washington norms

UPDATES:

7:35 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details from the protests.

This article was originally published at 1:40 p.m.
Deyun Shi  who is suspected of attacking his estranged wife last year before killing their two nephews in Arcadia and attempting to flee to China to avoid extradition  has been declared mentally incompetent to stand trial, his attorney said.

Defense attorney Vicki Podberesky appeared on Shis behalf in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week and informed Judge Robin Miller Sloan that her client would be unable to participate in criminal proceedings after being declared unfit to stand trial by the countys Mental Health Court.

Shi, who is being detained in county jail, has been ordered to be transported sometime in February to Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino, Podberesky said.

Advertisement

In May, Shi pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of corporeal injury on a spouse. His next medical review is scheduled for April 11.

The mental health court determined he is currently suffering from mental illness and is unable to stand trial, Podberesky said Friday. Until he becomes mentally competent, by virtue of being stabilized by medication, or whatever it takes, theres not much we can do in the court.

According to court documents obtained last year by the Los Angeles Times, Shis wife, Yujing Lin, had filed a temporary restraining order against him and was seeking a divorce. He had moved out of the family home in La Canada Flintridge, but returned the night of Jan. 21, 2016, reportedly threatening Lin with a wood-splitting tool similar to an ax, Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies said.

While Lins sister and brother-in-law were visiting her in the hospital, authorities said, Shi went to their Arcadia home and killed his two nephews, William Lin, 16, and Anthony Lin, 15, who both died of blunt-force trauma to their upper torsos.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 22, Shi booked a flight to China but was detained in Hong Kong by FBI agents and sheriffs detectives, who after extradition proceedings there returned with him to Los Angeles in April.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Cardine writes for Times Community News
After a five-year dispute with the oversight commission that sought to revoke its accreditation, City College of San Francisco  one of the nations largest community colleges  has been reaffirmed for a full term of seven years, school officials said.

The decision this month by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges follows a contentious battle that involved a series of lawsuits, a critical state audit of the commission and other public challenges by political leaders, faculty unions and the U.S. Department of Education that questioned the panels findings and procedures. In 2015, California community college leaders voted to establish a new accrediting system.

This decision is a major win, and a testament to the dedication and hard work of the entire City College community, Susan Lamb, the schools interim chancellor, said in a statement after the accrediting commissions vote was announced. With the help of elected officials and San Francisco voters, we came together under extremely difficult circumstances and worked hard to achieve this major milestone.

Advertisement

The commission, a private body based in the Marin County city of Novato, is charged with the oversight of Californias 113 community colleges as well as those in Hawaii. It found in 2012 that City College  the states largest community college  was riddled with problems. The school, which had 90,000 students at the time, had not done enough to balance its budget to meet the campuses financial obligations and was deficient on numerous fronts, including its administration, staffing and facility repairs, according to the panels scathing report.

The commissions sanction, known as show cause, which required City College to justify why it should remain accredited, is the gravest step short of withdrawal of accreditation. The news shocked school leaders, faculty, students and even lawmakers.

The last time the panel revoked an accreditation was Compton College in 2005. Colleges that lose accreditation can no longer offer financial aid. The loss of accreditation can also ruin a schools reputation to such an extent that it is forced to close. City College saw its enrollment drop by tens of thousands, resulting in reduced public funding.

City College officials spent years proving they could meet accreditation standards and detailed their efforts in a 500-page self-evaluation report delivered to the commission last year, Lamb said.

Lamb and college trustees said they are relieved this nightmare is over and look forward to focusing on rebuilding the schools enrollment and its many popular programs in fields such as stem cell research, medical imaging and culinary arts.

The California Federation of Teachers, which represents 25,000 community college faculty across the state and had filed suit against the accrediting commission, said its decision was long overdue.

All of us at the college are so excited and relieved that the accreditation crisis is over. But we mustnt forget that the accreditation crisis at CCSF should never have occurred, City College faculty union president Tim Killikelly said. The quality of its education was never in doubt.

rosanna.xia@latimes.com

Follow @RosannaXia for more education news
The complaints that Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin fields from his constituents often revolve around one of three topics: traffic, homelessness or the need for more police officers.

On Thursday, Bonin unveiled a plan to address the policing problem that would shift officers to neighborhoods from desk jobs and other non-patrol assignments.

Bonin is campaigning to keep his seat in a district that includes coastal neighborhoods such as Venice and Pacific Palisades. He plans to introduce a motion to the City Council Friday asking for a study of how to better deploy the LAPDs more than 9,800 sworn officers.

Advertisement

The development of Playa Vista has added thousands of residents to his district, but LAPD staffing has not kept pace, Bonin said.

Not a day goes by when I dont hear from a constituent that it has been weeks since theyve seen a black-and-white unit driving through their neighborhood, Bonin said at a news conference. Not a week goes by when I dont hear a complaint from someone that they called LAPD, and it took forever for a unit to come, and in some cases, a unit never came.

Bonin said he is not criticizing the work of individual police officers  he just wants to see more of them on the streets.

An LAPD spokesman said deployment decisions are difficult in a large city like Los Angeles. The department must continue to staff specialized units to combat issues such as gang violence, narcotics trafficking and domestic violence, spokesman Josh Rubenstein said in a written statement.

It is LAPDs top priority to ensure that all of our communities get the law enforcement they need and deserve, and that requires careful data-driven decisions on how to employ those resources to be as effective as possible, the statement said.

Bonins proposal, which also involves paying overtime to ensure that there is a minimum number of officers on the streets, mirrors similar proposals by the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file LAPD officers.

In a recent survey of union members, 87% said their stations did not have enough officers to respond to 911 calls in a timely manner.

Craig Lally, president of the union, said that when he was a young officer more than 35 years ago, roll calls at police stations were jam packed. Now, he said, the meetings are virtually empty.

Another union officer, vice president Jerretta Sandoz, said patrol staffing is at a crisis level.

Police officers literally run from call to call, Sandoz said. Community policing suffers. Response time suffers, and neighborhoods suffer.

According to statistics obtained from the LAPD by Bonins office, there were about 180 patrol cars on city streets on an average day in 1969, compared with about 160 in 2016, even though the citys population has grown by more than 1 million people.

The issue of LAPD patrol staffing is a longstanding one. Bonin cited reports dating from the 1980s that critiqued the departments deployment strategies.

Early last year, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said the department needs to add 2,500 more officers to fight crime and respond to large-scale emergencies. But he cautioned that adding so many officers in the next few years might not be realistic.

After decades of decline, crime has risen in the city for the last three years.

In the LAPDs Pacific Division, which includes Playa Vista, Venice, Westchester and other Westside communities, robberies were up 29% and aggravated assaults were up 14% in 2016, compared with the previous year. Over the same time period, the West Los Angeles Division saw a 17% increase in robberies and a 10% increase in aggravated assaults.

Former Venice Neighborhood Council board member Robin Rudisill, who is one of Bonins two opponents in the March 7 election, said she supports putting more police officers on city streets. But she questioned why Bonin has not already fixed the problem, terming his new proposal 11th-hour political posturing.

I dont understand why it took him until almost the end of his term to figure this out, Rudisill said.

Bonins other challenger, Venice Stakeholders Assn. President Mark Ryavec, said he has also called for more police officers. He pointed to a statement on his campaign website that urges the city to include emails as well as phone calls from the public when tallying reported incidents and determining deployment.

cindy.chang@latimes.com

Twitter: @cindychangLA

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATimesEmily
The campaign for a measure to levy a quarter-cent countywide sales tax for homeless services has gathered more than $1 million in early contributions, including hundreds of thousands of dollars from large development, real estate and construction firms, county records show.

If successful, Measure H on the March 7 ballot would generate about $350 million annually to be used for homelessness prevention and housing. It would also provide services for thousands of units of homeless housing that will be financed by Proposition HHH, the $1.2-billion bond measure approved by Los Angeles city residents in November.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas donated $250,000 from his personal campaign fund, the Mark Ridley-Thomas Committee for a Better L.A. NextGen CA, the liberal political action organization founded by billionaire Tom Steyer, matched that amount.

Advertisement

NextGen has donated extensively to local affordable housing measures across California and to statewide propositions to end the death penalty and raise the cigarette tax.

Nearly one in five people in Los Angeles County live below the poverty line, and more families continue to experience homelessness, Steyer said. Measure H is a comprehensive plan that will give thousands of people access to the programs they need to build a better life.

The combined donations of two companies affiliated with former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt totaled $200,000. Chavez Ravine Land Co. contributed $150,000 and McCourt Global Services gave $50,000.

McCourt sold the Dodgers in 2011 but retained half interest in the 130-acre stadium parking lot amid speculation that he hoped to profit from future development of the land.

McCourt and his business partner, current Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter, said in a statement that they have seen firsthand the impact of homelessness on Los Angeles and on all its residents and strongly encourage corporate leaders and the entire business community to support the ballot measure.

Continental Development Co., an El Segundo commercial real estate and management company owned by philanthropist Richard C. Lundquist, contributed $100,000.

According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Lundquist and his wife, Melanie, gave $50 million to Torrance Memorial Medical Center to build a new main patient tower and $350,000 to the El Segundo Educational Foundation.

The California Community Foundation, which donated $350,000 to the Proposition HHH campaign, has added $100,000 to Measure H.

The political action committee of the California Assn. of Hospitals and Health Systems also donated $100,000.

Other development and construction companies making contributions were: Walsh/Shea Corridor Constructors, $50,000; Tutor Perini Corp., $50,000; Stelee Industries Inc., $40,000; and Thomas Safran & Associates Development Inc., $10,000.

Austin Beutner, a former publisher of the Los Angeles Times and former deputy mayor of Los Angeles, donated $25,000.

Trade and labor groups that contributed tens of thousands of dollars to the Proposition HHH campaign last year were so far missing from the H campaign, but those groups were among numerous contributors to the Ridley-Thomas committee.

doug.smith@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATDoug

MORE ON THE HOMELESS

Who are L.A. Countys homeless?

As extreme cold moves into Portland, the homeless die

More than 1,200 homeless veterans living on Los Angeles streets still need housing
Authorities arrested a 39-year-old man Thursday in connection with the death of a gas station clerk, who was doused in flammable liquid and set ablaze.

Juan Manuel Venegas was taken into custody at his home in west Redding after DNA evidence linked him to the deadly scene, according to Sgt. Brian Jackson of the Shasta County Sheriffs Office. He is being held without bail on a felony arrest warrant for murder, Jackson said in a statement.

The arrest comes a month after David Wicks died from severe burns and injuries.

Advertisement

Authorities say they are still working to determine a motive for the attack at the gas station in Burney, a small town in Shasta County.

The 54-year-old gas station clerk was working the evening shift about 7 p.m. Dec. 21, at the Rocky Ledge Shell Station in Burneys Johnson Park neighborhood, when the attacker walked in.

Surveillance camera footage shows the person, who wore yellow rain gear, black hoodie and black gloves, casually walking into the gas station, holding what appeared to be a water bottle. Wicks was working behind the counter when the person splashed the flammable liquid on him and the area around him.

As the suspect starts to back out, the victim, David Wicks, emerges from behind the counter area, authorities said. The suspect continues to spray fluid on the floor. The suspect then ignites the fluid, causing a fire. The fire engulfs Wicks and the surrounding area.

The assailant did not say or take anything before riding away on a black beach cruiser bicycle, authorities said. The entire encounter lasted no more than 20 seconds.

Wicks, who later died of his injuries, gave an affirmative nod when sheriffs deputies asked him whether the attack was intentional.

In the days after the deadly attack, detectives and volunteers conducted searches in the area and collected several pieces of evidence in Johnson Park, according to Jackson.

The evidence, he said, was sent to the California Department of Justices laboratory to test for DNA.

As a result of the DNA analysis of different pieces of evidence, a suspect DNA profile was identified as belonging to Juan Manuel Venegas, Jackson said.

Detectives said the investigation is still active.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.
Get ready to get wet, protesters.

As thousands of demonstrators prepared to converge on downtown Los Angeles on Friday to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump, the second in a trio of anticipated storms was already soaking much of the region.

Any protests going on in Southern California will most likely be wet, said National Weather Service forecaster Ryan Kittell. People need to definitely take precautions, wear some rain jackets, bring umbrellas.  Its definitely going to be a wet day.

The storm could deposit up to 2 inches of rain in Los Angeles by the end of the day.

Advertisement

I guess itll match what you see on TV because I think theyre supposed to get a little rain in Washington, D.C., Kittell said. Itll make you feel like youre there.

Parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties were issued warnings of potential thunderstorms, hail and waterspouts.

The Los Angeles Police Department has issued five permits for protests around the downtown area for Friday. Police said they could not provide an estimate for the number of protesters who might show up.

In a tweet, the department warned people to be mindful of the rainy weather and to drive safely.

1 / 43 A car is stuck in standing water on the southbound 110 Freeway on Jan. 22. (Christina House / For The Times) 2 / 43 A surfer barely clears a giant wave in Manhattan Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 43 People enjoy the snow in Acton. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 4 / 43 Elizabeth Wolterbeek plays among rocks in the 200 block of Mel Canyon Road in Duarte on Friday after a mudslide. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 43 A girl loses control of her umbrella after being rescued by a Huntington Beach police officer and a tow truck operator. Her family became trapped in their disabled car in the middle of flooded Heil Ave. amid a heavy downpour in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 43 Commuters navigate a rain-soaked 10 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday morning, as the first of three storms rolls through Southern California. More storms are expected over the weekend. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 43 Palmdale residents Cesar Navarro, left, and his son Cesar Navarro Jr. sled down a snowy hill in Acton. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 8 / 43 A fast moving discharge of water spews from the San Gabriel Dam, as a storm front moves through the area. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 43 A bicyclist comes to the end of a trail thats covered in wet sand at Dockweiler State Beach in Playa del Rey. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 43 Snow covers boat slips and a lone picnic at Lake Arrowhead on Monday as the latest strom moves through. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 43 Debris, including drinking cups, rubber balls and bottles, washes ashore along the Alamitos Peninsula near East Ocean Boulevard and 56th Place in Long Beach on Monday. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 43 Dale Ball of La Canada Flintridge has rain gear for herself and her dogs while walking toward the entrance to Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena on Jan. 23. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 43 A car drives through a snowy scene on Shannon Valley Road in Acton. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 14 / 43 A city worker uses a snowblower to clear the walkways during a snowstorm at Lake Arrowhead Village. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 43 With the road closed to traffic, Paul Doolin rides a skateboard past a fallen boulder that rests on Topanga Canyon Blvd. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 43 A city worker shovels the walkways during a snowstorm at Lake Arrowhead Village in the San Bernardino mountains. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 43 Jose Villa of Lake Arrowhead clears fresh snow off his windshield during a blizzard in Rimforest, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 43 Snow begins to fall and stick to the road in Crestline, Calif. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 43 Enrique Nicanor carries plywood on an improvised walkway he made over a flowing creek that damaged the driveway to the house where he works on Iron Canyon Road. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 20 / 43 Clearing storm clouds are reflected in the wet sand at low tide in Newport Beach on Monday. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 43 County of Los Angeles pubic works equipment clears the flooded creek on Iron Canyon Road. (Michael Owen Baker / For The Times) 22 / 43 Niklas Hofverberg and his daughter Bianca Hofverberg, 3 1/2 years old, watch the sun set as storms clouds dissipate in Venice on Monday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles TImes) 23 / 43 John Fisher of Altadena looks out toward Devils Gate Reservoir in Pasadena on Jan. 23. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 43 Westminster resident Shirley Hansen carries her dog Scruffy while she walks through floodwater caused by recent rain on the boardwalk in Seal Beach. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 43 A glimpse of blue sky is seen during a break in the rain at Devils Gate Reservoir in Pasadena on Jan. 23. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 43 Gina Picciolo takes a picture of a boulder that fell onto Topanga Canyon Blvd. Picciolo is a longtime resident in the area. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 43 Ward Preston and Gina Picciolo walk past a mudslide along Topanga Canyon Blvd. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 43 A Huntington Beach police officer watches a tow truck operator hook up chains to rescue a family from the middle of flooded Heil Avenue after their car stalled in the deep water amid a heavy downpour in Huntington Beach on Jan. 22. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 43 A rainbow appears over Seal Beach, Calif. on Monday. The tail end of a punishing winter storm system lashed California with thunderstorms and severe winds Monday after breaking rainfall records, washing out roads and whipping up enormous waves. (Amy Taxin / Associated Press) 30 / 43 All lanes of the 110 Freeway from Carson Street to 223rd Street were closed Sunday because of flooding. (Christina House / For The Times) 31 / 43 Jerry Katz stands next to a mudflow at the corner of Mel Canyon and Brookridge roads in Duarte. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 43 A Huntington Beach police officer watches a bus drive through flooded Heil Avenue amid a heavy downpour in Huntington Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 43 A man looks for a safe way to cross floodwaters flowing from hillsides in a nearby recent burn area on North Iron Canyon Road in Santa Clarita. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 43 A Huntington Beach police officer diverts a pickup driver while a tow truck operator hooks up chains to rescue a family from the middle of flooded Heil Ave. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 43 Mud and rocks have filled the driveway of a Duarte home along Mel Canyon Road, where residents have been evacuated due to mudslides. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 43 Rudy Fuentes stands on the porch of his home on Mel Canyon Road in Duarte, looking out at where mud has taken over his driveway. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 43 Police stop traffic on Mountain Crest Road where residents have been evacuated due to incoming storms in the Fish fire impact area in Duarte. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 43 Marcus Jenkins selling umbrellas as he shelters under one of his own on Hollywood Blvd in Hollywood as the second of three winter storms begin to drench the Southland Friday. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 43 Motorists navigate the flooded lanes of northbound Fairview Street in Santa Ana. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 43 Ella Masa, all wrapped in plastic, pushes her two service dogs as she joins an East LA/Boyle Heights group with banners and posters marching from Mariachi Plaza on Friday, protesting President Trumps inauguration. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 43 Umbrellas are necessary on Hollywood Boulevard as the second of three winter storms begins to batter Southern California on Friday morning. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 43 A pedestrian scurries across the street under her umbrella in downtown Los Angeles on Friday morning. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 43 Paulina Tu takes cover under her umbrella as she waits for a ride in downtown Los Angeles on Friday morning. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

#InaugurationDay in Los Angeles Please be mindful of the rainy weather, drive safely. pic.twitter.com/GItRuNlsCy  LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 20, 2017

Street closure map of #Inauguration Day marches for Friday in Downtown. Closures begin at 9AM.



Download map: - https://t.co/M1GU61SrF2 pic.twitter.com/FlFhMo8qNa  Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) January 20, 2017

While the rain is expected to impact traffic, so will a number of downtown street closures that are being imposed because of protests.

If thunderstorms do occur, they will take place in the afternoon, throughout the county, Kittell said. The rain is expected to taper off quickly in the evening.

On Saturday, skies are expected to clear up in time for a planned womens rights march downtown. However, gusty winds could sweep over most of the area, Kittell said.

The third and final storm is expected to arrive early Sunday morning and hit peak intensity in the afternoon. The storm could dump between 2 and 3 inches of rain in coastal valley areas, while some foothill areas could get 4 to 6 inches of rain, Kittell said.

This one looks like the strongest of the three, and it could be the strongest weve seen in a number of years, especially considering our drought, Kittell said.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia

ALSO

Southern California walloped by powerful storm; even bigger rainmaker coming Sunday

L.A. office market has best quarter since the financial crisis as entertainment and tech firms keep expanding

Uber pays $20 million to settle claims it deceived drivers about pay

UPDATES:

8:50 a.m.: This article was updated with tweets from the LAPD and the mayors office.

This article was originally published at 8:10 a.m.
Three years ago, when transportation officials began an ambitious project to connect a tangle of light-rail lines beneath downtown Los Angeles, they said construction would cost $1.36 billion.

Since then, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has twice sought more funding for the Downtown Regional Connector, including a request this week for an additional $199 million.

If approved, the increase will raise the cost of the project to $1.75 billion, 28% higher than originally budgeted.

Advertisement

Officials blamed the latest increase on delays arising from the complex task of locating and moving long-buried utility lines, many of which were not listed in government records.

The regional connector has become about 6% construction project, with the remainder being a utilities project, Metro director Jacqueline Dupont-Walker said Thursday at a committee meeting.

1 / 9 The front section of Angeli, the name given to the 400-foot-long, 1,000-ton German boring machine that will dig twin tunnels between Little Tokyo and the Financial District in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 9 The Downtown Rgional Connector is seen as an essential piece in the countys rapidly growing rail system. Twin subway tunnels will tie together the Blue, Expo and Gold lines, allowing passengers to ride from Santa Monica to East Los Angeles, and from Azusa to Long Beach, without changing trains. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 9 The front section of Angeli, which will begin churning westward later this month at the pace of 4 inches a minute, or 65 to 75 feet a day, digging twin 1.1-mile tunnels. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 9 Service electrician Sebastian Hartmann works inside the main control room of the tunnel-boring machine. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 9 Richard McLane, left, chief mechanical engineer for Traylor Bros. Inc., addresses the media during a tour of Angeli, seen in the background. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 9 Before digging could begin, crews spent months relocating utility pipes and lines. State records describing their location and condition were inadequate. Crews discovered decades-old water lines and electrical equipment, sometimes badly deteriorated. Tunneling is set to begin on the Regional Connector 1st and Central Station construction site in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 9 David Zavala, right, fixes a conveyor belt cover while working inside the gantry of the tunnel-boring machine Angeli. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 9 The 2nd Street and Broadway regional connector station under construction in downtown Los Angeles. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 9 Construction at 2nd Street and Broadway. In a concentrated urban center where people have been living for more than 100 years, you start to find things that you didnt know were there, said Tim Taylor, an associate professor at the University of Kentucky who specializes in construction management. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

Officials also acknowledged that they hadnt budgeted enough for other project costs, including land acquisition, consultants and legal fees.

Chief Executive Phil Washington described the increase as right-sizing and said Metro now has a better grasp of what risks lie ahead and how much they may cost.

We feel good about it, Washington said. We wont be coming back again.

Even if Metros directors approve the $199-million increase, crews will face an aggressive schedule to meet a May 2021 construction deadline set by federal officials. Missing that deadline could jeopardize hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants.

Metro staff warned in a report that more delays and cost increases are to be expected if any new problems arise over the next four years, including difficulties securing permission for crews to work late at night and early in the morning.

The regional connector is seen as an essential piece in the countys rapidly growing rail system.

Twin subway tunnels will tie together the Blue, Expo and Gold lines, allowing passengers to ride from Santa Monica to East Los Angeles, and from Azusa to Long Beach, without changing trains. Those trips currently require two transfers.

The project will also add three stations: at 1st Street and Central Avenue, 2nd Street and Broadway, and 2nd and Hope streets. Officials say the connector is expected to increase rail ridership by 17,000 trips a day.

Contractors are working in a 100-foot hole in Little Tokyo preparing to launch a 1,000-ton German boring machine known as Angeli. It will begin churning westward later this month at the pace of 4 inches a minute, or 65 to 75 feet a day, digging twin 1.1-mile tunnels.

Once it reaches the Financial District, crews will take it apart, move it back to Little Tokyo, reassemble it and dig the second tunnel  a process expected to take about a year.

Before digging could begin, crews spent months relocating utility pipes and lines.

State records describing their location and condition were inadequate, Dupont-Walker said. Crews discovered decades-old water lines and electrical equipment, sometimes badly deteriorated.

In a concentrated urban center where people have been living for more than 100 years, you start to find things that you didnt know were there, said Tim Taylor, an associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Kentucky who specializes in construction management.

Its hard for me to understand that in 2017, we dont know where the utilities are that need to be relocated for these projects, said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, also a Metro director.

The unexpected utility work, and the delays that came with it, cost Metro more than $79 million and ate through much of the funding allocated for unexpected expenses, according to the staff report. In December 2015, Metros board approved a $130-million budget increase to replenish those funds.

The report said planners had not budgeted adequately for unexpected cost increases. The original budget set aside about $92.7 million, or 6.5% of the total project budget.

The report also cited initial insufficient funding for third-party costs, including consultants. Those costs are likely to rise 47% by the end of construction, from an original budget of $154.6 million to about $227.3 million, the report said.

Consultants and other soft costs, including legal counsel and community relations, now represent about 16% of the total project budget, which Metro said is consistent with industry standards.

Previous staff reports have noted that the original budget was set early in the planning process, as the agency sought to expedite a federal funding agreement worth $893 million.

In that agreement, Metro said the regional connector would open to passengers by May 29, 2021. Officials built five months of cushion into the construction schedule for unplanned delays. That leeway has since disappeared.

The latest budget increase request comes as Metros Washington seeks more authority to negotiate contract modifications without board approval. Currently, any so-called change order of more than $1 million requires a board vote, which Washington said can add weeks of costly delays to fast-moving projects.

Instead, he has proposed negotiating all contract changes without board approval, unless they increase the total budget, with monthly reports provided to directors.

This is central to our ability to keep these projects on time and on budget, Washington said. One month of delay can cost Metro at least $2 million in additional labor costs, and often more, he said.

The board is expected to take up the proposal on change orders next week. On Thursday, board members expressed concern that granting more leeway to negotiate changes could reduce transparency and add to cost overruns.

The idea that the CEO could approve change order after change order after change order, and then tell us, Weve hit the top  is that not a possibility?  said Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. She added that the idea gave her a little heartburn.

laura.nelson@latimes.com

Twitter: @laura_nelson

MORE ON TRANSIT

L.A. Metro launches hotline for transit riders who have been harassed

Next phase of the Wilshire subway receives $1.6 billion in federal funds

LAX had a nightmarish holiday season of delays and gridlock. Its likely a preview of the airports growing pains
A 32-year-old man was killed with a gunshot as he lay in his overturned car, which had flipped over after it was rammed by a sport utility vehicle.

The bizarre slaying occurred Wednesday about 10 p.m. in Reseda near Gault Street and Crebs Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Investigators have determined that just before the killing, a black SUV rammed the mans red sedan from behind, causing it to smash into parked cars and flip over.

Advertisement

The man, identified by the coroners office as Sarkis Benarbachian, was trapped in the sedan when an unidentified gunman got out of the SUV, came over and fired a round, police said.

The gunman fled in the SUV. Its unclear how many people were in the SUV.

An unidentified passerby pulled Benarbachian from his car and alerted police. Paramedics pronounced Benarbachian dead at the scene.

Police did not release any information about a possible suspect.

Anyone with information about the slaying is asked to contact Det. John Doerbecker, an investigator in the LAPDs Valley Bureau Homicide Division, at (818) 374-1943.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno

UPDATES:

Jan. 20, 8:21 p.m.: This article was updated with the identity of the victim.

This article was originally published January 19 at 7:15 p.m.
At foreign embassies across Washington, envoys say they are bracing for the unknown when President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office Friday and starts issuing orders.

In capitals around the globe, leaders and foreign policy experts worry that Trumps calls for radical change and brash style could produce instability or worse in a global crisis.

They are confused by his scattershot fusillade of provocative tweets and worry that he may upend long-held alliances, treaties and international organizations.

Advertisement

From Mexico to China, rarely before has an incoming American president so discombobulated the rest of the world, allies and adversaries alike.

Trump is a mercurial figure, said John Herbst, a former U.S. diplomat who now heads the Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council, a think tank based in Washington, stating the obvious.

Last weekend, Trump gave interviews to two newspapers, one British and one German, in which he said he was indifferent to the fate of the European Union political and trading bloc, and argued that the NATO military alliance, the bedrock of European security since World War II, is obsolete.

Both have been pillars of transatlantic cooperation for decades and helped produce peace and prosperity both in Europe and in the United States.

We just dont know, is how one Washington-based envoy said his embassy usually explains Trumps comments and tweets in cables back home. The diplomat was not authorized to speak publicly about American politics.

It hasnt helped that many of Trumps designated Cabinet members, especially his choices for Defense and State, as well as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, distanced themselves from Trump on the threat from Russia, the future of NATO, the need to keep the Iran nuclear deal, the danger of global warming and other issues.

Europeans, in particular, are nervous about Trumps repeated praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is widely viewed with alarm for sending his troops into Ukraine and up against NATOs borders, and for trying to interfere with Western elections.

Allies also have yet to get clarity about Trumps comments last year suggesting that Japan, South Korea and other nations should build nuclear weapons for their own defense, a policy that would end decades of U.S. nonproliferation efforts.

If Trumps signals are mixed and fuzzy, the consequences are coming into focus.

After he called German Chancellor Angela Merkels decision to admit thousands of Syrian refugees a catastrophic mistake, she said it was clear Europe had to think about going it alone, or at least without the United States as a reliable partner.

Merkels French colleague, President Francois Hollande, echoed her.

Europe will be ready to pursue transatlantic cooperation, but it will based on its interests and values, Hollande said. It does not need outside advice to tell it what to do.

The French minister of foreign affairs, Jean-Marc Ayrault, went further, challenging Trumps eagerness to champion Britains decision to withdraw from the European Union and his open cheer leading for the EU to dissolve.

The best response is European unity, Ayrault said. The best way to defend Europe is to remain united. This is a bit of an invitation that we are making to Mr. Trump. To remain a bloc. Not to forget that the force of Europeans is in their unity.

China also has had trouble making out what Trump intends. But Beijing has wasted no time in flexing its own muscles.

In another sign of a new world order, Chinese President Xi Jinping, a communist, became the poster child for free trade at this weeks annual meeting of the worlds top entrepreneurs, political leaders and others jet-setters in Davos, Switzerland.

Xi assumed a role that normally would have gone to an American  a void left, some say, by Trumps all-over-the-map declarations about ripping up trade agreements and challenging Chinas currency and economic policies.

Trump acts stunningly confident in his ostensible knowledge of the job, though he speaks like a rookie, said the Peoples Daily, Chinas Communist Party daily.

In Mexico, a special target of Trumps vitriol during the campaign last year, the mood is nothing short of panic. The government quickly named a new ambassador to Washington, replacing one who had just taken the post last year.

Mexicos economy minister, Ildefonso Guajardo, warned this week that Trumps policies could lead to a global recession. He said Mexico will attempt to tie its cooperation on security and immigration to better trade treatment from the new administration.

Trump has threatened to impose huge tariffs on imports of Mexican goods, while vowing to add punitive taxes to U.S. companies that move factories to Mexico.

Trumps election has helped send the Mexican economy downward and President Enrique Pena Nieto, who received Trump last year at the presidential residence in Mexico City, has seen his approval rating sink to historic lows.

In an unusual move, three foreign ambassadors took part in a live radio program Thursday in Washington to discuss their governments dealings with the incoming administration.

The strains were clear between the anodyne remarks about looking forward to working with the new administration.

David OSullivan, the European Union envoy to the U.S., was in the most difficult spot. He said he expected Trump eventually will become aware of the crucial relationship between Washington and the 28-nation continental bloc.

If we dont get it right, there will be huge consequences for us all, he added.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

For more on international affairs, follow @TracyKWilkinson on Twitter
The worlds most notorious drug kingpin has a new home, a place were he cannot escape or do business, a dreaded stronghold in lower Manhattan sometimes called the Guantanamo of New York.

Joaquin El Chapo Guzman is being held, at least for now, in the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a featureless concrete fortress just south of Chinatown. The detention center has been the temporary home of mafia dons and terrorists, Ponzi schemers and drugs lords.

He has to know it is over, said Jamie Hunt, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in charge of the investigation. He is in a U.S. prison now. He is not going to be able to communicate.

Advertisement

Less than 24 hours after his extradition from Mexico, the 59-year-old Guzman appeared in a federal courtroom in Brooklyn Friday to be arraigned on a 17-count indictment on charges of drug trafficking, conspiracy to murder and firearms violations. Represented by a government-appointed federal defender, he pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Guzman is alleged to have been one of the biggest drug traffickers of all time, responsible for sending 440,000 pounds of cocaine to the United States. He attained mythical status in Mexican popular culture and beyond.

In court, however, he looked paunchy and subdued. He appeared to speak no English and used an interpreter. Answering questions about whether he understood his rights posed by U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein, he spoke softly, saying nothing more than si senor.

In a surprise move on the eve of Donald Trumps presidential inauguration, the Mexican government extradited Guzman to the United States  apparently a parting gift to the Obama administration. He arrived late Thursday night at an airport in Long Island.

Angel M. Melendez, a Homeland Security agent, was there when he got off the plane.

This most notorious criminal of modern times, as you looked into his eyes you could see the surprise, he said. You could see the shock. To a certain extent, you could actually see the fear as the realization started to kick in that he is about to face American justice.

A 13-car motorcade transported Guzman from the airport to the Manhattan detention center.

Guzman has twice broken out of Mexican prisons  in 2001 in a laundry basket and in 2015 through a tunnel that was dug by associates under his shower.

The Metropolitan Correction Center just might prove up to the task of confining the Houdini of drug lords.

I assure you no tunnel will be built leading to the bathroom, Melendez said.

Built in 1975, the 12-story structure has slit-shaped windows with frosted glass that prevents prisoners from peering out at the busy city. A tunnel leads to the adjacent federal courthouse, allowing prisoners to be moved without seeing daylight, though it is unclear whether Guzman will ever pass through it since he is being tried across the East River in Brooklyn.

The facility holds about 700 prisoners who are awaiting trial. Guzman is not the first celebrity criminal to have passed through its gates. Among the others are Gambino crime family boss John Gotti and scam artist Bernard Madoff, terrorists Omar Abdel Rahman and Ramzi Yousef and weapons trafficker Viktor Bout.

Guzman is mostly likely to be housed in the notorious 10 south wing, the segregated housing unit for prisoners who need to be separated from the general population.

It is worse than Guantanamo, said New York attorney Joshua Dratel, who has defended several high-profile terrorism suspects who were housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. It is about as soul-negating existence as there is in this country in the federal system.

The correctional center is featured in a soon-to-be published book titled Hell is A Very Small Place, about solitary confinement. One of the former prisoners, Uzair Paracha, a Pakistani convicted of supplying travel documents to Al Qaeda, is quoted in the book as saying that the bed, desk, and seat were all made of concrete.

The cells were the coldest places because the metallic sheets on the walls turned the cells into ice boxes, freezing us inside instead of insulating us from the outside weather, and food items would freeze if I kept them in some parts of my cell, he said. The summers made the cells into ovens.

Prisoners have tried to escape, a rare success coming in 1978, when three inmates sawed through bars. In a daring but unsuccessful attempt three years later, a couple hijacked a sightseeing helicopter and tried to pluck an inmate from the rooftop recreation area. In 2000, an Al Qaeda member stabbed a guard in the eye with a sharpened comb, leaving him brain-damaged and blind in one eye.

It is unclear how long Guzman might stay at the facility. Federal officials have declined to give any comment on his accommodations because of security concerns.

Guzman also faces charges in California, Florida, Illinois, New Hampshire and Texas. Federal prosecutors in those states had been vying to try their hand at convicting Guzman, but Brooklyn won out. The U.S. Attorney in Miami will jointly prosecute.

In order to expedite the extradition, U.S. prosecutors waived the death penalty, which Mexico opposes. The U.S. government is pursuing a sentence of life in prison and a forfeiture of $14 billion from his drug profits.

He is a man known for no other life but death, crime and destruction, and now hell have to answer for it, said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Robert L. Capers at a press conference Friday.

Debunking El Chapos mythical status, he said, Guzmans story is not one of a do-gooder, or Robin Hood or escape artist Guzmans rise is akin to that of a small cancerous tumor that has metastasized in a full-blown scourge.

In Mexico, officials denied any political motivation or fast track process in the extradition of Guzman, who was handed over to U.S. authorities on President Obamas last full day in office.

Guzmans legal appeals  including a petition before the nations Supreme Court  had simply run out and Mexico was obliged to comply expeditiously, officials said.

We had to do the hand-over immediately, Alberto Elias Beltran, Mexicos deputy attorney general, told reporters in Mexico City. To not do so would have generated non-compliance with international norms, and specifically with the [extradition] treaty between Mexico and the United States.

A number of playful headlines recounted the surprising turn of events.

Trump arrives, El Chapo goes, declared Milenio newspaper.

The sudden extradition of Guzman from his prison cell in the border city of Ciudad Juarez blindsided both the cartel leader and his legal team, his lawyers said.

Where are they taking me, to El Altiplano? a handcuffed Guzman reportedly asked while he was being whisked out of his Juarez lockup and put on a helicopter to the Juarez airport, from where he was flown to Long Island.

He was referring to the Altiplano prison complex from which he had escaped in July 2015 through a tunnel that was almost a mile long and had taken nine months for his workers to construct.

Guzmans lawyers labeled the extradition illegal, but conceded there was little they could do about it, beyond filing symbolic complaints with international human rights panels.

We knew we were against the power of the state, Jose Refugio Rodriguez, one of Guzmans lawyers, told Mexican radio. Joaquin Guzman is not coming back.

This handout picture released by the Mexican Interior Ministry on Jan. 20, 2017, shows Joaquin Guzman, a.k.a. El Chapo, flanked by U.S. Drug Enforcement escorts as he is extradited to the United States on Jan. 19, 2017. (Mexican Interior Ministry / AFP/Getty Images)

Cecilia Sanchez of the Times Mexico City bureau contributed.

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:

11:55 a.m.: This article was updated with Guzmans not-guilty plea.

This article was originally published at 8:35 a.m.
Neil Gorsuch could fall somewhere between his hero, Justice Scalia, and former boss, centrist Justice Kennedy By David Savage Judge Neil M. Gorsuch was resting midway down a Colorado ski slope last year when his cellphone rang with the news that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had died. I immediately lost what breath I had left, Gorsuch recalled in an April speech, and I am not embarrassed to admit that I couldnt see the rest of the way down the mountain for the tears. Now, as President Trumps pick to replace Scalia on the high court, Gorsuch is seen by many on the right as a fitting replacement for the iconic jurist that Gorsuch considered a lion of the law. Like Scalia, Gorsuch, 49, who serves on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, is a well-respected conservative who believes judges should decide cases based on the law as it was understood when passed, not on how they think it should be. Hes a clear, impassioned writer, albeit without Scalias flare for biting sarcasm. But Gorsuch also evokes the qualities of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, for whom Gorsuch worked as a law clerk. (If confirmed, Gorsuch would join three justices who previously clerked on the high court, but he would be the first ever to serve alongside the justice he or she worked for.) Like Kennedy, 80, Gorsuch is a Westerner with a polite, congenial manner who at times has won praise from liberals. He may be more conservative than Kennedy when it comes to expanding individual rights, but he seems to lack Scalias fervor for overturning liberal precedents from decades past. Which way Gorsuch skews could be pivotal for the future of the court. Conservatives clearly hope hell be more like Scalia than Kennedy, a centrist swing vote who has often joined liberals on issues such as gay marriage and abortion. Some conservatives have even expressed hope that Gorsuchs personal history with Kennedy might enable him to draw the Reagan-appointee back toward the right. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump chooses Neil Gorsuch, a conservative seen as likely to be confirmed, for Supreme Court By Michael A. Memoli President Trump nominated federal Judge Neil M. Gorsuch on Tuesday to the Supreme Court to fill the seat of the late Antonin Scalia, choosing from his short list an appeals court judge from Denver seen as most likely to win Senate confirmation. Because Scalia was a stalwart conservative, Trumps choice is not likely to change the balance of the court. But it does set the stage for a bruising partisan fight over a man who could help determine law on gun rights, immigration, police use of force and transgender rights. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Trump administration is radicalizing Democratic voters, creating a challenge for the party, Rep. Adam Schiff says By Sarah D. Wire (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) As protests spread over policy announcements from the Trump administration, Democrats must work to encourage participation in politics, but face a danger of the party becoming too radicalized, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said Tuesday. The radical nature of this government is radicalizing Democrats, and thats going to pose a real challenge to the Democratic Party, which is to draw on the energy and the activism and the passion that is out there, but not let it turn us into what we despised about the tea party, Schiff said. During a meeting with reporters and editors in the Los Angeles Times Washington bureau, Schiff also discussed his role as the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Select Intelligence Committee under a Trump administration and how Democrats will manage in the minority. Ever since the election, party leaders have been debating: Did we lose because we were too far to the left and we had too small a tent, or did we lose because we are too mainstream and didnt energize the base? Schiff asked. We are obviously having that debate, but theres a whole new element, which is the reaction to the Trump administration that makes this different in kind, certainly different in intensity, than I think weve ever seen after an election, he said. The more radical the administration is, the more radicalized our base becomes, which just feeds the Breitbart crowd, and who knows where that ends. Democratic leaders have to channel public reaction to Trumps actions into progress, rather than deadlock, Schiff said. Reaction to Democrats seen as working with the Trump administration has been strong. Monday night, for example, protesters marched on Sen. Dianne Feinsteins home and office voicing fears she would back Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general. The senator from California announced Tuesday that she would oppose Sessions. Several groups calling themselves indivisible have popped up in cities across the country as focal points for efforts to organize. We have two of the most capable strategists as the head of our House and Senate Democrats, Schiff added, referring to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Senate Democratic leader Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York. If anybody can grapple with this, they can, but its going to be a challenging and moving target day to day. I just hope that we can channel that energy in a way where we can provide a check on this administration because Ive never been more worried about the countrys future than I am right now, he said. Schiff said part of his role as the ranking Democrat on the House Select Intelligence Committee will be pushing back when the Trump administration puts out inaccurate information about the intelligence community and its findings. Trump has repeatedly dismissed or sought to minimize the intelligence communitys findings that Russia sought to intervene in the 2016 election to benefit him. Schiff said hes concerned about what else the administration might be willing to dismiss. I think that will be kind of a new frontier, he said. How do we contradict a president making representations about what the intelligence community has to say when the information is classified? Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump administration signals that some temporary bans on entry into the U.S. could become permanent By Brian Bennett  Trumps orders put a greater emphasis on deporting those convicted of crimes and those in the country illegally who were charged with crimes not yet adjudicated The Trump administration doubled down Tuesday on its commitment to transforming the nations border law enforcement, signaling that some of the temporary bans on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries are likely to be made permanent and elevating a deportations official to run the top immigration enforcement agency. Administration officials, led by newly sworn-in Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, moved to allay the havoc that marked the roll-out of the ban and another on refugees. They briefed reporters and planned to head to Capitol Hill later today in an apparent effort to smooth relations after reports that lawmakers and other stakeholders were left out of the crafting of the executive order on toughened vetting at border entry points. In a news conference, Kelly and other top Homeland Security officials conceded some problems, including poor communication. But they insisted that all court orders were followed over the weekend, rebutted reports that some legal residents were denied access to attorneys at airports and said they everyone detained by border agents was treated with dignity and respect. The vast majority of the 1.7 billion Muslims that live on this planet, the vast majority of them have, all other things being equal, have access to the United States, Kelly told reporters. And a relatively small number right now are being held up for a period of time until we can take a look at what their procedures are, he said, seeming to acknowledge that mostly Muslims have been affected by the ban. The moves signaled that the White House remained committed to remaking border law enforcement even in the face of widespread confusion and condemnation of President Trumps order. Kelly said for the first time that the some of the restrictions that caused confusion and sparked protests over the weekend could be extended well into the future. Some of those countries that are currently on the list may not be taken off the list anytime soon, he said. Trump also named a longtime deportation officer, Thomas D. Homan, as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homan, who will oversee the execution of Trumps immigration enforcement order, was most recently in charge of the agencys 5,000 deportation officers, a force Trump said he would triple to 15,000. Trumps orders put a greater emphasis on deporting not only those convicted of crimes, but also people in the country illegally who were charged with crimes not yet adjudicated, those who receive an improper welfare benefit and even those who have not been charged but are believed to have committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

White House tries to ban the word ban, hours after president uses it himself By Noah Bierman This is not a ban, spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters in a fiery news briefing. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) President Trump used the word ban in a tweet as recently as Monday to describe his new executive order suspending travel from seven Muslim-majority countries and halting the refugee program for several months. But facing backlash from many directions, the White House adamantly insisted Tuesday that the word is verboten. This is not a ban, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters in a fiery news briefing. When we use words like travel ban, he said later, that misrepresents what it is. Its seven countries previously identified by the Obama administration, where, frankly, we dont get the information that we need for people coming into this country. In fact, people from the seven banned countries  Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya  cannot enter the United States under the order. Spicer appeared to be making a renewed effort to distinguish the order from the all-out ban on Muslims entering the country that Trump proposed during the campaign. Many around the world see the newest policy as an outgrowth of that proposal. Trump himself conceded a religious connection when he said in an interview on Friday that he wanted to make it easier for Syrian Christians to enter the country. And former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani told Fox News that the order sprang from a group he formed at Trumps request to create a legal framework that would accomplish the campaign goal of a Muslim ban. But amid confusion and worldwide criticism in recent days, the Trump administration has tried to temper some of the more incendiary rhetoric around the proposal. Even the words extreme vetting, a favorite Trump slogan, were called into question by Spicer on Tuesday. Calling for tougher vetting [of] individual travelers from seven nations is not extreme, he said. It is reasonable and necessary to protect our country. But changing the ban branding around the program at this point will be difficult. Heres Trumps tweet from Monday: If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the "bad" would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad "dudes" out there!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017 And Spicer himself used the term ban as recently as Sunday: Sean Spiceer today: This is not a Muslim ban. It is not a travel ban.



Sean Spicer in White House press release, Jan. 29: pic.twitter.com/axTM1m66nM  Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) January 31, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Senate confirms Elaine Chao as secretary of Transportation By Associated Press Elaine Chao testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Jan. 11, 2017. (Zach Gibson / AP) The Senate has confirmed Elaine Chao to serve as Transportation secretary in the Trump administration. The vote was 93 to 6 on Tuesday. Chao is an experienced Washington hand. She was Labor secretary under President George W. Bush and is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Chao would be a lead actor in pursuing Trumps promise to invest $1 trillion to improve highways, rail service and other infrastructure projects. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Speaker Paul Ryan defends Trumps immigrant and refugee ban, as Congress grumbles about being left out By Lisa Mascaro "What is happening is something we support... we need to make sure that the vetting standards are up to snuff," Paul Ryan says of travel ban pic.twitter.com/iX6YkOLkLl  CBS News (@CBSNews) January 31, 2017 House Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday stood by President Trumps temporary ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority nations and indicated that he was confident the administration could fix the confusing rollout without action from Congress. What is happening is something we support, said Ryan, whose office was the target of a sit-in by protesters opposed to Trumps order. We need to pause and we need to make sure that the vetting standards are up to snuff so we can guarantee the safety and security of our country. Congress was blindsided by Trumps executive action -- Ryan learned about it as the public did when the White House announced it Friday afternoon. Many GOP lawmakers have raised concerns. During a private meeting in the Capitol basement Tuesday, Republican lawmakers were counseled on how to handle protesters and office sit-ins happening across the country. Its regrettable that there was some confusion on the rollout of this, Ryan said. No one wanted to see people with green cards or special immigrant visas, like translators, get caught up in all of this. Ryan also said he was concerned the ban could be used as propaganda by terrorist groups. The rhetoric surrounding this could be used as a recruiting tool, and I think thats dangerous, he said. Still, Republicans leaders as well as rank-and-file GOP lawmakers largely agreed with the presidents move to halt refugee admissions for 120 days, and to temporarily ban citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, unless they are Christians or other religious minorities. The president was well within his right to issue an executive order, said Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), chairman of the House Rules Committee. Do I feel let out? I feel like everybody was left out, he said. I wish they communicated it. I wish they had gotten more information to people. I wish they had measured three times and sawed once. Lawmakers have shown little appetite for Congress to get involved, and suggested the chaos that erupted at airports over the weekend was just part of a learning curve at the White House. I support the thrust of the executive order, said Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), who nevertheless said the administration should have been better prepared and will need to get your act together. Last year, Ryan had strongly condemned Trumps campaign-trail call for a Muslim ban. In recent days, Ryan, like other congressional leaders, was forced to dial up the administration with his questions and concerns about the order, conferring Monday with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. I am very pleased and confident that he is, on a going-forward basis, going to make sure that things are done correctly, Ryan said. Pressed on whether Congress would have a role, Ryan did not indicate any immediate legislative action. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Democrats boycott Senate committee votes on Price, Mnuchin By Jim Puzzanghera Senate Democrats speak with reporters after boycotting Finance Committee confirmation votes. (JIM WATSON / AFP/Getty Images) Senate Democrats on Tuesday boycotted a committee vote on two of President Trumps top Cabinet nominees -- Tom Price to lead Health and Human Services and Steve Mnuchin to be Treasury secretary. Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) blasted the Democratic move as he sat in a hearing room with only Republicans on the dais. They ought to be embarrassed. Its the most pathetic treatment Ive seen in my 40 years in the United States Senate, Hatch said. I think they should stop posturing and acting like idiots, he said. At least one Democrat needs to be present for the committee to vote on the nominations, Hatch said. He recessed the hearing until further notice, saying he hoped a vote could take place later Tuesday. But asked mid-afternoon if he thought the committee would be able to meet Tuesday, Hatch said it doesnt look like it. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the committees top Democrat, said Price and Mnuchin have misled the public and held back important information about their backgrounds. Until questions are answered, Democrats believe the committee should not move forward with either nomination, Wyden said. This is about getting answers to questions, plain and simple, he said. Ethics laws are not optional, and nominees do not have a right to treat disclosure like a shell game. Today @SenateFinance Democrats refused to move forward with nominations of Mnuchin & Price.  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 The litany of ethics revelations regarding @RepTomPrice are strong evidence that he cannot be allowed to have control of #Medicare.  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 Mr. Mnuchin continued to fail to come clean on shady foreclosure practices that hurt Americans.  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 Liberal groups cheered the boycott while Senate Republican leaders decried it as Democratic obstructionism. They are manufacturing issues on a daily basis to drag this process out, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kent.) said of the confirmations of Trumps nominees. I dont see how they can explain to the American people how it is appropriate to prevent the administration from getting up and getting started, he said. Democrats have said Mnuchin, a wealthy Wall Street executive, misled the committee in his response to a written question about foreclosures at Pasadenas OneWest Bank while he ran it from 2009-15. Democrats pointed to a report Sunday by the Columbus Dispatch that Mnuchin denied that OneWest engaged in so-called robo-signing of mortgage documents. The paper said its analysis of nearly four dozen foreclosure cases in Ohios Franklin County in 2010 showed that the bank frequently used robo-signers. The Columbus Dispatch cited a foreclosure involving a mortgage signed by Erica Johnson-Seck, a OneWest vice president who said in a deposition in a 2009 Florida case that she signed an average of 750 documents a week. Barney Keller, a spokesman for Mnuchin, said Monday that several courts had dismissed cases involving allegations of robo-signing by Johnson-Seck. The media is picking on a hardworking bank employee whose reputation has been maligned but whose work has been upheld by numerous courts all around the country in the face of scurrilous and false allegations, Keller said. Democrats also have problems with Price, a six-term congressman and former orthopedic surgeon who has distinguished himself in conservative circles for his staunch opposition to the Affordable Care Act and his plans to slash federal healthcare spending. His nomination has become among Trumps most controversial, in part because of his hostility to government safety net programs, including Medicaid and Medicare. Democrats have also been increasingly critical of Prices extensive trading in healthcare stocks while he has been in Congress, and in some cases while he has pushed legislation that would benefit his portfolio. Price has denied any wrongdoing. Also drawing criticism is Prices purchase of discounted shares in an Australian biotech firm, Innate Immunotherapeutics, which he was offered through a private deal not available to general shareholders. Price also denied that this was improper, and Senate Republicans have rallied to his side, saying he did not violate any ethics rules. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said he and the other Democrats on the committee want Mnuchin and Price to explain their lies either in person before the committee or in new written answers. I want them to disclose this information that they seem not to want to disclose, Brown said. 12:10 p.m.: This post was updated with additional comments from Hatch as well as from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Sherrod Brown. 8:00 a.m.: This post has been updated with additional information and background. 8:07 a.m.: This post has been updated with additional information. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

White House aides who wrote Trumps travel ban see it as just the start By Brian Bennett (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Even as confusion, internal dissent and widespread condemnation greeted President Trumps travel ban and crackdown on refugees this weekend, senior White House aides say they are only getting started. Trump and his aides justified Fridays executive order, which blocked travel from seven majority-Muslim countries for 90 days and halted refugees from around the world for 120, on security grounds  an issue that they say they take seriously. But their ultimate goal is far broader. Trumps top advisors on immigration, including chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior advisor Stephen Miller, see themselves as launching a radical experiment to fundamentally transform how the U.S. decides who is allowed into the country and to block a generation of people who, in their view, wont assimilate into American society. That project may live or die in the next three months, as the Trump administration reviews whether and how to expand the visa ban and alter vetting procedures. White House aides are considering new, onerous security checks that could effectively limit travel into the U.S. by people from majority-Muslim countries to a trickle. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Why corporations cant risk keeping silent about Trumps immigration ban By David Pierson Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz said the Seattle coffee company is developing plans to hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years. (Richard Drew / Associated Press) Corporate America generally prefers to stay quiet about partisan politics. Pick one side of a hot-button issue, the thinking goes, and youll risk losing customers on the other side. But like so many norms before it, President Trump has turned this one on its head. A growing number of companies are deciding its a bigger risk to their investors and bottom line to stay quiet than it is to protest Trumps ban on refugees and travel from seven Muslim-majority nations, betting vocal opposition to the executive order scores them a moral and fiscal victory. While it was possible for companies to take a wait-and-see approach leading up to Trumps inauguration, many firms can no longer ignore the White Houses policy given the effect the order is already having on employees either stranded or fearful of traveling. Only a week ago it seemed foolish to speak out against a president who has admonished individual companies on social media such as Carrier, Boeing and General Motors. Now the pendulum has swung the other way. Companies, mostly in technology but increasingly in other sectors, have decided that its not enough just to speak out against the immigration order. They believe that they must also take headline-grabbing action. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Op-Ed: Trump is taking the Bannon Way, and it will end in disaster By Jonah Goldberg Bannon has said hes a Leninist' but hes really more of a Trotskyist because he fancies himself the leader of an international populist-nationalist right wing movement, exporting anti-'globalist' revolution. In that role, his status as an enabler of Trumps instinct to shoot  or tweet  from the hip seems especially ominous. The Bannon way might work on the campaign trail, but it doesnt translate into good governance. Its possible  and one must hope  that Trump can learn this fact on the job. But what if he doesnt? He could put the country in serious peril.  Jonah Goldberg Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump will leave LGBTQ protections in place By Associated Press (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) The White House says President Trump will leave intact a 2014 executive order that protects federal workers from anti-LGBTQ discrimination. In a statement released early Tuesday, the White House said Trump is determined to protect the rights of all Americans, including the LGBTQ community and that he continues to be respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights, just as he was throughout the election. The Trump administration has vowed to roll back much of President Obamas work from the last eight years and had been scrutinizing the 2014 order. The directive protects people from LGBTQ discrimination while working for federal contractors. The recent statement says the protections will remain intact at the direction of Trump. Here is the text of Obamas executive order, signed on July 21, 2014: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including 40 U.S.C. 121, and in order to provide for a uniform policy for the Federal Government to prohibit discrimination and take further steps to promote economy and efficiency in Federal Government procurement by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Amending Executive Order 11478 . The first sentence of section 1 of Executive Order 11478 of August 8, 1969, as amended, is revised by substituting sexual orientation, gender identity for sexual orientation. Sec. 2. Amending Executive Order 11246 . Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, as amended, is hereby further amended as follows: (a) The first sentence of numbered paragraph (1) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex, or national origin. (b) The second sentence of numbered paragraph (1) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. (c) Numbered paragraph (2) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. (d) Paragraph (d) of section 203 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. Sec. 3. Regulations . Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall prepare regulations to implement the requirements of section 2 of this order. Sec. 4. General Provisions . (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an agency or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. Sec. 5. Effective Date . This order shall become effective immediately, and section 2 of this order shall apply to contracts entered into on or after the effective date of the rules promulgated by the Department of Labor under section 3 of this order. Update 6:45 a.m.: This article was updated with the text of the 2014 executive order. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Trump fires Justice Departments top official after she refuses to defend his refugee ban By David Lauter Sally Yates. (J. David Ake / Associated Press) President Trump fired acting Atty. Gen. Sally Yates on Monday, just hours after she announced that the department would not defend his controversial executive order banning refugees and travelers from certain countries. Yates has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States, the White House said in a statement. It is time to get serious about protecting our country. The move came after Yates sent a letter to Justice Department lawyers saying that she questioned the lawfulness of Trumps executive order. My responsibility is to ensure that the position of the Department of Justice is not only legally defensible, but is informed by our best view of what the law is after consideration of all the facts, Yates wrote. At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities, nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful, she wrote. Consequently, for as long as I am the acting attorney general, the Department of Justice will not present arguments in defense of the executive order unless and until I become convinced that it is appropriate to do so. Yates was a holdover from the Obama administration. But because Trumps nominee for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions, has not been confirmed and no other senior Justice Department officials have been appointed, firing her was expected to cause significant problems within the department. Among other issues, Yates is the only person in the department currently authorized to sign warrants for wiretapping in foreign espionage cases involving the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Trump replaced Yates with Dana J. Boente, a three-decade veteran of the Justice Department who was appointed in 2015 by former President Obama as U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Virginia. 6:37 p.m.: The story was updated with Trumps decision to fire Yates. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

U.S. service member killed in Yemen identified as Navy SEAL from Illinois By Jeanette Steele The Pentagon on Sunday confirmed the death of a U.S. servicemember in a raid in Yemen targeting al-Qaeda, marking the first American combat death under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. A Navy SEAL from the Virginia-based elite unit known as SEAL Team 6 was killed Sunday during an unusual nighttime raid that put U.S. troops on the ground against Al Qaeda leaders in the middle of war-torn Yemen. The fallen sailor was identified Monday as Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens, 36, of Peoria, Ill.. Three other Americans were wounded in the raid and an MV-22 Osprey had to be destroyed after the aircraft suffered a hard landing and couldnt fly. Another U.S. service member was injured in that crash. The raid marked the first known counter-terrorism operation and first confirmed combat fatality under President Trump. Steele writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Protests against Trumps ban on certain immigrants continue across the country By Ann M. Simmons Protesters rally at Los Angeles International Airport on Jan. 29, demonstrating against the immigration ban imposed by President Trump. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) After a weekend of turmoil at many of the nations airports following President Trumps executive order to suspend the U.S. refugee program and temporarily prohibit entry to citizens of seven predominantly Muslim nations, federal officials said all people being detained on arrival to the U.S. had been released. But that hasnt put a stop to demands to lift the travel ban. Protests continued to be held and organized throughout the country  incluidng in New York, New Orleans, Colorado and Connecticut. According to Ground Game, an online platform for organizing, at least a dozen demonstrations were planned for this week in what the group described as a fight against Islamophobia and Fascism. Calls to rally, demonstrate and protest swept social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. In Louisville, Ky., a rally was planned for Monday evening at the Muhammad Ali Center, in what organizers said would be a gathering for American values and to voice support for our nation and our city, which was founded and is strengthened by immigrants. In Hattiesburg, Miss., there was call to join a peaceful vigil in solidarity with refugees, immigrants, and Muslims on the University of Southern Mississippi campus on Monday evening. Declaring that Jersey City stands with our Muslim and immigrant community, organizers in that New Jersey city called on people to come to a pedestrian mall on Monday to stand in solidarity and peace as we show our strength in diversity as one of the most diverse cities in the nation. Other demonstrations were planned for later in the week in cities nationwide, including Tuesday in Tuscon, where organizers encouraged people to stand in solidarity with Senator (John) McCains strong public statement opposing the executive order banning refugees and Legal Permanent Residents from Muslim countries! Similar actions were planned on Tuesday at the South Carolina State House in Columbia and at the Worchester City Hall and Common in Massachusetts, while organizers in San Francisco, under the banner #NoBanNoWallSF, urged residents to join the resistance against Donald Trumps racist and exclusionary Executive Orders on Saturday. We will not allow our country to be divided by hate and religious persecution, read a statement from #NoBanNoWallSF posted on Facebook. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Obama carefully weighs in on refugee ban, says he is heartened by public response By Michael A. Memoli (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images) Former President Obama has offered his first public comment on the conduct of his successor, saying through a spokesman that he is heartened by public demonstrations against the Trump administrations controversial move to temporarily ban refugees and block all admissions from seven countries. President Obama is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country, Kevin Lewis, a spokesperson for the former president, said in a statement emailed to reporters Monday. In his final official speech as President, he spoke about the important role of citizen and how all Americans have a responsibility to be the guardians of our democracy--not just during an election but every day. Citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake. Lewis also said in the statement that Obama fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion. Trump aides deny that his executive order, released Friday, involves religious discrimination. The order temporarily blocked travel to the U.S. by residents of seven predominantly Muslim nations, but left many of the Islamic worlds largest population centers unaffected, they note. The order also included an exception for believers of minority religions in those countries, a provision that Trump explicitly said would help Christians. Obamas statement is notable less for its content than for the fact that it was issued at all. It reflected the delicate balance he feels he must strike between showing a degree of deference to the new president and speaking out on issues he sees as critically important. The statement tiptoed around the content of the order, focusing more on the former presidents interest in citizen engagement. Obama said before leaving office that he expected to choose carefully when to comment on the actions of his successor and would focus less on normal functioning of politics and more on certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake, as he put it in his final news conference. Mondays statement did point, though, to comments Obama made at a news conference in November 2015, when he called the idea of a religious test for immigration policy shameful and not American. We dont have religious tests to our compassion, he said at the time. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

GOP-led Congress worries about its role in the Trump era By Lisa Mascaro Its what congressional Republicans had long dreamed about: a majority in both chambers to advance conservative policies and a president from the same party to sign them into law. But the Trump White House isnt turning out exactly the way they envisioned. The GOP establishment is experiencing whiplash after a week of President Trump bulldozing through the norms of policy and protocol  dashing off executive orders without warning, escalating a diplomatic crisis with the countrys closest southern neighbor, triggering global confusion with a new refugee policy and generally hijacking party leaders agenda and replacing it with his own. Rather than the hoped-for collaborative new relationship between the White House and Congress, GOP officials complain that Trump is brushing aside their advice, failing to fully engage on drafting tough legislative packages like tax reform and Obamacare, and bypassing Congress by relying on executive actions, something they frequently complained about under President Obama. At the same time, Trumps unilateral moves continue to blindside Republicans and direct the national focus toward topics many in the party would rather avoid, whether thats how to pay for building the border wall with Mexico, warming ties with Russia, investigating false claims about voter fraud or, most recently, implementing sweeping new policies on refugees and visas. In the name of party unity, many Republicans so far have refrained from publicly attacking the new president. But for some, the new refugee policy crossed the line, signaling the first major rift in their already fraught partnership. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Washington state sues Trump over immigration order By Mark Z. Barabak President Trump signed an executive order Friday that suspends all immigration for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Opening a new legal front, lawyers for the state of Washington filed suit Monday seeking to block President Trumps executive order temporarily banning foreign refugees from entering the United States. No one is above the law, not even the president, Atty. Gen. Bob Ferguson said in announcing the federal lawsuit. And in the courtroom, it is not the loudest voice that prevails. Its the Constitution. Over the weekend, a federal judge in Brooklyn issued an order curtailing portions of Trumps executive order, issued Friday, which temporary halts migration from seven predominantly Muslim countries for at least 90 days and also closed the nation to refugees for at least the next four months. Other challenges are pending. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Seattle was the first taken by a state attorney general, and its provenance was no surprise. Washington state and others along the West Coast voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Hillary Clinton in November and have emerged as a hotbed of anti-Trump sentiment. We will not yield, said Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who joined Ferguson at a Seattle news conference. We will not be leveraged. We will not be threatened. We will not be intimidated. We will not be bullied by this. Trumps order, which has sparked demonstrations across the country, brought an outpouring of objection from Insleys Democratic colleagues around the country. President Trumps recent executive orders that divide and discriminate do not reflect the values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution or the principles we stand for as Oregonians, said Gov. Kate Brown. A single executive order does not define who we are as a country, said Connecticut Gov. Daniel P. Malloy. We are a nation of immigrants and must continue to fight for the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses yearning to breath free. In Massachusetts, another state that voted overwhelmingly for Clinton, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker joined the chorus of Democratic criticism, saying the travel ban would undermine the international relations forged by the states business, academic and healthcare communities. The confusion for families is real. The unexpected disruption for law-abiding people is real, Baker said. Thankfully, the federal courts will have an opportunity to straighten this out and it is my hope they do so, and do so quickly. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

How a top conservative radio host took on Trump, lost his audience and faith, but gained a new perspective By Mark Z. Barabak Charlie Sykes, right, interviews Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) before Wisconsins 2016 primary (Morry Gash/Associated Press) For nearly 25 years, Charlie Sykes was one of the most powerful and influential voices in Wisconsin. He cheer-led policies that turned this historically progressive state into a model of conservative governance. He made and destroyed political careers, using his perch on Milwaukee talk radio to help vault figures such as House Speaker Paul Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker to national prominence. But for the moment Sykes was speechless. He sank into the brown leather banquette of a suburban steakhouse. He stammered. He sighed. When youve devoted your whole life to certain beliefs and you think now they have been undermined and that you might have been deluded about things, he began. So. So. Um... In 2016 Sykes emerged as one of Donald Trumps most prominent critics, a stance that outraged listeners, strained longstanding friendships and left him questioning much of what he once held true. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Pentagon compiling a list of Iraqis who aided the U.S. military and wants them shielded from Trumps travel ban By W.J. Hennigan The Pentagon is compiling a list of Iraqi citizens who have worked with the U.S. military and is recommending that they be exempt from President Trumps temporary ban on entry to the U.S. by people from Iraq and six other predominantly Muslim countries, according to the U.S. military. The move could potentially shield tens of thousands of Iraqi interpreters, advisors, and others who have assisted the American military from the presidents controversial executive action that blocked visitors from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen. Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters Monday that the list will include names of individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to helping the United States. Even people that are doing seemingly benign things in support of us  whether as a linguist, a driver, anything else  they often do that at great personal risk, he said. So people who take these risks are really making a tangible signal of support to the United States, and thats something that will, and should be, recognized. The list would not require any changes to the presidents order, but rather serve as guidance to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House in implementing the new policy. White House spokesman Sean Spicer later pushed back against blanket exemptions. We recognize that people have served this country, we should make sure that in those cases theyre helped out, he said. But that doesnt mean that we just give them a pass. Trump, who signed the order at the Pentagon on Friday, did not consult Defense Secretary James N. Mattis or Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the temporary suspensions of entry to visitors from the seven nations, according to U.S. officials. The executive action put the U.S. military in a difficult position because it works closely with the Iraqi government on a range of issues, including the fight against Islamic State, which necessitates travel between the two countries. For instance, Iraqi military pilots train to fly F-16 fighter jets at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Its not clear those pilots, who are active in the fight against Islamic State, could arrive in the U.S. for the training. 1:10 p.m.: This post was updated with White House response. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Trump signs order on rulemaking: For every regulation added, agencies have to cut 2 others By Noah Bierman (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump signed an executive order Monday designed to fulfill his campaign pledge reduce red tape for businesses. The two-page order requires that when a federal agency proposes new regulations, it shall identify at least two existing regulations to be repealed. We want to make the life easier for small businesses and big business, Trump said Monday from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, where he met with nine representatives of the small-business sector. Trump said he hoped to see up to 75% of federal regulations eliminated during his presidency. Regulation has been horrible for big business, but its been worse for small business, Trump said. He also reiterated his promise to gut the Dodd-Frank Act, the financial regulatory overhaul that was passed after the financial crisis. Dodd-Frank is a disaster, he said. Were going to be doing a big number on Dodd-Frank. Consumer advocates who backed the law say that eliminating it would help Wall Street and other players in the financial sector at the expense of consumers. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

U.S. diplomats to protest Trumps travel ban order By Tracy Wilkinson Protesters of President Trumps immigration order block traffic at LAX. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) A number of U.S. diplomats are condemning President Trumps ban on some Muslim immigrants and visitors, saying the abrupt order does not make the U.S. safer and will only stoke anti-American fervor overseas. The complaint, being made through the State Departments so-called dissent channel, echoes criticism coming from human rights attorneys, legal experts and lawmakers from both political parties, as well as world leaders. It is significant because it represents the viewpoint of the men and women who must carry out Trumps unconventional and often provocative foreign policy. A policy which closes our doors to over 200-million legitimate travelers in the hopes of preventing a small number of travelers who intend to harm Americans ... will not achieve its aim of making our country safer, said a draft version of the memo that was circulating Monday and was reviewed by the Los Angeles Times. It was first reported by ABC News. Moreover, such a policy runs counter to core American values of non-discrimination, fair play and extending a warm welcome to foreign visitors and immigrants. The White House was quickly dismissive of the dissent and seemed to suggest the diplomats should quit if they disagree with a policy. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said the diplomats raising of opposition does call into question whether or not they should continue to work in the State Department. It was not clear how many officials would sign the memo. Dissent channel memos are in theory not made public. The mechanism is designed to allow diplomats to offer an alternative policy without fear of retaliation. Acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner confirmed the existence of the memo but declined to comment on its contents. The dissent channel is a longstanding official vehicle for State Department employees to convey alternative views and perspectives on policy issues, he said. "... It allows State employees to express divergent policy views candidly and privately to senior leadership. The agency is still waiting for a boss. Trumps pick for secretary of State, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate this week. The last time a dissent-channel memo was reported publicly was last year, when about 50 diplomats protested Obama administration policy in Syria, which they described as inaction. 12:20 p.m.: This story was updated with White House comment. 8:40 a.m.: This story was updated with comment from a State Department spokesman. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Trump to announce his Supreme Court choice Tuesday -- in prime time By Michael A. Memoli (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump will announce his first Supreme Court nomination in prime time on Tuesday, he tweeted this morning. I have made my decision on who I will nominate for The United States Supreme Court. It will be announced live on Tuesday at 8:00 P.M. (W.H.)  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017 The announcement was moved up two days amid the continued fallout from the executive action Trump signed temporarily banning refugee admissions from some countries. Trump had tweeted last week that he would announce his high-court decision Thursday. In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network on Friday, Trump said his administration was doing some final vetting of his choice to replace the late Antonin Scalia, and that the pick would be from among the list of 20 names he issued during the election campaign. I think the person I pick will be big, big, he said. I think people are going to love it. I think evangelicals, Christians will love my pick. And will be represented very fairly. Times Supreme Court reporter David Savage profiled each of the leading contenders: Judge Thomas Hardiman of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judge William H. Pryor Jr. from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The move could prompt a major clash with Senate Democrats, who have warned the president against a choice outside what they consider the mainstream. Some are threatening to block any choice in retaliation for Senate Republicans refusal to even hold hearings on President Obamas choice to replace Scalia, Merrick Garland. Democrats 2013 change to Senate rules that allowed most nominations to advance with a simple majority vote exempted Supreme Court nominations, meaning that Democrats could potentially filibuster the choice. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appeared to rule out any further rule change in an interview last week, though Trump urged him to consider doing so. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

As Hollywood gathered at the SAG Awards, some entertainers joined LAX protest Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Advertisement

This New York doctor went to visit family in Sudan, and now hes stuck By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Dr. Kamal Fadlalla (Dr. Kamal Fadlalla / For The Times) Dr. Kamal Fadlalla, a hospital resident who has been working in New York for the last 20 months, was stuck in Sudan on Sunday, having gone there to see his family earlier this month. He had left Jan. 13, was due to return Feb. 4 but tried to return on Friday after hearing about President Trumps executive order on immigration, which suspended entry for people from seven countries, including Sudan. He made it past passport control, all the way to the gate at the airport in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. One hour before departure they called my name, he said, and summoned him to the ticket counter, along with other New York-bound Sudanese passengers. When I got to the counter, they said there was a notice from Customs and Border Protection that ... they had to offload us from the flight. I was shocked. Fadlalla, 33, hoped for a reprieve as other passengers gathered, all stuck. One family, they came back from Dubai, she was a mother of three or four kids. She was waiting overnight at the Dubai airport. There were also two passengers turned back from New York, he said. It was a very tough night on me, He stayed for several hours, then returned to his mothers home in Madani, two hours south. Fadlalla is a second-year resident in internal medicine at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn. He is hoping to specialize in hematology and oncology. The Committee for Interns and Residents found an attorney to represent him, he said, but he had not received any news about how a New York federal judges ruling late Saturday, which halted the deportations of people who had arrived in the U.S. with valid visas, could affect him. I dont know what Im going to do. My vacation is going to end and I have to join the hospital next week. Its going to be tough on me, Fadlalla said. I dont know for how long Im going to stay here. I dont know what Im going to do. My visa is valid for three months. Im really stuck. I have my house there, my utilities, my work, my patients, my colleagues. It was my life for the past 20 months. And Im stuck here. Fadlalla is from northern Sudan, and describes himself as a moderate Muslim. He said the executive order wont make the U.S. safer by barring valid visa holders like him because, Ive been through the whole process of visa interviews. He had planned to take board exams next year, and if he misses them, his schooling will be delayed. He had wanted to stay and work in New York, too. All my life is there. Now Im stuck here. I dont know what to do, he said. Its going to really affect my life, my patients, my colleagues and their work schedule. He said the executive order has shocked others in Sudan, too. Theyre talking about human rights. Everybody knows the United States is about freedom, he said. Everybody knows America is a free country, a country of chances for everybody. Still, people have hope in those protesting at airports all over the United States and attorneys who have volunteered to help immigrants and refugees, he said. He said the order is especially worrying for aspiring Sudanese medical residents who have been preparing to match with a hospital in March to study in the United States. A lot of my colleagues who are preparing for exams are really, really worried about this, Fadlalla said. Im really worried about the future of these young people. They study a lot and spend a lot of money, a lot of effort to enter the United States. Im concerned about my future and my colleagues future. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Californias congressional Republicans hold their fire on Trumps refugee order By Sarah D. Wire Only a few of the states 14 Republican representatives have publicly commented on an executive order signed by President Trump on Friday that barred refugees and green card holders from seven countries from entering the country. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) released a statement Sunday night saying that some tweaks are needed, but that his background as chairman of the House Select Intelligence Committee leads him to support the executive order. In light of attempts by jihadist groups to infiltrate fighters into refugee flows to the West, along with Europes tragic experience coping with this problem, the Trump administrations executive order on refugees is a common-sense security measure to prevent terror attacks on the homeland, Nunes said. While accommodations should be made for green card holders and those whove assisted the U.S. armed forces, this is a useful temporary measure on seven nations of concern until we can verify who is entering the United States. Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) told the Washington Post that the executive order is the right call to keep America safe, but he hopes the cases of people traveling on visas who were prevented from reentering the country are resolved quickly. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) said Sunday on Twitter that the rollout has created confusion, and that executive orders arent the way to fix the countrys long-term problems. View Twitter post View Twitter post Several of Californias 38 Democratic congressional representatives and the states two senators were out in force over the weekend demanding the release of refugees and green card holders as well as an end to the executive order. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced she would file two pieces of legislation in response. One would immediately rescind the presidents order. The second would limit executive authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to prevent a president from unilaterally banning groups of immigrants. Its clear that the president gave little consideration to the chaos and heartbreak that would result from this order, she said in a statement. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) joined protesters outside the White House on Sunday afternoon. We will fight against racism. We will fight against anti-Muslim rhetoric. We will fight against those who will marginalize who we are. pic.twitter.com/R54f3MDhvo  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 29, 2017 In Los Angeles, Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) joined protesters at Los Angeles International Airport. On Saturday, Reps. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro) and Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) joined the initial protests at the airport, and worked to get some of those being held released. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) accompanied protesters at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday. Congresswoman @MaxineWaters is here at LAX protest leading the crowd in the chant "no ban, no wall, you build it up we'll tear it down" pic.twitter.com/iNEmkVVkmW  Javier Panzar  (@jpanzar) January 29, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Legal moves come too late for Iranian man who arrived at LAX after Trumps order By Matt Hamilton Ali Vayeghan arrived at 7:15 p.m. Friday from Tehran. He was going to stay with relatives, then go to Indiana, to join his wife, who arrived in the U.S. four months ahead of him, and his son. But he never emerged from customs. His niece said he was put on a plane to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. The ACLU was trying to prevent his deportation but arrived with paperwork 45 minutes too late. The family spoke to him by phone after he landed in Dubai, where he was waiting to be put on a flight to Tehran. Hes literally crying in the airport in Dubai, Ali Vayeghans niece, Marjan Vayghan, said. On Sunday afternoon, a federal judge in Los Angeles ordered authorities to transport Vayeghan back to the U.S. and admit him under the terms of his visa, which is set to expire Feb. 14. U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee said in her order that Vayeghan had demonstrated a strong likelihood of success in establishing that removal violates the Establishment Clause, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and his rights to Equal Protection guaranteed by the United States Constitution. But by the time the order came down, Vayeghan was on a plane bound for Tehran. Federal judge in LA has issued order allowing Iranian man deported from LAX yesterday to be admitted to US pic.twitter.com/yPth0xEQpv  Matt Hamilton (@MattHjourno) January 29, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

The political climate is a hot topic at the Screen Actors Guild awards The Actor statue watches over the red carpet at the Shrine Auditorium. (Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) Stars on the red carpet and at the winners podium tonight in Los Angeles are not keeping their mouths shut on current affairs. The 23rd Screen Actors Guild awards are being held at the Shrine Auditorium. Heres what they have had to say so far: I want you all to know that I am the daughter of an immigrant. My father fled religious persecution in Nazi-occupied France, and Im an American patriot, and I love this country, and because I love this country, I am horrified by its blemishes and this immigrant ban is a blemish and it is un-American.  Julia Louis-Dreyfus, accepting her award for her role in Veep We need to vote. Had we all voted, we wouldnt be here. You dont like it, you dont have nothing to say if you didnt vote. Get a clipboard, get organized and get in it. Dont sit back on the sidelines. Get in it. This is a fight for the country right now. Its worth fighting for.  Courtney B. Vance, nominated for his performance in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story For the first time ever in my lifetime, Ive been concerned about where its going to go. It doesnt seem to be that its going to go in a very positive direction.  Claire Foy, nominated for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the Netflix series The Crown Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Green card holders will not be blocked by Trumps order, Homeland Security says By David Lauter (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) The Trump administration backed away from one of the most controversial parts of its new executive order on immigration Sunday evening, saying that permanent U.S. residents in most cases will not be affected by the new rules. Since the president issued the order Friday, confusion has been rampant over the effects on permanent residents, noncitizens who hold so-called green cards that allow them to live and work legally in the U.S. Many were stopped and detained at airports for many hours on Friday and Saturday and, in some cases, reported that they had been threatened with being returned to their home countries. An undetermined number of other green card holders were stopped from boarding U.S.-bound planes. Late Sunday, however, the secretary of Homeland Security, retired Gen. John Kelly, issued a statement changing the policy. Statement By Secretary John Kelly On The Entry Of Lawful Permanent Residents Into The United States  https://t.co/Es1qivoR3J pic.twitter.com/hffMK2MOQC  Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 29, 2017 I hereby deem the entry of lawful permanent residents to be in the national interest, Kelly wrote. Green card holders from one of the seven countries covered by the 90-day ban will still need to request a waiver to gain reentry to the U.S. if they have traveled abroad. But unless officials have significant derogatory information about a green card holder that indicates a serious threat to public safety and welfare, lawful permanent resident status will be a dispositive factor in deciding the case, Kellys statement said. A White House official, briefing reporters about the change in policy, said that about 170 people have applied for a waiver to the ban so far, and all 170 have received a waiver and have been allowed to enter the U.S. The seven countries affected by the ban are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Uber fights immigration order -- and #DeleteUber hashtag -- with $3-million legal fund for drivers By Tracey Lien Hours after Lyfts co-founders announced a $1-million donation to the American Civil Liberties Union to defend the

Constitution, Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick pulled out his pocket book as well. Kalanick promised in a Facebook post that the company would create a $3-million legal defense fund to help drivers affected by the Trump administrations move to restrict immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries. The fund will help drivers with immigration and translation services. Kalanick also said the San Francisco ride-hailing company will provide 24/7 legal support to drivers stuck outside the country and compensate them for lost earnings. Drivers eligible for assistance were directed to contact the company via an online form. Although the announcement was greeted with some support on Facebook and Twitter, many saw it as too little too late. The company had come under fire a day earlier for advertising on Twitter that it was operating at New Yorks Kennedy International Airport during a taxi strike protesting the executive order. That gaffe, coupled with Kalanicks involvement in a panel advising President Trump on economic issues, helped spawn the Twitter hashtag #DeleteUber, which encouraged customers to delete the app from their phones in protest. You are 20 hours too late, one person wrote in response to Kalanicks Facebook post. Still deleted my account today, wrote another. Though Kalanick issued a statement on Saturday opposing the executive order, it didnt stop thousands of Twitter users from adopting the trending the #DeleteUber hashtag to decry Ubers actions. They accused the company of attempting to profit from the strike and prioritizing business interests over a moral imperative. Celebrities also jumped on the bandwagon, with actor and activist George Takei on Sunday tweeting to his 2.9 million followers: Lyft donates $1mil to ACLU while Uber doubles down on its support for Trump. #DeleteUber. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

75-year-old grandmother from Iran tells the story of her detention at LAX By Alene Tchekmedyian Siavosh Naji-Talakar of Phoenix hugs his grandmother Marzieh Moosavizadeh after she was released from detention at LAX early Sunday morning. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Marzieh Moosavizadeh and her grandson follow a routine when she visits almost every year from Iran. The 75-year-old, who travels in a wheelchair and speaks little English, struggles to find direct flights to Phoenix, where he and his family live. So they meet in Los Angeles and he escorts her on the last leg of her trip. This time was different. Moosavizadeh landed at Los Angeles International Airport a day after President Trump signed an executive order banning citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iran, from entering the United States. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

GOP senators call executive order a self-inflicted wound. Trump calls them wrong and weak By Matt Ballinger McCain and Graham in 2013. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona released a statement Sunday saying that confusion at U.S. airports shows that President Trumps executive order on immigration was not properly vetted. Such a hasty process risks harmful results, the Republicans statement read. We should not stop green-card holders from returning to the country they call home. We should not stop those who have served as interpreters for our military and diplomats from seeking refuge in the country they risked their lives to help. And we should not turn our backs on those refugees who have been shown through extensive vetting to pose no demonstrable threat to our nation. It went on: Ultimately, we fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism. The president responded on Twitter: The joint statement of former presidential candidates John McCain & Lindsey Graham is wrong - they are sadly weak on immigration. The two...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2017 ...Senators should focus their energies on ISIS, illegal immigration and border security instead of always looking to start World War III.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

At least 600 people wait to greet Syrians arriving in Phoenix By Nigel Duara Elijah Chavez and Brandi Hernandez protest in Phoenix (Nigel Duara/Los Angeles Times) A Phoenix-bound British Airways flight was scheduled to arrive from London at Sunday evening carrying several Syrians. A protest of about 600 people was waiting at a Phoenix international airport terminal for the flight to arrive. The outcome when these people arrive is uncertain at best, said Tanveer Shah, an Arizona attorney in private practice who volunteers with the ACLU. Shah said Syrians on board the flight would, in the best case, walk off the plane without a problem. But given the outcomes in other cities on Saturday and Sunday, Shah said it was incumbent on civil liberties attorneys to be there when the plane arrives. We have staff attorneys here ... who are prepared to file emergency pleadings, Shah said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

When Muslims got blocked at American airports, U.S. veterans rushed to help By Matt Pearce (G. Morty Ortega / Getty Images) Jeffrey Buchalter was reflooring his foyer in Chesapeake Beach, Md., and listening to MSNBC over the weekend when he heard the news: An Iraqi who had worked with American forces as an interpreter had been stopped from entering the U.S. under a new executive order on immigration from President Trump. The story stopped him cold. Buchalter, an Army veteran who works as a law-enforcement instructor at the Department of Homeland Security, had served multiple tours of duty as a military policeman in Iraq, service that cost him dearly. He was decorated for injuries sustained from gunfire and improvised explosive devices. Exams revealed hed suffered herniated discs, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, and he spent 2  years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center trying to get right. But he was still alive, and now the married father of two children. And he believes thats thanks in part to the work of Iraqi interpreters who acted as guides during his work in their country. So he told his younger daughter and son they were going to take a trip: a two-hour drive to Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., where, for the first time in his life, Buchalter would join a protest. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Demonstrators against Trumps immigration limits  and a few who like them  surge through LAX By Javier Panzar The crowd at LAX is getting bigger and bigger. pic.twitter.com/dJ281TETXj  Javier Panzar  (@jpanzar) January 29, 2017 Thousands of people filled the international terminal at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday afternoon to call for the release of an unknown number of people being detained by immigration authorities. Filling the arrivals section of the terminal and spilling into the street outside, the throng chanted, Let them in, and Love, not hate, makes America great. Jacob Kemper, a 35-year-old Army veteran who fought two tours in Iraq, said he was infuriated to think soldiers he fought alongside might be denied entry to the country. I really dont care about religion, but I really hate oppression, he said, holding a sign that read, I Fought Next To Muslims. Shay Soltani, a network engineer, fled the Iranian revolution 40 years ago and still has family members in Iran. She doesnt know if she will be able to see them again. As she and hundreds of others marched through the airport, she said she was horrified by Trumps order. I am so hurt by this, she said. He is against freedom of speech and the constitution and everything I believe in as an American. Meanwhile, about a dozen counter-protesters popped up on the other side of the street, holding signs that said X-treme vetting and Keep Refugees Out. They said they were tired of immigrants entering the U.S. illegally, which they said jeopardizes the safety of American citizens. Chanell Temple, 63, of Los Angeles said she was sick of watching immigrants here illegally steal benefits and services from American citizens, specifically veterans and homeless people who need aid. I worked out here for 40 years and they are coming here and taking everything away, said Temple, a former bookkeeper who said she lost her job and healthcare after she was fired for an inability to speak Spanish. Raul Rodriguez Jr., coordinator of a group called America First Latinos, said he was concerned about what he considers a surge in crimes committed against Americans by those who are in the country illegally. They are lawbreakers. They have violated federal law and they need to be deported, he said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Silicon Valley execs speak out against immigration ban By Tracey Lien Technology executives are speaking out against President Trumps executive order on immigration, highlighting how the ban hurts their businesses. Leaders of companies that include Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Dropbox and Twitter denounced it over the weekend. Apple would not exist without immigration, let alone thrive and innovate the way we do, said Apple chief executive Tim Cook in a memo to employees. In my conversations with officials here in Washington this week, Ive made it clear that Apple believes deeply in the importance of immigration  both to our company and to our nations future. General Electric Co. chief executive Jeff Immelt said Sunday that businesses with global operations must balance working with the new administration while also supporting their workers and partners. We have many employees from the named countries and we do business all over the region, Immelt said in a statement. These employees and customers are critical to our success and they are our friends and partners. We stand with them and will work with the U.S. administration to strive to find the balance between the need for security and the movement of law abiding people. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

LAX protest grows as families wait Meg Heatherly, 27, of Los Angeles holds a Shame sign during a protest at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

L.A. city attorney barred from seeing detainees at LAX By James Queally Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer said he was repeatedly denied access to federal detainees or an attorney who could discuss the situation with him at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Federal officials have declined to discuss the LAX detentions or respond to Feuers criticisms. While he was at the airport, Feuer said he was approached by a woman who claimed her father, suffering from Parkinsons disease, was among the detainees. It is those kind of real stories that are at stake because of this outrageous action by the feds. It is time not only for officials in my position, but all Americans, should find this a breathtaking violation of rights.  Mike Feuer Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Democratic attorneys general from 15 states condemn Trump immigration order By Ann M. Simmons California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) More than a dozen Democratic attorneys general from states across the country have condemned the Trump administrations executive order suspending acceptance of refugees and have vowed to oppose it to ensure that as few people as possible suffer from the chaotic situation that it has created. In a communique Sunday, the group said: As the chief legal officers for over 130 million Americans and foreign residents of our states, we condemn President Trumps unconstitutional, un-American and unlawful Executive Order and will work together to ensure the federal government obeys the Constitution, respects our history as a nation of immigrants, and does not unlawfully target anyone because of their national origin or faith. The executive order places an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria and prohibits citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering as refugees for four months. It also places a suspension on admissions of other citizens of those countries. The legal officials represent 15 states. They include California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and his contemporaries in Washington, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. Religious liberty has been, and always will be, a bedrock principle of our country, and no president can change that truth, the attorneys general said in the statement. They praised the decision of multiple federal courts to order a stay on some aspects of the order. We are confident that the Executive Order will ultimately be struck down by the courts, the statement said. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

13 people who had been detained at LAX have been released, source says By James Queally Protesters at LAX on Sunday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Thirteen people who were detained Saturday night at Los Angeles International Airports Terminal 2 were eventually released, a law enforcement source told The Times. Each of them held green cards, which grant permanent residency in the U.S. The source, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation at the airport, could not provide detention figures for the Tom Bradley International Terminal, which has been the center of protest activity. Thats where protesters were gathering Sunday. Nurse Jamie Shoemaker, 51, of Los Angeles held an American flag in one hand and carried a sign that read, Muslims are welcome here, racists and fascists are not. She called Trumps order un-American. This is not the country I want, she said. This is not the country I grew up in. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Democrats in Congress drafting legislation to repeal Trumps refugee ban, pressuring GOP for support By Lisa Mascaro Sen. Chuck Schumer becomes emotional speaking against Pres. Trump's immigration order, calling it "mean-spirited and un-American." pic.twitter.com/NkhUdpaNyV  ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 29, 2017 Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Democrats will introduce legislation as soon as Monday to stop President Trumps actions temporarily banning refugees and arrivals from certain Muslim countries. House Democrats are taking similar legislative action, and lawmakers from both chambers will rally Monday evening at the Supreme Court to protest Trumps orders. This executive order was mean-spirited and un-American, said Schumer, the New York Democrat, choking up as he stood with immigrants and refugees at a press conference Sunday. It must be reversed immediately. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said House Democrats are exploring legal options, including an amicus brief in support of the ACLU lawsuit against the actions. The chances of passing a bill through the Republican-controlled Congress are slim, as most GOP leaders and lawmakers have not objected to Trumps ban. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday that while he was personally opposed to a religious test on admissions, it was best left to the courts to resolve the issue. Its hopefully going to be decided in the courts as to whether or not this has gone too far, McConnell said on ABCs This Week. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) expressed his support Friday for Trumps action. A handful of Republicans, though, are uneasy with Trumps orders, and have spoken against them. Schumer noted that just few more Republicans would be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold for advancing Senate legislation. Maybe we can pass something in Congress, Schumer said. Its up to Republicans. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Emotional reunion at JFK airport after release of elderly Sudanese man from immigration detention By Barbara Demick Tears and hugs at JFK's international arrivals as a detainee is released, reuniting father with son. More families wait, cheering. pic.twitter.com/WrVpoocWjY  Jack Smith IV (@JackSmithIV) January 29, 2017 For those immigrants temporarily detained under a new Trump administration executive order at New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport, attorneys have put a priority on getting some of the older detainees released to their families. One small victory for the lawyers was the case of Yassin Abdelrhman, a 76-year-old green card holder from Sudan who had been detained after a trip home to visit family. He was released about noon on Sunday after being detained for 30 hours. Soon, he was reunited with his sons. He is a strong individual, but he has some health challenges, said U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who had been working on their case. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi will not attend Oscars Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi after winning an Oscar in 2012. ((Allen J. Schaben/ Los Angeles Times) ) In a statement to the New York Times today, Oscar-winning Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi said he no longer planned to attend this years ceremony. Farhadis film The Salesman is nominated in the foreign language film category. Farhadi had initially hoped to attend despite the prohibition on visitors from Iran. But he said he had decided the possibility of this presence is being accompanied by ifs and buts which are in no way acceptable to me even if exceptions were to be made for my trip. Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

How an Iranian Fulbright scholar got into the U.S.: We found a lawyer who found a lawyer who found a lawyer By Barbara Demick Iranian students in front of a makeshift law office in JFKs Terminal 4. (Barbara Demick / Los Angeles Times) Perhaps nothing encapsulates the chaos emanating from President Trumps executive order better than what happened with Ukrainian Airlines Flight 232. The regularly scheduled flight to Kiev had to turn around on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy Airport early Sunday after a federal judge issued a stay of a deportation order of dozens of foreigners, including a 32-year-old Iranian linguist who is a doctoral candidate and former Fulbright scholar. With just minutes to spare, Vahideh Rasekhi -- helped by volunteer lawyers and her smart phone  managed to prevent the flight from taking off. She had arrived Saturday afternoon, but was blocked from entering the United States by the executive order barring arrivals of citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia and Libya. Around midnight, she was put on the Ukrainian Air flight to return to Tehran, via Kiev. We found a lawyer who found a lawyer who found a lawyer, said Mehdi Namazi, 29, a friend who has been waiting for her at the airport. The lawyers were showing officials a copy of the order issued a few hours earlier by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Donnelly in Brooklyn. It was all very confusing. They were arguing as the plane was taxiing, Namazi said. According to one lawyer, Melissa Trent, Rasekhi herself was walking up and down the aisles arguing for the plane not to take off. She knew that if the plane left she would never get back to the United States again, Trent said. Rasekhi spent most of Sunday in detention with other Iranians, but was released into the United States at around 3 p.m.. A dozen Iranian friends had been waiting inside the airports Terminal 4 amid a clutter of discarded coffee cups and half-eaten donuts in front of a diner that had been turned into a makeshift law office. Another Iranian student was waiting for her parents, who were taken into detention after arriving on another flight I havent seen them in 3-1/2 years. They dont speak English. But Im hopeful, said the student, who gave her name as Sahar. The students were both furious at the way their country had been targeted by Trumps order and touched by the outpouring of support from the volunteer lawyers. We see two different Americas here. There is this order banning us, and than there are all these people here who came to the airport. If it werent for these volunteers, she would have been deported, said Namazi. Im very depressed. We feel betrayed by this country that we invested so much energy and hope into. We are all graduate students, professors, PhDs, engineers. To say this is for national security, it doesnt add up, said Tahmineh Tabrizian, 33, another friend of Rasekhis. She said her own parents had planned to come to the United States and had spent $14,000 on tickets and visas and would now have to cancel their trip. Rasekhi, who has lived in the United States for a decade, was a Fulbright scholar at UC Santa Barbara and received a masters degree at Fresno State University, according to a resume supplied by one of her friends. She had been studying for a PhD at Stony Brook University on Long Island. She had gone to Tehran over the Christmas break to visit her parents and was on her way back to resume her studies when she was detained. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Protests begin again at LAX on Sunday morning By Genaro Molina Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Protesters in Tel Aviv compare Trump immigration order to Israeli refugee policies By Joshua Mitnick Demonstrators in Tel Aviv protest U.S. President Trumps new immigration order. (Joshua Mitnick / Los Angeles Times) Holding signs reading Refugees Welcome and chanting No Ban, No Wall, Sanctuary for All, several dozen demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv on Sunday to join protests in the U.S. against President Trumps new immigration policy. Mia Zur Szpiro, a 36-year-old filmmaker, said she felt compelled to demonstrate because her parents survived the Holocaust. We are a country of immigrants, and to me it was astounding that this [order] was passed on Holocaust Memorial Day, she said. Its wrong to stereotype, and its wrong to send people who are in need back into the face of danger and the risk of death. Elliot Vaisbrub Glassenberg, a protest organizer and migrant rights activist, compared the new U.S. policy to Israeli policies toward tens of thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese migrants who crossed into the country illegally from Egypts Sinai desert. The policies that Trump has enacted are no worse than the policies that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has enacted for years here  such as not allowing any non-Jews to be given refugee status in Israel, except for a select few. Togod Omar, a native of Sudan who was at the protest, said he applied for political asylum in Israel three years ago, and is still waiting. He said Sudanese friends hoping to be resettled in the U.S. were upset by the new executive order. Trump doesnt understand whats going on in Sudan, Omar said. You cant punish the Sudanese people for what the Islamic government is doing. You cant banish someone because of their religion. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

President Trump hits majority disapproval in record time, Gallup finds By David Lauter Days until achieving MAJORITY disapproval from @Gallup



Reagan: 727

Bush I: 1336

Clinton: 573

Bush II: 1205

Obama: 936



Trump: 8. days. pic.twitter.com/kv2fy0Qsbp  Will Jordan (@williamjordann) January 29, 2017 President Trumps actions during his first week in office have appeared to be aimed at the voters who already supported him, not at reaching out to the rest, and thats taken a rapid toll on his support, which was already historically low. Gallup, which has measured job approval for presidents for decades, shows Trumps approval so far at 45%, with 48% disapproving. Thats an average of several days polling. The daily trend lines are not kind to the new administration. As of Saturday, 51% of Americans disapproved of Trumps performance. Thats a record for the speed of getting to majority disapproval. By comparison, President George W. Bush hit majority disapproval six months into his second term, in June 2005, and remained in negative territory for the rest of his tenure. President Obama did not hit 51% disapproval until August of 2011, during the crisis over the federal debt ceiling that summer. His approval rebounded later that year, but he had a second period of majority disapproval during late 2013 and much of 2014. He ended his term with widespread approval and 37% of Americans disapproving. Trump Job Approval: Approve 45% (-1); Disapprove 48% (+3). Get the full trend https://t.co/BjTUhf0NAM.  GallupNews (@GallupNews) January 27, 2017 Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Hundreds of travelers were caught in limbo over rushed visa ban By Brian Bennett (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Hundreds of travelers were blocked from entering the U.S. or prevented from boarding flights in the hours after President Trump signed his order banning arrivals from seven predominantly Muslim countries, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In the order, Trump temporarily suspended refugee admissions and banned travelers from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Scores of people from those countries were aboard airplanes flying toward the U.S. when Trump signed his executive order on Friday afternoon, setting off waves of confusion among border officials and the traveling public. Upon landing at U.S. airports, 109 people from the listed countries were detained by immigration officials and prevented from entering the U.S., officials said. The department had approved 81 waivers to the new travel ban by Saturday afternoon, the official said, but at least some of the people detained on arrival were sent back to their countries of origin. Court orders issued Saturday evening required U.S. border officials to stop returning people who had already arrived with valid visas. It is unclear how many people were deported before the orders were issued. It is also unclear if the Trump administration has fully complied with those orders. In addition to the people who arrived in the U.S. and were detained, as of 3 p.m. on Saturday, an additional 173 travelers from the listed countries had been stopped from boarding flights to the U.S., a Homeland Security official said in a statement. The department did not make an official available to describe the actions and the agencys response. As many as 3,250 travelers may have been inconvenienced by the new visa restrictions, officials for the department said in a statement Sunday. Yesterday, less than 1% of the more than 325,000 international air travelers who arrive every day were inconvenienced while enhanced security measures were implemented, the statement read. The department will comply with court orders, the statement said. But no evidence was given to confirm this. Lawyers seeking to meet with detainees at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington and at San Francisco have said that they were blocked by officials on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security will comply with judicial orders, faithfully enforce our immigration laws, and implement President Trumps executive orders to ensure that those entering the United States do not pose a threat to our country or the American people, according to the departments statement. All of the visa holders and travelers from the listed countries blocked from entering the U.S. since Friday already had gone through multiple steps of security screening that checked their biographical information and travel history against U.S. terrorism databases. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

White House seems to back down on part of new vetting policy By Christi Parsons The White House on Sunday appeared to back down on a key part of President Trumps tough new immigration order, signaling that travelers trying to enter the country from seven banned countries will be allowed in if they hold green cards. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said that these legal permanent residents are exempt from the travel ban moving forward, even though over the weekend other administration officials said the rule did apply to them. The apparent reversal came amid a national controversy over the new Trump order that temporarily halts the entry of all refugees to the U.S. and any traveler from seven majority Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Federal judges across the country have blocked parts of the presidents executive actions since they came down on Friday, mostly preventing the deportation of some travelers who ran into the first wave of implementation over the weekend. The back-and-forth over the green-card holders reflected a generalized confusion about the new order, which also bars Syrian refugees from entering the United States indefinitely. Lawyers for some of the affected immigrants said border agents seemed uncertain about the new rules and were disagreeing with one another about which travelers were affected and which were not. Further complicating the picture was a statement from the Department of Homeland Security asserting that its agents would enforce all of Trumps orders while also complying with judicial orders. As some of the orders block deportation, that left individual officers to try to figure out which priorities to honor. Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Advertisement

Op-Ed: Trumps cruel, illegal refugee executive order By Erwin Chemerinsky Protesters demonstrate at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Saturday. (Stephanie Keith / Getty Images) Barring individuals fleeing persecution from entering the United States is simply inhumane. Adding irony to injury, Trumps executive order was issued on Holocaust Remembrance Day, which should have been an occasion to atone for turning away refugees during the 1930ssome of whom then died in concentration camps. For example, in 1939, the United States turned away the St. Louis, a boat filled with refugees, many of them German Jews. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 254 passengers from the St. Louis died in the Holocaust.  Erwin Chemerinsky Read More Facebook

Twitter

Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

Email

Copy Link URL Copied!

Print

Lyft pledges to donate $1 million to ACLU following Trumps immigration order By Tracey Lien (Richard Vogel / Associated Press) Tech executives had been mostly quiet for the first week of Donald Trumps presidency  but that changed after his controversial executive order restricting refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries. Executive after executive spent Saturday tweeting and posting messages to Facebook decrying the administrations actions. Lyft co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green went a step further: On Sunday, they announced they would donate $1 million to the American Civil Liberties Union over the next four years. Banning people of a particular faith or creed, race or identity, sexuality or ethnicity, from entering the U.S. is antithetical to both Lyft and our nations core values, the co-founders wrote in an email to Lyft customers. We stand firmly against the actions, and will no
Donald J. Trump won the White House in part based on his castigation of undocumented immigrants. With his inauguration Friday, and with his first executive actions expected as soon as Friday afternoon, some of those words are about to become deeds. Judging from the early details offered by his transition team, there is much here to be worried about. And internal contradictions among some of the emerging details suggest the incoming administration has not spent sufficient time thinking through its approach to illegal immigration and the fresh problems its solutions will likely create.

For instance, Trump has said he wants to work something out to help the so-called Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who were brought here as minors. But one of the first things hes expected to do is cancel President Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, under which 750,000 of them received two-year reprieves from deportation and permission to work. Canceling DACA would expose hundreds of thousands of those young people to deportation and deny them the work permits they may need to survive here.

Trump also is expected to resume work-site raids and jail visits by immigration agents to find the undocumented immigrants, but that would take a significant increase in manpower as well as facilities in which to hold the detainees, most of whom would have the right to a hearing before they are kicked out of the country. With only 40,000 beds budgeted for, how will the administration handle the logistics  especially when Trump has also pledged to round up the estimated 800,000 people against whom deportation orders have already been issued?

Advertisement

And then theres the wall. The Trump administration may try to use existing funds already budgeted for Border Patrol infrastructure to start construction of the wall on the Mexican border, hoping to recoup the costs later from Mexico. Estimates put the cost of the wall as high as $38 billion, but like so much else Trump has talked about, the lack of specifics makes estimates iffy. And if Mexico refuses to pay, as its top officials have said repeatedly they will do, Trump says hell get the money through a tax on remittances sent by people living here to their families back in Mexico. But those remittances total only about $24 billion a year, and about half of it comes from the very people Trump says hell be kicking out.

This is foolishness. If Trump really tries to fulfill his promise to deport all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., it would cause significant harm to families and communities, drive those here illegally further underground (goodbye, traceable remittances) and probably harm the sectors of the economy, such as construction and agriculture, in which the undocumented work. The only reasonable path forward is for Trump to work with Congress on comprehensive immigration reform that deals with the presence of undocumented immigrants  including a path to legalization for those who deserve it.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
No one wanted Donald Trump to win the election less than we did. And we were right, judging by his subsequent nomination of extremists like Scott Pruitt and Betsy DeVos, his self-indulgent and unpresidential demeanor, his nonstop Twitter attacks on European allies, intelligence agencies, Rep. John Lewis and even Meryl Streep. Far from mellowing since his surprise victory, Trump has exhibited the same thin skin, dishonesty and demagoguery that were on display during the campaign.

The list of Trumpian shortcomings sometimes seems bottomless. But the fact remains: He won the election. And he will be the president. Rep. Lewis and Michael Moore and former Mexican president Vincente Fox can call Trumps victory illegitimate if they choose to. Members of the California delegation can sit out the inauguration. Americans can march to the Mall in protest and append #notmypresident stickers to their car bumpers or their foreheads, but by noon on Friday, the deed will be done.

Its true that Trump wasnt the choice of most American voters. Hillary Clinton, as everyone knows, won more votes than he did. And it is possible that without Vladimir Putins hacking or James Comeys press conferences or any of a number of fake news stories, the outcome would have been different. But those disturbing facts dont change the reality; Trump won 304 electoral votes and he needed only 270. He will be president.

Advertisement

Wholesale panic is not justified at the moment. Yes, the president-elect is dangerous ... but the [U.S.] has outlasted multiple political and economic crises.

The hard question now for his opponents is not whether to attend the inauguration, but what to do afterward. Stay away Friday by all means, Rep. Lewis, but on Monday, decisions will have to be made. When do you say yes and when do you say no? When is #resistance the right response and when is it merely petulance or obstructionism or political miscalculation? Recalling how the Republicans worked to make President Obama a failure, the question is whether Trumps opponents should compromise with him when they can  or whether theyd be selling their souls by doing so.

When Trump is ready to nominate a new Supreme Court justice to fill Antonin Scalias old seat, for instance, should Democrats dig in their heels, remember Merrick Garland and refuse to budge  or should they participate in the process and keep their eyes open for a deal? When Trump proposes an alternative to Obamacare, should his critics listen and engage, or should they throw up obstacles?

The argument for non-cooperation is that Trump is in a category by himself  that he is so strange, unorthodox, reckless, feckless, unpredictable and, ultimately, dangerous that longstanding traditions and principles should be tossed to the wind in a last-ditch effort to save the Republic. What alternative is there if you believe, as California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon apparently does, that Trump is a very dangerous person with totalitarian fascist tendencies who might cancel national elections in two years? Or, worse yet, that he is a Manchurian Candidate controlled by Vladimir Putin? If youre in either of those camps, there is little choice but to follow the advice offered in the Nation magazine to throw sand in the gears of everything.

But wholesale panic is not justified at the moment. Yes, the president-elect is dangerous  and we dont yet know how dangerous  but the United States has outlasted multiple political and economic crises, from the burning of the White House to the Civil War to Richard Nixon. While it is reasonable to have grave concerns about the Trump presidency  and to fight him hard when necessary  remember also that the nations resiliency is built on the rule of law, respect for institutions, the peaceful transfer of power and acceptance of elections even when they bring to office people with whom one vehemently disagrees. Democracy can only survive if voters and their representatives have faith that, in the long run, the system will both endure and self-correct.

In recent years, that faith has been shaken. The country has fallen into a cycle of partisanship and obstinacy. The way the Republicans treated Obama was shameful and cynical and now, if the country is to prosper, it must somehow find its way back to rationality, cooperation and dialogue, even among political opponents. Washington cannot function if two polarized parties merely seek to obstruct each others aims.

For that reason alone, it would be wrong to proceed from the assumption that every proposal Trump makes is bad simply because it was Trump who proposed it  and that all of his policies should be resisted equally. The same goes for every Trump departure from the usual presidential practice. Of course a Trump presidency will not reflect the values of those who voted against him, but we have yet to learn how different it will be from a Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rick Perry or Jeb Bush presidency.

None of this requires caving in to Trumps bad ideas or pulling punches when he is irrational. When he behaves recklessly or irresponsibly or unfairly, he must be opposed  by citizens and elected officials (and newspaper editorial boards), among others. We should be scathing in criticizing him when he lies or when he appoints people who would ignore the laws theyre sworn to uphold. He should be protested and excoriated if he tries to carry out the more outlandish of his campaign promises, if he persists in his ignorant denial of climate science or if he seeks to restrict civil liberties or backtrack on racial justice issues. Special attention must be paid to the needs of poor people, people of color and other vulnerable populations.

In the months ahead, it will be essential to try to separate Trump the carnival barker from Trump the president. It will be important not to confuse every irresponsible, unpresidential tweet with meaningful policy. Though Trump has promised all manner of wild-eyed things  unbreachable border walls, a secret plan to defeat Islamic State, terrific universal health care for less than were paying now  it is utterly unclear how much he will actually be able to achieve, or, conversely, how much damage he will actually be able to inflict.

To the extent that he moves in any directions that are reasonable, he deserves encouragement and cooperation. If he miraculously finds a cheaper alternative to Obamacare that provides high quality universal health insurance, as he has promised to do, well support him. If he can create jobs and help more Americans climb out of poverty, count us in. When hes wrong, he must be opposed.

It would be absurd to suggest at this late date that were coming to the Trump presidency with an open mind. Were deeply dismayed, even frightened. But were still listening.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
After eight years of No Drama Obama, the spectacle of Donald Trump continues to be quite a bit to absorb.

As the shock of Novembers election has faded, weve been forced to consider the brass tacks of Trumps plan to remake this country. For many of us, the scenario still seems surreal.

Obamas presidency normalized inclusion. Gay marriage was, finally, celebrated. Mixed-race families became a mainstay of advertising campaigns. Every American was considered valuable enough to deserve health coverage.

Advertisement

Now our wise and thoughtful commander in chief is handing the country over to a thin-skinned, mean-spirited egomaniac who thinks that lobbing insults is a form of governance.

Im trying to wrap my head around how the most ambitious nation on Earth moved so quickly from the optimism and confidence of Hope and Change and Yes, We Can to pitchforks and fistfights and promises that building walls and bullying will Make America Great Again.

Trumps campaign normalized belligerent intolerance. Taunts became a stand-in for conversation. Demonizing entire groups made clear the distance between them and us.

Whatever happens in Trumps presidency, I will not absolve him of the malignancy he bred with his dog-whistle campaign.

I have acquaintances  middle-aged, Midwestern and white  who voted for Trump. Theyve been a bit embarrassed by his juvenile behavior since election day but believe he will redeem himself. Ive listened to them explain the reasons for Trumps appeal: A populist movement. Hillary Clintons inadequacies. The economic dislocation thing.

But whatever forces inspired them also sent a message to millions of others, including me, that we are the problem, that if America could just keep out, send back, lock up or ignore enough of us problems, the country would be great again.

Trump didnt say that directly. But its clear that many of his most ardent followers got the message. Bigots freed from chains of political correctness have begun waving Confederate flags, scrawling swastikas on synagogues, and taunting, threatening and picking fights with anyone they deem not American enough.

Much was made in 2008 of Obamas landmark win. How wed outrun our history. How good we looked in the eyes of the world. How brave and open-minded we were. But Obamas victory did little to loosen the nations grip on prejudice. Anti-black attitudes and racial division have risen in the eight years since he was elected. The black presidents mere presence provoked a backlash.

Obamas rise was dogged by efforts to delegitimize him  launched by the vile birther campaign waged by Trump and expressed in the shocking You lie! shout by a Republican lawmaker who heckled the president during his healthcare speech to a joint session of Congress.

Now Obamas opponents are asking that we show our patriotism by supporting Trumps efforts.

Black folks have always been willing to forgive, by nature and necessity. Witness the unfathomable display of grace from the families of nine black worshipers murdered in a South Carolina church by white supremacist Dylann Roof. One by one, they spoke at Roofs court hearings, extending forgiveness to the man who massacred their loved ones.

I am not feeling noble right now. Whatever happens in Trumps presidency, I will not absolve him of the malignancy he bred with his dog-whistle campaign.

Every day I try to believe that his bluster will fade and principle will emerge. But every day he says or does something to remind me of what a dangerous doofus he is.

Still, Trump didnt manufacture this nations racial division, just as Obama didnt create the racial tension that shadowed his presidency. And perhaps the slimmest of silver linings in our new reckoning with intolerance might be found in its raw honesty.

If we want to bridge the deep divisions that Trumps victory revealed, we have to acknowledge the haters in our midst  and dilute the newfound confidence they feel.

For years as a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, Id brace myself for hate mail and ugly online posts whenever I wrote about race. The messages hurt, made me angry, frightened me  and always left me wondering: Were these the demented ramblings of some tiny but prolific racist fringe, or might ordinary people standing in line with me at Starbucks harbor hateful prejudice?

I didnt know how to answer that question then. I have my answer now.

And yet there is the possibility that the Trump presidency will require us to focus on the values that have actually made America great, like courage and compassion.

It may also energize this nations young people, the generation coming up that Obama called upon in his farewell speech and characterized as unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic. I suspect the election has been their wake-up call.

Obamas presidency offered them a window on glimmering possibilities. He drew more than 69 million voters into his vision of a country that valued fairness and nourished diversity.

But where Obama opened up a window, Trump installed a mirror. His campaign exposed a country at war with itself. The next four years will give us a chance to decide whether we can live with our reflection.

Sandy Banks was a Times staff reporter, editor and columnist for more than three decades. She is a senior fellow at the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook

MORE FROM OPINION

Donald Trumps list of presidential shortcomings seems bottomless. What do we do now?

How far will Trump be allowed to go on Muslim immigrants? The Supreme Court may be giving us a preview

Stop blaming anti-war progressives and Bernie Bros for President Trump
Donald Trump is commander of the American nuclear arsenal, and Kim Jong Un has announced that North Korea is in the final stage of perfecting an intercontinental ballistic missile that could travel 5,900 miles, reaching the U.S. West Coast.

Is Los Angeles on the target list? The best fragmentary piece of evidence was a 2013 photograph of a Pyongyang war room  released by the North Koreans  that displayed four U.S. assets in the crosshairs of an attack: the Pacific Fleet at San Diego, the Air Force Global Strike Command in Louisiana, Naval Station Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and the center of government in Washington, D.C.

Although Los Angeles was not included on the Map of Death, as arms control experts called it, the second-largest city in the United States still has a few assets-turned-liabilities that make it an attractive mark.

Advertisement

The first is our 4,850 square miles of sprawl, which means that even an inaccurately fired ICBM stands a good chance of taking out millions of people instead of hitting lightly populated desert or mountains. The other is that theyve struck at us before: This is the headquarters of Sony Pictures, the target of the infamous 2014 computer hack, possibly in revenge for a comedy Kim didnt like.

Los Angeles has lived under the shadow of doom for a long time. Our civic mascots might well be the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Of course a surprise attack on Los Angeles would result in the prompt obliteration of North Korea. But mutually assured destruction wont necessarily keep us safe. A regional conflict could quickly escalate in the hands of an unprepared or impetuous commander in chief. And if it fears a ground invasion, the North Korean regime might decide to go down shooting everything it has  a dying bite from the rattlesnake.

The idea would be to not just sit there like Saddam Hussein did while forces were building up, said Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif. Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists called this scenario a spasm response.

Los Angeles could then find its greatest subconscious image blooming upward to reality: The city as an apocalyptic ruin. Our municipal poets have contemplated this eventuality just as assiduously as medieval monks studied the eschatology of the New Testament. See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left one stone upon another.

Not only is Los Angeles among the most filmed cities in history, it is also among the most destroyed cities in the history of film. It has been the arena for alien invasions (War of the Worlds, Independence Day), zombie insurrections (Night of the Comet, Zombieland), a river of lava emerging from the La Brea Tar Pits (Volcano), bad weather (The Day After Tomorrow), solar flares (Where Have All the People Gone?), ground tremors (Earthquake) and, of course, nuclear attack (Terminator 2, Miracle Mile).

The L.A. death-wish extends far beyond the screen. Moralists in the 19th century viewed its tavern culture and vigilante mobs with alarm, and saw its earthquakes and mountain brush fires as proof of divine displeasure. Intellectuals in the 20th century were horrified by the rows of tract homes extending into the horizons of Technicolor infinity; they saw one big suburban hell.

Our local vocabulary of total destruction is both literal and spiritual. In 1957, excessive oil drilling threatened to sink portions of the harbor at San Pedro below sea level. Eight years later, the traveling preacher William Branham made a prophecy that the whole metropolis would tip into the Pacific Ocean for its sins. Thou city, who claims to be the city of the Angels, he cried. Remember, one day youll be laying in the bottom of the sea, your great honeycomb under you right now.

In the same edgy era, Joan Didion contemplated the Santa Ana winds and the Watts uprising as omens of annihilation: The city burning is Los Angeless deepest image of itself. At the time of the 1965 riots what struck the imagination most indelibly were the fires. For days one could drive the Harbor Freeway and see the city on fire, just as we had always known it would be in the end. That description, from the essay collection Slouching Toward Bethlehem, should sound familiar; its cited so frequently it might as well be carved in marble on the front of City Hall.

Perhaps our premonitions of fiery doom come from guilt. Life here is physically easier than just about anywhere else in the country, with year-round sunshine, omnipresent material conveniences and ubiquitous frivolous pursuits. We fear that a stern Calvinist God will grow tired of the party and demand a sacrifice one day.

Or perhaps we fear rough justice for the citys heritage of crimes large and small: the blatant water-theft from the Owens Valley, the corrupt regimes of Mayor Frank Shaw and other shady elected officials, the manifold abuses of the LAPD, the scams of the motion picture business, the flagrant inequality written out in the brutal geography of where people live. For the multimillionaire looking out from the deck of a cantilevered palace on Mulholland Drive onto the disenfranchised vistas of South L.A. at night, alive with the angry buzz of police helicopters, the biblical image of a lake of fire might be hard to avoid.

Geoff Wilson, a nuclear specialist and policy associate at the Ploughshares Fund, projected what would happen if a 20-kiloton North Korean warhead powered by an AN-09 missile hit downtown Los Angeles. The immediate death toll would be 107,310, with an additional 152,140 injuries from burns and falling buildings. Many more would die from radiation sicknesses and cancers. The city would likely be rendered uninhabitable.

Los Angeles has lived under the shadow of doom for a long time. Our civic mascots might well be the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. What now stands between us and the end times is not just the scotch tape that holds the tectonic plates together, or the fragile sense of order that keeps racial animus at bay, or the light winter drizzles that keep the chaparral just this side of hydrated, but the combined prudence and good sense of two great statesmen: Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump.

Tom Zoellner is an associate professor of English at Chapman University and the author of Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock that Shaped the World.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook

MORE FROM OPINION:

Im done thinking about Donald Trump. Today is about giving thanks to President Obama

Betsy DeVos embarrassed herself and should be rejected by the Senate

Why school should start later in the day
Word from the Trump transition team is that the president-elect himself wrote the inaugural speech hell be delivering later today from the steps of the Capitol (and no, theres no indication it will be the length of a tweet). Spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump intends to talk about his vision and the nations shared values, the latter of which will be interesting to see given the divisiveness Trump exploited during the campaign.

More interesting, though, will be whether Trump manages to subjugate his ego to the power of the moment, and whether he can rise to a level of logic and eloquence that might bring the skeptical around to his view of the nation. Everything weve seen over the past year or more suggests otherwise, but anything is possible.

How Trumps words will measure against history will be interesting to note, as well. Inauguration speeches often rose to the level of inspiration. Think John F. Kennedy beseeching Americans in 1961 to ask not what your country can do for you, or Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933 telling a rattled Depression-era nation that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Advertisement

Heres what you need to know about the 58th presidential inauguration 

But there also was William Henry Harrison, whose 1841 speech came in a cold, wind-swept rain and, at more than 8,000 words, seemed to last forever. And was boring. He set his tone with this highly forgettable paragraph:

It was the remark of a Roman consul in an early period of that celebrated Republic that a most striking contrast was observable in the conduct of candidates for offices of power and trust before and after obtaining them, they seldom carrying out in the latter case the pledges and promises made in the former. However much the world may have improved in many respects in the lapse of upward of two thousand years since the remark was made by the virtuous and indignant Roman, I fear that a strict examination of the annals of some of the modern elective governments would develop similar instances of violated confidence.

Shorter version: Politicians break promises. Notably, Harrison died a month later, likely from gastroenteritis contracted from the fetid living conditions in Washington (the spring from which the White House drew its water was downhill from where human waste was deposited nightly).

So what will Trump the showman tell the nation as he embarks on his four-year experiment in draining the swamp? Well soon know. But while we wait, lets revisit George Washingtons speech from his  and the nations  first inauguration, a message (housed at the National Archives) notable for its humility phrased in, well, the kind of verbal excess that Harrison might have found inspiring.

-----

Fellow Citizens of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Among the vicissitudes incident to life, no event could have filled me with greater anxieties than that of which the notification was transmitted by your order, and received on the fourteenth day of the present month. On the one hand, I was summoned by my Country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love, from a retreat which I had chosen with the fondest predilection, and, in my flattering hopes, with an immutable decision, as the asylum of my declining years: a retreat which was rendered every day more necessary as well as more dear to me, by the addition of habit to inclination, and of frequent interruptions in my health to the gradual waste committed on it by time. On the other hand, the magnitude and difficulty of the trust to which the voice of my Country called me, being sufficient to awaken in the wisest and most experienced of her citizens, a distrustful scrutiny into his qualifications, could not but overwhelm with dispondence, one, who, inheriting inferior endowments from nature and unpractised in the duties of civil administration, ought to be peculiarly conscious of his own deficiencies. In this conflict of emotions, all I dare aver, is, that it has been my faithful study to collect my duty from a just appreciation of every circumstance, by which it might be affected. All I dare hope, is, that, if in executing this task I have been too much swayed by a grateful remembrance of former instances, or by an affectionate sensibility to this transcendent proof, of the confidence of my fellow-citizens; and have thence too little consulted my incapacity as well as disinclination for the weighty and untried cares before me; my error will be palliated by the motives which misled me, and its consequences be judged by my Country, with some share of the partiality in which they originated.

Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station; it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official Act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the Universe, who presides in the Councils of Nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that his benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the People of the United States, a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes: and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success, the functions allotted to his charge. In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own; nor those of my fellow-citizens at large, less than either. No People can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the Affairs of men more than the People of the United States. Every step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency. And in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their United Government, the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities, from which the event has resulted, cannot be compared with the means by which most Governments have been established, without some return of pious gratitude along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage. These reflections, arising out of the present crisis, have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me I trust in thinking, that there are none under the influence of which, the proceedings of a new and free Government can more auspiciously commence.

By the article establishing the Executive Department, it is made the duty of the President to recommend to your consideration, such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. The circumstances under which I now meet you, will acquit me from entering into that subject, farther than to refer to the Great Constitutional Charter under which you are assembled; and which, in defining your powers, designates the objects to which your attention is to be given. It will be more consistent with those circumstances, and far more congenial with the feelings which actuate me, to substitute, in place of a recommendation of particular measures, the tribute that is due to the talents, the rectitude, and the patriotism which adorn the characters selected to devise and adopt them. In these honorable qualifications, I behold the surest pledges, that as on one side, no local prejudices, or attachments; no seperate views, nor party animosities, will misdirect the comprehensive and equal eye which ought to watch over this great assemblage of communities and interests: so, on another, that the foundations of our National policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality; and the pre-eminence of a free Government, be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its Citizens, and command the respect of the world.

I dwell on this prospect with every satisfaction which an ardent love for my Country can inspire: since there is no truth more thoroughly established, than that there exists in the economy and course of nature, an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness, between duty and advantage, between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy, and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity: Since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained: And since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.

Besides the ordinary objects submitted to your care, it will remain with your judgment to decide, how far an exercise of the occasional power delegated by the Fifth article of the Constitution is rendered expedient at the present juncture by the nature of objections which have been urged against the System, or by the degree of inquietude which has given birth to them. Instead of undertaking particular recommendations on this subject, in which I could be guided by no lights derived from official opportunities, I shall again give way to my entire confidence in your discernment and pursuit of the public good: For I assure myself that whilst you carefully avoid every alteration which might endanger the benefits of an United and effective Government, or which ought to await the future lessons of experience; a reverence for the characteristic rights of freemen, and a regard for the public harmony, will sufficiently influence your deliberations on the question how far the former can be more impregnably fortified, or the latter be safely and advantageously promoted.

To the preceeding observations I have one to add, which will be most properly addressed to the House of Representatives. It concerns myself, and will therefore be as brief as possible. When I was first honoured with a call into the Service of my Country, then on the eve of an arduous struggle for its liberties, the light in which I contemplated my duty required that I should renounce every pecuniary compensation. From this resolution I have in no instance departed. And being still under the impressions which produced it, I must decline as inapplicable to myself, any share in the personal emoluments, which may be indispensably included in a permanent provision for the Executive Department; and must accordingly pray that the pecuniary estimates for the Station in which I am placed, may, during my continuance in it, be limited to such actual expenditures as the public good may be thought to require.

Having thus imported to you my sentiments, as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my present leave; but not without resorting once more to the benign parent of the human race, in humble supplication that since he has been pleased to favour the American people, with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquility, and dispositions for deciding with unparellelled unanimity on a form of Government, for the security of their Union, and the advancement of their happiness; so his divine blessing may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend.

Scott.Martelle@LATimes.com

Follow my posts and re-tweets at @smartelle on Twitter

MORE FROM OPINION

From wise and thoughtful Obama to thin-skinned and mean-spirited Trump

Donald Trumps list of presidential shortcomings seems bottomless. What do we do now?

Despite promising to crack down on the undocumented, Trump clearly hasnt thought through his immigration plans
To the editor: In modern times there have been two dates that shocked to the nation and threatened our greatness: Dec. 7, 1941, and Sept. 11, 2001.

To those two dates we may now add a third: Jan. 20, 2017.

Pearl Harbor and 9/11 represented physical attacks on us. We were unprepared. But Inauguration Day 2017 is different: There is no physical assault by some outside force, and we had plenty of time to prevent it.

Via a contraption called the electoral college, the loser of the popular vote by almost 3 million ballots has been allowed to emerge as the winner of the election. We cant blame foreigners (Russian meddling notwithstanding)  weve done it to ourselves. Donald Trump will now tread in the footsteps George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.

Advertisement

America has damaged itself. The best encapsulation of what has befallen us has already been delivered, fittingly, by a comic book character. It was Pogo the possum who said, We have met the enemy and he is us.

Barry Berkeley, Culver City

..

To the editor: As Trump has gazed out the windows at the top of his tower in New York, I am sure he has noticed the golden flame, shining in the mid-day sun, atop the Statue of Liberty.

I hope he is not blind to the true greatness of this country, which this great statue symbolizes. In case Trump has forgotten, here is what is written beneath the gold, at the base of Lady Liberty:

Give me you tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of you teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

Paul Clarke, Northridge

..

To the editor: Perhaps Steve Lopez, who writes of his decision to attend Trumps inauguration Friday, should consult a dictionary for the meaning of journalist. (Scum of the earth lowlife packs a bag for Trumps inauguration, Jan. 18)

This latest Lopez piece is nothing but snarky opinion. It is obvious that he is very distraught over Hillary Clinton loss, but his whining isnt journalism.

The growing number of opinion pieces disguised as news and journalism in The Times is reaching critical mass. I urge the newspaper to reevaluate.

John Moran, Thousand Oaks

..

To the editor: A bully is a wimp with a weapon. Trump is the ultimate bully, armed until now with bluster, bravado and money.

On Friday, he will be armed with the ultimate weapon: the presidency of the United States.

Now people worldwide can only wait and wonder if, how and when will he use this weapon on them. We the American people have permitted a potential of tragedy for the whole world.

Hugh Smart, Santa Barbara

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Miami is not where Jon Cowan expected to be on Inauguration Day.

He was certain he would be toasting the nations first female president at Elephant & Castle, a pub smack on the inaugural parade route. It was this unbelievable space where we were going to have this large gathering of Democrats, said Cowan, who runs the left-of-center think tank Third Way.



For the record: An earlier version of this post spelled Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuels first name as Rham.

But instead, he found himself at a South Florida resort, offering straight talk about the state of the Democratic Party to elite donors and strategists who were also driven by President Trumps election win over Hillary Clinton to cancel long-held bookings in Washington. Instead of celebrating a new Clinton era, they were hundreds of miles away, picking apart where they went wrong and plotting a comeback.

Advertisement

Friday was a reality check for Democrats and progressives, still shell-shocked Trump is taking power. His failure to so much as shake Clintons hand as he strode to the stage riled them. The images of her stoically watching Trump assume the role that nearly 2.9 more million Americans voted to give Clinton were like a gut punch.

They took little comfort in the sparse attendance at the event compared with President Obamas first inaugural.

Disgust over Trumps actions through the transition drove many Democrats to deny him the usual grace period given a new president. They seized on the inauguration as a galvanizing moment, assembling in Washington and around the country to send a loud message of resistance and map their resurgence. The womens march anti-Trump forces have planned for Saturday was preceded by pockets of protest on the streets Friday. Some windows were broken. Arrests were made.

We must not despair, Sen. Kamala Harris of California tweeted Friday morning. We must not be overwhelmed or throw up our hands. It is time to roll up our sleeves and fight for who we are.

Speaking up was more complicated for some than others. Dozens of other members of Congress struggled to find the appropriate form of protest. They anguished over the idea of boycotting, which threatened to undermine a pillar of democracy lawmakers hold sacred: the peaceful transfer of power. Harris joined all the other senators in attending the swearing in, though more than 60 Democrats in the House stayed away.

I am sad not to be attending this ceremony, said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), who was among the first lawmakers to announce a boycott. It takes an extraordinary set of circumstances for someone like me to say they cant be part of this. If any other Republican who ran were being sworn in, I would be there.

But, Huffman said, Trumps pattern of scorched earth, chaos and boorish behavior persuaded him to spend the week volunteering with his Northern California constituents and presiding over a citizenship ceremony for hundreds of immigrants.

Democratic Rep. Tony Cardenas of Los Angeles spent the swearing-in hour elsewhere, meditating. Fellow Angeleno Rep. Ted Lieu decided to serve his Air Force Reserve duty in California.

Union leaders who went to both of Obamas inaugurals instead mapped out their message for taking on Trump. At Service Employees International Union, an organization representing a large number of Latinos, leaders worked on redoubling their advocacy for undocumented workers, in defiance of a new president planning to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and restrict Muslims from entering the country.

We are not going to allow extremists to divide us with their mythology that immigrants are taking away our jobs, said Mary Kay Henry, president of the union, who attended Obamas second swearing-in. As with other progressive advocacy groups, the union has seen interest surge since election day. Earlier plans to increase the number of members contributing $10 monthly to half a million have been revised. SEIU officials are confident membership will reach the 1-million mark.

Others grabbed the moment in their own way. Estefania Garcia, wrapped in a Mexican flag, took advantage of the free marijuana passed out by pot legalization advocates as she protested Trumps immigration policies. Wanted to see history, have my voice heard and get some free pot, said Garcia, who became a U.S. citizen two years ago.

Democratic mayors who had planned to hang around and hit the inaugural party circuit after this weeks U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington instead packed up and left. Many went back home to begin the work of countering the incoming Trump administration.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg says officials in his city will explore how to update their decades-old sanctuary city law to provide protection to immigrants in the U.S. illegally who could be targeted by the new administration. We will stand with people who feel threatened, Steinberg said in an interview as he prepared to fly home.

Another disappointed Northern Californian, business mogul Susie Tompkins Buell, hopped a flight heading in the other direction. Buell, a longtime friend of Clinton and one of her biggest donors, is still registering the shock of Trumps win. Its so crazy, she said. It is hard to believe what is happening. I said to my husband this morning, This is worse than it would have been to lose to a legitimate candidate.

Buell said she and other Clinton friends and donors had been all making plans to find each other at what they expected would be Clintons inauguration. She considered coming to Washington anyway, to join the march Saturday. But she headed to Miami, where her friend and fellow Clinton loyalist David Brock is convening the conference at which Cowan is a panelist.

The lineup also included Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman was to school the group on leveraging disruptive technology, and a panel that includes a Harvard lecturer and Russian journalist was planning a deep dive on The Road to Fascism.

There will be a lot to learn looking back, and looking forward, Buell said. It will be good to be with like-minded people. We need to get shored up and reinvigorated and find our source of trust again.

Times staff writers Joseph Tanfani and Del Quentin Wilber contributed to this report.

evan.halper@latimes.com

Follow me: @evanhalper

ALSO

How a liberal Santa Monica high school produced a top Trump advisor and speechwriter

As soon as he is inaugurated, Trump will move to clamp down on immigration

Trumps approach might seem new, but Arnold Schwarzenegger tried it first. It was a disaster.

UPDATES:

1:10 p.m.: This story was updated with comment from Trump opponents.

This story was originally published at 3 a.m.
As the nations capital prepares to welcome Donald Trump into the White House on Friday, protests here that may ultimately include tens of thousands of people  or more  have already begun.

Trump, who fell more than 2.8 million votes short of his opponent in the popular vote and enters the Oval Office with historically low approval ratings for an incoming president, has inspired a wide range of voices to rise up against him, and the first signs of dissent erupted Thursday night outside the National Press Club.

An anti-fascist group, Refuse Fascism, protested a gathering of what it called the Alt-Reich outside the DeploraBall at the press club, where many figures associated with the white nationalist alt-right movement were assembled to celebrate Trumps victory.

Advertisement

1 / 19 A limousine burns by anti-Trump protesters on K Street in Washington, DC. (Mario Tama / Getty Images) 2 / 19 A protester takes a picture while holding a sign that reads IMPEACH in downtown Washington following the inauguration of President Donald Trump. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) 3 / 19 Protesters gather around a fire they built in the street following the inauguration of President Donald Trump. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 4 / 19 Police and demonstrators clash in downtown Washington after a limo was set on fire following the inauguration of President Donald Trump. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) 5 / 19 A trash fire set by anti-Trump protesters burns on K Street in Washington, DC. (Mario Tama / Getty Images) 6 / 19 A woman attending the inauguration of President Donald Trump clashes with protesters who formed a human chain wall during the inauguration. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 7 / 19 Police deploy smoke and pepper grenades during clashes with protesters in northwest Washington. (Mark Tenally / Associated Press) 8 / 19 Police prepare to launch concussion and pepper grenades during clashes with protesters in downtown Washington. (Mark Tenally / Associated Press) 9 / 19 Protesters face off with police in downtown Washington. (Mark Tenally / Associated Press) 10 / 19 People attending the inauguration of Donald Trump in Washington were greeted by protesters shouting and bearing signs Friday morning. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 11 / 19 People attending the inauguration of Donald Trump in Washington were greeted by protesters. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 12 / 19 People attending the inauguration of President Trump were greeted by protesters. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 13 / 19 People attending the inauguration of President Trump were greeted by protesters. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 14 / 19 Protesters burn signs outside the National Press Building on the eve of the presidential inauguration. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 15 / 19 Protesters scuffle with police after refusing to vacate the sidewalk in front of the National Press Building ahead of the presidential inauguration. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 16 / 19 People hold signs as they listen to speakers at an anti-Trump rally and protest hosted by filmmaker Michael Moore in front of the Trump International Hotel on Thursday in New York. (Kathy Willens / Associated Press) 17 / 19 Police push protesters off the sidewalk in front of the National Press Building in Washington on Thursday. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 18 / 19 Protesters stand against a line of police guarding the front of the National Press Building. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 19 / 19 Protesters cover their faces after being pepper- sprayed after a scuffle outside the National Press Building on the eve of the presidential inauguration in Washington. (John Minchillo / Associated Press)

Americans in favor of competent, America-first leadership were insulted, harassed, and assaulted for holding views contrary to those of the bicoastal, bipartisan elites, ball organizers said on their Internet invitation to the party. This was our election. We emerged victorious.

Outside the building, the crowd briefly scuffled with the police, with some protesters throwing paper signs and what appeared to be firecrackers at officers.

Demonstrators chanted Nazi scum, off our streets! as well-dressed celebrants entered the building. The crowd booed as one man in a tuxedo walked in and displayed his middle finger to those outside.

They are white supremacist fascists, group volunteer Desba Rojas said in an interview, referring to Trump and his vice president-elect, Mike Pence. They are about to reinstate a fascist government.

Rojas said her goal was to stop them from getting into office, and if they get into office, sopping them before they can consolidate power.

On Wednesday, hundreds of LGBT activists shut down the streets around Pences home to protest his conservative record on gay rights as the governor of Indiana. They protested by dancing, bearing rainbow flags flapping in the breeze.

Leftist protesters are also planning to disrupt Inauguration Day, with a coalition called DisruptJ20 planning a march and other actions to disrupt security checkpoints. A different antiwar and anti-racism group, the ANSWER Coalition, was planning to hold permitted #InaugurateTheResistance demonstrations near the inaugural parade route.

Also significant is who wont be there: dozens of congressional Democrats who, concerned about Trumps agenda and possible Russian interference in the election, followed the lead of lifelong civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) in refusing to attend Trumps swearing-in. The liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org had collected more than 100,000 names on a digital petition in support of an inauguration boycott, which stated that any politician who attends Trumps inauguration is normalizing and legitimizing a presidency that should only be resisted. Denounced. Defied. Boycotted.

Security will be extraordinarily high, with large bags, signs with poles and long umbrellas banned. (Guns are not allowed to be carried openly in Washington, and concealed carry is allowed only if the gun owner has a license issued by the district.)

The local American Civil Liberties Union chapter said it planned to print 10,000 copies of a know your rights pamphlet for activists. As with many events expected to draw large protests, the National Lawyers Guild, a radical legal collective that provides legal support to protesters, has been recruiting legal observers to monitor protests, help jailed protesters and provide legal representation in court.

The jail support team will handle hotlines, track arrests and assist people as they are released, the guild said on its website.

Paranoia has been running strong on both the left and the right, with signs of subterfuge already evident. Conservative activist James OKeefe published undercover video of left-wing activists discussing how to disrupt the inauguration, presumably in an effort of his own to disrupt their plans. A mysterious new website called Demand Protest recently sprinkled Internet ads in cities around the U.S. claiming that it secretly hires paid protesters on behalf of the powerful  except there was nothing to suggest the program was genuine.

The big march of the weekend is scheduled for Saturday, when thousands of women  and men  will amass for the Womens March on Washington. Simultaneous rallies were planned all over the country.

Ellison Langford, a 29-year-old employee of the University of Florida in Gainesville, couldnt find a cheap hotel around the District of Columbia, so she planned to board a chartered bus Friday night, ride all night to Washington and then protest after arriving on Saturday morning. Shell ride back that night  a long trip, but worth it.

I moped for a couple days after the election results were announced, but then I resolved I didnt want to find myself in a position down the road where I wished Id done more to resist the incoming administration, Langford wrote in a direct message on Twitter.

She said a LOT of her friends were going too, with some planning to drive themselves.

Were going a bunch of different ways, Langford said, but were determined to get there.

matt.pearce@latimes.com

@mattdpearce

UPDATES:

5:25 p.m.: The article was updated with additional details of the initial protest.

This article was originally published at 5:15 p.m.
Bikers for Trump roared into town. Self-described deplorables hosted a ball. And thousands of Americans, many with red Make America Great Again caps, poured onto the grassy expanse of the National Mall.

A sprinkling of rain did not dampen supporters spirits at President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration Friday, although protesters made a vivid display of opposition.

For the celebrity businessman-turned-politician, who rewrote the political playbook and shunned the Washington establishment to win the presidency, his inauguration was a decidedly Trump affair.

Advertisement

Its going to be more of a blue-collar inauguration, said Ron Scalzo, an insurance agency owner from Cape Coral, Fla., who was in Washington with his wife, Liz. He speaks to us.

Some Trump supporters said they hoped the day would mark the end of partisan division.

I just want some unity, said Amy Gonidakis, a mother of two from Columbus, Ohio. Her husband, Mike, an attorney, added, The elections over. Were all on the Titanic. Weve got to root for the captain.

Others struck a combative tone. When former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton arrived on the podium with President Clinton for the swearing-in, some in the crowd on the Mall booed and chanted Lock her up! as they did during Trump campaign rallies. Similarly, some tried to drown out a speech by Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer with chants of Trump! Trump!

Trumps inauguration reflected his campaign  a mix of the gilded elitism that is the Trump brand and the paycheck-to-paycheck populism of his most loyal backers.

Trump backers have never been bothered by the wealth gap. You know why that is? Mr. Trump offered his friendship to us, said John King, a retired power company technician from Michigan. It felt genuine.

Almost every president has put his imprimatur on Inauguration Day, with words and actions that became stamped in American history: Franklin D. Roosevelt told Americans in 1933 that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself; Jimmy Carter dispatched with the comforts of office by walking the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route to the White House; and Ronald Reagan, the California-movie-star-turned-governor, shifted the nations attention with a ceremony looking out from the West Front of the Capitol, rather than the East.

But not since Andrew Jackson stunned the political establishment by throwing open the White House doors to his masses of populist supporters has Washington seen anything quite like what the New York businessman brought to town.

He enters the presidency with the lowest approval rating in modern memory, hovering under 40%. Yet Trumps supporters relish their outsider status, especially here, in the buttoned-down capital, where they have come to back the man who promised to drain the swamp  even if his new D.C. hotel was off limits to all but VIPs.

We wanted to see history, said Brandon Eldridge, a service manager for a Mississippi auto dealership, with his son, Landon, both wearing Trump hats.

Eldridge said he donated about $500 to the moguls campaign, and he couldnt imagine missing this day.

These are scary times and we need a leader, the 35-year-old said. Hes not politically correct and we need that right now.

We finally have a real president, said his 13-year-old son.

In this new era, official Washington remains unsure of its role.

There are a lot of people who are excited because their guy won, but there are a lot of people sticking their toe in the water not knowing how warm it is, said veteran energy lobby spokesman Frank Maisano. Whether theyre establishment Democrats or establishment Republicans, they just dont know how this all is going to work out.

Several entertainers  and dozens of Congress members  stayed away for the day.

Though past presidents have relied on cultural leaders to help set the tone for their presidency  Maya Angelou read a poem at Clintons inauguration; Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma performed at Barack Obamas first swearing-in  Trumps day lacked such endorsements in a notably downsized affair. Teen celebrity Jackie Evancho sang the national anthem.

Normally the grandeur of the ceremony is partly a function of various signs of public acceptance and even enthusiasm for the new president: Famous artists signal this acceptance, a la Obamas first event. Religious figures endow it with gravity and moral courage, said David Plotke, a political science professor at the New School for Social Research in New York.

With an early approval rating that is remarkably low and the refusal of major artists and cultural figures to join the event  my guess is that even fairly conservative country artists worry about what a Trump tribute will do for their careers  then he is thrown back on his favorite theme: his own glorious promise and Americas.

Even the run-up to Inauguration Day foreshadowed the shift coming to the capital.

Motorcycle bikers promised a wall of meat of leather-clad security, and ordinary Americans from across the country  some on their first trips to Washington  celebrated a leader who they say speaks for them. Members of Congress welcomed some European nationalist party leaders to join inaugural parties.

And Trumps army of deplorables  as many supporters began calling themselves following Hillary Clintons criticism  held a DeploraBall that was interrupted by protesters shouting anti-Nazi chants.

Protesters fanned across the city in recent days, including outside the home of Vice President Mike Pence to spotlight his opposition to same-sex marriage.

A concert Thursday at the Lincoln Memorial drew thousands of supporters, but instead of a star-studded lineup, it included recorded hits from the Rolling Stones between acts, reminiscent of the campaign trail, with a Trump favorite: You Cant Always Get What You Want.

Staff writers Del Quentin Wilber and Joseph Tanfani in Washington contributed to this report.

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

@LisaMascaro

ALSO

Video and transcript: Donald Trumps inaugural address

Some of Trumps plans only sound new. Others are downright revolutionary

Obama is ready for life after the White House. But first, hell retreat to Palm Springs

UPDATES:

12:10 p.m.: This article was updated with more interviews of Trump supporters.

8:20 a.m.: This article was updated with additional comments from Trump supporters.

6:55 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Trump supporters.

6:15 a.m.: This article was updated with additional reaction.

This story was originally published at 4 a.m.
At the center of his foreign policy vision, Donald Trump has put America First, a phrase with an anti-Semitic and isolationist history going back to the years before the U.S. entry into World War II.

Trump started using the slogan in the later months of his campaign, and despite requests from the Anti-Defamation League that he drop it, he stuck with it.

Friday, he embraced the words as a unifying theme for his inaugural address.

Advertisement

From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land, Trump said on the Capitol steps. From this day forward, its going to be only America First. America First.

Those same words galvanized a mass populist movement against U.S. entry into the war in Europe, even as the German army rolled through France and Belgium in the spring of 1940.

A broad-based coalition of politicians and business leaders on the right and left came together as the America First Committee to oppose President Franklin D. Roosevelts support for France and Great Britain. The movement grew to more than 800,000 members.

While the America First Committee attracted a wide array of support, the movement was marred by anti-Semitic and pro-fascist rhetoric. Its highest profile spokesman, Charles Lindbergh, blamed American Jews for pushing the country into war.

The British and the Jewish races, he said at a rally in September 1941, for reasons which are not American, wish to involve us in the war.

The greatest danger Jews posed to the U.S. lies in their large ownership and influence in our motion pictures, our press, our radio, and our government, Lindbergh said.

It is unclear if Trump is bothered by the ugly history of the phrase. What is clear is that he is determined to make the words his own. He has used them to sell his promises to impose trade barriers, keep manufacturing jobs inside the U.S. and restrict illegal and legal immigration.

Inauguration Day live updates: American carnage stops here and now, Trump says 

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families, Trump said in Fridays inaugural speech.

We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs, he said.

It is such a toxic phrase with such a putrid history, said Susan Dunn, professor of humanities at Williams College and an expert in American political history, in an interview.

Lindbergh and other prominent members of the America First organization believed democracy was in decline and that fascism represented a new future, Dunn said.

Those words carry an enormous weight, said Lynne Olson, author of Those Angry Days, a book about the clash between Lindbergh and Roosevelt over entering the war.

That time was strikingly familiar to now, Olson said. There was an enormous amount of economic and social turmoil in the country, anti-Semitism rose dramatically as well as general nativism and populism.

Shortly after Trump took the oath of office, White House aides posted a 500-word description of Trumps approach to the world titled America First Foreign Policy.

The world must know that we do not go abroad in search of enemies, that we are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies, the statement read. It added that defeating radical Islamic terror groups will be the highest priority, and that Trumps administration would add ships to the Navy and build the Air Force back up to Cold War levels.

Trump also plans to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and renegotiate the terms of NAFTA with Canada and Mexico.

Trump appears to have first tried out the phrase America First during an interview with the New York Times in March, when he was asked if he was taking an isolationist, America First approach to foreign policy.

Not isolationist, Im not isolationist, but I am America First. So I like the expression. Im America First, Trump said at the time. We have been disrespected, mocked and ripped off for many, many years by people that were smarter, shrewder, tougher, he added.

Twitter: @ByBrianBennett

brian.bennett@latimes.com

ALSO

Dozens of protesters arrested as violence breaks out in capital

Trump is sworn in as president and promises to lift up the forgotten

Just like his campaign, Trumps inauguration breaks Washington norms
Donald John Trump swore the oath of office Friday as the 45th president of the United States, painting a bleak version of a country marked by rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones as he pledged to deliver prosperity to forgotten Americans.

Trump, one of the most polarizing figures to assume the office, delivered a brief, unusually combative inaugural address matching the nationalist and populist themes he sounded on the campaign trail. The Republican, whose inauguration was met with protests in Washington and around the country, blamed an establishment from both parties for enriching itself at the expense of an ignored underclass.

Today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another, he told thousands of red-cap-waving supporters scattered across the National Mall.

Advertisement

But we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people.

Trump, who won the presidency by smashing nearly every convention in politics, narrowed his eyes and gave a thumbs up to the crowd amid a light drizzle as he celebrated one of the most solemn and sober rituals in American democracy, a peaceful transfer of power that culminated with him ascending to an office that few thought was within his grasp.

His 16-minute speech  the shortest since President Carters inaugural in 1977  lacked specific policy. In its place was a sense of anger at what he defined as a ruling class that has raided America for its own benefit. He talked of crime, gangs, drugs, poverty, jobs lost to foreign countries and a way of life destroyed by globalism.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now, Trump said in a blunt, staccato cadence that marked a sharp departure from the soaring rhetoric of his predecessor, former President Obama. We are one nation, and their pain is our pain, their dreams are our dreams and their success is our success.

He promised to shift Americas focus inward, placing the countrys interests ahead of its global presence.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate from the face of the Earth, Trump said.

After his inauguration, Trump began the job of president, signing routine papers to nominate candidates for Cabinet secretary positions and a waiver that allows his pick to lead the Pentagon, retired Gen. James N. Mattis, to serve despite a rule that typically bars recently active officers from holding the post. Mattis and Gen. John Kelly, Trumps nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, were confirmed quickly by the Senate later Friday.

Trumps spokesman promised more vigorous action in the coming days.

Trump, in a red tie and black overcoat, made history on many levels as he was sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. At 70, he is the oldest president to begin a first term. The brash business mogul also became the only commander in chief to enter the White House with neither government nor military service. And while his predecessors included a screen actor and several war heroes, none became international celebrities in the era of reality television.

The gut-check moments along Trumps journey  winning his first primary, the Republican nomination and the election itself  have not mellowed his disdain for tradition any more than Fridays inauguration. His refusal to conform to political norms helped him attract millions of voters who felt disconnected from coastal power centers and eager to see a leader unafraid of offending people.

Trumps inaugural address seemed targeted to those supporters.

Jan. 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again, Trump said. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now.

Though no crowd count was announced, the audience was visibly smaller than the 1.8 million people who gathered to witness the nations first black president be sworn in eight years ago. Still, many who came on Friday had driven 10 or 20 hours from Texas, Florida, the Rust Belt and elsewhere to see a man they believed offered a starkly different kind of politics than his predecessors.

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.  President Trump

It sounded like someone was speaking to us  finally, said Pam Lazarites, 61. Im tired of hearing about the establishment  the government, the politicians.

She and her husband, Ted, drove to Washington from Dayton, Ohio, to attend the inauguration, wearing matching red Trump hoodies. They stood near the back of the crowd, close to the Washington Monument.

Trumps unconventional qualities, and a promise to bring back jobs lost to outsourcing and automation, helped him compile a historic electoral upset in which he dispatched 16 primary opponents and trampled both the Bush and Clinton family political dynasties. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent who attended the inauguration with husband Bill, looked on stoically as she dutifully made her way through the Capitol to watch Trump take the job she had long hoped would be hers.

The former rivals failed to shake hands as Trump walked to the stage to deliver his address, though Trump later greeted and thanked her during a congressional lunch at the Capitol after the swearing-in ceremony, prompting a standing ovation from politicians on both sides of the aisle. Some in the inaugural crowd Friday booed and chanted Lock her up when Clintons face showed on the jumbo screens, remnants of the campaigns ugly tenor overflowing into an event that usually feels more celebratory and unifying.

Trump shared a fuller embrace with the man he was replacing, Obama, and a kiss with outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama. It could have been an awkward changing of the guard. Yet Trump thanked Obama, whose legacy he campaigned against and whose American birthplace he once questioned, for his graciousness. And Obama, who had said Trump was unfit for the job during the campaign, smiled through much of the transfer of power. Michelle Obama was less visibly comfortable, looking sideways as Trump spoke.

The new first lady, Melania Trump, offered a note of glamour beside her husband, wearing a powder-blue shift dress under a half-sleeved bolero-cut jacket pinned at the neck with matching long gloves, reminiscent of Jacqueline Kennedy.

Even without new laws or major executive actions, the new thrust of the White House was made clear. Old Twitter handles were quickly replaced and old photos of the Obama era were stripped from the walls of the West Wing in recent days. The crimson drapes in the Oval Office were replaced with gold curtains.

1 / 77 US President Donald Trump and the first lady Melania Trump dance at the Liberty Ball at the Washington DC Convention Center. (JIM WATSON / AFP/Getty Images) 2 / 77 US President Donald Trump and the first lady Melania Trump dance at the Liberty Ball at the Washington DC Convention Center. (JIM WATSON / AFP/Getty Images) 3 / 77 Vice President Michael Pence and his wife Karen Pence, left, with President Donald J. Trump and his wife first lady Melania Trump dance at the Liberty Ball. (SHAWN THEW / EPA) 4 / 77 President Donald Trump dances with first lady Melania Trump during the inaugural Freedom Ball at the Washington Convention Center. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) 5 / 77 President Trump signs papers in the Oval Office formally nominating his Cabinet candidates. (Pool Photo / Getty Images) 6 / 77 President Trump views the inaugural parade with son Barron and Vice President Mike Pence. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) 7 / 77 President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and son Barron Trump walk in the inaugural parade. (Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images) 8 / 77 The limousine carrying President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump drives along the the inaugural parade route flanked by security. (Pool / Getty Images) 9 / 77 People watch from above as President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk in the inaugural parade. (Pool / Getty Images) 10 / 77 President Donald Trump greets spectators at the inaugural parade on Thursday. (Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images) 11 / 77 President Donald Trump waves as he walks with first lady Melania Trump during the inauguration parade. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) 12 / 77 President Donald Trump walks with his wife Melania (C, blue dress) and son Barron to the White House during the presidential inaugural parade. (Patrick T. Fallon / For the Times) 13 / 77 President Donald Trump gestures during the inaugural parade on Pennsylvania Ave. outside the White House. (Patrick T. Fallon / For the Times) 14 / 77 An onlooker snaps a photo during the inaugural parade. (Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images) 15 / 77 President Donald Trump waves during the inaugural parade in Washington (DOMINICK REUTER / AFP / Getty Images) 16 / 77 First Lady Melania Trump, President Trump, Vice President Pence and Karen Pence inspect the Army marching band after the inauguration. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 77 The Culver Academy Black Horse Troop equestrian team from Culver, Indiana rides during the inauguration parade. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 18 / 77 Tractors drive past President Donald J. Trump in the viewing stand during the inauguration parade. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 19 / 77 President Donald Trump and motorcade parade up Pennsylvania Ave after he was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 77 President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and their spouses wave to the helicopter carrying former President Obama and the first family. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 77 From left, First Lady Melania Trump, President Donald J. Trump, outgoing President Barack Obama and outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama walk towards Marine One after President Donald J. Trumps inauguration as the 45th President of The United States in Washington, D.C. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 77 Marine One carrying outgoing President Barack Obama and outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama takes off from the capitol after Donald J.Trumps inauguration as the 45th President of The United States in Washington, D.C. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 77 Donald Trump is sworn as the 45th President of the United States by U. S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts. (Carolyn Cole and Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 77 President Trump closes his inaugural address with a raised first. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) 25 / 77 Donald Trump is sworn as the 45th President of the United States by U. S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 77 Mike Pence is sworn in as vice president by Justice Clarence Thomas. (Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images) 27 / 77 President-elect Donald Trump is greeted by President Barack Obama as he arrives on the platform of the Capitol. (Paul J. Richards / AFP / Getty Images) 28 / 77 Donald Trump waves to the crowd when he enters before being sworn as the 45th President of the United States. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 77 The crowd crosses their heart and stands at attention during the National Anthem. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 77 Former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton leave the ceremony after Donald Trump is sworn as the 45th President of the United States. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 77 Donald Trump gives a speech after being sworn as the 45th President of the United States. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 77 President-elect Donald Trump arrives on the West Front of the Capitol. (Scott Olson / Getty Images) 33 / 77 President Donald Trump is sworn as the 45th President of the United States in Washington, D.C. (Carolyn Cole and Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 77 President-elect Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives for his presidential inauguration at the U.S. Capitol. (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press) 35 / 77 Vice President-elect Mike Pence, left, applauds as President-elect Donald Trump waves to the crowd as he arrives on the platform at the U.S. Capitol. (Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images) 36 / 77 President-elect Donald Trump arrives on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) 37 / 77 Guests sit on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Friday at the start of the inauguration ceremony of President-elect Donald Trump. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 38 / 77 Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton winks and shakes hands with President Barack Obama as former President Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama look on at the U.S. Capitol. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 39 / 77 First Lady-in-waiting Melania Trump arrives on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) 40 / 77 President Barack Obama greets Melania Trump, Karen Pence, Tiffany Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump at the Capitol. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images) 41 / 77 People watch from the National Mall during the inauguration of Donald Trump. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) 42 / 77 The Trump family, from top, sons Barron and Eric, daughters Tiffany and Ivanka, and Donald Jr., arrive on the platform at the U.S. Capitol. (Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images) 43 / 77 Supreme Court justices, front row from left, John Roberts, Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas. Back row, from left, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Bryer and Samuel Alito. (Paul J. Richards / AFP/Getty Images) 44 / 77 Former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images) 45 / 77 President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton arrive for the inauguration of Donald Trump. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images) 46 / 77 Campaign strategist Kellyanne Conway is greeted upon her arrival on the platform of the U.S. Capitol on Friday. (Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images) 47 / 77 President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama watch as President-elect Donald Trumps motorcade arrives at the White House prior to his inauguration. (Pool / Getty Images) 48 / 77 Former Senator Bob Dole arrives for the 58th presidential inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) 49 / 77 President-elect Trump gives a thumbs up as he and his wife, Melania, second from left, are greeted by First Lady Michelle Obama and President Obama at the White House on Friday. (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images) 50 / 77 Young members of the National Cathedral Choir wait below the Capitol dome in Washington before the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Donald Trump. (Brendad Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) 51 / 77 The Capitol before Donald Trumps inauguration as the 45th President of The United States in Washington. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 77 Crowds put on their rain gear as a light rain falls Friday morning before the inauguration of Donald Trump in Washington. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 53 / 77 A helicopter arrives at the Capitol before Donald Trumps inauguration as the 45th President of The United States in Washington on Jan. 20. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 77 Fireworks explode over the Lincoln Memorial after a public concert and appearance by President-elect Donald Trump. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 77 President-elect Donald Trump, left, and his wife Melania Trump arrive to the Make America Great Again Welcome Concert at the Lincoln Memorial, Thursday, Jan. 19 in Washington. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) 56 / 77 Fireworks explode over the Lincoln Memorial after a public concert and appearance by President Elect Donald Trump. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 77 President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive to a VIP reception and dinner with donors at Union Station in Washington (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) 58 / 77 President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a pre-inaugural Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press) 59 / 77 A view of the national monument at dusk in Washington, D.C. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 77 U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, arrive for a celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images) 61 / 77 Audience members sing. (Justin Lane / EPA) 62 / 77 Mike Wieseler, from Washington state, waives a Donald Trump flag on the eve of the inauguration. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times) 63 / 77 A member of the media walks out of the staging area before the presidential inaugural ceremony in Washington, D.C. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 64 / 77 Dusk falls on the Capitol as the presidential inaugural preparation continues in Washington, D.C. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 65 / 77 The Piano Guys perform at a pre-Inaugural Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington (David J. Phillip / Associated Press) 66 / 77 President-elect Donald J. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence participate in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. (Pool / Getty Images) 67 / 77 The Lincoln Memorial is seen at sunset during a pre-Inaugural Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press) 68 / 77 Final preparations are underway Thursday for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 77 Members of the television media prepare for the inauguration in Washington, D.C. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 77 Bunting is hung from the Capitol ahead of the inauguration of Donald Trump. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 77 Missouri State University Chorale members rehearse Thursday for the inauguration of the nations 45th president. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 77 People await a sighting of President-elect Donald Trump outside Trump International Hotel the day before his swearing-in. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 77 Dane Senser, of San Luis Obispo, Calif., traveled to be in Washington, D.C., during the inauguration. He caught a glimpse of Donald Trump through a car window as the president-elect left Trump International Hotel. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 77 WASHINGTON D.C.--JANUARY 19, 2107--People gather in front of Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C. and try to get a glimpse of President Elect Donald Trump as he leaves the hotel. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times) (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 75 / 77 Streets are closed all around the capital as inauguration preparations are finalized. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 76 / 77 SWAT personnel keep watch near the Washington Memorial on Thursday. (John Minchillo / Associated Press) 77 / 77 A view of Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol on Thursday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Trumps top policy priorities were almost immediately affixed atop the White House website: a rollback of Obamas efforts to fight climate change; a promise to rebuild the military, defeat Islamic State and create 25 million new jobs; lower taxes for corporations and individuals; a moratorium on regulations; and a promise to end certain trade deals.

Trump lost the popular vote to Clinton by more than 2.8 million, and he has failed to build support from skeptics who see his presidency as divisive and even dangerous.

During the transition period, a time other modern presidents have used to mend wounds from bitter elections, Trump sparred with enemies and inflamed old divisions. He held victory rallies in states that helped win him the election and continued to criticize Clinton in public appearances weeks after she faded into the woods of New York for long walks.

Though his inaugural address tended to reinforce that division, he did embed a call for unity into his broader nationalist vision, promising that through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. He also said during the congressional lunch that the two major political parties are made up of good people.

Yet Trumps more persistent appeals to a lingering sense of grievance, combined with resentment from Democrats amid a period of polarization, has helped him secure an ignominious distinction. His approval rating is lower than that of any incoming president in decades, according to polls.

Hes a bulldog. He calls people names. He has no kind of decency left in him, said Beritu Haile-Selassie, a Washington resident who stood by herself on a traffic circle, holding up a cardboard sign that read fake president.

In addition to scattered protests throughout Washington on Inauguration Day, another wave of marchers were expected in the city Saturday to celebrate womens rights and register disapproval of Trump.

Just 40% of Americans hold a favorable impression of Trump, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released this week. Thats lower than the approval ratings for Presidents George W. Bush (62%), George H.W. Bush (65%), Obama (79%), Reagan (58%) and Carter (78%) before their inaugurations.

Yet those ratings demonstrate another truth: Popularity at the beginning of a term does not always correlate with future popularity. Carter and George H.W. Bush lasted just one term. And Reagan, whose lower approval numbers came closest to Trumps, later became one of the most beloved presidents in history.

Staff writers Joseph Tanfani, Seema Mehta, Michael A. Memoli and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

noah.bierman@latimes.com

Twitter: @noahbierman

ALSO

As soon as hes inaugurated, Trump will move to clamp down on immigration

How a liberal Santa Monica high school produced a top Trump advisor and speechwriter

Trump has vowed to slash regulations. Where he might start and the hurdles he faces

UPDATES:

5:15 p.m.: This story was updated with details about the Oval Office.

3:40 p.m.: This story was updated with more comments from Trump and protesters.

9:20 a.m.: This story was updated with remarks from Trumps inaugural address.

9 a.m.: This story was updated with Trump being sworn in as president.

7 a.m.: This story was updated with the Trumps arriving at the White House.

6:30 a.m.: This story was updated with details on Trump attending church.

This story was originally published at 3 a.m.
Republican and Democratic presidents have long nodded to the importance of diversity as they select their Cabinets. Since 1989, every presidents first Cabinet has included at least one Latino.

Not Donald Trumps.

After a campaign in which relations with Latinos grew painfully raw, the sort of tension that typically would make reaching out imperative, Trump selected a Cabinet that is predominantly white and male. The only members who break from that description, out of 15 positions, are an African American man, one Asian American woman and a white woman.

The absence struck many Latinos as a fresh slap after a season of insults. Trump opened his campaign by asserting that some Mexican immigrants were rapists and murderers and spent much of his time promising to deport Latinos in the country without proper papers, a group that comprises millions of people and affects millions more. He had no high-profile Latino campaign surrogates or staff members.

Advertisement

A spokesman for Trump urged Americans to stay tuned and said that Latinos would be well represented among sub-Cabinet jobs.

For now, however, in making his choices for his top advisors, Trump seemingly has hewed to the strategy of his campaign, to bolster the Americans who supported him but ignore those who did not.

Politically, that decision amounts to a lost opportunity on several fronts.

Rather than start to dig himself out of a hole with a fast-growing group whose influence is increasingly felt in swing states, Trump deepened it.

He could have, but did not, present Latinos with an inclusive version of the Republican Party, one that might begin to cut into Democratic dominance with the group.

And he will not have a truly representative group of Americans around him, in the Cabinet room or among his top advisors, when he makes decisions that affect the nation.

You simply need to have every perspective around the table in the decisions when the federal government serves its people  thats what this is about, said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Assn. of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. He called the Trump Cabinet a very serious setback.

Trumps three Cabinet selections who are not white males rank just below George H.W. Bushs 1989 Cabinet, which had four. The largest number was President Obamas: 10. George W. Bush and Bill Clinton each had eight.

To many Latinos, the Cabinet selection seems to reflect what they saw in the campaign. Trumps biggest base of support was among whites, particularly men. The large crowds that attended his rallies were almost completely white. His cultural references evoke a time when white men dominated American life to a greater extent than they do now.

His inauguration, too, harks back to that past. On Thursday, Lee Greenwood performed at the inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial; his song God Bless the U.S.A. came out in 1984 and was used that year in President Reagans reelection ads.

The Republican establishment has long worried about the effect of alienating the growing Latino population. Under Trumps incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee in 2013 called on the party to attract more Latino voters lest it lose future elections.

But Trump has never been a part of the establishment, and the lesson of his successful campaign may well have been that deference to Latinos didnt matter.

Sean Spicer, Trumps spokesman, pushed back Thursday against the notion that Trump should have named a Latino to his first Cabinet.

The No. 1 thing that I think Americans should focus on: Is he hiring the best and the brightest? Is he hiring people who are committed to enacting real change, respecting taxpayers, bringing about an agenda that will create jobs, lift up wages? Spicer said.

He said Trumps administration will include diversity in gender and diversity in thinking and a diversity of ideology. So, its not just about, you know, skin color or ethnic heritage.

Asked whether he meant to imply that no Latino candidate made the cut among the best and the brightest, Spicer sharply retorted: Thats not what I said.

Trump is known to have talked to Latino politicians about jobs in his administration  including former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, who was under consideration for the position of Agriculture secretary, which was given to former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue.

But the rub for Latinos is that the biggest jobs are now filled, pending Senate approval of Cabinet members.

Their absence from the higher reaches of the Trump administration comes at an otherwise uplifting time for Latinos, politically speaking.

In November, 34 Latinos were elected to the House, a jump of five from the previous session. Four Latinos are senators, including newcomer Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada. Across the country, the number of Latino statewide officeholders rose from 10 to 12.

In the presidential contest, Latinos turned out in high numbers, helping to narrow Trumps victories in states including Arizona, Texas and Georgia, and to keep Nevada and New Mexico out of his grasp. In California, Latinos were arguably responsible for the swamping size of Hillary Clintons victory.

For more on politics 

Mike Madrid, a Republican political strategist in California who is Latino, said that demographic changes afoot in the Southwest and elsewhere meant that Trump and fellow Republicans needed to work harder to attract Latinos, not deliver an insult.

Republicans may hold onto their unified control of Washington over the short term, he said, but beyond that, it is pretty grim.

The national landscape post-2016 resembles the backlash among Latinos in California in 1994. Republican Gov. Pete Wilsons immigration posture drove them to the Democratic Party  where they remain.

Polls taken of voters by television networks and the Associated Press on election day found that about 28% of Latinos voted for Trump, slightly more than the share won by Republican nominee Mitt Romney in 2012.

But other analysts, examining returns precinct by precinct, say Trump did worse than the exit poll indicated. Trumps percentage was less than 20% nationally and as low as 11% in California, according to a study by UC Riverside political scientist Francisco I. Pedraza and UCLA doctoral student Bryan Wilcox-Archuleta.

Symbolism matters in politics, and symbolism matters in government, Madrid said. With Latinos mobilizing, we are now cementing the political opinions for the next generation.

Madrid did not rule out the possibility that Trump could improve his standing among Latinos, but in order to do so he would have to change his inclinations, he said.

The bar is very low for Trump among Latinos, he said. The question is, do they see that as a problem to be solved? I dont think they do.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

ALSO:

Donald Trumps transition has hurt his popularity, not helped

Updates on California politics

Live coverage of the Trump transition
Raucous Champagne toasts in Russia, prayerful wishes from the Vatican, late-night yawns in China and defiant protests in central London: The world greeted Donald Trumps inauguration as the 45th U.S. president with apprehension, anxiety and a smattering of glee  much like the swirl of mixed emotions that accompanied his improbable march to power.

In living rooms and cafes, nightclubs and bars, millions across the globe tuned in to live coverage of the new American leader taking the oath of office, the capstone of a day of inaugural pomp in Washington, D.C. Many said they hoped for the best, but feared the worst; others welcomed a break with the past.

In China, already roiled by Trumps rhetoric over trade and Taiwan, the state clamped tight controls on media coverage of fresh utterances from the fledgling U.S. president. In France, Fridays lead headline in the left-leaning daily Liberation  accompanied by a photo of Trump leaning into a stiff headwind  read: Here we go!

Advertisement

Inauguration Day live updates: American carnage stops here and now, Trump says 

As Trump assumed the presidency, there were some pockets of pride. Sevnica, the Slovenian hometown of Trumps third wife, Melania, declared three full days of celebration built around her husbands inauguration. In the Mideast, the mayor of Jerusalem expressed inauguration-eve hopes for a speedy fulfillment of Trumps controversial pledge to move the U.S. embassy to the contested city.

In his inaugural address, Trump initially appeared to signal inclusiveness toward those watching from outside America. People of the world, thank you, he intoned. But he quickly pivoted to vociferous declarations: Its going to be only America first, America first America will start winning again.

That struck a sour note with overseas listeners like Briton Nicola Frith, a professor at the University of Edinburgh.

Its the most nationalistic address Ive heard since  I dont know when, she said. Its like Donald Trump has just flooded the whole nation with his personality.

A protester at Berlins iconic Brandenburg Gate offers his opinion of the new U.S. president. (John MacDougall / AFP/Getty Images )

The inauguration galvanized demonstrations in European capitals such as London, where protesters draped signs on bridges reading Build bridges not walls, and Berlin. Many Germans were rattled by a weekend interview in which Trump threatened to slap heavy duties on German carmakers and suggested he placed equal trust in Russias President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, one of the closest U.S. allies.

But not all Germans shared the sense of Trump-generated angst. Friedrich Merz, a senior figure in Merkels party, warned against a hysterical reaction to the new U.S. president.

Its quite possible that this president could be good for a number of positive surprises, he said.

At the Vatican, Pope Francis offered good wishes and prayers for the new president, but appeared to allude to concerns about Trumps harshly anti-immigrant stance and to fears for the fate of social welfare programs under his administration.

May Americas stature continue to be measured above all by its concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need who, like Lazarus, stand before our door, the pontiff said in a statement.

Though Trump refrained in his speech from specifically blasting Mexico  a topic that for months was a campaign staple  his inauguration generated a new wave of worry among Mexicans. A small group gathered to chant protest slogans in Mexico Citys Plaza de Angel.

God bless America, said Carlos Matias, a 49-year-old small-business owner. And God bless Mexicans, because we are Trumps No. 1 enemy.

Trumps use of his first speech as president to vow to eradicate radical Islamic terrorism caused a ripple of unease across the Middle East, although the comments were in keeping with his previous statements.

In the Jordanian capital of Amman, one bar extended its happy hour because we were all glued to the TV, said patron Jared Kohler. On Facebook, he mourned that an occasion like happy hour served to mark the global tragedy of Trumps inauguration.

The opposite sentiment prevailed in a rowdy bar near the Kremlin and at nightclubs elsewhere in Russia, where revelers cheered and popped Champagne corks to mark Trumps swearing-in. Already, his image is ubiquitous: The new presidents swoop-haired image adorns traditional matryoshka nesting dolls for sale at tourist shops across Moscow, and the Reuters news agency reported that silver and gold commemorative coins reading In Trump We Trust were struck in Zlatoust, a city east of Moscow.

A tourist in St. Petersburg, Russia, poses with a traditional Russian nesting doll depicting U.S. President Trump. (Anatoly Maltsev / EPA )

An Israeli man in Jerusalem on Friday photographs a banner congratulating President Donald Trump on his pledge to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. (Atef Safadi / EPA)

Putin and his lieutenants have expressed eagerness to work with the new U.S. administration and have vehemently denied U.S. intelligence findings that Moscow used cyberattacks in hopes of swaying the election toward Trump. The then president-elect last week grudgingly acknowledged apparent Russian meddling for the first time, but insisted it did not affect the election outcome.

Russian observers were already looking ahead to Trumps first post-inauguration encounter with Putin. That encounter will be a defining moment in history, Russian senator Alexei Pushkov opined in a tweet.

In Beijing, where it was well after midnight local time when Trump laid his hand on the Bible to be sworn in, the inauguration ceremonies were shown in a handful of late-night establishments. At one French bar, only a few patrons glanced up as footage of Trumps limousine filled the TV screen  the sound drowned out by James Browns Get On Up  then returned their attention to their whiskeys.

Chinese officials, though, were wary about new post-inaugural outbursts from Trump and of any equally freewheeling coverage. Censorship instructions leaked to China Digital Times, a California-based watchdog group, warned that unauthorized criticism of his words or actions was not allowed in state media, with the official Xinhua news agency being the only legitimate source of news about China-U.S. relations.

In Israel, where the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted Trumps election victory with satisfaction, reaction was muted by the start of the Jewish Sabbath at sundown Friday. Israeli news reports detailed the rabbinical dispensation given to Trumps daughter Ivanka and her husband, Trump advisor Jared Kushner  who are observant Orthodox Jews  to ride in vehicles after the start of the Sabbath, actions that would normally be religiously prohibited.

A mixed Israeli and American crowd turned out at a Tel Aviv bar, near the current U.S. embassy, to parse the speech. Maya Rosen, a 26-year-old waitress, clapped a hand to her mouth in disbelief when Trump vowed to stop the carnage in what he described as decaying, crime-ridden American cities.

What a demagogue, she said, calling his characterization racist.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat took a parting shot at President Obama in a video posted on Facebook on the eve of the inauguration, disdaining the departing presidents longstanding opposition to a U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem and calling on Israelis to greet Trump as our friend.

Some, though, mourned the end of Obamas tenure. In the Kenyan town of Kajiado, on the edge of the savanna south of Nairobi, a bar at the Empuet Resort showed the inaugural ceremonies on television. Obamas father was Kenyan and the president is a widely loved figure in the country.

Ill miss Obama so much, said waitress Irene Wambua, 28. Obama has made America a great place.

But she was willing to wait and learn what the future will hold.

With Trump, well see, she said. But I dont think hell just make it fail  hell push it in another direction, like Obama did.

laura.king@latimes.com

@laurakingLAT

Staff writer Jonathan Kaiman in Kajiado, Kenya, contributed to this report, along with special correspondents Cecilia Sanchez in Mexico City, Mansu Mirovalev in Moscow, Josh Mitnick in Tel Aviv, Jessica Meyers in Beijing and Nabih Bulos in Amman, Jordan.

ALSO

Dozens of protesters arrested as violence breaks out in capital

Trump is sworn in as president and promises to lift up the forgotten

Just like his campaign, Trumps inauguration breaks Washington norms
Donald J. Trump took the oath of office as the 45th president of the United States today, capping one of the most improbable rises to political power in American history.

Well have lots of chances to analyze what Trump does and what it means. Today, however, lets establish a baseline: As he takes office, what do the American people expect?

Advertisement

Good afternoon, Im David Lauter, Washington bureau chief. Welcome to the Friday edition of our Essential Politics newsletter, in which we look at the events of the week in the presidential transition and highlight some particularly insightful stories.

A NATION DIVIDED

Division. Thats the one-word summary of the national mood as Trump begins his presidency. Consider these findings from recent polls:

By a margin of 86% to 12%, the public believes the U.S. is more politically divided these days than in the past, according to a new survey by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center. Pew has asked that question for 12 years. It has never gotten a reading that high.

By comparison, when Barack Obama was sworn in, just 46% of Americans said the country was more divided than it had been, although the share seeing division rose sharply early in his tenure.

In another recent poll, by SurveyMonkey, Republicans and Democrats displayed dramatically different hopes and fears about the country. Among Republicans, 79% said they were more hopeful than fearful about the future of the U.S. economy; only 27% of Democrats shared that view.

Among Democrats, 66% said they were fearful about the future of Medicare and Social Security. Only 31% of Republicans shared those fears.

A similar picture of division comes from a raft of polls released over the past week that asked the publics view of Trump and how he has handled his transition. As Cathy Decker reported, the polls show the transition period has hurt Trumps popularity more than it has helped.

A new Fox News poll released on the eve of Trumps inauguration found that 54% disapproved of how he has handled his transition compared with 37% who approved.

And, yet, for all his strikingly low levels of popularity, the polls also reveal some good news for Trump: Theres no national problem that the public appears to see as a crisis, and, overall, the national mood has turned optimistic.

A deep irony comes along with those findings: Trump campaigned in a dark tone, emphasizing  often exaggerating  the depth of the nations problems, which he sometimes referred to as disastrous. He returned to that note in his inaugural speech, referring to the American carnage of crime and drugs. Throughout the campaign, a deep pessimism about America characterized his core supporters.

Now that he has won, however, his backers have grown sunnier. And Democrats, while deeply distrustful of Trump, remain more optimistic about the country than Republicans had been under Obama.

Gallups index of economic confidence reflects that mood: Since the election, the index has consistently been positive for the first time since the economic crash in the final year of the George W. Bush administration.

Terrorism, which briefly shot to the top of the heap of public concerns a year ago, after the attack in San Bernardino, has fallen sharply as a worry. Asked by Pew to name their chief concern, only 4% said terrorism, compared with 18% a year ago. Immigration, although it matters to Trumps core voters, was the top concern of only 7% of respondents.

Thats the paradox as the Trump era begins: no overwhelming national problem, a fair degree of optimism overall, but partisan polarization that seems likely to surpass even that which surrounded Obama.

Indeed, on the list of the nations top problem, 17% of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic named Trump, himself, Pew found. Thats more than those who singled out healthcare, unemployment, racism or any other items on a long list of national ailments.

The polls, however, do offer a road map, of sorts, for how Trump might be able to expand his popularity, if that is his priority.

By large majorities, the public wants him to focus on domestic issues. The economy and healthcare sit at the top of the publics list, Pew found.

Asked by Gallup which of Trumps campaign promises was most important for him to keep, 69% of Americans said a major spending program to strengthen infrastructure. That was by far the most often-cited promise. Only 26% cited building a wall along the Mexican border.

Few on either side think the countrys divisions will heal anytime soon. Roughly 7 in 10 in Pews survey said they expected that in five years, the countrys divisions would be at least as bad as they are now, while only about 1 in 4 expected divisions to recede.

If Trump can make progress on the issues that most concern the country, however, its at least conceivable that the divisions that feel so intractable today could begin to fade.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN COMING DAYS

As Noah Bierman wrote, some of Trumps plans could be truly revolutionary. Others, for all the controversy surrounding them, are really just returns to long-standing Republican ideas. Whats truly radical, and what isnt?

One of Trumps most influential advisors has an unusual background  he learned his conservatism as a rebellious teenager at an overwhelmingly liberal school, Santa Monica High. Lisa Mascaro has an insightful profile of Trumps chief domestic policy advisor and speechwriter, Stephen Miller.

The issue on which Miller has made his clearest mark is immigration, a subject he previously handled as a top aide to Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Trumps designee for attorney general. As soon as he is inaugurated, Trump will move to clamp down on immigration, Brian Bennett reports.

Immigration is a subject that can be handled largely by executive power. By contrast, repealing and replacing Obamacare, as Trump has promised, requires legislation, and the GOP strategy there remains extremely unsettled.

Simply repealing Obamacare without a replacement would raise premiums 20% and leave 18 million uninsured, a new Congressional Budget Office report found.

Trumps point person on that issue, Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, his pick for Health secretary, fought to limit coverage in one of Americas neediest states, Noam Levey reported. In his confirmation hearing, Price told senators he would protect the vulnerable, but he left unclear how.

Another controversial nominee, Oklahoma Atty. Gen. Scott Pruitt, whom Trump chose to head the Environmental Protection Agency, caused a stir in his confirmation hearing when he cast doubt on Californias long-standing power to regulate auto emissions.

Trumps pick for Commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, assured lawmakers he is not anti-trade. He seems headed for an easy confirmation. So, too, does Interior secretary designee Ryan Zinke, who told lawmakers he opposes the sale of public land.

Trumps pick for Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, faces a tougher road, although he also seems likely to be confirmed. Democrats hammered him over his offshore investments and foreclosures ordered by OneWest bank while he owned it.

Trump has vowed to slash regulations. Don Lee examined where he might start and the hurdles he faces.

The final member of the Cabinet, Sonny Perdue, the former governor of Georgia and designee for Agriculture, was named Thursday. With that, Trump completed a roster of top advisors with no Latinos chosen. As Decker reported, thats being taken by many Latino activists as yet another slap.

Trumps approach might seem new, but Arnold Schwarzenegger tried the outsider route first, Evan Halper wrote. In Sacramento, that approach was a disaster.

FAREWELL TO OBAMA

Democrats once dreamed of Inauguration Day. Now theyre soul-searching, Halper reported.

As tradition dictates, the 44th president welcomed his successor to the White House then left Washington just after the swearing-in. He was en route to Palm Springs for a vacation.

If you havent already, check out our four-part series on Obamas legacy, including a close look at how a president who sought to ease partisanship instead saw it worsen.

And then there was this from Obamas final news conference  a parting message for Democrats: hope

LOGISTICS

If you like this newsletter, tell your friends to sign up.

That wraps up this week. My colleague Sarah Wire will be back Monday with the weekday edition of Essential Politics. Until then, keep track of all the developments in the transition and in California politics with our Trail Guide, at our Politics page and on Twitter @latimespolitics.

Send your comments, suggestions and news tips to politics@latimes.com.

David.lauter@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidlauter
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, was extradited Thursday to the United States to face trafficking and other charges, Mexican and U.S. authorities said.

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.

The timing, after months of unsuccessful appeals by Guzmans legal team to block the move, caused considerable speculation on social media and elsewhere. The move appeared to give a legal triumph to the outgoing Obama administration on its final day in office.

Advertisement

They decided not to give Trump an early victory with the extradition of El Chapo, Alejandro Hope, a security analyst, said on Twitter.

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 the border city of Ciudad Juarez amid high security to the international airport outside Juarez.

The U.S. Department of Justice also confirmed Guzmans extradition, saying in a news release that the infamous trafficker 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.

U.S. authorities thanked their Mexican counterparts but gave no further word on Guzmans likely destination in the United States. Brooklyn has long been seen as the likely destination for Guzman, and federal prosecutors there last year revised an indictment to drop charges that would make the accused drug lord eligible for the death penalty, which had been a sticking point in negotiations between the U.S. and Mexico.

The Associated Press, citing a senior U.S. official, said that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of Guzman in Ciudad 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.

Guzman has drug trafficking, murder, money laundering and other charges pending against him in federal courts in a number of states, including California, Texas, Illinois and New York.

He was moved to a prison in Ciudad Juarez last year after his capture following a sensational escape from a high-security prison complex outside Mexico City. That escaped involved the construction of a mile-long tunnel leading to his cell.

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 persistent source of headaches for government officials.

Keeping Guzman behind bars was a priority for the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto, who suffered a serious humiliation in July 2015 when Guzman broke out of Altiplano prison near Mexico City via an underground tunnel. Guzman was captured last January, but not before he granted a secret interview to actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo, another embarrassment for Pena Nieto.

That was Guzmans second daring escape.

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.

During his first term on the lam, Guzman helped turn the Sinaloa cartel into one of the worlds most powerful drug trafficking organizations.

Last year, a Mexican judge granted approval to extradition petitions from 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 while being held in a prison outside 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:

4:40p.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.
As the nations capital prepares to welcome Donald Trump into the White House on Friday, protests here that may ultimately include tens of thousands of people  or more  have already begun.

Trump, who fell more than 2.8 million votes short of his opponent in the popular vote and enters the Oval Office with historically low approval ratings for an incoming president, has inspired a wide range of voices to rise up against him, and the first signs of dissent erupted Thursday night outside the National Press Club.

An anti-fascist group, Refuse Fascism, protested a gathering of what it called the Alt-Reich outside the DeploraBall at the press club, where many figures associated with the white nationalist alt-right movement were assembled to celebrate Trumps victory.

Advertisement

Americans in favor of competent, America-first leadership were insulted, harassed, and assaulted for holding views contrary to those of the bicoastal, bipartisan elites, ball organizers said on their Internet invitation to the party. This was our election. We emerged victorious.

Outside the building, the crowd briefly scuffled with the police, with some protesters throwing paper signs and what appeared to be firecrackers at officers.

Demonstrators chanted Nazi scum, off our streets! as well-dressed celebrants entered the building. The crowd booed as one man in a tuxedo walked in and displayed his middle finger to those outside.

They are white supremacist fascists, group volunteer Desba Rojas said in an interview, referring to Trump and his vice president-elect, Mike Pence. They are about to reinstate a fascist government.

Rojas said her goal was to stop them from getting into office, and if they get into office, sopping them before they can consolidate power.

On Wednesday, hundreds of LGBT activists shut down the streets around Pences home to protest his conservative record on gay rights as the governor of Indiana. They protested by dancing, bearing rainbow flags flapping in the breeze.

Leftist protesters are also planning to disrupt Inauguration Day, with a coalition called DisruptJ20 planning a march and other actions to disrupt security checkpoints. A different antiwar and anti-racism group, the ANSWER Coalition, was planning to hold permitted #InaugurateTheResistance demonstrations near the inaugural parade route.

Also significant is who wont be there: dozens of congressional Democrats who, concerned about Trumps agenda and possible Russian interference in the election, followed the lead of lifelong civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) in refusing to attend Trumps swearing-in. The liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org had collected more than 100,000 names on a digital petition in support of an inauguration boycott, which stated that any politician who attends Trumps inauguration is normalizing and legitimizing a presidency that should only be resisted. Denounced. Defied. Boycotted.

Security will be extraordinarily high, with large bags, signs with poles and long umbrellas banned. (Guns are not allowed to be carried openly in Washington, and concealed carry is allowed only if the gun owner has a license issued by the district.)

The local American Civil Liberties Union chapter said it planned to print 10,000 copies of a know your rights pamphlet for activists. As with many events expected to draw large protests, the National Lawyers Guild, a radical legal collective that provides legal support to protesters, has been recruiting legal observers to monitor protests, help jailed protesters and provide legal representation in court.

The jail support team will handle hotlines, track arrests and assist people as they are released, the guild said on its website.

Paranoia has been running strong on both the left and the right, with signs of subterfuge already evident. Conservative activist James OKeefe published undercover video of left-wing activists discussing how to disrupt the inauguration, presumably in an effort of his own to disrupt their plans. A mysterious new website called Demand Protest recently sprinkled Internet ads in cities around the U.S. claiming that it secretly hires paid protesters on behalf of the powerful  except there was nothing to suggest the program was genuine.

The big march of the weekend is scheduled for Saturday, when thousands of women  and men  will amass for the Womens March on Washington. Simultaneous rallies were planned all over the country.

Ellison Langford, a 29-year-old employee of the University of Florida in Gainesville, couldnt find a cheap hotel around the District of Columbia, so she planned to board a chartered bus Friday night, ride all night to Washington and then protest after arriving on Saturday morning. Shell ride back that night  a long trip, but worth it.

I moped for a couple days after the election results were announced, but then I resolved I didnt want to find myself in a position down the road where I wished Id done more to resist the incoming administration, Langford wrote in a direct message on Twitter.

She said a LOT of her friends were going too, with some planning to drive themselves.

Were going a bunch of different ways, Langford said, but were determined to get there.

matt.pearce@latimes.com

@mattdpearce

UPDATES:

5:25 p.m.: The article was updated with additional details of the initial protest.

This article was originally published at 5:15 p.m.
The same restaurateur who brought California Shabu Shabu, the Iron Press, the Blind Rabbit and Shuck Oyster Bar to Orange County has opened Hatch, a not-your-typical tiki restaurant tucked behind the Auld Dubliner Irish pub at the Districts Union Market in Tustin.

With gourmet sliders, craft beer selections from local breweries (such as the Bruery in Placentia and Noble Ale Works in Anaheim) and tropical cocktails on its menu, Hatch has a variety of options aside from drinks with little umbrellas in them.

We wanted to set ourselves apart, as reflected in our restaurants personality  where we have the freedom to do so much and not be stuck to one thing, said Leonard Chan, owner of Hatch. We dont want to be overly tiki, but we still want to [keep] the culture with our theme.

About four years ago, as Orange Countys food scene was getting increasingly diverse, Chan was talking with a friend over drinks about restaurant ideas. This led Chan, after the success of his second the Iron Press location, at the Anaheim Packing House, to open a sandwich spot called the Co-Op, based on the idea of bringing together a variety of sandwich creations from local chefs.

We started out with sandwiches, but the menu kept changing  and then we wanted to feature a different take on sliders, Chan said. We had about 60 different ideas for sliders.

Two years later, that restaurant had evolved into what is now Hatch. Chan and his friends were inspired by tiki culture and food  particularly with the success of Don the Beachcomber, one of the original tiki spots in Los Angeles and Huntington Beach.

We wanted a different take on Southern California tiki culture  to meld the two things that were going on when everything first started: the mid-century mod design but infusing traditional tiki culture, food and drinks at the same time, Chan said.

When Russell and Andrea Young (who spearheaded the OC Mix at Costa Mesas South Coast Collection, or SoCo) opened the Union Market food hall at the District shopping center in Tustin, they reached out to Chan and other restaurateurs for food concepts to try there.

Its a great area, he said. While the [Anaheim] Packing House is very much a food hall community [thats] more conducive to hanging out, Union Market is a mix of cool and unique food and retail tenants. Everyone here works together, and you dont see any big chain places.

Construction for Hatch began in spring 2015, and after several contracting delays, it opened a year later in April. The 50-seat restaurant is 1,100 square feet, with a 250-square-foot outside patio.

When describing the menu, Chan says, Its kitschy eclectic. Here, we can go wild with our menu  this is like our little playground.

Guests can choose from 15 customizable gourmet sliders, organized by moo (beef), oink (pork), flap (chicken or duck), swim (soft-shell crab, salmon, oysters) and sprout (veggie)  cooked different ways  as well as traditional sides (fries, onion rings, wings, salad) and the best-selling Hawaiian comfort plate, the loco moco.

Honestly, its pretty free-for-all, said head chef Andrew Singh, who has collaborated with Chan since their first days at the Iron Press. We try to keep an Asian fusion twist to our food, but sometimes it ends up being random. We like that flexibility.

Hailing from Roys Hawaiian fusion in Newport Beach, Singh wanted to stray from the typical pineapple and teriyaki, and narrowed down hundreds of ingredients to fit the restaurants pan-Pacific flavors and eclectic selection, from Portobello mushrooms to bologna.

Top sellers include the fried soft-shell crab and the Wagyu beef slider, with sweet Portuguese buns from OC Baking Co.

Originally people thought, oh, two sliders? Im not going to get full. But these arent normal-sized sliders, said Singh. We try to switch it up with extremely fresh, high-quality ingredients, instead of just melting cheese on meat.

Singh also shared his excitement about Hatchs upcoming full brunch menu, which will include daiquiris and a build-your-own breakfast slider.

Even the rum-based cocktail drinks typically associated with tiki bars have been creatively tweaked to include craft ingredients, such as fresh lime, simple cinnamon syrup and Portola espresso beans.

We took the same components that were similar in different mai tais, deconstructed it, and put it back together with more craft ingredients, said Hatch general manager Janise Trans. A lot of traditional tiki drinks are more acidic because of the heavy rum base.  We wanted to have a very balanced menu that wasnt all sugary and rum-forward, so it was our take on the classic tiki cocktail.

The restaurants minimalistic, at-home look includes colorful designs and fun pieces like a bright orange couch and starburst lamps over the bar. The orange-and-green tiki drink wallpaper was designed by a friend of Chans, artist Josh Agle, known as Shag.

While typical elements of a tiki restaurant and bar  fake lava, grass huts, beachy music, an overload of plants  are not unwelcome, Hatch offers guests an overall different, mid-century modern dining feel.

Chan said he was inspired by the Eames era.

This place is like my condo, but at a bigger budget, Chan said, laughing, having noted the restaurants 20-person staff. The cheesiness is fun.

Chans managing partner, Frank Laguna, explained how they came up with the restaurants distinctive name.

It was like, wed been sitting on this one idea about a tiki restaurant, and it finally hatched, he said. It was an aha moment.

With Chans other concepts including a speakeasy, shabu shabu place, gastropub and oyster bar (with more in O.C. and L.A. on the way), the restaurateur has become known for creating unique, themed restaurants where people can gather.

We go to a location that we like, and we try to find a concept that will fit, something different and new. ... If youre building a new kitchen, you might as well do fun things with it, he said.

Hatch is located at 2493 Park Ave., Suite 27, Tustin. It is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Happy hour prices are 3 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Prices average $10 to $15. Call (657) 208-2088 for more information.
This post has been corrected, as noted below.

A library at the Irvine Valley College campus is now home to a mural created by Latino artist Emigdio Vasquez, who died last year.

The 40-foot-long by 8-foot-high mural, known as La Educacion y El Trabajo, depicts the faces of workers, teachers and students. Some of the figures are wearing graduation caps, reading a book or holding a microscope.

The artworks title translates into The Education and the Work. Vasquez completed the piece in 1992.

The presence of this mural is an affirming hand of inclusion to the Latino students, said Linda Thomas, an instructor in Irvine Valleys English department. In this way, Emigdios philosophy and art speak to the mission of the community colleges in California: education is for everyone.

Vasquezs son Higgy Vasquez assisted him while he worked on the mural more than two decades ago.

Higgy Vasquez had recently done restoration work on the mural before it was moved into a sky-lighted space in Irvine Valleys College Library. He applied a protective varnish coating over the whole mural to keep his fathers work intact.

In Vasquezs lifetime, he created more than 400 paintings and over 20 murals throughout Orange County. This includes The Legacy of Cesar Chavez at Santa Ana College and 124 Years of Progress at Anaheim City Hall.

Much of his work focused on portraying the faces and life of the Chicano working class.

Vasquez died of pneumonia on Aug. 9, 2014, in Newport Beach. He was 75 years old.

Irvine Valley plans to open its library at 3 p.m. Thursday for students, faculty, staff and community members to honor the life work of Vasquez and to view La Educacion y El Trabajo in its new home, the librarys main reading area. Special guest appearances also included Higgy Vasquez and the artists daughter, Rosemary Vasquez-Tuthill.

For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the exhbit opened to the public on Thursday. In fact, it opens Sept. 24.
A former Huntington Beach police detective is accused of stealing money from fellow officers who were pooling the funds to buy a gift for a retiring colleague.

The Orange County district attorneys office Thursday filed a charge of misdemeanor petty theft against Mario Ricci, 48, of Los Angeles, according to a news release.

Authorities allege that Ricci stole donations out of an envelope over several days in December at the Huntington Beach Police Department headquarters, where he was a detective. The district attorneys office said he no longer works there, though it did not elaborate.

Other officers noticed that money was missing from the donation envelope Dec. 8, the district attorneys office said. The next day, they launched an investigation and documented the denominations and serial numbers of the bills in the envelope.

Police investigators approached Ricci as he was leaving the department Dec. 15 and found he was in possession of bills that were documented as being in the envelope, authorities said.

If convicted, Ricci would face a maximum of six months in county jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned March 6.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
Two Newport Coast men pleaded guilty Wednesday to failing to disclose to the IRS foreign bank accounts that contained millions of dollars, federal prosecutors said.

David Ramin Kalili, 52, and his brother-in-law David Shahrokh Azarian, 67, admitted that they didnt file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts with the Internal Revenue Service regarding secret bank accounts in Switzerland and Israel that they maintained for more than a decade, according to the U.S. attorney generals office.

Kalilis brother Dan Farhad Kalili, 55, of Irvine also pleaded guilty in the case.

The days of being able to safely hide income and assets offshore and evade U.S. tax have come to an end, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline Ciraolo said in a statement. The United States and foreign jurisdictions are sharing information and working together to ensure that citizens around the world are paying their fair share. The guilty pleas entered today are yet another example of what awaits U.S. taxpayers who continue to flout the law.

Prosecutors said David Kalili maintained several accounts at Credit Suisse in Switzerland from February 1999 through at least 2009 and at UBS in Switzerland from October 1993 through at least 2008. Dan and David Kalili also maintained joint undeclared bank accounts at UBS and Credit Suisse that they opened in 2003 and 2004.

Azarian maintained several of his own undeclared accounts at Credit Suisse from May 1994 through at least 2009 and at UBS from April 1997 through at least 2008, prosecutors said.

From 2006 through 2009, authorities said, the three men were required to but did not report to the IRS their ownership and control of foreign bank accounts.

Over the years, they took steps to prevent their assets from being discovered, including transferring funds from accounts in Switzerland to Israel, according to prosecutors.

The three face a maximum of five years in prison when they return to court for sentencing April 24.

Each also will pay a civil penalty for failing to file the required forms, authorities said. David Kalili will pay more than $1.3 million, Dan Kalili over $2.6 million and Azarian $951,607.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
When special-education teacher Brian Ristow and his family traveled to New Zealand two years ago, he saw that elementary school students werent wearing shoes to class.

They wore shoes on the school bus and at home, he said, but not during school hours.

Ristow, who has taught in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District for seven years, also noticed how students at New Zealands secondary schools were making a choice to wear shoes to class.

It seemed to be the norm, said Ristow, who teaches students with moderate to severe disabilities from across the district at TeWinkle Intermediate School in Costa Mesa.

There was a sense of students driving the education and them being part of the decision-making  like a natural, organic flow of child development, he said.

That observation sparked Ristows research proposal on student-led learning for the 2016 Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching, a highly competitive honor sponsored by the U.S. State Departments Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs that enables teachers to examine educational practices abroad and share that knowledge in their home communities.

Last spring, while watching the sun set during a camping trip with family and friends at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Ristow got a message that he had been awarded the Fulbright.

Going abroad and just putting yourself out there to learn and grow  I think its almost invaluable, said Ristows wife, Brooke, a substitute teacher in Newport-Mesa. Everyone should be able to do that.

The award allows the Ristows and their three children to travel to New Zealand from February to June this year during his research.

The Fulbright program will cover expenses such as airfare, housing, materials for Ristows project and health insurance for him, but it does not cover health insurance for his dependents.

Ristow will be taking unpaid leave from Newport-Mesa for the trip, meaning he couldnt continue receiving health benefits without covering the costs the district would typically pay.

According to district spokeswoman Annette Franco, the district is following the collective bargaining agreement with the Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers, which states that during a period of unpaid leave  unit members may continue to participate in health and welfare benefits offered by the district, at no cost to the district.

But the teachers union went to bat for Ristow, according to federation President Britt Dowdy.

NMFT had advocated for Brian to be on a paid status or to receive some form of compensation to help offset the benefits cost while he is overseas, Dowdy said. NMFT believes that this prestigious honor that Brian has received will come back and benefit students of Newport-Mesa significantly.

Ristow said his colleagues encouraged the family to create a crowdfunding campaign at Gofundme.com to offset the expenses. As of Thursday afternoon, the campaign had raised $1,380 toward its $7,500 goal.

A fundraiser scheduled for Tuesday at Sgt. Pepperonis Pizza Store in Newport Beach also will benefit the campaign.

Hes a fantastic teacher, always bringing innovative approaches with kids, said Tim McFadden, a choir and band instructor at TeWinkle Intermediate. I feel like for a professional to be seeking such high honors and for the district to not support him would dissuade others from going for this award. Thats sending the wrong message.

Ristow, who in 2015 was named Newport-Mesas Secondary Teacher of the Year and an Orange County Teacher of the Year semifinalist, said: We love Newport-Mesa; its just an unfortunate predicament that were in. Were still really blessed and fortunate to do this.

alexandra.chan@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlexandraChan10
A proposal for a bike trail that would wind partly through Talbert Regional Park moved forward this week when the Costa Mesa City Council unanimously approved spending $155,977 on related environmental services.

As envisioned, the planned 1.3-mile path would run through the park between West 19th Street and the Greenville-Banning Channel Trail along the Santa Ana River, then outside the park along West 19th to Placentia Avenue.

In coming months, Dudek  an Encinitas-based consulting firm  will perform environmental reviews, meet with other agencies to discuss the proposal and study ways to offset the projects potential effects on the environment.

That work is expected to wrap up in November.

The Banning Channel Bikeway near the Santa Ana River could eventually be linked up to a proposed new bike path from West 19th Street in Costa Mesa. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

We want to make sure everything is mitigated to a level thats well beyond the impact thats created by this project, said Raja Sethuraman, the citys public services director.

The trail would be about 10 feet wide and likely be made of asphalt or concrete, Sethuraman told the council Tuesday. A walking path would run alongside it.

Inside Talbert, the trail would run largely on a Southern California Edison easement for utility poles, according to Sethuraman.

A new bike trail could run through Talbert Regional Park off West 19th Street in Costa Mesa. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

Councilman Allan Mansoor called the proposal a golden opportunity to provide bike connectivity to other cities and the beach.

Its an opportunity to give people access to Talbert Park, he said. How are they going to learn about Talbert Park, how are they going to appreciate Talbert Park, if they dont have access to it?

Mayor Pro Tem Sandy Genis balked at the prospect of laying concrete in the park for the trail.

I want a simple bike trail, she said. I dont feel a need for a 10-foot-wide slab of cement going through the park.

Others echoed her concerns during Tuesdays meeting.

This road would cause both temporary and permanent impacts to the wildlife  temporary in its construction and permanent in the increased volume and faster traffic introduced into this wildlife corridor, said Cindy Black, a local environmental activist.

Councilman Jim Righeimer dismissed such objections as goofiness and said, Environmentalists who do this look like kooks.

People in this community want a simple bike trail and its like, I dont want to destroy the environment; the worlds going to end, he said. The world works on a clock and a calendar. We have to get things done.

City Manager Tom Hatch told the council that approving the money for environmental studies is a vital step if you want more information on what those impacts are down the road.

Mayor Katrina Foley urged city staff to do whatever is feasible to protect the natural habitat in the area and said concrete should be avoided to the extent possible.

I think we have to find a balance, and hopefully we can do that, she said.

If all goes according to plan, construction on the trail could start in summer 2018 and be completed a year after that, Sethuraman said.

The estimated cost of the project is $2.1 million, with grants covering about $1.7 million of that.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter: @LukeMMoney
John Boucher has saved a police officers life and rescued dozens of people whose cars had broken down, all in the name of towing.

Boucher, the general manager of the Huntington Beach car towing company Mandic Motors, was honored by the City Council on Tuesday for his professionalism. During the council meeting, he was presented with a commendation signed by Mayor Barbara Delgleize.

The recognition came on the heels of Boucher receiving the Cross of the Order award in November in Baltimore and his induction into the Order of Towman, an elite organization of towing professionals nationwide.

He was nominated by Huntington Beach Police Chief Robert Handy for the citys accolade. Mandic Motors is one of two towing companies that contracts with Handys department. The other is Best Towing and Transportation Services, at 7472 Warner Ave.

Mandic Motors, 18881 Gothard St., is owned by Robert Mandic, who served on the council for eight years, including two stints as mayor, in 1982 and 1986. The business was established by Mandics father in 1939.

It has won several awards from the American Automobile Assn., commonly known as Triple A, for its service to the community, and Boucher has been touted as an integral part of the company, handling the day-to-day operations.

Boucher, 60, has worked for the company since 1974 and has served as the general manager since 1994.

Over his 42-year career, Boucher has faced challenges that most people wouldnt expect a towman to go through.

In 1984, Boucher said, he helped save the life of a Huntington Beach police officer who had been hit head-on by another driver.

Boucher said the officer wasnt breathing when he arrived on the scene. Boucher, who was a certified emergency medical technician, or EMT, and volunteer firefighter at the time, radioed police for help and was able to revive the officer before emergency personnel arrived.

Saving the officers life made me a brother to [the department], he said.

Boucher said Mandic Motors is much more involved with the community than providing towing service. The business has worked with local high schools since 1996 to educate students on drunk driving in a program called Every 15 Minutes, which simulates a fatal crash.

Boucher said the company provides the cars used in the program.

I like helping people, he said. Its in my DNA. I love people.

Robert Mandic echoed the sentiment.

John is kind and always sees the best side of people, Mandic said. He is so good at dealing with people because he is compassionate.

Handy said in an interview that he nominated Boucher for the award because of the business work with the schools and occasional community work with the homeless. Mandic Motors will periodically provide free towing and repairs for homeless people living out of their cars, Handy said.

Boucher said he will have new responsibilities now that he is a member of the Order of Towman.

The group is backed by American Towman magazine. As a national organization, the hundreds of members are called upon to promote towing and help educate people about the profession.

Boucher said he has already been dubbed a captain in the club. With the promotion, he now has a sporty new black shirt and a club medal, which features a silver cross with a bow and arrow.

While he said the Baltimore event meant a lot to him, he was particularly moved, almost to tears, by being recognized in the city that he has served for more than four decades.

It was a complete honor to accept the commendation, he said. Normally I can talk, but I locked up that night. I dont do this for recognition but its a culmination of 42 years.

benjamin.brazil@latimes.com

Twitter: @benbrazilpilot
Organizers who plan to open a new charter school this fall in Glendale must look elsewhere in the Jewel City for their location following the Glendale school boards 5-0 vote Tuesday to deny the charter schools application to use a Glendale Unified facility.

District staff said they recommended the denial after finding several shortcomings in the application submitted by the International Studies Language Academy, known as ISLA.

ISLAs organizers applied to use the districts facilities in late October as part of Proposition 39, in which school districts may share their facilities with charter schools.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

ISLA plans to provide dual-language immersion courses in German, Spanish, Italian and French starting this fall, but Glendale school officials opted to deny the charter any use of their facilities, citing ISLAs faulty application.

We looked at that request and laid it up to the criteria for actually accepting it, and we found it faulty on several grounds, said Glendale Unified Supt. Winfred Roberson Jr. during the board meeting.

In order to become eligible to use Glendale Unifieds facilities, the charter school needed to project that at least 80 students who reside within the districts boundaries would make up ISLAs average daily attendance, and ISLA needed to provide at least 80 signatures from parents who intend to enroll their children in the school, according to Glendale school officials.

If they do provide that, then we are compelled to provide sufficient in-district facilities because, without the charter school, we would have to provide that for our in-district kids anyway, said Kelly King, assistant superintendent of Glendale Unified.

Instead of submitting at least 80 signatures, ISLA officials provided 34 in their request for a facility that would house more than 300 students, King said.

Even if you take all 34 in its entirety, that is far less than the 80 necessary to meet the statute requirements, King added.

Glendale school officials had until Dec. 31 to respond to ISLA with concerns about the application, and they did, King said.

Among those concerns was a heavily redacted document in the application that only offered the students grade level and city, not giving Glendale Unified the ability to confirm information, King said.

In response to the districts concerns, ISLA submitted a subsequent application with 49 signatures from parents with information Glendale Unified could confirm.

Ultimately, 15 signatures did not meet the original Nov. 1 Prop. 39 deadline, so they were removed from consideration, King said, while four more signatures were tied to students who do not live within Glendale Unifieds boundaries.

King said ISLA did not justify in the application how its enrollment would grow from 30 students to more than 300.

Instead of approving the request and potentially handing over a facility to ISLA, which, in turn, may not enroll as many students as the facility could house, staff recommended that the school board deny the application.

Glendale school officials said they confirmed with their attorneys that the district had good standing to deny the application because it did not support legal requirements.

For its part, ISLAs development team does not think Glendale Unifieds objections are reasonable or consistent with the purpose and intent of Prop. 39, said Guendalina Ajello Mahler, a member of the charter schools founding board, in an email.

Prop. 39 requires a projected enrollment be provided. The process also allows for the natural progression of a recruitment plan to be put into effect subsequent to the application submission, she added.

Mahler said families who want to enroll their children in the charter school deserve to fairly share in public school facilities, which the district is holding in trust for the benefit of all families in the district. It is unfortunate that [the] Glendale Unified School District has denied this request, despite scores of student interest for impacted immersion programs.

In late 2015, the Glendale Unified School Board denied ISLAs petition to operate the school, finding fault in its proposed educational, staffing and financial plans.

Supporters of the charter school said it would help meet the demand for Glendale Unifieds seven dual-language programs, which often have long waiting lists.

The petitioners filed an appeal with the Los Angeles County Office of Education last year, which struck it down with a 5-1 vote.

In a subsequent appeal last April, the states Advisory Commission on Charter Schools voted 6-0 to recommend that the State Board of Education approve the charter petition, which it did last May with a 7-2 vote.

The schools initial five-year term, which will fall under state oversight, was approved on the condition that it open within Glendale Unifieds boundaries.

--

Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
Re: Glendale owes a debt to Mr. Duncan, Brian Crosbys Whiteboard Jungle column, Jan. 12. Thank you for the wonderful article that I just finished reading! Don was a year ahead of me at Hoover, he and Barbara were social friends with my husband and me later in life and he was principal to my two kids at Hoover, classes of 76 and 77.

I especially loved the way Crosby called him Mr. Duncan in the column. I always told my kids that I could call him Don but they had to call him Mr. Duncan, which they always did.

Hopefully someone will do something to honor this terrific educator, nothing against Rick Caruso, however ...

Cynthia Brewster Carli

Hoover Class of 53

Glendale

..

Is rebranding necessary?

Re: Working to spread the news, Jan. 17. Im curious how much time and money has been spent in the attempt to rebrand what our community has known for years to be Bob Hope Airport into Hollywood Burbank Airport. Has this plan been thought through? First of all, Hollywood is a mountain range south of Burbank, and the article also mentions that the legal name of the airport will still remain the Bob Hope Airport. So why not just keep it the Bob Hope Airport as it already is?

Chuck Weiss

La Crescenta

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

Richmond eggs on RNC

I am writing this as a reply to columnist Ray Richmonds Read On column of Jan. 14 titled On fear and the future. Richmond writes, referring to Trump, I have never been so scared in all my life, not even after 9/11. Then he describes President Trump as a man who utterly lacks humanity and decency and goes on to say, I fully expect that those like myself who speak out against the forthcoming regime will be outed as dissenters worthy of prosecution.

I would like to tell Mr. Richmond that he is not a martyr or a crusader. Writers like him are a dime a dozen today and will not be prosecuted. In fact just the opposite may occur. The constant drubbing and piling on by the media played a big part in defeating Hillary. People like me welcome this type of diatribe from writers like you and hope it continues through the 2020 election cycle. You may be the best and most influential writer on our side worthy of an award from the RNC. The far left like yourself are either not too bright or slow learners. Either way I hope you continue on the same path.

Bill Fabian

Glendale

..

Hand Richmond a towel

Re: On fear and the future, Ray Richmonds Read On column, Jan. 14. Once upon a time there was fair opinionated and objective journalism for the public to help determine its favor (or not) of given events such as a United States presidential election.

Ray Richmonds most recent op-ed has once again not disappointed his followers but rather insulted much of the public at large. Im sure he relishes the attention. After all, someone once said all publicity is good. Even if its bad publicity.

Mr. Richmond spent about 20 paragraphs expounding on his fear with what seemed to be an obvious use of loathing (as a caveat) to get his progressive message delivered to your doorstep. All this as it pertains to his fear and disgust for Donald Trumps 2016 presidential victory.

References to hostile takeover, DJT utterly lacks humanity, plans a country less habitable gave me pause to wonder what a self-admitted far-left elitist President Richmond would make. Donald Trump is far from a perfect choice, but I say, as I did with Mr. Obama, lets give him a fair chance before we throw a hateful dagger in his attempt for positive changes needed in the USA.

Heres hoping Richmond finds a suitable crying towel and warm blanket for accompaniment to a safe place within the habitable zone to drone down his fears ... but not too far, as I would be a coward if in any way I discouraged his right to speak his mind, as misguided and paranoid as it seems to be.

Lou Fabbiano

Glendale

..

Trump fears unwarranted

Over the weekend the GNP ran the usual opinion piece from Ray Richmond. Again from him we read yet another denigrating anti-Trump article. But ironically, on the same day, the L.A. Times included an anti-Obama letter from frequent GNP letter writer, Ray Shelton. It would have been nice to also include Mr. Sheltons letter on the same page with Mr. Richmonds article.

I have personally emailed Mr. Richmond about his recent vehement attacks on Mr. Trump. This week his declaration that he is fearful of a hostile Trump takeover is beyond reality. Enough is enough!

I realize 72% of L.A. County voters wanted Mrs. Clinton for president. But could we just get a grip here? Richmond is grasping at straws with his continued negative commentaries. How about asking him, rather than bashing Mr. Trump every week, to offer a couple opinion pieces on our local politicians: Laura Friedman, Anthony Portantino, Adam Schiff and Kathyrn Barger; or perhaps the issues of open borders, sanctuary cities, California as a sanctuary state, or even CalExit?

Louise (Easy) Delaney

La Crescenta

..

Obama scared GOP voters

Once again we receive our weekly vision of Ray Richmond throwing a temper tantrum in print because Hillary Clinton didnt get elected.

Richmond writes, I have never been so scared in my life. Good. With the Obama leaving the White House, we finally are reaching the end of an error, a major error.

Eight years of falling incomes, rising welfare roles, stagnant wages. Eight years of race baiting, phony red lines in the sand, lies about, If you like your doctor, you can keep you doctor, period.

Eight years of embracing dictatorships, Cuba and Venezuela, and spurning democracies, Israel and Taiwan. Eight years of ignoring the increasing Islamic attacks on American citizens in Boston, Fort Hood, San Bernardino, Club Impulse, and Ft. Lauderdale Airport.

Eight years of girls in the Boy Scouts and boys in the girls bathrooms. Eight years of utter vanity, corruption and waste by a con man and an intellectual thug.

If this is what Richmond is afraid of, then I say Im glad he is scared, and the more frightened the better. The nightmare utopia he so loves is finally, finally, coming to an end.

Ray Shelton

Glendale
Heres how you can win before you even reach Las Vegas: a $58 round-trip flight from Long Beach to Sin City on JetBlue.

The fare, which includes all taxes and fees, is subject to availability. It is for travel Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays through March 21. There is no minimum stay other than what the travel days require.

Info: JetBlue, (800) 538-2583, www.jetblue.com

Advertisement

Source: Airfarewatchdog.com

ALSO:

5 feet in Big Bear? The drought is going to get crushed, forecaster says of new winter storms

Hip and hot: Whats new and noteworthy in California hotels

Lost your cellphone on the road? Heres how to get it back if you take steps now

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
Brazilian authorities on Friday were investigating a plane crash that killed the Supreme Court justice in charge of a major corruption case just weeks before he was scheduled to issue a ruling that could have revealed accusations against politicians in several Latin American countries.

The death of Justice Teori Zavascki, 68, in Thursdays crash is likely to delay, though not derail, the so-called Car Wash investigation, the largest corruption investigation in Brazils history. Investigators allege that inflated contracts with state oil giant Petrobras and other state-run companies yielded billions of dollars for bribes and election campaigns.

The small plane went down in heavy rains Thursday just off the coast of Paraty, a colonial town and popular coastal vacation spot about 155 miles west of Rio de Janeiro. Rescuers said Friday that they had recovered all five bodies from the crash  Zavascki, the pilot, a businessman, a woman who worked for the businessman, and her mother.

Advertisement

Although the cause was unclear, many Brazilians voiced fears of foul play since Zavascki held such an important role in the corruption investigation, in which dozens of politicians and businessmen already have been jailed. Transparency International called for a full investigation into the crash, and federal police and the public prosecutor have opened probes alongside those of aviation authorities.

The planes voice recorder was found Friday and is being sent to an air force laboratory, the Brazilian air force said in a statement. The wreckage of the plane will also be analyzed.

The prosecutors office has already asked aviation authorities for documents about the planes maintenance and the cockpit recordings.

While the Car Wash probe  known as Lava Jato in Brazil  has been led by a team of prosecutors and Judge Sergio Moro in the southern city of Curitiba, Zavascki handled cases involving politicians. Under Brazilian law, only the Supreme Court can decide to charge or jail federal politicians.

Zavascki had been reviewing dozens of plea bargains of former and current executives of the Odebrecht construction company, which was one of the main players in the kickback scheme that prosecutors say yielded more than $2 billion in bribes over a decade.

The justice was expected to decide which of the Odebrecht plea bargains to validate by February, and his death will probably drag out that timeline. Validation would make them public, potentially implicating dozens of politicians in Brazil and several other countries where Odebrecht did business.

President Michel Temer, who could be one of those implicated in the plea bargains, is supposed to name Zavasckis successor, who would typically take over the deceased justices caseload.

However, the court itself could also decide to transfer Zavasckis cases to a sitting justice, and the countrys bar association encouraged the court to do so.

About 100 politicians and business executives have already been arrested or are under investigation in Brazil in the probe of alleged money laundering and other corruption. In addition to Temer, senior Cabinet members and close aides and allies of the president have been implicated in testimony from some of those arrested.
Gambias long-serving president, who tried to cling to power despite an election loss, agreed to step down after the countrys military declared Friday it was loyal to the new president, Adama Barrow.

After 22 years in power, Yahya Jammeh had come under intense pressure to leave, with Barrow sworn in Thursday with the support of West African leaders and the international community.

Jammeh, a mercurial figure who seized power in a 1994 coup and then was elected to several terms, had boasted he would rule a billion years and said only God could remove him from power. But this week his isolation became complete after Gambian military leaders declared their loyalty to Barrow, and West African troops entered the country from neighboring Senegal to put more pressure on him to accept the results of last months election.

Advertisement

A Senegalese official confirmed Jammeh had agreed to depart, the Associated Press reported late Friday, while Reuters news agency cited an advisor close to Barrow confirming the news.

Mediators from a West African leadership group, Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, spent much of Friday negotiating with Jammeh, after giving him until noon to depart. Two presidents, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania and Alpha Conde of Guinea, flew into the Gambian capital of Banjul on Friday and spent most of the day in talks with the ex-president to persuade him to leave.

The deadline came and went, with no movement. Gambian media reported that Jammeh made new demands during the talks, but the incoming president and ECOWAS remained firm that he must depart power Friday. But late Friday, news trickled out that Jammeh had reached a deal to leave office.

On Saturday morning, the Mauritanian president told reporters that Jammeh had agreed to step down and leave the country.

It was a major victory for West African leaders and cemented democracy in a region which is leading the continent in peaceful and democratic transfers of power.

The efforts by West African leaders to ease Jammeh from power in Gambia, a tiny county of 1.9 million in the Gambia River delta, were being closely watched in other parts of Africa, where some leaders have clung to power for decades.

Jammeh had initially accepted his defeat but changed his mind. He mounted a court challenge claiming irregularities and said he would not leave power until his case was heard in court.

Gambian army chief Ousman Badjie, told Reuters on Friday his men would not fight West African forces and that they were loyal to the new president.

We are going to welcome them with flowers and make them a cup of tea, Badjie said. This is a political problem. Its a misunderstanding.

The West African military intervention to pressure Jammeh to leave power was supported by the U.N. Security Council and the U.S.

ECOWAS leaders  many of them former opposition leaders who gained power through democratic elections  refused to accept Jammehs attempts to cling to power and supported Barrows inauguration at the Gambian embassy of neighboring Senegal.

Gambians, tired of Jammehs repressive leadership, celebrated in the streets Thursday after news that Barrow had been sworn into office in Senegal.

Human rights groups said that Jammeh, as president, had opponents and critics arrested and jailed without trial. Barrow came to office promising an end to human rights abuses.

In mediation efforts since last month, ECOWAS has offered Jammeh immunity from prosecution and exile. It was not clear when he would leave Gambia and where he was headed.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

Twitter: @RobynDixon_LAT

ALSO

Mexican drug lord Joaqin El Chapo Guzman pleads not guilty to murder, other charges during N.Y. court hearing

Islamic State destroys part of landmark Roman theater in ancient Syrian city of Palmyra

In India, the bullfight might go on as officials vow to defy a ban on controversial sport

UPDATES:

6:15 p.m.: This article has been updated to say that Jammeh had agreed to step down and leave the country.

This article was originally published at 2:20 p.m.
Ten people were found alive Friday under the debris of a spa hotel in central Italy, two days after an avalanche started by earthquakes flattened the building.

Among those rescued was an 8-year-old boy pulled out 42 hours after he was buried alive. Rescuers ruffled his hair, clapped and cried, Bravo.

His mother, 43, was also helped to safety, as was his 6-year-old sister. Two other children were saved too, officials said.

Advertisement

It was wonderful, they couldnt believe their eyes and told us they had given up hope, said rescuer Marco Bini, a police mountain rescue official who was among about 50 government emergency workers at the hotel.

Their faces said it all, it was like they were reborn, Bini said. They were tired but in good condition. This more than repays us for the work we have done.

Rescuers were working to free the five other people found alive by late Friday in the tangled debris of the Hotel Rigopiano, close to the town of Farindola in the mountainous region of Abruzzo.

We have now opened a way inside the hotel, but the risk of further collapses inside makes it very dangerous in there, Bini said.

Rising temperatures also increased the risk of new avalanches in an area where snow lies six feet deep.

Emergency crews have searched round the clock since early Thursday for around 30 guests and staff who were trapped under 15 feet of snow, tree trunks and boulders that hit the hotel Wednesday afternoon.

Italian junior minister Federica Chiavaroli was thrilled about survivors being found so long after the avalanche, saying, Its a miracle.

Now I hope they find all of them  efforts are now being doubled and tripled, she said.

The first pair of survivors pulled free Thursday were identified as the wife and son of Giampiero Parete, an Italian chef who left the hotel moments before the avalanche hit to get his wife headache medicine from his car, and was found alive Thursday suffering from hypothermia.

As she was helped to the surface, Paretes wife, Adriana Vranceanu, urged rescuers to burrow into a next-door room, where she said the couples 6-year-old daughter, Ludovica, was trapped.

The chef said guests were already trying to leave the hotel before the avalanche struck because they were alarmed by four earthquakes that rattled the building Wednesday. They were told they could not leave because no snowplow was available to clear the road.

An earthquake in the area last August flattened the town of Amatrice and killed nearly 300.

Officials said the 6-foot-high avalanche Wednesday was almost certainly triggered by the recent quakes, each measuring more than magnitude 5.

Two bodies were pulled from the wreckage Thursday, officials said.

Paretes wife and son survived because they were protected by thick walls that held back the snow, but made it hard for their shouts for help to be heard, officials said. Sniffer dogs were used to locate them.

Despite freezing temperatures, survivors under the wreckage may have been kept alive thanks to the air remaining relatively warm in isolated air pockets. Its the same concept as an igloo, Bini said.

Survivor Fabio Salzetta, a maintenance worker at the hotel, was protected because he was in the reinforced concrete room containing the boiler. He was rescued Thursday and flown back to the site Friday to help guide rescuers to spaces where more survivors might be found.

The problem is we have the plans, but the hotel was turned upside down, Bini said.

As Italian army digging equipment arrived on the scene Friday, rescuers were using microphones and thermal imaging cameras to search for signs of life.

Our sniffer dogs are still the most reliable, said Luca Cari, a spokesman for Italian firefighters.

Cari added, The hotel was so hard hit we found a mattress 500 meters from the site.

Prosecutors opened a probe to determine whether hotel and local officials did not take the threat of an avalanche serious enough. In addition, prosecutor Christina Tedeschini reportedly said officials were looking into whether local authorities did not heed pleas for a rescue team until about two hours after the avalanche occurred about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The effort to help those trapped included rescuers who resorted to cross-country skiing to reach the hotel because the road was blocked by minor avalanches.

Lorenzo Gagliardi, one of those who donned skis, said it took four hours to travel eight kilometers (about five miles) to reach the hotel during a fierce blizzard.

We moved forward in single file, each skier 20 meters [about 66 feet] behind the one in front, so that if another avalanche came, it would not have taken all of us, he said.

Kington is a special correspondent.

ALSO

Drug lord El Chapo extradited to the U.S.

U.S. stealth bombers, drones launch airstrikes against Islamic State in Libya

West African forces move into Gambia to oust a defeated leader who refuses to give up power

UPDATES:

1:45 p.m.: This article has been updated with more information on survivors and other details.

9:15 a.m.: This article has been updated with Times reporting.

7:40 a.m.: This article has been updated with descriptions of avalanche survivors.

4:40 a.m.: This article was updated with reports of additional survivors.

This article was originally published at 3:20 a.m.
For centuries, the Roman theater in the historic Syrian town of Palmyra was the main stage for public events there. The current civil war did not change that.

When Islamic State militants captured the town in May 2015, they used the theater to hold a ceremonial beheading of government soldiers.

Ten months later, after government forces took back Palmyra, the Mariinsky Orchestra visited from Russia and filled the theater with the music of Prokofiev.

Advertisement

Then last month the town and its theater, one of the best preserved buildings of its kind, fell back into the hands of the militants.

Now satellite images obtained by the American School of Oriental Research show that the theater has been badly damaged, with significant harm to its facade, the Boston-based nonprofit said Friday. The group, as well as government and opposition activists, said the destruction was part of a campaign by Islamic State to destroy the citys artifacts.

The militants also inflicted extensive damage on the Tetrapylon, a 16-column structure that was an integral part of Palmyras colonnaded streets. The structure appeared to have been intentionally destroyed using explosives, the American nonprofit said in a statement.

This combination of photographs shows satellite-detected images of the damaged Roman tetrapylon and amphitheater in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. (HO / AFP/Getty Images )

Two columns remain standing, but the majority of the structure has been severely damaged and column drums and debris are visible on the ground around the structure, it reported.

All but one of the pink Egyptian granite columns were modern reproductions erected in 1963, according to the Associated Press.

Islamic State, which espouses an extreme interpretation of Sunni Islam, considers artifacts such as those in Palmyra to be idolatrous.

During their previous 10-month reign over the ancient city, the jihadists blew up graves, the Arch of Triumph as well as the Temple of Bel, an important religious building built in the first half of the 1st century.

In August 2015, after Khaled Assad, an octogenarian archaeologist who dedicated his life to the study of Palmyra, refused to divulge the location of artifacts and treasure supposedly buried in the area, the militants beheaded and crucified him, reports at the time said.

An intense Russian air campaign helped Syrian government forces take back the city in March of 2016. Though Islamic State has recently suffered major losses in the Iraqi city of Mosul and Syrian areas near the Turkish border, the group managed to take back Palmyra in a blitz attack this past December.

The United Nations cultural agency called the latest attack on historic sites a war crime.

The operation is tied to revenge, Syrias antiquities chief, Maamoun Abdul Karim, said Friday in an interview conducted over the WhatsApp messaging service.

The theater and the Tetrapylon have nothing to do with religion, he wrote. It is against cultural heritage and the international community.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

ALSO

U.S. bombers strike Islamic State camps in Libya

Islamic State claims responsibility for Istanbul nightclub attack that killed 39

Netanyahu blames Islamic State inspiration for truck rampage that kills 4 Israeli soldiers

UPDATES:

1:30 p.m.: This article was updated with background on the Syrian civil war and Palmyras artifacts.

This article was originally published at 7:10 a.m.
Joel Wing, a high school social studies teacher in Oakland, was at home working on his MacBook Air one recent afternoon when he saw troubling news out of Baghdad.

The United Nations had just released its estimate for the number of soldiers and other fighters killed in Iraq in November: 1,959 security forces dead, a number that looked like the highest monthly total in two years.



For the record: Jan. 21, 7:11 p.m.: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Bruno Geddo as the head of the U.S. refugee agency in Iraq. He represents the United Nations refugee agency.

But that wasnt what was really troubling Wing. The U.N. also announced that it would be releasing no future combatant casualty estimates: Iraqi military commanders had been criticizing the reports, calling their numbers inaccurate and much exaggerated, and the international agency was bowing out until a sound methodology of verification can be found to better substantiate the figures.

Advertisement

It was a sad moment for tracking the violence and security situation in Iraq, said Wing, who immediately fired back on his nine-year-old blog, Musings on Iraq.

The Iraqi Joint Operations Command said that those figures were exaggerated without giving any correction of its own, Wing wrote, noting that the U.N.s decision, will create a huge gap in keeping up with the cost of the war.

Someone would have to fill it. For many who have followed the war in Iraq and the number of lives it has claimed, that would be Wing.

Teacher Joel Wing and Desmond Pueyrredon, 17, right, go over paperwork in his Oakland classroom. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times )

The 47-year-old teacher at Oakland Technical High School has never been to Iraq, but he has become one of the go-to sources for reliable data and trends on the violent toll of the 14-year-old conflict in the troubled country.

Wing, a native of Berkeley who earned a bachelors and masters in international relations at San Francisco State University, then a teaching credential at nearby Mills College, has been teaching English and social studies at Oakland Technical High School since 1995.

Back then, Wings main passion was music. He played bass in several punk, ska and heavy metal bands: Dance Hall Crashers, Corrupted Morals, Bumblescrump and Desecration. Rasputin Records in Berkeley put his photo in the window on Telegraph Avenue, and as the bands toured, he got to know members of big-league groups like Metallica and Green Day.

But when the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, Wing found himself deeply troubled and was determined to understand the country. He launched his blog as a way to reflect and connect with experts.

Joel Wing is one of the few people tracking casualty figures for the ogoing conflict in Iraq. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times )

Four years ago, as he sensed a battle looming to confront the militant group Islamic States widening hold on territory, he began compiling and posting casualty figures. Soon, academics and experts around the world began following his work.

Wing is older now, with shorter, spiky black hair and glasses, but still has no particular political agenda and takes no outside funding for his blog. His twitter profile photo is of Raiden, the Japanese god of thunder and lightning recently popularized in the Mortal Kombat video game (and the 1986 cult classic Big Trouble in Little China).

Wing reads 44 English and Arabic language newspapers daily, with the help of Google Translate, and has always posted regular analysis, civilian and combatant casualty totals.

Since the offensive began to retake Mosul, he expanded his blog to include daily analysis of the attacks.

He has shared interviews with Iraq experts, including Bruno Geddo, head of the United Nations refugee agency in Iraq, the governor of Anbar province, former military commanders, CIA analysts and diplomats.

Wing compiles figures from attacks reported in the media as well as from U.N. figures. He includes locations, allowing him to report that 63% of attacks last year occurred in the provinces surrounding Baghdad and Mosul.

The totals represent a disturbing trend: The number of Iraqi combatants killed in November was 1,988, the highest monthly death toll since Islamic State seized Mosul in June 2014  and more than all the Americans killed each year since the 2003 invasion.

(A total of 4,514 U.S. forces have been killed in Iraq, with the highest death toll occurring in 2007, when 904 Americans were killed, according to the icasualties website.)

Wing loves to network and talks to everyone, from contractors removing roadside bombs in Fallujah to Iraqi reporters in Baghdad, one of whom was killed in a bombing last year which was documented on his blog.

Michael Knights, an Iraq expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, called Wing a committed Iraqi analyst  very emblematic of how technology mixed with obsessive interest can nowadays create experts in unconventional ways.

His work is a solid collation of open source data and decent trend spotting from the data. It is a legitimate source. He spotted a lot of stuff before traditional analysts and even intel agencies, Knights said.

Hamit Dardagan, who co-founded the London-based Iraq Body Count website in 2003, which tracks mainly civilian casualties, called Wing amazing, his numbers credible.

Dardagan said Iraqi government criticism of the release of casualty statistics appears politically motivated.

Combatant casualty figures are closely guarded by Iraqi military commanders, who see them as damaging to morale and a propaganda boost for Islamic State.

Theyre concerned about winning and anything that might weaken morale is something theyre going to be very careful with, Dardagan said.

Joel Wing reads 44 English and Arabic language newspapers daily, with the help of Google translate, and posts daily analysis, plus monthly civilian and combatant casualty totals. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times )

As Wing sees it, hes providing a public service. Violence is part of everyday Iraqi life. Its important to keep track of whats going on and how much the violence has cost the country in terms of peoples lives, he said.

Theres a history of such laymen tracking Iraq casualties. After the 2003 invasion, a Bay Area anti-war activist and Georgia software engineer built the icasualties.org site into the most reliable source for accurate figures on U.S. casualties there and, later, in Afghanistan. But that website, like others of its kind, doesnt track Iraqi combatants.

Wing has faced his share of scrutiny from Iraq experts.

All of these people are in Washington, D.C., and theyre like, Who is this Joel Wing guy? Why is he in California? A high school teacher?, Wing said as he sat in his classroom after school one recent afternoon, the wall covered with whiteboards and photos from dozens of former pupils.

Hes had a student serve in Afghanistan, but not in Iraq. His 12th grade American history students, whom he calls my kids, seem to take only a passing interest in his blog and the Iraq books on his desk (hes reading Sir John Chilcots 12-volume report on the war, published in July).

Wing tries to limit blogging to his lunch, conference period and after school, but that doesnt always work. His girlfriend has taken to calling his MacBook your other girlfriend, he said, because Im always on the computer doing Iraq stuff.

The Pentagon has asked Wing to come work for them as an analyst, but he declined. He also declined two opportunities to travel to Iraq, once when the U.S. ambassador asked him to serve at the embassy for six months. He cant leave his 140 students behind, he says.

Im very committed to teaching at a public urban school, Wing said, and wasnt going to step away from the kids for that much time.

 Oakland social studies teacher Joel Wing started his Musings on Iraq blog eight years ago, but began tracking casualties in earnest earlier this year as forces geared up for the Oct. 17 Mosul offensive.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com

Twitter: @mollyhf
China and US must have stable links

From:Xinhua | 2017-01-19 11:41

The world needs China and the United States to have a stable and cooperative relationship, Chinese President Xi Jinping told US Vice President Joe Biden, as new uncertainty looms with Donald Trump taking office tomorrow as Americas president.



Meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Xi told Biden that he positively appraised his efforts to increase friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries, Chinas Foreign Ministry said late on Tuesday.

In the 38 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, relations between the two countries have weathered wind and rain, but generally have continued to forge ahead, Xi said.

Under President Barack Obama, there had been a correct development in relations, and important and positive results achieved, with trade and people-to-people exchanges reaching new highs, Xi added.

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.

Biden responded that the United States hoped the two countries could continue to deepen mutual trust and expand cooperation.

Trump, who takes office tomorrow, has rattled China with threats to impose tariffs on Chinese imports and by questioning Washingtons commitment to the One-China policy, under which America acknowledges that Taiwan is part of China.

China yesterday urged the United States not to allow a Taiwanese delegation to attend Trumps inauguration.

Trump broke with decades of precedent last month by taking a congratulatory telephone call from Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen, and he has also said the One-China policy was up for negotiation.

A spokesman for Tsais office said yesterday no meetings were scheduled with the new Trump administration while the delegation was in the US for Fridays inauguration.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China was opposed Taiwan using any excuse to send people to the US to engage in activities to interfere in or damage China-US ties.

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, Hua told reporters at a regular press briefing.

Chinas position has already accurately and unmistakably been given to the US administration and Trumps team, she said.

In Washington, a top aide to US President Obama on Tuesday reiterated the stance of the current administration that the One-China policy is not negotiable, slamming any effort to reopen the issue as dangerous.

Its not negotiable in the sense that our entire relationship with China is founded upon the One-China policy. That was a basis for the Shanghai Communique and the reestablishment of diplomatic relations, Ben Rhodes, Obamas deputy national security adviser, said at a briefing.

Rhodes called the One-China policy an agreement we reached with the biggest country in the world and the framework under which we do everything.

Rhodes warned the upcoming US administration against seeking a new approach to the issue, calling such potential move dangerous and destabilizing.

Its dangerous. The risk of escalation in the Taiwan Strait is just a flashpoint the world does not need right now. The United States certainly doesnt, Rhodes said.

He added that he does not see any benefit to the US in changing the long-standing policy.

China is not going to negotiate anything, so I am not sure what is accomplished by pursuing an approach where you seek to reopen it, he said. Getting into the space of something like Taiwan just risks destabilizing that relationship without any potential benefit that I can foresee.
MEXICO CITY  Salvadoran electoral authorities on Thursday declared leftist Vice President Salvador Sanchez Ceren the winner of a bitterly contested presidential election, but the political right refused to accept the loss.

Tension continued to run high in the small Central American country four days after a runoff vote favored Sanchez Ceren, a former guerrilla commander, by the tiniest of margins, according to a final count by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal.

The tribunal said Sanchez Ceren, of the ruling Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), received 50.11% of the vote, compared with 49.89% for Norman Quijano of the right-wing Arena party, a former mayor of San Salvador, the nations capital. About 3 million ballots were cast, with the difference between the two candidates just shy of 6,400 votes.

Advertisement

The Arena party has accused the FMLN of widespread fraud and Thursday blasted Sanchezs victory as illegitimate, branding the electoral commission partial. Quijano called for a full recount vote by vote.

I am confident we won this election, Quijano said. Earlier in the week, he raised the specter of violence -- a throwback to the civil war that racked the country from 1980 to 1992 -- by suggesting the army would intervene.

But military commanders said at a news conference Wednesday that they were staying out of the dispute and would accept the tribunals final say.

In these elections, hope and joy overcame fear, Sanchez Ceren said. He invited the opposition into a dialogue and promised to work to build an inclusive country.

Twenty-two years after peace accords [that ended the war], democracy has come to El Salvador to stay, he said on his Twitter account.

At 69, the now-gray Sanchez Ceren will be the first guerrilla fighter to govern El Salvador. The FMLN won the 2009 presidential election, ending nearly two decades of conservative rule by Arena, but the candidate that year was Mauricio Funes, a former television reporter sympathetic to the left but who had not fought as a rebel.

Funes term ends June 1 with Sanchez Cerens inauguration, barring any surprises. The parties have several days to present complaints and challenges.

The blade-thin vote margin and the festering dispute over the balloting bode ill for governing the still-violent country, dogged by gang warfare, a growing presence of drug traffickers and deep poverty.

As the vote shows, the country remains polarized, represented by political parties with starkly opposite philosophies long after a war that killed 75,000 Salvadorans and drove tens of thousands of refugees to Southern California and other parts of the U.S.

Society is divided, Abraham Abrego, an analyst with the Studies Foundation for the Application of Law, said by telephone from San Salvador. There is no consensus over the models that the parties propose. There needs to be understanding and negotiation, with everyone putting in their part, and what we are seeing is the opposite of that.

The FMLN and Arena were bitter enemies during the war, in which the U.S. government, in what it said was an effort to stop the spread of communism, backed Salvadoran governments and armies against the rebels, who received support from Cuba and the Soviet bloc. The two sides fought to a virtual stalemate. The FMLN became a political party after United Nations-brokered accords ended the war.

Sanchez Ceren, who commanded the most powerful faction of the rebel group, won the first electoral round on Feb. 2 with 49% of the vote, in a three-way race. Because no one received more than 50%, a runoff was held between him and second-place finisher Quijano.

Before Sundays vote, polls had suggested Sanchez Ceren would coast to victory by a substantial margin. Analysts said one reason for the tighter race may have been Quijanos effort to portray Sanchez Ceren as a Hugo Chavez-style ruler who would take El Salvador down the same road as Venezuela.

wilkinson@latimes.com
Colombia is working on the "definitive exit" of the Brazilian builder, according to the head of the country's national infrastructure agency
Next Rulers Of The British Monarchy After The Retirement Of Queen Elizabeth: Reports Indicate Differently

staff@latinoshealth.com By partha das Jan 20, 2017 01:10 AM EST

Queen Elizabeth is preparing to step down from the throne in 2017. Yes, recent reports reveal the fact. Prince Charles and Camilla Parker will play the lead roles in the monarchy.

According to the Celeb Dirty Laundry, 2017 might be the year when Queen Elizabeth will retire and the royal couple will take the charge. Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles have already played the key roles to lead the royal family members on their annual pilgrimage to Sandringham Estate. Members of the family followed the couple.

Sources say Queen Elizabeth was not present to attend the ceremony. It is reported that doctors advised her to stay indoors as she is not feeling well. Winter has already engulfed the weather and so the Queen has some health issues.

The royal observers believe that Queen Elizabeth is stepping down because of the health issues. They also believe that Prince Charles can be the new King of England. NPR reports that the absence of the Queen during the annual event has already raised a series of queries.

On the Christmas Day, Prince Charles made a powerful and relevant speech. Analysts believe that people will observe more public appearances of the Prince Chares in the coming days. His powerful speech indicates that he is ready to be the next leader.

Previous reports from different corners indicate that Queen Elizabeth actually wanted her grandson Prince William to be the next King of England. She wanted Prince William and Kate Middleton to take the responsibility of the throne. Even the Queen had an interaction with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge about the British monarchy.

But the current situation is different. Current incidents indicate that Prince Charles can be the ultimate owner of the British throne. Though no recent reports are surfacing regarding the Queen's health and the next King of England.

Different questions are now the key topics of discussion among the people. It is not yet clear when Queen Elizabeth will retire. Even nobody knows who will be the final successor to the British throne. The royal fans have to wait to see the next development.

Subscribe to the latinos health newsletter!
Study Finds That Women Of Indigenous Communities Prefer Self-Screening For Cervical Cancer-Causing Virus

staff@latinoshealth.com By Aboki Basira Jan 20, 2017 08:21 AM EST

A new study by researchers at the University of Michigan suggests that women in Latin America communities, who often lack hospitals and health care facilities needed to process traditional screenings for cervical cancer would prefer to perform an alternative test at home. Cervical cancer is a preventable disease if detected on time, but it remains one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among women in these communities, especially women from poor and indigenous societies.

The study is said to be the first to investigate into whether women in indigenous Latin American communities are willing to take self screening and follow up with the results. The findings may serve as a new strategy for health officials who are seeking alternative techniques to combat cervical cancer in the region. The condition affects three times as many women as it does in North America, according to Medical express.

The study was conducted in Santiago Atitlan, a Tz'utujil indigenous community of 45,000 residents in Guatemala. Up to 40 percent of women in Guatemala have been screened for cervical cancer with the age-standardized annual incidence and mortality rate being 22.3 and 12.5 per 100,000 women, respectively.

"In our community-based cross sectional study, we found that women from the indigenous community of Santiago Atitlan were fairly open to trying HPV self-sampling (a vaginal self-swab), lead author and a doctoral student at the U-M School of Public Health, Anna Gottschlich said. The women, after trying it, considered it to be a much preferred alternative to the Pap smear, she said. The researchers noted that there are up to 13 types of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) linked with the development of cervical cancers. They account for more than 90 percent of all cervical cancers, according to Michigan news.

However, the prevention of the condition has been focused on Pap smears to detect lesions caused by the virus and vaccination for persons who are not sexually active. Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) which allows for a one see/screen/treat approach, is another strategy, assistant professor of epidemiology at U-M's School of Public Health, Rafael Meza says. All these methods will require women to go to a hospital for the test, and to return for the results and later treatment in the case of Pap smear.

HPV screenings are recommended by health organizations as it is highly sensitive to high-risk HPVs. Although, the screenings were initially cost-prohibitive for low income generating countries, the researchers say they are now becoming more affordable with a self-collection method as a viable alternative.

The trial questionnaire was completed by 212 women between the age of 18 and 60 from nine neighborhoods. The questionnaire comprises of 143 questions about demographics, preventive health care practices, HPV and cervical cancer.

The researchers discovered that only 15 percent of the participants reported previous knowledge of HPV with 93 percent showing interested and willing to collect a self sample, of which 89 percent were eligible and provided an example. Ineligibility is determined by menstrual period or pregnancy.

All the participants reported that they were willing to perform the test periodically as a screening method, 79 percent of them said the test was comfortable and 91 percent report that the test was easy to use, and 17 percent of the samples were positive for at least one of 13 types of high-risk HPV. The authors said the acceptability of the test was extremely high as almost 100 percent wanted to try. The researchers hope that their findings will help local and regional authorities to identify the best cervical cancer screening alternative for their own communities. They published their findings in the January edition of the Journal of Global Oncology.

Subscribe to the latinos health newsletter!
Vaccines For Ebola And Zika: Drug Makers Enhance Initiatives To Avert Outbreak

staff@latinoshealth.com By partha das Jan 20, 2017 05:31 AM EST

Currently, Ebola and Zika epidemics are creating a great headache for the doctors and the drug makers. Some of the key drug makers enhance their initiatives to develop new vaccines to avert pandemics. The companies have taken all the efforts to tame the difficult situation.

Pharmaceutical companies like Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKlinePlc, and Sanofi are taking collective initiatives with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations has already raised a fund of $460 million. It is a unique effort to block the outbreak of Ebola and Zika. Even Pfizer Inc. is ready to offer its co-operation.

The $460 million is collected from the governments of Japan, Norway, and Germany. Even Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust are also key parts of this huge collection of the fund. Bloomberg reports that GlaxoSmithKlinePlc is ready with the scientist and the technology to enhance the effort.

Andrew Witty, the Chief Executive Officer, said that Glaxo is ready to proceed with the proposed biopreparedness facility to invent new vaccines. He uttered that "phase II completed vaccines" are ready to fight the risk of pathogens. He stressed on the preparedness.

The aim of the collective effort of these Pharmaceutical companies is to develop the vaccines to protect people from the sudden emerge of viruses. The coalition will spend half of the collected money in the first five years. The preparation "will target the MERS, Lassa and Nipah viruses first".

India will help to fund the initiatives as a co-founder of the group. Famous personality Bill Gates opines that Ebola and Zika indicate the unpreparedness to face any sudden outbreak. The Recent outbreak of Ebola eliminated 11,000 lives in West Africa.

Reports unveil that unit for Glaxo's biopreparedness would be based in Maryland and the Rockville. Even the company has already opened a global development center for vaccine research. The company is trying to avail all available technologies.

Ripley Ballou, the head of the Glaxo's global vaccines research and development center, said that the company is working with the latest technologies to provide faster response to tackle sudden emergency. The company is dealing with the mRNA, one of the modern technologies. The US National Institute of Health and Glaxo jointly started the evaluation of the mRNA from last year.

The technology is used to create a breakthrough to tame the Zika. Ripley Ballou has reported that Glaxo's preparation to tackle the Zika will start human testing in 2018. The current aim of the global coalition of the pharmaceutical companies and the countries is to develop promising vaccines. The vaccines will help to fight against any unknown or new viruses.

Subscribe to the latinos health newsletter!
6 Scientists To Spend 8 Months In Tiny Dome As NASA Simulates Mission To Mars

staffreporter@latinoshealth.com By Paul Te Jan 20, 2017 10:10 AM EST

NASA's aim to achieve a foothold on Martian soil has taken another step higher. Six NASA-funded scientists have volunteered to take the challenge in entering a tiny dome and spend eight long months without any contact from the outside world.

Daily Mail said the project will be on the Big Island's Mauna Loa Volcano. It aims to study and look at human behavior in long-term space exploration including the planned journey to Mars in the future.

With no physical connections from people in the outside world, the group will work in with a 20-minute delay in communications mimicking the time for an email to arrive in Earth from Mars. The environment will be useful in the study since it will assess the physical and psychological difficulties associated with living in isolation and confinement for extended period.

Principal Investigator Kim Binstead, a University of Hawaii science professor, said, "We are hoping to figure out how best to select the individual astronauts, how to compose a crew and how to support that crew for a long duration of space missions."

Leading the world on a journey to Mars, NASA is burning their eyebrows to develop and find ways to let humans reach the Martian ground. According to them, the agency's detailed outline of the plan was released in its report to the public, "NASA's journey to Mars: Pioneering Next Steps in Space Exploration."

NASA administrator Charles Bolden explains, "NASA is closer to sending American astronaut to Mars than at any point in our history." He also added that "Today, we are publishing additional details about our journey to Mars plan and how we are aligning all of our work in support of this goal. In the coming weeks, I look forward to continuing to discuss the details of our plan with members of the congress, as well as our commercial and our international partners...."

Along with other strategies and developments in the plans aiming to reach Mars, this new project is designed to help the US space agency send humans to on long space voyages including to Mars by 2030s.

Subscribe to the latinos health newsletter!
The rapid growth of human civilization is now directly affecting on Nature. Wildfires, melting the ice of Antarctica, sea level rising all are the result of global warming. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on Wednesday that,2016 was the hottest year ever recorded.

Both agencies admitted that the temperature rising is caused by the human. Carbon Dioxide(CO2), Carbon Monoxide(CO), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and other greenhouse gas emitted by various automobile vehicles, factories, power plants are causing temperatures to climb upward. Here is a list of some effects caused by the global temperature rising:

Wildfire in the west

The rate of wildfires dramatically increased over the last 30 years in the west. Since 1980s human-caused warming doubled the area of the burn. According to Los Angeles Times, over 16,000 square miles of the area got burned which is equivalent to the combined area of Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Plants and trees get dry quickly in warm weather condition and dry leaves and twigs are burn prone when it just get a spark it starts to burn and spreads fire like a chain reaction.

Melting Arctic ice and sea level rising Rising temperature melts glaciers and polar ice and melting ice ends up with rising up sea levels. Over the last century, sea level has increased 6 inches and its still increasing. Current temperature suggests that waters could rise by 6 feet or more by the end of the century. This height can threaten 13.1 million US coastal residents with flooding. Researchers found average American produces almost 16 metric tons of CO2 in a year which is enough to melt 50 square meters of Arctic sea ice.

Undersea ecosystem problem

Not only land but also undersea creatures are in trouble for this global warming. It's also affecting the ecosystem of seawater. Ocean water absorbs heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Diluted CO2 make the water acidic. It makes sea creatures behave abnormally and decays shells of shell fishes and corals.

There are so many species of plants and animals who lives in cold environments. It is really hard to survive in warm condition for those species. As per the Wired report, animals have to migrate from their ancestral home to survive but sometimes their new home doesnt seem habitable which leads them to mass extinction.

Warmer temperature of the atmosphere

80 percent of the US population reported that they are feeling more pleasant weather over the last 40 years. It is happening because the temperature of those places was risen up. So, it feels good but it is not a good message for the citizens. In 2006 California, 650 people were reported dead due to cardiovascular disease and asthma caused by high temperature of the atmosphere.
As terror reigns in most parts of the world, one cannot help but wish these will stop and peace will replace what war-streaked countries have right now. But the most dreadful consequence is the loss of lives as military fought against rebels, thus collateral damages occur. However, what happened in the northeastern town of Rann where a refugee camp was 'mistakenly' bombarded may be a question as to how much extent soldiers remain as humane as possible even in the face of their opponents?

Anger and revenge are what has transpired on that fateful day of Tuesday, leaving almost a 100 refugees and aid workers dead and 200 wounded as per reports from ABC News. Unfortunately, this is not the first of many Nigerian missions against the Islamic Militants that has killed civilians but this is the first time they had admitted their faults. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has already expressed his condolences and remorse over Nigerian air forces' miscalculated actions that have caused innocent lives.

According to reports from Los Angeles Times, Doctors Without Borders have already counted 52 killed and almost 200 wounded with most of them under a critical condition as the mortality increases over time. The refugee camp was thought to be Boko Haram's hideout; he is a member of an Islamist extremist group that has started an up rise in northeastern Nigeria for more than 13 years. Dr. Jean-Cl?ment Cabrol, the aid group's director of operations has called the incident as "unacceptable and shocking" while the group's head of emergency programs, Hugues Robert describes the evacuation program at night as hard and insecure.

Among the mortalities are the members of the Nigerian Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders that were helping out displaced evacuees as they flee on war-torn places. Geographic coordinates and information were the basis of the theater commander to order the mission, knowing that rebels were gathering there. An investigation is already on its way as to know who and what has caused the error.
MSN listed the avalanches in some European countries, years of their occurrences, and the number of deaths.

According to CNN, just recently an avalanche happened in Italy, killing more than 25 people after engulfing an Italian mountain hotel as reported by national civil protection agency in Thursday. Avalanches usually occurred in mountain ranges and a threat to people living in the area.

In 2016 France reported six French legionnaires died on January 18 on a training mission when they were caught at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters. In the same year five Italians and one Austrian died while doing mountain climbing when a 300 meter snowslide swept them away at an altitude of more than 3,300 meters in the Monte Nevoso Region.

On January 24, 2015 four French men and two women were killed by an avalanche while ski touring in Queyras range in eastern France. On September 15, same year four Germans and three Czechs were killed by an avalanche while climbing in the Dome de Neige des Ecrins, a tourist area.

Another incident in France was recorded in July 12, 2012 resulting to nine deaths. Nationals from Britain, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland were the victims. The tragedy happened while they tried to scale the north face of Mont Maudit in the Mont-Blanc range in the French Alps.

The greatest among these tragedies was recorded in Russia that totaled 127 deaths (some were recovered and some were missing). On September 20, 2002, the village of Nizhny Karmadon in the Caucasian Republic of North Ossetia was crushed by a huge mass of rock and ice that broke off a glacier. Included in the fatalities is the son of a prominent Russian director Sergei Bodrov Jr. who was filming during that time, MSN reported.

In Austria, 12 deaths were confirmed on March 28, 2000 that includes 11 young ski instructors and a snow surfer on the Kitzsteinhorn. Just a year ago before this incident, on February 23, 31 people were killed at the Galtuer ski area in western Austria's Tyrol region by a huge avalanche which buried some houses. And on the next day 7 were added by a slide in the nearby village of Valzur.

Again in France, on February 9, 1999 an avalanche killed 12 people near the village of Tour, in Chamonix valley near Mont Blanc. And on January 23, 1998 nine teenagers, a teacher and an instructor were killed as they snow-shoeing near the Orres ski area in the southern French Alps.
Microsoft has been rumored that they are working on a high-end Surface Phone, a device that utilizes with a flexible axis display that would transform into Windows tablets. This patent filing was found by the MSPoweruser uncover that Microsoft is experimenting with this kind of concept for future mobile phones. The diagram was accompanied with notes and detailed graphs that look like an extensive mobile phone that can fold over and change into a tablet shape or even the tent mode that is found on Lenovo's range of Yoga tablets.

According to BGR, the patent was granted on January 10th that includes a lot of symbolism to clarify Microsoft's vision. The client would have the capacity to easily change from tablet to mobile phone, which the screen is being set on the outside of the gadget. In that way, the tablet could be utilized as a mobile phone in a smaller frame, or as a tablet when unfolded. There it appears to be modes for a few screens to stretch out the flat to make the gadget bigger and more of a tablet like Microsoft's unique Courier concept.

The Microsoft phone patent was initially filed in October 2014. The Verge stated that while Microsoft licenses a large number of innovations that can never make it into conclusive products, the setting of this specific application is critical. The inventor is listed as Kabir Siddiqui, who has been successfully protected Microsoft's Surface kickstand and Surface camera angle previously. Endless rumors have implied that Microsoft is hoping to convey a Surface Phone to the market this year.

However, the software maker has reliably avoided customary form components for its Surface gadgets. Microsoft's Surface Studio gadget was leaked out months ahead of time on account of patent filings that was revealed the exact plan of the company's 2-in-1 PC. It is unlikely that this will be the final outline of the rumored Surface Phone, however, this sort of concept device could give a few insights on how Microsoft is taking the smartphones and mobile devices after its retreat from the mobile market last year. Besides Microsoft's patent does not give an assurance that such device will be actually be built.

On the other hand, there is a recent claim said that Samsung will release a smartphone just like the one with Microsoft concept later this year. LG is likewise rumored to have a comparable foldable screen innovation set up, which is even more progressed than Samsung. However, the reports claimed that LG may even give the foldable screen to its rivals, including Apple and others.
A 56-year-old Offaly man has been sentenced to one and a half years in prison, with the last nine months suspended, for two counts of indecent assault in the 1980s on a boy aged eight or nine.

The recent circuit court heard that the man, who cannot be named, also admitted to having abused another boy in the 1980s, when he was employed as a care worker with the HSE. The man was not charged in relation to this incident.

Regarding the two counts of indecent assault before the court, the first happened in Offaly on a date believed to be in 1983 or 1984, when the accused was 18 or 19.

The victim and the accused shared a bedroom, and one night after returning from a pub with drink taken, the accused removed his underpants and put his hand under the bedclothes to touch the victims penis. The accused then masturbated himself while fondling the victims penis.

The accused would later claim that he had a notion the victim enjoyed the indecent assault, but the victim made a statement making it clear that he was totally confused by the entire incident and did not enjoy it.

A second incident occurred in a field in Offaly, on a date between February 20, 1983, and February 19, 1987. The two went for a walk and the accused became aroused and began to touch himself and the victim.

He put his hand inside the victims underwear and masturbated himself to ejaculation. The victim later stated that the accused placed the victims penis in his mouth.

The accused did not recall placing the victims penis in his mouth, however he did not dispute the victims version of events and said he may have blocked this aspect of the assault out of his mind.

In a victim impact statement, the injured party said that as a consequence of the abuse he suffered fear, anxiety, suspicion of adults, insecurity, guilt and shame.

When he became an adult, he had relationship difficulties both with his mother and his first wife. He abused alcohol and became depressed, and then became concerned for the safety of his own daughter.

He said that he sometimes still gets flashbacks to when he was a child and has the same feelings he had when he was abused.

Judge Keenan Johnson said: It is clear that the abuse perpetrated by the accused on the victim had a profound and life-changing effect on him.

In sentencing, Judge Johnson said that the accused had prayed on a person who was weak, vulnerable and at least 12 years his junior.

He said it was clear the victims growth and development had been severely inhibited by the offending, with much of his adult life defined by the effects of the offending in that he suffered alcoholism, breakdown of relationships, anxiety, depression, guilt and shame.

A probation report placed the accused at medium risk of sexual offending. Judge Johnson also noted with concern that the accused had acknowledged that he abused another young boy during the 1980s when he was employed by the HSE as a care worker.

In mitigation, the judge noted that the probation report also indicated that the accused was the victim of sexual abuse from the age of three years.

The judge went on to say that, nevertheless, the accused did know that the actions he took against the victim were wrong, and accordingly he must accept responsibility.

Judge Johnson imposed one a half years in prison, with the final nine months suspended on condition the accused enter a peace bond of four years; he remain under probation supervision for two years; and he engage in weekly group therapy for men who have sexually offended for two years after his release from prison.

In closing, Judge Johnson addressed a few words to the accuseds family, saying that they should acknowledge and empathise with the victim on the wrong he suffered.
A 25-year-old man described as one of the main drug dealers in the Portarlington area has been sentenced to ten months in jail, after being caught selling heroin to undercover gardai on two separate dates.

Kenneth Roche (25), 173 North Road, Finglas, Dublin, was charged at last weeks district court with two counts of having drugs for sale or supply, and drug possession, in Portarlington on November 26 and December 17, 2015.

Inspector Aidan Farrelly gave evidence that the accused was arrested as part of an undercover operation into the sale of drugs in the Portlaoise and Portarlington area in 2015.

On November 26, 2015, the accused sold two bags of diamorphine valued at 30 to undercover gardai, at Kilnacourt Wood, Portarlington.

On December 17, 2015, the accused again sold diamorphine to undercover gardai, three bags valued 50.

When arrested, the accused did not cooperate with gardai, and did not admit the offences, said Insp Farrelly.

The accused had no previous convictions for drugs, but had for road traffic matters.

Defence, Ms Louise Troy said her client was a drug addict, who had been using drugs since the age of 16 or 17. She said he needed to wake up and had sought to go for in-house treatment, with an appointment due on January 16.

Ms Troy also said Roche had a job lined up, which was the first real opportunity he had ever had.

Judge Catherine Staines said these were very serious offences, with Roche dealing in misery by selling heroin.

Saying she wanted to hear from a member of the drugs unit, she put the matter back to the afternoon.

When the case was recalled, a detective garda told the court that the accused was the main name on the list locally in the undercover operation.

The detective said he never knew the accused to be a drug addict, only a dealer.

Judge Catherine Staines imposed ten months in prison, with recognisance fixed in the event of an appeal.

Roche subsequently appealed the conviction.

A separate charge relating to motoring offences, including no driving licence or no insurance, on July 13 last year was put back to April 28 for hearing.
Cathaoirleach of Manorhamilton Municipal District, Cllr Justin Warnock is calling for the Council to investigate the possibility of having north Leitrim designated as a National Park.

Speaking at the recent Municipal District meeting, Cllr Warnock said that he was basing his idea on the structure of national parks in the UK such as the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District.

"The north Leitrim area is an area of outstanding natural beauty in its entirety," he said, adding that he believed having it declared a national park would "be phenomenal and would create many new jobs".

Director of Service, Corporate Service and Housing, Mary Quinn pointed out there are six National Parks in Ireland - Wicklow Mountains National Park, The Burren National Park, Killarney National Park, Glenveagh National Park, Connemara National Park, Ballycroy National Park.

She explained that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has set strict criteria for use of the term"national park" and added that the overseeing department for national parks in Ireland the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.

Ms Quinn said that national parks in Ireland, in the main, are generally areas of land which are in public ownership or, alternatively, are under the control of the Office of Public Works. This was not the case with north Leitrim.

Cllr Warnock explained that this was simply an idea and he hoped that the proposal could be investigated to see if north Leitrim meets the criteria.

While Cllr Mary Bohan said that she was not against the proposal, she admitted had some reservations.

"I am worried that something like this will lead to further planning restrictions in an area where it is already very difficult to get planning," she told the meeting.

"But I wouldn't be opposed to finding some way to investigation this proposal so that we (the councillors) would be in a better position to make up our minds on this."

The local authority will not seek clarification on the proposal and its possible impact from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
As President Trump sits down in the Oval Office for his first day in power, hundreds of thousands of people will march in Washington DC to show solidarity with those who have good reason to be fearful of the next four years. Women, Muslims disabled people, Mexicans are just some of Trumps targets who have faced mockery, inappropriate comment or language bordering on hate speech from him. Every time he talks about building walls, or banning people, or openly admits sexual assault like its all a game or mocks disabled people, he encourages another round of abuse and prejudice.

Marches in solidarity with the Washington march will take place in London and Edinburgh. I will be at the Edinburgh one in spirit as the Scottish Lib Dem Exec is meeting at the same time.

On the London march website the organisers talk about why they are protesting:

We, the organisers of the London march, call on people of all genders to march in London as part of an international day of action in solidarity. We will march, wherever we march, for the protection of our fundamental rights and for the safeguarding of freedoms threatened by recent political events. We unite and stand together for the dignity and equality of all peoples, for the safety and health of our planet and for the strength of our vibrant and diverse communities. We will come together in the spirit of democracy, honouring the champions of human rights who have gone before us.

Everything in that statement is consistent with Liberal Democrat values. I am annoyed, therefore, that our party name does not appear in the list of organisations supporting the march. The Greens and Womens Equality Party are marked as supporters but we are not. It would have been astonishing if the Tories had been supporting it but it is a bit of a surprise that Labour arent.

If we want to continue to grow, we need to reach out to these groups who share our values. People from all over the country from all sorts of backgrounds will be marching tomorrow, some for the first time. They should be able to see that the Liberal Democrats are standing with them.

Lib Dem Women will be there, which is great, but there is no official endorsement from the party. I hope that senior Liberal Democrat figures will at the very least tweet solidarity in the morning.

UPDATE: Sarah Olney is marching with the Lib Dem Women tomorrow. If you want to join them, meet at the Marriott on Grosvenor Square at 11:45 am.

Update 10 am Saturday: Even better news: Sarah has just tweeted that she is speaking at the March!

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
Sal Brinton, the Lib Dem President, has announced that party membership has topped 80,000, with 1000 people joining the Liberal Democrats since Theresa Mays speech announcing that the Tories are going for the most extreme, hard Brexit that they can. 500 people have joined in the last 24 hours since Jeremy Corbyn signalled a 3-line whip for Labour MPs to vote for the triggering of Article 50.

Sal said:

The Liberal Democrats are the real opposition to this Conservative Brexit Government and it is great to welcome so many new members. For those who oppose Theresa Mays plans to rip Britain out of the single market, away from our biggest trading partners, we are your voice. We will stand up for those who oppose the politics of fear, division and hatred. The Liberal Democrats are needed more than ever. We are the real voice of opposition to the Conservative Brexit Government and the only party fighting to keep Britain open, tolerant and united.

If you want to join the only serious UK-wide opposition to the Conservatives, you can do so here.
It is time to explain my hip thigh bone theory of the world.

The theory is based on the 1920s African-American spiritual Dem bones, Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones.

The ditty in turn was based on a Biblical passage in which a collection of dry bones reassemble themselves before the astonished eyes of the prophet Ezekiel .

The foot-tapping, hand-clapping spiritual is a roof raiser in evangelical churches around the world. It is also a popular song in young childrens anatomy classes.

But to my mind, Its main value is as a perfect metaphor of how the rapidly shrinking and interconnected world has become increasingly dependent on its constituent parts (or bones) working together.

The hip thigh bone theory of the world has been languishing (disassembled) in my notebook just waiting for the right peg. It came this week during my weekly US radio broadcast.

Totally aware of the likely reaction, I bravely pointed out that millions of people around the world would be holding anti-Trump protests because it was the only way they could voice their distrust and dislike of the man. I was deluged with angry American callers insisting that foreigners had no right to protest and that they should leave us alone and we will leave them alone.

Well, I am sorry, but the world no longer works like that. And, whats more it hasnt for a very, very long time.

The world body politic has become totally interconnected. In fact, the bones that comprise the skeleton of our globe are not so much connected as fused and then overlaid with a complex web of nerves, muscles, sinews, international political and trade organs, ligaments and a protective skin of military alliances. In fact, it seems, that the only thing missing from this metaphor is a functioning brain.

The fact is that if you want iron ore for your steel mills it is best to have a quiet word with the Swedes or Canadians. If you need phosphates to fertilise the amber waves of grain or the fruited plain, it is best to be nice to the Moroccans. For tin cans think Africa and Australia If you want a brick house you need sandthat probably means China or New Zealand. As for oil, well, just think of an unstable part of the world, smile nicely and thrust out a fistful of dollars

America is not alone in its needs. Central and Western Europe are heavily dependent on Russian natural gas. Landlocked Bolivia depends on good relations with Peru and Chile to export and import its goods by sea. Oman and Iran together control the Straits of Hormuz and the entrance to the Persian Gulf, and the Vietnamese rice paddies are at the mercy of a China that controls the water flowing from the Himalayas.

The world is not just connected by trade and natural resources. The complex and interwoven financial structures that grease the wheels of commerce are increasingly important. There may be so-called national exchanges in London, New York, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Tokyo and Dubai, but in our 24-hour world, all these exchanges now operate as one global trading floor fed with information from 24/7 global news operations .

Finally there are the overarching political connectors . At the top of the list is the much-maligned United Nations which currently has 100,376 personnel deployed on 16 different peacekeeping missions. The UN has 20 agencies whose responsibilities include fighting disease (World Health Organisation) , helping to feed the world (Food and Agricultural Organisation), providing finance (IMF and World Bank), ensuring that telecoms work across borders (International Telecoms Union), and many more.

There are a host of other military, political and trade alliances which play their part in reducing tensions in order to create what is beyond doubt the most prosperous and stable world in history.

For a major country such as America  the worlds richest and most powerful and the one with the biggest stake in the existing structures  to withdraw from this world would be akin to tearing out the global backbone. And once disassembled, the bones of the world body politic will not magically reassemble as they did in the Book of Ezekiel, Chapter 37, verses 1 through 14.

* Tom Arms is foreign editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and the author of The Encyclopedia of the Cold War and the recently published America Made in Britain that has sold out in the US after six weeks but is still available in the UK.
Theresa Mays long awaited speech on Brexit was notable both for what she did say and, perhaps more conspicuously, for what she did not.

On Northern Ireland specifically, the Prime Minister declared that the maintenance of the Common Travel Area will be an important priority during the negotiation and that the UK will work to deliver a practical solution so as to avoid a return to the borders of the past.

The practical solution posited by Mrs. May was subject to the caveat that the integrity of the UKs immigration system must be protected. This, the Prime Minister suggests, is eminently achievable given that the CTA existed well before 1973 and the UKs entry into the EEA.

This contrasts with remarks made immediately prior to the Referendum in June, when May claimed it would be inconceivable to imagine that there will not be any changes on border arrangements with the Republic of Ireland, if the UK were to pulls out of the EU.

This disparity betrays the logical incoherence of the Prime Ministers position, deliberately and cynically obfuscated behind her carefully chosen and ultimately meaningless words.

As the Prime Minister is fully aware, that the Common Travel Area existed prior to both the UK and Ireland becoming members of the European Union offers little comfort. Neither the UK nor Ireland has ever been a member of a supra-national bloc guaranteeing freedom of movement beyond their respective borders without the other. The preservation of an open land border between the UK and a Member State of the European Union would be in direct contravention of and would tend to fatally undermine the PMs demand that a post-Brexit UK have full control over inward migration. It is either purposively ignorant or misleading to suggest that this could be achieved within the existing CTA framework.

We are also expected to welcome the promise of no return to the borders of the past. But lets be clear. Granted there is a clear conceptual distinction between an Army border imposed primarily as a security measure to prevent IRA smuggling and gun running and a customs border or passport control. From a practical perspective, however, there is little tangible difference. Cars, for example, travelling from Derry to Donegal will likely be required to stop and to show identification. Freight vehicles travelling from Dublin to Belfast may have to stop just outside Newry for inspection and to provide any documentation that may be required for entry. EU nationals, perhaps even Irish citizens, might be required to apply for visas or work permits if they intend to seek employment in the North.

So we end up with, if not a border of the past, then a border of the future, the latter as pernicious and discomforting for the nationalist community as the former.

Thus far on Brexit there seems to have been an inverse correlation between the relative extent of impact versus the level of engagement by the British government with the institutions and people of Northern Ireland. As I wrote this week in the Belfast Telegraph, the impending elections to the Northern Irish Assembly present an opportunity for the people of the North to send a clear message to the Prime Minister. The electorate would be well advised to take the opportunity presented to them.

For make no mistake. Theresa May is going to build a wall. And , sadly, it appears as though Northern Ireland is going to pay.

* Ciaran McGonagle is a Liberal Democrat member originally from Derry, Northern Ireland and based in Colchester. He is a solicitor working in financial services in the City of London.
We're sorry that the ministry you were looking for is no longer available on LightSource.com. However, below are some great ministries that offer related content. Enjoy the inspiration, encouragement, and Biblical challenge from these LightSource.com ministry partners!
THE new 20m school building for Colaiste Chiarain is part of a jigsaw for the evolution of Croom as a major satellite town.

Tony Brazil, chair of the schools board of management, said that the town is a natural residential area for those working in the industrial belt around Limerick city.

The school, set for a September 2018 opening, has finally been granted planning permission after a lengthy process during which the permission had been denied a number of times.

Any possible impediments have now been removed. We have to go through a whole series of things now, the architects are working for the tender process. Because of the value being over a certain limit it has to go on Euro Tenders, so all those things take a little extra time, said Mr Brazil.

Its been a long time in gestation, and I think theres great relief for students, parents and teachers to get proper facilities, he said.

Weve been working under very poor conditions, but nevertheless people ploughed on, and theres a great spirit in the school which has sustained the whole thing.

As part of a local area plan, the town is due to get a distributor road in the next two years, a move that is expected to take pressure off the main street, which often becomes a bottleneck for traffic.

With the emergence of industrialisation around Limerick city, in Raheen and such places, Croom is a natural residential area for that, and we are happy to play a part, said Mr Brazil.

The mix of students coming to the school reflects all that. We have students from all over the world, its a very eclectic group, he added.

The planning process took in excess of 12 months, to pass through the various stages, according to Mr Brazil.

Wed be reasonably happy that wed be getting into the building there by Autumn of 2018. We got great cooperation from the Council, so its onwards and upwards now, he added.

The Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board say that the new state-of-the-art school, expected to cost between 15m and 20m, will greatly enhance the social and economic infrastructure of Croom and the surrounding area.

They echo Mr Brazils sentiments on the future of Croom, stating that the development is significant in the emerging status of Croom as a major satellite town for Limerick.


AFTER 67 years in the priesthood, Fr David Conlon went to his eternal reward on Wednesday.

Born in Moate, Westmeath in 1925, he entered the Society of African Missions in 1944. After formation there and in Co Down he was ordained a priest in 1950.

Fr David, who was baptised John Joe, spent five years in Libya on the missions. He returned to Ireland to raise money and awareness of the good works being done in Africa.

In 1969, sensing the call to a more contemplative life, Fr David entered Glenstal Abbey in Murroe where he will be laid to rest this Saturday.

Reposing in the Monastery from 3.30pm until 5pm this Friday, January 20 followed by removal to the Abbey Church. Funeral Mass takes place on Saturday at 11.30 am with burial in the Abbey Cemetery.

Beloved brother of the late Matt, Jimmy and Michael. sadly missed by his sister-in-law, nephews and nieces, the monastic community and oblates of Glenstal Abbey and a wide circle of relatives and friends.

May he rest in peace.
ITS A NEW year but it was the same old story at the first court of 2017 in Kilmallock.

Last year, this reporter wrote a piece about judges being driven to distraction by the speeding fines debacle. Nothing has changed. Of the 78 cases listed only one person who showed up was fined. I like those odds. The rest were either adjourned, struck out or withdrawn by the State.

The 21 motorists who didnt turn up were fined.

There was standing room only in the court - an obvious sign of a traffic day. Another clue is the nervousness in the room. Whispers of What do I do?; Is my name called?; I was just over the deadline; reverberate around the wood panelled walls.

The most common phrase uttered when the clerk calls the defendants case is, I didnt receive the fixed charge penalty notice in the post - I only got the summons.

Sergeant Michelle Leahy then says, The State has no evidence to differ and Judge Marian OLeary says, On the basis of your sworn evidence, strike out.

They should really record it once and press play every time - it would save their voices.

This reporter counted 19 people who told Judge Marian OLeary they didnt receive the fixed charge penalty notice in the post. When you take away the 21 who didnt turn up that is 19 out of 57 or 33%. You would think the postal service in this country has gone to the dogs.

The Leader put a query into An Post who directed us to a ComReg report which states, 99% of single piece priority mail was delivered within three working days.

An An Post spokesperson said: Mail that is clearly marked with a return address that for whatever reason cannot be delivered is returned to sender. Thats standard practice.

Now, of course, there are genuine cases - moved address, person with same name on same road, sold the car etc - but can it be a coincidence that there are so many? If you are prepared to lie under oath and say you didnt get the notice, even though it is on your kitchen table, you can speed without fear of any consequences.

If you pay a speeding fine within 28 days it will cost you 80 and three penalty points. Within the next 28 days it is 120 and three points. If you forget to pay it and plead guilty in court the judge will give a fine and five penalty points are mandatory. But if you swear on the bible that you didnt get it you can drive home scot-free.

Honesty doesnt seem to pay but in the following instance it did.

A lady pleaded not guilty as she said her husband was driving the car.

He got the notice and made an attempt to change it but he was two days late."

You did get the notice? asked Judge OLeary.

Yes, replied the woman.

At least youre being truthful, said Judge OLeary. No fine or penalty points for the defendant.

Another woman said she got the fixed charge penalty notice in her letter box.

I wasnt able to pay due to my circumstances. There was no option to pay by instalments so the person suggested to let it go to court, said the lady.

Sgt Leahy confirmed the person had been in contact with the office in Thurles about paying by instalment.

Judge OLeary said: Look, in all of the circumstances I am going to strike it out.

The motorist was clocked driving at 59kms in a 50km zone. There were quite a number of people up in court for driving less than 10kms over the speed limit. Normally the cut-off point is 10kms but few gardai will do you for driving 15kms or less over the limit.

The one and only motorist who did turn up and was fined said they had filled out the form incorrectly and it was sent back to them. When they posted it again they were two days late. The result? 80 fine and five penalty points.

All 78 cases were from Go Safe Operators and the most popular locations in the county and city were: Grange, Bruff; ORourkes Cross, Bruree; Banogue; Dock Road, Gooig, Castleconnell; Newcastle, Annacotty; Ballysimon and various locations on the Condell Road.

After the umpteenth person said they hadnt got the fixed charge penalty notice in court, Judge OLeary asked one were they speeding? They were clocked doing 81 kms in a 60 km zone.

Yes, replied the defendant.

Do you know what speed does? asked Judge OLeary.

It kills, said the defendant.

On the basis of their sworn evidence the case was still struck out.

The best excuse of the day has to go to the man who said, I couldnt have been driving, I was in the air at the time.

And his solicitor, Brendan Gill, had the boarding pass to prove it.
AN ALLEGATION that a Limerick woman was raped by a member of the gardai is set to be raised next week in the Dail, as renewed efforts are made to have her case re-opened following confirmation that the same garda is now being investigated on a child sex offence matter.

The news comes in a week when it was confirmed that another member of the garda force in Limerick has been suspended following allegations that he looked for sexual favours in return for concealing certain offences.

The married mum at the certain of the rape allegations confirmed that she had heard nothing from the gardai in months and felt her case was being "ignored".

She has now written to gardai commissioner Noirin OSullivan hoping that she will be able to move the matter forward

Fianna Fails Niall Collins, who has tabled a question for the justice minister in the Dail, said that the public was concerned by the scale of recent media reports regarding alleged sexual assaults by members of An Garda Siochana based in Limerick.

We know that these cases are presently being investigated and that GSOC are also involved, he told the Limerick Leader.

"However it is very important that public confidence in An Garda Siochana is maintained at all times to the highest level. The Minister for Justice must be the leader in ensuring that this public confidence is maintained. This week in Dail Eireann I will be asking the Minister for Justice and the Government for their views on these recent reports and what they intend to do arising from these."

In her letter to the minister the 46-year-old mother stated of the alleged assault: It is three and a half years since my assault took place but the events and handling of the case have left me reliving it every day. The recent events have only proven to me how much I was failed by the gardai in Limerick.

"I appreciate that you have received reports on my case but I assure you, no report can fully let you understand the difficulties I have endured up to now and how this has impacted on my life, my health, my job and my children. To know that not one person in this case has been demoted or dismissed over their behaviour or failure towards me, leaves me feeling dejected and worthless to the system.

What has annoyed the alleged victim even more was the fact that the garda at the centre of the investigation was promoted after the incident - though he was on a promotional panel at that time.

In her letter she says: The more information I gain access to, regarding my original complaint, the more dismayed I am at which one degree of separation was maintained by the Gardai involved in Limerick in dealing with me. They continue to use the explanation that I did not want to make a statement. Yet I sought meeting after meeting with them requesting they act on my complaint.

"I am being asked to believe that information from my first complaint was not fully passed on to his superior officers, who ultimately made the decision to not take my complaint any further.

She also states: It is my understanding that another investigation is now being carried out against the garda  involving complaints of a minor.

As my original report against him to Gardai hinged on his word against mine, there was no case taken against him at the time. I believe now, that should the current case against the garda prove successful, it shows that he, not I, is capable of giving false/misleading information to the Gardai.

"I am asking that my original complaint against him be re-opened on these grounds.I would appreciate a personal meeting with you to discuss the possibility of the above.
We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.
China should have given more freedom to parents on the one-child rule: Mei Fong Mei Fong, former China correspondent of 'The Wall Street Journal', also indicates that publishers in Hong Kong feel a sense of shame at being coerced into not publishing political books on China /relationships/raising-parents/china-should-have-given-more-freedom-to-parents-on-the-one-child-rule-mei-fong-111646909500528.html 111646909500528 story

Jaipur: Mei Fong, a former China correspondent with The Wall Street Journal, published the book One Child: The Past and Future of Chinas Most Radical Experiment in 2015 just around the time that China relaxed the policy and allowed its citizens to have more than one child.

Fong has been critical of the policy and looks at the various ways in which it affected people, from women forced to abort a late-term pregnancy, the guilt officials felt at enforcing the rigid rules, the parents who lost their only child in the Sichuan earthquake, to the many children born in secret who couldnt be registered as citizens. While writing the book, she also had an offer from a Chinese language publisher. But unfortunately, during the time she was done with the book, five Hong Kong publishers who published books critical of the Chinese political leadership were kidnapped, and later appeared in mainland China. Since then, political books have vanished from Hong King bookstores. To counter this, Fong has got her book translated into Mandarin on her own, though the translator has requested anonymity, and last month she put a digital version of it out for free on her website. Edited excerpts from an interview:.

Whats been the impact of the relaxation of the one-child policy in China in this past year and more?

One of the things thats good about the changes in the relaxation is that at least more people have more choice now. In terms of the actual numbers, theres been a slight uptake in birth which is only to be expected now that people have more choice. But the indications are that its not a big jump. And many demographers predict that its not going to make a significant increase. There have been other times in the previous history of the one-child policy where such relaxations have been made, where all birth rates have always been far below projections.

There have been indications that people, at least in urban areas, are choosing not to have more than one child. A lot of surveys indicate that many say its too expensive, the cost of having children. And thats because, in a way, China is not a communist country in a sense that education is free or subsidized, health care is expensive, housing is expensive. Of course theres the other reason: You spend 30 something years on propaganda telling everybody that the one-child idea is the ideal. You cant expect some of it not to stick. And to expect the complete reversal in thinking within the space of one year isnt realistic.

Have you been back in China since the books been published?

No. And I sometimes do wonder if I might be allowed. To be fair, nobody in China has invited me to come and do this. Why am I at the Jaipur Literature Festival and not the Beijing Literature Festival, you have to ask yourself.

You have put a Chinese translation of the book out for free download on your website. But how easy is it for people in China to download it?

Its digital and you know China has great firewalls, but people do get around it. Ive made it as easy, but the difficulty is people may not know about it. I dont get any press in China. So it has to be word of mouth, has to be transferred that way. I really have no way of knowing. The fact that I dont have a book in bookshelves is kind of sad. People arent going to see it and feel it and touch it. But since I put out my free version a month ago, Ive actually noticed a renewed interest by publishers in Hong Kong and China to actually publish the book now. It appears to me to be prompted byI dont want to use the word shamea certain awareness that this is not the way things should be. I received an offer from one publisher who I am not going to name because I dont know how things will go. He said, I heard about the fact that you couldnt get this published, and I think it is a shame to us. I appreciate the sentiment because I think it indicates that we recognise this is not the right way of doing things, publishers are terrorized from publishing books because they are afraid they will be kidnapped and vanish. This shouldnt be a norm, this shouldnt be acceptable.

The offer youve got is then good news, since it means publishers are overcoming their fears.

Im cautious. I think all of this can do things. This (the free translation in Mandarin) was not cheap for me. It took a lot of time, a lot of planning. This was something I could do and so I did it. What I am hoping is that other people, in similar circumstances, will also think there may be other ways around it.

Could you tell me about the genesis of the book, why did this issue consume you enough to look at China through its lens.

It was obviously the most interesting things about China that I think a lot of people seize upon from the start. But to be fair, by the time I was working in the mid 2000s, it kind of receded to the background. The big story was Chinas economic ascendance. And I worked for The Wall Street Journal, which is a business paper. This wasnt really on the top of my mind. What I was really afraid of was being the kind of correspondent who after finishing his or her term of service would come out with a cliched book about China, you know the tiger jumps over the wall... There have been such books that weve laughed over and I didnt want to be laughed at. Also , I write about a lot of personal things in the book, my miscarriage, my attempts to have a child which failed. And these are kind of personal issues that we journalists are not trained to write, were not part of the story. But when my time in China was done, when I started thinking what I am going to write about, I looked at all these different things and thought, maybe this could make a uniform story. The meaning of having children, what happens when policy and desire intersect.

You were obviously going to be critical of the one-child policy. What were the challenges you faced as a journalist researching on the book.

For me personally, I havent seen any. I was careful to work under the radar. And this comes from my years as a journalist. It was never about the difficulties for you, its about the people you interview. So there were some cases where people who are interviewed asked to remain off the record, or asked for certain details to be obscured. I really tried to also get people on the record. And for officials, of course, this was very difficult. Which is why many of the officials I spoke to are retired officials. I try not to be confrontational and avoid problems.

There are so many heartbreaking stories within your book. Which affected you the most?

There were lots. There were a couple I talked about in the beginning of the book. The father went back and tried to have a reverse sterilisation because their daughter died in the earthquake and they tried to have a second one, and you know I could see it was very difficult for them. He was 50 and she was 45, in a remote area, and they kept saying how awful life was in a village if you had no children. I felt really bad for them. And I lost touch with them. I always wondered if they had any children or were able to reconcile their loss. The funny thing is after I wrote that story initially in the newspaper, I got an email from a women in the US, and she had undergone IVF. She said I was so touched by the story of this couple, I want to give them one of my fertilized embryos. It was not possible, but I liked the gesture.

There was also a story I wrote about this farmer who had gone to work in the factory, met a girl and they had an affair, and she was too young to get married, 16 or 17, and legal age of marriage is 20. They went back to his home village, she gave birth to a little girl, and after a period of time they left the child with his parents and went back to work. The child was not registered since they were not married. The family planning officials came and took the child, put her in an orphanage and she was later adopted by an American couple. And I met the father years later, and hes still looking for his daughter.

So whats the status of the huge number of unregistered children in China now?

This is one of the good things post the change in the policy. The government has agreed to let these unregistered childrensomething in the reign of 13 millionget registration papers, which is great because they can now suddenly start being citizens. But for many of them its already too late. Theyve already missed their school years.

Some of the older ones are in their 20s and 30s. All those years they couldnt go to school, its gone, its done. You also speak of the elderly who suffer, especially if they dont have children, since nursing homes wont admit them and its difficult for them to buy burial plots. Theres something called shidu, parents whove lost their only child, theres a special name for them in China. I think there are a million now. Every year there are 75,000 more. One of the things the Chinese government talk of doing is setting up nursing homes that are separate for just these kind of parents, which is what theyve asked for. But its all very early stage.

What are the steps the Chinese government ought to take up now to address the issues caused by the one-child policy?

They have just loosened the parameters. I think theres a lot of discussion whether they should just drop it. Even though two children are allowed, some people will not want to have any children at all. Some people will want to have three children. So if you really want to redress your falling birth rates, you really should give them more freedom. Certainly they need to do more with making a more family friendly environment which means bigger subsidies for schooling and childcare. There are also concerns about women that they will be discriminated against in the workplace. Employers may say I am not going to hire women who may look like they will have a second child. Stronger workplace protection laws need to be in place.
The united women of America The Women's March on Washington is a clarion call for solidarity in divisive times /news/talking-point/the-united-women-of-america-111646909026321.html 111646909026321 story

Last year, 57-year-old Philadelphia resident Sheila Cohig had made plans to go to Washington, DC to watch the first female president of the US being sworn in. On 8 November, when Donald Trump was elected instead of his Democrat counterpart Hillary Clinton, the agenda changed but her plan did not. I was heartsick over the result. But when I heard that a march was being organized on the first day of his presidency, I knew I had to participate."

At 10am on Saturday, Cohig, along with her 82-year-old mother, four sisters, two daughters, two nieces and husband, will march down the US capital along with an estimated 200,000 people as part of the Womens March on Washington.

The streets of Washington, DC have been witness to historic movements such as the womens suffrage of 1913, and the black civil rights movement, enshrined by Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream" speech in 1963.

The national co-chairs for the event are civil and social rights activist Tamika Mallory, criminal justice advocate Carmen Perez, community rights activist Linda Sarsour and social entrepreneur Bob Bland. The work of this march is not only to stand together in sisterhood and solidarity for the protection of our rights, our safety, our families and our environmentbut it is also to build relationships and mend the divide between our communities," the organizers said in a statement.

The march is a response to many things. President Trumps past behaviour towards women has especially been a call to action. The march also seeks to fight the election rhetoric which threatened the rights of minority groups such as the queer community, Muslims, Hispanic people and the black community.

Another principal objective is to connect people with participating organizations. For instance, there are more than 6,000 petitions filed against Trump on Change.org, a platform that promotes civic action. These include action against dismantling the Environment Protection Agency, retaining ObamaCare, and forming better laws to protect womens rights regarding sexual violence and reproductive freedom. Many of these petitions will be represented through partner organizations such as NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), Planned Parenthood, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Coalition, Black Womens Roundtable, Muslim Community Network, and the Arab American Association of New York.

Mallory recently said in an interview with award-winning journalist Carol Jenkins for the Black America show: Were not just going to Washington to say, Hey, pay attention to us, women are upset. But rather, heres the agenda. Folks at organizations such as the NAACP, ERA Coalition will be there and will say, Join us. Because we have legislations that weve been pushing."

The march will bring together people who are involved in different fights. Cohigs mother was part of the historic, feminist Equal Rights Amendment movement in the 1970s. She worked in the circulation team forming petitions. Even though I was 9, I knew where she stood and she instilled in us the value of being actively involved in womens politics." As a nurse, Cohig believes that the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (generally referred to as ObamaCare) would prevent affordable and quality healthcare for all.

Bridgette Jackson, 28, from Philadelphia emphasizes the importance of solidarity. As a white woman, I realize I am at more of an advantage than millions of other women of colour. I want to march to show my solidarity for all of my LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) friends and family, for my Muslim friends, for anyone who feels threatened by what Mr Trump represents."

So Saturday will see more than 300 sister marches simultaneously in all 50 states. In addition, global marches are being planned in more than 50 countries, including Japan, Australia, Kenya and Mexico. The Womens March on Washington was initially going to be called the Million Woman March; it was rechristened since women from the black community had taken part in a historic march by the same name, led by Phile Chionesu, in 1997.

These sister marches show a powerful and inclusive movement, which is just as crucial as the thousands who will travel to DC," says national co-chair Bland. The march has also received support from Hollywood celebrities. Actors America Ferrera, Scarlett Johansson and Olivia Wilde, and musician Katy Perry, among others, have promised to participate. Funds for the event have been crowd-sourcedit had already met 89% of its expected target of $2 million with more than $1.7 million (around Rs11.6 crore) being raised at the time of going to press.
Ripple effect An IIT graduate summarizes the plight of the Ganga after his recent 2,000km walk from Gangasagar to Uttar Pradesh /news/talking-point/ripple-effect-111646908941703.html 111646908941703 story

In an alley flanked by homes built on elevated bases and open workshops leading to the Ganga river in Chandannagar, West Bengal, sculptors were taking a break from work as the summers mid-afternoon sun glared. They had been working on wooden frameworks salvaged from idols immersed in the river the previous year; some more lay by the riverbank. Durga Puja was a few months away and the idols were still being moulded as I struck up a conversation with them about the goddess and the Ganga.

The idol is not god. It is a manifestation only for the Puja days," a sculptor noted. And is the Ganga not a goddess? Why do we dirty that daily? We only empty our waste into the drains, the rest is just a process," he said. Untreated waste being emptied into the riverine system is part of the larger scheme of urban design.

The sculptors comment highlights the fact that our reverence for rivers lasts only as long as we are part of its ecosystem. Removed from it spatially, we become oblivious to the outcome of our actions.

The river still manages to cleanse itself if we provide it with enough space and time to recover. But when it has no more depth, is shallow and narrow enough to be crossed on foot in the lean season, is blocked by embankments, weirs and dams, is bled through canals, and its underground recharge systems exploited faster than they can be refilled, we cannot expect it to provide the same ecological services we have taken for granted over millennia.

As I walked through Bengal into Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for Veditum India Foundations Moving Upstream project, one of my most consistent observations was peoples disconnect from an ecosystem they had traditionally been an integral part of. Veditum is a non-profit research and media organization that undertakes projects on cultural and environmental issues (the walk is paused at Garhmukteshwar and will resume in mid-February). A farmer no longer desires the flooding season; embankments wont allow the Ganga to flood the fields, leaving behind fertile silt that works wonders for crops over the next three years. Today, the farmer is scared of the river entering fields, for that only heralds destruction; the river rises over the embankments and lashes down with immense force, destroying everything in its path.

In regions like eastern Bihar, the river sees heavy silt deposition and infrequent dredging. Hundreds of thousands of acres of extremely fertile fields bear the brunt, deprived of the cyclical nature of renewal by untimely flooding before the harvest season.

Further east from Bihar, upstream of the Farakka barrage in Bengal and in Jharkhand, the river has turned into a monster hungry for land. Shifting course unexpectedly, the Ganga has widened to over 10km in some places, swallowing the soft riverbanks that once housed many communities. Even today, if one visits the riverbank in Bengals Malda district, it is easy to spot settlements of environmental refugees by the roadsidetemporary lives with little hope of permanence. Many survive on river islands with populations ranging from 100,000-150,000, but without identity and basic civic services.

Such stories of loss of land are not limited to the areas immediately upstream of Farakka. Similar situations exist in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and even downstream of the barrage, along the Hooghly in West Bengal. What is common to these places is the presence of manmade structures on the river upstream of the affected location, and an administration reluctant to admit its fault, which explains the absence of aid.

The project to develop the stretch of the Ganga between Allahabad and Haldia as a waterway, called National Waterway-1, is being implemented by the National Waterways Authority of India. It is aimed at reducing the cost of freight transport and set a precedent in inland navigation. Test runs with car-laden barges have already been carried out, with the government hoping to dredge up to 3m where the river lacks depth. A lot has been written about the ecological destruction this plan will cause. My experience of speaking with people living along the feeder canal downstream of the Farakka barrage in Bengal is even scarier.

The frequency of coal-laden ships travelling on the feeder canal towards the Farakka Super Thermal Power Plant has increased in recent times, the locals tell me. This has led to a supposed increase in power production at the plant, which had to be shut down for 10 days in 2016 due to non-availability of enough water in the Ganga during the lean season. This, in turn, has just led to increased harassment for fishermen, who find themselves forced to abandon their nets while moving out of the way of unannounced ships, and the beginning of erosion even along the canal that has concrete banks.

The experiences from my travels reiterate the point, however, that development does not necessarily have to sacrifice environment. A continuously degrading environment will eventually hurt us; it would be smarter to look at intelligent design, improved feedback and a more inclusive system. The government has to hear the tales from the river.
Only Goddesses may bleed, humans may not There is precedent for the executive intervening in religious affairs in Kerala and issuing reforms that the conservative priesthood would never have allowed /news/talking-point/only-goddesses-may-bleed-humans-may-not-111646909464512.html 111646909464512 story

There is a goddess in Kerala who menstruates. The temple in Chengannur is officially dedicated to her consort, Mahadeva, but it is the bleeding image of the female deity that attracts masses of the faithful to the shrine. Every now and then a red spot manifests" on the white cloth wrapped around the idol. The cloth is presented to females of an old Brahmin family who inspect it to verify whether or not the blood" is divine discharge. If it is indeed what it is believed to be, fanfare commencesthe deity is escorted to the riverside for a ritual wash before returning to her sanctum until the next spot necessitates her next bath.

Interestingly, the very Brahmin household that celebrates this menstruating goddess also supplies priests to another important temple in the state. But unlike the fecund goddess of Chengannur, the deity installed atop the Sabarimala hill is a bachelor who reportedly entertains reservations about receiving female worshippers if they happen to fall into the fertile age bracket. In other words, if you bleed, you cannot enjoy the privilege of an appointment with Ayyappan who, last weekend, watched over hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gathered for the annual makara vilakku festival.

The legends of Ayyappan of Sabarimala form a fascinating, eclectic tradition, involving a romance between Shiva and Vishnu (as Mohini), a Muslim associate who is commemorated in a nearby mosque, and an aspiring bride who awaits Ayyappan in her own temple. Then there is the celestial flame"the makara vilakku mentioned earlierthat appears every year in the far distance on a densely forested hill. The celestials lighting the fire turned out to be officials of the government, but the revelation hasnt dulled Ayyappans massive appeal.

The custodians of his shrine, however, are determined about the rule concerning women. One particular woman called Trupti Desai is decidedly unwelcome. Some defend the custom by stressing Ayyappans bachelorhooda weak argument since other Ayyappan shrines embrace all women, including those whose bodies perform certain periodic natural functions. Then there is the argument that it is not safe for women to go into the forest, which might have worked if we were still living in an age when roads and transport and the police were yet to be invented.

The principal argument, however, is that this particular Ayyappan does not receive womeneach pratishtha or consecration of any deity has a sankalpa or founding belief specific to it, and for Sabarimalas Ayyappan, unlike assorted Ayyappans in other districts, fertile women are taboo. Since keeping such women at bay is integral to the deity, it is the prerogative of his priests to uphold such integrity, they say. Priests can be forgiven for an exaggerated emphasis on traditionthat, after all, is their tradebut change in some form must prevail, if history is any lesson.

There were, after all, other temples in Kerala that prohibited certain groups. Kshatriyas were not permitted in Kumaranallur and Thrikkariyoor, while women (and for some reason, elephants) were barred from the temple in Thiruvallaapparently one woman jumped into the garbha griha some time in prehistory and merged" with the god. The priests banned women, possibly because they couldnt brook such insolent short cuts to salvation. In 1968, however, astrologers decided that it was safe for the deity to be around women again and the ban was lifted. The case of the elephants is not known at this time. The case of Sabarimala, on the other hand, lies in the Supreme Court, where this conflict between something as amorphous as faith, and the law, which must be guided by reason to uphold fundamental rights, is being argued out. That will take its time but there have, interestingly, been comparable situations in the past where too custom was believed to be immutable, and any modern intervention deemed an improper assault on religious autonomybut drastic intervention was made, and in hindsight has been accepted even by one-time detractors as essential.

In 1932, the maharaja of Travancore, alarmed by marginalized groups transferring their allegiance to non-Hindu religions, appointed a committee to consider granting them the dignity of access to temples. The committees report in 1934 was wishy-washy. Exclusion from temples," it claimed disingenuously, was not always the result of the excluded class being considered inferior to others. It is based on a belief that the approach of certain people is likely to derogate from the spiritual atmosphere surrounding the pratishtha, the deity installed in the temple."

In 1934, they meant low-castes in general entering all high-caste temples would have an impact on the founding principle of these temples; today in Sabarimala we believe that the approach of women will affect the religious foundations of that temple. A large body of (high-caste folk) believe," the report also added, on the basis of the (scriptures), that the entry of the (low) into (their) temples would cause defilement of the templesand there will be no efficacy in the worship or rites performed in them." The report ended with a recommendation that the low should be provided greater facilities" but care must also be taken that the orthodox were not hurtthe maharaja was to decide how far he wanted to go in making a concession.

As it happened, the maharaja went quite far. In 1936, he threw open public temples in Travancore (which covered parts of Tamil Nadu and all of southern Kerala) to Hindus of all castes, allowing the low" to enter temples and pray before the gods. The Hindu religion did not crumble into defiled dust. Though its intention was to check conversions to rival faiths, the Temple Entry Proclamation was hailed as a historic reform, from Mahatma Gandhi to C. Rajagopalachari. Ambedkar, of course, could see that this had little to do with reform and more with political calculations, but that is another matter. At the end of the day, there is precedent for the executive intervening in religious affairs in Kerala and issuing reforms that the conservative priesthood would never have allowed. The big irony in Sabarimala with its priests is, of course, that they will accept a menstruating goddess but stand in the way of menstruating humans. Someone must show them the way.

Medium Rare is a weekly column on society, politics and history. Manu S. Pillai is the author of The Ivory Throne: Chronicles Of The House Of Travancore. He tweets at @UnamPillai.
Pramath Raj Sinha: The classroom entrepreneur The first dean of the Indian School of Business and co-founder of Ashoka University on a new classroom for women, and trysts with chief ministers /news/talking-point/pramath-raj-sinha-the-classroom-entrepreneur-111646909433814.html 111646909433814 story

By the time we get to lunch at Mumbais Sea Lounge at the Taj Mahal Palace, the restaurant has begun serving tea. The place exudes an old-world charm, with live piano music, the clink of china and the buzz of conversation. We are ushered in to a much coveted sea-facing table. Outside, the afternoon sun makes everything sparkle as barges and boats criss-cross the Arabian Sea against the backdrop of the imposing Gateway of India.

Its 3pm. Pramath Raj Sinha hasnt had lunch. The 52-year-old entrepreneur had flown into Mumbai that morning and had just finished speaking at a business school event on education. Sinha was the founding dean of the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, and is co-founder of Ashoka University, Sonipat, Haryana.

His most recent venture is the Vedica Scholars Programme for Women in Delhi, an alternative masters in business administration (MBA) programme. This all-women residential programme tries to address the problem that far more women graduate from high school than men, but get left behind in careers. Sinha says he was inspired by institutions like Wellesley College of Massachusetts, US, where women get the confidence to express themselves. The Vedica curriculum includes subjects that many conventional MBAs neglect, like politics, sociology and history. The first batch of 36 Vedica scholars has just graduated and Sinha informs me that one student has received an offer from Google at a starting salary of Rs22 lakh.

By now we have settled into our seaside seats and turned our attention to the menu. We debate the relative merits of keema ghotala (a spicy Parsi keema with bread), a smoked salmon sandwich or a BLT burger, and end up settling for the latter two.

Sinha grew up in Patna, in a house with a printing press. His father and grandfather were writers. Writing didnt pay all the bills, so Sinhas father started a small textbook-publishing business to supplement his income and pay for the education of his four childrenthree daughters and Pramath, who was the youngest. Sinha recalls going on marketing trips with his father in winter. We called it canvassing; we would fill the car with calendars and diaries and call on schoolteachers with these gifts. I thought it was a lot of fun; only later I realized it was serious marketing," he says.

Years later, it was another printing press that drew Sinha back to the country of his birth. By then, he was an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, with a PhD in applied mechanics and robotics from the University of Pennsylvania, US, and had been working as a consultant since 1993 with McKinsey & Co. in Toronto. And then one day he was assigned to a project on newsprint. The project was in Canada, but it had an India component. Sinha tells me about the days he spent in India at the time, visiting newspaper offices and finally working at the Ballarpur Industries paper plant as part of the project.

Sinha prints and edits a Hindi literary journal called Nai Dhara, which was started by his father. Growing up in a printing press has made him a keen proofreader, he says. People dont realize I am a nitpicker. I can pick an extra space in copies and my editors hate me sometimes. The moment they show me something, the first thing I do is pick up the mistakes. -

It was an almost surreal existence. At one level you are working for McKinsey, which in Toronto was boardrooms and office and always talking to CEOs. Here in India, I was in a paper plant in Haryana, living in a guest house with an Indian toilet and a dhobi visiting every day. We were sitting in our ganjis every night because it was so hot. Hanging out with the workers, speaking in Bhojpuri with the Bihari labourers, having shouting matches with the union."

Such experiences, and work in the newsprint and media sector in India, made Sinha want to return. He started working with McKinsey India in 1995 on a project basis and moved full-time in 1997.

By now the salmon sandwich and the BLT burger have arrived, and we have half portions of each, complete with fries. Sinha begins talking about the ISB story. He was involved with the institute right from the planning stage and even took a year off from McKinsey to be the founding dean. The story has all the elements of high dramaa cast of powerful industrialists, including Adi Godrej, Anand Mahindra and Rajat Gupta, chief ministers, and complicated negotiations. Most of these took place 1999 onwards, but for Sinha, the introduction to education and institutions had come even earlier.

Illustration: Jayachandran/Mint.

In 1995, McKinsey India began working on a project with management guru Kenichi Ohmae and then Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, on ways to transform that country into a knowledge economy. Sinha was assigned to this project, and it became the first of many such university projects for him. A PhD in robotics doesnt make you a guy who knows how to build a university," says Sinha of those early days. But this was where he first began institution-building. The ISB started as a project McKinsey was doing with the Indian Institute of Technology, DelhiSinha has since come out with a book about setting it up, An Idea Whose Time Has Come: The Story Of The Indian School Of Business.

Over a cup of Darjeeling first flush, Sinha tells me about the day ISBs board of governors visited three states and three chief ministers. Their first stop was Hyderabad, where then chief minister Chandrababu Naidu pulled out all the stops. The chief minister sent his ratha to receive us, a bus with sofa seats, and we were taken to the site for the business school. On the way back to the airport, the bus was redirected to the CMs house. He welcomed us all, garlanded us and served us breakfast in his house. Afterwards we were taken to an adjoining room and given a presentation on Hyderabad as a knowledge hub," Sinha recalls. The team was charmed, but behind schedule.

In Bengaluru, then chief minister J.H. Patel and his team were furious at the delay. The CM didnt speak a single word to us. And then when we reached Chennai, we were asked to garland the CM, Jayalalithaa. We were taken to see the venue which was supposed to have a lake, and we walked and walked to see the lake, but there was no lake. So in one day, we saw three chief ministers, all such contrasts of each other. One garlanded us, the other didnt speak to us and the third wanted us to garland her," Sinha says.

Not surprisingly, the ISB was built in Hyderabad. Sinha is currently on its executive and governing boards.

From being the founding dean of ISB, Sinha returned to work at McKinsey in 2002, then left to head the ABP Pvt. Ltd as the groups managing director and CEO in 2006. In 2007, he set up his own media company, 9.9 Mediaworx Pvt. Ltd. Like much of the media, 9.9 has had uneven economic growth. Its Rs45-crore-turnover business in 2015-16 includes magazines and websites like Digit, CIO, CFO and some consulting projects.

In 2010, Sinha tried setting up a business school in Vadodara on the lines of the ISB but had to give up the idea because the school was not able to generate enough demand at the price point he had thought of. Currently, he is working with consulting and implementing project proposals at the Crescent School of Business in Chennai, the Anant National University in Ahmedabad and the Shoolini University in Solan. The Union government is planning a railway university in Vadodara and Sinha plans to bid for that project.

Sinha and his wife Gauri live in Delhi. They dont have children, so Sinha says he has all the time to fill my weekends and free time with all the different things I do".

By 5pm, Sinha is ready to leave for the airport for his flight back to Delhi. His last meeting for the day is with an alumnus of Ashoka, a Young India fellow. The next day is a Sunday, but Sinha has an online robotics event that he is conducting for 9.9 Media with a special guest.
Style scan | Suzy Menkes: Fashion is ahead of politics The celebrated fashion critic and editor on the close link between fashion and politics, the impact of new technology on the industry, and the story behind her famous quiff /fashion/trends/style-scan-suzy-menkes-fashion-is-ahead-of-politics-111646908909895.html 111646908909895 story

There arent enough hours in a day to squeeze in everything that the celebrated fashion critic and editor for 21 international editions of Vogue online, Suzy Menkes, wants to see and do on her trip to Mumbai. Menkes was in the city to meet Indian designers, get a better understanding of the fashion industry, and promote the Conde Nast International Luxury Conference, Mindful Luxury", which will be held in Muscat, Oman, in April. She talks about the close link between fashion and politics, the impact of new technology on the industry, and the story behind her famous quiff. Edited excerpts from an interview:

One of your pieces talks about how the fashion industry foretold the rise of Donald Trump. Is there a traceable link between fashion and politics?

Its not just that there is a link between fashion and politics, but fashion is almost always ahead. Lets start way back with Marie Antoinette. She decided to go into much softer, less regal clothes and then, a few years later, look what happened with the French Revolution. I really do think it is extraordinary how last year we saw these things happening in fashion which were very strange. The whole (Kim) Kardashian way of extraordinary show-off and, dare I say, vulgar clothing, but not considered so by her and her friends. And then you get Donald Trump voted in. So, it does seem there is a link. On the other side, because nothing ever is simple, Vetements is a brand that suddenly appeared, (and is) very much (about) plain and simple clothes, but its sold at incredibly expensive prices and was followed up by the designer of Vetements (Demna Gvasalia) being taken on to do the designs for Balenciaga. So, youre getting this most grand couture house and someone is in it who is sort of doing street clothes. So, theres Brexit, theres the whole Trump thing, and also in Europe youve got other countries, France, Germany, where youve got people who are rising. I cant help noticing as a journalist and an ordinary person that what were seeing here is that fashion is ahead of what happens in the world. People are voting for a new kind of politics.

With the advances in digital media, practically anyone can be a fashion critic.

I was very excited about reporting from ordinary people with an eye. Quite a few bloggers have gone on to become successful, if not famous. What concerns me is that I was brought up with very old-fashioned rules about journalism, which is that you dont accept anything but flowers and chocolates. The way that the fashion and beauty industry has leapt at these successful people and lavished them with gifts, it puts everyone in a difficult position. I dont blame these people, theyre not being paid for what they write, so maybe they should accept something. But, they are hardly going to do a bad review of someone who has dressed them in a jacket or lipstick or anything.

Indian designers have always put a premium on handcrafted garments. On the other hand, you have technology such as 3D printing.

I think a lot of people, including me, are pretty scared about 3D printing. Particularly designers who have got their own personal vision. Something that takes a long time to produce, they find, can be done under the 3D system and can be turned into clothing at a tremendous speed. Its scary. All this is now when the system is just being developed! Having said that, you cant resist change, you must keep up with the world youre in. On the other side, I do think the hand work in India is exceptional. My sadness is that on the other side of it are sweatshops, where women are made to work like slaves to meet the demands of people who want clothes at the lowest amounts of money.

One of the points you hope to address in the conference is defining luxury for the post-luxury consumer.

There are many ways you can spend money now. If you ask people where they spend their money, one of the first things they would say are smartphones. In the past, nobody would have thought of such a thing as being beautiful. There are many other things that people are investing in: looking after themselves, going to the spa, investing in treatments. People are increasingly realizing how much better they can feel, not by getting yet another thing, but having an experience. This business of experience is what I mean when I say post-luxury. Theres also things we dont really think about, which is changing your facial features or body. I was in Seoul last year and realized that the average person was spending about $2,500 (around Rs1.7 lakh) on self-improvement, changing their nose or chin. This is the price of a superior Louis Vuitton or Prada bag now. So products are now in competition with experiences, among other things.

What is the story behind Samurai Suzys famous quiff?

Its such a banal story (laughs). I was at the hairdresser, and I said I really cant stand my hair as it flops around all the time and I didnt want a fringe because it would look dreadful on me. She reached out for a (hair) comb, I was mortified as old ladies in New York wore that sort of thing, but she asked me to wait till she had finished. And that was that. I can do this (pointing to her hair) running down the stairs to breakfast, on the plane, in the street, anywhere. It really was a practical thing. But over time, its grown into a sort of symbol. Dont know what would happen if I cut it off now Instagram would go crazy, I imagine (laughs)!
Travel in the age of Trump The US is a beautiful country but who can feel excited at the prospect of xenophobic encounters? /news/talking-point/travel-in-the-age-of-trump-111646909283355.html 111646909283355 story

This year, after 10 years, my US visa will expire. It was my first visa, stamped to the first page of my first passport. I am on to my fourth passport right now, the second, third and fourth bulkierjumbo" as it is calledthan the first, as if in reflection of my own weight gain over the decade. I rarely carry or look at my old passports unless I am travelling to the US. Only then do I have to pull out the raggedy slim 36-pager in which I look like a freshly skinned chicken and show them the stamp. There are different views about how arduous the consular process is to obtain a US visa but at least it has the advantage of carrying over, as opposed to, say, the Schengen or UK or Japan visas, which I have had to renew every time I got a new passport, even if the visa hadnt expired.

So, will I renew my US visa? I dont know. I suppose if a business trip comes up and there is a real imperative, I will have to. For now, I have no motivation: The idea of travelling to a country where Donald Trump is president is anathema to me. I would find the air too vitiated, I tell myself. Most of the places I like in the US are not on the coasts, which tend to be more liberal, but inland, in the Midwest, where Trumpism is at its most intense. The US is a beautiful country but I just dont feel too excited at the prospect of xenophobic encounters.

Its not just me. The UK Telegraph quotes a pre-election survey of British customers conducted by a holiday website as reporting that 1 in 5 respondents would definitely not consider the USA as a destination should Trump be elected". The managing director for that website told the paper that his company is forecasting an unstable 2017 for US tourism, with over one million UK travellers set to reconsider the country as a holiday destination".

For people of colour travelling to the US from the Middle East or South Asia, there is of course a lot more at stake than just uncertainty. There are real worries about targeted surveillance, stricter entry criteria and even personal safety. Royal Jordanian Airlines tried to make lemonade out of that: A day before the 8 November election, it ran an ad for promotional fares with the slogan Just in case he winstravel to the US while youre still allowed to!" Thats just travel to the US. Who is to say what will happen to the nascent boom in American arrivals into Iran and Cuba under a Trump administration? Then there is the promise of an amazing technicolor wall between the US and Mexico, which will potentially destroy the Big Bend National Park in Texas, a major tourist attraction, in the process.

Thats just the holiday makers. A Trump administration will likely put off business travellers too, because, ever since ships have crossed oceans, trade and travel have been bedfellows (the World Travel and Tourism Council agrees. In a 2014 report, it concluded that there is a clear causal relationship between business travel and international trade" and that business travel was responsible for more than a third of the growth in world exports). What was true in the days of the East India Company, when they came with sails unfurled and left with their chests full, is still true in these days of continental flights, with their accoutrements of cross-border deals and duty-free shopping. Although only time will tell if Trump means any of what he says, so far his rhetoric has been soundly anti-trade, promising to renege on the Trans-Pacific Partnership which brings 12 countries that touch the Pacific, from Chile to Japan to New Zealand, into a high-quality trade agreement, and insisting that he will walk away from the decades-old North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) with Mexico. By all indications, the US-European Union trade negotiations to build a transatlantic trade and investment partnership (T-TIP) will be stillborn. There is also talk of imposing outsized tariffs on Chinese goods coming into the US, about which the economist Paul Krugman wrote, There will be retaliation, big time" (And The Trade War Came", The New York Times). Part of this, no doubt, will be effected through visa policies.

It wouldnt be the first time though that America turned inward". Ruchir Sharma, author of the best-selling Breakout Nations and somebody who believes we have entered a new age of de-globalization, points to similar legislation in the 1930s when America raised tariffs on trade and clamped down on immigration (When Borders Close", The New York Times).

If a Trump presidency indeed begins a period of American isolationism similar to the 1930s, it is possible that there would be more people like me who let their expired visas lie expired. Could it be the beginning of the end of US as a top travel destination, with global travellers turning away from it? Maybe.

Although, they say, Aeroflot flights to the US will likely increase.

Red Eye is a monthly column on the odds of travelling for business. Abhijit Dutta tweets at @abhijit1507.
We are victims of leftist untouchability: RSS leaders RSS's Manmohan Vaidya, Dattatreya Hosabale call for end to reservation policy soon, call leftist academics intolerant at JLF 2017 /news/talking-point/we-are-victims-of-leftist-untouchability-rss-leaders-111646908701112.html 111646908701112 story

Jaipur: The second day of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) on 20 January ended with one of the stages being given up to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologues Dattatreya Hosabale and Manmohan Vaidya, in the session Of Saffron and the Sanghas, moderated by journalist Pragya Tiwari.

Both Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje and education minister Vasudev Devnani were in attendance. While Vaidya sought an end to the era of reservations soon, Hosabale spoke against what he called the academic untouchability being practised against the Hindu right by leftist academics.

In response to a question on why the Hindu right lacked intellectual weight, Hosabale put the blame squarely on the shoulders of leftist academics and the media, who, he said, had practised social, academic untouchability".

They were the intolerant ones who would not give the Hindu right a ear, he said. We were coming to JLF, so they boycotted it and are gone. Is this tolerance?" he added. He, however, named Kannada writer S.L. Bhyrappa and Hindi writer Narendra Kohli, who though not RSS members, belonged to the same ideology.

Hosabale also clearly stated the RSS point of view that distorted history was being taught in the country". He questioned how the Aryan invasion was being taught in schools when it had clearly been disproved by scientists, archaeologists and other experts. He also wondered why the achievements of our ancestors" were not being highlighted by schools. Theres a failure in imparting character building education in this country," he stated. The education system should be based on the ethos of the country", he stated.

On the poor socio-economic condition of Muslims in the country, Vaidya claimed that this was because 68-70 % of Muslims lived in relatively backward states like Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He, however, disputed any need for reservations to support the minority community, though he said it remained necessary as long as people from the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes were being discriminated upon on the basis of their birth. He, however, said to continue with reservations forever was not ideal, and instead of reservations, equal opportunity for all should soon come into being.

In the meantime, Vaidya brushed aside the view the RSS was intolerant of those from minority religions, claiming that the intolerant were those who had moved away from the Hindutva ideology.

The ideal Hindu rashtra, he said, accepts diversity of religions. Sabko saath jodne ki baath hain," he said. Religion is as personal as ones own toothbrush," he said, emphasizing that Hindutva was not about religion as much as a way of life.

The RSS doesnt support violence. We are law-abiding citizens," Hosabale added. He said RSS workers in Kerala were being attacked but the state government had done nothing about it. He called upon the Kerala government to perform its duty" and investigate the violence against RSS workers in the state. The media, too, he said was silent. Where are the so-called tolerant people? Why didnt they speak up?."
LJ Iyengar Bakery: Rising from the south How the Iyengar Bakery, as ubiquitous in multiple southern Indian cities as the boulangerie is in Paris, is defending its century-old legacy /news/talking-point/lj-iyengar-bakery-rising-from-the-south-111646908986871.html 111646908986871 story

Once a quiet, tree-shaded suburb of Mysuru, Kuvempu Nagar hasnt been able to stave off the deliberate march of urban development. Two-wheelers zip up and down its streets, adding a noisy soundtrack, while an outcrop of new businesses competes for your attention. Where there may have earlier been an odd bakery or two to serve the neighbourhood, there are now several on the same street, all loosely tied together by a prefix that serves both as a descriptor and a brand. These are the Iyengar bakeries: stubbornly old-school, vegetarian bakeries that have defied passing trends and fickle tastes to retain an almost puzzling popularity.

The LJ Iyengar Bakery is a modest establishment, like the others in the area, with a rectangular glass display you can gently lean over while you pick what you would like to eat. In one corner sit neat loaves of freshly baked white bread, and in the other are puffs", layers of puff pastry folded into golden triangles, encasing an onion, carrot and potato heart. The biscuits lie heaped on the highest rung: Crumbly, cardamom-scented almond biscuits alongside rich, cashew-flecked ones, and earthy ragi biscuits to soften the burn of the green chilli-laden khara (or spicy) biscuits.

On top of the showcase, shielded by a thick plastic sheet, are the fast-selling items that rarely last through the day: masala toast, or slices of toasted white bread, topped with palya or slivers of mixed vegetables, and elegantly coiled khara buns slathered with a fiery marinade of ground curry leaves and green chillies. In the dimly lit inner sanctum of the bakery, workers coated in a thin dusting of flour shape sweetened bread dough into flat logs and bake them until their spongy air pockets shrivel. Bone-dry and butterscotch brown, the freshly baked rusks snap like autumn twigs.

There is nothing particularly novel about any of these items, especially in the age of supermarkets groaning with exotic ingredients and French patisseries constantly expanding the contours of the cake universe. But the enduring demand for them testifies to the lingering successagainst mounting oddsof the Iyengar legacy.

The BB Bakery in Chickpet.

The desi touch

Its difficult to trace the origins of the Iyengar bakery, with numerous claimants to the honour of being the first-ever. Some believe it all started with BB Bakery, a 119-year-old establishment in Bengalurus busy Chickpet area, arguably the longest-running Iyengar bakery in the city. My fathers great-grandfather, H.S. Thirumalachar, started a sweet shop on Chickpet Main Road in 1898. For the first three years, it was only a sweet shop, until an Englishman working at the famous West End hotel taught him how to bake bread," says Pavithra Vijay, daughter of the current, fourth-generation owner, H.T. Srinivas.

Others believe that the bakeries were an opportunity born out of adversity. A devastating drought in the 1950s and 1960s is believed to have dried up jobs for the farming communities in and around the Hassan district in Karnataka. With no other means of livelihood, several members of the Iyengar community, drawn from the Ashtagrama or eight principal villages in the district, are believed to have migrated to Bangalore (now Bengaluru) and started bakeries. As subsequent generations of the community were drawn to the trade, they came to be identified as Bakery Iyengars.

However, there is very little anthropological record or archival proof available on the community. According to T.S. Ramesh Bairy, a sociologist and associate professor with the department of humanities and social sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, the bakeries find a mention in Nam Brahmanike, a play written in the 1930s by popular Kannada playwright T.P. Kailasam. In my reading, this is a play that Kailasam, a much celebrated Iyer Brahmin, wrote in response to the rather acute anti-Brahmin sentiment in the princely Mysore statesomething like, The only time people today say Brahmin bekari is when referring to the Iyengar bakery.

Here, he was playing on the similarity in sound between the Kannada word bekari (which means we want) and the English bakery. So clearly, these bakeries go a long way back in time," Bairy says, adding that it was only in the late 1990s that Iyengar bakeries became associated with Bengaluru. Earlier, many of these bakeries were called Hassana Iyengars bakery (referring to the Hassan region)," he says. But by the late 1990s, they were being increasingly referred to as Bangalore Iyengar bakeries."

Regardless of their origin, how did Iyengar bakeries with their strictly vegetarian offerings come to amass such a wide audience? To understand, lets backtrack a bitto the gastronomic universe of the 1980s, when there really were few things better than sliced bread. But before the bland doughiness of commercial white bread had tantalized our collective taste buds, the neighbourhood bakery was the prized purveyor of carb-laden treats. In Karnataka (and eventually, elsewhere in the south), the introduction to the still unfamiliar pleasures of bread and baked goods came with a distinctly desi tadka.

By adopting quintessentially Indian flavours and seasonings to Western patisserie staples such as shortbread cookies and puff pastry, Iyengar bakeries fostered a kind of culinary curiosity. A spicy potato filling was added to the tea bun and the aloo bun was born. Nippattu, deep-fried savoury biscuits traditionally eaten at teatime, were updated with onions, curry leaves and green chillies to make baked nippattu, spicy, buttery biscuits that are now synonymous with Iyengar bakeries. Over time, Iyengar bakeries created an oeuvre of home-grown foods with a uniquely Indian identity.

The Iyengar-style masala bread is such an iconic representation of how we took something so entirely foreign and made it our own," says food blogger and author Saee Koranne-Khandekar, who included a recipe for the bread (and a sweet, Iyengar-style milk bread) in her book Crumbs!: Bread Stories And Recipes For The Indian Kitchen, published in May. The heat from green chillies and earthiness from cuminwhat can be more Indian than a bread with tadka!"

It was the sort of gentle innovation that a curious clientele with limited options clearly embraced. I think (they) were our window into the world of Western food," says Richa Gaur, 30, a Mumbai-based HR professional who hails from Bengaluru, and professes to an abiding love for Iyengar bakeries. The amalgamation of Indian flavours was perfectly suited to the local palate, and yet it was so cool! Every hip birthday party had to feature cake, Pepsi and pups (or puffs), as the owners used to call them."

The LJ Iyengar Bakery is 65-70% mechanized.

The second proofing

But just like the poofy hair and synthetic clothes of the 1980s soon became embarrassingly outdated, popular tastes also inevitably sought newer pleasures. Liberalization in the early 1990s ushered in the era of fast food, and pizzas replaced puffs at hip birthday parties. In the decades since, the frantic pace of urban life (and the convenience of supermarkets) has sounded the death knell for several stand-alone, neighbourhood businesses. There is no doubt that these developments have also had a bearing on Iyengar bakeries.

It has never been more crucial than now for Iyengar bakeries to stay ahead of the curve. To this end, several of the older bakeries have made once-unthinkable concessions, like using eggs in their cakes (to replace the stodgy, Dalda-heavy rava, or semolina, cakes) and paneer and egg fillings in the puffs. While purists may rue these transgressions of tradition, they are perhaps inevitableand even necessary in a fiercely competitive and rapidly changing marketplace. The original Iyengar bakeries never had cakes, pastries and the ubiquitous egg puffs," says Mysuru-based journalist Ratna Rajaiah. Now, no bakery can survive without these hottest-selling items."

Others, like LJ Iyengar Bakery in Bengalurus Jalahalli neighbourhood (not related to the one in Mysuru) have streamlined their processes and taken steps towards modernization.

Our bakery is 65-70% mechanized. We have rotary ovens, machines for mixing the dough and dividing it, and to cut vegetables," says Madhu Iyengar, 32, a second-generation baker who oversees operations at the LJ Bakery, which is owned by his father Sampath Iyengar. After completing his masters in business administration in 2008, Madhu gained hands-on experience in the baking department of Pillsbury, the American flour giant, in Bengaluru. Armed with this knowledge, he began to attend bakery trade shows, both in India and overseas.

Madhu admits that it was initially difficult to convince his father of the need for change. I faced a lot of resistance from my father. Money was a big factor, because he had worked very hard to earn it," he says. But once he had gained his fathers approval, the bakerys fortunes began to look up. Once we invested in machinery, our business went up and we required more hands than before," he says.

For second-generation bakers like Madhu, the challenge lies not just in satisfying a loyal customer base built over decades but also in reaching out to a new audience: one that seemingly processes the world through a smartphone screen. Recognizing that word-of-mouth publicity is no match for the reach of the digital medium, some bakeries have taken tentative steps towards establishing an online presence. One of these is Iyengars Bakery, a well-known landmark in Austin Town in the heart of Bengaluru, which offers a few itemsnippattu, rusk, honey cake, plain cakethrough its website Iyengarsbakery.com. Madhu, too, is currently working on a website for LJ Bakery and plans to eventually develop an app.

Controlling the conditions

Where does that leave conventional bakeries like BB Bakery, which have been slower to adapt? There is both pride and a touch of frustration in Vijays voice as she tries to answer that question. My father sticks to low pricing because he is loyal to his old customers, who still come every morning just to buy two buns or a quarter-kilo of rusk," she says of her 58-year-old father, Srinivas. While the number of customers hasnt dwindled, the rising cost of raw materials and labour has stretched his resources thin.

Besides, there is the looming question of the bakerys future. Having earned his chops in the trade after years of observation and hands-on training, Srinivas is, perhaps understandably, proprietorial about his trademark recipes. There are many modern methods to make cakes and pastries, but my fathers methods are very different," says Vijay. He says that it will take at least a year or two for us to get trained."

Adding to his challenges is a new crop of Iyengar bakeries, hoping to capitalize on the fail-safe brand name.

Nowadays, anyone can start a bakery and call it an Iyengar bakery. There is no control," says Vijay, echoing the sentiments of several of the people I interviewed. What was once the exclusive domain of the Bakery Iyengars is now increasingly being appropriated by entrepreneurs from outside the community. This fact places an even bigger strain on the already fragile thread that unites the original" Iyengar bakeries. Lacking a formal association to unite and represent themthe Iyengar Bakery Association is now all but defunctand with the competition at the door, its clear that the older Iyengar bakeries have no choice but to evolve in order to remain in the reckoning.

Vijay believes a little recognition of their bakerys heritage from the government may provide a much needed shot in the arm. My father wanted me to mention this: If (Prime Minister) Narendra Modis principle is Make In India, we have been doing just that since 1898, using traditional techniques. But he needs help, both in terms of finance and labour."

With next to no record of the number of Iyengar bakeries located in Bengaluru and beyondalthough there is no dearth of Iyengar bakery-inspired recipes on the Internetits difficult to ascertain the rate at which the industry is growing. According to an article written on the Indian bakery industry by Nemat Sheereen S., an associate professor at the Cochin University of Science and Technology, and published on the portal FNB News in April, the unorganized sector accounts for 80% of the total bread production and 90% of other bakery production in India. Iyengar bakeries fall under this sector, although specific statistics about them are difficult to find.

Despite widespread predictions to the contrary, however, it appears that Iyengar bakerieseven those with questionable provenanceare only burgeoning in number. In Thane, where I live, there is an Iyengar bakery in nearly every lane," says Koranne-Khandekar. This is a typically Marathi neighbourhood, so a vegetarian bakery is greatly treasured."

By some estimates, Mumbai has a few hundred Iyengar bakeries, and counting, even though their link to the original Iyengar legacy seems to be tenuous at best. Other cities in India, such as Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad, also have their versions of the Iyengar bakery, and there even seems to be one in Singapore.

If anything, this is proof that it is impossible to hold a good idea down for too long without others getting wind of it. For the older bakeries, the challenge lies in translating a successful concept into a profitable business. To this end, some bakers, such as Raman and Lakshmeesha Iyengar of the Bangalore Iyengars Bakery, have decided to patent the brand name. Until that happens, the solution may lie in accepting a truism that holds when it comes to the food industry: Change is the only constant.

***

Aalu and palya buns.

Iyengar icons

Aloo bun: As the name suggests, this is a tea bun with a stuffing of spicy potato. Many Iyengar bakeries offer aloo buns and palya buns on alternate days.

Dilkhush/Dilpasand: An Iyengar speciality, this sweet treat is made of layers of puff pastry encasing a filling of sweetened, grated coconut and tutti frutti. It is often considered the sweet equivalent of the savoury puff.

Honey cake: A moist and intensely sweet sponge cake, drenched in a sticky honey syrup and occasionally slathered with jam.

Khara bun: These bread rolls are distinguished by their distinctly Indian flavour, usually from the addition of finely chopped green chillies and curry leaves.

Masala toast: A slice of toasted white bread is piled with a peppery vegetable mixture, usually made of carrots and onions, to make this a perfect after-school snack.

Nippattu: Crumbly, savoury biscuits made of refined flour and flavoured with green chillies and curry leaves. These are a teatime favourite.

Palya bun: The same vegetable filling that is used on top of masala toasts is stuffed into a tea bun to make the palya bun, one of the most iconic offerings.

Veg puff: Thin layers of buttery puff pastry wrapped around a spicy vegetable filling, which almost always includes slivers of carrot, capsicum, peas and green chillies.

***

The math of bread

Although there is frustratingly sketchy information available on the business aspect of Iyengar bakeries, here is a rough estimate of the quantity of ingredients used daily by a small or medium-size bakery with 10-12 employees:

Wheat flour: 150-200kg

Sugar: 100kg

Oil/vegetable fat: 60-70kg

(Figures provided by LJ Iyengar Bakery.)
The lion that scared a school Beware the big cat in the classroom /news/talking-point/the-lion-that-scared-a-school-111646909119209.html 111646909119209 story

Amid the pomp and heraldry surrounding the bicentenary of the Presidency/Hindoo College, the bicentenary of the Calcutta School-Book Society (CSBS) has gone virtually unnoticed. At a time when Baptist missionaries were setting up an English schools system in Hooghly district, a need was felt for textbooks which could be used in the new classrooms. The Calcutta School-Book Society was set up in direct response to this need in 1817, but with one crucial difference from the missionary curricula: It would be no part of its designto furnish religious books". In other words, the CSBS proposed a modern, secular pedagogy, perhaps the first of its kind in the world.

Predictably, the CSBS first publications were in the field of arithmetic, geography and astronomy. But of all its early productions, perhaps the most engaging was a series titled Pashwabali or Animal Biography, which debuted in 1822. Each number would be a slim volume on an animal, fronted by an illustration of the said animal. This sounds unremarkable, but the first-ever illustrated book in Bengali, an edition of Annada Mangal, had been published only six years earlier, in 1816. The block-makers who plied their trade in Calcutta at the time could perhaps produce almanac-style artwork, but could they draw a lion or a rhinoceros?

It is at this point that a certain John Lawson steps into the breach. Lawson had arrived in Calcutta in 1813, hoping to make himself useful to the Baptist William Carey in Serampore. But he had been arrested promptly, along with his associates, by officials of the East India Company who were paranoid about missionaries operating in their bailiwick. Carey sent one of his brethren, Joshua Marshman, to intercede on behalf of Lawson, and after a series of negotiations too byzantine to relate here, Marshman was able to secure the release of Lawson, on the plea that he would be required to design movable metal type for the New Testament to be printed in Chinese from Serampore (this did happen eventually, but that is another story).

Lawson spent several years in Serampore before the younger brethren rebelled against the older and set up a new Baptist mission in Calcutta. Lawson was asked to draw the animals for the series, and the first number of the series, running to 24 pages, duly featured a picture of a lion with a four-line poem beneath in rhyming couplets. So far, so good. But mayhem, we are told, ensued once the book was introduced to classrooms. The bibliographer Rev. James Long, who has appeared in these columns before, asserted in his famous 1855 catalogue that the picture excited such alarm that one school, where it was placed, was at once emptied of its scholarsthe Hindus believed that there is only one lion in the world".

Longs tale stretches ones credulity somewhat, but since the reverend usually got his facts right, there may be an element of truth in the anecdote. Certainly, one does not hear similar reports about numbers 2 and 3 in the series, which were devoted to the bear and the elephant, which would have been familiar enough to school-goers. Not so perhaps the fourth number, which featured a remarkably lifelike image of the rhinoceros, engraved by Lawson. These four numbers would be reprinted as one volume in 1828, this time crediting one W.H. Pearch as the translator of the text.

The series received a new lease of life in 1838, when Ramchandra Mitra was commissioned to produce a fresh batch of animal biographies, such as those of the beaver, rat, seal, wolf, bull, donkey and bat. These were bilingual to begin with and ran uniformly to 39 pages each. As before, each animal received a poem to itself, but this time the poet allowed himself greater scope, often launching into eulogies on the animal concerned. Thus, we are informed: The patient ox, strong-limbed and meek/ Prepares the fruitful fields/ While the good cowthe Hindus all/ A rich production yields:/ Both friends of man, source of his wealth,/ His pride, his comfort, and his health." Concerning the bat, we are informed that some of its species are drinkers of blood, proof positive that vampirism was not unknown to the early 19th century schoolgoing child in Bengal.

Endpapers is a monthly column on obscure books and forgotten writers. Abhijit Gupta teaches English at Jadavpur University, Kolkata, and is director, Jadavpur University Press.
The former Pakistan PM, who survived an assassination attempt on Thursday, delivered an address from a Lahore hospital on Friday.
You may have experienced some signs youre in love. Can't get someone out of your head? Daydreaming about them when you should be working? Imagining your futures together? These dizzying thoughts are just a few of the telltale signs you're in love.

In fact, scientists have pinned down exactly what it means to "fall in love." Researchers have found that the brain of a person in love looks very different from one experiencing mere lust, and it's also unlike the brain of someone in a long-term, committed relationship. Studies led by Helen Fisher (opens in new tab), an anthropologist at Rutgers University and one of the leading experts on the biological basis of love, have revealed that the brain's "in love" phase is a unique and well-defined period of time. Here are 13 telltale signs you're in love.

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN MEDICALLY REVIEWED BY THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN MEDICALLY REVIEWED BY Yasmine S. Ali, MD MD, MSCI, FACC, FACP Yasmine S. Ali MD is an award-winning physician writer who has published across multiple genres and media. She is President of LastSky Writing, LLC, and has 25 years of experience in medical writing, editing, and reviewing, across a broad range of health topics and medical conditions. Dr. Ali is board certified in general internal medicine and the subspecialty of cardiovascular disease. She is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP).

Thinking this one's special

When you're in love, more dopamine is released in the brain. (Image credit: Getty)

When you're in love, you begin to think your beloved is unique. The belief is coupled with an inability to feel romantic passion for anyone else. According to a 2017 article in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior (opens in new tab), this monogamy results from elevated levels of central dopamine  a chemical involved in attention and focus  in your brain .

Focusing on the positive

Being in love can alter the focus of a person's thoughts. (Image credit: Getty)

People who are truly in love tend to focus on the positive qualities of their beloved, while overlooking his or her negative traits. According to the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (opens in new tab), relationships are usually more successful when partners are idealized.

Those who are in love also focus on trivial events and objects that remind them of their loved one, daydreaming about these precious little moments and mementos. According to research published in 2013 in the journal Motivation and Emotion (opens in new tab), being in love prevents people from focusing on other information.

This focused attention is also thought to result from elevated levels of central dopamine, as well as a spike in central norepinephrine, a chemical associated with increased memory in the presence of new stimuli.

Emotional instability

Those in love can experience a range of emotions. (Image credit: Getty)

As is well known, falling in love often leads to emotional and physiological instability. You bounce between exhilaration, euphoria, increased energy, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, trembling, a racing heart and accelerated breathing, as well as anxiety, panic and feelings of despair when your relationship suffers even the smallest setback.

When extreme, these mood swings parallel the behavior of drug addicts, according to a 2017 article in the journal Philosophy, Psychiatry and Psychology (opens in new tab). And indeed, when in-love people are shown pictures of their loved ones, it fires up the same regions of the brain that activate when a drug addict takes a "hit". According to Fisher (opens in new tab), being in love is a form of addiction and when this is taken away from someone they can experience "withdrawals and relapse".

Intensifying attraction

Romantic attraction is associated with central dopamine (Image credit: Getty)

Going through some sort of adversity with another person tends to intensify romantic attraction, according to Fishers research. Central dopamine may be responsible for this reaction, too, because research shows that when a reward is delayed, dopamine-producing neurons in the mid-brain region become more productive.

Intrusive thinking

Intrusive thinking can come in many forms. (Image credit: Getty)

People who are in love report that they spend, on average, more than 85 percent of their waking hours musing over their "love object," according to Fisher. Intrusive thinking, as this form of obsessive behavior is called, may result from decreased levels of central serotonin in the brain, a condition that has been associated with obsessive behavior previously. (Obsessive-compulsive disorder is treated with serotonin-reuptake inhibitors.)

According to a 2012 study published in the Journal of Psychophysiology (opens in new tab), men who are in love have lower serotonin levels than men who are not, while the opposite applies to women. The men and women who were in love were found to be thinking about their loved one for around 65 percent of the time they were awake.

Emotional dependency

People have evolved to show signs of emotional dependency in a relationship. (Image credit: Getty)

People in love regularly exhibit signs of emotional dependency on their relationship, including possessiveness, jealousy, fear of rejection, and separation anxiety. For instance, Fisher and her colleagues looked at the brains of individuals viewing photos of a rejected loved one, or someone they were still in love with after being rejected by that person.

The functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) showed activation in several brain areas, including forebrain areas like the cingulate gyrus that have been shown to play a role in cocaine cravings. "Activation of areas involved in cocaine addiction may help explain the obsessive behaviors associated with rejection in love," the researchers wrote in 2010 in the Journal of Neurophysiology (opens in new tab).

Planning a future

The hormone oxytocin creates bonds between people. (Image credit: Getty)

Longing for emotional union with a beloved, seeking out ways to get closer and day-dreaming about a future together are also signs of someone in love. According to an article by Harvard University (opens in new tab), when serotonin levels begin to return to normal levels, the hormone oxytocin increases in the body. This neurotransmitter is associated with creating more serious relationships.

Lucy Brown, a neuroscientist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, says this drive to be with another person is sort of like our drive toward water and other things we need to survive.

"Functional MRI studies show that primitive neural systems underlying drive, reward recognition and euphoria are active in almost everyone when they look at the face of their beloved and think loving thoughts. This puts romantic love in the company of survival systems, like those that make us hungry or thirsty," Brown told Live Science.

"I think of romantic love as part of the human reproductive strategy. It helps us form pair-bonds, which help us survive. We were built to experience the magic of love and to be driven toward another"

Feelings of empathy

Feeling of empathy are heightened when in love. (Image credit: Getty)

People who are in love generally feel a powerful sense of empathy toward their beloved, feeling the other person's pain as their own and being willing to sacrifice anything for the other person.

In Fishers study, the scientists discovered significant patterns in the brain activity of people who were in love. Their mirror neurons, which are linked to feelings of empathy, were more active in people who were in a long-term, loving relationship.

Aligning interests

People in love may be "brain-chemical" opposites (Image credit: Getty)

Falling in love can result in someone reordering their daily priorities to align with those of their beloved. While some people may attempt to be more like a loved one, another of Fisher's studies, presented in 2013 at the "Being Human" conference, found that people are attracted to their opposites, at least their "brain-chemical" opposites.

For instance, her research found that people with so-called testosterone -dominant personalities (highly analytical, competitive and emotionally contained) were often drawn to mates with personalities linked to high estrogen and oxytocin levels  these individuals tended to be "empathetic, nurturing, trusting and prosocial, and introspective, seeking meaning and identity," Fisher said in 2013 (opens in new tab).

Possessive feelings

Strong feelings of attachment is a sign of love. (Image credit: Getty)

Those who are deeply in love often experience sexual desire for their beloved, but there are strong emotional strings attached: The longing for sex is coupled with a desire for sexual exclusivity, and extreme jealousy when the partner is suspected of infidelity. According to the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, oxytocin is released during sexual activity. This hormone, as mentioned above, creates social bonds and develops trust.

This attachment is thought to have evolved so that an in-love person will compel his or her partner to spurn other suitors, thereby ensuring that the couple's courtship is not interrupted until conception has occurred. According to Fisher this evolved as a biological need, enabling people in romantic relationships to focus [their] mating energy on a particular individual.

Craving an emotional union

(Image credit: Getty)

While the desire for sexual union is important to people in love, the craving for emotional union takes precedence. Fishers 2002 study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior found that 64 percent of people in love (the same percentage for both sexes) disagreed with the statement, "Sex is the most important part of my relationship with [my partner]."

Feeling out of control

A lack of control over your feelings is a common sign of love. (Image credit: Getty)

Fisher and her colleagues found that individuals who report being "in love" commonly say their passion is involuntary and uncontrollable.

For her 1979 book "Love and Limerence," the late psychologist Dorothy Tennov asked 400 men and women in Connecticut to respond to 200 statements on romantic love. Many participants expressed feelings of helplessness, saying their obsession was irrational and involuntary.

According to Fisher, one participant, a business executive in his early 50s wrote this about an office crush, "I am advancing toward the thesis that this attraction for Emily is a kind of biological, instinct-like action that is not under voluntary or logical control. ... It directs me. I try desperately to argue with it, to limit its influence, to channel it (into sex, for example), to deny it, to enjoy it, and, yes, dammit, to make her respond! Even though I know that Emily and I have absolutely no chance of making a life together, the thought of her is an obsession," Fisher reported in 2016 online in Nautilus.

Losing the spark

The dynamic of a relationship can change over time. (Image credit: Getty)

Unfortunately, being in love doesn't always last forever and psychologists say that the early euphoric stage lasts no longer than three years, according to Fishers blog. It's an impermanent state that either evolves into a long-term relationship that psychologists call "attachment," or it dissipates, and the relationship dissolves. If there are physical or social barriers inhibiting partners from seeing one another regularly  for example, if the relationship is long-distance  then the "in love" phase generally lasts longer than it would otherwise.

Additional resources

To find out why people crave love and learn more about the research of Helen Fisher, you can watch her TED talk The brain in love (opens in new tab). For further reading about love and the body, the book The Science of Love and Attraction (opens in new tab), written by neuroscientist Dr. Guloglu, explores how and why people love.

Bibliography

"Romantic love: An fMRI study of a neural mechanism for mate choice" The Journal of Comparative Neurology (2005). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cne.20772 (opens in new tab)

"Differences in Neural Response to Romantic Stimuli in Monogamous and Non-Monogamous Men". Archives of Sexual Behaviour (2017). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-017-1071-9 (opens in new tab)

"The benefits of positive illusions: Idealization and the construction of satisfaction in close relationships". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (1996). https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-01707-007 (opens in new tab)

"Reduced cognitive control in passionate lovers". Leiden, Universiteit (2013). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131111091355.htm (opens in new tab)

"Addicted to love: What is love addiction and when should it be treated?". Philosophy, Psychiatry and Psychology (2017). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5378292/ (opens in new tab)

"Reward, Addiction, and Emotion Regulation Systems Associated With Rejection in Love". Journal of Neurophysiology (2010). https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jn.00784.2009 (opens in new tab)
Inauguration Day

The inauguration of George W. Bush on Jan. 20, 2005. (Image credit: White House)

Later today (Jan. 20), Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States in the country's 58th inauguration ceremony, and over the years, the otherwise serious ceremony of swearing in the president has had a few odd moments. From Dwight Eisenhower being lassoed by a cowboy to Richard Nixon's dead birds, here are some of the most bizarre swearing-in days in U.S. history.

Lasso laughs

During Dwight Eisenhower's 1953 inauguration, the newly sworn-in president was lassoed by a rodeo cowboy. (Image credit: Eisenhower Presidential Library/National Archives)

During Dwight Eisenhower's 1953 inauguration, the American infatuation with on-screen cowboys was at such a peak that Montie Montana, a rodeo rider and movie star, was included in the ceremony. Though Montana initially suggested presenting the president with a 10-gallon cowboy hat, this idea was bucked for a lasso. Montana rode up to the inaugural parade stand on horseback and lassoed the newly sworn-in president in front of the crowd.

135 words

Painted by Gilbert Stuart and Rembrandt Peale | Housed at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Mass.

During his second inauguration, the nation's first president gave the shortest inaugural address. With a succinct 135 words, George Washington thanked the American people for the distinguished honor and reminded them of the oath he would take  short and to the point.

Nontraditional parade

President Bill Clinton, here at a speech for then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, spoke at the National Retail Federation Conference today. (Image credit: Soph | Dreamstime.com)

Bill Clinton prioritized diversity for his inaugural celebration. Rather than the traditional parade marchers of military cadets and equestrian teams, Clinton included a reggae band and lawn-chair drill team  members drill with lawn chairs  in his inauguration parade. The procession also included an Elvis Presley impersonator on a float with members of the late musician's original band.

Statement jewelry

During his second inauguration in 1905, Teddy Roosevelt wore a ring containing a lock of Lincoln's hair. (Image credit: Library of Congress)

Theodore Roosevelt was greatly inspired by Abraham Lincoln  so much so that during his second inauguration in 1905, Roosevelt wore a ring containing a lock of Lincoln's hair. The ring was gifted to him by Secretary of State John Hay, who was Lincoln's former personal secretary. After Lincoln's assassination, Hay reportedly paid $100 for six strands of hair to be removed from the Presidents head during his autopsy. Hay later had one of these strands mounted into a ring under an oval piece of glass.

Fumbled oath

During Obama's first inauguration, Chief Justice John Roberts stumbled over the oath, leading Obama to mix up his words. (Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Barack Obama's first inauguration actually happened twice. During the swearing-in ceremony Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court stumbled over the oath, leading Obama to mix up his words. To avoid any doubt about the legality of Obama's presidency, the two men redid the constitutionally mandated oath the next day, word for word.

Drunken oratory

Andrew Johnson gave a hungover speech on inaugural day. (Image credit: Lillian C. Buttre, American Portrait Gallery | Wikimedia Commons)

In 1865, Andrew Johnson gave a train-wreck of a speech on the big day. The vice president usually gives a short and smooth speech prior to the president's address. But the 16th vice president, who later became the 17th president after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated that year, was ill with typhoid fever and took the medicine of the day, whiskey, the night before. The hangover must have gone to his head: During the speech, he bragged about his humble origins and his triumph over Confederate rebels. Lincoln reportedly looked on in horror, while the former vice president Hannibal Hamlin tugged at his coattails in a failed bid to get him to stop.

Dead birds

Ulysses S. Grant had a number of mishaps on his inauguration day. (Image credit: The Mystery Man | Wikimedia Commons)

Ulysses S. Grant thought that canaries would add a festive touch to his inaugural ball in 1873, the beginning of his second term. Unfortunately, the 18th president failed to anticipate the cold temperatures  the morning low was 4 degrees Fahrenheit (about 15 degrees Celsius), the coldest March day on record. With wind chill, the day felt like a blustery minus 15 F to minus 30 F (minus 26 C to minus 34 C). All told, about 100 birds froze to death during Grant's inauguration.

More dead birds

During Richard Nixon's Inauguration Day parade in 1973, he had a chemical bird repellant sprayed to kill pigeons so they wouldn't interfere with the celebration. (Image credit: Library of Congress)

Birds don't seem to do well on Inauguration Day. During Richard Nixon's Inauguration Day parade in 1973, he wanted to make sure pigeons didn't ruin his big day. The 37th president had a chemical bird repellant sprayed all along the inaugural parade route. The streets were strewn with dozens of dead pigeons.

Coat-check blunders

About 100 canaries froze to death during Ulysses S. Grant's inauguration. (Image credit: Library of Congress)

Grant's inaugurations suffered from several blunders. Not only did he inadvertently lead to mass bird death at the second inauguration, his first inauguration in 1869 saw outright brawls. The people staffing the coat-check area couldn't read the claim tickets, so as people waited ever longer to pick up their outerwear, fights broke out and some guests abandoned their jackets and hats. "Illiterate workers mixed up everyone's coat claims, leading to fights among the men and tears among the women," writes Jim Bendat in "Democracy's Big Day: The Inauguration of our President 1789-2009" (iUniverse Star, 2008).

Quiet ceremony

Known as "Silent Cal," Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as president with no audience or public fanfare. (Image credit: White House Historical Society)

Calvin Coolidge, known as "Silent Cal," was notorious for talking little and doing things with no fanfare. That includes the start of his presidency. He was staying with his father in rural Vermont when news came that President Warren G. Harding had died. Because the 30th president's father happened to be a justice of the peace, his father performed the swearing in right there, without an audience.
President Obama left office on Friday, but scientists will be saying "thanks, Obama" for years to come.

Or more specifically, "thanks, Station Obama."

Eight years ago on Friday, scientists named a climate monitoring location in a desolate bay off the Antarctic Peninsula after the 44th president to mark his inauguration. They took the step as a way to honor a president they viewed as a someone who would bring scientific integrity back to the White House.

Now they're returning to the site in the next few days as part of a five-week research cruise underway in the Southern Ocean and plan to make it an annual visit. The data they collect at Station Obama shows how climate change is altering one of the most fragile places on the planet from melting ice to massive ecosystem changes.

The station will help ensure Obama's climate legacy will live on even as Donald Trump, who has dramatically different views on climate change, will be sworn in as the nation's new president on Jan. 20.

Obama has increasingly maneuvered to make climate change part of his legacy. Under his watch, the U.S. signed the Paris Agreement, implemented a domestic climate plan and has seen all corners of the federal government, from theEnvironmental Protection Agency to Department of Defense, take climate change more seriously. Most recently, he wrote a piece for Science, one of the world's most prestigious academic journals, about how the clean energy revolution is unstoppable.

In comparison, Trump has referred to climate change as a hoax and his cabinet nominees have repeatedly spoken in ways that show a clear misunderstanding of climate science, if not outright denialism. The Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress have both signalled they plan to undo the progress that Obama made at a crucial time when the world needs to do more to combat climate change.

The Laurence M. Gould, a U.S. icebreaker on a five-week Antarctic research trip, will revisit Station Obama "to call attention to the progress the nation made toward addressing climate change during his presidency" according to Hugh Ducklow, an oceanographer at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the Center for Climate and Life who helped christen the station in 2009.

The site's name is unique. Ducklow said he's never heard of another climate or ocean monitoring location named after a president, let alone other people.

"Usually we just have numbers, or maybe just latitude/longitude, not actual names," he wrote in an email sent from the Laurence M. Gould, which is chugging toward the British Antarctic Survey's Rothera Research Station located to the northeast of Station Obama.

When scientists reach Station Obama  "station" being oceanographer speak for a sampling location where they deploy their instruments  they'll take a suite of measurements to monitor what's happening to the climate and ocean in the region. That includes taking the temperature of the ocean as well as looking at indicators of ocean acidification and the ocean's ability to pull carbon out of the atmosphere.

The data collected at Station Obama are part of a long-term monitoring project in the region that has revealed the stunning ways that climate change has reshaped the bottom of the world. Since 1950, Ducklow said temperatures in the region have risen by 11F.

That's contributed to the sea ice season shrinking by three months and caused 80 percent of glaciers in the region to retreat. Rising temperatures and changing ocean chemistry due to climate change are also decreasing krill, which form the base of the food chain, and the population of Adelie penguins, which are important to the ecosystem, not to mention adorable.

The Antarctic Peninsula is also likely to see a Delaware-sized ice shelf disintegrate in the coming months, a change that will speed the flow of land ice to the sea and with it, more sea level rise. It's hardly the only ice in Antarctica to be suffering the consequences of warmer air and ocean temperatures.

It's against this backdrop that Station Obama takes on more importance. The data researchers collected there in 2009 and again this year make it clear that huge changes are afoot in the region. That data doesn't really care what politicians have to say about climate change. Physics will not yield to politics.

"We have one home planet and its habitability for human civilization is maintained by healthy ecosystems," Ducklow said.

You May Also Like: Trump's EPA May Review' California's Car Pollution Rules Pruitt Dances on Climate, Calls for Change at EPA The Temperature Spiral, Now With 2016's Record Heat 2016 Officially Declared Hottest Year on Record

Original article on Climate Central.
President Donald Trump took the oath of office in Washington, D.C., today (Jan. 20) and mentioned space exploration  if for one fleeting moment  as one of the paths forward to make America great again.

"No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again," Trump said in his inaugural address. "We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions." [50 Years of Presidential Visions for Space Exploration]

It was a brief space reference for sure, but a reference nonetheless, and it got me thinking about when space has appeared in the inaugural speeches of presidents of old. Here's a look back at how space exploration popped up in past presidents' inaugural addresses, dating back to nearly the dawn of the space age:

President Lyndon Johnson

President Lyndon Johnson mentioned space exploration during his inaugural speech on Jan. 20, 1965. Johnson had become president on Nov. 22, 1963, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. At the time, the United States and Soviet Union were locked in a space race to the moon and Kennedy had challenged NASA to achieve a crewed lunar landing by the end of the decade. It was a challenge that NASA, and the country, would ultimately meet.

You can see video of Johnson's full inaugural address here via C-SPAN. At the time of his address, NASA's Mariner 4 mission was en route to Mars. Johnson would refer to Mars as a theme of change and unity during his speech, starting with:

"Even now, a rocket moves toward Mars," Johnson said (it's at the 1:40-minute mark in the video). "It reminds us that the world will not be the same for our children, or even for ourselves, in a short span of years."

According to a transcript of Johnson's speech, he wrote that seeing Earth from a Mars-bound rocket would inspire a sense of unity.

"Think of our world as it looks from the rocket that is heading toward Mars. It is like a child's globe, hanging in space, the continents stuck to its side like colored maps. We are all fellow passengers on a dot of Earth. And each of us, in the span of time, has really only a moment among our companions. How incredible it is that in this fragile existence, we should hate and destroy one another. There are possibilities enough for all who will abandon mastery over others to pursue mastery over nature. There is world enough for all to seek their happiness in their own way."

Mariner 4 successfully flew by Mars later that year, on July 15, 1965. It was NASA's first successful Mars flight and returned 21 pictures of the Red Planet. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston is named in honor of President Johnson, who hailed from Texas.

Richard Nixon

On Jan. 20, 1969, President Richard Nixon cited space exploration and its promise for the future several times during his first inaugural speech. The speech occurred just weeks after NASA's Apollo 8 mission, which sent three astronauts around the moon and captured the iconic photo of Earth rising over the lunar surface. You can watch the full speech on C-SPAN.

"In throwing wide the horizons of space, we have discovered new horizons on Earth," Nixon said in his speech.

Later, Nixon cited the peaceful exploration of space as a path forward for international competition:

"Those who would be our adversaries, we invite to a peaceful competition  not in conquering territory or extending dominion, but in enriching the life of man," he said. "As we explore the reaches of space, let us go to the new worlds together, not as new worlds to be conquered, but as a new adventure to be shared."

With the Apollo 8 mission by astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders so fresh in the public's memory, Nixon returned to the mission and its Earth photo in a reference to the pursuit of peace:

"Only a few short weeks ago, we shared the glory of man's first sight of the world as God sees it, as a single sphere reflecting light in the darkness. As the Apollo astronauts flew over the moon's gray surface on Christmas Eve, they spoke to us of the beauty of Earth, and in that voice so clear across the lunar distance, we heard them invoke God's blessing on its goodness.

"In that moment, their view from the moon moved poet Archibald MacLeish to write, 'To see the Earth as it truly is, small and blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the Earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold  brothers who know now they are truly brothers.'

"In that moment of surpassing technological triumph, men turned their thoughts toward home and humanity, seeing in that far perspective that man's destiny on Earth is not divisible, telling us that however far we reach into the cosmos, our destiny lies not in the stars but on Earth itself, in our own hands, in our own hearts."

Just seven months after Nixon's speech, on July 20, 1969, NASA's Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon, marking the first-ever crewed lunar landing.

Ronald Reagan

On Jan. 21, 1985, President Ronald Reagan referenced space in his second inaugural address. Early on, he mentioned NASA's Apollo moon landings. You can see the video here, courtesy of the Reagan Foundation.

"We have lighted the world with our inventions, gone to the aid of mankind wherever in the world there was a cry for help, journeyed to the moon and safely returned. So much has changed. And yet we stand together as we did two centuries ago."

Later, Reagan mentioned space as it could be used in missile defense to protect the United States against the threat of nuclear missiles during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. It was a reference to Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, a missile-defense program that earned the nicknamed "Star Wars." The mention comes at the 18:55-minute mark of the Reagan Foundation video:

"I have approved a research program to find, if we can, a security shield that would destroy nuclear missiles before they reach their target. It wouldn't kill people. It would destroy weapons. It wouldn't militarize space. It would help demilitarize the arsenals of Earth. It would render nuclear weapons obsolete. We will meet with the Soviets, hoping that we can agree on a way to rid the world of the threat of nuclear destruction."

New era for NASA begins

So that's a short look back on mentions of space exploration in the inaugural speeches of American presidents. A hat tip to collectSPACE.com Editor Robert Pearlman for his help in compiling this retrospective.

With Trump's administration now in full swing, the next major milestone will be the naming of a new NASA administrator to lead the agency over the next four years. Charles Bolden, NASA's chief during the Obama administration, is stepping down, with the agency set to be led by Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot until Trump selects a new agency head.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Currently Reading

Protest signs from Donald Trump's Inauguration Day from around the world
Blog Archive November (3) October (7) March (2) February (10) January (12) December (4) November (13) October (32) September (14) August (14) July (17) June (18) May (14) April (23) March (24) February (36) January (23) December (29) November (34) October (60) September (30) August (35) July (32) June (35) May (28) April (26) March (30) February (38) January (32) December (28) November (32) October (58) September (33) August (33) July (35) June (37) May (31) April (31) March (38) February (55) January (52) December (44) November (52) October (71) September (48) August (51) July (55) June (53) May (41) April (38) March (43) February (58) January (32) December (35) November (35) October (54) September (37) August (36) July (39) June (37) May (37) April (34) March (29) February (47) January (37) December (36) November (23) October (53) September (27) August (33) July (28) June (21) May (4) April (12) March (12) February (6) January (6) December (24) November (23) October (41) September (21) August (23) July (12)

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure
Approximately twenty people gathered outside Longford Post Office on Friday night last, January 13, for a vigil in support of the Apollo House campaign.

Apollo House in Dublin was occupied from December to provide accommodation for homeless people. Last week residents and occupants vacated the building.

The vigil aimed, however, to keep the Apollo House 'spirit' going.

There was about twenty of us there on Friday night, so that was a good crowd, said co-organiser Tena OLeary Keown. We had visitors in from Drumlish and from as far as Athlone.

Those in attendance made posters which called for people to be given homes, rather than hostels, while thirty-two candles, with the names of each county inscribed on them, symbolised the reality that homelessness is a nationwide problem.

I just want to thank everyone for coming out, Tena continued.

The group also provided contact details on the night for three homeless charities in the midlands, namely Bethany House (043 334 8136), St Marthas (043 3348062) and Midlands Simon Community (090 644 4641).
As the proposed rate valuation furore intensifies and amid job loss fears, a public meeting will take place on Monday, January 23 at 6pm in the Longford Arms Hotel to address the issue.

Longford Chamber of Commerce has organised the meeting and Chamber President, Derek Scanlon explained, The main purpose of the meeting is to provide as much information about the revaluation process and about the appeals mechanism as possible.

There has been a lot of shock and distress with the certificates landing in the post over the past couple of weeks and we need to ensure that every business owner has the full facts and understands the best way to respond to the Valuation Office.

A representative from the Valuation Office has agreed to attend the meeting on Monday to give a presentation on the overall revaluation process and also the appeals mechanism.

In addition specific appointments with the valuation office will be available in the Local Authority offices in the coming weeks and details of those appointments will be made available at the meeting on Monday.

Following the provision of information the meeting will also be opened to general comments from the floor where people can raise specific concerns that they may have or indeed make specific requests for help or assistance with the rates revaluation process.

Mr Scanlon remarked, We are particularly concerned for business that are facing dramatic increases in their rates bills under the revaluation process. The increases for those businesses are coming at a time when County Longford is seeing a sizeable reduction in the live register for the first time since the recession. Our fear is that these increases will lead to further job losses.

This is also against a backdrop of lack of government expenditure on key infrastructure such as the upgrading of the N4 National Primary Route to Motorway status, the provision of adequate broadband to enable businesses to work online and the invisibility of any inward investment into the County.

ALSO READ:

Furious Longford publican calls for business community to stand together and reject outrageous rate valuation extortion

Series of meetings planned as cash-strapped Longford businesses hit back over rates revaluation
Are you interested in the creative arts? Do you play music, dance, make art, sing or act? If you answered yes to any of the above, then Shawbrook is the place for you.

Shawbrook Youth Company is inviting young people, aged 10  18 years old, to perform in a joint collaboration called 'Home'.

A fun and highly-creative eight-week performance project that aims to challenge the mind and body and to introduce young people to the joys of physical theatre, 'Home' will be led by Shawbrook Artistic Director Anica Louw.

The project requires a full commitment every Saturday for eight weeks. Junior workshops will take place from 9:30am until 11:30am, with senior workshops getting underway from 11:30am until 1:30pm. The cost of the project is 80 or 10 per week and the performance will take place at Shawbrook, Legan, Co Longford on Saturday, April 15.

For more information, or to register, please email catharinalouw@gmail.com or visit

www.shawbrook.org/syc

The 2017 Shawbrook Youth Company Open Day takes place on Saturday, February 18.

SYC is part of the Shawbrook annual programme, funded by The Arts Council of Ireland.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Home & Garden, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 20 2017

CO is known as the "silent killer. Symptoms can be flu-like: nausea, headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, sleepiness, weakness.

Suffolk County, NY - January 18, 2017 - According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, more than 450 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires, more than 20,000 go to the emergency room, and more than 4,000 are hospitalized. CO is known as the "silent killer. It can prevent the body from getting oxygen. Symptoms can be flu-like: nausea, headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, sleepiness, weakness. In large amounts, CO can cause loss of consciousness, brain damage or death.



In February 2010, New York State enacted legislation requiring the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in homes throughout the state. CO detectors should be installed on the homes lowest level.



Tips to help you avoid carbon monoxide poisoning:

Never run generators in indoor spaces, such as garages, basements, porches, or sheds, or in partly-enclosed spaces such as carports or breezeways. Generators should be operated only outside, far from and downwind of buildings.

Never use a gas range or oven for warmth. It can cause a buildup of toxic carbon monoxide (CO) inside.

Never use a charcoal grill or a barbecue grill in your home or garage. It will cause a buildup of toxic CO.

Never start up any gasoline-powered engines (mowers, snow blowers, or other small motors) in enclosed spaces.

Never use a stove or fireplace unless it is properly installed and vented. Have it inspected annually.

Have oil and gas heat and hot water systems serviced annually.

Never run your car or truck or motorcycle inside a garage that is attached to a house or in a detached garage with the garage door shut; open the door to remove CO and other toxic gases in the exhaust.

If you suspect CO poisoning, get out of the building and into the fresh air, then call the fire department.

Call 911 if you or someone else is experiencing symptoms of CO poisoning.

Visit online for more in depth information on the hazards of CO.



Visit here for tips on avoiding CO poisoning in Spanish.
Nature & Weather, Local News, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 20 2017

Program will support projects that target both aquatic and terrestrial invasive species throughout New York.
Sports & Recreation, School & Education, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 20 2017

The Uniondale School District recently organized an opportunity for students to meet Haitian Olympic Swimmer Naomy GrandPierre.

(L-R) Olympic Haitian Swimmer Naomy Grand'Pierre answers a Uniondale High School students questions about what it takes to become an Olympic swimmer. She was visiting the school as part of a Haitian Club initiative to support victims of Hurricane Matthew.

Uniondale, NY - January 18, 2017 - The Uniondale School District recently organized an opportunity for students to meet Haitian Olympic Swimmer Naomy GrandPierre, the first female swimmer from Haiti to compete in the Olympics. More than 200 Uniondale High School students came together to listen to the featured guest share her inspirational experiences of overcoming obstacles to qualify for the Olympics. Following the assembly, 50 Uniondale High School swimmers met individually with Naomy to learn what it takes to become one of the best swimmers in the world.



Naomy Grand'Pierre shares her inspirational experiences as the first female swimmer from Haiti to compete in the Olympics with Uniondale High School students. Photo by Uniondale School District.

The visit was part of the Districts fundraiser to help support victims of Hurricane Matthew, which devastated a number of areas throughout Haiti in 2010. The event provided a platform for Haitian students whose families experienced the hurricane to share their firsthand memories. In addition, Uniondale High School Assistant Principal Dyan Barton was also honored for her work with Haitian students and their families over the last 10 years.

For more information about the Uniondale School District please visit the website at www.district.uniondaleschools. org.
Nature & Weather, Local News, National & World News, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 20 2017

A.G. Eric T. Schneiderman filed a motion in D.C. District Court seeking to intervene in support of the Environmental Protection Agencys Cross-State Air Pollution Update Rule.

Six A.G.'s file motion to defend EPA's Cross-State Air Pollution Update Rule against challenge by fossil fuel industry and upwind states in the south and west.

New York, NY - January 19, 2017 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today filed a motion in D.C. District Court seeking to intervene in support of the Environmental Protection Agencys Cross-State Air Pollution Update Rule, which requires power plants in 22 states to significantly reduce smog pollution that blows into downwind states like New York and threatens public health.

New York joins five other states  Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont  in the motion to defend the EPA measure, which has been challenged by fourteen energy corporations and upwind states seeking to overturn the rule.

Smog pollution blowing in from other states threatens the health of millions of New Yorkers, particularly seniors and children, said Attorney General Schneiderman. New York has already put in place some of the most effective air quality protections in the country, but we have no control over dirty air that pours in from other states. The Trump administration has signaled its desire to roll back federal environmental protections, including those that protect states from out-of-state polluters. This is why defending this sensible, fair, and crucial rule is so important.

The importance of the rule, and the coalitions defense of it, is underscored by President-elect Trumps nomination of Oklahoma A.G. Scott Pruitt as Administrator of the EPA. As stated in a January 17, 2017 letter to the U.S. Senate signed by A.G. Schneiderman and eight state attorneys general, Pruitt has sought to tear apart the very notion of cooperative federalism that forms the foundation of our federal environmental laws. Cooperative federalism  where national, state, and local governments act collectively to solve common problems  is critical to avoiding a situation where states with inadequate pollution control measures pass this pollution and its public health and environmental impacts to neighboring states.

The federal Clean Air Act confers dual responsibility on the EPA and the states to improve and maintain air quality both in-state and in downwind states. When states' efforts to address interstate air pollution are inadequate, the Act specifically requires EPA to address the interstate transport of air pollution.

The Cross-State Air Pollution Update Rule requires power plants in 22 states to participate in a regional allowance trading program beginning in May 2017 that will reduce emissions of nitrous oxide (which contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone, or smog) in time to assist downwind states with meeting the national ozone standards established by EPA in 2008.

Attorney General Schneiderman has made clear that he stands ready to use the full power of his office to compel enforcement of our nations environmental laws. In addition to opposing A.G. Pruitts nomination to lead the EPA, Schneiderman has led a coalition of 19 states and localities calling on President-elect Trump to continue the federal governments defense of the Clean Power Plan and reject the misguided advice to discard the plan.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Michael J. Myers, Morgan A. Costello, and Andrew G. Frank of the Attorney Generals Environmental Protection Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Lemuel Srolovic.
Local News, Health & Wellness, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 20 2017

In addition to Leg. Spencer's appointment to the Health Committee, he will serve again as Vice Chair of the Ways & Means Committee and a member of the Public Safety Committee.

Centerport, NY - January 19, 2017 - Suffolk County Legislator William R. Spencer, M.D. was pleased to receive the confidence of Presiding Office DuWayne Gregory who once again selected him as the Chairperson of the Suffolk County Legislatures critically important Health Committee. In addition to his appointment to the Health Committee, Legislator Spencer will serve again as Vice Chair of the Ways & Means Committee and a member of the Public Safety Committee.



As the first physician elected to the Suffolk County Legislature it has been my privilege to lead this committee. Protecting the health and well-being of Suffolks residents has always been a top priority of mine, and together we have successfully moved forward legislation and initiatives aimed at doing just that, said Legislator Spencer. I thank the Presiding Officer for this honor and Im eager to continue working with my colleagues to address public health issues and improve quality of life for our constituents in 2017.



The Health Committee has jurisdiction over all matters and legislation affecting the County Department of Health Services, the enforcement of the County Sanitary Code and health related regulatory laws. Some of the programs that the Health Committee has oversight over include: the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services Division; programs focused on addressing public health issues such as infant mortality; disease control; health education; AIDS prevention services; breast cancer; managed care; mental health services; patient care; the Emergency Medical Services Division; pre-natal care; and handicapped services.



Also on the committee is Legislator Bridget Fleming who is serving as Vice Chair, and Deputy Presiding Officer Robert Calarco, Legislator Tom Cilmi, Legislator Leslie Kennedy, Legislator Monica Martinez, and Legislator Robert Trotta.



The first meeting of the Health Committee in 2017 will take place on Thursday, February 2nd at 2:00pm in the Rose Y. Caracappa Auditorium of the William H. Rogers Legislature Building, 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, New York.
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: January 20 2017

The Village of Hempstead recently held a Toy Gun Exchange at Village Hall in an effort to curb gun violence.

(L-R) Village of Hempstead Mayor Wayne J. Hall Sr. (center) and Deputy Mayor Luis Figueroa (left) give local children in the Village of Hempstead gifts in exchange for plastic toy guns. This event was part of Mayor Wayne J. Hall, Sr.s initiative to promote a culture of nonviolence throughout the Village.

Hempstead, NY - January 20, 2017 - The Village of Hempstead recently held a Toy Gun Exchange at Village Hall in an effort to curb gun violence. Mayor Wayne J. Hall, Sr. and Village Board of Trustees welcomed children living in the Village and gave them the opportunity to exchange their toy guns for non-violent play options. Adult volunteers dressed in festive costumes and helped the children choose a non-violent alternative.

The program, in partnership with the nonprofit organization New York Toy Gun Exchange Program, was part of Mayor Wayne J. Hall, Sr.s initiative to promote a culture of nonviolence throughout the Village.
In a propaganda video that promoted its Al Farouq Training Camp, the Taliban said that the ultimate goal of its jihad is to establish an Islamic state on earth. The Al Farouq camp is the latest training site publicized by the Taliban.

The video, entitled Ribat 1 and released on Voice of Jihad on Jan. 20, was produced by Tora Bora Jihadi Studio and the Multimedia Branch of the Cultural Commission of the Islamic Emirate. Ribat is defined as a base or fortress used to defend Islam.

The location of the Al Farouq camp was not disclosed by the Taliban; it could be located in either Afghanistan or Pakistan. The makeshift camp (there are no permanent structures seen in the video) is situated on a wooded hillside. An improvised range and obstacle course are shown during the course of the video.

The first half of the video is standard fare for Taliban training camp videos: an estimated 20 recruits are shown exercising and practicing with various weapons, including handguns, assault rifles, and machine guns. A group of 12 fighters are in what appears to be the camp uniform: a red keffiyeh, woodland camouflage uniforms, and new white high top sneakers.

The Taliban fighters are operating in the open in broad daylight, without fear of reprisal from US, Afghan, or Pakistani forces.

Taliban calls for a global Islamic state

The video is clearly geared toward a Western audience. Clips of the fighters training are subtitled with English-language captions such as The Training Madresa, The Center of Understanding Jihad, The School of Developing Minds, The Training Center of Mujahid Nation, Defending the Divine Way, and The Address of Jihadic Thinking.

The second half of the video features an unknown speaker who provides religious justification for jihad, which he calls a holy obligation, based on readings from the Koran. His entire speech is subtitled in English. The speaker then reaches out to other Muslim brothers, a clear reference to non-Afghans, to take part in jihad.

We also have a responsibility to invite other Muslim brothers to take part in waging jihad with their blood and souls, the Taliban speaker implores.

The Ribat 1 video, like a previous video entitled Real Men that also promoted a Taliban camp, contradicts many of the groups public statements and claims that it only seeks to liberate Afghanistan from Western occupation. In Real Men, the Talibans message clearly indicated that it is a fervent defender of Islam and part of the global jihad.

In Ribat 1, the Taliban could not be more explicit about its support of the global jihad. At one point, the speaker said the Talibans ultimate goal is the establishment of a global Islamic state.

Our aim of all these struggles and effort is to establish an Islamic state on earth, the speaker said.

This should come as no surprise as the Taliban has often revealed its close relation to global jihadist groups, such as when it publicly accepted a pledge of allegiance from al Qaedas emir, Ayman al Zawahiri.

Jihadist training camps in Afghanistan

The Taliban has publicized at least 10 of its training camps since the end of 2014 (see list below). Other jihadist groups, including al Qaeda, are known to operate camps inside Afghanistan. In 2015, the US raided an al Qaeda camp in Bermal district in Paktika, and two others in the Shorabak district in Kandahar province. The outgoing commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General John Campbell, said that one of the camps in Shorabak was the largest in Afghanistan since the US invaded in 2001. Al Qaeda has also operated camps in Kunar and Nuristan.

Harakat-ul-Mujahideen, a Pakistani jihadist group that is closely allied with al Qaeda,operates terrorist training camps in eastern Afghanistan, the US government stated in 2014. The Turkistan Islamic Party, the Islamic Jihad Union, and the Imam Bukhari Jamaat, an Uzbek jihadist group that operates in both Syria and Afghanistan, have all claimed to operate camps inside Afghanistan. Coalition forces have also raided Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan suicide training camps in Samagan and Sar-i-Pul.

Training camps promoted by the Taliban since Dec. 2014

Dec. 2014: The Taliban announced the existence of a training camp in Faryab province.

Dec. 2014:The Khalid bin Waleed camp in Kunar province.

June 2015: The Taliban touted its special forces training camp; the location was not disclosed.

Aug. 2015: Training Camp Shaheed Ustaz Aasim in the Lions Den, in Paktia province.

Sept. 2015 The Salahadin Ayyubi camp; the location was not disclosed.

July 2016: The Omar bin Khattab training camp in Kunduz.

Oct. 2016: Abdullah bin Mubarak Jihad Training Camp; the location was not disclosed.

Nov. 2015: The Khalid bin Walid Camp; the location was not disclosed. According to the Taliban, it has 12 branches.

Nov. 2015: The Abu Dujana Camp, in Sar-i-Pul province. It is one of 12 branch camps of the Khalid bin Walid Camp.

Jan. 2017: Al Farouq Training Camp; the location was not disclosed.

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.
For years, Thomas Joscelyn and I have argued for the intelligence community to declassify nearly all of Osama bin Ladens files that were seized when the al Qaeda emir was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan in 2011. Yesterday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence patted itself on the back as it released 98 additional documents and declared it was Closing the Book on bin Laden.

At The Weekly Standard, Tom argues that the book should remain open, as the release of 620 items in a cache of more than one million documents and files is merely a drop in the bucket. Toms article is excerpted below, but please take a minute to read the whole thing:

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released 98 additional items from Osama bin Ladens compound today. If the ODNI has its way, then these files will be the last the American people see for some time. The accompanying announcement is titled, Closing the Book on bin Laden: Intelligence Community Releases Final Abbottabad Documents. The ODNI says todays release marks the end of a two-and-a-half-year effort to declassify several hundred documents recovered during the Abbottabad raid. But the total number of files released thus far, including todays document dump, is just a drop in the bucket compared to what was found in the al Qaeda masters compound. And if the public and the media care about transparency, then they should push to see more. As THE WEEKLY STANDARD has reported in the past, more than 1 million documents and files were recovered in Abbottabad. Some of the documents (e.g. blanks, duplicates, scans of publicly available media, etc.) are basically worthless. But many thousands more illuminate how al Qaeda has operated. On May 8, 2011, Tom Donilon, who was then President Obamas National Security Adviser, explained that bin Ladens documents and files would fill a small college library. Donilon elaborated further that the recovered intelligence demonstrated Osama bin Ladens active role. At the time of his death, the al Qaeda founder oversaw a cohesive international network, receiving updates from around the globe on a regular basis. In 2012, the Washington Post reported that U.S. officials described the complete collection of bin Laden material as the largest cache of terrorism files ever obtained, with about 100 flash drives and DVDs as well as five computer hard drives, piles of paper and a handwritten journal kept by the al-Qaeda chief. To date, the ODNI has released or listed just 620 items found in bin Ladens home. Only 314 of these are declassified material. That is an insignificant fraction of the total collection.

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 US military announced that it killed an al Qaeda facilitator who was trained by the Taliban, as well as an external operations leader in two separate airstrikes in Syria within the last week. The US has launched four strikes against al Qaedas network in Syria since the beginning of 2017.

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said that Abd al-Jalil al-Muslimi, a Tunisian national who was trained by the Taliban in the late 1990s, when he facilitated extremist travel for the terror group, was killed in an airstrike near Saraqib, Syria on Jan. 12.

Muslimi had extensive and long-standing ties to numerous al Qaeda external operations planners and terrorists, according to Cook.

His death, according to Cook, will degrade al Qaeda in Syrias access to that cadre of veteran plotters, and his position will be difficult for al Qaeda to fill.

In a separate statement, Cook said that Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi, who was described as an external operations leader for al Qaeda, was killed in a Jan. 17 airstrike near Idlib in Syria.

Boussadoun was involved in extremist facilitation and external operations and has been connected to terrorist plots to attack Western targets, according to Cook. Boussadoun arrived in Syria in 2014 after spending several years in countries across Europe and the Middle East, where he maintained ties with multiple extremists.

Muslimi and Boussadoun were among several veteran jihadist leaders and facilitators who relocated to Syria to help establish and grow al Qaedas network in Syria.

Previously, the US government attempted to make a distinction between seasoned al Qaeda personnel who relocated to Syria to continue to plot against the West and those who were tasked to lead Qaedas local operations. Except, the cadre of al Qaeda leaders labeled as the Khorasan group, not only plotted to attack the West from Syria, but also led Al Nusrah Front, al Qaedas local branch in Syria. Al Nusrah Front has since rebranded as Jabhat Fatah al Sham.

However, with the turn of the calendar to 2017, the US military stopped drawing such false distinctions and began referring to the jihadists collectively as al Qaeda. [See FDDs Long War Journal reports, CENTCOM draws misleading line between Al Nusrah Front and Khorasan Group and Pentagon: Airstrikes kill 20 or more al Qaeda fighters in northern Syria.]

The Pentagon has stepped up its targeting of al Qaeda and Jabhat Fatah al Sham. More than 20 al Qaeda operatives were killed in a pair of airstrikes in Syria. On Jan. 1, US warplanes hit a convoy of al Qaeda operatives as they left a headquarters near Sarmada. The Pentagon estimated that 5 fighters were killed.

Two days later, on Jan. 3, the Pentagon estimated that it killed more than 15 al Qaeda personnel when it targeted multiple buildings and vehicles in the Sarmada headquarters. Among those reported killed were Abu Khattab al-Qahtani, another al Qaeda veteran who is said to have fought in Afghanistan and Yemen, and Abu Omar al-Turkistani, a senior member in the al Qaeda-affiliated Turkistan Islamic Party who is reported to have served as a leader in JFS. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, Pentagon: Airstrikes kill 20 or more al Qaeda fighters in northern Syria.]

Jabhat Fatah al Sham (JFS) then issued a statement on a Jan. 12 airstrike near Saraqib, which claimed that JFS leaders Abu Anas al-Masri and Abu Ikrimah al-Tunsi, were killed alongside 10 to 15 other fighters. According to JFS, that US airstrike hit three cars and two pickup trucks.

The uptick in strikes against al Qaedas network in Syria is evidence that the group remains a threat to the West. Cook, the Pentagon press secretary, said that the US will continue to take action to deny these terrorists a safe haven in Syria from which to plot to attack the United States, our allies, or our interests.

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.
Last evening, the US military killed more than 100 al Qaeda fighters in an airstrike on a training camp in Syria. The US has launched five attacks against al Qaedas network in Syria since the beginning of 2017.

A B-52 bomber and a number of remotely piloted aircraft, more commonly known as drones, were involved in the strike, US officials told The Associated Press. It is unclear if any senior al Qaeda leaders were killed.

The Pentagon later released a statement confirming the attack, and said it targeted the Shaykh Sulayman Training Camp, which was operational since at least 2013. It is unclear why the Pentagon allowed this camp to operate for more than 3 years before targeting it.

The removal of this training camp disrupts training operations and discourages hardline Islamist and Syrian opposition groups from joining or cooperating with al Qaeda on the battlefield, the Pentagon said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that last evening an unidentified drone targeted Regiment 111, a base in western Aleppo near the border of Idlib province, near the town of Shaykh Sulayman. Regiment 111 is controlled by Jabhat Fatah al Sham, al Qaedas branch in Syria that was formally known as the Al Nusrah Front, and Nur al Din al Zanki, a group allied with JFS. The Observatory later reported that 40 JFS fighters and three Nur al Din al Zanki fighters were killed. The strike described by the military and the one by the Observatory do appear to be one and the same.

Jabhat Fatah al Sham issued a statement denouncing the strike on one of the training camps that prepare the mujahideen and graduate them to fill the garrison points and fight the criminal regime and its allies, according tot the SITE Intelligence Group. Al Qaedas branch in Syria accused the US of siding with the Syrian government against the people.

The Pentagon has stepped up its targeting of al Qaeda and Jabhat Fatah al Sham. Last evenings strike is the fifth against al Qaedas network in Syria since the beginning of the month. At the beginning of January, more than 20 al Qaeda operatives were killed in a pair of airstrikes in Syria. On Jan. 1, US warplanes hit a convoy of al Qaeda operatives as they left a headquarters near Sarmada. The Pentagon estimated that five fighters were killed.

Two days later, on Jan. 3, the Pentagon estimated that it killed more than 15 al Qaeda personnel when it targeted multiple buildings and vehicles in the Sarmada headquarters. Among those reported killed were Abu Khattab al-Qahtani, another al Qaeda veteran who is said to have fought in Afghanistan and Yemen, and Abu Omar al-Turkistani, a senior member in the al Qaeda-affiliated Turkistan Islamic Party who is reported to have served as a leader in JFS. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, Pentagon: Airstrikes kill 20 or more al Qaeda fighters in northern Syria.]

Yesterday, the Pentagon announced that two al Qaeda leaders were killed in bombings in Syria on Jan. 12 and Jan. 17. Among those killed were Mohammad Habib Boussadoun al-Tunisi, who was described as an external operations leader, and Abd al-Jalil al-Muslimi, an al Qaeda veteran of Afghanistan and Syria who was trained by the Taliban and supported attacks against the West. [See FDDs Long War Journal report, US kills al Qaeda facilitator and external ops planner in Syrian airstrikes.]

The US military has targeted al Qaedas cadre in Syria since September 2014, and has killed multiple high profile leaders over the past several years. However, the Islamic State has been the focus of the vast majority of the 6,647 Coalition airstrikes in Syria as of Jan. 19, 2017, according to Operation Inherent Resolve. With five strikes against al Qaeda in Syria already over the past 20 days, the US military may be signaling that the global jihadist group will get more attention over the coming months.

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 great Gold Rush Music Festival returns to the township of Waihi, with the first nuggets of gold dropping for the highly anticipated return of the 2023 festival.
If the Republicans get a majority in the US House of Representatives, as is expected, theyll focus on lawsuit investment transparency and Chinas IP practices
Singapore Airlines is celebrating 70 years of A Great Way to Fly! Check out Singapore Airlines' Anniversary Promo happening from January 20 to February 20, 2017.





FLYSQ70. Check for the complete BPI Card promo details. Book Economy Class, Premium Economy Class, and one-to-go Business class fares online at singaporeair.com with your BPI credit cards. Key in promo code HERE for the complete BPI Card promo details.





All promotional fares may also be booked through Singapore Airlines' Reservations Hotline at (632) 756-8888 or their Ticket Office located at 33F LKG Tower, 6801 Ayala Avenue, Makati City, Mondays to Fridays from 8:30AM to 5:00PM except holidays.









Visit also Singapore Airlines' Showcase and Travel Fair 2017 at the following venues and dates:



Glorietta Activity Center on January 20-22 2017 - Get first dibs of the great offers and experience the best of Singapore Airlines' destinations through Virtual Reality. Children visiting the fair can also enjoy being a Singapore Girl or a Singapore Airlines captain for a day! Trinoma Activity Center on February 26-28 2017 - Last chance to book your tickets and experience the fun activities. Ayala Center Cebu on January 27-29 2017 - SilkAir travel fair in Cebu Ayala Center Cebu and Abreeza Mall Davao on February 17-19 2017 - SilkAir promotional booths in the Cebu Travel Catalogue and Davao Mega Travel Sale.










The below piece by Syreeta McFadden was published a year ago, one day before the 2017 Womens March.

The gold banner had these words stitched upon its face: Forward, out of error. Leave behind the night. Forward through the Darkness. Forward into light. The banner was often in the care of suffragist Inez Milholland who led multiple suffrage parades from 1911 through 1913. It was the adopted motto of the National Womans Party, one of many organizations leading the charge for the right to vote for women at the turn of the last century. Milholland, a Brooklyn-born lawyer, socialite and firebrand activist, had become one of the most prominent public faces of the movement. Seldom was there a march that didnt include her face and inspiring voice. She died at age 30 before the constitutional amendment was ratified, but was considered the spirit guide and soul of the movement.

***

Women have long wielded their collective power by marching, transforming history in the process. In the fall of 1789 for example, dogged by a crushing economic crisis and rising bread costs, French women took to the streets and stormed the Hotel de Ville in Paris, then marched the nearly two hours to Versailles to make demands of King Louis XVI. The French revolution was months old, the monarchy would officially fall three years later. Men joined mothers and wives without noble lineage, all unified in their cause to advance the revolution and topple the gluttonous monarchy.

Gold was one of three rich colors suffragists used at the turn of the twentieth century to build awareness around their cause. Gold was connected to enlightenment, a motif that signaled that the right for women to vote was morally true. Suffragists were brand experts and used all manner of trinkets and ribbons to promote their mission, the urgency of the female enfranchisement in the electoral process.

The first decade of the twentieth century saw technological and industrial growth after nearly four decades of rapid expansion of the American republic. Yet that expansion had its shadow: extreme wealth and extreme poverty, deep racial division codified by segregation laws and ordinances in both the South and the North, and violent clashes between striking workers and businessmen. Middle and upper class women pushed back against societal norms, carving out new, more autonomous roles. By the start of 1913, this generation of New Women had become part of the suffrage movement, and Milholland was the favorite daughter.

The 1913 Womens March.

When Woodrow Wilson arrived at Union Station on March 3, 1913, the day before he was to be sworn in as the next American president, he was not greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of well-wishers but instead by spectators eager to watch the Suffrage parade, organized three months prior to coincide with his inauguration. A train from Illinois dubbed the Manless Special brought a delegation of 100 women to Washington, D.C. to join thousands of women nationwide. In total, 5,000 women descended on the nations capital to march. Wilson displayed reticence toward womens suffrage the moment he took office, showing a deference for state rights before formally supporting womens right to vote near the end of his presidency in 1917. He avoided the parade and went to his hotel.

The event was billed as a pageant, complete with twenty floats that dramatized the cause of womens suffrage through the ages. Washington, D.C. greeted the suffragists with houses dressed in yellow bunting mixed with red, white and blue. Despite their progressive attitudes, suffragists conformed to the racist norms of the day, relegating Black women to the rear of protests. Ida B. Wells famously refused such indignities, and during the March 1913 procession, took her rightful place with Illinois delegation, integrating her section.

A silent march to protest the police treatment of blacks during riots in East St. Louis, New York, 1917.

The march proceeded slowly along the avenue and was stopped several times, delaying the procession by hours. It was a bright, cold afternoon; there were some 500,000 onlookers, plenty of whom were drunk. Marchers were accosted with insults. A police officer stationed on the route purportedly said to one, If my wife were where you are Id break her head. History sometimes omits recollection of the chaos endured by the participants, of calculated harassment and obstruction by the local police force. (Helen Keller was to speak at the parade but couldnt reach the dais because angry spectators had overwhelmed the area surrounding it.) Milholland rode her horse into the crowd to protect marchers from onlookers. The Atlanta Constitution reported that the women practically fought their way foot by foot up Pennsylvania Avenue, through a surging mob that completely defied the Washington police, swamped the marchers, and broke their procession into little companies. The marchs organizers called for a congressional investigation.

These marches were for show as much as for political activism. We always tried to make our lines as beautiful as we could and our banners were really beautiful, said Alice Paul, the founder of the National Womans Party in a 1970 New York Times interview. We[made] speeches, beautiful speeches, but we never got to finish them because soon as a person opened her mouth she got arrested. Suffragists wore white as a uniform and a statement against biases and social norms. (In those days, society believed women marching in formation on city streets and boulevards were no better than prostitutes, and should invite ridicule and scorn.) They were disciplined and feminine, they were orderly yet rebellious. They were unyielding. Paul was just 28 when she organized the 1913 march, which generated much-needed press as well as new supporters for the cause.

American women organized marches great and small during the late 1960s and into the 70s, from a Peace march in 1967 against the war in Vietnam to those critical of the objectification of women in the 1968 Miss America Pageant. On August 26, 1970, the 50th anniversary of the 19th amendment, outgoing NOW (National Organization for Women) president Betty Friedan marshaled women from multiple cities throughout the country to strike. Their demands were threefold: free abortion, free childcare for working mothers and equal education and employment. 10,000 women marched on Fifth Avenue in the afternoon and gathered at a rally in Bryant Park in the evening where Friedan declared, This is not a bedroom war, this is a political movement.

Womens Strike for Equality, New York, 1970.

There were spaces for discussion groups to foster dialogues around movement ideas as well as pop-up child care centers throughout the city designed to illustrate the urgent needs of working-class mothers, and to emphasize that womens liberation was more than simply reproductive choice or sexual determinism  it was inextricable to economic independence. Man is not the enemy, man is a fellowvictim, Friedan said to the crowd. Men had also participated in the march holding Men for Womens Rights banners. While there were some jeers, in many ways, the Womens Strike for Equality was more than just a one-day success. It launched the decade-long fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

Setbacks happened, women marched on. While women in the Americas continued to organize marches against sexual violence, rape culture, and in support of reproductive freedom and equality, miles across the ocean, 100,000 Iranian women marched and protested against islamic revolution in 1979. Those women would be the mothers of a generation of women who would emerge as activists and participants in the Green Revolution of 2009 in protest to the presidential election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Black women, like their foremothers in 1917 who took to the streets of New York to protest lynchings in St. Louis, organized and participated in countless marches for Black Lives Matter. And on January 21, 2017, like those who marched for suffrage on the eve of the inauguration of an American president, women will descend on our nations capital to call attention to the personhood of all American women. Banners will be plentiful, rich in color and message. Perhaps some will remind us of the wise words of Coretta Scott King: Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul. Again we march forward through the darkness, pulling our country forward into the light.

Syreeta McFadden is a writer and professor of English at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. Her work has been featured in the New York Times Magazine, BuzzFeed News, Brooklyn Magazine, Feministing and The Guardian US, where she has been a regular contributor. Follow her on Twitter, @reetamac

Photos via Getty Images. Feature image depicts a Suffragette parade in 1912.

Meet the women who have hope for Planned Parenthood.
Will Brexit be hard, or will Brexit be soft? This question has dominated Brexit chatter since last June's vote, and on Tuesday, Prime Minister Theresa May gave us an inkling of an answer: She intends to withdraw the UK from the EU's single market, fitting the textbook definition of a hard Brexit. Then again, within the 12-point outline of her administration's starting point and negotiating priorities were several provisions to soften the blow, illustrating the danger of relying on narratives and snappy jargon for your investing cues. Now, a speech isn't a binding agreement, and talks-which have yet to begin-could always yield an unexpected result. However, May's speech does add more information and clarity than we had before, and less uncertainty lets markets start pricing in the future.

Much of May's focus was sociological, from immigration control-a major theme during the referendum campaign-to protecting workers' rights. Yet there were some notable items for investors, including May's desire for new free-trade agreements, not only with the EU, but other countries as well. She also revealed Parliament would weigh in on the final deal, and the eventual agreement's rollout would be gradual and deliberate to ensure a "smooth and orderly Brexit." In other words, sudden, immediate surprises are unlikely, giving markets ample time to digest the actual rule changes.

Because May stated the UK would forgo single market access, many outlets concluded Britain chose the "hard" Brexit path-scrapping what's on the books and starting fresh-rather than the "soft" Brexit where the UK and EU reach a modified arrangement while keeping much of the status quo intact.[i] A blank slate inevitably means more unknowns, so many critics argue a hard Brexit would hurt the UK economy, since unknowns are apparently automatically bad (and, according to the narrative, presumably mean high trade barriers). The negative feedback is voluminous: Some say May "wants to have her cake and eat it" and her speech added more uncertainty. Others worry it will cause more corporate insolvencies and hurt the Brits more than their Continental counterparts. Already, some experts assume long-term GDP figures will suffer based on straight-line math. The pound's fall over the weekend before May's speech allegedly signaled currency markets' disapproval of a hard Brexit-so commence freak-out.

However, these warnings sound eerily similar to the economic doomsday scenarios many warned would immediately follow a vote to leave. The projected recession and extended market turmoil never arrived, and while we don't recommend using the past to forecast the future, we aren't ready to call May's speech an impetus for economic disaster just yet. Plus, following May's speech, the pound actually rose, despite myriad concerns to the contrary. Far be it from us to read much into one day of market movement, but if headlines are banging on about how a well-telegraphed event will definitely cause one thing to happen, and then something else occurs, it's a reminder that markets move before widely known events, not after. See Exhibit 1 for more evidence that a hard Brexit scenario isn't sneaking up on anyone.

Exhibit 1: "Hard Brexit" Isn't Breaking News

Source: FactSet, as of 1/19/2017. From 12/31/2015 - 1/19/2017. Headlines, in chronological order, are from here, here, here, here and here.

Then again, all this hard/soft Brexit talk oversimplifies matters and overlooks nuance. We've long suggested shedding labels and focusing on how the UK's trade relationships would change, which likely remains unknown until negotiations end. We still don't have some key answers: Will the UK still be able to trade freely with Europe? Will UK service firms still be able to do business across the Channel? Will Britain ink new free-trade deals with other nations, like the US? All still mysteries today-and will be for a while-but May's speech does lay some groundwork about the UK's ambitions.

And it shows the silliness of the prevailing narrative. Let's say both the UK and EU acknowledge a big, sweeping free-trade deal would benefit both sides and agree to one. The UK would be out of the single market-hard Brexit! But wait, a "comprehensive, bold and ambitious free-trade agreement" sounds kinda like a soft Brexit. Either way, in practice, the result could be very similar: Goods and services flowing between the UK and EU with minimal friction. The differences are largely semantic, and semantics aren't economic negatives. Another potential positive: A hard Brexit could free up services trade in a way the EU's single market currently doesn't. Also, being unbound from the EU means Britain can negotiate bilateral trade deals, since it wouldn't have to get all 27 other nations to buy in. UK officials are already talking to their counterparts in India, and there is interest from Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand as well. Just as negative ninnies forecast the worst-case scenario of this "hard" Brexit, we could envision a pretty good one.[ii]

Again, don't make too much of May's speech or call it a sign of things to come. Rather, take it for what it is: The UK government establishing its priorities before formal Brexit negotiations begin and giving markets a starting point for determining probable outcomes. Even though there is nothing conclusive yet, these Brexit developments have been publicized and widely discussed since last June's referendum, allowing markets and investors to digest them. Whenever negotiations formally begin, we expect more of the same.
COLLINSVILLE-The Henry County School Board wants to provide more funding for local teachers. The question is how much theyll be able to afford. The board held a public hearing on this years budget Thursday night, outlining some of what theyre working on.

The total proposed budget is up slightly, from $50.32 million to $52.472 million. Thats not because of the district, however. Thats due to the proposed 1.5 percent bonus mentioned in the state discussions. While Gov. McAuliffe and the General Assembly have discussed the idea, they havent yet agreed to fully fund it. That means the school district has to build the 1.5 percent bonus into their budget, preparing to cover the cost. Gov. McAuliffe reduced plans for a permanent raise to a one-time bonus for state employees after revenue projections showed the commonwealth faces a $1.5 billion shortfall over the next two years.

School board members said they supported giving teachers more money. They just wished it could be on a more permanent basis.

Its a good thing, but its not as good as giving them a 1.5 percent salary increase, board member Dr. Joseph DeVault said.

Superintendent Jared Cotton agreed.

Were really pushing our legislators to make that 1.5 percent a permanent raise, not a one-time thing, Cotton said.

Board members also discussed plans to increase other parts of the paycheck, both for full-time and substitute teachers. Under the proposed budget, substitute pay rates would go up from $60 to $65 per day for those with an associates degree. For those with a bachelors, it would go as high as $95 per day, depending on if its a full day fill-in or just part-time.

Cotton told the board he and his staff are also pricing options, to see if they can afford one or two step increases for current full-time teachers.

Our recommendation will depend on money we have available, Dr. Cotton said.

Steps refer to how long a certain teacher has been in the classroom. As teachers gain experience, theyre supposed to see a pay increase as well. For example, a 20-year teacher is on a different pay level than one just out of college. The problem for Henry County and other Virginia districts is that since the recession, teachers havent received that increase as they grow in experience.

Were several years behind with our steps that not just teachers, but other employees have a step salary scale and were several years behind [all of them], Cotton said. Were wanting to start to catch up on those scales, so thats an important item.

No specific numbers were discussed Thursday, as its unclear what, if any funding would be available to increase pay.

Other adjustments to the budget include a proposed stipend increase for teachers who forego their planning period to teach an extra block. Previously, teachers received $2,500 for teaching the extra class. In the proposed budget, the stipend will increase to a total of $4,000.

[That] is still probably not as high as it should be, but at least were moving in the direction of paying more for teachers who help us out by taking on an additional block, Cotton said. Thats important to point out.

DeVault agreed with the change.

If we had three teachers who taught four blocks, were talking about $12,000. For all practical purposes, thats one teaching position, DeVault said.

Theoretically, you save money in that scenario, Cotton said. Its a significant savings instead of hiring a teacher [to teach those classes].

Cotton expressed that the teachers who take on an extra block do the county a huge favor.

Going from $2,500 to $4,000 is a step in the right direction, school board vice chairman Francis Zehr said. I cant see how anybody could be against that.

Dorothy Carter of the Henry County Education Association also spoke during Thursdays public hearing, sharing some concerns from local teachers. Citing two predominant wishes, Carter spoke of getting new furniture for the schools and also supported pay increases for teachers and staff.

The first thing they said when I asked them, they said, Be sure to talk about the furniture, Carter said. We need furniture that is newer, comfortable, the right size for kids. We need enough of it; thats been a problem sometimes.

Carter said she understood that new construction projects in places like Meadow View Elementary could limit available funding for new furnishings, she just asked that they take the associations request into consideration.

We need to start making some plans to start replenishing furniture, Carter said.
COLLINSVILLE-There will be a few changes over the next four months for Henry County students and teachers. District officials announced this week that two of the three days missed for snow will be made up.

That means February 24 will be a regular school day. Originally, students were scheduled to be off, as it was a teacher workday. The same goes for May 25, which was originally supposed to be just a half-day for students and staff. May 26 now will be a half day as well for students and teachers.

Though our semester began on a delay due to inclement weather, we do believe that it is important for students to still have the opportunity for meaningful instruction on as close to 90 days as possible, Superintendent Jared Cotton said. In order to ensure that all students receive an optimum amount of instruction, we do make every effort to complete 90 instructional days in a semester.

Henry County doesnt have designated makeup days as such. Instead, the district designates multiple teacher planning days throughout the year, which can be used to make up the time.

School districts do have options, when it comes to snow days and making them up. The Virginia Code requires that schools be in session either 180 teaching days or 990 teaching hours. Thats the minimum each district has to meet. Now in times of emergency, if theyre not certain either requirement can be met, district officials can request a waiver from the Virginia Board of Education. That request has to include evidence of efforts made by the division to reschedule as many days as possible. Also, the local superintendent has to certify all of that.

Cotton said he and the district staff felt it was important to keep the final days at the end of the semester, which is why theyll be used as makeup.

Because teachers use time following testing to provide enrichment opportunities and continue to ensure student growth in a variety of ways, we know that teaching does not stop on the day of the test, Cotton said. Therefore, we know that days at the end of the year are quite valuable to students and their growth.

Martinsville schools announced plans last week to only make up one of the days missed due to this months snowfall. Presidents Day on Feb. 20 was scheduled to be a teacher workday for Martinsville. Instead, it will be a regular school day.

Students are next out of school in Martinsville on Feb. 8, as theyll be dismissed two hours early to allow time for parent conferences. In Henry County, because of the changes, students dont have another day off until March.
STUARTA 77-year-old Patrick County man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday, in a case that involved sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl.

James Clifford Tilley was sentenced to a mandatory life term on a charge of sodomy, after previously being found guilty in an October 2016 trial. Judge David Melesco also sentenced Tilley to a total of 20 years in prison on two charges of aggravated sexual battery and a total of 24 months in jail on one count each of taking indecent liberties and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Melesco suspended everything except the mandatory life sentence.

Tilley was accused of inappropriately touching a then-11-year-old girl and having other sexual activity with her. He also was accused of leaving the girl and her two then 10- and 13-year-old brothers unattended at a store for a length of time.

Judge Melesco said the sentencing sounds harsh, but that Tilleys acts were beyond human decency.

Im not a big fan of mandatory sentences Melesco said, adding that he probably would have sentenced Tilley to 40 to 50 years (on the sodomy charge) if not for the requirement.

Because of his age, Tilley could be eligible for parole in five years, Patrick County Commonwealths Attorney Stephanie Vipperman said. She indicated that statistically he is not likely to be granted parole then. For example, in January 2016, only one out of 38 eligible prisoners was granted geriatric parole, according to Vipperman and statistics on the Virginia Parole Board website.

Before Judge Melesco pronounced the sentences, Tilleys lawyer, Robert Deatherage, argued against a life sentence, contending that violated the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.

Someone convicted of murder could get less time, Deatherage said.

Deatherage asked Judge Melesco to sentence Tilley on the low end of the sentencing guidelines, which, according to Melesco, recommended a sentencing range of 7  years to 15 years, absent the mandatory sentence.

Deatherage also said Tilley requested that the Department of Corrections pick him up as soon as possible, because he is in very poor health, and it has been hard for him to get medical treatment at the local jail.

Later, in pronouncing judgment, Judge Melesco said he would ask the sheriffs office to immediately transfer Tilley to the Department of Corrections.

At one point in the sentencing hearing Thursday, Vipperman said she made a decision for the girl victim not to testify at Tilleys October 2016 trial because the girl was not in a good place. Vipperman added that the girl stated in a victim impact statement that she was angry; felt betrayed, ashamed, scared; and sees mental health professionals.

Vipperman also said at the hearing that Tilley was abusing a whole family of children for an extended period of time.

Judge Melesco said that up until these cases, Tilley had basically no criminal record. Before pronouncing judgment, he gave Tilley an opportunity to speak, during which Tilley maintained his innocence. He said the alleged girl victim in the current cases was medically examined and Tilleys DNA was not found. Tilley also said that on one of the alleged offense dates, he was not even at the alleged victim(s) house, but rather he was at his brothers house in North Carolina.

Its not what I have done to the children. Its what they have done to me, Tilley said.

At Tilleys trial in October, Judge Melesco found Tilley guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual battery and one count each of sodomy, indecent liberties and another charge.

During that case, only one of the three children testified. The younger boy, who spoke from a remote location, claimed he saw Tilley engage in sexual activity with the girl multiple times, both in their home on Carter Mountain Road and in his truck. The boy told the court that he took a photo of Tilley exposing himself, because the boy was tired of him doing stuff to his sister.

Tilley denied that he ever exposed himself, inappropriately touched the girl or had other sexual activity with her. Tilley said the sexually explicit photo of a man on the boys phone was not of him, and Deatherage said there is no certainty about who that body part belongs to.

Deatherage questioned if the boys testimony was reliable, adding that the child didnt like his client. In his testimony, the boy admitted he had previously lied to investigators about some parts of the case. Vipperman argued the younger boy didnt like Tilley because he allegedly had been molesting the boys older sister.

Tilley, who lived in the home with the childrens family, testified that the three children lacked adequate parental supervision and were wild, in his opinion. He alleged the children watched Internet pornography, shop-lifted, and he suspected they used drugs.

Vipperman had alleged that both parents were using drugs, that it was not a stable environment and that Tilley was allowed to stay in the home because he was contributing significantly to the finances.

Deatherage said that Tilley made a stupid decision to stay in that toxic environment.

The prosecution showed several video clips and photographs of an incident in which the girl is dancing. At one point during this, when Tilley is sitting in a recliner, he is asked if he wants the 11-year-old girl to do a lap dance for him. The prosecution contended the video shows the girl then performed a dance on Tilleys lap and Tilley inappropriately touched her. Also, the boys voices can be heard on the video talking about drugs.

Tilley testified that he was half asleep and watching television when the incident happened, and he thought the children were playing a game when a lap dance was suggested. He said he did agree to a lap dance, but that he didnt know what a lap dance was, because he had never been to an adult club. Tilley said once he realized the lap dance the girl was performing was sexual in nature, he told her to stop and pushed her away.

However, Vipperman questioned why the video clips didnt capture that if Tilley told the girl to stop and pushed her away.
RICHMOND  In a matter of two days, the Roanoke City Councils goals of keeping firearms and ammunition out of council meetings and banning the open carrying of some long guns within city limits have both failed in the General Assembly.

A bill from Del. Marcus Simon, D-Fairfax, to add Roanoke to a list of 13 Virginia localities that prohibit the open carrying of some loaded semiautomatic rifles or pistols with magazines that hold more than 20 rounds and high-capacity shotguns met a quick end in a General Assembly subcommittee Thursday.

The five members of a subcommittee of the House Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety, none of whom represent the Roanoke or New River valleys, declined to vote on the bill  effectively killing the proposal.

While Simon initially introduced his bill to tighten the open-carry rules in specified localities, including his home district, the bill was amended to cut clauses that would prohibit the open carry of all loaded shotguns and rifles, regardless of how many shells or rounds they hold.

The bill that appeared in subcommittee simply added Roanoke and Portsmouth to the list of cities and counties, mostly in Northern Virginia and Richmond, to ban the public carry of some long guns. Had the bill become law, Roanoke would be the only city in the western half of the state to prohibit the open carrying of some long guns.

During the subcommittee meeting, one opponent of the bill pointed out with disdain that representatives from Roanoke and Portsmouth had to go so far as Fairfax to find someone to represent their legislative interests.

Simon added Roanoke and Portsmouth to his bill because it was easier than having another legislator introduce a separate bill to alter the same code section.

I had a bill to do a little bit more than what this did, but in deference to the committee, I tried to scale it back, Simon said.

Another firearms bill that would have allowed the Roanoke City Council to ban guns and ammunition in the council chamber during meetings died in committee Wednesday. The gun issue was one of the more controversial items in Roanokes 2017 legislative agenda.
Budget busted

The recent city council decision to restore $614,509 to the schools busted the budget. Where the budget had a 10 percent reserve, it is now down to around 7 percent. If another unexpected outlay is required, it could lead to a cash flow problem.

The schools keep losing students, yet continue to ask for the same amount or more money with no positive results. There has to be budget cuts but all the cuts cannot come from police and fire departments, while giving the schools all they ask. We do need to support and have number one schools in order to attract people, business and industry. However, we cannot attract those without strong police and fire departments also.

There are huge budget problems for the coming year. Therefore, I ask the following questions. First, where will the $800,000 given to the medical school come from next year if the requirements are not met and the Tobacco Commission asks for the money back? Was not this supposed to be guaranteed by the signature of the board of directors? If its not, why? City management needs to explain.

Isnt the city facing a $1 million plus cost to clean up the old landfill? Personal property assessments decreased, so will we still pay the same or more in taxes on property that has decreased in value? How much will taxes and fees increase? Where will all this money come from? It looks like the taxpayers will get hammered.

Ural Harris

Martinsville

Time for a change

I applaud the efforts of a bipartisan group of 14 lawmakers from both chambers to look into the ever-increasing costs of a college education at our Virginia public universities as reported in the January 18 edition of the Martinsville Bulletin.

In November of 2016, a report issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia stated that the in-state annual undergraduate tuition in Virginia's public universities rose by $3,186 in constant dollars between 1995 and 2015. If you add the increases in room and board and textbooks and fees to that increase, you can clearly see that we are pricing the cost of a college education out of the reach of many young Virginians.

What is really frustrating is that at the same time student debt is now measured in trillions of dollars, the Endowment Funds of these universities have reached record levels. In the case of the University of Virginia, for example, surplus funds are in excess of $2 billion! Something has to change, and as a retired employee of Longwood University, I am painfully aware that the time for action is now.

We must always remember that the money we spend on educating our children is not an expense, it is an investment in the future of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Dick Ephgrave

Collinsville

Remembering the fallen

On January 14, I attended my third annual Martinsville-Henry County Veterans Honor Guard's annual dinner at the Bible Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Collinsville. Please, allow me to share some of the highlights with your readers.

I attended with my husband Adrian, who's been with this unit for three years. Others in attendance were former vice-mayor, now city council member Jennifer Bowles and Curtis Milner, city school board member. Also in attendance was Sonny Richardson, commander of local American Legion Post 78. John Redd was also there. He is one of the original 13 members who formed this honor guard in 1973. Several funeral home directors were also there and one gave a cash donation.

The food was delicious, with chicken cardonblu, roast pork, candied yams and a few other goodies but it wasn't just about the food. They could have served beans and franks. For me, the highlight of the night was when they lit the candle placed on the POW/MIA table. A table set for one, this Missing Man Table is an honored military tradition, a reminder of Americans who are missing in action or who are being held as a prisoner of war. Traditionally, the display includes: a white table cloth setting, an inverted glass, a plate with lemon and salt, a single rose, a candle and a Bible. (Google it or check your local library to learn what each represents.) Every year, this symbolic tradition brings tears to my eyes as well as the Taps closing song.

I hate war. After all, who destroys just to rebuild again? Wouldn't it be grand if we could settle our major differences over a game of chess and a bottle of vino? That said, we should always remember and honor all who have fought and sacrificed their lives for this great country. (My father, Harry Lee Hairston, served in WWII and Korea.)

One last thought. This unit isn't getting any younger and is in dire need of some new, younger members to serve as honor guards. I guarantee, it is indeed an honor! Peace.

Pamela Hairston-Chisholm

The Ville
TODAY'S WORD is longanimity (long-guh-nim-uh-tee). Example: The Orioles fans showed longanimity by coming back year after year to cheer on the team, even if they didnt make the playoffs.

THURSDAYS WORD was innocuous (ih-nah-cue-us). It means not harmful or offensive. 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.

Breakfast Club

Henry Countys Parks and Recreation Departments Senior Services Breakfast Club will meet at Skips Restaurant, 900 Starling Avenue in Martinsville on Tuesday. The meal begins at 8:30 a.m. and all seniors age 50 and over are welcome.

Locking down

If you were wandering around Patrick Henry Community College on Wednesday, you may have been curious what was going on. There were police officers, sheriffs deputies, state police and others, totaling about 40 different people from law enforcement. They didnt come to make an arrest, they just came to help practice lockdown drills.

PHCC Police Chief Gary Dove said it was important to prepare for an incident that might require a lockdown, if for no other reason than to be prepared.

The more we discuss these situations and practice, then the more prepared well be to save lives if the worst happens, Dove said.

All total, officers from 11 departments got together at the campus and at 9:10 a.m., the college went into lockdown mode. At the end, an officer went through each building and each room to clear everyone to return to normal.

This is the first time we have done this on our campus and our goal is to continue doing these throughout the year, Dove said. Its just as important for law enforcement as it is for students and employees to have a better understanding of the campus, the layout of the buildings, and the areas that we need to concentrate on if something actually occurs.

Who all showed up? Well, there were deputies from the Henry County Sheriffs Department,

Pittsylvania County Sheriffs Department, Martinsville Police Department, Martinsville Sheriffs Department, Danville Police Department, Virginia State Police, Ferrum College, Patrick County Sheriffs Department, Martinsville Fire Department, Danville Community College Security Department, Patrick Henry Community College Police/Security Department, and several PHCC administrators.

TRIVIA QUESTION: Things were a bit different at the nations beginning, when it comes to presidential inaugurations. When was the first inaugural parade and the first inaugural ball? The answer will be in Sundays Stroller.

TRIVIA ANSWER: 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? For that, we go all the way back to 1841. William Henry Harrison stepped to the podium in Washington to deliver an 8,445 word speech, a process that went on for an hour and forty-five minutes. The shortest inauguration speech goes to George Washington, whose 1793 edition was only 135 words total. Interesting enough, Harrison holds another record in presidential history, the one for shortest term. He died on April 4, 1841, less than four months after taking office. What did he die of? Well, after the inauguration, Harrison got sick with a cold and left untreated, it turned into pneumonia.
Chrisette Michele

Singer Chrisette Michele performs for President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and his wife Ho Ching, in the State Dining Room of the White House during a state dinner on Aug. 2, 2016, in Washington D.C.

(AP file photo)

Spike Lee says he will not use a song by Grammy winner Chrisette Michele in his upcoming Netflix series because she is performing at Donald Trump's inaugural.

The outspoken director posted on Instagram that he was considering use of Michele's "Black Girl Magic" in the series "She's Gotta have It," which will be based on his 1986 debut feature film.

"I Wuz Sorry To Read That "Sistuh Girl" Is Singin' At DT's Inauguration (And To Use His Fav Word-SAD). I Wuz Thinkin' 'bout Using Chrisette's Song- BLACK GIRL MAGIC In My Netflix Series SHE'S GOTTA HAVE IT.... NOT ANYMORE. And Dat's Da Truth, Ruth," Lee posted.

Michele responded to Lee's remarks in a posting on Twitter.

"My heart is broken for our country, for the hopes of our children, for the fights of those who came before us," she stated. "I cry at the thought that Black History, American History might be in vain."

"Today, I hope that Great Moments begin in peaceful & progressive conversation," Michele added. "I am willing to be a bridge. I don't mind 'These Stones' if they allow me to be a voice for the voiceless."

Michele was tapped for the inaugural on Wednesday after Andy Grammer backed out, according to Variety.

Her performance at the inaugural comes five months after she sang for President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and his wife Ho Ching, during a state dinner in the White House on Aug. 2, 2016, in Washington.
Each week, MassLive showcases pets available for adoption at shelters at rescue organizations across Massachusetts.

With the participation of the shelters listed below, many animals should be able to find a permanent home.

We also provide some pet-related news items that we hope you will enjoy.

Oklahoma City firefighters rescue cow stuck in swimming pool

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Think it's hard for firefighters to rescue a cat in a tree? Try a cow in a swimming pool.

Firefighters in Oklahoma City were summoned Sunday( Jan. 15) morning after a homeowner reported hearing some sort of "snorting" coming from his swimming pool area. Emergency responders arrived and discovered a hole in the swimming pool's liner and a cow trapped in the water.

In this Sunday, Jan. 15, 2017, provided by the Oklahoma City Fire Department, firefighters hoist a cow out of a swimming pool outside a home in Oklahoma City. A homeowner reported hearing some sort of "snorting" coming from his swimming pool area and emergency responders arrived and discovered a hole in the swimming pool's liner and a cow trapped in the water. (Mike Seeley/Oklahoma City Fire Department via AP)

Oklahoma City Fire Department Battalion Chief Benny Fulkerson says firefighters used their pumps to remove about 5 feet of water from the pool so the cow wouldn't experience hypothermia. Crews then brought in a wrecker to hoist the nearly 1,500-pound animal from the pool and to safety.

Fulkerson says the cow appeared to be uninjured after its ordeal.

MASSACHUSETTS SHELTERS:

Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society

Address: 163 Montague Road, Leverett

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 548-9898

Website: www.dpvhs.org

Address: 171 Union St., Springfield

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 781-4000

Website: www.dpvhs.org



Thomas J. O'Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center

Address: 627 Cottage St., Springfield

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, noon-4 p.m.; Thursday, noon-7 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 781-1484

Website: tjoconnoradoptioncenter.com

Westfield Homeless Cat Project

Address: 1124 East Mountain Road, Westfield

Hours: Adoption clinics, Thursday, 5-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Website: http://www.whcp.petfinder.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westfieldhomelesscatprojectadoptions



Westfield Regional Animal Shelter

Address: 178 Apremont Way, Westfield

Hours: Monday-Friday, noon-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 564-3129

Website: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/ma70.html

Franklin County Sheriff's Office Regional Dog Shelter and Adoption Center

Address: 10 Sandy Lane, Turners Falls

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 676-9182

Website: http://fcrdogkennel.org/contact.html

Polverari/Southwick Animal Control Facility

Address: 11 Depot St., Southwick

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 569-5348, ext. 649

Website: http://southwickpolice.com/chief-david-a-ricardis-welcome/animal-control/

Berkshire Humane Society

Address: 214 Barker Road, Pittsfield

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 447-7878

Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/

Purradise Feline Adoption

Address: 301 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington

Hours: Monday and Tuesday: Closed; Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.; Friday,10 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.

Telephone: (413) 717-4244

Website: http://berkshirehumane.org/contact-us/

Greyhound Options, Inc.

Address: 43 Sygiel Rd., Ware, MA. 01082

Telephone: 413-967-9088

Website: greyhoundadoptions.org



Animal Rescue League of Boston

Address: 10 Chandler Street, Boston, MA 02116

Telephone: (617) 426-9170

Fax: (617) 426-3028

Website: adoption@arlboston.org

Worcester Animal Rescue League

Address: 139 Holden St., Worcester, MA 01606

Telephone: (508) 853-0030

Hours: Open 7 days a week from noon to 4 p.m.

Website: www.worcesterarl.org


Update: Propane tank thrown under Boston police cruiser in believed targeted attack

Boston police are investigating a report of an explosive device being thrown at a city police cruiser.

An officer was driving on West Broadway in South Boston Friday morning when someone allegedly threw an explosive device underneath the squad car.

The officer moved the vehicle and the device exploded shortly after, CBS Boston reports.

Boston police say the incident was reported at 8:22 a.m. and remains under investigation. No injuries have been reported.
When Springfield Police Det. Gregg Bigda threatened to kill a teenage suspect during an off-books interrogation in a Palmer police lockup, the evidence of misconduct was clear - captured in full color video and clear audio from a security camera perched in an upper corner of the white-walled holding cell.

And when Agawam Mayor Richard Cohen decided to fire three police officers for using excessive force against a prisoner, he could rely on video evidence as well, showing the prisoner fighting with police before one officer shoves him head-first into a cell wall.

But when Jerry Bradley died of an aneurysm in a Springfield police headquarters cell in 2015 - a case which led to 30-day suspensions for two officers - internal investigators had to parse conflicting testimony from neighboring prisoners and police officers on duty that night.

That is because, unlike a large majority of nearby towns and cities, Springfield has no cameras in its police lockup. City officials say the lack of cameras is due to budget limitations, but that explanation does not satisfy City Councilor Justin Hurst, a frequent critic of police misconduct in Springfield.

'It seems to me like any police department of this size and this magnitude ought to have cameras in their cells, and budgetary issues and concerns should not impede that," Hurst said in an interview. "I think people are frustrated with just a simple no, considering everything that's happening around us."

In an email, Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri wrote that he is not opposed to cameras but still had concerns over prisoner privacy, cost, and possibly duplicating work given potential upgrades or replacement of the police station.

"I have concerns regarding privacy and potentially prohibitive costs of installing them into our current cells," Barbieri wrote. "Installation of cameras into prisoner cells is a recent trend in our area and I am concerned regarding prisoner privacy, as prisoners utilize the bathrooms in their cells."

Hurst and eight other city councilors sent a letter Friday to Barbieri and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno asking for the city to inform the council about the potential cost of cameras, citing the Bradley, Bigda and Agawam cases as arguments for their importance.

"We utilize the existence of cameras in various places around our city and use the video evidence to make cases, yet we do not have them in our own holding cells. We are asking for this to change," the letter said. "As demonstrated in various examples throughout the country as well as here locally, video evidence is an essential and effective tool in defending innocent officers; and consequently, saving taxpayer dollars from frivolous lawsuits or demands. Conversely, video footage can also support claims from the public who are treated improperly or even criminally."

The letter came two months after Hurst issued a press release calling for Springfield Police to install cameras in their holding cells, after The Republican published the footage of Bigda interrogating two teen boys accused of stealing an unmarked police car in February 2016.

Hurst expressed concern that Bigda's behavior could be part of a pattern of misconduct that escaped notice due to Springfield's lack of cell cameras in police headquarters. In response, Barbieri told The Republican that both privacy and cost made cameras impractical.

On Friday, Barbieri offered more details to MassLive. The station was built in the 1960s with a metal and concrete cell area and is not designed to support the wiring of cameras, Barbieri wrote in an email, adding that research suggests installation could cost $100,000.

The department is now seeking a precise estimate of the cost following the city councilors' request, Barbieri wrote.

Barbieri also expressed concern that an upgrade could prove to be wasted work if the station is upgraded or replaced, and if discussions with the Sheriff's department for a regional lockup facility come to fruition, reducing the need for holding prisoners in SPD headquarters.

"The police department is currently working with the Finance Department in regards to upgrades of the current building versus seeking state/federal aid for new construction. The building desperately needs modernization or replacement," Barbieri wrote. "The cells are an example, about half of our male cells are inoperative and are not repairable due to replacement parts not being available. Installation of new equipment into and area requiring rehab or replacement could result in having to do the work twice."

Sarno said in a statement that he has referred the letter to Barbieri, City Councilor Ed Pikula and chief financial officer TJ Plante for review and evaluation of possible options.

Hurst said he had not spoken with Barbieri or Sarno about the issue since November, and was hoping to spur action and prompt a cost analysis of installing cameras with his new letter.

Springfield's lack of cell cameras is not unusual, criminal justice experts told MassLive. But it appears to be uncommon in the Pioneer Valley and Western Massachusetts.

MassLive reached out to 13 local police departments to ask whether they have cameras in their holding cells. Of the 12 that responded, only two joined Springfield in not having cameras - West Springfield, which has video surveillance of detention area hallways but not inside cells, and Chicopee. Not all departments keep their recordings; Holyoke monitors cells through CCTV but does not record.

"We've never had them in the cells. Our officers go back every 15 minutes and check when prisoners are here," Chicopee Ofc. Michael Wilk said. "It's difficult to put a camera directly in a cell because there is privacy."

That concern for privacy - echoed in Barbieri's response to Hurst, and in Pikula's response to MassLive's questions about the lack of cameras in Jerry Bradley's cell - has not prevented other departments from installing cameras.

In the videos of alleged misconduct in Palmer and Agawam, cameras have a clear view of the prisoner's personal area, including latrines. Explicit footage was edited out of the Agawam video's public release last week.

And Springfield is the only city of over 100,000 people in Massachusetts without any police station holding cell cameras, according to statements from the Boston, Worcester, Cambridge and Lowell police departments.

In Worcester's case, city officials decided to expand their use of cell cameras after officer Michael Motyka was arrested for allegedly assaulting a prisoner in his cell. Currently, all individual cells reserved for people deemed mentally unstable or a threat to harm themselves of police have cameras, with other cells expected to be equipped soon.

Brian Rizzo, an associate professor of criminal justice at Westfield State University told MassLive that there are ways of securing prisoner safety without having cameras in cells, like having officers do regular rounds of the cell area to assess prisoner well-being.

But he added that, unlike in the Bigda case, officers should never conduct interrogations in holding cells, but rather in recorded interrogation rooms. And the decision on whether to install cameras should be based on ensuring accountability and safety, he wrote in an email.

"Commissioner Barbieri cites cost and privacy concerns," Rizzo wrote. "Neither is a good reason not to have them."

And ACLU of Massachusetts staff attorney Carl Williams said that when he practiced as a defense attorney, it was common for holding cells to lack cameras.

But with modern data storage technology police departments no longer have to rely on unwieldy VHS archives to store footage, he said, arguing that cameras can protect both prisoners and officers falsely accused of misconduct.

"It seems like it would be a no-brainer to do those things," Williams said. "It seems like it would be better for people to have that kind of protection for people on both side of the badge."

The letter was signed by Hurst, City Council President Orlando Ramos, and City Councilors Michael Fenton, Adam Gomez, Melvin Edwards, E. Henry Twiggs, Marcus Williams, Timothy Allen and Bud Williams.
sna.JPG

Amherst College sanctified the chapel Thursday. Newt Gingrich spoke in the chapel in 2013.

(Republican File )

AMHERST -- Amherst College religious leaders came together Thursday to consecrate the campus chapel in a gesture of solidarity with the illegal immigrants a day before Donald J. Trump becomes president.

Trump has threatened to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. The Boston Globe reported that spaces like Chapin Chapel could be used as a sanctuary should immigrants be pursued.

Neither the event nor the sentiment were sanctioned by the school. According to a statement from Amherst College, "this event was privately organized by multifaith religious advisers who use our campus chapel."

"They are not acting on behalf of the College," spokeswoman Caroline Hanna said.

"As we previously emphasized, we indeed care deeply about the concerns of students who may be worried about immigration issues, and that is why we are providing a wide range of resources to assist those individuals. At the same time, we have upheld the law and always will."

In November, after Trump was elected, hundreds gathered at the college to express fears and opposition to potential changes in the law.

Demonstrations were held on campuses all across the country, including the University of Massachusetts.

At the time, Amherst College President Carolyn "Biddy" Martin issued a statement:

"At Amherst, we have an obligation to ensure that all our students are able to take advantage of the educational opportunity we offer without fear for their well-being. At this moment, we are particularly focused on undocumented students and students with legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order. We will do everything we can within the limits of the law to support them and fulfill our promise of educational opportunity."

The Rev. Paul Sorrentino in an email explained that a someone from the faculty approached him in December and asked if Chapin Chapel had ever been sanctified.

"I did research and found that there was no recording the archives. The Religious & Spiritual Life staff thought that we should do that," Sorrentino wrote. "Since Chapin Chapel is used by all religious groups, it made sense to have a multipath consecration."
f-15-eagle-fighter-jet.jpg

An F-15 Eagle fighter jets based at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield.

(Republican File)

WESTFIELD -- Officials with the Barnes Air National Guard said this week they are taking all appropriate steps to investigate groundwater contamination that may have emanated from the Westfield air base.

"We are eager to investigate this issue and take any required actions if necessary, as we are also part of this great community," said 104th Fighter Wing Commander Colonel James Keefe.

The base has been working with the city of Westfield and the National Guard Bureau in Washington since the pollution issue was identified last May, he added.

Chemicals known as PFCs have entered two wells that provide drinking water for Westfield. The city took the wells offline last year. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, or MassDEP, suspects that firefighting foam used for decades at the air base may be to blame for the pollution.

Guard bases around the country are now dealing with similar allegations, and the issue is being addressed on the national level. Officials at Barnes said they have no authority to deviate from federal procedures, but plan to comply with state cleanup requirements.

John Richardson, environmental manager for the base, said a Jan. 20 meeting has been set between National Guard officials, Westfield Mayor Brian P. Sullivan, and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection officials.

"Our intention is to work together to forge a path forward," Richardson said.

He said field sampling will be conducted through April and May, involving test wells and soil samples. A final site investigation report should be issued by October.

Richardson noted that the investigation will strive to determine if there is a causative link between the foam and the well contamination. So far, that link has not been scientifically proven.

Richardson said if it is determined there is a link between the contamination and the foam, the guard will take appropriate action. The foam was used widely in training exercises in the military since the 1970s.

The U.S. Air Force expects to investigate dozens of active duty, Air National Guard and closed bases where the foam may have been sprayed. They have entered into a contract with AMEC Foster-Wheeler to conduct the studies around the country.

PFCs are perfluorinated compounds. Under that category are perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA), which some researchers have linked to cancer and other health problems.

The 104th Fighter Wing sent a statement to local media outlets after recent stories appeared that suggested the Barnes Aquifer Protection Advisory Committee and MassDEP were concerned about the pace of the investigation.

"The 104th Fighter Wing has had a long and standing reputation of being excellent environmental stewards. We understand the serious role we play in protecting our local environment and resource conservation," said Keefe.

Barnes on Dec. 21 sent MassDEP a letter stating that the air base must follow Air Force and Department of Defense regulations and guidelines and that they have no authority to deviate from that protocol, according to the statement.

The Air National Guard will conduct its investigation of the groundwater issue under Air Force Environmental Restoration Program guidelines, and also plans to comply with the Massachusetts Contingency Plan, which governs site cleanups, said Richardson.
Puopolo

(Courtesy Miami Police Department)

Authorities have arrested a Boston native in Miami on charges he threatened to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump, reports

.

Dominic Joseph Puopolo, 51, "made a direct threat to the President-elect Donald Trump" on Twitter, according to Miami Beach police, who arrested him on Monday.

Puopolo is being held without bail in Miami-Dade County jail after allegedly posting a video of himself to Twitter in which he said, "This is the 16th of January 2017, I will be at the inauguration and I will kill President Trump, President-elect Trump today," according to a number of media reports.

subsequently reported on Wednesday that Puopolo has ties to the Clinton family once gave $20,000 to the Democratic National Committee.

A Navy veteran and computer consultant, Puopolo was homeless at the time of his arrest -- Tuesday, when Miami Police apprehended him while he was walking out of a Washington Avenue Subway sandwich shop, according to The Daily Mail.

Puopolo has been arrested four times in Miami since 2006 on charges of petty theft and fraud, Daily Mail added.
pond.firefighters.JPG

Holyoke Fire Chief John A. Pond addressed the City Council Public Safety Committee at City Hall on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 about staffing and funding issues as an audience of firefighters seated behind him looked on.

(MIKE PLAISANCE / THE REPUBLICAN)

HOLYOKE -- Fire Chief John A. Pond said Thursday his department would need an extra $300,000 to end brownouts of fire trucks through the end of the fiscal year June 30.

But while discussion touched on tapping the stabilization, or rainy day, account to provide the money to ensure all trucks are in service, no promises were made that such a transfer would occur, in the meeting of the City Council Public Safety Committee at City H all.

Mayor Alex B. Morse told the committee it "wouldn't be responsible" of him to make such a $300,000 decision on the spot, but he was committed to discussing it.

The discussion about brownouts and having trucks in service comes after a New Year's Day fire at 106 North East St. killed three people, displaced 49 tenants and prompted anger among firefighters who said lives could have been saved if all trucks were in service.

Pond has said the browning out of Engine 2 located at Fire Department headquarters at 600 High St. didn't affect firefighters' ability to fight the Jan. 1 blaze.

The meeting was absent the acrimony that preceded media statements over how the Jan. 1 fire was handled.

Committee Chairman Daniel B. Bresnahan warned the audience he would cut microphones if speakers tossed disrespectful comments at anyone.

The committee tabled the discussion of the item, which stated:

"Ordered that the Mayor adequately fund the Fire Department to keep all apparatus in service and in operation. This includes the 5 Engine companies and the 2 ladder companies, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year."

Chad Cunningham, president of Holyoke Fire Fighters Association, Local 1693,International Association of Fire Fighters, said about two dozen Holyoke fighters attended the meeting.

This is a developing story and a more detailed account will be published as reporting continues.
Bicyclists from around the state are rallying against a proposed bill that would ban bicyclists and pedestrians from using virtually every two-lane road in the state that doesnt have a paved shoulder.

Kristi Drake, director of Billings TrailNet, said her first thought was not to worry about the proposal because it seemed to have so little chance of passing.

After giving it more thought, however, she concluded, "Stranger things have happened with our Legislature. Wed better pay attention to it."

Rep. Barry Usher http://leg.mt.gov/css/Sessions/65th/leg_info.asp?HouseID=0&SessionID=111&LAWSID=17704

[email protected]

By: Ed Kemmick

Full Story: http://lastbestnews.com/site/2017/01/bill-would-ban-bicyclists-from-most-2-lane-roads-in-state/
Meeteetse  The tiny Wyoming school district of Meeteetse wins a national contest again. The schools science students recent won a $35,000 technology package in a Samsung contest. Now, Meeteetses middle school students have won a regional award from Verizon, and could win the national contest in Orlando.

South of Cody, youll find the badlands of the Big Horn Basin, snow covered mountains in the backcountry, and the tiny town of Meeteetse. About 300 people live here

The town is thirty miles away from the nearest grocery store in Cody. That makes it a food desert.

If you want to vote for the Meeteetse students and their solution to their food desert challenges, you can find the contest voting page online at: . http://www.verizon.com/appchallenge

By Penny Preston, KULR

Full Story: http://www.kulr8.com/story/34304630/meeteetse-science-and-technology-wins-again
Le Cabinet ministeriel sest reuni et a pris note que le gouvernement va instituer un Drug Offenders Administrative Panel et un projet de loi sera presente a cet effet, que le President de la Republique soit informe que le Civil Establishment Order 2022 and the Civil Establishment (Rodrigues Regional Assembly) sera promulgue, que le Policy Paper on Recreation a ete soumis par le consultant ainsi que le World Cancer Day 2022 sera celebre avec le theme Close the care gap.

1. Cabinet has, as recommended by the Commission of Inquiry on Drug Trafficking Report, agreed to the setting up of a Drug Offenders Administrative Panel. The Panel would be under the purview of the Ministry of Health and Wellness and a new Bill would be prepared for its setting up.

2. Cabinet has agreed to the Fashion and Design Institute signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Birmingham City University, United Kingdom. The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding is to develop co-operation and promote mutual understanding and excellence in practice-based education, research and knowledge exchange between the Parties. Both organisations aim at working collaboratively to develop, inter alia, the following activities in areas of mutual academic interest:

(a) exchanges of academic and administrative staff and mutual visits to pursue research and to lecture;

(b) exchanges of students and/or study abroad programmes and other enhancements to the student experience; and

(c) identifying opportunities:

(i) for conducting collaborative research and development, lectures and seminars, organising symposia and conferences; and

(ii) to collaborate on the development of Joint and Dual Awards.

. Cabinet has agreed to the World Bank Report on the Sugar Cane Sector Review being made public following consultations held with the Country Director of World Bank during her recent visit to Mauritius. The Report comprises a Competitiveness Analysis of the sugarcane sector, a Sector Vision and a Policy Note, in line with the Terms and Conditions of the Reimbursable Advisory Services, which the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security had signed with the World Bank, with a view to providing policy recommendations to enable Government to come up with strategies for the future and long-term development of the sector.

4. Cabinet has agreed to the President of the Republic being advised to make the Civil Establishment Order 2022 and the Civil Establishment (Rodrigues Regional Assembly) Order 2022.

5. Cabinet has taken note that MV Mauritius Trochetia had effected a voyage to Rodrigues with essential commodities and returned to Mauritius on 28 January 2022.

Cabinet has also taken note that MV Mauritius Trochetia also carried livestock from Rodrigues. The next voyage of MV Mauritius Trochetia is expected on 30 January 2022, subject to weather conditions.

6. Cabinet has taken note that following the rainfall during the month of January 2022, an assessment has been carried out by the Extension Services of the Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI).

A rise in fungal and bacterial diseases on tomatoes, cabbage and chillies plantations is expected with the climatic conditions. Fungicide application was being recommended to growers. A slight drop in the production of tomatoes and chillies was expected in the next production cycle. An incidence of soft rot in carrot and cabbage was also foreseen.

Surveillance would be ongoing and advisory services/assistance would be provided to the farming community by the Agricultural Services of the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security as well as FAREI.

7. Cabinet has taken note that the Consultant appointed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports to prepare a National Policy Paper on Recreation has submitted the final policy document. The National Policy on Recreation is articulated on the following nine principles:

(a) recreational activities in diverse forms are vital to quality of life;

(b) recreational facilities will empower and promote happier families and communities;

(c) instilling of values of lifelong recreational practice for social inclusion and equality of opportunity;

(d) connection with nature in a spirit of preservation of the environment;

(e) a flexible approach to respond to the local needs of the population;

(f) focusing on partnership approaches to shared agendas and optimisation of resources;

(g) ethos of continuous improvement taking into consideration evolving demography, changing lifestyle and social needs;

(h) commitment to enhancing community-based leadership in recreation, with emphasis on targeted recreation awareness campaigns that increase knowledge about how recreation contributes to enjoyment and quality of life; and

(i) recreation as a sector that contributes to the economy and job creation.

The five goals of the National Policy on Recreation are to:

(i) promote an active healthy lifestyle;

(ii) ensure inclusiveness for all;

(iii) connect people with nature;

(iv) foster an enabling environment; and

(v) ensure overall coordination, organisation, and delivery of recreation activities.

8. Cabinet has taken note that the NOTAM which lays down conditions for passengers travelling to Mauritius has been extended up to 31 March 2022.

9. Cabinet has taken note of the activities being organised by the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security in the context of the World Wetlands Day celebrated on 02 February each year. The theme for the 2022 World Wetlands Day celebration proposed by the Ramsar Convention is Wetlands action for people and nature and the slogan is Value-Manage-RestoreLove Wetlands. The Ministry would, in collaboration with the National Parks and Conservation Service, organise a Clean-up Campaign at Bras dEau National Park on Saturday 29 January 2022 along Poste Lafayette coastal road over a distance of about three kilometres on both sides starting from Bras dEau Public Beach to Mare Sarcelles. An area of 0.5 Ha would also be restored, some 200 endemic trees would be planted at Mare Sarcelles and information materials would be distributed to participants. The event would be held in accordance with the prevailing sanitary restrictions related to outdoor activities with less than 50 participants.

10. Cabinet has taken note of the activities being organised by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in the context of World Cancer Day 2022, observed on 04 February each year. The theme of the three-year World Cancer Day campaign from 2022 to 2024 is Close the care gap.

The event would be launched on Friday 04 February 2022 at LEscalier Mediclinic where screening for breast and cervical cancer would be carried out. Talks on cancer and an exhibition on healthy lifestyle and healthy diet would also be held. Other activities also include:

(a) radio talks and TV programmes by health professionals on MBC TV on the theme of the World Cancer Day;

(b) the dissemination of information on the causes of cancer in order to raise awareness among the population at large about the potential risk of cancer;

(c) screening for cervical cancer for sexually active women aged 25 to 60 years in the community and at worksites; and

(d) display of banners about the risk factors of developing cancer in Municipal Councils, District Councils and Regional Health Hospitals.

11. Cabinet has taken note of the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing across the world. Some 364.7 million cases have been reported globally, of which 288.4 million persons have been successfully treated.

With regard to Mauritius, as at 26 January 2022, there were 1,048 active cases of COVID-19, out of which 15 were admitted at the New ENT Hospital. Over the period 20 January 2022 to 26 January 2022, 13 deaths were attributed to COVID-19.

Cabinet has also taken note of progress in the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, including the administration of the booster dose in the Republic of Mauritius. As at 27 January 2022, 978,612 persons had received a first dose of vaccine (representing 77.3 percent of the population). 930,676 persons were fully vaccinated (representing 73.5 percent of the population). 356,425 persons had received a booster dose (representing 28.2 percent of the population). 68.5 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years had received a first dose of vaccine and 45.1 percent had received a second dose.

12. Cabinet has taken note that Rodrigues detected its first case of locally transmitted COVID-19 on 26 January 2022. An extensive contact tracing exercise has been launched and as at 28 January 2022 (0900 hours), 82 cases have been detected.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness was sending three medical staff to Rodrigues, namely a Medical Superintendent, a Community Physician and a Regional Public Health Superintendent. The Ministry of Health and Wellness is also supporting the Rodrigues Health Department regarding the implementation of treatment protocols and contingency planning. Additional stock of drugs used for treatment of COVID-19 was being sent to Rodrigues.

13. Cabinet has taken note of the outcome of the meeting of the Conseil International des Jeux des Iles de lOcean Indien (CIJ) held recently in Madagascar. Madagascar would host the Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in 2023. Members of the CIJ proceeded to Madagascar to discuss issues related to the holding of the 2023 IOIG and to take stock of progress achieved in the preparations for the games. The CIJ Board members were elected and the members of the Comite dOrganisation des Jeux des Iles were introduced.

23 sports disciplines have been provisionally approved by the CIJ for the games and four as demonstration sports. The 23 sports disciplines are Athletics/Para Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Cycling, Equestrian, Football/Beach Soccer, Weightlifting, Handball, Judo, Karate, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Swimming/Para Swimming, Petanque, Rugby, Tae Kwon Do, Archery, Tennis, Table Tennis, Yachting, Volleyball/Beach Volley and Surf. The four demonstration sports are Fencing, Teqball, Auto Sport and Billiard.

14. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the Agalega Island Council with Mr Gino Alfred as Chairperson.

15. Cabinet has taken note of the reconstitution of the Board of Governors of the Universite des Mascareignes with Professor Nathalie Bernardie-Tahir as Chairperson.

16. Cabinet has taken note of the constitution of the Institute of Technical Education and Technology Council with Mr Yamal Matabudul as Chairperson.

17. Cabinet has taken note of the appointment of Mr Joseph Gerard Angoh, retired Judge of the Supreme Court, as Chairperson of the Financial Services Review Panel.

Partager et informez vous aussi......

0 shares Share

Tweet

LinkedIn

Articles similaires
The African Energy Chamber addresses its heartfelt congratulations to the Republic of Togo for breaking ground on its 50MW Mohamed Bin Zayed Photovoltaic Solar Power Complex in Blitta.

The project was launched in presence of H.E. Faure E. Gnassingbe, President of the Republic of Togo, and Hussain Al Nowais, Chairman of AMEA Power, the company in charge of designing, financing, building, launching, operating and maintaining the facility.

The Moyamed Bin Zayed Solar PV Complex is West Africas largest ongoing solar PV project, and supports Togos ambitions to increase its rural electrification rate to 50% by 2022, and 100% by 2030.

AMEA Power is a foreign investor who understands Africa and has demonstrated a commitment to supporting local content wherever it operates, declared Nj Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber and CEO of the Centurion Law Group. As public and private sector interest for Africa grows in the Middle East, such players are most welcomed. Their work in and with Africa contributes to the development of a sustainable and prosperous future.

The project further confirms the growing presence of AMEA Power in the continent. The UAE-based company has become a serious investor in Africas energy sector and represents the growing appetite of private players and investors from the Middle East to invest in Africa. At the end of 2019, Saudi Arabia-based ACWA Power signed two long-term power purchase agreements for 250MW of solar PV projects in Ethiopia, while state-owned ADNOC is reportedly looking at several investments into the African upstream oil & gas sector.

Partager et informez vous aussi......

0 shares Share

Tweet

LinkedIn

Articles similaires
McDowell has been chosen as one of four counties to receive contracts for new reentry councils.

The Department of Public Safety is awarding contracts to four organizations to establish new reentry councils in Wake, Durham, New Hanover and McDowell counties.

The contracts for up to $150,000 each will go to the Family Resource Center  South Atlantic in Wake County, the Criminal Justice Resource Center in Durham County, LINC (Leading Into New Communities) in New Hanover County and Freedom Life Ministries in McDowell County to supplement the implementation of local reentry councils in those areas.

Speaking on behalf of Freedom Life Ministries, Executive Director Danny Hampton said the ministry was, Excited to represent the McDowell community to create a lot more opportunities for men and women facing intervention. The contract will allow us to move forward to address the physical needs, practical needs, spiritual needs and rehabilitation to those who need help in the transition back into society.

Reentry councils are networks of community-based organizations that cooperate to assist ex-offenders, returning citizens and criminal justice involved individuals with necessary local services like housing, employment, food, clothing, treatment, transportation and mentoring. Their mission is to develop and coordinate resources in their communities for the support of ex-offenders in order to reduce recidivism and victimization.

North Carolina is better and safer when former offenders can become productive members of society, Governor Roy Cooper said. Too often ex-offenders get derailed when they have trouble finding a job or a place to live, and reentry councils can help them stay on the right track.

These councils are critical in helping ex-inmates connect the dots after release, getting the services they need to lead successful, crime-free lives and avoid returning to prison, said W. David Guice, Commissioner of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice. We are pleased to expand this important work to more areas of our state.

The contracts are being funded through a $1.75 million federal grant which the Department of Public Safety received in October 2015 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to enhance transitional services, expand reentry councils and continue reforms begun under the Justice Reinvestment Act in 2011. In addition to providing funding for the local reentry council expansion, the federal grant will be used to increase reentry related programming within the state prison system, to fund step down transitional housing for inmates being released to the local reentry council areas and to assist in appropriately matching programs and services to offender needs.

Five reentry councils began operating in 2013 in these counties: Buncombe, Mecklenburg, Pitt, Hoke/Robeson/Scotland and Nash/Edgecombe/Wilson.

DPS continues its efforts to establish additional reentry councils and will soon begin seeking proposals for reentry council start-ups in other counties.
View Vacancy - Communications Officer (Maternity Leave Cover) - 2 month contract with possibility to renew

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

Job Category: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Policy & Political roles)

Job Subcategory: Communications, Press and Media

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

Main purpose of job:

To provide maternity cover for the FCO communications officer at the British Embassy Kinshasa. To lead on communications for the FCO at the embassy, working in close co-ordination with the DFID communications officer, during the two month period.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

Key responsibilities will include:

Working closely with the DFID Communications Officer to manage the UK embassy website to ensure that it fully reflects the work of all Government Departments within the Embassy, reporting regularly on UK activity in and positions on DRC, and reaching as wide an audience as possible.

Updating social media accounts on a regular basis, forward planning activity jointly with DFID on a weekly basis to ensure that key UK messages reach target audiences in an effective and timely way.

Proactively planning to ensure positive press coverage for Embassy events and other activities in DRC.

Supporting the Ambassador and Deputy Head of Missions engagement on social media, helping them increase their number of twitter followers and to target their outreach on social media as effectively as possible. Monitoring wider social media activity in DRC to support political work on elections.

Providing communications support to events organised by the embassy. Ensure that the communications potential of these events is maximised to reach as wide as possible a DRC and UK audience.

Acting as contact point for the Anglo-Congolese Network, increasing its membership online and offline and ensuring that the embassy's contact base grows.

Providing ad hoc support to the team on other communications needs. Contributing to the corporate objectives of the team and wider embassy.

Essential qualifications and experience

Essential on arrival:

Fluency in English and French

Experience of communications in a public context

Experience in using social and digital media.

Desirable qualifications and experience

Desirable: Previous communications experience in a public context.

Required competencies : Changing and Improving, Leading and Communicating, Collaborating and Partnering, Delivering at Pace

Application deadline : 25 January 2017

Grade : B3 (L)

Type of Position: Fixed Term

Duration of Post : 3 months

Region : Africa

Country/Territory : Democratic Republic of the Congo

Location (City) : Kinshasa

Type of Post : British Embassy

Number of vacancies : 1

Starting monthly salary (USD) : $1,806

Start Date : 30 January 2017

Other benefits and conditions of employment : This is a 2 month contract with the possibility to be renewed

Additional information
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 20, 2017

Google has announced plans to roll out a cross-channel mute button for ads running in Google Search and on YouTube, as well as a cloud-based measurement system that company engineers will develop during the coming year.

The measurement system will focus on generating and securing data pulled from across devices to give advertisers better insights into their campaigns. The focus on mobile and cross-screen advertising will support ads on Google and YouTube.

With more than 50% of YouTube views on mobile devices, the changes aim to offer advertisers a new perspective and help them determine where and when to invest budgets by better understanding the impact of campaigns.

Jonathan Kagan, senior director of search and biddable media at MARC USA Results:Digital, believes the change will help to further improve targeting capabilities. "We will get a better sense of what demographic is impacted by which device in the purchase funnel," he said. "The biggest challenge, I think, will be mere growing pains around how to properly segment the data to give insights that are still statistically significant."

advertisement advertisement

As Google engineers build out this new measurement system, the company will work closely with MRC-accredited companies like comScore, DoubleVerify, IAS, MOAT, and Nielsen. Collectively, the group accounts for the majority of third-party measurement on YouTube. It will enable advertisers to independently measure and verify the performance of their campaigns.

With many advertisers treating YouTube as direct response, this move attempts to refocus the site as a brand awareness channel, said David Grow, digital media director at Chacka Marketing. "Third-party vendors such as comScore and Nielsen measure reach and provide good data segmentation, such as demographics, rather than clicks and conversions, which is the focus of pixel-based measurement technology," he said. "This signals a shift by Google in how advertisers should view YouTube and is likely aimed to tap into brand TV dollars, migrating more offline ad dollars to online to boost Alphabet's revenue."

Site visitors also will continue to have control on the types of ads they see on YouTube and across Google's network through controls in My Account, but a new feature -- which Google will roll out in the coming weeks -- will enable users to mute the same ad across channels, from Google Search to YouTube. Now ads from that advertiser will also be muted when they watch videos on YouTube.

If someone sees an ad for a type of kitchen tile or faucet, for example, but has already bought the products in a store, Google will now allow the user to mute that ad in search, which in turn prevents the ad from serving up in YouTube as well.

"I'm not concerned about cross-device ad muting, since I believe very few people mute ads," David Szetela, CEO at paid-search ad agency FMB Media.

Scott Linzer, VP of owned media at iCrossing, calls the changes an "encouraging development" in that advertisers should gain a better understanding of cross-device audiences across the YouTube network.
by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, January 20, 2017

This morning, President Obama left the Oval Office for the last time as President of the United States.

Entering a new era of American and world history on this 20th of January, a sense of uncertainty envelops our nation.

What will the next four years bring? Will we close ourselves off from the rest of the world, tightening immigration policies and engendering conflict through confrontational trade and military positions?

One thing is clear: President Obama has left Donald Trump a well manned and refurbished cruise liner on which he enters the domestic and international political scene.

For many, Barack Obama is a beacon of hope and change unlike anything we have experienced in our lives. For many federal employees, including some I spoke to while in Washington, D.C., this week, Barack Obama inspired them to focus their professional lives on the goal of working for our nation and its people.

advertisement advertisement

Around the world, particularly with our strongest international allies, Obamas presidency instilled a new belief in cooperation with the United States, particularly after a fraught start to the 21th century. International cooperation allowed the Iran deal to succeed, kept a growing China in check and peaceful, as much as possible, and has been the engine that helped the Iraqis ste the tide of the Islamic State in the Middle East.

On the domestic front, the Democratic Party will face a reckoning. With a still unknown new head of the DNC and a minority in every federal legislative body, Democrats need to chart a positive path for the future.

In his last interview as President, Barack Obama told former staffers on the restyled Pod Save America (previously Keepin It 1600) podcast that he sees Jason Kander, candidate for Senate in Missouri in 2016 as one of those beacons who can serve as a Democratic compass over the next four years.

As far as answers to how Democrats move forward these next four years, President Obama said the fight will be local. Take a cue from how the Tea Party fought against the Affordable Care Act, he suggested. If there is any silver lining to those distraught by the outcome of this election, it is that many will have the drive to fight for what is right.

We are all Americans, Democrat or Republican. We are a decent people. In the end, we are all in this together. In the words of our President: If you [Mr. Trump] succeed, then the country succeeds.
by Larissa Faw , January 20, 2017

Two industry executives -- Teresa Herd, VP/global creative director for Intel, and Marianne Besch, managing director, ECD, mcgarrybowen San Francisco -- are lending their talents to send a bold message to the Trump administration and the world: Womens rights are human rights.

The two women reached out to Gathering For Justice, organizers of the Women's March taking place worldwide on Saturday January 21, and mobilized a collective from the creative community to introduce a series of PSAs to encourage as many women as possible to participate in the events.

One spot addresses the issues driving the movement and ends with a call to action to join and check out a Web site for details of the march.

Marches are happening in over 370 locations worldwide.

advertisement advertisement

"Every woman has their own passionate reason for wanting to march, and these powerful voices need to be heard to unify the women of the nation and beyond," the organizers said in a statement. "The videos capture all the different reasons that collectively create this incredible movement."

The ad-marketing pros involved donated their time. All creative -- by mcgarrybowen -- and all involved in the production was pro bono work. The media placements are all donated, appearing on network and cable, in addition to digital and social.

Herd and Besch, who have worked together closely for several years as agency-client partners, added: "We want the world to know that this is a march for women and human rights. It is not a political statement against any one candidate, but a powerful awareness campaign of all of the reasons that women are moved to march."
by Larissa Faw , January 20, 2017

Industry veteran Brandon Cooke is jumping from Dentsus mcgarrybowen to become Global Chief Communications Officer at Interpublics FCB Worldwide effective January 26.

Cooke will play a lead role in defining and driving the agencys "Never Finished" positioning with clients and all other communications touch points. Based in New York City, Cooke reports to FCB Worldwide CEO Carter Murray. He replaces Stephen Martincic who joined Ascential, the holding company of Cannes Lions.

Brandon brings a unique and rare background in marketing, communications and new business," stated Murray. "His results-driven new business background will be an added plus as we look to partner even more closely with marketers. Hes built brands on both the agency and client sides of the business, and understands what is needed to help marketers create, define and share their story.

advertisement advertisement

At mcgarrybowen, Cooke helped build the agencys new business unit and expanded his department to include marketing, PR and communications over his seven-year tenure.

Along with the agencys international expansion, Cookes purview grew to include global duties, helping the growing network further expand and land new clients such as Intel, Clorox, United Airlines, Procter & Gamble and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. He started his career as a copy-writer at Y&R before moving into business development roles at Grey Group and Gotham.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 20, 2017

Uber has a new senior vice president of engineering, former Google senior vice president of search Amit Singhal.

Singhal left Google in February 2016 after spending more than fifteen years at the company. He retired and formed the Singhal Foundation to "give back to the community" by providing underprivileged children in India an education.

Calling the switch "a life change," at the time Singhal expressed his "love" for Google in a goodbye letter, looking back at his time at Google with a "profound sense of gratitude that I was a part of building this."

After his brief retirement, he also began working with small startups to help them grow based on his knowledge at Google, according to his LinkedIn page.

advertisement advertisement

Although his LinkedIn page does not reflect the change, several media agencies report that Singhal will join Uber to advise Travis Kalanick, CEO, and Anthony Levandowski, the head of Uber's self-driving divisions. Reports suggest that Singhal hooked up with Uber after realizing the difficulties in creating a bus route to help kids in India get to school.

Always up for a new challenge, Singhal told TechCrunch that after learning about Uber it became clear the company's business model is one of most difficult and fun computer challenges today.

Singhal played an important part in building the algorithms for the worlds largest search engine and advertising platforms. Now he wants to help folks like his parents, who are in their mid-to-late 70s, keep their mobility through self-driving cars.

"This is real, it impacts real lives, which makes it so much more important that we all get together to solve this problem for the world, Singhal told TechCrunch.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 20, 2017

Donald Trump will elevate Republican Ajit Pai to chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Politico reports.

Pai dissented from many recent FCC decisions that were spearheaded by former Chairman Tom Wheeler, but is probably best known as a vocal critic of the net neutrality rules. Those regulations, passed in 2015, prohibit broadband providers from blocking or degrading traffic and from charging companies higher fees for prioritized delivery.

Pai has already signaled that repealing the rules will be a priority. Last month, he said the rules' "days are numbered."

advertisement advertisement

"Im optimistic that last months election will prove to be an inflection point -- and that during the Trump Administration, we will shift from playing defense at the FCC to going on offense," he told the anti-regulatory group Free State Foundation.

Pai also dissented from the new broadband privacy regulations, which require Internet service providers to obtain consumers' opt-in consent before drawing on their Web-surfing history to target ads. Ad industry groups as well as the cable and telecom lobby recently asked the FCC to reconsider those rules.

In addition, he opposed the conditions the FCC placed on Charter's merger with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, including a seven-year prohibition on data caps.

"A fundamental tenet of our free-market economy is that you will often have to pay more to purchase more of a good or service," Pai said in a dissenting statement. "When the government forbids usage-based pricing, it is requiring Americans who use less data to subsidize those who use more data. The elderly woman on a fixed income who uses the Internet to exchange e-mail messages with her grandchildren must pay more so that an affluent family watching online HD video for many hours each day can pay less."
by Chip Schenck , Op-Ed Contributor, January 20, 2017

As publishers seek out new revenue streams, from native advertising and paywalls to mobile apps, live video, and programmatic, first-party data has become increasingly important. Forrester predicted in its trend report that 2016 would be the year publishers take control of their data, and to a large extent, they did.

Amid this shift, however, sits an often-neglected element of the publisher ecosystem that could become the next monetization frontier: the content management system, or CMS. This is the system that helps publishers manage content assets and determine which content to serve to each page.

The CMS has been around since the dawn of the Web, and has always been considered strictly editorial in function. Recently, however, the CMS has presented new monetization opportunities. Social publishers like the Huffington Post and BuzzFeed started the move, using proprietary CMS technology to accelerate audience growth and social discovery, driving more pageviewsand incremental revenue.

advertisement advertisement

The trend continued as publishers began licensing their CMS to others. The Washington Postrecently revealed that its CMS, Arc, played a large role in its success. Arc builds pages, manages paywalls, tests headlines, distributes content to social channels and analyzes user data across channels. Already, Arc has been licensed to multiple publishers, including Canadas Globe and Mail, and could become the platform of choice for many more.

But the CMS represents a much greater business opportunity than simply licensing or generating more pageviews. It represents a potentially new way to think about webpages: as holistic entities, rather than as a combination of disparate content and ads. A CMS with a wider purview could manage page development and yield management from a single systemtasks currently siloed across the CMS and the publishers ad server.

The CMS and ad server are remarkably similar in many ways. Both use data to determine the best information to show a particular user. Both make calls to external partners and optimize decisioning in real-time. Most important, both use machine learning to get smarter over time. And yet, instead of talking to each other, each makes decisions in a vacuum.

But what if they worked together?

The immediate potential benefits of having a single system making calls for both content and ads are plain: faster load times, more seamless data integration and a simplified tech stack. A single system would also optimize the whole page for each user, delivering ads and content in combination to drive the best experience for usersand the optimal performance for each advertiser. Moreover:

-- Users would see more relevant experiences, since content and ads would be chosen based on a more robust view of who that consumer is.

-- Advertisers would enjoy better results, since publishers could apply the learnings of ad performance and editorial environment to determine when to show their ad and to whom.

-- Publishers could generate better yield by testing the content/advertiser combinations that drive the strongest results, thereby increasing the value of their inventory in a virtuous circle.

A single page call from a CMS may sound farfetched, but the shift is feasible. The CMS would make one call, powered by the DMP, to determine which ad and content to show in every instance. This would also allow existing real-time bidding pipes to support a content exchange, analogous to an ad exchange, where publishers could bid on relevant content from each other to drive stronger engagement and performance. In this new world, the CMS could become one unified system that holds all the demand and insightinstead of controlling one portion of the page.

Of course, current content management systems arent set up this way. The CMS and ad server are the backbone of every publishers infrastructure, making them difficult to change. For a shift like this to occur, publishers will need to push for it  but will do so only if there is significant potential revenue to be won.

Still, it may be a challenge worth taking on. After all, in an increasingly fragmented landscape, publishers who know their users best, and can deliver the right pages to engage themaudience, content, and adswill be best positioned to succeed.
In the professional journal Science, Jurgen Knoblich, a leading authority on stem cells and deputy director of the IMBA (Institute for Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences), together with international experts, presents a first ethical guideline for research into human organ models. In the article, he also argues for critical and responsible engagement with the new technology.

Organ models, which are cultivated in the laboratory from human stem cells and grow into living tissue, are one of the most important scientific breakthroughs of recent years. Scientists, patients and the wider public have high hopes for this emerging field of research, as so-called "organoids" have a huge potential in terms of research and modern medicine. In-vitro organ models allow complex organ development studies and pathogenetic analyses to be carried out directly in human tissue. New substances and therapies can be tested on human material much more quickly using this technology. Regenerative medical practice could conceivably cultivate the required tissue in the laboratory from the cells of a patient and, lessen dependency on organ donations. The use of organoids could also significantly reduce the need for animal experiments, although biologists believe these cannot be completely eliminated in the foreseeable future.

Organoids - high hopes and bioethical dilemmas

From an ethical perspective, this new technology raises a whole range of issues. These include important caveats in relation to the use of human embryonic stem cells or the application of gene therapies to prevent or treat diseases. Jurgen Knoblich believes that "the development of organoids is unexplored scientific territory. As a researcher, I am fascinated by the huge potential of this technology. However, I also believe it's my job to actively promote dialogue around responsible research and to engage the wider public in the discussion". In 2013, the stem cell specialist made scientific headlines worldwide with his laboratory-cultivated brain models. In the latest policy statement issued in collaboration with the immunologist and geneticist Hans Clevers and the bioethicist and Member of the Dutch Parliament, Annelien Bredenoord, the researchers also examined for the first time the most important ethical dimensions of organoid research. According to Knoblich, "we hope that our work has created a solid foundation for the establishment of framework conditions for responsible engagement with this new technology".

Article: Human tissues in a dish: The research and ethical implications of organoid technology. Science, Bredenoord, A.L. Clevers, H. Knoblich, J.A., Science, doi: 10.1126/science.aaf9414, January 2017.
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.

Anders Rydvall comes from Stockholm and moved to Umea in the 1970s. He works as a chief physician at the Centre of intensive and postoperative care at the University Hospital of Umea.

Article: Withhold or withdraw futile treatment in intensive care: arguments supported by physicians and the general public, Rydvall, Anders, Umea universitet, published 21 December 2016.
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 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."
Advertisement

South Africa is experiencing a widespread epidemic of XDR TB, the deadliest form of TB, including a tenfold increase in cases between 2002 and 2015. The study found that the majority of cases (69 percent) in high HIV- and high TB-burden areas happened due to person-to-person transmission rather than inadequate TB treatment in South Africa. By using social networks analysis, the study identified numerous opportunities for transmission not only in hospitals, but also in community settings, such as households and workplaces. The study has important implications for efforts to prevent drug-resistant TB, which have traditionally focused on ensuring that patients receive accurate and complete TB treatment."These findings provide insight as to why this epidemic continues despite interventions to improve TB treatment over the past decade. Public health and research efforts must focus more intensely on identifying and implementing additional or new interventions that halt transmission in hospitals and community settings," says Neel R. Gandhi, MD, associate professor of epidemiology at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health.The study included 404 XDR TB patients in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and was led by a team of researchers including Gandhi and Sarita Shah, MD, MPH, of of CDC's Division of Global HIV & TB. Researchers examined the role of transmission by combining robust genotyping methods with social network and epidemiologic analysis. The study is the first of its kind, bringing together these multiple state-of-the-art methods to study XDR TB transmission in a high-incidence setting."These findings are further proof that we need to better detect, prevent, diagnose, and treat drug-resistant TB," says CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. "TB resistant to last-resort drugs is spreading through hospitals and homes, at work, and in other places in this high burden community. The only way to stop this disease is by improving infection control and rapidly finding and effectively treating people with TB."Drug-resistant TB is a significant global epidemic. Reported in 105 countries, XDR TB is resistant to at least four of the key anti-TB drugs. In most settings, treatment is effective less than 40 percent of the time, with death rates as high as 80 percent for patients who also have HIV.Interrupting the spread of TB can be particularly challenging in countries most affected by the disease. In settings with limited resources, measures to prevent the spread of TB such as contact tracing, implementation of effective infection control measures, improved ventilation in hospitals and better training for healthcare workers, can be difficult.Study authors suggest that breaking the cycle of transmission of drug-resistant TB requires a greater focus on infection control efforts - while also maintaining global programs to quickly detect and effectively treat all people with TB.Source: Eurekalert
We all hate dry days. And were heading straight for one, very soonRepublic Day, anyone? Luckily, we Mumbaikars have 10 places to go if we want to get our lips wet on a dry day get my drift?

Also read: 10 Places to Buy Alcohol in Mumbai After Midnight

 MRP

Board games on every table, retro-chic ambience and a 4 star property; this is why it stays number 1 on our list! And to make your dry days even better, they have great in-house cocktails such as the Molecular DSLR, which is served in a camera lenses shaped mug. The food menu is great too.

Address: Hotel Pritam, 20, Dharamputra, Pritam Estate, Dadar East

 JW Marriott

Like we mentioned, all 5 star hotels have a license to serve alcohol on dry days, with few exceptions. Because of that reason, Reflections should be your go-to! Overlooking the Arabian Sea, it at gives you the most spectacular view of the sunset.

Address: JW Marriott Juhu, Juhu Tara Road

 Amanzi Sky Deck & Bar

A new hideout that stays open on dry days too. Its a rooftop bar overlooking the pool. So if you are looking to discover a great new place, this one is a must visit!

Address: 164, 3rd Floor, C'est La Vie, Hill Road, Bandra West

 Geoffreys

For when you want to feel chic, and relive the old world English charm, Geoffrey's is the place to be. The English Pub is just the ideal place to unwind on a dry day.

Address: Hotel Marine Plaza, 29, Marine Drive, Churchgate

 Alfredos

Your most-favorite hangout stays open on dry days too! So grab a beer while you gorge on the best cheesy fries and chicken pasta.

Address: 5, Hotel Kings International, Opp. Juhu Church, Juhu

 Baroke

The classy lounge is where you need to be if you are looking for an elegant ambience! Also, it doesnt pinch your pocket either if you are in a group.

Address: Hotel Krishna Palace, 96/98, Sleater Road, Nana Chowk

 Taj Mahal Palace

If you think you can spend all-you-can on a dry day, with some great sea food and sea view, head over!

Address: Taj Mahal Palace, Apollo Bunder, Colaba

 ITC Grand Central

You must try their quirky signature dishes like Potli Samosa, Dal Kebabs. And if you dont mind enjoying some whiskey while overlooking the old world charm, this place seems perfect.

Address: 287, ITC Grand Central, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, Parel

 Grand Hyatt

You can enjoy a great meal and select from a range of vintage wines by the glass, fine whiskeys and single malts at the best Bar in Mumbai. Alternatively you can even visit the China House lounge in the hotel, one of the most stylist lounges in the city, for their in-house cocktails.

Address: Grand Hyatt Mumbai, Off Western Express Highway, Santacruz (East)

 Pexels

If none of the above seems to work for your pockets, this one is a cheap bar with some good Chinese food. So if you do wish to take away some drinks, this could be your savior.

Address: Gundavali Goutahan Service Road, Near Shridhar Auto, Marol, Andheri East

Note: All Indian 5-Star hotels have license to serve alcohol on dry days.
We are all used to flash sales in India since the concept of super saving deals was introduced in China. Companies like Xiaomi have enjoyed some great success thanks to these flash sales and HMD is just another company who has achieved the same feat.

 HMD

HMD hosted their first ever flash sale of the newly launched Nokia 6 and it took just under a minute for the company to sell out all available units. The company has over a million registrations of interested buyers and the phone was exclusively available on JD.com.

 HMD

The phone was available for 1699 (Around INR 16,850) Yuan, considering the specifications it is mighty pricey, however, that did not deter interested parties in putting their money where their mouth is. The phone features the humble Snapdragon 430 chipset which many people found underwhelming.

 HMD

There are no details as to how many units were available in stock when it went on sale but it can be assumed that the second sale will be as successful or achieve even higher numbers. HMD is expected to host another flash sale in a few days.
It is with particular pleasure that I met today with the Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nobuo Kishi, during his visit to our country.

During our meeting, we had the opportunity to confirm the excellent nature of our relationship and to discuss ways to further develop it in all areas, taking advantage, to the fullest extent possible, of the inexhaustible potential that it represents.

We specifically discussed expanding and deepening cooperation between our two countries in the sector of economy and trade, which exhibits exceptional potential. For my part, I set out in detail for Mr. Kishi the significant investment and business opportunities presented by the countrys recovering economy, as well as the quality services available in the tourism sector, which could make Greece one of the first choices in terms of destinations for Japanese tourists. We also discussed ways of promoting bilateral trade and further developing commercial transactions.

Furthermore, we focused on our cooperation in view of the Tokyo Olympics, which will be finalized with the signing of the relevant Memorandum. Greece is able to contribute to the success of these games, not only because it represents the birthplace of the Olympic ideal, but also because of the experience we gained hosting the 2004 Olympics.

Our two countries share common principles and values, among which is commitment to international law, which constitutes the guiding principle of our foreign policy. We have also agreed to join forces, as significant maritime nations, to work together for the establishment of the rule of law at sea as well, because we believe that problems and provocations internationally must be confronted in this context.

Yesterday morning, Mr. Kishi visited the refugee reception center in Eleonas and had the opportunity to see for himself the efforts that our country is making to host refugees in the best possible way.

Finally, I would like to announce that I extended an invitation on the part of our countrys Prime Minister, Mr. Tsipras, to the Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Abe, to visit Greece in the near future. We hope that this visit will represent a new milestone in the relations between our two countries, sealing the new dynamic that we wish to bestow upon them.






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...
Rarely used Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers carried out massive strikes against two ISIS camps in Libya on Wednesday in what was almost certainly the last combat mission specifically authorized by President Barack Obama.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who had given what were billed as his final remarks as Pentagon chief on Wednesday, made a surprise appearance in the Pentagon press room Thursday to confirm the B-2 mission that Air Force figures showed cost well in excess of $11 million.

He brushed off speculation that the strikes were intended by the outgoing administration to send a message to Russia and China that the U.S. retained the ability to strike anywhere in the world on short notice, or to offset criticism by President-elect Donald Trump of U.S. military readiness.

Carter said that other aircraft in the region could have carried out the Libya strikes -- "there were other options" -- but U.S. commanders decided that the B-2s were "the best capability to use."

U.S. Africa Command requested the B-2 strikes, the Pentagon approved them, and Obama gave his authorization "in the past few days," Carter said. The strikes also had the approval of the U.S. and United Nations-backed Government of National Accord in Libya, he added.

Obama's authorization was necessary since the strikes hit targets about 28 miles southwest of the Libyan port city of Sirte, which had been held by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and fell last month after a long siege to the forces of the GNA. U.S. airstrikes previously had been limited to the Sirte area.

ISIS fighters described by defense officials as "squirters" from Sirte fled to the two camps, where their leaders were plotting terror attacks against Europe, Carter said. Using another acronym for ISIS, he said of the B-2 strikes, "It's always been part of our campaign to destroy ISIL wherever we find it, so this is a continuation of the plan."

"Initial estimates indicate that the airstrikes killed more than 80 ISIL fighters, many of whom had converged there after fleeing from local partnered forces who had cleared Sirte last month with our help," Carter said.

Just before the B-2s attacked, "The militants were seen immediately beforehand carrying weapons, wearing tactical vests, carrying mortars, and standing in formation," a defense official said.

The B-2s together dropped about a hundred 500-pound precision-guided bombs, or Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs). The B-2 strikes were followed up by an MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle firing Hellfire missiles, said Col. Pat Ryder, an Air Force spokesman.

Although the two stealth aircraft dropped 100 bombs, the mission could not be characterized as "carpet bombing," Ryder said, since precision munitions were used. "It's not carpet bombing in that sense."

The B-2s, each with a 40,000-pound payload, flew a 34-hour, round-trip mission from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, and were refueled a total of 15 times on the trip, Ryder said.

According to Air Force fact sheets, a B-2 costs $130,000 an hour to operate and the kits for the JDAMS cost more than $22,000 each. That would put the cost of the mission at more than $11 million, not counting the refueler flights and the costs of the Hellfire missiles.

Ryder echoed Carter in saying that the choice of the B-2s was not intended to send any particular message but was made because of the loiter time the B-2s have over a target and to "give commanders more flexibility." However, "anytime we use it [the B-2], there's certainly a message there. It sends the message to ISIL that we can reach out to you wherever you are in the world."

The Air Force has 20 B-2 bombers costing $1.1 billion apiece in its inventory, and all are based at Whiteman, Ryder said. The strikes Wednesday marked only the fifth time they have been used in combat since becoming operational in the 1990s.

The previous four B-2 missions were:

March 1999, Operation Allied Force against Serbia;

September 2001, in the first strikes of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan;

March 2003, at the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom; and

March 2011, Operation Odyssey Dawn in Libya to topple the regime of Moammar Gadhafi.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Mililtary.com.
Minutes after President Donald Trump took the oath of office Friday, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's defense lawyers filed a motion to dismiss court martial charges based on Trump's repeated statements as a candidate calling him a "dirty rotten traitor" and a "no good traitor."

"It's inimical to the administration of justice" and a denial of Bergdahl's due process rights to a fair trial to allow the case of U.S. v Bergdahl to proceed on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy under Articles 85 and 99 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, said Eugene Fidell, a civilian defense counsel for Bergdahl.

Fidell said Trump's statements amounted to "apparent unlawful command influence" that could prejudice any potential military jury panel called to decide Bergdahl's fate, although Trump made the statements as private citizen and candidate and not as commander in chief.

The motion said that "Sergeant Bergdahl has never been charged with, indicted for, or convicted of treason. Nonetheless, President Trump referred to him as 'traitor Bergdahl' and repeatedly described him as, variously, a traitor, a 'dirty, rotten traitor,' a 'no-good traitor,' a 'dirty, no good traitor,' and 'a horrible traitor.' He did this at rally after rally across the country."

At a 2015 rally in Las Vegas, Trump said "We're tired of Sgt. Bergdahl, who's a traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed. Thirty years ago, he would have been shot."

The motion also argued that Trump would be unable to withdraw the statements as Commander-in-Chief. "Given the nature of the statements, which through repetition and positive audience response became a signature campaign theme, any attempt to recant them after the filing of this motion and safely after President Trump became commander in chief would be deeply cynical and unworthy of credence," the motion said.

The motion was filed with Army Col. Jeffery Nance, the trial judge for Bergdahl's general court martial, which is tentatively scheduled for April at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on the desertion and misbehavior before the enemy charges. The latter carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Bergdahl said he walked off his post in Afghanistan in 2009 in an effort to reach commandeers to tell them of problems with his unit. He was held captive by the Taliban and its allies for five years.

The Obama administration in May 2014 arranged to exchange Bergdahl for five Taliban prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
The U.S. Senate on Friday confirmed retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to serve as the next secretary of defense.

A majority of the upper chamber voted in favor of Mattis taking over the top civilian job at the Pentagon.

In a statement later in the evening to Pentagon employees, the former head of Central Command said it felt "good to be back."

"Together with the intelligence community we are the sentinels and guardians of our nation," he said. "We need only look to you, the uniformed and civilian members of the department and your families, to see the fundamental unity of our country. You represent an America committed to the common good; an America that is never complacent about defending its freedoms; and an America that remains a steady beacon of hope for all mankind. Mattis added, "Every action we take will be designed to ensure our military is ready to fight today and in the future. Recognizing that no nation is secure without friends, we will work with the State Department to strengthen our alliances. Further, we are devoted to gaining full value from every taxpayer dollar spent on defense, thereby earning the trust of Congress and the American people. He closed, "I am confident you will do your part. I pledge to you I'll do my best as your Secretary."

The Senate voted 98 in support of Mattis, one against and one absent. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, voted "no" in a symbolic gesture to highlight the need for civilian control of the military. Sen. Jeff Sessions, a Republican from Alabama, recused himself because he has been nominated to serve in the Trump administration as attorney general.

Rep. William "Mac" Thornberry, a Republican from Texas and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, praised the confirmation.

"Reforming and rebuilding our military is an enormous task," he said in a statement. "The American people and the Congress are very fortunate to have an extraordinary leader and partner to help tackle this challenge in our new Secretary of Defense, James Mattis. I can think of no better choice to serve at the helm of the Pentagon beginning on day one of the new Administration."

The Senate action came after President Donald Trump, in one of his first acts as the new commander in chief, signed a waiver passed by Congress to permit Mattis to serve in the role.

After taking the oath of office, Trump remained at the Capitol to sign a number of documents officially nominating his choices for cabinet and ambassador posts and to declare Jan. 20 a "National Day of Patriotism."

Among the documents was the historic waiver for the 66-year-old Mattis, who led the 2003 invasion of Iraq as commander of the 1st Marine Division, commanded a task force in Afghanistan in 2001, and commanded a battalion in the Persian Gulf war in 1990.

In 1947, Congress passed a law barring members of the military from taking the Defense Secretarys post until seven years after retirement to preserve civilian control of the military. Mattis retired in 2013.

The only previous exception to the law was the waiver granted to Gen. George C. Marshall, the five-star Army chief of staff in World War II, who became Defense Secretary in 1950.

Earlier this week in separate action, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 26-1 to approve Mattis for a confirmation vote by the full Senate. The only "no" vote in the panel was from Gillibrand, who praised Mattis but said she was voting against him on the issue of civilian control.

Mattis was expected to make his first visit as the 26th secretary of defense to the Pentagon to meet with Joint Chiefs Chairman Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford and Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work, who was staying on temporarily at the Pentagon to assist with management issues.

During the campaign, Trump said he would demand a plan from his commanders within 30 days of taking office speed up and ultimately end the campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. In his inaugural address, Trump said he would "eradicate radical Islamic terrorism from the face of the Earth."

During his Senate confirmation hearings, Mattis also said he would be reviewing plans to "accelerate" the ISIS campaign but gave no details.

Already, there were signs that the U.S. military was moving more aggressively against ISIS and also the al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. On Wednesday, in the last combat mission specifically authorized by President Barack Obama, B-2 Spirit stealth bombers flying out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri struck ISIS camps in Libya.

On Thursday, a B-52 Stratofortress bomber deployed to the region dropped munitions in Syria west of Aleppo against a training camp of the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham group, formerly known as the Al Nusra Front and linked to Al Qaeda.

Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman said "The removal of this training camp disrupts training operations and discourages hardline Islamist and Syrian opposition groups from joining or cooperating with Al Qaeda on the battlefield."

-- Brendan McGarry contributed to this report.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Land along the Saginaw River that once housed a General Motors Corp. foundry and landfill soon will find new uses that could include fishing, hiking and biking.

Michigan's Department of Natural Resources plans to buy 334 acres of former GM property from RACER Trust to turn into an urban park.

The purchase price: $10, according to Marc Miller, deputy director of regional initiatives for the DNR.

"RACER, acknowledging the public-private partnership, agreed to sell us the property for nominal $10," Miller said. "They recognize its importance to the community."

The deal, he added, is unique: "It's not something that comes along every day."

A portion of the property.

The property - which was transferred to RACER in 2011 as GM exited bankruptcy - has been marketed for several years as RACER disposes of the automaker's excess land and buildings, and performs contamination cleanup.

It's along the west bank of the Saginaw River, positioning it to become a hub of passive recreational uses and open space preservation. It includes wetlands, shallow ponds, a forested river corridor, and an elevated viewing point from the top of the former landfill.

The former industrial land also is within the city limits of Saginaw and close to its commercial and residential areas, and about five miles from I-75. The Saginaw County Parks and Recreation Commission will manage the site.

"The location and characteristics of this property make it ideally suited for the type of usage envisioned by the MDNR and its local partners," said Elliott P. Laws, of EPLET, LLC, administrative trustee of RACER Trust. The focus will be "passive" recreation, as opposed to playgrounds or ballfields.

"Communities increasingly are embracing the value of open space and passive recreation resources as a means of enhancing the quality of life and stimulating additional economic development activity nearby," Laws said in a release. "We are pleased to know this property will be in good hands and a benefit to the community moving forward."

GM shed five properties in Saginaw during its downsizing. They were among 89 properties in the US that moved into RACER's possession so it could broker sales. Among those, 55 were in Michigan. Many have sold, including the largest - the Willow Run Powertrain plant in Ypsilanti Township, now home of the American Center for Mobility.

The park will be created where the former General Motors Saginaw Malleable Metals foundry once operated in a one-million square foot facility, and it will include the adjacent former Greenpoint Landfill. Both are just west of downtown Saginaw, and north of the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. Eventually trails could connect from the new park to the refuge, downtown Saginaw and the Iron Belle Trail.

Brian Lechel of the Saginaw County Parks and Recreation Commission said the location offers a perfect transition from the city to natural area.

"You see cityscape as you turn to the north," he said. "From the south, you have no idea you're a mile from downtown Saginaw."

Community members advocated for a few years for the property to become parkland. The property is in a floodplain and not a likely option for new industrial development, and contaminants are controlled but preclude residential development.

In December, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board of Directors recommended that the state Legislature approve a $290,000 grant from the trust fund, to be used for trail development and safe site accessibility.

"The potential benefits of a revitalized and publicly accessible area along the Saginaw River are substantial," MDNR Director Keith Creagh said in a statement. "We expect this resource will serve a large number of people in and around the City of Saginaw, encouraging healthy lifestyles, safe recreational opportunities, and wildlife appreciation and conservation, all of which are priorities for MDNR."

The Nature Conservancy's Michigan chapter also has played an important role in the project, securing grant funding from the Saginaw Community Foundation for preliminary site assessment work.

One of RACER Trust's roles in the disposition of the GM property is to achieve community revitalization. That goal aligns with the state goal of using its parks and recreation areas to promote economic development in urban areas, said Rich Tuzinsky, Director of Protection for the Michigan chapter of The Nature Conservancy - and a reason his group advocated for this collaboration in the city.

"As champions of conservation and advocates for open space and recreation, we certainly support that vision and are pleased to play a role in creating this resource for the people of Saginaw and surrounding communities," he said as the news was announced.

The new park's place as a future resource for Saginaw County can already be felt, even with pavement and concrete still on a portion of the property.

Lechel said it's exciting to consider how the land that's been fenced off for so many years will be returned to the community through the park. The county board still need to finalize some management details, he added, but he expects it to be absorbed into existing operations.

Miller said he recently toured the site.

"Every time I go out there, there is something new that I see that will be exciting for visitors to witness," Miller said, mentioning deer and many bird species.

"The legacy of this site is that it was a GM facility, but nature has reclaimed it."
BATTLE CREEK, MI - The loss of another 250 jobs at Kellogg Co. is tough on Cereal City USA.

"We're trying to deploy our resources and work with our partners at Michigan Works Southwest to understand the positions that are going to be shed and see if we can help their transition (the affected workers' transition) into jobs after Kellogg," said Joe Sobieralski, chief executive officer of Battle Creek Unlimited.

The regional economic development organization has not yet learned what types of positions will be cut, but he said any loss of jobs is unfortunate and a hardship to area families.

Cereal giant Kellogg Co. announced plans on Wednesday to lay off 250 people as it continues to restructure and try to cut costs.

Sobieralski said he does not know the full impact the job loss will have in Battle Cree, but he said, "They are not production jobs," referring to the jobs of workers involved in food production.

Kellogg, the maker of Corn Flakes, Special K, Froot Loops, Mini-Wheats and other cereals, said the cuts are part of a multi-year restructuring effort and they will happen throughout North America. But most will occur in Battle Creek, the company says.

It is part of an industry-wide downturn, he said.

Over the last several years, sales of cold, ready-to-eat cereals have declined and that has put pressure on cereal makers, including Kellogg, the world's largest cereal maker, to cut costs as they try to find ways to expand cereal sales.

Pundits offer various reasons for the decline. Among them is the assertion that more health-conscious people have pulled themselves and their children away from cereals, many of which have had a high sugar content. Others suggest the millennial generation does more snacking in the morning, that more people prefer hot food options, and that cereal isn't the first breakfast choice of some ethnic groups.

Kellogg's Jan. 18 announcement was the third recent announcement of cereal industry job cuts in Battle Creek. In a press release, Kellogg said it is focused on eliminating work that doesn't drive the highest returns and becoming more efficient by removing a duplication of work within the company."

"It's encouraging that the company is making moves to make itself more profitable in an ever-changing market," Sobieralski said. But he said, "It's unfortunate. This is announcement No. 3. The cereal industry is just down overall and it hits a lot more close to home because Battle Creek is home to three production facilities and one is a headquarters."

He referred to Post Holdings Inc., Treehouse Foods Inc. and Kellogg, whose world headquarters is in downtown Battle Creek.

Kellogg did not provide a current count of its local employees but said it had 2,300 to 2,500 employees there in November of 2013 when it launched its cost-cutting initiative. Of those, 100 to 200 positions were expected to be cut at that time.

Ready-to-eat cereal maker TreeHouse Foods, of Oakbrook, Ill., announced in November plans to eliminate 100 of the 160 production jobs it has in Battle Creek over a 15-month period, starting this month.

The company said it plans to close a plant in British Columbia and reduce its manufacturing efforts at 150 S. McCamly St. in Battle Creek. The Battle Creek Enquirer reported that the two plants were among 32 facilities that Treehouse acquired early in 2016 as part of a $2.7 billion deal with ConAgra Foods.

St. Louis-based Post Holdings Inc. announced in mid-December that will shift some of the cereal production work from its huge operation at 275 Cliff St. in Battle Creek, where it employs 569 workers, to other facilities in its U.S. manufacturing network. Among other things, the company makes Honeycomb, Honey Bunches of Oats, Grape-Nuts and Malt-O-Meal.

The shift is to happen in 2017 and will be accomplished largely through retirements, attrition and by making no new hires here, the company has said. Sobieralski said it was feared that up to 150 jobs would be lost but the total number may be anywhere from 40 to 70.
by Brooks Hepp

"Our mission is to create food security for seniors and children and everyone in between. We want to make sure that people have access to healthy, nutritious food," says Dr. Phillip Knight.

Knight is executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan, and he visits with Kirk Heinze on Greening of the Great Lakes about the seven regional food banks that cover the state of Michigan.

Knight says that even though giving to food banks increases slightly during the holidays, it has mostly stayed consistent throughout the year. The food banks of Michigan have around 100,000 volunteers annually.

"I think that goes to the character of the people. If you're hungry, you really only have one problem. Your mind is not free to think from the toxic stress of food insecurity and the pains of hunger to think of anything but that. And I think the people of Michigan see that as unacceptable."

Knight says there are a lot of opportunities for anyone of any age to volunteer.

"That food that comes in has to be sorted. We have to know if that food meets the standards that we want in regards to health and nutrition. And that's a lot of work right there for people to come in, bring their families; corporations are doing this all across the state. Companies are coming in and bringing their people. A lot of legislators and their staffs volunteer.

"It's amazing how many people are coming to this mission, they are drawn to it," Knight said. "They want to create food security."

The Food Bank Council of Michigan has a program with Michigan agriculture called the Michigan Agricultural Surplus System, or MASS. This program provides a secondary market for Michigan farmers, as well as an opportunity for organizations to receive fresh produce.

"This is a grant given to the Food banks of Michigan by the state of Michigan. And we'll able to create secondary markets for our farmers. In other words, if they've got seconds that the big buyers are not going to buy, but they are perfectly good food and we don't want it to go to waste, we are able to buy that at a reduced price that helps the farmer create a secondary market and that healthy, nutritious food gets into our system."

Click here to hear the Knight/Heinze conversation.

Greening of the Great Lakes airs Sunday evenings at 7:00 on News/Talk 760 WJR and around the state each weekend via the Michigan Talk Network.
Some say it might not be as bad you think. Others say Donald Trump's potential influence on the industry is "alarming."





U.S. regulators has found no evidence of any defects in Tesla electric cars after investigating the death of a man whose Model S collided with a truck while he was using its Autopilot system, the first fatality involving semi-autonomous driving software.





Alphabet Inc. has been one of the world?s biggest spenders on artificial intelligence. The advancements have even surprised company co-founder Sergey Brin.





SAN FRANCISCO ? Mark Zuckerberg is looking for more privacy on Kauai and he's going to court to get it.
Close

In the next "Star Wars Rebels" episode, Sabine Wren wields the legendary Darksaber. She will need to learn how to use the powerful weapon to become the new leader of the Mandalorians.

ComicBook writes that the Mandalorian member of the "Star Wars Rebels" team recently acquired the Darksaber. She will need to master the weapon if she plans to challenge the right to be the new Mandalore, the head of her people.

The Darksaber was invited by Sabine's ancestor, Tar Vizsla, who is also the first Mandalorian Jedi. After Tar Vizsla died, the Darksaber has been used to symbolize ultimate Mandalorian strength. For over a thousand years, Vizslas deemed it as a royal treasure, to be held only by the leader in "Star Wars Rebels."

In Season 3 Episode 13 of "Star Wars Rebels," titled "Trials of the Darksaber," Sabine will practice using the weapon before embarking on a great adventure for her own people. After her huge moment against the jump troopers, Sabine, Clan Wren and House Vizsla will be the focus of the story. There will allegedly be two episodes that will center on Sabine and the Mandalorians, with the upcoming one being the first.

In the official description, Sabine will attempt to recruit her people to join the rebels and reluctantly agree to learn how to use the ancient Darksaber. She will immediately discover that mastering the weapon is harder than expected.

ComingSoon wrote that in "Star Wars Rebels," the Ghost crew already set up a secret base on Atollon. The team is currently led by Ezra, a more capable leader, who has been enhancing the rebel group by getting more recruits and resources to battle the Empire.

On the contrary, Grand Admiral Thrawn also took the reins to destroy the rebellion. He is a strategic and experienced leader that poses a huge threat to the opposing force. Ezra and Sabine has to take on new roles and challenges to launch a direct assault on the Empire.

"Star Wars Rebels" will air on Jan. 21, 2017 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD. This "Star Wars Rebels" episode was written by Dave Filoni. More updates and details are expected soon.

 Copyright 2020 Mobile & Apps, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
business Adapting to automation a bigger hurdle than Trump: Tech Mahindra Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Vineet Nayyar, Vice Chairman of Tech Mahindra, said the IT sector has become neutral to location and would adjust to the policies of the new US administration.
business DRT allows banks to recover Rs 6,203 cr from Vijay Mallya In a setback to Vijay Mallya, the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) Thursday allowed SBI-led consortium to petition against the liquor baron. The tribunal has ordered payment of Rs 6,203 crore.
you are here:
business Idea best fit for Voda, subscriber base may reach 380 mn: CLSA A recent CLSA report says that Idea Cellular is the best fit for Vodafone India and it may topple Airtel from its top position.
business Here is why SP Tulsian is bullish on PSU Banks SP Tulsian of sptulsian.com, explains why he remains positive on PSU banks. He also shares his views on Trident Power and several paper stocks.
The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana.
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
Letter to editor: Voting is necessary to protect democracy
Rabbis installation at Keneseth Israel will get a boost of student creativity
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.

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.
Among those taking the stage in welcoming the countrys new president Jan. 20 was Morgan Hill native Stephen Pocus, who performed with The Fryed Brothers band at inauguration festivities in Washington, D.C.

Pocus, 25, grew up in Morgan Hill with his three brothers and sister. He attended El Toro Elementary, Britton Middle and Live Oak High schools before becoming a full-time professional musician, according to his mother Janet Pocus.

Since my husband is a musician and I sing, our kids grew up playing different instruments, Janet said in an email.

The afternoon of Jan. 20, after President Donald Trump took the oath of office on the steps of the nations capitol, The Fryed Brothers performed at John Marshall Park as part of the Bikers for Trump rally. Stephen Pocus has played keyboards and piano for the band since 2014, and has toured with the popular rock-and-roll biker band nationwide.

Pocus began playing piano since he was about 5, his mother said. He played trumpet and French horn in the Britton band, as well as the Live Oak Marching Band. He also participated in the Valley Christian High School Latin jazz band, and was accepted to the prestigious California State Honors Band two years in a row, playing French horn.

After high school, Stephen studied at the Jazz Institute in Berkeley for two years on a full scholarship, Janet added. After that, he went to New York to try to make a name for himself.

He later returned to the Sacramento area, where he has played with two state bands. He has started a few different bands, and teaches at the Natomas Music School, Janet Pocus said.

Stephen has a natural ability to compose and transcribe music, as well as move between different genres of music with ease, his mother said. Latin, jazz, country, gospel, he can do it all.

The Fryed Brothers band was founded by Harry Fryed 25 years ago, carving out a reputation as the best biker band in the world, reads the bands website, fryedbrothersband.com. Over the years, The Fryeds have shared the stage with music legends Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Charlie Daniels, John Mayall, Billy Idol, David Allen Coe, Eddie Money, Marshall Tucker Band and many more.

Bikers for Trump is an organization of motorcyclists that has conducted rallies and voter outreach with the sole purpose of electing Donald Trump President of the United States, reads their website, bikersfortrump2016.com.
She doesnt actually turn 90 until Jan. 25, but local mystic Joann Denton is planning to get a head start on the celebration this Halloween.
In 2016, emerging market debt staged a spectacular recovery following the dreadful performance of 2015. Its important to make a distinction, however, between local currency and hard currency. In 2015, local currency sovereign debt disappointingly fell 14.9%, while hard currency sovereign debt generated a small gain of 1.2%.

The key drivers were the managed economic growth slowdown in China and the strengthening of the US Dollar versus most currencies. Negative sentiment, especially towards local currency debt, continued into the first couple of months of 2016, evidenced by the outflow spillover from 2015.

Although January 2016 was a challenging month for the asset class, performance through the rest of the year was stong. Local currency sovereign debt almost fully recovered the losses from the previous year. The tailwind to the solid performance was a stronger fundamental situation in many emerging economies, with expectations of higher growth than in developed markets. Additionally, after seeing the USD rally against almost every emerging market currency during most of 2015, valuations in local debt had become significantly more attractive.

For instance, the Mexican Peso depreciated by approximately 15% from January to December 2015. Although the Peso has continued on a downtrend, other currencies strengthened against the USD during 2016. In that vein, at least 5 percentage points of the indexs return through October were contributed by currency appreciation against the US dollar in most emerging markets.

On the hard currency side, the sovereign credit spread over US fluctuated during 2015, but ended the year back where it started. Still, valuations were attractive on a relative basis compared to those in developed markets. With spreads over US Treasuries tightening by at least 80 basis points between January and October 2016, the EM hard currency sovereign debt market generated a return of 13.3% over that period.

During the month of April, the hard currency sovereign market welcomed new issuance from Argentina. The country returned to capital markets after being shunned for defaulting on more than $80 billion in government debt in 2001. Following the election of a new government and the settlement of its 14-year long battle with debtholders, the country issued approximately $16Bn in USD-denominated debt. Managers with ability to invest in emerging markets welcomed the issuance given the relatively attractive yields on offer.

Brexit has No Impact...

For the most part, the 2016 rally in the asset class was smooth. Although within the period discussed, May was a challenging month, especially for local currency debt. The May hiccup saw that part of the market lose 5.4% as investors digested the possibility of a Fed rate hike in the summer. In line with this, fund flows reversed but only temporarily. In fact, May was the only month of net outflows from March to October 2016 according to Morningstar data. The cautious stance and negative sentiment towards the asset class was short-lived and followed by a solid 5.9% return in June.

The UKs EU referendum vote was almost a non-event for the asset class, especially for hard currency sovereign debt; it lost only 8 basis points on the days following the vote and returned 2% over the subsequent week. The perception that Brexit would be an event with global implications and ensuing defensive positioning by investors saw local currency sovereign debt initially lose 2% following the vote. However, upon realisation any Brexit-specific implications would be more relevant to Europe and therefore contained from the rest of the world, local debt fully recovered the losses over the following week by returning 3.1%.

...but Trump Hits Bonds

As the US election took centre stage in November, the up-until-then uninterrupted rebound took a dent. Donald Trumps victory as the next president of the US sent ripples through emerging markets following the result. Local currency sovereign debt fell by 7.0% and hard currency sovereign debt lost 4.1% in November alone. Within the local currency space, the big loser has been the Mexican peso.

The currency continued on a downtrend against the US dollar and had depreciated by 16.8% from the beginning of the year to Nov. 20th. The speculation about Trumps promises and stance on foreign policy has sent the currency into a nose dive. The markets expectation is that Trumps fiscal policies will send US government bond yields higher, which could be damaging to emerging economies as issuing debt in US dollars becomes more expensive. This could therefore challenge the relative attractiveness of the asset class and investors notions of its long-term value. Having said that, there isnt a great deal of clarity yet on the US president-elects policies. And, if anything, the November sell-off may have created opportunities for investors to stop, reassess and consider whether they can stomach the likely rocky path ahead and adjust their exposure to the asset class accordingly.

A version of this article appeared in International Adviser magazine
Morningstar's "Perspectives" series features investment insights from third-party contributors. Here, Simon Gergel, Manager of The Merchants Trust, weighs up M&A in the UK market.

In the short term the market is a voting machine, in the long term it is a weighing machine is one of the most famous stock market quotes, by Benjamin Graham. It denotes how the consensual views about a company or industry can get carried away and move to extreme levels in the short term, but ultimately share prices will reflect the true worth  or weight  of a business.

Nowhere is this more visible than in the world of mergers and acquisitions. How often have we seen the stock market get really enthusiastic about a takeover deal or an acquisitive company, only to have a rude awakening later on, when the dust settles?

What of the opposite type of situation however? Companies that have done brave deals, but have been widely chastised at the time. These are particularly notable because the management and board had to fight many critics to pursue their strategies. The stock market initially voted that these were poor deals, but in the fullness of time, their weight may be reassessed. I will focus on three large deals in the UK that may fit the bill.

GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has been transformed by an asset swap with Novartis into a much more diversified business. Glaxo only had eight positive recommendations from the 34 broking analysts that covered it. Since the deal was consummated, however, Glaxo has made good progress in delivering growth and improved profitability in their vaccines and consumer health businesses. Also, we have seen increasing pressure on drug pricing in the key US market. Whilst it is too soon to say that GSKs strategy of reducing exposure to highly priced drugs in the USA has been vindicated, they are certainly starting to demonstrate that a more diversified strategy has its own merits.

Royal Dutch Shell

The second deal to look at is the purchase of BG by Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB). Against a background of a tumbling oil price in 2015, the stock market was extremely nervous about Shell gearing up to buy a company with some strong assets but a history of disappointments. The stock market may not have voted no but Shell certainly did not get a rounding vote of applause on the deal.

But will history judge the BG purchase deal differently? The acquisition completed in February 2016, about a month after the trough of the oil price. It would have been hard to time the purchase better. When the oil price was higher, BG would probably not have been up for sale, and once the oil price started to recover, BG shareholders may have wanted to hold on for the recovery in profitability.

Although the oil price fell during the offer period, meaning that the initial offer price looked high compared to recent profitability, a large proportion of the purchase was paid in Shell shares, which also came down in value. Therefore the actual price paid for BG also adjusted downwards with the oil price.

Perhaps most importantly, Shell has bought some excellent assets within BG. In Brazil, they have a large stake in one of the worlds most promising oil regions, with rapidly rising production at low costs per barrel. BG also brings a strong position in the liquid natural gas market, making Shell the clear global market leader in this important energy market. From a timing point of view, BG was also nearing the point of cash flow inflection, which was a good time to buy the business. It is just possible, that history will judge this deal as one of the defining deals within the oil and gas industry, given the excellent timing and the quality of the assets that Shell has bought which allow it to refocus the portfolio and increase capital efficiency.

Sainsburys

Finally, perhaps the most contentious deal is Sainsburys (SBRY) purchase of Home Retail Group, the owner of Argos. This is a catalogue based retailer of general merchandise, which is increasingly becoming an online retailer. Sainsbury has its own challenges in a fiercely competitive food retail industry, which has suffered from overcapacity and increasing penetration of the German discounters Aldi and Lidl. Argos has 4 billion of sales, but has struggled to grow in recent years, with operating profits of 83 million in 2016, lower than the 94 million earned in 2012.

Its main competitor is Amazon, a formidable online operator. The City remains sceptical of Sainsbury in general, and of this deal in particular, as can be seen from Sainsburys modest valuation and the fact that only 1/3rd of analysts covering the stock have buy recommendations.

However the short term voting of the stock market could prove premature. The deal actually looks very interesting from two distinct perspectives; financial and strategic. Financially, Sainsbury paid 1.1 billion for Home Retail. Even allowing for the costs of integrating Argos, the potential extra profit should make this a very financially appealing deal.

The strategic logic for buying Argos is more important than the short term financial implications. Bringing Argos counters and collection points into Sainsbury will bring extra customers into stores, and make use of some surplus space that Sainsbury has identified. Most importantly, Argos brings leading logistical networks capable of same day delivery to home or stores, and large item delivery. These networks are extremely difficult and expensive to create and need significant scale to operate effectively. Combined with Sainsburys growing online food delivery network, the business now has key strategic capabilities to deal with changing shopping habits in the future.

These three examples are all situations where the stock market has initially been sceptical of bold strategic moves. Whilst it is too early to judge any of them definitively, and the Sainsbury deal has only just been completed, there are good reasons why history could look back at each of them as important, positive developments for the businesses concerned. The stock market weighing machine may ultimately have a different opinion than the voting machine.

Disclaimer

The views contained herein are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of Morningstar. If you are interested in Morningstar featuring your content on our website, please email submissions to UKEditorial@morningstar.com
Most investors dream of backing a star fund manager in the making, benefiting from the early stage of their stellar performance. That is why the case for smaller funds, run by up-and-coming fund managers is often put forward.

However, theres also something to be said for experience. Although it is close to impossible for fund managers to sit at the top of their sectors 100% of the time, there are a handful of seasoned investors with solid track records through bull and bear markets.

Whats more, they have done this with billions under management, overcoming the potential constraints associated with size.

Jonathan Miller, Morningstars director of UK manager research, says these fund managers are a rare breed  so it is important to consider a number of factors before investing in larger funds. Firstly, what can you gauge about the group behind the fund?

Ask yourself; is it an asset gatherer or are they more investor-led? Do they have a history of controlling the fund size when it gets big? he suggests.

It is also important to understand what differentiates the fund manager from competitors. This could be their stock selection in a certain area or getting asset allocation calls right. If they start to deviate from this, Miller advises to steer clear.

He also warns against investing in the most popular fund at a certain time, following three or five years of strong performance. This is because you may be coming to the story late, just in time for a period of underperformance.

A managers longer term track record, beyond five years, is important because it tells you how they have performed in different market cycles.

Here are five supertanker funds that have generated excellent returns through the years.

Bronze rated M&G Optimal Income certainly fits this category, with 15.4 billion in assets. Manager Richard Woolnough has steered the fund through challenging markets and a two-year period which saw 10 billion of outflows.

Fortunately, performance has remained strong. Since January 2007, M&G Optimal Income has returned 200.4%, ahead of 160% by the average manager in the Investment Associations Strategic Bond sector.

Richard Woolnough is very forward-thinking in terms of asset allocation. When a fund is big, you have got to get the macro right because that asset allocation is a key driver of performance, explained Nathan Sweeney, a senior investment manager at Architas.

Simon Evan-Cook, manager of the Premier Multi-Asset Growth & Income fund, highlights the 9.3 billion Stewart Investors Asia Pacific Leaders.

This is probably one the best examples of a process that has carried on and the style has suited it, he said.

David Gait, manager of the Silver rated fund continues to adopt a high conviction approach. For example, the top two holdings - Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation and Unicharm - make up 10.4% of the portfolio.

Over 10 years, the fund has returned 318%. This compares to 238% by the Asia Pacific Excluding Japan sector average. The fund is soft-closed to new investors.

Neil Woodford has a track record of generating healthy returns whilst managing billions. When he left Invesco Perpetual in October 2013, he was responsible for 26 billion across the Invesco Perpetual Income and High Income funds, alongside the Edinburgh investment trust. Over 10 years, he returned 224% with the Income fund.

Since setting up his eponymous boutique, Silver rated CF Woodford Equity Income fund has attracted 9.6 billion in assets. Since launch in June 2014, it has returned 28.2% versus 16.3% by the UK Equity Income sector average. The fund has a historic yield of 3.4%.

Woodford takes a high conviction approach allocating to  or often avoiding  sectors, so it is important to understand how this can affect performance in different market conditions, Sweeney points out. For example, one-year performance has been hit by a zero weighting to oil and gas.

This is one of Sweeneys favoured funds. At 2.8 billion in size, Silver rated JOHCM UK Equity Income is currently soft-closed to new investors.

Sweeney notes the fund has performed well through a combination of stock selection and macro calls, under managers Clive Beagles and James Lowen.

Over the past 10 years, the fund has returned 214.6%, which compares to 117% by the UK Equity Income sector average.

Although it hasnt been plain sailing the whole time for this 6.4 billion fund, Miller notes that investors patience will have paid off over the longer term.

The Silver rated fund is managed by Stuart Rhodes. Following a period of underperformance between 2014 and 2015, the fund bounced back last year with a 40% return. This compares to 23% by the sector average.

Since launch in July 2008, the fund is up 262.7%, ahead of the 225.7% by the average fund in the Global Equity Income sector.

Miller notes that investors may well have piled into the fund during its early period of outperformance and sold when performance slipped. However, patience is crucial. Those who sold out will have missed the impressive bounce back.
Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive.

To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.

Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
Brokers met with opposition politicians with the hopes of eventually having the recent mortgage rules tweaked.Three brokers met with Conservative Finance Critic Gerard Deltell and Conservative Whip Gordon Brown to explain just how far-reaching and impactful the recent mortgage rules might be.Our goal was to bring attention to the opposition the impact the changes were having. It was just to say hey is there anything being done? Carla Gervais, a member of the Verico network who, along with Corinna Smith Gatcke of Verico and Faye Walsh of Dominion Lending Centres met with the politicians, told MortgageBrokerNews.ca. Were hoping tweaks will be made to the past changes.The meeting lasted about an hour, with the three brokers offering expert commentary from Verico economist Michael Campbell and Mortgage Professionals Canada.The purpose of the meeting was to have the government representatives present the feedback to the House of Commons.Instead, they have promised to bring it to the attention of the Finance Committee and request a study be done on the economic impact of the changes as well as the unintended consequences of them.Should the committee refuse, the opposition will bring the issue up to the House.The meeting attendees will now provide the politicians with a brief by February 1.The following are the issues broached in the meeting; Impact for First-time home buyers to get into the housing market and affordability Impact of a housing slowdown when it is the top industry in 7 of 10 provinces Impact on small communities Impact on DND transfers Increased costs for refinances with a lack of competition in a relative risk free portfolio
By all accounts, the Toronto markets exceptional performance remains the main contributor of strength to the national housing sector, but a local real estate professional is more cautious of where these continuous increases in demand and home prices will lead to.A noteworthy example of this outsized growth is a three-bedroom semi-detached home on Palmerston Ave., which got listed on the market for $1.375 million earlier this week. The property was purchased in December 2014 for just $851,750fully over half a million dollars less than its current price, and representing a sharp 62 per cent appreciation in just 2 short years.Realosophy president and broker John Pasalis noted that the listed value of the Palmerston home would have purchased a larger and more spacious house as recently as last summer.If this is getting $1.4 million what does that mean for anyone who wants to buy in this neighbourhood? Pasalis mused in a Toronto Star report. When you see appreciations of 30 per cent a year it generally doesnt end well. Thats a concerning thing.And at the rate its going, Torontos price growth might not grind to a halt in the foreseeable future.My instinct is that Torontos going to keep going like this until theres some outside policy decision, Pasalis stated.One policy intervention that has proven effective in another hot market was the 15 per cent tax slapped by the B.C. government on foreign buyers in mid-2016. Since then, Vancouver price growth has seen a significant cooling down from its prior rate of over 20 per cent a year.However, such a measure in Ontario would only have a limited impact at present, considering that less than 10 per cent of real estate investors in Toronto are foreign nationals.The numbers are still in the mid single-digits from what we can tell. The foreign demand we have is more from immigration, people that are choosing to raise their families in Toronto, Re/MAX Hallmark Realty managing partner Gurinder Sandhu said.Theres political certainty, theres economic certainty and, when you look at all the uncertainty around the world, all of a sudden Toronto becomes that much more in demand.
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 68F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
Posse saddles up to help children Russell Libby describes his golden palomino horse, Sonny, as the calmest, sweetest guy and his best friend for nearly two decades. Sonny is the reason Libby and his wife, Laura,...

Kris Kringle to support library programs The Moorpark Friends of the Library is offering the second annual Letter from Santa fundraiser. For a $25 donation to the Moorpark Friends of the Library, children will receive a...

Oakmont welcomes new executive director Ronda Wilkin, certified dementia practitioner and a senior living executive, joins Oakmont of Moorpark with more than three decades of experience in health and human services. During her 15 years...
"What is love?" was a question posed to one of the daters on the first episode of the new season of 'First Dates Ireland', and we think Haddaway said it best because last night's episode was like getting shot in the heart.

It was an emotional rollercoaster for everyone as we went from joyfully watching young couple Paddy and Laura successfully go on their first date ever to suffering the heartbreak of watching Richard be crushed by Timmie's rejection.

In case you missed it, this was the moment it all went south.

Horrific. Stung by Richard's pain, Twitter was where everyone went to vent and seek solace.

First Dates Ireland hitting me right in the feels tonight #FirstDatesIRL YA?  Mich (@Michdoyle_) January 19, 2017

#FirstDatesIRL is breaking my heart! Poor Richard! What a crappy thing to happen to such a lovely man Y  Emer Hough (@emerhough) January 19, 2017

Timmie on #FirstDatesIRL what a GOWL! He broke that poor guys heart #bawling  Sean (@SeanCarroll191) January 19, 2017

My aA?went out to Richard. Any decent person would have spoken first if not interested ffs! Not cool Timmie. #FirstDatesIRL  Elaine Sears (@illier) January 19, 2017

#FirstDatesIRL richard was such a nice person. Better off without that Timmie diva.  Ann Marie Kennedy (@ceolgra) January 19, 2017

To the gentleman who came out at 39 and didn't have a role model...YOU are the role model! #FirstDatesIRL  Ian Fahey (@ian_fahey94) January 19, 2017

Verdict of the night? That Timmie lad was an out and out prick, left Richard pay, made him talk first then crushed him #FirstDatesIRL  johnny osullivan (@putlock) January 19, 2017

The unspoken rule is that if you aren't interested, you go first. Dickish move #FirstDatesIRL  dave keane (@DavidmKeane) January 19, 2017

I'm sorry if you know you're going to turn someone down for a second date why would you make them go first? It's so mean Y #FirstDatesIRL  lyd (@cherlookit) January 19, 2017

Why timmie did you let Richard speak first when you knew you didn't want to see him again! So mean! #FirstDatesIRL  Roisin (@RoRoSuperRo) January 19, 2017

If you don't feel a spark you speak first you conceited Dick #FirstDatesIRL pic.twitter.com/BjI7JP9TGM  Sue Jordan YA?' (@ItsCherrySue) January 19, 2017

The unwritten rule of #FirstDatesIRL if you're not interested, you don't say to the other person 'you go first' to set them up for a fall Y  Tom Flynn (@tomflynnphoto) January 19, 2017

That was so so cruel, WHY make him answer first if you're going to reject him!? Horrible #FirstDatesIRL  rachel (@racheleustace) January 19, 2017

I'd be crying too if I'd paid for that eejit's dinner. #FirstDatesIRL  Susan Jackson (@susanejackson) January 19, 2017

When you've just had dinner but you're still hungry. #FirstDatesIRL pic.twitter.com/JlF8SV3g4b  RTE 2FM (@RTE2fm) January 19, 2017

The lesson from tonight's #FirstDatesIRL is that really hot folk can have quiet dating lives And Portuguese lads lob the gob unexpectedly  Will Leahy (@willleahy) January 19, 2017

Those wondering why there was no update on the last couple Antonio successfully swallowed her whole at the 2nd attempt R.I.P #FirstDatesIRL  Philip Wade (@philipwade85) January 19, 2017

Fuck dating seems hard. Celibacy is way forward #FirstDatesIRL  Niall Breslin (@nbrez) January 19, 2017

It wasn't all heartbreak though, as RTE gave us an update about Paddy and Lauren after the show aired.

UPDATE! Paddy took Lauren on a 2nd date once Lauren was feeling better. He guessed she'd enjoy the zoo! He was right...again #FirstDatesIRL pic.twitter.com/Dtq3ZZovdw  RTE2 (@RTE2) January 19, 2017

And at least we have Maitre D' Mateo, the one constant shining light in all this heartache, to keep us going.
Steven Mnuchin, President-elect Donald Trump s pick for Treasury secretary, is being criticized by people who lost their homes due to mortgage foreclosures handled by OneWest, the bank he formerly headed.The former homeowners spoke at Capitol Hill at a forum led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, urging for his nomination to be rejected, according to a USA Today report.Christina Clifford of Whitter, Calif., told lawmakers that she paid her condominiums mortgage on time from 2001 to 2008, when her acupuncture business closed during the recession. She sought lower monthly payments, as advised by the bank, but OneWest denied her claims. The bank said it had never received the proper paperwork  despite the fact that she had enclosed the documents with checks the bank cashed, USA Today reported."It felt as if they saw an opportunity to make a good chunk of money and they took it," Clifford said. "I think it's very frightening prospect to have a man like that in the seat of power at the U.S. Treasury.Warren was sharply critical of Mnuchins leadership of OneWest."Unfortunately, judging by Mr. Mnuchin's tenure as the head of OneWest Bank, there is significant evidence that he has no interest in working for the benefit of all Americans," Warren said.Barney Keller, spokesman for Mnuchin, said Mnuchin "looks forward to answering questions from the members of the Senate Finance Committee.

Elizabeth Warren, Democrats take on Trumps Treasury pick
Free e-newsletter

Our daily newsletter is FREE and keeps you up to date with the world of mortgage. Please complete the form below and click on SIGN UP to receive daily e-newsletters from Mortgage Professional.
MOSC Beethoven concert and weekend events

You could feasibly thank the Midland Odessa Symphony and Chorale for your entire weekend. With four events, you could be set as soon as lunchtime today.

The West Texas Winds will perform a free concert at 11:45 a.m. at ClayDesta Plaza. Grab some lunch, take a seat and enjoy the MOSC ensemble mini-concert under the plaza skylights.

Symphony Young Professionals host Backstage Brews and Beethoven, a sneak-peek mixer where guests can partake in a beer tasting and watch as the orchestra rehearse for the concert. Its set for 6 p.m. Friday.

For those with reservations, Symphony Soundbites kicks off 6 p.m. Saturday with dinner and a guest talk by maestro Gary Lewis and guest musician John Gunther at 6 p.m.

This all culminates with a night of Beethoven with the MOSC performing his Symphony No. 4. Theyve also thrown in some Mozart and Sauter for good measure. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Wagner Noel, 1310 N. Farm-to-Market 1788. Tickets are $9-$30 and available at MOSC.org.

Pajama Storytime and movie at Centennial branch

Children can wear their pajamas for a party at the Midland County Public Library Centennial branch, which will host this special storytime event. Guests can dress comfortable in their jammies and take their favorite blanket and or stuffed animal. The library will screen the film The Secret Life of Pets and serve free popcorn. All minors must be accompanied by an adult, but that just means the more the merrier.

4:30 p.m. Friday at 2503 Loop 250 N. Free.

Unplugged opens at Permian Playhouse

The Permian Playhouse kicks off its theater season with this show by its junior Kaleidoscope Company. In Laurie Bryants play, one small town goes without technology for a month to win a large prize. The residents learn just how easy or not that can be.

7:30 p.m. Friday at Permian Playhouse, 310 W. 42nd St., Odessa. The play runs through Jan. 28. $10. Permianplayhouse.com.

Intocable at La Hacienda Event Center

The energy will be high for this Tejano/Norteno band. The band is coming off a big year. Its album Highway debuted at No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Albums chart last summer and as the Top Latin Albums charts. In 2016, the band became the third-highest group with No. 1s on the regional chart behind Vicente Fernandez and Los Tigres del Norte.

With the single Quierema (Amame), the band has the most top-20 singles as well. With that kind of momentum, they are likely to bring an extra bounce in their musical step this weekend. Los Bravos de Ojinaga and La Reunion Nortena open.

8 p.m. Saturday at La Hacienda Event Center, 12610 State Highway 191. $45. Haciendamidland.com.

The Oak Ridge Boys and the Gatlin Brothers at Wagner Noel

Classic country headlines the night as the Oak Ridge Boys return for their annual stop in Midland. This time, they are bringing along Rudy and Steve Gatlin as their special guests. The group has been part of the Wagner Noel family since the venues opening in 2013 and this makes their fifth consecutive show there.

7:30 p.m. Monday at 1310 N. FM 1788. $40-$65. wagnernoel.com.
A 56-year-old Midland man was sentenced to 25 years in prison Thursday after being found guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child, according to Midland County District Attorney Laura Nodolf.

A Midland County jury in the 238th District Court heard evidence Tuesday and Wednesday and found Alan Kim Otwell guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual assault. Otwell then reached an agreement with the District Attorney's Office that he would serve 25 years in prison and waive his right to appeal, according to the DAs office press release. The court sentenced the defendant late Thursday morning; he will begin serving his sentence immediately.
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.
"After I left the last treatment center, I knew what made me happy," Selena explains, "and it was a connection." But on the advice of her doctor, Selena's planned philanthropic visit to Kenya to see the schools she was helping to raise
New members inducted into Institute of ...
Sonora, CA  A Sonora woman who was called in to aid her grandparents after surgery, ended up helping herself to their cash and now heads to prison.

31-year-old Shawna Jourdan was sentenced to 7 years and 4 months in prison after being convicted of felony charges for dissuading a witness, theft from an elder, six counts of identity theft and failing to appear in court.

Elder Abuse Prosecutor for Tuolumne County Eric Hovatter states that Jourdan moved to her grandparents in 2015 to help with her grandmothers recovery from surgery. They gave her their debit card to buy needed items. However, during each purchase she got large amounts of cash back, which she pocketed. In a month period she rang up $21,000 from her grandparents account.

Originally, Jourdan faced up to 28 years prison, but she struck a deal with prosecutors for the lesser sentence. It was based on her prior minimal criminal history and the fact that this is a strike conviction, meaning she will face a harsher sentence if she were to commit another felony crime.
Barry H Hillman, HLN President View Photos

Sonora, CA  Tuolumne County based non-profit HealthLitNow is one of 12 finalists for the State of Californias Innovation Challenge.

In 2012 Governor Jerry Brown issued an Executive Order to create the Lets Get Healthy California Task Force with the goal of making the state the healthiest in the nation by 2022. Nearly 100 submissions were received for the Innovation Challenge 2.0 put on by the California Department of Public Health and the 12 finalists will be showcased at a state conference in Sacramento on February 27.

HealthLitNows specific program recognized is its Exploratorium of Healthcare Careers which helps improve the health literacy of seventh through ninth grade students in the county. The students gain a better understanding of the healthcare industry, as well as potential job opportunities.

California Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley says, The Innovation Challenge is a great opportunity for us to learn from and connect with our community partners. I hope these unique innovations can be duplicated in other communities and can help make California the healthiest state in the nation.

HealthLitNow President Barry Hillman says it is an honor to be named as a finalist, especially given that nearly 100 applications were submitted. HealthLitNow is the only finalist in the region, as half are based in Los Angeles County. The others are in Sacramento County, San Diego County, San Bernardino County, Marin County and San Francisco County.

HealthLitNow was launched in 2014 out of the Tuolumne County Innovation Lab.
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.
It's a device that's revolutionizing how local law enforcement investigate crash scenes, and Florida Highway Patrol is only the second state agency in the country to use it.

FHP using a new 3-D laser scanner to investigate crash scenes

Device collects raw data using laser and light

It allows FHP to cut down time investigating crash scenes

We are glad weve been given the opportunity to try this out," said Sgt. Kim Montes, with Florida Highway Patrol. Its going to be a benefit to motorists here in Central Florida, as we dont have to keep the roads shutdown as long as we normally do.

RIEGLs 3-D laser scanner, or LiDAR, spins 360 degrees; it collects raw data up to 500,000 points per second, using laser and light. Forty-five seconds later, it's done, ready to be moved to another spot within a crash scene.

Investigators can then move through the frozen scene with accuracy of three to five millimeters, picking up points the naked eye cant see  from where skid marks begin to blood.

In October, Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX), Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and MetroPlan Orlando decided to collaborate, purchasing the device for FHP to use as part of a pilot program. Since then, Sgt. Montes said her agency has used RIEGL 25-30 times on fatal crash scene investigations, slashing the time investigators need to spend collecting data nearly in half.

Tonite on @MyNews13: Closer look @ how @FhpOrlando is using @RIEGL 3-D laser scanner to speed up crash scene investigations, open rds faster pic.twitter.com/p9J2L3w6ZU  Julie Gargotta (@juliegargotta) January 19, 2017

That equates to less time roadways are shutdown, causing backups and other potential crashes. It also means less toll revenue loss for CFX.

Its helping us do our job. Our homicide investigators are thrilled to have this piece of equipment to use in their investigation," she said. There is only one. Its a very expensive piece of equipment.

The scanner costs around $100,000, the cost split in thirds by CFX, FDOT and MetroPlan. The lone scanner is stored at Troop D headquarters along Semoran Boulevard in Orlando, traveling all around Central Florida as it's needed for investigations.

The data really provides so much more than they would traditionally be able to collect, because of time constraints on the scene," said Shannon Trammell, who does sales and operations for RIEGL.

In recent months, Trammell trained FHP troopers on how to use the scanner.

They got outside with the equipment. We were like, 'Now it's your turn to do it, were not helping,'" she said with a smile.

Made in Austria, and made popular by law enforcement in Europe, the scanner is mostly used for crash investigations. According to RIEGL, it's also frequently used for construction work, surveying and mapping everything from pipelines to powerlines.

It makes me feel like were contributing to something greater than just selling a product," said Trammell, who added she was excited the scanner would aid local law enforcement.

Sgt. Montes said its a game changer for FHP, as it cuts a typical on-scene investigation taking 3-5 hours nearly in half.

Its helping us do our job. Our homicide investigators are thrilled to have this piece of equipment to use in their investigation," Montes said.

Money has been approved to buy a second unit by a competing manufacturer, Leica, for Orlando Police Department, according to Keith DeLuca with HNTB, an engineering services provider agency for CFX. OPD will likely start using it in March.

DeLuca said that the pilot program will end in July and at that time, they'll make recommendations regarding which system works better, and if additional devices could be purchased.
At least 217 were arrested, and six officers had minor injuries, as protesters and law enforcement clashed during inaugural festivities in the nation's capital Friday.



The 217 people were accused of rioting during inauguration protests, Washington's police chief said.

Violent protests broke out just hours after President Donald Trump was sworn in at the Capitol. Police clad in black helmets, carrying clear shields and batons, lined the parade route to try to control the protesters, in downtown Washington on 12th Street.

Tear gas was deployed. Elsewhere, a protester could be seen putting a tear gas canister in a toppled-over trash can.

Officials told CNN that the protests are localized.

"This is a small disturbance that we have in the small part of the city," Interim Chief Peter Newsham told CNN.

At one point, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed windows of downtown businesses including a Starbucks, Bank of America and McDonald's as they denounced capitalism and Trump. Police said the demonstrators damaged vehicles, destroyed property and set small fires while armed with crowbars and hammers. According to police, "numerous" people were charged with rioting.

Some protesters also tried to interrupt Trump's swearing-in.

Spirited demonstrations unfolded at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read, "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now," ''Let Freedom Ring," ''Free Palestine."

MPD Statement on Acts of Vandalism earlier today: pic.twitter.com/uWQS2OT7SI  DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) January 20, 2017

Most Trump supporters walking to the inauguration past Union Station ignored protesters outside the train station, but not Doug Rahm, who engaged in a lengthy and sometimes profane yelling match with them.

"Get a job," said Rahm, a Bikers for Trump member from Philadelphia. "Stop crying, snowflakes, Trump won."

Outside the International Spy Museum, protesters in Russian hats ridiculed Trump's praise of President Vladimir Putin, marching with signs calling Trump "Putin's Puppet" and "Kremlin employee of the month."

Elsewhere, from San Francisco, where protesters blocked train tracks, to Denver, where they marched through the streets, many showed their displeasure with the incoming administration. Indeed, around the world, protesters marched through Tokyo, and across Londons iconic Tower Bridge, people strung a gigantic banner.

British protesters tell Trump from Tower Bridge: 'Build bridges not walls' https://t.co/Z0nIPyiWIe pic.twitter.com/Rvg0J2DEjM  Reuters Top News (@Reuters) January 20, 2017

Closer to home, student activists camped out for several hours in the student union at the University of Central Florida, silently protesting.

(We're here) to basically say were not going to be intimidated. Were not going to let Trumps ideologies of hate and bigotry shine on UCFs campus," said Michael Hodapp with UCF College Democrats.

Holding up signs that read statements such as, "Misogny is not normal," Hodapp said that the group protested because they do not agree with the new presidents policies and cabinet picks.

At Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando, a protest organized by the Orlando Workers League, a socialist group, was planned for 6-9 p.m. Friday.



&amp;nbsp;

Protests started on eve of inauguration

On the eve of Trump's inauguration, protesters clashed with police in Washington D.C. Police used pepper spray on protesters demonstrating outside of a pro-Trump event.

Protesters could be heard shouting profanities at people who entered the event. They also set off smoke devices in the middle of the crowd.

Meanwhile, in New York City, the "We Stand United" rally was more peaceful. Celebrities and the general public rallied outside of the Trump International Hotel in New York City.

Mayor Bill De Blasio, Reverend Al Sharpton, Robert DeNiro and Michael Moore spoke at the rally and took jabs at Trump.

"He's  he has the thinnest skin, the thinnest skin of any bully I've ever met, Moore said.

Organizers said they wanted to send a message to Trump and Congress that they stand united for equality, civil rights, the environment and civil liberties.

"We will not stop. We will not go back. You can hack a message and tell the world that the election is over, but the movement has just begun, said Civil Rights Leader Sharpton.

Other cities nationwide are holding similar rallies on Friday.

We've got to be vigilant. We've got to plan. We've got to prepare, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said.

Officials are also preparing for what could be one of the biggest protests ever on Saturday, which is the Womens March on Washington.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Wang Guoqin gets Creation Award of the Year at the Third Spring Festival Poetry Gala in Beijing on Jan 13. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/China Daily]

Many Chinese poets say that this year will be special for them, a view echoed by Wang Guoqin, a poet and critic who said "poetry is the light ahead in the dark tunnel of my life", after receiving the Creation Award of the Year at the Third Spring Festival Poetry Gala for his book Talking About Poetry From Zhishi Studio.

The gala in Beijing organized over Jan 13-14 by the Qu Yuan Society of China brought together poetry enthusiasts from Beijing, Xi'an, Nanjing, Kaifeng and Shenyang.

Coincidentally, just over 100 years ago, Chinese poetry underwent a drastic change with poetry collections being published in new styles, free in rhythm and lines, com-pared with traditional verses often preset with tones, rhymes and the numbers of characters.

But questions still abound a century later.

At an event in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, on Jan 8 in the presence of guests from the province, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, Qiu Shuhong, whose latest honor is the World Chinese Poetry Award's gold prize, proposed that 2017 be made the Year of Chinese Poetry to celebrate the birth of "new poems".

"Let's ask ourselves: How is new Chinese poetry faring? What is it like today? Where is it heading?"

Some answers can be found in Wang's book, said the honorary president of the Poetry Institute of China, Zheng Bonong, at a Beijing forum the same day.

"The beauty of traditional poetry can't be ignored even in times full of uproar for money and pleasure," he told the forum marking the institute's 30th anniversary, which discussed Wang's book.

Yet the "sophistry" of traditional poems is keeping many young people away.

"Creation is a trend," says Li Baoguo from the institute, adding that "it is sourced from a whole generation".

Wang himself started a new style that combines ancient tones and rhythm with freer lines in 1987. The style, which acquired the name duci in 1990, has followers in many cities.

Wang, deputy publisher of Henan Literature and Arts Press, also established a society for poetry creation and organized four biennial contests. The award winners of the contests over the eight years include Ma Kai, vice-premier and a former state councilor, Lin Feng from Hong Kong and Chen Tingyou from Beijing.

Commenting on the events, Ding Guocheng, deputy editor-in-chief of Chinese Poetry magazine, says: "Such explorations in poetry writing and theory are very valuable.

"The history of poetry is about creation in form and style, and our era has to locate its own pulse for historical distinction that can with-stand the test of time."

Contact the writers through wenjia@chinadaily.com.cn
Strategically-placed nation bears witness to the huge potential of trade route linking Asian and European nations

Azerbaijan, a modern south Caucasus country on the Caspian Sea - rich in oil and natural resources - is a key link in the Silk Road Economic Belt, the Chinese vision for a route connecting Asia, Europe and the rest of the world.

China has huge development projects in this region, involving billions of dollars of investment and trade.

In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, signifying multidirectional cooperation between Eastern and Western countries throughout Central Asia and the Caucasus region.

In March 2015, China declared its Visions and Actions on Jointly Building the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road.

Azerbaijan is the pivotal point of the China-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor. The country has a long history of welcoming merchants from land and sea due to its proximity to Asia and Europe since the time of the ancient Silk Road. If we look back, the first merchant route between the Roman Empire and Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) China emerged in the first century BC in Azerbaijan.

The Silk Road Economic Belt comprises 6 corridors which connect five central Asian countries, Iran and the Persian Gulf region, Transcaucasia, Turkey and the Saudi Arabian peninsula.

Traditionally, trade between China and West Asia takes place mostly via maritime routes, and the China-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor is a land-based substitute for these traditional routes.

The shortest way to approach West Asia from China is via Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was the safest of the old routes in the 5th century BC. Barda (about 250 km west of Baku) was the old capital of Azerbaijan, a trading hub on the ancient Silk Road.

China is the manufacturer of the world's fastest and most luxurious trains and a rail track is already operational from Aktau and Turkmenbashi, transporting goods to the New Baku International Sea Trade Port and then westward to Turkey and Europe.

In August 2015, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route was launched; the Nomad Express, carrying goods from China's Shihezi, traveled through the port of Aktau and arrived at Baku.

The North-South Transport Corridor is under construction and will connect Iran and Russia, providing road access from Indian Ocean countries to Europe and Central Asia.

China has been promoting the interconnection routes to the west of the Caspian Sea. Both China and Azerbaijan have strong links in the construction of railway tracks for transporting oil and gas. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is a major initiative of Azerbaijan to supply oil and gas to Georgia and countries in Europe. The Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum Pipeline is another project supplying oil and gas to satisfy the demands of Europe.

Azerbaijan has signed agreements for multiple trans-Caspian international transport routes with Kazakhstan and Georgia, and even initiated the Trans Caspian transport consortium to operate the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route from China to Europe.

Azerbaijan is a major supporter of the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia project, initiated by the EU and considered the backbone of the Silk Road.

History is being repeated and the Chinese vision of One Belt One Road is getting an extraordinary response from countries along the ancient route.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway has been dubbed the Iron Silk Road.

China has initiated the Silk Road Fund, for which Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will allocate enormous sums for the construction of these international corridors.

According to estimates, the trans-Caspian route could be transporting around 300,000-400,000 containers by 2020, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars.

Relations between China and Azerbaijan are growing fast and Azerbaijan has great potential to become a valuable partner in the Silk Road project - one of the great initiatives of the 21th century.

Malik Ayub Sumbal is the Editor in Chief of Eurasia Media Network and The Caspian Times.

(China Daily European Weekly 01/20/2017 page13)
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Almost everybody who rides BART knows it, and those who dont  the unsuspecting tourists, the occasional or self-absorbed commuters  quickly find out.

When on BART escalators, stand to the right, walk to the left. And woe unto those who get in the way.

Those people generally get yelled at, said Chris McMullen, a 35-year-old marketing director who commutes to San Francisco from Berkeley. Thats how you learn the rules.

Now BART, with anecdotal evidence from China, suggests the practice may not be healthy for the systems escalators.

The message emerged after BARTs newest director, Bevan Dufty of San Francisco, tweeted last week about the possibility of posting signs, or painting footprints or directions telling escalator riders where to stand and where to walk.

BART tweeted back that unevenly distributed weight speeds the deterioration of the mechanical staircases. BART officials said theyve known that all along, but cited a Wall Street Journal story from days earlier that said Chinese subways are questioning the practice of walkers on one side and people who stand on the other. The story said that in one of Chinas systems, 95 percent of the escalators had suffered wear and tear because of the uneven weight distributions.

MORE: BART looks at ads, fees to cover shortfall before bond kicks in

Some BART riders responded to BARTs explanatory tweets with the anger and snark that have become a hallmark of Twitter discourse, accusing the system of blaming the stand-walk custom for its decades of escalator breakdowns.

@sfbart @bevandufty Like your escalators you are full of crap BART, tweeted Cody Fitzgerald, referring to the transit agencys problems with homeless people using downtown San Francisco escalators for restrooms.

Dufty, a former San Francisco supervisor and homelessness czar, is accustomed to controversy. But he was a bit surprised by the backlash from BART riders.

My Twitter feed has been explosive, he said. Its like I had a fire hose pointed at me: This is a conspiracy, Dont believe it, Its a lie.

Others jumped to the conclusion that BART was preparing to ban walking on escalators.

Not so, said BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost, who added that the idea was never considered anywhere other than on social media.

We are not, in any way, blaming our passengers or asking that they dont walk on escalators, she said.

The leading causes of escalator breakdowns, she said, are not the uneven loads but weather, debris  including human waste  and vandalism. With a history of mechanical troubles with its escalators, BART is getting ready to replace about 20 of them, a dozen to be paid for with the $3.5 billion bond measure voters approved in November.

Also coming soon are canopies over Market Street station entrances. Theyre designed to protect the new escalators from the elements and prevent people from using them as bedrooms and bathrooms after BART has closed for the night.

BART riders, interviewed after they poured off the elevators at Powell Street Station Wednesday evening, said making escalator riders stand still would never work.

People like their freedom to go, said Diana Hilton, 59, a kindergarten teacher from Oakland. Its an individual thing. They dont like to be confined.

Akshat Srivastava, a design intern who lives in Fremont, said the informal system of clearing the way for walkers doesnt create any problems behaviorally. He predicted that ending it would.

I cannot imagine that causing anything but chaos, he said.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
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
Bay Area residents turned out by the thousands on Friday to carry signs, shout slogans and link arms in defiance over Donald Trump being inaugurated president.

Loud, sometimes angry and often rain-soaked, protesters marched through San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland, among other places. They gathered on college campuses, walked out of elementary school classrooms and chained themselves together to block train tracks.

Marches continued after dark in San Francisco and Oakland, but there was no replay of the late-night troubles that followed Trumps election in November.

Though spirited and occasionally tense, the local protests were free of the violence seen in the nations capital, where more than 200 people were arrested amid scattered scenes of brick-throwing and window-smashing.

Nor were the crowds as large as theyre likely to be at the Womens March scheduled for Saturday afternoon in San Francisco  one of several taking place across the region and the nation. The main Womens March will be in Washington, D.C., and is expected to attract more than 200,000 people.

Fridays demonstrations kicked off in Oakland at 7 a.m., more than two hours before Trump took the oath of office in Washington. But the early action was in San Francisco, where shouts of Not my president and Down with Trump echoed through the Financial District as a crowd snaked down the sidewalks and streets, blocking buses and backing up traffic on side streets.

Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go, the foes of the new president shouted as, 3,000 miles to the east, Trump was delivering his inaugural address.

On the UC Berkeley campus, as hundreds rallied against the nomination of the countrys 45th president, a group of Republican students manned a table beside a Trump campaign sign on Sproul Plaza. As everyone around them protested, the groups president, Jose Marine Diaz, blasted Hail to the Chief."

We understand that there are those who are discontented with the inauguration, and we want to be here to help alleviate any concerns or irrational fears people might have, Diaz said.

Protesters fears were written on their signs and banners, which read, Latino power and Women power and vowed resistance to Trump if he strips away civil rights.

On the Golden Gate Bridges east sidewalk, about 3,000 people, many dressed in purple, gathered to link arms in what organizers called a performance piece. Lisa Sato-Wheaton said Bridge Together Golden Gate was an opportunity for people to share their feelings, whatever they are  love, hate or fear.

Elsewhere in the city, on Market Street, demonstrators shut down traffic as a band played music outside the doors of Uber, where some employees were blocked from entering and stood outside, frustrated. Protesters targeted Uber because its CEO, Travis Kalanick, is an economic adviser to Trump.

Protesters also blocked the Caltrain tracks at 16th and Mississippi streets for about three hours, chaining themselves together and bringing all train traffic to a halt. Police arrested at least 11 people there.

As of Friday evening, a total of 29 demonstrators had been arrested during protests throughout the city, San Francisco police said.

Many students in the region, meanwhile, marked inauguration day by taking to the streets. About 300 students walked out of public schools in San Francisco to join the protests, according to the district officials.

Its a little crazy, but its good for America, said one student, 11-year-old Sofia Collins. She is a sixth-grader at Francisco Middle School where, she said, kids recently told friends of hers to go back to Mexico.

I thought it probably happened because of Trump and the energy hes sending out, Sofia said. Thats why we need this. We cant just sit around and do nothing.

Shortly before noon in Oakland, a group of middle school students gathered at Frank Ogawa Plaza outside City Hall for a planned rally and march through downtown.

Were the generation that can end racism and sexism, said eighth-grader Trinity Wallace, 14, of Park Day School. But we have to cooperate and be kind to each other in order to stop Donald Trump.

In East Oakland, about 400 students at Bridges Academy elementary school marched 12 blocks down International Boulevard as Trump was telling the nation that mothers and children (are) trapped in poverty in our inner cities (and our) education system ... leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge.

Third-grade teacher Mia Kleven said Trumps words didnt ring true.

We have a really beautiful, vibrant community in Oakland, she said. Students are proud. Students are overcoming challenges with grace.

At UC Berkeley, about 1,500 gathered for a noon anti-Trump rally on Sproul Plaza.

Im scared, said Cal freshman Kevin Hernandez, 18, who came from Mexico to the United States at the age of 2. He said he registered with immigration authorities under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the future of which is uncertain.

I dont know whats going to happen, Hernandez said. They got all our contact information. Its scary that Donald Trump has all that information. Deportation  thats one of my biggest fears.

The biggest protest Friday evening was in San Francisco, where people gathered at United Nations Plaza at 5 p.m. Despite the dismal weather, spirits were high as several hundred people listened to speeches and then set off on a march through the Castro and Mission districts.

Participants included John Bournique, 40, an attorney who said it was his first protest since 2002. A number of causes had piqued his interests over the years since, he said, but not enough to hit the streets.

The difference now? Theres this thing, the Constitution, the lawyer said, adding that Trump, in his mind, pays it little mind.

In Oakland, around 200 protesters gathered at dusk at Frank Ogawa Plaza, near City Hall. Close by were large numbers of police officers in riot gear, determined to prevent the destruction and looting that marred protests there in the aftermath of Trumps victory.

The group marched and chanted slogans aimed both at Trump and police before the protest dwindled in size, breaking up around 8 p.m. There were three arrests.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Hamed Aleaziz, Michael Cabanatuan, John King, Steve Rubenstein, Cynthia Dizikes, Sarah Ravani, Jill Tucker and Kimberly Veklerov contributed to this report.

Jenna Lyons, Peter Fimrite, Nanette Asimov and Michael Bodley are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com, pfimrite@sfchronicle.com, nasimov@sfchronicle.com, mbodley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno @pfimrite @NanetteAsimov @michael_bodley
The Permian Basin added just more than a dozen rigs this week, with Reeves County leading the way in the nations most active basin.

The Permian finished the week with 281 rigs after 13 were added, according to Baker Hughes. Reeves County was up four rigs to 44 and had the highest count among counties in the Delaware subbasin.

Midland County followed with 36 rigs, up one, to lead in the Midland subbasin.

Railroad Commission District 8, which includes the core counties of the Permian, marked 193 rigs this week, up seven. In other areas with activity in the Permian, District 7B rose one to five, District 7C jumped three to 27, District 8A notched another rig for a total of 18, and New Mexico grew to 37 rigs after one was added.

The areas of Texas with Permian activity totaled 244, up 12. Seventy-one percent of the rigs in the state were in the Permian.

Terry was the lone county to cease all activity this week.

Counties with double-digit counts were Reeves; Midland; Lea, New Mexico (24); Loving (24); Martin (21); Howard (17); Upton (14); Reagan (12); Andrews (11) and Culberson (11).

The Permian had 199 rigs a year ago.

TEXAS & NEW MEXICO

Texas count rose to 342 after 17 rigs were added this week. The Eagle Ford in South Texas is the states second-most active basin at 49 rigs, up two. The Haynesville in East Texas added one rig for a total of 29. The Granite Wash and Barnett held steady at nine and two, respectively.

There was one rig offshore, and there werent any listed in inland waters.

New Mexico rose slightly to 38 rigs after one was added. Its lone rig not in the Permian was located southeast of Farmington along U.S. Highway 550.

Last year at this time, there were 294 rigs in Texas and 30 in New Mexico.

UNITED STATES

Led by an increase in oil rigs, the U.S. added 35 rigs this week to 694. Oil rigs rose 29 to 551, while natural gas rigs were up six to 142. The lone miscellaneous rig was unchanged.

There were 670 rigs on land, up 36; zero in inland waters, unchanged; and 24 offshore, down one. The only offshore rig not in the Gulf of Mexico was searching for natural gas in Alaskas Cook Inlet.

By drilling trajectory, there were 559 horizontal rigs, up 22; 75 vertical rigs, up 12; and 60 directional rigs, up one.

The U.S. had 637 rigs a year ago this week.

MOST ACTIVE

Basins with the highest rig counts were the Permian, the Eagle Ford, the Cana Woodford (46), the Marcellus (40) and the Williston (35).

States with the most activity were Texas, Oklahoma (91), Louisiana (51), New Mexico and North Dakota (35).

CANADA AND NORTH AMERICA

Canadas rig count rose 27 to 342, led mostly by new oil rigs. The nation had 193 oil rigs, up 23; 149 natural gas rigs, up five; and the lone miscellaneous rig went offline. Canada had 250 rigs a year ago.

The total number of rigs in the North America region rose 62 to 1,036. At this time last year, there were 887 rigs in the Permian.

Like Trevor on Facebook and follow him on Twitter at @HowdyHawes.







***

The following are county-by-county Permian Basin rig counts for the week ending Jan. 20, with changes in parentheses.

DISTRICT 7B

Fisher2 (+1)

Nolan2

Stonewall1

Total5 (+1)

DISTRICT 7C

Irion1

Reagan12

Upton14 (+3)

Total27 (+3)

DISTRICT 8

Andrews11 (+3)

Culberson11 (+1)

Ector5

Glasscock8 (-1)

Howard17 (+1)

Loving24 (-3)

Martin21 (+1)

Midland36 (+1)

Pecos7 (+1)

Reeves44 (+4)

Ward3 (-2)

Winkler6 (-1)

Total193 (+7)

DISTRICT 8A

Borden1

Cochran1

Dawson5 (+1)

Gaines3

Scurry5

Terry0 (-1)

Yoakum4 (+1)

Total19 (+1)

NEW MEXICO

Eddy13 (+1)

Lea24

Total37 (+1)
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

When a nationally known artist wanted to put a face to the concept of dignity, he turned to a San Antonio woman.

Maribel Valdez Gonzalezs portrait is now on a poster that can be carried by marchers or affixed to walls nationwide.

Street artist and activist Shepard Fairey based the poster on a photograph of Gonzalez by San Antonio-based photographer Arlene Mejorado.

San Antonio is representing on a national level right now with this art, Mejorado said via email.

Created in response to divisive rhetoric surrounding the presidential election, the image is part of the We the People Campaign by the Amplifier Foundation. The visual media organization that funds collaborations between grassroots movements and artists.

The organization teamed up with Fairey, who is best known for his stenciled Barack Obama Hope poster, Colombian American muralist Jessica Sabogal and Los Angeles artist Ernesto Yerena to produce artwork to reject the hate, fear, and open racism that were normalized during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to the Amplifier website.

A Kickstarter campaign raised money to take out full-page ads with the images in the Washington Post in anticipation of Inauguration Day so that people across the capitol and across the country will be able to carry them into the streets, hang them in windows, or paste them on walls, according to the campaign statement.

The crowdsourcing effort raised more than $1.3 million.

The piece by Fairey based on Mejorados photograph is one of three images he created using the same red, beige and blue palette he used in his Obama design. It is a portrait of a young Latina woman with a red flower in her hair. She is wearing a Mexican eagle T-shirt. The text below reads We the People Defend Dignity. The other two are of a Muslim woman and an African-American woman.

On Thursday, Mejorado, who is in Los Angeles for the International Womens Day March and Rally on Saturday, posted a photograph of herself signing prints with Fairey on social media. In the post she wrote that she was told Obama had called to praise the campaign and request prints for his collection.

Being one of the photographers and creators behind this campaign is important because women of color need to take the mic and take up space unapologetically, she said. We need to be involved, especially when our faces are being used to inspire and move people.

Our stories and struggle have the power to move a whole nation, and the collaborative piece released by the Amplifier Foundation by Shepard Fairey and I called Defend Dignity is proof that we have a lot of pull right now as mujeres, as women.

Gonzalez, 26, is an educator and first generation Mexican-American.

Her photo is part of a series of portraits I have taken of community members that I believe do progressive and revolutionary work through the arts, education, research, and more, Mejorado said. (She) is a passionate middle school teacher in an underserved San Antonio school. I watch her go above and beyond for her students.

Gonzalez said she is proud to be one of the faces of the campaign.

I feel truly blessed to be part of a movement that is rooted in unity and dignity for all people regardless of background. I believe the intention behind this campaign is to highlight the goodness and love humanity has for each other after a tumultuous election season, she said via email.

How does it feel to be one of the faces of the campaign? I feel humbled and honored that I was chosen. As a mom-to-be, I am excited to be part of a community of driven, hopeful, and courageous leaders who demonstrate the beauty and resiliency of our Latinx/a/o indigenous community to our future generation. We are in this together.

The images can be downloaded for free at theamplifierfoundation.org.

lsilva@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

In many ways, Riverdale, televisions updated take on Archie, Betty, Veronica and the rest of the comic book gang many of us grew up with, is a nostalgic trip down memory lane  only this lane is quite a bit darker, full of shadows, shivery secrets and illicit love.

Blonde ponytailed Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), the girl-next-door whos sweet on ginger-haired Archie Andrews, is a wound-tight bundle of nerves who pops Adderall.

Once-wealthy vixen Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) departs New York for Riverdale with her mom after her dads crooked financial dealings leave their family in tatters.

Gone is the Miss Grundy of the schoolmarm bun and prairie attire. In her place is Ms. Grundy (Sarah Habel), still a teacher, but younger, hotter and involved in a forbidden romance with Archie.

Why, even a teenage corpse pops up before too long, turning the high school drama, which debuts at 8 p.m. Thursday, into a sizzling murder mystery.

No wonder the hour is being compared to David Lynchs Twin Peaks. Like that drama, Riverdale is set in an idyllic small town that simmers with danger beneath its wholesome malt shop facade.

Making the comparison all the more viable is the casting of Peaks staple Madchen Amick as Alice Cooper, Bettys overbearing mom.

In fact, Riverdale executive producer Sarah Schechter said another Lynch movie, Blue Velvet, has been a kind of reference point for her and series creator Robert Aguirre-Sacasa, whos also chief creative officer of Archie Comics.

I think being a teenager, it is the loss of your childhood, and with that, I think, this small town having sort of darkness underneath, its just such a natural fit with what people are experiencing and feeling, Schechter said at a recent press session.

Certainly, Roberto and I always talked about the opening of Blue Velvet and that sort of green, green grass and white picket fence, and then theres a severed ear with insects crawling all over it. That, to me, felt like childhood.

Not only is this adaptation edgier than the comics we remember, but the casting is modernly diverse. Members of girl band Josie and the Pussycats, for instance, are African American here, and Bettys gossipy bestie, Kevin (Casey Cott) is gay and very open about discussing his sex life.

The parents also have more to do. Luke Perry (Beverly Hills, 90210) feels the role of Archies dad isnt just a godsend but highly relevant: (Hes) a single parent to a son, and thats a real hard thing to do. There are a lot of them out there in the real world. I think about that as I play this character.

Amick, wholl reprise her role of Shelly Johnson in Showtimes upcoming Twin Peaks, said she loves playing Bettys twisted mom: Alice Cooper is probably one of the funnest characters Ive ever gotten to play.

At the heart of Riverdale, however, is the comforting familiarity of the characters, who are essentially the same boys and girls we loved from the comic books.

We can kind of go anywhere right now. I think weve shown over the last number of years all the walls are broken down at Archie, said Jon Goldwater, the CEO and publisher of Archie Comics. But one of the great things about the show is that the integrity of the characters has maintained. That hasnt changed.

Betty, played perfectly by Reinhart  a fresh-faced actress reminiscent of the young Laura Linney  still gets good grades, is dependable and sweet, longs to be a cheerleader and is hopelessly in love with Archie.

Veronica is still the cooler sophisticate with the kind of femme fatale looks that make girls envy and boys melt, including Archie.

Archie (handsome New Zealand actor KJ Apa), too, is basically the same ol Arch, an adorably clueless kid with a good heart who may mess up occasionally but still strives to do the right thing.

Looks-wise, however, he has an advantage over the comic book protagonist. A summer laboring for his dad has rewarded him with killer abs.

Archies pal Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody) is surlier and more emo here than I remember, but he remains the consummate outsider, who, like in the comic, is always short on cash. Hes also a budding writer and narrator of the drama, providing keen insights to the viewer from an observers point of view.

Keeping the quartet sane amid the constant bullying at school  mostly by coarse jock Reggie Mantle (Ross Butler) and Riverdale Highs rich, vicious queen bee, Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch)  is friendship, which manages to survive even with so many hurdles thrown their way.

Reinhart said shes happy the writers didnt turn her relationship with Veronica into a bitter competition for Archie.

At the end of the day, these girls are so much better off as friends and as allies, she said. We dont see that that often. We dont see two girls that are actually just friends.

Theres a scene early on that embodies such camaraderie. Jughead, Archie, Veronica and Betty share a booth at Pops Chocklit Shoppe. They laugh, joke, sip milkshakes, munch on onion rings and manage to close out the world that seems to threaten them daily.

Yes, Riverdales eerie mystery may be its juiciest hook. But whats truly engaging about the series are times like the one above  the warmth and support of close pals, something that never grows old.

Jeanne Jakles column appears Wednesdays and Sundays in mySA.

jjakle@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

On Jan. 30, KENS 5 viewers will meet their new "Great Day SA" host and San Antonio native Cristina Blackwell.

Blackwell will replace lively on-air talent Bridget Smith who announced her resignation after two decades with KENS 5 in December 2016.

Prior to her new gig, Blackwell was Univision's weather reporter and host and producer of 'Despierta America.'

RELATED: 'Great Day' host Bridget Smith resigns after 20 years at KENS

Blackwell's TV career started in 2007 in the KENS 5 studios as an intern for the show she will now host. Blackwell graduated from UTSA in 2009 with a degree in communications. Executive Producer Luis Munoz hired Blackwell as an intern a decade ago and also picked her for her new position.

"It's surreal, and it's amazing, to have had her intern for me and now being able to give her the opportunity to host the show," he said. "You can't write a better story, it's full circle."

Blackwell told mySA.com the homecoming "feels so good."

"My hope is to make an impact on people's minds and hearts  to connect people to ideas and stories so that they can live better lives," she added.

RELATED: S.A. anchorwoman Evy Ramos said she was fired from WOAI-TV

Munoz said Smith, who also worked with Blackwell during her internship, has spoken to her and passed on some pearls of wisdom.

"Each of the past GDSA hosts has brought their own unique flavor and style to the show and I expect Cristina to do the same. She's poised intelligent, but still has that fun side, and I think the audience will relate to her," Munoz said. "I honestly could not have asked for a better person to fill the host position, she's going to be a big part of the next evolution of GDSA."

Get more familiar with San Antonio TV's newest face in the gallery above.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye
Former British minister looks back on an eventful career - including the handover of Hong Kong

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, UK foreign secretary in the run-up to the Hong Kong handover 20 years ago this year, says he was going to choose a title for his autobiography that might have chimed with Chinese notions of longevity and respect for the elderly.

"My first draft title for the book, which my publishers were amused but not particularly impressed by, was My Early Life: The First 70 Years, which a Chinese audience would have appreciated."

"We are told the lifespan is going to be a lot more than it would have been once upon a time but this was seen as slightly frivolous."

Sir Malcolm Rifkind says leaving EU makes it more difficult for the Chinese to make decisions to invest in UK. Nick J.B. Moore / For China Daily

The title eventually chosen was Power and Pragmatism, concepts that perhaps best sum up the career of the respected Scottish politician who served as a cabinet minister under former prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major for 18 continuous years, a feat (shared with three of his ministerial colleagues) not achieved since the 1820s.

Rifkind, who was speaking in the lounge of the Intercontinental London Park Lane Hotel in Mayfair, says that pragmatic politicians differ from conviction politicians in that they don't feel guilty adapting their positions to circumstances.

"The pragmatist is much more relaxed about it. It doesn't mean the pragmatist has no convictions but if you are dealing with a problem and your previous conceptual or philosophical preference does not add up, it is OK to ask, what else would work?"

In the book- full of dry observations and witty anecdotes-he recounts the negotiations leading up to the handover of Hong Kong back to China on June 30, 1997. He was foreign secretary up until a month before, when the Conservatives suffered a landslide defeat at the hand of incoming Labour prime minister Tony Blair and he himself lost his Edinburgh Pentlands seat in Parliament, which he had held for 23 years.

He held his first meeting with Chinese foreign minister Qian Qichen in London in 1995 and when he visited Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland the following January he was given the nickname in the local press of "Li Wenjun", meaning "a cultured gentleman".

"Much of the hard work had already been done by Margaret Thatcher and Sir Geoffrey Howe (the former foreign secretary who had negotiated the 1984 Joint Declaration that paved the way for the handover). So I was just dealing with a number of unresolved issues, or new issues that had arisen. It was not too difficult," he says.

"Because we were approaching the moment of truth, obviously within Hong Kong itself there was increased nervousness about what the changeover would mean."

Rifkind makes the point that Beijing resuming control of Hong Kong was an unprecedented event.

"It was a unique problem which required a unique solutions so it is fair to say that Hong Kong remains governed by a different system to the rest of China," he says.

"The fundamental commitment to two systems in one country has been honored, in the sense you know."

The book charts his career from an up-and-coming Scottish advocate to being elected as a Member of Parliament when he was only in his late 20s.

Although gifted with an uncanny ability-honed in debates at university-to speak without notes, he is slightly bemused by his reputation as an intellectual, which he modestly says belies his actual academic achievements at school.

His first cabinet appointment came under Mrs Thatcher when he was made secretary of state for Scotland in 1986.

He believes Scottish public opinion remains firmly against independence and that, as a result, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will not trigger a second referendum, despite her rhetoric.

"Mrs Sturgeon is a very clever lady and she knows if she had one, she would almost certainly lose it."

Rifkind says he is not surprised that China has emerged as such a powerful economy over the past 40 years.

"It was always inevitable that would happen. You could not have a country the size of China with such a huge population, as well as its historical and cultural identity going back 2,000 years, where that was not the case," he says.

"China should always have been a great power. It should always have been the largest or second largest economy in the world."

He believes former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's reform and opening up agenda in the late 1970s proved the catalyst. "Chinese societies that have had experience of capitalism have been brilliantly successful. The economic reforms in China, starting with Deng Xiaoping, turned China into a capitalist system, albeit with communist characteristics."

One of the UK's foreign policy shifts in recent years was the heralding of a new "golden era" of relations with China, culminating in Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to London and Manchester in 2015. Some have suggested that new Prime Minister Theresa May is less willing than her predecessor David Cameron to fully embrace the world's second largest economy.

The new government, however, did finally give the go-ahead to Chinese investment in Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in the west of England, despite calling in the decision for review.

"If Mrs May's government had ended up rejecting Hinkley Point, that would have represented a sea change. That would have been fundamental - but she didn't," he says.

"There were a number of safeguards that were insisted upon but Chinese investment in the UK economy, and in particular its nuclear industry, is continuing. So to that degree there is continuity."

One of the major questions is whether the UK's referendum decision in June to leave the European Union will make it a less attractive place to invest.

Rifkind, who supported the UK remaining in the EU, says the country's uncertain status makes it more difficult for the Chinese and others to make investment decisions.

"Clearly any major companies from other parts of the world, who have a European market with a headquarters in the UK, ask themselves "what does this mean for us?"

He, however, believes the UK will prove itself to be resilient in the end.

"If you only have 65 million people and you are the 5th or 6th largest economy in the world, that is an enormous economic achievement. That strength didn't begin when we joined the EU and it doesn't disappear because we have left it."

Rifkind had to resign his seat before the 2015 General Election, having been caught up in a sting by the Channel 4 Dispatches program, where he was secretly filmed discussing a potential board position for a fictitious East European company.

Suggestions there was a conflict of interest were later dismissed as groundless by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

The veteran politician, who at the time of this interview was about to address a conference on the Middle East, said he felt it was the right time to set the record straight on many aspects of his life by writing his autobiography.

"I'd always sort of assumed that in the dim and distant future I would write a book of this kind and it was about a year ago that I gradually had to come to terms with the fact that, as I was approaching 70, the dim and distant future had arrived."

andrewmoody@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 01/20/2017 page32)
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The election aftermath has opened a huge debate in the fashion world: Will they or will they not embrace the new first family?

According to the New York Times, Diane von Furstenberg, chairwoman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton, recently sent a letter to the more than 500 members of the council urging them to consider, "How can we help on the eve of this new era?"

"Embrace diversity," she offered as a solution. "Be open-minded, be generous and have compassion,"

But not everyone is on board with her feel-good mantra. Sophie Theallet, a French designer and self-described "immigrant" to New York, was the first CFDA member to publicly state that she would not dress Melania Trump. She made the declaration in an open letter on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and urged other designers to join her. The Times reports Melania Trump has not been connected with any of Theallet's looks.

As of yet, no other designer has officially joined Theallet's bandwagon.

The day after Theallet's declaration, the hugely popular Fashionista website posted an article: "How we plan covering (or not covering) Melania Trump's fashion choices."

"We plan on having no part in normalizing the Trump family, particularly when it comes to cataloging the first lady's fashion choices," it wrote. "As individuals, we don't want to contribute to humanizing or making light of an administration that poses such serious threats to women, minorities, immigrants and more, and that has so many other troubling implications that we can't ignore  but that we also can't talk about in sufficient depth, because this is first and foremost a site about fashion and beauty. We won't go so far as to say we'll never write about what Mrs. Trump is wearing, but we're going to reserve it for strictly newsworthy occasions."

The site said newsworthy occasions could be the famed Met Gala, state dinners, galas, etc.

It should be noted the Trumps will be the most connected to the fashion industry of any incoming president in American history, according to the Washington Post. Donald Trump has ties; Ivanka Trump sells clothes, shoes and fine jewelry; Melania has her own lines of jewelry and skin care products. Even Ivana Trump has hawked perfume, jewelry, and clothing on various home shopping networks.

It's still too early to know how this will unfold, but it'll be interesting.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Jackson Hole, named one of the worlds best ski areas by SKI magazine and ski gurus, offers heart-pounding adventures and exhilarating views year-round between the jagged, cloud-piercing Teton Mountain range and gently rolling Gros Ventre range.

The ski scene is better than ever. Teton Villages new Sweetwater gondola was built between the Bridger Gondola and Teewinot chairlift. Family-owned Jackson Hole Mountain Resort transformed its Casper Bowl area into intermediate-friendly terrain and introduced technology to speed up getting on the slopes. Freshly expanded Jackson Hole Airport, where a terrific new bucking bronco sculpture greets visitors, makes it easy and quick to get to your destination.

Jackson Hole valley towns offer more fun than ever off the slopes, too.

More Information If you go For more information: visitjacksonhole.com See More Collapse

For epic views of the Tetons and one of the worlds deepest alpine lakes, hike or drive the paved road up Signal Mountain. Early-morning, Snake Rivers Oxbow Bend magically mirrors the Tetons and Mount Moran. Other prime sunrise/sunset spots: Bridger-Teton National Forests Curtis Canyon overlook, and Shadow Mountain in Grand Teton National Parks Gros Ventre area.

Teton Villages Wildflower Trail winds up from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to the top of Bridger Gondola. In Jackson, a 1.8-mile trail up Snow King, elevation 8,000 feet, offers breathtaking views of the vast valley and various mountain ridges. Even with several switchbacks, its a workout.

Cyclists thread between hikers on 42 miles of Jackson Hole Pathways that connect valley towns, the national park and national forest. From the trail passing the National Elk Refuge, look for these spiked-antler titans. In Jackson and at the underpass near the National Museum of Wildlife Art, unique public artworks depict native animals and landscapes.

Spend a day in Grand Teton National Park, a dreamscape of glacier-carved snow-capped peaks. Jackson Hole Eco Tour Adventures offers driving and hiking expeditions. Sightings include moose, elk, bison and Mormon Row, a site dating to the 1890s. Its home to the oft-photographed Moulton Barn.

Elevated dining

Cheeseburgers no longer cut it in this paradise. Theyve been crowded out by creative tastes, thanks to the well-traveled populace and chefs whove come from big cities across the country to feed them.

Michelle McCormick, a graphic designer who relocated to the old-meets-new West town of Jackson after her first visit, met me at Cafe Genevieve, a Southern-inspired comfort food hotspot based in a log cabin. Michelle had a Benedict spiked with regional flavors. I swapped eggs for avocado and added a beet salad and locally roasted Snake River coffee.

Chefs here make the most of the regions short growing season, preserving foods inventively for use year-round. Flavorful root vegetables are prepared in so many ways that I had them at every meal.

After tucking in at the Rusty Parrot Lodge  a place to soak in a hot tub or sit by firepits on a deck overlooking the mountains  I plopped down by the huge river-rock fireplace at award-winning Wild Sage. A softball-sized pumpkin muffin offset the health benefits of the sweet pepper-spinach-sweet potato breakfast casserole.

Newer farm-to-table restaurants also serve delicious fare. Creative chefs Michael Lishchynsky (The Handle Bar), Clark Myers (Gather) and Rene Stein (The Rose) moved from big cities, knowing theyd be greeted by open arms and open mouths of adventurous diners.

The Handle Bar at ski-in/ski-out Four Seasons Resort in Teton Village has a rocking apres-ski scene. The slope-side gastropubs menu includes elk-chili nachos, veggies turned into guilty pleasures and bar snacks like sriracha popcorn. Sip a potent Whisky Tango Foxtrot while gazing out floor-to-ceiling windows at the firepit-lined patio, gondolas and mountains.

In Jackson, Gathers Iron Chef winner composes tongue-teasers like Brussels sprouts with pepitas and cranberries, toasted red quinoa salad with beets, and gnocchi with tomatoes, basil, leek cream, crispy potato and smoked mushrooms. Finales at The Rose include an apple sorbet whipped with crabapple poached in chamomile. Persephone, known for baked goods, also serves delectable salads and tomato soup. These restaurants source from organic farms and Vertical Harvest, a new high-rise greenhouse that offers tours.

World-class art, music and shows

The National Museum of Wildlife Art is hard to spot; the rock-facade building blends into a slope on the edge of Jackson. The spacious interior is filled with wildlife sculptures large and small, regional landscapes and Native Americans portraits by contemporary artists and 1800s masters like Thomas Moran, whose paintings of nearby Yellowstone helped persuade Congress to establish the worlds first national park.

At The Center for the Arts wood-and-glass showplace, performances feature a full schedule of national and regional talents. Other live music venues include Pink Garter Theatre and historic Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, which pays homage to wild west saloons.

High and low, Jackson Holes abundance will rouse and relax you.

Robin Soslow, a travel and arts writer and photographer, can be reached at rsoslow@gmail.com.
Flotek donating $36,000 to food bank

Flotek, an oil and gas chemical solutions provider, is donating $36,000 to the West Texas Food Bank.

The donation is part of Floteks Make a Difference commitment. The company vowed to donate one percent of sales revenues from September sales to local food banks.

With the donation presented to the food bank on Thursday, up to 396,000 meals can be provided to children in the Midland-Odessa area who are experiencing food insecurity as a result of the numerous layoffs from the oil and gas downturn.

Encana donates to $37,500 to local firefighters

Encana Oil & Gas (USA) donated $37,500 to various volunteer fire departments in the Midland area last year.

Contributions were made to departments in Martin, Howard, Upton, Midland and Glasscock counties. In addition, the company contributed to the Permian Basin Firemans Fund, a local foundation that provides training for volunteer fire departments in fighting wildfires, according to a press release from the company.

First Presbyterian announces free guitar concert

Acclaimed guitarist Doyle Dykes will perform a free concert at First Presbyterian Church. The national recording artist performs a mix of music that includes, jazz, inspirational and country. Doyles music has also been heard on NPR, at the Grand Ole Opry and he was awarded the International Country Gospel Music Associations Instrumentalist of the Year twice in 2006 and 2014.

The concert will be held in the chapel at FBC at 6 p.m. Jan. 29. For more information, email Gregory Pysh at gpysh@fpcmid.org.

Downtown Mardi Gras event to benefit MAAS

Midland City Council approved a permit on Jan. 10 for a four-day Mardi Gras event Feb. 25-28 by Mode Communications. The event will be held at the First Capital Bank and One Wall Plaza parking lots in downtown.

The event will also be a benefit for Midland Area AIDS Services.

Mardi Gras will feature dining events, a parade and a king and queen but proceeds from the celebration will go toward MAAS operations.

Tickets will go on sale Feb. 1. For more information about the event, visit doyourcity.us/mardigras.






DANBURY - Greater Danburys congressional delegation weighed in on Fridays inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty - all Democrats - issued prepared statements after the Friday morning event in Washington, D.C.

The peaceful transition of power today is the hallmark of our democracy. This bedrock principle is greater than any single person who holds the office of president, Blumenthal said. A dedication to such core Constitutional principles commits me to continue to fight for what is right and necessary in the days ahead.

I congratulate President Trump on his inauguration as our nations 45th President, and I give thanks to President Obama for his extraordinary eight years at the helm of our great nation, Murphy said. I truly wish President Trump well, and I pledge to work with him if he chooses to chart a path that brings the country together and helps the people of Connecticut.

President Trump promised today that he would work to find common solutions to the problems facing our nation. For the good of the country, the world, and the people of Connecticuts Fifth District, I sincerely hope his actions as President reflect that commitment, Esty said. Let today be the day that President Trump swears off Twitter feuds and personal attacks and starts reaching out to Americans from all walks of life in search of common ground.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BRIDGEPORT  Jackie is an undocumented city resident from Mexico.

She has been living in the United States for 18 years and has four children, all attending Bridgeport public schools.

And as of Friday, Republican Donald Trump, whose campaign was fueled in part by anti-immigrant sentiments, is their president.

Were all afraid, Jackie, who declined to give her full name, said Thursday through a translator Thursday.

She and around 45 other immigrants and their allies rallied in Bridgeport the day before Trumps inauguration and called on city leaders to take a stand against the incoming administration.

They held signs that read, Bridgeport: A City for All and Keep Families Together.

Our future president is saying he wants to separate families, said Barbara Lopez, one of the organizers. Theyre invested in Bridgeport. They work here and live here.

Specifically, the group called on Mayor Joe Ganim  a Democrat whose decision to attend Trumps swearing-in has angered some of the minority leaders who supported him  and the City Council to declare Bridgeport a so-called sanctuary city.

While the specifics have yet to be worked out, the concept is for elected and law enforcement officials not to cooperate with any of the more extreme proposals Trump has floated, such as mass deportations.

Councilman Jose Casco, who was present at Thursdays rally wearing a T-shirt that read, ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Out of CT, is preparing the specific language for a council vote.

Models elsewhere

Casco said as Connecticuts largest city, Bridgeport must send a message that it will protect immigrants and refugees.

He is also continuing to push for Bridgeport to issue municipal identity cards. Already offered in New Haven, Hartford and out-of-state urban centers like New York City and San Francisco, the cards help immigrants without legal status in various ways, from dealing with local police to opening bank accounts.

In 2015 then-Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch agreed to move ahead with funding the IDs. But as of last November, the Ganim administration had brought the project to a halt for a possible re-design, to ensure the cards could not be used to commit voter fraud.

We definitely want to do them, Ganim spokesman Av Harris, who is in Washington with his boss, said by phone. We just want to make sure theyre done right.

As for labeling Bridgeport a sanctuary city, Harris said in many ways it already is.

Immigrants and undocumented immigrants in Bridgeport are members of our community, and there is nothing to fear from the city or law enforcement, Harris said.

He emphasized that the city police department is not an arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

We do a good job of cooperating with federal agencies, but we are not ICE officers, Harris said.

So would a Ganim administration openly defy a Trump administration?

I dont think Im going to get into speculation, Harris said. Too many ifs there.

The push to formally designate Bridgeport a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants comes as municipalities already labeled as such prepare for the Trump era.

Trump connnections

On Thursday, New York states attorney general issued legal guidelines for sanctuary cities and towns in that state that might seek to rebuff a federal crackdown on undocumented immigrants.

In contrast, Ganim  who did business with Trump in the early 1990s  has struck a more conciliatory tone, saying he wants to try to work with the new president for the betterment of Bridgeport.

During Ganims first administration in the early 1990s, Trump, a New York City real estate mogul, sought to build a casino in Bridgeport.

My sense is, youve got a good man there, Ganim told Hearst Media back in November.

Prior to the inauguration, Ganim was participating in the weeklong U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington.

Harris noted that his boss supports a bipartisan statement by the U.S. Conference of Mayors calling for common-sense immigration reforms that include a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Harris said the mayors are not for mass deportations, adding, Thats a very unlikely outcome.

But back home, some Bridgeport residents see is Ganim cozying up to a new president they fear and loathe.

Among the signs displayed at Thursdays Bridgeport rally was an enlarged photo of Ganim and Trump from a casino-related press conference.

The words This is Bad Judgment were emblazoned on the photo.
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.

License for publishing multimedia online 0108263



Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349
State Rep. Dan Huberty said the 'A-F' accountability ratings released this month from the Texas Education Agency were a test-run that failed.

"The engine blew up," Huberty told a group of educators, parents and members of the community at an Humble Independent School District legislative committee meeting Thursday, Jan. 19.

The state's accountability ratings needed to be more detailed, Huberty said, because currently schools are simply told whether or not they met standard.

"How does that tell a parent how the school district is really doing?" Huberty asked.

The A-F rating system gives all Texas campuses and districts an overall letter grade, as well as a letter grade in five assessment areas: Domain I, Student Achievement; Domain II, Student Progress; Domain III, Closing Performance Gaps; Domain IV, Postsecondary Readiness; Domain V, Community and Student Engagement.

The main problem with the A-F ratings is the fourth domain, Huberty said, which measures elementary and middle school students by their attendance rate. The fourth domain is responsible for 35 percent of a district's overall letter grade.

Huberty, a former Humble ISD board president, pointed to results within the district.

"Bear Branch got a 'B'," Huberty said. "Humble elementary got an 'F' because of the demographics and the populations associated with those children. We recognize that that's a problem, so we're going to deal with that."

Deborah Rose Miller, a former Magnolia school district board member who recently relocated to Kingwood, pointed to the state's budget concerns.

The state comptroller announced at the beginning of the legislative session that anticipated revenue for the state this year is down 2.7 percent from two years ago when the last budget was approved. That means legislators are working with less than $105 billion in the general revenue fund.

Miller asked Huberty why the state hasn't considered placing a moratorium on changes to the accountability ratings while legislators sort out the budget. Each time the testing or ratings system is changed, school districts spend money providing resources for administrators to deal with the changes.

"Every two years we have to reinvent ourselves, and every four years it's throw the baby out with the bath water," Miller said. "There is a cost multiplied times the 1,200 school districts every time we tweak something to make everybody happy."

Huberty said the revenue from the federal government requires accountability standards. He emphasized he's working with Education Commissioner Mike Morath and others to tweak the A-F system.

"Morath is a good commissioner; he's a very techy guy," Huberty said. "We're going to land somewhere that I think makes sense, and we're going to collaborate with the school districts."

Huberty himself is working to change the way public schools are financed. It's difficult, he admitted, when the state is facing a budget crunch. The House and Senate budget proposals are $4 billion apart. The House's proposal is over the revenue estimate given by the comptroller, while the Senate's budget is under.

But Huberty pointed to the state's Economic Stabilization, or rainy day, Fund, which has $10.4 billion in and will have $11.9 billion in 2019 if it's left untouched. Also, he said, as of 2014-2015, school districts had another $29.6 billion in their fund balances, and $10.6 billion of that was undesignated.

"That's a lot of money that the school districts have set aside," Huberty said. "Is that the appropriate amount of money for the Economic Stabilization Fund? Is that the appropriate amount of money for school districts?"

Huberty is working with Guy Sconzo, executive director of the Fast Growth School Coalition and former Humble ISD superintendent, on several bills expected to better school financing. One would increase the Instructional Facilities Allotment, the amount of money the state pays districts that open up new campuses. Currently, the state pays $250 for every student for the first two years. If approved, the legislation Huberty plans to introduce will increase that allotment to $1,000.

"It comes nowhere near the actual cost the school district bears for opening that campus for every student that attends, so a very important step in the right direction, but heads up, we'll be back next session to increase that even further," Sconzo said.

Another bill Huberty said he'd introduce allows school districts to combine the maintenance and operations (M&O) tax rate with their interest and sinking (I&S) tax rate with voter approval, allowing school boards more flexibility if they have reached the state cap on one of the rates.

The state cap on the maintenance and operations side is $1.17, and the cap on the interest and sinking side is 50 cents, for a combined $1.67 cap.

The legislation, Sconzo said, would allow school districts to raise either tax rate, with voter approval, up to the $1.67 cap.

A third initiative the coalition is pushing would increase the amount of state funding for new construction for schools. The existing debt allotment picked 44 percent of the total school debt for the state of Texas in 2000-2001, Sconzo said.

"This year, the total state contribution is 7 percent," Sconzo said. "It's steadily declined."

Plus, he said, the TEA has requested $310 million less this legislative session.

"So that 7 percent state support is going to get even lower," Sconzo said. "That is wrong. That is absolutely wrong."

However, he said, the problem with the third initiative is that if Huberty were to introduce the bill, it would carry a fiscal note with it, and almost all bills with a fiscal note attached aren't going to get very far this session.

Thursday, Huberty also faced questions from the audience about charter schools. Listed among his school solutions was an item to "facilitate charter school growth through bonds and funding." Charter schools, he said, have the flexibility to get into inner cities and help children be successful, he said, pointing to Houston ISD, which he said has 35,000 students in charter schools.
Democracy. Freedom of speech. When George Whittington, eighth grade U.S. history teacher at Bullock Creek Middle School, saw an opportunity to teach his classes about those topics, he jumped at it. And the benefits were far beyond anything he imagined.

The educational journey began when Whittington received an email regarding the 2016 Electoral College Prediction Contest last fall, sponsored by the Michigan Council for History Education. The contest asked middle school and high school classes to predict the 2016 Electoral College results for the presidential vote in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

This was a chance to do something with the students, because we were already talking about the election, said Whittington, who has been at Bullock Creek for 16 years.

To prepare for the contest, Whittington began discussing individual states voting history, how polls work and how (polls) worked in different states.

We spent a few days where we really delved into it and created a map, he said.

The results were rewarding as the class took home first place. Pretty much every toss up state out there we got right, Whittington said. We missed the ones that everybody missed: Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. The grand prize was a trip to Lansing and the Capitol for two adults and eight students.

On Dec. 19, Whittington, student teacher Lauren Rabine, and students Seth Bradford, Anna Marie DeBolt, Kayla Giardina, Kaylee Monville, Ella Moses, Karlee Szafranski and twin brothers Austin and Zachary West, loaded into a van for their trip to the state Capitol and an opportunity to view the Electoral College process.

It was a once in a lifetime trip, Zachary West said. When were older, someone is going to ask us, Whats the Electoral College like? And we can tell them, The party of the president-elect gets to have 16 electors and they vote based on what they feel is right, which is mostly their partys candidate. Its not really government officials voting on it, but its the people of the party that vote.

The morning was spent touring the Capitol.

The history of the Capitol was educational, Szafranski said. The Rotunda was nice and I saw the way they put the glass of the 50 states in the ceiling of the Senate chambers.

After lunch they made their way up to the third floor and the balcony of the Senate chambers to observe the Electoral College process.

I got to see (Gov. Rick Snyder) and learned how the Electoral College worked, Monville said.

Not only did the students observe the Electoral College process, but they also received a real time lesson in the U.S. Constitution. During their time at the Capitol they found themselves in the midst of protesters who filled all floors of the Rotunda demonstrating against the election of Donald Trump as president.

The protesters were really rambunctious. They were stomping their feet. I thought they would be outside. I was surprised they were inside, Bradford said.

DeBolt was amazed at how many people chose to voice their opinion about Trump.

I didnt expect that many protesters to be there, she said.

The experience in Lansing will have long lasting effects.

It was a really cool to experience that, because it was history happening. Most people miss it. It would be cool to go back and learn more about it, Moses said.

Whittington faced one dilemma, how to choose just eight students out of so many? So, he developed an essay contest based on two questions, Why they wanted to go? And why they felt it was historically important?

I like politics so when I heard that we were able to go and we could write an essay to go, I jumped on it immediately. I researched what would happen at the Capitol and then I actually got to experience what it looked like in real life, Giardina said.

In an attempt to prevent bias from creeping into his decision, after collecting all the essays, Whittington didnt look at any of them. Instead he gave them to another staff member at BCMS to make a copy of each one, but without any names. I took about five teachers, including myself and we looked at the essays with no students names on them. Then we picked our top eight essays, Whittington said.

One of those eight, Austin West, summed up the groups feelings about the trip, I felt very lucky to get to go on such a cool trip. It was a really educational experience that I wont ever forget. Especially, the fact that so many people showed up to protest and to get their beliefs across. I thought the contest was challenging and (was excited) that a middle school could beat high schoolers.
Stamford EMS, the communitys award-winning nonprofit EMS provider, recognized 23 volunteers at a volunteer service appreciation dinner held at Zodys at Sterling in Stamford. SEMS Executive Director Patricia Squires and Volunteer Coordinator Captain Malcom Dean presented challenge coins to all volunteers in recognition of their service, as well as special awards to several exceptional volunteers.

AEMT Kim Persky of New Canaan was one of two to receive the Volunteer Service Commendation, in recognition of her exceptional commitment to the mission of SEMS.

The SEMS volunteer program is essential to servicing the 40 square miles of Stamford, as well as the town of Darien, and is a fundamental part of the SEMS organization. Built into the SEMS mission is the promise to provide volunteering as an important source of community contact and service, and to provide interested volunteers a place of training and development for entering the EMS profession.

For more, visit stamfordems.org or call 203-968-1118.

On the deans list

Curry College in Milton, Mass. is proud to announce that William Young, of New Canaan, has been named to the deans list for the fall 2016 semester.

To qualify for the deans list, students must earn a 3.30 grade-point average, have no incompletes, and have no grade lower than a C for the semester. Full-time students must carry 12 or more graded credits for the semester.

Western Connecticut State University in Danbury has named New Canaan native Edward Morley, whose major is media arts, to the deans list for fall 2016.

Three New Canaan natives were recently named to the deans list at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. for the fall 2016 semester: Julia Caitlin Hardy, Sarah Elizabeth Hardy and Nikolas Zarikos.

To achieve deans list status, a full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student must take at least 12 credit hours and earn a 3.6 quality-point average during the semester.

Steven G. Anuszkiewicz of New Canaan, a bachelor of science candidate majoring in paramedicine in the Lee College of CJ & Forensics has been named to the deans list for the fall semester at the University of New Haven.

The deans list honors undergraduate students who demonstrate excellence in their academic performance. Full-time undergraduate students who earn a grade-point average of 3.5 or better in any one semester will be appointed to the deans list for that semester.

Danielle P. Meyers, of New Canaan, who is majoring in psychology, was named to the fall 2016 deans list at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.

To qualify for the deans list, students must have completed 12 or more credits during a semester for letter grades with at least a 3.30 quality-point average.

Six New Canaan natives have been named to the deans list at the University of Vermont in Burlington: William Cuoco , Kane Curtin , Meaghan Lawrence , Charlotte Malling , Christina McLaughlin and Amanda Merjian .

To be named to the deans list, students must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or better and rank in the top 20 percent of their class in their respective college or school.

Overseeing the Glass House

The Glass House, built between 1949 and 1995 by architect Philip Johnson, has a new chief curator and creative director, who started Jan. 17.

Hilary Lewis has spent more than two decades focused on the work of Philip Johnson. As an architectural historian, curator and journalist she has researched, presented and written many materials on Johnson since her first collaboration with the architect in 1992. She spent over a decade working directly with Johnson on texts, exhibitions and a multiyear project of recording his memoirs.

Lewis received her training in architectural history and urban planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, where she also taught. Since that time, she has co-authored Philip Johnson: The Architect in His Own Words and The Architecture of Philip Johnson, the former receiving the 1995 AIA International Architecture Book Award. As an author, she has contributed to a variety of books on architecture and planning and has been a founding editor of four magazines on architecture and design. Overall, her work addresses the public aspects of architecture, preservation and design.

As a curator, Lewis developed the show and catalog Philip Johnson: Architecture + Art for the Johnson-designed Kreeger Museum. In 2007, she was named the Philip Johnson Scholar at the site. Until recently, Lewis served on the Glass Houses Advisory Council.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.theglasshouse.org.

In the world of business

Bankwell Financial Group has named Norwalk resident Willmar Acevedo assistant branch manager at two New Canaan branches where the community bank is based.

Acevedo previously was an assistant manager at Stamford-based First County Bank, where he worked more than nine years. A Greenwich native, Acevedo is a 2004 graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where he received a bachelors degree in psychology.

P2P accepting donations now

A full week earlier than anticipated, effective Jan. 17, the P2P Clothing Center in Darien is once again accepting donations of seasonally appropriate clothing, footwear and outerwear as well as small household items.

For information, call Aidan Wildes at 203-621-0685.

A new instructor

A new visual arts instructor has joined the Darien Arts Center.

Emily Evans, who is teaching cartooning, is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and draws and co-writes a monthly comic strip, Polly Tries. She has previously worked as a teaching assistant at the Bush-Holly House in Greenwich and the Silvermine Art Guild in New Canaan.

To register, visit darienarts.org or call 203-655-8683. The DAC is at 2 Renshaw Road, behind the Town Hall.
Lutheran schools across St. Louis and southern Illinois will be celebrating National Lutheran Schools Week next week. Many Edwardsville-area schools will be hosting special winter open house events in January and February to provide parents with an opportunity to learn more about the option of a Lutheran school education.

Participating schools in the area include Trinity Lutheran and Metro East Lutheran High School in Edwardsville, Good Shepherd Lutheran and Holy Cross Lutheran in Collinsville, Zion Lutheran in Bethalto and St. Paul's Lutheran in Troy.

According to a news release from the Lutheran Elementary School Association (LESA), more than 9,000 children attend Lutheran schools in St. Louis and southern Illinois making it the second largest private school system in the bi-state region. And while parents choose Lutheran schools for numerous reasons, such as strong test scores, small class sizes, dedicated teachers and a challenging curriculum, many families are also looking for something more: A learning environment that will help their children become caring, Christian citizens, the release notes.

Lutheran schools in the Metro East will begin National Lutheran Schools Week next week  Jan 22 through Jan. 29  with a special Lutheran Schools Winter Open House event Jan. 22.

Area Lutheran schools participating in an open house event at their school campus from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, include Good Shepherd in Collinsville and Trinity Lutheran in Edwardsville. Holy Cross in Collinsville will also host its open house Sunday but with hours from noon to 3 p.m.

Alternative open house events for area schools include St. Paul's Lutheran in Troy,;, which will host its open house from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Jan. 26 while both Bethalto's Zion Lutheran and Edwardsville's Metro East Lutheran High School will be having their open house events on Feb. 12.

MELHS' event will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and Zion's will be from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Lutheran schools serve children of all faiths and financial assistance is available to families who qualify.

LESA represents more than 31 Lutheran elementary and four high schools in the St. Louis area, including four National Blue Ribbon schools and three National Lutheran Exemplary Schools. For a detailed listing of all LESA area schools and open house dates, visit www.LESAstl.org

Parents interested in Lutheran education for their children are also encouraged to contact schools directly to arrange private tours or obtain enrollment information.
Anthony Soto wasn't sure he'd be able to experience the birth of his daughter, Mila, while deployed in Okinawa, Japan. But thanks to modern technology, Soto was able to watch the delivery over a Skype video chat. Seven-pound-five-ounce Mila was born at Baptist Hospital in Beaumont at 1:22 p.m. local time, while Soto was pulling an all-nighter watching from 15 time zones away.

Soto is stationed in California but deployed to Okinawa for six months and expects to return in May. His wife, Kellie, is from Mauriceville and came to stay with family while he's gone.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NEW CANAAN  With the election of Green Party registrar John Amarilios in November, a new dynamic, almost unique by Connecticut standards, has emerged in the Office of the Registrar.

According to the Office of the Connecticut Secretary of the State, New Canaan and Westbrook  a coastal town in Middlesex County with a population just under 7,000  are the only two municipalities in the state with three registrars. In both cases the third registrar is a result of one of the towns major parties failing to nominate a candidate for office.

When Amarilios saw there was no candidate for Republican registrar on the New Canaan ballot last fall, he felt compelled to act.

There are a great number of municipal positions throughout the state which basically go uncontested or unfilled. Its a terrible waste, and its basically not giving members of the public and other parties an opportunity to participate, said Amarilios, who was sworn in as a Green Party registrar on Jan. 3.

According to state statute, the top two vote-getters on the ballot for Office of Registrar are elected. In the absence of one major party candidate, third-party candidates, like Amarilios, are easily elected. Still, state law

requ ires each major party is represented in a municipalitys registrars office, necessitating a post-election caucus by the Republican Town Committee in New Canaan to appoint a third registrar.

The result can be a crowded Registrars Office.

Prior to the November election, Hartford, too, had employed a Working Families Party registrar since 2009, which was reportedly the cause of some internal strife in the roughly eight years the office housed three registrars.

As far as Im concerned, they tried to work diligently, said Hartfords newly elected Democratic registrar, Giselle Feliciano. She said, to her knowledge, the workload of the office was divided such that the third party registrar focused on registering young adult voters.

Theres always going to be opinions of how to do things. But I think at the end of the day, the Working Family registrar we had here gave it every effort, Feliciano said. Hartfords incumbent Republican registrar, Sheila Hall, did not return a request for comment.

In New Canaan, following the election, in a regular meeting the RTC elected Joan McLaughlin, who was sworn in on Jan. 6. She and Amarilios are now sharing the space with longtime Democratic Registrar George Cody and a part-time employee. There are only two working spaces in the office, though the registrars work on a rotating schedule Monday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Cody has put in a request for a $14,000 special appropriation, that will likely be decided on at the Board of Finances February meeting, for additional equipment, including a phone and desktop for Amarilios.

In the meantime, we will be sharing existing space and equipment, Cody said.

Tthe arrangement presents some minor occupational difficulties, as well.

Under state regulations, the job is one defined job and each registrar is treated equally. Each registrar is responsible when we submit official documents. They have to be signed by all registrars, which will now be three registrars, rather than two. It does create a technical problem, obviously, for us, Cody said. He said the hours of the office and its function are not expected to change.

According to Amarilios, the kind of increase in participation that having three registrars suggests is important.

I think our state would do much better if we had greater participation in all these things. This is basically a fluke the way this worked, but its consistent with that train of thought in trying to make sure more positions are filled, and at least theres a little discussion and debate on all of these positions, Amarilios said.

Still, adding a registrar comes at an additional cost to the town, and one that Cody said may be a two-year aberration. Because of state mandates, according to Cody, every registrar is required to undertake a two-year, eight-class certification program. The cost of each class is $200, for a total of $1,600 per registrar. That comes in addition to annual salary costs, which during Fiscal Year 2017 totaled $39,000 for the two active registrars at the time.

But even including the increase in salary, a preliminary Registrars budget discussed at a Jan. 5 meeting of the Town Council Finance and Government Committee was down more than 7 percent from the year prior, in part because of reduced election personnel and because poll workers are now compensated through payroll and do not come out of the Registrars budget.

As far as his working space goes, Amarilios is not bothered. He does, however, care that he is able to receive the required training.

Im not really too concerned about furnishings and things like that. What I am concerned about is training, Amarilos said. I hope there will not be an assumption that I shouldnt be trained fully, just because I may not be here after two years.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Just before 2 a.m. Thursday, Eric Rivera and his family awoke to a loud crash.

Rivera jumped out of bed and ran outside in the rain to see the garage doors of his home severely dented in, the bricks that had supported the garage strewn about the front yard, his and his wife's cars' front sides smashed and muddy tire tracks crisscrossing his front lawn.

Rivera's terrified 4-year-old daughter cried and his dog barked incessantly.

"It was chaos," Rivera said.

In the approximately two minutes it took for Rivera to run outside, the car and driver that had crashed into his home on Gleneagle Drive North near Texas 242 had already fled.

Rivera's next door neighbor, however, had witnessed the car leaving the scene and was able to write down the license plate number. The neighbor then drove around the neighborhood and located the car, which had major damage on the front and rear. He saw a Hispanic male with dark hair driving the vehicle.

UNDERCOVER: 9 arrested in Champions area prostitution sting

About half an hour later, deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office went to a house on the 1400 block of Ashland Drive, where the registered owner of the vehicle lived. Deputies learned that the owner of the car, identified as a Honda passenger car, had allegedly lent the vehicle to their 19-year-old son, Jose Gazca.

Deputies interviewed Gazca, who gave conflicting accounts of what had happened. He at one point said that he was driving and later changed his story to say the car had been stolen and he wasn't driving, according to MCSO public information officer Lt. Scott Spencer.

Gazca was charged with failure to stop and give information and false reporting to police, arrested and is being held at the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond. The bond was set high because Gazca has had numerous run-ins with the law, Spencer said. Deputies do not believe alcohol was a factor, but suspect Gazca was speeding.

Rivera hopes that what happened will serve as a cautionary tale for drivers that come through his neighborhood.

"This street is known for speeding," Rivera said, referring to Gleneagle Drive North. "I've seen enough crazy driving."

Rivera stood, surveying the damage to his home. His Nissan Altima, with two car seats in the back for his 2-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter, was smashed in on the front right side and pushed into the family's Saturn Vue SUV on the left. Rivera fears that the damage to the brick wall of the garage could cause problems with support.

He is hoping his insurance will cover the damages and was planning to have a contractor come out to the home Thursday.

"This could have been a whole different scenario," Rivera added. "We're talking 20 feet from by daughter's room  I'm thanking the Lord."
NEW CANAAN  Ten years after her death, longtime New Canaan resident Anita Houstons interest in international relations and support for the United Nations is still remembered.

She was well known for listening to Charlie Rose every night, said Pete Runnette, co-chairman of the New Canaan United Nations Committee. Houston was an active member of the committee. She couldnt get enough of discussion about issues and policy positions. She was a lot of fun. She was very outspoken, very interested and interesting.

For over 50 years, from the early days after the group was founded in 1952, until her death in 2007, her interest in global politics never faded, Runnette said, speaking after the 10th annual Anita Houston Memorial Lecture, which took place on Sunday at the New Canaan Library.

As Anita aged, we in the committee decided it would be a great salute to her memory to set up this lecture series, he said.

While with the committee, Houston helped raise money to remove land mines from a town in Cambodia and to support schools for girls in northern Afghanistan. She also created her own U.N. Study Group that focused on international affairs, foreign policy and issues that affected both the U.N. and the United States, according to Runnette.

In an official town proclamation in 2002, Houston was named New Canaans Ambassador for the World on her 90th birthday.

In the spirit of Houston, the New Canaan U.N. Committee hosted guest speaker Sarah Chayes, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of 2015s Thieves of State, for a lecture on The Dangers of Corruption, Abroad and at Home.

Prior to her work at the Carnegie Institute, Chayes was a special assistant to Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; covered the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan for NPR and then opted to remain in the country from 2002 to 2009 to help in its rebuilding, settling in Kandahar, the capital of the Taliban government, until 2001.

In a lecture that often circled back to Americas current political climate, Chayes spoke about several trends she has observed in her work, including the aging of rich populations, the changing nature of warfare, climate change as an increasingly important factor, the likelihood of persistent slow economic growth in the short-term future and a shift in the way we assess value.

It seems to me that since the 1980s there has been a trend of the reduction of the notion of value to exclusively material terms, Chayes said. Im feeling a collapsing of the types of things that one can be admired for in society, increasingly toward the amount of money one has.

Elites around the world, in developed and developing countries, across party lines, across ethnic lines, across religious lines, are doing two things: They are rewriting rules, and they are selectively enforcing rules in ways that favor their interests, she said.

Chayes said, rather than viewing growth as the key measure of success, its more beneficial to focus on the structure of that growth and the ways in which it is distributed.

In a human body, when you have unchecked growth, its called cancer, and its fatal, Chayes said.

It was a lecture that drew nearly a full house on the Sunday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day and one that Runnette hoped would provoke thought in the audience.

Anita wouldve been fascinated by her erudition, by the breadth of her interest and knowledge and the specific subject itself, Runnette said of Chayes. I think the audience found themselves challenged by some thoughts that maybe hadnt occurred to a lot of people for a lot of years.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1
Dr. Bobby L. Hall will officially be inaugurated as the 13th president of Wayland Baptist University on Wednesday in a special investiture ceremony at 11 a.m. in Harral Memorial Auditorium. The ceremony is the centerpiece of what will be a week-long celebration across the university system.

The public is invited and can get tickets to the ceremony in the School of Fine Arts office in the north wing of Harral. Wayland is also hosting a day-long open house around the ceremony. People may visit the various academic schools and some of the administrative offices on campus. Class will not be in session as students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in the festivities. The open house will run from 8:30-10:15 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.

There will also be a public reception from 4:30-6:30 p.m. held in the Pete and Nelda Laney Student Activities Center. The come-and-go reception will give people the opportunity to meet Dr. and Mrs. Hall and wish them well in their new endeavor.

Along with Wednesdays activities, Wayland employees from its various campuses will participate in service projects within their local communities as part of Dr. Halls initiative and emphasis on building community relations and community spirit.

Along with a number of hands-on projects scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28, Plainview employees will spend the week collecting food for Faith in Sharing House, as well as diapers, baby wipes and tote bags for Baby Ready to Go Bags at the Rainbow Room.

Several Wayland campuses also have special initiatives planned. Albuquerque employees will be serving at the Roadrunner Food Bank on Friday. In Altus, employees will work with Operation C.A.R.E. Amarillo is hosting a blood drive for Coffee Memorial Blood Center on Jan. 30.

In Anchorage, Alaska, employees are hosting a pancake brunch along with a canned food drive for a local homeless shelter. The Clovis, N.M., campus is collecting items for the New Mexico Baptist Childrens Home and Lighthouse Mission. Those items will be delivered on Friday and Saturday.

Employees at the El Paso teaching site will be working at the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank. In Fairbanks, Alaska, employees will help deliver meals for the local food pantry. Hawaii employees will also be serving at their local food bank.

In Lubbock, employees are collecting school supplies for a local elementary school. Phoenix employees are packing meals for Feed My Starving Children in Mesa, Ariz., and Sierra Vista, Ariz., employees are preparing and serving meals at Good Neighbor Alliance. And in Wichita Falls, employees are collecting canned food for the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank.

Wayland has also sent out a request to alumni to join in the service day projects in their local communities. Several have responded and will be working with various groups on Saturday.

Anyone interested in joining Wayland in these service projects may contact Teresa Young at teresa.young@wbu.edu or by phone at 806-291-3427.
The Woodlands Fire Department will obtain two new ladder fire trucks at a cost of $1.9 million to replace two of the department's aging trucks. The Woodlands Township board unanimously approved the expense, which was included in the 2017 capital budget, Thursday.

The trucks to be replaced are both 2007 models with 100-foot ladders that have 7,113 and 6,317 hours of operation, or the equivalent of about 213,400 and 190,000 miles of travel, respectively.

"These apparatus - ladder trucks -they're reaching their service life," Fire Chief Alan Benson said.

Benson explained that the department evaluates its assets as they approach the end of their service life to determine whether they should continue to be used, put into the reserve fleet or traded in to buy new vehicles. He added that the two 2007 ladder trucks have cost more in maintenance, averaging $25,000 to $30,000 a year, than the department anticipated. Still, the ladders have lasted the standard lifespan of 10-12 years.

The department opted to trade in the trucks because it already has a sufficient reserve fleet, including four engines and one ladder, and Benson's staff was able to negotiate a trade-in deal with the manufacturer, Pierce Manufacturing Inc., of nearly $400,000 for both.

The ladder trucks to be purchased will be 2018 models, one with a 100-foot ladder and the other with a 107-foot ladder.

The 107-foot ladder truck will be a single-axle vehicle, which is more maneuverable and shorter than the current model, making it easier to get up long driveways and approach large structures, explained Deputy Fire Chief Jerry Bittner.

The 100-foot ladder truck is longer horizontally, 58-60 feet in length, but is also more maneuverable than previous models, with a firefighter in the back helping to steer. Bittner showed a video of the model easily taking tight turns and whipping around a cul de sac.

"These vehicles are used in urban environments with tight streets," Bittner said. "We have tight streets (and) buildings on top of one another."

The second ladder truck will be used at the Central Station to serve the high-density, urbanized Town Center.

Once the ladder trucks are ordered, it can take a year for them to be manufactured, and then an additional two months of training on them before they are put into service.

The Woodlands Fire Department holds the highest class rating from the Insurance Services Office Inc. Public Protection Department, which evaluates a fire department's ability to respond to structure fires. Only 67 of 47,000 fire departments in North America hold this distinction, which helps decrease property insurance premiums.

The Woodlands Fire Department reached ISO 1 in 2014 by upping its professional staff, adding more stations and resources and by keeping response times under five minutes. When the department went from an ISO 2 to an ISO 1 rating, residents saw an 8 percent decrease in insurance premiums, and commercial properties saw a 3 percent decrease, according to Benson.

"The return on investment was quite significant," Benson said.
The lead attorney for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, facing a trial this spring that could land him in the stockade for life, filed a motion Friday to dismiss the case, saying President Donald Trump had irreparably prejudiced the case against his client.

The motion was released to the media moments after Trump swore the oath of office.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BROWNSVILLE -- A pact of silence about the shooting and decapitation of suspected snitch Francisco Palacios Paz was forged among several men accused in the crime, Fernando Luna testified Friday.

Fernando Luna, 37, returned to the stand for a third day Friday in 107th State District Court Judge Benjamin Eurestis court. Lunas brothers Border Patrol Agent Joel Luna, 32, and Eduardo Luna, 27, a suspected member of the Gulf Cartel who owns the tire shop where Palacios was killed  are on trial for capital murder in Palacios death.

Fernando testified that his brother Eduardo sold the gun he used to shoot Palacios. Gustavo Gus Garza, Cameron County assistant district attorney, pressed Fernando as to whether Palacios had been decapitated to intimidate others. Fernando testified that he didnt know.

Garza also tried to connect Joel to the drugs and money flowing across the border from Reynosa.

After Franky's body is found floating in the bay decapitated, you went to this safe in Joel's home and took $5,000 to give to Eduardo, Garza asked.

Yes, Fernando said.

Yet Fernando testified under cross-examination from Carlos A. Garcia, Joels attorney, that he and Joel never discussed the ill-gotten money from the sale of drugs, or of the plan to kill Palacios.

Mr. Luna, that day you arrived at the tire shop you knew exactly what was going to happen, didn't you? Garcia asked.

I couldn't be sure, but I felt it might happen, Fernando said.

And you did nothing about that feeling, Garcia said.

No, what could I do? Fernando responded.

You didn't tell anyone, Garcia said.

No, Fernando replied.

Palacios was a Honduran immigrant who worked at Eduardos tire shop. Palacios headless body was pulled from the waters off of South Padre Island in March 2015. Fernando has testified that he was watching TV with Palacios at the tire shop when Eduardo walked in and shot Palacios.

In the months after Palacios body was found, the three brothers were arrested as were two other men: Nestor Manuel Leal and Aaron Rodriguez Medellin. Their case was severed from that of the Luna brothers. The oldest Luna turned states witness after he agreed to a plea deal where he pleaded guilty to a drug charge in exchange for a sentence of no more than three years. Hes also eligible for probation.

Under cross-examination, Fernando said that he and Joel had never discussed Eduardos alleged threats to kill Palacios, but he acknowledged that Joel had asked him whether there was any blood at the tire shop after Palacios was shot.

anelsen@express-news.net

Twitter: @amnelsen
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A candlelight gathering in support of people who feel under attack by the incoming presidential administration was held Thursday night in front of the San Fernando Cathedral by the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services.

The purpose ... was to first provide a safe, welcoming place in public for people who are feeling that isolation which is one of the very worst results of this horrible election weve just been through, RAICES Executive Director Jonathan D. Ryan said. Everybody feels isolated, everybody feels alone, backed into their own corner of some sort.

RAICES is a nonprofit providing free and low-cost legal services to immigrant children, families and refugees in Central and South Texas.

As Ryan led the group in a moment of silence, more than 50 people stood holding candles surrounding six vases, which are set to be delivered to different organizations by RAICES members prior to President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration.

The participants wrote down and placed inside the vases things that they hope local organizations can do and protect to support the community during the next four years.

The vases will be sent to the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, Southwest Workers Union, RAICES centers, San Antonio Express-News, and San Antonio Police Department, Ryan said.

President Obama is just heading out the door, but the truth is that there have been no positive rights, benefits given to refugees throughout these eight years, he said. Any progress or advancement that has been made has been small and its been at the result of hard fought battles against a president who was fundamentally unwilling to give an inch on the immigration issue.

Ryan said that because of the experience theyve gained fighting for refugee and immigrant rights, they hope to help other organizations that may face struggles similar to their own.

We have a responsibility to lend our experience to other groups that now will find themselves under threat, again or for the first time under this new administration, Ryan said.

The night was also the prelude to 100 days of action that RAICES and other organizations are taking against president elect Donald Trumps presidency beginning on the day of his inauguration.

The organization will instead host a gathering at the RAICES center on 1305 North Flores to not watch Trumps swearing in.

We will be having an indigenous healer with us, we will do a ceremony, and we will build community, which is what its all about, RAICES Family Detention Team member Anna Ortiz said as she invited the community to join them.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A convicted hit man sentenced to death in 1995 for killing a San Antonio woman is once again scheduled to be executed after exhausting his appeals, court records here show.

Rolando Ruiz Jr., now 44, is set to die by injection March 7. He has been on Texas death row for more than two decades, convicted of capital murder in 1995 for killing Theresa Rodriguez, 29, on July 14, 1992.

Ruiz admitted he was paid $2,000 by the victim's husband, Michael Rodriguez, so he and his brother, Mark, could collect $400,000 in life insurance. Both men and two other accomplices were sent to prison after pleading guilty in 1995.

Michael Rodriguez later escaped from prison with six other inmates on Dec. 13, 2000. The fugitives, known as the Texas 7, left a trail of crimes that included the murder of Irving police officer Aubrey Hawkins, 29, on Christmas Eve, before they were caught in Colorado a month later. One of them killed himself rather than surrender. Michael Rodriguez was executed in 2008.

RELATED: Photographer recreates 12 last meals of infamous death row inmates

Lee Korvasky, a law professor at the University of Maryland and one of the attorneys representing Ruiz, filed a motion to amend the execution date because it coincides with the due date of his second child. State District Judge Kevin OConnell denied the request Thursday.

Applicants conviction and sentence were handed down in 1995. Since then, he has had a direct appeal, four state 11.071 applications in the Court of Criminal Appeals and multiple filings in the Western District of Texas, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. All these courts have rejected his claims, prosecutors noted in court documents.

Ruiz received his first stay of execution in 2007 by arguing that his attorneys in 1995 decided not to follow leads in a psychologists report claiming abuse as a child led to alcohol and substance addiction, information that could have helped him at sentencing.

RELATED: Stories behind the Texas women of death row

Last August, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted Ruiz a second stay of execution  like the first one, within a week of the day he was set to die  based on a claim that his lawyer was incompetent at his sentencing. That appeal was rejected, sending the case back to Bexar County for a new execution date.

This report contains material from Express-News archives.

ezavala@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 San Antonio Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 5 San Antonio Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 San Antonio Police Department Show More Show Less 5 of 5









San Antonio police are asking for the public's help in identifying and locating a suspect who they say robbed a gas station at gunpoint in the city's Northwest Side last month.

According to police, the suspect stole money from the cash register of a Valero in the 10400 block of Interstate 35 on Dec. 21, 2016.
Bexar County Jail

A 39-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly told a man he had 10 seconds to walk away and then shot him in the foot when he didn't.

Ruben Hernandez now faces an assault with a deadly weapon charge. He remains in the Bexar County Jail. His bond had not been set Thursday afternoon.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The San Antonio Police Department on Thursday released a sketch and security camera footage of the man suspected in a string of sexual assaults and attempted assaults reported near the Medical Center area.

Police describe the suspect as a black man with close-cut hair and dark brown eyes. He is about 5 feet 8 inches tall with an average build.

RELATED: Multiple reports of sexual assault, stalking near Medical Center-area

Police say he wears dark and light hoodies and a green or black bandanna tied around his neck. He may also ride a BMX bicycle.

He is suspected in several sexual assaults and attempted sexual assaults in the Medical Center area, particularly in the areas of Huebner Road, Eckert Road and Babcock Road.

The sketch of the suspect was made by the Texas Department of Public Safety after police gathered initial information on the suspect.

San Antonio Police Department spokesman Jesus Salame said earlier this week that the suspect has been reported to be armed with a knife during the assaults.

RELATED: 9 suspects arrested in Harris County prostitution bust

Apartment managers in the area have been notified of the threat.

"Right now the main thing is for people to be aware of their surroundings," Salame told mySA.com. "Pay attention to when you're coming and going from your residence."

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect responsible for the sexual assaults. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 210-224-7867.

Text "Breaking" to 48421 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
Inaugural speeches tend to be remembered for their soaring rhetoric aimed at bringing the country together.

And indeed, this is their primary purpose: From Thomas Jefferson's first ("we are all Republicans, we are all Federalists") to John F. Kennedy's address ("ask not what your country can do for you . . .") to Abraham Lincoln's second ("with malice toward none, with charity for all . . . let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds") the most memorable lines are directed at Americans' need for unity after divisive and hard-fought elections.

But there is another audience for the inaugural speech that often gets less attention: The broader world. Unlike the State of the Union address, which is often a laundry list of legislative priorities, or a farewell address - an opportunity to reflect, recap and in some cases, issue warnings - presidents have often used their inaugural addresses to send a signal or direct a message to the wider world about the coming presidency. In inaugural speeches, "there is always going to be a broad vision of American foreign policy, a broad statement that's going to be there because there is that international audience," says Elvin Lim, a professor at the National University of Singapore who has written about presidential speeches.

People often forget this, says Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communication who studies presidential rhetoric. "With the State of the Union address, even though the world is eavesdropping, you're really proposing legislation, the focus is on the Congress," she says. "The world is envisioned differently in inaugurals than in other speeches. The only other time the world is invited into the speech, writ large, is when the president makes an invitation to Congress to declare war."

She points to lines from several famous inaugurals as examples. Even though Woodrow Wilson had campaigned with the slogan "he kept us out of war," during his March 1917 second inaugural he memorably declared "we are provincials no longer. The tragic events of the thirty months of vital turmoil through which we have just passed have made us citizens of the world. There can be no turning back. Our own fortunes as a nation are involved whether we would have it so or not."

Almost exactly a month later, he asked Congress for a declaration of war on Germany. "It's an acknowledgement that a person first elected on one set of assumptions is now drawn into a different world," Jamieson says.

John F. Kennedy's inaugural address is best remembered for his "ask not" line, but just as important was his commitment that the United States "shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

In his book about Kennedy's speech, author and historian Thurston Clarke writes that the famous sentence "was a warning to the Kremlin hard-liners that the youngest man elected president would not be bullied." But in hindsight, Jamieson says, "we look back on it very differently. We look at that now in the context of Vietnam."

There are others, of course. Franklin Delano Roosevelt said in his third inaugural that "the task of the people is to save that Nation and its institutions from disruption from without." George H.W. Bush directly addressed other nations, saying "to the world, too, we offer new engagement and a renewed vow: We will stay strong to protect the peace. The offered hand is a reluctant fist; once made -- strong, and can be used with great effect."

It was a line President Barack Obama would echo in his first inaugural ("we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist") just after the short but controversial paragraph he addressed "to the Muslim world," saying "we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect."

How much President-elect Donald Trump will speak to the outside world is of course, unknown. Reports have said he's looking to inaugural addresses by Ronald Reagan and Kennedy for inspiration. Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley told CNN Trump said he wants to write the speech himself and wants it to be short. On Wednesday, he tweeted a picture of himself at the "Winter White House," his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, saying it was of him writing a draft of the speech.

Trump's inaugural comes at the end of a week when he shocked European leaders after remarks in an interview with the Times of London and the German newspaper Bild. In it, he called the European Union "basically a vehicle for Germany," as well as reiterating that NATO is "obsolete" while saying the defense alliance "is very important to me."

Jamieson says that while many presidents have used the speeches to send signals about foreign affairs to the world, they've also typically done so carefully. "What inaugurals are not supposed to do is provoke controversy," she says. On Friday, of course, the world will be watching to see if Trump sparks any.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A North Texas man was arrested Jan. 11 after he allegedly slashed his uncle's face with a power saw and smashed his head with a hammer while high on meth.

According to the arrest affidavit, Justin Warren, 31, went to a residence to do repairs on a roof with his uncle, Robert Perry.

Warren said the two got into an argument, and his uncle "came at [him] with a saw," so he "beat him with a hammer." Police say Warren struck Perry's head with the hammer several times and then "cut Perry across the face with a circular saw."

RELATED: SAPD releases sketch, security camera footage of suspect in several sexual assaults near Med. Center

Nancy, Perry's wife, heard them arguing and came outside to see what was going on. When Warren noticed her, he told her, "Don't come up here! He's dead," according to the affidavit.

First responders found Warren lying face-down with his arms splayed out in the backyard. He was covered in blood. Authorities first thought he was the victim, but then they saw Perry lying up on the roof.

"I got high and killed someone," Warren told police, according to the affidavit. "I guess I need an attorney. No I don't! I will sign a statement against myself. I killed my uncle! I beat him with a hammer, then cut him up with a Skil saw."

RELATED: S.A. high school student seriously injured in altercation at school

Perry was flown via helicopter to Baylor Hospital in Dallas. Warren was taken to the Wilmer Police Department for questioning.

Investigators later found the hammer and a blue Ryobi circular saw on the roof. They were both covered in blood and hair. The circular saw had "multiple chunks" of flesh on it.

According to the affidavit, Warren gave the following statement to police during questioning, often while staring directly into the camera recording him:

"I have nothing to say other than, uh yah, I messed up. I messed up. I been high on meth and my uncle had mental problems, has mental problems. Bad mental problems, and he had done a little bit of meth before I got there. I don't know where the meth come from or whatever. I never seen no drugs, but we were both high, and I freaked out and hit him in the head with a hammer and cut him with a saw. That's it. That's all folks."

RELATED: Police: Boyfriend detained after woman stabbed on Southwest Side

Nancy Perry set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for her husband's medical bills. She says Perry sustained multiple, severe lacerations to his face, a broken upper jaw, broken nose and cheekbones and three skull fractures.

"His heart stopped 2 times before he got to the hospital and he received a total of 18 liters of blood by the time they were done with surgery," the GoFundMe page says. "It took 3 doctors 4 hours to stitch him up and put his face back together. He will need more surgeries in the future to repair the damage."

Nancy says Robert doesn't have any insurance because "he is a veteran and usually gets his medical treatment from the V.A. Hospital."

"I don't think he remembers what happened to him but he will be devastated when he learns that the person he was trying to help, a member of his own family, did this to him," she says.

Warren was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked into the Dallas County Jail, where he remained Friday on a $200,000 bond.

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
A residence in the 800 block of West 15th Street was burglarized between 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Thursday. Missing are a 50-inch flat screen Samsung TV valued at $500 and a Sony PlayStation 3 worth $200.

--A 39-year-old woman was held in Hale County jail Friday on a charge of theft of property under $2,500 with two or more previous convictions (no bond set) as well as on bonds totaling $400 for outstanding municipal warrants for possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to appear. She was arrested by police about 7 p.m. Thursday in the 1000 block of North I-27 in connection with a shoplifting incident. Recovered and returned to the business were a number of items including two sprocket idlers, valued at $51; brass coupler lock, $6; DMR Joint 2-lb., $19; two-piece folding knife set, $10; camo folding utility knife with bits, $6; Xtra Camo Hi-Dex gloves, $10; propane torch, $15; camo T-shirt, $16; hat-gloves set, $13; LDS Rev beanie, $4; and 18-inch fence spicing took, $29.
Thankful that her daughter was at the Ft. Lauderdale airport the day before the mass shooting last week, my cousin remarked, Shows you that anything can happen anywhere or any time.

Shes right  a gun owner can legally fly to many states around the country with his firearm and ammunition in checked baggage, unpack it upon arrival and carry it loaded in non-secure areas of airports.

How is that? Because unlike Connecticut, many states have reciprocity agreements that honor other states concealed carry weapon (CCW) permits, some with notoriously low standards. So lax, in fact, that states such as Florida, Texas and Indiana have allowed hundreds of convicted felons to carry concealed weapons, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. With reciprocity, these gun owners can easily carry in other states, for short visits or extended stays.

Connecticut, with the fifth-lowest rate of gun deaths in the nation, does not honor any other states CCW permit. We want to ensure that people carrying guns in public in Connecticut meet our tough public safety requirements.

But right now, Congress, President-elect Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association are working to force Connecticut to honor the CCW permits of every other state, regardless of how permissive they are. On the first day of the newly seated Congress, Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) introduced his Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, requiring states to honor all other states concealed carry permits.

The measure goes farther than 2013 legislation that passed the House but was only narrowly defeated in the Senate, by a margin of just three votes. According to UCLA law professor Adam Winkler, Hudsons bill extends reciprocity to states that do not even require permits, so-called constitutional carry states that allow any lawful gun owner to carry in public, without training or up-to-date background checks.

Most concerning, the bill would enable Connecticut residents to circumvent our own requirements by applying for mail-order permits from states like Utah, which issues two-thirds of its permits to out-of-state residents. That would lead to a race-to-the-bottom for gun safety.

Like gun rights advocates, Mr. Trump compares gun permits to drivers licenses, which should work in every state. The analogy is bogus. All 50 states require competency tests, registration and liability insurance to obtain a drivers license. None of that is true for gun ownership. With no national database of gun registration (prohibited at the federal level, thanks to the gun lobby) or interstate information sharing as with the Driver License Compact, there would be no way for law enforcement to know if an out-of-state resident packing heat is carrying legally. Public safety would not be enhanced with gun-toting visitors who may have only passed Virginias online test with a C on their fourth attempt.

Gun rights advocates justify carry everywhere with the argument that CCW holders enhance public safety. They peddle myths that armed citizens reduce crime and stop mass shootings. An FBI study of active shooter incidents found that only 3 percent were stopped by an armed civilian. More than four times as many were stopped by unarmed citizens.

We depend on law enforcement for our public safety for a reason: stopping armed criminals takes a lot of training. Something Good Samaritan Joseph Wilcox didnt have when he intervened in a 2014 active shooter situation in a Las Vegas Walmart, only to get shot dead in the back by an accomplice.

The National Research Council convened a panel of academic experts to review studies that claim more guns yield less crime, including one by discredited academic and NRA front-man John Lott. All except one of the 16 members concluded there was no credible evidence that concealed carry laws reduce violent crime.

Connecticut has no desire to outsource the laws that protect our residents from gun violence. Rep. Richard Hudsons bill is a serious threat to states rights and public safety. It requires a strong response from concerned citizens to defeat. The bill already has 102 co-sponsors, all but two from the majority party that controls Congress. Reports the Independent Journal Review, a far-right news site, This law has been NRAs number one legislative agenda item for several years. And with the election of Donald Trump as president, as well as pro-gun majorities in both houses of the U.S. Congress, the prospects for such a law have never looked better.

Gun violence prevention groups across the country are mobilizing to defeat the bill; but grassroots support is essential. With Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and Representatives Joe Courtney, Rose DeLauro, Elizabeth Esty, Jim Himes and John Larson, we can count on a strong offense from our Congressional delegation. Their position will be strengthened if concerned citizens show their support. They should contact their Congressional representatives and tell them they agree: the federal government has no business telling Connecticut who can carry a gun within its borders.

Jonathan Perloe of Cos Cob is director of Programs and Communications for CT Against Gun Violence.
The controversy over the nomination of Betsy DeVos as secretary of education has been, if nothing else, clarifying. We now know that working to give poor kids more educational opportunities is considered a disqualifying offense for the left.

For decades, DeVos has devoted herself to creating alternatives to a public-school establishment that fails its most vulnerable students, and she earned the eternal enmity of defenders of the status quo in doing it.

The assault against her by the teachers unions and their allies speaks to a certain desperation. They have been steadily losing ground in the debate over educational choice at the state and local level, and now DeVos threatens to occupy the commanding heights of federal policy at the Department of Education.

Through her activism and philanthropy, DeVos has pushed for every form of educational choice, whether charter schools, school vouchers or tuition tax credits. She championed the charter-school law in her home state of Michigan and has been chair of the American Federation for Children, devoted to electing state legislators around the country who favor choice. (By way of full disclosure, her husband, Dick, sits on the board of the National Review Institute.)

Her nomination has elicited a motley collection of charges running the gamut from the silly to the serious, if wholly misleading:

Shes wealthy. Well, yes, most philanthropists are.

She once spoke of wanting to continue to advance Gods kingdom. Her critics might find this less threatening if they had more than a passing familiarity with how Christians talk and what they believe (every Christian wants to advance Gods kingdom).

She doesnt necessarily care about punishing sexual assault. This is absurd innuendo built on the $10,000 in donations that she and her husband gave to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. The group is dedicated to protecting free speech on campus, but also advocates for due-process rights for the accused in sexual-assault cases.

The crux of the case against DeVos is that she is ruining education, as allegedly demonstrated by the experience of the charter schools that she has championed in Michigan. Her detractors argue that charters in Detroit in particular have been a disaster.

If Detroits charters are hardly world-class, they are demonstrably better than the citys traditional public schools, which is the most relevant metric for Detroit parents. The traditional public schools have failed abysmally for generations (about half of adults in Detroit are functionally illiterate).

Jason Bedrick and Max Eden summarized the data on Detroits charters for the publication EducationNext. A study by Stanfords Center for Research on Education Outcomes found that roughly 50-60 percent of charter schools outperformed comparable district schools. A report from a nonprofit called Excellent Schools Detroit rated 16 percent of charter schools as excellent or good compared with only 5 percent of district schools, whereas 62 percent of the district schools were weak or failing compared with 35 percent of the charters. Finally, a report from the conservative Michigan-based think tank the Mackinac Center reached similar conclusions.

If it is too much to ask that unions and their allies welcome marginal improvements in educational attainment in Detroit, perhaps they can at least avoid smearing it?

The other charge against DeVos is that she heedlessly opposes standards for Michigans charter schools, even though she has supported measures to shut down persistent underperformers and to grade charters from A to F so parents can make more informed choices.

Educational choice has been on the march over the past 20 years or so. In 1991, only Minnesota had a charter law. Now, 42 states and the District of Columbia do. Twenty-five states have private school choice programs, an increase from a mere handful 15 years ago.

The ideological war over educational choice wont be settled anytime soon. Whats clear is that poor parents value it, and that they have a friend in Betsy DeVos. The unions will never forgive her.

comments.lowry@nationalreview.com
While Donald Trump was preparing for his inauguration today, his Cabinet nominees were undergoing a second week of grueling confirmation hearings. Proponents hope they will be quickly confirmed and start bringing reforms to increase American prosperity and security.

At the top of the list of nominees who can help reinvigorate the small-business community, which drives the nations job and economic growth, is Andy Puzder, the nominee for labor secretary.

Puzder knows how to create jobs and raise wages for working Americans. This is evidenced not only by his copious writing on the subject but also by his success as CEO of CKE Restaurants. Under his tenure, CKE, which owns the restaurants Carls Jr. and Hardees, has grown from a multimillion-dollar company into a billion-dollar brand.

The country needs this leadership now. Despite a string of positive economic indicators in recent months, labor force participation  including participation of prime age people  is hovering near a generational low. There are nearly 2 million long-term unemployed Americans. And millions more American employees cant get enough hours and are forced to work multiple jobs. Median household income hasnt increased in almost two decades.

Puzder has seen firsthand  with 3,000 domestic franchises employing 75,000 Americans  how Labor Department over-regulation contributes to this stagnant labor market. His employees and franchisees have had to contend with the Labor Departments proposals to double the overtime exemption salary threshold, dramatically raise the minimum wage, and push for a joint employer mandate that would upend the franchise system, among others.

Though such regulations may sound good on paper, Puzder has seen how they make it more difficult to create jobs and raise wages in practice.

Such regulations have a disproportionate impact on small businesses, which often dont have the compliance resources or the economies of scale necessary to implement them. As a result, small businesses, which create two-thirds of new jobs and make up half of existing jobs, still havent recovered from the Great Recession. Government data show that job gains from new firms are at the lowest share of employment since 1992 and startup formation continues its steady decline.

Puzders approach would reduce the regulatory roadblock preventing business creation and expansion.

Who ultimately gains from the resulting robust small business environment? Employees and job seekers who receive more opportunities to achieve the American dream.

Some progressive critics are criticizing Puzders nomination and regulatory approach. But you cant argue with results. The last eight years have proven that the regulatory model doesnt work.

American history, on the other hand, shows that the best way to produce median wage gains and a strong middle class is through economic growth and economic freedom.

Puzders record also shows that CKE has effectively balanced labor compliance with business growth. According to a Bloomberg BNA analysis, Carls Jr. and Hardees have the third-lowest wage-and-hour violation rate among 20 major fast-food restaurants. And some of these violations were for minor protocol errors such as failing to display a Labor Department poster.

Its no surprise, then, that the overwhelming majority of CKE employees are happy at work. In fact, in a national survey of CKE employees conducted by the independent survey company CorCom Inc., 93 percent of female CKE employees agreed that they felt safe and respected in the workplace. Overall, 92 percent of employees agree that CKE is a great place to work.

Puzder will make an excellent labor secretary because he will roll back the current Labor Departments burdens on small businesses and their employees. This will help create jobs and raise wages the proven way: with economic growth and an increased competition for labor.

Thats the pro-worker agenda this country needs.

Alfredo Ortiz is president and CEO of the Job Creators Network, founded by Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus. It promotes public policy education and free-market solutions.
Open letter to President Donald Trump:

I will begin with the disclosure that I did not vote for you and do not approve of much of what you say or your position on many issues. However, you are now my president and my countrys president. I have tremendous respect for the office and fully understand that a successful President Trump means a successful United States of America. Thus, as a retired manager myself, albeit on a significantly smaller scale than you will be starting today, there are three pieces of advice I wish to pass on to you:

1. Your greatest strength is that you are a pragmatist and not an ideologue. Make sure that you do not surround yourself with ideologues as President Bush 43 did. Instead, when faced with a decision, surround yourself with experts from that field and listen to what they have to say before making your decision. Do not attend such meetings believing that you are the smartest person in the room regarding that issue because that makes listening a more difficult proposition.

2. Do not lie to the American people. Doing so diminishes you and diminishes the presidency. For example, do not tell a reporter, and I paraphrase here, that you know things that others do not regarding intelligence information (implying that you are better informed than 17 U.S. intelligence agencies) and that you will tell the American public about those things the following week, when, in fact, you either dont know these things, are not planning on revealing anything the following week, or both.

3. As president of the United States, many people will criticize you, your actions and your policies. Thats what the U.S. Constitution says we can do in this wonderful country. You need to let most of these criticisms go. To respond to each of the criticisms, as you did to Meryl Streeps comments during the Golden Globes telecast, exposes you as being thin-skinned, insecure and mean-spirited. These are not qualities we want in our presidents. Please remain above such situations.

President Trump, I wish you luck and success in your upcoming enterprise.

Sincerely,

Bob Ridewood

Robert Ridewood is a retired San Antonio high school principal who is now a part-time U.S. government and politics teacher at that high school.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Driving north on U.S. 281, it's hard to miss the coliseum-like mansion that has been perched on a bluff overlooking the Olmos Dam since 1986.

The 6,500-square-foot "landmark residence" is now on the market for $4,999,000, complete with a star-studded history and staggering list of amenities.

RELATED: Photos: Manu Ginobili is selling his home in The Dominion for $2 million

555 Argyle Ave., in Alamo Heights, was originally owned by local philanthropists Joe and Joci Straus. Joe Straus, co-founder of Retama Park, and Joci Straus, are credited for restoring the Majestic and Empire theaters and lived in the home for 26 years.

They are the parents of Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio.

The home boasts features like two elevators, wrap-around patios on each of the levels, floor-to ceiling windows with "spectacular views" of the dam and a modern, open floor plan, realtor Phyllis Browning told mySA.com.

RELATED: 10 homes in The Dominion listed for less than $500,000

Browning called the property an "incredible entertaining home." She spoke of the stately guests who were hosted by the Straus family, including celebrities, world leaders and the 41st first lady of the United States, Barbara Bush. A book-signing party for Mitt Romney was also held in the home, Browning added.

RELATED: 'Decrepit' 100-year-old San Antonio home transformed into lavish listing

Three years ago, a "well thought of" dentist purchased the home. At that point, the digs received a 21st Century makeover and an elevator was added to the three-level manor. The current owners also keep a residence in The Dominion and have never lived in the Alamo Heights home, Browning said.

"This is a very rare opportunity to acquire one of the city's most unique properties," the Phyllis Browning Company acclaimed the home in its listing.

You've seen it from afar, now go inside in the gallery above.

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye
Scandinavian Home has paid advertising banners and product affiliate links, which means I earn a very small amount of money if you click through and buy an item - these are stated with and asterisk and at the bottom of each post.
RAPID CITY, S.D.  While theres no industry standard for safety training for overnight workers, NACS recommends two principles to keep convenience stores and their employees safe: minimize reward and maximize visibility, the Rapid City Journal reports.

Each store usually has its own set of criteria related to training third shift workers, said Jeff Lenard, NACS vice president of strategic industry initiatives. The key is maximizing visibility for the worker. You want to be able to see people coming in, he said. If there are clear sightlines, people can see out and people can see in.

Stores need to have windows and doors with clear lines of sight and not cluttered with signs or ads. Other ways to secure maximum visibility is to locate cash registers near a window, install bright lights inside and outside the store, and fence the perimeter to provide additional control on how people enter or exit the premises.

Its also important to minimize the reward by using a time-released drop safe and implementing a policy of non-resistance. Resisting in a robbery accelerates the likelihood of violence by about 49 times, Lenard said.

According to the FBIs annual report, Crime in the United States, property crimes dropped 2.6% in 2016, marking the 13th straight year the collective estimates for these offenses declined. NACS has many resources to assist convenience stores and gas stations in providing a safe environment for customers.
By Lambert Strether of Corrente

Readers, I need a bit more time to digest, if that is the word I want, the inaugural, so check back soon and Ill have more. I do note that there werent any liberal von Stauffenbergs, so apparently Trump is not a fascist after all. Good to know. lambert

Adding, done! At least for today lambert

Politics

Trump Inaugural

Donald Trumps full inauguration speech transcript, annotated [WaPo]. Populist:

Todays ceremony, however, has very special meaning because today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people. For too long, a small group in our nations capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nations capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

For Washington, DC read the Acela Corridor plus Silicon Valley, even if thats not a Republican big gummint trope. And:

Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before.

Nice co-optation of movement. Never underestimate Trump! And:

At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction, that a nation exists to serve its citizens . Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public. But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge; and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now. (APPLAUSE) We are one nation and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams. And their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

This is the part thats being labeled bleak, but Case-Deaton makes it realistic. But then we get the bombast of glorious destiny.

Protesters block entrances to inauguration, set fires, vandalize [Chicago Tribune]. Interesting quotes. See comment below on mobilizing vs. organizing. From my armchair at 30,000 feet, the four most impactful movements of the last decade or so in the United States were the capitol occupations, Occupy proper, Black Lives Matter, and #NoDAPL, the middle two in the realm of ideas, and first and fourth on policy). They share the common characteristic of taking and holding territory. (Thats what BLM did in Ferguson through continuous marching for weeks and months, since the police wouldnt ever let them sit or stop; they had to keep walking.) Maybe Im just getting old, but I dont see the point of protest tactics. What are they but virtue signaling?

Inauguration Day 2017: Celebration and chaos collide as Trump becomes president [WaPo]. Covers the same territory as above.

Anti-Trump protests erupt across the country [The Hill]. Atlanta, Austin, Denver, Los Angeles, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, and San Jose. Several are using the tactic of disrupting public transportation, which is fine, I suppose, unless you have hostages to fortune who require your paycheck.

Moments after taking the oath, President Trump transforms White House website [WaPo]. Strikingly absent from the six issues the website highlights  and from his speech Friday  was anything on repealing or replacing Obamacare. Heres the website:

Looks to me like the Trump web-designer took the most finicky, twee aspects of Obamas brand strategy and copied them without really knowing what they were doing.

Hillary: The Face of the Vanquished [Politico]. Click through to the (Pulitzer-quality) photo, and take a look at Bill. Yikes!

Trump Transition

Throw Sand in the Gears of Everything [Frances Fox Piven, The Nation]. In essence, on the distinction between mobilizing (easy) and organizing (hard). From my armchair at 30,000 feet, Im quite mistrustful of the notion of resistance, because its fundamentally reactionary and defensive. I think the lesson of the Sanders campaign is that going on offense is both necessary and possible. And at the risk of repeating myself: The only thing that matters is providing concrete material benefits to working people. Peace, land, bread, and so forth. Even if youre a Save capitalism! moderate! Most everything else is venting at best. Its ridiculous, for example, to have a Resistance Manual that shillie-shallies on Medicare for All.

2016 Post Mortem

How Struggling Local Economies Helped Decide the 2016 Election [Economic Innovation Group]. The name reeks, but at least the Economic Innovation Group is on H Street. And not K Street.

Realignment and Legitimacy

The DeVos Democrats [Jacobin]. Very much including the Black Misleadership Class.

Obama Hagiography

Just saw Marine leave station outside West Wing meaning @potus has left too. Offices empty, Obama photos off walls. pic.twitter.com/7NAKWeHdcw  David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) January 19, 2017 The Obamas were a master class in dignity and civility. Did we learn what they taught? [WaPo].

Stats Watch

There are no official statistics today.

Todays Fear & Greed Index: 53 Neutral (previous close: 53, Neutral) [CNN]. One week ago: 57 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jan 20 at 1:12pm.

Gaia

The findings in the journal Science show that ocean surface temperatures during the Earths last warm period, some 125,000 years ago, were remarkably similar to those today [Japan Times]. But what concerns scientists is that sea level back then was 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters) above what it is today. First slowly, then all at once

How much would it cost to geoengineer thicker Arctic sea ice? [Ars Technica]. Less than the Iraq War! So were good

Black Injustice Tipping Point

Psychologys Favorite Tool for Measuring Racism Isnt Up to the Job [New York Magazine].

Love me, love me, love me, Im a liberal:

Is the KGB replacing the FBI/CIA? https://t.co/MvDBEXrcwF  deray mckesson (@deray) January 4, 2017

No, it isnt, since the KGB died with the Soviet Union in 1991. But  and I cant help but think this is generationally linked  KGB branding works. Its a shame to see Black Lives Matter paroting Democrat talking points (and since when were budget cuts treasonous, anyhow?)

Class Warfare

Microaggressions: Strong Claims, Inadequate Evidence [Sage Journals]. This is important, especially in the IdPol world. Can our more academically minded readers assess?

With this background in mind, the principal goal of this manuscript is to provide a conceptual and methodological analysis of the MRP, with a particular focus on the extent to which scientific evidence supports its key presuppositions. In doing so, I draw on broader literatures in psychometrics, as well as philosophy of science, social cognition, cognitive-behavioral therapy, behavior genetics, and personality, health, and industrial-organizational psychology, that bear on the validity of the MRP [Microaggression Research Program]. I contend that these pertinent, well-developed bodies of knowledge have received short shrift in previous discussions of the microaggression concept. As a consequence, the MRP has largely neglected the critical scientific principle of connectivity: Novel research programs must accordconnectwith well-established scientific principles (Stanovich, 2012). If the findings of a research program run counter to these principles, the onus of proof falls squarely on its proponents to demonstrate that these principles are erroneous or do not apply in the case of their research program.

Innovative:

For $8,000, this startup will fill your veins with the blood of young people https://t.co/GpkPV0RT9e pic.twitter.com/JgBNiegs8b  Business Insider (@businessinsider) January 13, 2017

And then theres this:

Holy shit this is wild, median America's wealth is 1/4 of median Australia's pic.twitter.com/aldZjuBKnH  elle hardy (@ellehardytweets) January 14, 2017

News of the Wired

A Plea for Responsible and Contextualized Reporting on User Security [Technosociology]. On Guardian reporting of a (putative) WhatsApp security problem.

Dream job alert: Legoland is hiring model builders [Quartz].

 In October, Greens Dictionary of Slang became available as a free website, giving you access to an even more updated version of the dictionary. Collectively, the website lets you trace the development of slang over the past 500 years [Open Culture]. Cool! Random word: Wiffmagig, [mid-19C] a trifler, an insignificant or contemptible fellow.

* * *

Readers, feel free to contact me with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, and (c) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. And heres todays plant (Mrs. Mop):

Mrs. Mop comments:

There you have it, finally, a plant with snow coming from German right in time. Actually, its more snow than plant sitting on my balcony, a blue

grass we call it in German but it is hidden under the snow, anyway, I like it for its distinctive profile which reminds me of this profile; Grassus Trumpus, which makes it almost an antidote. Or something. Have an inspiring inauguration day

Readers, Water Cooler is a standalone entity, not supported by the very successful Naked Capitalism fundraiser just past. Now, I understand you may feel tapped out, but when and if you are able, please use the dropdown to choose your contribution, and then click the hat! Your tip will be welcome today, and indeed any day. Water Cooler will not exist without your continued help.
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Angus Deaton, co-author with Anne Case of the important study on excess white working class mortality, has been much in the news lately. Yves posted on Deatons remarks at the recent Allied Social Sciences Associations meeting, but now Deaton has presented at Davos  good luck to him getting their attention!  and heres the key portion of his interview with Business Insider:

He told Business Insider in an interview at the World Economics Forum in Davos that there is a 0.4 correlation between US counties with elevated mortality rates for white people and counties that voted for Trump. If you take county by county in the US, and you look at what we call deaths of despair  suicides, opioids and liver disease  that it correlates by .4 with votes for Trump. Thats a big correlation. There are 3,000 counties in the US. .4 with these things is a very strong relationship, Deaton told us. In stats, 1 is a perfect correlation and 0 is no correlation at all; 0.4 is a fairly strong relationship in a dataset that size.[1] The stats suggest that Trump somehow tapped into white despair among voters. There are caveats, of course. You can put almost anything in that picture, smoking, lack of exercise  but I do think there is a lot of malaise going on here. Whatever it is these people are unhappy, theyre left behind, some of their jobs have gone away, theyre worse off than their parents were, theyre worried about opportunities for their kids. Causality in these things is always hard.

Deatons caveats are, of course, becoming in a scholar.[2] But I think the anecdotal evidence is quite clear. Deaths from despair are Chris Arnade[3] territory; see his tweetstorm starting here:

1. Writing piece on 3 counties that swung Trump: Dubuque IA, Battle Creek MI, & Lewiston ME. Unifying feature: lost manufacturing jobs.  Chris Arnade (@Chris_arnade) January 18, 2017

And including:

12. A morning coffee group is dedicated to figuring out a medical facility within x miles offering detox for a nephew without health care  Chris Arnade (@Chris_arnade) January 18, 2017

And much else; despair is Arnades beat, you might say.

But back to the county data. Theres another correlation at play, presented well by RealClearPolitics in its How Trump Won on the 2016 election, and perhaps best presented visually to begin with. This is the Democrats normalized vote share in 1996, 2004, 2012, and 2016 (reading left to right, by row) in Iowa, where Democrats are blue and Republicans are red:

And RCP summarizes:

The result is a creeping redness across the map, as the Democratic coalition is pushed gradually eastward, before retreating almost entirely to a few small cities and college towns.

(RCP presents similar maps for Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio, and the same trend appears there as well.)

Now, I freely admit that its a stretch to identity RCPs red shift county data with Deatons county data, showing despair, and identifying both with counties that voted for Trump (by knocking over the checkers board,as Arnade puts it). So lets just say that Im creating a narrative, analysis to come.

That said, can we think of any reasons beyond despair why rural voters might vote red (and not blue)? I think we can, if we look at the role that urban credentialed professionals and institutions play. In Credentialism and Corruption: The Opioid Epidemic and the Looting Professional Class' I wrote:

CEOs, marketing executives, database developers, marketing collateral designers, the sales force, middle managers of all kinds, and doctor: All these professions are highly credentialed. And all have, or should have, different levels of responsibility for the mortality rates from the opoid epidemic; executives have fiduciary responsibility; doctors take the Hippocratic Oath; those highly commissioned sales people knew or should have known what they were selling. Farther down the line, to a database designer, OXYCONTIN_DEATH_RATE might be just another field. Or not! And due to information asymmetries in corporate structures, the different professions once had different levels of knowledge. For some it can be said they did not know. But now they know; the story is out there. As reader Clive wrote: Increasingly, if you want to get and hang on to a middle class job, that job will involve dishonesty or exploitation of others in some way. And youve got to admit that serving as a transmission vector for an epidemic falls into the category of exploitation of others.

And I dont think its too much of a stretch to think that red-shift voters would identify Clintons base in the urban, professional classes with the very same people responsible for the opioid epidemic that was killing their families. Consciously? I dont know. Viscerally? Id bet on it.

* * *

Oh, I did say What Does Rural Mean? Ill just toss this idea out as another layer of narrative, but I think it woud be an interesting mental exercise to replace rural with colonized in our thinking; a famous example of the metropolis colonizing the periphery is the Opium Wars. A splendid example of rental extraction, opium was; until the reaction came.

NOTES

[1] Statistics geeks please correct very strong if necessary (even if thats the sort of thing Deaton shouldnt get wrong).

[2] In a perfect world, Id look at deaths of despair in the counties that flipped from Obama in 2008 and 2012  that is, the counties that in the last analysis cost Clinton the election. Perhaps in a later post!

[3] Arnade recently participated in a panel at Bard titled Beyond Despair: Articulating a Bold, Progressive Vision for the 21st Century Economy  with MMTer Pavlina Tcherneva!
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 Department of Housing and Urban Development has suspended the 25-basis-point reduction in Federal Housing Administration premiums that was previously announced by the outgoing Obama administration.

The decision, which had been widely expected, was announced in a HUD mortgagee letter shortly after Donald Trump was sworn in as president Friday. HUD said the reduction "has been suspended indefinitely." The move was effective immediately.

"FHA will issue a subsequent Mortgagee Letter at a later date should this policy change," HUD said.

The reduction in annual premiums had been slated to go into effect Jan. 27 under a policy approved by outgoing HUD Secretary Julian Castro, yet the incoming Trump administration seemed opposed to the idea of the price cut as soon as it had been announced.

A published report earlier this week quoted a Trump spokesperson as calling the premium reduction a "last-minute policy change by Secretary Castro that could detrimentally impact FHA's reserves."

"The incoming policy team has not seen the model the outgoing administration used, nor their analysis, and nothing was communicated to the incoming team before the announcement was made," the spokesperson said, according to the report attributed to Politico.

The mortgagee letter Friday said, "FHA is committed to ensuring its mortgage insurance programs [remain] viable and effective in the long term for all parties involved, especially our taxpayers."

"As such, more analysis and research are deemed necessary to assess future adjustments while also considering potential market conditions in an ever-changing global economy that could impact our efforts," the letter said.

With Castro having planned to step down Friday, Craig Clemmensen, director of HUD's Departmental Enforcement Center, will serve as acting HUD secretary. The Senate Banking Committee is slated to vote Jan. 24 on Ben Carson's nomination to succeed Castro.

Some in the mortgage industry have read the delay as a sign there is still hope for the premium reduction, while others see a delay as meaning the premium cut will ultimately be abandoned.

A suspension "leaves the door open to implement the cut in the near future," National Association of Realtors President William Brown said Thursday, before the news was made official.

NAR estimates that roughly 750,000 to 850,000 homebuyers would face higher costs and 30,000 to 40,000 new homebuyers will be left on the sidelines in 2017 without the premium reduction.

"For now, we believe that the benefits of the mortgage insurance premium cut will shine through during this review period so it can be quickly put back into place," Brown said.

Scott Olson, executive director of the Community Home Lenders Association, agreed. "Based on the prior administration's lack of communication on the FHA premium reduction, we believe the decision to review such action prior to implementation is prudent," he said. "We are confident the review will support a premium cut."

But others saw it as more likely that the new administration will not adopt the Castro policy.

"If a delay does materialize, we would likely increase our published odds of a full reversal from 40% to 70%," said Compass Point analysts Isaac Boltansky and Fred Small in a Jan. 19 note.

FBR Capital Markets policy analyst Edward Mills said he expects the new administration will reverse the FHA mortgage insurance premium cut.

"This is consistent with the skepticism that Dr. Carson expressed related to the cut during his confirmation hearing and the strong opposition to the cut by Congressional Republicans," Mills said in a note Thursday.

A reversal of the cut will be "positive for the private mortgage insurers, as there was concern the FHA MIP cut would make the FHA product less expensive/more attractive," he added.

Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y, denounced the Trump administration's decision to halt the reduction.

"What a terrible thing to do to American homeowners. President Trump, with the flick of a pen, ended that new policy, making it harder for Americans of modest means to obtain their piece of the rock, the American dream  homeownership," Schumer said.

He noted the 25-basis-point premium reduction would save new homeowners on average $500 a year.

"We urge President Trump to reverse this decision and give new homeowners across America their $500 back," Schumer said.

Meanwhile, four candidates have been mentioned for the FHA commissioner post. The selection of the new FHA commissioner "could give us more clarity on the future direction of the FHA and housing policy," Mills says in his report.

Shawn Krause, executive vice president at Quicken Loans, and Edward Brady, an Illinois homebuilder and former chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, are potential candidates for the FHA commissioner post. Krause and Brady would "likely push to expand FHA's role in the market," Mills said in his Jan. 19 report.

Meanwhile, other candidates  including Mark Calabria of the Cato Institute and House Financial Services Committee staffer Clinton Jones  would "likely push the FHA to return to its original mission," Mills said.
WASHINGTON  Treasury Secretary-designate Steven Mnuchin struck a pro-banking industry tone during testimony on Capitol Hill Thursday while tangling with lawmakers over foreclosures, offshore accounts and other issues.

Democrats and consumer advocates have attacked Mnuchin following his nomination mostly over his time running OneWest, the Southern California bank that emerged from the remains of IndyMac and garnered a reputation for its ample foreclosures.

While that criticism continued to dog Mnuchin at the sometimes tense confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, his appearance also allowed him to elaborate on his financial services policy positions, including support for small and regional banks, seeking a "bipartisan fix" for housing finance, and making changes to the Dodd-Frank Act.

"My biggest concern isregulation is killing community banks," said Mnuchin. "We are losing the ability for small- and medium-sized banks to make good loans to small- and medium-sized business in the community where they understand those credit risks better than anybody else."

Here are four takeaways from the hearing:

The incoming administration is weighing specific Dodd-Frank changes

Although Mnuchin's responses to senators' questions were careful not to divulge too much of his policy views, he expressed support for changes to Dodd-Frank that align with positions taken by GOP leaders and the industry.

When asked his position about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the agency created by Dodd-Frank that faces significant uncertainty once President-elect Trump takes office, Mnuchin supported giving Congress greater say about the bureau's finances. The CFPB is currently a bureau of the Federal Reserve, but many Republicans want to subject it to appropriations.

"The biggest issue I have with the CFPB is I don't think they should be funded out of the Federal Reserve. I think they should be funded from the appropriations process," he said.

But he also seemed to endorse certain other Dodd-Frank measures. "I do support the Volcker Rule," Mnuchin said of the law's ban on banks engaging in proprietary trading.

"The concept of proprietary trading does not belong in banks with [Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.] insurance" said Mnuchin.

However, he sounded open to changes in how the rule is implemented, citing a Fed study indicating that the rule is hurting market liquidity.

Mnuchin also appeared somewhat open to considering changes to Title II, the Dodd-Frank provision authorizing the FDIC to manage resolutions of failing behemoth firms.

Echoing criticism by Republicans that the resolution regime allows continuing government support for companies, Mnuchin said, "I share certain concerns on Title II." He noted that "if we have proper regulation" for complex financial firms, "a lot of the need for Title II goes away."

Some policymakers have called for a reform of the bankruptcy code as an alternative to Title II for handling the failures of large firms.

"I'm not suggesting we remove Title II tomorrow without having the appropriate bankruptcy solution," Mnuchin said.

Community and regional bank issues could get newfound focus

Many of Mnuchin's comments will likely please community and regional-sized banks that feel threatened by the current regulatory burden.

At one point, speaking of his time at OneWest, Mnuchin said, "I think of myself as a regional banker."

Mnuchin also took a position on Glass-Steagall that is similar to one at times supported by community banks.

The GOP's convention platform had backed returning to a Glass-Steagall Act structure, even though such a reform is more commonly supported by liberals. President-elect Trump and his transition team have not elaborated on that platform position and it was said to have ruffled some feathers within the GOP.

Mnuchin's response tried to strike a middle ground by saying that a modernized version of the law was worth considering, though he did not elaborate much further.

"I don't support going back to Glass-Steagall as is. What we've talked about with the president-elect is perhaps we need a 21st-century Glass-Steagall," he said.

"Separating out banks and investment banks right now under Glass-Steagall would have very big implications to the liquidity and the capital markets and banks being able to perform necessary lending," he added.

As Treasury secretary, Mnuchin would also chair the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which is responsible for identifying emerging financial risks while also working as a collaborative body between regulators. Mnuchin said he would utilize that power to reduce regulatory overlap "so we don't end up in a world where we only have four big banks in this country."

No 'recap and release' for GSEs

Mnuchin also sought to clarify earlier remarks that had caused confusion about the incoming administration's housing finance agenda.

In December, Mnuchin said during a television interview that, "We gotta get [Fannie Mae] and [Freddie Mac] out of government ownership." The comments were seen by some as supporting the so-called "recap and release" idea, which would essentially preserve the government-sponsored enterprises in the future.

But in his confirmation hearing, Mnuchin said he was "never [supportive] of recap and release," suggesting that his earlier comments were misread.

"What I've committed to is that I will work with both the Democrats and Republicans. We need housing reform, so we shouldn't just leave Fannie and Freddie as-is for the next four or eight years under government control without a fix," Mnuchin said.

Mnuchin referred to himself as an "expert" on Fannie and Freddie, but he was careful not to back a specific reform approach.

"I believe we can find a bipartisan fix for these, so on the one hand we don't end up with a giant bailout, [and] on the other hand we don't run the risk of completely eliminating housing finance," he said.

He noted that "for very long periods of time, I think, Fannie and Freddie have been well-run without creating risks to the government."

"I believe that these are very important entities for creating necessary liquidity for housing finance," Mnuchin said.

Foreclosure concerns still vex nominee

While Mnuchin appeared to emerge from the hearing largely unscathed, Democrats as expected kept up their criticism of OneWest's foreclosure activity under his watch during the five-hour-plus hearing. Indeed, OneWest's track record on foreclosures was the elephant in the room. The criticism was only bolstered by reports that Mnuchin had to revise financial disclosures to add mention of previously unreported assets as well as offshore accounts.

But Mnuchin took objection to the characterization of OneWest as a "foreclosure machine."

"Nothing could be further from the truth," he said.

Mnuchin said oftentimes his hands were tied when it came to foreclosing on a borrower or offering a mortgage modification. He said OneWest opted into an Obama administration mortgage modification program known as the Home Affordable Modification Program where it was required to do an economic test to determine whether foreclosing or providing a mortgage modification would result in a higher return.

"To the extent that the net present value was higher on foreclosing, we unfortunately had to follow the HAMP rules or we would have been severely penalized," said Mnuchin.

John Heltman contributed to this article.
Barbara Berry

CALIFORNIA

BURLINGAME

ComplianceEase has promoted Dan Smith from vice president of national sales to senior vice president of sales.

Smith, who joined the company in 2005 as a sales director, has more than 20 years of experience.

Prior to ComplianceEase, he was a lead product consultant at Fiserv where he managed a support and consulting team.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

WASHINGTON

The Mortgage Bankers Association announced that Rick Arvielo, CEO of New American Funding, was appointed chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association Political Action Committee for the 2017-2018 election cycle.

Arvielo succeeds Jamie Korus who served as MORPAC chairman for the 2015-2016 election cycle.

Arvielo also sits on both the steering committee for the Mortgage Action Alliance Committee and the Residential Board of Governors.

FLORIDA

ORLANDO

HFF has appointed Michael Weinberg to senior managing director and co-head of the firm's Orlando office alongside senior managing director Brad Peterson.

Weinberg has 12 years of experience in commercial real estate and focuses primarily on debt and equity placement transactions across all major property types.

He joined HFF's Miami office in 2010, where he and Peterson focused on cultivating new business in the Orlando and Central Florida markets.

MARYLAND

BETHESDA

Walker & Dunlop Inc. said that Thomas Sigrist and Brad Burns have joined the company as senior vice presidents in its FHA finance group.

Based out of the company's Phoenix office, Sigrist and Burns will be responsible for originating loans through the Department of Housing and Urban Development for all multifamily and health care transaction types.

They join Walker & Dunlop from Berkadia Commercial Mortgage where Sigrist had been responsible for HUD lending since 1989 and Burns since 2010.

NEVADA

LAS VEGAS

Alterra Home Loans has added Rene Rodriguez to its senior management team as its new chief learning officer.

He brings to the firm a background in mortgage technology, having formerly founded and served as CEO of BetterLoanOfficer.com.

Prior to that, Rodriguez was CEO of Mortgage Dashboard.

OKLAHOMA

TULSA

Gateway Mortgage Group has hired Barbara Burton as a regional sales manager.

She will serve existing and prospective clients in Southern California and Arizona.

Burton has over 15 years of experience in correspondent sales and prior to joining Gateway, she has worked with JPMorgan Chase, Macquarie USA, Impac Mortgage and Ditech Financial.

TEXAS

DALLAS

CalyxSoftware said that Patrice Power has joined the company as director of marketing.

Power brings more than 30 years of brand marketing and management experience to Calyx.

Most recently, she was senior vice president of marketing at LenderLive, a domestic-based mortgage services provider.

Are you a mortgage professional who recently changed jobs? Let us know! Send your announcement and photo (if available) to Glenn McCullom at glenn.mccullom@sourcemedia.com.
At the invitation of the Kuwaiti authorities, the North Atlantic Council (NAC) chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will visit Kuwait on 23 and 24 January 2017.

On 24 January, the Secretary General and NATO Ambassadors will attend an inauguration ceremony at the NATO Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) Regional Centre in Kuwait City, under the patronage of the Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

During his visit, Mr. Stoltenberg will have meetings with the Prime Minister, His Highness Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah and the President of the Kuwait National Security Bureau, His Excellency Sheikh Thamer Ali Al-Sabah.

A meeting of the North Atlantic Council with senior representatives of the four ICI partner countries will follow the ceremony, with the participation of the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council and representatives of the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Media Advisory

Tuesday, 24 January

10:30  11:30 (local time) Inauguration Ceremony with public speaking by NATO and Kuwaiti authorities

11:45 (local time) Meeting of the NAC with public opening remarks of the Secretary General and the First Deputy Prime Minister / Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al- Sabah

15:15 (local time) Secretary General Joint press conference with the First Deputy Prime Minister / Minister of Foreign Affairs His Excellency Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah

These events will be streamed live on the NATO website.

Still and video images of the various events and meetings will be available on the NATO website afterwards.

For after event video footage, please contact content@natochannel.tv

Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress and @jensstoltenberg)

For more information, please contact the NATO Press Service: +32 707 5041.
On behalf of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, I congratulate Donald J. Trump on his inauguration as the 45th President of the United States of America.

The United States has played a leading role in NATO since its founding in Washington in 1949, and continues to demonstrate rock-solid commitment to our shared security today.

NATO is the most successful alliance in history, and its strength is as good for the United States as it is for Europe. I look forward to working closely with President Trump to reinforce our Alliance, to ensure that we continue to respond to evolving challenges, including terrorism, with fairer burden-sharing among Allies.

I look forward to welcoming President Trump to his first NATO Summit in Brussels later this year.
The end of 2016 saw the NATO Archives fully implicated with events commemorating the 60th anniversary of one of the most important texts in the history of the Alliance. Approved by the North Atlantic Council on 13 December 1956, the Report on Non-Military Cooperation in NATO is a landmark document whose principle recommendations laid the foundation for NATOs evolution toward increased political consultation amongst its Allies.

The report was the result of a collaborative authorship between Lester B. Pearson, Gaetano Martino, and Halvard Lange, the three Foreign Ministers of Canada, Italy and Norway, respectively, who were tasked in May 1956 to advise the North Atlantic Council on ways and means to improve and extend NATO cooperation in non-military fields and to develop greater unity within the Atlantic Community. Collectively and affectionately known as NATOs Three Wise Men, they conducted bilateral interviews and sent out questionnaires to all 15 NATO Allies to investigate how the Alliances security policy could be broadened with non-military tools. The recommendations that emerged from the report, emphasizing political, economic, cultural, and scientific cooperation amongst member countries, would have long-lasting implications for NATO that continue to resonate today.

On 30 November 2016, the NATO Archives celebrated the anniversary of the report during the meeting of the Archives Committee at NATO HQ with the launch of an exhibition showcasing a unique collection of publicly disclosed archival documents and photos related to the work of the Three Wise Men. All of this material was selected and arranged to illuminate the historical and political contexts that surrounded the drafting of the famous report. The exhibition, opened by Wayne Bush (Assistant Secretary General for Executive Management) with closing remarks by Ambassador Tacan Ildem (Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy), also featured a unique gathering of special guests to introduce the authors of the report. The Permanent Representatives to NATO of Canada (Ambassador Kerry Buck), Italy (Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero) and Norway (Ambassador Knut Hauge) each delivered biographical overviews of their countrys respective Wise Man to highlight not only the importance of their work on the report, but also to illuminate their distinguished political careers.

The following week, the NATO Archives Three Wise Men exhibition was incorporated into the preparations for the Foreign Ministers meeting at NATO HQ that took place on 6-7 December 2016. Installed in the main conference hall, the exhibition served as a potent reminder of the historical and continuing importance of political consultation during the Ministerial meeting. To punctuate this bridging of the past with the present, the exhibitions central image of the Three Wise Men in repose was used as the backdrop for an extraordinary photo session with the then-current Foreign Ministers of Canada (Stephane Dion), Italy (Paolo Gentiloni) and Norway (Brge Brende) as they sat in identical poses as their predecessors.

Finally, the Three Wise Men exhibition provided the historical documentation support for Euro-Atlantic Security: More Than Just a Military Matter, a special event presented by Carnegie Europe that focused on the contemporary relevance of the report on its 60th anniversary. Held at Norway House in Brussels, Belgium on 13 December 2016 (the actual anniversary date of the report), this high profile event gathered NATO diplomats, European Union officials, think tank representatives and members of the international press for a lively symposium that included a keynote address by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and a panel discussion revolving around a new paper written by Carnegie Europes Judy Dempsey entitled From Suez to Syria: Why NATO Must Strengthen its Political Role. The event also featured closing remarks delivered by NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, who graciously acknowledged the NATO Archives for helping to pull together historical information to enlighten and strengthen our discussions throughout these commemorative events. Her final words of gratitude held particular significance for the NATO Archives, as she concluded by recognizing the importance of archivists not only for recollection and history but also bringing a new generation along in what they need to learn about national security.
(Natural News) There have been quiet rumblings of the potential of an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump since he started picking up steam in the presidential primaries. While most of this appeared to just be poor humor, speculation and the ramblings of radical lunatics, with Trumps inauguration quickly approaching, it is time for the authorities to start taking these kinds of threats a lot more seriously.

The most recent example of this has been the case of Dominic Puopolo, a reportedly homeless man whose family has close ties with the Clintons. 51-year-old Puopolo posted a video on Twitter where he threatened to murder the president-elect. He was apprehended shortly thereafter when police officers found him at a Subway restaurant in Miami, Florida. Despite the fact that many in the mainstream media claim that Puopolo is just some mentally deranged lunatic, that doesnt appear to be the case  at least not in the traditional sense.

Gabriel Samuels of The Independent reports, 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.

So this man is sane enough to be walking around freely among the rest of us, but he also believes that it is acceptable to threaten to assassinate the future president of the United States. There is no reason at all for this to be the case, and one can only imagine how different the reaction would be if it were someone threatening to kill Barack Obama. Nobody should get off scot-free if they threaten to kill a high-ranking political figure  or anyone, for that matter  it shouldnt matter who it is.

This sets a dangerous precedent all around. It poses the idea that people can be sane enough to avoid being placed in a mental facility, but not sane enough to know between right and wrong. If someone doesnt comprehend the dangers of threatening the president of the United States, how is it a good idea for them to be walking among us? This is truly leftist logic in every sense.

While Puopolo should be punished like anyone else, the fact that his family has such close ties to the Clintons is a major red flag as well. This news does nothing but inspire those who bought into the Pizzagate story to back up their claims of deep-seeded political corruption leading all the way to the White House. If the Regressive Left wants to change its reputation, they need to start holding the madmen on their side responsible for their actions.

Every member of the Democratic Party should be doing everything they possibly can to denounce Puopolo and his motives instead of trying to ignore this story altogether. Donald Trumps victory in the presidential election proves that the United States is prepared for change and that it is time for all of us to join forces and fight for the greater good. A lot of that starts with pointing out political corruption and exposing things for how they really are. These are not partisan issues and should not be treated as such. Its time for both liberals and conservatives to come together and start acting like civilized human beings again.

If we really want to avoid a full-scale societal collapse, this is the only way. It is time for us to get to work and change the direction of our country. Now more than ever, we need more sanity and less absurdity. (RELATED: Follow more developments of the new Trump administration at Whitehouse.news)

Sources:

ZeroHedge.com

Independent.co.uk

TMZ.com
(Natural News) Following the presidential election in November, the freaked-out mainstream media invented a narrative that scores of alternative news sites published a number of fake news reports fed to them by Russian propagandists, this site included.

Since then, of course, many of those same outlets have continued to publish fake news or, at a minimum, push a fake narrative that they manufactured out of whole cloth, just to superimpose their Left-wing agenda onto the daily news cycle.

But one of the most heinous of all media crimes are when MSM outlets push made-up hate crimes that turn out to be nothing of the sort. And in fact, as we saw recently in Chicago, its very likely that pushing phony hate crimes stories is having the effect of causing the ill-informed to act out, believing its some sort of retribution largely against Caucasians that is justified.

One of the biggest recipients last year of hate crimes hoaxes was President-elect Donald Trump. To wit:

 Vote Trump black church arson: In the days before the Nov. 8 election, a historic African-American church in Greenville, Miss., was set on fire, gutting the institution making it a total loss. The alleged perpetrator even left a spray-painted message on the scorched brick: Vote Trump.

Well, thats proof that a white, angry, bigoted, racist Trump supporter was the culprit, right? Only it wasnt. In fact, as Bugout.news reported, the suspected arsonist was not only black but a member of the same church he allegedly burned up. And, we presume, not a Trump supporter.

 The lying hijab: A female college student from Lafayette, La., filed a complaint with local police claiming that two men attacked her and robbed her of her wallet and hijab, the head covering that Muslim women wear. She also claimed that they shouted racial slurs at her and that one of the alleged attackers was wearing a Donald Trump hat.

Didnt happen. In fact, the woman wound up facing criminal charges herself for filing a false report.

 Black woman harassed: A black womans story about how a group of white, male Trump supporters harassed her at a gas station in Delaware went viral after she posted the alleged incident on Facebook. Then police began investigating, then suddenly she deleted her post and recanted her story.

And police said, according to this report, she never even filed an official report.

 The gay Canadian: A gay filmmaker from Canada claimed that he was assaulted by a gaggle of Trump supporters on Election Day. He claimed that the attackers shouted abusive slurs at him earlier in the evening at a bar, before he was then beaten in a nearby alleyway. As evidence, he posted a bloodied picture of himself in an emergency room, saying the attackers smashed a beer bottle over his head and shouted a number of homosexual slurs.

Except that the whole story was a lie. The filmmaker, Chris Ball, never filed a police report, according to Santa Monica Police Department officials, and a police investigation revealed there was no record of Ball being treated at a local emergency room, as he claimed. So, with no official record of the assault by Trump supporters and no official hospital record, one can only assume this is a hoax as well.

 Trump supporters hate Muslims: Another alleged incident involving an 18-year-old Muslim woman, this time in New York City. She claimed that she was attacked by a trio of drunk males who screamed Donald Trump! and called her a f**king terrorist, admonishing her to get the hell out of the country. She said they tried to pull at her handbag and yank her hijab off of her head.

But not only was this a lie, it turns out she told it as an excuse to avoid the wrath of her parents for being late for curfew.

Side note: The Washington Post, itself one of the biggest creators of fake news, described her faked incident in this way:

The highly publicized incident bore many of the same hallmarks as scores of other anti-Islamic hate-crime incidents reported in the wake of Donald Trumps November victory in the presidential election.

Scores? Since when?

 The Swastika hoax: Weve been told repeatedly throughout the campaign that Trump and his supporters were Nazis, so it only figures a couple of those knuckleheads would act like Nazis at some point, right?

Two Northwestern University freshmen were accused of spray-painting racist, homophobic graffiti, along with Trumps name, inside the universitys chapel, accompanied by some other derogatory things defacing photos of Muslim students and the word God.

The obvious implication was that the graffiti was intended to make it seem as though the accused were Trump supporters, even though news stories do not specifically state this. But thats the only reasonable explanation for why the two students would even mention our new president.

 Hateful notes [not]: When Taylor Volk, a North Park University student, claimed she was receiving hateful notes and emails containing threatening language and mentions of support for Trump, school officials investigated.

The found nothing. In fact, they discovered that those threats were fabricated.

 Trump hates Latinos too: Anti-Latino graffiti at Elon University stating, Bye Bye Latinos Hasta La Vista, was actually spray-painted by a Latino student, who later tried to claim it was all just a joke. And of course, the mainstream media jumped right on the story before looking into its veracity. As usual.

 But he LOVES the KKK: Police said that a black man faked a hate crime, then set his girlfriends car on fire and staged his own kidnapping, using his own blood to write KKK and Trump in a bid to throw detectives off the trail of his deceit.

 Rock-ing it for Trump: A black, female student attending Bowling Green State University said that white male students wearing Trump shirts launched rocks at her and yelled the typical racial slurs that you hear about the day after Trump won the election. But, as police found out, she wasnt even in the location she claimed to be in, and she regularly changed her story.

 Hillary Clinton gets involved: After three black students claimed to have been attacked by some white guys on a bus, a number of protests broke out and there was outrage expressed all over social media and their campus, the University of Albany. The alleged incident even earned a shout-out tweet from Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Uh, but in reality, the three black students were the aggressors, and teamed up to harass a 19-year-old white female.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for Natural News and News Target, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources:

NaturalNews.com

MediaFactWatch.com

TheNationalSentinel.com

Bugout.news

WWLTV.com

WashingtonPost.com

ChicagoTribune.com

NYTimes.com
Friday, January 20, 2017 by: JD Heyes Tags: This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) Without question President Donald J. Trump is shaking up the establishment in Washington, D.C.including the media, academia, politics and the legalized bribery that takes place under the guise of lobbying and campaign contributions.

For example, Trump is the only president in modern history to show any interest at all in taking on Big Pharma in his bid to truly reform health care. Hes a billionaire, mind you, so hes not worried about how hes going to afford his next prescription or pay his monthly health premium (though well be paying for it soon as taxpayers). But he seems to know instinctively that ordinary Americans are having difficulty paying for coverage and prescription medications.

But its not just ordinary folks pleased with Trumps intention to take on the pharmaceutical industry; some health care providers are, too. And they say such reforms are long overdue. [RELATED: Stay current with the travails and pitfalls of modern health care at Medicine.news]

Writing at FoxNews.com, Dr. Kevin Campbell, assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of North Carolina and President, K-Roc Consulting LLC, said such changes are needed to curb drug makers greed.

Health care reform has been a big part of the election of 2016. While the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare) has taken center stage, many have wondered what may happen to the pharmaceutical and medical device industries under a Trump presidency. [During Trumps first press conference], President-elect Trump made the answer quite clear  no more price gouging, Campbell wrote.

Continuing, he said Americans have been treated to massive price increases over the past year of very common, long-accessible drugs like the Epipen manufactured by Mylan. This company and its CEO, Heather Bresch, are only one example of price gouging, fixing and collusion among the various Big Pharma companies.

Several other medications are also skyrocketing, Campbell said, without any real reason or explanation given. At the same time drugs are going up hundreds of percent, CEO salaries are also increasing exponentially. Coincidence?

While there have been countless cases of inflated drug prices in recent months, a precedent was established by drug giant Pfizer in late 2016, when the company was fined by Britains National Health Service 85 million pounds (about $102.4 million) for unfairly raising the price of an old, well-established medication for the treatment of epilepsy by 2,400 percent.

It is clear that price gouging is not limited to newly developed or expensive biologic/designer drugseven the price of insulin (which has been around for decades) has gone up nearly 200 percent, Campbell wrote. Patients need it and many other drugs daily just to stay alive.

But during his press conference, Trump took direct aim at Big Pharma, making it very clear that he intends to take new steps to rein in the pharmaceutical industry because they are getting away with murder.

Theres no question thats true. With an army of lobbyists and lawyers, Big Pharma has bought or negotiated its way into Congress and the federal agencies that are supposed to be looking after the people. [RELATED: Trump will also take on the vaccine lobby, stay informed at Vaccines.news]

For one, Trump said he will seek to allow Medicare to immediately begin negotiating drug prices, and that no longer will government entitlement programs be forced to pay whatever pharmaceutical companies ask. Since Uncle Sam is the biggest buyer of health care in America, that one policy change alone should save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars a year.

The president-elect also said that the pharmaceutical lobby has been a very dominant force in Washington, and that the focus has been on keeping prices (and profits) high . No one understands the need for profits better than a billionaire businessman-turned president, but he also understands how difficult Obamacare has made it for Americans to afford their health care and medications (what the Affordable Care Act was supposed to do).

It appears the President-elect will take quick steps to address the growing national crisis of drug costs, Campbell wrote.

The physician academic noted that, while Americans pay much more for prescription medications than any other developed nation (blame lobbyist influence in part), he also understands that the U.S. bears the cost of research for the rest of the world. But, while it is critical to innovation that we reward new developments, we must create limits to how much (and for how long) drug makers can charge exorbitant prices.

Sources:

FoxNews.com

Medicine.news
(Natural News) It is becoming clearer and clearer why the Big Pharma-owned corporations and crooks wanted so badly for Hillary Clinton to be elected president. She was and is a shill for their chemicals and President-elect Donald Trump could very well be the antithesis of such. In recent years, there has not been a single presidential candidate aside from Trump to stand up to the pharmaceutical industry, but that is exactly what he has done.

By merely speaking out against Big Pharma, President Donald J. Trump has completely changed the tide. Shortly after an interview with the Washington Post in which Trump criticized the industry, Big Pharma lost almost $25 billion in the span of twenty minutes. Should Trump continue that trend, it is very possible that the empire could crumble. Considering how obvious it is that Trump hates Big Pharma, that could happen sooner rather than later.

At a press conference, President-elect Trump stated, Our drug industry has been disastrous. Theyre leaving left and right. They supply our drugs but they dont make them here, to a large extent. And the other thing we have to do is create new bidding procedures for the drug industry, because theyre getting away with murder. Pharma has a lot of lobbies, a lot of lobbyists, a lot of power. Trump went on to explain that theres very little bidding on drugs. Were the largest buyer of drugs in the world, and yet we dont bid properly. Were going to start bidding. Were going to save billions of dollars over a period of time.

For those who have already convinced themselves that Donald Trump is a complete bust that will destroy the United States as we know it, take a look at how he could potentially destroy Big Pharmas stranglehold and reconsider your position. He has his flaws, certainly, but there is no denying the fact that he has been the only politician in his position to have the bravery to take on the pharmaceutical industry head-on. (RELATED: See more news about Big Pharmas profiteering and fraudulent drug marketing at Medicine.news)

Donald Trump has promised that he is going to make America great again and one of the easiest ways to do that is by making America significantly healthier. By sucking the obscene profits out of Big Pharma, Trump would make significant strides to damage the opioid and pharmaceutical addictions that are causing problems throughout the United States, despite not receiving much coverage from the mainstream media.

One of the biggest issues facing our country today is the apparent lack of concern over physical and mental health. They are constantly swept under the rug and disregarded as being no big deal or a personal problem. If we, as a collective, want our country to prosper, then we have to look at exactly why these issues exist. While there is quite a bit of personal responsibility there, the lack of transparency regarding pharmaceutical drugs is what leads to many people becoming addicted to them without ever realizing that such a fate was even a possibility.

While Trump is certainly leading the fight against Big Pharma, it is up to us everyday citizens to ensure that we do our part as well. Now that the corruption within the industry is finally receiving mainstream media thanks to the president-elects comments, it is easier than ever to speak out against the dangers caused by those peddling addictive chemicals to unsuspecting Americans. Now is the time to fight back  so what are we waiting for? (Follow more news about Big Pharma at Natural News.)

Sources:

Fortune.com

Fool.com

Breitbart.com
(Natural News) In the wake of Democratic nominee Hillary Clintons second loss in seeking the presidency, the mainstream media blamed it not on her poor candidacy but instead on a rash of fake news published by independent alternative media sites that were being fed Russian propaganda, including our site.

Even though the original perpetrator of that hoax, The Washington Post, later published a sort of-kind of retraction, social media and major news aggregator Google, along with Facebook, announced they would no longer publish fake newsthat is, news that their editors simply dont like because they are opposed ideologically to the news site and/or media company publishing the story.

So, Google is against fake newsbut you can still find plenty of fake news stories in Google News feeds, so what gives? [RELATED: Keep up with all the Google- and Facebook-censored news at Censored.news]

For instance, a recent search of Google News using the phrase Russian hacking U.S. election turned up hundreds of stories from so-called mainstream media sources reporting as fact that the Russian government hacked the November elections, via stealing data from the Democratic National Committee and handing it to WikiLeaks to influence the election in favor of President-elect Donald J. Trump.

Two problems with those claims, which have also been made by the Obama administration using the assessment of careerist bureaucrats in the intelligence community:

1) They are completely unproven and unsubstantiated, and;

2) Even today the intelligence community, Democrats and the White House admit there is no way to tell if the leaked damaging information (which no one has denied is true) had any effect whatsoever on the election outcome.

But you find stories like this all over Google News feeds, and on news feeds picked up and distributed by Facebook. (RELATED: See more examples of fake news from the left-wing media at MediaFactWatch.com)

There are other examples, including the recent fake news involving bogus, fabricated charges that Russia backed Trump because Moscow has incriminating evidence against him, including of a perverted sexual natureagain, completely unproven. In fact, these chargescontained in a 35-page dossierhave been floating around media newsrooms for months, and no one would touch them until CNN did, followed quickly by Buzzfeed, which published the entire dossier.

The Washington Post has become nothing more than a fake news operation, shilling for and protecting Left-wing Democrats, as Mark Dice notes in his own special way in this video:

The hack establishment media is not interested in fairness. Its not interested in informing. Its not interested in unbiased reporting. And, until Republicans came to power again in the White House, was not interested in holding the administration to account. But there are solutions for those who crave honesty, truth in reporting, freedom from censorship and news information they can trust.

Censored.news is a news aggregation site listing alternative media sources that are quickly becoming the new mainstream media. The news sites listed here are likely to be among those soon to be targeted by Google, Facebook and other Left-wing aggregators not because they produce fake news, but because the regularly publish truths and facts the Left finds inconvenient. Rather than debate on the merit of ideas, Google and Facebook would rather censor and ban facts they dont like.

As for sharing news, information and ideas without having to worry about the heavy hand of censorship, Share.NaturalNews.com is a growing Internet social community of like-minded individuals who cherish freedom, liberty, and above all, real freedom of speech and expression. Join today by clicking here [Full disclosure: Ive already joined!]

Finally, to complete the freedom of expression and speech circle, search for your information via independent, non-corporate owned alternative media at GoodGopher.com, which protects your privacy and refuses to allow any links to the establishment media, the real purveyors of fake news. [RELATED: Stay up to date on all the fake news revelations at NewsFakes.com]

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for Natural News and News Target, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources:

NaturalNews.com

Freedom.news

TheNationalSentinel.com
Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.
There appears to be a private clinic where people can pay $8,000 so their veins could be pumped with blood plasma from teenagers and young adults. This is courtesy of Jesse Karmazin, the entrepreneur who, with his startup Ambrosia, wants to utilize the potential of "young blood."



According to Business Insider, Karmazin says that within a month, most participants will "see improvements" from the one-time infusion of a two-liter bagful of plasma, which is blood with the blood cells removed.



Clinicians say Karmazin's trial appears to be "so poorly designed" it cannot hope to provide evidence about the effects of the transfusions. Some say the pay-to-participate study, with the potential to collect up to $4.8 million from as many as 600 participants, may even be a scam.



What's certain is that it's based on some intriguing science. Karmazin, a 32-year-old Princeton graduate, says he's inspired by studies on mice that researchers had "sewn" together, with their veins conjoined in a procedure called parabiosis.



Such studies offered clues that certain hallmarks of aging can be reversed or even be accelerated when old mice get blood from young ones. For instance, an influential 2013 paper in the journal Cell showed that a particular component in young blood, GDF11, increased muscle strength. However, others can't replicate the findings.



Meanwhile, there is some potential in young blood to treat diseases. For instance, one test sponsored by the University of California, San Francisco, is examining the effects of transfusions in patients with a degenerative disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy.



In 2014, Stanford University researchers demonstrated that old mice had increased neuron growth and improved memory after about 10 infusions of blood from young mice. However, like other researchers and bioethicists, the Ambrosia trial may be funded by participants and not investors.



Karmazin shares none of this hesitancy. He said the animal and retrospective data is compelling in itself and he wants the treatment to be available to other people. Karmazin also said his participants are seeing miraculous results. One of his 25 participants, a patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, "feels healthy for the first time" and "looks younger."



According to Technology Review, the formal goal of the study is to measure the effect of young plasma on about 100 biomarkers. Before the infusion, and one month after, all participants will have their blood analyzed for biomarkers that include everything from hemoglobin to leptin.



However, Irina Conboy, a professor at University of California, Berkeley, thinks the biomarker results will be meaningless, as there's no control arm with patients who don't get plasma. She also explained that biomarkers change for a lot of reasons as well. There's no evidence yet to suggest that an infusion of plasma from young to old animals reverses aging.
China has ordered a halt to over one hundred coal power plants as it attempts to improve their air quality, The National Energy Administration has announced.

The directive says: "The National Energy Board Electricity Division were issued letters of coal production scale of 13 provinces about "Thirteen Five." Involving a total of 85 coal projects require cessation or postponed, totaling 102.45 million kilowatts."

Eighteen facilities has already been suspended last year. The suspension was made in line with Beijing's commitment to a coal capacity cap of 1,100GW, as stated in the electricity chapter of the 13th Five Year Plan.

As per Science Alert, China's capacity would reach 1,250 GW, if the Chinese government has not put the brakes on the coal power plans on the 13 provinces.

Despite the cuts, China is still building far more capacity than it needs. Three times the total coal-fired capacity in the United States and more than the entire coal-fired capacity of Germany, New York Times said.



Aside from cutting down on air pollution, the suspension is also aimed at boosting their renewable energy investment.

The National Energy Administration previously announced that it would spend 2.5 trillion yuan ($361 billion) into renewable power generation, including wind, hydro, solar and nuclear power, by 2020. According to The Independent, it will generate over 13 million jobs in the sector.

Meanwhile, Green Peace reported that this bold move of China has challenged their economy as the country's coal industry remains to be the major source of employment and GDP. The cancelled plans were worth about 430 billion yuan (US$62 billion).



It also weakens the already struggling coal markets.

"Weaker demand for coal inside China could ultimately lead to higher exports, which would exacerbate the huge supplies of coal sloshing around global markets. The higher supplies could drive down global benchmark prices and hit the bottom lines of major U.S. and international coal producers," Wall Street Journal reports.
The French Polynesia has signed a memorandum of understanding with California's Seasteading Institute in San Francisco on Friday, which is aimed at building the world's first autonomous floating city.

According to the institute's page, the executive director Randolph Hencken supposes that the seasteading offers a solution to create new, resilient territory, as parts of the French Polynesia is currently facing threats of disappearance due to its low-lying nature. It is also seen as a tool for climate change adaptation.

Science Alert said that if ocean levels continue to rise at their current rate, French Polynesia could lose up to two-thirds of its land to the sea. While the developers have already laid out the impressive plan, further investigations are yet to be conducted to determine its environmental and economic impact.

"What we're interested in is societal choice and having a location where we can try things that haven't been tried before. I don't think it will be that dramatically radical in the first renditions," Hencknen told ABC News. "We were looking for sheltered waters, we don't want to be out in the open ocean -- it's technologically possible but economically outrageous to afford."

Hencken also discussed about designing a cost-effective reef break made from floating platforms that could provide a solution from the rising ocean levels in French Polynesia. He said that they're willing to working with the government, provided that they're open to the idea.

The floating island will start small but will be self-sufficient as basic facility will be made available on the island itself. The MoU stipulates that the plans will be incorporated into draft legislation. If passed by the end of 2018, construction can start some time in 2019.
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has released a new warning that alerts pet owners, veterinarians, health care providers and pharmacists of the potential danger of skin cancer cream exposure to pets.

The new warning was made after the FDA received reports of five dogs that became ill and died after accidentally ingesting the topical cancer medication Fluorouracil Cream USP 5% (5-FU.).

According to the report from CNN, Fluorouracil Cream is considered by the World Health Organization as "essential medicine," which means it is one of the drugs that every health care system should readily have to treat common conditions. Often marketed under the brand names Carac, Effudex and Fluoroplex, Fluorouracil Cream is intended to be used only for humans.

One of the reported cases, two dogs was playing with a tube of Fluorouracil Cream and one accidentally punctured the tube before their owner could retrieve it. The dog that punctured the tube quickly experience vomiting and seizures within two hours. After 12 hours, the dog died.

In another case a dog found its owner's tube of Fluorouracil and ingested its contents. The owner soon realized that the dog was exposed to the cream and quickly rushed him to the veterinarian. The dog was treated by the vet. However, the dog's condition continues to decline over three days and was ultimately needed to be euthanized.

Despite not receiving of any reports involving cats, the FDA warns that cats could have the same response to the Fluorouracil Cream as the dogs. Officials warn that cats may touch areas where their owners applied the cream, which could result to possible ingestion when the cat is grooming itself.

Out of abundant of caution, FDA advises pet owners to store all drugs and medications safely out of their pets reach. Any cloth or applicator should be safely discarded of cleaned. Additionally, pet owners should make sure that there are no residues of the medication on their hands, clothing, carpeting and furniture.

Health care providers and pharmacists are being advised to tell the patients with pets in their home regarding the dangers of such medications.


During a panel at the World Economic Forum Davos, Switzerland, billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates urged governments and private organizations should start talking about the potential danger and damage of a bioterrorism attack.

Speaking about the dangers of both intentional and natural epidemics, Gates urged others to make substantial investments to prevent any act of bioterrorism from happening.

"What preparedness will look like for intentionally caused things, that need to be discussed," said Gates, as reported by Business Times. "It's very hard to rate the probability of bioterrorism, but the potential damage is very, very huge."

Bioterrorism is the act of using biological weapons, such as epidemics or genetic disorders, to intentionally kill or spread terror. Gates commented that an epidemic, either human-induced or naturally caused, could result to at least 10,000 excess deaths.

Gates has previously voiced out his concerns regarding the danger of bioterrorism. In the "Ask Me Anything" session of Reddit last year, Gates shared his concerns on how officials and researchers prevent a small group of terrorist from using biological means to kill millions of people.

"If Government does their best work they have a good chance of detecting it and stopping it but I don't think it is getting enough attention and I know I can't solve it," Gates shared during the Ask Me Anything session.

Bill Gates has been known as great contributor when it comes to financially assisting research regarding epidemics. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, together with governments of Japan, Germany and Norway and the Wellcome Trust, have initially invested $460 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). The main focus of CEPI is to prevent future epidemics by creating vaccines that could stop disease outbreaks.

In a previous report from New Yorker, Sam Altman, the president of the Silicon Valley startup accelerator program Y Combinator, seems to share the same concern as Gates. During his interview with Tad Friend, Altman shared that chance of a lethal synthetic virus being released in the next 20 years is non-zero.


This little girl just made history as the world's first three-parent baby conceived through a new and controversial type of in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique. Doctors helped deliver the infant to a previously infertile couple in Kiev, Ukraine last January 5, according to a report from BBC News.

The brand new method is dubbed a pronuclear transfer, which is slightly different from the technique used in the birth of the first "modern three-parent" child in Mexico last year.

The doctors in Kiev fertilized the mother's egg with her partner's sperm, then transferred the combined genes to a donor egg. This way, the baby gets the genes of the parents, plus a small amount of DNA from the donor.

The three-person IVF was conceptualized to help women with serious genetic disorders - specifically mitochondrial disease - conceive a baby without passing on their condition. However, the doctors in Kiev used the technique to help a couple who are infertile instead of one suffering from mitochondrial disease.

According to a report from CNN, this has led to some controversy among experts in the medical community. The gender of the baby is key to the debate, because girls can pass on the genetic modifications to her children. Boy babies with donor mitochondria cannot pass on their modifications because when the sperm combines with the egg, the male mitochondrion dies. Only the mitochondrion from the female's egg is left in the embryo.

"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," adjunct assistant professor at the University of Alberta School of Public Health Lori P. Knowles told CNN.

Dr. Valery Zukin, the director of the Nadiya Clinic for Reproductive Medicine where the controversial three-person IVF was performed, explained that their procedure did not produce a suitable male embryo. Upon discussing the matter with both the couple and a medical review board, they decided to continue with the procedure. There are no laws or restrictions prohibiting the use of this technique in Ukraine.
The spread of herpes globally has been merciless with 500 million people already suffering from genital herpes also known as herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2).

According to a report from Eurekalert, scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are working on a new type vaccine to combat the spread of this disease. It has already proved to be very powerful in trials with standard guinea pig and monkey models of HSV2 infection.

This so-called "trivalent" vaccine targets three different parts of the virus. Many recently-developed vaccines focus on attacking gD2, a glycoprotein that helps the virus get into host cells. The new vaccine is designed to activate antibodies against gD2, but also two other glycoproteins gC2 and gE2, which helps the virus survive longer in the cells.

"It's a novel strategy, and it works beautifully," Harvey M. Friedman, MD, senior investigator and professor of Infectious Diseases at Penn, said. "I know of no other HSV2 vaccine candidate with published results that are as promising as this study."

He explained, "In essence, we're stimulating the immune system to attack the virus and at the same time preventing the virus from using some of the tools it has to thwart that immune attack."

Animal trials were largely successful, exhibiting the potential power of the new vaccine. It sparked antibodies to act against the virus' glycoproteins in macaque monkeys. In a laboratory dish, the vaccine was also able to neutralize the spread of HSV from one cell to another, plus caused an increase in the cells that mobilize antibodies. When the team tested the vaccine on guinea pigs, they found that the creatures were almost completely protected from genital lesions.

"If found effective in clinical trials, the vaccine will have a huge impact on reducing the overall prevalence of genital herpes infections and could reduce new HIV infections as well, especially in high-burden regions of sub-Saharan Africa," lead author Sita Awasthi, PhD, said.

The team and pharmaceutical companies are now discussing moving onto initial clinical trials.

Developing a vaccine for herpes is important because of the disease's impact on public health globally. Aside from the alarming number of people with HSV2, infection also increases the likelihood of HIV transmission. It can also be harmful - even lethal - to the babies of infected mothers.

A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that HSV2 was highest in Africa, followed by the Americas. Much more women are infected with the disease, because transfer from men to women is more efficient than women to men.
As the United States on Friday ushers in a new era of power, people in the Bay Area took different approaches to welcoming in President Donald Trump. Or not.

Almost as soon as he took office, people donned purple coats and hats  a color that many say represents unity and also is the mixture of red and blue. And they lined up along portions of the Golden Gate Bridge's pedestrian and bike paths to form a human chain as part of a "peaceful demonstration and performance art piece," according to event organizers.

A crowd estimated at 3,500 formed a human chain along the east sidewalk of the Golden Gate Bridge Friday morning. Robert Handa reports.

The event, which began at 10 a.m., was not defined as a protest or a march, according to those spearheading the gesture. The stunt was simply designed to "promote love and positivity." In fact, one demonstrator was seen taking down an anti-Trump sign.

The Flint family from Cuptertino was among those preaching unity.

"I wanted my kids to see people can have a peaceful disagreement," Della Flint said. "We have the power to change things. It is not hopeless."

Hands Across the Golden Gate Bridge

While protesters and police in Washington D.C. clashed violently following the Trump's swearing in, demonstrations around the Bay Area remained fairly peaceful during the late morning and early afternoon hours.

A flock of protesters shortly after 8:30 a.m. illegally blocked Caltrain tracks near 16th Street. Less than two dozen people were arrested two hours later for failing to leave the area, police said.

Earlier Friday morning, protesters also blocked Uber's headquarters in San Francisco. They locked hands and walked down Market Street carrying signs that read "Uber collaborates with Trump."

As the United States on Friday ushers in a new era of power, people in the Bay Area took different approaches to welcoming in President Donald Trump. Or not. Jodi Hernandez and Christie Smith report.

Although not entirely targeting the nation's new president, protesters in San Francisco blasted Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick for being a "bad community actor that destroys good jobs in favor of precarious work, contributes to rising rents in Bay Area cities but does nothing to mitigate their impact," according to Sarah Nelson, a spokeswoman for the protest.

Nelson added that protesters are frustrated with Uber's backing of Trump.

"Together, (Kalanick) and Trump want to drive us off a cliff and we won't let them," Nelson said.

Uber responded with this statement: "As a company we're committed to working with government on issues that affect riders, drivers and the cities where we operate. Just as we worked with the Obama Administration, we'll work with the Trump Administration, too."

About 1,500 protesters marched through the streets of San Francisco late Friday. Police officers monitored the demonstration by walking with protesters.

Protesters took to the streets in Oakland throughout the day as well, carrying anti-Trump signs in the downtown area. Flocks of people meandered through city streets for several hours, prompting temporary street closures at times.

Claudia Arroyo held a sign in Spanish that said 'Respeta Mi Existencia or Espera Resistencia." In English, she said out loud to Trump: "If you don't accept our existence expect our resistance."

About 200 people marched through Oakland late Friday. There was no violence, but police report three people were arrested during the demonstration.
The rain was relentless on Friday morning, and the wet weather continued to cause problems throughout the day's entirety.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood watches for almost every Bay Area county, and heavy rains pounded the Bay Area, most heavily in the Santa Cruz mountains early in the morning. Ben Lomand, for example, reported receiving .94 inches in just one hour, the NWS reported.

Emilie Porter

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

The new rain also caused new problems for residents in the Santa Cruz Mountains, an area already saturated by heavy rains. Residents near the San Lorenzo River, which is expected to rise again, are on standby and ready to leave at a moment's notice.

"For Felton Grove, there's always this pooling and sort of flooding. But when the San Lorenzo comes up it gets more serious," resident Richard Shaffer said.

Shaffer is not taking any chances and has placed sandbags by his front door.

EAST BAY

In other parts of the Bay Area, water poured in, flooded roads and caused trees to fall in places such as Highway 13 in Oakland and into a home in San Carlos.

In the East Bay, widespread flooding could be seen on Alhambra Valley Road near Pinole, where an entire roadway gave way. Authorities said it could take a year for the road to reopen.

Last week's storm left more than $9 million in damages throughout Contra Costa County, prompting the county to declare a local emergency for the first time in more than a decade.

"That opens up avenues potentially for state and federal money to help with the recovery costs," said Julie Bueren, director of public works for Contra Costa County.

In the East Bay, widespread flooding could be seen on Alhambra Valley Road near Pinole, where an entire roadway gave way. Elyce Kirchner reports.

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING

Thunder and lightning also punctuated the skies.

Flashes were seen across the East Bay and in San Francisco. Emilie Porter, who lives in the Castro district, captured the rare image from her home. The strikes she captured on video turned the dark sky into a watercolor painting of light blue and purple. "We weren't scared," she said. "It was beautiful." She added, however, that her dog, Georgia, "was not a fan."

A line of thunderstorms also rumbled across the San Mateo coast, the National Weather Service reported.

HOLLISTER FLOODING

Just days after facing widespread flooding, the city of Hollister on Friday was forced to battle rising water once again. Rain water blanketed city roads and yards as people attempted to make their way through ankle-deep water.

Pacheco Creek on Friday could be seen flowing right through Lovers Lane in Hollister, prompting everyone on the street to be evacuated again.

San Benito County leaders said the levee that is on private property broke, which sent rainwater rushing down Lovers Lane.

Authorities said 21 people had to be rescued by a San Benito County Sheriff's Office water rescue team. Several farm animals were also in the process of being rescued late Friday.

The county has declared a local emergency.

There were more evacuations in Hollister Friday after a levee broke in the same creek that forced residents out of their homes last week. Damian Trujillo reports.
Sen. Dick Durbin said Thursday that while he disagrees with President-elect Donald Trump on many issues, he, unlike many of his colleagues, will still be standing by Trump's side as he is sworn in to serve as the 45th president of the United State Friday.

In a statement explaining his decision, a note titled "Why I Am Attending the Inauguration of Donald Trump," Durbin stated he stood as Ronald Reagan was sworn in for his second term, as George W. Bush was sworn in for his second inauguration and as Barack Obama was sworn in for both his terms.

My presence is an acknowledgement that once again America has achieved what so many nations have failed to do: peacefully transition to new leadership, Durbin said in a statement. Absent clear and convincing evidence that the new president was not legitimately chosen, it is critical to a democracy that those who lose the election acknowledge the choice of the American electorate.

In his statement, Durbin pointed to Russian efforts to undermine the 2016 presidential election. Earlier this month, U.S. intelligence agencies assessed that the Russian government aspired to aid Trumps candidacy. Durbin and Democratic members of the Senate judiciary Committee sent a letter Tuesday urging Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trumps nominee for attorney general, to allow Russian hacking investigations to proceed.

Durbin also defended Civil Rights icon and Georgia Rep. John Lewis, who last week questioned the legitimacy of Trumps election based on Russian hacking allegations. In response, Trump shot back on Twitter, claiming Lewis is "all talk" and "no action." Durbin called Trump's attacks against Lewis "repulsive."

John Lewis paid in blood on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, for his right to his beliefs on the legitimacy of Donald Trumps presidency, Durbin said. I will honor John Lewis by pledging to fight for the civil rights of Americans every minute of this new administration.

Additionally, Durbin criticized the anachronistic electoral college, which he has pushed to change. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes in November, but lost the electoral college by a wide margin.

Still, Durbin claimed he would attend Fridays inauguration out of respect for the Constitution and the presidency.

As President Trump lifts his hand from the Bible, I will then accept my Constitutional responsibility to support him when he is right and oppose him with every fiber of my being when he is wrong, Durbin said.
Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama asked supporters Friday for insight on the upcoming Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.

More than a library or museum, it will be a living, working center for citizenship, Obama said in a YouTube video. Thats why we want to hear from you. Tell us what you want this project to be and tell us whats on your mind.

The former president also stressed the importance of the democratic process during the two-minute video, claiming "true democracy is a project that's much bigger than any one of us."

Jackson Park was formally chosen as the location for the Obama Presidential Center in August. The Obamas lived in Chicagos Hyde Park neighborhood before relocating to the White House.

In the video, Michelle Obama urged American to send ideas, hopes and beliefs about what we can achieve together with the facility.

Tell us about the young leaders and companies and organizations that inspire you, she said. This will be your presidential center just as much as it is ours.

So, we want you to tell us what we should be thinking about as we get to work, the former first lady added.

You can share your ideas for the Obama Presidential Center here.
In heartfelt pleas, former Governor Rod Blagojevichs daughters begged President Barack Obama to free their father from Federal Prison.

Those pleas fell on deaf ears as Blagojevichs name was not on the final list of commutations released by the White House Thursday.

My dad has always been an amazing father, Amy Blagojevich wrote the president, as part of the former governors clemency petition last November. I am pleading to you to let my father return home to us.

Blagojevich's wife shared the letters after learning the news Thursday, saying "maybe [the president] never saw them, so I'm posting them here."

In her letter, Blagojevichs younger daughter Annie told the president she barely remembers what it was like to have her father at home.

I dont really understand all the legal stuff, she wrote. I just know that for a while we were really happy, and then all of a sudden my whole life fell apart.

For her part, Patti Blagojevich expressed disappointment that her husbands name was not on the final list of 330 commutations.

This is so hard on my girls, she wrote in a Facebook post. Even though I try to tell them not to get their hopes up, it is still crushing.

Blagojevich has served five years of a 14 year sentence. He is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Center in Englewood, Colorado.

What has happened to my dad and to my family is not something that I would wish on my worst enemy, Amy wrote. I am pleading for you to let my father return home to us."

The older Blagojevich daughter, a student at Northwestern University, noted that her father was arrested when her little sister was just five years old.

He doesnt belong in jail, she said. And if the law did, in fact, back up the federal prosecutors, he definitely doesnt belong in there for the 14 years he was sentenced toor 12 for good behavior. So please Mr. President, please let him come home to take care of his family.
Gov. Bruce Rauner and top Illinois Republicans are trying again to sell and demolish Chicagos James R. Thompson Center, according to Crains Chicago Business.

Sen. Christine Radogno and Rep. Jim Durkin, the states ranking Republicans, are reportedly introducing legislation that would allow the state to sell the massive Thompson Center and move state workers to leased space elsewhere. Rauners plan requires legislation to begin the formal process of seeking a sale of the enormous government building, according to the report.

In 2015, Rauner announced plans to try to sell the building to a developer that would likely demolish the Thompson Center and replace it with one or more structures. Nevertheless, the Democrat-controlled legislature never voted on that effort.

According to Crains, the states Department of Central Management Services estimates the sale would generate net proceeds of $220 million and would prevent the state from addressing $326 million in deferred maintenance on the building. Additionally, the sale could generate $45 million in property taxes for Chicago, according to the governors office.

However, commercial real estate experts told Crains that the state would have a hard time getting even half of the estimated $220 million in a sale, citing extensive demolition and development costs.

A potential deal could also be complicated by the buildings location atop CTA train lines and the citys pedway system, according to the report. The state would also have to negotiate a buyout of the retail space in the building, which is currently controlled until at least 2034 by Boston-based Winthrop Realty Trust and Chicago-based Marc Realty.

Despite those complications, experts agree the Thompson Centers prime location in the Loop would likely attract strong interest from potential buyers who rarely see sites of that size become available downtown, Crains reports.

The GOP's new plan includes conceptual renderings of a redeveloped site. One rendering, created by Chicago architectural firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill architecture, envisions a 1,700-foot tower, which would become the citys smallest building. The firm also offered a more modest plan, according to the Crains report.
As crowd estimations for the Women's March on Chicago grow to more than 50,000, organizers have once again shifted the start location of the march and rally.

The new location for the Saturday morning rally and march will be on Columbus Drive near Jackson Drive, adjacent to the Petrillo Bandshell in Grant Park.

Marchers and attendees can enter the space via Balbo or Congress onto Columbus Drive.

The second location change comes just two days after organizers held a press conference to detail their plans for the event. Since then, crowd estimations have grown even higher, with more than 50,000 now expected to march.

The event was originally slated to be held at the Petrillo Bandshell, but was earlier moved to Jackson Boulevard and Lake Shore Drive "in order to protect Grant Park from damage, organizers said. The location was changed a second time on Thursday as attendane estimations spiked.

The demonstrators are expected to take to city streets after a morning rally, which will likely mean street closures in downtown Chicago Saturday as the group marches to 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.

"The incoming administration and president have promised an assault on womens rights, we are prepared to fight back," said organizer Ann Scholhamer.

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 marches nationwide are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people on Saturday.

Chicago police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on plans for security or potential traffic disruptions during the event.
Dennis Hastert wants his money back.

In a new motion filed in Kendall County Circuit Court, Hastert alleges that a young victim, identified previously as Individual A, breached their confidentiality agreement and should now be ordered to repay $1.7 million in hush money which the jailed former speaker had paid the man to conceal prior incidents of sexual abuse.

The case dates back to the seventies, when the now-grown man identified in court documents as James Doe says Hastert sexually molested him during a wrestling trip when he was 14 years old.

Doe said Hastert promised him $3.5 million to keep quiet about the incident. But after $1.7 million was paid, authorities began questioning the former speakers unusual bank withdrawals and the entire affair was uncovered. Hastert pled guilty to violating banking laws and is currently serving a 15 month sentence in a Minnesota prison.

The young victim sued Hastert for the balance of the hush money. But in the newest filing, Hasterts lawyers say Doe reneged on the deal, and should thus be required to return all payments he received.

Even as he denies that there ever was an enforceable contract between the two, Hastert says if the court does rule that there was a legal agreement, Doe should be found in breach of contract.

Plaintiff was obligated to keep the existence of the alleged agreement, along with its subject matter confidential, the motion states. Contrary to his obligations, Plaintiff disclosed both the existence and subject matter of the alleged agreement.

Doe has previously argued that he only disclosed the matter, when police approached him about Hasterts unusual withdrawals.

Late Thursday, his attorney Kristi Browne called Hasterts actions predictable.

Mr. Hastert has decided that rather than live up to his promise to compensate his victim for his molestation and resulting injury, he will ask his victim to pay him, she said. He admits to agreeing to make payments, but then denies that it is an agreement that he has to keep.
A young Bloomingdale police officer was killed in a car accident while on-duty Thursday night, officials said.

Around 9:30 p.m., 27-year-old officer Raymond Murrell was responding to a call about a possible retail theft in progress with multiple offenders when his unmarked SUV crashed into a pole near the intersection of Army Trail Road and Cardinal Avenue in the west suburb, police said.

Bloomingdale Police Chief Frank Giammarese said Murrell was a young officer with less than a year on the job, but that he made a big impact in his tragically short career in the force.

This is a horrible day for our department, Giammarese said.

The officer was extricated from the mangled SUV by Bloomingdale firefighters before being rushed to Adventist GlenOaks Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Murrells mother was out of state visiting friends at the time she was notified her son had been involved in the accident.

His father was with him at the hospital when he died, police said.

It was just a few months ago the 27-year-old received a commendation for saving the life of someone who was having a heart attack, Giammarese said.

He was a shining star, Giammarese said.

Giammarese said his heart goes out to Murrells loved ones as they continue the process of notifying all of his family members, adding again this is a horrible day for the department.

"We are hanging together, Giammarese said. It is a sad day for all of us.

The Bloomingdale Police Department changed their Facebook photo early Friday morning to pay tribute to the fallen officer, with quickly more than 100 comments and shares from the post expressing extreme sorrow and pain on the loss of Murrell.

One of those messages was from a man who said he was Murrell's uncle, Hector Lopez.

"Lord help me understand why you do what you do," Lopez wrote on Facebook with a photo of Murrell. "My Nephew was a good man. He had the bigest hart.[sic] He never harmed anyone. He only wanted to help. You took him from us way too soon. Now my heart is broken wide open. The pain is unbarable [sic]."

It was raining heavily at the time of the crash, leading authorities to believe that weather likely played a role. It is unknown how fast the SUV was going, but the vehicles emergency lights were on, Giammarese said.

An accident reconstruction scene was brought in Friday morning to investigate the exact cause of the fatal accident.
Stephen Lee of Buffalo Grove experienced the loss of his brother last June and found himself scrambling to cancel a family vacation. But instead of receiving a trip refund soon after the request went through, Lee said he waited months with no word on whether his money would be issued back to his credit card.

Lees brother, Mark, had battled melanoma for months. Still, the family remained optimistic due to reports that Marks treatments were working.

The last report we got prior to his death was he should last at least a couple weeks, so he did die much faster than they thought he would, Lee said.

Weeks earlier, Lee used Groupon to book his family a stay at Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. The reservation was scheduled for June 6 through June 9.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More

Mark passed away on June 3, shortly before Lee was set to hit the road to Wisconsin Dells. Lee said he contacted the resort to cancel his reservation in order to attend his brothers funeral.

They had said that I would have to contact Groupon, Lee recalled.

The fine print of the Groupon deal requires customers to provide a four day cancellation notice. Lee said he missed that window by a matter of hours. Still, Lee said Groupon eventually agreed to a refund.

A month came by and no credit showed up on the credit card bill, Lee said. Another month came by. So I basically never heard from Groupon again on it.

Lee contacted NBC 5 Responds last December. After NBC 5 Responds contacted Groupon to inquire about the refund delay, a Groupon spokesperson wrote back to say it had issued Lee a full refund.

Lee said Groupon credited him $545 and provided an additional $50 bonus to use with Groupon.

A resort spokesperson told NBC 5 Responds that due to the extenuating circumstance for the cancellation, the company granted Groupons request to refund the reservation on June 4 and again on June 10.

We cannot speak to the cause of the refund delay on Groupons end, the spokesperson wrote in an email to NBC 5 Responds.

Seven months after Marks passing, Lee said hes looking forward to scheduling a new family trip to Kalahari.
An off-duty Robbins police officer shot and killed a man on the Far South Side after the man possibly tried to rob him early Friday morning, according to Chicago Police.

An out-of-jurisdiction officer was in Chicago and was involved in some kind of altercation, Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Chicago Sun-Times.

The shooting occurred about 6:50 a.m. in the 12300 block of South Wallace, and the offender was dead at the scene, police said.

Additional details were not immediately available.

Check back for more on this developing story.
A Chicago police officer charged with first-degree murder for an off-duty shooting that left an unarmed 38-year-old man dead will be released after a judge Thursday set a $150,000 electronic monitoring bail.

The conditions of the release mean Officer Lowell Houser will need to post $15,000 bond or wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's office.

Houser was arrested and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Jose Nieves earlier this month following a criminal investigation, the state's attorney's office announced Wednesday.

"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.
Just hours after President Donald Trump was sworn into office, hundreds of protesters blocked traffic near Trump Tower following a march from Daley Plaza for a Resist Trump Chicago event.

Six people had been arrested by 9:30 p.m. Friday night, a police official said. Streets like Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive were intermittently shut down as demonstrators marched. A small group of demonstrators at one point began weaving through traffic on Lake Shore Drive.

"I think this is going to continue to grow as the night goes on," a protester said at Daley Plaza. "We're leaving here and we're going to Trump Tower, and the crowd will continue to get bigger, and I'm hoping this sends a message to our leaders in our government that we are not going to be quieted."

Chicago Police followed the crowd as it moved toward Trump Tower and into the streets, first blocking State Street and Wacker Drive.

Windows were smashed on at least one storefront on Michigan Avenue about 7:15 p.m.

As of Friday morning, a Facebook page dedicated to the event showed more than 2,000 said they planned to attend with another 7,800 interested in attending.

Organizers say the march has been endorsed by a number of groups including Black Lives Matter Chicago.

The Chicago event is one of many taking place nationwide Friday and into Saturday, with several womens marches slated to be held the day after Trumps inauguration.

Protests turned violent in downtown D.C. less than two hours before President Trump took office Friday. Three D.C. police officers were injured in a clash with a crowd of 100 to 200 protesters, who were mostly dressed in black.
Demonstrations turned violent in the nation's capital as protesters clashed with police, damaged vehicles, destroyed property and set small fires in a chaotic confrontation blocks from Donald Trump's inauguration Friday. At least 217 people were arrested.

The majority of the day's protests were peaceful, but police clad in riot gear faced off against hundreds of demonstrators downtown near 12th and K streets, about six blocks from where Trump would soon hold his inaugural parade, D.C. police said.

A limousine at 13th and K streets NW became engulfed in flames as demonstrators protested in the area near President Trumps inauguration parade.

Police charged with batons, pepper spray and concussion grenades to disperse crowds. MPD Interim Police Chief Peter Newsham denied claims his agency used tear gas on demonstrators, telling NBC Washington, "We have not deployed tear gas."

The 217 people arrested have been charged with rioting, Newsham said.

Political divisions grew deeper and turned violent on the streets during President Trumps inauguration as protesters clashed with police. News4s Shomari Stone reports.

Later in the evening, a crowd surrounded a bonfire near 14th and K streets NW, burning newspapers and furniture. Some protesters sat in the middle of intersections to block traffic.

"We're here to protest out of compassion and to be here and to show that, you know, we're all in this together," protester Savannah Ingall told News4.

President Trump supporters and protesters screamed when they came face-to-face along 14th St.

Protests eventually died down and there appeared to be no incidents involving protesters outside of the three inaugural balls.

Protesters flooded D.C. for the inauguration Friday, and while the majority remained peaceful, some got violent. News4s Tracee Wilkins reports.

Before nightfall, a limousine was set on fire a few blocks away from where Trump made his way down Constitution Avenue with a military escort. The fire sent a plume of black smoke into the sky and Fox News crew SUV parked behind the limo also caught fire, officials tell NBC News.

While several peaceful demonstrations unfolded near the Captiol, about a mile away police gave chase to a group of about 300 protesters, who smashed windows of downtown businesses during a pre-inauguration march.

Police dressed in riot gear used pepper spray to quell the disturbance and eventually cordoned off the large crowd near Franklin Square. As protesters fled the scene, six officers suffered "minor injuries" in what Newsham called "coordinated attacks."

Several hours later, the crowd of protesters still at the scene had grown to about 1,000, The Associated Press reported. Some wore gas masks, and had arms chained together.

PHOTOS: Protesters Clash With Police on Inauguration Day in Downtown DC

During the height of the clash, some in the crowd threw newspaper boxes in an attempt to block police and smashed windows of cars, police cruisers and businesses in the area, including along K Street NW.

As officers tried to surround them, protesters hurled rocks and bottles at them. Flash-bang devices could be heard exploding, but it was not immediately clear whether protesters or officers had set them off.

By about 11:30 a.m., police had successfully surrounded about 20 to 30 protesters at the corner of 12th and L streets NW. Police brought in several transport vans and appeared to be preparing to make the first mass arrests of the day.

Protests turned violent in downtown D.C. on inauguration day.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser condemned the vandalism, saying at a news conference, "We will not tolerate the destruction of our neighborhoods and we absolutely will not tolerate violence against our police officers and the thousands who have joined us to help with the peaceful inauguration."

This raw video from the protests may contain graphic language.[[411356015, C]]

In a series of coordinated demonstrations designed to cut off spectator access, protesters blocked or caused bottlenecks in front of several security checkpoints outside the National Mall in the hours ahead of the swearing in.

Dozens of protesters lined up at the entrance to a seating area on the West Front of the Capitol, holding signs that said "Free Palestine" and "Let Freedom ring."

Some protesters turned to vandalism and violence just blocks away from the inaugural parade route. News4s Mark Segraves reports.

Some protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces, showing their disapproval of the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

Another group of about 10 protesters tied themselves together to block an entrance for ticket holders at 10th and E streets NW. As they sat on the ground, a larger group cheered them on, chanting phrases such as, "We won't be silent."

Eventually, police used pepper spray after things got physical between protesters and supporters. News4's Mark Segraves said "you can taste the pepper spray in the air."

https://twitter.com/TraceeWilkins/status/822488997586989056

Ticket holders were allowed to make their way through the gate despite the protests. On the other side of the Capitol, things were quiet and orderly at a second gate.

No arrests were made in those incidents, Segraves reported.

Meanwhile, at Union Station, supporters and protesters arriving in the District were able to find some common ground.

Linwood Yarborough, a Trump supporter from South Carolina, spent some time Friday chatting with a man who traveled from California to protest the inauguration.

"I just think it is wonderful to see people pro and con. Freedom is great and we are so fortunate in this country that we can have freedom of speech and we can have a difference of opinion," Yarborough said. "But we should all come together as a nation and move forward, and I hope to see some of that."

In another exchange, a group of Trump supporters from Tennessee asked a protester from New York to take a picture with them. The group laughed and talked as the supporters gave a thumbs-up and the protester gave a thumbs-down.

Officials estimate that 800,000 to 900,000 people will attend Inauguration Day festivities, a celebration that takes over the city, closing roads and taxing the city's Metro transit system.

The ceremony began at about 11:30 a.m. ET with a musical prelude.

Just after noon, Trump took the oath of office, administered by Chief Justice John Roberts. Trump then delivered his inaugural address, calling for an "new vision" of "America first."

Stay with NBC Washington for more.

Daniel Barnes contributed to this report.
The full text of President Donald J. Trump's inaugural address, as delivered:

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world, 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 the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges, we will confront hardships. But we will ge the job done. Every four years we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power. And we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent, thank you.

Today's ceremony, however, has very special meaning because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the people.

For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have born the cost. Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories, their triumphs have not been your triumphs.

And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land. That all changes starting right here, and right now. Because this moment is your moment it and it belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America, this is your day, this is your celebration, and this-- the United States of America-- is your country.

And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land. That all changes starting right here, and right now. Because this moment if your moment it and it belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America, this is your day, this is your celebration, and this-- the United States of America-- is your country.

It belongs to everyone gathered here today. And everyone watching, all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government. But whether the government is controlled by the people.

January 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

Everyone is listening to you now. You came by tens of millions to become a part of a historic movement, the likes of which the world has never seen before.

At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction, that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

Americans want great schools for their children. Safe neighborhoods for their families. And good jobs for themselves. These are just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public. But for too many of our citizens this is not a reality that exists.

Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities. Rusted out factories scattered like tomb stones across the landscape of our nation. An education system flush with cash but which leaves young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge. And the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of such much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.

We are one nation, and their pain is our pain, their dreams are our dreams, and their success will be our success. We share one heart one home and one glorious destiny.

The oath I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.

For many decades we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military. We defended other nation's borders while refusing to defend our own and spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We've made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence our country has dissipated over the horizon.

One by one the factories shuttered and left our shores with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world, but that is past and now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city in every foreign capital and in every hall of power. From this day forward a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward it's going to be only America first, America first.

Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength. I will fight for you with every breathe 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.

We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways, all across our wonderful nation. We will get our people off of welfare and back to work, rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.

We will follow two simple rules - buy American, and hire American.

We will seek friendship and good will with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their interests first.

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone. But rather, to let it shine as an example. We will shine for everyone to follow. We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones. And unite the civilized world against Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth.

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice. .

The Bible tells us how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity. We must speak our minds openly debate our disagreements honestly but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.

There should be no fear we are protected and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and woman of our military and law enforcement. And most importantly we will be protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America we understand the nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action. Constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour for action. Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again. We stand at the birth of a new millennium ready to unlock the mysteries of space to free the earth from the miseries of disease and to harness the energies, industries, and technologies of tomorrow. A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions. It's time to remember that old wisdom, our soldiers will never forget, that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots.

We all salute the same great American flag  and whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the wind swept planes of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breathe of life by the same almighty creator.

So to all Americans in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words: You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams will define our American destiny and your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again, and yes, together, we will make America great again. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless America.
Former President Barack Obama exited the presidency on Friday with a message of gratitude to Americans and a plea to his supporters not to be bowed by the inauguration of President Donald Trump.

"You proved the power of hope," Obama said before departing Washington as a newly minted ex-president.

Obama and his family were to arrive later Friday in Palm Springs, California, where they'll have their first vacation as private citizens since taking office. The Obamas will return on an unspecified date to Washington. The family has rented a home where they plan to live until youngest daughter Sasha finishes high school.

En route to California, the Obamas fired up their old Twitter accounts, @BarackObama and @MichelleObama  their teams handed @POTUS and @FLOTUS over to Trump's team.

In a farewell speech at Andrews Air Force Base before boarding the presidential plane for the last time, Obama said he'd been met by skepticism and doubt throughout his eight years in office by some who "didn't think we could pull it off." Obama said his supporters had transcended the obstacles posed by entrenched political powers by finding bonds of unity with Americans of all stripes.

He called that kind of fortitude "hope in the face of difficulty."

"Michelle and I, we've just been your front-men and women," Obama said. "It has always been about you, and all the amazing things that happened over these last 10 years are really just a testament to you."

Then Obama, a broad grin on his face, said goodbye to a crowd of 1,800 gathered to bid him farewell. He stopped to give hugs and handshakes to staffers and military members who had served his administration over two terms.

His last day in office started like any other: in the White House residence with his family. Yet by mid-morning, Obama and his wife were welcoming Trump and incoming first lady Melania Trump to the White House for a reception before accompanying them to the Capitol for Trump's swearing-in.

If Obama was feeling bitter about Trump's victory, he didn't show. He wrote a welcome note to Trump that he left in the Oval Office, and smiled as he stood alongside Trump at his swearing-in.

"This is just a little pit stop," Obama said minutes later at the air base. "This is not a period, this is a comma in the continuing story of being an American."

Trump, too, avoided any negativity about the man whose citizenship he once questioned.

"We are grateful to President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition," Trump said in his inaugural address. "They have been magnificent."

Obama and his wife boarded a helicopter and flew to the air force base to speak to supporters in an airplane hangar. He and Mrs. Obama then walked a red carpet up to the steps of the presidential aircraft that ferried him on so many trips around the world. This time, though, it was designated a "special mission" instead of Air Force One, because the sitting president was not on board.

There was one final throwback to Obama's celebrated campaign chant as he exited the national stage. It started as a shout from supporters as Obama arrived at a base, then was repeated by the president as he finished his speech.

"Yes we did," Obama said. "Yes we can."
A man was arrested after a police chase in a stolen box truck from Norwich to Sterling Friday morning and police said the man intentionally rammed a police cruiser.

A resident of Talman Street in Norwich called police to report a stolen vehicle and police tried to stop the truck on East Main Street, but the driver kept going, police said.

Norwich police reached out to state police, who help in the pursuit of 44-year-old Peter Smith, of Norwich, on Interstate 395 into Norwich, according to police.

Smith ended up in a culvert and intentionally hit the state police cruiser, police said.

Police took Smith into custody at 4:40 a.m. after a brief struggle and he has been charged with third-degree larceny, engaging in a pursuit, reckless driving and operation with a suspended license.
Another man charged in a violent kidnapping in Meriden and jewelry store robbery in Fairfield in 2013 has pleaded guilty.

Timothy Forbes, 35, of Allentown, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty Thursday to his role in the crime.

Authorities said Kasam Hennix, William Davis, Christopher Gay and Jeffrey Houston, were wearing masks and gloves and two of them had handguns when they broke into an apartment on Gravel Street in Meriden around 9 p.m. on April 11, 2013, bound four victims with tape and covered their heads with pillowcases, towels and jackets.

Hennix, Davis, and Houston then forced two of the victims into one of the victims vehicles and drove to Lenox Jewelers in Fairfield, where the two victims worked, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Forbes then traveled to Fairfield in a separate vehicle, while Gay remained in the Meriden apartment to guard the two other victims, federal officials said.

While at the jewelry store, Hennix, Davis and Houston stole jewelry, watches and loose diamonds worth more than $3 million and fled in the victims car, leaving the two victims bound inside the store, federal officials said.

Hennix, Davis and Houston then abandoned the victims vehicle and got into Forbes vehicle and one of them called Gay to say they carried out the robbery and should leave the apartment. Then they fled the state.

In May 2013, all five defendants were arrested.

Investigators said Forbes, Houston and Gay had traveled from Pennsylvania to Connecticut on several occasions in the weeks before the robbery to track the victims movements and Forbes and Gay placed a GPS on one of the victims vehicles.

Forbes pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping, one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and is scheduled to be sentenced in Hartford on April 13.

Hennix, of Easton, Pennsylvania; Davis, of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Houston, of Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Gay, of the Bronx, New York also pleaded guilty to federal charges.

Fairfield Police Probe Jewelry Store Robbery

Davis was sentenced to 176 months in prison on April 17.On Jan. 27, 2016, Gay was sentenced to 102 months in prison, and on Feb. 8, 2016, Hennix was sentenced to 171 months of imprisonment. Houston awaits sentencing.

The men have been ordered to pay restitution of more than $3.1 million, and have forfeited gemstones, jewelry, watches, a vehicle and more than $127,000 in cash seized from them at the time of their arrests.

U.S. officials said Forbes has been involved in at least three other similar jewelry store robberies, including one that occurred in York, Pennsylvania in July 2012.
A Suffield firefighter took quick action to rescue a resident from a house fire Friday morning.

Suffield fire officials said Lt. Seger was one of several firefighters who responded to a Lifeline activation from a resident at 567 Boston Neck Road just before 7 a.m. When firefighters arrived there was heavy black smoke coming from the back of the building.

Seger knew the building and knew the resident had limited mobility, so when he heard the residents calls for help, he entered the home without a hose line for his own protection and began crawling through heavy dark smoke to find the victim, fire officials said.

According to fire officials Seger was able to rescue the resident from the home and Suffield EMS began treatment immediately. The victim was taken to Saint Francis Hospital for further treatment.

Multiple agencies responded to assist with the call including Suffield police, Suffield Ambulance, the Suffield Highway Department, the Air National Guard, and the Southwick, Mass., Thompsonville and Windsor Locks fire departments.

The fire chief said the fire started in a back bedroom on the first floor and was contained to that area of the home. The house sustained some minimal smoke and water damage, officials said.

The victim, who lives alone, has a disability and his caretaker wasn't at the house when the fire broke out, officials said.
Many people from Connecticut are heading to Washington, DC to be there for Donald Trumps inauguration today as he is sworn in as the 45th president while others are making the trip to protest.

George Noujain, of Waterbury, said he met the president-elect when Trump came to Connecticut during his campaign and is looking forward to being in Washington to welcome the new administration.

Its still surreal to me, especially knowing in 24 hours Im going to be standing there with millions of people, Noujain, who has amassed a large collection of Trump memorabilia, said Thursday.

Iv Staklo is a member of a group of about 50 people who headed from New Haven with the Answer Coalition to be part of a massive demonstration in Washington, DC today.

We are prepared to organize nationally, locally, in our communities against any attacks that might come from the Trump administration, Staklo said.

Many will be watching here in Connecticut too.

The state Republican Party is holding an inauguration watch party at the Hartford headquarters at 31 Pratt St. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Someone has been going door-to-door in Meriden and leaving behind fake, yet legitimate looking delivery tags, police said.

The tags say Final Attempt and have a phone number at the bottom to schedule a delivery, but police said these stickers left on the front doors of homes appear to be part of scheme going around in Meriden and other parts of the state.

I had assumed we had missed a delivery, but it said 'final attempt,' but we got no first or second, Alison Canney of Meriden, said.

Police reported receiving a flood of complaints about the tags and officers said they could be a trick to get personal information or sell services by getting people to call the printed phone number.

Thats pretty scary someone would come to my door and do that, Canney said.

When NBC Connecticut called the number on the tag, the person who answered said he or she was with Solid Distribution Center and that a manager would call us back.

Now were seeing a lot of people getting packages at their door, so naturally this is a time scammers will hit your door with that sticker, Lora Rae Anderson, the director of communications for the state Department of Consumer Protection, said.

The Department of Consumer Protection said the first red flag is that the stickers in Meriden were not marked with a delivery company, such as UPS or FedEx. The tag should also include a known website and a tracking number given during purchase, the agency said.

They just want to get you on the phone so they can ask you for your hard-earned dollars and cents unfortunately, Anderson said.

Police said residents should not call the number on the tag.

If you want to a file a state consumer complaint, contact the Department of Consumer Protection by calling (860) 713-6100 or (800) 842-2649 or email.
Police are investigating a burglary at Goldbergs Bagels in West Hartford.

Police said they received a call at 5:30 a.m. Friday reporting the shop on New Britain Avenue was broken into overnight.

A back door was apparently forced open, a doorknob and hardware were destroyed and the cash register was stolen, according to police.

No information was available on how much money was stolen from the register.
The issue of whether Connecticut should install tolls on some of its most traveled highways is expected to be brought up again during the 2017 General Assembly's session.

I think that were starting to finally realize that many of the legislators are seeing that its inevitable," said Tony Guerrera, the House Chairman of the Transportation Committee.

A panel assembled by Gov. Dannel Malloy in 2015 concluded that the best way for Connecticut to fund infrastructure improvements was with a new stream revenue, and tolls was one of those options.

Connecticut is one of 21 states without tolls on highways. Vermont and Rhode Island also don't have tolls.

Guerrera said if the state wants to build better highways, bridges, and ramps, then the only answer is more revenue, and tolls would collect money from out of state residents.

"Its a fair system," Guerrera said. "You use the roads, you pay for the roads."

He said if lawmakers were to consider the installation of electronic tolls to state highways, then he would anticipate that a decrease in the state's gas tax would be its companion. He said it makes sense to raise revenue in a new through tolling, while decreasing the state's reliance on the at-the-pump tax of more than .37 cents per gallon.

I dont think we can phase it out completely, but I what I do think is that we can be one of the lowest in the United States," Guerrera said.
Pilgrim Furnitures seven day return policy is put in print, as is the Department of Consumer Protections statute, which restricts customers from returning bedding once its delivered to a home.

But Loretta Withington and her sister Doris told NBC Connecticut Responds they needed an exception, as life isnt that simple.

After all, Doris Withington spends most of her days helping Loretta fight multiple sclerosis, and most of her nights helping them pay the bills.

Shes been having trouble lifting her legs into the bed, said Doris. We have other sisters, [and] because I work nights, other sisters come over to help her get into the bed. And thats basically the problem. We thought with the adjustable bed, she would get a better grip.

In late November, Doris bought an adjustable bed from Pilgrim Furniture in Southington. As soon as it arrived, the Withingtons noticed the bed sat too low, so they asked for an adjustment.

She was still having trouble getting into it, said Doris. And we decided it just wasnt working out.

Doris felt pressed against time, so she called Pilgrim within the seven day return window. She says a service manager told her they could not accept the mattress or its frame, citing Connecticut Public Act 0422, Section 21A-231, subsection 9, which says both units are bedding, since the box spring is attached to the frame.

Once bedding enters a home, its considered used. If a customer returns it, stores can only resell it as such.

And I understood the mattress I would have to pay for, said Doris. But I didnt understand the frame. We were told it would be able to be returned.

Thats when Doris asked NBC Connecticut Responds for help. Shortly after contacting Pilgrim Furniture, a store manager contacted the Withingtons.

He was really willing to work with me which was nice, said Doris. He wished that it had gone through him before it went through [NBC Connecticut], but the manager I spoke to was the service manager and she just kept repeating over and over again, Its part of the bedding, its part of the bedding, it cant be returned.

The store manager told NBC Connecticut Responds it was clear to him, after speaking with Doris, that he didnt want to add another burden, and he would make an exception.

Within days, he ordered a service crew to pick up Lorettas bed, and gave Doris a full refund.

Were just happy, said Doris.
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.
President Donald Trump quickly assumed the mantle of the White House on Friday, making his first executive order one aimed at his predecessor's signature health care law and swearing-in members of his national security team to his Cabinet.

Hours after delivering a stinging rebuke of the political status quo in his inaugural address, Trump sat at the president's formal desk in the Oval Office as he signed the order that White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said was aimed at "minimizing the economic burden" of the "Obamacare" law.

The order notes that Trump intends to seek the "prompt repeal" of the law. But in the meantime, it allows the Health and Human Services Department and other federal agencies to delay implementing any piece of the law that might impose a "fiscal burden" on states, health care providers, families or individuals.

Moments later, Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office to Defense Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, the first members of Trump's Cabinet to clear Senate confirmation.

"It's been a great day," Trump told press assembled for the signing of their commissions.

The swearing-in ceremonies came amid a hectic set of activity late Friday, before Trump was to attend three inaugural balls. As Trump signed the paperwork, the White House announced Priebus had sent a memorandum to agencies and departments outlining guidelines for slowing regulations.

Asked about his first day as president, Trump said, "It was busy but good  a beautiful day."

Although Trump campaigned on a detailed 18-point plan of things to do on Day One, he has since backed off some of his promised speed, downplaying the importance of a rapid-fire approach to complex issues that may involve negotiations with Congress or foreign leaders. Trump has said that he expects Monday to be the first big workday, his effective Day One.

On Friday, he switched between the official business of governing and the pageantry of his inauguration, making his first official moves as president in an ornate room steps from the Senate floor. Flanked by Pence and congressional leaders before his congressional luncheon, Trump praised each of his Cabinet nominees as he signed the papers formalizing their nominations. He also engaged in banter with his new congressional rivals, including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California.

Trump also signed a proclamation declaring a national day of patriotism, according to a tweet from White House spokesman Sean Spicer.

Priebus' memo says that agencies shouldn't submit any regulations to be published in the Federal Register unless a Trump-selected agency head approves it. That appears to mean that some regulations that had been approved by President Barack Obama's administration would be halted. It also freezes any regulations that are already in the pipeline to be published and allows time for other pending regulations to be reviewed by Trump's administration.

The memo is similar to one that Obama's chief of staff issued the day Obama was inaugurated in 2009.

Before Mattis could be nominated, Trump had to sign a bill passed by Congress last week granting a one-time exception from federal law barring former U.S. service members who have been out of uniform for less than seven years from holding the top Pentagon job. The restriction is meant to preserve civilian control of the military.

Mattis, 66, retired from the Marine Corps in 2013. Hours later, he was confirmed by the Senate as Trump watched his inaugural parade from a stand outside the White House. The Senate later confirmed retired Gen. John Kelly to lead the Homeland Security Department.

There were others signs his new government was up and running. Federal websites and agencies immediately began reflecting the transfer of power, and WhiteHouse.gov was revamped for Trump's policy priorities as pages about LGBT rights and the Obama administration's climate change plan were eliminated.

Shortly after Trump became president, the Department of Housing and Urban Development suspended the Obama administration's planned reduction of mortgage insurance premium rates, a move that had been intended to make buying a home more affordable.

More significant policy announcements are expected in the early days of the Trump administration.

Trump's spokesman has said the president intends to withdraw from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, which he views as detrimental to U.S. businesses and workers. He has also promised to renegotiate the two-decades-old Clinton era North American Free Trade Agreement or withdraw from it.

Given Trump's opposition to Obama's immigration actions, he could also cancel the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which has protected about 750,000 young immigrants from deportation. The program also offered those immigrants work permits.

Trump also faces an early choice of naming a Supreme Court justice to fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Trump has said he will announce a nominee in about two weeks.

Other issues poised to receive early action include energy, where Trump is likely to undo regulations on oil drilling and coal, and cybersecurity, where he has already said he will ask for a report on the strength of the nation's cyber defenses within 90 days of taking office.

Associated Press writer Alicia A. Caldwell contributed to this report.
Presidents typically avoid facts and figures when delivering inaugural addresses, serving up a blend of broad platitudes and generalities to lay out a vision. President Donald Trump was no different in that regard.

But in his inaugural address, Trump portrayed the United States as a nation in decline, using rhetoric that did not always match reality:

Trump portrayed the U.S. as crime-ridden and promised to stop the American carnage. But the U.S. violent crime rate in 2015 was less than half what it was at its peak in 1991.

Trump promised to bring back our jobs. Manufacturing jobs have been on the decline for decades, but Trump inherits an overall economy that has gained jobs for a record 75 straight months and has an unemployment rate well below the historical norm.

He said he would get our people off of welfare and back to work. But the welfare rolls have declined under President Obama, and they have dropped precipitously since President Clinton signed legislation in 1996 instituting work requirements and time limits.

Trump promised to bring back our borders, blaming past politicians for refusing to defend our border. But the U.S. Border Patrol budget has tripled since 2001, and the number of border patrol agents has doubled. Southwest border apprehensions have dropped 75 percent from the peak in fiscal 2000.

Crime 'Carnage'

As he did so often on the campaign trail, Trump again painted a picture of a crime-ridden nation.

While Americans want safe neighborhoods for their families, Trump said, for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists, one in which the crime and the gangs and the drugs  have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops right here and stops right now, Trump said.

Although he spoke in general terms this time, Trump has often framed the issue by citing rising violent crime and murder rates  which focuses on a one-year uptick but ignores the long-term trend.

FBI data show the number of overall violent crimes in the U.S. increased by 3.9 percent from 2014 to 2015, and murder and nonnegligent manslaughter went up by 10.8 percent. While authorities are concerned about the one-year violent crime increase, as USA Today reported, the 2015 figure is still lower than in 2011, and 16.5 percent below the level nine years earlier.

As we have noted, the long-term trend nationwide is a decline, not only in murder rates, but for violent crime in general.

As this graph of violent crime rates for the nation shows, the rate has been on a decline since it peaked at 758.2 in 1991. It was less than half that, 372.6 in 2015. (The FBI describes its data as estimated, and it comes from the voluntary reports of local law enforcement agencies.)

The murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate nationwide, at 4.9 in 2015, is less than half the peak of 10.2 in 1980.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly referenced a spike in murders in cities like Chicago. And indeed, several U.S. cities have seen an alarming spike. A New York Times story in May 2016 cited notable increases in murders in about two dozen cities in the first three months of the year compared to last year and a 9 percent increase nationwide. Criminology and statistics experts told us they cant discern a trend from such a small snapshot in time.

An analysis from the Brennan Center for Justice released on Sept. 19, concluded: Overall crime rates in 2016 are projected to be nearly the same as last year, with crime remaining at an all-time low. The analysis found that murder increased by 14 percent with just three cities  Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.  responsible for half that increase. All told, 2015s murder rate was still near historic lows. The analysis said that the average person in a large urban area is safer walking on the street today than he or she would have been at almost any time in the past 30 years.

On Jan. 20, as revelers celebrated and protesters and disrupters clashed with police across the city, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

'Bring Back Our Jobs'

Trump blamed other countries for destroying our jobs, and he promised that he would bring back our jobs. He did not name the countries or how the jobs were destroyed. But Trump regularly blamed Mexico and China during the campaign, citing the North American Free Trade Agreement and Chinas entry into the World Trade Organization. NAFTA took effect Jan. 1, 1994, and China entered the WTO Dec. 11, 2001.

It is true that U.S. manufacturing jobs have declined. The Bureau of Labor Statistics website provides data on manufacturing jobs dating to 1939. As of December, there were not quite 12.3 million manufacturing jobs  which is nearly 7.3 million jobs, or about 37 percent, fewer than the peak of more than 19.5 million jobs in June 1979.

However, not all the job losses can be attributed to trade deals, and some of those job losses were offset by job gains elsewhere in the U.S. economy.

For example, a 2015 report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service called NAFTAs impact relatively modest. CRS said, In reality, NAFTA did not cause the huge job losses feared by the critics or the large economic gains predicted by supporters.

One factor in the job losses is automation, which improved U.S. productivity but reduced jobs. A Jan. 18 CRS report, U.S. Manufacturing in International Perspective, noted that U.S. manufacturers large investments in automation  have eliminated many routine assembly jobs; only two in five workers in U.S. manufacturing establishments are now directly engaged in production.

Overall, Trump inherits a job market that has steadily improved since hitting a post-recession low in 2010. As we wrote in What President Trump Inherits, the U.S. economy has gained jobs for 75 straight months (the longest streak on record), and the unemployment rate is 4.7 percent (far below the historical norm since 1948).

There were also more than 5.5 million job openings as of the last business day in November  double the number when Barack Obama took over as president in January 2009. BLS has been keeping track of job openings only since December 2000, but since that time the record high was in April 2016, when job openings topped 5.8 million.

The Obamas greet the Trumps at the White House on Jan. 20, 2017, the day of Donald Trumps inauguration and swearing in as president.

Poverty and Welfare

Trump spoke of mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, and he promised, We will get our people off of welfare and back to work, rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.

On poverty, as we pointed out in What President Trump Inherits, there were 43.1 million Americans with incomes below the poverty line in 2015. Thats 3.1 million more living in poverty than in 2008, the year before Obama took office. The 13.5 percent poverty rate, which experienced its biggest one-year drop since 1968 last year, was still three-tenths of a percentage point above where it was in 2008. Poverty figures for 2016 wont be available until September.

Despite a rise in the number and rate of those living in poverty under Obama, the number on welfare declined, reflecting a long-term trend since then-President Bill Clinton signed welfare overhaul legislation in 1996. That legislation, which created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or TANF, to replace the Aid to Families With Dependent Children program, imposed time limits for cash assistance and work or work-related requirements for recipients to continue to receive welfare.

The average monthly number of individuals and families on TANF since fiscal year 1997 has declined by 75 percent and 69 percent, respectively. And the AFDC program provided cash assistance to even greater numbers in the years prior. The average monthly number of individuals receiving assistance in fiscal 1970 was 7.9 million. The figure for 2016 was 2.8 million.

Under Obama, the welfare rolls have declined as well. The average monthly number of individuals and families on TANF declined 27 percent and 26 percent, respectively, from fiscal year 2008 to 2016.

The number of people receiving food stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, has been declining in recent years but is still up overall under Obamas tenure. As of October 2016, the most recent month on record, 43.2 million people were receiving SNAP benefits.

Thats up 35 percent from January 2009, when Obama was inaugurated, but down 9.6 percent from the record level in December 2012.

'Bring Back Our Borders'

During the campaign, Trump made immigration a central issue, and it was a topic he returned to in his inaugural address. The newly installed president blamed past politicians for refusing to defend our borders, promising to bring back our borders.

But the facts tell a different story.

Beginning with President George W. Bush and continuing under President Barack Obama, the U.S. Border Patrol budget went up 218 percent, from nearly $1.2 billion in fiscal year 2001 to $3.6 billion in FY2016.

Under Bush, the total number of Border Patrol agents more than doubled  increasing from 9,821 in fiscal year 2001 (which was the last budget signed by President Clinton) to 20,119 in fiscal year 2009, under funding levels signed by Bush. Under Obama, the number of agents peaked at 21,444, but declined to 19,828 by fiscal 2016. Even so, the number of border patrol agents have doubled since 2001.

While spending has gone up, apprehensions along the U.S.-Mexico border have gone down. In fact, the number of people apprehended while trying to enter the U.S. illegally from Mexico is one-quarter of what it was at its peak over a decade ago.

There were 408,870 apprehensions at the southwest border in fiscal year 2016, which was 75 percent below the peak number of 1,643,679 apprehended in FY2000.

FactCheck.org is a non-partisan non-profit organization that will hold candidates and key figures accountable during the 2016 presidential campaign. FactCheck.org will check facts of speeches, advertisements and more for NBC.
Left-wing and Muslim activists urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in a noisy protest to keep his promise of charting a foreign policy independent of America by staying away from Donald Trump who after he is sworn in as president on Friday.

The more than 200 protesters burned a U.S. flag near the U.S. Embassy in Manila and called for an end to the presence of American troops in the country. They held up signs, including one that read "Donald Trump don't mess with the Philippines."

The protesters said they find Trump more alarming than Barack Obama because of his offensive remarks against immigrants and Muslims.

"Obama sugar-coated imperialism but Trump has shown an in-your-face kind of imperialism," said protest leader Renato Reyes of the left-wing Bayan group, adding Duterte "should stick to his independent foreign policy."

Duterte blasted Obama for criticizing his deadly crackdown against illegal drugs but congratulated Trump in a phone call. He sent his national security adviser and press secretary to attend Trump's inauguration.

Troops prevented the activists from getting close to the U.S. Embassy's main gate.

In London, NBC News reported, protesters from the Bridges Not Walls group unfurled a banner on the city's iconic Tower Bridge reading: "Act now! Build bridges not walls," a reference to Trump's promise to build a wall on the Mexican border.

In Nigeria, a separatist group said 11 people were killed by Nigerian security forces during a demonstration in support of Trump's inauguration. Police denied there were any deaths.

Neither of the competing accounts could be independently verified.
Members of the residence staff have presented President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama with two American flags that were flown atop the building, the White House said.

One of the flags was flown on the first day of Obama's presidency. The other was flown on his final morning as president.

The Obamas are preparing to depart the White House for the last time as president and first lady when they head to Donald Trump's inauguration.

Obama's senior adviser Valerie Jarrett shared an image of a the flags on Twitter. "Flags that flew the first and last day of POTUS 44," she wrote.

Flags that flew the first and last day of POTUS 44 pic.twitter.com/l1pPsqwtvd  Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) January 20, 2017

Meanwhile, the Obamas asked the public to help them develop projects for the new presidential center on Chicago's South Side.

The Obamas are starting up a foundation website  Obama.org  in the hours before Trump is inaugurated the 45th president.

[NATL] Inauguration Weekend in Photos

Obama said the foundation's projects will be developed "all over the city, the country and the world." He asks Americans to "tell us what you want this project to be and tell us what's on your mind."

The foundation is developing Obama's presidential library and center in Chicago.
The Dallas Chamber Symphony is proving classical music is not just for the concert hall.

DCS's "Taking It to the Streets," a series of 22 free informal concerts performed in public spaces over 18 months in partnership with the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, is partially supported by a $50,000 award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

"Recognizing that there's a lot of people in Dallas  both citizens and visitors alike who may or may not have interest or access to live classical music  we thought it would be nice to break out of the concert hall and bring it to people where they are living and engaging," Robin Korevaar, DCS's Development Director, said.

The program consists of DCS Live! ensembles of up to twelve musicians performing at hospitals, homeless shelters, parks and other public venues.

The DCS Live! ensembles performed at Parkland Memorial Hospital in December and January, impacting musicians, staff and patients alike.

"When we started playing at Parkland, there were not many people listening to us. As we continued to play, the crowd grew. I looked up towards the mezzanine and saw several doctors looking down at us listening to our performance. [They] all had smiles on their faces as they listened to us play. It was as if our music helped them relax and provided a brief respite from their [work] at the hospital. It was a very enjoyable and memorable time," David Lesser, a French horn player with DCS, said.

"The concerts by Dallas Chamber Symphony ensembles at Parkland Memorial Hospital warmed the hearts of patients, visitors and staff during the cold winter months," Angela Morris, Director of Community Relations at Parkland Health & Hospital System, said.

The DCS Live! concerts inspired joy at the Bridge Homeless Recovery Center. An hour-long program was planned, but Bridge guests gathered around the musicians and began singing about life at the Bridge, weaving in the refrain "nothing is impossible." The musicians improvised and the concert was extended by half an hour.

DCS will use metrics to measure the impact of the concerts, but the Bridge staff has already rated the program 8 to 10 on a 10-point scale, noting high levels of verbal and physical engagement, development of social and leisure skills and the extension of those effects beyond the actual concert.

The first public concert will be performed at Cliff Temple Baptist Church in Oak Cliff on January 27 at 7:00 p.m. and will feature the Schubert Octet.

The Friends of Katy Trail, Friends of Exhall Park, Rosemont Early Childhood PTA and 508 Amphitheater will host upcoming events and more spring concerts are planned for the Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, Dallas County Juvenile Department programs and Pegasus Plaza.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is the official transportation provider for the program and the ensembles will play at the Akard and Victory DART stations.

The DART concerts present interesting challenges for the musicians.

"Weather will certainly be one of our bigger challenges. Were trying to program for instruments that are more robust in those circumstances. It is a little bit easier for a brass player to perform outdoors in February or March when the weather might be more temperamental than a reed player or string player," Korevaar said.

The DCS ensembles are also concerned with not impeding foot traffic at the stations during busy commuting hours. The program is designed to spark the publics interest in live music.

"I think the primary thing is to understand that live music is fun; that it can be uplifting, engaging, inspiring, educational. Our musicians have been very happy to reach out and connect with audience members and to share that little slice of life with them. Understanding that music and musicians are approachable is, I think, very important in a day when everyone is looking at everything on their screens," Korevaar said.

These concerts impact the musicians as much as it impacts those who hear the music. For certain venues, the musicians receive training to learn more about the at-risk populations for whom they are playing.

Playing in these diverse settings breeds a certain camaraderie among the musicians and stretches them artistically in ways that benefits them when they return to the concert hall.

"Part of the reason I wanted to do this project is because I have never done anything like it before, and I want to grow as a musician and push myself to try things I've not done. I'm open to being flexible with the programming and talking with the audience, jamming to a certain degree. I am having fun," Margaret Fischer, DCS's principal flutist, said.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Dallas Chamber Symphony's "Taking It to the Streets" program and partnership opportunities.

Kimberly Richard is a North Texan with a passion for the arts. Shes worked with Theatre Three, Inc. and interned for the English National Opera and Royal Shakespeare Company. She graduated from Austin College and currently lives in Garland with her very pampered cocker spaniel, Tessa.
While most of the town mourned the death of a beloved local police officer, vandals struck outside of Little Elm High School on Wednesday night, spray painting the marching band's equipment trailer.

School officials discovered the trailer had been spray painted with several words, including derogatory terms and the words "We Are Back."

It's believed the damage occurred sometime during the 7 p.m. candlelight vigil for Little Elm Police Detective Jerry Walker  an event thousands attended, including many students and staff members from the school.

"There's no need for stuff like this," said Pat Robbins, spokesperson for the Little Elm Independent School District. "It's never a good time for something like this to happen, but right now when our entire community is in mourning, it's pretty thoughtless."

Robbins said the trailer had recently been updated and painted for about $40,000.

This is the second time in recent months that the trailer has been hit, but Robbins said this time was significantly worse.

The school plans to work with police to investigate, once officers have had time to mourn the loss of their colleague.
People in one Plano neighborhood say a home on their block is causing major headaches.

For weeks, they say people have been coming and going from the vacant home on Blackjack Oak Lane.

Wednesday, there was a pile of miscellaneous household items in the driveway.



The items were put there by the homeowner  an investor  who says the family to whom they belong broke into the home and starting living there late last month.



Plano police say they've been called to the home nine times so far this year, and the complaints range from welfare concerns to burglary to criminal trespass.

"As a homeowner, knowing somebody just broke in and started living there, squatting, it's very upsetting," said neighbor Kelly Murra.

Apparently, it isn't the first time it's happened.

"No moving trucks, no furniture, nothing. They're just suddenly there," said neighbor Robert Straschewski.

The homeowner told NBC 5 he doesn't know why the house seems to have a welcome mat for unwanted guests.

He said he wants to put a stop to it.

In addition to clearing out the house, he says he's changed the locks, again, and filed formal eviction papers.

"We want to keep it nice and clean for everybody and safe for everybody," said Murra.



Squatting isn't illegal in Texas. There is debate over whether the family has a right to stay in the home.



An eviction hearing is scheduled for later this month.
Police said they're searching for a man who led officers on a chase through Dallas County Friday morning.

Grand Prairie police said they tried to strop the man driving a black sedan on Belt Line Road for a license plate violation at about 3 a.m.

The driver sped up and drove east on Interstate 30 at a high rate of speed.

After exiting I-30, police said the driver crashed into a utility pole in the 4500 block of Singleton Boulevard and ran from the scene.

Police said they found many stolen vehicle rims and tires in the car.

Dallas police and a Texas Department of Public Safety chopper assisted in the search, but they were unable to find the suspect.
Investigators say officers shot and killed a man accused of firing at a Texas sheriff and later wounding a deputy.

Police in Borger were seeking 44-year-old Christopher Garza when he was located Thursday near Fritch, 25 miles northeast of Amarillo.

Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Cindy Barkley said the gunman opened fire and wounded a Hutchinson County sheriff's deputy. Other officers returned fire, killing Garza.

Barkley said the deputy, whose name wasn't released, suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Sheriff Kirk Coker on Wednesday tried to stop an SUV linked to an unrelated shooting. Police said someone inside fired at Coker's patrol vehicle, striking the windshield, then drove off. Coker wasn't hurt.

A warrant was then issued for Garza for aggravated assault against a peace officer.
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.
First Baptist Dallas pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress led a sermon for President-elect Donald J. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike R. Pence in Washington, D.C., Friday morning.

The morning prayer service was held at St. John's Church in the nation's capitol.

In the sermon, Jeffress had a goal of encouraging Trump and Pence rather than lecture.

Jeffress also compared Trump to the biblical figure Nehemiah, who he said God charged with restoring the nation of Israel.

Jeffress went on to compare the two men by detailing the building of a large wall around the city of Jerusalem, and calling Nehemiah the "original wall-builder."

You can read more of the sermon in the document below.
More than 60 journalism organizations, including the Society of Professional Journalists, have sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, asking for a meeting to discuss press freedoms and the importance of First Amendment rights remaining to be protected.

In the letter, mailed Wednesday, the coalition of journalists explain concerns that were shared with President Obamas Press Secretary John Earnest back in 2015 and how little was done to address those concerns.

Those concerns include federal officials blocking reporter requests to talk to specific people within federal agencies and officials conveying information on background as opposed to releasing information on-the-record or in a more transparent manner, the coalition writes in the letter.

The letter quotes Thomas Jefferson, stating Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.

Primarily what we are concerned about is the publics access to information that is guaranteed to them and that theyre allowed to have, but also access to the President himself once he is sworn in and government employees, said Lynn Walsh, the National President for the Society of Professional Journalists.

Walsh is also the Executive Producer for NBC 7 Investigates here in San Diego.

The letter urges President-elect Trump to affirm a commitment to transparency with a more free flow of information from the White House and federal government to the American public.

To read the letter, click here.
Costco Wholesale Corp. has agreed to pay nearly $12 million to settle Justice Department allegations of lax pharmacy controls over a four-year period.

The Issaquah, Washington-based company acknowledges in the settlement announced Thursday that some of its pharmacies improperly filled prescriptions, kept poor records or failed to adequately track inventory between the start of 2012 and the end of 2015.

The case grew out of separate investigations conducted by federal authorities in Washington, Michigan and California.

Seattle U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes says good pharmacy controls are key to battling the nation's prescription drug abuse crisis. Hayes says companies like Costco that deliver huge volumes of the drugs have a responsibility to help keep such drugs from reaching the black market.

Costco has invested in a new, $127 million pharmacy management system and adopted new audit protocols.
Cub Scouts from Calabasas delivered nearly 600 sleeping bags they collected for homeless veterans on Wednesday.

The Cub Scouts, part of Pack 333 from Calabasas, started their drive for sleeping bags after they organized a collection drive in October for disabled veterans, some of which were homeless. They found the number one request from veterans was for sleeping bags, but they only had five sleeping bags to give.

Inspired by their request, Den Leader Steven Rude and his 8-year-old son Aleksander spearheaded "Operation Sleeping Bag," hoping to collect 500 sleeping bags for homeless veterans.

Initially some people thought their goal was too high, Rude said, but most of the pack got involved and a group of Cub Scouts presented 594 sleeping bags to the Veterans Administration in Westwood Wednesday.

In addition to the sleeping bags, they collected about 400 notes from children living in local cities including Westwood, Calabasas and Valencia that will remind veterans that they did a good job and they are not forgotten, Rude said.

The notes also included the phone number for a suicide crisis hotline, because the Cub Scouts recognized that was an issue among homeless veterans after they "were told that many homeless veterans were depressed and wanted to die from all the bad things they saw," Rude said.

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles Times reported over 1,200 homeless veterans still live on the streets in Los Angeles.

In 2016, data from the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count indicated a 30 percent decrease in homeless veterans living in Los Angeles County, which included data from Glendale, Long Beach and Pasadena, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. The report from LAHSA also indicated homelessness in Los Angeles County rose 5.7 percent from 2015 to 2016.

As word of Operation Sleeping Bag spread on social media, sleeping bags were donated from Calabasas and the greater Los Angeles area, but also from places around the world including Berlin, London, New York City and New Orleans.

"It's pretty amazing how it all got so big," Rude said.

At the presentation Wednesday, Rude's son Aleksander and another Cub Scout were awarded with a certificate from the Veteran's Administration, and he and four other boys also received a certificate of recognization from Mayor Eric Garcetti.
While many Democrats are lining up to boycott President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration Friday, a couple  literally, two  Democratic congressmen from Southern California said they're determined to attend the inauguration now more than ever.

Adam Schiff, representing the 28th District of Pasadena and Echo Park, posted on Facebook about his decision to watch Trump take the oath of office.

"If former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton can demonstrate the grit to attend the Inauguration after Trump's slanderous attacks on her, then so can I," Schiff wrote. "So why go?"

"I was appalled when candidate Trump wouldn't 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 to the next," he added.

Schiff, the ranking member of the House Committee on Intelligence and a member of the committee investigating the attacks on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, said this was the first inauguration he had ever considered not attending because of the alleged interference by Russia in the campaigns.

He noted that he was also insulted by how Trump responded to civil rights leader and Georgia Congressman John Lewis's critical remarks, where he said Lewis was "all talk" and "no action." Many Democrats cited this as the last straw toward skipping the inauguration.

Schiff said he plans to attend the Women's March on Washington the day after Trump takes office to "participate in another fundamental aspect of our democracy  the right to protest."

LA's other Democratic congressman expected to attend is Brad Sherman, who represents Sherman Oaks in the 30th District. He told the Los Angeles Daily News that in addition to respecting the peaceful transfer of power, he wanted to push for further investigation into the Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee emails.

"You have to respect the process even when it gives a very bad result," he told the News when reached by phone.

Most of the rest of LA's Democratic delegation plans to sit this inauguration out by spending time with their constituents and attending local protests like the Women's March in downtown LA.

Congresswoman Karen Bass asked constituents to send their thoughts on her presence at the inauguration via a Twitter poll, getting an overwhelming 14,000 votes with more than 80 percent saying no.

Xavier Becerra, who represents downtown Los Angeles, hasn't publicly announced his plans because he is about to be confirmed as state attorney general.

Freshman Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democrat, will attend the inauguration but Sen. Dianne Feinstein hasn't shared her plans after recovering from pacemaker surgery last week.

Republican congressmen Ed Royce, chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Steve Knight, both from the LA area, plan to go to the inauguration.

According to presidential historian Brooks Simpson of Arizona State University, the Democratic boycott is not unprecedented, although uncommon.

Eighty congressmen skipped President Richard Nixon's first inauguration and three presidents  John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Johnson  each boycotted the inauguration of their successors.
For a U.S. Secret Service agent, the stakes are high every day when it comes to protecting the president.

But there's no bigger event than an inauguration, which requires a massive security undertaking.

"It's our Super Bowl," said Rob Savage, special agent in charge of the Secret Service, who previously served protective detail for George W. Bush.

NBC4 got a rare and personal look into the life of an agent from the field office in Los Angeles.

"It's a great honor, but it's also a job," said Tin Nguyen, a resident agent in charge. "And it weighs heavily on us."

More than 70 percent of the Los Angeles field office has been deployed to Washington, D.C. for Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday. Agents go through training drills and learn how to respond to a variety of dangerous scenarios.

For agents, the focus is less on who is president, and more about emerging threats.

Robert Rodriguez, assistant special agent in charge, has worked four presidential inaugurations. His first one was for George W. Bush, but the swearing that stands out the most was the first inaugural of Barack Obama.

"I remember the Mall itself, from the Capitol steps, all the way to the Lincoln Monument -- just a sea of people," he said. "It was just amazing."

While the job is exciting, Rodriguez says it requires great sacrifice for an agent because of the amount of travel and the time away from family.

Savage has traveled the world because of this work. He was with Al Gore at Nelson Mandelas historic inauguration, he did advance work for Bill Clintons trip to Yitzhak Rabins funeral in Israel, and was in a war zone in Afghanistan with George W. Bush.

"We have a creed in the Secret Service: 'Worthy of trust and confidence,'" he said.

For that reason, Savage won't tell stories about the powerful people he has protected.

"One thing I've learned from being around presidents is to treat every person as a person, regardless of whether they're a head of state or a custodian in the building," he said.
Three teenagers were arrested Thursday after a pursuit that started in El Monte and wound its way along streets and freeways ended in East Los Angeles, authorities said.

The chase of a possibly stolen gray Honda Accord started in El Monte at 6:43 p.m.

The driver managed to keep going despite several PIT maneuvers, including two that sent parts flying from the car.

Another PIT maneuver finally brought the pursuit to an end about 7:30 p.m. at Flickett and Inez streets in Boyle Heights, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The driver, 16, and two passengers, both 15, surrendered to police.

Neighbors watching on TV looked out windows when they realized it was coming their way and the California Highway Patrol ordered them to stay inside.

One woman was grateful her parked SUV was not hit.

Beverly White contributed to this report.
Police were asking for the public's help tracking down the family of a man discovered beaten to death in a South Los Angeles alley last Fall.

On Sept. 14, the body of 60-year-old Bruce Johnson was found in an alley near Normandie and Slauson avenues, Los Angeles Police Department investigators said.

Johnson was found naked, covered by a sheet, with a block of ice placed on his head, LAPD Det. John Flores said. A neighbor made the grim discovery.

"The local resident saw something on the floor and there was a block of ice on it," Flores said. "He didn't know what it was so kicked over the block of ice and discovered the person's face."

Detectives learned the ice came from a taco truck that parks nearby, but what they don't know yet is how it got from there to the alley.

"It's a very strange thing, it's unknown what the motive is, but clearly someone picked up that ice and brought it over here and put it on the victim's head," Flores said.

Surveillance video caught a 90s model Town & Country minivan in the alley just before the body was found, but they're not sure yet if there's a connection.

For neighbors, they worry the mystery will remain because of the fear to come forward.

"Just another day in the hood, everybody getting chopped down," South LA resident Maurice Cannon said.

Fingerprints helped identify Johnson, but police have been unable to find anyone who knows him.

"We checked all the addresses we had for him on file, including halfway houses, but we have yet to find anyone who knows him or family members," Flores said.

The LAPD released Johnson's 2002 booking photo and a sketch of what he would look like today in hopes someone will recognize him.

Anyone with information was asked to call the LAPD South Bureau.
Demonstrators converged in Los Angeles on Friday on a Inauguration Day that saw more protests in the nation's capital and other cities.

Activists taking part in two major protests -- one starting in Boyle Heights and another near Staples Center -- marched through the city to meet up outside City Hall in Los Angeles. Downpours soaked the crowded, many carrying protest signs and umbrellas.

The Boyle Heights protest was set to begin at Mariachi Plaza before moving to the Federal Building and then City Hall. The protest beginning near Staples Center is organized by more than 90 groups and set to begin at Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street.

Ron Gochez of Union del Barrio hopes hundreds of thousands of protesters will be in attendance in the action starting near Staple Center. With rain in the forecast, he's predicting at least 10,000 will turn up to the demonstrations.

Activists at the protest will denounce a number of expected Trump policies, but especially Trump's proposed efforts to begin mass deportations of immigrants living in the country illegally.

"The message ... is complete unity between the organizations in opposition to Trump's racist and, we believe, hateful policies," Gochez said. "From day one, he's going to see millions of people protesting across the country, so he has to know it's not going be easy to implement what he wants to do. This is not the time to sit back and observe. It's time to organize. Marching and protesting is great, but those things alone don't bring about change."

In preparation for the crowd, Los Angeles police officers were seen placing barricades outside the west and south entrances to City Hall on Thursday afternoon. Department officials said they planned to have a beefed-up presence downtown and elsewhere on Friday while being on maximum deployment.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said its Emergency Operations Bureau has established an incident command for managing and monitoring inauguration day events and protests.

The department said in a statement that it does "not have any specific or credible information indicating that any areas of Los Angeles County will be substantially affected or disrupted."

Here's a look at other demonstrations planned around the city:

 The "Caravan of Justice'' in South Los Angeles includes several dozen groups, such as Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, Los Angeles Community Action Network and United Teachers Los Angeles. It is set to begin at Leimert Park at 9 a.m. before protesters get on busses to travel to other sites around the city before returning to Leimert Park at 2 p.m.

 At about 10 a.m. Pacific time, shortly after Trump is sworn in, a group called the Full Rights for Immigrants Coalition will hold a march and rally with music, speakers and immigrant representatives. That will be followed by another rally soon after at Mariachi Plaza in nearby Boyle Heights where protesters will object to what organizers call Trump's "targeting the large Mexican and Latino community for deportations."

 The Los Angeles Unified School District has declared Friday "Unity Day 2017" at its campuses "to encourage students to participate in the civic-engagement process and to promote schools as safe and appropriate venues for meaningful dialogue about the presidential election," according to the district.

City News Service contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump promised an unbelievable, perhaps record-setting turnout for his inauguration, but it appears he fell short of a record.

Photos taken from the same vantage point at roughly the same time during the inaugurations of Trump and Barack Obama show far fewer people on the National Mall on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Subway ridership figures released Friday also show a drop between 2009 and 2017.

Various groups involved with the planning of Fridays ceremonies  the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Activities, the D.C. Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the U.S. Armed Forces Joint Task Force-National Capital Region  predicted 700,000 to 900,000 would attend Trumps swearing-in and parade.

His predecessor drew what was originally estimated to be a record 1.8 million people to the National Mall for his inauguration in 2009. That estimate was provided by Washington D.C. officials, though The Washington Post later questioned whether it was too high.

On Friday, ridership numbers from the Washington D.C. Metro showed a drop from the 2009 inaugural. As of 11 a.m. on Friday, it recorded 193,000 rides, compared to 513,000 at that time in 2009.

Meanwhile, an expert told The New York Times the crowd on the National Mall on Friday was about one-third the size of the crowd for Obama in 2009.

The Joint Congressional Committee for Inaugural Ceremonies distributed about 250,000 tickets for Trumps inauguration on Friday, 1,600 on platforms and 1,000 on bleachers, which it said was on par for previous ceremonies. But most people attending the festival watch from elsewhere.
A group of dogs that were headed for someone's dinner table in South Korea are now going up for adoption in South Florida.

The group of dogs were wrapping up more than 17 hours of travel time at the Humane Society of Broward County Thursday afternoon.

"Look in their eyes, you know. They just want to be loved, they want to be part of a family," the Humane Society's Cherie Wachter said. "They came from a South Korean meat farm where they were housed and eventually going to be sold as dog meat for people to consume."

Wachter estimates that every year anywhere between two to two and a half million dogs are slaughtered for consumption in South Korea. Some of the saved dogs were bred specifically for meat.

"And others look like they were people's pets at one time. So it's hard to comprehend that that's where these animals would have ended up," she said.

Humane Society International is working with farmers to end the practice of dog meat. Part of that is changing public perception of what it means to have a companion animal in the region.

"If a family really doesn't want their dog anymore there are really not a lot of alternatives for them to take them to shelters, so sometimes if someone doesn't want their pet they turn it over to dog meat farm," Wachter said.

The next step for the group is rest and evaluation, followed by vacations, spay or neuter. A dog trainer will work with each pup individually to learn more about their personality.

"So that we can see about their personality and what's going to be involved for a family that wants to adopt them. Some of them might walk on a leash, great, others it took a lot just to get them out of the crate," Wachter said.

Some of the dogs could find a new home as early as next week. Those interested in adopting a pet must complete a application form, that way staff can make sure the dog and family are a good match.
Net profit margin is the most important entry in an income statement as it demonstrates the affluence of a company. It determines the efficiency of a company in deploying its resources, making it the most suitable metric for the measurement of a companys profitability.



Net Profit Margin = Net profit /Sales * 100.



Net profit is the amount a company retains after deducting all costs, interest, depreciation, taxes and other expenses. It can also be defined as the net increase in shareholders equity, which the company can retain as earnings or distribute among shareholders as dividend.



In fact, net profit margin can turn out to be a potent point of reference to gauge the strength in a companys operations and cost-control measures.



Net margin helps investors assess the risks of investing in a company. Creditors also view it as a major factor in determining a companys ability to pay off debts.



Moreover, the strength in the metric not only attracts investors but also draws well-skilled employees who eventually add to the value of the business.



Pros and Cons



Net profit margin helps investors gain clarity on a companys business model in terms of pricing policy, cost structure and manufacturing efficiency. Hence, a strong net profit margin is preferred by all classes of investors.



However, net profit margin as an investment criterion has its own share of pitfalls. The metric varies widely from industry to industry. While net income is a key metric for investment measurement in traditional industries, it is not that crucial for technology companies.



Moreover, the difference in accounting treatment of various items  especially non-cash expenses like depreciation and stock-based compensation  makes comparison a daunting task.



Further, for companies preferring to grow with debt instead of equity funding, higher interest expenses usually weigh on the net profit. In such cases, the measure is rendered ineffective for the analysis of a companys performance.



The Winning Strategy



A healthy net profit margin and solid EPS growth are the two most sought-after elements in a business model.



Apart from these, we have added a few other criteria to ensure maximum returns from this strategy.



Screening Parameters



Net Margin 12 months  Most Recent (%) greater than equal to 0: High net profit margin indicates solid profitability.



Percentage Change in EPS F(0)/(F-1) greater than equal to 0: It indicates earnings growth.



Average Broker Rating (1-5) equal to 1: A rating of #1 indicates brokers extreme bullishness on the prospects of the stock.



Zacks Rank equal to 1: In good markets or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) continue to outperform. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



VGM Score of A or B: Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of 'A' or 'B' when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy) offer the best upside potential.



Here are five of the nine stocks that qualified the screen:



Brazil-based Braskem SA BAK produces and sells thermoplastic resins. Together with its subsidiaries, the company is the largest petrochemical operation in Latin America. The stock has a VGM score of A. Last quarter, the company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 83 cents (107.79%). Moreover, 2017 earnings estimates have remained steady at $2.26 per share over the last 30 days.



Notably, Braskems one-year return of 84.3% was better than the Zacks Oil & Gas Integrated International industrys gain of 33.3%.



Gibraltar Industries Inc. ROCK manufactures and distributes products to the industrial and buildings market. The company has its headquarters at Buffalo, NY. Gibraltar outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, with an average positive surprise of 67.30%. The stock has a VGM score of A. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2017 earnings remained steady at $1.85 per share over the last 30 days.



Gibraltars one-year return of 107.4% is way better than the Zacks Building & Construction Products- Miscellaneous Industrys gain of 40.6%.



Hounslow United Kingdom-based International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A. ICAGY is a holding company for British Airways and Iberia. The stock has a VGM score of A. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2017 earnings increased 5.7% (9 cents) to $1.67 per share over the last 30 days.



International Consolidated Airlines three-month return of 23.6% is higher than the Zacks Transportation-Airline industrys addition of 13.5%.



New York-based Lakeland Industries Inc. LAKE manufactures and sells a comprehensive line of safety garments and accessories for the industrial and public protective clothing market. The primary markets of the company are China, European Economic Community (EEC), Canada, Chile, Argentina, Russia, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador and Southeast Asia. The stock has a VGM score of A. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2017 remained steady at 58 cents over the last 30 days.



Lakelands three-month gain of 6.5% compares favorably with the Zacks Protection  Safety Equipment & Services Industrys decline of 1.1%.



New York-based Leucadia National Corporation LUK is a diversified holding company with interest in financial services, beef processing, oil and gas exploration and development and automobile dealerships. The stock has a VGM score of A. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2017 earnings increased 4.5% (6 cents) to $1.38 per share over the last 30 days.



Leucadias one-year return of 39.0% beats the Zacks Diversified Operations industrys gain of 17.6%.

Story continues

Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and back testing software.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks' portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.

Zacks Restaurant Recommendations: In addition to dining at these special places, you can feast on their stock shares. A Zacks Special Report spotlights 5 recent IPOs to watch plus 2 stocks that offer immediate promise in a booming sector. Download it free 



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (ICAGY): Free Stock Analysis Report



Leucadia National Corp. (LUK): Free Stock Analysis Report



Braskem SA (BAK): Free Stock Analysis Report



Lakeland Industries Inc. (LAKE): Free Stock Analysis Report



Gibraltar Industries Inc. (ROCK): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Among those who will be on hand to see Donald Trump sworn in as the next President of the United States will be Florida Gov. Rick Scott.

It's no secret that Gov. Scott and President-elect Trump are old friends. As a matter of fact, he was rumored to have been on the short list for a cabinet position.

"It's exciting being here, seeing my friend Donald Trump be inaugurated as our next president. It's exciting for our state," Gov. Scott said Thursday. "I think we're going to be able to get a lot of things accomplished."

That friendship compelled the governor to host one of the inaugural balls for the President-elect.

Gov. Scott will join thousands on the Capitol steps as Donald Trump officially becomes our 45th President Friday. Trump is slated to hold two bibles during the ceremony, his own personal bible that his mother gave him in 1955 and the one Abraham Lincoln used for his inauguration in 1861.

Gov. Scott said he's ready to get to help the Trump administration any way he can.

"I'm going to do everything I can to help President Trump make sure we get democracy not just in Cuba but all across Latin America," he said.
A Florida woman is facing charges after police say she had sex with underage teens.

Jaimie Ayer, 40, was arrested this week on three counts of unlawful sexual activity with minors after she allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old in December, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said.

Ayer, of Bradenton, remained behind bars on $22,500 bond Friday, jail records showed. No attorney information was available.

According to an arrest report, Ayer had sex with the teens at her home in December after giving them alcohol.

Authorities said detectives have identified three other potential victims and more charges are pending.
Fire Rescue responded to a roof collapse at a warehouse in Northwest Miami-Dade.

The incident happened on 70th Street and 37th Avenue.

Six people were injured in the incident. Miami-Dade Fire said their injuries were minor. Aerial footage showed a stretcher being hoisted to the roof. A few minutes later, a person was placed on the gurney and lowered to the ground.

Miami-Dade Fire said two men were working on the roof when it partially collapsed. They fell about five to eight feet and landed on rubble. Rescue officials said the men were able to climb out to safety. A total of three people were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Three other men were also hurt, but they were checked out by paramedics at the scene. Everyone is accounted for, fire rescue said. K-9 units were brought out to search through the rubble to ensure no one else was trapped.

"A lot of the 40 firefighters that were here this evening are also members of our urban search and rescue team and this is what they train for on a monthly basis," said Miami-Dade Fire Captain Eric Baum.

A woman who works across the street from the warehouse said the crew had been working on the roof for several weeks.

The cause of the collapse is unknown.
The Republican Party was divided during the 2016 presidential campaign, and Florida congressman Carlos Curbelo was one of those who voiced his concerns about Donald Trump.

NBC 6 spoke to Curbelo who traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend Trump's Inauguration.

"A lot of days I thought it was an ugly election. The election is over and now the American people and people in South Florida expect us to work together and figure things out," said Curbelo. Now that president-elect Donald Trump will take the reigns Friday, unity in the party is crucial.

Congressman Curbelo is not too happy with some of his fellow representatives boycotting the Inauguration. "The Inauguration is a joint session of Congress. It's an official meeting. This is not just a show. The Congress hosts the Inauguration.It isn't a Republican Inauguration, it is the American President," explained Curbelo.

Cuba has been a sticking point as Trump prepares to take office. The Obama administration's relationship with the communist country is a source of pride.

National security spokesman Ned Price spoke to NBC 6 at the White House. "All of the steps we put in place will indeed have the benefit of empowering the Cuban people. That's really why we took this approach. It provides opportunities for the American people, but it truly empowers the Cuban people," said Price.

Curbelo disagrees with the changes in policy. "Cuba, for example, is typical of what the last eight years was like. The President went out of his way to befriend enemies of the United States," argued Curbelo.
At first glance, it looks like any other coloring book, albeit with French and Creole wording. Sophia Aimes creation is much more than something you could buy in a store. This senior at Coral Reef High School designed the book to inspire orphans in Haiti, children who often end up as child laborers.

"I created coloring books in their French and Haitian Creole language to you know, encourage these kids, boost their spirits," Sophia explained.

Sophia delivered dozens of her vocational coloring books, along with crayons, to an orphanage in Haiti last summer. Each page features a man or a woman engaged in some sort of occupation, from doctor to baker to engineer and many more.

"And I explained to them what these books mean and how theyre supposed to empower them and how theyre supposed to inspire them to become greater," Sophia said, explaining how she presented the books to the kids.

The coloring books are a marriage of Sophias passion for art and activism.

"Shes one of those kids who feels she has a mission, that she is here for a reason," said chemistry teacher Hemisha Barkow, one of Sophias mentors at school.

Her classmates notice the same quality in Sophia.

"She strives to do good for other people and shes such an empowering woman," said fellow senior Mahek Lalani.

Sophias road has been challenging, to say the least. A few months ago, she lost her father. After his death, the family lost its home, sometimes the electricity bills went unpaid, yet throughout it all, Sophia continued her straight-A academic performance in the challenging International Baccalaureate curriculum.

"It just shows your strength, that if youre able to overcome this, youre able to overcome anything," Sophia said.

That perseverance and determination awes her friends at school.

"And she just continues to have this confidence and she just powered through it and thats what truly inspires me because if I had to go through that I know I wouldnt be able to make it," said classmate Sarah Alkhwlani.

Sophia won a full scholarship through the Questbridge program to Macalester College in Minneapolis. Eventually, she wants to become a civil rights attorney.

"You know, give a voice to those who are discriminated against, those who are mistreated, those who had injustice in their lives," Sophia said.

So her desire to help society is at the heart of her ambitions. What else would you expect from someone whose name means "love" in French?
As hundreds of thousands of people converge on the National Mall for the Women's March on Washington, thousands are expected to rally at a sister march in South Florida. The marches are planned for the day after Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. The event is called the Women's Rally in South Florida. It will be held Saturday from 1-5 p.m. at the Bayfront Park Amphitheater in Downtown Miami.

WHO WILL BE ATTENDING AND WHO WILL BE SPEAKING?

Organizers said they are expecting up to 10,000 people to attend the rally. The march is said to have women, men and children participating.

The rally will be emceed by philanthropist Tracy Wilson Mourning, the founder of Honey Shine, Inc. and the wife of Miami Heat legend Alonzo Mourning. Organizers said speakers will include women and men from local nonprofit sponsors, college professors and advocates of women's rights. See the full list of local nonprofit sponsors here.

IS THE EVENT FREE?

The event is free and open to the public, but organizers ask people to register online to give them an accurate headcount.

Even though the march is free, organizers ask for donations to fund the rally. If you would like to donate, click here.

T-shirts, buttons and tots are being sold ahead of the march. Organizers say the profits will benefit the march.

HOW TO GET THERE?

Organizers highly recommend attendees to park at Metro-Rail or Metro-Mover stops and take the public transportation to the venue.

Directions from NORTH of Downtown Miami: Tri-Rail south to the Metro-Rail Transfer station.

Metro-Rail South to the Government Center. Then transfer to the Metro-Mover towards the Bayfront Park stop. Please exit at the Bayfront Park stop

Directions from SOUTH of Downtown Miami: Metro-Rail North to the Government Center. Then transfer to the Metro-Mover towards the Bayfront Park stop. Please exit at the Bayfront Park stop.

If you choose to drive directly to Bayfront Park, there are three paid parking lots located nearby.

OTHER MARCHES AROUND THE WORLD

More than 600 marches promoting human rights have been organized for the day after Trump's inauguration, with an expected turnout of 1.3 million worldwide.

Here's a map showing the different locations marches will be held.

A separate march is scheduled for Friday at Bayfront Park. The rally was planned by the Anti-Trump Action Committee. It will be held from 6-10 p.m.
The suspect in the slayings of a police officer and a woman shot himself Friday after an hours-long standoff on a New Orleans bridge but is alive, a Louisiana state police spokesman said.

Trooper Dustin Dwight said the man identified as Sylvester Holt shot himself once in the chest Friday evening. Dwight said negotiators had been talking with Holt but he does not know what was said.

Holt was on a girder below and to the side of the bridge roadway when the shooting happened. Dwight said rescue workers were going down to get Holt. News outlets have reported that Holt has been brought back up.

The self-inflicted gunshot wound brought an end to a chaotic day that began with the early morning shooting death of Westwego Officer Michael Louviere, 26, and Simone Veal, 32, of Marrero.

According to witnesses, the shooter fired at Veal, then chased her car in his vehicle to an intersection where she hit a truck waiting at a light, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's spokesman John Fortunato said. Louviere, whose shift ended at 6 a.m. Friday, was on his way home after work when he spied the crash and stopped to help.

The man shot Louviere in the head, then ran around the car and shot Veal as she lay on the ground, Fortunato said. Fortunato didn't know whether she'd been hit in the earlier shooting.

Fortunato identified Holt as a person of interest and suspect in the double shooting.

As authorities searched for Holt, police shut the Mississippi River bridge from New Orleans' east bank to its west bank, causing traffic to back up for miles, because a man later identified as Holt was threatening to jump from it.

Helicopters circled the area as news crews and photographers watched intently.

Louviere was described as a dedicated family man with a strong work ethic; he was married and had a 1-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, Fortunato said.

According to Westwego Police Chief Dwayne Munch, he was a rising star likely bound for a job at a larger agency.

"We knew we wouldn't have him for long. We just didn't know he would be gone this soon," Munch said.

Prior to his career in law enforcement, Louviere was a U.S. Marine who served in Afghanistan, Munch said. He joined the department in July 2015 and "finished first in everything" in his police academy class of roughly 20 recruits, Munch said.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said earlier Friday that dozens of officers from multiple agencies were searching for Holt. Several women had taken out protective orders against him between 2012 and November 2016, the sheriff said.

He had also been arrested in September after being accused of rape. But Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. said the rape charge was later dropped after the woman repeatedly told authorities she wanted to withdraw the charge, though she still alleged that he had raped her. Holt was released from jail on Jan. 7.

Connick said Holt contended the sex was consensual.

Munch said he and a doctor broke the news to Louviere's wife at a hospital that her husband had died.

"That was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do," the chief said.

The shooting happened outside Visitation of Our Lady School, Archdiocese of New Orleans spokeswoman Sarah Comiskey McDonald said. Veal did not work there, she said in an email. The school teaches pre-kindergarten through seventh grade.

Friday's shooting comes after a sharp increase last year in the number of police officers killed in the line of duty  including a pair of deadly ambushes in Louisiana and Texas.

On July 7, a sniper in Dallas killed five law enforcement officers and wounded nine others at the end of what had been a peaceful rally against police brutality. Less than two weeks later, a lone gunman shot and killed three law enforcement officers and wounded three others in an attack outside a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, convenience store.

On Wednesday, authorities arrested a man accused of fatally shooting an Orlando, Florida, police officer outside a Wal-Mart on Jan. 9.

Munch, Westwego's police chief, said Louviere helped patrol Baton Rouge after the deadly shootings in that city and helped patrol neighboring Denham Springs after August's historic flooding.

"Typical Michael," the chief said.

Associated Press staffers Michael Kunzelman in Baton Rouge and Rebecca Santana and Jonathan Bachmann in New Orleans contributed to this report.
Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and reality television star who upended American politics and energized voters angry with Washington, took the oath of office Friday to become the 45th president of the United States and lead a riven nation.

Trump, who campaigned on the promise of making America great again, was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts just after noon with his hand on two Bibles: his own and one used by Abraham Lincoln in 1861.

From this day forward a new vision will govern our land," Trump vowed in his inaugural address. "From this day forward its going to be only America first, America first.

Pledging to empower America's "forgotten men and women," Trump said the inauguration day marks the transfer of power from Washington, D.C., "back to you, the people."

His inauguration capped an unlikely rise for a man who has never before served in government. At 70, Trump is the oldest person to be sworn in as president. He campaigned on a populist, outsider platform, promising to 'drain the swamp' in Washington, and railing against his opponent Hillary Clinton's Wall Street ties, yet he has assembled an administration full of political insiders and Goldman Sachs executives.

Republicans now control the White House, House of Representatives and Senate, with an open seat in the Supreme Court, giving the party a chance to reshape the nation after eight years under Barack Obama. And while Trump signed an exective order hours after his swearing-in, he spent most of the first hours of his presidency taking care of ceremonial duties.

At a luncheon, he offered a standing ovation to his election opponent, Hillary Clinton, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Trump walked and presided over the inaugural parade, then sat at the desk in the Oval Office. And he danced to Frank Sinatra's "My Way" with first lady Melania Trump at the first of three inaugural balls he planned to attend, before being joined on stage by his vice president and their families.

"We didn't have a chance, but we knew we were gonna win and we won. And today we had a great day," Trump said at the ball, going on to promise that real work is about to begin.

"There's no games."

Trump's 'New National Pride'

The new president tried to use his address to deliver a message of unity and make a statement about his vision for the country, what it means to be an American and the challenges facing the middle class.

In his 16-minute address, Trump painted a bleak picture of the nation he now leads, lamenting crime, shuttered factories and depleted American leadership. He vowed to stir "new national pride," bring jobs back to the United States, and "eradicate completely" Islamic terrorism.

"America will start winning again, winning like never before," Trump said. "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."

Trump said when "America is united, America is totally unstoppable" and added that when you open your heart to patriotism there is no room for prejudice."

Hundreds of Arrested Protesters

Some protesters tried to do their best to derail the celebrations. In the morning, dozens lined up across a security checkpoint near the Capitol, in one case, chaining themselves to a barricade. Shortly before President Trump took office, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of downtown businesses as they denounced capitalism and Trump, NBC Washington reported. Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters and eventually cordoned off the protesters.

Later in the day, while Trump was having a luncheon with lawmakers, police again clashed with demonstrators  this time with a larger group.

Well over 1,000 protesters were in the streets for a confrontation with police. Authorities again were using pepper spray, and some demonstrators appeared to have difficulty breathing.

Some in the crowd were throwing cups, water bottles and objects  including chunks of concrete. Some protesters rolled large steel trash cans at police. By 6:30 p.m., 217 people had been arrested across the city, and six officers had minor injuries, police said.

Arriving at the White House

The new president began his day by attending services at St. Johns Episcopal Church near the White House along with Vice President-elect Mike Pence and their families, a precedent set by Franklin D. Roosevelt and followed by every president since.

The Trumps then had tea with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House. Upon their arrival, Melania Trump presented Michelle Obama with a Tiffany & Co. blue gift box tied in white satin ribbon. Moments earlier, Vice President Biden welcomed the incoming vice president, Mike Pence.

Before welcoming his successor, Obama took a final stroll from the Oval Office through the Rose Garden as a sitting president.

Trump and Obama emerged from the White House together and stepped inside the presidential limousine for the short trip to the Capitol, where they joined ex-presidents and dignitaries, Hillary Clinton among them.

"I'm here today to honor our democracy & its enduring values. I will never stop believing in our country & its future. #Inauguration," the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee tweeted.

All of the living American presidents were in attendance at the swearing in ceremony, except for 92-year-old George H.W. Bush, who was hospitalized this week with pneumonia. His wife, Barbara, was also admitted to the hospital after falling ill.

Work and Ceremony

The ceremony began at 11:30 a.m. ET with Trump entering the inaugural podium giving his trademark thumbs up. After taking the oath, Trump didn't waste much time before signing some presidential paperwork. The new president signed formal nominations for each of his Cabinet picks and other members of the new administration.

At a luncheon after his inauguration, Trump said he was honored by Bill and Hillary Clinton attending. He asked them to stand, and they received a standing ovation.

"I have a lot of respect for those two people," Trump said.

He also said that, whether Republicans or Democrats, "we're all good people."

Trump and Pence participated in the traditional inaugural parade starting around 3:30 p.m. ET. Trump drove through the first part of the parade but emerged after about a half-hour to walk part of the route with family members. He went back into his vehicle but then emerged again about 20 minutes later, walking and waving to the crowd.

Eager to demonstrate his readiness to take actions, Trump went directly to the Oval Office Friday night, before the inaugural balls, and signed his first executive order as president  on "Obamacare." Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said it was an order to federal departments "minimizing the economic burden" of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. He would provide no details.

Trump also signed commissions for two former generals confirmed to Cabinet posts earlier by the Senate: James Mattis as secretary of defense and John Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security. Vice President Mike Pence swore them in soon after.

The day was not all pageantry and celebration, coming after an ugly presidential campaign and a contentious aftermath. More than 60 House Democrats boycotted Trump's inauguration ceremony, an unprecedented break with the bipartisan tradition of celebrating the peaceful transfer of power. Among their reasons are Trump's treatment of women, minorities and the disabled during the campaign and alleged links between his team and Russia.

House Democrats attending Trump's inauguration wore special buttons as a silent protest of Republican efforts to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law.

The blue buttons say #protectourcare, a Twitter hashtag that some advocacy groups have been using to rally support for the law.

Trump has pledged to upend Obama's major domestic and national security policies, including repealing his signature health care law and building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. But he's offered few details of how he plans to accomplish his agenda, often sending contradictory signals.

'I'm Here for History'

Ebullient Trump supporters flocked to the nation's capital for the inaugural festivities, some wearing red hats emblazoned with his "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.

"I'm here for history," said Kevin Puchalski, a 24-year-old construction worker who drove from Philadelphia to attend the swearing-in. "This is the first president that I voted for that won." His big hope: Trump builds that promised wall on the U.S.-Mexican border. "Keep the illegals out," he said.

The Secret Service told NBC News early Friday that federal agents at security check points near the Capitol were screening 1,500 people an hour. Officials estimated that 800,000 to 900,000 people will be present for Inauguration Day festivities, though the crowds appeared smaller than past celebrations.

While Trump revelled in a celebratory lunch with lawmakers and a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue  passing his newly opened Washington hotel  workers at the White House were setting about the frantic process of moving out the Obamas and preparing the residence for its new occupants. Moving trucks were on standby Friday morning at the White House.

Obama, who will continue to live in Washington, left town with his family after the inauguration for a vacation in Palm Springs, California. He addressed a farewell gathering of staff at Joint Base Andrews before boarding his last flight on the military aircraft that ferries presidents on their travels.
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / January 20, 2017 / Adama Technologies Corp. (OTC PINK: ADAC) announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Alpine Industries located in Richmond, Utah. Adama Technologies entered into an agreement with Alpine Industries back in November of 2016 to acquire 100% ownership of Alpine industries including all equipment, warehouse space and real estate.

Alpine Industries is a precision machining and aerospace manufacturing company. Since its inception in 1974, Alpine has manufactured several hundred aerospace landing gear and other spare parts. Alpine continues to work as a US government contractor and currently holds over 30 US Military contracts with the majority of them with the US Air Force. Presently, Alpine manufactures such items as M1 Mine Clearing Blades, hypo-chlorination units, tow bridles, 60 ton jacks for the C5A, AIM-9 missile body trainers, numerous bolts and screws, drag links for the F-16 fighter planes, and many other landing gear parts. In addition to the US military, Alpine also manufactures parts for several private companies including parts for drilling components used in oil and water wells, roller-coasters, motorcycles, zip line parts, crash pads, and drilling carts.

"Today is an extraordinary day for Adama Technologies as well as Alpine Industries. This announcement is the result of more than a year of hard work, investment and negotiation," commented Eric Sills, the company's CEO, "This is the first acquisition within our new management and investment model which places emphasis on ownership and managerial control in order to achieve maximum revenue and profitability."

Mr. Keith Rosenblum, an executive director of Adama Technologies stated that this acquisition represents a strong turning point for the company, "We are harnessing the power of private equity and blending that with the liquidity and strength of the public markets and using the best of both of those models to acquire healthy, productive companies and improve and strengthen those companies to generate and even better more profitable outcome. This is a success story in the making and we are all very excited."

Contact Information:

Address:

1000 N. Green Valley

Suite 380

Henderson, NV 89074

Phone: (866) 859-8697

Website: www.AdamaTechnologies.com

Disclaimer



This release contains forward-looking statements that are based on beliefs of Adama Technologies Corp. management and reflect Adama Technologies Corp.'s current expectations as contemplated under section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. When we use in this release the words "estimate," "project," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "plan," "predict," "may," "should," "will," "can," the negative of these words, or such other variations thereon, or comparable terminology, are all intended to identify forward looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of Adama Technologies Corp. with respect to future events based on currently available information and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, risks and uncertainties pertaining to development of mining properties, changes in economic conditions and other risks, uncertainties and factors, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievement expressed or implied by such forward looking statements to differ materially from the forward looking statements. The information contained in this press release is historical in nature, has not been updated, and is current only to the date shown in this press release. This information may no longer be accurate and therefore you should not rely on the information contained in this press release. To the extent permitted by law, Adama Technologies Corp. and its employees, agents and consultants exclude all liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of, or reliance on, any such information, whether or not caused by any negligent act or omission. This press release incorporates by reference the Company's filings with the SEC including 10K, 10Q, 8K reports and other filings. Investors are encouraged to review all filings. There is no assurance Adama Technologies Corp. will identify projects of merit or if it will have sufficient financing to implement its business plan. There is no assurance that the Company's due diligence on the potential acquisition of oil and gas assets will be favorable nor that definitive terms can be negotiated. Information in this release includes representations from the private companies referred to which has not been independently verified by the company. A downturn in oil prices would affect the potential profitability of the proposed acquisition negatively.

SOURCE: Adama Technologies Corp.
Police have arrested two men in connection with the killing of a man who traveled from South America to the U.S. for his grandmother's funeral.

Shakim Allen, 23, and Dreshuan Smith, 22, were arrested in connection with the killing, police said. Officers arrested Allen last Wednesday, while Smith was arrested Friday.

Smith was charged with assault, police said. Both men were charged with murder, robbery and criminal use of a firearm.

Rocky Kalisaran, 31, was shot and killed the morning of Jan. 2 while coming to the aid of his younger brother, who was being held up in Ozone Park, Queens.

Kalisaran was shot several times in the chest on 124th Street around 3:20 a.m. after intervening in the attempted robbery. His 24-year-old brother, Sunny, was shot in the back and was taken to Jamaica Hospital in stable condition.

Allen and Smith allegedly fled the scene in a dark-colored vehicle after the shooting.

Relatives of Kalisaran say he traveled to New York from Guyana to attend his grandmother's funeral the week he was killed.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More
What to Know Donald Trump becomes the 45th president of the United States after an historic election

Mass protests are planned in Washington, NYC and across the nation Friday and this weekend as Trump takes office

Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was extradited to the U.S. and is to appear in court in Brooklyn

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.

Inauguration of Donald Trump

Donald J. Trump, a businessman and former reality TV star, will be sworn in Friday as the 45th president of the United States. It will cap an unlikely and historic rise for a New York City real estate mogul who has never before served in government. Taking the nation's highest office and with Republicans in both houses of Congress, Trump will get his chance to fulfill his campaign slogan to make America great again. Hundreds of thousands of people have descended on Washington, D.C., to mark the occasion and millions more will tune in to watch all of the pomp  and a number of protests. Head to the NBC New York inauguration page for more on the inauguration and inaugurations past. Watch the inauguration ceremonies live here.

Protests Held in NYC and D.C.

In New York City on the eve of Trumps inauguration, actors Robert De Niro, Alec Baldwin, Sally Field and Mark Ruffalo joined hundreds of other people, including Mayor Bill de Blasio and filmmaker Michael Moore, in front of the Trump International Hotel and Tower for a pre-inauguration demonstration. More protests are planned in New York City on Friday and Saturday, including a planned act of civil disobedience at Trump Tower around noon Friday, a rally at Foley Square around 5 p.m. and the Womens March on Saturday. In Washington, D.C., police formed a wall Thursday nightafter protesters with the group Refuse Fascism converged on an event filled with Trump supporters.

Trump Speaks Day Before Inauguration

Trump made his first public remarks of his inaugural ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 19, a day before being sworn in as president. This journey began 18 months ago, Trump said in a short speech that sounded more like a campaign speech a one from a president-elect. I had something to do with it, but you had much more to do with it than I had. Im the messenger. Im just the messenger. Watch Trump speak to the crowd at the Make America Great Again concert. Check out inauguration ceremony photos.

President Obama Says Farewell

President Barack Obama offered a final thank you to the American people Thursday in a goodbye letter. In the letter published on the White House website, Obama credits U.S. citizens for being a "source of goodness, resilience, and hope" as he faced trying times during his presidency. "Throughout these eight years, you have been the source of goodness, resilience, and hope from which I've pulled strength. The president and First Lady Michelle Obama will accompany the Trump to the Capitol Friday morning for the swearing-in ceremony.

Drug Kingpin Extradited to U.S.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, one of the world's most notorious drug kingpins, is finally headed for a court date the United States sought for two decades while he made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run. Mexico's most wanted man was expected to appear in a federal court in New York Friday, the same day Donald Trump, who has lashed out at Mexico, is inaugurated as president. Guzman's abrupt exit to face charges in the U.S. marks the end of an era in which he was Mexico's most notorious drug cartel boss and, for some, the stuff of folk legend. It's also seen by many as a delicately timed maneuver, coming as Trump becomes president.

Alleged NYC Gold Thief Captured

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.
Are pregnant women in New York City getting equal care?

That's what public radio station WNYC set out to study after a recent study conducted by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene found that the severe maternal morbidity rates in New York City were 1.6 times the national average.

WNYC's health care and medical reporter Fred Mogul said he found women in lower-income neighborhoods, particularly black moms, were more likely to have risky complications during childbirth than other women, even those on the same socioeconomic level. Health experts and doctors told WNYC that hospital culture had a lot to do with it: hospitals that were more patient-centered and required lots of staff training generally had lower complication rates, they said.

(To view the five-year study of moms and problems with deliveries in city hospitals, click here)

WNYCs original report was supported by the Center for Health Journalism at USC Annenberg School of Complications.
What to Know Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was Mexico's most wanted man

Guzman was extradited to the U.S. on Thursday and was set to appear in federal court in New York City on Friday

Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand him off to the United States, but Guzman's lawyers fought his extradition

Saying they were bringing the world's most notorious drug lord to justice, U.S. prosecutors on Friday described Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman as the murderous architect of a three-decade-long web of violence, corruption and drug addiction and announced they were seeking a $14 billion forfeiture from him.

A public defender for Guzman pleaded not guilty to a sweeping 17-count indictment including drug trafficking and other charges in a federal court in Brooklyn Friday, a day after the drug kingpin was extradited to the city from Mexico. A hush fell over the courtroom moments before Guzman entered. He looked dazed and wore a dark blue T-shirt, dark blue pants and sneakers.

Guzman answered questions through an interpreter standing to his right and said he could understand the judge's English.

No bail was sought.

Prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty as a condition of the extradition of Guzman. They have sought to bring him to a U.S. court for years while he made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run in Mexico.

"His story was not one of a do-gooder or a Robin Hood. Or even one of a famous escape artist who miraculously escaped from Mexican prisons on multiple occasions," said Robert Capers, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. "Guzmans destructive and murderous rise as the international narcotics trafficker was akin to that of a small cancerous tumor that metastasized and grew into a full blown scourge that for decades littered the streets of Mexico with the casualties of violent drug wars over turf."

"And the same scourge helped to perpetrate the drug epidemic here in the U.S. and makes our cities such as Miami and New York ground zero for that epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s," Capers added.

As boss of the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman presided over a syndicate that shipped tons of heroin and cocaine to the U.S., using tanker trucks, planes with secret landing strips, container ships, speedboats and even submarines, prosecutors said. Perhaps most famously, Guzman's cartel built elaborate tunnels under the U.S. border to transport drugs, said Wifredo Ferrer, the U.S. attorney in Miami.

The cartel made billions of dollars in profits  hence prosecutors' bid for a $14 billion forfeiture  and employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture, according to prosecutors. The Sinaloa smugglers also helped fuel an epidemic of drug abuse in the U.S. in the 1980s and '90s, the prosecutors said.

It wasn't immediately clear who would represent Guzman in court; a lawyer is to be appointed. His lawyers in Mexico called his extradition, which he had fought, a political move to distract from gasoline protests there.

The Drug Enforcement Administration flew him to New York from the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez on Thursday  hours before the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has criticized Mexico for sending the U.S. "criminals and rapists" and vowed to build a wall at the Mexican border.

When Guzman got off the plane, "as you looked into his eyes, you could see the surprise, you could see the shock, and to a certain extent, you could see the fear, as the realization kicked in that he's about to face American justice," said Angel Melendez, who leads U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's homeland security investigations in New York.

The U.S. has been trying to obtain custody of Guzman since he was first indicted in California in the early 1990s. Now in his late 50s, he faces the possibility of life in a U.S. prison. Prosecutors had to agree to not seek the death penalty as a condition of the extradition.

While he faces federal charges in several U.S. states, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn won the jockeying to get the case. The U.S. attorney's office there has substantial experience prosecuting international drug cartel cases and was once led by outgoing U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

Guzman was recaptured a year ago in Mexico after escaping from a maximum-security prison for a second time. The episode was highly embarrassing for President Enrique Pena Nieto's government, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand him off to the U.S.

U.S. officials said they didn't learn until Thursday that Mexico was extraditing Guzman. Thanking the Mexican government for its work, prosecutors refused to comment on whether politics played a role.

In Mexico, Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran said the timing was due to a court ruling against Guzman's appeal, not to politics. But many considered the timing to have been carefully planned, and observers differed on whether Guzman's extradition was a final-hour salute to outgoing President Barack Obama or a gesture of obeisance to the incoming Trump.

After breaking out of prison the first time in 2001, Guzman spent more than a decade at large, becoming something of a folk legend among some Mexicans for his defiance of authorities. He was immortalized in ballads known as "narco-corridos."

Captured in 2014, Guzman then made an even more audacious escape, coolly stepping into a hole in the floor of his prison cell shower and whizzing to freedom on a motorcycle modified to run on tracks laid the length of the tunnel.

While on the run, he secretly met with actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo in a fall 2015 encounter that Penn later chronicled in Rolling Stone magazine.

In Penn's article, Guzman was unapologetic about his criminal activities, saying he had turned to drug trafficking at age 15 because it was "the only way to have money to buy food, to survive."

The piece was published shortly after Mexican marines rearrested Guzman in a January 2016 shootout that killed five of his associates and wounded one marine.
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's abrupt exit to face charges in the U.S. marks the end of an era in which he was Mexico's most notorious drug cartel boss and, for some, the stuff of folk legend.

It's also seen by many in Mexico as a delicately timed maneuver aimed at limiting political fallout for President Enrique Pena Nieto, already deeply unpopular in part for his perceived mishandling of Donald Trump's tough rhetoric on Mexico.

Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran, 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.

But observers still considered the timing to have been carefully planned.

"It could be a coincidence, but I think that's unlikely," Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope said, noting it came the last full day of Barack Obama's presidency and hours before Trump's inauguration.

"They could not send him after Trump was inaugurated because the interpretation would have been that of a tribute," Hope said. "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."

Others saw it as a reward to Obama and a shot across the bow of Trump, who has called immigrants coming illegally from Mexico criminals and "rapists" and vowed to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it.

"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," said Michael Vigil, the former head of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "They wanted Obama to take credit. They wanted to send a message to Trump that they won't be bullied."

Guzman's departure came the same day Mexican officials announced high-level talks Jan. 25-26 in Washington. The discussions will include Mexico's newly installed top diplomat, Luis Videgaray, and key Trump administration officials such as chief of staff Reince Priebus, son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and senior adviser Stephen Bannon.

Hope said the timing also sends a message that Mexico is serious about anti-drug cooperation regardless of who occupies the White House.

Sen. Miguel Barbosa of the leftist opposition Democratic Revolution Party seized on the extradition to take a swipe at Pena Nieto. He said it was apparently the only choice after Guzman twice pulled off embarrassing escapes from maximum-security lockups.

"We should not celebrate that the Mexican state was not capable of processing the greatest criminal that has ever existed in Mexico and was not capable of guaranteeing his incarceration," Barbosa said in a statement.

Pena Nieto currently has the lowest approval ratings for any Mexican leader in the polling era. Besides his handling of Trump, Mexicans are also angry about corruption, rising drug gang violence and a Jan. 1 deregulation that led gasoline prices to spike by as much as 20 percent.

Guzman lawyer Andres Granados accused the government of trying to distract the public.

"They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike," Granados said. "It's totally political."

Some Mexicans feared Guzman's extradition to the United States, where he will surely be kept from communicating with underlings, could unleash a cartel power struggle and more bloodshed.

"All the different bands are going to start fighting among themselves, no? Drug traffickers, to see who ends up being No. 1," said Roberto Lascurain, an architect in Mexico City.

Guzman associate Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is believed to be running the cartel following "El Chapo's" recapture last January. Some analysts believe Guzman's sons may have also taken on increased roles.

Raul Benitez, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, said Guzman's offspring may try to challenge for control in what "could be a negotiation without violence, or a war with machine guns."

However, Vigil predicted that the operations of Guzman's Sinaloa cartel are unlikely to be affected.

"Most cartels have a vertical structure, but ... Sinaloa has a horizontal one with cells that operate in a semi-autonomous manner," Vigil said. "They have a strong bench. They have a respected leader in Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada."

On Twitter, some saw humor in Guzman's extradition the day before Trump takes office.

"'They're sending the worst, they're bringing drugs, they're criminals,'" tweeted Jorge Guajardo, Mexico's ambassador to China in 2007-2013, echoing Trump's comments about illegal immigration. "Ok, you won. Here's our very worst, El Chapo."

U.S. presidential transitions have been used by foreign countries before to send a political message. On Jan. 20, 1981, only minutes into the presidency of Republican Ronald Reagan, Iran freed 52 American hostages it held for 444 days after the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

A deal between Iran and the U.S. to unfreeze billions of dollars in Iranian assets in exchange for the hostages had been largely reached under outgoing Democratic President Jimmy Carter. But while Carter greeted the hostages on their landing in West Germany, it was Reagan who announced their freedom to cheering Americans.
A prosecutor on Friday urged a federal judge to sentence "Dance Moms" star Abby Lee Miller to prison instead of probation for bankruptcy fraud.



Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Melucci called witnesses to buttress his contention that the reality TV show star tried to avoid repaying hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt by hiding about $775,000 in income from a bankruptcy court.



Miller's attorneys will call witnesses when the hearing continues Feb. 24, after which she'll be sentenced. Miller and her attorneys said they won't comment until then.



Melucci faces an uphill battle to convince U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti that Miller deserves two to 2 1/2 years in prison.



That's because the judge filed tentative findings on the eve of Friday's hearing essentially agreeing with the defense argument that Miller deserves probation because no creditors lost money once the bankruptcy fraud was discovered.



But Melucci said the law allows Conti to sentence Miller based on the amount of money she intended to avoid repaying.



He said the only reason for Miller to hide income was to avoid repaying everything she owed. "No one would rob a bank if he knew it had no money in it," Melucci argued.



Miller filed for bankruptcy largely because she had defaulted on a $245,000 mortgage on a Florida condominium and a $96,000 mortgage on her dance studio in Penn Hills, a Pittsburgh suburb. She listed nearly $60,000 in other debts, including unpaid property taxes.



Miller wanted the Chapter 11 bankruptcy court to let her repay only $150,000 of the condominium mortgage at a lower interest rate  and at one point offered to forfeit the property to avoid repaying anything. She sought to repay her other debts in full, but without interest or at lower rates.



The outraged bankruptcy judge eventually ordered Miller to repay every penny.



Miller pleaded guilty in June to purposely hiding her income in financial disclosure statements filed with the bankruptcy court starting in 2012. People who file Chapter 11 must honestly disclose their assets so the creditors can fairly assess whether to approve any court-approved repayment plan.



"The entire Chapter 11 system is based on full disclosure, and if there's not full disclosure, the whole system falls apart," U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee Larry Wahlchrist testified.



But Miller repeatedly hid her true income  as well as contracts for future income from her TV shows  until her channel-surfing bankruptcy judge saw her on TV and concluded Miller must be making far more than the $8,899 in monthly income she initially declared.



Wahlchrist testified Miller earned $8,000 to $25,000 per episode as her popularity exploded, and deposited money in nonapproved bank accounts to hide assets.



Miller eventually coughed up $288,000 in TV income she'd received. Federal investigators later determined she had hidden nearly $550,000 more from personal appearances, dance sessions and merchandise sales.



Miller made a major concession on an unrelated charge that she also pleaded guilty to in June, sneaking $120,000 in foreign currency into the country from Australia in 2014.



Miller agreed to forfeit that money, which she previously sought to avoid. In return, prosecutors won't ask the judge to enhance Miller's sentence for using children to help in that scheme.



Prosecutors can't comment on that and haven't named the children. They have said in court documents that Miller divvied up money and hid it in the luggage of others in her party to avoid a federal law requiring people to report bringing more than $10,000 in foreign currency into the country. [[238904721, C]]
UPDATE: The bridge will be closed for at least two weeks. DETAILS HERE

An inspector reviewing the new paint job on the Delaware River Bridge, which connects the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Turnpikes, discovered a cracked truss that forced officials to close the span indefinitely.

The four-lane continuous truss bridge carries vehicles traveling east and west along Interstate 276 from Bucks County, Pennsylvania to Burlington County, New Jersey, over the Delaware River.

Tom Feeney, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which is part owner of the bridge along with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, said the rift was discovered Friday by an inspector who was evaluating paint work recently finished by a contractor.

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

The inspector immediately alerted turnpike officials who shut down the 6,751-foot-long span. The 60-year-old bridge carries an average of 42,000 vehicles a day, according PennDOT.

The damaged truss is located on top of an approach span on the Pennsylvania side of the bridge, Feeney said. The size of the crack, extent of the damage and length of time it has been there was not immediately known.

Turnpike authority engineers are being to called in to assess the damage and determine the best course for stabilizing the bridge, which stands more than 135 feet high.

Officials could not say how long the repair would take, but did not expect the bridge to reopen this weekend.

Drivers will have to take a lengthy detour to get from one highway to another.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike will now end at the Delaware Valley interchange. Eastbound travelers are being advised to exit at the Bensalem interchange #351 and follow U.S. 1 north to Interstate 95 north; I-95 will become I-295 south; Take I-295 south to I-195 east to the N.J. Turnpike.

In New Jersey, turnpike officials have closed the 5.7-mile Pearl Harbor Extension that connects the main highway to the bridge. Westbound travelers can take the detour above in reverse.

Officials encourage drivers to use driving apps like Waze to help reroute them around the bridge.
Democratic Gov. John Carney is showing a spirit of bipartisanship as Republican Donald Trump prepares to take the oath of office as president.

Carney's office says he will attend Trump's inauguration on Friday with his guest, Republican state senator Colin Bonini of Dover.

Bonini and Carney squared off in last year's gubernatorial contest in Delaware, but maintained a civil tone toward each other during the campaign.

Bonini described Carney during a debate as a friend and "a smart guy," and said after the election that he wanted Carney to be as successful a governor as he can be.
On his last day as vice president, Joe Biden briefly revived a tradition he had followed faithfully as a U.S. senator for Delaware: He rode the commuter train home from Washington.

Biden and his wife, Jill, hopped aboard an Amtrak train bound for Wilmington after attending the inauguration of President Donald Trump in Washington.

Marching band members and alumni from Biden's alma mater, the University of Delaware, joined scores of uniformed Delaware National Guard troops, schoolchildren and hundreds of other well-wishers to greet the Bidens at a celebration on Wilmington's riverfront, a stone's throw from the Amtrak station that bears his name.

"We never thought we left home," a subdued Biden said as he began his speech, quickly becoming emotional.

"When I die, Delaware will be written on my heart," he added, wiping away tears.

Delawareans, in turn, have embraced the man they know simply as "Joe," who stayed long after Friday's ceremony to press the flesh, sign autographs and take dozens of selfies with enthusiastic supporters.

"It's amazing how the state has embraced my family," he told the Associated Press in an interview afterward. "I was proud to be elected vice president, but nothing as proud as seven times, the people of Delaware voted for me for the Senate. ... They know me, warts and all."

Johanna Peet, 32, said people are obsessed with Biden and his family.

"I think it's because he's vulnerable as a man, and as a leader and as a politician," she said, adding that the Bidens "make the effort to connect and make the effort to get to know you as an individual."

After 36 years in the Senate and eight years as vice president, the 74-year-old Biden finds himself stepping away from the spotlight after almost half a century of public service, starting with his election to county council in 1970.

"I'm not going to go back to being a private citizen," he told the AP. "I'm going to keep going full bore on all the things I cared about, ... both in foreign policy, domestic policy as well as the cancer moonshot." Biden's eldest son, Beau, died of cancer in 2015.

Biden thanked the crowd for their support over the years, not just in politics, but in times of tragedy, including the death of his wife and infant daughter in a car crash just weeks after his election to the Senate.

"You've been with me in victory. You've been with me in defeat. You've all stayed with me," he said.

[NATL] First Ladies' Inaugural Fashion Through the Years
A former New Jersey man who thought President Obama had an affair with his fiancee has been charged with threatening to kill the president.

Federal prosecutors say 33-year-old William Peterman Jr., formerly of Medford Lakes who now lives in Beaufort, South Carolina, posted two death threats on Facebook last week.

According to court filings, officials say Peterman told investigators he thought Obama admitted during his Jan. 10 farewell speech that he had an affair with Peterson's fiancee.

According to Thursday's news release from the justice department's division in Philadelphia, social media has brought increased online threats, but law enforcement takes all such threats seriously.

If convicted, Peterman faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine. No attorney information is available.
Cannabis activists are "Tokin Back the Wall" Friday in an effort to normalize relations between Philadelphia police and marijuana consumers in Rittenhouse Square.

The action, scheduled to start at 4 p.m., initially protested the now-defunct sitting ban, which went up in smoke after Major Jim Kenney tweeted over the weekend encouraging community members to continue using the park respectfully.

"Along with my liberal view of park use, please don't litter, or graffiti the walls or smoke weed so obviously that you scare olds my age," Kenney tweeted.



Fridays so-called smoke-in event will double as a tutorial on how to "responsibly receive code violations" without unnecessarily being arrested or creating a scene, said Chris Goldstein, communications director for Philly NORML, the local branch of a national marijuana activist group. This includes a three-step guide on how to react if issued a citation by police.

"Step 1: dont freak out - its just a ticket. It wont go on your record," Goldstein said. "Step 2: Hand over your ID and weed."

And finally, there is Step 3.

"Walk away smiling," he said.

If caught with pot, people are subject to a $25 fine for possessing fewer than 30 grams and $100 for smoking in public. The tickets can be paid online and do not go on your permanent record.

Activists met with Philadelphia police Thursday to go over plans for Fridays event.

"Don't use the A-word, it's not an arrest," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Joe Sullivan said, reported Philly.com. "It's a citation."

Police will have a processing station near Rittenhouse Square to issue citations to anyone smoking pot openly, according to Pennsylvania Veterans for Medical Marijuana. The event is expected to be peaceful.

"I am grateful for the open line of communication between marijuana community and police," Goldstein said.



But Goldstein also added that "the issue is misunderstood" in Philadelphia, which decriminalized marijuana in 2014.



"From the get go, marijuana consumers have been blamed for a lot of other problems and somehow the deterioration of stone masonry in [Rittenhouse Square]," Goldstein said. "Our community should not bear the blame for all the problems in the park."

Philadelphia Police issued a brief statement to NBC10 saying the department is commited to working "with all activists."

The sitting ban "is not our controversy," police said in an email. "We believe the mayor has spoken about the Rittenhouse situation."
Philadelphia Police placed a Shelter in Place order on an elementary school due to a barricade situation nearby Friday morning.

Students and staff at John H. Webster Elementary School along Frankford Avenue in Kensington were told to stay put around 10 a.m. until around noon, said police.

The order came as SWAT responded to a home about two blocks away where a possibly armed man -- wanted for a quadruple shooting -- was believed to be inside, said Philadelphia Police.

Investigators named the suspect as Ernesto Almodovar, 23, who is wanted in the shooting of four people outside a North Philadelphia corner store -- including a 12-year-old girl who was hit with bullet fragments -- on Aug. 30, said police.

Officers eventually entered the home around 11:30 a.m. and came out with no one as it turned out none of the four people inside were the suspect.

No word on where the suspect could be.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that he plans to visit the U.S. as soon as possible to meet with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking on the eve of Trump's inauguration, he called the U.S.-Japan alliance an "unchanging principle" for his country's foreign and security policy.

His urgency to meet Trump reflects worries in Japan about how Trump's "America first" policy will affect U.S. commitments to the Asia region, as well as fallout from any heightened tensions with China and North Korea.

Abe was the first foreign leader to meet Trump after the U.S. election, making a stop in New York in November on his way to a summit in Latin American.

"The Japan-U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of our country's foreign and security policy, in the past, present and in the future," Abe told parliament in an annual policy address. "It's an unchanging principle."

Abe said he wants to meet Trump to deepen that relationship further. Trump will be sworn in as president Friday.
Protests against President-elect Donald Trump took a chaotic turn on the eve of his inauguration as demonstrators set off smoke devices and lit Trump merchandise on fire in downtown Washington, D.C.

D.C. police officers wearing riot gear formed a wall near 13th and F streets NW Thursday night, after protesters with the group Refuse Fascism converged on the street in front of the nearby National Press Club, where some Trump supporters are attending an event called the DeploraBall.

Demonstrators accused Trump of being a racist who emboldened white supremacists.

"I watched the video of the alt-right conference. They give Nazi salutes and Sieg Heils in the middle of my capital, the capital of my country. I love this country. I'm not going to let these people ruin it," said one man protesting.

Many demonstrators screamed "F--- Trump" and at one point the group projected images on the National Press Club building that read "Impeach the Predatory President" and "Bragging About Grabbing a Woman's Genitals."

"I think it's great that we live in a country where they can disagree with the president and they have their voice that they can do that. I think it's awesome," said Trump supporter Luke Gwinn, who was there for the DeploraBall.

Nearby, police arrested 34-year-old Scott Ryan Charney, of Northwest D.C., and charged him with conspiracy to commit an assault. Police said Charney and two others conspired to commit a crime at the National Press Club building. Police are still searching for the two other suspects involved.

According to NBC News, police used pepper spray on protesters.

CNN also reported the use of pepper spray but said that Hugh Carew, a Metropolitan Police Department spokesman, said he could not confirm the use of pepper spray.

D.C. police tweeted two separate groups were out protesting in the area. Protesters dispersed about 11 p.m., they said.

Stay with News4 and NBCWashington.com for updates to this developing story.
A Paradise Hills man is asking for the public's help to find the person suspected of hitting and killing his brother Thursday morning.

The suspect vehicle involved in the deadly crash was recovered but police are still looking for the person behind the wheel at the time.

San Diego Police (SDPD) said the collision happened around 7 a.m. in the 5900 block of Albemarle Street.

Jose Padron, 49, was getting am umbrella out of his car when a hit-and-run suspect traveling eastbound on Albemarle Street lost control and crossed over a center median. The driver sideswiped a parked car, then struck the victim's parked car and the victim.

Police said Padron was carried 30 to 40 feet down the road on top of the suspect's vehicle before rolling off of the hood.

Thursday night, NBC 7 spoke to the victim's brother, Oscar Padron who said the father of a young son and husband was a kind soul, deeply devoted to family.

Oscar Padron told NBC 7, Padron had been retrieving the umbrella so that his wife wouldn't have to walk to her car in the rain.

"It's still shocking, like a dream. It happened, we have to cope with it right now, Padron said.

He said he owned an auto shop with his brother and also lived with him, adding that he was there when his brother was killed.

"When he was hit, I ran out there. I said my last good-byes to him. I hugged him. I kissed him, he said.

The driver stopped for only a few seconds after the class and then fled.

Neighbors told NBC 7, the incident has them outraged.

"It's like so surreal, like something you would see in a movie. Like who doesn't stop after they hit someone, family friend Lauren Marcial said.

Neighter question how distracted the driver was that he crossed the center line and hit Padron.

What was he doing on the other side of the road? Drunk? Drugs? Texting?, family friend Carol Feinberg said.

The video of the suspect car was captured on a neighbor's security camera a couple hundred yards from the collision occurred.

Right now the best thing to do is turn yourself in," said Oscar Padron. "And the main question is, why? And why was he on the other side of the road."

The Padron family said they want answers, and the person responsible to be brought to justice.

Neighbors could not identify the driver, but said they believe the suspect lives somewhere in the Paradise Hills Neighborhood.

An online fundraiser was started to help Padron's family.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
A former U.S. Border Patrol agent convicted of giving his daughters teenage friend cocaine and committing sex acts on the minor in a San Diego hotel will spend the next two years behind bars.

Daniel Alfredo Spear was sentenced Friday to 24 months in prison. He may be eligible for parole after he serves his time, a court clerk confirmed.

Spear was found guilty last September on three counts in his sex acts case: digital penetration of a minor; oral copulation of a minor; employment of a minor to perform prohibited acts.

He committed the acts in October 2015 on a 17-year-old girl in a hotel room in Mission Bay. The victim was one of his daughter's friends.

At Spear's pretrial hearing in March 2016, the teenager took the stand as the prosecutions key witness.

She testified that Spear brought cocaine, money, lingerie and a camera to the Dana Inn hotel on Mission Bay. After giving the teen the drugs, Spear allegedly took photos of the minor while performing sex acts on her. The teen also said Spear touched her inappropriately when she spent the night at his house during the Fourth of July in 2015.

San Diego Police Department (SDPD) detectives found more than 10 photos of the victim on Spears phone. Several of those pictures showed the teen posing in lingerie.

In the March 2016 pretrial, Spears attorney said Spear and his wife had given money to the teenager to pay for food and rent, as the teen was allegedly having problems with her mother. The attorney also questioned the minor about her medical condition, fibromyalgia, which she acknowledged affects her memory.

Ultimately, a judge ruled there was enough evidence for Spear to stand trial. During the course of the investigation, the U.S. Border Patrol placed Spear on paid administrative leave, and also launched an internal investigation.
A man accused of shooting and killing a mother on the Pala Indian Reservation pleaded not guilty to the crime in court.

Milton Trujillo was charged with murder in the death of Carolyn Cagey, 43. He pleaded not guilty to the crime in court. One of Trujillo's defense attorneys, Peter Liss, told NBC 7 it was too early to give his client's side of the story.

Cagey was found dead on the 2900 block of W. Pala Mission Road on the reservation early Monday, San Diego County Sheriff's deputies said.

The Native American woman suffered signs of trauma to her upper body; deputies later said she had been shot multiple times, deputies said. Her dead was ruled a homicide by Sheriff's officials.

The victim had another son who died four years ago, and the family had also buried a relative recently.

If convicted, Trujillo faces 25 years to life in prison.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Detail at (858) 974-2321 or after hours at (858) 565-5200. You can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 and be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

No other information was immediately available.
A San Carlos mother said she spent over $300 on a gift card for airfare but when her daughter tried to use the card, the money was missing.

In 2015, Bernadine said she decided to give her daughter, Sue, and son-in-law a Southwest gift card as a Christmas present. The gift card was worth $300.

My son-in-law travels to St. Louis, Missouri often and Sue comes down here, Bernadine Ernster said. I thought everything was fine until Sue tried to redeem the points.

Six months after Bernadine had purchased the card, she said her daughter tried to use the gift card but the transaction wouldnt go through.

Bernadine said Southwest Airlines told her that the card and points had been cancelled and the money refunded back to her American Express credit card.

Bernadine said there was a problem with that.

It was no longer any good, it was defunct, I couldn't use it anywhere because it had changed over to Citibank Visa, Bernadine said.

The card was linked to Costco and Costco had switched card companies from American Express to Citibank Visa. According to Bernadine, the companies told her the money should have transferred automatically to her new card.

When I contacted Citibank Visa, they said too much time had lapsed, they couldn't do anything about it and they didn't know anything about it, she said.

Bernadine also said she checks her bank statements regularly and the refund never arrived.

I couldnt believe why nobody could find this money and my children told me Mom dont give up, Bernadine said. I saw Consumer Bob on TV and I was impressed with how he handles things.

Thats when she contacted NBC 7 Responds. We contacted all of the companies involved: Southwest, American Express and Citibank. Southwest confirmed they refunded the money. American Express told us the money should have automatically transferred. Citibank got to work and in a few days, a spokesperson told us they had good news.

I would like to give them that Christmas gift, Bernadine said.

Citibank told Bernadine they did not know what happened to the money but because they value her as a customer, they would credit her account for the full amount that was missing.
The owner of a popular North County horse ranch facing federal child pornography charges appeared in federal court Thursday for his arraignment.

Christian Clews, 51, was formally charged with possession and distribution of child pornography, according to a U.S. Attorney's office spokeswoman. He pleaded not guilty.

In addition to his plea, Judge Schopler ordered Clews to stay at his home at the ranch between 2 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning every day of the week.

He will be allowed outside his house from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. to take care of his work, so long as no minors are nearby. All independent contractors that train and work at the property are required to be notified that they may not train minors - and minors may not be on the property - before 2 p.m. any day of the week.

Clews appeared in court following a two-year-long Homeland Security investigation that began with images investigators say were found on the ranch owner's mobile phone.

NBC 7 Archives

According to the complaint, investigators found numerous child pornography images and video files on multiple electronic devices.

The images showed "sexually explicit conduct" with children under 12 years old, according to the complaint. Some allegedly involved the use of animals.

The complaint indicates Clews admitted to investigators he possessed and distributed child porn after they read him his rights.

Clews Horse Ranch is an established Carmel Valley horse boarding and training facility.

By most accounts, the ranch is often swarming with kids.

The complaint does not indicate whether children who visited the ranch could be seen in any of the confiscated images, but those close to the case tell NBC7 San Diego Police are trying to determine the answer to that very question.

Clews was also an investor representative on the Carmel Valley community planning board. According to the website, his term ended in 2016.

Clews will next appear in federal court on Feb. 24.
Pedestrians walk past an Aviva logo outside the company's head office in the city of London, Britain, March 5, 2009. REUTERS/Stephen Hird/File Photo

By Noor Zainab Hussain and Carolyn Cohn

LONDON (Reuters) - China's Tencent Holdings and hedge fund Hillhouse Capital, headed by billionaire Zhang Lei, are taking stakes in British insurer Aviva's (AV.L) Hong Kong business, the insurer said on Friday.

Aviva has been refocusing on online insurance products, and on cross-selling between its life and general insurance products such as home and motor insurance.

It said earlier this week it would merge its UK life and general insurance businesses to increase that digital focus.

China's online finance industry has boomed in recent years, with players ranging from Tencent to e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA.N) and start-ups offering peer-to-peer lending, wealth management and online payments in a bid to prise business away from traditional banks and insurers.

Hong Kong is home to 161 authorised insurers, with around HK$374 billion (39.03 billion pounds) insurance industry in premiums.

The distribution market is dominated by 93,000 insurance professionals, agents and brokers who take a fee on insurance products sold face to face, but the industrys incoming regulator said last year he would like to see local insurers embracing new forms of financial technology to develop and distribute products.

Tencent, which is among the backers of Chinese Internet insurer Zhong An Online Property and Casualty Insurance, has also invested in online insurer HeTai Life.

Aviva said it and Hillhouse will each hold 40 percent of Aviva Hong Kong on completion of the deal, while Tencent will own the rest.

Aviva's shares were up 0.4 percent at 478 pence by 0954 GMT, when the FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) was down 0.04 percent.

(Additional reporting by Michelle Price in Hong Kong; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
About 100 people gathered in the rain at San Diego City College to protest the inauguration of President Donald Trump on Friday.

They joined protests nationwide, including demonstrations in Washington D.C. that turned violent, surrounding Trump taking office.

From City College, protesters planned to then march to the Federal Building in downtown San Diego. Later, they planned to head to Chicano Park in Barrio Logan for more protests.

Another demonstration was slated for the afternoon at Balboa Park.

Protesters carried signs that read Worst president ever among other anti-Trump sentiments. One woman carried a Trump pinata.

Heres a look at the scene from NBC 7 reporter Steve Luke:

Like most here at anti Trump rally North Park's Tom Mccammon did not watch inauguration speech. #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/lp6pFfeACi  Steven Luke (@stevenlukenbc) January 20, 2017

Laura Horst from OB brought a pinata and a bat to anti @realDonaldTrump rally.

Do you support this expression? #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/nQo2Q5nx6Y  Steven Luke (@stevenlukenbc) January 20, 2017
Heavy rain pummeled San Diego County Friday as the second storm in a series hit hard, bringing with it thunderstorm and flash flood warnings.

[G] Rain, Wind Descend on San Diego County

NBC 7 meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said San Diegans would continue to give those umbrellas a workout Friday with that second storm system sweeping the county. Heavy rain first hit in the early hours -- and was expected to last all day, intensifying as the day unfolds. This rainfall comes on the heels of Thursday's storm, the first in the series expected to last through Monday and perhaps linger into Tuesday.

Kodesh said Friday's showers would move quickly.

The second storm in a series hit San Diego early Friday. NBC 7s Elena Gomez reports from Cardiff-by-the-Sea with what locals can expect in the North County in the coming hours.

Its a very powerful storm. We are going to see wild wind blow into our county today, she explained. Even our beaches are under a high wind warning. We could see wind gusts up to 60 mph at the coast; that is definitely enough to topple a tree.

Temperatures will be cold, for San Diego, with a high of 59 degrees. Kodesh said the most intense rainfall will come down between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday. Scattered showers will linger through Friday evening.

Severe Thunderstorm Warning for NW San Diego county until 2:45pm  Dagmar Midcap (@DagmarNBCSD) January 20, 2017

The weekend will be wet as well, with a chance of showers Saturday morning and again after 10 p.m. On Sunday and into Monday, the third storm system in this series will arrive. The storm on Monday should be the wettest of all, Kodesh said. Check NBC 7s forecast here.

The first storm in a series of several hit San Diego County early Thursday, causing a wet commute for early risers. NBC 7s Elena Gomez reports.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service (NWS) said the storms have activated multiple weather warnings around San Diego County including a high surf warning in effect through 10 p.m. Tuesday.

The NWS expects high surf to increase Friday to 10 to 16-foot surf. By Sunday, the high surf should subside to 4 to 8 feet. Monday, surf will be between 9 and 12 feet at local beaches, slowly lowering into Tuesday. The highest tide  4.6 feet  will be Saturday at 4:35 a.m. in La Jolla, according to the NWS.

The high surf will bring with it potential for strong rip currents, coastal erosion and coastal flooding. Piers may also be flooded by the high surf. Often times, in storms and winter weather events, the Ocean Beach Pier is closed to the public as a precaution. Officials discourage people from swimming in our oceans during high surf warnings.

The NWS said a high wind warning is in effect through 10 p.m. Saturday. The strongest winds are expected Friday and Friday night. The winds will gradually decrease Saturday but strong gusts are expected to strike again Sunday.

Residents of one Lakeside neighborhood expect to endure major flooding during this series of storms, as the area lacks proper drainage. NBC 7s Liberty Zabala reports.

The NWS has also issued a winter storm warning for Julian and Pine Valley, effective until 6 a.m. Saturday. Above 6,000 feet, those areas should see between 12 and 18 inches of snow; at 5,000 to 5,500 feet, 3 to 7 inches of snow are expected.

Mount Laguna saw snow Friday and looked like a winter wonderland:

A flash flood warning was also in effect for San Diego Countys coastal areas, valleys, mountains and inland areas through at least 9 p.m. This includes the following communities: Oceanside; Vista; Carlsbad; Encinitas; Chula Vista; National City; San Diego; Escondido; El Cajon; San Marcos; La Mesa; Santee; Poway.

Residents in one Lakeside neighborhood, which lacks proper drainage, experienced flooding Thursday night and Friday morning:

Lemon Crest Drive has turned into a river in #Lakeside. Good luck to @SanDiegoCounty crews & neighbors in this storm. Stay safe! #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/cFCzKeWyux  Liberty Zabala (@LibertyNBC7SD) January 20, 2017

Due to the strong winds, the NWS also issued an aviation weather warning for the San Diego International Airport. Gusts of 40 knots or greater are expected from noon to 4 p.m. Theres also a slight risk of thunderstorms during the same time frame, with risk of large hail and lightning.

In light of possible flooding, several locations across San Diego County's districts are offering free sandbags to residents.

Also, the San Diego Housing Commission, in partnership with the City of San Diego, has activated its Inclement Weather Shelter Program for downtown San Diegos homeless at Father Joes Villages and Connections Housing Downtown. The program provides shelter to the homeless during severe weather conditions.

To that end, Father Joes Villages Shelter on Imperial Avenue, which can house up to 250 people, will be open to the homeless starting at 4 p.m. Friday. The homeless can also check into PATH San Diego/Connections Housing Downtown, which can house 30 people, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Impact of Friday's Storm

Due to Friday's severe weather, SeaWorld San Diego said the amusement park will be closed. The park plans to reopen Saturday.

Legoland California Resort in Carlsbad announced it would close early Friday, at 12:30 p.m., due to the weather.

There were also reports of fallen trees, including a large tree that toppled on at the UC San Diego campus, damaging some cars, and a tree that fell and blocked roadways in Scripps Ranch, at Canyon Lake and Aviary drives.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) confirmed a tree had fallen in the 2000 block of Riviera Drive in Vista and it was blocking some lanes. Some wires were down as well, officials said.

A tree also fell on 5th Avenue in Chula Vista on at least four Chula Vista Middle School students. Some of those students were taken to a local hospital.

In Poway, a tree fell and blocked Valle Verde northbound at Starmount (Vineland Hill/Lomas Verdes Estates). Another tree toppled on Twin Peaks eastbound, between Midland and Budwin Lane. Public Works crews were clearing those scenes, but City of Poway officials advised motorists to use caution in these areas and expect traffic delays.

At 2:30 p.m., a tree fell in the 700 block of Broadway in Chula Vista, hitting a car. There was one person inside the car at the time; that person was able to get out. The downed tree was blocking lanes, police said.

Over on Plaza Boulevard in National City, crews spent hours fixing a power pole that fell after the anchors gave out during the storm. Officials said residents in the area, along with some businesses, were left without power while crews repaired the downed pole. Some businesses shut their doors for the day.

In Encinitas -- at Encinitas Boulevard and Willowspring -- a power pole toppled and on the 1800 block of Tennis Place, a downed Eucalyptus tree nearly sliced a home in half.

In Oceanside, CHP officials said there was flooding in two lanes along Gopher Canyon and Little Canyon at around 12:30 p.m. Officials said there was lots of water in the roadway; motorists were advised to avoid the area.

In Carlsbad, firefighters, lifeguards rushed to Buena Vista Creek for a search and rescue mission after witnesses reported a man in the water. The U.S. Coast Guard sent a helicopter to aid in the search. After a few hours, officials said they couldn't find anyone in the creek and the search was called off.

Tree down across 163 north has traffic at a crawl #NBC7 @nbcsandiego pic.twitter.com/ywfVNmsLn7  Omari Fleming (@OmariNBCSD) January 20, 2017

At approximately 3:20 p.m., the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) was attempting a water rescue on University Avenue and Alamo Drive where several people were trapped inside multiple vehicles.

In Coronado, a tree was uprooted near several homes on the 1400 block of Leyte Road. A Eucalyptus tree at Pioneer Park in Mission Hills was also uprooted from the heavy winds. In the same area, on Hickory and Trias streets, a Palm tree landed on a Toyota Carolla parked across the street.

#Happeningnow Giant Eucalyptus Tree downed in Pioneer Park Mission Hills #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/nv626tXYyV  Dave Summers (@DaveSummersNBC7) January 20, 2017

In Rolando, a few cars were caught in the floodwaters on University Avenue and Aragon Drive. The Swift Water Rescue Teams pulled two people and a dog to safety from the water.

Swift Water Rescue team rescued 2 people & a dog from flash flooding on University & Aragon in Rolando. #NBC7 @nbcsandiego pic.twitter.com/sHNXtuoBWJ  Omari Fleming (@OmariNBCSD) January 21, 2017

In Sorrento Valley, three people were rescued from their vehicles after the engines stalled in the water rushing down the street.

NBC 7 viewer Grace Yayco sent us a video of flooding on the Interstate 8 at Fletcher Parkway.

NBC 7 viewer Grace Tayco sent us this video of her driving through the floodwaters on the Interstate 8 at Fletcher Parkway.

Parkway Plaza in El Cajon closed down Friday evening due to a power outtage.

San Diego Fire advised that after 7 p.m., all street crossings across Mission Valley, east of Mission Gorge Road would be closed due to flooding.

Dozens of power outages were reported across the county on San Diego Gas & Electric's (SDG&E) website. One of the larger outages was reported around 11 a.m. and impacted about 3,000 customers in parts of the following communities: Sorrento; Mira Mesa; Scripps Ranch; MCAS-Miramar; Scripps Ranch; Lake Murray; Mission Gorge; Sycamore Canyon.

According to an SDG&E spokesperson, at the height of the storm, an estimated 35,000 customers were out of power across the county. As of 10:30 p.m., 18,000 people still did not have power.

SDG&E

Make sure to download NBC 7s free news app. Weather alerts, like flood advisories warnings are issued through the app. There is also a local, interactive radar.
Women, men and children united in San Diego Saturday for two marches for the protection of women's rights in solidarity with the Women's March on Washington and similar demonstrations spanning the globe.

Signs in hand, a large crowd marched through downtown San Diego Saturday morning, including local leaders and politicians like Toni Atkins, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher and Todd Gloria.

San Diego Women's March, California has your back! pic.twitter.com/aJHSU8oMyw  Toni G. Atkins (@toniatkins) January 21, 2017

"Peace and love! Peace and love!" demonstrators chanted, as they made their way through downtown in the San Diego Women's March.

"We are all equal and we should be treated that way," the crowd continued.

"Women's rights are human rights, and human rights for all," others chanted.

As demonstrators marched, spectators lined the streets of downtown, cheering them on. Kids held on to their mothers' hands, some clapping for the cause.

Danielle Stewart marched alongside others and told NBC 7 she was participating in the event for many reasons.

"Im marching because I have three boys and they need to be shown that women are equal. Im marching because Im a sexual assault survivor and its important that we not normalize the rhetoric that weve heard in the past," she said. "This is why Im marching, for everybody here."

Girl Power! Love seeing all the young folks at the SD #WomensMarch pic.twitter.com/SLPkr3g6ax  Lorena (@LorenaSGonzalez) January 21, 2017

The chants continued, some in Spanish.

"Aqui estamos!" demonstrators said, which means, "We are here."

Marcher Megan Flaherty told NBC 7 she was taking part in the event because she disagrees with the direction of President Donald Trump's administration, including his stance on climate change.

Climate change is real; you cant delete the website and make it unreal, she said. Its very real, its happening, we know that  we need to do something. Im fighting for the rights of all future generations to live on a healthy planet."

The San Diego Women's March began in front of Civic Center Plaza on Third Avenue in downtown San Diego and then made its way down Broadway to Harbor Drive, ending in front of the County Administration Building.

It was one of two peaceful demonstrations in San Diego Saturday aimed to show unity with the Womens March on Washington.

HAPPENING NOW: @WomensMarch_SD organizers expect 20,000 to march through downtown for women's rights #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/GWsPVldUW0  Liberty Zabala (@LibertyNBC7SD) January 21, 2017

We stand firm in agreement that women's rights are human rights, organizers of the San Diego Women's March said. Make your voice heard.

In San Diegos North County, a group gathered for the Sister March at the San Marcos Civic Center. At noon, marchers planned to make their way to Palomar Community College. A rally will follow with speakers, music, art and food trucks.

We stand together in solidarity with our family, friends, and community for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are what makes our democracy great, organizers of the Sister March said in a press release. We march here in North County to show solidarity with the March on Washington and our sister marches happening all over the country.

Earlier this week, NBC 7 spoke with locals planning to participate in the marches.

"People who are privileged need to speak up for those who aren't," said volunteer Wendy Wheatcroft, as she made signs ahead of the local marches planned for Saturday.

Wheatcroft and dozens others spent Thursday afternoon making signs at the Planned Parenthood in Mission Valley.

We're part of a huge group of people marching for the protection of women's rights," said march organizer, Sarah Shaftel. It's a beautiful thing."

The timing is purposeful too. This march is the day after inauguration of President Donald Trump.

"We're all kind of burned out on politics. but the reality is the reality. And we have a new administration," said Peter Bolland.

Bollands day job is college professor and this will be his first time participating in a march of any kind.

"We feel like the real America isn't being represented right now," he said, sharing the reason for his participation.

NBC 7s Alex Presha spoke with participants in the march as they prepare for Saturday.

Shaftel said she hopes Saturday's action sparks something bigger.

"What I hope comes of this is that people get ignited and start taking action. It is not time to sit back and watch and see. We have done that for too long and I think it was a mistake," she said.

The organizers had been working closely with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) and both sides expected a peaceful day Saturday.

SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman posted a message on Twitter saying police estimated that about 40,000 people had attended the San Diego Women's March in downtown San Diego.

Proud of @SanDiegoPD from the marches during the wild weather Friday to the estimated 40,000 participants #WomensMarchSD today. Well Done pic.twitter.com/4DPkhKN15S  Shelley Zimmerman (@ChiefZimmerman) January 21, 2017

To add yourself to the march count go to this website.
It's been a busy day in D.C. during a transfer of power that  no matter where you sit on the political spectrum  is getting everyone talking.

Supporters and protesters descended on Washington, D.C., Friday for the inauguration of Donald Trump. While the morning was mostly calm, some protesters turned violent on the streets of D.C. shortly before President Trump took office. As the day goes on, clashes have been growing increasingly intense.

Trump, Pence Cut Cake With Saber at Armed Services Ball

AP

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence took part in a traditional cake cutting with members of the U.S. military at the Salute To Our Armed Services Inaugural Ball  Trump's third and final ball of the evening. The militarys traditional cake cutting honors the sacrifice and service of its members.

Trump also accepted congratulations, via video conference, from armed service members in Afghanistan and told them they are the nicest people.

But they're only nice right now to me. Theyre probably definitely not nice in other ways. Youre amazing people. Were with you 1,000 percent. Youre doing an incredible job.

He and first lady Melania Trump danced to I Will Always Love You.

Trump Asks Ball Crowd If He Should Keep Tweeting

President Donald Trump asked the crowd at the second of three inaugural balls he's attending whether he should "keep the Twitter going?"

The crowd roared in apparent approval.

Trump said his all-hours tweeting to his more than 20 million followers is "a way of bypassing dishonest media."

He spoke with first lady Melania Trump by his side. She wore an ivory column gown.

"Now," he added, "the fun begins."

The first couple again danced to "My Way."

The First Dance at the Liberty Ball

Trump and his wife danced at the first of three inaugural balls they attended Friday night.

Trump said his first day as commander-in-chief was great.

Trump said, "People that weren't so nice to me were saying that we did a really good job today.'' He adds, "It's like God was looking down on us.''

They danced to "My Way," and they were joined by Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Susan, as well as Trump family members.

The Walk and Wave

[[411358655, C]]

Veteran parade-watchers had speculated about whether or not it would happen: would President Trump get out of the limo and walk the parade route, in a man-of-the-people moment that's become a tradition?

Or would he stick to his "we're getting down to business" message and stay in the car?

In the end, he split the difference. He has emerged from his limo briefly twice, walking and waving with his wife, Melania, and other family members. Then he emerged for a longer walk.

Each time, he was greeted by loud cheers from supporters.

Police, Protesters Clash During Violent Protests in Downtown DC

[[411354175, C]]

Tear gas filled the air in downtown Washington, D.C., as police and protesters clashed in yet another violent demonstration.

Acting Police Chief Peter Newsham said at a news conference Friday night that 217 protesters were arrested. Newsham said the protesters caused "significant" damage to several businesses downtown. Six officers sustained minor injuries.

News4s Pat Collins spoke to supporters of the president and protesters at Freedom Plaza.

Hours after Donald Trump was sworn in as the nation's 45th president, police in riot gear lined 12th and L streets NW as protesters threw rocks and bottles at them. Video from the scene showed a number of flash-bang grenades going off, but it's not clear whether they were thrown by police or by protesters.

In addition to smashing windows, a limousine was set on fire, sending a plume of black smoke into the sky. Protesters threw several trash cans into the middle of the street and lit them on fire at about 2:30 p.m.

Obama Bids Final Farewell at Joint Base Andrews

Former President Barack Obama addressed a gathering of staff at a farewell ceremony at Joint Base Andrews.

Barack Obama, who will continue to live in Washington, is leaving town with his family after the inauguration for a vacation in Palm Springs, California.

Biden Takes Train Back to Delaware

[[411368435, C]]

Former Vice President Joe Biden gave a thumbs up to a camera on the platform as he boarded an Amtrak train bound for Delaware following the swearing-in ceremony.

When he was a U.S. senator from Delaware, Biden regulary took the commuter train between Washington and home.

"We Will Determine the Course of America": Donald Trump Sworn in as President

[[411347215, C]]

Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States after taking the oath of office on the West Front of the Capitol.

The unorthodox politician and the Republican-controlled Congress are already charting a newly conservative course for the nation. And they're promising to reverse the work of the 44th president, Barack Obama.

During his inaugural address, Trump said Americans have "joined a great national effort to build our country" and "will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come."

Trump said the forgotten men and women of the country "will be forgotten no longer."

Trump also thanked all of the past presidents in attendance, including former campaign foes Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

Protests Turn Violent; Riot Police Use Pepper Spray

[[411341085, C]]

Protests first turned violent less than two hours before Trump took office.

About 100 to 200 protesters dressed in black marched along K Street in Northwest D.C., throwing newspaper boxes and smashing the window of at least one bus shelter.

https://twitter.com/TraceeWilkins/status/822488997586989056

As officers tried to surround them, protesters hurled rocks and bottles at them. Police in riot gear used pepper spray and surrounded the group.

Officers were prepared to make a mass arrest, News4's Mark Segraves said.

'Chance of a Lifetime': Trump Supporters Revel in Inaugural Festivities

Americans eager to see the Donald Trump take the oath of office as the nation's next president made their way through downtown Washington and onto the National Mall early Friday morning.

Megan Yoder

Kevin Puchalski, a 24-year-old construction worker, drove to Washington from Philadelphia with two friends to see Trump's inauguration.

"I'm here for history. This is the first president that I voted for that won," Puchalski said.

Anita Redd, 55, told News4 she's "just glad to be here."

"This is the chance of a lifetime. This is history," Redd said.

Casey Janis, 38, and MaryAnn Lamkin, 64, drove nine hours from Michigan to witness Trump's inauguration. Lamkin described Trump's movement as a "renaissance."

"This political correctness is making it tough to communicate with one another out of fear," Lamkin said.

Melania Trump Channels Jackie Kennedy on Inauguration

[[411320925, C]]

First lady to-be Melania Trump donned a powder blue Ralph Lauren dress on Inauguration Day, similar in style to those made famous by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

Melania stepped out in the dress on her way into St. John's Church where she, the president-elect and the future first family attended a service Friday morning.

Her style drew praise on Twitter, with many comparing her outfit to Kennedy's.

"Yasss to Melania Trump's blue inaugural dress!!! So Jackie O!!" wrote Michelle Beaman.

Protesters Tie Themselves Together, Block Ticket Line

[[411313695, C]]

Early Friday, a group of about 10 protesters sat in a circle and tied themselves together to block an entrance for ticket holders near 10th and E streets in downtown Washington.

As they sat on the ground, a larger group cheered them on, chanting phrases like, "We won't be silent."

Kellyanne Conway Dons 'Trump Revolutionary Wear' for Inauguration

[[411310025, C]]

Donald Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway sported a "Trump revolutionary wear" outfit for the inauguration ceremony on Friday, she told NBC.

"It's just Gucci," an elated Conway told NBC about the red, white and blue outfit prior to the ceremony Friday morning.

But, Conway's style drew some ribbing on Twitter, with users pointing out how colonial the outfit looks.

"@KellyannePolls goes 4 #revolutionary look at the #Inauguration Auditioning 4 @Hamiltonthemusical? #nutcracker?" wrote Karyn Miller-Medzon.

Supporters and Protesters Find Common Ground at Union Station

[[411306435, C]]

As supporters and protesters arrived at Union Station in Washington, D.C., early Friday, some took time to find common ground.

Linwood Yarborough, a Trump supporter from South Carolina, spent some time chatting with a man who traveled from California to protest the inauguration.

"I just think it is wonderful to see people pro and con. Freedom is great and we are so fortunate in this country that we can have freedom of speech and we can have a difference of opinion," Linwood said. "But we should all come together as a nation and move forward, and I hope to see some of that."

In another exchange, a group of Trump supporters from Tennessee asked a protester from New York to take a picture with them. The group laughed and talked as the supporters gave a thumbs-up and the protester gave a thumbs-down.

News 4s Meagan Fitzgerald talked to protesters and supporters of Donald Trump who gathered on the National Mall for for Fridays inauguration events.

Security Delays Didn't Dampen Spirits

Americans eager to see Donald Trump take the oath of office gathered at security checkpoints along the National Mall early Friday morning, waiting with their tickets in hand.

But for a crowd at the Red Gate, there was a slight delay. Gates were expected to open at 6 a.m., but for an unknown reason the opening was pushed back 30 minutes.

The delays didn't dampen the spirit of supporters waiting to get inside the checkpoint. Some in the crowd began a chant of "USA!'' when the gates finally opened.

"We Are Going to Unify This Country"

[[411263955,C]]

On Thursday night, Trump spoke to the Make America Great Again concert at the Lincoln Memorial on the eve of his inauguration, reminiscing about the campaign, thanking his supporters and saying his administration would unify the country.

"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," Trump said.

"We are going to unify our country. Our phrase -- you all know it, half of you are wearing the hat -- Make America Great Again ... we are going to make America great for all of our people.

"That includes the inner cities. That includes everybody," Trump said.

Later, he added, "I promise you that I will work so hard. We are going to get it turned around. We are going to bring our jobs back."

Long Lines at the Feminist Pop-Up Store

In D.C.'s Adams Morgan neighborhood, a pop-up store called The Outrage opened to sell souvenirs to people attending the Women's March on Washington and their sympathizers.

The line to get in the store stretched down the block, and some visitors reported waiting 45 minutes to get in.

While there, shoppers could nab a "Nasty Women Unite" sweatshirt, among other wearables, and tack on a donation to Planned Parenthood, if they chose.

"It's crazy to me and to so many women I've talked to in the store that it's 2017 and we are worried about fighting for our rights," said one woman working in the store.

"I have a daughter, and she's 12, and I wanted her to have this," said a shopper, holding up a shirt that read, "The Future is Female."

The march kicks off with a rally at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Laying a Wreath

[[411243655, C]]

Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence visited Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

The two were stern and, as is required, silent. The only sounds were the constant clicking of news cameras and a plane overhead.

It was the first event of the inauguration ceremonies, which will last through Saturday morning with a private interfaith prayer service at Washington National Cathedral.

Lexie Schapitl and Megan Yoder contributed to this report.
What to Know Samsung recalled almost 3 million top-loading washing machines in November because of reports of explosions.

Consumers complain about rude customer service, unfair rebates, a "fix" that's not really a repair.

The CPSC said it's working with Samsung to ensure better oversight of the contractors hired to fix the washing machines.

After Samsung recalled almost 3 million top-loading washing machines in November because of reports of explosions, customers say they arent getting the help they need from customer service and the repair options arent fair.

Colleen Wheaton, who does a lot of laundry as a mother of three with two dogs, paid $850, which included a warranty, about three years ago for her washer. The Alexandria family bought it for special settings  the extra hot settings and the high spin setting.

I prayed that number wasnt going to be one of the ones recalled, and sure enough, that number matched up online, she said.

Then she saw pictures of Samsung washing machines like hers in pieces after explosions.

Theyre terrifying, she said. I cant have that happen to me, or anyone.

Samsung and the Consumer Product Safety Commission blame excessive vibration during the spin cycle for the explosions, and instructed consumers to only use the delicate or lower spin speed to avoid injury.

Per the recall, Samsung customers have three options: Refund, replace or repair.

But Wheaton learned the refund is pro-rated based on the age of the washer. She was furious when she was told just how little she'd get.

It was only going to be $157 toward a new washer, but after paying $850, we felt like that wasnt a fair amount, she said.

So she chose the repair option, which included a sticker that covers the option for the high spin cycle.

Its a sticker that doesnt let you choose these options even though thats why we bought the washer, Wheaton said.

Samsung would also reinforce the brackets to hold the lid down.

Wheatons complaint is one of many NBC4 Responds received. Across the country, NBC stations have heard similar complaints. Some consumers say Samsung is not responding. Others complain about rude customer service reps, unfair rebates, a "fix" that's not really a repair and inconsistent information given to consumers about the recall.

The CPSC said it's working with Samsung to ensure better oversight of the contractors hired to fix the washing machines.

In a statement, a Samsung spokesperson said it is listening to feedback and learning from consumers experiences.

Samsungs statement:

We are listening to and learning from every consumers experience in order to constantly improve our processes. We take all customer feedback seriously and are working with our authorized service partners to look into these reports.

Our priority is to reduce any safety risks in the home and provide safe choices to consumers affected by the recall. In coordination with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, we are offering consumers a choice between a free in-home repair for those that want to keep their current washer and an exchange rebate for those that prefer a new machine.

If a consumer chooses a repair, an authorized Samsung field technician will install structural reinforcements to the machine. Consumers who choose the free in-home repair will also receive a one-year extension of the limited manufacturers warranty, regardless of the age of their washer.

Our customer care team is standing by to assist anyone who has questions or concerns at 1-866-264-5636 and we encourage everyone to visit http://www.samsung.com/us/TLW to learn more about the recall.
A judge sentenced a former lawyer to 45 years in prison for her role in a brutal home invasion attack on her ex-boss and his wife, a crime for which her husband is already serving life in prison.

In November 2014, Alecia Schmuhl's husband, Andrew Schmuhl, broke into the McLean home of lawyer Leo Fisher and his wife, Sue Duncan, and held them captive for three hours as he shot, stabbed and shocked them with a Taser, prosecutors said.

Alecia Schmuhl was just outside the home during the attack, communicating by phone with her husband, prosecutors said. The victims were critically injured in the attack.

Fisher said he was in and out of consciousness but remembers his wife covered in blood while they struggled to call 911. Finally, Duncan was able to hit a panic alarm, and Andrew Schmuhl fled.

The attack was an act of revenge against her former boss, who had fired her from his law firm weeks earlier, prosecutors said.

Alecia Schmuhl took the stand at her sentencing hearing Thursday, crying as she apologized to Fisher and Duncan, who appeared unmoved by the apology from their seats in the courtroom.

Alecia Schmuhl maintained she did not know what would happen that night. She said her husband told her he wanted to negotiate a better contract for her.

Her defense argued she was abused by her husband and subservient to his commands.

"I wish that I had done something to prevent it," she said.

In September, Alecia Schmuhl, of Springfield, Virginia, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, two counts of abduction, and one count of burglary with a deadly weapon. Without a plea, she could have received life in prison like her husband.

Andrew Schmuhl was convicted in June and sentenced to two life terms plus 98 years.
A group of marijuana legalization supporters gave out thousands of joints during Donald Trump's inauguration Friday.

The organizer of the giveaway, Adam Eidinger, estimates almost 8,000 joints were given out, WTOP's Neal Augenstein reported.

Pro-marijuana organization DCMJ distrubuted the marijuana in the area between Dupont Circle and Massachusetts Ave. The line for free cannibas streteched nearly a half-mile, Augenstein said.

Organizers began handing out joints at 8 a.m. Individuals who recieved joints then walked to the National Mall to light up. They were scheudled to spark their joints exactly four minutes and 20 seconds before Trump was inaugurated.

DCMJ organized the event to push for the federal legalization of marijuana.

Marijuana advocates are uncertain of what actions attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama will take concerning marijuana legalization, but Sessions has previously spoken against it.

All recipients of cannabis at the DCMJ "pot-luck" were verified to be at least 21 years old.
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.
Leave it to Hollywood resident bad boy Shia LaBeouf to find a unique way to voice his displeasure with the incoming Donald Trump administration.

Starting at 9 a.m. Friday LaBeouf began what he described as a 4-year anti-Trump livestream of performance art entitled "HE WILL NOT DIVIDE US." From a set-up near New York's Museum of the Moving Image, participants are invited to place themselves in front of a camera and say the words "he will not divide us." The footage will then be compiled and broadcast live on the web at hewillnotdivide.us.

LaBeouf pledges the piece will be in operation 24 hours a day for the duration of President Trump's time in office.

One person who's already participated is Will Smith's son Jaden.
Three of the four people who died when a stolen SUV crashed into a tree were high school seniors, their principal said Thursday.

The victims of the crash Tuesday night in Springfield were Andrew Savage, 20; Chassidy Spence, 18; and Katrina Lee Maisonet-Jones and Adrianna Hernandez, both 17, police said. All four were Springfield residents.

A fifth occupant of the vehicle remains hospitalized in critical condition, police said.

The three young women who died were seniors at Springfield Central High School, Principal Thaddeus Tokarz said.

"This is as challenging as anyone would think when you lose three students in such a horrific way,'' Tokarz said. "But the kids are binding together, the staff is doing a good job, we're getting great help from the district, and we're getting through it to the best of our ability."

All three were excellent students, Tokarz said.

Spence and Maisonet-Jones were heading to college in the fall while Hernandez had enlisted in the Army, he said. Maisonet-Jones and Hernandez were cheerleaders.

The Jeep Cherokee had been reported stolen in Milford, Connecticut, last weekend, police said.

The SUV was going 60 mph in a 30 mph zone on a major road through the heart of the city when it crashed, police said.

Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to pry open the mangled wreckage and free the five occupants. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The other victims died at the hospital.

State police had encountered the SUV before the crash, but they weren't pursuing it, Springfield police said.

The crash remains under investigation, and authorities hope to determine who was driving.
The search is on for the person who left a propane tank next to a police cruiser in South Boston in an attempt to blow it up.

"Clearly this was a deliberate attack with the intent of blowing up one of our cruisers," Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said.

The initial call came in at 8:22 a.m. for a cruiser on fire on West Broadway.

Evans said an officer driving by noticed a fire between the cruiser and a bridge and immediately got out to move the cruiser. A propane tank was found underneath the car.

"As soon as they pulled the cruiser out, it exploded, and there are several pieces of the propane tank across the street."

People in the area - some several blocks away - said they heard two explosions. Evans said the first explosion is what likely caused the initial fire, and the second was when the tank fully combusted.

No one was injured.

Bomb squad and arson investigators were called in. The FBI is also involved in the investigation.

Boston police said they hope to have a description of the suspect to release soon.
Police are looking for a man who sexually assaulted a child Wednesday morning in Boston's Hyde Park neighborhood.

Officers responded around 7:30 a.m. The victim, described only as a juvenile female, told police she was attacked near a footbridge connecting Truman Parkway to Glenwood Avenue. He fled on the bridge toward Truman Parkway.

Police are looking for a man between 25 and 35. The suspect, described as being about 5'7 with a chubby build and a mustache, was wearing a black North Face jacket, black jeans and black sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to call 617-343-4400.
A Haverhill, Massachusetts couple is heading to prison for their role in a deadly July 2012 home invasion.

Angela Walsh, 25, and Joshua Cloutman, 24, both pleaded guilty to armed robbery and breaking and entering. Walsh will serve 7  9 years in state prison and Cloutman will serve 5  6 years.

Their plea deal dropped two counts of murder and one count of home invasion.

Investigators say the couple talked with Juan Carlos Sanchez about stealing marijuana from their neighbor.

Sanchez later broke into the neighbor's apartment, shooting four people, two of whom were killed.

Sanchez, 26, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, home invasion, armed robbery, 2 counts of armed assault with intent to murder on Dec. 15, 2016. He was sentenced to 23 - 27 years in state prison.
The voices of Groton Dunstable High School students won't be heard at a basilica in Italy.

The Groton Dunstable Chamber Chorus has canceled its Easter Mass performance at St. Anthony's Basilica in Padua, Italy.

The performance was part of the chorus' tour abroad in April.

"It's about a 10 day trip," said Michael Woodlock the high school's principal. "It's through parts of Italy and Croatia."

School administrators, along with legal council, made the decision to cancel the mass performance after being threatened with a lawsuit for violating the separation of church and state.

"In my opinion it's not a violation," said Woodlock.

In November, school administrators received a letter from Americans United for separation of church and state.

Part of the letter states: "We write to inform you that taking public-school students to worship services as part of a public-school activity is a flagrant violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."

"It's the fact that they're participating in a mass," said Leslie Lathrop who contacted the AU with concerns.

She said after seeing a flyer for the chorus' performance she reached out to the high school asking it to cancel but never heard back.

"This is not the first time," said Lathrop.

She said in 2014 the chorus performed at a mass.

Lathrop raised concerns with the school's previous principal, who said it wouldn't happen again.

"When an event happens repeatedly it's been determined that this can have the effect of making them think that, that is the established religion," said Lathrop.

The chorus, which has performed at events like the London Olympics, was hand selected by the basilica.

The principal said canceling the event to avoid a battle in court had to be done.

"Whether or not they're going to perform there, it's still a huge honor that they were picked," said Woodlock.

Lathrop said she didn't do this for attention.

She said she did it for the student who one day would feel like they couldn't speak out against participating in a similar performance.

"I really feel badly but they're going to have an amazing time on this trip," said Lathrop.

The chorus is still looking to replace the canceled show.
A Massachusetts man with dementia reported missing Wednesday was found safe Thursday on a bus in Georgia.

Ricardo Gamez, 65, went missing from the LGH Saints Camp in Lowell Wednesday morning.

Police confirmed Thursday evening that Gamez was on a bus heading to Florida. That bus stopped in Brunswick, Georgia, where state police helped him. He was taken to a local hospital.

Gamez was believed to have boarded a train from Lowell to North Station at 10:15 a.m. and arriving at 11:15 a.m.
Donald Trump is now officially the 45th president of the United States, following his inauguration on Friday.

NBC Boston has a team of anchors and reporters in Washington, covering the ceremony as well as the protests.

Many of those opposed to Trump clashed with police in the streets. More than 200 people were arrested Friday.

A limousine was set on fire a few blocks from Constitution Avenue, where the president was being escorted.

Rest of Today (Wednesday): Mild, pleasant and breezy with highs ranging from 75 to 80. Overnight Wednesday Night: A spot shower north, patchy fog. Lows around 60. Tomorrow (Thursday): Chance AM shower, then fair & mild. Highs near 80.

But Trump, his family, his staff and his supporters were not deterred in their celebration.

The president attended three official inaugural balls.

A Maine high school health teacher accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student has been indicted on more than a dozen sex-related counts. Police say 29-year-old Jill Lamontagne of Kennebunk High School turned herself in Wednesday after being indicted by a York County grand jury on six counts of gross sexual assault, two counts of unlawful sexual contact...

Speaking with political reporter Alison King in a one-on-one interview, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski expressed great reverance for the soon-to-be president.

A pair of alleged assaults on police officers in Burlington, Vermont, over the past week has sparked new discussions over the availability of mental health services in the city.

"I admire his work ethic," Lewandowski said. "I've never seen, in all of my professional career, somebody who's willing to work harder for something he wants. He would do 18 hours a day as if they were five. And he could accomplish more because he doesn't sleep and he doesn't sit down for meals."

A 76-year-old combat veteran in New Hampshire is fighting again, this time for a handicapped parking spot outside his Portsmouth townhouse. But hes been denied, twice. Im not looking for a gold medal, said Jim Arena. He says he is just looking for a handicapped parking spot outside his Spinnaker Point townhouse. I am in constant pain, he said. He...

Despite being fired as campaign manager, Lewandowski, a resident of Windham, New Hampshire, will serve as a consultant with a direct view of the White House. He remains close to Trump.

A jury in Bangor, Maine is deciding if the man who led police on the longest manhunt in state history is also a murderer.tate.

King spoke with several other New Englanders who headed down, including Bobby O'Shea of South Boston, who said he wouldn't call himself a strong Trump supporter.

"I'm just a nerd for the United States history," said O'Shea, adding that he got tickets by "harrassing my local congressman."

Reporter Jessica Bartlett joins necn to discuss her story, Federal uncertainty may mean health insurance rate hikes of nearly 30% in Mass.

Miss Massachusetts International 2017 Alexandria Murphy, however, is hopeful about the future under Trump.

"Everyone has their mixed opinions on him. I think right now, he's the president, so we need to stand behind him," she said. "Hopefully, this is a great presidency, because hoping that a president fails would be hoping we all fail."

How a prize-winning reporter turned to fiction to show young adults the power of journalism. Dick Lehr, author of Trell, based his reporting of Shawn Drumgolds victory in overturning a murder conviction.

Members of the American Tap Company in Massachusetts are excited to perform Friday, as dancers told NBC Boston's Grace Gomez.

"It's going to be in front of a lot of people, so it's going to be a lot of pressure, but at the same time, it's going to be a great experience," one dancer said.

NBC Boston in DC for Inauguration
Hundreds of Providence students have walked out of class and marched to the Statehouse to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump as president.

Students at schools including Hope High School and Classical High School, as well as the private Moses Brown School and the Paul Cuffee Charter School, walked out at 11:08 a.m. Friday, as the inauguration ceremony was happening in Washington.

The Providence Student Union activist group says they chose the time to signify Nov. 8, the day Trump was elected.

One large group was accompanied by Providence police officers on motorcycles as it made its way through downtown.

Students held signs and chanted "Not my president!" and "Hey, Hey! Ho, Ho! Donald Trump has got to go!"

More than 1,000 people met at the Statehouse for a rally.
The police chief in the Massachusetts town of Barnstable says a coding error is to blame for the town being placed on a list of one of the most dangerous places to live.

According to the Cape Cod Times, Paul MacDonald blamed himself at a Town Council meeting Thursday.

According to data released last week by NeighborhoodScout, Barnstable ranks 93rd on the Top 100 Most Dangerous U.S. Cities list for 2017. The ranking puts the town one spot below Cincinnati, Ohio.

Barnstable police said they think they figured out how they landed on the list. The Worcester-based NeighborhoodScout tallied up the number of crimes reported to the FBI per 1,000 full-time residents, also known as a crime rate.

MacDonald said the number of aggravated assaults reported for 2015 was 361, when in reality it was 178.

He said the department had mislabeled domestic violence incidents, causing the extreme spike.

MacDonald said the FBIs report will not be changed to reflect the new data.
A roughly 70-percent raise for two of the top lawmakers in Massachusetts has some residents crying foul.

The proposal before the state legislature would grant pay increases to Senate President Stan Rosenberg and House Speaker Robert DeLeo.

"That seems absolutely ridiculous," said Kevin Hanley of Allston.

"I think it's too much," agreed Edda Jones of Dorchester.

But the Special Advisory Commission tasked with examining the pay for public officials says top Bay State officials haven't received a pay raise since the 90s, calling it long overdue.

"If we kick the can down the road, we're only making things more difficult to resolve in the future," said Public Compensation Commission Chair Ira Jackson.

The Commission compared 2014 salaries of positions like the governor, attorney general and secretary of state with comparable private sector jobs and similar government positions in other states.

"We could find no justification for the position of house speaker and senate president earning considerably less than other constitutional offices," said Jackson.

But it doesn't sit well with many taxpayers.

"I'm pretty sure the cafeteria manager at a high school hasn't gotten a raise for a while, either, and they're making a lot less," said Claire Boyle of Allston.

"It seems like they're putting themselves in front of the working people," said Bernie Smith of Walpole.

"You have all these people fighting for $15, and meanwhile, you have rich people getting richer," said Megan Hill of Roxbury. "I think that's ridiculous."

The current proposal would require the legislature to absorb the costs of the pay raises and not pass on the increase to taxpayers.

NBC Boston reached out to both the senate president and house speaker and we were told they were both unavailable for interviews.
By Eduardo Simoes and Brad Brooks SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian authorities on Friday recovered the black box that was in a small plane that crashed and killed a Supreme Court justice who was overseeing the investigation of a political kickback scheme, the largest ever uncovered in the country. A recovery team pulled the last two bodies from the wreckage of the accident that killed five people when the plane went down in heavy rain on Thursday afternoon just off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state. The plane was carrying Supreme Court Justice Teori Zavascki, 68, along with his longtime friend who owned the aircraft, Alberto Filgueiras, 69, a boutique hotelier. Maira Panas, a 23-year-old personal massage therapist for Filgueiras, and her mother Maria Panas, 55, were also aboard, along with the pilot Osmar Rodrigues, 56. Investigators are under pressure to quickly determine the cause of the crash, which has Brazilians abuzz with conspiracy theories. Zavascki was expected to rule soon on the admissibility of dozens of plea bargains of executives from engineering group Odebrecht. The testimony is expected to implicate upward of 200 powerful politicians and business leaders in the massive graft probe of state-run oil company Petrobras. The Air Force, which oversees crash investigations, said it was sending the cockpit voice recorder to the capital Brasilia for analysis. The wreckage of the plane would be sent to a military center in Rio de Janeiro for evaluation. Percio Freire, a security official in the coastal city of Paraty, near where the Hawker Beechcraft C90GT twin-prop plane went down roughly 3 km (2 miles) from the airport, confirmed all five bodies had been recovered. The plane took off from Sao Paulo, 200 kilometers (125 miles) to the west. Eyewitnesses told media it was raining heavily when the plane banked sharply, with the tip of its wing hitting the water before it nose dived into the sea. One person on a boat near the crash told the Folha de S.Paulo newspaper he saw smoke coming from the left wing just before the crash. Brazil's civil aviation authority ANAC said the plane's paper work was in order and it had passed all required inspections. Federal police and prosecutors said they would also carry out their own investigations to make certain there was no foul play. Lindsay Adrian, a spokeswoman for Wichita, Kansas-based Textron Inc, which manufactures the Beechcraft, said the company had offered its investigative assistance to Brazilian authorities. (Reporting by Eduardo Simoes and Brad Brooks in Sao Paulo, and Anthony Boadle in Brasilia; Editing by Alan Crosby and Andrew Hay)
By Online Desk

NEW DELHI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is working on a mechanism that will bring down the cost for online transactions in a bid to move the country towards a cashless economy, media reports indicated.

According to a media outlet, the RBI governor Urjit Patel had told the public acccounts committee (PAC) that the central bank is in talks with all the stakeholders for such a plan.

After the briefing in front of the Parliamentary committee, Patel is now briefing the public accounts committee (PAC) on Friday. The media report further pointed out the central bank governor has indicated the normalisation of cash flow soon.

The governor asserted that the situation was normal in the urban areas while further efforts were being made to improve the situation in rural and distant areas of the country.

Two days back, the governor had said Rs 9.2 lakh crore of new currency has been infused into the system since the demonitisation drive. He, however, did not divulge any details as to how much of old currency has been returned.

One of the PAC members reportedly pointed out the mismatch between the cash deposited in the co-operative banks and the actual cash to which Patel said he was aware of the issue. Patel pointed out that the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) was looking at the issue, according to the media report.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a member of the Parliamentary Committee, had come to the rescue of Patel when other panel members were reportedly grilling him. Singh asserted the need to respect the RBI as an institution and not put the governor to odd questions.

NEW DELHI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is working on a mechanism that will bring down the cost for online transactions in a bid to move the country towards a cashless economy, media reports indicated. According to a media outlet, the RBI governor Urjit Patel had told the public acccounts committee (PAC) that the central bank is in talks with all the stakeholders for such a plan. After the briefing in front of the Parliamentary committee, Patel is now briefing the public accounts committee (PAC) on Friday. The media report further pointed out the central bank governor has indicated the normalisation of cash flow soon. The governor asserted that the situation was normal in the urban areas while further efforts were being made to improve the situation in rural and distant areas of the country. Two days back, the governor had said Rs 9.2 lakh crore of new currency has been infused into the system since the demonitisation drive. He, however, did not divulge any details as to how much of old currency has been returned. One of the PAC members reportedly pointed out the mismatch between the cash deposited in the co-operative banks and the actual cash to which Patel said he was aware of the issue. Patel pointed out that the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) was looking at the issue, according to the media report. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a member of the Parliamentary Committee, had come to the rescue of Patel when other panel members were reportedly grilling him. Singh asserted the need to respect the RBI as an institution and not put the governor to odd questions.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The government has asked the countrys largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) to take necessary regulatory approvals for its Rs 1,894 crore fund infusion in the bank.

This is the part of Rs 7,575 crore capital infusion announced by the government in July 2016. As per the announcement, the government released 75 per cent of the amount while the rest was withheld. According to a government notification, in continuation of decision of July 19, 2016, the government has approved to increase the paid up capital by way of preferential allotment of equity shares.

SBI had, in December 2016, got approval from shareholders to raise up to Rs 5,681 crore by issuance of preferential shares to the central government, its majority shareholder. In July, Rs 22,915 crore capital was provided to 13 PSU banks including SBI.

NEW DELHI: The government has asked the countrys largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI) to take necessary regulatory approvals for its Rs 1,894 crore fund infusion in the bank. This is the part of Rs 7,575 crore capital infusion announced by the government in July 2016. As per the announcement, the government released 75 per cent of the amount while the rest was withheld. According to a government notification, in continuation of decision of July 19, 2016, the government has approved to increase the paid up capital by way of preferential allotment of equity shares. SBI had, in December 2016, got approval from shareholders to raise up to Rs 5,681 crore by issuance of preferential shares to the central government, its majority shareholder. In July, Rs 22,915 crore capital was provided to 13 PSU banks including SBI.
By ENS & Agencies

NEW DELHI: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday that the cash crunch post-demonetisation will normalise soon. Explaining the note ban to the PAC members, Patel told them the efforts are being made to normalise cash crunch in rural areas.



However, more than 72 days after the demonetisation, the RBI has said it still does not know the exact number of junked currency notes in circulation and it is still reconciling the number of notes returned. In a written submission to the PAC, the RBI said: The exact number of Specified Bank Notes withdrawn from circulation is being worked out.



Earlier, as soon as the meeting began, Thomas, a Congress MP, made a statement on demonetisation, prompting protests from BJP members, including Bhupender Yadav, Kirit Somaiya and Nishikant Dubey.



Citing the amendment in the RBI Act in 2016, they said any question asked of Patel must be in the context of the RBIs monetary policy and not outside it.



After a long debate, the panel agreed that questions on demonetisation can be asked, but only in the context of monetary policy.



It is learnt that Patel said cash flow position has largely improved. However, there were some problems in remote rural areas and members were assured that it would improve in the next couple of weeks. To questions on the impact of the demonetisation on growth, Patel said there may be an effect in the short run, but in the mid- and long-term the move is beneficial for the economy.



Members asked a host of questions of the RBI governor, who has been given 15 days to respond to the queries.



Later talking to reporters, Thomas said the committee will again meet on February 10 to discuss the issues with Finance Ministry officials, adding that Patel could be called again if required after February 10.



During the nearly four-hour meeting, the panel asked about significant surge in deposits in cooperative banks and asked the RBI to look into it. Sources said the central bank informed the PAC that agencies like Financial Intelligence Unit and Income Tax Department are looking into abnormal deposits.



According to a report by the RBI to a parliamentary panel on Wednesday, about Rs 60,000 crore ($9 billion), more than the Rs 9.1 trillion of currency in circulation, was withdrawn by the public as of January 13.



This has flummoxed experts. This is usually not the case, said Sujan Hajra, chief economist at Anand Rathi Securities Ltd. in Mumbai, who was a director at the RBI from 1993-2006. He said cash with the public should be lower than the currency in circulation but then you dont have demonetisation usually.

NEW DELHI: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday that the cash crunch post-demonetisation will normalise soon. Explaining the note ban to the PAC members, Patel told them the efforts are being made to normalise cash crunch in rural areas. However, more than 72 days after the demonetisation, the RBI has said it still does not know the exact number of junked currency notes in circulation and it is still reconciling the number of notes returned. In a written submission to the PAC, the RBI said: The exact number of Specified Bank Notes withdrawn from circulation is being worked out. Earlier, as soon as the meeting began, Thomas, a Congress MP, made a statement on demonetisation, prompting protests from BJP members, including Bhupender Yadav, Kirit Somaiya and Nishikant Dubey. Citing the amendment in the RBI Act in 2016, they said any question asked of Patel must be in the context of the RBIs monetary policy and not outside it. After a long debate, the panel agreed that questions on demonetisation can be asked, but only in the context of monetary policy. It is learnt that Patel said cash flow position has largely improved. However, there were some problems in remote rural areas and members were assured that it would improve in the next couple of weeks. To questions on the impact of the demonetisation on growth, Patel said there may be an effect in the short run, but in the mid- and long-term the move is beneficial for the economy. Members asked a host of questions of the RBI governor, who has been given 15 days to respond to the queries. Later talking to reporters, Thomas said the committee will again meet on February 10 to discuss the issues with Finance Ministry officials, adding that Patel could be called again if required after February 10. During the nearly four-hour meeting, the panel asked about significant surge in deposits in cooperative banks and asked the RBI to look into it. Sources said the central bank informed the PAC that agencies like Financial Intelligence Unit and Income Tax Department are looking into abnormal deposits. According to a report by the RBI to a parliamentary panel on Wednesday, about Rs 60,000 crore ($9 billion), more than the Rs 9.1 trillion of currency in circulation, was withdrawn by the public as of January 13. This has flummoxed experts. This is usually not the case, said Sujan Hajra, chief economist at Anand Rathi Securities Ltd. in Mumbai, who was a director at the RBI from 1993-2006. He said cash with the public should be lower than the currency in circulation but then you dont have demonetisation usually.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Officials investigating the alleged sexual assault on a woman from Arunachal Pradesh said the medical report suggested there was no sexual assault or intercourse. Police had arrested two people on January 16 for allegedly sexually assaulting the woman when she was in an inebriated state on January 13 after she had gone to a pub on Brigade Road. Ricky (34) and Ayub (26), both residents of Richmond Town, were arrested after the woman approached Basavanagudi womens police station.

Ayub is a Yemen national who is a student in a private college here while Ricky is a software professional. The 24-year-old alleged victim is a BPO employee. Banaswadi police officials who asked the accused and the victim to undergo medical tests said the report showed the woman was not sexually assaulted. The probe will continue as the complainant has suffered injuries on her body.

We have taken statements from staff at the pub and also have procured CCTV footage from the pub and establishments nearby. We have got footage from six CCTV cameras. After analysing the footage, we noticed that the woman was behaving aggressively in the pub and tried to attack a few people. The staff had asked the accused to take her out.

She also tried to assault staff members, which is evident from the footage, said a police official. He added, Footage from a CCTV camera of an adjacent building showed she could not walk properly and Ricky was helping her. There are a few witnesses to this. We are now investigating what happened after the trio left Brigade Road and before the woman was dropped off at her friends place. Police said the woman did not remember anything from the night of January 13. She approached police after she found bruises on her body. The accused told police they tried to help the woman get back to her friends place after the brawl at the pub. Ricky told police they took some time to find her friends contact number. He also said they drove around the city trying to find her friends house and the woman had fallen asleep in the car.

BENGALURU: Officials investigating the alleged sexual assault on a woman from Arunachal Pradesh said the medical report suggested there was no sexual assault or intercourse. Police had arrested two people on January 16 for allegedly sexually assaulting the woman when she was in an inebriated state on January 13 after she had gone to a pub on Brigade Road. Ricky (34) and Ayub (26), both residents of Richmond Town, were arrested after the woman approached Basavanagudi womens police station. Ayub is a Yemen national who is a student in a private college here while Ricky is a software professional. The 24-year-old alleged victim is a BPO employee. Banaswadi police officials who asked the accused and the victim to undergo medical tests said the report showed the woman was not sexually assaulted. The probe will continue as the complainant has suffered injuries on her body. We have taken statements from staff at the pub and also have procured CCTV footage from the pub and establishments nearby. We have got footage from six CCTV cameras. After analysing the footage, we noticed that the woman was behaving aggressively in the pub and tried to attack a few people. The staff had asked the accused to take her out. She also tried to assault staff members, which is evident from the footage, said a police official. He added, Footage from a CCTV camera of an adjacent building showed she could not walk properly and Ricky was helping her. There are a few witnesses to this. We are now investigating what happened after the trio left Brigade Road and before the woman was dropped off at her friends place. Police said the woman did not remember anything from the night of January 13. She approached police after she found bruises on her body. The accused told police they tried to help the woman get back to her friends place after the brawl at the pub. Ricky told police they took some time to find her friends contact number. He also said they drove around the city trying to find her friends house and the woman had fallen asleep in the car.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Of the total amount of cash that flooded the banks following the demonetisation drive, an astonishing Rs 7.32 lakh crore has not been accounted for. The funds in question were deposited in 1.34 lakh crore accounts said R Ravichandran, director, Income Tax (intelligence and criminal investigation), Bengaluru, here on Friday.

"Substantial amount of money that has come into the system has not been accounted for. Data of all the deposits that were made are being analysed and PAN numbers are being populated for transactions without the same," he said. Of such unaccounted transactions, Rs 35,000 crore were deposited in Jan Dhan Accounts, while Rs 60,000 crore was deposited in dormant account of various banks.

Addressing representatives of various urban banks, he said that the I-T department was analysing about 2,300 transactions of above Rs one crore in Bengaluru. Of the transactions, 900 did not have PAN

numbers, he said. "The banks where such transactions are reported should identify the customers who made such deposits and populate PAN numbers," he said. If it is not done ahead of e-filing of taxes, the

accused could be booked under Benami Transactions Property Act, and other legislations.

Wrong PAN

The department has also identified transactions which were performed using Wrong PAN number. Some banks have employed methods such as debiting and transferring the amount to other accounts to hide

transactions. Apart from it, funds are also being deposited in dormant accounts. Using various data mining techniques, the department has been able to flag such fraudulent transactions, Ravichandran said.

Current account

He said that current and savings account of several businessmen, especially jewellers were under scanner as there was 'abnormal increase' in business post demonetisation. Information of such

accounts are also being analysed. "That is the reason why banks and such businesses have to declare I-T for a period between April 1 to November 8 and the subsequent period between November 8 and

December 31 separately," he said.

BENGALURU: Of the total amount of cash that flooded the banks following the demonetisation drive, an astonishing Rs 7.32 lakh crore has not been accounted for. The funds in question were deposited in 1.34 lakh crore accounts said R Ravichandran, director, Income Tax (intelligence and criminal investigation), Bengaluru, here on Friday. "Substantial amount of money that has come into the system has not been accounted for. Data of all the deposits that were made are being analysed and PAN numbers are being populated for transactions without the same," he said. Of such unaccounted transactions, Rs 35,000 crore were deposited in Jan Dhan Accounts, while Rs 60,000 crore was deposited in dormant account of various banks. Addressing representatives of various urban banks, he said that the I-T department was analysing about 2,300 transactions of above Rs one crore in Bengaluru. Of the transactions, 900 did not have PAN numbers, he said. "The banks where such transactions are reported should identify the customers who made such deposits and populate PAN numbers," he said. If it is not done ahead of e-filing of taxes, the accused could be booked under Benami Transactions Property Act, and other legislations. Wrong PAN The department has also identified transactions which were performed using Wrong PAN number. Some banks have employed methods such as debiting and transferring the amount to other accounts to hide transactions. Apart from it, funds are also being deposited in dormant accounts. Using various data mining techniques, the department has been able to flag such fraudulent transactions, Ravichandran said. Current account He said that current and savings account of several businessmen, especially jewellers were under scanner as there was 'abnormal increase' in business post demonetisation. Information of such accounts are also being analysed. "That is the reason why banks and such businesses have to declare I-T for a period between April 1 to November 8 and the subsequent period between November 8 and December 31 separately," he said.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: All roads were leading to Marina on Friday as countless people thronged the sea front to join the momentous protest to lift the ban on Jallikattu.

The government's announcement of an ordinance, however, failed to cut ice with the protesters who remained defiant and asked for an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and a ban on PETA. They demanded a permanent solution for the bulls to charge from vadivasal (point from where bulls are released in Jallikattu).

"Students have taken a very bold step and we are all here to support them. I have grown up with this sport and want my children to experience it as well," said B Nandakumar, who had come with his wife and children.

Apart from relentless cry for the Chief Minister to address them, there were those who condemned Prime Minister Modi. "Modi does not care about Tamil Nadu," said 37-year-old N Harna, of Tondiarpet, who asked, "He is only bothered about pleasing foreign companies. What prevents the Centre to resolve the issue? If they can do demonetisation overnight, why not this?"

Compared to the surging crowd, the cops were few and roads were diverted causing traffic jams on pivotal routes. Trains were running full with no public transport or autos in sight.

Though Jallikattu remains the buzzword, there are much larger issues that have drawn protesters. For 28-year-old C Vinod Kumar, working for a global mobile phone company, it was farmers' distress. "I have come here to support farmers. I am from a family of farmers in Kumbakkonam and know how much bulls mean to us. All of us coming together for this cause is a big first step," he said adding that his family was part of the agitation in Alanganallur.

The protest could easily have been mistaken for a carnival considering the revelry along slogan-chanting. Tamil culture and art were on display. Folk songs of Jallikattu and village life were sung. Some paraded their bulls to the hooting and cheers from the crowd. Further, one could get a glimpse of Silambattam and sand art. That wasn't all. Cars and vans had speakers blaring music to which people gleefully danced to, some even atop vehicles.

There was no one large group of protesters. They were split into smaller groups.

Vans passed by and flung water bottles and packets while those carrying food packets were stopped and let off only after all the food had been distributed. Though beach vendors had a good run for the last couple of days, most of them remained shut on Friday, leaving many to quench their thirst with soft drinks.

The camaraderie between people was heartwarming. Strangers helped each other out whether it was sharing water or helping an injured with first aid. People came in alone but went out with new friends.

"It is wonderful to see so many people here," said Komalavally Kannan who had decided to stay for the night. "I am so happy it is happening now. We are Tamilians and we want to bring back our culture," she added.

Many women were keen to stay overnight but hesitated because of bathroom facilities. Certain colleges in the area have let women use their bathrooms.

Unlike the previous days, families turned out in large numbers on Friday owing to most schools declaring a holiday. "Many more would come over the weekend," a beaming Deepa Rajkamal said adding, "I have friends from Kerala who have studied in Tamil Nadu and have a soft corner for the State. They are waiting for the weekend to join us." She had cancelled the tickets booked for Tirupati to be here with her husband and child.

With more and more people joining in, the chanting is only going to get louder than the waves hitting the shoreline.

CHENNAI: All roads were leading to Marina on Friday as countless people thronged the sea front to join the momentous protest to lift the ban on Jallikattu. The government's announcement of an ordinance, however, failed to cut ice with the protesters who remained defiant and asked for an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and a ban on PETA. They demanded a permanent solution for the bulls to charge from vadivasal (point from where bulls are released in Jallikattu). "Students have taken a very bold step and we are all here to support them. I have grown up with this sport and want my children to experience it as well," said B Nandakumar, who had come with his wife and children. Apart from relentless cry for the Chief Minister to address them, there were those who condemned Prime Minister Modi. "Modi does not care about Tamil Nadu," said 37-year-old N Harna, of Tondiarpet, who asked, "He is only bothered about pleasing foreign companies. What prevents the Centre to resolve the issue? If they can do demonetisation overnight, why not this?" Compared to the surging crowd, the cops were few and roads were diverted causing traffic jams on pivotal routes. Trains were running full with no public transport or autos in sight. Though Jallikattu remains the buzzword, there are much larger issues that have drawn protesters. For 28-year-old C Vinod Kumar, working for a global mobile phone company, it was farmers' distress. "I have come here to support farmers. I am from a family of farmers in Kumbakkonam and know how much bulls mean to us. All of us coming together for this cause is a big first step," he said adding that his family was part of the agitation in Alanganallur. The protest could easily have been mistaken for a carnival considering the revelry along slogan-chanting. Tamil culture and art were on display. Folk songs of Jallikattu and village life were sung. Some paraded their bulls to the hooting and cheers from the crowd. Further, one could get a glimpse of Silambattam and sand art. That wasn't all. Cars and vans had speakers blaring music to which people gleefully danced to, some even atop vehicles. There was no one large group of protesters. They were split into smaller groups. Vans passed by and flung water bottles and packets while those carrying food packets were stopped and let off only after all the food had been distributed. Though beach vendors had a good run for the last couple of days, most of them remained shut on Friday, leaving many to quench their thirst with soft drinks. The camaraderie between people was heartwarming. Strangers helped each other out whether it was sharing water or helping an injured with first aid. People came in alone but went out with new friends. "It is wonderful to see so many people here," said Komalavally Kannan who had decided to stay for the night. "I am so happy it is happening now. We are Tamilians and we want to bring back our culture," she added. Many women were keen to stay overnight but hesitated because of bathroom facilities. Certain colleges in the area have let women use their bathrooms. Unlike the previous days, families turned out in large numbers on Friday owing to most schools declaring a holiday. "Many more would come over the weekend," a beaming Deepa Rajkamal said adding, "I have friends from Kerala who have studied in Tamil Nadu and have a soft corner for the State. They are waiting for the weekend to join us." She had cancelled the tickets booked for Tirupati to be here with her husband and child. With more and more people joining in, the chanting is only going to get louder than the waves hitting the shoreline.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A 21-year-old student of Jawaharlal Nehru University was allegedly raped by two persons in south Delhi's Green Park area, police said on Friday. The accused have been arrested , informed the police.

According to the police the incident took place in the posh area of Hauz Khas village , when the second year BA (Honours) student had gone to a pub with her friends. Police have identified Salim Sulaiman who forced themselves upon the girl at Salims house the morning after.

"When she went to Salim's house along with her friend, Salim's three friends -- Sulaiman, Siddhant and Pratyusha -- were present at his house. While her friend was dropped off at JNU, the girl came back to Saleem's house and they consumed alcohol," the officer said.

When the victim woke up in the morning, she saw Sulaiman forcing himself on her. She realised that Salim and Sulaiman had sexually assaulted her when she was unconscious," the officer added.

The victim went back to her hostel in JNU and narrated the incident to her two friends, who immediately took her to the police station. She was taken to a nearby hospital for medical examination. The accused, Salim and Sulaiman, have been arrested and sent to judicial custody by a court, said the officer.

NEW DELHI: A 21-year-old student of Jawaharlal Nehru University was allegedly raped by two persons in south Delhi's Green Park area, police said on Friday. The accused have been arrested , informed the police. According to the police the incident took place in the posh area of Hauz Khas village , when the second year BA (Honours) student had gone to a pub with her friends. Police have identified Salim Sulaiman who forced themselves upon the girl at Salims house the morning after. "When she went to Salim's house along with her friend, Salim's three friends -- Sulaiman, Siddhant and Pratyusha -- were present at his house. While her friend was dropped off at JNU, the girl came back to Saleem's house and they consumed alcohol," the officer said. When the victim woke up in the morning, she saw Sulaiman forcing himself on her. She realised that Salim and Sulaiman had sexually assaulted her when she was unconscious," the officer added. The victim went back to her hostel in JNU and narrated the incident to her two friends, who immediately took her to the police station. She was taken to a nearby hospital for medical examination. The accused, Salim and Sulaiman, have been arrested and sent to judicial custody by a court, said the officer.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: A software engineer was attacked with beer bottles by two engineering students in a bar at Kukatpally in Hyderabad on Thursday night.

The trio had a brawl over a missing wallet and the techie from Visakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh, was stabbed with a beer bottle by the students.

According to police, Ravi Teja, a native of Vizag, had come to Hyderabad to meet his brother Praveen, who works in the city. On Thursday night, Ravi Teja went to a bar located near his brother's house in Kukatpally to consume liquor.

Two engineering students from the city, identified as Vishanth and Naveen, were also consuming liquor at the bar. A small argument began between Ravi Teja and the engineering students over his missing wallet. Later, the argument escalated and both the parties started calling names and abusing each other. Enraged by the allegations, the engineering students attacked the techie with beer bottles, injuring him. The techie was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital for treatment. His health condition is said to be stable.

The engineering students were taken into custody for questioning by the police.

Kukatpally police inspector K Purushotham told Express, "The students Vishanth and Naveen broke beer bottles and attacked techie Ravi Teja. He sustained three deep cuts. Now he is out of danger. A case has been booked and investigation is going on."

HYDERABAD: A software engineer was attacked with beer bottles by two engineering students in a bar at Kukatpally in Hyderabad on Thursday night. The trio had a brawl over a missing wallet and the techie from Visakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh, was stabbed with a beer bottle by the students. According to police, Ravi Teja, a native of Vizag, had come to Hyderabad to meet his brother Praveen, who works in the city. On Thursday night, Ravi Teja went to a bar located near his brother's house in Kukatpally to consume liquor. Two engineering students from the city, identified as Vishanth and Naveen, were also consuming liquor at the bar. A small argument began between Ravi Teja and the engineering students over his missing wallet. Later, the argument escalated and both the parties started calling names and abusing each other. Enraged by the allegations, the engineering students attacked the techie with beer bottles, injuring him. The techie was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital for treatment. His health condition is said to be stable. The engineering students were taken into custody for questioning by the police. Kukatpally police inspector K Purushotham told Express, "The students Vishanth and Naveen broke beer bottles and attacked techie Ravi Teja. He sustained three deep cuts. Now he is out of danger. A case has been booked and investigation is going on."
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: How healthy is the food that you eat? How many calories, vitamins, or carbohydrates would two slices of Pizza, or three pieces of idly contain? Commoners would not have the information on the tip of fingers. Scientists and officials at National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad, are planning to develop a mobile application which would give information on nutrition value of finished food products that people usually consume.

The app would be based on information provided in Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) which was released by Union Health minister JP Nadda in New Delhi on Wednesday.

The app would be ready in about three-months, based on IFCT database. The earlier app (Count What You Eat) was based on 200-300 food items consumed by people and the database was around 25-years-old. As per IFCT database, there is change in Vitamin-A, Calcium, and other aspects, said a NIN scientist.

Besides, National Value of Indian Foods (NVIF) had information only about 30-40 parameters in food, while IFCT has information on 150 parameters.

The new database has information on Fatty Acids, 30 Amino Acids, Fat content, and other aspects too which were not available in NVIF, said another scientist.

The IFCT, earlier called as NVIF, was prepared by scientists of NIN after working for four-years and further analysed for one-year. The Union Health minister directed officials to prepare an app which can be used by everyone for their well being.

HYDERABAD: How healthy is the food that you eat? How many calories, vitamins, or carbohydrates would two slices of Pizza, or three pieces of idly contain? Commoners would not have the information on the tip of fingers. Scientists and officials at National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad, are planning to develop a mobile application which would give information on nutrition value of finished food products that people usually consume. The app would be based on information provided in Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) which was released by Union Health minister JP Nadda in New Delhi on Wednesday. The app would be ready in about three-months, based on IFCT database. The earlier app (Count What You Eat) was based on 200-300 food items consumed by people and the database was around 25-years-old. As per IFCT database, there is change in Vitamin-A, Calcium, and other aspects, said a NIN scientist. Besides, National Value of Indian Foods (NVIF) had information only about 30-40 parameters in food, while IFCT has information on 150 parameters. The new database has information on Fatty Acids, 30 Amino Acids, Fat content, and other aspects too which were not available in NVIF, said another scientist. The IFCT, earlier called as NVIF, was prepared by scientists of NIN after working for four-years and further analysed for one-year. The Union Health minister directed officials to prepare an app which can be used by everyone for their well being.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Showcasin g the countrys tourist destinations to the world, the India International Travel Mart (IITM) commenced at Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium at Kadavanthra here on Thursday. Delegates from over 15 Indian states and six foreign countries will be attending the three-day event, with the major participants being Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.

Italy, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mauritius and the UAE are the overseas participants. The 150-odd stalls set up at the venue showcase various tourism packages, while enlightening visitors about the destinations. They also offer attractive discounts to those who make spot bookings.

The event, organised by Sphere Travel Media and Exhibitions, is expected to attract over 3,000 travel agents from Kerala and 15,000 holiday- makers, making it one of the biggest travel meets in the region. The exhibitors include national/ state tourism organisations, destination management organisations, airlines, charters, Railways, passenger transporters, car rental operators, shipping firms, cruise-liners, travel/ tour operators, holiday financiers, technology providers, hotel reservation networks, hotels/resorts, health spas/ayurveda centres, eco/adventure clubs and education institutions in the hospitality and tourism sectors. The timing is from 11 am to 7 pm, and entry is free.

KOCHI: Showcasin g the countrys tourist destinations to the world, the India International Travel Mart (IITM) commenced at Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium at Kadavanthra here on Thursday. Delegates from over 15 Indian states and six foreign countries will be attending the three-day event, with the major participants being Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. Italy, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Mauritius and the UAE are the overseas participants. The 150-odd stalls set up at the venue showcase various tourism packages, while enlightening visitors about the destinations. They also offer attractive discounts to those who make spot bookings. The event, organised by Sphere Travel Media and Exhibitions, is expected to attract over 3,000 travel agents from Kerala and 15,000 holiday- makers, making it one of the biggest travel meets in the region. The exhibitors include national/ state tourism organisations, destination management organisations, airlines, charters, Railways, passenger transporters, car rental operators, shipping firms, cruise-liners, travel/ tour operators, holiday financiers, technology providers, hotel reservation networks, hotels/resorts, health spas/ayurveda centres, eco/adventure clubs and education institutions in the hospitality and tourism sectors. The timing is from 11 am to 7 pm, and entry is free.
By IANS

MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Khan, who has starred in many of Yash Raj Films' and Dharma Productions' project, says he cannot work with people who do not love him.

The Bollywood superstar said this in an interaction for CNN-News18's "Now Showing".

Kabir Khan's "Tubelight" has brought Shah Rukh and his on-and-off friend Salman Khan together on screen after a long time -- but Shah Rukh has only done a cameo in it.

"Shooting with Salman for 'Tubelight' was fun. These days I'm only making cameos with him," quipped the actor, who has done films like "Karan Arjun" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" with Salman.

As of now, Shah Rukh is looking forward to the release of his much-awaited film "Raees", which sees him play a bootlegger in a story set in Gujarat.

The actor said things may have changed a lot in the industry, but there's one thing -- motivation -- that has remained a constant for him.

"My motivation for acting has remained the same over last 25 years. (It is the) Only thing about me that hasn't changed," he said in the interview aired late Thursday night.

Shah Rukh has, for long, been working on his autobiography -- in which fans can look forward to knowing about his journey from being a Delhi boy, who took up theatre, television shows and charted a journey to become one of the country's top earning and most globally known superstars.

"I still have to complete five chapters in my autobiography. I'm struggling to complete it," the Bollywood 'badshah' -- as he is popularly called -- said.

The 51-year-old actor, also a successful producer, even talked about how he has stopped planning life.

"I've stopped making plans. All my plans go wrong."

Talking about his temperament, he said: "I have lost my temper on the set only five times in 25 years. And each time I have apologised."

As a public figure, he said he "can't have the luxury of having a temper".

He did not hide his emotions for his three children -- daughter Suhana and sons Aryan and AbRam, whom he raises with wife Gauri.

"My children have seen me at my most vulnerable, insecure and lonely," the actor said.



MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Khan, who has starred in many of Yash Raj Films' and Dharma Productions' project, says he cannot work with people who do not love him. The Bollywood superstar said this in an interaction for CNN-News18's "Now Showing". Kabir Khan's "Tubelight" has brought Shah Rukh and his on-and-off friend Salman Khan together on screen after a long time -- but Shah Rukh has only done a cameo in it. "Shooting with Salman for 'Tubelight' was fun. These days I'm only making cameos with him," quipped the actor, who has done films like "Karan Arjun" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" with Salman. As of now, Shah Rukh is looking forward to the release of his much-awaited film "Raees", which sees him play a bootlegger in a story set in Gujarat. The actor said things may have changed a lot in the industry, but there's one thing -- motivation -- that has remained a constant for him. "My motivation for acting has remained the same over last 25 years. (It is the) Only thing about me that hasn't changed," he said in the interview aired late Thursday night. Shah Rukh has, for long, been working on his autobiography -- in which fans can look forward to knowing about his journey from being a Delhi boy, who took up theatre, television shows and charted a journey to become one of the country's top earning and most globally known superstars. "I still have to complete five chapters in my autobiography. I'm struggling to complete it," the Bollywood 'badshah' -- as he is popularly called -- said. The 51-year-old actor, also a successful producer, even talked about how he has stopped planning life. "I've stopped making plans. All my plans go wrong." Talking about his temperament, he said: "I have lost my temper on the set only five times in 25 years. And each time I have apologised." As a public figure, he said he "can't have the luxury of having a temper". He did not hide his emotions for his three children -- daughter Suhana and sons Aryan and AbRam, whom he raises with wife Gauri. "My children have seen me at my most vulnerable, insecure and lonely," the actor said.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The year 2017 will be the year of submarines as the Navy will commission two of its long-awaited Scorpene class submarines by the year-end and a third submarine will be launched for sea trial in the next 11 months.

According to the Navy, INS Kalvari, the first of the Scorpene class ships is likely to be commissioned before monsoon, while the second warship, INS Khanderi, could be commissioned by December this year or early next year. Meanwhile, another submarine INS Sindhuraj will go to Russia for Medium Refit with Life Certification (MRLC) in mid-2017, which will enhance its life for the next few years. The submarine was inducted in the Navy in 1992. Another submarine, INS Sindhukesri, which was commissioned in 1986, is undergoing a similar refit process.

But these underwater warships will be operational without torpedoes, as the Ministry of Defence is struggling to find a solution after it scrapped Finmeccanicas contract for Black Shark torpedoes. Sources indicated that the ministry might opt for German heavy-weight torpedoes. Torpedoes are self-propelled weapons with explosives packed in their nose. They are a submarines primary weapon to destroy their targets.

Navy sources maintained that the force will use some alternate torpedoes available as an interim measure. The submarine arm of the Navy is celebrating its golden jubilee this year, since in 1967, India got its first submarine from Russia and it was inducted as INS Kalvari, Foxtrot class submarine.

NEW DELHI: The year 2017 will be the year of submarines as the Navy will commission two of its long-awaited Scorpene class submarines by the year-end and a third submarine will be launched for sea trial in the next 11 months. According to the Navy, INS Kalvari, the first of the Scorpene class ships is likely to be commissioned before monsoon, while the second warship, INS Khanderi, could be commissioned by December this year or early next year. Meanwhile, another submarine INS Sindhuraj will go to Russia for Medium Refit with Life Certification (MRLC) in mid-2017, which will enhance its life for the next few years. The submarine was inducted in the Navy in 1992. Another submarine, INS Sindhukesri, which was commissioned in 1986, is undergoing a similar refit process. But these underwater warships will be operational without torpedoes, as the Ministry of Defence is struggling to find a solution after it scrapped Finmeccanicas contract for Black Shark torpedoes. Sources indicated that the ministry might opt for German heavy-weight torpedoes. Torpedoes are self-propelled weapons with explosives packed in their nose. They are a submarines primary weapon to destroy their targets. Navy sources maintained that the force will use some alternate torpedoes available as an interim measure. The submarine arm of the Navy is celebrating its golden jubilee this year, since in 1967, India got its first submarine from Russia and it was inducted as INS Kalvari, Foxtrot class submarine.
By Express News Service

New Delhi: More than 300 protesters from Tamil community gathered at Janatar mantar on Friday in favour of jallikattu at the national capital. The demonstration was led by G.S.Ravi leader of the Delhi Tamil Union and former joint Secretary of Delhi Tamil Sangam K.V.K.Perumal.

Protesters including lawyers, housewives, students who gathered at the protest site to show their support in bringing in an ordinance to lift the ban on the iconic Tamil sport.

PETA should be banned; it is working against the Tamil sentiments. During the sport there is no injury to the bull but then also it is being made an issue, its a game of bravery Perumal said.

The protest also reached the Delhi University where large crowd of Tamil students of the varsity stood in front of the Art Faculty at the campus. Students raised slogans against PETA ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) with banners. The students also raised slogan saying Tamil Nadu MPs (member of parliament) resign your post.

We are not harming the bull, we airship them as gods. The court and PETA should understand the reason behind this, why this game is played till then we wont stop. We wont give up our culture, our protest will continue to save the tamil tradition and culture said Abhinaya.

New Delhi: More than 300 protesters from Tamil community gathered at Janatar mantar on Friday in favour of jallikattu at the national capital. The demonstration was led by G.S.Ravi leader of the Delhi Tamil Union and former joint Secretary of Delhi Tamil Sangam K.V.K.Perumal. Protesters including lawyers, housewives, students who gathered at the protest site to show their support in bringing in an ordinance to lift the ban on the iconic Tamil sport. PETA should be banned; it is working against the Tamil sentiments. During the sport there is no injury to the bull but then also it is being made an issue, its a game of bravery Perumal said. The protest also reached the Delhi University where large crowd of Tamil students of the varsity stood in front of the Art Faculty at the campus. Students raised slogans against PETA ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) with banners. The students also raised slogan saying Tamil Nadu MPs (member of parliament) resign your post. We are not harming the bull, we airship them as gods. The court and PETA should understand the reason behind this, why this game is played till then we wont stop. We wont give up our culture, our protest will continue to save the tamil tradition and culture said Abhinaya.
Aishik Chanda By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: After dropping his customers at Pedong near the Sikkim border, driver Anmol Chhetri was returning to Lava in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. While negotiating a curve at around 7 am on Wednesday, he saw something unusual behind a rock in the mountain slope  a beast with yellow and black stripes.

Before realising what it was, Anmol found himself pressing the brakes of his car, taking out his mobile phone, zooming in and clicking pictures of the beast, a Royal Bengal tiger. Anmols photograph, one of the first sightings as well as pictorial evidence of the big cat in Neora Valley National Park in Darjeeling district, has sent waves of elation throughout north Bengal.

The last time north Bengal was witness to a tiger was that of a corpse of the big cat mowed down by a train in Coochbehar district in June 2007, some 16 km from Jaldapara National Park. According to a Wildlife Institute of India census in 2014, there were only three tigers in north Bengal. That too, the census was based in indirect evidence through tracking of pug marks. Pictorial evidence was never found.

The first thing Anmol did was to alert the wildlife department, who sent their officials to the spot to verify the picture. On reaching the spot, the officials found pug marks of the big cat, its excreta and a half-eaten cow, which confirmed the existence of the tiger in Neora Valley National Park, sources revealed.

Principal Wildlife Conservator of West Bengal, Pradeep Vyas said that the last time a tiger was spotted in Neora Valley was 40 years ago. The pictorial evidence has bolstered demands to make the 88 sq km national park, that extends well up to Sikkim and Bhutan, as a tiger reserve.

Though pug marks have been found in Buxa tiger reserve in neighbouring Alipurduar district, none have been sighted, which forest officials say is because most of the big cats dwell near the Bhutan border and well inside the Himalayan kingdom.

"Neora Valley's inaccessibility and isolation ensures that it is well off the tourist circuit. This may be the reason why the tiger chose this Himalayan pine forest area as the new home. There may be more tigers in the park. Leopards, brown bears and other protected animals have earlier been sighted in Neora Valley National Park," a forest official said.

Though some 86 Royal Bengal tigers have been recorded in the latest census in Sundarbans in South 24 Parganas district in south Bengal, the corresponding numbers have been abysmally low in north Bengal

despite the presence of large tracts of dense forests in the Dooars region.

"Tigers are a very shy animal. And, forests in Dooars including Jaldapara, Gorumara and Hashimara have become a favourite destination of tourists for sightings of wild elephants and bisons. That may be reason for migration of the big cats to isolated forests of southern Bhutan and now Neora Valley," the forest official said. Tigers are known for travelling long distances.

The World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum had recently stated that the latest global census showed that the big cats saw a rise in numbers for the first time in over a century. According to the report, there are 3,890 tigers globally. There were just 3,200 tigers in the wild in 2010. The numbers were 1,00,000 in 1900.

KOLKATA: After dropping his customers at Pedong near the Sikkim border, driver Anmol Chhetri was returning to Lava in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. While negotiating a curve at around 7 am on Wednesday, he saw something unusual behind a rock in the mountain slope  a beast with yellow and black stripes. Before realising what it was, Anmol found himself pressing the brakes of his car, taking out his mobile phone, zooming in and clicking pictures of the beast, a Royal Bengal tiger. Anmols photograph, one of the first sightings as well as pictorial evidence of the big cat in Neora Valley National Park in Darjeeling district, has sent waves of elation throughout north Bengal. The last time north Bengal was witness to a tiger was that of a corpse of the big cat mowed down by a train in Coochbehar district in June 2007, some 16 km from Jaldapara National Park. According to a Wildlife Institute of India census in 2014, there were only three tigers in north Bengal. That too, the census was based in indirect evidence through tracking of pug marks. Pictorial evidence was never found. The first thing Anmol did was to alert the wildlife department, who sent their officials to the spot to verify the picture. On reaching the spot, the officials found pug marks of the big cat, its excreta and a half-eaten cow, which confirmed the existence of the tiger in Neora Valley National Park, sources revealed. Principal Wildlife Conservator of West Bengal, Pradeep Vyas said that the last time a tiger was spotted in Neora Valley was 40 years ago. The pictorial evidence has bolstered demands to make the 88 sq km national park, that extends well up to Sikkim and Bhutan, as a tiger reserve. Though pug marks have been found in Buxa tiger reserve in neighbouring Alipurduar district, none have been sighted, which forest officials say is because most of the big cats dwell near the Bhutan border and well inside the Himalayan kingdom. "Neora Valley's inaccessibility and isolation ensures that it is well off the tourist circuit. This may be the reason why the tiger chose this Himalayan pine forest area as the new home. There may be more tigers in the park. Leopards, brown bears and other protected animals have earlier been sighted in Neora Valley National Park," a forest official said. Though some 86 Royal Bengal tigers have been recorded in the latest census in Sundarbans in South 24 Parganas district in south Bengal, the corresponding numbers have been abysmally low in north Bengal despite the presence of large tracts of dense forests in the Dooars region. "Tigers are a very shy animal. And, forests in Dooars including Jaldapara, Gorumara and Hashimara have become a favourite destination of tourists for sightings of wild elephants and bisons. That may be reason for migration of the big cats to isolated forests of southern Bhutan and now Neora Valley," the forest official said. Tigers are known for travelling long distances. The World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum had recently stated that the latest global census showed that the big cats saw a rise in numbers for the first time in over a century. According to the report, there are 3,890 tigers globally. There were just 3,200 tigers in the wild in 2010. The numbers were 1,00,000 in 1900.
By Express News Service

KOLKATA: In a veiled attack on BJPs alleged interference in appointments in the premier institutes of the country, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said that freedom of expression and free thinking are under threat at the universities of the country. Better known as a brilliant professor, Dr Singh in his speech at Presidency University here on the occasion of the bicentenary celebrations of the former Hindoo College, said: Regrettably, independent thinking and free expression in Indian universities are now under threat.

Political interference in university curriculum and academic appointments is highly short sighted. Recent attempts to interfere with free expression of the student community in Hyderabad Central University and Jawaharlal Nehru University are of particular concern. Attempts to suppress peaceful dissent are not only inimical to learning but they are also undemocratic, he added.

The year 2016 may be remembered in the countrys history as that of student agitations that rocked several universities such as JNU over anti-nationalism and arrests of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar and his associates Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, HCU over suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula and FTII over appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan, whom the students alleged to be a pro-RSS person who aimed at muffling the progressive voices of the students.

With a veiled reference to the issues of the agitations, the former Prime Minister said: True nationalism is found where students, citizens, are encouraged to think and speak freely where dissents are encouraged and not suppressed.

It is only by constructive engagements..we can truly build a stronger, more cohesive and sustaining democracy in our country. We are witnessing around the world a rise of nationalist tendencies, populism and hatred against backward classes and minorities in disregarding reason and rationality.....but these tendencies could be extremely destructive, he added. Fridays speech was one of the few occasions when the former PM had expressed himself on the contemporary issues in the country since Narendra Modi was elected for the top job in 2014.

KOLKATA: In a veiled attack on BJPs alleged interference in appointments in the premier institutes of the country, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said that freedom of expression and free thinking are under threat at the universities of the country. Better known as a brilliant professor, Dr Singh in his speech at Presidency University here on the occasion of the bicentenary celebrations of the former Hindoo College, said: Regrettably, independent thinking and free expression in Indian universities are now under threat. Political interference in university curriculum and academic appointments is highly short sighted. Recent attempts to interfere with free expression of the student community in Hyderabad Central University and Jawaharlal Nehru University are of particular concern. Attempts to suppress peaceful dissent are not only inimical to learning but they are also undemocratic, he added. The year 2016 may be remembered in the countrys history as that of student agitations that rocked several universities such as JNU over anti-nationalism and arrests of JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar and his associates Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, HCU over suicide of research scholar Rohith Vemula and FTII over appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan, whom the students alleged to be a pro-RSS person who aimed at muffling the progressive voices of the students. With a veiled reference to the issues of the agitations, the former Prime Minister said: True nationalism is found where students, citizens, are encouraged to think and speak freely where dissents are encouraged and not suppressed. It is only by constructive engagements..we can truly build a stronger, more cohesive and sustaining democracy in our country. We are witnessing around the world a rise of nationalist tendencies, populism and hatred against backward classes and minorities in disregarding reason and rationality.....but these tendencies could be extremely destructive, he added. Fridays speech was one of the few occasions when the former PM had expressed himself on the contemporary issues in the country since Narendra Modi was elected for the top job in 2014.
By PTI

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court today said it was "very unhappy" over the pace of progress in the Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare murder cases even as the probe agency CBI informed the court that Scotland Yard has refused to help in the forensic probe on the ground that there was no legal bond between the UK and India for sharing data.

In another development, the CBI submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists --- Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi.

A bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and B P Colabawalla said it was "very unhappy" over the tardy progress in the murder probes.

The judges further said there was also no development in the proceedings of trial courts in Pune and Kolhapur which are trying Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases, respectively.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had informed the High Court earlier that it had sent forensic evidence to Scotland Yard to seek its opinion on whether same weapons were used in the murders of Dabholkar and Pansare in Maharashtra and the killing of another rationalist M M Kalburgi in Karnataka.

"Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases," Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told a division bench hearing petitions filed by the families of the two slain rationalists.

CBI also submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists. This is the third ballistic report from a forensic lab, the other two being that of labs in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

The CBI, probing Dabholkar's murder, and the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of state CID, probing the killing of Pansare, also submitted reports in separate sealed covers to the high court on the progress made in these two cases.

The judges perused the reports and asked the two investigation agencies not to reveal the contents to anyone, including media, as the probe was still on.

SIT counsel Ashok Mundargi said, "The probe in Pansare killing is on. We have identified two absconding suspects. The charge sheet has been filed and we are investigating further."

On a plea made by the two agencies seeking eight weeks time to conduct a further probe, the bench deferred the matter till March 20.

While Dabholkar was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015, in Kolhapur. He died on February 20 that year. Prof Kalburgi was murdered on August 30, 2015.

The families of Dabholkar and Pansare today said they were not happy with the progress in probe in the murder cases.

"The investigation agencies are very slow and the contents of forensic reports always reach the media first," their lawyer Abhay Nevgi said.

Outside the court, after the hearing concluded today, the family members of Dabholkar, son Hamid and daughter Mukta, distributed pamphlets seeking arrest of the wanted accused.

Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of the slain rationalist Govind Pansare, staged a silent protest demonstration demanding the arrest of the wanted accused.

Megha said not much progress had been made in the last two years in the murder cases. However, she refused to comment on the probe being conducted by the investigating agencies.

The judges today came down heavily on the CBI and SIT for slow progress in the investigations into the killing of the two rationalists -- Dabholkar and Pansare.

The bench, which is monitoring the investigations, also cautioned the agencies not to disclose any information about the cases to anyone, particularly to the media saying this would hamper the probe.

On an earlier occasion, the bench had noted that delay caused by the probe agency would not only benefit the accused but would also give a bad impression to the society at large.

The probe agency had earlier told HC that it had sent bullets and empty shells recovered from Pansare's body and the crime scene to Scotland Yard to ascertain if there was any link between the Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi murders.

As Mumbai and Bengaluru forensic labs had given conflicting opinions, it also wanted a third opinion from another forensic lab. Hence, it had sent evidence to Ahmedabad forensic lab for its opinion. Its report was today submitted to the high court.

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court today said it was "very unhappy" over the pace of progress in the Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare murder cases even as the probe agency CBI informed the court that Scotland Yard has refused to help in the forensic probe on the ground that there was no legal bond between the UK and India for sharing data. In another development, the CBI submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists --- Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi. A bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and B P Colabawalla said it was "very unhappy" over the tardy progress in the murder probes. The judges further said there was also no development in the proceedings of trial courts in Pune and Kolhapur which are trying Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases, respectively. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had informed the High Court earlier that it had sent forensic evidence to Scotland Yard to seek its opinion on whether same weapons were used in the murders of Dabholkar and Pansare in Maharashtra and the killing of another rationalist M M Kalburgi in Karnataka. "Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases," Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told a division bench hearing petitions filed by the families of the two slain rationalists. CBI also submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists. This is the third ballistic report from a forensic lab, the other two being that of labs in Mumbai and Bengaluru. The CBI, probing Dabholkar's murder, and the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of state CID, probing the killing of Pansare, also submitted reports in separate sealed covers to the high court on the progress made in these two cases. The judges perused the reports and asked the two investigation agencies not to reveal the contents to anyone, including media, as the probe was still on. SIT counsel Ashok Mundargi said, "The probe in Pansare killing is on. We have identified two absconding suspects. The charge sheet has been filed and we are investigating further." On a plea made by the two agencies seeking eight weeks time to conduct a further probe, the bench deferred the matter till March 20. While Dabholkar was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015, in Kolhapur. He died on February 20 that year. Prof Kalburgi was murdered on August 30, 2015. The families of Dabholkar and Pansare today said they were not happy with the progress in probe in the murder cases. "The investigation agencies are very slow and the contents of forensic reports always reach the media first," their lawyer Abhay Nevgi said. Outside the court, after the hearing concluded today, the family members of Dabholkar, son Hamid and daughter Mukta, distributed pamphlets seeking arrest of the wanted accused. Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of the slain rationalist Govind Pansare, staged a silent protest demonstration demanding the arrest of the wanted accused. Megha said not much progress had been made in the last two years in the murder cases. However, she refused to comment on the probe being conducted by the investigating agencies. The judges today came down heavily on the CBI and SIT for slow progress in the investigations into the killing of the two rationalists -- Dabholkar and Pansare. The bench, which is monitoring the investigations, also cautioned the agencies not to disclose any information about the cases to anyone, particularly to the media saying this would hamper the probe. On an earlier occasion, the bench had noted that delay caused by the probe agency would not only benefit the accused but would also give a bad impression to the society at large. The probe agency had earlier told HC that it had sent bullets and empty shells recovered from Pansare's body and the crime scene to Scotland Yard to ascertain if there was any link between the Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi murders. As Mumbai and Bengaluru forensic labs had given conflicting opinions, it also wanted a third opinion from another forensic lab. Hence, it had sent evidence to Ahmedabad forensic lab for its opinion. Its report was today submitted to the high court.
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday said it was "very unhappy" over the pace of progress in the Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare murder cases even as the probe agency CBI informed the court that Scotland Yard has refused to help in the forensic probe on the ground that there was no legal bond between the UK and India for sharing data. In another development, the CBI submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists --- Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi.

A bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and B P Colabawalla said it was "very unhappy" over the tardy progress in the murder probes. The judges further said there was also no development in the proceedings of trial courts in Pune and Kolhapur which are trying Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases, respectively. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had informed the High Court earlier that it had sent forensic evidence to Scotland Yard to seek its opinion on whether same weapons were used in the murders of Dabholkar and Pansare in Maharashtra and the killing of another rationalist M M Kalburgi in Karnataka. "Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases," Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told a division bench hearing petitions filed by the families of the two slain rationalists. CBI also submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists. This is the third ballistic report from a forensic lab, the other two being that of labs in Mumbai and Bengaluru. The CBI, probing Dabholkar's murder, and the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of state CID, probing the killing of Pansare, also submitted reports in separate sealed covers to the high court on the progress made in these two cases.

The judges perused the reports and asked the two investigation agencies not to reveal the contents to anyone, including media, as the probe was still on. SIT counsel Ashok Mundargi said, "The probe in Pansare killing is on. We have identified two absconding suspects. The chargesheet has been filed and we are investigating further." On a plea made by the two agencies seeking eight weeks time to conduct further probe, the bench deferred the matter till March 20. While Dabholkar was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015 in Kolhapur. He died on February 20 that year. Prof Kalburgi was murdered on August 30, 2015.

The families of Dabholkar and Pansare on Friday said that they were not happy with the progress in probe in the murder cases. "The investigation agencies are very slow and the contents of forensic reports always reach the media first," their lawyer Abhay Nevgi said. Outside the court after the hearing concluded on Friday, the family members of Dabholkar, son Hamid and daughter Mukta, distributed pamphlets seeking arrest of the wanted accused. Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of the slain rationalist Govind Pansare, staged a silent protest demonstration demanding arrest of the wanted accused. Megha said not much progress had been made in the last two years in the murder cases. However, she refused to comment on the probe being conducted by the investigating agencies. The judges on Friday came down heavily on the CBI and SIT for slow progress in the investigations into the killing of the two rationalists -- Dabholkar and Pansare.

The bench, which is monitoring the investigations, also cautioned the agencies not to disclose any information about the cases to anyone, particularly to the media saying this would hamper probe. On an earlier occasion, the bench had noted that delay caused by the probe agency would not only benefit the accused but would also give a bad impression to the society at large. The probe agency had earlier told HC that it had sent bullets and empty shells recovered from Pansare's body and the crime scene to Scotland Yard to ascertain if there was any link between the Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi murders.

As Mumbai and Bengaluru forensic labs had given conflicting opinions, it also wanted a third opinion from another forensic lab. Hence, it had sent evidence to Ahmedabad forensic lab for its opinion. Its report was on friday submitted to the high court. The CBI informed the court that Scotland Yard has refused to help in the forensic probe on the ground that there was no pact between the UK and India for sharing such data. On Friday, CBI also submitted, in a sealed cover, a report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists, including M M Kalburgi in Karnataka, the third such report, the other two being those of Mumbai and Bengaluru labs.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told the bench, hearing petitions filed by the families of the two slain rationalists, that, "Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases."

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday said it was "very unhappy" over the pace of progress in the Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare murder cases even as the probe agency CBI informed the court that Scotland Yard has refused to help in the forensic probe on the ground that there was no legal bond between the UK and India for sharing data. In another development, the CBI submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists --- Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi. A bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and B P Colabawalla said it was "very unhappy" over the tardy progress in the murder probes. The judges further said there was also no development in the proceedings of trial courts in Pune and Kolhapur which are trying Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases, respectively. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had informed the High Court earlier that it had sent forensic evidence to Scotland Yard to seek its opinion on whether same weapons were used in the murders of Dabholkar and Pansare in Maharashtra and the killing of another rationalist M M Kalburgi in Karnataka. "Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases," Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told a division bench hearing petitions filed by the families of the two slain rationalists. CBI also submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists. This is the third ballistic report from a forensic lab, the other two being that of labs in Mumbai and Bengaluru. The CBI, probing Dabholkar's murder, and the Special Investigating Team (SIT) of state CID, probing the killing of Pansare, also submitted reports in separate sealed covers to the high court on the progress made in these two cases. The judges perused the reports and asked the two investigation agencies not to reveal the contents to anyone, including media, as the probe was still on. SIT counsel Ashok Mundargi said, "The probe in Pansare killing is on. We have identified two absconding suspects. The chargesheet has been filed and we are investigating further." On a plea made by the two agencies seeking eight weeks time to conduct further probe, the bench deferred the matter till March 20. While Dabholkar was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015 in Kolhapur. He died on February 20 that year. Prof Kalburgi was murdered on August 30, 2015. The families of Dabholkar and Pansare on Friday said that they were not happy with the progress in probe in the murder cases. "The investigation agencies are very slow and the contents of forensic reports always reach the media first," their lawyer Abhay Nevgi said. Outside the court after the hearing concluded on Friday, the family members of Dabholkar, son Hamid and daughter Mukta, distributed pamphlets seeking arrest of the wanted accused. Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of the slain rationalist Govind Pansare, staged a silent protest demonstration demanding arrest of the wanted accused. Megha said not much progress had been made in the last two years in the murder cases. However, she refused to comment on the probe being conducted by the investigating agencies. The judges on Friday came down heavily on the CBI and SIT for slow progress in the investigations into the killing of the two rationalists -- Dabholkar and Pansare. The bench, which is monitoring the investigations, also cautioned the agencies not to disclose any information about the cases to anyone, particularly to the media saying this would hamper probe. On an earlier occasion, the bench had noted that delay caused by the probe agency would not only benefit the accused but would also give a bad impression to the society at large. The probe agency had earlier told HC that it had sent bullets and empty shells recovered from Pansare's body and the crime scene to Scotland Yard to ascertain if there was any link between the Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi murders. As Mumbai and Bengaluru forensic labs had given conflicting opinions, it also wanted a third opinion from another forensic lab. Hence, it had sent evidence to Ahmedabad forensic lab for its opinion. Its report was on friday submitted to the high court. The CBI informed the court that Scotland Yard has refused to help in the forensic probe on the ground that there was no pact between the UK and India for sharing such data. On Friday, CBI also submitted, in a sealed cover, a report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists, including M M Kalburgi in Karnataka, the third such report, the other two being those of Mumbai and Bengaluru labs. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told the bench, hearing petitions filed by the families of the two slain rationalists, that, "Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases."
Chinese offshore giant CNOOC Ltd. CEO recently released its business strategy and development plan for 2017.



For this year, the company targets net production in the range of 450 million to 460 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE). Of the total production, about 64% will be produced in China and 36% overseas. Estimated net production for 2018 and 2019 are 455465 million BOE and 460470 million BOE, respectively. In 2016, the net production was expected to be about 476 million BOE.



In 2017, five new projects are likely to be brought online, of which the Penglai 19-9 oilfield comprehensive adjustment project and the Enping 23-1 oilfields in China have begun production. The other three projects  phase two of the Weizhou 12-2 oilfield project in China, the BD gas field in Indonesia and the Hangingstone project in Canada  will begin production as scheduled. Currently, about 20 projects are under construction.



In 2017, the company proposes to drill 126 exploration wells and procure 3-Dimensional (3D) seismic data for about 13 thousand square kilometers.



The company estimates total capital expenditures for 2017 in the range of RMB60.0RMB70.0 billion. Of this, capital expenditures for exploration, development and production will account for about 18%, 66% and 15%, respectively. The company will maintain prudent fiscal management and boost capital efficiency to expedite development.



Shares of the company appreciated 45.9% in the last one year, while the Zacks categorized Oil & Gas-Emerging Markets Integrated industry gained 113.6% in the same time span. The companys projection for 2017 is expected to drive the stock higher.







CNOOC currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked players in the same space include Braskem S.A. BAK, Suncor Energy, Inc. SU and Noble Midstream Partners L.P. NBLX. All these stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Braskem posted a positive earnings surprise of 107.79% in the last reported quarter.



Suncor Energy posted a positive earnings surprise of 300.00% in the preceding quarter. It had an average earnings surprise of 40.55% in the four trailing quarters.



Noble Midstream Partners posted a negative earnings surprise of 77.78% in the last reported quarter.



The Best Place to Start Your Stock Search



Today, you are invited to download the full list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buy" stocks  absolutely free of charge. Since 1988, Zacks Rank #1 stocks have nearly tripled the market, with average gains of +26% per year. Plus, you can access the list of portfolio-killing Zacks Rank #5 "Strong Sells" and other private research. See these stocks free >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



CNOOC Ltd. (CEO): Free Stock Analysis Report



Suncor Energy Inc. (SU): Free Stock Analysis Report



Braskem SA (BAK): Free Stock Analysis Report



Noble Midstream Partners LP (NBLX): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI; Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the concerns of students in his first mann ki baat of the year 2017. On Friday, he urged students and teachers to share their exam experiences for the next edition of Mann Ki Baat, his monthly radio show. Hundreds of students have responded within few hours of the request on Friday.

The next episode of the monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', to be aired on January 29, will focus on various board and competitive exams, PM said on Friday and invited students, parents and teachers to share their thoughts and experiences.

"The #MannKiBaat episode on 29th January will primarily be on the various board exams coming up. It will be a programme for my young friends," Modi tweeted. "Urging students, parents & teachers to share their thoughts & exam season experiences. Their views will surely inspire so many others," he added in another tweet.

The Prime Minister said the thoughts and experiences could be shared on the specially-created forum on the App. MyGov website also invited reactions from students and teachers and within few hours about 200 students, teachers and parents expressed their views for the monthly radio episode.

NEW DELHI; Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the concerns of students in his first mann ki baat of the year 2017. On Friday, he urged students and teachers to share their exam experiences for the next edition of Mann Ki Baat, his monthly radio show. Hundreds of students have responded within few hours of the request on Friday. The next episode of the monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', to be aired on January 29, will focus on various board and competitive exams, PM said on Friday and invited students, parents and teachers to share their thoughts and experiences. "The #MannKiBaat episode on 29th January will primarily be on the various board exams coming up. It will be a programme for my young friends," Modi tweeted. "Urging students, parents & teachers to share their thoughts & exam season experiences. Their views will surely inspire so many others," he added in another tweet. The Prime Minister said the thoughts and experiences could be shared on the specially-created forum on the App. MyGov website also invited reactions from students and teachers and within few hours about 200 students, teachers and parents expressed their views for the monthly radio episode.
Namita bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: With confusion prevailing over the nearly sealed pact with Congress, the ruling Samajwadi Party declared the names of 210 of 403 party candidates here on Friday.

The party released the first list of 191 of 209 candidates mainly from UP west for first three phases closely followed by the second of 19 candidates for the constituencies going to the polls in fifth phase of seven-phase UP Assembly elections commencing from February 11.

Releasing both the lists in quick succession, the Samajwadi Party fielded candidates on many of those seats also where Congress has sitting MLAs -- including the Mathura seat of CLP leader Pradeep Mathur. A step being seen much against the alliance dharma and a posturing by the SP to make Congress accept its offer In the lists declared on Friday, party has given tickets to 56 Muslim candidates, 23 Rajputs, 11 Brahmins and 39 Dalits.

Moreover, the party has decided to field 26 women among total 201 candidates declared so far. While former state unit chief of Samajwadi Party and senior minister Shivpal Yadav has got the ticket from his traditional Jaswant Nagar seat which he has been representing in UP Assembly since 1996, Akhilesh loyalist ministers Arvind Singh Gope and Pawan Pandey have got tickets from Ramnagar (Barabanki) and communally crucial Ayodhya respectively. Both Gope and Pandey are sitting SP MLAs from these two seats in the current Assembly. Moreover, Rakesh Verma, son of senior Samajwadi Party leader and member Rajya Sabha, Beni Verma, has been shifted to Kaisarganj after being replaced by Gope in Ramnagar.

However, Rakesh Verma has reportedly refused to contest from Kaisarganj on the pretext that he had already prepared a ground for himself in Ramnagar. Talking to the media persons after the announcement of the names of initial 191 party candidates, Samajwadi Party national vice president Kiranmoy Nanda said that Congress was offered 18 seats in the first three phases on the basis of the position of their candidates in the previous 2012 Assembly elections, however, he added that the alliance was not yet over. SP is willing to spare 80 seats to Congress, now the call has to be taken by them, he told the media persons. He went on to add that SP had offered 54 those seats to the grand old party where it had its sitting MLAs (28) or those who remained runner up in 2012. Over and above this figure of 54, we can spare 20 more seats to them, Nanda stated.

However, keeping the hopes for alliance alive, UPCC chief Raj Babbar said in Lucknow that the discussions over the pact were still on between the leaders of the two parties but he quickly added that the prestige of the party workers should not be compromised also while stitching up any tie-up. According to sources, as per the seat sharing formula, the Samajwadi Party has decided to field its candidates on all the Assembly seats in Amethi and leave one out of five in Rae Bareli for the Congress.

The two districts are known Congress bastions. On the issue of releasing the list apparently without keeping Congress in the loop, Nanda said in case of an alliance SP would withdraw and adjust candidates on seats that would go to Congress. Among the other prominent names in the list include Azam Khans son Abdullah Azam from Suar (Rampur), Azam Khan himself from his traditional Rampur seat.

While Naresh Agarwals son Nitin has been given ticket from Hardoi. However, mafia don-turn-politician Atiq Ahmad has been replaced by Mohammad Hassan Rumi on Kanpur Cantt seat. Atiq had on Thursday made it clear that he would not contest the ensuing elections as he did not want his taint to tarnish Akhilesh Yadavs image. Though Akhilesh has made his reservations over fielding tainted faces with criminal credentials very often, party has given ticket to Vijay Singh, main accused in BJP leader Brahmdutt Dwivedi murder case, from Farrukhabad. Meanwhile, filing of nominations for the second phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on February 15 began on Friday, covering 67 constituencies spread over 11 districts in Muslim-dominated western UP. The nominations for the second phase will be filed till January 27.

Withdrawal of candidature could be done till February 1 and polling will be there on February 15. The main districts to be covered in the second phase are Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun. This phase will witness over 2.28 crore voters exercising their franchise, including 1.04 women.

In the previous 2012 Assembly elections, of these 67 seats going to polls in the second phase on February 15, SP had walked away with majority 34 followed by BSP with 18 seats. BJP could get 10, Congress three while Peace Party and Ittehad-e-Millat Council won one seat each. Of the 12 reserved seats, SP had won nine and BSP secured the remaining three in 2012 while BJP scored a duck on these seats.

LUCKNOW: With confusion prevailing over the nearly sealed pact with Congress, the ruling Samajwadi Party declared the names of 210 of 403 party candidates here on Friday. The party released the first list of 191 of 209 candidates mainly from UP west for first three phases closely followed by the second of 19 candidates for the constituencies going to the polls in fifth phase of seven-phase UP Assembly elections commencing from February 11. Releasing both the lists in quick succession, the Samajwadi Party fielded candidates on many of those seats also where Congress has sitting MLAs -- including the Mathura seat of CLP leader Pradeep Mathur. A step being seen much against the alliance dharma and a posturing by the SP to make Congress accept its offer In the lists declared on Friday, party has given tickets to 56 Muslim candidates, 23 Rajputs, 11 Brahmins and 39 Dalits. Moreover, the party has decided to field 26 women among total 201 candidates declared so far. While former state unit chief of Samajwadi Party and senior minister Shivpal Yadav has got the ticket from his traditional Jaswant Nagar seat which he has been representing in UP Assembly since 1996, Akhilesh loyalist ministers Arvind Singh Gope and Pawan Pandey have got tickets from Ramnagar (Barabanki) and communally crucial Ayodhya respectively. Both Gope and Pandey are sitting SP MLAs from these two seats in the current Assembly. Moreover, Rakesh Verma, son of senior Samajwadi Party leader and member Rajya Sabha, Beni Verma, has been shifted to Kaisarganj after being replaced by Gope in Ramnagar. However, Rakesh Verma has reportedly refused to contest from Kaisarganj on the pretext that he had already prepared a ground for himself in Ramnagar. Talking to the media persons after the announcement of the names of initial 191 party candidates, Samajwadi Party national vice president Kiranmoy Nanda said that Congress was offered 18 seats in the first three phases on the basis of the position of their candidates in the previous 2012 Assembly elections, however, he added that the alliance was not yet over. SP is willing to spare 80 seats to Congress, now the call has to be taken by them, he told the media persons. He went on to add that SP had offered 54 those seats to the grand old party where it had its sitting MLAs (28) or those who remained runner up in 2012. Over and above this figure of 54, we can spare 20 more seats to them, Nanda stated. However, keeping the hopes for alliance alive, UPCC chief Raj Babbar said in Lucknow that the discussions over the pact were still on between the leaders of the two parties but he quickly added that the prestige of the party workers should not be compromised also while stitching up any tie-up. According to sources, as per the seat sharing formula, the Samajwadi Party has decided to field its candidates on all the Assembly seats in Amethi and leave one out of five in Rae Bareli for the Congress. The two districts are known Congress bastions. On the issue of releasing the list apparently without keeping Congress in the loop, Nanda said in case of an alliance SP would withdraw and adjust candidates on seats that would go to Congress. Among the other prominent names in the list include Azam Khans son Abdullah Azam from Suar (Rampur), Azam Khan himself from his traditional Rampur seat. While Naresh Agarwals son Nitin has been given ticket from Hardoi. However, mafia don-turn-politician Atiq Ahmad has been replaced by Mohammad Hassan Rumi on Kanpur Cantt seat. Atiq had on Thursday made it clear that he would not contest the ensuing elections as he did not want his taint to tarnish Akhilesh Yadavs image. Though Akhilesh has made his reservations over fielding tainted faces with criminal credentials very often, party has given ticket to Vijay Singh, main accused in BJP leader Brahmdutt Dwivedi murder case, from Farrukhabad. Meanwhile, filing of nominations for the second phase of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on February 15 began on Friday, covering 67 constituencies spread over 11 districts in Muslim-dominated western UP. The nominations for the second phase will be filed till January 27. Withdrawal of candidature could be done till February 1 and polling will be there on February 15. The main districts to be covered in the second phase are Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Sambhal, Rampur, Bareilly, Amroha, Pilibhit, Kheri, Shahjahanpur and Badaun. This phase will witness over 2.28 crore voters exercising their franchise, including 1.04 women. In the previous 2012 Assembly elections, of these 67 seats going to polls in the second phase on February 15, SP had walked away with majority 34 followed by BSP with 18 seats. BJP could get 10, Congress three while Peace Party and Ittehad-e-Millat Council won one seat each. Of the 12 reserved seats, SP had won nine and BSP secured the remaining three in 2012 while BJP scored a duck on these seats.
By ANI

NEW DELHI: Today at approximately 10:30 p.m. Indian Standard Time/ 12 Noon Eastern Standard Time in the United States as Barack Obama leaves office and Donald Trump becomes the U.S. President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the most followed leader of state in the world.

Prime Minister Modi has the highest number of followers among all leaders of state on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Google+.

His penchant for using technology and modern tools of communication is well-known as well as his use of technology in governance, to reach out and stay connected to citizens, especially the youth.

Followers on PM Modis social media platforms

Social Media Platform No of Followers Twitter 26.5 million Facebook 39.2 million Google+ 3.2 million LinkedIn 1.99 million Instagram 5.8 million Youtube 5.91 lakhs

Prime Minister Modi has made many technology interventions in the past one of the most significant being Government of Indias direct transfer of subsidies and benefits to the poor sections of society.

Rs. 1.5 lakh crore has been directly sent to about 32 crore beneficiaries.

The poor of India have been empowered to send and receive payments without the use of even mobile phones.

Prime Minister Modis 140 character tweets help people get direct information, while separating the wheat from the chaff.

Twitter campaigns like #Sandesh2Soldiers, #MyCleanIndia, #IncredibleIndia, #SelfieWithDaughte are some of the trends Modi introduced on Twitter.

Prime Minister Modi keeps a tab on grievance redressal and systemic issues are taken up by him personally in every months PRAGATI session.

The Prime Minister interacts with chief secretaries of states and senior officials of Central Government through technology in the PRAGATI session to find a solution to various issues.

NEW DELHI: Today at approximately 10:30 p.m. Indian Standard Time/ 12 Noon Eastern Standard Time in the United States as Barack Obama leaves office and Donald Trump becomes the U.S. President, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the most followed leader of state in the world. Prime Minister Modi has the highest number of followers among all leaders of state on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Google+. His penchant for using technology and modern tools of communication is well-known as well as his use of technology in governance, to reach out and stay connected to citizens, especially the youth. Followers on PM Modis social media platforms Social Media Platform No of Followers Twitter 26.5 million Facebook 39.2 million Google+ 3.2 million LinkedIn 1.99 million Instagram 5.8 million Youtube 5.91 lakhs Prime Minister Modi has made many technology interventions in the past one of the most significant being Government of Indias direct transfer of subsidies and benefits to the poor sections of society. Rs. 1.5 lakh crore has been directly sent to about 32 crore beneficiaries. The poor of India have been empowered to send and receive payments without the use of even mobile phones. Prime Minister Modis 140 character tweets help people get direct information, while separating the wheat from the chaff. Twitter campaigns like #Sandesh2Soldiers, #MyCleanIndia, #IncredibleIndia, #SelfieWithDaughte are some of the trends Modi introduced on Twitter. Prime Minister Modi keeps a tab on grievance redressal and systemic issues are taken up by him personally in every months PRAGATI session. The Prime Minister interacts with chief secretaries of states and senior officials of Central Government through technology in the PRAGATI session to find a solution to various issues.
By Express News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM: Department of Industries director Karthikeya Mishra said that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu would sign an agreement with the Union government on Visakha-Chennai Industrial Corridor in the two-day International Partnership Summit to be held in the city from January 27.

The Chief Minister and Union Minister of state for Commerce and Industries Nirmala Sitharaman would sign the papers, he added. The state government entered into an agreement with the Centre to set up an industrial corridor. The Centre has set up National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust to make such agreements, said the director of Industries. Andhra Pradesh was the first state to sign with the trust, he added.

To review the arrangements, Karthikeya Mishra arrived here on Thursday night. Revealing the highlights of the partnership summit, he said that Commerce and Industries ministers of 12 nations, including Sri Lanka, the UAE, Ukraine, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Nepal will take part in the summit. The Chief Minister would have one-to- one interactions with 50 personnel representing Commerce and Industries sectors, besides six teams from each country, he added.

The government will be arranging a roundtable on various sectors, including aerospace, defence products, textiles, electronic gadgets, biotech and pharma. Several chief executive officers of leading companies at national and international level would participate in the roundtable meetings.

An exclusive seminar on Leveraging for Efficiency, Adaptability, Productivity would be organised on the second day of the summit. Union Industries secretary Ramesh Abhishek, Niti Aayog CEO Amithab Kanth and representatives of international school of business would take part in the seminar, Mishra said. As a part of the summit, TIME magazine would present awards to the top Indian manufacturing units.

VISAKHAPATNAM: Department of Industries director Karthikeya Mishra said that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu would sign an agreement with the Union government on Visakha-Chennai Industrial Corridor in the two-day International Partnership Summit to be held in the city from January 27. The Chief Minister and Union Minister of state for Commerce and Industries Nirmala Sitharaman would sign the papers, he added. The state government entered into an agreement with the Centre to set up an industrial corridor. The Centre has set up National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust to make such agreements, said the director of Industries. Andhra Pradesh was the first state to sign with the trust, he added. To review the arrangements, Karthikeya Mishra arrived here on Thursday night. Revealing the highlights of the partnership summit, he said that Commerce and Industries ministers of 12 nations, including Sri Lanka, the UAE, Ukraine, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Nepal will take part in the summit. The Chief Minister would have one-to- one interactions with 50 personnel representing Commerce and Industries sectors, besides six teams from each country, he added. The government will be arranging a roundtable on various sectors, including aerospace, defence products, textiles, electronic gadgets, biotech and pharma. Several chief executive officers of leading companies at national and international level would participate in the roundtable meetings. An exclusive seminar on Leveraging for Efficiency, Adaptability, Productivity would be organised on the second day of the summit. Union Industries secretary Ramesh Abhishek, Niti Aayog CEO Amithab Kanth and representatives of international school of business would take part in the seminar, Mishra said. As a part of the summit, TIME magazine would present awards to the top Indian manufacturing units.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Actors, directors and other technicians of Tollywood including actors Pawan Kalyan and Mahesh Babu, on Friday, extended their support for the Justice for Jallikattu campaign and protests by people of Tamil Nadu.

Actor and Jana Sena party president Pawan Kalyan went a step ahead and urged the Central government to withdraw ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu as well as cockfights in Andhra Pradesh. He termed the ban on Jallikattu and Kodipandem (cockfights) as an attack on Dravida culture and its integrity.

"The Government of India cited 'animal cruelty' as the reason for the ban of Jallikattu and Kodipandem. If we truly consider this puritanical approach, then we have to examine the statistics of beef export and poultry industry in the country. Many cows, calves and buffaloes were slaughtered to get 2.4 million tonnes of beef exported from India in 2015. How come this kind of slaughtering does not amount to animal cruelty? " he questioned.

Pawan Kalyan said that cockfights had deep religious siginificance associated with Lord Kukkuteswara, a form of Lord Shiva who came as a rooster to kill an asura called Gayasura. "Kodipandem is the cultural identity of Andhras. If the Central government is serious about enforcing Animal Cruelty Act then they should ban poultry industry which produces around 8.4 lakh tonnes of poultry meat by killing millions of chicken," he added.

Actor Mahesh Babu joined the pro Jallikattu league stating the sport is the spirit of Tamil Nadu. "Proud to see such a unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in. Admiration for the students who are standing up for the cause and fighting relentlessly for their roots and culture. Hope their voices are heard," he added. Young actor Akhil quickly retweeted Mahesh Babu's take on Jallikattu.

Similarly, Rana Daggubati, Ram, Sandeep Kishan and several others too voiced for the cause and extended their support to the protestors especially the students.

VIJAYAWADA: Actors, directors and other technicians of Tollywood including actors Pawan Kalyan and Mahesh Babu, on Friday, extended their support for the Justice for Jallikattu campaign and protests by people of Tamil Nadu. Actor and Jana Sena party president Pawan Kalyan went a step ahead and urged the Central government to withdraw ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu as well as cockfights in Andhra Pradesh. He termed the ban on Jallikattu and Kodipandem (cockfights) as an attack on Dravida culture and its integrity. "The Government of India cited 'animal cruelty' as the reason for the ban of Jallikattu and Kodipandem. If we truly consider this puritanical approach, then we have to examine the statistics of beef export and poultry industry in the country. Many cows, calves and buffaloes were slaughtered to get 2.4 million tonnes of beef exported from India in 2015. How come this kind of slaughtering does not amount to animal cruelty? " he questioned. Pawan Kalyan said that cockfights had deep religious siginificance associated with Lord Kukkuteswara, a form of Lord Shiva who came as a rooster to kill an asura called Gayasura. "Kodipandem is the cultural identity of Andhras. If the Central government is serious about enforcing Animal Cruelty Act then they should ban poultry industry which produces around 8.4 lakh tonnes of poultry meat by killing millions of chicken," he added. Actor Mahesh Babu joined the pro Jallikattu league stating the sport is the spirit of Tamil Nadu. "Proud to see such a unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in. Admiration for the students who are standing up for the cause and fighting relentlessly for their roots and culture. Hope their voices are heard," he added. Young actor Akhil quickly retweeted Mahesh Babu's take on Jallikattu. Similarly, Rana Daggubati, Ram, Sandeep Kishan and several others too voiced for the cause and extended their support to the protestors especially the students.
By Express News Service

KANNUR: The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the BJP after a party worker was hacked to death allegedly by CPM workers, at his house at Andaloor near Thalassery, was total in Kannur on Thursday.

Santhosh, 52, was attacked by a gang on Wednesday night. An unidentified group barged into the house of Santhosh, who was staying alone, and attacked him with lethal weapons. His wife, two children and mother were residing in another house as there was a dispute over the ownership of the house.

The police have registered a case against a group of CPM workers, following the complaint of a BJP worker Rajeesh. The BJP plan to take out a protest march in the morning and a funeral procession later in the evening led to tension in Kannur town. The BJP leaders and thousands of workers had assembled near the Jawahar stadium to take out a procession carrying the body of Santhosh in the evening. However it ended up in altercation between them and the police, who refused them permission citing that there was chance for violence if the procession was allowed through the road near the Kalotsavam venue.

The police and the district administration initially prevented them from taking out the procession. However the BJP leaders were firm on taking out the procession. However after almost three hours of stand-off between the police and BJP activists who were adamant on taking out a procession from the old bus stand to Mahatma Gandhi junction, where the events of the Kalotsavam were underway, the situation calmed down following the intervention of District Collector Mir Mohammed Ali.

The ambulance carrying the body with a few accompanying vehicles were allowed to pass through the road under heavy police security. Following this, the situation normalised. Earlier in the morning, the police fired seven tear gas shells at the BJP workers. This led to tension and party workers threw stones and broke the windowpanes of the NGO union offices affiliated to the CPM.

They also damaged the flex boards kept for the festival and also the boards of state Farmers meet. BJP state general secretary K Surendran, RSS state leader Valsan Thilankery and BJP district president P Sathya Prakash alleged that the CPM was behind the murder and the police were turning against them. Condemning the brutal murder of Santhosh and also the bomb attack on the RSS office at Thrichambaram near Taliparamba, Surendran alleged that the police remained a mute spectator to the planned murder and they were trying to prevent the peaceful protest and funeral procession.

Meanwhile CPM Pinarayi area secretary K Manoharan said they had no role in the brutal murder. He demanded that the police should arrest the real accused and if any person is found having links with the murder, the party will not protect him, he said in a statement. CPM leader P Jayarajan told reporters at a press meet that the party had no role in the murder. Evidence reveal that the RSS had planned the murder of Santhosh. He said the sniffer dog, which was brought to the crime spot reached the house of two RSS workers, who were at the house of Santhosh on the day of his death. Both of them were not at their houses on Wednesday, he said. The police should carry out a proper investigation to find out the real culprits, he said.

KANNUR: The dawn-to-dusk hartal called by the BJP after a party worker was hacked to death allegedly by CPM workers, at his house at Andaloor near Thalassery, was total in Kannur on Thursday. Santhosh, 52, was attacked by a gang on Wednesday night. An unidentified group barged into the house of Santhosh, who was staying alone, and attacked him with lethal weapons. His wife, two children and mother were residing in another house as there was a dispute over the ownership of the house. The police have registered a case against a group of CPM workers, following the complaint of a BJP worker Rajeesh. The BJP plan to take out a protest march in the morning and a funeral procession later in the evening led to tension in Kannur town. The BJP leaders and thousands of workers had assembled near the Jawahar stadium to take out a procession carrying the body of Santhosh in the evening. However it ended up in altercation between them and the police, who refused them permission citing that there was chance for violence if the procession was allowed through the road near the Kalotsavam venue. The police and the district administration initially prevented them from taking out the procession. However the BJP leaders were firm on taking out the procession. However after almost three hours of stand-off between the police and BJP activists who were adamant on taking out a procession from the old bus stand to Mahatma Gandhi junction, where the events of the Kalotsavam were underway, the situation calmed down following the intervention of District Collector Mir Mohammed Ali. The ambulance carrying the body with a few accompanying vehicles were allowed to pass through the road under heavy police security. Following this, the situation normalised. Earlier in the morning, the police fired seven tear gas shells at the BJP workers. This led to tension and party workers threw stones and broke the windowpanes of the NGO union offices affiliated to the CPM. They also damaged the flex boards kept for the festival and also the boards of state Farmers meet. BJP state general secretary K Surendran, RSS state leader Valsan Thilankery and BJP district president P Sathya Prakash alleged that the CPM was behind the murder and the police were turning against them. Condemning the brutal murder of Santhosh and also the bomb attack on the RSS office at Thrichambaram near Taliparamba, Surendran alleged that the police remained a mute spectator to the planned murder and they were trying to prevent the peaceful protest and funeral procession. Meanwhile CPM Pinarayi area secretary K Manoharan said they had no role in the brutal murder. He demanded that the police should arrest the real accused and if any person is found having links with the murder, the party will not protect him, he said in a statement. CPM leader P Jayarajan told reporters at a press meet that the party had no role in the murder. Evidence reveal that the RSS had planned the murder of Santhosh. He said the sniffer dog, which was brought to the crime spot reached the house of two RSS workers, who were at the house of Santhosh on the day of his death. Both of them were not at their houses on Wednesday, he said. The police should carry out a proper investigation to find out the real culprits, he said.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not attend the funeral of former Cuban President Fidel Castro, as he did not want to annoy the USA. Inaugurating the two-day national conference of All India Peace and Solidarity Organization (AIPSO), he added that Castro was a great friend of India.

India always played an important role in the Non Aligned Movement (NAM), of which Castro was one of the founders. After the Modi Government assumed power, it gave the NAM summits a miss, he added.

He also echoed CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechurys views that India had become the USAs strategic junior partner and was a part of the latters efforts at containing China and Russia. He termed Americas war on terror a gimmick, adding that it was behind destabilizing Syria and was forcing war on the world, which longed for peace. CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran presided over the function, in which Yechury, CPI national secretary D Raja and others also spoke.

CPM politburo member M A Babys book Jeevithavum Anubhavavum, comprising his conversations with Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan Philipose Mar Chrysostom was released at the function, in which Ambassador of Cuba to India Oscar Israel Martinez Cordoves, Palestine Ambassador Adnan M A Abualhayjaa, executive secretary of World Peace Council Iraklis Tsavdaridis and office bearers of Vietnam-India Friendship Association, Czech Peace Movement and South African Peace Initiative and others were also present.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not attend the funeral of former Cuban President Fidel Castro, as he did not want to annoy the USA. Inaugurating the two-day national conference of All India Peace and Solidarity Organization (AIPSO), he added that Castro was a great friend of India. India always played an important role in the Non Aligned Movement (NAM), of which Castro was one of the founders. After the Modi Government assumed power, it gave the NAM summits a miss, he added. He also echoed CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechurys views that India had become the USAs strategic junior partner and was a part of the latters efforts at containing China and Russia. He termed Americas war on terror a gimmick, adding that it was behind destabilizing Syria and was forcing war on the world, which longed for peace. CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran presided over the function, in which Yechury, CPI national secretary D Raja and others also spoke. CPM politburo member M A Babys book Jeevithavum Anubhavavum, comprising his conversations with Mar Thoma Valiya Metropolitan Philipose Mar Chrysostom was released at the function, in which Ambassador of Cuba to India Oscar Israel Martinez Cordoves, Palestine Ambassador Adnan M A Abualhayjaa, executive secretary of World Peace Council Iraklis Tsavdaridis and office bearers of Vietnam-India Friendship Association, Czech Peace Movement and South African Peace Initiative and others were also present.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Bringing an end to the stalemate on the Jallikattu issue, Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam today announced that an ordinance would be promulgated by his government within a day or two to bypass the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA Act).

The chief minister appealed to the public and students who are agitating against the ban on Jallikattu to end their agitation.

Announcing this to media persons in Delhi, Panneerselvam said: When I met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, he assured me that the Centre would support the efforts taken by the state government. Following this, I stayed back in Delhi and consulted senior officials about bringing in state-level amendments to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. It has been decided to bring such an amendment to the Central governments law. Further, it has also been decided to make this amendment in the form of an ordinance.

The chief minister further said the draft ordinance was sent to the Union Home Ministry this morning by top officials of the Tamil Nadu government. These officials would stay back in Delhi to take further steps to make the ordinance ready for promulgation by the state government.

Panneerselvam also explained that as per the Constitution of India, the draft ordinance should be sent to Union Home Ministry. If the ministry recommends it, it would be forwarded to the President. Once the President gives his assent to the ordinance, the state governor would promulgate it.

Read the full text of the statement below:

Statement of TN CM OPS On Ordinance for Jallikattu Page 1 pic.twitter.com/DxvnKQBppc  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 20, 2017

Statement of TN CM OPS on Ordinance to Jallikattu Page 2 pic.twitter.com/7RNicERPLx  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 20, 2017

As promised by the Prime Minister, the Centre will extend all support to this effort of the state government. So the ban on Jallikattu will be lifted in a day or two. As such, I appeal to the general public, the students and members of various organisations who are agitating for this cause to give up their agitations, he added.

CHENNAI: Bringing an end to the stalemate on the Jallikattu issue, Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam today announced that an ordinance would be promulgated by his government within a day or two to bypass the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA Act). The chief minister appealed to the public and students who are agitating against the ban on Jallikattu to end their agitation. Announcing this to media persons in Delhi, Panneerselvam said: When I met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, he assured me that the Centre would support the efforts taken by the state government. Following this, I stayed back in Delhi and consulted senior officials about bringing in state-level amendments to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. It has been decided to bring such an amendment to the Central governments law. Further, it has also been decided to make this amendment in the form of an ordinance. The chief minister further said the draft ordinance was sent to the Union Home Ministry this morning by top officials of the Tamil Nadu government. These officials would stay back in Delhi to take further steps to make the ordinance ready for promulgation by the state government. Panneerselvam also explained that as per the Constitution of India, the draft ordinance should be sent to Union Home Ministry. If the ministry recommends it, it would be forwarded to the President. Once the President gives his assent to the ordinance, the state governor would promulgate it. Read the full text of the statement below: Statement of TN CM OPS On Ordinance for Jallikattu Page 1 pic.twitter.com/DxvnKQBppc  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 20, 2017 Statement of TN CM OPS on Ordinance to Jallikattu Page 2 pic.twitter.com/7RNicERPLx  T Muruganandham (@muruga_TNIE) January 20, 2017 As promised by the Prime Minister, the Centre will extend all support to this effort of the state government. So the ban on Jallikattu will be lifted in a day or two. As such, I appeal to the general public, the students and members of various organisations who are agitating for this cause to give up their agitations, he added.
Johanna Deeksha By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: How does one resolve the knotty issue of Jallikattu? Can the State government pass its own law or put pressure on the Supreme Court to revoke the ban?

Constitutional law experts say even if the Supreme Court passes an order, State and Central governments do have the powers to not accept it and draw up their own legislation. But like always, theres a catch.

Maheravish Rein, Aeltemesh Rein Associates, practising constitutional law in the Supreme Court said that the government could enact a law in the Assembly provided it has two-thirds majority. When the Assembly comes to a consensus then the introduced bill becomes the law of the land. But if the court feels the need, it could take suo motu cognizance of the matter or if it is challenged by any member of the public then the State will be answerable in court, she explained.

However, senior advocate at the Madras High Court, K M Vijayan said that even if a bill is passed in the Assembly, the President of India needs to give his consent and this might not work with regard to Jallikattu. The President has his set of ministers to advice him, so since the Centre is not keen on Jallikattu, it is useless to expect the Presidents approval, he explained.

In the case of Jallikattu, the Centre has more powers than the State. Remember it was the Union government that was responsible for adding the bull species to the list of performance animals a few years ago. Our only hope is for the Central government to remove this notification. The species must be removed from the list of performing animals for Jallikattu to continue, he explained.

Vijayan also reasoned that technically the bull is not a performance animal. One of the rules by which an animal can be categorised as a performing animal is if the event that it is performing in is ticketed. Basically, if the audience is paying money to watch, then it is a performance animal. Going by that rule, how is a bull a performance animal, since people dont pay to watch, Vijayan told Express.

CHENNAI: How does one resolve the knotty issue of Jallikattu? Can the State government pass its own law or put pressure on the Supreme Court to revoke the ban? Constitutional law experts say even if the Supreme Court passes an order, State and Central governments do have the powers to not accept it and draw up their own legislation. But like always, theres a catch. Maheravish Rein, Aeltemesh Rein Associates, practising constitutional law in the Supreme Court said that the government could enact a law in the Assembly provided it has two-thirds majority. When the Assembly comes to a consensus then the introduced bill becomes the law of the land. But if the court feels the need, it could take suo motu cognizance of the matter or if it is challenged by any member of the public then the State will be answerable in court, she explained. However, senior advocate at the Madras High Court, K M Vijayan said that even if a bill is passed in the Assembly, the President of India needs to give his consent and this might not work with regard to Jallikattu. The President has his set of ministers to advice him, so since the Centre is not keen on Jallikattu, it is useless to expect the Presidents approval, he explained. In the case of Jallikattu, the Centre has more powers than the State. Remember it was the Union government that was responsible for adding the bull species to the list of performance animals a few years ago. Our only hope is for the Central government to remove this notification. The species must be removed from the list of performing animals for Jallikattu to continue, he explained. Vijayan also reasoned that technically the bull is not a performance animal. One of the rules by which an animal can be categorised as a performing animal is if the event that it is performing in is ticketed. Basically, if the audience is paying money to watch, then it is a performance animal. Going by that rule, how is a bull a performance animal, since people dont pay to watch, Vijayan told Express.
Oilfield services company Core Laboratories N.V. CLB is set to release fourth-quarter 2016 results after the closing bell on Jan 25.

In the preceding three-month period, this Amsterdam, Netherlands-based firms earnings were in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. In fact, Core Laboratories earnings met estimates in each of the last four quarters.

Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Why a Likely Positive Surprise?

Our proven model shows that Core Laboratories is likely to beat on earnings because it has the right combination of two key ingredients.

Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, stands at +2.50%. This is very meaningful and a leading indicator of a likely positive earnings surprise for shares.You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: Core Laboratories carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), which combined with +2.50% ESP makes us confident about a positive earnings beat.

Note that stocks with Zacks Ranks #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 have a significantly higher chance of beating earnings.

Conversely, the Sell-rated stocks (#4 and 5) should never be considered going into an earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.

What is Driving the Better-Than-Expected Earnings?

Core Laboratories is an oilfield services company that provides reservoir management and production enhancement services to the global oil and gas industry. The company, like its peers, has been affected by the sharp fall in commodity prices.

The companys deep portfolio of proprietary products and services positions it to operate successfully in the current environment of low commodity prices and growing maturity in the global hydrocarbon reserve base.

Additionally, Core Laboratories have been able to operate profitably even in this low commodity price environment. In fact, the existing 'lower-for-longer' oil price scenario has made the company's services even more important for energy producers that look to utilize every dollar they spend.

Story continues

The companys strong presence in the emerging shale plays and its global footprint make way for steady growth rates going forward. Also, Core Laboratories' low capital expenditure needs and service-oriented nature differentiates it from its peers.

Stocks to Consider

Here are some stocks from the Oils/Energy sector that you may want to consider, as our model shows that it has the right combination for an earnings beat this quarter.

W&T Offshore, Inc. WTI is expected to release fourth-quarter earnings results on Mar 14. The company has an Earnings ESP of +73.91% and a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Sprague Resources LP SRLP has an Earnings ESP of +3.64% and a Zacks Rank #2. The partnership is anticipated to release fourth-quarter earnings on Mar 9.

Pioneer Natural Resources Company PXD has an Earnings ESP of +10.00% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is likely to release fourth-quarter earnings on Feb 7.

The Best Place to Start Your Stock Search

Today, you are invited to download the full list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buy" stocks  absolutely free of charge. Since 1988, Zacks Rank #1 stocks have nearly tripled the market, with average gains of +26% per year. Plus, you can access the list of portfolio-killing Zacks Rank #5 "Strong Sells" and other private research. See these stocks free >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Core Laboratories NV (CLB): Free Stock Analysis Report



Pioneer Natural Resources Co. (PXD): Free Stock Analysis Report



W&T Offshore Inc. (WTI): Free Stock Analysis Report



Sprague Resources LP (SRLP): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
By Associated Press

KABUL: An Afghan official says four Taliban have been killed and two insurgents, with suspected ties to the jihadist group the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, arrested in a raid in northern Afghanistan.

The movement has become increasingly active in northern Afghanistan in recent years.

The overnight raid took place in Afghanistan's Sar-i-Pul province, Zabiullah Amani, the spokesman for the provincial governor said Friday.

The Taliban insurgency has gained strength in northern Afghanistan where successive reports have indicated the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has a growing presence. Many Uzbek insurgents reportedly fled to northern Afghanistan from Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region following a Pakistani military crackdown in the area over the past two years.

KABUL: An Afghan official says four Taliban have been killed and two insurgents, with suspected ties to the jihadist group the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, arrested in a raid in northern Afghanistan. The movement has become increasingly active in northern Afghanistan in recent years. The overnight raid took place in Afghanistan's Sar-i-Pul province, Zabiullah Amani, the spokesman for the provincial governor said Friday. The Taliban insurgency has gained strength in northern Afghanistan where successive reports have indicated the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has a growing presence. Many Uzbek insurgents reportedly fled to northern Afghanistan from Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal region following a Pakistani military crackdown in the area over the past two years.
By AFP

TEHRAN: Iranian officials said Friday they were losing hope of pulling any survivors from the rubble of a collapsed Tehran high-rise where around 20 firefighters were feared to have lost their lives.

Rescue workers, soldiers and sniffer dogs were still searching through the wreckage of the 15-storey Plasco building in downtown Tehran, which collapsed on Thursday after a four-hour blaze.

But smouldering fires and smoke were complicating the search, and no survivors or bodies had been found.

"It is very unlikely that we will pull anyone out alive from the rubble," the head of Tehran's crisis management centre, Esmail Najjar, told the ISNA news agency.

"Our goal is to recover the bodies of these martyrs without causing any damage," he added.

The government announced a national day of mourning on Saturday for the firefighters, with the cabinet releasing a statement "praising these great men of sacrifice".

Impromptu displays of solidarity and sadness appeared all over Tehran, with people leaving flowers outside fire stations and around the site of the collapsed building.

"I look at my daughter and wife and think of the families of the firefighters. The lump in my throat is suffocating me," read one of thousands of messages from shocked Iranians on Twitter.

The Plasco building was Iran's oldest high-rise and contained a shopping centre and hundreds of clothing suppliers.

"If the firefighters had not been there in time, if they had not searched inside to evacuate people, we would have had hundreds under the rubble instead of 20 firefighters," said brigade spokesman Jalal Maleki.

- One confirmed death -

The ISNA news agency said a total of 111 people were injured, of whom five were still in hospital.

One firefighter, who escaped the building before it collapsed, died in hospital on Friday from severe burns, it added.

The head of Iran's chamber of commerce, Ali Fazeli, said an initial estimate of 15,000 billion rials (roughly $500 million) had been put on the financial damage.

"Unfortunately, a considerable number of shops in this building were not insured," he added.

The clothing suppliers were particularly full of stock in the run-up to Nowruz, the Iranian new year, which falls in March.

Tehran police chief Ghader Karimi said rescue workers were pulling safes and other items out of the rubble, and these were being kept in a special store at the site to return to owners.

President Hassan Rouhani has called for an immediate investigation, with city officials saying the building's managers ignored repeated warnings about fire hazards.

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 alleged ties to Israel and executed after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

TEHRAN: Iranian officials said Friday they were losing hope of pulling any survivors from the rubble of a collapsed Tehran high-rise where around 20 firefighters were feared to have lost their lives. Rescue workers, soldiers and sniffer dogs were still searching through the wreckage of the 15-storey Plasco building in downtown Tehran, which collapsed on Thursday after a four-hour blaze. But smouldering fires and smoke were complicating the search, and no survivors or bodies had been found. "It is very unlikely that we will pull anyone out alive from the rubble," the head of Tehran's crisis management centre, Esmail Najjar, told the ISNA news agency. "Our goal is to recover the bodies of these martyrs without causing any damage," he added. The government announced a national day of mourning on Saturday for the firefighters, with the cabinet releasing a statement "praising these great men of sacrifice". Impromptu displays of solidarity and sadness appeared all over Tehran, with people leaving flowers outside fire stations and around the site of the collapsed building. "I look at my daughter and wife and think of the families of the firefighters. The lump in my throat is suffocating me," read one of thousands of messages from shocked Iranians on Twitter. The Plasco building was Iran's oldest high-rise and contained a shopping centre and hundreds of clothing suppliers. "If the firefighters had not been there in time, if they had not searched inside to evacuate people, we would have had hundreds under the rubble instead of 20 firefighters," said brigade spokesman Jalal Maleki. - One confirmed death - The ISNA news agency said a total of 111 people were injured, of whom five were still in hospital. One firefighter, who escaped the building before it collapsed, died in hospital on Friday from severe burns, it added. The head of Iran's chamber of commerce, Ali Fazeli, said an initial estimate of 15,000 billion rials (roughly $500 million) had been put on the financial damage. "Unfortunately, a considerable number of shops in this building were not insured," he added. The clothing suppliers were particularly full of stock in the run-up to Nowruz, the Iranian new year, which falls in March. Tehran police chief Ghader Karimi said rescue workers were pulling safes and other items out of the rubble, and these were being kept in a special store at the site to return to owners. President Hassan Rouhani has called for an immediate investigation, with city officials saying the building's managers ignored repeated warnings about fire hazards. 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 alleged ties to Israel and executed after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
By Associated Press

FARINDOLA: Rescue crews who reached the four-star mountain resort on skis found only eerie silence Thursday after a huge avalanche flattened the hotel, trapping more than 30 people inside. Two bodies were recovered, but the search for survivors was hampered by heavy snowfall and fears the buildings would collapse.

Two people escaped the devastation at the Hotel Rigopiano in the mountains of central Italy and called for help. But it took hours for responders to verify their claims and arrive at the remote earthquake-stricken zone. They worked through the night, but hopes were dimming of finding survivors.

Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, and the hotel phones went down early Wednesday, just as the first of four powerful earthquakes struck the region.

It wasn't clear if the quakes triggered the avalanche. But emergency responders said the force of the massive snow slide collapsed a wing of the hotel that faced the mountain and rotated another off its foundation, pushing it downhill.

"The situation is catastrophic," said Marshall Lorenzo Gagliardi of the alpine rescue service, who was among the first at the scene. "The mountain-facing side is completely destroyed and buried by snow: the kitchen, hotel rooms, hall."

The hotel in the mountain town of Farindola in Italy's Abruzzo region, is about 30 miles (45 kilometers) from the coastal city of Pescara, at an altitude of about 3,940 feet (1,200 meters). The area, which has been buried under snowfall for days, is located in the broad swath of central Italy that was jolted by Wednesday's quakes, one of which had a 5.7 magnitude.

Farindola Mayor Ilario Lacchetta estimated that more than 30 people were unaccounted for: the hotel had 24 guests, four of them children, and 12 employees onsite.

Accounts emerged of guests messaging 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 him to mobilize rescue crews. His wife Adriana and two children, Ludovica, 6, and Gianfilippo, , were trapped inside, restaurant owner Quintino Marcella told The Associated Press.

Parete had left the hotel briefly to get some medicine from the car for his wife, 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 because the hotel had reported it was fine a few hours earlier.

"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 a civil protection official finally took him seriously and mobilized a rescue at 8 p.m., more than two hours later.

Rescue teams had tried to reach the scene in a snowplow but were blocked by fallen trees and rocks. They used cross-country skis for the final seven-kilometer, two-hour journey and found Parete and Fabio Salzetta, a hotel maintenance worker, in a car in the resort's parking lot.

There were no other signs of life.

"Unfortunately we haven't had any positive signs since the morning," firefighter spokesman Luca Cari told state-run RAI television.

Parete was taken to a hospital and Salzetta stayed behind with rescuers to help identify where guests might be buried and how crews could enter the buildings, rescuers said.

Fabrizio Curcio, head of the civil protection, said the search was complicated because so much of the hotel structure was "imploded" by the force of the snow, creating partial collapses that rendered the whole structure unstable.

Crews were working through the night and were still hopeful of finding survivors, he said, though he acknowledged the prospects were dimming with the passage of time.

Video shot by rescuers showed huge piles of filthy snow and debris piled inside hotel corridors, stairwells and the indoor pool area. There was no sound except for the steps of the cameraman. The largest wall of snow was in the pool area, where plastic lounge chairs were flipped over and Christmas decorations dangled from the ceiling.

The bar area appeared flooded, with nearby cracked skylights covered with snow outside.

Heavy equipment  snowplows and other earthmoving equipment  were struggling to reach the area and only 25 vehicles had arrived, along with 135 rescue workers, said Civil Protection operations chief Titi Postiglione. She said the risk of further avalanches was slowing the delicate work.

"It's an enormously complex situation, and we are very concerned," she said.

Premier Paolo Gentiloni, arriving in the area at midday Thursday, sought to deflect criticism of the rescue work and urged authorities to redouble efforts to reach people isolated by the quakes and snow, which had dumped as much as 10 feet (three meters) in some places.

House-bound residents had complained for days of being without electricity and phone service because of what Gentiloni called a "record snowfall."

"I ask everyone if possible to multiply their efforts," 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."

The buried hotel was just one of several rescues underway as residents remained isolated in many small hamlets. Daiana Nguyen, a resident of a town in the province of Teramo, told SKY TG24 that people felt "abandoned."

"They talk about sending in the army: Thirty to 40 men came with shovels. We need heavy machinery!" she said.

Relatives and friends of hotel guests spent anxious hours waiting for word.

Alessandro Di Michelangelo posted a note on the hotel's Facebook page late Wednesday asking for news of his brother, sister-in-law and their 6-year-old son, Samuel. "We are worried. We haven't had news from them ... They were guests in the hotel."

Contacted Thursday night, he said he still had no news.

Gianluca Valensise, a seismologist at Italy's national vulcanology center, said it wasn't clear if the quakes triggered the avalanche, since so much snow had fallen in recent days. The closest monitors to the hotel didn't indicate strong ground acceleration even during the biggest quake, suggesting it wasn't felt particularly strongly in the mountains.

"At the most it was a trigger, but certainly not the reason," he said. "The avalanche certainly would have come down sooner or later, but the distance from the epicenter is quite substantial."

Marcella, the restaurant owner, said he received the call from Parete at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The chef reported that all of the guests had checked out and were waiting in the front hall for the roads to be cleared when the avalanche struck.

Parete was being treated for hypothermia at a hospital in Pescara. The Romanian foreign ministry reported three Romanian citizens were among the missing in the hotel  an adult and two children believed to be Parete's family.

The mountainous region of central Italy has been struck by a series of quakes since August that destroyed homes and historic centers in dozens of towns and hamlets. A deadly quake in August killed nearly 300. No one died in strong aftershocks in October, largely because population centers had already been evacuated.

FARINDOLA: Rescue crews who reached the four-star mountain resort on skis found only eerie silence Thursday after a huge avalanche flattened the hotel, trapping more than 30 people inside. Two bodies were recovered, but the search for survivors was hampered by heavy snowfall and fears the buildings would collapse. Two people escaped the devastation at the Hotel Rigopiano in the mountains of central Italy and called for help. But it took hours for responders to verify their claims and arrive at the remote earthquake-stricken zone. They worked through the night, but hopes were dimming of finding survivors. Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, and the hotel phones went down early Wednesday, just as the first of four powerful earthquakes struck the region. It wasn't clear if the quakes triggered the avalanche. But emergency responders said the force of the massive snow slide collapsed a wing of the hotel that faced the mountain and rotated another off its foundation, pushing it downhill. "The situation is catastrophic," said Marshall Lorenzo Gagliardi of the alpine rescue service, who was among the first at the scene. "The mountain-facing side is completely destroyed and buried by snow: the kitchen, hotel rooms, hall." The hotel in the mountain town of Farindola in Italy's Abruzzo region, is about 30 miles (45 kilometers) from the coastal city of Pescara, at an altitude of about 3,940 feet (1,200 meters). The area, which has been buried under snowfall for days, is located in the broad swath of central Italy that was jolted by Wednesday's quakes, one of which had a 5.7 magnitude. Farindola Mayor Ilario Lacchetta estimated that more than 30 people were unaccounted for: the hotel had 24 guests, four of them children, and 12 employees onsite. Accounts emerged of guests messaging 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 him to mobilize rescue crews. His wife Adriana and two children, Ludovica, 6, and Gianfilippo, , were trapped inside, restaurant owner Quintino Marcella told The Associated Press. Parete had left the hotel briefly to get some medicine from the car for his wife, 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 because the hotel had reported it was fine a few hours earlier. "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 a civil protection official finally took him seriously and mobilized a rescue at 8 p.m., more than two hours later. Rescue teams had tried to reach the scene in a snowplow but were blocked by fallen trees and rocks. They used cross-country skis for the final seven-kilometer, two-hour journey and found Parete and Fabio Salzetta, a hotel maintenance worker, in a car in the resort's parking lot. There were no other signs of life. "Unfortunately we haven't had any positive signs since the morning," firefighter spokesman Luca Cari told state-run RAI television. Parete was taken to a hospital and Salzetta stayed behind with rescuers to help identify where guests might be buried and how crews could enter the buildings, rescuers said. Fabrizio Curcio, head of the civil protection, said the search was complicated because so much of the hotel structure was "imploded" by the force of the snow, creating partial collapses that rendered the whole structure unstable. Crews were working through the night and were still hopeful of finding survivors, he said, though he acknowledged the prospects were dimming with the passage of time. Video shot by rescuers showed huge piles of filthy snow and debris piled inside hotel corridors, stairwells and the indoor pool area. There was no sound except for the steps of the cameraman. The largest wall of snow was in the pool area, where plastic lounge chairs were flipped over and Christmas decorations dangled from the ceiling. The bar area appeared flooded, with nearby cracked skylights covered with snow outside. Heavy equipment  snowplows and other earthmoving equipment  were struggling to reach the area and only 25 vehicles had arrived, along with 135 rescue workers, said Civil Protection operations chief Titi Postiglione. She said the risk of further avalanches was slowing the delicate work. "It's an enormously complex situation, and we are very concerned," she said. Premier Paolo Gentiloni, arriving in the area at midday Thursday, sought to deflect criticism of the rescue work and urged authorities to redouble efforts to reach people isolated by the quakes and snow, which had dumped as much as 10 feet (three meters) in some places. House-bound residents had complained for days of being without electricity and phone service because of what Gentiloni called a "record snowfall." "I ask everyone if possible to multiply their efforts," 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." The buried hotel was just one of several rescues underway as residents remained isolated in many small hamlets. Daiana Nguyen, a resident of a town in the province of Teramo, told SKY TG24 that people felt "abandoned." "They talk about sending in the army: Thirty to 40 men came with shovels. We need heavy machinery!" she said. Relatives and friends of hotel guests spent anxious hours waiting for word. Alessandro Di Michelangelo posted a note on the hotel's Facebook page late Wednesday asking for news of his brother, sister-in-law and their 6-year-old son, Samuel. "We are worried. We haven't had news from them ... They were guests in the hotel." Contacted Thursday night, he said he still had no news. Gianluca Valensise, a seismologist at Italy's national vulcanology center, said it wasn't clear if the quakes triggered the avalanche, since so much snow had fallen in recent days. The closest monitors to the hotel didn't indicate strong ground acceleration even during the biggest quake, suggesting it wasn't felt particularly strongly in the mountains. "At the most it was a trigger, but certainly not the reason," he said. "The avalanche certainly would have come down sooner or later, but the distance from the epicenter is quite substantial." Marcella, the restaurant owner, said he received the call from Parete at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The chef reported that all of the guests had checked out and were waiting in the front hall for the roads to be cleared when the avalanche struck. Parete was being treated for hypothermia at a hospital in Pescara. The Romanian foreign ministry reported three Romanian citizens were among the missing in the hotel  an adult and two children believed to be Parete's family. The mountainous region of central Italy has been struck by a series of quakes since August that destroyed homes and historic centers in dozens of towns and hamlets. A deadly quake in August killed nearly 300. No one died in strong aftershocks in October, largely because population centers had already been evacuated.
By IANS

PYONGYANG: North Korea on Thursday reiterated its threat to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile soon after Seoul warned that Pyongyang could test its new missile.



"Our ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) will be test-fired at a certain time and place which our leadership will decide," the Rodong Sinmun, a daily of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in an opinion section piece.



The daily also said the ICBM test is "a fair self-defence step to counter the US threat of a nuclear war" against the North, adding that the US tested this type of missile last year.



On Thursday, sources in Seoul affiliated with the Defence Ministry reported that Pyongyang has built and prepared for the launch of two intercontinental ballistic missiles, suggesting that North Korea is ready to test them in the near future, Efe news reported.



South Korean experts say Kim Jong-un's regime wants to fine-tune its new long-range missiles with an aim to show its strength in the face of US President-elect Donald Trump's impending inauguration.



The regime leader Kim Jong-un assured in his New Year speech that North Korean intercontinental experimental missiles are in the "final phase" of development.



The last time North Korea carried out a long-range projectile test was on February 7, 2016, which, together with a nuclear test carried out a month earlier, led to the UN imposing strict sanctions on the country.



Analysts consider it very likely that the North Korean regime will carry out new arms tests earlier this year to boost the development of its missile and nuclear weapons programme.

PYONGYANG: North Korea on Thursday reiterated its threat to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile soon after Seoul warned that Pyongyang could test its new missile. "Our ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) will be test-fired at a certain time and place which our leadership will decide," the Rodong Sinmun, a daily of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said in an opinion section piece. The daily also said the ICBM test is "a fair self-defence step to counter the US threat of a nuclear war" against the North, adding that the US tested this type of missile last year. On Thursday, sources in Seoul affiliated with the Defence Ministry reported that Pyongyang has built and prepared for the launch of two intercontinental ballistic missiles, suggesting that North Korea is ready to test them in the near future, Efe news reported. South Korean experts say Kim Jong-un's regime wants to fine-tune its new long-range missiles with an aim to show its strength in the face of US President-elect Donald Trump's impending inauguration. The regime leader Kim Jong-un assured in his New Year speech that North Korean intercontinental experimental missiles are in the "final phase" of development. The last time North Korea carried out a long-range projectile test was on February 7, 2016, which, together with a nuclear test carried out a month earlier, led to the UN imposing strict sanctions on the country. Analysts consider it very likely that the North Korean regime will carry out new arms tests earlier this year to boost the development of its missile and nuclear weapons programme.
By PTI

MANILA (PHILIPPINES): Left-wing and Muslim activists have urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in a noisy protest to keep his promise of charting a foreign policy independent of America by staying away from Donald Trump when he becomes president.

The more than 200 protesters in front of the U.S. Embassy in Manila pressed their call Friday for an end to the presence of American troops in the country, saying they find Trump more alarming than Barack Obama because of his offensive remarks against immigrants and Muslims.

Protest leader Renato Reyes says "Obama sugar-coated imperialism but Trump has shown an in-your-face kind of imperialism."

Duterte has been antagonistic to Obama for criticizing his deadly crackdown against illegal drugs but congratulated Trump in a phone call. He sent two top aides to attend Trump's inauguration.

MANILA (PHILIPPINES): Left-wing and Muslim activists have urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in a noisy protest to keep his promise of charting a foreign policy independent of America by staying away from Donald Trump when he becomes president. The more than 200 protesters in front of the U.S. Embassy in Manila pressed their call Friday for an end to the presence of American troops in the country, saying they find Trump more alarming than Barack Obama because of his offensive remarks against immigrants and Muslims. Protest leader Renato Reyes says "Obama sugar-coated imperialism but Trump has shown an in-your-face kind of imperialism." Duterte has been antagonistic to Obama for criticizing his deadly crackdown against illegal drugs but congratulated Trump in a phone call. He sent two top aides to attend Trump's inauguration.
By PTI

ADEN: Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen's Red Sea coast have killed at least 29 rebels over the past 24 hours, military sources said today. The strikes hit two military camps, an ammunition depot and an arms transporter in Hodeida province, the sources said.

Around 20 fighters and renegade troops were also wounded. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in support of beleaguered President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. But despite its massively superior firepower, the rebels and their allies still control the capital Sanaa and much of the central and northern highlands as well as the Red Sea coast.

Pro-government forces launched a major offensive earlier this month aimed at ousting the rebels from Dhubab district at the southern end of the 450 kilometre long coastline.

ADEN: Saudi-led air strikes on Yemen's Red Sea coast have killed at least 29 rebels over the past 24 hours, military sources said today. The strikes hit two military camps, an ammunition depot and an arms transporter in Hodeida province, the sources said. Around 20 fighters and renegade troops were also wounded. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 in support of beleaguered President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. But despite its massively superior firepower, the rebels and their allies still control the capital Sanaa and much of the central and northern highlands as well as the Red Sea coast. Pro-government forces launched a major offensive earlier this month aimed at ousting the rebels from Dhubab district at the southern end of the 450 kilometre long coastline.
By Associated Press

MEXICO CITY: Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's abrupt exit to face charges in the U.S. marks the end of an era in which he was Mexico's most notorious drug cartel boss and, for some, the stuff of folk legend.

It's also seen by many in Mexico as a delicately timed maneuver aimed at limiting political fallout for President Enrique Pena Nieto, already deeply unpopular in part for his perceived mishandling of Donald Trump's tough rhetoric on Mexico.

Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran, 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.

But observers still considered the timing to have been carefully planned.

"It could be a coincidence, but I think that's unlikely," Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope said, noting it came the last full day of Barack Obama's presidency and hours before Trump's inauguration.

"They could not send him after Trump was inaugurated because the interpretation would have been that of a tribute," Hope said. "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."

Others saw it as a reward to Obama and a shot across the bow of Trump, who has called immigrants coming illegally from Mexico criminals and "rapists" and vowed to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it.

"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," said Michael Vigil, the former head of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "They wanted Obama to take credit. They wanted to send a message to Trump that they won't be bullied."

Guzman's departure came the same day Mexican officials announced high-level talks Jan. 25-26 in Washington. The discussions will include Mexico's newly installed top diplomat, Luis Videgaray, and key Trump administration officials such as chief of staff Reince Priebus, son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and senior adviser Stephen Bannon.

So, Hope said, the timing also sends a message that Mexico is serious about anti-drug cooperation regardless of who occupies the White House.

Sen. Miguel Barbosa of the leftist opposition Democratic Revolution Party seized on the extradition to take a swipe at Pena Nieto. He said it was apparently the only choice after Guzman twice pulled off embarrassing escapes from maximum-security lockups.

"We should not celebrate that the Mexican state was not capable of processing the greatest criminal that has ever existed in Mexico and was not capable of guaranteeing his incarceration," Barbosa said in a statement.

Pena Nieto currently has the lowest approval ratings for any Mexican leader in the polling era. Besides his handling of Trump, Mexicans are also angry about corruption, rising drug gang violence and a Jan. 1 deregulation that led gasoline prices to spike by as much as 20 percent.

Guzman lawyer Andres Granados accused the government of trying to distract the public.

"They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike," Granados said. "It's totally political."

Some Mexicans feared Guzman's extradition to the United States, where he will surely be kept from communicating with underlings, could unleash a cartel power struggle and more bloodshed.

"All the different bands are going to start fighting among themselves, no? Drug traffickers, to see who ends up being No. 1," said Roberto Lascurain, an architect in Mexico City.

However, Vigil said the operations of Guzman's Sinaloa cartel are unlikely to be affected.

Guzman associate Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is believed to be running the cartel following "El Chapo's" recapture last January. Some analysts believe Guzman's sons may have also taken on increased roles.

"Most cartels have a vertical structure, but ... Sinaloa has a horizontal one with cells that operate in a semi-autonomous manner," Vigil said. "They have a strong bench. They have a respected leader in Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada."

On Twitter, some saw humor in Guzman's extradition the day before Trump takes office.

"'They're sending the worst, they're bringing drugs, they're criminals,'" tweeted Jorge Guajardo, Mexico's ambassador to China in 2007-2013, echoing Trump's comments about illegal immigration. "Ok, you won. Here's our very worst, El Chapo."

MEXICO CITY: Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's abrupt exit to face charges in the U.S. marks the end of an era in which he was Mexico's most notorious drug cartel boss and, for some, the stuff of folk legend. It's also seen by many in Mexico as a delicately timed maneuver aimed at limiting political fallout for President Enrique Pena Nieto, already deeply unpopular in part for his perceived mishandling of Donald Trump's tough rhetoric on Mexico. Deputy Attorney General Alberto Elias Beltran, 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. But observers still considered the timing to have been carefully planned. "It could be a coincidence, but I think that's unlikely," Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope said, noting it came the last full day of Barack Obama's presidency and hours before Trump's inauguration. "They could not send him after Trump was inaugurated because the interpretation would have been that of a tribute," Hope said. "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." Others saw it as a reward to Obama and a shot across the bow of Trump, who has called immigrants coming illegally from Mexico criminals and "rapists" and vowed to build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it. "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," said Michael Vigil, the former head of international operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. "They wanted Obama to take credit. They wanted to send a message to Trump that they won't be bullied." Guzman's departure came the same day Mexican officials announced high-level talks Jan. 25-26 in Washington. The discussions will include Mexico's newly installed top diplomat, Luis Videgaray, and key Trump administration officials such as chief of staff Reince Priebus, son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and senior adviser Stephen Bannon. So, Hope said, the timing also sends a message that Mexico is serious about anti-drug cooperation regardless of who occupies the White House. Sen. Miguel Barbosa of the leftist opposition Democratic Revolution Party seized on the extradition to take a swipe at Pena Nieto. He said it was apparently the only choice after Guzman twice pulled off embarrassing escapes from maximum-security lockups. "We should not celebrate that the Mexican state was not capable of processing the greatest criminal that has ever existed in Mexico and was not capable of guaranteeing his incarceration," Barbosa said in a statement. Pena Nieto currently has the lowest approval ratings for any Mexican leader in the polling era. Besides his handling of Trump, Mexicans are also angry about corruption, rising drug gang violence and a Jan. 1 deregulation that led gasoline prices to spike by as much as 20 percent. Guzman lawyer Andres Granados accused the government of trying to distract the public. "They handled it politically to obscure the situation of the gas price hike," Granados said. "It's totally political." Some Mexicans feared Guzman's extradition to the United States, where he will surely be kept from communicating with underlings, could unleash a cartel power struggle and more bloodshed. "All the different bands are going to start fighting among themselves, no? Drug traffickers, to see who ends up being No. 1," said Roberto Lascurain, an architect in Mexico City. However, Vigil said the operations of Guzman's Sinaloa cartel are unlikely to be affected. Guzman associate Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada is believed to be running the cartel following "El Chapo's" recapture last January. Some analysts believe Guzman's sons may have also taken on increased roles. "Most cartels have a vertical structure, but ... Sinaloa has a horizontal one with cells that operate in a semi-autonomous manner," Vigil said. "They have a strong bench. They have a respected leader in Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada." On Twitter, some saw humor in Guzman's extradition the day before Trump takes office. "'They're sending the worst, they're bringing drugs, they're criminals,'" tweeted Jorge Guajardo, Mexico's ambassador to China in 2007-2013, echoing Trump's comments about illegal immigration. "Ok, you won. Here's our very worst, El Chapo."
Sorry, that page not found!



Please visit our Home Page for latest updates
UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson meets PM Modi

New Delhi , Jan.19 : British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.





(Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667612139 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667612139 173O212O198O32)

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.
Eyeing two-third majority, Capt Amarinder predicts 10-20 seats for SAD-BJP alliance

Amritsar (Punjab) , Jan 19 : 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.





(Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667612141 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/punjab-news.php  (Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667612141 173O212O198O32)

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.
Akhilesh chairs meeting with MLAs ahead of UP elections

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) , Jan. 19 : 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.





(Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667612141 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667612141 173O212O198O32)

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.
Bihar mother throws out newborn baby girl, dogs feast on it

Patna, Jan 19 (TheBiharPost/IBNS): In a shocking incident, a woman in Bihar threw away her new-born baby girl on the river bank on Thursday, leaving the stray dogs feast on her.





(Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667612144 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 19 January 2017, 1667612144 173O212O198O32)

The incident took place in Madhaura locality of Saran district, previous home constituency of RJD chief Lalu Prasad.The local villagers on Thurday woke up to see a pack of hounds fighting among themselves to snatch something from each others mouth along a river bank.When they moved closer, they the body of a new-born baby girl in their mouths and drove them away.Subsequently, a local villager came forward and conducted the last rites of the baby, reports said.The incident comes barely a day after a woman from Samastipur district of Bihar killed her six-day-old baby girl and then dumped into the safety tank of the toilet as she didnt want to bring up the second daughter.thebiharpost.comImage: Google Maps
OYO Founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal felicitated for 'pioneering work' in India's hospitality sector

New Delhi, Jan 19 : Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO of OYO, a hotel-network, was recently honored with two prestigious awards-Gaurav Samman at Pravasi Haryana Divas and New-age Entrepreneur Award by Asian Centre For Corporate Governance and Sustainability.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612145 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/business-india-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612145 173O212O198O32)

The award comes in recognition of his contribution towards transforming Indias budget hospitality sector.Ritesh Agarwal said, While I am honoured to receive this recognition, I credit OYOs success to our passionate and tremendously hard-working team. We feel humbled and grateful that our efforts and impact on the hospitality and travel industry have been acknowledged. These awards serve as inspiration, motivating us to work harder, think creatively, and keep innovating.Ritesh was recognized for Haryana Gaurav Samman at the first Pravasi Haryana Divas, held in Gurgaon. Haryana Gaurav Samman has been instituted by the Haryana government to honour successful artistes, individuals and business leaders whose families are originally from Haryana. The award was presented by Chief Minister Manohar Lal, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh (Retd) and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Pal.
Barack Obama calls PM Modi to thank him for his partnership

Washington, Jan 19 : US outgoing President Barack Obama on Thursday spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi via phone call to thank the latter for his partnership and to review joint efforts of cooperation including defense, civil nuclear energy, and enhanced people-to-people ties.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612145 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612145 173O212O198O32)

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.They deliberated upon achievements including recognition of India as a Major Defense Partner of the United States and addressing the global challenge of climate change.
Turkey: UNICEF cites risk of 'lost generation' of Syrian children despite enrolment increase

New York, Jan 19 : More than 40 per cent of Syrian refugee children in Turkey are missing out on education, despite a sharp increase in enrolment rates, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612146 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/middle-east-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612146 173O212O198O32)

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, said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth, speaking after a visit to southern Turkey.According to UNICEF, nearly half a million Syrian refugee children are currently enrolled in schools across Turkey. But over 40 per cent of children of school-going age or 380,000 child refugees are still missing out on an education, despite a more than 50 per cent increase in enrolment since last June.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 Forsyth. Turkey should be commended for this huge achievement.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.Photo: UNICEF/UN048823/ErgenSource: www.justearthnews.com
Paula White. AP Photo.

During Donald Trumps inauguration on Friday, five Christian leaders and one rabbi will offer readings and prayer for the new administration. At first glance, the standout among those religious figures might be Rabbi Marvin Hier, the first Jewish leader to pray at a presidential swearing-in since Ronald Reagan took the oath of office in 1985.

Still, President-elect Donald Trumps decision to choose a Jewish leader isnt particularly surprising, since his daughter converted to Judaism and his son-in-laws parents have a longstanding relationship with Hier.

The more controversial picks may be the two Christian leaders who preach the so-called prosperity gospel. According to Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett, the authors of When Helping Hurts, this form of theology teaches that God rewards increasing levels of faith with greater amounts of wealth. This belief typically incorporates preaching from the pulpit that true believers must open up their pockets if they want God to shower them with abundant blessings.

Who else will be speaking?

Paula White, Trumps spiritual advisor

Trump has confided in Paula White as his spiritual advisor for over 14 years. White is the only woman speaking at the inauguration and will chair his Evangelical Advisory Board during his administration. As the senior pastor of the non-denominational church New Destiny Christian Center, she previously hosted her own show, Paula White Today, on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), a global Christian TV channel.

I can absolutely tell you that Mr. Trump has a relationship with God. He is a Christian, he accepts Jesus as his Lord and savior, White said in an interview with POLITICO last year.

According to the interview, Trump first noticed her while he was watching Christian television. He says shes fantastic.

Prior to New Destiny, White co-founded Tampa, Florida-based Without Walls International Church with her now ex-husband, Randy White. In 2007, Iowa Senator Charles Grassley, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, launched an investigation into the financial practices of the churches led by the Whites and some of the countrys other big televangelists like Benny Hinn and Joyce Meyer.

Story continues

The findings of that investigation suggested White had a lavish lifestyle. For example, the Whites owned a $2.6 million, 8,000-square-foot waterfront home with a concrete pool and spa in Tampa, according to property records cited by the Senate Finance Committee. White and her then-husband also purchased a $3.5 million condo in (none other than) Trump Tower in New York City, an insider told the Senate committee. An insider familiar with the church also told the committee that the Whites received housing allowances for both residences.

The Whites also each received compensation of more than $1 million, an insider told the Senate committee. Thats despite the fact that the church itself seemed to be in financial trouble.

In August 2008, Without Walls International defaulted on a $1 million loan due to a credit union and had to file for bankruptcy, the Senate report noted. While the Senate committee ended the probe without penalizing any of the churches involved, the investigation did bring to light some unsavory allegations.

Earlier this month, theologian Michael Horton criticized White in an op-ed in the Washington Post, noting: Televangelist White has a lot in common with TrumpBoth are in their third marriage and have endured decades of moral and financial scandal.

In response to attacks like Hortons, White said, in an interview with CNNs Erin Burnett, Yes, I have gone through divorce, yes Ive gone through things. I believe marriage is an absolute sacred institution of GodThese are things that happen in life. Not everything is perfect in my life but I dont think everything is perfect in anybodys life. And that is why we need salvation. That is what redemption is all about. Thank God for his goodness or wed all be in trouble.

We also reached out to White for comment on criticisms of the prosperity gospel but did not immediately receive a response.

Despite the criticisms, White has a huge following, and a sort of celebrity status (shes now married to Jonathan Cain, the keyboard player for the band Journey).

Source: Pwmmin/YouTube

White even shares Trumps affinity for Twitter, regularly pushing out motivational messages to her 503,000 followers, encouraging people to pray for God to turn their life around if theyre dealing with hard times.

Remember: #Blessing is not just money  it is the empowerment to prosper and #succeed!  Paula White-Cain (@Paula_White) January 18, 2017

Adding the caveat that blessings can extend beyond money and riches, many of her tweets read like excerpts from a self-help book. Its a common theme often associated with megachurch pastors and televangelists.

Wayne T. Jackson, a prominent African American supporter of Trump

Bishop Wayne T. Jackson echoes this gospel. Last September, Jackson hosted Trump at his church, Great Faith Ministries, in Detroit, Michigan. Jackson also interviewed the president-elect on Impact Network, the only African American founded and operated Christian TV network in the US, according to its website. Shortly after, a community activist group, New Era Detroit, staged a protest during a worship service that quickly escalated into a brawl.

Source: Fox2 Detroit

Describing himself as a business and political leader, philanthropist, pastor and broadcast entrepreneur, as well as a charismatic individual with over 20 years of television experience, Jacksons bio packages him as a businessman first, religious leader second.

And thats precisely the reason New Era Detroit decided to take him to task. Zeek, the groups organizer, told Fox 2 News, The situation is bigger than just Wayne T. Jackson. This is about black churches and black pastors who live a lavish life on behalf of the people and they are not giving back to their community. The now-viral video of the protest shows Jackson responding to the protester in a similar fashion to how Trump has addressed protesters in the past. Get him! Get him! Get him! he demanded. Move him out quickly! Move him out! Move him out now! On my birthday, move him out now!

Zeeks accusations are in reference to Jackson driving a Rolls Royce and living in a mansion  at the expense of his congregation.

This guy has networks, churches, fancy cars, million dollar houses, Zeek said. And theres babies in this community that doesnt have food at night. They started the offering at a thousand dollars. And then they said if you dont have $1,000 then do $300. If you dont have cash, then we got ATM machines.

Jackson, in an interview with Yahoo Finance, said he takes issue with being labeled a preacher of the prosperity gospel.

I preach on love, acceptance, character, holiness. God represents us as a heavenly father. And what earthly father wouldnt want his child to prosper? You have the right to prosper.

Im a businessman; my father was a businessman. Business is in my blood. Ive been in business for over 30 years. You dont go into business to fail. Whatever I have, I have earned. And, I have paid my taxes, he added.

Jackson told Yahoo Finance that he believes Zeek and New Era Detroit are merely a group of thugs  radicalists  who came into [his] church and tried to stampede [his] pulpit. He also asserted that their claims are misguided because he is the biggest giver in his church.

We give to our communities, to overseas efforts in Israel and in Africa. Is it a sin to have money? We are giving to people who are starving and those who dont have the clothing or shelter that they need, he said.

Sam Rodriguez, Jr., a prominent figure among Christian Hispanics

Those preaching the prosperity gospel arent the only media savvy religious leaders who will be at the inauguration. Among the other religious leaders speaking is Reverend Sam Rodriguez, Jr., the founder of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC). Rodriguez will pray at Trumps inauguration and is a household name in the predominantly Christian Spanish-speaking world.

The NHCLC serves as a voice for more than 100 million Hispanic evangelicals assembled in over 40,118 US churches and over 450,000 churches around the world. He harnesses Instagram to showcase his charismatic and emphatic preaching as well as selfie videos to connect with his 47,000 followers.

And though Rodriguez has not been characterized as a pundit of the prosperity gospel per se, he has suggested that if youre a believer youll do well financially.

Take, for instance, a recent video post, in which he passionately discusses what Christians should focus on in the New Year. What possesses you on the inside will determine what you possess on the outside, he says, preaching that what you believe determines what you receive.

A fiery and dynamic speaker, Rodriguez has previously been a featured speaker at the White House and Congressional meetings to share his thoughts on Hispanic issues and has been a frequent critic of Trump, particularly regarding his promises to build a wall between the US and Mexico and deport undocumented immigrants.

He has decided to keep an open mind, however, after he was asked to participate in the swearing-in ceremony. In a statement, he said there is truly no greater honor than to serve ones country in such a special way on such a momentous occasion.

Franklin Graham, son of the famous Billy Graham

Franklin Graham is the CEO of Samaritans Purse, an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization, and the son of evangelist Billy Graham, who has prayed at several presidential inaugurations himself.

Billy Graham has openly denounced the prosperity gospel, claiming you cannot serve both God and money. Billy Graham, 98, has hosted his own television and radio programs, written over 30 books and has an estimated net worth of $25 million.

The younger Graham has more of a behind-the-scenes persona than his father did and serves as the president of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which received $100.6 million in donations in 2015. Certainly business savvy, the Grahams have made a successful empire of the gospel.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York

Cardinal Timothy Dolan will also pray at the Inauguration. Though he may be the most universally recognizable name among the group, hes perhaps the least controversial. He was named Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 and has been a charismatic personality, appearing frequently on television. His fame may have been cemented when he played the intermediary  and was strategically seated  between Hillary Clinton and Trump at the Al Smith Dinner, an annual fundraiser for Catholic charities, in October. He told the Today show he had the two candidates pray together before the event and that he witnessed the two share some very touching moments.

Source: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

It seems Trump has always been drawn to larger-than-life religious celebrities.

Im Protestant, Im Presbyterian, and I go to church, and I love God, and I love my church. And Norman Vincent Peale  the great Norman Vincent Peale was my pastor, the power of positive thinking. Everybody has heard of Norman Vincent Peale. He was so great, he said during an interview at the Family Leadership Summit, a conservative political organization.

Norman Peale  whos been called Gods salesman  wrote the 1952 book, The Power of Positive Thinking, which has been translated into 15 languages and has sold 5 million copies.

Trumps picks for spiritual advisors may say a lot more about his personality than his personal faith  particularly White, Rodriguez and Jackson, who are flashy, business-minded and media savvy, just like the 45th president himself.

Melody Hahm is a writer at Yahoo Finance, covering entrepreneurship, technology and real estate. Read more from Melody here & follow her on Twitter @melodyhahm.
UN agencies, partners launch new plan to address plight of refugees and migrants in Europe

New York, Jan 19 : The United Nations refugee and migration agencies along with a host of partners on Thursday unveiled a new strategy and appeal to help address the challenges confronting hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants in Europe.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612146 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612146 173O212O198O32)

The Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan, launched on Thursday by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and 72 other partners, is expected to play a key role in ensuring more efficient operations and a better coordinated response throughout 2017.Over the past two years, Europes response to the arrival of over 1.3 million refugees and migrants on its soil has been faced with many challenges, including how to protect refugees and migrants, said Vincent Cochetel, Director of Europe Bureau at UNHCR, adding that the Plan will help address those issues.The Plan seeks to complement and strengthen Governments efforts to provide safe access to asylum and protection of refugees and migrants and accords priority to enhanced partnership and coordination.It also stresses the need for orderly and dignified migration management, and long-term solutions for refugees and migrants, including a robust relocation scheme, support to voluntary returns and reinforced alternative legal pathways to dangerous journeys, including resettlement and family reunification.Emphasis on needs of refugee and migrant children and those of women and girlsAccording to the UN agencies, particular emphasis is placed on addressing the specific needs of refugee and migrant children as well as those of women and girls, including strengthening efforts to identify and support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, and pilot projects for a more effective response to the needs of unaccompanied and separated children in Europe.In 2016, over 25,000 unaccompanied and separated children arrived by sea in Italy alone.We are especially concerned about vulnerability and needs of migrant and refugee children especially women and girls and this initiative is exactly what is needed, explained chief IOM spokesperson Leonard Doyle.Large geographic scope to address requirements of people on the moveFurther, highlighting the necessity to address not only the needs of a mainly static population, but also those of people who will continue to move irregularly within Europe, the agencies noted that the Plan covers a large geographical area, encompassing Turkey, Southern Europe, Western Balkans, Central Europe, and Western and Northern Europe.They added that the total financial requirements amount to $691 million, with a population planning figure of up to 340,000 people, based on previous arrivals trends and people present in countries who will receive support through this Plan.Photo: UNHCR/Mark Henley (file)Source: www.justearthnews.com
Canadian dollar faces steep downfall following Brexit

Calgary, Jan19 : BREXIT brought about worst downfall in the value of Canadian dollar as it was undervalued by 1.3 percent in comparison to the US cent in just Wednesday's trade.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612147 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612147 173O212O198O32)

While the Bank of Canadas Governor, Stephen Poloz, kept the option open for further interest cut, his counterpart in the US Federal Reserve, boosted the US dollar by saying that the American economy had been getting closer to run on its own.Poloz in a media meet had made it clear that U.S. President-Elect Donald Trumps policies had been creating uncertain atmosphere in forecasting about Canadian economy, but at the same time higher appreciation of Canadian dollar would be a taboo.The projected growth rate for real GDP stood at 2.1 in 2017 and 2018.It gave the bank confidence of leaving policy rate unchanged at 0.5 percent, although the possibility of rate had not been ruled out by the Governor.When questioned of how the Canadian economy would be impacted by Trumps presidency, the Bank weighing in a positive way mentioned the possibility of increased foreign demand due to U.S. fiscal stimulus.However, the bank warned that the promised corporate tax cuts envisaged by Trump could put Canada under competitive disadvantage.Central Bank also admitted that they had not contemplated any protectionist measures as opposed to Trumps rhetoric campaign.While prospective protectionist trade measures in the United States would have material consequences for Canadian investments and exports, these measures had not been included in the base case.Analysts, however agree that it would be too early to predict about the future of Canadian trade and investment until Trump assumes Charge.(Reporting by Chandan Som ).
Juhi Singh extends best wishes to 'strong' RLD after SP rules out alliance with it

New Delhi , Jan. 20 : A day after Samajwadi Party ruled out alliance with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), party leader Juhi Singh extended her good wishes to the RLD, asserting that Congress and RLD can tell as why the latter didn't enter into grand alliance.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612149 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612149 173O212O198O32)

"Congress and RLD can tell as why the latter didn't enter into grand alliance because we always intended to contest the elections along with the parties which pitch for development of the Uttar Pradesh," Juhi Singh told ANI.Singh further said that RLD is a strong party and extended her best wishes to it.The Samajwadi Party yesterday ruled out tie-up with the RLD, putting an end to the speculation of grand alliance in the Uttar Pradesh."Yes we are entering into an alliance with Congress, seats will be announced soon. There were no talks with RLD," SP national vice president Kiranmoy Nanda told ANI.The decision regarding the alliance was taken in a six-hour meeting held by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav with senior SP leaders on Thursday.Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on January 17 announced an alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls under the leadership of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav also confirmed that the party will lock itself in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress.Chaudhary Ajit Singh, who is carrying on the political legacy of his father and former Prime Minister of India, Charan Singh is founder and the president of RLD.
'We are going to make America great again': Donald Trump tells supporters

Washington D.C. [United States], Jan. 20 : Calling himself the messenger of a movement, President-elect Donald Trump vowed to make America great again.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612149 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/us-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612149 173O212O198O32)

"We are going to make America great again, and I'll add greater than ever before," ABC news quoted Trump as saying.Trump was addressing a large gathering of his supporters at his inaugural concert, a day before officially being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States."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," Trump said.He said that all Americans were tired of seeing what was going on in the country and wanted a real change to take place.Trump told his supporters at the Lincoln Memorial that they are not forgotten anymore."Well, you're not forgotten anymore. That I can tell you. Not forgotten anymore," he said.Earlier, Trump told a gathering at a Congressional leadership luncheon that his cabinet has "the highest IQ" in history of the country."We have by far the highest IQ of any cabinet ever assembled," he said.Trump lauded a handful of Congressional leaders, particularly House Speaker Paul Ryan with whom he had an unpleasant relationship during the election campaign.'He has got so much legislation to write - and he's actually got somebody who's going to sign it,' Trump said in reference to Ryan.The President-elect said that he and Ryan are doing really well together.Praising Health and Human Services secretary-designate Dr. Tom Price, Trump said, "Democrats wanted to end his career so fast, and then they found out he's so smart."Trump described his attorney general choice Senator Jeff Sessions as 'legendary'.Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence attended a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery after the luncheon.
'There is hope': Alec Baldwin, stars assure crowd at anti-Trump rally in NYC

Washington D.C. [USA], Jan. 20 : At a recently held anti-Trump demonstration just a half-mile away from Trump Tower, Alec Baldwin assured the crowd here is hope along with other Hollywood actors.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612152 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/hollywood-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612152 173O212O198O32)

The 58-year-old actor, who is known for his Trump impersonation at SNL, said in his speech, "Trump and Pence think you're going to lay down. That's one thing about New Yorkers: You don't lay down," according to Hollywood Reporter.Meant as a stand against President-elect Donald Trump on the eve of his inauguration, according to organizers, the event also featured Mark Ruffalo, Robert De Niro, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Al Sharpton and Michael Moore.Reportedly, De Niro was the first celebrity speaker to take the stage at the rally, which included thousands of attendees stretching across at least five blocks.The veteran actor read mean tweets about the president-elect, adding that he thinks Trump is "a bad example of this country" and the city as well.Baldwin also spoke to insert a few Trump impressions along the way, commenting on the 70-year-old businessman and his cabinet picks.While Ruffalo offered a hopeful note, saying , "We're coming here tonight to protect something precious to us, and that's each other," Cynthia Nixon offered a message to the LGBTQ community."We are not going back ... we are here, we are queer and we have no fear! The LGBT community has got your back," the 'Sex and the City' star announced.Other actresses and more activists who also took the stage at the event include Shailene Woodley, Marisa Tomei and Julianne Moore.
Ellen DeGeneres pays heartfelt tribute to President Barack Obama

Washington D.C. [USA], Jan. 20 : To commemorate President Barack Obama's final day in office, Ellen DeGeneres spent a few minutes of the latest episode of her talk show, saying goodbye to him and First Lady Michelle Obama.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612152 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/hollywood-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612152 173O212O198O32)

"I want to personally thank [Barack] for changing my life," DeGeneres said. "I am a legally married woman because of him, and so is my wife [Portia de Rossi].""His courage and compassion created equality for everyone," she continued. "He moved us forward and made more happen in the past eight years than I ever dreamed possible. I love him. I love Michelle."Ellen then treated her audience with a special tribute montage featuring clips from her many encounters with the First Couple over the years.The Obamas made several appearances on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' over the years. The president, 55, dropped by for the first time before he took office on October 29, 2007, and immediately kicked up his heels to dance with the host.Some highlights included when she and FLOTUS had a push-ups competition and went shopping at CVS together, and when POTUS presented DeGeneres with the Presidential Medal of Freedom honor in November."Thank you for everything President Obama and First Lady Michelle," DeGeneres said in closing. "We will miss you so much."
inauguration trump

Within hours of being sworn in as president on Friday, Donald Trump can begin acting on the numerous pledges he made during his campaign.

According to numerous sources within his transition team, Trump has multiple executive orders relating to his main campaign promises  a crackdown on immigration and constructing a wall on the southern border  primed and ready to go as his first acts as president.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer has said the president-elect will sign "four or five" executive orders in the hours after taking the oath and will take additional action on Monday, after he takes the first weekend of his presidency off.

Trump's advisers have vetted more than 200 possible executive orders, and the transition team has a "very robust few weeks" of executive actions planned on immigration, energy, crime, and terrorism policies, Spicer said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Building on a deportation framework established by Obama, Trump is likely to remove temporary protections granted to people in the country illegally during the Obama administration and to widen the scope of people eligible for deportation, specifically people with criminal convictions, and he may tamp down on the number of refugees admitted to the country.

immigration

According to the Los Angeles Times, people with only minor convictions are likely to be deported, as are the roughly 800,000 people who have been designated for deportation but may still be in the US.

As a part of this crackdown, immigration agents are expected to go to jails to look for violators. Immigration advocates and people familiar with the Trump administration's plans expect to see raids on workplaces around the country.

Story continues

The incoming administration is also expected to narrow the scope of what constitutes the "credible fear" that immigrants can invoke to avoid being returned to their country of origin. (This may throw up an additional barrier to Cuban immigrants, who have recently seen their special immigration status removed by Obama.)

Though Trump has said he's working on a plan with "a lot of heart" to allow some unauthorized immigrants to stay in the country, a massive dislocation of people  2 million or 3 million, according to Trump  back to Central America and Mexico (nearly one-third of immigrants in the US in 2015 were from Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala) is likely to recreate many of the conditions that have pushed migrants from those regions to the US in years past.

trump immigration protest

While US authorities have worked with local governments to some degree in the past, there are few things to anchor all these new arrivals in Latin America  many of them have no real connection to the places to which they would be deported.

"There is a bit more emphasis on speaking with deportees today, but there is limited assistance for those deported. There are no jobs," Mike Allison, a political science professor at the University of Scranton, told Business Insider in November.

Their arrival in Central America and Mexico would exacerbate the shortcomings of authorities on the ground there, deepening instability.

"The addition of millions of unemployed people to economies that are already struggling would only multiply desperation and violence in Mexico and Central America, where security, justice, and social-service institutions are already overwhelmed," Adam Isacson, the senior associate for defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America, told Business Insider.

Central American immigrants

"Many of those deported simply want to return to the US where they might have lived for several years or where their family lives," said Allison, who has spent time in El Salvador and Guatemala with the Fulbright Program.

"While they might stay in El Salvador to reconnect with friends and family, many of them try to return to the US rather quickly," Allison added.

"There would probably be chaos," Isacson said. "And the desire to escape chaos would spur more migration northward."

Indeed, Trump's rhetoric has already spurred an exodus of migrants hoping to get to the US before he takes office.

"They tell us the new president doesn't like illegal immigrants, but we have to take the chance," Fares Revolorio, 27, told Reuters in November, as she struggled to hold back tears in the Mexican border city of Tijuana. "Nobody wants to die in a horrible way, and we can't be in Guatemala any longer. My children are growing up in fear."

In the past, migrants from Central America deported back to that region from the US helped transform gangs like MS-13 and Barrio 18 into the violent, transnational criminal organizations they are now.

The US's deportation policy in the 1990s and 2000s created "an era of expansion for these gangs," Mike Vigil, the former chief of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, told Business Insider.

"And as a result of that, we have created a disaster in Central America ... where these gangs are fighting among each other, creating a massive migration of individuals into the United States," added Vigil, the author of "Metal Coffins: The Blood Alliance Cartel."

Should Trump's deportation plans come to fruition, many of those removed from the US are likely to become fodder for these gangs, either as new members or as new victims to be exploited and brutalized.

MS-13 Salvador gang member tattoos

This boomerang effect  waves of people deported and then head back to the US  would also feed human-trafficking networks, which, over the past few decades, have become intertwined with drug-trafficking networks, especially as border enforcement has intensified and the migrant-smuggling business has become more professionalized.

"Scholars have widely agreed that migration after the 1990s became much more expensive and dangerous with the advent of more organized coyotes," or human traffickers, write Jeremy Slack and Howard Campbell, who teach sociology and anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso.

"A result of US enforcement is that coyote networks are more extensive, and those networks more criminalized," David Scott Fitzgerald, the cochair of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at UC San Diego, told Tom Wainwright for his 2016 book, "Narconomics."

Even scholars who have downplayed the nexus between human smugglers and drug traffickers agree that militarization of the border and stepped-up enforcement have affected the way migrant smuggling operates.

Mexico Central America migrant Honduras

"Before, smugglers were able to do their jobs on a one-on-one basis. It was like a family-style business," Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, a professor at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley and a Wilson Center fellow who has studied Central American migration, told Insight Crime. "[The militarization] has made them more oligopolized."

The relationship between drug-trafficking networks and human smugglers is complex, changing over time, and influenced by both geography and the nature of the organizations and individuals involved.

Sometimes, migrant smugglers have paid tribute to drug cartels to operate in their territory. In other instances, cartels appear to have allowed their infrastructure  i.e., cross-border tunnels  to be used by coyotes.

In an incident in Sonora in 2010 documented by Slack and Campbell, drug traffickers followed a group of migrants attempting to cross the border, hoping the migrants' crossing would cover their own journey.

Wainwright also points to Homeland Security Department research showing that rates charged by people smugglers have risen significantly over time, from about $700 to $1,400 in 1993 to $1,500 to $2,400 in 2007.

In a situation with heightened border enforcement  like Trump's proposal to deploy more border-patrol agents and to construct a wall  plus a spike in the number of people hoping to cross, the profits to be had by human smugglers would only go up.

"To the big wave of economic migrants would be more people fleeing violence, along with many thousands of husbands, wives, and parents who got separated from their loved ones by Trump's deportation raids," Isacson, of the Washington Office on Latin America, told Business Insider.

"The big winner will be migrant smugglers, whose rates would increase still higher."

central america child migrants

In addition to padding the coffers of organized crime, a greater number of migrants angling to cross the US-Mexico border would be exposed to the depredations of criminal groups operating in the area. Some of the Zetas cartel's most vicious crimes were committed against migrants in northeast Mexico.

Emboldened criminals and increasing numbers of vulnerable people would also challenge the capacities of the Mexican government, which has struggled to address the problem of violent organized-crime groups. Instability in Mexico that exacerbates problems of drug trafficking, organized crime, and human misery will redound on the US.

"Trump, in essence, will deport 2 or 3 million individuals, and probably we will get 5 or 6 million undocumented immigrants coming into the United States," Vigil, the former DEA official, told Business Insider in November.

"So it's a strategy that has not been well laid out ... and all it's going to do is cause even more issues than we currently have in the United States."

NOW WATCH: Here's footage of 'El Chapo' arriving to the US





More From Business Insider


Donald Trump to take oath as 45th US President today

Washington, Jan 20 : Commencing a fresh chapter in US politics, Donald Trump will take oath as the 45th President of the United States of America on Friday.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612153 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/world-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612153 173O212O198O32)

The inauguration ceremony will commence at noon (local time).The main event will be held at the White House, followed by Inaugural Balls across the city of Washington.Trump shocked the world after he pulled out a stunning victory in the US elections on Nov 8, defeating former First Lady of the State, Hillary Clinton.Image: Trump Facebook
Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi urges students and teachers to share exam views

New Delhi, Jan 20 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday has urged students and teachers to share their exam experiences for the latest edition of Mann Ki Baat, his monthly radio show.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612153 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612153 173O212O198O32)

The next episode is scheduled for Jan 29.The #MannKiBaat episode on 29th January will primarily be on the various board exams coming up. It will be a programme for my young friends, his tweet read.Urging students, parents teachers to share their thoughts exam season experiences. Their views will surely inspire so many others, a subsequent tweet added.You can share your thoughts experiences for #MannKiBaat on the specially created forum on the App. http://nm4.in/dnldapp , a third tweet added.
Judge greenlights USD 50m settlement in wage-fixing suit against Dreamworks Animation

Washington D.C. [USA], Jan. 20 : A federal judge recently gave a preliminary approval for a settlement of a class action lawsuit brought by animation workers against DreamWorks Animation.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612155 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/hollywood-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612155 173O212O198O32)

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh greenlit a 50 million dollar settlement after the workers claimed that the studio violated antitrust laws by conspiring to set animation wages via non-poaching agreements, Variety reports.The named plaintiffs, Robert Nitsch, David Wentworth, and Georgia Cano, had already reached settlement agreements with Sony Imageworks and Blue Sky Studios.Koh noted that DreamWorks Animation "has independently agreed to cooperate with plaintiffs in authenticating documents, and in not voluntarily producing any employee to testify at trial for any non-settling defendant."Other defendants in the case are The Walt Disney Company, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and ImageMovers, whose cases are still pending.The final fairness hearing is scheduled for May 18.The roots of the anti-poaching agreements go back to the mid-1980s, when George Lucas and Ed Catmull, the president of Steve Jobs' newly formed company Pixar, agreed to not raid each other's employees.Other companies then joined the conspiracy with agreements on such things as cold calling and notifying each other when making an offer to an employee of another company.
Bank of Baroda inaugurates transaction related SMS service in 12 Indian languages

Mumbai, Jan 20 : Bank of Baroda celebrated World Hindi Day at its Corporate Office in Mumbai.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612155 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/bank-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612155 173O212O198O32)

Director of K.K. Birla Foundation, New Delhi Suresh Rituparna was the Chief Guest of the function.On this occasion, the Executive Directors of the Bank Mayank K. Mehta and Papia Sengupta inaugurated transaction related SMS services in 12 Indian languages for its customers.The programme started with welcome address by General Manager Radhakant Mathur.Deputy General Manager (Official Language) Jawahar Karnavat deliberated upon the importance of World Hindi Day and achievements of the Bank in the field of Official Language Implementation. General Manager (IT) S.S. Ghag briefed about the services being provided by the Bank to its customers in Hindi and other regional languages.The Chief Guest Rituparna praised the Bank for launching transaction related SMS services in 12 Indian languages including Hindi for its customers.While highlighting the importance of Hindi abroad and their inclination towards the language, he made a mention that growth of Hindi denotes the growth of the nation.He further added that such innovative initiative will propagate the use of Hindi and other regional languages among common people.Students from Japan, North Korea and Sri Lanka who are learning Hindi in India, introduced themselves in Hindi and spell bound the audience.The programme was conducted by Babita Upadhyay and vote of thanks was proposed by Chief Manager Punit Kumar Mishra.
SATTE 2017: South Asia travel trade show to be held in Delhi in February

New Delhi, Jan 20 : SATTE, one of South Asia's leading travel trade shows, is scheduled to begin on Feb 15 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612156 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612156 173O212O198O32)

Supported by the Union Ministry of Tourism, and hosted by UBM India, one of Indias major exhibition organizers, the three-day SATTE 2017 will see participation from almost all state tourism boards from India.As far as National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) are concerned, US, Mexico, Peru, Czech Republic, Spain, Russia, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Israel, Thailand, Indonesia, Macau, Fiji, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, New Zealand, Reunion Island and Egypt have confirmed their participation, the organisers said in a release on Thursday.Peru, Vietnam and Sharjah are joining for the first time.Dubai, Sri Lanka and Thailand are partner countries for SATTE 2017.According to the organisers, SATTE provides a comprehensive platform to domestic and international buyers and professionals from across the travel, tourism and hospitality industry to meet and conduct business, including promotion of inbound, outbound and domestic tourism in India.Pronab Sarkar, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) said, SATTE has emerged as one of the premium platforms in the country. This is a place where the entire tourism fraternity comes under one umbrella and a lot of actual business happens.The three-day trade meet, from Feb 15-17, 2017, is planning to to showcase special pavilion of 12 start-ups and venture capital firms that will be on board to provide seed investments for innovative ideas.Biji Eapen, President, IATA Agents Association of India, said, We are sure that SATTE 2017 will follow its tradition and the newer features will only help SATTE establish new growth paths for the Indian Travel and Tourism Industry.SATTE 2016 -- the 23rd edition of SATTE was labeled Unprecedented and Bold, and saw participation from around 860 exhibitors across 35 countries, 30 international and 28 domestic tourism boards, said EapenSome of the key brands scheduled to join SATTE 2017 are Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, ITDC, Sterling Resorts, Dubai Parks Resorts, Movenpick Hotel Resorts, Minor Hotels, Melia Hotels International, ONYX Hospitality Group, Ramee Group of Hotels, Shangri La Hotels and Resorts and Venetian Cotai.According to PP Khanna, President, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), SATTE is the biggest travel trade exhibition in South Asia. Not only does it give fresh exposure to established players, it also offers a plethora of opportunities to new entrants.Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India said, SATTE has now become an institution and has evolved as a truly global exhibition in this part of the world. In spite of worldwide uncertainties this year, SATTE has an expected turnout of over 21,000 qualified travel professionals.As a pre-cursor to the expo, UBM India will be hosting the SATTE Awards 2017 on Feb 14, 2017.The 19 award categories will cover various segments of the travel and tourism industry including airlines, cruise, tour operators, hotels, destinations, online travel portals, to name just a few.Image: SATTE Twitter
Politics not everybody's game: Naresh Agarwal on grand alliance

New Delhi , Jan. 20 : Reacting on the ruling out of a possible alliance with the Congress, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and a couple of smaller parties, senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Naresh Agarwal on Friday asserted that anything can happen in politics as it is not a game for everyone.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612158 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612158 173O212O198O32)

"Politics is a game which not everybody can play. Everything will come in front of you by evening. Nothing is impossible in politics," Agarwal told ANI.With the uncertainty over the alliance, and a resolute decision on it to be announced by today evening, Agarwal said that the end decision lies with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav."The last decision rests with the Chief Minister. He is looking into the details of the alliance. Till now, no decision has been taken by him," he added.In the latest development, the Samajwadi Party has ruled out tie-up with the Congress owing to the continuous delay by the latter in clearing its stand on the alliance.The Congress, earlier on Tuesday announced its tie-up with the Samajwadi Party in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.The development came a day after the party's 'cycle' symbol was retained by Akhilesh-led faction of the SP.Speaking about grand alliance, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told ANI, "For now it is Congress-SP alliance. (We) will think about Mahagathbandhan in the coming days."Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav had also confirmed that the party will lock itself in a pre-poll alliance with the Congress.
By Francesco Canepa FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The European Union's ethics watchdog has opened an inquiry into the participation of European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and senior ECB officials in the work of an exclusive group that includes bankers and fund managers. The European Ombudsman's probe relates to ties between ECB officials and the Group of Thirty, a private organisation where policymakers, economists, bankers and fund managers meet behind closed doors to discuss economic and monetary affairs. Ties between the ECB and financial sector firms have been in the spotlight since 2015, when a top official discussed the bank's money-printing plans at a private event with hedge funds. The new inquiry was triggered by a complaint by activist group Corporate Europe Observatory, which says proximity between ECB officials and the G30 is incompatible with Frankfurt's role as the euro zone's top banking watchdog. Members of the G30 include several former and current central bankers, including Bank of England governor Mark Carney and the Bank of Japan's Haruhiko Kuroda, as well as Nobel prize winner Paul Krugman. But it also includes the chairmen of several commercial banks, such as JPMorgan's Jacob A. Frenkel and UBS's Axel Weber. Both firms have small units in the euro zone that are directly supervised by the ECB. The G30 publishes policy recommendations on a wide range of financial issues including banking supervision. Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly, who watches for lapses in ethics or transparency at European institutions and can make non-binding recommendations, is now asking the ECB to hand over documents illustrating its ties with the group. "As a first step in my inquiry, I would ask that the ECB facilitate an inspection of all relevant ECB-held documents which will help my Office gain a fuller understanding of the extent and range of the ECB's overall involvement with the G30," O'Reilly said in a letter to Draghi. In the letter, she also asks for meetings with the officials involved. No deadline has been set for the ECB's response. Draghi has been a member of the G30 since 2006, when he was still the governor of the Bank of Italy. ECB vice president Vitor Constancio and Sabine Lautenschlaeger, who represents the ECB's supervisory arm on the board, have also spoken at G30 meetings. Their speeches were published on the ECB's website. ECB senior supervisor Julie Dickson contributed to a G30 paper on banking conduct, albeit only as an external observer. "The Treaty requires the ECB to maintain a dialogue with external stakeholders," an ECB spokesperson said. "We see (the G30) as a relevant forum to engage with, always remembering that we have a range of rules and instruments in place to avoid apparent or potential conflicts of interest." A similar complaint lodged by the same activist group in 2012 was rejected by then-Ombudsman Nikiforos Diamandouros. The ECB has since taken over supervision of the euro zone's largest banks, a change O'Reilly referred to in her letter. "At this early stage in my inquiry, I acknowledge the need to reflect on this new context," she said. "However, I have taken no position in relation to any of these matters except to consider that they warrant further inquiry." The ECB heeded a recommendation by O'Reilly in 2015 and tightened its policy on publishing information and meeting market participants. (Editing by Catherine Evans)
RBI Gov assures PAC of normalisation in currency soon

New Delhi , Jan 20 : Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel on Friday told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the cash crunch in the country post the November 8 demonetisation drive will normalise with the passage of time.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612158 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/business-india-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612158 173O212O198O32)

Sources said the central banking institution also informed the PAC that specific agencies like Financial Intelligence Unit and Income Tax Dept are looking into abnormal deposits.Explaining demonetisation to the PAC members, the RBI Governor informed them about the efforts being made to normalise the situation of cash crunch in rural areas. He also threw light on the efforts being made to normalise the situation in urban areas.The RBI Governor had earlier on Wednesday appeared before Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance over the same issue during which he failed to disclose the amount of money that returned to the banking system post demonetisation.In a surprise move on November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the demonetisation of old Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes.Following the decision, the RBI had put restrictions on withdrawal of cash from the ATMs as well as from banks to deal with shortage of new high-denomination currency notes. This led to long queues at ATMs and bank branches.
Outgoing US Ambassador to India Richard Verma meets PM Modi

New Delhi, Jan 20 : Outgoing US Ambassador to India Richard Verma met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.





(Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612159 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php  (Posted on 20 January 2017, 1667612159 173O212O198O32)

In a statement, Verma said: It was a pleasure to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today on the last day of my tenure as U.S. Ambassador to India. We spoke about a range of issues, and the substantial progress we have made in the U.S.-India relationship over the past two years.Verma said he discussed issues related to bilateral accomplishments in the area of clean energy, trade, defense, and people-to-people ties with the Indian leader.We discussed bilateral accomplishments in the area of clean energy, trade, defense, and people-to-people ties, as well as the broader benefits that our efforts have brought to the world. We reflected on the Prime Ministers address to a joint session of Congress, President Obamas visit to India as Chief Guest at Indias Republic Day celebrations, and agreed that the U.S.-India relationship is stronger than ever. I thanked the Prime Minister for his leadership and vision and said a personal farewell, he said.
Thank you for visiting us!

But, the requested page is currently unavailable.

Kindly start browsing from our Home Page
3 Newport County teams are one win from playing for a title

The playoffs are underway, and there are teams still alive, while others have been eliminated.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Gusty winds with thunderstorms becoming likely late. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Gusty winds with thunderstorms becoming likely late. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible.
Obesity is one of the most significant threats to health in the U.S. and is responsible for the development of multiple serious medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. Yet obesity is barely covered in medical training, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.

The licensing exams for graduating medical students have a surprisingly limited number of test items about obesity prevention and treatment.

"It's a trickle-down effect," said lead study author Dr. Robert Kushner. "If it's not being tested, it won't be taught as robustly as it should be."

The inadequate testing means medical schools have less incentive to provide obesity education in their curriculum, and students have less incentive to learn about it.

"Tackling this challenge will require major changes in medical education," said Kushner, professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine physician.

The study appeared Dec. 29 in the journal Teaching and Learning in Medicine.

Nearly 40 percent of adults and nearly 20 percent of children and adolescents are obese in the U.S.

Of the few exam items related to obesity, the majority pertained to assessment and management of obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes and obstructive sleep disorder rather than addressing the diagnosis and management of obesity itself.

In addition, the study found the most important concepts of obesity prevention and treatment  ranging from current basic science to assessment to clinical management  were poorly represented.

To conduct the study, the authors reviewed the obesity-related content of the three United States Medical Licensing Examinations (USMLE) that must be taken by all medical students and first-year residents.

A panel of six obesity medicine specialists reviewed more than 800 test items that were pre-selected by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NMBE) staff. They used a content outline to categorize each item according to its content and relevance to obesity. (This was only the third time that the USMLE allowed an external panel to review the exam for specific test content.)

At the request of the NBME, the panel identified multiple important obesity-related topics that were insufficiently addressed or entirely absent from the examinations. The panel also recommended obesity experts be appointed to development committees to begin the process of adding relevant obesity-related items to the examination.
In a new study, researchers at Uppsala University have found evidence of a new principle for how epigenetic changes can occur. The principle is based on an enzyme, tryptase, that has epigenetic effects that cause cells to proliferate in an uncontrolled manner.

"Cells that lack tryptase start to proliferate in an uncontrolled fashion and lose their identity. If tryptase is present, it will cleave the tails of histones, which will protect from certain epigenetic changes," says Gunnar Pejler, Professor at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology at Uppsala University.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

Many properties are determined by genetic factors, but we are starting to recognize that also epigenetic factors are of great importance. With epigenetics we mean such changes in genes that are not determined by changes in the actual DNA sequence, but effects that are superimposed on this, caused for example by environmental effects.

Epigenetic effects include modification of DNA by incorporation of small chemical groups, methyl groups. Another important epigenetic mechanism is that the proteins that are packed together with DNA in the cell nucleus, called histones, can be chemically modified in their tails. Altogether, the different epigenetic mechanisms will lead to either activation or silencing of the respective genes.

In a new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers have now found a new principle for how epigenetic changes can occur. They have showed that one enzyme, tryptase, can be found in the nucleus of cells and that tryptase can cleave off the tails of histones. In this way, certain epigenetic modifications of the histone tails are removed.

A very interesting finding was that this mechanism is important for maintaining the identity of the cells. Cells that lacked tryptase showed major changes, including a loss of their cellular identity and they also started to proliferate in an uncontrolled way.

These effects were seen in mast cells which are central in allergic reactions. The researchers propose that this type of epigenetic effect could be of importance in dealing with allergic disease. However, it cannot be excluded that similar epigenetic effects are operative also in other cell types.
Smokers with depression who successfully quit smoking using stop smoking services may see an improvement in their mental health, according to new research, funded by Cancer Research UK and published in Annals of Behavioural Medicine.

Researchers at Kings College London and the Charles University in Prague who studied people attending a stop smoking clinic in the Czech Republic, found that successful quitters had a considerable improvement in their depression.

And two-thirds (66.3 per cent) of those who had moderate or severe depression when smoking described no or minimal symptoms during a one-year follow up.

The researchers also found that all those who received the specialist behavioural support and medication provided by the clinic, were more likely to remain smoke free for a year if they went back for repeat visits.

But they noted that people with depression were still less likely to quit successfully than those without. This highlights that different groups can benefit to different extents from the same support, and suggests that people with mental health problems need extra help.

Smoking rates among people with mental health conditions are more than double those of the general population (approximately 40% vs. 20%). It's estimated that of the 9.6 million adult smokers in the UK, around three million have a mental health condition.

Smoking is the single biggest factor contributing to a lower life expectancy associated with a mental health condition - a decrease of about 10-20 years compared to the general population.

Dr Leonie Brose, a Cancer Research UK fellow based at King's College London and senior author of the publication, said: "Our study shows that stop smoking services can be very effective at supporting people with depression, and that increased visits greatly improve the success of quit attempts.

"The findings also suggest that giving up smoking may improve depressive symptoms, improving mental as well as physical health.

"While there's been an overall fall in smoking rates in recent decades, there hasn't been the same decline among people with mental health problems.

"We hope that this research will help boost mental health services and stop smoking services in the UK giving effective support and medication to those who need it most."

This new study highlights just how vital stop smoking services are. In England, smokers who use similar services are around three times more likely to quit successfully than those using no support at all.

The research is published as stop smoking services across England face continued budget cuts.

Local councils run the services, but funding comes from Westminster. Year on year, cuts to the Public Health Grant from HM Treasury have placed considerable strain on local councils, and budgets for stop smoking services have been repeatedly slashed since 2013.

Alison Cox, Cancer Research UK's director of cancer prevention, said: "This study draws attention to a vulnerable group who need more specialist support in their attempts to give up smoking.

"When it comes to tobacco-related illness, reducing the dramatic difference in the health of social groups is a really important issue.

"Because of this, it's vital to protect funding for specialist stop smoking services, which remain the most effective route to quitting."

Source: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12160-016-9869-6
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.
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.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

"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."
Reinforcing its reputation as a world-leading provider of automated healthcare solutions and medication adherence packaging, Omnicell UK & Ireland has launched a new generation of automated medication dispensing systems, Omnicell XT, at the forefront of technological advancement.

Demonstrating Omnicells commitment to continually push the boundaries of innovation, the Omnicell XT cabinet series is designed to further support hospitals with efficiency, safety and flexibility. Optimising inventory, minimising stockouts, and reducing missed doses are just some of the many benefits of the new automated dispensing system, giving pharmacy and nursing staff more time to focus on face-to-face patient care.

The Omnicell XT Automated Medication Dispensing Cabinet features a revolutionary design approach to maximise workflow efficiency and drive much needed cost savings, while being at the forefront of patient safety and compliance. No other medication dispensing system is as flexible, allowing NHS Trusts to easily adapt to a growing demand for services or changes in medication dispensing strategies.

Safety  the Omnicell XT cabinet helps to minimise risks caused from drug medication errors by boasting a variety of metal locking lid drawers which accommodate all dosage forms and patient specific medication. It links medication availability to the prescription database and medication selected, making sure the right patient receives the right medicine at the right time.

Efficiency  the cabinet has up to 30% greater line item capacity compared with previous Omnicell cabinets, allowing more medication to be accessed on the ward. The Guiding Lights featurewhich quickly directs users to selected medicines, giving faster medication retrieval on hospital wardshas also been optimized and is six times brighter.

Savings  the average initial saving for each ward that has an Omnicell cabinet installed is 10,000, as it helps by reducing ad-hoc ordering, stockouts and drug wastage. Importantly, it also saves valuable nursing time - which can be re-directed back into face-to-face patient care.

Flexibility  the cabinets expand to meet the changing needs of hospitals. Shelves can be easily swapped on site for lockable drawers in varying combinations. The modern Starbus electronics architecture supports wireless accessories and future innovations, ensuring it has the potential to work with any technology updates.

Omnicell UK & Ireland already boast 1,000 systems in over 100 NHS hospitals across the UK. The new XT cabinets are compatible with current Omnicell G3/G4 cabinet infrastructure. The XT cabinets use the same OmniCenter server setup and interfaces, and the user interface software is the same, so minimal training is needed.

The new Omnicell XT Automated Dispensing System will help Trusts to meet Lord Carters recommendations on improving patient safety, efficiency, and driving vital cost savings needed across the NHS. The system gives management visibility of spend, usage history, and consumption trends which can be broken down at both a consultant and patient levelproviding hospitals with a full audit trail.

The GS1 standards required by the Department of Health by 2019/20 are also fully met by the new Omnicell XT cabinets. Omnicell is the only GS1 accredited partner who can provide a solution for both medication and supplies, making it the most economically efficient choice for Trusts.

Paul OHanlon, Managing Director for Omnicell UK & Ireland comments, Were delighted to be launching the new Omnicell XT Automated Medication Dispensing System, which pushes the boundaries of innovation within the field of automated healthcare solutions. The upgraded cabinet will help hospitals and care settings to meet the Department of Healths required GS1 standards for 2019/20, as well as delivering Lord Carters recommendations.
The French electoral system could be the answer to preventing another populist politician leading one of the biggest economies in the world, an economist told CNBC on Friday.

In contrast to the U.S., French voters choose their next president in two rounds. Helene Rey, economist at the London Business School, told CNBC in Davos that this should stop the far-right leader Marine Le Pen from becoming the next president of France.

"If we look at the recent polls it is true that Marine Le Pen has been polling first for the first round, but I will remind you that one of the very important characteristics of the French electoral system is that we have two rounds for the presidential election," Rey said.

In 2002, Le Pen's party made it to the second round. However, it ended up being "completely destroyed" by the center-right candidate Jacques Chirac, Rey said. She added that at the time, French voters united their support in the second round to vote against the far-right.

The French newspaper Le Monde published a projection this week giving between 25 and 26 percent support for Le Pen. She was followed by the Republican candidate Francois Fillon, with between 23 and 25 percent of the vote. Last month, Fillon was ahead of Le Pen.

If opinion polls are correct and Marine Le Pen wins the first round, there will be a similar outcome to the 2002 election, Rey told CNBC. "A lot of French people will vote against Le Pen," she said.



Marine Le Pen was seen at Trump Tower last week, but she did not confirm whether she was there to meet the soon-to-be U.S. president.

According to Rey, Le Pen has taken a "very aggressive" approach to social values, speaking against immigrants, but she has taken a more "extreme left" approach when it comes to economic issues.

"We have no budget constraints in mind, totally unrealistic propositions, very badly fleshed out, so this is very much a characteristic of this new populism," Rey explained.

Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.





More From CNBC


Author of the biography of the late Jayalalithaa, Vaasanthi speaks on Tamil Nadu politics, Aadi Parashakti and more. #ZEEJLF @coxandkingsIN pic.twitter.com/wG9taqg2uZ  ZEE Jaipur Lit Fest (@ZEEJLF) January 19, 2017

Writing a biography about an enigmatic politician is not an easy task. And when it's a larger-than-life leader like Jayalalithaa, the task is even more difficult. Having faced a ban on her book on the leader earlier, noted journalist and Jayalalithaas biographer Vaasanthi admits that she was genuinely scared of Amma throughout her lifetime.At Jaipur Literature Festival, the author of the book Amma: Jayalalithaas Journey from Movie Star to Political Queen spoke to News18 about how it was not her own idea to write on the leader and that she was approached by Penguin. The book, of course, faced a lot of trouble with Jayalalithaa herself objecting to its release.How difficult was it to write about the leader? She was a very a secretive person so it was doubly difficult to get anything on her, she said.Many feel she was manipulated by Sasikala. She was very intelligent. No one could manipulate Jayalalithaa, said the biographer of the late leader.When asked how difficult it is to write an unbiased story, Vaasanthi chuckled and said, You must not tell the person on whom you are writing, and added quickly, Yes you have to face criticism afterwards. If you are an honest journalist, you have to say what you have to say and then face the music, thats all.Jayalalithaa's rise as the supremo of Tamil politics appears is like a story straight out of a film. From being shunned by MGRs followers to becoming the leader of AIADMK and subsequently the CM, Jayalalithaa was loathed and revered in equal measures. Perhaps it gave her a high that the men who earlier had ill-treated her, spoke to her with so much respect and were actually scared of her as she gained power.For someone who has keenly followed and observed Tamil Nadu politics for decades, Vaasanthi appeared to be unsure of its future after Ammas demise. I dont know. They (AIADMK) will see to it that the party doesnt break up. Because they have another four and a half years to go. They will see to it that they stay together, they want somebody as their leader and they are looking at Sasikala in that role. Although she cant last long. What about Jayalalithaas niece who has shown interest in carrying forward her legacy?  Niece has been propped up by those who are not in favour of Sasikala. She is not a threat.Having faced much trouble in releasing her book on Amma Vaasanthi is aware of how there are always certain limits in writing the truth. But the author feels that freedom of expression is under more threat than at any other time. Karunanidhi also didnt like it. But he wasnt as harsh as Jayalalithaa. But yes freedom of expression is now under greater threat.Vaasanthi also believes that the nature of politics has changed over the years and cinema has slowly cut its ties from politics in the south. Those days so many things happened. Dravidian connection advanced to greater length due to its connection with cinema. Cinema became a vehicle for political propaganda, vehicle of that ideology. Cinema and politics had a symbiotic relation those days. It is no longer so. Now, politics has no ideology and hence it doesnt need cinema as its vehicle.
Bengaluru: Infosys has "released" 8,000-9,000 employees in the past one year because of automation of jobs at the lower end of the value chain, the company's human resources head Krishnamurthy Shankar told Economic Times. He claimed these employees are now working on more advanced projects.



"We have been releasing about 2,000 people every quarter and also training them in special courses that will help them in their new assignments," Shankar told ET on the sidelines of an event organised by the Bengaluru chapter of Global Shapers, a body backed by the World Economic Forum.



Shankar, who joined from Philips in 2015, added that with automation set to increase in intensity, the number of people it hires will come down over time.



It's actually coming down already, though all of it may not be a reflection of automation and is likely also to be the result of the company not doing as well this fiscal as it expected. Infosys added 5,700 people in the first nine months of this fiscal, compared to about 17,000 in the same period last year.


Mr. @BarackObama,



It's a regret in my life not to have been old enough to have voted for you.



But I would've.



Twice.#ThankYouObama  Yessica Haircut (@FickleIckle) January 20, 2017

Thank you, @BarackObama for being a wonderful president, an intelligent & calm leader, and reminding us to HOPE & to ACT #ThankYouObama  Jan Combopiano (@JLAC25) January 20, 2017

12:01 on your last day in office @BarackObama. Thank you!



With love,



America  Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) January 20, 2017

In the years to come, when the dust settles on this period, @BarackObama will be on American currency. He's made a profound difference. #44  Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) January 20, 2017

Tonight, Barack Obama is my president.  Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) January 20, 2017

#ThankYouObama for teaching me that despite all odds, I can do and be anything I set my beautiful black mind to. A legend for eternity.  nina  (@nina_blvck) January 20, 2017

I'm proud to say I got to live on planet Earth while Barack Obama was President. #ThankYouObama pic.twitter.com/SZUTUm8UVF  Chris Rocky (@chrisrockyoz) January 20, 2017

#ThankYouObama for showing us that it is okay to marry someone of our own gender and for explaining to America that love is love   jessica (@LovelyMakeup13) January 20, 2017

Barack Obama's last day at office was filled with goodbyes, thank you calls and a few final moves that he had deliberately left for his final day at the White House.As the curtains were slowly drawing on his final day, President Barack Obama quietly closed out his presidency on Thursday and prepared for life as a private citizen, as the country readied itself for President-elect Donald Trump.Eight years after he started his presidency with a burst of activity and executive orders, Obama wound it down in low-key fashion. He didn't appear publicly during the day, and he didn't leave the White House, though he was to accompany Trump at midday Friday to the Capitol for his successor's swearing-in.As the last remaining White House staffers packed up their belongings and cleared out, the president and first lady Michelle Obama placed a farewell call to German Chancellor Angela Merkel  his last presidential call to a foreign leader.Hanging over Obama's departure is the reality that he's being replaced by a successor who has vowed to upend much of what he accomplished. Obama implored Americans not to vote for Trump, warning he was dangerous and unfit, but Americans elected him anyway.In a letter to supporters, Obama said that "when the arc of progress seems slow," Americans should remember that they are empowered as citizens to influence the nation's future for the better. He added: "We shall overcome.""All that I've learned in my time in office, I've learned from you," Obama said. "You made me a better president, and you made me a better man."Only a skeleton staff remained in the West Wing, creating an eerily quiet feeling in the normally bustling corridors. Photos of Obama and his family that for years have lined the walls were taken down, with some to be transferred to Obama's personal office, leaving big white spaces on the walls.Most desks and offices were 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."It has truly been a pleasure," one White House press staffer declared over the intercom.As his family packed up the living quarters where he and Mrs. Obama raised their two daughters, Obama received the president's daily briefing for the final time and had lunch with Vice President Joe Biden.And on his last day in office, people around the world took to social media platforms to thank the 44th President of the United States of America for inspiring, motivating, encouraging them and making them believe in love and hope.With the hashtag Thank You Obama, people took the opportunity to express their gratitude to the Obamas. And the hashtag infact was the top trend worldwide for almost an entire day.Here's what they tweeted:The Obamas will return later to Washington, where they have rented a home and plan to live until youngest daughter Sasha finishes high school.With input from AP.
New Delhi: Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel on Friday told the Public Accounts Committee that the cash flow in the country will normalise soon, IANS reported quoting sources.



RBI and Finance Ministry officials had been summoned to answer questions by Members of Parliament on demonetisation.



He told the committee that the situation in urban areas was "almost normal", and efforts were on to improve the cash flow to rural and remote areas in the country. "It will take a few more weeks for the situation to improve in rural and remote areas," the sources quoted him as saying.



Earlier this week, the RBI Governor had told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance that the new currency notes, worth Rs 9.2 lakh crore, were introduced into the financial system post demonetisation.



One of the PAC members told Patel that there was a huge mismatch between the cash deposited and the actual cash in the cooperative banks.



To this Patel said that he has information on the issue and the matter was being investigated by the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Income Tax department.


Bhopal: The Reserve Bank of India has refused a mans request to accept Rs 50,000 in demonetised notes left to him by his dead father.



Mastan Singh Maran from Bhopal even produced certificates ranging from hospital bills to death certificate of his father at the RBI branch here but the officers denied accepting the old notes saying only NRIs now are eligible for exchanging old currency notes now as per guidelines.



Mastans father, 93-year-old Shivcharan Singh Maran, died of old age on Dec 26, 2016.



The family was cleaning his room after last rites when they found Rs 50,000 in Rs 500 old notes hidden in the cupboard. The family claimed that Shivcharan had lost memory before he died so perhaps he forgot to tell anyone about the cash he had with him.



Mastan after recovering the cash reached the local RBI branch in the city with the old notes and requested officers posted there for exchanging them with the new currency. The officers, however referring to the guidelines issued by their headquarters, declined accepting those notes.



They told the man that only NRIs could exchange old currency and that too at the New Delhi-based head office. Since then, Mastan has been running pillar to post trying to figure out the ways to get his old currency exchanged.
The youth of an entire state are clamouring for the right to conduct a traditional sport that half of them have only seen on television. How did the Jallikattu case that has been in court for years now, suddenly capture the imagination of the masses, enough to make them skip school, college and work and take to the streets?The answer to this is buried beneath superior internet connectivity, hashtags, viral videos, disenchantment and the post-truth phenomenon.Tamil Nadu boasts of spectacular rural teledensity, well ahead of most other parts of the country. This report by the TRAI should give you a clear picture.In fact, Tamil Nadu is second only to UP in the number of internet subscriptions with over 27 million subscriptions. It has the second best rural wireless service area density after Himachal Pradesh with 84.94%.So its no surprise that the first of its kind social media led and organised protest in such large numbers happened in Tamil Nadu.The entire creation and organisation of the massive protests in Chennai was done online  on Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. Classmates, colleagues, friends, relatives were all posting, tweeting, re-tweeting or forwarding messages, audio clips and videos about Jallikattu.Ask any Tamil friend whats the most circulated forward in the last one month and pat would come the reply  Jallikattu.These posts arent just a call to support Jallikattu. Theyre all passionately waxing the glory of Jallikattu.Hiphop Tamizhas Takkaru Takkaru was the first viral content on Jallikattu that came out a year ago to increase awareness.#Jallikattu was in at least 600,000 tweets since January 5. The majority of these tweets coming in from different corners of Tamil Nadu.Data as on Janaury 20 at 2:45pm#JusticeForJallikatu has been tweeted well over a million times since January 17.Data as on Janaury 20 at 2:45pmTo understand how the protest took shape it is necessary to get a forensic overview of how the following hashtags, which were used by the pro-Jallikattu group.#WeDoJallikattu#IsupportJallikattu#WeDidJallikattu#SaveOurCultureJallikattu#JusticeForJallikattu#MarinaProtestIn the run up to Pongal, viral content surfaced promoting Jallikattu, its cultural significance and its alleged scientific benefits.Tweets started pouring in from across the state and expats across the world. Facebook groups started mushrooming and amassing followers quickly.WhatsApp forwards in Tamil started getting circulated about the threat to indigenous breeds.Messages were being exchanged on how the ban on Jallikattu was not just an attack on Tamil culture, but an elaborate front for vested foreign corporate interests who were trying to wipe out indigenous breeds so that they could takeover Indias dairy industry. The validity of these claims is yet to be proven.The first hashtag that started getting traction was #WeDoJallikattu. It surfaced on January 7 and was used to spread awareness about Jallikattu and to aggregate the voices in support of Jallikattu. The majority of tweets were from Tamil Nadu and got shared by the expat community in the Middle East and South East Asia as well.#WeDidJallikattu surfaced on the 13th when stray incidents of flouting the SC ban started. Images of stray incidents were shared on Facebook and WhatsApp groups.It peaked only after pongal when people started reposting the incidents with image grabs from newsflashes.The next in this series was #iSupportJallikattu that surfaced on the 9th and was being actively used to rally support for the call to revoke the ban. This hashtag too was used to circulate information on why Jallikattu was important.But by the time the protests at Marina started to happen, it was being used to network amongst the protestors to coordinate and plan the event, supplies and F&Bs.These are tweets from Tamil film composer Imaan who used the hashtag to distribute food to protesters.By the 17th, #MarinaProtest had emerged.This hashtag was used to inform people of facilities available at the protest site and inform them of regular updates.By the 18th #SaveOurCultureJallikattu had surfaced and the protest was in full swing.Add to the novelty of a social media uprising, pleasant weather at the beach, an opportunity to skip classes and work indefinitely, food and water being brought in on time  its no surprise that the protesters were well behaved.A disenchantment with the ruling party after the unexpected demise of the partys only face, a wary opposition that is yet to win back the trust of the people after the 2G scam and several popular actors who have endorsed PeTA in the past  its only understandable that the youth did not want any politician or actor to help further their cause.Little do the people of Tamil Nadu realize the dangerous precedent they have just set.
The #OcuppyMarina movement, a campaign led by Twitter hashtags, had the first taste of success on Friday evening as the Centre okayed an ordinance proposed by the Tamil Nadu government that allows the holding of Jallikattu.The ordinance will now go to President Pranab Mukherjee for his assent, but the Supreme Court may well have the final say on the matter as the ordinance can be challenged in the apex court.But none of this seemed to distract the thousands gathered at Marina Beach since Tuesday from erupting in joy as news trickled in of the ordinance.For them, the last few days have all been about Tamil pride. The Marina crowd had dabbled with a variety of causes  from slain LTTE leader V Prabhakaran to boycotting MNCs  as a leaderless movement stood up to the might of the state.It all started off with a group of 50 people who gathered at 8 am on Tuesday. Information about people gathering at the Marina Beach promenade was circulated feverishly across social media and messenger applications. Facebook Live burst onto every newsfeed that hinted at growing numbers.By evening, the numbers had ballooned to several hundreds. Dressed in black and shouting slogans demanding action, especially from Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, the protesters kept the voices and spirits up through twilight. As the lights faded, the police, gathered in large numbers and arranged to face the protesters, looked on warily.Just past evening, the lights were switched off. Darkness engulfed the teeming mass of people.That is when the crowds reacted much to the amazement of the battery of journalists and the police. They fished out their phones, turned on the torchlight, and waved the lights at the police  a sign of defiance against the forces gathered opposite to them, and, of course, a sign to the media and people watching on TV that they would continue their protests notwithstanding attempts to muzzle.On Wednesday, tens of thousands of people joined the protest. College students, working professionals, entrepreneurs, social activists, and others came out to the streets to demand that the ban on Jallikattu under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act be revoked.Even as the crowds swelled, and even as the state appeared to have been taken aback, the whole movement still remained leaderless.How can so many people act in concert with no visible organiser?Protesters had demands that were not the same: some were there to raise a hand against what they call foreign forces that want to wipe out native cattle breeds. Some were there seeking some sort of a relief for the drought-hit farmers. People disenchanted with the current central and state establishments also found a protest platform. The thread that stitches all the disparate grievances is, of course, Jallikattu.One of the protesters who had discussions with the state ministers at midnight on Tuesday told this reporter that not many were happy with that. She alleged that the state government wanted to create a rift among the protesters to ensure that the protest gets called off. The tactic, she alleged, was to make police officials tell the protesters at Marina Beach that the interlocutors who met the ministers decided to call off their protests.Angry protesters were a problem for others at the venue, said one present at Marina. There was no leader who called the shots, managed the crowd.Lack of leadership worked against the whole movement as protesters directed themselves in near-opposite directions. One group of protesters vowed to surrender their Aadhaar cards and other identification documents to protest against the Prime Minister's response that his hands were tied as the matter was sub-judice. Another group of protesters, who had formed a WhatsApp group called Marina Official Update, claimed that the whole movement's response to the Prime Minister's statement was to simply keep protesting.Despite such obvious lack of coordination, the movement got bigger. More footfall; louder voices. Slowly, a sociological evolution. Mobile toilets arrived. Food and water in abundance brought in through mini-trucks. Women and children in droves. From an all-male start, it became a gender-balanced protest.While Jallikattu was the issue for which people joined hands, there was a larger meaning to this youth movement. On Friday, a policeman, obviously enthused by all the Tamil brow-beating, picked up the mike and gave vent to an avalanche of suppressed emotions. And his speech, available freely across the social media, summed up all this protest is about: Reclamation of Tamil rights, water resources, economic protectionism and various other causes not unseen in Tamil Nadu.Some of the groups carried banners of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran and this is when everyone realised that their problem is way beyond just one issue.Their ardent love for Tamil also bordered on a kind of snobbery. A few national TV journalists who spoke in English were put to inconvenience that even became plain abuse.This reporter was also shouted at for speaking in English. They screamed: "Why do you speak in English in my state? If you dont know to speak Tamil, you have to leave the state." My colleague from Bangalore took a hit on his chest for the same as he did not speak the language they love.It was complex to understand the reason behind this mass protest.Notwithstanding the differences they had, they made a change. The slogans they raised targeted Chief Minister Panneerselvam, AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala and the Centre. They kept reiterating that there is no point in relying on any of the political parties. They did not allow any political party to partner them.This protest ground is surely fertile with many who could turn into leaders. Some of the speeches by the youth conveyed deep messages that won applause. It is a historic movement that brought quick early successes.
Hyderabad: Hyderabad: Telugu actors Mahesh Babu Pawan Kalyan and Rana Daggubati on Friday came out strongly in support of jallikattu amid groundswell in Tamil Nadu for the conduct of the bull-taming sport.



Jallikattu is the spirit of Tamil Nadu: Mahesh Babu



Describing jallikattu as the "spirit of Tamil Nadu", Mahesh Babu took to twitter and hoped the voices of the protesters are heard.



"Jallikattu is the spirit of Tamil Nadu -- bold and fearless," said the actor, son of veteran film personality Krishna.



"Proud to see such a statement of unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in. Especially admire the way, the students of Tamil Nadu have been standing up for the cause, relentlessly fighting for their roots and culture. Hope their voices are heard. I support the spirit of Tamil Nadu," Mahesh Babu, who grew up and studied in Chennai, said in a series of tweets.



A string of celebrities including Rajinikanth, A R Rahman, Kamal Hassan, chess wizard Viswanathan Anand to name a few, have already expressed their support for the sport.





Attack on Dravida culture: Pawan Kalyan



Telugu film star and Jana Sena party chief K Pawan Kalyan on Friday came out in strong support of Jallikattu and cock fights saying a ban on these two was an "attack on Dravidian culture and integrity" and need to draw a for "moralistic madness".



"I have deep respect and reverence for our culture, animals and mother nature. Looking at the cows and roosters in my farm made me think about the ban on Jallikattu and kodipandem (cock fights) in Dakshin Bharath," he said in a series of tweets on the issue today.



"Somewhere, we have to draw a line for this 'moralistic madness' in our society. Otherwise it would be very difficult to keep our nation's integrity intact. Jana Sena urges the Central government to lift the ban on Jallikattu and Kodipandem," the actor said.



"Ban on Jallikattu and Kodipandem is an attack on Dravida culture and its integrity. This is how it is being viewed in Dakshin Hindustan.



"I had observed this deep hurt in people of Dakshin Bharat while I was shooting in Pollachi (Tamil Nadu) and during my political interaction in Andhra about the ban of their respective cultural events in recent times," Kalyan said. "Government of India cited 'animal cruelty' as the reason for the ban in Jallikattu and kodipandem. If we truly consider this puritanical approach, then we have to examine the statistics of Indian beef export and poultry industry," he said and reeled out statistics.



India was the largest exporter of beef in the world, with 2.4 million tonnes of beef and veal exported in 2015. "Brazil and Australia could export only 2 and 1.5 million tonnes respectively. And, beef export fetches almost $5 billion with 14 per cent growth rate every year. Interestingly, these top beef exporting firms are owned by Hindus and not Muslims," the film star claimed.



He wondered how "this kind of slaughtering" did not attract animal cruelty "just because we don't see it!!" Kalyan questioned why the Animal Cruelty Act applied only to Jallikattu where the animals getting injured or killed was insignificant compared to the number of animals that had to be slaughtered for business.



Kodipandem has "deep religious significance" associated with Lord Kukkuteswara, a form of Lord Siva who came as a rooster to kill an asura (demon) called Gayasura, the Jana Sena chief said.



"Kodipandem is the cultural identity of Andhras. If the Central government is serious about enforcing Animal Cruelty Act, then it should ban poultry industry also, which produces around 8.4 lakh tonnes of poultry meat by killing millions of chicken," Kalyan said.





Marina beach protest is very touching: Rana Daggubati





Actor Rana Daggubati also supported the protests for bull taming sport of Jalikattu in Tamil Nadu, saying it is amazing to see people come together to support their tradition.



"Jallikattu is a part of Tamil Nadu's culture. The protest that is going on there in support of Jallikattu at the Chennai's Marina beach is very touching. It is in the right direction," Rana said at a press conference in the second day of Jaipur Literature Festival here.



The "Bahubali" actor said that the people of Tamil Nadu are united in support of their tradition.



The state is witnessing widespread protests again a ban on Jallikattu and the Tamil film industry has come out in support of the protesters.



Daggubati along with the film producer SS Rajamouli were present in JLF to promote the second installment of the film. Rajamouli said part two is not the end of "Babubali" and people should hope for part three as well.



"We just cannot stop with part two. We have just finished it. We want to continue with its next part and hopefully there will be Babubali-3," Rajamouli said.



He said "Bahubali" will bring its actors fame similar to "Sholay".



"'Sholay' became an epic after 15-20 years of its release and people talk about it. The kind of fame its makers and actors got, I hope the same will be for us," he said.



Tamil Nadu is witnessing massive protests over the issue of jallikattu. Lakhs of students and youths are holding peaceful protests across the state, while agitators in Madurai, the main area which has been hosting jallikattu sport for centuries, have stopped trains pressing for their demand.



Businesses, theatres, schools and transporters have declared a day-long strike today supporting the demand for immediate permission to hold jallikattu events.
Chandigarh: Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday observed that rapes did take place in Murthal during the February 2016 Jat agitation in Haryana and asked the state police's special investigation team to find the culprits and instil confidence in the public.



The court observed that two witnesses, one of them a taxi driver, had said that women were dragged out of their vehicles, which indicated that rapes had taken place and also asked the CBI counsel if the agency was ready to probe the case.



The court also asked the SIT to file an affidavit before the trial court that rape charges hadn't been dropped and were still under investigation.







The Haryana Govt had denied the incident in the past 10 months and said there was no direct evidence to prove the incident.



The high court observed in an open court that three forms of evidence directly point to the fact that the rapes happened namely, the undergarments recovered from the site, the semen samples from the site and the two witnesses who saw people dragging girls out from cars and other private vehicles.



According to a report in the Times of India, Police had accused five alleged rioters of rape, but the charge was dropped as their blood did not match semen samples from the undergarments.



The observations came after senior advocate and amicus curiae in the case, Anupam Gupta, accused the SIT of working in lack of good faith and in an unprofessional manner, the report further added.






#Jallikattuprotest Lesson for Hindutva forces,Uniform Civil Code cannot be "imposed"this nation cannot have one CULTURE we celebrate all  Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) January 20, 2017

Modi is proUniformCivilCode which will end ALL cultural customs..must fight this SurgicalStrike agst Jallikattu unitedly #Marina @Akshita_N https://t.co/qvKJe4IorF  Shehzad Poonawalla (@Shehzad_Ind) January 19, 2017

It is #MuslimsForJallikattu #IndiansForJallikattu not just #tamilsforjallikattu We stand with Tamil brothers & sisters for their rights 5/n https://t.co/rcAJlSt7yA  Shehzad Poonawalla (@Shehzad_Ind) January 19, 2017

: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday waded into the Jallikattu ban controversy and linked it to the debate surrounding the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).Owaisi aired his views on Twitter where he said that no uniform law can be imposed in India as people don't have a single culture.On Thursday, Congress leader Shehzad Poonawala too attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the UCC and said that surgical strike against Jallikattu must be fought unitedly.The AIMIM president had earlier said that Uniform Civil Code is "not good" for the diversity and pluralism of this country as both these are the ethos of this nation.Uniform civil code is a proposal to replace personal laws based on religion and customs with a common set of laws governing every Indian citizen.In October last year, Law Commission prepared and circulated a questionnaire seeking opinion of stakeholders for the implementation of UCC.Reacting to the issue, BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao said that Owaisi is just trying to to use this issue of Jallikattu for political gains."Jallikattu is a cultural issue, a Tamil issue. Why bring religion into it," GVL added.
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, &doc=104229019"> 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.

"I have described him as an impostor and a con man and a would-be dictator," Soros said. "But he's only a would-be dictator because I'm confident that the Constitution and the institutions of the United States are strong enough. ... He would be a dictator if he could get away with it, but he won't be able to."

Trump's unexpected win in November hurt Soros beyond politics and ideology  he is believed to have lost more than $1 billion in trades he made that would have benefited if the market went down. Instead, a monthlong rally after the election cost Soros big.

However, he said Thursday he still believes the market is headed lower.

"Uncertainty is the enemy of long-term investment," Soros said. "I don't think the markets are going to do very well. Right now they are still celebrating. But when reality comes in," his bets against the market "will prevail."

Story continues

Soros said Trump will act as a divisive figure because "anyone who disagrees with him is not really part of the people."

"It is impossible to predict exactly how Trump is going to act, because he hasn't actually thought it through," Soros said. "He didn't expect to win. He was surprised. He was engaged in building his brand and improving it by his success in attracting crowds. It was really only when he got elected that he started to seriously think whatever he is going to do."

Correction: Trump's Cabinet picks have not been confirmed yet. An earlier version mischaracterized their status.

Also From CNBC





Watch The Profit on Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.



More From CNBC


No, military presence will not help and has not helped. It has to be addressed where the problem is and that is in the use of extremism as an instrument of state policy by our neighbour and this unfortunately has costs not just for Afghanistan but also people of Pakistan

Donald Trump must make a dramatic, strategic and immediate shift in US policy towards Pakistan. Anything less than that will be a continuation of Afghan misery and rise of extremism, said Afghanistan's former President Hamid Karzai as he blamed Barack Obama for failing to address terror sanctuaries in Pakistan which he called the root cause of violence in Afghanistan.Karzais comments come at a time when there is a change of guard in the United States and civilian casualties in Afghanistan are highest since 2001, when the American government unleashed its war against terror. According to United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan the number of civilian casualties in 2015 was over 11,000, the highest since 2009. Approximately 8,400 casualties were reported till September, 2016 and the annual figure is expected to cross the 2015 number.The Former President has always been extremely critical of Obamas approach to the war in Afghanistan. He said, What was conducted in the name of war on terror was hurting Afghan people. There was total failure in addressing the roots of it beyond Afghanistan where sanctuaries, training grounds and motivational factors were located and that the support for US war in Afghanistan was at its lowest today.Karzai said for Trump to be successful he must take a hard stand against Pakistan and break the status quo. When asked whether Trump should reverse Obamas policy of troop withdrawal in Afghanistan, he said,The former President also said that Trump must take the lead in this effort and if unable to do so then he must take the help of Russia, China and India to make Pakistan accountable.When asked about the role of ISI in the recent attacks in Kabul, Heart and Helmand province Karzai said, Theres no doubt that the ISI and Pakistan military establishment have a strong and long term hand in the instability and violence in Afghanistan but we cant blame them for everything. We must set our house in order as well. Talking about the recent protests outside the Pakistan consulate in Herat he said, These protests have been happening for a long time. People in Afghanistan have a poor perception of Pakistan because of the role played by the ISI and its military.Karzai backed India on its present Pakistan policy. He said India was right in rejecting the offer of talks from Pakistan till it ends the use of terror as a tool of state policy.
New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party on Friday announced its first list of 191 candidates which seemed to shut the door on Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and baffle the Congress as the proposed Grand Alliance comes under question.



Of the 209 constituencies that go to polls in the first three phases, the SP left out only 18 for the Congress. Among the seats for which the SP announced candidates were nine seats held by sitting Congress MLAs, including Congress Legislative Party leader Pradeep Mathurs seat of Mathura.



Minutes later, however, SP leader Kiranmoy Nanda assured reporters that alliance talks had not yet died out. He said, however, that they were willing to give only 85 seats to the Congress, as opposed to the 100 that the party had asked for. After the first list, we have left 18 seats for the Congress. They should get only 54 seats but we are willing to go up to around 85, he said.



Nanda added that the SP would also keep the Amethi assembly seat, which is the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, and that Congress had not staked claim to seats with sitting SP MLAs.



SP has announced candidates for all seven constituencies in Saharanpur district, which is the stronghold of UPCC vice president Imran Masood. SP has nominated its candidates for sitting Congress seats like Shamli, Hapur, Khurja and Mathura. In Deoband, the sitting Congress MLA Maviya Ali has been given an SP ticket.



All signs point to the fact that the list was the 43-year-old UP CMs attempt at flexing his political muscle and tame the Congresss expectations. While the Congress camp will be forced to come on to the table on Akhilesh Yadavs terms, the list has dealt an even harder blow to the RLD.



Earlier, Akhilesh had distanced himself from RLDs demands, and reportedly asked Congress to give a few seats to Ajit Singhs party from their kitty. On Friday, Nanda, too, said that there had been no talks with the RLD.



The SP announced candidates on all three seats in Baghpat district, which was Ajit Singhs Lok Sabha seat and was once represented by his father Chaudhary Charan Singh. In Mathura, which was the Lok Sabha seat of Ajit Singhs son Jayant Chaudhary, SP has announced candidates on all assembly segments. RLD had indicated that they wanted to contest on two seats in Muzaffarnagar, another district that the SP has kept all to itself.



The RLD reacted sharply to the doors of coalition being closed on them. RLD General Secretary Trilok Tyagi said, We will contest in all 403 seats in the state. The SP spoke to us and then went away. If Akhilesh doesn't want to be CM then what can we do? They (SP) are doing this under pressure from BJP. They are siding with the communal forces and we will not let that happen. Mulayam was right when he said some in his party are scared of CBI. At this stage, we cant say if we will go with Congress if their talks fail too.
It could well turn out to be the 272 seats moment of Sonia Gandhi when she had claimed the support of the Samajwadi Party to form a government at the Centre, but was let down by Mulayam Singh Yadav.Today, the Congress feels his son Akhilesh Yadav has done the same to them once again.Instead of Sonia, it is Priyanka and Rahul who have pinned their hopes on an alliance with the Samajwadin Party.At a closed door meeting, Rahul told his colleagues: "It's not important that we win. It's more important that the BJP loses. Which is why Rahul walked an extra mile, even shelving his plans to have Yatra Part 2, hoping that a joint Congress-Samajwadi Party show would be a formidable optics.But when the Samajwadi Party announced seats for up to five phases, the Congress hopes seemed to dim.Ghulam Nabi Azad who was supposed to travel to Lucknow cancelled his trip last minute and Raj Babbar, too, cut short his trip to return to the national capital.In all this the name of a former bureaucrat and someone who advised the Gandhi's is also coming up.Many within the Congress, are blaming former bureaucrat Deepak Srivastava for wrongly advising Rahul Gandhi to raise their stake.It's wait and watch for Congress now. Sources said they are willing to wait for another 24 hours. The Congress is keen on an alliance but doesn't want to look desperate. It is aware that a Modi who wins in the state could stall its plans to come back at the Centre.
RSS has again got itself entangled in the caste quota quagmire. And unfortunately for the BJP, its a Bihar redux just ahead of the crucial UP elections next month.At the Jaipur literature festival on Friday, RSS Prachar Pramukh Dr Manmohan Vaidya was fielding questions from the host as well as the audience when he was asked about Sachar Panel report and reservations for minorities to end socio-economic inequality.Aarakshan ka vishay bharat mein anusuchit jati aur anusuchit janajati ke lihaaj se alag sandarbh mein hai. Jinhe lambe samay tak suvidhaon se vanchit rakha gaya hai (Reservations for SC/ST was introduced in a different context. It was provided for in the Constitution to remedy the historical injustice done to them), said Vaidya.The media in-charge then went on to quote Dr Ambedkar while answering the question.Bhimrao Ambedkar ne bhi kaha hai ki kisi bhi rashtra mein arakshan ka pravdhan hamesha ke liye rehna acha nahin hai. Jald se jald iski avashakta hai nirast hokar apko saman avasar dene ka samay ana chahiye. Ye bhi Ambedkar ne kaha hai (Even Ambedkar has said its continuance in perpetuity is not good. There should be a time limit to it), he said.Dr Vaidya clarified later that that his comments were distorted by the media. They were made, he asserted, entirely in the context of Muslim reservations. SC/ST reservations should continue he reiterated.This quota row has returned to haunt the BJP when it faces one of the toughest political tests in UP. For a party which is attempting to shore up its electoral prospects in the state by rebuilding an upper caste and non-Yadav OBC alliance, this could give enough ammunition to the opponents to question BJPs social justice credentials.In less than a couple of hours the news trended on the social media, RJD chief Lalu Yadav had dusted out MS Golwalkars bunch of thoughts. In his Patna residence he was questioning BJPs commitment to reservations. Something he did almost every-day without fail in the run up to Bihar polls in 2015. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwats interview to the Sangh mouthpiece had raised a storm on reservations and Lalu milked it to power after a decade in opposition.Its a controversy  or even the one triggered by Bhagwats interview  which the BJP and the RSS could have done without. The problem is in the timing as it comes just before UP polls.Interestingly, both have worked overtime in the last 18 months at image makeover on many fronts. Both symbolic and otherwise. The main pavilion at the RSS annual general body meeting at Nagaur in Rajasthan last year was named after Dr Ambedkar. Prime Minister Modi has named the new app to usher in cashless economy after Ambedkar. Its a long list.Interestingly, more than 50% candidates in BJPs list are come from the OBC communities.Reservations, both for SC/ST and OBCs is a sensitive issue.Not long back, we have seen its impact in the Hindi heartland.
In an aim to improve competition in downloadable audiobook distribution in Europe, Apple and Amazon have agreed to end an exclusivity agreement that made Audible the only seller of audiobooks inside of iTunes.A subsidiary of Amazon since 2008, Audible is the seller and producer of downloadable audiobooks and other spoken-word content. Apple's iTunes store, integrated in Apple devices, allows customers to purchase and download content, including audiobooks."With the deletion of the exclusivity agreement, Apple will now have the opportunity to purchase digital audiobooks from other suppliers. This will enable a wider range of offer and lower prices for consumers," tech website theverge.com quoted Andreas Mundt, president, Germany's Antitrust Agency, as saying.Audible and Apple's iTunes store are two distributors of downloadable audiobooks to consumers.Audible will now be able to supply its downloadable audiobooks to third party platforms, that Apple can source audiobooks from alternative suppliers, and that publishers and content aggregators will be able to enter into distribution agreements directly with Apple.
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.
After an "unexplained" 20-hour ban on Russian television network RT posting content on its Facebook page till Donald Trump takes oath as US President, the social networking giant on Friday lifted the restriction, allowing RT to go live.Facing criticism for allegedly spreading fake news that favoured Trump and racial bias in hate speech censorship, a Facebook bot banned RT from posting content on its page on Thursday."RT's right to share such content as live streams, images and videos with its over four million followers on its Facebook page were restored. The ban was put in place shortly after RT's broadcast of Barack Obama's final press conference as president," RT (formerly Russia Today) said in a report.The ban was supposed to last until Saturday."The live-rights strike seems to be part of an algorithmic failure to acknowledge rights acquired by broadcasters and we hope it will be resolved in the short term," RT's Head of Social Media, Ivor Crotty, was quoted as saying."While Facebook is a powerful distributor of live-streams, it is struggling with the rights ramifications. RT will continue text-only posts to Facebook until the issue is resolved," Crotty added.RT was live during outgoing US President Barack Obama's final press conference when a Facebook bot notification interrupted RT's live stream, stating that rights to the content had been claimed by Current Time TV, a project of Radio Liberty in collaboration with the Voice of America."Radio Liberty is an independent corporation, financed by the US Congress," the report said.Current Time TV denied any complaint against the Russian media outlet and said that the channel did not send any complaints regarding RT or any other organisations in connection with the live feed.On Thursday, 77 advocacy groups wrote 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), asked Facebook to be more transparent about its censorship decisions and sought a report that compiles data on the company's censorship decisions.
From jumping off Sky Tower, flying fox ziplines, taking a free fall with a bungee or wine-tasting on Waiheke Island, Auckland provides a mesmerising mixture of serenity and adventure to those seeking to add some thrill to their lives.



The city's vast harbour, quiet islands and vibrant landscapes offer an exciting and accessible mix of urban, water and wildlife activities, giving tourists and visitors a whole lot of enjoyable options during their stay.



Mischa Mannix-Opie, Area Manager South and South East Asia, Air New Zealand, says that the country has been attracting Indian travellers off late and they are expecting positive growth in future too.



"New Zealand is becoming an increasingly popular destination for Indian travellers and our role as one of the key connectors has never been more important. With Air New Zealand's alliance with Singapore Airlines -- connecting Indian travellers between India and New Zealand via Singapore -- we're looking to build on this momentum to further grow our footprint in the market," Mannix said.



Rated as one of the most liveable cities in the world, Auckland is a thriving multi-cultural hub of cuisine, music, art and culture.



One of the fun activities that can pump up your heartbeat -- and certainly did mine -- was the jump from the top of Sky Tower, one of the main attractions of the city.



Zoom up 328 metres in glass-fronted lifts to the spectacular viewing platforms -- and try a Sky walk or Sky jump. Sky walk involves a walkway around the Sky Tower, with no handrail, while Sky Jump is New Zealand's highest jump, and you take about 11 seconds to reach the ground, falling at about 85 kmph. You won't forget the rush when you touch the ground.



Another adventure-activity that you don't want to miss is the 40-metre Auckland Bridge Bungee. This experience will thrill and surprise you, especially if you opt for a water-touch and enjoy a nice ocean dip. Attempt it for never-forgettable fun.



If you are a nature lover, you will definitely enjoy the ziplines and an eco-immersive forest walk on breathtaking Waiheke Island.



One of the things that makes Auckland special is its vibrant melting pot of cultures. From the first Maori waka (canoes) and colonial ships, Auckland has attracted people of many cultures from far and wide.



See the collection of Maori taonga (treasures) at the Auckland museum and catch one of the daily cultural performances. Take a walking tour of Auckland's volcanoes with a guide from the local iwi (tribe) to see remnants of old fortified, terraced villages, or visit Te Hana Te Ao Marama, an incredible replica of a 17th century Maori village.



The Maori people greet you in their unique way, called "Hongi", which involves touching one's nose and forehead to another person's and is actually considered the equivalent of a formal handshake. Be ready and don't be shy!



Auckland is also a food lover's paradise -- surrounded by fertile land and rich waters, it is home to some of the best chefs, food producers and winemakers. Its wine regions are a must for foodies. Award-winning pinot gris and rich, full syrah are among the area's specialties.



If you are a wine connoisseur then visit the beautiful Waiheke Island, just a 35-minute minute ferry ride across the harbour from downtown Auckland. Known as "the island of wine", Waiheke has around 30 boutique wineries and vineyards served well with specialty foods made with locally-grown produce.



Auckland is also home to 48 dormant and extinct volcanic cones, many of which offer spectacular walking paths and views at the top. ALso, don't miss a cruise on a classic yacht or launch if you love water.
For years, the Washington National Cathedral, an Episcopal parish with a dual role as a civic gathering place, has hosted a prayer service for the newly sworn-in president. But keeping the tradition this year has caused an uproar among Episcopalians opposed to President-elect Donald Trump.It's the latest example of the backlash against religious leaders, artists, celebrities and other participants in events surrounding the inaugural.The cathedral for the largely liberal denomination will host an interfaith prayer service on Saturday, the day after Trump takes office. Bishop Mariann Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington wrote in a blog post that while she shared "a sense of outrage at some of the president-elect's words and actions," she felt an obligation to welcome all people without qualification, especially those who disagree and need to find a way to work together. That role "requires a willingness to put ourselves in places that make us uncomfortable," Budde wrote.Episcopalians critical of the decision were also upset to learn that the cathedral choir, drawn in part from local Episcopal schools, would sing at the inauguration before the ceremony started, and that the interfaith service the next day would not include a sermon. They saw a missed opportunity to speak out against Trump's proposed temporary ban on Muslim immigrants and other policies, his calling Mexicans rapists and his remarks about grabbing women's genitals. Organizers for past services have said the presidential inaugural committees have chosen the preacher, and Trump chose not to have one this year.Budde said most Episcopalians who have contacted her about the service "are dismayed, disappointed and angry."The Very Rev. Randolph Hollerith, the cathedral dean, defended the decision to participate in the ceremonies. "Our willingness to pray and sing with everyone today does not mean we won't join with others in protest tomorrow," he said in a statement. File photo shows the nave of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington (Photo: AP)The emotional dispute within the church mirrors the broader fight about the morality of taking part in inaugural events this year, which has stretched across the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, a Bruce Springsteen cover band, the Radio City Rockettes and the marching band of historically black Talladega College in Alabama. Groups participating in inauguration events have said they viewed their role in part as serving the country and supporting democracy, not giving an endorsement.Broadway star Jennifer Holliday, who backed out as a performer following protests from her gay and black fans, said she was pained by the reaction. "How could I have this much hate spewing at me, and I haven't even done anything? I guess it's not like those old days when political views were your own and you had freedom of speech," she said. "We live in a different time now and a decision to go and do something for America is not so clear-cut anymore."Some clergy invited to offer prayers at Friday's swearing-in have also faced criticism. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who will read from Scripture at the inaugural, said he told critics he had a "sacred responsibility" to participate. "Had Mrs. Clinton won and invited me I would have gone too. It's not the person. It's the office, right?" Dolan said on Sirius XM's Catholic Channel last week.Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, who will offer a prayer near the end of Friday's program, said "I believe that all of us should pray for his great success, because his great success means our great success."But critics contend Trump will be a president unlike any other, because of his policies and vulgarity, so traditions surrounding his inauguration should not hold. The Rev. Gary Hall, who retired in 2015 as dean of the National Cathedral, noted that the church was envisioned as a Westminster Abbey for the U.S. It has long been the site of national events, hosting inaugural interfaith prayer services, presidential funerals and national prayers of mourning, including a ceremony with evangelist Billy Graham three days after the Sept. 11 attacks. But Trump's "xenophobia and misogyny," among other behavior and proposed policies, have been "outside the bounds of all mainstream norms" and the church should not appear to bless him, Hall wrote."We cannot use the words, symbols, and images of our faith to provide a religious gloss to an autocrat," Hall wrote.The head of the Episcopal Church, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, responded to the controversy over the cathedral with a statement urging all to pray for Trump and all civic leaders."Prayer is not a simplistic cheer or declaration of support," he wrote, but can also "ask God to intervene and change the course of history, to change someone's mind or his or her heart."
Nigeria: A botched air strike by the Nigerian Air Force earlier this week on a camp for people displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency killed at least 90 people, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) aid group said Friday.



Most of the victims of the strike in Rann in the country's northeast on Tuesday were women and children, MSF said. Nigeria has said an air force board of inquiry will investigate the incident.



Military commanders have already called the bombing a mistake, blaming it on "the fog of war", saying the intended target was jihadists reportedly spotted in the Kala-Balge area, of which Rann is part.



"Around 90 people were killed when a Nigerian air force plane circled twice and dropped two bombs in the middle of the town of Rann," MSF said in a statement.



The death toll could still rise further -- MSF said there were "consistent reports from residents and community leaders" saying that as many as 170 people were killed.



"This figure needs to be confirmed. The victims of this horrifying event deserve a transparent account of what happened and the circumstances in which this attack took place," MSF General Director Bruno Jochum said.



Humanitarian workers were distributing food to between 20,000 and 40,000 people living in makeshift shelters at the camp when the bombing struck.



MSF's Jochum said civilians were paying the price of a "merciless conflict" between the government and Boko Haram, the jihadist group which wants to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.



At least 20,000 have been killed and more than 2.6 million made homeless since the Islamists took up arms in 2009.



The air force said it had initially been given a list of 20 witnesses and said the inquiry board would report no later than February 2. No journalists have been allowed to visit the area of the bombing.



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".
George Soros isnt sending Donald Trump best wishes on the eve of the inauguration.

Speaking at a Thursday night Davos dinner, Soros called Trump a conman, an imposter, and a would-be dictator.

I think Trump will fail, Soros said.

The dinner talk was billed a one-on-one conversation with the billionaire investor, but it quickly became a Trump whack-a-thon with Soros throwing one put-down after another.

Most of the swings were jabs, but Soros did back up his prediction that Trumps presidency will be a failure, and it was an interesting one, because it didnt appear to be based on ideology alone. Soros backed Hillary Clinton in the election and he is one of the Democratic partys biggest donors.

Soros called Trumps ideas contradictory and his choice of cabinet members lousy.

Hes picked three chiefs of staff instead of one, said Soros. Whats more, Soros said even the members of his cabinet dont seem to have similar views on how the president-elect should govern. His cabinet comes from various establishments, said Soros. There will be infighting.

Soros pointed to Trumps position on trade as one of his contractions. Soros said Trump has called for stimulus efforts that will boost the economy immediately. But Soros said starting a trade war with China will slow the economy, not boost it.

(Related: Soros Has Lost $1 billion on the Trump Bump)

Whats more Soros predicted that the markets Trump high will soon turn into a hangover. He called Trump unpredictable and unprepared, and said that combination will end being bad for the market.

Outside of Trump, Soros said that he thought Brexit wont be as hard as many suspect. He said British voters were reacting to the fact that EU rules are too complicated, and will likely need to be reformed. I think by 2019 to 2020, Britain will leave the EU on a Friday, said Soros. But rejoin on a Monday.

Story continues

On Trump as president: Trump stands for a form of government that is a dictatorship or mafioso state. He would be a dictator if he could get a way with it.

On Trump and China: Trump will do more to make China look respectable in the eyes of the international community than China could have ever done on its own.

On Trump and markets: Long-term investors dont like uncertainty. I dont think the market will do very well [under Trump].

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
Donald Trump has been sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, taking power over a divided country after winning a savage campaign. Mike Pence was sworn in as the Vice-President.

Trump took oath before around 900,000 people outside the domed US Capitol, with US Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.

India was represented at the ceremony by Ambassador Navtej Singh Sarna.

Stay tuned for live updates:

Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here.
Mexico/New York: Mexico extradited its drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to New York on Thursday, likely ending a decades-long criminal 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.



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.



Guzman, 59, arrived in a small jet at Long Island's MacArthur Airport after nightfall and left in a column of vehicles. Later a police convoy believed to be carrying the kingpin arrived at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center, a maximum-security federal prison, with helicopters swooping overhead.



At least three female inmates chanted "Chapo! Chapo!" at the top of their voices from their barred cell window.



One of the world's most wanted drug kingpins until he was captured a year ago, Guzman busted out of a high-security penitentiary in central Mexico six months earlier through a mile-long tunnel, his second dramatic prison escape.



After Guzman slipped out of his cell through a tunnel fitted with a motorbike on rails in July 2015, Trump said on Twitter he "would kick his ass" as president.



The extradition of El Chapo, or Shorty, followed a federal court decision on Thursday rejecting a legal challenge by his lawyers against extradition. It came 16 years to the day after the first jail break, removing the lingering fear he would again outsmart the Mexican government.



Alberto Elias Beltran, Mexico's assistant attorney general for international affairs, denied the extradition had anything to do with Trump's inauguration and said one day Guzman would face justice at home.



"When he finishes his sentence in the United States he will return to Mexico," where he has 10 pending cases, Beltran said.



Guzman's stays in Mexico's corrupt prisons did little to crimp the power of his Sinaloa Cartel that U.S. anti-drug officials consider responsible for much of the narcotic distribution in the United States. It is expected he will have less access to his network from a U.S. jail.



The man who Forbes in 2012 included on its world's billionaires list was widely believed to exert influence from his cell during his previous incarcerations. In the past year, however, he had complained of harsh treatment and solitary confinement.



Guzman is charged in six separate indictments throughout the United States. The accusations range 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 reaching Europe and Asia.



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 scarred but mostly victorious.



He was being held in a prison just across the border from El Paso, Texas in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, where his Sinaloa cartel beat the rival Juarez cartel into submission with such violence than tens of thousands fled the city.



TRANSFER CHALLENGED



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 Guzman'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 showed goodwill 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 (the extradition) 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 Guzmans extradition," Vigil said.



The Mexican court system said in a statement Guzman would be tried in Texas and California, as he faces charges in El Paso and San Diego.



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 tougher 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.








Washington: Reflecting on the peaceful transition in one of the oldest democracies of the world, the JCCIC has said the theme of Donald Trump's inauguration is "Uniquely American", which recognises the symbolic importance of the event.



With each inauguration we embrace this uniquely American ceremony, seeing in this extraordinary ritual a reflection of the nation itself. In times of peace or war, of prosperity or crisis, inaugurations strengthen the national resolve to meet each new challenge," the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) said.



"We may consider it routine, but the inaugural ceremony remains a uniquely American expression of our constitutional system. The peaceful transition between presidential administrations signals that we are united as a people behind an enduring republic," it said reflecting on the theme of this year's inauguration.



In 1981, the inaugural ceremony struck President Ronald Reagan as being both commonplace and miraculous.



"The orderly transfer of authority as called for in the Constitution routinely takes place, as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us stop to think how unique we really are," Reagan had said his inaugural speech.



"In the eyes of many in the world, this every-four-year ceremony we accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle," he said.



At the end of the 18th century, it was widely believed that Republican form of government was best suited to small, homogeneous societies of America.



However, the United States rapidly grew in the 19th century in geography and population and our system of government demonstrated its remarkable ability not just to accommodate that diversity, but to draw strength from it, JCCIC said.



In his second inaugural address in 1805, President Thomas Jefferson commented on the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase.



"The larger our association," he insisted, "the less will it be shaken by local passions".



Jefferson's faith in "association" across space would ultimately depend on knitting together the far-flung communities of the nation. President James Monroe, in his 1817 inaugural address, envisioned a network of roads and canals that would cultivate national unity.



"By thus facilitating the intercourse between the states we shall shorten distances, and, by making each part more accessible to and dependent on the other, we shall bind the Union more closely together," he had said.



By the end of the 19th century, American towns and cities were linked by roads, canals, and railroads, followed by telegraph and telephone wires.



Modern infrastructure expanded in the 20th century, in the form of national highways, and in the 21st century with Internet cables and wireless communications.



Vast distances have been considerably reduced while knowledge, opportunity, and the shared ideals of purpose, ingenuity, and equality have been significantly expanded.



"These greater connections have required bridging the gap between competing political and ideological visions, while protecting the political and civil rights of all Americans," it said.



"With each inauguration we embrace this uniquely American ceremony, seeing in this extraordinary ritual a reflection of the nation itself. In times of peace or war, of prosperity or crisis, inaugurations strengthen the national resolve to meet each new challenge," the committee said.



"With malice toward none, with charity for all," President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed in his second inaugural address delivered during the waning days of the Civil War, "Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nations wounds," he said.



During the depths of the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt declared his 1933 inauguration a "day of national consecration," in which "we face the arduous days that lie before us in the warm courage of national unity".



President George H W Bush observed in 1989 that on inauguration day, "we remember that we are all part of a continuum, inescapably connected by the ties that bind."



"At the dawn of the 21st century," as President William Clinton proclaimed in his 1997 address, Americans had to "shape the forces of the information age and the global society, to unleash the limitless power of all our people, and yes, to form a more perfect Union."



"On January 20, 2017, we gather at the US Capitol, the home of the legislature, along with the executive, represented by the President, and the judiciary, embodied by the Chief Justice of the United States who administers the oath. It is a meeting of the three branches of the federal government, before the people, to observe the simple yet momentous ritual of presidential oath taking," JCCIC said.










Washington: Police deployed pepper spray in a chaotic confrontation blocks from Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday as protesters registered their rage against the new president.



Spirited demonstrations unfolded peacefully at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read, "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now," ''Let Freedom Ring," ''Free Palestine."



But at one point, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of downtown businesses as they denounced capitalism and Trump. Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters and eventually cordoned off the protesters.



The demonstrators shouted, "Hands up, don't shoot," echoing a slogan adopted at protests after police shot Michael Brown to death in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.



The confrontation happened about an hour before Trump was sworn in at the Capitol.



Closer to that scene, lines for ticket-holders entering two gates stretched for blocks at one point as protesters clogged entrances.



Earlier, the DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, had promised that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest when necessary.



Trump supporter Brett Ecker said the protesters were frustrating but weren't going to put a damper on his day.



"They're just here to stir up trouble," said the 36-year-old public school teacher. "It upsets me a little bit that people choose to do this, but yet again it's one of the things I love about this country."



At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay. Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organize the Disrupt J20 protest, said protesters wanted to show Trump and his "misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous" supporters that they won't be silent.



Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard.



Most Trump supporters walking to the inauguration past Union Station ignored protesters outside the train station, but not Doug Rahm, who engaged in a lengthy and sometimes profane yelling match with them.



"Get a job," said Rahm, a Bikers for Trump member from Philadelphia. "Stop crying snowflakes, Trump won."



Outside the International Spy Museum, protesters in Russian hats ridiculed Trump's praise of President Vladimir Putin, marching with signs calling Trump "Putin's Puppet" and "Kremlin employee of the month."



More demonstrations were planned for later in the day. The "Festival of Resistance" march ran about 1.5 miles to McPherson Square, a park about three blocks from the White House, where a rally featuring the filmmaker and liberal activist Michael Moore was planned.



Along the inaugural parade route, the ANSWER Coalition anti-war group planned demonstrations at two locations.



Protesters and supporters of Trump clashed Thursday evening outside a pro-Trump event in Washington. Police used chemical spray on some protesters in an effort to control the unruly crowd. Hundreds gathered outside the National Press Club in downtown Washington, where the "DeploraBall" was being held. The name is a play on a campaign remark by Hillary Clinton, who once referred to many of Trump's supporters as a "basket of deplorables."



The demonstrations won't end when Trump takes up residence in the White House. A massive Women's March on Washington is planned for Saturday. Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbia's homeland security director, has said 1,800 buses have registered to park in the city Saturday, which could mean nearly 100,000 people coming in just by bus.
Washington: The nominee for US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said that the Donald Trump administration will not be soft on China and could declare the world's second-largest economy a "currency manipulator".



"I would," Mnuchin said when asked by lawmakers during his confirmation hearing if he would declare China a currency manipulator as promised by Trump during his election campaign.



"In regards to my view on China, I 100 per cent support the President's view, and that we need to look at China overall from a trade standpoint, and an economic standpoint, and a security standpoint," he told Senate Finance Committee.



Trump had during his campaign singled out China over its trade practices and had said he would negotiate a better deal for the US. And since his shock election in November, he has challenged Beijing over militarisation of the South China Sea, alleged currency manipulation and North Korea and threatening to up-end ties by offering greater political recognition to Taiwan.



During the hearing yesterday, the lawmakers too expressed concern over China's aggressive behaviour and trade practices.



Senator Sherrod Brown told Mnuchin: "I want to talk to you about China. I've never met a Goldman Sachs banker who wanted to get tough on China. Based on your Wall Street background and financial dealings, I'm concerned about just what I've seen in the past with bankers and what I would say is soft on China.



"Relativity Media is a Beverly Hills company invested in movies, among other things. When you were co-chair there during 2014 and '15, the company received investment from Chinese investors in the company's films and partnered with the government of the People's Republic of China to promote and distribute Chinese films," he said.



"China readily admits it wants to become more powerful by increasing its cultural influence in this country and expanding its financial stake in the US film industry. You were a board member of a company that partnered directly with the Chines government, that increased their influence in



Hollywood. Were you - were you helping China expand its global power," Brown asked.



Earlier in his testimony, Mnuchin said he will use the Treasury Department's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence to stop the financing of terrorism.



"I will partner with other federal agencies in our shared goal of allowing our financial markets to operate safely and keep our citizens secure in the knowledge that we are working for them 24/7," he said.



Mnuchin ruled out imposing a high tariff across the board. "Where the president-elect has talked about, I've never heard him talk about 30 or 35 per cent tariffs across the board. I have heard him specifically say, well, if certain companies want to move their jobs, we're going to specifically put a tariff on them," he said.





The nominee for US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said that the Donald Trump administration will not be soft on China and could declare the world's second-largest economy a "currency manipulator".






Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., his family and Rep. Tom Garrett Jr., R-5th District, are among those from the Lynchburg area planning to attend Fridays inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.

I think its just a historic event, and I went to a couple of inaugurations in the 80s and 90s, and its just something you never forget, and its just a great day for our nation, Falwell said Wednesday.

Falwell, who left for Washington, D.C., with his family Wednesday night, said he and his wife, Becki, received tickets last week to the swearing in scheduled to take place at noon today.

They plan also to attend Thursday nights welcome concert at the Lincoln Memorial and the inaugural parade and a ball Friday. On Saturday, they will attend the LU Praise performance at the presidents prayer service at the National Cathedral from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Im more thrilled about that than any other part, Falwell said of the LU Praise performance. Theyll make a great impression.

Falwell and his family also have been invited to a private service at St. Johns Episcopal Church on Friday morning prior to the inauguration.

Its for the Trump and [Vice President-elect Mike] Pence families and their closest friends, Falwell said Wednesday night.

I think it says a lot that it was important enough to him to have a private worship service. I think its more of a prayer service prior to the swearing-in; I think that says a lot about his faith.

Falwell said when he spoke with Pence last week, he asked Pence if a singing group from LU could perform at the inauguration.

Pences team invited the LU Praise choir to perform two numbers at the presidents prayer service slated for Saturday at the National Cathedral.

LU Praise performs praise and worship songs in African-American gospel style, according to Vernon Whaley, director of the choir and dean of the School of Music, who will leave for D.C. with his 28 performers Friday morning.

Its one of our premier performing groups.  Were very, very excited to be asked to do this, Whaley said.

Whaley said the choir has been asked to perform Total Praise during the service prelude and at about 10:20 a.m.  midway through the event  perform Weve Come This Far By Faith.

Whaley said the group, which formed in 2006, has been extraordinarily well received because it crosses so many genres but stays true to the African-American style.

A team of law enforcement from the Lynchburg Police Department also will be in Washington serving on the Inauguration Protection Detail, according to the departments posts on social media.

Officials with Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell county sheriffs offices said they arent sending anyone up to represent their agencies.

Liberty University Police Chief Richard Hinkley said he couldnt comment on whether or not personnel from his department would be serving in Washington for the inauguration.

Legislators representing the Lynchburg area, including Sen. Steve Newman, R-Bedford County; Del. Kathy Byron, R-Bedford County; Del. C. Matt Fariss, R-Campbell; and Del. Scott Garrett, R-Lynchburg, have said they do not plan to attend the event.

Three of Virginias four Democratic congressmen will also not attend Trumps inauguration, they said. Rep. Donald McEachin, D-4th District, and Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-11th District, released news statements Wednesday declaring they would not attend the inauguration. Rep. Don Beyer, D-8th District, already had announced he would not attend.

Yes, I treasure the peaceful transfer of power. Yes, I will respect the constitutional prerogatives of the presidency, Beyer said in a statement.  His values and his actions are the antithesis of those I hold dear. It would be the height of hypocrisy for me to pretend to be part of this inaugural celebration.

McEachin and Connolly referenced insults Trump made to civil rights leader John Lewis as a reason but not the sole reason they would not attend.

The comments about John Lewis were just the final example, McEachins statement said. He 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.

Tom Garrett, R-5th District, who plans to attend, said hes not so much looking forward to the inauguration as getting to work with a new president.

At the risk of getting myself in trouble, theres a whole lot of things that members of Congress have to do and to the extent that some members choose not to attend inauguration, Im not going to attack them, Garrett said in a phone interview this week.

If the script were flipped, Garrett said, and he planned not to attend a Democratic presidents inauguration, he would give notice and wouldnt make a big dog and pony show about it. The inauguration, he said is meant more to honor the office than the man.

I think that sort of hey look at me grandstanding is unnecessary, said Garrett, who frequently made floor speeches during his tenure as a state senator.
LONDON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Germany's benchmark 10-year government bond yield rose to a one-month high on Friday, giving up earlier falls, as U.S. Treasuries came under renewed selling pressure.

The 10-year German Bund yield rose 3 basis points to a peak of 0.333 percent, with other euro zone bond yields also giving up earlier falls to trade higher on the day.

U.S. Treasury yields, pushed higher this week by stonger-than-expected economic data and comments by Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen signalling a steadily rising path for U.S. rates, climbed to a 2-1/2 week high of 2.506 percent .

(Reporting by Dhara Ranasinghe, editing by Nigel Stephenson)
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., says he opposes Donald Trumps 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 Trumps pick for education secretary, the billionaire school-choice advocate Betsy DeVos of Michigan.

Kaines committee assignments allowed him to question all three this week as the Senate moves toward confirming Trumps 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 wouldnt 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 DeVoss 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 dont 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 hasnt said whether hell 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 cant 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 Irans nuclear capabilities.

Kaine said he wants Haley to speak out about mistreatment of the press in other countries. Its 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 Tillersons confirmation.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chairman and ranking Democrat on the Select Committee on Intelligence, plans to support the nomination of Rep. Mike Pompeo, a Kansas Republican, to lead the CIA. Warner has not weighed in on Trumps other Cabinet picks.

John Whitbeck, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said in a statement he is pleased that, for once, Senator Kaine has given in to 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 Clintons running mate, it isnt surprising.

Kaine will have good seats for Fridays inauguration. He said that as he watches Trump and Vice President-Elect Mike Pence sworn in, hell feel the disappointment of loss. But he said the best coping mechanism is delving into his work as a senator.
A delay in the execution of Ricky Javon Gray on Wednesday night was due to difficulty in placing the IV line in a vein, officials with the Virginia Department of Corrections said early Thursday.

Gray's lawyers, however, questioned the department's explanations.

"We think an independent inquiry is warranted," said Rob Lee, with the Virginia Capital Representation Resource center, in an email on Thursday.

Later Thursday, the center released a statement that said, "After witnessing Ricky Gray's execution and carefully reviewing the facts, there is grave concern that the execution of Mr. Gray caused pain and suffering inconsistent with his constitutional rights."

There was no immediate response Thursday from the secretary of public safety office or the department of corrections.

Gray, 39, was pronounced dead by injection at 9:42 p.m. for the murder of two young Richmond girls in 2006. The delay was one of two apparent anomalies during the execution  neither said to be related to the use of two compounded drugs that sparked a court battle in the weeks leading up to the execution.

After an inmate is led into the execution chamber and strapped to the gurney, a curtain is drawn blocking the view of witnesses while IV lines are inserted and the electrodes for a cardiac monitor are placed on the inmate, a process that normally only takes a few minutes.

In Gray's execution Wednesday, the curtain was drawn closed at 8:54 p.m. and not opened again until 9:27 p.m., well over a half-hour.

Lee said that prior to the execution, Gray told his lawyers that prison staff examined his body, particularly inspecting his veins.

"He said they did not indicate they anticipated any problem accessing his veins. He did not have any medical condition or history such as intravenous drug use that would indicate any potential problem. He was a healthy 39-year-old man," said Lee.

Late Wednesday, corrections officials said they could not explain the delay, but early Thursday morning they said it was due to difficulty finding a vein for the IV line, an issue that has happened in at least two of Virginia's prior 80 lethal injections.

Another apparent difference in Gray's execution was the appearance of a physician who came out from behind another curtain with a stethoscope at 9:41 p.m. He opened Gray's shirt and listened to his chest. Gray was pronounced dead at 9:42 p.m.

The department's execution protocol appears to call for the physician to remain behind the back curtain and monitor the inmate's heart.

The execution manual states: "The physician will be posted in advance behind the back curtain. The physician will observe the heart monitor and determine when death has occurred. Once the physician determines death has occurred, he will announce this and the time of death to the Lead Warden or designee. The Lead Warden will then step out from behind the curtain and signal to the Director or designee that the offender is deceased."

Following Gray's execution, Lisa Kinney, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections, said at times a physician will check the inmate with a stethoscope in addition to the monitor for the sake of redundancy.

The use of two compounded drugs, midazolam and potassium chloride  at the center of a last-minute effort to halt the execution  did not cause any issues, according to the Department of Corrections.

Gray's lawyers said the use of compounded drugs made by a pharmacy and not a pharmaceutical manufacturer raised the possibility Gray would be chemically tortured in violation of his right not to suffer cruel and unusual punishment.

However, federal courts refused to grant a stay of execution, and the U.S. Supreme Court turned Gray down just hours before the execution began.

It was the first time Virginia has used midazolam, a sedative used as the first drug and intended to render the inmate unconscious. Gray appeared to have labored/mechanical breathing at times for a few minutes following the start of the procedure and could be heard snoring or groaning.

Lee's colleague, Elizabeth Peiffer, was a witness to the execution. Lee said, "The labored breathing, gasping, and other audible and visible activity people described last night, was explained by the DOC's experts at the Jan. 3 hearing as evidence of the inmate suffocating from respiratory depression."

After the midazolam was administered, at 9:32 p.m., a member of the execution team pinched or otherwise attempted to provoke a response from Gray to make sure he had been rendered unconscious before the second drug, a paralytic, was administered. At 9:33 p.m. it appeared all movement by Gray had stopped.

Lee said that, "Elizabeth and others saw Ricky turn his head from side to side a minute or more after the pinch test. This is significant because it could be further evidence of his body's desperate reaction to suffocation.

Or, Lee said, it could indicate that he was roused to consciousness by the introduction of the second drug, rocuronium bromide. Gray's head movement would have stopped as soon as the paralytic took effect even if he remained conscious, contends Lee.

Lee said the redundancy check by the physician is not something he has seen before in lethal injections. "It has been the practice for the physician to stay behind the curtain and declare death based on a heart monitor also located behind the curtain," he said.

A media witness at the Jan. 23, 1996, execution of Richard Townes Jr. reported the execution was delayed 22 minutes because of difficulty finding suitable veins for the IV. Prison officials said an IV was finally inserted in the top of Townes' right foot.

On June 25, 2008, the curtain was drawn for Robert Stacy Yarbrough for 17 minutes, with the corrections department later saying the delay was because of difficulty placing one of the IV lines.

When asked if he had a last statement, Darick Demorris Walker, executed on May 20, 2010, said, "I don't think y'all done this right, took y'all too long to hook it up." A prison spokesman later said there was an unspecified delay in placing an IV line.
Lloyd Blankfein

Stock markets have been on a tear since Donald Trump's electoral victory in November, but at least one Wall Street titan says the president-elect can't take all the credit.

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein on Wednesday told CNBC that the market had been on the right path before the election and that the "Trump effect" simply added to the momentum.

"I think one of the reasons why the election had such a dramatic effect is because it was drawing people in the direction that it was already heading," Blankfein said from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"I think the markets were improving, you know, the Fed's focus on the likelihood of them raising rates, the growth was already in it," he said of the Federal Reserve. "We were already getting at or near full employment."

Those factors, he said, were already "baked in" and provide a tailwind for Trump's "stimulative" platform.

Goldman's own stock has helped lead the rally and is currently up about 26.7% since the election.

His comments contrast those of other Wall Street CEOs who appear more bullish on Trump's plan for the economy. Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan told CNBC that "some people are starting to spend in anticipation" of tax reform and repatriation resulting from Trump's election.

"I've heard some CEOs here say, 'I'm going to invest faster now,'" he said.

Of course, Blankfein said, Trump's message has filled investors with greater confidence. The president-elect has promised lower corporate taxes, more infrastructure spending, and less regulation, among other things.

Blankfein added that the Trump effect did not result just from the difference between the new expectations and the status quo, but rather from the difference between the new expectations and what had been built in for a Hillary Clinton win. Blankfein said before the election that he was backing her bid for president.

That said, Blankfein referred to the president-elect as simply "part of the macroenvironment."

Story continues

"It was going in this way, you know, the basic bones of the US economy is good," Blankfein said.

"The balance sheets of companies and balance sheets of individuals had been fixed. Again, we've talked about full employment, wage growth ... so this is pushing in the direction of the momentum."

When asked if he wished he had backed a different horse, given that Clinton had pushed for higher taxes and more regulation, Blankfein said there was more to it than just those two factors.

"Let me put it this way: I am dying to look back at this and like the outcome of it, and I'm certainly going to behave in as supportive of a fashion as I possibly can to make sure that I like it," he said.

Goldman Sachs reported fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday that beat analysts' expectations.

NOW WATCH: The most important question you should ask before hiring a financial adviser





More From Business Insider


Revisit the founding of the JSA and foreshadow its future in The New Golden Age #1 preview

And see what lies ahead in the future of the DC Universe
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.
RBC economist: TT saved only US$2.6B over 100 years

Dukharan was speaking to the issues of Connecting Citizens with their energy resources forum held yesterday at the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Columbus Circle, Westmoorings while doing a critical review of the Trinidad and Tobago Extractive Industries Transparency Initiatives (TTE ITI) 2014 to 2015 report launched last year.

Dukharan was speaking to transparency and its importance.

She noted that the Heritage and Stabilisation Fund (HSF) had gotten to approximately USD $5.7 billion before it was dipped into last year.

Asking if anyone actually knew how much the country had contributed to the HSF, Dukharan noted the country had only saved US $2.6 billion despite producing oil for 100 years.

The fund manager, she said, had generated the rest to get the country to where it was before it was dipped into.

In a 2016 study done by a former central bank economist, she said, it was found that spending all the countrys energy revenue creates macro- economic volatility.

The paper found that the optimal level of saving for energy revenue is 80 percent, she said.

Dukharan said she was pleased there were efforts to establish a revenue authority to improve tax collection but, to me it is very disappointing of that US $2.6 billion that we saved that brought us to $5.7 billion we are dipping into it without having an acceptable level of tax compliance. We are not collecting that taxes that are due to us whether from the energy sector but particularly from the non-energy sector. TT was among countries that did not escape the resource curse citing an extract done from a 2012 study that showed countries like Canada and Botswana had escaped the that resource curse while countries like TT and Venezuela who had not escaped the resource curse or the paradox of plenty.

The study found that resource rich countries on average contrary to what we might expect have had worse economic development than countries poor in resources. One reason for this paradox of plenty as we call it in economics is that there is a well-established high correlation between resource abundance and corruption, she said.

There is a tendency for oil in particular to impede democracy.

This is why transparency is so important in TT , she said.
The Whitehouse.gov site was handed over to Trumps team as he was sworn into office.

Just as Donald Trump was sworn into the highest office in the land at noon on the steps of the Capitol building, the Whitehouse.gov webpage rolled over from the one the Obama White House maintained for the past eight years to one the Trump team will take over.

The change was swift and painless. Obamas speeches, briefings and executive actions have been removed, leaving a clean slate for Trump and his Cabinet to make their mark on.

Interestingly a Google search for Obama Whitehouse.gov turned up a link for a website titled President Barack Obama | whitehouse.gov, though thats likely a caching issue and should change over soon.

Obamas White House website hasnt disappeared into the ether, though. Instead, youll be able to access all of the content from the Obama White House website at Obamawhitehouse.gov.

One of the most notable changes Trumps team has made to the official Whitehouse.gov page was the removal of nearly all references to climate change. Obama made the topic a key issue for his administration and his site highlights the matter just below civil rights. The first issues on Trumps Whitehouse.gov page focus on energy and foreign policy.

In addition to Whitehouse.gov, the presidents @POTUS Twitter account also rolled over from Obama to Trump as the clock struck 12 in Washington, D.C. Trump, a prolific and often controversial Twitter user, hasnt tweeted from the account as of yet, and it isnt clear if hell keep his @RealDonaldTrump account up and running while using @POTUS for more official communications.

Obama will continue to tweet from @BarackObama, while his official presidential account will be archived by the National Archives and Records Administration at @POTUS44.

The former first lady, Michelle Obama, will also see her tweets from the @FLOTUS account archived under @FLOTUS44. First Lady Melania Trump has taken over the official FLOTUS handle. If youre interested in following Michelle Obama, she will continue tweeting from @MichelleObama.

Story continues

The Twitter handles for the @WhiteHouse, @PressSec and @VP and other social media accounts will also be rolled over to the Trump administration and start fresh. The accounts for Vice President Joe Biden and the Obama White House press secretary will also be archived at @VP44 and @PressSec44.

More from Dan:

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.
Trump: 'I'll Very, Very, Very

Probably Do It Again'
Last month, Adama Barrow won Gambia's presidential election, ending the 22-year rule of dictator Yahya Jammeh. Barrow's inauguration was scheduled for Thursday, but Jammeh has refused to step down. And the opportunity for a peaceful resolution appears to be over. Here's what you need to know:

The Senegalese army entered Gambia Thursday with the intent of ousting Jammeh, the Washington Post reports. Gambian citizens, including apparently the country's army chief, were in the streets welcoming the troops from Senegal.

The Guardian reports thousands of tourists are being bused from resorts all over the country and evacuated from the airport in the capital of Banjul as armed conflict becomes more likely.

Barrow was sworn in as president Thursday at the Gambian embassy in Senegal in front of ambassadors from UN and other African countries, the BBC reports.

Time has a history of the situation in Gambia, including a look at the election and what went wrong afterward.

Back at the Guardian, a Gambian filmmaker and journalist discusses how Jammeh created a "political crisis that threatens the peace and stability" of Gambia and what it means for the country and its citizens.

On Thursday, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution giving "full support" to Barrow while condemning "in the strongest terms possible" the actions of Jammeh, the AP reports.

Due to Jammeh's refusal to step down, Barrow was unable to return to Gambia for the funeral of his young son, who was killed by a dog last Sunday.

(Read more Gambia stories.)
Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, 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 US on Thursday to face drug trafficking and other charges, the AP reports. Mexico's Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to US authorities for transportation to the US on Thursday, the last full day of President Obama's administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated. The US Justice Department issued a statement confirming that Guzman was en route to the US and expressed gratitude to Mexico for its cooperation. A senior US official says Guzman was placed on a plane to New York at 5:30pm EST in Ciudad Juarez.

The convicted Sinaloa cartel boss has been held most recently in a prison near Ciudad Juarez. He was recaptured a year ago after escaping from a second maximum-security prison through a tunnel dug to his cell. He had fought extradition since then. Guzman faces the possibility of life in prison under multiple indictments in six jurisdictions around the US. A federal indictment in New York, where Guzman is expected to be prosecuted, accuses him of overseeing a trafficking cartel with thousands of members and billions of dollars in profits laundered back to Mexico. It says Guzman and other members of the Sinaloa cartel employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings, and acts of torture. (Read more Joaquin Guzman stories.)
"It's worse than we thought 10 years ago," a researcher says following a "landmark" study on the world's primates that found many could go extinct in the next 50 years. Primatologists studied every primate speciesall 504 of themand found 75% are in decline, while about 60% are threatened with extinction, including every species of ape and 87% of lemurs, reports the New York Times. What's imperiling them: hunting (for food and body parts), mining (the search for coltan, an ore used in cellphones, is one factor), and deforestation (our appetite for palm oil is particularly troublesome). The Guardian reports deforestation is the biggest factor of the three: From 1990 to 2010, 580,000 square miles of primate habitatsan area more than twice the size of Texaswas destroyed due to agricultural growth.

"The scale of this is massive," a researcher tells the Guardian, adding he was "horrified" by the report. "The world will soon be facing a major extinction event if effective action is not implemented immediately," reads the study, published Wednesday in Science Advances. New Scientist suggests conservation efforts could zero in on four key countries, which host two-thirds of our primate species: Brazil, Indonesia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Madagascar, which is down to the last 2,000 of its famed ring-tailed lemurs. Building fish farms in areas where hunting is common and protecting primate habitats might safeguard primates' roles in the ecosystem, including moving pollen from tree to tree and spreading seeds through their dung, researchers say. This could be our "one last opportunity." (Extinct animals can be found in an "ark" in a freezer.)
Donald Trump promised to make America "greater than ever before" at a concert at the Lincoln Memorial on the eve of his inauguration. "We're going to unify our country," the president-elect told the crowd. "And our phraseyou all know it, half of you are wearing the hat'Make America Great Again.' But we're going to make America great for all our people, everybody." Trump, speaking after a concert that featured Lee Greenwood, Toby Keith, and 3 Doors Down, among others, recounted his election victory, boasted about the size of the crowd, and promised the "forgotten man and the forgotten woman" who voted for him that they wouldn't be "forgotten anymore," reports NPR. Fireworks spelled "USA" during the event.

"This started out tonight being a small little concert, and then we had the idea maybe we'll do it in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I don't know if it's ever been done before, but if it has, very seldom," Trump said, per the Washington Post, which notes that President Obama hosted an inaugural concert at the same spot in 2009. Jon Voight also spoke, telling the crowd that "God answered all of our prayers" and that Lincoln himself would be "smiling knowing we will be led by an honest and good man." The Guardian reports that thousands of supporters, many in "Make America Great Again" hats, were in attendance, though the area was apparently far from full. CNN reports that during a post-concert dinner at Union Station, Trump thanked his advisers and promised to "win the old-fashioned way" next time. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
President Obama has only a few hours left in office, but there's still plenty to do. At 8:30am, the Obamas will say goodbye to the few remaining White House stafferssome of whom are departing for New York or California, per Timebefore Barack and Michelle join Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and their wives for coffee and tea in the Blue Room. At some point, Obama will leave a letter for Trump in the Oval Office. (George W. Bush's words to Obama have just been released.) The group will then take a limousine to the Capitol around 10:30am, reports the Guardian.

As Trump officially becomes the 45th US president at noon, movers will take care of the Obamas' final White House belongings; large picture frames which once housed photos of Obama in the West Wing now hang empty, reports NBC News. After the inauguration ceremony, the now-former President Obama and his family will next take a helicopter to what served as his Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base. He'll head for a vacation in sunny Palm Springswhere he'll reportedly stay at the Rancho Mirage home of a White House decorator, per CNNbefore returning to DC, which will be home for the next 2 years as Sasha finishes school. An interesting tidbit from Time: President Obama's final call to a foreign leader was to Angela Merkel on Thursday; their spouses joined the call. (Read more Barack Obama stories.)
A murderer may be about to walk free, a judge said Thursday, the possible endgame to what the Texas Court of Appeals describes as a "criminal justice nightmare." Jerry Hartfield was convicted of the murder of Bay City bus station clerk Eunice Lowe in 1976 and sentenced to death, but that conviction was overturned on appeal in 1980 because a potential juror had been wrongly excused over doubts about capital punishment. While Hartfield, who is mentally impaired, waited decades for a new trial, prosecutors were under the impression that the appeal was made invalid by a commutation of Hartfield's initial death penalty sentence to life in prison, reports the New York Times. That wasn't in fact the case.

As the Atlantic previously reported, "everyone dropped the ball." And though Hartfield, 60, eventually got his retrial in 2015 and was again found guilty of murder, he was denied his right to a speedy trial, the court ruled Thursday. In dismissing the indictment against him, the court essentially voided his 2015 conviction. As a result, "a defendant who may be guilty of murder may go free" but "it is the only possible remedy," Judge Gina M. Benavides said. Hartfieldwho was convicted in 1977 after signing a confession and later recanted (though he is said to have pointed authorities to the location of Lowe's stolen car)will likely live with his sister if and when he is released, his lawyer says. (Read more Texas stories.)
On his first full-day in office, President Trump will get the message that "women's rights are human rights"or that's the hope of some 400,000 people expected to attend the Women's March in Washington on Saturday. Here's what to know about the event:



The principles of it are laid out here, and they touch on a lot more than women's rights, including workers' and immigrant rights and environmental justice.

ABC News explains how a Hawaiian grandmother started the idea for the march before the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and Amnesty International got on board. More on Teresa Shook here.

The march itself will be preceded by a rally at the National Mall starting at 10am. America Ferrera, Gloria Steinem, Ashley Judd, and Michael Moore are just a few who will speak, while Janelle Monae will perform.

Harper's Bazaar points out other celebrities who'll be in attendance, including Scarlett Johansson, Debra Messing, Katy Perry, Lupita Nyong'o, and Zendaya.

Actress Constance Wu of ABC's Fresh Off the Boat tells the Hollywood Reporter why she'll be there, citing the "patriarchal standards  woven into the fabric of our existence."

But there won't just be celebrities, of course. The New York Times explores why a group of Wall Street professionals feel a duty to attend.

The Huffington Post lays out the rights of protesters and offers tips on what to wear and what to bring (and not bring: signs with handles are a no-no).

While the Amplifier Foundation will be circulating posters, Bust offers a few of its own designs, one of which features Rizzo from Grease. Chicagoist picks out some of its favorite signs; ditto Elle and Bustle. Co.Design offers tips on how to make the "perfect" sign.

Can't attend in Washington? An estimated 2 million people are expected to attend various "sister marches" around the country and the world, including in Kenya, Japan, Albania, and New Zealand, per Bust. Marches are happening on all 7 continents, reports Grist, with one march being held on a ship that sits off the coast of Antarctica.

(Read more Washington DC stories.)
Everyone with a constant flow of "new and innovative solutions" churning around in their noggins might want to touch base with Michigan. The state is offering a $1 million purse to anyone who can come up with a way to keep interloping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, Michael Eckert reports for the Port Huron Times Herald. The pesky fish, which the Michigan Department of Natural Resources describes as having the ability to cause "economic, ecological, and human health harm," may be placing a $7 billion fishing industry at stake, as well as $38 billion from tourism and water recreation, per the DNR's "Invasive Carp Challenge" page. Eckert has a couple of proposals of his own, though based on the column's tone, it doesn't appear he expects either one to be scooped up.

One option, he says: Fill the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal that connects the Mississippi River Basin to the Great Lakesand which basically serves as a conduit for the carp to infiltratewith sand (an option others have suggested as well). But Eckert notes that those opposed to the plan cite the increased transportation costs for some local businesses that would result. His second plan, and probably more of a long shot: Convince Lansing to give up its annual revenue to pay anglers to take the carp out. "It worked for wolves," he says. Meanwhile, the Lansing State Journal discusses a documentary by two filmmakers who grew up in the region on all of the different invasive species in the Great Lakes. (The Army has said getting rid of the carp could take 25 years.)
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 "Brexometer," a sentiment survey the firm launched on Thursday. State Street Corp , 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 towards 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 <.STOXX> dropping 7 percent and the FTSE 100 <.FTSE> 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)
As thousands descend on Washington to demonstrate against the inauguration of Donald Trump, protesters around the world are also voicing their take on the new US president. In London, demonstrators made metaphor literal at the city's Tower Bridge, where a banner proclaiming "Build Bridges Not Walls" was spread across the landmark just after dawn Friday, Reuters reports. As some of the protesters supplemented the banner placement by holding large pink letters spelling out "Act Now," a boat cruised along the Thames below sporting a similar "Build Bridges Not Walls" flag.

Other banners hung around the city included ones flung over Westminster Bridge near the UK's Palace of Westminster (where Parliament meets) that said, "Migrants welcome here" and "Migration is older than language." Reuters and the Irish Times note that similar signage protests are happening around the world, including a Greenpeace demonstration at the last standing segment of the Berlin Wall. (Read more London stories.)
As Donald and Melania Trump head to the White House, Barack and Michelle Obama head to Palm Springs for a post-presidential vacation. Obama bid his formal farewell to Washington after Trump's inauguration Friday, then addressed staffers at Andrews Air Force Base before taking off for good. This is just a little pit stop," he said, per People. "This is not a period. This is a commain the continuing story of building America." (Read more Barack Obama stories.)
For the first time in more than 30 years, the US Army has a new service pistol, Forbes reports. After a five-year search, the Army has settled on the Sig Sauer P320 to replace the M9 Beretta, which has occupied the slot since 1985. The contract is reportedly worth more than $580 million over the next decade. According to the Wall Street Journal, Sig Sauer beat out eight rival companies to secure that contract. Those rivals included Beretta, Glock, and Smith & Wesson, the Army Times reports, noting that Sig Sauers are already used by other members of the military, most specifically in special ops. The Army's Sig Sauer P320s will be manufactured in New Hampshire.

The Army's chief of staff, Gen. Mark Milley, was critical of the long search process last year, saying they weren't "figuring out the next lunar landing." "You give me $17 million on a credit card, and I'll call Cabela's tonight...and I'll get a discount on a bulk buy," the Journal quotes Milley as saying. But now that a new pistol has been chosen, expect more police departments and gun-loving Americansnot to mention prop departments for Hollywood filmsto take an increased interest in the P320, per Forbes. It frames the weapon as representing "a few leaps forward in pistol design," and reports its caliber "can even be changed." (Read more pistol stories.)
* Displaced turn Islamic State documents into Iraqi records

* Militants instituted sophisticated bureaucracy

* Iraqi court converts birth, marriage, death certificates

By Isabel Coles

KHAZER, Iraq, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Bushra Mohammed married two years ago in her hometown of Mosul and bore a child last spring but as far as the Iraqi state is concerned she is single and her son does not exist.

Bushra is one of thousands of Iraqis emerging from more than two years of Islamic State rule to find themselves in legal limbo: neither her marriage nor her son's birth certificate issued by the militants are recognised by the Iraqi government.

As Iraqi forces retake territory from the militants, the state is working to reverse the bureaucratic legacy of Islamic State, which subjected millions to its rule after seizing large parts of Iraq during the summer of 2014.

At a makeshift court housed in a cluster of portacabins at a camp for the displaced in Khazer near Mosul, Iraqi bureaucrats are busily converting certificates issued by the self-declared caliphate into official government documents.

"We are changing them so that we can feel like citizens again," said 20-year-old Bushra, her infant child tugging at the bottom of her abaya. "(Islamic State) are not a state: this is a state."

Despite the violence and privation that came with Islamic State rule, life went on in Mosul and other areas controlled by the militants: people married, had children, divorced and died.

Outside the portacabin court, displaced Iraqis clutch Islamic State documents as proof not only of their rites of passage, but also of the sophisticated bureaucracy the militants ran in their ambition to create a state for all Muslims.

"We don't recognise Daesh (Islamic State) procedures," said judge Khalid al-Shammari, his suit and tie incongruous with the spartan portacabin in which he sits.

"We are emergency judges, like you have emergency doctors. These are exceptional circumstances."

Story continues

IDENTITY CHALLENGE

Untangling Islamic State's bureaucratic legacy is proving complex though.

Even proving identities is complicated by the fact most of those displaced by the fighting don't have national ID cards because the authorities in the Kurdish region where the camp is located have taken them away for security purposes.

Divorces pose a particular challenge as Iraqi law demands that both wife and husband be present to terminate a marriage. But couples who separated while under Islamic State rule often end up fleeing in different directions.

"Sometimes one is liberated and the other is still in an area controlled by Islamic State," judge Shammari said.

The procedures for registering deaths are particularly stringent to prevent people taking advantage of the chaos to fake their own deaths so they can escape justice, or claim inheritances before time, the judge said.

Marwa Salem is running up against those obstacles as she tries to register the death of her father, who she said was killed by Islamic State for cooperating with the Kurdish security services.

The militants dumped his body on the outskirts of the village where they lived near Mosul and gave his family a receipt for his death.

Before his death can be recognised by the Iraqi authorities, she must take the case to another court that deals with terrorism cases in a different city, but people staying in the camp are not permitted to leave for now.

THE ONLY WAY

Some people converting their documents in the makeshift court had initially tried to skirt Islamic State's bureaucracy but ended up having to comply.

Abu al-Abbas, 22, got married shortly after Mosul fell but instead of going to an Islamic State court he arranged for a cleric to preside over the wedding ceremony.

His neighbour also circumvented Islamic State procedures, but was found out and flogged by the militants as punishment.

Fearful of being discovered himself, Abu al-Abbas said he then went to an Islamic State court where a judge tested his knowledge of Islam before signing off on the marriage.

"Their way was the only way," Abu al-Abbas said, lining up outside a portacabin to register his marriage yet again.

The process is basic, with clerks using pen and paper rather than digital databases. In one cabin, staff enter details in a notebook which has the word "computer" written on the front.

The judges and their staff hope they will soon be able to return to Mosul as Iraqi forces advance.

"In Mosul we had everything but here we are in a caravan," said a legal assistant, laboriously transcribing personal details from a stack of forms into a ledger.

Two non-governmental organisations - Qandil, a Swedish group that works mainly in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, and the Norwegian Refugee Council - are helping with the process.

Couples registering marriages first have their fingerprints taken. Then they are called into another portacabin where a judge, seated behind a plastic table with two witnesses present, asks for their dates of birth, when they married and the value of the dowry paid to the wife.

The couples step out into the camp and wait for their Iraqi documents to be processed, ripping up their Islamic State certificates as they go.

(Editing by David Clarke)
New Delhi:

A 21-year-old JNU student was allegedly raped by two Afghan nationals in south Delhis Green Park area, police said on Friday. The victim, a second year BA (Honours) student of JNU, had gone to a pub in Hauz Khas village last week with her friend where she met one Twaab Ahmad alias Saleem, 27, an Afghan national, they said.

Saleem, who live here along with his Afghan friend Sulaiman Ahmadi, 31, on United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card, invited them to his house in Green Park for a party, a police officer said.

When she went to Saleems house along with her friend, Saleems three friendsSulaiman, Siddhant and Pratyusha were present at his house. While her friend was dropped off at JNU, the girl came back to Saleems house and they consumed alcohol, the officer said.

When the victim woke up in the morning, she saw Sulaiman forcing himself on her. She realised that Saleem and Sulaiman had sexually assaulted her when she was unconscious, he said.

The victim went back to her hostel in JNU and narrated the incident to her two friends, who immediately took her to the police station. She was taken to a nearby hospital for medical examination.

On the victims complaint, an FIR under section 376 (punishment for rape) read with 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC was lodged at the Safdarjung Enclave police station on January 12.

The accused, Saleem - an event manager, and Sulaiman, have been arrested and sent to judicial custody by a court, said the officer.
Mumbai:

After flaunting her baby bump at Lakme Fashion Week last year, actress Kareena Kapoor Khan is once again set to walk the runway at the grand finale of its upcoming Summer/Resort 2017 edition for ace designer Anita Dongre.

The 36-year-star will take the ramp for the first time since she gave birth to her child Taimur with actor Saif Ali Khan.

The new mother will don Dongres creation, inspired by liquid gold/argan oil, the main component of the new range of lipsticks by Lakme Absolute.

Its always a pleasure representing Lakme at the most spectacular Grand Finale. And, this year as well, I am glad to go back to Lakme Fashion Week and walk for Anita. I am looking forward to see how she is going to transform the Liquid Gold theme on the runway, said Kareena in a statement.

Dongre, who will bring the curtains down at LFW, has also used handcrafted embroidery in her collection, a portion of which has been done in Jaipur. She has involved her signature gota-patti work and combined it with new detailing.

Kareena has been an absolute role model through her pregnancy and shortly after the arrival of her baby boy, she now returns to her favourite role as showstopper for Lakme grand finale in February. LFW wouldve missed our golden girl.

And Kareena wears the brand ambassador crown for Anita Dongres label and as well as Lakme, so her return to this seasons finale runway will be a doubly magical occasion, said Purnima Lamba, Head of Innovation, Lakme said. Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017 edition will take place from February 1 to 5.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

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 on Thursday, Air Indias Executive Director A Jayachandran said in view of last fiscals 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.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Sleuths from the Enforcement Directorate arrested Surat-based businessman Kishore Bhajiawala on Friday in connection with a money laundering case and for allegedly using 1,000 fake IDs to illegally convert Rs 1 crore in old notes into new post demonetisation.

The agency said it has placed "Jignesh Kishorebhai Bhajiawala (41) under arrest as per provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at about 11:45pm on Thursday at is sub-zonal office in Surat.



The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had registered a criminal FIR against Bhajiawala and some of his family members based on a CBI FIR against him, which was booked after the Income Tax department first conducted searches and seized gold and cash from his premises as part of their operation in December last year to check blackmoney post the notes ban.



The case had gained prominence after investigating agencies detected the proverbial rags-to-riches ascent of the 'chaiwala'-turned-financier based in the diamond city of Gujarat.



"The Bhajiawala family has converted a huge amount of their unaccounted money, post demonetisation, into new high denomination currency and other valuables through collusion with bank officials and private persons by impersonating, forgery and by using forged documents.



"An amount of over Rs 1.02 crore in new currency was seized by the I-T department from his premises during searches at his home, shop and bank lockers held by them. It was also found that the accused had hired several bank lockers in benami names to stash their unaccounted assets," the ED alleged.

(With inputs from PTI)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
London/New Delhi:

British MPs on Thursday 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 debate went on despite Indias strong protest against any such action by British Parliament.



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.



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, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

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, 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 Thursdays 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.



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.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

A 46-year-old Indian has been abducted in Malaysia and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has directed the Indian Mission in that country to send her a report about the case so that he can be rescued.

"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 isn't helping @MEAIndia #Malaysia," tweeted Keshpal's son Yogendra. Keshpal has been working in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur for last five years.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Amid demands to lift ban on bull taming sport of Jallikattu, the government on Friday said it is making efforts to bring out a legal solution at the earliest.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in New Delhi that the Narendra Modi government respects the culture of Tamil Nadu and is mindful of the sentiments expressed by the people in the state through a peaceful protest.

Efforts are on to bring out a legal solution at the earliest ... I along with Environment Minister Anil Dave and Attorney General (Mukul Rohatgi) have discussed the issue. We have also talked to BJP President Amit Shah, he told reporters here refusing to elaborate whether the state government would come up with an ordinance on the issue.

Prasad also hit out at the previous UPA government for challenging the law on Jallikattu of the Tamil Nadu government after the matter was flagged by the animal welfare board and termed it as a legacy issue for the present government.

Asked whether a legislation was the right way as it would set a precedent and people would demand revocation of ban on other similar sport, he said legislation is the felt need of the society.

In a bid to defuse the swelling street protests, Tamil Nadu government on Friday said it will issue an ordinance to ensure the conduct of Jallikattu sport in a day or two and has submitted a draft of it to the Union Home Ministry.

After discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and consultations with legal experts, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam announced this morning that the state government will amend a Central act on Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to allow conduct of Jallikattu in the state with Centres backing.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Chennai:

Top Tamil film actors including Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Ajith, Suriya, Dhanush and others held a silent protest at the South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA) headquarters in T Nagar in Chennai in support of Jallikattu.

The protest was held to show solidarity with the youth of Tamil Nadu who have been protesting for the conduct of the bull taming sport.

The silent protest was led by President of SIAA Nasser aka Nadigar Sangam along with general secretary Vishal, treasurer Karthi and vice-president Ponvannan.

The cinema halls remained closed on Friday. Tamil film unions have also extended support ro the protest.



What Supreme Court said

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed not to pass judgement for a week on the Jallikattu issue while taking into account the Centre's submission that they were in talks with Tamil Nadu to find a way out in the matter.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi mentioned the matter before a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R Banumati that people of Tamil Nadu are "passionate" about Jallikattu and the Central government and the state are trying to resolve the issue.

"The Centre and the state are in talks to find a way out in the matter and our request is that the court should not deliver the judgement for at least a week," Rohatgi told the bench.

What Home Minister Rajnath Singh said

Pressing for an ordinance for conducting Jallikattu, AIADMK MPs on Friday met Union HomeMinister Rajnath Singh, who assured them that the Centre will take action so that the Tamil Nadu government could promulgate it in the next few days.

The MPs, led by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, requested the Home Minister to intervene to ensure promulgation of an ordinance to end the ban on the conduct of Jallikattu.

"The Home Minister has assured us that the file on ordinance will be processed as early as possible so that the ordinance can be promulgated in next two-three days," Thambidurai said.

What Madras High Court said

The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a PIL seeking enactment of a special law withconditions by the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government for holding jallikattu, saying it cannot issue such a direction.

"The court cannot issue such a direction," the bench, comprising Chief Justice S K Kaul and Justice M Sundar said while hearing a petition by K K Ramesh, Managing Trustee of Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation.

What former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee said

Tamil Nadu governments announcement that it would issue an ordinance to ensure the conduct of Jallikattu sport on Friday drew a sharp reaction from eminent jurist Soli Sorabjee who said such a move could be constitutionally invalid.

The central government wants to consult the state government and sort it (the issue of Jallikattu) out. Very good. But to run an ordinance in these circumstances is out of the question. It will not be warranted at all, the former Attorney General told some television channels.

He also said that an ordinance was issued when there were circumstances of pressing nature which required immediate action.

I dont think an ordinance will be constitutionally valid also, but in any case lets wait and see what happens, he said.

What Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy said

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Friday urged the Centre to bring in an ordinance to conduct jallikattu.

Narayansamy said he had e-mailed his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking promulgation of an ordinance to hold jallikattu which is an ancient Tamil sport.

The Central government has full liberty to bring in an ordinance to permit the sport...  he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here

Environment Ministry gives observations on jallikattu proposal

The Environment Ministry on Friday gave its observations to the proposal sent by the Tamil Nadu government for lifting of the ban on bull-taming sport jallikatu and returned it to the Home Ministry for final decision.

The proposal was submitted to the Home Ministry. The Home Ministry sent it to us for comments. We gave our comments and have sent it back to the Home Ministry for further vetting, a source in the Environment Ministry said.

What Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said an ordinance to allow Jallikattu would be in place in a day or two and legal steps would be taken to tackle any obstacles that come its way.

After getting the assent of President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday, an ordinance will be promulgated by our Governor to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, he said on his arrival here at the airport from Delhi.

Asked if he will inaugurate Jallikattu, Panneerselvam told reporters, It will happen according to your wishes.

He said the President will reach Delhi only tonight after his visit to states.

Tomorrow or day-after-tomorrow, the joyous news of ordinance will come. For sure Jallikattu will be held in Tamil Nadu, he said.

What Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu said

Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu on Friday came out strongly in support of jallikattu amid groundswell in Tamil Nadu for the conduct of the bull-taming sport.

Describing jallikattu as the spirit of Tamil Nadu, Mahesh Babu took to twitter and hoped the voices of the protesters are heard.

Jallikattu is the spirit of Tamil Nadubold and fearless, said the actor, son of veteran film personality Krishna.

Proud to see such a statement of unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in. Especially admire the way, the students of Tamil Nadu have been standing up for the cause, relentlessly fighting for their roots and culture. Hope their voices are heard. I support the spirit of Tamil Nadu, Mahesh Babu, who grew up and studied in Chennai, said in a series of tweets.

(With inputs from PTI)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Pune:

Yoga guru Ramdev on Thursday 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 Patanjalis money.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Kohima:

The apex students body in Nagalandhas appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop the works on the border fencing between India and Myanmar in Noklak Sub-division of Tuensang district.



We come to you through this representation with very great hope and high expectation to bring an amicable solution to the divisive border fencing between India and Myanmar(sic), Naga Students Federation said in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister sent through the Governors office on Thursday.



The NSF expressed resentment against the border fencing along the international boundary between India and Myanmar.



Despite creation of the artificial geographical boundary, people in the region are peace loving and have been rendering much effort to maintain peace and tranquility along the area, NSF President Subenthung Kithan and Assistant General Secretary Kesosul Christopher Ltu said.



The NSF also sought the immediate intervention of the Prime Minister to address the matter.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday informed that as many as 5,700 Rohingya Muslims and 322 other foreigners are presently living in Jammu and Samba districts of the state.

In a written reply to the question of BJP MLA Sat Pal Sharma in J&K Assembly she spoke that no instances were reported of radicalizing these foreigners. If such complaint is received, appropriate action as necessary under law will be taken against the people concerned and such organization, she reiterated.

Mehbooba said some Madrasas are associated with Rohingya Muslims in the state.

She further said that no Rohingyas were found involved in militancy related incidents. However, 17 FIRs have been registered against 38 Rohingyas for various offences including those related to illegal border crossing, she added.

Some NGOs on humanitarian grounds are helping Rohingyas in cash and kind from time to time, Mehbooba said. However, strict surveillance is being kept on activity of foreigners and the organizations extending help to them, the CM added.

With PTI Inputs

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The Delhi Police questioned two men allegedly linked with three accused arrested in Bihar for a suspected terror-angle in the derailment of Patna-Indore Express in Kanpur last year.



The special cell had picked up Zia-ul Haq and Zuber were from Okhla area in south east Delhi on January 16 for questioning but no clues have been found to suggest their involvement in the derailment so far, sources said.



The National Investigation Agency (NIA) 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.

Read | ISI role in Indore-Patna Express train mishap? NIA team to probe claims of three arrested persons



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.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Saharanpur:

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday saying "he would have claimed credit" for construction of the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal "had they not been built long ago".

Addressing a public rally at the Gandhi Park in Saharanpur district, he also attacked Modi over his picture replacing that of Mahatma Gandhi on Khadi Udyog's calendar and table diary.

Owaisi said everybody knows that charkha is run with both hands but Modi is "seen running it with one hand" in those pictures. "Thankfully the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal were built years ago, otherwise the Prime Minister would have claimed credit for them," he said.

The AIMIM leader claimed the Prime Minister has not fulfilled the promise he made to the people before the elections.

He also attacked the PM over demonetisation saying "nobody knows when he would scrap the 2,000-rupee note". He said the BJP and SP are "two sides of the same coin". Attacking Akhilesh Yadav, Owaisi said, the Chief Minister "snatched away" the cycle (SP's poll symbol) from his father and "they are celebrating it, sweets are being distributed".

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Muzaffarnagar:

In a drive to ensure compliance of the model code of conduct, police have seized Rs 6.82 lakh cash in separate incidents during checking of vehicles in Muzaffarnagar district of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.



According to circle officer Hariram Yadav, police intercepted a car near Bhagela check post on Delhi-Dehradun national highway in the district on Thursday. Rs 3.59 lakh cash was seized when two Ghaziabad-based occupants Daleep Panwar and Deepak failed to provide valid papers. They were on their way to Tehri from Ghaziabad.

In another incident, Shamli police intercepted a car and seized Rs 3.23 lakh cash at Jalalabad check post on Delhi Saharanpur highway. The occupant Manoj Kumar failed to provide valid documents to justify movement of cash.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Massive protests against the ban on traditional bullfighting sport Jallikattu continued across Tamil Nadu on Friday as main opposition planned to launch state-wide 'Rail Roko' protest.



According to reports, party's working president MK Stalin will protest at Mambalam Railway Station, while MP Kanimozhi will lead the supporters of Jallikattu at Chennai Egmore railway station.



Meanwhile, Chennai's Marina Beach continued to be packed with people demanding life on Jallikattu ban. Members of South Indian Artists association, Nadigar Sangam are also likely to come out in support of Jallikattu on Friday, AR Rahman to be present as well.



The schools across Chennai will also remain closed on Friday.

Here are the live updates:

3:15PM

# We all have to come together. All we are asking is for Supreme Court to show sensitivity in jallikattu issue: Ganesh Venkatraman, Actor

3:10PM

Gujarat: People protest in support of #Jallikattu in Vadodara pic.twitter.com/VjxPPA0DJb  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

3:02PM

Mumbai: People make human chain to protest in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/PlErCiJKkx  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

2:33PM

# We've been spearheading various protests on jallikattu. Appreciate efforts by youths. Statement of TN CM has come as a relief: MK Stalin, DMK

2:30PM

# Your wish will be fulfilled: Tamil Nadu CM O. Panneerselvam on being asked if he will inaugurate jallikattu event

1:30PM

#We also expect day after tomorrow the notification of ordinance will appear. It will happen: TN CM O Panneerselvam

#By evening we expect the ordinance draft will be sent for consent of the President: TN CM O Panneerselvam



1:05PM

#HM received proposal from TN govt, its under consideration,ensure that in shortest time will solve it :MoS Env&Forest Anil Dave

1:00PM

#Centre and TN are talking; will be decided whether centre or state will act or both wl do something,all options open: AG Mukul Rohatgi

#Requested SC to not give judgement on jallikattu for a week as situation is already very aroused and SC agreed: AG Mukul Rohatgi

#Chennai: DMK workers to go on 1 day fasting-protest tomorrow.DMK working president MK Stalin to lead protest in Valluvar Kottam

#Congress and DMK root cause for ban. DMK betrayed the people of TN, after 2014 even BJP failed to take care of matter: M Thambidurai

#AIADMK MPs to meet President Pranab Mukherjee tomorrow at 2 pm



12:30PM

#We have urged the Home Minister to take steps for promulgation of ordinance in support of Jallikattu. HM said we'll process matter quickly and see that within 1-2 days everything can be cleared and TN can pass ordinance: M Thambidurai, AIADMK

Delhi: AIADMK MPs reach Home Ministry to meet HM Rajnath Singh #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/q1lJZBL5uN  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

11:00AM (Read full story here)

#Supreme Court agrees not to pass any interim or any order for a week on the Jallikattu issue

10:20AM

#Chennai: DMK Working President MK Stalin taken into preventive custody for halting a train as protest in support of Jallikattu (Read full story here)



10:11AM

#Central, state talking to each other, mulling over several options.They'll try & find out a way so that cultural rights can be saved also:AG

#TN CM met PM yesterday, we know a lot of unrest is going in Tamil Nadu, Central Govt conscious of the position: AG Mukul Rohatgi



10:00AM

#Govt should keep an eye on PETA because they are interfering unnecessarily in our traditional things:Union Min Pon Radhakrishnan

#Will meet Environment Minister Anil Dave, will also try and meet Home Minister also, trying our best: Union Min Pon Radhakrishnan



#WATCH: Chennai's Marina Beach continues to witness massive crowd coming out in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/Elspz4uFOK  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

Chennai's Marina Beach continues to witness massive crowd coming out in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/v7SqiepBJc  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

Chennai: DMK workers hold 'Rail Roko' protest over #Jallikattu issue, halt a train at Mambalam railway station. MK Stalin also present. pic.twitter.com/8VhwU0WduI  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

#WATCH: DMK workers break barricading, enter Chennai's Mambalam railway station while protesting in support of #Jallikattu pic.twitter.com/6CLHSapn4z  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

Chennai: DMK workers break barricading in Mambalam, while protesting in support of #Jallikattupic.twitter.com/wZldNzkQ8T  ANI (@ANI_news)

9:15AM

#TN CM says within 2 days ordinance will be brought & #jallikattu will be organised, we won't leave Marina Beach till it's done: Protester

9:10AM

#Chennai: DMK Working President MK Stalin joins DMK's protest in support of Jallikattu in Mambalam

9:05AM

#Radhakrishnan, Thamizhisai Soundarrajan alongwith TN Jallikattu association office bearers to meet MoS Env & forest Anil Dave today

Chennai: People protesting in support of #jallikattu at Marina Beach pic.twitter.com/jX2PegMNaE  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

8:45AM (Read full story here)

#To take up the draft of the amendment further with the Union Govt, I have deputed senior officials of the state to work with Centre: TN CM

#TN Govt sent draft of amendment to MHA this morning. I believe draft would be approved in 1-2 days which will pave way for Jalikattu: TN CM

#Had detailed discussion with constitutional experts regarding amendments to be enacted on Jalikattu law by the state: TN CM

#We urge protesters to withdraw their protest immediately: Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam



On Thursday, as protests swelled on the streets of Tamil Nadu, state chief minister O Paneerselvam was in Delhi trying to solve the problem. Tamil Nadu CM first held a meeting with PM Narendra Modi and said that state government will soon take steps to enable holding of Jallikattu with support from the Centre.



Later he also held discussions with Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi. After the meeting, Rahtogi said that 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.



On January 8 last year, the Centre had issued a notification lifting the ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu with certain restrictions. The notification was challenged in the apex court by the Animal Welfare Board of India, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, a Bangalore-based NGO and others.

Read | VHP says people against Jallikattu should demand ban on cow slaughter

Read | PETA likely to take legal route if Central govt brings ordinance on Jallikattu

Read | The Jallikattu brigade: Celebrities who are supporting the bull taming sport in Tamil Nadu

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The orbit of the Mars Orbiter Mission 'Mangalyaan' has successfully be realigned by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The changes have been done in order to protect the Mangalyaan from the affect of long-duration eclipse.

"The duration of the eclipse was so long that had we done nothing, the Mangalyaan's battery capacity would have got exhausted due to lack of sun rays. No effect of the eclipse was felt on Mangalyaan, ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of Gujarat Technological University's convocation.

"On the evening of January 17, we manoeuvred to change the orbit of Mangalyaan and reduced the duration of eclipse," Kumar said.

"The experiment was successful. The spacecraft still has 30kg fuel left, and with realignment we expect it to work for a very long time to come," he said.

The shadow of Mars would fell on Mangalyaan for 7-8 hours, causing the eclipse. Hence, in order to keep Mangalyaan's power supply strong during the eclipse by making the correction in its trajectory.

This was done to enable Mangalyaan function for a longer period as its battery cannot support long-duration eclipse.

The work on ISRO's ambitious South Asia satellite project has kicked off, said Kumar. He said that the satellite is likely to be launched by March 2017.

"Work on assembly of rocket has begun and we expect to launch it by March. The satellite will be carried on GSLV Mark II. The satellite will have provisions for telecommunication and disaster monitoring, among others," he said.



He also said that the work on 'Chandrayaan II' has commenced and it is likely to be launched in 2018.

"Experiment works on Chandrayaan II are on. We are testing soft landing engines at Mahendragiri and a place in Karnataka by simulating lunar surface. We plan to launch it in the first half of 2018," he said.

The 6th convocation of Gujarat Technological University honoured Kumar as the chief guest. A total 87,258 students were conferred degrees in different streams of engineering, pharmacy, business administration, computer application, hotel management, among others.

What is Mars Orbiter Mission?

The Mars Orbiter Mission or Mangalyaan is a space probe orbiting Mars since 24 September 2014. ISRO launched the Mars Orbiter Mission on November 5, 2013.

Mangalyaan is India's first interplanetary mission. With this mission, ISRO has become the fourth space agency to reach Mars, after the Soviet space program, NASA, and the European Space Agency.

India is the first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit, and the first nation in the world to do so in its first attempt.

Mangalyaan was launched from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (Sriharikota Range SHAR), Andhra Pradesh, using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket on November 5, 2013.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Washington:

Months before his death, Osama bin Laden fretted about the Islamic State group's impatient, violent tactics and the fading of al Qaeda, documents released by the CIA showed.

The latest release from the trove of documents found when Navy Seals stormed the al Qaeda chief's secret Pakistan compound and killed him in 2011 show bin Laden trying to keep his jihadist followers around the world aligned in his war against the United States.

They also reveal a worried father warning his sons that they could be injected with electronic chips to track them, and advising al Qaeda soldiers in Northern Africa that it was okay to masturbate.

He also spent significant time trying to manage the handling of foreigners kidnapped by far-flung affiliates of his radical Islamic. And he showed a strong focus on affairs in his family's original homeland, Yemen, where a powerful new branch -- al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) -- was having a strong impact.

One letter to AQAP founder Nasir al-Wuhayshi warns not to move too fast against the government because conditions were not yet right anywhere to form an Islamic state that could govern effectively and resist attacks from outside.

"Blood should not be shed unless we have evidence to show that the elements of success to establish the Islamic State and maintaining it are available or if achieving such goals is worthy of shedding such blood," he wrote.

"There might be a huge reaction that could drag us into a real war."

The documents -- which appear to date mostly from around 2010 -- some written by bin Laden and others on his behalf, show the al Qaeda chief determined to keep his group's focus on the United States as its enemy.

"The Ummah's enemies today are like a wicked tree," he wrote, using the term for the world community of Muslims. "The trunk of this tree is the United States."

The letters also reveal that Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born al Qaeda cleric in Yemen, was a candidate to be named emir or chief of AQAP, with bin Laden asking for more biographical detail about him.

Bin Laden registered his doubts at the same time, noting that "here we trust the people after we send them to the front line and test them."

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Beirut:

More than 40 fighters of former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front were killed in airstrikes on their camp in northern Syria a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it could not immediately specify who carried out the strikes in the western part of Aleppo province.

A US-led coalition as well as Syrian government and its ally Russia have carried out strikes against Fateh al-Sham targets in recent weeks. (

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
SANTIAGO, CHILE--(Marketwired - Jan 20, 2017) - ITAU CORPBANCA (NYSE: ITCB) (SSE: ITAUCORP) announced that on December 20, 2016, Helm LLC filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the State of New York and a Request for Arbitration in the ICC International Court of Arbitration (together the "Lawsuits") against Itau CorpBanca, alleging certain contractual breaches.

These alleged breaches relate to (i) the Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement of HB Acquisition S.A.S. (the "ShA"), dated July 31, 2013, and (ii) the Transaction Agreement (the "TA"), dated January 29, 2014, as amended, providing for, among other things, the merger between Itau Chile S.A. and CorpBanca, which resulted in the creation of Itau CorpBanca (the "Chilean Merger") and the acquisition by Itau CorpBanca of certain shares in CorpBanca Colombia (the "TA Shares Acquisition") on or prior to January 29, 2017.

In the lawsuit filed by Helm LLC in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Helm LLC seeks an injunction in aid of arbitration to block the TA Shares Acquisition, which as disclosed by Itau CorpBanca in a Material Event Notice released today, has already been postponed by the parties until January 28, 2022. Itau CorpBanca believes the Lawsuits are without merit and is taking, and, will take, appropriate steps to respond to allegations set forth in the Lawsuits.

About Itau CorpBanca

ITAU CORPBANCA (NYSE: ITCB) (SSE: ITAUCORP) is the entity resulting from the merger of Banco Itau Chile with and into CorpBanca on April 1, 2016. The current ownership structure is: 35.71% owned by Itau Unibanco, 31.00% owned by CorpGroup and 33.29% owned minority shareholders. Itau Unibanco is the sole controlling shareholder of the merged bank. Within this context and without limiting the above, Itau Unibanco and CorpGroup have signed a shareholders' agreement to determine aspects related to corporate governance, dividend policy (based on performance and capital metrics), transfer of shares, liquidity and other matters.

The merged bank has become the fourth largest private bank in Chile and will result in a banking platform for future expansion in Latin America, specifically in Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Central America. Itau CorpBanca is a commercial bank based in Chile with operations also in Colombia and Panama. In addition, Itau CorpBanca has a branch in New York and a representative office in Madrid. Focused on large and medium companies and in individuals, Itau CorpBanca offers universal banking products. In 2012, the bank initiated a regionalization process and as of the date hereof has acquired two banks in Colombia -Banco CorpBanca Colombia and Helm Bank-, becoming the first Chilean bank having banking subsidiaries abroad. The merger with Banco Itau Chile and the business combination of our two banks in Colombia, represent the continued success of our regionalization process.

As of November 30, 2016, according to the Chilean Superintendency of Banks, Itau CorpBanca was the fourth largest private bank in Chile in terms of the overall size of its customer loan portfolio, equivalent to 11.5% market share.

As of October 31, 2016, according to the Colombian Superintendency of Finance, CorpBanca Colombia was the sixth largest bank in Colombia in terms of total loans and also the sixth largest bank in Colombia in terms of total deposits, as reported under local regulatory and accounting principles. At the same date, its market share by loans reached 5.6%.
Islamabad:

Pakistan's top politicians, including the speaker and leader of the Opposition have said that someone has deposited Rs 100 million each into fake accounts opened in their names, prompting a high-level probe.



National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Senate chairman Raza Rabbani and leader of the Opposition Syed Khurshid Shah claimed on Thursday that fake bank accounts had been opened in their names and that transactions worth tens of millions of rupees had been made from those accounts.



Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan, Kashmir Committee chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman and others also claimed that fake accounts were being operated in their names, the Dawn reported.



According to a statement issued by the National Assembly Secretariat, speaker Sadiq has ordered the State Bank governor and the Federal Investigation Agency director general to investigate the matter after he received a fake bank receipt of a fixed deposit account that he did not operate.



The speaker informed the apex bank governor that these transactions were fake. The statement also claimed that the speaker did not possess any bank account in the city or the bank mentioned on the transactions receipt.



"The State Bank has been informed about the issue and the speaker has clarified [that he has] nothing to do with those accounts," the statement said.



Chairman Raza Rabbani informed the Senate during proceedings that he had received a receipt from the SME Bank in the mail at his Karachi residence, according to which an amount of Rs 100 million had been deposited into this account.

He said he had written to the president of the bank, pointing out that he had never operated an account there and hence the question of a transaction did not arise.

The leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Shah claimed that he had received a term deposit report at his National Assembly address, indicating that the SME Bank in Karachi had transacted Rs100 million from his account.

"The opposition leader does not have an account in that bank, then how was that report made? When contacted, the bank declared the TDR 'fake' and said that they had...received similar complaints from other personalities as well," the statement said.

It still remains a mystery as to who was behind these fake transactions or what was the motive behind depositing huge sums in bank accounts opened in the names of prominent lawmakers, the report said.

Abid Qamar, a spokesperson for the State Bank of Pakistan, said that they had received information from parliament regarding the fake bank accounts, adding that the central bank would investigate the matter to ascertain how the accounts were opened.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Washington:

The Donald Trump administration will not be soft on China and could declare the world's second-largest economy a "currency manipulator", Steven Mnuchin, the nominee for US treasury secretary has said.

"I would," Mnuchin said when asked by lawmakers during his confirmation hearing if he would declare China a currency manipulator as promised by Trump during his election campaign.

"In regards to my view on China, I 100% support the President's view, and that we need to look at China overall from a trade standpoint, and an economic standpoint, and a security standpoint," he told Senate Finance Committee.

Trump had during his campaign singled out China over its trade practices and had said he would negotiate a better deal for the US. And since his shock election in November, he has challenged Beijing over militarisation of the South China Sea, alleged currency manipulation and North Korea and threatening to up-end ties by offering greater political recognition to Taiwan.

During the hearing on Thursday, the lawmakers too expressed concern over China's aggressive behaviour and trade practices.

Senator Sherrod Brown told Mnuchin: "I want to talk to you about China. I've never met a Goldman Sachs banker who wanted to get tough on China. Based on your Wall Street background and financial dealings, I'm concerned about just what I've seen in the past with bankers and what I would say is soft on China.

"Relativity Media is a Beverly Hills company invested in movies, among other things. When you were co-chair there during 2014 and '15, the company received investment from Chinese investors in the company's films and partnered with the government of the People's Republic of China to promote and distribute Chinese films," he said.

"China readily admits it wants to become more powerful by increasing its cultural influence in this country and expanding its financial stake in the US film industry. You were a board member of a company that partnered directly with the Chines government, that increased their influence in Hollywood. Were you - were you helping China expand its global power," Brown asked.

Earlier in his testimony, Mnuchin said he will use the Treasury Department's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence to stop the financing of terrorism.

"I will partner with other federal agencies in our shared goal of allowing our financial markets to operate safely and keep our citizens secure in the knowledge that we are working for them ? 24/7," he said.

Mnuchin ruled out imposing a high tariff across the board. "Where the president-elect has talked about, I've never heard him talk about 30 or 35% tariffs across the board. I have heard him specifically say, well, if certain companies want to move their jobs, we're going to specifically put a tariff on them," he said.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Islamabad :

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 bodys 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 Ministers 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 said to the UN chief.

The Pakistan Prime Minister claimed that India did not respond positively to his countrys 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 long standing responsibility to play a role in the resolution of these issues, Sharif said.

Guterres gave no positive response to Sharifs 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 Pakistans contribution for the United Nations and Peace-keeping operations as well as hosting millions of Afghan refugees, the PMO said.

Sharif said his governments 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.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
SANTIAGO, CHILE--(Marketwired - Jan 20, 2017) - ITAU CORPBANCA (NYSE: ITCB) (SSE: ITAUCORP) announced that it filed today with the Chilean Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros a Material Event Notice announcing the execution of a new amendment to the Transaction Agreement (TA) dated January 29, 2014 and amended on June 2, 2015. Both documents -- the Material Event Notice and the amended and restated TA are also available on the company's corporate website at itau.cl/investor-relations.

About Itau CorpBanca

ITAU CORPBANCA (NYSE: ITCB) (SSE: ITAUCORP) is the entity resulting from the merger of Banco Itau Chile with and into CorpBanca on April 1, 2016. The current ownership structure is: 35.71% owned by Itau Unibanco, 31.00% owned by CorpGroup and 33.29% owned minority shareholders. Itau Unibanco is the sole controlling shareholder of the merged bank. Within this context and without limiting the above, Itau Unibanco and CorpGroup have signed a shareholders' agreement to determine aspects related to corporate governance, dividend policy (based on performance and capital metrics), transfer of shares, liquidity and other matters.

The merged bank has become the fourth largest private bank in Chile and will result in a banking platform for future expansion in Latin America, specifically in Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Central America. Itau CorpBanca is a commercial bank based in Chile with operations also in Colombia and Panama. In addition, Itau CorpBanca has a branch in New York and a representative office in Madrid. Focused on large and medium companies and in individuals, Itau CorpBanca offers universal banking products. In 2012, the bank initiated a regionalization process and as of the date hereof has acquired two banks in Colombia -- Banco CorpBanca Colombia and Helm Bank, becoming the first Chilean bank having banking subsidiaries abroad. The merger with Banco Itau Chile and the business combination of our two banks in Colombia, represent the continued success of our regionalization process.

As of November 30, 2016, according to the Chilean Superintendency of Banks, Itau CorpBanca was the fourth largest private bank in Chile in terms of the overall size of its customer loan portfolio, equivalent to 11.5% market share.

As of October 31, 2016, according to the Colombian Superintendency of Finance, CorpBanca Colombia was the sixth largest bank in Colombia in terms of total loans and also the sixth largest bank in Colombia in terms of total deposits, as reported under local regulatory and accounting principles. At the same date, its market share by loans reached 5.6%.
CHICAGO, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Regional U.S. railroad Kansas City Southern on Friday reported a lower quarterly net profit, which the company blamed on the weakness of the Mexican peso versus the U.S. dollar.

The Kansas City-based company reported fourth-quarter net income of $120.1 million or $1.12 per share, down from $133.4 million or $1.23 per share a year earlier. Analysts had expected earnings per share of $1.17.

(Reporting By Nick Carey)
British Treasury Chief Philip Hammond attends a session on the fourth day of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP)  The Latest on the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland (all times local):

3.10 p.m.

Britain's Treasury chief, Philip Hammond, says the former prime minister, Tony Blair, is partly responsible for the country's vote to leave the European Union for failing to introduce measures to limit the flow of people from countries that joined the bloc in 2004.

Hammond said June's vote showed there was a "strong strand of feeling" against the uncontrolled movement of people within the EU and he laid the responsibility for that "squarely at the door" of Blair.

Blair, who was prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and remains a keen EU advocate, did not impose transitional controls back in 2004, when ten countries, mostly from eastern Europe, joined the EU. Most other EU countries did impose restrictions, meaning that Britain took the "full force of the tide," according to Hammond.

That, Hammond said, created a public perception that "we still haven't shaken off."

Hammond also said the Brexit vote was not a vote against free trade and globalization.

___

2.30 p.m.

Germany's finance minister doubts that the incoming Donald Trump administration in the U.S. will abandon free trade.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Wolfgang Schaeuble said he can't imagine "huge damage" being done to free trade.

He said he's "quite optimistic" that the U.S. and the western world as a whole won't leave the defense of free trade to Chinese leadership.

Earlier this week, in a speech to the business leaders assembled at the WEF, Chinese President Xi Jinping cast his country as a champion of free trade and stability at a time when many are worried that Trump will augur in more protectionist times.

Schaeuble also said that discussions over Britain's exit from the European Union have to be managed in such a way as to "minimize" the damage to both the Britain and to Europe. He also said his first reaction to Brexit was to cry and that his second was that it's "a waking up call for Europe."

Story continues

___

12.00 p.m.

A top Turkish official says his country can no longer insist on any settlement for Syria's long-running war without Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek says the blame for Syria's nearly six-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people is "squarely on Assad." Turkey has long opposed Assad, and supported rebels fighting his forces.

Speaking in a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Simsek said, however, that Turkey has to be "realistic" and "facts on the ground have changed dramatically" in Syria.

"So Turkey can no longer insist on, you know, a settlement without Assad," he said.

Simsek also said that Turkey has "high hopes" for Syrian peace talks planned next week and hosted by Turkey, Russia and Iran in Astana, Kazakhstan.

___

11.50 a.m.

A Syrian teen refugee and Olympic swimmer, a Malian studying at Stanford, a French coding student  they're all arguing that their generation needs global mobility to thrive instead of walls and isolationism.

They've got a high-profile audience this week, as they meet global executives and top officials at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos.

Yusra Mardini fled Syria's war on a sinking boat and struggled across multiple borders to a new life in Germany. Last year she competed at the Rio Olympics, and now she's using her experience to urge more openness to refugees.

The 18-year-old told The Associated Press in Davos: "You can't push anyone to love the refugees." She acknowledged concerns that large waves of migrants include some criminals or people abusing rich country hospitality. But most, she said, are in genuine need and "are just trying to have peace again."

Adramane Diabate, 24, considers himself a "global migrant." He abandoned elite military training in his native Mali and went to live in Senegal, South Africa, Panama and now California, and says that countries need open borders to thrive.

Also speaking in Davos, he said, "We are in a place and time where restricting our movements is not going to help us to create a peaceful and harmonious global society."

___

11:20 a.m.

Britain's treasury chief says Donald Trump's accession to the U.S. presidency is likely to create even more uncertainty for Europe than his country's unprecedented departure from the EU.

Philip Hammond, speaking in Switzerland ahead of Trump's inauguration Friday, said "the change of administration in Washington is a very big issue" for Britain and the rest of the EU.

After a campaign critical of free trade and Europe's migration and defense policy, Trump "has probably introduced a bigger uncertainty" for the EU than the Brexit vote, Hammond said.

Barclays CEO Jes Staley, speaking with Hammond at the World Economic Forum, said the U.S. vote for Trump "clearly challenged the notion of a global economic union" and urged the new Trump administration not to attack free trade.
Obama drastically reduces remainder of whistleblower Chelsea Mannings prison sentence

President Obama has commuted the majority of the remainder of Chelsea Mannings prison sentence. Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking 750,000 military files, documents and communications which exposed worldwide U.S. operations to the controversial, yet informative publication, WikiLeaks. Chelsea Manning is a transgender woman formerly known as Bradley Manning. The former U.S. Army intelligence analyst has been imprisoned since 2010, but was sentenced in 2013. The whistleblower is scheduled to be released from a Fort Leavenworth Military Prison on May 17, 2017, a full 28 years ahead of her originally scheduled 2045 release date.

Some of the controversial material that Manning spilled the beans about included revealing a significantly higher civilian death count in Iraq and Afghanistan than the numbers which were reported by the Pentagon. Manning also leaked a video showing a U.S. Apache helicopter gunning down journalists in central Baghdad. Manning underwent the military criminal justice process, was found guilty, and acknowledged her wrongdoing.

Although Mannings sentence has been commuted, she still sets the record for time served for leaking classified information to news organizations. Manning spent the first 11 months of her time in solitary confinement. She was denied medical care for gender dysphoria until she went on a hunger strike, when the Army finally allowed her to consult a surgeon for gender-affirmation surgery. Manning was later readmitted to solitary confinement for attempting suicide.

A recent press release by the White House named over 200 prisoners who are to receive reduced sentences. Midway through the list was Mannings name. Obama, who set the record for granting more sentence commutations than any other president, did not immediately comment about his decision to release Manning.

Mannings lawyers and many human rights activists have welcomed the decision. Chase Strangio, a lawyer with the ACLU, believes that the decision quite possibly saved Manning from further suicide attempts and a lack of proper healthcare. Strangio believes that we are better off knowing Manning will walk a free woman, dedicated to fighting for justice and making the world a better place. Human rights groups believe that Obamas decision sends a message that the U.S. government is serious about investigating human rights violations rather than punishing the messengers who expose such violations. (RELATED: Find more stories from independent media at Censored.news)

White House spokesperson, Josh Earnest, had recently hinted at clemency for Manning, but was not open to discussing such last-minute clemency for other popular whistleblowers. Earnest said that Edward Snowden, who blew the whistle on the NSA, exposed far more dangerous and serious material. Snowden remains in Russia dodging espionage and theft charges. James Cartwright, who was also listed on the presidential pardons list, is a retired general who pleaded guilty for lying to federal investigators who were probing leaks to journalists regarding the U.S. governments use of Stuxnet, a computer virus that targeted machines inside an Iranian nuclear enrichment facility. (RELATED: find more White House news at WhiteHouse.news)

Obamas pardon of Manning might have an ulterior motive. WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, indicated that he would turn himself in if Manning was released. Assanges lawyer has called for an end to the governments war on whistleblowers and publishers. It remains to be seen whether Assange will make good on his word and surrender, but his lawyer Melinda Taylor, has confirmed to news organizations that Assange will indeed do so. (RELATED: find more whistleblower news at Whistleblower.news)

Paul Ryan has been vocal about his belief that Obama is setting a dangerous precedent by releasing Manning, whose actions put American lives at risk.

Obama addressed the press on Wednesday, stating that he was comfortable with what he described as an appropriate commutation. Obama argued that Manning had already served a tough, but adequate prison sentence. I feel very comfortable that justice has been served, Obama told the press. The president refused to comment on Assanges recent twitter post, in which he agreed to turn himself in in exchange for Mannings pardon. I dont pay a lot of attention to Mr Assanges tweets, said Obama, who referred the matter to the Department of Justice.

Sources:

TheIntercept.com

CNet.com

TheGuardian.com

Submit a correction >>
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

RIDGEFIELD  Michael Sonderman helps people with their building supplies every day. His knowledge of the lumber and building material industry and amiable manner with customers are also building his career.

Sonderman, operations manager at Ridgefield Supply Co., was named recently to the 2017 ProSales Four Under 40 list. The 38-year-old is one of four people in the country to be honored.

The award is presented annually to professionals under the age of 40 in the lumber and building material supply field who demonstrate leadership potential. They are nominated by managers and executives.

The other winners were Jason Trimpe, of Iowa; Courtney Bynum, of South Carolina; and Carrie White, of Virginia. The four winners earned an expenses-paid trip to the 2017 ProSales 100 Conference in March in San Antonio. They will sit on a panel to discuss the future of the lumber and building material industry.

Its more than just a trip. The whole focus is on attracting youth to the industry, Sonderman said. As a whole, the lumber industry is an aging one and we are trying to find a way to make people realize this is a great industry to work in.

He said the key to success in the industry is having a passion for the work.

Its a desire to grow and make something great, Sonderman said. This includes building peoples houses, their businesses, their futures. Thats what I do every day.

Sonderman has worked at Ridgefield Supply for 13 years. He is now responsible for all yard inventory, customer service and logistics. He also manages the technology side of the company in addition to managing the delivery, supply and inventory teams.

Ridgefield Supply is a third-generation family-owned business with roots going back to 1883. The company, which employs about 50 people, is currently building a new site adjacent to the existing one. Its current home will be leveled and another building will go there, as well as additional parking. It is expected to be finished this spring.

All of us at Ridgefield Supply are thrilled that Michael has been honored for his tireless effort and contributions to this company, Margaret Price, CEO and owner of Ridgefield Supply, said. He strives to be an exemplary employee and is committed to challenging and bettering himself in order to be the best leader he can be for his team.

Sonderman filled in for Price to give Congressman Jim Himes a tour of the facility last summer. Price was called away for a family issue that day. Himes and Sonderman were both born in South America and discussed the importance of accessibility for the Latino population.

Communicating with everyone is always important, he said.

Sonderman grew up in Caracas, Venezuela. Himes was born in Lima, Peru, to American parents.

Sonderman attended the ProSales 100 Conference two years ago and walked away with valuable lessons. He said he is looking forward to sitting on the panel and talking with the top executives in the lumber industry.

Its an opportunity I cant miss, he said.

cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338
With the presidential inauguration Friday and the Million Woman March on Washington Saturday, I think it is a good time to stop and reflect on the source of government and power.

From a human perspective, this has been a contentious political season, with people on both sides expressing deep dissatisfaction, genuine concerns, and visceral opinions. Egos have flared, and behavior has not always been exemplary.

It is easy to get discouraged about our national state of affairs, but remembering that God has a clear, macro perspective helps me trust that there are perfectly acceptable solutions I cant see or imagine. Through it all, Christian Science encourages me to look away from human strife and controversy to see what God, the one divine Mind, is doing, instead of getting too mesmerized with what many diverging minds are insisting about a subject.

However, knowing that the government is upon His shoulder, as the Bible states it, does not release any one of us from carrying out our own pragmatic responsibility for making our world a better place. I believe that as God impels each one of us, both separately and collectively, to do the right thing and be our best selves, the world improves in proportion to our obedience and fidelity.

More than 100 years ago, the founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, at the age of 87, listened deeply to God, and was impelled to start a daily international newspaper in response to what was called the yellow journalism of her day. The papers then were making money sensationalizing the news, appealing to mankinds lowest inclinations, for the purposes of profit. The adage, If it bleeds, it leads, determined what would be headlined.

She wrote, When news-dealers shout for class legislation, and decapitated reputations, headless trunks, and quivering hearts are held up before the rabble in exchange for money, place, and power, the vox populi is suffocated, individual rights are trodden under foot, and the car of the modern Inquisition rolls along the streets besmeared with blood.

She knew that people needed an unbiased, objective source for news that also included topics that elevate character and uplift the human race. The Christian Science Monitor international daily newspaper was the result. Its express mission is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.

Mary Baker Eddy didnt despair and wring her hands over the state of things. She did something intended to bless everyone. She accepted no sense of limitation, and it was not at all about serving herself or her church. Even though the words Christian Science are in the newspaper's title, it is not at all a religious periodical - just straightforward, honest, balanced, fair, productive news.

All these years later, the Christian Science Monitor still has a solid reputation for high-quality news with the least bias, receiving numerous Pulitzer Prizes for its exceptional journalism. It has recently evolved into an award-winning online news source, with a weekly magazine. It is just as revolutionary in our day as it was in hers, since it is not owned by corporate money or political interests, and has a serious mandate for holding a high moral ground.

As long as individuals in our day respond to our challenges as effectively as Mrs. Eddy responded to hers, I think our country will be OK. We have options about where we get can get our news, and there are things within our own spheres of influence we each can do to contribute to our collective success and progress.

As a Christian Scientist, I have learned that true government is not about human will and dueling human interests competing for the upper hand. I have learned power is not about leadership by human ego and hubris.

In Christian Science, we learn that God is all-powerful, and we only have our own power as a byproduct of God. I believe God-given government and power are about sincere, humble service, and that is the only way any good is ever done.

I also believe that we get more of what we focus on, so I will not fixate with despair on the divisive yellow journalism of our own day. Instead, I am listening for ways I can serve this country - to help us get past this pivotal point and into something that radiates more of Gods love and care for all.

Polly Castor is a Christian Science Practitioner and member of First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Ridgefield. She can be reached at PollyCastor@gmail.com.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) 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."



Story continues











More From CNBC


Innovation150 is a year-long celebration of our nation's scientific past, present and future

VANCOUVER, Jan. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - From the discovery of insulin and stem cells to the development of revolutionary smartphone technology, Canadian innovations are constantly changing the world in profound ways. Often, these innovations begin with discoveries made by Canada's brightest and most inquisitive minds: its scientists. That is why the Government of Canada continues to support and celebrate researchers whose contributions help create healthy communities, a strong economy and a growing middle class.

Today, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, joined Canadian scientists and thinkers, as well as the great innovators of tomorrow, to help launch Innovation150 at Science World in Vancouver. Minister Duncan spoke about the major innovations of Canada's past and the importance of science to Canada's future.

The launch follows last July's announcement by the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, of $5.8 million in funding for Innovation150 through the Canada 150 Fund. Developed by five leading science organizations, Innovation150 is a nationwide program that will inspire Canadian families to celebrate Canada's innovative past and spark the ideas and ingenuity that will propel our future. The interactive, year-long program will offer awe-inspiring experiences in science, technology and innovation across the country to mark Canada's 150th anniversary.

Innovation150 includes:

a scalable science exhibit and mobile makerspace that will tour schools in 60 communities from coast to coast to coast;

a keynote multimedia talk by Perimeter Institute director Neil Turok , called "We Are Innovators," in major centres;

, called "We Are Innovators," in major centres; a major public exhibition on quantum technologies that will travel to science centres and museums across Canada ;

; science-focused festivals that amplify the excitement of Canada 150, to be held in seven cities across the country;

150, to be held in seven cities across the country; a crowdsourced digital storybook (Innovation150.ca) that celebrates creative and ingenious Canadian people, spaces and innovations; and

contests that engage Canadians in every corner of our innovative nation.

Quotes

"Innovation150 is an excellent way to celebrate achievements in Canadian science and encourage our young people to engage with science and technology. The discoveries made by Canadian researchers have had a tremendous impact on the world today, and the future discoveries of our scientists are bound to change our lives in exciting ways and help support a strong, vibrant middle class."

 The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science

"The 150th anniversary of Confederation is the ideal opportunity to engage and inspire Canadians. Innovation150 celebrates Canada's scientific and technological innovation. Young people and families all across the country will have the chance to discover the wealth of our scientific heritage in their own communities. Let's take a moment to reflect on the incredible discoveries that have shaped our identity."

The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"Innovation150 will engage Canadians of all ages, honouring the big thinkers that have made Canada the progressive country it is today and motivating Canadian youth to pursue big, ambitious ideas that will make them the innovators of tomorrow. Ingenuity has always been one of our country's greatest resources, which Innovation150 will proudly celebrate through hands-on exhibitions, talks and festivals from coast to coast to coast throughout 2017."

 Michael Duschenes, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, Perimeter Institute

Quick facts

The Innovation150 website encourages Canadians across the country to share their stories of Canadian innovation. The website also features a rundown of the national tour and a list of events. Interested Canadians can sign up to receive emails about local tour updates.

Innovation150 is led by Perimeter Institute in collaboration with Actua, the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo, the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation and the Canadian Association of Science Centres and its member organizations.

Associated links

Follow Minister Duncan on social media.

Twitter: @ScienceMin

Instagram: sciencemin

Follow Innovation150 on Twitter: @innovation150

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

For further information: Stefanie Power, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Science, 343-291-2600; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/icgc.nsf/eng/home


TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2017 /CNW/ - The Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth is reiterating its call for a coordinated, long-term strategy to be put in place by provincial and federal departments and ministries of health and children's services  in collaboration with First Nations leadership  to end the string of suicide crises that continue to devastate many Northern Ontario First Nation communities.

This latest call comes in response to the deaths of two 12-year-old girls who took their own lives in Wapekeka First Nation last week. The Advocate's Office also echoes Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler's call for a coordinated emergency response to provide the necessary supports for the community.

"The situation for children and youth is dire and urgent," said Irwin Elman, Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth. "At a time that should be focused on healing and reconciliation, this is another reminder of Canada's failure to respond to the ongoing struggle and loss of life in communities."

From 1991 to 2013, 468 suicides by Aboriginal people have taken place in Ontario, almost half by people 25 or younger.

Over the last several years, the Advocate's Office has made numerous calls to governments to address the underlying issues contributing to the suicide epidemics that have affected many communities, such as Attawapiskat, Neskantaga and Pikangikum First Nation communities.

Recent news reports have suggested that Wapekeka First Nation requested additional mental health supports from the federal government last summer after the community discovered a suicide pact being made among youth, but Health Canada's response to the community only came months afterwards.

The Advocate's Office is calling for political leaders, provincial and federal decision-makers and their respective departments to come together immediately with their Indigenous counterparts and young people to devise a comprehensive short- and long-term strategy  including an implementation plan  that focuses on ongoing support in communities.

"When governments make decisions as they apparently did with Wapekeka First Nation, they are made on behalf of all Canadians. It is clear the public is well ahead of our governments in our desire to see action," said Elman. "These children cannot wait; change must come now and collective action is required before any more young lives are lost."

About the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth

The Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth (the Advocate's Office) reports directly to the Legislature of Ontario and provides an independent voice for children and youth, including children with special needs and First Nations children. The advocates receive and respond to concerns from children, youth and families who are seeking or receiving services under the Child and Family Services Act and the Education Act (Provincial and Demonstration Schools).

The Advocate's Office can also conduct investigations and make recommendations to improve children's aid society services and services provided by residential licensees where a children's aid society is the placing agency.

The Office is guided by the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and has a strong commitment to youth involvement. For more information, visit: www.provincialadvocate.on.ca. For updates, read the Advocate's Blog and follow us on https://www.youtube.com/user/ProvincialAdvocate/featuredTwitter and Facebook.

SOURCE Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth

For further information: Media Contact: Akihiko Tse, Communications, Media Relations Coordinator, (416)-325-5994, [email protected], Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth

Related Links

http://provincialadvocate.on.ca


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 other 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

Related Links

www.bell.ca


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.

Researchers have made the first important step toward integrating atomically precise graphene nanoribbons (APGNRs) onto nonmetallic substrates.

CREDIT Adrian Radocea, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology

Nanoletters  Solution-Synthesized Chevron Graphene Nanoribbons Exfoliated onto H:Si(100)

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 youre going from the top-down, its 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 Beckmans 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.

Its 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 metals 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.

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 Beckmans 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 arent 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.

Abstract

There has been tremendous progress in designing and synthesizing graphene nanoribbons (GNRs). The ability to control the width, edge structure, and dopant level with atomic precision has created a large class of accessible electronic landscapes for use in logic applications. One of the major limitations preventing the realization of GNR devices is the difficulty of transferring GNRs onto nonmetallic substrates. In this work, we developed a new approach for clean deposition of solution-synthesized atomically precise chevron GNRs onto H:Si(100) under ultrahigh vacuum. A clean transfer allowed ultrahigh-vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to provide high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy and reveal details of the electronic structure of chevron nanoribbons that have not been previously reported. We also demonstrate STM nanomanipulation of GNRs, characterization of multilayer GNR cross-junctions, and STM nanolithography for local depassivation of H:Si(100), which allowed us to probe GNRSi interactions and revealed a semiconducting-to-metallic transition. The results of STM measurements were shown to be in good agreement with first-principles computational modeling.

SOURCES- Nanoletters, Beckmann Institute
The United States should copy and adapt an improved healthcare system based upon analysis of international systems. This article will review the last attempt at a universal healthcare policy (Medicare for All) and then some of the more successful healthcare systems in the world will be reviewed. Here is a 180 page document that reviews health systems around the world in 2015

Medicare for All

A number of proposals have been made for a universal single-payer healthcare system in the United States, most recently the United States National Health Care Act, (popularly known as H.R. 676 or Medicare for All) but none have achieved more political support than 20% congressional co-sponsorship. Advocates argue that preventative health care expenditures can save several hundreds of billions of dollars per year because publicly funded universal health care would benefit employers and consumers, that employers would benefit from a bigger pool of potential customers and that employers would likely pay less, and would be spared administrative costs of health care benefits. It is also argued that inequities between employers would be reduced. Also, for example, cancer patients are more likely to be diagnosed at Stage I where curative treatment is typically a few outpatient visits, instead of at Stage III or later in an emergency room where treatment can involve years of hospitalization and is often terminal. Others have estimated a long-term savings amounting to 40% of all national health expenditures due to preventative health care although estimates from the Congressional Budget Office and The New England Journal of Medicine have found that preventative care is more expensive.

Any national system would be paid for in part through taxes replacing insurance premiums, but advocates also believe savings would be realized through preventative care and the elimination of insurance company overhead and hospital billing costs. An analysis of a single-payer bill by Physicians for a National Health Program estimated the immediate savings at $350 billion per year. The Commonwealth Fund believes that, if the United States adopted a universal health care system, the mortality rate would improve and the country would save approximately $570 billion a year.

In 2013, a fiscal study by Gerald Friedman, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst was made for Medicare of All. There would even be money left over to help pay down the national debt, he said. Friedman says his analysis shows that a nonprofit single-payer system based on the principles of the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, H.R. 676, introduced by Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., and co-sponsored by 44 other lawmakers, would save an estimated $592 billion in 2014. That would be more than enough to cover all 44 million people the government estimates will be uninsured in that year and to upgrade benefits for everyone else.

Under the single-payer system created by HR 676, the U.S. could save an estimated $592 billion annually by slashing the administrative waste associated with the private insurance industry ($476 billion) and reducing pharmaceutical prices to European levels ($116 billion). In 2014, the savings would be enough to cover all 44 million uninsured and upgrade benefits for everyone else. No other plan can achieve this magnitude of savings on health care.

Specifically, the savings from a single-payer plan would be more than enough to fund $343 billion in improvements to the health system such as expanded coverage, improved benefits, enhanced reimbursement of providers serving indigent patients, and the elimination of co-payments and deductibles in 2014. The savings would also fund $51 billion in transition costs such as retraining displaced workers and phasing out investor- owned, for-profit delivery systems.

World Health Systems Compared

58 countries have universal health coverage

Israel has a system with government payment but with four competing service providers. Israel costs are half the USA.

Singapore has some of the best health results and among the lowest healthcare costs by percent of GDP. Singapores overall GDP costs are four times less than the USA.

Hong Kong has early health education, professional health services, and well-developed health care and medication system. The life expectancy is 84 for females and 78 for males, which is the second highest in the world, and 2.94 infant mortality rate, the fourth lowest in the world.

There are two medical schools in Hong Kong, and several schools offering courses in traditional Chinese medicine. The Hospital Authority is a statutory body that operates and manages all public hospitals. Hong Kong has high standards of medical practice. It has contributed to the development of liver transplantation, being the first in the world to carry out an adult to adult live donor liver transplant in 1993

Israel has a system of universal healthcare as set out by the 1995 National Health Insurance Law. The state is responsible for providing health services to all residents of the country, who can register with one of the four national health service funds. To be eligible, a citizen must pay a health insurance tax. Coverage includes medical diagnosis and treatment, preventive medicine, hospitalization (general, maternity, psychiatric and chronic), surgery and transplants, preventive dental care for children, first aid and transportation to a hospital or clinic, medical services at the workplace, treatment for drug abuse and alcoholism, medical equipment and appliances, obstetrics and fertility treatment, medication, treatment of chronic diseases and paramedical services such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

Prior to the laws passage over 90% of the population was already covered by voluntarily belonging to one of four nationwide, not-for-profit sickness funds which operated some of their own medical facilities and were funded in part by employers and the government and in part by the insured by levies which varied according to income. However, there were three problems associated with this arrangement. First, membership in the largest fund, Clalit, required one to belong to the Histadrut labor organization, even if a person did not wish to (or could not) have such an affiliation while other funds restricted entry to new members based on age, pre-existing conditions or other factors. Second, different funds provided different levels of benefit coverage or services to their members and lastly was the issue mentioned above whereby a certain percentage of the population, albeit a small one, did not have health insurance coverage at all.

Before the law went into effect, all the funds collected premiums directly from members. However, upon passage of the law, a new progressive national health insurance tax was levied through Bituah Leumi (Israels social security agency) which then re-distributes the proceeds to the sickness funds based on their membership and its demographic makeup. This ensured that all citizens would now have health coverage. While membership in one of the funds now became compulsory for all, free choice was introduced into movement of members between funds (a change is allowed once every six months), effectively making the various sickness funds compete equally for members among the populace.

Singapore spends just 4.7 percent of its GDP on health care (World Bank Health Data, 2014). Cost is controlled in a number of ways, perhaps foremost by the manner in which the government both fosters and controls competitionintervening when the market fails to keep costs down. Public and private hospitals exist side by side, with the public sector having the advantage of patient incentives and subsidies. Because it regulates prices for public hospital services and regulates the number of public hospitals and beds, the government is able to shape the marketplace. Within this environment, the private sector must be careful not to price itself out of the market.

At the same time, the government sets subsidy and cost-recovery targets for each hospital ward class, thereby indirectly keeping public sector hospitals from producing excess profits. Hospitals are also given annual budgets for patient subsidies, so they know in advance the levels of reimbursement they will receive for patient care.

Within their budgets, hospitals are required to break even.

Singapore currently has the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world and among the highest life expectancies from birth, according to the World Health Organization. Singapore has one of the most successful healthcare systems in the world, in terms of both efficiency in financing and the results achieved in community health outcomes, according to an analysis by global consulting firm Watson Wyatt. Singapores system uses a combination of compulsory savings from payroll deductions (funded by both employers and workers) a nationalized health insurance plan, and government subsidies, as well as actively regulating the supply and prices of healthcare services in the country to keep costs in check; the specific features have been described as potentially a very difficult system to replicate in many other countries. Many Singaporeans also have supplemental private health insurance (often provided by employers) for services not covered by the governments programs

Virtually all of Europe has either publicly sponsored and regulated universal health care or publicly provided universal healthcare. The public plans in some countries provide basic or sick coverage only, with their citizens being able to purchase supplemental insurance for additional coverage. Countries with universal health care include Austria, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom
Philippine President Duterte will visit China in May to attend the One Belt One Road conference. When Duterte made his first visit to China in October, the communist government in Beijing agreed to pump in $24 billion worth of funds.

The One Belt, One Road Initiative aims to get 60 countries to invest in infrastructure projects to develop the old Silk Road that once connected China with Central Asia, Europe and beyond.

President Dutertes second trip shows that the Philippines is eager to build closer relations with China

Duterte reiterated last month he wanted to avoid confrontation with China and saw no need to press Beijing to abide by a July ruling on Chinas claims in the disputed the South China Sea that went in favor of the Philippines.

The Philippine leader intends to settle the dispute over the South China Sea through diplomatic talks and is seeking assistance from Japan.

It seems likely that there will be several new One Belt One road infrastructure deals announced in May at the conference.
By GMM 20 January 2017 - 16:18





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 didnt 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 theyll 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.
New president of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, has returned to the country, after his swearing in ceremony at their embassy in Senegal.His arrival was greeted by loud celebrations in the streets of Banjul, with some excited citizens capturing his return on their mobile devices amid songs of joy. Barrow has been in Senegal for several days at the request of West African leaders until his planned inauguration.Speaking after taking oath of office in Dakar, he called on security forces to demonstrate their loyalty in a standoff with outgoing President of the country, Yahya Jammeh.He said, From today on, I am the president of the Gambia regardless of whether you voted for me or not.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.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 defeated Jammeh in last months presidential election.Although Jammeh initially conceded defeat, he later changed his mind citing irregularities during the polls.This comes as a spokesperson for the Senegalese army confirmed troops have entered Gambia , following Jammehs refusal to step down as president of the country.
For the past two weeks, I have stayed glued to the television watching with fascination tinged with envy, the American Senate confirmation hearings for cabinet nominees. The quality of what I have seen and listened to has reinforced my belief that our politicians are not ready for the challenge of nation building and more depressingly, our own Congress, the National Assembly, is a joke. Our senators are a bunch of amateurs, totally out of depth.

I am sure if theyve been watching the ongoing confirmation hearings, they would realise what a joke they have been! But if they think they are just nearly half as good, they should go back and watch the confirmation hearings they conducted for President Muhammadu Buharis ministerial nominees. And if after watching their own hearings, they are still convinced they are not jokers then, I will tell them once again that many Nigerians including my humble self are ashamed of them. Their conduct leaves a lot to be desired  a sour taste in the mouths of Nigerians.

Now compare the Senate hearings to confirm Buharis nominees and the ongoing United States Senate hearings to confirm Donald Trumps cabinet picks and tell me whether the standard of the Nigerian Senate is anything to be proud of. Many of them hardly know the functions of the Senate beyond their oversight function through which they extort financial benefits from ministries, parastatals and departments. During debates, many of them have been caught on camera sleeping and snoring in open parliament.

As if this isnt bad enough, the National Assembly members are known more for fighting for increased constituency projects funding where they double as contractors for projects that are used to steal money outright. They are more interested in personal allowances, office maintenance allowances and all other mundane personal beneficial accruals. They lack the capacity for empathy for their people and openly flaunt their ill-gotten wealth to intimidate ordinary Nigerians.

Watching Trumps nominee for the position of Attorney General of the United States of America, Senator Jeff Sessions grilled by the Senate who until just a few weeks ago was a member of the same Senate and more importantly, a member of the same Senate Judiciary Committee charged with the responsibility of conducting the hearing was particularly interesting. In striking contrast to the Nigerian Senate, he was not asked to take a bow and go as one of their own, as our senators do here in that feeling ofcamaraderie and cooperation, nor was he spared by his erstwhile colleagues in their questioning. He was subjected to all the processes, as he faced a barrage of tough questions about his record on several issues.

In fact, he was grilled for nearly two whole days. Every senator on the Judiciary Committee took turns to put him on the spot without mercy. Sessions was questioned repeatedly for hours at a stretch about allegations of racial, religious and gender bias, his voting record in the Senate, and every issue  against him. He was challenged several times by his own colleagues on his stand on issues and made to provide clarifications. His answers were further questioned. Members of the public who opposed him and those who supported him were given five minutes each to state their case. It was so interesting to watch.

The Secretary of State nominee, Rex Tillerson was grilled about his close business ties with Russia, particularly his relationship with Vladimir Putin in the light of the alleged meddling by Russian in the U.S. election to help Trump. He was also questioned about the new governments plan to defeat ISIS which is a top security issue in the U.S. His stance on the Syrian crisis, the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, the principle of the two-state solution in the Middle East, sanctions on Russia, climate change, human rights, China, NATO, and a host of other crisis spots around the world that affect Americas standing and security provided revealing insights into the incoming governments intentions. His tenure as the Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil also came under scrutiny. No aspect of his career was left untouched during the hearing.

The pick for the Secretary of Defence, James Mattis took his turn on the hot seat and was subjected to rigorous questioning. Asked to provide clarifications about his position that seems to imply his opposition to allowing female soldiers in sensitive combat front-line roles and participation in special operations, Mattis walked back his comments, emphasising that he was open to allowing women play any role in the military and was more interested in the quality of manpower rather than sexuality.

Trumps pick for the CIA Director, Mike Pompeo, was grilled about Russia hacking, and cyber security threat, torture and other threats around the world. He like other nominees broke with Trump on key campaign rhetoric, like enhanced interrogation tactics, NATO, sanctions against Russia, etc.

All the other nominees faced different Senate committees that were baying for blood given the acrimonious presidential campaigns with an outcome that stunned the world. Before the open hearings, all the nominees had engaged the different senators in their offices to press the case of their confirmation. There has not been any reported incident that a nominee took stacks of dollar bills along as bribe to facilitate the process. They engaged them on their ideas on how to make America a better and an all-inclusive society for every race and religion, especially the protection of rights and freedoms. It was all about serving Americas national interests and promoting Americas leadership around the world.

It is seen as a privilege and honour to serve their country. Is there any course nobler than that to the American or to many Western politicians? I dare say no!

In our case, senators either ask for bribes directly or the nominees themselves know what to do  a euphemism for offering bribes to smoothen the path to their confirmation whether they are qualified or not. Their past records of poor performance in public offices are never queried once money has changed hands. What a pity! Touts, certificate forgers and incompetent people are cleared as ministers by the Senate that is equally peopled by men and women of shady characters who make laws for the generality of Nigerians.

Any further doubt why the country is failing on all fronts? The next time the president sends nominees to the Senate without attaching portfolios to them, the Senate will be doing itself and the country a world of good to reject them and MUST insist portfolios should be attached before it even considers them.

There is another lesson from America to shame our public office holders. It is this remarkable story of Joe Biden, the outgoing vice-president of the U.S. He served in the Senate from 1973 to 2009, a whopping 35 years before he was nominated by Barack Obama to be his running mate. He is just rounding up his eight years as the vice-president, bringing it to a total of 43 years in public service. But his long stint in public service is not the lesson here.

For nearly all his years in the Senate, Biden commuted by Amtrak train from Delaware to attend to his Senate duties in Washington and back home again to Delaware to be with his family. Now, how many of our senators travel by public transport? Come to think of it, why should they  when they buy and maintain exotic cars for themselves as official cars at great public expense.

For all of Bidens public service, he doesnt have much to his name in terms of material acquisition. But he has an unblemished reputation and an enviable record of service which are priceless.

When his son, Beau  who by the way, was the Attorney General of his State of Delaware  was down with cancer of the brain and couldnt afford the expensive treatment, Biden contemplated selling his house as he revealed last year in a CNN interview but was stopped by President Barack Obama.

He (Obama) got up and he said, Dont sell that house. Promise me you wont sell the house, Biden said.

He said, Ill give you the money. Whatever you need, Ill give you the money. Dont, Joe  promise me. Promise me. I said, I dont think were going to have to anyway. He said, Promise me, Biden said. Obama took from his PERSONAL money to support the medical bills of Bidens son. He didnt order the Health or Treasury Secretary to release government money to pay the bills. He took from his personal money to support his vice-president.

Now, this is a man who has served in public office for 43 years and yet did not have the money to pay for cancer treatment for his son who had himself spent all his small savings and didnt have anything left. I am sure many Nigerians will find this strange. Well, that is the story of public service. That is the story of America, with all its contradictions, remains ennoblement to all.

Now compare Joe Bidens conduct to that of our senators, representatives, governors, local government chairmen, councillors, and all public office holders appointed or elected. Then ask yourself, if Joe Biden were a Nigerian public office holder, would he not have had the money for the treatment of his son no matter how expensive it might have been? I can bet an arm and a leg that he would have had the money but the Nigerian state would still have borne the cost. It would charter an air ambulance, fly him round the world in search of a hospital to get treatment. As you read, there is not a single hospital in the country that our leaders trust to take care of their health needs. At the slightest headache or ear infection, they fly abroad for treatment.

We adore great leaders or change agents of other climes as role models and admire them for their heroism and contributions to their societies, but we have none to give the world to admire except corrupt politicians and public office holders to despise. Public office is seen here as a God-given opportunity to line ones pockets and bully the populace. Public office holders organise thanksgiving services to thank God for their appointments and in no time after they resume, personal mansions begin to sprout everywhere, big obscene parties are thrown to mark birthdays while lavish weddings are organised for their children.

On his part, Joe Biden served the people of Delaware for 35 years and the American people as the vice-president for another eight years  a total of 43 years and yet was unable to pay for his sons cancer treatment. This should give concerned Nigerians lots of food for thought about the average Nigerian politician and public office holder. Need one say more?

Shaka Momodu is a columnist with ThisDay where this article was first published. He can be reached by email HERE

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

When not in parliament, they are frolicking with women of easy virtue in Rolls Royces, multi-million naira SUVs, and other exotic state-of-the-art cars. They drive these expensive cars to their dusty constituencies without the most basic infrastructure or amenities  no electricity, no roads, no pipe borne water, and no healthcare facilities. It is one of the contradictions one finds difficult to explain about our country and its leaders.
Hundreds of protesters demonstrating against Donald Trump clashed with guests leaving an event in honour of the new US president in Washin...

Hundreds of protesters demonstrating against Donald Trump clashed with guests leaving an event in honour of the new US president in Washington on Thursday, prompting police to use chemical spray on the crowd.The protesters, who heckled guests and shouted foul language at people leaving the Deploraball, also burned protest signs, creating a smoke-filled scene in front of the National Press Building, where the event was held.Dozens of police, many in riot gear, were on scene, with some trying to help ball-goers, dressed in tuxedos and evening dresses, leave the area as demonstrators chased them down the street.Although largely peaceful at first, the protest grew more ragged as the night drew on.Several prominent members of the so-called alt-right movement reportedly organized or were to attend the event, held on the eve of Trumps inauguration.They dont care about diversity, they dont care about different people, they dont care about homosexuals, they dont care about women, most importantly to me, anyway, as a woman, protester Alex Christopher, who travelled to Washington from West Virginia, told AFP.Brandon Bourg, a 22-year-old law student attending the Deploraball from Louisiana told AFP: You know  First Amendment, freedom of speech, freedom to be violent, its good.Violence solves things but I mean, were the ones that won in the end, he said.The name of the event is a play on Hillary Clintons campaign statement criticizing half of Trumps supporters as a basket of deplorables.Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday, with an estimated 800,000 people expected to gather on the National Mall to watch.Small demonstrations have already popped up across the city center with protesters declaring Trump illegitimate. A much larger rally is planned for Saturday.
Donald Trump became the 45th president of United States on Friday, ushering in a new political era that is cheered and feared in equal mea...

Donald Trump became the 45th president of United States on Friday, ushering in a new political era that is cheered and feared in equal measure.The 70-year-old Republican billionaire placed his left hand on a bible used by Abraham Lincoln and recited the 35-word oath spoken since George Washington, and then launched into a much-anticipated inaugural address.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, Trump told a crowd of hundreds of thousands massed on the National Mall.Together we will determine the course of America, and the world, for many, many years to come, he said.From this day forward, its going to be only America first.Trumps inauguration caps the improbable rise to power of the Manhattan real estate mogul, who had never before held elected office, served in the government or the armed forces.A crowd of hundreds of thousands looked on, including outgoing president Barack Obama and Trumps defeated election opponent Hillary Clinton  who narrowly missed out on becoming Americas first female president.Ive been waiting for this for a long time, said Thomas Mendenhall, 68, a retired banker from Missouri. We just want change. Meteoric political rise When Trump descended the escalators of his glitzy New York tower in June 2015, his run for office was dismissed and even mocked.His staff, many shunned by friends for supporting a man who has been labeled a racist and bigot by his critics, will become power players in the White House.In the primaries, Trump dominated a crowded Republican presidential field with smash-mouth rhetoric and star power. He rode that same wave of anti-elite sentiment to victory over Clinton in the November election.For Trumps critics, there was disbelief that a man who 19 months ago hosted The Apprentice is now leader of the free world.A short distance from the steps of the Capitol, where Trump was sworn in, police fired gas to disperse protesters. Stones were thrown and windows broken.A 27-year-old financial worker from Tampa Bay in Florida, who did not want to give his name for fear of retaliation by his employer, said Trumps election victory had left him fearful.There is nothing to hope for except for grassroots efforts to oppose him, he said. A bigger anti-Trump rally is planned for Saturday. Time-honored traditions At 70 years of age, Trump is the oldest man ever to begin work in the Oval Office.He has vowed to tear up Obamas policies and re-examine decades-old alliances with Europe and in Asia.Beginning Friday, his team plans a rolling series of daily executive orders to roll back Obamas agenda.But he enters office with a 37 percent approval rating, the lowest on record, according to a CBS News poll.His inauguration was notably more sparsely attended than that of Obama in 2009 and 2013.Many will look to Trumps inaugural speech for efforts to unify a country divided by politics  and increasingly, by culture.The most noted inaugural addresses had sought to lift Americans gaze up from the rancor and troubles of the day toward the horizon and a better tomorrow.Inaugural addresses  from Lincoln to John F. Kennedy  echo across American history. Phrases like malice towards none and ask not what your country can do for you have been carved into the vernacular.Trump aides are promising an address that is at once short  at around 20 minutes  and philosophical.Earlier in the day, Trump had traced the steps of many presidents past, attending a prayer service at St. Johns Church before heading to the White House, where he was greeted warmly by Obama.Mr President-elect, how are you? Obama asked his successor, after having deposited a letter in the Resolute desk and left the Oval Office for the last time.After his speech, Trump will attend a luncheon inside the Capitol, before heading back to the White House to begin the business of governing.(AFP)
A last minute attempt to convince Yahya Jammeh to give up his role as Gambian president before Wednesdays midnight deadline failed, acc...

A last minute attempt to convince Yahya Jammeh to give up his role as Gambian president before Wednesdays midnight deadline failed, according to sources in the countrys capital.Mauretanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz allegedly made a last-ditch effort late Wednesday night to persuade Jammeh to stand down after more than two decades in power, but was not able to convince him.Troops from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana remained in position in neighbouring Senegal as the deadline passed.Meanwhile 26,000 Gambians crossed the border into Senegal between the start of the year and Monday, with many continuing to flee the impending conflict in recent days, according to UNHCR spokeswoman Helene Caux in Dakar.Eyewitnesses reported heavily armed soldiers arriving at the Senegalese border town of Karang late Wednesday, while the Nigerian Air Force deployed fighter jets and troops to Senegal ahead of a likely military intervention in Gambia, where the post-election political crisis was escalating.Regional bloc ECOWAS pledged to send troops to ensure a peaceful transition of power after it failed in repeated attempts to convince Jammeh to cede power.After ruling Gambia for 22 years, Jammeh has refused to accept the result of a December 1 election, which saw him lose power to real estate mogul Adama Barrow.Halifa Sallah, a spokesman for the president-elect, said if Jammeh refused to step down by midnight, Thursdays inauguration would take place at the Gambian embassy in Dakar due to the military intervention in Gambia.The Nigerian Air Force said in a statement its deployment was in keeping with the West African blocs pledge to enforce the election mandate.Nigeria moved 200 troops, fighter jets, transport aircraft, helicopters and other air assets to the Senegalese capital Dakar, and planned to move them from there into Gambia.The deployment is also to forestall hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in Gambia, the statement read.Barrow fled Gambia on Saturday to Dakar amid fears of violence, but has insisted he would be inaugurated as scheduled on Thursday.The president, who refuses to leave office, on Tuesday placed his army on highest alert and chief of defence staff, Ousman Badjie, repeatedly pledged his loyalty to the autocrat.Experts, however, dont believe Jammeh will be able to hold up a military battle for long.The country of 1.9 million people has about 1,000 soldiers, little capacity to fight a well-trained army, for example that of Senegal, which has almost 20,000 troops.
A bill seeking a one-year jail term for ministers, heads of agencies and other public officers who ignored a summon by the National Assemb...





A bill seeking a one-year jail term for ministers, heads of agencies and other public officers who ignored a summon by the National Assembly passed the second reading at the House of Representatives on Thursday.The minister could be penalized with a jail term, a one million naira fine or both for ignoring invitations to appear at investigative hearings in the National Assembly or fail to submit requested documents.The Bill for an Act to Amend the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act Cap L12, Laws of the Federation, 2004 to make more stringent Offences of Failure to Attend Investigative Hearings of Legislative Houses and For Other Related Matters, is sponsored by Hon. Sunday Karimi.The bill equally seeks to empower the personnel of Sergeant-at-Arms office in the National Assembly to effect warrant of arrest issued by the House.In the proposed bill, the Senate-President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives are to forward confirmed cases of contempt of the legislative house to the Attorney-General of the Federation for prosecution.It divided lawmakers who spoke for and against it.Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun put the bill to a voice vote, with it receiving more ayes. It was subsequently referred to the committee on Justice.
The solidarity rally by the indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, for new US President, Donald Trump in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State has turne...

The solidarity rally by the indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, for new US President, Donald Trump in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State has turned violent.Media and Publicity secretary of IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful, in a short message he sent to newsmen alleged that no fewer than 11 members of the pro-Biafra group have been shot dead by security operatives.They have attacked our people; 11 have been confirmed dead, many others have bullet wounds, he claimed in the statement.He alleged that the attack was carried out by the police, the army and the Department of State Services, beside First Artillery junction, Port-Hacourt.The IPOB spokesman had earlier in a statement he issued on Friday morning, raised the alarm over what he called, the barbaric plans by the Nigeria security agencies against the recent TRUMP solidarity rally in Igweocha Port-Harcourt River state today, 20th January 2017.The Nigeria security agencies, especially the DSS have perfected plans to share some weapons/guns to unscrupulous elements in the society to join the peaceful solidarity rally for TRUMP today in order to create problem within the crowd.IPOB is a peaceful organization that have no guns or weapons but Nigeria government and her security agencies especially the DSS have shared destructive objects to kill people in Igweocha River state today.We are calling on international community, men and women of good conscience around the world to note this because IPOB is peaceful and if anything happens, Nigeria government led by Muhammadu Buhari and the security agencies, especially the DSS should be held responsible, he had claimed.However, when contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, of the Rivers State Police Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, described the reported killing as false.He said to the best of his knowledge, there was no casualty as the police did not use force but merely employed minimal action, which involved the use of tear gas.He added that the situation had been brought under control and that everybody was now going about their normal businesses.
The deployment of Nigerian troops to The Gambia without approval of the National Assembly came under the searchlight of the Senate yest...

The deployment of Nigerian troops to The Gambia without approval of the National Assembly came under the searchlight of the Senate yesterday.Some senators said it was a breach of the Constitution for President Muhammadu Buhari to deploy soldiers to The Gambia to force President Yahya Jammeh out, without notifying and obtaining the consent of the National Assembly.Nigeria has despatched warships and fighter jets for a possible military intervention in The Gambia to force Jammeh, whose tenure ended 12 midnight yesterday, out of office.Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North), who relied on Order 43 of the Senate Standing Rule and Section 5(4), of the 1999 Constitution as amended, said Buhari erred by deploying troops outside the shores of the country without seeking the Senates consent.Senate President Bukola Saraki, faulted Utazis position. Saraki noted that the President was still within the confines of the law.The Senate President said the Constitution protects President Buhari to deploy troops, as long as the operation does not exceed seven days.Relying on Section 5(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, Saraki noted that until the expiration of seven days, it would be wrong to fault the action of the President.Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu countered. He warned that it would be wrong to undermine the institution of the Senate.He noted that weakening the institution of the Senate would amount to setting a bad precedent.The Senate did not take any official position on the matter as Saraki foreclosed further contributions.The Senate President did not also rule on the constitutional matter raised by Utazi and Ekweremadu.
In support of Donald Trump who will soon be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday in Washington the pro-Biafra group ...

In support of Donald Trump who will soon be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday in Washington the pro-Biafra group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) held a solidarity rally in Port Harcourt today ahead of Trump inauguration.Hundreds of IPOB memebers took to the streets of Port Harcourt in a peaceful solidarity rally for the United States president-elect Donald J Trump.IPOB is part of a wider secessionist movement that advocates an independent state of Biafra, a region in southeast Nigeria that unsuccessfully fought for independence in a brutal three-year civil war that ended in 1970.See photo:
Several Gambians took to the streets to celebrate the swearing-in of President Adama Barrow on television live from Senegal, even as Afr...

Several Gambians took to the streets to celebrate the swearing-in of President Adama Barrow on television live from Senegal, even as African troops approached.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 the long-serving leader Yahya Jammeh was believed to remain despite the expiry of his mandate.
THE defection of the senator representing Akwa Ibom South, Nelson Effiong, from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Cong...

THE defection of the senator representing Akwa Ibom South, Nelson Effiong, from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) threw the Senate into a rowdy session yesterday.Effiong, who announced his defection from the PDP to the ruling APC, cited what he called the intractable crisis in the PDP as reason for his action.The Akwa Ibom lawmaker noted that APC has brought stability to Nigeria and restored peace to some troubled parts of the country.He said: I have decided that no reasonable politician, who is worth his onions would remain in PDP and allow his people to be drifting about without a direction. So, I have decided today (yesterday), the 19th day of January, 2017, to resign from the PDP and move to the party that is bringing peace and direction to this country.Hardly had the defector sat down than the Deputy Minority Leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, took him on about his choice of words.Bwacha said he had no issue if Effiong decided to jump ship, but it is insulting for him to describe those in the PDP as unreasonable.He added that those who elected to follow the weather in their political career were free to do so.Such politicians, he said, should not turn round to insult others.The Taraba South lawmaker warned Effiong about the consequences of his action.Bwacha said: I hope that my colleague is aware of the implications of what he has just done. The PDP as a party is one and is intact. I fear for his seat and the consequences that may follow as a result of this action. I want to say that what he has said appears to be an insult to those of us who are in the PDP that a politician that is worth his onions will not remain in PDP.That is an insult. If you want to do the usual business in the Nigerian politics of following the weather, he should say it clearly. This business of moving here and there following the weather should be stated clearly and let him not deviate from the original intentions he has. We are going to meet in court.The Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who walked into the chamber after the defection, told the Senate PDP in Akwa Ibom State would challenge the defection in court and reclaim its mandate.Akpabio noted that Effiong has the right to jump ship, but not to the detriment of the party under whose platform he rode to the Senate.Akpabio said: I understand maybe due to political intoxication or otherwise, the senator has jumped ship and moved from this side to the other side. I need to let the Senate and the president know that in terms of the court decisions up to the Supreme Court, that it is not an individual that contests an election.It is a political party and therefore the moment somebody takes the mandate of a political party, it behooves on that political party to immediately take steps. We heard that this action is going to take place and we engaged the senator in various discussions and we showed him the implication.I want it to be noted in this Senate that the PDP in Akwa Ibom State is already on its way to court and we would want to reclaim its mandate. We must reclaim the mandate given to us and we do not mind the senator joining the APC, but he will not go with the mandate given to us in Akwa Ibom State. The reason why I am standing is that today, it is the PDP, tomorrow it might be APC.Senate President Bukola Saraki, fearing escalation of the issue, did not allow further debate.The way and manner the defection of Senator Yele Omogunwa, representing Ondo South, from PDP to APC was handled forced PDP senators to walk out of the chamber last month.It was apparent Saraki did not want the walk out of the opposition senators to recur.
Some Gambians have taken to the social media to express their joy over the response from West African bloc and the world in ensuring true ...





Some Gambians have taken to the social media to express their joy over the response from West African bloc and the world in ensuring true democracy reigns in The Gambia. Most of them have specifically thanked Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari and the ECOWAS in general for being their guardians.Gambians took to social media, particularly the Twitter which had recorded more than 200,000 tweets in praise of Nigeria, Senegal and ECOWAS.One of the tweets said: Nigerian Air force pilots performed recce flights over Jammehs Kenilai Family Farm, Denton Bridge linking Banjul & Intl Airport. Another said that ECOWAS military commanders assembled to force Gambia Dictator Yahya Jammeh out of power is led by a Senegalese army General @ruthmaclean, said Overnight Jammeh fired whats left of his cabinet after mass resignations, and declared he would oversee all ministries himself. #GambiaRuth Maclean, @Smith_JeffreyT said. Verified account Reports from #Gambia are that Kanilai  Yahya Jammehs home village  has fallen. ECOWAS stopping operations in hopes to negotiate a peace, Jeffrey Smith.Gambia Voices @GambiaVoices, said: Troops are in #Gambia. They are walking towards Banjul. It is already war. If we find any resistance, we will fight it, General Ndiaye.BREAKING: Gambias army chief is celebrating and supporting the entry of Senegalese troops into the country to oust defeated president, another tweet from Spectator said.Gambia Voices @GambiaVoices Thank you @MBuhari and thank you ECOWAS for being the guardian of democracy in our mama #Africa, you made us all proud! #Gambia is graceful.Adama Barrow @BarrowOfficial1, said: Am taking this opportunity to thank the entire electorate of the #Gambia and Gambians in the Diaspora for making this day possible.On Jan. 9, Buhari lead two other West African presidents and other citizens to meet with Jammeh. Buhari in his capacity as mediator in chief traveled with his counterparts, Sirleaf and Koroma , as well as the immediate past President of Ghana, John Mahama, to the Gambia to meet with Jammeh.But those talks yielded no results.Embattled Yahaya Jammeh has remained adamant, refusing to cede power after being defeated by the erstwhile businessman-turned politician, Adama Barrow in the December 1 election held in the country. Although Jammeh had called his opponent to concede defeat, however, a week later, he made a volte face, refusing the outcome of the election, a stand he has adamantly maintained till now.Thousands of Gambians and tourists fled the country as the tension kept rising, especially following the threat from ECOWAS that a military ousting would be carried out against Jammeh should he refuse to cede power peacefully.But, despite the peaceful negotiations by the ECOWAS bloc to persuade Jammeh to step down peacefully, he has stayed put and has refused to accept Barrow as his successor.West African leaders on Friday said they would travel once again to The Gambia in a last-minute effort to convince election loser Yahya Jammeh to cede power, a media report said.It said the presidents of Liberia and Guinea were expected to arrive in Banjul to give Jammeh, who ruled the small West African nation for 22 years with an iron fist, a last chance to respect the constitution.The announcement came hours after military forces of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) crossed from Senegal into Gambia in an attempt to search for Jammeh.However, Adama Barrow who had equally fled The Gambia to neighbouring Senegal for his safety has been sworn-in as the new President of The Gambia.In his inaugural speech, dressed all in white, 51-year-old Barrow waved to a crowd of thousands of jubilant Gambians during his inauguration, which officially ended Jammehs 22-year rule. 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.
The Gambia got a new president yesterday. Adama Barrow was sworn in as president with the support of the international community. Yahya ...

The Gambia got a new president yesterday. Adama Barrow was sworn in as president with the support of the international community. Yahya Jammeh refused to hand over power. Since the swearing in, the question has been what happens next?Barrow was sworn in neighbouring Senegal, holding a Koran as he took the oath of office at the Gambian embassy.The oath was administered by the Gambian Bar Association president, Sheriff Tambadou, in the presence of ambassadors from countries in the UN Security Council and key African states.There is little doubt that Barrow, who won last months election, will now be recognised internationally as The Gambias new head of state.However, it remains unclear how soon he will be able to take power in Banjul.West African regional grouping ECOWAS has mandated Senegal, which almost surrounds The Gambia, to lead a military intervention to install Barrow and its troops have massed on the border. Nigeria has sent aircraft and troops to Senegal, and deployed a warship.However, West African military sources say intervention is intended only as a last resort ifJammeh cannot be persuaded by the threat of force to stand aside. If no political solution is found, we will step in, Col Abdou Ndiaye, a spokesman for the Senegalese military, was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.Gambia is a popular tourist destination and after the British Foreign Office updated its travel advice, holiday companies have been evacuating tourists.Would military intervention be legal?Senegal has circulated a draft resolution at the UN Security Council, seeking authorisation for an intervention but no vote has been scheduled. Some diplomats have suggested that such authorisation may not be necessary if Barrow, having assumed the presidency, requests help.What is Jammehs position?Jammeh tried to bolster his position earlier this week by declaring a state of emergency and engineering a parliamentary vote to extend his presidency by three months. He said these moves would prevent a power vacuum while the Supreme Court considered a legal challenge he has submitted over the election result.Apparently disregarding the possibility that the court could eventually rule against him, he also promised to stay in power until new elections can be held.Although the parliamentary vote took place while Jammeh was still officially president, regional powers are not regarding the decision as valid and are continuing with their plans to install Barrow at State House. Without this extension, Jammehs term ended at midnight on Thursday.Would military intervention succeed?A Senegalese-led intervention force would be expected to have more firepower than the Gambian army but it is not clear how much resistance it would face.The army chief is a close Jammeh loyalist but has been quoted as saying he would not risk his mens lives in a political dispute.The elite regiment of the army, drawn mainly from the same ethnic group as Jammeh, is well-armed and is regarded as being fiercely loyal. However, it would be at a considerable numerical disadvantage to an intervening force.The loyalty of other regiments is much less certain. Correspondents say there has been talk that some are unhappy with recent events and want a peaceful resolution.How are the Gambian people reacting?Tension is high in the Gambian capital, Banjul, over concerns that the political conflict will escalate into violence. Thousands of people have fled to neighbouring countries and rural areas.Earlier this week, Barrows coalition urged Gambians to exercise restraint, observe the rule of law and not to respond to provocation.What is the dispute over the election?Jammeh, who seized power in a 1994 coup, initially accepted that Barrow had won the election but later reversed his position and said he would not step down.He filed a petition to the Supreme Court, challenging the election results, and says the existence of this legal process means it would be unconstitutional for Barrow to assume office.He also asked the Supreme Court for an injunction to stop the inauguration but the chief justice declined to rule on it, saying he must recuse himself from any case that could affect his own position  he would normally conduct the swearing-in ceremony.Jammeh 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 Barrow still won.Retaining power would ensure he was not prosecuted in The Gambia for alleged abuses committed during his rule.How have his allies reacted to the crisis?Ministers are continuing to desert Jammehs government. Several ministers, and even the long-serving vice-president, have resigned in recent days.One of the ministers who resigned, former information chief Sheriff Bojang, said Jammehs arguments had a veneer of constitutionalism but were an attempt to subvert the will of the Gambian people. The international community says Barrow won fairly.The lawyer representing Jammeh and his APRC party in the election challenge has also fled to Senegal and urged the long-time leader to step aside.What is happening at the Supreme Court?Judges from Nigeria and Sierra Leone have been hired to hear the petition to overturn the election result, but they have yet to arrive in Banjul.Gambian chief justice Emmanuel Fagbenle has said the court will be able to convene no earlier than May, and possibly not until November, because the Nigerian who is to act as court president, Onogeme Uduma, is fully booked for the coming months.How might this be resolved?Barrow has distanced himself from comments, made by other opposition figures, suggesting Jammeh may be prosecuted over alleged abuses in power.He said Jammeh should be able to stay in The Gambia and would be honoured as, and receive the privileges of, a former head of state if he stepped down.However, analysts say Jammeh is unlikely to be persuaded by his opponents apparently conciliatory language.Another option, raised by the House of Representatives is that Jammeh could be offered asylum and a comfortable retirement in another African country.Besides Nigeria, Morocco has been mooted as a possible destination (Jammehs wife is Moroccan).A third possibility has become more likely with Jammehs recent moves to entrench himself  that Jammeh continues to cling to power with the backing of at least some of the army, pending military intervention by regional powers.TimelineDecember 1, 2016: Gambians go to the polls to choose their new president from three candidates, including Jammeh, who has ruled with an iron fist for 22 years, and Barrow, representing a large opposition coalition.December 2, 2016: The electoral commission announces that Barrow has won, to scenes of jubilation on the streets. Jammeh concedes defeat.December 5: Gambian opposition leader Ousainou Darboe, who was jailed in July for taking part in a protest, is freed on bail with 18 others. In the following days some 40 members of the opposition are also freed.December 6: The electoral commission says Barrow won the election more narrowly than originally thought, and with a lower turnout. He garnered 43.2 percent of the vote and Jammeh 39.6 percent. A third candidate, Mama Kandeh, took 17.1 percent.December 9: Jammeh announces he has changed his mind and says he rejects the results in totality. He lodges a complaint with the Supreme Court to overturn the result. The defiance sparks global concern, with the UN Security Council among those demanding that Jammeh hand over power.December 13: Heads of state from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are sent to The Gambia, but are unable to convince Jammeh to acknowledge his defeat.December 31, Jammeh accuses ECOWAS of declaring war.January 4, 2017: The army chief reaffirms his loyalty to Jammeh.January 9: Jammeh dismisses 12 ambassadors after they call for him to step aside.January 10: The Gambias chief Supreme Court justice says Jammehs legal challenge against the result will not be heard for several months.January 13: The African Union (AU) urges Jammeh to respect the results and relinquish power peacefully, warning of serious consequences. It says it will not recognise him as of January 19.January 15: Senegalese President Macky Sall announces he has agreed to take in Barrow until his inauguration.January 16: The Gambias top judge pulls out of hearing a bid by Jammeh to halt the inauguration.January 17: Jammeh declares a state of emergency, saying foreign powers had created an unwarranted hostile atmosphere, threatening the sovereignty, peace, security and stability of the country.January 18: The Senegalese army says it is ready to intervene if there is no solution to the crisis. Gambian vice president Isatou Njie-Saidy resigns along with the environment and higher education ministers, the latest cabinet members to desert Jammeh. Nigeria and Ghana also agree to send troops. Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz travels to Banjul in an 11th-hour mediation bid.January 19: A midnight (0000 GMT) deadline for Jammeh to step down expires. Barrow announces he will take the oath in the Gambian embassy in Senegal at 1600 GMT. UN Security Council to vote on a draft resolution endorsing the ECOWAS effort to ensure a transfer of power in The Gambia.
Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, says Nigeria has no choice than to borrow, considering that oil prices are not returning to $110 per b...

Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, says Nigeria has no choice than to borrow, considering that oil prices are not returning to $110 per barrel anytime soon.Speaking at the 14th Daily Trust Dialogue in Abuja, Adeosun said the 2017 budget has a deficit of N2.36 trillion, which would only be financed through borrowing.She joined Atedo Peterside of Stanbic IBTC, Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, and some other professionals in discussing the theme Beyond recession: Towards a resilient economy.Where are we today and whats the problem? This is my requirement every month: salaries, statutory transfers every month, I need N210 billion every month, Adeosun said.Debt, not the debt that we are planning to take, but the inherited debt; I need N120 billion just to service it. So, every month, I need N330 billionJust to give you an idea of where we are today, last months FAAC allocation was N310 billion. So, the federal government got about N140 billion; but I must cover N330 billion a month before we can do a single capital project.So, when we start the argument, should we borrow, should we not? The truth is that we have no choice. If you are waiting for the oil price to recover, the prognosis is that its not going to go back to $110 per barrel any time soon.The minister added that: To get the economy growing, we have no choice but to look for low-cost funds and put that infrastructure in place, because it is the infrastructure that will unlock the economy.Adeosun attributed the high rate of non-performing loans in the banking industry to the huge contract sums owed by government to its contractors that had collected loans to finance these contracts.She added that the government is working with the CBN to issue promissory notes to clear these backlog of debts.So, we are working with the CBN to issue a promissory note to clear the backlog. When we clear the backlog then we start afresh, she said.If you get a government contract, these are your payment terms, and that will also give us lower pricing.What we have discovered is that because people feel that there is a risk that they may not be paid, they load the price of the contract.
Watford striker, Odion Ighalo, has been linked with a 17million move to fellow Premier League strugglers, West Bromwich Albion.According to reports, Tony Pulis is hoping to bolster his attack with the Super Eagles frontman.Ighalo has endured a miserable season so far with the Hornets and has only scored twice in all competition this season, after netting 17 times last season.Two weeks ago, the 27-year-old was rumoured to be close to joining compatriot John Obi Mikel, in the Chinese Super League.Ighalo has long been linked with a big-money transfer to China and Watford rejected a 38million pounds bid for him from Shangai SIPG last year.Yes, its a possibility he could move to China, a source disclosed to reporters at the time.There should be an update in this regard this week.Ighalo only signed a new five-year contract with The Hornets last summer.Nwankwo Kanu, Brown Ideye and Osaze Odemwingie are other Nigerian strikers who have played for West Brom in the past.
The Presidency yesterday said the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, is still being detained for public inter...

The Presidency yesterday said the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, is still being detained for public interest and security implications.The government said it was keeping the IMN leader in line with its obligations as enshrined in Section 14 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.But it, the government added that the spiritual leaders wife, Malama Zeenatu Ibraheem, was free to go home because she had no case to answer.A top Presidency source spoke in an interview with reporters in Abuja against the backdrop of pressure on the government to obey court orders on the release of El-Zakzaky.The official, who craved anonymity, said the major constitutional policy objective of government as stated in section 14 (2) (b) is public and not individual security.The source said: The issue of the release of 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.The Federal Government is looking into the case with the public and security interest dimensions being put into consideration.The source, however, said the wife of El-Zakzaky was free to go home because she has never had a case to answer.The source claimed the IMN leaders wife was not of any security interest and therefore was merely keeping her husband company in the apartment in which he is kept.The source added: She is not under detention. If it is her wish, that of her husband or of the IMN, she will be allowed to go home in a matter of hours.El-Zakzakys spouse was picked up by the Department of Security Service (DSS) beside her husband with bullet wounds following IMNs encounter with the army.They took her along with the husband, treated her wounds and allowed her to care for her husband.Upon his request on an occasion, the children joined them during Ramadan. That is what happened.The IMN, on Wednesday, made seven demands for the release of El Zakzaky.At a briefing, Sheikh Abdulhamid Bello, head of the Shuhadah (Martyrs) Foundation, IMN, tabled the demands, among others:We demand and insist that the Federal unconditionally and in accordance with the procedures laid down in the judgment of the Federal High Court delivered on December 2, 2016.The Federal Government and its agencies must obey the orders of the Federal High Court Abuja, as they have a responsibility to show good example to the people of Nigeria as a regime that believes in the rule of law and due process. Serial disobedience to court orders and contempt for the fundamental rights of citizens to freedom of religion does not portray our country as one that is ready to manage its religious diversity in a way that strengthens the federation.The IMN demands that the government desists from trying to infiltrate the movement using fifth columnists and agent provocateurs. The IMN does not believe in violence or the use of violence to achieve its objectives.The Federal Government and the Kaduna State government have been and continue to engage in provocative acts aimed at inciting the movement to take to the path of violence in vain. The IMN assures the Nigerian public that any act of violence attributed to it can only emanate from agent provocateurs being injected into the movement by state agents.The IMN thanks the human rights community and professional groups and organisations for their support in this matter thus far and urges them to persuade the government to release our leader and his wife and withdraw all trumped up charges against members of our movement.We urge the international community to persuade the government to obey the orders of court and to release our leader unconditionally.We also appeal to the international community to commit Nigeria to upholding religious rights and freedoms, failing which the Nigerian government and its agents be isolated and sanctioned.We appeal to all Nigerians to prevail on the government to release our leader to seek medical attention to the challenges of his sight.
NEWARK -- A 46-year-old Bergen County woman was sentenced Thursday to more than 2 years in prison for her role in a $1.7 million check fraud scheme.

The ruse began in July 2014 when Chunhua Jin, of Ridgefield, and others opened bank accounts the name of fakes businesses, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul J. Fishman said in a news release.

Jin and her two unnamed cohorts then spent the next several weeks making small deposits and withdrawals from banks in Atlantic, Middlesex and Morris counties to give the impression the accounts were legitimate. Then Jin deposited a phony check for a large amount and waited for the bank to credit some of the amount for withdrawal.

She then took as much money out of the account as the banks would allow before the bank realized in April 2015 what Jin and her associates were up to and blocked further withdrawals.

In all, the banks lost $1,727,056.42, according to court papers.

One of the banks she defrauded was Bank of America. The others were not named.

Jin pleaded guilty in May 2016 to one count of bank fraud conspiracy. She will also be subject to five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
PORT NORRIS -- It isn't unusual for police officers to rise to the call of duty -- even if that means helping to deliver a baby.

Troopers were told Thursday morning that a woman in labor was being brought to the Port Norris station because she didn't think she would make it to the hospital on time, police said in a press release.

(L-R) Tpr. Tyler Dornewass, Detective Matthew Hanlin, Detective Andrew Abdill, and Tpr. Bryan Blair. The four helped deliver a baby Thursday morning in the Port Norris station parking lot.

Detectives Matthew Hanlin and Andrew Abdill, along with Troopers Bryan Blair and Tyler Dornewass met them into the parking lot and jumped into the van where they helped deliver the baby.

Emergency crews arrived a short time later to attend to the mother, Deshyamma Dayton, and her baby -- a girl who she named Ka'naih.

"So far, so good," Dayton said about the baby over the phone from the hospital.

Dayton said she's doing well -- but is still a little exhausted.

Rajeev Dhir may be reached at rdhir@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @googasmammoo. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Author Michael Lewis recently dropped by Business Insider to talk about his new book "The Undoing Project."



We couldn't let Lewis leave before presenting him with a question we've been itching to ask ever since we read his 2012 book "Boomerang," which collects his observations of how countries around the world contributed to the Global Financial Crisis.



In the book's chapter about Germany, which is a reprinting of his 2011 column for Vanity Fair, Lewis dredges up some peculiar aspects of German folk culture. Specifically it's the aspect relating to an obsession with human feces, or "dirt," as it's commonly referred to among Germans.



Lewis cites the work of late American anthropologist Alan Dundes who, in his 1984 book "Life is Like a Chicken Coop Ladder," in which Dundes writes:



"One finds an inordinate number of texts concerned with anality. Scheisse (shit), Dreck (dirt), Mist (manure), Arsch (ass). Folksongs, folktales, proverbs, riddles, folk speechall attest to the Germans longstanding special interest in this area of human activity.



Upon discovering this peculiar cultural revelation, Lewis utilized it to try and better understand Germany's role in the GFC.



When we asked Lewis about it, he laughed, and proceeded to summarize his thoughts on his perceived correlation. However, for an in-depth understanding of Lewis' take, we suggest you read the full article here, which remains live on the "Vanity Fair" website.



You won't regret it.



Follow BI Video: On Twitter





More From Business Insider


a-bronx-tale-paper-mill-playhouse

Millburn's Paper Mill Playhouse, which debuted 'A Bronx Tale' last year, is one of many arts organizations that receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, an independent federal agency reportedly being targeted for elimination by the Donald Trump transition team.

(Paper Mill Playhouse)

Big Bird, hunker down.

According to a report in The Hill, President Donald Trump's transition team is calling to ax the National Endowment of the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and to privatize the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS and National Public Radio.

Targeting the arts is a routine play during budget season -- the NEA has long been a target by fiscal and social conservatives -- but the scope of the this budget plan is shocking to many.

And it could prove devastating to New Jersey arts organizations.

"My hope is that this is not something that our new president will undertake," says Todd Schmidt, the managing director of Millburn's Paper Mill Playhouse, the winner of the 2016 Regional Tony Award and a recipient of NEA funding.

"It's dividing America over an issue that is really a non-issue ... It's a bad way to start a new administration, to come in and immediately go after paper tigers."

"I think what's really important is how indicative this is of the values and culture of the incoming administration," says Susan Gogan, the executive director of the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center in Millville. "I think everybody was a little nervous when he was elected. Just like many other issues, there were so many unknowns."

The recommendations, as reported on the eve of Trump's inauguration by The Hill, are similar to a blueprint offered last year by the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation.

Trump, who is being inaugurated as the nation's 45th president today, has not commented, on Twitter or otherwise, on the recommendations.

The NEA in particular has come under fire in recent decades as part of a culture war spawned by government-sponsored work and exhibits of controversial artists such as Andres Serrano and Robert Mapplethorpe.

This round of scrutiny appears to driven more by pure parsimony, with Brian Darling, a former Heritage Foundation member telling The Hill that "targeting waste" such as the NEA and the NEH "would be a good first step in showing that the Trump Administration is serious about radically reforming the federal budget."

Eliminating the NEA and the NEH would save $296 million, or less than .01 percent of the nearly $4 trillion federal budget. The CPB got $445 million from the federal government last year.

In New Jersey, the NEA helps fund the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, which in turn distributes money to the state's arts organizations, from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to the Paper Mill Playhouse to the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center to the Montclair Art Museum.

Though the largest source of funding for the Council on the Arts is a $16 million state appropriation from the hotel-motel tax, the NEA is giving the state $872,100 in fiscal year 2017, representing a small but healthy chunk of its budget. That does not include direct grants the NEA bestows on individual arts organizations -- another $482,500 in the last fiscal year.

One of those grants -- $40,000 -- goes to the Paper Mill to support its autism-friendly performances and programming. The loss of the money would certainly curtail the program, Schmidt says. The NEA also directly sponsors Jazz Night in America, WBGO's weekly program produced with NPR and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and gave NJSO $10,000 for its 2016 "Sounds of Shakespeare" Winter Festival and $10,000 for its 2015 NJSO Edward T. Cone Composition Institute, which supports young composers and new music.

The NEH, which funds research and scholarship at cultural institutions, has, in recent years, supported New Jersey projects such as Rutgers University, New Brunswick's multi-volume edition of the papers of Thomas Edison and the Witherspoon Institute's documentary "Rediscovering Alexander Hamilton."

Many of New Jersey's arts chieftains, from NJPAC CEO John Schreiber to Tom Carto, the president and CEO of the State Theatre in New Brunswick, to Gabriel van Aalst, the president and CEO of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, emphasized studies that show that arts can be a tremendous economic driver and offer trickle-down benefits to local communities.

"In monetary terms, it's not even an accounting error," Carto says of the razor-thin slice of pie that comprises federal arts funding.

Research also shows that children who experience the arts do better in school, both academically and socially, learning skills that will enrich their lives in whatever they do, van Aalst says. "To eliminate the NEA's funding would have a huge cultural and economic impact that would resonate well beyond the institutions it funds."

While many New Jersey arts organizations would be hobbled but not destroyed by blanking the NEA, the loss of funding could hurt their ability to raise money from other sources, Gogan says. The NEA stamp of approval gives confidence to other funders, she says, "because of the quality and excellence they demand. It helps leverage additional funding."

Amy Niles is the president and CEO of Newark jazz station WBGO, licensed by Newark Public Radio, which is supported by the CPB. She stressed that the idea of privatizing the CPB is only a preliminary recommendation, and that she has "every confidence that the new administration is going to value public broadcasting as much as previous administrations and the people value it."

The CPB provides about 10 percent of the station's budget, and the loss of that money would "severely impact" the station's operations, Niles says.

"In this political climate nothing surprises me," says Ann Marie Miller, the director of advocacy and public policy for ArtPride NJ, an advocacy and lobbying group. "However, we have spent a long time making friends with the Republican representatives, and we have a few in New Jersey, and they are all very supportive. I just think we have to be ready for the long haul."

Vicki Hyman may be reached at vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy or like her on Facebook. Erin Petenko may be reached at epetenko@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @EPetenko. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- The monitor overseeing police reforms in Newark on Thursday asked for public comments on a roadmap that details how the force will carry out widespread changes, prompted by a federal investigation that revealed civil rights abuses in the state's largest municipal police department.

The first-year draft monitoring plan details deadlines and assessments for police reforms as part of the consent decree in areas including stops, searches, arrests, use of force, theft allegations against officers, training, supervision and accountability.

"The Consent Decree is an opportunity for the City of Newark to transform the NPD's practices and rebuild trust with the community it serves," Peter Harvey, the monitor overseeing the reforms and a former state Attorney General, said in a statement.

"The Independent Monitoring Team looks forward to working closely with the City of Newark, the NPD, the Department of Justice, and Newark's community members to implement the Consent Decree's requirements."

Harvey's team is set to release public reports on the Newark police division's compliance with reforms required by the decree, according to the announcement, which said the first report will come in March.

The decree was the result of a 2014 Department of Justice probe that revealed a "pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing," in the Newark police, including illegal stops and arrests, and excessive force. In the wake of the report, city officials reached a settlement with federal officials to reform the police department.

In an overhaul of Newark's police and fire operations, Mayor Ras Baraka appointed former Essex County Prosecutor's Office Chief of Detectives Anthony Ambrose to lead a new Department of Public Safety in 2015.

Newark has already reported progress in building trust with residents and reforming the police divison. Ambrose announced in October the police division would roll out body cameras and police vehicle cameras paid for with forfeiture funds and grant money. The police division also formed a joint citizen-clergy patrol unit to improve relationships with residents, made it easier to report internal affairs complaints and assigned new officers to walking patrols. Officials also announced they would shutter a city jail long cited for suicide risks and poor conditions.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch named Newark among "model jurisdictions" for policing reforms unfolding around the country. New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, Paul Fishman, has also called Ambrose and Baraka "very willing partners" for police reform.

Under the decree, Newark will reform areas including internal affairs, stops, searches and arrests, community engagement and civilian oversight, use of force policies and training. The reforms are set to take hold over five years.

"In order to fully achieve the objectives of the Consent Decree, the Newark community must have an active role in how these reforms are implemented," the monitor's office said in a statement.

Public comments will be considered in developing a final version of the monitoring plan, the statement added.

The draft report is available online in a PDF file. More information is also posted at newarkpdmonitor.com

Community members can submit comments at the monitor's website, by phone at 844-967-3668 (844-9-NPDMNTR) or through mail at Institute for Social Justice, Attention: Ryan P. Haygood, President and CEO, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, 60 Park Place, Suite 511, Newark, NJ 07102-5504. Comments are due by Feb 10.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
georgiakingIMG_2435.JPG

(Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger)

Residents at Georgia King Village in Newark have heard the same line when a new owner and management company take over. It goes something like this:

Life at the low-income housing complex is going to improve. There will be better security. More guards and surveillance cameras. And new heating and sewer systems are on the way.

But in the end, all the grandiose plans to overhaul the complex, which consists of two, 18-story buildings plus 144 townhouses, never seem to pan out.

"Different management companies come in promising us the rainbow and we get nothing,'' said tenant president Hassan Hamilton. "Even though they might be coming in doing the right thing and their heart might be right place, we've been so tarnished, we come in defensive.''

The new owner - L + M Development Partners of New York - understands the mistrust but it's confident that things will change.

MORE: Recent Barry Carter columns

"The only real way to demonstrate is by action and by doing,'' said Adam Hellegers, L+M's director of preservation development.

The company has aggressive plans that have been explained to residents since it took over the property in July. Earmarked for phase one, with an $8.6 million price tag, is a new boiler system, new insulation of all the buildings, new roofs and surveillance cameras. Since July, Hellegers said, 70 vacant apartments have been rehabilitated.

In the $17 million second phase of the massive restoration project, Hellegers said, there will be a comprehensive renovation of all the units in early 2018. This means new kitchens, new appliances, new everything.

"When you do this work, you're stepping in and transforming lives,'' he said.

L+M has a history in this line of work, having renovated more than 5,000 housing units in New York City during the last five years.

In downtown Newark, it has purchased the Verizon building, which it plans to convert into housing. But its marquee development is the conversion of the former Hahne's department store into 160 apartments and office and retail space, which includes a Whole Foods Market and cultural arts center for Rutgers University.

But away from downtown, the residents at Georgia King Village just want L+M to follow through at their complex where others have failed. They're tired of broken promises.

Gee Cureton, a resident who is also a district leader, said the building has had about seven management companies in the past 15 to 20 years.

"We've just got to see," Cureton said. "If they do what they're saying they're going to do, then we're okay.''

Over the years, residents have complained about sewer problems, crime, apartments in need of repair and no heat. The list goes on.

Last week, heat was an issue again.

The tenants held an emergency meeting when the temporary boiler wasn't producing enough heat. Residents were cold for a few days, then the boiler stopped working.

They called code enforcement, West Ward Councilman Joe McCallum and C&C, an apartment management company that is a subsidiary of L+M.

Management provided space heaters, and then repaired the temporary boiler the same day it broke down last Tuesday.

But having little-to-no heat reminded residents of past winters, and it had them wondering if this was going to happen all over again.

"We've been going through this for years,'' said Ethel Ellis, a 20-year resident.

Darcelle Harris thanked management for the space heaters and getting the boiler working, but she tearfully let them know about her years of frustration.

"I'm tired of coming from out of the cold into a cold apartment,'' Harris said. "We get so many fake promises. I'm tired of the same thing over and over."

C&C Apartment Management listened intently.

They get it. They understand that no one likes Band-Aid repairs. Georgia King has its issues and residents have been hurt.

Since July, C&C has hired a 24-hour maintenance director. It has improved the lighting on the grounds and hired a new security company that has removed loiterers from the complex.

"Folks used it as a hangout space and that created an eyesore,'' said Yasmin Cornelius, director of external affairs for C&C. "It created a feeling of not being safe for residents, mainly children and seniors.''

At the emergency meeting, management told residents that it would improve how staff gives updates on repairs and projects. For instance, they announced that 200 surveillance cameras were on the way. Repairs to the roof are starting soon, and by spring, the temporary boiler will be replaced with a new heating system.

"We recognize that we are walking in and dealing with somebody that's been angry for 10 to 15 years,'' Cornelius said. "But you have to understand these are permanent fixes and it has to take time.''

MORE CARTER: Two Newark police officers are living their dream to serve

While C&C deals with big ticket repairs, Cornelius said, the company is also making its way through a still-growing list of nearly 400 work order requests from residents.

Councilman McCallum said he has been working with management, and believes the outcome for residents will be positive this time around.

"They're going to fix up the place,'' he said. "They've done a fantastic job.''

Residents are hopeful, realizing the building is old and that it needs works.

When they first met management about its rehabilitation plans, the sessions were packed

Now they're not.

Management views this as a sign that it is making inroads.

Then again, it could be that residents are still skeptical and don't see the need to come.

Either way, time and progress will be the true test.

Barry Carter: (973) 836-4925 or bcarter@starledger.com or nj.com barry carter or follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL
WEST NEW YORK -- The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey has dropped a lawsuit against the town of West New York in exchange for a policy change that protects residents' right to film police officers, the ACLU announced Friday.

West New York's new policy ensures the right to police filming and photographing. (Laura Herzog | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

The organization filed the suit after the 2015 arrest of West New York resident Cesar Sanchez, who attempted to take a cell phone video of the arrest of two teenagers in the town, but stopped at the order of police officers on the scene. The ACLU claimed the order was a denial of Sanchez's constitutional right to photograph and record police officers.

In an agreement announced by the ACLU, it has dropped the case, and the town has agreed to implement a policy that protects the right to record police in private and public settings, so long as the filming does not interfere with police conduct. It also outlines training for the police department on the agreement.

"I'm thankful that West New York's policy will almost guarantee that no one in the town will have their rights violated again just for filming the police," Sanchez said in a release about the agreement.

"That was the primary thing I was looking for in this suit: to ensure that people are free to exercise their rights without fearing jail time for it."

Sanchez had been arrested in July of 2015 after attempting to film the teens' arrest. A municipal prosecutor dropped the charges against him in October, and the ACLU filed suit in December.

"Once the governing body became aware of the lawsuit filed by the ACLU it worked quickly to develop a policy to publicly clarify the rights of citizens to film police activity as well as to ensure law enforcement can perform its duties without unlawful interference," West New York Mayor Felix Roque said in the release.

"The policy which has already been incorporated into the police manual carefully balances First Amendment Rights and police investigative needs."

The ACLU has called the policy one of the strongest of its kind. The group lauded the agreement as one that will help ensure accountability in policing.

"Cellphone cameras have become an essential tool for holding police accountable to the public they serve and protect," said ACLU attorney Rebecca Livengood.

"West New York has acted admirably in adopting a policy that promotes transparency in police conduct and respect between police and the public."

Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
BAYONNE -- An upcoming city Zoning Board meeting over a proposal for a Muslim community center that would include a mosque will take place at a local school to accommodate "higher than normal" anticipated attendance, city officials announced.

The Jan. 23 meeting, which was originally slated to take place at City Hall, is now scheduled to be held at 6 p.m. at the Nicholas Oresko School at 33 East 24th St.

The meeting is a continuation of a hearing held a year ago.

At that time, the zoning board postponed its decision on whether to approve the community center after a three-and-a-half hour hearing, saying there were two expert witnesses who still needed to be heard.

Joe Wisniewski, a 23rd Street resident and outspoken opponent of the planned center, has said he believes outside groups got in the way of city residents being able to attend last year's meeting.

In response to Wisniewski recently requesting that city residents be allowed into the Jan. 23 meeting before out-of-towners, Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis told The Jersey Journal that space will not be a problem this year given the change in the meeting's venue.

"Nobody is not going to be able to get in and see the meeting," the mayor said. "I'm not leaving anybody out of this process."

The long-anticipated and controversial meeting has been delayed multiple times since January 2016.

Reasons for delay included the local Muslim group's attorney unexpectedly needing back surgery; the group's decision to update the traffic and parking studies in its application; and routine scheduling conflicts with the zoning board, said the group's attorney Bill Finnerty.

There have been signs of continued tensions in the meantime.

One city woman said in June that she was threatened by a stranger at her home for displaying placards in her windows that read "Save Bayonne" and "Stop the Mosque."

In October, local Muslims arriving for prayer at their current place of worship -- the basement of a local Catholic school -- were met with anti-Muslim graffiti on the windows and walls outside the building.

Earlier this month, a local pastor's home -- the same pastor whose wife claims she was threatened in June -- was vandalized.

Most recently, NBC New York reported that on Saturday night, a brick was thrown through the window of the same pastor's house. Police couldn't immediately be reached for information on the alleged incident.

Jonathan Lin may be reached at jlin@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @jlin_jj. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- In this Democratic stronghold, residents reacted to President Donald Trump's inauguration today with defiance, sadness and denial.

Trump took office at noon, vowing in his inaugural address to bring back American jobs and wealth. People all over Jersey City, where voters in November backed Democrat Hillary Clinton over Trump by a nearly six-to-one margin, said they are not optimistic about the future.

Michael Kramer, who attended an anti-Trump rally in Journal Square this afternoon, called today "bleak."

"I'm loooking at a cabinet that does not represent the beautiful diversity of Jersey City or the country as a whole," Kramer said, "with an agenda that does not appear to be in the interests of the majority of the people of Jersey City."

The crowd of about 30 protesters met near the Journal Square PATH hub before marching down to City Hall.

"Move, Trump, get out the way, get out the way, Trump, get out the way," they chanted, appropriating a song by rapper Ludacris.

Beverly Patterson, 28, was setting up for the day at Park & Sixth, a tavern across the street from City Hall, as Trump's inaugural speech played on televisions behind the bar.

Asked if she had thoughts on today's transfer of power, Patterson initially said, "definitely none that are appropriate."

"There'll be a lot of whiskey later," she said with a laugh. "Copious amount of whiskey. Neat."

Jersey City is not a place with a lot of professed members of the GOP. Seven percent of the roughly 134,000 voters are Republican. In November, 14 percent of Jersey City voters went for Trump over Clinton.

Workers at Porta in Jersey City inscribe a door with messages of love on Jan. 20, 2017. The Italian eatery was having a special event to get diners' minds off the contentious presidential race and Donald J. Trump's inauguration as president.

Newark Avenue Italian eatery Porta invited diners to forget about partisan griping today. Inflatable balls inscribed with the word "love" were scattered about its dining room, and there was a door placed against a wall that diners were invited to inscribe with messages of love and hope.

"No politics, just pizza," said Sam Palmer, 25, the restaurant's assistant general manager.

The televisions behind Porta's bar played Trump's inauguration ceremony on mute this afternoon as the B-52s song "Love Shack" played over the restaurant's speakers.

There was at least one happy face in Jersey City today. Joseph Gittens, 55, of Newark, was walking in Journal Square wearing Trump's signature "Make America Great Again" campaign hat.

"We'll just try to give him a chance," Gittens said about the new president. "Hopefully he'll focus on jobs."

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- With Donald Trump sworn in as president today, Jersey City is bummed.

In November, fewer than 8 percent of registered voters cast ballots for Trump, and only 14 percent of voters who showed up on Election Day chose the Republican over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

To put a smile on those sad liberal faces, check out the above collection of goofy pictures of Jersey City politicians.

They're all Democrats, too, so if you're one of the few Jersey City Republicans with a smile on your face today, you'll like them, too.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
A Jersey City doctor has been acquitted in an alleged $500,000 referral kickback scheme, weeks after the mayor of West New York was acquitted of similar charges, according to court documents.

John Fritz, of Jersey City, a family physician with a practice in the city, had been charged with second-degree health care claims fraud, second-degree commercial bribery and third-degree running.

In June 2015, authorities accused Fritz of referring approximately 4,500 scans to Diagnostic Imaging Affiliates centers for approximately $500,000 in kickbacks from 2006 through 2013.

The owner of Diagnostic Imaging Affiliates, Rehan Zuberi, of Boonton, pleaded guilty in May 2015 to paying millions in bribes and kickbacks to dozens of doctors from 2008 to 2014. Zuberi's wife also pleaded guilty in the scheme.

Fritz, whose first trial ended in a hung jury, was acquitted of the commercial bribery charge on Jan. 12 in a non-jury trial in front of Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mitzy Galis-Menendez. The other two charges were dismissed, according to court records.

Attorney Howard Brownstein, of Union City, who represented Fritz, declined to comment on the verdict.

Roque, the West New York mayor who is also a pain management doctor, was acquitted on Dec. 21 of commercial bribery. Like Fritz, charges of "running" and healthcare fraud against Roque were dismissed.

Roque was charged less than a week after Fritz in 2015.

Zuberi testified in the trials, but his credibility took huge hits when attorneys pointed out that two years would be taken his sentence if he implicated no less than five doctors and that he had been convicted in the 1990s of similar crimes.

Three of the four doctors accused along with Fritz -- Alexander G. Salerno, of West Orange; Davarajan Iyengar, of Livingston, and Dr. Alan P. Epstein, of Manalapan -- were accepted into the pre-trial intervention program.

The disposition of the case against the fourth doctor, William M. Steck Sr., of West Orange, could not immediately be determined.
trump.jpg

Over 100,000 people are expected to attend the Women's March on Washington, directed at President-elect Donald Trump.

( )

A poster for the Jan. 21 Women's March on Washington designed by Jersey City woman Catalina Aranguren.

Jersey City will represent this weekend at the Women's March on Washington, with more than a dozen buses of anti-Donald Trump protesters leaving the area headed to the nation's capital early Saturday morning.

The Jan. 21 march, coming one day after Trump's inauguration as the nation's 45th president, is expected to attract over 100,000 people to Washington, D.C. Jersey City woman Catalina Aranguren will be among them.

Aranguren, 43, is a graphic designer and mother of three boys. She told The Jersey Journal she's joining the march to send a message to her sons.

"To show them that a lot of the things that Donald Trump says are wrong and they're offensive," she said. "We try to raise our kids to be inclusive of everyone, which is why we live in Jersey City, because of its diversity."

Organizers of the march have said it is intended to tell the Trump administration on its first full day in office "that women's rights are human rights."

West Side woman Joanna Garnett Raeppold, who helped organize one of the groups of protesters headed to D.C. on Saturday, said she's going with 108 people on two buses, mostly moms but also a few dads and some older children.

Garnett Raeppold said she is going not necessarily to protest Trump but to "stand up for equal access for all people, which we feel is under threat now."

"I was inspired by Obama's call for ordinary citizens to be involved in the process," she said. "I think it's important at this time."

For anti-Trump Jersey City folks who want to stay local, social-justice groups are planning a march dubbed the "people's inauguration" from the Journal Square plaza (near the fountain) to City Hall tomorrow starting at 3 p.m.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
Rodriguez,Wilbie.jpg

Wilbie Rosario-Rodriguez appears in court in Jersey City, April 12, 2016, on the charges of attempted burglary and possession of burglary tools.

(Journal File Photo)

BAYONNE - A Jersey City man with a history of getting caught red handed was arrested this week after stealing sunglasses from an eye doctor's office, police say.

Wilbie Rosario-Rodriguez, 41, of Jersey City was charged with robbery Monday after he "used force" to steal four pairs of sunglasses valued at $925 from an ophthalmologist's office on Broadway, according to a police report.

He struggled with an employee as he attempted to flee the store but was picked up by police shortly after, cops said.

He apologized to police and said that he has a drug problem, cops say.

This is not the first time Rosario-Rodriguez's criminal exploits have been foiled. Rodriguez has been charged in three similar cases within the past five years.

Last year, Rosario-Rodriguez appeared in court with a broken arm and a black eye after police said he tried to burglarize a home on Communipaw Avenue in Jersey City.

Authorities said at the time that Rosario-Rodriguez entered the house through a hole he cut in the roof, but his plans went south when the roof caved in. He was charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools, according to the report.

He also faced robbery and burglary charges in 2014 after he stole an iPad from a North Bergen's man car. However, the owner of the iPad caught up to Rosario-Rodriguez, "gained control" of him called the police while holding him down, according to previous reports.

He was subsequently charged with robbery and burglary, and later pleaded guilty to third degree burglary, according to court records.

And in March 2012, Rosario-Rodriguez was charged with theft, burglary and obstruction of a government function after he broke into a car, stole a GPS, and then ran.

Naturally, his getaway was thwarted after officers caught up with him and placed him under arrest, according to previous reports. He later pleaded guilty to third degree burglary, according to court records.

Rosario-Rodriguez also has convictions for theft by unlawful taking and narcotics offenses, according to court records.
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.

Story continues

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.
Defendant in Little Woods killing featured on 'The First 48' awaiting trial date
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.
Welcome to non league daily news now - your number one spot for all things relating to the National League System. Our dedicated reporters have come straight from the sidelines to bring you news fresh from the dugout - but not before theyve stopped off at the burger van first!

We know that non league football fans are full of heart, passion, and belief. You trust the manager, you believe in the team, and, for some strange reason, you trust those rickety stands, too! Here at Non League Daily, we hope we can become your trusted non league news resource - a platform thats just as passionate about non league daily news now as you.

Come rain or shine, well be out reporting on the latest non league fixtures. Well also be scouring the news, refreshing social media, and sourcing information from team websites in the hopes of finding the latest breaking non league daily news for our readers.

As youll soon see, weve got exclusive match reports on the Vanarama National League, weve got transfer speculation thatll affect the National League South, weve found great stories thatll spice up the National League North, and weve even got news on the latest giant killers of the FA Cup.

We may not be able to agree on who is going up this year, but we can all agree that any news on the NLS worth knowing will be published here, at Non League Daily.
Every session of the Iowa Legislature is marked  marred might be the better term  by the introduction of well-meaning but ill-conceived legislation. The current session, though only two weeks old, is not immune.

Introduced by state Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow a woman who gets an abortion to sue the doctor who performed the procedure if she experiences emotional distress later.

The proposal, which was endorsed Tuesday by a GOP-led three-member panel of lawmakers, would permit the woman to file a lawsuit at any point in her life, something that goes against typical statute of limitation rules. It could also make the state vulnerable to costly court challenges.

What were asking for is that individuals, doctors and clinics that make money off of women by giving them abortions, are simply held accountable, Chelgren told the Associated Press. Thats all this does. It protects women from people who would normally be trying to sell them something in a time when they are under the most stress that is kind of imaginable.

We think Chelgren is overstating the effort to sell abortions in Iowa.

Mark Kende of the Constitutional Law Center at Drake University, a private school in Des Moines, said the measure could be challenged immediately on the grounds that it violates the Constitution.

Opponents could argue it would create an undue burden on women by reducing opportunities for them to access a legal medical procedure if doctors avoid offering abortions because of the constant threat of legal action.

When you look at it more carefully, its a threat to the woman because it creates deterrents for doctors to do this, Kende said.

Daniel Zeno, a legislative liaison for the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, said the measure unfairly singles out abortion among many medical procedures.

The bills intent is clear: To demonize abortion providers, set up an adversarial relationship between provider and patient, shame women and block access to reproductive health care, he said in a statement.

If approved, Chelgrens proposal would be the first such law in the country, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights. The Guttmacher Institute did note a handful of states have laws on legal action related to abortion, but they vary and many are specific to counseling provisions.

Requiring counseling makes sense. Passing a law that would allow a woman to sue for emotional distress at any point in her life would be a legal nightmare.

We dont consider Chelgrens proposal the sort of first Iowa wants to be known for.
In 2016, the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation (PCCF) reached some major milestones, and we are excited about the future.

Our community foundation is on a roll after accomplishing more big things this past year. Much of 2015 was spent focusing on strategy, then in 2016 we were rediscovered as a great asset in the community. Now were looking forward to more great things.

On behalf of our PCCF board members, I want to highlight some of the milestones reached in 2016, including:

a 60 percent increase of the total number of philanthropic funds since January 2015;

 surpassing $10 million in donor funds;

 reaching $1.75 million in total donor grantmaking to charity;

 a record 80 nonprofits in the county participating in the second year of the PCCF-initiated Pottawattamie Gives;

 and earning nationally reaccreditation for following best practices in philanthropy.

The community foundation is essential for the future of local communities, said PCCF President & CEO Jerry Mathiasen. PCCF donors provide support for improving the quality of life in urban and rural areas alike.

Added Vice Chair Jerry Banks: PCCF wants to continue our momentum in 2017 and beyond.

He encourages individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits to use PCCF as a great tool to give back to the community while also getting significant tax benefits.

The national reaccreditation is important to us because the designation allows PCCF to offer the 25 percent Endow Iowa tax credit to its donors. We want people to visit ourpccf.org to learn more.

Looking ahead in 2017, PCCF has big plans. For example, PCCF will:

 launch a listing on its website of the charitable funds established by local nonprofit organizations, along with information on how to contribute to them;

 hold Pottawattamie Gives training sessions in locations in Council Bluffs and out in the county;

 award community impact grants ($2,500 or less) to meet smaller local needs often overlooked;

arrange PCCF educational sessions with local focus groups to deliver the message that anyone can be a philanthropist;

 encourage the Iowa Legislature to increase funding for the popular Endow Iowa tax credit and ask Congress to make it even easier to rollover IRAs to donor funds;

 plan a celebration of PCCFs 10year anniversary.

For more information on the Pottawattamie County Community Foundation, visit our website at ourpccf.org or call Mathiasen at (712) 256-7007. Thanks to our community for your support.

Kelly Summy, Council Bluffs

Board chair, Pottawattamie County Community Foundation
Trump Thiel Tech meeting

Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel is not in the running to be the next United States ambassador to Germany, according to one of his representatives who shot down a recent report in the New York Post.

Thiel, President-elect Donald Trump's most prominent supporter in Silicon Valley, has repeatedly said that he has no interest in government work  but, earlier this week, rumors circulated that Thiel was mulling a bid for governor of California.

The New York Post cited anonymous sources close to Thiel who suggested that he might see a German ambassadorship as a stepping stone into politics, or merely a way to get out from the wave of negativity he's facing in Silicon Valley in the wake of his controversial support for Trump's campaign.

A Thiel spokesperson told Business Insider via email that the "story is not true," without providing further elaboration.

Thiel was a cofounder of PayPal, the electronic payment service, and was an early investor in Facebook.

Meanwhile, Trump's team has ordered all ambassadors appointed by President Obama to leave their posts by Friday, Inauguration Day, signaling a broader shakeup in policy.

The good news for him is that, should he get the job, Peter Thiel already speaks fluent German, having been born in West Germany before coming to the United States as a young child.

Representatives for Donald Trump's team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NOW WATCH: Peter Thiel on why he supports Trump: Insider politicians are just 'rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic'





More From Business Insider


Although Asus failed to ship as many ZenFone units as anticipated last year, stopping at the 17.5 million barrier, the company aims to sell 20 million units in 2017. The next-gen ZenFone is rumored to show up in May, claim insiders familiar with the matter.

Unfortunately, the smartphone business belonging to Asus closed 2016 in the red overall, despite its positive last quarter. However, 2017 might turn out to be a good year after all, since the ZenFone AR and ZenFone 4 are both expected to hit the market in the second quarter. Remains to see if they manage to live up to everyone's expectations.

The same news outlet mentioned above spoke to sources from Taiwan's handset supply chain, who unveiled that "The ZenFone 4 family products will come with hardware specifications higher than those of its prevailing ZenFone 3 products and higher ASPs," also revealing that Asus hopes to launch the new handset generation in May.

Last year was not as good as expected for Asus, who ended it with around 17.5 million smartphones shipped, a 14.6 percent drop from the 20.5 million figure achieved back in 2015. Now, it looks like they have big hopes for this year since DigiTimes reports that Asus plans to sell more than 20 million smartphones once again.

- 5679 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2013 Codrut Nistor - Senior Tech Writersince 2013

In my early school days, I hated writing and having to make up stories. A decade later, I started to enjoy it. Since then, I published a few offline articles and then I moved to the online space, where I contributed to major websites that are still present online as of 2021 such as Softpedia, Brothersoft, Download3000, but I also wrote for multiple blogs that have disappeared over the years. I've been riding with the Notebookcheck crew since 2013 and I am not planning to leave it anytime soon. In love with good mechanical keyboards, vinyl and tape sound, but also smartphones, streaming services, and digital art.
Cuts to states judicial branch could derail work done to improve corrections system

LINCOLN (AP)  Budget cuts to Nebraskas judicial branch could undermine the states efforts to relieve prison crowding and improve public safety, the Supreme Courts chief justice said Thursday.

Chief Justice Michael Heavican said in his annual address to lawmakers that the proposed cuts will prevent the courts from replacing probation officers who keep tabs on former inmates immediately after theyre released and divert low-level offenders away from the prisons.

The courts have already saved more than $4.5 million by delaying new hires, Heavican said, adding that postponing them another six months would save an additional $1 million.

Our judges are not stupid, Heavican said in his speech. 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 of incarceration.

Gov. Pete Ricketts budget proposal calls for an $8.2 million reduction in the judicial branchs finances.

Heavican said such a cut would force the courts to cancel all vouchers that cover the cost of short-term residential drug treatment.

Expanding probation services was a key part of Nebraskas efforts to reduce the prison population and improve public safety. The states prisons housed an average of 5,133 inmates during the third quarter of last year, according to the most recent data posted by the Department of Correctional Services. Those facilities were designed to hold 3,275.

Leaders from all three branches of state government joined forces in 2014 on a Justice Reinvestment initiative designed to fix the underlying causes of prison crowding. They concluded that many prisoners reoffend because their sentences are too short for them to get access to rehabilitation programming behind bars. Others return to society with no real supervision and few available support services, making them more likely to commit new crimes.

Heavican said the commitment to reforms made by all three branches of government was apparently for the convenience of the moment.

We bought into justice reinvestment hook, line and sinker, Heavican said. And now, unless you live up to your end of the justice reinvestment bargain, we are left holding the bag.

Heavican said incarcerating a prisoner costs roughly $35,000 a year, while supervising a probationer can cost between $3,000 and $10,000, depending on risk level.

You do the math, he said to lawmakers.

Heavican also highlighted several points of good news in the judicial branch, including new attempts to bring more lawyers to rural Nebraska, the ongoing effort to provide foreign language interpreters and new technology in the courts. He also praised the work of the states public guardian office, which serves residents who are elderly or living with disabilities.

He also said the courts have sought to minimize cuts to juvenile justice services because they need the resources to handle their existing caseloads.

Ricketts has argued that his proposed budget increases funding for the state prisons, providing new money to address a staffing shortage and expand treatment services.
(Adds details, quotes, background)

By Dmitry Zhdannikov

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Russia's economy could grow by 2 percent in 2017 as long as there are no external shocks such as a renewed fall in oil prices, Economy Minister Maxim Oreshkin said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The Russian economy shrank by between 0.5 and 0.6 percent last year, according to a preliminary data, due to low oil prices and Western sanctions. Yet, with oil prices recovering thanks to last month's Russia-OPEC deal on cutting oil output, prospects for the economy look brighter this year.

Oreshkin said Russia would not abandon a free-floating rouble, which was one of the moves taken by the Russian central bank to help the economy in 2014. The policy was aimed at preserving its gold and foreign exchange reserves, which had been previously been used to smooth out rouble volatility.

The central bank could soon start buying foreign currency to help the finance ministry sterilise excessive budget revenues above $40 per barrel, Oreshkin said, adding this would not mean Russia would depart from a freely floating rouble.

"There is absolutely no talk about abandoning the (rouble) free-floating regime... It will remain absolutely freely float," Oreshkin said.

The central bank has a goal to rebuild its reserves back to $500 billion, for which it has planned to start buying forex on the market, but has not given a time indication.

On Thursday, the central bank said it may start buying foreign currency if oil prices stay high, but the amount of forex it buys each month would not exceed the additional revenues Russia gets from oil prices which exceed the level it has in its budget plans.

PRIVATISATION

After selling stakes in diamond miner Alrosa, oil companies Bashneft and Rosneft last year and earning more than 1 trillion roubles ($16.8 billion) for the depleted budget, Russia planned to further reduce its holdings in a number of assets.

Story continues

It has planned to sell a 10.9 percent in state bank VTB and a 25 percent in state shipping company Sovcomflot this year.

Oreshkin said that it would be hard to sell a stake in VTB, Russia's No.2 bank, as the latter is under Western sanctions, while Sovcomflot is "our first task."

Two sources close to the deal told Reuters last year that a privatisation of a 25 percent stake in Sovcomflot may be equally split between existing and new shareholders, with the operation expected in Moscow this spring.

The Russian economy ministry has previously said it wanted to raise 24 billion roubles from the sale of the Sovcomflot stake.

($1 = 59.6361 roubles) (Writing by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Maria Kiselyova and Alexander Smith)
INDIANAPOLIS  The Society of Professional Journalists and 60 other journalism organizations have requested a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence to discuss access to government.

The coalition sent a letter Thursday to Trump and Pence, asking for a meeting or conference call to discuss:

 the ability of reporters to directly interact with government employees who are subject matter experts, rather than interacting with Public Information Officers (or having all conversations monitored by Public Information Officers);

 access to the activities of the President;

 and ensuring that the Federal Freedom of Information Act remains as strong as possible.

We believe strongly that journalists are the eyes and ears of the citizens of the United States, said SPJ National President Lynn Walsh. The average American citizen does not have the time or resources to check up on elected officials to make sure they are running the country the way they should. It is up to journalists to help hold those in power accountable.

This letter is the latest among several that were sent to the Obama administration, since at least 2013, regarding concerns about White House restrictions on photographers, transparency and public information officer restrictions.

The first letter, sent Nov. 21, 2013, addressed concerns regarding White House restrictions on photographers. The next letter, sent July 8, 2014, and a follow-up letter sent Aug. 5, 2014, regarding PIO and transparency issues were met with a response from the White House on Aug. 11, 2014, that the groups found unsatisfactory. This white paper and other articles also provide background on the issue.

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 latest letter states.

The groups hope that together, they and the Trump administration can improve the lines of communication between the White House and the press.
MUNSTER  Thursday's public hearing on the South Shore Line's West Lake Corridor project brought the largest crowd in three nights of hearings, with many residents opposed to the plan and frustrated about the process it's followed.

Station locations and the property acquisitions they'd require topped the list of complaints, as well as claims that insufficient information has been shared by railroad and town officials.

"We don't want the train, but if we have to have it, we don't want a train station at Ridge Road," Beverly Nyhin, a Harrison Avenue resident, said.

Nyhin is part of a group of residents in the area of the proposed Ridge Road station opposing the project.

Julie O'Connor said her South Street home is on the site of the proposed station and parking lot.

"We're like the last people to know anything," she said.

Nyhin expressed the common concern that more property would be condemned for development in the area of the stations, for multi-family housing or retail uses, if the project comes to fruition.

And, "nobody has worried about the property values" of homes adjacent to the planned station and lot, Harrison Avenue resident Pam Eanes said. If a station is necessary, "move it out of the neighborhood," she said.

The group of neighbors is also unhappy with the way the town handled acquisition of property north of Ridge Road, on the west side of the proposed tracks, now slated for potential use as an overflow parking lot. That was intended to be a park, they said.

Others supported the train, but worried about the impact of the stations.

"It'll be easy for people to get into downtown," said Community Estates resident Ritesh Parikh, "but either our house will be a parking lot or we'll be looking at a parking lot."

The preferred plan for the area puts the parking lot on the west side of the tracks, with the station on the east in the southwest corner of Community Estates. But several other options are still possible, and were on display at the public hearings.

"They just need to tell us what the decision is," Parikh said.

Some attendees expressed support for the project, and optimism about the growth it could bring.

Amy Peters, a resident of the West Lake neighborhood across the tracks from Community Estates, is fully on board.

"I used to work in Chicago," she said, "and my husband still does. I think it'll be great to be able to walk to it, or ride our bike, every day."

Peters, a Realtor, was at the open house with fellow Realtor Brenda Spitz.

"I think it's going to be a real boon for the area," Spitz said. "It will finally get us on the map; after all, we are a suburb of Chicago."

They both mentioned Indiana's lure to Illinois residents, with this state's favorable tax structure, and Peters suggested younger residents would be lured to the area around the train stations.

The West Lake Corridor would run straight through Munster, from the preferred station at Main Street on the south, up and over the CSX and CN tracks at Maynard Junction, across Fisher Street and Ridge Road at grade, then over Broadmoor Avenue on its way to Hammond, following the old Monon route much of the way.

Thursday's public hearing was the final of three this week focused on a draft environmental impact statement. South Shore officials and consultants will now enter an intense phase of engineering to finalize the EIS.

Publication of that, expected this summer, will come in conjunction with a Record of Decision from the Federal Transit Authority regarding the alignment and stations that will be pursued. The project will then be submitted for federal grants that would pay half the construction cost.
CROWN POINT  A mentally disturbed man with a troubled childhood was sentenced Thursday to an effective life sentence in the brutal stabbing of a Gary couple in November 2013.

Mark A. Williams, 47, pleaded guilty but mentally ill Sept. 29 to two counts of murder in perpetration of a robbery in the killings of Leviticus Dupree and Toshiba R. Moore-Dupree.

The couple was found by police stabbed repeatedly Nov. 1, 2013, in their house at 2637 Delaware St.

Williams, identified in court records as a relative of Dupree, was charged Nov. 12 of that year with the murders.

A co-defendant, Anthony T. Wilson, told police Williams attacked and killed the Duprees after they refused to give them money for drugs.

Williams admitted he stabbed Toshiba Dupree, but claimed Wilson ultimately killed the couple.

Williams was on parole at the time of the murders for the 1996 killing of Victoria Brown.

Williams was convicted of murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison after he admitted in a plea agreement he stabbed Brown to death on Nov. 21, 1996, in her home in the 2500 block of Delaware Street in Gary.

Prosecutor Maureen Koonce said at Thursday's sentencing hearing Williams claimed in both instances voices urged him to kill his victims.

Dr. George Parker, a forensic psychiatrist, told Judge Diane Boswell that Williams was a drug-dependent schizophrenic with low IQ, who became dangerous and unstable when he used crack-cocaine.

The defendant shared the mental disorder with a sister, one of at least eight siblings born to an abusive father, who beat his children and had sexual intercourse with his daughters, according to mitigation specialist Erin Clarich.

The father was arrested after he allegedly threw an infant born of an incestuous coupling across the room of the family's Gary home, according to the doctor.

Parker told the judge Williams can neither write nor read. He said the defendant did not attend school until age 9, when he was first determined to be mentally deficient.

Leviticus Depree, the oldest of 12 children, was a deeply religious man, according to his daughter, Yashonda Dupree.

Darlene Dupree told the judge she grew up with Leviticus Dupree, though Leviticus was her uncle.

She said Williams had the chance to kill Leviticus Dupree because he was a loving and trustful man, who welcomed Williams into his home.

I don't hate Mark, Darlene Dupree said. I'd be lying if I said I did. But I hate what he did. He is not safe for society.

Parker said the Lake County jail provided Williams antipsychotic medication, which Williams said did not quiet the voices in his head, but did make them easier to ignore.

Koonce said that was not enough.

Mark Williams is a dangerous, dangerous man, she said.

Boswell sentenced Williams to 110 years in prison, to be served consecutive to what remains of the 30-year sentence he received in the 1996 killing.

Williams indicated at the hearing he would appeal the sentence.

Wilson is scheduled Tuesday to enter a plea agreement.
CROWN POINT  The Lake County Jail was placed on temporary lockdown Friday because of the discovery of contraband, sheriff's spokesman Mark Back said.

The contraband did not leave the section in which it was discovered, and the lockdown is standard procedure, he said.

Back did not immediately have information about what the contraband is.

There is no threat to the public, and the Sheriff's Department is working to resolve the situation as soon as possible, Back said.

No visitors or prisoners from local jails are being allowed to enter the jail, which is part of the Lake County Government Complex at West 93rd Avenue and Main Street in Crown Point.

The Sheriff's Department operates the jail. Back said he will release more information as it becomes available.

Check back at nwi.com for updates.
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.
Ogden Dunes resident Joan Machuca is encouraging Hoosiers who cant make it to Saturday's Women's March on Washington to check out Chicago's sister march.

The Womens March on Chicago begins at 10 a.m. along Columbus Drive adjacent to Grant Park and north of Jackson Drive. The march will then proceed west from Columbus onto Jackson Boulevard at 11:30 a.m. and conclude as marchers arrive at Federal Plaza.

It's one of hundreds across the country that coincide with the big event in D.C., she said.

A sister march also is planned from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday in Valparaiso outside the Porter County Courthouse, 16 E. Lincolnway Highway.

"We want to have a presence and make our concerns heard about many issues that affect people in Northwest Indiana," Machuca said. "Immigration, ethnicity, labor rights, education, poverty, and, certainly, womens rights."

A group going to the Chicago march is meeting at the Ogden Dunes South Shore station, 5939 Dunes Highway, in Portage, and traveling via train before gathering at 9:15 a.m. at the Petrillo Bandshell near Monroe Street.

Northwest Indiana attendees are encouraged to wear pink or white hats and scarves to show solidarity, she said. Machuca encouraged other Hoosier men and women to join her group, which will showcase a banner that reads "Northwest Indiana  Women's Issues Matter!"

The more people from Northwest Indiana who rally, the better, she said.

The Chicago march honors but is not directly affiliated with the Women's March on Washington, according to the organizers' website. About 50,000 people are slated to attend.

Editor's note: Organizers for the Chicago march on Thursday changed the starting location due to expectations for a much larger crowd. The story has been updated to reflect those changes.
SEOUL (Reuters) - Tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Friday it will hold a press conference on Jan. 23 on the Galaxy Note 7 with the head of its mobile business Koh Dong-jin in attendance.

Samsung did not elaborate on what will be discussed at the briefing, but said earlier this month it will soon announce the results of its investigation into what caused some of the Note 7 smartphones to self-combust. On Monday, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters the probe found the phone's battery to be the main cause.

(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
GARY  Officials are investigating the case of two dogs in a crate that were apparently dumped in an abandoned house in the city's east side.

A photo of the two dead animals lying close together in the crate was taken by Kyle Butler, of DeMotte, and posted on Facebook.

Butler, a NIPSCO lineman, said he discovered the two dogs in the crate behind an empty house in the 5200 block of East 11th Place in the Aetna area of Gary on Tuesday. He believes the two dogs were alive at the time they were dumped, based on feces he saw in and around the cage.

The puppies that Butler estimated were a few months old appeared to him to be a terrier/pit bull mix. He said while many of the homes around the house where he found the dogs are abandoned, there are some people living nearby. He found it troubling that no one heard the puppies that may have been yelping in the cage.

"I found that very, very unsettling," Butler said.

He said he contacted police about the incident, but a report was never taken from him.

Sara Burrell, who is familiar with the situation, has also raised larger concerns about the care being given to animals recovered in the city. Burrell is part of a Valparaiso animal rescue operation known as Guardians of the Green Mile.

A 2013 agreement between the city and the Humane Society Calumet Area called for Gary Animal Control to transfer its animals to the society's shelter in Munster. In November 2014, the agreement was being called a success with an average of 100 Gary strays taken in each month with many adopted.

The initial contract was renegotiated after the first year, according to a release put out by the city, "due to a substantial increase in intake, significant wear to the housing facilities and safe capacity for care." In 2016, "a non-contractual agreement was in place between both parties and the Humane Society Calumet Area has been operating on a case-by-case basis."

According to Gary spokeswoman LaLosa Burns, officials try to immediately house animals recovered in the community at a facility other than the city pound. She said if they are not able to do so they will take the animals to the city pound at Madison Street and 9th Avenue only on a temporary/emergency basis. They can be kept there for three days, but Burns said the city's goal is reunite to them with the owner or house them at another facility as soon as possible. She and Burrell disagree on how well the animals are treated at the city pound.

"The procedures that are in place are working for us for the time being," Burns said. She added, though, that there "is ongoing discussion and planning related to upgrading the city facility with technical assistance from the humane society."

The humane society also said it operates a program in Gary offering spay/neuter services and wellness clinics at HSCA's Estelle Marcus Animal Clinic for all Gary residents owning pets.
HOBART  Police are seeking the public's help in identifying a person suspected of theft and credit card fraud in connection with an Oct. 9 incident at Southlake Mall.

A victim, who works at a mall business, reported to police at 4:35 p.m. Oct. 9 that her purse was stolen, according to Hobart police Lt. James M. Gonzales.

The victim said she received a phone call from her credit card company about a suspicious transaction made with her card, Gonzales said. Several hundred dollars worth of fraudulent purchases allegedly were made at stores in the area, the victim told police.

Anyone with information can contact Hobart Detective Robert Brazil at 219-942-4666.
INDIANAPOLIS  A southern Indiana city put up signs announcing itself as Vice President Mike Pence's hometown on Friday, the same day he was sworn in.

At the same time President Donald Trump was giving his inaugural address, a couple hundred people attended a downtown Indianapolis rally promoting a message of inclusion for those feeling threatened by his presidency.

Pence, who was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is the sixth vice president from Indiana and the first since Huntington's Dan Quayle in 1989-93 under former President George H.W. Bush.

__

HOMETOWN HONORS

Crews in Columbus erected signs noting its status as Pence's hometown at two entryways into the city just before Pence took the oath of office in Washington.

The new signs are along U.S. 31 on the north side of the city and Indiana 46 on the west side. The Pence signs are just above those touting Columbus' other favorite son  former NASCAR champion driver Tony Stewart.

A few dozen people attended an inauguration watch party at Columbus City Hall.

___

INCLUSION RALLY

The Belong Indy rally on Monument Circle in Indianapolis included speakers worried about immigration, the environment, women's rights and race issues during Trump's presidency. They stressed not giving up and the importance of making differing opinions and voices heard.

Several people said their presence at the rally was a reaction to Trump and Pence.

Protester Aaron Black said he regarded Trump as "very exclusive," particularly in regard to remarks about Mexican immigrants, Muslim registries and women. He said he attended the rally to send the message that "America is an inclusive country."

Hannah Chen said she felt like "standing up to bullies" and that she hoped to uplift the voices of those that may be marginalized.

When Joel Reichenbach, who attended the rally with Chen, said he hoped to spread that everyone is welcome and belongs, Chen quipped, "Mike Pence, take note."

__

INAUGURATION PRESENCE

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb had a prime seat at his predecessor's inauguration as vice president.

Holcomb sat a few rows from the spot on the inauguration platform where Trump and Pence took their oaths of office Friday. Holcomb was Pence's lieutenant governor and replaced him as governor on Jan. 9 after winning the November election.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly also attended the inauguration. He said afterward he looked forward to working with Trump to strengthen the economy and protect jobs.

Republican U.S. Rep. Luke Messer took Pence's place in Congress four years ago. Messer says Pence will be a strong voice for Indiana in the White House.

__

PRAYER GATHERING

Dozens of people converged on a northern Indiana courthouse to pray for the nation and its leadership as Trump was being sworn in as president.

Speakers at Friday's noontime gathering outside the Elkhart County Courthouse in Goshen offered songs and prayers for hope and national unity.

Goshen College administrator Richard Aguirre said Friday's event wasn't an "anti-Donald Trump rally." He said the goal was "to pray for our leaders and our country, express hope for the future" and toast tolerance, diversity, equality and unity.

__

RAISING THE FLAG

A southern Indiana man who kept an American flag at half-staff in his front yard for more than seven years raised it to full-staff following Trump's inauguration.

Vietnam veteran Ron Himsel says he lowered his flag as a silent protest to former President Barack Obama in 2009. Himsel gathered with family and friends Friday afternoon to return the flag to full-staff outside his home in Ireland, a small Dubois County town about 45 miles northeast of Evansville.

Himsel said the new president's message "is what I believe in."
We all would love to have a reset button to erase public health crises or other disasters.

There is no such reset button, but there is an opportunity in the East Chicago lead crisis to reconsider part of the state's response to an issue plaguing at least 1,000 city residents.

In a front page article Thursday, Times reporter Lauren Cross revealed that former Gov. Mike Pence sent the city a letter Dec. 14, rejecting its request for emergency declaration of the lead crisis.

Now a newly inaugurated Gov. Eric Holcomb can and should push a figurative reset button, reconsidering a request that could open up more funding avenues for dealing with this Region catastrophe.

A horrific pattern of neglect and political corruption set the stage for the USS Lead Superfund site, which is displacing about 1,000 residents from East Chicago's Calumet and West Calumet low-income housing complexes.

These folks were exposed to lead-contaminated soil for decades, and many government officials clearly knew about it for years before we reached a fever pitch of disaster response this past summer.

The hideous head of public corruption long-plaguing Northwest Indiana politics reared itself in this disregard for humanity.

During the creation of East Chicago's West Calumet Housing Complex during the 1970s, past court testimony revealed the authority's director took more than $100,000 in kickbacks for helping steer various contracts related to the low-income housing project to friends and associates.

One of the alleged bribes was for demolishing a shuttered lead factory at the site.

It's unclear whether the bad actors associated with the complex's creation knew of the potential health risks.

But it is clear that 40 years later, a low-income housing complex has exposed hundreds of residents, many of them children, to unsafe lead levels for decades.

Now state, local and federal authorities should be doing all they can to aid the affected residents. It won't make up for the decades of neglect they suffered, but it's a start toward the path of redemption.

Former Gov. Pence rejected the city's request for emergency declaration, arguing that the state had adequately responded, including $200,000 in funds to help with residents' relocation.

But the city argues, and we agree, that an emergency declaration could open up more aid in addressing a very dire situation.

New Gov. Holcomb already has exhibited his own strong leadership characteristics delineating himself from his predecessor.

He's taken a more fresh and pragmatic approach to state-sponsored needle exchanges to mitigate a downstate HIV crisis, for instance.

It's time for Holcomb to bring that pragmatism to bear on the East Chicago lead crisis  one we know he takes seriously based on past interviews with The Times Editorial Board.

The new governor has an opportunity to show neglected residents of his state's northwestern quadrant that the highest levels of state government care deeply about their plight  and are willing to demonstrate that care with action.
Dogs and owners celebrate a year of pleasing patients

Living a philosophy of mans best friend also can be a healer, Franciscan Health Crown Point celebrated the first anniversary of its pet therapy program in December, with a gathering in the hospitals Marian Education Center that was attended by most of the team members and their canines. The program has brought relief and pleasure to hundreds of patients and their families throughout the hospital since its inception, thanks to the two-year effort of coordinator Julie Canady, an administrative assistant in the Franciscan Health Marketing Department. Seven dogs initially joined the effort, with a total of 25 projected by January.

For more information on the program, call Canady at 219-613-6640 or 219-661-3299.

Cancer trial in Chicagoland

Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center is the first hospital in the Chicagoland area to open the Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry Study  the American Society of Clinical Oncologys first-ever clinical trial. The study launched earlier this year and will evaluate molecularly targeted cancer drugs and collect data on clinical outcomes to learn about additional uses of these drugs outside of indications already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Eligible participants include those who have an advanced solid tumor, multiple myeloma, or B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and are no longer benefitting from standard anti-cancer treatments or for whom no acceptable standard treatment is available. Patients enrolled in the study will have access to experimental targeted cancer drugs at no cost.

The TAPUR Study is registered on clinicaltrials.gov, which includes a full list of inclusion/exclusion criteria and other information. Patients can learn more about TAPUR at CTCA by contacting the Clinical Trials team at clinicaltrials@ctca-hope.com or by calling an oncology information specialist at 888-841-9129.

Methodist offers smoking classes

Methodist Hospitals is offering smoking cessation classes to members of the community. Classes are seven 90-minute to two-hour sessions over a seven-week period for $60 per person. The program is based on the American Lung Associations "Freedom from Smoking" program.

Not all smoking cessation programs are effective for every smoker. This program helps individuals develop the approach that works for them. Valuable instructions are offered to develop skills in assertive communication, coping, self-monitoring, stress management and weight management.

Classes will be offered on Mondays beginning February 20 through April 3 from 5-7 p.m. at the Northlake Campus in Gary, Classroom A, 600 Grant St. in Gary. To enroll call 888-909-3627 or visit MethodistHospitals.org. Payments may be made at Methodist Hospitals Cashiers Offices at both Northlake and Southlake Campuses. Cashier hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cash or credit cards are accepted. Classes are limited.

Medical-surgical add-on enhances patient care

A new medical-surgical observation unit is open on the third floor of Franciscan Health Crown Point.

The unit, an expansion of the existing medical-surgical program, is a 22-bed facility with telemetry capabilities that will improve the efficiencies of patient bed placement through critical care units of the hospital during times of high census.

This addition allows us to deliver high-quality, safe and efficient care to our patients, especially during times of high demand, said Dr. Daniel McCormick, hospital vice president of medical affairs.

Dyer pediatric nurse awarded

International pediatric nurse expert Scott DeBoer, of Dyer, has been named a winner in three awards this year for his newest teaching tool, "Peds Pearls: Tear-Out Tips, Tricks, & Treasures from the Trenches."

In, October, DeBoer won an EMS World Innovation Award which recognizes the emergency medical services most innovative products of the year. In November, the Journal of Emergency Medical Services named DeBoer as one of the 10 innovators who had driven EMS practice forward in the past year. Finally, DeBoer took second place in the 2016 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Awards in the child health division.

"Peds Pearls: Tear-Out Tips, Tricks, and Treasures from the Trenches" contains 52 pull out posters of pediatric wisdom that nurses and medics can read quickly and put into practice immediately. Written with the contributions of other medical experts, Peds Pearls allows medical professionals to learn about a new pediatric topic every week by simply posting the pearls in places education really gets done: bathrooms, break rooms, or bulletin boards.

Heartland offers new treatment services

Heartland Recovery Center in Lowell demonstrates has started offering a new evening intensive outpatient program and outpatient services. Evening services begin immediately with no wait list and include free consultations.

Offering evening addiction treatment services meets a significant need for individuals, employers and families in the community. The new programs give clients the opportunity to continue living at home and remain at work in the community while attending treatment.

Please call 219-690-7025 for more information or visit HeartlandRecoveryCenter.com.

Best care for chest pain is right here

Franciscan Health Crown Point recently received three-year Chest Pain Center with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention reaccreditation from the national Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care.

Franciscan Health Michigan City and Franciscan Health Dyer also are accredited. Accredited hospitals have achieved a higher level of expertise in dealing with patients who arrive with heart attack symptoms. Such hospitals undergo a rigorous, onsite evaluation by review specialists, which assures demonstrate expertise in numerous areas.

For more information, call (219) 769-8690 or visit FranciscanHealth.org/ChestPainCenters.
NY1 VIDEO: President Obama leaves office Friday just about as popular in New York City as he was eight years ago when he swept into office with 80 percent of the vote. NY1's Roger Clark talks with some New Yorkers who look back warmly on the Obama years, and recalls some of the funnier moments of his presidency.
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the Trump International Hotel Thursday night to speak out against Friday's inauguration. NY1's Courtney Gross reports.

There may not be that many celebrities in Washington, D.C. for Donald Trump's festivities, but you could have held a casting call on the Upper West Side on Thursday night.

"I just have to say, Ive been standing out in here in the freezing cold for a long time," said actor Alec Baldwin.

Baldwin, Rosie Perez, Robert de Niro and even Cher showed up at a rally to stand united against the incoming Trump administration.

Thousands of New Yorkers poured onto Central Park West for the occasion. Some told us they are worried about Trump's policies.

"I think it's important for us to be here because we want to make immigrants and everybody else here safe," said one protester.

Mayor Bill de Blasio used the moment to say New Yorkers would stand up to Trump's policies.

"Donald Trump likes to say he built a movement. Well, now it's our turn to build a movement," de Blasio said.

The message was clear: the president-elect's hometown was not welcoming his administration.

Following the star-studded speeches, some continued on to Trumps home. After a short walk, they were at Trump Tower.

Attendees said the first 100 days of the Trump administration will be dubbed "100 Days of Resistance," meaning these rallies will continue.
A presidential inauguration calls for a celebration, at least if your candidate won the White House, but even some of those who threw on their party clothes for the New York State Society Ball are approaching Friday's transfer of power with mixed feelings. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.

This is not your normal inauguration.

"I'm very festive," said one attendee of the New York State Society Ball. "It'll be a good transition, and hoping for the best."

"Hoping for the best" is a sentiment expressed by several attendees at the New York State Society ball on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration.

"It's a really interesting time to be alive and a New Yorker," said Kyle Kimball, former president of the Economic Development Corporation. "We are looking at a peaceful transfer of power, which is an amazing part of democracy."

Andrea Thau, the president of the American Optometric Association, is keeping close tabs on Trump's plans to repeal and replace Obamacare.

"We are concerned about ensuring there is appropriate access to health care for all Americans, and we are hoping they willl make changes that are appropriate," Thau said.

But for other partygoers, like upstate Rep. Chris Collins, the first member of Congress to endorse Trump, it is an exciting time.

"It's like Christmas Eve. Tomorrow is Christmas Day. We can't wait to go downstairs," Collins said. "The inauguration tomorrow is really going to be the beginning of the change in this country."

But plenty of Americans, and New Yorkers in particular, are greeting Trump's White House move with trepidation.

"He is talking specifically about the economy, about creating jobs, about securing our borders, about doing what is right for this nation and our citizens, and I think that they need to give him a chance," said Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, whose district covers parts of Brooklyn and Staten Island.

NY1 asked former Governor George Pataki if Trump should have done more to unify the country.

"I don't think there's much more he could have done," he said.

Those on the ball circuit say they may not make it to the inauguration ceremony in person. Many people told us they plan to watch Trump's swearing in on TV.
Treasury secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin defended himself Thursday from attacks by Senate Democrats who blasted him for alleged predatory home foreclosures in the aftermath of the Great Recession.



Democrats and Republicans clashed in the confirmation hearing even before Donald Trump 's Cabinet pick defended his work history in an opening statement.

During the Senate Finance Committee hearing, Mnuchin parried Democratic attacks on his history with foreclosures at a lender he co-owned and tax practices at his hedge fund. He hit the Trump administration talking points of lowering taxes on businesses to encourage them to keep operations in the U.S., saying he thinks 3 to 4 percent sustained GDP growth is reasonable and playing down analyses that Trump's tax plan would expand the national debt by trillions.

Mnuchin, 54, is a financier and former finance director for Trump's presidential campaign. He previously worked as a partner at Goldman Sachs and co-owned OneWest Bank, the former IndyMac that was failing after the mortgage crisis.

Before Mnuchin's opening statement, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., joked that he could give ranking member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a Valium so he could deal with the questions.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, fired back at Roberts, saying "I hope that comment about Valium doesn't set the tone for 2017 in this committee." He added that "this is just outrageous."

As the pair bickered, Wyden said that "we have many colleagues waiting." Roberts responded, "Fine Ron, I'm done," then left for an unspecified reason.

After the incident, though, the hearing was largely more cordial. Mnuchin could have a relatively easy time clearing a Senate vote, as at least two Republicans would need to defect for him not to get confirmed. He also made some concessions to Democrats, including saying he does not want to fully repeal the Dodd-Frank financial reform act and that he would support existing sanctions on Russia.

Just hours before the hearing, The New York Times reported that Mnuchin did not disclose nearly $100 million of his assets on Finance Committee disclosures, offering more fodder against Mnuchin.

Story continues

In his prepared remarks, Mnuchin attempted to get ahead of Democratic attacks on his record at OneWest and in a mortgage role at Goldman. OneWest has been accused of aggressively foreclosing on homeowners.

"Since I was first nominated to serve as Treasury Secretary, I have been maligned as taking advantage of others' hardships in order to earn a buck. Nothing could be further from the truth," he said.

He also argued that he was not responsible for the risky loan portfolio at the company but simply inherited it. "The responsibility landed on me to clean up the mess that we inherited," Mnuchin said.

"In the press it has been said that I ran a 'foreclosure machine.' This is not true. On the contrary, I was committed to loan modifications intended to stop foreclosures."

In his opening statement, committee chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, pre-empted Democratic jabs, saying Mnuchin had not broken any laws and that other Treasury secretaries have had links to Wall Street and the financial crisis.

In his opening remarks, Wyden argued that it is a "real stretch to find hard evidence" that Mnuchin would be the kind of Treasury secretary "who works for all Americans." He cited reports about OneWest's foreclosure behavior.

When Mnuchin was asked about reports that the bank foreclosed on senior citizens, the nominee said "there were some issues" but they happened at "very, very low rates." He added that homeowners were compensated when errors were made, saying he "earnestly" feels terrible for "any mistakes at the bank."

Mnuchin was also slammed about his hedge fund, Dune Capital Management, setting up offshore entities. He stressed that he did not use offshore entities to avoid taxes personally but used them for "certain nonprofits and pensions."

He also said that he would enforce Trump campaign pledges to close some tax loopholes for the rich, a plan Wyden suggested could just be a "head fake."

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., also challenged Mnuchin on how exactly Trump would give profits from foreign governments made at his hotels to the Treasury Department. Mnuchin said he expects Trump to give more information on how the process will work.

Here are some of the other topics Mnuchin was asked about:

CONFLICTS: Mnuchin said that he has worked with the independent government ethics office to address possible conflicts of interest from his holdings. He said he would treat the Trump Organization, which Trump's two eldest sons will run, the same as any other company.

RUSSIA: He said that he is "100 percent" committed to Obama administration sanctions against Russia. The Treasury has a role in enforcing sanctions. The White House put sanctions on Moscow after its 2014 annexation of Crimea and most recently after suspected Russian hacking efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. election. But Mnuchin said that "the president-elect has made it very clear that he would only change those sanctions if he got, quote, a better deal and we would get something in return." Trump has promised better relations with Russia and recently said he would consider dropping sanctions in exchange for a move like a nuclear drawdown.

U.S. DEBT: Mnuchin said: "I fully believe that the U.S. has the obligation to honor its debt." Trump during the campaign made suggestions that troubled some senators, including saying that the U.S. could renegotiate debt.

TAX CUTS: He played down analyses that said Trump's corporate and income tax cuts could send the debt higher by trillions. "We think the way to reduce the debt is by economic growth," Mnuchin said.

DEBT CEILING: Mnuchin added that he wants to "raise the debt ceiling sooner rather than later" to avoid possible default.

TRADE: He said that negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement should be reopened, arguing that it can be renegotiated in a way that benefits both the U.S. and Mexico.





More From CNBC


steve mnuchin

While Department of the Treasury secretary nominee Steve Mnuchin was largely embraced by Republicans during his first confirmation hearing on Thursday, at least one appeared skeptical.

At the hearing, Sen. Dean Heller expressed his frustration that Mnuchin and his staff had not answered questions about the foreclosure policies Mnuchin's bank OneWest pursued in the aftermath of the 2008 housing crisis.

Noting the high foreclosure and bankruptcy rates, Heller said that "no state was hurt harder than the state of Nevada." He pressed the former hedge fund manager about how many homes OneWest foreclosed on in the state, and how much money the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation paid them to do so.

"How many Nevadans did OneWest foreclose on while you owned the bank?" Heller asked.

"I have the information that's in public reports, but I'm absolutely committed to go back and get that information for you from the bank, so I apologize, I don't have that with me today, and I do appreciate how hard your state was hit in the foreclosure process," Mnuchin replied.

When Mnuchin could not answer how many homeowners OneWest provided assistance to following the crisis, Heller interjected.

"Here's the reason why I ask these three questions over again, is that this is the seventh time I've asked," Heller said.

He continued: "I asked you when you were in my office, and I had my staff to follow up on it, three times by text, and twice by phone. And we still can't get the answer to these questions. And I'm not quite sure with two weeks  well, your own comments were that you guys had responded to 5,000 pages. Five thousand pages of questions asked. Why were these three questions not asked if there were 5,000 pages that you answered?"

Mnuchin apologized, saying his staff had not informed him of Heller's questions, adding that he is "responding to a lot of other information."

Story continues

"I do recall you asking them in your office, and there's no excuse they haven't been answered," Mnuchin said.

During the next round of questioning, Mnuchin again apologized for not answering the questions, saying he "read [his] staff the riot act."

Heller wasn't the only lawmaker critical of Mnuchin's stewardship of OneWest.

Sen. Sherrod Brown asked a series of aggressive rapid-fire questions during his speaking period, pressing Mnuchin on why OneWest's foreclosure on military families and its attempt to block a California investigation into its practices.

"Is it true that OneWest foreclosed on 60,000 families nationwide and denied three-fourths of mortgage modification applications?" Brown asked.

"I am not aware of that, I know they've objected ," Mnuchin said.

"Well they did," Brown interjected.

"If you know they did, then why are you asking?" Mnuchin asked in return.

"Because I want to hear it from you," Brown replied. "I'm going to keep interrupting, because we don't have a lot of time. I'm sorry if you see that as rude, but it's the people's business."

Though the hedge fund manager said he was "proud" of his business, he blamed both federal regulations for forcing him to foreclose on homeowners, as well as the bad loans themselves.

NOW WATCH: FORMER WALL STREET EXEC: The right way to invest in the chaos after Trumps win





More From Business Insider


Australian Hall of Fame jockey takes Wellington Cup ride

Australian Racing Hall of Fame jockey Robert Thompson will break new ground when he takes his first Wellington Cup ride aboard Queensland visitor Pop 'N' Scotch at Trentham on Saturday.

Thompson, 58, has achieved most things in racing over a 44-year career in the saddle but he has never ridden at Trentham before and has yet to ride a winner in New Zealand.

Robert Thompson Photo: Bradley Photography

However, Thompson has only had a handful of rides in New Zealand over the years and last rode in the country in the Bayer Classic (now the Levin Classic) back in the 80s.

"I've been to New Zealand a few times but haven't had any success. It would be nice to do that in a race as important as the Wellington Cup," Thompson said.

"I've been long-time friends with Liam Birchley, who trains Pop 'N' Scotch. He's a good mate of mine and he's been very loyal to me. He asked if I'd like to go to New Zealand to ride this horse and I said I was only too happy to do so.

"This horse ran second in the Queensland Cup over two miles and that's his go. He's got no class but he'll run the distance. Liam said it wasn't a vintage field for the Cup this year and that's what convinced him to go. It sounds like there's a bit of rain about and that will help him as well."

The six-year-old has won four of his 37 starts and has finished second in the Listed Queensland Cup (3200m) at the Sunshine Coast for the past two years.

TAB bookmakers had Pop 'N' Scotch at $24 for the Wellington Cup after he drew barrier 10.

Inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2015, Thompson is Australia's most prolific jockey, riding in more than 28,000 races, winning more than 4200 of them.  NZ Racing Desk.
Memorial Service for Col. Wesley P. Smith, 87, of Camp Hill, will be Sunday, January 22, 2017 at 2:00 pm at the Dixon All Faith Chapel of Lyman Ward Military Academy. Rev. Rod Siggers will officiate. A reception will follow the service. Col. Smith passed away on Thursday, January 5, 2017 at East Alabama Medical Center. He was born on January 19, 1929 in Madison, Georgia to John Clayton Smith, Sr. and Annie Kidd Smith. He was a member of Camp Hill Universalist Church. He was a graduate of Southern Industrial Institute, now Lyman Ward Military Academy. He received his Bachelor of Science and Masters degree in Psychology from Auburn University. He was a U. S. Army Veteran of the Korean War. After graduating from Auburn he returned to teach science at Lyman Ward and remained there until he retired as President. Until his death he continued to serve on the Board of Trustees for Lyman Ward. He was a past member of The National Association of Military Colleges and Schools. Col. Smith was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed many hours hunting and fishing. He was a licensed pilot, a world traveler and enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Peggy Smith of Camp Hill; son, Michael Smith (Joy) of Auburn; grandchildren, Harrison, Ryan, and Katie Smith all of Auburn. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Edgar K. Smith and John C. Smith, Jr. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Wesley P. Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund, Lyman Ward Military Academy, 174 Ward Circle, Camp Hill, AL 36850. Memorial messages may be sent to the family at www.langleyfuneralhome.com. Langley Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Need a last-minute baby sitter? Helpr, a free app with services now available in Orange County, will get a prescreened babysitter to you in as little as three hours.

The Santa Monica-based company, founded by Kasey Edwards and Becka Klauber Richter, recently expanded into the county. It performs background checks on sitters, meets all candidates in person, requires CPR certification and checks social media accounts.

Heres how it works: Parents register their family in the app, including details like the ages of their children and whether they have any special needs. They can then book a baby sitter from 90 days to three hours in advance.

Parents can then view a video profile of the baby sitter or request a trial run.

The app requires a minimum three-hour shift. Parents also can make standing appointments.

Parents pay on the app instead of giving money directly to the baby sitter. Helpr costs $21 an hour for one child and an extra $1 per hour per additional child. It costs an extra 15 percent if a sitter is booked with less than eight hours notice. The company said there are several hundred sitters available in Orange County.

Sitters are contractors with experience in the child care industry, Helpr said.

Its really important for us to stress that we handle the HR support and we are doing a lot more screening than most families know to do, Richter said. We recruit and work with the most successful child care providers out there.

Some companies offer credits on the app to help employees pay for child care services.

The app is offered in Orange County, Los Angeles County and Santa Barbara. Helpr does not disclose how many people use the app but said the number is in the thousands. Baby sitter candidates can apply at helpr-app.com/become-a-helpr.

 Hannah Madans

Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans
SEOUL, Jan 20 (Reuters) - South Korean gas and power company SK E&S Co Ltd took delivery of the country's first spot cargo of shale gas imported from the United States early in January, two industry sources said on Friday.

The arm of South Korean conglomerate SK Group imported 66,000 tonnes of U.S. shale gas from Cheniere Energy Inc's Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in Louisiana, according to one industry source with direct knowledge of the matter.

Price details for the shipment, bought for use as a power station fuel, were not available, the person said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to discuss the matter publicly.

The first U.S. shale gas delivery comes as the Korean government encourages domestic companies to look for more opportunities in U.S. oil and gas projects under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. South Korea is the world's second-largest LNG buyer after Japan.

An unforeseen demand increases in northern Asia and production delays in Australia have also fuelled a wave of U.S. LNG cargoes coming into Asia. The spot purchase aside, SK E&S is scheduled to import 2.2 million tonnes a year of U.S.-originated LNG from 2019 through 2039.

A spokeswoman for the company declined to comment on the first shipment.

South Korea mostly imports LNG through state-run Korea Gas Corp, the country's sole wholesaler. Private gas companies and utilities in South Korea are only allowed to import LNG directly for their own power generation purposes.

KOGAS is also set to import 2.8 million tonnes a year of LNG processed by Cheniere Energy under a 20-year supply deal starting this year. The first cargo is expected to arrive either in June or in July this year, a KOGAS spokesman said.

(Reporting by Jane Chung; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
TEHRAN, Iran  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 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.

Firefighters had battled the blaze for several hours as police officers tried to shoo away shopkeepers trying to return to collect their valuables, PressTV reported. Then came the collapse. As the building fell, a television journalist reporting in front of the building suddenly raised his voice. Onlookers could be heard gasping and shrieking. Several firefighters burst into tears.

They had been trying to put out the fire for hours when suddenly the building just collapsed, said Ibrahim Najafi, a cosmetics seller, who could see the building crashing down from his shop window. He said there were 590 stores, offices and warehouses in the building. My friends are in there. What a horrible day.

People at the scene were visibly upset and police were required to control angry crowds who yelled at security forces, who they said had arrived too late. My friend is calling me from under the rubble, help him, one man was heard shouting.

In the chaotic aftermath of the collapse, ambulances had to fight their way through onlookers drawn to the scene, some taking selfies in front of the rubble. Army conscripts were deployed to clear paths for the emergency vehicles.

The high-rise, the 17-story Plasco Building in the center of Tehran, housed a shopping center and garment manufacturers, and it was as familiar to most residents as the Empire State Building is in New York.

Built in 1962 by Habib Elghanian, an Iranian-Jewish businessman, and named for his plastics-manufacturing company, it was Tehrans first modern high-rise and long stood as a symbol of the drive for modernization during the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. After the 1979 revolution, Elghanian was accused of spying for Israel and was executed.

Firefighters said the blaze appeared to have started in the morning on the 11th floor before spreading to a floor below, trapping some of their colleagues inside. Firefighters on the ground stared upward as the fire advanced, apparently horrified by the predicament faced by those in the building. Two of them comforted a colleague, his face ashen, as he knelt, pointing at the building.

The choreography of the structures collapse played out with cinematic inevitability. First, one side of the building crashed, just missing a firefighter standing on a ladder, The Associated Press reported. Then the rest came down.

So dense were the plumes of smoke that Jalal Maleki, a spokesman for Tehrans fire brigade, told the AP that the cloud was visible from the southern parts of Tehran, miles away.

Masoumeh Abad, a member of the Tehran City Council, said tenants of the building had been warned at least 20 times that maintenance was needed, the semiofficial news agency Fars reported. But local news outlets suggested that the municipality had been lax in carrying out safety regulations.

The Plasco Building had been fully stocked with garments for the Iranian New Year on March 21, for which Iranians traditionally shop for new clothes, and there were reports that the clothing had choked the hallways, impeding the work of firefighters.
Vetmade Industries has a vaunted mission: To return disabled warriors to the workforce. It boasts that 93 percent of funds go directly to the cause of helping our heroes.

Well-meaning folks donated cars worth more than $2 million to Tampa-based Vetmade in 2015  but only $91,348 made it to the charity, according to data from the California Attorney General. Thats 4.5 percent.

What happened to the overwhelming bulk of that money? About $1.9 million  95.5 percent of revenues  was spent by a company called Just Donated Inc. in Orange, which specializes in promoting your cause and generating a steady flow of vehicle donations, according to its online pitch.

Vehicle donations are one of the most costly ways to give in all of philanthropy, those in the industry say. Theyre complicated and time-intensive, often requiring extensive advertising, expensive towing, mechanical repairs, storage, paperwork and eventual sales of what are often clunkers. The charities usually dont have to do anything at all, leaving all the work to the (usually) for-profit middlemen.

All that costs a lot of money. But, as well show you, some charities get a lot more out of it than others.

SMALL SLICES

Just Donated, the Orange business that processes vehicles for charities, did not return calls and emails seeking detail on the numbers. But Vetmades executive director in Tampa, John Campbell, said that there are many costs incurred by tow truck drivers, auction houses and the companies that run the donations themselves.

Campbell has been happy with Just Donated, he said; after all is said and done, some companies dont return anything to the charities at all.

 Another Southern California company specializing in charity car donations is Fund Raising Partners, long of Los Alamitos and recently relocated to Redondo Beach. Fund Raising Partners processed vehicle donations totaling $1.6 million for the nonprofit Durable Medical Equipment Aid Society in Tarzana in 2015, of which the charity got just 1.7 percent (or $27,235), according to the Attorney Generals data.

The charitys executive director said the numbers reflect initial start-up costs of running a new car donation program, and that numbers for 2016 will be better.

Fund Raising Partners also handled car donations totaling $593,889 for Faiths Hope Foundation in Fullerton. The return to that charity was even lower  just $3,213, or 0.5 percent.

 Automotive Recovery Services of Westchester, IL, processed donations worth $6.5 million for the National Veterans Service Fund in Darien, CT. The charity got $1.2 million, or 18.5 percent.

The amount a charity receives for a vehicle donation is driven by two main factors, 1) the market value of the vehicle donated, and 2) the cost to solicit the donation, said Phil Kraft, executive director of the National Veterans Service Fund Vehicle, via email. In the current market we are seeing softer prices for donated vehicles.

When market prices are soft, the charity focuses on generating donation volume to hit its financial goals, Kraft said.

National Veterans Services Fund has a very limited staff and does not have the human resources to do hands-on marketing. Therefore we choose to utilize broader methods of marketing to solicit donations including SEO and PPC (pay per click). These broader marketing methods can be more costly, but help us drive higher volumes of vehicle donations.

 Michael Reese Enterprises in Costa Mesa specializes in processing a very large volume of low-value vehicles. It handled donations worth $6 million for a nonprofit called Growing in Voices in Irvine. The charity got $571,165, or 9.5 percent.

 The biggest players on the scene were the Car Donation Foundation, aka Wheels for Wishes, in St. Louis Park, MN., and its vehicle processor, National Fundraising Management in Hopkins, MN. Total revenue was $31 million, of which $14.1 million went to the charity, or 45 percent.

HEAVY LIFT

Thats better than average.

Total revenue generated by vehicle donations in California was $64.2 million in 2015, with charities getting about $25.5 million, or 39.8 percent of the total, according to the data.

Vehicle donation programs have become more popular over the past several years, the AG said in her annual report on commercial fundraisers. These programs are administered either directly by charities, or by commercial fundraisers that solicit donations and manage the program on a charitys behalf, in exchange for compensation.

How does it work?

The process usually begins when a donor contacts a charity or commercial fundraiser in response to an ad or solicitation campaign, the AG explains. In the initial phone conversation, the donor will be asked questions about the vehicle. Generally, the vehicle will be accepted unless the cost of towing it exceeds its value.

The donated vehicle is then sold and the proceeds are divided between the commercial fundraiser and the charity. Because all costs associated with advertising, towing, storing, and selling the vehicle are deducted from the proceeds before any distribution to charity, charities usually only receive a marginal amount from the cars sales proceeds, the AG warns.

The attorney general filed suit against Ventura-based Cars 4 Causes in 2015, charging it with breach of fiduciary duty and deceptive and misleading solicitations. C4C, as it is known, kept and spent millions of dollars in donations that should have gone to other charities, the AG charged in the suit.

MAKING GOOD

Still, some make it work a lot better than others.

 Advanced Remarketing Services of Warren RI processed $1.1 million of vehicle donations for the Independent Charities of America in Larkspur, CA. The charity got $888,104, or 78.4 percent.

 Advanced Remarketing Services processed $523,053 of donations for the American Cancer Society in Atlanta. The charity got $426,764, or 82 percent.

 Automotive Recovery Services processed $1.4 million of donations for the National Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Maryland Heights, MO. The charity got $1.1 million, or 74 percent.

 Automotive Recovery Services also processed $2.7 million of donations for the National Kidney Foundation in New York. The charity got $1.9 million, or 69 percent.

Zachary Lasky is the e-commerce product manager for Advanced Remarketing Services. Our goal is to return 70 to 80 percent to the charity  we form a partnership with them. Were not tyring to pull the wool over anyones eyes, Lasky said.

It can return so much because it doesnt depend solely on auctions to sell the vehicles, he said. That includes selling directly to buyers, which cuts down on auction fees. Advanced Remarketing Services also avoids storing vehicles for long period of time  which cuts down on storage fees  and on expensive towing.

Its definitely disappointing to see people taking advantage, maybe not have the best interest of the charity they work with at heart, he said.

Donors should read the tea leaves. Charities that are willing to accept just a tiny fraction of donation proceeds may deserve further financial scrutiny.

FOR EXAMPLE

Fullertons Faiths Hope Foundation was dedicated to assisting families going through the emotional and financial hardship due to the hospitalization of a loved one, according to its mission statement.

In 2012  the last year it filed tax returns with the IRS  it spent $3.5 million, and $3.3 million of that went to fundraising. Spending on its aforementioned core mission was just $157,533, or 4.5 percent (charity watchdogs like to see at least 65 percent of spending on the core mission).

The IRS revoked Faiths Hope Foundation nonprofit status last year, after the charity failed to file tax returns for three straight years.

Also, according to their IRS filings:

 The Car Donation Foundation, which does business as Wheels for Wishes, spent $27.3 million in 2015. More than half of that  51 percent  went to fundraising.

 Growing in Voices in Irvine, which promotes charitable giving by connecting people with the chanties and causes they care most about and supports humanitarian services to the hungry, poor and sick, spent $11.9 million in 2014. Of that, $10.9 million went to fundraising.

 National Veterans Service Fund, whose mission is to educate and inform the public on the needs of veterans and their families, primarily concerning the Agent Orange Issue and Gulf War illnesses, spent $9 million in 2015. Six million of that  66 percent  was spent on fundraising.

Dangerous curves ahead, donors. Do your homework, and proceed with caution.

Contact the writer: tsforza@scng.com
When they hand out the most prestigious Eclipse Award on Saturday night at Gulfstream Park for Horse of the Year, its going to be either California Chrome or Arrogate. No question.

Yeah, Songbird is the third finalist, and shes an exceptional filly, but Chrome and Arrogate are the two best horses in training, male or female.

Ed Golden of the Santa Anita publicity department took an informal pool recently, asking trainers at Santa Anita who they favored in the Horse of the Year race. Although Arrogate had a sprinkling of supporters, the vote ran 10-3 in favor of Chrome, with one abstention and one calling for co-Horses of the Year.

A sampling:

Richard Baltas: Arrogate. He beat Chrome heads up.

Jack Carava: Chrome. He ran well all year.

Paulo Lobo: Arrogate. He beat Chrome.

Bruce Headley: Chrome. Art (trainer Art Sherman) has the best horse in the world.

Brian Koriner: Chrome deserves it for the year he had. He traveled all over.

Then there was Mark Glatt, who spoke out in favor of the award being split, although thats not allowed in the Eclipse voting.

They should be co-winners, he said. You cant take anything away from Chrome, but Arrogate did beat him, and it wasnt because of a bad ride. Chromes been a machine.

Yes, Chromes been a machine, which is why he almost assuredly will win his second Horse of the Year award. He also won in 2014 despite finishing third in the Breeders Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

Maybe some voters cast their ballot for Chrome because the horses owners were great sportsmen by bringing him back for his 5-year-old campaign, much like many might have voted for Zenyatta in 2010 because they felt she shouldnt end a brilliant career without a Horse of the Year notation on her resume.

But perhaps Santa Anita oddsmaker Jon White said it best in a column posted on xpressbet.com this week, a view shared by many Eclipse voters:

Yes, Arrogate ran a spectacular race in the Travers. And yes, Arrogate won the BC Classic, defeating California Chrome the only time they met. But when it comes to Horse of the Year, the word year carries a lot of weight with me. And California Chrome gets my vote for Horse of the Year because he did much more during the year than Arrogate.

White told me in an email he believes California Chrome is a slam dunk to be voted Horse of the Year.

Bob Ike, a longtime Southern California handicapper, partner/vice president of Horsebills.com and proprietor of BobIkePicks.com, echoed Whites sentiments.

Even though Arrogate beat California Chrome in their only head-to-head meeting, I thought Chromes overall body of work was stronger, Ike wrote in an email. He shipped to Dubai and back and was perfect all year before the Classic.

I feel pretty confident most voters will see it that way, too.

In his column, White also raised another valid point about why California Chrome should win the award.

One way I look at who should be Horse of the Year between California Chrome and Arrogate is they both lost once in 2016, but there is a huge difference in those two losses, he wrote.

In Arrogates lone defeat of the year, he finished third in a maiden special weight race at Los Alamitos. In California Chromes lone defeat of the year, he finished second in the Grade I BC Classic.

White goes on to point out he cant fault anyone who voted for Arrogate.

Not when he beat California Chrome fair and square the only time they met, he wrote.

Both White and Ike voted: 1. California Chrome 2. Arrogate 3. Beholder.

I voted: 1. California Chrome 2. Arrogate 3. Songbird.
If the saga of former Santa Ana City Manager David Cavazos is, in any way, indicative of the way the new Santa Ana City Council intends to conduct business, Downtown Orange County is in for a rough row to hoe.

The City Council approved a severance agreement with Cavazos this week that City Attorney Sonia Carvalho described as an amicable split. But the events that led up to that agreement have been anything but amicable.

The council placed Cavazos on paid leave in a special meeting, conducted in the afternoon on the Wednesday between Christmas and New Year. Three council members, all of whom happen to be supporters of Cavazos, were absent and given little notice. Cavazos didnt even attend.

At the time, Cavazos told the Register that he was committed to Santa Ana, but the writing on the wall seems to have been too much to ignore. Councilman Sal Tinajero sees it as political payback for the police unions strong backing of Miguel Pulido, Juan Villegas and Jose Solorio. Pulido lacked the ear of this city manager, as he has had with others, and the citys police union has been critical of Chief Carlos Rojas. (The city manager can fire the police chief.)

Cavazos is not without his faults, and his severance package, which, according to the Register, is equal to 12 months compensation at his annual salary of $343,224, is outrageous. But Pulido, Villegas, Solorio and Michele Martinez, who sided with the other three, have done little to alleviate concerns of political payback. Rather, it clearly seems to have been the plan from the beginning.

At his very first meeting as a city councilman, Villegas agendized a closed-session discussion on Cavazos performance. When confronted by Tinajero as to the rationale behind it, Villegas retorted, I cannot speak to that. Further, he said, I will not  Im very private about those type of things. Im not about all this drama that goes on up here. Thats not my style, the Voice of OC reported.

But offering public explanations for your decisions seems to be at the heart of the responsibilities of a city councilman. It should certainly become Villegas, and the other council members, style to be transparent in their decision making. If not, Santa Ana is looking for a return to trouble.
ANAHEIM  Firefighters were battling a house fire in the 1300 block of Cerritos Avenue on Friday, said Anaheim Fire Department spokesman Daron Wyatt.

The fire, which was reported at 11:43 a.m., was extinguished in about 30 minutes, Wyatt said.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire was under investigation.

It was unclear if anyone was displaced.

Counter to popular belief, rain generally does not make fighting structure fires easier than in dry conditions. Rooftops often prevent rain from making contact with the fire and the gallons per minute generated by rainfall is often insufficient to put out flames.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or jsudock@scng.com
DAKAR, Senegal  A West African regional force charged into neighboring Gambia late Thursday to support the countrys 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 Gambias 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 Gambias armed forces to remain in their barracks as the regional military intervention got underway.

Outside Gambias 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.

Im 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 Jammehs loyalists will resist, the official added.

But there were signs that some in Gambias 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.

Gambias 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 Gambias 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 Barrows inauguration spread, many people hugged and cheered, chanting New Gambia, new Gambia!

Its 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 couldnt say anything, we were like slaves.
A legally blind man suffering from schizophrenia who was fatally shot by police at a California gas station was the victim of a cold-blooded execution, his attorney charged Thursday, after a surveillance video was released that raises questions about whether the man advanced on officers with a knife.

The video was posted Wednesday on YouTube by attorneys for the family of James Hall, who was killed on Nov. 22, 2015, in Fontana after police responded to a call of a possible robbery at the gas station. A police statement at the time said officers encountered Hall outside the gas station with a knife and a rock. It said Hall retreated into the store, refused to surrender and advanced on officers before being shot.

The eight-minute clip, captured on the stores security cameras, shows an officer entering the store with his gun drawn as fellow officers arrive and Hall moves further into the store. The video, which does not have sound, appears to show Hall at some points holding something, but the item isnt clear. At other times, Hall looks empty-handed. The video shows a throng of officers pointing guns at Hall as he moves sideways along a counter, leans on it and then collapses.

Ben Meiselas, an attorney representing Halls family, said the video is completely contrary to the account provided by police and argued that officers should have been aware Hall was mentally ill and should have worked harder to deescalate the situation.

The video shows a cold-blooded execution of an individual cowering in a corner in a convenience store, Meiselas said. It seemed he was disoriented and didnt know what was going on. He was chased in the corner and then shot execution-style in the distance.

Meiselas said Hall, 47, has struggled with mental health issues, but he had been taking care of his ailing mother for years and was well known in his neighborhood and at the convenience store.

About a week before the shooting, Hall, seeking mental health counseling, walked into the Fontana Police Department and told an officer he was hearing voices, but was turned way, Meiselas said. A Fontana police spokesman didnt respond to questions about the encounter

Last month, Halls family brought a wrongful death lawsuit against the police department saying officers used constitutionally unreasonable and excessive force. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages.

In a statement Thursday, Fontana police said the shooting was a tragic and unfortunate event for everyone involved and offered condolences to Halls family. The police department declined to comment specifically on the case, citing an ongoing investigation by San Bernardino County prosecutors.
After countless phone calls and exhausting treks through unfamiliar neighborhoods to knock on doors, some of Donald Trumps most devoted Southern Californian supporters will be rewarded for their efforts with a close-up view of Fridays inauguration ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Deanne Tate, 68, of Orange, led a strike team of 1,600 volunteers who spent two months walking precincts and working the phones in Nevada in an effort to get the then-Republican presidential nominee elected.

Their efforts and those of others paid off in November when Trump defeated Hillary Clinton and now, after the last eight years, this is something really new and exciting, for Trump people, Tate said.

Were taking America back; its historic, she said.

Tate is among a group of at least seven Trump supporters and volunteers from Southern California who obtained tickets to the inauguration ceremony and several other events.

Tate, an alumnus of Canoga Park High School in the San Fernando Valley who moved to Orange County in 1994, first earned her Republican stripes when she joined a local Young Americans for Freedom club at age 12.

She has been active politically since then, and when Trump announced his candidacy, she was the first one on the block to say, this is the guy, she noted.

Trumps business background will be a welcome change, she said.

She met the real estate mogul in July and saw in him someone who behaved like a real person, unlike some of the politicians and government officials she has worked with or observed while running a shelter for homeless veterans.

RELATED: Presidential inaugurations through the years

Mike Simpfenderfer, 54, of Bellflower said he has been to at least two previous inaugurations and knows the drill, which mainly involves traveling light, wearing comfortable shoes and doing a lot of standing.

Hes looking forward to taking in the inauguration experience again, which he anticipates will include hearing Hail to the Chief, the 21-gun salute and being able to raise a plastic glass in the freezing cold, surrounded by new friends.

He said watching Trump get sworn in will be very emotional.

But after the swearing-in ceremony, prayer breakfast, black-tie galas and the camaraderie, there will not be much time to waste to turn the countrys direction around, he said.

Our boss has made clear, we are going to celebrate today, Simpfenderfer said. He also made it clear, were going to work tomorrow.

This is a guy I like! he added.

For Simpfenderfer, Trump is different from his predecessor, Barack Obama, in that he will be decisive.

Hes about getting it done now and not tomorrow, replacing an attitude of lets get to know everybody that seemed to mark Obamas tenure, he said.

The planned protests of Trump in Washington dont faze Long Beach resident John Goya, 57, who says his goal Friday is to celebrate our candidate and to be together to ring in a new era for America.

Its not about us; its about him and what he can do for our country, he explained, adding that the new president needs to be given a chance.

Just give the guy 100 days like every other president has gotten, he said. If he doesnt produce, believe me, we will come after him. So give him an opportunity.
LAKE FOREST  A 7-Eleven store in the 21700 block of Lake Forest Drive was robbed at knifepoint around 3 a.m. Friday, sheriffs Lt. John Roche said.

The robber, described as a male Hispanic in his 20s, nabbed cigarettes and an undisclosed sum of cash from the register before fleeing on foot, Roche said. The man was at large as of 7:45 a.m. Friday.

No injuries were reported.

Anyone with information about this incident or the suspect can report it anonymously by calling the Orange County Crime Stoppers hotline at 855-847-6227.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or jsudock@scng.com
An appeals court justice said Thursday that Orange County prosecutors used improper tactics to imprison a man who may have been factually innocent, part of a ruling that could set third-striker Guy Donell Miles free.

A three-justice panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal overturned Miles conviction Thursday, citing new evidence that indicates he may be innocent of robbing a Fullerton bank in 1998. Miles  who has maintained his innocence, saying he was in another state at the time of the crime  has been incarcerated since 1998 serving a sentence of 75 years to life.

One of the justices, Eileen C. Moore, wrote in an addendum Thursday that there is a strong likelihood that Miles is factually innocent and that prosecutors broke rules to win the case.

I believe there were significant problems with the eyewitness identifications, including suggestive photographic lineups and improper prosecutorial tactics, which resulted in Miles conviction, Moore wrote.

Its unclear if the ruling will set Miles free.

The Orange County District Attorneys Office is considering whether to refile the case. If the D.A. chooses not to retry the case, Miles could walk out of San Quentin within 60 days; conversely, he could remain in prison indefinitely if the case is retried or appealed to the California Supreme Court.

The D.A.s Office said Thursday that it did nothing wrong in prosecuting Miles.

This is a case where a jury found the defendant guilty after a four-week trial and careful deliberation of the evidence, such as eyewitnesses who positively identified the defendant; defendants alibi witness who put the defendant in California; expert testimony on the defendants gang ties and other evidence, Susan Kang Schroeder, chief of staff for the district attorney, wrote in an email.

Prosecutors in an earlier interview said the case is a poor argument for witness misidentification, noting that Miles picture was chosen from among hundreds of photos, identified by more than two witnesses, and that he originally was included in a photo lineup as filler.

Others disagree. The California Innocence Project, lawyers who work on behalf of convicts they believe to be factually innocent, have argued for 10 years that witnesses identified the wrong man.

Justice was finally obtained today for Guy Miles and his family, said Justin Brooks, Director of the California Innocence Project at California Western School of Law in San Diego.

Two issues have been key in Miles case. He has said he was in Las Vegas at the time of the crime, and questions have been raised about the photo identifications used during his trial.

Justice Moore said there are safeguards to help ensure that witnesses dont make mistakes in photo lineups, but none of them were used in Miles case. Moore, however, noted the case was investigated when witness identification studies were relatively new and that the detective in the case did not appear to act with improper motives.

The justice also questioned a prosecutors work during the trial. Moore noted that one female witness had trouble identifying Miles, now 50, but testified with more certainty after the prosecutor met the witness in a hallway during a break in the proceedings and showed her a mug shot of Miles.

What the prosecutor did in this case was troubling, to say the least, Moore wrote. The prosecutor essentially conducted a photographic lineup with only one photograph.

Victims at the Fidelity Financial office in Fullerton are standing by their identification of Miles as one of three men who robbed the bank around closing time June 29, 1998.

But one accomplice and two other men have confessed, saying Miles had nothing to do with the crime.

Justices noted that a new law that took effect Jan. 1 lowered the bar for overturning cases based on new evidence.

Under the old law, new evidence had to completely undermine the prosecutions case and unerringly point to innocence. The law now says new evidence must be credible, material, presented without substantial delay, and of such decisive force and value that it would have more likely than not changed the outcome at trial.

Miles insisted during a phone interview last May that he was innocent.

Im no angel, Im no saint, he said. But Im not guilty of this.

Contact the writer: tsaavedra@scng.com
Airline frequent flyer programs were among, if not, the first loyalty programs offered by U.S. companies. The original idea was to reward customers for booking flights with the airline. And the more you flew, the more reward miles you racked up toward a free flight.

The terms have changed considerably in the 30 or so years the programs have been around, and there have been many changes to them, in part because they became so popular and in part because airline margins slipped as fares fell.

Researchers at consumer website WalletHub ranked the frequent flyer programs at the 11 largest U.S. airlines on 23 different metrics, and the overall best program was found to be Delta Air Lines Co.'s (DAL) SkyMiles program, which posted an average score of 59.9 out of a possible 100 across three usage scenarios: frequent flyer, average flyer and light flyer.

ALSO READ: The Most Dangerous Cars in America

Alaska Airlines Inc. (ALK) was ranked second with an average score of 53.01, and Hawaiian Holdings Inc.'s (HA) Hawaiian Airlines was third with an average score of 49.23.

The two airlines that ranked at the bottom of the list were Spirit Airlines Inc. (SAVE) with a score of 27.69 and privately held Frontier Airlines with a score of 31.83.

On a value basis, Hawaiian Airlines offers the most value, $21 for every $100 spent, and Alaska Airlines finished a close second with a value of $20 for every $100 spent.

Only two airlines offer reward miles that don't expire: Delta and JetBlue Airways Inc. (JBLU). Of the 11 airlines in the survey, eight do not impose blackout dates on tickets purchased with reward miles.

ALSO READ: Americas Most Hated Companies

When asked whether customers or airlines benefit most from the rewards programs, one business school professor replied that she was "sure the airlines benefit more than do consumers."

Some programs reward consumers based on miles traveled while others dole out rewards based on the cost of a ticket. Teasing out the details of these offers is time-consuming and fairly opaque. And that's one more reason consumers remain loyal to one airline: the differences are often small and not easily determined, so why bother to shop around?

Story continues

Fortunately, WalletHub has created a chart with its rating for each of the 11 frequent flyer programs and a score on each of the 23 metrics the researchers scored. The full methodology used to create the scores is also available there.

ALSO READ: America's 25 Most Affordable Housing Markets

Credit card companies also partner with airlines to offer co-branded cards that reward consumers with points for air travel and other purchases, and often have big sign-on point bonuses attached. Last April we noted the best time to apply for this type of card.

Related Articles
When Barry Perkins puts a trumpet to his lips, instrument and man meld into one and the notes fill your soul.

If that sounds like hyperbole, you havent heard Perkins play. Or more likely you have  you just didnt know it.

Those amazing trumpet notes soaring in the latest Star Wars smash movie Rogue One? That was Perkins. Same with Star Wars VII, The Force Awakens. Ditto with Avatar.

But Perkins is much more than a Hollywood musician. He is principal trumpet for the Pacific Symphony in Orange County, a former member of Mexico Citys symphony, and leader of the Barry Perkins Collective, a small group of musicians who play everything from classical to jazz.

Yet most of all, this man who lives with his family in Murrieta is a teacher.

Perkins shows us how something made of brass can have all the nuance, all the colors of the human voice.

HOLLYWOOD HEAVEN

Perkins steps to the front of the stage in Orange Countys Segerstrom Hall and playfully teases the audience with a slice of Star Wars music. The crowd stirs in their seats, claps, giggles.

Perkins holds his trumpet high and aims toward the corners of the grand concert auditorium. A quiet, clear sustained note casts a spell.

As Perkins plays, there is no orchestra to accompany him, no lush visuals. There is only his trumpet.

Many people in the audience dont know or dont remember the exact movie scene in Episode IV; its when Luke Skywalker walks toward the horizon as twin suns drop. But under Perkins musicianship, the visual hardly matters.

The music alone offers a new hope.

During a wide-ranging discussion at his home nestled between the Santa Ana mountains and Mount San Jacinto, Perkins chuckles about the dwindling popularity of classical music compared to the publics love for anything Hollywood.

When I leave to play Mahler and Mozart, my kids just say, Goodbye, Perkins laughs. But when I say Im going to play a Star Wars score, they say, Wow, Dad, thats so cool.

To borrow from Chuck Berry  roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikovsky the news: Classical is fine.

But for the 21st century, Star Wars rules.

PRO AT 20

With a father who was a chemist and a lifelong musician, Perkins and his brother grew up learning to play the piano under dads tutelage as well as a second instrument of their choosing. Perkins brother choose the flute. Like his father before him, Perkins picked trumpet.

By the time he was five, Perkins could play notes  not an easy thing on an instrument that demands near-perfect embouchure.

In elementary school, Perkins learned to play  what else?  composer John Williams theme for Darth Vader, also called The Imperial March in the first Star Wars movie.

In a coincidence of circularity, decades later for the Rogue One soundtrack Perkins again played the Darth Vader theme.

At Irvine High School, Perkins played trumpet in the wind ensemble, marching band, orchestra and jazz band.

I could do something no one else could do, Perkins recalls. If there was a band, I was playing.

The only kind of music Perkins missed out on was rock and roll. He reports in the heavy metal days of the 1980s, there wasnt much room for trumpet players.

After high school, Perkins was admitted to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He didnt stay long. Two years later, he was awarded a position with Orquesta Filarmonica de la Ciudad de Mexico, the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra.

If youre in school, Perkins explains of leaving the conservatory, youre buying time to get a job.

The first time he entered the massive auditorium in Mexico City, Perkins remembers, I couldnt believe I was making a living playing the trumpet.

It was a defining moment.

He arrived in Mexico City not speaking a word of Spanish. He soon became fluent.

After five years and eager to play in the United States, he started playing with the San Diego Symphony.

ORCHESTRA OF ONE

Now 46, married and with three children  ages 24, 16 and 11  Perkins has remained with the Orange County symphony for 12 years.

Its exciting, Perkins says. Every night is different and the Pacific Symphony has a great group of folks who are extremely talented.

He likens a symphony to a combat platoon, a collection of people who must have one anothers backs every second.

The conductor, Carl St.Clair, is the guide. He provides balance and style, Perkins explains. The musicians work as a team with the orchestra taking on a life of its own.

I play whats on the page, Perkins says, but we listen to each other, to the principals (the lead players for different instruments).

Depending on the composition, Perkins might focus on, say, the clarinets and the violas, careful to gauge when to pierce through and when to blend in.

I dont think you stop learning. You learn to grab different parts of the orchestra you havent really heard before.

Perkins explains his buddy in war is Tony Ellis, another trumpet player. Together, they share a unique connection.

When the moment requires a clarion call from trumpet, Perkins likens it to Michael Jordan sinking a last-minute buzzer shot.

For an example, he cites the beginning of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. The trumpet in Richard Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra ushers in a dawn of expectation that sets up the entire movie.

FINDING THE SWEET SPOT

On the walls of Perkins soundproof practice room  If you want to play loud, you have to practice loud  there are posters of trumpet giants Dizzie Gillespie, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong.

There also is a pass that reads: Nov. 22, 2015, American Music Awards Talent.

When the trumpet player needs inspiration, he only look at the walls. But Perkins also looks elsewhere. He cites the principal trumpet at the Los Angeles Philharmonic as well as the principal trumpet at the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

But perhaps the biggest inspiration of all remains Perkins father.

His sound, Perkins says, is always in the back of my head. He calls it playing soulful.

Perkins allows playing trumpet is less about the notes than it is about the phrasing. You play where the trumpet resonates, the musician says, the sweet spot.

Even Darth Vader would approve.

Contact the writer: dwhiting@scng.com
SACRAMENTO  A windstorm has destroyed three historic trees planted at the California Capitol about 120 years ago to honor Civil War veterans.

Gusts topping 50 mph Wednesday night uprooted a tulip tree from the Five Forks, Va., battlefield and an American elm from President William McKinleys tomb in Ohio.

They fell like dominos, breaking off a box elder from the Missionary Ridge, Tenn., battleground.

The California State Capitol Museum says the tulip and box elder were among trees transplanted as saplings in 1897 from 40 battlefields.

Democratic Assemblyman Ken Cooley of Rancho Cordova says the elm was planted in 1902 to honor McKinley, a Civil War veteran who held the office when the Memorial Grove was planted.

Cooley is hoping officials can salvage the wood, perhaps to turn into artwork.
A Huntington Beach police detective was charged with misdemeanor petty theft on Thursday for allegedly stealing from a collection of cash that was raised by his fellow officers to buy a gift for a retiring colleague.

Mario Ricci, 48, of Los Angeles faces up to six months in jail if convicted, according to the Orange County District Attorneys Office.

Between Dec. 8 and Dec. 15, Ricci is accused of stealing cash donations from other Huntington Beach Police Department employees out of an envelope at police headquarters, prosecutors said.

On Dec. 8, other officers noticed some of the donation money was missing from the envelope. The following day, police investigated and documented the denominations and serial numbers of the remaining bills.

Police later contacted Ricci as he was leaving the building and found that he was in possession of bills that were previously noted to be in the envelope, prosecutors said.

The amount of cash that was allegedly taken has not been publicly disclosed.

Huntington Beach Police Chief Robert Handy said Ricci is an 18-year veteran with the department who worked as a detective in general investigations. He was placed on administrative leave pending an internal-affairs investigations, the chief said.

The whole department is shocked and saddened by this, Handy said. We hold our employees to high ethical and moral standards. Occasionally, people make mistakes, but they have to be held accountable for those mistakes.

Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com
Theres a high level of excitement in Imagineer Joe Rohdes voice.

The new Guardians of the Galaxy ride at Disney California Adventure, based on Marvel comics and a movie, will be fast-paced, high-energy and funny, he said Thursday night as he walked through the uncompleted attraction.

Rock n roll will blare while guests try to help Rocket Raccoon escape the clutches of Taneleer Tivan, better known as the Collector, in the Marvel universe.

Guardians is this irreverent, high-energy brand  its funny, its fast, it comes at you sideways, the characters are superunusual, Rohde said. The ride system is capable of being more dynamic, more movement, more disruption, so the challenge is to capture the essence of the story and the (Guardians of the Galaxy) world.

Officially named Guardians of the Galaxy  Mission: Breakout!, the ride is to open this summer, replacing the free-fall ride Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Many believe the Marvel-themed ride is a precursor to what will be a land dedicated to superheroes in California Adventure. The Anaheim theme park already houses a meet-and-greet with Spider-Man and Captain America.

Much of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, the building that housed the old ride and will hold the new one, is gutted. Rubble rests on the floor. Brown tarps and scaffolding cover the 199-foot-tall structure. The basement, where visitors were once led to the elevator-style ride, will be rethemed to match the Guardian story.

As the story goes, visitors will enter the Collectors massive, futuristic fortress where he houses one-of-a-kind artifacts from across the Marvel galaxy. They will walk through a large vault. Inside, while waiting to board the ride, they will see the Marvel artifacts such as Lokis helmet, weapons and other armor and items.

On a large television display, the Collector will welcome guests and boast about the latest additions to his collection.

Visitors will wrap around the queue, then enter a room where they encounter Rocket, who has managed to escape. Rocket is hiding inside the ventilation system and will ask visitors to help him and his friends escape.

Riders will enter the elevator ride and, once inside, disarm a generator  and thats when the elevator goes haywire.

Like Tower of Terror, the ride takes visitors up and down.

But, Rohde said, the Guardian ride will have a faster pace. The elevator door, which opened during the Tower of Terror ride to give riders a glimpse of the park, may or may not open for the Guardians ride.

No ride will be alike, Rohde said. There will be multiple combinations.

The ride probably will last perhaps two minutes. Although construction is well underway, there are still design and other modifications to consider.

Contact the writer: 714-796-244 or jpimentel@scng.com or follow on Twitter @OCDisney
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. 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.
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District trustees have been busy with the following matters:

 A report outlining the districts clear ability to meet financial obligations through June 2019 was approved with a positive certification, even though expenses are expected to outrun income in this and the next two fiscal years.

Budgets will be balanced with funds from reserves, with reserve cash remaining at 5 percent of expenditures, as recommended for schools. The report also sees a decline in average daily attendance from 24,650 this year to 24,404 in two years.

 A three-year plan to use a $409,883 state grant to increase the number of students who enroll at colleges and universities and complete an undergraduate degree in four years was reviewed.

The funds will serve 2,745 students who meet a state standard of participation in one or more of three programs: English language learner, foster youth or eligibility for free or reduced price meals. Funding is about $150 per student for the three years.

Specific plans include hiring trained tutors to support students in meeting college and university entrance requirements and sending teams to a summer institute to learn methods of increasing student writing scores and the number of university-eligible students.

Chromebook computers will be purchased to help students develop computer skills and aid in college research and work on college and scholarship applications and writing college essays.

 Negotiations on a new contract between the district and the teachers union are under way, with each party agreeing to examine wages and benefits. Also, the district wants to look at leaves and evaluation procedures, while the union seeks to consider professional day language.

Current salaries range from $49,649 for a beginning teacher with a California credential to $102,774 for a 30-year veteran with an advanced degree and/or additional college credits.

Also currently in place is an incentive for early notification of resignation or retirement. Teachers who provided notice prior to Jan. 16 will receive $2,000, and teachers who give notice by March 1 will receive $1,000.

And employees in three positions on a substitute salary schedule  Child Care Teacher 1, Food Service Worker and Bus Driver Trainee  received a 50-cent per hour Jan. 1 pay hike to $10.50 to comply with state law, costing about $10,000 for the remainder of the school year.

 Among several board policies undergoing revisions is one regarding the rights of pregnant, married, parenting or lactating students, which added two pages describing specific services related to support, absences, reasonable accommodations and complaints.

The revised policy states the classroom setting is the preferred educational environment unless an alternative is necessary to meet the needs of the student and/or his/her child. A second reading and adoption is expected at a Feb. 7 meeting.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. Email: jimdrummond@hotmail.com.
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 enormous 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.

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 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 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, 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 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 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.
The long-shot candidacy that became the long-shot Electoral College victory of Donald J. Trump is about to get real.

A few minutes after 9 a.m. on the West Coast, Trump is expected to take the 35-word oath of office that will mark his swearing-in as the 45th president of the United States. About 700,000 people are expected to attend the event on a day thats forecast to be cold and rainy.

WHAT TIME DOES TRUMP SWEAR THE OATH?

The event kicks off at 6:30 a.m. PST in Washington, D.C. at the west front of the U.S. Capitol Building, overlooking the National Mall. After musical performances and opening remarks, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will swear Donald Trump in as president at 9 a.m. PST.

After being sworn in, President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and their families will take part in the inaugural parade, walking up Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol Building to the White House.

WHO WILL  AND WONT  BE THERE?

Former first lady Hillary Clinton, Trumps opponent in the 2016 election, is scheduled to attend the ceremony with her husband, former president Bill Clinton. Living former presidents George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter will also be there.

George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush were hospitalized Wednesday, but the former presidents family had already said he would miss the ceremony due to health reasons. Outgoing President Barack Obama and his family will also be on hand for the ceremony, then are set to depart the inauguration by helicopter.

Members of Congress will also be in attendance, though roughly 50 Democratic representatives  including more than a dozen from California  have said they will sit the inauguration out.

The catalyst for the mass boycott can be traced to Georgia Rep. John Lewis, who told the press last week that he was skipping the ceremony, saying he doesnt see Trump as a legitimate president. Trumps subsequent jabs at the civil rights leader on Twitter led to more Democratic lawmakers to give up their seats.

WHAT WILL TRUMP SAY IN HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS?

Its unclear what sort of speech well get from President Trump during his address, which is expected to last about 20 minutes.

Presidents Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy might serve as inspirations for his first address to the nation as commander-in-chief, as Trump has recently spoken admirably of their speeches.

This is something very personal to him, spokesman Sean Spicer said Wednesday. He wants to talk about his vision, where he sees this country and where we are right now.

Trump told Fox News earlier this week that hell start his address by thanking everybody, including President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, for being so gracious.

WHERE WILL THE OBAMAS GO?

After witnessing the presidency pass to Trump, the newly minted former President Barack Obama  along with wife Michelle Obama and their daughters, Malia and Sasha  will head for vacation in Palm Springs.

The White House has not said how long the family will stay in California before they return to a rented home in Washington. Obama has said he wants to take time to process the amazing experience his family has gone through.

PROTESTING THE NEW PRESIDENT

Americans from coast to coast are expected to protest Trumps inauguration on Friday and through the weekend.

Filmmaker and activist Michael Moore invited his 3.6 million Twitter followers to join him at a protest dubbed #DistruptJ20, set to take place in Washington on Jan. 20, just a few streets away from Trumps soon-to-be presidential home.

On their website, organizers said they are planning a series of massive direct actions that will shut down the Inauguration ceremonies and any related celebrations.

A big protest is also slated in Los Angeles on Friday.

Participants are expected to gather at 11 a.m. at LA Live for whats being called the #UnitedAgainstHate march. Protesters will march from Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street to City Hall. Organizers have called for residents to skip work and school and take part in the march.

It was unclear how many people are expected to attend.

More than 14,000 people have signed up on the events Facebook page to take part in the demonstration, but forecasted rain might dampen the turnout.

Other local protests are planned Friday in Long Beach, La Puente, Riverside and Claremont.

HOW TO WATCH?

The lack of a TV set shouldnt prevent you from following Fridays presidential inauguration ceremony, the pomp and circumstance surrounding it, and the many protests and marches planned around the country.

Television channels carrying the inauguration live include ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, PBS, C-SPAN and Fox News, as well as Telemundo in Spanish. Without a TV, you can check their websites, apps or YouTube channels to watch the events and commentary.

INAUGURAL MORNING SCHEDULE

(Local times)

6:30 a.m. Music begins

8:30 a.m. Religious invocations

9 a.m. Vice president and president are sworn into office.

After swearing-in ceremonies, Trump gives inaugural address, followed by the official departure of President Barack Obama.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A German company recently sparked controversy after launching a line of womens underwear that it claims can protect the wearer against sexual assault. Called Safe Shorts the underpants are made of a slash and tearing-resistant fabric and feature a combination lock and a loud alarm system that goes off when the pants are tampered with.

Sandra Seilz, the creator of the Short Pants, says that as a frequent jogger she has been thinking about creating a protective garment for women for a long time. She revealed that she was once attacked by a group of three men who tried to pull her pants off, while she was jogging, and that this attack, as well as the wave of sexual assaults against women in Cologne during the last New Years Eve celebration inspired to create the Short Pants.

Short Pants feature three different forms of protection against assailants. First, the pants drawstrings are made of a very tough material that makes them almost impossible to cut or tear, and the combination lock prevents the attacker from untying them or pulling off the underwear without first untying the drawstrings. Then there is the soft protector in the crotch area that prevents assailants from tearing the Soft Pants between the wearers legs. And finally, there is the alarm system that produces a loud acoustic signal (130 decibels) when it detects that the pants are being tampered with. The wearer can also trigger the alarm voluntarily by by sharply pulling the drawstrings to scare off the attackers and as a call for help.

Safe Shorts provide triple protection against sexual assaults, and were very proud of them, Seilz told Sputnik Deutschland.

The anti-sexual assault undergarments are currently available in two variants, Safe Shorts for jogging and Safe Pants for everyday use, which the designer claims can be worn under a skirt or with jeans. Despite the controversy surrounding this invention, the Oberhausen-based company thats selling them claims that the demand from consumers has been overwhelming. Not only are German women scrambling to get their hands on a at least one pair, but theyve also received orders from countries like Japan, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Taiwan and the United States.

Safety comes at a price though, because the Safe Shorts are anything but cheap. The jogging model costs 149 ($160) and the everyday use one are 99.99 ($107).

Online reactions to Safe Shorts have been mixed. While a lot of people have been praising them as useful in case of a sexual assault, some claimed that they only shift focus from the real solution  preventing such attacks from occurring in the first place.

Photos: Safe Shorts/Facebook
Litigation and business services law firm Husch Blackwell has been tapped by Chinas national foreign trade and investment promotion agency, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, to educate members of Congress and White House administration officials on trade issues related to stainless steel.

CCPIT was established by the Chinese government in 1952 to promote trade and develop Chinas international economic relations with investment organizations in foreign countries. The agency, whose personnel is comprised of enterprises and organizations representing Chinas economic and trade sectors, is funded and sponsored entirely by the Chinese government under the authority of its State Council.

A delegation of CCPIT officials will travel to Washington, D.C. for the January 31 U.S. International Trade Commission posthearing, which involves the import of stainless steel from China. The import hearings come as the result of petitions filed with the ITC by the United Steelworkers Union regarding the price of truck and bus tires imported from China.

The USW alleges that China has been engaged in unfair trade practices by dumping tires in the U.S. market whose cost is subsidized by the Chinese government and bear prices below their U.S. value.

Husch Blackwell plans to arrange meetings between the CCPIT and members of Congress or their staff in a bid to educate them on issues pertaining to the stainless steel trade. Husch Blackwell may also coordinate letters written by CCPIT members to the lTC in an attempt to discuss U.S / China stainless steel trade policies.

The pact was signed by Husch Blackwell partner Kyle J. Gilster, who served as counsel on the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee for Chair Mike Oxley (R-OH) and was also previously legislative assistant to Rep. Doug Bereuter (R-NE).

Husch Blackwell will bill CCPIT hourly for the work. The firm, which maintains 19 offices in the U.S. and London, represents leaders in the energy, financial, agribusiness, healthcare, tech, education and manufacturing industries.
19/01/2017 - Comprehensive reforms to Portugals labour market between 2011 and 2015 have helped create jobs and reduce the countrys high unemployment rate but important challenges remain, according to a new OECD report.

Labour Market Reforms in Portugal 2011-2015  A Preliminary Assessment says that, since economic growth turned positive in early 2013, Portugal has seen major improvements in both employment and unemployment rates that are better than expected given the pace of the recovery.

But joblessness remains high, particularly among youth, and this has driven an increase in poverty and long-term unemployment. The labour market remains highly divided between workers on permanent and temporary contracts.

Portugals reform of employment protection legislation was one of the most substantial among OECD countries in recent years and has moved it closer to the EU average. The report suggests a number of additional areas where reforms might be needed and which would further encourage hiring on permanent contracts, tackle labour market duality, and help reduce potential disputes between employers and workers.

The report also argues that the unemployment safety net should be strengthened by extending benefit coverage to more workers, but that further disincentives to work inherent in the current system should be removed if long-term unemployment is to be tackled effectively. This should go hand in hand with measures to reinforce employment programmes to support the reintegration of jobseekers into employment.

A significant number of reforms during the crisis were aimed at making the collective bargaining system more representative, decentralised and dynamic  but with mixed success. Going forward, employment losses associated with economic shocks could be contained if wages are allowed to reflect productivity developments at the firm-level more closely.

Further increases in the minimum wage might help address in-work poverty but, to minimise any potential job losses, reductions in employers social security contributions on minimum-wage workers should be considered.

More generally, further improvements to Portugals job market performance will require tackling other economic challenges. These include: the need to return to higher and more sustainable levels of growth; further reforms of product market regulations; better access to credit for firms; a reduction in employers non-wage labour costs; and additional investments in skills.

For further information or comment, journalists should contact Stijn Broecke, Labour Market Economist at the OECDs Employment Division and main author of the report (tel. + 33 1 45 24 80 29).

For a copy of the report, please contact the OECDs Media Division (+33 1 45 24 97 00).

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.

Related Documents
TULLAMORE student, Ted Nyhan took part in the Deloitte International Student Business Forum (ISBF) in Athens, Greece from March 15 to 19.

TULLAMORE student, Ted Nyhan took part in the Deloitte International Student Business Forum (ISBF) in Athens, Greece from March 15 to 19.

Part of a six strong Irish student delegation, Ted, who studies Economics at Trinity College Dublin, joined 70 delegates at the annual Deloitte Forum.

The ISBF is an annual career and leadership development programme for top students from around the world. This years ISBF participants were selected from more than 4,500 applications.

ISBF gathers high-potential students who are one to two years away from graduating to work in cross-cultural teams, under the guidance of Deloitte member firm professionals, on realistic business challenges in order to hone critical professional skills including: cross-cultural teamwork, effective communication, leadership, and building and maintaining global networks.

Deloitte Ireland is delighted to be able to provide some of Irelands top university talent with a unique global learning and networking opportunity designed to help them succeed in their future careers, said Orla Graham, Head of HR, Deloitte Ireland.

At a time when students are entering the business world at the tail end of a massive economic downturn, ISBF provides these high-performing students with an experience that will help them take the first step in their journey toward becoming the next generation of global leaders. ISBF is an excellent opportunity to showcase talented Irish students on a global scale and for the students to gain invaluable business experience, concluded Ms Graham.
Beef Buzz News

Supreme Court Answers NCBA's Call to Action for Intervention in the Fight Against WOTUS

An air of change is blowing through Washington today as Donald Trump took the Oath of Office, becoming the nation's 45th President. Scott Yager of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association tells Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays that Trump and his team, particularly his Environmental Protection Agency Administrator nominee, Scott Pruitt, assuming he is confirmed to the post, will act on their statements that repeal of overreaching regulations like the Waters of the US rule will be a top priority for the new administration. In the meantime though, the Supreme Court has decided to step in with some direction on how WOTUS should be handled for the time being.





"We are in the courts right now fighting the rule," Yager said, bringing Hays up to speed on the status of the rule that's been stayed by the courts. "We are on different levels of the court, so we have the meat of the case, or the 'merits briefing,' and is taking place in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals."





Yager asserts that NCBA fundamentally disagrees with the case starting at that level, insisting instead it is appropriate to begin the process at the District Court level, citing language in the Clean Water Act and adding too that the WOTUS rule goes "above and beyond" the Interstate Commerce Clause, an is in and of itself unconstitutional. NCBA has reached out to the Supreme Court about this matter, which has answered in turn, and favorably for their cause, according to Yager.





"It's great news for cattle producers and any land owners across the country because it shows that the Supreme Court is interest in WOTUS," Yager points out. "They're going to determine where the case starts at, so we're going to continue fighting this battle."





Listen to Hays' full conversation with Yager about the status of the fight against WOTUS and other overreaching federal regulations, as the Trump Administration settles into Washington, on today's Beef Buzz.





The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.





















Listen to Scott Yager of NCBA brief Farm Director Ron Hays on the status of the WOTUS rule lawsuit

WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI

Beef News
Agricultural News

Public Invited to Join Oklahoma Assoc. of Conservation Districts at Its Soil Health Conference Feb. 28

The Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts (OACD) is proud to welcome the public to attend a one day Soil Health Conference on February 28th. The Soil Health Track at the OACD State Meeting is an opportunity for agriculture producers, conservation districts and other interested members of the public to hear from experts and each other about the soil health movement in conservation. The Soil Health Track at the OACD State Meeting is also offering producers the chance to network with each other about what soil health practices they have tried on their own operations. Those interested in attending should RSVP online at okconservation.org or by calling Sarah Blaney at 517.763.8609. The cost to attend is $40 and includes lunch.







"These sessions are part of OACD's commitment to provide conservation districts and the public the resources and partnership opportunities they need to preserve Oklahoma's natural resources," said Steve House, OACD Board President.







The Soil Health Track at the OACD State Meeting will feature speakers from around the United States including Russell Hedrick of JRH Grain Farms from Hickory, N.C., Dr. Randy Anderson of Agriculture Research Services from Brookings, SD, Adam Daugherty of USDA-NRCS from Coffee County, TN, and Dr. Rick Haney of Agriculture Research Services from Temple, TX. The workshop will also feature Dr. Jason Warren from Oklahoma State University, Dr. Cait Rottler from the USDA-Southern Plains Climate Hub and Steve Glasgow from USDA-NRCS. Speakers will cover topics such as managing weeds with plant diversity, assessing the health of your soil, how soil health can increase your farm's profits and how to apply soil health practices to grazing lands.







"The soil really is the key to an overall healthier ecosystem for all of us," said Jimmy Emmons, OACD President-Elect and Oklahoma Soil Health advocate. "On my own operation, I have seen a dramatic difference in the resiliency of my soils over the last five years through implementing practices such as no-till and adding multi-species cover crops."







Source - Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts















WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI

Top Agricultural News
Last week has been pretty eventful for the telecom industry. Qualcomm Inc. QCOM, the largest globally mobile chipset manufacturer using baseband technology, faced an anti-trust lawsuit from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The regulator filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on grounds that the company resorted to anticompetitive measures to maintain monopolistic hold in the baseband chipset market.

According to a recent report by FierceWireless, U.S. telecom and pay-TV behemoth AT&T Inc. T announced a rate hike of $5 a month for users who still avail its old unlimited data plan. This hike lifts the monthly plan price to $40, effective Mar 2017.The latest raise can be seen as a follow-up to the telcos price hikes last year. On Nov 30, 2015, AT&T announced a $5 hike for its legacy unlimited data plan, pushing the total to $35, effective Feb 2016.

Per a recent report by FierceWireless, U.S. telecom giant Verizon Communications Inc. VZ started using the service of some exclusive dealers network for its prepaid wireless offerings. So far, the company has launched five stores, two in Las Vegas and Phoenix areas, and one in Socorro, TX. Notably, all of these stores are run by a dealer known as My Peak Wireless.

Moreover, Verizon has introduced FiOS Instant Internet service offering 750 Mbps speed from Jan 14, 2017. The service will be available to nearly 7 million homes and businesses which are under the FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) footprint of the company in greater New York City / northern New Jersey, Philadelphia and Richmond. After the launch, the service will be available in portions of Boston and Norfolk in the later part of first-quarter 2017.

Meanwhile, regional telecom service provider Cincinnati Bell Inc. CBB is planning to hire 300 more employees at its universal call centers to enhance customer service. The telco currently has more than 100 locally based universal call center agents assisting its customers. This is a milestone for a company that started with only 20 agents in early 2016. Cincinnati Bell currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Story continues

Outside the U.S., Mexican pay-TV and broadcasting behemoth, Grupo Televisa S.A. TV, is likely to gain significantly from its ownership stake in U.S. broadcaster Univision Communications Inc., the largest privately held Spanish-language broadcaster in the U.S. As per a recent report by TheStreet, the owners of Univision are seriously considering an initial public offering (IPO) for the company in 2017.

On the earnings front, leading Canadian telecom operator Shaw Communications Inc. SJR reported weak financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2017 (ended Nov 30, 2016) wherein the bottom line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Adjusted earnings per share came in at 13 cents in the quarter, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 23 cents.Total revenue was $1.313 billion, reflecting an increase of 14.9% from $1.143 billion in the year-ago quarter.

Further, Shaw Communicationshas decided to launch an innovative voice-controlled television product in a bid to regain market share in the western parts of Canada. Notably, this innovative TV product is powered by U.S. cable MSO and media giant Comcast Corp.'s CMCSA X1 technology.

Read the last Telecom Stock Roundup for Jan 12, 2017.

Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories

1. The FTC said Qualcomm had established an exclusivity agreement with iPhone and iPAD maker Apple from 2011 to 2016. Through this deal the San Diego-based chipmaker provided billions of dollars in license rebates to Apple subject to the condition that Apple would not use chipset of Qualcomms rival companies. The company recognized that any competitor that won Apples business would become stronger, and used exclusivity of the deal to prevent the latter from working with and improving the effectiveness of its competitors. (read more: Qualcomm Faces Anti-trust Charges From the FTC.)

2. AT&Ts unlimited data plan was originally a tool to encourage people to get an iPhone during the early days of the modern smartphone era. But AT&T stopped offering its unlimited data service to new customers in 2010, replacing it with a layered pricing model. The move was taken as a result of the operators failure to meet increasing demand for data among the carrier's growing iPhone customer base in the U.S. (read more: AT&T to Raise Unlimited Data Plans' Prices Again in '17.)

3. Verizon is attempting to boost prepaid market share through dealers network and has decided to launch several data plans in the price range of $50 - $70. In the third quarter of 2016, the company added a net 83,000 prepaid wireless subscribers compared with a loss of 80,000 in the year ago quarter. At the end of the reported quarter, Verizon had 5.456,000 prepaid customers. (read more: Verizon Opts for Dealer's Network for Prepaid Service.)

4. Shaw Communications has been using Comcasts technology since 2015. In Jun 2015, the company abandon its own IPTV platform development project (after writing-down CS$55 million) and instead licensed Comcasts cloud-based X1 platform. Comcasts web-capable X1 platform offers a hybrid IP/QAM video gateway with an advanced user interface and the ability to port third-party apps that tie into a cloud-based infrastructure. X1 is a cloud-based TV guide and includes recommended web videos as well as a new mobile application. (read more: Shaw Communications to Focus on Comcast's X1 Technology.)

5. Univision is the fifth largest TV network in the U.S. The companys portfolio consists of two leading Spanish-language broadcast networks, several cable channels, TV stations and a chain of popular Spanish-language radio stations. Currently, a considerable share of Televisas income is generated from its U.S. operations, which includes the sale of content, website and cable TV. Televisa allows Univision to access its content and then rebroadcast it on TV and the Internet for a royalty. (read more: Grupo Televisa Poised to Gain from Probable Univision IPO.)

Price Performance

The following table shows the price movement of the major telecom players over the past week and the last six months.

Company Last Week Last 6 Months VZ 0.44% -6.19% T 0.37% -4.61% S -0.23% 93.14% TMUS 0.15% 32.18% VOD -0.88% -18.02% CHL 1.54% -7.05% AMX -3.05% -1.35% CMCSA 1.95% 7.75% DISH -0.37% 17.78%

Over the last five trading sessions, share price movement of most of the major telecom stocks witnessed a mixed trend. America Movil lost a significant 3.05% in the same time frame. Likewise, over the last six months, the price performance of most telecom stocks depicts a mixed trend. Among the stocks that gained significantly are Sprint (93.14%), T-Mobile US (32.18%) and DISH Network (17.78%). On the other hand, Vodafone lost 18.02% in the same time period.

Whats Next in the Telecom Space?

We expect a busy week ahead for the telecom sector as behemoths like Verizon and AT&T are slated to release fourth-quarter 2016 results. Qualcomm will also report its first quarter of fiscal 2017 results. Further, leading wireless tower operator Crown Castle International will come up with its fourth-quarter results. The market will closely evaluate these results in order to assess industry dynamics and future growth prospects.

Where Do Zacks' Investment Ideas Come From?

You are welcome to download the full, up-to-the-minute list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buy" stocks free of charge. There is no better place to start your own stock search. Plus you can access the full list of must-avoid Zacks Rank #5 "Strong Sells" and other private research. See the stocks free >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM): Free Stock Analysis Report



AT&T Inc. (T): Free Stock Analysis Report



Cincinnati Bell Inc. (CBB): Free Stock Analysis Report



Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ): Free Stock Analysis Report



Grupo Televisa SAB (TV): Free Stock Analysis Report



Shaw Communications Inc. (SJR): Free Stock Analysis Report



Comcast Corp. (CMCSA): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Kathy Rosene is no stranger to Washington, D.C., but Friday, the Omahan will be there for a first  her first presidential inauguration.

The cherry on top is the man taking the oath of office, a man whose face and name are plastered in a stream of political posts on her Facebook page.

How big a supporter is she of Donald J. Trump?

HUGE, said Kathy, using one of Trumps favorite words.

Andrew Brock of La Vista, however, is more excited about the moment than the man. The casino worker said Trump was pretty far down there, maybe 12th on his list a year ago, and he nearly voted for someone else in November.

But, like Kathy, he went with Trump. And Friday, both will represent the spectrum of some 1,300 Nebraskans with tickets from the states congressional offices for todays free event.

Kathy, Andrew and the others I interviewed are sharing in this experience  a first for them all.

Kathy, who is 59 and works in hotel sales, used to go to D.C. five times a year when she worked for the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau. Andrew, 38, last visited the nations capital more than 20 years ago as a high school junior from Ralston. This is his first inauguration, too.

And for other Nebraskans who are planning to be there Friday, the inauguration is an exciting chance to witness history.

They are in a celebratory mood, believing  even despite personal reservations some have  that Trump is Americas answer. Plus they are giddy about hobnobbing around D.C. and hitting the museums and monuments.

These Nebraskans shrug off the fact that some 200,000 people are expected to converge near the same spot Saturday to march for womens rights and the rights of groups Trump attacked during the campaign. Their consensus is: Trump won. Get over it.

One inauguration attendee noted that Saturdays march excludes anti-abortion sponsors and suggested that tolerance is something the left preaches but does not uniformly practice.

But were they worried about all the recent headlines? About Russian interference with the presidential election? About Trumps potentially compromising ties and friendly tone toward a former enemy? And what about his other business interests and potential conflicts of interest? And what about the tweetstorms?

By and large, the Nebraskans I spoke with see these stories in a broader context of Trumps outsiderism  which is what attracted them to him in the first place. They say that while the country may be moving into uncharted waters with Trump, they still have faith things will work out.

These Trump voters have differences in how they view Trump and the issues.

Take Andrew. A former U.S. Navy petty officer and self-described independent-minded Republican, he said he is willing to cross party lines. He did so in 2014 when he voted for Democrat Brad Ashford over longtime U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, a Republican.

But when Ashford was up last fall against Republican Don Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general, Andrew had to go with the military guy.

He volunteered for Bacon, voted for him and now has inauguration tickets courtesy of Bacons office.

The presidential race, though, was a bit tougher. At first Andrew thought Trump was a joke. He even suspected Trump, a former Democrat, might be a Democratic Party plant  a potential race spoiler to help Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Out of the crowded Republican field, Andrew liked Ted Cruz best. Even after Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, pulled out of the race, Andrew still voted for him in the Nebraska primary. Andrew then watched Trump warily, unsure right up to Nov. 8, when he walked into his polling place at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in La Vista.

He considered filling in the oval for Libertarian Gary Johnson, but figured it would be a wasted vote. So he went for Trump.

Andrew has warmed up to the businessman since then, thinking that maybe Trumps unorthodox style and free-market thinking will boost the countrys fortunes.

Im intrigued, he said of Trump. He could do a lot of good. He could do a lot of bad, too.

But Kathy is all in. When Trump entered the race, she thought: He gets it.

I liked Trump all along, she said. I liked what he said about Make America Great Again. I do really want to stop illegal immigration.

IL-legal immigration, she repeated for emphasis. I want our country to be run by laws and rules.

Kathy agrees with Trump on everything: Obamacare has to go because government has to get out of health care. Kathy has worked since age 17 and has paid her own insurance. She thinks Trump will boost the military, protect the U.S. against terrorism and bring back jobs. She said Trump already has created jobs  too many to count  and gave him credit for online retailer Amazons recent announcement that it plans to hire 100,000 people.

While some ethicists are up in arms about Trump not fully divesting from the company that bears his name, Kathy believes the billionaires wealth is an asset. She sees him as beholden to no one. She admires his refusal of a government salary. She believes that he loves his country so much that he ran for president with all the headaches and hassles that job brings.

He didnt have to do this, she said.

She is not worried about conflicts of interest. And if you say the words Russian ties, she will respond: Fake news.

Besides, she asks, is it a bad thing to befriend an enemy?

She brushes off Trumps tweets and brusque manner with a nobodys perfect.

She thinks the news media have misrepresented the soon-to-be president.

I blame the press. I scream at the TV, she said. He just wants to go forward and get our nation on the right foot.

Politically speaking, other Nebraskans I interviewed fall within the Andrew-to-Kathy spectrum. And they say that no matter your political stripe, all Americans should appreciate what Inauguration Day represents: the peaceful transition of power.

My husband and I are very passionate about living in the United States and having the freedoms to live in the United States, said Judi Larson, a nurse case manager who lives in Bennington. Im looking forward to having that memory, that opportunity. Its remarkable when you think about it. Were both over-the-moon excited.

Jacob Roff of Gretna said hes most excited about meeting his Tennessee-based father for the ceremony.

Im always going to have this memory with my dad, he said.

Coleen Langdon, a 68-year-old educator from Sidney, called Inauguration Day a bucket-list item she never thought shed get to check off.

But when she got word from her congressman, Rep. Adrian Smith, that she could have five tickets, she was thrilled. Shes going to one of the inauguration balls, borrowing a black ballgown from a friend who wore it to one of the Bush inaugurations. (She doesnt know which.)

Coleen said the friend told her: Even if you have to take out a loan, you go because this is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Just as Barack Obama made history by becoming the first black president, Coleen said, Donald Trump will do so as a businessman with no political experience.

This shows anyone truly can be president, she said.

But Coleen plans to continue to watch Trump and the Republican Congress closely. She told me shes got the offices of Nebraskas congressional representatives on her phones speed dial.

Ill be watching, she said.

Yes, shes a Republican (albeit a late-in-life convert who said the Democratic Party left abortion opponents like her behind.)

Yes, she voted for Trump. But she wishes he would be more restrained in his comments.

Yes, she wants Obamacare repealed. But she said she is hoping and praying that if Congress repeals Obamacare, they have another plan in place.

Yes, she wants better immigration policy and secured borders, but she doesnt believe Trumps central campaign promise of a border wall with Mexico will pan out. Nor does she think every illegal immigrant should be deported.

There are people in Sidney who I know are illegal, and their children obviously are illegal  and theyre trying to go to college and make a life for themselves, and I support them 100 percent, she said.

Then, pondering the tough choices that the nations leaders have to deal with, she added:

I dont know. Its hard. Thank God Im not the president.
Nathaniel Walcott is a member of Bright Eyes and a composer of film scores, but tonight hes a Chili Pepper.

For nearly a year, Walcott has toured with the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing piano, keyboards and trumpet.

Walcott was born in New York but moved to Lincoln when he was 8 years old, and grew up playing in local bands. Walcott graduated from Lincoln High and studied music at DePaul University in Chicago. Eventually, he became a member of Bright Eyes alongside Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, and he has since recorded with She & Him, U2, First Aid Kit and others.

Now Walcott lives in Los Angeles, and has recently worked on film scores for last years Come and Find Me and the upcoming Midnight Sun.

We caught up with Walcott while the Red Hot Chili Peppers were in St. Louis and ready to head to Lincoln for tonights concert.

Q. How did you end up with the Chili Peppers?

A. Ive done a lot of touring stuff.

In this particular case, I met Josh (Klinghoffer), the guitar player, on a European Bright Eyes tour back in 2003. He was playing with Beck on the Sea Change tour.

On those summer Europe tours, theres a lot of festivals and you end up seeing the same people throughout the festival circuit. I met him then and I ran into him the next summer.

We kept in touch a little bit. I ended up moving to L.A. in 2009 and, by then, a mutual friend of ours also from Nebraska was playing in a band with Josh.

Josh has been playing with the Chili Peppers for a while after John (Frusciante) left. The new record has quite a lot of keyboards on it, so Josh called me up.

That was back in May. Since then, weve been touring throughout Europe, Russia and Asia. We did six Europe runs in six months.

Q. It sounds like youve been busy.

A. I scored two movies last year, and I have an almost 9-month-old baby at home. Shes a wonderful magical being named Aurora. Between those few things and a few other miscellaneous projects, its been a busy year.

Q. Do you enjoy playing with the Chili Peppers?

A. I really love it. I think its really fun. Its an amazing experience. I feel really lucky to be able to travel the world and play music with them.

I think their energy as far as their show is concerned is all about spreading positivity and love and generosity through the power of music. Thats so important right now. I feel very lucky to be traveling around with these guys.

Hopefully, were inspiring some joy, peace and generosity throughout the world.

Q. In a musical sense, it must also be fun to play with them.

A. The emphasis on improvisation and liveness and listening and communication and spontaneity in the band is something I connect with especially with having a background in jazz music. Its a very enjoyable thing for me.

Theres a real dynamic, live quality or rawness and energy of the moment that I think is so refreshing. Its really fun to be a part of that.

Q. Do you have any family or friends coming out to the show?

A. I moved to Lincoln when I was 8. I moved to Chicago about 10 years later. Since, my family has moved back east to New York.

I have a lot of family friends and friends of my parents who will be coming. And obviously the crew from Omaha. I do keep in touch and continue to work on a variety of things there.

Q. How often do you make it back to Omaha to make new music?

A. This last year has been a bit of an anomaly. Most years, I end up coming back a few times whether its things with Conor or Mike or whatever, but this year between everything else and being very busy with projects in Los Angeles, I havent been back in about a year.

Q. Youre on Conor Obersts upcoming album, Salutations.

A. I did some string arrangements for that. Its really fun. It was really fun to work on that stuff. (Drummer) Jim Keltner is an amazing human and an amazing musician.

Q. How about movie scores? Youve done some on your own and with Mike Mogis.

A. I finished a score ... about a year ago ... for Come and Find Me, which stars Aaron Paul.

I also finished a ... film called Midnight Sun. That comes out later this year and stars Bella Thorne.

There are some projects looming in the future with Josh Boone, the director of The Fault in Our Stars. Thats a little bit off in the distance.

Q. Are you looking forward to performing back in Nebraska?

A. Im looking forward to it. I dont get back there that much, but Lincoln was really supportive. It was a surprisingly nurturing environment for me growing up there and playing in bands. We had great teachers.

Supporting the arts and creating nurturing environments for our youth is more important than it ever has been.
LINCOLN  Cheri Rauth received regular mammograms.

Despite that, the 59-year-old Omahan died a year ago this month after being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, just eight months after her 15th normal mammogram.

Had she been notified that she had dense breast tissue and had the opportunity to discuss additional screening options with her doctor, said Omaha State Sen. Joni Craighead, Rauth may have been diagnosed at an earlier stage.

On Friday, Rauths husband, Bill Rauth, and 11 lawmakers joined Craighead to promote new legislation called Cheris Law aimed at helping women make better decisions about their care.

Under Legislative Bill 195, introduced by Craighead, health care facilities would be required to notify patients of their dense breast tissue composition.

Forty percent of women have dense breast tissue, which is a strong predictor of a womans risk of breast cancer, according to Are You Dense Advocacy, a national group aimed at promoting dense breast tissue notification laws.

Most women, however, dont know they have dense breast tissue, a condition that can make it harder for a mammogram to detect breast cancer early, said Nancy Cappello, founder and director of Are You Dense Advocacy.

The higher the density of a womans breast tissue, the lower the reliability of a mammogram, she said.

Nebraska doctors currently arent required to disclose a patients breast density, though its often included on a patients chart. Some doctors offer the information voluntarily, but may not explain the implications. In some cases, patients specifically ask about it.

Bill Rauth said his wife didnt learn about breast density until after her diagnosis, at which point it was too late.

Its basically a death sentence, he said of her advanced stage of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women, according to the American Cancer Society. Death rates have dropped, however, because of earlier screenings, increased awareness and better treatments.

If passed, Nebraska would join 28 states that require physicians to notify patients of their breast density. Eleven states are considering related legislation this year, including Iowa and Colorado.

If we can get enough momentum behind this, hopefully we can get a national law passed, Rauth said.

Nebraska lawmakers have adopted other breast cancer-related legislation in recent years, including last years bill that created breast cancer awareness licenses plates.

No official opponents testified on Craigheads bill Friday in front of the Legislatures Health and Human Services Committee. The Nebraska Hospital Association was neutral.
Decades before it became popular, Dr. Lawrence R. James had not just one career but two.

He was a radiologist at Immanuel Hospital, later Immanuel Medical Center, from 1955 through 1987, serving as chairman of the radiology department from 1956 to 1979 and later as president of the medical staff.

He brought the first computerized X-ray scanner to an outpatient facility in Omaha in the mid-1970s, installing it in a building he designed and built next to the hospital and later sold to Immanuel. He also served as president of Midwest Medical Imaging Center, a private practice that was housed in the office building.

After he retired in 1987 he got into the banking business, continuing to report to work at American Interstate Bancorporation, a multi-state bank holding company for family-owned banks in Nebraska and Iowa, until he suffered a stroke in late November. The company is headed by his son Barrett James of Omaha.

James said his father sat on the bank boards while he was still practicing medicine. Once he retired, he told his son,  You can plan on having me here every day, and he was, James said.

James called his father The Boss, a title he picked up from the staff at Midwest Medical Imaging. The son spent time there while in college and law school. He said his father remained on top of his game until the end. He was The Boss until the last day, James said.

Dr. James, in fact, was dressed and ready to go to the office that morning in November, said Jeannette James, his wife of 65 years. Then he said something that didnt quite make sense. Barrett James took him to an area hospital, but he never really recovered. He died Jan. 14 at age 92.

In addition to his two careers, James explored many interests, including founding the Aksarben Curling Club in the late 1950s, and supported many local organizations and causes, including serving as president and board member of the Omaha Home for Boys and trustee of Hastings College.

He provided the Salvation Army with financial advice, and the couple received the organizations Extra Mile award in 2004. Jeannette James continues to serve on the Salvation Army Omaha advisory board, joined by the couples other son, Omaha real estate developer Lawrence R. Chip James II.

Its an enormous loss, said Susan Eustice, a Salvation Army spokeswoman.

Jeannette James said her husband was an amazing person. I often just stood back and said Wow, how can he do all these things and keep all these balls in the air? 

He also wanted to make life better for people. He loved everybody, she said. He loved helping people most of all. The one thing he said in life is You only possess what you give away. 

James was born in Omaha and graduated from Kemper Military Academy in Booneville, Missouri, and the University of Nebraska College of Medicine. He did postgraduate training at McGill University in Montreal, where he picked up his interest in curling, and completed a radiology residency at Harvard Medical School before returning to Omaha to practice. He was a clinical associate professor of radiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a fellow of the American College of Radiology.

He collected antique cars and musical instruments, including organs and player pianos. He was a member of the G.W. Lininger Lodge No. 268 and of the Scottish Rite, where he held Thirty-third Degree honors, achieved by less than 1 percent of Masons. He also was a member of the Tangier Shrine.

James was preceded in death by a daughter, Laura. In addition to his wife and sons, he is survived by daughter Allison of Omaha; granddaughter Stephanie of Dallas; and sister Ruth Trondsen of Naperville, Illinois.

Services are 11 a.m. Saturday at Dundee Presbyterian Church, 5312 Underwood Ave., in Omaha.
Two state agencies are reviewing complaints from people who say they are owed money by Brix, the Omaha wine bistro and store that suddenly closed both of its locations last week.

Customers are concerned about gift and pour cards that may be useless. Wholesalers are worried they wont be compensated for inventory locked inside the Brix stores.

On Thursday, the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission scheduled a hearing to determine whether both Brix locations should retain their liquor licenses. A distributor this week filed a complaint saying the stores possess $90,000 worth of product that hasnt been paid for.

The Nebraska Attorney Generals Office said Thursday afternoon that it had received 230 complaints since the stores closure.

On Jan. 12, Brix founder and CEO Dan Matuszek informed vendors that both stores  one at Village Pointe and another at Midtown Crossing  were closing. Matuszek told them that his attempts to sell part of the Brix business had fallen through and that both stores had seen declining sales and rising expenses.

Its unclear if the stores closure is related to a case involving a former Brix employee charged in connection with a gift card scheme that Omaha police said involved more than $110,000.

After news broke of the stores closure, many customers reported they had gift and pour cards to Brix that still had balances remaining. Last week, Matuszek said those cards would not be valid at Grane, the whiskey bar he opened at Midtown Crossing in 2014.

In a brief phone interview with The World-Herald on Thursday, Matuszek said he had no further comment.

I dont have any information, he said. As soon as we know more we will release something.

The Liquor Control Commission hearing on Feb. 8 calls for Brix officials to demonstrate why the liquor licenses for both locations shouldnt be suspended, canceled or revoked for its failure to pay a wholesaler.

Johnson Brothers of Nebraska this week filed a complaint with the commission saying Brix owes the liquor distributor and asking the commission to bar Brix from selling or removing any inventory without payment. The commission, through an order signed by executive director Hobie Rupe denied the request, saying it is unclear whether it has the authority for such an order. The complaint also requested the license hearing.

The Nebraska Attorney Generals Offices Mediation Center is receiving complaints about Brix, said Suzanne Gage, spokeswoman for the Attorney Generals Office. Its certainly under review, she said.
Variations in energy and agriculture may determine decline or growth in the rural economies of 10 Midwestern states.

According to a monthly Creighton University survey of 170 bankers in the states, the overall economy in the states declined for the 17th straight month.

But five of the states  Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota  showed economic growth, while Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wyoming showed declines.

Creighton economist Ernie Goss, who conducts the survey, said although farm prices are down from a year ago, there are factors that are helping rural areas in some of the states. The negatives are not as negative.

Demand and production of ethanol and biodiesel have helped Nebraska and Iowa, and investments in wind energy projects in Iowa have helped, too, Goss said. South Dakotas banking industry, which employs people in both rural and urban communities, has been helped by a general upturn in financial services.

Goss said he wasnt sure why the economic indicator for Illinois showed a sharp turnaround, although the survey results can be more volatile at the state level because the number of surveys returned can be small.

He said the general direction of the rural economy in the region may not be clear for several months because of changing conditions in the states. Still, low commodity prices remain a problem, down 7.3 percent for livestock and 11.7 percent for grains.

For the entire region, the surveys Rural Mainstreet Index was 42.8, a slight change from 42.9 in December. Indexes below 50 show decline, above 50 show economic growth. Indexes for farmland prices, farm equipment, retail business and the outlook for the coming six months also were in the decline zone.

But individual state indexes were as high as 63.2 in Illinois, up from its December index of 34.2. Job growth in Illinois rural areas over the past year has been stronger than its urban job growth.

Nebraskas index was 52.6 in January, up from 51.4 in December, Goss said. The states farmland price index was 37.7, up from 29.6, and its hiring index was 56.1, down from 56.7. Over the past year, Nebraskas rural jobs grew by 0.7 percent and its urban jobs by 1.3 percent.

Iowas index was 50.2, down from 63.5 in December. Its farmland index was 48.6, down from 49.3, and its hiring index was 60.1, down from 63.9. Iowa has gained 0.4 percent in rural jobs and 0.8 percent in urban jobs over the past year.
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.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa's ban on owning vintage machine guns would be ended under legislation introduced by a lawmaker and supported by a firearms group.

Sen. Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig in northwest Iowa, says his bill would allow possession of machine guns as well as short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns.

Residents would only be able to buy machine guns built before 1986.

Richard Rogers, legislative liaison for the Iowa Firearms Coalition, says his group supports the legislation in concept.

A spokesman for Gov. Terry Branstad says the governor will reserve judgment until seeing a final bill.

Democratic Sen. Pam Jochum, of Dubuque, questioned the bill, saying "I think that this goes way beyond anything that even the founders recognized when they wrote the Second Amendment."
AURORA, Neb.  Robert S. Honken of Aurora was sentenced to 45 to 50 years in prison Friday in Hamilton County District Court for plotting to have someone kill his wife.

He was sentenced to 45 to 50 years on each of two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, but the sentences will be served at the same time.

Honken will be eligible for parole in 22 years, six months, minus any time already served. Parole will be mandatory in 25 years.

He was found guilty of the charges in late November.

According to his arrest affidavit, Honken initially hired Derrick Shirley of Bradshaw to kill his wife and paid him $400, but Shirley never went through with the job. Honken later tried to hire someone else, who went to police. A State Patrol investigator posed as a hit man and met Honken to discuss killing Honkens wife. Honken gave the undercover investigator $500 for a down payment.

Shirley was sentenced to 16 to 20 years in prison in December for his role in the murder-for-hire plot.
* Trump inauguration a reason for some Russians to celebrate

* Russian nationalists are holding all-night party

* Commemorative coins have been cast, nesting dolls carved

By Andrew Osborn

MOSCOW, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The Kremlin may have spent years reviling America, but Russians hoping Donald Trump will usher in a new era of detente marked his inauguration on Friday with parties and trinkets from commemorative coins to "matryoshka" nesting dolls in his image.

Washington was turned into a virtual fortress with an estimated 900,000 people -- backers and protesters -- descending on the capital. In London, anti-Trump activists draped a banner reading "Build Bridges Not Walls" from Tower Bridge. Protests were planned across western Europe on Friday and Saturday.

But according to Gennady Gudkov, a Putin critic and former lawmaker, Russia is in the grip of "Trumpomania", with state media giving the President-elect blanket air time at the expense of more mundane and sometimes depressing domestic news stories.

That, he said, was in part because the U.S. election, unlike elections in Russia, had been unpredictable. The Kremlin is hoping Trump will ease sanctions imposed over the annexation of Crimea, team up with Russia against Islamic State, and cut back NATO military activity near Russian borders.

Craftsmen in the city of Zlatoust, east of Moscow, have released a limited series of silver and gold commemorative coins, engraved with "In Trump We Trust" - an allusion to the phrase on U.S. banknotes "In God We Trust".

'TRUMPOMANIA'

Sellers of traditional matryoshka nesting dolls have added Trump dolls to their popular line-up of items carved in the likeness of President Vladimir Putin, Bolshevik revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, ex-President Mikhail Gorbachev and Josef Stalin.

And a shop selling Russian military kit located opposite the U.S. embassy in Moscow has unveiled a cheeky promotional campaign offering embassy employees and U.S. citizens a 10 percent discount on its wares to celebrate Trump's inauguration.

Story continues

Some of Trump's opponents believe the Kremlin helped him win the White House by staging a hacking campaign to hoover up embarrassing information about Hillary Clinton, his rival. The Kremlin denies that, but few here make any secret of the fact that they are pleased that Trump and not Clinton triumphed.

Relations between Putin and Barack Obama had soured badly.

"Trump's election has generated enormous enthusiasm in Russia because his warm words about Russia and Putin have given us hope that the USA and the West will stop their attack on Russia," Sergei Markov, a former pro-Putin lawmaker, said on social media.

"We don't know for sure if there will be an improvement (in relations) or not. But we Russians are optimists ... so we are hoping for the best, while preparing for the worst."

For Russian nationalists, Trump's inauguration is an excuse to mix fun with self-promotion.

They are holding an all-night party at what used to be the main Soviet-era post office in Moscow where they will showcase their favourite prop, a triptych of Putin, Trump and French Front National leader Marine Le Pen.

Konstantin Rykov, a former pro-Putin lawmaker and one of the event's promoters, said on social media it was right to celebrate the first phase of the "New World Order."

"Washington will be ours," he quipped.

(Additional reporting by Dustin Volz; Editing by Ralph Boulton)
LINCOLN  The Nebraska Supreme Court has denied a new hearing for a man convicted of killing two Omaha women in an arson fire.

The ruling on Friday served to uphold the life sentences of Decabooter Williams, who was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2003 deaths of Vicky Burgess, 52, and her 28-year-old daughter, LaTisha Tolbert.

Williams, angered by a dispute over money, confessed that he doused Burgess with gasoline and started the April 2003 blaze. He was sentenced to two life sentences.

Two previous appeals by Williams, based on ineffective counsel and that his statements to police were involuntary, were denied.

But a year ago, Douglas County District Judge J. Russell Derr granted Williams a hearing to present evidence on a new appeal based mostly on his claim of having an ineffective lawyer for the previous two appeals.

But the Supreme Court, in a 32-page ruling written by Chief Justice Mike Heavican, ruled that Williams was not entitled to a hearing because he had not presented sufficient facts that his rights had been violated.

Heavican, though, did discourage judges from appointing the same defense attorney to handle both direct appeals and post-conviction appeals to avoid another round of appeals.
Authorities in western Iowa searched fruitlessly much of the day Friday for a missing 15-year-old girl who was in a vehicle with four others that plunged into the Boyer River.

After dark, she had still not been found and personnel were asked to return this morning.

Crawford County Sheriff James Steinkuehler said the effort now is focused on recovery, not rescue.

The Crawford County Sheriffs Office said deputies reported to an accident around 3 a.m. Thursday in rural Crawford County after a vehicle left a crop field and entered the river.

Authorities were told that five people were in the vehicle. The Sheriffs Office said four people were rescued from the river and taken to Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison for treatment of possible hypothermia. Their names have not been released.

A teenage girl, however, was missing and was thought to have disappeared in the river, the Sheriffs Office said.

A search Thursday and Friday by the Sheriffs Office, the Iowa State Patrol, the Denison Fire Department and Denison Municipal Utilities failed to find the girl.

Dive teams from Carroll County, the Denison Fire Department and the Plymouth County Sheriffs Office also were called in to help with the search.

Denison is about 120 miles northeast of Council Bluffs.
LINCOLN  Omaha law enforcement authorities urged state lawmakers Thursday to advance a bill that would sharply increase the penalty for witness tampering.

The Legislatures Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on a measure that would make witness tampering in felony cases punishable by one to 50 years in prison. Under current law, the offense carries no minimum prison term and a maximum of two years.

State Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha said Legislative Bill 102 would deepen the states commitment to protecting witnesses who are crucial in criminal prosecutions, especially in homicide and domestic violence cases.

Theres no better witness than an eyewitness, said Greg Gonzalez, a deputy chief of the Omaha Police Department. We may not always have that DNA, we may not always have that smoking gun.

But a lawyer with the Nebraska Criminal Defense Attorneys Association said attaching a mandatory prison term to the offense could incarcerate those who didnt intend to interfere with a prosecution.

Thats a huge penalty for something that a lot of these people dont know is a crime, said Mandy Gruhlkey, a public defender in Sarpy County.

Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, a member of the committee, said he doubts that increasing the penalty would deter tampering.

He also criticized the language of the bill and the underlying law as being vague.

Omaha City Prosecutor Matt Kuhse said while he didnt have statistics on the offense, he insisted witness tampering is common. Prosecutors see it most frequently in domestic violence and gang-related offenses.

Witnesses who change their stories or disappear because of fear or intimidation can gut a prosecution, said Kuhse, who formerly worked as a prosecutor in the Douglas County Attorneys Office.

A lot of time witnesses drop off and cases have to be dismissed, regrettably, he said. Plea deals that maybe are not what is best for the community have to be reached because of this problem. Its a very real problem.

Sen. Bob Krist of Omaha has introduced a related measure, LB 162, that would raise the penalties for witness tampering or bribery. The Krist bill increases the maximum prison term to four or 20 years, depending upon the seriousness of the underlying felony.

That bill is scheduled for a Jan. 27 public hearing.

The Judiciary Committee also held a hearing on a bill that would require the state to cover certain prison expenses currently paid by the counties where the prison is located.

The law requires counties to pay the cost of autopsies, grand jury investigations and witness compensation whenever an inmate dies in prison. Those costs average out to about $2,800 per inmate.

I dont think its fair to require the county to pay for autopsies and grand jury hearings on state prisoners that happen to die in the county, said Sen. Dan Watermeier of Syracuse, who introduced LB 47. He brought the bill on behalf of Johnson County, where the 1,000-inmate Tecumseh State Prison is located.

In a fiscal note, the Department of Correctional Services estimated it would cost the state about $67,000 to cover an average of 15 inmate deaths across the prison system each year.

If his bill had been enacted when the Tecumseh prison opened in 2002, it would have saved Johnson County close to $80,000, Watermeier said.

Representatives from Johnson and Lancaster Counties along with the Nebraska Association of County Officials also testified in support of the measure.

Chambers asked the proponents about the economic benefits their counties receive from having the prisons as a source of employment. He suggested those benefits far exceed the amounts they pay for autopsies and grand juries.

The committee took no action on either of the bills.
LINCOLN  Ed Poindexter, one of two men convicted in a booby trap bombing that killed an Omaha police officer in 1970, is recovering from triple-bypass heart surgery at a state prison.

Poindexter, 72, underwent surgery on Dec. 20 at a Lincoln hospital, a day after reporting that he was unable to breathe.

He and David Rice were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Omaha Police Officer Larry Minard.

Poindexter and Rice, who later went by the name Mondo we Langa, maintained they were innocent. Advocates call them political prisoners, and claim they were framed using false testimony and faulty evidence because they were leaders of a Black Panther-like militant group. Rice died in March in prison.

Kietryn Zychal, a friend of Poindexters, visited him Wednesday at the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln, where he is being held in the infirmary.

Poindexter, she said, was grateful for his medical care, and hopeful that he could be transferred soon back to his cell at the State Penitentiary, and renew his efforts to prove his innocence.

Due to health care privacy laws, the Nebraska Department of Corrections has declined to comment on the surgery. Under the U.S. Constitution, prisons are required to provide adequate health care to inmates.
A lot of property owners in Douglas County are likely to see their valuations go up this year, some by significant amounts, based on preliminary 2017 valuations posted by the Douglas County Assessors Office.

Douglas Countys total taxable valuation would increase by about 8.5 percent, said Diane Battiato, Douglas Countys assessor/register of deeds.

Thats even after last years state-mandated increase of 7 percent on residential properties in a large swath of central and west Omaha.

Some of those homeowners will see increases again this year, Battiato said.

Im sure there is some sticker shock, Battiato said.

There is, and Douglas County Board members are hearing about it. Mike Boyle said he and at least two fellow board members were receiving calls from taxpayers about the assessments.

The callers are upset about the increases. Theyre confused about why the land portion of their valuations went up so much. Property owners valuations are made up of two parts: the land and improvements, such as houses. The preliminary valuations for land on some properties went up by tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, while the assessed value of improvements in some cases stayed the same or decreased.

Boyle said he spoke Thursday with Jack Baines, chief field deputy in the Douglas County Assessors Office.

Boyle said Baines told him that the office had not properly valued land for many years.

I dont understand the rationale, Boyle said.

He said the County Board may delve into the matter when it next meets, at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

In an interview, Battiato attributed the valuation increases to two factors: a hot local real estate market, and some properties not being reassessed for tax purposes for several years.

A higher valuation probably means a higher tax bill, although the valuation is only one part of what determines a property owners taxes. The other part is tax levies, set by an areas governing bodies.

State law requires assessors in Douglas, Sarpy and Lancaster Counties to post preliminary valuations in January of each year to give a property owner a chance for an informal hearing with an appraiser.

The 2017 preliminary valuations are posted on the websites of the Douglas County Assessors Office and Sarpy County Assessors Office.

Battiato encouraged property owners to check their preliminary valuations. If they believe the county got it wrong or if they just have questions, she urged them to schedule an informal hearing with an appraiser from her office.

In Sarpy County, the average residential increase would be 3.67 percent, County Assessor Dan Pittman said.

Sarpy County is still working with an outside contractor to get preliminary commercial values and working with the state for preliminary agricultural land values.

Pittman said his office hadnt gotten a lot of calls from residents wanting informal hearings about preliminary values. Pittman said his office has been getting more calls about last years tax statements, which went out at the end of December.

In Douglas County, Battiato has set up a phone bank of staffers in her office to take phone calls for appointments.

She said the office received about 30 calls Tuesday, the first day people could call for appointments. She didnt know how many had come in Wednesday or Thursday.

Its been busy, but it hasnt been overwhelming, Battiato said.

She said she didnt know yet how many properties had gone up and how many had gone down. Nor could she specify areas of the county where increases were particularly prevalent or large. She said changes were made countywide.

Its likely that many homeowners whose valuations were increased by the state mandate in 2016 will see additional increases from the county this year.

State law requires county assessors to assess properties at 92 to 100 percent of their market value and to make sure taxpayers valuations are fair compared with others valuations.

If the counties dont do that, the state steps in through the Tax Equalization and Review Commission and orders blanket changes.

We witnessed that this past June, when the state overrode us, Battiato said. The problem with that is that if we dont do our job and keep up with the market trends, as we witnessed, the state is going to do it for us.

But when the state gets involved it has to order across-the-board changes for large areas, she said, and that throws some property valuations out of whack.

Douglas County sued the Tax Equalization and Review Commission over its 2016 mandated changes: a 7 percent increase for about 75,000 properties in west and central Omaha, and an 8 percent decrease for about 20,000 properties in north Omaha. The matter is pending before the Nebraska Supreme Court.

Were doing the job by state mandate that should have been done ongoing, said Battiato, who took over the Assessors Office in 2015. I firmly understand that it would be much better to have small increases than a sticker-shock increase. But if we dont get property values aligned, the states going to do it for us.

The County Assessors Office will set final values in late May. Anyone who disagrees with those can a file formal protest and go to the County Board of Equalization in June.

* * * * *

How to ask for an informal hearing

Property owners in Douglas and Sarpy can now view their preliminary valuations online. If you think your valuation is unfair or incorrect, you can set up a meeting with your assessors office.

DOUGLAS COUNTY

Assessor: Diane Battiato

Phone: 402-444-6734

Address: 1819 Farnam St., Omaha

SARPY COUNTY

Assessor: Dan Pittman

Phone: 402-593-2122

Address: 1210 Golden Gate Drive, Papillion
Each of the three inaugurations that Omaha Police Lt. John Sokolik has attended carried a different vibe.

George W. Bushs second ceremony was calm, with a few protesters.

Barack Obamas first inauguration was like a rock concert, while his second was more subdued.

For Donald Trumps inauguration? Sokolik doesnt know what to expect.

All the way through the election process there has been a different feeling, he said. What that will look like remains to be seen, he said. Id be foolish to say we arent expecting protests. ... Its just how many and what shape theyre going to take.

Sokolik is one of the roughly 3,200 law enforcement officers from across the United States who will be in Washington to assist D.C.s Metropolitan Police Department with security for the inauguration.

The Omaha Police Department is the only agency in Nebraska that is attending in an official capacity, Sokolik said. Members of the Iowa and Nebraska National Guard also are in the nations capital to help.

The 16 Omaha officers who got the spots had to apply and were selected a month before the November election.

The officers will monitor an area together and line a part of the parade route.

Our duty is to protect everybody in attendance, including those who are there to express their First Amendment rights, whether they are supporting or protesting, Sokolik said.

Thursday afternoon, all officers took an oath and were named specially deputized U.S. marshals, meaning they have full law enforcement powers within the district.

Its a quick trip with little room to act as tourists; the officers arrived Wednesday and will leave Saturday.

Sokolik said his favorite part is exchanging stories with officers.

The camaraderie  a shared experience and meeting people from all over the place, he said. Its quite an experience to be a part of a national event thats on a national stage.
WASHINGTON  Thousands of Nebraskans and Iowans have been keeping a close eye on weather forecasts for the nations capital this week.

Ive checked it about every day since we made the plans, said Jacob Roff of Gretna. The hospital account manager is just one of the Midlanders traveling to Washington this week in order to witness history as Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president.

Theyll join the throngs on the National Mall for the ceremony itself, cheer the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue and party late into the evening at inaugural balls across town.

Roff will be picked up at the airport by his father, who is driving up from Tennessee, and theyll head to a hotel conveniently located a couple of blocks from a Metro subway station.

Our plan is just to leave the car kind of parked and then just take Metros everywhere, he said. Thats the nice thing about bigger cities.

Those making the trip to Washington, D.C., will collect their tickets to the inauguration from lawmakers offices on Capitol Hill, along with plenty of advice.

Wear warm clothes and comfortable shoes. Be ready for rain. A poncho is probably a smart play  umbrellas are on the prohibited items list.

For that matter, so are knives, firearms, fireworks and other explosives.

Leave the poles, signs and posters at home. Ditto on backpacks, thermoses and coolers. No laser pointers or air horns. No alcohol or glass containers.

And dont even think about bringing that selfie stick.

Visitors may want to bring extra cellphone batteries or power packs, in case their phones run out of juice. Meanwhile, wireless companies are taking steps to boost the signal strength on the Mall, but it will still be tough to get a piece of the network with hundreds of thousands of attendees all trying to call friends or upload photos and videos to social media.

Finding an affordable and well-located hotel room can be a struggle, but former Omaha mayor and congressman Hal Daub said he succeeded by moving quickly. As Trumps victory became apparent in the early-morning hours of Nov. 9, Daub called a favorite hotel and left a message saying he would take whatever inauguration package was available.

Daub said hes been to about half a dozen inaugurations over the years and said they are always fun and historic. He and his wife, Mary, have been in town since Sunday.

They were having lunch at Trumps recently opened D.C. hotel on Tuesday and found that they were sitting next to Wilbur Ross, Trumps nominee for commerce secretary.

A few minutes later he felt a tap on the shoulder  it was Virginia Lamp Thomas, Omaha native and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

The Daubs plan to skip the balls. Theyre fun for first-timers, he said, but hes been to enough of them.

Weve been there and done that, he said.

He said the security perimeter around the Capitol looks like it could be even more robust this year.

That means theres going to be an awful lot of walking, he said.

Roff said hell be wearing some water-resistant shoes with Dr. Scholls inserts and a sturdy jacket. Theres some chance of rain on Friday, but temperatures are expected to be in the 40s or 50s.

Even with rain, those temperatures will make it more pleasant than Omaha has been recently, he said.

If its 30 degrees and rain  yeah, thats miserable, he said.

Roff and his father will be looking to pick up souvenirs for folks back home and for good places to eat. He said theyre likely to keep an eye out for ethnic restaurants or a place with good seafood.

Im not going to go to Washington, D.C., and order a steak, Roff said. Nobody can ever give me an argument that a steak in D.C. is going to taste any better than a steak in Omaha, Nebraska. We have the best steak in the entire world.
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 (ETP.N), 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)
On his last full day as Navy secretary, Ray Mabus announced that the future Navy littoral combat ship USS Sioux City will be commissioned in Annapolis, Maryland.

The Sioux City was launched and christened Jan. 30, 2016, in Marinette, Wisconsin, where it was built. After commissioning, the ship will be based in Mayport, Florida.

Mabus office made the announcement via Twitter on Thursday afternoon. No date was announced, but a Navy press release issued a few hours later said it is expected later this year.

No reason was given for the selection of Annapolis. The city of about 40,000 is the capital of Maryland, has a waterfront on Chesapeake Bay, and is the site of the U.S. Naval Academy.

The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce has been active in promoting ties with the new ship and its crew. Chamber President Chris McGowan described it as exciting news to learn the ship would be commissioned in Annapolis.

The Sioux City will be the 11th littoral combat ship, a new fast, agile class of Navy ships designed to operate close to shore in anti-submarine, mine detection and clearance, and surface warfare operations.

The 12th littoral combat ship is to be called the USS Omaha. It was christened in December 2015 at the Austal Shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. No announcement has been made regarding the date and location of the Omahas commissioning.

Walter Butch Kirkland, president of the Navy League Nebraska Council, expects it to take place next fall. Local supporters are hoping it will be in San Diego, which will be the ships home port.

Commissioning of a ship represents the act or ceremony of putting it into naval service.
An $18 million federal settlement involving a multi-state pipeline company is designed to boost pipeline safety but also will guarantee cleanup of a spill that contaminated groundwater in southeast Nebraska.

The proposed settlement between Magellan Pipeline Company and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/Department of Justice wraps together pipeline spills in three states, said Bruce Heine, spokesman for Magellan.

Magellan has worked cooperatively with all federal authorities involved in the settlement, Heine said.

The federal government said the spills violated the Clean Water Act. As is the case with settlements, no wrongdoing is confirmed. The settlement is subject to 30 days of public comment.

In the Nebraska spill, a heavy equipment operator who was clearing a hedgerow near Nemaha struck two of Magellans pipelines. The ruptures released about 650 barrels of diesel fuel from one line and 655 barrels of jet fuel and 1,529 barrels of gasoline from the other into an agricultural field.

A mixture of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel reached a branch of Jarvis Creek, a tributary of the Nemaha River. It also contaminated groundwater.

The spill occurred Dec. 10, 2011, and cleanup continues.

In Texas, about 482 barrels of gasoline spilled into the Pierre Bayou when a pipeline ruptured in 2011. In Kansas, about 1,861 barrels of diesel fuel spilled into Constant Creek in 2015 when a line near El Dorado ruptured.

As part of the settlement, Magellan agreed to $16 million in projects across its 11,000-mile system and a $2 million civil penalty. Included is money to complete the cleanup in Nebraska. The settlement also pushes Magellan to do additional work to identify and address segments of its pipeline system susceptible to rupture, according to the Justice Department.

This settlement is unrelated to the 2016 rupture of a Magellan line near Tecumseh that released deadly gas and claimed the life of 59-year-old Phillip Hennig of rural Tecumseh.
Editor's note: This story was originally published in The World-Herald on Oct. 2, 2010.

* * * * *

For decades, Nebraska governors have handed out thousands of admiralships in the mythical Great Navy of Nebraska  a way to honor celebrities, heroes and ordinary citizens.

Astronauts John Glenn and Clayton Anderson. Entertainers Bob Hope and Johnny Carson. Local school board members and police officers.

Now you can add African strongman Yahya Jammeh.

The new admiral, who is the president of Gambia, has been criticized for alleged human rights violations and has said he would cut off the head of any homosexuals found in the country.

This is a real unsavory despot,  said Frank Smyth of the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based organization that tries to raise awareness of press freedom issues around the world.

So the group was shocked last month when a smiling Jammeh was photographed holding the gold-framed certificate from Gov. Dave Heineman.

It isnt clear whether Jammeh read the entire tongue-in-cheek proclamation, which ordered all seamen, tadpoles and goldfish to obey the admiral.

Or whether he knew that Nebraska has no fleet  other than the floating covered wagon depicted on the certificate.

While the certificate declares that the honoree is a good person and a loyal friend and counselor,  Heineman doesnt know the Gambian president, never approved the admiralship and did not personally sign the certificate.

Nor did anyone on Heinemans staff give more than cursory attention to Jammehs nomination, requested by a man in San Francisco.

It was one of more than 7,000 admiralships bestowed by Heineman since he took office in 2005.

Its just not feasible for us to do background checks,  said Jen Rae Hein, a spokeswoman for the governor. This is in no way an endorsement from Nebraska of this persons politics.

The governor personally gives a handful of admiralships  perhaps a dozen or so per year  to visiting dignitaries or other noteworthy people, Hein said. Nearly all the awards are handled by staff members, who process nominations by state senators and others who want to honor people for their contributions to the state.

Guidelines posted on the governors website say either the nominator or nominee must be from Nebraska, but Hein said any current admiral can nominate anyone else, even if neither is from Nebraska.

That was the case with Jammehs nomination. It arrived in January from Nasser Heydarian, who described himself as a medical doctor but used a San Francisco coffee shop as his mailing address.

Hein said Heydarian did not identify Jammeh as the Gambian president but gave this reason for making him an admiral: He is very good with poor people and always he is helping them.

Heineman had honored Heydarian as an admiral in 2006, after a nomination from Robert Ray Hill of Kentucky.

Hill has worked for organizations criticized as being diploma mills.

And a Wikia website identifies Heydarian as president of the Dominion of Melchizedek,  a so-called cyber-nation that allegedly is a haven for banking fraud.

Its unclear whether Hill has Nebraska connections or whether he is a Nebraska admiral. Heydarian and Hill could not be reached for comment.

Hein said Jammehs certificate was mailed to Heydarian at the coffee shop address in February, although it was dated Sept. 10 as requested.

Last month, the certificate was delivered to Jammeh by a representative of the International Parliament for Safety and Peace, an Italian organization that has drawn criticism for recognizing diploma mills.

The group also passed along two other awards to Jammeh, purportedly from President Barack Obama. A U.S. State Department official said Friday that the White House had no connection with those awards.

Jammehs honors were publicized in the Gambian press and soon drew attention from outside groups. The Committee to Protect Journalists initially was concerned that Obama and others were giving awards to Jammeh but later concluded that no honors were intended.

The admiralship isnt Jammehs first state award: Kentuckys governor made him an honorary Kentucky colonel in 2008.

Giving admiralships is a long-standing tradition for Nebraska governors. Hein said she didnt know how many were awarded under Heinemans predecessor, Mike Johanns, but staff members who worked for both governors told her the pace is about the same.

Nebraska has no process for rescinding the honor, she said.

Staffers try to catch the most questionable nominations, such as those requested for pets, Hein said. Otherwise, she said, little investigation is done, and few requests are denied. Nominations from current admirals are automatically approved.

I dont know if its always going to be automatic now,  Hein said.

There are going to be some people that game the system, but that is not something we endorse. We are relying on the good faith practices of Nebraskans and of those nominating their fellow citizens.

Contact the writer: 444-1114, paul.goodsell@owh.com
LINCOLN  Nebraska is among the recipients of a national grant to combat violent extremism  a grant focused on educating people about warning signs and knowing where to report such concerns.

The $300,000 grant to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency was part of $10 million in awards to counter violent extremism announced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday.

In Nebraska, the project will focus on people who visit community public health departments in rural or small-to-midsized cities. The project is working through public health departments because a relationship of trust has been built there. Goals include recognizing the signs of radicalization and removing barriers to reporting suspicions.

Increased engagement in the community will promote increased knowledge of how to counter violent extremism and hopefully result in increased reporting, said Bryan Tuma, NEMA assistant director.

Knowing what to look for and who to report it to are good first steps.

Boston, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Detroit and New York City were among the other locations getting grants. The goal is to counter recruitment by foreign groups such as Islamic State as well as domestic extremist groups.

The University of Nebraska Public Policy Center is co-directing the project here. The Two Rivers Public Health Department, which serves seven counties in central Nebraska, is leading the public health effort.
WASHINGTON  Thousands of Nebraskans and Iowans have been arriving in the nations capital for Fridays inauguration.

On the eve of Donald Trumps swearing-in, Midlanders wandered the halls of Capitol Hill to find their lawmakers offices and collect tickets to the big event.

Ive wanted to go to the inauguration for 20 years, said Jim Smith of Wallace, Nebraska.

He was among those mingling at a reception in the office of Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. They sipped coffee, munched on sugar cookies and chatted about the incoming commander in chief.

Jim and his wife, Cathy Smith, had driven out with another couple, Mary and Dave Doremus of Benedict, Nebraska. Along the way they visited three presidential libraries: Herbert Hoovers in Iowa, Gerald Fords in Michigan and Franklin Delano Roosevelts in New York.

During their New York swing they stopped by Trump Tower to see the president-elects home. Theyll see him take the oath today before moving into his new home.

I told Dave six or seven months ago he was going to win, Jim Smith said.

The Nebraska Society of D.C. held a dinner at the Army and Navy Club.

Both Nebraska senators and all three House members addressed those at the event, as did Gov. Pete Ricketts. The governor spoke about the shared values that unite Nebraskans and also noted that the peaceful transfer of power between two very different presidents was just hours away.

Essentially this was a bloodless revolution to turn the direction of the country around 180 degrees, Ricketts said.

Some Midlanders arrived earlier in the week. Stacie and Jason Moore of West Des Moines drove out with their four children, ages 14 to 9.

On Wednesday, they collected their tickets and a goody bag packed with snacks, ponchos and other essential items from the office of Rep. David Young, R-Iowa.

The couple said they connected more with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., than with Trump during the GOP presidential campaign, but they respect the nature of an inauguration and want their kids to appreciate such an important civic experience.

Its just historic  the peaceful transfer of power in the United States is something to be really proud of, and we just wanted to be a part of that, Jason Moore said. Son Chaim, 12, said he thinks it will be interesting to see what happens with a Republican president and Senate and Congress.

The kids are missing some school, but the family considers the trip to be an educational experience.

Their teachers were, like, Yeah, thats a good idea,  Jason Moore said.
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday, taking the helm of a deeply divided nation and putting Republicans in control of the White House for the first time in eight years.

The billionaire businessman and former reality television star has pledged an era of profound change, energizing his supporters with promises to wipe away predecessor Barack Obama's signature achievements and to restore America to a lost position of strength. But Trump's call for restrictive immigration measures and his caustic campaign rhetoric about women and minorities have infuriated other millions of Americans. He assumes office as one of the most unpopular incoming presidents in modern history.

The pomp and pageantry of the inaugural celebrations were also shadowed by questions about Trump's ties to Russia, which U.S. intelligence agencies have determined worked to tip the 2016 election to help the Republican win.

Trump's inauguration drew crowds to the nation's capital to witness the history. It repelled others. More than 60 House Democrats refused to attend his swearing in ceremony in the shadow of the Capitol dome. One Democrat who did sit among the dignitaries was Hillary Clinton, Trump's vanquished campaign rival who was widely expected by both parties to be the one taking the oath of office.

Instead, it was Trump placing his hand on two Bibles, one used by his family and another used for President Abraham Lincoln's inauguration. At 70, Trump is the oldest person to be sworn in as president, marking a generational step backward after two terms for Obama, one of the youngest presidents to serve as commander in chief.

This article contains a running list of updates from Friday's inauguration festivities. Updates have finished as of 4:30 p.m.

* * * * *

'Unbelievable' first day for Trump as inaugural parade winds down

President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and their wives are arriving at the reviewing stand near the White House to watch the inaugural parade.

Trump said the day was "unbelievable," as he and wife Melania made their way along the North Lawn to the stand on Pennsylvania Avenue. Trump also flashed a thumbs-up.

The first couple are surrounded in the enclosed stand by their family members.

* * * * *

Iowa Air Force cadet marches in Inauguration Parade

WASHINGTON - Cadet 1st Class Christopher Haijsman of McClelland, Iowa, was among those representing the Air Force Academy in Fridays Presidential Inauguration Parade.

It was a really good opportunity for us to get out there and experience D.C. but also get out here showcase the Air Force Academy, Haijsman said afterward.

The graduate of Treynor High School and his fellow cadets marched in formation between other Air Force elements as spectators waved and cheered them along the nearly 2-mile route from the U.S. Capitol to the White House.

Haijsman, 22, said that because he came from a small farming community, it was a unique experience to be part of something so big.

It was really awe-inspiring, he said.

* * * * *

Inauguration protests escalate in D.C.

At least one vehicle is on fire as protests escalate in downtown Washington.

A plume of thick black smoke is billowing from a vandalized limousine at the corner of K and 13th Streets Northwest. Riot police are working to remove people from the area, which is just a few blocks from President Donald Trump's inaugural parade route.

Police are using what appear to be flash bang grenades to help control the scene.

The activity follows a brief period of relative calm in the area.

* * * * *

Motorcade trip starts inaugural parade

President Donald Trump is making his way down Constitution Avenue with a military escort as his inauguration parade begins in Washington.

The president will review the parade from a viewing stand near the White House.

He and first lady Melania Trump are riding in the presidential limousine nicknamed "The Beast."

Trump is being cheered by supporters as his car passes.

Others are shouting "Media sucks" while a group of protesters chants, "Not my president, not my president."

* * * * *

Lincolnite 'been on the Trump train since Day 1'

WASHINGTON -- Debby Brehm was on cloud nine as she watched the inaugural parade roll by on Pennsylvania Avenue on Friday.

It took an early morning wake-up call to get to the Capitol and then a long wait to hear President Donald Trumps inaugural address.

But the commercial real estate developer from Lincoln was still determined to see the parade. And she gave up her seat in the bleachers to get a closer street-level look at the musicians going by.

Ive been on the Trump train since Day 1, Brehm said as band after band marched past. I would not have missed this for the world. Ive been crazy about him from Day 1 so I wanted to take in every bit of this.  Joseph Morton

* * * * *

Trump honored Clinton came to inaugural lunch

President Donald Trump  in brief remarks at his inaugural lunch at the Capitol  says he was honored that Hillary Clinton, his rival in the White House race, came to the event.

The bipartisan crowd of lawmakers and other dignitaries gave Clinton a standing ovation after Trump asked her to rise.

Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, sat with members of Trump's family at the event.

Trump ended by saying he has "a lot of respect for those two people."

Contrast that with some of his rhetoric during the campaign.

Back then, Trump repeatedly said Hillary Clinton deserved to be in jail because of her private email server issues. And Trump invited women who had accused Bill Clinton of sexual assault to sit in the audience of one of the presidential debates.

* * * * *

President Trump formally nominates Cabinet

Trump made his nominations official just after he took office. He signed a series of documents in an ornate room steps from the Senate floor.

The president distributed pens to congressional leaders according to whether they liked his choices. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, for instance, received the pen that Trump used to nominate Elaine Chao, McConnell's wife, to be transportation secretary.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi jokingly objected to getting a pen used to nominate Tom Price to be health secretary. At that point, House Speaker Paul Ryan chimed in, "I'll take it."

After nominating Mike Pompeo to head the CIA, Trump said he'd heard Pompeo would be confirmed "momentarily."

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer piped up: "It depends what you mean by momentarily."

* * * * *

Fewer people at Trump inauguration than Obama's in 2008

Far fewer people were at President Donald Trump's inauguration than attended President Barack Obama's first swearing-in eight years ago.

Photos of the National Mall from Obama's inauguration in January 2009 show a teeming crowd stretching from the West Front of the Capitol all the way to the Washington Monument.

Photos taken from the same position on Friday show large swaths of empty space on the Mall.

Thin crowds and semi-empty bleachers also dotted the inaugural parade route.

Hotels across the District of Columbia reported vacancies, a rarity for an event as large as a presidential inauguration.

And ridership on the Washington's Metro system didn't match that of recent inaugurations.

* * * * *

Just moments after President Donald Trump took the oath of office Friday, the official White House website was transformed into a set of policy pledges that offered the broad contours of the Trump administration's top priorities  a list that included fierce support for law enforcement, an immediate elimination of the White House's policy page on climate page and a notable absence of any directives involving President Obama's Affordable Care Act.

"Our job is not to make life more comfortable for the rioter, the looter, or the violent disrupter," reads the law and order section, which calls for "more law enforcement" and "more effective policing." "Our job is to make life more comfortable for parents who want their kids to be able to walk the streets safely. Or the senior citizen waiting for a bus. Or the young child walking home from school."

The issues page of Trump's White House offers no new plans or policies but rather a rehash of many of his most prominent campaign promises -- a signal to the nation that Trump, more pragmatic than ideological, plans to implement at least the key guideposts of his campaign vision.

His policies include plans to both withdraw from and renegotiate major trade deals, grow the nation's military and increase cyber-security capabilities, build a wall at the nation's southern border and deport undocumented immigrants who have committed violent crimes.

Strikingly absent from the six issues the website highlights -- and from his speech Friday -- was anything on repealing or replacing Obamacare. The issue was a defining feature of his campaign, and aides have signaled he may begin the process of undoing the law in a series of executive actions he hopes to sign in the early days of his presidency.

* * * * *

Police make arrests after chaotic protests near Capitol

Police deployed pepper spray and made numerous arrests in a chaotic confrontation blocks from Donald Trump's inauguration Friday as protesters registered their rage against the new president.

Spirited demonstrations unfolded peacefully at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read, "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now," ''Let Freedom Ring," ''Free Palestine."

But at one point, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of downtown businesses including a Starbucks, Bank of America and McDonald's as they denounced capitalism and Trump. Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters and eventually cordoned off the protesters.

Police said in a statement that the group damaged vehicles, destroyed property and set small fires while armed with crowbars and hammers. Police said "numerous" people were arrested and charged with rioting.

The confrontation happened about an hour before Trump was sworn in and began giving his inaugural address at the Capitol.

Later in the day, police again clashed with demonstrators  this time with a larger group.

More than 1,000 protesters gathered in downtown Washington for a confrontation with police. Authorities are again used pepper spray to control the crowd.

Some in the crowd were throwing cups, water bottles and objects  including chunks of concrete. Some protesters rolled large steel trash cans at police.

* * * * *

Word from the pope

Pope Francis has congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration and urged the new U.S. president to show concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need who "stand before our door."

Francis says in a message that he's praying Trump's decisions will be guided by the "rich spiritual and ethical values" that have shaped America's history.

The pope also offers these words: "Under your leadership, may America's stature continue to be measured above all by its concern for the poor, the outcast and those in need."

* * * * *

Business as usual at Nebraska Capitol

LINCOLN  The Nebraska Legislature conducted floor debate on proposed rule changes as the hour of Donald Trumps inauguration ceremony approached.

Lawmakers did not go into recess for the inauguration, but some did leave the floor to watch the new president take the oath of office from the senators-only lounge behind the main chamber.  Joe Duggan

* * * * *

Nebraskans head for D.C. to protest

NEAR IOWA CITY  When President Donald Trump was being sworn into office Friday, a busload of Nebraska women heading to Washington, D.C., for a march the next day did not pay attention.

Some slept, four hours into an 18-hour journey. Some chatted. And some were glued to their phones watching live coverage of protesters already gathered in Washington.

One woman, 53-year-old Kay Siebler, stared at the pink hat she was knitting for the march  a marker of protest of the new president. She said Trump's election put her in such despair that the knitting  and this upcoming march  pull her back from "the precipice."

"I thought there has got to be something I can do to make me feel better," she said. "I need to be in the company of a lot of cohorts and compassionate women."

There were only two men on the bus: the driver and Omaha engineer . He had come to accompany his wife, Christi, who said she saw this jouney as an antidote to her post-election despair.

"We feel like we have to do something," Pete Bradley said.

Audrey Holbeck, a 16-year-old Central High junior, was reading a book as Chief Justice John Roberts read Trump the oath of office. It's a novel called "An Ember in the Ashes."  Erin Grace

* * * * *

Inaugural address highlights

12:22 p.m.: President Donald Trump says in his inauguration speech that an America united is an America that's "totally unstoppable."

Trump says Americans must speak their minds openly and disagree honestly, but they must always pursue solidarity.

Trump says Americans need not fear  they're protected by military and law enforcement personnel.

But most importantly, he says, "we will be protected by God."

* * * * *

12:18 p.m.: President Donald Trump says that when Americans open their heart to patriotism, "there is no room for prejudice."

Trump is repeating a campaign promise to eradicate "radical Islam." He says he'll rebuild America's roads, bridges, airports and railways by following "two simple rules: buy American and hire American."

Trump is promising to seek friendship with all nations by reinforcing existing alliances and forming new ones.

* * * * *

12:15 p.m.: In his inauguration speech, President Donald Trump is repeating the dark vision and the list of the country's woes that he hit on during the campaign.

Trump describes closed factories as "tombstones" that dot the county and says the federal government has spent billions defending "other nations' borders while refusing to defend our own."

The Republican president says the U.S. "will confront hardships but we will get the job done."

He says the oath of office he just took "is an oath of allegiance to all Americans" and said that the country will share "one glorious destiny."

* * * * *

12:12 p.m.: Trump says that he will govern the country by putting America first.

Trump is saying in his first speech as president that "from this day forward, a new vision will govern our hand" and that "from this day forward it's going to be only America first."

Trump says that every decision he makes, on issues from trade to taxes to immigration and foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and families.

He says "We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries" taking American jobs.

Trump says that under his leadership, America "will start winning like never before."

* * * * *

12:11 p.m.: Trump says Americans came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement "the likes of which the world has never seen before."

Trump says the United States exists to serve its citizens.

He says Americans want great schools, safe neighborhoods and good jobs.

But he says too many people face a different reality: rusted-out factories, a bad education system, crime, gangs and drugs.

Trump says the "carnage stops right here and right now."

* * * * *

12:10 p.m.: Trump is declaring his victory a victory for working people.

Trump says in his inauguration speech: "Today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another," but "transferring power from Washington D.C. and giving it back to you, the people"

Trump says that, for too long, too few have had power and the people have paid the price.

He says: "Washington flourished but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered but the jobs left and the factories closed."

He says, "That all changes starting right here and right now."

Trump is also thanking former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama for their "gracious" aid through the transition.

* * * *

12:09 p.m.: Trump says change starts "right here and right now."

The new president is using his inaugural address to say it doesn't matter which party controls the government. He says that what matters is "whether our government is controlled by the people."

Trump says the forgotten men and women of the country "will be forgotten no longer."

* * * * *

12:05 p.m.: Trump is beginning his inaugural address by saying that "together we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come."

He says Americans have "joined a great national effort to build our country and restore its promise for all people."

It began to rain in Washington as Trump started speaking.

Trump also thanked all of the past presidents in attendance, including former campaign foes Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

* * * * *

Mike Pence sworn in

11:55 a.m.: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administered the oath of office.

President-elect Donald Trump chose Pence, the former governor of Indiana, as his running mate last summer.

* * * * *

Up next for Obamas

Hundreds of people who worked for President Barack Obama arrived at Andrews Air Force Base to hear some final parting words from the soon-to-be ex-president.

Hours before Obama was to speak, former White House and administration staffers are gathering in a hangar where a small stage with a lone American flag was set up for him.

Obama and his wife, Michelle, are leaving the Capitol by military helicopter after witnessing Donald Trump's swearing-in, and they're being flown to the base in Maryland just outside Washington.

The Obamas will vacation in Palm Springs, California.

* * * * *

Ride to Capitol

Following the path of inaugurations past, Donald Trump and Barack Obama rode together to the U.S. Capitol Friday as the real estate mogul and reality TV star who upended American politics prepared to be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. His ascent puts Republicans in control of the White House for the first time in eight years.

"It all begins today!" Trump tweeted at daybreak, before attending a morning church service with his family. "THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!"

At midmorning, Trump and his wife, Melania, stopped by the White House for the traditional private meeting of outgoing and incoming presidents and their spouses. Posing for photos on the North Portico, the couples exchanged hugs as Barack Obama chatted about the demands of protocol.

* * * * *

New @POTUS in town

At about 9 a.m. on the day that President Obama prepared to become a former president, the official @POTUS Twitter account was still tweeting on his behalf.

But @POTUS belongs to whoever is President of the United States. And as President Trump takes office, that means Trump gets @POTUS, along with its 13.7 million followers. If you're following President Barack Obama on Twitter on the @POTUS account, you'll be following President Trump too, unless you manually unfollow.

One thing President Trump doesn't inherit? The archive of Obama's tweets. As part of the "digital transition" plan laid out by the Obama White House shortly before the election, the incoming administration starts with a clean slate.

The same is true for the @WhiteHouse, @FLOTUS, @PressSec, and @VP accounts, which will be turned over and wiped clean of tweets, a fresh start for the new administration. They'll follow a similar plan for the official White House accounts on other social media platforms, like Instagram and Facebook.

* * * * *

Crowds on the National Mall  where people without tickets can watch the inauguration  are growing steadily.

But less than two hours before the swearing-in, there are still wide swaths of empty space. There are strong suggestions that the crowds will not match President Barack Obama's first inaugural eight years ago.

Some people were prevented by security barriers from getting closer to the Capitol despite having plenty of space in front of them.

The grass on the Mall was protected by white plastic and there were some muddy spots amid intermittent rain.

* * * * *

'Tremendous celebration'

Roger Moorman of Omaha and his wife, Kathleen, were watching from the north standing section.

He said he's been to one other inauguration -- George W Bush's in 2005.

"I just think it's a tremendous celebration of the transfer of power," he said.

The 2005 experience was chillier  but dry.

They were both prepared for Friday with ponchos.

"Unless it's a downpour, we're going to be great," said Moorman, a sales director at NRG Media.  Joseph Morton

* * * * *

A view from the Capitol

Trump supporters ignore protesters

Most of the Donald Trump backers who are walking to the inauguration past Union Station in Washington are trying to ignore protesters outside the train station.

Then there's Doug Rahm, who engaged in a lengthy and sometimes profane yelling match with protesters.

"Get a job," Rahm said. "Stop crying snowflakes, Trump won."

Rahm  who's from Philadelphia and does high-rise restorations, is with Bikers for Trump. He says the protesters should get behind the new president.

He says, "This is unite America day."

* * * * *

Clinton arrives at inauguration

Hillary Clinton has arrived for the inauguration of the man who defeated her in a bitter presidential contest.

Clinton is at the Capitol with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Trump and Clinton were last face to face at a charity dinner in New York in October.

The Democratic nominee and former secretary of state waved to reporters when she arrived for the ceremony on Friday morning, but she's not answering questions.

Trump viciously attacked Clinton throughout the campaign and his pledge to incarcerate her led to "Lock her up!" chants becoming a staple at his rallies.

After the election, Trump appeared to back off that threat.

* * * * *

Obama leaves note for Trump

President Barack Obama has left a letter for his successor in the Oval Office before departing the White House  as is the tradition from one president to the next.

The White House is providing no details about what Obama conveyed to Donald Trump.

Obama campaigned vigorously against Trump. But the president and president-elect have had regular phone conversations since the election, with the president offering guidance and advice.

* * * * *

Obamas welcome Trumps to White House

President Barack Obama and the first lady Michelle Obama are welcoming President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, to the White House.

The Obamas have greeted the Trumps at the grand North Portico, the column-lined entrance facing Pennsylvania Avenue.

Obama told Trump that it was good to see him. They exchanged pleasantries, and Melania Trump brought a gift for Michelle Obama.

Melania Trump initially reached to shake Michelle Obama's hand, but the first lady instead gave her a hug.

The families will have coffee and tea at a reception that's closed to the media.

* * * * *

Long trip to Washington

Nate Slater, 28, of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, and two friends drove 20 hours to Washington to see the inauguration.

Slater said he was excited to see Trump take the oath. This is his first trip to the nation's capital.

"I figured I might as well see D.C. during the inauguration," he said.

They initially had trouble getting tickets, but eventually found some through a Kentucky lawmaker's office.

Friday morning, the trio walked onto the lawn in front of the Capitol just as the sky started spitting rain with hours to go before the ceremony.

Getting through security was easy. "We thought it would be a lot busier," Slater said.  Joseph Morton

*****

'Hes got a great plan, I think'

For Kevin Brown of Spencer, Iowa, Friday's inauguration will be his first.

Every time they have one, I take the day off of work and watch it on television, he said. Ive never actually been out here for it.

The party secretary for the Clay County Republicans, Brown said hes a history buff who wanted to witness this big moment, although he had other reasons as well.

I did some work for the (Republican National Committee) during the campaign and wanted to come out and just bask in the victory, I guess, he said.

He said hes bothered by the protesters in town this week and hopes that people can come together in the coming years.

"Hes got a great plan, I think, Brown said of Donald Trump. I think his agenda is top-notch, but if people arent going to get on board and come together as a nation were not going to get very much accomplished.  Joseph Morton

* * * * *

'If I can wait out eight years of Obama I can wait out D.C. traffic'

Midlanders in town for Donald Trumps big day are finding out that getting around the nations capital during an inauguration isnt easy.

But they were largely shrugging off the problems in their excitement.

If I can wait out eight years of Obama I can wait out D.C. traffic, said Iowa GOP chairman Jeff Kaufmann. Because the D.C. traffics not going to get better. The United States is.

Kaufmann said the last time he saw Trump, during the president-elects thank you tour, Trump told him Im not going to forget what you people did for me.

Kaufmann said that fondness for Iowa should help the state keep its first-in-the-nation status and protect its ethanol industry.

Hes excited for the policies that Trump will bring.

I think were finally going to concentrate on what matters most, and that is unleashing the economic and entrepreneurial spirit of this country. If we do that, Donald Trump will have delivered, he said.

Kaufmann was less enthused about the ball that he was planning to attend.

I have the rhythm of a very, very ill elephant, he said.  Joseph Morton

* * * * *

'Rain, snow, sleet or hail, were going to be there at noon'

Midlanders out for the inauguration were keeping one eye on the forecast, but Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, said that no inclement weather could keep him away.

It wont even matter  rain, snow, sleet or hail, were going to be there at noon and the Constitution and the rule of law will prevail, King said.  Joseph Morton

* * * * *

'Were actively opposed to his inauguration, but were just here to be witnesses'

Not everyone standing on the west front of the Capitol will be cheering Donald Trump at noon Friday.

Matt Sutton and Calli Johnson drove out together from Omaha with a different attitude.

Were pretty liberal people and just wanted to show people that there are more than conservatives out in the middle of Nebraska, Sutton said.

They said they have no plans to protest, although theyre happy to promote the potential for clean energy to anyone whod like to talk to them.

Were environmentalists so were actively opposed to his inauguration, but were just here to be witnesses, Sutton said.

Noah Steinauer, 20, and Chris Halbohn, 23, jumped at the opportunity to come to Washington after they saw on Sen. Deb Fischers social media accounts that inauguration tickets were available.

The two Omaha natives  and Trump voters  are both studying at Tulane University in New Orleans and flew up for the occasion.

They found an energy in the air when they arrived.

Days like this hold nothing but positivity, Halbohn said. You can only be optimistic on such a historic and civic day for our country. You really cant beat being in our nations capital with so many people standing out on the National Mall, waving flags and everybody in good spirits.  Joseph Morton
London-based oil and gas producer, Tullow Oil Plc TUWOY recently issued a statement regarding its operational activities. The company also provided a financial update for 2016 along with issuing guidance for 2017. Following the Annual General Meeting on Apr 26, the company plans to appoint Paul Mc Dade as the new CEO replacing Simon Thomson.

Operational Update

Tullows 2016 oil production in West Africa was well aligned with its guidance averaging 65,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), including 4 , 600 bopd of production-equivalent payments obtained from Tullows Business Interruption insurance policy for Jublilee field. Gross production from Jubliee amounted to 73,700 bopd and production of gas in Europe amounted to 6,200 boepd, which was also in line with the estimates.

Financial Update

Tullow Oil improved its debt and liquidity position with free cash of $1 billion and net debt of $4.8 billion. This was due to efficient capital capex and cost management as well as improved cash inflows. For 2016, the company estimates its total revenue to amount to $1.3 billion with gross profit of $500 million. The revenues included $363 million from the oil and gas hedge program of the company.

Estimates and Plans for 2017

West Africa oil production, including production-equivalent payment, is estimated to fall within the range of 78,00085,000 bopd. Total gas output for Europe is expected to be around 6,0007,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).

Preparation for drilling the potential Araku prospect are under way and is scheduled to be completed within the second half of 2017 along with the acquisition of 3D seismic data in Guyana. With the divestment of Norway business, three more divestments are also progressing well and are expected to be executed in the first half of 2017.

The company is planning to reduce its capex for 2017 by 44% from $900 million to $500 million, of which $30 million is attributed to West Africa capex, $100 million is directed towards Kenya pre-development expenditure and $125 million for appraisal and exploration expenses. Ghana and Uganda capital expenditure is estimated to around $90 million and $125 million respectively.

Story continues

Zacks Rank and Key Picks

An independent multinational oil and gas exploration and production company, headquartered in London, and concentrating its largest activities in Africa and Atlantic margins, Tullow Oil Plc currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

The company has outperformed the Zacks categorized International Oil And Gas Exploration & Production industry over the prior three months. During the aforesaid period, Tullow Oil shares improved almost 9% while the broader industry gained around 3%.

Better ranked players in the industry include Bellatrix Exploration Ltd BXE, Rice Midstream Partners LP RMP and Now Inc. DNOW. All these companies carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Zacks Best Private Investment Ideas

In addition to the recommendations that are available to the public on our website, how would you like to follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time? Our experts cover all kinds of trades from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors. Starting today, for the next month, you can have unrestricted access. Click here for Zacks' private trades >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Tullow Oil PLC (TUWOY): Free Stock Analysis Report



Now Inc. (DNOW): Free Stock Analysis Report



Rice Midstream Partners LP (RMP): Free Stock Analysis Report



Bellatrix Exploration Ltd. (BXE): Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
WASHINGTON (AP)  Protesters registered their rage against the new president Friday in a chaotic confrontation with police who used pepper spray and stun grenades in a melee just blocks from Donald Trump's inaugural parade. At least 217 people were arrested for rioting while a burning limousine sent clouds of black smoke into the sky during Trump's procession.

Several spirited demonstrations unfolded peacefully at various security checkpoints near the Capitol as police helped ticket-holders get through to the inaugural ceremony. Signs read, "Resist Trump Climate Justice Now," ''Let Freedom Ring" and "Free Palestine."

But about a mile from the National Mall, police gave chase to a group of about 100 protesters who smashed the windows of downtown businesses including a Starbucks, a Bank of America and a McDonald's as they denounced capitalism and Trump. Police in riot gear used pepper spray from large canisters and eventually cordoned off protesters at 12th and L streets in northwest Washington.

"They began to destroy property, throw objects at people, through windows. A large percentage of this small group was armed with crowbars and hammers," said the city's interim police chief, Peter Newsham.

Six officers suffered minor injuries, he said.

The confrontation began an hour before Trump took the oath of office and escalated several hours later as the crowd of protesters swelled to more than 1,000, some wearing gas masks and with arms chained together inside PVC pipe. One said the demonstrators were "bringing in the cavalry."

When some crossed police lines, taunting, "Put the pigs in the ground," police charged with batons and pepper spray, as well as stun grenades, which are used to shock and disperse crowds. Loud booms echoed through the streets about six blocks from where Trump would soon hold his inaugural parade.

Some protesters picked up bricks and concrete from the sidewalk and hurled them at police lines. Some rolled large, metal trash cans at police.

The limousine was attacked on the perimeter of the secured zone. As Trump and his parade of celebrants moved along Pennsylvania Avenue, the vehicle was ablaze, tainting the air for blocks and sending protesters and passers-by moving swiftly away.

As night fell, young protesters ignited a large bonfire blocks from the White House in McPherson Square. They carried signs like "Hail to the Thief" and hung an upside-down American flag as women in gowns and men in tuxedos passed by, presumably en route to one of the inaugural balls.

Police said protesters damaged vehicles, destroyed property and set small fires while armed with crowbars and hammers. All 217 people arrested were charged with rioting, said Newsham, noting that the group caused "significant damage" along a number of blocks.

Before Inauguration Day, the DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, had promised that people participating in its actions in Washington would attempt to shut down the celebrations, risking arrest when necessary.

Trump supporter Brett Ecker said the protesters were frustrating but weren't going to put a damper on his day.

"They're just here to stir up trouble," said the 36-year-old public school teacher. "It upsets me a little bit that people choose to do this, but yet again, it's one of the things I love about this country."

At one checkpoint, protesters wore orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces to represent prisoners in U.S. detention at Guantanamo Bay. Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organize the DisruptJ20 protest, said protesters wanted to show Trump and his "misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous" supporters that they won't be silent.

Black Lives Matter and feminist groups also made their voices heard. Outside the International Spy Museum, protesters in Russian hats ridiculed Trump's praise of President Vladimir Putin, marching with signs calling Trump "Putin's Puppet" and "Kremlin employee of the month."

Friday's protests spread across the nation.

In San Francisco, thousands formed a human chain on the Golden Gate Bridge and chanted "Love Trumps hate." In the city's financial district, a few hundred protesters blocked traffic outside an office building partly owned by Trump.

In Atlanta, protests converged at City Hall and a few hundred people chanted and waved signs protesting Trump, denouncing racism and police brutality and expressing support for immigrants, Muslims and the Black Lives Matter movement.

And in Nashville, half a dozen protesters chained themselves to the doors of the Tennessee Capitol. Hundreds also sat in a 10-minute silent protest at a park while Trump took the oath of office. Organizers led a prayer, sang patriotic songs and read the Declaration of Independence aloud.

The demonstrations won't end when Trump takes up residence in the White House.

A massive Women's March on Washington is planned for Saturday. Christopher Geldart, the District of Columbia's homeland security director, has said 1,800 buses have registered to park in the city Saturday, which could mean nearly 100,000 people coming in just by bus.
The Urban Dictionary defines polito as a sweet, innocent guy at heart ... cheerful, honest, smiley, and that also described Gus Polito.

He was such a polite man, said retired bandleader Jim Bochnicek. I never heard him say anything bad about anybody, though he was always teasing me.

Said Sarah Ruma, president of the Omaha lodge of the Sons of Italy: Gus was such a gentle and soft-hearted man, and he loved to dance. He was a fixture and an icon.

A World War II Marine veteran of the Pacific, August P. Polito had suffered a couple of recent falls and died Wednesday at 94, only 12 days before his next birthday.

His family will welcome visitors from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, with a funeral Mass there at 10 a.m. Monday.

Raised in the Little Italy neighborhood of Omaha, Gus attended Central High and enlisted in the military. Dan Polito of Omaha said his father took part in campaigns at Okinawa, Guadalcanal and Bougainville, and worked on a hospital ship.

He didnt talk much about the war, his son said, but was deeply affected by it. In recent years, Gus Polito politely declined a World-Herald request for an interview about his war years.

Bochnicek, who considered Gus his second father, said Polito confided that it was too difficult to talk about his wartime experience, which included handling body bags.

Gus and his wife, Annette, who died in 1991, raised five sons  Dan, John, Mark and Scott of Omaha, and Tim, now of Spring, Texas, near Houston. He also left 17 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren and lots of other relatives and friends.

For decades, Gus Polito worked in the floor-covering business and served as general manager at the Brinn & Jensen company.

A longtime music lover and collector of vinyl albums, he became an avid dancer in his later years with companion Betty Morinelli, who died in 2011.

Until Bochnicek retired his Jimmy B Band last summer, the 5-foot-4, 140-pound Polito was a regular attendee. At each gig, the bandleader would dedicate a song to my little buddy Gus.

The song was always his favorite, Mack the Knife, and the former carpet-seller would get to the dance floor and cut the rug.

Dad embraced life, said son Dan. He wasnt combative or argumentative, and he was thoughtful of others feelings. To know him was to love him.
What about Mussolini?

With regard to the Jan. 18 World-Herald article Day could honor Ponca chief instead of Columbus, George Matuella, an officer with the Nebraska chapter of the Sons of Italy, called the change an act of revisionist history and said Christopher Columbus remains an important figure in world history.

Does that mean Benito Mussolini, also an important figure in world history, is equally deserving of a day of recognition?

Mason Winkler, Omaha

Help college students, not top earners

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said of his state budget that these are lean times (To close gap, Ricketts calls for cuts, no tax hike, Jan 13 World-Herald). Yet he plans to cut the top income tax rate in 2020 while cutting state funds to community colleges and programs for the poor immediately.

How does this make sense? As a former community college instructor for 15 years, I can attest to what our school does for students. Why must they pay more when top earners get a break? How much is enough for the wealthy?

Eddith Buis, Omaha

Inauguration boycott not helpful

U.S. Rep. John Lewis said last week that Donald Trump would be an illegitimate president and that he would not attend the inauguration. Lewis was brave in his work involving civil rights. However, one needs to separate the civil rights icon from the man today, a bitter and spiteful man. His attitude is not helpful to his constituents and shows a total lack of cooperation.

Furthermore, the animus shown by those boycotting the inauguration demonstrates the mentality of children refusing to play with other children because they didnt get their way. Lewis and his like on either side of the aisle are becoming political dinosaurs.

Theres a new sheriff in town who is about to make huge changes in both foreign relations and domestic policy. It has to happen for the survival of this nation.

William Steiner, Omaha

Focus on districts challenges

I understand that Omaha State Sen. Sen. Ernie Chambers has the right to keep fighting the death penalty. However, one has to question if his efforts could find a more useful way of serving his constituency. There must be more he can do to help his district deal with issues such as violence, drug use and economic challenges.

It would seem the senator could have a much greater impact if he focused on the lives of victims instead of defendants.

Troy A. Burress, Papillion

Thanks, Mayor Stothert

I dont write letters like this often, but I wanted to acknowledge the efforts of Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and her administration during the ice storm. To see that the mayor and her staff were in the hotline office most of Sunday and Monday, taking calls and responding personally to constituents, was very impressive. Thank you, mayor.

Vitaliy Onishchuk, Omaha

Executive orders? Count em

Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse has been extremely critical of President Barack Obamas issuance of executive orders. Heres a little history lesson for the senator. President Ronald Reagan issued 381 executive orders. President George H.W. Bush issued 166 in one four-year term. Bill Clinton issued 364, and George W. Bush 291. The total for Obama is 275.

Your query to Attorney General-nominee Jeff Sessions was an embarrassment. Like most Republicans, you spew out misinformation. Please stop.

Sean McGrath, Omaha

Sit tight for four years

Barbra Streisand claims she doesnt know how she will survive the next four years with Donald Trump as president. Its easy, Barbra. Take a lesson from us conservatives who just survived eight years under President Barack Obamas radical liberal agenda.

We were here eight years ago, and were still here. Will you still be here in four years, or will you and your liberal friends leave the country as some of you promised?

Terry J. Svik, Norfolk, Neb.

Grateful to guardian angels

Last week while I was driving along 120th Street, the alternator stopped working in my car, and it lost all power just as I was turning onto Miami Street.

I was at a loss as to what to do, when suddenly a man and a woman came to my aid. They were Cox workers who happened to be driving along Miami Street.

They were like two guardian angels. They tried to start my car. When that wouldnt work, they manually pushed my car over to the curb so it wouldnt block traffic.

I am so grateful for their help. They could have passed me by, as many other people did, but they took the time to stop and render aid.

Thank God there are such people in this world. I didnt get their names, but I hope they will read this message and know how much appreciated they are.

Maureen McGrath, Omaha
LINCOLN  Nebraskans have purchased more than 5,000 of the new mountain lion specialty license plates.

Revenue from the cougar plates has generated nearly $28,100 for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commissions wildlife conservation education fund, said Jim Douglas, commission director.

We expect that count will grow, he said Friday during a commission meeting in Lincoln.

A fiscal analysis predicted last year that the plates could raise about $20,000.

The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles charges $40 extra for mountain lion plates adorned with custom messages, or $5 more for regular letter-and-number combinations. The commission receives $30 of the fee for personalized plates, and the entire $5 surcharge for the other plates.

The plates feature an artistic rendering of a mountain lion. Douglas said the commission provided the design for the plates.

Former State Sen. Charlie Janssen of Fremont suggested the idea of a cougar plate in 2014. State Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, an opponent of cougar hunting, sponsored the bill that was passed last year creating the specialty plate.

Two new license plate designs are available this month. They are a breast cancer awareness plate and a new standard plate with a design featuring the iconic Sower statue atop the State Capitol, celebrating Nebraskas 150th anniversary of statehood.
150 under scanner in Assam for Islamic State links

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Intelligence Bureau has placed under scanner 150 youth from Assam for alleged links with the Islamic State. The spread of the IS from Bangladesh to West Bengal and Assam with the help of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen is a well-known fact. Intelligence Bureau officials say that the IS has managed to spread its ideology deep into the system in West Bengal and it is attempting the same in Assam as well.

It has been found that several splinter outfits which work for the JMB and the IS combine in Assam. Signs of the IS rising in Assam were witnessed in 2016, when nearly 40 persons were arrested for their links with the terrorist outfit.

Assam has been on the radar of the IS for long. Along with West Bengal and Bangladesh, Assam forms part of the ambitious Bengal Caliphate proposed to be set up by the IS. When the Burdwan episode broke out in 2014, several operatives of the JMB were traced to Assam as well.

During questioning the accused revealed that terrorists had slipped into India through both Assam and West Bengal. There is a huge migrant population in both these states and a weak border has only made it easier for terrorists to slip in, officials say.

During a recent meeting held in Guwahati, the issue relating to the IS had cropped up. It was decided that the state administration would coordinate closely with the central agencies to stem this rot before it went out of hand.

Oneindia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 9:39 [IST]
After warning, Amazon US pulls down Gandhi flip-flops

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 20: After Amazon withdrew a tricoloured 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. 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.

IANS
Tuesday is now No Meeting Day in Haryana and officers to be with people on Friday

Akalis recruiting criminals: Bhagwant Mann

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Chandigarh, Jan 20: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) of recruiting criminals in the ranks of the party's youth and students' wings ahead of the February 4 state assembly elections.

Sangrur MP and AAP campaign committee chairman Bhagwant Mann, in a statement here on Friday, said that Akali leaders have taken the law into their hands and were indulging in unlawful activities with impunity. "The office bearers of SAD were involved in cases ranging from molestation to murder," Mann pointed out.

"Bikram Majithia (Punjab revenue minister and Youth Akali Dal patron) has recruited hundreds of criminals in the youth wing and Students Organisation of India (SOI), a student wing of SAD. Members of YAD and SOI are a threat to peace and communal harmony in the state," Mann said. Pointing out instances of Akali leaders involved in alleged criminal activities, Mann said that a ruling party sarpanch (village headman) has been accused of abetting the suicide of a minor Dalit boy in Bhai Bakhtaur village in Bathinda district.

"The SAD leadership is shielding criminals and absorbing them in the party," Mann said. "SAD leaders involved in criminal activities had full backing of SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal and Youth Akali Dal patron Bikram Singh Majithia," Mann alleged.

He said that an Akali Dal sarpanch had slapped a protesting teacher in a village last year while a YAD office bearer, Ranjit Singh Rana, had killed Assistant Sub Inspector Ravinder Pal Singh in full public view near Amritsar when he tried to protect the dignity of his daughter from Akali goons.

"Akali Dal leader Shiv Lal Doda was involved in the murder of Dalit youth Bhim Tank in Abohar (last year)," the AAP leader said. He added that liquor and drug mafias were being patronised by ruling party leaders.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 17:23 [IST]
Conspiracy to kill BJP leaders: Prime accused deported to India

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

A key accused in a conspiracy case to kill Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in South India has been arrested by the police. Syed Zakir Raheem a resident of Hyderabad was deported from Saudi Arabia. After he landed in the Delhi airport, he was arrested and taken to Hyderabad.

Raheem was arrested first by the Saudi Arabia police on May 2016. After the required documents were submitted to the authorities in Saudi Arabia he was deported. He is the brother in law of Farhatullah Ghori, the prime accused in the case who is currently in Pakistan.

The case was cracked in 2013 by the Bengaluru police. It was found that a group of persons had come together and plotted the murder of BJP leaders. Further investigations showed that the conspiracy was hatched in Hyderabad and Nanded also.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 18:29 [IST]
Demonetisation painful but important: Jaggi Vasudev Sadhguru

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Jan 20: Spiritual leader and writer Jaggi Vasudev Sadhguru of Isha Foundation on Friday urged the citizens of India to support Prime Minster Narendra Modi's demonetisation move calling it a "painful" but an "important" decision.

The yogi, who is attending the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival here, said this was the first time a drastic decision was taken to change the economic status of the country, and that the results will show in due time. "No drastic decision was taken to change the economic status of the nation. In the democratic society, political parties are concerned about the next elections, so long term planning is not there because of the very nature of democracy.

"Now, the decision has been taken, however painful it is. Everybody complains because they are not used to such decisions but this (demonetisation) is the best thing to do. Time will tell its result and citizens should support it," he told PTI.

Dispelling the prevalent misconceptions about yoga in the West, Sadhguru also elaborated on the traditional Indian yogic concepts and its importance worldwide. "There is a complete misunderstanding about yoga in Western countries, whether it is an Indian philosophy or some kind of exercise. Therefore, it is important to bring the true spirit and the science of yoga to the western world," he said.

The writer also participated in a session on his bestselling book, "Inner Enginnering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy". "There is a science and engineering to inner well being, and it is high time that human beings addressed inner well being in a scientific way," he said. The mystic also talked about his upcoming book 'Adiyogi: The Source of Yoga' scheduled to be published next month.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 17:18 [IST]
Dimple bhabhi Yadav: The glue that keeps SP together

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

She is referred to as bhabiji in political circles. Dimple Yadav stood like a rock behind her husband and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav during the Samajwadi Party feud. Akhilesh was tense and worn down at the time of the feud, but it was Dimple who ensured that the party work went on and more importantly her son did not sever all ties with his father and Samajwadi Part chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

After the Akhilesh faction won the battle at the Election Commission, it is Dimple who insisted that the elections would be fought under the name of her father-in-law.

The importance of Dimple Yadav:

When the SP feud raged on there was a lurking danger that Akhilesh could have been branded as a power seeker at the risk of severing ties with his father. Dimple continued to post photographs of the family on the social media to tell the people that her husband was a family man.

She has over the years grown as a politician. The MP from Kannauj even called the shots on the alliances that the SP should enter into. She was with party men at the time of the SP crisis and ensured that work for the elections went on smoothly.

Dimple, who has been in the shadow of her husband came out of it at the time of the family crisis. She insisted to party men and Akhilesh Yadav that the Mulayam should be the mentor. She also made sure that the posters of the party must don a larger image of Mulayam than Akhilesh.

Dimple also played the perfect bahu at the time of the crisis. She did not want Akhilesh to snap ties with the father. She visited Mulayam several times and also sent over her children to meet with their grandfather on several occasions.

In the SP's campaign Dimple will play a much bigger role. She would hit the campaign trail both her husband as well as alone. She will be the SP's mascot to rope in the women votes in UP.

Oneindia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 11:46 [IST]
Hindu Sena celebrates ahead of Trump's inaugural ceremony

Activists of Hindu Sena, garland and offer sweets to a photograph of US President-elect Donald Trump as they celebrate ahead of his inauguration ceremony, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Donald Trump to swear-in as US President on Friday

Artist Jagjot Singh Rubal gives the final touches to a portrait of US President-elect Donald J. Trump, on the eve of his inauguration ceremony, in Amritsar.

Hindu Sena was elated when Trump won elections in last year

Activists of Hindu Sena celebrate victory of Donald Trump in the US Presidential elections, in New Delhi last November.

Hindu Sena had offered prayers for Trump's victory

Members of Hindu Sena had last year offered prayers for Donald Trump's victory in the US Elections last year.
India is planning railway link with neighbouring countries

India

oi-PTI

Darjeeling, Jan 20: The Centre is mulling linking neighbouring countries like Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal through the railways.

This was announced here today by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu at a programme where an agreement was signed between the Indian Railways and UNESCO. "We have neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal. We have a very cordial relationship with them. We want to increase railway connectivity with these countries. We are trying to develop it," Prabhu told reporters.

"If a circuit can be made connecting these neighbouring countries, it will increase interaction, tourism, trade, employment and connectivity," he added. Prabhu said work was on to connect all the eight state capitals of the north-east, so that the tourism potential of the region gets a boost.

Horticulture, floriculture, handicraft of the region would get a bigger market after the state capitals are connected with the rest of the country, the railway minister said, adding that he would visit Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the next two days. Prabhu said investments of Rs 3-3.5 lakh crore would be made in the railways while the amount had been Rs 35,000-40,000 crore a year earlier. This will bring development in the functioning of the railways, he added.

PTI
Islamic State targets in India: Middle class educated youth

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

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 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.

IANS
J-K Assembly passes resolution for return of Kashmiri Pandits

India

oi-PTI

Jammu, Jan 19: In a significant development, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly today unanimously passed a resolution for creating a conducive atmosphere for the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley, with the state government asserting it will go ahead with the proposal of setting up transit camps for the displaced community which is being strongly opposed by separatists and some mainstream groups.

Soon after the House met in the morning, on a day the mass migration started in 1990 from the Valley, 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. Since 1990, Kashmiri Pandits observe January 19 as 'Holocast Day'.

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.

Speaker Kavinder Gupta moved the resolution which was passed by voice vote. Welcoming the "unanimous move," J-K Education Minister and government spokesman Naeem Akhtar said, Kashmiri Pandits have "full rights" on the Kashmir and the government will go ahead with the proposal of setting up of transit camps for the community in the Valley. "It is a very good initiative which has gone from the entire house which means that our political system wants that Pandits should return," he said outside the state Assembly.

"A road map is already there that first they (KPs) will come to the transit camps where they can feel secure ... they will spend a year or two (in transmit camps) after that wherever they want they can construct a house." "Like I have the right on Kashmir they too have their rights. They are equal stakeholders in Kashmir ...We need them more than they need us," he said. On the opposition by separatists for setting up the transit camps, Akhtar said, "It is an ongoing dialogue ... but I don't think the common Kashmiri is with them".

Separatists and some mainstream groups are opposing setting up of transit accommodation for Kashmiri pandits as part of their return to the Valley from which they were forced out in 1990. Last Monday, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had also slammed those opposed to transit accommodation for Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, and questioned how the return of "our people" could bring about a demographic change.

"They (separatists and others opposed) are saying that if the Kashmiri Pandits comes back it will be demographic change. How is it a demographic change? "Those who have taught us, lived and grown up with us and in whose homes we used to eat food and those who are an inseparable part of our culture, what demographic change will there be if they return back to Kashmir? I fail to understand this logic," Mehbooba had said in Legislative Council here.

PTI
Why is the DMK continuing to oppose the imposition of Hindi? - 50 years of struggle and the truth!

Jallikattu row: Protesters to continue agitation till ordinance is passed

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Chennai, Jan 20: Protesters on Friday rejected the call of Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam who urged protesters to withdraw their protest immediately. However, they vowed to continue the stir until the ordinance comes into effect.

TN CM says within 2 days ordinance will be brought & #jallikattu will be organised, we won't leave Marina Beach till it's done: Protester pic.twitter.com/pqk10aJeLf  ANI (@ANI_news) January 20, 2017

Earlier today, Panneerselvam said that the state government has sent a draft of amendment to MHA. And he believes that the draft would be approved in 1-2 days which will pave way for Jalikattu.

The ordinance would then be forwarded to President Pranab Mukherjee. After the President's approval, the ordinance would be sent to TN Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao.

Meanwhile, Chennai's Marina Beach continues to witness a sea of protesters for the fourth consecutive day, demanding that the ban on Jallikattu be lifted.

On Thursday, Panneerselvam appealed for an ordinance to revoke the Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu but Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained non-committal on the contentious issue, saying the matter was in the Supreme Court.

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 take steps along with the Centre on Jallikattu.

OneIndia News
Malegaon blasts: Sadhvi Pragya likely to walk free soon

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Jan 20: Sadhvi Pragya Singh, who has spent a little over six years in jail in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, is likely to walk free. The National Investigation Agency which is probing the case told the Bombay high court that it would have no objection if bail is granted to her.

The NIA submission was backed by the fact that the stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act or MCOCA are not applicable to this case.

The Sadhvi had moved the high court after her bail was rejected by a lower court. The agencies had earlier slapped MCOCA on the accused on the ground that they were involved in other cases as well. However, the NIA made it clear that the accused were involved only in the Malegaon 2008 case and hence MCOCA would not be applicable to them.

Sadhvi said in her bail plea that she has been in jail for a little over six years and the charges have not been framed yet. "I am a woman suffering from terminal illness and hence bail should be granted."

She also cited the probe by the Maharashtra ATS and termed it as tainted. Before the NIA took over the case it was the ATS which probed the case. She added that several witnesses had retracted their statements.

On September 29, 2008, seven people were killed and 100 others injured after a bomb placed on a motorcycle exploded at Malegaon in Maharashtra.

OneIndia News
* Barrow takes oath in Gambian embassy in Senegal

* Veteran leader Jammeh refusing to step down

* Regional forces cross border to support Barrow

* Thousands have fled country fearing unrest (Updates with statement on regional operation)

By Tim Cocks and Emma Farge

BANJUL/DAKAR, Jan 19 (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 neighbour.

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.

Story continues

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)
Mamata Banerjee calls on investors, says Bengal is your home

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Kolkata, Jan 20: In an effort to shed West Bengal's investor wary image and woo much needed capital, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday promised a "friendly environment" to Indian and foreign industrialists if they infused capital in the state.

"Industries were facing hardship due to demonetisation. Come to Bengal and invest here. You will get a friendly environment. We are giving all the relief," Banerjee said at the third edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit. Reminding investors that West Bengal was the gateway to the north eastern states and neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, Banerjee made a passionate appeal to them to come to the state.

"Please do not consider us as a government but as your family members. Bengal is your home and that is why I appeal to my brothers and sisters to invest in Bengal," she said. Banerjee said the summit has proved itself as a milestone. "Bengal is the engine of the country's growth. Bengal has become the destination and gateway of investments, she said.

Projecting the business opportunities in the state, she said Bengal had a land bank, land use policy, skilled labour, air, rail and road connectivity and policies for many sectors, besides being surplus in power. The Chief Minister said the state's tax collection was up 103 per cent, plan expenditure has increased 212 per cent and the state GDP has grown by 123 per cent. The capital expenditure has increased by 616 percent and the state is growing at 1.5 times of the national average, she said.

"No man-days were lost. Five years ago, man-days lost was 78 lakh due to agitation during the regime of the Left Front (that ruled Bengal between 1977 and 2011). We do not allow any strike and blockade. If there is a problem, we sort it out within 24 hours," she said.

"Our growth in the industrial sector has been 10.5 per cent compared to national average of 7.3 per cent," she said. Banerjee said over 4,000 delegates from 29 countries and across Indian states have attended the summit. "We are eager to listen to your discussions and looking forward for the outcome," she added.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 14:22 [IST]
Cabinet approves MoU between India, Denmark in field of Water Resources Development and Management

For beneficiaries of EWS flat a gift from PM Modi like none other

PM Modi hands over keys of 3024 EWS flats to beneficiaries under slum rehab plan

Narendra Modi dedicates his next Mann Ki Baat to his young friends

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, Jan 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his upcoming monthly radio broadcast--Mann ki Baat--is all set to talk about school students, who are preparing for their board exams.

The next Mann Ki Baat is scheduled on January 29.

Informing about his popular show, heard by millions every month, the PM tweeted on Friday, "The #MannKiBaat episode on 29th January will primarily be on the various board exams coming up. It will be a programme for my young friends."

The #MannKiBaat episode on 29th January will primarily be on the various board exams coming up. It will be a programme for my young friends.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2017

He added, "Urging students, parents and teachers to share their thoughts and exam season experiences. Their views will surely inspire so many others."

PM Modi asked listeners of his radio broadcast to share their thoughts and experiences on a specially created App.

You can also post on the MyGov open forum or call on 1800-11-7800. https://t.co/mPMNvvdSIs #MannKiBaat  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2017

This will be PM Modi's first Mann Ki Baat address of 2017. In his previous radio broadcast, the PM talked about demonetisation.

In his last Mann ki Baat of 2016, Modi thanked people for enduring "pain" in wake of the cash crunch and said there were many people "who are wholeheartedly supporting the action being taken and have clearly said that this fight must be carried forward".

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 12:08 [IST]
Cabinet approves MoU between India, Denmark in field of Water Resources Development and Management

For beneficiaries of EWS flat a gift from PM Modi like none other

PM Modi hands over keys of 3024 EWS flats to beneficiaries under slum rehab plan

Narendra Modi to Donald Trump: Look forward to working with you

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Donald Trump on his becoming the US President and said he looked forward to working with him to further deepen India-US ties.

"Congratulations Donald Trump on assuming office as US President. Best wishes in leading USA to greater achievements in the coming years," Modi said in a tweet.

Congratulations @realDonaldTrump on assuming office as US President. Best wishes in leading USA to greater achievements in the coming years.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2017

"Strength of the India-USA strategic partnership lies in our shared values and common interests," the Prime Minister said.

Strength of the India-USA strategic partnership lies in our shared values and common interests.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2017

"Looking forward to working with President Donald Trump to further deepen India-US ties and realise the full potential of our cooperation," Modi added.

Looking forward to working with President @realDonaldTrump to further deepen India-US ties & realise the full potential of our cooperation.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2017

Modi's remarks came after Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of USA.

IANS
No comment on Pranab Mukherjee book before reading it: Former Union Minister

Pranab memoirs: PM Modi must speak more often in Parliament

Pranab Mukherjee to Donald Trump: Look forward to welcoming you in India

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Jan 20: President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday congratulated Donald Trump as the latter was sworn in as the 45th President of the US and said he looks forward to welcoming the Trumps in India.

"Please accept best wishes for your success, personal well-being and for continued progress & prosperity of the people of USA," President Mukherjee tweeted.

Please accept best wishes for your success, personal well-being & for continued progress & prosperity of people of USA #PresidentMukherjee  President of India (@RashtrapatiBhvn) January 20, 2017

"We look forward to an early opportunity of welcoming you and Mrs. Melania Trump to India," he added.

We look forward to an early opportunity of welcoming you and Mrs. Melania Trump to India @realDonaldTrump #PresidentMukherjee  President of India (@RashtrapatiBhvn) January 20, 2017

IANS
Pranab Mukherjee wants better quality education in West Bengal

India

oi-PTI

Kolkata, Jan 20: President Pranab Mukherjee today asked the West Bengal government to focus on providing quality education environment and not just aim at increasing the number of educational institutions.

He also said there was no point increasing the number of educational institutions in the country without giving thrust on quality of education, and emphasised on the need to maintain the assets of such institutes.

Addressing the bi-centenary celebration of the Hindu School here, Mukherjee said "I would like to tell the state education minister that you have to give importance to higher education if you want to improve yourself in the modern era." "You cannot do things in an old manner. You have to give out-of-box solution," he said.

Emphasising on the need to give importance to quality education, the President said, "In West Bengal, it is good that we have 27 universities but increasing number of schools and colleges should not be our aim. We have to give importance to quality education and research and development."

On maintaining the assets of educational institutes, Mukherjee said "I am the Visitor of 126 central universities. ...we have only increased infrastructure, not the quality. We are building only assets and not maintaining them."

Asserting that there is a need to provide proper infrastructure for research activities in the country, he said otherwise the way noble laureates like Amartya Sen, Hargovind Khurana and S Subramanyam left the country for better education, the country's talented pool will also go abroad.

Just before the President's speech, West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said there is an increase in number of universities to 16 from 13 in the TMC regime in the state and as many as 41 colleges have been constructed, while 4.5 lakh seats have raised. He also said that the state will recruit more teachers for primary and middle education schools in the next few months.

Governor Keshri Nath Tripathi, the Presidency University Vice Chancellor Anuradha Lohia as well as alumni of the Hindu School were present at the event. The Hindu School was set up in 1817 with a motto to provide western education in the country.

PTI
Man rapes 8-year-old to use her blood for removing obstacles to his marriage

Rape case accused Narayan Sai seeks bail to contest UP polls

India

oi-PTI

Surat, Jan 19: Self-styled godman Asaram's son Narayan Sai, currently behind bars in a rape case, on Thursday 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.

PTI
UP elections: No Mahaghatbandan, as SP-RLD talks fail

India

oi-Vicky

Lucknow, Jan 20: There has been a collapse in talks between the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. This almost draws the curtains on the possibility of a Mahaghatbandan or Grand Alliance in UP comprising the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the RLD.

[Also Read: 290 seats non-negotiable, rest is your call: SP tells Congress]

This would also mean that the Janata Dal (U) will not campaign for the SP. The party's spokesperson, KC Tyagi informed that it would campaign for the RLD instead. The RLD is said to have demanded no less than 30 seats, but the SP was ready to part with only 22.

However, sources indicate that Akhilesh Yadav has trust issues with RLD chief, Ajit SIngh. In case of a fractured mandate, Singh may not back the SP, but go with the BJP, he feels.

Weak alliance?

The breakdown of talks with the RLD is likely to hurt the SP-Congress alliance. The impact will particularly be felt in Western UP. The RLD is a Jat centric party and this accounts for 17 per cent of the votes in Western UP. The Jats in Western UP have been moving away from the BJP.

Had there been an alliance, it could have hurt the BJP. The Jat votes which are likely to go to the RLD will be a crucial factor in case of a fractured mandate. Singh is known for his inconsistent politics. He has over the years changed too many partners and hence it would be interesting to see if he is entirely backed by the Jat community.

On the other hand, the SP-Congress felt that an alliance with the RLD would anger the Muslim voters in the UP assembly elections 2017. The Muzzafarnagar riots were between the Jats and Muslims and this has led to an irreparable divide.

The SP felt that it was more important to keep their Muslim vote bank intact rather than ally with the RLD and anger the community.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 7:44 [IST]
Zakir Naik's Rs 100 crore real estate investments under NIA scanner

India

oi-Vicky

New Delhi, Jan 20: There is more trouble for controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. The National Investigation Agency has found transactions to the tune of almost Rs 100 crore which were allegedly invested in real estate.

[Also Read: Delhi HC defers Zakir Naik's plea challenging ban on NGO]

The NIA has learnt that there are 78 different bank accounts through which these transactions were made. "We are in the process of examining these accounts and once the picture is clearer, we will summon him for questioning," an NIA official said.

The NIA is also in the process of questioning members of 23 different entities, who are alleged to be involved with Zakir Naik. The NIA officials say that there is a clear trail that the money had been invested in real estate.

It is to be seen if Naik had invested the money at the behest of some third party, the officer added. While the NIA is also probing whether Naik had influenced several youth to join terror groups, the agency says that it would be more important to get to the bottom of the exact money trail.

There have been contributions or donations from abroad and we suspect that a chunk of this money has been diverted into real estate. Prior to the NIA taking over the probe, the Kerala police had claimed that some amount of money had been used for conversion-related activities in the state.

The Ministry for Home Affairs had recently banned Zakir Naik's NGO, Islamic Research Foundation. It was banned on various counts which also included receiving foreign funds without proper documentation.

OneIndia News
Benjamin Netanyahu seeks 'stronger than ever' ties with Trump

International

oi-PTI

Jerusalem, Jan 20: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today he wants relations with the United States to be "stronger than ever" after Donald Trump becomes president.

Netanyahu congratulated his "friend" Trump in a tweet before his inauguration, saying he was looking forward "to working closely with you to make the alliance between Israel & USA stronger than ever".

Congrats to my friend President Trump. Look fwd to working closely with you to make the alliance between Israel&USA stronger than ever   Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) January 20, 2017

Meanwhile, Israel's leftwing newspaper Haaretz reported today that security services have presented Netanyahu with a series of scenarios about potential Palestinian violence if Trump follows through on his promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Such a transfer would break with the consensus of the vast majority of the international community, which does not recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Israel captured east Jerusalem during the 1967 war and later annexed it, declaring all of the city its unified capital.

Also today, Israeli forces arrested five Palestinians who were taking protesting in the occupied West Bank against Israeli plans to annex Maale Adumim, a settlement east of Jerusalem, activists said. Rightwing Israeli politicians have said Trump's election is an opportunity to increase settlement building and push forward plans to annex Maale Adumim.

AFP
Hindu priest for Donald Trump's national prayer service

International

oi-PTI

Washington, Jan 20: A Hindu priest will be among various religious leaders who will offer prayers at the National Prayer Service of Donald Trump on Saturday, a day after he is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

Narayanachar L Digalakota from the popular Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, Maryland would offer prayers at the National Prayer Service to the held on Saturday at the Washington National Cathedral, the Presidential Inauguration Committee said yesterday. This is probably the first time a Hindu priest has been called for services at the national prayer service of the presidential inauguration. Another Indian-American Jesse Singh, a Sikh, would two others Ian McIlraith, and Anthony Vance to offer prayers for the people. The Priest would be joined by Elder D Todd Christofferson, Priest Bishop Harry Jackson, and Carlyle Begay to offer prayers for those who govern.

The interfaith ceremony is being held to complement Trump's commitment to be the President for all Americans, Committee said. The tradition of an inaugural National Prayer Service dates back to the first inauguration of George Washington. Since 1933, more than seven such inaugural services have taken place at the Washington National Cathedral. The President and Vice-President will attend the service which will include hymns, readings, and prayers.

"It is fitting that the president-elect will begin his inauguration week with a salute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and end the week in prayerful reflection at the National Prayer Service," said Presidential Inaugural Committee CEO Sara Armstrong. "At this moment of renewal for our country, President-elect Trump is humbled to pause and join with leaders from many different faith traditions represented in our country to ask His blessings for peace and prosperity for our country," she said.

At the National Prayer Service, Rt Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Bishop of Washington, will give the welcome and benediction, The Rt Rev James B Magness, Bishop Suffragan for Federal Ministries of the Episcopal Church, will lead a call and response and give the blessing at the end of the service.

Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of Washington National Cathedral, will also lead a call and response. Calls to prayer will be offered by Rev. Canon Rosemarie Duncan, Cantor Mikhail Manevich, and Imam Mohamed Magid.

Prayers for those who serve will be offered by Jack Graham and Pastor Greg Laurie, while prayers for service of others will be offered by His Eminence Geron Archbishop Demetrios of America, a media release said. The Lords Prayer will be led by Rev. Ramiro Pena and the readings by David Swanson, David Jeremiah, Rev. Ronnie Floyd, Rabbi Fred Raskind, and Sajid Tarar.

The service will conclude with a prayer for the nation delivered by His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, DC and a dismissal by Rev. Darrell Scott.

PTI
(Adds quotes, details)

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The world should be wary of stumbling into trade wars that would destroy jobs, World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevedo said on Friday.

Azevedo was speaking at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, hours before the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, who has promised sweeping changes in trade policy with the aim of protecting U.S. workers.

"I've heard a lot in Davos about trade wars. That would destroy jobs, not create jobs," Azevedo said after a trade ministers' meeting attended by representatives of 29 WTO members.

"I'm urging everyone to show caution, to show leadership. We must definitely avoid talking ourselves into a crisis."

Trade had helped to lift a billion people out of poverty, but more needed to be done to share the benefits, since the net positive effect of trade was meaningless to someone who had lost their job, he said.

"At the same time we must recognise that the major driver of change is technology, is innovation. Attacking trade won't help this. Putting up trade barriers won't help this."

The WTO chief said he had not had direct contact with the incoming U.S. administration and it was difficult to speculate about its trade policies. It would be necessary to see if U.S. trade concerns could be addressed by existing WTO tools.

The ministerial meeting, including representatives of the outgoing U.S. administration, China, Russia and the European Union, agreed that "protectionism was not the right answer" to anti-trade sentiments and concerns about technological change, said Swiss Economy Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann.

"Instead, trade should be made more inclusive and its benefits spread more widely," he said.

(Writing by Tom Miles; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Notorious drug lord 'El Chapo' extradited to US

International

oi-PTI

New York, Jan 20: Mexican drug baron Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, one of the world's most notorious criminals, was extradited to the US 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.

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. 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.

PTI
Mother who live-streamed taping her son to wall arrested

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New York, Jan 20: The 18-year-old Shayla Rudolph of Ohio who live-streamed the video of taping her two-year-old son to the wall has been arrested and charged with third abducting the boy, media reports said.

According to a report in FOX28, Rudolph's charges followed after the nearly 20-minute live video with her two-year-old taped to the wall was brought to the attention of police.

Detectives in Ohio had viewed the Facebook video on earlier this week, and the 18-year-old was arrested at her home on January 19 morning, and the child taken into custody by Children's Services.

The video shows a child crying in the background and then taped to the wall, with his head and arms affixed. His ankles and mouth also seemed taped.

The mother is then shown walking around a home, explaining how her son misbehaved and telling viewers, "Parents don't need to whoop the kids. All you got to do is tape them to the wall."

"On January 5, Children's Services says they contacted Rudolph about the video, which she claimed was a joke. Days later, another live video was posted with Rudolph telling viewers she heard from Children's Services and was now disciplining her son by having him stand in a corner," the report noted. In the video, the accused is is heard saying that it was her son and she could hang him upside down if she wanted to.

IANS


Nearly 180,000 Syrian babies born in Turkey

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Ankara, Jan 20: 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


No more divisive politics? Donald Trump pledges to 'unify' Americans

International

oi-PTI

Washington, Jan 20: A day ahead of his inauguration as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump on Thursday said he is going to unite the country as he promised the Americans to work hard and turn things around.

"We are going to unify our country and we will make America great again. We will make America great for all of our people, everybody throughout the country," Trump said while a crowd of thousands gathered at the Lincoln Memorial here at his inaugural 'Make America Great Again' rally and concert.

Joined by his wife and incoming First Lady Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, his sons and their their families, Trump enjoyed the nearly two-and-a-half hour concert.

Speaking to the cheering crowd comprising of young military personnel and veterans among common people, Trump assured that things will change in America for the good under his leadership.

He reiterated his campaign promises of bringing jobs back and strengthening the military and the country's borders. "I promise you that I will work so hard, we are going to get it turned around, we are going to bring our jobs back. We are not going to let other countries take our jobs any longer."

"We are going to build up our great military, we are going to strengthen our borders, we are going to do things that haven't been done for our country for many, many decades," he said amid loud cheers and applause.

While arriving at the Lincoln Memorial with his wife, the President-elect stopped in front of the towering statue of Abraham Lincoln and gave a salute to the former US President.

Earlier, the official inaugural activities began with Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldiers in a sombre ceremony at the Arlington National Ceremony.

Trump's family stood at a distance as he paid his respects to the American soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for the nation in the line of duty. The inaugural concert featured performances by Indian-American DJ Ravidrums, Sam Moore and US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, band rock band 3 Doors Down, YouTube sensation-- The Piano Guys.

Academy award-winning actor John Voight delivered the opening remarks. Trump thanked the American people for their support during his journey to the White House that began 18 months ago, saying he was "just a messenger" for the people who had become tired of the way things were moving forward in Washington and across the country.

"We were tired of seeing what was happening. We wanted real change, and I so look forward to tomorrow. We are going to see something amazing," he said.

PTI
Obama thanks people in his farewell letter on Facebook

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New York, Jan 20: With Donald Trump just a few hours away from becoming US' 45th President, outgoing President Barack Obama took to Facebook and posted a farewell letter.

Expressing gratitude to the American people, Obama on Thursday wrote: "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."

Obama recalled visiting a grief-stricken Charleston, South Carolina, church and watching scientists help wounded war heroes walk again.

As a parting word, Obama said ,"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'."

The 44th US President shared a link on his Facebook post for anyone interested in keeping in touch with his work.

IANS

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 11:53 [IST]
Philippines: Protesters urge President to stay away from Trump

International

oi-PTI

Manila, Jan 20: Left-wing and Muslim activists have urged Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in a noisy protest to keep his promise of charting a foreign policy independent of America by staying away from Donald Trump. Trump is set to be sworn-in as 45th president of the United States on Friday.

The more than 200 protesters in front of the U.S. Embassy in Manila pressed their call on Friday for an end to the presence of American troops in the country, saying they find Trump more alarming than Barack Obama because of his offensive remarks against immigrants and Muslims.

Protest leader Renato Reyes says "Obama sugar-coated imperialism but Trump has shown an in-your-face kind of imperialism." Duterte has been antagonistic to Obama for criticizing his deadly crackdown against illegal drugs but congratulated Trump in a phone call. He sent two top aides to attend Trump's inauguration.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 13:03 [IST]
Thailand is Asias first country to legalise cannabis, but you cant get high

Rise and fall of drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Mexican drug baron Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman has been extradited to the United States to face charges a year after he was recaptured in his home state of Sinaloa, Mexico. Guzman heads the Sinaloa cartel, which is an international drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime syndicate.

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.

Who is El Chapo?

He was was born into a poor family in the rural community of La Tuna, Badiraguato, Sinaloa, Mexico. Exact date of his birth is disputed, some say he was born on December 25, 1954, while others report he was born on 4 April 1957. Guzman has two younger sisters and four younger brothers.

He dropped put of school in third grade and ran away from home. He turned to the cultivation of opium poppy, a common practice among local residents and also sold marijuana.

Guzman left his hometown in search of greater opportunities in his teens. He then came in contact with his uncle Pedro Aviles Perez, one of the pioneers of Mexican drug trafficking. This paved way for El Chapo's entry into the organized crime.

In the 1970s, Guzman first worked for the drug lord Hector "El Guero" Palma by transporting drugs and overseeing their shipments from the Sierra Madre region to urban areas near the US-Mexico border by aircraft.

His ruthless attitude and business acumen saw hiom rise fast in the Guadalajara Cartel. In 1980's, Guzman met Felix Gallardo, one of the major drug lords in Mexico at that time. Gallardo later made Guzman in-charge of his logistics.

In the mid 1980's, the anti-drug operations by the US and Mexico led to the weakening of Guadalajara Cartel, which split into Tijuana Cartel, Juarez Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel. Guzman was the top member of Sinaloa Cartel which operated in the drug corridors of Tecate, Baja California, Mexicali and San Luis Rio Colorado, two border crossings that connect the states of Sonora and Baja California with Arizona and California.

Guzman was captured for the first time in Guatemala on June 9, 1993, and extradited to Mexico, where he was sentenced to 20 years, nine months in prison. He continued to control his drug business despite being in prison and finally escaped a decade later.

He became Mexico's undisputed top drug kingpins in 2003 after the arrest of his rival Osiel Cardenas of the Gulf Cartel.

In 2013, the Chicago Crime Commission named Guzman "Public Enemy Number One" for the influence of his criminal network in Chicago. He was subsequently arrested in 2014, but escaped again on July 11, 2015.

[Notorious drug lord 'El Chapo' extradited to US]

A massive manhunt was launched and he was finally arrested on January 8, 2016, after 17 marines from the Mexican Navy's Special Forces raided his residence in the city of Los Mochis in northern Sinaloa.

OneIndia News
PM Modi arrives in New Delhi after attending State Funeral of Shinzo Abe in Tokyo

Shinzo Abe pledges unchanging allegiance to US under Trump

International

oi-PTI

Tokyo, Jan 20: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he plans to visit the US as soon as possible to meet with Donald Trump after the new American president's inauguration.

Abe said on Friday in an annual policy address to parliament that the US-Japan alliance is an "unchanging principle" for his country's foreign and security policy.

Japan is worried about how Trump's "America first" policy will affect US commitment to the Asia region, as well as the fallout from any heightened tensions with China and North Korea.

Abe met Trump in New York in November, shortly after the election win. He was the first foreign leader to meet the president-elect. Trump will be sworn in as president on Friday.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, January 20, 2017, 12:15 [IST]
Trump inauguration: 28,000 personnel to watch over 9 lakh attendees

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

With over 900,000 (approximately 9 lakh) people expected to attend President-elect Donald Trump's swearing-in, the United States' law enforcing agencies have made elaborate arrangements in Washington.

The security agencies have to meticulously plan arrangemnents not only against the threats of a terrorist attack, but also against anti-Trump marches and protests around the nation's capital.

According to reports, an estimated of 28,000 personnel from national guard, the department of homeland security, the United States coast guard, the US Secret Service, FBI and US capitol police would provide multiple layers of security to the mega event.

Around 3,000 top police officers from across the United States met in Washington D.C. on Thursday to discuss the logistics and detailed plans of multi-dimensional security.

What complicates the entire matter is that there around 99 pro- and anti-Trump groups, that need to be watched so that nothing untoward happens.

As per reports, the number of people expected to attend Trump's inaugration is almost half the number of people who attended outgoing President Barack Obama's swearing-in. Obama's swearing-in was attended by close to 1.8 million (approximately 18 lakh) people.

Reports also suggest that security agencies have placed buses and trucks have been placed in strategic locations to prevent Berlin and Paris like attacks.

OneIndia News
 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd.

All rights reserved.

One News is a registered trademark

of One News Page Ltd.
FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit.
Rumble 03 Nov 2022

President Trump is scheduled to appear on Real Americas Voice on the morning of Thursday, November 3, for an exclusive, live..
Wales Online 30 Oct 2022

The tragic accident happened when James East was on a night out and he had sat down for a rest
SkillOnNet to Exhibit White Label Software at ICE 2017

Published January 20, 2017 by Mike P

Preparations are nearly complete ahead of ICE Totally Gaming 2017 and SkillOnNet is just one company with major plans for the exhibition.

SkillOnNet is currently making its final preparations ahead of the ICE Totally Gaming 2017 conference in London this February. In recent months, SkillOnNet has been increasing the scale of its white label casino software offering. EUcasino and SlotsMagic are two of the best-known SkillOnNet casinos and it seems that more are set to rise.

Ready for B2B

After developing consumer experience, SkillOnNet now feels ready to assist casino operators on a B2B basis. SkillOnNet will be stationed at stand N6-222 Excel at ICE 2017, ready to outline the proposition that awaits prospective casino operators. The software company has already created more than 80 of its own video slots and table games, with compatibility available on tablets and smartphones.

Leading up to the conference, SkillOnNet head of business development Andy Andrew has revealed that the companys white label platform can offer nearly 700 games. To make this possible, the company has also chosen to acquire gaming content from third-party software studios.

At present, the online casino marketplace has made software a diversity a priority, which is why companies like SkillOnNet and are routinely entering into partnerships. In this case, the company works with a number of renowned supplies, including Microgaming, Amaya, WMS, NetEnt, NextGen, Merkur, and Bally Wulff. Meanwhile, the live dealer software comes from Evolution Gaming, Novoline, and Xpro.

Seeking New Partners

Andrew is hoping to speak with prospective B2C and B2B partners when he meets delegates at ICE 2017. He believes that the companys combination of aggregated games and multiple remote gaming licences will make SkillOnNet an enticing partner.

He also stressed that the companys B2C experiences in running EUcasino and SlotsMagic have enabled it to sharpen its white label software offering. SkillOnNet is seeking out new opportunities in the B2B field, but Andre has also underlined the companys willingness to enter into joint-ventures.
Matthias Knab, Opalesque:

On March 8th 2017, ABN AMRO Clearing will be hosting the 6th Amsterdam Investor Forum (AIF) at its head office. The conference's main day on 8th March will include panel sessions and key notes as well as the AIF Factor.

The AIF Factor is a competition where 5 shortlisted alternative funds are given the floor for a 3 minutes pitch, to present their proposition to 250+ professional investors and managers. Delegates then cast their votes, appointing the most convincing pitch as the 2017 AIF Factor winner.

"The Amsterdam Investor Forum is a unique opportunity for institutional investors, fund managers and asset allocators to meet and debate on market developments, regulatory landscape, investment strategies and allocation ideas. This year again, the forum will regroup the most talented managers and largest investors in alternatives. Through the AIF Factor, we want to give the chance to fund managers to raise their profile and present their fund strategy to an audience of investors, asset allocators and peers", comments Gildas Le Treut, Global Head of Prime at ABN AMRO Clearing.

How to participate in the AIF Factor?

Participation in the AIF Factor is free of charge. Alternative investment managers who want to participate should send all details of their pitch by 19th February 2017. Registration should be done through the ......................

To view our full article Click here
From Robert Reich Blog

This morning [Jan 18] Donald Trump bashed NBC, tweeting: "Totally biased NBCNews went out of its way to say that the big announcement from Ford, G.M., Lockheed & others that jobs are coming back to the U.S., but had nothing to do with TRUMP, is more FAKE NEWS. Ask top CEO's of those companies for real facts. Came back because of me!"

Here are four takeaways from Trump's latest tantrum:

1. As usual, Trump has his facts wrong. Analysts say Ford's decision to expand in Michigan rather than in Mexico had mostly to do with the company's long-term plans to invest in electric vehicles. It's easier for companies to find highly skilled workers to build new products, such as electric cars, in the United States than in Mexico.

GM said its plan was approved before the election, but it was "accelerated" under pressure from Trump. Relatedly, Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler chief executive, said Chrysler's plan to build some cars in the U.S. had been in the works for more than a year and had nothing to do with Trump. Marchionne credited the decision to talks with the United Auto Workers.

2. Once again, the tweet reveals Trump's pathological narcissism. All Trump can think of about is "TRUMP," which he capitalizes, then insists that the jobs "Came back because of me!" This is the rant of a child wanting attention and praise, not someone who will shortly be President of the United States.

3. It's also dangerous. Although Trump's outrage at NBC -- like his condemnation of other specific media outlets that don't report what he wants -- is harmless now, it could threaten press freedom when Trump has power over regulators at the FCC and antitrust division who could make life difficult for targeted media outlets.

4. It's intended to divert attention from the big stuff. Trump's specific deals with particular companies diverts attention from his larger initiatives that will hurt working Americans.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act, for example, will leave at least 18 million Americans without health insurance next year.

Trump's cabinet picks are overwhelmingly anti-worker. Andrew Puzder, Trump's nominee for the Labor Department, wants to get rid of Obama's overtime rule, which, if implemented, is expected to add $12 billion to workers' wallets over the next decade. And Puzder is against the minimum wage.

And the huge corporate tax cuts and military buildup Trump is pushing will give congressional Republicans a rationale to cut Medicare and Social Security, in order to avoid bigger budget deficits.

A few jobs "saved" is nothing compared to these and other hardships Trump will be imposing on working Americans.

All told, Trump's tweet tantrum reveals a great deal about the man who's soon to be president of the United States. None of it inspires confidence.
- 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.

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Sergei Millian, the head of a Russian-American business group, claimed he helped Trump "study the Moscow market."



Sergei Millian (l), Donald Trump and Jorge Perez in a photograph posted on Facebook by Mr Millian in 2014

(Image by Financial Times) Details DMCA



Last week, the Senate Intelligence Committee announced it was commencing an investigation of Russian hacking during the 2016 campaign that would include an examination of connections between Russia and the Trump camp. And a veiled but public exchange between Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a member of the committee, and FBI Director James Comey during a hearing on January 10 suggested the FBI has collected information on possible ties between Trump associates and Russians and may still be probing this matter. So with subpoena-wielding investigators on this beat, here's a suggestion: The gumshoes ought to talk to an American from Belarus named Sergei Millian, who has boasted of close ties to Trump and who has worked with an outfit the FBI suspected of being a Russian intelligence front. If they haven't already.

Millian, who is in his late 30s and won't say when he came to the United States or how he obtained US citizenship, is an intriguing and mysterious figure with a curious connection to Trump. He is president of the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce in the USA (RACC) and the owner of a translation service. The RACC, a nonprofit that Millian started in Atlanta in 2006 and that has survived on shoestring budgets, advocates closer commercial ties between Russia and the United States and assists US firms looking to do business in Russia. In 2009, the group called for the US Congress "to foster necessary political changes to produce a healthier economic environment" and grant permanent normal trade relations status to Russia. Its website notes that it "facilitates cooperation for U.S. members with the Russian Government, Russian Regional Administrations, U.S. Consulates in Russia, Chambers of Commerce in Russia, and corporate leaders from CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] countries."


No revolution with Trump - News

(Image by morningmail.org) Details DMCA



The news is full of mis and disinformation regarding the inauguration of D. J. Trump. Misinformation is false or inaccurate information, especially that which is deliberately intended to deceive. Disinformation is intentionally false or misleading information that is spread in a calculated way to deceive target audiences, news that is true but is meant to deceive you. They both can be considered Fake News.

For example, about 1,000 of a promised 4,000 U.S. troops did arrive in Poland at the start of the week. As the troops, tanks and heavy armored vehicles crossed into south-western Poland from Germany getting close to the Russian border, some people, known as conspiracy theorists, are behind the disinformation that Obama is planning to kick off World War III on Friday so he can declare Martial Law and stay President.

Soros-backed groups, behind the "Not My President," are funding anti-Trumpsters all over the country on Friday to protest Trump becoming the 45th POTUS. Although a large faction of demonstrators are self-motivated, there is no way a movement this organized could happen without outside, professional help.

What protests are taking place during Donald Trump's inauguration... Telegraph.co.uk-Jan 17, 2017

Donald Trump inauguration: four protest buses for every bus of ... International-The Sydney Morning Herald-16 hours ago

Boycotting the inauguration may be the right protest, but it's the ... Opinion-Los Angeles Times-16 hours ago

Donald Trump inauguration protests expected to break records In-Depth-Washington Times-13 hours ago

Everything you need to know about Donald Trump's inauguration Blog-Politico (blog)-Jan 17, 2017

Maj. Gen. Errol Schwartz, the commander of the District of Columbia National Guard, is going to be out of a job just as President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office. Schwartz confirmed that he would be leaving at that time but that he did not know the reason for his dismissal.

Why would the top commander be leaving at 12:01 p.m.?

Well, according to one of the top fake news websites, the "Deep State" is planning to assassinate Trump.

According to Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers, there is an apocalyptic sounding Security Council (SC) report circulating in the Kremlin today that says President Putin has just received an emergency personal message from President-elect Donald Trump that, in part, says "I may not live through week," but adds, "If I do, I'll get even with these bastards and everyone will win!" Trump allegedly goes on with two cryptic quotes:

1.) "We shall have world government, whether or not we like it. The question is only whether world government will be achieved by consent or by conquest."--that was stated by the German born American banker James Warburg, son of Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) founder Paul Warburg, who said these shocking words when he gave testimony before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on 17 February 1950.

2.) "Today the path to total dictatorship in the U.S. can be laid by strictly legal means" We have a well-organized political-action group in this country, determined to destroy our Constitution and establish a one-party state" It operates secretly, silently, continuously to transform our Government" This ruthless power-seeking elite is a disease of our century" This group"is answerable neither to the President, the Congress, nor the courts. It is practically irremovable."--that was stated by US Senator William Jenner four years later in 1954.

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
33 years ago, Ronald Reagan was elected President in large part because of his TV ad, "It's morning in America." "It's morning again in America, and under the leadership of President Reagan, our country is prouder and stronger and better." For many Americans, the inauguration of Donald Trump foretells a period of darkness, "It's midnight in America."

Here on the Left Coast, where Trump got roughly one-third of the vote, the prevailing emotion is depression. My homies are split on what's worse: the fact that lying bully Trump is President or that he got 63 million votes.

Nonetheless, there is ray of hope in the darkness. Trump is uniquely vulnerable by virtue of his personality and the nature of his appeal. Our challenge is taking advantage of this vulnerability.

Personality. Thousands of pages have been written analyzing Trump's personality. He's a narcissistic who lacks impulse control and lashes out at those who challenge him. And he's a pathological liar. Nonetheless, Trump's vulnerability is that he is a con man. Time and again, in his business and personal life, he has proposed a grandiose solution and then produced something totally inadequate. (For example, Trump University.)

Program. Trump has made many promises about what he'll do as President. His "plans" can be factored into three groups. Promises he made to the oligarchs -- such as Robert Mercer and Charles Koch -- who pulled him across the finish line. He's promised to reduce their taxes and roll back government regulations. It's likely Trump will deliver on these promises but they will not impact the average Trump voter.

Trump has also made foreign policy promises, the most prominent of which was to cozy up to Russia. Trump will try to do this -- it's a big objective of his closest foreign policy adviser, Mike Flynn. But Trump's foreign policy plans will run into huge opposition from the Senate. Whatever happens, it won't impact the average Trump voter. (Unless, of course, if Trump takes us to war, which he's certainly capable of.)

Finally, Trump has made a series of domestic policy promises, the most prominent of which feature jobs. This is what Trump voters care about and where he is most vulnerable.

Trump won the election because his supporters believed that an outsider could shake up the status quo and bring economic prosperity to America's have-nots. Trump's jobs "program" has three components: spur employment by reducing taxes and regulations, threaten corporations who plan to move jobs out of the country, and institute a massive infrastructure program.

In his election night speech, Trump talked about his trillion dollar infrastructure initiative: "We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals. We're going to rebuild our infrastructure, which will become, by the way, second to none. And we will put millions of our people to work as we rebuild it."

What Trump has suggested is similar to the program that President Obama proposed after the initial recovery from the great recession. Obama wanted a massive infrastructure-based jobs program financed by taxing corporations and the wealthy. (Hillary Clinton proposed something similar.) Congressional Republicans squashed it.

Trump has proposed a similar infrastructure-based jobs program but with a different method of financing: "The American Infrastructure Act leverages public-private partnerships and private investments through tax incentives to spur $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over the next ten years." For example, in Trump's plan, America would finance new highways by giving construction companies tax incentives up front and, after the highway was completed, letting the builder charge tolls.

Trump's jobs initiative faces two obstacles. First, congressional Republicans are unlikely to approve the taxes required to fund a trillion dollar program and less likely to approve an unfunded initiative. Second, Trump doesn't understand the nature of America's unemployment problem.

In his January 11th news conference, Trump claimed that 96 million Americans are unemployed; a typical misstatement. 96 million adult Americans are not in the labor force mostly because they are retired, sick, going to school, or running a household. Only 7.4 million are officially unemployed (4.6 percent). However, another 7.6 million are not fully employed because they are involuntarily working part time or "marginally attached to the workforce" -- such as "discouraged" workers who have quite looking for employment. Thus 15 million Americans are unsatisfactorily employed -- a rate of 9.4 percent.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).


(Image by State of the Nation) Details DMCA



In the final days of his presidency, Barack Obama deployed 3,500 US troops, 87 tanks and 144 Bradley fighting vehicles to Poland, and 330 Marines to Norway. He also signed 'milestone' agreements with Estonia and Lithuania enabling a broad range of defense-related activities. For Poland, this marks the first time forces from the West will have a continuous presence on NATO's eastern flank. For Norway, it's the first time since WWII that foreign troops will be allowed to be stationed there. The US, through NATO, had already begun the "biggest reinforcement since the Cold War, posting four multinational battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. In November, Washington announced the deployment of nearly 6,000 troops, along with tanks, infantry vehicles, heavy howitzers, and combat helicopters to Eastern Europe," according to RT. Obama's latest provocations put more US firepower at Russia's doorstep and are (rightfully) being viewed as acts of hostility by Russian officials.

John Pilger summed up the past 8 years of Obama by writing, "according to a Council on Foreign Relations survey, in 2016 alone Obama dropped 26,171 bombs. That is 72 bombs every day. He bombed the poorest people on earth, in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan.

"Every Tuesday - reported The New York Times - he personally selected those who would be murdered by mostly hellfire missiles fired from drones. Weddings, funerals, shepherds were attacked, along with those attempting to collect the body parts festooning the 'terrorist target.'

"Under Obama, the U.S. has extended secret 'special forces' operations to 138 countries, or 70 per cent of the world's population. The first African-American president launched what amounted to a full-scale invasion of Africa. Reminiscent of the Scramble for Africa in the late Nineteenth Century, the U.S. African Command (Africom) has built a network of supplicants among collaborative African regimes eager for American bribes and armaments.

"It was Obama who, in 2011, announced what became known as the 'pivot to Asia', in which almost two-thirds of U.S. naval forces would be transferred to the Asia-Pacific to 'confront China,' in the words of his Defense Secretary. There was no threat from China; the entire enterprise was unnecessary. It was an extreme provocation to keep the Pentagon and its demented brass happy.

"...Propaganda is his triumph. The lies about Russia -- in whose elections the U.S. has openly intervened -- have made the world's most self-important journalists laughingstocks. In the country with constitutionally the freest press in the world, free journalism now exists only in its honorable exceptions."


Curse Terror Kill Graphic

(Image by t.mrsn) Details DMCA



Five diplomats were killed and the UAE envoy to Afghanistan Juma Mohammed Abdullah al-Kaabi was injured in a bomb blast in Kandahar on Jan 10. The official Emirates news agency, WAM, said these diplomats were 'on a mission to carry out humanitarian, educational and development projects in Afghanistan'.

It is suspected that Taliban had carried out the attack although the Pakistan-based militant group has not yet taken the responsibility.

To say that the United Arab Emirates government is rattled by the attack is an understatement by all means.

Emirates, as the UAE is known, was one of only three countries, along with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, to recognize the Taliban government during its five-year rule of Afghanistan.

In recent years, Dubai, which is also known as the second home of Pakistani elite, business community and working class, has hosted meetings of Taliban and Afghan officials as they struggled to start peace talks.

In short, the Gulf nation is not unsympathetic to the Taliban, though Emirati troops are deployed to Afghanistan after the 2001 U.S.-led forces marched into Kabul and toppled the Taliban, who had harbored al-Qaeda before and after the Sept. 11 attacks.

As a part of NATO-led mission, the UAE deployment has been training members of the Afghan armed forces. And have won the love and admiration of locals by praying with them in community mosques and respecting their traditions as fellow Muslims.

It is known for a long while that transfer of funds takes place through UAE to Afghanistan primarily via Pakistan to support terror groups and activities linked with Daesh and other outfits being operated from safe havens in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal belt and along the Durand Line drawn by the British to separate Pakistan and Afghanistan. Movement of operatives and fund transfers also take place from Turkey, Syria, Iraq and other gulf countries to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

From all accounts the Kandahar attack made the Emirates' security agency to up the ante vis-a-vis Pakistan. It reportedly conveyed to its Pakistani counterpart in 'a very clear and strict terms' to identify the suspect channels and individuals who are involved in these fund-transfer activities.

It is also learnt that UAE has issued "a veiled threat" to Pakistan of adverse consequences "if its request is not complied with". What could be the consequences is anybody's guess. For a perennially fund-starved Pakistan, there can be no more catastrophe than funds becoming scarce with restrictions on investments et al.

Buckling under pressure, the Pakistan government has instructed its agencies to prepare a dossier on illegal money-transfer channels that are suspected to be linked with radical and terror outfits in Pakistan or Afghanistan.

One Peshawar-based hawala operator said, on the condition of anonymity, that an officer of a secret agency had approached him to check details of his recent money transfers from UAE and other Gulf countries to Pakistan.

In addition, ISI has activated its assets within hawala operators particularly in Peshawar, which is the gateway of sorts to militant-infested tribal belt to keep a strict vigil on suspect transfers linked with terror groups and Daesh.

On their part, the UAE authorities have also been focusing on private money exchanges which are primarily remitting money to Pakistan.

UAE has also initiated a coordination mechanism with Afghanistan to exchange information on such suspect transfers.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
From Palestine Chronicle

For some, the "manslaughter" conviction -- following the murder by Israeli army medic, Elor Azaria, of already incapacitated Palestinian man, Fattah al-Sharif -- is finally settling a protracted debate regarding where Israelis stand on Palestinian human rights.

Nearly 70 percent of the Israeli public supports calls to pardon the convicted soldier, who is largely perceived among Israelis as the "child of us all."

Israeli leaders are also lining up to lend their support to Azaria and his family. These sympathetic politicians include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and ministers Naftali Bennett and Miri Regev, among others. Leading opposition leaders are also on board.

Pro-Israeli pundits, who never miss an opportunity to highlight Israel's supposed moral ascendancy took to social media, describing how the indictment further demonstrates that Israel is still a country of law and order.

They seem to conveniently overlook palpable facts. Reporting on the verdict, "The Times of Israel," for example, wrote that "last time an IDF soldier was convicted of manslaughter was in 2005, for the killing of British civilian Tom Hurndall two years earlier."

Between these dates, and years prior, thousands of Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip alone, mostly in the Israeli wars of 2008-9, 2012 and 2014. Although thousands of children and civilians were killed and wounded in Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Territories and, despite international outcries against Israel's violations of international law, there is yet to be a single conviction in Israeli courts.

But why is it that some commentators suggest that the Azaria trial and the show of unity around his cause by Israeli society is an indication of some massive change underway in Israel?

Yoav Litvin, for example, argues in "TeleSur" that the "precedent set by this case will further solidify the complete dehumanization of Palestinians and pave the way for further ethnic cleansing and genocide in the Occupied Palestinian Territories."

In an article, entitled: "Like Brexit and Trump, Azaria verdict exposes a moment of transition in Israel," Jonathan Cook also eluded to a similar idea. "The soldier's trial, far from proof of the rule of law, was the last gasp of a dying order," he wrote.

Neither Litvin nor Cook are suggesting that the supposed change in Israel is substantive but an important change, nonetheless.

But if the past and the present are one and the same, where is the "transition," then?

The creation of Israel atop the ruins of Palestine, the ethnic cleansing that made Israel's "independence" possible, the subsequent wars, occupation and sieges are all devoid of any morality.

Indeed, Israel was established with the idea in mind that a "Jewish state" is not possible without the ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian Arabs.

In a letter to his son in 1937, David Ben Gurion, Israel's first Prime Minister after the country's establishment in 1948, wrote: "We must expel the Arabs and take their places and if we have to use force, to guarantee our own right to settle in those places then we have force at our disposal."

In the year that Israel was established, the United Nations defined genocide in Article 2 of the "Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide," as follows:

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
THE 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."

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
From Counterpunch

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 Washington's 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, Trump's 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. Here's 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 past...We 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 Trump's 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 Washington's 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 Washington's 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 puppet-masters 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 Washington's 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 CIA's involvement in the coups in Ukraine and Honduras, as well as the agency's 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 that's 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 he's someone who can sit down, roll his sleeves up and make a deal. And what you're hearing in his reflections whether it be with Russia, or China or other countries in the world, is that we're going to reengage. We're going to put America first, we're going to reengage in a way that advances America's interests in the world and that advances peace." (Vice President-elect Mike Pence, FOX News Sunday)

The American people don't 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: "Aleppo's 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. Here's 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 the 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 con-federal 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 state -- similar to how Iraqi Kurdistan has functioned for a quarter-century... "Many Syrians will not like the idea of a con-federal 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 "con-federal system" is a sobriquet for a broken, Balkanized failed state run by tribal elders, disparate warlords and bloodthirsty jihadists. O' Hanlon's 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 Washington's 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.

Russia's intervention into the Syrian conflict in September 2015, has cast doubt on Washington's 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 Russia's wings, discredit Putin in the eyes of the international community, and lay the groundwork for regime change in Moscow. Washington's ultimate plan for Russia hews closely to that of Zbigniew Brzezinski who -- in a titled "A Geostrategy for Eurasia"-- had this to say:

"Given (Russia's) 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 Russia's 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 Moscow's 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)

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).


Vice President Biden (left) swears UN Ambassador Samantha Power into office as husband Cass Sunstein (center) looks on (2013 White House photo)

(Image by White House) Details DMCA



Researchers into the causes of President Kennedy's assassination and the 9/11 attacks hold an advantage over most others in deciphering news about national security intrigues that rely on dubious evidence.

Students of those crimes have by now detected so much media self-censorship or exaggeration in reports about those attacks that it's relatively easy for them to discern similar patterns in treatments of other high-stakes issues.

One is the current alarm by U.S. officials and mass media over "fake news," particularly as applied to propaganda involving 2016 election results. The term "fake news" is being applied primarily to independent websites -- some of which are indeed outright frauds. National Public Radio's Laura Sydell reported one example last fall in We Tracked Down A Fake-News Creator In The Suburbs. Here's What We Learned.

But other outlets being smeared as "fake" should be regarded as alternative media. Of varying credibility, they sometimes stumble, sometimes serve as propaganda outlets -- and sometimes play brave role in analyzing official reports and other conventional wisdom regarding historically important events. Such events include the 9/11 attacks and assassination of President Kennedy.

We focus below on several recent stories that expose credibility problems with Newsweek, its former owner the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, CBS News, and the New York Times. These examples -- including a remarkable screw-up by Newsweek in distributing copies of a magazine showing Hillary Clinton as our elected "Madam President" -- help illustrate the credibility gap that mainstream outlets are inflicting on themselves, whether they admit it or not in their crusades against alternative outlets.

The analysis below comes in the midst of the mainstream media's harsh, sudden, and seemingly relentless campaign currently against "fake news."

We provide today's column as balance because many of the attacks resemble such previous and now-discredited campaigns as the CIA-driven Operation Mockingbird, in which the nation's 40 major news organizations combined to suppress inconvenient news during the 1950s and 1960s. The CIA's Frank Wisner and Washington Post publisher Philip Graham jointly operated the program, which was exposed in the 1979 book Katharine the Great by Deborah Davis.

The current allegations against Russia, including of hacking U.S. election-related sites and blackmailing GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, are beyond the scope of today's column. This editor attended a hard-hitting lecture on that topic Jan. 17 by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, who delivered one of her last major speeches at the Atlantic Council's headquarters overlooking the Russian Ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C.

Power's claims that a conspiracy exists to promote fake news and hacking is a topic for another day, particularly because the complexities are intertwined with the role of U.S. government propaganda and disinformation. That inevitably points to important but complex and secretive machinations, including those suggested by her husband Cass Sunstein, a top Obama White House regulator in the Office of Management and Budget during the first term.

Sunstein suggested as a Harvard Law professor in 2008 and then in his 2014 book Conspiracy Theories and Other Dangerous Ideas that the government hire professors and journalists as secret government operatives. Those operatives, he said, could use such professional disguise to disrupt research into such "dangerous ideas" as research that questions the government's account of 9/11 attacks. That is itself a dangerous idea, as Glenn Greenwald has noted in Obama confidant's spine-chilling proposal.

Also a topic for another day is background on the latest developments in studies related to President Kennedy's assassination and 9/11 research. We have published an ongoing Readers Guide To JFK Assassination, and separately reported a comprehensive overview of 9/11 research in Experts Reject Planes, Fire As Cause For 9/11 WTC Collapses. The latter covered the historic Justice in Focus conference organized by Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth in New York City on the occasion of the 15th anniversary last September of the attacks.

Today's analysis focuses instead on exploring shocking shortcomings in basic research recently by several of our most prestigious news outlets coupled with a disturbing reluctance on their part to concede the scope of their credibility problems.

Newsweek's Election Day SNAFU

We start with Newsweek, which the Post sold for $1 in 2010 plus assumption of liabilities to entrepreneur Sidney Harman, husband of then-House Intelligence Committee chair Jane Harman (D-CA). Newsweek still retains some of the cachet of its former stature even though almost all of the 2013 staff is gone after multiple ownership changes.

Shortly before the November elections, Newsweek (now owned by IBT Media) printed 125,000 copies of a souvenir magazine shown above featuring Hillary Clinton as the nation's new president. Newsweek understandably sought to scoop the competition with copies, to be sold for $10.99 per copy, as reported by NBC News. The magazine was also ready, if needed, to distribute an alternative issue with a cover reporting that Trump had won.

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
From Paul Craig Roberts Website



Middle Class vs Business Class

(Image by rebelparty.org) Details DMCA



I was about to write a detailed and favorable review of Greg Palast's book, Billionaires & Ballot Bandits when a friend sent me a request to "share" Palast's Facebook LIVE broadcast of Palast's documentary exposing "exactly how Trump and his cronies attacked the voting rights of a million minority voters to steal the White House."

Let's 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 don't 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.

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 Palast's 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 Palast's 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 Establishment 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-wing's 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."

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Taxpayers Will Pay... and Pharma Will Profit Further



No Responsible News Outlet Disputes Pharma Caused the Opioid Addiction Epidemic

(Image by Martha Rosenberg) Details DMCA



By now, the contours of Pharma's opioid prescription scam which has driven a heroin epidemic have emerged. Between 1996 and 2002, Purdue Pharma, who makes OxyContin, funded more than 20,000 pain-related "educational" programs reports Vox Media and "launched a multifaceted campaign to encourage long-term use of [opioid painkillers] for chronic non-cancer pain." It gave money to groups like the American Pain Society, the American Academy of Pain Medicine, the Federation of State Medical Boards and "grassroots" patient groups to advocate "for more aggressive identification and treatment of pain," says Vox.

According to 2013 lawsuits filed by Chicago and California counties, the opioid makers Johnson & Johnson, Purdue, Teva, Endo Health and Actavis misled the public about opioid addiction and safety, paid doctors to extol pro-opioid opinions and created faux "patient" groups to signal the great demand for opioids.

Pharma-paid doctors actually changed pain guidelines to favor opioids. The American Geriatrics Society recommended opioids for "all patients with moderate to severe pain," and said that opioids should be used before over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and naproxen. A pain guide supported by the Society along with opioid maker Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson says opioids "allow people with chronic pain to get back to work, run, and play sports," and addiction fears are a "myth." One hundred and twenty five people are now dying a day from opioids, according to the New York Times--not quite a myth.

Pharma marketed opioids for every possible affliction from headaches and lower back pain to non-pain conditions like depression, divorce and boredom, r eported Bloomberg. IMMPACT, a Pharma-funded lobbying group even privately met with federal regulators to facilitate new opioid approvals.

Yet, unlike the tobacco industry which agreed to pay for the costs of smoking-related illnesses in perpetuity, taxpayers are paying for Pharma's profit party. The 21st Century Cures Act allocates $1 billion in grants to help states "deal" with opioid addiction that Pharma caused. Purdue alone made $31 billion on opioids reported the Los Angeles Times. Why are taxpayers paying?

And it gets worse. Pharma will further profit from the opioid addiction epidemic because it has succeeded in marketing the drug buprenorpine (Suboxone) as the preferred treatment for opioid addiction--a drug with its own "high" and street demand. A Pharma funded group promoting buprenorpine says it seeks to "reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with patients with addiction disorders"--as if Pharma didn't stoke those "addiction disorders" to begin with! Ka-ching. Addiction medicine" and "medication-assisted treatment" (MAT) are now huge new revenue streams for Pharma which taxpayers fund. At least six board of directors at the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) have Pharma financial links and three are on speaker boards.

It is a sad comment on addiction that some of the biggest opponents of tighter opioid regulation are patients themselves who say the problem is not the drug but that the drugs are too restricted. In addition to deaths and overdoses, opioids cause cardiopulmonary and congestive heart problems, sleep apnea, hormonal changes, constipation, decreased immune responses, liver and kidney risks, fracture risks, lassitude and mental problems. Opioids even cause opioid-induced analgesia (OIA) in which pain actually gets worse not better.

Next Page 1 | 2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Yes, the Internet can be used for something other than extracting value and data from human beings. Rob Kall is here to show us how to leverage the power of networks to actually network."



Douglas Rushkoff, Digital thought leader, author of Present Shock
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Fascinating, eye-opening, and extraordinary, Rob Kall's Bottom Up: Tapping the Power of the Connection Revolution explores the emerging paradigm of our age -- bottom-up thinking -- connecting an enormous range of disciplines and topics from systems, chaos, and complexity theories to the evolving role of technology in our lives. Not merely a cogent exposition of contemporary thinking, however, Bottom Up extrapolates from abstract ideas to derive practical, everyday steps we can take to improve our chances of global survival, peace, and prosperity. Following Rob's lead, we can change habits as individuals to deepen our connection with others across the planet."



Wendell Potter, former health insurance executive, co-author of Nation on the Take: How Big Money Corrupts Our Democracy and What We Can Do About It, and Founder of Tarbell.org
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Bottom-Up is a direct and logical look at how we live our lives, conduct our business, manage our societies, and, most importantly, communicate with each other. Author Rob Kall explains it all in plain English. But don't let the readability of this book fool you into thinking that it's not important. Kall cuts to the heart of the most critical issues in communication today. This book is as important as game theory. And people will take notice."



John Kiriakou, former CIA officer and author of The Reluctant Spy and Doing Time Like a Spy
Dairy Not Found

Sometimes, authors delete their diaries after publishing them.



To see if the diary was renamed or re-published, please click here.
Progressive Content Not Found

Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing.



To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here.
Reprinted from www.socialistproject.ca

The United States stands at the endpoint of a long series of attacks on democracy, and the choices faced by the American public today point to the divide between those who are committed to democracy and those who are not. Debates over whether Donald Trump was a fascist or Hillary Clinton was a right-wing warmonger and tool of Wall Street were a tactical diversion. The real questions that should have been debated include: What measures could have been taken to prevent the United States from sliding further into a distinctive form of authoritarianism? And what could have been done to imagine a mode of civic courage and militant hope needed to enable the promise of a radical democracy? Such questions take on a significant urgency in light of the election of Donald Trump to the presidency. Under such circumstances, not only is the public in peril, it is on the brink of collapse as the economic, political, and cultural institutions necessary for democracy to survive are being aggressively undermined. As Robert Kuttner observes:

"It is hard to contemplate the new administration without experiencing alarm bordering on despair: Alarm about the risks of war, the fate of constitutional democracy, the devastation of a century of social progress. Trump's populism was a total fraud. Every single Trump appointment has come from the pool of far-right conservatives, crackpots, and billionaire kleptocrats. More alarming still is the man himself -- his vanity, impulsivity, and willful ignorance, combined with an intuitive genius as a demagogue. A petulant fifth-grader with nuclear weapons will now control the awesome power of the U.S. government. One has to nourish the hope that Trump can yet be contained. Above all, that will take passionate and strategic engagement, not just to resist but to win, to discredit him and get him out of office while this is still a democracy. We can feel sick at heart -- we would be fools not to -- but despair is not an option."[1]

Kuttner rightly mediates such despair with a call for resistance. Yet, such deep-seated anxiety is not unwarranted given the willingness of contemporary politicians and pundits during the 2016 presidential battle to use themes that echoed alarmingly fascist and totalitarian elements of the past. According to Drucilla Cornell and Stephen D. Seely, Trump's campaign mobilized a movement that was "unambiguously fascist."[2] They write:

"We are not using the word 'fascist' glibly here. Nor are we referencing only the so-called 'alt-right' contingent of his supporters. No, Trump's entire movement is rooted in an ethnic, racial, and linguistic nationalism that sanctions and glorifies violence against designated enemies and outsiders, is animated by a myth of decline and nostalgic renewal and centered on a masculine cult of personality."[3]

Large segments of the American public, especially minorities of class and color, have been written out of politics over what they view as a failed state and the inability of the basic machinery of government to serve their interests. As market mentalities and moralities tighten their grip on all aspects of society, democratic institutions and public spheres are being downsized, if not altogether disappearing. As these institutions vanish -- from public schools to healthcare centers -- there is also a serious erosion of the discourses of community, justice, equality, public values, and the common good. This grim reality has been called a "failed sociality" -- a failure in the power of the civic imagination, political will, and open democracy. [4] As the consolidation of power by the corporate and financial elite empties politics of any substance, the political realm merges elements of Monty Python, Kafka, and Aldus Huxley. With the election of Donald Trump, the savagery of neoliberalism has been intensified with the emergence at the highest levels of power of a toxic mix of anti-intellectualism, religious fundamentalism, nativism, and a renewed notion of American exceptionalism. Mainstream politics is now dominated by hard-right extremists who have brought to the center of politics a shameful white supremacist ideology, poisonous xenophobic ideas, and the blunt, malicious tenets and practices of Islamophobia.

The older political establishment's calls for regime change and war are now supplemented by the discourse of state sanctioned torture, armed ignorance, and a deep hatred of democracy. Neoliberalism, with its full-fledged assault on the welfare state and public goods, the destruction of the manufacturing sector, and a dramatic shift in wealth to the upper 1 per cent, has destroyed the faith of millions in democracy, which lost its power to contain the rich and the rule of financial capital. With the erosion of the social contract and the increasing power of the rich to control both the commanding institutions of society and politics itself, democracy has lost any legitimacy as a counter weight to protect the ever widening sphere of people considered vulnerable and disposable. The result has been that the dangerous roadmap to neo-fascist appeals have gained more and more credence. The end result is that large portions of the American public have turned to Trump's brand of authoritarianism. The future looks bleak, especially, for youth in neoliberal societies as they are burdened with debt, dead-end jobs, unemployment, and, if you are black and poor, the increasing possibility of being either incarcerated or shot by the police. [5] The United States has become a war culture and immediate massive forms of resistance and civil disobedience are essential if the planet and human life is going to survive.

There can be little doubt that America is at war with its own ideals and that war is being waged against minorities of color and class, immigrants, Muslims, and Syrian refugees. Such brutality amounts to acts of domestic terrorism and demands not only massive collective opposition but also a new understanding of the conditions that are causing such sanctioned violence and the need for a fresh notion of politics to resist it. This suggests putting democratic socialism on the agenda for change.

The struggle for democratic socialism is an important goal, especially in light of the reign of terror of the existing neoliberal mode of governance. It is crucial to remember that as a firm defender of the harsh politics and values of neoliberalism, Trump preyed on the atomization and loneliness many people felt in a neoliberal social order that derides dependency, solidarity, community, and any viable notion of the commons. He both encouraged the fantasy of a rugged individualism and toxic discourse of a hyper-masculine notion of nativism, while at the same time offering his followers the swindle of a community rooted in an embrace of white supremacy, a white public sphere, and a hatred of those deemed irrevocably other. The ideology and public pedagogy of neoliberalism at the root of Trump's embrace of a new authoritarianism must be challenged and dismantled ideologically and politically.



2016.11.12 Anti-Trump Protest Washington, DC USA 08729

(Image by tedeytan) Details DMCA



Yet, the task of challenging the new authoritarianism will only succeed if progressives embrace an expansive and relational understanding of politics. This means, among other things, refusing to view elections as the ultimate litmus test of democratic participation and rejecting the assumption that capitalism and democracy are synonymous. The demise of democracy must be challenged at all levels of public participation and must serve as a rallying cry to call into question the power and control of all institutions that bear down on everyday life. Moreover, any progressive struggle must move beyond the fragmentation that has undermined the left for decades. This suggests moving beyond single issue movements in order to develop and emphasize the connections between diverse social formations. At stake here is the struggle for building a broad alliance that brings together different political movements and, as Cornell and Seely observe, a political formation willing to promote an ethical revolution whose goal "is not only socialism as an economic form of organization but a new way of being together with others that could begin to provide a collectively shared horizon of meaning."[6]

Central to a viable notion of ideological and structural transformation is a refusal of the mainstream politics of disconnect. In its place is a plea for broader social movements and a more comprehensive understanding of politics in order to connect the dots between, for instance, police brutality and mass incarceration, on the one hand, and the diverse crises producing massive poverty, the destruction of the welfare state, and the assaults on the environment, workers, young people and women.

One approach to such a task would be to develop an expansive understanding of politics that necessarily links the calls for a living wage and environmental justice to demands for accessible quality healthcare and the elimination of conditions that enable the state to wage assaults against Black people, immigrants, workers and women. Such relational analyses also suggest the merging of labour unions and social movements. In addition, progressives must address the crucial challenge of producing cultural apparatuses such as alternative media, think tanks and social services in order to provide models of education that enhance the ability of individuals to make informed judgments, discriminate between evidence based arguments and opinions, and to provide theoretical and political frameworks for rethinking the relationship between the self and others based on notions of compassion, justice, and solidarity.

Crucial to rethinking the space and meaning of the political imaginary is the need to reach across specific identities and to move beyond single-issue movements and their specific agendas. This is not a matter of dismissing such movements, but creating new alliances that allow them to become stronger in the fight to not only succeed in advancing their specific concerns but also enlarging the possibility of developing a radical democracy that benefits not just specific but general interests. As the Fifteenth Street Manifesto group expressed in its 2008 piece, "Left Turn: An Open Letter to U.S. Radicals," many groups on the left would grow stronger if they were to "perceive and refocus their struggles as part of a larger movement for social transformation."[7] Any feasible political agenda must merge the pedagogical and the political by employing a language and mode of analysis that resonates with people's needs while making social change a crucial element of the political and public imagination. At the same time, any politics that is going to take real change seriously must be highly critical of any reformist politics that does not include both a change of consciousness and structural change.

If progressives are to join in the fight against authoritarianism in the United States, they will need to create powerful political alliances and produce long-term organizations that can provide a view of the future that does not simply mimic the present. This requires aligning private issues to broader structural and systemic problems both at home and abroad. This is where matters of translation become crucial in developing broader ideological struggles and in fashioning a more comprehensive notion of politics. Movements require time to mature and come into fruition and depend on an educated public that is able to address both the structural conditions of oppression and how they are legitimated through their ideological impact on individual and collective attitudes and modes of experiencing the world. In this way radical ideas can be connected to action once workers and others recognize the need to take control of the conditions of their labour, communities, resources, and lives.

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Global Zeolite Market 2017 : Zeolyst, Bear River, Zeochem AG, Blue Pacific Minerals, Clariant, W. R. Grace

Zeolite

http://bit.ly/2jCcJKK

http://bit.ly/2jAX26Z

A market study based on the "Zeolite Market" across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Zeolite Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Zeolite industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Zeolite market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research ReportUOP (Honeywell)CECA (Arkema)BASFZeochem AGTosoh CorporationW. R. GraceZeolystBear RiverBlue Pacific MineralsClariantThe report studies the industry for Zeolite across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Zeolite market & dynamics of demand and supply of Zeolite into consideration. The 'Zeolite' research study covers each and every aspect of the Zeolite market globally, which starts from the definition of the Zeolite industry and develops towards Zeolite market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Zeolite market is classified and analysed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Zeolite market. The geographical segmentation of the Zeolite industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Zeolite is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Zeolite market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Zeolite market worldwide.Enquire Here :The global Zeolite market 2017 is also analysed on the basis of product pricing, Zeolite production volume, data regarding demand and Zeolite 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 Zeolite 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
Disposable Syringes Market : Emergence Of Advanced Technologies And Global Industry Analysis 2023!!

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1259

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/disposable-syringes-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Geographically, disposable syringes market has been segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Rest of the World. The market size and forecast for each of these regions has been provided for the period from 2013 to 2023, along with their respective CAGRs for the forecast period from 2015 to 2023, considering 2013 and 2014 as base years. The report also provides with market size and forecast for major countries in the respective regions. The research study also covers competitive scenario in the mentioned regions. A detailed qualitative analysis of factors responsible for driving and restraining the market growth and future opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. This section of the report also provides with market attractiveness analysis, Porters Five Forces analysis, and market share analysis by key players, thus presenting a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global disposable syringes market.For Any Queries Get Solutions With A PDF Sample :Based on the product type, the disposable syringes market has been segmented into: safety syringes and conventional syringes. Safety syringes have been further classified as automatic retractable syringes, manually retractable syringes, non-retractable syringes and auto-disable syringes. Conventional syringes comprise with needle and without needle. Each of the market segments have been extensively analyzed based on adoption rate, awareness, advantages, efficacy, revenue, and geographical coverage. The market size and forecast in terms of USD million for each segment has been provided for the period from 2013 to 2023. The report also provides the compound annual growth rate (CAGR %) for each market segment for the forecast period from 2015 to 2023, considering 2013 and 2014 as base years.This report on the disposable syringes market studies the current and future prospects of the market across the globe. Syringes have made possible the delivery of medicines via parenteral means such as intravascular and intramuscular. Disposable syringes have been preferred than re-usable syringes majorly due to low cost, accuracy, sterility, and ease of handling. The market report comprises an elaborate executive summary, which includes a market snapshot that provides information about various segments and sub-segments of the market. It also provides information and data analysis of the global disposable syringes market with respect to market segments based on the product type and their geographic analysis.View exclusive Global strategic Business report :A list of recommendations has been provided for new entrants as well as existing market players to assist them in taking strategic initiatives to establish a strong presence in the market. The report also profiles major players in the market based on various attributes such as company overview, financial overview, product portfolio, business strategies, and recent developments. Major players profiled in this report include B. Braun Melsungen AG, Becton, Dickinson & Company, CODAN Medizinische Gerate GmbH & Co. KG, Gerresheimer AG, Covidien (Medtronic plc), Retractable Technologies, Inc., Star Syringe Ltd., Smiths Medical, Terumo Corporation and Unilife Corporation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Natural Zeolites Market Research Segments Based On Key Vendors, Challenge, Industry Trend, Analysis and Forecast To 2021

Natural Zeolites

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/850169-global-and-chinese-natural-zeolites-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/850169-global-and-chinese-natural-zeolites-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/850169-global-and-chinese-natural-zeolites-industry-2016-market-research-report

www.wiseguyreports.com

Executive Summary:The 'Global and Chinese Natural Zeolites Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Natural Zeolites industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Natural Zeolites 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.Complete Report Details @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 Natural Zeolites 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 Natural Zeolites 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 Natural Zeolites Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2011-2021 global and Chinese Natural Zeolites industry covering all important parameters.Request Sample Copy of this Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comTable of ContentsChapter One Introduction of Natural Zeolites Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Natural Zeolites1.2 Development of Natural Zeolites Industry1.3 Status of Natural Zeolites IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Natural Zeolites2.1 Development of Natural Zeolites Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Natural Zeolites Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Natural Zeolites Manufacturing Technology..Chapter Five Market Status of Natural Zeolites Industry5.1 Market Competition of Natural Zeolites Industry by Company5.2 Market Competition of Natural Zeolites Industry by Country (USA, EU, Japan, Chinese etc.)5.3 Market Analysis of Natural Zeolites Consumption by Application/TypeChapter Six 2016-2021 Market Forecast of Global and Chinese Natural Zeolites Industry6.1 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Capacity, Production, and Production Value of Natural Zeolites6.2 2016-2021 Natural Zeolites Industry Cost and Profit Estimation6.3 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Market Share of Natural Zeolites6.4 2016-2021 Global and Chinese Supply and Consumption of Natural Zeolites6.5 2016-2021 Chinese Import and Export of Natural ZeolitesChapter Seven Analysis of Natural Zeolites Industry Chain7.1 Industry Chain Structure7.2 Upstream Raw Materials7.3 Downstream IndustryChapter Eight Global and Chinese Economic Impact on Natural Zeolites 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 Natural Zeolites IndustryChapter Nine Market Dynamics of Natural Zeolites Industry9.1 Natural Zeolites Industry News9.2 Natural Zeolites Industry Development Challenges9.3 Natural Zeolites Industry Development Opportunities..CONTINUEDMake an Enquiry @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.Pune, India
PRECAST CONCRETE2017 Global Market Analysis, Company Profiles and Construction Industrial Overview Research Report Forecasting To 2021

Precast Concrete Industry

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/849349-global-and-chinese-metallurgical-silicon-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/849349-global-and-chinese-metallurgical-silicon-industry-2016-market-research-report

https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=849349

Precast Concrete IndustrySummeryThe 'Global and Chinese Precast Concrete Industry, 2011-2021 Market Research Report' is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global Precast Concrete industry with a focus on the Chinese market. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Precast Concrete 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 Precast Concrete 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 Precast Concrete 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 Precast Concrete Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of 2011-2021 global and Chinese Precast Concrete industry covering all important parameters.Complete Description of Report @Table of contentChapter One Introduction of Precast Concrete Industry1.1 Brief Introduction of Precast Concrete1.2 Development of Precast Concrete Industry1.3 Status of Precast Concrete IndustryChapter Two Manufacturing Technology of Precast Concrete2.1 Development of Precast Concrete Manufacturing Technology2.2 Analysis of Precast Concrete Manufacturing Technology2.3 Trends of Precast Concrete 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 Precast ConcreteChapter Five Market Status of Precast Concrete IndustryChapter Six 2016-2021 Market Forecast of Global and Chinese Precast Concrete IndustryChapter Seven Analysis of Precast Concrete Industry ChainChapter Eight Global and Chinese Economic Impact on Precast Concrete IndustryChapter Nine Market Dynamics of Precast Concrete IndustryChapter Ten Proposals for New ProjectChapter Eleven Research Conclusions of Global and Chinese Precast Concrete IndustryBuy now @Tables and FiguresFigure Precast Concrete Product PictureTable Development of Precast Concrete Manufacturing TechnologyFigure Manufacturing Process of Precast ConcreteTable Trends of Precast Concrete Manufacturing TechnologyFigure Company A Precast Concrete Product and SpecificationsTable 2011-2016 Company A Precast Concrete Product Capacity, Production, and Production Value etc. ListFigure 2011-2016 Company A Precast Concrete Capacity Production and Growth RateFigure 2011-2016 Company A Precast Concrete Production Global Market ShareFigure Company B Precast Concrete Product and SpecificationsContinued...Contact US:NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UKWise 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
Silver Inks, Pastes, and Coatings Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 - 2024

Silver Inks, Pastes, and Coatings Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18416

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Silver ink, paste, and coatings are dyes that conducts electricity with the output of a printed object. Silver inks can be used to improve printed circuit boards, which are used in computer keyboards to sense the command when a key is pressed. Silver coatings and inks suppliers were able to ride the consumer electronics wave in the 1960s by supplying the contact objects, and then developed through the digital age by supplying conductive objects for the PCBs installed in cell phones and personal computers. When this opportunity began to drop, silver coatings and inks generated substantial revenues from the solar panel industry. Since the crash of the solar panel industry, the global silver coatings and inks industry has been declining, which has resulted in slower growth of the market.The global market for silver inks, pastes, and coatings is segmented on the basis of application, material, and geography. On the basis of application, the market is sectioned into OLED lighting, ITO replacement, desktop PCB printers, 3D printed electronics, 3D antennas, e-textiles, in-mold electronics, automotive, touch-screen edge electrodes, UF RFID tags, and silicon solar cells. On the basis of material, the market is segregated into copper and carbon & nanocarbon.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:Silver has always been a good microbial coating and demand for silver microbial coatings is a major driver of the global silver inks, pastes, and coatings market. In addition, cost-effectiveness and the benefits that the material provides is another major driver of this market. Major opportunities of the market includes its use in new printed electronics, EMI/RFI shielding, heaters and printed antennas, prototyping of multi-layer PCBs, interposers, etc. Use in LEDs is another major opportunity for the global silver inks, pastes, and coatings market. Another area where the market has greater opportunity is new awareness about silver pastes and inks in the solar panel industry, which is reviving after the huge solar crash. The industry now is greatly oriented toward crystalline silicon (c-Si) panels than prior to the solar power industry crash. This is a major opportunity for the silver pastes market as c-Si panels is a major target customer for silver.Geographically, the global silver inks, pastes, and coatings market is segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America held the dominant market share in 2015. This region is also forecasted to have a steady growth rate. Asia Pacific is forecasted to have the most rapid growth rate over the forecast period owing to the increased penetration of technology and greater demand for solar panels, LED lighting, and 3D printed electronics in the region. Middle East & Africa is also forecasted to see rapid growth due to the rise of application industries in the region.Major players of the global silver inks, pastes, and coatings market include BASF SE, Akzo Nobel N.V., Clariant, Creative Materials, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Dow Chemical Company, Henkel, Heraeus, InkTec, Methode Electronics, Microban International, Ltd., Nolla, PPG Architectural Coatings, Sun Chemical, Taiyo Holdings Co. Ltd., and ANP Lighting.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:
High Strength Steel Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 - 2024

High Strength Steel Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18491

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Steel is critical, as there is no other material with same unique combination of strength, formability (malleability and ductility) and versatility. Steel plays critical role in virtually every phase of our lives. The rails, roads, vehicles that make up our transportation chain use steel. High strength steel provides strong framework and connections in the building constructions. They are used to deliver food and water supply and also industrial product deliveries. It is a basic component that generates and transmits energy.High strength steel is primarily used for structural applications (structural steels) as well as in automobile industry. It is difficult to attain complex shapes, a requirement in these industries, using mild steel. Thus, high strength steel is used for complex shapes that are met along with durable and robust design parameters. It can be developed even with or without addition of microalloying elements such as Va, Ni, Co, Mb, and Ti.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:Market Dynamics and TrendsHigh strength steel and its alloys are expected inevitably to gain demand in the future and their markets to increase exponentially. Steel is the only commercial product in usable metals which meets higher environmental standards. High strength steel can be endlessly recycled without loss in its strength, durability, or any of its other distinctive properties. Today and in the future, high strength steel is expected to succeed in meeting challenges of climate change, population growth, water distribution, product carriages and energy by reducing carbon footprint.Major drivers of high strength steel are its significant high rate of consumption in automotive and construction industries, meeting stringent environmental standards. However, it has its limitation with its restraining factors such as its high cost of production, low safety factor in its preparation, and high technological constraints.New generation high strength steel is likely to provide necessary requirements and trend of the future demands of implementing durable and light weight designs plus the volumes.Market SegmentationCOR-TEN weathering steels, with its high corrosion resistance, are used extensively in automobile, construction, and heavy equipment manufacturing industries.It is used in heavy construction especially structures and bridges based on its high rolling and continuous product line. It has low carbon content, formability and easily hardened steels used in transportation and automotive industry to a high extent. It is an intrinsic part used in manufacturing alloy steel such as niobium, vanadium, and titanium used in power generation and nuclear reactors.The high strength steel market can be divided into sectors such as building and infrastructure, automobile industry, transportation industry, energy, food and water, and tools and machineries. It can be further classified into electro-galvanized steel, hot-dip galvanized steel, and hot-dip galv-annealed steel.Based on manufacturing Process the application lies preparation of High end Automobile body structures, reinforcement and brackets where high strength is required for optimum part performance,Region-wise OutlookAsia-Pacific is the market leader in terms of high strength steel consumption and production, followed by Europe. Majority of the Asia Pacific regions are developing and there is a high requirement of high strength steel. Developed countries such as the U.S. in North America and other parts in Europe are rather saturated markets for high strength steel.Key PlayersKey players globally operating in the market are Arcelor-Mittal, China Steel Corporation, Hyundai Steel Company, Tata Steel, and Gerdau S. A.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:
Dry Laundry Detergents Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13484

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Dry laundry detergents are widely used as cleaning agents to dry clean several household products such as clothes and apparels. These are a mixture of chemical compounds which can effectively remove oil, grease, dirt, soil, stains, etc. from fabrics. In addition to cleaning, dry laundry detergents aid in bleaching, softening, and conditioning of fabrics. These detergents are typically formulated using surfactants, builders, alkalis, enzymes, fabric softeners, brighteners, oxygen bleaches, and fragrances.Surfactants are the active ingredients that impart cleaning properties to laundry detergents. Surfactants used in detergents are categorized into cationic, anionic, and non-ionic. These can include fatty acids, fatty alcohols, alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, alkylbenzene sulfonates, alcohol ethoxylates, etc. They are obtained from several sources such as petrochemicals, vegetable oils, and animal fats. Builders improve the performance of surfactants, while enzymes increase the speed of the cleaning process.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:Dry laundry detergents include washing powders, washing bars, and washing tablets. The surfactant molecules present in dry laundry detergents form micelle with the oil and grease of clothes in presence of water. The hydrophilic group of surfactants is attracted to polar water molecules, whereas the hydrophobic group of surfactants attract the non-polar oil and dirt particles. Thus, detergents suspend oil, soil, and other particles present in water and allow them to be removed from the surface of fabric.The global dry laundry detergents market is projected to experience moderate growth in the next few years. Asia Pacific dominated the dry laundry detergents market in 2014. Rising awareness about hygiene maintenance in developing countries such as China, India, Thailand, and South Korea has led to considerable increase in demand for these detergents. The dry laundry detergents market in Asia Pacific is estimated to expand at a rapid growth rate during the forecast period. North America also held a significant share of the global dry laundry detergents market in 2014, followed by Europe. However, increasing consumer preference for liquid detergents in developed countries can translate into a sluggish growth rate in the dry laundry detergents market in the next few years. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are expected to be the potential markets for dry laundry detergents in the near future. Developing countries such as Brazil and Saudi Arabia are anticipated to emerge as prospective markets for dry laundry detergents during the forecast period. The dry laundry detergents market in Latin America and Middle East & Africa is expected to exhibit a fast-paced CAGR during the forecast period.Rise in per capita income in developing countries such as India, China, and Brazil is likely to propel the dry laundry detergents market in the next few years. Increase in consumer awareness and rapid urbanization in these developing countries are projected to boost the textiles and apparels market. This, in turn, is anticipated to drive demand for dry laundry detergents in the homecare sector. Furthermore, growth of the hospitality industry in Asia Pacific has led to substantial rise in demand for dry laundry detergents from hotels and restaurants. However, increasing usage of liquid detergents is anticipated to hamper the growth of the dry laundry detergents market during the forecast period. Use of ingredients extracted from bio-based and renewable sources is expected to lead to lucrative opportunities in the market.Key manufacturers of dry laundry detergents include Carroll Company, Church & Dwight Co. Inc., Henkel AG & Company KGaA, Johnson & Johnson, Kao Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, The Colgate-Palmolive Company, and Unilever.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:
Acaricides Market - Global Industry Analysis 2023

Acaricides Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13397

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Acaricides are pesticides that are used to kill acari such as ticks and mites. They are employed in agriculture and medicine; the desired level of toxicity differs between the two fields as per their applications. There are different types of acaricides, depending on the concentration of various chemicals such as chlorine, zinc, phosphorous, and tin. Acaricides are also produced from natural raw materials such as clove, spoiled corn, and neem. These naturally produced acaricides tend to be less toxic in nature. Chemically derived acaricides include organophosphorus and organochlorine.Acaricides have been segmented on the basis of application into agriculture, animal husbandry, and home. Acaricides help maintain the health of animals and crops and protect them from diseases. They also help increase the productivity of crops. When treated with acaricides, cattle becomes lesser prone to tick-borne diseases, thereby resulting in increased milk production. The agriculture sector accounted for a major share of acaricides in 2014, followed by animal husbandry. Acaricides are used widely in homes to kill ticks and mites. The rising usage of acaricides in home applications is anticipated to boost the acaricides market in the near future. Driving factors of the acaricides market include increase in productivity, development of the agriculture industry, and rising global demand for livestock. The development in sectors such as fertilizers and medicines has led to an increase in demand for acaricides in the global market. The factors restraining growth of the acaricides market include high cost of acaricides and stringent regulatory restrictions in some countries. The global acaricides market is segmented into regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. In 2014, Asia Pacific accounted for the major share of the market, followed by Europe and North America. Asia Pacific is anticipated to continue to witness high growth during the next few years owing to the expansion of agriculture and animal husbandry sectors. Asia Pacific accounts large application of acaricides in domestic homes, resulting in large market share for the region. China and India are among the growing economies that account for major share of consumption in the Asia Pacific region. Growth in the agriculture sector in countries such as India, China, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea has boosted the regional market. This, in turn, would help Asia Pacific to retain its market position during the next few years. Currently, Europe is the second-largest market for acaricides. It is projected to expand at a higher rate than North America. Agriculture is the major end-use application in Europe, followed by animal husbandry and home applications. The future growth in these sectors would led to boost the global demand for acaricides in the near future.The global demand for acaricides is expected to rise significantly in the near future, thereby offering high growth opportunities for the market. Increasing demand for acaricides has compelled producers to undertake the expansion and acquisition of projects in order to meet the global demand. Large numbers of producers are shifting their plants to countries such as China and India due to factors such as high demand and low raw material and labor costs.GET PDF BROCHURE FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL INDUSTRY INSIGHTS:The global acaricides market is steadily expanding due to growth in the usage of crop protection chemicals required to control the spread of ticks and mite-borne diseases. BASF SE, Bayer CorpScience Limited, Arysta LifeScience Limited, FMC Corporation, and DuPont are the key participants in the acaricides 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. 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:
Starch Derivatives Market Revenue Predicted To Go Up by 2021

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4093

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4093

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com

Starch derivatives, also known as modified starch, are prepared by enzymatically, physically or chemically treating native starch to alter its properties. Starch derivatives are used in a number of industries for various functions. They are used as thickeners and stabilizers in the food and beverage industry, as a tablet binder in the pharmaceutical industry, as an emulsifier in cosmetics, and fiber additive in the animal feed. Some of the other functions of starch derivatives are flocculation, adhesiveness, film-forming, pH stability improvement, and shear stability, acid stability, and process tolerance enhancement.It is possible to modify starches to increase their stability against excessive heat, cooling, acid, time, shear or freezing; to change their texture; and to increase or decrease their viscosity, depending on the application. The different stakeholders in the industry are product manufacturers, raw material suppliers, and processors.Based on type, the market is classified into various segments such as Maltodextrin, Cyclodextrin, Glucose Syrup, Hydrolysates, and Modified Starch. Among these, glucose syrup holds a major market share, whereas Maltodextrin has the highest demand in the market. Glucose syrup finds its applications in various industries such as paper, feeds, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Glucose syrup is often employed as a flavor enhancer, texture agent, volume-adding agent, and inhibitor of sugar from crystallizing in drinks. On the basis of application, the starch derivatives market is classified as Food & Beverages, Feed, Paper, Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Bio-Ethanol, and other industrial applications. Among these, starch derivatives find their key application in food and beverages.Increasing demand for convenience food and beverages in developing countries, rise in population, and increasing per-capita income are some of the key factors propelling the growth of starch derivatives market. Companies are investing large amounts of their capital on research and development. These developments are bettering the prospects of starch derivative products in the global market. In addition, starch plays an important role in the bio-fuel, glue production, textile weaving and finishing, and the fermentation industries. However, implementation of bio-fuel policies and increasing raw material prices are some of the factors hindering the growth of the starch derivatives market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Asia Pacific is the leading starch derivatives market and is likely to achieve the highest growth rate in the near future. This is due to the emerging economies of the two most populated countries in the world, namely, China and India. The starch derivatives market in North America and Europe is saturated. The demand for starch derivatives is increasing in Brazil and Argentina as these two countries have the fastest growth rate in the world.Request to view table of content @Key players operating in the starch derivatives market include AGRANA Investment Corp., Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill Incorporated, and AVEBE.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
automotive washer systems market remains positive, with the market expected to register a 5.4% value CAGR during the forecast period 2016-2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1081

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-1081

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the global automotive washer system market in its latest report titled, Automotive Washer System Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026. Global sales of automotive washer systems including headlamp and windshield washer systems is expected to reach US$ 17.5 Bn in 2016, witnessing a y-o-y growth of 4.2% over 2015. The long-term outlook on the global automotive washer systems market remains positive, with the market expected to register a 5.4% value CAGR during the forecast period 2016-2026. Passenger car segment will account for maximum share of the total sales, extending the market share to 76.7% in 2026 as compared to 74.5% in 2016.In terms of volume, the global sales of automotive washer systems is expected to reach 1,453.4 Mn units in 2016 and is expected to expand at a CAGR 3.5% over the forecast period 20162026.Request Free Report Sample@Increasing vehicle production and adoption of efficient wiper and washer technologies are primary factors bolstering the sales of washer systems globally. Moreover, high replacement rate of washer system components is expected to result in high sales in the aftermarket segment. The emergence of newer wiper blade and windshield cleaning technologies is resulting in higher cost of end products, which is a major factor restraining adoption of these products among consumers. High market penetration of relatively low-cost wiper and washer system alternatives restricts demand for wiper de-icer, nozzle integrated wipers and heated nozzle washer systems.Segmentation highlightsThe global automotive washer system market is segmented on the basis of Component (Nozzles, Reservoirs, Hose & Connectors, Pumps, Windshield Wipers, Wiper Motor); Sales Channel (OEM, Aftermarket); Technology (Electric, Mechanical); Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Light Commercial Vehicles, Heavy Commercial Vehicles); and Application (Windshield Washer System, Headlamp Washer System).Windshield wiper was the largest segment by component in 2015 and this will remain unchanged in 2016Nozzle and hose & reservoir segments are expected to be the next large segment in terms of volumeBy value, wiper motor segment is expected to remain dominant over the forecast period. The segment is expected to account for share of 45.9% in 2016 and is expected to maintain dominance over the forecast periodBy product type, windshield washer segment was the largest segment in 2015, and this segment is anticipated to hold 72.3% of the market revenue by 2026. Advancements in wiper blade technology and nozzle design will support growth of the market over near futureHeadlamp washer system segment is anticipated to witness a relatively high value CAGR than windshield washer system. Increasing sales of premium and luxury vehicle globally is anticipated to bolster the growth of headlamp washer system. Furthermore, automakers in the market are focussing on introducing value added features in their mid-range vehicles, so as to earn competitive edge in the marketSend An Enquiry@Regional projectionsThe global automotive washer system market is segmented into the regions of North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, MEA, and Japan. Asia Pacific, the largest market for automotive washer systems is expected account for US$ 5.5 Bn revenue in 2016. Increasing adoption of headlamp washer systems in semi-luxury and mid-sized cars is major trend witnessed in the region. North America is expected to be the next big market, the region accounted for 21.1% of the total revenue share in 2015 and is anticipated to hold 20.7% in 2016. The recent relocation of automobile production facilities to developing nations such as Mexico will impact the OEM sales of washer systems in the region. Western Europe is expected to account for US$ 3.3 Bn revenue in 2016. The market for headlamp washer systems in the region is majorly driven by the existing stringent regulations to deploy these systems with high intensity headlamps.Vendor insightsRobert Bosch GmbH, Denso Corporation, Valeo S.A., continental AG and Mitsuba Corporation are the top five players in the global automotive washer system market, accounting for about 30% market revenue share in 2015. The leading players in the market are focusing on acquisition, collaboration and partnerships of/with technology providers to increase their product portfolio and market presence. Furthermore, expansion of production facilities, particularly in developing nations, is the key strategy adopted by major players in the market.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:
China First Aid Market will Reach at a CAGR of 6.3% between 2015 and 2020

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-cn-659

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-cn-659

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Future Market Insights (FMI), in its latest report titled, China First Aid Market Assessment and Opportunity 2014 - 2020, projects the China first aid market to exhibit a CAGR of 6.3% between 2015 and 2020. Adoption of aggressive promotional campaigns are key factors driving growth of the market.The report is focused on basic first aid products such as adhesive bandages, disinfectants and gauzes. Though the basic wound care segment in China accounts for miniscule share of the overall wound care market in China, it is expected to witness significant growth over the next few years. Increasing awareness about non-traditional first-aid products among consumers in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities is the prime driving factor for the market in the region.As of 2014, basic first aid products accounted for less than 20% share of the overall wound care market in China. Strategies such as innovative product packaging along with aggressive market campaigning has led to surge in demand for these products in China. Government emphasis on healthcare policies, liberalization of policies related to distribution of licenses and FDI influx are other key driving factors of the first aid market in China. On the flipside, low healthcare expenditure and higher preference for Chinese traditional medicines among consumers is a major restraint for non-traditional wound care product manufacturers.The report analyses the China first aid market in terms of sales revenue (US$ Mn) by product, cities and by retail sales channel and provides information regarding market dynamics, value chain, competitive landscape, current trends, market estimations and forecast.Request For Report Sample:On the basis of city, the China first-aid market has been segmented into Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 Cities. Among Tier 1 cities, Shanghai offers good market opportunities for first-aid products manufacturers. It is anticipated to generate 1.4X higher sales revenue by the end of the forecast period as compared to that in 2014. Disinfectant products are anticipated to account for over half of the sales revenue in Tier 1 cities, followed by gauzes and bandages respectively. Tier 2 cities are expected to generate 1.3X higher revenue than Tier 3 cities by the end of 2020.Among retail sales channels, drugstores and pharmacies are key channels for sales of adhesive bandages. Hospitals are the key channel for sales of gauzes. Hospitals account for major share of retail sales in Tier 3 cities in China. Though drugstores, pharmacies and hospitals are key retail sales channels for adhesive bandages and gauzes, modern retail sales channel are the most preferred mode for sales of disinfectants. Hypermarkets and supermarkets account for over 60% share of retail sales of disinfectants.Send An Enquiry:By product type, the China first aid market has been segmented into adhesive bandages, gauzes and disinfectants (antiseptics). While disinfectants are projected to be the largest market segment throughout the forecast period, its presence is limited to Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in China. The disinfectant products segment is anticipated to register a CAGR of 7.5% between 2014 and 2020. Reckitt Benckiser and Walch are key players in this product segment. Organized players account for significant market share in the disinfectants products segment. Among products, gauzes (woven and non-woven) covers significant market in Tier 3 cities in China. Sales revenue of adhesive bandages is further segmented into butterfly stiches, transdermal bandages and special bandages. Transdermal bandages account for significant market share in the adhesive bandages segment.Key players in the China first aid market include Johnson and Johnson, Winner Medical Group Co., Reckitt Benckiser, Yunnan Baiyao, 3M Company, Nepstar Drugstore, 7-Eleven, Beijing Hualian Group and A.S Watson Group.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:
Automated Suturing Devices Market to be Worth US$ 471 Mn by 2015

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-579

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-579

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Future Market Insights (FMI), in its latest report titled, Automated Suturing Devices Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 20152025, forecasts the global automated suturing devices market revenue to expand at a CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period (20152025). Global automated suturing devices market is estimated to account for US$ 471.0 Mn by the end of 2015, mainly driven by rising number of minimally invasive surgical procedures.Use of automated suturing devices in minimal invasive surgeries, open surgical procedures and major trauma cases that require surgery is expected to drive the market during the forecast period. Preference for automated suturing devices over conventional suturing devices during laparoscopic surgeries is a key reason for growth. Further, the device is also preferred by procurement teams at hospitals as it labelled under green products, resulting in considerably less impact on the environment as compared to plastic single-use disposable suturing devices.Rise in geriatric population is a macro factor thats driving demand for automated suturing devices.High cost along with negative perception about certain automated suturing devices due tosome FDA-approved devices facing criticism regarding performance can impede the growth of the market.Request For Report Sample:The report analyses the global automated suturing devices market in terms of market value (US$ Mn) and market volume (units) by product type, region, end-user and application. The report also offers information regarding market dynamics, regulatory compliances, competitive landscape, current trends, market estimations and forecast.Region-wise, North America is expected to account for maximum volume share in the global market by 2015and this is expected to double over the forecast period. Western Europe is the second-most lucrative market for automated suturing devices companies. The market revenue in this region is projected to witness a healthy CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period.Among product types, disposable automated suturing devices segment is expected to dominate the global automated suturing devices market,followed by the reusable automated suturing devices segment. Increasing prevalence of obesity is expected to boost overall demand for disposable automated suturing devices at a comparatively higher pace.Send An Enquiry:On the basis of application, automated suturing devices market is segmented into minimally invasive surgeries, open surgeries and trauma cases. Minimally invasive surgeries segment is expected to dominate the overall automated suturing devices market by the end of forecast period. The segment revenue is projected to register fastest growth rate over the forecast period. Open surgeries is projected to be the second fastest growing segment in terms of revenue. Increasing adoption of automated suturing devices among surgeons is fuelling growth of the minimally invasive surgeries segment.On the basis of end user, global automated suturing devices market has been segmented into hospitals, clinics and ambulatory surgical centers. Hospitals segment is expected to register fastest CAGR in terms of revenue over the forecast period.Key players profiled in FMIs market study include Medtronic Plc., Inc., Apollo Endosurgery, LSI Solutions, Inc., Boston Scientific, C. R. Bard, SuturTek Inc. and EndoEvolution, LLC.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:
Dodecanol Market Globally Expected to Drive Growth through 2025

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-344

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-344

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Dodecanol also called as Lauryl alcohol or 1-dodecanol is classified as a fatty alcohol. It is a colorless, tasteless solid with a floral smell. It is manufactured by hydrogenation of palm kernel or coconut oil fatty acids. The major use of dodecanol is as a chemical intermediate for the manufacture of dodecyl sulfate and dodecyl ethoxylate. Additionally, it is used as a vital raw material in the manufacture of surfactants. It is also used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, lubricating oils, flavoring agents and as an emollient among other.The primary driver for dodecanol market is the growing personal care market. The emergence of products such as fabric softeners, skin care products and fatty alcohol based detergents are driving the market for dodecanol. The growth of this market is significant in the developing third world countries, where the manufacturing bases are finding new ground. Dodecanol can be used in many forms such as alcohol ethoxylate and sulfates, which are used as wetting agent and emulsifiers in paints and coatings. Growth of the paints & coatings market is expected to augment the demand for dodecanol. A restraining factor for this market is that it is acutely toxic to marine organisms and it is an eye irritant, hence it requires safe handling and disposal.The surfactants market has undergone an evolution from tallow to vegetable oil to synthetic surfactants and to fatty alcohol surfactants. Over the past few years the use of dodecanol for surfactants has declined in North America, Western Europe and Japan. There has been a surge in demand for dodecanol in developing regions such as South Africa, Brazil, China, Malaysia and Indonesia as new producers have started operating facilities in these countries.Request Free Report Sample@Dodecanol market can be broadly segmented on the basis of applications, such as anionic surfactants, quaternary ammonium compounds for detergents, nonionic surfactants, coatings & inks, PVC plasticizers, water treatment, lubricant additives and flavors & fragrances among others. Dodecanol can be compounded with many functional groups which impart special properties to it and set it apart from the pure form of dodecanol.The end use of dodecanol can be classified into four broad categories, namely, personal care, household detergents, industrial & hard surface cleaning and other uses. Under personal care, dodecanol can be used in its pure form or as alcohol ethoxylate or as esters or as quaternary ammonium salts. The end uses for these forms of dodecanol are creams, lotions, skin products, bath oils, lipsticks, medicated cosmetics and sunscreen agents. For use in these products, dodecanol acts as a thickener, carrier, opacifier, anti static and sheen agent. For use in household and industrial detergents, dodecanol acts as a dispersant, foam controller, wetting agent, foam stabilizer and germicidal carrier. It finds application in laundry products, wool washing, scouring cleaner and fabric softener. For use in other industries like textiles, leather, plastics, pharmaceuticals and paper, dodecanol imparts properties such as that of a leveling agent, bacteriostat, water evaporation retardant, coupling agent, plasticizer and anti corrosion agent. In addition to this, lauryl alcohol ethoxylate which is a derivative of dodecanol can be used for silicon and wax emulsification, in colorants manufacturing and electroplating industry. Out of all these applications, dodecanol has widespread application in the surfactants market. Besides imparting fragrance, dodecanol also acts as a carrier, thickener and foam controller. These properties make it an excellent and irreplaceable ingredient for surfactants.Request For TOC@The major players in the market of dodecanol are SIGMA-ALDRICH Corporation, Chemos GmbH, Merck Schuchardt OHG, Leap Labchem Co., Ltd, Jinan Haohua Industry Co., Ltd., AK Scientific, Inc., Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., Haihang Industry Co., Ltd., East Chemical Industry Co., Ltd, Symrise AG, Magna-Kron Corp., Shanghai IS Chemical Technology Ltd., Seidler Chemical Co., Inc., CellMark USA, LLC and Mosselman S.A 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:Future Market Insights616 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:
Middle East Residential Water Treatment Devices Market Revenues to Exceed US$ 855 Mn by 2025

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-eu-1299

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-eu-1299

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Future Market Insights (FMI) recently announced the release of its report titled Residential Water Treatment Devices: Middle East Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025. According to the report, the middle east residential water treatment devices market was valued at US$ 414.1 Mn in 2014 and is anticipated to reach US$ 855.3 Mn by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 6.8% throughout the forecast period.Total population of Middle East & Africa stood at approximately 346 million in 2015 and is expected to grow at the rate of 2% per annum. The Middle East & Africa is also witnessing mass migration of people to urban centers, thereby leading to increased demand for water purifiers in these centers. Economies of North Africa, on the other hand, have also been registering healthy growth rates over the last few years, which in turn is expected to fuel growth of the residential water treatment devices market in the overall MEA region. Due to large scale industrialization, quality of water in the GCC and Levant countries has deteriorated during the recent years. Water availability in these regions is estimated to be merely 1,200 m3/person/year, which is substantially lower than the global average of 7,000 m3/person/year. These factors are also prompting urban masses in Middle East countries to opt for water purifiers. Furthermore, the GCC region is witnessing entry of globally established water purifier brands, which has resulted into increased competition in the market. Increased competition, in turn, ensures marginal decline in prices of residential water treatment devices in the retail market in these regions. However, price decline has been largely reported on the reverse osmosis-based water purification devices only, the sales of which have witnessed an upsurge in recent years.Request For Report Sample:Around 44% of the Middle East & Africa population lives in rural area and is not aware about the necessity and techniques to purify and filter water. Penetrating these markets may be a challenging task for the concerned market participants as most of the vendors would have to begin by creating awareness regarding water purifier and filters and the importance of these products.Combination water purification system employs two different treatment technologies in one system. Players such as AquaPro and Kent have started offering RO+UV-based combination water purifiers in the GCC and Levant countries.Geography-wise, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia dominated the GCC residential water treatment devices market in terms of value in 2014, accounting for more than one-third value share of the GCC residential water treatment devices market. On the other hand, Turkey dominated the Levant residential water treatment devices market in 2014, accounting for more than 40% value share of the overall market in the region. Furthermore, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is foreseen to expand at a relatively high CAGR during the forecast period and is expected to maintain its revenue share dominance till 2025 end. The governments in the Levant and GCC regions are investing and opening up to Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and promoting industrialization, which has been leading to an increase in the per capita income of the residing population in countries such as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan are expected to register significant Y-o-Y growth during the forecast period. Besides, these countries are projected to bestow more focus on their non-oil and manufacturing sectors in the coming years, which in turn is expected to encourage the water purifier and water filter manufacturers in these countries to go in for domestic production and enhance sales. Countries such as Bahrain, Iraq, Palestine and Syria are currently witnessing moderate growth in demand for residential water treatment devices, and the trend is expected to continue during the forecast period as well.On the basis of filtration devices, the filtration faucet segment dominated the Middle East residential water treatment devices market in 2014 in terms of revenue, and is foreseen to expand at a significant CAGR during the forecast period. In terms of volume, the water tap faucet segment dominated the Middle East residential water treatment devices market in 2014, accounting for more than half volume share of the overall market.Send An Enquiry:On the basis of purification devices, the reverse osmosis segment dominated the Middle East residential water treatment devices market in 2014 in terms of revenue, and is foreseen to expand at a relatively high CAGR during the forecast period. In terms of volume, the gravity segment purification devices dominated the Middle East residential water treatment devices market in 2014, accounting for more than 40% volume share of the overall market.Key market players covered in the report include KENT RO Systems Ltd., Eureka Forbes, Britannic Water Treatment Company W.L.L., Panasonic Corporation, LG Electronics, Pure It LLC, Waterlife, Coolpex Pure Water System, Ultra Tec Water Treatment LLC and AQUA PRO UAE. Most players in the market are engaged in various activities, such as mergers and acquisitions, increasing investments in technological and product developments, geographical expansion and brand building via strong marketing strategies, in order to sustain their position in the competitive 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, 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:
High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Transmission Systems market to be Worth US$ 14.36 Bn by 2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1209

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-1209

www.futuremarketinsights.com

According to Future Market Insights report titled High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Transmission System Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2016-2026, the global market for high voltage direct current transmission systems, which is now valued at US$ 6,191.8 Mn, is likely to reach US$ 14.36 Bn in market value by the end of 2026  attaining expansion at a CAGR of 8.8%. According to the report, North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) are the leading markets for HVDC transmission systems globally. Key market players include ABB Ltd., TransGrid Solutions Inc., Siemens AG, Prysmian SpA, Toshiba Corporation, General Electric Co., Hitachi Ltd., Abengoa SA, and ATCO Electric Ltd.Key Research Findings from Future Market Insights Report on the Global HVDC Transmission System MarketRequest Free Report Sample@Power Outages Continue to Fuel DemandHVDC transmission is expected to become more efficient due to rampant popularity of advanced valve components such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT). Several such components that avert transmission failures can be categorised under the solution-based components. By 2026, global revenue share of such components is forecast to be about 60%, while revenues from sales of service-based HVDC transmission components will incur rapid growth at a 10.5% CAGR.Deployment Cost Benefits vs. High Installation CostsAccording to a comprehensive cost analysis in the research report, high installation costs are a major drawback for adoption of high-voltage direct current over other electric transmission systems. HVDC transmission components are expensive and need to be replaced if damaged. With respect to deployment of HVDC transmission systems, subsea deployment is expected to gain adoption due to its comparatively lower installation cost and a rise in demand for offshore power distribution. By 2026, the 33% market value share attributed by overhead deployment model is likely to marginally surpass subsea deployments share by 5 percent or less.Clean Power Proliferation and Growth in Demand for Higher Power RatingsManufacturers of HVDC systems incur a competitive edge in the power supply industry as these systems provide efficient transmission with optimal electricity consumption. To extend the environmental impact of HVDC transmission systems, manufacturers are adopting renewable or clean energy for transmission and reducing pollution arising from unwanted electromagnetic energy emanating from electrical lines.In the power distribution industrial sector, managing the impact of energy transmission on the environment is now being considered with an utmost regard. A recent update on companies and governments undertaking steadfast measures on clean energy includes the approval of the US Department of Justice for the installation of a 3GW HVDC transmission system for the countrys TransWest Express Transmission Project. A power ratings analysis included in the report indicates that power distribution above 2,000 MWs will witness a rise in market value share, accounting for nearly 40% of the global HVDC transmission system market value by the end of 2026. Owing to such power consumption trends, companies such as General Electric Co. and ABB Ltd. among others, have included Ultra high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission systems as part of their original offerings.Send An Enquiry@Advanced Technologies Demanding Skilled WorkforceLack of proficient engineers to effectively operate as well as maintain HVDC transmission systems remains a longstanding challenge. Prominence of line-commutated converter (LCC) and voltage-source converter (VSC) technologies further necessitates the need for highly-qualified engineers. Comparatively, by the end of 2026, VSCs will be the dominant technology in the global market, accounting for nearly US$ 9 Bn in revenues.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:
North America Meat Packaging Market Research Reports Offers Key Insights

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-na-1517

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-na-1517

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the North America fresh meat packaging market in its latest report, titled Fresh Meat Packaging Market: North America Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016 - 2026. In terms of revenue, the North America fresh meat packaging market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 2.2% over the forecast period (20162026), owing to numerous factors, about which FMI offers thorough insights and forecasts in this report.To provide in-depth insights, a detailed consumer preference analysis was carried out at each level of the value chain, which includes film convertors, packaging equipment manufacturers, meat producers/co-packers and retailers. Some of the key highlights from the analysis include, preferred packaging technologies for different types of meat products, factors impacting purchasing decision of packaging materials and most commonly used layer types.Request For Report Sample:Two individual markets, namely North America fresh meat packaging film and North America fresh meat packaging equipment were collectively considered to arrive at data regarding the North America fresh meat packaging market. North America fresh meat packaging film market is segmented on the basis of packaging format, meat type, packaging material, layer type and country. On the basis of packaging material, the market is segmented into PE, PVC, BOPP, PA, EVOH, PP and others. In terms of value, EVOH segment is anticipated to register a CAGR of 2.7% during the forecast period. On the basis of layer type, the market is segmented into monolayer, 3-layer, 5-layer, 7-layer and 9-layer. Among all layer type segments, 7-layer segment is anticipated to exhibit the highest revenue growth, followed by 5-layer segment over the forecast period. On the basis of packaging format, the market is segmented into MAP, VTP, VSP and others. In terms of value, MAP segment is expected to register a CAGR of 2.6% during the forecast period. On the basis of meat type the market is segmented into beef, pork, poultry and others. Among all meat types, beef segment is anticipated to remain dominant during the forecast period. On the basis of country, the market is segmented into the U.S. and Canada.A key trend defining the market is that of major players focusing towards enhancing their product portfolio and expanding their customer base by entering into strategic mergers and acquisitions. Furthermore, film convertors are also increasingly focused on downgauging and optimisation of packages size to offer eco-friendly and cost-effective solutions to meat producers, co-packers and retailers.This report assesses trends driving growth of meat packaging, and offers key takeaways that could prove substantially useful to manufacturers across different levels looking to enter into the market. The U.S. has been estimated to dominate the North America fresh meat packaging market, accounting for maximum revenue share of the market by 2016 end.Send An Enquiry:Key players in the North America fresh meat packaging market were identified at each level of the value chain. At film convertor level, some of the key players are Bemis Company, Inc., Winpak Ltd., Sealed Air Corp. ,Berry Plastic Group, Inc., and Coveris Holdings S.A. At packaging equipment manufacturers level, some of the key players are Multivac Sepp Haggenmuller GmbH & Co.KG, Robert Reiser & Co, Harpak-ULMA Packaging, LLC, ALKAR-RapidPak, Inc., and Sealpac International BV. At meat producer level major player covered in the report include Tyson Foods, Inc., JBS SA ADR, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation, National Beef Packing Company, LLC., and Hormel Foods Corporation. At the retailer level, some of the key players identified were Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., The Kroger Co., Costco Wholesale Corporation, Whole Foods Market IP. L.P., and Wegmans Food Markets Inc. At the retailer level, some players are focusing on private label products and regional expansion through setting up new stores. The Competitive Landscape is included to provide report audiences with a dashboard view and company share.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:
High Barrier Pouches Market - Evolving Trends & Key Insights by 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=12905

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

High Barrier Pouches are made up of high performance barrier resins and films which provide highly protective environment to the material inside of the pouch and increase its shelf life. High barrier pouches are capable of preventing access of any foreign agent inside of the pouch, whether it is a flavor, aroma or a gas. These pouches are also suitable for pasteurized and sterile application.Download PDF Brochure:Due to their enhanced physical, chemical, mechanical and thermal properties, high barrier pouches can be used for hot as well as cold filling and can be customized in different shapes and sizes accordingly. Besides, high barrier pouches provide very good seal reliability for optimal product safety and convenience, and adjustable peelability to the consumers. To manufacturers, high barrier pouches provide excellent output on high speed machines and good compatibility with different sterilization techniques.High barrier pouches also play a key role during transportation of the packed materials. Products packaged in high barrier pouches occupy less space, providing better storage-volume efficiency and thus leading to reduced transportation costs. Owing to ease of operation in putting appealing brand presentation on high barrier pouches, they are also helpful in marketing and branding of the company. Due to such technical and economic factors, global high barrier pouches market is expected to grow at a high CAGR over the forecast period of 2016-2026.Global High Barrier Pouches Market DynamicsThe market for high barrier pouches is anticipated to be driven by growing consumption of packaged food and beverages products across the globe. Pouches are now one of the most popular packaging technique and are largely used are for packaging both the dry and the liquid food. Owing to their better physiochemical characteristics, high barrier pouch are increasingly being used across various applications in food & beverages industry, including packaging of dried food, fruit compote, baby food, dairy products, confectionary, snack food, breakfast cereals, fresh and processed meat, powdered instant drinks, hot drinks, juice drinks, wine and other food products. The growing application range of high barrier pouches is expected to drive their market throughout the forecast period.Biodegradability is the one of the major challenges to be faced by market players involved in the production of high barrier pouches. With government organizations continuously focusing on the development and use of bio-based materials, major opportunity lies to develop bio-based and biodegradable pouches material.Global High Barrier Pouches Market SegmentationThe global high barrier pouches market is segmented on the basis of materials used to manufacture these pouches. They include, aluminum foil, metalized polyester, saran coated PET, ethylene vinyl alcohol, polypropylene, nylon, polyester and polyethylene.On the basis of type of pouches, the market is segmented into stand up pouches, retort pouches, spouted pouches, 3-side seal pouches and others.On the basis of application, high barrier pouches market is segmented into food and beverages, pharmaceutical, personal care, cosmetics, transport packaging, food service packaging and others.Global High Barrier Pouches Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global high barrier pouches market can be segmented by major regions which include North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Middle East and Africa and Japan. North America, followed by APEJ, is expected to hold the largest market share in the global high barrier pouches market. However, growth of the North American and the European market is forecast to be slower than that of the APEJ market.Global High Barrier Pouches Market PlayersThe major players identified across the value chain of global high barrier pouches market include Bemis Company Inc., Mondi Group, Bernhardt Packaging & Process, Dura-Pack, The Vacuum Pouch Company, Clifton Packaging Group Ltd, Montage, Schur Flexibles Group, Fres-co System USA Inc., Spektar d.o.o. Gornji Milanovac, The Barrier Packaging Company, Label Technology, Inc., Shako Flexipack Pvt Ltd., NatureWorks LLC and many more. The companies are emphasizing on research and development to produce better quality product at lower costs in order to maintain the competitive advantage in global high barrier pouches market during the forecast period. The companies are focused to improve the materials such as coatings with increased heat tolerance and strength and higher barrier film substrates. They are also moving towards simplifying the packaging from complex multi-layer laminates to much simpler packaging solutions without compromising shelf life.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Research Report and Overview on Steering Column Control Modules Market, 2016-2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2073

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2073

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Automobile design, operation, aesthetics and technology are continuously evolving and witnessing significant advancements. Previous designs and operations in automobiles included various switches for different purposes, which were simple in design but complex in operation. Especially, steering systems witnessed prominent advancements in past decade. Development of hybrid, electric and hydraulic steering are some of the examples. Integration of various operational switches for convenience in steering wheels and column is indeed a timely innovation, which can also be claimed as one amongst the important innovation in an automobile.It was never thought that someone could come up with an idea of Steering Column Control Module (SCCM) where one can control the switches very comfortably with ease while driving. The safety and the ease of driving an automobile has increased considerably due to the installation of steering column control modules on the steering wheel of vehicles.The module which controls the switches on or around/below the steering wheel are known as the steering column control modules. Typically, there are many electromechanical systems installed on the steering wheels nowadays in automobiles. A Steering column control module is mounted on the steering column but it is placed below the steering wheel, this steering column module is the main network for all the systems surrounding it. The operating switches known as the stalk lever switches, are positioned to the right and the left sides of the steering column control modules. The stalk lever switches and the controls which are mounted on the steering wheel and systems i.e. (sound controls buttons, cruise controls, horns, Bluetooth and hands free calling buttons and air bags) are all connected with the other system through the Steering Column Control Module. Typical assembly components of steering column control module includes circuit board, connectors and electrical wire cables for interconnection between the systems. The features and controls which are provided in the steering column control module are also dependent the type of the automobile i.e. Passenger Cars, Commercial Vehicles, Transport vehicles etc. Introduction of new technologies, comfort features and active safety systems in vehicles is expected to drive steering column control modules market in near future.Request Free Report Sample@Steering Column Control Modules Market dynamics:The market of steering column control module has been marked with presence of established players. A challenging task in steering column control modules market is to manufacture these modules as the interconnection between many components and the systems in the steering assembly. The automotive manufacturers are heavily dependent on the providers of the steering system owing to their technological expertise. Steering column control module market is witnessing continuous development from its providers with new ideas and innovation.Increasing safety of vehicle occupants and pedestrians is one of the prime concerns of automakers and many manufacturers are trying to develop steering column control modules so that safety and comfort features are enhanced to a much higher level. As per the current scenario, steering column control modules have become integral part of automobiles. The increasing standard of cabin comfort level has triggered utilization of requirement specific or custom made steering column control modules in great demand and this is expected to provide significant boost in the near future. The market for the steering column control modules is expected to provide significant opportunities to component providers, integrators and original equipment manufacturers across the globe.Steering Column Control Modules Market segmentation:Steering Column Control Modules can be segmented by type of sales channel, by components position and automobile type.By sales channel,Steering Column Control Modules Market can be segmented as:Original equipment manufacturerAftermarketBy Component Position type, Steering Column Control Modules Market can be segmented as:On the Steering Wheel (Sound Control, Airbags, etc.)Around/Below the Steering Wheel (Stalk levers, i.e. Wiper control, Head light control etc.)By Automobile type, Steering Column Control Modules Market can be segmented as:Passenger carsCommercial vehiclesHeavy Trucks and BussesOff-road VehiclesSteering Column Control Modules Market: Regional Outlook:Steering Column Control Modules can be divided into seven different geographical regions/divisions such as North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Middle East and Africa. The demand for steering column control modules is significant in Asia Pacific followed by Europe and North America owing to automotive steady rates of production volumes and sales. Owing to lack of production facilities in Middle East and Africa and relatively low production of vehicles in Latin America, the market potential of steering column control module is low. The Asian giant countries like India and China which have significant sales and production of automobiles are expected to witnessmomentous growth in steering column control module market in the coming years.Request For TOC@Steering Column Control Modules Market: Key Players:ZF TRWLeopold Kostal Gmbh & Co. KGDelphi Automotive LLPIdiditNexteer AutomotiveValeoFuture 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:
CMOS Power Amplifiers Market Global Industry Analysis and Forecast Till 2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2087

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2087

www.futuremarketinsights.com

The growing demand for power efficient wireless systems is the key factor contributes the growth of global CMOS power amplifiers market. CMOS power refers to complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers (Pas), are commonly utilized in mobile devices. CMOS Power Amplifiers are designed to meet the linearity, output power and low noise requirements of the 3GPP UMTS standards by consuming very low current. CMOS Power Amplifier is a silicon based amplifier, which has low power capability compared to other semiconductor based power amplifiers. CMOS Power Amplifier has greater benefits compared to GaAs - based power amplifiers including low production cost and greater integration and consistency. CMOS Power Amplifiers has ability to integrate multiple modes including GSM, EDGE, WCDMA, TD - SCDMA and LTE.Global CMOS Power Amplifiers Market: Market DynamicsContinuous investment to utilize CMOS technologies for RF power amplifiers (PAs), rapid development in global wireless communications technology, and the cost advantages of CMOS technologies over other semiconductor technologies are the key factor drives the growth of CMOS power amplifiers market globally. Additionally, growing interest among smartphone manufactures to develop multiband, multimode mobile devices that can support multiple 2G, 3G, and 4G LTE standards, rising demand for higher bandwidth and longer battery life in mobile devices and continuous investment to commercialize 5G communication, are the key drivers accelerates the growth for CMOS power amplifier market globally. Also growing research and development investments to utilize CMOS power amplifiers in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications further fuels the growth of global CMOS power amplifiers market.Request Free Report Sample@Global CMOS Power Amplifiers Market: Market SegmentationThe global CMOS power amplifiers market can be segmented on the basis of type, modes, application and by region. On the basis of type, the global CMOS power amplifiers market can be segmented into nonlinear, linear, and linearized. By modes, the global CMOS power amplifiers market can be segmented into current source and switch mode. On the basis of application, the global CMOS power amplifiers market can be segmented into smartphones feature phones, connected tablets and others. Regionally, the global CMOS power amplifiers market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) and Japan.Global CMOS Power Amplifiers Market: Regional OutlookThe global CMOS power amplifiers market is expected to wetness significant growth in all major regions including North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Asia pacific is expected to dominate the market due to increasing population, rising volume of smartphone users, increasing affordability and growing interest to commercialize 5G network in the emerging economies.Request For TOC@Global CMOS Power Amplifiers Market: Competition LandscapeSome of the key vendors in the global CMOS power amplifiers market include Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Skyworks Solutions, Inc., RFMD, Toshiba Corporation, Avago Technologies, ACCO Semiconductor, Inc., DSP GROUP, Peregrine Semiconductor Corp., Javelin Semiconductor, and Black Sand Technologies.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:
Stone Paper Market Volume Analysis, Segments, Value Share and Key Trends 2016-2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-2133

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-2133

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Stone paper is neither pulp nor synthetic made paper but it is a kind of extremely durable, highly strong and ecofriendly paper which is also known as rock paper, rich mineral paper, paper from waste marble. Density range of stone paper is 1.0-1.6, which equals to or more than ordinary paper, and a texture somewhat like peel of a boiled egg. The stone paper can be recycled re-formed into stone paper again, which is not recyclable but is photo degradable and compostable under commercial conditions. Stone paper is appropriate for packaging, bags, stationery, wrappers, adhesives, grease proof paper, containers and many other applications. Stone paper market has positive outlook as a result of packaging industries. The escalation in packaging industry attributed by need for effective labelling and high-quality option, to improve the aesthetics of the packaged product.Global Stone Paper Market: DynamicsStone paper is a new type of paper making technology that can be recyclable with modern technology in high polymer interface. Its main raw material is the most abundant in mineral resources calcium carbonate with high polymer material and variety of inorganic matter as auxiliary material. The increasing application scope of the product in the packaging, labeling, and self-adhesive paper is attributed to the slight ecological impacts, with regards to usage of energy, water, carbon emissions, and deforestation. The new product development along with investment in R&D for the advancement in manufacturing techniques have been the major strategy adopted by the manufacturers. The major issues faced by the industry are related to environment regulation on mining activities. The market is highly competitive owing to the presence of large number of suppliers worldwide.Request Free Report Sample@Global Stone Paper Market: SegmentationThe global market of stone paper market can be segmented on the basis of material type, application and region. On the basis of material calcium carbonate, high density polyethylene and others. On the basis of application labeling papers, packaging paper, self-adhesive paper and others. Among all application, paper packaging is major application of respective product. After packaging application self-adhesive paper segment are expected to register impressive growth during forecast period. On the basis of region North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa.Global Stone Paper Market: Regional OverviewDue to technology advancement in North America, this region is expected to witness higher growth rate during forecast period. Europe is also expected to account for second highest growth after North America due to demand of packaging application in European countries such as Russia and Germany. Asia pacific, dominated by China is expected to register highest growth in term of volume in global stone paper market during forecast year due to high demand of ecofriendly packaging, easy available raw material in this region, low cost of production and large numbers of manufacturers.Request For TOC@Global Stone Paper Market: Key PlayersThe main player of this market such are Stone Paper Company Ltd, Soluz Stone Paper S.A, Kapstone Paper, Taiwan Lung Meng Technology Co. Ltd., Gaia-Concept BV, Parax Paper, packaging corporation.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:
Electric Wheelchair Market Value Share, Supply Demand, share and Value Chain 2015-2025

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-554

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-554

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Electric wheelchairs are also called as power chairs or electric ?power wheelchairs. They do not require any human assistance for mobility as they are powered by battery. Most obvious advantage of electric wheelchair is that they are user friendly and convenient. These electric wheelchairs are useful for those unable to use manual wheelchair or who may want to use wheelchair for travelling longer distance and in such case using manual wheelchair is very difficult. Apart from people with traditional mobility disability, they may also be used by people with cardiovascular diseases or who met with any accidental conditions.Electric Wheelchair Market: Drivers and RestraintsFactors which are driving the growth of global electric wheelchair market are growing worldwide elderly population, necessity of automated wheelchair for disabled people and high disposable income of people from developed countries such as UK, France, Germany, US, Canada and Japan. Furthermore increasing demand of advanced wheelchairs from sport industry is also influencing the growth of electric wheelchair market, as many sport events are organised specially for disabled persons.Apart from several advantages, global electric wheelchair market is also facing some challenges such as high cost of electric wheel chair and lack of awareness and infrastructure. However this issues are expected to reduce during forecast periodRequest Free Report Sample@Electric Wheelchair Market: SegmentationThe Global Electric wheelchair market is segmented on the basis of product type and region. By product type, the electric wheelchair market can be segmented as centre wheel drive electric wheelchair, front wheel drive electric wheelchair, standing electric wheelchair, rear wheel drive electric wheelchair and others. Among all this product types, centre wheel drive electric wheelchair held largest revenue share and represents more than 50% of total market in 2014. Front wheel drive electric wheelchair is expected to be second largest growing type after centre wheel drive electric wheelchair and estimated to conquer significant growth in near future.By region, the market is segmented into seven major region such as North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific (excluding Japan), Japan as a separate region and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Current global electric wheelchair market is dominated by North America region however in recent future developing economies such as China, India and Brazil are expected to drive the demand for electric wheelchairs.Electric Wheelchair Market: Region ?wise outlookThe global electric wheelchair market is estimated to witness robust growth through 2025 due to growing technological advancement in electric wheelchair industry, new products are equipped with gadgets for accessibility and control. North America region led the market in 2014 in terms of highest demand. In US, government provides medical insurance to people over age of 65, which also helps them to get medical facilities at subsidized rates. High purchasing power, increasing elderly population and consumer awareness and inclination towards more sophisticated technology driven the progress of electric wheelchair market in this region. In coming years, developing countries such as India, China and Brazil expected to boost the demand of electric wheelchairs. It is mainly because of gradual increase in consumer awareness and development of medical facilities in this region.Request For TOC@Electric Wheelchair Market: Key PlayersThe key international players operating in electric wheelchair market includes OttoBock Healthcare GmbH, Invacare Corp., Pride Mobility Products Corp., Permobil AB, Sunrise Medical Limited, Hoveround Corporation, LEVO AG, Invacare Corp., MEYRA GmbH, Medical Depot, Inc., GF HEALTH PRODUCTS, INC and Others. All these key players are focusing on delivering best value products to their customers. Customised offering and product innovation is a common strategy adopted by most of the key players. These electric wheelchair manufactures offers large variety and different sizes of wheelchairs to meet demand of individuals depending upon their weight and height.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:Future Market Insights616 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:
Soy Lecithin Market Segments, Opportunity, Growth and Forecast By End-use Industry 2016-2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1350

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1350

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Soy Lecithin is typically the brownish yellow complex mixture of glycolipids, phospholipids, neutral lipids and sugars. The use of Soy to produce the lecithin is the highest as compare to the other sources of lecithin. The wide functional, nutritional and therapeutic properties of soy lecithin are used in variety of application. Soy Lecithin is mostly used as emulsifier in various industrial application such as food, feed, paints, cosmetics, plastics, pharmaceutical and others. The wide and constantly increasing product category for Lecithin applications is a healthy sign for the budding demand of soy lecithin market.Soy Lecithin Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe abundant availability and low pricing in international markets makes Soy the major driver for the growth of the Soy Lecithin Market. The increasing areas of application in food as well as non-food segments of Soy lecithin is also estimated to benefit the global demand of soy lecithin market. The changing food habits and increased per capita income is driving the growth of the packaged and processed food industry which is furthermore estimated to benefit the soy lecithin market. The growing concerns towards healthy lifestyle are propelling the demand for the nutrient rich foods, beverages and supplements ultimately expected to push companies to use nutrient rich and cost effective products like soy lecithin. The wide physical and chemical properties of Soy lecithin make it a lucrative product in paints and cosmetic industry. The maturing use of lecithin in pharmaceutical is forecasted to accelerate the demand of soy lecithin market.On the other hand the use of genetically modified soy might be the restrain factors due to the increasing awareness and inclination towards the use of organic food products.Soy Lecithin Market: SegmentationOn the basis of type, the global Soy Lecithin market is segmented into:Food GradeFeed GradePharmaceutical GradeIndustry GradeOtherRequest Free Report Sample@On the Basis of Function, the global Soy Lecithin Market is segmented into:EmulsifiersNutritional supplementsDispersantsWetting agentsViscosity modifiersRelease aidsSurfactantsNutritional supplementsOn the basis of Application, the global Soy Lecithin market is segmented into:Food & BeveragesPaint IndustryPharmaceuticalOthers (Plastic and other industries)Global Soy lecithin: Regional AnalysisThe global Soy lecithin is expected to be driven by strong demand in Asia pacific region especially in regions like China and India. Asia pacific is forecasted to be the largest producer as well as consumer for the global soy lecithin market by volume as well as by value. Another major market for the Soy Lecithin market is Latin America, primarily driven by growth in food and beverages industry. Europe is also forecasted to be the significant contributor for the demand of Soy Lecithin followed by Latin America. Africa is forecasted to grow at a steady rate but the fast growing economies are considered to be a major driving factor in the demand of Soy lecithin in proximate future.Request For TOC@Soy Lecithin Market: Key PlayersSome of the market participants in the global are E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill, Lipoid GmbH, American Lecithin Company, LASENOR EMUL, Lecico Gmbh, Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd, Ceresking Ecology & Technology Co. Ltd., Bunge Limited and 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:
Automotive Stamping Market 10-Year Market Forecast and Trends Analysis Research Report

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1527

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1527

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Stamping is a metal working process by which a desired shape and structure of a material is achieved. This metal working process is adopted in manufacturing industries engaged in processing of hardened surfaces such as sheet metal and plastics components. Stamping process forms the base of all the building process in automotive industry as more than 80 percent of the components that make up a vehicle is produced by stamping. Both the interior structural components and the exterior build components are produced by this process.Since 2010, the demand for automobiles has increased exponentially after the global economic downturn during 2009. This has led to an increase in demand of the stamping machines so as to meet the demand of an impeding growth in the automotive sector. The increase in usage of stamping machines in the automotive sector attributed to the growth of stamped automotive parts and is forecast to expand at a increasing growth rates during 2016-2026.Automotive Stamping Market DynamicsThe market for stamping machines in the automotive sector is driven by reduced lead times required for manufacturing vehicles. The machines are extremely versatile as different modules can be achieved by changing the necessary die. This process has also led to reduced labor requirements as the process can be automated with the help of computers thereby reducing the labor costs. The process helps in reducing scrap wastage as precise amount of raw material is utilized. The production cost incurred in the stamping process is very low and is replacing other metal working processes such as forging and die-casting.Request Free Report Sample@Automotive Stamping Market: SegmentationOn the basis of forming temperature, Automotive Stamping Market can be segmented as:Hot StampingCold StampingOn the basis of Stamping process, Automotive Stamping Market can be segmented as:Mechanical ProcessHydraulic ProcessPneumatic ProcessOn the basis of the number of stations required, Automotive Stamping Market can be segmented as:Single Tool StationProgressive StationsRequest For TOC@Automotive Stamping: Regional OutlookThe Global automotive stamping market can be divided into seven geographical locations such as North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific region, Japan, Middle East and Africa. Asia-Pacific market is anticipated to grow steeply in the stamped components, as the automotive sector in China, Japan and India is growing at a rapid pace. In Latin America, Brazil is the strongest automotive stamped components market preceded by Mexico and Argentina, due to improved production and sales of automobiles in these regions. European countries such as U.K. and Germany are also expected to grow in the stamped component market as demand for vehicles in these regions has increased exponentially.Automotive Stamping Market: Key PlayersSome of the major players which provide the Automotive Industry with Stamping Presses areSchuler GroupAIDA GlobalOrchid InternationalEagle Press & Equipment Co. Ltd.Hyundai RotemMacRodyne Hydraulic Presses & AutomationSantec GroupJier North AmericaRidgeview IndustriesBliss-Bret IndustriesABOUT 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:
Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting System Market Growth, Trends, Absolute Opportunity and Value Chain 2016- 2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1620

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1620

www.futuremarketinsights.com

With the increasing rate of cardiovascular disease constant innovation and advancement in technology has become paramount. In the field of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) introduction of endoscopic vessel harvesting system market has open up newer opportunities for companies. Coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is a procedure for restoring the blood supply to the heart muscle due to blockage or narrowing of one or more coronary arteries. Traditionally, the technique involved in harvesting procedure was open vein harvesting (OVH) which involved a single continuous skin incision. With the recent advancement in technology, the process is less invasive by endoscopic vessel harvesting (EVH) this technique reduces leg wound morbidity because of small incisions compared to open vein harvesting. Endoscope is a medical instrument used for capturing a picture inside a hollow area, which is connected to a video camera and inserted through a small incision that is made in the leg. The saphenous vein inside the leg is viewed by the endoscope and helps the surgeon in identifying and to remove the vein with minimal pain to the leg.According to Center of Disease Control and Prevention, around 3,95,000 CABG surgeries were performed in the United States in 2013. The endoscopic vessel harvesting system market is mainly driven by the incidence and prevalence rate of coronary diseases. Moreover due to benefits such as less invasive modality, including a lower infection rate, fewer wound complications, improved cosmesis, and greater patient satisfaction physicians and patients are opting for this treatment. High pool of geriatric population and awareness programs among surgeons will drive the endoscopic vessel harvesting system market. However, endoscopic vessel harvesting system market has some restraints, lack of skilled professionals in the developing countries and unstable reimbursement regulations are hampering the growth of endoscopic vessel harvesting system in developing countries. Apart from this the presence of alternative therapies may hinder the growth of the endoscopic vessel harvesting systems market.Request Free Report Sample@The Global endoscopic vessel harvesting system market is segmented on the basis of product type and regional presence:Segmentation based on product typeDisposableReusableGeographically the endoscopic vessel harvesting system market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and MEA region.CABG is most common type of heart surgery performed in North America region as per University of Michigan. North America followed by Europe are currently leading in the endoscopic vessel harvesting system market as high incidence of coronary disease due to sedentary lifestyle pattern adopted in these region and availability of all the types of minimally invasive CABG surgeries. The endoscopic vessel harvesting system market in Asia Pacific is expected to deliver tremendous growth due to the growth in per capita income in Asian countries and increase in medical tourism industry. With the growing access of public with healthcare professional and expanding economy china is expected to be the fastest growing market for endoscopic vessel harvesting system.Request For TOC@Some major companies in the endoscopic vessel harvesting system market are Maquet Holding B.V. & Co. KG., OLYMPUS CORPORATION, Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corporation., Med Europe S.r.l. (Elite Life Care), Sorin Group Inc., Saphena Medical, Inc and Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corporation.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:
ATM Market - Key Trends, Industry Opportunities And Projections for Upcoming Years

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1665

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/atm-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Global ATM Market: Brief DescriptionATM is the abbreviated form of automated teller machine. It is popularly known by many names such as automated banking machine, cash line, cash machine, and cash point. The global market for ATM has been significantly growing over the last couple of years. Irrespective of time and geography, an ATM allows users to make cash transactions using a card. The transactions can be performed entering the personal identification number of the card, the expiry date of the card, or in the case of any online transaction, a 3D security pin. All the numeric combinations are unique for every respective card and its user.Get Sample Report Copy :This industry research report is a brief review of the growth trail in terms of current, historical, and future scenarios of the global ATM market. It offers an evaluation of the aspects that are expected to influence the development of the market and the primary trends have also been specified in the research study. The research study also offers a broad lookout on the vendor landscape of the market through Porters five forces analysis. The research publication provides references of mergers and acquisitions, the research and development activities, specifics on licensing and collaborations. The report probes into the strategies related to marketing, shares, and product portfolio of the key participants in the global ATM market.Global ATM Market: Trends and ProspectsSince the advent of automated teller machines in the banking system, the global market for it has been incessantly growing. The prime aspects that are expected to drive the demand of ATM in the near future are the easy flow of cash, transactional benefits, quick withdrawals, and feasibility of offline and online shopping. It is also convenient for foreign travelers as it allows them in converting foreign money into the desired local currency. An ATM is the most secure and safe way of travelling as it provides cashless facility. Onsite ATMs are set up in bank premises where both the physical bank and machines can be used by customers. These machines also help in reducing the workload of the bank staffs and also aid in avoiding long queues for cash deposits, withdrawals, and cash transfer. By reducing the frequency of errors, it helps the banks in having smooth financial transactions.However, the market is expected to be hindered by factors such as misuse of the ATM pin, dispense of extra cash which causes a loss to the bank, and tampering which makes room for theft, fraud, and scams.Global ATM Market: Regional OutlookThe market for ATM is expected to have high potential in North America and Europe over the next couple of years and is also expected to soon reach saturation. The Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific is also likely to exhibit significant growth capacity in the near future owing to the rising demand for advanced interactive machines. The cash based economy of the Middle East and Africa region is anticipated to bode well for the market in the region.Browse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :Global ATM Market: Vendor LandscapeThe leading companies in the market are NCR Corp., Triton Systems of Delaware LLC, Diebold Inc., and Wincor Nixdorf AG.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:
Food Packaging Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Growth, Trends Analysis For 2023

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=7283

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/food-packaging-market.html

Food packaging market is by far the largest application segment of the packaging industry, accounting for more than one-third of the global packaging market. From a global perspective, the food packaging market is at a very interesting situation, where the market has almost reached a plateau in terms of technology in the more developed nations in North America and Europe, while the emerging countries of Asia Pacific region are playing catch up to the packaging technologies and food supply chain management. Different types of food products require varied packaging types according to their individual usage and perishability.Download Research Brochure PDF@The sea change in food habits and preference for processed food has propelled the food packaging market in the past. The market for packaged food has already reached a holistic level in North America and Western Europe, while rapid lifestyle changes and economic growth, coupled with rising population in Asia Pacific countries such as China and India, has spiked the growth rate of food packaging in the region. The growth rate in South America and the Middle East is also on the higher side compared to the developed economies. The main reason for increasing preference for processed food is the shifting population dynamics towards urban centers from rural areas. This has resulted in the advent of dual income urban families, who prefer processed food due to time constraints. Packaged food has evolved from super markets to neighborhood stores in countries such as China, India, Brazil and Thailand among others. The market dynamics in North America and Europe however, is governed by branding activities undertaken by food processing companies.Tremendous opportunity exist in the food packaging market in emerging economies as the food packaging technology is in its growth phase in this region. Antimicrobial packaging technique is of particular interest as it helps to improve the shelf life of perishable food products. The market is however, slightly restrained by the declining growth in North America and Europe.The food packaging market can be segmented into application segments such as convenience foods, confectionary items, dairy items, fruits and vegetables, meat and sauces and dressings. The popularity of the different food applications is different across the globe. For instance packaged meat is making foray into Asia Pacific region while it is mainstream in North America and Europe. Materials used to package food can also be segmented into plastic, paper & board, metal and glass. They may also be classified as rigid, semi-regid and flexible by type of packaging material. The preferences for different packaging materials also vary with regions due to the food habits specific to the regions. Flexible packaging accounts for the largest share of food packaging.North America is the largest food packaging market followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. However the growth rate exhibited by these regions has subsided considerably as the market is close to its peak. The growth parity is however, restored by the high growth regions of Asia Pacific and South America. China and India have exhibited exceptional growth potential and is expected to overtake the market leading position from North America in the near future.Some of the major players in the food packaging market are American Packaging Corporation, Anchor Packaging, Crown Holdings, Inc. and Bemis Company, Inc., among many 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
Industrial Microbiology Market will reach at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2016-2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1743

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-1743

www.futuremarketinsights.com

The global industrial microbiology market is expected to witness a y-o-y growth of 6.7% in 2016 over 2015 and reach US$ 9.46 Bn in revenues. North America will continue to be the most lucrative market, accounting for over 25% of the market share.In addition to increase in food consumption, rising emphasis on industrial food safety is predicted to fuel market growth. Wide-ranging applications of industrial microbiology and biotechnology in various verticals, including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and food & beverages are also expected to play a key role in driving the growth of the market. Consumer preference towards nutraceuticals, increasing automation, and strategic partnerships across the healthcare value chain are other key drivers for industrial microbiology market.Manufacturing of sterile products specifically demands higher costs in order to maintain aseptic conditions, which remains an abiding challenge for the market. Growing demand for advanced technology is also expected to hamper market growth.Request for sample report:Apart from applications in fermentation of wine, beer, and cheese, the use of industrial microorganisms in syrup formulation is also gaining traction. Other influential trends include use in bioremediation processes, manufacturing of empty capsules, and preparation of genetically modified food products.On the basis of product type, the global industrial microbiology market is segmented into reaction consumables, equipment & systems, and laboratory supply. While the reaction consumables segment is expected to dominate the market with over 60% of the total market share in 2016, equipment and systems segments revenue share will be over 25%. By test type, sterility testing and microbial limit testing are projected to collectively contribute around 60% to the total market share.The pharmaceuticals & biotechnology segment will remain the largest end-use segment in the industrial microbiology segment, owing to rising novel drug development practices.America will remain the largest and fastest growing market due to easier product approval processes. The U.S., a leading market for pharmaceuticals, will continue to dominate the North American market, accounting for over three-fourths revenue shares in 2016. Europe will maintain its position as the second largest market for industrial microbiology.Send an Enquiry:Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and bioMerieux SA remained the two largest players, accounting for a market share of 34.8% in 2015 (with respect to reaction consumables segment & reagent kits). Strong product portfolio, strategic R&D, strong market channels, prominent market presence, and sizeable presence in developing regions remain key strengths of these market leaders. Other leading players in the market include Merck KGaA, Qiagen, Sartorius AG, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., and Becton, Dickinson and Company.Long-term Outlook: The global industrial microbiology market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.1% over the forecast period, 2016-2024. FMI reports growing opportunities in the market, especially for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.About us:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Cosmetic and Perfume Glass Bottle Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast For 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=9299

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cosmetic-perfume-glass-bottle-market.html

The improved lifestyle coupled with increased disposable income and desire towards better personality are the prime reasons for growing demands of beauty products. The rapid growth in consumption and production of these products is evident that the look and feel of the packaging is also a considerable factor. Hence, manufacturers are highly focusing on better packaging solutions which gives customers a premium feel in a cost effective way. Quality packaging not only offer an attractive options for customers but it also maintain the quality and effectiveness of the product inside the bottle.Download Research Brochure PDF@The global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market is primarily driven by the growth in cosmetic and perfumery industry. The global cosmetic industry is forecasted to be of more than US $ 600 Bn by 2019. The growing aspirations of better physical appearance and beauty is anticipated to be the major driving factor for the cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market. The fierce competition in cosmetic industry is supposed to force the cosmetic and perfumery industry to choose innovative and better glass packaging solutions which is anticipated to be the driving factor for the global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market. The increased disposable income and growing inclusion of cosmetic and perfumery products into everyday grooming practices is projected to the driving factor for the global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market. On the other hand the growing use of plastic in cosmetic and perfumery packaging is anticipated to be the major restrain in the growth of the global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market.The opportunity of global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market lies in providing durable packaging solutions at cost effective especially in mid and low range perfume and cosmetic segments. Improving the product visibility and attractiveness is anticipated to be the major challenges for the global cosmetic and cosmetic and perfumery which can be perceived as an opportunity for the global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market by providing innovative packaging solutions.The global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market is segmented on the basis of product into high-end cosmetic and perfumes, mid-range and low range. The mid-range cosmetic and perfumery market is anticipated to register the highest growth in global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market. By application the global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market is segmented into hair care, skin care, make-up, fragrances, bath and shower and others. Where skin care and fragrances is anticipated to be the major contributor of the global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market.On the basis of geography the global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America. Europe is anticipated to be the largest market for global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market primarily driven by strong demand and higher consumption of cosmetic and perfumery products. Asia pacific is anticipated to be the second largest market for the global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market primarily driven by growing per capita income and increasing awareness of cosmetic and perfumery especially in rapidly growing urban population. The strong demand in Japan, India and China are the major contributing factors for the demand in Asia pacific region. The North America is also anticipated to contribute significantly in the global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market followed by Asia pacific. Middle East is also expected to contribute to the demand of global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market primarily due to rapid urbanization and rising expenditure on beauty care products.Some of the key players in the global cosmetic and perfume glass bottle market are Heinz-Glas Group Holding, SGD Group, ZIGNAGO VETRO S.p.A., Rockwood & Hines, Gerresheimer Group, Saverglass, Piramal Glass, Groupe Pochet and 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
North America and Europe Dermal Filler Market will reach at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2016-2026

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-na-2105

http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-na-2105

www.futuremarketinsights.com

Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the North America and Europe dermal filler market in its latest report, titled North America and Europe Dermal Filler Market: Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026. In terms of revenue, the North America and Europe dermal filler market is projected to register a promising CAGR of 6.4% over the forecast period, owing to numerous factors, about which FMI offers thorough insights and forecasts in this report.The factors powering demand for dermal fillers are aging population, increasing expenditure on aesthetics and beauty procedures, introduction of new areas of application such as HIV induced facial lipoatrophy, enhancement of dorsal area of hand and rising demand for non-invasive aesthetic procedures over surgical aesthetic procedures.However, higher cost associated with the dermal filler procedure, patch up or reinjection needed for achieving the desired facial rejuvenation for absorbable dermal fillers and some post procedure complications associated with dermal fillers like bruising, redness and granulation are some factors expected to hamper growth of the North America and Europe dermal filler market over the forecast period.Key trend defining the market is the prominent players acquiring smaller players in aesthetics product domain, consequently increasing their infrastructure along with expanding their product portfolio. Also, big players are partnering with local and smaller companies for distribution of their products on a regional level in pursuance of capturing the market share. Furthermore, dermal filler manufacturers are also increasingly concentrating on end user engagement to retain and expand their market share.Request for sample report:Segmentation highlightsThe market is segmented based on product type, filler material, distribution channel and region. Based on product type, the market is segmented into absorbable fillers and non-absorbable fillers.Among the product type segment, absorbable product type segment is expected to exhibit the highest revenue growth over the forecast period. The absorbable product type segment is expected to register a significant CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period in terms of value. The non-absorbable product segment is projected to register CAGR of 4.5% over the forecast period.To provide in-depth insights on the pattern of demand for dermal fillers, the market is segmented into different type filler material such as hyaluronic acid (HA), poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and collagen. The hyaluronic acid material segment is projected to register a significant CAGR of 6.7% over the forecast period in terms of value.The market has also been segmented by distribution channel into retail pharmacies and drug stores, clinics and hospital pharmacies and online sales segments. Clinics and hospital pharmacy distribution segment is expected to be the highest in terms of revenue over the forecast period, with the segment registering a CAGR of 7.8%.Retail pharmacies and drug stores are projected to witness a CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period. One of the major growth supporter for the dermal filler market is the office based procedure and small time required for procedure (30 to 60 minutes).Regional market projectionsThis report assesses trends in driving growth of each segment on the collective as well as regional level and offers potential takeaways that could prove substantially useful to dermal filler manufacturers looking forward to enter the market. North America market is expected to dominate the dermal filler market, accounting for maximum revenue share by 2016 end. Western Europe market is expected to account for approximately 28.5% revenue share of the North America and Europe dermal filler market by 2016 end. Among the emerging markets, Germany is projected to exhibit a significant CAGR of 7.2% over the forecast period, followed by France, due to rising demand for non-invasive aesthetics procedures and increasing expenditure on aesthetic procedures.Send an Enquiry:Vendor insightsSome of the key players in the North America and Europe dermal filler market include Allergan plc., Galderma Pharma S.A., Sinclair Pharma S.A., Anika Therapeutics Inc., Suneva Medical Inc. and Merz Pharma GmbH and Co. KGaA. In this report, FMI has discussed individual strategies followed by these companies in terms of enhancing their product portfolio, creating new marketing techniques, mergers and acquisitions. The Competitive Landscape is included to provide report audiences with a dashboard view and company share collectively.About us:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Smart Clothing Market to 2025-Industry Analysis, Applications, Opportunities and Trends |The Insight Partners

http://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/smart-clothing-market

http://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPTE100000341

http://www.theinsightpartners.com/discount/TIPTE100000341

Smart clothing, also known as E-textiles smart garments, electronic textiles, smart textiles, or smart fabrics, are fabrics that enable digital components (including small computers), and electronics to be embedded in them. These smart clothing market like other wearable devices are currently in emerging stage, however, prediction says it is an innovative ways to keep multiple things on track and have substantially high growth rate.Browse market data tables and in-depth TOC of the Smart Clothing Market to 2025 @The report aims to provide an overview of global smart clothing market with detailed market segmentation by component, connectivity, application, end-user, and geography. The global smart clothing market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. Improved lifestyle and technological development in healthcare sector is expected to propel the demand for smart clothing market in near future.Request Sample Copy @The objectives of Smart Clothing Market report are as follows: To provide overview of the global smart clothing market To analyze and forecast the global smart clothing market on the basis of component, connectivity, application, and end-user To provide market size and forecast till 2025 for overall smart clothing market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM), which is later sub-segmented by respective 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 smart clothing players influencing the market along with their SWOT analysis and market strategiesInquire about discount on this report @Some of the leading players in smart clothing market are AiQ Smart Clothing Ltd., Mad Apparel, Inc., Clothing+, Lumo Bodytech, CuteCircuit, Adidas AG, Nike Inc., Google (Project Jacquard), OMsignal and Hexoskin.About The Insight Partners:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comThe Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Global Organic Spices Market Expanding at a Stable CAGR of 4% from 2016 to 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1852

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/organic-spices-market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/global-organic-baby-food-market-research-report-forecast-to-2027

Market research future published a half cooked research report on the global organic spices market has been estimated to grow over 4% by 2022.Market HighlightsIncreasing importance of spices for various flavors in foods and medicinal properties has resulted in higher demand for spices. On the other hand, rising awareness for food safety related to pesticide residues in spices and related health hazards has triggered higher demand or organic spices. Change in food trends and adoption of various international food forms encouraging spices consumption in raw form further encourages demand for organic spices.Hence organic spices market is growing at CAGR of more than 4% from 2016 to 2022.Market Research Analysis: Increasing demand for natural flavors and robust industrial demand especially in convenience foods is having a positive impact on organic spices market Inclusion of authentic varieties of mixed spices and herbs, organic and ethically sourced spices and herbs has encouraged consumers to buy organic spices Increased demand from the downstream markets like Ready-to-Eat foods, pizzas, sauces and other convenience foods is further supporting the market.Request a Sample Copy @Key PlayersThe key players profiled in organic spices are as Organic Spices Inc. (U.S.), SOAP (Sapthsathi Organic Agriculture Project) (India), Frontier Natural Products Co-op (U.S), Sun Impex (Netherland), Earthen Delight (India), Salzhausl Himalaya Kristalllsaiz (Germany), Alemad Herbs (Egypt), Simply Organic (U.S), Yogi Botanicals (India), Live Organics Pvt Ltd (India)India being a major producer of spices boosts stronger potential for organic spices supply. Spice exports contribute to nations gross income considerably in countries like China, India, Africa and the Middle East. Organic spices are generally sold at premium spices and also in greater demand which can further enhance export revenues in major spice producing countries.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 50 market data tables and figures spread in 115 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Organic Spices Market Research Report- Forecast to 2022Browse full report @Intended Audience Organic Spice Manufacturers Spice Producers Food flavoring Manufacturers Retailers, wholesalers E-commerce companies Traders, Importers and exportersOrganic farming mechanism starts at grass root level conserving the generative and renewing capacity of the soil, plant nutrition, and soil management, yields nutritious food rich in vitality which has resistance to diseases. Food safety, flavors, medicinal properties and health benefits are driving the organic spices market. There is high demand for organic spices from countries like Europe, USA, Japan and Australia.Table of Content1 Executive Summary2 Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations2.3 Markets Structure2.4 Stakeholders3 Research methodology3.1 Research process3.2 Secondary research3.3 Primary research3.4 Forecast model3.5 Market Size estimation4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges5 Market TrendsContinueLIST OF TABLESTable 1 Pestle Analysis - U.S.Table 2 Pestle Analysis- IndiaTable 3 Pestle Analysis- ChinaTable 4 Pestle Analysis- JapanTable 5 Pestle Analysis- GermanyContinueLIST OF FIGURESFigure 1 Research MethodologyFigure 2 Primary Data Analysis ApproachFigure 3 Secondary Data Analysis ApproachFigure 4 Trend In Organic Spices Imports 2011-15Figure 5 Growth Rate In Organic Spices Imports 2011-15Continue.Related ReportGlobal Organic Baby Food Market Information- by Ingredient (fruits, vegetables, grains & cereals, meat, and dairy), by Product type (baby milks, baby cereals dry meals, finger foods, baby drinks & other organic baby foods), by Region - Forecast to 2027.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
Flow Meters Market to Maintain Healthy CAGR During, 2016-2024

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/10825

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/10825

The flow meter is a device used to measure the volume of fluid that is passing through a point on a given period of time. A flow meter consist various components such as tube, scale, stop, and indicator. Its performance depends on parameters that include pressure, viscosity, density and temperature of the fluid. Flow meter is measured by repeatability, accuracy, range ability of instrument and linearity.A sample of this report is available upon request @The global flow meter market can be segmented by application, by product and by geography. The product type is further segmented into Magnetic, Coriolis, positive displacement, turbine, vortex and others. Magnetic flow meter lead the global market in terms of value in 2012. Magnetic flow meters are majorly used in wastewater and water industry. Main applications of Coriolis flow meter include petrochemical and refining, chemicals, oil and gas and other industries. Geography segment covers North America, Europe, Asia pacific and RoW.This market is expected to show the single digit growth in CARG by 2019. Rapid industrialization and growing population in Asia Pacific act as drivers for this market. Growing population requires wastewater and water infrastructure in that region. Africa and Middle East also have huge potential for flow meters market.Asia pacific continues to remain the largest market for flow meters, followed by North America and Europe. Asia Pacific market is expected to grow owing to huge investment by increasing demand for flow meters from different types of industries.Request to view Table of content @The main key players for this industry include ABB Ltd., Yokogawa Electric Co., Hitachi ltd., Honeywell International ltd., Emerson Electric Co., Endress+Hauser AG and Siemens AG among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.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
Liquid Encapsulants Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Growth & Trends Analysis During Forecast Period 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=9311

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/liquid-encapsulants-market.html

For electronic components firm structuring of electronic component which are shock and moisture proof are considered to be essential for smooth functioning. To avoid these issues electronics manufacturers are increasingly using products called liquid encapsulants. Liquid encapsulants provide additional protection to the electronics components liquid encapsulants are considered to be the better alternative to the molding in high volume manufacturing processes used through automated dispensing equipment. Growing consumer demand of electronics equipment and accumulative reach of technology in everyday life are considered to be the prime factors for the growth of the Liquid encapsulants market. Primarily, there are two types of liquid encapsulants i.e. glob top and dam-and-fill. In addition to the shock and moisture protection the liquid encapsulants also provide excellent film formability, high voltage resistance, impregnation, migration resistance. Some of the Liquid encapsulants are also used to provide reduce wafer warps.Download Research Brochure PDF@Global liquid encapsulants market is primarily driven by the growing use of electronics and semiconductor devices in everyday life. Electronics and semiconductor devices are progressively being used in healthcare, transportation, industrial automation and consumer electronics. Global liquid encapsulants market is driven by strong demand in consumer electronics primarily driven by changing lifestyle and growing per capita income. The growing use of complex structures in semiconductors for electronic and electrical application is anticipated to drive the global lencapsulants market. Miniaturization trend of consumer electronic devices is also anticipated to catalyze the demand for liquid encapsulants. On the other hand the sluggish growth of end use sectors in few regions might acts a restraint for global liquid encapsulants market.The opportunity for the global liquid encapsulants market lies in increasing the application horizon in electronics and electrical device manufacturing. Increasing use of semiconductors in transportation and industrial automation is considered to be the major opportunity for the global liquid encapsulants market players.The global liquid encapsulants market is segmented on the basis of the material, product, application and geography. On the basis of material the global liquid encapsulants market is segmented into epoxy modified resins, epoxy resins, hardners colorants and others. On the basis of product the global liquid encapsulants market is segmented into sensors, semiconductors, integrated circuits, optoelectronics and others .On the basis of application the global liquid encapsulants market is segmented into consumer electronics, industrial electronics, automotive, industrials automation, telecommunication and others.On the basis of geography the global Liquid encapsulants Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America. Asia Pacific is considered to be the leading consumer and manufacture of global Liquid encapsulants Market by volume and value. Japan, China, South Korea and others are considered to be the major consumers of the global Liquid encapsulants Market. Followed by Asia Pacific North America is considered to be the major market for the global Liquid encapsulants Market primarily due to growth in consumer electronics segment. Europe is considered to be a leading consumer especially due to growth in application sectors such as automotive, industrial equipments and healthcare equipments. Latin America is considered to show sluggish growth in the global Liquid encapsulants market. Middle East and Africa due to its growing economies is anticipated to contribute the growth in liquid encapsulants market.Some of the key market participants in the global liquid encapsulants market are Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd., KYOCERA Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd., Sanyu Rec Co. Ltd., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., NITTO DENKO CORPORATION., NAGASE & CO., LTD., Epic Resins and 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
Aluminosilicates Market Expecting Worldwide Growth by 2024

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/10879

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/10879

Aluminosilicates are minerals comprise aluminum, oxygen, silicon and countercations. They forms important component of clay minerals and kaolin. Naturally occurring aluminosilicates include sillimanite, kyanite, and andalusite. These minerals are commonly used as index minerals in various rocks. Hydrated forms of aluminosilicates are zeolites and are porous in nature. Environmental impact of aluminosilicates has been characterized by life-cycle analysis. The end user industries of aluminosilicates include petrochemical, biogas, heating & refrigeration, detergents, construction, medical, agriculture and gemstones.A sample of this report is available upon request @Growing petrochemical industry across the world is expected to drive the market for aluminosilicates. These are used as catalyst in petrochemical industry processes such as cracking and hydrocracking. Aluminosilicates are used in reactor and regenerator as well to improve the efficiency of cracking process and extraction. Demand for crude oil across the globe is increasing due to energy requirements for different applications, which in turn expected to drive the aluminosilicates market growth. In addition, the growing demand from laundry and general detergents industry is expected to boost the aluminosilicates market growth. It is the largest application of the aluminosilicates, however it is expected to grow at moderate pace. Furthermore, growing demand from medical and pharmaceutical end user industry is expected to fuel the market growth. Research and developments in the field biomedical applications are driving the aluminoslicate market.However, harmful effects of the aluminisilicates are expected to hamper the market growth. High processing cost to produce pure form of aluminisilicates is also expected to inhibit market growth. Aluminosilicates are obtained from mines and due to decrease in mining activities across the globe; supply of raw material is expected to be major concern for the players in the market.Research & developments in the field of crystallography and biomedical is expected to open up new opportunities for the players in the market. New applications development is expected to provide immense opportunities for the players in the market.Asia Pacific was the largest market in terms of consumption and production. Growing demand from petrochemical and detergents industry is expected to drive the market for aluminosilicates in the region. To scavenge the crude oil reserves in China, exploration and drilling activities has been increased in recent years, which in turn expected to drive the market growth for aluminosilicates. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at faster pace in the near future driven by China. Asia Pacific was followed by Europe in terms of consumption. Medical and pharmaceutical end user industry growth is expected to fuel the demand for aluminosilicates in the region. Per capita expenditure is continuously rising in this region which is contributing to the revenue of this market. North America was the third largest market for aluminosilicates. Owing to increased exploration activities and increase in shale gas rigs across the U.S., the demand for aluminosilicates is expected to increase.Global aluminosilicates market is highly fragmented and dominated by regional players. Major players compete based on their pricing strategies. Moreover, owing to increasing demand for customized products, players also have to compete on the research and development strategies. Therefore industry is characterized by high degree of competition that is expected to remain same for the forecast period.Request to view Table of content @Key players in aluminosilicates market include British Glass, A C Technologies, Associated Ceramics & Technology, Inc., Saunders Foundry Supply Inc., M & M Glassblowing Co. Inc., Minco Inc., Shanghai Jiuzhou Chemicals Co., Ltd, AB Holding 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
Transit Packaging Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Growth And Trends Analysis During Forecast Period 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=9317

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/transit-packaging-market.html

Packaging is an inevitable part of manufacturing industry. The growing global commerce is forcing manufacturers and packers to transport the goods at distant areas facing environmental and physical challenges. Hence, globally safe transportation of goods and materials is anticipated to be one of the major challenges for manufactures. The transit packaging industry hence helps manufacturers and packers by providing resilient, attractive and cost effective solutions for their transportation needs.Download Research Brochure PDF@The growing commerce and rapid addition of new product segments to be transported are anticipated to be the major drivers for the global transit packaging market. One of the major contributor to the global transit packaging market is anticipated to be the food and beverages market. Changing lifestyle preference and rapid urbanization is estimated to be the drivers to the transit packaging market. The growing demand of electrical and electronics equipments is pushing manufacturers to ship their products across the globe safely which expected to drive the transit packaging market. Safe handling and prompt delivery at crucial environmental and geographical conditions is forcing manufactures to take additional measures for packaging and transportation which is expected to drive the global transit packaging market. Increasing automation and use of technology in supply chain practices is pushing manufactures for better packaging to ensure safe handling which is anticipated to drive the global transit packaging market.The regulations for packaging in some countries is anticipated to restrain the growth of the global transit packaging market in which manufacturers are minimizing the packaging. The sluggish growth in manufacturing sector is also anticipated to restrain the growth of global transit packaging market.The opportunity for the global transit packaging market lies in developing durable and cost efficient packaging solution for diverse range of applications. Global transit packaging market can get benefitted through providing innovative solutions for new product segments. Global transit packaging market is anticipated to have huge growth opportunities in manufacturing multi use and easily recyclable products.The global transit packaging market is segmented on the basis of type, application, end use and region.On the basis of type the global transit packaging market is segmented by cases and protective packaging. The protective packaging segment is further classified as foams, pads, inserts fitments and others. On the basis of application the global transit packaging market is segmented into retail packaging, industrial packaging, consumer packaging, commercial packaging and others. On the basis of end-use the global transit packaging market is segmented by Food and Beverages Packaging, Electrical and electronics packaging, Consumer goods packaging, Furniture packaging, Industrial equipments packaging and others.On the basis of geography the global transit packaging market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), the Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America. Asia pacific is anticipated to be the major contributor both in terms of value and volume. Japan, China and Japan due to its growing industrial and commercial manufacturing practices is anticipated to be the major contributor of the global transit packaging market. Followed by Asia Pacific, North America is anticipated to be the major contributor of the global transit packaging market. Europe is also seen as a major market for the global transit packaging market followed by North America. The growth in Middle East and Africa is anticipated to be growing steadily over the forecasted period.Some of the key participant of the global transit packaging market are Pratt Industries, Inc., Mondi , Smurfit Kappa Group, Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA (publ), Greif, Inc., Sonoco Products Company, Packaging Corporation of America, BillerudKorsnas AB, ZOTEFOAMS INC and 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
Compare and find the cheapest flights with Kenweego

http://kenweego.com

You need help to choose the ideal holiday this winter or spring?Come and take advantage of the low prices! You will enjoy the best price among our wide range of stays, tours, weekends, cruises, airline tickets.You will discover the world with us.We develop a trip to your measure where your dreams take you. Choose from our themes or let us know your wishes. Our agency kenweego is a company specialized not only in last minute flights from luxury travel to themed trip that we establish according to your needs and your budget but also It is a travel planner and its role helping you to organize the trip of your dreams to many destinations like London, Paris and Madrid with best price, just with 400 dollars.A beautiful ambiance filled with exciting plan wait you, travelling to one of these countries is an amazing opportunity, however they considered as the most famous countries in the world, there was art in everything around you! They are towns standing bold in their unique and well established cultures .It is the easiest way to compare travel destinations and plan your flight; we look forward to helping you achieve successful trip.Only if you are a fan of traveling and you want to discover the globe, we can help you to get away from it all and experience off the beaten track. Of course we also offer all the services and advice of a traditional travel agency: airline ticket, hotel reservation, cruise, tour and stay. Your trip will certainly be a combination of several themes, but whatever options you choose, comfort, quality and safety will be a must, and we have a good guide, passionate, and will give you the advices that you need, and if the proposed programs do not reflect your personal expectations, we will send you an original program that we will build together according to your wishes and our experience so that it fits within your budget.Our team will be delighted to welcome you and to accompany you in the preparation of your holiday; just visit our web site and get all the information you need about our travel planner agency :Your well being is our mission; let yourself be seduced by our packages specifically designed for our clients. Our tourist tours allow you to enjoy the country of your choice by visiting magical places full of history.Kenweego is a search engine that gives your next destination in one clic according to your : Departure city, dates you want to go, your budget, what you want to do...Kenweego shows you more than 50 destinations in Europe with the most interesting flights. Youll be redirected to the website company to book. That's easy !For each destination you can have useful information as citys description, main sights and multi-cultural events as concerts, festivals, parties during the dates of your stay. You can also see pictures of travellers and our main recommandations, but we also invite you to do the same and share yours !KENWEEGO47 avenue Edouard Vaillant 93500 Pantin FranceEdouard Faouzane BATIGAcontact@kenweego.com
GRP Rainer Rechtsanwalte: Experience in enforcing antitrust claims

www.grprainer.com/en/

www.grprainer.com/en

Parties that have suffered loss as a result of the truck cartel are entitled to compensation. The law firm GRP Rainer Rechtsanwalte has the requisite experience in enforcing these kinds of claims.GRP Rainer Lawyers and Tax Advisors in Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and London conclude: Buyers and lessees of the affected vehicles suffered extreme losses due to illegal price-fixing agreements arranged by the truck manufacturers Daimler, DAF, MAN, Iveco and Volvo/Renault. The European Commission has already imposed a fine to the tune of almost three billion euros against the cartel members for violations of antitrust law. In doing so, the Commission also paved the way for those that purchased and leased the trucks to bring claims for damages, it no longer being necessary to prove that infringements of antitrust law occurred. Notwithstanding this, the claims need to be actively asserted. GRP Rainer Rechtsanwalte has the experience required to ensure that these kinds of claims are successfully enforced.Among other things, the cartel members illegally fixed prices for medium and heavy-duty trucks, i.e. trucks weighing between 6 and 16 tons and heavier, between the years 1997 and 2001. This gave rise to a right to claim damages for those that purchased or leased these vehicles. It is not possible to attribute a general figure to individual claims. In order to determine the exact amount of any damages, it is necessary to prepare an expert assessment. Forwarders and transportation companies can also band together in arranging such an assessment as a way of minimising costs.The claims can be enforced in court. That being said, there ought to be a good chance of being able to arrive at an out-of-court settlement with the cartel members, as it can be assumed that the truck manufacturers have made appropriate provisions for damages claims and are interested in reaching a solution out of court.When asserting the claims, it is also important not to lose sight of the statute of limitations. In the case of trucks that were procured between 1997 and 2001, the claims could become time-barred as early as mid-January of 2017. As for more recent trucks, various dates have to be considered for the purposes of prescription. The statute of limitations is expected to kick in for trucks purchased in 2002 in the summer of 2017, with this taking place one year later for trucks procured in 2003. This is the way in which claims gradually prescribe.To ensure that damages claims are asserted both on time and effectively, the aggrieved parties can turn to lawyers who are experienced in the field of antitrust law.GRP Rainer LLPis an international firm of lawyers and tax advisors who are specialists in commercial law. The firm counsels commercial and industrial companies and corporations, as well as associations, small- and mid-sized businesses, self-employed freelancers and private individuals worldwide from offices Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and London UK.Contact Michael RainerLawyer, Managing PartnerGRP Rainer LLPGurzenich-QuartierAugustinerstrae 1050667 CologneGermanyPhone: +49 221-27 22 75-0info@grprainer.com
Bizerba at EuroShop 2017

Bizerba

www.bizerba.com

From farm to fork in a digital world is Bizerbas overriding theme at EuroShop 2017 (Dusseldorf/Germany; 5 to 9 March, 2017; hall 6, booth E58).As the leading supplier of weighing and slicing technology, Bizerba presents solutions based on the Retail 4.0 concept. Apart from current hardware and software solutions, visitors at the stand will be able to see the companys future portfolio:How will Retail 4.0 evolve?Which will be the challenges facing consumers and the market and what can the retail business do to meet them?Digitisation has long established itself in the retail business. Industry 4.0 requires an intelligent combination and connection of different hardware and software components, and Bizerba demonstrates how this is reflected in the modern retail environment.For instance, the RetailConnect interface software is used for integrating ERP systems, scales and labelers, enabling the integration of third-party solutions in addition to existing Bizerba infrastructures.As a comprehensive solution, Bizerbas RetailPowerScale software supports sales, checkout and pure weighing use cases as well as mobile applications. It runs on Bizerba scales and third-party hardware alike.To reflect the increasing use of mobile applications and to meet individual consumer needs, app-based solutions are the trend of the future. They can be flexibly and quickly integrated into the retailers omni-channel strategy.Taking Bizerbas RetailApp EasyOrder as an example, digital customer requests can be captured and processed directly at the scale.Bizerba Next GenerationsCurrent trends including Industry 4.0, Internet of Things, predictive maintenance, collaboration of disparate systems, availability and services are part of Bizerbas solution portfolio and are reflected in the new, individually configurable service packages offered by the company. In the emerging My Bizerba offering, customers will buy the ability to use hardware and software products instead of actually purchasing them.For this purpose, customers can combine their individual portfolio of availability, maintenance and life cycle management.Process optimisation at the fresh-food counter equally applies to slicers and scales. Named Digital Slicing, Bizerba provides solutions that increasingly converge the core processes of weighing and slicing. In addition, the slicers network connectivity will greatly simplify the investigation, control and maintenance of the equipment.Retail 4.0 as a New EraWe are amid a digital revolution, which does not deal with a transformation from static to digital commerce or with on-line marketing, web presence, online commerce or social media, explained Tudor Andronic, vice president global retail at Bizerba. The most successful players will be the digital retailers focusing their strategy on connected customers. Primarily buying information, these customers want have precise information about the ingredients and origin of a product. They expect the service of the ancient mom-and-pop stores whose owners knew their customers. They knew their offering and were able to suggest products based on previous purchases and the familys preferences. Globally available, todays digital mom-and-pop store uses all delivery channels.Todays retailers face the challenge to organise and develop appropriate processes and systems across the entire value chain in order to improve the customers experience and to reduce their costs and redundancies.Against this backdrop, Bizerba invites customers and partners to shape the future of the retail business in an interactive manner. The Euro Shop 2017 is characterised by modern approaches and new technologies that will be fundamental for many additional projects and future-oriented cooperation, said Andronic. We are looking forward to the feedback from and the interaction with our guests in hall 6, booth E58.About Bizerba:Bizerba offers its customers in industry, trade, and logistics a globally unique solutions portfolio of hardware and software around the central value "weight". This portfolio includes products and solutions related to slicing, processing, weighing, cashing, checking, commissioning, filling and labeling. A wide range of services from consulting and service, labels and consumables to leasing complete the portfolio.Since 1866 Bizerba has made a significant contribution to the developments in the area of weighing technology and today is represented in 120 countries. The customer base includes globally operating companies in trade and industry as well as retailers, bakeries and butcheries. With around 3,900 employees worldwide and with its headquarters in Balingen, Baden Wuerttemberg, Bizerba has been in the same family for five generations. Additional production facilities are located in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, China and USA. Bizerba also has a global network of sales and service locations.United KingdomBizerba (UK) Ltd2-4 Erica RoadStacey BushesMilton KeynesBuckinghamshireMK12 6HSMail:info@bizerba.co.ukWeb:Blog: blog.bizerba.co.uk
Global Cleanroom Consumables Market 2017 : Illinois Tool Works, Kimberly-Clark, Aramark, Bio Clean, Cantel Medical

Cleanroom Consumables

http://bit.ly/2k9KN1W

http://bit.ly/2iIC2eY

A market study based on the "Cleanroom Consumables Market" across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Cleanroom Consumables Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Cleanroom Consumables industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Cleanroom Consumables market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research ReportBerkshire CorporationDu PontIllinois Tool WorksKimberly-ClarkAramarkBio CleanCantel MedicalPrudential Cleanroom ServicesThermo Fisher ScientificThe report studies the industry for Cleanroom Consumables across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Cleanroom Consumables market & dynamics of demand and supply of Cleanroom Consumables into consideration. The 'Cleanroom Consumables' research study covers each and every aspect of the Cleanroom Consumables market globally, which starts from the definition of the Cleanroom Consumables industry and develops towards Cleanroom Consumables market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Cleanroom Consumables market is classified and analysed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Cleanroom Consumables market. The geographical segmentation of the Cleanroom Consumables industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Cleanroom Consumables is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Cleanroom Consumables market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Cleanroom Consumables market worldwide.Enquire Here :The global Cleanroom Consumables market 2017 is also analysed on the basis of product pricing, Cleanroom Consumables production volume, data regarding demand and Cleanroom Consumables 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 Cleanroom Consumables 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
Analysis of Global Neuroscience Market 2016 - 2024

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13390

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13390

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the brain & nervous system. Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary study that is concerned with the study of the structure and function of the nervous system. It encompasses the evolution, development, cellular and molecular biology, physiology, anatomy and pharmacology of the nervous system, as well as computational, behavioral and cognitive neuroscience. Neuroscience market is primarily based on ongoing brain mapping research and investigation projects aimed to better understand complex neuronal circuits, nervous functioning, and neuronal manipulation. According to the Society for Neuroscience, more than 1,000 disorders of the brain and nervous system result in more hospitalizations and lost productivity than any other disease group, including heart disease and cancer.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @According to World Health Organization, in 2007, it was estimated that neurological disorders affected up to 1 Bn people worldwide. Neurological diseases make up 11% of the worlds disease burden, excluding the mental health and addiction disorders. The cost of neurological diseases is high across the globe. For example, the European Brain Council estimated in 2010 that neurological diseases in Europe alone cost US$ 1 trillion a year. Approximately 50 Mn people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally. Nearly 80% of the people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries.Increasing R&D in neuroinformatics for the development of efficient tools and algorithms to enhance brain structurally and functional mapping of the brain are the factors driving the growth of the global neuroscience market. Laboratories and academic institutes that are involved in research projects analyzing animal models to gain insights into brain functioning are generating more demand and fueling the neuroscience market growth. Rise in the incidence of various malignant central nervous system (CNS) disorders including Alzheimers disease and Parkinsons, & growing prevalence of inherited genetic disorders are the main reasons for demand generation in the global neuroscience market. Government funding is encouraging the continuation of such research and it is expected to boost growth at a moderate rate during the forecast period. Novel product development resultant of ongoing R&D will further positively influence growth of the global neuroscience market during the forecast period.Neuroscience market is segmented on the basis of technology into Neuromicroscopy, Whole Brain Imaging, Electrophysiology, Neuro-proteomic Analysis, Neuro Functional Visualization, Neuro-cellular Manipulation, Stereotaxic Surgeries, Neuro-biochemical Assays & Animal Behavior Analysis. Data analysis & related services for the purpose of information processing as well as storage of real-time data obtained from these studies also forms a considerable share of industry because of its skilled and labour intensive nature and need for long-term data storage facilities such as in case of brain function  age-related studies in primate and non-primate animal models.Geographically, neuroscience market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East & Africa. The neuroscience market is currently dominated by the North America owing to the presence of a large number of ongoing research projects aided by government universities. Moreover, rise in incidence of CNS associated disorders in the regional population is also expected to boost growth over the forecast period. Asia Pacific expected to witness higher growth in neuroscience market due to rising patient awareness regarding nervous system disorders, & rising healthcare expenditures coupled with increasing focus of global players in the countries like India and China. The market will typically witness a higher growth rate in countries such as the Germany, Spain, U.K., Italy and France. The neuroscience market in the U.K. is developed and well-established, and is comparatively easy to enter, making the neuroscience market in the country stronger than in any other European countries.Request to View Tables of Content @Major players operating in this market include Trifoil Imaging Inc., Sutter Instrument Corporation, Newport Corporation, Neurotar Ltd., Femtonics Ltd., Scientifica Ltd., Axion Biosystems, Intan Technologies, Neuralynx Inc, Thomas Recording GmbH, Blackrock Microsystems LLC, LaVision Biotec GmbH, Mediso Medical Imaging Systems, Plexon Inc, Alpha Omega, and NeuroNexus Technologies. Major players present in the global neuroscience market are involved in pre-clinical research and development of optogenetics and behavior analysis techniques that can be utilized in the study of CNS disease etiology. These players are also involved in the development of techniques and equipment that minimize invasiveness during the treatment or surgery to the brain tissues and allow rapid recovery.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
Market Study on Expected Growth for Critical Care Diagnostics Market

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/13411

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/13411

Critical care diagnostics is primarily associated with intensive care of patients dealing with life threatening conditions, which especially require sophisticated invasive monitoring devices alongside other monitoring and life support systems. The need for critical care diagnostics is growing due to growing demand for rapid diagnosis and treatment and especially the rising geriatric population globally. Currently, the U.S. is the key country contributing towards critical care diagnostics market, where the quality of life of the patients with painful symptoms that are difficult to manage have become manageable. In addition, the market for critical care diagnostics is expected to grow at a healthy rate in the next few years. Moreover, lack of skilled personnel and the higher cost of these diagnostic equipment can prove to be a restraining factor for the overall growth of this market especially in low to medium income countries of the world.A Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @Some of the critical care diagnostic tests such as microbial and/or infectious disease tests, allow physicians to identify and isolate microorganisms/bacteria rapidly and accurately in a short time span of time. These tests further guide the concerned physicians to react immediately for proper treatment using the right antimicrobial treatment without any delay and terminate the use of preventable drugs. In addition custom chemicals and new technologies has to be incorporated to result high performance, fast response time, and cost-effective devices. There are different type of critical care diagnostics that are available world over such as flow cytometry, coagulation testing, routine and special chemistry, hematology, immunoproteins, microbial and infectious diseases, and others.Furthermore, microbial and/or infectious disease tests segment is expected to witness fastest growth rate in the near future. This is majorly attributed to the ability of these tests to diagnose a large number of patients rapidly and accurately with chronic infections. Certain medical procedures and conditions can increase the use of different critical care diagnostic tests in different parts of the world. Critical care diagnostics are expected to grow at a high rate owing to increase in geriatric population. Moreover, scientific improvements, and increase in number of patients worldwide will also support market growth.The critical care diagnostics market can be segmented based on type of tests, end-users, and geography. Based on test type, the critical care diagnostics can be categorized into flow cytometry, immunoproteins, hematology, special chemistry, microbial and infectious diseases, coagulation testing, and others. Based on end users, the market can be segmented into surgery and/or operation units, emergency units, intensive-care unit (ICU) and others.Globally, North America was observed to be the largest critical care diagnostics market due to extensive use of such tests alongside large number research and development activities in the region. Additionally, the U.S. and Canada have been successfully utilizing several critical care diagnostic tests, which as a result would boost the market growth. Moreover, presence of well-established healthcare organization, government initiatives in implementing critical care diagnostics and improving reimbursement scenario would further boost market growth. Moreover, Europe was witnessed to be the second largest market in the critical care diagnostics owing to enhanced healthcare processes and implementation of high healthcare concerns in the region.Asia Pacific was observed to be the fastest growing regional market globally. The major factor that would drive the growth of the critical care diagnostics market in Asia Pacific include increasing number of patients, and rising use of telehealth and remote communications between diagnostics and laboratories in the region. China and India are the top emerging countries in the region and hence would increasingly contribute towards the market growth for critical care diagnostics. In Latin America, Mexico and Brazil are the countries that have significant potential for growth due to developing medical organization, and rising disposable incomes.Request to View Tables of Content @Key players operating in the global critical care diagnostics market include Abbott Laboratories, Alere, Inc., Beckman Coulter, Inc., Becton Dickinson and Company, Bayer AG, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. and Siemens Healthineers among other significant players.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 Vinyl Flooring Market 2016 Top Manufacturers in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa

Vinyl Flooring Market

http://www.marketresearchstore.com/report/global-vinyl-flooring-industry-2016-market-growth-trends-90842

https://goo.gl/4qk2j7

This research report on Global Vinyl Flooring Market 2016 is being made by the experts to create a reliable and detailed picture of the global market, including analysis of the present and past performances of the Vinyl Flooring market all around the world.The report has considered different dimensions of the market and has segmented the Vinyl Flooring industry according to the geography, production, application and many more. Each such segment is analyzed by the experts to get detailed idea of the revenue (gross/net).Get full report with TOC @Considering the utility to the users, makers of the report has studied various aspects of the Vinyl Flooring industry such as the value chain and major policies that influence the market. Factors such as growth drivers, restraints, and future prospects of the market are extensively evaluated in this report.Apart from this, the given report educates reader about availability of different product in the market along with their pricing, production volume, demand and supply, and their contribution in terms of revenue in the global market.Various analytical tools have been used to collect data for this report. The methods used and the sources are factual and reliable, making this report trustworthy for its users. The report has considered different market tools such as investment feasibility, investment return, and market attractiveness analysis in relation to the global Vinyl Flooring market.Get Free sample report @The user of the Vinyl Flooring report will be able to design his market strategies that are likely to pay off in the long run as the report consists of potential and present key players of the market with their probable future strategies too.Market Research Store is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations.Contact UsJoel 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@marketresearchstore.com
Emerging Trends of Network Security Market 2016 - 2026

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12565

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/12565

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/

The introduction of virtualization technologies and growing usage of web-based applications are some of the factors that are supporting Network Security market to grow. Network security helps enterprises in securing communication pathway from unauthorized access and data misuse. There is increasing demand for advanced security services and integration of network security solutions with other security services to mitigate the risk of cyber-attacks.A sample of this report is available upon request @Within Network security, encryption and firewalls are the majorly adopted solutions by enterprises to protect their network and information. Network security solution monitors user activity, creating access limitation, training, and educating users, detailed information of log activities, creation of data breach response plan, compliance management, data encryption, and web application management.The major factor driving Network security market is the growing need of security solutions for cloud technology. Due to heavy use of virtualization, threats such as malware or defective process are reducing the efficiency of the hypervisor. This has encouraged Network security solution providers to offer advanced Network security solutions such as Firewall to scan every byte of each packet on all the network traffic. This Network security solution strengthens cloud-based security by providing additional benefits such as malware protection, detection of intrusion, policy violation data theft and other security measures.The key challenge in the Network security market is the rising demand for solutions that can support BYOD approach. With the introduction of BYOD policy companies allow their employees to access business information through their personal devices and to follows open and interconnected network policy. This creates difficulty for network security solution to understand if the action has been taken up by the device, machine or human. Many network security solution providers are working towards the development of intelligent security solution that can secure information not only the device or communication pathway.Another restraint in Network security is the vulnerability to cyber-attack. This has badly affected operating system of the companies as many organizations are running their network connected devices without network security updates, faces the problem of vulnerability to viruses, theft and data loss along with cloud Integration and connectivity. This have given hackers and cyber-attackers an easy access to the organizations network. To secure network, timely detection, removal of viruses and control is needed. It is necessary to identify and fix the issues related to network performance and reliability.Network Security Market: SegmentationIn this market companies offer solutionsSegmentation on the basis of solution:Data encryptionMalware ProtectionURL and content filteringAdvance Threat Detection and Vulnerability managementWeb Application ManagementFirewall SecurityA sample of this report is available upon request @Key Contracts and Key Players:In June 2016, Fortinet, a security solution provider has acquired AccelOps, a network security monitoring, and analytics company. This acquisition helps to provide more efficient network security solutions for automated threat prevention feature.In June 2016, Barracuda networks has entered into the distribution agreement with Synnex Australia to increase its presence in APAC region by offering cloud backup and storage solutions, and disaster recovery solution in Australia and New Zealand.In March 2016, TrendMicro has acquired TippingPoint, network security Solution Company from HPE. This acquisition strengthens TrendMicros vulnerability management, threat protection, and advance network solution capabilities.In Network Security market there are many other solution providers some of them are PaloAlto Networks, Sonicwall, McAfee, CheckPoint Software Technologies, AT&T, Microsoft, Cisco, Optiv Security Inc., Juniper and Siemens.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each PMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With a wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports strive to serve clients and satisfy their overall research requirement.For information regarding permissions, contact:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway,7th FloorNew York City, NY 10007United StatesTel: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWebsite:media@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Holographic Films Market Revenue is Expected to Reach US$ 11,775 Million by 2024

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12892

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/holographic-films-market/toc

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/12892

For every consumer goods product that has ever hit the shelves of retail outlets, a percentage of its production cost gets spent on branding the product by sticking a holographic film on its packaging label. Accordingly, billions of consumers goods sold daily from all parts of the world necessitate the expansion of global production capacity for holographic films. In 2015, global sales of holographic films exceeded US$ 5 billion, attesting the universal demand for iconic branding techniques. According to a recent research conducted by Persistence Market Research, the global holographic films market revenues are estimated to reach US$ 11,775 million in value by 2024.A sample of this report is available upon request @Persistence Market Researchs report titled Global Market Study on Holographic Films: Pharmaceuticals End Use Industry Segment Estimated to Increase 2.2X in Terms of Value over the Forecast Period , projects the US$ 5,767.3 million global holographic films market will expand at an impressive CAGR of 9.3% during the period of forecast  2016-2024. Besides the branding demands, the active use of Fresnel lens technology in designing flexible packaging surfaces has become a proponent for consumption of holographic films, the combination of which is likely to create 3D effect for customers viewing the products stacked on store shelves. While secured packaging and anti-counterfeit measures promote the use of holographic films, volatile costs of film materials are likely to hamper the growth of the global holographic films market.Key Research FindingsDemand for Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) film materials to remain high through 2024, accounting for almost half of the global market revenuesBranding measures undertaken by pharmaceutical and drug manufacturers, and companies in the FMCG sector will render them largest end-user industries for holographic filmsThe need for customer-centric designs and patterns on films will gain traction during the projected period, effectuating a higher market presence for customized offerings of holographic filmsThrough 2024, the value share ratio of lamination and printing as two main end uses in the global holographic films market is anticipated to be an estimated 60% to 40% respectivelyAPAC Holographic Films Market to Expand at Highest CAGRBy the end of forecast period, the holographic films sales from Asia Pacific (APAC) region will rake in revenues worth over US$ 4.3 billion. The APAC holographic films market is anticipated to be fastest growing region in the global market, registering an estimated CAGR of 10.8%. In 2016, the region accounted for one-third share of the global market value, followed by North America  which secured over 25% share of the global holographic films market size. Europes holographic films market is likely to join North America and APAC as regions lucrative for expansion of holographic films businesses. Meanwhile, the holographic films market size is to expand at a modest rate in regions such as Latin America and the Middle East & Africa (MEA).Metallized Films & Anti-counterfeit Applications Procure High SalesSales of holographic films in the world have been largely concentrated towards two aspects  the type of film material preferred and its application. Product manufacturers and packaging industry players prefer using metallized holographic films over transparent films. Similarly, the use of such films finds greater application in anti-counterfeit measures of packaging companies. Surging instances of product duplicity have integrated holographic films into packaging operations that label symbols for identifying authentic products. Independently, metallized holographic films and anti-counterfeit applications are expected to account for over 70% of global market revenues throughout the forecast period.Request to view Table of content @While local manufacturers of holographic films are expected to collectively account for over half of the global market, companies such as Uflex Limited and Polinas Plastik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. will jointly hold company share of 14.2%. Leading holographic films manufacturers namely Toray Industries Inc., SRF Limited, and Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, are expected to exclusively focus on business expansion in regions such as North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe. Strategic acquisitions is pegged to be a top priority for Jindal Poly Films Ltd., API Group Plc., and Avery Dennison Corporation, while Cosmo Films Limited and K Laser Technology Inc. are expected to increase their global presence through product launch.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
Emerging Trends of Data Warehousing Solutions Market 2016 - 2026

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12592

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/12592

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/

With the increasing need of data management, more enterprises are investing in data warehousing solutions to gain better insights about their business. These solutions integrate and analyse business data using historical and real-time data, enabling executives to make better decisions based on accurate understanding. Data warehousing solutions coupled with business intelligence tools help enterprises implement efficient business analytics. This data can be accessed by users across the organization using ad hoc SQL queries, periodic reports and dashboards. Even though data warehousing is beneficial for the business, but it can be complex to set up and involves investments even after set up to prevent loss of data. Moreover, recent trends involving huge volumes of data are obstructing the performance of data warehouse systems.A sample of this report is available upon request @Business data is acquired from internal as well as external sources and is diverse in nature. Due to the exponential growth of this data, and the need to analyse this data for a better understanding is driving the market for data warehousing solutions. Enterprises are opting for solutions that maximize performance and enable a fast data flow with real time analytics, which are offered by efficient data warehousing solutions. Another major driver for this market is using data to perform trend analysis and data mining for future trends prediction. Inadequate time to build in-house software is making end users invest in data warehousing solutions and helping the market grow. Major restraint for this market is poor data quality because of unavailability of required data and inefficient data warehouse architecture, which isolates the customers from using data warehousing solutions.Data warehousing solutions can be segmented on the basis of type of offering, type of data, type of deployment, end users, verticals and regions. The different types of offerings under data warehousing include extraction, transportation and loading (ETL) solution, statistical analysis, data mining, and others. The types of data used in data warehousing solutions are structured and unstructured data. Data warehousing solution can be segmented on the basis of deployment type of its system into on-premise, cloud based and hybrid. The end users for data warehousing solutions are SMEs and large enterprises. Data warehousing solutions are applicable in the following verticals, government, BFSI, retail, healthcare, IT and telecom, manufacturing, energy and utilities, transportation and logistics, and others. Regionally data warehousing solutions can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East and Africa.Data warehousing solutions market is dominated by the North America region at present due to the fact that North America readily invests in new technologies. Asia Pacific, Japan and Western Europe are expected to be emerging regions in this market and will see a good growth rate in the future. Asia Pacifics and Japans growth is due to its steady economic growth and growing commercial activity. Western Europe will see a good growth owing to the efforts European Union intends to make to promote the growth of big data in this region. Eastern Europe is expected to see a moderate growth rate with a few enterprises looking to invest in this region.A sample of this report is available upon request @The key players involved in data warehousing solutions market are Oracle Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Teradata Corporation, IBM Corporation, SAP SE, Amazon Web Services Inc., MarkLogic Corporation, Infobright, Cloudera Inc., MapR Technologies, Inc., and Hortonworks Inc. Recent trends involved in data warehousing solutions include a shift to cloud based services and investments in latest technologies to cope up with competition in the market.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
Tequila Market In US to grow at a CAGR of 3.67% by revenue during 2016-2020

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/729257

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/

About the Tequila Market in the USTequila is distilled from the blue agave plant, which native to Mexico. It is made either from 51% or 100% agave, and the resultant spirit is priced accordingly. Tequila usually contains 38%-40% alcohol content depending on the government regulations or laws. The tequila market in the US accounts for a small market share in the global alcohol industry.Technavios analysts forecast the tequila market in the US to grow at a CAGR of 3.67% by revenue during the period 2016-2020.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the tequila market in the US for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from the retail sales of tequila in terms of revenue and volume.Technavio's report, Tequila Market in the US 2016-2020, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsBeam SuntoryBrown-FormanDiageoTequila Cuervo la RojeaThe Patrn Spirits CompanyDownload Sample Copy of Report atOther prominent vendorsArta TequilaCia Tequilera Los ValoresHacienda La CapillaJuarez TequilaPernod RicardProximo SpiritsBorco InternationalTequila CazadoresTequila QuioteMarket driverGrowing cocktail cultureFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeAvailability of counterfeit products and adulterated drinksFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendNew product launchesFor 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?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
Emerging Trends of Social Business Intelligence Market 2016 - 2026

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12595

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/12595

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/

Enterprises have been leveraging business intelligence to optimize their business decision making process. Business intelligence has been affected by the growing use of social media, where enterprises are utilizing information retrieved from social media and correlating it with the existing consumer data. Whenever a query regarding a business decision needs to be addressed, the business intelligence team builds a data warehouse, with rows and columns of data. This rigid structure cant be modified once created, and in order to add new insights a new structure needs to be built. This is a time consuming process and limits agility in business environment. Social business intelligence tools work with an objective to reduce the drawbacks faced by the traditional business intelligence tools.A sample of this report is available upon request @Business intelligence is used to analyse data to help organizations understand its weaknesses and identify opportunities and threats. The time taken to arrive at an insight can be reduced with the help of rapid insights provided using big data and other social business intelligence tools. Moreover, as social business intelligence tools work with unstructured data, the limitations of traditional structured data warehouse are also eliminated. Along with these factors, the reduced costs involved and low technical and analytical skills are other factors driving the growth of the social business intelligence market. Enterprises offering social business intelligence services are shifting to cloud to offer improved services to its clients. Major hindering factors for social business intelligence market are security and privacy issues arising from cloud based offerings.Social business intelligence market can be segmented on the basis of type of analytics, deployment type, devices supported, end users, and region. The types of analytics under social business intelligence market are text analytics, sentiment analytics, predictive analytics and others. Social business intelligence services are available on-premise and on cloud. On the basis of devices supported, the social business intelligence market can be segmented into mobile devices, personal computers and others. The end users for social business intelligence market are SMEs and large enterprises. Regionally social business intelligence market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan, and Middle East and Africa.North America dominates the social business intelligence market owing to the popularity of social media in this region and fast adoption of advanced technologies. Western Europe is also one of the leaders in this market. Regions such as Asia Pacific, Japan, Eastern Europe and Latin America are emerging markets. Middle East and Africa is expected to see a moderate growth rate for this market, because of the fact that social media platforms are not as popular in this region.A sample of this report is available upon request @The key players involved in social business intelligence market are Oracle Corporation, IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, SAP SE, SAS Institute Inc., Adobe Systems Software Ireland Ltd., Beevolve Inc., Clarabridge and Crimson Hexagon. With social media platforms becoming popular, more enterprises are shifting to social business intelligence services.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
Emerging Trends of IoT Analytics Market 2016 - 2026

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/12598

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/12598

http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/

Internet of things or connected devices is driving innovation across all industries. Moreover, as connected devices are gaining rapid popularity, amount of data being generated is increasing too, out of which only some parts are important and need to be analyzed. Many enterprises are starting to realize the importance of data generated from IoT devices, which can help implement better informed business decisions. IT service providers are now extending data analytics services to connected devices, in order to capture relevant data that can be utilized for detecting patterns of interest and to accelerate processes in the future.A sample of this report is available upon request @Connected devices involve a number of sensors, and of different types, generating a variety of data in volumes. Often some sort of noise can enter the channel and corrupt the data. Moreover, data being generated is dynamic and highly unstructured in nature. Storing this data in a central storage space is not a solution, especially with rapidly increasing volumes of data being generated. Furthermore, transferring data generated from different devices to different storage space requires extra spending. These are some factors that have led to the introduction of edge analytics. Edge analytics for IoT devices, refers to capturing and analyzing data generated from a device without transferring it to a centralized storage space. Therefore, enterprises are utilizing the low cost computational power of devices for performing data analytics on them. IT companies are coming up with innovative ways to deal with the efficient data analytics methods, in order to serve a growing customer base with different needs and requirements from data. Therefore, factors such as need to capture and store only relevant data from the humongous amount of data being generated, reduce data latency in business processes, minimize the overall cost for data management and analytics are driving the growth of global IoT analytics market. Major restraints that global IoT analytics market faces are lack of skilled labor and the challenging task to develop data analytics services specific to businesses and customers needs.IoT analytics market can be segmented on the basis of component, type of analytics, deployment model, phases, verticals, end users and regions. On the basis of component, the market can be segmented into software and services. The different types of IoT analytics are advanced object tracking, edge analytics, anomaly detection, crowd analytics and others. IoT analytics market can be segmented on the basis of deployment model into on-premises and cloud. On the basis of phases, it can be segmented into descriptive & diagnostic and predictive & prescriptive. The different verticals for IoT analytics are manufacturing, construction, retail, automotive, consumer electronics, and others. On the basis of end users, the market is segmented into large enterprises and SMEs. Region wise, the segmentation is done into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East and Africa.North America IoT analytics market is expected to dominate in terms of value owing to high penetration rate of advanced technologies and presence of established players. However, Asia Pacific excluding Japan and Japan are expected to witness high growth rates as enterprises are introducing IoT in business strategies to improve productivity. Western Europe IoT analytics market is expected to witness a moderate growth rate followed by Eastern Europe IoT analytics market and Middle East and Africa IoT analytics market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Key players, such as IBM Corporation and Cisco Systems, Inc. among others in the global IoT analytics market focus on partnerships, mergers and acquisition and product innovations in order to deliver enhanced services to their clients and increase their customer base. For example, IBM Corporation and Cisco Systems, Inc. have entered into a partnership in order to collaborate IBM Corporations Watson IoT analytics on Cisco Systems Inc.s edge devices.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each PMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector - such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With a wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports strive to serve clients and satisfy their overall research requirement.For information regarding permissions, contact:Persistence Market Research305 Broadway,7th FloorNew York City, NY 10007United StatesTel: +1 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWebsite:media@persistencemarketresearch.com
Global Industrial Sensors Market to grow at a CAGR of 10.06% during 2016-2020

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/729214

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/

About the Industrial Sensors MarketIndustrial sensors are transducers that convert physical quantity to electrical signals. The signals are processed through an electronic automation system and depict physical variation or error signal in the device or instrument. Industrial sensors are classified as position or velocity sensors, proximity sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and vibration or acceleration sensors. These industrial sensors have high degree of accuracy, reliability, range, and sensitivity and provide better control and automation of industrial processing units.Technavios analysts forecast the global industrial sensors market to grow at a CAGR of 10.06% during the period 2016-2020.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global industrial sensors market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, we consider revenue generated from sales and aftermarket services of industrial sensors.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global Industrial Sensors 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 vendorsBosch SensortecSiemensSTMicroelectronicsTexas InstrumentsDownload Sample copy of Report atOther prominent vendorsAnalog DevicesDensoGEHoneywell InternationalInfineonItronNXPSensataMarket driverGrowth in industrial robotics marketFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeMiniaturization of sensors affecting performanceFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendEmergence of industrial WSNFor 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?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
3PL Market In Japan to grow at a CAGR of 1.98% by 2019

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/310643

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/

About 3PL3PL refers to the outsourcing of logistics and distribution activities by companies to logistics solution providers, known as 3PL providers. A 3PL provider is a company to which shippers (customers that transport goods using 3PL services) outsource a part or all of the supply chain management (SCM) functions of their logistics services. 3PL providers play a significant role in handling customer logistics requirements, and perform transportation, location tracking, and sometimes product consolidation activities. These providers typically specialize in transportation, warehousing, and integrated operation services, which they customize according to a customer requirement. Often, 3PL providers go beyond logistics, and provide value-added services, such as inventory management, cross-docking, door-to-door delivery, and packaging of products. These companies also provide strategic and operational value to many shippers worldwide. Currently, 3PL is in the process of introducing new and innovative ways to manage SCM.Technavio's analysts forecast the 3PL market in Japan to grow at a CAGR of 1.98% during 2014-2019.Covered in this reportThis report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the 3PL market in Japan for the period 2015-2019. To calculate the market size, Technavio considers the revenue generated by 3PL service providers. The report presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the top four vendors in the market.Technavios report, 3PL Market in Japan 2015-2019, is based on an in-depth market analysis, with inputs from industry experts. It summarizes the major drivers influencing the market and the challenges faced by vendors and the market as a whole. It evaluates the key trends emerging in the market as well. The 3PL market in Japan is segmented as follows:Segmentation by services outsourced:International transportation managementValue-added warehousing and distributionOthersDownload Sample copy of Report atSegmentation by industry serviced:Automotive industryConsumer goods industryTechnological industryOthersKey vendorsGlobal Logistic Properties (GLP)Kintetsu World ExpressSagawa ExpressYamato TransportOther prominent vendorsAlps LogisticsHitachi Transport SystemJFE LogisticsMitsui-SokoNichirei LogisticsNippon ExpressSakata WarehouseSankyuToll HoldingsMarket driverInclination to focus on core competencyFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeHesitancy to outsourceFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendDominance of integratorsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2019 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?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
Thermal Energy Storage Market - North America to Dominate the Market by 2021

Thermal Energy Storage Market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/thermal-energy-storage-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/thermal-energy-storage-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/

New York, January 20: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Thermal Energy Storage Market by Technology (Sensible Heat, Latent Heat, and Thermochemical) for Commercial and Industrial, Utilities, and Residential End Use Applications - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2014  2020The thermal energy storage market is expected to exceed more than US$ 1750.0 Million by 2020 growing at a CAGR of more than 16% by 2020.Browse Full Report:Thermal energy storage technology is used for storage and transferring energy such as heat energy, energy from cold or ice water or air. This is very different technology need in many areas. In this it stores or collect the thermal energy for later use in many areas such as in town, district or at multi user building or individual building. Thermal energy storage technologies help to decrease utilization of energy and raise energy supply by proficiently utilizing re-new able energy sources. Many of renewable energy sources will not exist all over day, so that time thermal energy storage technology will be the best solution for use. Thermal energy storage technologies are also used for moving peak energy which is used into off peak hours.The major driving factors of thermal energy storage market are as follows:Development in variable energy sources drives acceptance of thermal energy storage technologiesDeferral of distribution and transmission rise through the use of thermal energy storage technologiesIncreasing need for access to reliable, efficient, cost competitive electricity propels increase in the marketThe restraints factors of thermal energy storage market are as follows:High grid interconnection barriers and investment slow down development of the marketDownload Free Sample Report:The thermal energy storage market is segmented on the lines of its technology, end user and type. Under technology segmentation it covers sensible heat, latent heat and thermo chemical storage. The thermal energy storage market is segmented on the lines of its end user like commercial, industrial and residential end user. Based on type segmentation it covers heat storage and solar power. The thermal energy storage 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 thermal energy storage 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 thermal energy storage4) 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 CALMAC, EVAPCO, Inc., Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CB&I), and Goss Engineering, Inc. ,Abengoa Solar, S.A., Baltimore Aircoil Company, BrightSource Energy, Inc., Burns & McDonnell, Caldwell Energy, FAFCO Thermal Storage Systems, Ice Lings, Steffes Corporation, and TAS Energy.. 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 Thermal Energy Storage Market has been segmented as below:By Technology AnalysisSensible HeatLatent HeatThermo chemical StorageBy End-user AnalysisCommercialIndustrialResidentialBy Type AnalysisHeat StorageSolar powerBy 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
New Report Sheds Light on Global T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies Market Research 2016

Market Research Reports

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=728545&type=E

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-t-cell-redirecting-bispecific-antibodies-industry-2016-market-research-report.htm

http://www.qyresearchreports.com/press-releases.htm

Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies Market 2016 Industry, Analysis, Research, Share, Growth, Sales, Trends, Supply, Forecast to 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.This market intelligence report examines extensively the trends in the global T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies market. It highlights the latest market state, the progress pattern in the previous years, and the prospects present for market participants in the near future. The research methods and tools employed in the achievement of this research publication are both secondary and primary. The market intelligence study also provides facts about the investments initiated by several organizations, institutions, government, and non-government authorities and regulatory bodies.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The publication further presents a valuation of the facets that are likely to prevent or encourage the expansion of the global T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies market. The global T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies market has been examined scrupulously based on aspects such as application, technology, product, end user, and geographical segment. An examination has been carried out in the research report of the chief regional segments and their respective place and share in the T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies market. The estimated revenue and volume valuation of the global market for T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies has also been stated in the study.An estimate of the market attractiveness and the level of competition that new entrants along with their new products are likely to offer to the experienced products and players has also been delivered in the market research publication. The market report also discusses the new expansions, the innovations, branding techniques, marketing approaches, and products of the chief players operational in the global T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies market. The vendor landscape has been broadly scrutinized employing the Porters five forces and value chain analysis to deliver a strong conception of the market. The challenges and opportunities in the near future for the key participants have also been stressed upon in the research publication.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies1.1 Definition and Specifications of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies1.1.1 Definition of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies1.1.2 Specifications of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies1.2 Classification of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies1.3 Applications of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies1.4 Industry Chain Structure of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies1.5.1 Industry Overview of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies1.7 Industry News Analysis of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies2.4 Other Costs Analysis of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies Major Manufacturers in 20154 Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies by Regions, Types and Manufacturers4.1 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies by Regions 2011-20164.2 Global and Major Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies 2011-20164.3 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies by Types 2011-20164.4 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of T-Cell Redirecting Bispecific Antibodies by Manufacturers 2011-2016For 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.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Telecom API Platform Market - Increasing Demand for Cloud Storage Applications to Boost Adoption of Telecom API Services

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=8656

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

With rising demand for advanced telecom features and services, many companies are entering into the global telecom application programming interface platform market to expand their business, reports Transparency Market Research in a new study. The global telecom API market comprises a large number of companies and thus the competition in the market is substantially high. The leading companies in the global telecom API market are Apigee Corp., Twilio, Inc., Fortumo OU, LocationSmart, Alcatel Lucent, Nexamo, Inc., Tropo, Inc., Aepona Ltd., and Comverse, Inc.To launch their API services in the global market, telecom companies are entering into partnerships with API management service providers such as Apigee Corp. and Alcatel Lucent. Telecom API companies are focusing on strategies such as targeting long-tail developers and enterprises which in turn will help them create a global identity. Many leading telecom API companies are also entering into strategic acquisitions to position themselves uniquely in the market and expand their reach among global API developers.Proliferation of Cloud Technologies and Mobile Internet to Drive Adoption of Telecom APIAccording to TMR analysts, The use of mobile application is anticipated to be augmented by the increasing adoption of cloud computing and mobile internet in the coming years. A new study has revealed that the number of mobile internet consumers is expected to touch 3.8 bn by the end of 2020. Furthermore, due to the rising use of cloud based applications, cloud traffic is expected to witness fast growth. The rapid development of cloud-based applications is thus likely to increase the adoption telecom API services for video and data storage in telecom-owned cloud systems.The implementation of cloud technology in mobile applications will also help telecom carriers to provide application developers with WebRTC and voice API services. The growing adoption of telecom API services through increasing use of mobile internet and cloud data is projected to expand the growth of the global telecom API platform market.Interpret a Competitive outlook Analysis Report with PDF Brochure:Negative Outlook of Telecom Carriers towards External API Developers to Restrict Innovation PossibilitiesWith increasing demand for better mobile applications, numerous telecom companies are including API services in their portfolio. However, only a limited number of telecom service providers such as Orange S.A. and AT&T are welcoming the involvement of external developers in their API platforms. Considering the fact that external developers are value added resellers, many companies introduce models which expose the developer to less of the API platform. As a result of this, the possibilities of innovation in the telecom API platforms are restricted as developers are barred from creating applications using telecom API. The restriction of opening telecom API platforms to external developers also cuts down the revenue for telecom carriers as they fail in enhancing end-user experience. Thus, such negative outlook of telecom carriers is likely to restrain innovation possibilities leading to a downfall in the revenue of the global telecom API market.Rising Connectivity of Machine-to-Machine Devices to Provide Lucrative Growth Opportunities to Telecom API Service ProvidersAccording to TMR researchers, The M2M devices connectivity with smartphones is likely to increase in the coming years leading to a rise in the demand for telecom network APIs. To capitalize this opportunity, telecom carriers such as AT&T and Orange S.A. are offering M2M platforms with M2M connected devices to integrate mobile devices. This kind of integration enables devices to connect with smartphones and share data. This in turn enables smartphones to convert the data into significant information for the end user. With the increasing number of M2M devices, the demand for M2M based telecom API is projected to rise in the coming years.The global telecom API market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 23.6% from 2014 to 2022 with a market worth US$73.49 bn in 2015. The global telecom API platform market is projected to touch a valuation of US$323.44 bn by the end of 2022. North America is anticipated to emerge as the largest region in the global telecom API platform market with a revenue of US$113.53 bn by the end of 2022. Enterprise developers are expected to emerge as the largest end users of telecom API services by the end of 2022.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:
Telecom API Market - Cloud Computing Platforms Improve Scope of Telecom API Usage | TMR

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=5027

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The highly fragmented market of telecom API holds a staggering number of service providers and aggregators that are already offering their APIs to various telecom carriers. Alcatel Lucent, Apigee Corp., and Fortumo OU were the leading providers of telecom API from a global perspective in 2014. Telecom carriers have partnered with them and other prominent players in the past to launch APIs in the market.According to Transparency Market Researchs latest publication, few players are currently dominating the scene in payment and location APIs owing to the high amount of credibility required for them to succeed here. On the other hand, a large number of players exist in voice, MMS, SMS, and WebRTC APIs.The global market for telecom API is expected to progress at an extremely positive CAGR of 23.6% within a forecast period from 2015 to 2022. By the end of 2016, its revenue is expected to reach US$97.06 bn and US$323.44 bn by the end of 2022.Interpret a Competitive outlook Analysis Report with PDF Brochure:North America to Dominate Telecom API DemandNorth America, with its large number of both enterprise developers and long-tail developers, is expected to retain its leadership in the demand for telecom API services. By the end of 2022, North America is expected to generate US$113.53 bn in telecom API. North America also houses a very large base of unique subscribers of mobile internet along with a high penetration of 4G LTE networks, thus promoting a greater degree of utility for telecom API services.On the other hand, Asia Pacific is showing a massive growth rate in the demand for telecom API, owing to a booming IT industry and its demand for applications development and management. This region is also showing a strong growth in the number of unique subscribers over the coming years, coupled with the promising development and improvement of mobile connectivity.In terms of users, enterprise developers are expected to be the leading segment till 2022, reaching a projected value of US$116.08 bn by then. Meanwhile, long-tail developers, thanks to the extremely high demand for open source API platforms, are leading in terms of growth rate at a CAGR of 25.9% from 2015 to 2022.Cloud Technologies and Mobile Internet Service Improve, Increase Scope of Telecom API UsageCloud computing technologies have been improving at an astronomical rate over the past few years and are not showing any signs of slowing down any time soon. Combining the vast array of cloud platforms with the growing use of mobile internet can therefore create the perfect reason for telecom API services to prosper in the coming years, states a TMR analyst.A massive number of new and upcoming apps are going to be cloud-based and the use of telecom API can provide a more efficient method of managing all the data transfer.Additionally, telecom API can allow developers to significantly improve their services for their customers. Depending on what API has been chosen, telecom carriers are able to offer better bandwidth for internet data for specific applications. Similarly, a developer that uses telecom API for creating a video streaming application can enter an agreement for storing videos on telecom-owned clouds. Such practices drastically improve time to market and quality of service.OTT Service Providers Continue Cutting into Telecom API ProfitsThe leading cause of loss of profits for most telecom API providers is the growing number of over the top internet service providers. OTT service providers can provide audio, video, radio, and similar data streaming services over mobile internet networks while remaining independent of telecom carriers. This locks telecom infrastructure costs into these services while only allowing telecoms to charge a user for the amount of data used.OTT services in VoIP and messaging is severely cutting the profits that telecom API developers can earn in voice, MMS, and SMS.The analyst adds, Machine to machine devices can provide a solid scope of growth for telecom API in the near future. The growing number of M2M connections is expected to bolster the demand for telecom API soon.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:
Barrier Materials Market worth 2.64 Billion USD by 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=53103702

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalyst.asp?id=53103702

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/barrier-materials-market-53103702.html

The report Barrier Materials Market by Type (PVDC, EVOH, PEN and Others), by End-Use Industry (Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetic, Agriculture, and Others) - Global Forecast to 2020 defines and segments the barrier materials market with analysis and forecast of the market sizes.Browse 93 market data tables with 54 figures across 142 pages and in-depth TOC on Barrier Materials Market by Type (PVDC, EVOH, PEN and Others), by End-Use Industry (Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetic, Agriculture, and Others) - Global Forecast to 2020"Early buyers will receive 10% customization on reports.The global barrier materials market was valued at USD 1.74 Billion in 2014 and is expected to reach USD 2.64 Billion by 2020, at a CAGR of 7.26%, between 2015 and 2020Asia-Pacific  The most dominant region in the barrier material marketThe barrier materials market in Asia-Pacific is one of the fastest-growing markets and is projected to continue domination in the near future. Asia-Pacific is also the biggest market of barrier materials that accounted for a share of more than 42.37% of the total market, in terms of volume, in 2014, which was mainly due to Chinas contribution. India is the fastest-growing market of barrier materials in the region owing to growing population, vast economiesdeveloped as well as developing, favorable investment policies, and government initiatives to promote industrial growth.Download PDF Brochure:PVDC  The biggest market and EVOH, the fastest-growing type segment in the barrier material marketPVDC is the largest type-segment of barrier materials. Asia-Pacific is currently the largest market of PVDC, which accounted for a share of 42.74% of the total market in 2014. EVOH is a highly flexible thermoplastic barrier material that has major applications in food & beverage and pharmaceutical packaging as it is highly transparent; weather, oil & solvent resistant; moldable and recyclable.Food & beverage end-user industry  the fastest-growing market of barrier materialThe food & beverage segment is one of the fastest-growing end-use industries of barrier materials, which is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.51% between 2015 and 2020. The barrier material market has a high growth potential in the next five years. Currently, the demand for barrier materials is driven by the dynamic growth in the food & beverage industry in Asia-Pacific and RoW regions.The U.S. and China are at the forefront of barrier materials demand and Germany, France, India, Japan, and U.K. are the other key markets. China is the key market in Asia-Pacific, accounting for more than half of the demand for the barrier materials, followed by India, Japan, and Taiwan, where the demand is growing at a steady rate. Increase in the demand for PVDC, EVOH, and PEN has been observed in Asia-Pacific due to continued industrialization and growth of the manufacturing sector in the region. Food & beverage is projected to be the fastest-growing end-user industry, followed by the cosmetic-segment between 2015 and 2020.The major market players of barrier materials include Kuraray Co., Ltd (Japan), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.), E.I. DuPont de Numerous and Co. (U.S.), Solvay SA (Belgium), and Chang Chun Petrochemical Co., Ltd (Taiwan).Speak to Analyst:About MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.M&Ms flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. For More:M&M is a full service market research company and consulting firm that produces 1200 high-level, strategically analyzed, full-length reports a year, tracking more than 10 industries. M&M plans to launch industry-wise and country-wise market tracker reports for all the verticals we track. This intelligence database, comprising about 60,000 reports a year, will form one of the world's largest business intelligence resources. M&M has effectively used technology to automate the managementof large and complex market data tables and forecasts. We, at M&M, aspire to assist our clients achieve sustainable growth by providing incisive business insight into their respective markets.Contact:Mr. RohanMarketsandMarkets INC.701 Pike StreetSuite 2175, Seattle,WA 98101, United StatesUSA : 1-888-600-6441UK : 44-800-368-9399Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com
Interventional Neurology Market to surpass US$ 2.7 Billion by 2024

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/56

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/56

http://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/interventional-neurology-market-56

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/

http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/

The Global Interventional Neurology Market is projected to reach USD 2,684.6 million by 2024, according to a new report by published by Coherent Market Insights. Recommendations from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to use neurointerventional devices in stroke is a major factor boosting market growth.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:Increasing demand for minimally invasive procedures is one of the prime factors driving adoption of neurointerventional devices worldwide. The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recommends use of neurointerventional devices in treating stroke, due to which there has been an augmented demand for these devices in the recent past. In order to capitalize on this highly lucrative growth opportunity, a range of new products such as Solitaire stent retriever, EmboTrap stent retriever, and Penumbra 3D Revascularization Device have been launched in the recent past.Developed economies such as the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Japan, and Germany are witnessing rapid shift from conventional surgical methods to minimally invasive therapies. Moreover, there is a shift towards adopting detachable and bare platinum coils as against the highly priced coated coils. According to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, around six million people in the U.S. i.e. one in 50 people suffer from brain aneurysm every year. High incidence rate of stroke and aneurysm is expected to continue strengthening demand for neurointerventional devices in the U.S. market.The global Interventional neurology market is witnessing strategic agreements among leading players focusing on diversifying their product portfolio and increasing their market presence.In 2016, Codman & Shurtleff, Inc. inked an exclusive distribution agreement with InNeuroCo, Inc. for its intermediate catheter and super distal access device in the U.S. and European marketsIn 2015, Medtronic PLC acquired Lazarus Effect, a California-based medical device company engaged in development of acute ischemic stroke products for around US$ 100 million. Lazarus Effect was acquired with an aim to enhance Medtronics neurovascular business and related portfolio.Advent of innovative solutions that enhance the outcomes of surgeries are fueling demand for neurointerventional devicesRequest For Customization:Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is investigating the safety and success rate of ADAPT - direct-aspiration first pass technique that removes the clot in a single-passFDA expanded the approval of Solitaire stent retriever device of Medtronic PLC for reduction of stroke-related disability. This device can now be used in patients with large vessel occlusion, proximal anterior circulation, and smaller core infarcts to reduce paralysis, and other stroke-related disabilities.CE approved EmboTrap stent retriever platform, the EmboTrap II Revascularization Device from Neuravi Ltd. This new device enables removal of clots of different lengths with ease.Key takeaways of the market include:-There are a range of neurointerventional devices such as embolic coils, carotid stents, intracranial stents, neurovascular thrombectomy devices, embolic protection devices, and flow diverter devices available in the market. Embolic coils was the largest segment and accounted for 32.5% share (in terms of revenue) in 2015. This is mainly due to these being the mainstay of endovascular treatment for brain aneurysms and hemorrhage.-Demand for stent retrievers is anticipated to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period (2016  2024). This is mainly attributed to these being used as a one-step technique for device deployment and clot retrieval. The launch of this device in Japan is anticipated to also contribute towards the market growth in Asia Pacific.-Introduction of new techniques such as flow disruption and ADAPT aspiration technique is expected reduce the revenue share of coiling technique segment, and is projected to account 34.3% of the total market revenue by 2024Demand for neurointerventional devices is analyzed to be high in hospitals as compared to ambulatory centers, due to growing number of surgical procedures in hospitals. The hospitals end use segment is analyzed to expand at a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period.-In 2015, North America dominated the global Interventional neurology market, with the contribution of the region estimated at US$ 701.9 million. Increasing incidence rate of brain aneurysm and ischemic strokes along with favorable government policies such as Medicare and Medicaid is expected to bolster sales of interventional neurology devices over the forecast period.To know the latest trends and insights of this market, click the following link:-Growing focus on introducing technological advanced devices is expected to drive market growth in the long run--Stryker Corporations subsidiary Concentric Medicals Trevo XP ProVue -Retriever received FDA approval for its use in strokes in November 2016--Penumbra 3D Revascularization Device Trial successfully met the primary trial endpoints in 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 :
Continuous Glucose Monitoring Market to reach US$ 1.02 Billion by 2024

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/57

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-customization/57

http://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/continuous-glucose-monitoring-market-57

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/

http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/

The Global Continuous Glucose Monitoring Market (CGM) was valued at US$ 444.0 million in 2015 and is projected to reach US$ 1,025.2 million by 2024, according to a new report by published by Coherent Market Insights. CGM devices allow monitoring of glucose level during bedtime, noon, pre/post lunch, or before/after exercise, which is a major factor propelling growth of the continuous glucose monitoring market.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:The global CGM market is undergoing a major technological change that is resulting in a major paradigm shift. Novel devices such as Eversense CGM and GlySens ICGM, which can be implanted for relatively long duration of time, are expected to experience major growth traction, while demand for conventional CGM systems is expected to decrease in the near future. Demand would be largely driven by increasing awareness among the diabetic patients, especially in emerging markets such as Brazil, India, Indonesia, China, Russia, and South Africa regarding the various benefits of using these systems in order to maintain a healthy life. Renewed and dedicated effort from manufacturers and governments across these countries is essential to increase patient awareness and educate them about the importance of regular glucose monitoring in order to keep a check on diabetes and related diseases.Continuous monitoring glucose devices have witnessed increased demand from critical care patients, in order to avoid complexities in health condition. As a result, the device has witnessed high adoption in ICU units, besides home care and clinic settings. However, calibration issues is one of the prominent factor inhibiting market growth.Technology collaboration helps companies leverage technical expertise of the other party and is a key trend prevalent in this industry. For instance, Medtronic collaborated with Fitbit, Inc. to integrate the physical activity data of the person with glucose levels into its iPro2 myLog application. Similarly, Senseonics, Inc. launched Eversense, the worlds first long-term implantable CGM, in January 2016. The evolving technological trend is transforming the method of monitoring glucose in the body.Request For Customization:However, therapeutic decisions as an outcome of measurement from tissue (interstitial fluid) lacks accuracy. Therefore, market is witnessing increasing adoption of CGM devices to be used in conjunction with conventional blood glucose monitoring devices, as a tool for diabetes management rather than as a replacement for the same. Companies therefore, need to work on the mechanism of the CGM system to make it more reliable in terms of diagnosis of diabetes, rather than just a tool for management.Key takeaways of the market:Diabetes is now of the most prevalent diseases that affects millions of people worldwide. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the global diabetic population in 2015 was 415 million and is expected to reach 642 million by 2040. Increase in awareness among patients is expected to drive market growth at a high CAGR of 9.8% during the forecast period 2016 - 2024.Among the various product types of CGM systems, namely sensors, transmitters, and insulin pumps, the transmitters segment dominated the market in 2015, with a share of over 50%; however, growth of the market is expected to be mainly driven by sensors segment during the forecast period (2016  2024). CGM devices are used by diabetics as well as critical care patients. Demand for CGM devices would be high amongst the diabetic patient population during the forecast period, primarily due to increasing health awareness which indirectly promotes real-time monitoring of glucose levels.In 2015, North America was the largest market for CGM, contributing US$ 247.6 million towards overall market revenue. This was primarily attributed to increasing awareness about CGM coupled with presence of substantially large diabetic population in the region.To know the latest trends and insights prevalent in this market, click the link below:According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Asia Pacific was home to over 50% of the global diabetic population in 2015, with the highest prevalence rates recorded in China and India. The potential for CGM systems is therefore very high in these countries. Moreover, with increasing patient awareness, growing demand for POC devices and increasing focus on health monitoring, demand for CGM devices is projected to grow rapidly in Asia Pacific at a CAGR of 14.9% over the forecast period.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 :
Medical Tourism Market to Cross US$ 54.00 Billion by 2022

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/global-medical-tourism-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/global-medical-tourism-market

https://www.marketresearchengine.com/

Florida, January 20: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Medical Tourism Market by Treatment Type and by Geography - Global Industry Analysis by Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2015  2022.The Global Medical Tourism Market will Grow at CAGR of 17% in the given forecast period and will cross USD 54.00 Billion mark by 2022.Download Free Sample Report:Due to the rising medical services cost in the western countries and availability of high quality medical services at lower prices in the Asian countries like Singapore, India, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan, Turkey, South Korea, Costa Rica, Poland, Dubai and Philippines has led to the expansion of medical tourism industry in this area. Many countries are planning to leverage medical tourism as a strategy to boost their healthcare services and tourism industry. By encouraging its presence in the medical tourism market, a country can stimulate its economic growth and create employment opportunities.Consequently, the medical tourism industry is rapidly expanding and is anticipated to have a significant growth in the near future. According to the one study done by Medical Tourism Association it was estimated that approx 1.6 million Americans have travelled to other destinations in 2012 for medical/healthcare services and this number is anticipated to grow in the near future.This market research report on the global medical tourism helps in understanding the important forces responsible for the growth of this industry. The research report provides in-depth analysis of the geographies facilitating inbound medical services that include Singapore, India, Thailand, Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico, Turkey, Taiwan, South Korea and prospective countries. The market overview section of the report comprises qualitative analysis of the overall market considering the factors determining the market dynamics such as drivers, restraints and opportunities along with Porters five forces analysis. These different analyses would provide a thorough understanding about the market from its past, present and future perspectives and help market players to design effective business strategies. Further, the report on medical tourism comprises executive summary chapter that will help you understand the overall market size, growth rate of various segments, geographies and competitors present in the market in a very precise manner.The medical tourism industry is segmented on the basis of type of treatment and geographyBrowse the full report here:BY TREATMENT TYPE Cosmetic Treatment Dental Treatment Cardiovascular Treatment Orthopedics Treatment Fertility Treatment Other General TreatmentBY GEOGRAPHY Singapore India Malaysia Mexico Costa Rica Brazil Turkey South Korea Thailand Taiwan Philippines Dubai PolandAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging healthcare technologies, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Website:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Automotive coatings, adhesives, sealants Market Size, Share, Analysis, Report and Forecast to 2022

http://www.strategymrc.com/report/automotive-coatings-adhesives-sealants-market

http://www.strategymrc.com/report/automotive-coatings-adhesives-sealants-market

According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Automotive coatings, adhesives, sealants Market is accounted for $10.83 billion in 2015 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.3% to reach $15.51 billion by 2022. Some of the key drivers for the automotive coatings market growth are availability of various types of coatings and rapid growth in the production of medium and heavy vehicle. The adhesive and sealants market is primarily driven by the huge demand from emerging economies, advancement in chemical technology and driving comfort. Sealants are mainly bolstered by the electronics and automotive industries. The stringent regulations of EPA and REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) in the global market lead the adhesive and sealants manufacturing industry to shift technology from solvent-based adhesives to solid adhesives.Furthermore, Liquid gaskets ability to reduce noise and vibration will provide platform for market opportunities. However, the increasing raw material costs, changing environmental regulations are enforcing manufacturers to produce products with organic compounds considering health and safety issues, which acts as a key challenge for the players in the market.Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) occupied the largest share in the market. By Application, Exterior segment leads the market followed by interior. Asia Pacific is leading the global automotive coatings, adhesives, and sealant market followed by Rest of the World. Europe and North America still continue to use majority of adhesives and sealants.Some of the key players in global Automotive Coatings, Adhesives and Sealants market are ADCO Global, Akzo Nobel, Arkema SA, Ashland Incorporated, BASF SE, Bayer AG, Bemis Associates, Cytec Industries, Dow Chemical Company, DuPont (EI) de Nemours, EMS-Chemie Holding, Finish Master Incorporated, Forbo Holding, Fujikura Kasei, Henkel AG & Company, Huntsman Corporation.For More, Please Visit:Applications Covered: Interior Exterior Under the Hood Other ApplicationsSubstrates Covered: Solvent-Based Water-Based Other Substrateso Radiation-Cured Coatingso Electrodeposition Coatingso Powder CoatingsMaterials Covered: In Urethane Epoxy Rubber Silicones Hot Melts PVC Polyurethanes AcrylicsEnd Users Covered: Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM)o Light Vehicleso Automobileso Other OEM Aftermarketo Light Vehicleso Medium and Heavy Duty VehiclesRegions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptWhat 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 advancementsFor More, Please Visit:We offer wide spectrum of research and consulting services with in-depth knowledge of different industries. We are known for customized research services, consulting services and Full Time Equivalent (FTE) services in the research world. We explore the market trends and draw our insights with valid assessments and analytical views. We use advanced techniques and tools among the quantitative and qualitative methodologies to identify the market trends. Our research reports and publications are routed to help our clients to design their business models and enhance their business growth in the competitive market scenario. We have a strong team with hand-picked consultants including project managers, implementers, industry experts, researchers, research evaluators and analysts with years of experience in delivering the complex projects.17049 King James Way, Gaithersburg,MD, 20877, USA
Smart and Mobile Supply Chain Solutions Market Surges at 13.2% CAGR 2014-2020

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=4323

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Transparency Market Research has recently published a new research report that discusses the various trends and dynamics that govern the overall smart and mobile supply chain solutions market. The research report, titled Smart and Mobile Supply Chain Solutions Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020, studies the historical data pertaining to this market and uses it to map a trajectory of the market for the near future. According to the research report, the global smart and mobile supply chain solutions market was valued at US$7.09 bn in 2013 and is expected to surge at a CAGR of 13.2% from 2014 to 2020.Smart and mobile supply solutions are extremely important to the global supply chain market. These solutions allow users to add value to their operations by offering them interconnected, intelligent, and instrumented information about the movement of raw materials, inventory, the status of finished goods from the point of production to the point of consumption, and about other factors that are integral to supply chain processes. This information plays an important role in decision making, which in turns helps managers to analyze the ever-changing dynamics of consumer behavior.Interpret a Competitive outlook Analysis Report with PDF Brochure:The growing acceptance of an organized supply chain in various businesses is driving the demand for smart and mobile supply chain solutions market. Furthermore, the need to study the changing preferences of consumers to devise intelligence business strategies will also fuel the growth of global smart and mobile supply chain solutions market.The global smart and mobile supply chain solutions market is segmented on the basis of component, application, and geography. The components in this market are connected software and services. These solutions are applied in sectors such as IT and telecommunication, retail, manufacturing, BFSI, government, energy and utility, logistics and transportation, and others such as hospitality and aerospace. Geographically, this market is segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa, and Rest of the World.The retail and manufacturing segment held shares of 18.5% and 18.4%, respectively, in the global smart and mobile supply chain solutions market in 2013. A growth in the demand for integrated supply chain solutions from the retail and logistics sectors will propel the smart and mobile supply chain solutions market in the aforementioned forecast period.Some of the top players mentioned in the global smart and mobile supply chain solutions research report are JDA Software Group, Inc., Kewill Systems Plc, Epicor Software Corporation, SAP SE, Manhattan Associates, Inc., GT Nexus Inc., Descartes Systems Group, Inc., Oracle Corporation, Infor Global Solutions, Inc., and IBM Corporation. The research report profiles these players and provides a thorough analysis of the competitive landscape in the global smart and mobile supply chain solutions. Furthermore, the research report also provides an assessment of the research and development strategies, business and marketing strategies, financial overview, and investment outlook of these companies for the near future.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.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Neem Extracts Market - Global Industry Size 2019

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=2049

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

At present, neem is gaining popularity as an effective bio-pesticide and bio-fertilizer in the global market. Side effects of synthetic chemical based products are influencing consumers to shift to organic/ natural products. The global neem extracts market is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR over the next six years. Majority of its applications are expected to be in the fertilizers segment followed by animal feed and pet care.Increase in demand for bio-pesticides and bio-fertilizers in the global market are expected to fuel the demand for neem extracts during the forecast period. Another major segment is the use of neem extract in production of herbal cosmetics which is expected to show sharp growth over the next six years. As number of herbal cosmetic manufacturing companies is proliferating, the demand of neem leaf powder and neem oil is going north.Interpret a Competitive outlook Analysis Report with PDF Brochure:The demand for Neem extracts is expected to grow in the markets such as India, Russia, Vietnam, Korea, Japan and China among others, due to the declining popularity of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. As government and other NGOs in respective countries are educating the farmers for the extended use of bio based fertilizers for long term crop protection, the demand of neem based agro inputs are also shooting up. On the other hand, the government has made stringent regulations for producing chemical free fruits and vegetables in developed countries such as the U.S, UK, Italy, Spain and Canada. However, the market is highly challenged because of lack of quality raw material in demanded quantities. Due to demand and supply fluctuations, the prices are also highly volatile affecting the value chain at various levels. In addition, due to the lack of active neem extract companies in neem producing countries, the neem seeds and neem oil are being exported to developed countries, where sophisticated extraction techniques are used to extract Azadirachtin from the neem oil etc.The global Neem extracts market was worth USD 495.6 million in 2013 and it is expected to reach USD 1126.8 million in 2019. Globally, the neem extracts market is expected to grow at an enormous CAGR of 14.7% from 2013 to 2019. The growth in the market is mainly attributed to growing demand for Azadirachtin (the active compound in neem oil) in both developed markets and developing markets such as the U.S., Mexico, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Spain, Italy, UK, India, Vietnam and China among others.Presently, Asia Pacific accounts for the largest market share in the neem extracts market followed by RoW. Majority of neem extracts revenue comes from the chemicals and fertilizers segment in Asia Pacific as it is primarily used as a bio-pesticide and bio-fertilizer. In RoW the neem extracts are largely used in animal feed category followed by agricultural applications. Over the next six years, the applications of neem extracts in the personal care segment are expected to grow at a rapid pace. At present, India is the largest producer of the neem extracts and over the next six years rapid growth in China would challenge the exports of neem extracts from India to Europe and North America.The global neem extracts market is fragmented as with large number of small companies. Most of the Indian companies are engaged into exports of neem extracts to countries such as Germany, Spain, The U.S. Italy and Canada among others. Increasing demand for the neem extracts market over the next six year is expected to attract more number of players to enter the market. Some of the leading players in this market are E.I.D Perry India Ltd., P J Margo Pvt Ltd., Parker India Group Pvt.Ltd., Neeming Australia Pvt Ltd., Fortune Biotech Ltd. and Prithvi Exports.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:
Asia Pacific Beer Market - Industry Analysis 2020

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=2726

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Driven by continuous growing drinking population in countries such as China, India, South Korea and Vietnam, APAC market for beer was valued at USD 155.93 billion in 2013 and is expected to reach USD 220.36 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 5.0% during the forecast period from 2014 to 2020. By type, beer is segmented as premium, mainstream and economy.Increase in disposable income among the working class of the society has supported the growth of the market. Due to the increase in disposable income, people are willing to go out to restaurants and spend more on beer. This has also encouraged consumers to pay more for premium segment. Increase in the number of bars and restaurants, convenience stores, beer shops and retail stores among others have additionally supported the growth of the market. The growing population in the APAC region is one of the major factors responsible for the growing demand of beer in the region. Acceptance of the western culture has largely influenced the drinking habits in the region. Beer is enjoyed by consumers during the meals of the day and at parties, gatherings and even during meetings. This is largely practiced by people living in the west.Download exclusive Sample of this report:In 2013, the consumption of beer was the largest in China followed by Japan. The growth in the country is attributed to the growing population and the increase in income level among the working class of people. Some of the other countries in the region where the demand for beer is increasing are India, Vietnam, South Korea and Singapore among others. Relaxation in the rules and regulations related to the brewing business has boosted the growth of the beer market in the region. People are looking out for both premium as well as beer that are manufactured by micro brewers offering different taste and flavor.Due to intense rivalry, beer market is consolidated in nature where top five players constitute 51% of the market. China Resources Enterprise, Tsingtao Brewery, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Beijing Yanjing Brewery, Kirin Holdings, San Miguel Brewery and Asahi Breweries among others are some of the key players in the beer market.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Condiments Sauces Market - Asia Pacific Industry Analysis 2020

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=3416

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Condiments sauces can be added to food dishes to enhance flavor or compliment food. These sauces are used either in cooking, as table dips or both. The condiments sauces market has experienced diversified trends across various countries such as China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. The Asia Pacific condiments sauces market is expected to witness rapid change due to fast changing eating patterns across the various countries. The condiments sauces market is expected to grow significantly in Asia Pacific region, mainly due to growing demand from emerging markets such as China, Japan, and India. The leading markets of Asia Pacific such as China and Japan are heading to maturity; however, emerging markets such as India, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Hong Kong are expected to witness growth in demand for sauces. Preference for fast food is another key factor driving demand for condiment sauces.View exclusive Global strategic Business report:Rise in consumption of condiments sauces is supported by increasing busy lifestyle and growing urbanization in emerging markets of Asia Pacific such as China and among others. Moreover, growing preference for fast food, which includes condiments sauces as an important ingredient to enhance flavor, is expected to drive the market over the next six years.Demand for condiments sauces is expected to grow in markets such as China and Japan due to increase in the number of fast food restaurants. Major developed markets such as China and Japan are expected to witness rising demand for soy sauce over the next six years. Condiments sauces are available in almost all distribution channels such as dollar stores, variety stores & general merchandise retailers, supermarkets/hypermarkets, department stores, food & drinks specialists, and convenience stores. However, improving lifestyles in developed countries are expected to support growth of supermarkets and hypermarkets over the next six years.The Asia Pacific condiments sauces market is valued at USD 6137.01 million in 2014 and is expected to reach USD 8629.72 in 2020. The Asia Pacific condiments sauces market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.85% from 2014 to 2020. Growth in the market is mainly attributed to growing demand for condiments sauces in developed markets such as China, Japan, and South Korea for soy sauce, New Zealand for national condiments sauces, and Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand for tomato ketchup.Country wise, China held the largest market share followed by Japan in 2014. Demand for condiment sauces in these countries is driven by busy lifestyle of people and their dependence on fast food. Demand is supported by popularity of condiments sauces among consumers to make traditional and authentic multi-cuisine food at home. Consumption of sauces is expected to increase in countries such as India, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore by 2020.Market size of condiments sauces for China and Japan is expected to grow at a higher CAGR than that of other Asia Pacific countries. However, developed markets are expected to witness the growth trend for condiment sauce due to busy lifestyle and changing eating pattern.Dollar stores, variety stores & general merchandise retailers, cash & carry, and warehouse clubs are the most preferred distribution channels. These are expected to dominate the distribution share of condiments sauces by 2020, followed by convenience stores and food & drinks specialists.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:
Tonometers Market - Global Industry Analysis 2024

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/66

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/tonometers-market-66

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/

http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/

Tonometers: An efficient device for early detection of a serious eye disorder, glaucomaTonometers are devices assist in helping the eyecare professionals to determine the intraocular pressure (IOP) inside the eye. IOP is a fluid pressure in the eye. Tonometry is a diagnostic test which aids in examining whether the patient is at risk of glaucoma. This is an eye disorder wherein excess fluid pressure inside the eye tends to damage the patients optic nerve and might lead to permanent vision loss, if the damage retains. Tonometers help to detect this disorder, which usually does not show symptoms until at a later stage. The common target population for such kind of disease is the geriatric population. Moreover, diabetic patients are also at high risk of glaucoma. Hence, tonometers tend to be increasingly advantageous for such target population and they contribute towards the growth of the global tonometers market.For Any Queries Get Solutions With A PDF Sample :Increasing geriatric population significantly supports the growth of tonometers marketGlobal tonometers market is driven by various factors, the foremost of which is increasing geriatric population. It is mostly detected among people aged 60 years and above. Moreover, chronic eye disorders also assist in driving the demand for tonometers. Glaucoma is also found as an inherited disorder; hence people with family history of glaucoma also fall under the target population of the global tonometers market. However, there are some limitations pertaining to tonometers. For instance, Goldmann applanation tonometers might lead to corneal abrasion or risk of spreading infection. Non-contact tonometers also include restraining factors such as poor accuracy level in the measurement of the ocular pressure. Hence, the aforementioned factors are expected to restrain the global tonometers market to some extent.Applanation and indentation tonometers are the most commercially available tonometersGlobal tonometers market is segmented on the basis of product type, end user and region. Product type is classified under applanation tonometers, indentation tonometers, rebound tonometers, pascal dynamic contour tonometers and others. Further, applanation tonometers are segmented into Goldmann applanation tonometers, Perkins tonometers, non-contact tonometers, ocular response analyzer and others. Applanation tonometers help in determining ocular pressure by applying a force which flattens the disk to the cornea. These tonometers are the most widely accepted by the eyecare professionals primarily due to the fact that such diagnostic testing device allows for accurate measurement. On the other hand, indentation tonometers are used to examine through a force which will indent or sink into the cornea of the soft eye as compared to a harder eye. Rebound tonometers are also emerging owing to its numerous advantages such as it does not require anesthetizing the eye. It is a contact rebound tonometer, which uses an extremely light probe.On the basis of end user, tonometers are segmented into hospitals, clinics and others. Hospital segment is considered as the largest market owing to its wide usage in such facilities and hence, contribute towards significant revenue generation.Technological advancements are propelling market growth in North AmericaGeographically, tonometers market is classified under North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. North America is accounted for a significant share for the global tonometers market. This is primarily due to the fact that the healthcare expenditure in country like the U.S. is constantly growing, which in turn is expected to help the market for tonometers to grow. Moreover, technological advancements are also on a peak in these countries, which is expanding the product portfolio of tonometers. On the other hand, Asia Pacific is anticipated to gain lucrative growth over the forecast period due to increasing prevalence of diabetes in country like India. For instance, in 2015, 69.1 million people were suffering from diabetes in India according to International Diabetes Federation.Browse Research Report At :Some of the major players of the global tonometers market include Canon Inc., Icare Finland Oy (Icare Finland is a part of Revenio Group Corporation), Topcon Corporation, HAAG-STREIT GROUP, NIDEK CO., LTD. and Reichert Technologies among others. Inorganic growth strategies are helping leading companies to obtain a competitive edge. Focus on enhancing product portfolio and inorganic growth approaches are some of the key strategic initiatives undertaken by these companies. In September, 2016, Icare launched Icare ic100 in order to expand its product portfolio.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 :
CloudCherry now offers text-based Customer Sentiment Analysis; uses IBM Watson, Microsoft Azure ML

www.getcloudcherry.com

Real-time and Omni-channel Customer Experience Management platform CloudCherry uses IBM Watson and Microsoft Azure to improve the accuracy and contextual relevance of its own Text Analytics platform.Although more and more Businesses are turning to text analytics as a means to analyse customer sentiment, it remains a tricky topic as it involves ambiguous aspects such as culture, context, speaker, temperament and so on. Accuracy of analysis has therefore been one of the main roadblocks in the implementation of Text Analytics.CloudCherry is taking the step forward to make text analytics more reliable, accessible and adaptive. Consumer-facing Brands can now choose from any of the 3 leading text analytics solutions from CloudCherrys Customer Experience dashboard  IBM Watson, Microsoft Azure or CloudCherrys own proprietary solution  in order to analyse customer comments and decode the sentiment behind it.With both Microsoft Azure Machine Learning and CloudCherrys own proprietary platform, companies can analyse customer sentiment - and classify it into positive, negative, neutral and so on - as well as bucket comments into themes  staff, ambience, customer service and many more. In addition, Microsoft Azure also supports auto-detection of languages with native language analytics for en (English), es (Spanish), fr (French), pt (Portuguese). IBM Watson supports English Language analytics.Given the highly context-based nature of text analytics, achieving a 100% accuracy on a tool is near impossible, unless it is done manually by humans. That said, a near 80% accuracy can be achieved using Microsoft Azure as well as CloudCherrys own proprietary platform.As a result of this collaboration, businesses have the option to choose the text analytics solution that is most suited to their needs, based on various contextual aspects like language, industry, cultural sensitivities, and so on.The need for brands to understand and analyse customer sentiment using text analytics is quite unprecedented. With more customers commenting about their experience in detail via free-text comment boxes and also turning to social media to engage with brands, there's a ton of valuable insights that businesses can extract to shape customer experience. And by using IBM Watson and Microsoft Azure on our Text Analytics platform, brands can make the most of these conversations, and obtain a highly comprehensive and accurate understanding of customer sentiment and behaviour. said Vinod Muthukrishnan, Co-founder & CEO, CloudCherry.Text analytics looks at rich customer information that flows in from unstructured feedback sources like free-text comments, social media posts, email, chat transcripts and internal data sources. We leverage the power of machine learning to discover trending topics of interest at each stage of the customer journey, enabling organizations to take action proactively. added Arvi Krishnaswamy, VP  Products, CloudCherry.About CloudCherryCloudCherry is the definitive real-time, omni-channel, end-to-end Customer Experience Management platform that helps customer-facing brands track, measure, improve & deliver Customer Delight  thereby increasing Profitability and Customer Loyalty.CloudCherry Customer Experience Management SaaS platform is used globally by leading brands to track, measure and improve Customer Delight. Through our omni-channel surveys and real-time platform, brands see increased response rates, close the loop and action feedback in a timely manner, capture key metrics like NPS, Delight Scores and Sentiment Analysis across the customer journey, derive actionable Insights and see increased retention by understanding customers better.CloudCherry is a product of Customer Analytics Technologies Inc. based in Pleasanton, CA and has a global presence with offices in Singapore, Bengaluru & Chennai. The company is backed by Vertex Ventures, IDG Ventures India, CISCO Investments, The Chennai Angels & Capillary Technologies.To know more about Cloudcherry, visitCustomer Analytics Technologies Inc.4695 Chabot Drive, Ste. 200Pleasanton, CA 94588.
Animal Wound Care Market worth 1,134.0 Million USD by 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=253831778

The report "Animal Wound Care Market by Product [Surgical (Suture, Sealant, Glue) Advanced (Film, Foam, Hydrogel, Hydrocolloid dressing) Traditional (Dressing, Bandage, Absorbent, Tape) & NPWT Device] Animal (Companion, Livestock) & End User - Global Forecast to 2021", analyses and studies the major market drivers, restraints, and opportunities in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World.The animal wound care market witnessed healthy growth during the last decade and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.7% between 2016 and 2021 to reach 1,134.0 Million by 2021. The growth in this market is majorly attributed to factors such as rising pet adoption, increasing number of veterinary practitioners and rise in their income levels in developed economies, rising demand for pet insurance coupled with growing animal health expenditure, and rising awareness about animal health.Download PDF Brochure @The global animal wound care market is segmented based on product, animal type, end user, and geography. Based on product type, the market is segmented into surgical wound care products, advanced wound care products, traditional wound care products, and therapy devices. Based on animal type, the market is segmented into companion animals and livestock animals. On the basis of end-users, the global animal wound care market is segmented into hospitals & clinics and home care. Similarly, on the basis of geography, the animal wound care market is segmented into North-America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World.In 2015, surgical wound care product segment accounted for the largest share of the global animal wound care. The large share is mainly attributed to greater adoption of these products in hospitals and clinics for wound healing, rising incidence of wounds in pets, and increasing number of surgeries. However, advanced wound care products segment is expected to witness the highest growth over the next five years. The high growth in this segment can be attributed to the growing adoption of advanced wound care products over the traditional wound care products by veterinarians.The companion animals segment accounted for the largest share of the animal wound care market and is expected to grow at a highest CAGR in the forecasted period. The large share and high growth of this segment can mainly be attributed to the growing companion animal population, increasing pet care expenditure, and growing demand for pet insurance across the globe. The hospitals and clinics accounted for the largest market share of the animal wound care market and is expected to grow at a higher CAGR in next five years.North America is the largest regional segment for animal wound care owing to the well-established animal healthcare market. The largest share of this regional segment is driven by growing pet adoption, increasing number of veterinary conditions requiring surgeries, rising animal healthcare expenditure, and growing number of veterinary practitioners and their income levels. However, the market in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR, owing to large pool of companion and livestock animal population, rising pet adoption, growing awareness about animal health, and growing per capita animal health expenditure, especially in India and China.The market players, namely, B Braun Melsungen AG (Germany), Medtronic plc (Ireland), 3M Company (U.S.), and Ethicon Inc. (U.S.) held the major share of the animal wound care market and will continue to dominate the market between 2016 and 2021. Some of the major players operating in this market are Virbac (France), Jorgen Kruuse A/S (Denmark), Neogen Corporation (U.S.), Acelity L.P. Inc. (U.S.), Bayer AG (Germany), Advancis Veterinary Ltd. (U.K), and Robinson Healthcare Limited (U.K.).About MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets 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.Contact:Mr. RohanMarkets and MarketsUNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZMagarpatta city, HadapsarPune, Maharashtra 411013, India1-888-600-6441Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com
Practice Management System (PMS) Market - Global Industry Analysis 2024

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/68

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/practice-management-system-market-68

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/

http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/

Practice management system (PMS) helps manage the daily operations of an organization. These systems find wide application across various verticals in an industry. Increasing investments to upgrade healthcare facilities, especially in developed regions and growth of the healthcare IT industry in developing regions, is creating a highly conducive environment for growth of the practice management systems market. Increasing adoption of PMS has been witnessed in emerging nations such as Indian, China, South Africa, and Brazil, in order to streamline operations and in turn provide better healthcare facilities in these countries. PMS allows for efficient management of health data, patient scheduling, billing process, and referral policies.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:Physicians and group organizations need to maintain large amounts of data of day-to-day activities. Practice management system addresses these needs, maintaining critical patient information such as patient demographics, appointment schedule, insurance payer data, billing, and diagnostic and treatment history. Practice management system software are often synchronized with electronic medical record (EMR) or electronic health records (EMR) software for better hospital management.Practice Management Systems Market Taxonomy:The global practice management systems market is segmented as follows:Software type:-Desktop-only software - intended for single or few computer sharing access-Client-server software - allow multiple users to share and access data, and-Internet-based software - do need separate server for operationDelivery Platform:-Web-based-Cloud-On-premiseProduct Type:-Integrated-StandaloneComponents:-Hardware-SoftwareEnd Users:-Physicians-Pharmacists-Diagnostic LaboratoriesIncreasing hospital visiting on the back of rising prevalence of Chronic and Infectious Diseases creating favorable environment for market growthWorld Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there would be around 24 million cancer cases globally by 2035. In the U.S., over one-third of the adult population is obese, as revealed by statistics released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016). As obesity is a major predisposing factor to various diseases such as diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases, steep rise in patient population is expected in the near future.Prevalence of infectious diseases is also on the rise. Moreover, increasing instanced of drug-resistance has mandated physicians to maintain medication history of patient.Browse Research Report At :Rapid rise in geriatric population: According to WHO, over 2 billion individuals worldwide will be aged 60 years and above by 2050. A detailed report published by CDC projects that by 2030, 20% of the U.S. population would comprise of geriatric people. The report also details that cardiovascular diseases is the leading cause of deaths in adults aged 65 and above in the U.S.Rapid rise in patients visiting hospitals mandates efficient keeping of patient history and record maintenance, in turn fueling growth of the practice management systems market.High Installation Cost Hindering Growth in Emerging EconomiesThe practice management systems market is mainly concentrated in the U.S. mainly due to presence of dense network of hospitals and existing complex healthcare service management and insurance systems. The healthcare system in the U.S., is very unlike that in other countries. Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) have been set up, and thus patients tend to visit multiple physicians. Hence, maintenance of consistence treatment history becomes difficult. The market is also growing in major European countries such as the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The practice management systems market is yet in its introductory phase in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, and Middle East regions, owing to low diagnosis and treatment rate combined with financial challenges linked with deployment of expensive software systems.Key Suppliers in the global practice management systems market: Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. Henry Schein MicroMD, Athenahealth, Inc., GE Healthcare, NextGen Healthcare Information System LLC, Practice Fusion, McKesson Corporation, Greenway Medical AdvantEgde Healthcare Solutions, MediTouch, and Accumedic Computer Systems.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 :
Residential Intellectual Disability Facilities Market - Global Industry Analysis 2024

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/72

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/residential-intellectual-disability-facilities-market-72

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/

http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/

Intellectual disability refers to people who have been classified by one or more terms such as developmental disability, developmental delay and mental handicap. Recently, people classified as having mental retardation are also being referred as having intellectual disability. Usually, people are considered to have intellectual disability if they have greater difficulty than most people with intellectual and adaptive functioning. These limitations are expressed in the persons conceptual, social and practical everyday living skills. Intellectual disability is usually diagnosed through the use of standardized tests of adaptive behavior and intelligence. The precise number of people having intellectual disabilities is not known. However, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) estimates that roughly 1.5% to 2.5% of the general population have intellectual disability which translates to roughly 4.6 million to 7.7 million people as per the most recent U.S. Census (2011). Over last 30 years, services provided to the people with intellectual disabilities have been changed radically and the institutional care has been replaced by community residential service in several countries.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:The global market for the residential intellectual disability facilities can be segmented on the basis of size of facility, type of facility, mode of operation and geography. Based on the number of beds in the residential intellectual disability facilities the market can be segmented further into 4 to 9, 10 to 19, 20 to 49, 50 to 99, 100 to 199, and 200 & more beds. Besides, there are different types of facilities that provide intellectual disability facilities  hospitals, group homes, private home, intellectual and developmental disability facilities. Based on the mode of operation, the global residential intellectual disabilities market can be segmented into state-run facilities, Medicaid funded services, private large facilities, and privately run small facilities. The demand for these residential facilities is largely dependent on the reimbursement through Medicare and Medicaid programs.Demand-Supply Gap Persist in the MarketSince 2008, increased federal funding for these programs and the additionally enrolled or eligible people for either of the federal programs, have led to the growth of the residential intellectual disability facilities in the U.S. Although the demand for housing or residential facilities for people with intellectual disabilities has been increasing in the recent years, the adequate supply of such facilities has not kept the required pace. Therefore, there is a huge deficit in the demand and the supply of these facilities. Another major restraint in the market growth is the difficulty in avoiding hospital admission for patients with intellectual disabilities who usually present challenges with their behavior and/or mental health problems.Browse Research Report At :Increasing support from Governments across the Globe to aid Intellectually Disable PatientsOn the basis of geography, the global residential intellectual disability facilities market can be segmented into five major geographies - North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Rest of the World. Aging population, particularly in North America, and Europe, provide a good market opportunity for the market players. Another driving factor is the increasing age of caregivers. Presently, most of the people affected with intellectual disability reside with family caregivers. Due to the changing demographics, caregivers will also age in the coming years and the shortage of caregivers will create more demand for the residential facilities for intellectually disable individuals. The market for such facilities has been very insignificant in most of the Asian countries and little progress is expected during the forecast period from 2014 to 2023. There are many local and national centers in the developing economies too which offer such facilities. For instance, Muskaan, Sandesh and Alamara Residential Centre for Persons with Developmental Disabilities are the centers that offer residential intellectual disability facilities in India.There are government and private players in addition to local bodies offering residential intellectual disability facilities  NHS Allegheny Valley School, St. Josephs Center, Durham County Community, Residential Support Services, Lutheran Family Services and Arlington County Government.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 :
Oxygen Therapy Market - Global Industry Analysis 2024

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/97

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/oxygen-therapy-market-97

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/

http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/

Oxygen Therapy Market OverviewOxygen therapy is the use of oxygen as medical intervention to maintain enough oxygen in conditions such as hypoxia, hypoxemia, and other related conditions. Oxygen may be administered through a nasal cannula, face mask, or through hyperbaric oxygen chamber. This therapy helps maintain oxygen level in the blood for treatment of acute and chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive diseases (COPD), pneumonia, and asthma. Long-term therapy with oxygen is often useful in people suffering from COPD. Certain other acute or chronic disease conditions where oxygen therapy is effective include cystic fibrosis, dysplasia, heart failure, sleep apnea, and lung disorders.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:Oxygen therapy market taxonomyThe global oxygen therapy market is segmented on basis of source equipment, application, delivery device, and end use. By type of source equipment, the oxygen therapy market is segmented into oxygen cylinders, liquid oxygen devices, and oxygen concentrators. On the basis of device type, the the oxygen therapy market is segmented into nasal cannula, face mask, bag valve mask, venturi mask, oxygen mask, non-rebreather mask, and CPAP devices. On the basis of application, the global oxygen therapy market is as asthma, cystic fibrosis, COPD, pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases.Oxygen therapy is used in hospitals to cure patients suffering from respiratory diseases such as COPD and pneumonia, and also cardiovascular diseases fueling growth of the oxygen therapy market. Oxygen therapy is also used in clinics, rehabilitations centers and home care settings .Increasing incidence of COPD and lung disorders drive growth of the oxygen therapy market across the globeFactors such as high prevalence of respiratory related diseases, growing aging population, and increasing vulnerability of the populace to respiratory conditions are fueling growth of the oxygen therapy market in North America. According to the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), around 15.7 million people in the U.S. were diagnosed with COPD in 2013. Other factors driving demand for oxygen therapy include innovation in portable oxygen concentrators, rise in number of untreated sleep apnea cases, favorable reimbursement scenario, growing demand for oxygen filling devices, good medical facilities, and high investment in research and development activities. The oxygen therapy market in Europe is also gaining traction in recent times, mainly fueled by increasing number of patients suffering from respiratory diseases and favorable government initiatives to facilitate respiratory care.According to the World Health Organization, over 90% of COPD deaths occur in low income and middle income countries. Therefore, the oxygen therapy market is expected to grow substantially in African, Asian, and Latin American countries due to high prevalence of COPD and deaths due to the disease. Furthermore, increasing awareness among medical facilities, increasing government investment in healthcare facilities, and availability of low cost treatment is projected to drive demand for oxygen therapy in emerging economies.Browse Research Report At :Alarming increase in number of lung damage cases increasing demand for oxygen therapy for effective treatmentAccording to World Health Organization (WHO) over 3 million people die each year due to COPD. Increasing use of oxygen therapy in treatment of diseases such as COPD, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, and respiratory distress syndrome is a supportive prevalent trend in the market. Long-term oxygen therapy for patients suffering from chronic lung disease can help improve quality and length of life, in turn creating a favorable environment for the market. Increasing risk of lung damage due to tobacco consumption, occupational hazards, and pollution would further augment market growth over the following decade.Global players engaged in the oxygen therapy marketThere are several medical device companies, both local player and global ones, engaged in manufacture of oxygen therapy devices. Some of the prominent players are Respironics, Inc. (a Philips company), Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited, Teleflex Incorporated, Invacare Corporation, AirSep Corporation, CareFusion Corporation, DeVilbiss Healthcare, MAQUET Holding B.V. & Co. KG, and ResMed, Inc.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 :
Samarpan Foundation Pioneers Eco-construction Technology With Waste Plastic Bottles & Fish Net A Boon for Affordable Construction in India

Bottle House Construction with Eco-construction technology with waste plastic bottles and fish net

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-ftYLWtm9w

www.samarpanfoundation.org

Samarpan Foundation Pioneers Eco-construction Technology With Waste Plastic Bottles & Fish NetA Boon for Affordable Construction in IndiaSamarpan Foundation, an NGO that works in the areas of rural and urban development in multiple fields has pioneered a method of eco-construction technology with waste plastic bottles and fish net that is proven to withstand earthquakes of up to 9.8 on the Richter scale. The bottle house constructions would address 2 major challenges facing the country namely, shortage of affordable housing and disposal of plastic bottle (PET) waste. These novel homes made from plastic bottles and fish net are affordable, easy to build, energy self-sufficient, well-insulated, earthquake resistant, fire-proof, and offer a sustainable solution to the ever growing pollution problem.In the present scenario, PET bottles are becoming the bane of modern civilization. Plastic bottles that are non-bio degradable take hundreds of years to disintegrate. Their disposal poses a challenge in waste management. The scientific disposal of plastic waste through segregation, collection, treatment or constructive usage in an environmentally sound manner is the need of the hour.After successfully completing projects with this eco-technology in various cities including a 30-bed hospital in Sunderbans West Bengal; a villa in Bangalore and climate sensitive earthquake resistant establishments in Nepal; besides a classroom in Samarpan School in Kishangarh, Delhi, among others, Samarpan Foundation has applied for and is in the process of registering its patent for Nylon-6 Fish Net and PET Bottle Construction under the Patents Act, 1970, with the Controller of Designs under the Design Act, 2000 and under the Copyrights Act, 1957.According to Patrick San Francesco, Chairman of Samarpan Foundation, India faces a housing shortfall of 19 million dwelling units. By using these PET bottles and fish net, one gets to build sustainable and earthquake resistant homes that reduce carbon footprint and also give rise to cottage industry by giving employment opportunities to the old and infirm. We found that when a PET bottle is filled with mud or sand and recapped, it can be used as a solid, everlasting brick. We have successfully replaced steel in the RCC slab with Nylon-6 fish net at a mere 1% of the cost of steel, utilizing its high tensile strength. The non-biodegradable PET bottle has a high tensile strength to weight ratio making it strong, durable and versatile. PET bottles are non-brittle and also act as heat insulators. They can therefore withstand heavy shock loads, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Construction with PET bottles greatly reduces waste by lowering the demand for conventional bricks and thus carbon emissions during baking, all the while reducing plastic waste.Samarpan Foundation presented ecological earthquake-resistant construction technology at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The presentation was made to the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) symposium by Patrick San Francesco, the Chairman of Samarpan Foundation. He presented "Rebuild it Better: Construction From Recycled Plastic Bottles Proven to Withstand 9.8 Earthquakes". Link:For a region of the world where money tends to be scarce, the bottle houses are estimated to cost 1/3 of a house made of concrete and bricks. Around 10,000 bottles are required for a 250 square foot building. Also, the structure is adaptable with bricks and stones along with fish net. Samarpan Foundation gets the bottles free from the top and mid-level hotels that would otherwise just discard them. Plastic bottles houses are easy to build with less construction material to use. The technology also reduces the carbon emission that happens during the baking of an ordinary brick. PET Bottle can last as long as 300 years; undoubtedly longer than the cement used to bind the bottles together in the walls.Samarpan Foundation was founded in 2006 with a vision to shed light even in the darkest corners, providing support and assistance of any kind where there is a humanitarian, ecological, environmental and animal-welfare need.For Further information please contact PR Grid:Ajay Garkal/Jitendra Parmar911141431044, 41431455, 9818410072Samarpan Foundation was founded in 2006 with a vision to shed light even in the darkest corners, providing support and assistance of any kind where there is a humanitarian, ecological, environmental and animal-welfare need.Jitendra ParmarPR GridW-127, Greater Kailash-1New Delhi 110048
Cyber Security Market- Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016  2027

Cyber Security Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/875

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/global-cyber-security-market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/request-toc/875

Synopsis of Global Cyber Security MarketMarket Segmentation:For the better understanding of the report, the market for Global Cyber security has been segmented by solutions, services and by application verticals. On the basis of Solutions include Network Security, Endpoint Security, Content Security, Application Security, Industrial Control System Security and Cloud Security. On the basis of Services which include- Design Services, Consulting Services, Risk Assessment Services, Training Services and Others. On the basis of Application Verticals, the market has been segmented as Telecommunication, BFSI, Manufacturing, Aerospace and Defense, Healthcare and OthersKey Players in Global Cyber Security MarketThe key players in the market of cyber security are- Cisco Corporation Mcafee Corporation Fortinet Inc Trend Micro Inc Cassidian Cybersecurity Company Computer Science Corporation Booz Allen Hamilton Corporation Kaspersky Lab Fireeye inc Symantec CorporationRequest a Sample Copy of Report @Market OverviewCyber security is one of the most important concerns for all the countries around the globe. As the technology is growing and new applications are coming into picture, hackers are finding the new loopholes and by that they are stealing the important and confidential datas from the servers and selling it to the other countries or in black market. The report on Global Cyber security market shows that total market size for the cyber security has been increase to billions and currently growing with the good CAGR.Regional AnalysisNorth America is leading in the market of Cyber Security. Countries like the US and Canada are well developed in the field of technology and also some of the major players who provide cyber security options are located in the North America. Europe is accounted for the second largest market share in the Cyber Security.The main reason behind this is some countries of Europe have good command over the technology and most of the company in Europe region update their cyber security model periodically. Asia Pacific and MEA are fastest growing market for the cyber security.Access the market data and information presented through data tables and figures spread 145 pages of the project report. Avail in-depth table of content (TOC) & market synopsis on Global Cyber Security Market Research Report- Forecast to 2027Access Report Details @Brief Table of Contents (TOC) for Global Cyber Security Market1. Report Prologue2. Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.3 Market Structure2.4. Market Segmentation3. Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research4. Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities5. Market Factor Analysis5.1 Value Chain Analysis5.2 PORTERS Five Forces5.3 Demand & Supply: Gap Analysis5.5 Investment Opportunity Analysis6. Global Cyber Security Market by Solutions7. Global Cyber Security Market by Services7. Global Cyber Security Market by Application VerticalsCONTINUEDGet In-depth Table of Contents (TOC), List of Figures and Tables @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
Psoriasis Treatment Market - Global Industry Analysis 2024

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/99

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-discount/99

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/psoriasis-treatment-market-99

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/

http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/

Psoriasis Treatment Market OverviewPsoriasis is a non-communicable autoimmune disease characterized by patches of abnormal skin. These skin spots are red, itchy, and scaly which may be small and localized or cover the entire body. Skin injury may cause psoriatic skin changes at that spot, a phenomenon called Koebner phenomenon.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:There are five main types of psoriasis namely Plaque, Guttate, Inverse, Pustular, and Erythrodermic. Plaque psoriasis, also known as psoriasis vulgaris, is the most prevalent type of psoriasis, accounting for around 90% of reported cases. Most commonly affected areas of the body include back of the forearms, shins, around the navel, and the scalp. Guttate psoriasis has drop-shaped lesions. Pustular psoriasis is characterized by the presence of small non-infectious pus-filled blisters. Inverse psoriasis forms red patches in skin folds. Erythrodermic psoriasis occurs when the rash become widespread and can develop from other types. Fingernails and toenails are affected in most people at some point of time. This may include pits in the nails or changes in nail color.Treatment options for Psoriasis fueling growth of the psoriasis treatment marketVarious treatments can help control the symptoms fueling growth of psoriasis treatment market. These treatment methods include administering steroid, vitamin D3, exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) light, and immunosuppressive like methotrexate. Around 75% of cases can be managed with creams alone. Cream and ointments of corticosteroid, and calcipotriol can effectively treat mild-to-moderate psoriasis. However, when condition become more severe, creams are combined with oral medications such as methotrexate, acitretin, and cyclosporin.Request Discount:Topical drugs used in treatment of psoriasis include corticosteroids, vitamin D, hydroxyanthrone, and retinoid aiding in growth of the psoriasis treatment market. Topical corticosteroids are frequently prescribed for treating mild-to-moderate psoriasis. Low-potency corticosteroid ointments are recommended for sensitive areas such as face or skin folds and for treating widespread patches of damaged skin. Medicated foams and scalp solutions are available in market to treat psoriasis patches on the scalp. Vitamin D analogues are synthetic forms of vitamin D and they slow the growth of skin cells. Calcipotriene (Dovonex) is a cream or solution a vitamin D that contains analogue, used by itself to treat mild-to-moderate psoriasis or in combination with other topical medications. Anthralin (Hydroxyanthrone) is used to normalize DNA activity in skin cells. Anthralin (Dritho-Scalp) also can remove scale, making the skin smoother. Topical retinoids normalizes DNA activity in skin cells and decreases inflammation.Light Therapy (Phototherapy) for psoriasis treatmentThis psoriasis treatment involves use of natural or artificial ultraviolet light. Phototherapy involves exposing skin to controlled amounts of natural sunlight. Other forms of light therapy include use of artificial ultraviolet A (UVA) or ultraviolet B (UVB) light either alone or in combination with medications.Increasing prevalence of psoriasis coupled with early diagnosis to propel growth of psoriasis treatment marketThe growth of psoriasis treatment market is projected to gain traction in North America owing to large patient pool in this region. Also, better medical facilities, commercialization of new diagnostic technology, medical policies, and favorable reimbursement policies are factors fueling growth of psoriasis treatment market. According to the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA), around 3% of the worlds population has some form of psoriasis. According to a study published in Cleveland Clinic in September 2013, there are around 150,000 new cases of psoriasis reported each year in the U.S. According to a study published in Medical Journal of Malaysia, in 2015 prevalence of psoriasis varies between 2.0% to 3.0% worldwide. Incidence rate is highest among Caucasians and lowest among Japanese and Africans. The study states that prevalence rate of psoriasis in Japan is 0.05% to 0.1%, as compared to China 0.5% and Taiwan 0.2%, and in India, the prevalence of psoriasis was reported in the range of 0.4% to 2.8%. High prevalence and increasing incidence propels growth of the psoriasis treatment market.Browse Research Report At :Key players involved in psoriasis treatment marketThere are many global players operating in the global psoriasis treatment market. This includes Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited, Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., Cipla Ltd., Johnson & Johnson, Rowan Bioceuticals Private Limited, Stiefel Laboratories Inc. (GlaxoSmithKline plc), Win Medicare Pvt. Ltd., and Novartis AG. Novartis AG acquired Ziarco Pharma Ltd a U.K.-based dermatology therapeutics firmin December 2016 to acquire a pipeline of oral and topical products for treatment of psoriasis. Acquisition of the potentially first-in-class therapy would bolster dermatology portfolio and pipeline of Novartis. Ziarco completed Phase II trial, a proof-of-concept study with ZPL-389.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 :
The M2M & IoT Ecosystem Technology Increasing Demands Over 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/418990

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/publisher/45

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/pressreleases

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/

MarketResearchReports.Biz announces the addition of a new report to its vast repository of research studies. The report is titled "The M2M & IoT Ecosystem: 2015 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts"M2M (Machine-to-Machine) refers to the flow of data between physical objects, without the need for human interaction. M2M connectivity has opened a multi-billion dollar revenue opportunity for mobile operators, MVNOs and service aggregators, addressing the application needs of several verticals markets. By enabling network connectivity among physical objects, M2M has also initiated the IoT (Internet of Things) vision - a global network of sensors, equipment, appliances, smart devices and applications that can communicate in real time.SNS Research estimates that global spending on M2M and IoT technologies will reach nearly $250 Billion by 2020, driven by a host of vertical market applications including but not limited to connected car services, remote asset tracking, healthcare monitoring, smart metering, digital signage, home automation and intelligent buildings.The M2M & IoT Ecosystem: 2015  2030  Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of the M2M and IoT ecosystem including enabling technologies, key trends, market drivers, challenges, vertical market applications, deployment case studies, collaborative initiatives, regulatory landscape, standardization, opportunities, future roadmap, value chain, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The report also presents market size forecasts from 2015 till 2030. The forecasts are segmented for 8 vertical markets, 7 access networking technologies, 6 regions and over 70 leading countries.Get The Sample Copy Of This Report:The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.Topics CoveredThe report covers the following topics:- M2M and IoT ecosystem- Market drivers and barriers- Enabling technologies and key trends- Network architecture and mobile operator business models- Assessment of cellular, satellite, LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), wireline and short range networking technologies- Analysis of key trends in the ecosystem including but not limited to IoT platforms, traffic projections, multimedia applications, LTE adoption, roaming, cloud services and network security- Vertical market applications, opportunities and deployment case studies- Regulatory landscape, collaborative initiatives and standardization- Industry roadmap and value chain- Profiles and strategies of over 240 leading ecosystem players, including enabling technology providers, mobile operators, MVNOs, aggregators, IoT platform providers, system integrators and vertical market specialists- Strategic recommendations for ecosystem players- Market analysis and forecasts from 2015 till 2030Historical Revenue and Forecast SegmentationConnection and service revenue forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:Vertical Markets- Automotive & Transportation- Asset Management & Logistics- Consumer Electronics & Home Automation- Energy & Utilities- Healthcare- Intelligent Buildings & Infrastructure- Public Safety, Security & Surveillance- Retail & Vending- OthersWide Area Networking Technologies- 2G & 3G Cellular- LTE & 5G Cellular- Satellite- LPWA- Wireline- OthersTo Get More Signals And Systems Telecom Market Research Reports:Short Range Networking Technologies- WiFi- Bluetooth & ZigBee- OthersApplication Categories- Multimedia & Video- Remote Monitoring, Maintenance & Control- Metering- Tracking & Tracing- Security- Payments- OthersRevenue forecasts for the wider M2M and IoT market are provided for each of the following submarkets:Submarkets- M2M Application Services & Connectivity- M2M Modules & Hardware- M2M & IoT Security- CDP (Connected Device Platforms)- M2M & IoT Application Platforms- Other M2M & IoT Software- Network Integration & Professional ServicesThe following regional and country level markets are also covered:Regional Markets- Asia Pacific- Eastern Europe- Middle East & Africa- Latin & Central America- North America- Western EuropeCountry Markets- Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, UK, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and VietnamAdditional forecasts are provided for:- Embedded M2M Cellular Module Shipments and Revenue- Smart Meter Penetration- M2M and IoT Traffic- M2M and IoT Software Submarkets including OS & Software Stack, Middleware & Storage, Analytics Platforms and Business Process ApplicationsKey Questions AnsweredThe report provides answers to the following key questions:- How big is the M2M and IoT opportunity?- What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth?- How is the ecosystem evolving by segment and region?- What will the market size be in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?- Which regions, countries and verticals will see the highest percentage of growth?- Who are the key market players and what are their strategies?- How will M2M and IoT services drive investments in cloud based IoT platforms, Big Data, analytics, network security and other technologies?- What are the growth prospects of cellular, satellite, LPWA, wireline and short range networking technologies?- How do government mandates and initiatives impact the adoption of embedded M2M connectivity?- How will LTE drive the adoption of multimedia and video based IoT applications?- Do LPWA IoT networks pose a threat to cellular network technologies?- What strategies should enabling technology providers, mobile operators, MVNOs, aggregators, IoT platform providers and other ecosystem players adopt to remain competitive?Key FindingsThe report has the following key findings:- SNS Research estimates that global spending on M2M and IoT technologies will reach nearly $250 Billion by 2020, driven by a host of vertical market applications including but not limited to connected car services, remote asset tracking, healthcare monitoring, smart metering, digital signage, home automation and intelligent buildings- The installed base of M2M connections will grow at a CAGR of nearly 30% between 2015 and 2020, eventually accounting for over 10 Billion connections worldwide- SNS Research estimates that multimedia and video applications will account for more than 20% of the revenue generated by M2M and IoT services by 2020, amid growing incorporation of LTE in M2M modules and gateways- Besides optimizing their cellular networks for M2M services, mobile operators are increasingly investing in LPWA networks for low power, low bandwidth IoT applicationsAbout UsMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.To View The Latest Industry Press Releases:ContactTel: +1-518-621-2074E-Mail: sales@marketresearchreports.bizWebsite:MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
We value your privacy.

Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy.
Regenerative Artificial Skin Market - Global Industry Analysis 2024

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/100

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-discount/100

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/regenerative-artificial-skin-market-100

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/

http://globalresearchtrends.blogspot.in/

Incidence of accidental skin burns are increasing across the globe. Life threatening skin injuries, traumas, and burns require immediate surgical procedure to restore skin and avoid future complications. Skin burns are broadly classified into three levels, namely 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns. In third degree of burns where there is little or no intact skin, artificial skin graft is the most useful treatment option. Artificial skin covers and protects the wound and also promotes regeneration of natural skin.Get Free PDF Research Brochure for more Professional and Technical Insights:Artificial skin is usually prepared from collagen, which is easily resorbed by the body and facilitates generation of new skin on the affected area. According to the American Burn Association, 486,000 people received medical treatment for minor burns and 70,000 people were hospitalized for severe skin burn requiring acute care in the U.S, in 2015. Various players in the market are carrying R&D activities to develop new technology related to artificial skin regeneration. One such instance is an autologous spray on skin, Recell, by Avita Medical.Artificial Skin TreatmentsVarious skin repair devices are available, which are used to heal the affected part. These include Dermagraft, OrCel, Integra, Biobrane, Apligraft, Matriderm, Hyalomatrix, Renoskin, and Composite Cultured Skin. Dermagraft is used to help in wound closure of diabetic foot ulcers. Orcel is used to cover and aid in wound healing. Composite Cultured Skin also contains living cells and is specifically used in children with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Integra is used for treatment of severe burns.Regenerative Artificial Skin Market TaxonomyThe global regenerative artificial skin market is segmented on the basis of material type, end user and region.Request Discount:On the basis of material type, the regenerative artificial skin market is segmented into temporary skin material, permanent skin material, and composite skin material.Temporary skin material: Its effect lasts between several months and 2.5 years, depending on the type, quality, and quantity of injected material.Permanent skin material: These are epidermal skin and dermal skin materials. Bio-Alcamid is a synthetic polymer that contains 97% water. It is injected into the inner tissue to fill and thicken it.Composite Skin Material: These are further sub-segmented into skin graft and engineered skin material.Browse Research Report At :On the basis of end user, the global regenerative artificial skin market is segmented into hospitals, clinics, and burn care center. In hospitals, regenerative artificial skin technology is used in the treatment of deep skin wounds and also in plastic surgery. Healthcare providers use artificial skin to treat chronic wounds. Specialized burn care center extensively use artificial skin technology to treat burnt skin.Inadequate Medical Infrastructure and Low Access to Medical Facilities in Developing Economies a Major Restrain for Market GrowthThe market for regenerative artificial skin is growing in the U.S., mainly driven by increasing number of patients with skin diseases. According to Skin Cancer Foundation, each year over 5.4 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are reported and over 3.3 million people are treated for the same in the U.S. Also, there are more new cases of skin cancer reported than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, and colon each year. Regenerative artificial skin market in Europe is growing due to skin disease being a very pertinent issue in the region. Robust medical infrastructure, presence of global players, and advancements in technology also contribute to market growth of the regenerative artificial skin in the region. In Asia, the market for regenerative artificial skin is projected to grow in the near future due to increasing number of people opting for skin treatment procedures.Lack of Essential Sterile Environment Restricts Access to Regenerative Artificial SkinRegenerative artificial skin market is expected to grow, with increasing incidence of burns. In addition, rising prevalence of skin diseases, growing number of harmful acid accidents, and increasing number of major body surgeries conducted is projected to positively impact regenerative artificial skin market in the near future. However, issues with acceptance by the recipient body and lack of sterile product and nutritional supply to regain the natural structure restricts growth of regenerative artificial skin market, especially in developing regions.Rapid Advancements in TechnologyResearchers and biotechnicians at the U.S army institute of surgical research are developing artificial skin that can be stored in a spray bottle and would regenerate and grow as applied on the body. This new technology would be of great aid in emergency situations, especially for military personnel during war situations. Furthermore, several companies in the market place are increasing their product portfolio related to regenerative artificial skin market. Some of the key players in the global regenerative artificial skin market are Integra Life Sciences Corporation, Mylan N.V., Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. Smith & Nephew and Mallinckrodt plc.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 :
Mobile Data Monitoring Market Finds Applications For Data Monitoring In Mobile Phones Users, Domestic Internet Connections And For Servers In Organizations

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=210317

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=210317

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Mobile Data Monitoring (MDM) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends And Forecast, 2014 - 2020" to its huge collection of research reports.Mobile Data Monitoring (MDM) is a software application used to monitor the performance parameters such as data transfer speed and usage of mobile data devices. It helps the user to monitor signal strength of mobile data device and the amount of data that is transferred to other users. These applications are free to download from the internet for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The latest MDM applications enable monitoring of data usage across specific time periods and by specific applications, so as to track for the applications that use maximum data. In addition, these applications display clear details about data upload and download speeds over the internet. Mobile data monitoring has an illustrative user interface that displays graphically the data usage on mobile devices and alerts about its threshold limit. Thus, it becomes easy for users to choose suitable data plans depending upon the requirements so as to reduce and manage the data usage.The Mobile Data Monitoring market can be segmented on the basis of end-use devices such as mobile phones, tablets, computers and other devices capable of creating digital surveys of data usage. These software applications provide real time information about data usage and are non-interfering as they operate in the background. These applications are used to gauge the performance parameters such as signal strength and speed of 2G, 3G and 4G telecommunication networks.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Mobile Data Monitoring market finds applications for data monitoring in mobile phones users, domestic internet connections and for servers in organizations. MDM applications are extensively used in smart phones due to increasing explosion of data through the internet. It becomes easy for the users to constantly monitor their data usage and avoid abrupt charges due to excessive use. In an organization, employees connect to the corporate domain or network through Wi-Fi connections. Therefore it is essential for the employer to monitor the usage of data to keep a tab on official data sharing so as to avoid any misuse of data and connection. The MDM application stores complete details about the amount of information sent and received by database followed by duration of every session and speed of data transfer.Apart from the information about signal strength, this application can also detect country and network codes along with the identity of the operator. It is also able to read data about radio access provided by mobile service providers. For domestic broadband internet connections, MDM provides complete information about the amount of data used/left on the portal of service provider. In latest MDM applications, the access to internet is automatically cut down or speed is reduced once the user crosses the data usage limit.MDM is majorly used for data monitoring in cases where there is security risk involved or where the services are available on a chargeable basis. Increasing adoption of smartphones, Big Data services, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) deployment and Over the Top (OTT) applications are expected to generate tremendous demand for MDM applications in near future. In addition, communication service providers are investing in MDM applications to ensure positive user experience and avoid customer dissatisfaction. Furthermore, growing adoption of Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) is expected to create healthy demand for MDM application in next few years.Some of the major companies in the Mobile Data Monitoring market include Alcatel-Lucent, Compuware Corporation, Ericsson, InfoVista S.A., Anritsu, Nokia Siemens Networks and Tektronix Communications among others. Furthermore, Astellia, Empirix, JDSU, Polystar, NetScout, RADCOM Ltd. and others are some of the players in the market.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 segmentsMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Synthetic Biology Market Expected to Register High Revenue Growth Through 2021

Synthetic Biology Market

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/request-for-sample.html?flag=S&repid=50415

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com/market-analysis/synthetic-biology-market.html

http://www.syndicatemarketresearch.com

Synthetic biology deals with the design and construction of new biological entities. It is an interdependent combination of biology and engineering for the construction of artificial biological system. It involves the synthesis of complex, biologically based systems which display functions that do not exist in nature. Synthetic biology starts with the advances in molecular, cell, and systems biology and follow to transform biology in the way that synthesis transformed chemistry and integrated circuit design transformed computing.The synthetic biology market is mainly driven by the growing demand for improved drugs and vaccines. Advancement in molecular biology is another key factor to drive the synthetic biology market. Synthetic biotechnology widely used in different application areas such as healthcare, chemicals, agriculture etc. This has fueled the growth of global synthetic biology market. However, some issues like bio-safety and bio-security of synthetic biology is expected to hamper growth of synthetic biology industry.Get Sample Research Report at :The global synthetic biology market is segmented on the basis of product, technology, application and region. Based on different products, market is segmented as core and enabling products. The core product segment futher segmented into synthetic DNA, synthetic genes, synthetic cells, XNA (xeno nucleic acid) and chassis organisms. And the enabling product segment further classified into DNA synthesis and oligonucleotide synthesis. Furthermore, technology of the synthetic biology market can be segmented as genome engineering, DNA sequencing, bioinformatics and biological components & integrated systems.The report provides a comprehensive view on the synthetic biology market we have included a detailed company market share analysis, product portfolio of the major industry participants. To understand the competitive landscape in the market, an analysis of Porters Five Forces model for the synthetic biology market has also been included. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein application segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness.Browse the full report atApplication segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends, and the market has been estimated from 2015 to 2020 in terms of revenue (USD Million). Healthcare, chemicals, agriculture and other applications such as biosecurity, R&D, energy environment etc. are the application segments of synthetic biology market from which healthcare application segment holds highest market share in terms of revenue.Major regional segments analyzed in this study include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & 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. Synthetic biology market was dominated by Europe in 2014 and is expected have consistent growth in coming years. Europe is followed by North America.Some of the key players for global synthetic biology market includes DuPont, Inc., Agrivida, Inc., GeneWorks Pty Ltd., Biosearch Technologies, Inc., Evolva SA, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Green Biologics Limited, REG Life Sciences, LLC and Royal DSM.This report segments the global synthetic biology market as follows:Global Synthetic Biology Market: Product Segment AnalysisCore ProductsSynthetic DNASynthetic GenesSynthetic CellsXNA (Xeno Nucleic Acid)Chassis OrganismsEnabling ProductsDNA SynthesisOligonucleotide SynthesisGlobal Synthetic Biology Market: Technology Segment AnalysisGenome EngineeringDNA SequencingBioinformaticsBiological Components and Integrated SystemsGlobal Synthetic Biology Market: Application Segment AnalysisHealthcareChemicals (Including Bio-Fuels)AgricultureOthers (Biosecurity, R&D, Energy and Environment)Global Synthetic Biology 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:
Latest Survey Reveals Global Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells(PEMFC) Industry 2016 | Researchmoz

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=717723

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=717723

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells(PEMFC) Industry 2016 Market Research Report" to its huge collection of research reports.The Global Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells(PEMFC) Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)1.1 Definition and Specifications of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)1.1.1 Definition of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)1.1.2 Specifications of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)1.2 Classification of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)1.3 Applications of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)1.5.1 Industry Overview of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)1.7 Industry News Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC)3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) Major Manufacturers in 20154 Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) by Regions, Types and Manufacturers4.1 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) by Regions 2011-20164.2 Global and Major Regions Capacity, Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) 2011-20164.3 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) by Types 2011-20164.4 Global Capacity, Production and Revenue of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) by Manufacturers 2011-20165 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) by Regions, Types and Manufacturers5.1 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) by Regions 2011-20165.2 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) by Types 2011-20165.3 Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel CellsPEMFC) by Manufacturers 2011-2016Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Research Report and Overview on Electronic Medical Record Market, 2015 - 2021

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/electronic-medical-record-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/inquiry/electronic-medical-record-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/electronic-medical-record-market

http://www.zionmarketresearch.com

Zion Market Research published new report on 'Electronic Medical Record Market- Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis and Forecast, 2015  2021' in it's databaseAn electronic medical record (EMR) refers to systematic approach of collection of health records of patients in a digital format. These records can be easily shared through network connected, enterprise-wide information systems or other information networks and exchanges. Electronic medical record (EMR) may include data personal statistics like age and weight, and billing information and laboratory test results, vital signs, radiology images.EMR may contain digitalized images of paper document along with diagnostic procedures such as X-rays.Request for sample report @The market growth of global electronic medical record market has been accelerated due to feasibility in data availability across the globe and growing need of integrated healthcare system. In addition, improved quality of care through EMR implementation coupled with increasing share of IT in healthcare expenditure is fueling the growth of electronic medical record market significantly. However, privacy & security issues are expected to hamper the growth of electronic medical record market. Nonetheless, increasing patient centric approach is expected to open up new growth opportunities in forecast period.The report covers forecast and analysis for the electronics medical record market on a global and regional level. The study provides historic data of 2015 along with a forecast from 2016 to 2021 based on revenue (USD million). Study also covers Porters Five Forces model, which offers an insights view and intensity of competition within the market. The report also analyzes several driving and restraining factors and their impact on the market during the forecast period. The study encompasses a market attractiveness analysis, wherein application segments are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate and general attractiveness.Inquiry before buying:The study provides a decisive view of the electronic medical health by solution, application and region segments. The electronic medical health market has been segmented into software services, web based and client server based in terms of solution. On the basis of application, the market is categorized into ambulatory centers, hospitals and physicians office.Major regional segments analyzed in this study include North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. North America held a leading position in the electronic medical record market followed by Europe in 2015. The major factors driving the growth are increased portability and accessibility of medical document management systems.Key players profiled in the report include Quest Diagnostics ,Cerner Corporation ,3M Company, Kofax Limited, Toshiba Medical Systems Corp , Epic Systems ,Hyland Software, GE Healthcare, WRS Health ,Siemens Medical Solutions, McKesson Corporation, Henry Schein, Inc., Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc and other.Browse report at:About UsZion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact US:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite:
Current and Future Industry Trends of On the Go Packaging Market, 2016 - 2024

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/on-the-go-packaging-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/toc/on-the-go-packaging-market

https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/on-the-go-packaging-market

http://www.zionmarketresearch.com

Zion Market Research published new report on ' Global On the Go Packaging Market: Size, Trends, Industry Share and Forecast, 2016  2024' in it's databaseGlobal On the Go Packaging Market: OverviewPackaging is a reliable technology integrated with science and art terminology used to enclose the product to protect it from getting damage and contamination specifically the consumables such as food and liquids. Most of the products including food products, beverages, and medicines are intended for immediate consumption; on the go packaging is designed based on the factors offering convenient features such as easy opening, reclosability, portability, and single-hand use. On the go packaging is mainly used for packaging frozen foods, juice, meat, processed foods, and others.Request Free Sample Report @Global On the Go Packaging Market: SegmentationOn the go packaging market is segmented based on various packaging types including flexible packaging and paperboard packaging. Further, the flexible packaging is sub-segmented as clamshells, plastic trays, peel off lids, and zip pouches. Similarly, paperboard packaging is sub-divided as corrugated boxes, folding cartons, and rigid boxes. Moreover, the end-user application is classified as food beverage, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, hygiene products, and personal care industries.Global On the Go Packaging Market: Growth FactorsThe rise in disposable income and spending capability, as well as increase in population in developing countries, is boosting the demand for consumable products and FMCG products for daily use; hence rising the demand for on the go packaging. Considerable transformation in consumer lifestyle and availability of various products in the wide range is also rising the demand for on the go packaging in the market. Large utilization of packaged food which can be made by the instant preparatory method and reduced making time are the major factors responsible for rising demand for on the go packaging. Consumers willingly spending on the portable food products in the busy schedules is also driving the on the go packaging market. The blending of creativity and packaging ideology to ease the delivery system and make the packaging more convenient for the consumers in the terms of fast food category is also driving the growth of the on the packaging market. The Huge demand of on the go packaging in pharmaceutical industries and health and hygiene products is impacting the market positively. The possibilities of contamination of processed food due to the utilization of on the go packaging may the hinder the market to some extent.Request for TOC of Report @Global On the Go Packaging Market: Regional AnalysisGeographically, the global on the go food packaging market is segmented as North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Rest of World. Asia-Pacific is expected to lead the global on the go packaging market due to huge consumption of ready-to-eat food and rising disposable income.Global On the Go Packaging Market: Competitive PlayersSome of the key participants dominating on the packaging market are Bemis, Sealed Air, Amcor, American, Packaging, Coveris, Berry Plastics, Printpack, Hood Packaging, Oracle Packaging, Pregis, Bryce, Sonoco Products, and InterFlex. Some of other key players include ProAmpac, Scholle IPN, WestRock, Winpak, Huhtamaki, and so on. Major players are opting for new innovations to increase their market presence. For instance, Excelsior Technologies Ltd. based in the UK introduced a series of the innovation including Snack&Go, Grab&Go, and Lunch&Go to increase the shelf life and to achieve a great consumer experience.Browse detail report @About UsZion Market Research is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly in order to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the clients needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us.Contact US:Zion Market Research4283, Express Lane,Suite 634-143,Sarasota, Florida 34249, United StatesTel: +49-322 210 92714USA/Canada Toll-Free No.1-855-465-4651Email: sales@zionmarketresearch.comWebsite:
Soups Market - Europe Industry Trends 2020

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=3939

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Increasing varieties of products, health and wellness trend and active promotions by soups manufacturers are the drivers contributing to the growth of soups market in Europe. Among different types of soups, the consumption of dried soups is estimated to have the most significant growth over the forecast period, as people are more interested to have quick meals due to their busy life style. However, consumption of canned soups is comparatively low as consumers believe that canned metal format soup contains preservatives, which are harmful to health.The demand for soup is expected to grow in the countries such as Russia and U.K among others due to increasing variety of products and consumer preference for healthy and refreshing food. The Europe soups market is valued at USD 3919.1 million in 2014 and it is projected to reach USD 5008.1 million by 2020. The Europe market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.2 % from 2014 to 2020.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Increasing demand towards western food and healthier food products are expected to boost the demand for soups market in the major countries of Europe including France, U.K, Russia and Germany among others in the forecast period.The market size of soups in Russia and U.K is expected to grow at a higher CAGR compared to other European countries. However, increasing demand for affordable and quality food, changing lifestyles and demographics are the other factors that have contributed to the growth of soups market in Italy in the coming years. Soups in Europe region is mainly distributed through hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores.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:
China OLED Material Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report 2016 Researchmoz

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=717713

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=717713

http://www.researchmoz.us/

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "China OLED Material Industry 2016 Market Research Report" to its huge collection of research reports.The China OLED Material Industry 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the OLED Material industry.The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The OLED Material market analysis is provided for the China markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.Development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and Bill of Materials cost structures are also analyzed. This report also states import/export consumption, supply and demand Figures, cost, price, revenue and gross margins.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report focuses on China major leading industry players providing information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also carried out. The OLED Material industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed. Finally the feasibility of new investment projects are assessed and overall research conclusions offered.With 142 tables and figures the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview1.1 Definition and Specifications of OLED Material1.2 Classification of OLED Material1.3 Applications of OLED Material1.4 Industry Chain Structure of OLED Material1.5 Industry Overview of OLED Material1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of OLED Material1.7 Industry News Analysis of OLED Material2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of OLED Material2.1 Bill of Materials (BOM) of OLED Material2.2 BOM Price Analysis of OLED Material2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of OLED Material2.4 Depreciation Cost Analysis of OLED Material2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of OLED Material2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of OLED Material2.7 China Price, Cost and Gross of OLED Material 2011-20163 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of China Key Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of China Key OLED Material Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of China OLED Material Key Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of China OLED Material Key Manufacturers in 20154 Production Analysis of OLED Material by Regions, Type, and Applications4.1 China Production of OLED Material by Regions 2011-20164.2 China Production of OLED Material by Type 2011-20164.3 China Sales of OLED Material by Applications 2011-20164.4 Price Analysis of China OLED Material Key Manufacturers in 20154.5 China Capacity, Production, Import, Export, Sales, Price, Cost and Revenue of OLED Material 2011-20165 Consumption Volume and Consumption Value Analysis of OLED Material by Regions5.1 China Consumption Volume of OLED Material by Regions 2011-20165.2 China Consumption Value of OLED Material by Regions 2011-20165.3 China Consumption Price Analysis of OLED Material by Regions 2011-2016Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Knee Braces Consumption 2016 Market Research Report Popular Trends, Applications, Demands, Growth Analysis and Opportunities

http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=714056

http://www.researchmoz.us/healthcare-market-reports-56.html

http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG

http://healthcare-research-report.blogspot.in/

ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Global Knee Braces Consumption 2016 Market Research Report " to it's Large Report database.The Global Knee Braces Consumption 2016 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Knee Braces market.First, the report provides a basic overview of the Knee Braces industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. And development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures.Secondly, the report states the global Knee Braces market size (volume and value), and the segment markets by regions, types, applications and companies are also discussed.Third, the Knee Braces 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.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. Whats more, the Knee Braces industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Read All Healthcare Market Research Reports @Table of Content1 Industry Overview of Knee Braces1.1 Definition and Specifications of Knee Braces1.1.1 Definition of Knee Braces1.1.2 Specifications of Knee Braces1.2 Classification of Knee Braces1.3 Applications of Knee Braces1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Knee Braces1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Knee Braces1.5.1 Industry Overview of Knee Braces1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Knee Braces1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Knee Braces1.7 Industry News Analysis of Knee Braces2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Knee Braces2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Knee Braces2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Knee Braces2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Knee Braces2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Knee Braces2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Knee Braces2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Knee Braces3 3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales and Sale Price Analysis of Knee Braces3.1 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) and Growth Rate of Knee Braces 2011-20163.2 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Knee Braces by Regions 2011-20163.3 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Knee Braces by Types 2011-20163.4 Global Market Size (Volume and Value) of Knee Braces by Applications 2011-20163.5 Global Sales Volume and Sales Revenue of Knee Braces by Companies 2011-2016About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Rising Consumer Disposable Income and Awareness Spurs Spending on Pet Wearables

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=12701

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pet-wearable-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The global pet wearables market is extremely consolidated and the top two players  GEA Group AG and DeLaval Inc.  together accounted for a whopping 89% of the total market revenue in 2015. Transparency Market Research finds that strategic expansion of businesses is the general trend observed among the leading players in the pet wearables market. Considering that the market is still in its initial growth phase, companies are keen on expanding their foothold in untapped product and technology segments and regions.Get Sample Report Copy :Strong R&D efforts and product innovation are some other key strategies adopted by prominent companies. A case in point would be DeLaval Inc. The firm launched LONGEVITY in May 2016, a program that is designed to help producers manage the health of their herd. The program offers a complete nutritional solution at all stages of a cows lifecycle.Pet Wearables for Medical Diagnosis and Treatment Present Lucrative Options for GrowthBased on technology, the global pet wearable market is expected to be led by GPS-based products and the segment is likely to account for a share just short of 45% by the end of 2016. This will be followed by the RFID segment. Although sensors account for a low share in the pet wearables market in terms of revenue, the segment is anticipated to register a 12.3% from 2016 to 2024, higher than any other technology segment. By application, the pet wearables market is dominated by the identification and tracking segment, while the medical diagnosis and treatment segment will report a high CAGR during the forecast period.Geographically, North America and Europe will contribute to over 75% of the market during the forecast period, predicts TMR. North America presently has the highest penetration of pet wearables in the world. Majority of the uptake of pet wearable technologies and devices is attributed to the U.S., reflecting close to 75% from 2016 to 2024. Asia Pacific, which is anticipated to project a CAGR higher than any other regional pet wearables market, is expected to be driven by the increased adoption and sales of GPS-based devices.Connectivity Costs and Issues Restricts Wide-scale Adoption of Pet Wearables in Developing MarketsIncreasing expenditure on pets and remarkable changes in the global demographics have proven to be two of the key factors driving the pet wearables market. Fueled by increased disposable income, pet owners are investing more on their pets now than ever before, the author of the study notes. TMR predicts that the overall expenditure on pets is slated to increase by about 50% by 2020, with spending on pet wearables to surpass that on pet food by 2017.Browse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :In addition to this, the global market for pet wearables is fueled by the growing awareness among pet owners and owners of farm animals regarding the importance of monitoring and tracking the animals health and fitness.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:
Laser Processing Market to Expand at 10.20% CAGR 2014 to 2020, Fueled by Surge in Oil and Gas Exploration Activities

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=3297

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/global-laser-processing-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Transparency Market Research announces the release of a new research report, titled Laser Processing Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020. This 124-page research publication states that registering a 10.20% CAGR from 2014 to 2020, the global laser processing market is projected to reach a value of US$17.2 bn by 2020, the end of the forecast period.Get Sample Report Copy :The laser processing market is poised for strong growth in the coming years owing to the fact that this technology is being used in a wide range of applications, including welding, cutting, marking, drilling, and engraving. Laser processing technology offers accurate, high-speed, clean, and damage-free operations, thereby resulting in its increased adoption. The preference of laser processing technology over conventional material processing techniques has been noted in recent years.The key factors driving and restricting the expansion of the laser processing market have been clearly identified and analyzed in the research study. According to the report, the global market for laser processing is propelled by the increasing application of laser products in medical devices and surgeries, the growing use of laser drilling in oil and gas exploration activities, strict government mandates for the use of laser technology in engraving and marking products, and the various advantages of laser technology over conventional material processing techniques. In contrast, high initial costs and environmental concerns regarding the mining of rare earth elements are likely to act as impediments to the growth of the laser processing market.The report studies the laser processing market based on four parameters: product, process, end-use industry, and geography.By product, the laser processing market is broken down into fiber lasers, gas lasers, solid-state lasers, and others such as excimer lasers, semiconductor lasers, and dye lasers. In 2013, gas lasers dominated the market with a 60.20% share.By process, the market for laser processing is divided into micro-processing, marking and engraving, and material processing. Among these, material processing generated the highest revenue in 2013 owing to the increasing number of applications offered by laser technology.By end use, the laser processing market is segmented into aerospace, electronics and microelectronics, packaging, automotive, original equipment manufacturers, and medical devices and treatment. In 2013, the aerospace and automotive industries dominated the overall market.The global market for laser processing is geographically fragmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World. Accounting for a share of 42.60% in the global market in 2013, Asia Pacific emerged as the leader in the overall laser processing market. This region is also projected to be the most rapidly expanding regional market during the forecast period. One of the key factors driving this market is the surge in the number of manufacturing plants and laser machine producers in this region. The growing demand for laser technology from emerging economies such as Japan, China, and South Korea is another factor propelling the laser processing market in Asia Pacific.Browse Market Research Report with ToC & Free Analysis :The leading companies operating in the global laser processing market include IPG Photonics Corporation, Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG, LaserStar Technologies Corporation, Epilog Laser Inc., Universal Laser Inc., Newport Corporation, Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc., Coherent Inc., Hans Laser Technology Co. Ltd., Jenoptik Laser GmbH, Eurolaser GmbH, Bystronic Laser AG, and Prima Industrie S.p.A. These players have been studied in depth and reviewed in the research report based on aspects such as company outlook, financial overview, recent developments, and business strategies.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:
Get Trustworthy PSD to WordPress Development At Sparx IT Solutions

www.sparxitsolutions.com/psd-to-wordpress.shtml

Sparx IT Solutions Pvt. Ltd., the well-renowned web development company catering to its valued clients by offering the best in class PSD to WordPress conversion services. The company has given to the customers a new reason to choose it to accomplish their business tasks.January 2017-India- Sparx IT Solutions is a prominent and fast growing web development company gaining recognition in serving its clients professionally. Apart from a wide range of web development services, we are also involved in providing the flawless PSD to WordPress conversion services to the small and big business enterprises. In addition, our company has managed to get ranked in top WordPress development companies due to the quality and reliability of the solutions delivered to the clients end. Entrepreneurs who own a website built with static PSDs consider PSD to WordPress conversion beneficial as through this, they would be the owner of a fully dynamic and functional website.At Sparx IT Solutions, you can take advantages of listed WordPress services along with the above-mentioned service: System Design And CMS Development Custom Plug-In Development Theme/Template Customization Custom Module Development WordPress Web Development Responsive WordPress Website WordPress Module Installation Support And maintenanceIn order to customize the PSD files and make them dynamic, PSD to WordPress conversion is regarded as the reliable and the best solution. In this process all the static PSD files get converted into the fully dynamic WordPress theme or website. The highly qualified and talented team at Sparx got specialization in handling these types of projects with professionalism. Further, the entire workforce is enthusiastically involved in meeting the clients needs by providing them the PSD to WordPress converted solutions that are far better than their previous ones.Conclusion: Sparx IT Solutions provides PSD to WordPress conversion services at highly affordable cost. The team here is really skilled and adroit thus handles the process of converting the PSD into the interactive themes/templates or powered websites. Further, our team of WordPress developers is capable enough to face any challenge related to WordPress conversion. So, you need not worry about perfection, quality standards and on-time completion of the given task, they handle each task professionally and hence maintained a track record to hand over the clients projects within or before the given deadlines.Sparx IT Solutions Pvt. Ltd.A-2, Sec 63,Noida,Uttar Pradesh,IndiaPost Code: 201301Tel: (IND) +91-120-473-5100Email ID: sumit@sparxitsolutions.comWebsite:
QBS Ultra Plus Eyelash Extension Glue - first product in Quality Beauty Store product line!

Today we would like to share great news with you! Quality Beauty Store is proudly introducing its first product in their own product line - QBS Ultra Plus Eyelash Extension Glue.QBS Ultra Plus Glue has the best price-quality ratio among all the eyelash extension adhesives introduced in the store. It has an extremely quick drying time of 2-3 seconds; bonding period is as long as up to 6 weeks. The color of the glue is black what means that if you use black eyelash extensions it will be impossible to see the difference from the natural lashes. Nobody will notice where the glue is and there will be no white film.QBS Ultra Plus Glue is recommended for professional use only. However, it doesnt mean that there are any kind of difficulties in its usage. Shake the bottle with the glue for around a minute prior to eyelash extension application. After that place 1 drop of the glue on a jade stone so that the glue stays cool during the eyelashes application procedure. After using the glue dont forget to clean bottle nozzle so that the cap does not stick to the nozzle and close cap tightly so that the glue does not evaporate. To prolong the life of QBS Ultra Plus Glue keep it in a preserving pack. A shelf life if the product is 6 months, once opened and kept safe - 3 months.As you can see QBS Ultra Plus Glue is extremely easy to use, it does not harm the natural lashes and what is more important it does not dry inside the bottle. The pack includes glue, preserve pack for a storage, glue ring holder and silica sack.Quality Beauty Store is an online store with accessories and products for eyelash extensions.Quality Beauty Store80 Sandringham Crescent, Leeds, LS17 8DF, UK+447780870708info@qualitybeautystore.comMihail
Research on Carotid Body Modulation Devices Market Forecast and Analysis Till 2020

http://www.sa-brc.com/Global-Carotid-Body-Modulation-Devices-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2016---2020/up15

http://www.sa-brc.com/Global-Carotid-Body-Modulation-Devices-Market-Assessment--Forecast-2016---2020/upcomingdetail15

www.sa-brc.com

Carotid body is a small group of chemoreceptors and support cells located at the fork of the carotid artery, which runs alongside the throat. The Glomus cells are sensors which react differently to variations in PH, temperature and gases. Thus these chemosensors help regulate respiratory activity. Cibiem is a company which has a proprietary technology for sympathetic modulation carotid body through minimally invasive technique. Technically the procedure can provide relief from a broad range of conditions such as hypertension, heart failure, diabetes and renal failure since they arise through the sympathetic nervous system of the body. The idea of modulating the carotid body to have an effect on the sympathetic nervous system mediated diseases was first carried out sometime in the 1940?s but was carried through an open surgery and was still carried out in the 1990?s. Cibiem raised US$ 10 million to carry out first-in-man trials in Wroclaw Poland, where the device was being tested for efficacy in heart failure in August 2012. The company is backed by Venture Capitalist firms such as SV life Sciences, Third Rock Ventures and consulted by Coridea, which was also involved in the formation of Ardian Systems that was acquired by Medtronic for its renal denervation technology Symplicity. Coridea is an incubator, idea generator consulting firm that targets new technologies in the cardio-renal and cardio-pulmonary areas of medicine. Hypertension is a known cause of renal damage and chronic kidney disease. There are over 1.2 billion people over the world living with hypertension. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that over 700,000 people in United States only.Free Sample Report@Around 5.7 million people have heart failure events every year, which costs the state over USD 34 billion in healthcare costs per year. The incidence rate is growing due to increased stress and lifestyle of the population, increasing population among other lifestyle related diseases. By 2020, over 50 million people are expected to be at risk of heart failure, since the consumption of cigarettes have also been on the rise. Smoking has been proven to be a major causative factor of heart failure by World Health Organization, Center for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health. Since there is only one proprietor in this market, the opportunities for large companies to create strategies for acquiring this idea are large. Considering the potential of the device which caters to common diseases occurring in large populations, the market is expected to be worth billions post its device approval. Since its In-Man trials began last year, hopefully the device would enter the market sometime by mid-2017 to 2018.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:
Re-Shaping Business Travel: JetEight to introduce the all-you-can-fly service in Europe

JetEight launching all-you-can-fly in Berlin

www.flyJet8.com

www.LinkedIn.com/company/JetEight

JetEight is a German travel club start-up that will come with an all-you-can-fly offer mid-2017. It claims to revolutionize the short-haul business class market. JetEight will use small private jets and is currently looking at connecting European business centers such as Berlin, Zurich, and Frankfurt. JetEight comes in response to the ever-longer waiting times at airports. By circumventing these processes, JetEights members can start saving valuable time.No waiting time at the airport and no surge pricing. This is how the future of short-haul business travel is going to look like according to the founders of JetEight. Fly as much as you want for a fixed monthly fee and get unlimited access to private terminals and jets. All this is to be made possible by JetEight starting mid-2017. We will save our members hours of valuable time by using smaller jets and lower-traffic private terminals says Ruben Portz, founder of JetEight.When asked Why JetEight, he explains that the company is the result of European carriers losing focus on value and underserving their business class passengers. Trying to compete with low-cost carriers they simply forgot what short-haul business class stands for. Where the business traveler would like to travel quickly from A to B, he or she ends up in dreadful security checks, slow boarding procedures and waiting for transfer passengers. It is understandable that airlines focus more on the costs than the experience as a lot of passengers simply want to fly as cheap as possible; but there has to be a good alternative.JetEight will tackle this problem by operating smaller aircraft from lower-traffic terminals. Mid-2017 the scheduled service will start between Europes business centers partnering with leading private aircraft operators to ensure safety and compliance. We will use VIP terminals at major airports as well as smaller general aviation airports like Frankfurt Egelsbach. By doing so, our members can arrive just 15 minutes before departure, park their car in front of the terminals entrance and board directly. No security lines will make you arrive 1 or 2 hours in advance. Dont wait for anybody  fly with just 8 people on board that are frequent business travelers just like you are. And the most important thing  pay a fixed fee per month, no matter how often you fly. To ensure affordability we decided to keep the monthly fee comparable to the sum of a few business class return tickets.For a monthly fee of 2,500 Euro, JetEight members will have not only the opportunity to fly unlimited within the network, but also to get reimbursed for other flights they take. Philosophy behind it is quite simple  we do not offer (yet) a wide network and want our members to remain flexible. Shall they fly less often with us in a certain month, we will cover their expense for using other airlines services. Referrals by the members are benefited by the company with a nice discount, as well. In the first stage, JetEight is to launch the service between Berlin, Frankfurt and Zurich. Upcoming expansions will strongly depend on the wishes of JetEights members.About JetEightJetEight is Germanys first private air travel club offering its members unlimited flights between European business hubs. The company will partner with leading private jet operators providing a seamless travel experience by using business jets and private terminals. It aims to save members one hour per flight launching mid-2017 between Berlin, Frankfurt, and Zurich with additional cities to follow. Members can already sign-up for the growing waitlist. JetEight was initiated by students of ESMT Berlin  a leading European business school  and has attracted industry experts willing to advise them. For more information visit, andJetEightKopenhagener strasse 7510437 Berlinmedia@flyJet8.com
Bio Container Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=15422

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Bio container or biodegradable container are easily decomposed in nature by bacteria or other living organisms. Recently, recyclable bio container are also getting popular and being launched by several bio container manufacturers.In April 2012, Cardia Bioplastics Limited claims that it has launched the worlds first food contact compliant and fully recyclable container namely Biohybrid for the global nutritional supplement market and cosmetics industries. Bio container are used to keep biodegradable materials, food waste, organic materials etc.Recently, rising demand from the end use industries and increasing application of bio container attributed to significant growth to the bio container market in terms of value.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical industry insights:-Geographically, the bio container market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Middle East & Africa (MEA). The growth of global bio container market is expected to witness a healthy CAGR over the forecast period between 2016 and 2024.North America is expected to hold a significantly high market share of the bio container market in terms of volume during the forecast period. Currently, North America and Europe together holds more than half of the market share in the global bio container market in terms of value.In Europe, countries such as U.K and EU4 creates significant demand for plant-based plastic packaging in the market. However, Asia Pacific region is projected to be the fastest growing region in terms of volume sales followed by Europe.Large scale foreign investment is also expected to rise in the region, and is anticipated to fuel the demand of bio container over the forecast period. Many small Chinese players hold significant market share in the Asia Pacific bio container market in terms of value.In Asia Pacific, countries including China, Japan and Australia are the major growth driving markets for bio container in terms of revenue contribution. In Latin America, countries such as Brazil and Mexico are expected to grow significantly during the forecast period in terms of revenue.Bio container Market  Market Dynamics:The global bio container market is expected to witness a strong growth due to the rising consumer awareness about nature friendly products and changing inclination of consumers towards sustainable products.Other growth drivers for the bio container market include rise in implementation of plastic containers bans, increased focus on sustainable packaging by brand owners and retail companies, etc.Moreover, high demand from food and beverage and pharmaceutical industry for bio container creates a lucrative opportunity for the global bio container market.Bio container has higher costs than ordinary container, consequently bio container is not getting wide acceptance, especially among the small and medium enterprises.However, increasing demand from large scale industrial companies is expected to create significant opportunity to increase the revenue of the global bio container market.Bio Container Market  Major Players:Some of the major players identified across the globe in the bio container market Eco-Products, Inc., Genpak, LLC, Biopac (UK) Ltd, WestRock Company, Cardia Bioplastics Limited, Ecoware SpA, Rim Bio Inc., Biopac India Corporation Ltd., BioVentures, Inc., Tipa-corp ltd., Novamont SpA and BASF SE.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 geography, packaging type, material and end-use.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Remote Patient Monitoring Devices Market Will Gain Biggest Share by 2020 due to Growing Prevalence of Chronic Diseases

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=401

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/remote-patient-monitoring-devices-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Remote patient monitoring is one of the latest innovations in the healthcare industry. In line towards an overall shift in healthcare dispensation towards home care and preventive measures, remote patient monitoring devices allow patients to keep a check on their own conditions, eliminating the need for repeated visits to the physicians office. The precision of remote patient monitoring devices also allows for a trustworthy diagnosis, allowing for a more customized and effective treatment or post-treatment recuperative plan.Obtain the Upcoming Market Analysis of Remote Patient Monitoring Devices at:The report on the global remote patient monitoring devices market analyzes the global market on the parameters of product type, end users, and geography. Segments according to each criterion are examined for their historical growth; growth projections over the forecast period are presented for each segment. The growth drivers and restraints of the market are also analyzed for their potential impact on the market in the forecast period, and the markets value chain is analyzed. The remote patient monitoring devices markets competitive landscape is also analyzed in detail, with the influence of major players examined through the SWOT and Porters five forces analyses.Overview of the global remote patient monitoring devicesRemote patient monitoring devices are gaining demand due to various factors. The prime growth drivers for the market are the growing prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and osteoporosis around the world. It is more feasible for both patients and doctors to check upon the patients progression once in a while rather than with regular visits to the hospital or hospitalization. The rise in the geriatric demographic all over the world is adding to this factor, since this demographic is most commonly treated for these conditions.Growing load on hospitals to admit patients, complemented by the preference of patient to receive treatment in their own households, is also helping the global remote patient monitoring devices market.The major restraint on the market is the reluctance of patients to have their daily lives logged and tracked through the remote monitoring devices. However, growing usage of remote patient monitoring devices would help increase the trust consumers place in them, thus helping demand.Among the products in the global remote patient monitoring devices market, heart monitors, breath monitors, physical activity monitors, hematology (blood) monitors, and multi-sign monitors are the major categories. Heart devices, particularly ECG devices, were the leading category in the market as of 2013, due to the high incidence of lifestyle-induced cardiac diseases in developed countries. The high prices of ECG and other heart monitors are also responsible for their high valuation.Geographically, the market for remote patient monitoring devices is the largest in North America. This region exhibits a confluence of all the major drivers of the market, including a large geriatric population, availability of advanced monitoring devices and the financial ability of the population to use such devices, and high prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and other cardiac diseases. Growing impact of these very factors is expected to make Asia Pacific the fastest growing market for remote patient monitoring devices in the forecast period.Read the Present Market Forecast of Remote Patient Monitoring Devices at:Companies profiled in the research reportThe report includes detailed analysis of the business operations of major players in the remote patient monitoring devices market, such as Abbott Laboratories, Covidien plc, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., Omron Healthcare Inc., AMD Global Telemedicine, and Honeywell HomMed LLC.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
IT Asset Management Software Market - Fastest growth over the course of the forecast period

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=11480

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The proliferation of smart device usage and the growing trend of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) in several leading telecom and IT companies have greatly influenced the IT asset management (ITAM) software market.ITAM software was initially preferred by large enterprises for the maintenance and reduction of risks associated with IT compliance and licensing management. Over time, these solutions have gained recognition among SMEs across the globe as an effective solution to balance spending with return on investments.The ITAM software market is projected to reach a value of US$1.3 bn by 2024, rising from US$708.9 mn in 2015. The market is estimated to expand at a steady CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period from 2016 to 2024.Cloud-based ITAM Software Services Highly Lucrative SegmentBy size of enterprise, ITAM software finds application in large enterprises and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).Large enterprises currently hold the majority in terms of revenue, while SMEs are likely to register the fastest growth over the course of the forecast period.Request A Sample Of This Report-By type of deployment, the ITAM software market is segmented into on-premise, cloud, and hybrid. Cloud-based services are the key contributors to the revenue of the ITAM software market, accounting for an almost 50% share in the market by 2024.ITAM software is used in a number of end-use industries, including banking, financial services, and insurance, transportation, manufacturing, telecom and IT, government, healthcare, and energy and utilities.Among these, the telecom and IT sector leads the ITAM software market, while the energy and utilities sector is projected to expand at the fastest pace over the coming years.The global ITAM software market comprises North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. North America presently leads the global ITAM software market owing to the enormous growth of the IT industry and growing awareness regarding the advantages of ITAM.North America is anticipated to retain its lead in the ITAM software market during the forecast period thanks to the surge in government regulations and strict software audit policies.The increasing demand for centralization and automation is also influencing the growth of the ITAM software market in this region. Organizations have been emphasizing on the reduction of operational expenditure by cutting down expenses in IT asset management through the deployment of ITAM software.At present, the ITAM software market in Asia Pacific is driven by countries such as India, China, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan. This region is anticipated to record the fastest growth in the coming years due to the rising interest of investors in this region and the growing establishment of SMEs.As the adoption of cloud-based solutions in Asia Pacific rapidly increases, the number of smart devices is expected to rise, aided by improved communication technologies such as 4G LTE.Unlike larger corporations that adopt cloud technologies to save cost and improve efficiency, SMEs in this region seek a wider reach, enhanced agility, and the flexibility and ability to serve larger customer bases at a lower investment. ITAM software has been aiding SMEs in this very task.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Mobile Money Market - fastest-growing segment during the forecast period

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1505

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The global mobile money market is on the cusp of a transformative change with growth increasingly swinging toward emerging economies, says TMR in a new report. The global mobile money market will derive growth from factors such as companies investing in context-based marketing and real-time marketing to leverage mobile money. With smartphone and personal device sales spiraling in emerging countries with an increasingly affluent consumer base, the need for more inclusive banking is also simultaneously being felt.This presents a multi-billion dollar opportunity for companies such as Bango.net Limited, Fortumo OU, Paypal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.), Judo Payments, and others. Mobile commerce, mobile banking, mobile wallets, and mobile payments all come under the purview of the mobile money market.The coming together of various conducive factors will create an opportunity-laden environment for providers of mobile money services. Currently, service providers are focusing on cost effective alternatives to reach out to a larger consumer base.Request A Sample Of This Report-However, consumers continue to remain wary about security and privacy; the situation is compounded by regulatory complexity hampering the long-term growth of the mobile money market.The current generation of disparate platforms is also hindering the adoption of the mobile money solution amongst consumers as they are required to manage multiple wallets for different transactions/services.However, there is little doubt that with the unprecedented penetration of mobile devices, these will increasingly serve as vehicles for financial transactions.In the global mobile money market, by mode of payment, the SMS payment segment holds the largest share. This is attributable to the convenience and efficiency that SMS-based payment operations lend. The greatest advantage, however, is that SMS-based mobile money is compatible with different connected devices such as tablets and smartphones.In countries across MEA, APAC, and Europe, transactional payments by SMS are already popular and there are no signs of their popularity fading through the forecasting horizon. However, the market is also marked by a growing adoption of other payment methods such as mobile billing, payment clients, and WAP-based payments. The future could see NFC and UUSD/STK modes emerge in a big way to challenge the leading position of SMS payments.Moreover, by type of purchase transaction, in 2014, the money transfers and payments segment was the largest in the global mobile money market. Growth is projected to be the strongest in the airtime transfers and top-ups segment through 2024. In 2015, sectors such as BFSI, energy and hospitality collectively accounted for more than one-third of the revenue generated in the mobile money market.Europe to Claim Highest Share in Mobile Money Market until 2024Geographically, the mobile money market saw the highest revenue coming in from Europe in 2015. While North America trailed Europe in terms of revenue contribution, the region is expected to post better growth as compared to Europe through the forecast period.Collectively, the two regions are estimated to contribute more than fifty percent of the revenue to the global mobile money market. The MEA region is anticipated to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period due to rising Internet and tablet penetration and technological advancements in the telecommunication sector.Real-time buying is gaining momentum in MEA, which enables companies to develop targeted products and services on the basis of mobile usage patterns. This is expected to create immense opportunities for the mobile money market in the region.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
The factors responsible for the dominant share of stearates in the Global Anti-tack Agents Market are their excellent water repellence, lubrication, foam inhibition, separation, and gelling capacity :2023

Anti-Tack Agents Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=6703

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/anti-tack-agents-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Leading market analysis and intelligence firm Transparency Market Research has published a new market study, detailing the global anti-tack agents market. The report, titled Anti-Tack Agents Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023, projects the global anti-tack agents market to expand at a significant CAGR over the forthcoming eight years. The markets value at the end of the given forecast period is expected to be close to US$438 mn. In 2014, the market was valued at US$306.5 mn and will exhibit a 4.1% CAGR from 2015 through 2013.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :The global anti-tack agents market is segmented into the product types of stearates, fatty acid esters, fatty acid amides, soap, and others. Among these, stearates led the global anti-tack agents market, with a 40% share. The factors responsible for the dominant share of stearates in the global anti-tack agents market are their excellent water repellence, lubrication, foam inhibition, separation, and gelling capacity. Among other product segments, fatty acid esters, in particular, are used as rubber releasing agents.The usage of stearates is, however, expected to be affected by low consumer awareness and rising raw material prices, along with environmental regulations restricting the usage of stearates.By geography, the report segments the anti-tack agents market into Asia Pacific, which remains the global leader, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Major national markets within these broad regional segments are examined in further detail, with total size and forecasts provided for the 2015-2023 period. The major national anti-tack agents markets analyzed in the report include the U.S. in North America; Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, and Italy in Europe; China, India, and ASEAN in Asia Pacific; Brazil in Latin America; South Africa and GCC in the Middle East and Africa.The rising automotive industry, one of the major drivers of the global anti-tack agents industry, is particularly beneficial for the market in Asia Pacific. Demand for automotive tires from the automotive industry has been on a steady rise in Asia Pacific countries such as Japan, China, South Korea, and India. This will keep the share of the Asia Pacific market high in the global anti-tack agents market.Browse the Full Brochure at :Rubber gloves are also among the major application areas of anti-tack agents. The rising healthcare sector in Asia Pacific thus benefits the Asia Pacific anti-tack agents market as well. Healthcare infrastructure in countries such as China, India, and South Korea is expanding rapidly, ensuring a steady revenue source for the APAC anti-tack agents market.The report utilizes analytical tools such as Porters five forces analysis and market attractiveness analysis to examine the dynamics of the global anti-tack agents market. In terms of the competitive landscape of the anti-tack agents market, the report examines data regarding major players in the market such as Croda International plc, King Industries, Inc., McLube, SASCO Chemical Group, Inc., Evonik Industries AG, Baerlocher GmbH, Parabor Brasil, and Stephenson Alkon Solutions.Segmentation of the global anti-tack agents market:Anti-Tack Agents Market for Rubber - Product Segment Analysis-Stearates-Fatty Acid Esters-Fatty Acid Amides-Soaps-Silicone Polymers-Others (Including Talc, etc.)Anti-Tack Agents Market for Rubber - Regional Analysis-North America-Europe-Asia Pacific-Latin America-Middle East and AfricaTransparency 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/
Global Water Soluble Polymers Industry Trends and key Insights by 2019

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1363

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Transparency Market Research has launched a research report titled Water Soluble Polymers Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2013 - 2019. The report offers users a clear perspective on the market to help them create the most feasible market strategy.According to the report, the major growth driver of the global water soluble polymers market is its increasing base of applications in water treatment. Growing concerns over the quality of water have led to greater efforts being taken in terms of water treatment, which is enforced by environmental regulations. The global water soluble polymers market finds use in water treatment for urban as well as industrial water.The global water soluble polymers market was previously worth US$23.38 billion in 2012. Experts say that the market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2013 to 2019 to reach a value of US$29.63 billion by the end of 2019. Its 2012 market volume was 5,483.8 kilo tons.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical insights :The report divides the raw materials used in the global water soluble polymers market into three segments of natural, synthetic, and semi-synthetic. Further research reveals that the dominant segment of the market was synthetic water soluble polymers, which held nearly 60% share of the global water soluble polymers market.The other 40% of market shares were collectively held by natural and semi-synthetic segments, in terms of volume.The top polymers that are commonly used include polyacrylic acid, gelatin, casein, polyvinyl alcohol, guar gum, and polyacrylamide. Other polymers include quarternary ammonium compounds, polyamines, PEG, PVP, and polysaccharides.The report states that the largest product in the global water soluble polymers market in previous periods was polyacrylamide. It is also expected to be the fastest growing segment, marking a 7.4% CAGR from 2013 to 2019.The largest end user for the global water soluble polymers market in 2012 was water treatment. At the time, the segment held 23.7% of the markets share in terms of volume generated. Water soluble polymers are often used to reduce friction in fluids and as a wastewater treatment agent in the petroleum industry.The report explains other growth drivers including increasing extraction processes of petroleum and shale gas around the world.The top companies in the global water soluble polymers market that are discussed in the report include BASF SE, Kuraray, Kemira, Ashland Inc., and SNF. More than 70% of the global market is dominated by the top three contenders.The reports geographic segmentation reveals Asia Pacific to be the dominant region in the global water soluble polymers market, followed by Europe. Nearly 31% of the market share was held collectively by North America and the Rest of the World region. Asia Pacific is expected to maintain its dominant position, growing at the fastest pace in the reports time frame.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Linear Actuators Market - Remain Most Promising Product Variety

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=16130

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

The North America market for linear actuators is chiefly driven by the rising adoption of automation across a number of industries, an increased focus on wastewater management, and the flourishing aerospace and defense industry.An exponential rise in shale gas exploration activities in the region is also expected to levy a significant positive impact on the markets overall development in the next few years.Transparency Market Research estimates that the market will exhibit a promising 6.9% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. At this rate, the market, which valued at US$2,893.5 mn in 2015, will reach a valuation of US$5,236.6 mn by 2024.Electric Actuators to Remain Most Promising Product VarietyOf the key varieties of linear actuators available in the North America market, the report examines hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, and mechanical linear actuators. Of these, the segment of electric linear actuators emerged as the most attractive segment, accounting for a 24% of the market in 2015.Request A Sample Of This Report-The rising adoption across industrial automation practices, better flexibility options, and the lower cost of ownership are some of the key factors that helped boost the consumption of electric linear actuators in the North America market. In the near future, the demand for actuators with high power efficiency and low weight will drive the demand for electric actuators.The demand for electric actuators has also considerably increased in the region owing to the several limitations of mechanical actuators. The rate of replacement of mechanical actuators has considerably increased in the past few years, stimulating the uptake of electric actuators in the region.The segment is also expected to remain the most promising product variety in the North America market in the near future, exhibiting a 7.2% CAGR from 2016 through 2024. Electric actuators are expected to account for a nearly 25% of the overall market by 2024. The manual and hybrid varieties of linear actuators are also expected to witness promising growth over the said period.From a geographical perspective, the North America linear actuators market is examined for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Of these, the U.S. accounted for over two-thirds of the markets overall revenue in 2015 and is expected to retain its top spot through 2024 as well.The high rate of adoption of industrial automation, the rising demand for wastewater management, and the boom in the shale gas and food and beverages industries have been boosting the application of linear actuators in the U.S. market. These factors will continue to drive the increased demand for linear actuators in the U.S., keeping the country at the top spot in the North America market.However, the market in Mexico will exhibit the most promising growth over the forecast period, registering a more than 8% CAGR. The rapid growth across the construction and manufacturing sectors witnessed over the past few years is expected to remain one of the key factors responsible for the robust development of the linear actuators market in the country in the near future.Furthermore, rising government investment aimed at improving power supply infrastructure, airports, and pipelines is also expected to boost the demand for linear actuators in Mexico over the forecast period.About TMRTMR is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Increasing demand for mouthwash, chewing gums and other dental application is also anticipated to be among major growth driver for Zinc Citrate Market : 2020

Zinc Citrate Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=2527

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Zinc citrate is a stable, odorless, light colored crystalline powder with low solubility. Zinc citrate is primarily used as a source of zinc for various medical and dental applications. Zinc citrate is produced by neutralization reaction of citric acid with pure zinc followed by precipitation and dehydration. Citric acid is a colorless crystalline compound extracted from various bio sources including limes, lemons, etc. Zinc citrate is produced as dehydrate or trihydrate as per the end user application.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :Zinc is among the most essential mineral required for proper functioning of nervous system and immune system and is present in nearly all cells in human body. Zinc citrate is primarily used as a source of zinc in various healthcare applications. Zinc citrate is used in several dental applications such as toothpaste, chewing gums and mouth washes among others. In pharmaceutical industry, zinc citrate is used for varied applications including improving immune system, curing common cold and respiratory disorders among several other applications. Pharmaceutical is the largest application segment for zinc citrate and the trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast periodDeficiency of zinc leads to several issues including skin infections, respiratory disorders, delay in wound healing and various dental issues among several others. Therefore, high growth in pharmaceutical industry is a major factor fuelling growth for zinc citrate market.Moreover, increasing demand for mouthwash, chewing gums and other dental application is also anticipated to be among major growth driver for zinc citrate market during the forecast period. Food is among a major end user industry for zinc citrate. Therefore, increasing population and growth in disposable income of a region are among major growth drivers for zinc citrate demand. Increasing threat from substitution from other zinc sources such as zinc gluconate is a major factor restraining growth for zinc citrate market. Increasing research and development activities to increase the application scope of zinc citrate is expected to offer huge growth opportunity in the market.Asia Pacific dominates the global demand for zinc citrate and the trend is anticipated to continue for a foreseeable future. China followed by India, are the largest nations across the globe in terms of population, moreover increasing disposable income of people in the region has led to growth in several end user industries including pharmaceutical and food among others. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region for zinc citrate demand during the forecast period.North America is the second largest market for zinc citrate followed by Europe. Demand for zinc citrate in North America and Europe is anticipated to grow at a better pace in the near future. Moreover, owing to double digit growth in Asia Pacific, the market share of North America and Europe is expected to foresee slight decline over the next six years. Surge in demand for zinc citrate from various emerging geographic segments in South America and Middle East is anticipated to offer huge growth opportunity for zinc citrate market.Zinc citrate market is highly fragmented and dominated by regional players that constitute major portion of the global market share. The industry is characterized by high degree of competition and players compete by price differentiation. Major players in the zinc citrate market include Noah Technologies Corporation, Advanced Compounds International, Jost Chemical Co., Kronox Lab Sciences Pvt. Ltd, Continental Chemical USA and KICChemicals, Inc. among several others.This research report analyzes this market depending on its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsTransparency 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/
Rice Husk Ash Industry Trends and key Insights by 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=11684

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Global Rice Husk Ash Market: OverviewThe global rice husk ash market is expected to grow at a robust pace between 2016 and 2023. Factors such as the expansion of various end-use industries and the increasing demand for lightweight construction materials from the construction and building industry are expected to boost the global rice husk ash market.Huge quantities of rice husk is generated in rice mills during the daily milling of paddy. This rice husk is used as fuel in boilers for processing paddy. It is also used as a fuel in power generation. By weight, rice husk is 25% of the husk when burnt in a boiler.Based on application, the building and construction segment is expected to report the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Regionally, Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the global rice husk ash market. The region is poised to exhibit substantial growth during the forecast period. Asia Pacific is witnessing a rising demand for rice husk in the manufacturing of bricks and cement due to the rapidly increasing population in the region and the subsequent expansion of the construction industry.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical insights :The report provides a comprehensive overview of the global rice husk ash market. The various factors driving and restraining the market during the forecast period are studied in detail. The report also profiles some of the leading vendors operating in the market. Their strengths and weaknesses are analyzed to study the prevailing competition in the market.Global Rice Husk Ash Market: Key Opportunities and ThreatsThe vagaries of nature and uncontrollable factors such as rainfall, the harvest period, and yield area hamper the growth of the global rice husk ash market. Directly dumping rice husk can have adverse impacts. Stringent regulations aimed at curbing the direct dumping of rice husk provide increased opportunities for its use in diverse industrial applications. Since rice producers in the developed markets of North America and Europe have to adhere to such regulations, these regions have been using rice husk ash more extensively than developing regions such as Latin America and Asia Pacific.The market is also significantly gaining from the low cost of the product, which makes it easily importable compared to substitutes such as silica fume. Using rice husk ash with cement enhances the stability and workability of concrete mixture. This helps reduce the chances of thermal cracking, plastic shrinkage of the material, and heat generation. Rice husk ash also increases the impermeability, durability, and strength of hydrated cement paste during its setting period by blocking large voids and modifying the pore structure. Thus, the intrinsic properties of rice husk ash help in improving the performance of bricks, cement, and other construction materials. This is a prime factor aiding the expansion of the global rice husk ash market.Global Rice Husk Ash Market: Vendor LandscapeSome of the key players operating in the global rice husk ask market are Guru Metachem Pvt. Ltd., Wadham Energy Limited Partnership, and Jasoriya Rice Mill. A majority of the leading enterprises operating in the market adhere to expansions and agreements as core strategies for gaining a competitive edge.The report profiles these companies and examines the threats and opportunities that they are expected to witness during the forecast period. The impact of government policies on their operations is also studied in the report in detail.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a 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 UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Bioactive Materials Market are used in dental care, medical care, pharmaceuticals, cosmeticsand antibacterial products :2019

Bioactive Materials Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/bioactive-materials-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Bioactive materials react with body tissue for adherence and are used with the purpose of tissue repair and remodeling. Bioactive materials are used in dental care, medical care, pharmaceuticals, cosmeticsand antibacterial products. Bioactive materials bind with tissue through various types of attachment namely, mechanical interlocks, biological fixation, bioactive fixation and replacement with tissues.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :On the basis of the type of material used, bioactive materials market is classified as follows:AluminaZirconiaPolyethylene (PE)Hydroxyapatite (HA)Bioactive glassesBioactive glass ceramicsTricalcium phosphatePolylactic acid (PLA)GlassCeramicsOthersBased on application areas, this market is further classified into:Tissue replacement and repairAllograftsAutograftsSynthetic materialsXenograftsImplantsDentistry and periodonticsBioengineeringPharmaceuticalsOthersUse of bioactive materials is gradually increasing in the field of surgical procedures mainly those intended to treat elderly population. Considering aging of population globally, and rising demand of tissue replacement therapy, market for bioactive material shows promising growth in the near future. High cost of new technologies emerging in the market is the major factor that is restraining the growth of bioactive materials market.Geographically, the global bioactive materials market can be segmented as follows:North AmericaEuropeAsia PacificRest of the WorldCurrently, North America dominates the global bioactive materialsmarket and is followed by Europe due to higher healthcare spending and early adoption of newer healthcare technologies available in the market. Asia-Pacific is a promising market for bioactive materials and is expected to undergo rapid market growth due to rapidly developing medical tourism industry, increasing purchasing power, rapidly improving healthcare infrastructure and increased awareness about overall healthcare and the available treatments. Some of the major companies contributing to global bioactive materials areBiomet, Inc. DePuySynthes, Medtronic, Inc., Stryker Corporation and Zimmer Holdings, Inc.This research report analyzes this market depending on its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends.Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog : http://cmfeglobalreports.blogspot.com/
Global demand for Rubber Additives Market is significantly driven by increasing consumption of rubber polymers in tire manufacturing and electrical insulation industries :2023

Rubber Additives Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=4297

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Rubber additives are chemicals or agents added during the processing and synthesis of rubber polymers. Rubber additives are incorporated with raw rubber polymer to enhance structural and mechanical properties, and improve the overall performance and quality of rubber. Various types of rubber additives include vulcanization accelerators & inhibitors, processing aids, adhesion promoters, chemical blowing agents, antiozonants and fillers. Vulcanization accelerators improve cross-linking efficiency, while inhibitors slow down the vulcanization process. Processing aids are used to reduce the viscosity of rubber. This helps fabricate rubber with other components and reduce the overall energy required during fabrication. Furthermore, adhesion promoters are used to improve the rubber-to-metal adhesion during tire manufacturing. Other rubber additives such as fillers are generally used to increase the stiffness of unvulcanized rubber. Tire & tubing, consumer goods, construction, and electrical insulation industries are some of the major end-users of rubber additives. Tire & tubing industry accounted for the largest market share of rubber additives in 2014.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :Global demand for rubber additives is significantly driven by increasing consumption of rubber polymers in tire manufacturing and electrical insulation industries. Tire manufacturing industry is the largest consumer of rubber. Vulcanization accelerators, process aids and oil extenders are some of the rubber additives used in tire manufacturing. Accelerators which are used commonly to increase the cross-linking efficiency during vulcanization include guanidines, thiazoles, thiurams and sulfur. Furthermore, processing aids such as chemical peptizers and some plasticizers help reduce the viscosity for easy fabrication and stabilization. Extenders used during designing of tire treads include clay and calcium carbonate. Electrical insulation in household and industrial constructions is another driver of global demand for rubber additives. Rubber is a bad conductor of electricity; hence, it is one of the favored insulation materials. Oil extenders are extensively used rubber additives that help reduce the overall insulation costs. Stabilizers such as esters of fatty acids are also added to improve the heat and voltage resistance of rubber. However, environmental concerns coupled with stringent governmental regulations may hamper market growth. Regulations are imposed on rubber manufacturing industries, especially for VOC emissions that cause air pollution.In terms of global demand, Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing rubber additives market by the end of the forecast period. China is likely to lead in Asia Pacific, due to growth in automobile & rubber processing industries. Other countries that are likely to exhibit a similar trend include India and Japan. Furthermore, Vietnam is expected to have emerging rubber additives market by 2022, owing to the current trend in shift of rubber manufacturing bases from China. The rubber additives market in North America is likely to witness sluggish growth, as the region has established rubber & tire manufacturing markets. Currently, the U.S. is the leading market for rubber additives in North America. The country is likely to maintain its position by 2022. Demand for rubber additives in Europe (including France and Germany) is anticipated to decline, owing to stringent regulations and policies imposed by the European Union. In terms of export, the rubber additives market in Latin America (including Brazil) is estimated to be in the emerging state due to increase in rubber plantations and rubber processing industries in the region.Global companies manufacturing rubber additives include Akzo Nobel N.V., King Industries, Inc., Arkema SA, Eastman Chemical Company, Thomas Swan & Co., Ltd and Lanxess Corporation.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 WorldTransparency 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/
Major forces driving the Energy Utility Analytics Market are the increasing demand for energy, need for Greener Environment :2024

Energy Utility Analytics Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=18281

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Energy Utility Analytics Market: Dynamics and TrendsMajor forces driving the energy utility analytics market are the increasing demand for energy, need for greener environment, and increasing demand from the consumer side to know their energy consumption pattern. Big data analytics, supply chain analytics, cloud computing, and operational analytics are the latest trends applied in the energy sector. Big data analytics service puts in: place data, processes, analytics tools, and visualizations by enabling faster time to insights. It enhances the quality and reliability of insights through exploratory and self-learning models. Business outcomes are thus improved through data-driven decisions. Energy utility analytics Big Data has a smart grid development system. This smart grid development increases data quantity by high magnitude. This grid development is driven by a host of devices and new IT applications such as AMI, synchrophasors and smart appliances, microgrids, advanced distribution management, remote asset monitoring, event avoidance, and self-healing networks. AMI is one of the major constituents of smart grid that potentially provides a communication backbone for low-latency data. This is aimed at improving distribution asset utilization, failure detection and facilitating consumer inclusion in energy markets. Different market structures, regulatory drivers, and benefit expectations create different ownership models for components of the AMI technology stack. This favors different technology solutions across the globe.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :Energy Utility Analytics Market: OverviewFor encapsulation of advantageous opportunities in the energy sector, utility and energy companies are transforming their systems into smarter energy systems, which would feature a new-way flow of information in energy and utility sectors. Energy utility analytics enables near real-time analysis of processes, thereby helping in optimization of operations through efficient identification and isolation of inefficiencies and failures. The energy utility analytics market has the following perspectives: vendor performance & risk management, demand forecasting, spend analytics, inventory optimization, logistics & routing analytics, and predictive analytics. Business analytics coupled with data mining, self-service, predictive analytics, and aggregation tools is employed to get more transparent information for critical decision-making and implementing the decision support system. This transforms mobility and supporting communication technologies into high-investment priority areas for utilities. Virtually all new technology projects in energy utility would require a combination of IT (Information Technology), OT (Operational Technology), and planning analytics such as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) or advanced distribution management systems (ADMSs). More than any industry, the energy utility analytics market faces the challenge of separation between IT and OT management, coupled with the importance of hybrid projects that link IT and OT systems. The energy industry would benefit by aligning their OT support, standards, and procedures with those of IT. This would shorten the time consumed to develop governance over OT.Energy Utility Analytics Market: SegmentationThe energy and utility analytics market is segmented by type (software and services), by application (predictive maintenance, load research & forecasting, and transmission & distribution management), by end-use (energy, oil & gas, and utilities), and by region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa).Energy Utility Analytics Market: Region-wise OutlookNorth America and Europe hold the leading share of the energy and utility analytics market as of 2016. The market in Asia Pacific (APAC) is projected to expand at the maximum rate during the forecast period. This is due to flexible policies of governments in developing countries as well as the ever-expanding digital industry in the APAC region.Energy Utility Analytics Market: Key PlayersKey players include IBM Corporation, Intel Corporation, SAP SE, Ericsson, Cisco Systems Inc., Eaton Corporation, Schneider Electric Company, Capgemini, Oracle Corporation, TIBCO Software Inc., Infosys, and Wipro.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/
The Oilfield Services Market can be segmented on the basis of type into drilling & completion fluids, well intervention and wireline services, coiled tubing services, pressure pumping & services and others : 2020

Oilfield Services Market

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=3094

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

Oil and gas industry is experiencing a tremendous growth from several years and is expected to grow during the forecast period. The industry growth is also elevating the demand of various other industries which are directly related to oil and gas industry. The global oilfield services market provides services to oil and gas industry and is experiencing the similar growth. The oilfield services market is expected to grow in near future.Download the Exclusive Report Sample Here :Oil and gas are produced from the reservoir in various phases such as exploration, drilling, production, completion, etc. Different oilfield services are required in these phases to obtain desirable results. Oil and gas reserves are identified using geological modeling, seismic surveys and exploration wells. The well drilled to extract oil and gas requires various services such as wireline, coil tubing, well intervention, simulation, etc for enhancing its production. The oilfield services companies provide equipment, services and infrastructure which are required by the oil and gas exploration and production companies to explore and extract oil and gas.The global oilfield services market can be segmented on the basis of type into drilling & completion fluids, well intervention and wireline services, coiled tubing services, pressure pumping & services and others. Each service is very important for the proper functioning and economic production of a well over its life span. Different services are required by wells for various hindrances. Drilling fluids are used during drilling as coolant, lubricants, debris carrier, etc. Coil tubing is used for oil and gas well intervention and rarely as production tubing in depleted gas wells. Pressure pumping services is used to access proven reserves and improve asset value.On the basis of geography, the global oilfield services market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and RoW (Rest of the world). North America is expected to be the market leader in this segment due to the shale gas boom in North America. A large number of wells are being drilled in North America for shale gas exploration which requires various oilfield services. RoW is expected to attain higher growth due to huge expenditure in Brazil and West Africa during the forecast period.Increasing exploration and production activities will result in increasing demand of oilfield services market. However, stringent environmental regulations regarding some services such as drilling waste disposal and controversies regarding hydraulic fracturing are expected to hamper the growth of the oilfield services market. The availability of abundant offshore oil reserves and unexplored shale gas reserves will provide an opportunity for oilfield services market during the forecast period.The service provider companies are investing heavily in research and development so as to provide an economical and feasible solution to their clients. Moreover, they have to develop technology and provide services for some of the roughest environmental conditions such as arctic sea and deep and ultra deep sea. Some of the key players in the oilfield services market are Weatherford International Limited, Baker Hughes Incorporated, Schlumberger Limited, Halliburton Company, National Oilwell Varco, FMC Technologies Inc., Yantai Jereh Oilfield Services Group Co. Ltd., Cameron, The Weir Group PLC, Zhongman Petroleum and Gas Group, Frontier Oilfield Services Inc., Airtrust (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Pe Ben Oilfield Services L.P., Beron Energy Ltd. and Decollement Consulting Inc. among others.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldTransparency 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/
Cardiac Output Monitoring Devices Market : Latest Trends & Insights 2024

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cardiac-output-monitoring-devices-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=14153

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Transparency Market Research presents this most up-to-date research on "Cardiac Output Monitoring Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024"Cardiac output is known as the volume of blood is pumped by from the right or left ventricle of heart per minute and which is dependent on heart rate, and stroke volume. The cardiac output increases during acute exercise and mental stress, while decreased cardiac output might include physical exercise of a intensity that the patient is not able to bear because of decrease in oxygen supply, obesity, ingestion of large meals that place an added workload on the heart, retention of fluid, emotional stress, hypervolemia, and smoking. It is essential to assess the state of patients blood circulation. Low cardiac output usually leads to a common problem of low blood pressure which might surface occur during surgery, or during postoperative care in the intensive care units.In high-risk surgical patients and critically ill patients the arterial blood pressure and cardiac output usually are monitored more comprehensively. Cardiac output monitoring devices are used to know the cardiac output of heart and arterial oxygen content which enable the circulation of continuous systemic oxygen supply to the body. Doubling the cardiac output leads to double amount of the oxygen supply to the tissues, while the low cardiac output leads to inadequate supply of oxygen to organs like brain and the low amount of cellular oxygenation can cause tissue and organ failure. The major observed causative factors for the decrease cardiac output are congenital heart defects, pathologic changes in the heart's muscle, blood dyscrasias, chronic pulmonary disease and electrolyte imbalances (as of potassium or calcium). According to North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, decreased cardiac output is defined as a state in which inadequate blood is pumped by the heart to meet the metabolic demands of the body. Cardiac output monitoring devices market is classified on the basis of product type, methods, end-user and geography.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:On the basis of product type the market is broadly classified into invasive, minimally-invasive and non-invasive cardiac output monitoring devices. The invasive cardiac output monitoring has been traditionally accomplished using the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC), but complications associated with PAC has markedly decreased the widespread use of the PAC. The market demand for the non- invasive devices is high followed by minimally invasive devices as compare to invasive devices, due to factors such as ease, accessibility and cost- effectiveness and fast response time. By methods the market is segmented as thermodilution method, pulse pressure analysis, Doppler method, bioimpedance and applied Fick principle. Each methods has its own merits and demerits. On the basis of end-user the market is segmented as hospitals, ambulatory care and critical care centers. By end-user hospitals covers the major market for cardiac output monitoring devices, because of reliability and conjunction of other therapeutic treatments. The factors such as raising incidences of cardiovascular diseases, increase in the number of people suffering from obesity, growing ageing population, and raising healthcare infrastructure facilities are the growth drivers of this market.By geography, the market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the world. Geographically, North America was observed to have the major share of cardiac output monitoring device market due to high healthcare awareness, prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and technological advancement in the region. Europe contributes to the second largest share in the cardiac output monitoring device market growth with raising ageing population. However, Asia Pacific region is expected to be the fastest growing due to the gradual adoption of improved technologies, emerging health care infrastructures, and raising population with cardiac problems and obesity. Followed by Rest of the world.The major key players operating in cardiac output monitoring device market include Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Cheetah Medical, PULSION Medical Systems SE, Philips Healthcare, LiDCO Group plc, Boston Scientific Corporation, GE Healthcare, and others. Bioreactance-based NICOM Cheetah Medical remains the topmost non-invasive market leader.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)Download Exclusive Brochure of Fibrin Glue Market 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:
Portland student protest.JPG

Portland students protest Donald Trump's pick for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, on Thursday Jan. 19, 2017.

(Bethany Barnes/The Oregonian)

On the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration and amid anticipation of high-turnout protests in the coming days, Portland students took to the streets to decry Trump's pick for education secretary.

A group of Portland Public Schools students, known as Portland Student Action Network, organized an after-school march and rally in downtown against Betsy DeVos, a billionaire known for her advocacy to move money from public schools to private alternatives.

"DeVos has never attended or sent her kids to public school and has no experience as an educator. She is a corporate lobbyist who is unqualified to be Secretary of Education. We are urging U.S. Senators to vote against her confirmation and prevent long-term damage to millions of students," the Portland Student Action Network wrote on its Facebook page. "We instead call for a massive and equitable federal investment in public education that focuses on closing the opportunity gap and strengthens our public schools."

In a combative confirmation hearing the day before the Portland students' protest, DeVos refused to answer some questions from Democrats and indicated she didn't understand basic programs such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

"It's really scary to think about someone advocating for schools for white, privileged people," said Nika Bartoo-Smith, 17, a Grant High School student.

Bartoo-Smith marched while hoisting a sign that read, "Guns In School, Not Cool," a reference to DeVos' most viral remark from Wednesday's hearing.

Asked about whether or not she would agree guns don't belong in schools, DeVos suggested guns may be needed in some schools to fend off grizzly bears.

Bartoo-Smith said she was "baffled" by DeVos' comment.

The protest drew a crowd of about 100, and included some teachers as well as Portland Association of Teachers President Suzanne Cohen, who spoke at the rally.

"I'm just tremendously proud of the work of the students, many of whom are not 18 and can't vote," said Susan Anglada Bartley, a teacher at Grant High School. "DeVos threatens a lot of work that really is unfinished work already."

Wilson High School social studies teacher Hyung Nam said he's an activist himself and came out to support students' efforts. As a history teacher, he said he works to make sure students understand the ways they can be civically engaged, which include organizing and protesting.

"This country was founded on protesting and organizing," Nam said. "It was through struggle that workers have basic rights. It was through struggle that we have the weekend."

One 17-year-old boy was banned from Tom McCall Waterfront Park for 30 days because he broke a park rule by toting a machete and two knives, Portland police said in a news release.

Someone told police the teen had a machete strapped to his backpack at Pioneer Courthouse Square, police said, and officers caught up with him at the Salmon Street Springs fountain.

Police said they took the machete and knives "for safekeeping."

The Portland Student Action Network also plans to protest the inauguration.

-- Bethany Barnes

Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report
The annual Rose City Classic is taking place at the Portland Expo Center through Sunday, January 22, 2017. Expect 3,000 dogs representing over 180 breeds in competitions, such as best of breed, agility, obedience and good citizenship.

There's something for everyone at these shows, hosted by the Dog Fanciers Association of Oregon and Tualatin Kennel Club. Purebreds aren't the only canines invited to the fun, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Tests are held on Friday and Saturday.

If puppies make you melt, the Beginner Puppies class, 4-6 months old, is held on Saturday. People who are looking for a specific breed can check out the Meet the Breeds booths on Friday through Sunday.

Be on the lookout for Valerie Nunes-Atkinson and California Journey, a German shorthaired pointer who won the Best in Show award at the annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show last year.

Like Nunez-Atkinson, there are many veteran handlers and breeders to look up to at the Rose City Classic. The Carter family appreciates all the helpful advice, including grooming tips, that has been shared with them since embarking on dog shows three years ago with their Standard Poodles.

"The poodle community is amazing," explains Nadine Carter, whose husband Scott Carter was age ten when he first got a Standard Poodle. The Carters, from Boise, are both 33-years-old.

They were teasing the hair on their black Standard Poodle, named Clairity, into a voluminous poof Thursday for competition. Easily three to four hours of preparation come down to five minutes in the ring with the judge. Another two hours are needed for cleaning it all out.

"We didn't know we were starting with the most high-maintenance dog," laughs Nadine. "At our first show we didn't have any idea what we were doing---and we had fun doing it."

If you go

What: Rose City Classic

When: January 18-22, 2017, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Where: Portland Expo Center, 2060 N Marine Dr, Portland, OR 97217

Ticket price: Day pass: $10 each person all ages/$20 Family pass (up to 5 people); Two-day pass: $15 each person all ages/$30 Family pass (up to 5 people); Seniors 62 and up - Thursday - Friday FREE

Note: No public dogs. All dogs must be registered in the show to enter the facility.

Parking: $8 per space, per entry, without in and out privileges. Carpools of three or more people are $7

More info: http://rosecityclassic.org/
TRUMPPRESIDENT.JPG

President Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Friday in Washington, D.C.

(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

By Andres Martinez

It's tempting to see the entirety of Donald Trump's story as unprecedented, but when he was sworn in Friday as the nation's 45th president, he became our fourth consecutive leader to assume the office with a segment of the electorate questioning his legitimacy. On that score, Trump doesn't represent a new crisis for American democracy but rather an escalation of one that's been building - one that we've all played a role in creating and that he has deftly exploited to his advantage.

We used to argue over whether new presidents had a "mandate," which was a more polite way of raising the legitimacy question. After the 1992 election, Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole said President-elect Bill Clinton did not have a mandate to press ahead with any sweeping changes because he'd obtained only 43 percent of the popular vote in a three-way race. Republicans convinced themselves that third-party candidate Ross Perot had cost them the election, taking more votes away from George H.W. Bush than from Clinton. They were quick to accuse Clinton in his first year of liberal overreach for pressing to allow gays in the military, raise energy taxes, and take on an ambitious overhaul of the healthcare system. Anger among conservatives that Clinton would illegitimately (in their view) push such an agenda led to the so-called Gingrich Revolution in 1994 and fed any number of conspiracy theories and led Republicans to gleefully pursue Clinton's impeachment during his second term.

Then in 2000 came one of the more contentious presidential elections in U.S. history - not because of the substance of the campaign between Al Gore and George W. Bush, two amiable and seemingly moderate candidates, but because the result was too close to call for weeks. It took a Supreme Court intervention to put an end to the indecision. Compounding the muddled nature of the outcome, Bush obtained half a million fewer votes in the popular count nationwide. Some members of the Congressional Black Caucus (including Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, who forcefully questioned Trump's legitimacy this past week) refused to attend the inauguration. I can remember all the debates then among fellow journalists and friends about either the necessity, or the peril, of "normalizing" such an abnormal, unsatisfying result with a "normal" inauguration and all the other trappings afforded an incoming president.

We tend to forget the extent to which #notmypresident could have been a trending hashtag in those early Bush days - if hashtags had been around - because everything would soon change, on Sept. 11, 2001. After the terrorist attacks, Americans rallied around their president, as we always tend to do in wartime, and the grousing about his legitimacy or mandate stopped. But a few years later, with mounting disillusionment over open-ended military campaigns abroad and a sense that the administration had launched the Iraq invasion on false pretenses, millions of Americans once again began to question not only Bush's judgment but also his legitimacy. None other than New York real estate tycoon Donald Trump called for Bush's impeachment.

The impulse to disqualify, rather than merely debate, leaders we don't agree with intensified in the late 2000s. There was no disputing the mandate conferred upon Barack Obama by his resounding 2008 win, so the questioning of our first African American president's legitimacy swirled around the underhanded, racially motivated and absurd allegations - peddled by our current president-elect, among others - that Obama wasn't a natural-born citizen. Newt Gingrich spoke for many in 2010 when he accused the president of being beyond the American mainstream, pursuing instead a "Kenyan, anti-colonial" worldview.

Given our propensity to question the legitimacy of leaders we don't agree with, it's hardly surprising Lewis and others are questioning Trump's legitimacy before he takes the oath. The tenor of his public rhetoric and behavior; his considerable 3 million-vote deficit in the popular vote; the FBI director's erratic intervention, now under investigation, in the final days of the campaign; and the Russian government's attempts to influence the outcome in Trump's favor provide of fodder for those inclined to dismiss a president they oppose. Trump has taken to calling "fake news" any news he doesn't like, but for millions of Americans he is about to become their "fake president."

What is it about the past three presidencies that helped bring us to this moment? That question will no doubt inspire many dissertations in the coming decades, but one obvious similarity is that the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations, unlike those that came before them, had to navigate in a political environment shaped by the close of the Cold War, the rise of instantaneous, doomsday-style political fundraising, the emergence of a highly balkanized and ubiquitous 24/7 media, and the disruption of traditional politics by the Internet and social media.

These are somewhat familiar, overlapping themes, though we often make a glaring omission in how we talk about them. With the end of the Cold War and its threat of nuclear annihilation, the stakes seemed lower, as did our need to defer to presidents on foreign policy or anything else (the two years after 9/11 were a reversion to Cold War days in terms of how opponents dealt with Bush). The flood of money into politics - money that could be raised easily by groups other than the traditional political parties, at the click of a button - encouraged a rhetorical arms race of dystopian depictions of what had become of Washington. It is much easier to get people to send you $20 if you accuse the president of being a threat to the American way of life instead of an honorable man with whom you happen to disagree on a certain topic. And we're all familiar with how changes in media in this age of 24/7 cable news (Fox News launched in 1996 to challenge the cautious objectivity of CNN) and of infinite online opinions have helped poison, and add a frenzied quality to, political coverage and discourse.

The omission in how we talk about the hyperbole in our politics and civic life is that we conveniently take ourselves out of the picture. We talk about all this with detached regret, as victims of distant politicians' antics, when we are in fact protagonists in this tale, helping to determine the tenor of our politics. The Internet and social media have engaged millions of Americans in politics more directly than ever before, and the results haven't been pretty.

If you're passionate about politics and follow it closely, think about how people in your circles have talked about the past few presidents, at the dinner table or online. I can recall conservative friends back in the 1990s calling Clinton (the free-trading, bank-deregulating, Serbia-bombing Democrat) a socialist, and then being surrounded by friends calling Bush (the pro-immigration, Medicare-expanding, Muslim-embracing Republican) a fascist. And the zealous, irrational epithets only ratcheted up from there. Obama was often called a socialist or a Bolshevik even as he disappointed his most ardent supporters by coming to Wall Street's rescue during the financial crisis. By the time the 2016 presidential campaign was underway, neither Democrats nor Republicans retained enough credibility in sounding the alarm about Trump being outside the mainstream; they had cried wolf too many times.

This has left us with President Donald Trump: a leader befitting our own hyperbole. It's convenient to talk about the Trump phenomenon as if it were an errant asteroid hitting Washington, destroying our harmonious politics out of the blue, but it's also dishonest.

It's desirable, and quintessentially American, to strenuously oppose policies and ideas we disagree with. But the haste of recent years to delegitimize opponents, and to call them un-American, is itself un-American. It leaves us with a bankrupt, even illegitimate, politics, devoid of shared narratives, aspirations, values and, increasingly, facts.

(c) 2017, The Washington Post

Andres Martinez is editorial director of Zocalo Public Square, for which he writes the Trade Winds column. He teaches journalism at Arizona State University. He wrote this piece for The Washington Post.
1trump.JPG

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.

(AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

By Robert M. Berdahl

In a "PBS NewsHour" discussion of Donald Trump's plan to pass the management of his businesses to his sons, syndicated columnist David Brooks commented on Trump's "monarchical" view of power. Indeed, Trump's monarchical tastes run deep. His residences in New York and Florida glitter with gold and their furnishings reflect the baroque tastes of 18th century monarchs. Trump regards any criticism as a kind of lese majeste, a punishable assault on royal majesty; thus, he feels justified in punishing his critics with lawsuits, tweets, or public personal attacks.

These trappings of monarchy are more than a reflection of taste or Trump's deep-seated narcissism. Trump clearly admires authoritarian rulers. He offers no criticism of Russia's interference in the election and claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin's preference for his election is "a good thing." He ignores Putin's multiple crimes while praising him openly and claiming he is a more effective leader than Obama.

As with pre-constitutional monarchies, Trump alleges no conflict between his private interests and his public responsibilities. His children are not only the heirs to his private empire, they are his closest political advisors, sitting beside him in his meetings with foreign leaders in whose countries they do business. He refuses to release his tax returns, claiming they are of no public interest, when in fact his tax filings would reveal important information about his foreign financial obligations and whether and how he avoids U.S. taxes.

Americans must consider how seriously Trump's authoritarian views of power may erode our democratic structures and whether Republicans in Congress and across the country will allow or encourage that erosion. The prognosis is not good.

The first act of authoritarian regimes is to muzzle the media by denying the truth of facts it reports, attacking individual reporters, and undermining an independent press. Trump and his spokespersons constantly attack the media; they have little regard for truth or facts. Trump denounces intelligence reports about Russian hacking and denies overwhelming scientific evidence of global warming. He has repeatedly lied about his own statements or actions despite videotape proof of his words and deeds to the contrary.

Authoritarian regimes normalize unethical behavior by silencing ethical watchdogs. Republicans in Congress tried to gut oversight of Congressional ethics until a public outcry forced them to reverse course. When the director of the Office of Government Ethics criticized Trump's "solution" to his conflicts of interest, Republicans in Congress immediately threatened to investigate him.

Authoritarian leaders create scapegoats whom they blame for the ills of society. They identify "internal enemies" about whom they create popular fear. For Trump, these scapegoats and enemies are Mexican immigrants, whom he described as "rapists and murderers," and Muslims, whom he proposed to ban from entering the country. Trump cultivates a "we" versus "they" mentality with racially coded language to appeal to white bias.

Authoritarian regimes criminalize opposition and politicize both the justice system and law enforcement. Although he has backed away from his pledge to his followers to prosecute Hillary Clinton, his rallies still reverberate with chants to "lock her up." He claimed an American judge of Mexican descent could not treat him fairly. He selected as the nation's attorney general a man whose racial bias had previously disqualified him for a federal judgeship. This new attorney general will soon oversee the FBI, to whom Trump may owe his election because of Director James Comey's unprecedented release of information about an ongoing investigation of Clinton's emails, while failing to disclose an ongoing investigation into Trump's Russian connections.

A gradual assault on American democratic principles and institutions has begun. How will Congress and the American people respond?

Robert M. Berdahl is a former history professor and former interim president at the University of Oregon. He is also emeritus chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in Southwest Portland.
13th annual Oregon Leadership Summit

Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., told Oregon Public Broadcasting that he would not attend President Trump's inauguration, saying he'll work with him on issues good for the country that that "I respectfully decline to freeze my ass out there in the cold for this particular ceremony."

(Stephanie Yao Long)

Oregon's Congressman Kurt Schrader says he is boycotting the inauguration of the United States' 45th President because he doesn't want to "freeze my ass out there."

I think Kurt is deplorable.

Think of the men and women in the military overseas who are freezing in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. And then think of the demeaning wisecrack this man has made. Could Schrader not honor our political society's tradition of peaceful transition and celebrate the people who live in the USA who think Trump has a better way and voted him in.

Gerald J. Greeve, Southwest Portland
U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown said Friday she'll work to ensure the transfer of Ammon Bundy and Ryan Payne from Nevada to testify at next month's trial of seven defendants charged in the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

"I'm convinced it would be error for the court not to facilitate them as witnesses,'' the judge said.

But Brown wants both Bundy and Payne, who face federal prosecution in Nevada this spring, to personally consent to their brief transfer. She also wants their assurances that they won't argue that the move will hurt their ability to prepare for their upcoming trial in Nevada.

The second trial of refuge occupiers is set for Feb. 14 in Portland. Seven people face federal conspiracy and weapons charges, as well as recently filed misdemeanor charges, in the 41-day takeover of the federal bird sanctuary in eastern Oregon.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Knight said the government intends to present its case over one week. Defense lawyers are suggesting Bundy and Payne take the stand in late February, possibly Feb. 27 and 28.

The judge made it clear that she wants their time on the witness stand limited to what's necessary.

"I do not anticipate any reason for Ammon Bundy to testify for three days,'' Brown said, referring to his lengthy testimony in his own defense last fall. "He is not on trial.''

Bundy, the leader of the refuge seizure, was acquitted of federal conspiracy and weapons charges after a five-week trial in Portland last fall. Six others also were acquitted of conspiracy, including Bundy's older brother, Ryan Bundy.

Payne pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and unsuccessfully tried to withdraw the plea.

Both Ammon Bundy and Payne now face federal charges in the 2014 armed standoff with federal land agents outside the Bundy Ranch in Bunkerville, Nevada.

Ammon Bundy is a central figure in the Oregon case, said Andrew Kohlmetz, standby lawyer for defendant Jason Patrick.

"There is almost no relevant topic upon which Mr. Bundy cannot testify to in this case," Kohlmetz wrote in a court filing this week. "... Mr. Bundy will also testify that his goals and reasons for being at the refuge were not necessarily those of Mr. Patrick and vice versa.''

Payne's testimony would be offered to refute government allegations that Patrick and other defendants were part of a criminal conspiracy to prevent federal officers from doing their job at the refuge, Kohlmetz wrote.

The judge also ruled that the second round of defendants aren't entitled to a jury trial on the misdemeanors but said she's open to further argument.

A misdemeanor charge of trespass was filed against all seven defendants awaiting trial. Other charges of tampering with vehicles or equipment, and destruction and removal of property were brought against some of the seven.

"Petty offenses are designed to be prosecuted and resolved quickly,'' the judge said. They're typically tried before a U.S. magistrate or district judge only.

She asked both sides to submit arguments on whether she has the authority to allow a jury trial on the misdemeanors, and if so, should she exercise the authority.

Prosecutors have urged the judge to hear evidence on the misdemeanor charges as a jury deliberates on the conspiracy, weapons and depredation of government property charges, all felonies.

Defense lawyers want the misdemeanor allegations to go before the same jury.

There's no practical reason to deny the defendants a jury review on the misdemeanor charges given the high-profile nature of the case, that a jury already will be empaneled for the felonies and the evidence overlaps, defense lawyer Jesse Merrithew argued in another court filing. Merrithew represents defendant Jake Ryan.

Five of the seven defendants attended Friday's status hearing and were formally arraigned on misdemeanors. After Knight read each charge out loud, the judge asked each defendant if they understood the allegations.

"I understand I have no rights,'' Patrick told the judge, and declined to enter a plea when asked.

The judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Patrick is charged with trespass, tampering with vehicles and equipment in the alleged use of a government Dodge Durango on the refuge and destruction of property in the alleged cutting of a barbed-wire fence along the refuge property.

Except for defendant Duane Ehmer, who politely answered each of the judge's questions with a "Yes, ma'am'' and entered a not guilty plea, the other defendants followed Patrick's lead.

Ehmer is accused of trespass, tampering with a government excavator and removal of government property, a maroon pouch from the refuge that contained checks, credit cards and cash belonging to the Friends of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Defendant Sandra Anderson, accused of trespass, echoed Patrick, telling the judge, "I understand that I have no rights.''

Defendant Darryl Thorn, facing trespass and two counts of tampering with a vehicle in the alleged use of a government front-end loader and ATV on the refuge, said he didn't understand why he has no right to a jury trial on the misdemeanors.

"I Darryl Thorn will enter a plea under duress in the state of Oregon due to prejudicial prosecution,'' he said. "I understand this whole thing is rigged.''

Defendant Jake Ryan, charged with trespass and tampering with a refuge excavator, said, "I understand I have no rights'' and called the proceeding a "tyrannical playground.''

"Sir, are you chewing gum?'' the judge interrupted. "Please take the gum out. We're in court.''

Two other defendants, Sean Anderson and Dylan Anderson, waived their right to be present in court.

The maximum penalty for the Class B misdemeanor charges is six months in prison and a $500 fine.

Some of the lawyers were surprised that the hour-long status hearing didn't last longer, noting a host of pretrial motions remain unresolved.

The judge said she wanted to make sure everyone would be able to get out of downtown before public transit is disrupted from anticipated Inauguration Day marches and demonstrations.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian
PX00231_9.JPG

In this 2009 Oregonian file photo, correctional officers give a tour of death row at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. A corrections officer talks to an inmate on death row in the 3 Low block.

(Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian )

An inmate sentenced to death in 2003 for a Curry County murder was moved off Oregon's death row this week after reaching a settlement with the state that makes him eligible for parole in 12 1/2 years.

Gregory Allen Bowen, 64, was convicted of aggravated murder in the death of his friend, Donald Christiansen, 76, of Brookings. Bowen, a violent ex-con with earlier convictions for manslaughter and accessory to murder after the fact, was sentenced to death, a punishment later upheld by the Oregon Supreme Court.

Gregory A. Bowen

During a second round of appeals, Bowen's lawyers raised questions about the circumstances of the shooting.

The state, during Bowen's trial, argued that the victim had been shot from a distance of five feet or more, suggesting an execution, said Steven Gorham, one of the lawyers handling Bowen's appeal.

Gorham said the original defense team didn't do enough to challenge that conclusion.

Bowen's attorneys told the Oregon Department of Justice lawyers handling Bowen's appeal that they identified weapons experts who concluded that the victim had been shot at close range, which he said supported Bowen's claim that he'd accidentally fired at his friend.

Gorham said that information prompted the state to negotiate a new charge and sentence. Those talks resulted in a felony murder conviction and a life sentence with the possibility of parole.

"Mr. Bowen felt that this was at most manslaughter, an accidental shooting, a reckless shooting," Gorham said. "He never intended to kill his friend."

Bowen maintained that Christiansen died accidentally during a struggle. During the original trial, witnesses claimed that Bowen described Christiansen's death as a robbery gone bad.

The attorneys who handled the appeal for the Department of Justice didn't respond to an email from The Oregonian/OregonLive seeking comment.

By the time negotiations wrapped up, Bowen had been on death row for 15 years. Under the rules in place at the time he was originally convicted, he would have been sentenced to life with a minimum of 25 years for felony murder.

Bowen must also serve another 2 1/2 years for convictions stemming from an assault on a woman before Christiansen's killing. He will be eligible for parole after that.

It's not uncommon for death row inmates to be resentenced at some point as a result of the appeals process.

According to the Department of Corrections, Oregon has 34 inmates on death row, including two awaiting new sentencing. Since Oregon voters approved the death penalty in 1984, 23 have been resentenced, four have died and two were executed.

-- Noelle Crombie

503-276-7184; @noellecrombie
Q: I think my 4-year-old daughter may have a urinary tract infection. How will it be treated? And what can I do to make sure she doesn't get another one?

A: A urinary tract infection (UTI) occurs when bacteria infect urine in the kidneys, bladder or urethra, a small tube that connects the bladder to the outside.

In girls (and women), the urethra is located in front of the vagina. The opening of the urethra is also near the rectum. The large intestine (the colon and rectum) are filled with bacteria. During bowel movements, those bacteria start living on the skin around the rectum and near the urethra. If those bacteria get into the urethra, they can move up into the bladder. From there, they can move into the kidneys. This is what causes a UTI.

Some girls and women have a tendency to get repeated UTIs. One reason is that some women inherit a tendency to have bacteria stick more easily to the cells of their urinary tract.

UTIs can cause fever, pain with urination, back pain and stomach pain. Repeated UTIs over months and years can cause kidney damage, particularly if they are not treated promptly.

To check for a UTI, your daughter's doctor will take her temperature, because UTIs often cause fever. The doctor also will examine her. A UTI can cause tenderness in the lower part of the belly (where the bladder is) or in the lower back (where the kidneys are). He or she will also test your child's urine for infection.

If your daughter does have a UTI, the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic. Make sure your daughter takes her antibiotic exactly as directed. She should finish the entire course of antibiotics, even if she starts to feel much better after the first several pills. If the antibiotic is stopped too soon, the UTI can return.

Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) may help relieve pain and fever. (Never give a child aspirin or any products containing aspirin.)

Drinking lots of liquids will help clear the infection and prevent dehydration -- when children develop high fevers, the sweating can cause serious dehydration. Applying a heating pad or warm compress to your daughter's belly or lower back may help relieve discomfort.

UTIs are painful and uncomfortable. To prevent another one:

Make sure your daughter drinks enough fluids and urinates regularly.

Avoid bubble baths and strong soaps that could irritate the genital area. This is especially true before puberty.

Teach your daughter to wipe herself only from front to back, especially after bowel movements. Wiping from back to front moves bacteria to the skin around the opening of the urethra.

Have your daughter wear cotton underwear, not nylon or other fabrics. Cotton allows air to circulate more freely, which helps prevent bacteria from growing.
NORMAL  Maybe it's because of his blue-collar, faith-based upbringing.

Maybe it's because of his years in the Air Force.

Regardless, Dr. James McCriskin has spent the past 27 years helping to start and build several programs that have strengthened Bloomington-Normal's heart.

A cardiologist, he brought angioplasty to Bloomington-Normal in 1990 and has been involved in treatment advances since then.

McCriskin, 63, of Hudson, is retiring next month.

Through Smoke Free Bloomington-Normal, he was a vocal supporter of the successful effort several years ago to ban smoking in public places in Bloomington-Normal.

As a cardiologist with Advocate Heart Institute at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, he spearheaded a Central Illinois youth cardiac screening program that has saved at least one life and improved others and was involved with a heart screening program for Normal firefighters after three firefighters died.

As medical director of Illinois Heart & Lung Foundation, McCriskin has helped to lead the initiative to place, register and service life-saving AEDs (automated external defibrillators) throughout McLean County. Lives have been saved by people using CPR and AEDs in McLean County but no one knows how many because numbers weren't tracked until recently, said foundation Executive Director Kathi Franklin.

"Jim is a consummate professional," said Dr. Paul Pedersen, vice president of medical affairs for OSF St. Joseph Medical Center and an OSF Medical Group internal medicine physician.

"Part of that means there is not a shift to your work (hours)," Pedersen explained. "You extend that professionalism to other parts of your life, including taking care of your community.

"Our community would not be as far along as it is without him being here," Pedersen said.

McCriskin said his sense of disciplined service began with his working class, Catholic family.

"I attended Catholic grade and high schools and a sense of service was instilled in me," McCriskin said. "In the military, I learned to be a leader.

"I was attracted to starting and building projects and letting them fly," McCriskin said.

"Jim McCriskin doesn't just say 'Wouldn't this be great? He actually starts things and makes sure they are sustainable," Franklin said.

McCriskin is being replaced as medical director of the cardiopulmonary service line at Advocate BroMenn and as medical director of the Illinois Heart & Lung Foundation's AED program. A new cardiologist will join Advocate Heart Institute in Normal this summer.

"He has been a tremendous colleague and mentor for me," said Dr. Chae Chu, a pulmonologist with Advocate Medical Group who recently transferred his 21-year practice from Bloomington-Normal to Chicago.

McCriskin supported Chu as he helped to start critical care medicine at Advocate BroMenn and OSF St. Joseph and as he worked to expand pulmonology and sleep medicine.

Chu said of McCriskin, "He never cuts corners. He leads his practice and his life that way. His faith affects everything he does."

McCriskin grew up in New Jersey and was the first person in his family to attend college, graduating from Virginia Military Institute. He graduated from medical school and spent eight years in the Air Force.

"I'm a no-nonsense person when it comes to work," the soft-spoken McCriskin said. "I was a flight surgeon. Double- and triple-redundancy is fine with me.

"I do things in a systematic fashion. I use understandable language. I have backup systems in place. When I see patients in my office, I have my notes in front of me in case the computer goes down. I repeat things to people. It irritates some people but it gets the point across."

"Because of his military background, Jim approaches things methodically, with patient safety at the center," Pedersen said.

In 1990, McCriskin and his family moved to Bloomington-Normal. He and his wife, Nancy, wanted a mid-size, Midwestern community and OSF St. Joseph wanted to expand its cardiac catheterization program started there by Dr. Holly Novak.

"His co-development of that (cardiac catherization program) was a big plus for the community," Pedersen said.

McCriskin started the angioplasty program at St. Joseph in 1990. Angioplasty opens block arteries and restores blood flow to the heart by threading a catheter to the artery and then opening it by inflating a tiny balloon.

"That's where the military training came in," McCriskin said. "I had to lead people. We had drills." After the program's successful launch, McCriskin taught other cardiologists.

Over the years, stenting (inserting a small, expandable wire into an artery to keep in open) became more prevalent and medications, pacemakers and defibrillators evolved.

More than a decade ago, McCriskin was involved in efforts to ban smoking in public places, including restaurants and bars. He saw his role as providing medical information, not debating politics. He couldn't ignore the fact that secondhand smoke increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and pulmonary disease.

In 2001, Illinois Heart & Lung Foundation began an effort to locate AEDs throughout the county. There are now more than 200 countywide. Thanks to community donations, the foundation has given many of those AEDs to police departments and non-profit organizations.

AEDs can restore heart rhythm to someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.

"Sudden death is such a tragic event in families," McCriskin said. "Doing CPR and using an AED can make a difference in the lives of people."

"They've given us a tool that we can use to save a life," said McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage.

Of McCriskin, Sandage said, "Anybody that gives of their own time to make McLean County a better and safer place to live is top notch."

McCriskin  with Advocate BroMenn and Advocate Charitable Foundation  helped to bring Young Hearts for Life to Central Illinois in fall 2012. The goal of the free, youth cardiac screening program is to identify and treat youth at risk of sudden cardiac death, which claims the lives of 60 young adults nationwide each week, usually student-athletes with an undiagnosed genetic disease.

Since 2012, Advocate BroMenn medical professionals and volunteers have conducted 23 EKG screening days at 13 Central Illinois high schools, screening more than 6,000 students, said Carolyn Oleson, BroMenn wellness nurse specialist.

On average, two to three students per screening day are recommended for further evaluation, she said, meaning something was detected in as many as 69 students.

McCriskin doesn't know how many of the 69 were diagnosed with heart problems and how many procedures were performed.

"Some needed interventional procedures," McCriskin said. At least one, Molly Koos of rural El Paso, needed open-heart surgery.

"In Molly's case and in some of the other cases we've had, that screening program is priceless," he said.

While McCriskin has enjoyed the work, it's time to retire, he said.

"The stress of the job becomes more difficult to rebound from," he said. "I won't miss being on call nights, weekends and holidays, and I won't miss the sleep deprivation."

The McCriskins are relocating next month to North Carolina to be closer to their adult children and their families, who live on the East Coast.
LINCOLN  Lincoln resident Terri Shroyer remembers growing up around The Mill, a former Lincoln restaurant and Route 66 icon that has been closed since 1996.

Her great-grandparents, Albert and Blossom Huffman, bought The Mill in 1945.

They ran it when I was a little girl and the upstairs was their home, where there was a beautiful apartment, she said.

After their deaths, their son, George Huffman, and his wife, Eleanor, took ownership.

The food was always so amazing, Shroyer said. Everyone knew everyone.

By the time The Mill closed in 1996, it had turned into a part-time museum. After 20 years of deterioration, the renovated building will reopen this spring as a full-time museum showcasing the heritage of Lincoln, Logan County and their connection to Route 66.

In 2006, the Route 66 Heritage Foundation of Logan County was created to promote and preserve The Mill and other Route 66 sites in Logan County. In 2009, Landmarks Illinois, a statewide preservation advocacy group, named the site at 738 S. Washington in Lincoln one of the states 10 most endangered historical places.

Now the work of preservation advocates is paying off.

We are thinking mid- to late April as far as having a grand opening, said Geoff Ladd, the secretary of the committee organizing the restoration effort. We have made it to the final stages of this project.

In order to comply with state laws, new restrooms had to be added to the back of the building. Funds came from a $22,720 National Park Service grant and nearly $16,000 in grant money from the city of Lincoln's hotel/motel tax income.

Its not a burden on local taxpayers, which we think is very important, Ladd said. The critical step was to have the functioning restrooms completed. They had to be compliant with all of the new laws and yet we wanted to make sure that it still stayed in as much of a historical context as possible.

Ladd said the museum will feature Route 66 memorabilia.

We want to make it specific to Lincoln and Logan County as much as we can, he said.

We have some items left from The Mill, but not as much as we would have liked," he said. "It was abandoned and looted all of the time and so a lot of the items we would have liked to have kept or had access to are gone.

Other memorabilia from Route 66, such as items from the former Pig Hip Museum, will be featured, Ladd said. The Pig Hip, a once-popular eatery in Broadwell that was turned into a museum, was destroyed by fire in March 2007.

We will also feature some memorabilia from some important Route 66 lodging locations and also some famous people from Lincoln and Logan County, he said. We want to add as much local flavor to this museum as we can.

Funding from the museum is expected to come from donations, a membership program and merchandise proceeds, Ladd said.
BLOOMINGTON  Central Illinois residents at Friday's inauguration had nothing but praise for what they saw, and heard, as Donald Trump was sworn in as the nation's 45th president.

Jim Woodward, vice chairman of the McLean County Republican Party, said Friday's ceremony was unbelievable with an extremely positive atmosphere.

I cant even put into words how emotional and wonderful it was to experience something weve never experienced, said Woodford, who traveled to D.C. with his wife and son.

Chuck Erickson, chairman of the McLean County Republican Party, also traveled from Bloomington to the Capitol in support of the president.

It was a very joyous occasion. Everyone was happy and festive and respectful, said Erickson. People were respectful of (President Barack) Obamas service and of him leaving and are now proud of our new president.

In comparing Trumps inauguration speech to those of past presidents, Woodward said it was one of the most down to earth speeches hes heard, particularly the theme of giving the government back to the people.

I think, truly, especially for people in Illinois, the (state) government is not in the hands of the people, said Woodward. His speech was moving, motivating and inspiring and I hope that Congress follows up with some of his agenda and we get back on the right track.

Despite reports of rioting and protests near the inauguration, Woodward said he saw only one small group of people escorted out after protesting as Trump took the oath, but he saw no other objections.

Former state and U.S. Rep. Thomas Ewing of Pontiac is also in Washington with his son and grandsons. He said the inauguration crowd was enormous and security was "tight as an airport."

It has a very uplifting and patriotic experience to be back here, said Ewing. It was really touching when the choir began singing America, the Beautiful. The words were so meaningful as we watched the transition of power from the Democratic Party to the Republican.

Ewing said he believes if Trump keeps commitments made during his campaign, "the administration will make a real and important difference in America.

I feel very strongly that maybe that type of attitude can invade Illinois politics and changes can be made to start us on a road to rebuilding the reputation and vigor of our state, he added.

Republican U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood of Dunlap, whose district includes part of the Twin Cities, applauded Trump for "putting forth a unifying message to all Americans as we begin to put our nation back on track towards economic prosperity and greatness.

While watching events unfold the rest of the afternoon, Ewing said the experience was meaningful for his two grandsons who he said asked penetrating questions about political leaders.

It was great for them to see Democrats and Republicans having lunch together. It was interesting to see former Sen. Hillary Clinton shaking hands with and having words with Donald Trump. No matter who lost that race, that was going to be a painful experience, he said.

Ewing said his family would watch the inauguration parade from a balcony overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue and continue the trip with some sightseeing in the city.

Overall, it was an outstanding and motivating transfer of power and theres a very positive attitude here in Washington, he said.
BLOOMINGTON  Though Gov. Bruce Rauner and state lawmakers acted to fully fund K-12 public schools despite the ongoing budget impasse, local district officials say it isnt happening.

Each district is supposed to receive four quarterly categorical payments each fiscal year, in addition to general state aid, to help pay for transportation, special education and other expenses. Those categorical payments have been tied up for months, however, leaving districts to scramble to cover the shortfalls by moving money around, borrowing or looking to local property taxes.

"We still have the capacity to absorb this storm, but it's something that continues to claw away at our money and it's not good," said Bloomington District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly.

The state is more than halfway through its second consecutive fiscal year without a budget, but in each year separate funding was approved for primary and secondary schools.

While Illinois has been keeping up with its distribution of general state aid, which covers day-to-day operations for schools, categorical payments are sitting in a stack of unpaid bills at the state comptrollers office that totaled nearly $10.9 billion at the end of December.

The final payment for 2015-16 was received by most districts in December, six months past the usual deadline. So far, no categorical payments have been deposited for the 2016-17 school year.

The state owes Normal-based McLean County Unit 5 $6 million. Unit 5 Business Manager Marty Hickman said parts of his projected budget are razor thin or in the red, even with the assumption that some of the late payments will come through.

District 87 still hasn't received it's final payment from the state for 2015-16 and is waiting on more than $2 million overall.

"It certainly adds to our deficit because we're pulling funds from our reserves," Reilly said. "It doesn't present a cash flow problem for us at this time, but we're concerned about that slow, gradual erosion."

Reilly said the district issued working cash bonds in anticipation of late payments.

Smaller districts are owed less but are hurting just as much.

All districts are feeling the same amount of pain, comparatively, said Clinton school Superintendent Curt Nettles, whose district is waiting for more than $773,000.

Nettles said districts have to guess how many payments they will receive on time and budget from there, which can pinch cash flow.

You have to make an educated guess. Sometimes at meetings, someone from the state board of finance will say, We really think youll get two or three payments. So you budget based on that information, said Nettles.

A lack of state revenue means the state comptroller cant approve the payments, said Nettles.

Education is not being fully funded. Were all ready for the state of Illinois to get its act together as far as creating revenue streams and getting spending under control for a balanced budget, he said.

LeRoy school Superintendent Gary Tipsord said his district is missing nearly $447,000 in state payments.

Whenever the states not paying, it means were more heavily reliant on local resources. If youre a district like us, with 72 percent reliance on taxpayers, you just have to push that number up, said Tipsord.

LeRoy has worked to maintain 40 percent of operating expenditures through reserve funds to keep the budget stable, said Tipsord, essentially becoming a savings and loan for the state.
BLOOMINGTON  If the Bloomington City Council approves the proposed Jefferson Street Community House  previously described as a police substation  at 828 W. Jefferson St., it wont be the first such facility in the Twin Cities.

Normal has had one in operation at 623 W. Orlando Ave. for several years, offering a place for officers to stop in to do work and be accessible to area residents.

It has worked well for us, said Normal Police Chief Rick Bleichner. It has changed some over the years, and may not be quite what it used to be, but we found it to be helpful.

Bloomington city officials say the proposed project is less a substation and more of a community engagement project. In fact, the term substation is no longer used by city staff members to describe the project. Instead, it is referred to as the Jefferson Street Community House.

Mid Central Community Action, which acquired and rehabbed the now-vacant house at 828 W. Jefferson St. with grant money and is offering to lease it to the city for $1 a month, "has called the facility the Jefferson Street Community House since the beginning of this project," said City Manager David Hales. "This name accurately reflects the true intent and vision of the building and the activities that will occur there.

The council is expected to vote on the matter Monday.

Normals substation opened in August 2002 in response to concerns about violence in the area of apartments on West Orlando Avenue.

Bob Miller, 80, was fatally beaten and robbed that April outside the nearby Eagle Market Place at 1101 N. Main St., and Charles Harris is serving a 35-year sentence for murder in the case.

The town had been considering the idea prior to the attack to give assurances to residents and to also keep police in the area, officials said at the time.

Mr. Millers death was validation that we needed to do something, said Bleichner, who was a lieutenant assigned to oversee the criminal investigations division at the time. But, it was just one piece of it. We used it as a home base for officers who were spending more time in that area on foot patrols.

When we opened it, we did some pretty heavy community surveys and found out what concerns were for the residents. We knew some of the issues, but we found other day-to-day issues of residents like dumpsters overflowing or things not working properly in their complexes or apartments.

We worked with apartment managers and now we have some regular engagement and meetings with them.

After the substation opened, crime and calls for service dropped 23 percent, police said at the time.

A year later, the Unity Community Center, a multicultural after-school learning center that provides programming for youth of families with limited resources opened in the same building  and still operates today.

The substation is beneficial because we can bring people in and talk with them in a controlled environment, Bleichner said. We can use it to do paperwork and the Illinois State Police also use it as a satellite office to get mail, check their email or do reports.

The success rate triggered talks for the possibility of opening other Twin City substations, including on Bloomingtons west side, in 2002. Members of Bloomingtons Olde Town Neighborhood Association expressed interest, but the idea fell dormant until last year when Bloomington Police Chief Brendan Heffner announced the city had partnered with Community Action and the West Bloomington Housing Collaborative to open a site on the citys west side.

Matthew Drat, the director of resource development and community engagement for Community Action, has worked with Bloomington police to promote the benefits of the proposed facility through public forums and meetings.

Heffner discussed the topic with residents during a 90-minute focus group meeting Jan. 4, and two listening sessions were held in the neighborhood this month.

Several residents also have been surveyed about the project.

We have brought up the Normal substation, Drat said. As we explained and walked people through the process of what Jefferson Street really is, we tried to emphasize that it is really a community and police engagement project.

"We looked to see what past practices were occurring, locally, regionally and nationally with respect to neighborhood revitalization, safety and neighborhood relations.
Sappi and Felix Schoeller to Jointly Develop Sustainable Packaging Solutions Jan. 20, 2017 (Press Release) - Sappi Europe and Felix Schoeller Group, (Osnabruck, Germany) have entered into a collaboration agreement that includes the joint development of sustainable barrier paper solutions for flexible packaging applications. The two companies will be combining their unique competencies in their respective business fields in the future in order to provide brand owners with more sustainable and more efficient packaging solutions for their products. Sappi Europe's Packaging & Speciality Papers is a leading global manufacturer of speciality paper and carton board. The company has acquired comprehensive expertise in the packaging sector over several decades. In recent years, Sappi has evolved from a pure substrate supplier to a provider of complete paper and carton packaging solutions. Innovative products are designed to find intelligent answers to tomorrow's questions and trends in the packaging market. Felix Schoeller Group is the ideal partner to help us further enhance the functionality of our high-quality speciality papers, explains Thomas Kratochwill, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Sappi Packaging and Speciality Papers. Together, we will create innovative and sustainable packaging solutions to meet our customers' demands. Global manufacturer Felix Schoeller Group produces high-quality papers for analogue and digital photographic and digital printing, nonwovens for the wallpaper industry as well as release liners and decor papers. In addition, the well-established company has been developing flexible food packaging for some years and has built particularly strong process technology expertise in the production of photographic and digital printing papers. Our collaboration with Sappi creates many synergies. We will be integrating our specialist expertise to pursue the development of unique packaging solutions that will benefit the industry and the environment, says Hans-Christoph Gallenkamp, Chief Operating Officer at Felix Schoeller Group. Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Sappi Europe SA is the leading European producer of coated fine paper used in premium magazines, catalogues, books and high-end print advertising. To learn more about the company, please visit: www.sappi.com. SOURCE: Sappi Europe
Last night Mickey Boardman and Khalid El Khatib hosted a fundraiser to benefit Syrian refugees at the Soho Grand Club Room.

With cocktails generously provided by Ketel One, all money raised - over $8,000 - will go directly to the International Rescue Committee(IRC). The IRC is one of the largest international aid organizations in the world. In 2015, their aid programs reached 23 million people in more than 40 countries. They're also the only international relief agency working on all fronts of the Syrian crisis, assisting those displaced inside Syria and those who have sought refuge in neighboring countries, Europe and the U.S.

Mickey and Khalid feel a special connection to the cause.

Mickey says, "Seeing heartbreaking photos and videos of refugees fleeing Syria and other countries in conflict has had a powerful impression on me. I try to imagine how horrible a situation I would have to be in to leave everything I knew behind to climb into a leaky boat with my children, risking our lives, to get to safety. It makes everything we think of as problems seem pretty inconsequential in comparison. I've always felt that if everyone just did something small, directing their talents towards helping good causes, we could make huge changes in the world. I practically go to events and parties for a living so it's absolutely an easy thing for me to host a fundraiser. I'm not flying to refugee camps or providing medical care, but I'm using my skills to make a little bit of a difference in the lives of these refugees and I'm thrilled to be able to do it."

Khalid's father is a refugee who spent a lot of his life in Syria. "In 2017 I'm trying to tweet less political memes and focus on what I can actually impact. My dad drives me to do that. I keep this 40 year-old photo on my phone of a newspaper article from my hometown announcing my then 33 year-old dad as the new doctor in town. He moved to Iowa from New York and to New York from Jordan where he worked at a refugee camp for Palestinians. He moved to Jordan from Syria, and to Syria after being displaced from the West Bank when he was four years old. That's the life of a refugee: not just homelessness, but chaos. It's a pattern Syrian refugees know today. But my dad's ending, becoming a US citizen and well-respected doctor, is an increasingly unfamiliar outcome. He still talks about the American movies he watched as a kid, and the hope they gave him to chase the American Dream. The movies weren't real but he - despite poverty and distance - believed in the reality of the American Dream. Today, I have to force myself to believe it still exists. Xenophobia and fear is transforming a tradition that our country was founded on: love America, work hard, and you can be great here. If my dad was growing up in Syria now, there would be no movies, there would be no hope. The IRC is giving people hope, and that's what I'm focused on  not reading the news nonstop or arguing on Twitter  helping people do good."

Take what you're passionate about and what you're good at and do some good.

Photos by Taylor Russo


On his penultimate day as president Obama has shortened the sentences of 330 inmates, the most of any president in a single day.

Even before this move, Obama already held the title of the president to issue the most commutations in US history. He has now granted commutations to 1,715 people -- 568 of whom were serving life-sentences. This new round of commutations follows the shortening of 273 individuals's sentences, including Chelsea Manning and Puerto Rican independence activist, Oscar Lopez Rivera, on Tuesday.

Today's prisoners were all convicted of non-violent drug crimes, reflecting Obama's second-term efforts to rectify the overzealous drug-related sentencing that has plagued the US for several decades. In his final press conference today, Obama reinforced that he believes "people are more good than bad."

"By restoring proportionality to unnecessarily long drug sentences, this administration has made a lasting impact on our criminal justice system," Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates told the Washington Post. "With 1,715 commutations in total, this undertaking was as enormous as it was unprecedented."

"I think there's evil in the world but I think that at the end of the day if we work hard and we're true to those things in us that feel true and feel right, the world gets a little better each time," Obama explained in the press conference. "That's what this presidency has tried to be about."

"At my core, I think we're going to okay."

Ladies and gentlemen say goodnight to a living dream.





[h/t Time.com]

Image via screenshot from Time.com
There's been much speculation as to the role President-elect Donald Trump's enigmatic wife Melania Trump will play in his presidency--including whether or not her stepdaughter Ivanka will fulfill First Lady duties instead.

Our first sense of something comes in a confirmation from Vanity Fair from Melania's team that current First lady Michelle Obama will be handing over the FLOTUS Twitter account to Mrs. Trump.

Melania's spokesperson said:

Once President-elect Trump is sworn in, incoming First Lady Melania Trump will tweet from @FLOTUS. She is thankful for Mrs. Obama and all of her followers and looks forward to connecting with them, while welcoming new followers and speaking directly with the American people through social media.



So what does this mean?

Will Melania simply re-post every one of Michelle's tweets, starting from January of 2009?

...or just the same, single photo of the whale posted once a day, for the next 3 years, with the same caption?

What whale and caption, you ask?

What is she thinking? pic.twitter.com/rFufrgMb

 MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) August 10, 2012

Honestly, I'd be fine with that.

Header photo via Will Ragozzino/BFA.com
A recent research showed that babies have good memories and are capable of remembering their birth language even if they move to another country. They may seem to have forgotten their birth language but they have a hidden ability to remember this after retraining.

This was the findings of a study conducted by researchers from the Seoul's Hanyang University. The study showed adopted children who are from other countries have an advantage in remembering their birth language even after decades.

"This finding indicates that useful language knowledge is laid down in [the] very early months of life, which can be retained without further input of the language and revealed via re-learning,'' research leader Dr. Jiyoun Choi of Hanyang University said.

This was shown in the case of South Korean babies who were adopted and now speak Dutch, according to BBC. After undergoing a short training course in their birth language, the adopted babies, who are now 30-year-old adults, showed much promise in Korean pronunciation. Surprisingly, the Korean consonants were not similar to the Dutch consonants.

Jiyoun said parents should remember the process of learning a language occurs early in life, as per Daily Mail. The more parents talk to their babies, the more they are able to absorb and understand what they are saying. Babies easily recognize their mother's voice because they heard it when they were still in the womb.

Meanwhile, a study also showed children who have poor performance in language tests are those with parents who do not often speak to them, according to The Guardian. To boost the child's brain power, parents are urged to read stories to their kids during bedtime. This will give them a head start not only in language processing but also in school later on. It will also give them a solid foundation and grasp when it comes to difficult concepts in school and in life.
People with autism have always required extra care and often, special policies are needed to be customized only for them. This brings in another major issue for legislature and justice system.

So, how should people with autism be treated? Understandably, people with autism spectrum disorder have special needs. Due to this fact, the British crime justice system is having a hard time deciding on what verdict to give to criminals with autism.

It is well understood that different forms of manipulation, bullying, victimization, physical and sexual abuse, and hierarchy are present in prisons. These are all social crimes the people with autism cannot deal with appropriately. Coupled with their difficulty in comprehending and reacting to other prisoners' body language and facial expressions, it is not hard to see why jails are not the right place for this group of people.

The problem, however, does not end there. The noises, fights, shouts and arguments are some of the common things common a prison environment but these could be highly detrimental to anyone with autism.

The reason? Such people have sensory hypersensitivity, which increases the amplitude of the sound. Even normal sounds like the drops of rain can be intensified to the deafening sound of a gun fire. Hence, living in an environment of noise and chaos can adversely affect their senses and mental health.

Besides these, someone with autism can have difficulty in understanding the figurative language of the inmates or can experience disorders related to excessive cleaning and organizing or could exhibit rigid adherence to certain prison regimes. In such cases, people with autism could be placed under stress, revealed The Conversation.

More than legal punishment, people with autism spectrum disorder need high-quality and expert-level medical attention. University of Salford, Manchester believes that a lot of further research is required in this field to reach any consolidated opinion. Even though every criminal must be subject to unbiased legal treatment, the medical condition of people with autism must also be taken into consideration.
Obama Commutes Life Sentences of Four Mexican Cartel LeadersROMA, Texas  Four family members who ran one of the largest cartel smuggling operations in south Texas had their life in prison sentences commuted and will likely be returning to this border city from where they ran their criminal empire. One of the main destinations that the criminal organizations delivered drugs to was Chicago, Illinois.This week, outgoing President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 209 convicted criminals and pardoned 64 others. The majority of the convictions were from drug trafficking or production offensesHillary:"we can't legalize drugs there is too much money to be madeRecently, during an interview with Mexico's Televisa, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared that the United States can't legalize drugs "because there is just too much money in it."right from the whorse's mouthwell that explains all the lie barrel butt hurtall the little crack heads will now be out of a jobDOCUMENTS CONFIRM ERIC HOLDERS ROLE IN FAST AND FURIOUS COVER-UPFast and Furious is back in the news. The reason? In January, Judge Amy Berman, an Obama appointee, ordered the Department of Justice to produce documents relating to the gun walking scandal that Congress had been seeking for four years. DOJ finally produced them, some 20,000 pages worth, this month.For anyone who, thanks to the Obama administrations years of stonewalling, has forgotten about Fast and Furious, heres the short version. In 2010, a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agent was killed while on patrol near the Mexican border. The only two firearms found at the scene were semi-automatic rifles the Obama-Holder Justice Department allowed to walk as part of Fast and Furious, a firearms trafficking operation. That operation allowed approximately 2,000 firearms to flow illegally into the hands of Mexican cartel associates.good riddance to bad rubbish...and guess what:OBAMA did NOT PARDON HITLARY CLINTON
Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump recently decided to designate Betsy DeVos as the Education Secretary of Louisiana. This has generated quite some buzz among the educators. Criticism started pouring in for the President-elect soon after he picked DeVos, a huge supporter of charter schools.

Even Louisiana Association of Educators president Debbie Meaux also expressed anger on this decision. According to the president, the greatest place for education is in public schools and the new education secretary is not well-known for her policies and approach regarding public education.

The educators are divided among themselves as to who are in favor of and against DeVos. The supporters present the claim that significant enhancements need to be made to improve the public school system in Louisiana. Critics debate that privatization of the public education is essential and vouchers have been unsuccessful in fulfilling their promises, Time Money reported.

As a result, the educators in Louisiana, especially in the Secondary Board of Education, have divided and opinions. The teachers are divided into two groups with their contrasting views about the newly nominated education secretary.

The greatest concern, however, is being raised by the Democrats and the activists. They are of the strong belief that Betsy DeVos' conservative Christian beliefs can possibly adversely affect minority and LGBT pupils.

The Advocate stated an outrage is expected by the teachers if the nominee is selected to serve at that post. Massed believed she is under-qualified for the job as she is no longer a proper educator.

Some went to say her nomination has to do something with her extreme wealth and status. But many believed that DeVos has previously backed up all kinds of education and should be given a chance.

What are your thoughts on Betsy DeVos' appointment? Please feel free to share your comments below.
Students at a university in St. Louis, Missouri have enlisted in a course about rapper Kanye West. Around 75 are taking part in the class that started its sessions this week at Washington University.

The course is called the "Politics of Kanye West: Black Genius and Sonic Aesthetics." It was developed by Dr. Jeffrey McCune for the departments of African and African-American Studies and the Women and Gender and Sexuality Studies, and he will also be handling the class.

Washington University students will not only be studying Kanye West's music but also his career as a rapper, music producer and fashion mogul. McCune hopes that the course will be a "good way to get students to connect issues of politics, race, gender, sexuality and culture," according to St. Louis Today.

Underscored in the course's syllabus are the topics that the students will be discussing with their teacher, such as "Who is Kanye West and Why Is He in the Flashing Lights?" or "I Love Kanye, or How Critique Slips Into Hate." McCune said that the class will not be about bashing nor celebrating Kim Kardashian's husband. It will be an in-depth study on the rapper's impact in pop culture.

Fox 2 Now reports that there is already a waiting list for the class. McCune believes that offering the course is relevant and timely especially since today's kids would always reference the artist as he's quite the influencer among millennials.

"What better time than now to take seriously Kanye West as a cultural icon?" McCune told the press. "I'm always interested in how he's pushing whatever boundaries."

This isn't the first time Kanye West has been the subject in higher education. In 2015, Georgia State University also offered the "Kanye Versus Everybody: Black Poetry and Poetics from Hughes to Hip-Hop" class under Dr. Scott Heath, MTV reports.
Parents of seventh graders at the Highland Hills Middle School in Indiana are blasting and protesting the Sharia law assignment that their children recently worked on. They complain that the worksheets described the law in a positive light that it almost seemed like a propaganda material.

The Sharia law assignment featured the story of a fictional 20-year-old Saudi Arabian woman, Ahlima, who wrote about how fortunate she is as a follower of the Islamic code. Ahlima discussed her feelings of becoming someone's second wife. She also talked about the required clothing for women and compared this to "immodest" Western fashion.

"[The assignment was] like describing how effective Hitler was at nationalizing Germany and creating patriotism but leaving out that he slaughtered 6 million Jews," parent Dean Hohl said, according to the Courier-Journal. He expressed discomfort over the fact that the worksheets send a message to his daughter that the Sharia law is OK.

The ethical code, which has existed for centuries, implores its followers to strictly obey religious and moral standards. The Taliban and Syrian extremists fully support these codes. The rest of the world, however, views the law as oppressive to women and in violation of human rights.

According to BBC, some of the tough punishments for criminals that the law upholds include amputation, stoning, torture and death penalty. Women are not seen as equals nor do they enjoy freedom and liberty under the Sharia law.

It supports husbands beating wives if they are not being submissive. The law also provides husbands different divorce privileges compared to the wives, Counter Jihad cites.

Sharon Coletti of InspirEd Educators developed the Sharia law assignment for over 20 years. As an active Christian, she said that she wanted to shape the children's critical thinking via the worksheets.

Coletti was hoping the assignment would help the children become "problem-solvers" against stereotypes but also open their eyes to the privileges that women in other parts of the world enjoy. Due to the complaints, however, Coletti has agreed to pull out the assignment

This isn't the first time that Coletti's worksheets have evoked controversy. A similar assignment was given in 2011 to students in Georgia and the parents also protested and accused the educator of indoctrinating the kids.
The mother of a special needs student who ingested bleach has lodged a lawsuit against the Fresno Unified School District. Cindy Garcia's 10-year-old daughter, who attended the Addicott Elementary for students with disabilities, suffered permanent damage as a result of the incident that took place in September.

Garcia filed the lawsuit on Jan. 12 citing the school district for negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress for both the child and the mother, according to the court documents. The identity of who was responsible for giving Garcia's daughter bleach, however, was not determined, hence the mom is holding the school district accountable.

According to Fresno Bee, Garcia's daughter and another special needs child ingested the bleach via their feeding tubes, which are usually cleaned with warm water. Someone, however, used bleach when it's highly discouraged as it would cause critical health issues like chest pain, lowered blood pressure, nausea or even death.

When Garcia's daughter used her tubes, she was unable to communicate that something was off. She ended up vomiting and turning blue, and it was only then that she was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

School officials alerted Garcia about what happened to her daughter. They didn't, however, tell her that her daughter ingested bleach until Garcia herself smelled traces of it as she checked on her child.

The mom alleged that the school deliberately kept this information from her, thus her lawsuit stated that the school acted "oppressive, malicious, despicable and fraudulent." Garcia's daughter incurred lasting damage to her esophagus, lungs, stomach and trachea, and had aspiration pneumonia, CBS Sacramento reported. The lawsuit did not indicate how much Garcia is demanding from the school district as compensation for damages.

About 50 special needs students with severe disabilities are studying in Addicott Elementary. The school employs two health assistants, five vocational nurses with license and one registered nurse.
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions
On January 2 Patently Apple posted a report titled "Note7 Probe Results due this Month While Samsung Admits that Growth will lag in 2017 Due to Tough Competition." Shin Jong-kyun, the CEO and board member in charge of the company's mobile business stated at the time that the government and Samsung had concluded the cause of the Note7 problems were not a simple battery malfunction, and the two sides were fine-tuning details to reach the final outcome. It's being revealed today that the results of multiple investigations will be made public in a press conference in Seoul on Monday morning local time, Sunday night in the U.S. and Canada.

Samsung's official press release dated today states that "Samsung Electronics, as well as independent expert organizations who conducted their own investigations into various aspects of the Galaxy Note7 incidents, will share their findings.

In addition, Samsung will discuss the new measures the company has implemented in response to the incidents. The full press conference will be available via live-stream globally, and can be accessed through www.samsung.com/galaxy.

Many news sites, including the Wall Street Journal, are trying to get ahead of Sunday's revelations by claiming that their sources have revealed that Samsung will say that SDI used an irregularly sized battery that didn't fit the case properly causing the overheating.

Once the SDI battery was replaced with those from China's Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), "the flaw centers on a manufacturing issue resulting from the quick ramp-up in production of replacement phones. It wasn't clear what the manufacturing issues were," and perhaps this is an area of the investigation that might be revealed on Sunday.

The WSJ report further noted that "To address regulators' concerns about how Samsung would avoid any future battery problems, the company has created an eight-step process that includes more testing, inspections and manufacturing-quality assurances, among other measures."

The outside firms hired to produce the independent reviews were U.S.-based companies UL LLC and Exponent which examined the batteries, while a German firm, TUV Rheinland, analyzed supply-chain issues.

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.
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Iran: Award-Winning Kurdish Filmmaker Keyvan Karimi Denied Urgent Hospitalization by Evin Prison Authorities

01/20/17

Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran

The authorities of Evin Prison in Tehran are refusing to transfer imprisoned filmmaker Keyvan Karimi to a hospital outside the prison for urgent medical care, his lawyer, Amir Raeesian, told the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.





Keyvan Karimi





"My client called me this morning (Wednesday, January 18, 2017) and said his pulmonary inflammation had worsened and he had thrown up blood," said Raeesian. "He went to the prison clinic, but it's not clear why the staff are refusing to transfer him to a hospital."

Political prisoners in Iran are singled out for particularly harsh treatment, including the denial of medical care.

Karimi, 31, has been in Evin Prison since November 23, 2016, when he began serving a one-year sentence for allegedly denigrating Shia Islam in his film, Neveshtan Rooy-e Shahr (Writing on the City), which documents graffiti in Tehran.





Writing on the City film poster



Some of the film's scenes relate to the widespread street protests that followed the disputed 2009 presidential election in Iran. The Green Movement grew out of those peaceful protests, and is still a highly sensitive subject in Iran, referred to by hardliners as "the sedition."

Karimi's Kurdish and Sunni background may also have contributed to his harsh sentence. Iran's Kurdish ethnic minority and Sunni Muslim religious minority are subjected to significant discrimination and persecution.

Judge Mohammad Moghisseh of Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court initially sentenced Karimi to six years in prison and 223 lashes for "insulting the sacred." Upon appeal his sentence was reduced to one year in prison and a five-year suspended prison term. He was also fined 20 million rials, approximately $700 USD.

On December 1, 2015, a week after Karimi surrendered himself to the prison, more than 130 Iranian documentary filmmakers issued a joint statement calling on the Judiciary to strike down his sentence. At the same time, several foreign colleagues at film festivals in France, Spain and Italy also condemned Karimi's arrest.

Two of Karimi's documentaries, Marz-e Shekasteh (Broken Border) and Zendegi-e Zan va Shohar (The Life of a Husband and Wife), have won international awards.
32 Telegram Users Arrested In Iran On Charges Of Publishing Profanity

01/20/17

Source: Radio Zamaneh

Head of Hormozgan Province Department of Justice announced that 32 managers and users of the instant messaging service, Telegram in the province have been arrested on charges of publishing profanity.





cartoon by Arvin, Etemad daily





Telegram is one of the only social media services that is not blocked by the Iranian government; however, conservative factions have repeatedly called for tightening of state control over its usage by the public.



The 32 detainees are being accused of "inciting sexual misconduct and creation of immoral content as well as false profiles" while some of them were attracting as many as three thousand viewers.



The Department of Justice maintains that the detainees posted "obscene" videos and photos in their chat rooms and pages which have become the basis of the arrest warrants for them.



The report adds that another 78 social media users have also been summoned and are under investigation.



Public complaints and warnings to the authorities have reportedly been instrumental in initiating these arrests.



"Publishing false information, disturbing public order, causing public panic, promoting culturally inappropriate content and disturbing public minds" are accusations that are brought against the 78 users. The authorities report that their pages have been blocked.



Hormozgan provincial authorities maintain that the wave of arrests were triggered by the "increase in public demand for police action against cyber-crimes and cleansing of cyber space from immoral content".



Telegram is the most popular communication and messaging application in Iran as it is not subjected to censorship like other social media websites and apps.



The moderate administration of Hassan Rohani, the Iranian president, has tried to prevent the conservatives push for blocking of Telegram.



To appease their opponents, Rohani government, Iran Cyber Police and the judicial apparatus working with them have indicated that they are working on ways of exercising some form of control over Telegram without its complete blocking.



Iran's cyber police have said recently that close to 70 percent of internet crimes across the country occur through Telegram, another 20 percent through Instagram and another two percent on Whatsapp.



While the nature of these crimes has not been clarified, many people involved in commercial ventures and high traffic channels on Telegram have faced threats of arrest and prosecution by the state.



Iranian government imposes tight control over the internet and its censorship efforts are concentrated on blocking social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to control public communication through these channels.



However, in recent years, state control tactics have become more focused on identifying and prosecuting users. Ironically, many top figures of the Islamic Republic including the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei use the blocked social media websites with their own active pages.
30 Firefighters Dead in Tehran's Commercial Building Fire, Collapse

01/20/17

By Michael Lipin, VOA; photos by ISNA

Iranian rescue teams and dozens of trucks worked through the night searching the ruins trying to reach trapped firefighters and other victims a day after a historic high-rise building in the heart of Tehran caught fire and later collapsed, killing at least 30 firefighters and injuring more than 80 people.



17-story Plasco building in central Tehran after being engulfed by a fire on Jan. 19, 2017





The fire broke out at about 8 a.m. local time Thursday in the 17-story Plasco building, housing more than 500 garment and clothing workshops, when many of its workers had not yet arrived at the site. The cause of the fire was not yet clear.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said since the fire broke out, all necessary measures had been taken for security and safety of the German, Turkish and British embassies in the neighborhood. No damages were reported at those diplomatic compounds.

The semi-official Mehr news agency said President Hassan Rouhani ordered his interior minister to "immediately investigate the causes of the accident, identify those responsible, take care of the injured and quickly compensate people for their losses."





Plasco building engulfed by fire



A fire broke out in the 17-story Plasco building, which opened in 1962 as the Iranian capital's first high-rise tower, about 8 a.m. local time Thursday, when many of its workers had not yet arrived at the site. Iranian media said the fire spread quickly through the building, which housed hundreds of clothing and garment manufacturers and highly flammable textiles.

Many firefighters feared lost

The building collapsed three hours later, in images broadcast live on Iranian television.

Authorities said they feared dozens of firefighters were in the building at the time, along with an unknown number of business owners who had rushed into the burning building to retrieve their valuables.





A firefighter praying



Another semiofficial news agency, Fars, quoted a Tehran emergency services spokesman as saying about 70 people had been injured, including firefighters. The cause of the fire was not clear.



Mehr quoted Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as expressing deep sorrow for the collapse and saying "all efforts should focus on saving the firefighters trapped in the site." He added, "Finding causes and possible contributing factors is only a second priority."

Iranian firefighters work to extinguish fire of the Plasco building before it collapsed, Jan. 19, 2017.



Building designed to house offices

The Plasco building was located in central Tehran near the capital's sprawling bazaar and British embassy. It was built by Habibollah Elghanian, a prominent Jewish-Iranian businessman who was arrested on charges of being an Israeli spy and executed in 1979 during the Islamic revolution.

The building originally was designed to house offices.







Search and rescue operations at Plasco building



VOA Persian service executive editor Mohammad Manzarpour, who visited Plasco in the late 1990s, said its configuration changed after the Islamic Revolution, when a charitable foundation under direct control of Iran's then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took control of the site. He said Bonyad Mostazafan, or the Foundation for the Oppressed, rented out office space to the textile manufacturers and prevented the Tehran municipality from enforcing any safety regulations.

"I visited the building because my cousin had a T-shirt production line there," Manzarpour said. "It was horrific - the corridors were damaged and dark because the lighting was gone, huge parts of ceilings and walls were missing, and emergency exits were stacked with manufacturers' boxes."

Manzarpour, who previously worked as a journalist in Tehran, said the foundation did nothing when the municipality threatened to take it to court for ignoring warnings about safety at Plasco.

Soroush Farzin-Moghadam, an engineering professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, told VOA Persian's Newshour program that Iranian authorities typically attempt to update building codes when a disaster happens.

"But there's a double standard when it comes to implementation," said Farzin-Moghadam, who studied architecture and building technology in Tehran and has worked on residential complexes and airports. "When Iranian regulations do not deal with life and death issues, they are implemented completely, whereas when regulations do impact people's lives, they are ignored," he said.

VOA's Persian Service contributed to this report.



About the author: Michael Lipin covers international news for VOA on the web, radio and TV, specializing in the Middle East and East Asia Pacific. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Lipin
The event leadership team for the 2017 Relay For Life will meet Monday to work on plans for this years event.

This meeting is at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1544 E. Military Ave., in Fremont. Anyone interested in being a part of the planning team is invited to attend.

The 2017 Relay For Life of Dodge County will be held June 10 on the campus of Midland University. The theme is Theres No Place Life Hope.

For more information, contact Stephanie Stephenson at 402-393-5800.
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.
A main roadway into a community affected by the Blue Cut Fire burn area has been partially blocked by a mud slide triggered by the recent heavy rains, according to California Highway Patrol reports.

The mud slide also cut power to the mountain community.

Crews worked overnight to clear the southbound lanes of Lytle Creek Canyon Road at Fork Road in Lytle Creek, but the northbound lanes are still shut down Friday morning. The crews will continue to work on clearing the roadway well into the morning, according to the CHP incident log.

Large rocks and mud tumbled across the roadway just before midnight Thursday night as the second of three storms made its way across Southern California.

The slide took out a light pole last night, causing a power outage in the small community. More than 400 customers are still without power Friday morning, according to Southern California Edison. Officials estimate that crews will have electricity restored by late Friday afternoon.

More mud slides could be in store for the area as the Inland Empire braces for more rain and snow, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service has issued a flash flood watch for Lytle Creek and surrounding areas until Friday 7 p.m.

A storm system moving through the region  will create heavy showers and a few thunderstorms from late morning through early evening, according to the NWS watch. Debris flows in recent burn scars will also be possible.
A 21-year-old Lake Elsinore man accused of repeatedly molesting a girl at his familys daycare business must stand trial on multiple felony charges, a judge ruled today.

Jacob Blas could face 75 years to life in prison if convicted of sexually assaulting the child, identified in court documents only as Jane Doe.

Following a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Michael Donner found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial on five counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child under 10 years old.

Donner scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Feb. 21 at the Riverside Hall of Justice and kept Blas bail at $5 million. Hes being held at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

Sheriffs investigators received a report in late April of an alleged molestation at the Rea Family Daycare on Bella Aliza, according to Sgt. Steve Brosche.

Detectives allegedly uncovered evidence that the victim was molested while under Blas supervision. The defendant lived on-site at the time, according to the sergeant.

The District Attorneys Office alleges that the abuse occurred between January 2014 and continued into late 2015.

Blas fixed his attentions on the girl beginning when she was 6 years old, taking her aside after other children had left the daycare, prosecutors allege.

The victims younger brother was at the facility around the same time but was apparently distracted or left in another room when his sibling was allegedly assaulted, according to investigators.

Riverside County Child Protective Services, the California Department of Social Services and the California Department of Justice all initiated investigations of the family daycare after the criminal complaint was filed against Blas, who has no prior felony or misdemeanor convictions.
Should Riversides council and mayor get a raise?

The council will decide that question at a 3 p.m. meeting Tuesday, Jan. 24, in the council chambers at Riverside City Hall, 3900 Main St.

Under the city charter, the council considers every two years whether to raise elected officials salaries. The councils last raise was in 2015, before which members had turned down pay hikes for eight years.

The maximum raise they could give themselves is 5 percent, which would bring council members pay from $41,376 to $43,440 annually. The mayors salary would increase from $82,764 to $86,880 per year.

Council members say they work at least full-time hours, though the charter doesnt specify whether the job is full- or part-time. Last June, city voters rejected a ballot measure that would have boosted council pay from 50 percent to 80 percent of the mayors salary.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9461arobinson@scng.comTwitter: @arobinson_pe
Southern California residents will get a break Saturday, Jan. 21, from the storm that on Friday left motorists stuck in high water, toppled trees and power lines, and diverted ex-president Barack Obamas plane to Riverside.

Then a storm similar to Fridays will roar in on Sunday, bringing more rain and a foot of snow to Big Bear in the San Bernardino Mountains, the National Weather Service said.

With the ground saturated, the water will have nowhere to go but into the streets and down hillsides. A flash-flood warning is expected.

Definitely some concerns with the one that will arrive Sunday into Monday, said Brett Albright, a meteorologist with the Weather Service.

The storm will arrive in the Los Angeles area Sunday before it reaches the Inland Empire, he said.

Showers will continue into Tuesday.

After that we get a nice break and a warmup, Albright said.

The second of three storms to hit Southern California this week dropped a significant amount of rain and snow Friday.

Within 72 hours most parts of the Inland Empire had received 1-2 inches of rain, according to the Weather Service, and area mountains recorded upwards of 15 inches of snow.

The storm shut down access to the Palm Springs Airport, where the Obama family had planned to land Friday afternoon, and shortly before 5 p.m., they were diverted to Riversides March Air Reserve Base.

Weather impacted those on the ground, too. Several roads flooded, mud and rocks blocked roadways and snow disrupted traffic in the San Bernardino Mountains as a result of Fridays storm. Highway 74 eastbound was blocked entirely by a small mudslide just southwest of Lake Elsinore, and Lytle Creek Canyon Road was blocked near Fort Road in the San Gabriel Mountains after mud began to flow in the scar of the Blue Cut Fire.

Gilman Springs Road in San Jacinto suffered a mud slide.

Camino del Norte at O Hana Circle in Lake Elsinore was closed because of flooding.

A boulder blocked Sage Road at Benton Road south of Hemet.

A Riverside County Animal Services truck got stuck in high, moving water in Jurupa Valley. Firefighters rescued the officer. There were no animals aboard.

Public safety officials also spent a portion of the day blocking off roads that were flooded. A truck that hydroplaned and rolled on the southbound Interstate 215 near Temecula claimed the life of one person who California Highway Patrol officers say was not buckled in. Spin outs were reported across Inland highways for much of the day.

Areas such as Norco, Temecula, Beaumont, Chino Hills and San Antonio Heights have seen near or above two inches of rain in the last three days, according to the NWS.

Highway 18 was also shut down by snow between Snow Valley and Big Bear Lake, causing tight traffic for much of the afternoon, according to Caltrans. Motorists were asked to instead take Highway 38. Big Bear, which sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet, recorded 16 inches of snow between the two storms while Idyllwild at 5,000 feet in the San Jacinto Mountains got only 4 inches, according to the weather service.

Folks who traveled up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway would have found themselves in 20 inches of snow, according to the Weather Service, the most snow recorded from the persistent snowfall.

The Los Angeles County sheriffs Palmdale station warned the public of an extreme risk of snow avalanche in the Wrightwood area of the Angeles Forest. People heading into the mountains to enjoy the snow this weekend are advised to stay in designated areas and not to play or park in turnouts or on the roadside.

On top of the rainfall, snow will begin to melt Sunday because of added humidity expected in the lower parts of the mountains. The final storms snow level is expected to start near 7,000 feet but then fall to about 4,000 feet on Monday, when forecasters say a cold front will move in.

Temperatures will remain about 10 degrees below seasonal norms in Southern California through Tuesday, but on Wednesday forecasters say theres a chance for fair, near-seasonal weather. Temperatures are expected to rise back into the 60s and folks will even get some sunshine back in their lives, if current predictions hold up.

Public safety officials have been warning drivers on social media to turn around, dont drown since the first storm arrived on Thursday. The Riverside Police Departments helicopter has warned transients who live in the Santa Ana Riverbed to leave the area as this round of rainfall approaches.

Be cautious when approaching flooded intersections and avoid flowing or standing water when possible, a statement from the Murrieta Fire Department reads.

It only takes 6 inches of water to disrupt the connection between a vehicles tires and the road, the Riverside Fire Department warns.

Many local fire departments offer sandbags for folks concerned about flooding. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department and the San Bernardino County Fire Department both list several locations where sandbags are available.

RELATED:

Mud and rock slide blocks Lytle Creek Canyon Road, cuts power in San Gabriel Mountains

Heavier rain, strong wind, dense fog expected Friday in Inland area
A Menifee woman serving a life sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on top of other narcotics crimes was one of 330 federal inmates whose sentences for drug convictions were commuted in one of the final acts by President Barack Obama.

Connie F. Avalos sentence, imposed in 2009, was reduced to 235 months  thats still 19 years  on the condition that she enroll in residential drug abuse treatment.

The final batch of commutations  more in a single day than on any other day in U.S. history  was the culmination of Obamas 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, who leaves office on Friday, repeatedly called on Congress to pass a broader criminal justice fix, but lawmakers never acted.

To be eligible for a commutation under Obamas 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.

Avalos was convicted of planning to distribute 500 grams  a little more than a pound  of meth in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky.

Avalos attorney, Dennis Alerding, said in a phone interview that Avalos had received money orders sent from Kentucky to California and believed that they were to be used for child support payments. Someone then testified that Avalos knew the money orders were payment for drugs.

This was absolutely the right thing to do, Alerding said.

Avalos had other convictions as well.

In 2005, Avalos was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in San Bernardino Superior Court, where she was sentenced to 16 months in prison, court documents say. That sentenced ran concurrently with a 16-month sentence imposed at the same time in a 1995 drug case.

In 1993, Avalos pleaded guilty in a marijuana-importation case in San Diego and was sentenced to 2 years and four months supervised release, four months in prison and four months in a community treatment program, according to online records. But she violated her probation and was imprisoned an additional three months, records show.

In 1998, U.S. authorities caught Avalos smuggling about 42 pounds of marijuana across the Mexico border. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison, records state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

RELATED

Its official  Obamas to visit Palm Springs this weekend

Whats Obamas legacy in Southern California?
Three men were arrested in connection at least two burglaries in the Yucaipa area and investigators believe there may be additional victims out there.

Hoadena Ingram, 38, and Earl Hagans, 19, both of Victorville and Kenneth Robinson, 19, of San Bernardino were arrested Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 18 on suspicion of residential burglary and conspiracy, according to a San Bernardino County sheriffs news release.

Just before 1 p.m., deputies from the Yucaipa station were called to a possible residential burglary in the 33000 block of Wildflower Lane in Yucaipa, the release said.

The caller said four people were seen driving around the area in a black Chrysler Sebring convertible before stopping in front of a home on Wildflower Lane, officials said.

The witness told investigators one person went to the front door, returned to the car, then two more men got out of the car. The three men then allegedly went into the rear yard of the home.

Authorities determined the men broke into the home and took some items.

When deputies arrived, the three men ran off. The driver of the Sebring was detained at the scene and deputies managed to catch up to two of the three men seen in the backyard, according to the news release. The trio was later identified as Hagans, Ingram and Robinson. The identity of the last man was not released.

While conducting their investigation, deputies found property inside the Sebring they believed to be stolen, officials said. One of the items was a semi-automatic pistol that was registered to someone living in the 33000 block of Northview Lane, a short distance from Wildflower Lane.

Deputies checked on the home on Northview Lane and allegedly found the front door was forced open and the house was ransacked.

Authorities believe the group may be involved in additional burglaries. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Yucaipa station at 909-918-2305. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can call the WeTip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or www.wetip.com.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, Mexicos most notorious cartel kingpin who twice made brazen prison escapes and spent years on the run as the countrys most wanted man, was extradited to the U.S. on Thursday to face drug trafficking and other charges.

Mexicos Foreign Relations Department announced Guzman was handed over to U.S. authorities for transportation to the U.S. on Thursday, the last full day of President Barack Obamas administration and a day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated.

The U.S. Justice Department issued a statement confirming that Guzman was en route to the United States and expressed gratitude to Mexico for its cooperation.

PHOTOS: Mexico says it has extradited drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman to the U.S.

A senior U.S. official said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of Guzman in Ciudad Juarez, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas, and a plane carrying him departed for New York at 5:31 p.m. EST. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and agreed to give the information only if not quoted by name.

The convicted Sinaloa cartel boss has been held most recently in a prison near Ciudad Juarez. He was recaptured a year ago after escaping from a second maximum-security prison through a tunnel dug to his cell. He had fought extradition since then.

Guzman faces the possibility of life in a U.S. prison under multiple indictments in six jurisdictions around the United States, including New York, San Diego, Chicago and Miami.

A federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York, where Guzman is expected to be prosecuted, accuses him of overseeing a trafficking cartel with thousands of members and billions of dollars in profits laundered back to Mexico. It says Guzman and other members of the Sinaloa cartel employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture.

He was first indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in July 2009. A superseding indictment was issued in May charging him and Ismael El Mayo Zambada with a variety of drug, gun and money laundering charges as part of an ongoing criminal enterprise.

A Mexican Foreign Relations Department statement said a court had ruled against Guzmans appeal and found that his extradition would be constitutional.

The White House, which was down to a skeleton staff hours before Trump takes office, said it had no immediate comment.
Middle class sounded off

Re: Hollywood sounds off [News, Jan 9]: Maybe do another piece a bit more realistic. We can call it Middle class America sounds off. Oh, wait, voters already did that on Nov. 8 when we elected Donald Trump as our next president. That fact is reality, folks, like it or not. The Hollywood elite, Democrats and liberals are completely out of touch with the real world. Middle-class America has spoken loud and clear. The election is over and now its time to take care of business and get our nation back on track. Period.

 Terri Gates, Hemet

Going to the money tree

Re: CSU faculty say funding losses have hurt students of color [News, Jan. 13]: CSU trustees seem to think there is a mountain of money someplace. They give huge raises to everyone in the system, then turn to the governor and say we need more money. Months before the election, the state controller said the state had a $6 billion dollar surplus. Weeks before the election, she said if Prop. 51 didnt pass, we would have a deficit of $6 billion dollars? So what happened to the surplus? Besides that, Prop. 51 goes to education funding. The way Sacramento politicians are, they will bow their heads to their knees in the presence of the education department and gladly raise taxes. I guess the state wants to remain No. 1 in the country as far as taxes are concerned. Just my opinion, mind you.

 Edward J. Gersich, Murrieta

Whence they came

Sanctuary cities are a thing of the past, although liberal politicians are still flexing their muscles as if they are the ones calling the shots. They are about to learn a cruel and lasting lesson when Trump cuts off their emoluments. Millions of illegals will storm city hall in Los Angeles and San Francisco screaming for more freebies only to be met by ICE ready to bus them back whence they came.

 Larry Morton, Wildomar

Hypocrites

The state is going to rumble with Trump by hiring the divisive and scandalous Eric Holder? In the eight years America suffered under Obama we were supposed to understand and accept what he was doing to this country. And now the Democrats are preparing to fight Trump every step of the way? Not surprising since Democrats are the biggest hypocrites on earth.

 Greg Roberg, Highland
A big-rig crashed into a power pole Thursday, Jan. 19, in Romoland, downing power lines.

At 3:30 p.m., about two hours after the crash was reported, Southern California Edison workers were repairing the lines near the intersection of Menifee and Mapes roads, according to a California Highway Patrol incident log. Traffic on Menifee Road was stopped in both directions as the repairs were underway.

The log didnt clearly say if anyone was injured in the crash. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department firefighters were initially called to the scene.

The Southern California Edison outage map did not show any power outages in the area at 3:30 p.m.

This story is developing. Check back for more information.
The Orange County man killed by Riverside County sheriffs deputies during a violent standoff last week went on a verbal tirade to his family during a recent birthday party, saying at one point, Dont be surprised if there is a massacre.

Thats according to a restraining order filed against him by his girlfriends father, whose house in Lake Elsinore was the site of the Jan. 11 standoff.

The man was identified Thursday, Jan. 19, by the Riverside County Coroners Office as 41-year-old Hafez Abousamra.

Authorities say the night of Jan. 11, Abousamra opened fire on a California Highway Patrol officer who tried to pull him over on Interstate 15, then continued shooting at officers  and a sheriffs helicopter  as he fled down the freeway and into a Lake Elsinore neighborhood.

He stopped at a house and traded gunfire with sheriffs deputies, then shot into the house, sheriffs officials say. When the SWAT team arrived, he continued firing at them, and was killed.

What authorities hadnt disclosed was that Abousamras girlfriend and their two young children were in the vehicle with him, taken against their will from their Tustin home, said the girlfriends father.

The man, who asked not to be identified by name, spoke Thursday morning from his badly damaged home. One window that Abousamra broke in order to enter the house had been boarded up with plywood while another, partially shattered by bullet holes, had not yet been repaired.

Inside, broken glass was all over the floor. More bullet holes were splayed along the walls. Blood  from a hand Abousamra cut on the broken window  was on doors and walls that Abousamra touched as he chased his girlfriends father through the house.

As the father spoke Thursday, an employee of Elite Customs Disaster Response worked, helping the father and his wife to pack up and move from the shot-up home they feel they can no longer live in.

The father was at times willing to answer questions and describe what happened on the evening of the shootout, but other times he became agitated and would decline to discuss things further, saying what happened was a matter of homeland security.

Since Abousamras death, search warrants have been served at the Tustin apartment complex where he and his family lived, and at the liquor store in Orange where state business records show Abousamra was chief executive officer.

The warrants were served by the Riverside County Sheriffs Department, which asked the FBI to assist. Neither agency would discuss why the FBI was called.

Restraining order

Some of Abousamras neighbors told television media outlets that the man had run-ins with police.

Orange County court records show he didnt have much of a criminal record, save a DUI from 2009 and a speeding ticket in 2010. But there were multiple temporary restraining orders against him, one of them filed just last month.

A hearing to discuss the case had been set for Jan. 12, the day after he went on the shooting spree.

It was filed by the father of Abousamras girlfriend. The approved order covered him, his wife, his daughter  Abousamras girlfriend  and the children.

In the order, the father details a Dec. 8 birthday celebration for his wife at the Orange liquor store.

Abousamra is accused in the filings of screaming at his girlfriends mother, throwing his son onto a bench, going on a tirade about Jews and Hitler, and saying at one point, Dont be surprised if there is a massacre.

The request for the order outlines multiple other incidents in which Abousamra  referred to as Anthony  harassed and threatened his girlfriends family. At one point Abousamras girlfriend told her mother that she thought he was going to kill her.

The order includes some excerpts from police stating Abousamra owned many guns and had a way of bullying people into what he wants.

The shootout

The evening of Jan. 11, the father said, Abousamra took his girlfriend and their children against their will and drove them from Tustin to Lake Elsinore. He said Abousamra had been drinking along the way.

According to the CHP and Sheriffs Department, an officer tried to pull over Abousamras Ford F-150 about 8:50 p.m. near Indian Truck Trail because he appeared to be driving under the influence.

The CHP said when the officer approached, Abousamra became extremely uncooperative, making threats and furtive movements, then got out and started shooting at the CHP officers patrol car, causing the officer to take cover behind a freeway barrier.

The girlfriends father offered a different description of events:

He jumped into the backseat with the grandkids, busted out the back window and started shooting, the father said.

The ensuing chase led south on the 15 to Railroad Canyon Road, then into the Tuscany Hills neighborhood and to Villa Roma, where the girlfriends parents live.

The father said Abousamra began firing rounds into his house before entering through a broken window. The mother wife ran outside and the father approached Abousamra with a gun, only to have the gun jam. The father ran away, with Abousamra running frantically through the dark house and firing more rounds.

Eventually, the father said, Abousamra left his girlfriend and children in the kitchen and exchanged fire with the sheriffs SWAT team. He fell onto a concrete slabstone just outside the front door, which was still splattered with blood Thursday.

The Coroners Office said Abousamra was wounded at 9:40 p.m. and pronounced dead at the scene at 10:01.

No one other than Abousamra was injured.

The girlfriends father said he regrets what transpired.

Our sympathy goes out to (Abousamras) family and the parents, he said.

Orange County searches

At Abousamras Tustin home in the 1400 block of San Juan Street, a padlock kept the front door shut Wednesday afternoon.

Taped on the pale blue wooden door was a note signed by the property manager reading: To Law Enforcement: If access to this unit is necessary please call landlord

But law enforcement officials had already been there to serve a search warrant the day after Abousamra was killed.

No one answered knocks on the door Wednesday. A pile of dirty sneakers and flip flops and a clothes hanger lay on the doormat, as if left there in haste.

The second property where officers served a warrant was at Orange Liquor at 535 N. Tustin St. in Orange. A man working at the store Wednesday would not answer questions.

The store was open for business but quiet, a far cry from the scene when armored vehicles, patrol cars and tape surrounded the business.

Earlier allegations

The December restraining order is not the first sought against Abousamra. A woman in Laguna Niguel who said she was his ex-girlfriend filed for one in July 2008, Orange County court records show.

She described Abousamra as pushy and aggressive, adding that he had a controlling personality and harassed and threatened her after the two broke up. She also claimed he was a violent drunk given to severe mood swings.

The woman said in the restraining order that Abousamra stole her cellphone and called the men in her contacts list, ordering them to stay away from her.

I know where you work, where you live and Im not scared, the woman said he told them. During a July 12, 2008 incident, she said Abousamra took off his shirt, hit two men, forced his way into her car and threatened to kill her, her family and friends.

Abousamra challenged the restraining order, saying he had broken up the woman and the July incident didnt happen. He also said in his own filing that he was receiving threatening calls that were possibly from the woman. The order was dissolved in February 2009.

Records from further back showed a petition for divorce citing irreconcilable differences from a woman in early 2005. Abousamra did not challenge the divorce and the pair  married on March 20,1997  were separated by February 13, 2005.

Staff writer Anne Millerbernd contributed to this report.
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.

var _ndnq = _ndnq || []; _ndnq.push([embed]);

Contact the writer: 714-796-3570 or kfadroski@ocregister.com
Malcolm Barnett, a member of a pioneer family with deep roots in the Temecula Valley who helped preserve the Pujol School House in Temecula, died Thursday morning.

After retiring from the San Diego Fire Department in the early 1990s, Barnett traveled around the country in an RV but eventually returned to the stomping grounds of his youth, becoming a historian who shared tales from the pioneer days and helped preserve the areas Wild West legacy.

Malcolm never realized how significant his early days were in Murrieta and Temecula until he returned after his retirement, said his wife, Loretta Barnett. He loved history and loved talking about old times. He valued the past. Even his participation in the gunfighters group as Eli was to celebrate how valuable memories of the past were to him.

One of his biggest successes was preservation of the 1889-vintage school house, which sits on the property of a church on Santiago Road near Old Town Temecula.

Saving it was personal for Barnett because thats where his grandmother went to school, said Rebecca Farnbach, a fellow area historian.

Barnett, a Murrieta native, was born at the Loma Linda hospital in San Bernardino County in 1934. He attended schools in Murrieta, Temecula and Elsinore.

When he was 12, he worked as a towel boy at the Murrieta Hot Springs Resort, which was one of the areas biggest tourism draws.

He later worked as a mudcutter for the mud baths there, a lifeguard, a gas station attendance and a bus boy. He also spent time on the familys 200-acre ranch, where he harvested fields with his cousin Jack Roripaugh.

In the 1950s, he drove a hot rod and luxuriated in the eras music and the post-war splendor of open roads and boundless possibilities.

He courted and married Loretta Erdel, raising a family of three that included two sons and a daughter.

The family moved to San Diego, where he served with the fire department there following a stint building fighter jets.

In his later years, he developed an abiding love for the outdoors and he ended up hiking most of Californias major peaks and much of the Sierras, which he introduced to his fellow firefighters.

His community work included time as a docent at the Temecula Valley Museum, shows with the Old Town Temecula Gunfighters (which put his long white beard to good use) and leadership roles with the Boy Scouts and area boards.

Services will be at the chapel by the lake at the Calvary Murrieta Bible College at 2 p.m. Thursday, January 26. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking people to donate to the Vail Ranch Restoration Association or the Temecula Valley Historical Society student scholarship fund.
Until recently, the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), was an infamous spectacle of how bad management of public institutions can cost a nation and the citizenry.



Established in 2010 as a vehicle for the transformation of the savannah zone, SADA was seen by the late Prof Atta Mills administration as the boldest and, possibly, the final initiative by a government to meet the development aspirations of that segment of the country.



But after two years of existence, with a seed fund of GH100 million at its beck and call, poor resource allocation and disregard for best practices in corporate practices soon marred the good intentions that accompanied its establishment.



Fortunately, however, the institutions have reformed itself over the past two years, much to the admiration of its partners.



The reality is that the SADA of 2016 was substantially different from the SADA of 2012 and 2013.



As at last year, a new Board and CEO were in their second year of office. Thanks to the change in the management structure, the authority had successfully beefed up its staff with transparently recruited professionals.



It had strengthened its financial accountability and administrative systems, changed its ways of working and offered to focus more on facilitating investments, planning and coordination rather than being an implementer.



As a result, development partners (DPs) quickly reposed confidence in the new SADA and subsequently reversed their earlier decisions to keep a distance from its operations.



The Abugre factor



The renewed confidence of DPs on SADA was bolstered by the non-partisan nature of the authoritys CEO, Charles Abugre.



A development economist with special interest in rural progress, Mr Abugre, in his two years as CEO, has successfully embarked upon and invested heavily in the authoritys innovative, exciting and ambitious master planning exercises and engaged multiple constituencies in the process, including all political parties.



Since the later part of 2015, the authority has been busily preparing the various aspects of its master plans  the agricultural master plan, the SADA Zone Spatial Development plan, the Tamale City Development Master Plan, among others.



These plans, although on paper now, hold the key to the economic and social transformation of the poorer part of the country, which accounts for 54 percent of the land mass of Ghana.



Its agricultural master plan has virtually done all the background technical work that is needed for the President Akufo-Addo administration to implement its irrigation agenda  the one village, one dam  and transform agriculture in general.



Also, the work that SADA has done with USAID to map investment profiles in all 63 SADA districts lays the ground for the NPPs one district, one factory agenda.



The regional concept plan is also effectively an industrialisation strategy for the northern savannah.



Similarly, most of the ideas in the infrastructure plan developed by SADA have been substantially reflected in the NPPs manifesto.



This is why a little meeting of minds between the government and SADA can help kick-start development and job creation, where it is most needed.



Sober reflections



Government would now need to take a sober and second look at the work that SADA has done and the competences in the institution that can be harnessed and supported to deliver.



For a start, however, the government should speedily resolve three issues: the promised renaming of the institution, the re-drawing of the boundaries and clarification of what it means by restructuring as promised by the President before, during and after the elections.



While at it, one thing that comes to mind is the proposed change in the name of the authority.



Change of name



Although widely supported, one may ask if the change of name will add much to the speeding up of development to reduce the excruciating poverty and unemployment in the other half of our country.



While it is true that a change of name might be a good branding trick to breathe in freshness and a new sense of belief, purpose and value to the authority to help inspire confidence, one must note that the change in name is more of a cost than value addition.



Think of the cost in time, money, and man-hours that will be needed to draft appropriate legislations, per diems for rounds of Parliamentary sub-Committee meetings and other exercises relevant to amend the law that created SADA  Act 805, 2010  before a name can be changed.



How about the cost of rebranding the materials already produced and complications of reviewing international agreements and contracts that the authority entered into with its DPs?



Then again, will the change of focus from savannah to northern serve the interest of the country in general?



Generally speaking, the savannah is an ecological construct and conveys less emotive connotations. Northern, on the other hand, which refers to the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, has clear historical, geopolitical and ethnic connotations.



It carries with it a lot of emotions.



Perhaps, rather than Northern, we might use North Development Authority, a more loose definition that could retain the current SADA Zone boundaries.



After all, there is a compelling logic to keep them together  they share a drier ecology, culture and traditions as well as levels of development.



These shared conditions explain the necessity for joint planning and coordination.



Will pulling them out of the current collective and adding them to bigger, more endowed regions, serve or hinder the objective of equitable development -accelerating development in laggard areas?



Accelerating development



What is the implication of an NDA without the word accelerated? The justification for SADA lies in the word accelerated  the need to take preferential steps to speed up development in a part of the country that lags behind.



This is rooted in the 1992 Constitution and a shared desire for equitable development.



It is also a recognition that tremendous resources in that half of our country lie relatively wasted and unutilised for growth.



Lifting that part of the country  the Northern Savannah  will lift Ghanas development.



In accelerating growth and development, we must also be mindful of the fragility of the environment of this part of our country  a dry land savannah that holds a threat for increasing desertification and reduction of Ghanas water resources, given that the bulk of the Volta Rivers main basins are located there.



Thus, protecting these basins would amount to protecting Ghana.



This is why treating the Northern Savannah as one entity is key: it allows for the country to tackle several threats together  underdevelopment, the environmental and security.



If boundaries have to be withdrawn, it might make more sense to add more drier areas, especially in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Region to SADA or perhaps The Accelerated Development Authority of the North than to take districts away.



Conclusion



While change is necessary, given the impact it will bring to the institution, it is needless to say that the nature of the change that will be proposed has to be matured, considered and results-oriented.



The change should focus more on expanding the geographic boundaries and properly resourcing the authority to implement its Master Plan and the governments priorities while strengthening its accountability systems.



If the government takes this direction, there is no doubt that the results will be speedy and political dividends will be high.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The first phase of vetting of ministers-designate nominated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will take place at parliament today.



Four ministers-designate are expected to appear before the Appointments Committee of Parliament chaired by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu in what appears to be a grueling encounter.



They are Senior Minister-designate, Yaw Osafo-Maafo; Minister-designate for National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah; Minister-designate for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and Minister-designate for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul.



The vetting process promises to be an exciting one as members of the minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the Committee are bent on stretching the new ministers-designate whom many political pundits have described as very appropriate nominees for the various ministries assigned to them.



After the first batch, the vetting will continue on Saturday, January 21, with Minister-designate for Interior, Ambrose Dery and Attorney General-designate, Gloria Akuffo, also appearing.



Four ministers-designate will then face the vetting committee on Monday, January 23.



They are the Minister-designate for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama; Minister-designate for Trade and Industry, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Minister-designate for Energy, Boakye Agyarko.



Then on Tuesday, January 24, the remaining three of the first batch of ministers-designate will also show up.



These are Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway; Minister-designate for Education, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh and Minister-designate for Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu.



The minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, told the media in parliament after the names were communicated to Members that as minority, they would look at the intelligence of the ministers-designate, their dispositions and suitability for the positions assigned to them when they appear before the committee.



Ministers CVs



Meanwhile, as at press time, the minority side of the Appointments Committee had complained bitterly that they were yet to receive the Curriculum Vitae of the ministerial nominees  24 hours before their vetting commences.



According to Alhassan Suhuyini  a member of the minority side on the committee  attempts by them to get the CVs of the nominees before the start of the vetting today had proven futile since Wednesday.



Speaking in an interview with Accra-based radio station, Citi FM, on Thursday, he said the delay in getting them the CVs was meant to frustrate them and that that would not augur well for the process.



The people of Ghana want usto ask the relevant questions, especially about the caliber of people that are going to be working for them. And so, we think that it is unacceptable. We dont want them to give us the CVs tomorrow morning when we are supposed to be vetting the nominees, Suhuyini said.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Staff of Kyebi Government Hospital in the East Akim Municipality of the Eastern Region are facing accommodation problems even though some bungalows have been abandoned for the past eight years in the bush.



After a tour of the area, a source at the hospital told DAILY GUIDE that a two semi-detached self-contained bungalows under construction, which have been turned into a hideout for wee smokers and other criminals, had been neglected by the contractor due to the lack of funds.



Owing to the development, the hospital staff have resorted to renting private houses at exorbitant prices.



According to sources at the hospital, medical doctors, who have been transferred to the facility, have refused postings to the Kyebi, which is the hometown of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the seat of Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin.



Reports indicate that the hospital currently lacks a dentist due to its inability to house an expert, who has been posted to the area since last year.



The East Akim Municipal Assembly has also been accused of taking over most of the bungalows belonging to the hospital and allocating them to other institutions.



Even though hospital authorities had earlier requested for the abandoned bungalows, through the Regional Health Administrator, the contractor is said to have declined their request.



Some authorities of the facility, who pleaded anonymity, appealed to the Ministry of Health and government to, as matter of urgency, come to the aid of the hospital.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Myjoyonline.com brings you live update from Parliament where its Appointments Committee is set to vet four ministerial nominations starting with the Senior minister-designate, Yaw Osafo Marfo.



Strict security and enforcement of protocol means the cacophany that surrounds the vetting process has vanished. No teeming supporters outside to cheer their favourite politician, no intimidating delegations of chiefs,family members or close associates.



Today should be orderly, pensive and quite serene. Your reporter, Edwin Appiah is here to bring you live updates.



Mahama Ayariga, Bawku MP, gets his opportunity to question the constitutional basis for the Senior minister position. he wants to know if he has paid his taxes or declared his assets.



OM: I faithfully pay my taxes. He shows his tax clearance certificate. He says he has declared his assets twice and when he is approved he will declare his assets the third time. He says he believes in public declaration of assets.



MA: Are you higher in rank as a Senior minister?



OM: He reads Article 78(2) which allows the president to appoint ministers as he deems efficient. If the President wants to name his position as an 'octopus' ministry so be it. He says he is not superior to any minister.



Anthony Karbo: asks a question about taxes and later wants the nominee to speak some German as he said he can.



OM: Withholding tax is a 'lazy way of taxing' so it will be reviewed along with corporate taxes. His team has already met three times on the taxes to be scrapped. He also speaks some German equilavent to 'how are you?'



Anthony Karbo asked a 'very complicated question' about how he will make the economy business friendly and the IMF program



OM: Land and rent is a major challenge. There is nowhere in the world where you pay rent two years. Rent advance put off businesses which wanted to re-locate to Ghana during civil unrest. He wants Parliament to straighten some of these things according to the law.



IMF program 'will certainly be reviewed'. Akufo-Addo needs fiscal space to implement his program which the IMF program does not currently allow. Secondly, most targets set between the IMF and NDC govt were missed. So ' even the IMF would want the program reviewed'



Nii Lante: Have you seen the National 40-year development plan



Osafo Marfo : I have had some input into the plan relating to infrastructure, power. I haven't seen the final product but when I was consulted I gave my views. I do not believe in planning beyond 10 years because the world changes quickly.



Nii Lante is worried Osafo Marfo has not seen the plan. How is he going to continue with it?



Osafo Marfo: stresses the NPP was consulted. But the new government will not swallow it hook,line and sinker. 'We will look at it critically.



Nii Lante Vanderpuye ask a question: What will be the relationship between your office, NDPC and Minisitry of Finance?



Osafo Marfo: NDPC does 'super-planning'. His relationship with NDPC will therefore be cooperation.



11:04. Osafo Marfo is explaining his new position. He will cordinate the economic sector ministries like his predeccesor JH Mensah. He says he has done this kind of job in Liberia. The economy is the priority of the Akufo-Addo government and his past experience means he will bring in much, he explains.



10:57am Osafo Marfo is in blue suit,hot pink tie and lots of grey hair.



10:55am: First Deputy Speaker Hon. Joe Osei Owusu who chairs the Appointments Committee has prayed Parliament's routine prayer. He has urged respect for the rules and invited the nominee.



10:17am:



At least 13 members of the committee are seated. A good number of them have also been nominated for positions - Napo, Nitiwul,Ursula - will it soften their mettle or temper their bite today? For the Minority MPs there is no such dilema or disuasion. They have promised to go for the jugular.



The last time a nominee was vetted it was John Oti Bless. The Minority were very keen on stopping his appointment for distasteful comments he made about judges months prior to the vetting.



The Minority is now the Majority, the Majority then now the Minority. Time they say - changes.



Osafo Marfo is a veteran politician. The former Akim Oda MP is not new to vetting or to ministerial work. He was appointed Minister of Finance in February 2001 and later to Education and Sports.



But this position - Senior Minister - is new to him and controversial for the Minority. Already Bawku MP from the Minority, Mahama Ayariga, has described the position as unconstitutional. We could find out more.

Source: myjoyonline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Ghanaians, especially those in Berekum, Dormaa Ahenkro, Nkoranza and other towns in the Brong Ahafo Region, whose relatives have travelled to Libya in search of greener pastures, are extremely worried about the safety of their relations in that country.



Gory pictures of dead Ghanaians and other Africans in that country are currently circulating.



Sadique, a Ghanaian in Tripoli, last Friday said some Ghanaians and other people of African descent had been arrested, beheaded, adding that hundreds were chained and transported to unknown places.



He said some Libyans were searching for black people in ghettoes to be tortured and killed.



He therefore pleaded with Ghanaians, who intend to travel to Libya for greener pastures to rescind their decisions, saying they can use their monies to trade at home rather than risk their lives.



The heads were severed with cutlasses. Others were severely beaten. The situation is dire and I am speaking from my hideout. I ask Ghanaians back home who have not heard from their brothers, sisters in Libya to call them to see if they are still alive.



Since the news broke out about the development, some local radio stations, including Moonlight Fm in Sunyani have been playing the voices, thereby sending shivers down spines of relatives in the region.



Some callers to the radio station therefore pleaded with President Nana Addo to intervene in matter.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Three Northern chiefs, one of them a professor, have expressed interest in vying for the membership of the Council of State.



The chiefs are Professor Samuel Yakubu Nantogmah, whose traditional title is Bo-Naa, the Kpembewura Banbagna Ndefeso IV, Paramount and Chief of the Tuluwe Traditional Area of Gonja, Tuluwewura Sulemana Bonyansa.



Professor Samuel Yakubu Nantogmah is an educationist with over 35 years experience in Ghana and the United States of America.



He is the chief of Bogu, a village that is about 16 kilometres due west of Savelugu in the Savelugu-Nanton District of the Northern Region.



Bo Naa is keen to share his vast experience in an advisory capacity on issues relating to how society could take care of its members and leaders can organize themselves and social institutions to form better synergies that would encourage people to want to work together rather than proceed along individual/parochial lines, DAILY GUIDE has learnt.



The Paramount Chief of the Kpembe Traditional Area in the East Gonja District of the Northern Region, who made his interest known in an interview, is a highly respected chief in the Northern Region.



He is said to have picked a nomination form and on the verge of completing it.



It is believed that his rich experience would impact positively on the fortunes of the country.

Representing the Northern Region to serve my country will be another opportunity for me and I know those who have voting rights will give me the opportunity to serve the good people of Ghana, he added.



He ascended the Kpembe skin in August last year and is a teacher and former District Chief Executive for the East Gonja District during the erstwhile Kufuor administration from 2001-2004.



Paramount Chief of the Tuluwe Traditional Area of Gonjaland, Tuluwewura Sulemana Bonyansa I has expressed interest in contesting as the Northern Regional representative for the Council of State.



In an interview with Bole-based Nkilgi FM, Tuluwewura Bonyansa said he has performed creditably well as an appointed member of the Council of State, pushing for many people from the Northern Region to be employed into many government and private institutions.



He was one of the members of the Council of state who advised former President Mahama based on the realities on the ground.



He said he has an unfinished business, having been appointed only three years. According to the soft spoken Tuluwewura, the election of the council of state is non-partisan and ethnic and so he will serve all in Northern Region, irrespective of political party and ethnic group one belongs.



I was appointed by President John Dramani Mahama as a Member of the Council of State, representing the Northern Region in February, 2013 based on merit but not because I belong to a political party, he emphasized.



The Electoral Commission (EC) has set Thursday, February 9, 2017, as the date to hold elections for the regional representatives to the Council of State and to be eligible to contest the election, applicants must be Ghanaian, of sound mind, be eligible to contest and be native to or resident in the regions they seek to represent.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Junior staff of Tema and Takoradi unions of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority(GPHA) have called for the dismissal of the Director General of the GPHA, Richard Anamoo with immediate effect.



According to the agitated staff, Mr Anamoo has promoted over 1000 people after the December elections, which they suspect some foul play.



According to the union, from January 2012 to November 2016 over a period of four years, only 378 staff were promoted to various levels and categories.



They believe these promotions in the past month are politically motivated.



For both Tema and Takoradi ports, 265 staff were engaged from January 2012 to November 2016 however the period before and after the election have witnessed massive employment of new staff totaling about 800 including contract staff.



Aside the last hour recruitment and promotions, the unions also accused the current Director General of awarding several contracts at a dying minute to exit office. Some contracts pending as old as 45 years, according to the employees have been cleared by the outgoing DG.



Whoever will take over from Anamoo, if that person decides to terminate those contracts in the interest of the state,hell commit the government to pay huge judgment debts. If Anamoo continue to stay any longer at the Port as the Director General, hell bring GPHA to its knees. The President must not waste time to remove him now. GPHA has huge prospects and can develop Ghana. Almost all of your election promises can be catered for by GPHA, the Secretary of the junior staff union, Keku Kwasi Amuzu said.

Source: kasapafmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
It appears Dr Stephen Opuni is being disowned by his party members following his dismissal as Chief Executive Officer of Cocobod.



Shortly after his dismissal Friday, some NDC members took to social media to express their joy over the news. They contend that the man is arrogant and corrupt



Deputy Volta regional NDC Secretary, Mustapha Gbande could not hide his excitement over the news and further called on President Akufo- Addo to investigate and prosecute Dr Opuni if possible.



Don't just sack Dr opuni, investigate and prosecute him if neccessary. Nana Addo I love you for this decision . At least after this ,if you don't do anything for the rest of the three years as president Ghanaians will be happy with you , he posted on his Facebook page Friday.

Source: Ghana Web









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Senior Minister-designate Yaw Osafo Maafo has denied ever saying or implying that only Ghanaians from five resource-rich regions in the country should lead Ghana.



In February 2015, Mr Maafo was reported as saying even though about 90 percent of Ghanas natural resources are concentrated in mainly Akan-speaking regions of the country, it is people who come from regions without resources who are governing the country.



The comment was contained on an audiotape secretly recorded two years ago as the former Finance Minister, who is also the Chairman of the New Patriotic Partys Eastern regional Council of Elders, was addressing some party members ahead of the 2016 general elections.



Mr Maafo, who spoke the Twi language punctuated with some English, was heard bemoaning why Akan-speaking people, whose regions are rich with natural resources, are not the ones at the helm of managing those resources.



You have all the resources, but you have no say in the management of your resources and that is what is happening. Your development depends on the one who has no resources, he said, cautioning: You cant say this openly, except among Asantes. We should protect ourselves, we should protect our income. No one who is the source of income, the source of revenue, the source of resources allows another person without those resources the chance [to rule over them]. Its never done anywhere in the world. In the world over, it is the group with the most resources that rules and not the other way around, he added.



In his estimation, as reported at the time, 86.5 per cent of resources in Ghana come from five regions: Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Eastern, Western, and Central. This is where 86 per cent of the resources of Ghana come from.  And the oil was also discovered in the West. It will change the formula to about 90 per cent. We cannot ignore these five regions. We should not.



Clarifying the comment to the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Friday 20 January during his vetting as Senior Minister-designate, Mr Osafo Maafo said: This is one of those distorted cut and paste statements.



Im the Chairman of the Council of Elders of the NPP in the Eastern Region. We were fighting this election [2016] on the economy and I was giving a series of lectures on the economy to various groups within the region. When it got to the turn of the Council of Elders, the regional chair spoke, Hon Hackman spoke, I spoke and I spoke on the economy, but you dont talk about the economy by starting with the resource location;  I started by talking about how poorly this economy has been managed that we have gone from GHS9.4bn debt to GHS110bn debt at the time, and how growth, without oil, was 1.9bn and had dwindled to about 4% etc.,  And I said something which Ive said in this room: that Ghana is not poor and that the resource base of this country is found in five regions and I mentioned the regions specifically because I was making a strong economic argument.



Now people removed all that I said about the poor management of the economy and then made it look like I started by talking about the resource locations of this thing and put it forward and changed certain things to make me look like I was being a tribalist and it was bad, this is where I find people very mischievous;  You take the whole thing out of context and make it look very tribalistic, so, I think, yes, it happened, newspapers reported something wrong and I think people should be ashamed of themselves when they do this kind of cut and paste to create that wrong impression in the system Mr Osafo Maafo clarified.

Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Theodore Hoffman didnt have to go to war.

His brothers were in the military and he could have stayed on the farm during World War II.

But the LaMars, Iowa man enlisted.

He said he just had to go, remembers his daughter, Deanna Wolf of North Bend.

Theodore, who joined the U.S. Army, would end up on a ship in the Pacific. As the men headed toward their mission, one of their superiors tried to prepare them for what was ahead.

We expect 95 percent casualties, the man said.

Theodore, a tender-hearted man then close to 30 years old, would pray for two things: that he wouldnt have to shoot anyone and that he would be able to come home and have children.

Not long afterward, atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and the war ended.

Theodore and other servicemen would have to get Japanese soldiers out of bunkers and caves and tell them that the war was over.

But his prayers were answered.

He returned home and at age 35 married a woman named Marjorie.

And they had nine children, including Deanna.

Looking back, Deanna marvels at her fathers answered prayer.

That was a miracle to have that prayer answered when he was told that they were going to have 95 percent casualties  and dads prayer for almost the impossible  that he wouldnt have to shoot anyone., she said.

As I think about Deannas story, Im reminded of Bible times people who faced impossible situations with overwhelming odds.

And yet, they prayed and had faith in God, who defies the impossible.

At age 75, Abraham was a man whod taken his family and left his country to go to a new place that God would show him.

God promised he would make Abraham the father of many nations.

There was just one little problem.

Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had no children.

Years passed.

God again let Abraham know that he and Sarah would have a child.

Abraham laughed and later Sarah did, too.

After all, he was 100 and she was 99 years old.

But God had question:

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Apparently not.

A year later, Sarah gave birth to Isaac  whose name means laughter.

Fast forward many years and one of Abrahams grandsons  Jacob  is in what seems like an impossible situation, too.

This has nothing to do with wanting a child. Jacob has not one, but 12 sons.

But after being gone for 20 years, Jacob wants to come home.

Yet theres a problem.

Two decades earlier, Jacob cheated his brother, Esau, out of the blessing and birthright that should have gone to the firstborn son.

And after Esau threatened to kill his devious little brother, Jacob took off for his uncle Labans place.

On the way, God let Jacob know that hed have a multitude of descendants and that the Lord would be with him.

And that God would bring Jacob back home.

Years zip by.

Jacob falls in love with one woman, named Rachel, but is tricked into marrying her sister, Leah, first.

Then begins an unusual baby race.

Jacob will have children by Leah and her servant and Rachel and her servant. (Not recommended). He also will become prosperous, ending up with large flocks along with servants, camels and donkeys.

God then tells Jacob to go home. So Jacob gathers his family and livestock and sets out.

Yet before he reaches his destination, Jacob learns that Esau is heading his way with 400 men.

Greatly afraid, Jacob prays.

I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown your servant, Jacob tells God.

Jacob recounts how little he had two decades earlier and how much he has now  all because of Gods goodness.

Then Jacob makes a heartfelt plea for help.

Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear that he may attack me and the mothers with the children, Jacob prays.

Jacob also reminds God (as if he needed a reminder) of how the Lord said he would give him a multitude of descendants.

How would that happen if Jacobs family was killed?

It had to feel like an overwhelming situation.

Jacob would do some wrestling with God (which is another great story).

And then the impossible would happen.

The two brothers meet. Esau runs to Jacob and embraces him. Its a tearful and good reunion and Jacob and his family get to settle in his homeland.

Keep paging through the Scriptures and you can find all sorts of situations in which God came through in an amazing way after people prayed.

God rained down deadly hailstones on the enemies of Joshua and the Israelites and made the sun and moon stand still so they could win the battle.

The Lord led Gideon and his 300 men to defeat the humongous group of Midianites and their allies. God saved King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah by setting up ambushes among a multitude of enemies who killed each other.

Daniel prayed even when being caught doing so meant hed be thrown into a lions den. God sent an angel, who shut the lions mouths, and no wound was found on Daniel because he had trusted in his God.

When I face what seems like an impossible situation I try to remind myself that if God:

Created the universe;

Brought water out of a rock;

Parted the Red Sea;

Gave older women (like Sarah) the ability to have children;

Healed the sick and raised the dead including our Savior Jesus  that he can surely help me with whatever Im facing.

One more thing.

Do I think God likes to see people of enemy nations die? I believe it breaks his heart, because the Scriptures say that he doesnt want to see any perish.

He wants everyone to come to him.

And thats just what Theodore did when he faced an impossible situation.

Unlike Jacob, Theodore hadnt made a mess of things with a sibling.

To me, he was more like Daniel and Jehoshaphat, faithfully praying to the only one who could really help.

Deanna describes her dad as kind, generous, hard-working and soft spoken.

He didnt have much to say, but when he talked, we listened, she said.

She learned much from her father and his war experience.

It made me realize that prayers are answered, Deanna said.

Deannas mother lived to be 74 and after she died, Theodore later married another woman  also named Marjorie. And she had 10 children.

Theodore lived to be 98 years old.

I love hearing about people like Theodore, whose stories can encourage us all.

And who remind us of our faithful God for whom nothing is impossible.
Gambias longtime leader Yahya Jammeh has asked the West African bloc ECOWAS for an extension of a midday deadline for him to leave power until 4 p.m. local time (1600 GMT), government sources said on Friday. Guineas President Alpha Conde and Mauritanias President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz arrived in the Gambian capital Banjul on Friday for last-ditch talks with Jammeh, witnesses said. It was not clear whether Jammeh intended to step down.



A regional military force that crossed the border in support of his democratically elected successor, Adama Barrow, was awaiting orders on Friday. MarcelAlain de Souza, chair of the west African union Ecowas, said troops would force Jammeh out if he refused to leave the country.



The west African troops entered the Gambia on Thursday night, hours after Barrow was forced to hold his inauguration as president in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. De Souza said the west African force, which includes tanks, has so far met no resistance.















Source: Reuters









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
After failing to pass last year, Republicans in Wyoming just reintroduced a religion-based license to discriminate bill targeting LGBTQ people. Though this years anti-LGBTQ bill from the Wyoming GOP is sponsored again by State Rep. Nathan Winters (R), its chief sponsor is Rep. Cheri Steinmetz. Winters and Steinmetz are joined by several other congressional officials from both chambers.

HB 135  also known as the Government Nondiscrimination Act  would legalize discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community and nullify all non-discrimination protections at the state and local level that might conflict with the bill.

According to HB 135:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the government of this state shall not take any discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially on the basis that the person believes or acts in accordance with a religious belief or moral conviction that: (i) Marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one (1) man and one (1) woman; or (ii) That man and woman mean an individuals biological sex as objectively determined by anatomy and genetics at the time of birth.

When they mention person they dont just mean individual human beings; rather, Wyoming Republicans have a more Citizens United view of personhood when it comes to discrimination laws:

Person includes an individual, partnership, corporation, joint stock company or any other association or entity, public or private. Person does not include a hospital, clinic, hospice, nursing home or other medical or residential custodial facility with respect to visitation, recognition of a designated representative for health care decision making or the provision of emergency medical treatment necessary for treatment of an illness or injury.

HB 135 explicitly targets members of the LGBTQ community for legal discrimination by members of the public and private sector even if they live in a locality with LGBTQ non-discrimination protections.

Commenting on the bill, the ACLU of Wyoming released a statement saying in part:

More aptly titled The Wyoming Government Discrimination Act, HB 135 would legalize discrimination against same-sex couples and transgender people, and would make it impossible for any branch or part of the government to enact or enforce local non-discrimination ordinances and federal protections for the LGBT community. The Government Discrimination Act, at its core, says anyone with certain religious beliefs or moral convictions about marriage and gender identity can act on those beliefs and convictions to discriminate against LGBT people and same-sex couples. The Act then goes on to forbid any branch of government, state or local, or any board, agency, department, or institution, from doing anything about it. The Government Discrimination Acts effects would be significant and immediate. Laramies Non-Discrimination Ordinance would be unenforceable, and potentially even illegal. No other city would be allowed to enact non-discrimination protections. County clerks would be allowed to deny same-sex couples a marriage license, and would be able to do so without consequence. A doctor would be able to decline care for the child of a same-sex couple, and could keep her or his license. State contractors or grantees which provide essential social services, such as a homeless shelter or counseling agency, could turn away LGBT people and keep their state funding. The Government Discrimination Act would create broad avenues for people to sue the state of Wyoming or any of its subdivisions  like the city of Laramie  for enforcing nondiscrimination ordinances or laws regarding same-sex couples. The bill would even allow people to sue the government without the government having done anything: if a person believes, for example, that by passing a municipal non-discrimination ordinance a city has violated their religious beliefs or moral convictions, the person could sue for damages.

Here is the contact information for each sponsors congressional office if you would like to politely contact them to express your opinion on the targeting of LGBTQ people for discrimination:

Rep. Cheri E. Steinmetz

Rep. Sue Wilson

Rep. Nathan Winters

Sen. Paul Barnard

Sen. Curt Meier

RELATED:

Peacock Panache readers:

Tim Peacock is the Managing Editor and founder of Peacock Panache and has worked as a civil rights advocate for over twenty years. During that time hes worn several hats including leading on campus LGBTQ advocacy in the University of Missouri campus system, interning with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and volunteering at advocacy organizations. You can learn more about him at his personal website.

Like this: Like Loading...

Related

We hope you enjoyed reading this article! If you would like to support our ongoing work, please consider buying us a cup of coffee. It's not much, but we don't do this for the money. We do, however, need caffeine to keep going some days!If you do donate, send us a message through our Contact Us page or via social media so we can thank you!
For better or worse Australia Day is fast approaching, and as the Australian public is wont to do, the singular issue thats been latched on to this year is the saga surrounding a billboard.

The ad  which sported a rotating series of images, one of which featured two very much Australian girls who just so happened to be muslim  was pulled down by the billboards owning company after a flurry of mashed out complaints from bigoted idiots all blue in the face from bleating about real Australia despite having a tenuous-at-best grasp of what that term actually means.

A swiftly put-together GoFundMe raised a shiteload of cash in response to the ad being pulled, managing to haul in over $157,000 at the time of writing. The campaign has booked full-page ads in a slew of publications around the country, putting the image of the girls squarely back in front of people.

However, the campaign has not been without its concerns. Indigenous groups pointed out the sad irony of an Australia Day-related campaign being able to raise such a large amount of cash for an ad in a short amount of time, and yet Indigenous support services that are crying out for funds still go wanting.

Overnight Mariam Veiszadeh, on behalf of the campaign, has now confirmed that surplus funds raised will indeed be donated to Indigenous support groups.

In a post to Facebook, Veiszadeh stated that independent media platform Indigenous X and non-profit organisation Childrens Ground will both benefit from the cash raised.

Additionally, writer/all-around badass Nakkiah Lui weighed in on the subject in a typically fiery and poignant take.

Really, as if anyone could ever hope to say it any better than that.

You can check out Childrens Ground and Indigenous X via their websites.

Source: Facebook.

Photo: GoFundMe.
How much better could the tale of Donald Trump and the Thirst for the Golden Shower story get, you ask? How about THIS MUCH BETTER: GLORIOUSLY PUNNY TRUMP-PISS-THEMED BEER.

Thats right! Brisbane Brewing Co., a boutique brewery from the Queensland capital, is working on a beaut new batch of piss that theyre calling Youre In!. The beer type? Golden sour, obviously.

Brendan Chan, one of the brewers at the company, explained the reasoning behind this new and fantastic inauguration inebriation aid.

Its not necessarily Donald Trump. I mean for legal reasons, its a very generic kind of blonde, saggy man. But we were actually brewing the beer when the story broke about the alleged Russian-prostitutes-peeing-on-a-bed scenario, and you know, the beer is pale, golden colour. And it just sort of came to me, and I said We should call it a golden sour! And then after a while we thought, well, golden sour is the style, so we can work in another pee-related pun. So its called Youre In.

If youre keen to wrap your hands around a frosty pint of Youre In, youll need to wait a couple of weeks until the beer is ready to pour. Then you can pop into Brisbane Brewing Co.s West End premises, or make a visit to the Woolloongabba Brew House.

Dont be surprised, though, if other venues start springing pale yellow leaks in the near future.

A few people have been asking for it, Brendon told us, so it may be available elsewhere.

Golden sours for everyone!

Source and image: Brisbane Brewing Co.
The on-going incident in the Melbourne CBD comes not only in the middle of a working day, but on a Friday as well. And the incident, in which 3 people are now confirmed dead, is the subject of a massive police investigation.

Victoria Police are urging people to avoid the CBD for the rest of today and tonight, as they process the massive crime scene on Bourke Street.

This, naturally, raises questions about how people navigating public transport can get home safely tonight.

Metro Trains and Yarra Trams have now issued statements, and weve compiled all the information that youll need to know in order to get home safely to your loved ones tonight.

Firstly, latest reports suggest that Bourke St is closed between King St and Spring St. This affects pretty much all tram transport across the entire network.

Yarra Trams are advising the following:

Routes 96 and 86 that ordinarily travel down Bourke St are being diverted via La Trobe St instead.

Route 86/96 trams in both directions are diverting via La Trobe St due to a @VictoriaPolice request.  Yarra Trams (@yarratrams) January 20, 2017

Routes 19, 57, and 59 which ordinarily travel down Elizabeth St, are terminating at Melbourne Central.

Route 19/57/59 trams operating between North Coburg/West Maribyrnong/Airport West & Stop 5 Melbourne Central Stn due to a police request.  Yarra Trams (@yarratrams) January 20, 2017

Route 55 is not operating between Queensberry and Market Streets until further notice.

Route 55 trams are operating in sections with no trams between Market St & Queensberry St due to a police request.  Yarra Trams (@yarratrams) January 20, 2017

All trams that travel along Swanston St are not operating between Melbourne Central and the Arts Centre. This includes routes 1, 3, 3a, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67, and 72.

UPDATE: Police request: Swanston St trams in sections with no trams between Stop 8 Melbourne Central Station & Stop 14 Arts Precinct.  Yarra Trams (@yarratrams) January 20, 2017

Both the 12 and 109 trams that ordinarily travel down Collins Street are being diverted via La Trobe St.

UPDATE: Police request  Route 12/109 trams in both directions are diverting via La Trobe St. (1/3)  Yarra Trams (@yarratrams) January 20, 2017

Route 11 trams are terminating at 101 Collins St.

Route 11 trams are operating between West Preston & Stop 7 101 Collins St. (2/3)  Yarra Trams (@yarratrams) January 20, 2017

48 trams in both directions are operating between North Balwyn and Flinders St West via Flinders St.

Route 48 trams in both directions are operating between North Balwyn & Flinders St West via Flinders St. (3/3)  Yarra Trams (@yarratrams) January 20, 2017

Buses are also experiencing delays and diverted routes, with Public Transport Victoria confirming the following:

Route 605 is only operating between Olympic Boulevard/Alexandra Avenue and Gardenvale.

is only operating between Olympic Boulevard/Alexandra Avenue and Gardenvale. Routes 200 , 207 , 250 , and 251 are all terminating at Queensberry St.

, , , and are all terminating at Queensberry St. Routes 216 , 219 , and 220 are diverting via Spencer St, Dudley St, and Wurundjeri Way.

, , and are diverting via Spencer St, Dudley St, and Wurundjeri Way. Routes 232 , 234 , 235 , 236 , and 237 are terminating at Southern Cross Station.

, , , , and are terminating at Southern Cross Station. Routes 302 , 304 , 305 , 905 , 906 , and 907 are terminating at Victoria Parade/Gisbourne St.

, , , , , and are terminating at Victoria Parade/Gisbourne St. Routes 309 and 350 are terminating at Parliament Station.

The good news, if you can call it that, is that Metro Trains has confirmed that all train lines are operating as normally scheduled, and all CBD train stations remain open and operational.

Metro UPDATE: Trains services are running as timetabled and CBD train stations are open. For current line updates https://t.co/NUBM4OMjRl  Metro Trains (@metrotrains) January 20, 2017

Public Transport Victoria is continuing to monitor the situation, and up-to-the-minute details on diverted routes and service disruptions can be found on their website.

Stay safe, pals. We love you. x

Source: Public Transport Victoria.

Photo: Darrian Traynor/Getty.
What could possibly go wrong here.

Melbournes Lord Mayor Robert Doyle is tackling the citys homeless problem head-on by proposing that being homeless in the city be made more or less illegal.

The city, and NewsCorp, is in the middle of a moral panic about what to do with the increasing homelessness issue thats seeing makeshift camps spring up at important places like Flinders Street Station. Victoria Police and City of Melbourne officials had attempted to move people on from camping at Flinders St in a campaign that only started in the lead up to the Australian Open commencing, and therefore an influx of tourists arriving in the city. Curious.

Now Mayor Doyle is apparently set to propose a new city bylaw that makes sleeping on the city streets completely illegal.

Doyle insists that many of the people currently sleeping rough in the Melbourne CBD are not genuinely homeless, and are merely pretending to be in order to shake down tourists for money. Pretending. To be homeless.

Doyle spoke to NewsCorp about the issue, wherein he referred to homeless people as a blight on our city, and took a sly dig at Victoria Police for not simply arresting everyone sight unseen and carting them off out of sight.

I am happy to put this proposal before councillors at our first meeting if it is Victoria Polices recommendation, and they guarantee that they will enforce it. 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.

Ahhh yes, very good. A proposal to prevent homeless people from sleeping in certain places, that provides no word of an alternative option for them, largely because youre convinced that some people are faking being homeless.

A plan thats only foolproof because its proof that a fool devised it.

Source: The Age.

Photo: Scott Barbour/Getty.
Because the world is run by goddamn narcs, the NSW Supreme Court has ruled in favour of police and found that tomorrow nights Keep Sydney Open protest march cannot go ahead.

The ruling comes after the NSW Police Commissioner applied to stop the demonstration yesterday afternoon, which was originally planned as a peaceful protest against the lockout laws in Kings Cross.

In a live-stream reaction to the ruling, Keep Sydney Open organiser Tyson Koh has announced although the ruling suggests not a ban against protesting per se but against organising a public assembly, the group will not be going forward with their plans:

For someone whos not a litigator myself, I found [the ruling] a bit hard to digest. Apparently the finding doesnt prohibit the event, but if anyone were to turn up and we were to set up a stage and play loud music, wed probably get shut down or arrested. For the intents and purpose of KSO, its prohinited. We dont want to break the law.

He did, however, use the opportunity to further rail against the laws, arguing that bar staff are being screwed out of shifts, bands are getting less gigs, and backpackers are bored out of their brainsand cheated out of a good time.

Finally, Koh mentions that while Keep Sydney Open wont be organising a protest, people are still permitted in Kings Cross:

People are more than welcome to have a night-out in Kings Cross. So please do go out. But when it comes to KSO, our group and myself, who is direting that group, Im very responsisble for all the people, which is close to 60, and I dont want to do anything that is going to result in people getting arrested. If you want to do something that is potentially against the law, Im not going to encourage that, but youre an independent person Were a group that fights for our rights that does play by the rules.

Keep Sydney Open will continue to protest the laws, and will presumably have another event planned soon. You can watch Kohs entire response below.

Source: ABC.

Photo: PEDESTRIAN.TV / Chloe Sargeant.
James Cook University in Townsville is finding itself with a lot of difficult questions to answer after it emerged that they not only continued to employ but promoted one of their staff members after he was charged with digitally raping an Indigenous student.

Douglas Steele, 33, was a staff member at JCUs College of Healthcare Sciences when he invited the victim, who was a JCU student, and her male friend to his house to drink and watch TV. After several hours, the female student went to her friends house, where she passed out. Her friend called Steele for help; Steele arrived and went into the room under the pretense of assisting the woman. When he was alone with the woman, who was at that point semi-conscious and naked, he digitally penetrated her.

The victim told her friend, they contacted the police, and ten days later, on October 6, 2015, Steele was formally charged with rape. He pleaded guilty less than a year later.

Astonishingly, JCU not only allowed Steele to continue working at the university while the investigation was ongoing, but promoted him to the position of academic adviser in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Centre. This is a real thing that happened.

Nor did JCU fire the scumbag when he pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2016, despite the student giving up her studies in the wake of the incident.

In fact, another staff member at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Centre gave the court a glowingly positive reference for Steele, saying his actions were out of character.

Are you sure? Because according to the court transcripts, Steeles character seems to be slimy at best and deeply sinister at worst, with documents showing that he wilfully and rapidly changed his version of the events of the night in question:

I only put one finger in, I didnt think she would know because she was so drunk. I only put my finger in and she was already wet. The more I think about it, my finger just slipped in while I was moving her into the recovery position.

My finger just slipped in. What a great guy.

Female Indigenous students are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted than any other member of the population.

Sharna Bremner from the organisation End Rape On Campus has torn JCU a new one, telling News.com.au that the universitys actions constitute an extreme level of institutional betrayal and a complete dereliction of duty of care.

What message does that send other victims in the student body? It sends the message that survivors are nowhere near as important as staff members. It sends the message that other victims in the university community shouldnt bother reporting because the university [may] side with the perpetrator.

Fucken oath, Sharna.

JCU purports to follow a zero tolerance policy for sexual assault and harrassment, having partnered with the Universities Australia campaign Respect. Now. Always, but the uni has been dogged in recent years by no less than nine high-profile rape and assault incidents on campus, including one gang rape. None of these have resulted in serious consequences from the university.

Steele was sentenced on Monday to two years jail, of which he will serve four months. He has been allowed to resign from his position at JCU.

If youve been assaulted or harrassed by someone in a position of power, you can contact 1800 RESPECT and ask to talk to a trauma counsellor. You can also pursue action through your university if the incident/s happened on campus  try Googling sexual harrassment/assault + [your uni] and following the contacts listed.

Source: News.com.au

Image: James Cook University.
Facebook founder and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg is usually portrayed as an alright bloke. He donates large sums of his money to worthy causes and earnestly seems as though he wants to make an actual difference in the world.

But it would appear the Zuck has developed a bit of a mean streak, issuing a bunch of lawsuits against hundreds of people who have claims to a 700-acre piece of land that he purchased in Hawaii.

Worse yet, some of those recipients are no longer even alive.

Zuckerberg paid more than $100 million for the land on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in 2014 and within the last year, built an actual wall around it. Its a baffling move from someone who recently had a stab at Donald Trump, saying instead of building walls, we can build bridges.

Old mate apparently filed the lawsuits to identify the owners of land on the property. Almost 300 people could be entitled to ancestral ownership of small patches of the land and obviously, he wants none of that. These Hawaiian natives have the legal right to traverse the billionaires otherwise private domain.

As a result of the US states quiet title law, the Zuck can appear before a judge who will have the final say on who rightfully owns the land. If the owners cant come to some kind of accord, it can be auctioned off, leaving Mark clear to swoop in with his bottomless bank account to snatch it up.

Its not the first time hes been a weirdo with property, either. He last year spent $30 million buying up the four houses that surround his Palo Alto home, but then just demolished them.

The blokes either paranoid or really, really likes his privacy.

Source: Vanity Fair.

Photo: Getty.
A small-town police officer in western Pennsylvania police is accused of patronizing a prostitute while on-duty, then trying to cover it up.

As TribLive.com reports, the disgraced officer, Tyler Valimont, 34, formerly with the Farrell Police Department in Mercer County, Pa., faces charges of patronizing a prostitute, obstructing law enforcement, official oppression and two counts of evidence tampering - all misdemeanors.

The investigation by Pennsylvania State Police alleges Valimont contacted the 27-year-old woman through an online ad, then met her while working the overnight shift on Nov. 7.

TribLive.com reports Valimont was seen with the woman by another officer on patrol.

According to police, this prompted Valimont to cut short the encounter and later file a false report claiming he was cultivating a confidential informant, TribLive.com writes.

Since then, the woman, who was not identified in the report, has told police Valimont was a customer who threatened to arrest her if she refused to answer his texts, which were "personal and sexual in nature and served no legitimate law enforcement purpose," according to the criminal compliant cited by TribLive.com.

She also told police that Valimont urged her to lie to investigators.

TribLive.com notes that Valimont faces up to a year in prison for the prostitution count, while the other charges each carry up to two years in prison.
It began as a bizarre 911 call for a man screaming atop his red pickup truck in North Philadelphia early Thursday. It ended with the 55-year-old man dead after he was tasered by police.

According to 6ABC, police arrived on the scene to find the man, whose identity wasn't immediately released, jumping up and down on his red pickup truck while screaming around 5 a.m. Thursday.

As officers approached, the man jumped off the truck and went to the driver's side of the patrol car, reached inside an open window, and grabbed a female officer by her neck and hair, 6 ABC writes, adding:

There was a struggle and an officer struck the man with a baton. Another officer tasered him. Finally, they got him to the ground and got him handcuffed - then noticed he was unresponsive.

Police on the scene administered Narcan in case of a possible overdose, then EMS rushed the man to Hahnemann University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Now, the Internal Affairs division of Philadelphia police are investigating the incident, 6ABC reports.

An autopsy was likely to be completed today. However, 6ABC says hospital staff already determined the taser never penetrated the suspect's clothing or skin, all but ruling it out as the cause of death.

One officer sustained minor injuries in the incident.
frazetta.jpg

(The Associated Press)

The third season of "Strange Inheritances" will feature the saga surrounding the estate of artist and illustrator Frank Frazetta, whose "Conan the Barbarian" bookcovers made him famous and whose works have sold for more than $1 million.

"My father was an incredibly successful artist and a great dad, but not such a great estate planner," Bill Frazetta told Fox Business. "So when he died, he left my siblings and me a valuable inheritance that nearly tore us apart."

Frazetta died in 2010 in Fort Myers, Fla. Frazetta was born Feb. 9, 1928, in Brooklyn, N.Y., and attended various art schools in the United States and Europe.

In this Thursday, July 13, 2000, photo, the Frank Frazetta Museum in Marshalls Creek, Pa., is seen. (AP Photo/Pocono Record, Jason Farmer)

"He started the entire barbarian era when his interpretation of Conan the Adventurer hit the book stands in 1966, and ever since that time, Frank Frazetta has set the standard that still reigns at the top of all fantasy illustrators," his son, Frank Frazetta Jr., writes on the website of the museum dedicated to Frazetta's work in East Stroudsburg, Monroe County. He runs the museum along with his wife, Lori, and son, William.

You can see examples and a chronicle of Frazetta's work here.

Pennsylvania State Police in 2009 charged Alphonso Frank Frazetta (also known as Frank Jr.) with theft and burglary for an alleged attempt to steal 90 paintings worth $20 million from the estate. Frazetta Jr. told police he had permission to take the paintings, according to the Pocono Record.

There was also a trademark infringement lawsuit against Frank Jr.

But shortly before Frazetta's death, the family released a statement to say "all the litigation surrounding his family and his art has been resolved. All of Frank's children will now be working together as a team to promote his remarkable collection of images that has inspired people for decades."

"Strange Inheritance" will tell the saga of that family feud that followed in the wake of Franzetta's death and handling of his estate, which by some estimates is worth $20 to $50 million, according to Art History Archives.

The series, hosted by FBN's Jamie Colby, tells the stories of inheritances from people and places all across the country. The first half-hour installment, "Lincoln Rail Splitter," will feature the story of an Indiana family that has passed down a log-splitting mallet they believed belonged to young Abe Lincoln through many generations. The second half-hour installment, to air at 10:30, will deal with the Frazetta feud.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and reality television star who upended American politics and energized voters angry with Washington, will be sworn in Friday as the 45th president of the United States, putting Republicans in control of the White House for the first time in eight years.

"It all begins today!" Trump tweeted at daybreak. "THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!"

It all begins today! I will see you at 11:00 A.M. for the swearing-in. THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES - THE WORK BEGINS!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2017

Ebullient Trump supporters flocked to the nation's capital for the inaugural festivities, some wearing red hats emblazoned with his "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. But in a sign of deep divisions Trump sowed during his combative campaign, dozens of Democratic lawmakers were boycotting the swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill.

While Trump came to power bucking convention, he was wrapping himself in the traditional pomp and pageantry that accompanies the peaceful transfer of power. The president-in-waiting will attend church with his family Friday morning, then meet President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for tea at the White House. The Trumps and the Obamas will travel together in the presidential limousine for the short trip to the Capitol for the noon swearing-in ceremony.

Trump supporters started lining up at security checkpoints before dawn to take their places in the quadrennial rite of democracy.

"I'm here for history," said Kevin Puchalski, a 24-year-old construction worker who drove from Philadelphia to attend the swearing-in. "This is the first president that I voted for that won." His big hope: Trump builds that promised wall on the U.S.-Mexican border. "Keep the illegals out," he said.

Protesters, too, were out early, some trying to block inaugural visitors from passing through security checkpoints, some wearing orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces.

Eleanor Goldfield, who helped organize the Disrupt J20 protest, said demonstrators hope to show they will not be silent throughout Trump's presidency. She called Trump supporters "misguided, misinformed or just plain dangerous."

Trump aides said the president-elect had been personally invested in crafting his inaugural address, a relatively brief 20-minute speech that is expected to center on his vision for what it means to be an American. Spokesman Sean Spicer said the address would be "less of an agenda and more of a philosophical document."
APTOPIX Mexico Drug L_Murr.jpg

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)

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.

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.
Dennis Leonard

Veteran Army Sgt. Dennis Leonard will be on the stage with President-elect Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address.

(PennLive file photo)

Hours before the Black Tie & Boots ball, Army Sgt. Dennis Leonard became the recipient of a special ticket.

Thanks to the joint effort of U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey, the 34-year-old double amputee from Middletown will be on the stage when President-elect Donald Trump delivers his inaugural address.

"I don't really know what to expect tomorrow, but I'm excited to be part of it," Leonard said Thursday night. "This is definitely not something that is taken lightly. Just hearing something like this is amazing, let alone being so close."

Leonard and his girlfriend, Samantha Scheibeler, were already en route to Washington, D.C., when he got the call from Toomey's office.

"Sgt. Dennis Leonard is an American hero and Sen. Toomey is honored to be with him tomorrow," said Toomey spokesman Steve Kelly. "Sen. Toomey also appreciates Sen. Casey's willingness to pass along his guest ticket so that Sgt. Leonard is able to have a front-row seat to witness the inauguration of Donald Trump."

As one of 12 families taken to the weekend celebration by Help for Heroes, Leonard and Scheibeler figured they'd both be watching the inauguration from a spot along the National Mall.

Leonard never dreamed he'd attend his first inauguration - or any inauguration - seated somewhere behind the next president.

Work begins on accessible home for disable military veteran Dennis Leonard

And though he doesn't consider himself a "political guy," Leonard saw something in Trump that made him want to actively participate in the recent election.

"Pretty much everything (Trump) said, I believe we need," Leonard said. "I just don't agree with the road the country has gone down in the last few years."

Most of all, Trump is authentic, not politically correct, Leonard said.

"Too many people are worried about hurting someone's feelings than they are about doing what's right," he said. "Maybe it's my military background. We don't worry about feelings, we do what needs done."

Leonard enlisted in the military in September 2000, serving for more than eight years as a combat engineer. During his second tour in Iraq, he was severely wounded in a roadside explosion that changed his life.

"An IED blast took both legs off on Jan. 13, 2007," he said.

After the explosion, he spent four months at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland and had extended care at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio before returning to the midstate.

He was honorably discharged for medical reasons on Feb. 28, 2009 and received an accessible home from Helping a Hero on Aug. 7, 2013.

"The biggest challenge was learning how to do things I like to do, like hunting," Leonard said. "I can't just walk out into the woods anymore."

He was set up with a couple support groups that take veterans hunting, and now he's one of the mentors.

Leonard spends most of his days volunteering in various organizations to help other veterans--a group Trump said will be a priority in his administration.

"We're going to take care of our vets," Trump said in November during a campaign stop in Hershey, where Leonard was in the record crowd of about 13,000 supporters.

Leonard felt sure that night: "He was my candidate."

"Being a veteran, I knew we needed to be straightening out the VA (Veterans Affairs) from all the struggles that we've had," Leonard said. "I don't like to see any of my brothers in arms struggling to get the help they need. This is among the top reasons I voted for him."

But it's more than that, Leonard said, and it starts with the inauguration Friday.

"We need to get him started so he can help vets," he said. "But not just vets. A lot of people need help."
WASHINGTON D.C. - John Samuelson drove in the early hours of Friday morning from Allentown to join tens of thousands of others protesting President Donald Trump's inauguration.

Draped in a poncho outside the security gate to the National Mall in Washington, Samuelson said that he felt obligated to oppose a man he views as an illegitimate president.

"I had to be here," he said. "Donald Trump is a fraud, a cheat - he stole the election."

Samuelson was surrounded by throngs of protesters who shared similar sentiments, many bearing anti-Trump signs and routinely breaking into chants of "Not my president" or "No KKK, no Trump".

At times, the atmosphere was heated as protesters clashed verbally with Trump fans clad in red 'Make America Great Again' hats - both sides yelled and swore.

Some protesters, like Nina Wickett from upstate New York, took to costume to make their voice heard.

Wickett, dressed as the statue of liberty, said that Trump's message was one of oppression of women, immigrants, and minorities.

It was her moral duty, she said, to stand in defiance.

"We are not racists," she said. "We are not filled with hate".

Holding a protest sign, Annalise Baumgardt of New York City echoed that sense of moral duty.

"Not everyone can be heard," she said. "This is an obligation that I have"

Jo Renich from Columbia, Ma., another protester, said that to not protest Trump's inauguration was to tacitly endorse his extreme views.

She said it was clear that his agenda would oppress hundreds of thousands of Americans.

"We are normalizing this," she said. "We should not be normalizing this."
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Kendall Hale has seen this before. Hale, who traveled from her home in Asheville, N.C., to be in Washington on Friday, dressed in a Rosie-riveter costume to join the tens of thousands of protesters who assembled in the nation's capital as the Donald Trump was installed as the 45th president of the United State.

"There's something very depressing about this," said Hale, who has been a political activist since the 1970s. "We have the same slogans here that we had in the 70's. The exact same ones. Stopping violence for women. Reproductive rights, universal health care, equal pay for equal pay, living wage. The only new one is climate justice."

Hale was drowned out by the din of thousands of protesters chanting and banging on drums and tambourines every manner of anti-Trump message.

Amid the hawking of street vendors selling "Make America Great Again," hats, the protesters punctuated the raw, overcast day with the gulf between supporters of the newly installed president and the communities who oppose his agenda.

Marching in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol much of the protest was peaceful, save for contentious verbal exchanges between protesters and Trump supporters.

"This is symbolic of why Trump won," said Syed Akhtar, just moments after a protester had grabbed his red hat and set it on fire in the street. Akhtar stumped it with his foot to put the fire out.

There were, however, reports of activists smashing store windows and clashing with police. While hundreds of protesters wore the pink hats expected to be in full display on Saturday for the Women's March in Washington, hundreds more donned decidedly more militant gear, covering their faces with masks while marching through the streets.

As the day progressed, the tenor and tone of the protesters increased.

"Whose house?...My house," they chanted.

And: "No KKK, no fascist, USA, no Trump."

Protesters by the thousands rally at Union Station. #InagurationDay2017 pic.twitter.com/8XOrU5WmNY  Ivey DeJesus (@iveydejesus) January 20, 2017

Carmen Pinto, a lifelong educator, traveled from New York to give, what she said, was a voice to LGBT and marginalized students.

"The new president doesn't align with my values," she said. "As an educator, I am here to give a voice to all those students who don't have a voice."

Xochitl Johnson said she was able to travel from her Oakland, Calif., home after raising enough money through a Go Fund me page. Johnson was walking the protest route with a megaphone, leading protesters in chant.

"I care about the world," she said. "I don't want this fascist dictator to ruin this country."

Carey Hert, a young white woman from Seattle, said she felt obligated to protest but that she had more work to do.

"We can't just protest," she said. "We have to take accountability against racism. We have to come together as a community."

Despite reports of clashes with police and Trump supporters, most of the protest was staged without incident. NBC was reporting that Washington's interim police chief, Peter Newsham said the violent protests were "mostly under control." According to Newsham, about 95 people had been arrested.

Friends and Trump supporters Charles Hutson and Charles Jones, who traveled from North Carolina, stopped along Massachusetts Avenue to take in the protest march.

Hutson said he had "fist bumped" with protesters - even as the two were singled out as a result of their Trump hats.

Jones, a police officer said: "I defend their right to speak out. But I also defend my right to speak out."

Nick Rohman, of Minnesota, dressed in his red Trump hat and stars-and-stripes pants, said watching to procession of protesters: "I don't have a problem with this. It's exciting to see. Everybody has been very respectful to me."
John Harris High School.jpg

Harrisburg police have been called to the high school nearly 40 times in the past two months, mostly for fights. A 911 call Tuesday took police more than an hour to respond after the call was not prioritized correctly.

(File photo)

HARRISBURG--Harrisburg High School employees called police Tuesday morning after at least one fight broke out on campus.

About 11 minutes later, another 911 call came from the high school. This time, the caller said the "fights are getting more intense," and that police should hurry up.

But it took officers more than an hour to show up.

The troubling delay raised questions about police manpower and response times and the school district's security situation.

The fight reported Tuesday represented one of nearly 40 calls for police from the high school in the past two months.

Police say most of the calls aren't for reported crimes, but rather disciplinary issues that get out of control. The dozens of calls tax an already strapped police department that is currently low on manpower.

The repeated calls also reflect the struggles that the school district is facing while trying to ensure the safety of students and teachers.

"Everybody knows there are huge safety concerns in this district," said Jody Barksdale, president of the teachers union. "We're all trying to figure out what we can do to fix it."

The problems of the community bleed into the school building and vice versa, she said, especially with the help of social media.

"We're seeing more violent behavior and more gang problems," she said. "But at every level, we're aware of it. We're just trying to figure out how to keep everyone safe."

As it stands, the district employs a security manager and 12 "safety monitors" instead of city police officers.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse and Police Chief Thomas Carter have repeatedly said they want to reinstitute the school resource officer program that would place officers inside the schools. But school officials so far have been cold to the idea, concerned about the presence of armed officers and the potential criminalization of youthful behavior.

Barksdale, however, said she has heard from both students and teachers that they would like to see the SRO program brought back.

The 911 calls to police Tuesday morning represented the first of two series of phone calls to police that day from the high school. Both times, police took more than an hour to show up.

When PennLive asked city officials about the response times to the high school at 2451 Market Street on Tuesday, they differentiated between the two series of 911 calls.

The first set of calls was mishandled, according to Papenfuse.

A newly promoted patrol supervisor failed to recognize the call as a priority one call, the mayor said. If he had properly prioritized the call, other officers would have been pulled from less-important assignments to respond sooner, he said.

Instead, the supervisor instructed the officers to finish their current tasks.

"We clearly dropped the ball," Papenfuse said. "We misprioritized the call in the morning. It was not a manpower issue."

The supervisor was among 11 officers promoted last week to a new assignment, Carter said. He also noted Tuesday morning was very busy with several burglary reports during the same time period.

The first series of calls to the high school that started at 7:45 a.m. did not reflect that any weapons were involved or that anyone was injured, Carter said.

When officers arrived at 9:05 a.m., they did not get good cooperation from the students, Carter said. No one explained what exactly happened and no one copped to being injured.

That turned the issue into an administrative disciplinary issue for the school, Carter said.

About three hours later, several parents got wind of what had happened in the morning and they went to the school, demanding answers.

That prompted the second flurry of 911 calls from parents who didn't like how the school officials were treating them and who thought their children were injured. Callers reported one student had a broken nose and another had a broken arm, but no ambulances were requested at that time.

The dispatchers noted in their call log that "we did confirm EMS not wanted."

One parent reported that "she was kicked out of school and her son was beaten and threatened," according to Dauphin County's dispatch call log from the incident.

The parents noted that they were not physcially with their students, but they wanted their children checked out by medical professionals.

About 35 minutes later, school employees called 911, asking to have police remove about 10 parents and relatives who were refusing to leave the property.

Fifteen minutes after that call-- and nearly one hour after the initial call-- a mother called 911 again, upset that no police officer had arrived.

The callers asked, "how many times they need to call before someone will respond." One caller advised the "school was treating them like they were garbage," according to the dispatch log.

Five minutes later, the patrol supervisor authorized two police cars to be sent to the school.

Two ambulances later arrived to take students to the hospital to be checked out.

Police never learned if anyone was injured, Carter said.

Although it took officers more than an hour to respond to the parents' calls in the afternoon, Carter said those calls were properly handled.

"At that time there was no fight going on, it was an administrative situation to talk to parents," he said. "The parents wanted police to come up because they were told one story by their students and a second story by the school. The parents weren't happy with how that was handled."

Displeasure with school administrators isn't necessarily a police matter, Carter said, so the calls were not ranked with a high priority.

School officials rejected the allegation made in the 911 call that parents were not treated with respect.

"To the contrary," said District Spokeswoman Kirsten Keys. "Out of an abundance of respect, caution and concern...school administrators acted swiftly, firmly, professionally and according to procedure to secure the situation. Due to possible language barriers, parents/family members could have taken the swift, firm, yet professional response out of context."

The fact that all officers were busy Tuesday morning did not reflect a problem with low manpower, Papenfuse said, even though the department is at an all-time low for staffing compared to recent years. The department currently has 19 vacancies.

The police department answers 83,000 calls for service annually, Carter said.

"We are constantly busy," he said. "Is there a wait time (for lower priority calls?) Yes. Do we feel bad that people have to wait at times? We do."

The department is trying to hire as many officers as they can to fill vacancies, but the turnover in recent years has left the department with many young officers.

The young staff was one reason the initial calls for police Tuesday were mishandled, Papenfuse said.

"We're chalking it up to inexperience," he said. "An honest mistake was made."

The new patrol supervisor will get additional training, Carter said.

School officials said they only call police to address matters beyond their control.

"In the event of an incident, the security manager and safety monitors provide support to de-escalate and resolve matters, and identify those involved," Keys said. "When necessary, the team works in cooperation with school administrators and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police and/or Dauphin County Probation to address matters beyond their control."

Keys said school officials were not dissatisfied with the police response to their 911 calls.

"The police response was not and has not been an issue or matter of concern for high school administrators, the security manager or the district," Keys said. "Chief Carter and his officers are accessible and stand ready to assist us whenever we call."Harrisburg council allocates $1.8 million: Police precinct in Allison Hill? Yes. Police officers in schools? No
A 31-year-old Harrisburg man died early Friday in Dauphin County when the car he was driving crashed into a utility pole and then hit a house.

His two passengers were flown to Penn State Hershey Medical Center with unknown injuries, state police at Lykens said.

The front-seat passenger is listed as "unknown white female" in the police news release on the crash. The rear-seat passenger is Kiernan Gornik, 21, of Harrisburg. He was thrown from the vehicle, police said.

The name of the driver has not been released.

Police said the crash occurred about 3:12 a.m. on Route 209 south in Washington Township when the driver lost control of a 1998 silver Dodge Caravan. The van crossed over the northbound lane and left the road. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

No one in the vehicle was wearing a seatbelt, police said. Speed was a factor in the crash, they said.
Perry County Standoff .jpeg

A wanted man who barricaded himself in a mobile home in Perry County has surrendered peacefully, police said Thursday night. The stand-off unfolded at the Ridge at Mountain View neighborhood (pictured) in Wheatfield Township, according to a report on abc27.com.

(Eric Veronikis)

A wanted man who barricaded himself in a mobile home in Perry County has surrendered peacefully, police said Thursday night.

The stand-off unfolded at the Ridge at Mountain View neighborhood in Wheatfield Township, according to a report on abc27.com.

State police told reporters after the man surrendered that he was found in a mobile home in the 100 block of Drew Avenue in New Bloomfield around 1 p.m. Thursday. He did not show a weapon during the incident nor did he live at the residence, police said.

Police, who would not identify the suspect, said he was wanted for felony aggravated assault.

While police had the residence surrounded, residents were not permitted to enter their homes, abc27.com's report said. Those already at home were asked to stay put.



School officials were also notified and school buses were prevented from coming to the area.
A Drumore Township man will serve up to 20 years in prison for rape and other abuse of a teenage girl in 2008 and 2009, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office says. He will also be a lifetime registrant as a sex offender under Megan's Law.

Ephraim B. Zook, 51, pleaded guilty Friday in Lancaster County Court to seven charges, four of them felonies, including rape and unlawful contact with a minor.

In exchange for the plea, Zook will serve 6 to 20 years in state prison, in accordance with a plea agreement arranged by Assistant District Attorney Karen Mansfield, according to a news release.

Lancaster County Senior Judge Louis Farina accepted the plea and ordered the sentence.

When asked if he had any comment in court Friday, Zook initially said nothing. Judge Farina then asked if Zook had anything to say to the victim and Zook then apologized.

Zook admitted to abuse of the girl, when she was 14, at his home on Osceola Drive home.

Two co-defendants, Daniel Zook and Ivan Zook, also are charged with abuse of the girl. Their cases are pending.
Continuing a tradition that dates back to George Washington's swearing-in, the Pennsylvania National Guard is again providing military protection during a presidential inauguration.

About 2,000 soldiers and airmen from the state are being used for support, with about half of them staying in Washington, D.C., from Wednesday to Saturday, according to a press release from the Pennsylvania National Guard.

The guardsmen will help control traffic and crowds, while also being ready for chemical-biological-radiological incidents, aviation support and response to civil disturbances, according to the statement.

"Our soldiers and airmen will add to a proud legacy of military service to our nation during the inauguration ceremony of our 45th president," Col. Sam Hayes, director of domestic operations for the Pennsylvania National Guard, said in a statement. "The soldiers and airmen of the Pennsylvania National Guard consider it an honor to be a part of this historic event and will continue the long tradition of providing militia support to the president and our nation during each presidential Inauguration."

Overall, more than 7,500 National Guard members are assisting Secret Service, Capitol Police and D.C. police.
Jesse Roros .png

Carroll Township police are searching for Jesse Roros, 36, of Mechanicsburg who is accused of sexually assaulting a minor in Monaghan Township on Jan. 10.

(Carroll Township police)

Carroll Township police are searching for a Mechanicsburg man who is accused of sexually assaulting a minor.

Jesse Z. Roros, 36, sexually assaulted a minor in a home in Monaghan Township on Jan. 10, police said.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and Pennsylvania state parole and probation and the U.S. Marshals Service, also are searching for him.

Roros, of the 1000 block of East Powderhorn Drive, is charged with with statutory sexual assault and corruption of minors.

Roros is described as a white male, who is 6 feet tall and weighs 220 pounds. He has hazel eyes and dark hair. He could be with an adult female, police said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Roros is asked to contact Carroll Township police at 717-432-3317.
Screen Shot 2017-01-20 at 8.03.43 AM.JPG

(Southwestern Regional Police Department)

Police in York County are searching for a man in a mask who robbed a bank at gunpoint Thursday afternoon.

The robbery occurred at 2:10 p.m. at the M&T Bank branch in Spring Grove along the first block of Roths Church Road, according to the Southwestern Regional Police Department.

"The white male suspect displayed a black colored semi-automatic handgun. He was wearing an old man costume mask and a black colored beanie hat, a black hooded sweatshirt, black snow pants, and black work boots," police said.

The suspect fled the area in a late 1990s to early 2000s Ford Ranger extended cab truck that was red in color, police said.

The windows of the truck had dark tint and a split style rear window on the cab and oversized tires, police said.

Anyone with information regarding the robbery is asked to contact police at 717-225-1333.
Dan Wyrick traces his trip to the inauguration of President Donald Trump all the way back to the 1970s, when he would marvel at a picture of his parents standing with President Jimmy Carter.

Wyrick was in high school and the picture made a lasting impact: It proved regular Americans could interact with national leaders. It affirmed Wyrick's sense that any American with sufficient ambition and qualifications can be elected to high office.

Those American ideals stuck with Wyrick. But the 57-year-old Cumberland County resident never made it to the inauguration of a president until Friday, when he and his wife, Merrie, traveled to Washington, D.C. to witness the swearing in of Trump. "My word for it is stunning," Wyrick said following the ceremony Friday.

Two things stood out for Wyrick: He was thrilled he and his wife saw history in the making. But the staunch Republican was disappointed by the boos directed at Democrats including Hillary and Bill Clinton. "I get it. It's where we're at in this country. It's still disrespectful," he said.

Bob Garrett of Harrisburg extended his string of attending every inauguration since that of President John F. Kennedy in 1961, which his parents took him to when he was two.

He said he'll remember this one not for "soaring rhetoric" he was expecting from Trump, but for Trump's emphasis on things including small business and rebuilding the infrastructure.

Garrett, the president of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, said it sounded like the type of speech he hears at chamber events. But he's always interested in serious talk about creating jobs and rejuvenating the economy. "The devil is in the details. We'll see how it goes," he said.

Wyrick works in sales of commercial heating and air conditioning systems. He didn't support Trump from the beginning. In the primary, he voted for John Kasich, feeling the Ohio governor had the right economic development experience and "the right tone. He wasn't blurting things out. He wasn't disrespectful in any blatant way. Those were the things that were attractive to me."

But then Trump won the nomination. Wyrick is a self-described "Never Hillary" voter. He soon warmed to Trump, even though he continues to "wish he wasn't so sharp-edged at times."

For Wyrick, everything boils down the economy, and he believes Trump has the business knowledge that will enable him to lead the country to greater prosperity. "If this country has jobs and money is flowing and people are making money all will be good and other things will take care of themselves," Wyrick says.



Friday was gray and dreary in Washington, D.C., with periods of light drizzle. But Wyrick said his day was marred only slightly by the protestors who tried to shut down the entrance he planned to use, resulting a long wait in line. But the main event, Trump's speech, was well worth the trip for Wyrick.

"It's exactly what we need in this country -- some tough love and doing it for America as opposed to trying to make everyone else happy," he said. "I'm all for bringing jobs back to this country."

Protesters had said they would shut down the city, but ended up only causing disruptions and major delays at two entry points. Beyond that, protesters weren't especially prevalent, and Trump supporters were mostly indifferent to them, aside from sporadic remarks such as "go home" or "get a job."

During Trump's speech, a group in the mall on the edge of the area that required tickets began chanting "Not my president," and similar protests broke out here and there. But Wyrick, sitting closer to Trump in an area that required tickets, said he could hear none of the protests, and characterized his sense of the crowd as "absolutely pro-Trump," and excited by the idea Trump will bring about "a power shift in Washington, D.C. and around the country."

Wyrick said his overall experience Friday made him "proud to be an American."

Garrett, the veteran of all those inaugurations, liked what he heard from Trump. Now he's hungry for more specifics. "He set the table today," Garrett said. "He invited all Americans and the world to participate. But he made it clear America will come first in his negotiations. Now it's time to see what's on the menu."



Mostly peaceful - but some violence - during Donald Trump Inauguration Day protests
Lou Barletta Trump Tower.jpg

Rep. Lou Barletta, R-Pa., gets on an elevator after arriving for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

By Justin Fleming

As we watch the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States on Friday, I marvel at the ability of our country to continuously observe the tradition of a peaceful transfer of power.

Justin Fleming (submitted photo)

It is a welcome tradition in an election season that proved to be anything but conventional.

The 2016 general election for President pitted the two least popular major party candidates we have ever seen.

Trump kicked off his campaign for the presidency in June 2015 with these words:

"When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

In spite of this incredibly incendiary and offensive rhetoric, our elected leaders decided to endorse Trump's candidacy.

Among the first to do so, sadly, was U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-11th District, who represents part of Dauphin County.

As candidate Trump went on to attack a Gold Star Family, bucked decades-long presidential practice by refusing to release his tax returns, bragged about sexual assault of women and more, Barletta's support was never in question.

The Hazleton lawmaker appeared with Trump during every mid-state visit.

As an early supporter, Barletta was widely mentioned as a potential member of Trump's cabinet. But, fresh off his own re-election, he chose to remain Congress instead.

Without the inclusion of Barletta, Trump's cabinet includes a man who enhanced his wealth at the expense of American homeowners, and another who wants to replace human fast-food workers with automated systems.

These and other cabinet appointments fly in the face of the populist rhetoric we heard during the campaign and will only hurt voters in the 11th District.

The aftermath of an election is a critical time in which to hold our leaders accountable.

As he has done countless times already, I suspect Barletta will once again vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

The difference now is, rather than the vote serving as a symbolic gesture, and a waste of valuable legislative time, the consequences are very real.

We know the ACA isn't perfect, but there are several provisions that voters overwhelmingly support including: ensuring that a pre-existing medical condition no longer precludes someone from obtaining health insurance, children staying on their parent's insurance through age 26, and rules on how much money insurance companies must spend on health care as opposed to advertising and other expenses.

Rather than repealing the ACA with no details on replacement, I challenge Barletta and Congress to work on the part that needs the most reform: affordability.

Unfortunately, health insurance plans on the federal and state exchanges have premiums and deductibles that are too expensive for middle-income families, which is entirely antithetical to the intent of the Act.

There was a time in this country when Democrats and Republicans worked together to pass civil rights legislation, protect the environment, invest in quality education, and much more to improve the country.

Passing legislation takes patience and courage from those willing to compromise. It is incumbent upon Congress to not strip millions of (mostly middle- and lower- income) families of their health insurance but to make it more affordable!

For me, Trump's election goes beyond mere partisanship, as I believe most every other Republican presidential nominee exhibited basic human decency during the campaign. They also would have had the utmost respect for presidential norms and traditions, which Trump, in my opinion, has not shown.

However, in spite of our political differences, the peaceful transfer of power is something that we as Americans should all be proud.

Whatever happens in these next four years under Trump, as such a vocal and ardent supporter, Barletta will share responsibility: good, bad, or indifferent.

Justin Fleming, a Democrat, is a Susquehanna Township Commissioner.
Chelsea Manning Trans_Mice.jpg

The Democrats who remain in office in Washington D.C. were just handed a sour-smelling sandwich that will make their case harder to press.

It came from the kitchen of out-going President Barack Obama.

Obama, in one of his final acts, on Tuesday commuted the sentence of Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning, who will walk out of prison a free woman on May 17, after just serving three years of a 35-year sentence.

Her original sentence, imposed when she was known as Private First Class Bradley Manning, did not allow for parole until at least 2020.

This case is not, however, as complicated as it seems. Nor is the defendant as complicated as she seems.

And the clemency granted is simple to analyze: Obama blew it.

Manning was convicted of intentionally leaking secrets she downloaded from a classified computer network while she served as an intelligence analyst. She gave the secrets to WikiLeaks.

That would be the same WikiLeaks that is accused of leaking information gathered by Russian intelligence sources intended to influence the outcome of the 2016 Presidential election.

It is true that Manning's 35-year sentence was on the high side of cases involving leaks.

It is also true that the government sought 60 years and Manning was looking at 20 years, just based on guilty pleas to some of the charges brought by the government.

It is also true that Manning meant to leak secrets, meant for what was leaked to affect the conduct of U.S. military affairs.

What is the cost of leaks?

Until today, Democrats would say that President-elect Trump is pooh-poohing the snooping and leaking by Russia.

Until today, Republicans would suggest that those facts in some of the leaks would justify the means.

Today, Republicans talk about the danger of leaked information. Today, Democrats think that maybe what Manning did wasn't so bad after all.

The rest of us?

We say "balderdash."

Leaks start with information that is classified, and information is classified for a reason.

If it's wrong for Russia to hack the Democratic National Committee, it's wrong for an intelligence analyst to disclose secrets.

While we're aware of Manning's gender identity journey, we also are aware that her actions were pretty straightforward. She leaked what she wanted to leak to get what she wanted to get.

Seven years for that?

Good luck making the case that the next one that comes along should be dealt with harshly, or that Democrats can press the President-elect on this issue.

Chelsea Manning put people at risk.

The President put national security at risk with this action.
daylin-leach.jpg

Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery County, seen here at a Capitol news conference last year, is introducing legislation to require U.S. presidential candidates to release their tax returns if they want their name to appear on the Pennsylvania ballot.

(File photo/PennLive.com)

President Donald Trump has taken the oath of office and still has not released his tax returns. In Sen. Daylin Leach's ideal world, that might not have happened given the importance of Pennsylvania's electoral votes to Trump's election.

The Montgomery County Democrat on Friday shared a memo asking his colleagues to support legislation he is proposing to require U.S. presidential candidates to make their tax returns public to be eligible to appear on the Pennsylvania ballot.

Noting the fact that 2016 was the first time in half a century that a major party candidate refused to make his tax returns public, Leach said in the memo, "The need for this tradition is clear. Many Americans, not to mention the national security community, want to know whether presidential candidates may have personal or business interests that could undermine their commitment to acting in the best interests of the United States should they become president."

Leach said his bill would ensure presidents are transparent about any financial entanglements that could potentially impact the nation's economy, security, and foundational principles. And that, he said, "will go a long way toward ensuring citizens' faith in their Presidents and their democracy."

Asked if the senator felt the same need for financial transparency for gubernatorial candidates as well as other statewide office seekers, Leach's spokesman Steve Hoenstine said Leach might but not for the same reasons.

For the record, Gov. Tom Wolf did release a summary of his 2014 and 2015 tax returns.
This aerial view taken from a drone shows rescuers working amidst snow and debris of an hotel that was hit by an avalanche on Wednesday, in Rigopiano, central Italy, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Rescue crews located more than eight people alive in the rubble of an avalanche-crushed hotel on Friday, an incredible discovery that boosted spirits two days after the massive snow slide buried around 30 people in the resort. (Italian Firefighters/ANSA via AP)
DePerno criminal inquiry won't be done by Election Day, prosecutor says

The announcement means there's a chance DePerno wins his race for attorney general but faces a criminal indictment shortly thereafter.
Brazil plans two subsalt auctions in 2017, and three 2018 - Mines & Energy Ministry



Brazil will hold two tenders for subsalt oil exploration this year in the first auctions of such offshore layers since 2013, Brazil's oil secretary Marcio Felix told Reuters in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

BRASILIA

Petroleumworld.com 01 20 2017

Brazil plans to hold two subsalt oil auctions in 2017, putting new exploration areas up for bidding in November for what should be the "most competitive" round of the year, Oil Secretary Marcio Felix said in an interview on Thursday.

The auctions, an effort to lure foreign investment in a sector that for much of the past decade has been the object of protectionist policies in Brazil, will be the first since 2013 for the offshore region known as the subsalt, where giant discoveries were made starting about a decade ago.

The first auction, expected in the first half of this year, will offer areas next to existing discoveries already in development, Felix said. The November auction will be for fresh exploration areas and should generate more government revenue than the first, though the exact areas have not been decided yet.

The auctions will be the first since Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras was freed from having to be the operator for all new projects in the subsalt.

Besides Petrobras, the opportunity to buy into new areas in one of the world's most exciting deep-sea oil areas should attract offshore majors such as Anglo-Dutch Shell, France's Total, and Norway's Statoil, Felix said.

Shell said in a statement that it was studying whether to participate in this year's oil auctions, adding that the terms would be an important factor. Total and Statoil did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reduced investments by companies hampered by low oil prices should not be a problem, Felix said, describing the subsalt as the Olympics of offshore exploration. "If you're an athlete you're not going to miss the Olympics," he said.

Before plans of the second subsalt auction were confirmed, Brazil estimated it would generate up to 4.5 billion reais ($1.41 billion) this year from the first subsalt auction and two other auctions for more marginal and mature onshore and offshore areas.

The two subsalt auctions in 2017 represent a major shift in Brazil's oil politics. With the country in its worst recession on record, the center-right government hopes to attract foreign investment and reinvigorate oil exploration in a region long stifled by nationalist energy policies and the financial woes of Petrobras.

Felix said Brazil would hold three oil auctions in 2018, including a subsalt one. To give companies greater long-term clarity, he said he expected to release a calendar by year-end outlining oil auctions for the next five years.

Local content rules should be simplified by the time auctions are held in 2018, Felix said, adding that new rules would be based on "incentives and not punishments."

One potential change under consideration is to allow companies to gain credits for exporting oil equipment from Brazil or from investing in factories in Brazil. Such credits, Felix said, could be used to offset purchases of equipment from overseas. ($1 = 3.1997 reais)






Vegan eating has skyrocketed in popularity over the course of recent decades, with more than 1,400 plant-based restaurants opening all across the US. While Philadelphia is historically known for cheesesteaks, countless vegan restaurants now call the city home. This is
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 Chairman 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 were 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 2 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 2 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.
President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump arrive at a pre-Inaugural "Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration" at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. Read more

I had known Halima's story for almost a decade since I was her immigration attorney. She is just one of the many people I've met during a twenty-year career practicing the type of law that exposes me to people who come from countries where politics is not as simple and sanitized as a panel discussion on CNN.

There was Muhammad, who had once been a member of the Nawaz party in Pakistan and made the mistake of being a vocal district officer and opponent of the Taliban when they took over his northern town and ordered medical workers to stop dispensing free vaccines. He was beaten, his father was shot and he was forced to flee the only home he'd ever known. The Taliban are still there.

There was "Javier" from Guatemala, whose family had been attacked by rebels during the Civil War in the mid-80s because they refused to provide assistance, and then were persecuted by the government when, ironically, they wrongly thought his family had provided that guerrilla aid.

There was Brahim from the Ivory Coast, who had been a vocal coordinator for college students in favor of a political candidate named Ouattara, and who had been imprisoned and tortured when the president's men maintained their power by essentially putting the challenger under house arrest and disrupting the election.

There was Ousmane, from Algeria, who had marched against the Armed Islamic Forces in his hometown of Medea, trying to protect the democratically elected president from an Islamic insurgency. His sister was raped, he was beaten, and the police were too afraid to arrest any of the attackers.

There were more. Mohan from the Sudan. Isaias from El Salvador. Lassana from Guinea. Emanuel from the Congo. Every single one fled a country that was mired in a political maelstrom because one group of people could not accept the peaceful relinquishment of power.

Live updates: Get the latest on Donald Trump's inauguration here.

I tell you these stories as a reminder, this particular day. It is a reminder that even though you might not celebrate the man and the message in the ascendant in Washington, you have to honor the process.

We transition from one person to the next, one party to the next, one mission to the next, without guns. We do it without force. We do it with votes and voices.

The angry feminist marches in the streets, but is not forced to hide under her bed.

The impassioned college student writes op-eds against the administration, but does not do it from a prison cell.

The doctor who thinks birth control is a right, not a privilege, writes that prescription from an office and doesn't fear that police will break down his door and haul him away.

To those who are angry, mournful, anxious and disgusted today I say: celebrate the country you live in, that gives you the freedom to oppose the Trump administration.

To those who do celebrate unreservedly, remember that those on the other side of the divide are your fellow citizens.

And to all, embrace the process that perpetuates a freedom and an individual dignity that, believe me, is the exception to a universal rule.
FOREST CITY  After almost 65 years in business, Linda Jordahl has closed the doors to Jordahl Agency.

"It was probably one of the longest-running businesses in the area," Jordahl said.

Still, she said, the time came for her to retire.

The insurance agency officially closed its doors on Clark Street Jan. 1.

Jordahl's father-in-law started the business in his home east of Leland in 1952. Jordahl and her husband bought the business in 1978 and moved it into Forest City.

"We were in the Cooper Building for 33 years and then here for five years," Jordahl said of the agency's address at 145 S. Clark St.

Jordahl hasn't completely retired from the insurance business.

Boyken Insurance Agency, Inc. out of Titonka bought out her business.

"Right now, Linda is helping us in the Forest City office on a part-time basis," Boyken Insurance president Jeff Carlton said.

Boyken Insurance will now have an agent in their office inside the Titonka Savings Bank's Forest City branch. That agent will rotate among the agents based out of Titonka.

"We will have someone there everyday," Carlton said of the agency's short-term plan. He hopes to have someone in Forest City full-time in the future.

Jordahl will continue to work during the transition period until at least April 1.

"The hardest part is leaving the people, the customers. That's going to be tough," she said of closing her own agency. "After awhile, they start to feel like your friends."

And while she will continue to see her customers at Boyken Insurance, Jordahl said it will be different.

"I've enjoyed just getting to know the people and providing the best service for them," she said.

Still, she is looking forward to seeing what the next chapter brings with Boyken Insurance.

"I was so happy they were so excited. I think it will be a good fit for everyone," Jordahl said.

Allison Ullmann is a reporter for the Forest City Summit, another Lee Enterprises newspaper.
MARBLE ROCK  A woman was killed Friday morning when her sport utility vehicle hit a pickup near Marble Rock, officials say.

The crash happened about 7 a.m.

The woman's northbound Chevrolet Traverse crossed the center line and hit a southbound Ford F-350 on Highway 14 between 270th and 280th streets, according to a Iowa State Patrol crash report.

That's about 2 miles east of Marble Rock and about 4 miles north of Greene.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Trooper Keith Duenow said the other driver was taken by ambulance to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

There were no passengers in either vehicle.

The woman's name was not released.

Officials are withholding the information to make sure the woman's family is notified and allow them time to tell other relatives of her death, Duenow said.

Highway 14 was closed for more than two hours for the investigation.

Floyd County sheriff's deputies and crews from AMR Ambulance, Marble Rock Fire Department and Greene Fire Department assisted at the scene.
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.
After an expletive-laden first appearance in an Orlando court, a defiant and angry cop killing suspect was denied bond Thursday, reports WTVT.

Markeith Loyd made his first court appearance Thursday morning for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Sade Dixon and her unborn child. Police say he will soon also face charges for murder in the death of Orlando PD Master Sgt. Debra Clayton, who was shot to death January 9.

An Orange County sheriff's deputy helping in the manhunt, Deputy First Class Norman Lewis, was also killed when his motorcycle crashed.

In court Thursday, Loyd refused a public defender and said he would defend himself before erupting into a verbal, expletive-laden tirade about the circumstances surrounding the cases in which he faces charges.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

On the heels of nominating former Governor Rick Perry (R-TX) to replace nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz as Secretary of Energy, President-elect Donald Trump bragged that his cabinet had the highest IQ by far of any cabinet ever assembled, We have by far the highest IQ of any cabinet ever assembled.

Watch here via ABC News:

Pres.-elect Donald Trump on his cabinet: "We have by far the highest IQ of any cabinet ever assembled." pic.twitter.com/czBpZ4cNMD  ABC News (@ABC) January 19, 2017

The Energy Department is, at its core, a science and technology agency, Moniz explained in the final episode of season 1 of Direct Current.

The Washington Post explained a bit about Monizs background when he was nominated, a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also lends Obamas Cabinet scientific heft and brings prior Washington experience. At MIT, he has directed the schools Energy Initiative, where he oversaw reports on almost every aspect of energy. And he has been a member of the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Whereas Rick Perry once wanted to abolish the entire department. He claims he said that before he understood what the department did:

My past statements, made over five years ago, about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking, Perry 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.

Making a statement as definitive as calling for abolishing an entire department before one knows what that department does is not exactly encouraging regarding Perrys intellectual and scientific rigor.

Donald Trump doesnt care about the IQ of the people he has appointed; he cares that they look the part, as he has explained in the past. Trump looks for people who look like they came from central casting.

This explains his pick of Perry, who wears the smart Rachel Maddow glasses now.

It also explains Trumps constant Clint Eastwood squint and his furrowed brow pose when trying to look presidential. People who are smart furrow their brow, so Trump furrows his. Now hes smart too.

Donald Trump seems, in fact, to have gone out of his way to pick people who know nothing about the position for which he has nominated them. This might go back to Trumps central casting idea, since he picked a black person (Dr. Ben Carson) to run Housing and Urban Development, and it could also be that Trump didnt want anyone around him to know more than he did about doing their jobs. He is known for not wanting anyone in his entourage to get more or better press than he is.

Only a fool would declare that his cabinet had the highest IQ by far of any cabinet, because a person with a high IQ would want proof of that statement. Even if his cabinet did have the highest IQ ever, that wouldnt help them much as they were tossed into the deep end in jobs they know nothing about. It could be argued, in fact, that a smart person wouldnt do that to themselves, and would value expertise.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Congressional Republicans are avoiding open public meetings with constituents because they are fearful of the growing backlash towards repealing Obamacare.

The Washington Post reported:

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.

.

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.

Lawmakers who are being paid with taxpayers dollars are holding meetings that they arent publicizing because they dont want the public to attend and ask them questions about their plan to take health care away from up to 30 million Americans.

Congressional Republicans are refusing to be held accountable for the actions that they are taking. The Republicans are hoping that if they avoid public meetings with their own constituents, no one will notice that they have lost their health insurance.

Judging from their behavior, Republicans know that what they are doing is wrong, which is why they are going to such great lengths to avoid voters. If Republicans and Trump take access to health care away from tens of millions of Americans, there will be no safe place to hide. Voters arent going to forget who took their health care away.

It isnt going to all blow over.

Republicans know they are on the wrong side of this issue, which is why they wont look their constituents in the eyes and tell them the truth.

Congressional Republicans can duck and dodge, but they cant hide forever from the consequences of repealing the ACA.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

The crowd numbers are in for Donald Trumps inaugural concert, and they are as Trump would say sad. Trump drew an estimated 390,000 fewer people to his concert than attended Barack Obamas in 2009.

The numbers:

Crowd for Trump's inaugural concert: 10,000

Crowd for Obama's inaugural concert: 400,000 https://t.co/OG8OAwn2o0  Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) January 20, 2017

Here is the difference in side by side pictures:

People noticed that crowds were a lot smaller for Trump's inaugural concert than Obama's https://t.co/vPOF6oSGj3 pic.twitter.com/5oPvwvLU5O  BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) January 20, 2017

Pictures like the one above are why Donald Trump keeps desperately trying to convince the American people that he won in a landslide. Trump didnt win in a landslide. He lost the popular vote by roughly 3 million votes and is only president because of less than 100,000 voters in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

Trump is beginning his presidency with the worst approval ratings in history, and his inauguration is not drawing the size of crowds that would suggest support and enthusiasm for the incoming administration.

Donald Trump will never be on Obamas level. He will always be the reality television star who conned his way into the White House. For roughly 60% of Americans, Trump is not their president.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

During the planning process for Fridays inauguration ceremonies, Donald Trump and his transition team were attempting to model the celebration after a North Korean-style parade, the Huffington Post reported on Thursday.

According to sources close to the Trump team, the president-elect was hoping his inauguration festivities would be dominated by tanks and missile launchers, similar to parades put on by authoritarian regimes, like North Korea and Russia.

More from the report:

During the preparation for Fridays transfer-of-power, a member of Trumps transition team floated the idea of including tanks and missile launchers in the inaugural parade, a source involved in inaugural planning told The Huffington Post. They were legit thinking Red Square/North Korea-style parade, the source said, referring to massive military parades in Moscow and Pyongyang, typically seen as an aggressive display of muscle-flexing.

The Huffington Posts reporting echoes a Washington Post story published earlier in the day in which Trump told the newspaper that a major part of being commander-in-chief is publicly demonstrating military strength.

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. And were going to show the people as we build up our military, were going to display our military.

He continued: 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.

Luckily, the Pentagon shot down Trumps request to bring in heavy weaponry for his inaugural parade, citing both the perception of such a display and the fact that it could damage the streets of D.C.

Some were concerned about the optics of having tanks and missile launchers rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue, the Huffington Post reported. But they also worried that the tanks, which often weigh over 100,000 pounds, would destroy the roads.

The request by Trump indicates one of two things, both of which are dangerous for an incoming commander-in-chief: 1. He holds a narrow, childish view that the presidency is simply about beating your chest and showing off the military; or 2. He wants America to be more like the authoritarian countries that have such displays.

Perhaps its a combination of the two.

Though the military shattered Trumps hopes of a full-fledged North Korean/Russian military parade, they are moving forward with his request to have five military flyovers  a display that is rarely part of inaugurations, the report noted.

More from the Huffington Post report:

Stephen Kerrigan, who held top positions in Obamas first and second presidential inaugural committees, said he was shocked to hear about the planned flyovers for Friday. It seems unnecessary and the optics dont seem appropriate.  Its very Red Square, he said.

Given Trumps praise of Russia and Vladimir Putin  and the fact that the Russians waged a cyberattack against the U.S. on Trumps behalf  its only fitting that he would try to model his inauguration ceremonies after their military parades.

Is it 2020 yet?
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway showed up to Donald Trumps inauguration wearing a head-turning $3,600 Gucci outfit that she called Trump revolutionary wear was roundly mocked by Twitter.

Kellyanne Conway dressed as the era Trump wants to take America back to, The Daily Show tweeted.

Kellyanne Conway dressed as the era Trump wants to take America back to. #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/Vrmc1Bq3Nz  The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) January 20, 2017

Kellyanne Conway's inauguration outfit has made my eyes roll back so hard I am now in the past pic.twitter.com/4TZTJBN0mh  Stephen Leng (@steveleng) January 20, 2017

Kellyanne Conway just needs your order and she'll get lunch started. pic.twitter.com/seGdD18wjo  shauna (@goldengateblond) January 20, 2017

Who wore it better: Kellyanne Conway or Paddington Bear? pic.twitter.com/CP2M6fzLyD  Michael Hopper (@mhopp7) January 20, 2017

Why does Kellyanne Conway look like the old New England Patriots logo? pic.twitter.com/swgdHH53v6  Tyler Brooke (@TylerDBrooke) January 20, 2017

Kellyanne Conway looks like she's about to bring the HMS Victory around for a broadside on a Spanish galleon pic.twitter.com/qUEik64eVy  Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) January 20, 2017

Conservatives love to wear costumes, so this shouldnt be a surprise and will probably go over well with the right. Its just the rest of the country, which is the majority, that is side-eying Conways choice.

We do hope that the Trump administration understands that the spirit behind the costumes and props matters more than the appearance.

Image: Daily Show, Twitter
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

Remember the days, like this morning, when the White House website worried about climate change?

Those days are over.

It didnt take long for the Trump administration to take over the White House website and scrub it of icky climate change mentions in favor of An America First Energy Plan.

Burdensome regulations (like those that have saved lives?) have to be rolled back, they tell us. For too long, weve been held back by burdensome regulations on our energy industry.

No more harmful Climate Action Plan and Waters of the U.S. Rule, President Trump is committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule. Lifting these restrictions will greatly help American workers, increasing wages by more than $30 billion over the next 7 years.

Trump will embrace the shale oil and gas revolution (?) to bring jobs and prosperity to millions of Americans.

They claim they will bring back coal, The Trump Administration is also committed to clean coal technology, and to reviving Americas coal industry, which has been hurting for too long.

All of this is to say, yes we need to be responsible even as we deny reality, Lastly, our need for energy must go hand-in-hand with responsible stewardship of the environment. Protecting clean air and clean water, conserving our natural habitats, and preserving our natural reserves and resources will remain a high priority. President Trump will refocus the EPA on its essential mission of protecting our air and water.

How will they protect clean air and water without regulations? Regulations do cost companies money, but they also save American lives. Without the regulations, there is no incentive but a moral one for companies to not endanger our water and air. And I think we all know morality doesnt play well with the boards of too many big corporations.

Its not as if they were drowning in regulations as it was. For instance, Politico reported in 2015, Oil and gas companies like to assure the public that pipelines are a safer way to ship their products than railroads or trucks. But government data makes clear there is hardly reason to celebrate. Last year, more than 700 pipeline failures killed 19 people, injured 97 and caused more than $300 million in damage. Two of the past five years have been the worst for combined pipeline-related deaths and injuries since 2000.

Regulations are meant to save lives and protect the planet. Yes they can be burdensome but then, so can not killing people apparently. Thats no excuse not to do it, and even though the modern day Republican Party sells the prosperity gospel to excuse their anti-people, pro-corporate stances, businesses can and do run well while also being good citizens.

Nostalgic already for Obama who said on June 25, 2013, Someday, our children, and our childrens children, will look at us in the eye and theyll ask us, did we do all that we could when we had the chance to deal with this problem and leave them a cleaner, safe, more stable world?

Heres what the White House website used to look like just hours ago:

The Obama administration is taking action to combat climate change. In June 2013, President Obama outlined the Climate Action Plan  the steps his Administration would take to cut carbon pollution, help prepare the United States for the impacts of climate change, and continue to lead international efforts to address global climate change. For the sake of our children and future generations, we must act now. And we are.

Goodbye climate change policies, hello double speak making corporate America irresponsible again.
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

The resistance is here and its not going to be denied.

For standing on their chairs and reciting the preamble of the Constitution during the middle of President Donald Trumps swearing-in ceremony, six activists have been detained by police, according to Democracy Spring.

Today we disrupted President Trumps swearing-in ceremony to show the world, and our fellow Americans, that the resistance starts now, explained one of the activists, Claire Sandberg with AllofUs.

We will not stand idly by while a political conman flouts our constitution and basic democratic norms, and pledges to violate the rights and dignity of millions of people on day one, Sandberg said. We will fight to protect our families, neighbors, communities, and democracy from Trumps agenda of hate and greed every step of the way, and we will not back down.

This is the kind of resistance the Trump administration will need to get used to. These are non-violent protesters who are doing their best to get noticed for their resistance and objection to the divisive hatred for which Trump stands as well what they see as the danger Trump represents to American Democracy.

The National Park Service told the New York Times, In a normal election cycle, well see four or five First Amendment applications, said Michael Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service. This year, theyve received at least 20 permit requests.

From the first moment Trump is in office, Americans are ready to resist the Trump regime until the day he is impeached from office, said Ryan Clayton, of Americans Take Action. Donald Trump as Commander-in-Chief is a clear and present danger to the U.S. Constitution and American Democracy. Were here on day one to start the resistance.

Clayton was reportedly arrested today.

The six protestors were Ryan Clayton of Americans Take Action, Claire Sandberg of AllofUs, Andrea Perez of Democracy Spring, Terri Brezner of Democracy Spring, Kai Newkirk of Democracy Spring and Kira Elliott of Reclaim Chicago.

There are protests going on across the country, including some pro-Trump events. Vox has compiled a list here.

Image: Democracy Spring
Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Email

Print

During his inaugural address, President Donald Trump pledged that his administration will be guided by the rule buy American, but the Trumps own hats worn at the inauguration were made in China.

During his address, Trump said, We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American.

Trump couldnt even follow the first rule at his own inaugural.

Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL) tweeted:

GOP colleague let me see his Trump hat. It was made in China. Awkward given Trump's #BuyAmerican pledge. All talk no action? #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/dIfHNHwYap  Rep. Cheri Bustos (@RepCheri) January 20, 2017

All presidents break promises, but it is borderline pathological for Trump to look America in the eye and promise to buy American while the goods being worn by his own supporters are made in China.

Trump may have also set the record for fastest promise ever broken as president. He didnt last 15 minutes from the time he took the oath office to his first broken promise.

If Trump cant buy American as president-elect, there is no way he intends to buy American as president.
Fans of Hugh Jackman's much beloved X-Men character Wolverine received a bittersweet surprise this morning when 20th Century Fox released the final trailer for what's been billed as the actor's farewell to the role, Logan. While eschewing the somber Johnny Cash soundtrack of the popular first trailer, the preview maintains the brutal, world weary tone that have left many wondering if the hero will be left standing by the end of his swan song. Additionally the film does offer some intriguing clues on what to expect when the film hits theaters on March 3rd.





Do NOT Bring the Kids

After last years surprise blockbuster Deadpool proved to be a record-breaking success for Fox despite an R rating, the studio gave the ok for Logan to also intensify it's language and violence for this final film. And from the looks of this trailer, director James Mangold seems to be enjoying this looser leash, dropping several F-bombs (including one from Patrick Stewart's once saintly-seeming Professor X) and intense fight sequences. While it's not much footage to go off of, the trailer definitely leaves the impression the impression this Wolverine will skew more faithfully to the comic's more adult interpretation of the character. And speaking off the comics

X-Men Comics exist in this movie

Look, keeping track of the timelines of the X-Men film franchise is not for the faint of heart. Between the original trilogy, the Wolverine trilogy, the prequel trilogy (including the time-traveling crossover Days of Future Past) and the X-Men adjacent exploits of Deadpool, it's hard to pinpoint exactly where Logan will fit within the franchise. But one interesting point in the trailer is a scene of Logan looking at and commenting on what appears to be a classic X-Men comic book. Glancing at the Wolverine's iconic comic book representation (including the famous yellow and black costume), the character offers "Maybe a quarter of it happened, and not like this." Will the new interpretation take place in a world where the events of the prior X-Men films are mythologized in comic form or is the film just taking another page out of Deadpool's playbook by offering some moments of self-awareness? I can't say for certain, but it certainly seems like new and intriguing direction to take the film's universe.

Is X-23 the future of the X-Men franchise?

Shown beating up guys three times her size, the trailer introduces Dafne Keen's character Laura Kinney as a major presence in the film. The character's most well known for comic book role as X-23, a female clone of Wolverine, complete with his adamantium claws and regenerative healing abilities. In the comics, the character famously took over the mantle of "The Wolverine" and with Jackman's intentions to leave the character behind, might Fox be looking to plant the seeds in this film for X-23 to become a successor for Jackman's Wolverine? There's certainly reason to be excited about this idea, especially given the still limited amounts of female superhero protagonists, but also questions as to whether they'd need an adult version of the role and who might play her.

Will we finally see a decent, non-Magneto villain?

There are a lot of things to admire about the X-Men franchise, but one of the weaker elements has been its failure to create film antagonists to stand up to Wolverine and the X-Men besides Magneto. Despite employing top-tier actors like Peter Dinklage, Oscar Isaac, and Liev Schreiber, all of these villains pale in comparison to the interpretations of arch-nemesis Magneto (as played by Ian McKellan and Michael Fassbender). Yet, Boyd Holbrook's character, Donald Pierce has an intriguing quality from both this trailer and the one released in November. Not much is known about him besides the fact that he has a mechanical arm, is hunting X-23 and seems to possess a decent amount of swagger. Still, not knowing the role extent Holbrook's Pierce will be featured, especially with us getting our first glimpse of Richard E Grant's sinister looking Dr. Zander Rice, one can hope one or both of them will have what it takes to give Wolverine one last decent fight.

Will Professor X and/or Wolverine make it out alive?

As mentioned earlier, the somber tone of the trailer mixed with the behind the scenes factors definitely leaves more doubts about its characters surviving than most other superhero properties. Given the haggard looking state of Stewart's now 90-year old Professor X and the studios ability to call upon James McAvoy to play the mentor's younger-self it certainly is plausible we will see the demise of Stewart's iteration of the character. The same questions arise for Jackman's Wolverine who despite scenes featuring scenes of the hero wounded also offer glimpses of him joyfully sitting around a table, experiencing what the Professor describes as "home." Still, given the tortured, loner history of the character, it's hard to say how much hope we should have for a happy ending.

With all these questions surrounding Logan, hopefully the film will give us a satisfying conclusion to Jackman's contributions to the franchise that lives up to it's exciting trailers.
25  2021 - 200     

        !

     . (     )

       !

  ,  Cookies        .          cookies.




Pizza has been a constant in Brian Kesslers life, from the time he got a job in a pizzeria as a teenager until the day he met his wife in a pizza joint. Read moreIggy's Pizza Shop is now open in Mount Pleasant
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
MASON CITY | The National Weather Service has issued a dense fog advisory for all of North Iowa.

Dense fog causing visibility to drop to near zero is expected to become more widespread throughout the evening.

The advisory is in effect through 10 a.m. Saturday.

Check back at globegazette.com for updates on this developing story.

Our earlier update:

Weather: Foggy, soggy forecast for Mason City

MASON CITY | The city of Mason City started Friday blanketed in fog, and it's looking like it's also going to end the day that way.

The fog, which had mostly cleared up late Friday morning, began to reform over the city by early afternoon.

Forecasters from the National Weather Service say the fog will linger throughout the afternoon and could become dense by late Friday night and early Saturday morning.

Areas of fog could last until noon Saturday.

There's also a 70 percent chance of rain in Mason City before 5 a.m. Saturday.

That does not mean the area is primed for another ice storm.

The low temperature Friday night is expected to be around 35 degrees, which is above freezing, and forecasters expect a 40-degree high on Saturday.

Sunday's high is expected to be around 37 degrees.

-- Molly Montag.
The massive amount is unusual for a local school board race  and thousands more than any of the other 31 candidates have managed to raise. Read moreA CCSD board candidate has raised almost $100K in campaign funds
Gene Sapakoff column: There's a gap between Aliyah Boston and the defending national champs and everyone else, but beware of these teams from here to March Madness. Read moreSapakoff: Antonelli on how to upset the Gamecocks, and teams capable
As parts of South Carolina continue to struggle with the effects of one of the strongest, costliest American storms on record, some automakers appear poised to destabilize one of the most important and effective public safety tools being used in the states recovery efforts. Read moreCommentary: Hurricane Ian a reminder of the importance of AM car radios
Just south of the North Carolina state line is one of Horry Countys last undeveloped stretches of oceanfront property, and everyone should celebrate now that a decades-long effort to keep it that way has finally paid off. And everyone should encourage South Carolinas political leaders and  Read moreEditorial: Waties Island deal a win not only for SC environment but also for taxpayers
Nearly 13 percent of registered voters in South Carolina have already cast ballots for the 2022 general election after the state opened up no excuse early voting to all for the first time. More than 438,000 votes were in as of the end of Thursday, which was the 10th day of early voting, according to statistics from the South Carolina Election Commission. Read more13% in SC have already cast ballots with new early voting
A big Minnesota hospital system is joining forces with a major health insurance company  Allina Health on Wednesday announced a joint venture with Aetna.

CEO Penny Wheeler said the partnership with Aetna is meant to reduce the financial burden on patients, mainly by keeping them from getting sick in the first place. She said coordinating patient data with the insurer is the key.

"For example, you have a frail elderly patient with diabetes who's unable to get a prescription filled. And by combining information with our side of the organization  the clinical information  with the claims information from the insurance side, we can intervene and help support them in getting the medication they have so they avoid trouble," she said.

Wheeler said Allina will remain a nonprofit system, and the combined venture is not a merger, but rather a separate for-profit company.

She says the new plan won't limit customers to Allina facilities; it runs a dozen hospitals in Minnesota, including Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis, plus more than 90 clinics. Those who enroll can still go to non-Allina physicians, and Allina will continue to accept payments from outside health plans.

ADVERTISEMENT

Wheeler said Allina has been planning the partnership for a couple of years, long before the election of Donald Trump, who's promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

"This is not a reaction to the recent things. Our mission is to create more value for the community," Wheeler said.

Minnesota Council of Health Plans CEO Jim Schowalter said the partnership will mean another option for consumers and more competition in the Twin Cities health care market.

Schowalter said it's still not clear whether plans like the one Allina and Aetna proposed actually save patients money. But he said it makes sense for the companies to combine forces and avoid duplicating work.

"When doctors or hospitals just turn in bills to insurers to pay them, there can be an incentive to turn in more bills or not necessarily take a look at the total cost of care and figure out what's the best way to do it. It's one of those things about the fee for service system that nobody's been satisfied with," he said.

Allina and Aetna did not disclose the financial terms of the partnership. But the companies expect to begin selling the plan in the greater metro area next year, once government regulators give it the green light.
Fiat Chrysler's Jeep division does well with its Grand Cherokee line, selling just under 200,000 of them last year in the U.S.

So it's only logical the company would expand the line to include the Trailhawk badge, which signifies increased eagerness to hit the trail.

For 2017, Jeep has reintroduced a Grand Cherokee with that badge  and those capabilities. Falling in sequential order above the Laredo and Limited, but below the Summit, Overland and SRT models, the Trailhawk version aims to offer superior on-road comfort matched with superior off-road capability.

On road, this Grand Cherokee feels much like its non-Trailhawk siblings. It's a quiet, calm, luxury sport utility vehicle, built for comfort.

The big, wide seats are ventilated and heated. (The rear seats are heated too.) The high ride, which requires a little step up for short people, creates excellent visibility. Front and rear passenger areas have massive headroom and legroom, and the cargo capacity is more than 60 cubic feet of space with the rear seats folded flat.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fiat Chrysler has done well with the ergonomics, and has made piloting the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk simple. The controls for navigation, climate control, radio, phone, and other media  as well as things such as seat temperature control  are all in a small dashboard screen above the center console.

They're easy to reach and use, though I had difficulty getting my iPhone to boot into the car's system, as I have had with other Fiat Chrysler vehicles.

The drive controls are a little more complicated  because there are so many of them and they do so many things.

The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is delivered standard with Jeep's Quadra-Drive II and Quadra-Trac II 4-wheel-drive systems, as well as its Selec-Terrain. Together, these enable gear selections that control traction, throttle and suspension settings to maximize power to the ground and minimize wheel spinning.

Settings include auto, sport, snow, sand-mud and rock. Those pair with Jeep's Quadra-Lift system, which can increase the ground clearance to 11 inches and is standard on this vehicle, to help the Trailhawk climb over rocks and ruts without wasting energy.

There's a fair amount of energy to throw around.

For a daylong scenic drive, the Pentastar was more than adequate. Though we did not put the vehicle to any severe tests, of the kind the off-road warriors get in Moab, Utah, at the annual Jeep Week, we chucked it up and over enough steep, unstable slopes to get a feel for its rock-readiness.

Jeep has given this trim line other elements to increase trail credibility. The Trailhawk comes standard with a full-size spare tire, Jeep's signature red tow hooks, fog lamps, a roof rack and beefy skid plates covering the transfer case and fuel tank.

ADVERTISEMENT

Also standard at this level are a power lift gate, keyless entry and ignition, eight-way adjustable front seats, LED tail lamps, an 8.4-inch touch-screen display monitor and rearview back-up camera.

The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk has done well in head-to-head tests with an equivalently equipped Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Despite its far higher degree of on-road comfort  which adds about 800 pounds to its overall weight  the Trailhawk was judged by several publications to manage the rough stuff just as well as its tougher-seeming brother.

To win over new buyers, it will also have to compete with Toyota's TRD, Nissan's Armada and several vehicles from the Land Rover family.

But the real question isn't how it will hold up off-road, but how well it will hold up over time. The Jeep line, like a lot of Fiat Chrysler products, has been plagued by a reputation for long-term dependability issues.

In October, Consumer Reports ranked the Jeep brand 23rd out of 29. Of a possible 100 points for reliability, the Jeep scored a 30  better than fellow Fiat Chrysler brands Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Ram, but below Chevy and Ford.

In the last few years, the Jeeps have been subject to multiple safety recalls. One large one was designed to retrofit vehicles whose fuel tank was at risk for puncture and fire. Another massive one, issued this year, involved more than 1 million Fiat Chrysler vehicles and concerns that the dial-up transmission left them subject to unexpected rollaways  of the kind that may have led to the death of actor Anton Yelchin, who was killed when his Jeep Grand Cherokee slipped out of gear and crushed him as he passed behind the vehicle.

December saw yet another recall, this one involving risk of a fuel leak fire, affecting 30,183 Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos  all outfitted with the same Pentastar engine used by the Trailhawk.

I hope they get that all sorted out. Jeep is a great American nameplate. The fans passionate about their Grand Cherokees deserve the best.
PRESTON  A woman who was released on her own recognizance in a felony theft case has now been charged with terroristic threats and assault.

Tracey Allison Hovey, 41, of Rushford, skipped her Jan. 9 hearing in the theft case; the next day, she was charged by summons with felony terroristic threats, and one count each of fifth-degree assault and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors.

The newest charges stem from an incident Nov. 29, when a woman reported being harassed by Hovey.

The victim told the officer she'd been sitting in her van outside her apartment building, smoking a cigarette; she watched while Hovey loaded moving boxes into her truck. When she finished, Hovey approached the woman's driver's side window and yelled at her.

The other woman rolled up her window, but rolled down the passenger window to let the cigarette smoke escape. Hovey walked away briefly, then returned to the passenger side of the van, where she told the victim, "I've got people you don't even know about that can kill you; you better watch your back, don't forget," the complaint says.

ADVERTISEMENT

Hovey made obscene gestures as she approached the van a third time, the court document says, when she told the victim to watch her back because "somebody's going to kill you." She then allegedly spit into the woman's van through the open passenger window.

The deputy contacted Hovey, who said she'd meet with him the next day. She didn't show up, the report says, and hadn't contacted the officer by Jan. 10, when the summons was issued.

Hovey's other case accuses her of cattle rustling  to the tune of about $75,000, including the vehicles used, resulting in five counts of felony theft in Fillmore County District Court.

That investigation began Dec. 2, when a man reported his 2016 F-350 pickup, 24-foot aluminum cattle trailer and six head of cattle had been stolen from his farm north of Mabel.

He'd bought the cattle the day before for $4,444; they were inside the trailer, which was attached to the pickup. The victim believed Hovey had taken the rig about 1 a.m. that morning, the complaint says.

The farmer's son learned the trailer was now separated from the truck, and stuck somewhere east of Cresco, Iowa. The two men were speaking to law enforcement while on their way to the area to look for the vehicles, and thought they'd just met the stolen pickup south of Harmony.

A deputy who responded to the area stopped the truck and ordered the driver  identified as Hovey  out of the vehicle at gunpoint. She told the deputy the vehicle was hers, court documents say, though the registration clearly indicated it belonged to the man who'd reported it stolen.

A female passenger told the deputy she woke up about 4 a.m. to find Hovey at her farm in Iowa; the woman didn't know Hovey  who'd gotten the truck and trailer stuck on the woman's property.

ADVERTISEMENT

The woman called a tow truck to free the vehicles, she said, so Hovey offered to give her the cattle and the trailer, the report says. The woman refused, "because it seemed odd," but had agreed to travel with Hovey to speak to a man about the cattle.

The deputy described the woman as "cooperative, and seemed confused about the whole situation." The trailer and cattle were still at the woman's farm in Iowa, she said.

The farmer and his son arrived at the scene, confirmed the truck was indeed the stolen vehicle, then took the Iowa woman back to her farm so they could retrieve the trailer and cows.

According to the complaint, the truck is valued at $50,000, the trailer at $20,000 and the cattle at $4,444.

Hovey refused to answer questions.
In the weeks leading up the presidential contest that climaxed with the election of Donald J. Trump, Shanti Argue found herself undergoing a political metamorphosis.

Normally a person who observed politics from the sidelines, the Rochester mother of three felt the stirrings of a greater political activism and outspokenness.

It wasn't just Trump's victory, which shocked and disappointed her, but the fact that Republicans now control both chambers of Congress, putting the party on a path to threaten issues and areas like women's health care that are dear to her.

"I've always tried to be an informed voter, but I never felt like it was my responsibility to inform other voters," Argue said. "That's the one thing that's changed for me."

So on Saturday, a day after Trump's inauguration as the 45th president, Argue will head to St. Paul to join the 600 "sister marches" across the globe that will coincide with the Women's March on Washington. More than 200,000 women and men are expected to protest in Washington, D.C., Saturday with sister marches attracting more than a million people.

ADVERTISEMENT

Argue's politically activity has extended to other fronts as well. She has been calling legislators to voice support for issues important to her, given donations to Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union and expanded her digital newspaper subscriptions.

In the process, Argue's political voice has gotten louder.

"I do feel if people sit back and don't make a fuss, it's kind of like the squeaky wheel gets the grease," Argue said. "It became really frightening to me how many people were just watching the Kardashians and watching celebrating culture and really not paying attention to their civic duty."

The Washington March and similar demonstrations across the country could be one of the largest mass demonstrations in recent U.S. history.

While not expected to be as large as the Million Man March against racism in 1995 or the Million Woman March two years later in Philadelphia, it could attract a bigger crowd than Trump's inauguration. An estimated 1,200 bus parking spaces have been reserved, three times as many as for the inauguration today, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The march has drawn a dizzying array of progressive causes. Its website identifies more than 300 partners promoting causes that include gun control, transgender rights, and anti-bullying. And those groups and their sometimes conflicting agendas have ignited tension and conflict even before the event has started.

Kendra Weber, of Stewartville, describes herself as "fairly complacent" politically until the election delivered an outcome that shook her emotionally and "caught her off guard." Weber said she has never attended a political rally or done "anything like this before." But this afternoon, Weber and her 14-year-old daughter, Kylie, were boarding a bus for the 1,095-mile trek to Washington.

"I wouldn't go to Disney World with these kinds of crowds. I tend to be an off-season traveler," Weber said.

ADVERTISEMENT

But anxious about what a Trump administration and GOP-controlled Congress might mean for education, the environment and health care, Weber felt she needed to get involved. Above all else, the message she wants the march to deliver to Trump and his new administration is that "there is not a mandate in any way, shape or form," Weber said.

Weber argues that American voters generally have voted for divided government the last couple of election cycles  and the last election wasn't any different. The fact that the Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, won the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes suggests that voters were again seeking a similar political balance, as a hedge and check on a Republican-controlled Congress, she said.

Since the election, her concerns haven't abated as Trump has made his cabinet appointments. What worries her is that several appointees have either expressed hostility to the mission of the department they have been appointed to lead or a desire to eliminate it entirely.

"I feels like (the issues that are important to me) are under siege," Weber said. "That's the reason I'm getting on the bus."

Elise Diesslin of Elgin also plans to join the march on Washington. Diesslin, a 26-year-old woman who unsuccessfully ran for a state House seat against GOP Rep. Steve Drazkowski, originally planned to carpool with some friends to Washington, but those plans fell through. So now she's going by bus.

"I'm not necessarily excited to be on a bus for three days, but I think it will be fun," Diesslin said.

She said the march has the potential to be an impactful event, she said. Unlike a petition drive or write-in campaign, women and men are making the effort to travel from different parts of the country to show their commitment.

"When you see huge numbers of people like that, it really makes an impact," she said. "It's going to be huge," she said.

ADVERTISEMENT

There will be a token Women's March around Silver Lake on Saturday. Gather near the boat rental area at 3 p.m. People can share their reasons for marching, and then there will be a walk around the lake. Feel free to bring signs. Find the event on Facebook, search for: Rochester, MN - Women's March
WEST CONCORD  The city of West Concord is under a boil advisory after a malfunction in its water main system Friday morning.

At 8:42 a.m., West Concord officials notified residents through social media that there was a citywide water issue. Two hours later, a boil advisory was issued and will remain in effect until Saturday morning.

According to City Administrator Theresa Booms, portions of the city's water system lost pressure, leading to a well water pump malfunction,

The water system was back in operation on Friday afternoon, and another pump was being utilized to maintain pressure. Booms said that the Minnesota Department of Health visited West Concord to collect samples and to conduct tests to see if there were any contaminants in the water.

"Test results will come probably tomorrow morning," she added.
WASHINGTON  "It all begins today!," Donald J. Trump tweeted at daybreak today. "THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES -- THE WORK BEGINS!"

Thus begins the Trump era, as the New York real estate mogul and reality TV star was to take the oath of office at 11 a.m. today as the 45th president of the United States, putting Republicans in control of the White House for the first time in eight years and in full control of the national government.

Ebullient Trump supporters flocked to the nation's capital from Southeast Minnesota and around the country for the inaugural festivities, many wearing red ballcaps emblazoned with his "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.

While Trump came to power bucking convention, he was wrapping himself in the traditional pomp and pageantry that accompanies the peaceful transfer of power. The president-elected attended church services with his family Friday morning, then met President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama for tea at the White House. The Trumps and the Obamas will travel together in the presidential limousine for the short trip to the Capitol for the noon swearing-in ceremony.

Trump supporters started lining up at security checkpoints before dawn to take their places in the quadrennial rite of democracy.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I feel very honored to be here," 17-year-old Rachel Meany, of Austin, told the Post Bulletin this morning. Meany traveled to D.C. with Minnesota's 4-H delegation. Trump "might be president again, but this will never happen again. I'm proud to be part of this."

"I'm here for history," said Kevin Puchalski, a 24-year-old construction worker who drove from Philadelphia to attend the swearing-in. "This is the first president that I voted for that won." His big hope: that Trump builds that promised wall on the U.S.-Mexican border. "Keep the illegals out," he said.

Protesters, too, were out early, some trying to block inaugural visitors from passing through security checkpoints, some wearing orange jumpsuits with black hoods over their faces.

Trump aides said the president-elect had been personally invested in crafting his inaugural address, a relatively brief 20-minute speech that is expected to center on his vision for what it means to be an American. Spokesman Sean Spicer said the address would be "less of an agenda and more of a philosophical document."

Trump has pledged to reverse Obama's major domestic and national security policies, including repealing the Affordable Care Act and building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The three days of inaugural festivities kicked off Thursday. Trump left his Trump-branded jet in New York and flew to Washington in a government plane, saluting an Air Force officer as he descended the steps with his wife, Melania. He and the incoming vice president, Mike Pence, solemnly laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery before joining supporters for an evening concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

Trump's son, Don Jr., told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that as the various festivities got underway, "the magnitude of it all" was at last sinking in. He pronounced his father "ready to take office."

"We're going to unify our country," Trump said at the close of the two-hour concert featuring country star Toby Keith, soul's Sam Moore and The Piano Guys.

ADVERTISEMENT

With rain a possibility, the National Park Service announced that it was easing its "no umbrella" policy for today, allowing collapsible umbrellas along the parade route and on the National Mall.

The nation's soon-to-be president joked about the chance of a downpour. "That's OK," Trump told campaign donors at an event Thursday night, "because people will realize it's my real hair."

"Might be a mess, but they're going to see that it's my real hair," he said.

Whatever the weather, Trump supporters were looking ahead to the day.

Chris Lehmann, 55, a maintenance supervisor from Belmar, N.J., said: "I'm so excited, I'm like, on top of the world."

Eleanor Haven, 83, of Alexander City, Alabama, was attending the festivities with her son, Scott Haven. The pair said they had never been to a political event before attending a Trump "thank you" tour rally in Alabama after the election and were looking forward to Friday's celebration.

"We're excited for changes in the country," Scott Haven said.

On the eve of the inauguration, protesters and Trump supporters clashed outside a pro-Trump event Thursday night, with police using chemical spray to try control demonstrators outside the "DeploraBall." The name was a play on a campaign remark by Clinton, who once referred to some Trump's supporters as a "basket of deplorables."

ADVERTISEMENT

All of the living American presidents were scheduled to attend the swearing in ceremony, except for 92-year-old George H.W. Bush, who was hospitalized this week with pneumonia. His wife, Barbara, was also admitted to the hospital after falling ill. Trump tweeted his well-wishes to the Bushes, saying he was "looking forward to a speedy recovery."

Hillary Clinton, Trump's vanquished campaign rival, also planned to join dignitaries at Capitol Hill.

While Trump revels in a celebratory lunch with lawmakers and parade down Pennsylvania Avenue  passing his newly opened Washington hotel  workers at the White House will set about the frantic process of moving out the Obamas and preparing the residence for its new occupants. Moving trucks were on standby Friday morning at the White House.

Obama, who will continue to live in Washington, was leaving town with his family after the inauguration for a vacation in Palm Springs, California. He planned to address a farewell gathering of staff at Joint Base Andrews before boarding his last flight on the military aircraft that ferries presidents on their travels.
ST. PAUL  With a health insurance deadline looming, negotiations among lawmakers and the governor over how best to provide premium relief are expected to ramp up next week.

On Thursday, the Republican-controlled House passed a bill that would provide $285 million in rebates to help consumers buying health insurance in the individual market with premiums. Last week, the Senate passed its own proposal. Those bills now head to a House-Senate conference committee where members will hash out the differences and try to put together a plan that can win DFL Gov. Mark Dayton's signature. Minnesotans have until Jan. 31 to purchase health insurance for 2017 in the private market under the Affordable Care Act.

One of the biggest sticking points centers on how to best distribute the premium relief to the 123,000 Minnesotans who purchase health insurance in the private market but do not qualify for federal tax subsidies. Democrats favor Dayton's plan, which would provide a 25 percent premium rebate. The money would be given to the health insurance companies and deducted from consumers' monthly bills. Republicans support using income limits to determine how much aid people are eligible to receive. They also want to put a state agency in charge of distributing the rebates.

Rochester DFL Rep. Tina Liebling argued Thursday on the House floor that the governor's approach is the best way to get aid to Minnesotans quickly. She tried unsuccessfully to amend the bill to add the governor's rebate language.

"Let's help the farmers and small business people  the ones who are really caught here. The ones who really need immediate help right now. You can do the right thing," Liebling said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Throughout the floor debate, Democrats repeatedly cited Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Myron Frans' estimate that the Republican's approach would cost $20 million and could delay rebate payments until 2018. But GOP lawmakers said they are deeply skeptical of those claims and believe state government is best equipped to make sure the rebate money gets to the right people.

Rep. Nels Pierson, R-Rochester, said claims by Dayton administration officials that the GOP rebate proposal would be difficult to implement strike him as "disingenuous."

"The argument that the state of Minnesota doesn't know how to cut checks is kind of silly because clearly we do that on a regular basis," Pierson said.

Lawmakers also disagree on whether to push through health care reforms as part of the premium relief bill or take up those issues in a separate measure. The Senate bill includes $150 million to establish a reinsurance program in the state, which would help insurance providers with the cost of some seriously ill patients. Both the House and Senate bills would allow for-profit HMOs to operate in Minnesota.

Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, successfully amended the House bill to get rid of a requirement that health insurance plans in the state cover a wide range of conditions, including maternity care, chemical dependency and cancer treatment.

Drazkowski said federal mandates are driving up the cost of health insurance and consumers should be given the option of deciding what type of coverage they want.

"It allows (consumers) to buy insurance a la carte and begins to help us in Minnesota cure our health insurance regulatory disease," Drazkowski said.

Democrats countered that people may end up purchasing insurance with limited coverage and then be faced with an unexpected diagnosis and no insurance coverage.

ADVERTISEMENT

"You can't ask Minnesotans to gamble and by voting for this amendment, that's what you are asking Minnesotans to do," said Rep. Laurie Halverson, DFL-Eagan.

There do appear to be some areas of bipartisan agreement. Both Democrats and Republicans interviewed voiced support for a provision in the House bill that would set aside $15 million in a pool to help make sure patients being treated for life-threatening conditions or pregnancy can continue to see their health care providers.

Among those keeping a close eye on the debate is Millville farmer Sheri Sexton. Her family is faced with paying $2,200 a month for an insurance plan with a $13,000 deductible. She has been waiting since October for lawmakers to act and is getting frustrated as the debate continues to drag on.

"I talked to different farmers and we were all quite hopeful (in October) that they could get together on this because there is a group of us affected by it," Sexton said. "Yet they still just argue back and forth and dicker and point the finger at each other and don't want to resolve anything."
The state arts agency that runs schools in Golden Valley and Woodbury is in need of an overhaul, according to a pair of reports released Thursday by the Minnesota legislative auditor.

The long list of problems in the auditor's program evaluation include lax oversight from the Perpich Center for Arts Education board, low enrollment and test scores at the schools, and poor staff morale. A separate financial audit also found inadequate oversight and that the agency failed to correct problems identified in previous audits.

As part of the mismanagement, the financial audit found that the Center spent nearly $17,000 from the state's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund on staff and activities not authorized for the funding. It recommends that the Center reimburse the state for that amount.

The Perpich Center was created in 1985 to offer arts outreach to school districts, and in 1989 its namesake two-year arts high school opened. In 2013 it also took over management of Crosswinds Arts and Science middle school. Complaints about management of that school surfaced last spring, and former arts high school employees have spoken out about a hostile work environment at their school.

The legislative audit confirmed some of those worries, noting that arts high school enrollment took a dive after 2011, from 306 students to 187 in 2016. The report says 78 percent of students come from the metro area, which runs counter to the school's statutory requirement that it "must plan for the enrollment of pupils on an equal basis from each congressional district".

ADVERTISEMENT

Students also aren't doing well on state tests, and the report says the arts high school didn't even give the required 11th grade state math test in 2014.

The bleak picture continued with the Crosswinds school. Enrollment is lower than it's been since the Perpich Center took over management, and Crosswinds math and reading test scores are low and declining.

The financial audit also uncovered multiple problems. "Just about every area we looked at we found a variety of errors," said deputy legislative auditor Cecile Ferkul.

"If the Perpich Center were a business that would be so many red flags that it's time to close," said Rep. Randy Jessup, R-Shoreview. "Perhaps the appropriate next step would be to gracefully wind down these two schools."

The auditor didn't make specific recommendations for a path forward, but closure of the agency was one of the options offered. However, the report also noted that the Perpich Center could drop management of Crosswinds or drop both schools, potentially allowing them to continue as charter schools.

That route would present some challenges. The report said the arts high school spent $20,442 per student last year, compared to $11,527 per student at the average Minnesota school district in 2015. That means funding would likely take a hit if the high school were converted to a charter school.

"The high school has been a great asset for our state," said House education policy committee chair Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton.

Erickson said she might favor just taking Crosswinds out from under Perpich control.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Perpich is salvageable, but Crosswinds I'm very, very concerned ... I don't know if the Perpich board is capable of understanding what they must do to ensure that those students get the education we expect," she said.

Perpich Center staff and board members remained optimistic about the agency's future.

"We are happy to receive the feedback of the auditors and look forward to implementing many of recommended changes," newly-hired arts high school principal Ahava Silkey-Jones said. Silkey-Jones added she's seen positive staff morale since taking the position and that the school recently hired a new admissions coordinator to help boost enrollment.

Nine of the Perpich Center's 15 board members are also new as of July. "I think we have a really incredible team coming forth," said board member Julie Workman. "It seems to me that the adults have done a pretty good job of making a mess for the needs of the student. I believe that it can be corrected."

The audit said the board should start examining enrollment and test score trends, pay closer attention to budgets, and evaluate the executive director annually. A recent board report did recommend a director evaluation, but former executive director Sue Mackert retired earlier this month.

Mackert took over the agency in 2010. The agency is searching for her replacement.
On Saturday, thousands of women are expected to gather in Washington, D.C., and cities across the nation for the Women's March on Washington.

Event organizers have said the march is not a protest but a gathering to "promote women's equality and defend other marginalized groups."

But the march's purpose  the day following Donald Trump's inauguration is transparent: to counterbalance the views, real and perceived, espoused by the new president.

Through his words and actions, Trump has given women many reasons for concern, some that I share and some that seem blatantly alarmist and silly.

But even if I felt compelled to wrangle my two young daughters (no easy task) and join a sisterhood of women marching together to promote women's equality (a cause that sounds laudable), I would find myself unwelcome.

ADVERTISEMENT

Why?

Because I am pro-life, and in the world of modern, progressive feminism, that makes me and the millions of women like me persona non grata.

This week, march organizers removed the New Wave Feminists, a Texas-based pro-life group, from the list of partner organizations on its website.

A statement from the march explained how the group had been granted partnership status "in error," and assured other member groups (including sponsors like Planned Parenthood and NARAL) and marchers that the march's pro-abortion principles meant that only those who hold such a belief should consider themselves welcome.

"We look forward to marching on behalf of individuals who share the view that women deserve the right to make their own reproductive decisions," i.e. people who support abortion.

Perhaps I'm splitting hairs, but it seems bad form to plan a march for the equality of all women if you mean only those women who think as you do.

Should one assume that if she thinks otherwise, she in not only uninvited, but unequal?

The truth is this is really the Progressive Women's March on Washington, and like most things on the left these days, hysterics abound.

ADVERTISEMENT

But excluding pro-life women was not the first controversy for the women's march.

The New York Times reported in early January that comments by some march organizers and attendees  some accusing white women and older women of ignoring racism before the era of Trump and chiding them to "check your privilege"  have alienated other marchers, causing many to rethink their participation.

One disenchanted would-be marcher told the Times, "This is a women's march  Why is it now about, 'White women don't understand black women?'"

March organizers say this sort of dialogue, where women of different backgrounds, experiences and beliefs explore and address how their "intersecting identities" compound their oppression, is the ultimate purpose of the march.

Indeed, the guiding principles of the march declare that its members "practice empathy with the intent to learn about the intersecting identities of each other."

That's a lovely goal, even if it forces participants to engage in uncomfortable conversations.

The principles also state: "We will suspend our first judgment and do our best to lead without ego."

This is also a commendable value.

ADVERTISEMENT

But it seems it's so lofty that not even the event organizers are able to stand by it.

Why else would they have excluded a group of women who believe that a movement based on human dignity and justice must include the rights of the unborn?

And why is such a belief so threatening that judgment will not be suspended for those who hold it?

If the women organizing Saturday's event are really interested in initiating difficult but necessary dialogues between women, there are few issues that would benefit more from some listening, empathy and understanding than abortion.

But like so many movements on the progressive left, it would seem this women's march is based on high ideals its leaders have no intention of upholding.

As the New Wave Feminists wrote on their Facebook page in response to being dumped as a march partner: "Oh, well. I'm not losing any sleep over it."

Cynthia M. Allen is a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Spending some leisure time at the Department of Motor Vehicles a few days ago, I overheard two men talking: "Did you hear about all those women going to Washington this week?" one asked. His pal waved away his friend's concern with a reassuring reply, "Not all of them. Just the smart ones."

It's true that a lot of smart women  and men  are heading to D.C. this week. But they aren't going to celebrate the inauguration of Donald Trump, who took office with the lowest approval ratings of any recent president. Instead, hundreds of thousands of citizens are convening to make the point that women's rights are human rights. They're gathering to encourage conversations about justice and equity and to raise awareness about the wisest approaches to our country's future.

The new president might not be interested in wisdom, which means that we, the people, must be.

Trump doesn't seem to want smart people around him. Even Trump hangers-on who appear smart, like Monica Crowley with her Ph.D. from Columbia University, turn out not to be all that bright. Remember what the Wizard of Oz told the Scarecrow: I can't give you a brain, but I can give you a diploma.

Just as the lack of a high school diploma doesn't mean you're stupid, the possession of a Ph.D. doesn't mean you're smart, especially if you lifted whole sections of your dissertation without attribution the way Crowley apparently did. (Maybe Melania taught Monica to plagiarize. I bet there's a lot we can all learn from Melania.) And yet there are indeed differences between smart and stupid, between informed and ignorant and between wise and ridiculous.

ADVERTISEMENT

Look, I'm not worried about whether people in the new administration will have a piece of paper issued by an Ivy League institution or not. I'm worried about the carefully groomed and artfully constructed celebration of ignorance I regard as part of Donald Trump's administration. In my old Brooklyn neighborhood, there used to be a joke saying, "If you're so smart, why ain't you rich?" but now we should be asking "If you're so rich, why aren't you smart?"

Being articulate, capable of logical reasoning and able to use language constructively is not an affectation. Using your language clearly and effectively is not showing off. Life is not a game of "Scrabble" where you're awarded points for big words, but language is how we communicate.

Actually, Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway might disagree about the need for language. Conway wants us not to go by what comes out of his mouth but instead to "look at what's in his heart."

You know who did think it was important for American citizens to be well-informed, arguing that the very fabric of our nation's life depended on it? Thomas Jefferson (Trump can Google him). In 1820, Jefferson wrote, "I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society, but the people themselves: and if we think them not enlightened enough  The remedy is not to take (power) away from them, but to inform their discretion by education."

Why isn't it good enough simply to Google Thomas Jefferson? Because having access to information is different from understanding a subject. Education, whether it comes from a school, university or library, is portable property. You can't just make up knowledge all by yourself. There are foundations upon which enlightened judgments are based. Or put it this way: Life is not a black pair of pants, and the accumulated wisdom of civilization is not lint. You don't just sit around and pick up it up from unchecked sources.

It's essential to refine what Jefferson calls "discretion" because the decisions of the American electorate need to be based on more than individual tastes. This country was founded on values better than ruthless ambition, histrionic opportunism and a passion for golden things.

This inaugural week, especially, we should remind ourselves that Americans are not merely the consumers of government: Those who lead our country derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. (That last part is Jefferson, too.)

Those women and men marching on Washington are reminding us that we are more than ourselves: We are The People.

ADVERTISEMENT

Gina Barreca is an English professor at the University of Connecticut and the author of "If You Lean In, Will Men Just Look Down Your Blouse?" and eight other books.
The whole world knows how much President-elect Donald Trump prides himself on deal-making. He views foreign policy entirely in terms of making deals the way he did for his business empire. He brags that his bargaining skills will corral China and Russia into doing his bidding.

Yet, to the amazement of allies and probably of foes, Trump has been handing over his best bargaining chips to Vladimir Putin  gratis  even before taking office. Clearly his real estate deals have given him few clues as to how to handle authoritarian leaders, although his ego insists otherwise. This willful blindness puts America's security at risk.

Trump's cluelessness was painfully evident in an interview he gave to the London Times last week in which he continued to denigrate the European Union and NATO, while gushing: "Let's see if we can make some good deals with Russia."

What's the deal he wants to cut with Putin?

Trump proposed removing sanctions "that hurt (Russia) very badly" in return for Moscow's reducing its number of nuclear weapons. Anyone who's dealt with Russia, or with U.S. security policy, would know that combining these two totally disparate issues is ludicrous.

ADVERTISEMENT

The United States and Europe imposed painful economic sanctions on Russia as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. The sanctions are set to remain in force until Moscow reverses its ongoing aggression.

"The sanctions were imposed for Russian aggression that overturned the whole post-WWII order in which European boundaries were no longer changed by force," says Alexander Vershbow, the former deputy secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization who previously served as U.S. ambassador to NATO and Russia.

Any nuclear weapons deal, on the other hand, would require the United States to match the Russians tit-for-tat in reducing warheads via specific arms negotiations. Putin prides himself on his nukes  which give Russia great power status despite its weak economy. The idea that he would swap them for the lifting of sanctions is senseless.

"I'm really puzzled by it," says Vershbow, "especially since the Russians reject that linkage."

Even raising the idea illustrates how little Trump understands about bargaining with Moscow.

By making clear he's willing to lift sanctions without a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine, Trump is essentially giving Putin a green light to re-establish a Russian sphere of interest over part of Europe by any means necessary. He's making a concession reminiscent of the post-WWII pact at Yalta that divided Europe into Western and Soviet sectors. Yet he appears ready to hand this massive concession to Putin for little or nothing.

But the president-elect seems eager to make even more dangerous and unrequited concessions to Putin  by undermining our closest allies and alliances. He's effectively been encouraging the breakup of the European Union.

He appears to view the EU mainly as a trade competitor  not as a community of nations that share Western values in a world where those values are under threat. He's even taken to insulting the vital leader of Germany, Angela Merkel.

ADVERTISEMENT

Moreover, Trump's rhetoric gives the impression he's ready to abandon America's strongest military alliance  NATO  which he slammed once again in the Times interview. Asked by the news media if Moscow agreed with Trump's view that NATO was "obsolete," Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin had long been making the same point.

Yet, as Vershbow notes, NATO allies have been conducting counter-terrorism missions and training local forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere for years, alongside American forces  and have been slowly raising their contributions to the alliance. If Trump sought to beef up counterterror operations and push for more member pay-in while actively supporting the alliance, that would be useful. But to constantly denigrate NATO plays into Putin's hands.

Indeed, one of NATO's primary missions has now become to deter further Russian aggression and subversion in Europe. "Our original mission is back with a vengeance," says Vershbow. "Never since the mid-1980s have we been so dependent on NATO to deter external aggression" by Russia.

What does Trump think he will get in return for giving up so much? He seems convinced  as does his future national security adviser Michael Flynn  that Russia will become a crucial ally in the fight against Islamic terrorism.

But, as Russia proved time and time again in Syria, when it failed to join the anti-ISIS fight, that idea is an illusion.

"What is driving Russia is not an intention to form an alliance against terrorism," says Vershbow. Rather than fight ISIS, Putin's interest is to keep his proxy, Bashar al-Assad, in power and to establish major military bases in Syria.

Perhaps the president-elect's bromance with Putin will be tempered by his more Russia-savvy picks for secretaries of state and defense, Rex Tillerson and James Mattis. But if Trump the deal-maker continues on the same tack in the White House, abetted by Flynn, Putin need do nothing more than sit back and wait as America's new leader delivers more freebies.

Call it The Artlessness of the Deal.

ADVERTISEMENT

Trudy Rubin is a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Finnish English

Sponda Plc Stock Exchange Release at 9:00 a.m.

Publishing of Sponda's Financial Statements Bulletin 2016 on Friday 3 February 2017

Sponda Plc's Financial Statements Bulletin 2016 will be published on Friday, 3 February 2017 at approximately 8:30 am Eastern European time. The financial report and other material will be available on the company website at www.sponda.fi/investors after publication.

Analyst and Press Conference

A meeting for analysts and press will be held in Finnish on Friday, 3 February 2017 at 9:30 am at Sponda's headquarter, Korkeavuorenkatu 45, Helsinki.

Conference call and audiocasting

An international conference call and webcast for analysts and investors will be held on Friday, 3 February 2017 at 11:00 Eastern European time. To join the conference call, please call

UK: +44 (0)330 336 9105

SWE: +46 (0)8 5033 6574

Confirmation Code: 6635177

To join the webcast, please go to https://sponda.videosync.fi/2017-02-03-q4/

A replay of the conference call and webcast will be available later at www.sponda.fi >Investors > Results centre.

Annual Review and Financial Statements

Sponda Plc's Annual Review and Financial Statements for 2016 will be published on the company's website in week 8.

Sponda Plc

Further information:

Tua Stenius-Ornhjelm, Investor Relations Manager, tel. +358 40 748 8864

Sponda Plc is a property investment company specializing in commercial properties in the largest cities in Finland. Sponda's business concept is to own, lease and develop retail and office properties and shopping centres into environments that promote the business success of its clients. The fair value of Sponda's investment properties is approximately EUR 3.7 billion and the leasable area is around 1.2 million m.
Two of the leading contenders for a Supreme Court nomination are Judge William Pryor (11th Circuit) and Judge Diane Sykes (7th Circuit). Of the two, I am more familiar with Judge Pryor because we backed him during the contentious fight over his nomination and because I met him at a conference on originalism.

Im a fan.

Though Ive never met Judge Sykes, I have followed her career on the federal bench (she served first on state courts). She has been a terrific, solidly conservative judge.

People I trust say she has a great personality which, at times, has helped her persuade other judges to adopt her positions. The fact that she won a statewide election for judge in then-bluish Wisconsin speaks to her political savvy and personable nature.

Im a fan.

Earlier this week, Judge Sykes wrote an outstanding opinion in a Second Amendment case  Ezell v. City of Chicago. In that case, a 2-1 decision, the court struck down Chicagos zoning requirements for shooting ranges and established a limited Second Amendment right for minors by striking down Chicagos prohibition on minors entering shooting ranges.

Chicago had originally the city established a permit regime for lawful gun possession, required one hour of range training as a prerequiste for such a permit, and prohibited firing ranges everywhere in the city. This scheme was clever in a crude sort of way, but unsuccessful. The Seventh Circuit struck it down.

Chicago responded by replacing the range ban with an elaborate scheme of regulations governing shooting ranges. When the case challenging the citys regulations reached the Seventh Circuit, the issues were (1) a zoning restriction allowing gun ranges only as special uses in manufacturing districts; (2) a zoning restriction prohibiting gun ranges within 100 feet of another range or within 500 feet of a residential distict, school, place of worship, and multiple other uses; and (3) a provision barring anyone under the age of 18 from entering a shooting range.

The effect of the first two restrictions was to all but bar shooting ranges. As Judge Sykes explained:

The two zoning regulationsthe manufacturing-district classification and the distancing ruledramatically limit the ability to site a shooting range within city limits. Under the combined effect of these two regulations, only 2.2% of the citys total acreage is even theoretically available, and the commercial viability of any of these parcels is questionableso much so that no shooting range yet exists. This severely limits Chicagoans Second Amendment right to maintain proficiency in firearm use via target practice at a range. To justify these barriers, the City raised only speculative claims of harm to public health and safety. Thats not nearly enough to survive the heightened scrutiny that applies to burdens on Second Amendment rights.

(Emphasis added)

Judge Sykes concluded that the age restriction also flunks heightened scrutiny.

We held in Ezell I that the Second Amendment protects the right to learn and practice firearm use in the controlled setting of a shooting range. The City insists that no person under age 18 enjoys this right. Thats an extraordinarily broad claim, and the City failed to back it up. Nor did the City adequately justify barring anyone under 18 from entering a range. To the contrary, its own witness on this subject agreed that the age restriction is overbroad because teenagers can safely be taught to shoot and youth firearm instruction is both prudent and can be conducted in a safe manner.

Judge Sykes opinion, the quality of which is consistent with the other of hers that Ive read, recommends her for the most serious consideration for the Supreme Court.
French English

Installed at research facility Hartree Centre to enable closer collaboration between academic and industry organisations

Paris, London, 20th January 2017 - Atos, a leader in digital transformation, announces the first installation of its Bull sequana X1000 new-generation supercomputer system, in the UK at the Hartree Centre. Founded by the UK government, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Hartree Centre is a high performance computing and data analytics research facility. The world's most efficient supercomputer, Bull sequana, is an exascale-class computer capable of processing a billion billion operations per second while consuming 10 times less energy than current systems.

This major collaboration between Atos and the Centre focuses on various initiatives aimed at addressing the UK Government's Industrial Strategy which encourages closer collaboration between academia and industry. It includes:

The launch of a new UK based High Performance Computing (HPC) as a Service Offering (HPCaaS), which enables both large and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to take advantage of extreme computing performance through easily accessible Cloud portals. Improving SME access to such tools encourages and supports high-tech business innovation across the UK.

'Deep Learning' as a service (DLaaS); an emerging cognitive computing technique with broad applicability from automated voice recognition to medical imaging. The technology can be used, for example, to automatically detect anomalies in mammography scans with a higher degree of accuracy than the human eye.

The new supercomputer will allow both academic and industry organisations to use the latest technology and develop applications using the most recent advances in artificial intelligence and high performance data analytics. As such, the Bull sequana system will aid Hartree to become the 'go-to' place in the UK for technology evaluation, supporting the work of major companies in fields ranging from engineering and consumer goods to healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

Andy Grant, Head of Big Data and HPC, Atos UK&I: "We believe that our Bull supercomputing technology and our expertise will reinforce the Centre's reputation as a world class HPC centre of excellence and as the flagship model for industry-academic collaboration."

Alison Kennedy, Director of the Hartree Centre said: "The Hartree Centre works at the leading edge of emerging technologies and provides substantial benefits to the many industrial and research organisations that come to us. Our collaboration with Atos will ensure that we continue to enable businesses, large and small, to make the best use of supercomputing and Big Data to develop better products and services that will boost productivity and drive growth."

The partnership also encompasses a joint project to develop next-generation hardware and software solutions and application optimisation services, so that commercial and academic users benefit from the Hartree systems. It is also helping promote participation in STEM careers at higher education level and beyond, particularly in the North West of the UK.

The Bull sequana will be approximately 3.4 PFlops when installed and is composed of Intel Xeon and many core Xeon Phi(TM) (Knights Landing) processor technology. It has been designed to accommodate future blade systems for Deep Learning, GPU and ARM based computing.

The new Bull sequana system is one of the most energy efficient general purpose supercomputers in the world and is in the TOP20 of the Green500 list of the most energy efficient computers.

About Atos

Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is a leader in digital transformation with circa 100,000 employees in 72 countries and pro forma annual revenue of circa  12 billion. Serving a global client base, the Group is the European leader in Big Data, Cybersecurity, Digital Workplace and provides Cloud services, Infrastructure & Data Management, Business & Platform solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting edge technologies, digital expertise and industry knowledge, the Group supports the digital transformation of its clients across different business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications, and Transportation. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and is listed on the Euronext Paris market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline. www.atos.net | Follow @Atos

Bull is the Atos brand for its technology products and software, which are today distributed in over 50 countries worldwide. With a rich heritage of over 80 years of technological innovation, 2000 patents and a 700 strong R&D team supported by the Atos Scientific Community, it offers products and value-added software to assist clients in their digital transformation, specifically in the areas of Big Data and Cybersecurity and Defense. www.bull.com | Follow @Bull_com

Press contact:

Jose de Vries - jose.devries@atos.net - +31 6 30 27 26 11 - @Josee_devries
This is a correction of the announcement from 19:12 16.01.2017 CET. Reason for the correction: Amendment to section 3

FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

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

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

Amendment to section 3

1. KEY INFORMATION

(a) Full name of discloser: Danske Bank A/S (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):

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

Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree Sepura Plc (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:

For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 13.01.2017 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?

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

2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

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

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

Class of relevant security:







Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 14,829,795 4.01 (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell: TOTAL: 14,829,795 4,01

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

(a) Purchases and sales

Class of relevant security Purchase/sale



Number of securities Price per unit



Purchase



62,661



19.50



(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions



Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. CFD Nature of dealing

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

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

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

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

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

(ii) Exercise

Class of relevant security Product description

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





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

Class of relevant security Nature of dealing

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





4. OTHER INFORMATION

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

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

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







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

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

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

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

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







(c) Attachments

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





Date of disclosure: 16-01.2017 Contact name: Peter Alberg Telephone number: 0045 45 14 33 17

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

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

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.
( Read 5765 Times)

Source :

Udaipur. Zillonlife Global Pvt. Ltd. today announced the direct sales channel launch of its revolutionary product portfolio Lifecorder, Soul Sanctuary and Sierra Brewto cater to security, surveillance and lifestyle buyers. The launch was also graced by eminent delegates from Asian Professional Security Association (APSA),FICCI direct sellingcommittee&Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA) who have been the guardian and custodian of Direct Selling Industry in India. Zillonlife Global PvtLtd is a first of its kind Direct Selling Company in India with electronic security solutions as its primary product line and a 100% online ordering and fulfilment model. The company isfounded by a team of high-achievers withexperience in IT, ITES and BFSI sectors with Mr. Rishi Raj Mishra, as its Chairman and Mr. Mandeep Sharma as the Managing Director, Zillonlife Global PvtLtd who have extensive experience in direct selling & security industry that aims to provide good quality premium products at affordable prices.Congratulatingon the launch, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister for Consumer Affairs said, There is immense potential in the direct selling market and hence we have been continuously working on protecting the interests of the consumers, direct sellers and the companies in direct selling industry through government guidelines. New innovative direct selling companies like Zillonlife, are flagbearers of government initiatives like Skill India, Digital India, Start-up India and Women Empowerment and must aspire to contribute to the Indian growth story. The ministry will work in close co-ordination with companies for fostering the growth of a healthy direct selling market. Zillonlife should be working in compliance with the new guidelines and have registered with the ministry of consumer affairs. I wish them the very best for their future endeavoursFICCI direct selling committee chairman Rajat Banerji said the sector, with an estimated turnover of Rs.8,000 crore, had the potential to touch Rs.65,000 crore by 2025 - "With the Direct Selling Guidelines 2016, the Government has brought in much needed regulatory clarity to this industry. We now seek legislative clarity," he said. In the financial year 2017-18, Zillonlife plans to open 15 new branch offices in Mumbai,Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad,Chennai, Lucknow, Patna & North East, expand its strong distributor network across major metros and in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka and five North East States. The Company also announced that it would add 50 new products to its product portfolio across the various segments. Reiterating the Companys credibility and commitment to market, Mr. Rishi Raj Mishra, Chairman, Zillonlife Global Pvt Ltd, stated, Zillonlifehas been launched after extensive research to explore the most beneficial product having the best consumer benefits. We believe direct marketing is the ideal channel through which we can educate consumers about the advantages of our companys affordable and quality products with strong network of after sales service and help to establish their everyday use in homes across the nation. Our approach is structured to bring products to consumers more quickly than would be the case through retail stores. We are confident that using the grassroots power of direct selling and unique product positioning will help us to become the leader in this category. Adding to the commencement of the Companys operations, Mr. Mandeep Sharma said, Currently Zillonlife sources most of its products from vendors within India and we have plans to set up our own manufacturing plant for our product lines, by 2018. We are committed to contributing to governments endeavour in building sustainable businesses and promote entrepreneurship in the country and help in providing self-employment opportunities to thousands of Independent Business Consultants across the country. Zillonlife model involves the marketing of products directly to consumers in a person-to-person manner without retail outlets or wholesalers. The marketing generally happens from home or workplace through explanation and demonstration by Direct Sellers known as Independent Business Consultants (IBCs) of ZillonLife. Being a specialized channel of distribution, which is neither wholesale nor retail, it covers both business-to-business and business-to-consumer aspects. It offers genuine business opportunities as it involves sustainable sales plan of goods and hence provides entrepreneurship opportunities to thousands of Indian people looking for a primary or alternate source of income generation.
SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Great Basin Scientific, Inc. (OTCQB:GBSND), a molecular diagnostics company, announced today that it has submitted a request to the Securities and Exchange Commission to withdraw its S-1 Registration Statement on file with the SEC for a planned $8 million equity financing. The Company also announced an amendment agreement with holders of its 2016 Convertible Note. The Company currently has $58 million in restricted cash from the 2016 Convertible Note financing.



We are pleased that our operating cash needs to date have been below forecast. As a result, we determined the additional funds were unnecessary at this time and have decided not to proceed with the planned financing, said Jeff Rona, chief financial officer of Great Basin Scientific. We are especially encouraged by the higher-than-expected efficiency of the instruments we placed at our customer sites, making it possible to potentially meet our revenue targets manufacturing fewer instruments.

The Company previously announced its intent to raise additional funds when it entered into the Convertible Note financing in July of 2016. At that time, the Company expected that additional capital was needed to fund operations in late 2016 and early 2017 until the 2016 Notes began to amortize in January 2017, and cash in the Companys restricted accounts incrementally became available pursuant to the terms of the 2016 Notes. However, the early release of restrictions on some cash in the restricted accounts, and the Companys belief that the rest of the restrictions on cash in the Companys restricted accounts will be released on a timely basis to fund operations going forward, has led the Companys management to believe that further financing is not required at this time.

We are gratified by the support of our Noteholders and look forward to working with them to make 2017 a very successful year as we anticipate expanding our menu of FDA-cleared assays from four to six, said Ryan Ashton, co-founder and chief executive officer of Great Basin Scientific. In addition to our four FDA-cleared and commercialized diagnostic assays, last month we submitted our Stool Bacterial Pathogens Panel to the FDA for 510(k) clearance, and we expect to submit our Bordetella Direct Test to the FDA very soon.

The Company expects to enter into discussions with the Noteholders to revise the schedule for the release of restrictions for funds in the restricted accounts and to amend the equity conditions for the release of such restrictions, as outlined in the 2016 Notes, and expects to amend the notes in relation to these terms in the coming weeks. Currently, the Company does not meet the equity conditions for the release of restrictions on funds under the 2016 Notes, but management believes that Noteholders are receptive to amending or waiving those conditions and that funds will be available on a timely basis to continue to finance the Companys ongoing operations. If the Company is unsuccessful in obtaining such amendments or waivers, then management will have to consider alternative financing at that time.

Amendment Agreement to 2016 Convertible Note

The Company also announced today that it signed an agreement with holders of the 2016 Notes that amends the conversion terms and eliminates the potential for deferrals. Under the terms of the amendment, any pre-issued conversion shares at the time of the amendment will reduce the principal amount of the Note held by Noteholders at the fixed conversion price of $0.044 per share without deferral provisions. The amendment eliminates the provisions of the 2016 Notes dealing with the Companys ability to elect to convert installment payments, delivery of pre-installment conversion shares in relation to converted installment payments and the ability of Noteholders to accelerate or defer installment amounts. Future conversions may only be made at the election of the Noteholder at a variable price of the lower of (i) $2.00 per share, (ii) 85% of the lowest trading price of the stock during five consecutive trading days ending and including the trading day on which the Noteholder delivers a conversion notice to the Company or (iii) 85% of the weighted average price of the common stock during a single trading day on the date with which the Noteholder delivers a conversion notice to the Company.

About Great Basin Scientific

Great Basin Scientific is a molecular diagnostics company that commercializes breakthrough chip-based technologies. The Company is dedicated to the development of simple, yet powerful, sample-to-result technology and products that provide fast, multiple-pathogen diagnoses of infectious diseases. The Companys vision is to make molecular diagnostic testing so simple and cost-effective that every patient will be tested for every serious infection, reducing misdiagnoses, and significantly limiting the spread of infectious disease. More information can be found on the companys website at www.gbscience.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding the Companys continuing business efforts related to its products, including but not limited to, statements regarding the Companys anticipated capital needs through mid-2018, the Companys expectation that restrictions on cash in the Companys restricted accounts will be release pursuant to the terms of the 2016 Notes, that the release of cash from restricted accounts, if and when it occurs, will be sufficient and timely to fund the Companys operations, the Companys expectation that holders of the 2016 Notes will agree to a restructuring of the release schedule and equity conditions to permit the release of funds, and the Companys development plans and other similar statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: our limited operating history and history of losses; our ability to develop and commercialize new products and the timing of commercialization; our ability to obtain capital when needed; our ability to restructure the release schedule for cash in our restricted accounts under the 2016 Notes, our ability to amend the equity conditions of the 2016 Notes to permit release of restrictions on cash in restricted accounts, our ability to meet any equity conditions in the future, amended or otherwise, to permit the timely release of restrictions on cash in restricted accounts to meet our ongoing operating costs, our anticipated capital needs not varying significantly from those currently projected through mid-2018, our anticipated business and customer growth occurring as anticipated and other risks set forth in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks set forth in the companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2016. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and Great Basin Scientific specifically disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
The Pleasantville Center on the Black Horse Pike, anchored by Kmart and the Asia Supermarket, is bustling daily. But with the loss of Kmart, Mayor Jesse Tweedle said finding the right tenant to fill the location will be the key to the shopping centers success.

You have to be really smart about the new tenants. It has to be something thats feasible in this area, he said.

Kmart announced it will close 78 stores, including its Pleasantville and Rio Grande locations, adding to the inventory of strip mall vacancies in the area.

Developer Harvey Rosenblatt of P3RE properties in Jackson Township, Ocean County, said its important to take the time to get it right.

Kmart closing stores in Pleasantville and Middle Township Kmarts owner said Wednesday it will close stores in Pleasantville and Middle Township at th

Rosenblatt purchased Smithville Square in March 2016 and has been working to fill the plazas 40,000-square-foot anchor store, which previously housed grocers such as Foodtown and Incollingos.

He said that while Smithville Squares 56,000-square-feet of smaller storefronts are nearly 80 percent full, finding the right fit for the anchor is much harder.

He said a previous owner put a wall down the middle of the anchor store to try to find a tenant, but that failed as well.

He said they are seeking another grocer, but stores such as Lidl and Aldi, which are developing new locations in the region, have too small a footprint. Meanwhile, stores like ShopRite are much more expansive.

Its failed in the past, and if its going to be a grocer it has to be someone that is well established and can compete with whoevers local, Rosenblatt said.

For Pleasantville, Kmarts closing is a social loss, but also one of aesthetics. Tweedle said.

CRDA spending mission turned from neighborhoods to casino attractions ATLANTIC CITY  Inside an unfinished Revel Casino Hotel in 2011, Gov. Chris Christie declare

Theres always concern when you have an empty building thats been around for years, he said.

Tweedle said he doesnt want to see the Pleasantville Center suffer the same fate as the Cardiff Power Center on the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township.

Thats a ghost town, and its a shame, too, because it was thriving, he said. Its reflective of the economy.

The Cardiff center is one of the more glaring examples of empty strip malls in South Jersey. Formerly home to a 60,600-square-foot Pathmark supermarket  which closed in 2012  now all thats left are a Big Lots and Forman Mills. Tweedle said the void has a negative implication for the municipality.

You dont want those kind of negative appearances to be right there on the forefront. Its something that were all going through in the municipalities, he said.

How much are homes selling for near you? Transactions are from county property records. Settlement dates are listed; deed filings may be delayed. Location may reflect address of selle

Egg Harbor Township Mayor James Sonny McCullough said filling vacancies in large commercial properties is important for the township and its taxpayers.

It increases the ratable base, which helps the general taxpayers, he said.

McCullough cited Tanger Outlets The Walk in Atlantic City as a deterrent for redevelopment of struggling strip malls.

It was a tremendous competition when youre getting free land and tax relief and all kinds of economic incentives. All the big-box stores and the outlets, instead of coming to where the population is, they are going to Atlantic City, he said.

McCullough said EHT has a five-year tax-abatement program for any new business building in the township.

Egg Harbor Township is getting some new development in the form of a 250,000-square-foot shopping center anchored by a 188,500-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter at Fire Road and the Black Horse Pike. McCullough said he hopes that will be good for all businesses by drawing customers to the area.

Rosenblatt said the loss of anchor stores is not something unique to South Jersey.

SugarHouse Online Casino teams up with Konami The company that operates under Golden Nugget Atlantic Citys internet gaming permit has tea

Its across the board. In the retail world of today, you just see big boxes shuttering as opposed to opening. Arguably a lot of it has to do with the dynamics that the internet has brought to the playing field of retail, he said.

One of the biggest challenges in rural South Jersey is the lack of foot traffic, especially when the big-box stores close.

For what its worth, its certainly better for me holding off to get the right retailer in there, Rosenblatt said. Were talking to the right retailers. Were focusing in on the uses that we think can work and will work based on the demographics.
On a warm September day, amid the excitement of the 1968 Miss America Pageant, a few hundred women crowded the Boardwalk.

But the women outside Boardwalk Hall werent craning for a peek at the beauty queens or their dazzling gowns.

In protest of the contest, the women tossed their bras, girdles and other womanly wear into a freedom trash can in the name of the womens liberation movement.

Even one of Miss Americas own, 1951 titleholder Yolande Betbeze, joined the fun. A few blocks away, the Miss Black America competition pushed forward against the all-white beauty pageant.

The protest on the Boardwalk would link feminists to the term bra burners for decades. Even now, the term has been swirling around the internet as a new generation of women head Saturday to the nations capital for the Womens March on Washington.

No bras were actually burned in the making of this revolution.

The mythical bra-burning connection to Atlantic City has been part of the classes taught by Kristin Jacobson, associate professor of American literature, American studies and womens, gender and sexuality studies at Stockton University.

The alliteration of bra burner is memorable, just in terms of how it sounds. Its pithier than lipstick burner or eyelash-curler burner, she said.

By most accounts, the bra-burning blunder first came when a New York Times article compared the trashing of the bras to draft-card burning protests associated with the Vietnam War. Later, a Press of Atlantic City headline, Bra-Burners Blitz Boardwalk, stated bras were burned.

It raised the issue of the way women are portrayed in the media, and the Miss America Pageant is a huge media event, said Judy Copeland, associate professor of writing at Stockton.

Copeland is no stranger to hearing the words bra burner. When she was the representative of a feminist organization in 1970 and someone would use the term, she would try to explain it has been documented no bra was ever burned.

There were some women who thought about doing it but couldnt get the fire permit, so it never happened, she said. So no matter how many times I said that, it seems the myth persisted.

As slurs like femi-nazi popped up, the term bra burner waned.

There is a history of terms being coined to make fun of or to trivialize womens rights advocates, Copeland said. But bra burners still persists, which is interesting.

Rebecca Harlan, of Ventnor, plans to go to the Womens March on Washington and has had her train ticket since early November.

The retired history teacher said she has seen Facebook groups voicing concerns over protesters wearing pink pussyhats  knitted to look like cat ears  as a tongue-in-cheek joke against incoming President Donald Trump.

Some, she said, think the hats could become the marchs bra-burner moment. Harlan said shes not sure she agrees with the sentiment, but she understands where the perspective is coming from.

You dont want to draw attention away from what were about, she said.

Copeland favors letting a thousand flowers bloom.

Different women are going to advocate in different ways. I know the feminist movement has changed, a lot, and young women pursue their activism in different ways than our generation, she said. And I think thats great.

Jacobsen said views on the pussyhats vary as much as feminists, like all people.

There was a significant amount of backlash, too, that came from (the Miss America protests), and that small number of women bore the brunt of that in the way they were painted, she said. I think we can see that same backlash sort of rhetoric started with the pussyhats as well, and some people saying its the same kind of critiques with bra-burning.

But where bra-burning became a symbol of militant feminism, Jacobsen doesnt think the pink, knitted hats will have the same impact.

The 1968 Miss America protests reminded her a small group can spur change, Jacobsen said.

The feminists crusade for equal rights and using Miss America as a symbol for that fight encouraged even more change for the Miss America Organization, according to the Miss America Organizations website. By 1970, the organization saw its first black contestant with Cheryl Adrienne Browne, of Iowa.

Through every major milestone of our nations evolution, Miss America has provided a voice for women from all walks of life, said Josh Randle, chief operating officer of the Miss America Organization. From the onset of womens suffrage and through the Civil Rights movement, to the empowerment of women in education and the work force and, most recently, welcoming our first openly gay contestant, the Miss America Organization remains one of the nations leading movements of empowering young women.

At a time when womens voices were not always heard, Miss America was there  talking about issues that matter to women, speaking publicly from a womans perspective and even visiting with heads of state and dignitaries in an official capacity, Randle said. Today, more than ever, Miss America continues that legacy of providing a national voice for women.
Thelma Witherspoon is planning to board a bus to Washington, D.C., early Saturday morning in Pleasantville with a group of women wearing matching colorful scarves.

They will gather with thousands of others for the Womens March on Washington, many in protest of newly inaugurated President Donald Trump. But Witherspoon, 54, of Mays Landing, wants to make sure her voice is heard on what she considers a more important matter:

Health care, especially for women.

Changes to federal health care laws are coming  there is little doubt about that  but proposed changes and repeal of the Affordable Care Act have experts warning certain groups, such as women, that they should be educated on how coverage may change for contraceptives, maternity care and preventive services.

I really believe we live in the greatest country in the whole world, Witherspoon said. Why should we have people here who cant afford prescriptions and basic health care?

Although no concrete replacement plan has been submitted, repealing the ACA, or Obamacare, is at the top of Trumps agenda. Experts say a big misconception among people is that changes wont affect the privately insured, but even those women have been reaping the benefits of the health care law.

The 2012 law required most health insurers to provide coverage for birth control at no out-of-pocket cost to women. The mandate saved U.S. women more than $1.4 billion in out-of-pocket expenses for birth control pills in its first year, according to a report by University of Pennsylvania researchers.

Researchers said women have saved, on average, $250 annually on birth control, but that could change. In the case of a full ACA repeal, New Jersey state law still requires employers to offer health insurance that will cover contraceptives, but they do not have to do so at the full cost.

A repeal of the contraceptives mandate could have other consequences.

Abortion rates are at the lowest in decades, and thats because of a lot of different reasons, but access to contraception is pretty key to reducing unintentional pregnancies, said Katherine Hempstead, senior adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, Mercer County.

Veterans Affairs opens new outpatient clinic in Vineland VINELAND  Cynthia Murrays start with the local U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs office 

Although a concrete replacement plan has not been submitted to Congress, proposed plans include defunding Planned Parenthood.

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, told CNN the organization has seen a 900 percent increase in women trying to get into Planned Parenthood to get an IUD because they are desperately concerned that they are going to lose their access to health care.

Casey Olesko, spokeswoman for the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey, said more than 90 percent of the organizations services are preventive and include birth control, STD testing and treatment, cancer screenings and well visits, all made possible with help from federal funding.

Planned Parenthood, which has a community site in Atlantic City and a students-only site at Stockton University, also offers abortion services. Funding from Title X, a federal family planning program that primarily serves lower-income Americans, does not support those services.

Olesko credits access to free contraceptives, education programs and other preventive services to dropped rates of abortions and teen pregnancies. Those rates could be negatively impacted and a bigger financial burden may fall on patients and taxpayers with proposed federal changes.

Every dollar invested in publicly funded family planning services saves $7 in associated health care costs in the long run, she said. These savings occur when family planning providers including Planned Parenthood help patients plan their families, limit exposure to sexually transmitted infections and address reproductive cancer issues.

Health policy experts said a new plan may or may not have policies in place to protect coverage for pregnant women and maternity and newborn care as the ACA currently has.

Egg Harbor City woman who sought kidney in Craigslist ad, gets organ from mom EGG HARBOR CITY  Two years after she nearly got a new kidney from a donor found on Craigsli

Obamacare required that all new health plans sold to individuals and small businesses covered maternity and newborn care, which New Jersey state law also mandates. Before the federal law, pregnancy could have been considered a pre-existing condition and insurers could deny women new coverage.

But Hempstead said it will be very difficult to unwind all these policies any time soon and in full. In the case that a complete repeal of the ACA does take place, New Jersey is a good place for women to be in for reproductive health care, she said.

Before the ACA market, it was very hard to get plans that covered all of these things, Hempstead said. But New Jersey has had a tradition of being progressive in health care coverage. No matter what happens, its important for people to understand what their coverage is right now.
The Pinelands Commission will hold a telephone meeting Monday to discuss the Pinelands Protection Alliances court motion to stop it from moving ahead with public comment and a vote on the South Jersey Gas pipeline application.

The alliance believes the commissions process was illegal and does not comply with its Comprehensive Management Plan, said Assistant Executive Director Jaclyn Rhoads.

The discussion is closed to the public, according to the commissions website. Action may be taken in public afterward.

A special Tuesday commission meeting to take public comment on the application is still set for 9:30 a.m. If the commission decides to stop the procedure, the session may not happen.

Mondays special meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m. in the Richard J. Sullivan Center for Environmental Policy and Education, 15C Springfield Road, New Lisbon in Pemberton Township, Burlington County.

No public comment will be taken, the commission noted.

Tuesdays meeting to take public comment on the pipeline application is still set for 9:30 a.m. at the Parish Centre at St. Anns Catholic Church, 22 Trenton Road in Browns Mills, Pemberton Township, Burlington County. Written comments may be sent by mail to the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, P.O. Box 359, New Lisbon, NJ 08064, or by email to info@njpines.state.nj.us.
ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT:RNN), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing next generation targeted therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, today announced an update on the safety and efficacy of RX-3117 in an ongoing Phase IIa clinical trial in metastatic pancreatic cancer at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2017 Gastrointestinal Cancer Symposium in San Francisco California.



The data on progression free survival in metastatic pancreatic cancer patients treated with RX-3117 is very encouraging with 20% of patients exhibiting progression free survival of greater than 5.6 months (with one patient having progression free survival of 7.2 months). A majority of the patients enrolled in the trial have already failed 3 or more prior cancer therapies. Current options for these patients are usually limited to palliative or best supportive care; there are no drugs approved for metastatic pancreatic cancer patients that have failed two or more prior therapies, said Ely Benaim, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for Rexahn.

Rexahns development strategy for RX-3117 in pancreatic cancer is to continue to develop RX-3117 as monotherapy for patients with metastatic disease who have failed on two or more prior therapies, and also, in parallel, to develop RX-3117 in combination with Abraxane (paclitaxel protein bound) for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who have received no prior chemotherapy treatment. Since there are no drugs approved for patients who have failed two or more therapies, there may be an accelerated regulatory pathway for approval for this patient population, assuming we continue to see efficacy with RX-3117. In addition, during the first quarter, Rexahn plans to initiate a Phase IIa clinical trial of RX-3117 in combination with Abraxane in newly diagnosed metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. We expect the initial data from this trial will be available in early 2018, commented Peter D. Suzdak, Ph.D. CEO of Rexahn.

RX-3117 Phase IIa Clinical Data

The updated efficacy data for RX-3117 from an ongoing Phase IIa clinical trial in metastatic pancreatic cancer were presented on Friday January 20, 2017 in a poster presentation entitled RX3117, An Oral Antimetabolite Nucleoside Shows Activity in Subjects with Pancreatic Cancer. Preliminary Results of Stage 1 of the Phase 2a Study authored by Drew W. Rasco (South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics, San Antonio, Texas), Jaime R. Merchan (Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida) and Rexahn Collaborators.

Patients enrolled into stage 1 of the clinical trial had actively progressing disease with 55% of them having received 4 or more prior cancer therapies (including 5-FU and gemcitabine-based therapies). These patients would usually be offered palliative or supportive care. There are no approved treatments for pancreatic cancer patients who have failed three or more prior therapies and their survival is usually less than 2 months. In the current study more than 20% of patients treated with RX-3117 exhibited progression free survival of greater than 5.6 months (with one patient having progression free survival of 7.2 months). An additional 20%, for a total of 40%, of the patients exhibited progression free survival of 2.5 months. RX-3117 was shown to be safe and well tolerated in this patient group. The most frequently reported drug-related adverse events were mild to moderate fatigue and diarrhea. Patients in Stage 1 of the clinical trial are still being monitored for survival. However, since the predefined efficacy criteria have been achieved, stage 2 of the study has been initiated which entails enrolling an additional 40 metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. An initial data read out from stage 2 of the trial is expected in late 2Q or early 3Q 2017.

The ongoing Phase Ib/IIa clinical trial is a multicenter, open-label single-agent study of RX-3117 being conducted at 10 clinical centers in the United States. Patients receive a 700 mg daily oral dose of RX-3117, five times weekly on a three weeks on, one week off dosing schedule in a 28 day cycle for up to eight treatment cycles, or until their disease progresses. The study follows a two-stage design. In stage 1 of the trial, up to 10 patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic pancreatic cancer were enrolled. Based on predefined criteria, if 20% or more of the patients have progression free survival of > 4 months, or an objective clinical response rate and reduction in tumor size, then an additional 40 pancreatic cancer patients can be enrolled into stage 2.

About RX-3117

RX-3117 is a novel, investigational small molecule nucleoside compound. Once intracellularly activated (phosphorylated) by UCK2, it is incorporated into the DNA or RNA of cells and inhibits both DNA and RNA synthesis, which induces apoptotic cell death of tumor cells. UCK2 is highly overexpressed in various human cancer cells. Preclinical studies have shown that RX3117 has a broad spectrum anti-tumor activity against over 100 different human cancer cell lines and efficacy in 17 different mouse xenograft models including pancreatic, bladder, lung, cervical and colon cancers, as well as gemcitabine resistant cancer cells. Importantly, RX-3117 still retains its full anti-tumor activity in human cancer cell lines made resistant to the anti-tumor effects of gemcitabine. Rexahn is developing RX-3117 for metastatic pancreatic cancer and for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Rexahn has previously reported the completion of an exploratory Phase I clinical trial of RX-3117 in cancer patients conducted in Europe, to investigate the oral bioavailability, safety and tolerability of the compound. In this study, oral administration of a 50 mg dose of RX-3117 showed an oral bioavailability of 56% and a plasma half-life (T 1/2 ) of 14 hours. In addition, RX-3117 appeared to be safe and well tolerated in all subjects throughout the dose range tested.

In June 2016, final results from the Phase Ib clinical trial of RX-3117 were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting showing encouraging evidence of the single agent activity. Patients in the study were heavily pre-treated, and had generally received four or more cancer therapies prior to enrollment. In this study, 12 patients experienced stable disease persisting for up to 276 days and three patients showed evidence of tumor burden reduction. A maximum tolerated dose of 700 mg was identified in the study and will be administered for five consecutive days, with two days off, for three treatment weeks, followed by a week of rest. At the doses tested to date, RX-3117, administered orally, appeared to be safe and well tolerated with a predictable pharmacokinetic profile for an orally-administered route of therapy.

Based on these data, Rexahn initiated a two stage Phase IIa clinical trial of RX-3117 in patients with relapsed or refractory pancreatic cancer to further evaluate the safety and anti-cancer properties of this compound. The Phase IIa clinical trial is a multi-center study that will evaluate the safety and efficacy of RX-3117 in this target patient population. Patients in the trial will receive a 700 mg daily oral dose of RX-3117, five times weekly for three weeks in a 28 day cycle for up to eight treatment cycles, or until their disease progresses. The study follows a two-stage design. In stage 1 of the trial, 10 patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic pancreatic cancer were enrolled and 20% of the patients achieved the predefined criteria (progression free survival of > 4 months) which triggered the enrollment of an additional 40 pancreatic cancer patients (stage 2). Stage 2 is ongoing and an initial data readout is expected late in 2/3Q 2017.

Rexahn has also initiated the first stage of a Phase Ib/IIa study of RX-3117 in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The initial readout of the first stage is expected 2/3Q 2017.

Rexahn has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Orphan Drug Designation for RX-3117 for pancreatic cancer.

About Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Rexahn Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE MKT:RNN) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing novel, best-in-class therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. The Company's mission is to improve the lives of cancer patients by developing next generation cancer therapies that are designed to maximize efficacy while minimizing the toxicity and side effects traditionally associated with cancer treatment. Rexahn's product candidates work by targeting and neutralizing specific proteins believed to be involved in the complex biological cascade that leads to cancer cell growth. Pre-clinical studies show that certain of Rexahn's product candidates may be effective against multiple types of cancer, drug resistant cancers, and difficult-to-treat cancers, and others may augment the effectiveness of current FDA-approved cancer treatments. The Company has a broad oncology pipeline that includes three anti-cancer compounds currently in clinical development: Supinoxin, RX-3117, and Archexin, and a novel nanopolymer-based drug delivery platform technology that may increase the bio-availability of FDA-approved chemotherapies. For more information about the Company and its oncology programs, please visit www.rexahn.com.

Safe Harbor

To the extent any statements made in this press release deal with information that is not historical, these are forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about Rexahn's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to cash flow requirements, future operations and products, enrollments in clinical trials, the path of clinical trials and development activities, and other statements identified by words such as "will," "potential," "could," "can," "believe," "intends," "continue," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "may," other words of similar meaning or the use of future dates. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. Uncertainties and risks may cause Rexahn's actual results to be materially different than those expressed in or implied by Rexahn's forward-looking statements. For Rexahn, particular uncertainties and risks include, among others, understandings and beliefs regarding the role of certain biological mechanisms and processes in cancer; drug candidates being in early stages of development, including in pre-clinical development; the ability to initially develop drug candidates for orphan indications to reduce the time-to-market and take advantage of certain incentives provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; the ability to transition from our initial focus on developing drug candidates for orphan indications to candidates for more highly prevalent indications; and the expecting timing of results from our clinical trials. More detailed information on these and additional factors that could affect Rexahn's actual results are described in Rexahn's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. All forward-looking statements in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release. Rexahn undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The issue of what material to use for building or redecking the Jersey Shores famous boardwalks is sufficiently contentious that it closes minds. The latest dispute over a plan to rebuild 20 blocks of the Wildwood Boardwalk shows how closed-mindedness not only undermines analysis and decision-making, but is contagious.

At a hearing last month on the topic, Mayor Ernie Troiano firmly embraced closing his mind on one aspect of deck materials. Im about as closed-minded as can be on plastics, he said, responding to a suggestion the city should consider that for the Boardwalk surface.

Troiano was pushed to this position by people  apparently all from Ocean City  objecting to his preference for using a Brazilian hardwood for the walkway instead of treated pine, which splinters, cracks and doesnt last as long. The objectors have closed their minds to tropical wood, however sustainable or environmentally friendly the sourcing of it.

There is no obvious best material to use on boardwalk surfaces. Until there is, the possible materials will keep changing and deserve reasonable consideration each time a project begins.

For starters, we wish talk at the Wildwood hearing hadnt focused on plastic lumber. Sure, planks made entirely from recycled plastic are available, but theyre currently suitable for applications calling for plastic, not wood.

Composite lumber  typically made from wood, plastic and a binding agent  somewhat retains and improves upon the performance and quality of wood. Composite decking lasts longer, is less expensive in the long run and doesnt put splinters into feet. It has become the standard for home and business decking, applications similar to shore boardwalks.

About two years ago, we lamented that South Jersey boardwalks continued to be built as if a century of technological and materials progress had never occurred.

Several towns farther up the shore, however, rebuilt their boardwalks after Hurricane Sandy with composite decking, including Ocean Grove, Belmar, Sea Girt, Spring Lake and Point Pleasant.

Even this doesnt necessarily mean thats a good choice for Wildwood, Ocean City or Atlantic City. Those cities operate their boardwalks as if they were streets, parading vehicles on them, patrolling them with police cars and positioning fire trucks on them. Composite lumber doesnt have the rigid strength of some woods and would need more support for such vehicle use.

We dont understand why the large market for boardwalk decking  Wildwood expects to spend $20 million rebuilding 20 blocks  has yet to lead the composite industry to produce the rigidly strong alternatives needed. Someday, we assume.

After talking with a rainforest conservation group, Troiano said the city might be able to deck the boardwalk with submerged tropical hardwood  trees left at the bottom of lakes made by man decades ago.

Our minds are open to that possibility, too, providing the source of the wood can be convincingly certified. Fraudulent submerged tropical hardwoods could be a cover for cutting trees in rainforests.

The important thing is to openly consider all of the options and choose the one that best balances the publics sometimes conflicting desires. Thats a standard of good governance, only made more important when issues are contentious.
State, union, red tape not good for Atlantic City

Well, the state wants to punish Carl Icahn. In fairness, they should also penalize the powers of Local 54. The union said Icahn was bluffing, the state said Icahn was bluffing. They were wrong and cost Atlantic City millions. It costs the employees their well being, their ability to pay taxes, and killed the little businesses that depended on the workers as well. Local 54 is just as much to blame and should not get off that easy. It has not really done anything great for the city.

The red tape in this town is also killing any potential businesses from coming here.

New Jersey hates Atlantic City. For over two decades, the city gave North Jersey money; what happened to all that money? Atlantic City helped many and needs help.

Lisa Hankin

Atlantic City

Fears Trumps speech

Which Donald Trump will be delivering the inaugural speech soon, the one who reads dutifully from a Teleprompter what others have written, or the one at post-election rallies, gloating over what he feels was a win, repeating how he vanquished his political enemies?

Will he outline his vision of where to take the nation or will he again prattle about the corrupt media? Knowing the whole world is watching, and knowing him, I fear the worst.

Janine Kramer

Wildwood Crest

Media against Trump

Regarding the Jan. 6 Associated Press story, Mexican workers blame Trump for car plant cancellation:

The story could easily have been U.S. workers reap the benefit of a president who cares about them. But we are entering an era of watching the media try to find the flyspecks in the pepper in every Trump success.

Heaven forbid the media report anything positive where Trump is concerned. And after spending the last eight years sugar-coating every Barack Obama misstep, it must feel good to get back to muckraking.

Gene Doebley

Somers Point

Island association should push regulations less

The Osborn Island Association is just a group of people who formed a club, which does not give them any legal right to harass and bully fellow neighbors on the island. Its not a gated community with rules and regulations.

People pay taxes and they are high whether the address is Little Egg Harbor or Osborn Island. The association has no right to tell people how many boats or cars they can have. People live on the water and they all have boats, all are registered. The township code enforcer seems to do the associations bidding.

Lets all enjoy the island. Many of us are over 70 years old and just want to enjoy the rest of our lives in peace, enjoying the water and scenery. So please stop the bullying and enjoy life.

V.L. Barker

Little Egg Harbor Township
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.




DALLAS, Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rocky Mountain High Brands, Inc. (OTCQB:RMHB), a fully reporting consumer goods company specializing in hemp-infused food and beverage products and a naturally high alkaline water announced today that AKiNS Natural Foods Markets will be selling its hemp-infused beverages in all ten retail locations.



Rocky Mountain High beverages will be available soon in the AKiNS Natural Foods Markets in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas. AKiNS is one of the oldest continuously operated natural food markets in America. Since 1935, it has been recognized as one of the most complete and innovative retailers of natural foods in the U.S.

Michael Welch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rocky Mountain High Brands, said, Rocky Mountain High Brands has a line of natural, healthful beverages infused with hemp, ginseng, and guarana which is the perfect fit for AKiNS Natural Foods. With over eighty years of experience in the natural food business, AKiNS is well positioned to succeed with our hemp-infused products. We see a huge opportunity for continued growth. Having the AKiNS locations carry our products will expand our geographical footprint in the U.S.

Visit AKiNS Natural Foods on the web at www.akins.com.

About Rocky Mountain High Brands:

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH BRANDS, INC., is a consumer goods company specializing in brand development of health conscious, hemp-infused food and beverage products. The Company currently markets a lineup of four naturally flavored hemp-infused beverages (Citrus Energy, Black Tea, Mango Energy and Lemonade) and a low-calorie Coconut Lime Energy drink. Rocky Mountain High Brands also offers hemp-infused 2oz. Mango Energy Shots and Mixed Berry Energy Shots, as well as a Relaxation Brownie. The Company recently launched a naturally high alkaline spring water, Eagle Spirit Spring Water.

For interested investors, our stock symbol is RMHB.

For ordering information please visit: LiveRockyMountainHigh.com

For corporate information please visit: RockyMountainHighBrands.com

For information on our high alkaline water visit: EagleSpiritWater.com

For Rocky Mountain High Distribution Contact:

Chuck Smith (972) 955-0964

chuck@rockymountainhighbrands.com

Visit us at our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rockymountainhighbrands?fref=nf

Visit us on Twitter:

#GetYourHempOn

Visit us at Investors Hangout: http://investorshangout.com/Rocky-Mountain-High-Brands-Inc-RMHB-69150/

Investors Hangout is the only authorized Investors blog page for Rocky Mountain High Brands, Inc.

Safe Harbor Act: This release includes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involves risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the impact of competitive products, the ability to meet customer demand, the ability to manage growth, acquisitions of technology, equipment, or human resources, the effect of economic business conditions and the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel. The Company is not obligated to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.
ATHENS, Greece, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The best businesses from Greece were honoured at an exclusive event hosted at the British Ambassador's Residence by RSM Greece in Athens last night for The European Business Awards sponsored by RSM.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/459569/European_Business_Awards.jpg )



The 38 firms were chosen by a panel of independent judges, including senior businesses and academic leaders, to be 'National Champions' in Europe's largest business competition.

At the event, the sixth in a series of events across Europe, attendees had the chance to speak to leading businesses in their field and hear from guest speakers including Andrew Staunton, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Athens, and Athos Stylianou, Managing Partner, RSM Greece.

Andrew Staunton, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy said: "The European Business Awards is a long-running institution, one which year-in-year-out serves to promote, nourish and recognise the growth, innovation and success of companies here in Greece, and across the continent. As well as recognising commercial success, the European Business Awards are a means of recognising and rewarding businesses for the valuable economic and social contribution they make to our countries and our societies.

"Throughout my three years as the Deputy Head of Mission in Greece, I have been impressed by the resilience and dynamism of Greek companies - companies that have continued to compete at both a national and European level despite the wide-ranging difficulties that have faced the domestic economy for over 6 years. Despite the multiple challenges businesses have faced over these years, from increased taxation, reduced domestic demand, to the effect of capital controls, the Greek private sector in some ways defies the odds by continuing to innovate and thrive."

Lead sponsor RSM, is the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms worldwide, and has supported the European Business Awards since its inception.

Athos Stylianou Managing Partner, RSM Greece said: "We are very pleased that once again we are able to celebrate the great success of the Greek businesses who despite the very difficult circumstances in the Greek market, that they face every day, have managed to be awarded the title of National Champion in the European Business Awards sponsored by RSM. It is a truly great achievement as the competition this year was very high, with more than 34,000 companies entering the Awards, and we congratulate them for this exceptional accomplishment."

RSM Greece has supported Greek firms in the competition from nomination through to final voting stages for the last ten years. This promotion of the best of Greek businesses has resulted in two European Business Award winners and several Ruban d'Honneur recipients.

In the next round, the National Champions are taking part in the Public Vote, which opened on 9 January at http://www.businessawardseurope.com. Category winners and the overall winner of the public vote will be announced at the Gala Final in May 2017.

The European Business Awards was set up to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe. This year it engaged with over 33,000 businesses from 34 countries.

Further information about the National Champions and the Awards can be found at http://www.businessawardseurope.com and http://www.rsm.global



About the European Business Awards:

The European Business Awards' primary purpose is to support the development of a stronger and more successful business community throughout Europe.

For all citizens of Europe, prosperity, social and healthcare systems are reliant on businesses creating an even stronger, more innovative, successful, international and ethical business community - one that forms the beating heart of an increasingly globalised economy.

The European Business Awards programme serves the European business community in three ways:

 It celebrates and endorses individuals' and organisations' success

 It provides and promotes examples of excellence for the business community to aspire to

 It engages with the European business community to create debate on key issues

The European Business Awards is now in its 10th year. This year it engaged with over 33,000 businesses from 34 countries. Last year's public vote generated over 227,000 votes from across Europe. Sponsors and partners include RSM, ELITE and PR Newswire.

http://www.businessawardseurope.com.

About RSM:

RSM is the sixth largest network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms, encompassing over 120 countries, 760 offices and more than 38,000 people internationally. The network's total fee income is US$4.64 billion.

RSM is the lead sponsor and corporate champion of the European Business Awards promoting commercial excellence and recognition of entrepreneurial brilliance.

RSM is a member of the Forum of Firms, with the shared objective to promote consistent and high quality standards of financial and auditing practices worldwide.

RSM is the brand used by a network of independent accounting and advisory firms each of which practices in its own right. RSM International Limited does not itself provide any accounting and advisory services. Member firms are driven by a common vision of providing high quality professional services, both in their domestic markets and in serving the international professional service needs of their client base. http://www.rsm.global

About ELITE:

ELITE is a full-service programme designed to share best practice and increase growth opportunities for fast growing companies, with a focus on understanding the capital markets. ELITE is an innovative programme based on exclusive training and a tutorship model, supported by access to the business and financial community. Its aim is to prepare companies for their next stage of growth and investment.

For further information on the programme, companies and the full list of partners, please go to:

http://www.elite-growth.com

About PR Newswire:

PR Newswire is the leading global provider of PR and corporate communications tools that enable clients to distribute news and rich content. We distribute our client's content across traditional, digital and social media channels in real time with fully actionable reporting and monitoring.

Combining the world's largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimisation network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world's enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in Europe, Middle East, Africa, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region.

For more information on PR Newswire please visit http://www.prnewswire.co.uk

SOURCE European Business Awards and RSM
NYKOPING, Sweden, Jan 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

CTT SYSTEMS AB ("CTT"), the market leader of humidity control systems for aircraft, has been selected by Boeing to provide the humidification systems for flight deck, crew rests and cabin zone A/B for the Boeing 777X aircraft. CTT will be tier-1 supplier to Boeing and the CTT products will be offered as supplier furnished equipment in the 777X catalogue.

Selecting CTT enables Boeing to bring proven humidification capabilities and performance from the 787 to the 777X and migrate to premium passenger cabins (zone A and B). In total, the Boeing 777X aircraft can be equipped with five of our humidifiers.

"We are honoured that Boeing has selected CTT for another widebody program. This is a major win for CTT, building on our experiences on the 787," said Torbjorn Johansson, CEO of CTT Systems. "The demand for humidification is proven on the787 with a flight deck humidifier fleet selection close to 80 percent and I am convinced that this extended offering will be well received by airlines."

The 777X will be the largest and most efficient twin-engine jet in the world, with 12 percent lower fuel consumption and 10 percent lower operating costs than the competition.

"I strongly believe that the 777X award with five optional humidifiers per aircraft has a great chance to rival the 787 Dreamliner average shipset content of approx. 2 humidifiers per aircraft," comments Torbjorn Johansson, CEO of CTT Systems.

CTT's humidifier maintains relative humidity in the human comfort zone of approx. 20 percent Relative Humidity. A higher humidity on long-haul flights reduces dry air related problems (e.g. fatigue, jet-lag, red eyes, dry skin, spread of virus diseases) and improves wellbeing and sleep. The humidifier is based on evaporative cooling technology and uses a method that effectively precludes the transfer of bacteria.

About CTT SYSTEMS (www.ctt.se)

CTT Systems is the market leading provider of humidity control systems for aircraft. Our products are offered for retrofit installations and line-fit on A380, A350 and Boeing 787. The crew humidifier is standard in all crew rest compartment fitted Boeing 787 aircraft and optional in the crew rest compartment on A380 and A350. The flight deck humidifier is optional on A350 and Boeing 787. Cair cabin humidification is offered as supplier furnished equipment for First and Business Class on Airbus A350. The Zonal Drying anti-condensation system is basic equipment on Boeing 787 and optional A350.

For additional information

Torbjorn Johansson

CEO at CTT Systems AB

Tel. +46-155-205901

Mobile +46-70-665 24 46

E-mail: torbjorn.johansson@ctt.se

This information is disclosed by CTT Systems AB in accordance with the EU Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) and the Swedish Securities Markets Act, the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act, or the requirements stated in the listing agreements. The information was submitted for publication on January 20, 2017 at 08:30 (CET).

CONTACT:

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

http://news.cision.com/ctt-systems/r/boeing-selects-ctt-for-777x-humidification-systems,c2170259

The following files are available for download:

Related Links

http://www.ctt.se



SOURCE CTT Systems
NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, France, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Bureau Veritas is pleased to announce the acquisition of SIEMIC Inc., an American testing and certification body for electrical and electronic equipment active in Silicon Valley and in Asia.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151216/296440LOGO )



Established in 2003, SIEMIC provides market access services for electrical and electronic products in the telecoms, consumer, automotive and medical sectors and works with global manufacturers, including many of the world's leading brands. SIEMIC provides a comprehensive range of testing, certification and international approvals management services. Its headquarters and main operation are located in Milpitas, Silicon Valley, USA; however, it also benefits from testing facilities in both California and China and branch offices in Taiwan.

As a leading Telecommunications Certification Body (TCB), SIEMIC issues thousands of certifications per year to attest compliance with Federal Communications Commission regulations in the USA for wireless and telecommunications equipment. It employs nearly 100 people and generated estimated revenue of EUR 9.5 million in 2016.

"As well as enabling Bureau Veritas to gain a strategic footprint in Silicon Valley by complementing our 7layers US laboratories, SIEMIC will help strengthen Bureau Veritas' position as a leader in the smartworld whilst enhancing our platform for autonomous and connected car services. This acquisition clearly demonstrates our commitment to our 2020 plan, with SIEMIC not only driving growth in our smartworld and automotive growth initiatives but also enhancing our presence in the USA and China, our two strategic markets," commented Didier Michaud-Daniel, Chief Executive Officer of Bureau Veritas.

Leslie Bai, President & CEO of SIEMIC, added: "We are established as the leader in an exciting and very promising market niche that requires advanced skills as well as an international reach and solid technical capabilities. As the global economy continues to expand, Bureau Veritas' worldwide network coupled with our existing platform provides our clients with a unique competitive advantage and value proposition. Today, becoming a member company of Bureau Veritas will propel us forward and help us continue our international growth."

Press Contact

Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services

Flora Wong

Email: flora.wong@hk.bureauveritas.com

Tel: +852 2494 5869





About Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas is a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services. Founded in 1828, the group has more than 68,400 employees in around 1,400 offices and laboratories all across the world. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performances by offering innovative services and solutions in order to ensure that their products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environment protection and social responsibility. Website: http://www.bureauveritas.com

Bureau Veritas' Consumer Products Services division is a leading global quality assurance provider for the global consumer product and retail markets. It offers an array of specialized services including testing, inspections, certification, audits and engineering services for a wide range of consumer products. These products include soft goods; electrical and electronic products; smartworld products and services including wireless and mobile devices; automotive equipment; hard goods; toys and juvenile products; premiums; food products as well as health, beauty, cosmetics, and household products. Website: http://www.bureauveritas.com/cps

SOURCE Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services
LONDON, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

ICIS data helps Ofgem to make UK wholesale traded markets more widely accessible to energy consumers and stakeholders

British energy regulator Ofgem has chosen ICIS to provide gas and electricity market data for use in its Supplier Cost Index.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160408/353056LOGO )



Ofgem as a national regulatory authority works to protect the interests of existing and future electricity and gas consumers. Its new index estimates ongoing trends of the main cost elements for suppliers in serving typical domestic consumers.

'We are pleased that Ofgem has once again chosen ICIS as the most trusted source for wholesale gas and electricity data for its new supplier index,' says Rob Kolkman, Managing Director for ICIS.

'ICIS continues to provide robust and transparent price references to energy stakeholders in the UK and across the world.'

Ofgem's new index builds on recommendations made by the Competition and Markets Authority in its Energy Market Investigation, which also selected ICIS data.

ICIS has brought transparency to energy pricing for more than two decades. The market valuations that it produces are widely referenced in wholesale supply contracts, both in the UK and globally.

About ICIS

ICIS is an independent price reporting agency focusing on global energy, petrochemical and fertilizer markets, and we have covered the complex UK electricity market for nearly two decades. Every day, we assess electricity contracts for more than 40 different delivery periods in the UK market alone. The analysis and data that we produce is widely used as a reference price in energy contracts. It is our aim to give companies in global commodities markets a competitive advantage by delivering trusted pricing data, high-value news, analysis and independent consulting, enabling our customers to make better-informed trading and planning decisions. With a global staff of more than 800, ICIS has employees based in Houston, Washington, New York, London, Montpellier, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Milan, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Yantai, Tokyo and Perth. ICIS is a division of Reed Business Information, part of Reed Elsevier Plc.

With a global staff of more than 800, ICIS has employees based in Houston, Washington, New York, London, Montpellier, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Milan, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Yantai, Tokyo and Perth. ICIS is a division of Reed Business Information, part of Reed Elsevier Plc.

About Reed Business Information

Reed Business Information provides information, analytics and data to business professionals worldwide. Our strong global products and services hold market-leading positions across a wide range of industry sectors including banking, petrochemicals and aviation where we help customers make key strategic decisions every day. RBI is part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional customers across industries. http://www.reedbusiness.com

About Reed Elsevier

RELX Group is a worldleading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs approximately 30,000 people of whom half are in North America. RELX PLC is a London listed holding company which owns 52.9% of RELX Group. RELX NV is an Amsterdam listed holding company which owns 47.1% of RELX Group. The shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX and RENX. The total market capitalisation is approximately 28.2bn GBP / 32.5bn Euro / 34.7bn USD. http://www.relx.com

Media contacts

Tara Sabanandan, Marketing Manager, ICIS

Email: tara.sabanandan@icis.com

Direct: +44 (0) 207-911-1713

Sources:

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/supplier-cost-index-methodology

SOURCE ICIS
LOS ALTOS, Calif., Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With its DataSphere software platform ready for enterprise adoption, industry veteran Robert Wilson has joined Primary Data to scale out its sales team and Channel growth as the companys new Head of Sales. Formerly the Vice President of Global Sales at EMC ScaleIO, and Vice President of Hyperscale Sales at Fusion-io, Wilson brings years of expertise in leading sales teams to help innovative customers adopt advanced storage solutions to support business growth.



The Primary Data engineering team has built an incredible software platform that does what no one said could be done  unite different types of storage from flash in a server, to shared arrays, to storage in the cloud, said Lance Smith, Primary Data CEO. With DataSphere now ready to help customers automate data orchestration across different storage types, we are excited to be bringing Rob on board to build a sales organization that matches the passion of our engineering team for simplifying data management for our customers.

At Primary Data, Wilson will lead the expansion of the Primary Data sales team to help customers orchestrate data across different types of storage to support automated data lifecycle management, Scale-out NAS, virtualization, data migration and cloud integration. He will also be expanding the companys Channel program, empowering existing and new Primary Data Channel partners to help their customers get the right data to the right storage at the right time.

With flash and cloud storage now common, and only so much innovation ahead in appliances, many in the storage industry are wondering what technology breakthrough is coming next, said Wilson. Primary Datas DataSphere software platform is a powerful solution to the data challenges that every large company faces around the world: How to simplify, save budgets, and scale their storage infrastructure. Im excited to join the team to bring DataSphere to enterprises looking for a smarter way to manage petabytes of data.

The Primary Data DataSphere platform automatically moves data across different storage types by creating a global dataspace through data virtualization. A powerful policy engine places data on the ideal storage resource to automatically meet evolving performance, price and protection requirements, according to IT-defined Smart Objectives. DataSphere frees performance storage capacity and moves colder data to the cloud, significantly saving storage budgets while optimizing enterprises existing storage investments.

About Primary Data

Primary Data transforms datacenter architectures by orchestrating the right data to the right place at the right time. Through data virtualization, the Primary Data DataSphere platform creates a global dataspace across direct-attached, network-attached, private and public cloud storage to deliver unprecedented manageability, performance, and efficiency. The storage-agnostic DataSphere platform features an intelligent Objective engine that automatically moves data across file, block, and object storage to meet evolving application requirements in real time. Visit us at www.primarydata.com or follow us on Twitter at @Primary_Data.
DUBLIN, Jan 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Europe Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Epidemiology and Patient Flow Analysis - 2017" report to their offering.

The report provides insights into Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma epidemiology, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma diagnosed patients, and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma treatment rate for EU5 pharmaceutical markets.



The study measures key indicators such as prevalence of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma derived from epidemiological analysis, percentage of patients diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and percentage of patients treated with a therapy.



The study helps executives estimate Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma market potential, assess unmet need, develop drug forecasting models, and build population-based health management frameworks. The information presented in this study is used to evaluate market opportunities, effectively identify target patient population, and align marketing decisions.



The report provides estimates and forecasts of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma prevalence, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma diagnosis rate, and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma treatment rate for the period 2016 - 2025.



Key Features of the Report:



Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Patient Flow

Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Prevalence

Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Diagnosed Patients

Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Treated Patients

Key Topics Covered:



1. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma: Disease Definition



2. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Patient Flow in Europe



3. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Patient Flow in Germany



4. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Patient Flow in France



5. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Patient Flow in Spain



6. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Patient Flow in Italy



7. Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Patient Flow in UK



For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/gb944w/europe

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com



SOURCE Research and Markets
SINGAPORE, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the global uncertainty brought about by recent events such as Brexit and policy direction of the incoming Trump administration, the outlook for energy and environment markets in 2017 is largely viewed to be balanced with a slight positive inclination. This follows a period of downward revisions to the economic growth forecasts and volatility in financial and commodities markets globally, impacted by the slowdown from China and oil prices slump over a two year period.

The Conference of Parties (COP22) discussions in Marrakech were clouded by Trump's threat to pull the US out of the COP21 Paris climate change accord. While it may be difficult for the US to unilaterally scuttle the accord, since most of the world countries have affirmed their commitment to de-carbonization, the challenge lies in actually meeting the US$100 billion/year financial commitments and also agreement on the transparency of future climate monitoring. However economics will drive the substantial investments in clean and green technologies, led by China and India.

"We expect 2017 to be a transition year for long term changes, globally. With the rising protectionism across the world, issue of energy security will once again come to the fore in Asia Pacific. This will accelerate adoption of clean technologies which can be harnessed locally and those that are less impacted by global policy & price fluctuations," noted Ravi Krishnaswamy, Vice President, Energy & Environment, Asia Pacific, Frost & Sullivan.

Frost & Sullivan discusses key trends for 2017 across the energy and environment sectors including oil & gas, power, buildings and water, in Asia Pacific.

Global Oil Industry will begin a Slow Recovery

With oil prices expected to average about US$55 per barrel in 2017, the focus will be on operational excellence as industry players try to survive the tight upstream market. However, interest in downstream sector will continue to be strong with a slew of refinery and petrochemical investments planned across developing Asia including China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Rise of LNG for power generation, even as Coal will see Decline in Capacity Addition during 2017

The global glut in LNG supply, aided by the possible large scale exports from the USA, has provided a huge opportunity for South and Southeast Asia increase its base load capacity using gas.

Furthermore, the push towards delinking natural gas price from crude oil price could help development of Asian gas market, in the long run. There are signs of this already impacting the coal power plant industry, with 25% less coal capacity likely to be added in 2017 across China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia than in 2016.

Distributed Generation Investments will be driven by Local Government Initiatives

Despite the likely reduction of feed-in-tariff support in many countries including Australia, Japan, Philippines etc., Frost & Sullivan is forecasting a healthy growth for renewable technologies lead by solar PV at about 17.8% in 2017. Initiatives by the local governments to increase the access and quality of power supply, to both residences and industries, is aiding the growth of a range of distributed energy technologies such as biomass, solar PV, microgrids and small temporary power plants. The total distributed energy market is likely to be US$18.36 billion in 2017 in Asia Pacific representing a 14.0% year-on-year growth.

Investment in Distribution Grid Automation will Increase, even while the Smart Meter Market Slows Down In Asia

With nearly US$137 billion likely to be invested, the transmission and distribution sector will present the largest opportunity for power equipment majors, in an otherwise lackluster conventional power industry. With China's rollout of smart meters having peaked, the market will depend on Japan's ongoing implementation. Countries such as China, Japan, India and Thailand are also investing significantly in large distance ultra-high voltage transmission capacity to balance the grid, with increasing share of renewable energy.

China's 13th Five Year Plan Offers Major Stimulus for Energy Storage Adoption

Even though Asia Pacific region is home to largest number of battery manufacturers, their adoption for utility energy storage application has been lagging behind North America and Europe. However China's ambitious drive for leveraging energy storage to effectively integrate its large intermittent renewable resources, as a part of its 13th five year plan, will offer major stimulus to the Asian market. Numerous demonstration projects in Australia, India and Japan will make 2017 a turning point with innovative applications and business models being explored.

Edge analytics and cloud adoption to drive the demand for critical power infrastructure

Critical power and cooling infrastructure for data centres will witness 8.2% growth in 2017. Security concerns, both cyber and physical, will further increase spending in advanced infrastructure management. Increasing connectivity and growing adoption of mobile applications in banking, travel and social media will drive the demand for cloud and edge analytics, thus propelling the overall data centre critical infrastructure market.

Digital transformation of homes and buildings market

The biggest beneficiary of ongoing global trend of digital transformation will be the homes and buildings sector in Asia. Proliferation of competitive energy management technologies will be aided by the use of cloud and open platform building management solutions (BMS). Facility Management companies will move into new service frontiers by acquiring and engaging in partnership with niche information technology players. With the availability of cheap and user-friendly devices for home automation, the smart home market is expected to show a strong growth in China, South Korea and Japan.

Reducing Non-Revenue Water will remain Key Focus for the Water Industry

The issue of resources and revenue leakage continues to plague the water sector across most of Asia. This will remain a major investment opportunity, with adoption of digital technologies like sensors and smart meters, helping to solve the problem to some extent. Indonesia's ambitious plans to restructure its water sector and attract US$25 billion in potential investments would very much depend on the actual ground level implementation. Lack of financial prudence, political interference and policy flaws could potentially derail the plan, if these issues are not addressed.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants.

Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.

provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation. The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

Contact Us: Start the discussion

Join Us: Join our community

Subscribe: Newsletter on "the next big thing"

Register: Gain access to visionary innovation

Media Contact:

Melissa Tan

Corporate Communications  Asia Pacific

P: +65 6890 0926

F: +65 6890 0999

E: melissa.tan@frost.com

http://www.frost.com

Related Links

http://www.frost.com



SOURCE Frost & Sullivan
Bill Gates and Ray Chambers convene 'End Malaria Council' to drive attention and funding to wipe out the disease for good

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Ray Chambers, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Health in Agenda 2030 and for Malaria, today announced the launch of the End Malaria Council, a group of influential public and private sector leaders who aim to ensure malaria eradication remains a top global priority.

"The next chapter of the fight against malaria starts now," said Gates, who co-authored a report with Chambers in 2015 called Aspiration to Action: What will it take to end malaria ? "For the first time in history, we have a roadmap to a world without malaria  where no one has to die from a mosquito bite ever again. With renewed focus, innovation and new commitments of leadership and funding, we can be the generation to end malaria once and for all."

The launch of the End Malaria Council comes just a month after the release of the World Health Organization's 2016 World Malaria Report , which showed remarkable progress in reducing cases and deaths from malaria since 2000, but also underscored the urgent need for global leadership, new funding and innovation to stay on track to meet targets.

Members of the End Malaria Council will work in collaboration with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and other key partners to help countries and regions achieve their malaria control and elimination goals. Members of this unique group will use their voices and networks to support the work already underway by malaria field workers, scientists and experts by focusing on three areas: building political will, mobilizing resources and supporting the development of new tools to find, prevent and treat malaria.

The Council has nine founding members, a group of whom met on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland to discuss strategies for filling critical financing gaps in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The End Malaria Council will grow to represent all of the key malaria-endemic regions. Inaugural members include:

Bill Gates , Co-chair and Trustee, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

, Co-chair and Trustee, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ray Chambers , UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Health in Agenda 2030 and for Malaria

, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Health in Agenda 2030 and for Malaria Peter Chernin , Founder, Chernin Entertainment and The Chernin Group

, Founder, and The Chernin Group Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive, Dangote Group

H.E. Idriss Deby, President, Republic of Chad (representing the African Leaders Malaria Alliance)

(representing the African Leaders Malaria Alliance) H.E. Jakaya Kikwete , Former President, United Republic of Tanzania

, Former President, United Republic of Graca Machel, Founder, Foundation for Community Development, Mozambique

Luis Alberto Moreno , President, Inter-American Development Bank

, President, Inter-American Development Bank H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , President, Republic of Liberia

Thanks to strong leadership, smart investments and the hard work of the public and private sectors, the world has cut malaria deaths in half since 2000, saving more than 6 million lives from the disease. Malaria-related deaths are at an all-time low, especially among children under five in sub-Saharan Africa. This can be largely attributed to the unprecedented delivery of more than 500 million insecticide-treated bed nets over the last three years, along with significant expansion of diagnosis and treatment.

But malaria preys on the rural poor and the young, still killing a child every two minutes. It stunts productivity, burdens families with health care costs, limits educational achievement and slows overall economic growth.

"We have reached a critical juncture in the malaria fight," said Chambers. "To end this disease we need a creative approach to financing  one that combines continued support from donor countries with new approaches to expand commitments, particularly from countries affected by malaria."

Ending malaria is within reach, but the next few years are critical. Success requires maintaining the progress to date, achieving control in endemic countries and accelerating to elimination where possible. Leaders in Africa and Asia have adopted ambitious elimination agendas for their regions, and countries are working hard to achieve the reductions in cases and deaths to meet the bold goals.

"Ending malaria was once an impossible dream," said H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who lost a brother to malaria when he was a child and made malaria a key priority while in office. "It is now within our reach. It will take strong leadership and serious financial commitments, but I believe we can make history and end this brutal disease once and for all."

For more information visit www.endmalariacouncil.org.

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/459365/End_Malaria_Council_Logo.jpg

SOURCE End Malaria Council
PUNE, India, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the new market research report "Industrial Agitators Market by Mounting (Top Mounted, Side Mounted, Bottom Mounted), Model (Large Tank Agitators, Drum Agitators, Portable Agitators), Form (Solid-Solid, Solid-Liquid, Liquid-Liquid, Liquid-Gas), Component (Heads, Sealing Systems, Impellers), Industry and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is expected to grow from USD 2.56 Billion in 2016 to reach USD 3.86 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 7.07% between 2016 and 2022.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 78 market data Tables and 52 Figures spread through 153 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Industrial Agitators Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/industrial-agitators-market-59649096.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

The growth of this market can be accredited to the capability to offer customized industrial agitators that are user specific and technologically evolved. This helps to improve the manufacturing processes.



Market for top-mounted agitators likely to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period

Top-mounted industrial agitators are expected to lead the overall market during the forecast period as they are usually used across all the industries since top-mounted agitators offer considerable advantages such as ease of operation, high level of efficiency, and option of customization. The major applications of top-mounted agitators are digester mixing, biogas, agriculture, and so on.

Download PDF Brochure @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=59649096

Chemical industry held the largest share of the industrial agitators market in 2015

The industrial agitators market based on industry is led by the chemicals. A number of chemical manufacturers already have industrial agitators installed, and the industrial and technological enlargement has resulted into increasing demand for application-specific customized industrial agitators. This is one of the major factors driving the growth of the industrial agitators market for the chemical industry.

North America held the largest size of the industrial agitators market in 2015

North America held the largest size of the industrial agitators market in 2015, followed by APAC and Europe. The U.S. accounted for the largest share of the industrial agitators market in North America, followed by Canada and Mexico. The leading position of the market in this region can be attributed to the high demand for industrial agitators due to the presence of a large number of manufacturing companies across various industries.

Inquiry Before Buy @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=59649096

The major players operating in this market include Xylem, Inc. (U.S.), SPX Flow, Inc. (U.S.), Sulzer Ltd. (Switzerland), Philadelphia Mixing Solutions Ltd. (U.S.), Dynamix Agitators Inc. (Canada), Mixer Direct, Inc. (U.S.), Tacmina Corporation (Japan), Statiflo International Ltd. (U.K.), Ekato Holdings GmbH (Germany), and Silverson Machines Inc. (U.K.), among others.

Browse Related Reports

HVAC Systems Market by Equipment Type (Heating (Heat Pump, Furnace), Ventilation (Air Filter, Dehumidifier, Air Purifier), Cooling (Room AC, Unitary AC, Chiller)), Software & Services, Implementation Type, Application, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/hvac-system-market-202111288.html

Chilled Beam System Market by Design (Active, Passive, & Multi-Service), Function (Cooling Only, Cooling and Heating), Application (Commercial Offices, Healthcare, Hotels, and Others), and Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW) - Trends & Forecast to 2015 - 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/chilled-beam-system-market-250787530.html

Subscribe Reports from Semiconductor Domain @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.

M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical info graphics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.

We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.

Contact:

Mr. Rohan

Markets and Markets

701 Pike Street

Suite 2175, Seattle,

WA 98101, United States

Tel : 1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com





Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog@ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/electronics-and-semiconductors

Connect us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
LONDON, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Julie Meyer Addresses a Leading Business Audience in Malta about How Entrepreneurs Solve Society's Problems with Technology, Vision and New Operating Models

Speaking at the Xara Lodge to a leading group of business people in Malta, Julie Meyer, the CEO of Ariadne Capital, which recently acquired Portcullis Asset Management in Malta, spoke on Why Malta? An Outsider - Insider's View of Building an Investment Firm in Malta.

As one of the World Economic Forum's Global Leaders for Tomorrow, a former INSEAD Board Director and MBA '97D as well as a recipient of the MBE in the United Kingdom for her services to entrepreneurship, Ms. Meyer remarked on the importance of embracing potential entrepreneurs as the courageous problem-solvers of society.

As the founder of Ariadne Capital sixteen years ago, she discussed Malta's adaptability and its 'fitness gene' resulting from a combination of thousands of years of thriving despite different regimes and conquests, a strong ability to organise itself against incoming as well as on-coming threats and the ability to integrate different models, people and frameworks.

Ms. Meyer identified a challenge that she believes the EU is facing today which entrepreneurs can solve - that of Digital Identity Management.

Malta can lead in Digital Identity Management. The individual's digital profile or actual footprint has not kept pace with the free flow of people across the EU due to the Schengen accord and zone . As a result, bad actors like the one that I mentioned in my presentation who appear to have dodged authorities in three jurisdictions, committed plain fraud in various sectors, leaving a trail of debts, and who have been put in charge of an infant despite documented mental illness, domestic violence, child abuse and a Family Court report arise. This doesn't need to be the case when entrepreneurs and concerned citizens put their heads together, and leverage technology, API's, networks. Malta's understanding of registries, and the courage and leadership of its people to tackle real problems in this jurisdiction, and then roll -out the solution across the EU is limitless. It will tackle the tough issues and create models for the EU. Malta can and will lead in Digital Identity Management,' said Julie Meyer.

Ms. Meyer went on to discuss how Malta has been on the verge of 'Great' for twenty years. She believes that as a country, Malta sets goals and achieves them, attracting major entrepreneurs for more than for just tax reasons.

Her speech can be found http://www.slideshare.net/juliemeyer/why-malta-an-outsider-insiders-view

SOURCE Ariadne Capital
DUBLIN, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "US Government and Military Satellite Market, Forecast to 2022" report to their offering.

The US government is the single largest purchaser of commercial satellite services in the world, and accounted for $1.34 billion in 2015.

Global tensions and military conflicts around the world are driving the need for surveillance and information sharing. Thus, satellite demand fluctuates significantly with global US relations; however, many of these regions, such as the Middle East and Africa, remain consistent, high-demand locations for US military satellite communications (SATCOM).



As a result, these contracts are highly competitive, with many organizations custom tailoring new satellites and ground hardware to meet the unique needs of the US government/military. With a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.6%, this market is stable but is expected to average $53.78 million per year through 2022.

This research estimates the base year market size by revenue generated through US government spending, future growth estimation through 2022, and forecast breakouts for military and on-military as well as for Department of Information Systems Agency (DISA) and non-DISA. The base year for this research is 2015 and is accompanied by a forecast spanning from 2016 to 2022.



Also included is the base year market share for consumer satellite operators, namely Iridium, Inmarsat, SES, Eutelsat, Intelsat, and Telesat. The global regions discussed are grouped by North America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, and Europe.

Key Questions This Study Will Answer:



How will the government and military satellite market grow throughout the forecast period?

What economic, political, and technological factors are impacting this market?

What military trends are driving new adoption for satellite technology?

What regions will be important/account for more US government and military spending on satellite technology?

Who are the market participants and what does the competitive landscape look like?

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary



2. Definitions



3. Market Overview



5 Major Growth Opportunities



4. Drivers and Restraints-Government and Military Satellite Market



5. Forecasts and Trends-Government and Military Satellite Market



6. Market Share and Competitive Analysis-Government and Military Satellite Market



7. US Government and Military Satellite Growth Opportunities

8. The Last Word



Companies Featured

Iridium

Inmarsat

SES

Eutelsat

Intelsat

Telesat

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6m6gjk/us_government_and

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com



SOURCE Research and Markets
SAN FRANCISCO, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Simplified One-Platform Approach to File Security and Tracking a Must-Have for Large Resellers and Their Customers

Wipro, CDW and other global IT, industry and finance leaders including Savangard and Wavestone announced today their formal partnerships with Vaultize Technologies to extend and improve their file security and data lifecycle protection capabilities.

Vaultize enables partners and their clients to protect assets and streamline workflows that involve sensitive information. Vaultize provides file security, auditing, and tracking tools via one platform, which also features DRM controls, secure collaboration spaces and plugins for major email clients. Partners currently using and reselling the Vaultize platform besides CDW, Wipro and Savangard include Get the Net, SML Capital Advisers, Harmonie, Cube ITG, Liquid PC, Sm4rt, Investor IQ, Wavestone and Totally Networked. Vaultize's APAC team has also secured and continues to strengthen partnerships with international IT and industry leaders including Ricoh India.

"The need for data security, data governance and compliance with regulations is growing daily," said Sharanbir Kaur Bal, IT security bid manager at Ricoh India. "Vaultize provides a unique data security technology that can help our customers meet their requirements. We are happy to partner with Vaultize."

File and data security breaches and leaks were a frequent item in the news last year, and security experts believe 2017 will be even worse. The need for third-party file security and tracking offerings is growing significantly. Historically, it usually took several solutions from different companies to create a complete safety net for a file throughout its lifecycle. But momentum has shifted toward simplified, all-in-one solutions to promote universal adoption of secure software.

"We are constantly reminded in the press how vulnerable we are when sharing information electronically," said Kevin Beauregard, co-founder of Get the Net, a compliance and business service solutions firm in NYC. "We have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure we provide these files in a secured manner while maintaining the ability to protect how these files are used by the recipients. Vaultize provides the ideal solution that encrypts the files, provides control to the individual or group that is sharing the files, and the tools to monitor who and how the files are being used once delivered."

Wipro, CDW, Ricoh and others chose to collaborate with Vaultize and promote its platform to their customers because Vaultize is the most powerful all-in-one file security and tracking platform currently available. Users and admins can easily set and control information rights management policies, revoke access to compromised files, track where their documents have been and see who's been viewing them.

Vaultize's success in securing relationships with key partners is due to the increasing need for cybersecurity protection across all vertical markets, specifically finance, legal, accounting, insurance and healthcare. Vaultize continues to grow its sales teams from the company's global headquarters in San Francisco, regional offices in New York City and Chicago and APAC offices in Mumbai and Delhi, India.

Camden Swita

Director, Marketing

Vaultize Technologies

+1-(415)-590-1428

camden@vaultize.com



SOURCE Vaultize Technologies
LONDON, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Avillion LLP, a co-developer and financier of late-stage pharmaceutical product candidates, announces the appointment of Mark Weinberg, MD MBA as Chief Medical Officer. Dr Weinberg will be based in Chicago, USA.

Dr Weinberg has spent more than 17 years as a pharmaceutical and biotech executive with experience ranging from "top 20" pharma companies to micro-cap biotech. Over the course of his career, he has interfaced with the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) on drug candidate development and regulatory issues across multiple therapeutic areas from pre-IND (Investigational New Drug) stage through NDA/BLA (New Drug Application/Biologics License Application) discussions. He has also worked on multiple partnered development programmes.

Dr Weinberg joins Avillion from Halloran Consulting Group, a consulting firm that provides strategic guidance and development expertise to life science companies, where he was Chief Medical Officer and Managing Director. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at US biotech company RestorGenex Pharmaceuticals. Previously, he gained experience at Astellas Pharma Global Development where he was Vice President, Global Clinical Science and he was also Global Therapeutic Area Head, CNS and Pain. Prior to Astellas, Dr Weinberg held various positions of increasing responsibility at Lundbeck Inc. (formerly Ovation Pharmaceuticals), Takeda Global Research and Development and Abbott Laboratories.

Dr Weinberg earned his MD from Duke University and remained there to complete a residency in internal medicine. He also holds an MBA from the Kellogg Business School and a BA in economics from Yale University.

Allison Jeynes-Ellis, Chief Executive Officer of Avillion, said: "It is a great pleasure to welcome Mark to our management team at Avillion. He brings extensive pharmaceutical development skills and experience that will help us meet our objective to successfully deliver robust, high quality clinical data to pharma clients whilst accelerating their programmes."

A photo of Dr Weinberg is available on request.



About Avillion

Avillion LLP is a drug development company with an innovative business model focusing on the clinical co-development and regulatory approval of late stage pharmaceutical products. Avillion offers a compelling opportunity to partner late-stage therapeutic projects for approval in the US and EU and to accelerate their availability to the market. Our objective is to enable our partners to continue to develop the drug candidates in their pipeline at the highest quality without increasing the burden on their P&L or cash reserves. Avillion can achieve this by incurring 100% of the clinical and regulatory risk, while advancing the development of these late-stage assets in return for milestone payments on the commercialisation of successfully developed products.

Avillion was founded in 2012 in London, UK, and is backed by Abingworth, Clarus Ventures and Royalty Pharma. http://www.avillionllp.com

SOURCE Avillion LLP
VALENCIA, Calif., Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bioness, Inc., the leading provider of state-of-the-art, clinically supported rehabilitation and pain management medical devices, is pleased to announce data surrounding the clinical benefits of its StimRouter Neuromodulation System. At the 2017 North American Neuromodulation Society's (NANS) Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, Dr. Porter McRoberts, a trained Physiatrist and Interventional Spine and Pain Management Specialist in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, shared data indicating that the StimRouter is a promising treatment for post-stroke shoulder pain (PSSP) patients when compared to the alternative options for pain management.

"Post-stroke shoulder pain is a condition that occurs in approximately 30 to 70 percent of stroke patients. This condition contributes to a loss of upper limb use and results in an inability to perform basic daily tasks such as getting dressed or tooth brushing," said Dr. McRoberts. "While treatments such as oral medication and injections can have a short term impact on managing pain, neuromodulation devices, such as the StimRouter, are designed to target pain at the point of origin and provide relief in a minimally invasive manner with long term effect."

In a poster presentation, Dr. McRoberts shared data from seven patients that were implanted with the StimRouter in an effort to manage their post-stroke shoulder pain. Using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) patients measured pain both before the procedure and up to four months after implant. The patients received care across four different U.S. hospitals in New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

Dr. McRoberts and his colleagues found that:

PSSP patients implanted with the StimRouter Peripheral Nerve Stimulator experienced an average of 70% reduction in their chronic pain using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS).

Peripheral Nerve Stimulation is a promising treatment for PSSP, especially in light of the alternatives for pain management.

The results also show that peripheral nerve stimulation targeting the axillary nerve is a promising treatment for post-stroke shoulder pain patients. Implantable peripheral neurostimulation therapies, like the StimRouter, can be safe and effective pain management techniques as an adjunct to other therapies like Physical/Occupational therapy to help with improving mobility and quality of life.

"The StimRouter has already shown promising results in treating chronic peripheral nerve pain and we are honored to now be sharing its potential for relieving the pain many post-stroke shoulder patients encounter," said Todd Cushman, President and CEO at Bioness. "Our goal at Bioness is to help patients return to their pre-stroke lives by reducing pain and getting them back into rehabilitation therapy by a Physical/Occupational Therapist. This data is another step forward showing that it is possible for post-stroke patients to regain control of their lives."

The StimRouter was the first FDA cleared, long-term, minimally invasive peripheral nerve stimulator indicated to treat chronic pain of a peripheral nerve origin. This non-drug, patient-controlled medical device is an adjunct to other modes of therapy and is being well received by patients and clinicians alike.

For more information on the StimRouter or to speak with a patient currently using the device, stop by Bioness' booth #221 at NANS or visit www.stimrouter.com for videos of real patients sharing their StimRouter experience.

About StimRouter Neuromodulation System

The StimRouter Neuromodulation System is intended to provide electrical stimulation via a small implanted lead to a target peripheral nerve, for the management of severe intractable chronic pain of peripheral nerve origin in adults, as an adjunct to other modes of therapy. StimRouter is a minimally invasive procedure consisting of an implanted lead, external pulse transmitter (EPT) and conductive electrode, controlled by a small, handheld wireless patient programmer. StimRouter is programmed at the direction of the physician to meet unique pain management requirements.

About Bioness, Inc. Bioness is the leading provider of innovative technologies helping people control pain, regain mobility and improve independence. Bioness solutions include external and implantable functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems, robotic systems and software-based therapy programs providing functional and therapeutic benefits for individuals affected by pain, central nervous system disorders and orthopedic injuries. Individual results vary. Consult with a qualified physician to determine if this product is right for you. Contraindications, adverse reactions and precautions are available online at www.bioness.com.

Media Relations Contact Information

Next Step Communications

[email protected]

781.326.1741

StimRouter and Bioness are trademarks of Bioness, Inc. | www.bioness.com | Rx Only

Additional information about StimRouter can be found at www.stimrouter.com.

SOURCE Bioness, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.bioness.com


Undiagnosed osteoporosis is a worldwide challenge. In the US alone osteoporosis is responsible for two million broken bones every year, costing over 19 billion dollars. Experts forecast that by 2025, the costs will rise to 25.3 billion dollars. One of the biggest challenges is the limited availability of osteoporosis diagnostics since bone density scans are mostly performed in hospitals with large DXA X-ray machines that entail high costs. "This is why Bindex is a game-changer," says Bone Index's CEO, Dr. Ossi Riekkinen.

Bindex measures the cortical bone thickness of the tibia and the algorithm calculates the Density Index, a parameter which estimates bone mineral density at the hip as measured with DXA. Bindex detects osteoporosis with 90% sensitivity and specificity and will significantly help physicians with diagnosis.

"The clearance process with the FDA was very fast, only 6 months, thanks to our World's top class R&D team. The technique is based on extensive clinical evidence with over 2500 patients and the position in the current care of osteoporosis is clear," says Bone Index's CTO, Dr. Janne Karjalainen.

"Bindex is unique technology. Now we have a total of 19 patents globally including the US, China, Japan and large European countries. The United States is a very significant market and we are actively seeking a partner who has the capabilities to take advantage of this unique opportunity. The overall aim is to prevent osteoporotic fractures and improve the quality of life of families in the US," Dr. Riekkinen concludes.

Founded in 2011 and based in Kuopio, Bone Index Finland Ltd. specializes in the development of measuring devices for osteoporosis screening and diagnosis.

For more information:

Bone Index Ltd., Dr. Ossi Riekkinen, CEO,

[email protected] , +358-50-363-2797, www.bindex.fi/en/

SOURCE Bone Index Ltd.
HAMILTON, Bermuda, Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bermuda is set to host a new insurance market conference this spring, catering to sophisticated buyers for major hospital systems, long-term care facilities, physicians groups and health benefits and services providers from North American healthcare markets.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d7401f19-6887-414e-8110-a1a2dc647d29.

Sponsored by the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA), the Bermuda Healthcare Forum, scheduled for March 1516, has already sold out capacity after registering 160 delegates, including more than 100 from overseas along with a dozen accompanying guests, and nearly 60 Bermuda-based attendees. Delegates and guests from abroad are booked into both Rosewood Tuckers Point and Grotto Bay Resort.

The BDA is thrilled to be lead sponsor of the first Bermuda Healthcare Forum, said BDA Business Development Manager Jereme Ramsay. Members of Bermudas healthcare risk-management sector met at BDA last year to discuss industry trends and exchange ideas. Through this collaboration, the idea to host a healthcare forum on-island was put forwardand industry representatives here have worked very hard to make the idea a reality.

The forum will present a great opportunity to bring brokers, insurance buyers and other risk professionals to the island, noted Ramsay, and through collective engagement, competing industry partners here have been able to achieve shared success for both their respective companies and the jurisdiction as a whole.

Bermuda-based industry leaders in the sector created an eight-person team to drive the events creation and marketing, and when registration opened in October, it took fewer than three months for delegate capacity to be reached. Local resources and vendors working with the team include Terry Madeiros, of marketing-design firm TM Design, Bermudian freelance web developer Amy Peniston and Selange Gitschner, of event production company Dasfete.

As an inaugural event for Bermuda, we feel our forum is quite revolutionary, both in its audience and interactive design, said conference co-chair Amy Wolfinger, Vice President, Casualty, Healthcare, at Aon Risk Solutions. We have invited the Bermuda healthcare market client basemade up of the largest, most dynamic healthcare systems and managed-care companies in the US. Our goal for this first forum was to be intimate and interactive, so we limited the size to a maximum of 160 peopleand weve now reached that number.

Healthcare industry clients have been experiencing large and complex changes as the sector continues to undergo significant transformation in recent years, said event co-chair Lindsay Roos, Senior Vice President, Bermuda Placement Specialist at Bowring Marsh. Healthcare is moving to patient-centric care and the changes in reimbursement and integration of providers delivering care are revolutionising the industry, she explained. Healthcare providers are now responsible for the entire continuum of care and are delivering that through acquisitions, partnerships, joint venturesand the web of these complex relationships drives the need to manage risk more than ever before.

The agenda for the Bermuda Healthcare Forum has been structured around eight thematic sessions that address the changing risk landscape in healthcare and feature a variety of industry participants detailing how different companies are handling changes.

From integrated insurance structures, to the traditional siloed approach, every client has a slightly different view on how to handle risk and we want to share the differences and lessons learned, and discover best practices for determining what works for your programme, said Roos.

BDA CEO Ross Webber will moderate the forums CEO panel, looking at why companies have chosen to domicile in Bermuda and the benefits for healthcare clients of doing business here. The agenda will also have an interactive client panel in which healthcare systems will discuss enterprise risk and what they feel is lacking in their current risk-transfer programmes.

We want to hear what risks are not being addressed in the insurance marketplace and how the Bermuda carriers and brokers can pioneer new products and provide solutions, said Wolfinger.

Bermuda is the market of choice for healthcare liability insurance buyers due to the amount of capacity available, the high standard of contract certainty, and the ability to create new products in response to market needs. Sectors typically insured include hospitals, senior and long-term care facilities, blood and organ banks, assisted-living facilities, diagnostic centres, physicians groups, and rehabilitation and clinical research organisations.

Global insurers based on the island are able to provide up in excess of $350-million capacity for any single risk and have the ability to write lead and excess layers on an insurance programme. The market has a solid track record of paying claims, has been consistent through all market cycles, and provides substantive limits.

For more information on the Bermuda Healthcare Forum, go to: http://www.bermudahealthcareforum.com/.

CONNECTING BUSINESS

The BDA encourages direct investment and helps companies start up, re-locate or expand their operations in our premier jurisdiction. An independent, public-private partnership, we connect you to industry professionals, regulatory officials, and key contacts in the Bermuda government to assist domicile decisions. Our goal? To make doing business in Bermuda smooth and beneficial.
NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, France, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Bureau Veritas is pleased to announce the acquisition of SIEMIC Inc., an American testing and certification body for electrical and electronic equipment active in Silicon Valley and in Asia.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151216/296440LOGO )



Established in 2003, SIEMIC provides market access services for electrical and electronic products in the telecoms, consumer, automotive and medical sectors and works with global manufacturers, including many of the world's leading brands. SIEMIC provides a comprehensive range of testing, certification and international approvals management services. Its headquarters and main operation are located in Milpitas, Silicon Valley, USA; however, it also benefits from testing facilities in both California and China and branch offices in Taiwan.

As a leading Telecommunications Certification Body (TCB), SIEMIC issues thousands of certifications per year to attest compliance with Federal Communications Commission regulations in the USA for wireless and telecommunications equipment. It employs nearly 100 people and generated estimated revenue of EUR 9.5 million in 2016.

"As well as enabling Bureau Veritas to gain a strategic footprint in Silicon Valley by complementing our 7layers US laboratories, SIEMIC will help strengthen Bureau Veritas' position as a leader in the smartworld whilst enhancing our platform for autonomous and connected car services. This acquisition clearly demonstrates our commitment to our 2020 plan, with SIEMIC not only driving growth in our smartworld and automotive growth initiatives but also enhancing our presence in the USA and China, our two strategic markets," commented Didier Michaud-Daniel, Chief Executive Officer of Bureau Veritas.

Leslie Bai, President & CEO of SIEMIC, added: "We are established as the leader in an exciting and very promising market niche that requires advanced skills as well as an international reach and solid technical capabilities. As the global economy continues to expand, Bureau Veritas' worldwide network coupled with our existing platform provides our clients with a unique competitive advantage and value proposition. Today, becoming a member company of Bureau Veritas will propel us forward and help us continue our international growth."

Press Contact

Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services

Flora Wong

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +852 2494 5869





About Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas is a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services. Founded in 1828, the group has more than 68,400 employees in around 1,400 offices and laboratories all across the world. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performances by offering innovative services and solutions in order to ensure that their products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environment protection and social responsibility. Website: http://www.bureauveritas.com

Bureau Veritas' Consumer Products Services division is a leading global quality assurance provider for the global consumer product and retail markets. It offers an array of specialized services including testing, inspections, certification, audits and engineering services for a wide range of consumer products. These products include soft goods; electrical and electronic products; smartworld products and services including wireless and mobile devices; automotive equipment; hard goods; toys and juvenile products; premiums; food products as well as health, beauty, cosmetics, and household products. Website: http://www.bureauveritas.com/cps

SOURCE Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services
Consolidus is a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) that leverages the buying power from thousands of smaller organizations into leveraged savings for its individual members. Developed over the course of the last 6 years, Consolidus helps the small to mid-market business save money on core overhead supplies and services like office supplies, insurance, breakroom supplies, telecom/internet, merchant processing, background checks, email blasts, and dozens of other expense categories. The company has partnered with top-tier vendors from virtually every business service and offers its members substantial, no-time-or-money-invested savings through these contracts via Consolidus' new state-of-the-art website portal.

"Our noteworthy growth and success have just been a blessing and it's all because we created a product that the market has needed badly for years," according to Ritchason.

While GPOs have existed for some time for large organizations in verticals like healthcare and education, the benefits of the GPO model have not been available for other business verticals to enjoy until now. Consolidus takes this GPO model and has reinvented it for everyone else.

"We've recreated and literally introduced the GPO concept to the rest of the business world  law offices, accounting firms, restaurants, non-profits, churches, dentists, plastic surgeons, car dealerships, health clubs, jewellers, clothiers, manufacturers, you name it. Virtually any business can benefit from the contracts we have pre-negotiated and made available to our membership. Our GPO incorporates everything a business would need to readily access in managing their business' expenses and is an absolute 'no-brainer' decision for businesses, especially start-ups," says Ritchason.

Ritchason and his team initially consulted hundreds of clients through the years through The Skyline Group LLC, which he founded in 2010 along with Consolidus, where he serves as President/CEO of both. Through these two entities, their clients have saved millions in net profits without touching existing budgets, firing employees, or increasing sales by one dollar.

Consolidus is free of charge and free of obligation to all approved members.

For more information, visit http://www.consolidusgpo.com/ to register, or mailto:[email protected].

SOURCE Consolidus Group Purchasing LLC

Related Links

http://consolidusgpo.com


BEIJING, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese cross-border e-commerce marketplace DHgate.com and Serpost announce a strategic partnership for last mile logistics service in Peru, for buyers purchasing products from DHgate.com. This agreement comes shortly after Chinese President Xi Jingping and Peru's Kuczynski witnessed the signing of a bilateral e-commerce Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between China and Peru, facilitated by DHgate.com at the APEC summit in Lima, Peru last November.

In light of the recent MOU, the cooperation between DHgate and Serpost aims to deepen the communication and cooperation in digital bilateral trade between China and Peru. The signing of the agreement will be beneficial for the development of cross-border e-commerce in both countries, and provide better services for SMEs (small-and-medium sized enterprises) in terms of developing international trade. DHgate.com is responsible for facilitating the implementation of the terms and conditions of the MOU, mainly the global digital trade ecosystem and cooperation with enterprises in different digital value chains.

"China is Peru's biggest trade partner, and exportation and importation market, and we are very happy to cooperate with the only official post institution in Peru, Serpost, who will provide last mile delivery service in Peru. This will facilitate business processes for global SMEs. In the future, we hope that more related industry partners will join us, to connect the Online Silk Road between China and Peru, to share together and win together." -- Diane Wang, Founder and CEO of DHgate.com

"DHgate is a world renowned cross-border e-commerce transactional platform; Serpost has over 20 years of experience in the logistics industry, and is becoming one of the most important strategic partners for international e-commerce enterprises. We believe that this cooperation will enhance both brands, promote bilateral trade, offer more convenient services for SMEs in both countries, and help promote cross-border trade." -- Friberg Quisepe Grajeda, General Manager of Serpost

About DHgate

DHgate.com is the first to market and the biggest B2B transactional cross-border e-commerce marketplace in China, aiming to provide global buyers with quality products at competitive prices. Founded in 2004, DHgate.com has approximately 10 million global buyers from 230 countries and regions, with 1.4 million global sellers offering 40 million products. DHgate.com's business enables buyers to directly access global manufacturers of the world's top brands with rich product selections. DHgate.com is an all-in-one platform with integrated services for international logistics, cross-border payments, internet financing, etc. DHgate.com's US, UK, Spain, and UAE product distribution warehouses allow for 24 hour delivery and convenient product returns & refunds, bringing great convenience to buyers at http://www.dhgate.com

SOURCE DHgate.com
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/-- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, has been ranked #26 among the world's top insurance brokers in Finaccord's Global Insurance Broking: A Strategic Review of the World's Top 150 Commercial Non-Life Insurance Brokers.

Finaccord is a market research, publishing and consulting company specializing in financial services.

"Many thanks for participating in our research on the 150 largest global commercial non-life insurance brokers," said Claire Michaud, a London-based Finaccord Financial Services Analyst. "According to our analysis, EPIC was ranked 26th worldwide based on 2015 commercial non-life broking revenues."

As one of the fastest growing private insurance brokerage firms based in the U.S., EPIC has been on an aggressive growth trajectory, successfully competing against the largest, institutional brokers with an entrepreneurial, client-focused business model. The firm jumped an impressive 20 spots since being ranked at #46 by Finaccord in their 2014 Research Report.

Since The Carlyle Group became the firm's major investment partner in December 2013, EPIC has nearly tripled revenues, from roughly $80 million to current run rate revenues exceeding $200 million.

"Standing on the edge of being a top 25 insurance broker globally is an accomplishment we are very proud of," said EPIC Co-founder and CEO John Hahn. "What is even more remarkable is that we achieved this milestone just nine years from our founding. This is truly a testimony to the determination, character and quality of our people and the work they have done to build and sustain EPIC's client-focused, people first culture, structure and business practices."

Additional information about Finaccord and their Global Insurance Broking: A Strategic Review of the World's Top 150 Commercial Non-Life Insurance Brokers report (including purchase information) can be found here on their web site: http://www.finaccord.com/uk/report_global_insurance_broking_strategic_review_world_top_150_commercial_non-life_insurance_brokers.htm

About EPIC:

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence. EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients.

With more than $200 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Supported by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit www.epicbrokers.com

*LOGO: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0308-epic-insurance-300dpi.jpg

This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants

Related Links

http://www.epicbrokers.com


BOSTON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fish & Richardson today announced that it has obtained clemency for five pro bono clients the firm represented through the firm's participation in The Clemency Project. The Clemency Project is a major initiative launched by the American Bar Association and various other public interest groups in cooperation with the Department of Justice to seek sentence commutations from President Obama for non-violent, low level drug offenders who have already served at least 10 years of lengthy federal prison terms. Fish attorneys contributed over 1,800 pro bono hours to help identify potential candidates for clemency and to prepare individual clemency petitions for those eligible prisoners. Three of those commutations were announced in the past two months; two were announced this week.

Fish principal John Johnson, an intellectual property litigator, represented Ramiro C., who was serving a 27-year sentence of a non-violent drug offense. On January 19, 2017, the last day of the Obama Administration, Johnson received a call from the Department of Justice that Ramiro's clemency petition was approved by the President, commuting over seven years from his sentence. Johnson spoke with his appreciative client just minutes before the President made his official announcement.

"As an IP litigator, it was daunting at first to get involved in a criminal matter," said Johnson. "But after digging in, it became clear that my clients, if they had been sentenced today, would not have received the same lengthy sentences that they were given many years ago. I learned a lot about federal judges having their hands tied with mandatory minimums. And being able to tell an inmate that the President granted him clemency is quite an experience."

Johnson also represented a second inmate who was serving a 32-year sentence; in the petition Johnson submitted to the Office of the Pardon Attorney, he demonstrated that his client would have received a substantially shorter sentence for his non-violent offense under today's sentencing laws. Just a few days before Thanksgiving, Johnson learned that his client's clemency petition was approved by the President, reducing his original sentence significantly and moving up his release date by over nine years.

On January 17, 2017, Fish principal Larry Kolodney and associate Emily Petersen Garff, both patent litigators, learned that their client, Bruce S., who had already served 24 years of a life term for his membership in a low-level drug distribution scheme as a teenager, was granted a commutation by the President. As a result, Bruce, who has been a model prisoner and is now a middle-aged man, will experience freedom for the first time since his early 20s, when he is released on May 17, 2018.

"Calling my client to tell him that he would again be a free man was an incredible moment. I could feel his joy through the telephone," said Garff. "I am proud to have been able to work alongside the many other passionate and capable lawyers who supported this fantastic project."

"Although Fish is known primarily for its work in intellectual property law, our pro bono program gives our attorneys excellent opportunities to make a difference in a wide variety of legal contexts," added Kolodney, who chairs Fish's firmwide pro bono program. "Our work on the Clemency Project is a great example of how important and professionally gratifying this work can be."

To learn more about Fish's pro bono program, visit http://www.fr.com/about/pro-bono.

Fish & Richardson is a global patent, intellectual property (IP) litigation, and commercial litigation law firm with more than 400 attorneys and technology specialists across the U.S. and Europe. Fish has been named the #1 patent litigation firm in the U.S. for 13 consecutive years and is one of the busiest post-grant firms, representing more petitioners at the PTAB than any other firm. Fish has been winning cases worth billions in controversy  often by making new law  for the most innovative clients and influential industry leaders since 1878. For more information, visit www.fr.com.

Contact: Amy Blumenthal or Kelly Largey

Blumenthal & Associates

Fish & Richardson

617-879-1511

800-818-5070

[email protected]

[email protected]

SOURCE Fish & Richardson

Related Links

http://www.fr.com


SINGAPORE, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the global uncertainty brought about by recent events such as Brexit and policy direction of the incoming Trump administration, the outlook for energy and environment markets in 2017 is largely viewed to be balanced with a slight positive inclination. This follows a period of downward revisions to the economic growth forecasts and volatility in financial and commodities markets globally, impacted by the slowdown from China and oil prices slump over a two year period.

The Conference of Parties (COP22) discussions in Marrakech were clouded by Trump's threat to pull the US out of the COP21 Paris climate change accord. While it may be difficult for the US to unilaterally scuttle the accord, since most of the world countries have affirmed their commitment to de-carbonization, the challenge lies in actually meeting the US$100 billion/year financial commitments and also agreement on the transparency of future climate monitoring. However economics will drive the substantial investments in clean and green technologies, led by China and India.

"We expect 2017 to be a transition year for long term changes, globally. With the rising protectionism across the world, issue of energy security will once again come to the fore in Asia Pacific. This will accelerate adoption of clean technologies which can be harnessed locally and those that are less impacted by global policy & price fluctuations," noted Ravi Krishnaswamy, Vice President, Energy & Environment, Asia Pacific, Frost & Sullivan.

Frost & Sullivan discusses key trends for 2017 across the energy and environment sectors including oil & gas, power, buildings and water, in Asia Pacific.

Global Oil Industry will begin a Slow Recovery

With oil prices expected to average about US$55 per barrel in 2017, the focus will be on operational excellence as industry players try to survive the tight upstream market. However, interest in downstream sector will continue to be strong with a slew of refinery and petrochemical investments planned across developing Asia including China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Rise of LNG for power generation, even as Coal will see Decline in Capacity Addition during 2017

The global glut in LNG supply, aided by the possible large scale exports from the USA, has provided a huge opportunity for South and Southeast Asia increase its base load capacity using gas.

Furthermore, the push towards delinking natural gas price from crude oil price could help development of Asian gas market, in the long run. There are signs of this already impacting the coal power plant industry, with 25% less coal capacity likely to be added in 2017 across China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia than in 2016.

Distributed Generation Investments will be driven by Local Government Initiatives

Despite the likely reduction of feed-in-tariff support in many countries including Australia, Japan, Philippines etc., Frost & Sullivan is forecasting a healthy growth for renewable technologies lead by solar PV at about 17.8% in 2017. Initiatives by the local governments to increase the access and quality of power supply, to both residences and industries, is aiding the growth of a range of distributed energy technologies such as biomass, solar PV, microgrids and small temporary power plants. The total distributed energy market is likely to be US$18.36 billion in 2017 in Asia Pacific representing a 14.0% year-on-year growth.

Investment in Distribution Grid Automation will Increase, even while the Smart Meter Market Slows Down In Asia

With nearly US$137 billion likely to be invested, the transmission and distribution sector will present the largest opportunity for power equipment majors, in an otherwise lackluster conventional power industry. With China's rollout of smart meters having peaked, the market will depend on Japan's ongoing implementation. Countries such as China, Japan, India and Thailand are also investing significantly in large distance ultra-high voltage transmission capacity to balance the grid, with increasing share of renewable energy.

China's 13th Five Year Plan Offers Major Stimulus for Energy Storage Adoption

Even though Asia Pacific region is home to largest number of battery manufacturers, their adoption for utility energy storage application has been lagging behind North America and Europe. However China's ambitious drive for leveraging energy storage to effectively integrate its large intermittent renewable resources, as a part of its 13th five year plan, will offer major stimulus to the Asian market. Numerous demonstration projects in Australia, India and Japan will make 2017 a turning point with innovative applications and business models being explored.

Edge analytics and cloud adoption to drive the demand for critical power infrastructure

Critical power and cooling infrastructure for data centres will witness 8.2% growth in 2017. Security concerns, both cyber and physical, will further increase spending in advanced infrastructure management. Increasing connectivity and growing adoption of mobile applications in banking, travel and social media will drive the demand for cloud and edge analytics, thus propelling the overall data centre critical infrastructure market.

Digital transformation of homes and buildings market

The biggest beneficiary of ongoing global trend of digital transformation will be the homes and buildings sector in Asia. Proliferation of competitive energy management technologies will be aided by the use of cloud and open platform building management solutions (BMS). Facility Management companies will move into new service frontiers by acquiring and engaging in partnership with niche information technology players. With the availability of cheap and user-friendly devices for home automation, the smart home market is expected to show a strong growth in China, South Korea and Japan.

Reducing Non-Revenue Water will remain Key Focus for the Water Industry

The issue of resources and revenue leakage continues to plague the water sector across most of Asia. This will remain a major investment opportunity, with adoption of digital technologies like sensors and smart meters, helping to solve the problem to some extent. Indonesia's ambitious plans to restructure its water sector and attract US$25 billion in potential investments would very much depend on the actual ground level implementation. Lack of financial prudence, political interference and policy flaws could potentially derail the plan, if these issues are not addressed.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants.

Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.

provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation. The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

Contact Us: Start the discussion

Join Us: Join our community

Subscribe: Newsletter on "the next big thing"

Register: Gain access to visionary innovation

Media Contact:

Melissa Tan

Corporate Communications  Asia Pacific

P: +65 6890 0926

F: +65 6890 0999

E: [email protected]

http://www.frost.com

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

Related Links

http://www.frost.com


Bill Gates and Ray Chambers convene 'End Malaria Council' to drive attention and funding to wipe out the disease for good

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Ray Chambers, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Health in Agenda 2030 and for Malaria, today announced the launch of the End Malaria Council, a group of influential public and private sector leaders who aim to ensure malaria eradication remains a top global priority.

"The next chapter of the fight against malaria starts now," said Gates, who co-authored a report with Chambers in 2015 called Aspiration to Action: What will it take to end malaria ? "For the first time in history, we have a roadmap to a world without malaria  where no one has to die from a mosquito bite ever again. With renewed focus, innovation and new commitments of leadership and funding, we can be the generation to end malaria once and for all."

The launch of the End Malaria Council comes just a month after the release of the World Health Organization's 2016 World Malaria Report , which showed remarkable progress in reducing cases and deaths from malaria since 2000, but also underscored the urgent need for global leadership, new funding and innovation to stay on track to meet targets.

Members of the End Malaria Council will work in collaboration with the Roll Back Malaria Partnership and other key partners to help countries and regions achieve their malaria control and elimination goals. Members of this unique group will use their voices and networks to support the work already underway by malaria field workers, scientists and experts by focusing on three areas: building political will, mobilizing resources and supporting the development of new tools to find, prevent and treat malaria.

The Council has nine founding members, a group of whom met on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland to discuss strategies for filling critical financing gaps in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The End Malaria Council will grow to represent all of the key malaria-endemic regions. Inaugural members include:

Bill Gates , Co-chair and Trustee, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

, Co-chair and Trustee, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Ray Chambers , UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Health in Agenda 2030 and for Malaria

, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Health in Agenda 2030 and for Malaria Peter Chernin , Founder, Chernin Entertainment and The Chernin Group

, Founder, and The Chernin Group Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive, Dangote Group

H.E. Idriss Deby, President, Republic of Chad (representing the African Leaders Malaria Alliance)

(representing the African Leaders Malaria Alliance) H.E. Jakaya Kikwete , Former President, United Republic of Tanzania

, Former President, United Republic of Graca Machel, Founder, Foundation for Community Development, Mozambique

Luis Alberto Moreno , President, Inter-American Development Bank

, President, Inter-American Development Bank H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , President, Republic of Liberia

Thanks to strong leadership, smart investments and the hard work of the public and private sectors, the world has cut malaria deaths in half since 2000, saving more than 6 million lives from the disease. Malaria-related deaths are at an all-time low, especially among children under five in sub-Saharan Africa. This can be largely attributed to the unprecedented delivery of more than 500 million insecticide-treated bed nets over the last three years, along with significant expansion of diagnosis and treatment.

But malaria preys on the rural poor and the young, still killing a child every two minutes. It stunts productivity, burdens families with health care costs, limits educational achievement and slows overall economic growth.

"We have reached a critical juncture in the malaria fight," said Chambers. "To end this disease we need a creative approach to financing  one that combines continued support from donor countries with new approaches to expand commitments, particularly from countries affected by malaria."

Ending malaria is within reach, but the next few years are critical. Success requires maintaining the progress to date, achieving control in endemic countries and accelerating to elimination where possible. Leaders in Africa and Asia have adopted ambitious elimination agendas for their regions, and countries are working hard to achieve the reductions in cases and deaths to meet the bold goals.

"Ending malaria was once an impossible dream," said H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who lost a brother to malaria when he was a child and made malaria a key priority while in office. "It is now within our reach. It will take strong leadership and serious financial commitments, but I believe we can make history and end this brutal disease once and for all."

For more information visit www.endmalariacouncil.org.

SOURCE End Malaria Council
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is the text of a statement released today by Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) Executive Director, Richard Pearson:

"About eight years ago, I penned a letter to gun owners nationwide about my experiences lobbying Barack Obama when he was an Illinois State Senator. Among the adjectives I used to describe Senator Obama were arrogant, rude, self-righteous, indignant and aloof. I warned gun owners that an Obama presidency would cast the darkest of days upon supporters of our Second Amendment. I advised gun owners that the only hope for preserving gun rights would be a sustained pushback against Obama's attempts to obliterate civilian firearm ownership.

There was never any doubt in my mind that Obama would seek to crush the Second Amendment. Obama entered office with the very firm intention of satisfying the globalist ideal of knocking America down a couple of pegs. Thus, in no time at all, President Obama attacked two great American icons  General Motors and our superlative health care system. Next on his plate was an assault on the uniquely American sense of rugged individualism. As we all know, self-reliance is predicated upon the existence of the Second Amendment. Plain and simple  without a Second Amendment, individualism is just a fantasy. Yes, early in his tenure, Barack Obama was achieving his objective of making America more like the rest of the world rather than encouraging the rest of the world to be more like us.

When Obama charged headlong into the gun control fray, he was met with stubborn and determined opposition from everyday gun owners. We fought him in Congress. We fought him in the federal courts. We fought him in the court of public opinion. In the end, the good guys won and the promise of a nation-wide version of Chicago-style gun control faded into irrelevance. For that, gun owners owe themselves a hearty pat on the back.

Now enters Donald Trump  President Donald Trump. Trump has made a lot of promises to gun owners and I hope he keeps them. Copious promises notwithstanding, the nation's gun owners must remain mobilized and prepared to fight the gun control movement whether the battle is at the national, state, or local level. The fight for gun rights is not over and will never be over.

In closing, I'd like to bid Barack Obama "good riddance," and wish President Trump well in the monumental job he is about to undertake."

The ISRA is the state's leading advocate of safe, lawful and responsible firearms ownership. For more than a century, the ISRA has represented the interests of millions of law-abiding Illinois firearm owners.

WEB SITE: http://www.isra.org

SOURCE Illinois State Rifle Association

Related Links

http://www.isra.org


STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

FROM: JAMIESON KARSON

CEO AND CHAIRMAN

SOUPMAN, INC. (OTC: SOUP)

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

In the Q1 2017 fiscal quarter ending November 30, 2016 which has just been reported, the total revenue for this quarter was $1.050 million, our Tetra Pak sales increased 121% over Tetra Pak sales vs. Q1 2016 on top of the 92% Tetra Pak sales increase for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2016 over the prior year. We are encouraged as this is the fourth consecutive quarter of Tetra Pak sales increases and we exceeded our earlier guidance of 117%.

We believe this increase is primarily due to the following factors: (i) increased varieties of soup on shelf per store over last year; (ii) increased case sales per store from an average of 1.5 cases sold per month per store last year to an average of 2.7 cases sold per month per store this year and (iii) increased store count bringing the total number of stores to approximately 6,500 stores. In this month's letter, I have set forth an analysis of our marketing and promotional efforts over the quarter measured against our results. Targeted marketing and promotional efforts including sampling, in-store radio and personal appearances by the "Soupman" at stores and in the media, are the primary reason that we were able to increase market share and increase selling velocity per store per month.

We spent $127,000 more on marketing and promotional activity in Q1 2017 versus Q1 2016. A portion of the benefits of the increased spend are realized in the short term and a portion is an investment in the longer term. As this relates to overall quarterly performance, of the total operating loss of $886,000 in Q1 2017, $331,000 was spent on marketing and promotional activity in Q1 and $285,000 was non-cash stock grants to outside third parties and to employees pursuant to contract. Therefore, excluding those non-cash items and the marketing and promotional spending from Q1 2017 vs. Q1 2016 when compared on an apples to apples basis, operating expenses actually decreased by $9,000 in Q1 2017 over Q1 2016.

Increasing the velocity of our inventory turns at existing accounts monthly is our overarching goal. Faster inventory turns on shelf has been shown to cause three things to happen: (i) in the short term, re-orders typically become more frequent and larger in overall dollars, (ii) in the longer term, retailers who already carry our product are more willing to accept additional SKUs (varieties) for their next season thus driving topline sales, and (iii) in the longer term, new retailers will view the IRI selling data and will be more likely to add our product to their soup aisles. The larger grocery chains generally add new products and SKUs once per year in the Fall and sometimes in January.

Different accounts require different tactics and therefore, we are customizing our tactics and programs to maximize inventory turns in the most cost-efficient manner. At Kroger, an account that for the past year has kept our SKU count identical (3.5 SKUs per store across approximately 2000 stores), our sales increased by 62% for Q1 2017 versus Q1 2016. Several factors have led to this sales increase this Fall: (i) utilizing Larry Thomas, the "Seinfeld" Soupman, to make personal appearances and sample in store and appear on local media; (ii) discounting the on-shelf price from $3.49 to $2.99 during certain promotional periods; and (iii) running a 30-second in-store radio commercial twice per hour/every hour in approximately 300 Kroger test stores for a 4 week period.

We analyzed the actual costs of all three initiatives measured against the number of stores that experienced sales lifts, and we concluded that in-store radio provided the most impactful cost/benefit. Specifically, we tested in-store radio in approximately 300 Kroger stores in Atlanta and Cincinnati, which is only 15% of the Kroger stores we are in, and in approximately 150 stores in other accounts spread across Florida, NYC Metro and Ohio market trade areas. At Kroger our sales in these test stores increased by 44% in the 4-week test period over the same for the prior 4-week period, this on top of the 62% sales increases at Kroger chain-wide year over year for Q1 2017. The increases at the other 150 stores exceeded these results on a percentage basis.

The cost of our in-store radio program was $12 per store per week compared to sampling which is $200 for 4 hours per store. Given those strong results we believe that in-store radio is currently the most cost-effective way to reach the largest number of customers at Kroger and therefore, we intend to expand this program at all 2,000 Kroger stores and at as many other large accounts as possible throughout the year.

At Publix during Q1 2017 during product sampling events in their stores, we surveyed 1,456 Publix customers who tasted our soups and 92% of those tested concluded that they would buy our product and 25% of those bought it on the spot. This supports our contention that once consumers try our soup they are highly likely to purchase it because of the superior taste and quality of our soup when compared to any other soups on the market. Our Publix sales are up over 100% for Q1 2017 vs. Q1 2016 in the 1,100 stores we are in, however Publix is one of a handful of accounts that does not permit in-store radio commercials. So, at Publix in 2017, we intend to focus on promotions, such as 2 for $6 to drive consumer trial and inventory turns as in-store sampling in 1,100 stores would be too expensive.

At ShopRite, Acme and Fairway, all of which are in our NYC tristate home market and have far fewer stores than Kroger or Publix, we can sample in a cost-effective way with our own sampling team. The most meaningful emotional connection to the consumer is made through sampling combined with the Soupman's personal in-store appearances supported by regional media appearances and localized social media outreach. At ShopRite we have invested significantly in sampling to drive sales because on a per store basis, we have experienced the highest case sales/store per month at this account. We have robust selling on a per store basis at Costco Midwest (30 of 82 stores) and Costco Northwest (20 of 65 stores) this past Fall and we utilized sampling to gain trial at this account too.

Our efforts over the past year have been geared to driving Tetra Pak sales by building points of distribution. Now that we have approximately 6,500 points of distribution, our efforts will focus on driving sales in those existing stores. That means we intend to spend considerably less on slotting to add new accounts and more on specific initiatives as discussed above to drive inventory turns at existing accounts. Our efforts have been and must continue to be devoted to increasing inventory turns at all existing accounts, establishing new points of distribution and creating consumer awareness of the product availability and quality. We believe, therefore, it would be too early to measure return on capital unless and until those efforts generate sufficient annual topline of at least $6 million. Further to the point, we are a young growth brand and micro category leader and as such top line sales and repeat sales/turns at the store level are the most important measure of the business. Our lobster bisque in a short time has become the # 1 selling lobster bisque in the country at all our accounts surpassing or replacing brands that have been on shelf for many years. We intend to remain the leader in the premium seafood soup category and build on this success with other unique varieties that we make with intentions to continue to bring innovation to the dreary soup aisle nationwide.

On a forward-looking basis, we cannot provide guidance for Q2 2017 as we have 6 weeks to go. Our Tetra Pak sales for the month of December 2016 are up over 300% vs. December 2015 on an unaudited basis. In general terms, for our next fiscal quarter, expect a meaningful increase in Tetra Pak sales, a decrease in non-marketing and promotional related cash operating expenses and a decrease in overall gross margin to the extent selling is significant at Costco since Costco gross margins are typically in the 20% range compared to approximately 30% gross margin at other accounts, however, since the marketing spend required at Costco is less, it equates to a similar net margin. Gross margins will improve in 2017 with sales increases based on economies of scale with larger volume ingredient purchases. Nonetheless, the operating burn has decreased over the past 12 months and will continue to do so, notwithstanding greater marketing and promotional spending, and we project positive operating income in 2017.

Given the further reductions to operating expenses implemented in January 2017, including payroll reductions, and based upon our current sales trends, we reasonably believe that the current stock price does not reflect quarter over quarter positive sales increases or other positive developments, nor does it reflect in our opinion, fair value.

Please email any thoughts, questions or comments you may have to me at [email protected]. I will continue to provide these business updates on a monthly basis and look forward to your feedback. Thank you.

This letter may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections made by management. The Company intends for the forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "plans", "believes", "seeks", "estimates" or variations of such words are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include statements regarding our plan for 2017, general expectations for Q2 2017 and ability to continue to grow Soupman's brand presence. All forward-looking statements in this letter are made as of the date of this letter, and the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements other than as required by law. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements such as our ability to implement our plan for 2017, accounting adjustments to be made in connection with the Q2 review, our ability to continue to grow our brand presence and the risk factors discussed in the Business and Management's Discussion and Analysis sections in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

SOURCE Soupman, Inc.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TBWA\Chiat\Day President Erin Riley announced today that the agency has hired industry veteran John Deschner as Chief Innovation Officer and Managing Director. A newly created hybrid role at the agency, Deschner will be charged with furthering the company's digital and content capabilities, as well as implementing inventive platforms and processes beyond digital to ensure that innovation is woven into the very fabric of the agency, from operations to accounts to culture. He will serve as a key leader across departments, while directly overseeing key digital functions, including creative technology, integrated production and social media management and strategy. A member of the agency executive team, Deschner will report directly to Riley.

"When we set out to find someone to lead agency innovation, we knew we were looking for a unicorn: someone with both highly specialized and broad-based skill sets, who could not only lead and grow our digital practice but also serve the company at large as a leader and change agent," said Riley. "We are incredibly excited to have found that unicorn in John. His experience is as impressive as it is comprehensive and diverse, and he will be a welcome addition to our growing team."

The move marks Deschner's return to Los Angeles from Kuala Lumpur, where he has served as CEO of Ogilvy Malaysia since August 2015, overseeing several agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, OgilvyOne, Ogilvy PR, Hogarth + Ogilvy, and Bates CHI & Partners, and while helping the agency group grow and develop their digital and content capabilities.

Prior to joining Ogilvy, Deschner spent nearly four years at Deutsch LA, rising to the role of EVP, Executive Director of the agency's digital account management group. He was responsible for the health, growth and success of all major digital initiatives for clients such as HTC, Volkswagen, Target and Nintendo, and also helped to develop and lead the agency's invention practice.

Deschner also served as head of client services and business development for AKQA in Washington, D.C., where he managed a 25-person team and oversaw relationships with key clients including United States Postal Service, Volkswagen and Delta Air Lines. He also spent time in a management supervisor role at Crispin Porter + Bogusky where he led interactive on the Domino's Pizza business.

A native of Montana, Deschner began his career as a graphic designer/animator, and later, an interface designer and technical project manager in Washington before his foray into advertising.

About TBWA Worldwide

TBWA is The Disruption Company: the cultural engine for 21st century business. A top-ten ranked global advertising collective, TBWA uses trademarked Disruption methodologies to develop business-changing and culture-defining ideas for brands. TBWA has 11,300 employees across 305 offices in 98 countries and also includes brands such as Auditoire, Digital Arts Network (DAN), eg+ worldwide, The Integer Group, TBWA\Media Arts Lab and TBWA\WorldHealth. TBWA's global clients include adidas, Airbnb, Apple, Gatorade, Henkel, McDonald's, Michelin, Nissan, Pernod Ricard, Pfizer, Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore Airlines, Sotheby's and Vichy. Follow TBWA on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook.

SOURCE TBWA

Related Links

http://tbwa.com


SMITHFIELD, Va., Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This week, Smithfield Foods, Inc. donated 35,000 pounds of protein to help victims of recent tornadoes in South Georgia. This donation to Second Harvest of South Georgia in Thomasville, Georgia is part of Smithfields Helping Hungry Homes hunger-relief initiative, which provides food banks across the country with high-quality, nutritious protein.



Many people in our community have suffered a great deal of loss, said Frank Richards, chief executive officer of Second Harvest of South Georgia. We are grateful to Smithfield for this donation, which lets us provide support, nourishment and comfort to our neighbors and their families throughout this difficult time.

As many counties in Alabama, Florida and Georgia continue to recover from this tornado, individuals and families impacted by the storm may face limited access to proper nutrition. Supporting their recovery, this Helping Hungry Homes donation will provide more than 140,000 servings of protein to Second Harvest of South Georgia partners and member agencies across South Georgia.

At Smithfield, we understand the need for nutrition often grows even greater following a disaster, and that recovery is a long process, said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. We hope this donation will help meet this need while the members of these communities recover from this disaster.

This year, Helping Hungry Homes will fight hunger by donating food to disaster relief and community outreach programs, food banks and school nutrition programs across the country. To date, Helping Hungry Homes has provided more than 49 million servings of protein to food banks coast-to-coast. For more information about Helping Hungry Homes, 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 Second Harvest of South Georgia

Second Harvest of South Georgia serves 30 South Georgia counties and is the largest rural food bank in Georgia. Headquartered in Valdosta, the organization has locations in Albany, Douglas, and Thomasville. Through its network of over 400 partner charities and through its programs, Second Harvest distributed more than 20 million pounds of food in 2016 to children, seniors and families struggling with hunger. The organization operates a variety of programs including the Food Bank, Farm to Family, Kids Cafe, Teachers Harvest, Mobile Food Pantry, and more. Learn more about Second Harvest at FeedingSGA.org.
"I'm among those who have watched Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University from its inception," said Moore, who comes to Wesley Seminary from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. "I have been impressed by the intentionality of the faculty to design interdisciplinary courses taught by theologians and practitioners. I've been encouraged by the attentiveness to prepare ministers for the realities of the 21st century."

"Dr. Moore is practically and theologically trained, both by the academy but more so by her service to the local church," said the Rev. David Smith, Ph.D., dean of Wesley Seminary and a professor of New Testament and Christian ministry. "She is a nationally respected academic leader, ordained in the United Methodist Church, who has taught at several prestigious seminaries. Moreover, she loves the local church and is called to serve through preparing local church pastors for their respective Kingdom Mission."

Moore, who is an ordained Elder in the West Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church, was the founding associate dean of the William E. Pannell Center for African American Church Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, where she also served as an assistant professor of preaching since 2012. Prior to that, Moore served as associate dean for Black Church Studies and Church Relations at Duke University, in Durham, N.C., where she also was a visiting professor of preaching.

A native of Chicago, Ill., Moore's move to the Midwest brings her closer to family.

"As my mother's health began to decline and I considered returning to the Midwest, IWU seemed the ideal place where I could return to a Wesleyan institution forming Christian leaders that sense the urgency of the task of the church to bring a witness to the holiness and justice promised by Jesus," Moore said. "I am eager to join this community and the innovative work that it is doing to prepare ministers who preserve the faith entrusted to us."

"I know that Dr. Moore is joining us in the belief that the church can benefit greatly from the rich rewards of ethnic integration in worship and collaborative community service," Smith said. "Our wish is that this will be modeled first in the classrooms of Wesley Seminary and then be graciously taken by our students to a fractured world."

Moore earned a Bachelor Arts in Education and Mathematics from National-Louis University in Evanston, Ill., a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Seminary in Evanston, Ill., and a Ph.D. in practical theology from London School of Theology/Brunel University in London, England. She became a John Wesley Fellow in 2001, and is a member of the National Association of United Methodist Evangelists, the Wesleyan Theology Society, the Academy of Homiletics, the Society for Biblical Literature, and is currently president of the Christian Theological Research Fellowship of the American Academy of Religion.

About Indiana Wesleyan University

Indiana Wesleyan University is an evangelical Christian comprehensive university of The Wesleyan Church committed to global liberal arts and professional education. Nearly 3,000 students are enrolled in traditional programs on the main campus in Marion, Ind. More than 10,000 adult learners study online or at education centers in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. IWU has a sister institution in Sydney, Australia. More information is available at www.indwes.edu.

About Wesley Seminary

The Indiana Wesleyan University Board of Trustees formed Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University in April 2009 so that the university has a seminary with a practical and student-centered approach for busy, working ministers. The Wesley Seminary model allows ministers to stay in their current ministry setting while attending seminary. In addition to a Doctor of Ministry, the seminary also offers Master of Divinity, Master of Arts, and a Master of Practical Theology, as well as certificate programs in church revitalization; children, youth and family ministry; and church planting and multiplication. More information is available at www.indwes.edu/seminary.

Indiana Wesleyan University Contact: PR Contact: Jerry Shepherd, Associate Vice President Michele Lemmon Adult Enrollment Services GREENCREST 765-677-2285 614-885-7921 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University

Related Links

http://www.indwes.edu


The Maguire Institute's Energy Leadership Award committee selected the two oil and gas titans because of their long-term impact on the energy industry. The Pitts Energy Leadership Award annually honors an individual who exemplifies a spirit of ethical leadership in the energy industry. The equally prestigious Pioneer Award is presented to energy industry trailblazers.

"The Institute is proud to honor Trevor Rees-Jones with this prestigious award," said Bruce Bullock, director of the Maguire Energy Institute. "Trevor has proven himself to be one of the great modern wildcatters exhibiting a record of leadership, innovation and ethics, very much like Frank Pitts in his day. We are also pleased to present our Pioneer Award to Forrest Hoglund, who is a trailblazer in this industry to this day. Both of these men are making big differences not only in the petroleum industry, but in the communities in which they live and operate"

Rees-Jones entered the oil and gas business in 1984 as an independent operator working in exploration and production. In 1994, he founded Chief Oil & Gas, an early operator during the development of the Barnett Shale field in North Texas. Chief began operating in the Marcellus Shale play in Pennsylvania and West Virginia in 2008. Rees-Jones and Chief established midstream companies in both the Barnett and Marcellus, gathering and delivering natural gas from wells drilled by Chief and other operators. Chief Oil & Gas is the nation's largest privately-owned producer of natural gas, operating over one percent of the country's daily natural gas production. In addition to serving as CEO of Chief Oil & Gas LLC, Rees-Jones is also CEO of Rees-Jones Holdings LLC. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Dartmouth College and a Juris Doctor (JD) from SMU School of Law (now the SMU Dedman School of Law). Active in a number of community outreach and non-profit efforts, Rees-Jones is a past president of the Dallas Petroleum Club and the Dallas Hardhatters Committee (now the Dallas Wildcatters Committee).

Under Hoglund's leadership, SeaOne Holding LLC transports compressed gas liquids to provide low-cost, clean fuels to Caribbean and Central American countries. Previously, Hoglund was chairman of the board and CEO of EOG Resources, Inc., one of the most active drillers of gas wells in the U.S. and Canada. Under his leadership, EOG Resources went public and grew into one of the industry's best performing independent oil and gas companies. Before joining EOG Resources in 1987, Hoglund was president and CEO of what was then one of the industry's fastest growing independent producing companies, Texas Oil & Gas Corporation (TXO). Hoglund earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) in mechanical engineering from the University of Kansas and began his career with Exxon Corporation. Hoglund chaired the committee that raised $185 million to build the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in downtown Dallas. He is the chairman of The Hoglund Foundation, which awards grants to educational, medical, and social needs programs in Dallas and Houston.

Rees-Jones is the seventh recipient of the L. Frank Pitts Energy Leadership Award. The first award was presented in 2010 to Ray L. Hunt, chairman and CEO of Hunt Oil Company and chairman, CEO and president of Hunt Consolidated, Inc. The 2011 recipient was J. Larry Nichols, now retired co-founder and executive chairman of Devon Energy Corporation. Mark Papa, now retired chairman and CEO of EOG Resources, Inc., received the award in 2012. Scott Sheffield, chairman and CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources Company, was the 2013 honoree. In December 2014, the Pitts Award was presented to David Miller, co-founder and managing partner of EnCap Investments, L.P. Rex Tillerson, current nominee for U.S. Secretary of State, was honored in January of 2016, while he served as chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil.

The Maguire Energy Institute Pioneer Award was first presented in 2011. Three iconic Texas oilmen were honored that year, including retired oil and gas executive John Harbin, who served as CEO of two different energy companies and chairman of the third one. Louis A. Beecherl, Jr., former chairman and president of the Texas Oil & Gas Corporation (which eventually merged with U.S. Steel Corporation) and William P. Clements, Jr., who co-founded Southeastern Drilling Company Inc. (SEDCO) and eventually served two nonconsecutive terms as Texas governor, were both honored posthumously. Edwin L. Cox, who spent his career in oil and gas exploration and became the benefactor of the Cox School in 1978, received the Pioneer Award in 2012. Hoglund becomes the fifth legendary industry figure to receive the honor.

The L. Frank Pitts Energy Leadership Award was created in 2010 to honor the legacy of Texas oilman and independent oil and natural gas producer L. Frank Pitts, who participated in the drilling of more than 3,000 wells over almost seven decades. The late oilman served as a member of the Maguire Energy Institute Advisory Board. Pitts' daughter, SMU alumna Linda Pitts Custard (BA '60, EMBA '99), is a former member of the SMU Board of Trustees, and she serves on the Award Event Committee for the Pitts Energy Leadership Award Luncheon.

The annual Pitts Energy Leadership Award event raises funds to support the Maguire Energy Institute, named in honor of oilman and co-founder Cary M. Maguire, as well as BBA and MBA scholarships for students with degree concentrations in energy. A portion of the proceeds raised by this year's event will help support the educational goals of two SMU Cox students: Houston native and SMU Cox BBA Energy Club President Zach Plemenos, who will complete his BBA in finance in May 2018; and Oklahoma City native and MBA Energy Club President Maggie Miller, who will complete her MBA in May this year, with a concentration in energy finance.

SOURCE SMU Cox School of Business

Related Links

http://www.cox.smu.edu


Donsuemor does not just bake madeleines, we bake moments. They brought this French classic across the ocean and were the first U.S. manufacturer of madeleines, keeping the authentic and fresh flavor intact as if you were taking a moment to eat one on a cobblestone street of France. We call this a "madeleine moment." It's a moment in your day to treat yourself to an authentic, delicious treat. We strive to create madeleine moments every day for our consumers.

"Our Traditional Madeleine has stood the test of time," said Laure Chatard, director of sales at Donsuemor. "Coming out of our 40th anniversary year, we have had an amazing history with this original classic treat and are looking forward to the future as the company moves forward into the next 40 years."

Historically a French treat, these buttery shell-shaped cookies are soft to the touch and offer a sweet and timeless taste. Adding in a fresh and zestful twist to the original classic recipes, the range of products have expanded and a French-inspired tradition is at the heart of it all.

Donsuemor madeleines come in a variety of flavors including Traditional Madeleines, Dipped Madeleines, Lemon Zest Madeleines, and seasonal Pumpkin Spice Madeleines.

These tempting treats will be showcased proudly at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco beginning January 22. Stop by our booth (#3309) to try our classic Traditional Madeleines and other French-inspired baked goods such as French Almond Cakes, Biscotti and Sables.

About Donsuemor:

Available nationwide in stores such as Peet's Coffee, Costco, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and Whole Foods, the Donsuemor brand of madeleines has drawn rave reviews from The New York Times and Fine Cooking. Based in Alameda, Calif., Donsuemor's line of French-inspired baked goods are an ideal treat for discriminating consumers.

SOURCE Donsuemor
UPPSALA, Sweden, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OssDsign AB, a Swedish designer, manufacturer and distributor of next generation implants for cranial and facial reconstruction, today announced that it has received 510(k) clearance by the US FDA for marketing and sale of OSSDSIGN Cranial PSI in the USA.

OssDsign

Anders Lundqvist, CEO of OssDsign, said:"Receiving FDA clearance for our flagship product OSSDSIGN Cranial is extremely positive news. This means we can continue working according to our existing plan of launching OSSDSIGN Cranial in the US market in Q1 2017. We are in the final stages of setting up an experienced distribution network that will enable OssDsign to rapidly bring the benefits of OSSDSIGN Cranial to surgeons, patients and healthcare systems across the US."

OSSDSIGN Cranial is a patient-specific medical implant intended for reconstruction of cranial defects, a surgical procedure known as cranioplasty. Cranioplasty is traditionally performed by neurosurgeons using the patient's own bone or by using implants made from inert plastic or metal materials, such as PEEK or titanium. These techniques are known to have a high complication rate, especially infections which may necessitate removal of the implant and further surgery.

Every OSSDSIGN Cranial implant is made to each patient's unique requirements based on the patient's computer tomography (CT) information. OssDsign uses advanced computer-assisted design (CAD) and state-of-the-art 3D-printing technologies to produce each unique device. The implant is made from a proprietary calcium phosphate composite, which is reinforced by a strong titanium skeleton.

The OSSDSIGN technology was developed by experienced surgeons and material scientists with the patient's needs in mind.

Lars Kihlstrom, MD, Senior Consultant of Neurosurgery at Karolinska University Hospital, said: "I believe that OSSDSIGN Cranial is a very promising product for cranial bone reconstruction that has led to positive results with two years follow up after introduction. We have used OSSDSIGN Cranial since it was introduced in Sweden; not only does it have good handling characteristics, it also substantially contributes to good outcomes in complex patient groups."

OSSDSIGN Cranial and other OssDsign products have been introduced step-wised in Europe since 2014. These products are already available in Germany, the UK and Nordic region, as well as Singapore and Israel. Earlier this month OssDsign announced that it had entered into new commercial partnerships to distribute its medical implants in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands.

Images of OSSDSIGN Cranial are available on request.

For further information, please contact:

Anders Lundqvist, CEO, OssDsign AB

Phone: +46 73 206 98 08, email: [email protected]

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com

SOURCE OssDsign AB
HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Treasurer Joe Torsella today announced that he is reducing the size of Treasury's automobile fleet from 21 vehicles to 10. He will not use a dedicated state car and will end the practice of assigning state cars to individual Treasury staff.

"As Treasurer I will closely scrutinize every expense that comes across my desk to ensure that it is used responsibly, and that begins with my own department," said Treasurer Torsella. "This policy will ensure that Treasury's vehicles will only be used to serve the taxpayers who are paying for them. This new policy is just one way that I will honor the commitment that I made at my swearing-in to remember that every dollar the Commonwealth spends comes from the hard work of a Pennsylvania taxpayer."

Treasurer Torsella has declined the use of a dedicated state vehicle and will continue to use his personal vehicle. He will not seek reimbursement for mileage.

In addition, under the new policy no vehicles will be assigned to employees on a permanent basis. Instead, a limited number of pooled vehicles will be signed-out as needed for official business and the mileage recorded. Treasury will return the extra eleven vehicles back to the Commonwealth's Department of General Services.

The new policy is effective immediately.

Media contact: Scott Sloat: (717) 695-1789 or [email protected]

The Pennsylvania Treasury is an independent department of state government led by the state treasurer, who is elected every four years. The department's primary duty is to safeguard and manage the state's public funds. It invests state money to generate income on behalf of the citizens of Pennsylvania, reviews and processes payments for state government agencies, and serves as custodian of more than $100 billion in state funds. Key Treasury programs include Unclaimed Property, PA 529 College Savings Program and the Board of Finance and Revenue.

www.patreasury.gov | Facebook | Twitter

SOURCE Pennsylvania Treasury

Related Links

http://www.patreasury.gov


More specifically, the 10-acre portion of the property - which contains all of its structures - will be offered with the $4 million reserve. An additional, 5-acre parcel is available separately, with the price being negotiable between buyer and seller. The undeveloped, 5-acre parcel is contiguous with 10-acre parcel, and is currently used only for additional grazing or riding space.

"This property should readily satisfy those looking for both a luxurious residence and a working horse farm, and those two items can be difficult to find as one unit of sale in Wellington," stated Trayor Lesnock, Platinum's president and founder.

The property's main residence offers nearly 6,400 sf of living space, with 4 bedrooms and 4 full baths. Features include an infinity-edge pool and spa, 1,400-bottle wine cellar, library, media room, office, fitness center, and a "tower" on the second level that is currently outfitted as a yoga studio. There are also two generators, in addition to "Smart Home" technology that is controllable via mobile devices

Additional structures include a 3-vehicle garage (with A/C), guest cottage, 12-stall barn with enclosed lounge and attached loggia offering views of the riding arena and fields, a dedicated set of grooms' apartments with an additional garage for larger equipment, a 215-ft-by-125-ft riding arena, and 6 paddocks.

The property is also quite "green:" it draws additional water from both a well and from rain-catchers located in the paddocks, and it also collects energy from solar panels  which can in fact create an energy surplus that can be sold back to Florida Power & Light.

Wellington, Florida has a well-established reputation as one of the world's most prominent equestrian marketplaces. The area is home to the world's longest-running horse show and competition - the Winter Equestrian Festival. The event draws the Who's Who of the equestrian world to South Florida each year, many of whom then lease or purchase property in Wellington. The community boasts residents such as Bill Gates, Tommy Lee Jones, Bruce Springsteen, and billionaire media mogul John Malone.

The property is available for previews between the hours of 12 and 4pm (EST) every Friday through Sunday, until the auction. Additional information is available at WellingtonLuxuryAuction.com, or by calling Platinum's offices at 800.743.1368.

About Platinum Luxury Auctions

Platinum Luxury Auctions specializes in the non-distressed sale of multimillion-dollar properties within and beyond the United States. The Platinum team has closed more than $545 million in luxury real estate auction sales to date, while consulting on more than $1.85 billion in additional luxury properties worldwide. The firm is responsible for developing the luxury auction model for high-priced real estate auctions.

SOURCE Platinum Luxury Auctions
AMSTERDAM, January 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

German government-owned development bank KfW has directed an additional investment of USD 2.2 million from The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) into the Dutch financial markets development company Frontclear. The investment increases Frontclear's first loss tranche, aiding Frontclear's efforts to boost the stability of interbank markets in emerging and frontier countries. KfW has already provided significant financial support to Frontclear by counter-guaranteeing the obligations of Frontclear up to USD 100 million.

"KfW's support to Frontclear has been unwavering since our inception and we wish to thank KfW and BMZ for realizing this new investment. The additional first loss funding is proving to be critical for our fund raising program and thus for the future growth of our company", says Philip Buyskes, CEO of Frontclear.

About Frontclear

Frontclear is a financial markets development company focused on catalyzing stable and inclusive interbank markets in emerging and developing countries (EMDC). Frontclear facilitates access by local financial institutions to interbank markets through providing credit guarantees to cover a transacting institution's counterparty credit risk. This on the condition that local currency assets can be used for collateral management purposes. Frontclear's Basel III compliant guarantees specifically cover due payment of the Early Termination Amount under ISDA contracts and corresponding claims under GMRA. The guarantees are in turn counter-guaranteed by KfW, a AAA-development financial institution. The guarantees are complemented by a technical assistance programme (FTAP). FTAP supports targeted and planned interventions in bank and system development, which reduce the operational and country risks obstructing interbank trading. Frontclear is funded by European governments and development finance institutions including DFID, EBRD, Proparco, KfW and TCX.

For further information, please visit http://www.frontclear.com

SOURCE Frontclear
CHENGDU, China, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tianfu Software Park, one of the largest tech parks in China, selected a batch of excellent enterprises which developed in the park, and visited their founders or CEOs. The face-to-face communication allowed them to learn more about the latest thoughts, analysis and outlooks of the enterprises about the internet industry. Their words represented the real side of the Chinese Internet industry, bringing inspiration to people who hope to one day enter the Chinese Internet industry.

The idea of "Internet Plus" has been widely accepted in various industries in recent years. But is it possible to develop a product featuring "Internet Plus" in the medical industry, which is closely associated with people's livelihoods, and can bring revolutionary changes to traditional medicine? To answer this question, an exclusive interview was conducted with Wang Shirui, the founder and CEO of Chengdu Yiyun Technology Co., Ltd., which is a start-up successfully hatched by Tianfu Software Park Lab. Wang Shirui made it to Forbes' 30 Under 30 List for 2016. From a medical professional's perspective, he analyzed the development of "Internet Plus" in the medical industry in China.

80% of Medical Start-ups Focus on the "Doctor-Patient" Link, Still Striving to Improve the Productivity of Referral

The large amount of participants in the medical industry, including doctors, clinics, patients and pharmaceutical enterprises, can form various links, and the link a medical start-up focuses on determines its business model. "80% of medical start-ups in China focus on the 'doctor-patient' link." The "doctor-patient" link is the most straightforward one. It represents a vast amount of traffic and addresses the demands of the people. However, it also makes many entrepreneurs get lost in the sea of data.

"It is extremely difficult to find target users in the medical industry, so medical start-ups tend to concentrate on how to improve conversion rate," says Wang Shirui. "Medical start-ups can extract more value from their products as long as they can better integrate online diagnosis with offline medical services."

Understanding the Demands of Doctors, Medlinker Achieves Initial Success after Two Years of Hard Work

"Traditional industries that involve enormous links can hardly be reshaped by the Internet. So instead of overturning such industries, we optimize them on a current basis," added Wang Shirui. He and his team specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of severe diseases, rather than focusing on the "doctor-patient" link, "We focused 30% to 40% of our efforts on constructing a community for doctors in the initial stage of development. At present, among the 400,000 doctors who have registered at Medlinker with their real names, 16,000 are active on a daily basis and 120,000 are active on a monthly basis. Offering access to 130,000 cases, the segment of case analysis is the most popular one."

As a medical professional himself, Wang Shirui understands doctors' plights and demands. "The earnings doctors receive are out of line with the investments they make. With the issuance of national policies regarding the building of a hierarchical medical system, there is an increase in the demand for multi-site practice. For this reason, in succession to Medlinker, a product that aims to help doctors with home visits will soon be hatched by Tianfu Software Park. "We are now narrowing our losses every month. It is predictable that we will have a balanced budget eventually."

It Requires a Joint Effort for Domestic Medical Start-ups to Find a Way Out

Wang Shirui recommended several types of Internet products which are now available in the medical industry, including those which rely on big data analysis to give users an insight into diseases, those that function as private doctors that can offer users medical advice over the phone, as well as those which are designed to improve the accuracy rate of diagnosis by inviting professional doctors to review the results of imaging tests online.

Medlinker has achieved remarkable results, although the road towards "Internet plus Medicine" and innovation is full of challenges. Headed by Wang Shirui, Medlinker was born and will continue to grow in Tianfu Software Park, not only because of the high-quality medical resources in Chengdu but also because of the superior business environment and diversified industrial ecology in Tianfu Software Park.

"I hope that the medical market can be more diversified. Players in the market are rivals and friends. Considering the difficult situation in front of us, we should work together to drive the growth of the whole market and see if we can find a way out."

SOURCE Chengdu Tianfu Software Park
SMITHFIELD, Va., Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. (the Company) today announced it intends to refinance certain of its existing credit facilities, in connection with its previous announcement to refinance its existing senior notes with the proceeds of a proposed $1.4 billion offering of senior unsecured notes, as part of a wider refinancing plan.



The Company is seeking to refinance its inventory-based revolving credit facility and the Rabobank term loan, which was prepaid in full on December 30, 2016, with a new senior credit facility (the Senior Credit Facilities). It is anticipated that the Senior Credit Facilities will consist of a $1.0 billion senior unsecured revolving credit facility and a $500.0 million senior unsecured term loan A facility. The Company has received commitments from a number of lenders for the full amount of the Senior Credit Facilities, subject to customary conditions, and expects to close the Senior Credit Facilities in February.

The Company expects that the Senior Credit Facilities will be guaranteed by its existing and future direct and indirect material domestic subsidiaries and by its parent, WH Group Limited, and that the revolving credit facility and the term loan A facility will mature five years after the closing date of the Senior Credit Facilities. The Company may designate certain of its subsidiaries to be borrowers under the revolving credit facility.

The Company expects that the credit agreement governing the Senior Credit Facilities will contain customary representations, warranties and covenants, including, but not limited to specified restrictions on liens, indebtedness, mergers and other fundamental changes, sales of assets, payments of dividends and other distributions, changes in the nature of the business and transactions with affiliates. It also expects that such credit agreement will require it to comply with the following financial covenants: (a) consolidated funded debt to consolidated capitalization ratio will not be greater than 50.0% and (b) consolidated EBITDA to consolidated interest expense ratio of not less than 3.50:1.00, in each case calculated on a quarterly basis for each consecutive four quarter period. The Company expects that such credit agreement will also contain customary events of default and related cure provisions. The Company also expects that it will have the ability to prepay the Senior Credit Facilities in whole or in part at any time without premium or penalty, subject to reimbursement of breakage and redeployment costs.

The specific timing, structure and terms of such refinancing have not yet been finalized and there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to consummate the closing of the Senior Credit Facilities on the terms as expected or at all.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Language

Forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, are made throughout this release. The forward-looking information may include statements concerning the company's outlook for the future, as well as other statements of beliefs, future plans and strategies or anticipated events, and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. The forward-looking information and statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. These risks and uncertainties include availability and prices of livestock, raw materials and supplies, livestock costs, livestock disease, food safety, product pricing, the competitive environment and related market conditions, ability to make and successfully integrate acquisitions, operating efficiencies, access to capital, the cost of compliance with environmental and health standards, adverse results from ongoing litigation and actions of domestic and foreign governments. These forward-looking statements represent the Companys judgment as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims, however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that the proposed transactions will be completed as anticipated or at all.
LIVONIA, Mich., Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tower International, Inc. (NYSE: TOWR), a leading integrated global manufacturer of engineered automotive structural metal components and assemblies, today announced select leadership changes consistent with the Company's leaner regional business footprint.

Effective immediately, Par Malmhagen is appointed President of Tower International, reporting to Tower Chief Executive Officer, Jim Gouin. Malmhagen will be based in Livonia and have overall responsibility for Tower's North American and European businesses.

"This is the natural evolution to a leaner, aligned, and effective global organization structure following the completed and planned sales of Tower's operations outside North America and Europe," said Gouin.

Malmhagen remarked, "I look forward to working with all Tower colleagues to continue to build upon our close customer relationships, strong competitiveness and profitable capital deployment."

Malmhagen joined the Company as President of Tower Europe in 2012 from Autoliv where he held various executive positions in Operations, Sales and Technology in Europe and China with regional as well as global responsibilities. Having strengthened the leadership of Tower Europe, improved customer launches and introduced light weighting technologies; in his new role, Malmhagen will leverage his broad business experience to drive operational excellence and install best practices across the Company.

Andreas Meyer is appointed Senior Vice President Tower Europe, reporting to Malmhagen. Meyer will head Tower's European Leadership Team based in Cologne, Germany. Meyer joined the Company in 2015 as Vice President Operations of Tower Europe from Hormann Group where he was Managing Director for Hormann Automotive. Since joining Tower, Meyer has implemented productivity improvements and process standardization throughout Tower's European operations.

Jim Bernard, President of Tower Americas since 2011 and a Tower colleague since 1988, has elected to leave the Company following an orderly transition with Malmhagen in North America. "We are grateful for Jim Bernard's leadership contributions and wish him the very best," said Gouin.

Bernard remarked, "It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with all of the colleagues at Tower. I am proud of what we have accomplished and wish them continued success."

Investor & Media Contact:

Derek Fiebig

Executive Director, Investor & External Relations

(248) 675-6457

[email protected]

SOURCE Tower International, Inc.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the inauguration of President Elect Donald Trump only one day away, the Trump Faith Advisory Board arrived in Washington for a special meeting with Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer.

Among the attendees were leading religious figures from all over the United States. The group expressed their support for the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Ambassador Dermer thanked them and reaffirmed the importance of a strong relationship will the American people.

Trump Evangelical Board Expresses Support for Israel in Special Meeting with Ambassador Ron Dermer Trump Evangelical Board Expresses Support for Israel Meeting with Ambassador Dermer & Dr. Evans

Electoral analysis has shown that evangelical Christians were the most influential factor in the USA election with the largest turnout of Evangelicals voters in history. As Trump heads to the White House, he has kept those leaders who helped guide his policy promises, lending him credibility with evangelical voters in the process close.

The leaders will continue to have influence after helping him win: He is keeping intact his evangelical advisory board, according to several members of the group, who say that there continues to be a weekly conference call, facilitated by Pam Pryor, a member of Trump's transition team with a background in conservative politics, including a stint with Sarah Palin. She was not made available for an interview, and the Trump transition team didn't respond to detailed requests for comment.

"Mr. Trump evidently told his staff he wanted to keep the advisory board intact, he wanted us to continue to meet, to give him advice, and I will tell you, I have been surprised at the level to which the transition team has solicited our input on personnel," said Richard Land, a longtime leader in Southern Baptist politics.

Members will likely attend the National Prayer Breakfast, slated for Feb. 2 -- less than two weeks after Trump's inauguration, and one of the first high-profile faith events of Trump's presidency.

News sources revealed that the board will probably meet in person in Washington. And they have already been asked by the transition team to provide names for key slots in the administration, including for faith-based offices.

Today, on January 20th, faith board will attend a private service at St John at 8:30am with the president and vice president families before the inaugural swearing in. Four of the five board member will proceed to Dias to participate in the seating in ceremony along with Rabbi Maye and dignitaries.

SOURCE The Office of Mike Evans, Trump Faith Advisory Board
LONDON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --This report by Beverage Marketing Corp. READY TO GO.



This comprehensive U.S. beer industry report from Beverage Marketing Corporation provides an in-depth examination of the all facets of the brewing industry including the mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures reshaping the industry. Data and analysis of state and regional markets, distribution channels, brewers and brands, quarterly growth, imports, exports, packaging, pricing, advertising, demographics, projections and more are presented.



The answers you need:

This research study scrutinizes all aspects of the beer market in the United States, offering historical views, current data and five year forecasts for more aspects of the market than ever before.



Questions answered include:

- Which brands and segments in the U.S. market grew in 2015, and which did not?

- What are the quarterly trends for beer, malternatives and non-alcoholic beer through the first half of 2016?

- How did the leading beer companies  major brewers as well as importers  perform? What are their sales figures and growth? What percentage of U.S. market share did the various brewers and brands hold?

- Which distribution channel grew the fastest in 2015? Which are likely to see growth in the years ahead?

- What are per capita consumption figures likely to look like a few years down the road?

- How are the proportions of beer in packages vs. draft likely to change by 2020?



This report features:

This U.S. beer report addresses industry developments and issues of interest to marketers, advertising executives, industry suppliers, financial analysts and anyone else with a special interest in the beer market.



This nearly 500 page U.S. beer market research study contains:

- An overview of the national and regional beer markets, including volume, per capita consumption and growth for all beer as well as imported beer.

- Discussion of the leading states regarding volume and per capita consumption.

- Volume and growth of the various sub-categories including craft, premium, super-premium, ice beers, imports, malternatives, etc.

- Analysis of beer sub-categories and the brands comprising them.

- Comprehensive coverage of imports to the U.S. and exports from the U.S.

- Current volume statistics for the leading brands (e.g. Bud Light, Budweiser, Miller Lite, Coors Light, Heineken, Corona Extra, etc.) of each major beer company.

- A ranking and examination of the top beer companies, including brewers and importers such Anheuser-Busch InBev, MillerCoors, Crown Imports and Heineken USA.

- A look at packaged and draft beer trends nationally, regionally and by state.

- A look at beer pricing at the producer and consumer levels.

- A breakdown of the market by distribution channel through 2020.

- Analysis of advertising expenditures, detailed by company, brand and media.

- Comparisons of consumer demographics for all beer and top domestic and imported beer brands.

- Beverage Marketing's projections for the future of the industry.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4610051/



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


WINTER PARK, Fla., Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wells Specialty Pharmacy announces the acquisitions and merger of Xubex Pharmacy, located at 3796 Howell Branch Rd in Winter Park, Florida and Pharm-EZ Medical, LLC, also in Winter Park. Operations have been consolidated into the 3796 Howell Branch Road Facility.

Wells Specialty Pharmacy is also pleased to announce that Chad Tomlinson, former Vice President of Operations, has been promoted to President of the Company effective immediately. Mr. Tomlinson is a Graduate of Florida State University and has served as Chief Operating Officer of Pharm-EZ Medical since August 2012.

Chad Tomlinson said, "I am pleased to take this leadership role at Wells Specialty Pharmacy. We have a talented and dedicated team, vast experience working with manufacturer rebates and coupon programs, and provide an outstanding level of customer service that strive to keep our patients compliance levels high. We work towards lowering the cost of medication for our customers and providing them with the specialty tools needed to navigate through their diagnosis."

About Wells Specialty Pharmacy

Wells Specialty Pharmacy provides FDA approved pharmaceuticals for both common conditions and complex disease states. The Company specializes in Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Oncology, Urology, Transplant, Gastroenterology, HIV and Hep C disorders. Wells Specialty Pharmacy prides itself in its white glove patient centric services. The company strives to keep patients on their prescribed regimens at reasonable costs. The Company will be licensed to do business in all States across the United States in the next 3 months.

For more information visit http://www.wellsspecialtypharmacy.com/ or email [email protected]

Related Links

Wells Specialty Pharmacy

This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com.

SOURCE Wells Specialty Pharmacy

Related Links

http://www.wellsspecialtypharmacy.com


FRASER, Mich., Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Housed in the zipTMS transaction management platform, the Broker Dashboard provides a broker access to administrative tools to better manage and monitor their business metrics. Comprised of powerful widgets, the cloud-based control center boosts brokers' ability to efficiently budget resources and produce monthly forecasts for their brokerage.

Kathleen Donahue, business development project manager of Morris Plains, N.J.-based Weichert University, said the ability to monitor and export data in real time with the tool has served as a major benefit for her brokerage.

"zipLogix has been really open to getting our feedback and working with us to develop the zipTMS Broker Dashboard," said Donahue. "Having the information right there at our fingertips and not having to call our account team for the information is extremely beneficial."

Ron Jones, president of Northwest Florida-based Pelican Real Estate, also expressed his appreciation for the transaction management tool.

"What I love most about the zipTMS Broker Dashboard is having an instant snapshot of the business and who is doing what," said Jones. "Just knowing the status of transactions helps me better gauge my business plan for my brokerage and shows me what and who I need to focus on to better assist them and the brokerage."

Components of the Broker Dashboard include: monthly statistics, a weekly task meter, quarterly performance snapshots of agents, account overview, listing map and reporting.

The zipTMS transaction management system Broker version is now available for an exclusive minimal fee. For more information, please contact a zipLogix Broker Representative at (866) 627-4729 or visit www.ziplogix.com/ziptmsbroker.

Fraser, Mich.-based zipLogix, creators of zipForm, is a technology company working for real estate professionals to improve productivity and efficiency industry wide. Its software automates and simplifies the repetitive and complex steps of real estate transactions, and is used by more than 650,000 real estate professionals across the country.

SOURCE zipLogix

Related Links

http://www.ziplogix.com


CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Trustees of Barings Corporate Investors (the "Trust") met on January 20, 2017. The Trusts Trustees determined that the Trusts December 31, 2016 net asset value ("NAV") is $281,570,891 or $14.23 per share based on 19,790,407 shares outstanding. The Trust's December 31, 2015 NAV was $275,915,289 or $14.03 per share based on 19,664,704 shares outstanding. The Trust reported a NAV of $291,471,802 or $14.76 per share as of September 30, 2016, based on 19,751,055 shares outstanding. Unlike the NAV reported for quarters ended March 31, June 30, and September 30, the NAV for the quarter ended December 31 reflects the declaration of the quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share which was paid on January 13, 2017. All figures for 2016 are unaudited.



Net investment income for the year ended December 31, 2016, was $21,956,520 or $1.11 per share. This represents an increase from the year ended December 31, 2015, when net investment income was $20,771,820 or $1.06 per share. For the quarter ended December 31, 2016, net investment income was $6,645,974 or $0.34 per share, of which approximately $909,252 or $0.05 per share represented income due to nonrecurring items. For the quarter ended December 31, 2015, net investment income was $5,483,225 or $0.28 per share, of which approximately $293,507 or $0.01 per share represented income due to nonrecurring items. The Trust earned net investment income of $5,196,651 or $0.26 per share during the quarter ended September 30, 2016.

The Trust realized net capital gains of $3,514,203 or $0.18 per share during the quarter ended December 31, 2016, which resulted in realized net capital gains for the year ended December 31, 2016 of 5,989,120 or $0.30 per share. By comparison, for the year ended December 31, 2015, the Trust realized net capital gains of $2,863,085 or $0.15 per share. During the quarter ended September 30, 2016, the Trust realized net capital gains of $3,281,311 or $0.17 per share.

Estimated taxable income of the Trust exceeded net investment income reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) by approximately $2,000,000 or $0.10 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2016. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Trusts estimated taxable capital gain was $2,218,911 or $0.11 per share, as compared to GAAP realized capital gains of $5,989,120 or $0.30 per share. Tax versus GAAP net investment income and capital gains figures, respectively, differ from each other due to income and capital gains realized by CI Subsidiary Trust (which the Trust received in the form of a dividend), a capital loss carryforward from 2015 and, in part, due to GAAP and tax timing differences in the recognition of various income and expense items. This dividend of $2,000,000, from the CI Subsidiary Trust, was treated as ordinary income for tax purposes for the Trust.

The market price of the Trust as of December 30, 2016 was $15.48, which equates to a 8.78% premium over the December 31, 2016 NAV per share. The Trusts average quarter-end premium for the 3, 5 and 10-year periods was 11.12%, 14.78% and 13.03%, respectively.

The Board of Trustees of the Trust announced that the annual shareholders' meeting will be held on Friday, April 21, 2017 at 1:00 PM at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA. Shareholders of record at the close of business on February 24, 2017 will be entitled to vote at the meeting.

In addition to reviewing the Trusts performance during the past year, the shareholders will be asked to vote on the following matter at the April shareholder meeting:

-- Election of three members of the Trust's Board of Trustees Michael H. Brown, Barbara M. Ginader and Maleyne M. Syracuse

Barings Corporate Investors is a closed-end management investment company advised by Barings LLC. Its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol ("MCI").

Per share amounts are rounded to the nearest cent.

Cautionary Notice: Certain statements contained in this press release may be "forward looking" statements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made and which reflect managements current estimates, projections, expectations or beliefs, and which are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. These statements are subject to change at any time based upon economic, market or other conditions and may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of the fund's trading intent. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of the fund's current or future investments. We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

About Barings LLC

Barings is a $284 billion* global asset management firm dedicated to meeting the evolving investment and capital needs of our clients. We build lasting partnerships that leverage our distinctive expertise across traditional and alternative asset classes to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional service. A member of the MassMutual Financial Group, Barings maintains a strong global presence with over 1,700 employees and 600 investment professionals across 41 offices in 17 countries. Learn more at www.barings.com.

*As of September 30, 2016

17/26
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
London, Jan 16 : As members of the European Union back a draft resolution to grant legal status to robots, in order to understand this proposal one needs to look at corporations which carry legal responsibility but aren't recognised as having human rights or seen as individuals, say experts.

The proposal in question was put forward by a socialist MEP from Luxembourg Mady Delvaux-Stehres. Delvaux-Stehres's resolution was passed by the European Parliament's legal affairs committee and a vote on the resolution is likely to take place in February.

"A growing number of areas of our daily lives are increasingly affected by robotics. In order to address this reality and to ensure that robots are and will remain in the service of humans, we urgently need to create a robust European legal framework," Delvaux-Stehres stated in a statement.

According to Andrea Bertolini, Professor of Private Law at University of Pisa in Italy, in order to understand this proposal, one needs to look at corporations.

"Robots may be treated like that [corporations] in the proximate future. Even in that case the European Parliament is not talking about all sorts of robots but just about some devices, where it might be reasonable to treat them as something close to a corporation," Bertolini told Sputnik news agency on Monday.

Hence, according to the professor, the draft should be looked at as not a comparison of robots to human beings but rather a comparison of them to corporations.

Talking about the legal framework and how robots can be held accountable for their actions, the professor said that "The idea is very clear in the document of the European Parliament that the machine itself cannot be held accountable. The robot is the thing and even in the case when it will be attributed to 'electronic person' it would still be a thing and it would still be treated as a corporation."

He said that ultimately there would always be a human being behind a robot that would bear the economic consequences of the harm that the machine may inflict.

"Otherwise you would expect either the producer or the owner of the machine to be held accountable for the damages that the machine cost," the professor said.

The members of European Parliament have stressed that EU-wide rules are needed to fully exploit the economic potential of robotics and artificial intelligence and guarantee a standard level of safety and security.

"The EU needs to take the lead on regulatory standards, so as not to be forced to follow those set by third states," they said in the draft report.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Trustees of Barings Participation Investors (the "Trust") met on January 20, 2017. The Trusts Trustees determined that the Trusts December 31, 2016 net asset value ("NAV") is $136,606,731 or $13.15 per share based on 10,386,173 shares outstanding. The Trust's December 31, 2015 NAV was $135,349,634 or $13.10 per share based on 10,328,391 shares outstanding. The Trust reported a NAV of $141,496,822 or $13.65 per share as of September 30, 2016, based on 10,369,161 shares outstanding. Unlike the NAV reported for quarters ended March 31, June 30, and September 30, the NAV for the quarter ended December 31 reflects the declaration of the quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, which was paid on January 13, 2017. All figures for 2016 are unaudited.



Net investment income for the year ended December 31, 2016 was $10,190,880 or $0.98 per share. This represents an increase from the year ended December 31, 2015, when net investment income was $9,903,669 or $0.96 per share. For the quarter ended December 31, 2016, net investment income was $3,121,757 or $0.30 per share, of which approximately $376,441 or $0.04 per share represented income due to nonrecurring items. For the quarter ended December 31, 2015, net investment income was $2,499,923 or $0.24 per share, of which approximately $116,583 or $0.01 per share represented income due to nonrecurring items. The Trust earned net investment income of $2,378,431 or $0.23 per share during the quarter ended September 30, 2016.

The Trust realized net capital losses of $1,148,672 or $0.11 per share during the quarter ended December 31, 2016, which resulted in realized net capital gains for the year ended December 31, 2016 of $1,931,283 or $0.19 per share. By comparison, for the year ended December 31, 2015, the Trust realized net capital gains of $502,639 or $0.05 per share. During the quarter ended September 30, 2016, the Trust realized net capital gains of $733,319 or $0.07 per share.

Estimated taxable income of the Trust exceeded net investment income reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) by approximately $1,000,000 or $0.10 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2016. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Trusts estimated taxable capital loss was $82,015 or $0.01 per share, as compared to GAAP realized capital gains of $1,931,283 or $0.19 per share. Tax versus GAAP net investment income and capital gains figures, respectively, differ from each other due to income and capital gains realized by PI Subsidiary Trust (which the Trust received in the form of a dividend), a capital loss carryforward from 2015 and, in part, due to GAAP and tax timing differences in the recognition of various income and expense items. This dividend of $1,000,000, from the PI Subsidiary Trust, was treated as ordinary income for tax purposes for the Trust.

The market price of the Trust as of December 31, 2016 was $14.20, which equates to a 7.98% premium over the December 31, 2016 NAV per share. The Trusts average quarter-end premium for the 3, 5 and 10-year periods was 0.69% 7.03% and 7.14%, respectively.

The Board of Trustees of the Trust announced that the annual shareholders' meeting will be held on Friday, April 21, 2017 at 1:00 PM at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA. Shareholders of record at the close of business on February 24, 2017 will be entitled to vote at the meeting.

In addition to reviewing the Trusts performance during the past year, the shareholders will be asked to vote on the following matter at the April shareholder meeting:

-- Election of three members of the Trust's Board of Trustees Michael H. Brown, Barbara M. Ginader and Maleyne M. Syracuse

Barings Participation Investors is a closed-end management investment company advised by Barings LLC. Its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol ("MPV").

Per share amounts are rounded to the nearest cent.

Cautionary Notice: Certain statements contained in this press release may be "forward looking" statements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made and which reflect managements current estimates, projections, expectations or beliefs, and which are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially. These statements are subject to change at any time based upon economic, market or other conditions and may not be relied upon as investment advice or an indication of the fund's trading intent. References to specific securities are not recommendations of such securities, and may not be representative of the fund's current or future investments. We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

About Barings LLC

Barings is a $284 billion* global asset management firm dedicated to meeting the evolving investment and capital needs of our clients. We build lasting partnerships that leverage our distinctive expertise across traditional and alternative asset classes to deliver innovative solutions and exceptional service. A member of the MassMutual Financial Group, Barings maintains a strong global presence with over 1,700 employees and 600 investment professionals across 41 offices in 17 countries. Learn more at www.barings.com.

*As of September 30, 2016

17/27


Washington, Jan 16 : US President-elect Donald Trump has said he loved Britain and that his mother was crazy about Queen Elizabeth II.

Trump, in his first UK interview with former Justice Secretary Michael Gove for The Times, said on Sunday that his affection for the UK may be in no small part thanks to his Scottish mother Mary Anne MacLeod.

MacLeod, who died 17 years ago, had left the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides at the age of 18 in 1930 to make her fortune in New York.

The New York real-estate mogul's mother was obsessed with the royal family -- the Queen, in particular.

"Any time the Queen was on television, an event, my mother would be watching. Crazy, right?"

"She sort of had a flair, she loved the Queen, she loved anything -- she was so proud of the Queen. She loved the ceremonial and the beauty, because nobody does that like the English. And she had great respect for the Queen," said the incoming President, who is set to take office here on January 20.

The President-elect also told the British daily that he was inviting Prime Minister Theresa May to visit him "right after" he gets into the White House, and that he was going to "work very hard" to get a trade deal done quickly between the US and the UK.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron on Monday dismissed The Times interview with Trump as "a puff piece from a clearly admiring fan".

"I don't know the shape of the Europe that Trump dreams of, but I know it frightens me," he said.
New Delhi, Jan 18 : The Congress on Wednesday approached the Election Commission with a complaint and demanded stern action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for violation of the pre-poll Model Code of Conduct for invoking "Bhagwan Ram" and "Hanuman" at an event.

It also demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) poll symbol "must be cancelled and withdrawn".

The complaint was submitted to the Election Commission by All India Congress Committee Secretary K.C. Mittal, who heads the party's Legal and Human Rights Department.

"On January 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the inaugural event of 'Ramayana Darshanam Exhibition' at Vivekanand Kendra, Kanyakumari, via video conferencing," the complaint said.

"The Prime Minister found this an occasion to utilise the event as a part of election campaign in the name of religion by invoking and making statements regarding 'Bhagwan Shri Ram', 'Ayodhya', 'Ram Rajya', 'Hanumanji' and 'Bharat' repeatedly," the complaint submitted to Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and others read.

The complaint also said the Prime Minister deliberately mentioned about Bhagwan Shri Ram, Hanumanji and other characters from the Ramayana and compared the policies of his government with those of "Bhagwan Shri Ram".

"The whole idea and tenor of his speech was to invoke religion to further the election prospects of the BJP and their candidates in poll-bound five states, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and other states generally," it added.

The complaint also drew the EC's attention to the photograph of the Prime Minister during the video conferencing, which showed him with the national flag as the backdrop along with Ashoka symbol with slogan "Rama became Lord Rama when he empowered the poor" inscribed at the top of the photograph.

The Congress claimed this was used with an eye to the poll campaign in poll-bound states.

"It is, therefore, requested that the Commission may be pleased to take immediate 'stern action' against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and issue appropriate orders and direction, since the BJP and their prominent representatives have been flouting the Model Code of Conduct repeatedly," the complaint read.

"It is an appropriate case where the symbol of BJP may be cancelled and withdrawn," it added.
Kolkata, Jan 18 : The Congress on Wednesday demanded a judicial inquiry and CBI probe into the clash between protesting villagers and police in Bhangar that left two persons dead, while the Left parties condemned the "police firing on farmers".

The ruling Trinamool Congress claims "outsiders" had fired at the villagers.

West Bengal pradesh Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who visited the homes of the two persons killed, said: "We demand judicial inquiry and CBI probe into the killing of innocent villagers. I strongly condemn and criticise the incident."

He also appealed to state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to come to the South 24 Parganas district's Bhangar area immediately.

"I appeal to the Chief Minister to come to Bhangar and inspect the situation herself. She frequently visited Singur and Nandigram during the land movement (against the erstwhile Left Front's efforts to acquire farmland in 2006-08).

"Why is she not coming here?" he questioned.

Left Front heavyweights, including CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, condemned the "police firing on farmers" and urged the state government to "stop using force against protesters".

"Police firing on farmers in Bhangar in Bengal resulting in deaths is unacceptable," Yechury said during a party meeting in Kolkata's satellite township Salt Lake.

Communist Party of India-Marxist politburo member Mohammed Selim and LF legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty also visited violence hit Bhangar on Wednesday and held the state police responsible for the deaths of two people.

Chakraborty termed the Bhangar developments as "state terrorism" and "war against villagers" and said the peasants were fighting against "land sharks".

At the Salt Lake meeting, CPI-M state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra warned the Chief Minister that his party would put up road blockades before every administrative building in the state if she did "not mend her ways".

"The people of Bhangar have shown the way to resist the police.. Wait for our march to Nabanna (state secretariat," he said.

However, the ruling party Trinamool Congress rubbished the allegations against police and said "outsiders" had shot the villagers.

"Outsiders have flocked to Bhangar from different places and they are trying to confuse the people here. However this is not going to happen. People have liked the good governance of Mamata Banerjee and no one would be able to use separatist power in the state," Trinamool Congress Vice President Mukul Roy said.

"Police haven't fired a single bullet. Outsiders who came to the spot to instigate violence shot the people. The way police was attacked yesterday, there would have been major issues if the Left government was at the helm," he added.
Seoul, Jan 19 : Shares of the Samsung group on Thursday began to recover after a South Korean court rejected a request by prosecutors to arrest the tech giant's president Lee Jae-yong despite alleged charges of bribery, perjury and embezzlement.

At 9.17 a.m., Samsung Electronics shares - the most important for the group - rose 2 per cent, Efe news reported.

Shares for other companies of the group including Samsung Heavy Industries, battery maker Samsung SDI and construction company Samsung C&T rose 0.96, 0.89 and 2.85 per cent, respectively.

Samsung shares had suffered since prosecutors on Monday requested an arrest warrant for Lee over donations made to foundations and companies allegedly controlled by Choi Soon-il, nicknamed South Korea's "female Rasputin" and a close friend of President Park Geun-hye, in return for business favours.

Prosecutors, who accuse Lee of bribery and embezzlement, as well as perjury over his parliamentary testimony last month, believe the donations were made in exchange for the support of Park's government over a controversial merger between two Samsung subsidiaries in 2015.

Lee and other Samsung group executives admitted making donations of 43 billion won ($35 million), but denied that they were in exchange for business favours from the authorities.
Seoul, Jan 19 : 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.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : 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 Satynedra's Jain's daughter Soumya Jain as 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.
Jaipur, Jan 19 : 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.
Rome, Jan 19 : 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.
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.
New Delhi, Jan 19 : 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.
MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO), the leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories, will hire more than 12,000 new full and part-time employees nationwide through April to ensure its more than 5,300 U.S. stores are ready to provide WOW! Customer Service during the busy selling season as the company continues to expand. Markets with the largest hiring needs include New York City; Oakland, CA; Cincinnati and Columbus, OH; New Orleans, LA; Pittsburgh, PA; Atlanta, GA and Dallas, TX.

Opportunities include Sales Representatives, Delivery Drivers, Parts Sales Managers, Commercial Sales Managers, Store Managers, and Hub Specialists. Applications must be submitted online at the AutoZone careers site, www.autozone.com/careers.

AutoZone has hired more than 10,000 current and former U. S. Military Service members since 2015 and has a goal of hiring more than 15,000 additional transitioning service members and military veterans by 2020. High school graduates, vocational and college students, retirees and veterans are encouraged to apply. AutoZone provides ongoing training and tools to help DRIVE your career in many exciting directions.

This spring offers a terrific time to DRIVE your career forward and be part of AutoZones growth and team-oriented culture. AutoZone is an equal opportunity employer. Embracing diversity is a core AutoZone Value, and our stores reflect the communities we serve.

About AutoZone:

As of November 19, 2016, AutoZone sells auto and light truck parts, chemicals and accessories through 5,313 AutoZone stores in 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in the U.S., and 488 stores in Mexico, 26 IMC branches and eight stores in Brazil for a total count of 5,835.

AutoZone is the leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States. Each AutoZone store carries an extensive product line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products. Many stores also have a commercial sales program that provides commercial credit and prompt delivery of parts and other products to local, regional and national repair garages, dealers, service stations, and public sector accounts. IMC branches carry an extensive line of original equipment quality import replacement parts. AutoZone also sells the ALLDATA brand diagnostic and repair software through www.alldata.com. Additionally, we sell automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products through www.autozone.com, and accessories, performance and replacement parts through www.autoanything.com, and our commercial customers can make purchases through www.autozonepro.com and www.imcparts.net. AutoZone does not derive revenue from automotive repair or installation.
Chennai, Jan 20 : Massive protests across Tamil Nadu in support of Jallikattu, the bull taming sport, intensified on Friday with traders downing their shutters, taxi, auto-rickshaw and truck operators staying off the roads.

The DMK party has announced to hold protests on rail tracks which prompted the Southern Railway to cancel four trains and partial operation of few others.

State government employees have decided to take out a procession while the central government and public sector organisations functioned.

The bank unions have extended their support to the protests.

The movie industry has cancelled shooting and theatre halls would remain closed on Friday.

In some districts schools were also closed.

Thousands of youth sat through Thursday night in Chennai's Marina beach hoping for some good news from Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam who expected to arrive here on Friday from Delhi following his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As per available indications the state government is expected to come out with a law allowing conduct of 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 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.

In Madurai large number of youth are continuing their protest in support of the state's ancient sport.
Washington, Jan 20 : With just a few hours remaining for Donald Trump to become the 45th President of the US, here's a bit about the Trumps, with notes on the roles each family member may play in the administration, according to media reports on Friday.

Melania Trump, 46:

Originally from Slovenia, Melania is Donald Trump's third wife. A former model, the couple got married in 2005 and welcomed their son Barron in 2006.

She has said that as First Lady she would like to be "very traditional - like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy", The Guardian reported.

She also plans to combat online bullying and harassment. She will remain New York City instead of moving to Washington D.C. through the end of the school year with Barron and is expected to play a minimal role in the administration.

Only making select appearances to publicly support him -- including her infamous speech at the July's Republic National Convention which was largely plagiarised by outgoing First Lady Michelle Obama's speech four years earlier, The Independent daily said.

Donald Trump Jr., 39:

Donald Trump Jr. is the incoming President's eldest son with his first wife, Czech model Ivana Trump. He currently works alongside his brother Eric as a trustee of The Trump Organization.

According to sources, Trump Jr is not expected to have a role in his father's administration.

He drew ire during the campaign for agreeing to an interview with a prominent white nationalist and for comparing Syrian refugees to Skittles candy, The Guardian reported.

He is married to model Vanessa Kay Haydon since 2005 and they have five children.

Ivanka Trump, 35:

Trump's eldest daughter also with Ivana, Ivanka is a fashion executive and manages projects including the recently opened Trump hotel in the Old Post Office building in downtown Washington D.C.

Ivanka converted to Judaism to marry businessman Jared Kushner, with whom she has three children.

Ivanka has been a stalwart by her father's side throughout his two-year campaign, even while heavily pregnant. She was instrumental in softening his image to white female voters, The Independent daily said.

However, it is unclear what her exact role is, but unofficially, she will be the President's most trusted consultant.

Eric Trump, 33:

Donald Trump's youngest son with Ivana, Eric is set to manage the family's business interests over the next four years with his brother.

Arguably the most low-key member of the Trump family, he has been working as the Vice President of the Trump Organisation.

He wed Lara Yunaska in 2014 in a ceremony officiated by Jared Kushner. They have no children.

Jared Kushner, 36:

Ivanka's husband, raised in New Jersey and the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, he has a bachelor's degree from Harvard and a law degree from New York University, The Guardian reported.

He took over his family's real estate firm after his father was imprisoned on a federal felony conviction for witness tampering and tax evasion. Kushner is also owner and publisher of the New York Observer daily.

Kushner will take the role of senior adviser to the President in the White House.

Tiffany Trump, 23:

Tiffany is Donald Trump's daughter from his second wife, actress and TV personality Marla Maples. She is a recent University of Pennsylvania graduate and is not expected to have any role in her father's administration.
Tokyo, Jan 20 : Japan on Friday announced it will ask the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to include 12 Christian sites in its list of World Heritage Sites.

The 12 sites, which tell of the country's unique Christian history and have been chosen for their cultural importance, are located in the Nagasaki and Kumamoto prefectures, the cradle of Christianity in Japan, Efe news reported.

They include the Oura Church, the country's oldest church, designated a national treasure, and the Sakitsu village, where Kakure Kirishitan or "Hidden Christians" lived during the persecution of Christians in Japan in the 18th century.

In addition to the two sites, Japan will also ask Unesco to include some of the islands of the Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures, known for their rich biodiversity.

The proposal will be sent to the UN agency before February, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

After an inspection of the sites, the international body will decide if these places will finally be designated as World Heritage Sites in the year 2018.

There are currently 20 world heritage sites in Japan.
Lucknow, Jan 20 : The electoral pact between the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress is a done thing now. But as both parties work out the finer details of the alliance, likely to be announced any time now, the winnability of the combination in a state as complex as Uttar Pradesh is in question.

Will the combination keep the Muslim vote in toto? Will the alliance's premise of preventing fragmentation of Muslim votes not polarise the Hindu community in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)? Will Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati be a mute spectator and allow her minority vote bank to slip out of her hands?

The jury is still undecided on the likely effects of the alliance. Though it has raised many questions, it has, nevertheless, given a head-start to both the beleaguered parties caught in problems of their own.

While SP national president and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, through the tie-up ,has emerged as the new strategist in his party and also as a "largely acceptable leader" in the political spectrum, the Congress, which has been pushed to the sidelines of the state's politics since 1989, has come back into the reckoning for some consolation returns.

The Congress, after ruling the state for many decades, had the alarm bells first ringing in 1989 when its tally from a majority party dropped to 94 seats in the then house of 426. The number further dwindled to 46 in 1991, 28 in 1993, 33 in 1996, 25 in 2002 and 2007 (when the house had 403 seats after the creation of Uttarakhand) and 28 seats in the 2012 assembly elections.

The voting pattern over these years suggests that the traditional supporters of the Congress -- Dalits, Muslims and upper castes -- have deserted it and shifted to parties like the SP (Muslims) and the BSP (Dalits), while the upper caste Thakurs and Brahmins have moved to the BJP. The party's high command has failed to inspire the state unit or allow a strong local leadership to emerge.

The Congress has been relegated to the fourth position in the state and its influence has been restricted to pocket boroughs like Amethi, Rae Bareily and Sultanpur. In these three districts too, the SP won 12 of the 15 assembly constituencies in 2012. The Peace Party -- a regional outfit -- won one and the Congress just two. This was after an extensive campaign by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Gandhi family members.

In the past few months, the Congress seems to have gained some ground through its various missions like the "Kisan Yatra" undertaken by Rahul Gandhi and "27 saal, UP Behaal", which sought to send out a message to its traditional voters that the state has been ruined by BSP, SP and BJP governments. Of these 27 years, the SP ruled for a good 15 years under Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Now, to tie up with one of these, that too with a party which has a fairly strong anti-incumbency factor, party insiders aver, was going to hurt the party's "anticipated acceptance and upswing".

"It is a bad compromise, piggybacking Akhilesh Yadav will help him but not us," a senior UPCC member contended.

The Congress organisational structure, which was in tatters over the past two decades, was shaken up this time, largely due to intervention of election strategist Prashant Kishor and his innovative ideas. The number of people seeking the Congress ticket too had swelled this time.

"The party has decided to go with the "cycle" to stop the forward march of the BJP; let's see how much we succeed with the idea," said a worried veteran who remained edgy about the ability of both the parties to transfer their votes in bulk to each other.

The state unit of the BJP said it is ecstatic about the SP-Congress coming together.

"We have always been saying that SP is the B team of a thoroughly corrupt Congress, we have just been proved right," said state BJP General Secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak. "People have still not forgotten the 2G, 3G, JijaG scams and are opposed to anything and everything that has to do with Congress," he added.

A western Uttar Pradesh stalwart of the BJP said the coming together of the "two minority-appeasing parties" will also have a "polarisation of Hindus in its favour, specially in western Uttar Pradesh which will set the poll pattern in the state in the first phase". For the combine to come anywhere near the finishing line, the traditional vote banks of these parties must transfer en masse to each other and also rally behind them, said a political observer here.

State unit leaders of the Congress, especially state unit chief Raj Babbar, is said to be not-too-comfortable with the alliance as he was once in the SP and thereafter had a frigid relationship with Akhilesh Yadav after he defeated his wife Dimple Yadav in a by-election for the Firozabad seat.

For the SP too, the situation seems to have stemmed out of a compromise formula and a desperate bid to regain power, specially after the bitter feud in the party. SP traditionally has been an anti-Congress party and its senior leaders like Mohd Azam Khan will find it difficult now to canvass jointly with Congress leaders.

(Mohit Dubey can be contacted at mohit.d@ians.in)
Islamabad, Jan 20 : With two hydel projects taken up by New Delhi facing dispute, Pakistan has asked the World Bank and India to inform Islamabad of all the dams and hydro-power projects proposed to be built by the neighbouring country on the western rivers.

Not only about ongoing Kishanganga and Ratle projects, India should inform about its future projects so that the Indus Waters Treaty, signed by the two neighbours in 1960, could be followed smoothly, Dawn online quoted Finance Minister Ishaq Dar as telling other ministers in a meeting on Thursday.

Pakistan's Executive Director in the World Bank, Nasir Mehmood Khosa, and several other ministers and representatives from the ministries of water and power were present in the meeting.

It observed that the World Bank President had drawn up the lots for appointment of umpires for a court of arbitration before it had put on hold the process about two months ago.

"This meant that the World Bank was convinced and had accepted Pakistan's position," said Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf.

Technical details of all the upcoming projects should be shared along with their designs and locations so that Islamabad could examine them in a manner they did not create problems every now and then and the treaty could function smoothly, said Ausaf.

According to Ausaf, the Chief Executive Officer of the World Bank, Kristalina I. Georgieva, would arrive here on January 26 for deliberations on the subject.

According to the treaty, control over the three "eastern" rivers -- Beas, Ravi and Sutlej -- was given to India, while control over the three "western" rivers -- Indus, Chenab and Jhelum -- was given to Pakistan.

Ausaf said the senior official was inducted into the World Bank group on January 2 and the Pakistan visit would be her first trip outside Washington.

According to an official statement, Pakistan viewed the Indus Waters Treaty as a useful and time-tested mechanism for sharing river waters with India and that Islamabad had always abided by it.
Dubai, Jan 20 : A 49-year-old Indian businessman, who had been missing for days, was found hanging in his office inside a residential building in Fujairah, the media reported.

Fujairah Police said the Indian, who was identified as D.P., is believed to have committed suicide earlier this week in the building along Hamad Bin Abdullah Street, Gulf News reported on Thursday.

The police had launched a search operation following a missing report received by the Fujairah operations room and later discovered the Indian man's body hanging in his office.

The body was sent for an autopsy to determine the circumstances leading to his death.
New Delhi, Jan 20 : A court here on Friday sought action taken report from police on a criminal complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly misleading people by saying the municipal corporations were not under the city government's control.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Munish Markan directed Karawal Nagar Police station in north-east Delhi to file a report on a complaint against Kejriwal and listed the matter for April 15 for further hearing.

The court was hearing a complaint filed by Brijesh Shukla who alleged that the Delhi government had spent over Rs 42 lakh by giving advertisements in 20 newspapers which were allegedly misleading.

He had argued that public money was wasted for "spreading lies" and people were "misled".

The complainant has sought direction to register a first information report (FIR) against Kejriwal under Section 406 (criminal breach of trust) of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The complaint has claimed Kejriwal had come out with full-page advertisements in newspapers in October 2015, saying there were misunderstandings regarding a strike by MCD employees and that it was wrong to say that the corporations fell under the Delhi government.
Mumbai, Jan 20 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) spends Rs 3.09 for each Rs 500 note as cost towards paper, printing and other charges, an RTI query has revealed.

The information was given here on Friday to Mumbai Right To Information activist Anil Galgali on his query on the printing costs incurred by the government for printing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

RBI Deputy General Manager P. Wilson said in a written submission that the 'selling price' is Rs 3,090 per thousand pieces of Rs 500 denomination new currency notes, or Rs 3.09 per note for the current year, 2016-2017.

The RBI buys the currency notes from the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt Ltd, its official supplier and printer for currency notes, Galgali said.

The BRBNMPL said it did not have information pertaining to Galgali's RTI query on the Rs 1,000 currency notes -- which may be printed in future.

However, the RBI declined to provide information on the orders placed for total quantity of (number of) notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, its value, total contract amount, amount released and pending, as it fell under the ambit of RTI Section 8(1)(a).

Galgali said it was surprising why the government was not revealing the actual data on the number of the new Rs 500 printed and proposed Rs 1,000 currency notes even almost two-and-half months after demonetisation of the earlier Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8.
Beijing, Jan 20 : China's Foreign Ministry on Friday dismissed Taiwan's sending of a "self-styled" delegation to US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony, saying that the move was aimed at disrupting Beijing-Washington relations.

The comments came after media reports said that former Taiwan official Yu Shyi-Kun was leading a delegation to attend the inauguration in Washington, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Some forces in Taiwan are playing up the Taiwan authority sending its so-called 'official delegation' to the US President's inauguration ceremony at the invitation (of the US side), which is obviously self-satisfying hype," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press briefing.

"It aims to disrupt and undermine China-US relations. China has repeatedly expressed firm opposition to this," Hua added.

Hua said she noted the US government affirmed that it would only invite foreign envoys based in the US to attend the inauguration, rather than invite or encourage other countries or regions to send delegations.
Davos, Jan 20 : On the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration as the 45th President of the US on Friday, Billionaire investor George Soros said the incoming President was "going to fail".

During a speech here, the venue for the World Economic Forum, Soros on Thursday called Trump a "would-be-dictator", saying he was "gearing up for a trade war", Xinhua news agency reported.

A trade war would have "a very far reaching effect in Europe and other parts of the world", warned Soros, a supporter of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The "would-be-dictator ... didn't expect to win", he said.

He is going to fail "not because of people like me who would like him to fail, but because the ideas that guide him are inherently self-contradictory," Soros said.

The financial markets will "not do very well" due to the uncertainty caused by the Trump administration, Soros further predicted.

"Right now uncertainty is at the peak," Soros said, adding it was "impossible to predict exactly how Trump is going to act".
MILPITAS, Calif., Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sierra Monitor Corporation (OTCQB:SRMC), a provider of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions that connect and protect high-value infrastructure assets, today announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.01 per share of common stock. The cash dividend will be payable on February 15, 2017 to shareholders of record on February 1, 2017. This is the eighteenth consecutive quarterly dividend to be paid by the company and represents a quarterly payout of $101,653 in aggregate, based on 10,165,279 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2016.



About Sierra Monitor Corporation

Sierra Monitor Corporation addresses the industrial and commercial facilities management market with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions that connect and protect high-value infrastructure assets.

The companys FieldServer brand of protocol gateways is used by system integrators and OEMs to enable local and remote monitoring and control of assets and facilities. With more than 200,000 units, supporting over 140 protocols, installed in commercial and industrial facilities, FieldServer is the industrys leading multi-protocol gateway.

Sierra Monitors Sentry IT fire and gas detection solutions are used by industrial and commercial facilities managers to protect their personnel and assets. Sentry IT branded controllers, sensor modules, and software are installed at thousands of facilities such as natural gas vehicle fueling and maintenance stations, wastewater treatment plants, oil and gas refineries and pipelines, parking garages, US Navy ships, and underground telephone vaults.

Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley in Milpitas, California, Sierra Monitor was founded in 1979 and has been a public company since 1989. By combining its distinguished track record in industrial sensing and automation with emerging IoT technologies such as cloud connectivity, big data, and analytics, Sierra Monitor is at the forefront of the emerging IIoT trend.

For more information visit: http://www.sierramonitor.com/
Ottawa,Jan 20: : Asthma was not established in one-third of adults who were previously diagnosed with the disease, as per the study published in the journal JAMA.

The researchers confirmed that the adults who tested positive for this inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs were not on any medications or taken any prescriptions for the disease.

The study further states misdiagnosis or natural recovery from the disease to be the possible reason for such results.

"Two phenomena may account for failure to ultimately confirm current asthma in 33.1 percent of the study cohort: (1) spontaneous remission of previously active asthma; and (2) misdiagnosis of asthma in the community", explained Shawn D. Aaron, who is the Managing Director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Canada.

As many as 701 people with asthma participated in the study.Only 613 people of 701 were able to complete the study and the results were assessed by the researchers for the diagnosis of asthma.

The findings were quite astonishing as 203 of 613 people were devoid of any asthmatic conditions. Also, 90 percent of the 203 people stopped taking any medications for the past one year.

The results remained the same with researchers unable to find any trace of asthma by analyzing the people after an extended 12 months follow-up.

Almost 80 percent of the people were taking asthma medications regularly,35 percent people taking drugs daily. This was the most worrisome factor for the researchers, taking into account the cost and side effects of such drugs on the human body.

Most of the people were diagnosed based only on their symptoms and doctor's evaluation. A majority of the wrongly diagnosed cases can be avoided by using objective tests and use of spirometer - a device to measures inhale and exhale of a person.

" If your doctor says you have asthma, ask for a spirometry test to confirm it," Aaron suggested.

"If you insist on the right testing, you'll get it."

The researcher advises that symptoms like coughing and wheezing should not be assumed as an indicator of asthma, which can also be an indication of heart failure or any lung disease.

The fact was based on the results where almost 29 percent people had a good medical condition, with only one-third had symptoms of allergies or heartburn.

"Do work with your doctor," Aaron offers a piece of advice.

"I wouldn't want people to stop or taper their asthma medication on their own. Uncontrolled asthma can be deadly."
New Delhi, Jan 20 : Ahead of his departure from here, outgoing US Ambassador to India Richard Verma called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday and discussed a range of issues and the progress made in the bilateral relationship.

"It was a pleasure to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today on the last day of my tenure as US Ambassador to India," Verma said in a statement after the meeting.

"We spoke about a range of issues, and the substantial progress we have made in the US-India relationship over the past two years," he said.

"We discussed bilateral accomplishments in the area of clean energy, trade, defence, and people-to-people ties, as well as the broader benefits that our efforts have brought to the world."

Verma said both he and Modi reflected on the latter's address to a joint session of US Congress last year, US President Barack Obama's visit to India as chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in 2015, and agreed that the US-India relationship was stronger than ever.

"I thanked the Prime Minister for his leadership and vision and said a personal farewell," he stated.

Verma, who presented his credentials to President Pranab Mukherjee in Rashtrapati Bhavan in January 2015, is the first Indian-origin person to be appointed US Ambassador to India.
Seoul, Jan 20 : Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of the impeached South Korean President, has been summoned to testify on Saturday as a suspect in a bribery case involving tech giant Samsung.

The South Korean prosecution on Friday said it will interrogate Choi, dubbed "South Korean Rasputin" for her proximity to President Park Geun-hye, for her links to the ongoing case against the Samsung group, allegedly involved in the corruption scandal that has shaken the country, Efe News reported.

The authorities accuse Samsung of doling out multi-million-dollar donations to several foundations and companies, allegedly controlled by Choi, in exchange for favours.

Choi's lawyer said she does not intend to testify as she is "very busy" preparing for her main trial, in which she has been accused of abuse of power, extortion and fraud, among other charges.

The prosecution's spokesperson said an arrest warrant will be issued against Choi, who is in prison since November, if she fails to appear for questioning.

Samsung is accused of paying a sum of 22 billion won ($18.6 million), to a company based in Germany and headed by Choi, for consultation services.

Moreover, the firm allegedly donated 20.4 billion won between 2015 and 2016 to two other nonprofits linked to Choi.

The prosecutor's office believes the Samsung head paid these sums to Choi in order to get approval from the government-controlled National Pension Service, shareholder in one of Samsung's companies, to merge two of its subsidiaries.

A South Korean court on Thursday rejected the arrest warrant against Lee Jae-yong, heir and de facto chief of Samsung Group, who is accused of corruption, embezzlement and perjury.

The prosecutor's office is expected to shortly interrogate three other Samsung senior executives as well as Park, to determine their role in the scandal.

The Rasputin scam came to light in October and since then has led to Park's impeachment and the start of an investigation against South Korea's biggest business groups, including Samsung, LG and Hyundai.
Gujrat City (Pakistan), Jan 20 : The Gujarati language is facing an uncertain future in Pakistan, to put it mildly. At least its written form is in danger of a slow death.

Although a living and vibrant language in India, Gujarati is suffering from an apparent indifference from those very people who speak it as their mother tongue in Pakistan, a Dawn News reported.

A recent decision by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) sums up the plight this language now finds itself in. Nadra has omitted Gujarati from the column where the applicant is asked to name his mother tongue.

Interestingly enough, both Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi spoke Gujarati. Jinnah knew Persian as well because his mother spoke the language.

Spoken by over 50 million people, Gujarati is the 26th most widely spoken language in the world. The majority of native speakers of Gujarati live in the Indian state of Gujarat, while Pakistan also hosts some 1.27 million Gujratis.

Apart from Gujarat, the regions where the language is spoken as first language include some areas of Maharashtra (like Mumbai), Pakistan (especially the port city of Karachi in Sindh province), Bangladesh, a few African countries -- where Gujarati-speaking Indians had settled down several centuries ago -- and, of course, countries where Gujarati-speaking immigrants live in large numbers, such as Britain and the US.

The Gujarati literature's oldest written record dates back to the 17th century. But it was Alexander Kinloch Forbes, a British officer and scholar in the government of British India, who gave a fillip to the language and literature of Gujarati by encouraging local writers, the report said.

Forbes was instrumental in getting the first Gujarati play written, and the first Gujarati newspaper and literary magazine published. He also established a library in Surat in 1850 and Gujarati Sabha in Mumbai in 1865, it added.

The number of Gujarati speakers in Pakistan was declining fast, the paper said adding that one of the reasons for this was that the new generation of 'Gujaratis' does not use it.

The few who do speak it, do so strictly within the family or community. Since most of the youth, the offspring of Gujarati-speaking parents, cannot read the script, Gujarati-language publications in Pakistan face an imminent death.
New Delhi, Jan 20 : Ahead of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's arrival here as chief guest for this year's Republic Day celebrations, India and the UAE held their first strategic dialogue on Friday keeping with the decision to elevate the bilateral relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

"Pursuant to the decision to elevate their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the exchange of the visits at the highest level between India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) in August 2015 and February 2016, the two sides held the first meeting of strategic dialogue between the two foreign offices on January 20 in New Delhi," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

It said that in the meeting, which was co-chaired Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar and his UAE counterpart Anwar Mahammed Gargash, "the two sides were represented by strong delegations drawn from a number of relevant ministries and departments".

"During the meeting, the two sides discussed a number of issues ranging from cooperation in the areas of trade and investments to expanding the bilateral cooperation to new areas under the strategic partnership, inter alia in the areas of energy security and renewable energy, defence and security, electronics and information technology and space," the statement said.

Stating that the meeting provided an opportunity to prepare for the forthcoming state visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi as the chief guest of the Republic Day celebrations, it said: "The two sides agreed on a number of new initiatives to further strengthen the bilateral cooperation and on signing of fresh instruments of cooperation."

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the UAE in August 2015, the two countries had agreed to elevate the mutually beneficial relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Sheikh Mohamed, who reaches here on January 24, will be on his second visit to India since February 2016.

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.
Jaipur, Jan 20 : Barely 50 metres away, acclaimed Indian poet Vikram Chandra sat discussing "the poetry of amazement" with poet Tishani Doshi and next to them were writers Mridula Koshy and Puneeta Roy exploring the freedom to dream. But the crowd of thousands of "book lovers" who have thronged from around the country and elsewhere were nowhere to be seen.

With cameras sharply focussed and their enthusiasm at its peak, the majority of the crowds at the Jaipur Literature Festival struggled to even stand as cine-star Rishi Kapoor addressed a "Main Shayar Toh Nahin", session in what turned out to be the most attended session so far at the 10th edition of the lit fest.

In conversation with author and professor of Indian Culture and Cinema at the University of London, Rachel Dwyer, Kapoor was here to discuss his just-launched book "Khullam Khulla."

Starting in the trademark Bollywood style -- the loud, bold and vibrant tone -- Kapoor greeted the houseful audience with a "Namaste Jaipur", only to be cheered louder than the festival visitors had so far. A paradox of sorts, this greeting was unlike the soft, humble, warm yet concise and incisive salutations of most writers addressing the crowds.

What followed was more of a 'Koffee with Karan' episode -- light, flamboyant and theatrical -- rather than intense and serious conversations that lit fests are thought to host.

Kapoor said that his book does not boost or glorify his personality, it is rather honest, candid and forthright. The discussion ranged from his early days as an actor and how he made it big and struggled, despite the silver spoon that he was born with, to the emergence of his son, Ranbir Kapoor, as the new heartthrob of bollywood.

"People think I have been lucky to be born in the Kapoor family but I have reached here because of the struggles that I had. Struggle does not only mean sleeping on the platforms or spending nights in hunger. My struggle was different.

"I was acting in times when people were going crazy over action films, it was the generation of the angry young man (Amitabh Bachchan), Dharmendra and Vinod Khanna. I had to reinvent myself. Afterall, I was making light romantic movies and so I had to do things differently," the 65-year-old actor said.

Kapoor referred to Bachchan as one of the greatest actors and the best of his generation and said that he never had any differences with him as they had chosen separate paths. The conversation then shifted to his son.

"My father never interfered with the kind of films that I did. My grandfather never interfered with what films I chose. So I have no reason to interfere with what kind of films Ranbir does. Whatever he has achieved is because of his struggles and constant effort," noted the actor.

Known for his sharp takes lately on Twitter, and on other public platforms, Kapoor also expressed his resentment at the naming of public structures after political figures, particularly from "one family".

Kapoor said that he feels it is injustice to several prominent figures from all other walks of life as roads, buildings, bridges and hospitals are all named after political leaders.

"There are so many structures and roads named after the Gandhi family in Delhi alone. Is it necessary to have it in such numbers? What purpose does it serve?

"I was angry when I saw a bridge being named after Rajiv Gandhi. I mean it may be a way of paying respect, good that he was there but why name structures after him even now? Can you ignore the contribution of Lata Mangeshkar or JRD Tata? Why not name these structures after such figures rather than political leaders," he asked in response to a question on his controversial Twitter posts.

He also said that he has no political inclinations and does not wish to join any political party as he is "content, happy and satisfied" with his life in the film industry.

Responding to a question on his inclination towards the government, Kapoor said: "I have no political ambitions and I am not a BJP chamcha. I say and do what I feel is right. I spoke against the beef ban. I am not doing any chamchagiri," said the actor.

The session ended as Kapoor was joined by his wife, Neetu Singh Kapoor on the stage and sang his famous "Main Shayar Toh Nahin", from "Bobby".

Rishi Kapoor has been the biggest crowd puller for the ongoing lit fest so far. The festival, in its own description, is "the biggest literary show on earth".

It is not the first time that celebrities have appeared at the festival. Karan Johar, Kajol, Om Puri and Amitabh Bachchan, among others, have attended the festival in the previous editions too. I wonder: Who pulls the crowd to JLF? Authors or celebrities?

(Saket Suman is in Jaipur at the invitation of Teamwork arts. He can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)
New Delhi, Jan 20 : In yet another measure to add teeth to the recent demonetisation drive aimed against black money, the government on Friday barred cooperative banks from accepting deposits under the new tax amnesty scheme -- Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY).

"Application for the deposit in the form of Bonds Ledger Account shall be received by any banking company, other than Co-operative Banks, to which the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, applies," a Finance Ministry release here said, amending the notification for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Deposit Scheme.

Following the demonetisation of high-value currency on November 8, the government announced the PMGKY under which undisclosed income deposited in any bank or post office account can be declared by paying 50 per cent of the amount in taxes and surcharges. Besides, a quarter of the total sum is to be put in a non-interest bearing deposit for four years.

PMGKY commenced on December 17, 2016, and will remain open till March 31, 2017.

Friday's amendment comes after Income Tax Department investigations of some coperative banks showed up deposits in excess of the physical holding of the banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

Six days after the demonetisation, the Centre had abruptly overturned its decision to permit note exchanges and disbursing the new currency notes on grounds of alleged money-laundering being carried out by state and district cooperative banks.

In reply to an RTI query in the matter, the Reserve Bank of India has admitted earlier this month that it has no details of any irregularities or scams in the exchange of the demonetised currency notes by the cooperative banks.
New Delhi, Jan 20 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should aplogise to the nation for 'falsely' implicating Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs and ministers.

Kejriwal's remarks came in response to reports that a Delhi court quashed charges against AAP MLA from Tilak Nagar Jarnail Singh who was charged for allegedly assaulting a South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) official.

"This is a big and tight slap on Narendra Modi who has been foisting false cases on AAP MLAs and ministers," Kejriwal tweeted.

"Modi should apologise to the country for implicating AAP MLAs in false cases," he added.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday registered a preliminary inquiry in the appointment of Satyendar Jain's daughter Soumya Jain as 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.

Jarnail Singh was chargesheeted by Delhi Police for allegedly assaulting an SDMC junior engineer and preventing him from carrying out his duty in April 2015.

The junior engineer and his team had gone to demolish an illegal structure in west Delhi when Singh had allegedly intervened.
New Delhi, Jan 20 : In an obvious diplomatic faux pas, the Indian envoy to Myanmar, Vikram Misri, has been pictured along with top members of the banned NSCN-Khaplang faction, including its "military commander" Niki Sumi, who has a bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head.

In the picture, posted by a cadre of the banned Khaplang faction on his Facebook page, Misri is seen smiling alongwith Niki Sumi and senior Khaplang member Isak Sumi, and European Union envoy to Myanmar, Roland Kobia. The picture was put on his Facebook page by Isak Sumi.

The picture was said to have been taken earlier this month in Lahe, in the so-called Naga Self Administered Zone in Sagaing region of Myanmar.

The Indian government banned the NSCN-Khaplang faction in November, 2015. Its leaders, including chief S.S. Khaplang and "military commander" Niki Sumi, were proscribed with bounties of Rs 7 lakh and Rs 10 lakh on their heads, respectively.

The Ministry of External affairs, however, sought to downplay what it said were "some casual pictures" taken on the occasion of Naga New Year. "It would not be appropriate to attach any significance to them," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup told IANS.

Ambassador Misri did not respond to an email sent to him by IANS.

Swarup said in response to a query that "the Indian Ambassador to Myanmar was present at a state level festival organised on January 13-15, 2017 in Lahe, in the Naga Self Administered Zone in Sagaing region of Myanmar. This festival was organised with the assistance of the Government of Myanmar on the occasion of celebrations of the Naga new year festival, which traditionally falls on January 15, after the harvest."

He said that "very high ranking dignitaries of the Myanmar government, including the President and many Union Ministers, Sagaing Region Government Ministers, and Ambassadors of several countries to Myanmar were present on the occasion.

"Various Naga leaders were naturally also present on the occasion and some casual pictures were taken with the visiting Ambassadors. It would not be appropriate to attach any significance to them," Swarup said.

The "Naga leaders" mentioned by Swarup belong to a terrorist association. On November 17, 2015, the NSCN-Khaplang faction was declared a terrorist organisation by the Central government, several months after it was held responsible for the ambush of an Indian Army convoy in Chandel district of Manipur, killing 20 of the soldiers in June of that year.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the killing of Indian soldiers by the banned organisation.

"S.S. Khaplang is head of the NSCN-K group and Niki Sumi is holding the charge of armed wing of the said group. They were closely associated with the decision to attack Assam Rifles personnel at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima on March 26, 2015, and subsequent string of attacks on armed forces including the attack on 6 Dogra Regiment Convoy in Chandel district of Manipur on June 4 killing 20 Army personnel," the NIA had earlier said in a statement.

(Rupesh Dutta can be reached at rupesh.d@ians.in)
Chennai, Jan 20 : The swarming mass of youth in Chennai's Marina Beach and in Madurai were in no mood to call off their protests for Jallikattu on Friday, and declared they would end their spontaneous demonstration only after the bull taming event takes place.

The youth protest in support of Jallikattu - a hugely popular ancient bull taming sport -- was continuing despite assurances given by Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam that legal steps were being taken to enable holding of the sport and that it would be held in a couple of days.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Panneerselvam on Friday said the state government would promulgate an ordinance to conduct Jallikattu.

He said he had detailed discussions with constitutional experts on the matter.

The Chief Minister said the state government has drafted an amendment to some provisions in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and has sent it to the central government on Friday morning.

He said the amendment will be promulgated as an ordinance after getting the assent of President Pranab Mukherjee and state Governor C.H. Vidyasagar Rao.

Once the Governor approves it, the ordinance would be promulgated following which Jallikattu can be held in the state, he said.

The Chief Minister urged the demonstrators to withdraw their protests.

However, the protesting students at Chennai's Marina Beach and also at Madurai categorically declared that they would call off their protest only after it takes place.

"We will call off the protest only after Jallikattu is held in Tamil Nadu. The measure announced by the Chief Minister seems to be a stop-gap arrangement. The permanent solution is that the central government by a notification remove bull from the list of performing animals in The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act," said a protester.

Even several hours after Panneerselvam's announcement the number of protesters at Marina beach continued to swell.

In several localities groups of youth carrying placards assembled playing drums.

Many young people, including married couples with children in tow, gathered at Marina.

"Jallikattu is Tamil Nadu's identity and pride. We want Jallikattu," Venkatesh employed in a private company told IANS while going to Marina with his family.

His daughter and son were carrying a "We want Jallikattu" placard.

"The student protest is the culmination of the stand taken by the central government on various issues concerning Tamil Nadu, like the Cauvery river water sharing, attacks on Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, Jallikattu," R. Arul, secretary, Pasumai Thayagam, a non-government organisation (NGO), told IANS.

"Perhaps the centre's stand vis-a-vis Tamil Nadu on several issues was the tipping point for former World Chess Champion V. Anand to extend his support to Jallikattu and claim "Tamizhanda" (I am a Tamilian)," Arul said.

"Normally people like Anand and others would always claim that they are Indians first," Arul added.

He said the central government - whether it is headed by Bharatiya Janata Party or the Congress - should accept the diversity of culture and civilisation that prevails in the country.

Arul also said there are no chances of the protest turning into a Tamil nationalist movement as those days are over.

"People are not supportive of such movements in Tamil Nadu," he added.

Meanwhile, the DMK held protests on rail tracks in Tamil Nadu and its Working President M.K. Stalin was detained by police for some time.

In some districts schools were also closed while shops downed their shutters across the state in support of 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 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.

In Madurai large number of youth are continuing their protest in support of the state's ancient sport.
SPRINGDALE, Ark., Jan. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN) will hold its fiscal first quarter 2017 earnings conference call Monday, Feb. 6, at 9 a.m. Eastern (8 a.m. Central).



We encourage participants to pre-register for the conference call using the following link: http://dpregister.com/10099233.

Callers who pre-register will be given a conference passcode and unique PIN to gain immediate access to the call and bypass the operator. Participants may pre-register at any time, up to and including after the call has started.

Those without internet access or who are unable to pre-register may dial in by calling:

U.S. Toll Free: 1-844-890-1795 International Toll: 1-412-717-9589

To listen to the live webcast, an archived replay or to view the accompanying slides, go to the companys investor website at http://ir.tyson.com. The webcast also can be accessed by using the direct link http://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1289467/63648A7227D83EF43544FBEB01D71570.

A telephone replay will be available until March 6 at:

U.S. Toll Free: 1-877-344-7529 International Toll: 1-412-317-0088 Canada Toll Free: 855-669-9658 Replay Access Code: 10099233

The live webcast and audio replay also will be available on the companys investor relations app. To download the free app, which offers access to SEC filings, news releases, transcripts, webcasts and presentations, please visit the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android mobile devices.

About Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods, Inc., with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world's largest food companies with leading brands such as Tyson, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Sara Lee, Ball Park, Wright, Aidells and State Fair. Its a recognized market leader in chicken, beef and pork as well as prepared foods, including bacon, breakfast sausage, turkey, lunchmeat, hot dogs, pizza crusts and toppings, tortillas and desserts. The company supplies retail and foodservice customers throughout the United States and approximately 115 countries. Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson, whose family has continued to lead the business with his son, Don Tyson, guiding the company for many years and grandson, John H. Tyson, serving as the current chairman of the board of directors. At October 1, 2016, the company had approximately 114,000 Team Members employed at more than 400 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
Kochi, January 20 : A division bench of the Kerala high court has expressed concern over the falling standards of legal education in the state.

A judgement jointly authored by Justices Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Devan Ramachandran has opined that the many of our law universities and college have failed to keep pace with the rapid advances and progresses manifest in the field of legal education across the globe.

The judgement calls for a relook at how we prepare our young lawyers for the future and for the profession, stating that the foundations we build today in legal education will define the quality of our polity tomorrow.

The court made the observations while considering an appeal petition filed by four students of Calicut government law college challenging an exam notification issued by the university of Calicut.

The appeal was filed against a single bench verdict of the high court upholding the exam notification.

The students had challenged the notification on the ground that the respondent, the Calicut government law college, had violated Rule 10 of the Rules of Education 2008 by virtue of its failure to give the students the mandatory minimum number of working days.

Rule 10 of the Rules of Education mandate that the students of unitary degree course and double degree integrated course are entitled to a minimum of 30 class hours a week for at least 15 weeks in the case of the former and at least 18 weeks in the latters case.

Laying out the facts of the case, the court observed that the facts reflected the sheer exasperation of the student community over the perfunctory manner in which legal education is being imparted by colleges in the state.

The court, however, set aside the appeal citing efflux of time (since the examinations in question have already been held) and upheld the verdict of the single bench.

The single bench had upheld the impugned notification on the ground that students of other colleges affiliated to Calicut university were not parties to the case and hence striking down the notification on a plea by four students would result in great prejudice to other students.

But, the division bench agreed with the contention of the counsel for the appellants that the appellants were prosecuting the appeal only to ensure that the stipulations of Rule 10 were followed by colleges in the future without fail so that career of students undertaking legal studies are not prejudiced.

There is no doubt about the force of the submissions made by the counsel for the appellants, the judgement says.

The judgement cautioned the authorities that if they continued to turn a blind eye to these violations, the court would be constrained to step in to redress the legitimate issues raised by the student community.
New Delhi, Jan 20 : Cash flow, restricted post-demonetisation, will normalise soon but might take longer in rural and remote areas, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel informed a parliamentary panel on Friday.

He further asserted that demonetisation would be beneficial for the economy in the medium- and long-term.

Patel told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament that the situation of cash flow in the country was "almost normal" in urban areas, informed sources said.

When panel members expressed concern over online transactions charges, Patel told them that RBI was trying to come out with a new mechanism to bring down online transaction costs, and was in talks with all stakeholders, including banks and service providers, the sources said.

He added that efforts were on to improve cash flow to rural and remote areas in the country.

"It will take a few more weeks for the situation to improve in rural and remote areas," the sources quoted him as saying.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 8 last year announced demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, saying the move was aimed against black money, counterfeit currency and terror financing.

Asked by the members about multi-fold increase in deposits in cooperative banks following demonetisation, Patel is learnt to have said the matter was being probed by Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND).

Earlier this week, the RBI Governor had told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance that new currency notes, worth Rs 9.2 lakh crore, were introduced into the financial system post-demonetisation.

The issue of demonetisation was mentioned by PAC Chairman K.V. Thomas in his initial remarks but a BJP member objected to it, saying the agenda of the meeting was "review of monetary policy".

The member said the demonetisaion of legal tender comes under the RBI Act, while Monetary Policy falls under the purview of the Finance Act.

"So, demonetisation issue can't be discussed," he said.

Following this, Patel gave panel members an overview of the world economy with special reference to the United States and China and mentioned the impact of Britain's exit from the European Union.

Thomas later told reporters that the committee will meet again on February 10 to discuss the demonetisation issue with Finance Ministry officials.

He added that the RBI Governor could be called again, if required, after February 10.

Apart from Patel, Deputy Governor R. Gandhi and other senior functionaries of the RBI also appeared before the PAC.
Jaipur, Jan 20 : The burning issues that have remained at the centre of national discourse ever since the NDA government under the dispensation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power -- intollerance, Uniform Civil Law, Reservations for Muslims, changes in textbooks, Hindutva and Hindu Rashtra -- and the views of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on these much debated subjects were extensively explored at a discussion at Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) here on Friday.

In the closing session on the second day of the ongoing lit fest "Of Saffron and the Sangha", Manmohan Vaidya, head of RSS' communications department and Dattatreya Hosabale, the organisation's joint general secretary participated in a discussion with journalist Pragya Tiwari, attended by Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje among others.

Chanting Sanskrit slokas, quoting RSS ideologues and delving on the ideology of the RSS, the two engaged in over an hour-long discussion even as many in the audience disagreed, while others cheered in approval.

On the idea of nationalism, as defined and understood by the RSS, Vaidya said: "The idea of nationalism is alien to India. RSS believes in an idea of common national identity. For RSS, it is the people that make the nation. You can join RSS and for that you do not have to leave your faith but you have to believe that there exists a way of life beyond your faith too."

Vaidya, when asked by the moderator (Pragya Tiwari) to share his views on intollerance, as many of the affiliates of the RSS have been accused of being intolerant, said:

"People have diverted from core issues so there are problems. Intollerance exists among those who are against Hindutva and diversities."

"Hindutva is about bringing everyone together. We do not believe that everyone should accept one faith but coping with all diversities and yet living harmoniously and working in the interest of the nation is what RSS wants to achieve."

The RSS leader was then interjected by the moderator and asked to comment on minority reservations, on Muslim minorities particularly.

"It has been widely held that no reservations should continue for too long as it begins to be taken for granted. On muslims, we have seen that 68-70 per cent of the Muslims live in Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, which in themselves are very 'pichre' (backward) regions. So their poor socio-economic status is well understood.

"These issues are to be addressed within the community. What is keeping them behind. This should be done for all communities, not just for one," Vaidya said.

Elaborating further, he said: "The subject of reservation has been there for SC/ ST in a very different context. There should not be any reservation for any community for a long time. There should be more opportunities, more education for everyone but more than that is complete appeasement and that is what has been seen."

On acts of violence by affiliates or supporters of RSS, Hosabale responded by condemning it.

"Any violence is wrong and particularly if it is against any particular community. No question of condoning because the RSS has never supported violence.

"If some people are out there to attack the RSS then it is but human to retaliate. Now RSS people are being attacked in Kerala but the state government is not doing its duty. We see that if somebody from one particular community is attacked then it makes all the noise but when RSS is attacked, nobody talks about it," Hosabale said.

Vaidya also said that the education system should be revamped, based on "the ethos and history of our nation", while blaming "the left liberals" for hijacking the intellectual space right from the Nehruvian era to the contemporary times.

"The left liberals are intollerant. They do not want others to enter the space dominated by them. They do not want to discuss and debate but only to blame and criticise. They pulled out of this event because we are coming," he said.

Kerala CPI-M leader M.A. Baby and journalist-cum-author Raghu Karnad, who were listed as Speakers at the JLF, earlier pulled out after the inclusion of the RSS leaders.

The duo also claimed that the RSS has no say in who gets a ticket from BJP.

"The RSS has no say in who gets the ticket from the BJP. It is the party's decision. If I had asked her (pointing towards CM Vasundhara Raje), she would have given ticket to three-four people. But I never asked her to do so," said Vaidya.

It is for the first time that RSS occupied a prominent place at the popular literature festival. It had drawn a flak on social media for this even before the festival began. JLF producer Sanjoy Roy told IANS that it was done to "maintain balance" and to ensure that "the festival is open to all voices."

(Saket Suman is in Jaipur at the invitation of Teamwork arts. He can be reached at saket.s@ians.in)
Mumbai, Jan 20 : The Scotland Yard has declined to help the CBI in forensic probe aspects of the killings of prominent rationalists of Maharashtra Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and Karnataka's M.M. Kalburgi, the Bombay High Court was told on Friday.

This is due to certain legal issues between India and United Kingdom, Additional Solicitor-General of India Anil Singh, representing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a division bench comprising Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari and Justice B.P. Colabawalla.

"The Scotland Yard has informed in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic datea Hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases," Singh said.

He added that since such an agreement could take a long time and considering the legal and practical difficulties, the CBI has decided to drop the matter.

Owing to the similarity in the modus operandi and the three killings, the CBI, Maharashtra and Karnataka police suspected that the same weapon may have been used for which it sought help on aspects of the forensics and ballistics from Scotland Yard.

There were differences in the Forensic Science Laboratory reports in Mumbai and Bengaluru and the CBI wanted a third independent opinion for which it had sought the Scotland Yard's assistance.

The matter came during a hearing of appeals filed by the relatives of Dabholkar and Pansare seeking justice.

The CBI is probing the killing of Dabholkar in Pune, the Pansare murder is being investigated by a Special Investigation Team of Maharashtra Police and the Kalburgi killing is probed by the Karnataka Police.

The CBI submitted its sealed report on the probe progress to the court which has directed it to intensify the investigations and arrest the remaining accused, said Dabholkar's son, Hamid Dabholkar.

While Dabholkar, 69, was shot dead in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare, 81, who fired upon on February 16, 2015, succumbed to bullet injuries in Kolhapur after five days (February 20, 2015) and Kalburgi, 77, was shot dead on August 30, 2015 in Dharwad, Karnataka.
Bengaluru, Jan 20 : Industrialist Vijay Mallya will appeal against a Debt Recovery Tribunal order to recover Rs 6,203 crore along with interest from his properties for defaulting on bank loans to his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, a company official said on Friday.

"We will file an appeal against the DRT's order on Thursday after we get its copy," a Mallya-owned United Breweries (UB) Group's spokesman said.

Allowing a joint petition filed in June 2013 by a consortium of 17 banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI), the Tribunal's Bengaluru bench said the combined unpaid loans of Rs 9,091 crore, including compound interest, be recovered from the properties of Mallya and Kingfisher worth Rs 6,203 crore ($909 million).

Tribunal's Presiding Officer K. Srinivasan also directed Mallya's defaulter holding firms -- UBHL, Kingfisher Finvest and the airline -- to pay an interest of 11.5 per cent per annum on the due amount (Rs 6,203 crore) retrospectively since the case was admitted on July 26, 2013.

"As the Tribunal has decreed banks to recover the dues from the airline and its holding company (UBHL), it is for them (banks) to decide on how to go about it," a lawyer associated with the case told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Mallya can, however, appeal against the order in the Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal in Chennai after paying 50 per cent of the amount and interest as decreed by the DRT.

Since the loans were given against various sureties, including shares of the holding company and its assets as collaterals, the banks have to assess their value to recover the amount specified by the Tribunal, hinted the counsel.

"The Tribunal's debt recovery officer will decide on the recovery process in consultation with the banks and the guarantors to the loans," said the counsel.

Asked if the attachment includes properties the banks tried to sell but could not, the counsel said the debt recovery officer would decide on the list of properties.

The SBI and state-run Punjab National Bank had declared Mallya, the airline and its holding firm UBHL (United Breweries Holdings Ltd.) as "wilful defaulters" in 2015.

Besides the SBI, other state-run and private banks that gave loans to Kingfisher include Bank of Baroda, State Bank of Mysore, Axis Bank, Corporation Bank, Federal Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, IDBI Bank, Punjab National Bank, Punjab & Sind Bank, UCO Bank and United Bank of India.

The flamboyant 61-year-old Mallya is reported to be in Britain since he left India on March 2, 2016 after the consortium moved the Tribunal in February last year to expedite the hearing on its debt recovery petition.
Kolkata, Jan 20 : President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday emphasised the need to focus on promotion of an environment by the institutions of higher education where the youth can speak their mind.

He underscored the importance on promotion of an environment where the youth can speak their minds and have the confidence to look for ground breaking, creative solutions.

He said: "Indian institutes should strive hard to promote world standards of research and innovation to bring global laurels to the nation. Only two IITs have now made it to the world's top 200 institutes."

Inaugurating the bicentennial celebrations of the Presidency University here, the President said that India requires innovative ideas and solutions to its multifarious problems.

"And, therefore, one of the objectives of higher education is to nurture in students imagination that would encourage them to think out of the box. It is not enough for students to pass exams with high grades and take up professions of their choice," he noted.

He lauded the glorious heritage of the varsity and exceptional efforts of its founders and faculty as well as the outstanding alumni of global repute.

Mukherjee said that he has been consistently calling upon institutions of higher learning to innovate and expressed happiness that the culture of innovation has taken deep roots in Presidency University.

He also thanked the West Bengal government for upgrading the Presidency College to the University and said he wants to see the Presidency lead the educational arena in bringing the change for excellence in research and innovation.

Recalling the contribution of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, Radha Kanta Deb and many others who helped establish the institution, the president said they established the institute as a place for liberal, scientific and secular education based on western ideas of nationalism.

"The institution rose to become the institutional as well as intellectual manifestation of the Bengali renaissance and, progressively, that of the Indian renaissance that finally provided the ideological moorings of the Indian Nation State," he said.

In this contest, he expressed the hope that the rich tradition of the faculty members such as Jagadish Chandra Bose, Prafulla Chandra Ray, P. C. Mahalanobis, Satyendranath Bose, Meghnad Saha, Susovan Sarkar and many others will continue to flourish.
Aligarh, Jan 20 : The government of India's Institutional Ethical Committee has given the nod for a Unani medicine aimed at treating diabetes and its clinical trial will begin soon, said an Aligarh Muslim University professor who developed the drug.

Professor Naeem Ahmad Khan of the Department of Ilmul Advia, Ajmal Khan Tibbiya College of the AMU, said the medicine will cure diabetes by restoring the primary functions of beta islet cells to store and release insulin.

Khan said the medicine had already been successfully tested on animals.

He said the drug was developed from eight medicinal plants and will be extremely affordable.

He said Professor Imrana Naseem of the university's Biochemistry Department contributed to the research that led to the development of the medicine.
Nagpur, Jan 20 : Bhaiyyalal Bhotmange, the sole survivor in the Dalit family carnage at Khairlanji village in Bhandara district of the state, died following a massive heart attack here on Friday.

Not keeping well since some time, Bhotmange was on duty at the Babasaheb Ambedkar Hostel in Bhandara in the afternoon when he complained of chest pain and was rushed to the nearby government hospital for treatment.

As his condition failed to improve, the 62-year old Bhotmange was later shifted to Nagpur's Shrikrishna Hospital where he was declared dead on admission.

The Khairlanji massacre, as the shocking incident became known globally, involved the brutal killing of four members of the Bhotmange family, the women paraded nude, sexually assaulted in public before being hacked to death.

The killings took place on September 29, 2006, allegedly to avenge a police complaint lodged by one of the family members over a land dispute against some dominant caste locals.

The victims were Bhotmange's wife Surekha, 46, daughter Priyanka, 18, and sons Sudhir, 21 and Roshan, 23. He, however, managed to escape as he had gone out of the village for some work.

The carnage enraged Dalits across India with protests in different parts of the country and riots in Nagpur and Chandrapur shortly afterwards alleging it was a caste killing.

Following the widespread agitation by Dali organizations, the Maharshtra government handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in November 2006 which filed its chargesheet before Bhandara Court in December 2006.

The trial in the case started in May 2007 during which 36 witnesses including four eyewitnesses gave their evidences.

Later, Bhotmange said he had dedicated his life to bringing the perpetrators of his family's massacre to justice, In September 2008, Bhandara Sessions Court found eight persons guilty and acquitted three others, with Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam making a strong appeal for the death sentence to all those found guilty.

The convicts include -- Gopal Sakru Binjewar, Sakru Binjewar, Shishupal Dhande, Ramu Dhande, Shatrughan Dhande, Vishwanath Dhande, Prabhakar Mandlekar and Jagdish Mandlekar. Those acquitted were Mahipal Dhande, Dharmpal Dhande and Purushottam Titirmare.

While convicting eight of the accused and acquitting three others for lack of evidence, the Bhandara Court absolved all the accused of charges under the Prevention of Atrocities under the SC/ST Act, 1989, and held that the incident was a case of mass murder which could in no way b e construed as 'caste violence.'

The court also awarded the death penalty to six of the convicts and lifers for the remaining two.

In July 2010, the Bombay High Court commuted the death sentences to 25 years life imprisonments and confirmed the lifers awarded to the other two, resulting in fresh protests.

An appeal against the high court verdict is pending before the Supreme Court even as one of the convicts whose death sentence was commuted to life died two years ago.

Meanwhile, the then Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 600,000 plus job and a rehabilitation package for Bhotmange.
Washington, Jan 20 : Protestors greeted people with shouts and placards that spoke of uncertainties, fears and their disgust for US's new leader, as they arrived here on Friday to mark the inauguration of Donald Trump.

"Out of the Closet. Into the Streets," read a sign displayed by about 100 LGBT rights activists who marched past McPherson Square at about 7.30 a.m.

The protestors made their way towards one of the checkpoints that Trump supporters would have to pass through to view the Republican leader take oath of office in the next few hours.

They chanted: "Whose streets? Our streets!"

The number of the protestors descending here on Trump's Big Day was not clear but law enforcement officials said they were bracing for more than 60 demonstration groups, both in support of and against the incoming President.

About two dozen groups have received permits for specific gathering spaces for Friday and Saturday, when the Women's March will take over the streets.

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.

Hundreds of protestors on Thursday night gathered outside the National Press Club where the "DeploraBall" was being held.

The could be heard shouting "racist" and "Nazi" at those attending the celebratory ball on the eve of Trump's inauguration.

At one point, someone threw an object that hit a counter protestor in the head.

One of the protestor groups plans to have different organisations gather at each of the dozen checkpoints that inauguration ticket holders will have to pass through.

Each will speak to a different cause, organised under names that include: Future is Feminist, Movement for Black Lives, Standing Rock for Native Lives, Economic Justice and Communities under Attack.

"Hey, hey, ho, ho! Donald Trump has to go!" a group of about 100 protestors said. "End white supremacy!"

At another checkpoint, protestors from the Black Lives Matter movement formed a human chain, shutting down the entrance at about 8.30 a.m.

As police lined the perimeter and a light rain came down on the crowd, protestors there sang "I'm gonna let it shine".

The protestors plan to "shut down the Inauguration ceremonies and any related celebrations -- the Inaugural parade, the Inaugural balls, you name it".

"We're also planning to paralyse the city itself, using blockades and marches to stop traffic and even public transit," the group said online.

The group, which expects more than 30,000 participants, will also be gathering in the afternoon at McPherson Square.

Not all of the demonstrations on Friday will be anti-Trump. Among those groups that requested permits for space are two organisations that support him: Bikers for Trump and Let America Hear Us, Roar for Trump.

The anti-Trump protestors have thousands of signs ready to hand out. Among them are: "Say no to racism," "Stop the Trump Agenda" and "Inaugurate the Resistance."

"It's not a one-day event," a protestor said. "We're calling it Day One of a larger resistance movement."
New Delhi, Jan 20 : The central government on Friday gave its nod to an ordinance enabling the holding of Jallikattu as proposed by the Tamil Nadu government, officials said.

They said the Home Ministry cleared the ordinance after the Law Ministry approved the draft ordinance proposed by the Tamil Nadu government to enable resumption of the ancient bull taming sport of Jallikattu.
bb wrote:

Congrats on your admits! Great job.

It is all about where you want to live/work after you graduate - US, Europe, or India. If you are planning to go back to India after Tepper or even Fuqua, it seems somewhat a waste of a year of life, money, and transitioning back and forth, but if you want to work in the US, ISB won't help no mater how fast, cheap, or convenient it may be. You will have to go to a US School, so it is more than just what you outlined.



P.S. I hope you won't pass out at 31. You are still young!

Thanks guys for all the suggestions and opinions.bb,Firstly, I'm so honored that you replied to my post. Thanks a ton..gmatclub is absolutely brilliantComing to my concern, how does it matter where "I" want to live? For sure I want to live in US, I'm absolutely clear about that. But the point is "Can I?". H1B has a 50-50 chance of making it and things will only get worse in future (going by the trends and recent developments). Even if I don't want to, I may "have to" come back to India after my MBA or after my training visa expires. I wonder how will I feel that day when my fellow colleagues who choose ISB would have already had there first promotionsbkhu,I see you come from manufacturing background as well. Would you mind sharing the career transition you're planning to make?
London, Jan 20 : Even as Rolls-Royce got a five-year reprieve from a British court this week from being convicted in criminal cases over graft charges, The Guardian said in a report on Friday that the defence and aerospace major sent an agent to retrieve an allegedly incriminating document from Indian tax authorities in 2006.

"The agent told the engineering giant that he paid a large sum to get the document from authorities, avoiding the company being banned from operating in India for 25 years. The revelation is contained in court documents filed by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) as part of the admission by Rolls-Royce that it had acted corruptly in 12 countries, including India," said the report.

An investigation by The Guardian and the BBC had reportedly uncovered leaked documents and testimony from insiders that suggested that Rolls-Royce may have benefited from the use of illicit payments to boost profits for years. Since then (October 2016), the agents have been the focus of large-scale probe by anti-graft agencies, notably in Britain and the US.

"According to the statement of facts on corruption, which was put to the court by the SFO and Rolls-Royce, the individual -- identified only as 'Intermediary 4' in court documents -- was the company's agent on at least two major deals in India, including the sale of engines for BAE Systems Hawk aircraft in 2004," The Guardian report said.

The report said Rolls-Royce agreed to have used 'Intermediary 4' as an agent for several years. In January 2006, Indian tax inspectors had visited the company's Delhi office and removed a list of Rolls-Royce's advisers. The list reportedly included several firms connected to 'Intermediary 4'.

By February the same year, Rolls-Royce employees in London were discussing the retrieval of the list, because of concerns that an investigation could subject the company to "vigorous and possibly public hostile scrutiny", said the news report.

The intermediary was told to retrieve the document from the tax authorities and by end-April, senior Rolls-Royce figures were informed that the situation had been resolved..

The next month, seven contracts were signed with India, during which time the company, over a period of five months, paid pounds 1.85 million to entities connected to the intermediary, The Guardian report added. The ties with the intermediary were terminated in 2011.

The Guardian report said a spokesperson for the company declined specific comment on the matter and said: "Rolls-Royce has committed to full ongoing co-operation with the authorities and must avoid the risk of prejudicing any potential future prosecutions."

As per available information, Rolls-Royce agents were allegedly hired in 11 countries, besides India, namely Brazil, China, Indonesia, South Africa, Angola, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

On Tuesday, Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Warren East had again apologised for such misconduct.

"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 had also announced a deferred prosecution pact with the SFO, as per which it agreed to pay nearly 500 million pounds plus interest under a schedule lasting up to five years, plus a payment in respect of the costs involved.

Overall, the agreements with various agencies will result in the total payment of 671 million pounds by Rolls-Royce.
Bengaluru, Jan 20 : Raids by Income Tax officials at the houses of a Karnataka minister, his brother and Congress Women's Wing President at Belagavi in the state's northern region has rattled the ruling party, which cried "selective targetting".

"The I-T Department appears to be selective in its raids, as it is targeting only our ministers and state party leaders," said Home Minister and Congress state unit President G. Parameshwara.

Confirming that the raids -- which began on Thursday -- were still underway, a senior tax official told IANS here on Friday that the department will issue a statement after completing the exercise.

"We will give all details on the raids conducted by our Investigation Wing after the exercise is completed in two days," the official said on the condition of anonymity.

The Investigation Wing simultaneously raided the houses of Small-Scale Industries Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, his brother Lakhan Jarkiholi at Gokak in Belagavi district, about 500 km from Bengaluru.

The house-cum-office of Congress Women's Wing President Laxmi Hebbalkar at Belagavi was also raided on account of alleged discrepancies in tax returns filed after the November 8 demonetisation.

"Transactions made by the Jarkiholi brothers and Laxmi Sugar Factory of Hebbalkar post-demonetisation had come under the scanner," added the official.
Washington, Jan 20 : With Barack Obama's presidency in its final minutes, numerous House and Senate Democrats, along with Senator Bernie Sanders, and Senate Republicans took to social media to thank the 44th President of the US.

Senator Benjamin Louis Cardin from the Democratic Party tweeted: "Thank you President Barack Obama for all you have done for our nation and the dignity that you and your family have brought to the White House."

Democrat Lacy Clay said: "Thanks Mr. President #44always."

Gerry Connolly, also a Democrat, said: "Last Hail to the Chief for Obama makes me appreciate the virtues of grace and dignity amid all turmoil. America owes him a debt of gratitude."

Republican Jim Mc Govern also joined Twitteratis to thank Obama.

Republican Don Beyer tweeted: "It's been such a privilege to serve with you. For hope. For change. For everything you accomplished. Thanks Obama."

Marco Rubio, Senator for Florida, Republican party, said: "We also thank Barack Obama, Michelle Obama for your service to our country. May God bless you as you begin this new phase in your lives."

Jose E. Serrano, a Democrat from New York, also thanked the outgoing President "for your friendship and leadership"
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 20 : Cuba will be importing more condoms from Thiruvananthapuram-headquartered HLL Lifecare Ltd, said a company spokesperson on Friday.

The HLL spokesperson told the media that it was from 2012 that Cuba began importing condoms, blood bags and intra-uterine devices from the company.

"In the previous calendar year, the total exports of HLL products to Cuba was Rs 11 crore and this calendar year we have set a target of Rs 20 crore," said the HLL spokesperson.

Interestingly, the announcement comes even as the average number of children in Cuban families have touched as low as 1.4 per family and planning to increase their population to 20 million by 2050 up from the present 11.2 million.

Ambassador of Cuba to India Oscar I. Martinex Cordoves visited the condom manufacturing facility of the HLL factory in the capital city on Friday and watched presentations, besides holding discussions with key company officials.

"India is a key country as far as Cuba is considered when it comes to imports. There are several things that we are dependent for and import," Cordoves told the media.

He also pointed out that the country is offering lots of stimulus packages to women and their target population in 2050 is fixed at 20 million.

"The health care system in our country is very good and today, the population of Cubans above 60 years is 20 per cent, with women having a life expectancy of 81 and men 78," said Cordoves.
New Delhi, Jan 20 : The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Friday directed mobile phone e-wallet PhonePe to comply with the UPI (Unified Payments Interface) guidelines.

The development comes a day after the NPCI advised lending major ICICI Bank to 'open UPI transactions' through the mobile phone e-wallet 'immediately'.

"Based on a review by NPCI on ICICI Bank's action to block UPI transactions made through PhonePe App, NPCI has noted that PhonePe and Flipkart Apps are in contravention of the UPI guidelines of interoperability," the umbrella organisation for all retail payment systems in the country said in a statement.

"Hence, NPCI has directed PhonePe and Flipkart to comply with the UPI guidelines and allow payments from UPI handles of all banks on their Apps."

According to NPCI, it has requested ICICI Bank to allow UPI transactions from PhonePe App, as soon as, PhonePe and Flipkart start to comply with the UPI guidelines on interoperability.

On Thursday, NPCI had said that it has advised ICICI Bank to 'open UPI transactions' through mobile phone e-wallet.

"We had a discussion with ICICI Bank and YES Bank -- the banker to PhonePe -- to review the matter and arrived at this," NPCI had said in a statement on Thursday.

On its part, ICICI Bank had said on Thursday that a 'non-banking application' followed a restrictive practice of allowing only users of its own UPI handle to make payments on its App.

"This is a clear violation of UPI guidelines which mandate interoperability, wherein users enjoy the freedom to choose any UPI handle to make payments," an ICICI Bank's Spokesperson had said on Thursday.

"NPCI has assured us in writing that this will get corrected very soon and the concerned App will allow interoperability. As soon as this is corrected, ICICI Bank will start allowing UPI transactions to resume on this App."

The national financial service UPI enables bank account holders to send and receive money from their respective smartphones without the need to enter bank account information or net banking details.

The UPI is popularly used to send and receive money from individuals or to pay directly to merchants.

The NPCI was set up in 2009 as the central infrastructure for various retail payment systems in India and was envisaged by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the payment utility for all banks in the country.

The retail payment's umbrella organisation has been trying to promote digital payments through various modes including Cheque Truncation System, National Automated Clearing House (NACH), Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), UPI and Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM).
New Delhi, Jan 20 : Expressing displeasure over Samajwadi Party's announcement of its candidates for Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress on Friday said the development was "unfortunate" given the understanding reached between the two parties.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) released within a span of few hours on Friday its first and second lists of 209 candidates, which included nine seats represented at present by Congress MLAs.

After the SP released its first list of 191 candidates in the morning, the Congress called an emergency meeting here, attended by all senior leaders, including Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, who was said to be "furious" over the list.

According to informed sources, during Friday's parleys between the Congress leadership and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi party was told that the Congress should be offered seats where it has sitting MLAs. "Now, the Congress will wait and see," said the sources.

The party sources insisted that the Congress won't agree to anything less than 100 seats.

"It is unfortunate that of the 191 candidates declared in the first list, nine seats are represented by Congress MLAs. Obviously, we were expecting those seats. Other technical details agreed to and concluded between Akhilesh and the Congress leadership should be honoured -- that is what we are saying," said senior Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken.

As for the alliance prospects, Maken said: "We can react on the alliance only when talks are held between Congress General Secretary in charge of UP Ghulam Nabi Azad and Akhilesh. Only then can we get more details about the alliance."

"The alliance was finalised by the Samajwadi Party National President (Akhilesh). He later announced 191 candidates. We can talk about the future of the alliance only after talks are completed," he added.

"Anything more can be said only when we talk to Akhilesh, with whom the technicalities and other details of alliance were formalised," said Maken.
New York, Jan 20 : Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States under a cloud - literal and metaphorical - on Friday, launching the globe's most powerful nation and the world on an uncharted course with a clarion call of "America First" to "bring back our wealth... our dreams".

While the sky was overcast with occasional light drizzles, he faced a challenge to the legitimacy of his presidency over the Russian attempts to meddle in the campaign and the fact that he got fewer popular votes than Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

An outsider who fought his way to the White House riding a wave of discontent among insecure Americans, Trump, however, won the majority in the Electoral College by focusing on states that were most ravaged by the de-industrialisation.

Challenging the established norms, he won by spending only $923 million to Clinton's $1.2 billion -- or about 66 per cent - and antagonising the establishment across the national spectrum, including his own Republican Party.

In the middle of all this uncertainty, a clear picture of India under Trump has to emerge.

During the campaign Trump promised to be a friend to India, but the country hasn't figured so far in the post-election tweets and statements.

While he has praised the free-enterprise ideology of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his leadership, Trump has had only one known telephone chat with him. It is still to be seen how their personal relationship will develop - whether it will be as close as that between Obama and Modi.

One area where India is feeling the heat is in trade and business. Trump has taken aim at outsourcing, H1-B visas for professionals that is the lifeblood of Indian and US business interactions in the new economy, and at the pharmaceutical industry which is India's major exporter to the US.

For the first time, an Indian-American, Nikki Haley, has been appointed to a cabinet-level post as US ambassador to the United Nations, the second-most visible foreign policy job.

Trump's populist style of a rhetorical flame-thrower endeared him to his base but turned sections of the opposition to implacable foes that now question his legitimacy and others into skeptics.

About 70 members of the Congress boycotted the ceremony, backing the African American civil rights leader John Lewis who denounced Trump's election as illegitimate.

He started the day with less than 40 per cent approval rate and protests outside the ceremony and around the country, even as his core supporters rallied behind him And now he has to unify the nation, while seeming to deliver on his promises.

The reality of the office and the challenge seemed to weigh on Trump as came out of the church Friday morning and later at the swearing-in. He looked uncharacteristically somber, with careworn eyes.

A businessman and TV personality with an outsize ego and a style to match, Trump has no previous government experience, except as an outsider negotiating deals with governments.

The likely way of governing that has emerged so far from his actions so far is the transactional style of a businessman looking for deals and bargaining with outlandish offers that get whittled down in the give and take before an agreement is reached.

So far he has met with a large number of high-profile businessmen in pursuit of his promise to increase employment and investments in the US, especially in manufacturing.

His challenge would be to translate this to governing and dealing with domestic and foreign politicians unused to this style and with political egos unused to the way business, especially in real estate, is conducted. He would have to also modify his style to get anything done.

Since his election he has questioned the prevailing world order: Reached out to Russia as an ally in the war against radical Islamic terrorism; expressed skepticism about NATO; was seen as disrespectful to leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel; rankled China and its US supporters by talking to Taiwan's leader and laying out a threat of economic retaliations; calling for modernising the nuclear arsenal, while also saying that Japan and others should develop their nuclear arsenal; raising taxes on imports, and building a wall on the Mexican border.

Now as President he will have to cut through this thicket of promise and reality as he pursues his prime foreign goals of lessening direct US involvement abroad, while fighting Islamic radicalism and resetting ties with Russia and simultaneously with the allies in Europe and elsewhere. But overshadowing it all is his promise of bringing jobs back and disowning trade pacts.

Domestically, he promised to repeal and replace Obamacare, the signature health insurance programme of Obama, increase manufacturing and jobs and cut taxes, while he would "drain the swamp" of Washington nexus of establishment and lobbyists.

Congress is well on its way to repealing Obamacare - a programme hated by the right - that could leave millions, including a large swathe of Trump supporters, without health insurance in a nation of astronomical medical costs.

He has managed a good start on the employment front, with businesses promising tens of thousands of jobs in the US since his election.

But his cabinet is virtually unformed because the Senate's Democrats are slowing the approval of his appointees. Moreover, as an outsider, he has scrambled to find candidates for the several hundred political appointments that are essential to running his government.

Despite his populist lectures about uncaring Wall Street and businesses and promise to drain the swamp, billionaires and bankers dominate his cabinet as Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer pointed out.

Even his nominee to head the State Department is Rex Tillerson, the chairman of the oil giant ExxonMobil.

Trump started his first day in office borrowing a junior Obama official, Under Secretary of State Thomas A. Shannon Jr., as the acting secretary of state, and Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work to be interim head of Defence.

He is also retaining 50 Obama appointees to keep the government running as he scrambles to fill more than 600 posts.

(Arul Lojuis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)
New Delhi/Chennai, Jan 20 : The central government on Friday evening gave its nod to the Tamil Nadu government's ordinance to enable holding of Jallikattu, as the southern state saw continued massive protests in support of the bull-taming sport.

Officials in New Delhi said the Home Ministry cleared the ordinance after the Law Ministry nod to the draft ordinance of the Tamil Nadu government.

They said the Centre's concurrence paved the way for the promulgation of the ordinance in Tamil Nadu.

Amid massive protests demanding the holding of Jallikattu in his state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam told reporters in the national capital earlier on Friday that his government will promulgate the ordinance for facilitating Jallikattu.

The Chief Minister said the state government had drafted an amendment to some provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and sent it to the central government.

He said the ordinance will be promulgated after Governor C.H. Vidyasagar Rao approves it, following which Jallikattu can be held in the state.

Though the Chief Minister urged the demonstrators to withdraw their protests, the swarming mass of youths at Chennai's Marina Beach and in Madurai declared they will end their demonstration only after the sport is held.

"We will call off the protest only after Jallikattu is held in Tamil Nadu. The measure announced by the Chief Minister seems to be a stop-gap arrangement. The permanent solution is that the central government by a notification remove bulls from the list of performing animals given in The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act," said a protester.

Even several hours after Panneerselvam's announcement, the number of protesters at Marina beach continued to swell.

In several localities groups of youths carrying placards assembled while beating drums.

Many young people, including couples with children in tow, gathered at the Marina Beach.

"Jallikattu is Tamil Nadu's identity and pride. We want Jallikattu," Venkatesh, employed in a private company, told IANS while moving towards Marina with his family.

His daughter and son were carrying a "We want Jallikattu" placard.

"The student protest is the culmination of the stand taken by the central government on various issues concerning Tamil Nadu, like the Cauvery river water sharing, attacks on Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, Jallikattu," R. Arul, Secretary, Pasumai Thayagam, a non-government organisation (NGO), told IANS.

Meanwhile, the DMK held protests on rail tracks in Tamil Nadu and its Working President M.K. Stalin was detained by police for some time.

In some districts schools were also closed while shops downed their shutters across the state in support of 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.

On Friday, the Supreme Court agreed not to pronounce its verdict on Jallikattu for one week in the wake of large scale protests in Tamil Nadu.

A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra agreed to put the pronouncement on hold on a plea by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi who told the court that "cultural passions" were running high in the state.

The apex court had in 2016 reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions by animal rights activist and organisations challenging a January 7, 2016, government notification taking out bulls from the list of animals that cannot be exhibited or used for fights or races.

The notification was then stayed by the top court a week after its issuance.

The court was informed that both the Centre and Tamil Nadu were in touch and some measures were being taken to tackle the situation that surfaced in light of the harvest festival of Pongal in which the ancient animal sport has special significance.
New Delhi, Jan 20 : Taking stock of the air pollution in Delhi and the neighbouring states, the Supreme Court appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority (EPCA) on Friday asked authorities to immediately enforce the graded response action under "very poor" category for Delhi and "moderate poor" for NCR.

"Air quality for Delhi is very poor. Measures falling under this category of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) have to be taken," EPCA member and head of Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) Sunita Narain told IANS.

The EPCA, however, in its first meeting on GRAP refrained from strict enforcements, like banning the diesel generators and hiking the parking fee -- the measures that fall under the "very poor" category.

The temporary relaxation according to the EPCA members is to give enough time to the authorities and people to get prepared.

It was, however, decided to levy heavy fines on the violators, such as wrong parking.

In the meeting, it was also decided to completely revamp the brick kilns to reduce the air pollution by the next winters through essential low-cost methods.

"There are many brick kilns in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana, which have not yet adopted to the low-polluting methods, such as zig-zag chimneys. From now on, the authorities concerned will work on that," an EPCA member told IANS.

EPCA head Bhure Lal in the meeting raised concern that the "smog situation" that gripped Delhi in November 2016 should not be repeated again.

Observing that the air quality in Delhi and NCR is "already beyond poor", the EPCA has decided to enforce moderate poor category in the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, unless the task force formed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) starts providing the forecast for air pollution.

The EPCA has been given the responsibility to implement the different categories of the GRAP. The enforcement has to be done through different government offices, including state and central pollution control boards, state secretaries, transport department and the civic bodies.

There are different categories under the GRAP, which applies when particulate matters -- PM 10 and PM 2.5 (particles in air with diameter less than 10 and 2.5 mm) -- are pushed beyond a limit.

For very poor, the PM 2.5 ranges between 121-250 units or PM 10 level is between 351-430 units. For moderate poor, the PM 2.5 range between 61 and 90 or PM 10 between 101 and 250 units, and for poor category, PM 2.5 should range between 91 and 120 and PM 10 between 251-350.

Measures under "very poor" include banning the use of diesel generator sets, enhancing parking fee by 3-4 times, increasing bus and metro services by augmenting contract buses and increasing frequency of services, stopping use of coal or firewood in hotels and open eateries and others, including warning people from going out.

For moderate poor category, measures include ban on garbage burning, enforcing all pollution control measures in brick kilns, industries and power plants and imposing heavy fine on violators.

It also talks about ensuring that fly ash is watered every alternate day during the summers, firecrackers are banned and the apex court's order to ban the entry of trucks registered after 2005 are enforced.

The set of actions during emergency situation includes implementation of the "odd-even" scheme and shutting of construction work if PM 2.5 crosses 300 units (micro grams per cubic metre) or PM 10 crosses the 500 mark.
Washington, Jan 21 : Donald Trump began his presidency on Friday with a challenge to the world, declaring "From this forward it is going to be only America first", and this will be "heard in every foreign capital".

After he was sworn-in as the 45th president of the United States with his hands on two Bibles, his own and President Abraham Lincoln in a ceremony reeking of religiosity and patriotism, he said, "We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only America first, America first."

"We will shine for everyone to follow," he added. "America will start winning again. Winning like never before."

He conceded that all nations had the right to put their own interests first. But he added, "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."

"We've defended other nation's borders while refusing to defend our own, and spent trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay," he said in his short, succinct speech.

That will stop with his presidency, he said. He promised "a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its promise for all of our people" and that "buy American and hire American" will be the new national order.

He called for national unity in his first speech to the nation as President after a campaign that created a deep abyss of political division. "When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice."

All children, regardless of where they are born in the US, "are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty creator".

He promised a new deal for inner cities that are dominated by minorities. "We are one nation and their pain is our pain," he said. "Their dreams are our dreams. And their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans."

He called the Obamas "magnificent" and thanked them for being gracious.

The ceremony was disrupted by protesters, who held up placards that spelled, "Resist". Law enforcement removed them peacefully, while the crowds chanted "USA, USA".

Outside, protesters disrupted some of the entry points to the heavily guarded ceremony and set fires.

Trump was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts, while Melania, Trump's third wife, held the Bible for her husband.

Trump was dressed in a black suit and red tie and Melania in a sky-blue dress. Her dress was deigned by Ralph Lauren and was a reflection of Jackie Kennedy, according to media reports.

There were several readings from the Bible by Christian and Jewish clergy during the ceremony in front of the Capitol, which had huge American flags draped over its collonades.

Marking the peaceful transfer of power, the Trumps visited the Obamas at the White House. The soon-to-be ex-President accompanied his successor to the Capitol Hill.

The defeated Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, was at the ceremony with her husband, Bill, a former President.

After the ceremony the Trumps walked to the White House, while the Obamas flew on a helicopter to an air force base for a final ride on the presidential plane to California.

In one of the most powerful symbols of the egalitarian aspects of American politics, outgoing Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, took a regular train as ordinary passengers to their home in Delaware.
New Delhi, Jan 21 : MaryKay L. Carlson on Friday took charge of the Indian Mission after Richard Verma demitted his office as the US Ambassdor to India.

An announcement to this effect came here at the live viewing of the US Presidential inaugration ceremony towards the midnight.

"Deputy Chief of Mission MaryKay L. Carlson has taken over as chargA d'affaires until the appointment of a new Ambassador," the announcement said.

Verma, who presented his credentials to President Pranab Mukherjee in Rashtrapati Bhavan in January 2015, is the first Indian-origin person to have been appointed as the US Ambassador to India.
Cleveland, Ohio, Jan 21 : Less than an hour after Donald Trump took over as new US President, the White House website was transformed, and the energy and climate page vanished. It appeared as "page not found".

The website was transformed to remove all traces of former President Barack Obama's climate change initiatives and to reinforce border protection policies.

Some speculate this is the most recent hint that the Trump administration will divert resources from the global issue, the cleveland.com reported.

Trump has repeatedly voiced his opinion on the matter.

Trump has vowed to back out of the Paris Agreement, sanctioned by the United Nations Convention on Climate Change. The agreement, signed by over 195 countries, is aimed at reducing dangerous increases in greenhouse gas emissions; a leading cause of rising global temperatures.

Within the first 100 days of office, Trump also plans to dismantle the Clean Power Plan, which is regarded by the EPA as "a historic and important step in reducing carbon pollution from power plants that takes real action on climate change."

President-elect Donald Trump believes climate change is a hoax. He tweeted in November 2012 "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."

The new-look White House website carried a set of policy pledges that offered the broad contours of the Trump administration's top priorities. The list includes fierce support for law enforcement bordering on vigilantism, an immediate elimination of the White House's policy page on climate page and the notable absence of any directives involving President Obama's Affordable Care Act, said the Sydney Morning Herald.

"Our job is not to make life more comfortable for the rioter, the looter, or the violent disrupter," reads the law and order section, which calls for "more law enforcement" and "more effective policing."

"Our job is to make life more comfortable for parents who want their kids to be able to walk the streets safely. Or the senior citizen waiting for a bus. Or the young child walking home from school," it reads.

The issues page of Trump's White House website offers no new plans or policies but rather a rehash of many of his most prominent campaign promises A a signal to the nation that Trump, more pragmatic than ideological, plans to implement at least the key guideposts of his campaign vision, says SMH.

His policies include plans to both withdraw from and renegotiate major trade deals, grow the nation's military and increase cyber-security capabilities, build a wall at the nation's southern border and deport undocumented immigrants who have committed violent crimes.
Dakar, Jan 21 : Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has agreed to step down and leave the country, Gambian President Adama Barrow said on Friday night on his Twitter account.

"I would like to inform you that Yahya Jammeh has agreed to step down. He is scheduled to depart Gambia today." Xinhua news agency quoted Barrow as saying in a tweet, ending with the hashtag #NewGambia.

Friday noon, Mauritanian and Guinean Presidents arrived in Banjul for a "last mediation" to persuade Jammeh to give up presidential power to Barrow before the eventual military intervention conducted by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led by the Senegalese and Nigerian troops.

Soldiers from the ECOWAS stopped advancing in The Gambia on Thursday night to give Gambia's long-time leader Jammeh a last chance to step down peacefully.

"Orders were given to the troops to stop their advance and they have stopped, because the ECOWAS privileges the initiatives of dialogue and diplomacy," President of the ECOWAS Commission Marcel Alain Da Souza said.

The Senegalese Army, backed by other West African soldiers, entered The Gambia on Thursday afternoon in a military operation aimed at forcing Jammeh to cede power to Barrow who was sworn in the same day in Dakar as the new Gambian President.

So far, no information has been given about where Jammeh is heading. But Morocco, Nigeria, Mauritania and Guinea all offered to welcome him.
Washington, Jan 21 : Former US President Barack Obama thanked his staff and supporters on Friday as he and his family prepared to leave Washington following the inauguration of Donald Trump.

"This has been the privilege of my life, and I know I speak for Michelle as well," EFE news quoted Obama as saying with former First Lady Michelle Obama at his side on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, just outside Washington.

"We look forward to continuing this journey with all of you -- and I can't wait to see what you do next, and I promise you I'll be right there with you," he said.

"I've said before, and I will say again, that when we started on this journey we did so with an abiding faith in the American people," Obama said. "And their ability -- our ability -- to join together and change the country in ways that would make life better for our kids and grandkids."

"We have been the face and the voice out front on the TV screen or on the microphone. But this has never been about us. It's been about you," he told supporters, praising them for proving "the power of hope".

Now headed to Palm Springs, California, for a vacation, the Obamas plan to continue living in Washington while their younger daughter completes secondary school.

"This is just a little pit stop. This is a -- this is not a period, this is a comma in the continuing story of building America," Obama said, before concluding: "Yes we did. Yes we can."
Washington, Jan 21 : At least two police officers were injured and 95 protesters were arrested after they smashed windows, damaged cars and threw rocks at police near Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Friday in Washington, D.C.

Two DC police officers and one other person were taken to the hospital for undetermined injuries after run-ins with protesters, DC Fire Spokesman Vito Maggiolo told CNN. The injuries are non-life threatening.

At least 95 people were arrested, ABC news quoted the Metropolitan Police Department as saying.

The city's interim police chief, Peter Newsham, said in a Periscope video posted on Twitter that the problems were caused by one group, "and it's a very, very small percentage of the number of folks that came here to peacefully assemble in our city."

Dramatic video published on social media, showed men and women using signs and sticks to shatter glass at a Starbucks and a bank. Chaos then swept the streets as police attempted to chase down the alleged vandals.

Police said in a statement that an organised group marched through the northwest part of the city at around 10.30 a.m. (local time), and that "members of the group acting in a concerted effort engaged in acts of vandalism and several instances of destruction of property."

The police statement said the group damaged vehicles, destroyed the property of multiple businesses, and ignited smaller isolated fires" and that police vehicles were among those damaged.

Police said they responded using pepper spray and other control devices.

The #DisruptJ20 coalition, named after the date of the inauguration, which had promised that its participants would attempt to shut down the inauguration events, tangled with Bikers for Trump, a group clad in leather biker gear that backs the President.

Following the inauguration, protesters started a fire on the street, burning what appeared to be garbage and a plastic newspaper stand.

A Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, responded to the protests on Twitter, calling them "un-American".

"Nothing is more unAmerican than protesters who are not peaceful. Disgusting," she wrote.
New York, Jan 21 : An Indian-origin man who made more than 3,000 phone calls to officials, some with death threats, has been convicted by a federal court in Sacramento, according to prosecutors.

Eastern California Federal Prosecutor Phillip A. Talbert said on Friday that a federal jury found Kulwant "Ken" Singh Sandhu, 56, guilty on two charges of making harassing calls.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Federal Prosecutors Nirav Desai and James Conolly before Federal Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr.

The prosecution said that from about 2012 Sandhu started making harassing phone calls to the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Washington and to private individuals and in 2015 alone he made more than 3,000 calls and left 350 voicemails.

The SEC regulates the stock markets and the securities industry.

"His voicemails were profanity-filled tirades that repeatedly called for SEC personnel and others to be, among other things, rounded up, publicly hanged, water-boarded, burned alive, shot, and blown up with rockets and tanks," the prosecutor's office said.

"His comments were often sexually graphic and targeted individuals."

He is to be sentenced in April and faces a maximum of two years in prison for each of the two charges he was convicted of.
New York, Jan 21 : Drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, accused of running one of the world's largest drug trafficking organisations, entered a not guilty plea through his attorney at an arraignment on Friday in federal court in Brooklyn.

The trafficker was not handcuffed and wore a dark blue short-sleeved shirt and pants with white sneakers during his brief appearance in a packed courtroom, CNN reported.

Magistrate Judge James Orenstein asked Guzman whether he understood the charges, including the operation of a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiring to murder rivals, firearms violations and money laundering.

In a low voice, the defendant replied: "Si, SeAor."

His arraignment in US District Court for the Eastern District of New York came one day after Guzman was quietly extradited from his native Mexico to the US.

Guzman's next court appearance was set for February 3.

Although Guzman is wanted in six states, he will be prosecuted in a joint Miami-New York indictment in Brooklyn, prosecutors said on Friday in a press conference.

Guzman, 59, is named in a sweeping 17-count indictment alleging that from 1989 to 2014 he led a continuing criminal enterprise responsible for importing and distributing massive amounts of narcotics and conspiring to murder rivals who posed a threat, according to US Attorney Robert Capers of the Eastern District of New York.

Guzman is also charged with firearm violations related to drug trafficking and money laundering connected to the smuggling from the United States to Mexico of more than $14 billion in cash from narcotics sales.

The charges carry a minimum sentence of life in prison, Capers said. Federal prosecutors also intend to seek a $14 billion criminal forfeiture order against Guzman.
UJA Greenwich I am honored to serve as a representative of my Synagogue to the UJA Greenwich Board and look forward to continuing to assist the organization in its incredibly important work both locally and around the globe.

At the philanthropy organization's annual meeting of the Greenwich Chapter at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT, Mr. Abrams was present during an honorarium for Dr. Rick Hodes, the famed medical doctor who has worked tirelessly on behalf of those without medical care.

Mr. Abrams said of the position, I am honored to serve as a representative of my Synagogue to the UJA Greenwich Board and look forward to continuing to assist the organization in its incredibly important work both locally and around the globe. In these times especially, I believe the work done by organizations such as the UJA are critical and there is no better feeling than being a part of something that does such important work as the UJA and all of the various philanthropic boards I have been honored to serve on.

Marcus Abrams is currently Co-President of the Greenwich Reform Synagogue in Greenwich, CT where he is responsible for overseeing the Synagogues operating budget and substantial endowment. His tenure has included leading the effort as Co-President to build a new Synagogue building that is the first purpose built Synagogue in Greenwich history. Mr Abrams has had a distinguished career spanning politics and finance.

He served as Special Assistant to US Congressman Martin Frost(TX) and then in similar positions at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Mr. Abrams then formed Titan Advisors a political consulting firm whose clients included Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and others. While attending law school, Mr. Abrams founded one of the most successful investment management companies in the world - responsible for over $1billion dollars in investment. Mr. Abrams left the firm to focus on philanthropic passions - previously serving as the Chair of the National Jewish Democratic Council's Economic Development Committee, and a member of AIPAC Senate Club.

He additionally has been involved in the film industry as an executive producer of several documentary films. Mr. Abrams holds a B.A. from Boston University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. He lives in Greenwich, CT with their four year old son and are twin daughters born in December of 2016.
Trisha Rosado CFO Animal Supply Company "We are excited to welcome Trisha Rosado to the Animal Supply family. She brings outstanding experience and will play a key role in our companys future," states Don McIntyre, Chief Executive Officer of ASC.

Animal Supply Company (ASC), the national leader in pet food and supplies distribution, welcomes Trisha Rosado as its new Chief Financial Officer.

Trisha Rosado comes to us with 25 years of experience in food manufacturing and distribution. Most recently, Trisha was CFO at Flavors Holding, Inc and held senior finance positions at Sara Lee and US Foods. She will take over day to day leadership of the Finance organization and will be responsible for continuing to build our Finance and Accounting teams. Additionally, she will work closely with, and support, Ken Fish, as he transitions from Chief Financial Officer to Executive Vice President Corporate Development, with a focus on acquisitions, business development and other market growth opportunities.

These changes are aimed at effectively and efficiently driving our strategy over the next five years  a focused effort to make ASC the best distributor of Animal Products and Supplies. In conjunction, these roles will support the new Vision, Mission, and Values launching later this month at Animal Supply Company.

Don McIntyre, Chief Executive Officer, said, We are excited to welcome Trisha to the Animal Supply family. She brings outstanding experience and will play a key role in our companys future. Additionally, we are excited about the focus and passion that Ken will continue to bring to our corporate development efforts. We are confident that our 30th year of business will be our best!

For more information, please contact Mary Kay Gribbons, EVP of Human Resources for Animal Supply, at marykay.gribbons(at)animalsupply(dot)com.

About Animal Supply Company

Animal Supply Company is the national leader in Local Everywhere pet food and supplies distribution serving retailers throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Animal Supply Companys mission is to share our passion for animals through trusted partnerships that connect the brands and customers we serve to those who love pets. We envision a world where every pet is happy, healthy, and safe, and we work through our employees, customers, and vendors to realize this goal. Animal Supply Company operates 30 facilities and employs approximately 1,400 people. The company has nearly 10,000 independent retail customers who operate more than 15,000 retail outlets distributing pet food and supplies. http://www.animalsupply.com
When the Prophet Muhammad arrived in the city of Mecca, he found a city where paganism reigned, slavery was rampant, and hope was dead. Bilal al-Habashi was a resident of the city, a slave whod never known freedom. But when the Prophets message of liberation, faith, and love took root in his heart, Bilals soul took flight. He knew what it was to be free.

Meccas pagan leaders knew they needed to silence Bilal, before his example inspired the rest of the city to seek its own liberation. But despite the torture they inflicted on him, Bilals soul yearned for freedom, and he refused to turn away from his faith. His voice rang out, and the Prophets message of love and freedom soon swept away the pagan leadership and their legacy of bondage.

An inspiring and exciting historical journey, Bilal al-Habashi explores life in the pre-Islamic Middle East, and sets the stage for why Prophet Muhammad and Islam were able to sweep through the region. Its also an extraordinary look at an overlooked historical figure, an ordinary slave who became a high-ranking general and who was renowned for his beautiful singing voice.

Hilal Kara holds a PhD in pedagogy from Germany and a Masters degree in hadith studies from Turkey. She frequently lectures on personal development and family education. Abdullah Kara is a graduate of Arabic and Islamic studies. He is the author of a number of publications, most of which cover Islamic history and character development.

Title: Bilal al-Habashi by Hilal Kara and Abdullah Kara

9781597849272, 6 x 9 inches, 172 pages, $12.95, January 2017

Distributed By: NBN - National Book Network
Situated steps away from two of the ski resorts high-speed SuperChairs, the Grand Colorado on Peak 8 is redefining slopeside luxury in Breckenridge. "My partner Mike Millisor and I are incredibly proud of our new resort and the tremendous effort put forth by all members of the BGV family to open what we believe to be one of the finest ski lodges in all of Colorado," said Dudick.

Award-winning timeshare developer, Breckenridge Grand Vacations (BGV) has officially opened its fourth resort, the Grand Colorado on Peak 8 (GC8). The Grand Colorado debuted on December 17th, launching the first of five scheduled phases.

The first phase of the new resort opened at the base of Peak 8 of the Breckenridge Ski Resort. The Rocky Mountain and Colorado SuperChairs are located next to the resort, offering true slopeside access to one of North Americas top ski resorts. Additionally, the BreckConnect gondola is steps away, taking guests to Peak 7 of the ski resort as well as to downtown Breckenridge.

With enormous enthusiasm, the entire BGV family looks forward to hosting guests at GC8. It is truly one of a kind, said Mike Dudick, CEO of BGV.

On the Grand Colorados opening day, BGV celebrated the completion of phase one and its 38 luxury residences with a special reception at the on-site restaurant, Robbies Tavern at the Bergenhof. GC8 welcomed owners and guests for first occupancy with a champagne toast and appetizers as they checked into their home away from home for the very first time. In addition to the Grand Colorados initial wave of completed units, the property also made the following amenities available as part of phase one: a multi-feature indoor/outdoor aquatics center, heated garage parking, around town shuttle service, temporary Front Desk, Concierge services, Activities programs, and conveniently located ski locker rooms.

A few days later, Robbies Tavern at the Bergenhof also opened its doors to the public. Named after the late BGV Owner/Developer, Rob Millisor, and paying tribute to the historical Bergenhof restaurant which once stood on this parcel of land, Robbies Tavern offers American comfort food, world-class wines, a robust beer selection and slopeside dining within the heart of Breckenridges first and most celebrated base area.

The residences offer mountain-modern aesthetics with unbeatable views of the Breckenridge Ski Resort and the Ten Mile Range, in addition to breathtaking views of downtown Breckenridge, Baldy and Guyot Mountains, and even Keystone Ski Resort in the distance.

At the time of completion, the resort will offer 265 residences that are available for purchase in one-week ownership increments. There will also be multiple aquatics areas, private movie theaters, an outdoor ice rink, market, cafe, arcade/game room, lobby bar and the Infinity Spa at the Grand Colorado.

Sales of the new property, which began in December of 2014, have been incredibly strong. The Grand Colorado's sales in December of 2016 totaled $7.1 million, making it the most lucrative December that Breckenridge Grand Vacations has generated in its 33-year history.

ABOUT BRECKENRIDGE GRAND VACATIONS: Created in 1984, Breckenridge Grand Vacations (BGV) was built by brothers Mike and Rob Millisor and friend Mike Dudick upon the belief that the success of their company would be determined by the positive impact it had on their owners and guests, employees and the community. The developers of the company also embraced the concept that BGV would be the best in sales if they were first and foremost the best in customer service. The company has embraced the Net Promoter methodology company-wide and consistently beats industry averages with its high scores. BGV now creates Grand vacations for nearly 22,000 owners and employs over 500 staff members.
Her Velvet Vase provides a woman with the ideal expression of her own style."

Her Velvet Vase unveils its Beau Monde Spring Summer 2017 Collection of dresses, separates and outerwear to the US market. The launch as well as the core design concept of the new collection underscores the brands signature of timeless and sophisticated elegance and a cosmopolitan flair that makes it equally at home in any of the worlds capitals from New York and Paris to London and Shanghai. Each piece is crafted from fine quality fabrics cut in sleek silhouettes for comfort, movement and precise fit. The collection is rendered in classic neutrals and delicate tones including pale pink, pale grey, nude, beige, toffee, peach, black, white, navy, green, and jade.

Mag Chan, creative director of Her Velvet Vase, explains the latest collection is a celebration of a refined life, reflecting the subtle radiance of nature as it awakens after a long winter. From everyday career wear to casual weekends and travel, these are pieces that spark inspiration and empowerment in all that a woman embodies; the strong and sophisticated Madison pantsuit, casual Paddington linen shirt dress cinched at the waist, relaxed-fit Midas midi dress complete with subtle side slit to reveal an inner shorter skirt, beach-perfect Marrakech faux wrap eyelet blouse, romantic Moulin kimono top with ruffles, flirty Crepe wrap blouse, timeless Wellington top coat, elegant Prive belted dress with asymmetric overlay and pleated mini skirt, statement Earl Grey blouse with flared sleeves, delicate Yves v-neck caplet blouse, feminine Tuscany dress with illusion neckline and banded mesh skirt, tailored double-breasted Harper coat and timeless calf-length Sage tie-waist palazzo pants.

About HER VELVET VASE

Established in 2007 by co-founders and sisters Clare and Mag Chan, Her Velvet Vase offers a distinctly refined glamour that has earned it well-deserved recognition as the fashion must-have among stylish women worldwide. It was conceived as an alternative to the impersonal big brand lines and carefully curated to encompass a range of tops, skirts, trousers, dresses, outerwear, bags and accessories that seamlessly fit into the diverse aspects of an independent womans lifestyle. Her Velvet Vase provides a woman with the ideal expression of her own style, says co-founder and creative director Mag Chan. Whether shes a young fashion influencer or a corporate executive, a homemaker or a jetsetter, any woman can discover a part of herself and facets of her life in our collections, she adds. Her Velvet Vase, sizes xs to xl, retails from about $40 to $100 for apparel and $20 to $70 for bags and accessories, and available online at http://www.hervelvetvase.com
REWORK Machine Intelligence Summit 2016 The recent advances in artificial intelligence were catalytic in enabling autonomous driving technology.

Why Attend?

The Machine Intelligence in Autonomous Vehicles Summit is a unique opportunity to interact with business leaders, influential academics and rapidly advancing startups leading the connected car revolution. Learn from and connect with a global audience of 200+ leading technologists and scientists sharing best practices and insights to advance the interconnected car and create more sustainable transport. View the agenda here.

The Machine Intelligence Summit will be running alongside, meaning attendees can enjoy additional sessions and networking opportunities, allowing them to further expand their knowledge and ensure their organisation is up-to-date with the latest trends, advancements and impactful applications in the field of artificial intelligence. Additional sessions include Computer Vision, Image Recognition and Video Analysis. View that agenda here.

Confirmed attendees include: Intel, MIT, Ford Motor Company, IBM, Capital One, Hitachi, Flickr, Apple, Comcast Ventures, Climate Corporation and Amazon.

Speakers

With over 40 speakers it is a great chance to discover, first hand, the technology shaping the future of connected cars and the impact this technology will have on businesses and individuals alike.

We have a fantastic lineup of speakers confirmed, this includes:

> Nikhil George, Senior Manager Perception & Machine Learning at Volkswagen Electronics Research Lab

> Ioannis Petousis, Head of Data Science at Renovo Motors

> Sam Kherat, Senior Manufacturing Automation Team Leader at Caterpillar

> Luca Rigazio, Director of Engineering at Panasonic Silicon Valley Laboratory

> Teymur Sadikhov, Senior Vehicles Intelligence Engineer in Autonomous Driving at Mercedes-Benz R&D

Do you have an interesting topic for discussion, or know of someone who does? Let us know by suggesting a speaker here.

On-Demand Content

Cant attend the live events? We have a new and improved Video Hub platform where you can access the event content on-demand; including technical presentations, slides, panel discussions & expert interviews. Email hello(at)re-work(dot)co if youd like to be notified of the launch and introductory membership pricing.

Tickets & Registration

Early Bird tickets are available until 3 February 2017. For further information and to register at a discounted rate, click here.

About REWORK

REWORK is an all-female run events organising company that brings together breakthrough technology, cutting-edge science and entrepreneurship shaping the future of business and society. At each event, we showcase the opportunities of exponentially accelerating technology to positively disrupt industry and society. For more information, view the full line-up of events here.

For media and press enquiries, interviews and images, please email Charlotte Utting:

cutting(at)re-work(dot)co
SafeNet Assured Technologies, LLC, a U.S. based provider of government high assurance data security solutions, today announced the release of its latest cryptographic key management solution, KeySecure for Government. KeySecure for Government is manufactured, sold, and supported in the U.S. exclusively by SafeNet Assured Technologies.

KeySecure for Government manages cryptographic keys and associated policies for a broad range of data-at-rest encryption solutions. This cryptographic key management system can be deployed across physical, virtual, or public cloud environments.

Developed for U.S. Government use, KeySecure for Government centrally manages and consolidates cryptographic keys from multiple, disparate encryption platforms. It offers centralized key management capabilities for a wide variety of third-party solutions including:



Backup Media and Storage

Cloud Encryption Gateways

Cloud Services

Database Encryption

Disk and File Encryption

Big Data

Storage and Archive

KeySecure for Government also integrates with Gemaltos SafeNet data-at-rest encryption solutions to create a holistic data encryption environment. When deployed with Gemaltos solutions, KeySecure for Government both manages the cryptographic key lifecycle and provides centralized, high performance cryptographic operations.

Cryptographic key management system is a critical component of a robust encryption architecture says Kirk Spring, President, SafeNet Assured Technologies. Encryption is often the last line of defense in data security. However, encrypted data is only as secure as the system managing the cryptographic keys generated by the encryption process says Spring. As organizations deploy numerous siloed encryption solutions, the number of associated cryptographic keys and key stores grow exponentially. Security teams struggle with the administrative effort required to manage not only encryption deployments, but also the associated key lifecycle operations says Spring.

Derived from Gemalto industry-leading technology, KeySecure for Government is available as either a hardware appliance or virtual appliance. KeySecure for Government supports a hardware root of trust utilizing a FIPS 140-2 Level 2 or 3 Luna for Government hardware security module (HSM).

KeySecure for Government virtual appliance supports deployments with VMWare and AWS U.S. federal and commercial regions. The virtual appliance integrates with a HSM for best-in-class security. The HSM can be co-located with the virtual appliance or operated in a hybrid environment where the virtual appliance runs in the cloud while the HSM is located on the customer premise.

To learn more about KeySecure for Government, visit http://www.safenetat.com/keysecure-for-government.

About SafeNet Assured Technologies, LLC.

SafeNet Assured Technologies, LLC protects the U.S. Federal Governments most sensitive information systems. As a U.S. based company, SafeNet Assured Technologies mission is to provide high assurance data security products and technologies to the Federal Government. Defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies trust SafeNet Assured Technologies to provide encryption-based identity and authentication solutions, secure sensitive data and networks, and enable assured information sharing. Visit http://www.safenetAT.com for more information.
For years, we have seen that savings rates are not matching the rising costs associated with retirement and longevity,

Citing a huge gap between savings rates, longevity and the funds needed for retirement, veteran life settlement professionals recently launched the Golden Opportunity Network. The company will focus on offering solutions that help seniors pay for retirement and fund their golden years with a full range of planning tools to quickly and easily evaluate existing assets.

The Golden Opportunity Network will initially focus on seniors who have yet to learn about the value of existing life insurance policies. Many seniors are unaware that life insurance policies are assets that can be sold, particularly when insurance coverage is no longer needed  such as when a spouse passes or children are grown and have left the nest. Even term insurance policies have value as they often offer term-conversion priveledges that will allow for sale in a transaction known as term-to-perm.

Stephen Terrell, a 25-year veteran of life insurance settlement business who pioneered branding and advertising within the industry, will lead the new company. The Golden Opportunity Network will add speed and education to all of the transactions. Helping both consumers and funding companies access each other, the company looks to shrink the gap between reverse mortgages and other products for the many seniors who today cant afford retirement costs and dont see a reasonable path to pay for future expenses.

For years, we have seen that savings rates are not matching the rising costs associated with retirement and longevity, said Terrell. We have been warning about it for years, and it is finally gaining a foothold in the mainstream. We will serve as a resource for seniors and the many service providers who can help them have meaningful golden years.

The Golden Opportunity Network brings an entirely new approach to senior planning. With decades of experience helping people with financial, medical and emotional situations, the company takes a holistic approach to assisting clients to manage their golden years. The company has developed processes to quickly and securely analyze a seniors economic situation and guide them to alternative financial options.

The Golden Opportunity Network offers these services free of charge, only providing guidance and access to products, services, and strategies that will help seniors improve their lives now and in the future. The company refers seniors to a network of helpful providers but only to those that will assist in making the retirement years truly golden.

The Golden Opportunity Network offers a broad range of guidance and advice to seniors who want to make the most of their golden years. For more information, contact Stephen E. Terrell at stephen(dot)terrell(at)goldenopportunitynetwork(dot)com or visit http://www.GoldenOpportunityNetwork.com. He can also be contacted through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stepheneterrell
I Forgive You: a fine examination of how God handles sin, including how to let go of lingering guilt and shame. I Forgive You is the creation of published author, Stephen Miller, who, for over ten long years has been waiting to release this powerful insight about forgiveness that the Lord has gracefully given to him. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, he has been serving the Lord for over twenty years, and he has been preaching and teaching the Word of God for the past fifteen years. He loves his three wonderful children dearly. They are a blessing to him.

Stephen believes that "When we cry out to the Lord, it is an act of despair and supplication; it is an expression of our faith and trust in God".

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Stephen Millers new book delights in the truth of the Creator of all that is, in a refreshing novel, to ignite faith in His followers.

When is it appropriate to start crying to the Lord for help? Crying is an utterance of a loud voice; throughout generations believers have always cried to the Lord in times of our distress. It can take several years of praying to create a single cry which causes deliverance to happen (Psalms 56:9).

View a synopsis of I Forgive You" on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase I Forgive You at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, Kobo or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about I Forgive You, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
"On November 9, 2016, a majority of American voters awoke to find their worst nightmare had come true: Through fear, bigotry and lies, the most dangerously uninformed, inexperienced and unbalanced man ever to seek the office had been elected President  even though he received nearly 3 million votes less than his opponent.

Since that moment, Americans who were appalled by this prospect, began to look for ways they could resist the serious threat to our Democracy, that the minority-elected Trump and the Republican agenda represents," said Ron Molinaro, the Executive Director of Resist for America.

Thousands  as they will today in Chicago marching from Daley Plaza to Trump Tower  have taken to the streets in nationwide protests, against a danger to America's Democracy. But millions more also want to be heard... especially by the legislators they have elected to serve them, and to protect and defend the Constitution.

"So, it was with that in mind, a handful of politically active people gathered in Chicago shortly after the election to see how the decades of experience theyve amassed between them organizing, campaigning and advancing progressive causes and candidates could be harnessed to involve as many patriotic people as possible in an active and vocal resistance to the growing menace the Trump presidency represents." Molinaro said

Depending only upon volunteer help and a shoestring budget, ResistForAmerica.org was born. According to Executive Director Ron Molinaro, with our immediate goal of serving as a clearinghouse of effective tools for real action, using the power of the internet and social media to put voters in direct contact with lawmakers and eventually with each other.

Republican Party leaders are claiming a mandate for their intent to dismantle Obama era successes, putting the most vulnerable Americans in jeopardy, and rolling back hard-won rights of minorities, women and the LGBT community. The reality is, Molinaro points out, Mr. Trump lost the popular vote in an election where over 90 million Americans refused to vote, the lowest turnout in two decades.

Only approximately 25% of American voters cast ballots for Donald Trump. That is certainly no mandate for a radical right-wing agenda. said Molinaro

ResistForAmerica.org seeks to make this clear to elected officials through the resistance tool box it has developed. The website features access to information sources on the most pressing issues facing America as well as online advocacy tools connecting Americans with Members of Congress  one of the most effective ways citizens can impact policy and legislation  and even provides them with the talking points they need to make their concerns known.

ResistForAmerica.org will be constantly evolving as the debate changes. Our hope is that our fellow Americans will take advantage of these innovative online tools, at ResistForAmerica.org said Molinaro. By working together, we can resist Donald Trumps destructive policies.

For further information contact: Ron Molinaro 847-513-4356 or Steve Temkin 847-337-2162

##
We are thrilled to be named as one of the elite providers in the print and digital industry. As an employee owned company, our consultants & support staff are highly invested in maintaining great relationships." - Stuart Boyar, Cooley Group President

The Best of Print & Digital is an annual program that identifies which companies have provided the highest service delivery to their customers over the last year through independent survey research performed by Butler Street Research for the print and digital industry. Only the very top companies in the industry were able to achieve this distinction, and Cooley Group is honored to receive this award.

Mike Jacoutot, Butler Streets founder and managing partner shared, This years winners are clearly the best of the best in the industry. They have proven the difference that exceptional customer experience makes and as a result, are poised for increased client loyalty and future profitable growth.

Stuart Boyar, Cooley Group President added, We are thrilled to be named as one of the elite providers in the print and digital industry as seen through our customers eyes. As an employee owned company, our consultants & support staff are highly invested in maintaining great relationships and our clients feedback is what fuels our continuous improvement and growth.

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is widely regarded as the most accurate leading indicator of client loyalty and future revenue. To qualify for the award, companies must have received an NPS score of at least 40 in conjunction with a minimum customer response rate. Only the top scoring companies in the print industry achieved this distinct honor.

The Cooley Group is Aces. Their professionalism and responsiveness are exceptional. I would recommend them to everyone!

Kevin Cottingham & Mike Mauro, One On One PT

About Cooley Group

Cooley Group is an employee owned company focused on helping companies express their brands more effectively in the market. Our services include branded apparel, printing, promotional products, specialty print and packaging. The standard we demand of ourselves is evident in the performance and outcomes we deliver to each of our clients on a daily basis. For more information, visit http://www.cooleybrand.com

About Net Promoter Score (NPS)

Net Promoter, Net Promoter System, Net Promoter Score, NPS and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Fred Reichheld and Satmetrix Systems, Inc. Developed in 2003, NPS across leading companies worldwide is considered as the standard for measuring customer loyalty.

About Butler Street

Butler Street is a management consulting, training and research firm that specializes in client and talent development. Butler Streets managing partners have in excess of 100 years of executive level sales, marketing and operations experience across print staffing, and revenue cycle industries. Butler Street helps companies and their people grow and delvers lasting results in the two most challenging areas that companies face: client and talent development.
ARS employee, Christina Prado, serves in the Army Reserves A Company 328th, and submitted ARS as a nominee for the award. She was joined by her commanding officer as part of a committee to present the company with this prestigious honor. ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve) is a Department of Defense Program that promotes cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers. As quoted by the ESGR website, Encouraging employers to support and value the balance between employment and military services of members of the National Guard and Reserve, ensures that these citizen warriors can defend and protect us at home and abroad with a continued promise of meaningful civilian employment for themselves and their families.

ARS enjoys interacting with employees to reach mutually agreeable arrangements to ensure their employment is maintained while serving our country, stated Dave Copeland COO of ARS. In addition to providing supportive employment opportunities for our reserve employees, we recognize the value and importance of family readiness support. It is our goal to support those who freely give of themselves for our nation. Providing sponsorship for events such as the local ESGR Family Day is another way weve been able to contribute toward that goal.

[ARSs] support was the backbone of this event, but the support really goes farther than this one event, stated Christina Prado Army Reservist and ARS employee. She went on to say, When I must report for duty, I can breathe easy knowing that the team can fill my responsibilities until my return. And I dont live with the stress or worry about if I will have a job [to return to]. [ARS] is an asset to the Army Reserve and National Guard and that is why [they were] granted the Patriot Award.

In the award letter presented to ARS, James P Combs, State Chairman California ESGR offered congratulations and declared Your Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriotic Employer Award reflects the high level of support that you have shown for your employees serving in the United States Armed Forces Guard and Reserve. This award recognizes employers, like you, that are providing outstanding support for their National Guard and Reserve employees.

ARS is committed to supporting and giving back to the community and it is through efforts such as these that the company makes a lasting and positive impact not only on their Reserve and National Guard employees, but also their families, and the Reserve and Guard community as a whole.

ABOUT ARS:

ARS is a leader in the national repossession industry through technology and compliance oriented business processes which deliver top-tier results for the nations leading auto lenders including the largest banks, captive finance companies, portfolio managers, and credit unions.

*** ARS repossesses a vehicle every 2 minutes 24/7/365***

Visit ARSs website at http://www.PKWillis.com
I am excited to join Be Group and bring my experience in the industry to our clients, applicants and consultants, said Ed Epstein, VP of Staffing Solutions, Be Group.

Be Group, a talent-placement firm that specializes in the placement of sales, marketing-and-communications and technology professionals, announced today that Ed Epstein has been named Vice President of Staffing Solutions.

As VP of Staffing Solutions, Epstein will be responsible for continued maturation of the placement business while growing Be Groups contingent staffing offerings.

Epstein has significant experience in the staffing and recruitment industry with more than 30 years in sales, marketing, and management for technology-based consulting and software product firms. Prior to joining Be Group, Epstein was SVP with NTT Data (legacy MISI Company) for 14 years. In that time, he managed the IT staffing teams in Philadelphia, New York and Los Angeles. Under Epsteins leadership, he managed the Philadelphia region for more than six years growing it from 35 consultants to more than 175 and from $4.5M to $22M in annual revenue.

I am excited to join Be Group and bring my experience in the industry to our clients, applicants and consultants, said Ed Epstein, VP of Staffing Solutions, Be Group. Ultimately, my goal is to introduce skilled candidates to successful companies, and I am motivated to help Be Group strive toward that goal.

Be Group offers a unique approach to the perm and contingent resource process. Candidates are only referred to Be Group; they are not sourced through job boards. After they are hired by our client as either a full-time employee or contract resource, we maintain a responsibility for their tenure and overall success. The concept is not new to the industry but it has been lost in job boards, word searches and email correspondence. Our delivery foundation is representing people and candidates and discussing real client and employer opportunities.

"The partnership and hiring of Ed comes at an opportune time when Be Group is streamlining and preparing for continued growth, said Staci Bender Epstein, President and CEO, Be Group. "I am confident that Ed will play a large role in the companys future success and I am thrilled to have him as my partner.

Together, the husband and wife team has a track record of successfully matching people and companies; they take pride in servicing clients and watching employees thrive in their careers.

About Be Group

Be Group is a talent-placement firm that specializes in identifying permanent and contingent resources of highly qualified sales, marketing-and-communications, and technology professionals. We provide these services to leading organizations across virtually every line of business.

For more information on Be Group, please visit http://www.begroupconnects.com/
The L'VOYAGE 2017 Top 10 Exotic Jet Destinations List "Asian ultra high net worth travelers want to experience something that money can't buy at home. Each of these 10 destinations offers something unique," said Diana Chou.

Exotic and hard-to-reach destinations, such as Cuba, Madagascar and Tahiti, are among the top 10 holiday destinations recommended for Asia's well-heeled private jet travelers in 2017. The L'VOYAGE Top 10 Exotic Jet Destinations List released today bypasses ubiquitous hotspots such as Maldives and the Seychelles, and includes some unexpected locations such as Monte Carlo and Brazil.

The idea of an exotic destination has long been defined from a western mindset. What is exotic and exciting to someone in Asia is quite different from the western viewpoint. Locations such as Cuba and Monte Carlo made the L'VOYAGE 2017 Top 10 Exotic Jet Destinations List because they offer cultural experiences that Asian travelers consider special and unique, and are difficult for them to fly directly to on commercial airlines. On the other hand, typical shortlists such as the Maldives and the Seychelles did not make the List because there is already a choice of competing high-end beach resort destinations closer to home in the Asia Pacific. This in turn, affected their selection," said Diana Chou, founder and chairman of L'VOYAGE, a Hong Kong-based private jet chartering company. Because flying to such locations can take over 24 hours on commercial airlines, Asia's ultra high net worth travelers are more likely to charter private jets to visit such destinations. In some cases, travel times will be cut by as much as 16 hours.

"Asian ultra high net worth travelers want to experience something that money can't buy at home. Each of these 10 destinations offers something unique. There's a bit of a snob factor in dining at one of the worlds most exciting Michelin-starred restaurants or taking a selfie against amazing natural backdrops. The more exclusive the experience, the less money is a factor for private jet travelers. Of course, safety is also another consideration and we avoided terrorist hot spots in the L'VOYAGE Top 10 Exotic Jet Destinations List," added Chou.

L'OYAGE 2017 Top 10 Exotic Jet Destinations List

1. Brazil

2. Croatia

3. Cuba

4. Ecuador

5. Fiji

6. Madagascar

7. Monte Carlo

8. Palau

9. Peru

10. Tahiti

The L'VOYAGE Top 10 Exotic Jet Destinations List was compiled by reviewing growing interest by ultra high net worth travelers for private flights to certain destinations and feedback from specialist high-end tour agencies. L'VOYAGE then shortlisted 10 destinations based on its recommendations on the locations exotic factor for Asian travelers.

Note: More information and complete fight time tables are available upon request.

About LVOYAGE

http://www.lvoyage.aero

LVOYAGE is a bespoke private jet chartering company based in Hong Kong with a long heritage in serving discerning corporate travelers and jet-setters. Part of a specialist business aviation group that began in 1998, LVOYAGE offers unrivalled access to aircraft options and landing destinations, coupled with highly personalised hospitality. LVOYAGE is also the first Wyvern approved broker in Asia, making its safety intelligence of the highest accredited standards within the region.
Its exciting to join a great organization that is so highly-regarded in the staffing and recruiting industry,

MDI Group, a leading national IT staffing and recruiting services provider, named Larry Zaroff as the new Managing Director of the Charlotte office. In this role, Zaroff is responsible for attracting and retaining top talent, guiding the sales, recruiting, and support teams, and delivering elite customer service for clients within and surrounding Charlotte, N.C.

Its exciting to join a great organization that is so highly-regarded in the staffing and recruiting industry, said Zaroff. I look forward to making a positive impact on not just procedures and processes, but on every employee and coworker I interact with. Charlotte is a vibrant city of wonderful people, and Im happy to assist in connecting job-seekers with employers throughout the area.

The hiring of Larry is a significant victory for our Charlotte branch, said Ella Koscik, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of MDI Group. His proven expertise in sales and management makes him a natural leader for our organization. It is without a shadow of a doubt that I know he will be able to continue our excellent work in the Charlotte market and lead it into the future.

All members of MDI Groups senior team offer decades of industry experience, and continually stay current on supply and demand of local IT skills, pay rates, employment and labor law, customer service techniques and contingent workforce trends. In addition to serving the greater Charlotte area, MDI Group also has offices located in Atlanta, Georgia; Greenville, S.C.; Phoenix, Arizona; Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas.

About MDI Group

MDI Group is a pioneer among IT staffing and recruiting agencies, providing a full range of recruitment services to help in-house resources tackle whats next in terms of emerging technology projects and challenging business objectives since 1988. Services range from contract and contract-to-hire placements to project teams and end-to-end processes that maximize the engagement and management of contract labor. MDI Group has placed more than 10,000 technology consultants with mid-sized to Fortune 500 organizations across the country. For more information, visit http://www.mdigroup.com and follow @MDIGroup.
I am excited about the new guidelines and best practices we will be able to develop among the participants of The Masters Conference and LTPI members. The Legal Industry craves many different opinions and insights.

Legal Technology Professionals Institute (LTPI) and The Masters Conference announce a collaboration to create new resources and networking opportunities for eDiscovery and legal technology professionals.

As an educational partner, LTPI will work with sponsors of The Masters Conference on new projects that will help to continue building resources of guidelines and checklists that can be implemented by legal and information governance professionals. The final project materials developed by members of LTPI and the sponsors will then serve as the basis for highlighting during sessions held by The Masters Conference worldwide.

In addition to the creation of projects and content for the events, LTPI will offer a $75 discount on annual membership for all registrants to a Masters Conference event. Registrants can use promo code LTPIMC17 to join.

LTPI members will also benefit from discounted rates for future events hosted by The Masters Conference including a 20% discount on attendance fees for law firm professionals, corporate in-house teams, and industry consultants, as well as complimentary attendance for Government employees. Special rates and benefits will be announced to LTPI members before each of the seven events hosted in 2017 with The Masters Conference.

Kevin Clark, a Board Member at LTPI, said of the collaboration, We are pleased to be partnering with The Masters Conference. The Masters Conference has over ten years of providing thought leadership through their events programs, and shares LTPIs passion and commitment to the legal technology community. We know that participants of both organizations will benefit greatly from the work we will do together.

Joining LTPI is one further step in more than a decade of intense focus at The Masters Conference around legal technology and eDiscovery thought leadership, said Robert Childress, Founder, and CEO of The Masters Conference. I am excited about the new guidelines and best practices we will be able to develop among the participants of The Masters Conference and LTPI members. The Legal Industry craves many different opinions and insights. The Masters Conference continues to focus on education diversity and LTPI is an excellent step towards this goal.

Advisory Board members and Cabinet members of both LTPI and The Master Conference will be attending the upcoming Legaltech Week in New York City. Legaltech attendees can visit the ACEDS booth #531 to learn more about LTPI membership and projects. To discuss participation in either organization, please contact us at marketing@legaltechpi.org or info(at)themastersconference(dot)com.

About The Masters Conference

The Masters Conference, the premier educational forum, continues to promote the top professionals, leading vendors while creating an environment for exclusive attendees to engage in a proactive collaboration on current challenges in the legal industry. As a global legal conference, The Masters Conference has ten years experience in relationship building and thought leadership growth. The Masters Conference has featured thousands of experts many of whom you trust every day. The Masters Conference continues to strive to develop various discussions focused on the ever changing world of data privacy, cybersecurity, eDiscovery and more. Learn more at http://www.mastersconference.com.

About Legal Technology Professionals Institute

Legal Technology Professional Institute is a nonprofit legal association for legal practitioners who are involved in eDiscovery, investigations and information governance. Sponsors of the initiative include the worlds leading law firms, corporations, enterprise software companies and litigation support providers. Learn more at http://www.legaltechpi.org.
The two newest companies to join the University City Science Centers Port business incubator are transforming healthcare treatment options for patients. Vironika, founded by Paul Lieberman of The Wistar Institute, and Sanguis, launched by a trio of students from the University of Pennsylvania, are both taking lab space at 3624 Market Street.

Vironika is developing treatments for chronic viral infection and its associated diseases, with the goal of helping to develop new drugs that interfere with Epstein-Barr Virus' ability to cause cancer and other serious illnesses. The companys work is supported by multiple NIH small business grants and ongoing research collaboration with The Wistar Institute.

The student founders of Sanguis are working to address a significant gap in care for chemotherapy patients. Blood cell counts are usually only measured when the patient is visiting the clinic, which can leave patients vulnerable to medical complications if their blood cell counts drop between visits. Sanguis is developing a convenient and cost-efficient handheld device for frequent monitoring of blood cell counts in these patients. With the device, patients receiving chemotherapy can monitor their side-effects while preventing serious medical complications.

Sanguis is also participating in the Science Centers Phase 1 Ventures program, an accelerator that provides funding, commercial expertise, and business-building tools to newly-launched companies developing technologies that require significant R&D and/or regulatory development.

The Port business incubator has helped hundreds of emerging life sciences, physical sciences, and digital technology companies launch and grow by connecting them to business-building programs, clinical resources, investors and advice. The Port offers a range of affordable and flexible options for fast-growing companies, from cubicles, fully furnished offices, and wet and dry labs directly in the heart of uCity Square, with coworking available at the Innovation Center @3401 (ic@3401).The Port also connects its residents to Greater Philadelphias diverse and supportive innovation ecosystem. Over the last four years, Port residents have successfully raised more than $250 million in capital.

About the Science Center

Located in the heart of uCity Square, the Science Center is a mission-driven nonprofit organization that catalyzes and connects innovation to entrepreneurship and technology commercialization. For 50+ years, the Science Center has supported startups, research, and economic development in the life sciences, healthcare, physical sciences, and emerging technology sectors. As a result, graduate firms and current residents of the Science Centers incubator support one out of every 100 jobs in the Greater Philadelphia region and drive $13 billion in economic activity in the region annually. By providing resources and programming for any stage of a businesss lifecycle, the Science Center helps scientists, entrepreneurs and innovators take their concepts from idea to IPO  and beyond.

For more information about the Science Center, go to http://www.sciencecenter.org

This press release has been updated since it was originally posted.
Rick Steves at Germany's Wartburg Castle Political movements, presidents, and trends come and go, and, as a traveler, I well know how the world looks to America...as a beacon of freedom...a land where people of all religions, sexual orientations, and ethnicities enjoy equality under the law.

Best-selling guidebook author and public TV host Rick Steves announces that he will donate every dollar spent at his online store on Inauguration Day, January 20th, to the ACLU.

Steves announced the fundraiser on social media on Wednesday, January 18th:

Lets empower the ACLU: For every dollar you spend on Inauguration Day at http://www.ricksteves.com/shop, Ill give a dollar to ACLU Nationwide.

Even though I canceled my flight and hotel reservations for the inauguration in Washington DC after Election Day, I still want to celebrate this important day for all of us Americans. And I want to do it in a way that reflects my values and what I love most about America: tolerance, diversity, and freedom.

Thats why Ive decided to dedicate Inauguration Day (this Friday) to the ACLU. The American Civil Liberties Union stands on principled grounds in defense of our civil liberties as promised by our Constitution. I believe that Americans of any political stripe can feel proud of the ACLU's mission, as it boldly defends minorities from the tyranny of the majority. Political movements, presidents, and trends come and go, and, as a traveler, I well know how the world looks to America  in good times and bad  as a beacon of freedom...a land where people of all religions, sexual orientations, and ethnicities enjoy equality under the law.

So, to celebrate and help fund the ACLU  which will be working hard for civil liberties in the coming years  Im happy to send them a donation equal to the entire amount of money spent at http://www.ricksteves.com/shop on January 20th. So whats the deal? Its simple: For every dollar you spend buying any guidebooks or travel gear on Inauguration Day, Ill give a dollar to the ACLU.

Yes, on Saturday, January 21, Ill send a check to the ACLU equal to the amount spent in our Travel Store on Friday, January 20.

Lets hope and pray that with the inauguration of a new president on that day, America finds a way to continue being the bold, compassionate, generous, and inspirational leader our world hopes to see when they look at the Stars and Stripes.

Happy travels in 2017, and God bless America in the coming years.

Kathleen Taylor, Executive Director of the ACLU of Washington said, We are so grateful to Rick Steves for his longtime support of civil liberties and for once again acting on his values and standing with the ACLU to ensure the rights of everyone in America. Together, we will hold our government accountable to the promise of the Constitution.

Rick Steves is available for a limited number of interviews. Contact Ashley Sytsma, ashley(at)ricksteves(dot)com, 425-608-4293 with requests.

About Rick Steves:

Rick Steves advocates smart, affordable, perspective-broadening travel. As host and writer of the popular public television series Rick Steves' Europe, and best-selling author of over 50 European travel books, he encourages Americans to travel as "temporary locals." He helps American travelers connect much more intimately and authentically with Europe  and Europeans  for a fraction of what mainstream tourists pay.

Rick is outspoken on the need for Americans to fit better into our planet by broadening our perspectives through travel. He is also committed to his own neighborhood. He's an active member of the Lutheran church (and has hosted the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's national video productions). He's a board member of NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). And Rick has provided his local YWCA with a 24-unit apartment building with which to house homeless mothers.

He lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington, where his office window overlooks his old junior high school.
University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman and representatives of partner school districts and organizations on Jan. 19, 2017. The Partnership for Access to College Education will have an especially powerful impact on students who are the first in their families to go to college

The University of La Verne has partnered with more than a dozen Southern California school districts and organizations for one of the regions single-largest initiatives to ensure that students have access to a high-quality, affordable college education.

The Partnership for Access to College Education (PACE) launched on Jan. 19, 2017, with public school districts that encompass more than 50 high schools and serve more than 226,000 students per year.

The program promises qualified students from the districts a pathway to college that includes:



Access to college preparatory courses

Guaranteed college admission

Guaranteed financial aid of at least $10,000 per year

Application fee waivers

And a range of programs to assist with college readiness and the application process

The Partnership for Access to College Education will have an especially powerful impact on students who are the first in their families to go to college, University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman said. These students need extra support and a sense of community to guide them on their paths to success, and thats exactly what we are building with these school districts and organizations.

About half of the students who attend the University of La Verne are the first in their families to go to college. About 75 percent of first-time freshman come from within 50 miles of La Verne.

PACE founding partners include: Alhambra Unified School District, Bishop Conaty  Our Lady of Loretto High School, Bonita Unified School District, Chaffey Joint Union High School District, Covina Unified School District, Duarte Unified School District, Fontana Unified School District, Monrovia Unified School District, Montebello Unified School District, Pomona Unified School District, San Diego College Bound, Upland Unified School District, West Covina Unified School District, and Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District.

The partnership will go into effect immediately, starting with current high school seniors who apply for the fall 2017 term.

Superintendents and other officials from the districts gathered at the university to celebrate the launch.

Were extremely proud to partner with one of the great universities in the United States in creating higher education opportunities for our students, said Mathew Holton, superintendent of the Chaffey Joint Union High School District, the second largest high school district in California. Through this commitment, we hope our students can positively impact this community.

Nancy Kelly, superintendent of the Upland Unified School District, led a delegation of five Upland representatives at the ceremony.

We are proud and excited to enter into this guaranteed admissions agreement with the University of La Verne, which will create new opportunities for many of our students, Kelly said. Ensuring that every student has the opportunity to go to college is our unwavering commitment in the Upland Unified School District, and bold partnerships such as this go a long way toward making that happen.

Ensuring students access to college is more important than ever. A recent study from the Economic Policy Institute revealed that the pay gap between college graduates and everyone else is the largest on record, with college graduates now earning an average of 56 percent more than non-graduates.

In addition to serving first-time college freshman, the PACE partnership will also benefit employees of the partner school districts. Faculty and staff admitted to the University of La Vernes Ed.D. program are guaranteed a $100 per unit scholarship.

About the University of La Verne

Founded in 1891 and located 35 miles east of Los Angeles, the University of La Verne is a private, nonprofit, comprehensive institution founded on four core values: lifelong learning, ethical reasoning, civic and community engagement, and diversity and inclusivity. The University of La Verne serves nearly 8,400 students on the historic La Verne location as well as across 10 Southern California regional campuses. Four colleges  LaFetra College of Education, College of Business and Public Management, College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Law  provide 51 undergraduate degree programs, 17 masters degrees and four doctoral degrees.
Neighborhood Credit Union member Gabrielle N. of Farmers Branch was shocked when she received a $49,999.99 prize as a reward for her good savings habits. I have saved money since my first job at 16 years old. Its a mindset to make saving some of your money a priority so it becomes a habit.

Saving money consistently can reap surprising rewards, Gabrielle N. of Farmers Branch has learned. (The winners full name is being abbreviated to protect her identity.)

Gabrielle was stunned, speechless and a little skeptical, as Neighborhood Credit Union leaders showed up at her doorstep early Wednesday evening to surprise her with a $49,999.99 prize. The ninth-annual Prize Savings Account grand prize was nearly doubled this year to further encourage Neighborhood Credit Union members to build good savings habits.

For nearly 20 seconds, Gabrielle did not utter a word, as she stared at the oversized check. The actual funds were deposited directly into her Prize Savings Account.

Are you kidding? I have never won anything in my whole life, said an incredulous Gabrielle at last. I dont know what to say  besides thank you!

A credit union member since 1998, Gabrielle said she puts a portion of each and every paycheck into her savings account.

Im a saver, said Gabrielle. I have saved money since my first job at 16 years old. Its a mindset to make saving some of your money a priority so it becomes a habit.

The Dallas-based credit union drew the winners name from the ranks of its Prize Savings Account holders. Neighborhood Credit Union established the Prize Savings Account in 2007 to encourage people to save more money, at a time when the personal savings rate had dropped to one of the lowest levels in U.S. history. In addition to paying market-rate interest on the savings, Neighborhood Credit Union awards a variety of prizes throughout the year, culminating with the grand prize at the start of each new year. The more a person has saved in his or her Prize Savings Account, the more chances he or she has to win a prize. The grand prize has been $25,000 for the past eight years, but almost doubled to $49,999.99 this year.

Gabrielle has been a consistent saver and is a great example of how good savings habits not only help secure a better future in the long run, but sometimes surprise us with short term rewards, said Carolyn Jordan, senior vice president at Neighborhood Credit Union.

Gabrielle said she plans to splurge on herself by replacing her broken television and getting her car fixed. As for the rest of her prize? Its going to stay in savings, she said with a smile.

See the Video of the surprise delivery: https://youtu.be/kO4uEWfUhyk

How the Prize Savings Account works: Neighborhood Credit Union members receive one drawing entry for every $25 monthly average balance in their Prize Savings Accounts. The greater the savings, the greater the chance a member has of winning. Members are eligible for monthly $1,000 drawings and quarterly $10,000 drawings. At the start of each year, a winner is drawn for the newly-increased $50,000 grand prize based on the average monthly balance in the savings account at close of business December 31.

About Neighborhood Credit Union: The oldest credit union in Dallas (chartered April 18, 1930), Neighborhood Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial organization serving Dallas, Denton and Ellis counties, as well as the cities of Arlington and Midland. With branches in Dallas, Richardson, Arlington, Mesquite, Duncanville, Waxahachie, Lancaster, Grand Prairie, Coppell, Midland (and soon in Highland Village) and assets topping $590 million, Neighborhood Credit Union has a membership of 47,000 and continues to welcome new members daily. For more information, call (214) 748-9393 or visit http://www.myncu.com.
VINO 2017

The much-anticipated annual Italian wine tasting event known simply as VINO reaches its sixth iteration this year on February 6th. VINO 2017, organized by the Italian Trade Commission, will take place at the stylish Spring Studios in Manhattans SoHo neighborhood. The grand tasting, roundtable, and seminars will feature over 120 producers and 600+ wines. VINO 2017 offers wine industry professionals and media the most comprehensive opportunity in the U.S. for education and exploration of Italian wines, from the tip to toe of the boot.

VINO 2017 will begin with a roundtable, Italian Wines and the American Palate: Trends and Opportunities in the U.S. Market, moderated by noted Italian wine expert, David Lynch. Mr. Lynch, a sommelier, author, and the Editorial Director of SommSelect, will lead a discussion anchored by research on consumer wine buying habits presented by John Gillespie of Wine Opinions. The roundtable will also include: Michele Scannavini, President, Italian Trade Commission; Leena Baran, Senior Manager, Import Wine Buying, Total Wine & More, and a representative from Vinitaly International.

Three compelling seminars will take place during the walk-around grand tasting. These include: Rare Grapes and Wines of Italy, conducted by Levi Dalton, host of podcast Ill Drink to That! Talking Wine with Levi Dalton, and Ian DAgata, Scientific Director of the Vinitaly International Academy; A Passion for Pink: Italys Love Affair with Rosato, conducted by Jeff Porter, Beverage Operations Director, Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group; and Barolo, Barbaresco and their Crus, also with Ian DAgata.

Prior to Mondays event, the Italian Trade Commission will hold a seminar for Italian wine producers on best practices for entering and thriving on the American market, with a special presentation by Jordan Salcito, Wine Director of the Momofuku group. With one event in New York City, and one in Miami, VINO 2017 will bring together leading wine distributors, retailers, restaurateurs, educators and media from across the country. For more information, and exclusive trade and press registration, visit: https://extraordinaryitalianwine.us/.

About the Italian Trade Commission

Since 1926, the Italian Trade Commission, with offices worldwide, has been the Italian government agency entrusted with the mission of promoting trade between Italian companies and foreign markets. The Food and Wine department, based in New York City, works on increasing the awareness of the Italian products in the U.S. by being the point of reference for trade and press and promoting the wines through educational events, informational materials, special events and promotions. Visit us online at http://www.italtrade.com/countries/americas/usa/newyork.htm
BCG Attorney Search We saw more interviews and placements in the last three months of the year than we have in the last three months of any year since 2006.

BCG Attorney Search's 2017 State of the Market Report, by BCG Attorney Search founder Harrison Barnes, explores the performance of various areas within the legal field over the past year. Additionally, the report analyzes the legal job markets future through 2017 and explains what attorneys should know to remain relevant in the changing legal world.

You can view the full BCG Attorney Search 2017 State of the American Lateral Law Firm Legal Market Report here:

http://www.bcgsearch.com/article/900047676/State-of-the-American-Legal-Market-2017-Hot-and-Weak-Practice-Areas-of-2017/

According to Harrison Barnes, this past year was one of the oddest that he can recall in his nearly 20 year career. The 2016 calendar year was marked by stagnating corporate activity, growing litigation, and the expansion of niche practice areas. As a result, the 2017 job market will be promising for specialistsattorneys who occupy niche practice areas.

Corporate law activity, a signal of overall economic strength, stagnated between May and December of 2016. BCG Attorney Searchs placement of attorneys in the corporate world declined by about 40 percent in 2016 when compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, litigation, which experienced an extremely slow start, grew by 36 percent and ended the year as the hottest practice area. Although litigation grew, BCG Attorney Searchs placement of litigators depended on the rising demand of small law firms outside of major cities. The hiring of litigators slowed substantially in large firms in cities, and this trend will likely continue during 2017.

Another trend in the legal job market was the rise of niche practice areas, which took off in the second half of the year. This is a trend that will continue into the future, as Barnes notes, Across the board, law firms are demanding that their lateral attorneys be in niche practice areas, with niche skills. Areas including antitrust, healthcare, and executive compensation, among others, require attorneys who are highly specialized and have dedicated the time to learn how to practice them. Firms in niche practice areas are currently experiencing the steady, recurring work that is necessary to the success of an attorney.

While growth in niche practice areas will be strong in 2017, Barnes warns attorneys of the potential oversaturation of these areas over the next few years. Overall, however, Barnes is optimistic about the legal job market in 2017. According to him, BCG Attorney Search saw more interviews and placements in the last three months of the year than we have in the last three months of any year since 2006. This trend will likely continue as lawyers position themselves to perform more specialized work in law firms throughout the United States.

View the full 2017 State of the American Lateral Law Firm Market Report here (in PDF format).

About BCG Attorney Search:

BCG Attorney Search is a premier recruiting firm for experienced attorneys in the United States. Since the year 2000, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys with employers who were the best fit for individual candidates, and helped law firms and companies with their recruitment efforts. The website of BCG Attorney Search is located at http://www.bcgsearch.com.
airberlin expands its flight offers from the US to its hub Berlin-Tegel.



From mid-April, up to 33 non-stop flights a week from the US to Berlin

Frequency increase: twice a day from New York to Berlin

Frequency increase: five times a week from Miami to Berlin-Tegel

airberlin will offer a total of 84 non-stop flights from Berlin and Dusseldorf to eight destinations in the USA

airberlin is continuing to expand its market leadership in Berlin-Tegel and is offering more flights to Miami and New York (JFK) in the coming summer schedule. As of April 13th, 2017, the ten flights a week originally planned to New York will be supplemented by four flights, so that two daily flights will be available on each day of the week. There will be five flights a week to Miami instead of the previously planned three.

An Airbus A330-200 will depart from New York (JFK) at 17:10 each day, with seats in both economy and business class. In business class, passengers will enjoy full-flat seats, a three-course menu and quality drinks and wines. However, the time will also fly by in economy class until the plane arrives in Berlin at 07:00 on the next morning, thanks to 46 XL seats with 20 per cent more legroom. The second flight leaves New York at 23:30 and arrives in Berlin at 13:20 local time.

The connection from Miami to Berlin-Tegel, which this year will be available for the first time year round, will increase from three to five weekly flights from mid-April. An A330-200 will take off from Miami at 15:55 am on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and land at 07:25 local time in Berlin. The flights on Thursday and Sunday take off at 15:55 and arrive in Berlin at 07:25.

From the beginning of May 2017, San Francisco and Los Angeles - airberlins two Californian destinations - will be introduced to the schedule with three and four flights respectively per week taking off nonstop to Berlin in addition to the existing flights to Dusseldorf.

Overall, airberlin will offer 84 non-stop flights per week to and from eight destinations in the USA in its summer schedule 2017: to New York (JFK), Boston, Orlando (new), Miami, Fort Myers, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

All flights are very well integrated into the airberlin route network, so that a large number of connecting flights within Germany and Europe are available. Tickets can be booked at http://www.airberlin.com, by phone at (917-261-3165 local rates apply) or at a travel agency.

About airberlin

As one of Europe's largest network airlines, airberlin focuses on extremely frequent domestic flights and on services between a number of major European cities and its Berlin-Tegel and Dusseldorf hubs, from where the airline also operates long-haul flights to the US, Caribbean and Middle East. airberlin carried more than 30.2 million passengers in 2015 and its fleet is among the most modern and eco-efficient in Europe. airberlin is a member of the oneworld airline alliance, co-founder of Etihad Airways Partners and a strategic partner of Etihad Airways, which has a 29.21 per cent share in airberlin. topbonus, the frequent flyer programme of airberlin, has more than 4 million members.

Press contact:

Janina Mollenhauer

Press officer

Tel.: +49 30 3434 1500

Fax: +49 30 3434 1509

Email: janina.mollenhauer(at)airberlin(dot)com

http://www.airberlin.com

http://www.facebook.com/airberlin

On behalf of airberlin

Madeleine Vogelsang

Media Relations Representative USA & Canada

Phone: 1-917-971-6213

Email: mvogelsang(at)zcomgroup(dot)org
Autism Speaks is pleased to announce that clinical psychologist and autism researcher Thomas Frazier II, PhD, is joining the organization as its chief science officer effective April 1, 2017.

Dr. Frazier comes to Autism Speaks from Cleveland Clinic Childrens, where he has directed the Center for Autism and Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health since 2013. Previously, he was the autism centers research director.

Dr. Fraziers clinical interests include the assessment and behavioral treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder. His research includes pioneering work on the potential underdiagnosis of autism in girls and women, and the development of new and more-effective screening methods for identifying autism risk in babies.

Dr. Frazier has published 100 research articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented more than 150 scientific abstracts and invited talks at national and international research conferences. Among the most recent of his many awards is a National Institute of Health Career Developmental Award supporting his multidisciplinary clinical research on the biological effects of autism-linked gene changes.

Dr. Frazier is also the father of a son on the autism spectrum.

I am excited to join Autism Speaks as chief science officer, said Dr. Frazier. As a parent and researcher, I have valued Autism Speaks since its inception as a driving force in advocacy and science for the autism community. I look forward to advancing research that will increase understanding of autisms causes, improve screening and diagnosis, and develop effective interventions.

With a career at the forefront of autism care and research, Dr. Frazier is uniquely suited to guide Autism Speaks as it embarks on its second decade with a powerful focus on life enhancing research with real-world benefits, said Angela Geiger, president and CEO of Autism Speaks.

Dr. Frazier received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude in psychology from John Carroll University, in University Heights, Ohio, and completed both his masters and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology at Case Western Reserve University. His postgraduate training includes an internship in clinical neuropsychology at Ann Arbor VA Medical Center and a fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the Cleveland Clinics Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Section of Neuropsychology.

About Autism

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. We now know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, and each person with autism can have unique strengths and challenges. Most are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences, and many are accompanied by medical issues such as GI disorders, seizures and sleep disturbances. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 1 in 68 children is on the autism spectrum.

About Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We do this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions. We empower people with autism and their families with resources, online tools and information covering the life span. Go to AutismSpeaks.org to learn more, donate or join a fundraising walk.
Debbie Torrance, Tax Partner at Smith & Howard With a focus on creating jobs in the U.S. and making it easier to do business in the states, President Trump campaigned on a promise of lower taxes and fewer regulations.

With the national elections complete, the Republican Party will hold both houses of Congress and the presidency for the first time in eight years. While the country must wait to find out just how many of President Trumps campaign promises and proposals will actually come to fruition, he has given us reasons to speculate. The markets are responding well and some high profile manufacturers have indicated a number of jobs previously heading out of the country may now stay in the U.S.

With a focus on creating jobs in the U.S. and making it easier to do business in the states, President Trump campaigned on a promise of lower taxes and fewer regulations, said Debbie Torrance, Tax Partner of Smith & Howard. In a recent discussion with Ms. Torrance and Jason Moss, CEO of the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance, some of the changes anticipated for Georgia could include:



Reduction of corporate tax rate from 35% to 15% and a reduction (or elimination) of some deductions made unnecessary by the lowered rate

Manufacturers allowed to immediately expense new business investments in lieu of a deduction for interest expense

Elimination of the corporate alternative minimum tax

While these and other proposed changes may materially alter the ways that businesses structure their operations and finances, it will also affect individuals.

Some of the aspects of Trumps plan for individuals include:



Repeal of estate, gift and generation skipping transfer taxes

Three ordinary income tax rates of 12%, 25% and 33%

Three long term capital gains tax rates of 0%, 15% and 20%

Repeal of the alternative minimum tax

Cap itemized deductions for married filing joint taxpayers to $200,000 and for single taxpayers to $100,000

Repeal of the 3.8% net investment income tax

In regard to international taxes, Trump has proposed all earned foreign subsidiary income should be taxed and there should be a one-time 10% transition tax imposed on the deemed repatriation of profits of foreign subsidiaries, payable over 10 years.

The North American Free Trade Agreement is on the table for renegotiation, including tariffs on goods imported to the U.S. This action could make it economically challenging for a U.S. business to produce or manufacture outside the country and transport its finished products back to the states. While this could increase costs of sourcing, it would naturally increase local-for-local manufacturing. This would likely translate into more U.S. plants with new jobs and an increased demand for sophisticated manufacturing technology.

Following the election, Forbes magazine touched on the potential effect of Trumps approach to energy, as part of a wider America first philosophy. The article went on to say his policy on energy provides less access to world energy markets and therefore higher costs in the U.S. It also grants that his approach presents an opportunity for diversified energy sources, decreased logistics costs and ultimately a moderation or drop in fuel costs.

In the words of writer Kevin OMarah, The race to return home is on, and the world is watching. The tax professionals at Smith & Howard will also be keeping a close eye on legislative changes over the coming months and will publish updates on matters that affect businesses and individuals. You can subscribe to future updates by visiting http://www.Smith-Howard.com and select the Newsletter -Subscribe at the bottom of the home page. To get industry specific updates, select Manufacturing Matters. If you have questions, please call Debbie Torrance, tax practice and manufacturing group leader, at 404-874-6244 or dtorrance(at)smith-howard(dot)com.

About the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance

Smith & Howard is the Exclusive Producer Sponsor of the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance (GMA). The Georgia Manufacturing Alliance is a professional organization founded in 2008 to support Georgias manufacturing community. GMA provides monthly plant tours, educational sessions and unique networking opportunities designed to help make profitable business connections for its members. To learn more about the organization, visit http://www.GeorgiaManufacturingAlliance.com
UHY Advisors, Inc. (UHY Advisors), one of the nations fastest growing professional services firms, announces the appointment of six new managing directors: Cynthia Hannafey, Stacey Massa, Pamela May, Keith Moore, Marian Shaw and Paul Truber.

We are very excited to welcome these outstanding individuals as our newest managing directors. They epitomize the opportunity we present to all of our employees to take their career to the next level- both from a technical and quality perspective," said Anthony Frabotta, UHY Advisors chief executive officer and chairman of the board. In addition, the fact that a significant portion of our newest leaders are participants in our WISE initiative (Women Invested in Success and Excellence) is a trend that is likely to continue. UHYs ongoing growth demands that we continue to lead and build not only the WISE group, but create opportunities for all of our associates.

Richard David, chief operating officer of UHY Advisors, adds: We are excited to see the ranks of our managing directors expand through the addition of these talented professionals. They have proven their commitment to quality client service and have impeccable technical and business skills. These future leaders are to be congratulated on reaching this significant career milestone.

Cynthia Hannafey is a managing director of UHY Advisors GA, Inc. As a leader of the firms management and technology consulting practice, she excels in the aggressive execution of projects that impact a clients internal operations. Ms. Hannafey provides strategic planning and visioning services, portfolio, program and project management (P3M); digital transformation services; shared service implementation and optimization, post-merger integration, and operational and financial process optimization services to her clients. She is a results focused executive with more than 20 years of experience in analyzing existing operations and implementing the strategies, processes and technologies to address enterprise-wide challenges. Ms. Hannafey received her B.S. in Accounting from the University of South Florida and M.B.A. from Kennesaw State University, Michael Coles School of Business. She is a licensed CPA in the state of Georgia and a Project Management Professional.

Stacey Massa is a managing director of UHY Advisors MO, Inc., partner of UHY LLP and leading member of the firms national manufacturing group. She is the head of the audit and assurance department for the Missouri practice. Ms. Massa oversees and provides financial expertise in a variety of audit, business acquisitions/dispositions, efficiency reviews and financial reporting engagements. She is the audit lead on a variety of clients with complex organizational structures and international operations. Her leadership extends to her involvement in the National Tooling & Machining Association and as an accounting advisory board member of her alma mater, UMSL. She received her B.S. in Accounting and Finance from the University of Missouri St. Louis and is a licensed CPA in the state of Missouri. Ms. Massa has been a member of the firm and its predecessors since 1996.

Pamela May is a managing director of UHY Advisors MI, Inc. and partner of UHY LLP. Ms. May is responsible for delivering tax and attest services to a diverse client base in the manufacturing, real estate,

wholesale distribution and professional service industries. She has extensive knowledge in corporate and partnership tax planning, compliance and research. Ms. May advises clients on how to maximize profit and limit taxes through proper planning. She received her B.A. in Accounting and an M.S. in Taxation from Walsh College, and is a licensed CPA in the state of Michigan. Ms. May serves as a finance committee chairman for the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce, Macomb County Foundation and Macomb County Advocacy for Business. She has been with the firm and its predecessors since 1997.

Keith Moore is a managing director of UHY Advisors MI, Inc., partner of UHY LLP and leading member of the firms industry group servicing petroleum marketers. He assists companies with developing and implementing strategic plans to improve operations, protect assets and increase profitability. Mr. Moore has consulted on numerous business transactions providing buy side and sell side advisory, business expansion transactions, due diligence, financial analysis, profitability and cost cutting analysis, tax strategies, IRS and state tax audits, and financing. He received his B.S. in Accounting from Wayne State University and is a licensed CPA in the states of Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan. He is also a British Standards Institute ISO/QS9000 Certified Auditor. Mr. Moore has been with the firm and its predecessors since 1990.

Marian Shaw is a managing director of UHY Advisors NY, Inc. and partner of UHY LLP. She has diversified audit and tax experience in managing the functions of federal, international and state income tax compliance, tax audits, ASC 740 tax provisions, tax research and planning strategies. Ms. Shaw serves a variety of entities including US multinational companies with foreign subsidiaries and foreign companies doing business in the US. She received her B.A. in Accounting from City University of New York at Bernard M. Baruch College and is a licensed CPA in the state of New York. She has been a member of the firm and its predecessors since 1998.

Paul Truber is a managing director of UHY Advisors MO, Inc. and partner of UHY LLP. As a leader of Missouris tax practice, he has become a trusted source to his clients for tax planning, research, consulting and compliance. Mr. Truber has taken on various thought leadership roles including leading the implementation of tax regulations and presenting the annual tax update at the firms executive briefing series. He received his B.S. in Accounting from Lindenwood University and is a licensed CPA in the state of Missouri. Mr. Truber has been a member of the firm and its predecessors since 1999.

# # #

About UHY Advisors

UHY Advisors provides tax and advisory services to entrepreneurial and other organizations, principally those enterprises in the dynamic middle market. UHY LLP, a licensed CPA firm, provides audit and other attest services to publicly traded, privately owned and nonprofit organizations in a number of industry sectors. UHY Advisors, operating in an alternative practice structure with UHY LLP, forms one of the largest professional services firms in the US. While that scale might provide confidence for some clients, others tell us our greatest value is the way we bring these resources to bear to help address todays evolving business challenges. Its a philosophy we call The Next Level of Service. To learn more visit http://www.uhy-us.com.

All of the above entities are members of Urbach Hacker Young International Limited (UHYI), a worldwide network of independent professional services firms that provide audit, tax and advisory services around the globe. UHYI is ranked among the top international accountancy networks and a proud member in good standing of the Forum of Firms. Collectively, the US operating entities (UHY Advisors and UHY LLP) are the largest independent members of UHYI with significant participation, bringing the power of the international network to serve the individualized needs of US clients.

UHY Advisors, Inc. provides tax and business consulting services through wholly owned subsidiary entities that operate under the name of UHY Advisors. UHY LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that performs attest services in an alternative practice structure with UHY Advisors, Inc. and its subsidiary entities. UHY Advisors, Inc. and its subsidiary entities are not licensed CPA firms. UHY Advisors, Inc. and UHY LLP are US members of UHYI, a UK company, and form part of the international UHYI network of legally independent accounting and consulting firms. UHY is the brand name for the UHYI international network. Any services described herein are provided by UHY Advisors, Inc. and/or UHY LLP (as the case may be) and not by UHYI or any other member firm of UHYI. Neither UHYI nor any member of UHYI has any liability for services provided by other members.
Northeast Private Client Group, a leading mid-market investment sales firm with offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York, will host four Real Estate Investment & 1031 Exchange Strategies workshops across the Northeast during the first half of 2017. Edward Jordan, JD, CCIM, Managing Director of Northeast Private Client Group and Marie C. Flavin, Esq., Senior Vice President and Northeast Regional Manager, Investment Property Exchange Services, Inc. will serve as the featured speakers for these events.

The dynamics of the investment real estate cycle are constantly changing, Edward Jordan, JD, CCIM, Managing Director, Northeast Private Client Group, said. We wanted to offer a series of workshops to provide in-depth local market insights and timely strategies for exchanging real estate assets that would benefit both buyers and sellers in 2017 and beyond.

Each of the 90-minute workshops will include an in-depth submarket analysis presented by Jordan and 1031 strategies for exchanging real estate assets presented by Flavin. The workshops are designed for both buyers and sellers of investment real estate.

Northeast Private Client Group will kick off its 2017 workshop series on Tuesday, January 31st at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel in West Harrison, New York. Subsequent events will take place in Boston on Thursday, March 2nd, New Haven on Wednesday, April 5th and in the Hartford/Springfield area on Wednesday, May 3rd. All events begin at 10 a.m. and preregistration is required. To learn more and to register, visit: http://northeastpcg.com/register2017/.

About Northeast Private Client Group

Northeast Private Client Group is the leading mid-market investment sales firm in the region, and was named to the Inc5000 list of Americas fastest-growing private companies in 2016. With offices in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, the firm actively supports private investors looking to buy, sell or exchange mid-market properties including mixed-use, multifamily, retail and office assets. Northeast Private Client Groups highly disciplined process is just one of the many reasons the firm has earned CoStars Power Broker designation year after year. To learn more, visit: http://www.northeastpcg.com.
Their success in raising the visibility of this deadly condition, as well as improving sepsis treatment and outcomes through their community outreach work, truly inspired us to become a national partner.

Sepsis Alliance is pleased to announce a new national partnership with La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company (La Jolla) to raise awareness of sepsis in 2017.

Sepsis Alliance is a San Diego-based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to saving lives and reducing suffering by raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency. La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company, also based in San Diego, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies intended to significantly improve outcomes in patients suffering from life-threatening diseases.

"We are incredibly pleased to be forming this new national partnership with Sepsis Alliance," said Lakhmir S. Chawla, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of La Jolla. "Their success in raising the visibility of this deadly condition, as well as improving sepsis treatment and outcomes through their community outreach work, truly inspired us to become a national partner."

Through this new collaboration, La Jolla will help promote and sponsor several major events throughout the year, including the Sepsis Challenge Community Events Series, as well as the annual Sepsis Heroes event during Sepsis Awareness Month in September, 2017. La Jolla will also contribute towards the production of the new Sepsis Alliance education video Sepsis 911 which is due to be released early in 2017. Additionally, La Jolla will promote sepsis awareness in support of Sepsis Alliance activities during the upcoming Society of Critical Care Medicines Critical Care Congress.

"We are very excited to have La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company join us as a national partner, particularly given their local presence in the biopharmaceutical hub of San Diego," added Tom Heymann, President and Executive Director of Sepsis Alliance. "While awareness and education will greatly reduce the number of deaths and injury from sepsis, we need innovations to help treat our sickest patients. We are thrilled to be working with a partner working on treatments aimed at helping save lives of patients with sepsis."

Sepsis, sometimes called blood poisoning by the general public, is a medical emergency that occurs when the body's response to infection begins to injure its own tissues and organs. It is estimated that 258,000 people in the U.S. die every year from sepsis, a preventable condition requiring early diagnosis and rapid treatment. Awareness of sepsis remains an important challenge. According to the Sepsis Alliance Awareness Survey, just 55% of U.S. adults have even heard of sepsis.

For more information on La Jolla, please visit:

http://www.ljpc.com

And for more information on Sepsis Alliance, click on:

http://www.sepsis.org

About La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company

La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies intended to significantly improve outcomes in patients suffering from life-threatening diseases. The Company has several product candidates in development. LJPC-501 is La Jollas proprietary formulation of angiotensin II for the potential treatment of catecholamine-resistant hypotension. LJPC-401 is La Jollas novel formulation of synthetic human hepcidin for the potential treatment of conditions characterized by iron overload, such as hereditary hemochromatosis, beta thalassemia, sickle cell disease and myelodysplastic syndrome. LJPC-30S is the next-generation gentamicin derivative program that is focused on therapeutics for the potential treatment of serious bacterial infections as well as rare genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For more information on La Jolla, please visit http://www.ljpc.com.

About Sepsis Alliance

Sepsis Alliance is the nations leading sepsis advocacy organization, dedicated to saving lives and reduce suffering by raising awareness of sepsis as a medical emergency. A 501(c)(3) organization, Sepsis Alliance was founded by Dr. Carl Flatley after the sudden, unnecessary death of his daughter Erin to a disease he had never even heard of. Sepsis Alliance produces and distributes educational materials for patients, families and health providers on sepsis prevention, early recognition and treatment. The organization also offers support to patients, sepsis survivors, and family members through its sepsis.org website which receives more than 1 million visits each year. The organization founded Sepsis Awareness Month in 2011, and works with partners to host community outreach events across North America. Since Sepsis Alliance began its mission, sepsis awareness has increased almost threefold, from 19% to 55%. For more information on Sepsis Alliance, a GuideStar Gold-rated charity, please visit http://www.sepsis.org/.
Ventura County Coast New Logo Last year, tourism to Ventura County generated almost $46 million in tax revenue... But we see significant room for growth, especially as more and more people venture off the beaten path in search of unique, authentic travel experiences.

The Ventura County Lodging Association (VCLA) announces it is kicking off 2017 with a new Ventura County Coast tourism brand and aggressive marketing effort. Comprising lodging and tourism-related businesses in Camarillo, Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Ventura, VCLA will administer the new branding campaign aimed at increasing the countys share of Californias lucrative tourism market.

Tourism within California generated $111.9 billion in direct travel spending in 2015, according to a report released earlier this year by the Governors Office of Business Development and Visit California. VCLA seeks to attract a larger percentage of that spending by showcasing its stellar weather, uncrowded beaches, plentiful shopping, agri-tourism experiences and authentic coastal vibe.

Last year, tourism to Ventura County generated almost $46 million in tax revenue, says VCLA Executive Director Rebekah Evans. Thats almost $500 per household. But we see significant room for growth, especially as more and more people venture off the beaten path in search of unique, authentic travel experiences. People have done Disneyland, theyve done the Golden Gate Bridge, theyve done Hollywood. Those are the folks were reaching out to, inviting them to experience coastal California in a more laid-back way, without the huge crowds and rush-rush feeling.

New Ventura County Coast branding components include a relaunched tourism website, http://www.venturacountycoast.com, as well as robust advertising, public relations and digital marketing campaigns. Central and southern California markets such as Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and Kern counties are the primary targets for the campaign; in-state tourism accounted for 71 percent of Californias domestic leisure visitors in 2015. Neighboring states and key overseas markets are also part of the new planned outreach, which includes both leisure and group business travel messaging.

Launched in early November, the Ventura County Coast logo and brand elements recently earned a platinum award for branding in the annual MarCom Awards, a marketing industry competition.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

Home Regional News East
Online Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest news and information from publics.bg
News

From Bulgaria

Slovak SkyToll Interested in Bulgarian Toll System Tender

SkyToll, which is connected to Czech Tollnet, one of the candidates for the Bulgarian tender, built Slovakias tolling system, which since its start in 2010 has grossed over EUR 1.17 billion for the countrys budget

AUTHOR: Lyudmila Zlateva



 SkyToll



Slovak company SkyToll is interested in taking part in the tender for the implementation of a toll system in Bulgaria. However, the company does not comply with all the requirements in the procedure, representatives of SkyToll told journalists in Bratislava.

SkyToll would consider taking part, if the tender procedure was restarted, this time with modified requirements.

The tender which was announced in the first half of 2016 has already been halted temporarily multiple times due to complaints from participants over the criteria set by the Bulgarian Road Infrastructure Agency (ARI).

SkyToll, which is connected to Czech Tollnet, one of the candidates for the Bulgarian tender, built Slovakias tolling system, which since its start in 2010 has grossed over EUR 1.17 billion for the countrys budget. The system achieved nearly 99% percent efficiency in toll collection in just a year of operation, Peter Polakovic, technical director at SkyToll said.

SkyToll is the sole provider for onboard units for tolling of cargo vehicles and for electronic vignettes for passenger cars, unlike the Bulgarian model, which would have more than one supplier and would allow cargo vehicles to choose between tolling and ticketing. The latter could lead to a decrease in collection and possibly to the gathering of incomplete data about road usage, SkyToll chief operations officer Karol Morar told publics.bg.

The Bulgarian tender has an indicative cost of BGN 200 million (about EUR 100 m). After an initial two-year period the future contractor is to hand over the ownership and management of the toll system to a state-company to be specially established for the purpose.
Originally launched in 2012 as a digital-first comics publisher with a limited line of adult and childrens titles, Lion Forge Comics is heading for ALA midwinter meeting in Atlanta this week with new staff and an expanded list of standalone graphic novels and monthly comics.

Last summer Lion Forge added staffamong them Rich Johnson, v-p sales, marketing and business development and senior editor Joseph Illidgeas it ramped up its operations to become a full-service publishing operation offering a line of graphic novels for adults and children. This past fall at New York Comic Con, Lion Forge launched CubHouse, a new line of comics targeting pre-K through 12, which will be a part of its established kids imprint Roar Comics, which will now focus on comics for teens and young adults.

The house also hired book trade veteran Andrea Colvin, named senior editor, to head the houses expanded childrens imprint. Colvin, formerly v-p of content in Andrews McMeel Universals book division, has also worked as director of publishing operations at Open Road Integrated Media, and was executive managing editor at Abrams.

Colvin will oversee the newly expanded kids imprints of Roar Comics and CubHouse and she spoke with PW about the graphic novel market, Lion Forges newly expanded childrens imprint and the companys plans for ALA.

Do you see a trend or trends in the growing marketplace for graphic novels aimed at children and young adults?

There are a couple of trends. One is the overall acceptance, and in many cases championing, of graphic novels and comics in classrooms and school libraries. Librarians have certainly led this charge, but classroom educators have really come around in the past five or so years to the benefit of comics for increasing literacy as well as aiding the understanding of complex topics.

Another great trend is the increase in the number of comics and graphic novels that tackle those complex topics, from science and history to social issues (Abrams/Amulets Nathan Hales Hazardous Tales is a great examples). Also, authentic personal histories that kids can identify with (Svetlana Chemakovas Awkward from Yen Press is an example). The next step for Lion Forge is to create comics and graphic novels like these that come from diverse perspectives and feature diverse characters.

What will you and Lion Forge do at the ALA meeting?

Lion Forge has a number of exciting announcements well be making at ALA, but the main goal of the show for us is to connect with librarians. We recognize that librarians are really the boots on the ground when it comes to what kids want to read, what kids should be reading, and where the holes in the market are currently. I cannot overstate the importance of librarians for actually putting books in the hands of kids.

How many titles can we expect to come from Roar and From CubHouse?

2017 and 2018 are going to be really formative years for us. For 2017 were expecting to have 15 to 20 titles/properties in each linethis includes, for CubHouse, picture books, graphic novels, and comics series, and for Roar both graphic novels and series. I imagine well expand that in 2018 up to about 30 titles per line. We like to stay busy! But were finding so much great content from great creators that we are really excited to bring to market.

Beyond the age level, what is likely to be the difference between the two Lion Forge kids lines.

Well, age level is a pretty big distinction, in how it affects content tone. Our CubHouse content will be more fun, and infused with a lot more humor, in general, than the Roar content, which is likely often to have a stronger, and sometimes darker, emotional core (though certainly not devoid of humor!). Both lines will publish nonfictionboth memoir and topics of interest to the educational marketand both will publish ongoing monthly comics series as well as original graphic novels and graphic novel series. Im particularly excited about our forthcoming picture book line under the CubHouse imprint. Its still in the development stages, but I think there is a great opportunity for comics-inspired picture books and picture books by comics creators.

You have an extensive background in the book trade but you also worked with graphic novels at Andrews McMeels AMP! kidsgraphic novel imprint. Are there any meaningful differences or adjustments to be made when working for a comics publishing house versus a trade book publisher?

There are two big differences I noticed right away. The first is that publishing comics on a monthly schedule is a LOT different from thinking of books as belonging to one of two lists a year! Deadlines are a lot tighter! Rather than the often solitary work of months or even years that goes into longer-form comics and graphic novels, monthly comics generally have a whole team of creatives working on themwriters, artists, colorists, letterers, designers. Quickly coordinating all of that work is a really different experience for me. Luckily I have a talented assistant editor, Hazel Newlevanta graphic novelist herselfwho has led me through the learning process.

The other big difference, and its possible that this is unique to Lion Forge, is the appetite for creative risk. Trade book publishers, in my experience, can often be risk averse (I know this isnt true across the board). What that often means is that its difficult to sign up untested creators, those who may have had projects that didnt sell particularly well, or those without significant platforms. At Lion Forge, were looking for excitingand diversetalent, plain and simple.

How will Roar/CubHouse work with the Magnetic Collection and can you describe its publishing program?

The Magnetic Collection is created and curated by Mike Kennedy, who founded Magnetic Press, which Lion Forge acquired around the time of last years New York Comic Con. Mike and Magnetic made a name publishing really lush graphic novels, higher-end comics, and comics art books. Mike, along with our editorial director, Mark Smylie, has deep connections in the European comics publishing world and are using those to bring some really gorgeous books to Lion Forge. The books aimed at teen, YA, or younger audiences, will be published as part of the Roar or CubHouse imprints. My current favorites on the Magnetic Collection for Roar list are Tony Sandovals Doomboy and Rendez-Vous in Phoenix (the latter an account of the creators real-life journey to the US as an undocumented Mexican immigrant).

What are some of the projects we can expect to see from the Roar/CubHouse imprint?

All sorts of great things! Here are two that weve not yet formally announcedso youre the first to know!

Taproot by Keezy Young is an original graphic novel thats both a ghost story and queer love story featuring Blue, who is dead, and also in love with his best friend, Hamal, who can see ghosts.

Wrapped Up is an ongoing series in our CubHouse line that is written by Dave Scheidt and drawn by Scoot McMahon. Its the story of Milo, your average twelve year old boy, whose parents happen to be mummies, his friend a wizard and his babysitters are witches! He likes to hangout with cool teen vampires, typical kids stuff. We will be making many, many more announcements in the weeks and months to come.

Comics publishers often release their kids comics under the general All Ages category which can be a problem in the book trade, where retailers expect a book to have a specific age level. Will Roar/CubHouse use the All Ages category to describe its books?

We will not. Luckily weve got Rich Johnson running our sales strategy, and hes got extensive experience in the trade book market as well as with comics publishers. He knows All Ages is a problem for the book trade, and, frankly, a problem for book buyers as well, particularly the so-called gatekeepersthe parents, teachers, and librarians who are most often the actual purchasers of kids titles.
Its no secret that many in the publishing industry are displeased with the election of Donald J. Trump as President. On Saturday, thousands of members of the publishing community plan to participate in several of the hundreds of protest marches planned around the country and the world. In New York City, a group organized by Farrar, Straus & Giroux editor Sarah Crichton, and writers Rebecca Okrent and Marilyn Johnson, has dubbed itself Dont Trump on U.S. and has gathered more then 350 editors, agents, writers, and artists to march on Trump Tower.

The march is a reminder to all in the book business that going forward we are going to have to be vigilant, resist and, if necessary fight back, Crichton told PW, adding, Unfortunately, that may have to be more frequently.

Hundreds of others from New York and the tri-state area are traveling to Washington D.C. for the Womens March. Among those making the trip is Susannah Greenberg of Susannah Greenberg Public Relations. As a book industry person, I care about freedom of the press, freedom of speech and as a publicist Im concerned about our allies in the media. We have to be heard and I feel our system has failed us and we can get it back. Marching is a way to express this and show solidarity.

Another hitting the road on Saturday is Ellen Trachtenberg, owner of Narberth Bookshop in Narberth, Penn., which she opened on November 6, just three days before the election. I was opening it under the hopeful premise that the environment I enjoyed under Obama would continue, but it was a naive belief," she said. "I thought wed have a woman president and then Trump wins and I was challenged by the question of what to do with an administration doesnt want to promote cultural literacy. And so she is leaving her two male employees behind to keep the shop open, while she travels to Washington and her other employees march in nearby Philadelphia. It was important to keep the store open as a gathering place for all those who wanted a place to congregate  its a community destination.

In Oakland, Calif., literary agent and former bookseller Andy Ross said, everyone I know is going on a march Ross, who is fondly remember for having stood up after his bookstore, Codys, was firebombed in 1989 the midst of the controversy over Salman Rushdies The Satanic Verses, says that marching helps people who want to do something. He notes that the publishing industrys role in Trumps America will play out in the long-term rather than the sort term. "What I really think will happen is that the book business may do some of its best work in the coming years, as often happens in times of trouble. I can see someone like Kurt Eichenwald writing a fantastic book about Trump 

Ross  who represents several political writers and figures, including Daniel Ellsberg  notes that books about social change will be all the more relevant and points to the immense viral popularity of "Indivisible," a downloadable guide to resisting the Trump agenda as the type of thing that, if it hasnt already been bought by a publisher, it should have.

But Crichton underscores that as publishers, our job is not about advocacy, but about history and knowledge. I think there are going to be many different important stories that are going to be told now and in the future. We can resist by maintaining a broad commitment to truth, something the incoming administration is unwilling to do.

Of course, books take time to reach the market. For those who feel the need to countdown the days till the end of the Trump administration, you can head over to the website of Bookshop Santa Cruz in California, where you can buy a Trump Countdown Clock that gives you a digital readout about how much longer Donald Trump will be President.

Our first order of Trump timers sold out in less than a day," said Casey Coonerty, owner of the store. We didnt expect him to win and only could get 100 timers the first time. We have another 5,000 coming and we will make them available to other independent booksellers around the country who are interested in selling them."

The store had success with a similar George W. Bush Countdown Timer, which went on to sell more than 60,000 units. This time around, said Coonerty, the timers will have a special feature. They come with instructions how who to reprogram it just in case Trump gets impeached, she said.
Andrew Hilleman's thrilling western, World, Chase Me Down, re- imagines the life of a turn-of-the-20th-century kidnapper who committed the first crime of the century. Hilleman picks 10 great western novels you've probably never read.

In 1903, not long before her death, Calamity Jane famously said Leave me alone and let me go to hell by my own route.

I often feel the same when it comes to book recommendations: I like to discover them on my own and am strangely guarded when asked about what Ive enjoyed lately. Theres nothing like wandering aimlessly through a bookstore, picking up a copy of a novel youve never heard of, falling in love on the first page, and sprinting up to the counter while turning to page two. Whenever Im recommended a novel by a friend, it feels a little bit like a hand-me-down sweater. Conversely, whenever someone asks me what Ive been reading, I feel like Im trying to sell a beige Buick Skylark in a strip mall car lot.

I really need to get over such silliness. If youre reading this list, youre most likely a Western fan already and familiar with classics like Blood Meridian, Lonesome Dove, and True Grit. Not to discount those titlestheyre well known for a reason. But there are also a bevy of other outstanding works of Western fiction that deserve a place on your shelf.

So here I am getting over my strange peccadillo. Or, at least, half of it. I offer a list of my favorite Western novels that are off the beaten track. Some of them are by authors you might know, but fly under the radar even to their fans. Some were once wildly popular but have faded from memory. Others just plain never got the recognition they deserve. Regardless of the reason, each of these works is a masterpiece well worth your time.

Oh, and Calamity Jane makes an appearance in number 6.

10. The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie Jr. Once considered a classic, this Western epic deserves to be on the mantle with the best of Larry McMurtry. In my humble opinion, it beats Lonesome Dove all to hell. Its Guthries debut about three frontiersmen traveling west as fur trappers in the 1830s. These cowboys arent your stereotypical gunslingerstheyre hard-working roughnecks of the truest sort and young Boone Caudill reminds me of Robert Redfords mountain man, Jeremiah Johnson. The writing is so vivid and well-researched it often leaves me panting. While Guthrie won the Pulitzer for his follow-up, The Way West, his first offering is a monument and all-time great Western.

9. Welcome to Hard Times by E. L. Doctorow Another debut by a literary heavyweight. Many have at least heard of Ragtime and Billy Bathgate. But, even among those folks, very few would think the man got his start with cowboys. The only reason this one isnt ranked higher on my list is that it relies on boilerplate formula too often. The Bad Man from Bodie is a formulaic creation as far as outlaws go, but the prose with which Doctorow constructs him and his dark humor keep the character and the story fresh despite its familiar conventions. Read the first two pages and youll see the sure-fire signs of how Doctorow became a master stylist.

8. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt Wait, you say. I know this novel! This isnt off-the-radar! Maybe so. Its by far the most contemporary offering on this list, having been published in 2011 to wide acclaim, which may be the reason it rings a bell. But how many people have actually read this novel? Ive gone through it four times, myself. Thats not braggingits just that damned good. The story is so spectacular, the humor so amazingly coarse, the character development so rich, that anything short of multiple months atop the bestseller list is a crime. That might change once the movie is released in a couple years.

7. The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark The masterstroke of this novel is that its only getting started where most Western novels end: with a climatic moment of violence as three men are lynched outside of a small Nevada town. What happens after is the heart of the story: an exploration of mob rule that still echoes harshly for us even today. Especially today. The opening line is one of the best Ive ever read. Not to mention Art Croft is one of the most overlooked narrators in all of literature. His first-person voice is pitch perfect.

6. Deadwood by Pete Dexter Forget the HBO show of the same name. No, really, forget it. Ive tried to despite loving it, mainly because of the unfinished ending after it was cancelled following season three. This novel takes place in the same famous South Dakota town and features many of the same historical players including Wild Bill, Charlie Utter, and my personal favorite Calamity Jane. But thats where the similarities stop. Dexters novel was published in 1986, so its got dibs anyway. Plus, its just a lot damn better and has an actual ending to boot! Its also as bizarre as a Western novel gets. And thats a good thing.

5. The Shootist by Glendon Swarthout While slim and sparse, this novel is anything but threadbare while evoking the final days of an old gunslinger whos hanging onto life by its last thread. John Brooks is an aging assassin whose days are running short after hes diagnosed with cancer. All he wants is to die in peace, but once word spreads around town that the famous man is near death, a plethora of fame-seekers come to see him on the way out the door. Some just want to shake his hand once, others want to beat the cancer to the punch. Side note: John Waynes last starring role as Brooks might be his very best.

4. The Brave Cowboy by Edward Abbey Dusty trails full of tumbleweedsmeet the superhighways full of cars. Goodbye, chestnut mare. Hello, red Cadillac. The Old West is disappearing to modern society in this novel of friendship that turns from jailbreak to manhunt in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jack Burns fights against the coming future despite knowing the score. The prose reads like early Cormac McCarthy. The dialogue makes me drool. If you like this one, seek out the even lesser-known film adaptation Lonely Are the Brave.

3. Bad Dirt by Annie Proulx If you arent already aware of Proulxs first collection of Wyoming stories, Close Range, then start there. But this second assembly is just as sharp and painful and brilliantly drawn. While there arent as many singular hits as there are in Close Range, these stories together are ultimately superior by the sheer fact that there isnt a dud among them. If Brokeback Mountain emptied you of nearly all breath, "The Trickle Down Effect" in this collection will finish the job.

2. Desperadoes by Ron Hansen Most will recognize Hansen for The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Thats fine by me, because that novel is a classic. But to have enjoyed that novel and not have read Desperadoes is a serious misstep. The language in Hansens portrait of an aging Emmett Dalton is astounding. His prose rivals Nabokov in this tour de force. But what I love most about this novel is that in a genre where conscious reflection is so often absent in favor of empty gun play, Hansen delivers in spades. The most powerful scenes are often the quietest ones. Poignant and haunting, this story rises above genre to the very top of our literature.
LOS ANGELES (TNS)  It's been more than a decade since a handful of ambitious entrepreneurs saw their plans to provide global telecommunications service through massive satellite constellations blow up, doomed by runaway costs.

Now, a new generation of satellite entrepreneurs is headed back to the launch pad. Backed by billions of dollars from deep-pocketed investors, they plan to blanket the earth in the next few years with perhaps thousands of miniature satellites beaming cheap, ubiquitous broadband service.

What's different? Launching one of these smaller satellites can cost a fraction of the price for a larger, school-bus-sized satellite. These new satellites will largely be mass-produced. And consumers now demand high-speed internet connectivity pretty much everywhere.

Companies such as SpaceX, OneWeb and Boeing have recently proposed networks of satellites in low-Earth orbit. Even Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has aspirations to bring internet to poorly connected areas.

In the past, satellite broadband was hampered by slower data transfer based on the long distance from Earth, a problem companies hope to solve with satellites in low-Earth orbit. They also will launch extra satellites to ensure coverage if a few break down.

That could pose a challenge to a $224.6 billion industry currently dominated by telecom and cable companies with miles of fiber optic and copper wires.

In mid-December, Arlington, Va.-based OneWeb said it secured $1.2 billion of funded capital led by Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group Corp. The money will fund construction of a Florida satellite manufacturing plant set to start production in 2018.

OneWeb's list of big-name investors includes Qualcomm Inc., Airbus Group, the Coca-Cola Co. and Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

Satellite-provided broadband service is still tiny. It generated revenues of $1.9 billion in 2015, according to a June report from the Tauri Group. That compares with $97.8 billion for satellite television.

But interest in satellite broadband is growing as consumers expect high-speed service in places that aren't always well-served by fiber or cable. Analysts say satellite constellations could have the biggest effect in remote areas. And last month, Southwest Airlines said it planned to equip its entire fleet of more than 700 planes with WiFi.

"There's a competitive advantage for those that have that service available," said Tom Stroup, president of the Satellite Industry Association. "Broadband has essentially become an expected fact of life."

OneWeb plans to launch its first 10 satellites into low-Earth orbit in early 2018. More launches will follow, with broadband access starting as early as 2019. By 2022, OneWeb says it will connect every unconnected school to the internet.

Eventually, OneWeb plans a 700-satellite constellation of 330-pound micro-satellites, with the company eventually making three a day.

SpaceX, based outside Los Angeles, plans to launch more than 4,000 satellites, each about 13 feet long and 6 feet wide, with 19-foot-long solar arrays. It has received a $1 billion infusion from Google Inc. and Fidelity Investments. SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk has said the whole constellation could cost $10 billion to $15 billion.

By its final deployment, company officials said it "will pass over virtually all parts of the Earth's surface."

Boeing's proposed 2,900-satellite constellation is intended to provide broadband access worldwide. It plans to launch more than 1,300 satellites within six years of the license approval.
MACOMB, IL  The 2017 Agriculture Mechanization (Ag Mech) Club at Western Illinois University will host its 47th annual Farm Expo Feb. 11-12 in Western Hall.

The free expo will run 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 11 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 12.

Begun in 1970, the show has become the largest student-run agriculture show in the U.S. The Ag Mech Club consists of about 20 members with the show managed by an executive board of five students.

The 2017 keynote address will be delivered at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 11 by Cliff Becker, a 1984 WIU graduate now vice president of livestock at Farm Journal Media. The show includes "Tot-Rod Pedal Pulls" at noon Feb. 12 as well as 160 booths for 90 vendors displaying tractors, machinery, service, farm management, emerging ag technology, livestock and crop supplies, conservation and structures.

A concession stand will be run by WIU's Alpha Gamma Sigma fraternity. The second floor of the show will feature a farm toy show and crafts and child IDs.

The fourth annual WIU School of Agriculture Alumni Social is planned 2-4 p.m. Feb. 11 at the University Union Lamoine Room with an update from School of Ag Director Andy Baker at 2:30 p.m. For social reservations, call 309-298-1080 or email DC-Pestle1@wiu.edu. For more on the Farm Expo, visit facebook.com/wiufarmexpo.
LOS ANGELES  The Recording Academy announced Wednesday the first round of performers for the 59th-annual Grammy Awards, and, as always, it's a far-flung bunch designed to attract as many viewers as possible to the televised ceremony branded as "music's biggest night."

Veteran heavy-metal band Metallica, R&B smoothie John Legend and country superstar Carrie Underwood will appear at the Grammys, set to be broadcast live on CBS on Feb. 12 from Staples Center in Los Angeles. Another Nashville heavyweight, Keith Urban, is on the bill as well.

Three of the four acts are nominated for awards.

In the rock song category, the title track from Metallica's recent "Hardwired... to Self-Destruct" is up against tunes by David Bowie, Radiohead, Twenty One Pilots and Highly Suspect. Underwood's "Church Bells" will compete for the country solo performance prize against recordings by Brandy Clark, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris and Urban.

And Urban is nominated for country album, a category that also includes efforts by Clark, Morris, Loretta Lynn and Sturgill Simpson.

Late-night personality James Corden will host the Grammy Awards after several years in which rapper LL Cool J played that role. Ratings for the 2016 telecast were down slightly from the year prior.

The Recording Academy said it expects to announce more performers for this year's show soon.
An Iowa City man faces prison time after pleading guilty in Henry County Circuit Court for his fifth charge of driving under the influence.

Kevin Blassingill, Jr., 43, pleaded guilty before Judge Carol Pentuic. Seven other counts as well as traffic and separate DUI charges were dismissed. The non-probationable Class 1 felony charge to which he pleaded guilty is subject to a prison term of four to 15 years. Sentencing was set for April 4.

Trooper Andrew Fratzke was patrolling I-80 near Geneseo last Feb. 13 when a motorist stopped to tell him they saw another driver drinking.

The trooper pulled Mr. Blassingill over for allegedly speeding 80 in a 70-mile per hour zone, smelled alcohol on him and made the arrest based on three field sobriety tests. Mr. Blassingill's driving abstract from the state of Iowa shows four prior convictions for driving under the influence.
WASHINGTON  Two area men have had their prison sentences commuted by President Barack Obama in his final week in office.

According to the White House, Daryl Joseph Shaw, 31, of Cambridge, was sentenced Feb. 1, 2008, to 20 years in prison and five years' supervised release for the manufacture and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.

President Obama on Tuesday commuted Mr. Shaw's sentence to end Tuesday, while requiring Mr. Shaw to enroll in a residential drug treatment.

On Thursday, President Obama commuted the life sentence of Anthony Timothy Dodd, of Davenport, to 20 years. In 2006, Mr. Dodd was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.

While in office, President Obama issued 142 pardons. He also commuted the sentences of 1,715 individuals, including nine other area men:

 Anthony "Big T" Dodd, of Davenport. Sentenced in 2006 to life in prison for distributing crack cocaine. In December his term was shortened to 20 years.

 Christopher Carlton Bryson, of Davenport. Sentenced in 2001 to 30 years in prison and five years' supervised release for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and marijuana; possession of cocaine and cocaine base; and money laundering. In November his sentence was shortened to end Nov. 21, 2016.

 Jermaine Lewis Carter, of Davenport. Sentenced in 2009 to life in prison for conspiracy to distribute at least 50 grams of cocaine base. In November his sentence was shortened to 15 years and enrollment in residential drug treatment.

 Justin L. Border, of Davenport. Sentenced in 2003 to 20 years in prison and 10 years' supervised release for conspiracy to distribute drugs, possession of drugs with intent to distribute and a felon in possession of firearm. In November his sentence was shortened to end March 4.

 Leonel Cano Vela, of Davenport. Sentenced in 2003 to 30 years in prison and eight years' supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. In November his sentence was shortened to end March 4.

 Theodore Johnson, of Rock Island. Sentenced in 2000 to 30 years in prison and five years' supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. In August his sentence was shortened to end Dec. 28.

 Alphonso P. "Pancho" Rubalcava, of Rock Island. Sentenced in 2002 to 27 years and three months in prison for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. In August his sentence was shortened to end Dec. 1, 2016.

 Kelvin Jerome Shears Jr., of Rock Island. Sentenced in 2007 to 19 years and seven months for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. In August he had his sentence shortened to end Dec. 1, 2016.

 Charrell Franklin Burrage, of Davenport. Sentenced in 2004 to 25 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm during drug trafficking. In June he had his sentence shortened to end Oct. 1, 2016.

President Obama commuted more sentences than any other president. However, he denied requests for a shorter sentence from former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, currently serving the fourth of a 14-year prison term after being convicted of trying to sell President Obama's Illinois seat in the U.S. Senate.
CHICAGO (AP)  Chicago police say preliminary reports show an off-duty suburban police officer shot and killed a man who was trying to rob him.

Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says the shooting happened at 6:50 a.m. Friday in the West Pullman neighborhood on the city's South Side. Police say it appears the off-duty Robbins police officer was the victim of a possible armed robbery when he fatally shot the alleged robber.

Chicago police say they are investigating the possible armed robbery and the Robbins department will handle the investigation of their officer.

The officer wasn't immediately identified. The Robbins Police Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
CHICAGO (AP)  A judge has ordered that a Chicago police officer be released from jail after he promised to appear in court on charges of first-degree murder in the shooting death of an unarmed man.

Houser was charged Wednesday. Prosecutors say he was off duty on Jan 2 when he shot 38-year-old Jose Nieves during an argument. An autopsy showed that Nieves was shot once in the lower back and once in the right hand. During Thursday's hearing, his attorney said Houser fired in self-defense after Nieves threatened to shoot him and reached toward his waist.
GARY, Ind. (AP)  A Merrillville man shot by a Lake County sheriff's officer during a traffic stop in Gary has died.

Indiana State Police say 18-year-old Marquis Thomas died Thursday after being transferred from Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus to Loyola University Medical Center outside Chicago.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports (http://bit.ly/2jSt7EA) State Police Sgt. Ann Wojas did not have any additional information about Thomas' death.

Police say the officer stopped a vehicle Wednesday afternoon, and the driver and passenger fled on foot in different directions. The officer and his dog partner pursued the passenger, who opened fired at them.

Police say the officer's police dog, a 6-year-old Dutch shepherd named Blade, also was wounded in an exchange of gunfire and was in stable condition Thursday at Purdue University Veterinary Hospital in West Lafayette.
ATKINSON  The hallway of the former Atkinson Grade School will soon be brighter.

At their meeting Monday, village board members approved a bid of $3,124.80 from Puentes Construction, Geneseo, to replace ceiling tiles in the building.

The current 2 x 4 ft. tiles will be replaced with 2 x 2 ft. tiles in the entire hallway which is from eight to 10 ft. wide and 100 ft. in length.

The hallway leads to space rented by Kuster Research and Mayor Ken Taber said, After the extensive remodeling Kuster put in to the space they rent from us, we want to bring our hallway up to match the rest of the area.

In other business, the board approved renting space in the former grade school to Foster Hope at no cost to the group. The room will be used to train foster parents.
BETTENDORF  Rivermont Collegiate Prep School on Wednesday kicked off its public funding campaign for Phase One, with the goal of becoming the area's only boarding school.

Our private campaign has gone on for about five months, and I am proud to say we have already reached two-thirds of the way to the $1.5 million to complete Phase One," said Rivermont Director of Development Drew Bolster.

Rivermont now is seeking support with a "bridge campaign" to sustain school operations during the renovation of the former Carriage House, the hiring and training of employees, the recruitment of students and a program rollout.

Russell Construction is remodeling the former Carriage House into a dormitory for 14 to 16 students, along with a dorm parents apartment and a relief dorm parents apartment. School officials shared architect renderings of the project during Wednesday's event.

The facility will eventually be used as a girls dormitory, but male students who are expected to arrive in August will be using it this year," said headmaster Max Roach. "The boys dormitory will be part of Phase Two in a building that will be built from the ground up."

Rivermont's first international boarding students, in grades 9-12, are expected to come from Japan, China, Saudi Arabia and, possibly, Brazil. Phillip Dunbridge, Rivermont's director of enrollment management, already has begun recruitment; currently the school has day students from Sweden, Russia, China and Saudi Arabia.

At Wednesday's event, Mr. Roach explained the vision of bringing outstanding international students to Rivermont to enrich their experience and achieve institutional sustainability.

By increasing student numbers we will be able to increase electives," he said. "Next year, we will add Arabic, Mandarin and expand music."

Mr. Roach said the boarding student program will be cost-effective. Foreign students will pay about $40,000 a year for room and board. Day students currently pay $13,000 to $16,000; the national average for a "prep day school" is $22,000.

By increased income from boarding students, we will increase opportunities," Mr. Roach said. We want to offer a world-class education and become more attractive to local students who seek a world-class and worldly experience.

"We will drive demand for high level classes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics  all of which are sought after by colleges and employers," he said. "We want to build global citizens with 21st century skills."

Rivermont senior Emilia Porubcin on Wednesday told the audience about her education at the school. She said she started at Rivermont in preschool and now has received a full-ride scholarship to the school of her choice. Last summer, she did cancer research in Austria.

An open house is planned from 1 to 4 p.m. Jan. 29 at the school at 1821 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf.
Today is Friday, January 20, the 20th day of 2017. There are 345 days left in the year.

1867 -- 150 years ago: The excursion train to the Great Catholic Festival in Geneseo will leave the railroad depot at 6:30 this evening.

1892 -- 125 years ago: The Rock Island Viaduct at the foot of 24th Street was formally opened by Capt. Lyon.

1917 -- 100 years ago: Frank Wich was elected president of the Tri-City Bowling Tournament Committee.

1942 -- 75 years ago: Dr. Norbert Barwasser, of Moline, was named medical adviser to the area Selective Service Board.

1967 -- 50 years ago: Rock Island Moose Lodge No. 100 will note its 57th anniversary this weekend and the program for the observance has been announced by Ken Lee, lodge governor and general chairman of the event.

1991 -- 25 years ago: More than 5,000 farmers are expected to attend the first annual Quad City farm show Sunday through Tuesday at the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  A group of about two dozen North Dakota landowners is suing the developer of the disputed Dakota Access oil pipeline for alleged deceit and fraud in acquiring land easements.

Already, landowners in Iowa await a state judge's ruling in another easement case regarding the $3.8 billion, four-state pipeline. Other court battles are playing out in federal court in North Dakota and Washington, D.C.

The Morton County landowners in the lawsuit, filed this month in U.S. District Court, are seeking more than $4 million in damages from Dakota Access LLC, a subsidiary of Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners. ETP contends the allegations "are without merit," company spokeswoman Vicki Granado told The Associated Press.

The landowners who are suing represent only about 3 percent of the 800 North Dakota landowners who provided easements to Dakota Access, according to Granado.

Those suing say Dakota Access engaged in unfair tactics and fraud while negotiating to lay pipeline on private land, resulting in compensation that was as much as nine times lower than what other landowners got. Landowners also allege they were told if they didn't agree to the offered amount, they faced losing money or getting nothing either because their land would be condemned through eminent domain or the pipeline would be moved elsewhere.

"Dakota Access's representations to the Morton County landowners were false representations and deceptive," the lawsuit states. The company has until about the end of the month to file its response in court.

The pipeline is to move North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois. It's nearly complete, but work is stalled in North Dakota while ETP battles the federal government in court in Washington for permission to lay pipe under the Missouri River. The Standing Rock Sioux and others fear any spill would contaminate drinking water.

ETP also faces a lawsuit from about a dozen landowners in Iowa, where a decision is pending. The lawsuit seeks to overturn the project permit, which was approved by the Iowa Utilities Board, claiming the board illegally took farmland through eminent domain because the pipeline provides no public service to state residents. The company argues the case is moot since the pipeline is already in the ground, but some landowners say if they win they want the pipe dug up.

In a separate federal lawsuit in North Dakota, pipeline opponents are suing law enforcement for what they claim is excessive force during a Nov. 20 clash over a blockaded bridge near the protest encampment and question the credibility of alleged threats detailed against police and public officials. U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland will rule later.
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.

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.
It was one of those just-right mornings  enough sun, the right group of people, great conversation and a lesson in history and humility not from a book, but from a man who lived it.

Alvis "Al" Taylor, who passed earlier this week at age 93, was the lived-it lesson-giver that day.

It was 2013, and I was invited by Bill Albracht and Ray Hamilton, two members of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 299, to talk with Taylor and fellow Pearl Harbor survivor Eldon Baxter.

At the time, there were three local Pearl Harbor survivors with us, Taylor, Baxter and Bob Cewe. Only Baxter remains. Cewe left us in 2014, Taylor on Monday.

With the help of many, Post 299 was going to see to it  and did  that Baxter and Taylor returned to Hawaii later that year for the annual USS Arizona Memorial. A health issue kept Cewe home.

The Arizona Memorial sits above the sunken battleship at Pearl Harbor, the final resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Still clear from that day is Taylor telling his bride, Sharon  a true 24-karat gem  "It's time. It's just time to go,'' as she straightened his tie for him that morning. She told him she was proud of him and patted him on the cheek.

The trip  at the time  would be Taylor's first return to Pearl Harbor in 72 years.

"A little anxious," Taylor, in hushed tones, said of the return flight. "But it's time."

Like Baxter, Taylor was friendly, low-key and matter-of-fact in discussing his role when the Japanese attacked that December morn of 1941. Many times he said he was simply doing his job.

He often paused and  being the kind and modest man he was  assured me in hushed tones that those who gave their lives were the heroes of Pearl Harbor, not him.

I learned Taylor, a member of the Army, was a medic working at Schofield Barracks outside Pearl Harbor. When all heck broke loose, Taylor, then 18, went to work guiding ambulances to pick up wounded soldiers and non-survivors.

During the attack, he dodged explosions and gunfire to rescue the wounded from the land and from the water. For the next 48 hours, he worked non-stop with wounded soldiers and helped a physician who specialized in traumatic head injuries.

The 19 soldiers he assisted all lived.

"There was no break," Taylor said of what he went through after the attack. "You just did what you needed to do.''

I would learn from Albracht and Hamilton that Taylor also had a distinguished and decorated Army career. But Taylor never boasted.

"Great man," Albracht said of Taylor that day. "Modest man who, like many of his generation, do not offer up what happened during their service to their country.''

Thank you, Al Taylor  for your service and for the history and humility lessons that day.
BANJUL, Gambia (AP)  The leaders of Guinea and Mauritania arrived Friday in Gambia's capital in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to get defeated President Yahya Jammeh to cede power, while a regional military force awaited orders to force out the longtime leader.

The regional leaders had set a deadline of noon (7 a.m. EST) for Jammeh to step aside, but it passed as the Guinean and Mauritanian leaders arrived.

Adama Barrow, who was elected president last month, was sworn in Thursday, and the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to approve the regional military intervention. The inauguration took place at the Gambian Embassy in neighboring Senegal for Barrow's safety.

The West African regional force, including tanks, moved in during the evening without facing any resistance, said Marcel Alain de Souza, chairman of the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS. At least 20 military vehicles were seen Friday at the border town of Karang.

The regional force included troops from Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Mali, and they moved in after Barrow's inauguration and the U.N. vote.

An increasingly isolated Jammeh remained in the official residence, State House, in Banjul. He dissolved his Cabinet on Thursday, said Malick Jones, the director of national television. Several ministers have resigned in recent days and some have fled the country.

Guinean President Alpha Conde arrived in Banjul with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. Mauritania has been mentioned as a possible home in exile for Jammeh.

Conde will offer Jammeh the chance to step down peacefully, de Souza said.

Jammeh "has the choice of going with President Alpha Conde," he said, but if that fails, "we will bring him by force or by will."

"Our troops will advance on Banjul, de Souza said. "Until the last minute, we still think there is a solution resulting from a dialogue."

Jammeh began negotiations Thursday with ECOWAS and agreed to step down, but demanded amnesty for any crimes he may have committed during his 22 years in power and wanted to stay in Gambia, in his home village of Kanilai, de Souza said. Those demands are not acceptable to ECOWAS, he added.

Jammeh's continued presence in Gambia would "create disturbances to public order and terrorist movements," said de Souza. ECOWAS wants Barrow to take power in Gambia without any security threats, said de Souza.

At a news conference in Nouakchott before leaving for Gambia, Abdel Aziz said he would "never understand" why Jammeh backed off from his initial pledge to accept defeat and step down, Mauritanian state media reported.

In his inaugural speech, which took place under heavy security, Barrow urged Jammeh to respect the will of the people and step aside. He also called for Gambia's armed forces to stay in their barracks.

Some of Gambia's diplomatic missions have begun switching their allegiance.

"We embrace and support the new president Adama Barrow," said Almamy Kassama, an official at the Gambian mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in an email.

The U.S. supported the regional force's intervention and was in touch with officials in Senegal, said State Department spokesman John Kirby, adding that he didn't have tactical information, but "obviously, it's very, very tense."

It is uncertain if Gambia's army will try to keep Jammeh in power. A soldier with close knowledge of the situation said three barracks had indicated they would support Barrow. The soldier spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Senegalese radio station RFM reported 30 Gambian soldiers had crossed into Senegal to fight alongside the regional forces.

"I think the Gambian military would know it's outnumbered," said Maggie Dwyer, an expert on West African armed forces at the University of Edinburgh. "Gambia's military has very little combat experience. This would be a very difficult situation for them."

She estimated it had 2,400 troops at most, plus fewer than 1,000 paramilitary forces.

"My guess is a very small number would actually put their life on the line for Jammeh," though some could stand by him to get the same deal he might receive to avoid prosecution, Dwyer said.

She pointed to an online video that appeared to show army chief of staff Ousman Badgie celebrating Barrow's inauguration as "a pretty clear indication of his stance."

Barrow, as commander in chief, requested the support of military leaders, said Halifa Sallah, spokesman for the coalition supporting the new president. "People are confident that change will be affected and there will be a peaceful resolution," he said.

Soldiers at checkpoints in Banjul appeared relaxed, with one telling visitors, "Welcome to the smiling coast."

Other nations have begun stepping away from Jammeh, with the African Union saying the continental body no longer recognizes him.

About 45,000 people have fled Gambia for Senegal, fearing violence, according to the Senegalese government and the U.N. refugee agency. About two-thirds are children accompanied by women, the U.N. said.

Only about a few thousand international tourists are believed to still be in Gambia, and efforts continued to evacuate them.
According to a Periodic Indicative Notice (PIN) published today by the Department for Transport (DfT), an industry day will be held for prospective bidders on March 27 and this will be followed by the launch of the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ), which will provide further details of the specification of the trains. All 60 sets will be 'classic compatible' trains built to British loading gauge for operaion on the conventional network.

Bidders will be shortlisted following the PQQ stage and a formal invitation to tender will be issued next year. The contract, which has an estimated value of around 2.75bn, is due to be awarded by the end of 2019.

The fleet will be maintained by the manufacturer at a dedicated depot at Washwood Heath in Birmingham.

The Hybrid Bill authorising construction of initial 190km section of HS2 from London to Birmingham and a junction with the West Coast Main Line (WCML) near Lichfield is expected to receive royal assent next month, enabling preliminary works to begin in the spring. Phase 1 is due to open in 2026, while the 69km Phase 2a will extend the line north to Lichfield and Crewe by 2027. Phase 2b, encompassing the Crewe - Manchester section and the eastern branch to Leeds, is due for completion in 2033.
CAF is leader of a consortium including Thales, Isolux- Corsan and AZVI, which was awarded a 690m contract in December 2014 to equip the 57.7km line, which will include 4.7km of tunnels.

The fleet of 30 trains is being assembled at CAFs Beasain plant in northern Spain. Each 160km/h five-car set will accommodate around 700 passengers.

The six-station line is forecast to carry around 230,000 passengers a day and will offer a 39-minute journey time between Zinacantepec and an interchange with the Mexico City metro at Observatorio.

The Pesos 46.97bn ($US 2.14bn) project is due to be completed in April 2018.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) announced it has reached a settlement agreement with the County of Kern, which will result in the dismissal of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) litigation over the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Fresno to Bakersfield project section of the high-speed rail program.

CAHSRA says This agreement demonstrates the commitment between both parties to work together to bring high-speed rail service to the region along with small business opportunities and jobs for Central Valley residents.

This agreement represents our continued commitment to working with all of our partners across the state to resolve issues that allow us to move the program forward, said Authority CEO Jeff Morales.

With more than 119 miles of active construction in the Central Valley, construction of a high-speed rail line between the Silicon Valley and Central Valley is planned to be complete by 2024, with passenger service beginning in 2025.
The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PardeeRAND.edu) is home to the only Ph.D. and M.Phil. programs offered at an independent public policy research organizationthe RAND Corporation.
Almost three years after the hacking of the Office of Personnel Management, 20 million Americans  7 percent of the U.S. population  who were the victims of the hack should remain vigilant.

Lowering your digital guard could still be dangerous, since the adversary may still know you well and could act against you at any time. In September, a report from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said the massive data breach of security clearance records will likely jeopardize U.S. national security for more than a generation.

To defend against future attempts to use stolen data against the United States and its people, the United States should continually assess the priorities of the adversary who likely perpetrated the attack to evaluate how the compromised data is most likely to be used. And it should be developing robust countermeasures now, as similar but more sophisticated attacks are surely coming.

The OPM breach is very concerning for both national security and individual privacy. Former National Security Agency senior counsel Joel Brenner said the material contained in the breach is a gold mine for a foreign intelligence service.

The hackers who broke into the OPM security clearance database likely have in their possession highly detailed, comprehensive personal information about the majority of Americans who are serving as the custodians of America's secrets. According to the OPM website, OPM conducts more than 90 percent of the government's background investigations for more than 100 federal agencies. The stolen material, now in the hands of the hackers, likely has a high degree of accuracy and veracity because it is illegal to knowingly falsify or conceal material in the submission of these forms.

In addition to containing a wealth of personally identifiable information  such as Social Security numbers, passport numbers, birthdates, birthplaces and multiple modes of contact information  the information contained in the breach likely contains detailed information about the victims' residential, employment, travel, educational, criminal, financial, addiction and mental health history as well as detailed information on spouses, cohabitants, other family members and foreign contacts. The breach also likely included background investigator notes derived from interviews of the individuals listed on the forms.

While the U.S. government has stopped short of officially attributing the attack to a specific country or actor, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in June 2015 that China is the leading suspect.

Whether China or another nation, a state-actor in possession of the OPM data could present a significant threat to U.S. national security.

Whether China or another nation, a state-actor in possession of the OPM data could present a significant threat to U.S. national security. The severity of that threat depends on two factors: the extent of the adversary's capability to derive insight and targeting information from the data, and the extent to which they are motivated to inflict harm.

It is true that there is considerable personal information already available on the internet and in the public sphere regarding many government employees. However, the level of detail, veracity, and the potential to aggregate this data with all other available data makes the potential for harm much greater because the data from the OPM breach serves as a force-multiplier. It also could help incubate innovative new strategies for using big data against an adversary, which could make the potential risks from the stolen data even greater over time.

The use of the information by the state actor adversary that took it would be shaped by its priorities and objectives. Such an actor likely would seek to leverage the information to further its domestic control against dissidents, to enhance its foreign intelligence, and to improve its position in the global military and economic order.

The information in the data would provide the state actor with opportunity to help alter its position vis-a-vis the United States, because the data can potentially enhance any of the nation's efforts to nullify knowledge gaps, provide new opportunities for forging alliances, bolster regional strategic advantages, and map out routes for potential influence in the United States.

The success of the hack, and the ease with which it seemingly occurred, likely reinforced the perpetrator's faith in such a model of intelligence acquisition  and the faith of other potential future perpetrators as well.

Americans should be prepared. Those whose information was compromised in the breach should be vigilant for suspicious behavior, and maintain that vigilance for years to come. Victims can request their background investigation records from OPM to provide an idea of the extent and detail of information that was compromised.

With regard to email in particular, if in doubt that an email is legitimately from a trusted person, victims should contact the person and ask to be sure.

Finally, victims should ensure that family members whose identities may have been included in the information they provided to OPM are aware that they too should be vigilant against suspicious behavior. These actions won't be failsafe to protect against all the likely follow-on actions by the actor responsible, but they may help mitigate some measure of future damage.

The OPM breach presents a deep concern that more, increasingly sophisticated hacks are likely. The United States and its people should continue to take steps to mitigate the damage and to be prepared for the next assault.

Sina Marie Beaghley is a senior international/defense policy analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. Previously, she was the director for intelligence and information security issues on the National Security Council staff and a member of the White House Disclosures Task Force.

Joshua Mendelsohn is an associate behavioral/social scientist at the RAND Corporation. Part social scientist, part programmer, part data scientist, he specializes in applying computationally intensive methods to large, difficult data, in order to derive insights on complex human systems.

David Stebbins is a project associate at the RAND Corporation currently working on studies related to intelligence, emerging technology trends, and security cooperation.

This commentary originally appeared on Inside Sources 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.
Russian programmer suspected of creating Banking Trojan  Spanish police

MOSCOW, January 20 (RAPSI) - Russian programmer Stanislav Lisov arrested in Spain is suspected of developing NeverQuest malware, the so-called Banking Trojan which steals bank account logins and gives attackers access to accounts through computers of victims, the Spanish Civil Guard announced on its website on Friday.

Damage allegedly caused by Lisovs actions is estimated at $5 million, the statement reads.

According to the Civil Guard, the arrested Russian national is one of the most important Russian hackers wanted by the U.S.

Investigation into Lisov was launched in 2014, the statement reads. He allegedly conspired with a group of people to develop, distribute and use malicious software NeverQuest. Lisov is supposed to be the creator and administrator of a network of computers infected with NeverQuest via servers he had leased and acquired.

The study of servers operated by the suspect in Germany and France afforded to find out databases containing information stolen from banking institutions including account balances, the Civil Guard reported. One of the servers allegedly used by Lisov contained millions of login credentials, in particular user names, passwords and review quiz answers to access online bank and financial accounts.

As reported earlier, Lisov was arrested in Spain on January 13 on suspicion of implication in cyberattacks.

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, according to Lisova.

The Russian embassy was officially notified of Lisovs arrest. 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.
Russian national charged with $4.3 mln embezzlement extradited from Austria

MOSCOW, January 20 (RAPSI)  Russian citizen Nail Malyutin, who stands charged with embezzling 253 million rubles ($4.3 million), has been extradited from Austria, Alexander Kurennoy, a spokesman for the Prosecutor Generals Office, told journalists on Friday.

According to Kurennoy, Malyutin has stolen the money from the Financial leasing company (a company with public ownership) by concluding a sham contract on the purchase and sale of civil aircraft.

Malyutin absconded during the investigation and was put on the international wanted list. Russia sent to Austria a request for his extradition in December 2014. Kurennoy noted that the Prosecutor Generals Office has repeatedly provided explanations and supplementary guarantees of respect for Malyutins rights to Austrian authorities.

In March 2016, Austrian Minister of Justice Wolfgang Brandstetter backed up the court ruling to extradite the Russian national. This decision was appealed. The appeal was dismissed in December 2016.

Malyutin was handed over to the Russian law enforcement officers in the airport of Vienna on January 20.




State Duma ratifies treaty on mutual assistance in criminal matters with North Korea

Context Russia to ratify treaty on mutual assistance in criminal matters with North Korea

MOSCOW, January 20 (RAPSI)  The State Duma has ratified a treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between the Russian Federation and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

The agreement was signed in Pyongyang on November 17, 2015 with an aim to develop the international legal framework of cooperation between Russia and North Korea in this area.

According to the treaty, the parties commit to provide legal assistance to each other in investigations, litigations, and other legal proceedings relating to criminal matters on the reciprocal basis and subject to the compliance with the treatys provisions.

An explanatory note to the document points out that the agreement introduces rules different from those set in the Russian legislation. The treaty envisages that assistance can be denied in case the provision thereof infringes on sovereignty, security, public order or other material interests of the requested party. Russias Criminal Code does not contain this ground for denying legal assistance.

Besides, the treaty envisages rules regulating basic human and civil rights, among them guarantees to requested persons.
Jose R. Cardenas is a director with the international consultancy Vision Americas. He served in several senior foreign policy positions during the George W. Bush administration (2004-2009), including at the Department of State, the National Security Council, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. 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.

It appears safe to say that Donald Trumps approach to the world will oscillate short of the poles of interventionism or retrenchment championed respectively by presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. The president-elect -- whose early cabinet picks suggest a preference for policymakers with an America First worldview -- will most likely approach each foreign policy question and crisis he faces with more doctrinal flexibility than his two predecessors.

Fortunately, no one in the nascent Trump administration is calling for any major U.S. intervention in the Western Hemisphere. But that doesnt mean the United States does not have important national interests that need addressing in our neighborhood. The Obama administration believed it had checked its Latin America policy box with its controversial opening to Cuba, but it left other problems to fester. An incoming Trump administration would do well to focus on four issues right out of the gate: Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, and transnational crime.

A Mexican Reset

During the presidential campaign, Mexico became a scapegoat for voters concerns about a U.S. immigration policy run amok, even though Mexicans crossing the border contribute little to an immigration crisis fueled more by Central Americans and by visa overstays. Still, The Wall resonated, but it is more a metaphor for lackluster enforcement of U.S. immigration laws and Washingtons indifference to their impact on Americans way of life.

Yet the U.S.-Mexico relationship is one of the most important bilateral relationships the United States has in the world. Mexico is the United States second-largest export market after Canada, and its third-largest trading partner after Canada and China, with a two-way trade that amounts to $530 billion (more than Japan, Germany, and South Korea combined). Six million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Mexico; 14 million depend on the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. Moreover, U.S.-Mexico trade encompasses production sharing, in which 40 cents of every dollar spent on imports from Mexico come back to the United States.

President-elect Trump has a mandate to make border security or a NAFTA review priority issues. One hopes, however, that they are carried out in a collaborative way that encourages vital cooperation with our neighbors. As with any border relationship, there is an array of issues in which respective interests coincide and others where they differ. We need to approach them as statesmen, find common ground, and work together to promote security and prosperity. For example, Mexico has its own security issues on its southern frontier and counts on the commerce on its border with the United States. Why not create a presidential binational working group with a mandate to identify gaps and weaknesses, recommend specific measures, and ensure accountability?

The 2016 campaign has left a lot of bruised feelings on both sides of the border. The challenge is to pursue very real U.S. interests on a plane of mutual respect and goodwill. Such an approach will likely deliver the stronger border security and a NAFTA that better serves U.S. interests as President-elect Trump sees them.

The Venezuelan Tinderbox

President Obama did the Trump administration no favors by leaving the mess of Venezuela on the White House doorstep. In fact, a social implosion there could well be the first international crisis Trump faces. The socialist regime of Nicolas Maduro has presided over an unprecedented economic debacle while systematically gutting the countrys democratic institutions. Last October, Maduro eliminated the last option for a peaceful transition when he cancelled a recall referendum the opposition had been pursuing. Meanwhile, pervasive food and medicine shortages are making life intolerable for millions of Venezuelans.

It may not, however, come to a social implosion -- at least not yet. The good news is that President Trump will be engaging a hemisphere that is changing politically. In contrast to the previous decade, when governments sympathetic to chavismo dominated regional forums, more pragmatic leaders are coming to power in important countries. That creates opportunities for more diplomatic engagement behind the scenes to hold Venezuela accountable for its depredations against democracy.

Whether or not the Trump administration deems it vital to defend democracy in Venezuela, Trump is likely to care more than Obama that senior Venezuelan officials have been implicated in narcotics trafficking to the United States. Obama was reluctant to give authorities in the State and Treasury departments the power to sanction high-ranking Venezuelans. The administration feared that any moves would help the Caracas government play up the specter of U.S. aggression. But not acting in response to crimes against the United States is an abdication of a presidents responsibility. While pursuing a multilateral solution in defense of democracy and human rights, Trumps team can gain leverage on the Venezuelan regime by exposing and punishing the crimes of its officials.

Undoing the Opening to Cuba

In December, Trump spokesman Jason Miller said that Cuba has been an important issue, and it will continue to be one. Our priorities are the release of political prisoners, return of fugitives from American law, and also political and religious freedoms for all Cubans living in oppression. In late November, President-elect Trump tweeted, If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal. In October, Vice President-elect Mike Pence said, When Donald Trump and I take to the White House, we will reverse Barack Obamas executive orders on Cuba.

Challenging current Cuban President Raul Castro to implement democratic reforms as a basis for reversing Obamas policy is smart. The regime will of course refuse, while supporters of President Obamas opening to Cuba will be hard-pressed to explain why the Castro government doesnt need to change in exchange for warmer relations with the United States. Of course, Obama policy proponents will continue to argue for engagement and will continue to receive a sympathetic airing in the press. Even so, Trump cannot go wrong by standing with 11 million Cubans.

The Trump administration should immediately re-establish common cause with Cubas persecuted dissidents and human rights activists. Perhaps the worst aspect of Obamas Cuba rapprochement was to relegate these groups to a peripheral policy concern. In particular, U.S. assistance for dissidents was redirected to other activities on the island seen to be less provocative to the Castro regime. That program should be returned to its original purpose, and additional support should be sought from the new Congress. Moreover, simply ending such Obama initiatives as tourist travel -- combined with the downturn in Venezuelan aid to Cuba -- will increase pressure on the Castro regime to undertake real reforms.

Addressing Transnational Crime

The most under-reported story of the decade in the Western Hemisphere has been the expansion and growing sophistication of transnational criminal networks that undermine security and economic growth in the region. Gen. John Kelly, the now-retired former commander at Southcom and President-elect Trumps nominee for secretary of homeland security, has repeatedly attempted to warn Washington officials and insiders about the threat. In a 2015 congressional testimony, Kelly said that:

The drug trade -- which is exacerbated by U.S. drug consumption -- has wrought devastating consequences in many of our partner nations, degrading their civilian police and justice systems, corrupting their institutions, and contributing to a breakdown in citizen safety. The tentacles of global networks involved in narcotics and arms trafficking, human smuggling, illicit finance, and other types of illegal activity reach across Latin America and the Caribbean and into the United States, yet we continue to underestimate the threat of transnational organized crime at significant and direct risk to our national security and that of our partner nations.

It is simply impossible, however, to secure our southern border without addressing the push factor causing people to flee their homes. Two years after the crisis on the southwest border that saw thousands of unaccompanied minors attempting the dangerous crossing, very little has been accomplished to deal with the push factor, and Central Americans are still crossing in record numbers. The Obama administrations response has been tepid, for fear of being accused by left-wing non-governmental organizations of militarizing U.S. policy in the hemisphere. But people fleeing violence and criminality are not worried about what the United States did or did not do back in the 1970s or 1980s; they want safe and secure homes today.

The Trump administration can bring new energy, commitment, and funding to security assistance and training for our beleaguered neighbors to the south attempting to cope with transnational crime, insecurity, and gang activity. Unless we help them help themselves it will not matter how high or intimidating the wall; even if we build it, they will come.
George Friedman is chairman of Geopolitical Futures. 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.

During the campaign for the American presidency, Donald Trump promised that in his administration only good things would happen. He was somewhat vague about what precisely was good and what was bad. In this, he was exactly like any other American presidential candidate. Unlike many, however, he provided some details of the specific issues that worried him, and a broader strategic vision. This vision was embedded in his unique rhetoric, but if we extract it, we have a clear roadmap. Trumps rhetoric is a problem, but so is conventionally clear political rhetoric that clearly says nothing. I say this because I think that observers tend too readily to dismiss what he says. This is an attempt to decode it.

Trumps core strategic argument is that the United States is overextended. The core reason for this overextension is that the United States has substituted a system of multilateral relationships for a careful analysis of the national interest. In this reading, Washington is entangled in complex relationships that place risks and burdens on the United States to come to the aid of some countries. However, its commitments are not matched by those countries in capability, nor in intent.

Overextension by Alliance

NATO is the obvious case. The United States has been involved in wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere in the Islamic world. NATO has not provided decisive strategic support to these efforts. Many have provided what support they could or what support they wanted, but that level of support was far below the abilities of NATO members.

The members of the European Union have roughly the same collective gross domestic product as the United States, and a larger population. They also have a substantial industrial base. Europe is well beyond where it was when NATO was founded, when it was incapable of collective defense without the United States. NATO members have taken for granted that Washington will bear the primary burden for defense, measured not only in terms of dollars spent, but also in the development of military capabilities.

As important, the primary strategic activity of the United States for the past 15 years has been in the Islamic world. Many in NATO objected to the U.S. operation in Iraq, and except for the United Kingdom they provided little or no significant support. Alliance members have no obligation to join in conflicts initiated by the United States outside the area of NATOs focus. Trump accepts that principle but points out that the organization has been irrelevant to U.S. strategic needs. Where the alliance engaged, it did so with far too little force to constitute a strategic force. Their reasonable argument that the 28-member alliance makes no commitment to out-of-area engagements not undertaken under Article 5 raises the question of what, then, NATOs value is to the United States. In sum, NATO lacks significant strategic capabilities, and the alliance is defined in such a way that its members can and do elect to avoid those conflicts that matter most to America.

It is therefore not clear that NATO as currently constituted is of value to the United States. The United States is liable for the defense of Europe. Europe is not liable for defending American interests, which today lie outside of Europe. Trump believes this relationship must be mutually renegotiated. If the Europeans are unwilling to renegotiate, the United States should exit NATO and develop bilateral relations with countries that are capable and are prepared to work with the United States in areas of its national interest in return for guarantees from Washington. Similar re-examination of our relationships ought to be carried out globally in regard to allies such as Japan and South Korea to assure that such relationships remain of value to both parties, and that the level of effort and risk reflects that value.

Trading Benefits

The same view holds true for Trumps policy on foreign trade. It is not clear that the current international trade regime has benefited the United States. International trade is not an end in itself; it must serve the interests of each party. At this point in history, the primary economic need in the United States is to create trade relations that build jobs in the United States. The previous goal of aggregate growth of an economy without regard to societal consequences is no longer acceptable. The terms under which most international trade agreements have been structured are now therefore unacceptable. Free trade may well increase the GDP, but it does not deal with critical societal issues.

Large multilateral free-trade agreements are therefore far too complex to fine-tune to the American interest. They need to be avoided in favor of bilateral treaties, or of smaller ones such as NAFTA, that can be reshaped to serve the current American interest. In these negotiations, the United States, producing about 25 percent of the worlds GDP, holds the strong hand. The United States primary concern must be the same as that of other countries: trade relations that are beneficial to it, and not an abstract commitment to free trade.

Compelling China

China is a special case. It is a massive economy that is highly dependent on exports to America. It has offered an environment where U.S. companies can transfer production and increase their revenue and profits while hollowing out the American industrial base. That situation wont continue. At this point the Chinese dependence on the United States is substantially greater than the reverse. In addition, the United States has a strategic advantage over China, demonstrated by Trumps willingness to disregard the One China concept. The United States currently has the economic and strategic advantage to negotiate a new relationship with China, and to compel that negotiation.

The End of Multilateralism

The United States central preoccupation in foreign policy -- one shared by other countries -- is Islamic radicalism, especially in its latest manifestation, the Islamic State. ISIS poses a terrorist threat that has been minimized by some but is regarded by Trump as an intolerable menace for two reasons. First, as 9/11 demonstrated, attacks can be escalated. Second, the psychological burden of terrorism is enormous. The terrorist threat cannot be defeated without overwhelming power being brought to bear on the Middle East. Living with terrorism indefinitely is not an option. Therefore, the United States and its allies must bring overwhelming force to bear.

The United States is ready to work with any ally prepared to dedicate resources to this goal and to share risks. This includes Russia, which has an internal problem with Islamic terrorists and has significant capabilities it could deploy. Trump sees U.S. and Russian interests as coinciding. Washington and Moscow could agree on the neutralization of Ukraine: Kyiv would have economic and political ties with the West, but Ukraine would not be part of any alliance system, nor would it be a base for Western forces. The United States wants a buffer to protect allies in Eastern Europe, but beyond that it has no overriding interest in Ukraine. Russia wants a degree of autonomy in Eastern Ukraine and retention of its interests in Crimea, where it has treaty rights in Sevastopol anyway. The Ukrainian issue can be managed in the context of joint anti-Islamist operations. Trump is of course aware of economic problems in Russia, and he sees therein a lever to achieve his goal.

For Trump, the key is to recognize that the Post-World War II period of multilateralism is over, and that continuing to act otherwise is harming the United States interests in multiple ways. For the United States 9/11 remains a defining moment, and 15 years of unsatisfactory operations in the Middle East do not mean that a solution is unattainable. Since NATO members are either unwilling to commit to this effort, or have very little to commit, the United States seeks other nations with a common interest, and chief among those is Russia.

Trump has actually said most of these things in a rather disjointed way. But if we ignore rhetorical flaws and look at the substance of what he has said, he has a coherent and radical foreign policy. Trump is proposing a redefinition of U.S. foreign policies based on current realities, not those of 40 years ago. It is a foreign policy in which American strength is maximized in order to achieve American ends.

Whether he will pursue this once in office, or whether it is a good policy, is not the key point; that there is a very real policy embedded in his statements is. It is also not a foolish one. U.S. policy has been reflexively committed to arrangements that are three-quarters of a century old. The world has changed, but the shape of U.S. policy has not. Translating this into reality will be, for Trump, another matter.
Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale

Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada.

Search Real Estate
,



We're sorry, this article is not currently available
MDFI, a Michigan based training company, has offered professional instruction to civilians, law enforcement and military since 2007. More recently it has become increasingly involved in Second Amendment and related firearm-related political issues. More recently still, they've begun franchising their courses out to other states  including North Carolina and Indiana.

Read on.

MDFI Update: Michigan Defensive Firearms Institute Franchises for 2017

Michigan Defensive Firearms Institute (MDFI) offers sound, effective and professional training to create a citizenry that is competent and confident in their chosen defensive disciplines. We believe that by building a solid defensive foundation, our students will be prepared for the possibility of using force, life-saving tools and their skills to get them through any bad situation that may arise. Holding true to the fact that no situation is the same, MDFI courses are void of the dogma of our way or the highway.

This Isnt Tactical Training. Our Goal Is To Help Prepare You For Every Day Life. 

Catering to the beginner and the experienced defensive student alike, MDFI staff will work to ensure that all participants walk away with the benefits of professional training, evaluation and feedback.

For 2017, if you are looking to get into one the incredible popular MDFI You Suck! It's Not The Gun! or YSINTG classes, you don't need to be bummed if you can't make it to Michigan to train with Trek and his cadre. Listed as their Core handgun class, MDFI describes the class as, This class takes pistol shooting back to the basics. In an attempt to focus on the defensive use of a handgun, many classes do not focus a great deal of time on the ability to place a bullet precisely where the shooter wants it to go. This class is aimed at fixing that. After this class, most students show drastic improvement in their pistol shooting accuracy.

I am incredibly happy to announce that folks in the states of North Carolina and Indiana can now join the likes of our friends at SOLO Defense and the Muncie Threat Assessment Center (MTAC) to take what I feel is a must' for new and veteran shooters alike.

For 2016, MDFI had a 95% class fill rate for the entire year with 100% of both their Foundation Handgun and YSINTG booking completely.

For 2017, we have added two times the amount of student spots and already, 40% of them are filled. Having our YSINTG franchise partners makes sense so we can offer great info through folks that understand our teaching style, absolute dedication to safety, and goals when it comes to developing responsibly-armed citizens, Trek stated.

As part of the agreement, SOLO Defense will have the exclusive rights to teach the course in the whole of North Carolina and MTAC all of Indiana. MTAC, an indoor UTM facility.

A custom YSINTG course: YSINTG UTM that takes into account specific differences from live ammunition yet still allows students to benefit as much as possible compared to a live fire class. MTAC will be offering the class where in the cost, all training weapons and ammunition required are included with the tuition as well.

The MTAC and SOLO cadres go through a MDFI-led YSINTG Train-The-Trainer course to ensure that should you take the class in Michigan with MDFI, or with SOLO Defense or MTAC, that the students will leave with the skills and next training steps needed.

For those looking for the opportunity to take a YSINTG class around the country, keep an eye out for class listings at SOLO Defense and MTAC. MDFI's 2017 season registrations are already open and filling fast.

Additionally, becoming a MDFI Alumni comes with lots of benefits  such as lifetime discounts on training, gear giveaways, special events and others.

To learn even more about MDFI, visit their website.
By now, 2017s New Years resolutions have already been broken, the festive booze supply has been depleted, and youre probably tired of having to jockey for space at the gym with the folks who, like swallows to Capistrano, show up every January to crap on the place then disappear. On the national political front, now that the hubris surrounding Novembers election result has subsided, well all get to see whether our new president will live up to promises made on the campaign trail. If the Hearing Protection Act is passed and national CCW reciprocity becomes a reality, then this could wind up being a banner year for gun owners. If not, well, history is a harsh critic.

Speaking of elections, weve taken the unusual step of endorsing a candidate for the NRAs Board of Directors, and you can read the Q&A that caused us to reach this conclusion. Getting Adam Kraut, and other young people, on the NRA board will go some way toward bridging the generational rift between its leadership and those it needs to recruit to ensure the organizations future in advocating for all American gun owners.

At this time every year, our team throws down the gauntlet to those who consider themselves competition, secure in the knowledge that whatever we do, itll take at least six months before the rip-off artists can make a cheap copy available. We truly welcome the opportunity to improve, and the challenge only makes the finished product even more kick-ass. Take our Issue 29's cover, for example.

Jenavee Johnson embodies the anticipation of what this year might bring as we introduce a new generation of shooters to the Second Amendment community. Sure, they might have a curious obsession with their mobile devices and take at least four pictures of themselves every day, but without an active effort to recruit them, we run the risk of losing our firearms rights within a couple of generations. So if youre looking for a worthy resolution to replace the ones youve already let slide, might we suggest taking a new shooter to the range?

Our next-gen theme continues in this edition with three new firearms that embody cutting-edge thinking. All of them bring something new to the table and are produced by start-up companies in the proud tradition of American free enterprise and exceptionalism. If you scan through our list of advertisers, youll no doubt notice that none of them are actually clients of RECOIL, and Ill leave it to you to reach your own conclusions regarding our editorial integrity, versus others in this game.

Elsewhere, we profile noted 2A legal authority Alex Kincaid and you should look for her voice to be added to the roster of experts appearing in these pages. Theres a new version of everyones favorite spray-and-bake firearm finish, and we get to look behind the scenes at how Cerakote Elite is made and tested. And we cast a beady eye over the latest two-wheeled electric vehicle that has some very real advantages in a SHTF scenario.

There are some big moves afoot at RECOIL HQ. Readers of CONCEALMENT, our concealed-carry magazine, have been very vocal about demanding more of the same, so were going to double the frequency at which it hits the shelves. RECOILtv has a brand-new look and feel, so if youve yet to sample the videos available online, please check out some of the cool content weve been working on at www.recoilweb.com. And theres something in the pipeline thats going to shake up the cozy world of certain outdoor pursuits.

Welcome to 2017. I have a feeling its going to be a great one.
The US Army announced its award of the XM17 Modular Handgun System contract worth up to $80 million today to Sig Sauer. The winning handgun system is based on Sig Sauer's P320 modular, striker-fired pistol.

According to the The U.S. Army Contracting Command, on behalf of Project Manager Soldier Weapons, the government awarded an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with Firm Fixed Price (FFP) delivery orders to Sig Sauer Incorporated. This contract is for the production and delivery of the XM 17 Modular Handgun System (MHS) which includes the handgun, accessories and ammunition.

We are both humbled and proud that the P320 was selected by the U.S. Army as its weapon of choice, said Sig Sauer President and CEO Ron Cohen. Securing this contract is a testimony to Sig Sauer employees and their commitment to innovation, quality, and manufacturing the most reliable firearms in the world.

Multiple sources involved in the acquisition program have told RECOIL the M17 is chambered in 9mm NATO.

The award of the XM17 contract ends the 25-year service life of the M9 pistol, which is based on the Beretta 92FS. The contract has the Army buying as many as 280,000 pistols, plus approximately 7,000 sub-compact models. The contract also covers the purchase of another 212,000 pistols by other military services.

I am tremendously proud of the Modular Handgun System team, said Army acquisition executive Steffanie Easter in an announcement. 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.

The competition was rumored to have come down to Sig Sauer and Glock Inc.
Estimados amigos,

Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia.

Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro.

Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras.

There are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen.

You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.

No soy alguien que sabe, sino alguien que busca.

Only Gold is money. Everything else is debt.

Las grandes almas tienen voluntades; las debiles tan solo deseos.

Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada.

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.

If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.
In its first session of the year the Student Government Association at the University of Georgia met with two directors of Auxiliary Services to hear about the changes in store for the university in the coming semester.
A performance akin to the ABC hit television show, Dancing With the Stars is waltzing its way into the New Dance Theatre on Sanford Drive. B
Alonzo King sat on his stool, smoothing down his French beret while looking into the audience. Someone had just asked him about the power of d
A doom-and-gloom outlook on Trumps America often permeates the media and other forums that influence voters. During this election cycle, misinformation littered Twitter feeds and other forms of mass communication, spreading rhetoric that damaged the reputation and viability of the Republican presidential nominee.
Mrinalini Chakraborty doesn't know when she became an activist. The 26-year-old University of Illinois at Chicago graduate student from India said it just complements her opinionated personality. In March 2016 she was at the front lines of student-led protests against a Donald Trump rally to be held on campus, which the then-Republican presidential candidate canceled. At her small liberal arts college in western Illinois, she was a member of Students Against Sexism in Society and other clubs that promoted cultural diversity. Still, she wonders how you know you're an activist.

"Is it when you have a demonstration in college, or you're speaking about issues of race and sexism?" she said. "Or is it when you lead a mass mobilization to [Washington,] D.C., is that when you become an activist?"

Advertisement

Chakraborty is a state co-coordinator on the national committee for the Women's March on Washington, where more than 200,000 people are expected to show up the day after Trump is inaugurated. She handles everything state organizers need to know to get people there. What started with simply asking herself "What am I going to do?" the day after the election grew into a full-time job figuring out how to mobilize in 10 weeks thousands of people across the nation for a grassroots phenomenon that's possibly the largest inauguration demonstration in history.

An immigrant from Kolkata, India, Chakraborty came to the U.S. in 2008 on an academic scholarship. But she didn't come with grand illusions that many of her friends had about living a life of luxury in the U.S. and had to work to pay for her biology and art history education at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. In her search for an education that would allow her to think for herself, college offered her opportunities to get politically involved.

Advertisement

Chakraborty does most of the planning for the march from the Gold Coast studio apartment that she shares with her husband, Deepanjan Datta. They aren't U.S. citizens, but they've been waiting for green card approval since 2008. As an immigrant helping to spearhead the Women's March, Chakraborty said she isn't afraid that this could affect her citizenship. "My parents are freaking out that I'm a part of something like this," she said.

While her parents fear she could be blacklisted, Chakraborty said she's more afraid of the new administration and what the consequences of this presidency could be, not just for her, but also for those immigrants who don't have a home country to return to. But she said she doesn't let that fear dictate how she lives.

"What's the cost of living in that sort of fear all of the time?" she said. "That turns me into a person that's almost begging the government to have mercy on us, and I am too proud to do that. I love my life here, we are being patient with the [immigration] process and doing everything legally, but at the end of it  if this country doesn't want me, then I'm not gonna beg for it."

Immigrants of all statuses are just one of the social groups the march raises up, along with LGBT people, Muslims, Native Americans, black and brown people, sexual assault survivors and people with disabilitiesgroups that have been "insulted, demonized and threatened" in the recent election, according to the mission statement at womensmarch.com. While some characterize the march as an anti-Trump rally, Chakraborty is specific in saying it's a solidarity march that highlights global issues.

For her, it's about embracing fear to create change. "You have to turn that fear or that sense of desolation into something else, some sort of action," she said. "I've been so afraid of so many things in my life, and what does that do really? If [I] can turn that into something that makes an impact, I just felt like it would give me a greater sense of achievement to not just wallow in all of the frustration that I was feeling."

Among the thousands expected to march tomorrow are celebrity faces including America Ferrera, Zendaya and Katy Perry. Chakraborty said there are an estimated 4,000 people going from Illinois; the state has more than 60 buses confirmed, around 35 of those from Chicago, according to Amanda Drenth, logistics coordinator for the Illinois Chapter of the Women's March on Washington. Part of Chakraborty's job on the national committee is to get a sense of how many people are coming to the march from every state. She set up a form asking marchers to register to attend on WomensMarch.com, which got airtime on "The Rachel Maddow Show" on Jan. 4.

Unsurprisingly, there's no guidebook for planning a mass mobilization for thousands of people in 10 weeks. Chakraborty, a self-proclaimed foodie, said she hardly eats and sleeps only about three hours a night. But the night of the election, she barely slept at all.

"We ran probably one of the most qualified candidates against the most unqualified that we've ever seen and still the latter won," she said. "I can't wrap my head around it. I came from a country where sexism and misogyny is an even bigger problem than it is here. I just cannot believe that misogyny didn't have a role to play in this."

Advertisement

Feeling afraid, angry and hopeless, she felt she had to do something. On Nov. 9, a friend shared a Facebook event for a women's march in D.C. on Inauguration Day. Chakraborty joined immediately and reached out to the initial organizers to see how she could help. She volunteered to lead coordination in Illinois and by that weekend had assembled a team of five other women to help her mobilize the state.

With her work already cut out for her, Chakraborty said she didn't intend to be on the march's national committee. However, when she realized not much was getting done in terms of synchronizing the states, she made some noise about it and the national organizers asked her to come on board to handle it. "When you complain about something, you better be prepared to do the job," she said.

About 1,800 buses have registered nationwide, Chakraborty said. Most far-away states are busing participants in the morning of the march and leaving that evening. Illinois marchers are doing the round trip in about 36 hours. A rally before the march begins at 10 a.m. Eastern time at Independence Avenue and Third Street near Capitol Hill. The program features advocates, artists and entertainers, including Angela Davis, Gloria Steinem, Michael Moore and the Indigo Girls. The march follows, stepping off at 1:15 p.m. Eastern.



While the masses head to Washington, more than a thousand sister marches are planned in every state in the U.S. and in cities around the world, including London, Berlin, Mexico City, Seoul and more, according to the Washington march's website. The Chicago rally starts at 10 a.m. Central on Columbus Drive just north of Jackson Drive, and more than 50,000 people are expected to march on Jackson through the Loop starting at 11:30 a.m. Central, according to the Tribune and womens121marchonchicago.org.

The globalization of the movement points to the inclusivity of the march, Chakraborty said, focusing on issues that apply to people of all genders. But some are hung up on the name and think the march excludes men, she said.

"This is a women-led movement, but that doesn't mean it can't be a movement for everyone, because it is," said Chakraborty, who's marching with her husband tomorrow. "If you consider yourself an ally to women's rights and women in general, which is more than half the population, then you should come."

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

She said she believes feminism is one of the more misunderstood movements in recent history, but being a feminist isn't determined by gender. At the forefront of the march are women with jobs and families who aren't getting cut a paycheck for the planning. "None of us have the time to do it, but we are still doing it because it's important," Chakraborty said. While she encourages people of all genders to get involved, she wants to remind women that the women's rights and feminist movements were only the beginning of something larger.

Advertisement

"From time to time, we become complacent.  We thought that we had fought for these rights and won them, but look at it now, women's healthcare [issues are] back on the table to be debated once more," she said. "So it's not like this is done and dusted and women are completely emancipated, no, that's not true. If you think our battles are won, you're wrong. We still need to scream and shout about it."

Getting involved is seemingly easier than ever, and social media is at the helm of the Women's March. But it's important that any political action doesn't start and die there, Chakraborty said. Political activism online, such as signing petitions and engaging in difficult conversations with peers, can be beneficial in raising awareness, but there must be a balance of ground action, including showing up in person. She said her team printed flyers and worked with churches and other organizations to reach those who don't use Facebook and Twitter.

Chakraborty said that she isn't sure what will happen after the march, but that "this has to be the beginning. This cannot be a one-day event." She hopes marchers go home inspired to connect with nonprofits or start their own organizations. She and her team are talking about hosting a fair where marchers can get more info on where to get involved.

Chakraborty said she's moved by the outpouring of help she's had in planning and the number of people mobilizing. But the potential reality that the movement will lose mass momentum after the march doesn't dishearten her.

"When you come back, maybe 30 people will want to be part of the next step, but a lot of times those people make a difference in the system," Chakraborty said. "They are the activists of the next generation. They are going to be the people who found organizations. They are going to be the people who run for office. It's the fact that we gave rise to a new generation of activists. If that's all we do, then that's fine by me. We lit the fire in some more people."

@OhItsHeather | hschroering@redeyechicago.com
Staking their claim for a second consecutive night, protestors aligned with New York Communities for Change marched around Goldman Sachs headquarters in Manhattan and prepared to spend a night sleeping in the cold.

The "Government Sachs" protest has been going on since Tuesday morning, when activists gathered outside Goldman Sachs' downtown headquarters to protest what they see as the bank's outsized influence on the Trump administration. Last week, protestors aligned with the group briefly occupied the lobby of the Goldman Sachs HQ, before they were removed by police and security:

This time, the NYPD has allocated a small piece of sidewalk near one of the building's entrances, surrounded by three police barricades. The group of about 40 protestors, some wearing swamp monster masks, marched around the building that housed Goldman, chanting slogans in Spanish ("Goldman escucha, estamos en la lucha") and in English, specifically asking Trump to follow his campaign rhetoric and "Drain the swamp." After a few passes around the building, the protestors briefly blocked traffic on the West Side Highway, but moved on before police intervened.

"I heard about the women who got foreclosed on by Mnuchin over 90 cents," protestor Elva Meneses told Gothamist, when asked what brought her out to the protest. Meneses told us that while she didn't stay overnight, she had been at the protest on Tuesday and all day Wednesday.

Oselig Lantigua, a taxi driver from Williamsburg, echoed the concern over housing. "My customers, people i pick up, tell me about how they get kicked out of their houses. They've been in their houses for 30, 40, 50 years, the landlord offers them money or sometimes by some illegal ways, they get kicked out of their house. It's all part of this system."

Organizer Renata Pumarol had stayed overnight on Tuesday, and said that the cold wasn't as bad as the rain. "The most difficult part was the rain. We had sleeping bags and hand warmers and we were dressed pretty okay, but it just kept drizzling constantly." Pumarol was planning to stay the night again, and explained the opposition to Goldman Sachs specifically.

"Goldman is at the top of the pyramid, they have way more power than [banks like Chase, and Citibank]. They're what Matt Taibbi called them, a vampire squid, they have their hands on everything. We know they had a major role in the foreclosure crisis and they have an even more major role in government now than they did before."

Like the morning before, employees, curious passers-by went past the encampment or watched the marchers, seemingly unaware of what was going on. One man who left the building stopped to gawk and laugh, telling a friend on the phone "Yeah, the banner says 'Government Sachs'" and took a picture of it.

The campout is supposed to end Friday, after Trump is sworn in, but Pumarol said that Communities for Change isn't finished yet. "I think [Goldman] hope this will dwindle down, but this is just the beginning of the protest of this administration and also the source of its power, which is Goldman Sachs."
While the BSEs asking valuation is reasonable, compared to peers, there are some factors that long-term investors need to consider before investing.

Barely a month since the National Stock Exchange filed its prospectus with the markets regulator to get listed, the BSE exchange has launched its initial public offering of equity.

While the BSEs asking valuation is reasonable, compared to peers, there are some factors that long-term investors need to consider before investing.

To begin with, 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.

So, if stock market sentiments take a knock, it will reflect on the exchanges fortunes.

Importantly, the BSE has failed to compete efficiently with NSE in the equity derivatives segment.

Analysts at Religare Stock Broking note BSEs market share in equity trading has been stagnant at 13-14 per cent in the past five years, a concern.

These issues give rise to concerns around effective execution by the company.

Additionally, BSEs depository subsidiary, CDSL, could get listed soon, as the parent has to pare its stake in the latter to 24 per cent, from 50 per cent currently.

According to BSEs prospectus, this will slice away a fifth of BSEs FY16 revenue and 16 per cent of its earnings. The impact will be compensated, if only in part, by the one-time money flowing into BSE via the CDSL public issue.

Also, 29 per cent of its FY16 revenue came from non-core and volatile investment income, which lends further volatility to BSEs financials.

Already, BSEs net profit has fallen in the previous two years.

While increase in listing fees has fuelled its revenue in recent times, similar hikes might not accrue as it goes forward.

Investors should also note the issue comprises purely an Offer for Sale.

Hence, none of the IPO proceeds will flow into BSE.

Importantly, most of the existing shareholders are likely to book losses (in dollar terms) as they sell their holdings.

Positively, there are long-term triggers.

Given the under-penetration of Indias exchanges, there is scope to grow profitably.

BSE has recently launched an international exchange at GIFTCity near Ahmedabad and is also looking to foray into commodities trading. And, an international clearing corporation at GIFTCity.

The exchange aspires to launch innovative products, as well as enter into tie-ups with global exchanges.

Though these are in the right direction, they will bear fruit only over the coming years.

Its distribution business (mutual funds and insurance) is growing at a healthy clip but is too small in size, as of now, to make a material difference.

On the whole, right execution and profitable growth of its new venture is a pre-requisite to any improvement in prospects.

From the stock perspective, BSEs market capitalisation, according to the IPO price, is Rs 4,400 crore.

While this is a small fraction of NSEs reported valuation of Rs 44,500 crore that is due to the latters larger size, better financials and market leadership in equity transactions business.

Nevertheless, at the upper price band, BSE is valued at 21 times its FY17 annualised earning, much lower than the 25 times commanded by other listed Asian exchanges.

Back home, MCX trades at about 40 times the FY17 estimated earnings, though it is not strictly comparable to BSE or NSE. Hence, many experts believe BSE can comfortably deliver decent listing gains.

Image: The bull at Bombay Stock Exchange. Photograph: Reuters.
Eleanor Roosevelt, a advocate of civil and gender rights, invested the American First Lady's role with meaning.

Jackie Kennedy was her husband's unofficial envoy, including to Asia.

Betty Ford is remembered for changing the discourse on addiction.

Does Mrs Donald Trump realise that her immediate predecessor, Michelle Obama, is not the only hard act to follow, wonders Kanika Datta.

IMAGE: Melania and Donald Trump in New York in September during the presidential campaign.

Melania is, inevitably, invested with the cruel biases that society attaches to models.

Photograph: Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images

Donald Trump's presidency is replete with unknown unknowns.

But what kind of First Lady would Melania Trump make?

Mrs Trump was an enigmatic figure on the campaign trail, manifestly more arm candy than life partner.

So, little is known of Melania Trump beyond her Slovenian provenance and journeyman modelling career that The New York Times even commissioned a short story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to reconstruct a day in her life.

What can be safely predicted about Mrs Trump is that she will record several firsts as a First Lady incumbent of the post-war White House.

She will be the first first-generation immigrant, the first third wife, the first model, certainly the first to have modelled nude and, the first to be accused of plagiarism, however unwitting, that too from the charismatic Michelle Obama, whom she will succeed.

As Mrs Obama walked her through the White House, Mrs Trump would have seen portraits of former First Ladies.

Would she realise that her immediate predecessor may not be the only hard act to follow?

The First Lady's role depends on what the incumbent makes of it. Several choose non-controversial issues, such as Mrs Obama's campaign to make Americans eat healthy.

For Hillary Clinton, it was the (unsuccessful) health care plan that marked the start of her bid for President.

IMAGE: US First Lady Michelle Obama, right, with former FLOTUS Hillary Clinton in October 2016, during the latter's presidential campaign. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

But it was Eleanor Roosevelt who invested the First Lady's role with meaning.

Wife of one of America's most revered Presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Mrs Roosevelt was famously dowdy, but also an indefatigable advocate of civil and gender rights.

There were causes she championed so fiercely that, it was said, she drove her ailing husband to the undemanding company of Lucy Mercer, his long-time mistress.

Eleanor's sterling work did not end with her husband's death in 1945. Harry S Truman appointed her a delegate to the UN General Assembly, and she worked as a human rights campaigner at the United Nations and under John F Kennedy.

IMAGE: Eleanor Roosevelt at a United Nations conference in 1946.

Author, lecturer, ambassador, social activist and a representative to the UN, she chaired the committee that drafted and approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Photograph: Keystone/Getty Images

JFK also had an accomplished wife, the Vassar-educated East Coast socialite Jacqueline.

Like the Roosevelts, the Kennedys' marital relations were strained. But JFK appreciated his wife's star power.

On their first official visit to Paris, she drew such huge, adoring crowds that her husband humorously told journalists: 'I do not think it altogether inappropriate to introduce myself. I am the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris. And I have enjoyed it.'

Jackie was often her husband's unofficial envoy, including to Asia, where she charmed both Jawaharlal Nehru and Ayub Khan.

It was the Pakistani dictator who gave her the black horse, Sardar, that led her husband's funeral procession after his assassination.

IMAGE: First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy with Jawaharlal Nehru at his home during her 'Friendly Trip to India' in March 1962.

She charmed not just the Indian leader, but also Pakistan's military dictator, Field Marshal Ayub Khan.

Photograph Courtesy: US embassy New Delhi

For a certain generation, Betty Ford, the trendy wife of America's only unelected President Gerald Ford, will be remembered with affection for her gallant and publicly acknowledged battle against breast cancer -- the first time the disease was openly discussed -- and, later, against alcoholism.

The eponymous de-addiction clinics remains her legacy.

Betty changed the discourse on addiction, but her feminism (she couldn't understand why First Ladies didn't get a salary) is said to have cost her husband the 1980 nomination to a former film star named Ronald Reagan.

IMAGE: Betty Ford, right, during the 1975 State visit to China.

Her legacy includes her public conversation about her battle with breast cancer. Photograph: Kind courtesy Gerald R Ford Presidential Library

Despite Reagan's conservative platform, Nancy, also a former actor, played a significant unofficial role in her husband's presidency to the disgust of his aides -- her running feud with (then White House Chief of Staff) Donald Regan was the stuff of headlines and related with relish in her memoir My Turn. Theirs was a conspicuously happy marriage.

Reagan's Cold War frenemy Mikhail Gorbachev also enjoyed a great marriage with Raisa, an unusually stylish Soviet First Lady who attracted much attention wherever she went.

Predictably, Nancy and Raisa did not get on.

IMAGE: From left, former First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Nancy Reagan (back row), Barbara Bush (back row), Rosalyn Carter, and Betty Ford in California, November 1991.

While Nancy Reagan played a significant unofficial role in her Ronnie's presidency, several other First Ladies opted for low key roles.

Photograph: Gary Cameron/Reuters

Several First Ladies opted for low-key roles -- Mamie Eisenhower, Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Rosalyn Carter, Barbara and Laura Bush. But none were so crudely relegated as Mrs Trump.

Trump preferred his poised daughter, Ivanka, to stump for him and did not even bother to share the podium with his wife before his victory speech.

Her rare public engagements -- even aside from the Republican convention -- have been excruciating.

Cyber-bullying appears to be her issue of choice, though how she plans to parry her husband's troll bhakts is an open question.

Mrs Trump lacks the default hard-boiled quality of an elderly high roller's trophy; but her personality remains so well hidden that she is, inevitably, invested with the cruel biases that society attaches to models.

Her involuntary mannequin mannerisms quickly became grist for the talk shows -- the pout of a mouth accentuated with nude-coloured lipstick, the toss of streaked and artfully wind-blown hair and the cosmetic surgery that makes her look as though she is about to sneeze, as one fashion editor put it.

Saturday Night Live's Cecily Strong has already had a field day. Which makes it easy to predict that Mrs Trump will add another first to her stint in the White House -- as the first First Lady to be the stand-up comedians' favourite.
'His secretary of defence nominee, General James Mattis, says he expects Pakistan to take action against terrorists operating from its soil'.

'Any pressure the US can bring on the Pakistani regime terror-wise would pay dividends for India,' says Group Captain Captain Murli Menon (retd).

IMAGE: Donald Trump, left with General James Mattis. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

America's historically least popular President-elect -- a poor 40% popularity count by latest surveys -- is on the verge of his inauguration and there is no dearth of excitement generated by the Big T's Twitter handle, media rambles and other random shooting off his mouth.

It is possible that the steel frame of American bureaucracy might prevent altogether drastic turns about in State policy, but in a Presidential system the incumbent would wield enough clout to make life uncomfortable for many people.

Whilst how the US presidency actually unfolds is not for us to worry too much about, there are bound to be repercussions on India's strategic landscape by predicted changes to American public policy or other drastic shifts in its geopolitical strategic domain or just 'Trumponomics.'

The latest quip emanating from Trump HQ about the 'obsolescence of NATO' is once again something that could impact subcontinental geopolity willy-nilly, of course depending on whether NATO becomes actually redundant.

It is generally believed by Indophiles that Republicans have been traditionally more conducive for promoting Indian interests, more so after Bush Jr.

Even though Trump has substantial opponents even within his own Republican party the quantum upgrade of relations -- especially in the military sense, the vital civil nuclear deal and most of the military to military ties -- can be expected to maintain the ongoing healthy momentum, in a truly bi-partisan mode.

Trump's proclaimed gung-ho buddyship with Russian President Vladmir Putin and expected easing of sanctions against Russia, could augur well for India, making it easier for our policy makers to manage defence cooperation and other diplomatic issues with both countries on a more even keel, to our best interests, of course.

His possibly adversarial stand on the 'One China' policy, should it actually follow the overtures to the Taiwanese leadership, would strengthen India's negotiating stances on border issues with China, our 'Look East' policy or our stand on the South China Sea standoff.

Even more agreements with the US would be called for such as for naval communications to monitor Chinese submarine activity for one, to effectively checkmate the China-Pakistan nexus in our strategic space.

Besides our burgeoning military ties with countries such as Vietnam, Singapore and other neighbours such as Bangladesh and Myanmar, India would stand to benefit strategically from any US distancing from mainland China.

Some observers have commented that America's much touted 'Asian Pivot' would be at risk in the Trump regime.

Coupled with his latest NATO outburst (which has been wholely seconded by Moscow!), the US would have to be even more reliant on India's strategic wherewithal to manage affairs in our part of the globe.

Even for the Middle East -- Iraq, Syria, Iran etc -- India could find itself more pressured to take sides in the ongoing or any new strategic hiccup situation.

More so, India will have to be careful how it protects its bilateral interests with traditionally friendly nations.

Improved ties between India and America have tended to ameliorate tensions, if any, over erstwhile irksome issues such as Iran and Afghanistan.

What perhaps is most critical in this context is the Pakistan scenario.

If one were to go by sound bytes alone, Trump appears pro-India in the counter terror agenda.

His secretary of defence nominee General James Mattis has clearly stated that he would expect Pakistan to take action against terrorists operating from its soil.

From his tone he appears to be hinting not only at the Haqqani group, but also India's bugbears such as the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Muhammad.

Any kind of pressure the US can bring on the Pakistani regime terror-wise would pay dividends for India, especially in light of our pro-active counter terror stance evident of late.

However, whether this is glib talk and the US shutting its eye to that country's selective targeting of terrorist entities remains to be seen.

During his campaign, Trump was vocal enough to say that he wished to take India's help to rein in Pakistan's nukes.

This is significant more so in the context of its much touted tactical nukes, possibly whose proliferation has been accelerated by India's articulated belligerence such as 'Cold Start' or the 'surgical strikes.'

America assisting India in targeting rogue tactical nukes would alter the strategic landscape altogether in the Subcontinent.

Indo-US military cooperation is already progressing well and one can expect more big ticket deals such as the F-16 made in India or even Predator drones.

More numbers of C-17 Globe Masters, C-130 Js and Apache/Chinook helicopters are in the pipe line.

The White House has recently raved about the much improved counter terror cooperation between the two countries.

Advent of technologies such as that of the Predator into the subcontinent would contribute directly to America's counter terror agenda, as the jihadi factories themselves are located in Pakistan's badlands.

Trump's emphasis on counter-terror and illegal immigration would see India getting even more involved in combating terror groups not only in our domain, but also in combating cyber terror against varied global terror outfits like Al Qaeda and ISIS.

Trump is also expected to have a better relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, once again giving a fillip to India's counter-terror and strategic interests.

There may be more truth to Trump's latest statement on NATO's impotence. America's substantial contribution to its coffers has been seen to be not giving the required military-strategic pay off.

Should NATO eventually peter out as a military bloc, the US would have to have its own bilateral tie-ups with European nations like Poland, Norway or Ukraine, this, of course, to the detriment of Russian interests.

European countries would have to look elsewhere for their security needs, either creating smaller defence mechanisms or coordinating their military requirements separately with the US.

Either way India could leverage its interests smartly in the European theatre, increasing military training and equipment opportunities and leveraging these for increased trade and economic cooperation with smaller European nations.

Sweden, incidentally, with its Saab Gripen fighter aircraft, is one of the bidders in India's 'Make in India' venture. Smaller defence programmes exist with countries such as Portugal. The UK would also be in dire straits as Trump has shown inclinations to walk away from post-war defence arrangements.

India should be looking for new markets for its space technology and defence-related software skills. Existing commercial arrangements such as those with Russia for the Brahmos and Israel for Antrix need to be further enhanced.

So it's not only the expected 'Trump Bump' or the reduced US corporate tax rate from 35% to 15% which would affect India, but perhaps more significicantly India's military posturing and strategic positioning could be impacted by the new American president's world view, and his right of centre policies.

India needs to appreciate the likely changes in American strategic priorities with the advent of Donald Trump and tailor its own approach to protect its national interests optimally.
'What is surprising is the scale and spontaneity of the mobilisation and the social profile of the mobilisation.'

'Not just the youth, but women, children and families are part of this now.'

'This is completely unprecedented.'

IMAGE: The beach road on Chennai's Marina is a sea of youngsters and students participating in a protest to lift the ban on Jallikattu and impose a ban on PETA, January 19, 2017. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo

The only word we hear in Chennai these days is porattam (protest)!

As the public porattam enters the fourth day, Professor A R Venkatachalapathy, left, a historian at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier why the youth in Tamil Nadu have come out on the streets.

Did the assembly of thousands of people to protest against the ban on Jallikattu come as a surprise to you?

We knew there was resentment in the minds of people, but this was totally unexpected.

It is unprecedented, and the level of spontaneity behind such a mobilisation has surpassed the 2013 movement against the Sri Lankan issue.

By all accounts, it has also surpassed the mobilisation of people in the 1965 anti-Hindi agitation.

In 1965, there was a campaign and the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) was involved, but today, it is completely apolitical.

This is political in another sense because people have a sense of power and politics, but this is not affiliated to any political party.

This is also an expression of the cynicism of the younger generation and the middle class against the political system.

The resentment has been there for a very long time.

You mean Jallikattu was just a trigger and there were other issues that disturbed the people of Tamil Nadu.

Over the last couple of years, there has been considerable resentment in the minds of the Tamil people.

There is a perception that they have been sidelined.

Starting from 2009 during the last days of the civil war in Sri Lanka, when 27,000 non-combatants were bombed.

Nobody protested about it and the war criminals were not brought to book.

For the last 25 years the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case are in prison.

In the case of Cauvery water, a state (government) wilfully and repeatedly defied the Supreme Court order, but nothing has been done.

Then Mullaperiyar, where Kerala has taken a very antagonistic stand.

Demonetisation also is a reason for the anger.

The Pongal holidays were badly handled and though not deliberate, the people felt it was deliberate.

There is resentment among people and they are unhappy with a whole range of issues and Jallikattu became a flashpoint.

The biggest problem is the animal rights fundamentalism. There are even people who want to defend the rights of rabid dogs!

Do the Tamil people feel alienated?

See, alienation is a very strong word. But some letterhead NGOs take up issues of which they have no understanding and they are able to use the legal process to stop age-old practices.

It is not just that they are age-old practices; they are embedded in our culture.

When you stop such practices all of a sudden, it causes resentment.

I must say what the English media has completely missed is, what you see is not a one-point programme.

There are a whole range of issues behind this, which you may not see or hear now.

The new generation feels threatened and worried about their identity by the steamrolling effect of globalisation.

The protest that you see today should be seen as a symbol though many of them are not even participating in it. Their pride has been affected.

Do you think the rest of India does not understand how the people of Tamil Nadu feel?

The general feeling is that the people outside Tamil Nadu don't understand them. You can't sit in one corner of India and dictate what a small village in Tamil Nadu should do.

This may not be acceptable to these people.

Nothing happened to the Jats when they stopped water to Delhi, nothing happened when Karnataka defied the Supreme Court.

Why ban a festival that happens in a small village where 100, 200 bulls run around? Can't you regulate it instead of stopping it?

Those who own the bulls look at them as a part of the family and an enormous amount of money is spent in the upkeep of the bull.

Do you think the owner of the bull will torture it? There are, of course, exceptions.

It is often the people who fight the bulls who get injured, not otherwise.

But what PETA is trying to project is, the mission of villagers is to wake up every morning and torture the bulls!

My view is that it can be very easily regulated and there was no need to ban it.

Remember, till 5 years ago, the Alanganallur Jallikattu was showcased by the Tamil Nadu tourism department as a spectacle.

The state had invested in this cultural event. This is not like the Spanish bullfight.

When you let simple things get out of control, this kind of fringe Tamil nationalist elements and ultra-leftist groups can exploit the situation and distort the movement.

There are also strong environmental groups actively behind this as they are deeply worried about how multinational organisations are making a mess of the native rice, native bulls and a whole range of other products. They fear all these are going to be extinct soon.

If so, will that happen in other states too because there fear is among the local people about native products going extinct and multinationals taking over?

There has to be a trigger, and there has to be a strong mobilising rallying point. Here, Jallikattu became the rallying point.

But did anyone expect Jallikattu to cause this kind of an eruption?

Jalikattu has been part of the discourse. This has been reinforced not only in literature, but also in cinema and a whole range of media. It is not as if it's a bolt from the blue.

But what is surprising is the scale and spontaneity of the mobilisation and the social profile of the mobilisation. Not just the youth, but women, children and families are part of this now. This is completely unprecedented.

Do you blame the state government for not presenting the case properly in the court which has resulted in the ban?

I feel Udayachandran, when he was the collector of Madurai, put forward a wonderful affidavit. But there was no consistency in the policy.

Maybe a better legal counsel could have prevailed. Yes, it could have handled in a better way legally.

But the biggest problem is the animal rights fundamentalism. There are even people who want to defend the rights of rabid dogs!

The sight of some of the young men shouting for a separate Tamil Nadu has shocked many.

What happens is, when you let simple things get out of control, this kind of fringe Tamil nationalist elements and ultra-leftist groups can exploit the situation and distort the movement.

That is something people who value the unity of Indian nation, have to be careful about.

They should ensure that there is no scope for this kind of sloganeering.

What will happen to the movement after a few days?

This will fizzle out, no doubt about it.

I will not be surprised and that's how it should happen too.

By the time this would have made an impact, and you would not be able to go back.

Once the students' protests come to an end, the political parties will take over.

There will be a political solution and the judiciary will have to accept it.
'Politically, Tamil Nadu has faced several setbacks in the past -- the water sharing issue with Karnataka, on Katchatheevu, on the Tamil fishermen issue...'

'In all these issues, the central and state governments acted in an inefficient and incompetent manner.'

'That must have stayed in the minds of the people.'

Tens of thousands of young people have been congregating at the Marina Beach in Chennai, shouting slogans against the central and state governments for banning Jallikattu that is celebrated in some Tamil Nadu villages as part of Pongal, the harvest festival.

On Maattu Pongal, cows and bulls are worshipped and celebrated, and the finale is Jallikattu.

Ever since the Supreme Court banned Jallikattu three years ago, the sport has been forbidden in the villages.

For the villagers, Pongal has not been the same anymore.

Dr R Manivannan, professor and head of the department of politics and public administration at the University of Madras, discusses the current protests with Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.

How do you look at the outpouring of emotions in the form of the protests at the Marina Beach and at various places in Tamil Nadu?

I see this as a manifestation of pent up anger in society against the Centre and the state government.

Politically, Tamil Nadu has faced several setbacks in the past like the water sharing issue with Karnataka, on Katchatheevu, on the Tamil fishermen issue...

But in all the issues, both the central and state governments acted in an inefficient and incompetent manner.

That must have stayed in the minds of the people all these years, and the anger within is finding its expression through a cultural form.

In the case of Jallikattu, both the Centre and the state had been promising to get the consent to make it happen, but nothing was done.

Now, they feel that there is no government in Tamil Nadu virtually.

All these things emerged in the form of a protest.

By anger against the Centre and the state, do you mean demonetisation and the political developments in Tamil Nadu and the way it is being ruled after Jayalalithaa's demise?

All these factors played a part in the reaction.

If things had gone well and the only issue was Jallikattu, they would have given the government a chance.

They do not see this as a new government in Tamil Nadu; they are the same set of people who are more keen on getting power rather than addressing the political and social problems of the state.

What you see is a kind of resentment against all political parties.

Then over the years, they have consistently seen the Centre taking an anti-Tamil position.

Some youngsters were so angry and emotionally charged that they were even shouting for a separate Tamil Nadu at Marina Beach, which clearly was against the Centre...

Yes! Who will shout for a separate Tamil Nadu just because Jallikattu was banned?

Various things are taking place; all issues concerning the state were being disregarded and disrespected since a long time and this is a way of showing their anger at the Centre.

Do you think Tamil pride has been hurt because of all these issues?

I will put it this way -- it's not the Tamil pride, but Tamil rights that have been hurt.

Political rights, water rights and many such rights have been overlooked.

In the name of the larger interests of the nation, why should the lives of Tamil fishermen be sacrificed for the Sri Lankan government? And for how long?

Defining nationalism as per the rules of the Centre is not correct. No State will go on interpreting nationalism this way.

A series of events over the years have resulted in the awakening of Tamil consciousness and some young men are raising slogans like a separate Tamil Nadu which I do not agree with.

But if you go on pushing people away from the national framework and define nation according to the ideas of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, then this kind of incidents will happen.

Do you feel this kind of uprising can happen in other states as well? Say, for instance, in the north-eastern states which have felt alienated...

It depends on how the Centre looks at different states.

If something like this happens in Maharashtra, it will be looked at as Maratha pride.

There is so much of cultural chauvinism and intolerance to other people in Maharashtra, but it has never been questioned by the Centre.

Because of the dominance of the Hindi belt at the Centre, do you feel New Delhi does not understand the culture of the south?

I do not think there is any reason for north Indian leaders to understand the southern culture and tradition.

For them, these are things that exist in the periphery.

Even in debates on television on these issues, you see people talking from their perspective.

In fact, it is not about the south Indian or north Indian perspective; it is about understanding.

It is not that only north Indians are concerned about animal rights, south Indians too are concerned about protecting animals.

Do you feel the courts have the right to decide how traditions and rituals should be followed in the country?

Courts have the right to do so, but how you present the case to the court is very important.

In the case of Jallikattu, it was not presented properly by the state.

See, everything can be regulated. Even Jallikattu can be regulated with medical supervisory bodies present at the event, etc.

You should allow the race to happen under supervision and not ban it completely.

When it is regulated, there will not be any doubt in the minds of people on how these animals are treated before and while Jallikattu.

This is what the Tamil Nadu government failed to do; they should have fought for regulation.

People have been feeling angry over so many issues, including the inefficiency of the state government, and the Centre's demonetisation drive.

But when the cultural fabric of Tamil Nadu was questioned, the anger came out spontaneously.

When politicians and film stars went to Marina beach to speak, they were driven away by the protestors...

Yes, they didn't want anyone to interfere or hijack the protest.

Eventually, students have to go back to college and people to their offices... Do you think the protest will slowly fizzle out?

Certainly. People will go back to their lives, but they will not forget anything.

They will definitely come back... That is what the central and the state governments should understand.

This is just a warning for them.

Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo
A Ganesh Nadar watches the fourth day of protests dawn on Chennais Marina beach.

Image: As the day breaks over the eastern coast, Chennais Marina beach is full of protestors who have spent the night there. Friday was the fourth day of the agitation to lift the ban on Jallikattu. Photograph: A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com.

A people who had been broken by the currency scarcity following demonetisation, hit hard by the drought and the death of their favourite chief minister, could do nothing but look on frustrated at every development. Now, it seems, all the pending resentments have boiled over on to the sands of the Marina beach where it would refuse to cool down, and lie festering unless appeased.

What brought about this transformation of a docile people was Jallikattu.

The Tamil sport of bull-taming, which was banned by the Supreme Court in 2014 for cruelty towards bulls, has done what no political outfit could do. Mobilise the people of Tamil Nadu perhaps for the first time since the anti-Hindi agitation of the 1960s, when most of todays participants were not even born.

Its 5 am on the fourth day of the Marina protest, but for the cops on the arterial, scenic road there is no rest. Just as the people have made the popular beachfront their home, so have the men in khaki. They had barricaded the road so that traffic from Marina towards the north could not cross Napier bridge into Georgetown, where the secretariat is located. But those who wished to enter Marina from Napier bridge could do so. Not that at that hour anyone was coming that way.

Youngsters were bunched up, walking around. The Anna Samadhi, final resting place of the states immensely popular, first non-Congress chief minister was shut but strangely, the one next door, MGR memorial, was open. Small groups went in to pay their respects to the countrys first film-star turned chief minister, and his protegee, Jayalalithaa, who passed away last month and who lies interred just a few feet away.

The mobile latrines that were present the day before were not there today. So the public toilets at Marina were packed with protesters waiting to use them.

Ablutions done, refreshments were handy. A threesome in a Tempo Traveler were distributing biscuit packets to the protestors, while another family was distributing coffee from a can. As the mother poured the coffee to the sleepy crowd, her 15 year old son was giving water packets and 10 year old daughter was handing out paper cups. A banner on the coffee can said, For Tamil pride, for Jallikattu.

My son wrote it, said the proud mother.

A tea stall nearby was manned by a young girl who looked dead tired.

I have been here all night, and my mom operates this stall in the day, she explained. By her side another young lady was selling bhel puri.

I want one bhel puri, one paani puri, one masala puri, ordered a young man.

How can you eat paani puri at 5 am? asked his friend.

Its not for me, its for that guy, go ask him, he replied.

They were a group of five friends discussing the previous days protest.

This is useless and pointless, the government is ignoring us. We should go on a fast unto death, declared one. But the others did not agree. Lets wait for two more days and then we will do that, said another, carrying the day.

Some girls were walking around, discussing among themselves. Good thing the government declared a holiday for colleges, a lots of students are here, one of them said. Which is a fact.

While two boys were sweeping the protest site studiously, one young man was distributing toothpaste to those who asked.

At 6 am it was still dark, and the cops decided that traffic will no longer be allowed on the beach side of the road. Barricades were immediately put up and autorickshaws parked along the beach quickly moved to the other side.

It was 7 am, the morning sun could be seen crawling up on the horizon, and a young girl took up the mike. The beachfront was already crowded with thousands and the numbers would cross a lakh by noon. She started explaining Jallikattu the sport and why they were protesting. It was no longer about the sport, but about Tamil pride and Tamil rights.

Was this a federal structure or was Tamil Nadu merely a subordinate state in the Indian Union? was the raging debate.

Image: Youngsters participate in a protest to lift the ban on Jallikattu and impose a ban on PETA, at Marina Beach in Chennai on Thursday, January 19, 2016. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo.

On the sidelines a man reading the days newspaper reported that the attorney general had found a working solution to the issue. Soon he had a small crowd around him as he read out loud from the report.

Some people were still sleeping on the beachfront while others were preparing for the day ahead. Sensing that another day of protest was beginning, the cops started announcing, Please keep off the road, stay on the beach, we have coffee for you, its in that Maruti van on the right. Please help yourself, we also have biscuits for you.

A student of architecture, S Aditya said, I came here with my college friends, no one called us. Food comes in vans at lunch time along with paper plates and is distributed to everyone here. But no one asked for it. People are distributing water packets through the day, all volunteers. The mobile toilets were also arranged by good Samaritans and not by the government. Yes, we will remain here till Jallikattu is allowed.

A policeman could be overheard telling his colleague, Thank God, they are disciplined, makes our work easy. Its a good thing they did not allow politicians and actors to hijack their agitation.

On the beach the banners were all against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PETA the NGO, and none against the state government.

When I asked a student as to why they were not bothered about the drought but were agitating for Jallikattu, he said, That was an act of God, this is an act of the Supreme Court.
The mass Jallikattu protests on Chennais Marina beach showed no sign of dying out on Friday, even after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam promised that a draft ordinance aimed at ensuring the conduct of the traditional bull-taming sport has been submitted to the home ministry.

Dravida Munnetra Kazagham party members stage a rail roko protest in support of Jallikattu in Coimbatore. Photograph: PTI Photo

Youngsters and students including girls block the Coimbatore-Nagercoil passenger train as part of Rail Roko demonstration to support Jallikattu at Thathaneri railway bridge in Madurai. Photograph: PTI Photo

Members of Centre of Indian Trade Unions stage a protest in front of Railway station supporting Jallikattu in Madurai. Photograph: PTI Photo

Youngsters and students participate in a protest to lift the ban on Jallikattu and impose ban on PeTA, at Kamarajar Salai, Marina Beach in Chennai. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo

The protesters have been at Marina Beach for the past four days and say they will continue to be there till the ordinance is passed. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo

And the protests are no longer restricted to Tamil Nadu. On Friday, the protests spread to Vadodara with people crowding the streets supporting the bull-taming sport. Photograph: ANI/Twitter

In Mumbai, a human chain was formed to support the cause with several people coming out in support of Jallikattu. Photograph: ANI/Twitter

Auto-rickshaws parked along a road during a protest against the state and Union Government over Jallikattu ban in Coimbatore. Photograph: PTI Photo
Even before assuming the United States Presidents office, Donald Trump has boasted about his election victory, his re-election prospects, re-prided himself for picking a great Cabinet and showered confidence on the capabilities of his son-in-law to broker peace in the volatile Middle East.

IMAGE: US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania take the stage with Vice President-elect Mike Pence and his wife Karen at a pre-inauguration candlelight dinner with supporters at Union Station in Washington. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

The entire country practically, other than a couple of little points, was red. That was some big victory. Records were set that havent been beaten since Ronald Reagan from the Republican side, Trump said, using the colour to denote the counties and states the Republican party won in the election.

Addressing guests at the Campaign Donors Dinner in Union Station late Thursday evening, he said he will be re-elected after four years in the old-fashioned way after the nation sees how well his administration performed in the first term.

The next time, four years from now, we are going to win the old-fashioned way. We are going to win because we did so well, because it was so overwhelming the thing that we did, because of how great our Cabinet has performed, Trump said, amid loud cheers and applause from the gathering, which included his family members, Vice President-elect Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

IMAGE: Trump kisses his campaign manger Kellyanne Conway's hand at a pre-inauguration candlelight dinner with donors. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Trump also thanked his family for their support, giving a special shout-out to his daughter Ivanka, a very special person who worked very hard and married very well.

He said he stole her husband Jared Kushner from her, choosing him to be his senior advisor in the White House.

I sought of stole her husband. (Kushner) is so great. If you cant produce peace in the Middle East, nobody can. All my life I have been hearing thats the toughest deal in the world to make. I have a feeling Jared is going to do a great job, he said.

Giving another shout-out to his Cabinet nominees, Trump said We have a Cabinet, I believe, the likes of which has never been appointed. There has never been a cabinet like this. I will say the other side is going absolutely crazy, they are going crazy, he said.

Trump said his Cabinet picks have been doing a fantastic job at their Senate confirmation hearings.

Referring to his pick for Defence Secretary General James Mattis, he said Mattiss was the shortest senatorial interview he has ever seen.

I think they are afraid of him, he said.

IMAGE: Vice President-elect Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence take the first dance at the ball. Photograph: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Cabinet members are doing really fantastic. They have really done a good job. I am very, very proud of my picks. There is not a pick that I dont love. If there was, Ill tell you right now, he said.

On his pick for Department of Homeland Security, Trump said General John Kelly is a judge of our borders.

Filling in all his cabinet positions, he tapped former Governor Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture, describing him as a great, great farmer who loves the farms, knows everything about farming and about agriculture.

He said several politically correct people had met him seeking that job, but he asked them if they had any experience with farms or agriculture or if they had ever seen a farm.

He reminded the crowd that border patrol agents and customs officials had endorsed him during the presidential election.

He also took a jab at American news network CNN and sarcastically at some donors who, he said, donated very generously the day after he won the presidential election.

Referring to cable TV network Fox, he said, Fox has treated us very well. When I say well, I mean fairly.

IMAGE: Trump greets US House Speaker Paul Ryan and other guests at a pre-inauguration candlelight dinner. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Trump said his opponents predicted that his loss will be the greatest in political history but he outworked anybody who ran for office. This is a celebration of victory. We needed this victory, he said, adding that his party will register huge wins in elections in 2018 Senate elections.

Trump repeatedly asserted that there was a huge turnout at the various inaugural events scheduled during the day, from the Arlington Cemetery, where he laid a wreath in honour of the fallen solider to the concert at Lincoln Memorial.

Tens of thousands of people were there at the Lincoln Memorial. (The crowd) went all the way to the back. They never had so many people and very few people ever had a concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

With predictions of rain during Trumps inauguration, he said he doesnt care.

If it really pours, thats OK because people will realise its my real hair. Thats OK. Might be a mess but they are going to see its my real hair, he said to laughter from the crowd.

Trump told the guests he wrote his inauguration speech.

Earlier, introducing Trump, Pence said in him the US will have a president with strength, vision, determination and leadership qualities that will make America great again.
Thousands of anti-Trump protesters, including politicians and celebrities, have rallied in New York. Demonstrators also clashed with police outside the National Press Club in Washington, DC ahead of Donald Trumps presidential inauguration.

Heres a look at the protests sweeping the USA.

A protester gathers on the National Mall prior to US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. Photograph: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

People hold signs at a protest against Donald Trump near Trump Tower in New York City. Photograph: Stephanie Keith/Reuters

Demonstrators hang a banner at North Bridge during a protest against the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain. Photograph: Russell Cheyne/Reuters

An unfair comparison? Protesters compare Trump to Hitler in a protest in New York city. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

People rally against US president-elect Donald Trump outside Trump International Hotel and Tower at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, New York. Photograph: Stephen Yang/Reuters

Thousands of people turned out in New York for a rally at the Trump International Hotel and Tower. Politicians, activities and celebrities were among the protesters, including Michael Moore and Alec Baldwin, who trotted out the Trump parody he performs on ''Saturday Night Live.'' Photograph: Stephen Yang/Reuters

Anti-Trump protesters clashed with police and were pepper-sprayed during a wild night in Washington DC. Following the pepper spraying, many protesters had to wash out their eyes and police detained a few anti-Trump supporters. Photograph: Patrick Smith/Getty Images



Hollywood legend Cher and actor Mark Ruffalo share the stage at a protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside the Trump International Hotel in New York City. Photograph: Stephanie Keith/Reuters

Robert DeNiro, who was also present at the protest, read mean tweets about the president-elect, adding that he thinks Trump is "a bad example of this country and this city." Photograph: Stephanie Keith/Reuters

People rally against Trump outside Trump International Hotel and Tower at Columbus Circle in Manhattan. Photograph: Stephen Yang/Reuters

At the protests, people chanted chanted "No Trump! No KKK, no fascist USA!". Photograph: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

People hold signs of 'No!' as they listen to speakers at an anti-Trump rally and protest. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

'Fight Trump every day' and 'justice and civil rights for all' read placards at the rally. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images

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. Photograph: John Moore/Getty Images
Donald Trump was on Friday sworn-in as the 45th President of the United States, capping a roller-coaster journey he began as a political outsider and setting off a four-year term promising to adopt "America First" as his governance mantra and transfer power from Washington DC to the people.

Image: Supreme Court Justice John Roberts (2ndleft) administers the oath of office to US President Donald Trump as his wife Melania Trump holds the Bible on the West Front of the US Capitol on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Trump, 70, took the oath of office in front of about 800,000 people who braved chilly weather to gather on the National Mall in the center of the capital to celebrate the rank political outsider, who defied all odds to defeat political heavyweight Hillary Clinton in the November polls.

Trump placed his left hand on two bibles, including the historic Abraham Lincoln Bible, recited the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol to become the most powerful man on earth. He was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts.

In his maiden address to the nation from the US Capitol, Trump promised his countrymen to rebuild the country to "bring back our dreams" wherein "America First" would be the key to his governance.

He vowed to eradicate "radical Islamic terrorism from the face of the earth" and assured the world that his administration does not want to impose its governance over other countries.

Image: Former US President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden congratulate US President Donald Trump after he took the oath of office. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

"Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for many, many years to come. We will face challenges, we will confront hardships, but we will get the job done," Trump said in an optimistic and visionary inaugural speech that lasted for over 16 minutes.

In an apparent reference to his election campaign, Trump said for too long, a small group in US capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.

Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth, he rued.

Image: President Trump delivers his inaugural address on the West Front of the US Capitol. Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

"Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land," Trump said.

"We are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to the American people," Trump said, as he vowed to address the ills he sees plaguing the nation, including gun violence, drugs and crime.

"This American carnage stops right here and right now," he asserted in presnece of outgoing President Barack Obama.

"That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment, it belongs to you," Trump said.

Image: About 800,000 people braved chilly weather to gather on the National Mall in the centre of the capital to celebrate the rank political outsider, who defied all odds to defeat political heavyweight Hillary Clinton in the November polls. Photograph: Scott Olson/Getty Images

"The time for empty talk is over," he said.

"The time for action" has arrived; he said as he vowed a new "national pride" that will "heal divisions."

In an effort to unite the country, Trump said what truly matters is not which party controls the government, but whether the government is controlled by the people.

"January 20, 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again," he said.

Image: "From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, its going to be America First," said President Trump. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

"The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before," he told his countrymen.

"We are one nation -- and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny. The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans," Trump said.

Continuing with one of his election campaign theme, Trump said that for many decades, Americans have enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry.

"Subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military. We have defended other nations borders while refusing to defend our own; and spent trillions of dollars overseas while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay," he said.

Image: "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," the 45th US President declared. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

"We have made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon. One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind," he added.

And the wealth of the middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world.

"But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future. We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power," Trump said.

"From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, its going to be America First. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families," he said.

Image: President Trump acknowledges the audience after taking the oath of office as his wife Melania (left) and daughter Tiffany watch during inauguration ceremonies. Photograph: Jim Bourg/Pool/Getty Images

Reiterating his pledge to protect borders from the ravages of other countries making American products, stealing its companies, and destroying jobs, Trump said protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

"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," he said.

"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," Trump said.

Image: President Trump is greeted by his wife Melania, and children Barron, Donald Jr, Eric, Ivanka and Tiffany after taking the oath of office. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Trump said his administration will follow two simple rules.

"Buy American and hire American," he said amidst applause from the thousands of people gathered at the National Mall to listen to his speech.

"We must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining, but never doing anything about it. The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action," he said in the presence of former US presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter.

Image: Former President George W Bush keeps covered under the rain during the inauguration ceremonies. Photograph: Rick Wilking/Reuters

He asked his countrymen to not allow anyone to tell them that it cannot be done.

"No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again," he asserted.

"We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

Image: (Left to Right) First Lady Melania Trump, Karen Pence, President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, former president Barack Obama, former vice president Joe Biden, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden stand on the steps of the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Photograph: Rob Carr/Pool/Reuters

"A new national pride will stir ourselves, lift our sights and heal our divisions," he said.

"Together, we will make America strong again. We will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again. And yes, together we will make America great again," Trump said as he concluded his speech with his election slogan that propelled him to a surprising victory last November.

Earlier, Mike Pence was also sworn-in as US Vice President.
Six police officers were injured and more than 200 protesters were arrested as brick-throwing vandals torched a vehicle and damaged half-dozen stores after a series of protests marring Donald Trumps inauguration ceremony gave way to violent street clashes in the United States.

Image: A limousine set on fire by protestors while demonstrating against US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the inaugural parade. Photograph: Twitter

At least two police officers and another person in downtown Washington were taken to hospital after run-ins with protesters, Fire spokesman Vito Maggiolo told CNN.

Acting DC Police Chief Peter Newsham said the officers injuries were considered minor and not life threatening. About 217 protesters were arrested.

A large number of protesters had gathered in the national capital since early morning on Friday to voice their anger and hold demonstrations against what they alleged were the divisive policies of the new Trump administration.

Image: Activists race after being hit by a stun grenade while protesting. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters

A group of protesters clad as antifascist smashed storefronts and bus stops, and broke windows of a limousine just blocks away from the inaugural parade route. Some also threw rocks at police manning the streets near the US Capitol.

Image: An activist is helped after being hit by pepper spray on the sidelines of the inauguration. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters

Police had to use crowd-dispersing sprays and flash-bang devices to push back the protesters and large crowds. Pepper spray and other control devices were used to control the criminal actors and protect persons and property, they said.

Anti-Trump protests also broke out in cities across the US, including New York, Seattle, Dallas, Chicago and Portland, Oregon. Authorities in Seattle said one person was in critical condition at a hospital with a gunshot wound.

Image: Protesters demonstrating against US President Donald Trump take cover as they are hit by pepper spray by police. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters

Newsham told the American television network that the several hundred demonstrators who confronted police were outnumbered by the thousands of nonviolent protesters who had descended on the nation's capital for Inauguration Day and Saturdays Womens March.

"We have been pointing out all along that this is a very isolated incident, and by and large, everything is going peacefully and a lot of folks have come to the city to enjoy this historic day, not only the Capitol but walking all around the city, he said.

Image: Lilly Price of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, (left), and Sara Owre of Washington, DC, (right), react as US President Donald Trump finishes his inaugural address. Photograph: James Lawler Duggan/Reuters

The report said nine people were arrested in New York for disorderly conduct while five people were arrested at a protest in Dallas, six in Chicago.

In Seattle, people threw bricks and other items at officers during a demonstration at University of Washington campus, city police said.

Image: A police officer tries to tackle a protester demonstrating against President Trump. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters

The protests are not expected to end with the inauguration as nearly a quarter million participants are expected for the Womens March in the nations capital, considered the largest protest ever following an American President's inauguration.

Were really trying to set a tone of resistance for the coming years, Lacy MacAuley, a DisruptJ20 organiser, told CNN.

Image: Protesters link arms to block an entry point prior to the inauguration. Photograph: Bryan Woolston/Reuters

"Donald Trump represents a shift in our politics in a dangerous, harmful, exclusionary direction. We oppose those policies of hate."

The march, which began with a modest Facebook call in the aftermath of the election, has grown in to what could be one of the larger political demonstrations ever in DC.
After being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, in his inaugural address, vowed to fight for the 'forgotten' Americans.

Here are the highlights of his speech. Read the full speech HERE

* "A new national pride will lift our sights and heal our divisions."

* "It's time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget. That whether we are black or brown or white we all bleed the same red blood of patriots."

* "We must think big and dream even bigger. l will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action, constantly complaining, but never doing anything abut it."

* "The time for empty talk is over, now arrives the hour for action. Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done."

* "When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice"

* "We will unite the civilised world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth."

* "We will get our people off welfare and back to work. We will follow two simple rules, buy American and hire American."

IMAGE: A word cloud analysis of President Trump's inaugural address clearly outlines his agenda: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

* "I will fight for your with every breath in my body and I will never ever let you down. America will start winning again and winning like never ever before."

* "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!"

* "This is your day, this is your celebration, and this, the United States of America, is your country. The forgotten men and woman of our country will be forgotten no longer. Everyone is listening to you now. What truly matters is not which party controls our government. But whether our country is controlled by the people."

* "We are transferring power from Washington DC and giving it back to you, the people. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth."

* "Hear these words. You will never be ignored again. Together we will make America wealthy again. We will make America proud again. And yes, together we will make America great again. God bless America."

IMAGE: President Donald Trump speaks at inauguration ceremony swearing him in as the 45th president of the United States on the West front of the US Capitol in Washington. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters
A gaggle of past presidents, prominent Senators, and other famous and eminent personalities gathered at Capitol Hill for the swearing-in ceremony of Donald J Trump as the 45th President of the United States.

Here are some of the famous faces we caught in the crowds.

Hillary and Bill Clinton attend the inauguration ceremonie to swear in Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States at the US Capitol. Clinton, who lost to Trump, is sending a clear message about respecting the election process. "I'm here today to honor our democracy & its enduring values. I will never stop believing in our country & its future. #Inauguration", she tweeted before attending the ceremony. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

A little fun and play! Senators including John McCain and Bernie Sanders enjoy a light moment during the inauguration ceremony. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

George W Bush along with his wife also attended the ceremony and was seated next to the Clintons. Unfortunately, Bush Senior isn't present at the event, as he is hospitalised. Photograph: Rick Wilking/Reuters

Former US Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife Lynne arrive for the Presidential Inauguration of Donald Trump. Photograph: Saul Loeb/Pool/Reuters

Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former US President Jimmy Carter greet each other at the event. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter arrive at inauguration ceremony. Carter was the 39th president of the United States and served from 1977 to 1981. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuter

FULL COVERAGE: THE ERA OF TRUMP BEGINS
Here's the latest from the inauguration day of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States.

Modi tweets wishes to President Trump

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Donald Trump on assuming office as the 45th President of the United States, and extended his best wishes to him in leading USA to "greater achievements" in the coming years.

"Strength of the India-USA strategic partnership lies in our shared values and common interests," the Prime Minister said in a series of tweets.

He further said that he was looking forward to working with President Trump to further deepen India-US ties and realise the full potential of the cooperation between the two nations.

Donald Trump sworn-in as US President





Donald Trump has been sworn-in as the 45th President of the United States, taking over the reins from Barack Obama amid expectations of radical change in policies and apprehension at home and abroad.

Trump, 70, took the oath of office in front of about 800,000 people who braved chilly weather to gather on the National Mall in the center of the capital to celebrate the rank political outsider, who defied all odds to defeat political heavyweight Hillary Clinton in the November polls.

Trump placed his hand on Abraham Lincoln's bible, recited the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol to become arguably the most powerful man on earth. He was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Mike Pence was sworn-in as the Vice President of the US. He took the oath of office before Trump.

Trump chooses mother's and Lincoln's Bibles for swearing-in





The act of choosing an inaugural Bible -- or Bibles -- by the elected president has become very symbolic in the country.

On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump announced his choices: a Bible his mother gifted him in 1955 when he graduated from Presbyterian Sunday school and the one president Abraham Lincoln used at his inauguration, reports The Washington Post.

Explaining the selection, Presidential Inauguration Committee chairman Tom Barrack said in a statement, "In his first inaugural address, President Lincoln appealed to the 'better angels of our nature. As he takes the same oath of office 156 years later, President-elect Trump is humbled to place his hand on Bibles that hold special meaning both to his family and to our country."

The last, and only other president since Lincoln, to use the Lincoln Bible was Obama, both in 2009 and 2013.

As for other presidents, Franklin Delano Roosevelt used his family's Bible, written in Dutch and printed in 1686. John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic elected to the White House, chose a Douay Bible.

Trump's second Bible selection references his Presbyterian upbringing in Jamaica, Queens, in New York City. His mother gave it to him on June 12, 1955, upon his graduation from Sunday Church Primary School at First Presbyterian Church on Children's Day.

White House staff present Obama two flags





The White House resident staff, those who would stay even after the change of its occupants, today presented the outgoing US President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle two flags that were flown over this building on the first and last days of his presidency.

"White House Residence staff have presented the President and the First Lady with two flags that have been flown over the White House: one flown on the first day of the Presidency and one flown the morning of the last day of the Presidency," a senior White House official said.

Obama, the 44th President of the US, created history on January 20, 2009 when he became the first non-White and the first African-American to be sworn in as the US President.

He was re-elected in 2012 and sworn in the second term on January 20, 2013.

Obama and Michelle tweet one final time





Promising to be "right there" with the United States citizens at every step, Barack Obama in his final tweet as the 44th US President thanked his countrymen, saying serving them was the "honour of his life".

"It's been the honour of my life to serve you. You made me a better leader and a better man," Obama said in a tweet before he left the Oval Office to welcome his successor Donald Trump at the White House.

"I won't stop; I'll be right there with you as a citizen, inspired by your voices of truth and justice, good humour, and love," the 55-year-old said in another tweet.

"As we look forward, I want our first steps to reflect what matters most to you. Share your thoughts with me," he said asking people to connect with him through his personal webpage.

"I'm still asking you to believe - not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours. I believe in change because I believe in you," Obama said.

After Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, the official twitter account of the US President would be in the possession of the new President.

Obama's tweets as President would transit over to @POTUS44.

The First Lady Michelle Obama also posted a brief video on her tweeter feed "taking it in one last walk through the People's House" as she is seen walking with the First Dogs.

"For future updates from Mrs Obama, be sure to follow @MichelleObama," she wrote. "Being your First Lady has been the honour of a lifetime. From the bottom of my heart, thank you," she said in her final pinned tweet signed as "mo" which stands for Michelle Obama.

Trump teas with Obamas at the White House

IMAGE: Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet US President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania for tea before the inauguration at the White House in Washington, DC. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Outgoing President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle warmly welcomed Donald Trump and his wife Melania at the White House just hours before the swearing-in of the 45th President of the US.

Trumps motorcade arrived at the White House where the Obamas were waiting to welcome them. As Trumps car stopped in the driveway, he gave a thumbs-up to the Obamas waiting on top of the stairs in the porch.

President-elect, Obama said to Trump as he got out of the car.

As the Obamas warmly greeted the Trumps, the outgoing President asked his successor, How are you, How was Church, referring to the church service that the Trumps attended earlier in the morning before arriving at the White House.

Giving an embrace to Melania, Obama said, So nice to see you.

IMAGE: What's in the box! Melania trumps Michelle a gift. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Melania also presented to Michelle a Tiffany gift, one of the most expensive fine jewellery brands in the world.

As the four prepared to stand for an official photo, Obama remarked to Trump Now you get used to the protocol.

Obama briefly stepped inside to hand the gift to one of his aides and came back as the four posed for the waiting photographers.

The Obamas then walked the Trumps inside the White House, where the presidential couples will have tea before leaving together for the US Capitol where Trump will be sworn-in as the president.

Trump attends Church service





Kicking-off the official engagements ahead of his inauguration, US President-elect Donald Trump and his family attended a Church Service in Washington.

Trump, his wife Melania, his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, his sons Don and Eric and their wives arrived at the St Johns Church for a service. Rev Robert Jeffress preached to Trump at the Church service.

The Trumps will go to the White House where the Obamas will welcome the incoming President and have tea with him.

Following the meeting with Obama, Trump and his entourage will then head to the Capitol for the inauguration festivities and pageantry before being sworn-in as the 45th President of the US around noon. Trump will be administered the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts.

After the swearing-in, the Obamas will depart for California, while Trump and his family will head for the inauguration day parades and inaugural balls, part of the

pageantry that accompanies the swearing-in of the new leader of the most powerful country in the world.

Here's the first official portrait of the 45th President and Vice President Mike Pence







Nostalgias in the air

IMAGE: US President Barack Obama departs the Oval Office for the last time as president. Photograph: @cspan/Twitter

Outgoing US President Barack Obama said he felt nostalgic before leaving the Oval Office of the White House.

Of course, Obama said when a group of reporters asked if he felt nostalgic.

Walking past a group of reporters Obama was asked hows it going?

When asked for any last words to the American people, he said thank you.

Obama was seen through the window leaving some papers on the Oval Office desk before he came out.

Thereafter, he was followed down to colonnade toward the White House by Vice President Joe Biden and wife Jill Biden, as well as other aides.
Hours before taking oath of office as the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump laid wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknowns at the Arlington National Cemetry in Washington as a host of performances kicked off his inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial hall.

IMAGE: US President-elect Donald Trump, left and Vice President-elect Mike Pence stand for Taps after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington. Photographs: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Trump laid the wreaths along with Vice President-elect Mike Pence. The two men put their hands on their hearts as an army drummer played taps.

The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to service members whose remains were never identified.

The President-elect's family, including his wife Melania Trump, children and grandchildren, were also present during the wreath laying ceremony.

Trump was greeted by a large crowd who lined up the streets along the way.

Meanwhile, incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus announced the appointment of additional staff for Trump after he takes charge on Friday.

IMAGE: Trump and Pence lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

"These exceptional individuals will play key roles in supporting President-elect Trump's America-first agenda," Priebus said.

The incoming White House staff of 17 includes Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary Rob Porter, Deputy Assistant to the President Sean Cairncross, Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief Digital Officer Gerrit Lansing.

The list also named Sarah Huckabee Sanders as the Principal Deputy Press Secretary, Michael Ambrosini as the Special Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of the Chief of Staff.

Another Special Assistant to the President and Assistant to the senior advisor would be Avrahm Berkowitz and Deputy Press Secretary would be Stephanie Grisham.
Donald Trump may blame the rain, but there were clearly a lot less people who attended his inauguration on Capitol Hill than had been anticipated.

A side-by-side comparison of the crowds at former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump's respective inaugurations reveals that Trump's crowd isn't as large as he boasted it would be.

Two aerial photographs of the National Mall from the two historic days reveal large patches of white ground exposed during Trump's ceremony, spaces crowds had filled during Obama's 2009 inauguration. The pictures were taken around the same time during the day, Trump's at 11:04 am and Obama's at 11:30 am.

Federal and local agencies estimated 700,000 to 900,000 people would be in Washington, DC for Trump's inauguration on Friday, roughly half the number of people who attended Obama's first presidential inauguration. Obama's second inauguration also drew more people, approximately 1 million.

Photos of the National Mall from Obama's inauguration in January 2009 show a teeming crowd stretching from the West Front of the Capitol all the way to the Washington Monument.

Photos taken from the same position on Friday show large swaths of empty space on the Mall.

Thin crowds and semi-empty bleachers also dotted the inaugural parade route.

Hotels across the District of Columbia reported vacancies, a rarity for an event as large as a presidential inauguration.

And ridership on the Washington's Metro system didn't match that of recent inaugurations.

Image: A composite image shows the inauguration crows for Barack Obama in 2009, left, and Donald Trump in 2017.
On the eve of him passing on the baton to Donald Trump, the outgoing United States 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".

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.

"...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.

Photograph: Reuters
The Bombay high court on Friday said that it was "very unhappy" over the pace of progress in the Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare murder cases even as the probe agency Central Bureau of Investigation informed the court that Scotland Yard has refused to help in the forensic probe on the ground that there was no legal bond between the United Kingdom and India for sharing data.

In another development, the CBI submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists --- Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi.

A bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and B P Colabawalla said it was "very unhappy" over the tardy progress in the murder probes.

The judges further said there was also no development in the proceedings of trial courts in Pune and Kolhapur which are trying Dabholkar and Pansare murder cases, respectively.

The CBI had informed the high court earlier that it had sent forensic evidence to Scotland Yard to seek its opinion on whether same weapons were used in the murders of Dabholkar and Pansare in Maharashtra and the killing of another rationalist M M Kalburgi in Karnataka.

"The Scotland Yard has informed us in writing that no legal agreement existed between the two countries on sharing of forensic data and hence it will not help by conducting a forensic probe into these murder cases," Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh told a division bench hearing petitions filed by the families of the two slain rationalists.

The CBI also submitted in a sealed cover a forensic report from Ahmedabad Forensic Laboratory on ballistic evidence related to the killing of the three rationalists. This is the third ballistic report from a forensic lab, the other two being that of labs in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

The CBI, probing Dabholkar's murder, and the special investigating team of state CID, probing the killing of Pansare, also submitted reports in separate sealed covers to the high court on the progress made in these two cases.

The judges perused the reports and asked the two investigation agencies not to reveal the contents to anyone, including media, as the probe was still on.

SIT counsel Ashok Mundargi said, "The probe in Pansare killing is on. We have identified two absconding suspects. The chargesheet has been filed and we are investigating further."

On a plea made by the two agencies seeking eight weeks time to conduct further probe, the bench deferred the matter till March 20.

While Dabholkar was murdered in Pune on August 20, 2013, Pansare was shot on February 16, 2015 in Kolhapur. He died on February 20 that year. Prof Kalburgi was murdered on August 30, 2015.

The families of Dabholkar and Pansare said that they were not happy with the progress in probe in the murder cases.

"The investigation agencies are very slow and the contents of forensic reports always reach the media first," their lawyer Abhay Nevgi said.

Outside the court after the hearing concluded today, the family members of Dabholkar, son Hamid and daughter Mukta, distributed pamphlets seeking arrest of the wanted accused.

Megha Pansare, daughter-in-law of the slain rationalist Govind Pansare, staged a silent protest demonstration demanding arrest of the wanted accused.

Megha said not much progress had been made in the last two years in the murder cases. However, she refused to comment on the probe being conducted by the investigating agencies.

The judges came down heavily on the CBI and SIT for slow progress in the investigations into the killing of the two rationalists -- Dabholkar and Pansare.

The bench, which is monitoring the investigations, also cautioned the agencies not to disclose any information about the cases to anyone, particularly to the media saying this would hamper probe.

On an earlier occasion, the bench had noted that delay caused by the probe agency would not only benefit the accused but would also give a bad impression to the society at large. The probe agency had earlier told HC that it had sent bullets and empty shells recovered from Pansare's body and the crime scene to Scotland Yard to ascertain if there was any link between the Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi murders.

As Mumbai and Bengaluru forensic labs had given conflicting opinions, it also wanted a third opinion from another forensic lab. Hence, it had sent evidence to Ahmedabad forensic lab for its opinion. Its report was today submitted to the high court.
Ah, New York's subway renaissance, have you heard about it? There's the Second Avenue subway's three new stations, finally open to the public. There's wi-fi everywhere. There's uh...a Brooklyn/Manhattan tunnel getting shut down on weekends for a year of repairs. Oh and another tunnel in Brooklyn, the N express tunnel, is also going partially dark for a year so it can be fixed.

The Brooklyn Paper reports that the express N train tracks in the tunnel between the 36th Street and 59th Street stations in Brooklyn will shut down for a year starting in the spring of 2017 so that the MTA can repair rusted beams between 40th and 58th Streets. Unlike previous tunnel repairs, which could be blamed on Sandy, the corrosion of the beams in the N train tunnel have been corroded because of rain water running from the street into subway grates, instead of the sewer. Part of the repair work will include putting in new drains and raising sidewalk vents to keep water from spilling into the tunnel.

The MTA and Community Board 7 are having a disagreement about the state of the tunnel though. CB7's transportation committee chair claimed that the tunnel could "cave in on itself" because of "profound deterioration of the center support beam." MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz dismissed this, telling the paper "The tunnel is NOT on the verge of caving in as you so eloquently state, and there is no danger to our customers."

In other subway renaissance news, the MTA is pushing a plan that would bump up the subway fare to an even $3 per swipe, starting March 19th. On the other hand you get a bonus of 96 cents for every round trip you buy at once, so there's that I guess. Subway renaissance, baby!
Gambia: Security Council backs regional efforts to ensure peaceful transfer of power to Barrow

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 19 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Gambia: Security Council backs regional efforts to ensure peaceful transfer of power to Barrow, 19 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5881ca9c40e.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.

19 January 2017 - Urging all Gambian parties to respect the outcome of the 1 December election recognizing Adama Barrow as the country's President-elect, the United Nations Security Council today expressed its support for the commitment of West African States to "ensure, by political means first, respect of the will of the people."

Amid a political standoff over Gambia's presidency - Mr. Barrow is reportedly expected to be sworn in later today at the Gambian embassy in neighbouring Senegal even as incumbent Yahya Jammeh refuses to step down, the Council unanimously adopted a resolution expressing grave concern at the risk of deterioration of the situation.

The Council strongly condemned former President Jammeh's 9 December statement rejecting the official election results and the takeover of the Independent Electoral Commission by the Gambian Armed Forces on 13 December 2016, as well as the attempt by the Parliament on 18 January 2017 to extend President Jammeh's term for three months beyond his current mandate, which ends today.

Against this backdrop, the Council strongly condemned the attempts to usurp the will of the people and undermine the integrity of the electoral process in Gambia. It also condemned the attempt to prevent a peaceful and orderly transfer of power to President Barrow by declaring a state of emergency.

Endorsing the decisions of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) to recognize Mr. Barrow as the President of Gambia, the 15 nation Council called upon the countries in the region and the relevant regional organization to cooperate with him in his efforts to realize the transition of power.

The Council also requested the Gambian defence and security forces to demonstrate "maximum restraint" to maintain an atmosphere of calm in country, and stressed "their duty and obligation to place themselves at the disposal of the democratically elected authorities."

The text further commends and strongly supports continued efforts of the AU and ECOWAS to promote peace and stability in the region. By the text, the Council requests for the Secretary-General to update the body on the resolution's implementation within 10 days.

Earlier today, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called President Barrow to discuss the latest developments in the country and to congratulate him on his inauguration.

According to a statement issued by Mr. Guterres' spokesperson, the Secretary-General expressed deep concern about the refusal of outgoing President Yahya Jammeh to step aside and about the high outflow of Gambians into Senegal.

"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.

Mr. Guterres also conveyed the readiness of the UN system to support President Barrow and his government in their efforts to promote democracy and achieve sustainable development in Gambia.
Nigeria: Satellite Imagery Shows Strikes on Settlement

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 19 January 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Nigeria: Satellite Imagery Shows Strikes on Settlement, 19 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5881cc894.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.

Human Rights Watch reviewed satellite imagery in the town of Rann, Kala Balge Borno State, recorded on the morning after the attack and identified two distinct areas of destruction in densely populated areas on the western side of the town that are consistent with the detonation of multiple air-dropped munitions. At least 35 structures were destroyed in the attack, including shelters for displaced people.

"The Nigerian military has taken an important and rare step in accepting responsibility for this horrible attack," said Mausi Segun, senior Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Now it should go further by explaining how it came to attack a displacement settlement, and by compensating the wounded and relatives of those who lost their lives."

Although there is no clearly delineated displacement camp in Rann, the town includes hundreds of tents for displaced people located among residential buildings at the two sites that were hit. The tents are easily visible from the air, making it difficult to understand how an accident of this nature could have occurred. 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, as 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.

Even if Boko Haram fighters were present in or near the settlement at the time, the Nigerian military should have ensured all of their attacks were targeting military objectives, and that they took all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians, Human Rights Watch said.

The investigation should determine the causes of the attack and the military should make the necessary changes, including in its planning of operations to minimize the risk of similar attacks in the future, Human Rights Watch said.

According to the Nigeria Air Force, one of its fighter jets launched an "accidental air strike" during operations in pursuit of Boko Haram fighters. The commander of the military's counterinsurgency operations in the northeast, Major General Lucky Irabor, told media that he ordered the mission because Boko Haram fighters were gathering in the area. Two soldiers were also wounded, and an investigation would take place, he said, but it is not clear by whom and in what time frame.

Aid groups reported earlier that the area has been inaccessible to aid agencies until recently due to fighting, and the military was in charge of delivering aid to displaced people. A firefight between the military and Boko Haram fighters in Rann on December 30, 2016 might have contributed to the apparent haste with which Major General Irabor ordered the airstrikes to deal with an alleged report of the rebel group's gathering in the area.

Among those killed were nine people working for humanitarian organizations. The head of emergencies at Doctors Without Borders, which has worked in Nigeria since 1971, told media that the army had full control of the Rann at the time of the attack, including checking those who came in and out. The organization strongly condemned the attack, in which it said three workers of a Cameroonian company it had contracted to provide services were killed.

The Nigerian Red Cross Society said that six of its staff and volunteers providing humanitarian services to displaced people were killed and another 13 were injured.

The tragic incident is not the first military airstrike that apparently killed civilians during the fight against Boko Haram. On February 28, 2014, a Nigeria military aircraft dropped munitions on Daglun, a Borno village, killing 20 civilians, mostly older residents, according to media reports. On March 16, 2014, a similar military attack on Kayamla village, less than 10 kilometers outside Maiduguri, reportedly killed 10 civilians. Media reports quoted villagers there as saying they had told security forces about the presence of some suspected Boko Haram fighters near the village, but the airstrike came days later, after the insurgents had abandoned the area. In both attacks, the military denied knowledge of civilian casualties.

On January 16, 2017, the United Nations estimated that 2.4 million Nigerians had been displaced in their country as a result of Boko Haram's abuses and Nigerian military operations.

Even if there is no evidence that the airstrikes were a deliberate attack on the Rann displaced persons' settlement, which would be a war crime, the bombing, apparently not being directed at a specific military target, would be indiscriminate, therefore violating international humanitarian law. The attack would also appear to have violated the right to life under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and other international human rights laws applicable in Nigeria, including if those planning the operation did not take sufficient steps to minimize the risk to civilian lives. Nigeria has an obligation under international law to ensure transparent and independent investigations into the apparent violations, and to pay compensation to the victims and their families for the injury caused by any violation.

"Authorities should ensure effective and speedy medical treatment for the injured victims of this unfortunate incident," Segun said. "And they should ensure prompt, adequate and effective compensation for all the victims and their families of any violations of international law."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Search Refworld

and / or country All countries Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 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 Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China) Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau (Special Administrative Region of China) Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius 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 North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste (East Timor) Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkiye Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U.S. Virgin Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Territory Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
The Journalist Known as Ghor's Voice

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Publication Date 19 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ARR 563 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, The Journalist Known as Ghor's Voice, 19 January 2017, ARR 563, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5881ce6f4.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 province of Ghor, in the west of Afghanistan, is a hard place to be a journalist.

One of Afghanistan's most underdeveloped provinces, some remote areas are ruled by armed groups and entirely out of government control. Women's rights and access to education are in a dire condition, while corruption amongst local officials means that the entire school system is near collapse.

For investigative journalist and IWPR contributor Mohammad Hassan Hakimi, this makes his work all the more important.

"The only powers that can resist cruelty, injustice, fraud and dictatorship and that can help its victims are the media and journalists," said the 31-year-old father of four, whose work focuses on human rights abuses and government corruption.

For a six-month investigation last year looking at how girls and women were being sold into marriage in return for cows and sheep, he travelled to some of Ghor's most remote districts, interviewing dozens of tribal elders as well as militia commanders.

For another 2016 piece, he spoke to women's rights activists who were furious after a 60-year-old Afghan cleric married a six-year-old girl.

"I have received threats so serious that I've been sure I was going to die," he said. "It gives me nightmares. But when I wake up, I say to myself that I will continue with my work."

Hakimi said that his interest in journalism began while he was still at school. It was in the ninth grade at the Sultan Alauddin Ghori high school that he launched his first activist group, named the Youths of the Country Civil Organisation.

His first practical experience of journalism was with a private radio, Sada-e Adalat, in Ghor province.

"I was very critical in my youth and felt I had to speak out against wrongdoing whenever I saw it," he said. "So I was imprisoned twice by local Ghor officials after I started working with the radio and civil society organisations."

After university, where he studied social sciences, Hakimi joined his first IWPR training in 2011.

"I have to say that writing investigative reports for IWPR opened the door to a world of journalism for me," he said. "Right now the only thing I am sure about is that I will stay an investigative reporter for the rest of my life."

In his first investigation for IWPR in 2012, Hakimi looked at Ghor's dysfunctional education system, in which the local government continued to pay salaries to absentee staff and many children went through the system without attending school or passing any tests.

Although action was taken and a number of officials fired as a result, when he revisited the topic in 2016 he found out that the overwhelming majority of schools in the province remained closed.

Hakimi said that local officials sometimes posed more of a threat to his work than the armed opposition.

"The insurgents have made death threats against me, but the government officials who favor democracy and are paid by our nation behave worse than they do towards the media and civil society activists. They try to silence the voice of justice and block people's rights - I have been imprisoned several times because I have revealed their shortcomings."

Munir Mehraban, IWPR's investigative reporting editor, said Hakimi was someone very special.

"His courage and risk taking have surprised me. One of his skills is discovering corruption and this depends on his formal and informal relations with local people. He has a great reputation in Ghor and is very influential. One or two people might say that they know the governor of Ghor if you ask them, but everyone knows [Hakimi] if you ask them. They call him 'the voice of Ghor'."

Hakimi has also been part of IWPR's debate programme, giving ordinary citizens a public platform to put difficult questions to government officials and activists.

He said, "People are so very familiar with IWPR in Ghor that I doubt any other organisation could be so popular. Local people have found the institute's debates are very educational."

As well as writing for IWPR, Hakimi freelances for other Afghan outlets and is the chief editor of local publication 21 Monthly.

Human rights organisations have also praised his work, including the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), and he has represented Afghan journalists at conferences in London and Tokyo.

He currently serves as an elected representative of the National Union of Journalists of Afghanistan as well as heading the Ghor branch of the Independent Journalists' Organisation of Afghanistan.

Despite his often harsh criticism of government officials, Hakimi's work has been recognised by the Afghan parliament and the Ghor provincial council as well as the governor and other local officials.

Laughing, Hakimi said, "It is achievement enough for me that the governor of Ghor has told his administrative officers to work properly 'or I will tell Hakimi about you'."

What makes his efforts worthwhile is when he sees concrete changes made as a result of his work.

He recalled how a local man had sought his help after his daughter married a man belonging to another tribe. His relatives and the district governor wanted to expel this man from the district for breaking with tradition.

"I immediately prepared a report about this case and publicised it in the media," Hakimi said. "The authorities in Kabul heard about it and warned local officials to stop such acts. As a result, that man stayed in his district."

On another occasion, a video story he made about a gang rape helped lead to a court case.

"A local militia commander and five of his men had raped a nomad woman," he continued. "The nomads set a protest tent in central Ghor, but no one paid attention. I made a video of this and prepared a report, and when it was broadcast the security forces arrested that commander and his men. They were all tried and sentenced to between five and 15 years imprisonment."

And the trust he has inspired in the local people of Ghor is another source of strength, he said.

"When I walk in the city or villages, all the people know me and welcome me warmly. They wish me long life or for Allah to keep me safe. They tell me, 'Hakimi, you are the defender of our rights and rights of the poor.' These words give me an unimaginable amount of energy."

The journalist said that he was particularly proud that he had never accepted any of the many dozens of bribes and gifts he had been offered during his years of work.

But work has taken a toll on Hakimi's personal life.

"Some of my friends have tried to convince me not to risk my life, while others have been affected by my reports [and think that] I should not publish them. So some of my friends and relatives have cut their ties with me."

Farida Nasiri, head of the women's union of Ghor province, said, "It would take hours to list all Hakimi's attributes and activities, but I can sum it up by saying that there may never be a more active and more resilient reporter in all Ghor, and even in all Afghanistan."

This report was produced under IWPR's Promoting Human Rights and Good Governance in Afghanistan initiative, funded by the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan.

Copyright notice:  Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Hope for Afghan Women Traded to End Feuds

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Author Suhaila Ahmadi Publication Date 17 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ARR 563 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Hope for Afghan Women Traded to End Feuds, 17 January 2017, ARR 563, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5881ceda4.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.

When families in some parts of Afghanistan fall out over serious matters, one way of avoiding an escalating blood feud is for the offending party to hand over a woman to the other side.

Known as "baad", the custom involves an arranged marriage between the woman and someone from the injured family.

Campaigners against this practice, which often leads to a miserable life of abuse for the woman, say their work has been given a major boost in recent months.

The issue became a national talking point last year when 27-year-old Khan Wali Adil took the unprecedented step of setting up a protest tent in front of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of the Afghan parliament.

Originally from Paktia province, the teacher had refused to take part in a forced marriage himself and said that he had been ostracised as a result.

"I do not want women and girls to live in slavery and become the victims of the dishonest demands of others," he told IWPR. Adil explained how, after his elder brother was murdered in a land dispute, the killer's family offered their eldest daughter in marriage as a way to end the dispute between them.

However, Adil refused to agree to the union.

"In my own family, this custom of giving girls forcefully against their will to end enmity between two families was common," he said. "But I faced strong opposition from villagers [for my refusal] and was told that I was insane, accused of being an unbeliever and I was expelled from village; they even tried to kill me."

Adil's father, Noor Mohmmad Khan, who lives in Muhlan in central Paktia, said that he was now in ill health and did not want to speak to the media.

"I do not want anything from the killer's family anymore and I don't have any claim against them," he said.

Following Adil's four-month protest, the ulema shura, or national religious scholar's council, issued a formal declaration outlawing the practice. Signed by 50 scholars in August 2016, the decree stated that any religious scholar, witness or even a musician who takes part in such a marriage faced punishment.

The fatwa emphasised that, according to Islamic law, women had the right to choose their own marriage partner. Trading them to resolve conflicts was forbidden.

"In Islam, committing a crime is a personal act and the Koran says that no one is held responsible for the crimes committed by others," Mawlawi Qasim Halimi, the spokesman of Afghanistan Islamic religious council, said. "In such cases, giving a girl against her will as compensation for her brother's or father's crime is completely forbidden. People who commit such crimes should be reported to the judicial services and must be prosecuted."

Halimi acknowledged that action from Islamic leaders was overdue, adding, "There are many detestable customs such as giving girls to end enmity, exchanging girls against their wills, and underage marriage, which are all forbidden in Islam."

"Unfortunately, in the past, religious scholars did not speak out much regarding women and their rights. However, we are now committed to spread awareness through Friday prayers and through seminars so that men start respecting women and treating them with kindness."

"If any mullah now acts against the constitution and other laws of country by reciting the khutba-e-nikah (the Islamic marriage service] and by approving forced or underage marriage, he shall be punished," he concluded.

Government officials said that they would be backing the move made by the council of scholars.

"Every year, we hold many seminars in Kabul and different provinces of Afghanistan to combat violence against women," said Karamatullah Sidiqi, an advisor to the minister of hajj and religious affairs, adding that such messages were also spread through mosques and via multimedia campaigns.

"Marriage is a contract and it is important to have the consent of both sides," he continued. "If one of the sides doesn't agree to the marriage then it is not valid and the religious scholars who approve such forced unions are criminals. Giving girls against their will and other loathsome traditions are against Islamic Sharia and are due to illiteracy, a lack of development as well as ignorance of the teachings of Islam and the law."

CUSTOMARY LAW

Baad is an ancient tradition in Afghanistan, dating back to the days when no central legal authority existed, and conflicts were settled through the tribal system.

Slowly the practice became widely accepted, even though there is no religious or legal basis for it. When a man kills, rapes, or has sexual relations with someone other than his wife, a local council can step in to mediate. Lesser offences can usually be settled by the exchange of money, perhaps a few sheep or a cow. But the standard penalty for a serious crime is for the offender's family to part with a girl, who is given to the victim's family.

While face is saved, the woman, or often a young girl, finds herself forced into marriage, and her in-laws often take out lingering resentments on her. Campaigners say the practice is a major cause of domestic violence.

"The tradition of giving girls to end disputes between families isn't limited to just a few provinces, it's seen all over Afghanistan and violates human rights in our country," women's rights activist Humaira Saqib said.

"People value their traditions and customs so much that they take precedence over rules and laws in Afghanistan, but such traditions are unfair and can never bring justice."

In theory, the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law, passed in 2009, outlawed a range of abuses from assault and rape to marriages that are coercive, involve minors or amount to a transaction between the families concerned.

Aziza Adalatkhwa, director of legal affairs at the ministry of women's affairs, said, "Article 25 of the law on the elimination of violence, regarding the tradition of giving girls against their wills to end enmity between families, states that a person who gives the girl against her will, or marries the girl against her will, should be sentenced to a prison term of 10 years so as to serve as a lesson to people who consider such crimes."

However, this law was rejected by parliament in May 2013, and has been shelved ever since.

In this context, Muska Qadri, head of the women's rights section at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) emphasised the importance of religious leaders speaking out against the practice.

"People value and follow religious scholars' instructions and directions over others, so the AIHRC calls on scholars to raise their voices against such un-Islamic acts," she said, praising the fatwa as an important first step.

"The ministry of hajj and religious affairs should hire scholars to serve in mosques who can spread the true message of Islam, not the so-called scholars who know nothing about Islam," she continued, adding, "We have information about many cases in which instead of supporting human rights, especially women's rights, mosques have been used to abuse them."

Qadri said that the AIHRC had logged seven cases of baad over the last eight months of 2016, but said that the real figures were likely to be much higher.

"Unfortunately many cases take place in remote villages, so go unreported as the AIHRC doesn't have access to such places."

In one incident in Logar province, 20-year-old Shima (not her real name) was given in marriage against her will in compensation for her brother's murder crime.

"As result of the extreme violence her in-laws subjected her to, she publicly set herself on fire in August 2016," Qadri said, adding that other women also took such desperate measures to escape their situation.

"Zahra, whose father had kidnapped a second wife, was given in marriage to compensate for this crime. Zahra burnt herself to death on June 15, 2016."

There are no government figures available on the estimated number of cases of baad in Afghanistan either, but Adalatkhwa said that at least 18 known murder cases in the last six months had been connected with the practice.

Jamshid Rasouli, the spokesman of the attorney general's office, confirmed that baad contravened Afghan law but acknowledged that little action had been taken in the past.

"It's the responsibility and duty of the attorney general's office to take legal action and punish those who commit such crimes and mullahs who approve such marriages will also be punished," he said.

EMPOWERING ACTIVISTS

Adil's stand proved particularly popular among young people and activists, who hope it will energise more people to speak out against the practice.

Mohammad Sharif Salal, a student at a state-run university in Paktiya, said, "If young people and civil society groups in Afghanistan start supporting the decision of the religious scholars' council and oppose the tradition of giving girls against their wills to end disputes, the mentality of people who support [baad] will change."

"The stand taken by Khan Wali Adil has inspired the people of Paktiya to also speak up against these hated traditions," agreed Shafiqa Adil, another student. "Due to his actions, young people are now more committed to fight such unpopular customs."

The moves also won support amongst politicians and tribal elders who said it could help change attitudes towards the custom.

Lawmaker Gul Pacha Mujadidi, who represents Paktiya in the Wolesi Jirga, said, "I support the fatwa of the religious scholars' council which deems this nasty tradition to be an unIslamic act.

"I admire the stand taken by Khan Wali Adil and this will have a positive impact on people in the southern areas of Afghanistan, especially Paktiya. His stand will encourage people to say no to such traditions."

Mujadidi continued, "I will try to share this issue in parliament so that people who violate the rules of Islamic Sharia by giving their daughters to end family disputes are punished, in line with the ruling."

Gul Baz Zadran, a tribal leader in Paktika, said it was vital that the government now followed up on the ulema's decision.

"The implementation of such fatwa needs a judicial and legal process," he said. "If the government doesn't enforce a law, then change will be difficult. I want the ministry of hajj and religious affairs to launch awareness programs in mosques against negative traditions such as giving girls against their will to end disputes, exchanging girls in marriage, and other kinds of un-Islamic traditions.

Zadran concluded, "People should be informed not just once, but continuously in the coming months and years."

This report was produced under IWPR's Promoting Human Rights and Good Governance in Afghanistan initiative, funded by the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan.

Copyright notice:  Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Title The Conflict Did Not Bring Us Flowers - The Need for Comprehensive Reparations for Survivors of Conflict Related Sexual Violence in Kosovo

Publication Date July 2016

Country Serbia

Cite as UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWOMEN), The Conflict Did Not Bring Us Flowers - The Need for Comprehensive Reparations for Survivors of Conflict Related Sexual Violence in Kosovo, July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5881d2d04.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.
We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today
Title Fourth Report submitted by Azerbaijan pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Received on 10 January 2017)

Publication Date 10 January 2017

Country Azerbaijan

Citation / Document Symbol ACFC/SR/IV(2017)002

Other Languages / Attachments Azerbaijani

Cite as Council of Europe: Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Fourth Report submitted by Azerbaijan pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Received on 10 January 2017) , 10 January 2017, ACFC/SR/IV(2017)002, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5881e7b04.html [accessed 5 November 2022]
Kyrgyzstan: No effective punishment for body snatching

Publisher Forum 18 Author Mushfig Bayram Publication Date 20 January 2017 Cite as Forum 18, Kyrgyzstan: No effective punishment for body snatching, 20 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58820bdf4.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.

Only three people prosecuted from 70, including imams and officials, who twice dug up a deceased Protestant's body. The three were not given the jail sentences the law requires. Human rights defenders and the family condemned the punishments as "not appropriate and not effective".
Taiwan: Government must act on human rights review

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 20 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ASA 38/5531/2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Taiwan: Government must act on human rights review, 20 January 2017, ASA 38/5531/2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58820c9c4.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 Taiwan government must demonstrate its commitment to human rights by implementing the recommendations of the international group of independent experts, Amnesty International said today.

The panels of human rights experts convened by the government of Taiwan to review the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (IESCR) today released Concluding Observations and Recommendations to improve the country's implementation of these two important human rights treaties.

"The Taiwan government should seize the opportunity now, while several new draft laws and amendments are being actively debated, to demonstrate that this was not just a paper exercise and ensure that these recommendations from the human rights experts are implemented in law and practice," said Roseann Rife, East Asia Research Director for Amnesty International.

"This process is unique and has drawn the attention of the international community and should be a call to everyone across Taiwan and around the world to increase efforts to realize the promise of human rights for all."

Taiwan, the Republic of China, which was replaced in the United Nations by the People's Republic of China in 1971, cannot participate in the reviews undertaken by the UN Committees mandated to monitor states' compliance with the two Covenants. The Taiwan government initiated this review process with the first review in February 2013, and invited independent experts to review the country's progress. This second review re-confirms the importance of the implementation of international human rights law and standards in Taiwan.

The experts, who came from 11 countries and have wide experience and roles in varied international human rights institutions, presented the government with numerous recommendations at the end of the 3-day process. The recommendations covered a variety of issues including criminal justice, evictions, indigenous peoples and discrimination.

Amnesty International shares many of the concerns raised by the independent experts, including those recommendations urging the government to: "strongly recommends that the Government take decisive steps by immediately introducing a moratorium on executions with the aim of full abolition of capital punishment in the near future;

notes with appreciation the initiatives taken by the Government of Taiwan aimed at introducing same-sex marriage into Taiwanese law. The full realization of these legislative changes would be a manifestation of Taiwan as a pioneer in the Asia-Pacific region, in combating discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation

and gender identity;

immediately take action in order to bring this long lasting violation of Article 21 ICCPR to an end by getting the necessary amendments of the Assembly and Parade Act adopted by the Legislative Yuan;

establishing without further delay, a completely independent and pluralistic national human rights commission in full compliance with the Paris Principles;

accelerate the efforts to also accept the remaining three core human rights treaties: the Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol (CAT, OPCAT), the International Convention of the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW) and the Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)."

In 2013, the human rights experts urged Taiwan to move toward abolition of the death penalty, but little progress on the issue was made. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or other characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution.

"Amnesty International has worked closely with Taiwanese organizations and activists urging the government to takes steps to end this ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment", said Rife. "It is long past the time that Taiwan should establish an official moratorium on executions as a first step toward abolition of the death penalty."

The panel of experts repeated its call for Taiwan to recognize the diversity of families. If the Legislative Yuan passes tabled amendments to the Civil Code it would make Taiwan the first jurisdiction in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. Amnesty International has called on all states to end discrimination in civil marriage laws based upon sexual orientation or gender identity.

"By implementing all of the experts' recommendations and ensuring the Covenants are fully respected in Taiwan, the government would reinforce that human rights are universal and demonstrate that Taiwan can be a global leader in the protection of human rights."

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Croatia: Asylum Seekers Forced Back to Serbia

Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 20 January 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Croatia: Asylum Seekers Forced Back to Serbia, 20 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58821be94.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.

Human Rights Watch interviewed 10 people from Afghanistan, including two unaccompanied children, who described being forced back to Serbia since November 2016 after being apprehended in Croatian territory. They said they were denied the right to lodge asylum claims even though they said they wanted to seek asylum. Nine said the officers kicked and punched them, and all said that the officers took personal items, including money or mobile phones.

"Accounts of Croatia's shocking and abusive treatment of asylum seekers at its border are unworthy of an EU state," said Lydia Gall , Balkans and Eastern Europe researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Authorities in Zagreb need to make sure that all officials are doing their duty to protect asylum seekers and not violently forcing them back to Serbia."

In four cases, asylum seekers described the uniforms and insignia worn by the men who forcibly returned them that match those worn by Croatian police. In three other cases, asylum seekers told Human Rights Watch that law enforcement officials introduced themselves as Croatian police and wore matching uniforms. In one case, an asylum seeker described the uniforms as "very dark, like black," and in another, the asylum seeker described police vehicles. One asylum seeker was unable to give a detailed description of uniforms or insignia.

Croatian authorities should investigate allegations that officials have engaged in abuses against asylum seekers and hold those responsible to account, Human Rights Watch said. Human Rights Watch wrote to Croatia's Interior Ministry, on December 20, informing officials of the findings and requesting comment but has yet to receive a response.

Hussein (not his real name), 24, from Afghanistan, told Human Rights Watch that he made it to a reception facility in Zagreb with two friends in early January. He said that staff there told him to go to a specific police station to register his asylum claim. At the police station after they allegedly let them register a claim the police put the three into a police car saying that they would transfer them to a refugee camp. Instead, the police took them to a site close to the Serbian border, beat them, laughed at them, took their phones and forced them back to Serbia.

Ahmed, 18, from Afghanistan, (not his real name) said that he and 27 other men who crossed into Croatia on November 21 were beaten by what he described as Croatian police wearing dark color uniforms riding in police cars. "My little brother and I were beaten," he said. "They hit me on the back and on my legs with batons There was no reason for it If you talked they [officials] would beat more. I was scared so I didn't speak. Others were beaten more than me because they didn't immediately sit down when they were told to."

Ahmed said that Croatian officials searched them and took their mobile phones. "After that," he said, "they pushed us back to Serbia and said, 'Don't come back."

Another 18-year old from Afghanistan, travelling in a group of 29, including a family with three small children, said that on November 20 more than a dozen officials wearing dark blue uniforms apprehended the group far inside Croatian territory, split the group into separate cars, drove them to a site near the Serbian border, then beat all single men.

"It was good that I had a lot of clothes as it served as padding," he said. "They [officials] beat me with a baton on my head and legs. Five of them beat meThey also beat us as they made us run back into Serbia."

Croatia, along with Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Austria, introduced new border restrictions in March 2016 in an attempt to close the Western Balkan route for asylum seekers and other migrants trying to enter the European Union irregularly. As a result of the border closures, thousands of asylum seekers and other migrants have been stuck in Serbia and elsewhere on the Western Balkan route, exposed to the weather, and dependent on smugglers who in some cases abuse or exploit them.

Despite the restrictions, asylum seekers continue to attempt the journey through the Western Balkans. The increase in reported incidents affecting people trying to transit through Croatia may be connected to restrictions on asylum seekers imposed by Hungary at its border with Serbia.

Pushbacks from Croatia to Serbia have been documented in the past. Moving Europe, a joint initiative of nongovernmental groups, in January 2016 documented violent pushbacks from Croatia to Serbia. The summary return of asylum seekers without consideration of their protection needs is contrary to EU asylum law, the EU charter of fundamental rights, and the international Refugee Convention.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees' current guidance is that Serbia should not be considered a safe third country for asylum seekers. This means that Serbia is not a country to which EU states, including Croatia, should return asylum seekers because of its failure to protect their rights in line with the Refugee Convention and to provide effective remedies as required by the European Convention on Human Rights. Human Rights Watch has previously documented serious abuse of asylum seekers and other migrants and shortcomings in the asylum system, including lack of protection for unaccompanied children.

Of 574 asylum applications submitted in 2016 in Serbia, a majority by Afghans, Iraqis and Syrians, only 19 people received refugee status, and 23 subsidiary protection.

On December 10, 2015, the European Commission initiated infringement proceedings against Croatia over its failure to implement EU legislation requiring the government to fingerprint asylum seekers and send the data to the central Eurodac system within 72 hours. The commission has not raised public concerns about summary returns of asylum seekers and other migrants from Croatia to Serbia, however. The European Commission should press Croatian authorities to halt summary returns of asylum seekers to Serbia and to investigate violent and other summary returns, Human Rights Watch said.

"Croatia's actions are putting asylum seekers and migrants at risk and flouting its legal obligations," Gall said. "The European Commission should press Zagreb to comply with its obligations under EU and refugee law, investigate alleged abuses and provide meaningful access to asylum and fair procedures for those on its territory and at its borders."

Copyright notice:  Copyright, Human Rights Watch
Journalist gets six-month suspended jail sentence on appeal

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 19 January 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Journalist gets six-month suspended jail sentence on appeal, 19 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58821ca54.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) deplores this week's appeal court decision to uphold Algerian freelance journalist Hassan Bourras' criminal conviction, although the court reduced his sentence to a six-month suspended jail term, with the result that he was freed yesterday afternoon.

In its decision issued on 17 January, the appeal court in the southwestern city of El Bayadh confirmed Bourras' conviction on charges of "insulting judicial officials," defamation and causing offence by interviewing three people who talked about cases of alleged corruption in El Bayadh.

Bourras, who had been detained since November, was sentenced to a year in prison at the original trial.

"The prison sentence is regrettable even if suspended," RSF editor-in-chief Virginie Dangles said. "The court should have overturned Hassan Bourras' conviction on all the charges. By imposing this kind of sentence, the Algerian authorities discourage all journalists and whistleblowers from informing the public about cases of corruption."

After his release, Bourras told RSF: "I am happy to be freed. I am now going to rest and deal with the health problems that arose during my imprisonment." He added that he planned to ask his lawyers to refer the case to Algeria's highest appeal court.

Algeria's journalists continue to suffer from an arbitrary implementation of the criminal code, which is systematically used to suppress all reporting that his critical of the authorities.

As RSF pointed out in a report published in December (see here), the judicial system's draconian practices contravene the new constitution, promulgated on 6 March, and Algeria's international obligations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Algeria is ranked 129th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index.
Journalism in death throes after six months of emergency

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 20 January 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Journalism in death throes after six months of emergency, 20 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58821cfb4.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.

In this release, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) examines the persecution of Turkey's journalists and media under the state of emergency proclaimed exactly six months ago today, and urges Turkey's national assembly to repeal all the decree-laws that are incompatible with its constitution and its international obligations.







In the increasingly arbitrary clampdown on media freedom during the past six months, the authorities have jailed around 100 journalists without trial, closed 149 media outlets, rescinded 775 press cards, withdrawn journalists' passports and seized their assets without justification.





In a letter sent today to the national assembly's commission of enquiry into human rights, RSF asks Turkey's parliamentarians to repeal the decree-laws issued under the state of emergency. A detailed legal analysis accompanying the letter shows that the decrees are unconstitutional and incompatible with Turkey's international obligations.





"After six months of this state of emergency, journalism is dying in Turkey," RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. "Pluralism is in the process of being destroyed and the remaining media outlets live under a permanent threat, in a climate of fear and intimidation fuelled by certain leaders' comments. It is time to end these arbitrary practices and return to the constitution's guarantees of media freedom."





Four months after its report entitled "State of emergency opens way to arbitrary rule," RSF has conducted the following new evaluation of the increasingly arbitrary methods used by Turkey's authorities against critical journalists.









Journalists imprisoned without trial





Neither charged nor released





The vast majority of the journalists imprisoned immediately after the failed coup attempt of 15 July are still awaiting the start of their trials. The requests for their release submitted by their lawyers have for the most part been rejected by magistrates subservient to the regime, without any plausible legal grounds being offered.





In a very few cases, imprisoned journalists have been released provisionally but continue to await trial. They include Arda Akn, a reporter for the newspaper Hurriyet, who was released on 9 September after 24 days in detention; former Zaman columnists Lale Kemal and Nuriye Akman, who were freed on 12 October after being held for more than two months; and two Ozgur Gundem columnists, novelist Asl Erdogan and translator Necmiye Alpay, freed on 29 December after more than four months in prison.





More than 80 journalists are being held because they worked for media outlets sympathetic to Fethullah Gulen, the influential US-based Muslim cleric who was an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before turning into his bete noire. Fewer than 30 of them have been issued with an indictment.





The trial of some of these journalists  a group from the southern province of Adana  is finally scheduled to begin on 10 March on a charge of "belonging to an illegal organization." They include Aytekin Gezici and Abdullah Ozyurt, who by then will have spent nearly eight months in detention.





The trial of a second group of 28 journalists  of whom 25 are still in prison  is due to begin shortly thereafter. The defendants, who include Murat Aksoy, Atilla Tas, Hanm Busra Erdal and Cihan Acar, will also face possible ten-year sentences on the same charge of "belonging to an illegal organization."





"I haven't seen a single prosecutor in the six months I've been held," Zaman columnist Sahin Alpay said. "After being interrogated by the police, we were taken directly before a court [which ordered detention pending trial]. I am the oldest. I had my 73rd birthday in prison. My columns had nothing to do with the Gulen movement. I ask for my trial to start as soon as possible."





Several journalists have appealed to Turkey's highest court, the Constitutional Court, requesting their release, but it has yet to respond. In reaction to its silence, the lawyers of two of these journalists have filed submissions to the European Court of Human Rights accusing Turkey of "illegal detention."





Many imprisoned journalists in strict isolation





In accordance with the decree-laws adopted under the state of emergency, police are present when detainees talk to their lawyers and video cameras record their conversations. Journalists arrested for alleged links with the Gulen movement are subjected to especially strict isolation rules. They are held in Section 9 of Silivri prison, 70 km outside Istanbul, where they are denied access to mail and media, and their visitation rights are extremely limited.





These rules are being applied to the detained Zaman journalists and to the 11 detained Cumhuriyet employees who are accused of changing the newspaper's editorial line to suit the Gulen movement.





According to the prosecutor's office, Cumhuriyet's coverage of sensitive stories such as Turkey's arms deliveries to Jihadi groups in Syria, human rights abuses during military operations against Turkey's Kurdish rebels and the alleged torture of suspected participants in the July coup attempt is all evidence of the newspaper's "complicity" with the Gulen movement.





Ten of the newspaper's employees, including editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu, columnist Kadri Gursel, cartoonist Musa Kart and head of administration Bulent Utku, were arrested on 31 October.





Ahmet Sk, a well-known investigative journalist who wrote occasional articles for Cumhuriyet, was also arrested as part of the same case on 29 December. Accusing Sk of supporting the Gulen movement is absurd because he spent a year in prison in 2011 and 2012 for criticizing the influence that the movement wielded within the state apparatus at that time.





"Of the 168 hours that make up a week, I am allowed to see human beings for only two hours  an hour with my wife and an hour with my lawyer," Sabuncu said. "We should have the right to visits from three other people but this rule is no longer being implemented."





Increasingly arbitrary sanctions





Hundreds of press cards rescinded





No fewer than 775 journalists have had their press cards withdrawn by the General Directorate for Information and Media (BYEGM), an offshoot of the prime minister's office, since the start of the state of emergency. They include T24 journalists Hasan Cemal and Dogan Akn, who were stripped of their cards at the end of October.





Although Nevzat Onaran has been a journalist for 17 years, the BYEGM told him on 16 December that his press card would not be renewed because of an old conviction on a charge of "putting people off military service."





The BYEGM withdrew the well-known journalist Amberin Zaman's press card at the start of this month on the grounds that she had "incited hatred and hostility" by writing on social networks that "the Kurds constitute the most important force in the fight against Islamic State."





Assets of 54 journalists seized





On 1 December, an Istanbul magistrate ordered the seizure of the assets of 54 former Zaman employees, including Sahin Alpay, Mumtazer Turkone, Ali Bulac, Hilmi Yavuz, Ihsan Duran Dag and Hamit Bilici, whose trial for alleged links to the Gulen movement has not yet started and who should in the meantime benefit from the presumption of innocence.





Hounding exile journalists, relatives





Dozens of journalists have fled abroad in the past six months to escape the arbitrary actions of the courts and government officials. Former Cumhuriyet editor Can Dundar left after being sentenced to five years and ten months in prison in May and does not plan to return until the state of emergency is lifted. But his wife, Dilek Dundar, is stuck in Turkey. Her passport was cancelled without explanation on 4 August, as she was about to leave.





Journalists who have fled the country now face another threat. Under Decree-Law No. 680, which took effect on 7 January, persons suspected of (or charged with) "subversive activities," "attacks on the president," "crimes against the government" or "membership of an illegal organization" can be stripped of their Turkish nationality if they do not respond to a summons within three months.





Pluralism dying





149 media outlets dissolved at the stroke of a pen





A total of 149 media outlets considered sympathetic to the Gulen or Kurdish movements have been dissolved by decree or administrative decision since 20 July. The first decree dissolving 102 media outlets at the end of July has been followed by similar orders. Two dozen TV and radio stations were closed at the start of October. Fifteen Kurdish media were closed at the end of October. The range of

pluralism in Turkey has been reduced to pro-government media.





Twenty of the closed media have finally been allowed to resume operating. Decree No. 675, for example, authorized the reopening of 11 local media outlets. But the scope of this relaxation is extremely limited, given the modest influence of these outlets and the enormous gaps remaining in the media landscape.





Most of the media closed by decree, including opposition TV channels Hayatn Sesi and IMC TV, are still awaiting a response from the administrative courts to which they appealed. They also plan to refer the closures to the European Court of Human Rights because the Constitutional Court announced in October that it was not competent to hear cases linked to decrees issued under the state of emergency.





Tighter grip on broadcasting





The decree-laws have strengthened the powers of the High Council for Broadcasting (RTUK), which can now suspend any radio or TV station for a day if it is deemed to have contravened the media law. For subsequent breaches, the suspension can be for five days, then 15 days, and then its licence can be withdrawn for good.





A provision recently added to the RTUK's statutes prohibits "media coverage of terrorist acts, their perpetrators and their victims when it contributes to terrorism's objectives."





The RTUK can also now deny a licence to any media outlet that allegedly poses a "threat to national security, public order or the general interest." And it can deny a licence if the police or intelligence services identify any "links" between the outlet's personnel and a "terrorist organization."





Unprecedented control of the Internet





Twitter, YouTube and Facebook are now routinely blocked after every bombing or other emergency situation. But the authorities crossed a new threshold when they temporarily rendered the messaging services WhatsApp, Skype and Telegram inaccessible at the start of November.





Internet service providers were also ordered to restrict access to a dozen VPNs and the Tor network, which allow users to circumvent censorship and encrypt all traffic. At the same time, Internet access was disconnected entirely for several days in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeastern regions.







In response to the growing abuses, RSF reiterates the calls made in its report entitled "State of emergency opens way to arbitrary rule," starting with the repeal of the unconstitutional decree-laws and the immediate release of journalists who have been imprisoned in connection with their work. RSF also calls of an end to the isolation of journalists held in Section 9 of Silivri prison.





Turkey is ranked 151st out of 180 countries in RSF's 2016 World Press Freedom Index.
Reform-Minded Presidential Administration Forces Government Reshuffles in Uzbekistan

Publisher Jamestown Foundation Publication Date 19 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Cite as Jamestown Foundation, Reform-Minded Presidential Administration Forces Government Reshuffles in Uzbekistan, 19 January 2017, Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 3, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58822d824.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

Incoming presidents put in place their own teams of subordinates and government functionaries; this is true for Uzbekistan as much as for the rest of the world. Since Shavkat Mirziyaev was sworn in as Uzbekistan's new head of state on December 14, 2016, he has demoted, promoted or rehabilitated a number of his former colleagues to create his new governing team. Previously, as the interim president for about three months following the death of Islam Karimov, he replaced some regional leaders and heads of government-owned businesses; but after being officially elected president, he has moved to undertake a major governmental reshuffle.

President Mirziyaev's first new high-level appointment was to nominate Abdulla Aripov to serve as prime ministerMirziyaev's previous post before becoming president. Aripov worked as a deputy prime minister for ten years before he fell out of Karimov's good graces in 2012 and was sacked over allegations of corruption (BBCUzbek service, December 15). This departure was supposedly unfair and motivated by trumped-up claims (BBCUzbek service, December 16). Mirziyaev most likely also feels that Aripov was removed unfairly: he went on to describe his nominee for prime minister as an independent decision-maker, well-respected by the population and, most importantly, someone whom he had vetted in the past (Kun.uz, December 16, 2016).

The man heretofore occupying the deputy prime minister position, Rustam Azimov, enjoyed close personal relations with the late Islam Karimov, and he was well known both inside and outside Uzbekistan. And yet, despite widely held expectations that he would be named the next prime minister, Azimov was not nominated to head the Cabinet (BBC Uzbek Service, December 10). Furthermore, Azimov has now lost his job as first deputy prime ministerwhich was the third-most-important position in the government after then-president Karimov and thenprime minister Mirziyayev. Azimov's post will instead be filled by Achilboy Ramatov, until now the chair of the Uzbekistan Railroads stock company (Uzreport, December 15). Azimov has also lost his job as minister of finance, having been reassigned in the new Cabinet to the post of deputy prime minister for macroeconomic development and foreign investments (Gov.uz, accessed January 17).

As prime minister, Mirziyaev was infamously focused almost exclusively on domestic affairs, paying little or no attention to international relations. Therefore, his decision to appoint Aripov instead of Azimov to replace him as head of government is not that surprising. While Mirziyaev probably never joined any Uzbekistani delegations on foreign visits, Rustam Azimov has represented his country abroad in an official capacity on several occasions. Therefore, Mirziyaev likely wanted someone in the prime minister position who would be well versed in domestic issues and who would stay focused on them.

Uzbekistan's security structure is undergoing changes at the top as well. President Mirziyaev has not only replaced the latest minister of interior affairs with now the fourth minister in the past 25 years, but he also invited the previous ministers to rejoin the government (Gazeta.uz, January 4, 2017). That includes Zokirjon Almatov, minister of interior affairs during 19912005. Almatov will head a newly created commission to fight corruption. Furthermore, Bakhodir Marlyubov, who replaced Almatov as interior minister in 20062013, will now lead the ministry's academy (Kun.uz, December 20, 21, 2016).

The return of Zokirjon Almatov to the government is unexpected given that he used to shareor some observers even say "compete for"control over domestic security with Rustam Inoyatov, who has headed the National Security Service since 1995. Almatov honorably retired from the Ministry of Interior Affairs in 2005, but there is speculation that his departure was actually related to the violent 2005 Andijan disturbances and the way his forces responded to the crisis (Lenta.ru, February 5, 2014). If the past tensions between the two security heads are true, the recent reported demotion of Inoyatov's first deputy, Shuhrat Gulyamov, combined with Almatov's return could perhaps signal a shift in the power balance within Uzbekistan's security structures (Ozodlik, January 7).

Since gaining independence, Uzbekistan chose a slower pace of privatization compared to the more aggressive pace chosen by neighboring Kazakhstan. As a result, Uzbekistan has spawned fewer oligarchs. Nevertheless, a handful exist who are well known to any Uzbekistani. One of them is Salim Abduvaliev, popularly referred to as "Salimboy" ("Salim the Rich"). His purported ability to influence top government officials and his role in Uzbekistani politics is infamous, intertwining myths with reality (Ozodlik, news and audio interview, January 6). Now, under the Mirziyaev administration, Salimboy has been appointed deputy chair of the National Olympics Committee of Uzbekistan.

The current government reshuffles should logically be understood in the context of President Mirziyaev's apparent serious desire to initiate sweeping domestic reforms. Although he headed Uzbekistan's Cabinet of Ministers for the past 13 years, earlier this month he nevertheless made clear how unsatisfied he is with almost every governmental department: Mirziyaev rebuked by name every sitting top official, only sparing the new prime minister (Kun.uz, January 8; Gazeta.uz, January 16). But although Mirziyaev appears to be pursuing a comprehensive overhaul of the system, he seems determined to achieve this without initiating any major political-administrative disruptions. Thus, for now, he is relying on current government employees, on the condition that they change their approach to their duties; additionally, he is rehabilitating past government functionaries who might still hold some weight and experience needed for his reforms. Comprehensive reforms are a long-term endeavor, and therefore the recent government reshuffles are probably just the beginning. But for these reforms to be successful, Mirziyaev cannot be the only one who wants such changes.

Copyright notice:  2010 The Jamestown Foundation
Lured by an all-star lineup of celebrities, activists, and politicians, tens of thousands of people flooded Central Park West and Columbus Circle around the Trump International Hotel last night for the United We Stand rally. The purpose: To express their disgust with our soon-to-be President and kick off "100 Days of Resistance," a program of action designed to block the Trump agenda, protect vulnerable individuals and communities, and fight to keep such Obama legacies as the Affordable Care Act.

"I like to think positively that it will only take 100 days," Michael Moore said.

Actor and activist Mark Ruffalo emotionally addressed the crowd, starting his speech with: "Man, I need you. I needed tonight. Did you need this? I needed to be with my brothers and sisters here and to know that theres hope in the world and that we have one another."

.@MarkRuffalo says Americans have to protect each other; spreads message of love during anti-@realDonaldTrump rally pic.twitter.com/OLPfktwavp  Globalnews.ca (@globalnews) January 20, 2017

In addition to Moore and Ruffalo, speakers included Cher, Robert de Niro, Rosie Perez, Cynthia Nixon, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Sally Field, Julianne Moore, Rev. Al Sharpton, Muslim-rights activist Faiza Ali, Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges, Greenpeace Executive Director Annie Leonard, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Shailene Woodley, and Alec Baldwin, who briefly did his impersonation of our new thin-skinned, narcissistic Commander in Chief, much to the delight of the crowd.

Alec Baldwin impersonates Donald Trump during a massive protest in New York City https://t.co/JlL2RV5XQu pic.twitter.com/BX9JPS154F  CNN (@CNN) January 20, 2017

Baldwin added, "Donald Trump and Steve Bannon and Mike Pence, they think that you are going to lay down. They don't realize New Yorkers never lay down." And de Niro poked fun at himself and his "overrated" actor friends:

Im an elitist libtard," Cher said as her introduction. "Im an elitist libtard whose grandmother picked cotton, whose mother sang in bars when she was 8 years old during the Depression."

Mayor de Blasio told the crowd, "Donald Trump may control the agenda in Washington, but we control our destiny as Americans. And tonight is an example of people coming together to make clear what we believe is the future of our country and how we will fight for it. Remember, the country doesnt reside in Washington D.C.its every city, its every town in America where change is made, and we are resolute that we will keep making our cities and our towns better, regardless of whos in Washington DC... [T]omorrow is not an end, tomorrow is a beginning. Get ready to build the nation we always believed in together."

Security was tight, as we've come to expect at any large gathering, with DSNY dump trucks blocking off Central Park West at Columbus Circle, with packs of NYPS officers on every block stretching up past 66th Street. Demonstrators did their rallying within barricaded viewing pens and, after a group singalong of "This Land Is Your Land" led by Natalie Merchant, several hundred people marched over the Dark Tower itself.
A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017
On his last 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.
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.
One in three women interviewed by BenarNews this week in Bangladeshs refugee camps for Rohingya Muslims who fled violence in Myanmar claimed they were raped by security forces before their escape.



A correspondent for BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, who spent four days visiting the camps in southeastern Coxs Bazar district, reported that 17 of the 54 Rohingya women she interviewed said they were raped while Myanmars military launched a brutal crackdown in northern Rakhine state after nine police officers were attacked and killed by an armed Rohingya insurgent group in October.



Numerous reports of rape and other atrocities had emerged since the post-attack crackdown, which led to some 65,000 Rohingya entering Bangladesh, but this is the first time that numbers were cited based on random surveys of the extent of sexual assaults on women.



Refugees who spoke to BenarNews also described a wide range of other abuses, including torching of their homes and animals, beatings, and killings of loved ones.



The perpetrators, often operating at night, were members of the military or the Nadala, a uniformed paramilitary force, they said.



Setara Begum, 24, a refugee in Kutupalong camp, said security forces snatched her one night as she was eating dinner in Naisapro village, in Maungdaw district, and took her to some nearby hills where she and some other local women were tortured by turns.



Failing to bear the barbaric torture, two women died there. I somehow managed to flee after being raped, she told BenarNews.



They stripped me, beat my breasts and body; then they did whatever they desired, she said.



Her husband rescued her hours later. By that time, the security forces had burned their home, according to Begum. They hid in the hills for several days.



I could not eat rice for 10 days; my three children survived eating leaves. Coming to Bangladesh, they can eat here, said Begum, who crossed the border on Jan. 13.



Crude denial games



Myanmar has come under international fire over the alleged mistreatment of the ethnic minority. On Thursday, representatives of 57 Muslim nations held an extraordinary meeting in Kuala Lumpur to focus on the humanitarian crisis gripping the Rohingya Muslim community.



Malaysian Prime Minister 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.



A commission appointed by the government of Myanmar has rejected accusations that its military was committing genocide in Rakhine villages, which have been closed to Western journalists and human rights investigators.



But earlier this month, in a rare official acknowledgment of the security forces abuses, several police officers were detained over a video that appeared to show policemen beating Rohingya during a security operation.



The U.N. human rights envoy to Myanmar Yanghee Lee met privately in Naypyidaw Wednesday with de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi to discuss the violence in Rakhine state and reports of security forces committing the atrocities.



Aung San Suu Kyi and her government apparently lack the political will to confront its security forces about their actions, said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of U.S.-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), calling for an independent, international investigation of the allegations of rights abuses in Rakhine.



HRWs own investigations have uncovered that numerous women have suffered rape and sexual violence at the hands of the security forces, yet the government continues its crude denial games rather than seriously investigating these grave rights abuses, Robertson told BenarNews.



The 17 women who were said they were raped ranged in age from 16 to 31. They gave their full names to BenarNews.



They pushed me with guns



Nur Jahan, 31, another refugee who spoke to BenarNews, said she was raped three weeks after soldiers took her husband from their home. He remains missing.



On December 14 last year, two [military personnel] tightly caught me and the other raped me; thus all of the three violated me inside my room. I got unconscious; I do not know whether more people raped me, said Jahan, from Naisapro Noarbil village in Maungdaw.



She said she reported her ordeal to a local leader when he visited the village; after he left, the military encircled her house. She went into hiding and fled to Bangladesh, where she said she received medical treatment.



My body got swollen due to their torture. I was admitted to the hospital as I could not bear the pain, she said.



Senoara Begum, 19, living in the Leda refugee camp, said she was heavily pregnant when she was raped. She cradled her baby, born after she arrived in Bangladesh, as she spoke.



They pushed me with guns. I was pregnant for eight months at the time but they did not spare me, and bit my cheek, she said. A human bite mark was visible on the left side of her face.



They held [my husband] and took him away. Then they took me away to a room and raped me, she said.



Many rape victims: UN worker



Officials and workers at non-governmental organization said it was difficult to track large numbers of new arrivals at the camps, but confirmed large numbers of rape reports.



Generally it is true that raped women are coming every day. A lot of the raped women also dont disclose rape issues, because of shame. But I can say the number of rapes is really huge, Tayeb Ali, leader of the Kutupalong unregistered Rohingya camp, told BenarNews.



Every day, new Rohingya are taking shelters in almost each of the houses of this unregistered Rohingya camp. Out of them, the number of raped women is huge. Along with old Rohingya, we are providing primary treatment to new Rohingya too, said Samira Akter, with the medical NGO Bangladesh German Shompreeti (BGS) at Leda camp.



Prior to the influx of Rohingya following the recent violence, about 35,000 refugees lived in two UN-registered refugee camps and 300,000 more in vast unregistered settlements immediately adjacent, where homes are constructed of bamboo and plastic and roughly 5,000 people have access to a single water source and latrine, as witnessed by a BenarNews correspondent.



The number of new Rohingya only in this camp is more than thirty thousand. Out of them, a lot of women are rape victims. The nature of the torture on them is very cruel, a worker with the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) in Noyapara Rohingya Camp told BenarNews on condition of anonymity. There are also incidents of abortions and miscarriages due to the rape of pregnant women.

Reported by Jesmin Papri from Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, for BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.


An explosion in northern Afghanistan has killed at least three people outside a game of buzkashi  a popular, traditional equestrian sport in Afghanistan and Central Asia that is similar to polo but uses a goat or calf carcass instead of a ball.

The explosion was to the east of Mazar-e Shariff, in the Khulm District of Balkh Province, as spectators were leaving the buzkashi match.

Balkh Deputy Police Chief Abdul Razaq Qaderi said that the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device, which had been planted outside of the venue.

He said the target appeared to be a local anti-Taliban militia leader who was killed along with his bodyguard and a civilian.

Four other people were wounded by the explosion.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

With reporting by AFP
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.
Last year was the deadliest year on record for Afghan media, with 13 journalists killed, the Afghanistan Journalist Safety Committee said in a report on January 18.

The press group documented at least 101 incidents of killings, assault, intimidation, abuse, and other physical attacks, a 38 percent increase over numbers recorded in 2015.

Although the Taliban was blamed for 10 of the 13 deaths, half of the overall increase in violence toward journalists was attributed to the Afghan government.

"This is an ugly, worrying, and serious trend, and if certain actions are not taken, 2017 could be worse," said committee head Najib Sharifi.

A spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani said acts of intimidation were by individuals, not by the government, and the president is 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," he said.

The Taliban's "drastic increase" in attacks on journalists started in late 2015 with the issuance of death threats against journalists perceived as being too critical, the report said.

That was followed by a deadly attack on Tolo, one of Afghanistan's largest television stations.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa
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
A Kazakh citizen residing in New York has pleaded guilty to having conspired to provide material support to the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

Akhror Saidakhmetov, 21, entered his plea in federal court in Brooklyn on January 19.

Saidakhmetov, one of six individuals charged in the case, faces up to 15 years in prison and deportation to Kazakhstan.

He was arrested in February 2015 at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, where he was attempting to fly to Istanbul.

Prosecutors say Saidakhmetov was on his way to Syria in order to join IS militants.

According to charging documents, Saidakhmetov had also expressed interest in joining the U.S. military to either pass information to the IS group to help in their attacks or to kill as many U.S. soldiers as possible.

Based on reporting by Reuters and newsday.com
Lewis and Clark County commissioners have been asked to commit to joining the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, a move they have put off for years over some concerns.
A court in Kosovo said it sentenced seven ethnic Albanians to jail for fighting for the Islamic State and recruiting on behalf of the militant group.

The men, all Kosovar citizens who were identified only by their initials, were sentenced to between 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 years in jail, the Pristina court said on January 19.

The online news site Kallxo.com reported that some of the men 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 said.

Police said around 300 Kosovars have joined IS 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 IS or fighting in Syria and Iraq.

More than 90 percent of Kosovars are Muslim, but they are mostly secular.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters


Macedonia has accused Serbia of being a bad neighbor, saying it should stop being "disrespectful" by describing the Balkan country as the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," or FYROM.

Macedonia's Foreign Ministry on January 20 described Belgrade's use of the FYROM name as "a provocation which offends the feelings of Macedonian citizens."

The government in Skopje said Belgrade was acting in an "inappropriate and disrespectful" way by using the name.

In 1991, when Macedonia gained independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, its southern neighbor Greece protested against its use of the name Macedonia.

Greece's northernmost province also is called Macedonia and Athens insists that only the Greek province should be allowed to use the name.

As a compromise, the former Yugoslav republic was allowed to join many international organizations under what was called a "provisional reference" -- the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM.

Serbia still formally calls the country Macedonia, but its foreign minister has suggested a change to FYROM, and Serbian highway toll receipts now use the FYROM moniker.

The United States, Russia, China, and many other countries use the term Macedonia -- although the country is still referred to as FYROM by the United Nations and the European Union.

With reporting by AP


The Ukrainians and Georgians fear it. The Baltics are worried about it. The Europeans are concerned about it.

And in the Kremlin, they seem to be rubbing their hands in glee.

The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States today appears to many to mark the start of a new era of detente between Russia and the United States and the end of the liberal post-Cold War international order.

Many also believe it heralds the realization of Vladimir Putin's dream of a Yalta-like division of the world into spheres of influence.

But does it?

On this week's Power Vertical Podcast, we look at U.S.-Russian relations in the age of Trump and the future of the liberal international order.

Joining me are co-host Mark Galeotti, a senior policy fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and author of the blog In Moscow's Shadows; Moscow-based foreign affairs analyst Vladimir Frolov, a former Russian Foreign Ministry official, a columnist for Republic.ru., and president of the LEFF Group; and veteran Kremlin-watcher Donald Jensen, a former State Department official, a fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations in the Nitze School of International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

Enjoy...

Listen to or download the podcast above or subscribe to The Power Vertical Podcast on iTunes.
U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement agencies are reportedly examining intercepted communications and financial transactions as part of an inquiry into possible links between Russian officials and at least three associates of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on January 20.

Citing current and former senior American officials, The New York Times reports that the probe centers "at least in part on the business dealings that some of Trumps past and present advisers have had with Russia."

The newspaper says Trump campaign advisers under scrutiny for their possible links to Russia include his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who has done business in Ukraine and Russia; Carter Page, a businessman and former foreign policy adviser to the campaign; and Roger Stone, a longtime Republican operative.

The New York Times says it is unclear whether the intercepted communications had anything to do with Trump himself or his campaign and whether the investigation is linked to a probe into alleged attempts to disrupt the U.S. presidential elections.

U.S. intelligence agencies accused the Kremlin this month of orchestrating a campaign to meddle in the November 8 vote, which Moscow denies.

Based on reporting by The New York Times
Spanish officials said an alleged Russian hacker sought by the United States on hacking allegations has been jailed while a decision is made on whether to extradite him.

A Spanish National Court spokesman said on January 19 that Stanislav Lisov, 31, was jailed January 13 after Civil Guard police arrested him at Barcelona airport on an FBI warrant issued though Interpol.

The spokesman said a Madrid judge questioned the computer programmer by video conference over charges of criminal conspiracy in connection with electronic and computer fraud for which he is wanted by the United States. It said he was ordered jailed because of the seriousness of the offenses and the risk of him fleeing justice as he had done previously in the United States.

Spanish police said Lisov was arrested as he prepared to take a flight out of Spain with his wife.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP


Hard-line religious protesters threw stones at a rally called to support five missing Pakistani activists on January 19 and demanded that the government file blasphemy charges against the missing men.

The liberal activists and bloggers, who had criticized political influence in the military and spoke up for religious minorities in Pakistan, all disappeared earlier this month.

Shortly after their disappearances, blasphemy allegations started to proliferate on social media and in complaints to the police. Convictions for blasphemy carry a death sentence in Pakistan.

As supporters of the activists called for their release at a rally in Karachi, about 100 members of a little-known religious group, Tehreek Labaik Ya Rasool Allah, started hurling stones and chanting slogans.

One of the zealots' banners read, "Beheading is the punishment of blasphemers."

The activists' supporters were forced to withdraw into a nearby building, and the religious demonstrators eventually were dispersed by police.

The five include university professor Salman Haider, known for criticizing the Taliban and the government, and Shi'ite activist Samar Abbas, who heads the Civil Progressive Alliance Pakistan.

No group has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the abductions. Government authorities say they are making every effort to find the activists.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
ON MY MIND

The Ukrainians and Georgians fear it. The Baltics are worried about it. The Europeans are concerned. And in the Kremlin, they seem to be rubbing their hands in glee.

The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States today appears to many to mark the start of a new detente between Russia and the United States and the end of the liberal post-Cold War international order.

Many also believe it heralds the realization of Vladimir Putin's dream of a Yalta-like division of the world into spheres of influence.

But does it?

On this week's Power Vertical Podcast, we'll look ahead to U.S.-Russian relations in the age of Trump. Joining me will be co-host Mark Galeotti, a senior policy fellow at the Institute of International Relations in Prague, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, and author of the blog In Moscow's Shadows; Moscow-based foreign affairs analyst Vladimir Frolov, a former Russian Foreign Ministry official, a columnist for Republic.ru., and president of the LEFF Group; and veteran Kremlin-watcher Donald Jensen, a former State Department official, a fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations in the Nitze School of International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

It's an all-star lineup and should be a great show. So be sure to tune in...

IN THE NEWS

U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement agencies are reportedly "examining intercepted communications and financial transactions" as part of an inquiry into possible links between Russian officials and at least three associates of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office today.

Spanish officials said an alleged Russian hacker sought by the United States on hacking allegations has been jailed while a decision is made on whether to extradite him.

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.

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.

Amnesty International has urged Russia not to adopt legislation decriminalizing some forms of assault in the family home, calling it a "sickening attempt to trivialize domestic violence" that would undermine already weak protections against abuse.

The United States says the last remaining Russian citizen being held in the military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been released.

The government of NATO-member Slovenia has proposed sending 50 soldiers to Latvia as part of a NATO effort to boost the alliance's presence in the Baltic states.

WHAT I'M READING

The Senate's Russia Investigation

Politico's Austin Wright and Martin Matishak go behind the scenes and looks at the political wrangling surrounding the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election.

The Looming Battle Over Sanctions

In a piece on the Brookings Institution website, former U.S. State Department official Steven Pifer takes a look at Congress, Russia, And Sanctions.

The Trump-Russia File

In The Russia Files blog, Maxim Trudolyubov, a senior fellow at the Kennan Institute, looks ahead to the Trump-Putin relationship.

According to a report in Bloomberg, "Russia fears that Trump wont be such a great deal after all."

And in a piece for the Washington Monthly, Tinker. Tailor. Mogul. Spy., former State Department official James Bruno dissects the declassified U.S. intelligence report on Russian interference in the U.S. election.

Notes From The Information Wars

The EU Disinformation Review has a brief report out on the "means, goals and consequences of the pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign."

And another on how a recent poll illustrates how well Russian propaganda is working at home.

On The War On The Rocks blog, meanwhile, Matt Armstrong, a former member of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors and a former executive director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, looks at past, present, and future wars for international public opinion.

Don't Let Your Children Grow Up To Be 'Siloviki'

In Republic.ru, Yevgeny Karasyuk explains why more than half of Russians want their children to work as "siloviki," for the military or in the security services.

Health-Care Reform?

According to a report in Snob.ru, the Kremlin is building an exclusive hospital for Putin and his entourage

German Defense Spending

Deutsche Welle is reporting that Germany is planning to increase defense spending by almost 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in 2017. That would bring German defense spending to 37 billion euros, or 1.22 percent of GDP. Berlin is also demanding a clear agenda from the United States.
The URL has been copied to your clipboard

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

Donald Trump was sworn in as president of the United States on January 20, pledging to put "America first" at all times but also to strengthen existing alliances, forge new ones, and let the country "shine as an example for everyone to follow."

In a brief inaugural address after taking the oath of office while thousands protested against him on the streets of Washington, some violently, Trump promised a "great national effort to rebuild our country" for all its people.

But he lashed out at opponents and the political establishment by charging that the elite in Washington has prospered at the expense of ordinary citizens - whom he called victims of "American carnage" -- and vowed to hand power that he said is now held in the capital "back to you, the American people."

Trump, 70, defeated Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the November 8 election after a contentious campaign clouded by what U.S. intelligence agencies say was Russian interference in his favor as well as by concerns among critics about his blunt remarks and his statements on a range of issues including immigration, Islam, and climate change.

At home, he pledged to "protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs."

"From this day forward it's going to be only America first," Trump said, repeating: "America first."

"America will start winning again, like never before," he said.

WATCH: Trump Vows To Put 'America First'

Abroad, Trump said, "We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones -- and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth."

The United States will not "seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow," he said.

Trump -- the oldest person ever to start an initial term as U.S. president -- was sworn in after attending a morning church service and a meeting with outgoing President Barack Obama at the White House along with their wives, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump.

"Mr. President-elect, how are you?" asked Obama, who had left the Oval Office for the last time in eight years as president minutes earlier and said "Thank you" to the American people.

In his address, Trump thanked the Obamas for "their gracious aid" throughout the period of transition of power.

WATCH: Obamas Welcome Trumps To White House

After a luncheon with lawmakers and dignitaries at the Capitol, Trump and the new first lady rode a limousine that inched to the White House in the midst of a ceremonial parade, red and blue lights flashing as security agents walked slowly beside the vehicle and onlookers watched from the sidewalks.

Defeated candidate Clinton received a cheer from the crowd when she arrived at the ceremony. Members of the U.S. Congress also attended, but more than 60 of the Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives boycotted the event.

Tight Security, Protests

Security was tight with thousands of law-enforcement officers deployed and kilometers of crowd barriers set up to handle about 900,000 people who had been expected to turn out in the capital.

The crowd of spectators on the National Mall was smaller than when Obama started his first term in 2009, according to aerial footage.

Rifts revealed and aggravated by the election campaign were also on plain display, with thousands of people protesting, clashes breaking out between police and demonstrators, and dozens of arrests.

Most of the protests -- including those by a range of anti-racist, feminist, pro-immigration, antiwar, and marijuana legalization groups concerned about Trump's views -- were peaceful. Some marchers chanted: "No deportation, no KKK, no fascist USA!"

But about 90 minutes before the swearing-in ceremony, activists smashed store and car windows and clashed with police in riot gear who responded with chemical spray and stun grenades.

About 500 people, some wearing masks, marched through the city's downtown in the late morning, using hammers to claw up pieces of pavement and smashing windows at a Bank of America branch and a McDonald's restaurant.

WATCH: Inauguration Protest In Washington Turns Violent

After the ceremony, an RFE/RL correspondent said, police clashed with protesters near the parade route a few blocks from the National Mall who tore up cobblestones and bricks, overturned newspaper vending boxes and tossing them into the streets, and shouted obscenities targeting Trump and police.

The sound of stun grenades rang out repeatedly and chemical spray billowed in the air. Helmeted police holding shields and wielding batons cleared some 50 protesters from an intersection, shouting "Move, move, move!"

Washington authorities said they arrested at least 217 people for violence during protests against Trump.

Those arrested were charged with vandalism and violence against law-enforcement officers, six of whom suffered minor injuries during the clashes, Washington's mayor said after the inaugural festivities ended on January 20.

Trump, a real estate developer and former reality TV star with no previous government experience, faces a tough task if he seeks to bridge divisions.

He lagged behind Clinton by nearly 3 million ballots in the popular vote, and a Washington Post-ABC News survey conducted earlier this week found his approval rating was the lowest of any incoming president-elect since Jimmy Carter in 1977.

"The majority of Americans did not vote for this man, and probably support... agencies doing the work of protecting the consumer and the environment,' said Maryann Daly, a 66-year-old retiree from Washington who held a sign reading 'Honor the Paris Climate Agreement'."

'Too Much Focus Outside U.S.'

Anti-Trump protester Ken Herringer, a 54-year-old tax preparer from Silver Spring, Maryland, told RFE/RL: "I do believe in freedom, and I have a feeling this new administration might try to roll back some of the gains we've made over the past eight years."

But Trump supporters who came to Washington spoke enthusiastically about the prospects for the United States and its people during his presidency.

"We're going to make America great again, because for the last, really,16 years we've had too much focus outside of the United States," Meg Kilgannon, a 44-year-old teacher of natural childbirth techniques from Centerville, Virginia, told RFE/RL.

"We need to focus on our own country, get our own house in order, and do things for the American people," she said.

Jon-Paul Oldham, a firefighter from the state of Connecticut, told the Associated Press that he was "hoping for some unity" and suggested all Americans should rally behind Trump.

"Wanting him to fail is like wanting the plane to crash, but you're on the plane," Oldham said.

WATCH: Profile -- America's New President, Donald Trump

One of the largest demonstrations in Washington was organized by the ANSWER Coalition, an umbrella group consisting of antiwar and civil rights organizations.

"It's Day One, we're saying, of a larger era of resistance, and we believe we're going to send a very powerful message to Trump and the government," said Ben Becker, an organizer with the group. "The Trump agenda is very comprehensive. It includes attacks on Muslims, immigrants, on women's rights, on workers' rights."

Rolling Back Obama Policies

Confirmation hearings for Trump's 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 interest.

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," with the goals of undermining faith in U.S. democracy, denigrating Clinton, and harming her electability. They charged that Putin and the Russian government "developed a clear preference" for Trump over Clinton in the election.

While speaking of unity, Trump was readying several measures to roll back Obama's policies through a series of executive orders.

Minutes after Trump was sworn in, a statement posted on the White House website said that defeating Islamic State "and other radical Islamic terror groups" would be the highest priority of an "America first" foreign policy, which it said would be centered on "peace through strength."

The statement added that the United States would "pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations when necessary" to achieve that goal.

In addition, the statement promised to "rebuild the American military," reversing what it said had been a substantial downsizing of the army and navy since 1991 -- the year the Soviet Union collapsed.

It also included a vow to "embrace diplomacy," saying: "The world must know that we do not go abroad in search of enemies, that we are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies."

A separate statement focusing on the military said the United States "cannot allow other nations to surpass our military capability" and "will pursue the highest level of military readiness."

It said the United States would "develop a state-of-the-art missile defense system to protect against missile-based attacks from states like Iran and North Korea."

It did not say whether the system would differ from those in place or under development, including a European missile shield that Russia has vociferously opposed.

The foreign policy statement said the United States will seek to bolster its economy by "fighting for fair but tough trade deals" and will start by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Obama negotiated.

Another statement said that Trump was "committed to building a border wall to stop illegal immigration," an apparent reference to a wall on the border with Mexico that was a key campaign promise and target of criticism from opponents.

Ahead of Inauguration Day, aides said some of Trump's first actions would include a freeze on U.S. government hiring, suspension of climate change regulations, suspension of immigration from countries associated with Islamic extremism, lifting of restrictions on coal mining and oil drilling, and halt to federal funding for U.S. "sanctuary cities," which refuse to arrest immigrants living in the country illegally.

Congratulations and exhortations came in from world leaders throughout the day, with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov both expressing optimism and saying Russia is ready to do its share to improve relations with Washington.

Trump has said he wants to improve U.S.-Russia relations, which have sunk to lows unseen since the Cold War amid rancor over Moscow's seizure of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in 2014, its backing of separatists in a war that has killed more than 9,750 people in eastern Ukraine, its involvement in the Syrian conflict, and other issues.

Trump's praise of Putin and statements about Russia ties, as well words in support of key ally Britain's exit from the European Union and appraisal of NATO as "obsolete," have caused jitters in Europe about his intentions and sparked concerns that he could scrap sanctions imposed on Moscow over its interference in Ukraine and step back from U.S. commitments abroad.

In an interviewed published on January 20 in the Financial Times, British Prime Minister Theresa May said that she thinks Trump "recognizes the importance and significance of NATO," and that she is "confident" he will "recognize the importance of the cooperation we have in Europe to ensure our collective defense and collective security."

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg congratulated Trump and said NATO's "strength is as good for the United States as it is for Europe."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and Kosovar President Hashim Thaci tweeted their congratulations and hope for cooperation with Trump's administration.

Pope Francis urged Trump to use ethical values as his guide and take care of the poor and the outcast during his presidency.

"I pray that your decisions will be guided by the rich spiritual and ethical values that have shaped the history of the American people and your nation's commitment to the advancement of human dignity and freedom worldwide," wrote Francis.

With reporting by RFE/RL Senior Correspondent Mike Eckel in Washington, AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa, CNN, Sky News, and BBC
Final Synopsis

-- Seventy-year-old Donald J. Trump, a Republican, has been sworn in as the United States' 45th president, along with Vice President Mike Pence.

-- In his inaugural speech, Trump vowed that America will "not seek to impose our way of life on anyone but rather let it shine as an example for everyone to follow." He also pledged that "a new vision will govern our land: From this day forward, it's going to be only America First." Trump also promised: "We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones  and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth."

-- Trump also decried an "establishment" that "protected itself, but not the citizens of our country," and he said, "That all changes -- starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you."

-- World leaders have been congratulating President Trump on his January 20 inauguration, expressing a desire to work with his administration while some Western leaders have been urging continued U.S. cooperation on mutual security.

-- Trump and the new first lady rode a limousine that inched to the White House in the midst of a ceremonial parade, red and blue lights flashing as security agents walked slowly beside the vehicle and onlookers watched from the sidewalks.

-- Security was tight as thousands of people protested in Washington. Police said 95 protesters were arrested. Police had used pepper spray and stun grenades to push back demonstrators. Police said protesters damaged vehicles, destroyed property and set small fires.

-- Trump's administration said that defeating Islamic State "and other radical Islamic terror groups" will be the highest priority of an "America first" foreign policy centered on "peace through strength."

* NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Washington DC (GMT/UTC -5)
The URL has been copied to your clipboard

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump pledged to unify what he called a divided nation and to bring change as he arrived in the capital for his January 20 inauguration.

While speaking of unity on the eve on his inauguration, Trump was readying a raft of dramatic measures to roll back policies of his predecessor, Barack Obama, through a series of executive orders targeting Obama's climate-change regulations, immigration liberalization moves, international trade agreements, and restrictions on energy development.

"We're going to unify our country," Trump told a cheering crowd of thousands in front of Washington's Lincoln Memorial after a concert that ended in a burst of fireworks.

"We're going to do things that haven't been done for our country for many, many decades," he said. "It's going to change, I promise you."

As hundreds of thousands of people were expected to celebrate or protest Trump's inauguration in central Washington, Trump gave thanks to the millions who voted for him and made his upset election possible.

"It's a movement like we've never seen anywhere in the world," he said. "You're not forgotten any more... We're going to get it turned around. We're going to bring our jobs back."

Trump's aides said his first hours in office would be marked by dramatic action and that his inaugural address would be shorter than many made by past presidents.

Profile: Donald Trump, America's Next President

"Trump is a man of action, not words, and you'll hear that tomorrow," said incoming White House counselor Kellyanne Conway. His inaugural address on January 20 is set to be an "elegant, beautiful, powerful, and brief speech," she said.

Among Trump's first actions, aides say, will be a freeze on U.S. government hiring, suspension of climate-change regulations, suspension of immigration from countries associated with Islamic extremism, withdrawal from a trans-Pacific trade agreement Obama negotiated, lifting of restrictions on coal mining and oil drilling, and a halt to federal funding for U.S. "sanctuary cities" that refuse to arrest immigrants living in the country illegally.

Some of those decrees were expected to be issued within hours of Trump's swearing-in.

"He is committed to not just Day 1, but Day 2, Day 3 of enacting an agenda of real change," Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said.

While Trump's plans for change were quickly taking form, how he would unify a nation where millions still reject his presidency remained unknown.

One-third of the Democrats in the U.S. House have said they plan to skip his inauguration. Earlier this week, a Washington Post-ABC News survey found Trumps 40 percent approval rating was the lowest of any incoming president-elect since Jimmy Carter in 1977.

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.

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 Trump over his rival in the November 8 vote, Hillary Clinton.

Tom Barrack, the chief architect of Trump's inaugural festivities, said Trump would show the world that "we can argue, we can fight, and we can debate," but then the nation unites behind one president.

Obama also had vowed he would unify the country and end the sharp partisan divide in Washington, but admitted after eight years in office that he had failed to reach that goal.

Some Trump fans who came to Washington were optimistic about Trump's prospects.

"We're hoping for good weather and hoping for some unity," Jon-Paul Oldham, a firefighter from the state of Connecticut, told AP. He said everyone should want Trump to succeed.

"Wanting him to fail is like wanting the plane to crash, but you're on the plane," Oldham said.

Tens of thousands of law enforcement officers and kilometers of barriers were in place in Washington, as about 900,000 people were expected to gather in the center of the capital, including the National Mall facing the Capitol, where Trump will be sworn in, and the parade route along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.

Meanwhile, opponents were planning to hold anti-Trump protests throughout central Washington. One of the largest such demonstrations is to be organized by the ANSWER Coalition.

"It's Day One, we're saying, of a larger era of resistance, and we believe we're going to send a very powerful message to Trump and the government," said Ben Becker, an organizer with the group. "The Trump agenda is very comprehensive. It includes attacks on Muslims, immigrants, on women's rights, on workers' rights."

On the streets of New York, Hollywood actor Robert de Niro and other celebrities joined several thousand protesters to demonstrate against the president-elect on the eve of his inauguration.

"Whatever happens, we Americans, we New Yorkers, we patriots, will stand united for our rights and for the rights of our fellow citizens," de Niro said.

Meanwhile, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed hope that Trump's inauguration will be the start of a period of better ties with the United States.

While it's not clear what course Trump will take, Medvedev wrote on his Facebook page, "we are ready to do our share of the work in order to improve the relationship."

Trump has said he wants to improve U.S.-Russia relations, which have sunk to lows unseen since the Cold War amid rancor over Moscow's seizure of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in 2014, its backing of separatists in eastern Ukraine, its involvement in the Syrian conflict, and other issues.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
An expansion to the policy for managing new housing in the Helena Valley that aims to protect military training at Fort Harrison earned a nod of approval Tuesday night from an advisory panel.

The Helena/Lewis and Clark County Consolidated Planning Board in a 7-1 vote, with John Benoit dissenting, agreed to recommend a chapter be added to the recently adopted Helena Valley Area Plan.

The recommended addition to the growth policy, which came from a recently completed Joint Land Use Study that looked at how military operations affected nearby civilian areas, will go to the county commission for possible inclusion to the policy as chapter seven.

This proposed addition is designed to address the potential for conflicts between Fort Harrison and new construction. The fort, which consists of 6,730 acres, is about one mile from the western edge of city limits.

While the addition to the growth policy examines land in Lewis and Clark County, it also acknowledges traffic between the fort and the Limestone Hills Training Area in Broadwater County.

Sharon Haugen, the citys community development director, was the sole speaker during the planning boards public hearing and thanked Fort Harrisons staff for its work on the proposed growth policy addition.

She also noted that the city has an ordinance on outdoor lighting, although it has not adopted standards.

While new subdivisions could be subject to the sounds of gunfire and other noises associated with military training, outdoor lighting is also a concern for the fort.

Outdoor lighting can impair the ability to train helicopter pilots in the use of night vision equipment, representatives of the fort have said.

Among issues addressed in the proposed addition to the growth policy are compatibility concerns that include safety and noise for homes built under helicopter flight patterns between the fort and Helena Regional Airport.

Recreational trespass on the fort is an issue raised in the growth policy chapter as is a lack of zoning in the county that could restrict the number of homes per acre and help minimize conflicts.

Communication towers, antennas, commercial wind development and transmission lines are cited as examples of structures that infringe on low-level helicopter training flights.

The condition of roads near the fort is also an issue as they dont handle current traffic or whats anticipated in the future from the fort.

Among policies needed to meet goals of the Joint Land Use Study are those that study road issues and identify funding sources for improvements.

Standards for outdoor lighting are sought as is limiting home development closest to the fort to avoid conflicts with noise.

The growth policy already calls for limiting development to one home per 10 acres in areas of the Helena Valley and that standard is proposed for lands closest to the fort that would be affected by military training.

Purchase of conservation easements that would prevent subdivision or the acquisition of land nearest to the fort are also noted as measures to prevent conflicts with homeowners.

Before voting, Benoit expressed his concern with the growth policy addition by saying it appeared to be focused on the communitys impact on the fort rather than the forts effect on the community.

He also said there could come a day that the fort is closed, although that was challenged by another member of the planning board.

Military representatives have expressed their concern that new subdivisions could harm the forts ability to conduct training and said other military installations have closed as a result of such conflicts. County officials have also noted the forts economic importance to the community.

According to a 2015 economic impact study created through the Montana Army National Guard and Department of Military Affairs, more than $49.9 million was spent in Helena. The combined spending statewide in fiscal year 2015 was $197,975,224.
The United States say the last remaining Russian citizen being held in the military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been released.

The Defense Department announced on January 19 that former Red Army ballet dancer Ravil Mingazov has been transferred to the United Arab Emirates, along with two other Guantanamo inmates.

A total of nine Russian citizens had been held at Guantanamo.

Mingazov, 49, was captured in Pakistan and spent more than 14 years at the detention facility.

U.S. authorities accused him of fighting with the Taliban against the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan.

Mingazov, who denied any involvement in terrorism, was never charged with any crime, and the U.S parole board decided in July that he must be released.
A bill partially repealing the so called tax holiday incentive on new oil and gas development would bolster state revenues under a fairer tax system, a state representative argued Thursday.

Opponents countered that increasing taxes on new production would further cripple an industry down from low oil prices, and make Montana less attractive to oil companies.

Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-East Helena, brought House Bill 215 before the House Taxation Committee. Starting next year, the bill calls for increasing the current 0.5 percent tax during the first 12 to 18 months of a wells production to 4.5 percent. Taxes increase to 9 percent following the holiday.

This isnt eliminating the tax holiday  they still get a 50 percent discount, Dunwell told the committee.

With new drilling down, now is a good time to raise the tax giving companies the chance to plan, she said, adding that as prices increase so would revenues to the state and communities.

When oil prices were high in recent years, Montana missed out on a high of $36 million in 2013 but dipped as oil prices dropped, Dunwell said, referencing the bills fiscal note. Projections put state revenues at about $69,000 next year and climbing to $1.4 million by 2021.

I personally dont see the fairness in this tax holiday, she said of the 0.5 percent tax rate. Its time to equalize things.

Similar bills to repeal or partially repeal the tax holiday have been tried as recently as the last legislative session but failed to gain traction.

Environmental and conservation groups came to support HB215.

The boom and bust of the oil industry can leave communities overwhelmed, said Derf Johnson with the Montana Environmental Information Center. Perhaps its time so that when those incidents occur, the oil and gas companies pay their way.

We have to right this wrong and put us on an economically responsible path, testified Ellis Smith with Northern Plains Resource Council. Under legislator questioning, Smith noted that Wyoming offers no tax holiday while North Dakotas tax holiday only kicks in when oil prices fall below $52.50 per barrel.

Oil companies and trade organizations opposed the bill.

This changes a policy in place for 24 years  it is recognized as an incentive, said Jessica Sena, representing the Montana Petroleum Association.

New oil wells come with expense and risk and any predictions about revenues are hypothetical, she said. Increasing taxes will stifle exploration and innovation that makes oil extraction more efficient.

Geologically, Montana is already less attractive than some other states, with North Dakota producing in a month what Montana produces in a year, Sena said.

Oil companies compare all costs when deciding which state to do business in, and it costs more than other states to produce in Montana, said Ed Bartlett, lobbying for Continental Resources. HB215 would increase the tax nine times, he pointed out.

Dunwell closed on her bill noting that no other industry enjoys such a tax incentive, reiterating that the issue is about fairness.

There are a lot of programs with our growing population that could benefit from this revenue, she said.
Fred Whiteside is one of Montanas authentic unsung heroes.

Thus observed Great Falls Tribune reporter and columnist Frank Adams in 1980, a year after a plaque was installed in an obscure Capitol hallway, the only monument in recognition of Whiteside who was perhaps Montanas most courageous statesman.

Barely 20, Fred Whiteside left home in Illinois in 1878 to make the dangerous trek to Montana Territory. Using profits from buffalo hunting, Whiteside became a building contractor, constructing several early structures in Miles City.

Whiteside soon became one of Montanas most notable builders, constructing a major silver smelting facility in Great Falls, the Hennessy Block in Butte, and the magnificent Broadwater Natatorium in Helena.

In 1891, at 34, Whiteside settled down in semi-retirement in Kalispell, to raise apples. A scientific orchard man, Whiteside prided himself in his early use of pesticides and promised to pay $500 for any worm found in his apples. He never had to pay, but watching fruit grow, wasnt a fit challenge for the likes of young Fred Whiteside. He was soon back into building, and the fine old original Montana Veterans Home he constructed in Columbia Falls still stands. He also acquired the Kalispell Bee newspaper to express his political opinions. In 1896 he was elected to the legislature.

Then began the memorable yet forgotten saga of Fred Whiteside. A Capitol Commission had been authorized to plan and construct our state Capitol. Freshman Representative Whiteside examined the plan and cost estimate and was astounded. From his contracting experience, Whiteside quickly saw that a better plan could be completed for a fraction of the proposed cost.

When Whiteside voiced his objection about the fraudulent building scheme, legislative friends of the crooked Commissioners maneuvered to discredit and stop him. In the end, an informant to Whiteside who had direct knowledge of the fraudulent plan, died under mysterious circumstances, but the scheme was thwarted. Because of Fred Whiteside, what is now the magnificent central part of the Capitol building was constructed for about 10 percent of the original proposed cost.

In 1898 Whiteside was elected to the State Senate. Then, state legislators elected U.S. Senators. Copper King William Andrews Clark was determined to become a U.S. Senator if he had to bribe every member of the legislature to do it. Whiteside dramatically exposed the bribery in front of many of the legislators who had sold their votes to Clark. Incredibly, the corrupt lawmakers brazenly expelled Whiteside as a state senator and went on to elect Clark U.S. Senator.

Fundamentally a fighter, Whiteside followed Clark to Washington where he presented compelling and incriminating testimony. The result was that this time Clark was the one who was expelled. Clark attempted a ruse to get back into the Senate which failed. Incredibly, however, with Whiteside gone, the Montana legislature again sent Clark to the Senate two years later.

The outrageous Clark example was prominently used nationwide to bring about the Constitutional amendment for the people to directly elect U.S. Senators. If not for Whiteside, Clark would never have been exposed.

Courage and integrity matter. Therefore, so does history. No other Montanan has had as great an impact on the function of U.S. government as Fred Whiteside. The next time youre in the state Capitol building see if you can find his plaque. Then cross the street to the Montana Historical Society. There you will find an extensive file on Fred Whiteside and a trove of other printed history, wonderful Russell paintings, countless priceless artifacts, and kind and helpful staffers to guide you in your explorations of Montanas colorful and fascinating past.

Bob Brown is a former Montana Secretary of State and State Senate President.
Under a heavy police escort, roughly 200 protesters marched peacefully through the streets of Richmond for three hours Friday night, chanting in rage against newly inaugurated President Donald Trump.

Apart from a few tense shouting matches, the protest was largely free of drama as police closed roads to traffic for the march as it wound its way from Jackson Ward to Broad Street, Monument Avenue and the Fan District before circling back to its starting point in Abner Clay Park.

The marchers chanted slogans in support of black lives, Muslims, refugees, women and gay and transgender people while shouting fury against Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, the police, white silence and the KKK. Despite the Nazis out of office! chants, a few hecklers along the route gleefully reminded the protesters that their side lost and couldnt keep Trump from the White House.

Mallory OShea, who helped organize the event as part of an ad hoc coalition of local activists, said it was a chance for people to stand up against this fascist presidency were all fearful of.

Today, the constellation of oppression is burning brighter and expands around us, Dennis Williams, a 27-year-old activist from Atlanta, said in an opening speech delivered through a megaphone.

The march drew cheers of support from Virginia Commonwealth University dormitories, and people who spilled out of Fan bars to film the spectacle on their phones.

Taiquan Williams, 24, of Richmond, who watched the march from the parking lot of the Lombardy Street Kroger during an out-and-back swing to Virginia Union University, said the things Trump says on TV hits some people in their heart.

Theyre peaceful, Williams said of the marchers. Theyre not breaking windows like in D.C.

Richmond police officers on bicycles, motorcycles and in vehicles kept a tight perimeter around the group and stepped in to defuse a situation when a man in a denim jacket stepped in front of the group on Broad Street holding up both middle fingers and yelling: Losers! Police also rerouted cars when the marchers headed east on Main Street in the Fan, against the flow of traffic on the one-way street.

I think this is what free-speech is about, getting your point across without violence and disorder, Police Chief Alfred Durham said after shaking hands with a protest leader when the march ended. Police said there were no arrests or incidents beyond the disruption to traffic.

Some observers dismissed the march as a waste of time and public resources.

I see it as similar to children who lost a game of chess or checkers, said Derrick Davis, a 22-year-old Richmonder who wore a pro-nationalism shirt and filmed the march while wearing a pistol in a hip holster. And theyre just like Thats unfair! and then knock the pieces off the board.

The march began a little before 7 p.m. and ended around 10 p.m. Others were invited to join along the way, but several onlookers said they were instead going to the womens march scheduled for Saturday in Washington.

Fridays event followed several other anti-Trump protests in Richmond. In November, nearly a dozen protesters were arrested after they blocked highways. Virginia State Police seemed to prepare for that possibility Friday, positioning several vehicles on Belvidere Street over Interstate 95. The marchers never attempted a move to the interstate, but police seemed to give them free rein on slower-paced city streets.
A 30-year-old Beaverdam woman has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of a man in Hanover County on Friday afternoon.

The victim was identified Monday as Glen T. McMillan Jr., 31, of Beaverdam.

At 12:14 p.m., the Hanover Sheriffs Office responded to the 16000 block of Trainham Road, a dead-end road located off Beaver Dam Road, after a report of a shooting.

Deputies found McMillan suffering from obvious signs of trauma, the department said in a release. McMillan was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators later Friday charged Stephanie D. Tinsley, 30, of Beaverdam with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. She is being held without bond at the Pamunkey Regional Jail.

This is an isolated incident, and there is no threat to the community, the statement said.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Hanover County Sheriffs Office at (804) 365-6140 or the Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000. Citizens can also text Crime Stoppers at 274637 (CRIMES), using the keyword iTip followed by their tip. Both Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous.
CABLE, Dennis "Buddy," 68, of Sandston Va., went to be with his Lord on Tuesday, January 17, 2017. He was surrounded by family and friends. Buddy loved people and horses. As a horse trainer and instructor, he helped many 4-H students, acting as a mentor and father figure to countless children and families. He will always be remembered for his larger-than-life personality and giving spirit. Buddy was preceded by his daughter, Lisa Cable; and parents, Dorothy and Dean Cable Sr. He is survived by his wife, Julie Cable; sons, Dennis Cable Jr. "Denny" (Weston) and Austin Morris; daughters, Kristen and Sarah Morris; brothers, Dean Cable Jr. "Butch" (Pat) and David Cable (Jean); along with a multitude of nieces, nephews, cousins and numerous close friends and extended family. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2017, at 11 a.m., at Fairmount Christian Church, 6502 Creighton Rd., Mechanicsville, 23111. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association in memory of Lisa Cable, https://www.mda.org.
While my husband-to-be was doing a jig on Election Night, all I wanted was to take a swig  of anything that would reverse the staggering results. We actually got in our first big fight that night  and survived. I may have found my soulmate, but I realized he probably would never be one politically.

And thats OK. If my parents are any example, political differences dont have to make or break a marriage or relationship.

Talking to my mother the other day, I could practically see her eyes rolling through the phone as I spouted off all the wonderful qualities my fiance has. Hes kind, honest, funny and smart, I gushed.

There was a pointed silence on the other end of the line. Have we found anything about him we dont like? she asked. Before I had time to respond, she answered in a stage whisper. Shhhhh. Thats right, hes a Republican.

But, Mom, youre married to a Republican, I reminded her.

Hes more of a closet Democrat now.

Growing up, my parents were polar opposites politically. Mom, an artist, was a Democrat. Dad was the co-chair of the Republican National Committee under Nixon and then a Republican congressman from Delaware. They used to joke that theyd cancel out each others votes.

In the early 70s, my mother joined an anti-Vietnam War march in Washington. Ironically, it was my fathers RNC driver who dropped her off amid the protesters. Are you sure this is where you want me to leave you, Mrs. Evans? Does your husband know?

That evening, she joined my father at a party at the Watergate. Mom, sunburned from her day of protesting in paisley prints and bell-bottom jeans, struck up a conversation with a White House aide about Nixons infamous Enemies List.

That sounds wonderful. Id love to be on that list, she joked with the unamused operative.

You are, he told her. And with that, he walked away, leaving my liberal-leaning mother at a loss for words  probably for the first time in her life.

Now married for 55 years, my parents opposing political views are proof that bipartisan bedfellows can and do exist. Obviously, it helps that they both have merged more toward the middle, particularly with Dads closet Democrat status.

Which gives me hope that my husband-to-be will someday cross over to my side of the aisle. Until then, we will concentrate on walking down the aisle rather than crossing over it. Fittingly, our wedding day is today  Inauguration Day. Donald Trump will be taking vows to lead our country while we take the vows of marriage.

Despite our differences, we can all be united in our hope for a more perfect union.
There are more ways than ever to get a weather forecast. But here at the new RTD Weather Desk, I aim to provide weather news and information with a focus on quality, context and details you wont find anywhere else.

Youll continue to find forecasts on page B3 of the Times-Dispatch every day from AccuWeather. Based on your feedback, weve added a national weather map and additional data  like pollen and water conditions  to help you plan your activities.

Theres a lot more to weather than highs and lows, and I think youll find the weather story as interesting as I do. When big storms are on the way, Ill give you a levelheaded assessment of what it will mean for this area, and why. Ill look ahead to changes in the weather pattern and keep you up to date on records and extreme occurrences.

And even when the weather is nice and quiet outside, well explain how the weather works. Youll get trips back in time through our weather history and occasional updates on climate, Earth science and space.

Explore some of the videos weve already posted online at Richmond.com/weather  especially those from before, during and after the recent snowstorms  as well as maps and analysis.

The RTD has loyal readers from the North Carolina border to the Potomac River and from the Blue Ridge mountains to the Chesapeake Bay. While my forecasts are geared toward the Richmond metro area, Ill keep an eye on weather all over the state and share the interesting highlights with you.

The weather in your neighborhood might be slightly different  or wildly different  from the official numbers at Richmond International Airport. To keep a consistent baseline, Ill refer to those numbers when I write about Richmonds temperature, rainfall, snowfall and records.

But variation is what makes weather interesting, and Id encourage you to let me know what you see in your backyard. I can only tell a complete weather story for this area with the help of your readings, reports, pictures, memories and questions.

Heres how to get in touch with me:

Email me at jboyer@timesdispatch.com

Join me on my Facebook page, which is facebook.com/BoyerJohn

Follow me on Twitter @boyerweather

Many of you have already sent in notes about the column, and I truly appreciate it.

Reader Susan Salomon wrote, I just want to say how much I like having the how in addition to the what in your columns. It is really satisfying to be able to be able to see what is going on in the big scene.

And subscriber Alan Ford said, It gave me just what I was looking for  more depth and detail than the typical weather apps.

Ill close with some thoughts about my weather coverage philosophy:

Well have a lot to talk about when it turns stormy, but we have something to learn on the quiet days, too. Ill strive to keep the stories interesting and informative each day.

Daily life in 2017 means seeing dozens of different forecasts on smartphones, websites and social media. My goal isnt to be just another voice in the room, but to help you sort through it all and see the big picture.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
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.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)  Sister Madeleine Miller applied for a high school teaching job in Nebraska thinking she would get judged on her credentials  not what she was wearing on her head.

The 37-year-old nun was shocked to learn that, under a little-known law nearly a century old, she couldn't wear a habit in a public school classroom. The vaguely worded ban prohibits teachers from wearing any sort of religious garb, from burqas to yarmulkes.

"I could have been arrested, jailed, fined or had my license taken away if I had tried to teach," Miller said Tuesday.

Now, state lawmakers are looking to end the ban, which was passed in 1919 under pressure from the Ku Klux Klan amid a national wave of anti-Catholic sentiment.

The law is rarely enforced but came to the attention of the senator whose district includes Norfolk Public Schools, where Miller had hoped to work. Miller said a school administrator told her the district would be happy to hire her, but she couldn't wear her habit in class.

Thirty-six states had adopted similar bans on religious garb at various points, but Nebraska and Pennsylvania are the only ones that have yet to repeal them, said Speaker of the Legislature Jim Scheer, sponsor of the repeal bill. Oregon abolished its ban in 2010.

Scheer, who spent nearly two decades serving on a local school board, said he had no idea the ban was still in place but argued that it violates teachers' free-speech rights. Nebraska is also struggling to fill teacher shortages this year in 18 different fields, according to the state Department of Education.

"This isn't virgin turf I'm tilling here," said Scheer, of Norfolk. "We're just one of the last ones."

Miller  who holds a Nebraska teaching certificate, a bachelor's degree from Wayne State College in Nebraska and a master's degree from the University of Chicago  ended up taking a job at a Catholic school in neighboring Iowa. She said she initially considered filing a lawsuit with help from the Thomas More Law Center, a national religious liberties group, but decided against it in hopes that lawmakers would fix the issue themselves.

Church rules require sisters to wear the habit virtually all of the time, except when working in a communist country or cleaning with harsh chemicals that could damage the blessed garments. Miller sought the job as a public school substitute because none of the local Catholic schools had any openings.

Nebraska is considering the proposal in the midst of a broader debate over religious garb. In November, lawmakers in the lower house of the Dutch parliament approved a ban on "face-covering clothing," including Islamic veils and robes such as the burqa and niqab. In 2010, France approved a so-called burqa ban that has since been blamed for encouraging Islamophobia and giving Muslim extremists more ammunition to incite hatred.

The proposal to repeal Nebraska's ban faced little resistance Tuesday during a legislative hearing. The measure drew support from a diverse coalition including Catholic groups and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska.

Spike Eickholt, an attorney for the ACLU of Nebraska, said current state law doesn't even define what constitutes religious garb and allows for punishments even if students don't notice it.

"It has a chilling effect for people who want to go into the business of teaching," he said.

Martin Cannon, an attorney with the Thomas More Society, said Nebraska's ban on religious garb is "blatantly unconstitutional" and goes far beyond the prohibition on government promoting religion.

"The problem is they are applicable only to religion," he said. "A person could come to school as a teacher wearing maybe a flower power shirt or a Scooby Doo button or a 'Vote for Charlie' pin, but he can't wear a cross."
A dense fog advisory has been issued for much of Central Illinois until 10 a.m., according to the National Weather Service at Lincoln.

Drivers may encounter visibility of a quarter-mile or less. They are encouraged to turn on headlights, drive slower than usual and leave plenty of space between cars.

The fog will begin to lift by mid-morning, the weather service said. Decaturs forecast otherwise calls for a cloudy day, with patchy fog and a high near 51 degrees.

The advisory includes Macon, Shelby, Christian, Moultrie, DeWitt and McLean counties.
DECATUR -- Brent Hoadley and a few of his friends from his time in the Navy began to joke last year that, if Donald Trump were elected, they would all meet up in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the occasion.

But what started as a somewhat-serious suggestion took on new meaning as Trump surprised the political world on Election Night.

When (Trump) got elected that night, we all stayed up into the wee hours of the morning and said, Do we really want to do this? said Hoadley, a Forsyth resident. And they were like, Heck, yeah!

Hoadley is among a handful of local residents who will be making the trip to Washington to watch Trump be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States at noon today.

Along with the wave of people coming to celebrate and protest the event, locals will also likely have to deal with rain throughout the early morning and afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Hoadley originally planned on just watching the inauguration from the public space in the National Mall, but he learned a week ago that he had received ticket through U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis office to get a closer view of Trump being sworn in. A

s someone who saw Trump when he stopped by Bloomington last year, Hoadley said he was excited for the chance to see the billionaire businessman become president.

It will be history. We have a guy who has never served in public office, Hoadley said. No one or any special interests is controlling him.

Hoadley said he will be leaving from his home in Forsyth to pick up a friend flying into St. Louis from Arizona. From there, the duo planned to drive to the East Coast and meet up with another friend flying in from New York City just a bit south of Washington.

Though hes concerned about potential conflicts with protesters, Hoadley said that overall hes excited to take in the event and the "rich history" of the United States.

Another first-timer to Washington is hoping to use this weekend as a chance to take in the sights and sounds.

Shane Bouvet, a 24-year-old from Stonington will be making the trip, not only to experience the inauguration, but to appear at an inauguration gala later that night.

Not bad for a self-described "small-town, blue-collar guy" who works as a FedEx courier.

Im just really glad to be there, he said. Im just a guy who did social media and turned out successful.

Bouvet operated the Facebook pages Illinois for Trump and as the Illinois team leader Team Trump Grassroots, the latter a page with more than 148,000 "likes" as of inauguration week.

Through his campaign work, Bouvet received invitations to attend several inaugural events as a thanks for his service. Even when talking about the opportunity, Bouvet can't hide his excitement and emphasized several times just how overwhelming has been the support over the past month.

I simply love America, and its so incredible to see the amount of support that has come in since the election, he said.

Before the recent election, Bouvet has been active in campaigns in Wisconsin and Illinois and even circulated petitions to run for state representative in the 96th District in 2015 before withdrawing.

This Fridays inauguration will mark a return to Washington for chaplain Steve Holden.

Holden and his son, Matt, will be making their second visit to an inauguration; having previously gone to the George W. Bush inauguration in 2005. The trip allows the Holdens to soak in the history of the occasion as well as for Steve Holden to renew some friendships with those he knows through his work with the national chaplain program, United States Emergency Chaplain Corps. and the Chaplains for the Illinois State Police.

Politics has always been of interest to Holden, and as he stands and watches the event, he will be thinking of how many like him have made the same pilgrimage to the nations capital over the past two centuries.

To stand out there on the capitol lawn and to think that people have been standing on that very spot for some 200 years in support of their government, he said. Just to be part of that  its something special.

As Central Illinois residents make the trip to Washington, another one will do her best to help welcome them to the nations capital.

Angela Osborne, a Decatur native and 2009 graduate of Millikin University, will be part of the host committee for the Inaugural Heartland Ball, a partnership between several Midwestern states to help celebrate the inauguration.

Despite heated political discourse, Osborne hopes the nonpartisan ball can act as a welcome respite for people and introduce them to wonderful opportunities that are occurring across the Midwest.

Osborne, who also serves as a board member of the Illinois State Society, said her new residence in Washington, D.C., will not prevent her from bringing a bit of home to the ball. Specifically, when attendees enter the "university room" of the gala where the flag of Millikin University will we be alongside other school's flags.

I cant think of a better way to give back to the Decatur community than to bring members of Congress, high profile Illinoisans and people from across the country together to celebrate Illinois, she said.
A diamond weighing 30 carats which was found in early 2017 at the Arkhangelskaya kimberlite pipe was the last piece to bring Severalmaz diamond production to ten million carats from its Lomonosov deposit.

"Industrial development of the Lomonosov deposit began in 2005. Before that we carried out geological surveys, and best practices were studied for diamond mining. So the first production of 10 million carats is the result of the tremendous work of all employees and a perfect gift to celebrate our 25th anniversary with our parent company ALROSA,"- said General Director of Severalmaz Andrei Pismenny.

He also noted that Severalmaz has recently reached projected parameters for the industrial production of 4 million tons of ore per year. This means that 2.4 million carats will be produced in 2017. In future, the company plans to increase production to 5 million carats per year and to start the development of Pionerskaya and Lomonosov diamond pipes.

PJSC Severalmaz is the subsidiary of the ALROSA Group in the Arkhangelsk region. It is developing a Lomonosov deposit, consisting of 6 kimberlite pipes with inferred resource over 115 million carats.




Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (SMSN.L,SSNNF.OB,SSNLF.OB) will reportedly blame faulty batteries for last year's Galaxy Note 7 fiasco.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Samsung's investigation of Galaxy Note 7 smartphones found that some batteries were irregularly sized while others had manufacturing problems which led to overheating and fire.

Samsung is expected to hold a press conference in Seoul, South Korea on January 23, Monday.

The South Korean giant was forced to recall some 2.5 million devices globally that cost the company nearly $5 billion.

The report says that Samsung conducted the investigation with three quality-control and supply-chain analysis firms that it hired to help it in its independent investigation.

Samsung had to stop selling the phones and urged its customers to stop using the device. It also offered to replace the ones already purchased after reports of battery overheating and fire. US regulators had ordered a formal recall of the Note 7. The US Federal Aviation Administration urged the airline passengers not to bring the phones on planes unless they are turned off, and also asked not to charge them during the flight.

Samsung used batteries manufactured by Samsung SDI Co. and Amperex Technology Ltd. for Galaxy Note 7.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Derek Drouin, photo by PhotoRun.net

Ruth Beitia, photo by PhotoRun.net

Drouin and Beitia to Slovakia

BANSKA BYSTRICA (SVK): Both Olympic winners Derek Drouin and Ruth Beitia will be the headline stars of 23rd Banska Bystrica Indoor high jump meeting with music on February 8 in Slovakia. The event will be first leg of International High Jump Tour which will end on February 11 in Trinec, Czech Republic with 5000 USD for overall Tour winners. Drouin will debute at an European indoor meeting with music but looks forward to it. Yes it will be my first, but I heard lot of good words about this meet from other jumpers, he said. Beitia comes to Central Slovakia for the third time in her career but never won before. Drouin will meet with 2012 Olympic medalist Erik Kynard in their only duel in the indoor season along with Bahamian 2007 World Champion Donald Thomas.

RunBlogRun opines: The International High Jump Tour is on our bucket list. This series is one of the most innovative series of events in the global schedule. We like the approach, and hope to visit these meets in the next few years.
Richland Community College laying off five positions is not a good sign. In fact, its worrisome.

The reason is a 12 percent loss in state funding over the last six years. For blame, look no further than the ongoing budget mess in Springfield, a political stalemate that continues to astonish.

Illinois hasnt had a budget in nearly two years. The state is projecting shortfalls of $5.3 billion for the current fiscal year, providing virtually no stability to institutions that rely on state revenues.

Recently, the Richland board passed a budget that didnt include any money from the state, leaving only the tax levy and enrollment as funding sources. The cut positions -- chief of staff, vice president of economic development and innovative workforce solutions, director of human resources and two more at the Duplication Center  reflect the need to restructure in light of the colleges limited financial resources, according to the school.

Its impossible to run anything  a checking account, a business, a college  without knowing how much cash will be coming. That would be fiscally senseless.

The problem is, this isnt just another line item. This is about education and job-training, two critical pieces of import to our states economy and well-being. The states 48 community colleges act as a conduit to high-paying and high-tech jobs, careers that will help Illinois attract more companies, more investors and bigger revenues for state coffers.

Want a degree in nuclear power generation? Head to Richland. How about geospatial technology and global-positioning systems? Heartland Community College in Normal has that.

This is our states future. Having a robust and well-funded community college system producing trained graduates stabilizes our region and makes us a desirable place to live. Its a key piece of the puzzle to making our community grow. For low-income Illinoisans, an affordable educational opportunity is a lifeline to a better life.

Of course, this is an issue hardly confined to community colleges. Southern Illinois University in July cut a quarter of graduate teaching assistant positions because theres just no money from the state. Illinois State University had to cut or leave vacant 120 administrative positions. The University of Illinois is owed about half of the $644 million promised for fiscal year 2015. Chicago State University laid off about 40 percent of employees.

Truth be told, Richland -- which has operations in Clinton and Decatur -- has seen an almost 13 percent drop in enrollment since 2011. Thats a concern.

But a bigger concern is that these layoffs, while small, are part of a pattern that will continue at schools of higher learning across the state. It forces a shift in priorities thats a concern.

Cost-cutting is good. Finding efficiencies is good. But we worry about the path were now on. Is it logical to eliminate a position in charge of innovative workforce solutions at a time when thinking outside the box and building our economy is imperative?

Whats next? Are our lawmakers listening? Will someone have the courage to build a consensus when lawmakers return to Springfield?

Is anyone listening?
The Reserve Bank of India spends Rs 3.09 for each Rs 500 note as cost towards paper, printing and other charges, an RTI query has revealed.

The information was given here on Friday to Mumbai Right To Information activist Anil Galgali on his query on the printing costs incurred by the government for printing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.



RBI Deputy General Manager P. Wilson said in a written submission that the 'selling price' is Rs 3,090 per thousand pieces of Rs 500 denomination new currency notes, or Rs 3.09 per note for the current year, 2016-2017.



The RBI buys the currency notes from the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt Ltd, its official supplier and printer for currency notes, Galgali said.





The BRBNMPL said it did not have information pertaining to Galgali's RTI query on the Rs 1,000 currency notes -- which may be printed in future.



However, the RBI declined to provide information on the orders placed for total quantity of (number of) notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, its value, total contract amount, amount released and pending, as it fell under the ambit of RTI Section 8(1)(a).



Galgali said it was surprising why the government was not revealing the actual data on the number of the new Rs 500 printed and proposed Rs 1,000 currency notes even almost two-and-half months after demonetisation of the earlier Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8.
Actors such as Ajith Kumar, Suriya, Karthi and Trisha Krishnan were among the first to gather in Chennai for day-long fast organized by Nadigar Sangam - the South Indian Artistes Association - to express solidarity with youngsters protesting against the ban on Jallikattu.

Superstar Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay and double Oscar-winning composer A.R Rahman were also expected to attend.



"It would be a silent protest. Nobody will speak a word as they don't want the spotlight to shift on them from youngsters at Marina beach. The fast will continue till 5 pm in the evening," a source from Nadigar Sangam told media.



Protests have been taking place in the city since Monday against the ban on the popular and ancient bull-taming sport by the Supreme Court.



The Tamil film fraternity has actively expressed its support in favour of Jallikattu.



Actor Jayam Ravi, who participated in the protest on Thursday at the Marina Beach, tweeted: "I felt immense pride to be a part of a revolutionary movement last night at Marina. The atmosphere was electrifying and inspiring."



He further wrote: "To be honest, I intended to stay for half hour as I had to travel back to Tirupati to resume work today, but stayed back for hours out of sheer awe and admiration for the youth of my land.

Support in favour of Jallikattu has also come from neighboring industries.



Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu tweeted: "Jallikattu is the spirit of Tamil Nadu - bold and fearless. Proud to see such a statement of unity among Tamilians for something that they truly believe in."



He went on to say he admires the "way the students of Tamil Nadu have been standing up for the cause, relentlessly fighting for their roots and culture."



On Friday, all theatres across Tamil Nadu remain closed in support of the movement.



"Theatres will only function after 6 p.m. They will remain shut the entire day as it's important that all of us participate and support the cause," a member of Tamil Nadu Theatre Owner Association said.
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.
Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel ' title=' Urjit Patel '>Urjit Patel on Friday is learnt to have said that cash flow in the country will normalise soon.

Patel, according to sources, told this to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament while answering queries from the lawmakers on demonetisation and its impact.

He told the committee that the situation in urban areas was "almost normal", and efforts were on to improve the cash flow to rural and remote areas in the country.



"It will take a few more weeks for the situation to improve in rural and remote areas," the sources quoted him as saying.





Earlier this week, the RBI Governor had told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance that the new currency notes, worth Rs 9.2 lakh crore, were introduced into the financial system post demonetisation.



One of the PAC members told Patel that there was a huge mismatch between the cash deposited and the actual cash in the cooperative banks.



To this Patel said that he has information on the issue and the matter was being investigated by the Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND).
A court in Manipur on Friday sentenced Nongthombam Ajay, son of state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson N. Biren, to five years imprisonment.

High court advocate A. Romenkumar said: "As the sentence will run concurrently, he will be in prison for five years."



The District and Sessions Court, Imphal west, sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment for murdering a student, Irom Roger, on March 21, 2011 near the Tulihal international airport in Imphal.





He has been fined Rs 10 lakh and failure to pay it would make him liable for a prison term of a further two years.



He was also sentenced to four years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 under the Arms Act.



The court directed that the fine of Rs 10 lakh be paid to the victim's family.



In view of the seriousness of the crime, the government handed the case over to the CBI.



The convict's father Biren had been a minister in the Congress government led by Okram Ibobi Singh.



According to reports, Biren was given the BJP ticket from his Heingang constituency.



In the recent past, there were demands from some BJP workers of the constituency to expel Biren from the party in view of the conviction of his son in the murder case.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Donald Trump on his becoming the US President and said he looked forward to working with him to further deepen India-US ties.

"Congratulations Donald Trump on assuming office as US President. Best wishes in leading USA to greater achievements in the coming years," Modi said in a tweet.

"Strength of the India-USA strategic partnership lies in our shared values and common interests," the Prime Minister said.

"Looking forward to working with President Donald Trump to further deepen India-US ties and realise the full potential of our cooperation," Modi added.

Modi's remarks came after Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of USA.

Mukherjee congratulates Trump

President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday congratulated Donald J. Trump as the latter was sworn in as the 45th President of the US and said he looks forward to welcoming the Trumps in India.

"Please accept best wishes for your success, personal well-being and for continued progress & prosperity of the people of USA," President Mukherjee tweeted.

"We look forward to an early opportunity of welcoming you and Mrs. Melania Trump to India," he added.
The Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government on Friday assured the Patna High Court that participation of school children was not mandatory for the "human chain" in support of the state government's prohibition policy.

Bihar Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and Director General of Police P.K. Thakur appearing before the court assured it that there would be no "forcible participation".



A bench of the high court on Thursday had summoned both Singh and Thakur to appear on Friday to address the court's concern over any mandatory "participation".



They also reiterated that the state would "not force any one" for that matter to be a part of the endeavour, highlighting the state's dedicated effort to remain "dry"





After they appeared and explained the government's stand, the court said it would hear the case next on January 28.



This came as a big relief to the state government a day before the proposed event on January 21.



Earlier on Wednesday, hearing a petition filed by non-government organisation 'Forum for Public Interest Litigation', the high court sought the Bihar government's response on the matter.



The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Sudhir Singh gave the Thursday orders after it was not satisfied with the state government's reply filed by its Principal Additional Advocate General Lalit Kishore.



The Bihar government plans to form "the world's longest human chain of over 11,000 km" on Saturday to support prohibition of liquor in the state.



The court had also asked under which law the state government decided to order a halt to traffic on national and state highways for the programme.



The Nitish Kumar government had earlier asked all schools to facilitate their students to join the proposed human chain and ordered 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 would be used to click photos of the human chain, officials said.



Nearly 20 million people were expected to join hands across the state from 12.15 p.m. to 1 p.m., the officials added.



Chief Minister Nitish Kumar imposed the liquor ban in the state on April 5, 2016.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Friday said the state government would promulgate an ordinance to conduct Jallikattu, the ancient bull taming sport.

Speaking to reporters here, Panneerselvam said he had detailed discussions with constitutional experts on the matter.



The Chief Minister said the state government will amend some provisions in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.



The amendment was drafted on Thursday and sent to the central government on Friday morning.



The ordinance would then be forwarded to President Pranab Mukherjee. After the President's approval, the ordinance would be sent to Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao.



Once the Governor approves it, the ordinance would be promulgated following which Jallikattu can be held in the state.





The Chief Minister has urged the demonstrators to withdraw their protests.



He also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Thursday and urged him to promulgate the ordinance.



While Modi assured support to the state government's steps, he skirted the main demand citing the matter as 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 on Thursday.



"The Centre would be supportive of steps taken by the state Government," it added.
A Mizoram anti-corruption watchdog has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee lottery scam.

The People's Right to Information and Development Society of Mizoram (Prism) in a letter to Mizoram assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Lalruatkima said that the reported scandal must be handed over to the CBI.



"Comptroller and Auditor General of India's (CAG) audit report found huge irregularities in the state lottery. Considering the gravity ..., the probe by the CBI is urgently crucial," said the letter by Prism, which was released to the media on Friday.



The CAG in its latest report, presented to the state assembly recently, said that 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 state government during 2012-13 to 2014-15 received a paltry revenue of Rs 25.45 crore," the report added.



Meanwhile, Mizoram Finance Minister Lalsawta said that the state government did not lose a single penny in the lottery sale as per the agreement made with the lottery distributors.



Speaking to reporters here Lalsawta said as per the agreement made with distributors, the MGR to be deposited by distributors to the state government from lottery draw for the years -- 2012-13 and 2014-2015 was Rs 25.45 crore.



He said that lottery as of now is running in Mizoram based on model form of agreement, prescribed by the Union Home Ministry.
Known for his sharp takes on Twitter and on other public platforms, Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor on Friday expressed his resentment at the naming of public structures after political figures, particularly from "one family", in a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival here.

Kapoor said that he feels it is injustice to several prominent figures from all other walks of life as roads, buildings, bridges and hospitals are all named after political leaders.

"There are so many structures and roads named after the Gandhi family in Delhi alone. Is it necessary to have it in such numbers? What purpose does it serve?"



"I was angry when I saw a bridge being named after Rajiv Gandhi. I mean it may be a way of paying respect, good that he was there but why name structures after him even now? Can you ignore the contribution of Lata Mangeshkar or JRD Tata? Why not name these structures after such figures rather than political leaders," Kapoor asked in response to a question on his controversial Twitter posts.



In conversation with author and professor of Indian Culture and Cinema at the University of London, Rachel Dwyer, Kapoor was here to discuss his just-launched book "Khullam Khulla."



"I have no complaints against any one family but when I saw structures being named after the family, it irked me because there are so many others like Lata Mangeshkar and JRD Tata who have contributed to Mumbai.





"Whichever political party comes, they name the structures and yojnas after them. I think the constitution should ban the naming of such structures after politicians," he said.



The 65-year-old actor also said that he has no political inclinations and does not wish to join any political party as he is "content, happy and satisfied" with his life.



Kapoor wished that more people from Bollywood and other walks of life came forward and expressed their concerns over important matters on social media.



Later, addressing a press conference here, Kapoor said that demonetisation has had no effect on Bollywood as there is no "stashed money" in the film industry.



"I can tell you Bollywood has not been affected by demonetisation. There is no stashed money there. It is the real estate and the black market that is, rightly, suffering," he contended.



Responding to a question on his inclination towards the presemt government, Kapoor said: "I have no political ambitions and I am not a BJP chamcha. I say and do what I feel is right. I spoke against the beef ban. I am not doing any chamchagiri," he mainatained.
The electoral pact between the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress is a done thing now. But as both parties work out the finer details of the alliance, likely to be announced any time now, the winnability of the combination in a state as complex as Uttar Pradesh is in question.

Will the combination keep the Muslim vote in toto? Will the alliance's premise of preventing fragmentation of Muslim votes not polarise the Hindu community in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)? Will Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati be a mute spectator and allow her minority vote bank to slip out of her hands?



The jury is still undecided on the likely effects of the alliance. Though it has raised many questions, it has, nevertheless, given a head-start to both the beleaguered parties caught in problems of their own.



While SP national president and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, through the tie-up ,has emerged as the new strategist in his party and also as a "largely acceptable leader" in the political spectrum, the Congress, which has been pushed to the sidelines of the state's politics since 1989, has come back into the reckoning for some consolation returns.





The Congress, after ruling the state for many decades, had the alarm bells first ringing in 1989 when its tally from a majority party dropped to 94 seats in the then house of 426. The number further dwindled to 46 in 1991, 28 in 1993, 33 in 1996, 25 in 2002 and 2007 (when the house had 403 seats after the creation of Uttarakhand) and 28 seats in the 2012 assembly elections.



The voting pattern over these years suggests that the traditional supporters of the Congress -- Dalits, Muslims and upper castes -- have deserted it and shifted to parties like the SP (Muslims) and the BSP (Dalits), while the upper caste Thakurs and Brahmins have moved to the BJP. The party's high command has failed to inspire the state unit or allow a strong local leadership to emerge.



The Congress has been relegated to the fourth position in the state and its influence has been restricted to pocket boroughs like Amethi, Rae Bareily and Sultanpur. In these three districts too, the SP won 12 of the 15 assembly constituencies in 2012. The Peace Party -- a regional outfit -- won one and the Congress just two. This was after an extensive campaign by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Gandhi family members.



In the past few months, the Congress seems to have gained some ground through its various missions like the "Kisan Yatra" undertaken by Rahul Gandhi and "27 saal, UP Behaal", which sought to send out a message to its traditional voters that the state has been ruined by BSP, SP and BJP governments. Of these 27 years, the SP ruled for a good 15 years under Mulayam Singh Yadav.



Now, to tie up with one of these, that too with a party which has a fairly strong anti-incumbency factor, party insiders aver, was going to hurt the party's "anticipated acceptance and upswing".



"It is a bad compromise, piggybacking Akhilesh Yadav will help him but not us," a senior UPCC member contended.



The Congress organisational structure, which was in tatters over the past two decades, was shaken up this time, largely due to intervention of election strategist Prashant Kishor and his innovative ideas. The number of people seeking the Congress ticket too had swelled this time.



"The party has decided to go with the "cycle" to stop the forward march of the BJP; let's see how much we succeed with the idea," said a worried veteran who remained edgy about the ability of both the parties to transfer their votes in bulk to each other.



The state unit of the BJP said it is ecstatic about the SP-Congress coming together.



"We have always been saying that SP is the B team of a thoroughly corrupt Congress, we have just been proved right," said state BJP General Secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak. "People have still not forgotten the 2G, 3G, JijaG scams and are opposed to anything and everything that has to do with Congress," he added.



A western Uttar Pradesh stalwart of the BJP said the coming together of the "two minority-appeasing parties" will also have a "polarisation of Hindus in its favour, specially in western Uttar Pradesh which will set the poll pattern in the state in the first phase". For the combine to come anywhere near the finishing line, the traditional vote banks of these parties must transfer en masse to each other and also rally behind them, said a political observer here.



State unit leaders of the Congress, especially state unit chief Raj Babbar, is said to be not-too-comfortable with the alliance as he was once in the SP and thereafter had a frigid relationship with Akhilesh Yadav after he defeated his wife Dimple Yadav in a by-election for the Firozabad seat.



For the SP too, the situation seems to have stemmed out of a compromise formula and a desperate bid to regain power, specially after the bitter feud in the party. SP traditionally has been an anti-Congress party and its senior leaders like Mohd Azam Khan will find it difficult now to canvass jointly with Congress leaders.
The BJP's top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Amit Shah, on Thursday met here to finalise second list of candidates for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

According to sources, the Central Election Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finalised around 150 candidates, including nominees for Sahibabad and Noida, for the seven-phase state elections.

Sources said that the party will announce the second list of candidates on Friday.

The BJP had announced the first list of 149 candidates for the first and second phase of the assembly polls, which is scheduled for February 11 and 15.
President-elect Donald Trump addressed the crowd at Make America Great Again welcome concert a day before he is sworn in as the 45th US President on Friday -- calling himself the "messenger" of a movement and portraying himself as the champion of the "forgotten man" and "forgotten woman".

"This journey began 18 months ago," ABC news quoted him as saying in the brief remarks, following the country music-heavy concert. "I had something to do with it but you had much more to do with it than I did. I'm the messenger," Trump said at the Lincoln Memorial.



"We all got tired of seeing what was happening and we wanted change but we wanted real change," he said.



"On the campaign I called it the forgotten man and the forgotten woman," he said. "Well, you're not forgotten anymore. That I can tell you. Not forgotten anymore."



Trump said that he didn't care if the weather was nice or not for the inauguration because "I'm going to be cheering you on -- you're going to be cheering me on but I'm going to cheer you on."



"We are going to make America great again, and I'll add greater than ever before," Trump said.



This wasn't the first time Trump made public comments today. When he arrived here early on Thursday, he used a leadership luncheon as an opportunity to boast about his Cabinet picks.



"We have by far the highest IQ of any Cabinet ever assembled," he said.

Trump touched down at Joint Base Andrews on board a military plane at 12.05 p.m. (local time) with his family, including his sister. They then were transported to Trump International Hotel for the luncheon.



Trump and his family left the Trump International Hotel spent some downtime at the Blair House on Pennsylvania Avenue before heading to Arlington National Cemetery, where he laid a wreath with Vice President-elect Mike Pence.



From there, the Trump family crossed back into D.C. to begin the more festive portion of the day with the Make America Great Again! welcome celebration.



The concert was held outside the Lincoln Memorial and included performances by country music star Toby Keith and rock band 3 Doors Down.


About 50 top officials who have been working in outgoing US President Barack Obama's administration will continue serving in those positions for Donald Trump's incoming government, future White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Thursday.

Spicer said that Trump is aware of the importance of "guaranteeing continuity" in the government and, therefore, he has asked some 50 people occupying "key" positions in the current administration to continue in their posts for the time being, Efe news reported.



Among the several dozen people are Deputy Defence Secretary Robert Work and the undersecretary of political affairs at the State Department, Thomas Shannon, who will function as the acting chiefs of those agencies until the Senate can confirm the nominees proposed by Trump to head them.



Also to remain in their posts temporarily will be the interim administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Chuck Rosenberg, Obama's special envoy for the fight against the Islamic State, Brett McGurk, and the director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, Nicholas Rasmussen.



Another official who will remain in his post is Adam Szubin, who is in charge of terrorism and financial intelligence policy at the Department of the Treasury.





Trump arrived on Thursday in Washington to begin the series of events leading to his inauguration which will take place on Friday at a ceremony in front of the Capitol.



Spicer said that the magnate is continuing to work on his inauguration speech, which he said will be "a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country" and "more of a philosophical document" than an agenda for his moves as President.



The incoming White House spokesman did not provide any details about the executive orders that Trump was intending to sign on Friday after his inauguration.



However, he did say that executive orders on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and North America Free Trade Agreement trade treaties will be signed "very quickly".



On the other hand, Spicer said that, for the moment, there are no foreign leaders scheduled to visit the White House next week, Trump's first week as President.
A Supreme Court Justice presiding over Brazils biggest corruption case has died after the plane carrying him crashed into the sea off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, according to local authorities.

The body of Justice Teori Zavascki was recovered from the wreckage near the coastal town of Paraty, state firefighters said, CNN reported on Friday.



Zavascki was among four people on board the Hawker Beechcraft twin-prop aircraft that went down on Thursday.



Two other bodies that were not yet identified were also found at the crash scene.



The death was confirmed via Facebook by the 68-year-old judge's son Francisco Prehn Zavascki.



"Dear friends, we just received the confirmation that my father passed away! Thank you all for your support," Prehn Zavascki posted.



Teori Zavascki's plane had left Sao Paulo's Campo de Marte airport around 1 p.m. Less than one hour later, the plane crashed.



The cause is under investigation. Navy vessels, fishing boats and personnel from the army and fire department were searching the area and trying to salvage the wreckage, the Guardian said.





According to the Brazilian National Air Force, the plane was owned by hotel mogul Carlos Alberto Filgueiras.



The late judge, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Dilma Rousseff in 2012, was in charge of the probe known as Lava Jato, or Car Wash, the massive kickback and corruption scheme involving many of Brazil's biggest companies, including state-run oil giant Petrobras.



Zavascki has played a crucial role in the inquiry that has implicated scores of politicians - including the current and former Presidents Michel Temer and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and several dozen other prominent politicians - and resulted in the jailing of the former head of the lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha.



In recent days, the judge had been reviewing evidence from senior executives at Odebrecht, the Brazilian construction company, which could result in many more arrests of powerful figures in the Congress and the business community.



The timing of the crash has prompted speculation that the judge had fallen victim to foul play.
Donald J. Trump on Friday was sworn in as the 45th President of the US. He was administered the oath of office by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

Trump launches the world on an uncharted journey

Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States under a cloud - literal and metaphorical - on Friday, launching the globe's most powerful nation and the world on an uncharted course with a clarion call of "America First" to "bring back our wealth... our dreams".

While the sky was overcast with occasional light drizzles, he faced a challenge to the legitimacy of his presidency over the Russian attempts to meddle in the campaign and the fact that he got fewer popular votes than Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

An outsider who fought his way to the White House riding a wave of discontent among insecure Americans, Trump, however, won the majority in the Electoral College by focusing on states that were most ravaged by the de-industrialisation.

Challenging the established norms, he won by spending only $923 million to Clinton's $1.2 billion -- or about 66 per cent - and antagonising the establishment across the national spectrum, including his own Republican Party.

In the middle of all this uncertainty, a clear picture of India under Trump has to emerge.

During the campaign Trump promised to be a friend to India, but the country hasn't figured so far in the post-election tweets and statements.

While he has praised the free-enterprise ideology of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his leadership, Trump has had only one known telephone chat with him. It is still to be seen how their personal relationship will develop - whether it will be as close as that between Obama and Modi.

One area where India is feeling the heat is in trade and business. Trump has taken aim at outsourcing, H1-B visas for professionals that is the lifeblood of Indian and US business interactions in the new economy, and at the pharmaceutical industry which is India's major exporter to the US.

For the first time, an Indian-American, Nikki Haley, has been appointed to a cabinet-level post as US ambassador to the United Nations, the second-most visible foreign policy job.

Trump's populist style of a rhetorical flame-thrower endeared him to his base but turned sections of the opposition to implacable foes that now question his legitimacy and others into skeptics.

About 70 members of the Congress boycotted the ceremony, backing the African American civil rights leader John Lewis who denounced Trump's election as illegitimate.

He started the day with less than 40 per cent approval rate and protests outside the ceremony and around the country, even as his core supporters rallied behind him

And now he has to unify the nation, while seeming to deliver on his promises.

The reality of the office and the challenge seemed to weigh on Trump as came out of the church Friday morning and later at the swearing-in. He looked uncharacteristically somber, with careworn eyes.

A businessman and TV personality with an outsize ego and a style to match, Trump has no previous government experience, except as an outsider negotiating deals with governments.

The likely way of governing that has emerged so far from his actions so far is the transactional style of a businessman looking for deals and bargaining with outlandish offers that get whittled down in the give and take before an agreement is reached.

So far he has met with a large number of high-profile businessmen in pursuit of his promise to increase employment and investments in the US, especially in manufacturing.

His challenge would be to translate this to governing and dealing with domestic and foreign politicians unused to this style and with political egos unused to the way business, especially in real estate, is conducted. He would have to also modify his style to get anything done.

Since his election he has questioned the prevailing world order: Reached out to Russia as an ally in the war against radical Islamic terrorism; expressed skepticism about NATO; was seen as disrespectful to leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel; rankled China and its US supporters by talking to Taiwan's leader and laying out a threat of economic retaliations; calling for modernising the nuclear arsenal, while also saying that Japan and others should develop their nuclear arsenal; raising taxes on imports, and building a wall on the Mexican border.

Now as President he will have to cut through this thicket of promise and reality as he pursues his prime foreign goals of lessening direct US involvement abroad, while fighting Islamic radicalism and resetting ties with Russia and simultaneously with the allies in Europe and elsewhere. But overshadowing it all is his promise of bringing jobs back and disowning trade pacts.

Domestically, he promised to repeal and replace Obamacare, the signature health insurance programme of Obama, increase manufacturing and jobs and cut taxes, while he would "drain the swamp" of Washington nexus of establishment and lobbyists.

Congress is well on its way to repealing Obamacare - a programme hated by the right - that could leave millions, including a large swathe of Trump supporters, without health insurance in a nation of astronomical medical costs.

He has managed a good start on the employment front, with businesses promising tens of thousands of jobs in the US since his election.

But his cabinet is virtually unformed because the Senate's Democrats are slowing the approval of his appointees. Moreover, as an outsider, he has scrambled to find candidates for the several hundred political appointments that are essential to running his government.

Despite his populist lectures about uncaring Wall Street and businesses and promise to drain the swamp, billionaires and bankers dominate his cabinet as Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer pointed out.

Even his nominee to head the State Department is Rex Tillerson, the chairman of the oil giant ExxonMobil.

Trump started his first day in office borrowing a junior Obama official, Under Secretary of State Thomas A. Shannon Jr., as the acting secretary of state, and Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work to be interim head of Defence.

He is also retaining 50 Obama appointees to keep the government running as he scrambles to fill more than 600 posts.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Some passing clouds. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. Low 52F. NNW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some passing clouds. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. Low 52F. NNW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
A story in the Village Voice section of the Samoa Observer yesterday caught this writers attention. It was published on page 18 under the headline A friendly advice for the youth.

In this day and age where there are so many problems involving young people, naturally we wanted to listen. We wanted to hear what the advice is and what could possibly be so friendly about it.

After all, we believe everyone has an opinion and they all matter in the overall effort to find some workable solutions to address the challenges our youth are struggling with these days.

In any case, the story in question highlights the life of 21-year-old Salu Leati. In the outset we learn that the young woman who is originally from Siumu is now living at Malie with her husbands family.

When the Village Voice team spotted her, she was weeding the grass in the hot sun. All it took was a question about how her life was for her to open up.

What she said is not new. Its something we are all too aware of but is hardly discussed. Today, we believe her story is worth thinking about. We say this because she highlights the plight of so many young Samoans  girls and boys - who get married so young only to find out just how difficult life really is.

Now listen to Salu: We have heard so many stories about how hard it is to be a nofotane (married woman) or a faiava (married man) in Samoa.

Weve also heard about how badly they are being treated by the families they married into. But I never thought the stories were true until now.

To be honest with you, living with another family is different from your own family. I am sure you are aware of how nice it is to live with your own family.

You are free to do whatever you want to do. But here, things are different.

Salu goes on to talk about the nofotane concept. For those who dont know, the term refers to a woman who marries into a family. In some circles she is expected to be the slave and do everything.

And thats what Salu is finding.

You know you are expected to do things for the family and people expect you to do all the chores.

I know its part of our culture for a Samoan girl to do these when they live with her husbands family.

I know I am not the only one or the first one to experience this or think that being a nofotane is hard.

I tell you it is not easy. And its not like I didnt hear stories about how hard it is to be a nofotane in Samoa.

You know this was one of the things my parents kept telling me when I was young. They kept saying that I should never get married at a young age.

Well isnt that typical of whats happening with so many young people today?

Parents are forever warning them about life and how hard things really are and yet they never listen.

And then when their hands get burnt and they live a life of regrets. Salu is in that category.

I guess this is what happens when my parents send me to school and I just went off and got married.

I thought it was the right thing to do and I was old enough to have a husband. I thought things would be easy but now that I have a taste of it, man I can tell you that its not easy.

Of course its not easy. As adults, we know how hard it is. Raising a family is not something you just walk into without a plan. And yet so many young people are running towards it blindly and the results are disastrous. Im sure you know someone who is experiencing this. People who are so young and yet they are fooled into thinking they can raise families.

We have many cases in Samoa where babies are basically raising babies. Some of these girls are barely teenagers when they get pregnant and are forced into the life of beginning a family.

This is why we say Salus story is an important one. It is extremely relevant because it is so common and yet we hardly discuss these matters. In our opinion, this has got to change. There has got to be a more concerted community effort to convince our young people to get an education first before they get into the business of raising families. There is a time for everything.

Having said that there are exceptional cases where young people forced into the life of an adult have excelled which is fantastic. But those cases are rare. In Samoa, for the majority of these cases, people like Salu end up relying on their parents who are already struggling. And vicious cycle continues.

Now today, Salu is wiser for the experience. In the Village Voice story we are referring to, she wants to advise all the other youth in Samoa to be serious about education.

You know in this life, no one is perfect, she said.

We all make mistakes and we all suffer in life. But we should learn from the mistakes of others. For me, my biggest mistake is not listening to my parents.

So there you go young people of Samoa, listen to your parents! They might not always get it right but they sure know far more than you do about this life.

Have a wonderful weekend Samoa, God bless!
Women and young females are being urged to ensure they always have someone to accompany them when they hike up Palisi or the Robert Louis Stevenson trail.

The warning comes after the latest incident where a middle-aged female was attacked while hiking up Palisi.

Police Spokesperson, Sua Muliaga Tiumalu, told the Weekend Observer they dont have a lot of details about the incident but they are investigating.

Contacted for a comment, the family of the woman who was attacked declined.

A source told the Weekend Observer the woman, who is a prominent member of the business community, was lucky to have been heard by other hikers when she was attacked.

The source said the attacker came out of nowhere and tried to rape the woman. When he realised that he couldnt, he punched the woman and fled into the bush.

Conflicting reports emerged yesterday about the state of the Police investigation. While a Police official confirmed that a man had been arrested in relation to the attack, Sua said he was not sure and that he needed time to find out more details.

In the meantime, a regular hiker up both mountains who wants to be identified as Peter said the attack should provide another warning for women and females not to trek up by themselves.

Its genuinely safe but I wouldnt allow my daughter to go up there by herself, Peter said. There have been a few incidents up there now involving women who were either attacked or harassed and I think this should ring the alarm bells for everyone.

One of the cases that has been reported about the Mt. Vaea trail involves a Norwegian woman who was attacked and robbed by a prisoner.

The hearing is continuing.

For Peter, he said parents should be warned that girls should not be left on their own on the trail.

Its such a pity because it is one of the best hikes on the island, he said. But we live in a world where there are many nasty things happening and more and more we are seeing girls attacked up there.

So I would recommend for girls and women to always ensure they have company.

Yesterday when the Weekend Observer visited Robert Louis trail, some women hikers were well aware about the danger of going alone.

Others said its sad that such things are happening but they will continue to hike alone.

I haven't heard about the latest case yet but I definitely feel safe. That may be due to the fact, that my brother accompanied me to this hiking trip.

Lorraine Feesago, visiting her family in Samoa from the United States of America, said she could see why girls need to be accompanied.

I hike a lot but I never go without a company. It's simply too isolated. There is no one who could hear you in case that something happens to you.
Faavae Asueru, 52, of Lelata believes that without hard work, survival these days in Samoa is very difficult.

Life isnt easy anymore, the high cost of living is killing us every day and thats the truth, he told the Village Voice.

I believe 99 per cent of families in the country face the same problem. And my family is no exception.

He didnt want to go into detail but he said we are all living the same nightmare.

The only time we see money is when we get paid and thats it. When it comes to faalavelave, church and village obligations, and other stuff then thats another burden.

We make loans and those loans take ages for us to pay and in the end the only money left in the account is $5, he admitted.

And thats the only option that most of our people are turning to now for help - loans. Which is not a good thing.

Faavae compared the cost of living in Samoa to as far away as the moon.

The father said the Prime Minister should consider such circumstances faced by many Samoan people today.

He (Prime Minister) should have a heart to think about those that work outside the sun and the rain every day.

He said labour work is the only type available to people like him.

Finding good employment opportunities for people like us he said is very difficult.

If we get one, the salary we get is very low.

Faavae puts the blame for the Samoan peoples struggles on the current government. He said the Prime Minister consistently tells the country there is money in the land but thats not true.

Because you need money to purchase what to grow on the land.

We just cant go and grow anything and hope to get something back from it ...we need to buy chemicals and other stuff to help in growing crops.

I just want to remind him that even finding a tala on the land as he often speaks about is difficult.

Faavae says, the Prime Minister should think outside the box not just throwing us useless tips to think about.

Concerned with what the future holds, If we can barely survive today because of the high cost of living and low income, I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Whats the future holds for our children in the next few years? he questions.

Were struggling, he said exasperatedly.

He said I think the Prime Minister is only looking at those with good education and are living in a high quality if life.

He hardly turns his head to us that are struggling but I think it would be good for him to open his window one day and look at us while were sweating in the sun to provide for our families.
Origin Energy is the force behind the Samoa Victim Support Groups flame of hope.

This week, the company extended its help for the Group by supplying LPG Gas for the House of Hope and Ray of Hope.

The renewing of the agreement between Origin and the Samoa Victim Support was signed on Thursday.

General Manager of Origin Energy Felise Sam Chong said this is their way of giving back to the community.

As Ronald Reagan said we cant help everyone, but everyone can help someone, he said.

As for Origin Energy we might not be able to help every family in Samoa but these kids living in S.V.S.G they need our help to support them as they are from different families and backgrounds.

When we visit the campus two years ago we saw the great work that S.V.S.G is doing for these children. Thats why we want to say thank you for all the effort that you are putting in to look after the children and so as a country we should help them because they are our children too.

Chairperson of the S.V.S.G Board, Georgina Lui, acknowledged the support of Origin Energy.

Its members of the business community like yourself that come out and support us for the things that we really need and that saves us a lot of money, she said.

The contribution of the gas for the shelters is certainly a blessing and to your team and staff its a very kind heart that you have to extend to us and we are grateful for your support.

Mr. Sam Chong said their support for S.V.S.G is part of their community obligations.

This contract is renewed every year and the only change this year is that Ray of Hope is now part of the contract, he said.

As we all know Ray of Hope has just started last year but by that time we had already signed an agreement with S.V.S.G. Now its a new year and so it has been included in this contract.

And as part of the agreement, we are supplying gas, training, safety and inspections from time to time.
Looking ahead in life sciences as President-elect Donald Trump prepared to become President Donald Trump, San Diego biomedical professionals gave their mostly optimistic projections.

The executives met up with me toward the end of the giant JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. They were: James Joyce, CEO of Aethlon Medical; Charles P. Theuer, M.D., president and CEO of Tracon Pharmacuticals; and Joe Panetta, president and CEO of Biocom, a life science trade group based in San Diego and active statewide.

Below are video clips of the interview, divided into subject segments for easier viewing.

Advertisement

The recently passed 21st Century Cures Act needs to be fleshed out by whoever Trump chooses to run the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the executives said.

In certain areas it sounds very strong, but behind (the) strong language its rather vague, Aethlons Joyce said. Weve been in discussions with the FDA anyway regarding our clinical studies and next steps anyway  Its clear they need to figure out how this is going to be interpreted.

Aethlon is developing a medical device called the Hemopurifier that selectively removes pathogens such as Ebola from the blood.

Challenges for the FDA with the new Trump Administration in shaping the new 21st Century Cures Act.

Panetta, of Biocom, said he sees more signs of stability in biotech now, with less of the exaggerated ups and downs that have characterized the industry.

Better tools, such as Illuminas continually improved DNA sequencers, allow researchers to build on progress. However, he said that the industry is still vulnerable to hints of federal action to arbitrarily limit drug prices.

President-Elect Trump made such a statement on Jan. 11; reminiscent of a statement made by then-President Bill Clinton on gene patenting in 2000 that knocked the wind out of industry stocks at a vulnerable time.

Life sciences, a famously volatile sector, appears to be stabilizing, says Biocom president and CEO Joe Panetta.

Theuer of Tracon said scientific advancements are especially notable in cancer therapy, the companys main focus.

The world of oncology is changing dramatically, Theurer said. If youre unfortunate enough to have cancer  your options are much greater today than 10 years ago.

Enabled by advances in DNA sequencing such as with Illuminas equipment, oncologists are increasingly able to find mutations that drive tumors in each patient. This makes it more feasible to find an individualized treatment.

Weve seen that in lung cancer with the immuno-oncology checkpoint inhibitors, Theurer said. Ten years ago, every patient with lung cancer received nonspecific chemotherapy, had to endure an incredibly toxicity profile drug, for very little benefit. Now with the new agents, a substantial portion of patients respond to therapy for a prolonged time, to the point where youre almost using the word cure.

With this medical progress, the key is to continue investment in the field, Theurer said.

Charles Theuer, president and CEO of San Diegos Tracon, says cancer therapies have greatly progressed over the last decade.

Science Playlist  On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, has introduced a new bill on Capitol Hill aimed at finally moving tons of nuclear waste off sites such as the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).

And with a new Congress in session and a new presidential administration taking office, theres a sense that after years of talk, some progress may be in the offing.

We believe well see some action on (the bill) in the early part of this year, said Issa, who offered a similar piece of legislation in 2015. We dont have a guarantee it will be in the first hundred days, though.

Advertisement

Called the Interim Consolidated Storage Act, among the bills features is a target to move waste from some sites across the country into a storage site in as soon as five years  provided the bill becomes law.

It would be expensive but under the bills provisions, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) would be allowed to use interest from the massive amount of money sitting in the governments Nuclear Waste Fund.

The fund is worthat least $35.8 billion but has grown even larger because it earns an estimated $1.3 billion a year in interest income.

The money accumulated over the years by fees from electric bills  about 15 to 20 cents per month  paid by ratepayers in areas powered by nuclear plants. In 2014, after a court case, DOE stopped taking the fees from electricity customers.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, has introduced a new bill aimed at finding nuclear waste storage sites for spent fuel from facilities such as the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

Weve got to remind everyone that this is money the ratepayer, you and I, paid San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison, Issa said. Its not government money; its government trust money.

Southern California Edison operates the SONGS facility, which is going through the long process of decomissioning. San Diego Gas & Electric has a minority stake of 20 percent.

Some 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste remains on the SONGS site, even though the facility has not generated electricity since January 2012.

Thats because there is no clear path to move the waste somewhere else.

The storage site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, where the federal government has spent about $15 billion, was designed to permanently house large amounts of nuclear waste from all over the country. But Yucca was taken off the table when Barack Obama took office, heeding calls from then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, who despised the project.

While some Republicans on Capitol Hill have called for bringing Yucca Mountain back, another path is also being discussed  consolidated interim storage, where sites would be built in isolated locations where multiple plants could deposit their waste.

The co-sponsor of Issas bill, Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, represents a district in West Texas where a company is willing to receive nuclear waste.

Conaway said the bill will cut through the red tape and would give the Department of Energy the green light to move forward on consolidated storage sites.

If the people who opposed Yucca dont want to have it, then they better get on board with an alternative, Issa said. We understand that NIMBY, not in my backyard, is pretty common but  if people dont want it in Nevada, great. Lets put it somewhere.

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to head the Department of Energy and Issa said Perry, if confirmed, would likely look favorably on the bill.

In addition to the site in West Texas, a company in eastern New Mexico has expressed interest in taking spent nuclear reactor fuel.

David Victor, chairman of the Community Engagement Panel at SONGS, has talked to lawmakers and government officials in Washington D.C. about consolidated interim storage sites and said he supports the bill.

It is part of a process of building congressional support for the changes in law that are needed to make consolidated storage a reality, Victor said in an email to the Union-Tribune.

Victor also said there appears to more momentum building for some kind of solution.

One reason stems from the sheer amount of waste stranded in facilities around the country, making it an issue for congressional members of both parties.

More than 76,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel and radioactive byproducts have stacked up over the years.

Unlike other topics that will pass on partisan lines, consolidated storage could easily pass with bipartisan support, Victor said.

But the legislative process is filled with obstacles and a consolidated interim storage bill in the House would have to concur with comparable legislation in the Senate.

And along with a host of other issues, the prospect of transporting waste across state lines would be fraught with technical and political complications.

We have an interim nuclear facility, Issa said, referring to SONGS. Its just located on the edge of an ocean and one of the busiest highways in America  Well be paying for storage for decades and decades if we dont find a solution. And that will be added to your electricity bill.

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski

ALSO

Will San Onofres waste wind up at Yucca Mountain?

Why San Onofres nuclear waste stays on the beach

Judge allows San Onofre waste lawsuit to advance
A traveling art show that showcases county seniors began Thursday at the Heritage of the Americas Museum at Cuyamaca College.

San Diego Legends: Living Well is a collection of larger-than-life paintings done by Deerhorn Valley artist Mona Mills. Former County Public Library Director Jose Aponte commissioned the annual work starting in 2013.

This years legends are:

Advertisement

Joaquin Anguera

Dr. Charles Ross

Vickie Velasco

Jerri Patchett

Mona Mills

Anguera, once a parish priest, is a professor of gerontology and aging at San Diego State University. He was recently appointed to the California Commission on Aging by Gov. Jerry Brown.

Ross, who graduated from medical school in 1948, has become an advocate for immigrants. He worked with the Laubach Literacy Council of San Diego County, which offers services to English as a Second Language learners.

Velasco, who said she was inspired by John F. Kennedy, joined the Peace Corps for multiple tours in Ecuador and Guatemala.

She promotes the importance of movement and exercise by participating in Feeling Fit, a program she helped create while managing San Diego Countys Aging and Independence Services.

Patchett serves as president of the Fallbrook Beautification Alliance. For years as a member of the Friends of the Fallbrook Library, she helped champion a library for the community. It opened in 2010.

Mills attended the Art Institute of Chicago and has spent her life focused on creating public art. She has also written or co-written art books. Her murals are found in museums, public libraries across the county, schools and at Chicano Park in San Diego.

Paintings of all 21 Legends from the past five years will on display at the museum through Feb. 9.

The San Diego County Library is partnering with the museum to present the exhibit at 12110 Cuyamaca College Drive West.

An opening reception will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday.

The event will also honor the founders of the museum, Bernard and Bernadette Lueck. The Luecks started the museum in 1993.
A lively dining-and-drinking establishments request to expand in downtown Encinitas was a tipping point Thursday for the Encinitas Planning Commission, which decided the city should instead move toward creating a temporary moratorium on new alcohol-serving establishments

The panel has been saying for months that the city ought to take a step back and review downtowns overall status, given the ever-increasing number of permit requests for new restaurants, brewpubs and other alcohol-serving places along Coast Highway 101. On Thursday night, they pushed the pause button, deciding that a patio expansion permit request by Union Kitchen+Tap will have to wait at least a month for a decision.

The commission unanimously agreed to continue debate on the patio item to a date uncertain, but sometime after Feb. 16th. Thats when the commission expects to receive a city staff report on the proliferation of alcohol-serving establishments, including data on how many places have opened in recent years, where theyre located and how the citys crime statistics may have changed in that time.

Advertisement

Its not a formal moratorium, but I think we need a better handle (on the current situation), commission Chairman Glenn OGrady said.

Prior to Thursdays meeting, commissioners had been raising concerns about the volume of alcohol-related permit requests, but typically approving them on a case-by-case basis. Earlier this month, they approved permits allowing the Culture Brewing to open downtowns first beer tasting room.

Many downtown homeowners and members of the Self-Realization Fellowship along Coast Highway have argued the area is over-saturated and in danger of becoming the San Diego regions next Pacific Beach, with late-night noise, vandalism and drunken driving issues. Theyve been pushing for a moratorium on new permits.

Proprietors of downtown restaurants and bars have told planning commissioners its extremely unfair to blame all of the problems on them. There may be a few badly behaved people who have frequented the pubs and restaurants, but the area has a high number of homeless people and alcohol is sometimes consumed on the streets.

On Thursday night, Eric Leitstein  owner of the Union Kitchen+Tap, as well as the PB Alehouse  stressed that his Encinitas eatery is a restaurant and not a raucous bar. The Alehouse in Pacific Beach does more alcohol sales than food sales, but the Union is a restaurant, he said, mentioning that alcohol consists of about 48 percent of his sales there.

We dont serve alcohol without food, thats not our intent, he said, adding that he wanted the patio project to proceed because his customers have been asking to sit in the outdoor area. We get requests from our customers all the time (asking), How come we cant use the patio?

Commissioners said he may not see the Union as a bar, but sometimes it looks more like one than a restaurant. Its open until 2 a.m. two nights a week, and a few tables are moved later in the night to make room for standing patrons.

Be a restaurant and close at 10 p.m., Commissioner Greg Drakos told him.

OGrady said he walked by one night months ago and though the doors were closed, he could hear the loud and very annoying music.

That really left a bad taste in my mouth, to be honest with you, he told Leitstein.
Move over Little Italy, Westfield UTC is emerging as San Diegos next It dining destination.

Retro-hip Great Maple, upscale-healthy True Food Kitchen and celebrated global dumpling house Din Tai Fung are among the new restaurants opening at the mall this fall as part of its $585 million expansion.

The list of new eateries  added to the already-announced additions of cult-trendy Shake Shack, the country club-ish Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar and the high-end Javiers Finest Food of Mexico  comes as department stores continue to struggle and shopping malls increasingly evolve beyond retail, into so-called lifestyle experiences.

Advertisement

Its not just about the shopping anymore, said John Alderson, Westfield UTCs vice president of development.

Alderson said that while shopping remains the companys integral focus, we look at food just like we look at merchandising.  Food is a really fantastic way to express ourselves in what the customers want and how they want it.

Those customers are affluent area residents looking for high-quality dining options for day or night, preferably ones with local ties, according to Mike Spilky, president of the Del Mar-based restaurant brokerage firm Location Matters.

In UTC in general, theres quite a demand for better restaurants. And it comes down to supply and demand  Westfield controls the retail availability in the area. Theyre very good at what they do, Spilky said.

And while Fashion Valley mall has a lock on the premium luxury shopping niche, with such boutiques as Prada, Jimmy Choo, Gucci and Louis Vuitton, its culinary choices are more limited.

In terms of malls and looking to upgrade their restaurant offerings, there has to be a community that supports it. Mission Valley is a great area, it draws a lot of traffic, Spilky said, but to do a high-end, big check, night life (place), its not the same demographics. UTC is more like Fashion Island (in Newport Beach), theres more affluence. Its La Jolla. And there are lots of townhomes, condos and apartments right there.

Clientele isnt the only thing UTC and Fashion Island have in common: Both True Food Kitchen and Great Maple will now have locations at both. (True Food is also at Fashion Valley.)

The new restaurants at UTC include:

Din Tai Fung: The Taiwan-based, wildly popular mega-chain offers a variety of dumplings and noodles at locations throughout Asia, from mainland China to Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Shanghai, as well as Dubai, Sydney, Seattle, Santa Clara, LA and Orange County.

The Taiwan-based, wildly popular mega-chain offers a variety of dumplings and noodles at locations throughout Asia, from mainland China to Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Shanghai, as well as Dubai, Sydney, Seattle, Santa Clara, LA and Orange County. Arbor: A sister restaurant to Little Italys stylish, Kiwi-centric Queenstown Public House, Arbor will offer shareable plates, organic sandwiches, burgers, wine and craft beer for lunch and dinner.

A sister restaurant to Little Italys stylish, Kiwi-centric Queenstown Public House, Arbor will offer shareable plates, organic sandwiches, burgers, wine and craft beer for lunch and dinner. Smokeyard BBQ and Chop House: A South African-flavored steakhouse with casual touches, such as BBQ Potato Chips and pulled pork sandwiches. There is also a Smokeyard location in Mammoth Lakes.

A South African-flavored steakhouse with casual touches, such as BBQ Potato Chips and pulled pork sandwiches. There is also a Smokeyard location in Mammoth Lakes. True Food Kitchen: With a menu guided by holistic health guru Dr. Andrew Weils anti-inflammatory diet, True Food offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options in a chic setting. The restaurant will have and indoor/outdoor bar and two patios.

With a menu guided by holistic health guru Dr. Andrew Weils anti-inflammatory diet, True Food offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options in a chic setting. The restaurant will have and indoor/outdoor bar and two patios. Great Maple: Offering high-quality modern American fare in a mid-century modern atmosphere, Great Maple has been packing in the hipster crowds at the Hillcrest location since it opened in 2013. Brunch is as popular as the maple bacon donuts that are served at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Mark David, Great Maples co-founder and chairman, said while the mall might seem anathema to the bourbon cocktail-sipping scenesters at the Washington Street restaurant, deciding to open the restaurants second San Diego location there  which was based on consumer data as well as the propertys direct street access  made sense.

To a certain extent, the center of gravity for business and our demographics is moving toward that (UTC) area, as opposed to downtown, David said.

Our Torrance location (at the Del Amo Fashion Center) is outwardly facing  and we do a big brunch businesses, as well as lunch and dinner  and we felt if we were in the interior of a mall, it might not be conducive to our brunch business.

At UTC, Great Maple will also face the street, benefiting from both mall foot traffic and local visibility, he said.

Im thinking we get the best of both worlds, he said.

Malls, David said, are finding their way in a changing retail climate, and restaurants are a big part of that future.

The trend is obvious: Retail has moved somewhat , away from brick and mortar to the internet but you cant do that with the restaurant experience, people are always going to want to socialize, he said.

That goes especially for millennials, he said.

They value experiences, whether its a restaurant or a trip, more than they do owning a house or even a car.

Westfields Alderson said the mall will be unveiling more dining options in the near future. Spilky said he is representing one of San Diegos trendiest hospitality groups in its effort to open a cocktail-based establishment at UTC. He didnt want the groups name to be public until the the deal was finalized.

The potential tenant represents the kind of experience UTC is striving to offer.

Is the world changing and affecting retail? Yes, said David. Is this the death knell for malls? I dont think the people at Westfield would be spending all this money. Theyre not crazy.

Westfield UTC

What: The malls $585 million resort-inspired transformation is expected to completed by October. The expansion will add 250,000-square-feet of retail, dining, event spaces, a new valet drop-off area and modern arrival lounge.

Where: 4545 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego; (858) 546-8858

Online: westfield.com/utc

Food & Wine Videos

Twitter: @sdeditgirl

michele.parente@sduniontribune.com
Caffeine Crawl

Through Sunday at various locations. $26-$35 depending on the route. caffeinecrawl.com/san-diego-tickets (Non-ticket event: A free breakfast meet-and-greet will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Sunday at Ryan Bros. Coffee, 1894 Main St., Barrio Logan. Open to all, but limited to 50 people; RSVP at caffeinecrawl.com/sd-breakfast.)

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. 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, Mo., but attends all the crawls. Burton will be one of the San Diego guides this weekend. MICHELE PARENTE

What the Butler Saw

8 p.m. Fridays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 19 at Lamplighters Community Theatre, 5915 Severin Drive, La Mesa. $20 (discounts available). (619) 303-5092 or lamplighterslamesa.com

Advertisement

The final work in the brief but spectacular playwriting career of Joe Orton didnt premiere until two years after his 1967 death, but What the Butler Saw has long since become a classic. Keith Anderson directs Lamplighters revival of the once-shocking farce about seamy goings-on in a psychiatrists office. JAMES HEBERT

Bad Jews

7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Through Feb. 12. Cygnet Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St., Old Town. $36 and up (discounts available). (619) 337-1525 or cygnettheatre.com

For a director who has seen his share of provocative plays, Rob Lutfy still wasnt quite prepared for the reaction he witnessed (and became swept up in) after a performance of Joshua Harmons prickly family dramedy Bad Jews in San Francisco two years ago. As he stood in the lobby among strangers after the show, Lutfy recalls, people around me just started talking to me about the play  partly because they wanted to hear a younger persons impressions of this story centered on young characters. That conversation wound up moving from the lobby to the parking lot to, eventually, a restaurant. Those who joined in the back-and-forth turned out to be mostly members of two Jewish families. And they just wanted to keep talking. The intensity of the discourse was especially intriguing given that not only was Lutfy there simply as an audience member, but hes not Jewish. But it convinced Lutfy (who was already a fan of the piece) to try and bring Bad Jews to San Diegos Cygnet Theatre, where hes associate artistic director. JAMES HEBERT

LA/NY San Diego Symphony, with conductor Cristian Macelaru

8 p.m. today and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Jacobs Music Centers Copley Symphony Hall, 600 B St., downtown. $20-$96 Friday and Sunday; Saturday is sold out. (619) 235-0804 or sandiegosymphony.org

A native of Timisoara, Romania, Cristian Macelaru is a fast-rising force in the world of classical music conductors. Hes also a candidate to replace Jahja Ling as music director of the San Diego Symphony and Bramwell Tovey of the Vancouver Symphony. That makes Macelarus three concerts here this weekend especially notable for anyone wishing to evaluate his orchestral talents. On Friday and Sunday, hell be conducting LA/NY, which features works by Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and John Adams. On Saturday, hell team with violin legend Itzhak Perlman to conduct the sold-out Bernstein, Perlman, Hollywood, which features works by Bernstein and Erich Wolfgang Korngold and a medley of Hollywood film music arranged by Oscar-winning composer John Williams. GEORGE VARGA

Monster Jam

7 p.m. Saturday (the pit party starts at 2:30 p.m.). Petco Park, 100 Park Blvd., San Diego. $15-$110. (619) 284-7972 or monsterjam.com/en-US/events/san-diego-ca.

Watch the monster trucks rip it up on four wheels as drivers compete in the giant vehicles, going through an obstacle course or performing wheelies, doughnuts or racing head to head. Each truck is over 10 feet tall, 12 feet wide and 17 feet long  and weighs about 10,000 pounds. The big trucks also burn up three gallons of fuel per minute on tires that are 43 inches wide and 66 inches around. Before the big event, the pit party will give guests a chance to meet drivers like Adam Anderson, who drives Grave Digger, or Damon Bradshaw, driving Monster Energy, and get autographs or pictures (with a separate admission ticket for the party). LISA DEADERICK

Robert Shaw  Man of Many Voices

Two screenings: 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday, and a discussion at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, at CPMA Performing Arts Theater, 5050 Conrad Ave., San Diego. $20 general admission; $10 students and military with ID. robertshawthefilm.com

The documentary Robert Shaw  Man of Many Voices will make its Southern California premiere Saturday with two screenings and a panel discussion in between moderated by James Chute, formerly classical music critic and arts editor at the U-T. The 71-minute film, presented locally by the Choral Consortium of San Diego, covers the life of Shaw, the American conductor most famous for his work with the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The panel discussion will feature local musicians who worked with the conductor, who died in 1999 at age 82. Among those expected to attend are David Chase, the retiring choral director of the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, and John Stubbs, San Diego Symphony violinist and California Ballet music director. MICHAEL JAMES ROCHA

American Hero

8 p.m. tonight; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday at Different Stages at the OB Playhouse, 4944 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach. $22. (619) 795-9305 or differentstages.biz

Superheroes and sandwiches make for an all-American combo in Bess Wohls dark comedy, now getting its San Diego premiere in Ocean Beach. The play, which premiered off-Broadway in 2017, centers on a trio of workers doing their best to keep the foot-longs coming even as their own prospects have been downsized to within an inch of their lives. Kristen Fogle directs Lydia Lea Real, Michael Christopher Shantz, Keala Milles and Claudette Santiago in this saga of ordinary people struggling for a last shot at being the big cheese. JAMES HEBERT

Altar Boyz

Opens today. 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Feb. 19. Coronado Playhouse, 1835 Strand Way, Coronado. $20-$27. (619) 435-4856 or coronadoplayhouse.com

Coronado Playhouse opens its 71st season on Friday with the return of Altar Boyz. The musical comedy is the fictitious story of five N Sync-style boy-banders who team up to form a Christian pop harmony group, and together they become an irreverent spiritual boy band sensation. Audiences will join The Boyz  Matthew (Cody Ingram), Mark (SeeJay Lewis), Luke (Peter Armado), Juan (Patrick Mayuyu) and Abraham (Dennis Peters)  on the last night of their Raise the Praise tour. This high-energy production is directed and choreographed by Michael Mizerany. CAROLINA GUSMAN

La Jolla Music Society presents Kronos Quartet

8 p.m. tonight. Sherwood Auditorium, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla. $30-$55. (858) 459-3728 or ljms.org

Now in its 43rd year, the internationally acclaimed Kronos Quartet continues to push the boundaries of chamber music. For its Friday La Jolla Music Society concert at Sherwood Auditorium, violinists David Harrington and John Sherba, violist Hank Dutt and cellist Sunny Yang will perform a typically eclectic Kronos repertoire. It features works by Azerbaijans Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, Russias Sofia Gubaidulina, Irelands Garth Knox, pioneering minimalist composer Terry Riley and San Diegos Wu Man, who is a master of the four-stringed Chinese lute known as the pipa. The concert will be preceded by a lecture  What Makes Music, Music?  by James Chute, the former classical music critic and arts editor at The San Diego Union-Tribune. GEORGE VARGA

Janus and Other Dances of Beginnings, Transitions, and Endings

8 p.m. tonight, 7 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Saville Theatre, San Diego City College, 1313 Park Blvd., San Diego. $35 general admission, $15-$25 students, seniors and military. (619) 225-1803 or sandiegodancetheater.org

January is named after the Roman god Janus, depicted on ancient coins, temples and doorways as a head with two faces, looking in opposite directions. He presides over beginnings, endings and transitions  all the themes referenced in an evening of choreographed works staged this weekend by Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater. Danced to contrasting passages from composer Antonin Dvorak, Janus introduces Isaacs latest choreography showcasing Minaqua McPherson and Desiree Cuizon-Fejeran in a duet. MARCIA MANNA

Radical Machines: Chinese in the Information Age

Opens Saturday. 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; noon to 4 p.m. Sundays; closed Mondays. Through April 16. San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Extension, 328 J St., downtown. $5; free for children under 12. (619) 338-9888 or sdchm.org

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 challenge the Chinese faced. Their language is based on more than 70,000 characters. 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. MARTINA SCHIMITSCHEK

Plays by Young Writers Festival

Public performances at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (opening night; four full productions, no readings); 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 (Program B); 2 p.m. Jan. 28 (Program B); 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28 (Program A); 2 p.m. Jan. 29 (Program A). Old Globes Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, Balboa Park. $25 (discounts available); $60 for opening night, including reception. (858) 384-2970 or playwrightsproject.org

For three decades now, the San Diego-based Playwrights Project has been championing top young dramatists by producing their work in an annual festival. And in that time, no one has seen more success in the organizations yearly, statewide competition (which determines the scripts to be staged) than Matthew Maceda, a senior at Westview High in Poway and now a five-time winner of the California Young Playwrights Contest. So naturally, the rewards of writing have helped clarify Macedas career path. Not in drama; in doctoring. For me, right now I have an interest in going into the medical field, says Maceda, whose play The Dumping Ground is one of six that will be staged in the festival beginning Saturday at the Old Globe. The plays by Maceda and this years other winning writers were selected from among 385 entries statewide, with prominent members of the theater community serving as judges. Four of the works will receive full productions, while two (by the youngest winners) receive staged readings. JAMES HEBERT
Kory Nathan Brower, the peeping Tom caught videotaping women using a restroom at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, has pleaded guilty and received two years of probation.

On Nov. 10, the Marine Corps birthday, federal prosecutors charged Brower, 30, with two misdemeanor counts of video voyeurism for filming that took place in 2015.

An employee for a Virginia-based contractor working at Miramar, Brower surrendered to authorities on Nov. 19 and was released on a $5,000 bond after agreeing to receive pretrial psychological counseling.

He pleaded guilty 11 days later.

During a Dec. 7 intake interview with federal pretrial officials, Brower said that he had been homeless for five months, sleeping in his car, and had not eaten for two days. U.S. Magistrate Judge William Gallo transferred Brower to a halfway house the following day.

On Thursday, the judge sentenced him to two years of probation. Victims of Browers filming testified about the harm he inflicted on them. He begged them and the court for forgiveness.

According to Browers pro bono criminal defense attorney Michelle Bos, he was honorably discharged in 2008 from the Marine Corps base at Cherry Point, North Carolina.

Hes extremely remorseful, said Bos. He took responsibility early for this. He lost his job, his home and his vehicle and wants to make amends.
Eight years ago, the global economy was in the dumps and the nations first African-American president was sworn into office on a blue wave of hope and change.

Today, the economy is on fairly solid footing, the stock market is on a high, and the nations first billionaire president is being sworn into office on a lesser red swell of hope and change.

Obama out; Trump in: Hail to the new chief.

Advertisement

Whats different about this inauguration of the 45th president of the United States, it seems, is a national strategy designed to heighten fear and loathing for Trump as hes sworn in.

Never before, at least in my experience, have so many Americans engaged in pre-emptive protest of a newly elected president as hes putting his hand on a Bible.

Sure, Obama was widely derided during and after the campaign as naive and callow, a leftist organizer without notable experience, a mysterious stranger with a shallow gift for oratory.

But his inauguration was generally conceded to be a historic rite of passage that was long overdue. The rabid dogs were called off as he moved his family into the White House. Protest marches and vigils did not scare up headlines during the inauguration weekend.

Trump, on the other hand, is viewed on the left as terrifying, a megalomaniac whose election is an abomination, if not stolen at least mortifying.

Women marching en masse as hes unpacking his bags? You go, sisters.

Dozens of Democratic legislators like Rep. Juan Vargas boycotting the inauguration?

Zero class, in my opinion, but tolerated, if not lionized, on the left as a badge of principled character.

On the passive-aggressive end of the protest spectrum, Im struck by pacific vigils and prayer meetings expressing not outright anger but profound sadness over the gilded new age of the White House.

In Escondido, several hours after Trumps inaugural speech, a coalition of clergy called Escondido Together will conduct an Inaugural Vigil in the Mitchell Room at City Hall.

Candles will be lit, prayers delivered, as a means of keeping the forces of division and darkness at bay.

The news release for the 5:30 vigil promises a diverse lineup of faith leaders  Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Bahai, Unitarian and African-American Pentecostal. The organizers make a point of disclaiming any political agenda to the prayer meeting.

Here, listen for yourselves:

This nonpartisan event is not a protest but a witness to the diversity of our country, the release reads. Our intent is to lift up the voices of all in our community in a statement of hope and remembrance, calling on all Americans to work together to shape a society that works for all and includes all.  In this partisan climate, we seem to have abandoned hope and vision, and settled for anger and blame. This negative climate is producing the fruit of violence, name-calling, and accusations on all sides. We cant work for a common future as long as we imagine the other side to be the enemy  ignorant, evil, unpatriotic and to blame for all our problems.  The vigil will provide an opportunity for participation by people of all backgrounds and politics. Participants are invited to bring flags and a hopeful spirit.

As rhetoric, this is lovely, even Obamaesque. A coming together, everyone welcome in the warm melting pot of America, a stark departure from some of Trumps more divisive statements..

But in the coded language of partisan politics, often dismissed as dog whistles, it always seems like the other side is the one thats hateful.

Though Escondido Togethers message, read out of context, is unimpeachable, the fact remains that the very fact of the vigil on Inauguration Day is an implicit protest of the presidency of Donald Trump.

I called the event spokesperson, the Rev. Margaret Decker of the Trinity Episcopal Church Escondido, and asked if she would have been hosting a similar vigil if Hillary Clinton had won.

Thats a good question, the upbeat rector said.

Mother Meg, as shes known to her congregation, conceded that her group of faith communities tends to be liberal and, if Hillary was being sworn in instead of Trump, her fellow clergy might very well be too happy to gather for some prayerful reconciliation on a rainy night.

Presumably, theyd be too busy toasting.

That may be a flaw in our group, she conceded. Im not sure we would have seen the need (for a vigil) in our hearts.

And that refreshingly honest remark, it seems to me, suggests the undercurrent of protest on display in Escondido.

Its soft and loving, but a negative statement about the new president and his campaign. Its a pious dog whistle.

I asked Decker if any conservative evangelical churches, a big presence in the heavily steepled Hidden Valley, were linking arms with their liberal brethren in this nonpartisan vigil.

No, she said. Those congregations probably dont see the need in their hearts to grieve that a pro-life Republican president promising to make America great again has taken the oath of office. Theyre probably hanging on Trumps inaugural address just as Democrats did when Obama spoke eight years ago.

I asked Decker what music would be performed at the vigil. She said only one song was certain to be on the playlist: God Bless America.

Hard to argue with that inclusive anthem.

Its a good thing that Irving Berlin, who wrote the patriotic standard in 1918, changed the original line Stand beside her and guide her to the right with the light from above.

By 1938, Hitler was rising in Europe. Berlin substituted through the night for the politically loaded hand associated with fascism

Can this country ever come together and be guided by a single light from above?

In the real political world, not a prayer.

But at the very least, it seems, we could declare a truce when, symbolically at least, the whole nation puts its hand on the Bible and with brave heart hopes for the best.

logan.jenkins@sduniontribune.com
Two men from Ghana who helped run an African identity theft and car resale scam from their homes in Ohio and New York were driven by a sense of familial duty, nationalism, and, of course, money.

There was also another, underlying motivation: Sakawa, a widespread religious practice in Ghana.

It uses traditional African rituals, including magic and sacrifice, to justify and encourage Internet-based fraud that targets foreigners.

Advertisement

Edmund Seshie and Abdul Rezak Shaib believed that if they didnt carry out the scams, bad things might happen to them, similar to voodoo, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Conover. Sakawa has emerged in Ghana as a subculture that promotes a flashy and rich lifestyle of cars, clothing and status.

The alleged mastermind and manipulator charged in the scheme is Henry Addo, who is believed to be living in Ghana and is the main focus of the FBIs investigation. A request for extradition has been filed but he remains at large.

They were definitely being used by Mr. Addo, Conover said of the defendants.

Seshie and Shaib were sentenced Thursday in San Diego federal court to probation for their roles in the scam. They were also ordered to each complete 80 hours of community service and pay a $500 fine.

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw acknowledged the sentences were very lenient but decided to follow the prosecutions recommendation partly due to the extensive cooperation the men provided in the investigation. Shaib even traveled to Ghana with FBI agents and the prosecutor in an attempt to locate Addo.

This, as financial crimes go, is a very insidious one, Sabraw said, noting the sense of violation identity-theft victims feel, and the chaos the crime creates as victims work to reclaim their identities.

These were some significant acts of wrongdoing, the judge said.

A probation officer had recommendation more than four years in prison.

According to the federal indictment, the scam worked like this:

In the U.S., Seshie  who is Addos cousin  and Shaib bought stolen credit cards from a Singapore-based carder website, then made fake drivers licenses based on the victims personal information.

Addo then found cars for sale on Autotrader.com and other dealer websites, focusing mostly on used Toyota Camrys and Corollas, as well as Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedans. He is accused of calling the dealerships and buying the cars under the stolen identities.

The men arranged to have vehicle transportation companies send the cars to staging points around the country, including Ohio and New York, and then shipped to ports in New Jersey.

The cars were loaded into cargo containers and shipped to various international ports, including Port of Tema in Accra, Ghana  Addos hometown.

The exports occurred before victims became aware of the crimes.

The vehicles were then sold in Ghana.

The cars came from cities around the U.S., including a $15,000 2007 Acura RDX from West Palm Beach, Fla., an $18,000 2011 Corolla from Tucson, Ariz., and $40,000 C-Class from Silver Springs, M.D., according to the indictment. In all the men are accused of purchasing or trying to purchase at least 43 vehicles in 2011 and 2012.

An El Cajon Kia dealership found the $18,000 purchase of a 2009 Camry suspicious and called the FBI, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Undercover law enforcement agents discussed the Camrys shipment with Addo in a recorded phone call. Agents, posing as employees of a transportation company, then took possession of the Camry.

Seshie and Shaib pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in 2014.

Shaib is a naturalized U.S. citizen living in Columbus, Ohio, and Seshie is a legal permanent resident in the Bronx, New York.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
A supervisor at a San Diego-based metals company has pleaded guilty to embezzling about $2 million, part of which was used to pay for luxury vacations, private jet rentals and a Super Bowl trip, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Edward Abellana, 40, of San Diego worked as the accounts payable supervisor for the company, which was not named in court documents. He was there from December 2011 to October 2015 and oversaw the business credit card accounts.

From June 2012 to October 2015, Abellana would mostly make personal purchases on a company credit card issued to an executive, according to his plea agreement. He would then use computer programs to alter the credit card statements and conceal the personal expenses as business costs in the companys records.

Advertisement

He also issued $162,000 in fraudulent checks against the companys checking account.

Abellana used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle. He paid for trips to Las Vegas, Disneyland and to sporting events that included Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Ariz., in 2015.

He also charged $70,500 to charter a private jet to take him, his family and friends from Carlsbad to Honolulu, according to the plea.

He failed to include the embezzled funds in his tax returns from 2012 to 2015, he admitted in court, and owes the Internal Revenue Service $661,000 in back taxes. For instance, he reported on his 2015 tax return that his taxable income was zero, when in fact it was nearly $857,000, according to the complaint.

He pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court to charges of wire fraud and making a false tax return on Wednesday, the same day he was charged.

He has agreed to pay back the money he embezzled and pay the IRS.

He is set to be sentenced April 7 by U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino. He faces a maximum of 20 years on the wire fraud charge and three years on the tax charge.

He is out of custody on $30,000 bond.

The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested two men Thursday evening who were seen crossing the border about three and a half miles east of the Calexico port of entry, according to the agency.

The men, ages 26 and 22, are both Mexican citizens, the agency said in a news release. They admitted to affiliations with the Sureno gang, based out of Los Angeles, according to the agency. The men had no criminal records, but one had been returned to Mexico several times in civil proceedings.

Advertisement

They jumped the border fence in a flat area of agricultural fields, irrigation canals and dirt roads and proceeded on foot into the country, according to Alessio Faccin, spokesman for the El Centro sector of Border Patrol. He said two roads run from that area to Highway 98. For most trying to cross the border without permission, getting to a main thoroughfare is key to disappearing into the country.

The two men will be returned to Mexico, Faccin said. Using a process called expedited removal, border officials will not be required to take the two men to see an immigration judge. Instead, the office can determine that they are inadmissible to the U.S. and send them back across the border.

Faccin said because the agency had proof that the men entered illegally and planned to stay, the two men were administratively charged with illegal entry. That is not a criminal charge, but it does block border crossers from obtaining permission to enter the U.S. for five years.

Those sent back are not generally criminally charged with illegal entry unless they are known to be chronic offenders, commit other crimes or have criminal histories. Neither man was criminally charged in this case, according to Faccin.

The men will be taken by bus to Arizona or Texas for deportation, Faccin said, after officials take their photos and gather fingerprints.

By displacing them we disrupt any contact with local smuggling organizations, he explained.

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate
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, was extradited Thursday to the United States to face trafficking and other charges, Mexican and U.S. authorities said.

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.

The timing, after months of unsuccessful appeals by Guzmans legal team to block the move, caused considerable speculation on social media and elsewhere. The move appeared to give a legal triumph to the outgoing Obama administration on its final day in office.

Advertisement

They decided not to give Trump an early victory with the extradition of El Chapo, Alejandro Hope, a security analyst, said on Twitter.

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 the border city of Ciudad Juarez amid high security to the international airport outside Juarez.

The U.S. Department of Justice also confirmed Guzmans extradition, saying in a news release that the infamous trafficker 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.

U.S. authorities thanked their Mexican counterparts but gave no further word on Guzmans likely destination in the United States. Brooklyn has long been seen as the likely destination for Guzman, and federal prosecutors there last year revised an indictment to drop charges that would make the accused drug lord eligible for the death penalty, which had been a sticking point in negotiations between the U.S. and Mexico.

The Associated Press, citing a senior U.S. official, said that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took custody of Guzman in Ciudad 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.

Guzman has drug trafficking, murder, money laundering and other charges pending against him in federal courts in a number of states, including California, Texas, Illinois and New York.

He was moved to a prison in Ciudad Juarez last year after his capture following a sensational escape from a high-security prison complex outside Mexico City. That escaped involved the construction of a mile-long tunnel leading to his cell.

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 persistent source of headaches for government officials.

Keeping Guzman behind bars was a priority for the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto, who suffered a serious humiliation in July 2015 when Guzman broke out of Altiplano prison near Mexico City via an underground tunnel. Guzman was captured last January, but not before he granted a secret interview to actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo, another embarrassment for Pena Nieto.

That was Guzmans second daring escape.

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.

During his first term on the lam, Guzman helped turn the Sinaloa cartel into one of the worlds most powerful drug trafficking organizations.

Last year, a Mexican judge granted approval to extradition petitions from 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 while being held in a prison outside 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 for the Los Angeles Times. Cecilia Sanchez of The Times Mexico City bureau and Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report.

ALSO

UPDATES:

4:40p.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.
Champagne corks popped, balloons dropped and fists pumped into the air at a Fairbanks Ranch party Friday morning as Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.

Hes giving it back to the people, said Rosemary Patterson of Freedom Frontline, one of the organizers of the party at the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club. The people are who elected him, and hes fighting for us.

No matter what anybody says, hes a president for all of us, she continued.

Advertisement

About 400 Trump supporters, many wearing red Make America Great Again hats, braved a drive in the rain to attend an inauguration party at the $50-a-plate champagne breakfast.

We had to cut it off, Karolyn Dorsee of Dorsee Productions, one of the event organizers, said of the crunch to attend. It started off to be a small, little get-together and it went crazy.

The party was described in invitations as a thank you to Trump supporters by Women for Trump San Diego, Freedom Frontline, Rancho Santa Fe Republican Women Federated, Dorsee Productions, New Majority San Diego, Lincoln Club of San Diego County and San Diego Young Republicans.

Attendees were greeted by two life-sized cardboard Trump images while inside the dining room a DJ blasted music and people lined up for coffee and mimosas. Red blazers appeared to be the style of choice for numerous women, American flags lined the walls and red, white and blue balloons were ready to drop hung from the ceiling.

Our event is about bringing everybody together to make America great again, said Rhonda Wilson of Women for Trump San Diego.

Former Rep. Brian Bilbray, who said hes been enjoying time with his family since leaving office in 2013 and still celebrating the recent birth of his granddaughter, was among those there.

I think both sides should remember that change comes in different forms, he said. A few years ago there were some people who didnt like the change then. The pendulum swings both ways.

The crowd was quiet as Trump was sworn in, then erupted in cheers as when it was over. A confetti canyon augmented the roar.

Now I know how the people felt when Obama was elected, said Mary Francis Stanley.

During Trumps address, the crowd cheered along with others watching the ceremony in Washington, and they booed when Hillary Clinton was shown on camera.

Some of the loudest cheers came when Trump used the term Radical Islamic terrorism, talked about protecting the border and said, Most important, we will be protected by God.

Applause was more sparse when he talked about solidarity an said, There is no room for prejudice.

After the address, several people said they appreciated the unifying message of Trumps speech.

Im impressed with the call for unity, said John Ertheim, who said had worked on Ronald Reagans campaigns. Im impressed with the his emphasis on putting the American people first and everything else second, and he included all people. He was very inclusive and very positive.

Ertheim compared Trump to Reagan because of his positive attitude and belief in cutting taxes to help the economy.

Hes like Ronald Reagan, who saw the good in the American people and thought the American people could overcome any obstacle, he said.

As Trump wrapped up his address, many in the crowd joined him in saying his closing line that was the slogan of his campaign: Make America great again.

The room became festive as people hugged, clinked champagne glasses and a keyboardist dressed in a black jacket and red stars broke into the Rolling Stones Start Me Up.

Bilbray said he was surprised and impressed by Trumps speech.

Weve all grossly underestimated the shock-jock from TV, he said. Hes showing a lot more depth.

I had my doubts, Bilbray continued. He was doing everything wed been taught for 10 years to not do. He used terms that set people off, saying wall instead of fence, and he did it purposely to set us off. He played us all like a fiddle.

Like Bilbray, Loucq Aspell came away with a better feeling about Trump after the address.

He covered subjects people have been wondering about, shecq said. The promises he made, now we know he meant it, and hell go to work on them on Monday.

Retired Judge Richard Miller also was impressed.

I think its great, he said about the address. Hell bring the country together. Its truly one nation.

County Supervisor Bill Horn said hes supported Trump from the beginning and was glad to see a businessman in the White House.

Horn said he particularly liked Trumps message about hiring Americans and putting America first.

Vivian Hardage of Freedom Frontline said she loved Trumps message.

It wasnt about him, she said. It was about wanting to return power to us. Washington has had its own agenda, and it wasnt about what the peoples needs are. It was about the ruling class, the bureaucrats. I think Americans just work up and realized that Donald Trump understands what theyre going through.

Ursula Kuster, who runs a business manufacturing skin-care products, said she likes Trumps plan to cut regulations.

Its very difficult to stay in business in California with all the regulations, and President Trump understands that, she said.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
Yesterday's article told the story of Hans Gruber, the first driver of the new "automobile fire truck" acquired by the First Fire District to serve North Pelham and Pelham Heights in 1914. See

The story of the new fire engine driven by Hans Gruber is a fascinating tale in its own right of early 20th century efforts to modernize the equipment used by the First Fire District to protect the Villages of North Pelham and Pelham.





On Sunday, June 28, 1914, workers in Elmira, New York were readying a rather large "package" for shipment via rail to the little Town of Pelham, New York. They loaded a beautiful new "automobile fire truck" manufactured by American LaFrance specifically for the First Fire District of Pelham. The fire engine was state-of-the-art and truly an impressive and beautiful machine. It was a combination pumper and fire engine (known as a "combination pumper"). It had a

105 horsepower, six cylinder engine. Of course, it was brightly painted "fire engine red" with brilliant gold letters painted across the hood that read: "First Fire District of Pelham." A plate affixed to the side of the car was inscribed with the names of the First Fire District commissioners.









Example of a 1914 American La France Fire Engine Likely

Similar to the One Purchased by Pelham's First Fire District

in July, 1914. Note the Large Searchlight Like the One Used

by Pelham Fireman Hans Gruber as Discussed in Yesterday's

Article. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.





With corporate predecessors and a history that may date as far back as 1832, the corporate entity known as "The American LaFrance Fire Engine Company" was formed in 1903 and quickly became a premier manufacturer of motorized fire engines. Its corporate headquarters and principal manufacturing plant were in Elmira, New York.





On Monday, June 29, 1914, the train with the new fire engine departed Elmira for the Village of North Pelham, New York. On the train was a "demonstrator" of the new apparatus named "Mr. Carruthers." As a "demonstrator," Mr. Carruthers accompanied the new fire engine to Pelham where he would remain for as long as it would take to train Pelham volunteer firefighter to drive and operate the vehicle. Gruber was the fireman selected by the Fire Commissioners to drive and operate the new combination pumper.





There was, in those days, a small freight station and side track near the Pelham Train Station. At 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 6, 1914, Pelham and its firefighters were abuzz with news that a New Haven Line train had offloaded the box car containing the new fire engine at the Pelham Freight Station. In the afternoon the vehicle was unloaded and Mr. Carruthers drove it from the Pelham Train Station to the Fire Department Headquarters on Fifth Avenue.





Mr. Carruthers immediately began giving "lessons" to Hans Gruber on how to operate the new fire engine. It took more than two weeks, but on July 22, a local newspaper reported that Hans Gruber had "

been declared competent to operate and handle the new automobile combination fire apparatus which was recently delivered to this district."





Within a short time, the new fire engine was used in fighting fires throughout the First Fire District. Pelham firefighting had entered the modern age.





* * * * *





"North Pelham

-----

Local Notes. . . .





This week, sometime, it has been promised that the new automobile fire apparatus will arrive in North Pelham from Elmira, N.Y., where it was placed on board a car Sunday by the automobile company. The car was to have been shipped Monday and should arrive tomorrow. Accompanying the machine there is an instructor, who will spend several weeks in town giving demonstrations and 'breaking in' Hans Gruber, who has been selected by the commissioners to be the chauffeur and caretaker of the new engine."









"North Pelham . . .





New Fire Auto Arrives.





The firemen of the first district of Pelham are delighted over the arrival of the new automobile apparatus. It arrived at the New Haven freight station at 10 o'clock yesterday morning in a box car. In the afternoon the work of unloading it started and the machine was driven to the fire headquarters on Fifth avenue by a demonstrator, Mr. Carruthers, who arrived with the car. Mr. Carruthers will remain in town several weeks and will instruct Hans Gruber and such other operators as the fire commissioners may desire. The new machine is a 105 horsepower, six cylinder, high power pumping and combination engine. Its color is red and in gold letters across the hood are the words: 'First Fire District of Pelham.' A plate on the side of the car bears the commissioners' names. The car will be on trial for several weeks before it is accepted by the commissioners."









North Pelham. . .





In Charge of Apparatus.





Hans Gruber, who has been taking lessons from the demonstrator for the La France automobile people, has been declared competent to operate and handle the new automobile combination fire apparatus which was recently delivered to this district."









Labels: 1914, American LaFrance Fire Engine Company, Fire Truck, Firefighters, Firemen, First Fire District, Hans Gruber, Pelham Fire Department, Pelham Fire Department Headquarters
A 61-year-old man who collapsed during a fight with his stepson in Pacific Beach early Thursday morning is not expected to survive, San Diego police said.

A neighbor called 911 after hearing the two arguing at their home on Sapphire Street near Mission Boulevard about 2 a.m.

When officers arrived, they found the step-father in medical distress, and he was rushed to a hospital. Once it was determined he would likely die, homicide detectives went to investigate, San Diego police Lt. Mike Holden said.

Advertisement

Its unclear what kind of injuries the man suffered, the lieutenant said. An investigator with the Medical Examiners Office will determine the cause of death.

Officers detained and questioned the 43-year-old stepson, but he was not arrested, Holden said.

Neither man was identified.

Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call police at (619) 531-2293.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
His formal titles are space historian and director of education at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park.

But Francis French is also something of a treasure hunter.

Advertisement

French sorted through the personal belongings of the late Donn Eisele and found an unpublished memoir written by the Apollo 7 astronaut.

It was an important discovery: Eisele was the pilot of the first Apollo spacecraft to test the command and service module in space. That 1968 flight helped pave the way for the first Americans to land on the moon. And the Apollo 7 mission was the first to broadcast an astronaut crew at work on live TV.

French edited Eiseles memoir and wrote a foreword, producing a book thats receiving warm reviews from critics.The book is titled, Apollo Pilot: The Memoir of Donn Eisele. We recently spoke to him about the endeavor, and the following is an edited version of that conversation:

Q: It has been almost 50 years since Eisele flew on Apollo 7. Why did you feel the need to tell the story of a man whose life has largely been lost to time?

A: Precisely because of that, I think. Apollo 7 was the very first flight of the Apollo program. The next year, America landed on the moon. Perhaps because it was soon overshadowed by those moon missions, it was quickly forgotten. And yet, the first flight of the program that has been the pinnacle of exploration is not only an enormous technological achievement, it was a fascinating human story of bruised egos, disagreements and ultimately the end of Donns space career.

Q: Bruised egos and disagreements? Can you provide anecdotes that help us understand what was going on?

A: It was the first flight after a devastating launch pad fire that killed a crew inside the Apollo spacecraft. This next crew (went) in a newly designed Apollo, but naturally the mood before the flight was somber and tense as the problems with the spacecraft were understood and fixed.

The commander, Wally Schirra, had announced it would be his last mission  and he was going to do it his way. As such, there was some disagreement during the flight over who called the shots  the spacecraft commander or mission control, and this upset NASAs carefully crafted image of harmony.

Not long after the flight, Donn also divorced his wife and almost immediately remarried. This also upset NASAs image of astronauts as All-American, apple-pie idols. Donn Eisele became a test case to see if you could divorce and still fly in space again. He did not.

Q: Eisele died in 1987, when you were about 17 years old. Can we assume you never met him, despite your early interest in space flight?

A: Unfortunately, I never did get to meet him, although I did write him a letter as a teenager. I was fortunate enough to interview every astronaut who was ever on a crew with him  Wally Schirra and Walt Cunningham on Apollo 7, and Gordon Cooper and Ed Mitchell on the Apollo 10 backup crew. Three of those four have since passed away. I also interviewed both of his (Eiseles) wives and his other fellow astronauts. In doing so, I felt I got the closest I could to knowing what this intriguing man had been like.

Q. When did you learn that he had an unpublished memoir, and what shape was it in when you first read it?

A: I wrote a prior book named In the Shadow of the Moon, in which I did a chapter about the overlooked Apollo 7 flight, focusing on Donn Eisele, the least-known crew member. In doing so I became good friends with Susie Eisele Black, Donns widow, and would stay with her whenever I was in Florida. She suggested I look through a closet filled with family memorabilia.

Most families have boxes of stuff from prior decades. But when there is an astronaut in the family, it is a little different. These boxes were full of pieces from the spacecraft, plus souvenir items flown in space, awards and many other items from a rich life. Then I came across a stack of typewritten, translucent onionskin sheets and realized I had stumbled across something else: an unpublished memoir draft. Its somewhat of a cliche to talk about a lost manuscript, but thats essentially what it was.

Q: Do you remember what went through your mind as you read that memoir?

A: I had read somewhere years earlier that Donn had written a childrens book, but when I asked Susie about it, she told me that Donn had never finished it. However, I did not know that the draft was sitting in that closet.

In addition, there were drafts of speeches and other presentations Donn had made, and  most interestingly  a raw, no-holds-barred memoir draft for adults that delved into the anger he had felt at his managers, as well as tales of the illicit things astronauts got up to when the media was not looking. It was a very revelatory look behind the public astronaut image. I asked Susie if she would mind if I tried to work these various drafts into one narrative, and she agreed. When she read the finished result, she told me it was as if her late husband was back from the dead and talking to her.

When advance copies of the book were shipped, one arrived at the home of one of Donn Eiseles daughters on her birthday. She told me that it was like getting a final birthday gift from her father.

The book has been totally a labor of love. No one is making any money from it; the proceeds are going to support a library program in Florida, at a location beloved to the Eisele family.

Q: What single fact about Donn stands out, above all others? Is there something that really defines him as a person?

A: Hes a fascinating enigma. He was a lighthearted, easy-going prankster and pun-maker who did not make waves. And yet he became embroiled in two of NASAs biggest public controversies of the time  a testy crew disagreeing with mission controllers over the radio, and upsetting the public image of astronaut heroes by divorcing. As such, hed always been an intriguing character to me. To discover his own written thoughts on being put through a crucible of hostility from his bosses and peers was the answer to so many questions Id had.

Science Playlist  On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds

Twitter: @grobbins

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com
Pledging emphatically to empower Americas forgotten men and women, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States Friday, taking command of a riven nation facing an unpredictable era under his assertive but untested leadership.

Under cloudy, threatening skies at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, Trump painted a bleak picture of the America he now leads, declaring as he had throughout the election campaign that it is beset by crime, poverty and a lack of bold action. The billionaire businessman and reality television star  the first president who had never held political office or high military rank  promised to stir a new national pride and protect America from the ravages of countries he says have stolen U.S. jobs.

Advertisement

This American carnage stops right here, Trump declared. In a warning to the world, he said, From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, its going to be America first.

Eager to demonstrate his readiness to take actions, Trump went directly to the Oval Office Friday night, before the inaugural balls, and signed his first executive order as president  on Obamacare. Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said it was an order to federal departments minimizing the economic burden of President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act. He would provide no details.

The order notes that Trump intends to seek the prompt repeal of the law. But in the meantime, it allows the Health and Human Services Department or other federal agencies to delay implementing any piece of the law that might impose a fiscal burden on states, health care providers, families or individuals.

Trump also signed commissions for two former generals confirmed to Cabinet posts earlier by the Senate: James Mattis as secretary of defense and John Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security. Vice President Mike Pence swore them in soon after.

Inauguration Day: Donald Trump sworn in as 45th president of the United States

Mattis struck a different tone from his new boss in his first statement to his department: Recognizing that no nation is secure without friends, we will work with the State Department to strengthen our alliances.

At the inauguration, the crowd that spread out before Trump on the National Mall was notably smaller than at past inaugurals, reflecting both the divisiveness of last years campaign and the unpopularity of the incoming president compared to modern predecessors.

After the swearing-in, demonstrations unfolded in the streets of Washington. Police in riot gear deployed pepper spray after protesters smashed the windows of downtown businesses, denouncing capitalism and the new president.

Police reported more than 200 arrests by evening and said six officers had been hurt. At least one vehicle was set afire.

Short and pointed, Trumps 16-minute address in the heart of Washington was a blistering rebuke of many who listened from privileged seats only feet away. Surrounded by men and women who have long filled the governments corridors of power, the new president said that for too long, a small group in our nations capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.

His predecessor, Obama, sat stoically as Trump pledged to push the country in a dramatically different direction.

Trumps victory gives Republicans control of both the White House and Congress  and all but ensures conservatives can quickly pick up a seat on the closely divided Supreme Court. Despite entering a time of Republican dominance, Trump made little mention of the partys bedrock principles: small government, social conservativism and robust American leadership around the world.

He left no doubt he considers himself the product of a movement  not a party.

Trump declared his moment a fulfillment of his campaign pledge to take a sledgehammer to Washingtons traditional ways, and he spoke directly to the alienated and disaffected.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people, he said. To all Americans in every city near and far, small and large from mountain to mountain, from ocean to ocean, hear these words: You will never be ignored again.

But the speech offered scant outreach to the millions who did not line up behind his candidacy.

Trumps call for restrictive immigration measures, religious screening of immigrants and his caustic campaign rhetoric about women and minorities angered millions. He did not directly address that opposition, instead offering a call to speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.

While Trump did not detail policy proposals Friday, he did set a high bar for his presidency. The speech was full of the onetime showmans lofty promises to bring back jobs, completely eradicate Islamic terrorism, and build new roads, bridges and airports.

Despite Trumps ominous portrait of America, he is taking the helm of a growing economy. Jobs have increased for a record 75 straight months, and the unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in December, close to a 9-year low.

Yet Trumps victory underscored that for many Americans, the recovery from the Great Recession has come slowly or not at all. His campaign tapped into seething anger in working class communities, particularly in the Midwest, that have watched factories shuttered and the certainty of a middle class life wiped away.

Randy Showalter, a 36-year-old diesel mechanic and father of five from Mount Solon, Virginia, said he felt inspired as he stood and listened to Trumps speech.

I feel like theres an American pride that Ive never felt, honestly, in my life, said Showalter, who donned Trumps signature Make America Great Again red hat.

Trumps journey to the inauguration was as unlikely as any in recent U.S. history. He defied his partys establishment and befuddled the news media. He used social media to dominate the national conversation and challenge conventions about political discourse. After years of Democratic control of the White House and deadlock in Washington, his was a blast of fresh air for millions.

At 70, Trump is the oldest person to be sworn in as president, marking a generational step backward after two terms for Obama, one of the youngest presidents to serve as commander in chief.

The 44th president, who will continue to live in Washington, left the city after the swearing-in ceremony for a family vacation in California. At a farewell celebration with staff members at Joint Base Andrews, he thanked them for having proved the power of hope.

While Trump bucked convention as a candidate, he embraced the pomp and pageantry of the inaugural celebrations. He was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, reciting the 35-word oath with his hand placed upon two Bibles, one used by his family and another during President Abraham Lincolns inauguration. During an afternoon parade, he stepped outside the armored presidential limousine with Mrs. Trump and his 10-year-old son, Barron, to walk two brief stretches of Pennsylvania Avenue.

In a show of solidarity, all of the living American presidents attended the inaugural, except for 92-year-old George H.W. Bush, who was hospitalized this week with pneumonia. His wife, Barbara, was also in the hospital after falling ill.

But more than 60 House Democrats refused to attend Trumps swearing-in ceremony in the shadow of the Capitol dome. One Democrat who did sit among the dignitaries was Hillary Clinton, Trumps vanquished campaign rival who was widely expected by both parties to be the one taking the oath of office.

At a post-ceremony luncheon at the Capitol, Trump declared it was an honor to have her attend, and the Republicans and Democrats present rose and applauded.

While most of Trumps first substantive acts as president will wait until Monday, he signed a series of papers formally launching his administration, including official nominations for his Cabinet. Sitting in an ornate room steps from the Senate floor, the president who had just disparaged the Washington establishment joked with lawmakers, including House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, and handed out presidential pens.

ALSO

As soon as hes inaugurated, Trump will move to clamp down on immigration

How a liberal Santa Monica high school produced a top Trump advisor and speechwriter

Trump has vowed to slash regulations. Where he might start and the hurdles he faces
I applaud San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer for saying we must make reducing homelessness our regions number one social-service priority during last weeks State of the City address. But the fact is many of us had already done that  weve just been waiting for the mayor to catch up and get fully on board.

The mayor dipped his toe in the water during last years State of the City address when he announced his Housing Our Heroes initiative. As San Diegos point person on the 25 Cities Initiative  a national effort aimed primarily at ending veteran homelessness  I advocated strongly for Housing Our Heroes and its ambitious goal of housing an additional 1,000 veterans. If successful, it would bring the region tantalizingly close to ending veteran homelessness.

Because it follows the evidence-based housing first model, Housing Our Heroes is a big step in the right direction, and I fully agree with the mayor when he says, We need to replicate this on a much larger scale. Unfortunately, in his speech, the mayor failed to announce anything that would lead to that scale up anytime soon.

Advertisement

Instead, he spoke about funding the first regional database for homeless services  a database that has existed for more than a decade and is mainly funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The mayor spoke about expanding SMART, a pilot program launched last month to house and rehabilitate people who commit misdemeanor crimes such as public drunkenness and trespassing, although the program has not yet proven to be effective.

The most outlandish statement the mayor made was his claim that we are going to create San Diegos first assessment system. In fact, this system has been operating for more than a year and will see additional improvements this year, thanks to a recent grant from HUD. This claim highlights the mayors disconnect from what has been happening.

And the central hub for intake and referral that he proposes, while possibly a good idea, goes against the established No Wrong Door policy  under which people can enter the system at many points to receive an assessment and referral  and may require changes to the same database he claims to be launching this year.

And while the mayor did state hes going to get people into permanent supportive housing, the only potential funding source he announced is an increase in the citys transient occupancy tax  a levy on hotel bills  that wont go before voters until 2018. Conversely, he announced that the city will also be taking action to add hundreds of emergency beds, which is an approach that has failed to yield meaningful results in the past.

The mayor appears willing only to pay lip service to scaling up the right approach  housing first and permanent supportive housing  at the same time applying the Band-Aid approach of shelters, which tend to merely manage homelessness at best.

Mayor Faulconer should look to successful efforts in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Clara, where voters passed ballot measures that added substantial funding for housing and services. L.A.s measure alone will result in $1.2 billion to fight homelessness. Reportedly, Mayor Faulconers tax increase might raise only $4 million to $5 million a year to fight homelessness, if approved. Its a drop in the bucket.

Am I still hopeful? Absolutely! I am hopeful because of the major accomplishments during the past year of the Regional Continuum of Care Council, the HUD designated organization that oversees San Diegos regional homeless service system, which the mayor chose to ignore in his speech.

Many of these accomplishments (Coordinated Assessment and Housing Placement system, data sharing, reallocation of funding to evidence-based practices, infrastructure build-out) have been years in the works with significant help from our federal partners, and are poised to have a big impact in 2017. Yet, the results could be much more dramatic with bold initiatives coming from the mayors office to assist instead of just trying to take credit for others hard work.

Mayor Faulconers brand of after-the-fact leadership is disappointing to those of us who have been counting on him to finally step up and aggressively tackle the crisis unfolding on our streets.

It is now imperative that San Diego move ahead with or without him and put bold initiatives forward to solve homelessness.

McConnell is a philanthropist and advocate who serves on multiple local and regional homelessness advisory committees.
President Trump has informed the American people that an immediate priority for his administration will be to require sanctuary cities to cooperate with federal laws. An estimated 650 criminal offenders are released onto Californias streets every month in violation of the transfer request into federal custody. California denies almost two-thirds of the nations rejected alien detainer requests. To deter sanctuary jurisdictions from harboring convicted criminals, the Trump administration should require Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) to publish a weekly report of all released criminal aliens that will be a public record.

Related: Sanctuary cities: Model leadership to ensure safety of most vulnerable

There are crucial reasons for state and local governments to allow law enforcement to fully cooperate with federal law. Sanctuary cities are magnets for previously deported aliens, gangs, drug traffickers, and other alien criminals who increase the crime rate.

Advertisement

An October 2014 report from ICE that was made public in 2015 detailed 276 sanctuary cities that released 8,145 illegal migrants of whom 1,867 were later arrested 4,298 times with multiple violations amounting to 7,491 charges. Illegal migrants are 3.5 percent of the U.S. population but are 37.6 percent of federal sentences and 13.6 percent of all offenders sentenced for crimes nationwide. The undocumented comprise 12 percent of murder sentences, 20 percent of kidnapping sentences and 16 percent of drug trafficking sentences. Unauthorized migrants are about 7 percent of the California population but over 12 percent of the state prison population.

Our laws cannot be left unenforced because someone here illegally fears reporting a crime. Peace officers generally do not require crime victims to provide an immigration status. All law enforcement officers have an absolute right to inquire of any persons immigration status at their discretion. It is unfathomable that sanctuary ordinances restrict law enforcement from this right given it was unanimously affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Muehler v. Mena. Also, all local and state governments are required by federal law to share an immigration status with federal authorities pursuant 8 U.S. Code 1373.

An IGS-UC Berkeley poll shows that 74 percent of Californians want sanctuary cities ended; 65 percent of Hispanics, 70 percent of independents, 73 percent of Democrats and 82 percent of Republicans. Recognizing strong public concern, Californias law enforcement organizations should speak out against being restricted from cooperating with federal authorities, and demand compliance to make our communities safer.

Ignoring public safety, several California legislators are preparing to introduce bills to further impede federal officials. The Legislature hired former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to assist, but he will be incapable of preventing sanctuary legislation from causing the loss of major federal funding. A sanctuary city defunding proposal was decided for the 2017 Department of Justice budget in an agreement between House Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

In July 2016, Lynch notified California that funding under the criminal alien assistance program, and other law enforcement grant programs, will be terminated if the state is found to be noncompliant with federal law. Renewal applications for those law enforcement grants commence next month. A 2016 report by the U.S. Department of Justices inspector general concluded that California is in violation of federal law. This will result in the state losing $135 million of grant funds that currently help cover the cost to incarcerate legal and illegal aliens.

House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Culberson was quoted saying that if the state of California does not change its law, the state will owe taxpayers a refund of $1.2 billion for previous federal funding. The congressman is referring to the Trust Act which since its 2014 passage has contributed to a 44 percent decrease in deportations from 15 counties with large illegal migrant populations. To stop the added taxpayer burden that will result from these penalties, the Trust Act must be overturned by the voters with a ballot measure containing permanent state laws that allow full cooperation with federal law. This solution is advocated by numerous law enforcement organizations.

Attorney General Lynch also communicated a stern warning that the Justice Department can take criminal or civil actions against public officials who violate federal law. A new attorney general can prosecute under the alien harboring and shielding statute, a federal felony for which a convicted public official can be fined, and or imprisoned. If Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, is confirmed as the new U.S. attorney general, it is probable these state defunding measures will be fully enforced while initiating other powerful penalties against the sanctuary state of California and its officials for violating federal law.

Hilton, a San Diego resident, is president of Taxpayer Revolution Foundation, which focuses on entitlement and immigration reforms.

Opinion

MORE FROM U-T OPINION & IDEAS

Trump withdraws from Trans-Pacific Partnership, per campaign promise

Thankfully, Trump spokesman stops channeling Orwell
Cities and counties around the country are taking the audacious step of declaring their municipal governments sanctuaries to demonstrate solidarity with immigrants and refugees who reside within their jurisdictions. The bold declarations are necessary and responsible actions that respond to the uncertainty of increased threats by President Donald Trump about targeting immigrants and refugees for mass deportation. But really, sanctuary cities are an extension of the obligation that elected officials have of ensuring the safety and well-being of their constituents.

Related: Sanctuary Cities: Restricting law enforcement risks public safety

A call for sanctuary by municipal governments, which follows in the historic tradition of faith communities, is audacious because it builds a moral and prophetic witness against xenophobic policies that would otherwise undermine the safety of the most vulnerable in our communities.

Advertisement

Trump has promised to aggressively enforce immigration laws and deport millions of people, and to reinstate a database registry program targeting Arabs and Muslims of Muslim-majority countries.

The sanctuary cities  Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, Boston and dozens more  are asserting and defending the premise that everyone, regardless of immigration status, deserves dignified and fair treatment. This is a forward-looking standpoint that other cities, including within San Diego County with its 21.5 percent immigrant and refugee population, should strongly consider adopting.

To be sure, the posture is defensive, and for good reason. Elected officials are responding to Trumps alarming rhetoric that white supremacist groups have applauded. After all, Trump began his presidential campaign by making outrageous generalizations about Mexican immigrants, calling them people that have lots of problems  and [that] theyre bringing drugs, crime and rapists.

Trumps sweeping statement about Mexican immigrants piggybacked and exploited a common misconception  that the foreign-born commit more crimes than their native-born counterparts. But research on the subject matter overwhelmingly debunks that erroneous belief. The truth is that immigrants, including those with legal status and the undocumented, are far less likely to commit crimes than their U.S.-born peers. Of those who are in incarcerated, many are there due to immigration offenses.

In over 20 years of working with immigrants, I have found that they are much more susceptible to becoming victims of crimes when they distrust law enforcement agencies, or where local police openly collaborate with immigration enforcement agencies. The city of Escondido has tarnished its own reputation for promoting hostile laws affecting its immigrant population, and the immigrant community lives in a constant state of siege.

But Trump and his echo chamber of pundits and policymakers conveniently stoke populist fears by denigrating immigrants with criminal convictions, which criminalizes immigrants and migration itself. Meanwhile, heavy-handed enforcement programs under President Obama will have clocked over 2.5 million deportations, nearly 1,100 deportations per day, by the time he leaves office. This is a troubling legacy and a foundation the incoming administration will likely build upon.

During his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to cancel all federal funding to sanctuary cities. Members of Congress are also threatening to punish those jurisdictions by blocking federal funds, in what is certain to become a fierce round in the immigration debate. From the San Diego delegation, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, has tried several times to get legislation against sanctuary cities passed, without success.

Legal experts suggest it will be an uphill battle for the Trump administration to cripple jurisdictions declaring themselves sanctuary cities, citing concerns about an overreach of powers by the federal government and a breach of 10th Amendment protections. States can dictate local powers for their law enforcement, and it is unconstitutional for the federal government to meddle in this.

Sanctuary cities are steadfastly upping the ante by committing significant money for deportation defense. Both Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., have pledged to set aside money for deportation defense funds, $10 million and $500,000 respectively. In addition, the California Legislature has introduced a package of laws that would freeze out ICE, declaring the state of California will be your wall of justice against any mass deportation plan by the Trump administration. These actions provide substantive protection and could change the conversation about what is meant by providing sanctuary, and they offer a real alternative to Congress failure to pass immigration reform.

Ultimately, had Congress done their work and passed just and humane immigration policy reforms, millions of hardworking people  our family members, our neighbors, our schoolmates  would not continue to be vulnerable to aggressive immigration enforcement policies. During these uncertain times, we need courageous leadership. The sanctuary city movement provides a moral and practical foundation for protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Rios is San Diego director of the American Friends Service Committees U.S.-Mexico Border Program.
Using the word we 45 times and the word I but three, President Donald Trumps inaugural speech today struck powerfully populist anti-Washington tones likely to resonate with tens of millions of Americans who have felt ignored by a government widely and often accurately perceived as dedicated to the interests of political and economic elites.

Advertisement

In some ways, it was better than any speech of his campaign because it summed up so clearly his isolationist worldview. But that means it also magnified familiar problems with this protectionist approach.

[W]e are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people, Trump said. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. ... There was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes starting right here and right now, he declared. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

Many Americans, as proven by Trumps and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders super-sized rallies last year, welcome those particular sentiments. The thesis that the Occupy movement first popularized in 2011  that the economy is rigged to benefit the well-connected  has long since gone mainstream. The rich do keep getting richer. And in 2015, for the first time in more than 40 years, middle-class households made up less than half of total households in the U.S., the Pew Research Center reported.

The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board shares the frustration over stagnant wages and a government often unresponsive to the needs of average Americans. But history suggests that the presidents prescriptions for addressing these woes not only wont work, they could backfire.

Yes, our leaders have done a bad job of ensuring real benefits of global trade reach more Americans. But Trumps championing of an America first trade policy wont improve the lives of poor and middle-class families. Its primary effect would be to make imported goods more expensive and increase the cost of living. International trade creates competition that brings down prices. Trade tariffs sound good but dont work out well. The Obama administrations 2009 decision to impose a 35 percent tariff on Chinese tires arguably saved 1,200 jobs  but at a cost to U.S. consumers of $1.1 billion, meaning those saved jobs cost $900,000 each. The U.S. tariff led to a China tariff on U.S. poultry, costing the industry about $1 billion in sales. Tariffs lead to trade wars. Trade wars can kill millions of jobs.

There is also a huge potential downside to a Trump foreign policy built on his assertion that other nations have exploited the U.S. This completely undervalues how much America has benefited from the global stability it has orchestrated since the end of World War II. A stable world is much more likely to be a prosperous world.

We have a final concern about the inaugural speech. Words like When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice, and whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, gloss over the fact that millions of Americans  in particular African-Americans and Latinos  feel like outsiders looking in when it comes to living the American dream. Appeals to patriotism dont end alienation.

On day one of the Trump presidency, we wont deny were nervous about what the future holds  and we know were not alone. But we hope for the best. And we once again offer our congratulations to Donald Trump. He has his work cut out for him.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: UTOpinion
I am writing to express my disappointment and disgust with Democratic members of Congress refusing to attend the presidential inauguration.

Advertisement

They are all elected officials, not just for Democrats but for Republicans of their respective districts as well. As such, I expect that their actions be representative of all constituents, not just the whiny left who are mad that they didnt make the grade, did not get their way and illogically believe that Donald Trump is an illegitimate president.

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

When in Gods name are they going to get over it? Hillary Clinton lost the election. Donald Trump will be our president.

Its time to grow up, act like adults and get about the business of the people of this great nation.

Ted Harder

Solana Beach

* * *

Today Donald Trump will become our president. The scene in Washington, D.C., promises to be a visual spectacle  flags flying, people everywhere and the Capitol dome rising behind it all. I wont be there. Instead, Ill be in San Diego, and Ill be working to affirm our American values.

This inauguration day, Im going to push back against hateful rhetoric that characterized the presidential campaign. Im going to show my support of people such as Muslims, immigrants, women, etc. who were verbally attacked during the election. How will I do this?

Ill find an organization that supports one of the marginalized groups, contact it and find what it needs. Then Ill deliver the needed items, along with a note that tells it I stand with it in this difficult political climate.

Lets make inauguration day spectacular, one person at a time.

Jean Seager



Coronado

* * *

Those in the Congress who announced their boycott of the inauguration by staying away might just as well. They havent done anything positive in Washington anyway.

Thats my perception.

Charles Caldwell



Alpine

* * *

What would all the politically correct and Hollywood elite people say if all these protests against Trump were against Obama? The answer is they would say it is racism.

I got stuck with Obama for eight years of empty threats against our enemies and him backing criminals who attacked police, then blamed the police. All Obama accomplished was creating more racism and violence against police. I could go on, but I dont own the paper.

Stan Gershgol



Oceanside

* * *

I heard on the news that Donald Trump is writing his own acceptance speech. I hope that is not true.

Hopefully, someone on his team will at least help. I am of the opinion that Trumps speaking technique borders on juvenile. I hope he acts presidential and delivers a uniting speech that is not full of sound bites like Im going to make America great again.

Les Braund



Mira Mesa

* * *

All those Hollywood stars and other entertainers who have pulled out of the inauguration should be ashamed of themselves.

If they care so little for the historic meaning of a peaceful transfer of power, we the public can make our own statement. We can stop paying to attend their concerts and their movies.

Perla Fox



San Diego

* * *

I am totally embarrassed to say I am a native of Californian (for a very long time). Our supposed leaders, who happen to be mostly Democrats, are not attending the inauguration of our new president.

Between Gov. Browns train and the Legislatures hiring of an attorney to block Trumps actions at a very high cost to the taxpayers of this state, it is becoming clear that California also needs to drain its swamp. Hollywood, too.

It is time for a big change and I am hoping our new Republican leaders will bring back some hope to all of us. Why cant the whimpering politicians just take a break from their hate and stupid remarks to see what changes are going to happen? Who knows, someday they might see the light.

Colleen Kline



Allied Gardens

* * *

Immediately following the swearing-in ceremony of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States will be the swearing-at ceremony of Donald Trump for being the 45th president of the United States.

Neil Proffitt



Oceanside

Want to see more letters that appear only online? Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
Donald Trumps inaugural address on Friday, Jan. 20, was the focus of America and the world given its historic significance. The first words of the 45th president of the United States will be closely measured.

Some of the historians following his remarks will be watching Trumps speech to see how it compares to his predecessors such as Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton , George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan.

If you are one of those historians, this will help.

Below youll find transcripts and video-recorded speeches of each of those five presidents, and some of the issues they covered in their speeches. Take a look.

Major themes: wars overseas, the economy and health care

Memorable line: The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

Major themes: poverty, Americas allies and enemies, and community

Memorable line: What you do is as important as anything government does. I ask you to seek a common good beyond your comfort, to defend needed reforms against easy attacks, to serve your nation, beginning with your neighbor. I ask you to be citizens: Citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building communities of service and a nation of character.

Major themes: American renewal, democracy and the collapse of communism, and global commerce

Memorable line: My fellow Americans, you, too, must play your part in our renewal. I challenge a new generation of young Americans to a season of service: to act on your idealism by helping troubled children, keeping company with those in need, reconnecting our torn communities. There is so much to be done; enough, indeed, for millions of others who are still young in spirit to give of themselves in service, too. In serving, we recognize a simple but powerful truth: We need each other, and we must care for one another.

Major themes: democracy and freedom, the Soviet Union, and the deficit

Memorable line: We know what works: Freedom works. We know what's right: Freedom is right. We know how to secure a more just and prosperous life for man on Earth: through free markets, free speech, free elections, and the exercise of free will unhampered by the state.

Major themes: taxes and the deficit, the role of government, and freedom

Memorable line: You and I, as individuals, can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but for only a limited period of time. Why, then, should we think that collectively, as a nation, we're not bound by that same limitation? We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow. And let there be no misunderstanding: We are going to begin to act, beginning today.

Email: luis.gomez@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @RunGomez

OTHER TAKES

President Donald Trump hits some, but not all, right notes

10 most populist lines from Trump's inauguration speech for 'the people'

Inauguration: President Trump says he'll build many things but doesn't mention 'the wall'
Update: Ramona Street is closed just north of H Street where an SUV is nearly submerged in accumulated water. The water reaches about halfway up the vehicle.

San Diego Avenue is closed east of Hunter Street where a large pine tree has fallen on the road.

California Highway Patrol reports on its website that a large tree is across the road in the 23000 block of Del Amo Road.

Original story, 2:15 p.m.: Original The second of three strong storms arrived Friday, with Ramona experiencing heavy rain and winds.

Highland Valley Road is closed from state Route 67 to Eagles Peak Road due to a felled tree, according to the California Highway Patrol website.

Hazardous weather conditions exist, and a flash flood watch is in effect until 7 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service said.

A high wind warning exists until 10 Friday night, and by 2 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service at Ramona Airport reported 2.23 inches of rain since Thursday morning.
Marchers rallied downtown in the rain. Others later gathered to the south at Chicano Park, sheltered by the overpass. Up north in Escondido, a group moved a prayer vigil inside, away from the elements.

The troublesome weather did not stop events planned across the county Friday to commemorate the inauguration of President Donald Trump, but not in celebratory way.

Instead, the participants promised to fight and work against policies they feared, or at least hope for better. Those sentiments will continue Saturday with the local Womens March in downtown San Diego and San Marcos, coordinated with the big march in Washington, D.C., and others across the country.

Advertisement

We are hoping to show our elected representatives we are paying attention, said Jackie Strong of the San Diego Alliance for Justice, which organized the downtown protest. Were really here to show broad support across the left.

From a Friday morning rally at City College, the demonstrators marched down the city streets to the federal building on Broadway around noon.

The crowd began to swell from the initial dozens. Wearing rain gear and walking under umbrellas, they marched north toward San Diego High School and then west to the federal building. The crowd expanded again, by hundreds, as the protesters merged with a second group of marchers.

The protest was designed to be a forum against misogyny, Islamophobia, discrimination against people with disabilities, racism, and xenophobia and bigotry. Democrats and some Republicans accused Trump of such transgressions during his 2016 campaign and transition into the White House.

In addition to the list of domestic social grievances, some in the crowd expressed concern over Trumps appreciation of Russian President Valdimir Putin.

Trump admires Putin, Putin admires Trump, said Tom McCammon from North Park.

Ari Honavar, an artist and poet, said it reminded her of the Iranian Revolution. She lived in Iran before she came to the United States.

The outsider promised more freedom. He promised that we would have more jobs. So we put in this outsider, she said.

But the government began to stifle dissent, and civil rights were eroded, and women became second-class citizens, she said. And people who tried to object or stand up for the vulnerable were also targeted.

I lived through the new normal and I dont want to do it again, she said.

Nearly 500 people said on the Alliance Facebook page that they planned to attend, and another 1,000 said they were interested in going. But Strong said Friday morning that she suspected suspected rain kept the crowd down.

With Trump now in the White House, events like Fridays at City College and downtown will be more common, organizers said.

They can expect us to ride in the saddle and fight back, the Rev. Shane Harris of the National Action Network, told the crowd at City College.

We will not be Trumped, protesters chanted.

About 100 people rallied Friday night at Chicano Park in Barrio Logan.

Jim Van Matre of San Diego was concerned about Trumps pledge to build a wall along the entire border with Mexico and his threat to deport unauthorized immigrants.

He expressed concern about Trumps Cabinet appointments and added the president was unpredictable and has shifted politically in the past.

From what weve seen so far its unacceptable the direction hell take the country, he said.

In Escondido on Friday evening, about 25 people responded gathering in a City Hall conference room to hear thoughts and prayers from denominations that included Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Bahai faith.

Organized by Escondido Together as Hopes for Our Future, the event was about a vision of the country that is being taken away, said the Rev. Meg Decker of Trinity Episcopal Church.

Its not just Trump, she said. There are many people who are saying there are people who dont belong, whos voices dont count. We cant afford to let that happen to anyone. The ideals of this country are better than that.

A Franciscan sister read a prayer that had been written exclusively for the event by San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy.

We pray for President Donald Trump, that he will govern with wisdom, passion and fidelity for all people, read part of the bishops prayer.

Staff writer Gary Warth contributed to this story.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
Recently, The San Diego Union-Tribune celebrated its return to the heart of the nations eighth largest city, internationally known for its port, military bases, research centers, universities, theater, beaches and beers.

This news organization has been covering these institutions, this city and much more for nearly 150 years.

San Diego may retain a small town feel, but it is home to twice as many people as Boston, and our population exceeds world capitals like Brussels and Buenos Aires.

Advertisement

In the beginning, though  in our beginning -- this was a dusty flyspeck.

The San Diego Unions first front page was published on Oct. 10, 1868. Youll find ads for doctors and merchants, poems and fiction, even jokes that betray a 19th century sensibility: An Eastern editor says that a man got himself into trouble by marrying two wives. A Western editor replies by assuring his contemporary that a good many had done the same thing by marrying one. Thats what you would find. What you dont find is any local news. There was nothing to report.

So how did we get from there to here? Lets soar through the last century and a half, charting the forces that shaped our nation and brought us here:

In 1860, the decade of our companys founding, San Diegos population is 731. The East Coast -- New York, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Boston, Baltimore -- is home to Americas people and industries. But the great western migration is starting. St. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati are on the Top 10 list as is one southern city, New Orleans.

Now watch: In the 1870s, 80s and 90s, new technology  railroads, telegraphs  plus the end of the Civil War and the Indian wars spurs migration. Chicago  Carl Sandburgs hog butcher to the world  soars. San Francisco, then the gateway to the Pacific, begins its ascent.

The post-Reconstruction backlash against African-Americans spurs the Great Migration from the South  watch as New Orleans drops to the bottom of the Top 10 by 1880, disappearing in 1890.

San Diego is still tiny. Our 1890 population is roughly 1 percent of New York Citys. Yet this western outpost is preparing for a vibrant future, surveying Balboa Parks site and building a new wharf. The citys economic and cultural heart moves from Old Town to Alonzo Hortons New Town. The Union moves, too, into two-story offices at Broadway and Fourth, just to the southwest of us. By 1895 theres even enough news here to support an afternoon paper, The Evening Tribune.

As the 20th century dawns, Chicago is poised to become the city of the future. Buoyed by the 1893 Columbian Exposition; rail shipments of beef, crops and manufactured goods; plus the ongoing Great Migration of African-Americans, Chicago becomes Americas Second City.

For many, though, the Midwest is only a way station on the journey to the West Coast. Los Angeles makes its debut on the Top 10 in 1920. L.A. grows as two new industries, movies and aeronautics, thrive in a congenial climate for filming and flying.

Aviators flock to San Diego, too, as do sailors. The Navy and Marine Corps establish bases on and near our harbor. World War II causes a population explosion and paves the way for a post-war boom in scientific research, further fueling San Diegos growth.

In 1980, our city finally ranks among the nations largest.

While our population rises, some giants fall with the decline of domestic manufacturing. Watch what happens to Detroit, the U.S. auto industrys capital; Cleveland, once Detroits rival; Baltimore, a bustling 19th century seaport; and Pittsburgh, once the white-hot core of U.S. steel.

Today, seven of the nations 10 largest cities are west of the Mississippi River. Americans have opted out of harsh winters  watch Phoenix and San Jose grow -- and into cities like Dallas and Houston that slake the worlds thirst for oil.

San Diego is also among the top 10 American cities. But for how long?

Being in the news business, not the predictions trade, we cant say with certainty. But our reporting has identified some qualities shared by the successful cities of tomorrow.

They will be powered by intellectual resources  and San Diego is long on universities and research centers. They will rise on the strength of tomorrows innovations. As it happens, the next chapter in San Diegos story is being written by biotech, robotics, cyber security. Their economies will be diverse, buffered from recessions. San Diego is a hub for military, tourism, life sciences, oceanography, communications, computer science and more. They will engage the world. Sitting on both the U.S.-Mexico border and the Pacific Rim, San Diego is ideally situated to exchange goods, services and ideas. Finally, the cities of the future will be more than 9-to-5 workshops. Instead, they will offer arenas where people can work, play and thrive 24/7. San Diego has parks, museums, beaches, mountains, deserts and a sparkling climate  with or without the Chargers.

We have all this, plus a history. In the past 149 years, The San Diego Union-Tribune and its predecessors have been headquartered in Old Town, downtown, Mission Valley and back downtown again.

Our home city bears little resemblance to the dusty hamlet we first encountered.

Fortunately for us, now theres plenty to report on.

Twitter: @NewsCruz
View the Video Tuite verdict - not guilty

Richard Tuite, a mentally-ill transient serving prison time for the slaying of 12-year-old Stephanie Crowe, was found not guilty by a second jury Friday, a verdict that adds yet another twist to the long-running, convoluted case that has divided public opinion for more than a decade.

The jury reached its decision after less than two days of deliberations, capping the six-week manslaughter retrial. Tuite, 44, will remain in jail until prison authorities finalize paperwork, which may take several days. He has already served most of the 17-year term he received after his first trial in the Escondido girls killing.

Stephanie Crowe

Stephanies sister, Shannon Crowe, was in the front row of San Diego Superior Court Judge Frederic Links courtroom as the not guilty verdict was read. She hunched forward, racked with sobs, while those nearby reached out to comfort her.

On hearing the words not guilty, Tuite turned immediately to look at his sister, Kerri Licon, sitting behind him.

We locked eyes and smiled at each other, Licon said. He knew at that time that justice has prevailed and people believe in him.

Outside the courtroom, she added: For Richard and I both, this has been a life-altering experience. Its brought our faith back in the justice system and in God.

His lawyer, Brad Patton, said Tuite is excited that he will soon be back with his family.

I believe this thing was an injustice, Patton said. I always believed Richard Tuite did not commit this offense. A lot of people always believed Richard Tuite did not commit this offense.

Stephanies parents, Steve and Cheryl Crowe, said from their home in Oregon that they are focused on moving forward with their lives, despite the lack of a conviction in their daughters killing.

It doesnt change our minds about what we know happened, Cheryl said. Richard Tuite was found not guilty. That doesnt mean hes innocent.

The state Attorney Generals Office, which prosecuted the case, declined to comment on the verdict.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Frederic Link  John Gibbins (John Gibbins)

Unlike the jury that convicted Tuite in 2004, this panel of seven men and five women found enough reasonable doubt to acquit him of sneaking into Stephanies home and repeatedly stabbing her in bed the night of Jan. 20, 1998. She was found dead on her bedroom floor the next morning.

Tuite had been in the Crowes rural North County neighborhood the night of the killing, going door to door asking for a woman named Tracy. Prosecutors said Tuite was obsessed with finding the woman, an old friend who used to live in the area, and he stumbled upon Stephanie, who resembled her.

Jurors were not permitted to hear about his lengthy criminal record, which includes convictions for attempted burglary, auto theft, drug use and vandalism. Charges were dropped against him after an arrest in 1993 in which he was accused of stabbing another transient with a knife.

A month after Stephanies killing, he was arrested for following two girls, ages 12 and 13, while they rode a bus home. He tracked them to an Escondido apartment complex, where they quoted him as saying, Tracy, all I want to do is have sex with you. He was convicted of a misdemeanor.

The defense argued that Stephanies killers were actually her teenage brother and two of his friends.

The three boys were initially arrested, but the charges were dropped after small spots of Stephanies blood were found on two of Tuites shirts much later.

Michael Crowe, then 14, and friend Joshua Treadway confessed to the killing in interrogations with Escondido police, but a judge later found the statements to be coerced. Both boys, now adults, testified again at the second trial, along with the third friend, Aaron Houser.

All three denied having anything to do with Stephanies death. Michael defended his black clothing, fantasy role-playing games and sibling squabbles as normal teenage behavior.

Little forensic evidence was found at the scene  neither from Tuite nor the boys  and there was no sign of forced entry. A knife belonging to Houser was found under Treadways bed. An investigator said it was consistent with some of the nine stab wounds on Stephanie, but no DNA was found on it.

It was the possibility of contamination of the evidence that ultimately swayed the jury.

The defense argued that Stephanies DNA was unwittingly transferred onto Tuites shirts during the forensic examination of the evidence, possibly from a camera tripod or ruler that may have become bloodied while analyzing the initial crime scene.

It was a theory the defense argued during the first trial, but Patton said he was able to drive the point home more this time with additional expert witnesses and more preparation.

L-r, jurors Peggy Chaplin and Terri Para left the courthouse after the trial.  John Gibbins (John Gibbins)

We could not get past the possibility of contamination, said a 36-year-old juror from Carmel Valley who did not want to be named. The way they described how the evidence was processed, the way the blood looked, it was such a small amount, the way the blood was deposited. ... It just didnt make sense.

During their deliberations, the jurors only asked for testimony to be read back once, and that was of George Durgin, the crime lab supervisor who processed the evidence and testified that he was 100 percent certain there was no blood on Tuites shirt when it was first tested.

The Carmel Valley woman said the theory that the boys committed the crime didnt factor much into the jurys decision.

It was very confusing for everybody. A lot of jurors just threw it out, she said. Richard Tuite was on trial, not Michael Crowe.

Another juror, Peggy Chaplin, said the panel was constantly reminded of the high stakes of their decision.

It was heartbreaking to watch (the Crowe family) testify, she said. We never lost sight of the fact that they had suffered a huge tragedy.

Chaplin added: Because Richard Tuite was on trial and this is the rest of his life, you have to look at the blood stain and the big picture.

Stephanies father, Steve, said he was not surprised by the verdict because of the way the case has been handled from the beginning.

If the Escondido police hadnt gone after the boys originally, if they had followed the evidence where it led instead of jumping to conclusions, they wouldnt have created the reasonable doubt for the jury.

The second trial was made possible after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Tuites first conviction last year, ruling that the defense lawyer should have been allowed to question a prosecution witness about a letter that disparaged the work of a defense expert.

Neither of the witnesses in question were called during the second trial, and the issue really had no bearing this time. The second jury was informed that this was a retrial but was not told the reason behind it.

The jury was also not told about the steps the Crowe family has taken to clear Michaels name. The family won a $7.25 million settlement against law enforcement, and Michael received a rare finding from a judge of factual innocence in the killing of his sister.

On Sunday, Michael celebrated the birth of his second son and has worked at putting the case behind him.

As for Tuite, he will go back to civilian life, likely on disability, his lawyer said. Tuite does well when hes on his medication and has the support of his mother, sister and stepfather. His sister declined to say where her brother will live after his release because we want to keep him safe.
Winds gusting upwards of 50 mph whipped San Diego County Friday, knocking out power to more than 36,000 customers, shutting major theme parks and forcing motorists to grip their steering wheels hard, especially those crossing the San Diego-Coronado Bridge.

The county also was inundated with rains, with an inch to 2 inches falling in many areas as the second of three straight storms slogged through the region.

The third storm is expected to hit on Sunday, and could last until early Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Advertisement

It was a stressful day for almost everyone.

North County firefighters received a report about 12 p.m. from a passing motorist who said a man was clinging to debris in Buena Creek, which runs between Carlsbad and Oceanside. Fire and lifeguard rescue teams searched the creek bed to no avail. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew was called out and also wasnt able to spot the man. The search, hindered by strong winds and heavy rain, was called off about 2:20 p.m.

Oceanside fire officials said lifeguards would be sent to search the creek when water levels subside and the weather improves.

San Diego lifeguards and water rescue crews had their fair share of rescues: roughly 24. Most involved people trapped in stalled vehicles on flooded streets. There were six rescues in a two-hour span beginning about 3 p.m. in Sorrento Valley, City Heights, Rolando, Logan Heights, Grantville and Mission Valley.

Earlier in the day, three people and a dog were rescued from several vehicles stuck in a flooded stretch of University Avenue near Aragon Drive in Rolando.

Firefighters and lifeguards rescue a woman and her dog on University Avenue just east of Aragon Street. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune )

In South County, four students at Chula Vista Middle School suffered minor injuries when a large Pepper Tree toppled in the schools courtyard about 1:30 p.m. They were taken to a hospital as a precaution, authorities said.

By night, an evacuation center was set up at Chula Vistas Parkway Community Center, 373 Parkway.

Fridays system blew ashore just before dawn and slickened freeways from Oceanside to Imperial Beach. The rain slowed traffic. But the bigger problems arose from the winds, notably at UC San Diego, where gusts toppled a eucalyptus tree, damaging five vehicles about 8:30 a.m.

The winds grew stronger in the afternoon, hitting 52 mph in Carlsbad  the home of Legoland  and 48 mph in Coronado, making smaller cars shudder on the open-air span.

Legoland, SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo and the Safari Park closed early because of the storm.

The weather service said the winds were even stronger inland, reaching 72 mph in Burns Canyon, 60 mph at Palomar Mountain, and 53 mph in Julian, which also was coping with heavy rain.

The weather was far more serene at the top of Mt. Laguna, where snow steadily fell into the afternoon. Forecasters estimated that the mountains peak would have 12 to 18 inches of snow by early Saturday.

Ocean Beach pier hit slammed with big waves.

The weather service says the system will fade by early Saturday. But there could be isolated showers, and the surf was projected to reach 10 feet to 16 feet at some South County beaches. Waves were slapping the bottom of the Ocean Beach Pier on Friday. Forecasters warned the public to stay off coastal rocks and jetties.

On Friday, the rain and winds contributed to power outages in virtually every part of the county, from El Cajon/Granite Hills, Torrey Pines/University City and Spring Valley areas Friday morning. San Marcos also was hit, as was Valley Center, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Sunset Cliffs, Del Mar, and Oceanside.

The rains that drenched the county on Thursday and on Friday are likely to weaken the root system of some trees, making them more prone to fall on power lines if Sundays storm produces a lot wind.

During the 72-hour period that ended at 3 p.m. on Friday, Mt. Woodson received more than 3 inches of rain, and Bonsall got nearly as much, as did Skyline Ranch. Fallbrook reported 2.3 inches of precipitation, while Chula Vista received 1.4 inches.

Since the rainy season began on Oct. 1, San Diego International Airport has recorded 6.7 inches of rain. Forecasters say theres an outside chance that the airport will reach 10 inches by late Monday or early Tuesday  the amount that the city averages for a full year.

Street closures throughout the day: La Jolla Boulevard, Mission Boulevard; Rancho Mission and Ward roads, San Diego Mission Road near Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala, Avenida del Rio (to south Fashion Valley mall); La Media and Airway roads in Otay Mesa; Saturn Boulevard; Carroll Canyon Road; Estuary Way and Roselle Street in the Carmel Valley area; and Sorrento Valley and Carmel Mountain roads.

In the county : Quarry Road in Spring Valley; Lemon Crest Road in Lakeside; Country Club Road in San Marcos. Chains are required on much of the Sunrise Highway through the Laguna Mountains.

The CHP reported that an oak tree had fallen in Fallbrook, at Old Highway 395 and East Mission Road. Another oak tree, reported as about 100 years old, fell over and blocked traffic lanes at Harbison Canyon Road and East Noakes Street in the East County community of Harbison Canyon. A driver was said to have crashed into the tree, but no injuries were reported.

Dozens of crashes clogged the countys freeways most of the day. Many small mudslides and boulders also blocked road lanes, including at Lyons Valley Road in East County.

SDGE outage map

Forecasters say that coastal areas will get 1 to 1.5 of rain, the valleys and foothills will get up to 2, the mountains will get 2 to 4, and Mt. Laguna will get 12 to 18 of snow. The white stuff is already falling on the summit.

The rain is expected to close Fashion Valley Road in Mission Valley later today, due to runoff on the San Diego River.

Email us news about the weather in your neighborhood: gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com

RAINFALL: Sample of rainfall for 72-hour period ending at 2 p.m. on Friday:

Mt. Woodson: 3.05

Bonsall: 2.79

Skyline Ranch: 2.76

Fallbrook: 2.32

Escondido: 2.18

Valley Center: 2.17

Ramona Airport: 2.13

Oceanside: 1.65

Encinitas: 1.60

Kearny Mesa: 1.56

Chula Vista: 1.44

Vista: 1.43

Carlsbad Airport: 1.40

Montgomery Field: 1.29

Point Loma: 0.83

San Diego International Airport: 0.64

Twitter: @grobbins

gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com
By Peggy Kelly

Santa Paula News

For the first time in 20 years District 3 has a new Supervisor and Kelly Long is looking forward to serving the geographically largest and most diverse district in Ventura County.

Long, a Camarillo resident who served on the Pleasant Valley School Board before she was elected to the Board of Supervisors in November 2016, was formally sworn into office Tuesday at the Ventura County Government Center. Joining her at the podium were incumbent Supervisors Steve Bennett and John Zaragoza; the Hon. Judge Patricia M. Murphy gave the oath of office.

Stated Long, It was truly an honor to be sworn in as Ventura County Supervisor for the third district in front of family, friends, supporters and constituents. I look forward to serving the people of Santa Paula and every other part of this beautiful and diverse district and county.

By focusing on our local economy, creating jobs, improving public safety and promoting fiscal responsibility, we can make a positive difference in Ventura County.

Joining her staff is Martin Hernandez, who was the longtime Chief of Staff to former Supervisor Kathy Long, no relation to the present Supervisor. Hernandez is a Santa Paula City Councilman and former Mayor who himself ran for the seat.

It was a hard-fought election for businesswoman Long, who following the close June Primary faced off with Carla Castillo, the District Director for Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/20/2017 -- Morocco Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles, Bathroom Materials, and Furniture and Accessories Market: Snapshot



The construction industry, which is mainly concentrated in cities such as Casablanca, Tangier, Fez, Agadir, Rabat, and Marrakech, is one of the major contributors to Morocco's GDP. The growth of this sector goes hand in hand with the rising GDP of the country and is likely to expand at a moderate to high rate in the next few years owing to the surge in tourism and favorable government policies.



Tiles form a key component of residential and commercial flooring. Typically, ceramic tiles of low grade and cement tiles are produced locally in Morocco, while high-quality porcelain tiles and tiles of other materials are imported from neighboring countries. The growth of the tourism sector and the changing consumer preference for modern, high-cost porcelain tiles are driving the ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories market in Morocco.



Request a Sample Copy of the Report @ http://www.mrrse.com/sample/2169



The market is expected to rise from a valuation of US$1.5 bn in 2015 to US$2.7 bn by 2024. The ceramic and porcelain tiles market, in particular, is estimated to expand at a 6.4% CAGR from 2016 to 2024.



Growing Sense of Aesthetics among Consumers Driving Demand for Porcelain Tiles and Accessories



In terms of revenue, full-body porcelain tiles held the leading share in the Morocco ceramic and porcelain tiles market, accounting for more than 30% in 2015. The segment is anticipated to continue its dominance during the forecast period due to the steady growth in the construction industry. In terms of volume, ceramic floor tiles hold a significant share in the market owing to their inherent characteristics and economical nature. Thin tiles, forming one of the most lucrative segments, is projected to play a pivotal role in the Morocco construction sector, especially in commercial construction.



Inquiry on this report @ http://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/2169



Baths and sanitary ware is one of the key segments of the bathroom furniture and accessories market in Morocco and accounted for a share of more than 55% in 2015. Consumers are increasingly preferring imported sanitary ware products due to the rising influence of foreign players from Turkey, Spain, Italy, and the Middle East and the shifting trend toward aesthetic and exclusive brands. Ongoing development in the construction industry is also expected to propel the baths and sanitary ware market during the forecast period.



The bathroom materials market in Morocco includes ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone. In terms of revenue, ceramic held more than 40% in 2015, emerging as the leading material segment. However, the growing preference for an aesthetic outlook has been driving the demand for porcelain materials and this segment is likely to gain much traction in the bathroom materials market in the coming years.



Casablanca Surges Ahead in terms of Revenue; to Retain Lead through 2024



Casablanca led the ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories market in Morocco. In terms of revenue, Casablanca held a share of more than 30% in 2015. Casablanca is the economic capital and leading financial hub of Morocco. Major industrial facilities and the headquarters of several Moroccan and international companies are based in Casablanca. The increasing demand for affordable housing within the middle-class population and the rising efforts of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Policy (MHU) to develop social and residential housing are likely to fuel the residential construction sector. This, in turn, is estimated to boost the Casablanca ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories market during the forecast period.



Read Complete Report with TOC @ http://www.mrrse.com/morocco-ceramic-porcelain-tiles-market



The Casablanca market is followed by Agadir and Tangier. A rise in the number of construction projects in these cities is estimated to be the key driving factor during the forecast period. A significant expansion in the construction industry in other cities such as Rabat, Fez, and Marrakech is projected propel the ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories market in Morocco.



Major players operating in the Morocco ceramic and porcelain tiles, bathroom materials, and furniture and accessories market include Roca Sanitario, S.A., Jaquar, CERA Sanitaryware Limited, Kohler Co., Grohe AG, HSIL Hindware, Hansgrohe Group, Kajaria Ceramics Limited, Duravit, S.B.S. Porcher, Supercerame, Porcelanosa, Marazzi, NG Kutahya Seramik, Jacob Delafon, Creavit, and RAK Ceramics.



About MRRSE

MRRSE stands for Market Research Reports Search Engine, the largest online catalog of latest market research reports based on industries, companies, and countries. MRRSE sources thousands of industry reports, market statistics, and company profiles from trusted entities and makes them available at a click. Besides well-known private publishers, the reports featured on MRRSE typically come from national statistics agencies, investment agencies, leading media houses, trade unions, governments, and embassies.
Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/19/2017 -- Exes is now open for accounting and bookkeeping services for Singapore businesses. With over 20 years of experience, Exes still continues to provide startup and established businesses with versatile and quality accounting management, taxation, and company secretarial functions.



The services offered by Exes include Company or Business Transformation, Company Secretarial, Accounting, Taxation, and Business Advisory. The company also offers the CoWork Office for startups and independent experts as an affordable solution to the needed office space in a prime location.



Exes also offers packages to provide the needed help of business in the transformation phase. The first package is the Business Startup Package worth $1000. It includes the following services: Company formation, Virtual office plan, bank account opening, and CPF/GST registration. The second package is the Annual Compliance Services for Small Businesses worth $1500. This is an all in one package intended to eliminate the hassle experience by businesses. The services in this package fall into three categories namely, the Company Secretarial functions, Compilation, and Company Tax. The Company Secretarial Functions include the maintenance of the business's statutory records and the preparation of at most 3 standard resolutions per year, which includes the Annual General Meeting and also filing for annual returns. The Compilation involves the preparation of the unaudited financial report of the company. Lastly, in the company tax services, the filing of annual tax returns and the chargeable income estimate is performed. These packages are recommendable for startup businesses to help them have a strong and sustainable start in the business industry.



The Exes is also currently look for individuals who can be part of their team. The available positions include the Accounts Executive and the Corporate Secretary Executives or Assistants. For those who are interested in this positions, it must be know that Exes advocates for a balance in the work and personal life of their staff and thus allow for a flexible work load and provides employees with self-development courses. For information regarding career opportunities at Exes, please contact recruitment@exes.com.sg.



About Exes

Exes is a company that has been established way back in 1993. It specializes in a wide range of accounting solutions for startup and established businesses. The company envisions to become the leading provider of advisory solutions for corporations, and customized services for any accounting, taxation, or secretarial concerns. It is the mission of the Exes to guarantee on-time and effective delivery of their professional services by working closely with every client and gaining insight from them and their businesses.



CONTACT:



Exes Management Services Pte Ltd

Exes Company Secretarial Pte Ltd

Office Address: 178 PayaLebar Road #05-01

Paya Lebar 178 Singapore 409030

Telephone Number: (+65) 62969919

Fax Number: (+65) 62969949



Exes Management Services Pte Ltd

Exes Company Secretarial Pte Ltd

Office Address: 205 Balestier Road #02-06

The Mezzo Singapore 329682

Telephone Number: (+65) 66943580

Fax Number: (+65) 66943640



Exes Management Services Sdn Bhd

Office: A-3-4 Block A Megan Ave 1

189 Jalan Tun Razak 50400 Kuala Lumpur

Telephone Number: (+603) 21615228

Fax Number: (+603) 21625228

Email Address: enquiry@exes.com.sg

Website: http://www.exes.com.sg/
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/19/2017 -- A report by Transparency Market Research, titled "Behavioral Therapy Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016  2023", throws light on the contemporary and future conditions of the market. Between 2014 and 2020, the behavioral therapy market is projected to grow at a significant rate, particularly in Asia Pacific. Europe and North America together held the leading share in the global behavioral therapy market.



Behavioral therapy is an action oriented therapy, with an aim to replace negative behavior with a positive one. Cognitive behavior therapy, applied behavior analysis, and social learning theory are the three major branches of behavioral therapy. Out of these, cognitive behavior therapy is an increasingly popular segment. The market for behavioral therapy has been expanding as a consequence of the rising incidence of mental health conditions such as substance abuse, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), depression, phobias, self-harm, anxiety disorders, anger control problems, eating disorders, and addiction among many others.



Download Complete Healthcare Analytical Brochure:

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=11792



The rising frequency of behavioral problems among people, larger disposable incomes of the patients, and increase in lifestyle-induced issues owing to work-related factors are a few of the many factors fuelling the growth of the behavioral therapy market. Funds for mental health treatment have been increasing due to a rise in mental health awareness. Aging people are more susceptible to mental illnesses and as a result, the rising aging population in Asia Pacific will help drive the market for behavioral therapy market in the region in the forecast period of 2014 to 2020.



On the other hand, the unavailability of approved drugs, high costs of therapies and services, lesser degree of mental health awareness among emerging economies, and decreasing popularity of chief drugs in the market are restraining the market for behavioral therapy.



The market is segmented geographically into Western Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, North America, Japan, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. These are further divided into countries such as Canada, Mexico, U.S., Chile, Peru, Brazil, Germany, Belgium, Spain, U.K., Nordic countries, Netherlands, Italy, France, Belgium, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Russia, Japan, Poland, India, China, North Africa, ASEAN, Australia, Southern Africa, GCC, and the Middle East.



The report furnishes an in-depth analysis of the recent developments in the market, macroeconomic indicators, and strategies of the major players and services offered by them. The current, projected, and historical market size are discussed. The market covers categorization based on technology, application, and type. In the report, a complete background sketch of the global behavioral therapy market is laid down. The report describes the competitive landscape, the major stakeholders, value chain, supply and demand, and technological developments, together with recommendations for investors.



Browse Full Research Report on Behavioral Therapy Market:

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/behavioral-therapy-market.html



About Transparency Market Research

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



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



Contact



Transparency Market Research

90 State Street, Suite 700

Albany, NY 12207

Tel: +1-518-618-1030

USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com

Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Browse market research blog:

https://tmrresearch.blogspot.com/
Philadelphia, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/20/2017 -- 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 Pilgrims did not leave behind any lists of the items they brought with them on the Mayflower, but historians have used a provision list put together by Captain John Smith (of Pocahontas fame) to take an educated guess. However, in 2012, Caleb Johnson, Simon Neal, and Jeremy Bangs started transcribing and studying a rare manuscript (a page of which is here illustrated) in the possession of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, that was written by one of the investors in the Pilgrims' joint-stock company. This manuscript actually contains several lists of suggested provisions the colonists should bring with them. It is the closest thing we can get to a list of what the Pilgrims would have actually brought.



A summary of some of the key items on the provision lists: http://mayflowerhistory.com/pilgrim-history/



-Food and Drink: Biscuit, beer, salt, (dried) beef, salt pork, oats, peas, wheat, butter, sweet oil, mustard seed, ling or cod fish, "good cheese", vinegar, aqua-vitae, rice, bacon, cider.



-Clothing: Monmouth cap, falling bands, shirts, waistcoat, suit of canvas, suit of cloth, Irish stockings, 4 pairs of shoes, garters. Slippers, plain shoes, little shoes, French soles, sewing needles.



-Bedding: Canvas sheets, bolster "filled with good straw", rug and blankets.



-Arms: Light armor (complete), fowling piece, snaphance, sword, belt, bandoleer, powder horn, 20 pounds of powder, 60 pounds of shot.



-Household: Iron pot, kettle, frying pan, gridiron, two skillets, spit, platters, dishes, spoons of wood, napkins, towels, soap, hand mill, mortar and pestle.



-Tools: Broad hoes, narrow hoes, broad axe, felling axe, steel handsaw, whipsaw, hammers, shovels, spades, augers, chisels, gimlets, hatchets, grinding stone, nails, locks for doors.



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



Master Christopher Jones and several business partners purchased the ship Mayflower about 1607. Its origins prior to that remain uncertain. Its first documented voyage of record was to Trondheim, Norway, in 1609. Andrew Pawling hired the ship to take a cargo of London goods to Norway, sell them off, and buy Norway goods (lumber, tar, and fish) to return back to England. Unfortunately on the return voyage, the Mayflower encountered a severe North Sea storm and the master and crew were forced to toss most of Pawlings goods overboard to lighten the ship. The home of Master Christopher Jones: Harwich, co. Essex, England.



http://mayflowerhistory.com/



Following that, Christopher Jones seems to have stuck with safer trading routes. The Mayflower made numerous trips primarily to Bordeaux, France, returning to London with cargoes of French wine, Cognac, vinegar, and salt. The Mayflower could freight about 180 tons of cargo. The Mayflower also made occasional voyages to other ports, including once to Malaga, Spain, and twice to Hamburg, Germany.



Upon returning from a voyage to Bordeaux, France, in May 1620, the Mayflower and master Christopher Jones were hired to take the Pilgrims to Northern Virginia. This was the first recorded trans-Atlantic voyage for both ship and master, though Christopher Jones had several crewmembers, including pilot and master's mates John Clarke and Robert Coppin, who had been to the New World before.



The Mayflower was supposed to accompany another ship, the Speedwell, to America, but the Speedwell proved too leaky for the voyage so the Mayflower proceeded alone. Departing on 6 September 1620, the ship was at sea for 66 days, arriving November 9. The ship and crew overwintered with the Pilgrims and departed back for England on 5 April 1621, arriving back to England on May 6.



Christopher Jones took the ship out for a few more trading runs, but he died a couple of years later in March 1621/2. The ship was appraised for probate purposes in May 1624, and was referred to as being "in ruins." It was only valued at 128 pounds sterling, and was almost certainly broken up and sold off as scrap.



Philadelphia, Pennsylvania General Society of Mayflower Descendant, Adam Paul Green (Ancestor Stephen Hopkins / Gen.No. 86,723) Reveals New Geneology Asset Website for Local Enthusiasts http://www.news.adampaulgreen.com



Admittedly, Adam was not initially a fan of Network Marketing. He did not understand the business model because it was new to him. However, once he learned that the REAL focus of Direct Sales is to help average people get a taste of entrepreneurialism --- with minimal risk and at a low cost --- Adam was absolutely convinced of the potential with Multi-Level Marketing.



http://www.Xocai.com

http://www.MXICorp.com

http://www.HealthyChocolate.com

http://www.JeanetteBrooks.net



Since joining MXI Corp (Xocai) as one of the original 11 founding distributors, Adam has discovered that many of his life-goals truly do align perfectly with Network Marketing. Adam enjoys helping others find significance. Adam is most grateful for the complete time-freedom he has with his fantastic wife and five children. It's my pleasure to introduce you to Adam Paul Green, MXI Corp Ambassador and Multi-Millionaire Earner.



http://www.mxicorp.com/fab/index.php?dist=winnerscircle

http://www.Youtube.com/AdamPaulGreen

http://www.mxicorp.com/multimillionaires/

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
Phoenix, AZ -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/20/2017 -- 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



Phoenix, Arizona General Society of Mayflower Descendant, Adam Paul Green (Ancestor Stephen Hopkins / Gen.No. 86,723) Declares New Geneology Asset Website for Local Enthusiasts http://www.news.adampaulgreen.com



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



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.



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.



http://www.MarketingChocolateInternational.com

http://www.AdamPaulGreen.com

http://www.ImAdamGreen.com



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.



http://www.mxicorp.com/fab/

http://www.Twitter.com/AdamPaulGreen

http://www.ImAdamGreen.com



Admittedly, Adam was not initially a fan of Network Marketing. He did not understand the business model because it was new to him. However, once he learned that the REAL focus of Direct Sales is to help average people get a taste of entrepreneurialism --- with minimal risk and at a low cost --- Adam was absolutely convinced of the potential with Multi-Level Marketing.



http://www.Xocai.com

http://www.MXICorp.com

http://www.HealthyChocolate.com

http://www.JeanetteBrooks.net



Since joining MXI Corp (Xocai) as one of the original 11 founding distributors, Adam has discovered that many of his life-goals truly do align perfectly with Network Marketing. Adam enjoys helping others find significance. Adam is most grateful for the complete time-freedom he has with his fantastic wife and five children. It's my pleasure to introduce you to Adam Paul Green, MXI Corp Ambassador and Multi-Millionaire Earner.



http://www.mxicorp.com/fab/index.php?dist=winnerscircle

http://www.Youtube.com/AdamPaulGreen

http://www.mxicorp.com/multimillionaires/

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
Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/19/2017 -- Wall SG now caters to wallpaper needs in residential and commercial units. The company offers a wide range of choices such as bricks and stones, damask, floral, illusion, kids, modern, out of the box, simple, stripes, vines, and lastly, vintage Korean wallpaper patterns. They also offer vinyl flooring and mural art services.



The Wall SG is keen on keeping their services affordable but with high end craftsmanship. The company makes sure customers make an informed choice in purchasing by explaining to them all the costs of their options by visiting their brick and mortar showroom or their website. The Wall SG stands by their duty of clarifying all the entailed costs to their clients.



The Korean wallpaper in Singapore offered by Wall SG are imported then stored in a low-humidity setting to preserve the high quality of the product. For over 20 years, Wall SG has been using a wallpaper installer in order to ensure proper installation. The company invests in strong workmanship since this is a major factor in ensuring the longevity of the wallpaper.



The Eco 6mm vinyl flooring offered by Wall SG also has high performance and comes in unique designs. It is intended to enhance the texture of natural hardwood but without costing too much. The vinyl floorings are installed without the use of glue. The flooring features sound absorption, water resistance, eco-friendliness, and low maintenance. Another vinyl flooring option is the LG 4mm flooring.



Another service offered by the Wall SG is mural art. They offer digital printing of mural art wallpaper that can be customized to the size and dimensions of the client's wall. A wide selection of photos spanning to 40 million is available for use. Clients can also submit their own photos with the required 300 dpi for quality assurance. Clients can choose from the basic mural art wallpapers such as the World Map Mural, Singapore Skyline, and Family Mural Art. Other designs can be materialized upon consultation with Wall SG.



About Wall SG

Wall SG is a wallpaper suppler in Singapore built to provide a one-stop solution for clients in the residential and commercial industries. The company is composed of a team of wallpaper specialists who are experienced and passionate in using wallpapers to decorate residences and business establishments.



It is the strong belief of the company to invest in quality workmanship to ensure the quality and longevity of their wallpaper installations. They do not believe in minimizing the cost of workmanship but rather on cutting wallpaper costs, if necessary, to give their clients a chance to save on their purchase. The company also focuses their efforts on creating informed customers by explaining the costs of the wallpaper options they are considering.



CONTACT

WallSG Pte. Ltd.

Address: Centropod #01-03, 80 Changi Road, Singapore 419715

Phone Numbers: +65 8288 3810, +65 9859 4411, +65 9328 2157

Business Hours: Monday to Sunday - 11am to 7pm Monday to Sunday - 7pm to 10pm (By Appointment)

Email Address: hello@wall.sg

Website: https://wall.sg/
A large manor has been found at the archaeological site of Korshamn near the Viking Age proto-town of Birka in Sweden.

This kind of Viking period high status manors has previously only been identified at a few places in southern Scandinavia, for instance at Tiss and Lejre in Denmark, said Dr. Johan Runer, an archaeologist at the Stockholms lansmuseum and co-author of the findings appearing in the journal Archaologisches Korrespondenzblatt.

It is known that the fenced area at such manors was linked to religious activities.

In 2016, Dr. Johan Runer and his colleagues from Sweden and Germany identified a number of large presumed house terraces at Korshamn, one of the main harbor bays of the island of Bjorko, situated outside the town boundaries of Birka.

The archaeologists then carried out a high resolution geophysical survey using ground-penetrating radar.

The survey revealed a major Viking period hall on the site, with a length of around 131 feet (40 m).

Based on the land upheaval the area of the Viking hall can be dated to sometime after 810 CE, the researchers said.

The hall is connected to a large fenced area that stretches towards the harbor basin.

During the survey a predecessor for the Viking Age manor was also identified at the site: a high status manor that existed during the Vendel period, prior to the establishment of Birka.

Both the identified buildings and their continued use from the Vendel period to the Viking Age correlate well with the ancestral property of Birkas royal bailiff Herigar as mentioned in Rimberts Vita Anskarii.

Herigar was Christianized by Ansgar, archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, during his first mission c. 830 CE, and he built the first church on his land.

Chapter 11 of the Vita Anskarii deals with Ansgars first visit to Bjorko in c. 830, Dr. Runer and co-authors said.

It reads: With great difficulty they [Ansgar and Witmar] accomplished their long journey [] and eventually arrived at the Swedish port called Birka. They were kindly received here by the king, who was called Bjorn [at Haugi] [].

There were many who were well disposed towards their mission and who willingly listened to the teaching of the Lord. [] These included the prefect of this town named Herigar, who was a counsellor of the king and much beloved by him.

He received the gift of holy baptism and was strengthened in the Catholic faith. A little later he built a church on his own ancestral property and served God with the utmost devotion.

According to the team, the identification of the house terraces at Korshamn and the subsequent geophysical surveys of these, together with the one of the house plateau conducted in September 2016 offers unique opportunities as hardly encountered before  to a deeper understanding of a site, which is not only central to the earliest history of Sweden, but also a key location of the Viking world as such.

The measurements suggest an unimagined chronological depth of activities long before the emergence of the Viking town of Birka and lead seamlessly up to the large manorial hall with its fenced special area, the archaeologists said.

The possible connections to the historical accounts would be to the core of what this site is about, mirroring the first Christian mission, the role of royal administration and the origins of urban life in Scandinavia.

With the discovery of the grand milieu at Korshamn, it seems that Herigar finally may have found his way home.

_____

Sven Kalmring et al. 2017. At Home with Herigar: a Magnates Residence from the Vendel- to Viking Period. Archaologisches Korrespondenzblatt 47 (1)
[ACCRA] Africa needs to develop standards to assure safety and benefit of its herbal medicines, says Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, president of Mauritius.



According to the World Health Organisation, 80 per cent of the worlds population depend on medicinal plants for their primary healthcare.



Speaking during the Center for Pharmaceutical Advancement and Training (CePAT) awards for 2017 in Ghana, last week (14 January), Gurib-Fakim also paid tribute to African women for their relentless effort towards the promotion of traditional [herbal] medicines.

African women have been at the centre of the continental developmental agenda but their contributions have rarely been valued and recognised. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Mauritius

CePAT is the US Pharmacopoeial Convention capacity building program site based in Ghana.



African women have been at the centre of the continental developmental agenda but their contributions have rarely been valued and recognised, she says.



Gurib-Fakim, who was honoured with CePAT Honours Lifetime Achievement Award, says herbal medicines have been the mainstay of economies of Africa.



CePAT honours, which are biennial awards launched in 2014 by the US Pharmacopoeial Conventions CePAT, acknowledges valuable contributions of African female agents of change and celebrate their contribution in global health.



The other award recipients were Gugu Nolwandle Mahlangu, director-general of Zimbabwe Medicines Control Authority, Malebona Precious Matsoso, director-general of the South Africas National Department of Health, a and Clavenda Bright-Parker, former head of Liberias Medicines and Health Product Regulatory Authority. They were honoured with Acknowledge, Celebrate and Empower Award.



The USP-CePAT mission is to build a strong, sustainable global health workforce to meet Africa's needs. That goal can only be accomplished by the full participation of women at all levels, from technical positions to leadership," says Emily Kaine, USP senior vice president for global health, in a statement.



According to Gurib-Fakim, indigenous medicine remains the most important form of treatment, and culturally accepted practice of a diverse local health system yet African herbal medicine relies mainly on wild harvested plants with sustainability causing concern.



Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands contain around 60,000 species of higher plants  roughly a quarter of the worlds total. Yet, in spite of this diversity, [the region] has contributed only less than 8 per cent of the total 1,100 medicinal plants commercialised internationally, says Gurib-Fakim, adding that medicinal plants account for over 40 per cent of licensed drugs.



Gurib-Fakim indicated that important conventional medicines for curing major diseases are from traditional herbs, citing the antimalarial Artemisinin extracted from Artemisin annua.



Whereas there is a place for standardised extracts of medicinal plants in primary healthcare systems, Gurib-Fakim notes: The pace of growth, however, has been slow because of lack of robust standards to guide their manufacture and use. This is especially true for many important African medicinal plants.

She says that without standards there can be no guarantee of quality, safety and positive health outcomes.She is calling for the development of structures, institutions and consolidation of human capacity to not only ensure that traditional medicines are safe, efficacious and of good quality, but also for documenting these traditional practices.Matsoso adds: We need to see more women in health leadership, research and development coming up with ground-breaking research efforts to  cure diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries.She suggests the development of technologies that can be used to solve basic problems for women in their professions.Matsoso explains that the achievements for which the awards were given shows the commitment of African women in addressing health problems facing many people and making the world a better place to live, especially in improving health standards and ensuring wellness in the society.Disclaimer: The US Pharmacopoeial Convention sponsored Ochieng Ogodo to attend the event in Accra, Ghana.This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
A 27-year-old recalls how art saved him from addiction.

As a teenager, Brian Menish got wasted from alcohol and drugs too often. He said this made him able to relate to other people as himself and helped him deal with his parents' divorce. While he had fallen into the trap of alcohol and substance abuse to escape his emotional issues, his parents sent him away to join a program that helped teenagers cope with their emotional and addiction problems.

This was when he got introduced to his unknown talent: painting.

"This art teacher at this school in Utah really brought my skill to my attention," Brian Menish told CNN. "If not for that person in my life, I don't think I would be here today."

Although he was sober for nine months, his struggle with addiction did not just end there. After finishing the program, Brian Menish relapsed when he got back home and met his friends. It felt like nothing had changed for him. Not until his motorcycle accident when he was out to buy drugs.

"I was going too fast around a small winding road. My bike hit the guardrail, and I flew over. I hit a tree or a rock and split my skull," Brian Menish recalled. "I was not expected to live."

After the accident, Brian Menish's paintings were not as detailed as before. The accident made him unable to use his right hand, which led him to depression. Thankfully, his mom encouraged him to use his left hand that gave him a new style he began to like.

"Even though my style was much looser, it felt great to be painting again. I kinda liked, and still like, my style now almost better than my detailed drawings and paintings," he said. "It relieves a lot of stress for me knowing that I'm good at something. Someone told me you gain self-esteem by doing estimable acts. That stuck in my head."

According to Rehab Centers, teens with divorced parents are four times more likely to turn into drugs than those whose parents are together.

For Brian Minesh's case, art could be a great help to escape addiction. However, it is better for parents to keep their teenagers in good company.
The incredible plans of the world's first floating city are now unveiled and its construction will start in 2019 in French Polynesia in the middle of Pacific Ocean. The French Polynesian government has just signed an agreement with the U.S. developer, the Seasteading Institute, for the approval of its proposed construction last Friday.

Welcome to the future. https://t.co/jIIUUjqJGm  Breaking News (@breakingnews740) January 19, 2017

The Seasteading Institute, a firm that develops concepts for floating cities for the past five years, announced on Monday that the French Polynesian government has officially signed an agreement to develop legislation for the Floating Island Project with the Seasteading Institute. It further stated that the project is intended to address rising sea levels, as well as to promote technological and economic growth.

"French Polynesia signs agreement supporters hope will pave the way for autonomous floating cities around the world."https://t.co/VU4N5wAS0q  SeasteadingInstitute (@Seasteading) January 17, 2017

French Polynesia is also referred to as an overseas country. It is comprised of 118 islands and stretching over an expanse of over 2,000 kilometers in the South Pacific Ocean. It has a total land area of 4,187 square kilometers. French Polynesia is threatened by the rising of sea levels. With this, the local government decided to protect its citizens to the actual floating city.

Hour one of the Aquatic Age. https://t.co/mFqRT8N6fF  SeasteadingInstitute (@Seasteading) January 14, 2017

Randolph Hencken, the Seasteading executive director, said that the plan would not only save locals from islands like Tahiti, which is the most populous island in the French Polynesian collective, from having to flee their sinking homes in the coming decades. He further said that the proposed floating city would also offer a unique tourist experience to help bolster them economically.

The French Polynesian minister, Jean-Christophe Bouissou, signed the agreement, which specifies that the plans of the floating city are to be completed this year and will be incorporated into draft legislation. Once it passed by the end of 2018, the construction will begin in 2019, according to Science Alert.
NASA's Curiosity rover found a rock, which the astronomers dubbed it as "Ames Knob." The rock may be a meteorite that likely fell from space.

Space.com reports that the rock is a small, dark-gray spot, which is quite unusual with the reddish rock and dirt surrounding the surface of Mars. The astronomers zoomed the rock with a Curiosity's laser-firing spectrometer, referred to as ChemCam, to identify its composition.

This weird rock on Mars that Curiosity just spotted might be an iron meteorite https://t.co/mwCKxknHqh  Niall Firth (@niallfirth) January 17, 2017

NASA spokesman Guy Webster from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, said that one can see the three spots in the image of Ames Knob where the ChemCam laser zapped the target. The photo of the rock was captured on Jan. 12, 2017, while the rover was exploring Mount Sharp.

Based on the ChemCam, the rock or the Ames Knob is an iron-nickel meteorite. It is formed from the core of an asteroid. Webster said that the object's moniker comes from a list of places around Bar harbor, Maine, which is the naming convention for the region where Curiosity is currently working.

The discovered rock is about 4 inches wide and 5.5 inches long. This is the fourth space rock found by Curiosity rover on Mars. Most of the rocks that were found on Mars were made of iron. On the other hand, on Earth, 95 percent of meteorites are stony. The reason for this might be the differences in how the Martian and terrestrial environments erode rocky and metallic meteorites. Another thing could be that it is tougher to pick out a rock on the rugged terrain of Mars, according to New Scientist.

Roger Wiens, the ChemCam principal investigator from Los Alamos national laboratory in New Mexico, said that the meteorites found by Curiosity could help them in their quest. They hoped that the meteorites will be able to tell them some information about the Mars environment. These include whether they fell on land or in water, or how dense the atmosphere was when they fell.
It has been generally accepted that the complex life of planet Earth has appeared at least 1.27 billion years ago. However, a new research suggests that there may have been a much earlier period where complex life could have evolved before it disappears and the reappears again.

The study, led by the University of Washington and put forward the theory, was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers put into details how the isotopic ration in the element selenium in sedimentary rocks suggests a high presence of oxygen in the atmosphere of the Earth between 2 and 2.4 billion years ago.

IFL Science reported that the suggestion is that, for this relatively brief period in Earth's 4.5-billion-year history, the conditions may have been in favor of complex life. Before, it had been thought that the Earth's oxygen went through a period of none, then some, until to a lot. It is when the eukaryotes -- animals, plants, fungi and protists came into existence.

Thus, the research suggests there was a spike before "none" and that it dropped down again. The study co-author from the University of Washington Roger Buick said that, "There is fossil evidence of complex cells that go back maybe 1.75 billion years. But the oldest fossil is not necessarily the oldest one that ever lived - because the chances of getting preserved as a fossil are pretty low."

In line with this, Buick added that the study revealed there was enough oxygen to allow complex cells to evolve and become ecologically important. However, that does not directly mean that they did.

This is not the first time that the theory of increased oxygen earlier in the Earth's history has been proposed. But, it does provide some additional possibilities, such as Earth's atmosphere and surface ocean experienced an increase of oxygen, but not the deep ocean.

One of the researchers from St. Andrews, University of Scotland, Eva Stueken, said that, "It's unknown why it happened, and why it ended. That's the million-dollar question," according to Science Alert.
FLORENCE, S.C.  The Francis Marion University community is mourning the loss of Tom Roop, one of the great figures in the universitys 47-year history.

Roop, a professor of biology at FMU from 1972-2004, died Saturday at his home. He will be honored Saturday on campus.

A visitation with family members will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the presidents residence. A memorial service will follow at 2 p.m. at Chapman Auditorium, in the McNair Science Building.

Roop, a native of Niagara Falls, New York, received numerous honors and accolades during his more than three decades at FMU, but colleagues and students remember him mostly for his personal warmth and compassion.

Julia Krebs, who worked with Roop in the Department of Biology, says she was astounded by how kind and welcoming Roop was when she joined the faculty a few years after Roop.

And then I saw that he treated everyone  faculty, staff, students  the same way, Krebs said. He was as compassionate as any person Ive ever met. He just took care of people, did his best to make sure they were on the right path.

Students recall Roops gentle nudges to push them onto career tracks that best fit their skills. They also remember the famous camping trips that Roop organized every fall to the North Carolina mountains, celebrations of fellowship for faculty, students and alumni.

And they recall Roops astonishing memory. Decades after graduation, Roop would remember not only student names but intimate details about their lives.

He always made an effort to always treat me as a friend, calling me by name and stopping to chat as if no time had passed, years, even decades after graduation, said Paige Thomas, a Roop student from the late 1970s. I have run into him on occasion over the 35 years since I was a student, and it was always the same. Im thankful to have had him as a professor and friend.

His letters of recommendation were amazing, Krebs said.

He knew so much about every one of his students, she said. If you read one of those about yourself, youd feel good for a month.

FMU President Fred Carter said the warmth of Roops personality filled a room.

I cant remember a visit by Tom in my office that didnt begin with a hug, Carter said. Thats just Tom. He may be the most popular professor thats ever walked this campus. He was beloved by students, faculty, staff  everyone.

Peter King, FMUs provost, called Roop  a biology colleague  a great mentor who worked hard at all aspects of his profession.

Roop taught physiology, among other subjects, at FMU. His overarching interest during much of his time at the university was the pre-med and pre-health sciences programs. He helped establish FMUs bona fides in the pre-med area and was a one-man public relations campaign in Florence and beyond. He was delighted to see graduate medical test scores and placement rates for his former students soar.

He bragged about (FMU) everywhere he went, Krebs said. That was great. We were new then. We needed a booster.

Roops work did not go unnoticed.

He was awarded FMUs Distinguished Professor Award in 1980 and was named the J. L. Mason Professor of Health Sciences and Professor of Biology and Coordinator of Biology Pre-Professional Programs, an endowed position at FMU.

Roop received the Helm's Award for the South Carolina Top Science Educator of the Year, was honored with the Service Award from the South Carolina Academy of Science in 2005, and was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society.

Outside of FMU, Roop worked with the South Carolina Academy of Science in many capacities, and helped to found the South Carolina Governor's School of Math and Science.
FLORENCE, S.C.  An excited buzz hovered over Southside Middle School on Thursday as students were the first to receive laptops that are part of Florences 1:1 Initiative.

Assistant Principal Dennis Pate said 880 students received Chromebooks, which are lightweight, portable laptops that the school purchased through a grant. Of those students, 500 were in the Fast Track Lane, meaning their parents attended a parent information session, paid the $30 technology fee and signed paperwork in advance.

This is probably the best thing that couldve happened to these kids here, Principal Craig Washington said.

Students can use the Chromebooks at home and at school so they are never far away from information they need to learn. The goal of the 1:1 Initiative is to provide students with the tools they need to be competitive for their future education and career.

Our parents are excited about this opportunity for their kids to move into the area of blended learning, and our teachers are ready. The students are ready, Washington said. This is a great thing.

Washington has been the principal of Southside Middle School for 11 years.

Learning is changing, Washington said. School is changing, and I think its important for us to make sure theyre being successful as adults. Weve got to change with the world, so were adding in the component of technology so that they are not only ready, but theyre also able to collaborate with others and think outside the box when its time to seek employment.

Seventh-graders Shakel Mason and Alysia Mefford and eighth-grader Mallori Huggins hope their Chromebooks will help them achieve their goals of becoming veterinarians.

Im going to probably download a science app, Shakel Mason said. With the career Im heading for, I need science, so I want to try to keep my science grade up.

The Chromebooks can help students do their assignments more conveniently.

Ill do essays and homework, Alysia Mefford said. All of our work is going to be on that.

The devices can also help essays be more research-based.

Itll help me research stuff, and Ill be able to write papers, Mallori Huggins said.

Several students said they already had homework to do on their Chromebooks, due in the morning.

Im going to get some of my Digits done, said Krystal Hannah, an eighth-grader. Its like a math thing, but we do a lot of science on there, too. Im just ready to do it.

She said the Chromebook will help her achieve her career goals.

I want to be a criminal investigator, she said. I can do a lot of research and find good colleges.

Eighth-grader Breanna Pratt had homework to do her first night, and she wasnt as excited to receive her Chromebook.

All I know is that work is about to get a lot harder, she said. My French teacher already told me tomorrow is going to be one of the hardest days of our lives.

Special education assistant Debbie New said special-needs students should receive their iPads in the next week. Students at South Florence High School will get their devices next Thursday.
I am responding to recent comments about nurse practitioners. I've had the pleasure and privilege of working with some very intelligent, capable, knowledgeable, energetic women and men who are trained as nurse practitioners. I've been the supervising physician for several individuals, and the vast majority have been competent and caring as well as skilled and smart. Smart enough to handle common conditions on their own, and smart enough to know when to ask for assistance.

Just as there are poorly trained doctors, there are poorly trained nurse practitioners, and one must always be aware of the qualifications of the particular health-care provider involved in one's care. I believe that nurse practitioners offer aspects of health care unique to their scope of practice. They are excellent at providing patient education, for example. Working with a physician, a nurse practitioner can allow that physician to see the more complex, complicated, sicker patients in the practice, giving them the expert attention as well as the extra time needed to address their concerns and conditions. In the meantime the nurse can see multiple less complicated patients, which allows better flow through the office.

Some people might question whether nurse practitioners should be allowed to work unsupervised. As a conservative-minded, board-certified, residency-trained physician, I do not agree that they should work without some supervision. In the state of South Carolina, they are not allowed to do so legally. A good NP knows that she or he needs backup from time to time.

In my experience, NPs don't want to replace doctors. They want to take care of patients in coordination with doctors, working together as a team to provide excellent health care to all patients. I have actually learned a few things here and there from my NP friends, and I appreciate the work that they do. In a state that desperately needs more primary care providers, I am happy to see people willing to do primary care, and I'm proud to be working with some of these individuals to help reduce that burden of untreated primary care patients.

MICHELE SCOTT

Florence
Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
The ministers reiterated their commitment to develop Southeast Asia into a vibrant cruise destination. They noted that by 2035 cruise passengers would reach approximately 4.5m, according to a Bermello Ajamil & Partners report. They plan to develop the Joint Declaration of Cruise Tourism as part of the cruise work plans under the ASEAN Tourism Competitiveness Committee.

The decision came on the heels of the inaugural 'Cruise Dialogue' organised by Singapore, the ASEAN cruise lead coordinator.

The commitment was announced after the 20th meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers, held in conjunction with the 36th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), hosted by Singapore. At ATF, government officials got a deeper insight into the cruise industry and created a platform for collaborations in port development. Ministers also toured Mariner of the Seas to better appreciate the latest offerings and the infrastructure required for cruise ships.

In keeping with ATFs 2017 theme, 'Shaping Our Tourism Journey Together,' the ministers discussed plans to enhance Southeast Asia as an integrated, inclusive and sustainable tourism destination for the future. The Joint Declaration will set principles that spur port and destination development, further enticing industry stakeholders and member states to collaborate and grow cruise tourism in the region.

The ministers also examined how cruise lines and entities like the World Bank could partner with ASEAN member states to support cruise port development. They noted member states undertakings to develop cruising, including Indonesias efforts in Bali and beyond. Indonesia is prioritizing infrastructure development in five ports: Tanjung Priok, Tanjung Perak, Belawan, Makaasar and Benow, Bali, so they can berth larger cruise ships.

The ministers are also reviewing immigration clearance processes to ensure consistency across checkpoints and communication channels.

Meanwhile, the Philippines have implemented a National Cruise Tourism Development Strategy to look at infrastructure and destination development, and refine regulations and processes.

The ministers welcomed the finalization of the United Nations World Tourism Organization report on Sustainable Cruise Tourism Development Strategies. The report was commissioned to gain an understanding of sustainable development practices across the region and analysed cruise tourism in ASEAN countries that participated in the study. It also touched on some of the best practices around the world to provide a reference for ASEAN countries as they develop their own sustainable cruise tourism strategies.

Based on primary submissions by member states, ASEAN is estimated to have received 116m international visitors in 2016, a 6.5% increase from 2015. The arrivals were dominated by intra-ASEAN travel, accounting for 43% of total international travel.

Providing clear marketing directions, a Visit [email protected] Celebration campaign would include joint efforts to showcase the region's rich diversity and promote ASEAN as a single tourism destination with multi-country packages. The collaborative campaign will feature 50 ASEAN festivals and travel experiences, and an array of special offers and travel deals.

At the heart of the campaign is the recognition of the strong connectivity among ASEAN member countries, with various flight connections for easy travel to destinations in Southeast Asia.

The region is also increasingly popular for cruises, and visitors can experience Southeast Asias variety of cultures, cuisines and sights in a single sailing. The tourism promotion campaign aims to generate more interest, with cruising as one of the best ways to explore Southeast Asias 25,000 islands and 37 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

According to Cruise Lines International Association, 3.8m passengers are expected to cruise in Asia annually by 2020. Southeast Asia touts its year-round warm weather, diverse beaches and cultures to capture the growing interest in cruising in Asia.

Annie Chang, director, cruise, Singapore Tourism Board, said the collective efforts will continue at the Seatrade Cruise Global conference and exhibition in March. Southeast Asia is set to have its largest joint representation at the event, with five countries co-locating their exhibition booths under the 'Cruise Southeast Asia' brand.

A trade reception will be hosted together as a group, Chang added.
Until late March the ship will sail two-night weekend cruises on Fridays, five-night Singapore-Kuala Lumpur-Penang-Phuket voyages every Sunday on odd weeks, eight-night Singapore-Surabaya-North Bali cruises every Sunday on even weeks and 12-night cruises that combine the three itineraries with the option of a hotel stay instead of the weekend jaunt.

Dream Cruises president Thatcher Brown announced the change during a news conference at the 36th Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN Tourism Forum in Singapore.

'We will have the biggest, the longest and the newest [ship deployed] here,' Brown said. 'Singapore is a logical hub, given its airlift and support.' He cited the city-state's enthusiasm and warmth, the tremendous support of the Singapore authorities and Singapore Tourism Board and the fact that passengers can conveniently visit ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Dream Cruises' parent company Genting Hong Kong has a long history in Singapore that began with Star Aquarius homeporting 23 years ago.

'We have now come full circle,' Brown said.

Michael Goh, svp sales, Dream Cruises, estimated Genting Dream's deployment could generate US$30m in commission, US$60m worth of air tickets and US$80m by way of hotel reservations across the region.

Singapore Tourism Board, which leads ASEANs efforts to promote cruising in the region, expressed delight with the deployment.

'Genting has been a key partner in growing and developing the cruise industry and this marks a new chapter,' STB ceo Lionel Yeo said.

Yeo expects more than half of Genting Dreams passengers to be affluent, international visitors. He estimated its sailings will attract some 200,000 foreign passengers and generate an impact of S$80m in tourism dollars.

Colin Au, adviser, founding president and chief executive, Genting Hong Kong, said Genting Dream offers a great product with a great itinerary and will call at destinations such as Celukan Bawang in North Bali, Surabaya and Semarang in Indonesia, along with destinations in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippinesessentially 'sailing in five seas' within Southeast Asia.

Au predicted 'ASEAN eclipsing the Caribbean as a cruise destination' said stakeholders need to support and work together to develop the business. The entire ASEAN region will benefit, he added, and with Genting Dream's deployment destinations will be rewarded with summer business that would otherwise go to China.

Referring to the Genting groups newbuild plans, Au said: 'We will have the biggest lower berth capacity in Asia.'

Goh said China remains an important source market and the country is working with stakeholders such as Singapore's Changi Airport, STB and other destinations with regard to fly-cruise passengers from China.

A second newbuild, Dream World, is scheduled for completion in October and should be in Asia by the end of the year. Its homeport will be announced at a later date.
The $172m loan facility is with a group of banks including Macquarie Bank Limited (London Branch), DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale, The Export-Import Bank of Korea and Garanti-Instituttet for Eksportkreditt.

The facility comprises multiple tranches and will be used to fund up to 60% of the cost of eight MR product tanker newbuildings being built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard for delivery in 2017 and 2018.

The loan tranches have a maturity of six to 12 years and bears interest of LIBOR plus 2.02% per year.

Scorpio Tankers owns a fleet of 77 product tankers.
The offshore vessels builder announced to the Singapore Exchange (SGX) that almost all the noteholders have agreed to the maturity extension over a total of SGD150m ($105.3m) notes issued pursuant to a SGD500m multicurrency debt issuance programme.

For the SGD100m 4.75% notes due in March 2017, holders of the notes representing SGD96.25m in principal amount submitted their votes with 98.7% of the votes cast in favour of extending the maturity date.

For the other SGD50m 5.35% notes due in October 2018, the holders representing SGD48m in principal amount all voted in favour of extending the maturity date.

The board of directors of the company would like to convey its sincere appreciation to the noteholders, shareholders, financial institutions and business partners for their support, ASL Marine stated.

The call for support from ASL Marine came amid difficult operating conditions in the offshore market marked by the decline in charter rates and demand.

ASL Marine revealed earlier that its fleet utilisation rate fell to 57% as at 30 September 2016 and there have been no new orders for its shipbuilding division since May 2016, as well as a lack of ship repair and conversion jobs.
Over 200,000 people are expected to gather in Washington, D.C. on Saturday for the Women's March on Washington, while more than a million people will be marching in cities around the world in a display of unity.

For those who can't make it to Washington, Sister Marches are being organized in every state throughout the country, as well as internationally. There are marches scheduled in multiple South American, European, Asian and African countries, and even some in the Middle East.

Some protests were already underway Friday, as Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States. According to AFP, police arrested more than 90 people involved in protests against the inauguration.

Despite the protests and planned marches, President Trump called for unity during his first speech as president, saying, "We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable."

On Saturday, plenty of people indeed plan to broadcast their disagreements through the marches, which began as a grassroots movement for a D.C.-based event in the wake of Trump's election. The idea has since become viral.

"A lot of us will not be able make it to D.C. but we can march in our communities, cities and towns in in solidarity with communities most affected by the hate, intolerance and acts of violence being perpetrated throughout the nation," Sister March spokesperson Yordanos Eyoel, an associate partner at venture philanthropy fund New Profit and the founder of Immigrants for America, told Seeker.

RELATED: Skateboarding Saudi Women Fight Sexism in This Viral Video

Eyoel describes the Women's March and the Sister Marches as a tool for defending vulnerable communities.

"The sister marches are making this [solidarity] possible and creating space for everyone, especially those who have been politically disconnected, to have a platform and a community," she said.

The Women's March on Washington has a diverse lineup of speakers, including feminist Gloria Steinem and activist actors like America Ferrera and Scarlett Johansen, as well as Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Immigrant Rights Activist Sophie Cruz, and Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin.

Each Sister March has its own agenda of speakers who will address equality-in-taiwan-gay-pride-parade-2070253936.html">human rights and equality on a local level and will discuss the crucial issues affecting the communities in their city.

In San Francisco, Maria de Lourdes Reboyoso, a grassroots fundraising coordinator for Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA) will speak about maintaining the rights of the city's diverse immigrant communities.

RELATED: The Women Fighting ISIS to Protect The Yazidi People

In Chicago, Eva Lewis, Maxine Aguilar, Maxine Wint, and Yahair Tarr of Youth For Black Lives will address the importance of reducing officer-involved shootings in the city and police accountability.

Eyoel and all of the Sister March organizers are hoping to get the attention of U.S. leaders.

"We aim to send a bold message to our leaders, both at the local and national levels, that the United States of America stands for values of human decency, equal rights and freedom from discrimination," she said. "[We want to] amplify our message of unity, solidarity, and inclusivity."

WATCH: Is Poverty Sexist?
The long-term vision of seasteading is to construct fully autonomous floating cities on the high seas where the "next generation of pioneers [can] peacefully test new ideas for government." But for this first, proof-of-concept project, the Seasteading Institute was searching for an island partner with protected shallow waters and an openness to new type of economic model called a SeaZone.

"This was a Polynesian-initiated project," Quirk told Seeker. "They reached out to us. It's an ideal country for seasteading, and they think we're the perfect industry for what they want to do with regard to the blue economy,"

Joe Quirk is the Seasteading Institute's staff "Seavangelist" and author of the forthcoming Seasteading: How Ocean Cities Will Change the World , written with Seasteading Institute co-founder Patri Friedman. Quirk was part of a 10-person team who visited French Polynesia back in September.

The Polynesians are less interested in the seasteaders libertarian politics than their promise of delivering a high-tech floating village that will not only provide jobs for Polynesian workers, but attract investment dollars for Polynesian entrepreneurs.

French Polynesia is a cluster of more than 100 islands in the South Pacific, the biggest and best-known being Tahiti. Like other coastal and island nations in the Pacific, French Polynesia is courting investment in the so-called "blue economy," the sustainable development of offshore energy production, wild-catch fisheries, aquaculture and tourism.

But this past January 13, the dream came one step closer to reality when the Seastead Institute signed a deal with French Polynesia that lays the legal groundwork for the world's first semi-autonomous floating city-state.

When Peter Thiel, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal, helped launch the Seasteading Institute in 2008, it sounded like a libertarian pipe dream - floating cities free from government meddling (no regulation, no taxes) that would be testing grounds for technological, social and political innovation.

For the past 40 years, countries across Asia and Latin America have established special economic zones (SEZs) with low corporate taxes and light regulation to lure foreign investment. The most famous SEZ is the Chinese city of Shenzhen, a sleepy fishing village which became China's first SEZ in 1980. Today it's a manufacturing and export hub of 10 million residents generating $230 billion in GDP.

SeaZones, as envisioned by the Seasteading Institute, do more than simply extend the SEZ concept offshore. Over the next year, the Seasteading Institute will be negotiating the legal terms of the SeaZone with the government of French Polynesia, which may include not only economic incentives, but a certain measure of political autonomy.

"Certainly the more [autonomy], the better," said Quirk, "But even if we just get something very modest, it could set a great example for what's possible. The exciting thing about French Polynesia is that it's as large as Western Europe, but only 1/1000th of it is land. They have lots of space to experiment with SeaZones."

The deal signed last week was just a memorandum of understanding between the Polynesian government and the Seasteading Institute. Before construction can begin on the pentagonal concrete platforms that would support the floating city, the Seasteading Institute and its Dutch engineering partner Blue21 must conduct economic and environmental impact studies.

RELATED: Asgardia: Probably Not Humanity's Protector

Quirk said that the novel floating platforms are not only environmentally friendly, but environmentally restorative. Rising water temperatures in the South Pacific have killed much of French Polynesia's coral reefs.

"Through the presence of small floating communities," said Quirk, "you could slightly lower the temperature of water in the immediate vicinity to spark the recovery of the corals."

Seasteading advocates envision a future where clusters of offshore communities serve as "green" foils to polluting coastal cities. The excess CO2 pumped out by cities can be captured by sprawling offshore algae farms and converted into biofuels. Nutrients leached away by wastewater can be used to fertilize floating vegetable farms and fisheries.

For now, though, it's all about building that first prototype and recruiting the first faithful seasteaders. If all goes smoothly with the Polynesian negotiations, Quirk said that construction could start as early as 2018 and the first units could be sold starting in 2019.

RELATED: A Simple Guide to Starting Your Own Country

According to conceptual designs, the artificial islands will consist of interconnected pentagonal platforms measuring 50 meters on each side. Each platform will be a mix of commercial, residential and green space. Real estate on the first islands won't come cheap. At an estimated $504 per square foot, it's similar to housing prices in Manhattan and London.

Despite the cost, Quirk says that more than 3,000 people have already completed a detailed online survey expressing interest in being the floating city's first residents.

"I don't think we're going to have any trouble finding people who want to live and open businesses on the first few islands," he said.

Billionaire Thiel is not currently involved in the Seasteading Institute or this first floating cities project in French Polynesia. When it became clear that libertarian islands on the open ocean would cost billions to build and secure, Thiel's initial passion for seasteading cooled.

But Quirk said the Seasteading Institute hasn't lost sight of its ultimate goal.

"The Seasteading Institute is interested in taking incremental steps toward more autonomy so people can experiment with new societies," said Quirk. "The technological innovation and legal innovation are advancing in parallel toward a long-term view of moving out to the high seas."

WATCH VIDEO: Cities Are Like Stars
File this one under incredibly close calls at sea.

Lots of things could have gone really wrong for the hapless Japanese surfer who got stranded nearly four miles from the Australian shore for more than 16 hours. The water was choppy and home to sharks, and the 37-year-old man had been adrift overnight. He was also susceptible to hypothermia.

In a stroke of good luck, eagle-eyed crew members of the container ship MSC Damla spotted him waving for help from his bright yellow surfboard last Friday. Pixelated photos show that they threw him a life-buoy and brought him aboard. Afterward, they gave him a dry crew uniform to wear, food and wrapped him in blankets, according to a press statement from the global container shipping company MSC.

"Most people that get themselves in that situation die. He's just so lucky that someone on ship spotted him," Port Kembla Water Police Sergeant Sean Netting told Illawarra Mercury reporter Angela Thompson.

Although he initially waved off medical assistance, the unnamed man was transported from the ship to the shore by a pilot vessel, and then taken by ambulance to Wollongong Hospital. Miraculously he was uninjured and released that afternoon.

RELATED: Surfer Grabs Big Win After Daring Rescue

The man, who was visiting Australia from Japan, had set out from Bulli Beach the day before around 5 pm in warm weather by himself. He told rescuers later that the waves at the beach got too big for him so he tried paddling out behind the sets when the current dragged him out, Thompson reported.

The 964-foot-long container ship, which is registered in Panama, had been anchored off the shore for a few days. "This was, by all accounts, a dramatic rescue which appears to have enabled the man to walk free from his ordeal completely unscathed," MSC Australia medical doctor Kevin Clarke said in a statement.

Pretty sure that was enough surfing adventure to last the guy a lifetime.

WATCH VIDEO: Surfing South Africa
The 2017 solar eclipse that sweeps across the United States this August - which is being called the Great American Eclipse - will be the science highlight of the year. Whether you are an amateur or professional astronomer or an occasional stargazer, NASA is on the hunt for people eager to contribute to science during the eclipse. Tyler Nordgren is an astronomy professor at the University of Redlands in California, who will give a talk on citizen science during the solar eclipse at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference in Boston next month. To do some experimenting, you need little more than a pair of solar eclipse glasses and a smart phone. Here are some of the experiments in which you can take part: Tracking the moon's shadow. This experiment is great for elementary school kids. If you're lucky enough to see the eclipse in a mountainous area, you may see the moon making some nearby high landmarks dark before the solar eclipse reaches you. If you know how far away those landmarks are and if you have a phone or a smartwatch tracking the time, you can estimate how fast the moon's shadow moves across the landscape.

Calculating general relativity. Suitable for high school, university and adults, this experiment allows you to replicate the experience of astronomers during the 1919 eclipse when Einstein's theory of general relativity was showcased. (The theory, in part, has to do with how gravity bends light). "The idea is to have people take images of the sun and the stars around it during the total solar eclipse," Nordgren said, "and because of the sun's gravity, it would warp the fabric of space-time around the sun. So, stars only visible during the eclipse will have their positions slightly altered as their light passes by the sun." In 1919 this required state of the art equipment. In 2017, you just need a telescope and a digital camera. Measuring light and temperature changes. Most smart phones have light meter apps where you can measure the ambient light, and an old-school mercury thermometer would let you keep track of the temperature, Nordgren said. "You can use your iPhone to identify what your GPS location is," he said, which means you can track these items precisely by location. Even time will be more precise, he added. "Back in the day we all had our wristwatches ... we all now have satellite-enabled clocks at our disposal." More details here and here.
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.

Stark is part of an archaeological expedition of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, at the University of Warsaw, which is excavating al-Ghazali.

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 ]

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.

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.

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.

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.

RELATED: Ancient Mass Graves Discovered in Greece

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.
As Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States today (Jan. 20), here are six things to know about his actions and projected plans relating to NASA:

Trump likely will have to make big decisions about NASA's plans for Mars.

The incoming president likely will have to make decisions regarding a few key NASA programs, according to space policy experts who spoke with Space.com prior to the Nov. 8 election. [Top Space Issues Facing President-Elect Donald Trump]

Currently, NASA is planning to send humans to Mars as early as the 2030s using a heavy-lift rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS) that the agency is building in-house. NASA also will use the Orion spacecraft to carry humans atop the SLS. The Orion spacecraft has undergone one test flight; the SLS has yet to complete a test launch. The SLS will have the boost necessary to propel humans to the moon, Mars or other deep-space destinations, and there is currently no other operating rocket with that kind of power.

"The next president is inheriting a space program that has this nascent ambition to go to Mars but doesn't have hardware actually flying yet," Casey Dreier, director of space policy at The Planetary Society, told Space.com in November. "So there's a lot of opportunity for the next administration to say, 'Should we continue these [programs]? What will the direction be? Do we want to commit to supporting these programs as is? Do we change them? Do we cancel them?' ... So it's a big question mark."

RELATED: What a Trump Presidency Means for Space Exploration

In his 2011 budget request, President Barack Obama effectively canceled NASA's Constellation Program, which would have returned humans to the moon, although pieces of the Constellation Program were folded into the SLS and Orion programs. There is debate among human-spaceflight experts about whether building a more permanent human presence on the moon is a necessary step on the way to sending humans to Mars.

As president, Trump may not cancel NASA's Mars mission entirely, but it's possible that the next administration will tell the agency to cancel the SLS program and instead utilize the heavy-lift rocket being developed by the private spaceflight company SpaceX, Brian Berger, managing editor of SpaceNews, said during a webinar shortly after Trump's election. The Falcon Heavy rocket will also have the ability to send a spacecraft all the way to Mars. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has laid out his long-term goals for colonizing Mars; in the near term, the company plans to send its own uncrewed spacecraft to Mars as early as 2018. Supporters of the SLS program have argued that two transportation systems to the Red Planet would be safer for astronauts (so if either rocket system failed during a supply delivery, for example, there would be a backup).

Beyond NASA's Mars program, Trump could have to make decisions regarding NASA's commitment to the International Space Station. The agency is committed to its current level of funding for the station through 2024. Agency representatives have said they hope private industry will take up a bigger role in low-Earth-orbit activities. Right now, the station serves as a national laboratory, where scientists and private companies can conduct research in microgravity. Members of private industry have spoken about the possibility of shifting microgravity research into private space stations.

Trump sent an "experience landing team" to NASA.

President-elect Trump has sent "landing teams" to some of the major federal agencies in order to assist in the transition to the new administration. The NASA landing team consists mainly of people who have experience working for or with NASA.

Leading the team is Chris Shank, who worked as NASA's director of strategic investments from 2005 to 2009. Until recently, Shank served as policy director for the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, and prior to that, he was deputy chief of staff for Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the committee.

Other members of the transition team include former NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus, who flew to space three times and has been executive director of The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics since 2012; and Steve Cook, who was in charge of the Ares 1 and Ares 5 rocket programs at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and has also worked in the industry since leaving NASA.

RELATED: Clinton: We Need to Map the Asteroid Threat

The benefit of an experienced landing team is that the current NASA employees "can skip the 'NASA 101' lesson and dive right into a lot of the details" of various programs, according to Jeff Foust, a senior writer at SpaceNews. (SpaceNews is a Space.com syndication partner.) Foust spoke during a session focused on the presidential transition at the 229th meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Grapevine, Texas, earlier this month.

Foust also noted that the transition team members' opinions do not necessarily reflect the stances that the Trump administration will take on issues pertaining to NASA.

Recently, Robert Lightfoot, NASA's associate administrator, announced that some of the transition team members will remain at the agency past Jan. 20. (Typically, transition teams depart once the president-elect is sworn into office.)

Trump has not yet appointed the top leaders who will influence space policy.

Trump has nominated candidates for a number of federal leadership positions, including for the head of the Department of Energy, but he has not chosen nominees for the positions of NASA administrator, NASA deputy administrator or head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. (The latter is often referred to as the "White House science adviser.")

It's not atypical for a new NASA administrator to be nominated weeks or months after a president is inaugurated. Obama did not nominate former astronaut Charles Bolden to the position until May 2009, and Bolden wasn't approved by Congress until July of that year. A few names have been floated by industry insiders for potential NASA administrator candidates, according to an article by SpaceNews. Until a NASA administrator is appointed, Lightfoot will serve as acting administrator.

The panel of speakers at the AAS presidential session seemed more concerned that a nominee had not been selected for the position of White House science adviser. Rick Mertens, associate director of the Office of Federal Relations for the Texas A&M University System, said he had heard rumors that the president might not appoint anyone to that position.

"That remains to be seen," Mertens said. "But it can be a very critical position, not only in helping set policy in the science area for the next president, but [also in having] ... someone that is a point person to explain [to the president] how they're handling science within the administration."

Trump may try to reduce or eliminate NASA's Earth Science department.

It's possible that Trump will side with some members of Congress in a push to reduce or eliminate NASA's Earth Science program. In an op-ed for SpaceNews published on Oct. 19, 2016, Robert S. Walker and Peter Navarro, who acted as advisers to the Trump campaign, said "NASA should be focused primarily on deep-space activities rather than Earth-centric work that is better handled by other agencies."

RELATED: Obama: NASA Will Land on Mars in the 2030s

This stance is not new, however. Members of Congress - including Smith and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness - have said that Earth science falls outside NASA's mission and should be handled by another agency (most likely the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA). NASA officials have pushed back against that characterization and have emphasized that Earth science is an important aspect of the agency's mission.

Recently, Michael Freilich, head of NASA's Earth Science division, said he anticipates a stable budget for the program for the remainder of the fiscal year (which ends Sept. 30).Freilich has also encouraged scientists in the Earth Science division to remain calm in the face of an uncertain future.

Trump may reinstate a National Space Council.

Trump may have plans to reinstate the National Space Council (NSC), an advisory body within the Executive Office that would make recommendations to the president regarding space policy. President George H.W. Bush maintained a National Space Council from 1988 to 1993.

An Oct. 19 op-ed written by Walker and Navarro announced the possibility of reinstating the NSC. The authors wrote that incoming Vice President Mike Pence would chair the space council.

Experts have noted, however, that reinstating a national space policy council doesn't guarantee that the president will make space a priority, and it doesn't provide any insight into the specific policies or programs that the president might support.

"It's utterly up to [the] president how much he or she listens to [the council]," Dreier told Space.com prior to the Nov. 8 election. Appointing a space council is "not a bad thing, but it's not a slam dunk, either," Dreier said. "It is an encouraging sign that [space] will be taken seriously, but it's not a requirement."

Experts interviewed by Space.com have also expressed concerns about the potential downsides of reinstating the council.

Trump will likely support NASA partnerships with private spaceflight companies.

Trump hasn't offered many details about his plans for science or space policy, according to the speakers in the presidential session at the AAS meeting. Trump's lack of details on space policy is not surprising, however, because space isn't a major campaign issue, so candidates aren't pushed to make strong commitments regarding space, according to the panelists.

But prior to the Nov. 8 election, the Trump campaign did express its support for public-private partnerships in spaceflight, which very likely means that under Trump's administration, NASA will continue to offer contracts to private companies such as SpaceX and Boeing for certain tasks, like sending supplies to the International Space Station.

"Public-private partnerships should be the foundation of our space efforts," Walker and Navarro wrote in the Oct. 19 SpaceNews op-ed. "Such partnerships offer not only the benefit of reduced costs, but the benefit of partners capable of thinking outside of bureaucratic structures and regulations."

That stance is essentially in line with what NASA is already doing. The agency has a long history of working with private companies to fulfill various needs within its spaceflight and science programs. NASA relies on companies such as Orbital ATK, Cygnus, SpaceX and Boeing to provide rockets and spacecraft that the agency uses to send nonhuman payloads into space. NASA is now entering new territory as it prepares to send humans to space aboard commercially built spacecraft.

Late last month, the Trump transition team added Charles Miller to the NASA landing team. Miller served as NASA's senior adviser for commercial space from 2009 to 2012, but he's spent most of his career with commercial spaceflight companies. Miller also founded a lobbying group focused on commercial spaceflight issues, according to SpaceNews. The move to add Miller to the landing team seems to signal the administration's interest in fostering private partnerships with the agency.

Original article on Space.com.

Editor's Recommendations

WATCH VIDEO: Have We Been Doing Space Travel All Wrong?
Rob Brewster has worked in environmental management for nearly two decades. Over the years, on Friday evenings, he would sit with colleagues and assess the week's work. Brewster said he repeatedly heard stories about "apathetic public servants" and other people who felt "too small to make a change, so I'm just going to enjoy my time on the planet and not care anymore."

Frustrated by this grim view for the future, Brewster decided to shake things up in his homeland of Australia. "It just became obvious that we have to change the message and say, 'No! I don't accept a worse environment,'" he said. "I'll only accept a healthier more biodiverse Australia, and I'm going to tell everyone about this better, more exciting future, and breed enthusiasm for creating a rich, more interesting environment that we inevitably share with our wildlife. That led us to create Rewilding Australia."

The organization is one of several efforts across the globe to restore areas of land to an uncultivated state. The process sometimes involves the reintroduction of species that have seen steep population declines, or been driven out or completely exterminated.

RELATED: Tasmanian Devils in the Wild Beat Back Deadly Cancer

In Australia, there have been notable successes with two meat-loving marsupials, the Tasmanian devil and the quoll. Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease has devastated wild populations of these animals over the past 20 years. Captive breeding, island introductions and population augmentation programs that return healthy devils to the wild "mean that the future is looking brighter for the species," Brewster said.

The flagship project of Rewilding Australia is the reintroduction of eastern quolls to the mainland, and it's gaining pace. Feral cats and foxes have contributed to the decline of this and other smaller animals across Australia in recent years. But with the assistance of the local government, funding partners and more, Brewster said, the species has been successfully reintroduced.

Work to strengthen populations of existing endangered animals is something that few environmentalists would question. After all, as Phil Seddon, a professor of zoology at the University of Otago, told Seeker, reintroductions "have taken place for decades, conservation introductions are growing in number, and the idea of rewilding has already taken hold in Europe."

"De-ex," Seddon said, "is the new frontier."

Giant Cattle, Woolly Mammoths

A de-extinction project is currently underway in Europe to bring back giant wild cattle, known as aurochs, which died out in 1627. Standing up to 6 feet tall and weighing 1,5003,000 pounds, aurochs were the ancestors of today's domestic cattle.

Rewilding Europe and the Taurus Foundation have established five breeding sites for the Tauros program, which is primarily crossbreeding Iberian and Podolian breeds of cattle in order to achieve mammals with auroch-like properties. The resulting cattle, called Tauros, are now located in Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Romania and the Netherlands.

"In the near and more distant future, herds of Tauros will live as wild cattle and will contribute to the sustainable conservation of Europe's open landscapes and biodiversity," Ronald Goderie of the foundation and his colleagues wrote in a recent report.

RELATED: Breeders Are Trying to Bring Giant, Extinct Cows Back to Europe



Progress is also being made to bring back the woolly mammoth, which disappeared from its primary range around 10,000 years ago (with isolated populations surviving on two islands until 5,6004,000 years ago), and the passenger pigeon, which died out around 1900.

The Harvard Woolly Mammoth Revival team, led by George Church, is currently using genetic engineering to copy and paste DNA from the mammoth genome into living elephant cell cultures. Mutations for mammoth blood, fat and hair development have already been engineered into the elephant cell lines utilizing the genetic editing technology known as CRISPR.

Much work remains, but "the ultimate goal of woolly mammoth revival is to produce new mammoths that are capable of repopulating the vast tracts of tundra and boreal forest in Eurasia and North America," according to the project. "The goal is not to make perfect copies of extinct woolly mammoths, but to focus on the mammoth adaptations needed for Asian elephants to live in the cold climate of the tundra."

Church and his team explain that there are three primary reasons for bringing back the woolly mammoth: The work offers clues to large mammal conservation; ancient DNA holds secrets that affect modern biology and medicine; and mammoths are thought to have maintained grasslands, which could insulate permafrost and sequester climate change-associated atmospheric carbon.

The Harvard project and others have looked to the pre-Pleistocene era, more than 11,700 years ago, for inspiration. At that time, mammoths existed in habitats with abundant herds of antelope, deer, cattle, horses and other animals before climate change, human impacts or some combination of the two led to the herds vanishing.

Dutch forest ecologist Frans Vera, however, has indicated that the pre-Neolithic period (around 8,000 to 5000 years ago) could serve as a benchmark for current conservation, given that parts of Europe were likely in a relatively pristine or natural state then.

RELATED: Look Into the Eyes of a Neolithic Man in This Reconstruction

Kathy Hodder of Bournemouth University led an exploration of Vera's proposal, attempting to determine if the pre-Neolithic period could serve as a template for modern nature conservation.

"It would seem reasonable to assume that no one really believes that past landscapes can be restored exactly, but that invaluable lessons may be learned by looking back, and that we can strive towards, but never reach, a future natural state," Hodder and her team wrote. "The outcomes of such efforts are by definition uncertain and unpredictable, and none of us will live long enough to see the outcome of these attempts."

Benefits Could Exceed Risks, So Long as There's an Easy Out

Seddon warned that there are risks in moving plants and animals around.

"A reintroduction involves putting organisms back where they used to be, so in some ways is the most conservative and least risky type of conservation translocation," he said. "However, when we start moving species outside their indigenous range, to protect them from threats or to perform certain ecological functions, then there is a much higher level of uncertainty - uncertainty over whether it will work, or whether there might be unforeseen consequences.

"The potential for 'even worse problems' is certainly there and that is why no translocation should be undertaken lightly and importantly there should be an 'exit strategy' - can you reverse it by taking the released plants or animals back out of the release site if there are problems?"

Brewster admitted that, with the human population at over 7 billion and rising, defining nature is now is complicated, given that our species has influenced virtually every ecosystem on the planet. Australian biologist Tim Low even coined the term "new nature," to describe today's environment.

Brewster remains undaunted by the challenges. He he still derives joy and wonderment from "seeing a Tasmanian devil slowly moving through a forest, or looking under a rock ledge to see a quoll looking back at you.

"While rewilding looks back in time to learn about those lost ecosystem connections we can restore, we have to work with the environmental constraints we now have in our environment - invasive species, people seeking resources, farms, cities, roads and a warming climate - and we need to help to manage ecosystems to maintain ecosystem function and connections that are so important for biodiversity to flourish."

Photo: Tasmanian devil. Credit Thinkstock WATCH: Bringing Back Weird Extinct Animals
President Obama is leaving office on Friday, but scientists will be saying "thanks, Obama" for years to come.

Or more specifically, "thanks, Station Obama."

Eight years ago on Friday, scientists named a climate monitoring location in a desolate bay off the Antarctic Peninsula after the 44th president to mark his inauguration. They took the step as a way to honor a president they viewed as a someone who would bring scientific integrity back to the White House.

Now they're returning to the site in the next few days as part of a five-week research cruise underway in the Southern Ocean and plan to make it an annual visit. The data they collect at Station Obama shows how climate change is altering one of the most fragile places on the planet from melting ice to massive ecosystem changes.

The station will help ensure Obama's climate legacy will live on even as Donald Trump, who has dramatically different views on climate change, will be sworn in as the nation's new president on Jan. 20.

Obama has increasingly maneuvered to make climate change part of his legacy. Under his watch, the U.S. signed the Paris Agreement, implemented a domestic climate plan and has seen all corners of the federal government, from the Environmental Protection Agency to Department of Defense, take climate change more seriously. Most recently, he wrote a piece for Science, one of the world's most prestigious academic journals, about how the clean energy revolution is unstoppable.

RELATED: Antarctica Is Now Home to the World's Largest Marine Reserve

Is/tillerson-murky-on-paris-climate-pact-21048">limatecentral.org/news/tillerson-murky-on-paris-climate-pact-21048">ef="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/tillerson-murky-on-paris-climate-pact-21048">href="himatecentral.org/news/tillerson-murky-on-paris-climate-pact-21048">ttp://www.climatecentral.org/news/tillerson-murky-on-paris-climate-pact-21048">ttp://www.climatecentral.org/news/tillerson-murky-on-paris-climate-pact-21048">n comparison, Trump has f="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/trumps-presidency-climate-change-20858">referred to climate change as a hoax and his cabinet nominees have repeatedly spoken in ways that show a clear misunderstandingof climate science, if not outright denialism. The Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress have both signaled they plan to undo the progress that Obama made at a crucial time when the world needs to do more to combat climate change.

The Laurence M. Gould, a U.S. icebreaker on a five-week Antarctic research trip, will revisit Station Obama "to call attention to the progress the nation made toward addressing climate change during his presidency" according to Hugh Ducklow, an oceanographer at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the Center for Climate and Life who helped christen the station in 2009.

The site's name is unique. Ducklow said he's never heard of another climate or ocean monitoring location named after a president, let alone other people.

"Usually we just have numbers, or maybe just latitude/longitude, not actual names," he wrote in an email sent from the Gould, which is chugging toward the British Antarctic Survey's Rothera Research Station located to the northeast of Station Obama.

When scientists reach Station Obama - "station" being oceanographer speak for a sampling location where they deploy their instruments - they'll take a suite of measurements to monitor what's happening to the climate and ocean in the region. That includes taking the temperature of the ocean as well as looking at indicators of ocean acidification and the ocean's ability to pull carbon out of the atmosphere.

The data collected at Station Obama are part of a long-term monitoring project in the region that has revealed the stunning ways that climate change has reshaped the bottom of the world. Since 1950, Ducklow said temperatures in the region have risen by 11F.

RELATED: DiCaprio, Cameron, Branson Back Antarctic Protection

That's contributed to the sea ice season shrinking by three months and caused 80 percent of glaciers in the region to retreat. Rising temperatures and changing ocean chemistry due to climate change are also decreasing krill, which form the base of the food chain, and the population of Adelie penguins, which are important to the ecosystem, not to mention adorable.

The Antarctic Peninsula is also likely to see a Delaware-sized ice shelf disintegrate in the coming months, a change that will speed the flow of land ice to the sea and with it, more sea level rise. It's hardly the only ice in Antarctica to be suffering the consequences of warmer air and ocean temperatures.

It's against this backdrop that Station Obama takes on more importance. The data researchers collected there in 2009 and again this year make it clear that huge changes are afoot in the region. That data doesn't really care what politicians have to say about climate change. Physics will not yield to politics.

"We have one home planet and its habitability for human civilization is maintained by healthy ecosystems," Ducklow said.

Photo: The view from Station Obama, located off the Antarctic Peninsula. Credit: Natasja van Gestal, Northern Arizona Univiversity More From Climate Central:

This article originally appeared on Climate Central, all rights reserved.

WATCH: How Science Is Keeping Antarctica Ungoverned
We all know the cliches: Men are from Mars, women are from Venus. Women are quicker to cry. Men don't show their emotions.

But research that looked at differences in the brain - specifically in the brain's emotion center - suggests that may all be bunk.

"That belief that there's a male-type brain and female-type brain is just not true," said Lise Eliot, an associate professor of neuroscience at the Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. "It's not true for the amygdala. It is turning out to be not true for the hippocampus, for the corpus callosum, for left-right dominance. There's just not an attribute of the brain that reliably marks it as male or female."

Eliot, whose 2009 book "Pink Brain, Blue Brain" explained how gender stereotypes are reinforced on young brains, led recent research that analyzed 6,726 MRIs taken from 58 separate studies. Her team scrutinized the brain scans of men and women, and measured the volume of the amygdala in each subject. Previous research using animal models and MRIs had suggested that the amygdala may be larger in males than in females.

RELATED: Here's Why Some Women Regret Casual Sex More Than Men

The amygdala (of which there are two in the brain) is known as the center for emotion, social behavior, aggression and sexual drive. If men's amygdalae are, in fact, larger, it could be evidence of one way that men and women are wired differently.

The researchers did find that amygdala volumes were in fact about 10 percent larger in male brains. But, Eliot says that corresponds to men's larger body size, including the 10-12 percent overall larger volume of men's brains.

"The difference in amygdala volume is just in proportion to their size difference - it's 10-12 percent larger, which makes sense because men are 10 to 12 percent larger than women," Eliot said. "But if you control for individual head size, there's no difference."

The Franklin University team's finding, which was published in the journal NeuroImage, is the latest in a series of studies that have looked for differences in male and female brains - and found none.

Eliot's team found in a 2015 study that there is no discernible difference in the size of men's and women's hippocampus. The hippocampus plays a key role in the consolidation of learning from short-term memory to long-term memory and in spatial navigation.

A 1997 study from the University of Alberta analyzed scans from 49 studies published since 1980 and found no significant sex difference in the size or shape of the brain's corpus callosum. This bundle of nerves is the part of the mind that allows communication between the two hemispheres of the brain.

Then there is the common belief that people are either "right-brained" or "left-brained," and that women tend to be more right-brained and associated with creativity rather than the calculating, analytical characteristics commonly linked with the left brain. That notion, too, has been challenged.

ELATED: Women or Men: Which are Better Leaders?

A 2014 University of Utah Health Sciences study asserted that there is no evidence within brain imaging that indicates some people are right-brained or left-brained.

"It's absolutely true that some brain functions occur in one or the other side of the brain. Language tends to be on the left, attention more on the right," Jeff Anderson, the study's lead author, said at the time. "But people don't tend to have a stronger left- or right-sided brain network. It seems to be determined more connection by connection."

One of the most comprehensive surveys looked at several areas of the brain and analyzed the volume of gray matter and white matter in the brains of more than 1,400 individuals. The researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel concluded in the 2015 research that all of our brains seem to share a patchwork of forms that crossed gender lines.

Finally, one might wonder if hormones are at play in the brain, leading men and women to think differently.

Again, Eliot says, the research just doesn't show it.

"The studies that have tried to find effects of estrogen and testosterone on thinking skills or emotional skills have been very sketchy," she remarked. "About the only thing we know for sure is that testosterone increases sex drive in both sexes. Other than that, estrogen and testosterone, it's the same thing - they appear to have no effect on any cognitive skills."

The bottom line is while there is obviously variation among human brains and corresponding human behavior, these differences just can't be drawn along gender lines.

"Much of the idea that men's and women's brains are different is just stereotype," said Eliot. "The fact is there are sensitive men and there are callous women. There are aggressive women and there are deeply emotional men. We're all across the spectrum and the most successful people usually have a mix of traits."

Photo: MRI coronal view of the amygdala. Credit: Amber Rieder, Jenna Traynor, Geoffrey B Hall WATCH: Men vs. Women: Who Really Gets Sicker?
Male baboons, under certain circumstances, will turn to a grisly practice in order to increase their chances of siring offspring: They'll attack pregnant females in order to kill infants in utero.

Researchers from Duke University, in a study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, documented that behavior as well as infanticide in a group of baboons in Kenya's Amboseli basin and explained why such attacks happen and under what circumstances.

Infanticide - killing infants of their own kind - is seen in multiple animal species, including baboons: Lions willdo it, and so will dolphins. Feticide  killing an unborn infant by attacking its pregnant mother  is less well studied, say the researchers, who took a closer look at baboon life to measure how often both killings happen and the conditions present when they do.

The Duke team studied a baboon population in Amboseli National Park, using findings from a long-term study of the animals running since 1971. They found that male baboons new to the troop were behind 2 percent of infant deaths and 6 percent of miscarriages.

However, in times where fertile females were in short supply, the death rates were more than three times as high.

"In situations where males have few opportunities, they resort to violence to achieve what's necessary to survive and reproduce," lead author Matthew Zipple confirmed in Duke Today. "When reproductive opportunities abound, this behavior is less frequent."

RELATED: Baboon Uses Broom Bristles for Dental Floss

It starts with new members of a population. Baboon troops usually have a couple of males that simply show up and join - called "immigrants" in the research - after having left their initial populations in a quest for mates.

Within two weeks of immigrant males arriving, the scientists found, there were upticks in infant deaths and miscarriages. Because older - 1 to 2 years of age - baboons were not harmed, the researchers reasoned that the baboon violence was specifically aimed at pregnant or nursing females.

What's going on here? The prevailing hypothesis, say the scientists, is that infanticide and feticide both speed the availability for otherwise pregnant or lactating females to mate again. Whereas it could take up to a year before a child-rearing baboon could mate again, with the acts of domestic violence on the born and unborn the females could be ready to mate again in scarcely more than a month.

Most of the time, the team found, the males did in fact end up mating with the females whose unborn or infants they killed.

Feticide and infanticide rates were highest, the scientists found, with immigrant males that had ascended quickly to top of the social ranks, which dovetails with something study co-author Susan Alberts told Duke Today. Baboon males at the top of the social ladder have to make tracks: They usually get bounced from prominence within a year of their ascendancy. Passing on their name, as it were, becomes a top priority.

"They've got a pretty short window," Alberts said.

WATCH VIDEO: Which Animal Groups Are Run By Alpha Females?
Bam: Let's not burden Filipino families with higher tax and prices

Any tax measure that burdens Filipino families with higher prices would go through the proverbial eye of the needle in the Senate, assured Sen. Bam Aquino.

"Any measure that will increase prices, babantayan namin iyan. For me, it's something that every Filipino family doesn't want to see, an increase in prices," said Sen. Bam in a television interview.

"Walang pagtaas ng tax na hindi maaapektuhan ang mga Pilipino," he added.

The senator made the pronouncement in connection with the government's plan to impose P6 to P10 excise tax on diesel under its tax reform agenda.

Sen. Bam said the government's plan "is little bit of a hard sell" but senators are expected to tackle the measure during plenary debates where they will listen to positions of different stakeholders.

"I think during the plenary debates, a lot of figures will be presented to us. We will listen to reason and different parties. Titingnan natin kung ano ang epekto nito sa presyo ng bilihin at sa national budget," said Sen. Bam.

In particular, Sen. Bam wants to determine the exact effect of the planned imposition of excise tax on diesel fuel to prices of goods and agricultural products transported by diesel-powered vehicles to markets in different parts of the country.

In the 17th Congress, Sen. Bam has filed Senate Bill No. 697 that seeks to revise the current income tax bracket set by the National Internal Revenue Code, which was passed in 1997.

The measure seeks to amend Section 24 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, by adjusting the levels of net taxable income and simplifying the nominal tax rates for the purposes of computing the individual income tax.

If enacted into law, Sen. Bam said the measure effectively lowers the taxes on the 22-million Filipino working class, allowing them to enjoy a higher net income and increase their purchasing power.
Cayetano: "Tokhang for Ransom" inexcusable

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano expressed serious dismay over the reported murder of a South Korean national inside Camp Crame, stressing that the police personnel and officials behind this serious crime should be held accountable.

In a press conference on Friday (January 20), the senator called the so-called "tokhang for ransom" incident "sad, tragic, and inexcusable."

Cayetano said he will support investigations to be conducted regarding the case.

"Definitely, kung may abuse, dapat may sumagot," he said.

Cayetano, meanwhile, said he appreciated how Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa immediately took responsibility for the incident.

When asked whether Dela Rosa should resign, he said there are other PNP officials below him directly assigned in Camp Crame who should be held accountable.

"I believe in command responsibility. But I think na any head, hindi naman mababantayan ang over 1,000 personnel," said Cayetano.

"I am not calling for his courtesy resignation," the senator added. "I think he's doing a good job."

However, Cayetano also asked that independent investigations by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) be allowed.

"If they're failing or need help, pasok ang Congress," the senator noted.

Cayetano called the incident a "big wake-up call" for the PNP to continue to cleanse their ranks to ensure a more effective implementation of legitimate operations of the administration's anti-illegal drug campaign.
Press Release

January 20, 2017 FIGHT ON OLONGAPO : GORDON TO OLONGAPENOS Senator Richard J. Gordon called on Olongapenos to continue the fight for Olongapo and Subic Bay Freeport Zone's (SBFZ) development started by his late father, the first elected mayor of Olongapo James Leonard Tagle Gordon, and which he continued when he also became mayor. Speaking during the celebration of the 100th birth anniversary of late Mayor James Leonard Tagle Gordon, the senator pointed the latter's lifelong dedication to the upliftment of his fellowman, creating a town and creating a city in the process. "Papa was the most courageous man that I've known. He fought giant political bossism, fought for Olongapo's electrification, among others. Kapag tiningnan mo ang kasaysayan ng Olongapo - ginawang independent town, ginawang siyudad. The last town to get its independence from the United States, the first to become a highly-urbanized city in Central Luzon, the first Freeport city. Pinaghirapan natin yun. Sabi nga niya, 'Nothing good is easy to get, the best way is always the hard way'. Gordon lamented that the people of Olongapo appear to have lost their vigor to continue the fight, silently watching the deterioration of the Freeport and the City deteriorate, with the airport gone, and Olongapo's cultural and historical buildings torn down. "Subic was the first Freeport city. Ginawa kong Freeport ang ibang probinsya gaya ng Mariveles, Clark, La Union, pati John Hay. Kumita na ang Mariveles, marami ng trabaho doon. When you look at it, dapat sumama ang loob niyo pag hindi kayo sumabay. Binalik tayo sa Olongapo, kasama ang tao, inayos natin ang Olongapo. Ginawa natin ang Subic, pinaalis ang base. Ginawa natin ang Subic pina-alis tayo. Ngayon bagsak, itatayo pa natin. Nawala ang airport pati mga cultural at historical buildings natin, but you kept quiet. Akalain mo nawala lahat ng pinaghirapan namin, it took us 29 weeks to fix the airport. Masama dapat ang loob ko," he said. Gordon, nevertheless, has not given up, expressing hope that the people will wake up from their apathy. "Pero hindi pa ako sumusuko, baka may pag-asa pa kayo. Meron ba, kaya ba ninyo? Because I want to be able to look you in the eye and say kasama ko kayo talaga sa pagpa-ahon ng ating bayan. Nawala ang FedEx nung nawala na tayo sa SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority). Ang sabi ko, next time. And that next time has arrived. We have a new set of SBMA officials and I promise you that we will work very hard to restore the glory of Subic Bay," he vowed. Gordon also stressed that for change to be effective, a leader must involve the people in the process of change. "Leaders like me, my father, any leader, even Digong (President Rodrigo Duterte) cannot enforce change without making people part of the process of change," he said. Mayor James "Jimmy" Gordon was born on January 17, 1917 of an American father, John Jacob Gordon, and a Filipina mother, Veronica Tagle Gordon. He was Mayor of Olongapo City from December 30, 1963 to February 20, 1967. He chose to be a Filipino and stay in the Philippines instead of electing American Citizenship and residing in the United States like his four brothers. He raised his children as Filipino Citizens and brought them up according to Filipino values. Known as the Father of Olongapo, Mayor Jimmy Gordon, led the move to free Olongapo from the United States. When the rest of the Philippine had been declared independent of the US on July 4, 1946, Olongapo remained under US Government jurisdiction having been declared a US Naval Reservation in the early 1900s. Gordon, though an American himself, having an American father, could not stomach the strict military regulations that limited the movements of the residents of Olongapo. He exposed and fought the abuses and harassments suffered by Olongapo residents while under US military jurisdiction. He was like David trying to defeat Goliath as symbolized by the rampant corruption and abuses in the governing authority. As an untiring fighter of graft and corruption, he fought well-entrenched politicians. He won the case, albeit posthumously, that returned the electrical system to the then Municipal Government of Olongapo. He exposed the anomalies that bedeviled the new municipal government. Understandably, his crusade earned him enemies who tried all types of harassment, including threats of suspension, hand grenade attacks and planned ambushes. Three cowardly attempts on his life, involving grenades and arson, were made by prisoners allowed to escape by then high-ranking government officials. A fourth and final attempt was made on February 20, 1967. While talking with a constituent on the first floor of City Hall, Mayor Jimmy Gordon was gunned down by an escaped inmate of the National Penitentiary bringing inconsolable loss to his family and to the people of Olongapo. He served only for three years as Mayor but his whole life was dedicated to quelling crime, specifically illegal logging, and smuggling of firearms, cigarettes and contraband from the US NAVAL base. He is specially remembered for his fight to block the unconscionable attempt to transfer the public utilities of Olongapo, inherited from the Americans, for a paltry amount, and for removing a murderous police chief, as part of his crusade against corrupt members of the then Philippine Constabulary.
On the killing of an abducted Korean right inside Camp Crame

This is probably the most unwelcome wake-up call for Director General Ronald de la Rosa. Having said that, the PNP leadership should lose no time in addressing the issue by henceforth going hammer and tongs against all rogue cops who only care about their personal gains to the detriment of the entire police organization.

Priority must be against those who take advantage of the president's all-out, mostly bloody war against illegal drugs.

Seventeen years ago, when I was the Chief PNP, I really hit hard on the inept, corrupt and undisciplined policemen, regardless of rank, or what I referred to at that time as ICUs. My primary concern was to do justice to the sacrifices of the overwhelmingly many honest and hardworking police officers.

Director General dela Rosa knows that, and I'm certain he knows how to do it because he was one of those at the forefront of our no-nonsense internal cleansing of the police.
SOLDIERS, POLICEMEN TOLD: PAY INCREASE FROM AQUINO EO, NOT DUTERTE

Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV yesterday reminded the AFP and PNP personnel that their pay increase for 2017 is the second tranche of Executive Order 201 signed by then President Noynoy Aquino in 2016, and was not due to President Rodrigo Duterte's efforts.

According to Trillanes: "Our military and police personnel should be aware that their allowances, together with the salaries of all government employees, have significantly increased since 2016, and will continue to increase until 2019. This increase is actualized by Executive Order 201 signed by the previous administration. President Duterte has nothing to do with this. His promise to double the salaries of soldiers and policemen remains an unfulfilled promise."

Last week, Marine Colonel Edgard Arevalo, chief of the AFP Public Affairs Office, expressed gratitude to Duterte for the military personnel's compensation increase. He stated that the soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines, including civilian personnel, were happily surprised when they received their respective increases reflected in their first pay slip for the year 2017.

Under the second tranche of EO 201, military, police and other uniformed personnel would receive increase in their monthly: provisional allowance, ranging from Php547 to Php35,260; hazard pay, amounting to Php570; and officers' allowance, ranging from Php3,000 to Php18,000.
Kara O'Connor: Rural voters support Trump  and want to get big money out of politics
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.

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.

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
WASHINGTON  Having smashed convention at every step of his unorthodox path to the presidency, Donald Trump will stand before the world Friday as heir to a 228-year tradition handed down from George Washington, in a setting steeped in the most cherished rituals of American democracy.

The centerpiece of the day is the inaugural address. Trumps speech will be the liftoff point of his journey in office, defining its contours and tone, and setting a course for the nation.

Trump offered a preview Wednesday, tweeting a photograph of himself holding a pen above a legal pad as he gazed sternly, from a bizarre tableau of Persian tiles and an eagle sculpture, meant to show him writing the speech himself from his Winter White House at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

Presidential scholars were at a loss to predict what Trump would say Friday. But they had ideas on what he should try to do.

This inaugural address will be carefully watched around the world, and the slightest little language usage could set his administration off on a very bad course, said San Francisco State political science Professor Robert Smith. Its not clear hes capable of becoming, not a politician, not a candidate, not a showman, but a statesman. The whole world is watching to see if he can at least, at the inaugural address, make the transition.

Here are five things experts said to watch for:

Conciliation: Trump takes office with a record low approval rating, after losing the popular vote by 2.8 million votes, a record for a winning candidate. He instills fear among some, and has alienated many women, Latinos, African Americans, Muslims and immigrants.

If he wants to appear to be more presidential, he needs to try to reach out to all of America, not just to his more conservative followers, said David Caputo, president emeritus of Pace University in New York. That, I think, is his most difficult task, and his most difficult task during his presidency.

Promise keeping: At the same time, Trump must also reassure his supporters. Most of the things he has proposed are profoundly controversial and divisive, Smith said. I dont think he can abandon those promises, but he has to couch them in such a way as to ... reassure the country that hes not going to go off in any kind of radical new way.

Vision: Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said Trump will be philosophical, giving a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country. He also will mention infrastructure, education and manufacturing.

We need to see a clear message as to what his priorities are, said James Thurber, a presidential scholar at American University. Thats because Trumps Cabinet nominees, in congressional testimony, have contradicted many of his positions, some of which also are at odds with the GOP majority in Congress.

Trump is very adept at reading the mood of the country, Caputo said. He now has the opportunity to come up with a message and programs that meet that mood.

Ad libs: Trump campaigned by holding rallies where he rambled extemporaneously, dropping insults, boasts and prevarications along the way that would have sunk a normal politician. Even on a teleprompter, Trump is prone to ad lib. He speaks in the vernacular, using a limited, hyperbolic vocabulary.

The question remains as to whether he can adapt this style to the occasion or adopt something with more heft. Aides said the speech will be short and Trump is reviewing previous inaugural speeches for style.

He wants to be a combination of Reagan and Kennedy, Thurber said. I dont see him doing that. I see him, in fact, probably going off cue, maybe trying to wing it. If he does, it would be a major problem.

Foreign policy: Foreign leaders will be searching for signs of reassurance. Trump has alarmed foreign leaders around the globe with some of his statements, upsetting decades of U.S. policy on China, nuclear proliferation, NATO and other areas. All of us are scared and so are the Europeans and so are the Asians, said Richard Abrams, professor emeritus of American history at UC Berkeley. Hes very unpredictable.

What not to look for: Trump defies comparison with previous presidents. The interesting question, Caputo said, is whether the Trump presidency is a transition to a new type of president and a new way the executive branch functions in the United States.

Carolyn Lochhead is the San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com
When a reporter for the left-leaning San Francisco online publication 48 Hills was removed from a police news conference on Wednesday, speculation swirled that the department was adopting a Donald Trump-like approach to the media.

But it turns out the decision to kick out Sana Saleem  a reporter with a years worth of stories critical of the SFPD  may have been an avoidable misunderstanding rather than a reprisal.

The episode, though, highlights challenges facing a Police Department working to adopt sweeping reforms to ensure transparency while also facing scrutiny from reporters at a growing number of digital and legacy media outlets  some with undisguised bents.

Acting Police Chief Toney Chaplin addressed the matter at Wednesday nights Police Commission meeting when pressed by Commissioner Petra DeJesus.

My understanding is she was asked to leave because she was not properly credentialed, Chaplin said of Saleem, while pledging to look into the matter further.

The confusion began as officials were preparing to play the body-camera footage of an officer shooting unarmed 43-year-old Sean Moore during a heated exchange in which he attacked police at his Ocean View home earlier this month.

The meeting at police headquarters came shortly after the citys public defender released the same footage in an effort to have criminal charges against Moore dropped.

The shooting has drawn criticism from some police watchdog groups and comes as the latest in a series of officer-involved shootings in San Francisco. The department is working to adopt mandated deescalation tactics among other use-of-force policies.

Several activists showed up at the Wednesday briefing with hopes of seeing the footage, but were kept out by officials.

Saleem said she was granted access to the media room at police headquarters after showing her 48 Hills-issued press credential and state-issued identification.

But before things got started, a member of the departments media relations team came into the room and asked Saleem for her credentials. The officer, apparently unfamiliar with 48 Hills, asked if it was in print, and then removed her from the room after learning it was a digital-only publication, Saleem said.

On Thursday, police Sgt. Michael Andraychak, a spokesman for the department, said the meeting was not open to the community. But anyone with a company press identification, department press pass, or company business card and photo identification, was allowed in, he said.

It is unfortunate that a writer, who is not known to the media relations staff, neglected to bring her company-issued press pass and was asked to leave, Andraychak said about the incident. Our understanding is the writer in question stated that she forgot to bring her press pass and instead presented a laminated card with her photo and the words, All Access printed on it.

Saleem admits she did not have a department-issued press badge  something the police hand out to certain members of the media who cover breaking news in San Francisco  but the assertion that she forgot her company-issued identification was false.

Theres absolutely no way I said I forgot my press pass, she said after sending a picture of the press pass in question to The Chronicle. I sat there for 12 minutes. If they say I dont have an SFPD press pass its fine, but to say I didnt have a press pass is not true.

The whole episode didnt sit well with other reporters in the room, or with 48 Hills founder Tim Redmond. To some on social media, the incident was reminiscent of President-elect Donald Trumps blacklisting of journalists during the campaign.

I would hate to think that this had anything to do with the fact that Sana has been writing critical stories about the SFPD for the past year, Redmond, the former editor of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, said Thursday. I would like to think they are bigger than that.

The Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, a media advocacy organization, also expressed concern over the matter.

Its a troubling sign that a journalist who has consistently covered the SFPD was removed from a press conference, and thus prevented from doing her job, the organization said. Reporters ability to gather and report the news should not be hampered by arbitrary denial of access from the police department.

While frustrated, Saleem believes getting kicked out of the news conference was likely a misjudgment by police rather than payback for her reporting.

I know when someone wants to cut me out  it happens to reporters all the time, Saleem said. I honestly dont think it was one of those situations at all. I actually think it was a confusion.

Saleem, a freelancer for several other publications, including the Guardian and Al Jazeera, said shes ready to move on from the matter. If anything, she hopes the incident will make her more known to the department.

I just want to go ahead and do my job, she said. My job is to report the story, not be the story.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Michael Bodley contributed to this report.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Language, art and free expression are the existential enemies of those who wish to instill fear in others, so I wasnt particularly surprised by the Trump administrations announcement that it will seek to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, and privatize the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Even if a public outcry manages to rescue these tiny, crucial, long-hated institutions, dont be fooled. The culture wars are back, and they will be brutal.

As always, theres history to heed and guides to follow.

I happened to be at City Lights, San Franciscos venerable bookstore and publisher, where I overheard the staff talking among themselves about making preparations for a climate where well be under attack.

Eager to learn more, I followed up with Peter Maravelis. Maravelis is City Lights events programmer, a title that belies his importance as an employee of that institution for 26 years.

First he reminded me that City Lights has never taken this countrys First Amendment rights for granted. Theyve gone to battle with officials over their material on no fewer than three occasions.

Many people know about the precedent-setting 1957 case when Lawrence Ferlinghetti beat obscenity charges for publishing Allen Ginsbergs long poem Howl, but City Lights won legal tussles in the 1960s and the 1970s too  over material like Zap Comix.

Because of our history, we know that the rights we take for granted are not a constant, Maravelis said. Weve always been waiting for the next shoe to fall.

I asked him what they were worried about this time around. This time were concerned that itll be over more overtly political material, he said. Something that would be labeled as fake news. Thats the kind of buzzword you can use to discredit someone without qualifications.

City Lights publishes and promotes radical literature, so it didnt take me long to visualize the potential for trouble. I asked Maravelis if there were any plans to rethink their offerings.

No way, he said.

You have to stand up to bullies. What we stand for is pretty clear, and were not going to back down, Maravelis said. We believe in equal access and giving voice to people who are marginalized. In the worst of times, our mission becomes more clear and more important. We will be a safe haven for the body politic in all of its forms.

Give me joy like its a weapon! shouted Zahra Noorbakhsh on Wednesday night, Jan. 18.

Noorbakhsh, a self-described feminist Muslim, Iranian American comedian, was the emcee for Litquakes No Shadow Without Light: Writers Respond to Trump event. Despite the howling weather, she had a full house in the Koret Auditorium in the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library. But the audiences laughter was thin and nervous.

Fear and uncertainty ruled the land. Everyone had his or her own dose of it  thats why we were all there. We were handing ourselves over to the power of literature, hoping to find a way out for at least an evening.

There were wonderful poems by Devorah Major and Elmaz Abinader, some of which had been written specifically for the occasion. Sarah Ladipo Manyika read a particularly thoughtful essay about traveling to the so-called Third World in the days after the U.S. election, and being offered sympathy from the residents there.

But I was still preoccupied by my conversation with Maravelis, still worrying over the cultural battles to come. Then T.J. Stiles, the Berkeley historian who won the Pulitzer Prize for Custers Trials last year, took the stage and spoke directly to my fears.

The rights I have today were given to me by freed slaves, Stiles said. He explained how what Americans now understand as universal civil liberties came our way not because of the founders, but through the organized actions of freed slaves after the Civil War.

In order not to be re-enslaved by white Southerners, they took on great personal risks to petition for equal rights and equal protection under the law, Stiles said.

The legality of these rights, he went on, was underscored in 1923  in a case, taken on by the ACLU, of a radical who wanted to overthrow the government.

These are the kinds of Americans who will advance all of our civil rights, Stiles told us.

The most oppressed, the most hated people in society  these are the ones who push us forward, he said. Our rights and our liberties arent given to us by the comfortable. Theyre given to us by the dissenters.

Stiles left the stage to loud applause. When Noorbakhsh returned to the microphone, the audience laughed fully at her jokes, not in the halfhearted way we had begun.

The words had done their job: A roomful of San Franciscans was ready to fight for our culture for another day.

Caille Millner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cmillner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @caillemillner
AP

Donald Trumps inauguration will not be the first time the presidency has shifted from one party to another after a bruising and close election, with boycotts and vitriol lingering in the air. That distinction goes to the inauguration of President Thomas Jefferson, after the election of 1800 ended with an electoral tie, with his victory settled on the 36th ballot in the House of Representatives.

Jefferson rose to the occasion with humility and eloquence, reaching out to his erstwhile adversaries from an election that had brought the young nation to the brink of civil war. President John Adams, the defeated Federalist, did not attend.
JUNEAU  A former nurse at Fox Lake Correctional accused of sexually assaulting a prisoner entered a not guilty plea Wednesday in Dodge County Circuit Court.

Jennifer M. Stehling is charged with two counts of second degree sexual assault by a correctional staff and one count of delivering illegal articles to inmates. If convicted of all charges she faces up to 83 and a half years in prison and $210,000 in fines.

She remains free on a $1,000 signature bond. A telephone scheduling conference is set for Feb. 21.

According to the criminal complaint, officers were notified June 12 of a staff investigation that was being conducted at Fox Lake Correctional. According to prison officials a 30-year-old inmate had attempted approximately 650 phone calls to a member of the correctional staff. Officials began to monitor the phone calls and discovered that the conversations were regarding whether the inmate had any sexually transmitted diseases.

Officials believed that based on the circumstances of the phone calls, the staff member, identified as Stehling, had engaged in sexual contact with the inmate.

June 15, officers went to interview Stehling, who didnt arrive for work. The officer went to her residence to check on her welfare. Officers made contact with Stehling and asked her if she had anything she wanted to talk about regarding her job. The complaint states that Stehling allegedly admitted to talking to an inmate, but denied having a relationship.

Stehling later allegedly admitted to having sex with the inmate in a room in the health services unit. Stehling said the sex was consensual.

Officers searched the inmates cell and located a calendar with handwritten notations on days that Stehling worked. Officers also located photos of Stehling and her residence.

Officers interviewed the inmate who denied knowing Stehling or having a relationship with her. He claimed the photos of Stehlings residence were sent by a family member, but later changed his story and said his family wasnt involved at all.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Music by Tchaikovsky floated out of the War Memorial House and spilled onto Van Ness Avenue, followed by the trains of a hundred ball gowns.

The light rain proved little challenge for determined attendees of the San Francisco Ballets 2017 Opening Night Gala on Thursday night, Jan. 19. After all, the annual kickoff has taken place in one way or another for 83 years, and if dollar signs are any indication, the ballets 84th year is a charm.

I feel blessed that we were able to have a really successful event with very happy sponsors and very happy guests, gushed Gala Chair Ave Seltsam as she finally enjoyed a glass of Champagne. And also, that we made a lot of money for our treasured Ballet.

Seltsam wasnt kidding. The Ballets season-opening gala is always a big deal, but this years cocktail reception, formal dinner for over 900, two-hour season preview performance and after-party attended by upward of 2,400 guests grossed the institution $2.8 million. Im proud, beamed Seltsam. I am so proud.

The nights theme  other than fundraising  was Ever Magical. Along with the galas decor chair Claire Kostic, event impresario J. Riccardo Benavides and his team were tasked with transforming San Francisco City Hall into a pastel palace of mirrors and roses.

Real San Francisco Ballet costumes hung from above, swaying slightly thanks to strategically placed fans below. Dinner tables were swathed in gold-rosette-covered tablecloths before each was laden with gilded chargers, massive spotlit floral centerpieces and Tiffany-blue menus  a nod to dinner sponsor Tiffany & Co. Even the food was designed to match the nights theme, right down to the 24-Karat Salad of ruby grapefruit, emerald green beans and golden beets.

Laura Morton/Special to The Chronicle

Dinner chair Meg Ray was a little worried that the nights entree choice of salmon wouldnt be hearty enough for some male guests. But salmon has that nice pink color, smiled Ray, whod worked with caterers at McCalls to keep the menu very ethereal, airy, light and magical.

This year, the magic is in unfolding and finding things, explained Rose Haft, a 30-year-old tech CEO who has attended the ballet gala in years past. Four stories above her, glowing silhouettes of ballet dancers were projected in the dome of the City Hall rotunda. The subtle detail offered a big impact to anyone whose glance made it that high.

Id rather have more tutus, lamented Benavides.

Following dinner, patrons, benefactors and grand benefactors made their way across Van Ness Avenue to join the thousands already inside the War Memorial Opera House in time for the performance. The big draws at this seasons preview were two world premieres. One, The Chairman Dances, was choreographed by Benjamin Millepied. The other world premiere, a piece by choreographer Trey McIntyre titled Presentce, was an absolute showstopper. Overall, the eclectic and fast-moving dance program was a hit with ballet rookies and veterans alike.

The dancing was magical, because were really good at that. But the pacing? explained Ballet board member Miles Archer Woodlief of the evenings performance, It was near genius in that regard.

Amid the designer gowns and clouds of perfume, Ballet Board of Directors Chairman Carl Pascarella drove home the broader importance of the event. The Ballet is part of the cultural fabric of the city. Were diverse, were international ... Pascarella caught himself. Were more than international. Were global.

Arts organizations improve communities, agreed After Party co-chair Michelle Harris. Decade after decade, century after century, I think its remained clear that supporting the arts is incredibly important.

If enticing new patrons is the Ballets key to staying alive, the galas after-party is the bait. The $175 tickets provided guests with creative catered food stations like colorful dim sum, vegan grilled-cheese sandwiches and a roving ice cream cart, not to mention a handful of very open bars and a selection of dance floors and DJs.

Few high-end patrons from the nights big-ticket dinner showed up back at City Hall post-performance. The after-party was loud, crowded and fabulous. Soft, ethereal magic had been swapped out for purple mood lighting and booming dance music. Women wrapped flowing dresses between their knees, kicked off their stilettos and sat on the grand staircase beneath the rotunda.

Many at the after-party werent regular Ballet supporters. A lot of happy guests seemed more excited by the chance to dress way up and hit a gala with friends than to become patrons of the arts. And that, by the way, is just fine with the events organizers.

We want them to have a great time, explained Gala Operations Chair Catherine Bergstrom. And if they feel connected to us and come back to the Ballet, all the better.

Local artists Phillip Maisel and Mik Gaspay were bemused with the post-gala festivities, particularly as the event was held on the eve of a new presidential administration.

Its weird timing, said Gaspay of the glamorous festivities. Who knows what tomorrows going to bring?

Maisel looked around City Hall and added, I guess were going to the gala tonight, and tomorrow were coming here to protest.

Beth Spotswood is a Bay Area freelance writer.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Two politically powerful Californians who have gotten to know Donald Trump say liberals shouldnt fear him. They promise that Trump behaves a lot differently than the bullying, blustery presence he cuts when hes before the public.

Hes really a nice guy when youre with him, said Rep. Devin Nunes, the Tulare Republican who is a member of Trumps transition team and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committe on Intelligence. Hes very inquisitive. He really works very hard.

Hes very intuitive. He listens. He asks lot of questions. He listens to opinions of people who he doesnt agree with, said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, the second highest-ranking Republican in the House. People have a misimpression of him. They shouldnt be fearful about him.

Regardless, many progressive Californians remain dubious. When Trump takes office Friday, the GOP will control the presidency and both houses of Congress. That means Californias locus of power will shift a bit away from its wealthier, more liberal coastal areas to its less-wealthy more rural inland counties. Nunes and McCarthy, both from the Central Valley, will be key gatekeepers to the Trump administration.

Under Trump, rural America is going to have a strong voice, Nunes said.

Their positions on issues such as trade, immigration, water use and the Affordable Care Act differ from those of coastal liberals. And in some cases their views are different even from Trumps.

After the anticipated flurry of activity in Trumps first 100 hours or 100 days, there will be few avenues for Californians to connect with Washington. And one of the main ones is through Kevin McCarthy, said Bill Whalen, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press

The shift in power has caused some Silicon Valley leaders to change their thinking. If Hillary Clinton had been elected, immigration reform would have been a top priority for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a public policy and trade organization that represents 400 top companies in the tech capital. But there is little hope of that happening now.

Now the opportunities are more in comprehensive tax reform, and perhaps infrastructure investment, said Carl Guardino, president of the group. We need to align to the areas where the current seems to flowing.

Nunes will remain in the spotlight for as long as Trump and the intelligence community continue to snipe at each other over Russian-directed hacks during the presidential campaign.

That perch also means that Nunes is now between a rock and a hard place, said Thomas Holyoke, a professor of political science at Cal State Fresno.

Hes trying to be supportive of (Trump) and not do anything to stain the legitimacy of the Trump presidency, Holyoke continued. But he also has an oversight role to serve as chair of the Intelligence Committee. Thats a potential conflict of interest, and hes got to figure out a way to navigate around it.

But in an interview in his Washington, D.C., office this week, Nunes said, I dont feel like Im in the middle at all.

Nunes said concerns about the Russian hacking have been overly politicized. He said his committee has been warning Congress and the Obama administration for years about Russian hacking of American institutions. The only thing new about the latest revelations, Nunes said, is now Democrats are looking for a scapegoat to blame their election loss (on).

Mike Kepka / By Mike Kepka/special to the Chr

Here are other areas where Nunes and McCarthy will likely be in the spotlight:

Trade: Trumps desire to rip up international trade deals  particularly the Trans Pacific Partnership  may put the Central Valley congressmen in a tricky spot, caught between Trumps populism and farmers who rely on overseas markets for customers. It will also hurt Silicon Valley, whose tech leaders strongly back the deal, Guardino said.

McCarthy could be a liaison (to the administration) there because he has robustly been for trade, and I know his principles have not changed, Guardino said.

Health care: Like Trump, both Nunes and McCarthy say they want to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act  Obamacare. But nonpartisan studies show their constituents  many of them Trump voters  could be hurt badly if they lose coverage.

In 49 of the states 58 counties, nearly 1 in 4 residents is enrolled in Medi-Cal, Californias Medicaid program, which Obamacare helped to expand, according to a study by the nonpartisan California Budget and Policy Center.

On election day, Trump won eight of the 15 counties with the highest percentage of Medi-Cal clients  places like Kern and Tulare counties, which are in the heart of the Central Valley.

Nunes said there will not be a gap between the end of the ACA and whatever comes next. But McCarthy didnt offer specifics on what a new GOP plan might look like, saying he was still soliciting input.

Immigration: About 27 percent of the eligible voters in McCarthys district are Latino, 32 percent in Nunes. Both lean away from Trumps promise to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, an idea many Latinos find offensive. In California, roughly 8 in 10 Latinos voted for Hillary Clinton.

My personal opinion is that you can build a virtual wall that is just as effective, Nunes said.

Trump has also promised to deport millions of criminal undocumented immigrants but hasnt defined what criminal means. An estimated half of the Central Valleys farmworkers are in the country illegally, according to studies. Deporting a significant number of them could cripple the valley, which produces 25 percent of the nations food.

McCarthy said: Ive talked to (Trump) about guest worker program. Hes been receptive to the challenges that agriculture faces.

Water: When Trump campaigned in Fresno last year, he denied California was in a drought and promised to change federal regulations to send more water to farms.

Believe me, were going to start opening up the water, so that you can have your farmers survive, he said without providing specifics. Were going to get it done quick. Dont even think about it. Thats an easy one.

Holyoke said it wont be that simple, but Republican control in Washington will likely mean more water for Central Valley farmers. It is an issue that Nunes has been talking about for years as illustrative of the dominance that big cities have over the states heartland.

I have a lot of problems, he said, with some of the strange ideas that come out of San Francisco and Hollywood. Particularly about water.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
Uber has agreed to pay $20 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit over driver compensation claims and its auto leasing program.

The FTC sued the San Francisco ride-hailing startup Thursday, saying Uber made false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims about how much drivers could earn on the service. The agency alleged Uber made similar misrepresentations about its vehicle financing program.

In its complaint, the FTC said Ubers practices have caused its drivers to suffer millions of dollars of injury. Uber didnt admit to or deny wrongdoing.

Were pleased to have reached an agreement with the FTC, Matt Kallman, an Uber spokesman, wrote in an email. Weve made many improvements to the driver experience over the last year and will continue to focus on ensuring that Uber is the best option for anyone looking to earn money on their own schedule.

The FTC complaint laid out several examples the agency said were false or misleading. In 2015, Ubers website said the median annual income for a driver on its UberX service was $90,000 in New York City and $74,000 in San Francisco. The complaint alleged that the actual median income for drivers in New York was $29,000 less than Uber claimed and $21,000 less in San Francisco from May 2013 to May 2014.

Courts

Plavix case may

shift from S.F.

The U.S. Supreme Court granted drug manufacturer Bristol Myers request Thursday to decide whether a nationwide suit claiming health hazards from the anticlotting medication Plavix can proceed in San Francisco.

The courts order set aside a 4-3 ruling by the California Supreme Court in August allowing the suit, filed by 86 Californians and 592 residents of other states, to be heard in a single court in San Francisco. Although Bristol-Myers is from New York, the state justices said the company had five offices, 250 salespeople and significant sales in California.

But Bristol-Myers lawyers told the nations high court that the suit, which attributed internal bleeding, heart attacks and deaths to the use of Plavix, was unrelated to the companys California contacts, and that the state ruling would encourage plaintiffs to shop suits to friendlier forums.

E-commerce

Olympics deal

for Alibaba

Alibaba chief Jack Ma says he hopes an accord with Olympics officials will fight counterfeiting, as the e-commerce giant seeks to repair its image after being deemed a notorious market for fakes by the U.S.

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.

Chronicle News Services
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON  Tesla Motors Inc. wont face a recall or fine as a result of a fatal crash involving its Autopilot system, but federal safety regulators are warning auto manufacturers and drivers not to treat semiautonomous cars as if they are fully self-driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday it found that the system had no safety defects at the time of the May 7 crash in Florida, and that it was primarily designed to prevent rear-end collisions rather than other crashes.

Bryan Thomas, the agencys chief spokesman, said automated driving systems still require a drivers full attention. He warned that automakers need to keep tabs on how drivers use the technology, and should design vehicles with the inattentive driver in mind.

The probe began June 28, nearly two months after a driver using Autopilot in a 2015 Tesla Model S died when it failed to spot a tractor-trailer crossing the cars path on a highway in Williston, Fla.

Teslas Autopilot uses cameras, radar and computers to detect objects and automatically brake if the car is about to hit something. It also can steer the car to keep it centered in its lane. The company has said that before Autopilot can be used, drivers must acknowledge that its an assist feature that requires both hands on the wheel at all times and that drivers must be ready to take control.

The agencys criticism is expected to influence how automakers market semi-autonomous systems. Just about every company has or is working on similar systems as they move rapidly toward self-driving cars.

The investigation helps clarify that cars are still supposed to be driven by attentive people, and if people behind the wheel arent attentive, its not the technologys fault, said Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Kelley Blue Book. That will help avoid the stigma that the technology causes accidents, he said.

The safety administration released guidelines last year that attempt to ensure safety without slowing development of semiautonomous and self-driving cars. The agency says self-driving features could dramatically reduce traffic deaths by eliminating human error, which plays a role in 94 percent of fatal crashes.

Thomas said the administration wants to encourage innovation to get the best answer to how we use these automated systems to the best effect and saving the most lives.

In its probe, the safety administration evaluated how the system functions and looked into dozens of other crashes involving Teslas, including a July one on the Pennsylvania Turnpike that injured two people.

The Florida crash killed former Navy Seal Joshua Brown, 40, of Canton, Ohio. Tesla said at the time that the cameras on Browns Model S sedan failed to distinguish the white side of a turning tractor-trailer from a brightly lit sky and that neither the car nor Brown applied the brakes.

Thomas said Brown set the cars cruise control at 74 mph  9 mph over the limit  less than two minutes before the crash. The safety administrations crash reconstruction showed the tractor-trailer should have been visible to Brown at least 7 seconds before impact, enough time to react.

Detecting vehicles that cross in its path were beyond the capabilities of the Autopilot system, Thomas said on a conference call.

In a statement Thursday, Tesla said it appreciated the agencys thoroughness in reaching its conclusion.

When Tesla released Autopilot in 2015, some safety advocates questioned whether the Palo Alto company and the safety administration allowed the public access to the system before testing was finished.

Consumer Reports magazine called on Tesla to drop the Autopilot name because it can give drivers too much trust in their cars ability to drive itself.

In September, Tesla updated Autopilot software to rely more on radar sensors and less on cameras. The update also disabled the automatic steering if drivers dont keep both hands on the wheel.

Another federal agency, the National Transportation Safety Board, has opened a broader investigation into the Tesla crash. It could be months before a final report that provides a probable cause for the collision is issued.

The company that made the camera and computer system for Tesla said in September that the company ignored its warnings about possible safety problems.

Israels Mobileye said that before the release of Autopilot, it warned Tesla not to allow drivers to use the system without their hands on the steering wheel. Mobileye, a huge company in the self-driving business, has stopped supplying components to Tesla.

Thomas said investigators got information from Mobileye and evaluated the companys statements, but still reached the no-defect conclusion. He wouldnt comment on the companys statements.

Tesla said at the time that Mobileyes statements were inaccurate and stem from Teslas plans to develop its own vision system.

Tom Krisher, Joan Lowy and Dee-Ann Durbin are Associated Press writers.
With less than a day to go before Donald Trump's inauguration, more new music has been released as musicians continue to wrestle with a presidency that many have vocally disagreed with.

Thursday saw the release of two new songs from Gorillaz and Arcade Fire. With the new anti-Trump track, "Hallelujah Money," Gorillaz added British artist (and Mercury Prize winner) Benjamin Clementine to the song, and debuted a new video starring Clementine.

Described as an "apocalyptic" video, Clementine is seen singing in a golden elevator inside what appears to be Trump Tower as various disjointed images flash on the screen behind him. Notably, this is the first song in six years for the cartoon band  a collaboration between Blur frontman Damon Albarn and illustrator Jamie Hewlett  with its release timed to Inauguration Day.

In contrast, Arcade Fire and Mavis Staples released the decidedly more hopeful song, "I Give You Power." Proceeds from the song will benefit the American Civil Liberties Union, and in an interview, Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler said that now is the time for "solidarity."

"It's the eve of the inauguration, and I think it's easy to get sucked into sitting on the couch and checking your news feed and watching things on CNN, and we're just musicians and the only thing we have to offer is our music," Butler said. "I talked to Mavis last night and she said, 'Now more than ever we just need to hold onto each other.' For us it's a feeling of solidarity  to not feel powerless and focus on what we can do as individuals and try to do our part."

Artist Moby also chose Thursday as the time to debut the video for the song, "Erupt & Matter," with its own politically charged message, as The Wrap pointed out. The song was released earlier this fall on the album as part of his new project, the Void Pacific Choir.

Moby was reportedly asked to DJ the Trump inauguration, which the musician said he would agree to ... as long as Trump released his tax returns.

They're not the only ones inspired enough by the Trump administration to write some new songs. Fiona Apple released the track "Tiny Hands" about you-know-who earlier this week, and the song was said to be in honor of the Women's March taking place this weekend.

The song features the lyrics, "We don't want your tiny hands/ Anywhere near our underpants," referencing (and sampling from) Trump's comments on "Access Hollywood" tapes.
You think you spend too much time working on your Facebook persona? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has an entire team devoted to maintaining the perfect page.

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Zuckerberg employs "a handful of Facebook employees" to post a mix of curated content ranging from Facebook news to tasteful family photos.

Bloomberg reports that "an additional dozen or so" employees are tasked with deleting spam and harassing comments from the page.

While your profile photo is likely a blurry shot captured on your iPhone, most of Zuckerberg's pictures are snapped by professional photographers, including award-winning photojournalist Charles Ommanney.

Zuckerberg is relatively open when it comes to sharing tidbits of his day-to-day life, and the page provides an intimate glimpse.

A recent post shows Zuckerberg decked out in construction safety gear on a tour of Facebook's forthcoming data center in Fort Worth, Texas. Another shows Zuckerberg, his wife Priscilla Chan, and their daughter Maxima Chan Zuckerberg in an advertisement for Jarvis, his new AI home assistant.

"Facebook is an easy way for executives to connect with various audiences," company spokesperson Vanessa Chan told Bloomberg. It's also an easy way to subtly plug your brand's products, apparently.

Before you post that photo of you double-fisting margaritas, perhaps ask yourself, what would Zuckerberg's PR team do?

Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.
RALEIGH, N.C.  President Donald Trumps scathing criticism of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will prevent the soldier from getting a fair trial on charges he endangered comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan, Bergdahls attorneys said Friday.

In a motion filed shortly after Trump was sworn in, defense lawyers asked a military judge to dismiss the charges against Bergdahl and argued the Republican violated his due process rights and military law against unlawful command influence.

Trumps negative comments about Bergdahl, including calling him a traitor, take on new importance now that he is commander in chief. Defense attorneys argue that potential military jurors may feel obligated to agree with their new leader. They prepared a video exhibit of Trumps criticism.

The president, as commander in chief, wields great power over the careers of officers and his opinions are necessarily entitled to respect by all military personnel, whether or not they voted for him, defense attorneys wrote.

The defense motion notes more than 40 instances of Trumps criticism.

Bergdahls trial is scheduled for April at Fort Bragg on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. The latter carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Bergdahl, who is from Idaho, has said he walked off his post in 2009 to cause an alarm and draw attention to what he saw as problems with his unit. He was held captive by the Taliban and its allies for five years.

Jonathan Drew is an Associated Press writer.
RACINE  The police shooting of a dog during a search warrant operation late last year was justified, according to a Racine Police Department administrative review.

Released to The Journal Times on Wednesday evening, the findings of the review also found that the actions taken by police did not violate department policies, Racine Police Chief Art Howell stated.

Police reviewed the Nov. 30 incident, which occurred at a residence in the 2000 block of Kearney Avenue, after the dogs owner, Sara Harmon, reached out to The Journal Times, saying police shot her dog, a 2-year-old English bulldog named Sugar, for no reason.

On a personal level, as a dog owner, I have compassion and empathy for anyone who has known the trauma of losing a pet, Howell wrote in an email Wednesday. As tragic as the outcome was in this case, the review process revealed no wrongdoing or malice in the actions taken.

According to police and The Journal Times initial story, which was based on Sara Harmons account of the incident, police executed a search warrant at the familys home just after 5 a.m. Nov. 30, after Sara Harmon and her husband had left for work.

Sara Harmon told The Journal Times that police told her son Jordan Harmon, then 17, that they were there to investigate a shots-fired incident. Her son was taken in for questioning and later released without charges, she said.

The encounter

According to the administrative review, the tactical entry team first encountered the dog upon entry into the home, but no force was used at that time.

The dog retreated into a different area of the home, offering no initial threat, or appearance of a potential threat, Howells report states.

It was during a second encounter, when tactical officers reportedly came upon the dog in a bedroom, that the animal was shot.

Tactical officers subsequently encountered the dog on a second occasion, at which time the dog advanced towards a member of the entry team, Howell writes. The advancing dog was shot at this time.

Dogs and guns

While police themselves are often confronted with potential deadly force, Howell said the use of deadly force by Racine police officers has been statistically rare, and that includes incidents involving dogs.

Of the 283 search warrants executed by police during 2015 and 2016, deadly force was used against four dogs, Howell noted. That means dogs were shot in about 1.4 percent of the search warrant cases on file, he wrote.

Howell also noted that police do not shoot dogs during search warrants as protocol, despite the contention of a Harmon family member, who claimed that is what a police officer told them.

The tactical team was authorized for deployment in the search, Howell added, due to the high-risk nature of the warrant.

Prior to executing the warrant, police officers reportedly obtained video evidence of shots fired/attempted homicide suspects brandishing firearms and making random threats to kill adversaries, Howell said.

The target of the search was the weapon (or weapons) used in the attempted homicide and other shots fired incidents occurring in the City of Racine, Howell said.

He noted that of the 271 firearms police removed from the streets of Racine in 2015 and 2016, many were recovered during the execution of drug and gang-related search warrants.

Legal action?

Howell said his office contacted Sara Harmon in hopes of sharing the findings regarding the shooting, but she was not interested in meeting with police.

Reached by The Journal Times on Wednesday evening, Sara Harmon claimed she had not heard from police, but that if she had, she would have directed them to her attorney.

Attempts to reach Harmons attorney on Wednesday night were unsuccessful.

Howell said a formal complaint from the Harmon family has not been filed.

He said he made the decision to review this matter administratively in response to the misinformation that had been publicly released.
NEW ORLEANS  The suspect in the slayings of a police officer and a woman was alive late Friday after he shot himself during an hours-long standoff on a New Orleans bridge, a Louisiana state police spokesman said.

The man identified as Sylvester Holt shot himself once in the chest while talking to negotiators, said Trooper Dustin Dwight. Holt was on a girder below and to the side of the bridge roadway when the shooting happened.

The self-inflicted gunshot wound brought an end to a chaotic day that began with the shooting death Friday morning of Westwego Officer Michael Louviere, 26, and Simone Veal, 32, of Marrero.

According to witnesses, the shooter fired at Veal, then chased her car in his vehicle to an intersection where she hit a truck waiting at a light, Jefferson Parish Sheriffs spokesman John Fortunato said. Louviere, whose shift ended at 6 a.m. Friday, was on his way home after work when he saw the crash and stopped to help.

The man shot Louviere in the head, then ran around the car and shot Veal as she lay on the ground, Fortunato said. Fortunato didnt know whether shed been hit in the earlier shooting.

Fortunato identified Holt as a person of interest and suspect in the double shooting.

As authorities searched for Holt, police shut the Mississippi River bridge from New Orleans east bank to its west bank, causing traffic to back up for miles, because a man later identified as Holt was threatening to jump from it.

Helicopters circled the area as news crews and photographers watched intently.

Louviere was described as a dedicated family man with a strong work ethic; he was married and had a 1-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, Fortunato said.

According to Westwego Police Chief Dwayne Munch, he was a rising star probably bound for a job at a larger agency.

We knew we wouldnt have him for long. We just didnt know he would be gone this soon, Munch said.

Before his career in law enforcement, Louviere was a U.S. Marine who served in Afghanistan, Munch said. He joined the department in July 2015 and finished first in everything in his police academy class of roughly 20 recruits, Munch said.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said earlier Friday that dozens of officers from multiple agencies had searched for Holt. Several women had taken out protective orders against him between 2012 and November 2016, the sheriff said.

He had also been arrested in September after being accused of rape. But District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. said the rape charge was dropped after the woman told authorities she wanted to withdraw the charge. Holt was released on Jan. 7.

Janet McConnaughey and Kevin McGill are Associated Press writers.
At Fridays inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, in-coming first lady Melania Trump wore Ralph Lauren.

Earlier in the week, it was reported by Womens Wear Daily that Mrs. Trump would be dressed by two different designers for the inauguration festivities on Friday: American Ralph Lauren and German designer Karl Lagerfeld. For the morning ceremony, Mrs. Trump chose Lauren: Her powder-blue cashmere dress and mock-turtleneck bolero jacket with matching gloves was reminiscent of mid 20th century fashion, a more conservative era for fashion often invoked by Mr. Trumps Republican party as a golden bygone time. Many fashion critics saw the ensemble as a reference to first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who also wore powder blue to her husband John F. Kennedys inauguration in 1960. (Lagerfeld is expected to design Mrs. Trumps gown for the inauguration ball.)

The choice of Lauren is a nod to tradition: Mrs. Trump is the fifth first lady Lauren has dressed, and it is perhaps also an attempt to recompose her public image as both more sartorially American (Mrs. Trump was born in Slovenia) and supportive of the American fashion industry. During the presidential campaign, Mrs. Trump veered from the established tradition of candidates and their spouses  to support U.S.-designed fashion  by wearing primarily European labels, especially Italian houses Gucci and Fendi (for which Lagerfeld designs). The Gucci pussy bow blouse Mrs. Trump wore to the second presidential debate following the revelation of a recording of her husband using the word p---- was one of the most talked-about fashion moments of the campaign.

The New York-based Ralph Lauren brand is known for using classic American imagery in its collections and storytelling, including American West and Native American motifs. During the presidential campaign Lauren was strongly identified with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, whom he designed several custom looks for. Mrs. Trump wore an off-the-rack white Ralph Lauren jumpsuit on election night.

Mrs. Trumps relationship with the American fashion industry has been complicated. Several fashion designers have expressed displeasure over the election of Donald Trump and have stated that they will not dress Mrs. Trump, including industry powerhouses Marc Jacobs, Derek Lam, Phillip Lim and French designer Sophie Theallet.

Designer Tom Ford was criticized for his decision not to dress Mrs. Trump by Donald Trump on Fox News earlier this week; he said that Mrs. Trump doesnt like Tom Ford, doesnt like his designs. Mrs. Trumps former career as a model has been highlighted on the newly revamped White House website, which also includes links to her QVC jewelry line, Melania Timepieces & Jewelry even amid ongoing controversy about the Trump familys business entanglements. Social media voices have already been critical of Lauren for dressing Mrs. Trump.

Secretary Clinton also wore Lauren to the inauguration, choosing a white pantsuit, a signature for her during the campaign via the Clinton supporting Facebook group Pantsuit Nation. Clintons use of white clothing during the campaign was a nod to the womens suffrage movement that was also co-opted by her supporters, and is expected to be a fashion theme among protesters at the Womens Marches across American on Saturday.

Trumps daughters Ivanka and Tiffany also chose white: Ivanka, a white Oscar de la Renta pantsuit, and Tiffany, a white double-breasted jacket over trousers. Outgoing first lady Michelle Obama, a much-lauded fashion plate during her years in the White House, wore a belted red dress and matching coat.

Perhaps the most unusual fashion choice belonged to Trump aide Kellyanne Conway, who wore a red, white and blue $3600 Gucci coat with feline face applique buttons she called Trump Revolutionary Wear. According to e-retailer Net-a-Porters notes on the coat, Gucci designer Alessandro Michele was inspired by the city of London in his design. She completed the look with a red bucket-cloche hat, which quickly became a much-mocked internet meme comparing her to both a marching band leader and British childrens book character Paddington Bear.

President Trump has long favored Italian label Brioni although it is unknown who made his navy inauguration suit, worn with his signature long red necktie.

Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com
His defeated rivals seated behind him, thousands of supporters and protesters stretching out ahead from the Capitols West Front to to the Washington Monument, Donald John Trump took the oath of office Friday as the nations 45th president, pledging a great national effort to rebuild our country and restore its purpose for all the American people.

His fist raised, Trump vowed that, Together we will make America strong again, we will make America proud again, we will make America safe again, and yes, together we will make America great again.

Trump struck the same confrontational tone he used throughout the campaign, promising that America will start winning again, while assuring the disaffected working-class voters who lifted him to victory that he would put their interests first.

Strikingly populist and nationalistic, Trump said, 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.

Wearing an overcoat and his signature red tie, Trump spoke under cloudy skies, the temperatures an unusually warm 50 degrees for Washington in January. The speech was deliberately short, largely written by Trump himself, according to transition officials, with advice from top aides, including Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway.

A 70-year-old marketing tycoon with no previous government experience, the new president attacked Washington with unabashed ruthlessness. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country, Trump said. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land. That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment, it belongs to you.

Trump described an American carnage of inner-city poverty and crime, and promised to bring back our borders from immigration and outsourcing.

Of each ritualized step of the inaugural ceremony, crafted to symbolize the peaceful transfer of power that is a hallmark of American democracy, none was more striking than the presence of Hillary Clinton, dressed in white and accompanied by her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Defeated by Trump for the presidency despite her 2.8 million-vote victory in the popular vote, Hillary Clinton looked on as a spectator at an inaugural she had hoped would be her own as the nations first woman president.

Every living former president except George H.W. Bush, who was hospitalized for pneumonia, attended: Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, and outgoing President Barack Obama, along with Bill Clinton.

First lady Melania Trump, tall and elegant in blue, and Trumps five children and son-in-law Jared Kushner, named as a top adviser, watched as Trump took the oath on two Bibles, Abraham Lincolns and his familys, as it was administered by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Trumps addressed contained little to reach out to his opponents or heal post-election divisions, which were plainly on display Friday. As many as 50 House Democrats stayed away in protest, including nearly a third of Californias Democratic delegation.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats who did attend wore blue buttons that signified their support for the Affordable Care Act, Obamas signature achievement that Republicans have already moved to dismantle.

Unlike the younger Bush, who took office amid a similar atmosphere of partisan acrimony over the election, Trump has appointed no Democrats to his cabinet. Nor did he reach out to Hillary Clinton, instead tweeting just a week ago that she was guilty as hell for using a private email server as secretary of state.

Trump has promised immediately upon taking office to start reversing many of Obamas executive orders, including one that protects from deportation 750,000 Dreamers, children of immigrants brought by their parents into the country as children without papers.

Carolyn Lochhead is the San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com
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 move came amid a swirl of controversy over Frys departure, which will cost taxpayers nearly $135,000, and the process used to replace her.

The hour-long debate over Kleczek Bolins appointment did not center on her qualifications. Most said she was well-suited for the job. Supervisors disagreed about the manner in which she was selected.

Although some said the committee that handled the search did everything above board, others said the search was flawed, and accused Sauk County Board Chair Marty Krueger of manipulating the process.

The contentious meeting included multiple calls from members of the public for Krueger to resign.

To open the discussion, Vice Chair Joan Fordham of Baraboo, a member of the search committee, shot back against criticism by providing a version of events leading up to Kleczek Bolins appointment.

The committee determined what the process was going to be, Fordham said. This was not anything, as I heard here tonight, that Mr. Krueger engineered at all.

Coffee meeting

Krueger met with Kleczek Bolin for coffee Dec. 6 to ask if she was interested in the position. That private discussion took place 23 days before the boards five-person Executive and Legislative Committee publicly discussed the process for making a hire.

On Dec. 29, the committee decided its first step should be to review a list of finalists from last years search in closed session Jan. 3. Krueger prepared an agenda for the Jan. 3 meeting that included a closed session interview with Kleczek Bolin and an open session item to recommend a hire.

He did not reach out to six people the committee publicly deemed final candidates during the prior search because they already had been interviewed, Fordham said. Those interviews took place nearly a year ago.

Fordham said Kleczek Bolin was among four additional candidates who were passed over for interviews last year.

During a phone interview Wednesday, Fordham said Krueger informed the committee Jan. 3 that the other three no longer were in the running, because they had moved on or were not interested. Thats why he only invited Kleczek Bolin to interview Jan. 3.

The identities of those candidates were not available Wednesday. Krueger did not return a phone call or email. Prior conversations about the four additional candidates took place in closed session, which committee members refused to discuss before Tuesdays board meeting.

During the Jan. 3 closed session, Fordham said, the committee grilled Kleczek Bolin with tough questions, and she provided satisfactory answers. The panel also spent time reviewing the qualifications of finalists who were not invited to interview before reconvening in open session to select Kleczek Bolin.

Process in dispute

Some supervisors that dont serve on the committee, but attended the meetings, said Fordhams version of events didnt match with what they witnessed. Others, including several who missed the meetings, said her explanation convinced them the process was fair.

I believe maybe that there is a little bit of some transparency problems, said Supervisor Andy Andrews of Baraboo. Maybe (the personnel department) wasnt involved enough, or something like that, but overall weve got an extremely qualified candidate, a process that was followed fairly well, and I think its time we move on and get a very excellent person to take this position.

Supervisor Bill Wenzel of Prairie du Sac, who previously served as the boards chair, said the administrator search is an example of Krueger overstepping his authority and controlling processes that should be left to county staff.

Piggybacking on another supervisors criticisms, Wenzel said Sauk County Personnel Director Michelle Posewitz should have handled candidate outreach, not Krueger.

I think what my esteemed colleague meant to say is that Michelle should have had the cup of coffee with Alene, said Wenzel, who voted to appoint Kleczek Bolin. I think its that simple.

Public comment

Six members of the public who spoke Tuesday chastised Krueger for his involvement in Frys departure and Kleczek Bolins selection. Several suggested he resign.

Rose E. Lee of Baraboo criticized the use of an anonymous letter of allegations against Fry during her performance review in late October, saying the former administrative coordinator should have had the right to face her accuser. She said Kruegers actions have gone beyond his position description.

The word chair means that you preside over something, Lee said. It means you make sure the meeting runs according to Roberts Rules of Order and you make sure that people get a chance to speak their position. It does not mean that you get to come in and crack your whip and make sure that everybody does it your way.

One member of the public, former one-term county board member Jeff Giebel of Reedsburg, spoke briefly in support of Kruegers performance as chair.

Baraboo Alderman Joel Petty spoke to the board in support of Kleczek Bolin. When she was being considered for the city job, Petty said, he spoke with those who worked with her in her previous role as attorney in the countys legal office.

There was nothing but accolades about her abilities, her intellect, her organizational skills, and her independence, Petty said.

Resume question

One supervisor, Nathan Johnson of LaValle, asked whether Kleczek Bolin had enough administrative experience to manage an $84 million government operation. He said he never received a copy of her resume, and county staff confirmed it was not sent out.

Krueger assured Johnson, saying he had a discussion with someone from the firm that conducted the last search who said Kleczek Bolin had great potential. Krueger also said she had a positive history with the county, and had gained perspective during her city time, making her an ideal candidate.

Kleczek Bolin worked in the countys legal office for nearly nine years beginning in 2007. She managed that department for a short period while Sauk County Corporation Counsel Todd Liebman was away, and later accepted the city job in February 2016. Her initial salary as administrative coordinator will be nearly $115,000.

The resolution to appoint Kleczek Bolin declares that she is not a public official for the purposes of a state law that requires a two-thirds majority board vote to remove appointive county officers.
JOHNSON CREEK  The closest there was to a protest at Tappers Bar here came from Mike Urban.

The 79-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran from the town of Aztalan booed when U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, took to the podium during Fridays inauguration ceremony.

As for President Donald Trump, Urban was impressed with his speech and is optimistic about about what the businessman-turned-politician can do for the country.

I liked his thoughts on what hes going to do for the country instead of supporting every other country, Urban said. I have big hopes.

Urban was among eight people who sipped 6-ounce, 75-cent taps during the morning happy hour at Tappers, one of the oldest businesses in Johnson Creek. The three televisions are normally tuned to The Price is Right between 10 and 11 a.m., but on this day Donald Trump, not Drew Carey, filled the screens.

The village voted in favor of Trump 844-554 in Novembers election, while Jefferson County as a whole cast 58.6 percent of its votes for the billionaire.

Marylyn Motor Becker has been a bartender at the Milwaukee Street institution for 20 years and said talk has been mixed about Trumps rise. However, on Friday, most of those who nursed Budweisers, Bud Lights and Pabst Blue Ribbons favored Trump.

I like what he just said, that the country should be controlled by the people, said Rich Boltz, 67, of Johnson Creek as he watched Trump deliver his first speech as president. I think he has a good agenda and good ideas.
Of more than 500 sentence commutations issued this week by outgoing President Barack Obama, including 330 on Thursday, five were issued to people convicted of drug crimes in the Western District of Wisconsin, headquartered in Madison.

On Tuesday, Obama commuted the crack cocaine distribution sentences of three men convicted here. Randy R. Jefferson, 46, of Madison, who was originally sentenced to more than 24 years in prison in 2008, will see his sentence reduced to 11 years. Johnnie Stewart, 48, also of Madison, who received a 25-year sentence in 2005, will see his sentence reduced to about 13 years. And Tyreese R. Taylor, 34, of Janesville, will see his 20-year sentence cut to about 12 years.

None will be released immediately. All three of the sentences would expire on Jan. 17, 2019, and each of the men would have to be enrolled in residential drug treatment to be released.

On Thursday, the president commuted the sentences of two men from outside Wisconsin who were convicted and sentenced in federal court in Madison. Senaca Bartlett, 39, of Chicago, convicted in 2005 of distributing crack cocaine, will see his 17-year sentence reduced to about 13 years. And Ryan K. Jones, 45, of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, who was convicted in 2003 of manufacturing methamphetamine in far western Wisconsin, will see his sentence end after about 15 years, down from the 27-year sentence he received originally, which was reduced to 20 years in 2015.

Both wouldn't be released until Jan. 19, 2019, and then only if they are enrolled in residential drug treatment.

Six others convicted and sentenced for drug-related offenses in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, headquartered in Milwaukee, also received sentence commutations this week.

Many of those receiving commutations were assisted by the Clemency Project 2014, a Washington, D.C.-based project made up of the American Bar Association, the ACLU, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the Federal Public and Community Defenders and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

It was formed at the behest of the U.S. Department of Justice to reduce disparities in sentencing for nonviolent, drug-related offenses. Until recent changes, sentences for crack cocaine were stricter than those for selling powder cocaine.

Those eligible for the program must have served at least 10 years of their sentence, among other criteria.
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.